Rampart F O R D HAM P R E PARAT O R Y S C H O O L Volume 66, Number 5 April, 2006 by Nick Figueroa,’08 Spanish Club Presents Festival of the Year After months of hard work with the help and dedication of the ladies from the Mt. St. Ursula Spanish Club, the Fordham Prep Spanish Club yet again delivered a spectacular and exhilarating night full of performances— songs, dances, poetry, speeches, and dishes—reflecting the immense pride of the ambient Hispanic culture. The much anticipated Fiesta Hispania night unfolded on March 16 at 7:00 p.m. Guests slowly and eagerly ambled to their seats, unaware of the events that were soon to befall them. The creativity and variety of the Spanish culture abounded throughout the Commons. Colorful designs and the classic songs of the salseros transmitted a sense of tradition and brought to mind memories of the past—a time when jibaros, or Spanish country-folk, artistically expressed the ideal romance through their words and body movements. Soon, these recollections were brought to life as their own sons and daughters stood before their very eyes, ready to celebrate the rich heritage. The agenda was intriguing, filled with amazing performances such as the following: “La Fiesta” a poem written by David Melecio-Vázquez ‘07, which began the evening’s program, “Calabó y Bambú” a poem recited by Jason Javier ’06 with Steven ArroyoFalcon ’06 on the congas, and “Te Extraño” an a-cappella song sung by Nicholas Figueroa ‘08, Kevin Javier ‘08, Peter Peralta ‘07, David MelecioVázquez ‘07, and Wayne Seaton ‘09. There were two dances by professionals “The Heart-Break Boys”, “Escapémonos” and another a-cappella song by Nicholas Figueroa ‘08 and Vanessa Pizarro ’07 and “Con Cada Beso” an acappella song sung by Kevin Javier ‘08. The two highlights of the fiesta included a beautiful dance to the song “Te Traigo Fuego/Dame Agua” by the assiduous members of the Fordham and Ursula Spanish Clubs. The last great performance to close the night was the spectacular and eye-opening salsa performance performed by Sean Ortiz ‘06 and Daniela Perez ‘07; the onlooking audience gazed upon the dancers with envy as their turns and body expressions produced a smooth flowing sensation. Señora Piñeiro, Señor Baker, and Mr. Phipps were honored for their exceptional contributions to this successful event with plaques and speeches. The Fiesta drifted to a close as the night was danced away by the audience to the songs played by DJ Moshetta. This was an unforgettable event and incredible experience. ¡Que viva la música! Athletes Honored For Outstanding Achievements by Daniel Finnegan, ‘07 Earlier this month, on March 14, the Prep held its annual winter sports assembly to pay tribute to the success of Fordham’s winter teams. The 2005-2006 season was an especially successful one, highlighted by the track team’s 4-man relay team of Matt Keefer, Brian Doherty, Terrence Egan, and John Bradley, which captured the national title in their event, as well as the hockey team’s undefeated season and trip to the CHSAA state championship game. However, this assembly was to honor not only these gifted athletes, but also the scores of others who participated in Prep athletics this season. The assembly was kicked off by the introduction of Mr. McLaughlin, the Prep’s Athletic Director and Varsity Wrestling Coach. He provided a brief description of all the winter sports teams, noting their important victories and achievements. Hearing all the triumphs of Fordham’s various teams ranging from bowling to hockey were enough to instill a feeling of immense school pride in every listener. (continued on pg 5.)