The girls 400 relay holds the fastest time in San Diego County, and athletes Hannah Labrie-Smith and Dani Johnson were named sophomore and freshman of the year in the county earlier this season. “Yeah, I guess they’re pretty good,” joked head coach and math teacher Mr. Dan Geiger. “I’m feeling really good about the rest of the season, really positive,” he said.

Coach Geiger has every reason to feel positive, considering the slew of reliable, standout athletes from every grade on the team- equally talented upper and lower classmen. The aforementioned girls record-holding relay team, with a time of 47.99 seconds, interestingly enough is made up of a member of every grade: freshman Dani Johnson, sophomore Hannah Labrie- Smith, junior Megan Pepi, and senior Dana Conlin.

“Dana had a fantastic season and is an awesome leader,” said sophomore long jumper, Sarah Phillips. Phillips qualified for prelims in both the long jump and triple jump, with personal records (PR’s) of 16ft 11in and 34ft 10in, respectively. Expressing the feelings of all of CC’s athletes, Phillips said, “I hope that I can keep PRing and qualify for CIF finals. I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Come support CCHS track on Saturday at 10am at Mt. Carmel High School.

This Friday, May 17th, Cathedral students will get to spend their extended lunch period in the Lower Field, which is being turned into an all-out carnival.  For an entire hour, students will get to wander around with their friends, purchase special foods and drinks from each of the clubs, go on rides, watch live performances, and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Each of the CC clubs will sell a food or beverage for a certain amount of tickets, which can be bought during the carnival for 50 cents each.

While some clubs plan on selling small items like ice cream pops and brownies, other clubs are bringing out the big guns with full-on meals.  From fifty-cent frosting shots–an interesting concoction from the “Frost, Eat, Sing!” Club–to plates filled with Panda Express sold by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club, there is a variety of delectable options on the map.

That is, the map Ms. Christine Lagrimas, the ASB coordinator, sent out to help students organize their carnival plans of attack.

“I even color-coded the menu. The pinks are the desserts, the blues are the waters and beverages and sodas, and the ones that have no color are the food.” Ms. Lagrimas explained. “Hopefully they’re all separated enough that it won’t get too crowded in any one space.” (Map link at end of article)

While the clubs will provide all the food, ASB will be sponsoring the games.  A sumo wrestling area, a dunk tank, an obstacle course, and a “pods” ride (said to be somewhat comparable to Disneyland’s spinning teacups) are among the much-anticipated attractions.  The Art club will also set up a face-painting booth near the bleachers.

ASB commissioner of production, junior Chelsea Mapes, said, “The dunk tank station is probably going to be the most popular event.  A lot of students seem interested in dunking their teacher for once, and a lot enjoy just watching.”

With the refreshments and activities taken care of, the only thing missing is the entertainment.  Enter CCHS music department and Glee Club.

Various student bands, all led by Cathedral music teacher and professional musician Mr. Tim Foley, will take turns performing during the carnival.  According to Mr. Foley, his Red 2 Band class and Campus Ministry Music class will both be performing live, playing “everything from Of Monsters and Men to Daft Punk to the blues.”

The student musicians are not just performing during the carnival, though.  For the entire week leading up to the carnival, Cathedral bands and solo acts will participate in what Mr. Foley has christened “Cathedralchellapalooza,” a mini music festival taking place during lunch.

Like the music department, CC Glee Club has been “working hard these past several weeks to create a strong set list for the carnival,” said sophomore member Melody Whiteman.  After spending time practicing with Cathedral’s drama teacher, Miss Katie Wilson, the CCHS Glee Club plans on performing their own renditions of popular songs such as “It’s Time,” by Imagine Dragons.

“I’m very excited to sing a solo and duet of my own, and also to perform in our three fabulous group numbers,” Melody said.

If lively music, delicious food, and teacher dunk tanks aren’t good enough reasons to celebrate, then the end of AP testing season certainly is.

