by Macade Maxwell

St. John Bosco welcomes new biology and chemistry teacher, Mrs. Jenny Miller, a former NCAA compliance officer, who hopes to bring her passion for education to students all across the campus. 

Q. Where did you grow up? 

A. I was born in Southern California and grew up mostly in Central California in a small town called Visalia (although it’s not so small anymore).

Q. What high school did you attend? 

A. I attended Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia, CA.

Q. What college or university did you attend and what was your major of study? 

A. I attended Humboldt State University. I started as an Environmental Science major before changing to Education.

Q. What was your favorite subject to learn while in school? 

A. I enjoyed science classes the most. My favorite classes in college were Chemistry and Oceanography.

Q. What did you do prior to teaching at Bosco? 

A. Before teaching, I was an NCAA compliance officer for several different universities. I worked in athletics ensuring the NCAA rules and regulations were followed by coaches, staff, student athletes and boosters.

Q. What inspired you to start teaching? 

A. I think I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and getting them excited about it. The one thing I enjoyed as a compliance officer was teaching others about the rules. When I finally realized that was my passion, I left athletics to pursue a teaching job.

Q. What made you decide to teach at Bosco? 

A. I am very familiar with Bosco’s success both academically and athletically. As someone with an athletics background and the desire to teach, Bosco was the perfect choice. 

Q. Did you play any sports growing up and what was your favorite? 

A. I played several sports growing up, including basketball, softball and swimming, but cross country and track and field were my favorite. I continued to compete in college and still enjoy running to this day. 

Q. Do you enjoy watching any sports? If so, what is your favorite sports team? 

A. I love to watch sports. I enjoy any team with which I have a connection. I really enjoy college football, soccer, basketball and baseball. And of course, track and field. I am looking forward to watching more Bosco athletic events since I know many of the students. That’s what makes it the most enjoyable and exciting. I love to see my students doing what they love.

Q. What is your favorite food to eat? 

A. I am a vegan so I love vegan junk food. I love Beyond Meat Burgers but also love to make my own vegan chili.

Q. Outside of teaching, what are some things you like to do in your free time? 

A. I love to hang out with my family and friends. I enjoy yoga, surfing, paddle boarding and running and just started picking up golf. I have three dogs and no children, so I enjoy taking my dogs to the park, beach or just on a walk around the neighborhood.

Q. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 

A. Hmmm, that is tough. There are several places I would like to go. I would like to go to Europe and spend some time in several different countries. My favorite place that I have already been to has to be Sweden. It’s old and beautiful.

Q. What is your favorite movie or TV series to watch?

A.  I enjoy watching reruns of old TV shows like Big Bang Theory. I recently got hooked on the Gilded Age. My guilty pleasure is watching Below Deck. It is a reality show about staff on a yacht catering to super-rich people. There is a lot of drama. 

Q. If you had the choice to either travel back in time or travel to the future, what would you do and why? 

A. Also tough. I would enjoy going back in time to spend a lot more time with my grandparents and great-grandparents. I would probably also pay way more attention to the advice older adults gave me. 

Q. What type of music do you like listening to? 

A. I like to listen to just about everything. Although I am not much of a country music fan unless it is really old.

Q. What is your favorite thing about Bosco so far? 

A. By far, the students. You all just make my day. Sometimes you all can be little scoundrels, but you all are still the best thing about Bosco.

Q. What is your favorite season of the year and why? 

A. It used to be Summer, but they are getting so hot these days. I love water, so being able to spend time by a lake or the beach is my favorite and that usually occurs during warmer weather.

Q. What is one interesting thing about you that nobody knows? 

A. I know how to sew. Not sure how interesting that is.

Q. Who is the most inspirational person in your life and how have they impacted you? 

A. Too many to choose. My parents and family, of course. Perhaps, Animal Activist Gene Baur. He spent his life rescuing animals from deplorable conditions. He is the founder of Farm Sanctuary. Because of him, I am vegan and a huge animal advocate.

Q. What would you say to a student who doesn’t particularly enjoy the subject of chemistry? 

A. I would tell them that they wouldn’t exist without it. Chemistry makes up everything, how can you not find it interesting?! With foundational knowledge of chemistry, you can find other scientific disciplines that you may find more interesting.

