OCTOBER 31, 2012 • VOLUME XLV • ISSUE 25430 TORRANCE BOULEVARD, TORRANCE, CA 90503WWW.BMHS-LA.ORG

BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOLKNIGHT LIFE

THE BLACK KEYS HALLOWEEN MOVIE REVIEWS

HOMECOMING DANCE!

PG. 4 PG. 5 PG.6VARSITY TENNIS CHAMPS

PG. 2

Under the Big Top

A Spooktacular Performance

BMHS has their annual, always-enjoyable Spirit Week

Above Left: Sophomore Spirit Team members Lauren Hebson, Maddy Simones, and Carter London pose happily after their victory against the seniors. Above left-center: ASB members Alyssa Tassone’14 and Matthew Kurata ‘14 lead the ASB Flash Mob at the Homecoming Pep rally. Above right-center: The seniors cheer for their team at their match against the freshmen. Above right: Justin Brown represents the freshman class as he spits out his rhymes at the face-off.

Written by Samantha Nishimura

Written by Kira Coyne, Jackie Nkansah, and Samantha Nishimura

Perhaps the most awaited week of the year, Spirit Week, finally arrived at Bishop, bringing with it a hail of competition, enthusiasm, and anticipation for Homecoming. Thanks to ASB, who threw in all their efforts to make this week a memorable one, everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest and felt included in the Bishop community. This year’s circus theme, a Knight Under the Big Top, made for foolish skits during the pep rally and fun, lively band music. Students of all grades waltzed around the school, flaunting their class colors and trying to outdo each other. Competitions

Auditions for It was a Dark and Stormy Night took place at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, and just in time for Halloween, this foreboding, suspenseful play finally graced the stage of TMH. As play was set to premiere early this school year, on October 3, cast members partici-pated in summer rehearsals and non-stop practices every day after school, until opening night. Natalie Pope ‘15, who played one of the leading roles, says, “There was ne’er a dull moment! The cast was perfect! I was one of the youngest ones there, and I have never felt more accepted! I wouldn’t change a thing about any of the cast mem-bers.” Students had been waiting for It was a Dark and Stormy Night since the day it was announced by Mr. Masters on the intercom. Curious with the cryptic announcement, nearly everyone was intent on buying their $5 tickets early, knowing that the play would sell out quickly. When the time finally came to see the show, students

between classes filled the entire week, with some traditional ones, such as canned food collections, and others created specifically for this original theme, like the Clownin’ Around picture contest. For the seniors, Spirit Week was made all the more memo-rable because it is the last they will experience, and it was their opportuni-ty to show off as upperclassmen. The hectic festivities of the week seemed nearly overwhelming, especially to freshmen who were experiencing it for the first time, but the energy of the entire school only grew as the week progressed, and the school spirit cul-

rushed to TMH to line up outside of the theater. As students entered TMH, they first saw the stage scenery showing the inside of an old room; everything looked antique and very still in the dim light. The play opened with two old women, named Hepzi-bah (played by Diana Nguyen ‘14) and Arabella (Natalie Pope ‘15), who notice a newspaper advertisement for a young, female caretaker, which was placed by their cousin, Ebene-zer (Vincent Miramontes ‘14). The audience’s view of Ebenezer quickly transforms from seeing him as the eccentric, reclusive relative into an utter psychotic, as he kidnaps and tortures each caretaker that shows up inquiring about the advertisement. His diluted, deranged mind makes him believe that every young female is his ex-lover, Effy. After several plot twists, all of the girls who were kidnapped are freed; however, the play comes to an ironic end with a new caretaker, Euphemia, nicknamed Effy, inquiring

about the position. Vincent Miramontes ‘14, one of the leading roles who began rehearsing by himself the day he re-ceived the script, shares a humorous, ‘behind-the-scenes’ anecdote, “The most difficult thing for me about this particular show was walking. I was rehearsing in platform monster boots that raised me about 5 inches… It was a great look, and I could walk very easily, so it was actually tough to try and walk like a scary monster would. In the final rehearsals, I actually col-lapsed a few times, because the boots began to fall apart from ‘wear & tear.’ Someone actually fell on my head! However, the whole show was a really great experience, and I am so thankful for all the fun we had. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.” After the successful first show, students left the theater in awe, excit-edly rehashing their favorite moments with their friends. Emily Blair ex-presses, “I liked how the creepy uncle would just show up at the door! Or just how enthusiastic the actors were over-

all.” As for the cast members, partici-pant Jordan Tabaldo, who played the new caretaker, Euphemia, explains, “My favorite part was definitely the reaction I got when I finally came on stage. Hearing the audience’s gasps all at once was definitely the best feel-ing.” Thus, the first play of the school year proved a huge success, leaving students eagerly looking forward to the next play, Pride and Prejudice.

