NEWS

Vincam
Vol. 19, No. 5
The Official Student Publication of Belen Jesuit
February 2013
TOMBOLA
2013
News
Editorials
Features
Sports
Entertainment
2
NEWS
Tombola takes the school by storm
By: Jose A. Prieto
T
his year, the school’s annual fair came a little
early. Tombola was from February 8th to the
10th, and ended up being the most successful
fair the school has ever hosted, earning a
total of $522,000, way over last year’s $483,000.
Despite the non-traditional timing, the traditional
smells of pan con lechon, fritas, and masas de puerco
filled the February air, as did the traditional sounds
of merriment. The fair boasted as many attractions
this year as it has in the past, including favorites such
as the Ring of Fire and the Pirate Ship. The usual
fairground games returned as well, as any student
could have told you during the week before the fair,
when Tombola was being built from the ground up as
it is every year.
As usual, teachers, students and parents
manned the different booths. From the ever-popular
dunk booth to the delicious elephant ear booth, there
was always something to do (or eat!). This year’s
dunk booth star was Nicholas Cambo, who sat, cold
and wet, in the early February wind for several hours,
racking up 187 dollars. The dunk booth promoted
him by offering a free bag of ice (to be dumped on
Nicholas’s head) to anyone who could dunk him
twice in a row. Fortunately for Cambo, nobody was
able to do so after the promotion began.
The last day of Tombola was marked by a
few performances in the central patio. The Jazz
Band played their well-loved staples, conducted by
Marlene Urbay.
The Tombola talent show, featuring students
both from this school and beyond. Vice-President
of Student Council Kenji Martinez performed with
freshman Anthony Padura in an impressive rendition
of Ed Sheeran’s A-Team. Francisco Gonzalez and
Alejandro Senior also played the stage, together and
separately, singing everything from Lady Gaga to
show tunes to Cristina Perri. These performances were
followed by a few student bands playing amazing
guitar-heavy music, some of which was composed by
the students. A student band called Dead on Arrival
performed a few songs that they wrote themselves.
“It was a great experience. I love performing
and it’s awesome to be able to help out such a great
cause, especially at my own school. I was just happy
to be able to share with the entire community in such
a grand event,” said senior Alejandro Senior.
The annual Tombola raffle was won by none
other than senior David Capetillo, who sarcastically
described it as “no big deal” on Facebook.
All of the 522,000 dollars Tombola raised
benefit the Belen Scholarship fund, as usual, to help
some of our fellow students attend the school.
“I love Tombola because it’s good food for a
good cause and it’s great to come together and have
fun as a community,” said senior Jake Larson.
3
NEWS
The Music Appreciation Society held a jam session during Tombola in the central patio. Here, Mr. Anthony Alexander on the drums
and Jorge Aguilera, Eddy Tamborrel, and Anthony Rueda on their saxophones pose for a picture on Sunday. The Music Appreciation
Society, along with the Belen Jesuit Jazz Band, helped to entertain the students, parents, teachers, and alumni eating at the nearby
Meson Espanol, headed by Ms. Alicia Farinas, where people can enjoy Spanish tortillas, wine, chorizo, tapas and cheese.
Mr. Timothy VanScoy prepares chicken for his Mexican booth, which sold tacos and tortillas filled with things like chicken and cheese.
4
NEWS
The original Simpsons in 1988
The Simpsons today
By: Alec Castillo
I
t’s a rare event to see a television show last for more
than five years. It is, therefore, shocking and amazing
to see one last 25 years. When The Simpsons first
aired in 1988, they were an instant success. They
are the most successful television spin-off in history,
considering that they played during commercial breaks
of the Tracy Ullman Show. The show was created by
Matt Groening, and was based off of his own family.
His father’s name was Homer, his mother’s name was
Margaret, and his sisters’ names were Lisa and Maggie,
so he decided to rename himself as Bart. The show
was originally going to center itself around the young
troublemaker, Bart, until audiences found Homer to be
more interesting.
In these 25 years, they have been awarded
a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, their own
theatrical film, a theme park attraction around the world,
27 Emmy awards, and 30 Annie Awards. They have
also been named one the Top 10 Greatest TV Shows of
All Time.
