by Che Womack, Contributing Writer

With the season of giving nearly approaching, the urge to help others in need comes into full force. However, this desire to assist those who need help is not limited to just the holiday season. It is a way of life that should embody a person’s character all year long. 

This desire to give is represented in full force by the St. John Bosco Christian Service Program at Skid Row in Los Angeles, California, which takes place throughout the school year.

The St. John Bosco High School Service Program is an aspect of the school that pertains to the student body, reaching out to foundations and helping others in need. Students are required to achieve a certain amount of service hours each year in order to graduate.

However, the impulse to help others does not only come from the faculty and staff but from the student body itself. Many students have dedicated countless hours of their personal time as it genuinely lets them enjoy time away from themselves to help the less fortunate.

“Bosco’s service hours have helped me realize a lot about myself,” says St. John Bosco senior Jean Martin. “I’ve gone to many places such as Skid Row and the beach, to help not only people but the earth itself. I’m really glad I came to a school that persuades us to make a change in our community.”

One of the main establishments the school helps is the food service program at Skid Row. Skid Row is an area in Downtown Los Angeles where the homeless population accumulates to approximately 5,000-8,000 people.

Although, the numbers of the homeless may seem high, there are many programs and organizations that assume to help these people with shelter, food, drink — including St. John Bosco.

Many teachers take the venture out to Los Angeles with students and enjoy the day at Skid Row as well. St. John Bosco teachers get the opportunity to feed, speak with and the homeless during their trip.

“You know about homeless people and all of that, but to put a face on it and interact with them, you usually don’t get to have that kind of experience,” said St. John Bosco science teacher Michelle Dolphin. “It’s made a huge difference within our community.”

The connection between St. John Bosco and the Skid Row Program comes from former religion teacher Jack Hastert. Mr. Hastert has been long involved with many programs during this time at the school, but most knowingly: Skid Row. He has enjoyed his time — with the help of his family — helping others in the Los Angeles area.

“I first started taking Bosco students to the Los Angeles Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen on skid row in 1979-80 school year.” Mr. Hastert said. “My contributions include donating money and on occasion going out to feed people.”

Because of this branch, St. John Bosco has been able to be a part of a human-phenomenon that helps the less fortunate, provides a meal and promotes a human-capitalism that values dignity of dollar signs.

While Christmas may be called the “Season of Giving,” the desire to help at Bosco spans much more than a couple months. It is a way of life that stems from the Salesian Brotherhood.

That is love. That is Bosco.

by Dominic Sanchez

Ms. Alyssa Skipper, a prominent member of the faculty and staff here at St. John Bosco High School as our Director of Counseling, may not be as well-known to some parents and alumni, but she is a mainstay in the lives of our student body. She plays a dominant role in the community in helping hundreds of students reach their academic potential and goals for the future to come.

Ms. Skipper’s journey to St. John Bosco has been drawn out and alluring. She was born one of two daughters in Torrance, California and then raised in Lakewood for the majority of her life. Growing up with a very supportive and loving family who supported her through anything, they would go to any limit to help her succeed with her goals throughout her early life.

After middle school, Ms. Skipper decided to attend Mayfair High School participating in cheerleading and several other clubs. Graduating from high school she chose to go to UC Santa Barbara as an undergraduate and got her Masters at Cal State Dominguez Hills College. She then chose to start majoring in sociology, as well as minoring in applied psychology to broaden her opportunities for the counseling career she’s been pursuing.

By the time she was about to leave high school, she knew that being a school counselor was a career path she wanted to be in. Besides working at a few fun jobs on the side during high school in the Summer, like Soak City Water Park, which she definitely did not enjoy.

“It was a terrible first job; I will definitely say that,” said Ms. Skipper.

She also worked many other jobs, but there was no other job she wanted to ever pursue like being a counselor and helping others reach their academic potential.

Ms. Skipper then began focusing on her career in college in her undergraduate, and  went directly into grad school as soon as she graduated from the University of Santa Barbara. Fast forward to two years later, she already started getting into her fieldwork in the counseling career.

Growing up in public school for her whole life, she was looking at a variety of schools to lend her services. Her public school education was a foundation for her experience in applying to these schools. Being in different types of settings and meeting with a variety of students has helped her tremendously, as well as helping her grow as the best counselor she can be.

In 2018, Bosco was looking for a fresh face to help with the counseling department, and Ms. Skipper seized that opportunity, making it the first Catholic school she’s ever worked at. She was hired as the Director of Counseling for students, helping with the college application process, test preparation, class modifications, guiding each and every student to their own path and the social and emotional well being of all.

“I thought it would be really interesting to see what the private world looks like, to see what the Salesian community looks like, and it has been really cool to see how different the education can be here,” said Ms. Skipper.

Being at St. John Bosco for about a year and a half, Ms. Skipper has developed a strong sense of connection and friendship with the majority of Bosco’s staff and faculty. She believes that this is a unique place with great accomplishments and continued potential. Described by her, it is easily one of the best groups of people she’s ever had the privilege to work with. As a welcoming and open personality among the staff, she believes that people are really sold on the idea of being there for their students being present in class, as well as being out and about on campus.

With much of her first year at Bosco spent working with the Counseling Department and the Parent Association, the immense sense of welcoming for her personally, as well as the support of Mr. Delgado and Mr. Totah, solidified her feeling that she was in the right place. After 6 years of being dedicated to counseling, she has also toyed with the idea of being in Administration someday for St. John Bosco, but for now, she is truly happy with her position and will never change her career as an educator in some capacity until she reaches her retirement from the field.

From my personal experience with Ms. Skipper, having her help me with my personal struggles and stress over my college applications, I feel the best word to describe her is compassionate. No matter how busy she is, or how much is on her plate during the day, she will always find a way to take the time to handle the situation a student is having even when it seems like she can’t help.

From assisting in supervising student events, welcoming students, providing college lectures, providing advice for students when they need it most and more, she is a welcoming personality and truly a joy to have around you. Currently, she is juggling the Counseling Department, graduation ceremonies and is working on aiding hundreds of students in their college applications, just to name a few of her many responsibilities.

Her job is quite a handful and is not easy. It is satisfying and rewarding work that takes a lot of effort to pursue. Miss Skipper cannot imagine being at any other high school in the country. The school community and staff cannot imagine Bosco without her and is incredibly thankful for her and her efforts of making Bosco a better place to be.

by Matthew Ruiz

Ms. Jeanne Pantuso is a well-known asset to Athletic Director Monty McDermott, all the sports teams and the staff and faculty members here at St. John Bosco. However, many parents and students don’t know who she is nor do they know all the work that she does to help the school’s athletic department, students and the overall community here at St. John Bosco High School. 

Ms. Pantuso was born into a large family consisting of four brothers and two sisters. Her family has been associated with Bosco for decades, especially because her brothers came to Bosco. One brother, Mr. Jack Hastert, is still an extremely active and involved faculty member for the school, being the head golf coach and a recently retired religion teacher after over 30 years at Bosco. But Coach Hastert is far from the only connection to Bosco for Ms. Pantuso.

“My son Graduated from Bosco in 98’ with a football scholarship, and my daughter graduated from St. Joseph’s in 00’ two years later,” Ms. Pantuso said. She’s had many family members go through Bosco and St. Joseph’s High School whether that be siblings, nieces, nephews and brother and sister in-laws.

Ms. Pantuso herself has been working at Bosco for 26 years, wearing many different hats in her time on faculty. She especially has been involved with sports because she’s the Assistant Athletic Director under Mr. Monty McDermott. However, at different points in her career here at Bosco, she served as the Alumni Development Program, school secretary and attendance dean. The Alumni Development Program consists of organizing events like the SJB Golf Classic and the Alumni Memorial Mass.

Ms. Pantuso, as the Assistant Athletic Director, works closely with Mr. Monty McDermott, who is yet another Bosco connection as a member of the class of ‘86. In addition to being an alumnus, he has served as the Athletic Director here at Bosco since 2002, as well as having coached baseball and football at Bosco for seven years.

Both Mr. McDermott and Ms. Pantuso have a close relationship in and out of the work space.

“She does everything, scheduling, contracts, transportation, returns calls, collection of tickets and money, organizing volunteers, security, input scores and CIF information – on and on.  We have worked together for so long, I have complete trust in her,” Mr. McDermott said.

“I like to keep my office and department very organized so we split up responsibilities.  Ms. Pantuso’s main responsibilities are handling all scheduling, collection of contracts, all school transportation with buses and school vans, department files, meeting minutes, CIF required paperwork and coaching clearance… However, she will also help wherever there is a need. She is a 100% team player.”

“She is very easy to work with and brings a lot to the table. She is able to always maintain a professional demeanor, while keeping things fun in the office with her funny sense of humor,” added McDermott.

McDermott considers Mrs. Pantuso one his he and his wife’s best friends. The three of them even go to concerts together.

Ms. Pantuso is an approachable faculty member who is always excited to get to know all of the students. This says a lot about her personality and how she puts others before her, and for all she gives our community, she always puts the students first.

“The best part about working at Bosco are the students,” Ms. Pantuso said.

by Kourt Williams

Day 1: 

(Wednesday)

As the team and I are ready and set for the trip, eager to start this once in a lifetime experience, first we had to go through the challenge of getting there. I had to wake up at three o’clock in the morning to be able to get to Bosco by four. By the time I got to the school, the majority of the team was already there ready to go. As we drive in the dark on our way to the airport, even though this time of morning is usually peace and quiet, my teammates and I were wide awake, almost as if we were on our way to a party. You could just feel the excitement in the air.

As we arrive at the airport, after talking to my teammates about the trip, this is the first time some of them have ever been at an airport, let alone an airplane. Just the fact, young men in high school get to travel to an island and experience something only a few ever get to do, in all just to play a football game, is something I will never forget, always cherish, and never take for granted.

We land in Hawaii, and the excitement just rises. We load off the plane, get our bags, and head for the bus to go to our hotel. As a senior on the team, traveling is not really a new thing for me, but for some of the younger players that have never experienced it, they were just in awe about every little thing, and that was great to see them be able to experience that. As we are on the road headed to the hotel, the scenery is phenomenal. Looking at the beauty in the tropical mountains and the light to dark blue sea ahead just gave me this feeling of joy that made me realize the reality of the opportunities I’ve been given and I began looking forward to what lies ahead.

Day 2:

(Thursday)

As the day starts, my body is trying to get used to the time difference. Being three hours behind in terms of my body clock was something we all weren’t used to. That I would say was one of the most difficult tasks to overcome. This is the day that we all would be able to see history before our eyes. We would be at the same location as what happened in Hawaii territory on December 7, 1941. But first, as you would imagine, we had to practice. Everything about the trip was like we all were in paradise. Even the location where we practiced, we were on a grass field on a hill on the edge of the ocean. The view of the ocean was beautiful.

After practice, we head to Pearl Harbor. This I would say was the most profound moment of the trip. For myself and my teammates to be able to experience that together and learn an in-depth analysis of what really happened that day was an experience I would never forget. It really made us appreciate and be thankful for all we have today and what is provided for us because it made us realize in a blink of an eye it all could be over and gone.

Day 3:

(Friday)

This is day everybody has been waiting for and anticipating. It’s game day! Social media is going crazy, people from the outer states start rolling in, my family included. The night before it was hard for me to sleep because I was so excited about the game. As the day continues and we all start preparing for kickoff, the focus is on one thing and one thing only, to win a football game.

At six o’clock in the evening, it was time to go. As the game begins it seems pretty even in matchups of teams. But my defense and I were too much for their offense to handle. My offense started racking up points and it was beginning to become obvious who was the dominant force of the game. As the game concludes and both teams knew what the eventual outcome would become, things start to get a little riled up for the opposing team. We stayed dominant and made sure to keep all action on the field.

As the game ends and we head back to the hotel, I can sense there is a little disappointment from my team because the trip had to end, but nonetheless, we knew it had to end sometime. We were just thankful we got the job done and accomplished the main purpose of why we went on this trip in the first place, and that was to win a football game.

Day 4:

(Saturday)

Similar to day one of the trip, we had to wake up at three o’clock in the morning to head to the airport to make it home. Some of the best moments with my teammates are the aftermath of the trip because we actually get to talk about what we had just experienced. In it all, it just made the team’s bond closer. Taking a trip like that does nothing but make you a closer football team. It also allows you to become more than just teammates. It allows you to become brothers.

As we head to the airport and board our flight, as a whole, the team is ready to get back home and back to their normal lives, including me. When we land, there is a comfort that I felt knowing that I was back home. Knowing you have a home to go back to is one of the best feelings you can have. But knowing you have a second home with your team and brothers is an even better one, and I believe that became apparent because of this trip.

This adventure myself and Bosco football experienced was one I will never forget. It will be a story I will one day tell my children about. Something I will hold precious to my heart and cherish until the end of time.

by Emilio Ceja and Jesse Neville

Stress levels in teens are beginning to match and even surpass the levels of adults, often in worse conditions than those stressed adults because of the unique social pressures adolescents face. Without a way to cope or handle this stress, many students often become overwhelmed and can fall behind in taking care of their schoolwork, their personal relationships and, most importantly, themselves.   

However, students at St. John Bosco have a choice. Bosco began its mental health counseling program began during the 2006-2007 school year, offering a free and personalized counseling service to help with student stress and other issues they may face. Through this program, the students are not treated as “clients,” but are treated as a friend that has others around them that they are able to talk to. 

The original “Outreach Concern” counselors at Bosco have been replaced by counselors from a new company called Counseling Partners of Los Angeles (CPLA). These new CPLA counselors serve the same purpose as the Outreach ones and help the academic counselors meet all aspects of student needs. 

While assisting the free mental health counseling service at Bosco, these counselors also complete the hours they need for their Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) degrees. Emaryne, one of the counselors currently at Bosco, has been with CPLA for about a year and has almost completed her set amount of hours to receive her MFT degree. She is a counselor that prides herself on taking creative approaches to therapy.

“I do a lot of play therapy. I don’t do the traditional counseling of sitting across from you asking about your feelings,” said Emaryne. 

The idea of a stress-free meeting with a counselor, such as just talking while throwing a football around or going for a walk, does not seem to be something that can help with stress, but in reality, the simplest actions can help the most. 

Mr. Jaramillo, the activities director, currently oversees the counseling program at Bosco. He is pleased with the change in the CPLA counselors, explaining how the new counselors work methodically and systematically to help students most. 

“Outreach was reactive, but CPLA is more preventive. Along with being strategically reactive, the CPLA counselors are much more structured and easily approachable,” said Mr. Jaramillo. 

Meetings with the counselors can be scheduled in a variety of ways, teachers or family members can ask for a student to be seen by the counselors, or better yet, the student themselves can walk into the CPLA office and just ask to talk to them.

The counselors themselves leave time slots open throughout the day in case there is a need for them to be called at any time. They prepare ahead of time with their schedule to make sure they have time for any student that comes through the door. 

Students are not limited to using the service only if recommended, which is a major deal. This means any student can go no matter the circumstance or the need.

One student from the senior class went to the counselors just because he needed someone to talk to and express the troubles he had that he could not bring up at home. These issues that were going on in his household were getting in the way of his school work, and throughout the process of counseling, he says that his grades recovered and he no longer had to take Summer school. 

“It was a calming and personal experience that allowed me to refocus on the opportunities in front of me,” said the class of 2020 student.    

This rarely used program can be beneficial to many but is surrounded by the stigma of something having to be wrong in order to go. The counselors are there to benefit students, and there does not need to be a serious problem for a student to attend. 

Personal counseling is rare to find, especially for free. Despite this, the counseling services are not well-known, or even known at all, to some. Breaking the mental health stigma around campus is the first step toward putting a lot more students in the best environment possible to thrive and take advantage of all that come with being a “Brave.”

by Elias Gomez

Being a freshman at Bosco is a great responsibility. It is a privilege. In the classroom as well as in the community, where students may don anything carrying the cherished “Bosco” name, they are expected and held to a standard of representing the “Bosco Brotherhood.”

These incoming freshmen Braves began the year with a positive mindset and a fresh start with new student orientation. Like many Braves, one freshman, Diego Marquez, says that he is looking forward to Bosco’s Pathway Programs.

“The Engineering Pathway is something I am excited for because it teaches me how to be a good leader and to problem solve,” said Diego Marquez.

Diego’s intellect and willingness to learn will help him, and all freshman, in his progression through respective Pathway Programs, or just balance the classroom with extracurriculars.

Also like many incoming Braves, Diego is also looking forward to baseball tryouts and working hard to make the freshman team.

Matthew Thomas, another incoming freshman also said he was excited to meet new friends and play on the freshman baseball team.

Matthew Thomas, like many generations of Braves, has an older brother, Anthony Thomas, at Bosco who can help him with trying to get the rhythm of high school..

Obviously, this freshman class has varying goals and ambitions, but it is the responsibility of upperclassmen to set an example and offer guidance.

“Being a freshman at Bosco was a learning experience and had many failures. But I had to keep going and keep trying at the things I loved,” said junior Josiah Briscoe.

Most freshmen are intimidated when it comes to dances, football games and trying to change classes. This is when the big brothers come into play and help the freshman and support them. Being supported or feeling comfort as a freshman is the best thing upperclassmen can provide.

Many freshmen want to succeed in getting good grades, making a sports team and making new friends. The only way to do these things is to stay positive and worry about developing positive work habits. All in all, the incoming freshmen should have fun and just embrace all that Bosco provides with class, politeness, and diplomacy.

Sure, our new freshman will face their failures, but as long as they keep their heads up and keep getting better then they will survive high school, become a better person, and ultimately be able to call themselves a “Bosco Man.”