minated in the pep rally on Friday and Homecoming. To kick off Spirit Week, Monday was designated Class Color Day, and the school hallways were unusually bright and lively with the vibrant turquoises, reds, greens, and royal blues that the students sported. Canned food col-lections, BBQ ticket sales, and Black and Gold Breakfast ticket sales com-menced in anticipation of events later in the week. During announcements, ASB reminded the school which con-tests were taking place throughout the day, and Monday saw the Unity Mass, spirit squad and band performances, and voting for the Homecoming King and Queen. At the Unity Mass, stu-dents sat with their classes, as they were reminded of the good-natured school spirit of the entire Bishop com-munity. Tuesday, class-colored sock

day, was full of fervent anticipation for the first round of Spirit Games, one of the highlights of the entire week. The games took place at the end of the day, so to entertain the students dur-ing lunch, the BMHS Rock Band per-formed on the lower field. ASB mem-bers promoted the Senior Restaurant Night at Stacked, but when the time for the Spirit Games finally arrived, all else was forgotten. Earlier that day, many students arrived at school laden with hair spray, streamers, face paint, duct tape, and other miscellaneous, ostentatious accessories to adorn themselves with in preparation for the games. (Continued on Pg. 8)

Above: (Left to right) Diana Nyguen’14, Nathan Trelease ‘14, Jordan Tabaldo ‘15, Natalie Pope’15, Rachel Santiago ‘14, and Vincent Miramontes ‘14 leave the audience in suspense in the clos-ing scene.

2 SPORTS/CLUBS

Swinging into the Championships

CLUB CORNER: Mathletes

The Girls’ Tennis Team wins League Championship

Do you or your team have any pre-grame rituals?

Written by Samantha Nishimura

President: Claire Park

Vice President: Celeste Porche

Secretary: Laura Beck

Moderator: Mr. Garriepy

Meetings: every other Wednesday, at lunch, in Room 110

Bishop Montgomery’s brand new math club opened this year to provide various opportunities to participate in math related activities such as the Mathematics Association of America (MAA) American Mathematics Com-petition and tutoring sessions. This club’s goal is to let people become

After school, you walk up the stairs leading to the convent, and the first thing you hear is the squeak of tennis shoes on the ground and the solid ‘thunks’ of the tennis ball hitting the racket. It’s the Girls Ten-nis team, which practices most days after school, when they don’t have a match scheduled. Varsity Coach Dan Wooten scheduled tryouts late August, and when the lineup was finalized, the Varsity team included seven sophomores, one junior, and four seniors. After only a few weeks of regular practices, their league match-es began. They played their first opponent, Bishop Amat, in a home game, on September 18. Despite the

Written by Sojung Kim

Nella Zegara ‘13 - Soccer Paul Siaki ‘13 - Short Flags

Above: Candace Hart serves up another ace to win the set.

Above: Megan Duffy smashes a backhand winner.

Front Row: Kaya Fiamengo, Danielle Faith, Megan Duffy, Maddie CanoBack Row: Chloe Von Helmolt, Kelly Hugo, Sharon Chang, Danielle Pastor, Samantha Nishimura, Lauren White, Candace Hart, Evelyn Espindola

Evelyn Espindola ‘13 - Tennis Oscar Cubillas ‘13- Soccer“We all get on one knee, say a prayer, and do a cheer. We all get together and yell “Knights” on three and occasionally, we some-times make a “Our house!” cheer.

“We form a prayer circle, place our flags in the center, and then rub them on our hearts and say, “Take your heart out and leave it on the floor.”

“For October, we wore pink rib-bons, pink facepaint, and pink sports bras for breast cancer awareness. We always do a Knights cheer before a match.”

“Before a game, I listen to inspir-ing music like 3 Doors Down and drink hot chocolate to warm up my body. I also like to watch soccer clips of my favorite plays and visu-alize my game.”

Above: Mr. Garriepy helps explain to Mathlete tutoree, Briana Tucker ‘15, how to properly add matrices.

nervousness and tension of the first match, the Lady Knights started off their season with a strong win of 17-1. The next few matches progressed smoothly, until Bishop played La Sal-le. The La Salle team proved tough to beat, and for a while, the outcome of the match remained uncertain. The two teams remained tied in sets and neither seemed able to gain a lead. When the final scores were tallied, La Salle had tied Bishop 9-9 in sets, but the Lady Knights pulled through when individual games were counted, and our ladies won by a mere nine games. After this La Salle match, their league matches were halfway complete, with the Knights indisputably in the lead.

