Legacies - Saint Mary`s High School

THE KETTLE
Saint Mary’s High School
Volume 59, No. 1
September 23, 2016
New Year & New Clubs
Raina Mendonca
Staff Writer
Saint Mary’s held its annual Club
Day this September to give students
the opportunity to get involved around
the campus. It is very important to
join clubs because students are able
to interact with others who share
their same interests and work as
a community for a greater cause.
Students are strongly encouraged to
join clubs and get involved because it
helps them discover what they like to
do. For students who are interested in
community service and giving back,
clubs like International Outreach
and CROP would be a great fit. For
those that want to learn more about
mathematics and science, the STEM
Club and the Science Club offer
great ways for students to practice
and learn more about these subjects.
All students are encouraged to
join the Green Machine, which
brings our whole school together to
promote school spirit and ram pride.
The Green Machine cheers for all our
Make a Wish Club, Voice of the People,
and the Pre-Health Club. The Young
Men’s Group is the perfect compliment
to the Empowering Young Women’s
Club and will bring our Saint Mary’s
men together and inspire them to be
positive leaders in their communities.
The Ag Club is also making its first
appearance at Saint Mary’s, and it’s
president senior Giianna Lagorio says
she wants the club to “raise awareness
about the plight of farmers during this
drought and educate students about
livestock.” Her ultimate goal is to turn
the club into an actual FFA (Future
Farmers of America) class at Saint
Mary’s. The Voice of the People Club
plans to hold political discussions
about the issues in our world today,
Photo Credit
so people can express their opinions
and beliefs in a safe environment.
With such a variety of clubs to
join, it is very important for students
to get more involved at Saint Mary’s.
From left, Jacqueline Torres, Mrs. Kozina, Mrs. Piasecci, Karena Rocha Senior Nick Carruesco believes that
“Club Day is a great way for students
Photo courtesy of Jaspreet Sohal
who have common interests to meet
athletes, our coaches, our thespians,
This year Saint Mary’s High School each other.” So don’t be afraid to step
and is a way for our school to is introducing many new clubs, such as outside your comfort zone, join more
unite in support for each other.
the Young Men’s Group, the Ag Club, clubs and get involved!
All Are Welcome
Jackson Lieberg
Staff Writer
The 2016-2017 St. Mary’s school
year kicked off with a traditional
schoolwide Welcome Mass and
introduced some new faces. Not
only were freshmen greeted by their
fellow students and faculty, but the
new Campus Ministry moderator,
Mr. Kevin Costello, and Oblate,
Fr. Matthew Issac, O.S.F.S., were
introduced to the community.
Mr Costello was very pleased
with how the Mass went, saying, “I
thought the students were fantastic.
I’m excited for the new involvement
with music this year and we will
continue to improve in order to make
it a more meaningful and participatory
experience for the students.”
Instruments such as the guitar will
be making more regular appearances
during Mass in order to complement
the traditional sounds of the piano
and the choir. Mr. Costello invites all
juniors and seniors who are interested
in serving the St. Mary’s community
to join Campus Ministry. He added,
“We want to make sure everybody
on campus feels connected and
welcomed because we are put on
this Earth to serve others.” For those
unfamiliar with Mr. Costello, he has
played a huge part in the St. Mary’s
culture over the last several years by
serving as the director for both the fall
play and spring musical. In addition to
his position as the Campus Ministry
moderator, Mr. Costello teaches
drama class.
Students are also getting back into
the school spirit as they begin these
first weeks of class. Senior Kayvan
Ghavami says, “I feel like this year
has a lot in store for me. Since it is my
senior year, I expect nothing but the
best for my final year here and I hope
for a bright future.”
Celebrant Fr. Matthew, O.S.F.S.,
at the Welcome Mass.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Kozina
While seniors begin their final year
and begin preparing for the college
application process, freshmen and
transfer students are still becoming
acquainted with the school. Freshman
BE WHO YOU ARE AND BE THAT WELL - St. Francis de Sales
Table of
Contents
News
1
Editorial
3
Features
4
REviews
5
Sports
7
Art
11
Braden Schipper says, “I really
enjoy it here at St. Mary’s. The
atmosphere is great, my teachers
seem approachable, and everybody
gets along.”
News
New Faces on Campus
Theodore Ravago
Staff Writer
This year there are many new staff
and faculty members at Saint Mary’s the largest number of new teachers this
school has ever had within a given year.
Timothy Gildea
Mr. Gildea teaches
World History,
American
Government and
Economy. Fun fact:
He’s also the Head
Frosh Football Coach.
Octavio Lopez
Mr. Lopez teaches
Spanish. Fun fact:
He came to SM
because he wanted
to teach in a Catholic
environment.
Jacki Montijo
Mrs. Montijo teaches
Geometry, Geometry
Essentials and
Algebra 1. Fun fact:
She was named after
Jacqueline Kennedy.
Jennifer Cavagnaro
Mrs. Cavagnaro teaches
English Literature.
Fun fact: She attended
and graduated from
Saint Mary’s High
School.
Kevin Costello
Mr. Costello continues
to direct our theatre
productions,
and is now the teacher
for Drama Theory and
Performance and the
Director of
Campus Ministry.
Darien Fields
Mr. Fields is also an
alumni and will be
out in the community
promoting all of
the great programs
offered at St. Mary’s.
Fun fact: He has his
own band.
Jeff Hoonaert
Coach Jeff is the new
Acquatics Director and
Head Coach for the
boys and girls water
polo teams. Fun fact: He
is an SM alumnus and
played water polo at UOP.
Fr. Matthew Issac, O.S.F.S.
Fr. Matthew is our
newest Oblate who
will serve as the
Sacramental Minister
and teach in the
Religion Department.
Michael January
Mr. January teaches
Video Production and
Computer Graphics.
Fun fact: He
graduated from UOP
and is an avid reader
of comic books.
Kongsy Low
Mrs. Low is
the teacher for
Biology, Biology
B, and Physical
Science. Fun fact:
She is first in her
family to graduate
from college.
Tara Mello
Mrs. Mello teaches
American Sign
Language. Fun fact:
She is adept in
the martial art of
Jiu Jitsu.
Lynee Monckton
Mrs. Monkton is
now running the
attendance office.
She is an SM alumna.
Fun fact: She is the
sixth of eight children
growing up.
Lawrence Narron
Mr. Narron teaches
AP American
Literature and
CP American
Literature. Fun fact:
He is a published
poet.
Rui Sousa
Mr. Sousa teaches
Spanish. Fun fact:
He enjoys to learn
about other foreign
languages, saying
he is a “sucker for
languages.”
Joe Wortmann
Mr. Wortmann is
teaching Religion.
Fun fact: He studied
Psychology and
Philosophy and
played Division 1
baseball at LMU.
Day of Giving
Josh Bajaj
Staff Writer
Here at St. Mary’s, we take
pride in our legacy of charity.
As one of the three theological
virtues, charity demonstrates
the act of giving and teaches
students to do the same. This
year, our students, parents,
alumni and friends, rallied
Day of Giving on August 24,
2016 to raise money for the
advancement of our educational
programs. Not only did our
community come together
2
Homecare Services in Stockton
$24,000 in donations made by
the community. At the end of
the day, we raised a grand total
of $65,144 for our educational
programs. St. Mary’s would like
to thank its wonderful alumni,
students, faculty, and families
Services for their generous
Day of Giving. Go Rams!
Ms. Aguilar’s art class encouraged everyone to give
during the 24-hour Day of Giving in August.
Editorial
Change
Marina Georgies
Edtor-In-Chief
Change comes in different shapes
and sizes. Sometimes it’s round and
silver, other times it’s ridged and
copper, but most times, it’s slightly
more ambiguous than the contents of
your wallet. Like quarters and pennies,
however, the invigorating feeling that
seemingly washes over everyone with
each passing New Year, school year,
and birthday, has one inherent quality:
whether you notice it or not, it’s
always there somewhere, and if you’re
especially lucky, it tends to show up
just when you need it most.
Whoever boldly professed
“change is a good thing” clearly
never experienced high school. I
think I speak for the general majority
of teenagers when I say that we
have more than enough to juggle
between school, sports, sleep, friends,
family, and other activities. Throw
change into the delicate equation
and suddenly something just won’t
add up correctly; practice schedules
conflict with doctor’s appointments
which get in the way of club meetings
which prevent the us from giving our
homework the scrutinizing attention
to detail it obviously requires. There
is beauty in pattern and routine, and a
lot of the time, change only serves to
mess up our carefully-construed plans,
so it seems.
Although it certainly is easy to get
caught up in the negative connotation
of the word, change can be a good
thing if regarded correctly. For
freshmen, change comes in the form
of a brand new environment to take in,
a sea of new faces to encounter, and
an initially-bizarre-but-eventually-
comforting class schedule to adapt to.
Just as long as you don’t accidentally
walk to your A° in Lagorio first thing
in the morning on Thursday when
your E° is in the portables, you guys
will be fine. Take change as it comes,
because you have exactly one year to
transform yourselves into respectable
members of the school and therefore
assume the right to turn your noses
up at next year’s freshmen. And a
year can be plenty of time if utilized
correctly.
Sophomores, you guys are in the
midst of experiencing one of the more
comfortable periods of high school,
having survived being at the bottom
of the totem pole and now advancing
into a state of familiarity, because
obviously you know everything there
is to know, having been here a year
and all. But don’t be fooled, with
increasing privileges like getting
your driver’s license and the chance
experience Mr. Scott as a teacher truly
comes more responsibility. Allow
this year to change you for the better,
because responsibility never goes
away.
Juniors, you all finally get to
experience the notorious Junior Year.
Along with technical upperclassmen
status, you will also be exposed to
the Hydras of standardized tests, the
SAT and ACT, which could give
Hesiod’s obnoxiously regenerative
many-headed mythological serpent
a run for its money. Study hard, but
remember to enjoy the perks; try out
for varsity, go off campus for lunch
on Wednesdays, stand a mere few feet
away from the coveted senior rail at
football games. All of these firsts are
change manifested in its best form.
And seniors, we can expect
“change” to be understatement.
Prepare for change in the most
bittersweet sense of the word. Sunday
nights will no longer be reserved
solely for excessive napping and
cramming, as college apps must find
their way into the mix. Suddenly,
there will be a last football game, a
last winter formal, and a last chance to
be in the same room as some people
that you’ve known your entire lives.
But with letting go of the old comes
embracing the new, and we have a
lot of new to look forward to. Of the
different types of change that each
class will be dealt this year, ours is the
new 2017 quarter, bright, shiny, and
ready to be spent if we’re willing to
see change in a positive light.
This year I call all of you to dig
deeper than your wallets, glove
compartments, cursing jars, or any
other place you nonchalantly toss
change. Every person has a lot to learn
from change, and luckily, it never fails
to find its way into your back pocket.
3
FEATURES
Campus
Question
Raina Mendonca
Staff Writer
If you could nominate any faculty member
to be President of the United States,
who would it be and why?
Gabriel Barney:
Kennedy Barbic
Makaelah Murray:
Kayvan Ghavami:
Sid Saharan:
Ava Bednarek:
Kennedy Ford:
Uche Nwabuzoh:
Teacher Talk
Caroline Stephens
Staff Writer
Q: What did you study in
college?
The Kettle
Caroline Stephens:
Chibueze Nwabuzoh:
Carlee Bibb:
Marina Georgies:
Grant Engdahl:
Mrs. Gillespie
Suzie Scelzi:
Collin Dougherty:
Brenna Faith:
Jonathan Semillo:
Nora Duffy:
Q: That is a perfect combination
for St. Mary’s! Do you have
any funny or interesting stories
from your classes throughout
the years that you’d be willing to
share?
Q: How many years have you
been teaching?
Lauren Prieto:
Kellinne Fontanilla:
Dominic Schenone:
Q: Wow. That’s a long time.
Have you always been a
teacher? If not, where else did
you work?
school
Q: If you weren’t a teacher,
what would you want to be?
Q: Oh that seems cool! Quite
a difference from teaching. So,
where are you from?
Q: Ah, you stay reppin’ the
209. Nice, nice. Where did you
go to college?
4
Q: Wow that’s quite a meal
to eat in the middle of class.
Speaking of class, have you
introduced anything new this
year in your classes?
FEATURES
Film Review
Julia Delucchi
Staff Writer
Disney released its newest movie
this past summer, Finding Dory.
It is the sequel to the film Finding
Nemo. The movie shows the life
of fish Marvin, Nemo, and Dory
after retrieving the lost Nemo in the
previous movie. Dory, who struggles
from short-term memory loss, is now
the one who finds herself lost in the
ocean, then stuck in an animal rescue
center. I believe that Disney used their
creativity to portray their message
that any challenge can be overcome.
Dory was able to return to find her
friends and find her parents even with
her short-term memory loss. Most
comments about this movie were
positive, like senior Alyssa Gonzalez
who said, “It was a cute movie,” and
senior Liam Mulrooney who simply
said, “Yeah, I like fish.” Sophomore
Carina Barney was pleased with
the movie and commented, “I saw
Finding Dory before I watched
Finding Nemo.” Disney has made
millions of dollars off of this movie,
and with their successful past, their
next movie should be just as good.
If anyone is looking for a heartfelt
movie that puts anyone of any age
in a good mood, this is the perfect
movie to watch.
Restaurant Review
Madeleine Berry
Staff Writer
September 23, 2016 Issue
If you’re looking for a sweet treat
and a quick bite to eat, there’s a new
stop just down the street on North
El Dorado! House of Ice Cream is a
restaurant that sells ice cream treats,
with a twist. The owners and the
makers of these delicious creations
place waffles and donuts on top of
the ice cream, giving them a sweeter
flavor for all to enjoy. Customers
can also enjoy milk shakes, ice
cream cronuts and ice cream donuts.
I’ve asked a few of our fellow
SM students about their favorite
treats, and they all seemed to love it.
Sophomore Riley Richmond said,
“I love the Oreo ice cream, but just
single scoop. It’s so good!”
Junior Kiersten Stevens likes the
strawberry cheesecake donut with
Cap’n Crunch toppings. She said,
“Sometimes I go after school just to
chill and eat.”
Although we may not be able to
get to House of Ice Cream during
lunch (unless it’s going to become the
next In-N-Out run), it’s a great place
to hang out and get a tasty treat after
school or game days. They’re open
from 12pm to 8pm everyday, and you
can also get it to go! Check it out at
947 North El Dorado Street and get
yourself some tasty treats!
