Notre Dame High School

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PaleyFest 2015: Arrow and The Flash

The Paley Center for Media in Hollywood, California hosted a variety of panels for popular television shows in their annual PaleyFest TV festival. The hit television shows put on panels for fans in attendance and worldwide via live streaming. I attended the panel’s for “The Flash” and “Arrow”.

The CW Network has created a gigantic following for their smash-hit shows based off the characters from DC Comics. “Arrow” first debuted three seasons ago, chronicling the story of the DC Green Arrow character in a modern and dark adaptation which became a mega-hit. Mid-way through season two of the chronicles of the billionaire vigilante, Oliver Queen, the writing team introduced the character Barry Allen, a forensic scientist, as a guest star. His appearance was so well received, that the CW Network awarded Barry Allen, also known as the Flash, his own series. 

Since The Flash debuted in 2014, it has surpassed Arrow in ratings, and has become the CW Network’s most popular show, with Arrow following in second place. With a large following of these two shows, the CW Network has done its best job to interact with, and please their fans.

The lead actors from both shows along with their respective creative teams took to the stage for a panel. Questions were asked by a moderator, as well as being asked by fans in the audience, and fans who submitted questions on the Paley smartphone app. 

I attended the event at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with my friend Georges. He is a Notre Dame student and passionate fan of the shows as well. We had an amazing time getting to see our favorite entertainers live, and their candid responses to questions about our favorite shows. They were incredibly humorous. 

On top of hearing from the teams behind the two shows, we also got to see exclusive previews for the remaining episodes of the seasons. 

Notre Dame has outstanding television production classes. They are available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In the classes, students are taught the ins-and-outs of television production, and the industry. On top of creating and producing projects, the classes participate in film critique, and the class goes on many amazing field trips to media and television studios. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Television production teacher, Elisia Harkins-James, organizes for other industry professionals to come to give panels at Notre Dame High School as a part of the curriculum. This unique and special act, has inspired me, and other students to be passionate about the industry, and enjoy conversing with the people behind the productions. 

In the above video, I document a piece of the PaleyFest experience. Make sure to watch it, and if you enjoy the piece, or simply want to discuss “The Flash” or “Arrow”, let me know on Twitter. 

---Tommy Muhl

Twitter: @LATimesTommy 

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MLB All-Star Giancarlo Stanton returns to Notre Dame High

Giancarlo Stanton, a Major League Baseball player for the Miami Marlins, returned on Feb. 5 to his high school, Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks. And on that night in the Southern California Valley area, baseballs were hit hard enough to leave the galaxy. Stanton was a second-round pick in the 2007 draft to the Marlins. Since Stanton’s career began, he has been named an All-Star on two occasions (2012 and 2014), and won the Silver Slugger this past year (2014 season). His potential knows no limits. As a high schooler, Stanton was a multi-sport athlete. All CIF recognition was just a preview of the excellence Stanton would carry along with him. In many ways, Giancarlo Stanton is a modern day Dave Winfield, who is a member of baseball's MLB Hall of Fame. To be a top prospect in high school in multiple sports is an anomaly to say the least. Stanton’s success and hard work has earned him the most lucrative contract in North American sports history. The big bucks were rolled in this off-season as Stanton secured a $325-million contract in a 13-year deal. Yes, he is 25. And yes, he is a Notre Dame Alum. He returned to Notre Dame for a commercial shoot. Those in attendance witnessed a hitting display for the ages. Balls were parked hundreds of feet from home plate at the Notre Dame Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Some even left the Notre Dame property and landed in the adjacent Riverside Drive. After his work was done, I caught up with El Dinero Hombre for a few questions. These questions and much more are in the video above. -Tommy Muhl

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Cooking for a cause

Notre Dame High School is a place with numerous activities for students to take part in. Besides sports, these activities include many clubs and organizations. One of the most successful and popular clubs at Notre Dame is the ND Grillers. This group of dedicated cooks put on events once every month where the proceeds go to a deserving charity. On January 27, the Grillers sold creole chicken in a nest of jambalaya,which turned out to be a huge success.

