HOWdoyou wantto learn?What is eMAGISzine? It is a digital expression coming from the dynamic spaces of the St. John’s College art, and history departments. In September 2015 teachers from the departments agreed to join forces and collaborate on a student oriented publishing platform. It was only natural, and cost effective to come up with an e magazine that would help to promote the art and ideas of the students and teachers.

This is our 4th edition. We welcome your feedback and ask that you kindly share our e magazine with your friends and family.

The word MAGIS in our name is widely used by the Jesuits and means doing more for Christ, which is doing MORE for others!

eMAGISzine is published by the history department of St. John’s College, Belize City, Belize

Edition #4 15 January 2017

www.belizehistorysjc.com

Editorial and design TEAM: Yasser Musa Kirkland SmithCarlos Quiroz Rudy Thompson Ryan Gamboa Tyler Castilllo (2B)

INSIDE this

ISSUE

The Ministry of Teaching, the Curriculum Improvement Process, the Magis Programme and the like. Renewal requires a change of heart, an openness of mind and spirit to break new ground for the good of one’s

students. - Jesuit Institute, Ignatian Pedagogy - A Practical Approach, 1993

1. Freshmen Orientation2. Mr. Curious Moves On3. All Different, All Equal4. Celebrating Marcos Canul5. Lennox Samuels visits History Club6. Mass of Holy Spirit7. SJC Freshmen Night8. Taiwan Indigenous Studies group visits9. Lisa Shoman visits History Club10. Kirkland Smith designs national stamp11. Masateru Ishizaki visits History Club12. Volleyball Scenes13. The Case for Elfreda Reyes14. Photo Club images15. Caste War exhibit in Corozal16. Crazy Day17. SJC Artifact Collection clean up18. The Living Rosary19. Dia De Los Muertos20. Square Peg Play at SJC21. Cuban Ambassador visits22. Imaginar, Escribir y Acto23. Garifuna Mass24. Christmas Show

image: Khalil Espat (4E)

Freshmen Orientation 24 August 2017

History = constant learning!

Jalen Gotoy (1F)

Mr. Curious Moves OnAfter three and a half years serving as a history teacher at SJC, Mr Carlos Quiroz is moving on. Mr. Quiroz joined the history team at a pivotal time when in 2013 we launched our new program with the teaching of African and Maya History. In 2015 Mr Quiroz was the first teacher to implement the teaching of Latin American and Central American History at the 3rd form level.

He will be missed for his insight, kind consideration of others, and his vision to see the teaching of history transformed to meet the needs of the visual and digital generation. Many of the infographics on our online classroom web were conceptualized and designed by him. He was a key leader and designer in the groundbreaking Caste War Project presented to the Belizean public in May 2017.

On behalf of all his students and colleagues we wish Mr. Quiroz (spoken by many students as Curious) the best going forward.

Enan Silva (4E) president of the History Club giving thanks to Mr. Quiroz for his service to students at the last History Club meeting 29 November 2101

SJC counsellor Christie Manzanilla presents 1st place prize to Junway Lin for his Anti-Bullying poster design

Mr. Curious Moves On

16 September 2017

Junway Lin 1st place - poster design

David Gonzlalez2nd place - poster design

Sydney Wade3rd place - poster design

“Safeguard creation. Because if we destroy creation, creation will destroy us!

Never forget this!

- Pope Francis

Celebrating MARCOS CANUL

3 SEPTEMBER 2017IN BRIEF

Yesterday in Orange Walk Town members of our History Club attended the 1st Marcos Canul Commemoration Day. The Caste War exhibit, developed in May of this year by our History Department was on display at the central park.

Aidan Villanueva (4A)

8 September 2017 Yesterday the SJC History Club hosted their first guest encounter with international journalist Lennox Samuels. See images from the event.

From Amandala(September 2017/Adele Ramos) Lennox Samuels, a veteran Belizean journalist who led a very successful career in the USA, has traveled widely to pursue his stories, even into war zones. Samuels, who became a conflict reporter, told Amandala today that he has been to some 99 countries and reported from several dozens of them.

The top places he likes are Sydney, Paris, Bangkok, Hong Kong, London, Istanbul, and New York.

IN BRIEF

16 SEPTEMBER 2017Scenes from our Mass of the Holy Spirit yesterday at the SJC gymnasium. Our chief celebrant was Bishop Lawrence Nicasio.

16 September 2017Scenes from our SJC Freshmen program yesterday. It was an eve-ning of BIG FUN!

25 September 2017Our visitors from the National Dong Hwa University College of Indigenous Studies especially loved our 2nd form display of Zentangles as the art features many designs and patterns from ancient and indigenous cultures including some from East Asia and Austronesia

27 September 2017Today Lisa Shoman, former Foreign Minister of Belize and Human Rights Activist visited with the SJC History Club for an encounter on

the 1963 case of Nora Parham.

St. John’s College Photo Club

Ramiro Duran (1A)

28 September 2017Yesterday the Embassy of Mexico hosted the unveiling of a special commemorative stamp celebrating 35 years of diplomatic relations and friendship between Belize and Mexico. The 25c and 60c stamps were designed by our very own Kirkland Smith, head of the art department of SJC.The 25c and 60c stamps are the most popular and will be used in the thousands in the coming year.This is a great honor and distinction for Mr. Smith and the Belizean artistic community, as only a few visual artists works have appeared on our stamps.Big respect Mr. Kirkland Smith for contributing to the important friendship with our big brother up north.

