OPINION | Page 5
the
FEATURE | Page 6-7
ARTS & LIFE | Page 9 WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE OX
CATALYST
WHY I CHOOSE TO GO TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL
CELEBRATING VALENTINES DAY
T H E S T U D E N T N E WS PA P E R O F N OT R E DA M E H I G H S C H O O L
Volume 7, Issue 5
www.TheNDBCatalyst.com
February/March 2021
NDB community observes Black History Month by Paige Clarke News Editor February is Black History Month, making it an important time to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans as well as discuss anti-racism in the NDB community. On February 2, students received a school email about the importance
of the month and the events that the school had planned, including film screenings and discussions, student listening groups, and journaling resources. “It’s important to know about Black history because it’s a part of U.S. History,” explains Professor Lakiba Pittman, an adjunct professor at Menlo College working to facilitate the school’s student
listening groups on the importance of Black History Month. “History is like the roots. And, what’s happening from day to day is like the tree branches and the fruit. You’ll better understand the tree branches and the fruit if you understand the roots…” she added. When asked why she was interesting in par-
ticipating in the school’s Black History Month events, she said, “It’s not that often that you have a person of color teaching and perhaps maybe not even a Black instructor. So, I love teaching in general, and I love teaching all people. So, if and when I have an opportunity to show up – no matter really what the See BHM | Page 3
The show goes on... online for virtual Winter Formal
PHOTO COURTESY OF @NDBTIGERS
Tiger pods: A freshman’s perspective on finally starting high school by Emma Callicott Staff Writer
NDB’s on-campus learning pods started a few weeks ago. The learning pods are a group of students who gather at NDB for two weeks to do on-campus online learning. I started off in a learning pod without knowing anyone, so I was not super into the idea of doing online school at school, instead of my house. When students first signed up to be in an on campus learning pod, they were asked to attend a meeting in order to learn the guidelines of the pods. In the first session, there were four pods. Each pod was set to arrive on campus at a different time. Each time was around five minutes apart. After that, every pod went inside to a separate classroom. When I got to school on Monday, I was really nervous because it was my first time on-campus with my classmates. We stood outside while waiting for the entire group to come. When the group was there we headed inside. While in the classroom, students are seated at SCREENSHOT FROM EVENT LIVESTREAM
Director of Communications George Retelas and Counselor Allan Gargaritano entertain the online crowd. by Clair Sapilewski Opinion Editor Every year, students of every class look forward to Winter Formal as a night full of dancing, dresses, food and good times with friends. Although the coronavirus pandemic has halted many important events, the National Honor Society (NHS) and California Scholarship Federation (CSF) Boards have made it their priority to give students their popular dance amidst the pandemic on Saturday, February 27. With an official formal theme reveal, complete with singing and dancing, the boards introduced the theme for this year’s dance: Broadway. This is a fitting theme as
the show really must go on, even if formal is over Zoom. The dance tickets cost $5 each and gift boxes $35. Much of the money raised will be donated to the United Way Bay Area COVID-19 Community Relief Fund. This charity is working to help those who have been negatively affected by the virus within the Bay Area. Students who choose to attend this event can pay extra to receive a gift box filled with sweets and memorabilia of all kinds. Twenty of these boxes will also include a fairy light as an extra addition. With these boxes, students obtain something tangible in a virtual world, a touch that will make the evening even more special.
See PODS | Page 4
Cross country team starts season as high school athletics resume by Peyton Daley Managing Editor
that. If it’s playing a specific game, you have that. If it’s getting a service hour out of the way, you have that. We wanted to provide options so that everybody enjoys Winter Formal their way, so they have fun with
At the end of January, the official NDB Cross Country season began. However, with CCS and all WBAL meets cancelled, this season will look very different for the team in comparison to the last one. Rather than participating in meets with dozens of other schools, NDB will run against only one other school at a time in scrimmage-like races. There will be no more than 14 runners total on the course at a time since each team consists of seven. The courses will also not be standard distances since most race venues are not available for organized gatherings. Instead, runners will race shorter distances at “home” courses on school campuses. “Cross country was one of the few sports initially able to compete in the purple tier of COVID-19 restrictions following the holidays. So, based on that, we began planning dual meets with teams in our county or a bordering county,” said Coach Kristi Rossi. “I participated in
See FORMAL | Page 3
See XC | Page 11
SCREENSHOT FROM EVENT LIVESTREAM
Social Science teacher Jonathan Tomczak plays host.
J o n a t h a n Tomczak, moderator of the NHS board sat down with the Catalyst and explained the plans for the big night. “We want it to be your Winter Formal, whatever that looks like,” Tomczak explained. “If it’s listening to music, you have
NEWS
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Q&A with Dean Jason Levine TheNDBCatalyst.com
NDB has gone through a lot of changes since the beginning of the spring semester, including gaining a new Interim Head of School, Dr. Linda Kern, and a new Interim Academic Dean, Jason Levine. The Catalyst sat down with Levine to ask him about his transition into his new role.
The Catalyst (TC): What are the biggest differences between your previous role and your current role?
Dean Jason Levine (JL): The biggest difference for me is that I get to work with the faculty and staff. That is a role that I had about 10 years ago, so transitioning from 10 years ago to until now has been actually fun. I’m meeting with teachers and students a little bit more now. But at the same time I’m also
doing all of the athletics responsibilities, which includes bringing teams on-campus and scheduling all of our new events this spring. I’m also doing a lot of shadowing of Dr. Kern and many of her meetings, and just getting to know some of the areas that she has been involved with. So, although it is a transition, it’s something that I know I can do. I just need some time to adjust. TC: Has the transition been overwhelming or fun? JL: I wouldn’t say the word, “overwhelming.” I would just say it’s consuming more of my time. But, the important thing is that my family, my wife and kids, have really given me the freedom to do my new job, and it’s really been great having their support at home. Just kind of getting back into the curriculum side of things has been just fantastic. This is a transition, and I don’t know that it’s necessarily been hard. I just think it’s just a new layer to what I’ve already been doing in my time at NDB.
Colleges begin announcing their fall reopening plans
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLCKR CREATIVE COMMONS / CHRISTINE FRANCK, ALI EMINOV
The University of California system and University of Southern California have each announced plans to reopen their campuses for the fall quarter/semester. by Peyton Daley Managing Editor In January, the University of California announced that all 10 of its campuses would resume in-person instruction for the coming fall semester after over a year of online learning. “As the University continues to monitor the evolution of the pandemic, we are also carefully planning a safe return to in-person classes,” said UC President Michael Drake in an announcement from the university’s Office of the President. “Current forecasts give us hope that in the fall our students can enjoy
a more normal on-campus experience.” The announcement came a month after California State University decided to reopen its 23 campuses next fall on the assumption that California’s population would have widely received the COVID-19 vaccination by the spring and summer. However, due to the slower than anticipated distribution of the vaccine, the fate of CSU’s fall 2021 remains uncertain. The UC’s decision came as a relief for many seniors hoping for an in-person freshman year of college. Since the UC’s are prominent schools, many other colleges may follow
their lead, so things are looking up for the Class of 2021. “I’m excited about the prospect that my friends planning to attend a UC will be able to safely experience their freshman year in person. I think a big part of college is meeting new people and gaining new experiences. Also, seeing and talking to people in person is very important for our mental and social well-being,” remarked senior Maya Hart. As SATs and ACTs continue to be canceled due to COVID-19, many colleges have also decided to extend “test-optional” policies for another year. This includes sev-
eral high-ranking schools such as Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, the University of California and the University of Pennsylvania. The pandemic has caused many schools to reconsider the use of standardized testing in the college admissions process, leading over 250 colleges nationwide to go permanently test-optional. The test-optional admissions process comes with some challenges. Top schools have seen huge increases in applicants since some students that may have not been in the ideal score range for a school are more likely to apply without scores as benchmarks. For example, Har-
vard University had 57% more applicants this fall than usual, causing their early admissions acceptance rate to go down by 6.5% (CNBC). However, the pandemic has also brought up skepticism about the efficacy of test-based college admissions in general. Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT have been widely criticized for giving unfair advantages to students of certain socioeconomic backgrounds that are able to prepare for them, so many will be happy to see them go. “I think schools should go test-optional because I think these tests aren’t really an accurate way
to measure intelligence, drive, or ability,” said junior Sarah Massoudi. “Especially because these tests are socioeconomically biased, there’s going to be a disproportionately affected community for those who didn’t get the opportunity to learn online this year. And, for the future, I think schools should go test-optional for the same reasons!” Like students, colleges are facing many unprecedented challenges this year. However, dealing with the pandemic has given everyone a newfound appreciation for in-person learning, and also new ways of thinking about testing in college admissions.