The Grillers started the afternoon before the event by marinating chicken and cutting up sausage. The next morning, as some members of the team were setting up tables, the chicken was put on the grill and the first batch of jambalaya started to be prepared. Terry McGaha, the clubs adviser and head of the Notre Dame Immersion program, is a Louisiana native, so for this event, he had authentic Jambalaya mix flown in from New Orleans. When the food is prepared and lunch begins, students rush to the Grillers to be the first to taste this month’s mouthwatering creation. Senior JV Ating says he likes "the fact that they serve food that is very different from what is usually served at the cafeteria. The creole chicken was pretty good, I really liked the jambalaya.” When the event is over, the Grillers get to enjoy some of the fruits of their labor, as they are treated to the food that is left over from the event. 

This month’s proceeds went to the Gary Sinise Foundation to help wounded warriors. Because of the event's success, the Grillers were able to donate $220 to the foundation. With the track record that the Grillers have gained over the past two years, the success of this event comes as no surprise.

Being an ND Griller is one of the many opportunities that students at Notre Dame have to add to a great school community. Whether it chicken in a nest of jambalaya, tri tip sandwiches or Christmas burritos, the events that the Grillers put on are almost always a hit.

- Nick Halaby

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An ideal player

Junior Samantha Tintoc-Camarinta is a Notre Dame High School student athlete who plays a key roll on the Knights girls' water polo team.

Her Notre Dame career began with a simple conversation with head coach John Hirn. Tintoc had swam on a club swim team in middle school and asked about joining Notre Dame’s team. Hirn, who is also a coach of the swim team, turned Tintoc on to polo, where a couple years later she would become a big part of the Varsity team.

For Tintoc, being a Polo Knight has meant both being a part of an exciting Notre Dame program and continuing a heritage of family athleticism. 

Tintoc plays on the 4-5 side of the pool because being left handed gives her a better shot from that area. Through her experience with Notre Dame polo, she has enjoyed an aspect of team bonding and companionship which she never felt playing an individual sport like swim.

According to Tintoc, her history as swimmer has actually made speed a strength of hers when it comes to playing polo, which is something that she uses to her advantage when in competition.

Like all high school athletes, Tintoc has the challenge of balancing both academic and athletic commitments.

“I’m fine with it, because I have been dealing with that for a while," Tintoc said. "So it isn’t really an issue.”

While being more than capable of handling school work and being an athlete, Tintoc also receives a huge amount of support from home. Her father, Ray Portalisa, was a boxer in the 1976 Olympics for the Philippines and understands what it is like to be an athlete.

“He understands what I have to go through and he is really great at motivating me,” Tintoc said.

For her future, Tintoc only wants to get better and continue to have success with Notre Dame’s Lady Knights. With what she is able to do, such a feat is not unrealistic.

Being a part of a high school sports program is big commitment for anyone. For Tintoc, it is something she can handle. With her perfect balancing of school and sport and commitment to improve and seek future success, she shows herself to be an ideal high school athlete. It will be incredibly exciting to see what the future holds for Tintoc and her water polo career.

- Nick Halaby

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How much do Notre Dame students really know about their sports teams?

Notre Dame has a close knit community, and even tighter knit sports teams. If you are not a member of the team, however, you can sometimes be out of the loop for information. To exploit this lack of knowledge, I asked fellow students questions about the upcoming season. Little did they know, I was actually asking for opinions on untrue statements. 

In the video above, students demonstrate their wit about completely false statements and questions. Many fake student-athletes and coaches are created by me based on famous people in society. Using textual queues, the origin of the people or things I question about are explained. 

-Tommy Muhl

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Signing on a future

On Wednesday November 12th, six Notre Dame Athletes signed letters of intent, meaning that they will reach the colligate sports level. For seniors Zana Muno, Janet Yeo, Sammy Winchester, Jordan Myrow, Jake Hirabayashi and Chris Collins, this day marked both a symbol of an end to a high school legacy and the beginning of a colligate career.

“It’s just a dream,” golfer Yeo said, who was signing her letter to play for the University of Northern Colorado. “The fact that I am doing it with so many great athletes is part of what makes this just such an amazing day.”

