The Show Goes On Despite Controversy

by Eric Humphrey

Judge Memorial's decision to produce the popular Broadway musical, "Rent: School Edition," has raised a few eyebrows among the Catholic community and those abroad due to its edgy content. "Rent," centered in an impoverished neighborhood in New York City, focuses on issues that some say are inappropriate for a high school audience.

"My concern is that at a Catholic high school, even with the toned down version, I don't think ["Rent"] is age appropriate without having an alternate perspective so that young students have a Christian perspective of those hard social issues," says Deacon John Kranz of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Kranz, who filled in for the sick Monsignor Mannion during the Sunday mass, discussed, in his homily, the necessity for high school students to be shown the positives in life. Parents who have approached him regarding "Rent" find fault with what Kranz describes as, "[Judge's] lack of a Catholic viewpoint."

However, this controversy in not confined to Salt Lake City's Catholic community. Blogs such as "moonbattery.com" and "orthometer.blogspot.com" have been the sites of brutal spitefulness between those who want "Rent" banned and those who support the production. KSL's appearance at director's night and subsequent news story brought further publicity to Judge's production and with it, broader criticism.

Local conservative radio host, Doug Wright, questioned Judge's choice of play and the issue of homosexuality dominated his discussions. Judge's own principal, Mr. Rick Bartman, phoned into the Doug Wright Show to defend his school's choice of performance.

"[Rent] addresses issues that kids in a diverse community are confronted with on a daily basis...the base of the play is sense of community and inclusion and sense of looking at opportunity," Bartman told Wright, "It's about young people trying to make it, make a difference, follow their dreams." However Wright persistently questioned Bartman's judgment to allow a Catholic school to perform a play that might glorify homosexuality. To this allegation, Bartman challenged Wright to, "find a person infected with HIV or even full blown AIDS that glorifies their situation," adding, "the Church does not condone homosexual behavior acted upon but welcomes homosexual persons as a part of our community." The podcast of Rick Bartman's interview on The Doug Wright Show can be found on KSL.com.

Darin Hathaway, director of "Rent" head of the drama department, seemed confused at the existence of any sort of controversy, and for good reason. "I had a parent meeting with every student who wanted to audition for Rent. I received nothing but support from the parents," said Hathaway referring to a mandatory meeting for all parents of students who auditioned, "This meeting was an opportunity for parents to express concerns about the production." For parents, this was their chance to read the high school script, discuss "Rent's" edgy content, and ultimately decide whether it is appropriate for high school students. "I received positive comments and excitement," revealed Hathaway, "I heard nothing but support from parents."
In spite of the controversy, the show did go on. "Rent: School Edition" debuted October 22 in the Judge auditorium.

English Quest

Friday, February 27th, 24 bulldogs ventured to Weber for the annual English Quest. This is the 4th year Judge has participated, and our bulldogs have always been successful in this English competition. It is a "contest that began in St. George years ago" says Ms. Simpson, who takes the English Quest participants under her wing each year. The small event that took place at Snow College, turned statewide about 6 years ago. The winners for this years competition have not been announced yet, but several bulldogs were finalists: Laura Lighty, Pat Thompson, Tom Luchs, Kelsey Hom, Sean Sweeney and Katie Harrington. Students took on feats such as persuasive essay writing, personal narrative, character sketch, spelling bee, poster making, an editing test, designing a book cover, poetry and creating a photo essay. "There have always been competitions for sports, drama, debate...but this is the only competition I know to both celebrate and compete for all language arts." says Simpson. It is a chance for students strong in English to "take it to performance". The other participants included Mary Morgan, Nicholas McDonald, Emily Andrews, Lydia Gardynik, Mike Sayre, Lizz Graham, Craig Domeier, Ben Davis, Jackie Graham, Patrick Boner, Chelsey Rodriguez, Jamie Pisciotta, Lukas Richards, Sam Highsmith, Jade Martinsen, Ryan Sabol, Nickie Worth and Sierra Brimhall. Simpson adds, "A lot of what you do in English, who sees it?" but these bulldogs got a great chance to show off their writing, speaking, poetry, photography and design skills. Congratulations!

Simplot Games: Throwing, Long Distance, and Hurdles.