The last half of the Del Ray League proved perhaps less stressful for the optimistic, self-assured team, but in order to win the league outright, Bish-op needed to win against every school again, including La Salle. Sopho-more Maddie Cano says, “I felt pretty confident… After beating them all at least once, I had a feeling we’d finish on top.” The Lady Knights continued their winning streak against Bishop Amat, St. Monica, and St. Joseph. When it came time to play against La Salle once more, at an away game, Junior Sharon Chang said, “I thought it would be a close game like the first time, but I knew we would win for sure! I mean, we are the Bishop ten-nis girls.” The team, full of confidence and camaraderie, delivered a final win

over La Salle, 13-5, thus creating the perfect way to end a thrilling season. Their 8-0 wins overall made them the undefeated Del Ray League Champi-ons! For seniors Megan Duffy, Evelyn Espindola, Candace Hart (co-captain), and Chloe VonHemolt (co-captain), this season was made especially memorable. Megan Duffy affirms, “I feel like this season was a total team effort, as it should be! It’s honestly been so much fun, and I’ve gotten so close with all the girls. Winning league again and being able to contribute to that is a memory that I’ll look back on and cherish.” Now that the league is over, the team will compete in the CIF pre-lims this week. Congratulations, Lady Knights!

aware of how fun math actually is and help people to overcome their never-ending fear and aversion to math. This year, their focus will mainly be on the MAA American Mathematics Competi-tion, which is the first of a series of competitions in high school mathemat-ics that will eventually determine the United States team for the Internation-al Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).Also, it holds free tutoring sessions every Wednesday after school and Thursday morning which is open to everyone at BMHS. This club is planning to be one of the mainstream clubs in BMHS by expanding its range of activities this year. Joining Mathletes is a great way to show off your math skills and get some extra help on your irritating math problems!

Questions for our Athletes

3SPORTS/CLUBS

Digging Deep

What’s up with these clubs?

Girls’ Volleyball continues to win despite injuriesWritten by Rosalia Park

One of the various Bishop Montgomery service clubs, Bishop Ambassadors, recently volunteered at a fundraiser, “An Evening With An-gels,” of the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. The ceremonial fundraiser celebrated the amazing works of mul-tiple parish and community volunteers of the San Pedro Region of the Arch-diocese of Los Angeles. Currently, “An Evening With Angels” fundraiser is the largest fundraiser for the San Pedro region. For the third year in a row, the Bishop Ambassadors were sent for to assist at the ceremony with selling raffle tickets, serving as hosts and hostesses, and helping with the silent auction. The Ambassadors also helped in tallying and delivering the auctioned items and at checkout. All the while, the Bishop Ambassadors assisted under the guidance of their moderator, Mr. Fitzsimons. Co-chair-person of the fundraiser, Audrey Bel-lis, stated that “The Ambassadors are one the biggest breaths of fresh air for both us putting on the event and the guests attending,” she explained. “They are always professional, model young adults, without whom we would struggle to keep the evening on time, especially in the silent auction room.” Way to go Bishop Ambassadors!

Dressed in their special pink jerseys for Breast Cancer Aware-ness Month, the volleyball girls warm up before a game. Their hair is tied back with matching ribbons. The Lady Knights had a rough start to the season as they were moved up a division to 1-A and have had several starters out with injuries. However, the season has been looking up; the girls beat St. Joseph’s and are now at 13 wins and 6 losses. Varsity coach Kevin Norman said: “We’re struggling with injuries and trying to work with the inconsistency of having different line-ups. Players are chipping in and playing other positions to help the team, hopefully when we get back our injured players it should go smoother. This week we’re playing La Salle, which is a real challenge for us: it’ll be a good test and a good competi-tion.” When senior Shannon Lipp was

Improv too just had a big event: Gamecon! Gamecon is a convention where Improvers from other schools meet up and attend workshops to become better at their comedy! Junior Nathan Trelease states that he “Got to see a fantastic performance by professional improvis-ers, I got to meet a ton of great impro-visers from other schools, including nearby schools like Peninsula High and Palos Verdes High, and I was able to learn plenty of new improv techniques and skills! “ Sophomore improviser Lilly Dougalas had noth-ing but a fun, learning experience at Gamecon: “You are surrounded by hi-larious improvisers and you get to see professionals perform. It’s an over-whelming experience actually; you’re in an auditorium with more than 1,000 other people chanting “We are not a cult!” (Improv joke). At gamecon every player goes to 4 different workshops teaching different games/techniques to be used. I had a fantastic time!” After Gamecon, Improv will soon start its matches against other ComedyS-portz teams, They have already won their first match against Palos Verdes High School on October 26 at TMH. Best of luck improvers!

