SENTINEL Saints’ Volume 1: Issue 1 December 2018 Happy Holidays for the Needy by Theresa Wagner “Alone, none of us can feed them down the street to Coutu thirty families, but together— Theatre which serves as “our look what we did,” says Stephen Grand Central Station,” described Vargas, Director of Campus by Mr. Vargas. Families arrive at Ministry at Saint Raphael the theatre where volunteers Academy, about the school’s pack their cars with baskets full annual Thanksgiving Basket of food and wish them a happy Drive. Mr. Vargas organizes the Thanksgiving. drive with Project Hope, a social The Thanksgiving Baskets are service agency of the Diocese of a longstanding Saints’ tradition. Providence. Guidance Counselor Malaina It comes to no surprise Murphy recalls contributing to that the agency’s mission is to her homeroom’s basket when assist the underprivileged and she was a student herself in the vulnerable. Vargas directs the 1980s. phone calls of those seeking The drive is a shining example Fr. Fisette blesses the Thanksgiving Baskets assistance to Project Hope, who of Saint Raphael Academy’s photo by Nancy Cifune then composes a list of families fulfillment of the Lasallian living in Pawtucket, Providence, Mission, to prepare students in need. Saints is now collecting holiday. Central Falls, and surrounding for a life of service. Traditions unwrapped Christmas gifts that The donations will be loaded cities with great need. like the Thanksgiving baskets will be donated to the United onto a Cardi’s Furniture truck on This year, Saints helped ensure are important to keep, but new States Marine Corps’ Toys for Friday, December 21, the last that twenty-five families would ideas and initiatives are always Tots Campaign. It is the third school day prior to vacation. have Thanksgiving meals. After welcomed to better the lives of year that tall red and white boxes With the help of students and Father Carl Fisette blessed the others. are standing in each homeroom, faculty, hundreds of children will baskets at Saints’ Thanksgiving Campus Ministry is organizing ready to be filled with gifts for receive gifts to brighten up their Prayer Service, students carried another drive to benefit families children eagerly awaiting the Christmas Day. Saving Lives by Donating Blood by Kylie McLaughlin One pint is all it takes. that time frame, you will answer Every day, people need blood some questions on your genetic donations, whether they are history and receive a general accident or burn victims, heart health check: iron levels are surgery or organ transplant tested, and temperature is taken, patients, or people battling along with blood pressure. Any cancer. sign of illness and you will be On October 12th, 2018, Saint turned away, so make sure to Rays played their part in helping wash your hands and avoid the those in need by hosting the flu at all costs. After that, you annual blood drive. The event will be seated, and a pint of was coordinated by Mrs. Sara blood is drawn. Costanzo, with the help of This while process only takes Renalda Maurice Simmons, an 8-10 minutes, and after donating American Red Cross associate. Although our school donated Because blood is in such you are given snacks and a drink Together, they worked to get a large amount, the nation is still high demand, Saint Rays will before resuming your day. Your Saint Rays’ students and faculty in need. Approximately 36,000 be holding another blood drive blood is then tested and sent off to donate. Around 30-40 people units of red blood cells, 7,000 on April 30th, 2019, and we to someone in need, so you can participated and, together, units of platelets, and 10,000 encourage everyone to consider feel confident that, because of donated 30 pints of blood. Saint units of plasma are needed each donating. The process takes your donation, a person is given Rays saved 90 lives that day. day. approximately 45 minutes. In another chance at life. 2 News Saints Nears $10,000 Goal by Gabriela Castaneda-Pineda Cancer is a horrible disease Society. Since then, Saints quarters of the game, the that affects approximately has raised $9,500 for the fight cheerleaders also conduct the 1,735,350 people every year. against cancer. “Miracle Minute”, where they run During the most recent pep rally, Mrs. Murphy explained that through the stands and try to Saints did its part to combat the the money comes from multiple raise as much money as possible disease by donating $1,500 to avenues: the $2 pink dress down in a minute. Along with the the American Cancer Society. day during Spirit Week, where football team, the girls’ volleyball In order to better understand the school raised $800 alone, also sells many pink items to where and how