The clocks ran as soon as the Judge team walked into the stadium. Two and a half hours in and out of sleep on a bus, and the indoor track team had finally made it to Pocatello, Idaho. It was late afternoon by this time, around four o'clock, and there was barely time to prepare for the first race, the 3200 meters. Runners began to jog around the track, and around the campus near the stadium, though many weren't looking too overworked, for 16 laps around a 200 meter track, the first four could substitute a proficient warm-up.
In these races competed senior Lizzie Hindert, freshman Conner Liston, and freshman Jordan Higley. Each person pulling through their monotonous events, and finishing decently. Along with physical endurance, these competitors required an esteemed level of patience for the 7 heats of the boys mile, and 5 heats for the girls ranging from 9 to 14 mintues per race.
During the seldom exciting exhibit of the 2 mile, reigned weight throw in the center of the ring. Sophomore Ofa Vaisima competed in the weight throw the first Thursday of the Simplot games, and then entered the shot put on for the second night. Ofa has been throwing for two years now, and throws roughly 28 ft. in shot put, her main event. However after her second year competing in the tournament, she was especially proud to have thrown further than her sister, a Senior at Woods Cross High.

Simplot Games: short distance and high jump

Last weekend the Judge Memorial track and field team traveled to Pocatello, Idaho to participate in the annual Simplot gamse, and the bulldogs really excelled. In the 200 meters, junior Kiersten Berg got first place in her heat, even though she was running in the first lane. The first lane is the hardest lane to run in because it is set farthest back and has the steepest curve around the end of the track. Junior Christian Barbiero and sophomore Kevin Ortiz also surpassed in the 200. Paul Clark did very well and was in one of the fastest heats for the 60 meter dash. Mary Morgan, a sophomore, joined Camille Overmoe, Kiersten Berg, and Lizzie Hindert to compete in the Medley relay, while Linda Frank mastered the high jump, jumping over the bar at 4'10''.

Our Town Premiere Tonight

The main stage production this year, Our Town, premieres tonight at 7:00 pm in the Judge Memorial Auditorium. It is directed by our drama and tech teacher Darin Hathaway and stars Pat Thompson, Lexie S. Allen, Nick Shifrar, Alice Gonzalez, Ashlyn Lozano, Lukas Richards, and Ryan Sabol. Our Town is a three act play, meaning there are three intermissions. During these intermissions, donations will be collected for the Road Home charity. If you can't make this performance, you will have the opportunity to attend on Friday or Saturday.

Freshmen Girl's Basketball: Undefeated

All the Girl's Basketball teams are tough to beat. The Varsity squad is heading into the playoffs as region champs and they finished with a regular season record of 19-2. The Freshmen Girls went undefeated, 17-0, in the regular season. Then won the next two games in the Freshmen tournament for an overall record of 19-0 . Their success reflects the hard work of the upperclassmen and the talent of the underclassmen. With the skill of all the teams in the program Judge Girls' Basketball can only get better. Make sure to support your Lady Bulldogs Varsity this Saturday, but don't forget the Freshmen as they play in the semi-finals this Thursday at Judge.

13th South - Illegal Beagle

Boy's Tennis Preview

As spring begins, it means something important for a group of
bulldogs: boy's tennis is starting. After pulling an upset victory in
the 2008 season, the bulldogs are the current 3A state champions and
are hoping to keep it for at least another year. Despite some
graduating players, the varsity team still has depth. Andrew Lamb,
Trey Kennedy, David May, and Kolbe Newton should be returning to the
team for the 2009 season, along with other players. The tennis season
will begin in early March and the bulldogs will start the search for
another state title.

Chamber Night

In the midst of what would be the off-season for Judge Memorial's orchestra and band, seeing as there are no major concerts until the month of May, Chamber Night is a chance for the individual performers to showcase their work. Every February Ramona Mayer organizes Chamber Night; this recital is a collection of soloists, duets and even some quartets. The pieces that are performed are not rehearsed in the early mornings of class, but on the musician's own time, making this a very personal concert.

On the types of music that will be performed Ramona Mayer said, "I encourage classical, but over the years, jazz, Broadway, soft pop and other genres have been added. The idea is to perform close-up and personal with the audience and that often supercedes the style choices. Rap, hip-hop, and alternative are still out, though!"

Be sure and celebrate the talents of your fellow classmates on February 12th at 7:00 PM in the Music Room (across the hall from the auditorium). Admission to watch professional level music being performed by high school students is free and treats will be provided. Come and support!

Girls' Junior Varsity Soccer

Are you looking for a new extra-curricular activity to do here at Judge? Soccer might just be the perfect idea. I recently sat down with a soccer player, Shiona Smith. We talked about how she has enjoyed playing this sport so much.