IN BRIEF

11 October 2017This evening the SJC History Club hosted Masateru Ishizaki, judo athlete and instructor for an encounter of ideas and views about Japanese history and the art of Judo.

IN BRIEF

27 October 2017Although our Wildcats did not bring home the big victory this year, they played with heart and great team spirit!

IN BRIEF

by yasser musa | 3rd December 2017 We have two men on our flag. And we have two men as official National Heroes. In an August 2017 Facebook post the thinker Valentino Shal wrote about the Global Gender Gap Report citing that in terms of political empowerment Belize ranks 133 out of 136 countries and with respect to Gender Inequality 107 of 136. There is also a huge void and gap in our learning about women in social studies and history.Elfreda Reyes was born a British Honduras colonial subject in 1902 and died a Belizean in 1992. She grew up in the Mesopotamia area of Belize Town. She was a domestic servant who earned less than $2 per week. By 1924 she was a leading figure challenging colonial rule on the basis of class and gender. She was a fighter for the working class, a human rights activist before that was even a concept. She championed gender inclusiveness which is a fundamental idea in modern citizenship.In 1934 she took a frontline position with strikers against the oppressive Belize Estate Company (BEC). In 1935 she petitioned the BH Governor for the right to VOTE (sufferage) with the GOAL of creating a national democracy WITHOUT hierarchy, class, sex or race. She became politically aligned to both George Price’s PUP and Phillip Goldson’s NIP. She was a militant leader for our nationalist aspirations, and a prominent pioneer for women’s political organization in Belize. Our school system ignores Elfreda the same way it does African and Maya history and the same way that the Caste War of the Yucatan is a blank space in our imagination. There is no cavalry coming, we must restore the truth with creativity and technology ourselves. When we teach citizenship or the concept of democracy Elfreda’s contributions must be essential learning. When we teach modern Belize she must be placed in the context of leader, activist, liberator, and grassroots mobilizer. When we teach society and culture she must be exalted as a person who in the face of incredible odds and discrimination stood up to power and inspired thousands of people to stand up too. The big lesson of Elfreda’s life is that she embodied the active citizen who took to the streets so that the force of peoples’ desire for upliftment and liberation could be realized. Two days ago Dorla Boman (Building People Movement) published a book Women Can Govern – The Development of Belizean Women in Politics. It is a great resource for teachers and students and should be made available across this country. I pay big respect to Ms Boman for her steadfast commitment in bringing important knowledge about our people into an accessible frame for us to use inside our classrooms. Elfreda Reyes should be acknowledged as a national hero in Belize.

WHY I THINK ELFREDA

REYES SHOULD BE A

NATIONAL HERO

OF BELIZE

St. John’s College Photo Club

Landon Cocom (3B)

29 October 2017Last night at the Corozal Town Central Park the Caste War project exhibit was presented by the SJC History Department. The occasion was the Corozal House of Culture’s Hanal Pixan celebration. History teacher Mr Ryan Gamboa represented SJC at the event.

IN BRIEF

29 October 2017

CRAZY DAY

CRAZY DAY

29 October 2017

I am lucky to be one of the few students taking part in the SJC artifact clean up project. In the two visits we’ve made, I’ve been baffled by so many preserved animals and stones. The room where the artifacts were being kept first looked like a hurricane had passed through, but we have made tremendous progress since then. I can’t say anything except that I feel so fortunate to take part in this process. - Suamein Palacio (1A)

31 October 2017

The Living Rosary

The Living Rosary

St. John’s College Photo Club

Khalil Espat (4E)

1 November 2017In anticipation of Día de Muertos which is celebrated tomorrow 2nd November, first form classes prepared their altars today.

IN BRIEF

IN BRIEF

1 November 2017This evening the SJC History Club hosted the award winning drama group Square Peg for a knockout performance that had the students laughing and enthralled from start to finish.The group includes:Producer- Hipolito Bautista Sr.Director - Beverly RequenaActors and actressesJim - Leroy 'Grandmaster' YoungMerl - Beverly RequenaFilis - Nicola HydeEileen - Victoria AugustMa - Oneisha FloresHenry - Cameron Tillett - UB studentSpade - Jevon Moir - Belmopan Compre student

Square Peg

St. John’s College Photo Club

Cirian Batty (3A)

Erei Palacio (3B)

IN BRIEF

29 November 2017Today the SJC History Club hosted an encounter with Cuban Ambassador to Belize Lissette Perez Perez. As part of the visit a special screening of the short film Ode To The Revolution by Roberto Chile was shown. This special visit comes at the 1st Anniversary of the passing of Fidel Castro. After the film, our students shared their questions and comments with the Ambassador.

St. John’s College Photo ClubPresident: Landon Cocom (3B)

Hector Flores (1A)

24 November 2017This morning at the SJC gym our first formers gathered for a service day workshop. As part of the activities all 188 students participated in a collective art action developed by art teacher Yasser Musa called Imaginar, Escribir y Acto.The students created a 90 foot long yellow banner and then formed a human highway where a special video was created capturing their reading of the important phrases about social justice.

Imaginar, Escribir y Acto

IN BRIEF

Fr. Bryan Christopher talking with the 1st formers about service to others

Enan Silva (4E)

St. John’s College Photo Club

Landon Cocom (3B)

Garifuna Celebration Mass 14 November 2017

Garifuna Celebration Mass 14 November 2017

all hurricane tracks from 1851 - 2017 in the Atlantic

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR