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

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Playing A Valuable Role was not uncommon to find Mr. James Black at s post in the quad outside ofthe library. He was charge of supervising the students in this sec- Dn of the lunch area. r. Chris Spohn lm., Director of Stu- int Services, Counsel- g, Social Studies, Foot- ill . . finding time to incor- rate studies, football, ls, and work. lt never emed to end Miss Teresa Sullivan Mathematics Basketball was the worst! l could catch the ball okay, but the problem was decid- ing who to throw it to. There was never enough time to think through that question. I still can't figure it out when l watch the game, A select group of faculty members were given the title, Lunchtime Mod- erators . What duty did they hold? Was it enforcing rules and regulations? Was it creating a more intimate stu- dent-teacher relationship? The answer was that the dedicated team of teachers and administrators took on both roles. Just as the Associated Student Body emphasized the importance of commu- nication, so did the administration. Ac- tive moderators helped to bridge the gap in relations between students and teachers. Some students found that the only convenient time they had to speak with a faculty member was during lunchtime and they were pleased to find that moderators were ready to lis- ten. The faculty members that were lunchtime moderators actually had the duty of supervising students at lunch instead of teaching a class or perform- ing administrative tasks. The fact that they endeavored to deal with students less formally made them more ap- proachable throughout the rest of the school day. They held a unique and im- portant job. Each day, Mr. Alex Acosta, Mr. Ter- rance Keavney, Mr. Marcus Lewis, Mrs. Kathy Chavez, and Mr. Steve Hagerty were familiar faces in and around the lunch line. They could be seen chatting with students while munching away at their lunches by Rocky's truck. Mr. Lewis reflected, It's the best way we have to really get to know the kids on an informal basis. Students didn't feel as if I were evaluating them. I also got a chance to meet my students' friends, and therefore become more familiar with the student body. Mrs. Chavez added, I enjoyed being a moderator and found that I had the opportunity to get to know everyone better? Mr. James Black never failed to be seen in back of the 600 wing guarding the halls from any poor souls who might have lost their way. Students were not allowed outside the lunch area unless it was raining. The authoritarian presence served to eliminate problems before they arose. Because of the strict regulation of the lunch line, thefts from the truck dropped considerably as well as the problem of students cutting unfairly into the line. They also used lunchtime to enforce dress code. The team of lunchtime moderators was valuable to the campus community. They not only kept students in line, but also made themselves available to stu- dents who needed to talk with someone other than their friends. Lunchtime moderators looked out for the students' best interests in more ways than one. Mr. John Teresa Mathematics . . acne, start oi facial hairs, having to shave, go- ing on dates on street cars. Ms. Patricia Tereschuk Girls' Dean, Science .. spending junior and senior years at odds with one of my pals due to an uniortunate misunder- standing .. . but 15 years after graduation, we were accidentally reunited . . Mr. lim Terrey Foreign Language, Head Coach Soph Football No area was difficult tor me. The most agonizing things l can remember were trying to figure out what l wanted to make my career and thinking about being drafted. llhat was most difficult for you in high school? Mrs. Marla Tillitson Science . . dating. lwent to an allegirls school-St. tucy's- not much chance to social, ize. l would say the two hardest subiects were alge- bra and Latin tlillhen l didn't know the answer in Latin, l answered in Span- ish!J. Foreign Languageflunchtime Moderators 155

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After the rush to the truck, Mrs. Kathleen Chavez and Mr. Marcus Lewis take a break. These two lunchtime moderators were often seen talking with students and keeping an eye out for trouble. Mr. Michael Sandoval and Mr. Ron Woolsey have a friendly chat with a student at lunch. Although not regu- lar moderators, they also contribut- ed to creatin a more o en and uni- S D fied campus. 154 Academics Bilinguists Reap Benefits The Foreign Language De- partment consisted of courses in French, Latin, and Spanish. Students had to complete a minimum of two years of the language of their choice by the time they graduated. However, stu- dents often chose to take an additional one or two years of the language they had been studying. Each student had their own reason to con- tinue study. It could have been a particular interest in the language itself or a desire to meet the requisites of a college. The Spanish Department offered an accelerated pro- gram which included an Ad- vanced Placement course. This enabled students to re- ceive college credit for their high school Spanish class. Junior Hyacinth Dagala commented, I took Spanish IV because I'd like to learn how to use Spanish in other places, not just in the class- room. It's pretty challenging too. Many colleges prefer that three years of a lan- guage be masteredf' Being able to read, write, and speak a foreign language also had its advantages in the job market. Junior Rob- ert Bautista looking far ahead into his future specu- lated, Spanish IV will allow me to use Spanish fluently. With knowledge of fluent Spanish, I can work easily with Spanish-speaking peo- ple in future jobs. French and Latin were not commonly spoken in the community. Those students who had the desire to visit different parts of the world and were eager to learn more about foreign cultures, stud- ied the languages that would be most beneficial to them in their future. Since the Eng- lish language largely stems from Latin, students chose to study Latin in order to broaden their vocabulary. This could be to a studentis advantage in advanced Eng- lish courses or to one inter- ested in classical literature. Junior Jennifer Cochran dis- closed, I've always wanted to learn how to speak French fluently. It's such a beautiful language, but now that Iim going to Europe this sum- mer, I can use it for more practical things like ordering a croissant or something. It's a really hard class, but it's worth it! Some students looked forward to possibly having the opportunity to be a foreign exchange student in France or Mexico. Some hoped to use their knowledge of a language to communi- cate with a wider range of people. The Foreign Language De- partment prepared students for their future. Those who planned ahead took advan- tage of the classes that were offered.

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Students watch from screen to screen, making sure they don't miss their favorite stars. The three wide screens kept the action con- stant and the audience attentive. S 156 Academics Off-Campus Sets Seniors Free Becoming a senior had many advantages. Off-cam- pus was an elective that only seniors could take for either one or two semesters, de- pending on how it worked into their schedules. This gave them time to explore the real world by allowing an free seventh period. The ex- tra hour was convenient for holding a part-time job or re- laxing and having fun. Many seniors had jobs in order to pay their way through school or to have a little extra money in their pockets for lunch and out of school activities. These ac- tivities might have included movie-going or shopping. Seventh period off-campus gave seniors the extra time and an edge over other stu- dents who would soon be out in the big wide world. It meant beginning work earli- er than most. When asked why she chose seventh peri- od off-campus, Lisa Hall re- plied, I was tired of asking my mom and dad for money, and I wanted to pull my own weight around the housef' Being independent and self- sufficient was important to seniors and it showed every- one that they were ready to tackle all that life had to of- fer. I had seventh period off- campus for convenience, and because it was a senior privi- lege. I wanted everyone to know I was a senior! ex- claimed Missy Aguilar. Con- venience was a major reason for choosing to take off-cam- pus. It was easier to leave the campus at this time because there was less traffic in the parking lot. Off-campus pro- vided sufficient time to spend on homework, and therefore more time for fun later in the evening. Consid- ering the significance of sen- ior year, grades were very important to the colleges for which students might be ap- plying. With a little extra time, students could focus on the things in their lives that needed the most attention. Students also could use their time to run errands or take college courses. This elective gave some seniors the chance to be in a different atmosphere, away from the structured school life to which they had been accustomed. Whether for convenience or work, it was definitely a senior privilege. Off-campus gave the seniors a sense of their own identity which was what separated them from the rest of the crowd. Freshmen, soph- mores, and especially juniors looked forward to having the option of a free seventh peri- od under the senior privilege of off-campus.