Corinthian Issue 2

CORINTHIAN

Votes are tallied!

THE GRACE DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL

Grace Davis High School

Compare results of the 2008 mock election to California voting.

Page 5

Modesto, CA

e v r e S

Volume 47, Issue 2

Theft on the rise at Davis

your

n o i t n e t e d Enforcement policy aimed at catching all offenders

By MONICA JOHNSON

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THE NEW GUIDE TO TARDY SWEEPS

Corinthian Staff

Irregular school-wide tardy sweeps were discontinued during November

ampus supervisors are now pulling in favor of daily small-scale sweeps. Although no official figures are available, this new method for enforcing the tardy rule is considered much students out of seventh period more effective for attendance. Here are the guidelines that the discipline classes to ensure that afterschool office and campus supervisors are now following: detentions are served.

• A minimum of 3 tardy sweeps occur everyday This action is the result of a new • Any area of campus is subject to a sweep discipline policy that has recently gone • Sweeps may occur during any passing period into effect.

• Campus supervisors are empowered to organize The new policy cancels Saturday a sweep at their own discretion School and expands afterschool detention.

The change was made because kids were home suspension and be sent home.

“Students are already here,” said campus Administrators figured that giving home supervisor Lavina Lockamy. “[This] makes not showing up to the weekend session or serving their full day in In-School suspensions to truant students was like it guaranteed that we can catch them to put giving them a free vacation from school.

Suspension (ISS). them in detention.”

“We can threaten kids with detention According to Assistant Principal David Campus supervisors are now busy or Saturday collecting students daily during seventh Houck, Saturday School,” said period. During the last few minutes of School was simply former Saturday seventh period, the campus supervisors go not working.

School adviser around to the classes and send kids to the “Last year we Mike Johnson, “ ISS room to check in for detention. had approximately but if they don’t 25% of the students “It’s great that we can actually go pick respect our word the student up during school,” said Charles showing up to serve and authority, Broadway, another campus supervisor. their detention,” said they just thumb “That way they try not to bail out on their Houck. “This year, their noses. So detention.” with the new policy, Saturday School we want 100% of the According to detention coordinator Ray -Assistant Principal wasn’t working Hickman, 242 students were assigned to students showing up.”

David Houck because most the five Saturday Schools that took place In the past, if a student skipped out on Saturday School, figured out, hmm… I can spend half of my before the policy change. he or she would be given full- day ISS. If day in Saturday School, or just spend the Only 55 showed up to serve it. a student didn’t show up, then his or her whole [school] day in ISS.” Once the new policy went into effect The new policy is designed to be more the outcome changed dramatically. Fiftytime would double and then two full days of ISS would result. If the days kept adding effective in holding students accountable four students were caught in a tardy sweep up then soon the student would receive a for serving their punishments. on October 31. Assigned after school See DETENTION Page 7

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This year, with the new policy, we want 100% of the students showing up.

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INDEX4

OPINIONS PAGE 2

NEWS & FEATURES PAGE 5

CENTERSPREAD PAGE 8

12 December 2008

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By JULIE MANTE Managing Editor

ot again.

Davis high junior Javier Acevedo frantically checked his pant pockets, but his cell phone had disappeared. Next, he checked his wallet, but his twenty dollars was gone. He rushed to talk to a teacher but all he could tell Acevedo was to go to the discipline office and fill out a theft report. Once again Acevedo had to relive the anxiety of losing his cell phone and money as he did in his freshman year.

Theft has been on the rise at Davis. So far this year, there are thirty six reported theft incidents on file and twenty five of them occurred in the locker rooms.

Last year, there were 112 reported theft incidents.

Secretary Hope Duffy keeps these files in the discipline office for two years and then they are shredded. “[Some] kids don’t bother to fill out a report because they know that they will never see their item again. I believe that ninety percent of the cases involve electronic devices, while the remaining 10% involves stolen money, shoes, clothing, and other items,” said Duffy.

Felony theft

Twenty-year-old Maury Glen Gilliam Jr. was arrested on October 23 for his role in a series of thefts that took place in the girls locker room.

According to the Modesto Police Report, Gilliam convinced two non-Davis female students to come to Davis and steal as much they could in the girls’ locker room. The girls blended in with the other students because they were wearing regular P.E. clothes.

Tamera Wilkinson, a P.E. teacher, called a campus supervisor for assistance because she noticed their strange behavior and one of the girls had run away.

Campus supervisor Lavina Lockamy went to the scene and took the other girl to see Assistant Principal David Houck and campus police officer Mayfield. They questioned the girl before releasing her.

During the questioning Houck found out that the girl was from Elliott.

After the questioning, Houck called Elliott and discovered that the girl had See THEFT Page 6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 10

SPORTS FRONT PAGE 16

NEWS & FEATURES

OPINIONS

CENTERSPREAD

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

Marines employing student recruiters

Not too late to redeem yourself

Finder’s keepers: if it isn’t yours, why should you own it?

Popularity contest: Potter vs. Twilight

Did you make the ultimate fall list?

Celida attempts to save her senior year by convincing you to show some school spirit.

Page 2

You discover valuable items that someone has left behind. What is the responsible thing to do?

Take the Pop Quiz! Pages 8 & 9 You?

Puppy Snatchers

Mahatma Gandhi

INTEGRIMETER Please recycle this newspaper. You can recycle this along with your other paper items through campus recycling, local curb side collections or at your nearest paper bank.

Jamiee and Jovana debate the merits of two giants who should be on your reading list. Page 12

Corinthian celebrates the top fall athletes and sports performances with our second big list.

Page 14

10

THE BIG

Davis recruit takes advantage of Marine policy by encouraging peers to enlist in Marines. Page 7

Opinions

CORINTHIAN STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CELIDA GASTELUM STEPHEN MACKO MANAGING EDITOR

CONNOR JOHNSON JULIE MANTE PHOTO EDITOR

MICHAEL BARTON NEWS EDITOR

JOVANA MERCADO FEATURES EDITOR

JAMIEE COOK A&E EDITOR

KATIE BURNS BUSINESS MANAGER

WILLIAM RUTHERFORD WEBSITE EDITORS

ANTHONY JIMENEZ LUIS URBANO REPORTERS:

KILEY BROCKFIELD AMRIT CHOWDHARY JAKE DUFFY ALEXANDRA FALK GABBY GONZALES MONICA JOHNSON COREY KIRK NAGIEB MUSAID CHRISTINA ZUNIGA ADVISOR

JIM MCCARTHY The Corinthian is the official student run and student produced newspaper of Grace Davis High School. Established as a forum for student expression, this publication provides a full opportunity for students to inquire, question, and exchange ideas. The Corinthian Editorial Board exercises the right to determine the content of this newspaper. Students and staff are encouraged to write letters to the editor that reflect their opinions or reflect stories or happenings around school or in the community. Letters and editorials may be submitted to us either by emailing them to corinthian@monet.k12.ca.us, dropping them in Mr. McCarthy’s staff box in the main office, or by bringing them to room 613. All letters and/ or editorials sent to The Corinthian will be considered for publication providing they are typed or printed neatly with the writer(s) first and last name(s) and grade level(s). Letters and/or editorials that contain libelous information, obscenities, personal attacks, or gossip will not be considered for publication.

The Corinthian reserves the right to edit or censor the contents of any letter and/or editorial considered for publication. Any editorial and/or letter represents the opinion of the writer and not the opinion of the staff of The Corinthian.

M EMBER

corinthian

Can’t find school spirit? Just bring out the cameras

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ame-o’s. All of you.

Where’s the spirit?

Last year the seniors went wild at the Homecoming game. It was one of my greatest high school memories. I couldn’t help thinking, “Wow, I can’t wait until homecoming next year.”

So imagine my surprise when I went to the designated cheering section at my SENIOR homecoming and there was no crowd. The only humans cheering were… parents.

My senior year is ruined.

We won our homecoming game, and what happened?

Nothing. In the past years I remember people rushing out onto the field to congratulate the players. That didn’t happen this year. My friend Alex and I still went out onto the field to congratulate our friends. And you know who was right there with us? The parents.

Lame.

I went home that night

extremely disappointed at the supposed school spirit we “had.”

As I lay in bed I couldn’t help but think “what happened”?

The rally was awesome! The seniors chanted loud and proud.

So loud in fact that I couldn’t hear Alex (who was standing

CELIDA GASTELUM Editor-in-Chief

right next to me). Even Mike Cantwell said that was the best in a while.

Why couldn’t it transfer to the game?

Then senior night rolls around.

I thought it would be better and more fun than homecoming. But in the back of my mind I didn’t have much hope. How I wished that kids, seniors specifically, would show up and be so loud and so spirited it would make up for homecoming.

Well hoping that would be like never being able to drink Arizona Ice Teas again. Impossible.

And let’s not forget that antispirit crowd (that was bigger than our “crowd” who tried to start the

actual cheering section). Those jerks actually had the nerve to not only boo us BUT also throw sunflower seeds at us.

W h y go to a football game if you aren’t e v e n g o i n g to cheer for your team? It’s stupid.

A N D T H E N they start to laugh and clap as we walk away.

I fantasized throwing my drink at them, but decided it would just be a waste. I had just opened it anyways.

I talked to Mr. Cantwell to see what his take was in the spirit of the crowd since he’s the announcer at like every game and even he thinks that the “spirit in football games is down.”

So is that it? Is that reason the crowd is so…dull this year?

Do we not have any Spartans that will rise to the bar raised by

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past seniors to lead our green machine into the sweet victory of having a fantastic crowd win or lose(but preferably to win)?

Or could it be that our class is too lame to cheer? Is the senior class ashamed to support Davis High outside of the puffy school walls?

This is my call to action seniors, so please heed my plea: forget about what your friends think of you. Forget about feeling stupid if you jump up and down cheering at the top of your lungs when a fellow Spartan is down on the field (or out on the court) playing their heart out trying to win the game.

