Mr. Cardinal Crowned - City News Group

Recently, San Bernardino High School (SBHS) hosted the annual Mr. Cardinal Contest at the Sturges Center for Performing Arts in San Bernardino. The student who was crowned the winner and given the title, Mr. Cardinal, has demonstrated the Cardinal City, or SBHS, virtues of justice, fortitude, school spirit and charity. The Mr. Cardinal Contest is for students recognized for their contribution to the school and making a positive difference in the community. The contest has been instrumental in building a sense of school pride in the students, according to SBHS Principal Sandra Rodriguez. Jamie Rios began holding the pageant 11 years ago and the event was named to honor San Bernardino High’s standing as a chartered city, Cardinal City. The program's intent is to allow candidates to give back to the community through various community service projects and assisting non-profits and organizations throughout the City of San Bernardino. The skills students gain during the program include mock interviews and public speaking, both of which better prepare them for life after high school and gets them ready to succeed in college and the workplace. Some of the places the students toured and volunteered were Lighthouse of the Blind, Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, and Loma Linda University Hospital. The program is 12 weeks and is open to any junior student attending SBHS. The contestants this year were, Alejandro Gomez Villarreal, Luis Valencia, Rosalio Cruz, James Laskey, Robert Noble, Jorge Flores Najera, Oswaldo Bribiezcas, Daniel Murillo, Samuel Moreno, Joseph Ortega, Jacob Tucker, and Anthony Hernandez. 16-year-old, Samuel Moreno won this year’s Mr. Cardinal Contest and said, “I learned a lot. I learned not to take things for granted because you might not always have it”. In the last round, Moreno won by one point. He was tied with this best friend, Rosalio Cruz, and if there comes a time when Moreno cannot fulfill his responsibility, Cruz will be there to take over. Rios stated Moreno, “has a way of speaking with people and he was also voted Mr. Congeniality for the school year book. He helped other students learn the dance routine and cared about making the show look good. He thought about others, not only himself. He now embarks on a full year of responsibility in the community and will attend various events.” Rios stated, “I created it because I thought there should be something for guys to give back to the community and to be a positive role model.” He went on to say, “It’s nice to have the support of the City Council, Board of Supervisors, Assembly members and board members from the school district." [END] At San Bernardino High School, the annual Mr. Cardinal City Pageant took place on Saturday April 5th at the Sturges Center for Performing Arts in San Bernardino. The student who is crowned the winner and given the title, Mr. Cardinal has demonstrated the Cardinal City virtues of; justice, fortitude, school spirit, and charity. It’s a contest for students awarded for their contribution to the school and making a positive difference in the community. Jamie Rios started holding the pageant 11 years ago and the event was named to honor San Bernardino High’s standing as a chartered city, Cardinal City. The program‘s intent is to allow candidates to give back to the community through various community service projects and assisting non profits and organizations throughout the city of San Bernardino. Jamie Rios has worked as the bilingual school outreach worker with the San Bernardino School District for over 20 years, and has been working at San Bernardino High School for 14 years. He stated, “I created it because I thought there should be something for guys to give back to the community and to be a positive role model. Every contestant we have had has been successful. One of our past Mr. Cardinal, Gustavo Alvarez, received a full ride to UC Berkley and went in as a Sophomore receiving over $10,000 in scholarships.” Rios said, “It was a long road , and people weren’t giving me the support I needed, and thought putting males on stage wouldn’t be the right thing and I thought, why not try something different? I am open to trying new ideas and after the first pageant, it got better each year, this last pageant was packed and had a full house.” All of the contestants put in at least 25 hours of community service. The skills students gain during the program include mock interviews and public speaking which better prepares them for life outside of school and sets them up for success in college or in the workplace. Some of the places the students toured and volunteered were; Lighthouse of the Blind, Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, and Loma Linda Hospital. The program is 12 weeks and is open to any junior student that attends San Bernardino High School. The contestants this year were, Alejandro Gomez Villarreal, Luis Valencia, Rosalio Cruz, James Laskey, Robert Noble, Jorge Flores Najera, Oswaldo Bribiezcas, Daniel Murillo, Samuel Moreno, Joseph Ortega, Jacob Tucker, and Anthony Hernandez. The contestants are required to have good grades, good attendance, and have to be scholars. They have to be a role model for youth to set an example and set [high] standards. The judges are responsible for picking Mr. Cardinal, there are 6 judges who take part in the interview competition, and a separate panel of 9 judges judge the evening event from the community and the Southern California area. 16 year old, Samuel Moreno won this year’s Mr. Cardinal Pageant and said, “I learned a lot, I learned not to take things for granted because you might not always have it”. In the last round, Moreno won by one point. He was tied with this best friend, Rosalio Cruz, and if there comes a time when Moreno cannot fulfill his responsibility, Cruz will be there to take over. Rios stated Moreno, “has a way of speaking with people and he was also voted Mr. Congeniality. He helped other students learn the dance routine and cared about making the show look good, and thought about others, not only himself. He now embarks on a full year responsibility in the community and will attend various events and obligations.” Rios says, “It’s nice to have the support of the, City Council, Board of Supervisors, Assembly members, board members from the school district and I’m just honored that I found this and I never gave up and it is one of bigger events in San Bernardino. I strive because I see what the students get from the program, and I don’t want to give up on them, I think it’s a good thing.”