NEWS
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Yearbook staff receives first place award from the The Gatsby Ball: The American Scholastic Press Association Roaring 20s go online by Charlotte King Staff Writer
NDB’s yearbook, the Torch, has received both a First Place award and Most Outstanding Use of Color award in the American Scholastic Press Association’s (ASPA) annual yearbook competition for the 2019-2020 school year. Along with placing in the ASPA yearbook competition, the Torch also fared well in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, or CSPA, yearbook competition, being awarded a Gold Medal. Yearbook advisor Peggy Brady and her three senior editors: Carina Leveroni, Madison Macha, and Amanda Orchard directed 13 students in putting together the award-winning yearbook. The ASPA is renowned for their tough competition with many entries from schools across the country. “Your yearbook shows excellence in the fields of writing, photography, and page design and
The 2019-2020 Yearbook staff
contains elements/sections of a memorable yearbook that will be treasured for years to come,” wrote an ASPA judge about the Torch. “Your ability to keep your publication alive and printing during a pandemic is testament to your dedication and devotion to your publication, school, community, and to each other,” the judge added. The Torch has been awarded gold medalists for the past twelve years by the CSPA for the outstanding production of the yearbook.
“When I first joined the yearbook staff my junior year, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Editor-in-Chief and senior Faith Conry. “However, I soon began to love the process of creating page spreads, taking photos, writing captions, and working with my fellow classmates to create the Torch 2020. I was extremely proud of our 2020 yearbook. I returned to the yearbook staff my senior year as the Editor-in-Chief. This year, however, was challenging due to the lack of in-person activities from
PHOTO COURTESY OF YEARBOOK
the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, I am once again extremely proud of the work that Mrs. Brady and my fellow editors and staff have put in to produce the 2021 yearbook.” For the last eight years, Brady, has been on the CSPA Board of Judges and, for the last five years, has been invited to speak at the annual conference in New York City. Congratulations to all members of the Torch publication staff for their success in putting together an award-winning yearbook.
NDB community observes Black History Month From BMH | Page 1
cause – I will tend to show up... I was happy to know that Notre Dame was interested in social justice, Black History... I kind of jumped on it. I was happy to be a part, how ever I could be useful.” NDB is also working with consultant and facilitator Tamisha Williams on how the community can work together on anti-racism and grow toward equity. “Part of my work as [a] consultant who talk[s] to people about anti-racism is to help them also do some internal reflection be-
fore they jump into action to make sure that they’re also not replicating some of the very things that they’re hoping to tear down,” explains Willams on what she does. NDB’s I Am Diverse Club created resources to highlight Black History Month. A 17-minute video along with a discussion form was shared with students to view in their English and Social Science classes. The video featured notable Black people from the past and today, discussed how to be a strong ally to African Americans, and included
the need to recognize the Afro-Latinx community during the month. “Just watching their video in full was really inspiring, and I told them, after watching it… the quality of your video is something that I would use in my work with other professionals,” Williams said. “It’s exciting that Notre Dame has students who are... able to create that level of content… Part of it is because they’re thinking really deeply about what it is that they want to see as a resource in the school community and also what it is they know that their fellow peers need to hear and also
be… engaged with…,” she said. “In some ways, they are giving feedback to the school to say, ‘Hey, here’s the content we want to see,’ and in the same breath, they’re also modeling by saying, ‘We’re creating the exact content that we’d love to see in our classes and our conversations,’” she added. As Black History Month continues, it is important for the community to remember to be strong allies for the Black community and continue the discussion around racism beyond February.
Virtual winter formal: The show goes online From FORMAL | Page 1
it.” NDB formal takes a great deal of planning. This particular dance has been in the making for over six months. Students from both the NHS and CSF Boards have been working tirelessly and were instrumental in the planning of the dance. “I believe very strongly that winter formal should happen,” Tomczak
stated. “But what really makes it go through is that the students on the CSF and NHS boards believed in it.” Formal is one of the only all-school events outside of school hours and is always a big deal for seniors. The students and teachers working on Winter Formal recognized this, and one hour of the dance will be dedicated to the graduating Class of 2021, the Knights. The CSF and NHS
Boards have also decided to let a select few eighth graders into the dance. Tomczak admitted that they would not usually be allowed to attend a formal high school dance, but because it is online, it will be hard to notice they are present. The goal behind this was to give a few eighth graders thinking about attending NDB, a taste of the perseverance and dedication this school has shown to its students amidst a global pandemic.
To those who are hesitant to buy tickets for an online dance, Tomczak gave this message. “I think most people who go will enjoy it more than they think they will,” Tomczak told the Catalyst. “So I really think it’s a no-lose situation for someone to go, participate and see what it’s about, and then they can judge it at that point.”
@TheNDBCatalyst
SCREENSHOT FROM EVENT LIVESTREAM
The junior class Zooms the annual Gatsby Ball.
by Peyton Daley Managing Editor On February 12, juniors attended the 19th annual Gatsby Ball. The ball is put on by the English Department as a celebration for students after reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” in class. This year, the event moved to Zoom where juniors chose between a number of breakout rooms with different Gatsby-related activities. Before the event, students received boxes that included snacks, candies, and drinks, and glasses for during the party. Twenties music played throughout the night, and students and teachers dressed up in their best Gatsby-esque outfits for the occasion. “I think [the English Department] did an amazing job making the experience as fun as possible, even with being online. The gift bags they made were such a nice touch,” commented junior Emma Nilsoft. “I had such an amazing time and it’s something about high school I will always remember.” Junior class president Ali Lewis led students in a toast at the beginning of the night, and class photos were taken with students raising their glasses. “I just wanted everyone to know how excited we were that we were all together and to be positive for the rest of the year because I know this wasn’t the year we expected. So I just wanted to tell our class to hang in there and keep going, and to stay excited for new things to come,” said Lewis on her message for the junior class. There were ten different breakout rooms, each led by either members of the junior class council or senior class volunteers. In those rooms were a multitude of different activities, including watching the film “The Great Gatsby,” making friendship bracelets, learning 20s-inspired recipes, and playing virtual games with peers. Students also had the option to join a Q&A with the junior class council. Before the event started, students could submit photo entries to a fashion show and contest. Juniors were sent a 1920s-style makeup tutorial to follow or could choose to do their own design. During the ball, the junior class voted on their favorites after entries were compiled into a slideshow with pictures. Best Makeup and Hair went to Kennya Olguin, Best Dressed to Clair Sapilewski, and Best Overall to Jorja Fox. “I had heard from so many upperclassmen that this was one of their favorite events, so I had no hesitation in participating [in the costume contest]. Although the circumstances were very different this year, the English Department did a great job including as much as they could such as the fashion show,” said Fox. “I entered the fashion show under the category of Best Overall, as I wore a flapper dress, feather and, of course, a pearl necklace.” This was the first event of the year for the junior class to come together and bond. Students responded enthusiastically by dressing up elaborately, engaging in the activities and enjoying the chance to reconnect with their peers. “I really liked seeing everyone in costume and dressed up on Zoom... I think the ball was important because we haven’t really had any events just for our class this year, and I know junior year... there’s a lot of fun things that they normally get to do, so I think it was important that we still got to experience the Gatsby Ball,” Lewis noted. Although the ball looked very different this year, students embraced the opportunity to go back in time by a century and enjoy a night with their classmates.