Make the most of senior year. This is our year. We should dominate. We will dominate. We cannot let the underclassmen upstage us on our last year.

There is one more Homecoming left so please go all out.

Redeem yourselves.

Forget about being feeling stupid if you jump and down cheering at the top of your lungs.

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Influencing the impressionable

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ow many times have you found yourself listening to something, from an older sibling or relative and repeating it later on?

Your older brother mentions how slammin’ the new Kanye song is and 15 minutes later you find yourself saying how “slammin Love Lockdown is”.

When is the last time a relative, sister, brother or cousin mentioned how much they “love your shoes” and the next time you see them, they have the exact same ones?

Pink Heels…I got the exact same ones last week, how coincidental.

This is not news; it’s been around forever.

“UHH! My little sister’s copying me…again!”

Well, what happens when your little sister copies the wrong thing? That “one time” you fought with your parents, or the “only incident” when you came in late and intoxicated. Was your younger brother or sister paying attention?

What is the difference between emulating your older brother’s music choices, and emulating his “improper” behavior with girls? To a fifth grader, not much.

We need to change our behavior because we know there are people watching.

Many of us are guilty of the same behavior: cursing, lying, talking back, dressing “trashy” and acting

KILEY BROCKFIELD Corinthian Staff

“trashy”. Where did we pick up these bad habits?

Many will tell you TV, or celebrity impressions. I’m sure that is true for some, but many kids don’t know what’s okay to do, say, or wear until they see other kids doing the same thing and older kids set those trends.

Those before us influenced us, without us even knowing it.

Even if you do not play the role of being an older cousin, brother, or sister, we all play some role, big or small, in the lives of kids younger than us. How do we act in that role? Do we just go about our everyday lives, acting how we always do, right or wrong?

Or do we take responsibility for those younger, and maybe more impressionable, than us, and improve the way we act? I would hope we would take the second of the two options.

Look at the younger kids

around you. What do you see and hear? I hear things that I don’t want to come out of nine year olds mouths, and I definitely see eleven year olds dressed, as I, and many others, think a sixth grader should not be dressing. Why is this? Why do they think this is okay to do? Look at their role models. Yes, whether we’re proud of it or not, we are their role models, good or bad. In these situations, obviously bad. “Janie” sees her older sister go out, party, lie and get drunk, she’s seen this all for a long time. So now, by the time she’s twelve and has her first “big dance”, she thinks it’s the appropriate thing to do, to get drunk, and make out with guys, because that is what she has seen her older sister do. A drunk seventh grader? Or a pregnant twelve year old? Younger kids see what we do and they replicate.

Honestly, I’m not trying to convince you to act all “Little House on the Prairie” or would I expect you to. I wouldn’t. I am merely trying to convince you to alter your behavior, while around those younger, not all the time, just when you notice impressionable eyes and ears around. “What the…!” Wait…take a second and notice your young neighbor standing there, listening. “Fudge”.

You can say the alternative word later, when they are not around.

We’ve all noticed it, the third grader with vulgar language, the fourth grader with “barely there” clothing, and the sixth grader who bumps and grinds. At the risk of sounding like an after school special, what is the youth of today coming to? Yes, parents have responsibility over their children, but we as their role models can help them out with the job, by not setting bad examples for those younger than us. Please…don’t show your little cousin how to create a “sandwich” out on the dance floor because you think it’s funny and cute. Believe it or not they will end up using your “expertise” someday dancing on their own. Yes, it can be an inconvenience to act differently because someone is in the room, but nobody ever said being a “role model” would be fun, well except maybe your parents, and I’m pretty sure they have to say that.

Our mistakes, our problems are being repeated again in another generation. We need to take responsibility, that we are role models and we have influence over what those younger will do and say, and because of what kind of future they have.

Are you happy with school spirit this year?

“Not really. The seniors and juniors are the only ones who have it. The underclassmen don’t.”

“Yes, because everyone is pumped up.”

“Yes. But they need to make everyone participate more.”

“Yes, because everyone is excited.”

Janelle DeBorba

Timmy Jarrett

Rosa Salinas

Craig McFarlin

Senior

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Opinions

12 December 2008

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Staff Editorial: act on personal responsibility

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depressing statistic.

Why wouldn’t more people do the right thing?

A person’s upbringing can shape his or her morality. Good and bad, influence is all around us. The people we are with, the television shows we watch, the magazines we read, the movies we see, they’re all part of influencing who we as teenagers are and what we want to be about.

Have you ever wondered why people behave certain ways or think it’s okay to do something that you might think is wrong? The answer to that is simple: they have been influenced by things in today’s society that have molded them into who they are today. If a student has been around abusive relationships their whole life and is constantly surrounded by poor role models

Why wouldn’t more people do the right thing?

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W

hat would you do if you found a purse on a park bench with no one around to claim it?

Would you try to find an ID and return the purse, or would you rely on the “finders keepers” rule and take the purse for yourself?

In a recent poll of 459 Davis students, only fifty percent of those surveyed said they would try and return the purse.

Twenty percent said that if they found the purse they would take all of the contents.

In a perfect world, 100 percent of those who found the purse would have tried to find the rightful owner of it without even thinking of taking anything from it.

Unfortunately reality tells us that must face the fact that only half of those polled would do the right thing. Fifty percent is a

who deny that their actions are immoral, chances are that that student will too be like those he or she was around and believe it to be okay to physically hurt someone if things don’t work out in a relationship.

Our minds are still growing and what we continuously take in, whether good or bad, will form our thoughts and consciences on how to handle certain situations. However, because we are all humans, our mentality is to naturally find where the line is and see

how close we can get to it without going over.

If you were taught that you shouldn’t steal unless you absolutely had to, then you will easily be tempted to think, “Well, I don’t have any money for lunch today and I sure am hungry... I guess it’s okay to steal some food because I need to eat.” Though it may be a “dire” situation, the grounds still stand that it is not ok to steal.

Different people have different reasons for things that they do, but stealing should never be acceptable in our society.

The next time you are faced with an etical dilemma, we encourage you to consider what is best for all parties involved.

Who controls the class: teachers or students?

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class would listen to his booming voice eventually, their minds were still going in one hundred different directions at once.

The teacher’s style largely affected the way his students behaved. He was frequently outshined for attention by some obnoxious teenager due to the fact that his disciplinary skills lacked…well, discipline.

On the other hand, another teacher who was also very laid back still managed to maintain his status as an authority figure

ALEXANDRA FALK Corinthian Staff

among his class. He approached the students as someone who they could look up to without being overwhelmingly strict. The class is conducted on a loose schedule built upon work and note-taking, and the teacher still manages to be revered as a favorite among his students.

When he hands one of his classes a packet and gives them time to work on it in class, the students work diligently and, more importantly, in a respectable and quiet way.

All though the teacher maintained the authority of his class, he still did not need to exercise any harsh discipline.

The behavioral difference between these two teachers classes have to do more with their own teaching style than the students their classroom occupies. AP, CP or basic student’s behavior changes depending on what kind of teacher they have.

The influence a teacher has on his or her students is very powerful. The way their classroom is conducted relates directly to the attitude of his students.

When a teacher’s style is more laid back, students tend to revert to their eccentric teenage ways.

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lassroom discipline is the result of students’ attitudes more than anything else.

For the start of my freshmen year I was placed in a CP class for English. The antics of the students were concerning at times with things such as bringing materials to class. During the whole semester we were required to bring our books about twice a week, it was not unusual for my peers to forget their books. There was one student who would actually claim to have “forgotten it” every single time. Neglected would be a better word. The attitude of putting social interests before school responsibilities wasn’t just exercised but accepted and expected by my peers in the class.

Homework completion was a rarity for many.

The semester was one of the easiest I’ve ever taken. I’ll admit I learned life lessons from the teacher I wouldn’t have learned anywhere.

The teacher actually pushed me to go up to the AP course for the class, a move I made despite being apprehensive.

Well, the change was made and half way in my freshmen year I moved into a brand new English class. The change was nothing short of shocking. There wasn’t the “I don’t care” attitude or disrespect that I had come to know in the other class. Here the students actually enjoyed being at school.

They did their work and never stepped out of line.

Classes at Grace Davis are divided along the lines of students’ behavior. AP students tend to have a more positive way of envisioning their education, CP and

basic students have a narrow-minded, peer pleasing mind set that supersedes their education. This distinction is caused primarily by choices made by the students themselves as to what is important to them, leading to a path for how they conduct themselves.

In classes with these ill mannered students, they often don’t take any of their teachers seriously. At times during class while working on assignments, or even tests,

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JAKE DUFFY

Corinthian Staff

students would shout answers across the room with little thought to discipline. Even if the teacher wanted to do something what could they really do?

The majority of the class would have to be punished just to stop it. On the other hand, the well mannered AP students wouldn’t risk such behavior even if they felt compelled. They respect the classroom for what it is: a place for organized learning.

Yelling answers across the classroom does nothing whatsoever to help with keeping this educational atmosphere.

Through these different tactics and attitudes dealing with school, these two groups create vastly different classroom environments.

AP students lives may be more stressed and overloaded with work, but at least the classes they spend the bulk of their times in are better because of it.

CP and basic students don’t have school or education as their number one priority, and it shows in the way they conduct themselves when around each other in the place where learning should be most important of all.

The attitude of putting social interests before school responsibilities wasn’t just exercised but accepted by my peers in the class.

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H

enry Brooks Adams once remarked, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” The etiquette of teachers directly influences the behavior of their students. Students look up to teachers as role models and examples for their own lives.

The differences in behaviors may be among different levels of students, but individual teachers are a larger influence.

The styles and methods used by these various teachers directly influence the classroom characteristics of the minds they are enlightening. When a teacher’s style is more laid back, students tend to revert to their eccentric teenage ways.