“They’ve had humor that almost anybody can
enjoy, as well as an immersive caricature of the world
that keeps you wanting to come back for more, “ says
sophomore, Alec Keenan.
David Silverman, a director on the show, says
that they want to reach 1000 episodes by the time the
show is over.
Join Us for a Special Concert Presentation
Belen Jesuit Cultural Series
Young Artist Showcase Presents
Anthony Rueda, Pianist
Belen Jesuit senior and pianist, Anthony
Rueda, 17, will be featured in the final
concert of the Cultural Series on Sunday,
March 3 at 3 p.m. in the Roca Theatre.
Admittance is
if free.
Anthony began playing the piano at age 8
under the tutelage of Mrs. Sandra Davis. At
age 14, Anthony continued his studies under
the direction of Dr. Adam Aleksander, a
renowned instructor and world class
performer.
In 2011, Anthony participated in his first
Chopin National Piano Competition and was
selected as one of the 15 scholarship
recipients. That same year he also won a
scholarship award from the Caribbean Music
Club. In addition to the annual University of
Miami, Clark Hall, recitals that he participates in, and his performances at the
Steinway Recital Hall in Coral Gables, he has also participated in the Florida
Federation Auditions, where for 9 consecutive years he’s received superior
ratings.
Apart from his passion for the piano, Anthony is also a member of the Belen
Jesuit Jazz Band where he is the First Alto Saxophonist.
Special Thanks to the Cultural Series Sponsors:
The Triana Family in Memory of Mr. Lorenzo Triana, Sr.
and Domingo R. Moreira and Family
6
Future of SAT
EDITORIALS
800
1500
Schools
admit students without SAT scores
Points
was the average score for
Florida seniors in 2012
43
%
of students achieved the
SAT benchmark of 1550
Con
By: Michael Perez
T
he SATs have been used since the 1920s to gauge
students’ aptitudes and readiness for college. I
believe, however, that the SATs are an unfair judge
of one’s knowledge and should not be used to
determine whether or not a student should be accepted
or not.
SAT, which used to stand for Scholastic Aptitude
Test, is a shallow measure of our intellectual capability.
Just because a student can spit back things he or she
learned in class doesn’t mean they’re ready for college.
Anyone can take a prep class and then do well on
an SAT because it’s the kind of examination where you
memorize certain rules and formulas, and then pass. It
doesn’t test for critical thinking or one’s ability to interpret
and process information.
As students, we’ve learned far more than just
math, reading and writing, which is all that the SAT
covers. We’ve got a whole repertoire of sciences, social
studies, humanities, and electives that may or may not be
what we excel more in than the three subjects tested by
the SAT.
And beyond just the plain content matter of the
test, we also have to take into account the fact that some
schools don’t even place much emphasis on SAT scores.
Some schools have dropped it altogether. For example,
prestigious schools like New York University and Wake
Forest have taken up this practice.
In my opinion, SATs should be optional, no
matter what school you’re going to. They should serve
as a supplement to your application, rather than a
requirement. They can give a student’s college of
choice a general idea of that student’s aptitude, but that
student’s capability would also be equally based on his/
her transcript, extracurricular activities, and personal
essays.
could be DOA
Pro
By: Devon Roura
T
he SAT provides colleges a statistically sound
and objective method to measure how well
students developed their critical thinking skills in
high school. The exam is specifically formulated
to provide all students an equal advantage at success.
The exam covers three areas that are foundational:
reading, writing, and mathematics. Students are then
graded on an 800 point scale per section. To ensure
that all students have an equal chance at success, the
CollegeBoard monitors all testing materials, including
calculators. The exam also includes a 25-minute essay
section that requires students to develop a well-structured paper, incorporating previous knowledge. This
evaluates the student’s creativity and ability to organize
thoughts.
In addition to the standardized test, the CollegeBoard also offers students Subject Tests that allow students to showcase their abilities in subjects like
science, language, and history. Many colleges require
two Subject Tests to get a better idea of an applicant’s
strengths. These examinations are also standardized,
to give colleges a statistically justifiable measure of the
student’s understanding of the individual subject areas.