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editors in Chief
News Editors
Features Editors
Sports Editors
Art Editors
Copy Editors
Marina Georgies & Caroline Stephens
Raina Mendonca & Patrick Wortmann
Christian Beltran & Grace Lin-Cereghino
Dominic Schenone & Karl Winter
Taylor Dennis & Brooklyn Quinn
Jackson Lieberg & Joseph Stephens
WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jashandeep Bajaj, Christian Beltran, Madeleine Berry, Abigail Delucchi,
Julia Delucchi, Taylor Dennis, Marina Georgies, Jackson Lieberg,
Grace Lin-Cereghino, Anjanette Manandic, Emery McKee,
Raina Mendonca, Brooklynn Quinn, Theodore Ravago,
Gabrielle Rodriguez, Dominic Schenone, Laura Schletewitz,
Joseph Stephens, Hailey Williams, Karl Winter
5
FEATURES
ASL
Madeleine Berry
Staff Writer
With help from Ms. Baglietto,
who is an American Sign Language
(ASL) teacher on campus, and Alisha
Miller, a senior, the Deaf Culture
Club was born into the St. Mary’s
community. The Deaf Culture Club
has members from all grades who
know ASL and those who are just
learning ASL. The club explores the
perspective of Deaf Culture through
communicating with American Sign
Language, watching deaf speakers,
and attending deaf socials. Although
ASL is one of the main aspects of
the club, those who do not know
how to sign are still welcome. This
brings joy to those who sign because
they realize that the culture is truly
recognized in today’s society.
Alisha Miller said, “My favorite
thing about the club is seeing
From left, R.J. Macadandang, Rebecca Parinno, Sarah Miracle, Lauren McKenerny,
and Maddie Sahagun show off their signing skills for the Deaf Culture Club booth.
Photo courtesy of Jaspreet Sohal
with the deaf. They are very tentative
individuals are just like everyone else,
it becomes very easy for them.”
The club also expresses the
unique message that American Sign
Language stands out from the other
foreign languages offered on campus.
Unsung Hero
Mrs. Delucchi collected the alumni memorabilia on display in the Van Ruiten Library.
Grace Lin-Cereghino
Staff Writer
What do Martha Stewart and
Mother Teresa have in common?
First of all, two of their sayings—
”It’s a good thing” from Martha
Stewart and “Peace begins with a
smile” from Mother Teresa—rank
among Mrs. Delucchi’s all-time
favorite quotes.
But on top of that, Mrs.
Delucchi’s laudable work ethic
and infectious cheerfulness
showcase the best qualities of
both distinguished women. With
6
the creative crafting of Martha
and the giving spirit of Mother
Teresa, Mrs. Delucchi decorates
every St. Mary’s event with care
and radiates the joy that makes our
school’s community so special.
This August marked her third
year in Development and in
such a short time she has made a
tremendous impact on campus.
Seniors Lindsey Morrison,
Tina Jaravaza and Addie Hicks
commented exuberantly on her
work at St. Mary’s:
“I love Mrs. Delucchi!”
“She’s super super nice!”
“She’s doing what she loves.”
As senior Gianna Thomas said, “I
think it’s good for everyone to see
that ASL is actually a real language
and how interesting it is to watch the
interactions between everyone.”
Since ASL is part of the Deaf
community, it is one of the main
elements of the club. Interaction
Just one example of her stellar
work was the gigantic Christmas
tree in the foyer of the Lagorio
Academic Building last holiday
season. Not only did she get the
Segale Brothers, but also she
handmade and arranged every
ornament that adorned its boughs.
She clipped out articles, collected
small green-and-white accessories,
and all together artistically poured
the memories of St. Mary’s history
into the decorations.
“I think it was a really good
idea to make the ornaments by
hand,” said sophomore Max
Almanza.
“It’s like Design on a
Dime!” Mrs. Delucchi laughed.
scramble and recycle anything.”
Mrs. Delucchi certainly has
a make-it-work attitude, as she
is constantly helping someone
and understands that sometimes
you just have to pull it together.
Her connection to our school
is incredibly strong, as her
mother and she graduated from
St. Mary’s, and now two of her
daughters are students. One of her
biggest projects has epitomized
between members and guest
speakers are done through ASL,
facial expressions, and body
language. Fellow member Taylor
Thomas, a senior, also said, “I think
it is unique compared to the other
clubs on campus because it’s so
different from any other language.
You communicate with your hands
and facial expressions.” The Deaf
Culture Club gives those who are
interested in communicating with
the deaf community an opportunity
to learn their culture by having
guest speakers who sign about their
experience of growing up deaf and
what they think of topics such as
cochlear implants and the hearing
community. They also sign funny and
happy experiences they had during
their college and high school years. I
have been part of this club ever since
last year and I have learned so much
about the Deaf community. It has
made it easier for me to communicate
to the deaf community because it
helps me practice my ASL. The Deaf
Culture Club meets every Wednesday
afterschool in Room 82 in the Hall
of Fame and is open to those who are
interested in the deaf culture!
this connection with the 140th
Anniversary Exhibit at the Haggin
Museum. As a member of the
Haggin’s Junior Women’s Group,
and through inspiration from a
previous feature on Stockton High,
she verbalized the idea of having
a display celebrating the history of
St. Mary’s.