According to Robbie Smith–the sophomore who said, “I believe that I can speak for everyone when I say: ‘Praise the Lord! AP Week is over’”–the Spring Carnival is looking like the perfect way to commemorate the culmination of AP exams.

Abby Balmert, a senior currently enrolled in five AP classes, described how the carnival also serves as a reward for those who completed their advanced placement tests: “After all the hard work we put into AP classes, culminating in the lengthy exams themselves, Spring Carnival is a refreshing reminder of the upcoming graduation and the summer months ahead!”

The ASB commissioners of clubs, juniors Tatum Abadir and Griffen Terhune, are spearheading the carnival and have been working non-stop on the project since prom.  If everything goes according to the way ASB has planned, this carnival may end up being the best one Cathedral has seen yet.

CARNIVAL MAP

CCHS must first choose the student, and Mr. Jeff Owen, AP World History teacher and 8th grade interviewer, broke down why students say they want to attend Cathedral Catholic.

Major factors include the reputation of Cathedral’s facilities, its safe environment, the “Catholic identity”, and, “It seems like (75%) of the students say athletics” said Mr. Owen.

According to Mr. Owen, “minimalist” answers indicate that the student obviously doesn’t wish to attend. These students are noted, and their rating effected. Similarity, enthusiasm counts, and “Maybe you didn’t have the right answer, but hey, do you want to be here?” said Mr. Owen.

Several current freshmen portray this enthusiasm and expand upon the benefits of Cathedral. Carly Wood, as she pulls out the materials needed for her Latin II class, explains that she appreciates the classes that better prepare for college, and the new innovation of the iPads, not to mention “the teachers and people here are really nice too.”  Skyler Pierce also enjoys the iPads, however, she notes that, though fun and useful, they also bring distractions.

With athletics being such a huge motivator, the issue of recruitment frequently comes to light. According to Mr. Owen, however, Cathedral does not recruit student athletes. Instead, CCHS “indirectly advertises” through exposure. “If you get people to see the school, it sells itself,” said Mr. Owen. While a student may attend for the athletic program, Mr. Owen defines it as a “social standing.”  Their abilities may affect a student’s treatment, but they won’t receive any advantages as a result. “(We) can’t cut corners for a kid,” said Mr. Owen.

As a player of volleyball, basketball, and track and field, Pierce said that the sports program was a strong motivator for her application to Cathedral, not to mention a major source of exposure after she played against CCHS in middle school.

Other schools also play a role, since a student may not wish to attend the options presented by their parents. For freshmen Erin McConville, the coed advantage helped Cathedral stand out from OLP, and Mr. Owen said that students may choose Cathedral if their only other option is their local high school.

All students are encouraged to participate in this charity known as the Princess Project. It was established in 2002 to give young women in under privileged areas a chance to have their dream prom night.

ASB will send the donated dresses out to be used by inter city high school students in San Diego who cannot afford a dress for prom. ASB leader and Princess Project volunteer Lucy Cline said, “The girls here have tons of dresses that sit in our closets after wearing them just one time, and this is a great way to do a little spring cleaning while also supporting a great cause.”

Many girls at Cathedral may go dress shopping 3-4 times a school year for each dance and end up leaving the unworn dress in their closets for years. The Princess Project gives these young women at Cathedral an opportunity to truly help the community by donating even just one of their many dresses.

“This charity appealed to me so much because it offers direct help to girls our age and brings happiness to those who truly appreciate little things that many of us take for granted,” said Lucy.

Click here to find out more about the Princess Project.

Ian Rey, born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, had worked at the Sprouts location on Rosecrans Street for about fourteen years. That fourteen years ended abruptly, and arguably unjustly, early this week. Ian was fired because he accidentally grabbed a coworkers black jacket, mistaking it for his own. According to the San Diego Reader, Ian was then convinced by a manager to write an apology letter that was sent to Sprouts corporate office, and accepted as his “admission of guilt.”

