The pride volume 2 issue 2

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ST. PIUS X - ST. MATTHIAS ACADEMY

ISSUE 2

The First  PMA Student  Newspaper LIFE AT PMA

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

BEAUTIFICATION DAY,  DAILY LIFE, SHORT STORY, SUCCESS COLUMN

SPIRIT WEEK RECAP FROM DANCES TO SKITS, WE DO IT BEST!

SPORTS ISSUE CROSS COUNTRY, VOLLEYBALL AND   FLAG FOOTBALL

THE PRIDE THE RISE OF AN EMPIRE: FOOTBALL RETURNS The arrival of the flag football team represents a new milestone in our school history. Three years ago, boys returned to the campus after a 15 year absence. The biggest question some people had was: will we have a football team again? This football season sets a precedent for generations as well as a new opportunity big changes that are happening in the sports program. Though flag football is not like the Pius X football years, it is a start. Everyone needs to keep in mind that this is first step to building a formidable football team. This is a smart move to keep students safe and to learn more. This season’s football players are Manuel Padilla, Victor Rivera, Alan Tapia, Frank Meza, Michael Bandele, Steven DeLeon, Chester Arnold, John Ibarra, Luis Fuerte, Angel Rios, Anthony Garcia, Bryan Garcia, Angel Tobar, Richard Latimer, Ramses Dauphiney, Edmundo Amato, Hector Aceves, Michael Rodriguez, Alfredo Ramirez, and Julio Hernandez. They are led by Coach Sedano (Athletic Director), Coach Brian, and Coach Collins. They are currently 4-1. Rome was not built in one day. It had to start at some point. This year is our start. The Empire will rise up! Stay tuned for an exciting season. Come out and support the Warriors in their last home game on Saturday, October 17 at 9pm.  by Arianna Villegas (2019) and Valentino Orihuela (2019) Photos by Jada Spikes (2019) and Fernando Rodriguez (2018)

Francisco Meza (2018)

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

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

Manuel Padilla (2017)

“I think the football team is doing rather well, actually. I’m quite surprised, although   I have to say, I didn’t think it was possible that we would have a football team so early in PMA years, but I’m   glad we do.”  -Deanna Murphy (2016) “The football team is great because they are skillful; they throw and catch well. They already won two games.   I believe they will keep winning.”  -Darwin DeCastro (2018)

Chester Arnold (2018) and Alan Tapia (2017)

Hector Aceves (2019)

“I didn’t know we could have a flag football team like this, but I’m proud to know that we are expanding our school’s activities.”  -Erika Rivas   (2019) “They are making progress. They have won their last two games and that is pretty impressive. It’s nice to see the school have flag football”  -Jesse Oros (2019) “I really like having the football team because they show the unity we now have as a school.”  -Aria Rebollo (2019)

Player  Features

Ramses Dauphiney Meet freshman, Ramses Dauphiney. His brother motivated him to play on the team. Previously, he played for the St. Raymond’s Catholic School team and described it as incredible and lots of fun. During practice, they stretch, run, practice plays, and gain chemistry as a team. Ramses favorite team is the Philadelphia Eagles. He hopes that this season he can improve as a football player, win a championship title, and start tackle football next year. He also finds that football will help him concentrate better because he will have to study harder after practices and games. His rituals before a game are getting together and praying as a team. They yell “Go Warriors!”, and Ramses individually raises up the sign of the cross to God. Ramses’ inspiration for football continues to be his brother. For this season, he is excited to play with his teammates and have a fun, hardworking season. Ramses’ favorite quote is “To achieve greatness you have to go out and put in the work.”

Day 1 FANS!!!

PHOTOS BY THE JOURNALISM CLASS

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

XC: WE RUN THIS TOWN! The Cross Country (XC) varsity boys won their first and second league meets for the season. The varsity girls have won 2nd in both meets. The Varsity guys won the first Santa Fe league meet. JV runner, freshman Eric Garcia won first place in his division. Girls won second at La Mirada, and can still catch up if they win the last 2 which are located at Arcadia, and Santa Fe Regional Dam. I interviewed two of the team’s fastest runners: sophomore Jesrin Redulla and junior Cynthia Ortiz.  by Valentino Orihuela (2019)

CYNTHIA ORTIZ When did you first join Cross Country? “I first joined my freshmen year.” What was the experience like your first year? “I was extremely hard having to run and keep up with seniors but all around has made me a stronger senior.” Why did you join? “I really enjoy soccer and I wanted to do cross country to build stamina and get in shape for it.”