“I was just thinking we would
have an acrylic box with some
mementos in it, but they gave us a
room!” Mrs. Delucchi recalled.
From there, she worked
tirelessly to make the exhibit
complete, scouring the old St.
Agnes Academy campus, reaching
out to alumni, and decorating
the entire space. She coordinated
volunteers, brought in the choir,
and invited the Senate and Cabinet
to culminate in a formal event
Mrs. Delucchi is never
discouraged by a lack of budget or
time, but driven by a love for St.
Mary’s. She is enthusiastic about
history and radiates positivity.
Her shining skill set of MarthaStewart-meets-Mother-Teresa is
perhaps one of the most unique
in the world, and we are simply
blessed to witness her work.
SPORTS
Football
Dewey Cotton sprints after a reception against Serra High School
Photo courtesy of Thomas Lawrence, The Record
Joseph Stephens
Staff Writer
November 27th, 2015. The Rams
lose to Folsom High School in the
section semifinals by a touchdown.
For those that witnessed it, it was one
of the greatest displays of heart, and
sheer desire ever seen on a football
field. The Rams were ruled out
from the beginning. Nobody gave
the underdog a chance against the
reigning juggernaut Folsom Bulldogs.
The Rams put on an offensive
showcase and fell short in the end
due to some questionable calls and
unlucky breaks. The Rams took this
one to heart, especially the seniors, as
this was their last high school game
of all time.
Well good news: with around
15 returning starters this year, the
Rams are back, and they are hungry.
With seniors such as Popo Amuvae
(17 reported D1 offers), Dewey
Cotton (Sac State Commit), Keaton
Hampton, Mikie Prefling, and
Jarett Carl returning to start their
third consecutive year on varsity, the
experience is there. The Rams are
also loaded with talent this year. On
offense, a lethal wide receiver core
including Cotton, Hampton, and junior
Marcus Aponte, is complemented by
a machine of a running back in junior
Dusty Frampton. Uncommitted
junior, Frampton ran for six (yes six)
touchdowns in the team’s season
opener in San Mateo, CA versus the
alma mater of the great Tom Brady,
Serra High School. The Rams traded
touchdowns in the first half of the
opener and then pulled away with a
28 point third quarter in the second
half. The Rams ended up with an
intimidating 63-35 win against
the Padres. The Rams also showed
talent on defense led by senior safety
David Ford. Ford, along with junior
linebacker Harrison Heath and
Junior defensive back Tre Jenkins,
all had interceptions. The Rams faced
other talented preseason opponents
defeating Cardinal Newman (Santa
Rosa) 49-32 and completely
dominating Central Catholic in
the Holy Bowl 49-0. The Rams are
determined to establish their presence
in Northern California as the season
progresses. On September 23rd the
Rams will travel down to Long Beach
to play nationally #4 ranked St. John
Bosco football powerhouse. Coach
Tony Franks is “Looking forward
to the opportunity to play such an
elite level of competition” and thinks
“it will be a great experience for the
boys.” This will be a great test for
the Rams on their journey back to the
section finals this year.
Green
Machine
The JV Rams have big hopes for
this season as well. The team is led
by sophomore wideouts Dumauriér
Cotton and Joe Fontes. The
dynamic duo is the perfect mixture
of athleticism and speed that gives
the opposing team nightmares. When
asked about the two, Coach Jim
Brusa said they “will be ready for
varsity ball in no time.” The JV Rams
won their first game of the year as
well in San Mateo as they beat the
Serra Padres by a touchdown. The
JV Rams showed immense potential
as they showed that they too will be
ready to be varsity Rams when their
time comes. The JV Rams were led on
to the field by freshman quarterback,
Noah May. May stands at about
six feet tall and is as athletic as they
come. Since the early days of junior
Rams, May displayed great talent
and desire to play the game, hence
his starting role on JV as a freshman.
With a lively arm and incredible
athleticism, May hopes to start
quarterback on varsity one day. The
JV Rams defeated preseason opponent
Cardinal Newman 36-7, but battled
Central Catholic and lost 22-33. They
look forward to playing all of the
widely acclaimed programs and better
themselves before league play starts.
As the varsity team travels down to
Long Beach to play St. John Bosco,
the JV team will travel to Concord,
CA to play football powerhouse
Clayton Valley High School. Clayton
Valley is a well known and respected
football program so the Rams are
excited to finish off their preseason
with a game against such a good
team. Many good things are in store
for the JV Rams as they’ve showed
much promise thus far. The St.
Mary’s family wishes them the best of
luck and hopes to see many of them
helping out the varsity team when the
postseason rolls around.