All of these examinations have concrete
resources that can be used to prepare for each section.
The CollegeBoard, Princeton Review, Kaplan, and
Barron’s all offer books and courses that can help
students achieve the highest possible score on their
SATs. In addition, the CollegeBoard issues payment
waivers to all students who have financial difficulties
and cannot afford to pay for the exam.
7
EDITORIALS
1.66
371
Million
students took the SAT in 2012
Thousand
students recieved free waivers
from the CollegeBoard
.022
%
of students received a perfect
2400 in 2012
r
10
EDITORIALS
Left to Right: Carlos Ponce, Flamenco Puro, and Seraphic Fire are examples of talented performers
that students, a large demographic of the Cultural Series’s possible audience, just aren’t interested in.
Cultural Series needs revamping
By: Michael Perez
L
ast semester, Belen hosted the first half
Junior Matthew Pastor says, “I’m willing
ofSaturday,
this school Saturday,
year’s
CulturalJanuary
Series.
The 26, 2013
to give any performance a chance. Maybe a
January
26,
2013
Cultural Series, which is in its second year
performance by a more contemporary artist that
Carlos
Ponce
Carlos
Ponce
running, is a lineup of events featuring
the student body can relate to would attract a
With
the
Belen
Jesuit
Jazz
Band,
Withofthe
Belen
Jesuit
Jazz Band,
talented performers
different
genres
such as
larger audience than people like Lucrecia and
the group
Seraphic
Fire
and
singer
Carlos
Ponce.
Carlos Ponce, who the students aren’t really
Conducted
by Marlene
Urbay Urbay
Conducted
by Marlene
The second half of this year’s Cultural
connected with. A local band would be a great
Roca Theatre—8
PMDespite the
Roca
Theatre—8
PM idea. One with a student or group of students
Series, however, has been
cancelled.
Admission:
$55
General
Admission:
numerousGeneral
advertisements
and posters
all around $55
from the school would be even better.”
Belen talking about the events, not enough tickets “I think that bringing in a local artist
have been sold.
would really be a positive thing, because it
Friday, March
1,March
2013Series
Friday,
1, 2013would attract more people and boost the artist’s
But why not? Last
year’s Cultural
& the
Sons
Piano
Festival
Steinway
&from
Sons
Piano
was Steinway
successful. And
money
it goes
to a Festival
reputation, too. I would love to see someone like
good cause.
After Babayan,
all,Sergei
the proceeds
benefit the
Sergei
Pianist
Babayan,
PianistLourdes Artiz come in and really shine as she
student scholarship fund.
does,” says junior Javier Herrera. Along
Roca Theater,
8 PM - 8 PM always
Roca -Theater,
See, the thing is, a lot of these events are
these lines, the only performance that was not
General
Admission:
$25 Admission:
$25
just geared
towards aGeneral
different age
group.
cancelled is of local artist and student, Anthony
The interest groups for a lot of these events are
Rueda. He is an incredible pianist, and is being
older people because they’re just not the kinds
showcased Tuesday,
as a new, young
artist.
December
11, 2012
Saturday,
March
2,
2013
Saturday,
March
2,
2013
of performances that often interest students. Sure, And it doesn’t even have to be
a band. It
Fire
John with
Blanch,
Pianist
John
Blanch,
Pianist might even be good toSeraphic
Lucrecia’s concert
the band
was fun, and
try out a comedy show.
some of us might
support
someone who can dish out some clean, funny
RocagoTheater,
-Theater,
8band
PMfriends
Rocaour
- 8 atPM GetSilent Night: Candlelight Christmas Concer
their concerts, but beyond that, there isn’t much
jokes. I’d go to that.
And Theater
I know plenty
others,
Roca
– 8ofPM
General
Admission:
$15
General
Admission:
$15
to attract the student body’s attention.
