Matthew Rienhardt: The Innate #8
By Kendall Albrecht
Established to honor Kirk Vasquez’s outstanding memory, the KV8 Memorial Foundation aims to encourage young ball players to follow Kirk’s example by awarding grants and scholarships to players who embody Kirk’s character on and off the field. At Westmont, the baseball program chooses one senior each year to wear #8 in remembrance of Kirk and receive recognition from the KV8 Foundation. As stated in the annual speech given to the Westmont baseball team, “the #8 jersey…[is] given to the player who is selfless, hardworking, and a good teammate,”—a description easily attributed to Matthew Rienhardt, the senior honored with #8 this season.
A devoted athlete, profound leader, and exceptional teammate, Matthew displays all of Kirk’s cherished qualities.
This Day In History
March 14th
1794 Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin machine revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern US states
1913 John D. Rockefeller gives $100 million to the Rockefeller Foundation
1923 US President Warren G. Harding becomes 1st president to pay taxes
1960 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA playoff record of 53 points in Warriors’ 132-112 win over Syracuse Nationals at Philadelphia Civic Center
2004 WrestleMania XX, Madison Square Garden, NYC: Chris Benoit wins Triple Threat title match with Triple H and Shawn Michaels
2006 Mike Wallace retires from US news program “60 Minutes” after 37 years
2013 Xi Jinping named the new President of the People’s Republic of China
2016 President Vladimir Putin orders Russian troops out of Syria
2018 Angela Merkel sworn in for fourth term as German Chancellor, head of a coalition government, 171 days after the general election
2018 NASA twin study finds that Scott Kelly is no longer identical to his twin brother after one year in space, 7% of his genes altered
2022 Dolly Parton removed herself from the ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame saying “I don’t feel that I have earned that right”
Revisit This Issue’s Promo
Fun Facts: St. Paddy’s Edition
By Diego Mantelli
– St. Patrick was actually British
– March 17 is not St. Patrick’s birthday
– St. Patrick didn’t actually get rid of snakes from Ireland, it’s actually an allegory for him converting the “heathens”
– The Lenten restrictions on food and drink are lifted on St. Paddy Day’s, that way people can drink in pubs.
– The first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened in America, not in Ireland.
– St. Patrick’s Day used to be considered a dry holiday.
Westmont’s Got Art!
By Anjali Nayak
So. Much. Talent. Walking through Westmont’s annual student show, it was impossible to not be impressed by the pieces lining the wall. The gallery featured a wide variety of mediums—from photos to sculptures to drawings to paintings. Looking around, one thing was for sure. Westmont’s got art.
Artist of the Issue: Noella Thu
By Anna Genna
Noella Thu — the all-mighty ruler of the lightboard and our current Stage Manager. Noella, a junior, is the sort of person that comes around once in a blue moon.
Upcoming Blood Drive
Westmont’s Blood Drive will be held on March 27 in the cafeteria. Students must talk to Chris Haskett in Room 26 to sign up and get a free gift card for donating! Parents are welcome to walk in at any point, from 8 am to 1 pm.
Everybody Cut Footloose!
By Emi Gruender
You can’t lie. I know you sang that song in your head as you read that title. Jeff Bengford and the Westmont Theatre Department puts another dazzling show onstage in Footloose, a show-stopping tale sure to have your foot tapping along to the beat.
Starring the plucky teenager Ren McCormack, we witness his jarring transition from a bustling Chicago to a quiet small town called Bomont. Whether it be the local Reverend’s strict beliefs or a mysterious tragedy in the town’s past, dancing of any kind is illegal. This production features many of our very own students, including Kaleb Ma as Ren McCormack, Jimmy Nguyen as the strict Reverend, Charline Gervais as Ariel, and many, many more. A peek at this colorful cast reveals a pair of caring, yet witty mothers, a young cowboy itching for a fight, a hyperactive hopeless romantic, and a gaggle of comedic girlfriends– to name a few.
Click here to get your tickets!
The Shield is an independent publication of the Journalism class at Westmont High School. Editorials reflect the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Westmont High School, its Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, or students. The Shield welcomes all opinions, editorials, poems, artwork, complaints, pictures, advertisements, and letters to the editor. Submit all material to Room 58. We appreciate articles from students, faculty, parents and subscribers. The Shield, Westmont High School, and CUHSD do not endorse any advertisements that run in the newspaper.