It has been my experience that teachers who let their students practice more freedom in the classroom tend to have a harder time controlling them when it is time to learn.

One teacher I have had assigns homework at the start of the period and gives the full fifty minutes of class time to work on it. If the “homework” is completed early, a choice has to be made: listen to your iPod, do other homework, or sit in your seat idly.

With such loose control held over the class, it goes without saying that the students often got rowdy. Loud, inappropriate conversations flying across the room, shouts and laughter coming from every corner, and, what’s worse, the few pupils actually trying to get their work done could not concentrate over the chaos.

Being a student in an ill-mannered class adds unnecessary stress and pessimistic attitude toward the subject itself.

When trying to grasp the class’s attention, this particular teacher would often get irritated. His performance as an educator was overshadowed by his selfcreated role as an observer. While the

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“Yes. It’s better than other schools I’ve been to.”

“No, there’s more people that aren’t into it than there are people that are.

Some don’t even care to be involved.”

“Not really, there’s barely anyone from Green Wave screaming at the top of their lungs at football games.”

“Yes. Our football team has won all their last games because of the school spirit.”

Andrea Puentes

Eric Villalobos

Pooja Lal

Hunter Morgan

Freshman

Senior

Junior

Sophomore

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four

Opinions

corinthian

Personal space not a priority on the bus

W

henever I board a Modesto City School bus, my personal bubble is invaded. Especially when the person sitting next to me decides I’m their head rest. Or when the people behind me practice their soccer skills by kicking the back of my seat.

CHP has recently informed bus drivers to allow only two people to a seat. But this mandate has been a hard one to follow.

With so many students taking the bus before and after school, some bus drivers bend the rules.

The obvious cure would be to get more school buses to relieve bus drivers from this mayhem, but Modesto City Schools can’t even afford that.

At 2 p.m. most days, I speedwalk to the bus door and I find myself crammed between ten other people in line. The person on the left of me almost squishes the air out of my lungs because the person behind him is desperately trying to find a seat before they are left behind.

As I step onto the bus, I look to my right, and then to my left.

Where are the seats? While I’m on a desperate look out for a space, I notice hostile looks from other students. They obviously do not want to have their personal space invaded either.

Hey, it isn’t my fault that our school doesn’t have any spare buses.

I’m finally on. What a relief. Not really.

Either my face is plastered to the window or my body is dangling off the side of the seat. How can anyone accept this?

It is only until I get off the bus when I find utter relief.

Every morning and afternoon is the same routine for a Salida bus rider, the hastiness of finding a seat in an overcrowded school bus.

This hectic jungle gym, called my bus, wouldn’t be an inconvenience for me if bus drivers consistently followed the CHP mandate. But because I often have eight people surrounding me for more than 25 minutes, this drives me insane. These types of actions are what push me to the verge of wanting to jump out of the window.

CHRISTINA ZUNIGA Corinthian Staff

MCS is now dealing with the overcrowding problem. Why? Because CHP has enforced it upon school drivers.

Supervisor of bus transportation, Alice Quayle said, “Buses used to fit 78, now they only fit 52,” that is if you follow the regulations.

However, during the afternoon some bus drivers don’t mind having three people to a seat.

In 2007, Modesto City Schools had a few additions of new school buses.

Unfortunately, these “high-tech buses” do not help the cause.

Along with CHP’s regulation, seat belts and racks were added to put personal belongings, which only sacrifice our personal space even more.

Susan Helm, a bus driver of eleven years, said, “Every bus driver’s main concern is that everybody is seated safely.”

That is not the case with all buses.

First of all, the seats are not meant to seat three teenagers, there are only 13 inches for one person to sit on. It’s a perfect size for elementary school child. Second, the so-called seat belts, which are not in use, only provoke awkward seating and pain in places we don’t like to feel pain in. Third, the racks at the top of the bus are great for giving headaches, especially when you stand and bump your head on them.

“It’s tough because of the cost factor.

There has to be some compromise between the cost and the safety and comfort of our students,” said Albritton.

I comprehend how the economy plays a huge part in this, but shouldn’t the safety and comfort of students come first? I mean, three teenagers to one thirty-nine inch

seat? That is unbelievable. These are too many students for only one adult to handle.

What if there’s a fight? The only back-up they would have is a camera recording their every move.

Maybe we’ll find some relief when the Gregory High School is built in 2010, but until then it seems unfair that we have to cope with it.

There is no doubt about it, something must be done. We already attend an overcrowded school during the day; it isn’t fair that we have to deal with it before and after school hours as well.

Even though there are fewer seats with three people to a seat, the problem still persists. Apparently, MCS does not always follow with what CHP mandates.

12 December 2008

News&Features around

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CAMPUS Davis Spartans Rock the vote with mock election

During the last week of October, history and government classes voted on twelve California propositions and their choice for president as a part of a nation wide high school mock election. “[The mock election] was like a spring board to get students interested and active in the [voting] system.” said AP U.S History teacher Christina Welch.

davis mock election RESULTS

Davis clubs drive for canned food

Canned food can provide help, a meal and happiness to those in need. Mark Nower and the Futures Farmers of America coordinated the KCRA3 Kids Can Food Drive at Davis. It started November 7th and ended December 7th. All together Davis High collected 1,600 cans. Math teacher, Lori Gaines’, first period Pre-AP Algebra 2 classes collected the most cans; about

280. All of the canned food was given to the Modesto Salvation Army.

Art teacher Tom Weber and the Skills USA club are currently hosting the Community Hospice canned food drive.

Canned food goes to the families of someone that has passed away. The collection ends December 17th.

Becca’s Closet benefits students

CALIFORNIA VOTING RESULTS

“Dances are a right not a privilege. Everyone should go,” said Davis High senior Erin Cronin.

Becca’s Closet started as one girl’s effort at Nova High School in Florida, and ended up as a nationwide program that provides attire for high school students that otherwise would not be able to go to the formal and the prom. Erin Cronin hosts one of the two chapters of Becca’s Closet in California.

All of the dresses offered are donated. This year about 300 dresses were collected. Cleaning and storing the dresses is all done by donation.

“It is not the most fun project but the most rewarding,” said Cronin.

With the aid of her advisor, history teacher Lindsey Bird, Cronin held Becca’s Closet at Davis High School on November 19th and 20th. Forty dresses were given to students from different high schools to attend the formal, along Celida Gastelum/THE CORINTHIAN with a free make-up sample, provided by NYC. FINDING THE RIGHT ONE  Sophomores “It is a good opportunity that more people Shalyn Wiggins and Kayla Rodriguez should take advantage of,” said Cronin. search out formal.

News&Features

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corinthian

Bus shortage leads to delays at THEFT Salida stops and crowded rides

cont. from FRONT PAGE

By JAKE DUFFY Corinthian Staff

S

tudents at some bus stops in Salida are actually having to wait for second, even third buses to pick them up for school in the morning.

In response to complaints of overcrowded school buses, CHP recently began enforcing a safety regulation dealing with seating on buses. According to the HPH Sec. 82.7, “Students must have thirteen inches of seating capacity,” This clause has always been a regulation for the district’s buses but only recently has the CHP chosen to enforce it more strictly.

At Salida Park cold air chills the crowd of students waiting for the bus. Most have been waiting for more than twenty minutes at the stop to get a spot on the bus. The noise of a heavy diesel engine is heard in the distance. The eyes glance to the left as the bus turns down the street to pick up the students.

The bus stops, red lights begin to flash, and dozens more students disperse from the dark streets and corners that surround the stop. The bus begins to fill and, like every other day, reaches maximum capacity.

Students half way up the steps are ordered to get off. The driver reaches for the radio and another bus is asked to pick up the eight straglers.

The doors close and the bus leaves down the street. Among those left behind is junior Alex Gutierrez. The situation seems bleak for Gutierrez, who always arrives at the stop a little late and therefore is usually left behind.

“I feel rushed all the time. The bus should get [there] a little bit later,” said Gutierrez.

Those who arrive extremely early to the stop are rewarded with a seat most of the time. Students that arrive later in the

Katie Burns/THE CORINTHIAN

PRESSING THE BUS  Davis students rush to get a seat on the Salida school bus at 6:40 in the morning. Those who do not get a seat are forced to take the late bus. morning don’t have a chance at getting on before the early arrivers.

The group left behind isn’t random at all. Usually it’s a group of friends who don’t want to abandon each other if one of them doesn’t manage to get a seat.

“We stick together. If one of us misses the bus, we’ll all get off and wait for the next,” said Gutierrez.

At about 7:03 the second bus arrives and is able to take on six of the eight students, the other two are forced to wait for a third bus. Finally, the third and final bus picks up the last of the students at 7:08, more than twenty minutes after the time they are supposed to get picked up.

District Transportation, Supervisor of Bus Transportation Alice Quayle said, “We only have so many drivers, and so many buses to work with.”

However, with the turbulent economic

situation still hitting the country, purchasing buses is out of the question.

The only true hope of relief comes from the opening of Gregory High School in 2010. When the high school opens, less students will be bused to Modesto. Stops for schools like Davis won’t have as many students to fit on their buses, allowing for all the students to get on and not be forced to wait.

The situation doesn’t just affect Davis alone. The whole district has been affected, along with it the other public high schools. This problem has been reported for other high school students in Salida that attend Downey and Beyer.

Students everywhere are being hit by the lack of buses, and until the opening of Gregory, students at Salida will just have to wait in the dead cold of the unforgiving morning for the next two years to come.

Jost up for teacher of the year after long career

M

Corinthian Staff

ath teacher John Jost was recently nominated for teacher of the year by principal Jeff Albritton. Jost was recognized for his teaching accomplishments at a ceremony last Saturday.

Jost has taught for 35 years, 24 at Davis.