Written by Alex Rodriguez

asked what her favorite part of being a part of the volleyball team was, she responded, “The whole team. It’s re-ally such a family!” On the other hand, Erin Hill said about being a senior: “I’m sad, it’s my last year at Bishop, and I’m not going to be a part of the team anymore!” and when she was asked about varisty’s season so far, she said, “We’ve had a little bit of a rough start, and we’re doing better now, but there’s always room for improvement.” Tessa Allen, a sophmore on varsity, says: “Being on varsity is like a dream come true. It’s really exciting!” When asked about the new freshman and sophmores, Shannon said, “They’re all really nice, and work together as a team pretty well.” Erin and Tessa added, “We’re always here to motivate and support them.” The frosh/soph team, the newest members of the Bishop com-munity, are working together as a team to prove themselves. Overall they’re at 8 wins and 7 losses. And

the junior varsity team, made up of all grade levels, is working hard to show varsity how it’s truly done. Currently they are at 7 wins and 8 losses. Junior varsity coach Collin Cooper said: “Our JV team is made up of some really good girls. We just got 3rd in a tournament, and took a big win in a legue game against Serra. We’ve had some new changes, but there’s been a lot of improvement. The sky’s the limit for these girls.” About frosh/soph he said: “They had a bumpy start with the miscommunication and scheduling problems with their coach, but a lot of the girls who haven’t played volleyball at all before are making great strides and the team is hugely improving.” So what’s the real secret to volleyball’s sucess? “Our coach once blamed our loss on the fact that he hadn’t been given a matching ribbon.” says J.V. player Lilly Dougalas ‘15. After that traumatic event, the girls created a ribbon schedule, which is just as important to them as their food schedule! Way to go, Lady Knights, keep your heads held high and keep up the good work!

Above: Multiple members from Bishop Ambassadors help out at the silent auc-tion by tallying prices and helping check out the auctioned off items.

Above: Improvers at Gamecon! Back row (L to R): Harry Davila’16, William Reed’15, Nathan Trelease’14, Lillian Dougalas’15, Daniel Krynen’15, Megan Madrigal’16, Tayo Adetola’16, Front (L to R): Jillian Marzdino’13, Amy Van Natta’15, Veronica Nestojko’13, Carolyn Egekeze’16, and Briana Hernandez’16.

Above: The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team huddles up and gives each other encouragement during one of their away games Above right: Senior Denice Belandres sets the volleyball for her teammate at an away game.

Above: Sophomores Taylor Rudeen and Tessa Allen return the ball for a sideout.

Bishop Ambassadors Volunteer. Improv attends Gamecon

4 ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION

The Beats of Autumn

Campaign Central

Trick OR Treat!

New Albums Hit the AirwavesWritten by Alex Rodriguez

Written by David Locke

Above: Sophomore Jordan Tabaldo smiles while holding her favorite new fall single’s cover, “Red,” from country-pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Above: Ryan Garcia ‘13 and Matthew Schultz ‘13 weigh the pros and cons of both presidential candidates in a JSA meet-ing.

Artistically Crafted by Lauren Hall

Fall is upon us and you know what that means: new music! Pop star Ke$ha commenced the wave of fresh, fall music with her latest single, “Die Young,” from her upcom-ing album, “Warrior”, due in early December. “Young” definitely sounds like a smash with its catchy hook and pounding beats. However, the song is similar to most of Ke$ha’s past singles like “Tik Tok,” leaving fans eager to hear some more variety. Rihanna, however, does the opposite in her latest single, “Diamonds,” off of her seventh album, “Unapologetic”. “Diamonds” shakes things up with its mid-tempo beat, empowering lyrics, and gentle vibe. For the past two years, Rihanna has been rolling out club-bangers and dance anthems like “We Found Love.” This song fresh-ens up the radio and gives new, high expectations for the next album. Also offering fresh new sound is retro-pop/R&B star, Bruno Mars, who pre-views his upcoming album, “Orthodox Jukebox” with his most recent track, “Locked Out of Heaven.” Providing a retro sound, the record is sure to do well on radio, but probably will be overplayed, like his past singles.

One of the most informative and entertaining reality TV shows one could’ve been following these past few months has been the presidential campaign. 2012 marks yet another crucial election for this great nation. Both Republicans and Democrats are doing their best to publicize and canonize their respected candidates, while fast approaching the Novem-ber 6th roll call. Governor Mitt Rom-ney and President Barrack Obama have an uphill battle ahead, trying to convince the electorate that they are qualified to hold the most coveted and powerful job in the United States, Commander-in-Chief. This 2012 election is vital to say the least, and by voicing our opinions in high school clubs such as JSA and staying informed on current events, we can make a difference not only in our country, but also globally.