JESRIN REDULLA When did you first join Cross Country? “I first joined my freshmen year, but quit the first day! I wanted to situate myself first year so that's why I didn’t continue, but now I’m back and ready for a good year of cross country.” What was the experience like your first year? “It was grueling at first and I felt a little bit intimidated, but now I am more fit. Why did you join? “I wanted to see what it was like to run competitively, and my experience now is better. I’m also having more fun now!” What do you expect for this season? “I expect that we will do well and have more fun with the bigger team.” Final Words: “Join Cross Country!”

What do you expect for this season? “I expect myself to make it into top 7 with Conroy pushing me to my hardest.” Final Words: “#XCountryislife”

Ivan Ayala (2017)

Jesrin Redulla

Angel Tobar Meet sophomore, Angel Tobar. He was motivated to play football because it is his favorite sport, and he watches a little football, cheering on his favorite team, the New England Patriots. In the past, Angel played for flag and tackle football teams, where he learned how to play with a group and team of people. He also ran on the track and field team, which helped him increase his speed for football. Angel said, “I hope to be able to show people that flag football is still an intense sport.” Practice is tough for the players, but he says it teaches you to never give up. Angel believes football will have an impact on him by teaching him to never give up, respect others, be a good teammate, and work together. Before their football games, Angel has a ritual of praying. He also says he gets into focus and remembers to live for the moment before they play. Lastly, Angel is excited to have a good time with the rest of the team. One of Angel’s favorite quotes is, “If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough,” by Muhammad Ali.

Eric Garcia (2019)

PHOTOS BY THE JOURNALISM CLASS

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

XC MEMBERS SPEAK OUT

TEACHER FEATURE

I think the team is a very hardworking family that pushes themselves through thick and thin, I think the experience has pushed and motivated me to do my best in school and life.  Erika Rivas (2019) I treat the team like family, and they treat me just the same it's very welcoming. It’s a terrifying but thrilling experience.  Fatima Vazquez (2019) I think we are a strong hard working team, but we can do even better. It’s has been great thanks to all my friends in Cross Country. Thanks to all your support.  Angel Perez (2019) Well the team as a whole supports each other both in Cross Country and in life. At first I hated it, like really hated, but then I pushed got faster, and got abs.  Greg Amaya (2019) It is a very good environment where everyone supports each other. The training was hard but gave me results.  Fernando Rodriguez (2018) My personal experience was hard, but getting pushed by my team made me a stronger runner and person.  Denia Ramos (2019) The team is all around fun to hangout with and like little brothers and sisters to me. My experience in cross country has been demanding, but changed me into a better person.  Delilah Lorenzo (2016) 2015 Team with Coach Conroy

PHOTOS BY THE JOURNALISM CLASS

Mrs. Leifield is seen as a constructive teacher who is very happy. Her students say she is very caring and spontaneous, and always looking out for the best of her students. She started her career as an engineer, and would have never imagined herself as a high school teacher. She was inspired to become a teacher when she had children and volunteered at school with them. She became very fond of the school environment and liked to see the camaraderie that the students had with the teachers. Mrs. Leifield grew up in a small town in Erie, Pennsylvania where her first jobs were spent at an ice cream shop,working on a cheese farm, and babysitting in the neighborhood. Her hobbies included skiing, going to the beach, and driving around in the car with her friends. She said that she would drive to places, and one time she even went all the way to Canada. When she was younger, she attended an all girls Catholic school that she really liked. Her message for her students is be positive, point out cool stuff, don’t be a jerk, commit to something, and don’t sweat the small stuff.   by Arianna Villegas (2019)

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

STUDENT LIFE SNAPSHOTS

TEACHER FEATURE

Mr. Payne Mr. Payne was a loyal and proud teacher at our school. He taught with pride, virtue, and purpose for all of the students. It was a sad surprise to see him go at the end of September.

Alejandra Juarez (2018)

Emilia Escobedo (2017)

Learning to make sushi

Mr. Payne started working at the school in September 1995; exactly 20 years since he’s been a part of our community. He shared his motivation for getting up in the morning; “The importance of everything. The fact that everyone is in the same situation of trying to better themselves and get onto college.” Mr. Payne shared he never thought he would be a teacher since he was a very quiet person. He explained,   “I really kept to myself, I didn’t talk a lot, so this was like the last profession I thought I would ever do.” He also said that in the beginning it was difficult, but he learned. He shared about teaching, “It was just right when I was finishing college that I pursued teaching, but it turned out really well, so I’m happy with it.” Mr. Payne has been very pleased with what’s been happening over the years and counts teaching at PMA a blessing. He was definitely a blessing to us and he will be missed by our students and faculty. by Nicole Biley and Jasmeen Santos (2016)

PHOTOS BY THE JOURNALISM CLASS

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

The Freshmen class teachers; Mr. Flores,   Mr. Sedano, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Mixer and Mrs. Graciano show off their dance skills and Wobble.