Ironically, on their website Sprouts Farmers market claims to be an anti- discrimination organization, stating that they “do not tolerate any discrimination based on race, color, religion, political viewpoint, national origin, age, sex, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other trait, characteristic, or membership protected under applicable law.” However, the old cliche holds true, and in the case of Ian’s firing, the rash actions seem to speak louder than this statement. A rapidly growing Facebook page, “Where’s Ian” was created and an outpouring of support was expressed towards Ian and his family. Many have decided to abandon shopping at the grocer all together.

As Cathedral expands to encompass a range of different mentally handicapped students in next year’s Inclusion program, an issue of discrimination of this sort holds greater significance. This event bodes not only of the challenges to come, but also of the positively wonderful effects that will be experienced too- most noticeably the lessons of friendship and love that can be learned from Ian. Dozens of posts of support on the “Where’s Ian” Facebook page shared common theme of how much Ian has impacted the shoppers and made them smile, just by being himself.

Ian’s sister was quoted in the San Diego Reader as saying, “What we’re hoping for is Ian to get his job back… so his lifeline to the community isn’t cut.”

A protest is being held Friday, May 10th in front of the Sprouts market on Rosecrans Street. Details can be found on the previously mentioned Facebook page. To support Ian’s case, his petition can be signed here.

Also, a letter writing campaign is being organized to express the distress over this situation.

Here is the Sprouts Corporate offices information to send letters:

Sprouts Farmers Market

Corporate Office

11811 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 2400

Phoenix, AZ 85028

Starting the 2014-2015 school year, Cathedral will be accepting 2-4 kids that have developmental or intellectual delays.  These students will come to school 5 days a week from 8:10 am to 2:00 pm, and they will be taking the same classes as the rest of the student body. The only difference is that these students aren’t coming to school to get a diploma, they’re coming to our school so they can learn skills that can prepare them for the outside world.

Even though the students of this program will be taking the same classes as the rest of the students, their curriculum will be adapted. They will be in the same classes sometimes, but other times they will be in a self-contained class, a class which only the disabled students will attend.

But, who will teach the self contained class? The school is in the process of hiring a teacher/director to develop the students.

This program won’t just benefit the new students, but will also benefit the current student body. “This program will give the student body a chance to get comfortable with students with disabilities,” said Ms. Margret Billy, Director of the Learning Center. Students will also be able to peer mentor the students in the inclusion program.

Ms. Billy is helping to start the program. The last school she taught at, Holy Cross in Maryland, had the same program. “I like the idea [the program] and what it did for the disabled students,” she said.

This program has gotten started with the help of a Uni alumn, who wishes to remain anonymous, whose 7th grade child has a disability and wants to go to school at Cathedral. This program will make it possible for that student to attend Cathedral, and it will give the student the skills needed for the outside world.

This transition from pure ceramics to a more diverse exposure to 3D art serves as a gateway to a new Foundations of 3D Design class which will become a prerequisite for any art class next year. And within two years, ceramics will have developed into a three-year long course.

According to ceramics teacher Ms. Alyssa Vallecorsa, the class previously possessed no developmental aspect with which to provide a base of artistic knowledge for students. Therefore, administration felt the need for a change. Simply, they wished to alter the class from a “here’s some clay, now make something” class, says Ms. Vallecorsa. Despite the change, the new course will not replace the original ceramics class, which will still be offered next year.

These changes are seen in the plaster of Giacometti sculptures, and in the class’s current project with “found” objects, or everyday objects transformed into something unique. Currently Ms. Vallecorsa strives to impart a solid artistic foundation in her lessons, but she hopes to provide more freedom with the found object project.

Though Ms. Vallecorsa was initially intimidated by the standards set by the previous ceramics teacher, according to Mrs. Silvia Wiedmann, head of the art department, students seem to “really enjoy” the altercations. Conversely, several surprised students found the change too much, and dropped the course.