OPINION
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Cancel culture: Why it isn’t a good thing
THE CATALYST / CLAIR SAPILEWSKI
by Dessea Bond Contributing Writer Cancel culture started as a way of deplatforming people of power who did or said something offensive. This was supposed to help them recognize that the behavior they displayed is not okay and to make sure they are held accountable for their actions. I can
support this idea. I definitely believe people need to be held accountable for their actions. But, cancel culture has become toxic. I believe when someone does or says something offensive, they must first realize that what they did was wrong, know why it was wrong, then apologize. But, with the way cancel culture has evolved,
people don’t even have the opportunity to apologize. Once you are “canceled,” it’s over. However, my main problem with cancel culture is that it is inconsistent. There is no regulation with cancel culture. Our criminal justice system, when used correctly, recognizes that there are different severities to each criminal offense. With
these different severities come different types of punishment. But, with cancel culture, there are no levels of severity. For example, actor Lea Michelle got “canceled” over the summer of 2020 when an old co-worker exposed her microaggressions on the set of the TV show “Glee.” Then there is someone like musician
R. Kelly, who is “canceled” for actually being charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse and illegally marrying, at the time, a 15-year-old girl. Both these people’s actions were wrong, and I support neither of them. But, while I hope we can agree that these two people’s actions are nowhere on the same
level, they receive the same amount of social media backlash. Once again, I agree that people need to be held accountable for their actions. I believe it is necessary to better our society. But, we need to find a better way to do so because cancel culture is not working.
Tiger pods benefit students during remote learning From PODS | Page 1
desks at least six feet away from each other. From there, each student logged into Zoom and did their classes independently. I was really cold during the day. During students’ second period class, they were given their lunches. After they finished that class, their entire pod moved outside. All the students sat at different lunch tables. Each of the different pods were assigned somewhere different to eat. When I went outside for lunch, I sat at the lunch table. It was kind of hard for me to talk to people because everyone was so far away. Lunch is the only time that students are allowed to take off their masks in order to eat their
lunch. After the lunch was finished everyone went back inside to complete their final two classes. The next day I went to school, it was a lot more enjoyable. I was able to dress much warmer. During lunch I was able to talk to someone, which was one of the main reasons I chose to participate in the pods. The first day I had Dance class, I was a little confused on how I was going to participate in the class because I was in a classroom, but I ended up moving into the dining room. Overall, I would say that my first few weeks on campus learning was worth it. I would recommend participating in the new on campus learning pods if you are interested in meeting your classmates.
THE CATALYST / EMMA CALLICOTT
Each student participates in her own Zoom class during the Tiger pods.
OPINION
Waiting for college acceptance letters Kaitlyn Lopez Sports Editor @TheNDBCatalyst
The college application process is one of the most stressful moments of a high school senior’s career. The process may sound easy, but so much time and effort is needed to make the whole thing possible. Seniors need to make sure to gather all of the correct paperwork, such as essays, supplemental questions, teacher recommendations and more required documents. Every deadline has to be met. Turning-in late applications is not the ideal way to the college
admissions’ hearts. Seniors tend to experience a sense of burnout after filling out what feels like the 50th short-answer question, but they must power through. It is crazy to see the immense amount of time and effort poured into the college application process. But, once it is all finished, there is absolute silence. There is so much anticipation in waiting to hear back from colleges. Students wait for months just to open a piece of paper to reveal if they got accepted or denied
from their dream school. anxiety while being stuck In my experience, “I’m pretty at home all day. The con- I find myself watching stressed and I’ve been fo- stant cycle of Zoom hours Youtube or Tik Tok vidcusing on school a lot more and screen time is not the eos about people’s college so I can keep my mind off of best way to cope in try- acceptance and rejection my college decisions,” said ing to get their minds off letters. I get excited seesenior Leah Lad. “Know- their college decisions. ing others getting into their ing that whether or not I get “I can say that we dream schools, and their videos relieve in is completemy anxiously out of my ness and give control now.” me a little hope Many for my decipeople are on sions coming edge knowing out next month. that their fu E v e n ture lies in the though this hands of the may feel like admissions ofFLCKR CREATIVE COMMONS / EPIC TOP 10 one of the lonficers. Seniors College dominates most high school seniors’ minds. gest transition begin to question if what they wrote have a great group of se- periods of the second sein their applications was niors, and despite the impact mester, it will definitely good enough or if they of COVID-19, our students be worth it. The constant could have spent more time are still getting into great checking of email inboxes working on it if they did schools,” said Director of to hear back from colleges not procrastinate as much. College Counseling Dina will come to an end soon. The lockdown Cunha. “For those who are But, for now, seniors must also does not help ease the still waiting, hang in there.” play the waiting game.
Going to Catholic school as a non-religious student Brooke Horvai Assistant Opinion Editor @TheNDBCatalyst
Attending mass, participating in prayer, and involvement in other religious customs is part of NDB student life. For a lot of girls, Catholicism has been a part of their lives for a long time. However, for other students, Catholicism is a new concept. As someone who is not Catholic, I often get asked why I went to NDB. Simply put, the religious aspect of the school did not matter to me. I was more interested in getting
a good education, and I was willing to learn about beliefs that differed from mine in order to achieve it. Just because I do not believe in a higher power does not mean that I am unable to learn at a Catholic school. “I decided to come to Notre Dame honestly for the academic [side], so the religious aspect didn’t really play much of a role,” said junior Sarah Massoudi. “I wasn’t like,
‘Oh, I’m going to a Catholic school because it’s a Catholic school.’ It was more of like, ‘I want to go to the school because academics are really good.’ So religion didn’t play much of a role, but I was willing to learn about it.” Some activities, such as prayer services and Communion, are different experiences for me in comparison to someone who is Catholic. Personally, the time is a moment for reflection and meditation. Even though I do not get the same experience as other girls, the moment is still special. Another unique experience is Spiritual Life class. Every year, NDB mandates that students take a Spiritual Life
course, learning about the past, present, and future of Catholicism. This includes daily prayers, religious history, and more. Students who have already been involved in Catholicism do well in the class, knowing the stories and knowing the history. However, some of those who are new come into the class knowing nothing. They have a disadvantage with little understanding of the faith. Luckily, most teachers ensure that the non-religious students are not left in the dust. Furthermore, certain activities are open-ended in nature, giving non-religious students a different option. Prayers can be
practiced as “quiet time,” rather than a strictly Catholic experience. Being able to attend a religion class does actually provide valuable insight. I would likely go through high school and college knowing little about the Catholic experience without this class. Going to masses and having Catholicism be a part of the school puts life in a different perspective. To put it simply, NDB is an all-around good school. Just because it is Catholic does not deter students from attending. In fact, it encourages girls to open their understanding and appreciate something they would not likely otherwise experience.
