2013-2014 Issue 7

The

UKIAHILITE

Ukiah High School Home of the Wildcats

Volume XXXVII Issue 7 March 28, 2014

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

March 28, 2014

Contents 3 5K Walk for Mitochondrial Diseases 4 Arbor Undergoing Massive Changements 4 Club Shred it Up Takes its First Trip 5 Faculty Member of the Month: March 5 Student Council Sets Prelim Agenda for Remainder of the Year 5 Brief Announcements

c s

- Aristotle

The Ukiahilite

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6 Flix Pix: Mr. Peabody and Sherman 6 Student Poetry: “The Zodiac Affair” By: Arianna Palmerin 7 Spotlight: Advanced Art 7 Ukiah High Music Program Expands

10 The American Debate 10 What’s Up With Our Graduation?

11 Mama’s Cafe is Worthy of the Occasional Visit 11 Spring Break: Where is the Best Place to go Wild... Or Not?

8-9 April Fool’s!

14 From East to West 14 March Madness and Mad Scores: A Commentary 15 Sportslite - Dylan Lancaser 15 Sportslite - Monica Ray

12 Sassy, Classy and a Little Trashy 12 Senioritis: the Epidemic Returns to Ukiah High!

13 ADS & 16 PAGES

Letters to the Editor The Ukiahilite accepts letters to the editors. The Ukiahilite reserves the right to edit letters for length. Letters must be signed in order to be printed.

The Ukiahilite may be contacted at ukiahilite@uusd.net or by mail to 1000 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA, 95482.

UKIAHILITE STAFF

EDITORS IN CHIEF Tyler Biscocho and Ben Cayler

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Lorena Saucedo

HUMOR Taylor Cameron

CENTERSPREAD Jenna Hester

NEWS Sydney Summers-Knight

SPORTS Benjamin Cayler

OPINIONS Tyler Biscocho

ADVERTISEMENT Tess Clausen

PHOTO Elijah Williams ADVISOR Valerie Warda STAFF Ashlyn Bazzani, Harris Bedford, Rafael Ceja, Melissa Duenas, Alex Epstein, Milo Hooper, Samantha Ingerman, Zoltan Jakab, Delaney Kindopp, Mariah Larwood, Lizzy

McKeon, Sarah Niderost, T. Abraham Rawles, Jose Recendiz, Luke Robinson, Gabi Rodriguez, Hattie Sher, Nick Vargas, Elijah Williams COVER PAGE PHOTO CREDIT

Taylor Cameron

“Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.”

-Horace Greeley

News

March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

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Also in this section...

Arbor Undergoing Massive Changes

Club Shred It up Takes First Trip

Student Council Report

Faculty Member of the Month

tion and family support. If Ukiah High students are interested in attending this event, they would not only be helping the overall cause, they would be aiding a fellow student.

Rhia Scott-Colvin, a senior Rhia Scott-Colvin and Mariah Larwood Photo Credit: Laura Snyder at Ukiah High, was born with Mitochondrial Disease. As she continued through childhood, Rhia’s condition had an impact on her hearing, vision, and orthopedic skills. Rhia now uses a wheelchair to maneuver due to Mariah Larwood tion of motor control, muscle her impacted motor skills.

Staff Writer pain and weakness, difficulties Because the development of In 1996 the United swallowing, hearing, and seeing, her disease occurred at an earMitochondrial Disease respiraly age, Foundation (UMDF) was found- tory isR h i a ed to help raise awareness and s u e s , uses the funds to conduct research, as s e i inforwell as offer support to individu- z u r e s , mation als and their families affected by a n d that she Mitochondrial Disease. growth learned Mitochondrial Diseases are and dew h e n caused by the failure of the mi- v e l o p she was tochondria, which are special- m e n t a l young to ized parts of each cell in the issues. continbody excluding red blood cells.

A s ue her Mitochondria, as taught in most s t a t e d learnbiology classes, are responsible by the ing now, for creating ninety percent of the U M D F, s a i d energy needed to both grow and e v e r y J a n e sustain life.

30 minPiper, Photo Credit: energyforlifewalk.org When this widely special- utes a child is teacher of ized and important part of the born who will be diagnosed with Special Education at Ukiah High cell fails, the many processes a Mitochondrial Disease by the School. and the energy needed to car- age of ten. Every year, between When talking about Rhia ry them out slowly disintegrate. 1,000 and four thousand kids in as both a student and person, Mitochondrial diseases usually the US are born with a form of Piper said that she is one of the cause the greatest damage to the disease. most inspirational people she brain, heart, liver, skeletal musOn Saturday April 12, the has ever met. cles, and kidney cells as well as UMDF will be hosting the an“She decided that she’s alive to the respiratory and endocrine nual Energy for Life Walkathon and that she is going to learn systems. at Golden Gate Park in San and be as normal a student as In the event that one devel- Francisco. This event is aimed possible,” said Piper. ops a Mitochondrial Disease, at raising money for research, Piper also explained that symptoms may include deple- Mitochondrial Disease educa- Rhia’s favorite thing in the world

5K Walk for Mitochondrial Diseases

was anything Disney. Every year, Rhia and her family travel to the amusement park to spend time with Rhia’s favorite characters.

“I love all of the princesses,” said Rhia. “But my favorite is Cinderella.”

In fact, when Rhia was learning about maps at school, she was able to use the map of Disneyland to understand the concept of maps as a whole.

Rhia is also learning math and how to read in school right now.

“She’s learning sign language and she’s actually getting great at it,’” said Piper.

With the help of her intervener, Laura Snyder, Rhia talked about how much she loved her favorite class, Choir, taught by Ms. Doering as well as how her favorite colors are all the colors of the rainbow.

