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

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Seniors l aj True Meaning Ot X-IVIas Tradition is a very important part of life as is Christian service. These two ingredients were com- bined as the senior class once again brought Christmas to Dolo- res Mission. However, many of the people who went felt that Dolores Mission had brought Christmas to them and the experience would re- main with them forever. Who could forget the excite- ment of the children, the broad, hopeful smiles, and the eyes twin- kling with anticipation when the bus, or if you will, Santa's sleigh arrived? Who could forget the bombardment of kids when Santa, also known as Henry Molina, ar- rived, or the hop-scoth games, jump rope contests, and piggy- back rides which the seniors seemed to enjoy more than the younger children? In the words of Joel Mejia, I didn't think that lit- tle kids could be so much fun! The fun continued as the Christmas parties began. Each child was given candy, popcorn, punch, and cookies. Many class- Distributing gifts to each child, Henry Mo- lina plays Santa. His part in the day was especially appreciated. rooms had Christmas music play- ing, but the highlight was Santa's arrival. The kids could not contain their excitement any longer. They waved their arms in hopes that they would be next to recieve a gift. What happened next depend- ed upon the teacher and the indi- vidual child. Some teachers pre- ferred that the children take the present home and others allowed them to open the gifts as soon as everyone had one. Even so, some of the children decided to wait un- til Christmas so that they would have something to open. Those who did open their gifts showed the seniors a small piece of the joy which they had brought. The kids' eyes grew bigger and danced with excitement when they saw what they had received. This more than thanked the sen- iors for their efforts and made the trip more than worthwhile. As a matter of fact, many volunteers felt that they had received more than they had given just as they had been taught. It was a very good experience and I wish I could go back because you get to see what Christmas is all about, stat- ed Stephanie Herreria. Her feel- ings reflected those of everyone who took part in the experience. That everyone enjoyed the day was especially obvious when it came time to leave. No one wanted to go home and the children did not want the seniors to leave. One explanation for this was offered by Christina Durazo, I didn't want to leave because I got close to the kids in the short time we were there. Overall the experience was one that will live forever in the memo- ries of both the seniors and the children. It was a learning exper- ience: the seniors learned about life and the beauty of giving while the children learned that people could be generous and loving. However, the most important thing of all was that everyone learned the true meaning of Christmas. 36 Student Life Hope Stanley and Marti Hoye join in a game of jump rope. They found that their old childhood games were still fun. Wk

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Bombared by young boys, Henry Molina realizes that even the best jobs have their drawbacks. John Brennan tries in vain to establish some kind of order, Santa proved to be in high dernand, David Gibbons gives a ride to a friend. All the senior boys were very popular with the boys from the mission. ii my Nancy Nicoloro is thanked for coming by a grateful girl. The seniors and the kids grew close quickly. Showing the excitement of the day, this group of children swarrned around Mi- chelle Arias for a picture. Piggy-back rides were one of the favorite activities during play-time. i Dolores Mission 37