Academic competitiveness feeds into eating disorders Izzy Enock Staff Writer @TheNDBCatalyst
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week falls on the last week of February from the 23rd to March 1st. Eating disorders are extremely serious and even deadly. Therefore, talking about them is extremely important, specifically in this day and age with social media ruling our lives. The toxicity of the media only showing the “perfect image” and what is the ideal look for society causes people to compare themselves to unrealistic standards. These exact standards are what fuels an
unhealthy relationship with your body. Eating disorders are not uncommon, and many go undiagnosed since social media pushes diet culture onto us all and it is not talked about enough. At NDB, I have personally heard many stories of girls not only struggling with their self-image, but especially their issues with disordered eating. It is no secret that everyone has their insecurities, but teenage girls commonly face self-doubt and feelings of unworthiness. NDB cultivates a hard-working and challenging learning envi-
My overall point ronment that pushes girls their phone. However, eat- to reach their full potential. ing disorders make these is not that social media and However, this also comparisons that more competitive schools have leads to an extremely com- dangerous. Eating disor- to be viewed as a negative thing for anypetitive nature one struggling in the school. with disordered Sadly, a comeating, but that petitive envithere needs to ronment is the be an underperfect breedstanding and ing ground for eating disorswitch of focus. There are social ders to thrive media accounts and worsen. out there that Humans are directly focus naturally competitive peoon pushing ple, whether it body positivibe comparing ty and healing clothes, GPAs, self-image isor follower PHOTO COURTESY OF FREPIK sues that can counts. It all Everybody is beautiful, despite societal norms. lead to eating comes instincdisorders and tively. So, when mixed with ders are extremely compet- we as people need to prothe growing popularity of itive, so in places that en- mote those accounts. Let’s social media, it is even eas- courage competition, such turn against our nature ier for people to see some- as social media and Bay and build ourselves up thing that makes them feel Area schools, it is no won- instead of bringing our bad every time they check der they are so common. beautiful selves down.
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theCATALYST NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Amelia Kyle MANAGING EDITOR Peyton Daley NEWS EDITOR Paige Clarke OPINION EDITOR Clair Sapilewski ASST OPINION EDITOR Brooke Horvai ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Victoria Bartels SPORTS EDITOR Kaitlyn Lopez PHOTO EDITOR Jennifer Huang STAFF WRITERS Emma Callicott Izzy Enock Kaelin Hughes Charlotte King Nicole Miller Audrey Mogannam Mia Muzzi Lynne Pan Anna Sanguinetti FACULTY ADVISOR Robert Rojas
ABOUT THE CATALYST
The Catalyst is a student-run newspaper that is published seven times a year in print and 24/7 online at www.TheNDBCatalyst.com for the Notre Dame High School community. EDITORIAL POLICY The Catalyst accepts unsolicited letters from students, faculty, staff, and alumni as well as press releases from on and off-campus organizations, but cannot guarantee publication. It reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The views expressed in the Opinion section do not reflect the views of The Catalyst, NDB, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, or the Archdiocese of San Francisco, but are solely the views of the writer. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of The Catalyst. CONTACT US The Catalyst Notre Dame High School 1540 Ralston Avenue Belmont, California 94002 Phone: (650) 595-1913 Email: TheCatalystNDB@ gmail.com Website: www. TheNDBCatalyst.com Social Media / Instagram & Twitter: @TheNDBCatalyst
FEATURE The history of How to celebrate Valentine’s Day during a Valentine’s Day global pandemic
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by Ava Marinos Contributing Writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLCKR CREATIVE COMMONS / CLIFF JOHNSON
Chocolate is a Valentine’s Day tradition.
by Lynne Pan Staff Writer Valentine’s Day is known as a romantic holiday for lovers to express their affection for one another by exchanging cards, flowers, and gifts. But, the true story and history of Valentine’s Day still remain a mystery to this day. However, it is known that this day contains vestiges from both the Christian and ancient Roman traditions. Valentine’s Day originated from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, an ancient festival from February 13th to the 15th that purified the city and released fertility by pairing couples by lottery. However, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day at the end of the fifth century. Yet, Valentine’s Day was not celebrated as a romantic holiday until about the 14th century (History). According to legend, Valentine’s Day was named after a third century Roman saint, Saint Valentine. St. Valentine defied the orders of Emperor Claudius II to ban young men from marriage because the emperor believed single men can become better soldiers. Valentine defied him by secretly helping young couples to get married. Unfortunately, his action was discovered, and he was put to death on February 14 in the year 270A.D. St. Valentine’s Day was established to commemorate his death. However, there are also some other accounts that hold that Valentine’s Day took the name of a bishop, St. Valentine of Terni (Britannica). Valentine’s Day is usually celebrated in Australia, Canada, France, United States and United Kingdom as well as in other countries, including Argentina, Mexico and South Korea. In Japan, people do something different. On February 14th, women buy gifts for men, and men return gifts back on March 14th, which is the White Day. In the Philippines, the government sponsors a gala event on Valentine’s Day for many young couples to marry, so it also becomes the most common wedding anniversary.
If your Valentine says they love you, check your sources...
This past year, everyone has experienced major restrictions from socializing with friends and family because of the stayat-home orders and social distancing. With just Zoom calls and long distance check-ins, people can still feel lonely and without true connection to loved ones. Although we are distanced from others, we can still connect with friends and family from the comfort of our own homes. Regardless of the pandemic, there are still ways to safely celebrate Valentine’s Day. Gifts are a special way to express appreciation for others and the impact they have made on our lives. Consider sending your loved one homemade baked goods, flowers, chocolates, or simply just a card. Whatever you choose to send your friend or family member, they will appreciate the effort and will be reminded of your presence whenever they see the gift you chose for them. Baking Valentine’s Day treats for loved ones also makes us feel happy and promotes cooperation and social connection, despite the odd times we are living in.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLCKR CREATIVE COMMONS / GILBERT MERCIER
How do you say “I love you” from six feet away? With a teddy bear. Words of affirmation are another way to express gratitude for our loved ones. Displaying affection through letters and cards promotes positivity, both for the writer of the card and the person receiving it. Simply writing down things you love about them will strengthen your relationship with them, while boosting their confidence. Cards also allow you to express your feelings in the way a present can’t, so do not worry if you cannot afford to buy a Valentine’s Day present. Although we cannot physically express our love to others, we can still show how much we adore and appreciate those special people in our lives through written messages.
Nothing beats quality time with friends and family, especially those whom you want to safely reconnect with because you have not seen them in a long time. Using technology to connect with someone goes a long way, and can make anyone’s day when they receive an unexpected call from a loved one. More specifically, another fun Valentine’s Day activity is to host a Netflix watch party with friends and binge watch romantic movies together. Whatever it may be, time to bond with those you love and call them will boost everyone’s mood and create a positive impact on their lives. You do not need to be face to face to express
your love on Valentine’s Day, since there are plenty of safe ways to celebrate while following Covid safety guidelines. Whether you choose to bake them a treat, send a card, or schedule a call with them, they will appreciate the effort you put into connecting with them. Hopefully, these few examples of how to celebrate Valentine’s Day during a pandemic gave you some ideas for how to keep each of your relationships thriving. Remember, that it is the effort and thought that counts when sending someone a present or card, scheduling a virtual event, or simply reminding them of your love and appreciation for them.