Rhia exudes an excitement and willingness to interact, as well as a huge smile that lights up the room.

Even though every day tasks require so much more effort from Rhia than most people, Snyder and Piper both spoke to her determination and hard work. “[Rhia] is learning to live in spite of [Mitochondrial Disease],” said Piper.

If any Ukiah High student is interested in not only meeting Rhia but also supporting the search for a cure for Mitochondrial Disease, come to the Energy for Life Walkathon at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on April 12. More information can found at energyforlifewalk.org or at the Facebook event: Energy for Life Walkathon: Walk for Rhia.

“A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.”

News

March 28, 2014

Arbor Undergoing Massive Changes

Hattie Sher

Staff Writer

The Arbor on Main is relocating to a bigger venue at 810 N. State Street, where Sheer Heaven and Harold’s Bar were located previously. With this move, the various programs will be able to be combined into one place.

The Arbor on Main is a youth run organization for adolescents of Ukiah and all Mendocino County. The Arbor is one of the programs that is supported by Redwood’s Children’s Services (RCS). Other programs include Redwood Children’s Crisis Center, The Harbor, the center in Lake County, Nurturing Education and Skills Training Program (NEST), and many others.

The Arbor is working with Ukiahi Leadership to help donate prom dresses so people can purchase them at a cheaper price. The Arbor also hosts

clothes drives, where they collect donated goods from community members to distribute to teens in need.

The Arbor on Main provides a learning environment that helps maximize youth potential as they transform into adults.

In this new facility, they will be offering new classes due to the larger area. This includes a new yoga class that will be offered to teens.

The Arbor’s goal is to take heavy and to host open conversations about it. For example, they have relationship workshops called “Let’s Talk About Sex”.

Others include workshops about how to apply for jobs, and how to deal with anger management in a positive way.

Some other programs in The Arbor include career planning, teen peer court, mentoring, relationship workshops, and many more to educate teens. These classes give not only insight to-

wards a better future, but help empower youth.

“I feel like The Arbor has the capacity to offer what the youth need and want in the community…

(The Arbor) is youth run and youth lead, safe, firm, place for youth to hang out,” said Stephanie Paige, the Arbor’s program supervisor.

Anybody who needs a helping hand or does not have any place to be, can go to The Arbor on Main where they can find help, and even have assistance finding a place to stay.

The Arbor holds many events.

They recently just added an open mic event called Acoustic Cafe, where teens read poetry and play music.

Sometimes The Arbor hosts game nights and on these occasions, they take out the Wii and play dance video games.

Other game nights, they just play various board games.

Around Thanksgiving, the Arbor

hosts a “Thankfulness Feast” for youth and adults that do not have anyone with whom to share the holiday. Many can come sit at a large table with donated foods from local grocers and restaurants, then they go around and share what they are thankful for as they enjoy the meal together.

“I get very happy when I hear that they are thankful for the Arbor.

The kids think of the staff as family,” said Paige, “It makes the us try even harder to do the best and the most we can for these youth”.

The Arbor is a safe, wellkept environment for anyone that needs a little help or support in their lives and welcomes anyone with open arms.

The programs and classes offered are sure to help someone get back on their feet, so they can live a better life.

This is only a locational change. All the programs will still be offered; just in a different place.

The Arbor will still stand the same.

Contributor: Sarah Niderost

Club Shred It Up Takes First Trip Luke Robinson Staff Writer

The Snowboarding Club, also known as Club Shred, recently completed their first trip to Tahoe on February 16th. The trip was a success, and all the snowboarders had a blast.

Ben O’Neill is the advisor for the snowboarding club this year and teaches Scrubs at Ukiah High.

“I was begged by five seniors to become a member [of the snowboarding club] because they heard about my snowboarding skills,” said O’Neill.

Zephyr Girard recently joined Club Shred and helped restart it so they could have a trip this year.

“I really enjoyed the trip because all my friends went and I had a lot of fun,” said Girard.

Despite the long drive to Tahoe, the snowboarding club made the most of their trip.

They woke up at 5AM to drive to Tahoe, and they slept most of the drive there. They snowboarded at Sugar Bowl and had a great time. The return trip they watched a snowboarding movie, The Art of Flight, and arrived back in Ukiah around 11PM. The Snowboarding Club successfully fundraised over $3000 to pay for the trip. All members of the club were able to go on the trip for free.

“We were given the opportunity to hold a dinner and silent auction at the Frey Vineyards in Redwood Valley,” said O’Neill.

The club organized an auction and dinner held at Frey Vineyards to raise money for the event. Local business donated goods and the club bought food for the dinner with money previously made from snow cone sales.

Even though the snowboarding club might not seem to be related to school, there are many opportunities to learn, from plan-

ning the trip to learning to snowboard that provide educational value.

“The trip taught the kids what it is to have a goal and achieve it.

We had to put together this massive fundraiser with 117 people.

Photo Credit: Ukiah High Yearbook

- Arthur Miller The Ukiahilite 4

The kids had to participate and do a huge amount of organizing,” said O’Neill. “The students learned a lot about business and making things happen themselves.”

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

-Voltaire March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite 5 News

Student Council Sets Preliminary AgenFaculty da For Remainder of the Year Member of Tyler Biscocho week. ment that 26 acts have signed the Month: Opinions Page Editor Marina Sholin took the op- up to date. portunity to offer a community Breann Dunken, the junior Kent Porter On Tuesday, March 11, mem- service activity in the form of a class president, briefed Student Melissa Duenas

Staff Writer

Mr. Porter

Photo Credit: Elijah Williams

Ukiah High School congratulates Mr. Kent Porter as the Faculty Member of the Month this March. He has been teaching at Ukiah High for 38 years.