Get your tissues ready: Adele and Taylor Swift have released new music. The “Someone Like You” song-stress recently released “Skyfall,” the theme song for the next James Bond movie. “Skyfall” is a dramatic ballad fit for a James Bond movie, however, somewhat disappointing due to a lack of a memorable hook until the end of the song.Taylor Swift, however, offers a variety of new music with her lat-est string of official and promotional singles off her fourth record, “Red.” “Begin Again” is another country bal-lad, while “Red” is more up-tempo. “I Knew You Were Trouble” shows a different side of Swift with its dubstep infusion and electronic beats. Recem-tly, the world’s biggest teen superstar, Justin Bieber, debuted the music video for his new track, “Beauty and a Beat,” featuring Nicki Minaj. “Beauty and a Beat” is extremely catchy, infec-tious, and pleasing to most audiences, even to those outside Bieber’s im-mense fanbase of “Beliebers.” The clever addition of Nicki Minaj fits well with “Beauty and a Beat,” provid-ing a spunky contrast to Bieber. Also making a mark on the dance music spectrum is Cuban rapper Pitbull with

new single, “Don’t Stop the Party” featuring rapper TJR, a total party an-them. The song has a nice beat and a catchy chorus, but the song is mostly a cacophony of “Yeah, Yeah, yeah! Are y’all having a good time?” and

lacks overall sharpness. It will be a hit in clubs and parties, but doesn’t sound radio-ready. Be ready for all of these new singles to take over the charts and airwaves!

5ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION

The Black Keys Rock the Staples Center!

Moviegoers Beware!

By Aimee Myers

Above: The Black Keys performing live at the Staples Center on October 6th.

The Black Keys, consisting of singer, songwriter, and guitar player Dan Auerbach, and drummer Patrick Carney, have been playing together since 2001 after they attended college together in Akron, Ohio. The band’s quintessential rock and roll sound, which is reminiscent of both the 1960s soul scene and the early-2000s slew of fast-paced guitar bands, allows them to appeal to all ages. Similar to the Black Keys, the White Stripes also

As Halloween creeps ever closer, moviegoers are lining up to watch films that promise to scare them witless. With thriller films such as “Taken 2”, “House at the End of the Street”, and “V/H/S”; and the more otherworldly ones, “Paranormal Activity 4” and “The Possession”; audiences are sure to find a fright for their delight. But this year’s Halloween movie trend seems to be shifting from legitimate horror genres to frightening, yet fun, family films. At first glance, “ParaNor-man” seems to be your run-of-the-mill zombie flick that just happens to be claymated. But this animated feature proves much more complex, and suc-cessfully entertains both children and their parents Because the target audi-ence is children, the film incorporates a lesson: people fear anything differ-ent. The films calls for acceptance, else there be a curse unleashed upon a town that throws the citizens into a state of chaos. “ParaNorman” is a must-see film for all ages. After seven long years, Tim Burton has released another clayma-tion film: “Frankenweenie”. The film takes Mary Shelley’s classic Franken-stein and retells it with a new spin: Victor Frankenstein is now a young boy who tangles with the science of life and death. After a tragic acci-dent takes the life of Victor’s pet and best friend, the appropriately named Sparky, the boy resurrects his dog during a not-so-freak lightning storm. The film noir makes subtle nods at old-school horror flicks as other

consists of merely one drummer and one singer-songwriter guitarist. On October 6th, the Grammy-award winning alternative rock duo played their second night of two sold out shows at the legendary Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The opening band for both nights was Tegan & Sara, a Canadian indie-pop sister duo. Their set, consisting of about ten lively songs from throughout most of their six-record discography,

monsters besides Frankenstein’s are referenced during the course of the film. Burton also adds a bit of himself into Victor’s character when the young boy was shown making stop-motion monster movies when he wasn’t conducting experiments. “Franken-weenie” does have moments that are likely to leave some younger children with nightmares, but the film is overall heartwarming and worth the watch. Finally, “Hotel Transylvania” premiered in theatres during the last Friday of September. The movie got its buzz from its all-star cast, with voice actors ranging from Adam Sandler to Selena Gomez to Cee Lo Green. With the publicity focused on who would be in the movie rather than the plot, many skeptics considered this movie a flop after seeing the previews. The film was entertaining, but lacking in some parts. The plot seemed a bit choppy, as though certain key parts were taken during the final editing process or moved to another part of the film. The key element of the plot was not thoroughly explained until it was brushed over near the end. Much of the humor was derived from cliché antics used to obtain a cheap laugh, or from adult references that kids probably wouldn’t understand. The animation, however, was extremely well done. Mixing computer animation with a Looney Toon-esque movement style, the character’s liveliness and smooth animation were the spotlights of the film. “Hotel Transylvania” is an art geek’s dream, but to everyone else, it might as well be skipped.