Q. What is something that you want the Bosco community to know about you?

A. I am the biggest animal lover in the world! If you have a sad story about an animal, don’t share it with me. It will ruin my day!

by: Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

This year St. John Bosco High School welcomed a new Academic Advisor for SJB Global, Mrs. Gina Sterling, who wants to support and encourage students in their studies.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in Park City, Utah, a little ski town in the Rocky Mountains. 

Q: What high school did you attend?

A: I went to Park City High school, and my graduating class was about 300 people. Everyone knew each other. 

Q: What college did you attend?

A: I went to the University of Utah (Go Utes!), but I also studied literature at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland for a year. 

Q: How did you discover Bosco and why did you choose to work here?

A: When I was visiting Park City for Christmas, I was catching up with my old deacon after Mass. When I told him I had recently moved to Bellflower, he said, “That’s where I went to school! St. John Bosco! You should work there.” 

Q: Did you have any teaching experience before working at Bosco?

A: My first teaching experience was in the jungle in Peru on a humanitarian trip when I was 16. Later, I did student teaching when I received my teaching minor during college. I taught at a boarding school for girls in Oxford, England, and I worked as a supervising coordinator for an after-school program in Pomona. 

Q: What is your role at Bosco?

A: I am an Academic Advisor for SJB Global. 

Q: What is your favorite part of teaching?

A: It’s inspiring to see you boys work hard and gain new knowledge and skills. 

Q: How long have you been a teacher?

A: I’ve worked as a teacher for a couple years, on and off. But in some ways, I’ve been a teacher since my younger brother was born. 

Q: How have you liked the school and the environment so far?

A: Of all the schools at which I’ve worked, Bosco is by far the best. I really admire the Salesian approach to education; I feel blessed to be here.

Q: Why is SJB Global important to students?

A: Having classes online is beneficial because it offers flexibility to take classes that wouldn’t otherwise be available. It also allows students to travel for sports or other activities and not miss too much work. Students have the option to work at their own pace, which gives them some freedom as they develop self-accountability and time management skills. 

Q: What was your favorite subject growing up?

A: My favorite subject was English, but I also liked art and Spanish.

Q: Who is your favorite author?

A: J.K. Rowling is my favorite author. She inspired a whole generation to start reading. Harry Potter got me through some hard times. It’s a fantastic story with a lot of heart. If you haven’t read the books, you should give them a try.

Q: What would you tell students who want to become a teacher?

A: I would say that being called to teaching is a noble pursuit. Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. 

Q: What is your favorite part of Bosco?

A: I can’t just pick one! My favorite parts of Bosco are the Salesian ethos and watching sports. 

Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of Bosco?

A: I like to mountain bike, float on a surfboard while my friends surf, write stories, travel and read. 

Q: Best fast food restaurant?

A: In-N-Out. There is no other right answer to this question.

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: I have two dogs. I have a Bernese mountain dog named Henry, who’s like a 100 lb teddy bear. And I have a nervous border collie, Hobbes, who is named after the Calvin and Hobbes comic.

Q: Do you have a favorite sports team?

A: The Utah Utes.

Q: If you could have any car, what would it be?

A: I wouldn’t mind having an AeroMobil. Google it.

Q: What is your dream Vacation?

A: I would like to go on a trip with my whole family to somewhere remote and tropical, maybe the Philippines, Thailand or Samoa. 

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: “Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.” -James Joyce, Ulysses

by Andy Ortiz

In the Fall semester, St. John Bosco High School welcomed new animation teacher Mr. Isaac Sanchez, who hopes to bring color and amusement with his whimsical sense of humor. 

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in Chula Vista, California. I am an only child with a fantastic extended family, progressive in nature and very close.

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

A: Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD), where I went for animation specifically.

Q: Why Bosco? What brought you here?

A: I saw the horrible film The Amazing Spider-Man featuring that lanky fellow Andrew Garfield and thought to myself, “I want to work in that basketball court.” So I feverishly stalked and Googled about Bosco and applied directly when I could. Sadly, I only found Spider-man’s mask in the trash by the 127 metro bus stop out front. I suppose he’s “Spider-man no more.”

