The Pride Senior Issue

MAY 18, 2016

ST. PIUS X - ST. MATTHIAS ACADEMY

The Last  PMA Student  Newspaper for the 2015-2016 School Year

ANNIE JR. SPECIAL  FEATURE

BRITTNIE THE BRUIN INTERVIEW WITH  A SCHOLAR

SENIOR ISSUE

SPORTS VOLLEYBALL, BASEBALL   TRACK & FIELD AND SOFTBALL

THE PRIDE FAREWELL TO OUR VICTORIOUS CLASS OF 2016 To my sisters: Four years ago we were Victorians at St. Matthias High School. Now, we are Warriors at St. Pius X- St. Matthias Academy making our final marks on this school. I didn’t believe it when they said that our time here would fly by so quickly. I wish that I did because these 4 years passed us by like the blink of an eye. We’ve made some amazing memories at this school; ones that we will treasure forever. From Super Freshmen to Despicable Me to Peter Pan and to Monster’s University, we are finally being set free to be who we want to be. We can’t forget the connections that were made on all of our retreats, especially Junior Retreat and Kairos. We cried, we laughed, and we bonded not as friends or colleagues, but as sisters. It is crazy seeing that countdown go lower and lower. It feels like we were in the 20’s yesterday, and now we’re down to single digits. I hope you all fell in love with the school as much as I did. No school is perfect, but it was up to us to make the experience we wanted. We are graduating. We are leaving. We are done. We are the last all girls class. When they see us girls walking down that aisle at Savio in our cap, gown, and black heels, everyone will see how amazing we are. I just wanted to say how proud I am that we all made it this far. I know that you are all excited to start a new chapter in life. However, once we take our final steps in these halls on our last day, it will hit you. So make these moments last because they are our last. We won’t be walking side by side next year, going into the same class, eating together during every break and lunch. We’re going to be independent women who were once united as one, but will now be united in spirit. I love you guys. Please remember the amazing adventures you have created these past 4 years. Take advantage of this youthful experience because sooner or later, you’re going to look back and say “I miss it.”   - With Love, Jasmeen Joy Santos (Co-Editor)

It’s official. Our dearly beloved seniors are leaving for their next stage in life: college. As our last all girls class at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, they take with them all the treasured memories they have made in the past few years. They have made many friends, among them being the younger students, as well as the teachers and staff of PMA. They have seen our school change before their very eyes. They have seen the school go co-ed and advance in technology. As the oldest students in the school, they also have much wisdom and advice to share with us. We all wish them the best of luck in college. by Lexi Hernandez, class of 2018

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, IDEAS? EMAIL: NEWSPAPER@PIUSMATTHIAS.ORG

MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

SENIOR SHOUTOUTS Julio Rivas: Deanna Murphy My most loved senior for many reasons. Best of friends, toughest of hearts, and cutest of all. I love ya! Natalie Ibarra Motherly and kind. She's my one of my most trusted friends and a kind hearted soul. I'll miss you, Onee-chan! Vanessa Rodriguez Wildlife buddy is what I'd like to call her. Super awesome yet the quietest person I know until her true colors show. I wish you the best! Diana Alcantar: I would like to give a shout out out to one the most hardworking lady I know, Jasmeen! You are appreciated by many people Jasmeen because of your enthusiasm and hard working ethics. I know you're going to do amazing things in college! Jessica Cruz: This shout out goes to my favorite chola (inside joke), Jasmine Cervantes. Richard Latimer: Jasmeen Joy Santos For one of the only people who I knew would always be there for me. She's an amazing, caring, fun-loving girl who is like   no one else. I thank her so much for being a part of my life. I'm so lucky to have been   a part of hers. Monica Gomez: Rosemary Hernandez "I love you Miss Hannigan” Deborah Rocha: Rosemary Hernandez, Audrie Tapia, Jasmine Loaiza Alondra: Gabby Omar, Deanna Murphy, Ruby Kristine: Gabby Omar, Jasmine Loaiza, PQ Anthony Garcia: Gabby Omar, Nicole Camacho, Leididayana Huerta Laneya Guzman: Shout out to Deanna Murphy, Gabby Omar Guadalupe Garcia: Ruby Delgadillo, Julie Jaimes, and Jasmine Loaiza Betsy Ramirez: Brigid Ramirez, Andrea Cabrera, and Nicole Camacho Mrs. Zozaya: My sweet Andrea Cabrera, I can not believe how fast 4 Years went by. I saw you grow to a beautiful, loving, and smart young lady. I can not thank you enough for your smile every morning, day and afternoon.. You always checked on me and made sure my day was going to will. I will miss you dearly. I am bless to have serve you as your vice-principal. Remember to always have God in your life. With him you can do anything. Don't be afraid to make a difference. Love Mrs. Zozaya My Dear Seniors!!! You will begin your new journey and you will be faced with great things but also with challenges, but don't forget what you have learned at PMA. Be yourself and don't be afraid. The most important thing I would ask you is don't forget to keep God in your life. With Him you can accomplish everything. May God continue to bless you ! Ms. Santos: Amazing Lady, I am so happy for all of your success thus far. I know that with your great work ethic and clear focus you will accomplish all your heart desires. Please be kind to yourself and remember to enjoy the journey and there will be many destinations not just one. Will be waiting for you to become Alumni Association President! Biley & Jasmeen, the Dynamic Dancing Duo! Will miss your spunk. I am certain you will make some great contributions to our world. Please come back to inspire students. Mr. Ramos: Rosemary Hernandez For the great work she has done in Campus Ministry and her loyal attendance and participation in Morning Mass. Ruby Delgadillo For her caring and determined efforts to do the right thing in helping others even in difficult circumstances. Ms. Rudolf-Dib: Congrats to the whole senior class! I'm so proud of the work you've done and wish you all the best for next year!

MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

BRITTNIE: THE FUTURE BRUIN A big congratulations to Brittnie Tapia for getting accepted into UCLA. She has been one of the top students in her class since freshman year. All of her hard work has paid off, and she will now be attending the university of her dreams. “It was the first university or college I had ever seen. I went there when I was in middle school with my family for one of its book fairs. At the time I didn’t know anything about universities or college, but I fell in love with it. I had never seen a place more beautiful. When I would think about it, there was always a gut feeling that I could become who I am supposed to be at UCLA.” Her dream of attending UCLA is now a reality. When she saw her acceptance letter she started crying tears of joy. “I was surprised because I had always hoped I would have the opportunity to go there, but I never wanted to get my hopes up. I was so happy and I was in shock for a while. Audrie was there with me, but I instantly called my best friend Melany because we’ve talked about our dreams of college for years. When I found out I also had just woken up from a nap so I was really scared for the first five minutes that I

was still dreaming. I’m so thankful that I wasn’t!” For her personal statement, Brittnie talked about the instability of her life these past four years of high school. She also talked about how the struggles she has been through influenced her dreams and who she has become. “Choosing this topic was hard, but I chose it because it was the best way for the admission counselors to understand the drive I have for my future.” What most people don’t know about Brittnie is that she and her twin sister Audrie have attended the same school since elementary school. The time has come for the close knit sisters to go their separate ways for college. Although they’ll be attending separate colleges, they will still make efforts to see each other often. “There’s not much I can do, but make her visit me all the time! I know we will both be busy, but whenever I have news or something to say I will call her, which will probably be every day.” Congratulations to Brittnie for her acceptance and for being the valedictorian of the class of 2016. Congratulations as well to the rest of the seniors on their college acceptances! by Nicole Biley, class of 2016