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Photos courtesy of Jaspreet Sohal
Photo courtesy of Eppler Photography
7
SPORTS
Girls Golf
Vanessa Perez lines up her
approach shot to the hole.
Abigail Delucchi
Staff Writer
As the fall sports season begins,
we all look forward to the Saint
Mary’s High School girls golf 2016
season. With an already impressive
history of being the 2012 and 2014
runners-up TCAL Champions, the
varsity team kept the results up and
the scores down last season by getting
third place in league. Team members
Alisha Miller, Mara Anunciacion
and Lindsey Morrison went to
Divisions, with Anunciacion going
all the way to the Sections Masters
Tournament.
This year’s squad is coached by
Jeff Palmer and includes Alisha
Miller (captain), Erika Concepcion
(captain), Lindsey Morrison
(captain), Mara Anunciacion, Emery
Gracia, Ellon Madill, Vanessa
Mendoza, Emily Naumann,
Madeline Palmer, Vanessa Perez,
Mia Cruz, Sophia Davis and
Temukisa Porotesano. The Rams
golf team will be taking on teams
such as Central Catholic, Lodi High
School and Lincoln High School.
For this upcoming season, not
only does this team want to win
but, as Morrison put it, they want
to “become even better friends,
continue to support each other on
and off the course, and grow as
individual competitors.” She added
that she especially values her team
because of the support she received
last season. “I really bonded with a
lot of the girls last year, and I felt we
came together as a team.”
The team defeated Lodi High
237-270 and at press time was
scheduled to play Tokay and West
High Schools. You can cheer on
the lady golfers in their upcoming
matches which can be found on the
Saint Mary’s Athletics website. Good
luck to the team and we wish them
the best in the 2016 season!
2016 Girls Varsity Golf getting ready for a great season.
Not pictured: Alisha Miller. Photos courtesy of Lindsey Morrison.
8
2016 Varsity Volleyball Team
Volleyball
Laura Schletewitz
Staff Writer
As we jump into a new year, there
are many new teams bonding this
season. One of which is volleyball.
The coaches for this year’s teams
are Jane Mchugh and Matthew
Miller for varsity, Joe Wortmann
and McKenna Shelton for JV, and
Amanda Marino for the freshman
team.
Coach Wortmann has coached
women’s volleyball for years and
Rams’ coach. “This year should go
absolutely great and I can already tell
there will be lots of fun and learning
about volleyball. The girls are already
building a team bond and have lots
of spirit. [We] look forward to some
great volleyball!”
At press time, the teams had not
determined a starting lineup but
varsity had chosen their captains
to be junior Marisa Flores and
senior Sydney Marks. Flores has a
positive outlook for this season and
2016 Frosh Volleyball Team
said, “We’re such a new team and
we’re so unique because everyone
has something special they bring to
the court. Hopefully we’ll all grow
together this year.”
The varsity team has 15 players
including two freshmen, two
seniors. JV is made of four freshmen
and eleven sophomores.
The varsity team traveled
to Reno a few weeks ago
and then all three teams
were victorious in their
season opener against
Escalon High School on
September 7th. Good
luck to all the volleyball
teams this season and
don’t be shy Saint Mary’s
-- show your Ram pride!
2016 JV Volleyball Team
Photos courtesy of Mrs. Essoyan and Mrs. Silva
SPORTS
Girls Water Polo
There have been some big changes
at Saint Mary’s Cortopassi Aquatic
Center where the varsity girls water
polo team starts this fall season with
new Head Coach, Jeff Hoornaert.
The Rams will be returning only four
varsity players and will have a small
bench to draw upon. Despite the
age and size of this year’s team, the
players and coach intend on defending
their 2015 TCAL league title.
Although league play will not
begin until late September, the
first home game will be a nonleague match against the perennial
powerhouse, Davis High School,
on September 20th. The game will
test the young Rams team. The
Rams recently played a pre-season
game against last year’s D1 Sections
Champions, St. Francis, whom
they dominated with the final score
of 11-2. Leading the offense was
junior two-meter player, Hailey
Williams with a total of six goals,
attackers, Mia Garcia and Sloan
Sanders each added two goals.
Juniors Maddie Berry added one
goal and two meter defender, Sophie
Spybrook added three steals. Captain
and senior goalkeeper, Baliegh
Schipper dominated in the cage with
14 saves and 6 steals, earning her
Hailey Williams
Staff Writer
This year’s JV
coach is Ashley
Pitcock who
attended St.
Mary’s and UOP
where she played
water polo.
Coach Pitcock
expects the
season to provide
opportunities for
her to teach the
2016 Varsity Girls Water Polo
game and see the
players grow as
individuals. “Water polo really pushes
the Max Preps Player of the Game
you to go past your breaking point
award. “I look forward to our season
in practice and in competition,” said
and growing together as a team. I
Pitcock. With only three girls familiar
think we will do well as long as we
practice hard and work together.” said with water polo, sophomores Nikki
OShaughnessy, Norma Minott and
Schipper.