Q: How do you give yourself motivation?

A: Mostly knowing that life is too short to give up at minor inconveniences. I don’t enjoy trying to prove a flawed system doesn’t own me, but I do it everyday when I wake up.

Q: How would you make a living if you weren’t a teacher?

A: I’d be working as an art director for various studios, or animating on some show that you’d either watch or never hear about until someone on YouTube made a 45 minute lost media video essay about how amazing it was.

Q: What is something you regularly struggle with?

A: Crippling existential dread and internalized rage for the several civil injustices under governmental institutions.

Q: You moderated the Illustration Club, now Braves Creative Guild. Who’s idea was that?

A: It was a spur of the moment idea. I ran it by a senior in my class. He thought it would be cool. So we took my ponytail palm and a few sheets of paper, and the rest is history.

Q: What do you want members to get out of participation in the club?

A: Our club is a safe space first; it’s a place to be yourself and creative. I’d like members to take the opportunity to develop their creative projects, share with peers to get feedback and be open to new ideas. Lastly, find community amongst the fellow nerds, geeks and weirdos.

Q: What got you into animation?

A: So as a kid, my dad was a video store manager for a bit. We’d rent some wild cartoons, not stuff for kiddos. Street Fighter cartoons, Aeon Flux, Spawn, even some Anime like Lily C.A.T, but it was the band Gorillaz that solidified the “coolness” factor for me. That was around 2001. I had already started playing bass, and so seeing music and animation together really clicked in my brain. I never really grew up with Disney. I’d watch it, but I’d wait to go home and watch The Toxic Avenger and Carnosaur and think, “I wanna make that.”

Q: What do you like to draw and animate? What is your style like?

A: I like drawing my own characters. I like drawing what I like generally. I’ll draw things I liked throughout my childhood and life. I rarely do “fanart,” but I like to incorporate imagery from influences in my work. You’ll see a Yu-yu Hakusho shirt on a character. My style is mostly my perspective on shape language. I like my characters interesting but clean in linework. I love limiting my colors if possible. It’s quite fun.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: For life: my Parents. They compromised a lot for me, and they taught me love.
For music: Paul Simonon, Tina Weymouth, Ruth White and Mark Mothersbaugh.
For art: Mark Rothko, Jamie Hewlett, Daniel Clowes and Mary Blair.

Q: What is it about art and animation that makes it so fascinating to you?

A: There’s this primordial ooze that rests within my jelly dome, while worms within it tell me art is good, as it eats from the electrified meat stew I call a brain.

Q: What made you want to teach animation here at Bosco?

A: I actually have a doctorate in football fabrication. I made fantastic footballs under the apprenticeship of Dr. James Fautebawl, legendary artisan. But when I came here, there wasn’t a class to teach that, so I decided to teach animation since I have a BFA in that.

Q: Say someone came up to you and said that they really wanted to learn animation, what sort of advice would you give to them?

A: Just move forward; don’t linger on the tiny details. Whatever you learn on one project you bring to the next one. Trust the growth; it’s gradual.

Q: What is your stance on the current issue of AI generated images being called “art”?

A: If you took a piece of everyone’s lunches and mashed it together and said you’re a chef, are you really? 

Q: What sort of music do you like?

A: All sorts. I grew up on punk, post-punk and new wave. I had a lot of delta blues and folk for a bit. Then it was a lot of early MCs. But lately it’s been mostly jungle music and drum ‘n bass, like Machine Girl or Ethiopian jazz like Hailu Mergia.

Q: What were your biggest aspirations when you were young?

A: When I was really young, I wanted to be a rock star. As I grew up and learned about capitalism, I was discouraged from pursuing art and music, but I realized in my mid-twenties that being a rock star is a state of mind. Be who you feel you want to be and carry that energy with you to your work.

Q: What is your favorite movie stylistic-wise?

A: Tough question. I’d have to say I enjoyed Suspiria (2017) from its understated palettes and vintage approach to composition. I love the tension in staging and overall sense of isolating dread in a sad beige world compared to the vivid 1977 original.