Mr. Porter teaches French I, II, III, and IV as a second language.

Mr. Porter is the only French teacher in the entire district. He is proud to be one of the few teachers that have the privilege to see their students learn and develop throughout the four years of high school.

He began learning French at an early age and has been speaking it for 48 years.

He also enjoys sharing stories and his experiences with his class.

“Mr. Porter is inspirational,” said freshman Vanessa Ilar.

“He’s always encouraging us to excel in our education.”

Mr. Porter takes pride in his job he truly cares about his students. He is devoted to helping them learn and is admired for all the effort he has made throughout the years.

bers of the Student Council met to discuss a variety of topics concerning events for the last three months of the school year.

First on the agenda was the Leadership Conference which the Ukiah High Leadership classes put on annually with the local middle schools to inspire students to continue in their leadership careers.

The conference was set for March 27 and the program will include a raffle and a variety of ice breakers as well as the idea that a raffle could be incorporated to entice students to participate during the event.

Associated Student Body President, Mariah Larwood, reported that she expects around 100 middle school students to attend from Pomolita, Eagle Peak and St. Mary’s.

Following this report, students were reminded to turn in their community service hours which were due at the end of that

drive to collect old prom dresses which will be redistributed to those who cannot necessarily afford a brand new dress.

Also addressed during the meeting were the announcement of a new counselor and the choosing of the staff member for the month of March.

Among upcoming events, Mr. Wildcat was the most prominent agenda item at the meeting. The male pageant was announced for April 17 as well as a new aspect in which contestants are required to raise a minimum of $100 for a charity of their choice.

In the final portion of the lunch time meeting, class officers reported on each of their class’s corresponding fundraising event.

Asia Gordon, the sophomore class vice president, kicked it off with a spirited report about the progress of the Talent Show which included a new date set for April 11 as well as an announce-

Council on the immense progress concerning prom which included finalizing the ordering of supplies as well as coordinating with the light manager and photographer.

Finally, Zoe Lazaro, the senior class president, reported on the fundraising aspects for the Senior Trip over the next two months. Some ideas included an April 10 spaghetti feed for which 400 tickets have already been printed and are ready for sale.

Also, senior class vice president and secretary/treasurer, Katrina Ohleyer and Taylor Stohplet, announced that they were looking into car wash ideas as the weather heats up.

The senior class report ended on a high note with the announcement that dates were set, supplies were ordered and the class was ready to hit the road to Disneyland.

Brief Announcements

Rafa Ceja & Sydney Summers-Knight Staff Writer & News Page Editor

Attention Seniors, it is that time of year again! If you are interested in having a Senior Will in the last issue of the Ukiahilite, pick up a form in student activities or room E-11. Seniors Wills cost two dollars per 400 words and will be due May 16. If you have any questions, see Ms. Warda in E-11 during break or lunch, or find one of our editors. (Listed on page two.)

Hey Seniors, last minute scholarship deadlines are approaching fast. For any last minute opportunities to gain a leg up on college finances, be sure to check the scholarship window in the Bbuilding hallway, which is updated by the counselors as new opportunities come in. The Ukiahilite staff wishes the senior class best of luck in this last stretch of applications for anything college related.

The talent show is almost here! Twenty students have already signed up and will be performing dances, songs, plays, poetry and magic tricks. The faculty organizer of this event is Mr. Sweeney, one of the newest of Ukiahi’s history teachers. “This show is fun, exciting, and artistic and will acquire funds for the sophomore class,” said Mr. Sweeney. The student who wins first place will receive one hundred dollars. Participants and the sophomore class encourage parents, students and others to come and support Ukiah High School.The show will be on Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ukiah High Cafetorium.

“When I come into the theatre I get a sense of security. I love an audience. I love people, and I act because I like trying to give pleasure to people.” -Vivien Leigh March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

A&E

Flix Pix

Mr. Peabody & Sherman Milo Hooper

Staff Writer

What would an animated time travel movie be without its own swirling vortex of corrupted space-time?

Something always has to go wrong (time travel is dangerous!), as happens in Dreamworks’ latest animated comedy Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell), Harvard graduate, inventor, and dog, is a major character in this tale of time travelers where viewers cannot go one minute without hearing a play on words. Of course, Peabody’s story would not be nearly as interesting if not for the antics of his adopted human son, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles).

The movie starts off with a brief history of Peabody’s many accomplishments, then goes to the beginning of Sherman’s first day at school at age seven and a half. His school grade is never stated, although he ends up stealing attention in history class with his knowledge of George Washington.

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Also in this section...

Student Poetry Spotlight: Advanced Art Music Program Enhances

Sherman’s extensive knowledge and the fact that he is the adopted child of a dog lead to other school children messing with him; then when he fights back it causes school authorities to think that Mr. Peabody, being a dog, is unfit to parent a human child.

Mr. Peabody wants to prove them wrong, so he ends up inviting the family of Penny Peterson (voiced by Ariel Winter) to their home (which happens to be in a skyscraper) for dinner to make amends after she annoyed Sherman at school to the point of his biting her.

Naturally, Sherman ends up doing the one exact thing that Peabody explicitly tells him not to: using the “WABAC Machine” (pronounced “way-back”), a weird looking time machine.

This causes an unfortunate event to happen in ancient history when Sherman breaks a major rule of time travel, causing chaos in modern times due to two copies of him existing, bringing out many historic characters

to the modern world including Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and more.

Overall, director Rob Minkoff (known for his work on movies The Lion King and Stuart Little) did quite well with this movie, which is based off the 1950’s-1960’s cartoon Peabody’s Improbable History, from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

This modernization definitely stays true to its origins, although it feels much more up-to-date and less potentially offensive.