By Mary Grace Costa and Shannon Lipp

Above: Senior Melissa Stenzel posing with a festive Hotel Transylvania display.

The Power of Rock and Roll

as well as their playful banter with the crowd, got the audience excited for the energetic performance that was to follow. The Black Keys’ set was filled with everything from fast-paced hits like “Lonely Boy” and “Howlin’ for You” to older classics like “I Got Mine” and “Thickfreakness.” Joined by extra musicians on bass and keyboard for part of their performance, the Black Keys were easily able to get the audi-

ence up on their feet to dance and sing along throughout the entire show. Onstage, a screen displayed video clips of abstract scenes of cities and urban streets while warm, yellow lights flashed into the darkness of the arena. During “Little Black Submarines”, a large Disco Ball dropped down from the center of the stage to cover the Staples Center in a galaxy of silver beams of light. Sophomore Cam-eron Olsen, who attended the band’s first Staples Center performance on October 5th, says of his experience: “I’ve been to about six concerts and the Black Keys one was the best one by far. They sounded better live than they do on their actual recordings and every single person in the Staples Center was on their feet the whole time. It was just amazing. The Black Keys have been my favorite band for two years so I really enjoyed it. Tegan and Sara were pretty good. They were kind of like the female version of the Black Keys. The lights and stage ef-fects were really cool too”. On both nights of the Black Keys’ Staples Center performances, the band created a sense of unity amongst the attendees with the power of an almost two-hour set filled with songs about love, longing, joy, and heartbreak. With heavy drumbeats and roaring guitar melodies, their mu-sic made for two solid nights of rock and roll. With these shows, the music fans of Los Angeles were certainly privileged to be able to experience the gift of powerful, astounding music right in their own urban backyard.

6 STUDENT LIFE

A ROYAL AFFAIR

KNIGHTS OF HONOR

BAND-ING TOGETHER OUR SCHOOL

The 2012 Homecoming Dance brings an exciting conclusion to Spirit Week

The BMHS Band brings music and spirit to the campus

By Shannon Lipp

Above: Bishop students show off their moves at the Homecoming Dance.

Above: Sophomore Manaka Sato Above: Junior Vincent Miramontes Above: Senior Morgan West Above: Senior Chris Brower

By Shannon Lipp and Mary Grace Costa

By Michael Seo, Samantha Nishimura, and Alex Rodriguez

Sophomore Manaka Sato was born on April 20, 1997. She graduated from St. Margaret Mary in 2011 as salutatorian and continues her academic achievements with a series of academic department awards from her first fall semester. Mana-ka is also a member of Concordia club and Bishop’s newspaper, Knightlife, where she helps to brainstorm ideas and write articles. Outside of BMHS, she attends Japanese school on Saturdays to better her understanding of the language. Be-sides academics, Manaka loves multiple forms of art and performing, such as tap dancing and ballet. Manaka also performs in the school’s Song team to express her passion for dance and her school spirit. Manaka’s role models are her parents; she admires their positive attitude and their determination.

Junior Vincent Miramontes was born on March 31, 1996. He is an active member of Drama Lab here at Bishop and has performed in four plays thus far. Vincent hopes to earn a role in all future shows, and after Bishop, he’d like to attend a performing arts college to study in theatri-cal productions. He says, “Performing is my passion.” Outside of Bishop, Vincent has received numerous awards from the U.S. military for an essay he composed regarding American veterans, for which he was given $1,000. He was also named the L.A. Cool Kid of the Year in 2009. As for role models, Vincent mentions Mr. Masters and Johnny Depp, among a few, because they taught him to be himself and provided inspiration with their talent and creativity. In fact, Mr. Masters gave Vincent his first opportunity in Drama Lab.

Senior Morgan West was born on June 2, 1995. She has received numerous awards for her excellence in speech, such as first place in a dramatic poetry competi-tion, as well as second place for a Drama Lab monologue competition. She has also received the “Outstanding Speaker Award” from Ms. Gilker’s speech and debate class. Morgan is an active partici-pant in the school community, as she is a co-president of Drama Lab (along with Lauren Hugo) and a Bishop Ambassador. As for her role model, Morgan names her father. As a child, Morgan struggled with math—she just couldn’t get her multiplica-tion tables! Seeing her struggle, Morgan’s father worked with her every day for nearly three months. Morgan says that his uncon-ditional love and support has shaped who she is today.