Q: What do you do when you’re bored?

A: I learned early on as a child while watching Kung-Fu with my dad, that life isn’t boring. The same way Kwai closed his eyes and heard the living world around him to affirm he isn’t alone. But I’ll listen to a vinyl record in full. Lately, I’ve been revisiting Norm by Andy Shauf.

Q: The best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

A:“You’re pretty good at landing, So keep leaping.”

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

A: I’m a public school kid. I wasn’t as fortunate – a lucky sad sucker. Take what you can from Bosco. Be bold but be humble. Be kind, extend love and share empathy. Recognize your faults and work toward a better you but not at your expense. Remove sacrifice from your vocabulary, and replace it with collaboration, but never compromise your truth. If at the end of the day you still don’t feel like yourself, remember there’s a whole world outside of your high school life that is ready to welcome you. You’re just starting to live. Be here, be now. Do not assimilate by disassociation – no one is ever “too cool” for school.

by Rafael Escobedo

As the new Vice Principal of Student Conduct, Mr. Robert Linares, a 32-year St. John Bosco High School veteran, hopes to instill the value of responsibility into the students to help them become well-rounded men.

During his time at Bosco, Mr. Linares has taken on many roles, including Vice Principal, Vice Principal of Student Affairs, science teacher and Director of the Biomedical Pathway, just to name a few.

However, this year he has taken on the new role of Vice Principal of Student Conduct, which is similar to his past roles as Vice Principal and Vice Principal of Student Affairs.

Mr. Linares wants to help out students by encouraging them to make good decisions in order to be more focused and  more productive. His past students know how much he cares about them and recognize the extra effort he makes to ensure they excel. 

“Mr. Linares was great teacher. He always made sure that we understood the material that was taught and gave us resources and extra help that we needed to succeed,” said senior Patrick Canosa.

But his main goal as of recently has been making sure that students around campus are wearing proper uniforms. He believes that the uniform represents the Bosco community and is a form of respect that should be treated as such.

“The boys here are great. They are mindful of the rules and follow them. They are polite and are overall just great to work with,” said Mr. Linares.

Bosco proves to be a special place for Mr. Linares, as he has worked here for the last three decades. There was an increase in improper uniform and tardiness over the past couple of years in the school’s return from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, along with the help of Mr. Jeff Powers and Mr. Jon-Paul Masciel, Mr. Linares spearheaded a decrease in tardy students and an increase in students wearing proper uniform. The crackdown on tardiness and uniforms teaches students responsibility and accountability.

“If students comply with dress code and proper uniform, I believe that this will lead to them behaving a certain way,” said Mr. Linares.

While the students may see the enforcement of these rules as strict, Mr. Linares just wants what is best for the students and the school community as a whole. This will help students prepare for the “real world” by familiarizing them with consistent systems of discipline and accountability.

Mr. Linares has also befriended many co-workers over the years and has forged relationships with many students, parents and alumni. These people have helped him become the educator he is today.

Mr. Salvador Perez is someone with whom Mr. Linares is close. They have been working together for 21 years here at Bosco, and Mr. Perez believes that Mr. Linares brings a special gift to Bosco both inside and outside the classroom.

“Mr. Linares is very passionate when it comes to his work. He works long hours to make sure everything is done perfectly and properly. Linares, on the other hand, is funny and witty,” said Mr. Perez. “He constantly jokes around with friends. He makes sure that any environment is cheerful and fun.”

by Jack Turner

St. John Bosco High School welcomes Mr. James Ritter into the Theology Department, a former Bosco student who is dedicated to teaching and coaching the next generation.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: Long Beach, California.

Q: How many siblings do you have?

A: I am the youngest of three.

Q: What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

A: Dave’s Hot Chicken.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Rudy.

Q: What is your favorite TV show?

A: Family Feud.

Q: Where did you work before Bosco?

A: Our Lady of Refuge and St. Pancratius.

Q: How did you come to find Bosco?

A: My dad, uncle and myself all attended Bosco as students.

Q: Where did you go to college before becoming a teacher? 

