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

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Decathletes Dominate ln Academics The Academic Decathlon team com- leted at Saint John Bosco High School or rights to go into state competition. ln November 14, the team emerged ictoriously, winning first place among 4 private schools in Southern Califor- ia. Not without hard work and prep- ration could this have been accom- llished. As early as June, 1987, Mrs. Mary l'Neil began to plan the school's par- ,cipation in this important event. 'eam members were required to ac- uaint themselves with areas of litera- ire, physics, health, mathematics, eco- omics, social studies, aviation history, nd romantic art and music. Intense in- truction provided by the faculty and creased study in these Various sub- cts began two weeks prior to the De- thlon. The much anticipated final eam selection was made November 12. Nine students were chosen for the ree levels of competition. The highest ,vel, the Honors division, consisted of enior Eric Johnson, junior Gregg Kas- en, and senior Anna Sanchez as the ternate. Seniors Nicole Wurster, Ke- 7n Sherwood, and alternate Cynthia Lamirez competed in the Scholastic di- ision. In the Varsity division were sen- Jrs Joseph O'Guin, Dino Rivadeneira, nd alternate Danielle Milnes. lhs. Ramona Mirito Mr. Tim Murphy 'oreign Language D.C. Religion .. .P.E. and chemistry. he rest was great! ating, well there was ot such a thing in my me.. .i loved to paint, aad, and travel, so istory, art, and literature 'ere my best subjects. I wed school, All members took objective tests in social studies, mathematics, science, economics, language and literature, and fine arts. Each participant, excluding the alternates, presented a speech on current American foreign policy and an impromtu speech, wrote an essay on a given generalization or universal truth, and participated in an interview and in the Super Quiz on aviation history in which the team placed second. This placement gave the team enough points to capture first place overall. In the Honors division, Eric Johnson received a gold medal in social studies, silver medals in science and mathemat- ics, a bronze metal in fine arts, and a gold medal for his overall total points earned. Gregg Kasten, also in the Hon- ors division, received golds medals in economics, fine arts, social studies, sci- ence, language and literature, and mathematics and a bronze medal for his essay. A silver medal was awarded to him for his overall total points in the Honors division. Nicole Wurster in the Scholastic divi- sion received a silver medal for her es- say and Kevin Sherwood won a silver medal in language and literature. In the Varsity division, Dino Rivadeneira re- ceived a bronze medal in language and literature. Also in the Varsity division, Ms. Deborah Myers Newspaper, Speech l was class president and at times it was difficult to motivate tellow ciassmates. Apathy was ditticutt to deal with. Nhat was most difficult for Mrs. Patricia 0'Connor Home Economics D.C. E absolutely dreaded oral reports and spent hours memorizing every word so that I wouldn't have to think while I was talking. li 1 forgot a word, l had to start over from the beginning. Joseph O'Guin received gold medals in fine arts, social studies, language and literature, and mathematics, a silver medal in science, and a bronze medal in economics earning a silver medal for his overall total points in the Varsity divi- sion. Alternates were awarded certificates of merit for their achievements. In the Honors division, Anna Sanchez re- ceived first place certificates in math- ematics and social studies. She also won second place certificates in fine arts and language and literature. In the Scholas- tic division, Cynthia Ramirez received a third place certificate for language and literature. In the Varsity division, Dan- ielle Milnes received a second place cer- tificate in science and third place certi- ficates in fine arts and language and literature. According to Eric Johnson, the victo- ry praised the curriculum of the school and exhibited the high stan- dards of education. The team members, who were ecstatic about winning the first place title in the regional competi- tion, participated in the California State Academic Decathlon held in Sac- ramento from March 11 to March 14. Their regional victory inspired them to work hard in preparing for state compe- tition. S, Miss Diana Gtivera Mrs. Mary 0'Neil Foreign ,Language Adm., Counseling, Mathematics My most difficult area was P.E. for two reasons. l hated changing clothes. Second, I hated ptaying sports since I never was any good at volleyball, basketball, er softball, you in high school? Religionfltcademic Decathlon 149