The importance of giving Valentine’s Day cards to family, friends and other loved ones
by Brooke Horvai Assistant Opinion Editor
Every Valentine’s Day in elementary school, students would create Valentine’s for every single member of their class. Sometimes these Valentine’s would be little cards with handwritten messages or would include candy and a sticker. They would be passed out to friends as a sweet gesture, showing that someone was thinking about you. However, as the years went on, making Valentine’s became less and less frequent. But the importance of making them is just as prevalent now, even in high school. A Valentine represents appreciation, not just for a significant other, but for friends and family. Someone going out of their way to give a special card, shows that they care. Just like gift-giving during the holiday season, it’s a way of demonstrating love. Now more than
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLCKR CREATIVE COMMONS / SRSLDY
Valentine’s Day cards should not be just an elementary school tradition. ever, it is extremely important to reach out. Without seeing classmates and friends daily, becoming isolated and lonely is much easier. There is no longer a simple way of connecting with those in our lives. Every meet-up, every interaction, is preceded by multiple health precautions or merely a screen. The raw human relationships we used to have do not apply. However, writing a letter or sending a gift still
applies. It can still be done safely, and the emotions are just as strong. Going out of one’s way to demonstrate love, is powerful. That is why selfless acts of kindness are revered. No one is required to send a Valentine, but doing so is a small sacrifice for the ones we appreciate. Furthermore, it is a fun activity that can make people smile. “I like to handmake gifts for the people that are close to me,” said
junior Sage Saperstein. “It adds a little bit of fun to the boring month that is February.” So, this season, consider giving Valentine’s to the people around you. Whether it be parents, friends, or classmates, reach out to someone. Hold on tightly to the relationships in your life. Stay connected with your loved ones, and most importantly, show that you care.
Visit TheNDBCatalyst.com for more stories and photos about the NDB community.
FEATURE
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When Julio met Norma
How a 60-year-long romance came to be
Long before they were my grandparents, they were Julio Ortiz and Norma Morales, a young Puerto Rican couple who met in a dance club in New York in 1960. Julio, a New York native, was introduced to Norma at the club by his older brother, Bobby, who was Norma’s brotherin-law. “I saw a very, very beautiful looking girl in a pretty red dress,” Julio said about his first impression of Norma. “She was very attractive, but I found her to be a bit standoff-ish at first. She didn’t seem interested in me.” N or ma, a native Puerto Rican visiting her family in New York, claims that she was interested in Julio the Norma Morales second she laid eyes on him. “[Julio’s brother] took me out dancing at a club one night. So, I’m in this dance place. And I see these two guys coming in at the entrance, and one of them is saying hello [to everybody] table-by-table. Everybody knows him,” Norma said. “And he’s laughing, and they’re all hugging him, and my eyes keep following him.” Norma recounted the exact moment they met. “I was attracted to that guy. I kept following him table-by-table. Suddenly, he was walking to the table I was at with Bobby and his friends. Bobby introduced me to him as his brother, and I remember thinking, ‘Ooh, that’s his brother! How exciting.’” According to her, Julio came over to her and asked her for a slow-dance. “He was talking to his brother and said [jokingly] that he was doing a favor by dancing with me.” They danced together the entire rest of the night. “At the beginning of each song, another guy would come up to ask me to dance, and [Julio] would say, ‘No, she’s dancing with me.’”
While neither of them wanted to admit it, they were both head-over-heels for each other. “The next day, I called her up because I’d thought about her all night,” Julio recalled. “So, we went to the movies with my brother and his wife [Gloria]. She talked only to Gloria for the entire movie.” Julio got up in the middle of the movie because he felt like he was being ignored. “He didn’t come back for almost the entire movie. I was so mad,” she said. “He said that I was talking too much and not paying enough attention to him.” Norma explained that what he had perceived as her being “standoff-ish” was actually just her following traditional Puerto Rican customs. “I was raised in Puerto Rico, where everybody followed the old-fashioned way, so the guy always made the first move. It was up to him to talk to me first.” After talking over dinner, Julio and Norma decided that they really did like each other after all, and wanted to continue seeing each other. But there was a slight problem: Norma had to return home to Puerto Rico to finish school. “[Before she left] I asked her if I could write to her,” Julio said. “So I was writing to her and writing to her, but I didn’t realize that since I was writing to her in English, she had somebody else read my letters.” Norma spoke very little English, so Julio was forced to write to her in Spanish. While he grew up in a household with two Puerto Rican parents, only his mother spoke Spanish, while everyone else responded to her in English. In December 1960, Julio went to Puerto Rico to visit Norma. “We went out a few times, always chaperoned. We went out with her brother or with [Norma’s nephew] Guillo. We always had somebody who was a chaperone.” In Puerto Rico, it was improper for unmarried couples to go out unchaperoned, which Julio was not used to due to his upbringing in New York City. “Eventually I told her, ‘I want to talk to your father about asking for your hand,’” Julio continued. “I was going to propose on Tuesday the 13th, but she told
me not to because there’s a thing in Puerto Rico called Martes Trece which is a day of bad luck.” In many Spanish-speaking countries, a common saying is “Martes y trece, ni te cases ni te embarques,” which means all should avoid marrying or travelling on Tuesday the 13th. This was yet another cultural difference that Julio was not used to. After proposing on a different day, Julio went back to New York while Norma finished her education. Their engagement lasted until July 1962, when they were married in Santurce, Puerto Rico. “The day before the wedding, my mother came into my room and told me, ‘If you have any doubts about the wedding, you don’t have to get married tomorrow,’” Norma said. “That night, I had the thought of him meeting somebody else, and it hurt me. So that’s when I knew that this was it. That he was it.” Julio and Norma moved to New York after the wedding and had two daughters, Vanessa and Melissa. The family eventually moved to Sunnyvale, California where Julio worked as a technical writer and Norma was a homemaker. They are now the proud grandparents of Julio Ortiz Brandon (20), Amelia (me, 17), and Reed (13), who all know them as Yaya and Lalo. As their grandchild who has grown up very close to them, I admire the profound mutual love and respect for each other that Julio and Norma share. I sincerely believe that they are a living example of true love. “When we got married, my brother told me that he gave it six months [for the marriage to last],” Julio said. They will be married for 59 years this July.