Mrs. Wiedmann, a driving force behind the changes, outlined the benefits the new foundations course will bring. Besides building a “much stronger foundation and understanding of the other classes”, says Mrs. Wiedmann, teacher collaboration will increase, classes will become more project based, and students may reach a higher level in their course, sooner.

Furthermore, according to Mrs. Wiedmann, most high schools possess strong foundations courses, so CCHS would need to instill its own program so as to compare favorably.

Sophomores and juniors qualify for the National Honor Society if they earn a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.75 or higher at the end of the first semester.  Qualifying students are then invited to join the society.

Students who confirm their interest are asked to complete a “Candidate Form” on which they must list and describe their leadership, service, community, and work activities and awards.  Forms are then reviewed by a council of five teachers.

The council assesses each student on three cornerstone of importance: character, leadership and service.  The teachers then vote, and invitations to join are mailed to the accepted candidates.  Once they become members of NHS, students must maintain a 3.75 cumulative GPA, serve five hours of peer tutoring per semester, and attend chapter meetings.

At this year’s ceremony, attended by students and parents, new members were inducted into Cathedral’s NHS chapter.  The program was presented by this year’s officers, Nicholas Prunty, Michel Rosenburg, Antonina Caudill, Kevin McNeela, Rahel Hintza, and Mikaela Greeven, and Chapter Advisor, Mrs. Valerie Charat.

A short video presentation in which current NHS members talked about the benefits of participating in NHS, was followed by the traditional and ceremonial lighting of candles, each representing the pillars of NHS:  scholarship, leadership, character, and service.

The ceremony culminated in the official induction of new members, who were each recognized by name and presented with an official NHS certificate of participation by Mrs. Anne Egan, Cathedral’s Director of Instruction.

Mrs. Valerie Charat has worked with peer tutors in the Student Success Program (SSP) at Cathedral for four years, and this is her first year as NHS Chapter Advisor. “I was asked by administration to fill the shoes of my predecessor, the wonderful Ms. (Kristy)Bormann. She has been a tremendous help to me as I learn the role,” said Mrs. Charat.

“It seemed natural to further synthesize my professional obligation to support the student success at CCHS, and so I jumped at the chance to oversee our phenomenal NHS chapter,” she continued.

As a requirement for preserving their positions in NHS, students must demonstrate leadership and character, which includes attending the chapter meetings throughout the year. Meetings include discussion about NHS annual projects; this year’s is the school-wide book drive for which they collaborated with Rady Children’s Hospital Club.

Our chapter was able to donate nearly a thousand new and gently used books.  Future projects will be determined by NHS Officers who are selected by the Chapter Advisor, Mrs. Charat, and will be identified in the fall.

Tutelage is an integral part of NHS, and members can participate in two ways – through the online database of NHS tutors or with a commitment to assist with the on-campus peer- tutoring program.

Students looking for additional help can speak with their counselors to determine an appropriate tutor.  This year, NHS members have collectively contributed nearly fifteen hundred hours towards peer tutoring.

“Anyone who has worked with our NHS chapter can hopefully attest that this organization is a catalyst through which our students provide meaningful, valuable contributions that make CCHS a stronger community,” said Mrs. Charat. “I am very proud to work alongside our chapter members, and I look forward to next year with our new inductees!”

As the MC, Vicky, took the microphone, the crowd became hushed.  The tension in the room was almost palpable.  “The winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition is . . .”

When CCHS art teacher Ms. Silvia Wiedmann heard about the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, which took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown on the night of May 2nd, she knew her students would make perfect competitors.

The only guidelines for the art submissions were that they needed to be done by high school students and had to be original concepts.  The winner would get his or her creation hung in the U.S. Capitol Building for a year and receive two tickets to Washington, D.C.  This year’s judges included gallery directors from the University of San Diego and San Diego Mesa College.