A: Franciscan University.

Q: How are you feeling about teaching here so far? 

A: I am loving it! So much has changed, but also nothing has.

Q: How is it balancing coaching and teaching at Bosco?

A: It has taken some time to get used to, but teaching makes me a better coach and coaching makes me a better teacher.

Q: What brought you into coaching?

A: I have been lucky to be surrounded by many great coaches in my life and wanted to pass some of that knowledge down to the next generation.

Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you have for students here at Bosco?

A: Form relationships with as many people as you can and enjoy it because it’ll be over before you know it.

Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching?

A: Forming relationships with students and witnessing their growth academically and spiritually.

Q: How was your experience as a student here at Bosco?

A: It was great. I have a bunch of really good friends who I am still close with and dominate in fantasy football.

Q: How is it being an alumnus at the school you teach and how does it help you relate to students?

A: It is a little weird at times, but it still feels like home for the most part. Seeing some of the things students are doing definitely gives me flashbacks because we were doing the exact same things.

Q: What does being a part of the “Bosco Brotherhood” mean to you?

A: I don’t think you really understand it until you graduate. Coming to Bosco gives you an instant connection to everyone who has come before you and everyone that will come after you. The brotherhood is something really special.

Q: What is your favorite basketball team?

A: The Lakers.

Q: Who do you think the “G.O.A.T.” is in basketball?

A: Michael Jordan.

Q: What is your favorite candy?

A: Reese’s.

Q: If you could have any superpower what would it be? 

A: Being able to move things with my mind.

Q: What motivates you to teach the youth? 

A: Helping students figure out what they believe, not what others want them to believe, and helping students come to understand what the Catholic Church teaches and why. I had such a great experience here as a student and want to give back as much as I can. 

by Macade Maxwell

St. John Bosco High School welcomes Mr. Alex Grimm to the History and Social Studies Department, a hard worker who is dedicated to teaching his students.

Q: Where are you from?

A: Long Beach, California.

Q: What high school did you attend?

A: I attended St. Anthony High School in Long Beach.

Q: What college or university did you attend and what did you study?

A: I attended Long Beach State University. My undergraduate degree was in History and I also got my Social Science Credential from there. Go Beach!

Q: What was your favorite subject to learn when growing up?

A: History! That’s the reason I studied it. I also really enjoyed math up until pre-calculus as well as art.

Q: What inspired you to start teaching?

A: I was inspired by my AP United States History teacher with how I would want to go to school for his class. I wanted to be a teacher who helps his students to want to come to school and learn about the best subject.

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I have three years of educational experience.

Q: Outside of teaching, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

A: In my free time I like to watch sports, hangout with my girlfriend and my dog, play video games, cook and explore.

Q: What is your favorite food to eat?

A: Favorite food is either pizza or sushi.

Q: Do you enjoy watching sports? If so, what is your favorite sports team?

A: I love to watch sports! I watch a lot of soccer, football and basketball. My favorite team is AC Milan. I am also an avid Steelers and Lakers fan.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would probably go to Italy. I would love to go there to watch soccer and eat the food.

Q: What is your favorite movie or TV show to watch?

A: My favorite show of all time would be a tie between White Lotus and Game of Thrones. My favorite movie is Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith or Gladiator.

Q: What type of music do you enjoy listening to?

A: I really enjoy rock music. I am currently listening to a lot of classic rock and alternative rock.

Q: Are you more of a morning person, or a night owl?

A: Night owl. I am not very coherent until I have had my coffee in the morning.

Q: What is your favorite season of the year and why?

A: My favorite season of the year is right now, winter, because it’s a little bit cooler and all of the bugs have died.

Q: What is your favorite holiday to celebrate?

A: Probably Christmas. I enjoy all of the celebrations with family and friends as well as the food and decorations.

Q: What is one interesting thing about yourself that nobody knows?

A: I want to write a book about cultural relationships in international soccer.

Q: What is a personal achievement that you are most proud of?

A: Completing Student Teaching during the pandemic would be what I am most proud of.

Q: If you weren’t teaching what other career would you choose?

A: I would probably be either a plumber or a firefighter.