- not just from our school, but from other schools General Admission: $55
So now that we’ve had to go back on
who’d be interested.
part of the
Series, maybe
we should
think of 9, 2013
It would be a great idea for the school
Saturday,
March
9,March
2013
Saturday,
something better for next year. How many
Flamenco
Puro
Flamenco
Puro to set up some more events that hit closer to the
students wouldn’t want to attend the concert of a student body. Host something fun, and in return,
bylocal
popular
directly from
Seville,
Spain
Back
bydemand,
popular demand,
directly
fromget
Seville,
band?
a lot moreSpain
out of it.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Opening Night Concert
Tiempo Libre
With Members of the Belen Jesu
Jazz Band & Marlene Urbay, Cond
Roca Theater – 8 PM
General Admission: $45
Back
In partnership
with the Fundacion
FlamencoFlamenco
In partnership
with the Fundacion
Follow Us
9
EDITORIALS
Players robbed of opportunity
t
By: Nicolas Iparraguirre
T
Saturday, January 26, 2013
he Belen Jesuit baseball team was scheduled to a ticket; I was in my sports season and was only going
play rival Christopher Columbus HighCarlos
School Ponce
to end up going to the game because my brother, an
for the second straight With
year at the
Marlins
Park Jesuit
alumnus,
me a ticket assuming I would want
Belen
Jazzbought
Band,
to open the season. The game
was scheduled
to go. But
honestly, I had no intentions of going, and
Conducted
by Marlene
Urbay
for Saturday, February 2nd, and both schools began
that’s a scary reality. When I asked students their own
Roca
Theatre—8
PM
selling tickets for the game a month in advance. Due
reasons for not going, I was surprised that most kids did
to a lack of ticket sales, however, theGeneral
game had Admission:
to
not even$55
seem to care about the question. One answer
be cancelled, and instead, the two teams played the
I received from a junior that will not be named was,
following Monday. The Wolverines lost
a close 1-3,
Friday,
March“For
1, $30,
2013there are much better things I can do with my
with all runs coming late in the game. The problem with time.”
Steinway & Sons Piano
Festival
the series of events that transpired is still somewhat a
I understand $30 can be expensive, but
Sergei
mystery. Just a year ago, the game sold
out inBabayan,
minutes, for Pianist
that amount, you get to be at a state-of-the-art
and there was a long line outside the Wolverine
Den
stadium,
Roca Theater,
- 8 PMand best of all, you get to help cheer on
for half an hour before the start of school.
As a student,
your fellow
General
Admission:
$25classmates. The ones who really suffered
you were lucky if you could get your hands on a ticket. were the players themselves, who were robbed from
The surprising part of the lack of ticket sales is
the opportunity to play the game of their dreams
Saturday,
March
2, 2013
the great effort that was put forward by student body against
Columbus at Marlins Park. “Yeah, we were
president Steven Tato Tyler and and Vice
President
John
Blanch,disappointed
Pianist that we couldn’t play at Marlins Park, but
Javier Kenji Martinez. Pep Rallies haveRoca
improved,
and we
had to play Columbus and we still had to take
Theater,
- 8stillPM
football and basketball games have had their share
care of business,” said senior Niko Fernandez.
General
Admission:
$15
of themes and large Belen student sections. Student
The Belen community should be disappointed,
Council has been nothing but supportive of the athletic because we robbed those players of a game they have
department, so the only person to blame
for the March
worked
really hard to play in, and that’s not fair to the
Saturday,
9, 2013
injustice that the baseball team received would
be us, Puro
players, coaches, and anybody who helped plan the
Flamenco
the student body as a whole. Personally, I did not buy game itself.
uit
ductor
rt s!
Back by popular demand, directly from Seville, Spain
10
FEATURES
Changing it up during
the Lenten Season
By: Jose A. Prieto
A
s always, the school will be altering some of its
usual practices and adding others to accommodate
the theme of sacrifice present during Lent. The
Lenten season began last week with the celebration
of Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of the
40-day period Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
During Lent, which lasts all the way until Easter
Sunday on March 31st, in accordance with Catholic practice,
the school will not be serving meat on Fridays. Practicing
Catholics fourteen and older are encouraged to abstain from
meat on these days.
Beginning on Friday, February 22nd, the school will
also be holding the Stations of the Cross every Friday in the
area in front of the library after school. The Stations are being
conducted by junior peer ministers, led by Dr. Chirino.