"It was really fun to get to meet new people before coming to Judge, because on the first day of school I wasn't as nervous as I could have been because I knew a lot of the freshman already." Shiona replies. "It's a really fun sport and I encourage everyone and anyone to get involved." She has been playing soccer since she was just five years old and her favorite position is defense.

This year there is a new soccer coach. Shiona says that she just recently met him and is very excited to get to know him more out on the field. "This season, I am really looking forward to getting to know the new coach." Shiona says smiling. "I'm also looking forward to new training and conditioning."

"I would tell anyone to get involved in soccer. It's fun, it gets you moving." I can tell how excited Shiona is about this upcoming season. "I love getting to interact with the other players and the coaches. It's a great way to get to know new people."

Shiona's advice to future soccer players is, "Try your hardest and do your best, don't be put down by the fact that someone else is better than you." The season will be starting soon. If you would like information on how to get involved with the soccer team, please contact Wayne Voorhes.

Girls Golf

Spring sports are now upon us and the girl's golf team is one of the sports quickly gaining interest. The number of senior girls now looking to play the sport has grown drastically since last year, not to mention the several juniors and underclassmen planning to join the team. The girls will start practice on March 2nd under the coaching of Patty Brimley and they are all very excited to start playing. "It's mostly about learning and the experience, but we are all really excited to play," said senior Marquel Reddish. The girls will compete in 6 upcoming tournaments and they are all hoping for the best.

Bulldog Basketball

This week is a big week for Judge basketball; the Varsity boys' team had a 40-39 win over Wasatch leaving them with a 7-0 region record. The Varsity girls had a tough 50-51 loss to the Wasps; this leaves them with a region record of 6-1. Wednesday the freshmen girls and boys will take on Highland, while the sophomore and JV boys will play Wasatch. Sophomore, JV and Varsity boys and girls all take on Uintah on Thursday. Good luck bulldogs!

Our Team, Our Town, Our State

With basketball state championships and the opening of the main stage production on the horizon, Judge students everywhere are getting pumped up and excited. Whether part of the cast or part of the team, we are all part of the community- and that's why JM's Student Council created "Our Team, Our Town, Our State". You've heard it all before: As a community, it's important to support each other in every way. But now's the time to enforce it- Judge is getting ready for some amazing things.

"I'm having a lot of fun- I'm really excited-it's my last year," says Varsity Basketball member Danny Franks. The team hasn't qualified yet- but things look promising. With a region record of 7-0, the boys are well on their way to the glory of the state title.

On February 2, students piled into the auditorium for Judge's first ever Directors Night, in honor of Our Town. As Mr. Hathaway says: "The play is the closest thing you can get to classic American." Although the play has a dry script, it is infused with meaning and emotion that are present in the lives of real people. Our Town is moving and deep, it explores the deepest sense of community possible. Our Town premiers on February 19th and closes the 21st.
So, with these two big events looming in the distance, it's time to gather your friends and support your school, whether part of the team or in the bleachers. Reserve those tickets and practice your cheers, because it's Our Team, Our Town, Our State.

Judge Swimming

The Judge swim team is seeing its season come to a close and state is moving ever closer; the girls looking to redeem themselves after last year's close loss to Park City in the state championships. The boys looking to improve from a 4th place finish. The girls being led by captains Kate McMinimee, Melissa Nichols, and Megan Bush, and the boys being led by Oliver Diamond and Will Bowers. The girls rank 1st going into the races and the boys 5th. The event takes place February 6th and 7th at the BYU swimming pool.

Wall of Service

While soldiers sacrifice their time and risk their life for the safety of others, students at Judge have created a sort of memorial to commemorate those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the world. Aptly named the Wall of Service, students are encouraged to tack up the name of a loved one that is serving in a war or has served in the army, navy, air force, marines, you name it. Catholic Schools Week is all about service, and by passing this reminder and seeing the names of those who serve our nation, it's easier to see how our service can influence others. Even something as small as volunteering at your old elementary school or helping an older neighbor organize their attic, we can all make a difference. Seeing how we affect the people around us makes us realize that we can all change the world, together or alone.

Drama Teacher Hosts Director's Night

Judge's drama department is gearing up to perform this year's main stage play, Our Town. Mr. Darin Hathaway – the drama teacher and director of the production – chose this American classic for many reasons, namely because it is noted as one of the most important American pieces ever written.

Hathaway wanted to be sure that viewers of the Judge performance would understand the significance of the play, and furthermore why Thornton Wilder, the playwright, wrote such a profound – and often abstract – play.

For this reason, Hathaway hosted "Director's Night" on Tuesday, February 2, in the Judge auditorium. The cast was present to talk about their characters and Hathaway discussed the life of Wilder, the history of the play, the play's plotline and structure, and why Our Town is important.

