The field is telling us something

Photo illustration by Will Tempfer

Fresh Start, Fresh Season

Girls' lacrosse season has officially began, and it is off to a great start. The team captains for both Varsity and JV have already been chosen. The dedication has already started at an extremely high pace. The coaches are teaching us skill that we must acquire to play this sport with the best of our abilities, and as they say "It wont be easy, it will take along time to get it, but the only way to make sure you do is practice it constantly." The whole team is currently working on running time, which means we must run 2.6 miles around the school, it is currently taking us about 40 minutes, but if we learn to run at 100% it should take us about 20 min. Our games will not start until March, and the entire season does not end until May. So we have a few short months to challenge ourselves and give it all we got. But besides the fact that we must master these abilities, we must also learn to bond and work as a team. The ability to work as a team is what would make us unstoppable, and nothing else.

- by Yvonne Vierra

Frosh girls b-ball 16-2 on the season

The Judge Freshman Girls ended their basketball season strong with a record of 16 wins and 2 losses. True to that, they made history. No Judge Freshman girl's team has ever only lost two games. It sounds pretty amazing but to the girls it doesn't. Many of the girls came from the same school and an undefeated basketball team two consecutive seasons running. Losing to Morgan twice was unacceptable. All of the girls are thirsty for another shot. But, I guess that will have to wait, until next season, because it turns out that Morgan will not be coming down for the freshman tournament.

The Judge girls started out the tournament with a strong win against East High, 57-20. Judge will go on to play Wasatch on Tuesday February 12. Part of Judge's successful season must be in part because of the team but also because of the cookie makers, Coaches James Lee and Amanda Lazinski. They have put their all into making the most perfect cookie and it shows. I would like to take the time to congratulate the girls and their coaches for having a winning season!

- by Rima McComas

Giving up modern conveniences

This is a follow up from an article printed a few weeks ago about how the freshmen students of Judge Memorial were asked to go 24 hours without using ipods, TV's, videogames, cell phones, or computers (except for when doing homework). The students were also told they weren't allowed to eat snacks in between meals, could only drink water, and could not use personal grooming items. Yes girls, that means no make-up too. The teachers also informed the students that they had to sleep on the floor instead of in their comfortable beds, and a few teachers even decided that they were going to prohibit showering during this 24 hour period.

After everyone had completed their 24 hours, it was interesting to hear what the students had to say. Many students seemed to have that one thing that they just couldn't live without. "I feel this was a really good experience for everyone, but I just wasn't able to give up showering," said Victoria, a freshman at Judge who participated in this project. Other students had become so used to using these items, they just plain forgot they were banned for the day. Mickey, another freshman, stated "I was so tired when I got home that I completely forgot about not being able to sleep in my bed until I woke up the next morning." Even though each student had difficulties with one part of the assignment or another, many believed this was a good assignment because of how it made them realize how lucky they are.

- by Josie Mascher

Baseball preseason

I have been in the Judge Memorial Baseball program for almost 2 months. In those two months, I have been to numerous practices, hit countless balls, and thrown a million balls. Considering that try-outs are still in a month, this is a very vigorous training regiment for a freshman. Getting up at five every morning, weightlifting for an hour, pitching in the gym for another hour, and then after school having hitting practice is an extremely large step from my team last year, but I feel that this will help me develop as a player. The coach of the baseball team says he has such a tight schedule because of how Judge has done in the past several years. Judge has been 2nd or 3rd for the past three years in a row. Lets hope their extra practices and intense coaching helps them get that 1st place trophy!

-by Chase Pribble

3A swim championships

Last weekend the swimming Judge Bulldogs competed in the 3A State Championships. They knew it would be a hard fight going in and they all did their best to rule the pool. In the last five years the girls squad has achieved first every year. This year the girls team placed second to Park City. They made it very exciting, making it come down to the last event – the 400 yard Freestyle Relay. They made Park City give it all and they were great competition. Every competitor did their best and many had personal records. The boys squad, with only twelve on the team, achieved fourth place. Almost all had personal records or got to be on the podium and get a medal. The 2-day meet never lacked in excitement and they reached a great accomplishment. Congratulations swim team of 07-08!

-by Jackson Elizondo

Invisible Children

Recently the entire Judge community watched a moving documentary on "invisible" children of Uganda. This documentary was filmed by three teenagers that went to Africa to explore the culture and let the world know what was really happening there. After watching this Judge raised money for these unspoken for children. They sold bracelets that were made from reeds and assembled by community's children in Uganda, each reed bracelet comes with a DVD on the child who made it.

The money raised here will go straight to children. The same children who without homes who sleep out in the streets in masses just to stay safe from abductions by the rebels. I think that many students at Judge have gotten a lot out of this entire event. Even more things have happened with it teachers even made assignments based on this documentary. I can only hope that people have taken this outside of school and spread the word of the children who cannot speak for themselves. This documentary alone has helped the children and if every one in Salt lake saw this I am sure that there would be large changes for Uganda.

-by Paul Hansen

Chamber Night 2008

The annual chamber night went off on Wednesday without a hitch. We were treated to some wonderful music and great food. There was an excellent showing from the students this year. We had musicians from every grade and a huge variety of instruments were played. There were a number of singers performing solos, duets, and trios. There were also several solos, trios and quintets by band members. Additionally, there was a wonderful string quartet and string solo. The audience was overflowing. Many listeners had to find places on the floor. It appeared that everyone really enjoyed the music. It was not unusual to see someone closing their eyes and smiling to themselves as they listened to the music. The room itself was beautiful. Miss Meyer created a special ambiance with candles and table displays. The food was also fantastic. The table was overflowing with an assortment of delicious finger foods. Every dish was a huge hit! So a huge round of applause goes out to the musicians, parents and audience members. Each one shared a part in making the 2008 chamber night an unforgettable experience.

- by Sierra Brimhall

On a Roll

The Utah Jazz had one of the longest winning streaks in franchise history. They won a record, ten straight games. These games weren't all easy. But with a lot of help from their bench players, it was made possible. Many bench players, such as Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, and Matt Harpring gave it there all in many wins. In one game the Jazz were down, and Deron Williams, drained a three with only seventeen seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Kyle Korver sealed the win with two clutch free throws. Then things started to go downhill. The Jazz went into Sacramento with the highest win streak in the league. At the end of the third, the game was still in reach, but the Kings made their first seven points from the free throw line. This put them ahead for good, and the Jazz lost by thirteen. The next day, the Jazz came back to Utah to face the Chicago Bulls. This was a very boring game, but the Jazz came away with the win 97-87. The Jazz have one more game before the all-star break, and are in the lead in the northwest division. Can the Jazz continue this success in the second half of the season? Watch, and find out.

- by Alex Ferree

Dance Learns a Thing or Two

During the first week of February 2008, the Dance 1 Class was learning a new hip-hop dance taught by one of the senior dancers. All the dancers were in the dance studio dancing, smiling and working hard. The hip-hop dance they were learning was a dance that the older dancers had performed a couple years ago, to the song by Missy Elliot " Pass that Dutch". They were learning this as an assignment/test in their class. Several times a quarter, the 50 plus dancers learn a new dance. The dancers have learned modern dances, African dances, hip- hop dances, and even have performed a stomp routine in front of the majority of the school at half-time at a basketball game. These dancers learn a lot every week. The hip-hop dance being learned last week was very upbeat and was a challenge. "The dance is challenging, but fun at the same time," said Mary Zost, a dancer in Dance 1 that learned the hip-hop dance. The dancers work very hard dancing and learning.

-by Alex Wright

At it Again

After their debut performance on February 1, Judge Memorial's period one dance class is once again hard at work. On February 4, 2008, the class began learning a lively hip-hop routine taught by Emily, a senior dancer. With the complicated movements and intense footwork, most of the class agrees that it is a difficult dance to learn. "The routine is really challenging, but fun because it shows me where I need to improve as a dancer," freshman Victoria Bruno stated.
After mastering the routine, the class is expected to perform it in front of their teachers, Mrs. Jeanette Sawaya and Ms. Natosha Washington. They will be graded based upon their knowledge of the dance and their performance. The teachers also expect energy and confidence during a performance. In their words, "You can't just go through the movements, you have to believe it." Moving so quickly from one dance to another, the class hopes that their hip-hop performance will be just as entertaining and believable as their debut routine.

-by Mary Zost

Boys Lacrosse Season Starts

Only one more week of conditioning for the boys lacrosse team at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. The team has been in a blackout period where only conditioning is allowed, but starting this next Monday, President's Day, regular practice is allowed. The season will be officially started.
For the past several weeks the JM Boys Lax team has been conditioning everyday for an hour and a half. Starting with short runs and some light workouts, it quickly evolved into mile runs and very tough work. They've been working their biceps, triceps, abs—lots of abs work—and legs. The team has also done some yoga to keep them injury-free.
This week is the last week of conditioning-only-practice for them, and it's not going to be easy. But next week they can actually practice lacrosse, which they've all been waiting for. This doesn't mean they won't condition during the regular practices, just not nearly as much. All this work will pay off in the games; take a look for yourself.

-by Beau Imhoff

Girls Swimmers Almost Take State

Last Friday and Saturday the Judge swimmers took a trip down to BYU to compete in the State championships. The mood was set and everyone was pumped to swim in their events. Although I was not present I definitely knew what it was like, being a swimmer myself. This is an important moment for a swimmer and it determines their rank on the charts. If they can do well they can be ranked as a top swimmer. Luckily the swimmers were close enough friends that it wasn't all serious and they were able to get in some quality time. Even though it did turn out to be a disappointment when at the end of the meet the Judge swimmers took second losing by only 6 lousy points. We lost to park city which was the worst part about it, but being the good sports that they are they walked out with their heads held high. The boys took 4th place, but they are still our heroes. In fact all of our swimmers are our heroes.

