Forensics Win for Nazareth R.H.S. Junior

Alecia Gordon, a junior at Nazareth Regional High School, Flatbush, competed against students from schools across the region to take first place in the Chaminade Invitational Tournament on Jan. 5 in Mineola, L.I.

Taking top honors required Gordon to outperform 115 students from schools belonging to the Catholic Forensic Leagues of New York State, other tri-state Catholic schools and some prestigious New York public schools, including the Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Technical High School.

Nazareth Junior Alecia Gordon

The tournament consists of competitions in oral interpretation, original oratory, declamation, student congress, duo interpretation, drama and humor interpretation, extemporaneous speaking and debate.

Competing in the oral interpretation category, which incorporates both poetry and prose, Gordon chose to interpret pieces of literature that required her to assume the personas of various teenage characters.

For the two poetry rounds, Gordon chose Mel Glenn’s poem, “My Friend Got This Problem, Mr. Candler,” which depicts various teenage issues. Then she interpreted a passage from the novel, The Broken Diaries by Angela Nissel, and brought it to life before the judges’ eyes for the two prose rounds.

The Chaminade Invitational is the second major tournament win for Gordon, who eventually plans to pursue a career in journalism and nursing. In the meantime, she is preparing for New York State Forensic League Championships in Albany on April 4-5. Other members of the Nazareth Forensic Team also hope to qualify. The team already has plans to compete at the national level on Memorial Day weekend in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

St. Edmund’s Tops Off Building

Administration, teachers, students, alumni and friends of St. Edmund Prep H.S., Sheepshead Bay, gathered for the “topping off” of the new Library and Media Center on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 31. Select members of the school community signed a piece of steel, which Bishop Frank Caggiano then blessed. The beam was later hoisted into position, completing the shell of the building, set to open in September. The American flag was later raised over the structure by Gabriella Anderson and Michael DeCordova, National Honor Society president and vice president, respectively, and Jeremy Louison and Joseph Rapp, Student Council president and vice president, respectively, with Principal John P. Lorenzetti.

Your Lenten Challenge 2008

Lent is here and if you haven’t quite figured out how to make the best of this season, the Youth Page is here to help. Look for a box like this each week. It will offer you, our beloved teen and young adult audience, some creative ideas for prayer, thought and action for the six weeks leading up to Easter.

WEEK ONE (Feb. 10 - 16): Every day in the coming week, give something of yours away. It could be a book, a clean piece of clothing, a CD you don’t listen to anymore or a video game you don’t play anymore. Give it, don't lend it to someone who you know will enjoy the item you’re giving. Expect nothing in return. Don’t accept anything in return.

If you have no material items to spare, give a genuine gift from the heart — give up your seat on the bus/subway to someone who needs it (without being asked), compliment a friend or hug your siblings.

Youth Views

Lent is a time of prayer, abstinence and penance in preparation for the new life and hope Easter? From what will you abstain for these weeks?

Adam Wilczewski St. John’s Prep Freshman I am fasting from arguing with my mother. When we disagree, I will try to be respectful and listen to what she says when she says it.	Toriane Agostino St. John’s Prep Freshman This Lent, I am giving up soda and I also made a promise to be nicer to my younger sister.

Paul Forfa St. John’s Prep Freshman For Lent, I will try not to fight with my parents. We always fight over really stupid things. I hope this will help to not fight with them for a long time.	Ramona Persaud St. John’s Prep Freshman For me, Lent is a time to try to change for the better. This Lent, I am trying to be more patient and trying to understand people better.

Austin Cottrell St. John’s Prep Freshman For Lent, I am going to give up fighting with my brother. He and I fight a lot and I’m going to try to stop.	Sheena Solano St. John’s Prep Freshman I am giving up eating junk food, such as chocolate, potato chips and soda. Lent is an appropriate time to improve my health and eating habits.

 

Michael Giorgetti St. John’s Prep Freshman I am giving up chocolate because I eat it often and it’s going to be difficult to not have it.

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