this yearly and different sports teams’ support the cause. donation started, The Sentinel events. The football team’s “A The work Saint Rays has spoke to Mrs. Murphy (the Crucial Catch” game, which was done is phenomenal. So many guidance counselor), who said started by the NFL, is game people contribute from the that Saints began donating in played for those affected by administration and staff to teams 2011, when Coach Sassi was cancer that contributes to Saints Students participated in a and the student body. Everyone approached by a coordinator total donation. “pink” dress down day. has. made it possible to support from the American Cancer During the 3rd and 4th photo by Nancy Cifune such a worthy cause. Welcome 2023 Congress Changes by Jeremy Knox by Emily Fournier The Class of 2023 is nearing Open Houses, it is only sensible This past election season congresswomen from Kansas. the height of their high school to assume that the students saw the most diverse group of Her victory also made her one search. The Open Houses that who are accepted into the class candidates ever. From the first of the first Native American took place this year have shown of 2023 will comprise the largest Latinas elected into Congress in women elected into Congress, many reasons for excitement for class at the Saint Raphael Texas (Democrats Sylvia Garcia with Debra Haaland (D) of New the arrival of the Class of 2023. Academy. & Veronica Escobar), to the Mexico’s victory following soon This year’s Open Houses Although many, if not first woman elected governor of afterward. yielded more students than any all, members of the Saints South Dakota (Republican Kristi One woman who affected other previous year. The potential community would agree that Noem), this series of elections major change is Ilhan Omar freshmen were interested in a this is exciting to see, it bares has brought in a wave of “firsts” (D) of Minnesota. As she said variety of the activities’ table concern to some students as in both chambers of Congress, as in her victory speech, “[I am] displays in Alumni Hall, showing well. well as state legislatures. These the first woman of color to the diversity of students in the While students may endure “firsts” were mostly attained by represent our state in Congress. incoming class. frequently crowded hallways the champions of the November The first woman to wear a Attending open house is the and longer lunch lines, let us not 6th elections: women. hijab to represent Minnesota… easiest portion of the high school forget that with more students This January, there will be the first refugee ever elected search process, but what comes and a larger school also comes three new women with seats to Congress, and one of the next is far more tedious and larger pep rallies, bigger crowds in the Senate, and a record of first Muslim women elected to stressful. The entrance exam, at sporting events, greater 36 new women with seats in Congress.” She is also the first applications, and the decision diversity across our school, the House. Among this group of Somali-American in Congress. process bring challenges that all more relationships to be made, new faces are Marsha Blackburn Rashida Tlaib (D, MI) is the first potential students face. and of course, a larger and more (R) and Kyrsten Sinema (D), Palestinian-American women Due to the popularity of the influential Saints family. the first female senators ever elected to Congress. of Tennessee and Arizona, Bringing this new wave of respectively, with Sinema also diversity closer to home, Ayanna making history as the first Pressley (D-MA), and Jahana openly bisexual person to win a Hayes (D-CT) won seats in the seat in the Senate. Throughout House, becoming the first African the campaign Sinema put up a American congresswomen of hard fight against Republican their respective states. Janet candidate Martha McSally from Mills (D) also triumphed over East Providence, beating her Shawn Moody (R), becoming the by only a slim margin. Another first female governor of Maine. accomplishment of the LGBTQ Each of these victories are community in this election was unique in nature and are just a Current students welcome the Class of 2023 made by Sharice Davids (D), glimpse of what the future of the photo by Nancy Cifune who became the first openly gay nation will look like. Arts & Entertainment 3 For Drama, Any Dream Will Do by Ryan Sutherland A few weeks ago, Saint his way through a new society Raphael Academy’s prestigious and becoming a very important Drama Club put on a production individual in Egypt. of Joseph and the Amazing It was one of the best Technicolor Dreamcoat. performances ever produced at It tells of the story of Joseph our school.