The TRIBE - Spring 2012.pdf - St. John Bosco High School

SJB Hosts National Signing Day Event By Nicholas Reiner
Pictured left to right: President Paul Escala, Bryce Treggs, Charles Redd,
Justin Johnson, Beau Boyster, Shane Baumann, Principal Patrick Lee,
Dalis Bruce, Coach Jason Negro, Director Fr. Joe Nguyen.
On February 1, St. John Bosco High School held its first
National Signing Day, an event that was well-attended by
members of the media as well as students, family members,
teammates, coaches, faculty and staff. An unprecedented
number of Braves – five total – signed National Letters of
Intent and announced their college of choice as recipients of
full-ride athletic scholarships for the 2012-13 school year.
The signees included offensive lineman Beau Boyster
(University of Arizona), wide-receiver Justin Johnson (Fresno
State), wide receiver/defensive back Charles Redd (Eastern
Washington), wide receiver/defensive back Dalis Bruce
(Eastern Washington), and strong safety Shane Baumann
(Western New Mexico). Wide receiver Bryce Treggs
participated and spoke at the event, but chose to announce
his decision later that day on a live television broadcast on
Fox Sports West. During the broadcast, Treggs announced
that he will be attending University of California, Berkeley.
“Each of these student-athletes was instrumental to the overall success of our football program this past season,” said head coach Jason
Negro. “Their on-the-field play and, more importantly, efforts in the classroom have allowed them the tremendous opportunity to obtain
these scholarships so they can continue their educations at the college level. The Bosco community is very proud of their achievements.”
Each of the student-athletes gave a speech during the ceremony, thanking family members, coaches, and the school community for their
guidance and support. The event was held in the school’s gymnasium.
The first Wednesday in February is traditionally known as National Signing Day, as it is the first day a student-athlete can sign a binding
agreement to play college football for an NCAA school.
Bosco Forms New Robotics Club By Nicholas Reiner
The St. John Bosco High School Robotics Club is a new addition to the school and the program is already
engaged in an exciting initiative.
Conceived at the beginning of the school year by faculty member Brian Hunt ‘02, the Robotics Club was
created in association with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting and recognizing science technology among elementary and high school
students. Three schools are represented in SJB’s robotics program: St. John Bosco High School, Saint Joseph's
High School, and Valley Christian High School.
After the school was invited to a robotics conference last September, Hunt started the process of building a
partnership with Boeing to get the club on its feet. With robotic systems burgeoning in schools nationwide,
Hunt believed the program was a natural and necessary opportunity for growth outside of the general
curriculum.
“Through the club, students have a chance to enjoy building in an engineering process, apply their math and science skills in a real-world
setting, and get a sense of the business side of the engineering process through marketing and accounting,” he said. “On top of that, club
members get to work with professional engineers and build relationships with members of the industry.”
The central focus for the club this year was competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Students had six weeks to build a robot capable
of shooting mini basketballs into hoops set at different heights and balancing on a teetering bridge.
After preparation and production of their robot, the team competed in mid-March at the 2012 Rebound Rumble Los Angeles Regional.
Their robot was named “The Brave Crusading Jester” in honor of the mascots of the three schools involved in the program. Known as the
BOM Bots (Beta Omicron Mu), the team placed 23rd out of 66 teams in the event and finished 4th out of 17 rookie teams.
Hunt has begun charting the club’s next steps. “We want to start now promoting our club and raising money for next year. After seeing
sponsorships other local teams had (Walt Disney Imagineering, Google, JPL, NASA, Raytheon, Albertson’s, JCPenny, etc.), we would like
to add other sponsors of our club in addition to Boeing.” He also noted that there are many scholarship opportunities for students involved
in FIRST. Over 664 schools/organizations offer upwards of a combined $14 million in scholarship money.
Hunt said the response from the students has been tremendous. “Students have been exposed to programming, building, and marketing
with the robotics program and have been energetic through the entire process. I have young men and women who will play a vital role in
making this program grow at the school.”
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