He has taught everything from Calculus, to Algebra 1, to Algebra Essentials “I enjoy the actual one on one with kids. I enjoy it when I see something go off in their minds, when they understand something,” said Jost. “I also enjoy watching some of these kids grow up, and thinking I may have a little part to do with that.”

Jost was surprised to learn that Albritton had nominated him for teacher of the year.

“I was very surprised and very honored to be nominated for the award because there are so many brilliant teachers at Davis.” said Jost. “For Mr. Albritton to put me in that class was a shock.”

Albritton had noticed the hard work exuded by all the Davis teachers, but took special notice to Jost’s dedication to helping students understand math.

“Mr. Jost has a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge, he is a leader among the teachers and he is involved in many committees. When it comes to teaching he is great at understanding struggling kids, and he doesn’t give up on them.” said Albritton.

The award recognizes teachers at a

S

napshot

Name: John Jost Years Teaching: 35 years Subjects Taught: Algebra Essential and Algebra I Family: Wife and two sons, 37 and, 27 Birthplace: Junction City, Kansas Favorite T.V. Show: Life on Mars: The Original BBC Version Education: Stanislaus State, majored in Math and minored in Anthropology

regional level, with the opportunity to go onto the state level. Davis teachers are nominated, along with teachers in three other regions to recognize their achievements in teaching. Along with the other nominees, Jost gave a speech last Tuesday. One of the twelve teachers nominated on the regional level are then nominated again to “California’s Teachers of the Year,” an even bigger honor.

Fellow math teachers have also noticed Jost’s hard work and dedication to his students.

“Mr. Jost is very deserving of this award, he is one of the hardest workers, he

“

[Jost] is great in understanding struggling kids...he doesn’t give up on them.

“

By KILEY BROCKFIELD

-Principal Jeff Albritton

is the first one here one of last to leave.

He is well liked by the students and respected by all the staff at Davis,” said math teacher Luiz Sanchez.

given him a false name. He alerted Officer Mayfield who went to look for the girl and the other thieves.

Mayfield found the group in the Raley’s parking lot and then alerted Houck who went with campus supervisor Wayne Coulter to the scene.

There they realized that the students had stolen multiple iPods, so Houck called all the campus supervisors to search for any backpacks in all restrooms or trash cans at Davis to see if any Davis students could get their iPods back.

Campus supervisor Pat Vanleir reported that she found a backpack in the trash, with all school supplies dumped in the toilet. They were able to identify the student and called her father to identify if one of the stolen iPods was hers. Her father went to Raley’s and identified his daughter’s iPod. According to Houck’s knowledge, all the other iPods were returned and Gilliam was charged of the felony of receiving stolen property.

Common theft

According to Duffy, backpacks are targets of common thieves.

“Look for your backpack in the trash,” she advises students who fear theft. “Kids have found their [stolen] backpacks there”.

A freshman girl (who asked to remain anonymous) went to her locker after P.E. class and her backpack, containing her iPod and school supplies, was gone. She immediately went to file a theft report.

The police was notified of the situation.

Later in the day, the police officer saw an individual listening to an iPod not far from Davis and the suspect was arrested.

The next day, the girl was called out of her first period class and was asked to name a couple of songs on the iPod. Fortunately, the iPod was hers. Her binder, and other school supplies were all found in the trash, but her backpack was never found.

Grace Magnussen, the dance teacher and Kevin Ruiz, a P.E. teacher, do not feel any sympathy for students who lose their cell phones and iPods.

“Students do not lock up their backpacks.

Every day I see tons of [unguarded] backpacks all over the locker room. We have a room for girls to put their backpacks in if they do not fit in their lockers or the big lockers and we lock it before we leave the locker room,” said Magnussen.

According to Magnussen, many students leave their locks unhooked hanging on their locker, which makes it easier for a thief to steal.

The number of thefts is down in the boys locker room, but they are making the same mistakes as the girls.

For the boys, there is no room available for them to keep their backpacks in during the period, but they can take their backpacks with them to class, although many boys decide against this.

Houck believes that the increase in the number of thefts has been caused by the troubling economy.

He also believes that theft would be less of a problem if students kept their electronics at home. Houck advises students to keep their iPod receipts in case something happens, which is an easy and effective way to match a student with their recovered stolen items.

The freshman girl who had her iPod stolen still has confidence in the school and feels her possessions are safe.

“I feel really secure. The school doesn’t let kids get with away it. They do something about it. If the police officer didn’t know about my iPod, I would have never seen it again,” she said.

News&Features

12 December 2008

T

Photo Editor

he whistle blows and the pounding of size five sneakers echoes through the hallway, quickly growing louder as they approach the booths. The screeching whistle blows again and the sound of the shoes hitting the floor is as loud as thunder striking the ground.

Standing in front of the booth at Everett Elementary School are sophomores Kayla Rodriguez and Omar Duenas from Davis High School’s Public Safety Academy, or PSA. At the moment, PSA is involved in a program where the students go to local schools and talk to the sixth graders.

Everett is the school this year. The sophomore students of Davis PSA go to the elementary school and talk to the students about the future jobs and PSA education opportunities.

PSA is a program where kids who are interested in public safety learn about the different options that are out there and available for them in the future.

“PSA is an academy program that educates kids in the field of public safety,” said Ann Farina, a teacher that is involved in the PSA program. “The program goes in depth of the different career options.”

PSA sophomores formed groups with the younger students and discussed the different job training offered through the PSA program. They pick one job from many, like a firefighter, a lawyer, or an EMT, and then make a pamphlet about the job. They discuss this job and show the pamphlet to the kids at the elementary school.

“This presentation offers ideas and gets the students excited about PSA,” said Farina, “this program also allows us to get to know the kids who are interested so if they do decide to be in PSA when they arrive at Davis they will be familiar with the program and we will be familiar with them.”

The group of kids come around to each booth like a round robin. After the kids go through each table they receive a backpack with each pamphlet of the discussed topics and school supplies.

Each group receives a table and they display their job. The groups also performed skits to show how the job works and what it is like.

“We picked Forensic Science,” said Rodriguez. “We show the kids what that job is like. We do a skit similar to CSI. It was like a murder investigation. It makes you nervous at first but you get used to it.”

“It’s pretty cool to teach the kids about careers that they might do one day,” said Duenas.

The PSA students teach the students about the different jobs, which offer the members a chance to get involved and to teach the kids about public safety.

“The students were very open to the kids and the students left feeling that they had bonded with the sixth graders very well and had made a difference,” said Farina, “the sixth graders like the presentation much more because of the fact that they were in small groups and they were able to interact with the PSA members more than they would if they were in a large group.”

The members really enjoyed presenting to the kids. After the presentation to the sixth graders, the PSA members left the school feeling that they made a difference in these kids’ lives and possibly showing them how great of an opportunity PSA provides.

“It depends on what type of violation it is and how severe it is,” Warren said.

Corinthian Staff Recruiting plays a major role in the f Paul Garcia recruits two people, he armed forces. The defense department will automatically become private first spends $2.6 billion each year on recruiting alone. class after boot camp.

The School Recruiting Program Although Garcia was always adventurous as a child and admired his Handbook for the Army is given to the brother’s poster of soldiers on the wall, adult recruiters as a guide to influence High his incentives to join the Marines began in School students into serving their country.

Chapter 2: School Relations, talks about High School. always keeping Garcia is a First relationships with Senior Poolee Marine students on a Corps Representative. professional level.

A Poolee is a rank that The Marines is given to enlisted have a different students who are in the method of talking Delayed Entry Program. with students.

“As the first senior “At first it from Davis that’s was professional, enlisted, I have a bigger but now that I’m responsibility to help -Davis Senior enlisted it’s more Staff Sergeant Miranda Paul Garcia casual,” said Garcia. recruit,” Garcia said.

According to Miranda, student While student-to-recruiter relationships are recruiting has been an active program since casual, parents pose a challenge for adult recruiters. the Marines were founded.

“I like to talk to kids,” Staff Sergeant “To become a Poolee, the student must sign up from his or her school, be Warren said, “I’m not trying to push the at least seventeen years-old, meet all the Army on people.”

Recruiting numbers have decreased moral, mental, and physical qualifications, and sign a contract along with parents,” in the past years. For the 2003-2004 recruiting year, the National Guard was Miranda said.

Jonathan Plantz was recruited by Paul 5,000 recruiters short.

“I have not seen any change as far Garcia about a month ago. “It was because of him that I decided to join,” Plantz later as numbers of the amount of people we recruit.” said Miranda. “But if it has, we added.

Every Monday Garcia attends physical always manage to rebound.”

To boost these numbers, the Army training, or a “PT” session. During the session, “pre-marines” stretch, go for attends school events.

“We look for certain events to go to a run, and do exercises. Every second Saturday of the month, student recruiters and contact the schools to promote,” of the Modesto City Schools District get said Staff Sergeant Warren.

The Army recruiting handbook also together to raise money for functions like mentions how to approach schools. swimming or rock climbing.

“Before you can expect any type Just like the Marines, the Army actively participates in recruiting. Adult recruiters of assistance from school officials, or visit Tuesdays and Thursdays, give class be accepted by students you must first establish rapport and credibility. You must presentations, and talk to students.

“If the Army is the topic of our convince them that you have their students’ conversation that’s good; if it isn’t, then it’s best interest in mind.” It also adds, “Never okay,” said Staff Sergeant Garry Francies Warren from the Army.

In the Army, a student recruiter can earn $2000 dollars for recruiting one person, plus a promotion, if the recruited completes his or her basic training.

As if these weren’t enough reasons to join, Garcia gets money to go to college.

“Marines receive 40,000 dollars if they enlist for at least four years and at the same time receive Tuition Assistance while on active duty,” Miranda said.

Student recruiters in the Army have same requirement. They look at criminal records to find violations that need a waiver, which excuses minor law breaking.