"So many people have come up to me and said, 'I was in Our Town' or 'I remember where I was when I first saw the play.' And I think that is what's so cool about Our Town. It has sort of established this tight community of people," said Hathaway.

Director's Night was an insightful look into the life of Wilder and Our Town as a whole. The commentary that Hathaway provided was interesting and will help those who attended appreciate and understand the play.

The production runs February 19-21 in the Judge Auditorium. All shows are at 7 PM. Come and support the very talented Judge drama department.

indoor track kicks off

It's been a slow start for Track and Field, but the season's meets won't wait for the last person to catch up. Indoor season will be in and out the window, like a cold chill in the night. So far we've had a high of nine participants in one meet, ranging from 2 to 9 people at each new event. This year the team seems to be recuperating from the loss leaders, but it simply needs new talent to step into the spotlight. A couple think you need experience and skill in order to run, jump, and throw, well you can't meet the bar if you don't face it, meaning you won't get any better unless you try. From sprinter/hurdler/thrower/jumper Jenna Sliwinski, to distance pro Luke Puskedra, part of their success attributes to their constant trial, practice, and dedication even after facing failure. There is still much talent on the team, and if you haven't tried racing give it a shot, because you can only gain once you've begun.

Judge Basketball vs Wasps

On Tuesday February 3, 2009 the Judge Memorial Bulldogs face off against the Wasatch Wasps in what could be the most important basketball game of the season. There will be a good match-up between the teams and the bulldogs will have to work hard if they want to come up with the "W." The game will be at Judge at 7:30 P.M. Chuck Edmunds, a senior on the Judge Varsity basketball team said, "It should be a great game and be sure to look for D-Franks [Danny Franks] to come up big from behind the ark [3-point line]." Be sure to show up and show the basketball team your support in the game that could be the deciding factor for who becomes the region champ's.

Nerd Show

Last Saturday, four ska bands, Illegal Beagle, The Mooks, The Fast Food Kings, and The In-key Dropouts, performed for at Kilby Court, a car garage converted into a music venue. As you may know, Illegal beagle is a six-member band, three of whom are students at Judge. These students are Andrew Arredondo on tenor saxophone, Diandra Ryan-Mas on guitar and keyboard, and Jimin Brelsford on trumpet, fiddle, and baritone saxophone. It was a great show and the fans were getting very into it. Illegal Beagle has a new album with five songs. To purchase an album, I reccomend that you talk to a member of the band.

Engineering Club

Engineering Club at Judge began the end of the first semester and the club is planning for many entertaining activities for this semester. Michael Robinson, a junior at Judge, the one who created this club tells, "The Engineering Club at Judge is an opportunity for students at Judge with an interest in Math, Science, and Engineering to explore the current world of engineering as a possible career path in college and beyond. We are working directly with the University of Utah's Engineering Department to explore ways of using engineering to solve some of our world's challenges of energy conversion and pollution emissions." They are now focusing on the use of fuel cells and renewable source of energy and preparing for the presentation at the University this summer about fuel cells.

Michael Robinson seems very positive about the club. He says, "I think that the club is a great opportunity for students to get a head start on college correspondence, and will look very good in a resume. The activities that we will be doing are both fun and educational, and we have the potential of making strides toward improving the world we live in." Anyone who is interested in Engineering Club can contact Michael Robinson by email at mrobinson801@gmail.com, find and talk to Mr. Angelo or just show up at their meetings. The meetings are on every Thursday, in Room 211.

Catholic Schools Week

This week is Catholic Schools week! This yearly event is to "honor those who contribute to success of Catholic schools" as Ms. Lazinski says. 2.27 million students are in Catholic schools nation wide. This year's theme is service, "To recognize people who do service around school" Ms. Lazinski says. This is a time for some of Judge's most involved students to be recognized, like they deserve. "It is a reminder of why we are here", Ms. Lazinski adds. It's a chance for us to realize how Catholic schools like Judge contribute to their communities. Each morning of Catholic Schools week, a senior theology class will thank a person or group of people here at Judge that should be recognized for what they do here everyday. There is also the service wall, where people are welcome to write the name of someone they think serves their country or community. The names will be displayed all week.