Along with Yeo was her teammate Winchester, whose letter of intent was for Cal Poly San Louis Obispo. Notre Dame’s baseball team was represented by Myrow and Hirabayashi, both signing with UCLA, and Collins, who signed with San Diego State.

Youth Olympian Muno also signed with UCLA. Her mother, Kim Muno, said that the day was, “definitely a relief. I am so happy that this day is here and that she has made it this far. I am so excited for her.”

Parents were not the only ones enjoying the event, as coaches of all of the athletes were there to appreciate the hard work of their players.

“Today is an exciting day for Notre Dame Baseball and for the three guys who worked extremely hard to be here,” baseball coach and director of admissions Alec Moss said. “We are extremely proud of them and this is just the first step. Our season starts in February so we are looking forward to seeing great things from them.”

“I am happy that they have reached the goal that they set," Ann McClung, who is the girls golf coach and Dean of Women, said. "When they were freshmen, they talked about wanting to play in college and perhaps even professionally. This is the first step to that. Who knows if they’ll go on, but this is that first goal.”

Later in the year, Notre Dame will have another signing event where more students will put a signature on their future to play collegiate sports. With these six already on their way to the next level, Notre Dame sports is proving itself to be a hotbed of athletic talent.

- Nick Halaby

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Lady Knights are ready to make a splash

This is the time of year that we see an end to fall sports and get ready for the winter sports. In the coming months, Notre Dame High School will get ready for its men and women’s basketball and soccer teams beginning their seasons. Though, the girls water polo team will add to that excitement as the Lady Knights prepare for one of their most anticipated seasons in recent memory.

This coming season will be the first that the girls water polo team plays on Notre Dame's campus. That, along with a squad of young and veteran players, will help raise expectations for the Lady Aqua Knights.

“We should be pretty good this year,” head coach John Hirn said. “I think that our defense will be very strong and we just need to figure out our rotations and things and we’ll be fine.”

Hirn expects that having the new pool on campus will help the girls gain some momentum. Hirn talked about the excitement and pageantry that surrounded the boys' home water polo game against Crespi High School.

“It was a very exciting time to be a part of Notre Dame water polo," Hirn said. "Playing off of campus all these years, it’s difficult to get some outside excitement going because a lot of kids don’t see it. When they see it, they go 'Wow, this is cool! This is way different than I thought.' Hopefully we can keep that going.”

Hirn said that the team’s goals include to win league, which would put them in a good spot in playoffs. With the new home pool advantage and mounting expectations, the team seems to have a lot to live up to.

For the Lady Knights, this upcoming season is a big one. Having a new pool to call home will be a huge factor into the coming success that the team could have.

--Nick Halaby

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Baseball stars commit to Division 1 Universities

Notre Dame High School is well known across southern California as a premier baseball program. With seven Division I commitments in the last three years, Notre Dame is a talent hotspot. This success can be attributed to the hard work of each individual, and the team spirit that comes along with being a Notre Dame Knight.

Starting pitcher Chris Collins has committed to San Diego State University. In the video above, he describes his experience of being offered a scholarship.

Jake Hirabayshi and Jordan Myrow both have committed to the University of California, Los Angeles. The Notre Dame three and four hitters will be attending the same school and playing on the same college baseball team. With UCLA being recent national champions, Myrow and Hirabayashi will be among some of the country's most promising young stars. 

While each player is pleased with their commitment, they have not lost focus on the upcoming varsity season. Each player is determined to win the Mission League and make it to CIF Playoffs. These three standouts--Myrow, Hirabayashi, and Collins--will look to lead the Knights squad in every way possible.

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No better way to clinch

On Tuesday, November 4, the Aqua Knights, Notre Dame’s Water polo team, played much more than a game. A win would get them a playoff berth, not to mention bragging rights over their hated rivals Crespi. In recent memory, Crespi has had the upper hand when it came to matching up in Water polo. “We’ve lost to them the last two years so it’s very important for me, the seniors and the team to get this win in our last Crespi game,” said Senior Ian Buenafe hours before the match was set to begin. This game was also Senior Night, which added even more emotion to the atmosphere.