By CHRISTINA ZUNIGA

I

“

It’s the hardest; all the training is a lot of work, but pride in serving my country would be very cool.

DETENTION

“

react negatively to a school’s refusal to do something you’ve asked. Look for another way to achieve your mission.”

Another strategy would be offering more money. In 2005 the Marines missed their recruiting goal, so they raised college aid from $50,000 to $70,000.

“It’s tough because most people aren’t interested in the military,” said Garcia.

“But I think it’ll get easier towards the end of the year because most people don’t know what to do.”

Paul’s future goal within this program is to become an aviation mechanic. He has signed a five year term and has agreed to go to a year of schooling in Pensacola, Florida. “My original contract was four years,” he said, “but since I chose that job and the schooling is so long, I have to change my contract to five years.” So far he has taken practice tests but has not become an “official” Marine.

“It’s the hardest; all the training is a lot of work,” said Garcia, “But pride in serving my country for me, would be very cool.”

cont. from FRONT PAGE

detention, 30 reported that day. Those who missed their detention were picked up on November 6 and 20 so that they could serve a one hour detention after school .

“I think that doing detention instead of Saturday School is a good thing to a point,” Hickman said. “The kids that make the most problems don’t show up. If they would just get to class and on time they wouldn’t have to worry about detention or Saturday School.”

Students who received detention notices have two days to report to the detention on their own. If the students doesn’t show up within the time given then additional time is added. Time continues to be added until the students serves his or her detention or

I see many of my friends actually making it to detention now.

-Junior Shavindra Gray

“

By MICHAEL BARTON

7

Military using student recruiters

“

PSA presents to Everett students

seven

larger punishment is imposed.

The new policy is making an impact on student behavior.

“It’s prosperous that this new policy is making such a big effect,” said junior Shavondra Gray. “I see many of my friends actually making it to their detention now.”

Mr. Johnson talked it over with the ladies

in the attendance office, the ideal came up about charging students who have unexcused tardies. The thirty six dollars is what the school loses because they have unexcused tardies and the school loses the ADA Funds (Average Daily Attendance).

“If the last after school detention rounds up is any indication, maybe it’s a better way to go,” he said.

Principal Jeff Albritton feels that this new policy is working.

“Students didn’t come to their scheduled Saturday School because some slept in or didn’t have a ride to school. It would be easier for them to serve their detention after school, since they’re already here.”

Student Morality POP

You decide where to draw the line.

What would you do?

Scenario: all alone and You’re walking in the park left on a table. you come across a purse see nobody. In You look around but you od, a cellphone the purse you find an iP a wallet.

&

Q A

Campus supervisors

Pat Vanlier

20%

been stolen that you know of?

A: “Mostly electronics are stolen: iPod’s cell phones, etc.”

Q: Have you ever worked on any extreme cases dealing with theft or does Houck handle them all?

A: “Them most extreme case [that I’ve worked on was when a student stole $3oo from a teacher- the money was returned and the student was caught.”

50%

18%

A) Take everything B) Leave it there C) Take one or two items urn it D) Look for an ID card to ret

because...

A) You fear getting caught B) It is wrong thing C) You recently had some it feels stolen and you know how D) You don’t care for it E) It takes to much work d fear it F) You believe in Karma an future being done to you in the

No

1% answer

11%

2. You do not take anything

Q: What’s the weirdest thing that’s

Gene Fields

random Corinthian asked 459 the quiz Davis students to take results: on the left. Here are the

1. What would you do?

Q: What’s the weirdest thing that’s

Lavina Lockamy

QUIZ!

been stolen that you know of?

A: “The golf cart that I had to go pick up in Salida to bring back- eventually we found out [who did it].”

Q: How many thefts have been reported this year [that you know of]?

A: “At least five or six internal thefts in a classroom. You just can’t leave your stuff lying around anymore.”

14%

35%

Keep backpack secure by keeping it with you at all times

10% 24% % 10 No answer 6%

Keep things (cell phones, iPod’s) in your pockets

21%

9%

No answer

Put valuables in secret compartments

18%

18% 13% 11% 10%

Limewire- Anonymous thievery Is Limewire legal or illegal? This program, which allows users to share songs with anyone around the world, is one hundred percent legal. The downside is, most downloads are not. Downloading a song that has been copyrighted is what makes using Limewire illegal. Since the majority of mainstream music has been copyrighted, the odds are that all Limewire users are breaking the law. The same goes with other such downloads, from movies, to games, to software have the same guidelines.

Even though being prosecuted for pirating music for personal use is unlikely, it is still by definition wrong.

Q: When you get called into a class

Charles Broadway

for theft, how do you handle the situation?

A: “[I] use the leave and come back technique when called into a classroom.

It’s usually the most effective. What is , is that we go in (say a cellphone’s missing) address the class, no questions asked we step outside say that as long as the item gets back [no one gets on trouble.”

Q: What’s the weirdest thing that’s been stolen that you know of?

A: “Weirdest theft was when a students car was stolen and replaced with another stolen car of the exact year and model, just a different color.”

You?

[NO CHEATING]

Puppy Snatchers

Mahatma Gandhi

INTEGRIMETER

Do you choose to steal? Why or why not?

“When you need something, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“If they’re dumb enough to leave it, I’m smart enough to steal it.”

Adriana Chavez

Frankie Alcala

Junior

Junior

Or...

1%

, you do 3. If you do take something steal because... e A) You don’t care about th

consequences B) You do it for necessity

u C) You simply want what yo

can’t have el D) You feel the need to reb

sh you get E) You like the adrenalin ru

esn’t F) Whoever left it there do

use it’s deserve to get it back beca

ng it his or her fault for forgetti

Q: How many thefts have you worked on this year?

A: “Ten [dealing with] cell phones, wallets, purses, backpacks and two iPod’s.”

Q: Out of those that you’ve worked on, how many items were recuperated?

A: “Half have been caught through investigation and one student was arrested [in which] the parents were notified and the parents probably handled the situation.”

How to keep things safe:

Do you use Limewire?

47% No

50% Yes

No answer

3%

Compiled by: Katie Burns, Celida Gastelum, Julie Mante, Connor Johnson, William Rutherford

“I choose not to steal because I think it’s useless.

You can earn your money any other way and you have a clear conscious.”

“I would so I could have something I don’t have.”

“I don’t want anyone to steal from me.”

“I’ll probably get in trouble and there’s no reason to make other people angry”

“If I didn’t know who it belonged to I would take it.”

“Because it’s not worth it if you get in trouble.”

James Murdock

Katie Daugherty

Shea Taylor

Daniel Arias

R.J Nonato

Senior

Freshman

Yasmin Altayyar

Sophomore

Freshman

Senior

Sophomore

10 ten

News&Features

corinthian

Health Clerk has ‘seen it all’ at Davis

By AMRIT CHOWDRARY

A

Michael Barton/THE CORINTHIAN

CALLING FOR SPARTAN AID  Health Clerk Damia Crane calls a parent of a sick student who needs to be sent home.

Corinthian Staff

pen cap is wedged between a tongue and tongue ring. It won’t come out. There is an insect in a student’s ear. Freshmen walk in the door, asking for food.

Health Clerk Damia Crane has to deal with accident-prone and sickly Spartans on a daily basis.

Crane is responsible for the students’ overall health care at Davis. In one day, up to forty kids may visit her office, although she tends to have more during stomach flu season in the fall and cold season in the spring.

She is the one who gets students ready to go home, to the doctors, or to the hospital, and calls an ambulance if needed.

On average, the ambulance has been called a total of fifteen times within a school year.

“Thirty percent is just random, like seizures, dislocated joints, an actual injury, or an asthma attack.

Thirty percent is from P.E and 40 percent is from prior illnesses” said Crane Usually a student goes in

complaining of a headache, stomach ache, or a cold. For the student that comes in with a bug in their ear, it’s not as weird as you might think. Small bugs, such as beetles and nats, can crawl into an unsuspecting victim’s ear as they sleep. He or she may not realize something is wrong until a few hours after school has started.

When the student goes up to the nurse’s office, Crane pours water into his ear to drown the bug out.

Students with piercings are notorious visitors of the nurse’s office. Although Crane doesn’t believe that young people should mess with their bodies, especially because of its continuous growth, she won’t deny them care.

“A lot of students come in just wanting to get their piercing cleaned,” she said, “That is one of my biggest pet peeves.”

Crane recalls a time when a girl was apparently messing with her tongue ring in class by putting a pen cap in her mouth and attempting to attach it onto her ring. Somehow, the cap managed to get stuck onto the girl’s tongue ring.

Unless visibly ill, Crane will not see anyone without a teacher’s

note. She takes away the chance for kids to use the excuse of being sick to get out of a test.

“At least one-third of the time a student will come in just to get sent home,” said Crane. “They’re usually just hungry, tired, or they just don’t want to be here.”

But Crane won’t make it easy for those looking for a way out of school.

She will cross-reference grades and attendance. If the records look suspicious, she will refer the student to a counselor, after having a little discussion with them about responsibility.

Crane enjoys working as a health clerk. The main reason she took this job was so she could have the same schedule as her kids, ages thirteen, ten, and six.

Once her children are older, she plans on pursuing a different profession.

Because she has a degree in business administration, she hopes to become an administrator in the educational field.

“My personality is more in line with administrative duties,” she said, “Although I do love my job, and the kids.”

College trip has evolved to meet needs of students

By WILLIAM RUTHERFORD Business Manager

S

o, you want to go to college?

You’ve survived all the classes, passed all the tests, and demolished the SAT’s. What now? Now is the time for you to start checking out colleges that spark your interests.

Yes, anybody can go online and look up information about colleges. Within five minutes an internet user can know the number of dorm rooms available, the student to teacher ratio, and the prices per semester.