Men's Swimming: The REAL Men

Judge Swimming has always had its rightful place in the State competition. The men's swim team had won the state title 3 of the past 6 years but then lost many strong seniors and had to start from nearly scratch. Coach Matt Finnigan has taking on the challenge and this year the Men Bulldogs look like they have a very good chance to take the state title. They took 3rd in Region trailing Wasatch by 11 points and Park City by 88 points. They plan to gain those 88 points by using the other competition in the state to heighten their performance and surpass Park City in all races. It will be no easy feat for the Bulldogs because they lack depth in their team but have great talent. "We have no outstanding swimmer in breast stroke [and other strokes/relays] and Wasatch has three. It will be tough to keep up."

The team is lead by captain, Judge Memorial junior Oliver Diamond, who is ranked in the top 3 of every event in 3A schools. Senior Will Bowers also has stepped up as captain and driven the team in positive directions. Both encourage the entire team to show respect to all swimmers and coaches and give support for their team mates. Both juniors, Willis Shafer and Will Voytovich look to be strong leaders next year. Willis will be key in two relays and the 100 back. Will will be necessary in 2 relays and the 500 free.

State will come down to what team has the most dedicated team. It won't matter on depth or even how much talent a swimmer has but how well the mens team can work as a team and rack up points.

Girls Lacrosse

Girls Lacrosse

The lacrosse playing, butt-kicking, lady bulldogs are back and ready to play their favorite game. The girl's lacrosse season is just beginning and already the girls have been jogging, passing, shooting and catching, braving the icy elements and getting mentally and physically prepared for an exciting spring season. The team had a great season last year, moving up as a Division 1 team. The squad lost many excellent senior players but are ready to play again with the help of several talented freshmen. Ladies lax also moves forward with new leadership- new head coach Jamie Wilhite and assistants Kate Baker and Kimberly Frost. The team is excited to get back out on the field, but for now must dust their cleats off and get back into their favorite sport.

Debate Update

The Judge Memorial High School debate team is in the middle of a thriving season. One of their important upcoming dates is the long awaited debate tournament for which they have been working towards this whole year. Jesus Hernandez, one of the members on the team, says that the upcoming debate tournament is, "next week and is for three days. If we win, we will gain a spot in the national debate tournament." Winning in the tournament, called the Warrior Wars, is vital for the debate team to advance to their national title. Losing means that they will only be able to celebrate their local success.

The students on debate team and their coach, Ms. Megan McDonald, are frantically preparing to thrive in the tournament's strong competition. Jesus Hernandez says, "Debate members are preparing for this by getting all their speeches and cases ready for it." The tournament includes all forms of debate such as declamation and congress. It is like the Super Bowl of debate.

When Jesus Hernandez was asked what he would like the rest of the student body to know about debate, he said, "I would like the student body to learn at least a little about debate because it is useful in both legislative and judicial branches of government." According to him, the debate team does its best when their tournaments are well attended. He is convinced that Judge would have had a better seed in the Warrior Wars if more students had come to their past events. Let's do our part to cheer on the debate to success in the Warrior Wars!

Mock Trial

The Judge Memorial Mock Trial team still has their eyes on the State Championship. Their first match is coming up against West High School. Competitions begin on March 7th. For those of you who aren't really sure what Mock Trial is, the team is given a case to argue a case before a judge and a jury. "The team has to be able to represent both sides of the trial," Mr. Holder says. With Tom Luchs and Jimin Brelsford chosen for the team leaders because they are the "most responsible and dedicated," according to a fellow team member, they're sure to be focused the state championship, which they have won the past five years. Let's make the sixth championship just as good as the past five!

If you want to know more about Mock Trial, they have team meetings after school on Mondays at 3 PM in room 104 and also on Thursdays from 5 to 7.

X-Country team

The Judge Memorial X-Country team had an excellent season. They went to state and finished closely behind the state champs, Park City. X-Country training will start up again late this summer. Most practices are held at Sugar House Park. If you would like to start training, Coach Cordova will be in the weight room Monday – Thursday for those of you who would like to start training ahead of time. Everyone is welcome to join the team. If you are interested or would like more information you can contact Coach Reed at mreed@judgememorial.com.

Girls Volleyball

The 2008 Judge Memorial girls volleyball ended their season with varsity

taking 8th place in State, and 2nd place in the Regional tournament. The girls

loved the season, and had a blast getting to know new people and playing

the sport they love! "Every team has the potential to be great if they fully

commit, and have the desire to be great." - Teran Horner.


Tryouts for the 2009 season are the first week in August. To prepare, there

will be three different Spring clinics to freshen up on your skills. "Do the

clinics, come prepared, and stay in shape!" is the advice given be Teran

Horner, coach of the JV and Varsity volleyball teams. "Think of volleyball as a

year round sport, and keep in shape always." Being on the freshman team

this 2008 season, I would have to agree. Tryouts can be brutal, so keeping in

shape will help you tremendously if you decide to try out. (Which i would

recommend, it was SO fun!)

