Spotlight on Student Activities and Success at Mother Seton Regional High School, Clark, NJ
February 2017
Junior/Senior Retreat
By Madeline Motyczka On the weekend of September 30, Juniors and Seniors left Mother Seton for a weekend of spirituality and friendship at Maris Stella Retreat Center in Long Beach Island. The retreat was a success and by the end of the weekend, those in attendance grew spiritually and formed stronger bonds with classmates. Activities ranged from stories of individual encounters, to games that brought you closer to God, and relationships with the people around you. The prayer service at night included lighted candles, songs, and readings from the Bible. Senior Kristin Carpenter says, "It was an awesome experience and I love these girls!" The weekend was filled with laughter, tears, and memories that are unforgettable. A very special thank you to faculty: Sister Jacquelyn, Sister Mary Anne, Mr. Uriarte, Miss Buontempo, and Mrs. Flammia who made the 2016 Junior/Senior Retreat a memorable experience.
Ellis Island Trip By Megan Duffy
In October, the seniors had the opportunity to travel to Ellis Island on a field trip with the Social Studies department. Ellis Island was home to the country’s busiest immigration inspection station during the early 1900’s. Today, visitors can tour the immigration museum and see the Statue of Liberty on neighboring Liberty Island. The trip was a great opportunity for the seniors to see some of the US History they are studying in class. They were able to walk through the same halls that immigrants waited in before being allowed into the United States. The class also had fun riding the ferry between the islands and taking pictures in front of the beautiful New York City skyline. Now, they’ll be able to return to their history classes with a better understanding of the experience millions of immigrants had when they came through Ellis Island.
Upcoming Events February 21 & 24– Terranova (Grades 9 and 10) February 27—Cultural Assembly March 1—Ash Wednesday March 3—Gift Auction March 8—Winter Sports Awards March 10—Student Council Cure for Cancer Night March 13-14—Human Sexuality Program March 16—Teen Arts Festival March 17—St. Patrick’s Day March 27—No school—Middle States Holiday
The Birth of a Nation “The Birth of a Nation” is a story about a devout, Baptist slave by the name of Nate Turner, who lives on the plantation owned by his master Samuel Turner. On the plantation there are numerous signs of rebellion from the slaves that even Samuel starts to take notice. In an effort to prevent such an uprising, he turns to Nate Turner- whom he favors the most, to preach the Word to slaves. When Nate turner agrees, he is subjected to watch his brothers and sisters being brutalized. Nate then realizes that he cannot continue to preach and watch his people being persecuted the then takes the initiative to lead a violent, historical rebellion against the slave owners. Celebrities featured in this film that you may know are Nate Parker and Gabrielle Union. The trailer in my opinion was very moving and portrayed snippets of hardships and persecution that Nate Turner and the slaves endured at the hand of slaves and religion. I recommend this movie if you are into learning about black history, drama, and action.
Moana “Moana” is a family friendly movie that surrounds Disney’s next anticipated princess. Moana is not your average Disney princess; she is a teenager that goes on a full adventure across the sea to save her people. Moana also struggles with finding out who she really is and decides to also go on this quest. Along the way she comes across this demigod named Maui who lends her a helping hand during the mission. I am excited to see this movie because Moana is another great princess character who doesn't need a male figure to save her, nor does she have a love interest. After watching the trailer a few times, I can only say that this movie will be the talk of the year and an enjoyment for all youth that end up seeing this movie. Not to mention “Hamilton” fans who will go crazy over the music written by Lynne Manuel Miranda.
Star Wars: Rogue One If you are a Star Wars fan like me or enjoyed watching “ Star Wars: The Force Awakens” then this movie could be for you. Apart from The Force Awakens, “Star Wars: Rogue One” is a more grittier and serious movie. During a time of war and rebellion, a diverse group of people band up together to try to steal plans of the Death Star from the Empire. For those who don't know, the Death Star is a space station the size of the moon that has the power to wipe a whole planet to oblivion. For all the Star Wars fans, rumor has it that this movie might give answers and connections to questions that you may have from “The Force Awakens” and other Star Wars movies. If you are into fantasy and action you might want to check this film out.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 For marvel fans that enjoyed the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie the sequel is now about to hit theaters in 2017. Get ready for an action packed, intergalactic comedic, adventure surrounding these heroes. After watching the sneak peek of the trailer I'm really ecstatic for this film to be released. The graphics look phenomenal and from the looks of this, the storyline seems interesting. Marveland action movie fans will love this movie.