What can’t be found by searching the internet or reading a brochure are important factors like what the campus looks like, where to find local job opportunities, or even where the students pass their time.

The annual Davis High School college trip has been introducing students to these necessary factors that aid in the transition from Davis to college for the last ten years.

“I learned about different colleges and what they are like,” said junior Dominic Macias while recalling his trip.

“My main reason [for starting the college trip] was to get students [like Macias] to think about college and to see what’s out there,” said John Gahan.

Gahan, the current college counselor, started the trip in 1998 with only six students and a van travelling to UC Santa Barbara and UC Los Angeles.

Ellen Boley joined Gahan the following year and the college trip grew. “Next year we took three vans and by the third year we had a bus,” said Gahan.

Gahan has been trying to get the college

trip moved for years. “I would like for us to go during the school week so we could get the real feel of a college campus,” said Gahan.

The times that the college trip tours took place were usually during off hours.

While the students were asleep, when everyone was out of town for the weekend, or while everyone was attending class were times allowed for tours. The limited times disabled students from viewing the lives that they most likely would be living while attending college.

The scenery of a college campus can be a real turn off or turn on.

“I had lot of students making [college]

decisions without ever being on a college campus,” said Gahan as he recalls his first few years teaching at Davis.

After exploring UCLA and UCSB the first year, Gahan branched out into the rest of Southern California for many of the following years. This year was different.

“For years we just went to Southern California,” said Gahan, “For the first time, we’re doing a Hybrid trip.”

This year’s trip consisted of a full bus of forty-six students visiting UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, CSU San Jose, and CSU San Luis Obispo.

Each campus had different experiences to offer the students.

“Berkeley felt like a traditional east coast school, Santa Barbara like a beach school, Santa Cruz like a remote mountain-surrounded school, San Jose like a modern school within a city, and Cal Poly [at San Luis Obispo] like a towncentered school,” said Macias, “overall my experience was exciting, interesting, and educational.”

12 December 2008

News&Features

11

eleven

Smart additions to Spartan Staff

B

T

lake Nan has ditched teacher at Downey before donning green Knighthood to join the and gold to join the Davis PE teachers. strongest force around, the Interacting with his students and being Spartans. Nan was a substitute outside for PE is a full time job. He doesn’t like to spend his days in a classroom, but prefers the great outdoors.

“I like teaching PE because I like being active with kids; PE is important, and students can use it through life,” said Nan. Nan wasn’t interested in teaching PE until he was a TA in his senior year of high school. Playing football and working out every day his junior and senior years also influenced him to pursue this career. Before becoming a substitute and ultimately a teacher, Nan worked for four years in a warehouse doing deliveries and using the forklift which he describes as “fun”.

Nan has lived his whole life in Modesto as a younger brother and triplet to a brother and a sister.

“The only downfall is you have to share everything”, said Nan about being a triplet.

Nan graduated from Johansen High School and moved on to Modesto Junior Michael Barton/THE CORINTHIAN College, then Stanislaus State. His cool RIGHT ON TRACK P.E. Teacher Blake Nan and collected attitude allows him to connect watches as his students run around the with students. track.

Stories by Katie Burns and Alexandra Falk eresa Mackenzie is connecting school. She finds being a Resource teacher with teenagers on a whole new very rewarding and encourages students to level. She taught for fifteen years get a good education. at an elementary school, and so “Get as much education as you can before far she enjoys the more mature attitudes of you have a family,” said Mackenzie. her students here at Davis. Her goal is to get all her students to be successful.

“The best part is seeing somebody understand something that they didn’t understand before,” said Mackenzie.

She went to University of California Davis and Stanislaus State University where she majored in Political Science.

Her original goal was to be a lawyer, but decided being a teacher would allow her more time with her family. Mackenzie thinks the best part about teaching resource is how small the classes are.

“Most of them are very bright, it’s just getting them to work for what they want,” said Mackenzie.

Mackenzie has been in Modesto since she was three years old. Before becoming a teacher, Mackenzie worked in a juvenile hall.

“My father was in law enforcement, so Alexandra Falk/THE CORINTHIAN he got me a job as a jail ‘counselor,’” said Mackenzie.

GIVING OUT KNOWLEDGE Resource teacher She enjoyed the job until she had a Teresa Mackenzie helps Mercedes Dwleis mishap that convinced her to go back to with an assignment.

considered teaching.

In high school, Hardee was catcher for the softball team. In her freshmen year of college, her team won Nationals. She continued to play for the next four of her six years at CSU Humboldt. Since then, she has coached catchers for girl’s softball teams.

When she wasn’t playing softball, Hardee was enjoying the outdoors. In fact, Hardee loved the outdoors so much she went to college to study environmental science and geology. While she was at college, she worked on a research project at Klamath River Basin to determine how the basin was formed. “It was fun. I got paid to go camping,” Hardee said.

Although Hardee loved working on the project, she felt as though she wasn’t doing anything to help anyone. So the following year, Hardee worked at an outdoor science camp teaching geology, and loved it.

After going back to school to get her teaching credential, she worked for three years at a private junior high school.

Hardee wasn’t sure whether to be a teacher at Foothill Horizons or start teaching at the high school level, so she prayed about it and took it as a sign from God when she got notice that she was hired on to teach Earth Science at Davis High.

“It’s exciting to finally be in the high school setting.” said Hardee.

He had always known that he wanted avis’s new Algebra Essentials 3 to pursue either a career in math or and Pre-Calculus teacher Mark architecture; believing that San Diego Gonzales has been busy fulfilling State offered both, he chose to go there. A his aspiration of becoming a teaching career kind of chose him, and he teacher. After seven years out of Modesto, is happy enlightening young minds.

Gonzales is back with a Master’s Degree in hand. He describes his school experience as “a quick process”. Gonzales began at Davis one week after earning his Master’s Degree from UC Irvine. He began working on his Master’s at San Diego State, but the process would have taken three years instead of the one year it takes at UC Irvine.

“I didn’t even really want to go to college.” Family pressure influenced him to continue on with school and now he is proud to say that he has the highest degree in his family.

“I’m glad I took this path,” said Gonzales.

Gonzales enjoys having a classroom and students of his own. Gonzales likes to have his students do group activities.

He finds that students have an easier time doing homework problems together, because they are more likely to ask each other questions.

“It’s easier to talk to your peers than to Michael Barton/THE CORINTHIAN someone else,” says Gonzales.

SOLVING THE EQUATION Math Teacher “One thing that I want my students to Mark Gonzales explains a math problem to know,” says Gonzales, “I’m always here the class. to help them; I want them to succeed.”

I

f you told Christine Hardee ten years ago that she would be an Earth Science teacher at Davis High, she wouldn’t have believed you. It was only a few years ago when Hardee even

Michael Barton/THE CORINTHIAN

EXPLAINING THE HEAT Earth Science teacher Christine Hardee explains the structure of a volcano. After only teaching for a few years, this is her first high school job.

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FACE OFF Harry Potter vs. Twilight NAME: Harry James Potter BORN: England, July 31 STRENGTHS: Endless bravery, love, intelligence, compassion, amazing patronus, parseltongue, highly skilled wizard, Ron and Hermione WEAKNESSES: Reckless, ill-tempered, naivety

NAME: Edward Cullen BORN: Chicago 1901 STRENGTHS: Extreme speed, acute hearing, super strength, venomous teeth, good looks, power to read minds WEAKNESSES: Human blood (specifically Bella’s), too protective Photo Courtesy of www.popcorn.co.uk

Photo Courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Harry Potter far surpasses Twilight Twilight is the new teen series

I

’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed all the hype over the new series, Twilight. In fact, I know I’m not – the mere fact that I’m writing this is a testament to the novel’s popularity.

Twilight is a great series, incorporating strong writing with a plot that is sure to grasp the attention of even the most flighty reader. But when people go as far to say that Twilight is the “new” Harry Potter – it’s all I can do to restrain myself from launching a full-on debate.

So, just to make my disposition perfectly clear: THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER HARRY POTTER! Why, you ask? I’m getting there…

First of all, Twilight is juvenile. A purely teen series in which a teenage girl falls in love with a teenage vampire. Jovana may argue that Harry Potter is written for children. I feel safe in saying that any person of any age who has truly read the series would disagree.

Harry Potter can serve as shallow entertainment for the younger age groups, but when opened up to the young adult and adult readers can convey worldly themes of social tolerance for all people. This theme is conveyed through the ongoing conflict between two forces (Voldemort and his Death Eaters against Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix) that both exist within a world that it already isolated from modern existence. Voldemort’s crusade against the “mudbloods” and “muggles” of society and Dumbledore’s protection of those same groups can relate to a number of issues we have faced and are currently facing in the world (i.e., racial segregation, gay and lesbian discrimination). The point is that Voldemort cannot accept any group that conflicts with his ideals, such as his insistence the Wizarding race remain “pure blood.”

I also cannot fail to mention the statement

J.K. Rowling made by announcing that Dumbledore is homosexual. If you cannot see the correlation between the mudbloods and purebloods of the Wizarding society and our current social situation, then surely you can recognize the direct parallel between Dumbledore’s controversial sexuality in a seemingly “children’s” book.

Meyer’s first person approach is not as clear as the narrative style. All we can gain from the first person style is the words, actions and descriptions from the main character’s view. Rowling uses the omniscient view, allowing the reader to not only understand the complex issues that Harry is facing, but the unbiased reactions of his peers. A great example of the advantage gained by the narrative perspective appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry, having watched a classmate die at the hands of the newly Jamiee Cook reborn Features Editor Dark Lord, is faced with perhaps the most emotionally grueling year in the entire series.

Not only is he questioning his friends’ faith in him, but he begins to lack faith in himself (could he really be possessed by Lord Voldemort?).