Boys Lacrosse Prepares

This week was the second week of conditioning for the lacrosse team before the off week was over. We are not allowed to use lacrosse sticks because the lacrosse league does not allow us to use lacrosse sticks for three weeks.
Most of the team fears going to lacrosse after school because our plan is to get all of the conditioning out of the way in these three weeks so we can use our sticks when the off week is done. What our workouts usually consist of is some core strengthening and allot of running. On Wednesday we ran six times around the block, which is three miles not including all of the uphill running. Some of the core strengthening includes push-ups, sit-ups, and bridges.
I, along with most all of the team, cannot wait until we get a stick in our hands. We know that all of our conditioning is just making it better but there is a limit to how far all of the running and core conditioning can go.

-by Spencer Conley

A Season to Remember

With their win last Friday over Park City, the Judge varsity boy's basketball team has clinched it's third region title in the last three years. All year long they have been playing solid team basketball winning all ten of their region games and only losing three games to 5A Jordan, 5A Skyline and 5A Brighton who finished 12-7, 12-7 and 15-3, respectively. The Bulldogs have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with no matter the size of the school losing to Skyline and Brighton by only 9 points combined. They are going to be a very tough team in the playoffs and definitely have a great shot at winning it all. Judge has been lead by the spectacular play of big man Noel Hollingsworth and point guard Stallon Saldivar, who both have helped lead the Bulldogs through their amazing season. Other key players include Oliver Hughes, Dee Crandell, and Walker Gale, along with many of the other bench players. This season is one to remember and could be one that gets this team a rafter in the gym remembering their season if they can win it all.

-by Patrick Jones

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that I have recently read. It is set in Macomb County, AL in the 1940's; Macomb is a small town suffering from the Great Depression. Atticus Finch a lawyer and a widower with two kids Jem and Scout. Atticus is a man of courage and respect. He wont judge someone by there actions he will put himself in there shoes then decide what he thinks. This book can really make you think about how you make decisions and such.

Tom Robinson is a man convicted of doing a crime that he did not commit. Atticus is chosen to defend him; Atticus knows that he won't win. He takes the case because he knows that it's the right thing to do. Atticus is a man that realizes that everyone has good and bad qualities, but it is more important to appreciate the good and to understand the bad by treating people with sympathy and trying to see from their perspective. So before you judge, try to stand in there shoes and see the way they do.

- by Sydney Gee

Basketball Halftime Show

On Friday, February 2, 2008 the Judge Memorial Dance Class preformed at half time for the Boys Basketball Game. This was held in the Judge Memorial Gymnasium. They were playing against Union and defeated Union by a twelve-point lead. The final score was sixty-four to fifty-two in favor of Judge. The Dance Class performed a Stomp, and it turned out great! They worked on this Stomp for two months, December to the beginning of February. In this Stomp, there were freshman, sophomores, and one senior. The majority of the class was freshman; there were about six sophomores, and a senior, Lewis Walker.

I talked with Mary, a freshman, who preformed the dance and this is what she commented. "It was a fun performance and it showed me what I am capable of doing." They are currently learning a hip-hop dance. Emily, a senior at Judge, is teaching the class and though the students find it difficult, they also find it quite enjoyable.

Presidential Primaries

Regardless of your political position, this presidential race should excite you as a participant of democracy. Voters are turning out in record numbers and in states that usually contribute very little to the election process. Examples are Idaho and North Dakota in which Democratic turnout quadrupled. On average states are seeing doubled the 2004 primary turnout. Candidates are drawing out large blocks of voters, specifically the youth, that previous elections have failed to attract.

Aside from the record voting numbers just who the candidates are would have been astounding merely 20 years ago. Until recently a Mormon, a woman, an African-American, and a Baptist minister were all in the race. The status quo of the protestant white man has been shattered this year and I for one am happy to see it go. Groups that have been oppressed for years in this nation now have the opportunity of leading it. I am not suggesting in any way to vote for one of these candidates simply because of their race or gender, only that it is wonderful that these factors have not clouded the vision of the voter. This will most definitely be a barn-burner of a race.

Judge Swims to Victory

Congratulations to our Boys and Girls State Swimming Teams!
The girls swim team placed second in state for 3-A, and the boys placed fourth.
We'd also like to congratulate all the Judge students who placed in individual events, as well as Coach Reed and Coach Finnigan.

- by Lieren S. Allen

Chamber Night: A New Kind of Talent

Be in the music room on Thursday at 7 pm for instrumental solos, singing solos, duets, trios, and even quartets. The music room is draped and lit by candles. It's a great night to hear individuals' talent. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Come and support our music department and listen to some inspirational talent. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.