Power Rangers Remember these heroes? Well producers and directors are finally bringing the Power Rangers to the big screen. I had to admit that I was a bit worried about what they were going to do with this movie but, after watching the trailer I am so far pleased with what we might be getting. The trailer follows teens viewed as outcasts that have gone through individual struggles that soon befriend each other. During a night out, the teens sneak into a restricted area and come into contact with a strange object that ends up enhancing their abilities. They later on become the Power Rangers destined to fight evil and save the planet. I for one, grew up watching the Power Rangers and this trailer looks entertaining. My only hope is that it doesn't turn into another typical plot where the weak kids turn into superheroes. If it is then I would hope that the movie wouldn't fail to keep me interested and would contain some great suspense.
Beauty and the Beast “Beauty and the Beast” is one of many Disney movies coming to the big screen. “Belle,” played by Emma Watson, sacrifices herself for her father to be imprisoned by the beast (played by Dan Stevens). The two end up falling in love thus beginning the timeless, romantic tale passed from generation to generation. This is another movie that can be enjoyed on a family movie night or with friends.
ON THE RISE—Daya Have you ever heard a catchy song on the radio, but didn’t recognize the artist? That’s because new artists make the charts every week! Have you heard a song that goes like this, “Where do the good boys go to hide away?” This song called “Hide Away” is sung by Daya. She is pretty new on the charts, although this song was made in 2015. She recently came out with her album Sit Still Look Pretty on October 7. It received amazing reviews and some of her work has even made the top 10 on the Billboard Music Chart. She is an aspiring artist whose name we are going to see and hear
Rivals in Presidential War By Gabrielle Alexandre, Talitha Fernandes, & Manveet Kaur
The presidential election of 2016 created significant tension and chaos throughout the United States. The candidates for this election were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Though there were more contrasting points rather than similarities between these two political figures, two questions remained for the future president: will he or she be able to unite the country will be running and keep the promises that were made to the public? Now that we know that new president is Donald John Trump, it’s best to know his background; he is an American businessman, television producer, and the Republican nominee who has many ideas on which there is substantial disagreement. President Trump believes we should enforce immigration laws, support the Second Amendment to bear arms, and cut the business rate to fifteen percent. “By my calculations 1 percent of Americans who control 90 percent of the wealth in this country would be affected by my plan -the other 99 percent of the people would get deep reductions in their federal income taxes,” President Trump said in a statement introducing his plan. Since President Donald Trump has taken office, he has made changes which have affected not only the United States, but the entire world. He made series of consequential policy changes that would block refugee admissions and deportations of unauthorized immigrants. He has advanced the controversial Dakota Access pipeline and the Keystone XL oil pipelines. In addition, he withdrew our country from the negotiations over the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. President Trump has demonstrated that he intended to be a very active president in order implement the policies he promised throughout his campaign. Regardless of your perspective on these policies, they will undoubtedly have a substantial impact on our country in the near future.
Successful Uterus Transplant in America By Gianna Lepanto The transplant of organs in and of itself may not be a very new medical procedure. Yet doctors and scientists in the field are still constantly making new discoveries and developing new techniques. Here in the United States, there were four paramount live-donor uterus transplants performed in September of this year, as reported by USA Today website. Some women are born with no uterus, or a uterus that is diseased or otherwise nonfunctioning. Unfortunately, this means that if these women wish to give birth, they are unable to do so. Uterus transplants aim to change this. In 2000, the first human uterus transplant took place, from a live-donor. However, the transplant ultimately had to be removed 99 days later because of blood clotting. In 2011, however, a group of doctors in Turkey successfully performed the first uterine transplant from a deceased donor. Then, in 2013, a uterus implant in Sweden led to a successful birth, according to USA today. Of the four live-donor transplants recently performed in the U.S., three were unsuccessful. The wombs had to be removed because they were not receiving adequate blood flow. However, the fourth patient has not shown any complication. Her body has not rejected the uterus, and tests show that blood flow is good. The transplants were performed at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The surgeons at the hospital worked with a group of surgeons from Sweden, who have reported five births due to their uterus transplants back in Sweden. Hopefully, the fourth patient from Baylor University Medical Center will turn out to be a success story. This could then light the way for other successful womb transplants in America, thus allowing more women to receive the medical help they need to have children.