The advantage in Rowling’s writing style comes in the way that we can connect with Harry and his emotional struggle, as well as sympathize with the awkward positions of his two best friends, Hermione and Ron, who are obviously feeling hopeless as to how to comfort “The Chosen One.” We can look at new plot developments with an unbiased eye, something that is impossible when we are reading from one perspective.

I love Twilight. The series is definitely my second obsession, but Harry Potter is a consistent first. It’s so easy to become lost within the realms of the Wizarding World… it’s a high that I cannot imagine reaching any other series.

I

just couldn’t put it down. No matter how tired I was, I kept reading.

Unlike Harry Potter, Twilight is so captivating that I just can’t stop reading it. I couldn’t wait to find out what was happening next. Don’t get me wrong, I love Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is able to create a world that no one has known, and she uses this to her advantage. There are many great things about Harry Potter but I’m just so consumed with the Twilight series.

The Twilight series depicts every teenage girl’s dream. Their love is forbidden yet this makes it grow. Forbidden, secret love is intriguing to girls. Edward is the perfect guy; he is every girl’s dream. He is gorgeous, alluring and charming. He has the perfect seductive voice and even an appealing scent.What girl doesn’t want the perfect handsome guy that needs her back even if he is a vampire? It makes it more captivating, more romantic.

Jamiee says that Harry Potter was intended for all ages. But its simplicity and fantastic plots make it appealing to children, and mainly only children read it. It is a very easy read and can relate to the minds of children. Third graders read Harry Potter.

Our age reads Twilight.

Harry Potter has the same plot through every book. Harry is going against Voldemort and comes back alive through luck. End of story. People are able to relate to Bella and Edward. They are characters that represent the extremes: a vampire and the most fragile girl. The reader can relate to them in his or her own world: a shy girl and the jock.

Or vice versa. Edward is a vampire and knows how to become one. Harry Potter is a boy that randomly finds out he is a wizard. Bella is a teenager in a new high school and is nervous and wants to make friends but not be noticed at the same time. Hermione goes to school knowing everything about everything. Jacob starts

off as a nice and fun friend to be around who becomes a werewolf and struggles to cope with his love for Bella. Ron is a good friend that is there for Harry and you see him grow throughout the seven books, but that’s really it. He’s Harry’s friend and that is what he known for.

Twilight has the classic situations with a twist. Harry Potter has action but not a lot of romance. Twilight has action and more romance than Harry Potter does.

Twilight’s classical situation may not be realistic at all and the overall plot is simple but the reader still can’t stop reading, no matter how shallow it is.

Yes, Jamiee, it is true that the narrative perspective works for Harry Potter. The novel only works if you see what everyone is going through, but it mainly follows Harry because he is the main character.

Stephenie Meyer uses a different

Jovana Mercado News Editor

approach, one that is not custom to many novels. She follows the first person perspective of a person who is not the main character. This view is essential for the novel. The reader never knows why Edward does the things he does; why he ignores her, why he follows her, why he leaves her, and why he loves her. Telling the story through Bella’s point of view greatly builds up the suspense and anticipation of what happened. Having parts of the novel through Jacob’s point of view further achieves this eagerness to read on.

It is true that there is a new “hype” over the series. It may be due to the movie. But the fact is that Twilight is a great book. It may not be as literary in depth as Harry Potter, but for our generation it is more interesting read.

I love Harry Potter and always will, but as of now, I just can’t relate to it the way I can to Twilight.

12 December 2008

Arts&Entertainment

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thirteen

AFRAID TO BE ALONE Left, Martha Dobie (Junior Taylor Williams)

explains to Joseph (Senior Zach Newman) that she’s afraid that the marriage between him and Karen Wright (Senior Tiawny Ferreira) will result in her being left to run the school alone. Above, Senior Paige Jenkins and Junior Taylor Williams.

“The Childrens Hour” Drama Production performs the Lillian Hellman Classic of deception and blackmail for the fall play

LIES START TO SPIN  Left, Mary (Senior Paige Jenkins)

blackmails Rosalie (Junior Tori Grabowski) into saying that she saw the two headmistreses kiss.

PLAYING THE PART  Above, Senior Paige Jenkins and

Junior Tori Grabowski Left, Seniors Daniele Nelson and Zach Newman, Junior Taylor Williams, and Senior Tiawny Ferreira. Below, Senior Tiawny Ferreira and Junior Taylor Williams.

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THE BIG

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This second installment features the best performances and honors of the past month.

Rosas 1. Roberto Boys Cross Country

After winning both the MMC meet and sub-sections meet, Rosas took 23rd overall at state.

2. Boys Cross Country Team

After going undefeated in league and winning the MMC team title, they qualified for state for the second time in school history.

3.

Lance Castaneda Varsity Football

Named outstanding receiver for the league and made first team all league for offense and defense.

Bolton 4. Tyler Varsity Water Polo

Awarded the co-MVP of the league after dominating all of his opponents during the season.

Vega 5. Xevion Varsity Football As the leading rusher on the team, he averaged five yards a carry and made second team all league.

6.

Jacob Hill Varsity Football

Averaging 10 tackles a game, Hill led the team on defense and made first team all league as inside linebacker.

7.

Erin Cronin Varsity Volleyball

Led the team in assists with 188 and also had 22 aces on the season, making here a first team all league selection.

Bobo 8.Angel Varsity Cross Country

The girl’s number one runner led the team and was awarded with first team all-league honors

Hallam 9.Tom Varsity Football Made first team all-league on both the offensive and defensive line.

He was also named the outstanding lineman of the year on offense.

10.

Lisa Hass Varsity Cross Country

The sophomore made first team allleague in her first year running cross country.

SPARTAN SPORTS BOYS

cont. from FRONT PAGE

block, do well in the game and run through the MMC,” said Castaneda.

This team will be led by three seniors this year. Ryan Michael, Weston Toste, and Bryan Jones are the only seniors that are expected to come back.

Last year these three each averaged less than 10 points a game, but this year they will be taking on the scoring role “We need these guys to step it up this year and lead this team,” said Pacheco.

Toste being a returning player enjoys the tempo of the game.

“It is very up-tempo,” said Toste, “It is all about the defense, hands down play.”

The biggest issue for them will be creating chemistry and coming together as one team.

“Our biggest opponent is ourselves,” said Pacheco, “We need to play hard and aggressive and have positive attitudes every

single game.”

The team is coached

by Dan Pacheco and Chris Guptill. Pacheco has been coaching for 23 years.

Guptill has been coaching for 9 years.

“He coaches like Bobby Knight,” said Michael, “He’s got that fiery attitude and is a great coach.”

As for their playoff chances, they will have to contend with last year’s MMC champ Downey, along with Enochs and Modesto.

The team is 3-2 thus far in the preseason, with wins over Chavez, Merced and Los Banos.

In the Modesto City Classic the team posted a 1-2 record losing to Central Catholic and Golden Valley.

corinthian

GIRLS

cont. from FRONT PAGE

Ovalle.

With many lock down defenders this year the lady Spartans are going to be more of a defensive team. Elysia Roberts and Michelle Davis will bring a much needed defensive presence on the low block denying anyone who comes in the paint.

Ledesma and Campbell will bring the pressure on the perimeter forcing the other team to make bad choices and causing turnovers.

The Lady Spartans will have assistance from two freshmen, Stefanie Crist and Kelsi Hauter, who were both moved up to varsity this year. Crist and Hauter were both surprised and energetic about playing varsity basketball. Both are going to be a major presence down low due to their height, both being over 5’10.

“I’m really excited because not many people are moved up as freshmen,”

said Crist.

According to Ovalle they will have a huge impact despite the fact they are playing their first year of varsity basketball.

“They are going to play a big part this year which is why they were moved up as freshmen,” said Ovalle.

The team has been practicing and playing games in either AAU or fall leagues since last season ended which has helped them develop their team chemistry.

“These sets of players have already played about forty games together,” said Ovalle.

This year the Spartans are playing for another MMC championship, with a lot of talent hard work it should come easy.

“We have a lot of potential to be good this year and we have been working extra hard,” said Castilleja.

Boys Cross Country competes at state meet

By STEPHEN MACKO

T

Editor-in-chief

he entire season the boys cross country team had one goal in mind.

State.

And after the team took second place at the Section meet held on November 15 they did just that.

“Our goal the whole season was just to get to State and now that we made it, we are just enjoying the moment,” said junior Roberto Rosas.

The team didn’t know they had made it to state until they were about to leave when their coach came over and gave them the news.

“Chris [Izquierdo] and I knew that we had made it individually but no one else thought they ran a decent race,” said Rosas, “then our coach told us that we made it about a half an hour after the race was over and we were just jumping up and down.”

Izquierdo is the only senior of the seven runners that will compete at state.

“This team is the closest team I’ve been on in my four years,” said Izquierdo, “there isn’t a rivalry between us for the top spot, we all just want to beat the other teams.”

Rosas has been the top runner the entire year and won the league meet with a time of 16:02 and the sub-sections with a time of 15:49. At the sections meet he came in second with a

time of 16:25 on a course that had more hills than the previous two.

“Chris and I did what we had to do but Jesse Lara, Kyle Ward and Austin Stahl all really stepped it up for us,” said Rosas.

The race was delayed until 45 minutes after a runner in the race before them passed out and had to be taken off in an ambulance.

“We were all ready to go and warmed up and then five minutes before the race they told us the race had been postponed,” said Rosas.

For Izquierdo the delay was a blessing in disguise.

“I wasn’t really ready before the delay but during the extra time we got together, said a short prayer and stretched one more time,” said Izquierdo.

The youngest member of the team, freshman Ramiro Valtierra, is the first freshman in school history to go to the state meet.

“After we found out that we had made it all the guys were telling me I didn’t know how lucky I was to be going because it was only my first year,” said Valtierra.