The voice actors suited the characters well, and the threedimensional computer-animated graphics are a step up from the original cartoon, which barely even had backgrounds with more than two colors. However, as with most children’s movies these days, the characters generally had extremely unnaturally proportioned faces and bodies.

Kids will probably get the most enjoyment out of it, although anyone will likely find it funny.

Bad Okay Good Great Two flames unite, but not for long, for one breathes air and the other stone.

Lights touch one another, Across from their domains.

The stars long decided true love cannot be made

The Zodiac Affair

by Arianna Palmerin Despite the emotions of the opposing elements, burning notes and kisses are carried across the ebony sky

Loves shines, kiss, expires.

Chemicals stain each other’s lips.

No escape from the addiction they taste.

Aromas mix, desired, embraced.

Sparks dominate from within And give birth two fames’ interest.

Attraction at its finest as well as frustration.

Yet the sky’s the limit.

Risks are to be made, if stone and sir desire the immortal flame.

“He who wonders discovers that this in itself is wonder.”

-M.C. Escher March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

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The Spotlight is on Advanced Art

Gabi Rodriguez

Staff Writer

Here at Ukiah High we are home to an Advanced Art program taught by a teacher named Mrs. Scouras.

Advanced Art is a class that you can take after Intro to Art and Drawing. This class is designed for advanced art students.

“The primary objective of this course is to encourage individual creative growth via the tools and materials available. Students can either work together on projects and paintings or if permitted by the teacher they can go solo,” according to the Ukiah High School website.

“I enjoy drawing very much; I’ve always loved it. It’s kind of like escaping to another world

where I can draw anything I want. It’s a good way to express my creativity and it’s also good experience to have in school,” said sophomore Roberto Samano.

Samano has only been in

admits.

The program is available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Most Advanced Art students have previously taken Drawing and/or Intro to Art. The class is drawing, plus so

creative problem solving. This is a learned skill, and Mrs. Scouras teaches it.

If you are not ready to be a confident self-starter, it is quite possible that Drawing class is a better next step for you.

Mrs. Scouras does not require to see a portfolio for entry into the class.

“It is a really fun and creative class, and everyone is welcome,” Mrs. Scouras said.

If you are interested in taking the class, speak to your counselor about signing up. You can also speak to Mrs. Scouras in room seven of the J building.

Advanced Art for one year and is recently working on an art piece of the comic book character Spider-Man. His favorite artist is Leonardo DaVinci, but his inspiration in the classroom is Mrs. Scouras, he

much more.

Drawing is a helpful part of the course, but just because a student has an A in the class does not necessarily make them the best artist; however, they might be the most able at

draw heavier because it does not require the experience a band might,” said Mr. Oslund.

The music classes will be available to all grades, but lower grades might not make it because the upperclassmen have priority over them when it comes to class spots.

“It has been a number of years since Ukiah Unified School District has had a full band program, fully committed to band,” said Mr. Oslund.

Band is becoming more important since many school officials realize that it is a way of students finding success and making a career out of it.

Some of the avenues Oslund. for students to succeed in have There is already a choir been taken away and now there class at Ukiah High, but the are less ways of students finding middle schools do not have any. ways to find something they like “The missing link in the to do. choir at the high school is that

there is not a dedicated choir “Band is class for the middle schools,” a way for said Mr. Oslund. students Students are coming in to find with no instrumental classes and joy and no choir classes and they don’t c r e a t e have any time to participate in b e a u t y an activity like that. in the “When students arrive w o r l d , ” without those classes it is not said Mr. Oslund. part of their lives,” said Mr.

There will be different Oslund. levels of the guitar class and each one will lead to a different Photo Credits: http://galleryhip. type of band. com/black-and-white-guitar “There will be an intro photography.html class and that will fold into different types of band,” said Mr.

Photo Credits: Elijah WIlliams

Ukiah High Band Program Expands Nick Vargas

Staff Writer

Good news everyone!

Ukiah High School is getting a guitar class and is making band class a higher priority to the district.

The school officials are improving the band program by adding three new teachers. One teacher is coming here and the other two are going to Eagle Peak and Pomolita.

The school board is starting band again because the superintendent and Mr. Oslund were definitely interested in making that a priority.

“Guitar class might be pretty popular and younger students such as ninth and tenth graders will be boxed out because guitar or piano tend to

“Even the gods love jokes.”

March 28, 2014

cENTersPREAD

Contributors: Jenna Hester, Tyler Biscocho, Hattie Sher, Taylor Cameron

- Plato

The Ukiahilite

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April

April Fools Day happens every year on the first of April. Although it is not a national holiday it is celebrated and recognized world wide as a day where it is socially acceptable to play pranks on people. But you can only get away with the prank if you say, “April Fools!!!!!!!!”

What is the best prank that you played on someone else?

“I Saran-wrapped a car.”

Luis Flores, 12

“I rubber banded a sink hose sprayer.”

Charlie Lucchesi, 10

“I moved my friends stuff from his locker to another locker.”

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 9

“I pretended I was pregnant.”

Julia Persky, 11

“It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.”

- Max Eastman

cENTerSPREAD

A

Fools

Internet images courtesy of www.google.com

D V E R T

What is the best prank that has been played on you?

I

S E “A friend of mine tried to put a talking doll on me in my sleep.”

Kaitlyn Vanderwarker, 10

“My dad put toothpaste in an oreo and I ate it.”

Tanner VanHousen, 12

M E

“I ate ice cream with shaving cream on it.”

Jeffrey Chen, 11

“My birthday is on April 2nd and my friends would pretend that nothing important was going on and then they would suprise me.”

Taylor Brey, 9

N T

March 28, 2014

The Ukiahilite

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“We should measure welfare’s success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added.”