Riley Richmond will be the team’s
Coach Hoornaert has his work
leaders responsible for guiding
cut out for him this season. “We are
the younger players. The team has
a relatively young team with some
been working hard to prepare for
great experienced players who have
the upcoming season with morning
the ability to do many different things
practices before school, three days a
which keeps us unpredictable,” said
week, and afternoon practice every
Hoornaert. One of those experienced
day. This year’s Captains are utility
players is junior Mia Garcia. Garcia
player Norma Minott and driver
says, “I am looking forward to this
Riley Richmond. “I look forward
season and going to tournaments and
bonding with my teammates. I hope to to working with everyone this year.
do well in league so that we may have I think as long as we work hard
and communicate with each other
another shot at going to Sections.”
we will have a great season.” said
Minott. Riley Richmond added, “I
am looking forward to growing with
my team I love everyone and we have
some strong players.” The JV team
attracted several new players this
season. Many are trying the sport for
the first time. Freshman newcomer,
Janae Sanders decided to try water
polo after being encouraged by her
cousin, Sloan Sanders. “It is really
hard but I have friends on the team
who help me through it all,” said
Sanders. The JV season will include
many familiar league match ups and
two away tournaments, one in Napa
and the other in Modesto. The first
home game will be against Davis on
September 20th.
2016 JV Girls Water Polo
Photos courtesy of Coach Hoornaert
Girls Tennis
Thursday up until October 20th.
There will be plenty of home
matches and SM supporters are
always welcome to cheer on the
players. It looks like it will be a
great season with a great team.
Go Rams!
Sofia Robles
Staff Writer
The girl’s varsity tennis
team heads back to the courts as
they prepare for this upcoming
season. The team of 25 girls is
coached by Robert Chiene, or
“Chino” as everybody calls him,
and assistant coach, Rich Ibera,
as well as assistance from
Maureen Cortopassi. These
coaches have been working with
the tennis players on technique
and strategy, especially for those
new to the game. At press time,
the top six singles seats will be
played by Hannah Ketcherside,
Julia Cardona, Lauren Basso,
Nikki Mason, Victoria Reed, and
Ally Gabbard. Team Captain,
Hannah Ketcherside, who has
2016 Girls Varsity Tennis
Photo courtesy of Hannah Ketcherside
been playing since she was in
kindergarten and is a strong tennis
player, hopes to lead the team to
a successful season and defend
her TCAL doubles championship
with partner Julia Cardona. “I
am looking forward to a great
season and hope to make it back to
playoffs,” said Ketcherside.
scrimmage against Rockland High
School and participated in the Best
of Sacramento Tournament which
started in Elk Grove and ended in
Roseville. They took third place
out of sixteen teams. The girls also
traveled to Clovis for the annual
California Tennis Classic.
on Tuesday, September 20th at the
St. Mary’s home courts. Matches
will typically be every Tuesday and
Bella Podesto practing her shot.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Kozina
9
SPORTS
Cross Country
Karl Winter
Staff Writer
The St. Mary’s cross country team
summer of training. Head Coach
Felicia Rowley said, “Our team has
worked hard throughout the summer
with training runs and a weeklong
training camp in the Sierra foothills;
training their bodies to push through
the discomfort.” Now with two
invitational races and four weeks of
regular practice under their belts,
the nearly eighty team members are
reaching peak form and the varsity
teams are beginning to take shape.
The varsity girls have kicked
off the year lacking several key
members of the 2015 team, including
(arguably) the top three runners from
last season. Coach Felicia noted,
“Four of the top seven girls expected
to return this season have been lost
to other sports, other school activities
and injury.” However, several new
faces and some returners have
picked up the slack regardless of
inexperience. Junior Emily Delgado
has emerged as the obvious number
for the Rams in both the Lodi Flame
and Jaguar Invitationals. The number
two runner looks to be sophomore
Alyssa Ortega, who has some varsity
experience from the 2015 campaign.
The next eight spots for the girls are
a bit more obscure, with sophomores
Isabelle Estrada and Giana Duncan,
as well as experienced senior Tyler
Davenport and junior Madalen
Marcus making strong cases to be
captains, seniors Brianna Cabrera,
Victoria Nerecina, Grace LinCereghino, and Rebecca Parrino,
likely will round out the top ten for
the varsity girls, but several others
are in the mix as well. The girls
are aiming to surprise TCAL and
the Sections this year, as well as
build runners for their future. Tyler
Davenport accurately summed up
her assessment of the early season
commenting, “From the few races
we’ve had this season so far, I can see
that we have strong individuals on
all teams that will help the team as a
whole become better.”
Coach Felicia further mentioned
the team’s initial prowess in saying,
“My long-term goal for our eighty
runners is to prepare them to qualify
for the post-season championships.
10
Coach Felicia and the frosh boys.