Freshmen Football

This past season the Judge Memorial Bulldogs Freshmen football team finished with a record of 6-3. It was a very successful season for the bulldogs and these boys will surely be a solid addition to the JV and Varsity football teams next season.

If any incoming freshmen are interested in playing football the best things you can do is to come to summer weight and speed training which is Monday-Thursday almost all summer.

Last season there was an average of almost 25 freshmen each day at workouts and it would be great to see that kind of turn out this summer as well.

Judge Hockey: Another Season Gone

This hockey season for the Judge Memorial Bulldogs was thought to be a season of rebuilding. A new coach with many fresh faces had many people optimistic about this season. They started out the season with hopes of playing in a state title game. Even though nobody thought this was possible, the coaches and players still had faith. Well, the season is coming to an end and the Bulldogs hockey team fell short of their goal of a state championship.

"We all had very high hopes for this season, but some of them couldn't be fulfilled," says Wilson Lamb, who plays on the varsity team, despite being a freshman. "Obviously, we would have like to see out team go farther, but it was still a very fun season and I loved every second of it."

The Bulldogs are finishing off the season with a mediocre record, but they are still proud of it. "I'm very proud of all of my teammates; not just from their performance of the rink, but also because of the way that each and everyone of them kept their composure throughout our struggles and triumphs. They are all great sports," says Lamb of his teammates.

This was thought to be a season of rebuilding, and in a way, it was. All of the teammates were brought together by first year coach, Todd Brown. Even though this wasn't the year that the Bulldogs had hoped for, there is always next year. Junior standout, Shawn Benvugnue, and rising stars like sophomore Steve Strehl and Wilson Lamb will make up one of the best hockey teams to ever play at Judge Memorial.

Bishop Wester on Proposition 8

Bishop Wester is pleased to offer a response to your question about
Proposition 8 and his view on marriage. He has asked me to respond to
you on his behalf. His thoughts reflect the Church’s teaching on the
Sacrament of Marriage not only within the Church but within society as
well.

"As Catholics, we believe that marriage, by definition, is a permanent,
exclusive, procreative relationship between one man and one woman. This
definition of marriage is frequently referred to as the
“traditional” definition with good reason: marriage has been
viewed this way for countless generations.

Now human beings enter into many types of relationships, most of which
are very positive and meaningful. Family relationships, friendships,
and co-workers are just some of these relationships. Each of these is
unique and has its own character and place in human affairs. When we
refer to the marriage relationship, we intend, as a church, to point to
that relationship that is characterized by complete self-giving, a
self-giving that actually leads to new life through procreation, as well
as a relationship that surpasses all other relationships in its
commitment, complementarity, permanence and exclusivity. Only the
relationship that we call marriage can achieve the depth of this union
on all levels: physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual. This
definition does not deny other relationships but it does define a
specific type of relationship that is only possible between a man and a
woman. While many human relationships can and should be life-giving in
some way, or permanent or complementary, we reserve the term
“marriage” for those relationships that express the fullness of
union and the specific ability to generate new life that exists only in
marriage understood in the traditional sense, i.e., between one man and
one woman in a permanent, exclusive and procreative relationship. This
relationship is solemnized in the sacrament of marriage, witnessed by
the Church’s minister and the people of God.

It is worth noting that although there are many types of relationships,
God chose the covenant relationship between husband and wife to signify
the relationship between God and humankind. This speaks further to the
specialness of this union and the dignity of marriage as understood by
the Church. It is only in this covenant relationship that the two
complementary halves of God’s human creation, as husband and wife,
join together and become one. This complete giving of husband and wife
to each other and the depths of their union on all these levels is the
most profound representation of the covenant relationship between God
and us.

Although we cannot agree with those who believe that marriage is a
civil right, we still honor the dignity and sacredness of each person
because each person is made in the image of God. To the extent that
certain rights, such as hospital visitation rights or inheritance
rights, fall within the purview of the government, we would have no
objection to the granting of these agreements by the state."

JV Volleyball

The lady bulldogs season for volleyball has ended with a title of 8th in state at a 3A tournament. Coach Taryn Horner was a great coach and gave much hard effort into teaching the girls.

Freshman Alex Clark, who played on the Junior Varsity team, said, "It was a great season, I loved working with all the girls, they always gave 110%." Summer camps are help at the beginning of the summer for the younger girls interested in playing when they arrive at high school. IVA is also a way to improve and progress in the game of volleyball.