With the Knights playing home games this season on Notre Dame’s campus, student and community presence at the games have been noticeably bigger than previous years.  The Crespi game only amplified that, as fans from both sides crowded the pool deck. At first, the game was close, with both the Knights and Celts trading goals. After a while, the Knights defense seemed to wear Crespi down and eventually Notre Dame’s offense exploded.  The game ended with a Knight victory of a score of 17-7. Even though the game itself was close to a blowout, the atmosphere remained hot. With both Crespi and Notre Dame student sections trading chants and parents cheering with deafening roar after every score, the scene became a rather rowdy one. Even Notre Dame’s Irish Knight Band made an appearance, which added even more to the emotional atmosphere. 

After the final buzzer had sounded and the seniors celebrated their win over their rivals, coach Jason Falitz talked about the impact that the fans had on this game. “We’ve been waiting all year for a game like this and we’ve been waiting all year for this game, so to get it done in front of our home crowd with the band and everything was awesome,” he said. When asked about what it was like to beat Crespi the way they did, a smile came to his face. “It was excellent. It was by far one of the most satisfying wins of my Notre Dame career.” For the Knights, the playoffs await and for their seniors, a fitting ending to their storied Notre Dame careers might be around the corner. 

- Nick Halaby

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Behind the Scenes: Notre Dame Sports Network

      While Notre Dame is known for its successful sports programs, seldom will you find someone who knows about the Notre Dame Sports Network. NDSN is the broadcast team of Notre Dame varsity sports. The team is full of dedicated members, whether you're a cameraman, a producer, or an announcer, sports run deep in your veins. In the above video, I show the process of broadcasting a Notre Dame home football game against Bishop Amat. I am an anchor in the NDSN program.

      Our media programs at Notre Dame are second to none. Mrs. Elisia Harkins-James is the head of all of the broadcast media programs at Notre Dame. We have a large operation with lots of equipment to complete our projects. This wide field of tech equipment and variety of the programs set Notre Dame apart from most broadcast media programs in the state. 

     I arrived at 5 p.m. (7 p.m. kickoff) and helped set up equipment. We ate pizza, and then were ready for broadcast. I announced play by play with Andrew Gavinet accompanying me with color commentary. We have a dynamic relationship for sports commentary; We constantly work off of each others analysis and humor. 

     Bishop Amat defeated Notre Dame 38-24, but NDSN received a record amount of viewers. The number of fans watching the broadcast via ndhs.org was in triple digits. This can be attributed to the great fans we have that follow our social media accounts and interact with us as announcers.

    If you would like to interact with me when I broadcast for NDSN please feel free to tweet me @LATimesTommy with your questions, comments, or any general thoughts about the game. If you are interested, I also will retweet you if you tweet me with information about Notre Dame games. I am looking to interact with all of you! Thank you for your continued support!

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Football: Notre Dame vs. Alemany

Notre Dame, ranked 20th in California by MaxPreps.com, lost to No. 14 Alemany on Halloween night, 14-10, in a game full of great defense football, talented players, and rain.

Alemany struck first, going up 7-0. Notre Dame then took a chunk out of the Alemany lead with a field goal. Jarrin Piece of Alemany scored on a kick return for a 14-3 lead. Khalid Taylor then made an amazing interception to bring the Knights within four, 14-10 at halftime.

Notre Dame came out motivated to give the fans and themselves a hardworking second half. Notre Dame came out making key tackles and mounting good offensive drives. Sadly the second half ended as the first did, 14-10 Alemany. 

Notre Dame fell to 6-3 overall, as Alemany jumped to 7-2. Notre Dame dropped to No. 22 in California, while Alemany moved up one spot to No. 13.

The Knights take on  No. 7 Bishop Amat this Friday 

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Notre Dame’s annual Dig Pink event

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     On Thursday afternoon on the Sherman Oaks campus of Notre Dame, students and parents came out in support of Girls Volleyball’s annual Dig Pink fundraiser. Dig Pink is an event that raises money and awareness for Breast Cancer and has become an annual tradition for the Knight community. Because it’s a mix of High School competition and community outreach, Dig Pink is both a unique and iconic event.