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Senior Dino Rivadeneira raises a fist of triumph as he correctly answers questions in the Super Quiz. Win- ning made all the hard work and preparation worthwhile. The Academic Decathlon team: senior Nicole Wurster, junior Gregg Kasten, seniors Anna Sanchez, Cyn- thia Ramirez, Danielle Milnes, Kevin Sherwood, Joseph O'Guin, Eric Johnson, and Dino Rivadeneira. 148 Academics Miracle Cure Found The typical high school student always questioned the meaning of life. Chris- tianity provided the answer. The goals of the Religion De- partment were to help the students develop an under- standing of what it meant to be a Christian and a Catholic and how to apply these prin- ciples to everyday life in so- ciety. These goals were what religion teachers wanted to achieve and were sought out and reached under the guid- ance of Sister Colette, the de- partment chairperson. Sister explained what the four year curriculum was de- signed to incorporate. She stated, In accord with the National Catechetical Direc- tory, Sharing the Light of Faith, the religion courses were designed to incorporate the four principle elements of Catechetical instruction: doctrine, community, ser- vice, and worship. The em- phasis throughout the pro- gram was on a Catholic un- derstanding of Christianity, as well as an appreciation of the Catholic Church and its tradition. Integrated into the reli- gion curriculum were the ex- posures to various religious practices and experiences. These included liturgies, penance services, confes- sions, twilight retreats, ro- saries, stations of the cross, daily prayer, special religious events, campus ministry, Christian service opportuni- ties, mission and vocation days, and collection for the poor and needy. All students were able to participate in these activities. Students were encouraged to grow in the discovery of themselves. In light of Jesus and the Gos- pel, they were challenged to become responsible Chris- tians, mature in their moral lives and in service to others. The overall program was continually evaluated to al- low for more student partici- pation and lifelong develop- ment. By the time a student finished a four-year course of religious instruction, he or she should have developed a solid and thoughtful founda- tion on which to build a Christian life.

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Writing receipts for paymemts of tu- ition, junior Becky Ramos helps out as an office aide. Assistance was al- ways needed in the filing and re- cording of monthly payments. Manning the phones, senior Becky Taylor helps out in the busy front office. Campus aides offered their service to the main offices of the school. F 150 Academics I-ess . Q Expressing Creative Talents Students had various mo- tives for seeking instruction in the fine arts. For example, some wanted simply to fulfill the Fine Arts graduation re- quirement. Others wanted to develop their interests or ex- ercise their creative talents. To suit the student body, the Fine Arts Department of- fered an unmatched palette of colorful courses from which to choose. The courses that fufilled the requirement as well as the demands of the students included Basic Art, Graphic Art, Music and Art Appreciation, Drama, and Band. Whether using an artistic tool or musical instrument or learning about well known artists of the past and pre- sent, each student had an op- portunity to specialize in their choice of the arts. Many felt that if they took a fine arts course they would be obligated to paint works emulating the Mona Lisa . In reality, the classes gave them a chance to learn to ap- preciate art and music and Mr. Michael Sandoval's art class concentrates intensely on a still life to be drawn. Different types of art expression were learned through- out the year by students enrolled in fine arts courses. develop any personal talents at their own pace. After tak- ing one of these courses, most students understood that becoming acquainted with the arts helped them in their education by letting them expand their capabili- ties and use their imagina- tion. Junior Stacy Medrano commented, Fine Arts should be required to gra- duate because everyone should be exposed to all the options in the world of art, music and drama. The department chairper- son, Mr. Michael Sandoval, shared that conviction. He explained that the purpose of the Fine Arts Department, to enlighten students about the world of art , is impor- tant in expressing one's self as a creative individual. He also said that artistic knowl- edge is a growing tooln. It was satisfying to know that students sometimes discov- ered a talent that had pre- viously been untapped. The Fine Arts Department took pride in teaching stu- dents about the interesting and enlightening aspects in this field.