Story and photos courtesy of Amelia Kyle, Editor in Chief; Design by the Catalyst Editorial Staff
ARTS & LIFE
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The classic comfort of childhood snacks Are summer music festivals cancelled already? by Nicole Miller Staff Writer
by Gulianna Ceschin Contributing Writer
We all remember favorite things from our childhood, including our first fast food run, sip of sugary soda, or bite from a delicious chocolate candy bar. It is easy to get nostalgic about how we felt during that first experience of deliciousness. Now, many of us have become obsessed with always having those treasured treats on our shelves, cabinets, and pantries at home. It was always so cool to dig into a lunchbox each day and find that shiny wrapper that contains a mouth watering snack. During recess, kids would scout out other kids snacks, just to check out what kids were eating, and sometimes making trades, just to try something new. Now after a long school day those same kids, who are now teenagers, look forward to getting home, grabbing their favorite treats, and heading off to their rooms to indulge while studying or watching their favorite show. We have all grown accustomed to recognizing
One thing that COVID-19 has changed for everyone is the ability to go to large events. Many people have not been able to see their favorite artists perform at concerts and music festivals. Not even two months into 2021, two of the biggest musical festivals in the country, Coachella and Stagecoach, have been cancelled. In 2020, Coachella and Stagecoach, both held in Southern California, were rescheduled from April to October, then from October to April 2021. In late January 2021, both festivals were cancelled for the remainder of the year due to an increase in COVID-19 cases after the holiday season. This cycle of suspension and cancellation looks like it has been stopped for the foreseeable future because no new date has been announced for either event. The public health officer for Riverside County, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, released a statement about this new order on January
FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS / MIKE MOZART
Many of us still enjoy the junk food we loved as kids. the packaging of our go-to snacks and are constantly encouraging our parents to keep them in stock. Listed below are some popular favorites to take you back, give you that sweet sense of nostalgia, and a reminder of those awesome foods that impacted many of our childhoods. S u r p r i s i n g l y, some of these treats were considered semi-healthy like Yogos Bites, Trix Yogurt, Danimals Smoothies, or Cereal Straws. And then there were some that were used as meal replacements, like Uncrustables, Kid Cuisine, or Smiley Fries. And then, lastly, there were the
high sugar, high calorie snacks, like Oreo Cakesters, Gushers, Push-Ups, Kool-Aid Bursts, and Otter Pops that gave us that sugar “high” that kept us going long into the night. Now that we are much older and a bit wiser, we are using new tactics to get informed of what exciting products are out there that we just must try. TikTok anyone? This is one of the best places to learn about some foods we have to get our hands on. This new way of utilizing technology and social media is a great resource to take us to food paradise.
THE CATALYST / AMELIA KYLE
Rolling Loud was last held in 2019. It was cancelled in 2020 and will likely be cancelled again this year.
29, saying, “If COVID-19 were detected at these festivals, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible, to track those who may be placed at risk.” This cancellation came as Governor Newsom lifted California’s stay-athome order. Although these restrictions have been reduced, Newsom still wants to take precautions as the COVID-19 rates continue to decrease. In a virtual conference, he said, “Everything that should be up is up, everything that should be down is down - case rates,
positivity rates, hospitalization, ICUs.” As the state continues to monitor COVID-19 rates and numbers, it is important to be as cautious as possible. “This order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19 in communities worldwide,” Kaiser went on to say. Since these festivals are so popular and attract people from all different places, it would be extremely dangerous and illogical to allow them to take place.
What to watch during Black History Month “The Black Power Mixtape” 2011 (NR) This YouTube documentary explores the complexities behind the Black power movement from 1967 to 1975. Its creation began when filmmaker Göran Olsson came across the footage, which was originally intended for Swedish Television and shot by Swedish journalists in the 1960s and 1970s, in a basement below the Swedish National Broadcasting Company. Olsson saw it as his duty to produce and release his findings to the public. “The Black Power Mixtape” is intense and eye opening. It features perspectives and opinions that will captivate non-Black viewers and inspire them to rethink history. You can rent this film on YouTube and iTunes, or it is free through Sling TV.
“Loving” (PG-13) Based on the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, this romantic drama goes in depth into their interacial relationship that forever changed U.S. history. This film breathtakingly depicts their famous Supreme Court case “Loving v. Virginia,” which ruled that laws could no longer ban interracial marriage, as they would violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “Loving” is available to stream on Netflix.
“Just Mercy” (PG-13) “They’ve Gotta Have Us” (TV-14) This Netflix miniseries surrounds the timeline of Black representation in the film industry. From both sides of the lens, “They’ve Gotta Have Us” delves not only into the hardships and turning points for Black actors and creators in this industry, but also how they came to dominate it. It also features the perspective of many renowned Black actors and actresses, such as Laurence Fishburne, Diahann Carroll, and John Boyega. “They’ve Gotta Have Us” is available on Netflix.
Based on the case detailed in “The Harvard Graduate” and infamous lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s novel, “Just Mercy” follows the case of death row inmate Walter McMillian. As Stevenson discovers the evidence that proves McMillian’s innocence, tensions rise as it may not be enough to influence a court in the deep South. This film is not only painfully true in the sense that the story really took place, but also in the fact that many African American men on death row have been wrongfully convicted and never given the justice they deserved. It will make you cry, but is so worth it. Stream “Just Mercy” on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
Information compiled by Victoria Bartels, Arts & Life Editor; Photos courtesy of the films’ production companies; Design by the Catalyst Editorial Staff
ARTS & LIFE
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“Self-Made”: Netflix series shines a light on Madam C.J. Walker
A scene from “Self-Made,” features Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker. by Audrey Mogannam Staff Writer “Self Made” recently released and now a hit show on Netflix, was written and produced by Janine Sherman Barrios. Known for her work in “Criminal Minds,” “Claws” and “Third Watch,” Barrios is an exceptional film maker who was able to take from her own perspectives and experiences as a Black woman and create such a cinematic masterpiece. This series of hour long episodes highlights
the life of Madam C.J. Walker, a successful business woman who created the first famous hair care and hair growth product brand for women of color. Thus, came the title “Selfmade,” as Madam Madam C.J. Walker was the first woman in America to become a self-made millionaire. The theme of not only women entrepreneurship, but Black female power and perseverance is the most inspiring part. As the story follows, her beginning days
consisted of going around from house to house doing laundry, wringing water out of the seams until her hands went wry. After a long day of work, Walker would come home to a man who abused her. Under all the stress, Walker found herself losing her beautiful and once thick hair, a feature that all women take pride in and find sacred to their nature. Walker was met by Addie Munroe, who had a hair growth serum to allow her hair to be revitalized. Eventually, Walker
had grown back her once luscious curls. Walker took this opportunity to shine and create her own line of products that help women with the same kinky and curly hair type. Walker became the first woman of color to own a factory to produce her hair care products. Within her company, she promoted feminine individuality and workmanship. Her top appointed salesmen were, in fact, also women of color. They were set up to open salons and supply shops around the country.
Madam Walker learned the hard way that beauty is more than the superficial image that one might think it would be. Beauty is perseverance, strength, and soul. Walker pursued an idea that if she grew her hair back, she would be beautiful once again. What Walker failed to realize was that she had always been beautiful. Reviving her hair unlocked a gate in her mind, redefining what beauty meant. Walker wanted other women using her product to have this same experience of rede-
PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
fining beauty in their own terms when discovering the revitalization of their hair. Walker’s product did not produce beauty. It brought elegance to light. Walker’s poignant role as a strong, soulful, and determined businesswoman sets an example for other women pursuing entrepreneurship in a male dominated scene: Even when all the tides are set against you, with determination and persistence, it is always possible to make it to shore.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year: The Year of the Ox
by Lynne Pan Staff Writer Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, celebrates the new year on the Lunar Calendar, which is based on the monthly cycles of the moon’s phases. As of February 12, this Chinese New Year has taken us into a year of the Ox and celebrations will last for up to 15 days. Beyond the traditional meals and modern fun, Chinese New Year has thousands of years of history. It originated from the Shang Dynasty, which occurred around 1600 BC to 1046 BC, and gradually emerged into the cele-
bration we know today. A common origin story of Chinese New Year is the legend of a monster named Nian. Whenever it is the eve of Chinese New Year, Nian comes out and attacks the village. As time goes on, people figure out that Nian is afraid of the color red and firecrackers. In order to protect themselves and prevent destruction, people wear and decorate their homes red, and set off firecrackers during the New Year period. When junior Amanda Tam was asked about her own experiences with Chinese New Year, she explained what makes this holiday so special for her. “For Chinese New Year, usually my parents
A crowd of people celebrate the Lunar New Year. will buy some fancy Chinese dish to bring home and eat,” she said. Over time, the New Year has developed into the most important Chinese festival for spending time with family and visiting other relatives. It is also a time for people to hold sacrificial ceremonies to honor gods and ancestors at the beginning of each year. People use some food as offerings, and usually each person takes three incenses when worshiping. According to the traditions, people would clean up the house to get rid of bad luck, give children red envelopes, and more. “My family usually does red envelopes, too, and, of course, I’m excited
for that. And then, we say, ‘Happy New Year’ to each other in Chinese,” Tam continued. Sometimes, the customs in different regions are different during the celebration. A common tradition of the New Year is that people would make dumplings together. A coin is then hidden inside one of the dumplings, and whoever finds it is said to be extra lucky that year. Sophomore Jennifer Jin, an international student from China, shared her family’s tradition, saying, “My family’s New Year special custom is to eat tangyuan. Tangyuan is a kind of special Chinese food. It is made of glutinous rice, and people usually fill
THE CATALYST / LYNNE PAN
it with fillings... When the first bell of the New Year rings, eat a tangyuan, so that the children can grow up healthily, and the adults can have a happy year.” During the Chinese New Year, there are always New Year parades in Chinatown’s across the Bay Area, especially San Francisco. In schools, such as NDB and Serra HS, there are typically celebrations for students as well. “Normally, we would work with our dining hall chefs to cultivate a complete menu for the day. We would have the bulletin board and the hallways decorated. We would have events and activities organized by the students. But, of course, because of the
pandemic, instead, we have worked on a presentation, ” said Gillian Hegarty, Associate Director of International Students. This year, NDB has made presentations and videos of the Chinese New Year. Students talk about their favorite parts of the holiday, the history and myths,as well as the symbols and sayings. Serra HS is holding a movie night and a virtual event by the Multicultural Club as well as a Lantern Festival on February 24. The Chinese community is very excited to celebrate the year of the Ox in 2021.
SPORTS Serra HS alumnus Tom Brady plays Super Bowl LV as the oldest player
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by Mia Muzzi Staff Writer On February 7th, the Kansas City Chiefs played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl LV. The Buccaneers finished off the game winning, with a final score of 31 - 9. The quarterback who led them into this victory is none other than Tom Brady himself. After learning this, one may have asked themselves why he has not retired yet. It is true that Brady is 43 years old, but his age does not restrict his incredible athletic ability. Age does not seem to bring this football superstar down as he continues to keep playing better than ever at each game. Rob Gronkowski, a tight end for the Buccaneers, spoke about Brady’s future playing football. “Tom would sign a 50 year contract if he could,” Grownkowski said to CNN when asked about Brady’s retirement. Brady is just not ready to leave the game
with all of the success he is currently having in his career. His dedicated fans certainly do not want him to retire, especially after his recent Super Bowl win. Most people around the Bay Area are huge fans of Tom Brady because he grew up there. It is a feeling of pride to know that he went to Junipero Serra HS as most students at Serra are extremely proud of their famous alumnus. “I feel proud that I go to the same high school as one of the best football players ever,” said Serra freshman Carson True. “He is an amazing person and a huge role model for everyone at Serra.” Tom Brady started his career at Serra HS and his career continues to grow and succeed every time he walks onto the football field. His numerous wins and constant record breaking games reflect his stellar athletic ability and talent, as his power and drive bring him his many successes.
FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS / BROOK WARD
Tom Brady is now the oldest player to win a Super Bowl at 43.
Warriors’ “Oakland Forever” jersey sparks local controversy by Kaitlyn Lopez Sports Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER.COM/WARRIORS
Warriors player Steph Curry wears the team’s new “Oakland Forever” jersey.
The Warriors have released their “Oakland Forever” jerseys for the season. The jerseys pay tribute to the iconic “We Believe” era and are for players to celebrate their 47 seasons played in Oakland since 1997. The jerseys have received many excited reactions from fans and players as they are a great way to honor the hometown of the Warriors. Fans are able to purchase the “Oakland Forever” jerseys online and in-person at the Warriors Shop. “I think the Oakland Forever jerseys are cool. I like what they did paying homage to the ‘We Believe’ days of the Warriors,” said senior Mia Soracco. “It makes me
think back to when I attended my first Warriors game in the first grade with my best friend.” Despite the positive feedback, there are still some people that are not happy with the jerseys. Dustin O. Canalin, designer of the Warriors’ current “The Town” uniforms, is not a fan of the “Oakland Forever” jerseys, saying they are very insincere and forced. “It’s forced. They don’t play in Oakland anymore. They left. They even moved their team headquarters out of Oakland,” said Canalin to SFGate. “It feels like a grab for leftover emotional baggage. It’s like a guilt jersey, a jersey for the new fans.” The “Forever” jerseys not honoring the Chase Center in San Francisco, and “The Town” uni-
forms sparked a controversy that led some fans to feel upset about this decision. “People forget that when the Warriors first moved to California in the 1940’s, they were the San Francisco Warriors. Then, they moved to Oakland and played the next 47 years,” said Counselor Allan Gargaritano and member of the Warriors Dub Squad. “It shouldn’t matter where they play, they are the Bay’s team.” The “Oakland Forever” jerseys hold much sentimental value to the early days of the Warriors. It is a stark reminder of where the team has spent the last 47 seasons: The heart of Oakland. Despite moving arenas, the Warriors continue to honor Oakland as the city they spent playing their seasons for nearly 50 years.
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SPORTS
Spirit Squad ends ‘20-’21 season early
Cross Country starts season
From XC | Page 1
PHOTO COURTESY OF NDB COMMUNICATIONS
The JV cheer team pose together at last year’s USA Nationals. by Jennifer Huang Photo Editor The NDB Spirit Squad will not be cheering for any football or basketball games this season. Due to the pandemic, sports have been pushed back, and there will be no one allowed on the field or in the stands. The news was broken by the coaches to the cheer team that there will be no season. Meaning, cheer will not be able to have a competition season, normally competing in the USA Nationals. Not
having a season affects seniors, especially those who have been cheering since their freshman year. “As much as I would complain about them, I'm going to miss practices. I'm going to miss just getting to be with everyone,” said senior Alyssa Enriquez. “ I'm going to miss waking up at three in the morning to get ready. I'm literally gonna miss everything about it, even the things that I like said I didn't like.” Freshmen are also affected by not being able to get to know people on
the team to really have the freshman experience. “I'm disappointed that we didn't get to go to any games this year, but it was kind of expected,” said freshman Laura Lipton. “I think that the practices were really good, but I definitely think we would have covered a lot more material if we were [in person].” Since pom is a no-contact sport, they are able to have practices. Pom recently had a virtual competition, performing in the Moore Pavillion. “I think it makes sense not being able to per-
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form, where cheer can't do stunting and everything, so they can't compete and then there are no games going on,” said junior Chloe Einsiedl. “And, I really don’t think it's fair for Spirit Squad to have to continue if they weren't gonna be able to do anything.” Pom is hoping they get to go to Nationals during the first couple of days in May. Although competitive cheer and the NDB Spirit Squad’s season has ended, the teams will continue to support the pom team in its future competitions.
Zoom calls with other WBAL coaches to figure out what teams would be interested in in-person racing, and we looked for teams compatible to race.” So far, the team is hoping to race against a few other local private schools in early March. The meets are scheduled for March 6 against Mercy HS, Burlingame, March 10 against Notre Dame HS, San Jose, and March 17 against Pinewood HS, although plans are tentative. “I’m feeling a bit nervous ince I’ve never done a race before, but also excited because I know everyone’s going to be there and it’s going to be cool because it’ll be my first experience,” said freshman Annette Henderson. This season is shorter than usual since it was pushed back from fall, and now has to end before spring sports begin. Practices started on January 25, and the season ends on March 27 (CIF). Many NDB runners participated in pre-season workouts, which happened twice a week from September until the start of the season. “We’ve been do-
ing a lot of hard training, so I think that we will be prepared,” said sophomore Kate Davidson. Cross Country is also considering participating in a larger virtual meet. In this case, each school will record its runners times separately and will compare online. Although this offers competition against more runners, being in-person gives runners the motivation and endurance they need for their race. “I definitely think running with others makes me automatically faster because I know what pace I should be going at, and I know if I’m going too slow or I’m going too fast and exerting myself too much,” remarked Henderson. While it’s not the season anyone would have hoped for, NDB Cross Country is looking forward to being able to race. “My goals are for the girls on the team to finally have an opportunity to let their hard work pay off through racing,” Rossi added. “Many girls on the team have been participating in pre-season training since September, so races would enable them to push themselves in a competition setting.”
Q&A with Serra HS football player Stuart Raass by Jennifer Huang Photo Editor Due to the pandemic, sports have been pushed back and teams have not been able to play. The Catalyst interviewed Serra HS sophomore, Stuart Raass, on what his football team has been up to for this season. The Catalyst (TC): What are the plans for the football team this season? Stuart Raass (SR): They’re pushing to play right now, but there’s nothing in particular that I’ve heard. We’re still having things like conditioning and stuff, but there are no set dates for actual games. (TC): How has your team been doing practices during the pandemic? (SR): Well, we haven’t done any actual practices. It’s mostly just been conditioning. And, we have to do small groups, and we split up. We split up on the baseball field, and we have two teams on the football field. (TC): Are there any different requirements for the team (workouts, practices)? (SR): I haven’t been going to conditioning because of where I live. But, we condition twice a week, and we just do whatever the coach tells us to do, basically. (TC): What are your hopes for this season? (SR): Just be able to play, honestly. That’s all. Yeah, that’s literally, like, just to play.
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NEWS
Body positivity: Q&A with senior Samantha Sutter A day in the life of a Tiger Just some of the things that have happened to our readers over the past months...
PAIGE CLARKE / THE CATALYST
Journalism advisor Robert Rojas and The Catalyst News Editor Paige Clarke pose for the first in-person Journalism class of the school year with the rest of the class projected from Zoom behind them.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA SUTTER
Senior Samantha Sutter takes to her social media to express her passion for body positivity and acceptance. by Izzy Enock Staff Writer
enforces the idea that you have to look like that.
This month, we celebrate National Eating Disorder Awareness Week from February 23 to March 1. Self-love and body positivity are necessary when it comes to accepting who you are and embracing it. Senior Maggie Stack started a social media movement over the summer when she received shameful comments about her body. Now, it is important to revisit this movement during February to remind ourselves why body positivity is needed in society. Another senior, Sam Sutter, participated in this movement along with many others and shared her battles with self-love.
TC: For you, how has social media impacted your self-image? Have certain things made it better or worse?
The Catalyst (TC): Our generation practically grew up on social media. Would you say this has affected the way young girls see themselves and their bodies? Sam Sutter (SS): Definitely. I think constantly seeing all the celebrities or Instagram models... affects young girls because they see... the “ideal” body, and it makes girls feel like they have to look like that, when every body is built differently. Some people just can’t look like that no matter how hard they try. They can’t lose that much weight... It’s impossible because their body just isn’t built like that, and I think it’s hard to see because it
SS: I think being someone who’s not super tiny, like both tall and like size-wise, it’s been hard growing up with social media and being a teenage girl. You’re constantly seeing all these girls that are tinier than you, and that’s what people find attractive, or at least that’s what you’re told. I think social media has played into that as well because I see girls my age posting, and they are so much smaller than me, and I’m like, “Why can’t I be that small?” ...It would be impossible for me to ever be that tiny, but I think it’s made it hard to... be okay with that fact. TC: When you saw Maggie’s post about the comment she received that triggered her movement for body positivity on social media, how did you react? How did you feel and what brought you to want to join in? SS: Well I was mad because it was not only completely uncalled for and rude because she doesn’t even know the person and the person doesn’t know her, but it was so untrue. And so, just contributing to the horrible misogyny that women have to deal with, where you know guys can
post shirtless photos all the time and they never get any hate for it, but as soon as a girl wants to post in a bikini, they get called horrible names... It’s just ridiculous that there’s a double standard that men can walk around with no shirt and shorts, and people won’t say anything. But, as soon as a woman wears a bathing suit, it’s a huge deal. I wanted to join in because I’ve experienced name-calling like that too, and I’ve experienced sexualization when I wasn’t even wearing something that would be considered sexual, like a bathing suit or jeans and a T-shirt. So, I wanted to contribute to her movement because it’s something that I think there needs to be more awareness of, and action is taken. TC: Social media has allowed people’s messages to reach huge audiences of people. How can this be positive or negative? SS: I think it’s really powerful and helpful for things like what Maggie started, or things with the Black Lives Matter movement, or cases, small cases that aren’t well known, so that they can get more exposure, and that way, it’s positive because it helps raise awareness and like shows people that, ‘Hey, these injustices are happening, and here’s what you can do to help, even though you’re just one person you can still do something.’ But, I do think it can be negative sometimes
because it’s not always the right message that’s being put across. Like, say you’re scrolling through TikTok and then all the sudden you see something that’s like really triggering... and it’s like, that shouldn’t be out there going viral with so many people seeing it. In a lot of ways, it is good, but it can also be harmful if the wrong message is being spread.
PHOTO COURTESY OF @NDBTIGERS
TC: Overall, what is some advice you would give to those who are struggling with how they view themselves? SS: It’s a battle that I think pretty much everyone faces every day. And, that doesn’t mean that it’s not important. It’s incredibly important, but you know you’re not alone. And, you may look at someone and say, ‘Wow they have such a good body, they’re so tiny, I wish I could look like that.’ And, they’re thinking that they don’t like what they see in the mirror as well. I think there’s so much preaching about loving your body and all that and, of course, that is important. But, I think when you’re in such a headspace that you hate your body or hate the way you look, the first step is to get into a place of accepting your body and respecting your body and realizing this thing is keeping me alive. And just to, you know, accept it, and I may not love it right now, but I don’t need to hate it.
Visit TheNDBCatalyst.com for more stories and photos about the NDB community.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA NILSTOFT
On February 27, NDB hosted its first virtual winter formal. Junior Emma Nilstoft said, “They did such an amazing job making the night as special as they could even though it had to be virtual, and the breakout rooms were super fun!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY HUNSAKER
The NDB community has begun to get their COVID-19 vaccines, including staff member Susan Hunsaker and senior Mary Hunsaker. Mary says, “My parents and I got the vaccine in February, which was very exciting! They own a restaurant where I work, so we were eligible. It has been a huge relief and I’m very excited to see everyone else get vaccinated as well!”