     This year, the event began earlier in week as players walked campus selling this year’s version of Dig Pink T-shirts, the proceeds of which would go to the fight against Breast Cancer. On Thursday, hours before the varsity game was to begin, players were outside the gym selling everything from root beer floats to pink frosting cookies.  The team members were not the only ones selling that night, as the famous Grilled Cheese truck made an appearance to help bring money into the cause. Inside the gym, the bleachers and wall were covered in everything from pink balloons to enormous banners riddled with catch phrases all relating to the night’s theme of beating breast cancer. Before the beginning of the Varsity game between Marymount and Notre Dame, both teams had a rather special pre game presentation. Each girl from both teams announced who they would be dedicating the game to, which was usually a loved one touched by the disease. The game itself was exciting, as it went the full five matches, with Marymount coming out on top.  As good as the game was, it was almost an afterthought to the entire purpose and meaning of the nights festivities.

     The result of the game did not matter. What Dig Pink means and what it stands for is bigger than any final score. For Notre Dame’s Girls Volleyball team, the night was a success. They raised a large amount of money for the fight against breast cancer and, at the same time, united their Holy Cross community.  

- By Nick Halaby

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Volleyball team really digs pink

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Athletes all across the country participate in festivities for Breast Cancer Awareness month, with many athletes making alterations to their uniforms and gear to show pride for the fight against cancer. Wearing pink has become a large part of high school athletics as well. Notre Dame High School does its part to fight against Breast Cancer through the women’s volleyball campaign “Dig Pink”.

Members of the varsity volleyball team sell shirts at school lunch time to raise money in support of research efforts. In the video above, Anela Kremicki and Jenny Edwards give their opinions on their last game and explain the “Dig Pink” atmosphere. They also explain the emotion behind this specific game and how the cause motivates them. In addition to selling shirts, the team also makes headbands with names of people affected by breast cancer on them. These headbands broadcast who each player plays for and also contributes money to the cause.

The electric atmosphere of a Notre Dame volleyball game is a great experience for fans. Loud crowds, intense focus, and amazing displays of athleticism are a big part of Dig Pink volleyball. Members of the Notre Dame student body attend, as well as family and extended family members of the team.

--Tommy Muhl

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This is what a dynasty looks like

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It’s 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon in Sherman Oaks. As football players walk to practice and the girls' water polo team jumps in the pool for a workout, Coach Ann McClung tries to organize her golf team for a team photo.

They all agree upon a pyramid formation, five girls on the bottom and four on the top. This is what a dynasty looks like. These girls have just won their sixth consecutive league championship and, after their pictures, are on their way to attempt another run for a CIF title. The five girls on the bottom make up a core who will be back next year. For the four on top, this is their last team photo shoot.

Seniors Samantha Winchester, Kathryn Newton, Janet Yeo, and Lauren Crittenden will be playing their last match in a Knight uniform this coming week. For them, being on top of this shaky, and sort of dangerous, pyramid marks the end of an era.

“We’ve gotten very close as four girls, and also four competitors,” explains Newton, who talked about what this end to their journey will be like.

“Since this is our last year, we want to leave with a legacy,” exclaims Yeo, “so we all want to win CIF and we are all working hard to get that goal.”

These four girls are among some of the most successful athletes on Notre Dame’s campus, with Winchester being last year’s league MVP and Yeo winning it this year. Now, as seniors, they are left thinking about what their last hole as a Knight Golfer will be like.

“Oh God,” says Winchester, as the thought goes through her mind.

Crittenden says that, “Having that last shot will be just surreal, since high school has gone by so fast. I’ve probably made the best of my memories with the this team and I’ll honestly miss them so much when we all go to different places, so that last put, I’m going to make it count.”

After their photo shoot is done, the girls break into song. It’s Crittenden’s eighteenth birthday, and they intend to show her all the love of a family. For Yeo, Winchester, Newton, and Crittenden, this coming week will be the end of an era. For Coach McClung and her other five girls, they will lose a part of their family this coming May, as the four seniors graduate from Notre Dame. As for now, while Crittenden is being mobbed by her teammates, this family is still united and is poised to quite possibly add one more piece to their collection of championship rings. 

--By Nick Halaby