All of the work and planning put into Spirit Week is crazy. I feel like it makes us go crazy! Being a part of ASB definitely puts a heavy workload on my shoulders, but it is all worth it. Isabella Guerrero and I went over to Melissa Castellanos house the weekend before the week started and spent the entire day working on decorations. We did everything from tracing images from projectors to outlining, painting, glittering, and cutting out those pictures. It may have taken up our weekend, but we had the greatest time doing it because we made it fun by taking breaks in the pool, dancing, singing, and eating. Just being together is always a blast. The last two nights before Spirit Day were pretty interesting. Groups of us stayed until 11pm on Wednesday and Thursday night working on props and posters. I was freaking out on Wednesday night because I had a Physics test the next day, but I knew that this was my last Spirit Week and I would never have this experience again. My mom brought us all boba that night, which made it even more worth it. (Fun Fact: It was Mr. Ramos’ 1st time trying boba. He did not know what to do when he took his 1st sip!) Thursday night is when things got pretty hectic. Mixed with all of the stress of trying to get everything done on time and the heat, I had the biggest nosebleed ever. Blood was gushing out everywhere, but all of my friends came out to help me. In the end, it was a great night because we were all together and united as a school, even late at night. Now, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2016 for winning 1st place overall for this year’s Spirit Week! I am so proud of you girls. I would also like to give a big round of applause to the Sophomores for winning 1st place on Spirit Day! You guys deserved it, your class was amazing. Juniors, this is the most spirited I have ever seen you guys out of all your years here. I hope that you guys continue to grow together as a class because you guys have the potential to do great things. Finally, Freshmen! This was was your first ever Spirit Week and you all tackled it so well! You are all so loud and energetic and our student body is lucky to have you with us. I cannot wait to see what you guys have in store for us next time. Keep the SPIRIT AND UNITY up Warriors!   by Jasmeen Santos (2016)

Teachers not only teach Science, English or Math. They can teach you how to Dougie.

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

SPIRIT WEEK HIGHLIGHTS Sophomore ASB worked hard throughout Spirit Week, hoping to place higher than they did last year. Spirit Week was filled with fun and surprises as we carried on through the week. All classes gave it their all with their shouts and actions during the eventful week. “I’m really excited to see all the different skits and performances from the other classes. I can’t wait to see who wins. It will probably be the sophomores, so watch out,” said a very enthusiastic Ricky Latimer as we prepared for the last day of spirit rallies.

Finding Nemo: Freshmen experienced their first Spirit Week in awe.

First day was ‘Merica Day, people wore the colors of America proudly as they kicked off Spirit Week with a bang. The first game of the week was our relay races: participants passed frisbees with their knees, oranges with their necks (it’s harder than it seems), and hula hoops without letting go of each other’s hands. The sophomore class tried their hardest as they competed to complete these three tasks as quickly as possible. Next day was Tourist Day, everyone was set up with their fanny packs and t-shirts ready to go. The games were about scoring points as quickly as possible by throwing frisbees into boxes and throwing basketballs into the hoops for their class. The Sophomore class cheered on for their class to succeed in Tuesday’s rally. After Tourist Day, we moved onto Star Wars Day! The challenge that day was all about building box towers and seeing if you had the force to protect your tower. The game consisted of all classes on the gym floor for a round of a dodge ball, but by aiming for towers instead of people!

Toy Story: Sophomores included all classes in their skit about life at PMA.

The Fairly OddParents: Juniors open up with an impressive dance number.

Second to last day of Spirit Week, it was now Tacky Thursday! Tacky Thursday was a fun day that anyone could enjoy. No need to get up early to prepare for this blissful theme. That day we had a volleyball tournament. All classes competed to be the best of all. Each volleyball game was intense as each class focused on winning. The classes continued until it came down to sophomores and freshmen. Although they were both good teams, only one could win. The sophomore classes succeeded that day and won the volleyball tournament. Friday was the day everyone had been waiting for since the week began. Everyone was ready to be the life of the party that day and bring the true spirit of each class. The skits, dance, and song of each class were amazing. Everyone put their full effort into every little step of each skit, dance and song. At last, after every skit, dance and song the results were calculated and ready to be announced, to much anticipation. The results of spirit day were: Freshmen in 4th place, Juniors in 3rd place, Seniors in 2nd place and Sophomores in 1st place! Sophomores roared with excitement, pure happiness in each face of Sophomores. After that, everyone waited for the final results of Spirit Week. The results were: Freshmen in 4th place, Juniors in 3rd place, Sophomores in 2nd place and Seniors in 1st place! As Spirit Week ended, the tired students trudged out of the hot gymnasium, relieved that their hard work had paid off and that Spirit Week was over. “I think our class did really well overall coming together. Compared to last year, I think we did way better with communicating with each other” said sophomore Kaleigh Ayala, who gave a great performance as Rex in the sophomore’s Toy Story skit. Now that Spirit Week is over, students are excited for their next rally, taking place this October.