Q: If you could have a talk with any historical person, who would you choose and why?

A: I would choose to speak to either President Franklin D. Roosevelt or President Dwight D. Eisenhower. These are both two presidents who I really enjoyed learning and teaching about. I would love to talk to them.

Q: Do you have any motivational quote or motto that you live by?

A: “No excuses,” a motto that my Dad taught me.

Q: If you could choose to have any superpower, what would it be and why?

A: Teleportation, because then I would not have to fly or drive places.

by Andy Ortiz

The day that the St. John Bosco and St. Joseph’s High Schools’ World Scholar’s Cup team has been waiting for is finally here: starting this Friday is the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions (TOC).

For those that may not know, the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) is a worldwide academic decathlon competition. It is a competition in which teams of three engage in collaborative events involving debates and game shows. 

From free alpaca plushies being given out during the rounds to sharing notes and knowledge with scholars across the world, WSC is something worth committing to.

“Without WSC, I wouldn’t have met two of my closest teammates who soon became friends, Josue [Sanchez] and Alexander [Estrella],” said St. Joseph’s junior Jaquelyn Reyes. 

The Bosco and St. Joseph’s WSC team was founded and used to be coached by previous Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs, Mr. Edgar Salmingo, who has since left Bosco. Currently, Bosco parents Mrs. Fatima Gutierrez and Ms. Mayra Garza are the temporary coaches for this season.

“I am a natural teacher and enjoy helping students grow and learn,” said Mrs. Gutierrez. “So guiding students from this long list of prompts that WSC puts out to learning the material and using it to write creatively and to formulate claims for debates is an interesting process for me.”

The TOC is the final round in the WSC, where the 1000 winners of the global rounds gather to the beautiful campus of Yale University, an Ivy League school, to compete in the hardest events.

Scholars that are participating in this year’s TOC had to first prove their abilities in their local regional round in April to then move on to a whole new country in the global round, where the competition began to heat up, as they qualified for the TOC. 

The TOC features only the best and academically inclined scholars in the world, all coming from many different countries and regions. This round also features the most rigorous events and challenges, making it the most difficult of the rounds. 

TOC also serves as a beautiful wrapup of the WSC season, celebrating the experiences of the scholars who managed to qualify from the global rounds and the learning they’ve demonstrated. 

“I joined the program my freshman year, when at the time I had no idea the program even existed. However, after the round, I discovered that the competition was very fun and enticing and wanted to continue the program to see where it led me,” said Bosco junior Josue Sanchez. 

The rounds of the WSC focus around four main events: team debate, collaborative writing, scholar’s challenge, and scholar’s bowl. With the exception of the scholar’s challenge, each of these events focus on teamwork and critical thinking, both of those skills being the heart and soul of the competition.

“Debates give scholars a chance to showcase their listening and speaking skills in real time. It helps them work collaboratively, be organized and creative,” said Mrs. Gutierrez.

This year’s WSC curriculum focuses on the themes of “Reconstructing the Past.” As the name implies, the scholars learn about reconstructions of historical events and time periods, through concepts such as living history museums, recreations of famous artworks and circumstances behind notorious crime scenes, among many others.

The content also focuses a lot on the history of music, journalism and past historical figures and events. All of the four aforementioned events take prompts and questions from the curriculum, so in order to place very high, scholars will have to master their knowledge of the content and have great chemistry with their teammates.

“I really like thinking about the role current technology has in creating art and the idea around what constitutes art and who owns or authors a specific piece or work, especially if the original creator has passed or if there is a reboot,” said Mrs. Gutierrez.

In the competition, many students are obviously very stressed about how they will do, so the WSC provides each and everyone with their own alpaca plushies.

“The meaning behind the stuffed alpacas was to emphasize the sentiment that you can always look to the stuffed alpacas as a source of comfort during the round, as a way to represent that not all in life is supposed to have such a serious, strict meaning all the time,” said Josue. 

The challenge that the TOC will bring will no doubt prove to be a big ordeal for our Bosco and St. Joseph’s WSC team. But they have spent a long time preparing for this event and hope to do their best in this upcoming competition.