On the evening of March 26th, Holy Tuesday, there
will be a grand performance of the Stations of the Cross
– complete with costumes and stations set all around the
school. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Lastly, the school will be arranging reconciliation
services for theology classes. Lent is a time of penance, and
as such, we are all called to ask for forgiveness during this
time.
Every theology class will visit the chapel at some point
during this season and be able to receive the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. The sacrament will also be available to
students during homeroom mass.
“
“
“
“
I am giving up
overindulging on
food.
- Sophomore Alex
Candia
For Lent, I am
giving up video
games. I hope
to use this
time to spend
outdoors instead.
- Freshman
Jonathan Garcia
For Lent, I am
giving up biting
my nails. I will
find a better way
to deal with my
stress.
- Sixth grader
Guillermo Molero
I am giving up
soda and other
soft drinks. I am
only drinking
water for 40
days.
- Sophomore
Carlos Jimenez
11
FEATURES
Think about serving during Lent
By: Michael Perez
W
hen people think of sacrifice
during Lent, they think of
giving up some bad habit
like nail-biting or depriving
themselves of some vice like ice cream or
what not. During this time, however, we have
to remember that sacrifice can also mean
giving up of one’s time.
Our school is home to many
service clubs. Some of them are huge, like
Cangrejos, and others are small, like Beacons
for the Blind. Regardless of size, though, they
all do their part to help others in need.
Belen Cangrejos serves the
community by taking part in volunteer work
with La Liga Contra el Cancer (The League
Against Cancer). Throughout the year,
Cangrejos sponsors many fundraising and
charity events, from raffle ticket sales at
Miami International Mall to Thanksgiving
collections for some of the Liga patients.
Athletes for Charity is another
school club that hosts numerous athletic
service activities, the biggest of which is
the annual Blue Lakes Field Day, in which
autistic students from Blue Lakes Elementary
School come to Belen for a day of fun and
games. This is set up by Mrs. Ramon and club
students.
Key Club is the #1 service club of the
school. With numerous service events nearly
every week, they do more than their part to
serve the community. If you’ve ever seen the
buses after school going to Blue Lakes or San
Juan Bosco, you should know it’s Key Club
that’s in charge of running those tutoring
services, making sure there are enough kids
to help out.
Belen Operation Smile Students,
also known as B.O.S.S., is in its second year
running and aims to assist children born
with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial
deformities. The club holds many charity and
fundraising events throughout the year - the
most well-known being their Talent Show which will be held again this year.
Belen Best Buddies dedicates itself
to fostering one-to-one friendships with
people with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. They also assist the national
chapter through fundraising.
And last, but not least, is a fairly
new club known as Beacons for the Blind.
Founded by former student Tomas Cacicedo,
Beacons for the Blind works in conjunction
with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind
to help the blind and visually impaired,
assisting with Braille and technology classes
on Saturdays, and participating in the
Lighthouse’s annual service dog walk.
Give up some of yourself this Lent
season. Find a service club that’s right for
you, and see what you can do to help. You
never know how it might change you.
Belen Beacons for the Blind
#
NEWS
#
NEWS
14
wolverine baseball
SPORTS
By: Brandon Almeida
W
e’ve hit springtime and you know what
that means: time for some baseball - high
school baseball that is. Wolverine baseball is underway, and fans have a lot to
be excited about this season. The team returns many key
players from last year’s team and look to make a big
run come playoff time.
“We have worked really hard in the offseason and we
have enough players to make big things happen this
season,” said senior pitcher Danny Parets.
The team is comprised of players coming from all
throughout high school. Many of the key players come
out of the senior class: players like Alex Lorenzo, Elias
Monsalve, Willy Fabra, and Danny Parets. The team
also gets a big lift from juniors and sophomores like
Alec Acosta, Pablo Cabrera, David Guevara and many
more.
“It’s an honor being able to share the field with
so many members of the class of 2013. We hope to
make our senior year a memorable one,” said senior
center-fielder Alex Lorenzo.
The season kicked off with a preseason classic
against longtime rival Columbus. The game was close,
down to the last out. The game was scoreless, until the
Explorers put three runs on the board in the sixth inning.