by Denia Ramos and Lexi Hernandez

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

NERDING OUT WITH NATALIA It’s October and you know what that means: Halloween. Of course, Halloween means many things including horror movies. Whether they be classics from the 70s and 80s or new age thrillers, odds are you’ll find some on TV or Netflix, but there are some new ones in theaters that are sure to give you chills.   Let’s travel back in time to the original zombie movie: ‘Night of the Living Dead.’ Netflix has just added it to their list of horror titles. Originally released in 1968, this movie centers around a group of friends hanging out at an old, abandoned house. Soon, they become the prey of the deceased rising from the grave. Although it may not seem scary now, at the time there was nothing like it, leaving people terrified.  Fast forward: December 24, 1973. Who would release a horror film on Christmas Eve? Well, not just any horror film was released. William Peter Blatty’s ‘The Exorcist’ was released. People literally fainted in the theaters while watching it. This classic horror film, focuses on a 12-year-old girl in Washington, D.C. named Regan (played by Linda Blair) who begins acting strange. At first, it seems like just symptoms of stress but they grow into something more sinister. The film scares people to this day and is regarded as the movie that changed the horror genre.   Not a fan of watching horror films at home? There are a few in theaters already. The second installment to the Sinister series, simply titled ‘Sinister 2’, hit theaters not long ago. The movie is set right after the events of the first and centers around a single mother with twin boys, who move into a new house and a former detective who is looking for answers about the events in the previous movie. The story mainly focuses on one of the twins who seems to have strange friends. The movie is sure to have you on the edge of your seat and bring chills down your spine. ‘The Visit’ is another new one is from the widely known M. Night Shyamalan who wrote movies like ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Signs’. His new thriller tells the story about a brother and sister who stay the night at their grandparents’ (who they’ve never met before) for the first time. It seems normal at first until things take a turn for the worse. M. Night has said in interviews that once he had kids he felt he couldn’t really write horror anymore but now that his children are older he is back to horror and ready to write newer, scarier ideas. A few movies that will be released closer to Halloween include, ‘Crimson Peak’ starring Tom Hiddleston and directed by Guillermo del Toro on October 16 and the sixth installment to the Paranormal Activity series ‘Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension’ on October 23. Netflix recently added a lot of new horror movies. Some classic horrors include ‘Children of the Corn,’ ‘Pet Cemetery,’ ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘The Exorcist’. There are also the more recents such as ‘Insidious 2’, ‘The Woman in Black 2’, and ‘The Quiet Ones’ available to stream.So whether you want to have a good scare, scare someone else, or simply need something new on Netflix, October provides plenty of creepy, hair-raising movies for you to get hyped for Halloween. by Natalia I. Garcia (2018)

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

CANCER AWARENESS MONTH INSECURITY It kills 20,000 people a day and 7.6 million people a year. There are 100 different types. It’s uncontrollable. It’s cancer. There are millions of families that are affected by this disease because someone in their household finds out that they have been diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, there are 13.7 million cancer survivors living in the U.S. today. I happen to know one of those survivors. She’s my rock. My role model. My #1 supporter. She’s my mom. The thing is, I was 3 years old when she was going through the process of cancer. I had to find out through my grandma when I was 10. She pulled me aside to tell me that I could not stress out my mom because she used to have cancer, and stress plays a big role in remission. When I found out, my heart broke. I felt so terrible for the stress I had caused my mom in the past. I would have never known if my grandma had not told me. I just thank God that he made my mom a fighter and a survivor. This past weekend I helped out with the reunion for Pius X Class of 1970. I was giving a tour to a group of people and one of our alumnae was talking about how she looks different from the picture in the yearbook. She was a brunette, but she lost her hair during chemo, so it grew back blonde. This is her three year mark of being cured from her cancer. She has two more years to go, because it is said that once you hit the five year mark, you are cancer free. Let’s keep her and everyone else in this world that is fighting cancer in our prayers. There are many ways to show your support towards Cancer Awareness. One way that I have shown my support is by participating in Downey’s Relay for Life. It was a 24-hour walk help at Downey Adult School. Several students from PMA stayed there all night and day.

“Hello, I’m Alyssa Brooks. I’m here for an audition.” I say as the receptionist looks down into her computer. “Oh well, it says here that you canceled your audition.” she says looking up at me and I feel my heart drop. I never canceled any audition. “You must be mistaken. I never canceled my audition.” I laugh uncomfortably and she furrows her eyebrows. “I’m sorry but the system says it was canceled by your mother.” She reads off the computer set in front of her once again. “Is there any way I could reschedule my audition because I didn’t tell her to cancel my audition.” I say as my mind began to race. What if I can’t get another audition and my mom blew my one chance at going to a good theater art university? “I mean I can but please do make sure this doesn’t repeat itself. No university will do this for you.” She says looking at me through her glasses as she pushed them up her nose. “I will make sure it doesn’t happen.” I mutter already wanting to talk to my mother and ask her when my new audition would be. “It’ll be at 12:00 PM next week on Friday.” She smiles up at me and I smile back weakly. “Thank you so much.” I say before walking out and marching to my car. I was about to let it all out. I get into my car and drive to my house quickly. I get out of my car and walk to the house.

This month let's remember everyone who has lost their lives to cancer and continue to pray for those who have survived.

“Mom! Where are you?” I call out angrily as I enter the room

by Jasmeen Santos, class of 2016

To be continued…. by Denia Ramos (2018)

OCTOBER 16, 2015

ISSUE 2

To those of you who have a “D”or an “F”  in a class right now:

GROWING PLANTS AND COMMUNITIES There is nothing like a day of gardening to start off the new season. September 26th was the school’s first Beautification Day, when the members of Cooking Club and Kiwins got together to fix up the school’s garden and plant fruits and vegetables to use for our school’s lunch as well as cooking club’s latest dishes. Plants such as carrots, radishes, and grapes were planted in the newly refurbished garden. Beautification day was sponsored by Growing Great, the organization that gave the school the grant for some of this year’s cooking club activities. Growing Great representatives were present on Beautification day, to help with the planting and organization of the garden. When asked how he thinks the garden will help our school, Mr. Flores, the Kiwins moderator, responded “I think that when students have a chance to build something and watch it grow, it really allows them to see the gifts that they have.” Ms. Collins, the Cooking Club moderator, thinks “that having a school garden will help our school become more self-sufficient and healthy, since we’re going to be able to plant and harvest, sell produce, and cook with the vegetables.” Senior, Brittnie Tapia, the cooking club secretary, says that she “thinks the garden will help bring at least the clubs together, if not the school, because if we all come together and make the garden grow, eventually when we’re together we’ll make friends, and when we make friends we become a community.”   by Lexi Hernandez and Josie Armendariz (2018)

Why do you have a D or an F? Are you struggling or are you not trying? I understand that students struggle, but what I don’t understand is when students don’t try. I’ve heard some of you talk about how you want to be rich and successful when you grow up, but how are you going to become rich and successful if you don’t work for it? Ambition doesn’t mean anything without hard work. Just because you want to be successful doesn’t mean you will be. I can sit around all day and do nothing but think about how rich and successful I want to be. It won’t mean anything unless I get up and actually do something. The start of any journey can seem intimidating, but you won’t get anywhere unless you take that first step. People become rich because they work as hard as they can. Nobody is entitled to success. There’s time to bring up those grades. Here are some tips on being successful and staying motivated: •

Figure out what works for YOU. Personally, I produce some of my best work if it’s completed one day before it’s due. I work well under a healthy amount of stress so it pushes me to produce quality work. It’s all about trial and error until you find the right method for you.

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Begin with the end in mind. Why would you do all this work if it wouldn’t mean anything in the long run? Work on your grades now so that you can end up in the university of your dreams.

•

Make a list of reasons as to why you want to accomplish your goals. By making that list, you will see that all your hard work will pay off.

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Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Only take on what you can handle. I’ve had to drop my volunteer work at my local library so I can partake in a hospital internship. I want to pursue a career in medicine. If I had done both, I would be spreading myself too thin. I wouldn’t have done a good job at neither the library nor the hospital.

Good grades mean getting into a reputable university, and a reputable university provides you with an opportunity – the chance for an education leading up to a successful career. Just because you have a D or an F in the class right now, doesn’t mean you’ll end the semester with a D or an F. All you have to do is put in time and effort. by Nicole Biley (Class of 2016)  Principal Honor Roll Recipient

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