- Ronald Reagan March 28, 2014

OPINIONS

The Ukiahilite

10

Also in this section...

Mama’s Cafe is Worthy of the Occasional Visit

Spring Break: Where is the Best Place to go Wild... or Not

THE AMERICAN DEBATE Tyler Biscocho

rectly bordering Russia are callOpinions Page Editor ing for harsh economic sanctions that would almost definitely There has been plenty of de- disrupt most Russian trade with bate over the recent Ukrainian the world.

Crisis. These developments in On the other, Western history, especially for Europe, European powers, especially have been extremely fascinat- Germany, the United Kingdom ing to watch as the Crimean and France are calling for more Peninsula underwent Russian symbolic sanctions, but deep occupation. trade cuts with Russia are mostFor many Americans, the in- ly off the table due to the extent stinct after 60 years of cold war, of economic relations between is to immediately look to Russia Western Europe and Russia. as the enemy and to call for This brings into question sanctions and ramp up rhetoric the overall effectiveness of any to give the facade that all of the unilateral action that the world Western World powers might be is ready to punprepared to imish Russia and plement against President Putin the already sefor gravely cluded country. o v e rs t e p p i n g If tough sanchis lines. tions are rejected Obviously, by the European President Putin Union, it can be has crossed assumed that the line of inthe United States ternational sovereignty and has and the Eastern European coundone little to deescalate the situ- tries would also reject them. ation on the Crimean Peninsula, What, then, can be done to but to claim that the world is, correct the grave wrong that in any way, united against the Russia has committed on the Russian assault is, at best, mini- historic peninsula? In all truth, mally correct. nothing. Sanctions, if any, will On the outset, the Western be purely symbolic, but will not Powers have all at least con- harm the overall relations bedemned President Putin for the tween Russia and Europe, escourse of action he has taken. pecially in the context of trade.

It is also known that the world One can expect, however, powers are speaking of impos- that due to the course of action ing economic sanctions upon that President Putin implementRussia as a result of the Crimean ed, Russia will be even more invasion. isolated than when the crisis beHowever, this is where the gan. Overall, Russia is imposing line of support begins to blur. on itself a long life of solitude.

On the one hand, the Eastern Photo Credit: Tyler Biscocho European powers that are di-

What’s Up With Our Graduation??

Harris Bedford

construction, tractors, fences and stuff everywhere for our Graduation for high school grand ceremony at the football seniors is one of life’s biggest field. accomplishments. It is a special Once word got out about e v e n t this, people signaling began to the end of freak out a great, or again. Other terrible four ideas have years, dealso been pending on t h r o w n the person. a r o u n d Not many like having people at graduation Ukiah High at Anton School care Stadium. which day This idea graduation is being is but a explored by very vocal Mr. Oslund minority got and could to argue it prove to be a out the last much more few months. intimate and They argued overall betwhether it ter experishould be on ence at the a Friday night new venue. or a Saturday Z o e morning like Lazaro, the Photo Credit: Taylor Cameron it always has senior class been. president, After the decision to would not have it on Saturday morning, mind having graduation at eimore problems with graduation ther place, as long as it does not have arisen. have construction.

As most people know, the Honestly, the location of entire school has been or is graduation does not really matbeing remodeled. The Library ter, as long it does not rain, or has been done for a while now, is over 100 degrees. Pretty high the A building is “almost” done, standards right? and they are about to start on Who cares if there are some the gym and track. dirt piles or fences? It is most Brilliantly, it has been decided about getting your diploma, it is to start the track construction not a event for your parents and right before graduation. This family. It is all about you. means that there will be Staff Writer

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”

- John F. Kennedy March 28, 2014

oPINIONS

The Ukiahilite

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Mama’s Cafe Is Worthy of the Occasional Visit also busy putting things togeth- their fresh muffins, bread, and be more likely to find an old-

Lizzy McKeon

Mama’s Café is easy to miss if you are not looking for it.

On the corner of State and the Round Table Pizza side street, it is next to Ukiah Trophies, tucked in between brick walls, where Local Flavor used to be. The actual address is 210 South State Street.

When first entering the café, you are greeted with a vase of fresh daffodils and the smells of a bakery. A variety of alternative rock and folk music is playing just loud enough to hear but not blare over the quiet conversations, and natural light filters in from sky lights above to mix in with the white electric lights hanging from the tall ceiling.

There seems to be a lack of staff, because their cashier is

er in the kitchen while customers wait for a minute or two at the counter. However, food arrives within five minutes of ordering it.

Their menu items include mostly breakfast and brunch dishes available from six a.m. to noon, (the three egg scramble with “mix-in #2” is delectable), but on weekdays they also have a lunch menu that is served from noon until two p.m.. Breakfast varies from a simple coffee and scone to eggs, waffles, or potatoes, with all the side dishes a person could want. Mama’s café also has vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, and kids options.

Lunch is a simple selection that has been perfected, offering classic sandwiches, paninis, and an array of salads. For the most part, Mama’s focuses on breakfast and bakery items like

scones. On Wednesdays only, they have a “south of the border” lunch from eleven a.m.to three p.m. which includes burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas.

Mama’s also has take-out, delivery, and online ordering available for those who are onthe-go. If time is not an issue, they have patio seating and a mix of indoor seating to relax and enjoy coffee and the free Wi-Fi. A collection of paintings by local artists are displayed on the brick wall and are intriguing enough to simply look at; most of them are for sale, and have a pricing scale based on size.

The menu prices, like many smaller, local shops and restaurants in the downtown area, are somewhat overpriced and not a viable option for students on a day-to-day basis. It would

Spring break is always great.

It is nice to have a break from school, and a lot of students go on interesting and fun trips. Most people picture the ideal spring break location as warm, sunny, with sandy beaches and a great night life. There are so many options for spring break destinations; it can be hard to choose.

Mexico is one of the most popular spring break locations for students in California. Two of the most popular destinations are Cancun and Riviera Maya.

Mexico has amazing food and beautiful beaches, and it would be nice to go somewhere warm as winter fades away.

Students could work on their tans for the coming summer!

There are music festivals and parties everywhere, and one could visit ancient ruins. It is a fun place to explore and there are many things to do.

Another popular spring break location is Florida. Miami Beach, Orlando, and Daytona Beach

are all popular destinations. Just like Mexico, there are beaches galore, and the constant sun makes for a great tan.

And of course, there is always Disneyworld! The weather is warm, and so is the beautiful water. Florida is usually one of the first places to come to mind when someone is asked about places to spend one’s spring break.

Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?

Yeah… That is questionable.

Whether that is true or not, Vegas is a very popular spring break destination. There are so many different things to do there; Vegas is like a mash-up of great things.

Shows such as Cirque de Soleil are very popular and fun to go see, and there are smaller street shows and performers all over! There are amazing places to eat and beautiful hotels for lodging. Contrary to the popular belief, one does not have to

gamble or drink to have fun in Vegas.

Who does not want to go to Hawaii? It is so beautiful there!

The beaches, the culture, the food; everything screams spring break. It is warm and sunny, like Florida and Mexico, but it is more serene and peaceful.

If one is looking for a more relaxing spring break, Hawaii is a great place to be.

There are so many great destinations for spring break; whether one wants to party or relax, there is a location for everyone.

Staff Writer

er clientele or the occasional younger person going out for a little something special.

Photo Credit: Lizzy McKeon

Spring Break: W here is the Best Place to go Samantha Ingerman W ild... or Not? Staff Writer

Photo Credit: http://wallpapersfor.me/tangolunda-bay-mexico

Photo Credit: http://www.layoutsparks.com/ pictures/las-vegas-0

Photo Credit: http://beaches.uptake.com/blog/ bahia-honda-state-park-florida-keys.html

“In high school I got voted most likely to get voted for something. Even though I was the only one that voted, it still felt terrific to be nominated for something.” - Jarod Kintz

March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

humor

Sassy, Classy, and a Little Trashy questionable.

Taylor Cameron

Humor Page Editor

Hey there Wildcats! It has been way too long since we have had a day off. Thank God Spring Break starts at three o’clock today.

What I have noticed is that we not only have many days off in our last few months of school, but there are not very many major holidays either.

In the fall semester, we have Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas. In the spring semester, we have Easter and Valentine’s Day. Understand that when I say major, I mean every store has a dedicated section for this holiday. I have never seen an aisle with bags of Reese’s shaped like oak trees for Arbor Day. This brings me to my next point. Several of the holidays crucial to our society have become severely twisted over time. After junior year, everybody knows that the Pilgrims and Native Americans did not sit down and have an all-you-caneat buffet.

Halloween is supposed to be a day dedicated to remembering the dead and being respectful to others, not walking around with a plastic pumpkin asking for candy.

Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas are holidays primarily based on religion. Some people do not celebrate these holidays because they are not a part of their religion, which is understandable; however these special seasons do have their histories.

To celebrate spring, the Druids would construct a rabbit costume, which symbolized fertility and then the children would paint eggs in pastel colors to represent their families.

Overnight, the “Easter Bunny” would hide them in a forest. The idea of a giant rabbit giving out candy in plastic eggs is not so

Why do we forget what these important holidays are all about?

On Thanksgiving, no one talks about the struggles of Plymouth Rock. All people do is ask for the gravy to be passed down and for the volume to be turned up on the television in order to hear the football announcements.

People being respectful and kind to each other on Halloween is as likely as Mr. Silva-Brown allowing you to use notes on a quiz, and everyone only cares about is what costume they are going to buy or what candy they will or will not eat.

Valentine’s Day is all about flowers, teddy bears, and “I love you’s.” Not many Christians remember that Valentine’s Day is actually a religious holiday.

Christmas and Easter are the holidays that have become the most skewed. Not many remember Jesus rose from the dead on Easter. All they remember is what type of jelly beans they used to get from the Easter Bunny every year.

On Christmas, Christ’s birth is celebrated and a lot of people do realize this, but mainly because of the name. However, the majority of people only care about what presents they will receive. For children, they are constantly wondering what gifts a fat man in a red suit will bring to their house in the middle of the night. Some people do not even care about the presents they purchase.

Somehow, every holiday revolves around material items, superstitions, or crazy traditions.

This is acceptable; however, we, as a society, should not forget why we have the holidays we have and why they are still celebrated.

So this Easter, do not just reminisce about that great Easter Egg Hunt you had when you were seven. Think about the deeper meaning, even if it does not apply to your beliefs.

12

Senioritis: The Epidemic Returns to Ukiah High

Staff Writer

Senioritis: Typically found in high school seniors, the infected individual experiences lazy and unmotivated behavior.

Senioritis typically occurs in the late spring/early summer season of the school year.

The main symptom of senioritis is when a senior starts to “catch” the “illness,” he or she feels little to no need to do any homework or school work.

This is only the beginning stages of the “sickness.”

In more advanced cases, seniors start to attend fewer and fewer classes. In more severe cases, seniors stop coming to school altogether. These become known as the high school dropouts.

Not all students catch the dreaded senioritis. A majority of the students continue their hard working habits until the end of the year.

A main concern with the students is if the “disease” follows them into college causing them to procrastinate in their new college careers.

Teachers understand that seniors start to feel anxious about the end of the year, but they still expect students to get their work completed in order to actually graduate.

“I would much rather be praising Cthulhu than attending school. It is not like I dislike school…I would rather not attend for it will anger the dark lord,” said one Ukiah High senior.

“Ugh! Do not even get me started on the whole “Senioritis” thing. It makes me want to pull my hair out. These “Adults” think that they can put it all off, until at the last minute they expect me to grade all of their late work!” said a Ukiah High teacher.

Not all Ukiah High seniors consider high school to be a drag, however.

Tony Recendiz

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, some high school students with senioritis are behind on credits.

They are completely relaxing until about the final quarter of school when they ask every teacher why they are failing in class.

Photo Credits: Elijah Williams

“With this being my final year I plan to give it my all and not slack on anything,” said an anonymous student.

The determination of some students is miraculous keeping them working hard so their high school diploma is without any doubt in their hands.

“I am doing fine, man. I am only behind on my A.I. class, and it is only because the teacher gives us such hard work!” said one senior.

Wildcats, try to keep up all the hard work until you know for sure that you are going to pass that way you don’t have to stress in the future.

Try to find a balance that could help you manage your jobs, homework, and personal life.

This is your last year here, so make the best of it all.

March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

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“I went to a fight the other day, and a hockey game broke out.”

-Jim Valvano

March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

SPORTS

FROM EAST

March Madness,and Mad Scores: A Commentary

By: T. Abe Rawles

Staff Writer

TO WEST Harris Bedford

&

Staff Writers

Spring sports here at Ukiah High have just begun and winter sports are coming to a close. The Ukiah Girls Basketball team advanced to the third round of NCS playoffs, farther than any other team sport so far this year.

Baseball, softball, tennis, golf, track and swimming all began this month. Good luck to all competitors.

Warriors are doing pretty amazing so far this year, since Klay Thompson is finally back in business. He is now known as the #Klaymaker after making the game winner in Indiana.

I would also like to point out that the Warriors not only beat, but killed, Abe’s favorite team the Boston Celtics by more than 20 points. In the third quarter, the Warriors were up over 30 points.

Ben wanted me to debate who the “greatest athlete of all time was”. The greatest athlete is not who was the best in his or her particular sport, but in overall athletic ability.

My personal choice is Lebron James. He is a monster in basketball, he just scored 61 points in a game.

Not only is he incredibly good at basketball but he would also dominate in almost all other sports. He weighs 260 pounds and 6’8”. There are plenty of big guys like that, but ������������ Lebron sepa� rates himself because of things like his 40-inch vertical, and ran his 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds.

If those stats do not surprise you, the average vertical in the NBA is high 20’s and the world record for the 40 yard dash is 4.12 seconds.

Let me remind you again that he weighs 260 pounds, which is 30 pounds and 7 inches over Abe’s great� est athletic hero Bo Jackson.

Both Bo Jackson and Lebron James are fantastic athletes, and there is no way to actually compare them.

T. Abe Rawles

So Harris and I are having this de� bate over who is the greatest athlete of all time. So Harris is gonna tell you about how cool and incredible LeBron James is. No question, Bo Jackson.

Bo Jackson rocked the Auburn sports life with his involvement on their football and baseball team. During his collegice years in football ran a total of 4,303 yards which is fourth all time in SEC history, He averaged 6.6 yards per carry which is the SEC record. I forgot to mention that he won the Heisman.

HE WON THE FRICKEN HEISMAN! WHAT A BOSS! By the way Jackson holds the NFL’s combine record for the 40 yard dash at 4.12 seconds.

Jackson’s fastest recorded time in an NFL game he ran 20 yards in 1.87 seconds. What is even more bizarre is that he never lifted weights. How in the world did he maintain that body mass and strength? I would bet that about 80% of athletes in professional sports would not be as competitive or domi� nant without weight training.

Jackson claims baseball as his fa� vorite sport. He states he only com� peted for football because it seemed a safe beneficial hobby.

Jackson’s baseball career in Auburn consisted of a batting average of 401, and a total of 28 home runs. He missed his junior season due to a hip injury caused by a bad tackle in one of his football games. Imagine if he had that season what he could have done.

Jackson in his MLB career played for the Kansas City Royals. Jackson has the recorded for the longest home run in the Royals stadium. That should say enough about Jackson.

No matter how much you disagree there is no doubt Jackson is the great� est athlete of all time.

Shout out to Varsity Girls Basketball.

14

This is the best time of year for basketball fans. Why? Because it’s March Madness!

This is the month filled with col� lege basketball games consist� ing of conference tournaments and, of course, the big cheese of them-all the NCAA Tournament.

There is also the NIT(The Not Invited Tournament). Just kid� ding. The NIT properly stands for the National Invitational Tournament. Most college hoop fans coin the NIT as the Not Invited Tournament because those teams were not competi� tive enough to compete in the NCAA, and no one cares who wins the NIT. The NCAA brings the most joy to basketball fans because March Madness is a time when anything can happen. Upsets, Cinderella journeys, bracket predictions and high lights are just a few pleasures that are part of this glorious time. Brackets drive the basketball world nuts.

Every year people may enter their bracket predictions and the creator of the perfect bracket wins a prize of one billion dol� lars provided by Quicken Loans.

Most people say they had a good bracket if they predict the Final Four. Bracketology is so difficult and valued that the University of Pennsylvania actu� ally offers it as a course for stu� dents to participate.

President Obama in his first year as president predicted a perfect bracket. A lot of sports fans saw this as a sign for greatness and success for the Obama administration until real� ity checked back in.