New York Comic Con 2016 By: Francesca Mescall
This year, I had the pleasure of attending New York Comic Con for my third year in a row. I attended this convention on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each year of this convention brings new experiences to myself and others. At Comic Con you have the opportunity to meet famous artists, actors, cosplayers, and internet personalities. These opportunities are open to anyone who attends. Everyone who goes has a different experience. My experience this year was the best one yet. On my first day at Comic Con, I spent the day with my friend. We went around the Show Room for hours. The Show Room is the room where you spend all your money very quickly on merchandise, at least if you’re like me. After we went to the show room we made our way to the Block. The Block has many different booths for companies. The one we spent the most time at was the Rooster Teeth booth. Rooster Teeth is an American Production Company we are quite fond of. We were able to meet five of our favorite actors and staff members from it. We had met them the year before as well and it was incredible to meet them again. Friday was another great day. I spent my day with my other friends. We mostly sat in the hallways and took pictures of the cosplays we enjoyed. That day I was dressed as Louise from the show Bob’s Burgers. I had my picture taken many times throughout the day. Getting your picture taken feels really great. It puts a smile on my face when I am asked for a photo. I had an amazing opportunity to meet some inspirations of mine. They are Stan Lee and Carrie Fisher. Prior to the convention, my older sister purchased packages to meet them. First, I met Stan Lee. This was his last time attending New York Comic Con, so it felt even more special when I saw him. When we went in to take the picture he greeted us and smiled. I was absolutely star struck. We took the picture and he said goodbye. On our way to get the copy of our photo, a man came to tell us that my brother and sister blinked. We were able to take another picture with him and see him again. It was simply amazing. Later on in the day we were back on line to meet Carrie Fisher. She was so sweet and she even hugged me in our picture. Her dog, Gary Fisher, was also in the picture. I think we were all more excited to meet Gary! The only downside to this day was that it was my last day there. New York Comic Con was great this year. It had many amazing things to do. There were many special guests you could meet. This includes the cast of Stranger Things, some cast of Once Upon a Time, Jack Gleeson from Game of Thrones, Matt Smith from Doctor W ho, and some of the cast of the W alking Dead. There were many amazing cosplayers to meet as well. Some were famous, like Yaya Han, and some were just people who make amazing costumes. New York Comic Con is a chance to meet famous people and people who have the same interests as you. You could make new friends and meet up with old ones. It is a great place for children, teens, and adults alike. There is always something exciting to do and places to go to. It’s never a dull time at New York Comic Con.
The Future is Hers: From the Students’ Perspective Over the past 50 years, Mother Seton Regional High School has gone through many changes. Though most of us have not been present for many of them, the newest change to our school has come this year! All over the school we can see our new slogan: “THE FUTURE IS HERS.” We all know the administrative staff and the rest of the faculty approve of the slogan, but do we know what the student body thinks of the new slogan? To answer that question, myself as well as my fellow junior, Gianna Lepanto, went around the school and asked the student body exactly what they thought of the biggest change so far here at Mother Seton. We asked one student from each grade level: Sophia Ortiz(Senior), Angie Jeanti(Junior), Qamar Muse (Sophomore), Emily Lescano (Freshman). I want to remind our lovely readers that these students were chosen at random and they are freely expressing their opinion. They do not speak for their entire class, nor anyone else but themselves.
So first thing’s first—what are your immediate feelings about the brand change? SENIOR: What a surprise! I really think this campaign really emphasizes Mother Seton as a whole. JUNIOR: I honestly think it’s a great thing, a great change to our school. It’s always good to have change, and it always encourages the students to change as well. SOPHOMORE: I feel more independent and I feel like it makes our school more unique. Like, more femaleempowerment. FRESHMAN: I think it’s really cool. I think it’s really clever how they did that. The “ Her’s” thing inside of Mother Seton? I thought that was really nice and it sends a really good message to people just taking a glance at our school logo. “The Future is hers”, is that true? Do you agree with that statement? SENIOR: I mean, it does. We are in an all-girls school and we do promote girl power. JUNIOR: Totally! It’s so fitting for the ideals that MSR holds. We’re all about teaching girls in a diverse and enriching community, so encouraging them to take hold of their future is definitely fitting. SOPHOMORE: Yes! Mostly because now we have a woman trying to run for president. If she wins, that opens more doors for women in the future, especially here at MSR. I really think it fits MSR because MSR is always trying to empower young ladies to meet their goals and not settle for less. FRESHMAN: Yeah! MSR is training a lot of girls to be better people both socially and academically. How will this change your MSR EXPERIENCE? SENIOR: Well no, because I’m a senior, I’m already graduating, but hopefully it’ll change the younger level’s experience here at MSR. JUNIOR: It definitely makes me feel more motivated and makes me want to be more involved in our community here at MSR. SOPHOMORE: I think it’ll help me feel less dependent on people, like I can do things by myself. It makes me feel like I don’t need a man, or anyone really, to do anything for me. FRESHMAN: I think it’s more inspirational for the students here. If I ever need a boost I can always just look at the logo and know that the entirety of the school is rooting for me!
MOTHER SETON REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL One Valley Road, Clark, NJ 07066 732-382-1952 Visit us at www.motherseton.org