Bishop Amat High School - Tusitala Yearbook (La Puente, CA)

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Retreats Create Memories arefully considering his question, senior Mi- hael Bernal prepares to share his thoughts with r. Marie Therese. The retreats covered many iought provoking topics. B eeer i A f ' N 5--is , ttrrt R r lllr. Randy Dimmitt Mr. Steve Dreiling Social Studies Mathematics Nhat was most difficult for Every Tuesday evening something very meaningful took place on campus. It was called the twilight retreat. It was during the five hour sessions that stu- dents had the opportunity to share per- sonal feelings with their peers and learn more about themselves. Each evening began with the gather- ing of students from two religion classes for Mass in the faculty house chapel. The classes then assembled in the teachers' lounge for a good meal with friends. The meal was a potluck dinner. After dinner, students then went over to the library and formed groups of about six people plus a facilitator. Faci- litators included parents, teachers, or older friends, relatives, and students. Their job was to make sure that things ran smoothly and to contribute to the groups' discussion. The retreat program also included filmstrips, movies, slide shows, songs, and prayers promoting personal growth. These beneficial retreats were orga- nized by Sr. Francette. She was aided by the four religious affairs commis- sioners, seniors Hernani Ledesma, Lis- sette Ribas, and Nicole Wurster, and junior Allison Brown. Being one of the commissioners involved staying at school on Tuesday nights to help run the retreats by doing the kitchen work and faciltating for freshman and sopho- more classes. Despite working long Mr. Michael Ehreth A Religion Sr. Eileen Grace, 0.S.l. English . . . breathing. hours, they definitely felt that it was worth it. Commissioner Allison Brown stated, One of the good things about being here every night is that you meet a lot of new people, especially as a faci- litatorf' Each separate grade had a different theme for its retreat. The themes cen- tered around God's love, friendship, and self-esteem. Although everyone's reactions to the purpose of the retreats differed, students all expressed appre- ciation for the program. Seniors reacted eagerly to the retreat because it was their last, and freshmen were excited because it was their first. However, sophomores and juniors also enjoyed the retreats. Senior Chris Marino said, It was excellent. It was one of the best retreats I ever had. Junior Luce Palo- manes was also enthusiastic. She re- vealed, It was life-giving and encour- aging. Others may have felt disap- pointed. Junior Elise Belliveau ex- plained, I didn't feel that my group was very responsive. A retreat away from school would have been differ- ent. Overall, students found comfort in sharing their feelings with their classmates. The most important goal of the re- treat program was to add to each indi- vidual student's personal growth. This goal was achieved over the course of four years. Francette, O.S.F. Mrs. Linda Frazzette Religion, Campus Minis- Mathematics, Social try Studies l dreaded report card time English was my most diffi- because my two older sis- cult subiect. I had poor ters were 'A' students andl writing skilis and probabiy had 'other' interests. still do. you in high school? Computer Seience!Retreats 137

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Sr. Francette receives help rewind- ing a film from seniors Tom Arnold and Bill Sanchez. Short movies and slide shows were a part of many retreats. Nodding in approval Mrs. June Harker agrees with a response while senior Kim Courtemarche lis- tens attentively. Moderators helped to keep the table discussions going. 136 Academics Catching The Wave It's not an unknown fact that computers are the wave of the future. In light of this phenomenon, the depart- ment underwent many changes. It was renamed the Computer Science Depart- ment whereas it was pre- viously termed the Data Pro- cessing Department. This change was to prevent any confusion with the Data Pro- cessing Administration, which dealt with the new computer system on campus. To accomodate this up- coming field, space in the new building was set aside for computer classes. The new building also brought additional changes within the department. There were many proposals as to the new type of personal computers the students would be using and the kind of applications to be taught. The decisions depended upon the comput- er system that was finally chosen. Three different courses were offered: Computer Fun- damentals, Introduction to Data Processing, Program- ming in BASIC. Word Pro- cessing was offered during the summer. Taking one of these courses satisfied an ad- ditional requirement in the curriculum, computer aware- ness. Beginning with the class of 1988, students were required to take a computer class. Students on campus were heard complaining, Why do we need to take a computer class? I'll never encounter them in my life. To the con- trary, computers exist in al- most every aspect of the modern world, and every- body will be confronted with them at one time or another. Mr. Anthony Victoria felt that many students were in- timidated by computers. He hoped that by offering these classes, students would feel more comfortable with them. He stated, Students need to realize that the computer is a 5-...Q Knowing that practice is the best teacher, junior Kimberly Hein works on the computer. Hands-on training lessened her apprehension. tool, and it can help them achieve maximal benefits. The innovative changes within the department al- lowed students to have hands-on experience with computers. Computer ,sci- ence became a major piece of the puzzle of education. X,

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Mrs. Margie Dorgan tries to contact sophomore Stacy Santos' parents. Whenever students were extremely ill, their best option was to call for permission to go home. . 3 Q it l a l 5 E l s rid , .S JK a 'Naam A 5 f 1 Mx We Mwxik .K ,, y 1 ,., e .f 1 sf s it -1s. A K Hovv To Correctly luggle Numbers The Mathematics Depart- ment completed its second year under the direction of Sr. Kristin. This department offered more courses than any other department in the school. Mathematics students or- ganized themselves into study groups in order to maintain their grade-point averages. For instance, Sr. Kristin's Honors Math Ana- lysis students gathered for communal study periods be- fore quarter exams. Mrs. Mary O'Neil,s Calculus stu- dents established a compli- cated telephone network which still puzzles AT8zTg they monopolized the local switchboards in their efforts to call each other to discuss 1: their homework. All classes called for intense prepara- tion. The department tried to create a uniformity of math- ematical processes by stress- ing the use of correct termin- ology and format. A main purpose of each level of math was to prepare students for the next level. A strong foun- dation was essential for be- coming familiar with ad- vanced mathematics. An interview with Sr. Kristin revealed the goals of the Mathematics Depart- ment. She held strict policies because she believed that the purpose of mathematics was to discipline. Sr. Kristin stat- ed, We, the members of the department, know we're do- Responding to Sr. Kristin, sopho- more Ivan Dalisay explains his work. Many math teachers were willing to dedicate extra time to assisting stu- dents. ing a good job, but we want to do a better job. This statement embodied the de- sire of the Mathematics De- partment to strive for excel- lence. The teachers of this de- partment were always will- ing to help troubled stu- dentsg they opened their doors before school, and were willing to stay after school to tutor students who needed extra help. Teachers hoped that upon graduation students would be able to graduate with the confidence that they could achieve any- thing with their strong foun- dations in mathematics. ....,,... . -lswwx 138 Academics A , .X he '+.e,,.. its