The Wolverines answered back with a run of their own,
and the game would have been tied had it not been
for a spectacular line drive catch by Columbus second
baseman Eddy Rodriguez. Nonetheless, the team put up
a valiant effort and shouldn’t hang their heads.
The team would quickly bounce back and earn
a win on their home turf against Alonzo Mourning High
School. Another nail-biter that came down to the final
out, the Wolverines were able to edge out the opponent
and take their first W of the season, with many more to
come. The team was then able to go on and beat Westland Hialeah by an outlandish score of 25-4, making
them 2-0 for the year so far.
With a lot of talent and camaraderie on the
diamond, the Wolverines are sure to make some serious
noise come time to compete in the postseason.
Wolverine Baseball Seniors, from left to right: Danny Parets, Oscar Cabanas, Elias Monsalve,
Lucas Fernandez-Rocha, Alex Lorenzo, Nikolas Fernandez, Willy Fabra, Robert Morgado, and
Albert Naya.
15
SPORTS
Belen’s starting five in the district semi-final game: (From left to right): Guillermo Pujals, Johnny Medina, Eric Couto, Nico Iparraguirre, and Javier Alvarez.
going down with a fight
By: Brandon Almeida
W
ith the regular season over and the old news
left behind, the basketball Wolverines were
primed and ready to take on the Norland
Vikings in the district semi-final match up.
Expectations were high, as the team knew it was up
for the task of beating the number one team in the state.
After a crushing four-point home loss to the Vikings in
January, the Wolverines looked to finish the job the second
time around.
After a sudden change of plans, the game was
moved to Christopher Columbus High School, which may
have proved to make a difference as the team was 9-3 at
home in the season.
“I felt like if we had played on Wednesday at home,
the game would have been significantly different,” said
senior Christian Suarez.
After long workouts and mental preparation, it was
time to play basketball.
“We definitely felt like we had what it took. We
knew we were the underdogs in everyone’s eyes, but we felt
like we were going to come out on top,” said senior forward
Ryan Murphy.
From the start, you could tell the game was going
to be a defensive standoff. No basket came easy for either
team. With what most thought would be a higher scoring
match up, the first half ended with Norland only up by one
point, and the Wolverines felt very confident at the break.
At the start of the second half, the Vikings would
come out hot, and quickly stretched their lead to seven
points. The Wolverines would now have to play catch up,
which is never easy against such a good team like Norland.
The game would continue with much of the same.
Norland built a lead that just proved to be insurmountable.
The Wolverines would eventually be defeated by a score of
47 to 36. The game was much closer than the score shows.
After what was an extremely successful season, the
Wolverines would not go out silently. The team put out an
effort that was nothing short of spectacular.
As the clock hit zero, you couldn’t help but feel for
the seniors who began to shed tears knowing their time was
up as Belen Jesuit basketball players. They have nothing
to be disappointed about, though. The student body is
extremely proud of them. They have truly worn the Belen
Jesuit name on their chest with the utmost pride.
“It has been an absolute honor playing basketball
at Belen. We weren’t just a team, but more so a family
these past four years. We grew up together, and from the
first game to the last we stuck together. It is something I
will remember for the rest of my life,” said senior center
Guillermo Pujals.
16
SPORTS
National Signing Day hits home
By: Nicolas Iparraguirre
O
n February 6, 2013, the Belen Jesuit Community celebrated eight athletes signing their letters of intent to play collegiate
sports for various colleges and universities. The sports included football, golf and soccer. Their coaches and Athletic Director
Carlos Barquin could not be happier. “We are very proud of these young men. This signing day is a result of many years of
hard work on the playing fields, in the classroom and in the weight room,” said Richard Stuart, Head Football Coach. “All of
them are outstanding young men, and they will be excellent Belen ambassadors at their respective universities. “
Camilo Padron signed his letter of intent to play
football for Marist College. A two-year letterman
for the Varsity football team, Padron was a hardhitting linebacker who is being recruited to play
fullback for Marist. Camilo led the Wolverines in
tackles and was a leader on the field during his
Wolverine seasons.
Andres Garcia signed his letter of intent to play
football for Malone University. A defensive end,
Garcia consistently put pressure on quarterbacks
and was a nightmare for opposing defenses. A
three-year letterman, Garcia has been a leader for
the Wolverines in each of his three years with the
team.