“The competition existed in the past, but now he [Congressman Scott Peters] is starting to make it bigger,” Ms. Wiedmann said, explaining why this is the first year Cathedral students have participated in the competition.

Seven CCHS artists ended up submitting their work.

James Tran, one of two Cathedral seniors that competed, chose to showcase his painting of the Torrey Pines State Reserve, made with tempera paint.  After taking some pictures during a hike, James became drawn to the lighting in a certain photograph and decided to paint it for an art class assignment.

As for the congressional competition, “Ms. Weidman made me do it,” James said jokingly.

But, on May 2nd, the day of the announcement of the winning piece, when Congressman Scott Peters stopped by and personally thanked the young artist for submitting to the competition, James didn’t seem to regret going “being made” to go to the competition too much.  Fellow contestants and CCHS students, freshmen twins Noosha and Sasha Farhat also appeared to enjoy meeting and taking photos with the California Congressman by their portraits.

Like James, who had been drawing for years, Noosha and Sasha had been doing art “for as long as we can remember,” said Sasha.  They chose to submit self-portraits they had drawn in pencil for an assignment in art class.

Spoiler alert: Neither James nor the Farhat twins won the competition.

But all three have bright futures ahead of them.  James is awaiting an acceptance from USD, while Noosha and Sasha plan on interning with their neighbor and famous comic book artist Jim Lee.

In the end, a student from outside Cathedral won the competition and will represent District 52 at the U.S. Capitol.

So the judges made their decisions, and Cathedral did not emerge victorious. Time to throw in the towel and hope for a better turnout next year? Not quite!

Congressman Scott Peters devised a second competition for the young artists, one that involves social media.  On Scott Peter’s Facebook page, there are photographs of the fourteen pieces of art in the competition.  Until Monday, May 6th, people can vote for their favorite picture by “liking” its photograph. On May 6th, the picture with the most “likes” will be hung in Congressman Peter’s district office for the following year.

Cathedral artists will spend their next days campaigning and asking their friends to go on Facebook and “like” their artwork, and on Monday the 6th, the second winner will be announced.  Who knows?  Maybe a Cathedral student will gain the most votes and have his or her piece of art featured in Congressman Scott Peter’s district office.

Vote here!

The prom is set to take place at the San Diego Zoo similarly to last year. Students are allowed to arrive at 7, yet doors close at 8 and will reopen at 10. The prom ends at 11 o clock.

Students usually choose to arrive just before the doors close and remain at the prom until it ends.

Junior Executive President Milana Tucker said,

“Prom is going to be a memorable night full of fun, dancing, and excitement! We are going to have amazing food, a great DJ, and photographer, and masks for everyone to take pictures in and take home.”

The prom will be full of a variety of activities for students to participate in, all of which are somehow related to the theme of the ‘madagasquerade.’

The Associated Student Body (ASB) had announced the senior prom court on rally day, a court consisting of Senior girls Abigail Balmert, Jenny Morgan, Rosyln Kackman, and senior boys Denis Howell, Brandon Michel, and Lucas Lawson.

The court was introduced after a jungle themed rally in which sneaky penguins, the ‘mance’ team, and even CCHS sports MVP’s all made an appearance.

The rally seemed to excite students for the upcoming prom, just as members like Milana Tucker had hoped.

She said,

“ASB has been working hard to make this prom the best one yet so that everyone attending will have a great night to remember.”

As for this years class of 2013, the rally seemed to be simultaneously supportive yet disappointing in light of the upcoming prom. The senior students attempted a pre-senior prank by rushing the gym floor and revealing a class of 2013 banner to be released as they rushed the gym, yet the banner failed to open all the way.

Students stood looking up at the banner in disappointment until a maintenance worker used a miniature crane to fully open the sign.

Regardless of the error, senior students seem to be still looking forward to their upcoming last high school dance.

Senior Davis Ladd said,

“I am still pretty excited about prom despite the failure of our banner. The rally helped to excite me even more.”