Peace and Justice Alliance - Changing the World

The Peace and Justice Alliance has definitely had their hands full this year. Making Judge and the world a better place is a lot of work. They just finished up Human Rights Week, which had many exciting events. Many people participated in the activities, learning about the world, and having fun at the same time. One of these activities was the disability lunch, where kids tried to be blind or tied their hands behind their backs. There was also a balloon toss, where words like genocide and racism were written on a board, and kids threw balloons to try and erase them. A video about immigrants, called the Visitor, was also shown. The Peace and Justice Alliance had many announcements for us in the mornings during the week. In addition, Judge coordinated with the Inclusion Center, who helped out. Some students even went off campus for activities on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As for upcoming events, they have lots of activities to plan. "Right now we are getting ready for Black History Month," Mr. Lovett, a moderator of the group commented. "We are also preparing for a spring campaign." Senior, LeVaughn Wilkins will be participating in this, representing Judge Memorial. East High School will also be partaking in the campaign. In the past, Judge has worked with Highland High and Park City.

If you are interested in this great club, that helps make a difference at Judge and outside of the school walls, come to room 104 on Friday mornings, or talk to Mr. Lovett.

Girls Tennis

Judge Memorial's own lady bulldogs sliced, smashed and swung their way through the season, finishing in fourth place at state, just one point under their all time rivals Juan Diego. The season concluded on that cool October evening, at the state tennis tournament held at BYU. "We may not have came in first place, but we won in every aspect of team spirit, citizenship, friendship, and integrity." Says senior Chesley Price.

Unfortunately, the team is loosing some great seniors, who brought much skill, and positive attitudes to the team. " The team will not be the same without the girls. They always knew how to make us laugh, and were so kind and accepting, regardless of their age or ability." Proudly states sophomore Chloe Ropner. The girls and all of their positive attributes will be missed.

"Though the team will be loosing a few members, a very bright season is expected of the girls next fall. All of the girls have improved so much this season, that we have so much to expect of each and every one of these girls!" Claims head coach Lani Wilcox. Though the season may be over, the lady bulldogs are keeping up in the tennis circuit, and will surely be shining in the bulldog spotlight next fall when the season begins.

A Year of Bulldog Swimming

Since Bulldogs Swim to State was published the Bulldog swim team otherwise known as the Tribe has come a long way. At the beginning of the season everybody agreed that the Tribe needed freshman swimmers to win the State Championships and it didn't look like very many freshman were going to show up. But then something extraordinary happened. "About twenty boys showed up," Gulia Longo recollected. "We didn't know what to think of it because we never had 20 boys before, not even when I was swimming here," the '04 graduate said. "We use to have to go out and beg boys to come to the pool. Now we don't even know where to put them all." In addition to the new freshman three juniors Oliver Diamond, Willis Shafer, and Will Voytovich returned for their second to last and senior Will Bowers returned for his last season.

As for the girls, several new freshman appeared among them Cassandra Col who has been a very strong swimmer for the Tribe. Erika Eisenman returned as a junior and Melissa Nichols, Megan Bush, Maria Schwartz, and Kate McMinime returned to swim for their last year.

The season progressed well. The freshman after learning the ropes became a real asset to the team. The sophomores and juniors all got better and the seniors swam as fast as they could. As Captain Oliver Diamond put it, "We think of it as a 'development' year. We'll develop and then we'll go to State and then we'll surprise a lot of people."

The Bulldogs drove down to St. George where they had two meets and everyone dropped time after winning their last regular season meet in Tooele. The Tribe then went to the Region 10 Championships where the Girls Triumphed and the boys took third. The Bulldogs have swam well all season but as coach Matt Finnigan said, "I still don't we've gotten their best shot by any means. When we do, that's the question: Can (we) take the momentum and take it all the way?" The Tribe has two weeks of training left before State. Everyone is going to have to train hard and swim incredibly well if they want their fifth State title in eight years.

Girls Volleyball

The 2008 Judge Memorial girls volleyball team ended their season with varsity

taking 8th place in State, and 2nd place in the Regional tournament. The girls

loved the season, and had a blast getting to know new people and playing

the sport they love! "Every team has the potential to be great if they fully

commit, and have the desire to be great." - Teran Horner.