Bucket Lists “What do I want to do with my life?” That’s one question most people will ask themselves at some point in their lives. Some lucky few know the answer. On the other hand, a lot of people have no clue as to what they would like to do. Besides planning out my career path and where I want to live, I know some things I want to do with my life because I have a bucket list. For those who don’t know, a bucket list is a list of things one would like to do or experience before they die. The first thing on my bucket list is to live in New York. Why? Simply put, because I feel like it. I think that’s one of the beauties of a bucket list: it doesn’t have to make sense. You do the things on a bucket list because you just want to, or you just feel like it. Another thing on my bucket list is to go on a road trip with my closest friends. I think it would be so much fun to just drive around while blasting music and enjoying the scenery with some good company. One of the more simple things on my bucket list is to drive around with no destination in mind, and just enjoy the ride. Since I’m a new driver, driving is still fun to me so I want to enjoy driving for as long as possible. (Many people I know say that they hate driving). The reason I have a bucket list is to remind myself to actually live. As Drake once said, “Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.” I think Drake is trying to say that some people get so consumed in school or their jobs that they forget to indulge in life’s beauties, whether they be as grand as visiting a new continent or as simple as baking cookies at 3AM with your best friend. I don’t want to be so engrossed in school and planning my future that I forget to just sit back and enjoy life and all it has to offer. If I were you, I would get a head start on making a long bucket list so that while you’re figuring out what to do with your life, you’re actually living life at the same time. One insightful quote about living comes from the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". It goes like this, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while you could miss it.” (Ferris Bueller) by Nicole Biley, class of 2016

MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

ANNIE JR. SHOWCASES BREAK OUT STARS! If there’s one thing that the cast and crew of Annie have learned throughout the production, it’s that Easy Street isn’t the right way to go. For months, the cast rehearsed songs, learned choreography, and practiced blocking for the productions on April 29th and 30th. The crew diligently worked on sets with the help of Ms. Arreola, and patiently learned the lighting, blocking, and cues from Mr. Jonathan Reyes. The tech and crew are never seen but they are the heart behind the production being successful. One of the hardest working cast members is none other than the lead herself, freshman Arianna Villegas. You might question how she landed the lead as a freshmen, but that question is answered once you’ve seen her act and heard her sing. Senior Jasmeen Santos, who played the roles of Lily, shared, “The first time I heard her sing I was in shock. I didn't know she sounded that good”. However, Arianna wasn’t the only surprising lead. sophomore Anthony Guevarra, whose first production was this year’s fall play, A Midsummers Dream, landed the role of Mr. Warbucks, the billionaire who takes Annie in for the holidays. With a talented cast, hardworking crew, and dedicated director, this musical was one of the breakout hits of the Fine Arts department lead by Mrs. Lozano with director, Ms. Farren Ronquillo.