Senior Chris Brower was born on February 19. He holds a 3.0 grade-point-average and has represented the senior class in the pep rally twice. Chris is an active member of campus ministry and is also a Kairos leader for the upcoming retreat in November. He played in the baseball junior-varsity team for two years and would volunteer as a reader at his local parish, Holy Trinity. His role model is his brother because he taught him all of the morals and values that he cherishes in life. He is always there for Chris when he is in need and supports him in everything that he does, as well as guide him onto the correct path whenever he is doubtful.

Fall Spirit Week came to an end at the much anticipated Home-coming Dance. The night began with couples and groups of friends lined up to get their IDs checked (and for the girls, their dress length checked as well). Students could then choose to have a professional photo taken with their date or to just go straight into the dance hall. “The dance was a riotous time for all,” begins Senior Jill Marzi-lino. “The circus theme was super fun, the music was rad, and everybody danced like there was no tomorrow.”

After a ten year absence, Mr. Hankey’s arrival at Bishop Montgom-ery sparked the return of BMHS’ very own band. Senior Zack Wilson was one of those spirited students who, despite his inexperience, contributed his talent to Hankey’s program. Zack says, “I felt like it was an opportunity to learn something new and belong somewhere.” For many BMHS stu-dents, it was their first time playing in a band or playing any sort of instru-ment, but thanks to Hankey’s coach-ing and supervision, most were able to pick up music right away. Although

Pasta and pizza were offered to the hungry students, and everyone contin-ued to compliment each other. Around the time dessert was served, the Homecoming Court was announced. King Jonathan Kim and Queen Dani Lee commenced the actual Dance with the traditional song “Dancing in the Moonlight,” and they were fol-lowed by the rest of the Princes and Princesses. The rest of the student body was then welcomed to join in the dancing as another slow song played. The tempo picked up with songs

band members agree that being part of the BMHS band is a fun and memo-rable experience, it also demands dedication. Hankey’s band program starts with zero period practice at 6:45 AM on most mornings, wherein the band members review the songs that will be played at football games. A field show practice follows after school on the soccer field and lasts until 4 PM. The band’s unbeatable teamwork and dedication always pays off when the time to perform comes around. “My proudest moment would prob-ably be when we played at last year’s

such as “Gangnam Style” and “The Cha Cha Slide.” The night concluded with one last slow dance to “We are Young.” Prince Ron Magpantay sum-marizes the importance of the Home-coming dance and of Spirit week: “The Bishop Montgomery community came together in unison to share our common traits and found what really brought us together our value of family … and then we partied.”

homecoming game,” Zack Wilson said. “It showed the school what we were all about and [showcased] all our time and effort.” The powerful and passionate band does more than pro-vide some entertainment for football games; they set the mood and lead the crowd in a rally cry for victory. Be it playing the quads or a clarinet, early morning jam sessions or late night football games, BMHS Band appeals to the interests of many students and provides them with a place where they belong.

Above: Alexis Fillingames’14, Tracey Shankweiler’15, and Luis Perez Jr.’13 perform at the football game vs. La Salle.

Above: Jonathan Kim and Dani Lee are crowned Homecoming King and Queen at the Homecom-ing Football game.

7THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

8 STUDENT LIFE

Spirit Week continued

Art Area: featuring CeramicsLeft: Sophomore Daniel Orme displays one of his ceramic pieces.

KNIGHTLIFE STAFFThe Knightlife newspaper is published by the Knightlife Club of Bishop Montgomery High School, 5430 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503.

Opinions expressed in this paper are not a reflection of those of Bishop Montgomery High School.Editors-in-Chief: Samantha Nishimura, Alexander Rodriguez

Section Editors:Front Page: Shannon Lipp, Mary Grace CostaSports/Clubs: Alexander Horejsi, Alexander RayEntertainment/Opinion: Kira Coyne, Jackie NkansahStudent Life: Michael SeoBack Page: Sojung Kim

Staff Writers: So Jung Kim, Samantha Nishimura, Alexander Rodriguez, Aimee Myers, Kira Coyne, Shannon Lipp, Mary Grace Costa, David Locke, Yidan Yuan, Hee Shin, Rose Park, Alexander Horejsi, Sabrina Supapkooha, Michael Seo, Andrew Beimel, Stephanie Nwaiwu,

Staff Artists: Kira Coyne, Jackie Nkansah, Lauren Hall

Staff Photographers: Jordan Tabaldo, David Locke, Andrew Beimel, Stephanie Nwaiwu, Jesse Seale, Angela Francis, Kayla Wilkins, Excalibur Yearbook Staff Advisor: Mr. Hong

Proofreaders: Mr. Marafino, Ms. Vigon-Morffi

Publisher: Ms. Libbon

October 29th - November 16th

Sophomore Daniel Orme, who took ceramics class last year, indicates that ceramics is absolutely attractive. “Our ceramic works are prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. We had a good time and it was really fun.” His favor-ites are the ceramic pie and the cups which he made during the class. “For the cup I put the word ‘peace’ in both Asian and Western languages.” When he explained why he made two pieces of pie, he replied, “I think that when I decided to make them, I felt hungry; it