Tryouts for the 2009 season are the first week in August. To prepare, there

will be three different Spring clinics to freshen up on your skills. "Do the

clinics, come prepared, and stay in shape!" is the advice given be Teryn

Horner, coach of the JV and Varsity volleyball teams. "Think of volleyball as a

year round sport, and keep in shape always." Being on the freshman team

this 2008 season, I would have to agree. Tryouts can be brutal, so keeping in

shape will help you tremendously if you decide to try out. (Which i would

recommend, it was SO fun!)

Shooting for Victory

The freshmen girls basketball team is undefeated so far.

Some people may think that the freshmen girls are nothing to watch, but the girl's freshmen team has the best record so far. After beating all the top teams like Morgan and Wasatch they are continuing their goal to be undefeated for the season.

With a record of 12-0 the team is still going strong. Their coach, James Lee, is leading them to victory. Coach Lee's most famous quote that he reminds the team everyday is, "school work is more important then basketball". He also focuses a great deal on defense. As he always says, "defense wins games." Maybe that's why the freshmen team is undefeated.

The girl's freshmen team also has a new assistant coach. Amme Garcia is in her first year at Judge teaching freshman students and a few seniors: it is also her first experience with coaching a basketball team. "I am learning along just as you guys are." She is a great motivator. She keeps the team happy and focused on the long streak to being champions.
With two amazing coaches, the girls are continuing their journey to beat the last year's freshmen girl's record of only loosing three games. As the girls always say before a game, "we on three, one, two, three, WE!"

February Try-outs and Basketball Update

Try-outs are coming up for many sports. The try-outs for Soccer, Baseball, Softball, and Indoor Track are coming up in the month of February. Many of these teams have already begun having workouts before or after school. To find out when these workouts are taking place ask the coach of your specific sport. Also for try-out times you can ask your specific coach or Mr. Delporto. Don't forget you must have had a physical for this sport or a previous sport and you must also obtain a red eligibility card from Mr. Delporto in order to try-out.

Come out and support the Judge Boys and Girls Basketball teams. The Boys Sophomore, JV, and Varsity teams are all undefeated in region play. The Sophomore team has been great all year with only two losses coming to Brighton and Bountiful. The JV squad coached by Mr. Delporto is 9-5 overall." We are doing pretty well, not bad. However not as good as the Sophomores." says Mr. Delporto. Varsity improved their record to 10-6 and 5-0 in region play with a 74-49 beating of Union on Thursday. They were led by Oliver Hughes who had 24 points, McDonald's All Americans Dee Crandall and Stallon Saldivar with 10 and 18 points, and Junior Zach Meyer chipped in with 14 points.

The Girls Varsity improved to 14-1 with a 51-38 win over Union. They were playing without starter Erica Martinez. Yet, Mikelle Mancini stepped up in the absence of Martinez and led the way with 18 points. Despite a seven point deficit at half time, the girls came out and outplayed their opponent in the second half. The final score was 51-38 in our favor. Both the Girls and Boys Varsity teams need our support when they enter the State Competition at the E-Center on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of February.

By Andrew Stuck

Senior Slide Show

Seniors, time is running out to send your photos to the senior slide show. These photos can be from your high school years or earlier on. We would appreciate it if you try to include as many people in your photos as possible. You can send them to seniorslideshow@judgememorial.com or give them to Matt Gray, Carina Matonis, or Katie Harrington.

Debate Team

Coach Megan McDonald and the Judge Debate Team's 27 members have been competing for 2 and a half months. The size of Judge's team keeps it uncompetitive against larger schools, however individually, Judge is performing extremely well. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the season," said McDonald, who is also a freshman and sophomore English teacher. She is coaching her first season alone at Judge. Her prior debating experience consists of assistant coaching another high school team in addition to competing on her college team.

Invisible children

This past month has been painted with the colors of the Invisible Children organization, the shades of giving, kindness and hope. For the last three Fridays, the Judge community has rallied together in a massive effort to combat the evil encompassing the lives of the children thousands of miles from us in Africa. The Bulldogs have donated over 5,300 books of all topics to the cause. These books will help encourage reading among the children of Uganda and hopefully change their lives for the better. The student body also raised over $5,000 dollars for the cause with the popular Invisible Children Fridays. The bulldogs had the option of free dress on December 5th, November 21st, and November 14th in exchange for $5.00 or five books per student. For those three Fridays the school was transformed! A few students could be found in the usual uniform khaki, but most of the school came together and dressed for the cause. Miss Lazinski of Campus Ministry thinks the entire experience was worthwhile and meaningful. "It's great to see how many different people get involved." Judge will hopefully work with the Invisible Children again next year. Thank you so much to all who participated and contributed to this fantastic cause!