by Josie Armendariz, class of 2018

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MAY 18, 2016

NERDING OUT WITH NATALIA Should superheroes be forced to tell people their secret identities? Should the government have the final say in whether or not heroes should intervene in situations that could prove dangerous? These are the biggest questions of Marvel’s Civil War comics and movie. Marvel released Captain America: Civil War on May 6th and the Marvel fandom is on edge counting down the days until this blockbuster hits theaters. Many are wondering just how close this movie will be to the comics it takes it’s name from. The original Civil War comics was a Marvel event that came out in 2006 with the last issue of the timeline being released in 2007. The conflict starts when a group of young heroes in training aggravate a group of undercover villains which begins a fight. This fight causes a group of school children to be killed. These events cause a lot of people and the government to insist that heroes give up their identity and work for the government so events similar to the tragedy will not be repeated. This act was dubbed the Registration Act. Many heroes, like Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic, agree instantly putting their faith in the government. However, other heroes, such as Captain America and Daredevil, are hesitant to give up their identities and control as they feel the government may not be the best judges of whether or not a situation requires intervention. This begins a “civil war” between heroes with the team for hero registration being led by Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic while those heroes who move underground and take on new identities are led by Captain America. The teams all seem very sold of the idea that their leaders hold until one of their friends is killed not only because of the fighting but also because of a project the two leaders of the team for registration worked on. The death of this hero causes other heroes to begin to rethink what they believe in and so some people begin to switch sides. After much more fighting and the death of other heroes, Captain America realizes that their fighting is only causing more damage and stands down so to try and stop the chaos that has gotten heroes and civilians killed. The story line ends on a very dark note with an event that causes many people to rethink all they have done and fought for. We know that the movie will be very different from the comics for several reasons. The first reason for these changes is simply copyright reasons. Unfortunately, the comic is a all-Marvel event which includes the X-Men and the Fantastic Four which Marvel no longer have the movies rights to. Another difference between the comics and the movie is the Registration Act. We know that the conflict will not be about heroes identities because of the events of the previous Captain America film The Winter Soldier. Instead, the movie will focus on the government wanting to have the final say in what the Avengers can and cannot do and which situations they can fight in. We also know that the movie will also focus on what happens know that Steve has found his best friend Bucky who was brainwashed and tortured by Hydra who used Bucky as the Winter Soldier. This is where T’Challa, more commonly referred to as Black Panther, will come in. Black Panther will be on the hunt for Bucky after some problems he caused as the Winter Soldier in Black Panther’s home country of Wakanda which we know to be the only place that exports vibranium. Of course, right now the biggest debate is which side people are choosing. Those who are Team Iron Man are pro-superhero registration. Team Cap is against registration. Yours truly is on Team Cap. However, there are students at PMA who are on Team Iron Man. Sebastian Chavez, 11th grade, says he is on Team Iron Man. “You shouldn’t just follow a vigilante, like Daredevil or other characters from the shows, blindly,” Sebastian said when I asked why he was Team Iron Man. Julio Rivas, 11th grade, disagrees with this. “Cap’s just trying to fight for justice,” Julio says. Julio also says the people on Team Cap swayed his decision. “He’s teaming up with Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, and that definitely has me hyped for the movie,” he says. So, which team are you on? Will you fight alongside Captain America to keep things they way they are in the superhero world? Or do you agree that superheroes need to be put in check? We’ll see which team prevails when the movie hits theaters. Until then, be nice to your local superheroes. They’re doing their best.

by Natalia Garcia, class of 2018

SENIOR ISSUE

FRESHMAN  YEAR REFLECTIONS My freshman year was somewhat like those you find in movies, but on a smaller scale. When I first began high school, I assumed it would be difficult coming in as a new kid. Because I knew a good amount of people from my old school, I thought there wouldn’t be that many other people I needed to meet. When I got to here, I realized that 300 students may seem like a little, but it ends up feeling like a lot. I constantly told my friends that I felt like I saw a new person every day. Although, I did find that having only 300 students made it really easy to make friends. The truth is, everyone wants to have friends. No one wants to be the odd kid out or be seen differently. And in your freshmen year, you become friends with people for no reason other than the fact that you need someone to hang out with. I’ve learned that even though friendships may start off as just saying “hi” or “bye”, you end up finding more things in common, and those relationships become stronger. Having friends means that there’s someone to go to when you want to complain about a teacher or get help on an assignment. Besides trying to make friends in a big high school, another similarity to high schools in movies are the noticeable groups and cliques. For most people, like me, I went to school with a lot of people I still go to school with now. I thought that would make it easier to start a “clique”. For others, they were the only ones to come from their schools, almost forcing them to talk to groups of completely new people. At first, I felt that the groups and cliques’ borders had become blurred, but they were still visible. But throughout the year, I found that it wasn’t important to me to be part of a group. It was just being part of the entire school and community that made me happy. I’ve learned that there isn’t just one group of friends that I’m a part of. And I’m happy to say that being a freshman wasn’t very hard because I had friends throughout the whole school to support me along the way.   by Arianna Villegas, class of 2019

MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

NOTEWORTHY  EVENTS

The National Honor Society - PMA Chapter

Freshmen from Mrs. Graciano’s class learn real life skills during their mock interviews with Mrs. Lozano, Mr. Ramos, Mr. Flores, Ms. Arias and Mr. Morck.