As always, the Friday con-clusion of Spirit Week came too soon. The Black & Gold Breakfast was a huge success, and students expressed their Bishop pride by wearing the school colors. The day was spent in anxious anticipation of the pep rally, and when 12:45 finally arrived, the spirit squads and band sprinted through the halls announc-ing the beginning of the rally to all the classes. Students excitedly filled the gym, which was decked out in bal-loons and other circus décor. Vincent Miramontes acted as the ringmaster-announcer and welcomed everyone to the BMHS pep rally circus. Mr. Masters, Mrs. Rudder, and the par-ticipants from all the classes acted out their skits. Freshman Clay Elder and Sophia Song took on the role as bumbling clowns, while sophomores Taylor Reyes and Trisha Lunde were the bearded lady and spoon swallower act. Mrs. Rudder, who performed as Mr. Master’s daughter, was not pleased with either of these acts, so the juniors and seniors took the stage. Juniors Troy Raymond and London Bennet performed the trapeze and tightrope act, but the Seniors, ring-master and showgirl, played by Chris Brower and Lauren Hugo, took the win. Then, the 2012 Homecoming Court was announced, and the cou-ples performed their skits, all of which were perfectly executed and sweet. The skits ranged from a wooing guitar player to a bit of “Gangnam Style” dancing. To end the pep rally, the students participated in the customary Alma Mater competition. As usual, the freshmen went first, stumbling over the words but trying their best. Sopho-mores and Juniors fared better, belting out the words as loudly and clearly as

was most like the period right before lunch. And also, I didn’t have pie for a while, so I just made the first thing that came to my mind.” Art Area is a new addition to the Knightlife newspaper, so do you think you are a creative writer with vivid imagination and your own style of writing, or a true artist who knows all the combinations of different colors and has a great delight in the arts? Then feel welcome to contribute your amazing works to the art area, and let more people get to know your talent!

they could, but of course, Seniors took the win.Then, ASB took the floor as a flash mob dancing the famed “Gang-nam Style” choreography. And with that, the Seniors won Spirit Week, and the pep rally came to a close. Although students could still look forward to the BBQ and Home-coming, everyone always reluc-tantly closes the week with backward glances at the excitement and fun they shared with the entire Bishop community. Spirit Week is like no other, and students are disappointed

to let that light-hearted, festive atmo-sphere slowly fade into their memo-ries. The competitive nature of Spirit Week brings out the best and worst in everyone, but at the end of the day, the class competitions don’t matter as much, and no one remembers the number of points his or her class won. For most, the Bishop pride that Spirit Week inspires in everyone is simply enough.

Spirit Squad Candy Sale

...Seniors battled the Freshmen in the gym, while Juniors and Sopho-mores competed on the football field. In a rush of color, students eagerly streamed out of the buildings, chatter-ing and screaming excitedly amongst themselves. As expected, the Seniors dominated the Freshmen 3-0, but on the football field, the Juniors were in for a surprise. Sophomores won against these upperclassmen 2-1 in the tiebreaker game, sending them to the championship Spirit Games on Thursday against the Seniors, an utterly unexpected event that had not occurred in years. Annabelle Bertucci, a sophomore on the spirit team says, “when we played I had the gut feeling that we were going to win. Being on the Spirit Team was such an amazing experience. My favorite part besides actually participating in the games was pumping up the crowd and getting them to shout, just really letting loose and going crazy.” On Wednesday, PSAT testing took place, but it did not dampen the excitement for Spirit Week. With the week already halfway over, everyone seemed determined to make the most out of the last two days. The always entertaining, sometimes downright amusing Face-Off competition was held on the Lower Field during lunch on Thursday. Finally, the day ended with the awaited championship Spirit Games. Juniors beat the Freshmen, to no one’s surprise; however, the Sophomores and Seniors battled furi-ously in the gym. Astonishingly, the Sophomores upset the Senior class’ long held tradition of winning the Spirit Games and beat them 2-1 in a thrilling tiebreaker game. The sophomores went wild at the surprising victory, which stunned everyone.

Just ask any Spirit Squad member for candy to support your BMHS Spirit Squads!

By Yidan Yuan

Above: The short flags team performs a rountine during the football halftime show.

Above: Caroline Glymph and the marching band entertain the crowd at the football game.

Above: Seniors Zachary Rogers.,Larry Taylor, Kahlil Bausley, and Brandon Villa show of their rap skills during the Face-Off.