Here is the best process of filling out a bracket. No one can start the writing of their bracket biased towards their preferred team. If a person does that, they are automatically a fool and stand no chance. Second, when in doubt or unsure whether

which team to pick for the victory never base it off of the seed num� ber the teams are. The seeds rarely result in the number order prediction. It is best to choose a team that has not peaked yet to win the tourney. It is rare for the number one team to win it all.

Louisville did last year; howev� er, their stats increased dramati� cally and with the injury of Kevin Ware, Louisville felt inspired which is the biggest weapon any team could use.

A lot of ESPN Analyst sug� gests to choose an underdog to have a good run. How far is the biggest question. It is a defi� nite risk to choose an underdog because the question is, which one?

Wichita State has had the perfect record and has been seeded as a number one seed in the Midwest Region. Wichita has had an impressive year however the big question is are they ca� pable enough of getting to the elite 8.

Wichita is in the Missouri Valley Conference which in NCAA tournament standards is weak compared to the ACC, Big 10, Big 12 even the WCC. Wichita has not played a solid well rounded competi� tive team sense November 26 against BYU. The favorites in the tournament consist of Louisville, Arizona, Florida and Michigan State. Those teams are dan� gerous and very unpredictable.

Although it is March.

The sleepers in the tourna� ment sports writers and fans are predicting consist of UNC, Iowa State, Baylor, SDSU and of course Creighton who has Doug McDermott on their roster.

Reader, if one is able to pre� dict the correct Final Four, con� sider it a success. Because no one has ever predicted or writ� ten the perfect bracket. It is even rare for somone to predict the National Championship. Be ad� dvised to not let the Madness spread.

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

-Michael Phelps

March 28, 2014 The Ukiahilite

SPORTS

15

UKIAH HIGH ATHLETES IN THE SPORTLITE

Dylan Lancaster, number 7 on the baseball field, is enjoying his last season of baseball at Ukiah High. The team is doing great this year according to Lancaster. He expects the team to place around 4th in the league, but of course he wants to go as far as the state championship.

Lancaster started playing baseball at the age of 6 for no particular reason.

“I just thought it would be fun,” said Lancaster. He has continued to play ever since.

Lancaster received MVP Award his sophomore year of high school, which is his most Athlete: Dylan Lancaster prideful award. He also received the Captains Award.

Sport: Boys Baseball “Ball is life,” said Lancaster.

“To play baseball you need a lot By: Ashlyn Bazzani of discipline.” Lancaster is very and Zoltan Jakab committed to baseball.

Lancaster’s position on the Photo Credit: facebook.com field is short stop, which most would say is a very challenging

position.

“When you hit it far it just feels great,” said Lancaster.

Lancaster’s dad is one of his biggest inspirations. He has always supported him in everything and is also a baseball coach.

Other than his dad, his best friends, former Ukiah High School students Paul Steliga and Connor Franz, are really important for Lancaster because they always encourage him.

“They call me and text me every night of the tournaments,” said Lancaster.

His role model is fellow Ukiah High student Russel Pinnegar, who has a child, explained Lancaster; yet he still comes out every day to play baseball and does a good job.

Baseball is a big part of Lancaster’s life; it is something he enjoys playing very much.

Lancaster is not only a great

athlete but he pays close attention to his grades, too. He would like to attend Mendocino College, where he wants to continue playing baseball. In the future he hopes to be a baseball coach at a junior high, following in his dad’s footsteps. He takes two AP classes (AP calculus, AP comparative government honors) P.E., English IV, and he is also a teacher’s aide.

His favorite teacher is Mr. Silva Brown, who teaches Comparative Government and also coaches basketball, which is curious, following Lancaster’s experience with the coach. ”Brown is my favorite teacher, because he cut me from the basketball team,” said Lancaster.

Lancaster is graduating this year, and, unfortunately, leaving our school campus, taking with him a big part of our baseball team and school spirit.

Monica Ray, a senior at Ukiah High School, started off her softball season with a bang when she hit a home run in a scrimmage in Eureka on March 8, 2014.

Ray first started playing softball in the sixth grade because her family played the game and she thought that she would try it out.

Over the years she has filled the position of catcher and outfielder.

“Monica is a good team leader because she leads plays in games and keeps our spirits up,” said Katrina Ohleyer, a teammate of Ray who is also a senior.

Liz Brown, one of Ray’s teammates who is a senior at the high school, thinks that Ray meets these qualifications.

“The first thing that comes to mind about Monica is how hard she works everyday on the field,” said Brown.

After having played for the number of years that she has, Ray has found what she likes most about the sport.

“I like that it is a team oriented sport, but you have to pull your own weight to have success,” said Ray. The Varsity softball team this year seems to follow this philosophy and Ray likes this about her team.

“I think we are going to have a lot of success because everyone plays for the team and not for themselves. They are very selfless and do what is best for the team,” said Ray. Venturi also has many compliments to give Ray because of her hard work and her friendly personality.

“Monica is a sweetheart. She is loving and considerate of others and helps everyone in any way she can,” said Venturi.

Venturi has coached Ray for the past two years and also dur-

ing summer, so he has come to know her as a very coachable player who supports his decisions as a coach; she may not be a very vocal leader but she leads by example which is better in most ways than being a vocal leader.

“She is what every dad would want his daughter to be,” said Venturi.

Ray also has a big supporter and role model in her life.

“One of my biggest supporters is my grandpa because he supports me, he is a great teacher, and he reminds me not to take the sport for granted,” said Ray. After high school, is planning on going to Santa Rosa Junior College and later down the road she aims to be a registered nurse.

“Monica is an above average athlete and she works very hard at everything she does,” said Venturi.

Athlete: Monica Ray Sport: Girls Softball By: Delaney Kindopp Photo Credit: Delaney Kindopp

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March 28, 2014

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