Juniors Maria Beltran and Destiny Celio are honored for the efforts with the Community Garden! Great job, ladies!

The CLIK Technology club and Ms. Nicdao attended a special Creative Pro workshop in the largest Apple Store in the west coast (Santa Monica) on May 5.

Students receive their yearbooks on May 13 Student Appreciation Day!

French Field Trip Students with Ms. Rudolf-Dib’s French class went to COLCOA (City of Lights, City of Angels) film festival, which is a week of French movie premieres at the Directors' Guild building in Hollywood. This screening was of the film La Vache, with a specific viewing for high school students. Students had a great time seeing the movie.

National Honor Society Inductions 2016 Congratulations to the new NHS members led by Mrs. Leifield: Jason Aduna, Diana Alcantar, Abraham Andrade, Ramses Dauphiney, Darwin De Castro, Guadalupe Garcia, Isabella Guerrero, Kayla Maldonado, Mathew Mendez, Michelle Nacayama, Ana Narvaez, Mariana Nunez, Valentino Orihuela, Samantha Quinones, Erika Rivas, Ahmed Salem, and Miriam Villareal. 1st Annual PMA Talent Show Congratulations to sophomore Andrea Esquivel for winning first place with her version of “Stay” by Rhianna. Second place went to junior Kobe Liu for his impressive Chinese rapping skills. Congratulations to Ms. Arzaga, Mrs. Lozano and Ms. Arreola for putting this event together.

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MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

SNAPSHOTS OF LEARNING at PMA General Biology and Honors Biology students working on their Photosynthesis Projects--Scientific Investigations in the Garden. Students will be investigating the impact that manipulating water, light, or carbon dioxide levels will have on plant growth. This opportunity was made possible by a partnership with Kiwins (supported by Growing Great) and donations by the Commerce Home Depot.

AP Psych students have a video conference with Dr. Rudy Rodriguez, a guest speaker from Career Day (an event organized by the Academic counselors Mrs. Graciano and Ms. Arias.

Psychology students learn about Piaget Stages of Development with guest, four year old Miles Nicdao (Ms. Nicdao’s nephew).

Mrs. Mixer: The freshman Honors Algebra 1 class has completed their STEM Hockey Scholar course online. They earned certificates and these pictures will be used to enter them for a chance to win a pizza party with the LA Kings mascot!

Biology students make ice cream in Ms. Washington and Mr. Enriquez’s classes.

Mr. Sered’s Econ class learn how to make their own business.

MAY 18, 2016

SENIOR ISSUE

SPORTS The end of the year is upon us! This year brought new sports: Baseball and Mens' Volleyball. The volleyball team has done pretty good for their first year playing volleyball, breaking even in wins and loses. Thanks to the team’s spirit and Mr. Flores, and Ms.Collins’ coaching the season went well. “We have played a bunch of games and I think with all that experience we can succeed.” Junior, Ricky Latimer is pumped too looking forward to next year; “I feel working on team bonding and us working as a team will improve us best for next year.” Senior Delilah Lorenzo finished her last year in track and field and cross country. Having run for four years straight this is her last year she has enjoyed sharing this experience with her friends and has made many memories. Delilah “I plan to finish off by getting a PR and making Coach Conroy happy with my results.” A great way to end a career. Let’s cheer on the PMA sports teams as we come to a close.

by Valentino Orihuela, class of 2019 BASEBALL: Chester Arnold, Ricky Latimer, Eddie Amato and Christian Hernandez were elected ins team All Santa Fe League.  BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL: Alfredo Ramirez and Luis Morales were elected to 1st Team All Santa Fe League. Matthew Rivera and Manny Padilla were elected 2nd Team All Santa Fe League  SOFTBALL: Melissa Castellanos, Seini Halla, and Melany Fletes were elected 1st Team All Santa Fe League. Samantha Nacayama, Lizette Reyes, Adela Peralta and Ruby Delgadillo were elected 2nd Team All Santa Fe League.

Thank you for an awesome 4 years Delilah!

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