Mateo Buraglia signed his letter of intent to play
football for Bucknell University. A kicker/punter,
Buraglia was known for his booming kickoffs and
was key to the Wolverines’ state championship
runner-up title in 2009. He is a four-year letterman.
Buraglia also played soccer for the Wolverines
throughout his high school career.
Cristian Garcia signed his letter of intent to also
play football for Malone University. A defensive
tackle, Garcia was a force in the middle, and a
leader of a strong Wolverine front. Garcia also
spent time on the offensive line this season, but was
recruited to play tackle. A three-year letterman,
Garcia’s intensity and tenaciousness will be missed.
17
SPORTS
Keonte Cash signed his letter of intent to play
football for Florida A & M University. Coach Stuart
describes Cash as “the best offensive lineman in
Belen history.” If you ever watched the Wolverines
offense, you could always find Cash ten yards
down the field blocking someone. A three-year
letterman, Cash’s production and positive attitude
will be a huge loss for Wolverine football.
Xavier Hines signed his letter of intent to play
football for Florida International University. A
defensive back, Hines was one of the most explosive
players for the defense, always making plays and
leading a strong secondary. A three-year letterman,
Hines’s production will never be overlooked, and
Belen fans can always catch him playing down the
street for the Golden Panthers.
Oscar Cabanas signed his letter to play golf for
Fordham University. Cabanas qualified for states all
four years of his high school career and was one of
the best golfers in the history of Belen. Cabanas was
the team captain and his leadership and golfing
ability will be a huge loss to the Belen golf program.
Eduardo Valle signed his letter of intent to play
soccer for Stony Brook University. A leader on
the field, Valle was the lead goal scorer for the
Wolverines and could always be found wreaking
havoc for opposing defenses. A three-year
letterman, Valle was a productive player throughout
his Wolverine career.
18
ENTERTAINMENT
Super Bowl Ads Take the Field
By: Devon Roura
O
ver 108 million people tuned in on Sunday,
February 3rd, to watch the Baltimore
Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers
34-31. That puts this Super Bowl in third
place for the most watched television event in U.S.
history. With so many people tuning in, it is easy to
understand why advertisers are willing to pay an
average price of $3.8 million dollars for a thirty-second
spot. Considering the roughly 60 advertisements aired,
InvestorPlace put the expected earnings for CBS at
about $220 million. If this estimate is correct, it indicates
a slip from previous years, despite the 18% increase in
prices. This year also proved problematic for advertisers
because of the 34 -minute power outage which caused
commercials to be aired later than expected - when
people had already tuned out.
Despite all of that, this year still featured some
well-made commercials. They ranged from comedic
to horrifying, with every emotion in between satisfied.
One of the more horrifying was the now viral GoDaddy
commercial that featured an attractive supermodel
kissing a less than attractive web designer. Budweiser’s
“Brotherhood” commercial told the tear-jerking tale of
an unlikely friendship. KIA clarified where babies come
from in their lighthearted “Space Babies” commercial
featuring the new Sorento. The commercial that took
home Toyota’s Adzone award was Ram’s “Farmer,”
which tells the compelling story of the brave men and
women that form America’s backbone.
GoDaddy.com’s Bar Rafaeli and Jesse Heiman: Make-Out Party
Budweiser’s Brotherhood: Tear-jerking story of a great friendship
KIA’s Space Babies: Featuring baby animals and the KIA Sorento
Ram Trucks’ God Made a Farmer: America’s farming backbone
19
ENTERTAINMENT
55th Grammy’s rock the Staples Center
By: Jose A. Prieto
O
n Sunday, February 10th, CBS broadcasted the 55th
annual Grammy awards. Hosted by LL Cool J, ‘music’s
biggest night’ wasn’t quite as big as it was last year, but its
big winners spanned the gamut of music genres. Arguably,
the biggest award went to Mumford & Sons, who won Album of the
Year for Babel. Indie-pop band fun. came away with two awards, Best
New Artist and Song of the Year for Some Nights and We Are Young,
respectively. Frank Ocean came away with Best Urban Contemporary
album for his Channel Orange. Dan Auerbach came away with four
awards: three for his work with Pat Carney (with whom he makes up
The Black Keys) and one for some solo production work he did.
As for performances, Mumford & Sons, fun., and Jack
White rocked their respective stages. Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John
performed the former’s hit song A-Team. Other collaborations included
Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys, Miguel and Wiz Kalifa, and a tribute to
Bob Marley featuring Rihanna, Sting, Bruno Mars and Ziggy Marley.
Taylor Swift opened the show with her hit We Are Never Ever Getting
Back Together with a strange Tim Burton-esque theme. One of the
most hyped-up performances was Justin Timberlake’s - advertised as
his return to the music industry - and it was quite a flashy one. Justin
Timberlake opened his two-song performance with a song and dance
in monochrome, which when accompanied by his choice of suits,
made him look like he was a 20’s jazz singer who was way ahead of
his time. It was, all in all, an entertaining night for anyone who enjoys
music.
Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake performing Suit and Tie. Justin Timberlake
made his return to the music industry during this year’s Grammys.
“I liked Taylor Swift’s opening performance because it was
different. It definitely wasn’t what the music video was: the
band dressed up as squirrels,” said freshman Peter Prieto.
“Mumford & Sons definitely deserved their award. I like
the unique, folky feel of their music, and I was pretty happy
when they won,” said senior Anthony Rueda.
20
ENTERTAINMENT
Students showcase their masterpieces in Archdiocesan art show
This year’s exhibition is taking at the Saladrigas art gallery and features
works from six different schools.
This is Nick Valdes’s “Yellow Car” taken on the streets of Rome
By: Devon Roura
T
his is the third year of Belen Jesuit’s Archdiocesan
Student Art Showcase. This year’s show features
six schools: Belen, Lourdes, St. Brendan’s,
Archbishop McCarthy, St. Aquinas, and
Cardinal Gibbons. The pieces themselves are chosen
by the administrations of the respective schools,
and submissions are never turned away. This year’s
showcase features paintings, photographs, and even a
sculpture by Belen senior Elias Monsalve.
The exhibition is curated by Belen students. Two
students who have devoted their time to the showcase
are Nicholas Valdes and Miles Pope, both with
submissions of their own. Valdes developed his love for
photography five and a half years ago, while taking
vacation photos. His passion blossomed into a blog
called “On the Edge of Travel,” where he reviews some
of the most beautiful vacation spots on earth. Pope first
got into photography because of Nick and his work. He
was further motivated to develop his skill when he could
not include fashion in his AP portfolio.
Valdes has two pieces featured in the showcase.
One is entitled “Yellow Car” and the other “Blue
Mosque.” The first was taken in a quaint alleyway in
Rome. Valdes liked the texture he saw on the car and
its worn look. The second, a candid shot of a family,
was taken in Istanbul. Pope also has two pieces in the
showcase. One is a staircase in Vizcaya, which spoke to
Pope because of its shadows. The other is of mangroves,
also located in Vizcaya. In that photo, he was looking to
capture the texture of the trees.
There will be a Belen student showcase later in
the year that will feature only the works of our students.
A small glimpse of their work can be seen on the walls
of the Ignatian Center for the Performing Arts.
Vincam
Staff
Editors-in-Chief
Jose A . Prieto
Devon Roura
Front Page
Devon Roura
News
Jose A . Prieto
Editorials
Brandon Almeida
Features
Michael Perez
Sports
Nicolas Iparraguirre
Entertainment
Devon Roura
Vincam, Latin for ‘I shall conquer’’ is the official monthly
student publication of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School,
500 SW 127th Avenue Miami, Florida 33184.
Vincam is an open forum for student expression. Vincam is written
and produced by the newspaper journalism classes on
Hewlett-Packard computers. We welcome readers’ opinions in the
forms of letters to the editors. All letters must be signed.
We reserve the right to reject, edit or shorten letters.
All letters should be turned in to Mrs. Maria Teresa De Aguiar or
brought to room C-206. To purchase advertising space,
please call (786)621-4634 or email [email protected]
Contributing Writer
Alec Castillo
Advisor
Mrs. Maria Teresa de Aguiar