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

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Revealing Cultural Identities lm.. of the language barrier, senior Susan checks her schedule for activities that uld not require verbal communication. One ivity was attending a volleyball match. . iris Machado lish, Christian Ser- ie things I most appreci- about Amat students their warmth, lriendli- s, and great faith in Vhat do Sr. Madeleine, 0.C.D. Religion The things l appreciate most about the students are their openness and friendliness. A cultural exchange occurred on No- vember 9, in which 49 students from Fukuoka, Japan toured the campus in order to gain insight into the daily lives of American teens. The mutually en- lightening event was organized by Ja- pan Travel Bureau and Mr. Bob Par- sons, head of public relations. Mr. Parsons recruited students to serve as hosts to their Japanese coun- terparts. Their job was to be a guide and an example of an American student. In the process, they made new friends and were given perhaps their first impres- sion of the Japanese culture. In the morning, all directly involved with the event met in the library. After the formal introductions, each host was assigned to a student from Japan. They were then placed into four groups and given a schedule. The groups visited art classes, foods and nutrition classes, and biology classes. The Japanese students observed and photographed slices of American high school life. They even had a chance to make miniature pizzas. The Japanese teachers and reporters that accompanied the students also toured the campus. Since most of the Japanese students had studied English for less than one year, verbal communication was diffi- cult. Seniors Naomi Walker and John Koiso as well as sophomore Monique Yamaguchi served as interpreters. The group that did not have an interpreter converted its English to Japanese by dictionary. When reflecting on the ex- perience, John Koiso said, Being an interpreter was a hard job because we were the only ones that understood, yet I know we were appreciated. Naomi Walker expressed her remembrance of the day: HI made many new friends and even got to catch up on my rusty Japa- nesef' The participants met in the gym after a luncheon in the faculty house. Pep squad members performed for the crowd. The girls from Japan also per- formed. Finally, the Girls Volleyball team played exhibition matches against both the Japanese girls and boys volley- ball teams. The day came to a close with an ex- change of modest gifts between the hosts and their guests, symbolizing a cultural exchange. The students from Japan were also given a Lancer Life, a Bishop Amat pencil, Disneyland stick- ers, souvenirs from the California An- gels' baseball team, and a 1986-1987 Yearbook. The event was a fascinating exper- ience. The representatives from Japan were able to View American lifestyle, while students of Bishop Amat had a chance to realize the uniqueness of their counterparts halfway around the world. Mrs. Elaine Marbell English, Business I appreciate the students' youth and good humor. Else why do they put up with a nag like me? Sr. Marie Therese, O.P. English, Fine Arts . . their interest and po- titeness and respect lor each other. Mrs. Susan Marquez Religion, Pep Squad Students at Amat are lriendly and overall they seem to be happy. Most of all, I admire their concern tor each other and willing- ness to help. you appreciate most about students? Mr. Glenn Martinez Physical Education, So- cial Studies, Head Coach Baseball, Football Computer Scienceflapanese Students 145

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S Excitedly opening gifts, two .lapa- nese girls show off their Angel base- ball caps and an Amat bumper stick- er. The Japanese students were each given souvenirs of their visit to Southern California. Seniors Scott Evans and Juan Vas- quez and junior Renee Abaya in- clude a student from Japan in their circle of friends. Friendliness was one of the attributes of people on campus. 144 Academics M i KAM Al' The goals set by the Social Studies Department for the academic year revolved around one main objective: to provide the students and faculty with a year of intel- lectual growth. According to Miss Virginia Pranik, her goal as the department chairperson was to use her time in an efficient manner while providing her students with solid and structured classes. Undoubtedly, the social studies program challenged all students from the sopho- mores to seniors. The courses offered were the study of World History, United States History and Govern- ment, Psychology and Basic Economics. They were taught by uncommonly ener- getic faculty members who provided not only a means for learning but also a way to apply facts and theories to current events and exper- eeking Answers In Society iences. Miss Terri Velasco was remembered for her unique method of teaching boring history facts by us- ing a classroom version of baseball. Junior Sandy Johnson related, I enjoyed Miss Velasco's class because she explained things enthu- siatically and in a manner that I could understand. Senior Chelsie Pederson ex- pressed her feelings about her sophomore World Histo- ry class. I remember that Mrs. Rosann Ramirez seemed to really like what she taught. She was tough and challenging but she brought humor and enthusi- asm to the classroom? This year the department modified its curriculum in an effort to meet the needs of the junior class. An honors United States History class was offered to students so that students could be accu- rately challenged at their re- spective levels of ability. The new class which was similari- ly constructed to the Ad- vanced Placement course, stressed theory and concepts, but not at such a strenuous level. History is a very broad subject covering events from thousands of years ago to events taking place in our daily lives. By reading and studying these facts you are not guaranteed a clear plan for the future, however the social sciences do offer peo- ple an opportunity to inter- pret the results in previous situations and apply those results when making a deci- sion,', stated Miss Pranik. Through the study of soci- ety, present and past, the students grew in their knowledge of the world, due to the excellent instruction provided within the Social Studies Department.

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Freshmen Kari Gordon and Kelly Andres take time to catch up on their reading. Dedication showed a student's enthusiasm for learning. Academic excellence is one of the characteristics of the ideal student. Senior Ray Genato studied dilligent- ly to compete for a place on Aca- demic Decathalon team. 146 Academics A-v Business ls Anything The Business Department was one of the few areas in which vocational training was offered. Included within this department were Typing I, Typing II, Accounting, and Business Law. Specifically, Typing I focused on develop- ing the basic skills necessary to type efficiently. Typing II took the skills learned in Typing I and applied them to business. In Accounting, students learned both pro- fessional and personal appli- cations of working with numbers and keeping finan- cial books. The remaining course offered within the business department was Business Law. This class dealt with the law in every- day life: contracts, insurance, rights, and obligations. As explained by Miss Ivy Gra- shian, the department chair- person, The business de- partment is not only for those interested in going into the business world. I strong- ly feel that business courses are the foundation for many other areas. Many of the students who took these courses felt the same way. Numerous people took classes offered by the Business Department, even though they had no desire to enter the business field. As reflected by senior Rica Reynado, I plan on using typing for term papers, and since the computer keyboard is similar to that of the type- writer, this course will en- able me to work quickly and efficiently with computers. Some students planned to use the information from these courses in everyday life. Senior Nina Romero stated, Business law lets me know a little more about signing my life away without reading the small print. But Usual Although many students took business classes with nm intention of going into the business field, others planned to utilize the skills taught in these classes in their professional lives. Sen- ior Shawna Sands explained, I plan on majoring in ac- counting and becoming a cer- tified public accountant. Taking accounting now is just the first step in my ca- reef. No matter what the rea- sons for taking a business course, the results were evi- dent. The courses within the Business Department pre- pared students to meet th demands that they would in- evitably face in the near fu- ture. Whether these de- mands were destined to b personal or professional, th students were given a stron foundation on which to im- prove their skills.