After the race Valtierra didn’t think he had his best race and didn’t think he did his job in getting the team to state.

“Before the race I was nervous but I think the delay relaxed me a little,” said Valtierra, “I ran with Dominik [Velez] the whole time and at the end we had

Celida Gastelum/THE CORINTHIAN

LEADERS OF THE PACK  Senior Chris Izquierdo, left, and junior Roberto Rosas, right, lead the pack in a league race during a meet against Downey. The two have helped lead the team to state. a good kick.”

Now that the team has reached their goal of making state they aren’t feeling any pressure.

“It’s a lot more relaxed now that we’ve reached our goal,” said Izquierdo, “instead of running to meet our goal we’re now running because we love it.”

After two weeks of training the team headed to Fresno for the race.

“Before the race we were a lot more pumped up and nervous,” said Rosas, “there was a lot more to

lose.”

Rosas took 23rd overall with a time of 15:37, coming in first for the team.

The state meet was the end of the road for the historical season.

“At the beginning of the season I didn’t think we had the talent to make it this far but these guys have showed they have guts to me,” said Izquierdo.

12 December 2008

SPARTAN SPORTS

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Fact or Fiction

15

As the NBA season begins, Corey and Nagieb debate on who will come out on top and who will shine.

Derick Rose will win Rookie of the Year.

Corey: FACT Derrick Rose is an all around player who can shoot, steal and pass the ball a lot. Nagieb: FACT coming off a loss in the NCAA championship game, Derrick Rose is back with Nagieb, this guy is going to be a great asset to the Bulls and will help lead them to the postseason going up against elite Eastern Conference players like Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade.

fire in his eyes. Rose’s style of play is great for the NBA; he’s ready and grabbing Rookie of the Year without a doubt.

The LA Lakers will win the NBA Finals.

FACT with the best starting five and one of the best benches in the league, the Lakers are going to the finals and they are winning it this year. The main reason they are going to win is because they have the best player in the league with Kobe Bryant on their side.

Nagieb:

Corey: With the big three still in Boston this is FICTION. Even though the Lakers have one

of the best starting five’s in the entire league, the Celtics don’t make too many mistakes. Do you remember the Finals from last year, Nagieb? Boston is becoming a dynasty which they haven’t been since the 1950’s.

Greg Oden will guide the Blazers to postseason glory.

Corey: Greg Oden definitely has the ability of being a key player so I am going to have to say FACT. Along with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge the trio will carry the load. I’m going to have to agree with Nagieb, Oden needs to get used to the speed of the game and avoid anymore injuries. This team will be in the playoffs as a seven eight seed but will need a few years to become a real threat in the potent Western Conference.

FICTION Greg Oden hasn’t played healthy since the beginning of his college career. It’s going to take him time to get used to the speed of the game. He is a defensive specialist but he’s lacking any offensive presence in the post. The Trailblazers should be good but not good enough to make it to the playoffs in the monstrous West.

Nagieb:

Without Baron Davis the Warriors will not make the playoffs.

Nagieb: FICTION releasing Baron was a bad decision on the Warriors part, but Corey

Maggette and Monta Ellis could pick up the slack. They are a great team to watch with their fast breaks but still lacking a dominant man in the middle. They just can’t stack up with the powers in the west.

Corey: This is absolute FICTION. The arrival of Corey Maggette and the contract extension

of Monta Ellis will fill the spot that Baron Davis left. The continuing improvement of Andris Biedrins on the block will be great for them. And don’t forget about Anthony Morrow and Stephen Jackson.

SEASON SUMMARY: Late season run toward playoff birth

D

Corinthian Staff

efeat, anger, and anguish were the feelings of the players after the Downey game. The Downey Knights stunned the league by beating Davis 16-7.

“It was devastating to lose to a team we have never lost to,” said Justin Nesbitt.

Going into the next game they knew it was a must-win against the Panthers.

“We had to beat them, it was a must win game,” stated Jason Nesbitt.

After a fifty-five yard pass to Lance Castaneda; Davis’ defense forced a punt trailing 14-12 in late fourth quarter.

Fortunately, senior Gabe Crudo turned an ordinary play upside down into an extraordinary one. A pass intended for Lance Castaneda went through his hands and straight into Crudo’s.

“It couldn’t have been at a better time,” said Crudo. “I was just hoping to not get tackled; I wanted to win the game.”

We had always taught them to run to the football,” said Defensive Coordinator Billy Hylla, “Gabe (Crudo) was running at full speed and he was there at the right time deserving the ball.”

With a win under their belt the Spartans faced Johansen who was undefeated in the MMC league.

From the start the Vikings were too much for the Spartans. A 19 yard run and an intercepted pass scored for two touchdowns

early in the first quarter. In the fourth, the Spartans scored with a six yard pass to Jordan Wyrick but fell short losing 34-6.

Heading into the Enochs game they knew it was another must-win. Enochs was second place in the MMC and controlled the Spartans’ destiny as a Davis loss would have ended their playoff hopes.

“We grew up with this team,” said Justin Nesbitt.

“From Pop Warner to senior year we had to play with or against each other and it has been fun.”

The whole game was complete defense.

Lance Castaneda returned an interception for a 70 yard touchdown to lead the Spartans to a 6-0 lead. There were great defensive stops by Castaneda, Peter Suon and Traejon Hunter. The score stayed the same the whole game as yet another spark was lit for the playoff hopes of the Spartans.

Davis faced their last game against the Beyer Patriots and a win was crucial in landing them a spot in the playoffs.

“We were planning to continue our season,” said Hylla. “We had to win or go home.”

“

The first half was looking grim as the Patriots took a 10-8 halftime lead.

“We were frustrated; we knew our mistakes and the adjustments to make us turn around,” said Hylla Xevion Vega ran for a 17 yard and 67 yard touchdown for the Spartans in the second half. Two more touchdowns made by Jordan Wyrick and De’Marco Brownlee ended the game 3810 with a Davis victory, sending the Spartans to the playoffs.

Playoffs were now a reality for this team. They were slated to face the Lincoln Trojans of Stockton in the first round.

Lincoln was 9-1 and was riding on a 6 game winning streak.

From the kickoff, this was a tough game for Davis. The Trojans threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to start things off with a boom. Two more touchdowns were run in, keeping the Spartans shut out for the first quarter.

Another two touchdown runs and a huge 49 yard completion by the Trojans marked the end of the first half as the Spartans headed into half time down 49-0.

“We never wanted to quit,” said Hylla

We never wanted to quit.....we wanted to show our pride.

-Defensive Coordinator Billy Hylla

“

By COREY KIRK

Alba Recinos/THE OLYMPIAN

BREAKING FREE Junior Xevion Vega runs past a Beyer defender in the team’s 38-10 win over Beyer. The win secured a playoff birth for the Spartans before losing to Lincoln 56-12 in the first round.

“We wanted to show our pride.”

In the third, Vega scored on a 26 yard pass from Jason Nesbitt. The Trojans answered with a 70 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Lance Castaneda caught a 15 yard touchdown pass later in the quarter from Nesbitt. The final score was 56-12 Lincoln and the season was over for the Spartans.

“I felt bad for the seniors but I hope this will be motivation for the juniors,” said Hylla.

SPARTAN SPORTS

Reaching their goal

Boys Cross Country team reaches state meet for second time in school history.

Page 14

Varsity Roster #4 Jim Nguyen #5 Christian Limas #10 Weston Toste #12 Xevion Vega #20 Demetrius Prunty #22 Brian Jones #24 Ryan Michael #34 Lance Castanada #25/35 Jalen Jimerson #40 Kory Johnson # 42 Jake Sisco #50 Chris Jones #30/55 Jordan Wyrick Head Coaches: Dan Pacheco Chris Guptill

High expectations for talented team

By COREY KIRK Corinthian Staff

A

s basketball comes around the corner the Spartans Boy’s basketball team is pumped more than ever about this upcoming

season This team suffered some losses due to graduation. Jose Blanco, who was the go to guy for the past two years and Jordan Dickson was the dominant, big man for the Spartans last year. Blanco and Dickson left big shoes to fill leaving but it will be up to the juniors to step up.

Winning

Juniors Xevion Vega and Lance Castaneda are two returning starters from varsity and are expected to fill in for Blanco and Dickson. Vega has got a lot on his plate but has the quickness, shot, and leadership to do great at point guard.

“This will be more of a team effort other than an individual like last year,” said Vega.

“He has all the potential in the world to do great this year,” said Pacheco.

Castaneda played alongside Dickson at power forward last year and will be looking to play a bigger role this year.

“I just have to be responsible on See BOYS Page 14

on the Mind on the court Varsity Roster

Young team aims to fill big shoes

By NAGIEB MUSAID

C

Corinthian Staff

oming off back to back MMC championships, the lady Spartans are here with five returning players and many new faces. Despite their youth Breijhanna Castilleja, Dallas Campbell, and Michelle Davis should help bring leadership to the team, due to the fact that all three played on the team last year.

Although the team has big shoes to

fill with the loss of graduates Erin Ovalle and Meghan Devlin, both of whom were four year varsity starters. Castilleja has the drive to carry most of the work load.

According to coach Joe Ovalle she will always be helped by sophomore Valerie Munoz and junior Josefina Ledesma, on offense.

“Breijhanna has worked very hard and she is an incredible asset to the team,” said coach See GIRLS Page 14

#10 Anecia Brown #11 Jessica Mayer #12 Kelci Haueter #14 Valerie Munoz #20 Aryka Sanders #22 Josefina Ledesma #24 Vanessa Lemus #30 Peyton Smithers #32 Breijhanna Castilleja #33 Dallas Campbell # 34 Elysia Roberts #40 Whitley Lucas #52 Michelle Davis #55 Stephanie Crist Head Coach: Joe Ovalle Assistant Coaches: Charles Broadway Adam Ovalle