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Herrera
Some of the varsity players in the Athletic Center
Photo courtesy of Parker Jory
This early season, our varsity boy’s
team is working together extremely
well and is on course to achieving
this goal.” Though they lack a single
senior, the varsity boys are relatively
experienced and optimistic that they
can compete at a high level in 2016.
Like the girls, the boys have a distinct
number one runner, in junior Karl
Winter, who brings two years of
varsity experience and two individual
Sections titles at the Frosh-Soph level.
The apparent number two runner is
sophomore Spencer Loewen, who
was injured for much of 2015 but is
now motivated and at full health. Four
juniors, Josh Bajaj, Isaiah Sulivan,
Mark Goriye, and David Angoletta
are mainstays on the varsity squad
Boys Water Polo
and perhaps a State Meet berth.
Freshman Matteo Ramirez and three
more juniors, Kartik Goswami, Rio
Bungalon, and Jacob McBride,
complete the varsity boys top ten. The
youth could be one of the greatest
strengths of this team, and the sky is
the limit for what these varsity boys
and the entire St. Mary’s cross country
team can accomplish in 2016. Spencer
Loewen perfectly summarized the
overall spirit of the team when he
added, “I’m glad to be a part of a
hardworking team and look forward to
seeing how our hard work pays off.”
Coach Felicia with Kathleen
Moreno and Julianne Hall
Brooklyn Quinn
Staff Writer
This will be another very exciting
year for the boys water polo program,
led by varsity Head Coach and
St. Mary’s Aquatics Director Jeff
Hoonaert, accompanied by Head
JV Coach Michael Woodbury and
Assistant Coach Nick Thomas.
The varsity boys team will be very
for a D1 Sections title. While many
valuable players graduated last
year, the coaches and players are
to strive for success. The team
consists of seniors Quyen Pham,
Kayvan Ghavami, Kevin Gines,
Mark Sheneman, Will Jones, Clay
Campbell, with Jackson Lieberg
and Parker Jory as their captains,
juniors Clay Moroney, Max Kirby,
Grant Anton, Baxter Cummings
and Eddie Hohe and sophomores
Carter Knutson, Matthew Hosmer,
Guy Paulin and Max Beutel. The
team will rely on the veteran presence
of Lieberg, Jory, Sheneman, and
Jones along with junior goalkeeper
Maroney, and sophomores Hosmer
and Paulin who are all great assets to
the team.
“This year we have high hopes
for our season,” said Lieberg. “We
obviously look to repeat as section
champions and we believe that we
have the manpower to do so. We
recently competed against fellow
Sections contender, Rio Americano,
and won 19-8, so we believe we
should perform well in the playoffs.”
The team was very successful last
year, winning the D2 Sections title,
and almost going undefeated, losing
only to Lodi in league. The team has
already shown improvement and great
skill in the early stages of the season,
scoring a win against a well-coached
Jesuit team twice, and taking a strong
Granite Bay team to overtime at the
Schmitt tournament this year in San
Jose. Coach Hoonaert said, “I am
looking forward to seeing how we
stack up against other top teams in
the area, and watch the growth and
progression of our team.”
The JV team has a good number
of freshmen with Zachary Myrah,
Braden Schipper, Sebastian Gomez,
Bryce Campbell, Juancho Valdes,
Sam Sarantos as well as returning
sophomores Niko Navarro, Randy
Laforteza, Lewis Gale and Sawyer
Alford looking to compete at the
JV level and contend for the league
title. The team will be anchored by
sophomore goalkeeper Gale and
will rely on the experience of the
other remaining sophomores, and
a skilled freshman class to bring
success this season. The home
games for this season are held at
Cortopassi Aquatic Center on
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30pm
for JV and 6:30pm for varsity.
JV team in the Athletic Center
FINE ARTS
Rhymin’ About Poems
Rhymin’, oh rhymin’,
Is it all about the timin’?
People say that some things don’t work,
But for some reason it just makes me smirk.
Like one word, this word is “orange.”
For some reason any word’s in no range.
They say you just gotta feel that beat,
But ah man if you tell them, won’t they feel that heat.
Now I wonder what would happen if I didn’t rhyme...
Oh well that will just happen some other day.
Rhymin’, oh rhymin’,
Is it all about the timin’?
by Frances Lofranco, freshman
KETTLE PRESS PASS
We are happy to
introduce our new
campus photographer,
senior Jaspreet Sohal.
Jaspreet has jumped right
in to help with photos of
our sports and club days
-- and lots of great pics of
the Green Machine!
11
FINE ARTS
Bench at the Park
As I was sitting on the bench at the park, I
Parked my mind into a space so vast
I began to let my mind unwind
To take a break from the hustle of life
The hustle of strife, this game we play in
Order to survive-and even thrive, I
Escape from that freeway so I could
Free my mind, so it can freely roam
And I sit on this bench to soak sunshine and smell
Flowers
by Soyini Adams, junior
12