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Volume 47, Issue 8
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“The student voice” Dive members win big at league <<Page 13
Juniors “Clue” into their mys-ter themed prom << Page 15
irada
A Principal’s GraduationAfter nine years, principal rob hollingsworth decides to leave rio with the class of 2009. See full story on Page 2.
News02 05.08.09
With the school year drawing to a close, someone unexpected is also preparing for gradua‑tion.
Granted, he’s been here a li0le longer than the average senior.
Principal Rob Hollingsworth has announced his retirement with the simple reasoning of “cause I’m old.”
“I really do enjoy being around high school students,” he said, emphasizing that being around students is the favor‑ite part of his job, “or else why would I have been doing this for 36 years?”
Hollingsworth’s retirement, marks the end of a 36 year ca‑reer in public education, all within the San Juan Unified School District. He started by teaching Industrial Arts, specifi‑cally Auto Shop, in 1973 at Mira Loma High School.
He arrived as Rio’s principal in 2000 and soon earned a repu‑tation for stringent application of the rules.
“I never changed the rules,” he said in an interview with the Mirada last week. “I merely en‑forced them.”
Students and even parents at first took offense to this new policy, especially as it pertained to the dress code and the danc‑es. About 50 angry parents at‑tended Hollingsworth’s first PTSA meeting, he said.
“Parents said that it shouldn’t ma0er what students wear,” Hollingsworth said, “especially if they were honors students.”
One parent took her offense at the new policy to the media, decrying a reported policy for
school dances that demanded a 12 inch distance between part‑ners, which, “of course, wasn’t true,” Hollingsworth said.
But the ire of his opponents wasn’t the only heat Holling‑sworth came under within his
first year. On Nov. 5, aHer he had only been principal for three months, a student arsonist start‑ed a fire in the theater dressing room shortly before lunch.
“That was a real welcome,” he said, “a real warm wel‑come.”
The sophomore who started the fire was arrested days later and was convicted of arson in juvenile court the following summer.
He had wanted to leave school in order to smoke mari‑juana and decided to create a distraction by slipping into the dressing room and lighting a box on fire, according to police reports and court records.
Many classes were closed for two weeks due to the asbestos released by the fire, and the li0le theater took two years to repair.
Before it was finished; how‑ever, Hollingsworth was met with greater issues. The Sep‑tember of his second year at Rio witnesses the terrorist a0acks of 9/11.
“It was really strange: I watched the news every single morning, except that one day,
so I had no idea what had hap‑pened. I didn’t know until I arrived at school and a student came up to me all upset, yell‑ing at me, asking why the flag wasn’t at half‑mast,” Holling‑sworth said.
Hollingsworth made an of‑ficial announcement and then “we had a ceremony… on se‑nior lawn with all the students; it was a pre0y somber time.”
Since then, he has tackled more domestic school issues, taking a hands on approach to his principal duties.
Students have seen him fol‑low down American River Drive at least one student a0empting to slip off campus and jump in to break up a fight.
Not everyone has liked his hands on approach. Some teachers said he over‑managed and student leaders once com‑plained they didn’t have the freedom they wanted.
However, Student Body President Will Hawley praised his “open mindedness.”
“When he has a problem with student behavior at a dance, he gives us a chance to improve the situation,” Hawley said.
But has drawn praise for campus improvements.
His hands on approach in‑volved moving some earth at the many landscape days of which “I think I’ve only missed
one.”But good a0endance was
never a problem for Holling‑sworth, who never even re‑ceived a detention while a0end‑ing Novato High School in the Marin County.
“I got in trouble once in the sixth grade,” Hollingsworth said, straining to remember. “Well, twice.”
He majored in Industrial Arts and minored in Economics at Chico State. One could say he has just never leH the school system.
Wherever he goes with his new‑found freedom, Holling‑sworth will look back on his time at Rio with satisfaction and pride. It defines his view of what a high school should be, he said, citing the “variety of classes… band, drama… auto shop, wood shop. I believe in a comprehensive high school and I believe that’s what we have here.”
And despite his rocky be‑ginnings with parents, Hol‑lingsworth said that what he considers to be his greatest achievement to be working with the parents, teachers, and stu‑dents to keep Rio one of the top schools in the area. “Parents play a big role in the success of the school,” he said.
In his retirement announce‑ment, Hollingsworth said he would “certainly miss the stu‑dents, staff, parents, and others in the school community.”
He also admi0ed that it is difficult to comprehend that he “won’t be a0ending or watching their wonderful theater perfor‑mances, sporting events, music concerts, community activities and academic competitions,” but that it is time for him to
move on.He plans on spending his
time with his family, traveling, working on home projects and restoring his Sunbeam Tiger, a vintage sports car.
While he says he has been thinking about his decision all year, he did not finally decide until the first week of March, and even then with a heavy heart.
“It’s a great school,” Holling‑sworth said. “It’s been good, it’s been great, it’s been wonder‑ful.”
The school will host a retire‑ment part for Hollingsworth on May 28 at Arden Hills Country Club. Look on the school web‑site for RSVP details.
Hollingsworth retiring after 36 years as San Juan educator
Tyler Allen
Mirada Staff
It’s a great school. It’s been good, it’s been great, it’s been wonderful.“ ”
Rob Hollingsworth has spent his entire career in the San Juan Unified School District and his last years spent at Rio are only a portion of it.
1973: Teacher at Mira Loma1977: ROP teacher at Marconi Technical Center1991: Administrator at Los Amigos continuation school on the San Juan campus1992: Vice Principal at Mira Loma1997: Vice Principal at San Juan2000: Principal at Rio
Hollingsworth’s Career in San Juan Unified
The mural next to the French classrooms depicts a French city and the stereotypical French na‑tive next to a giant “bienvenue,” French for “welcome.”
“Every student has had a pos‑itive reaction to them,” French teacher Alec Hodgins said.
The French mural cost $500,
including $200 Hodgins contrib‑uted, the rest made up of dona‑tions from French students.
The mural was based on a poster from the French club, and from that a student painted it onto the wall.
“The school needed a li0le color and also a place for stu‑dents to express themselves, and have a feeling of ownership in their school,” Hodgins said.
The other mural, next to
Dean Baird’s physics class, depicts the Pink Floyd album cover, “The Dark Side of the Moon.” It represents a scientific lab that Baird’s students partici‑pate in each year on light refrac‑tions through prisms.
Hodgins plans on helping connect students and teachers that are interested in pu0ing their own murals up, and “let‑ting them take it from there.” New artwork adorns the wall outside of both
Hodgins’ and Bairds’ rooms.Alex McFall/Mirada Staff
Say “bienvenue” to school muralsNew paintings brighten up B wing
Tate Rountree
Mirada Staff
News 0305.08.09
Snakes on a campus
When walking to your class during passing period, you certainly have a variety of things to be worried about.
Did I do the homework for my next class? Did I just step in gum? Now there’s a new concern for you; one that should not be ignored.
On April 22, a ra0lesnake was spo0ed during fourth pe‑riod on the field in the midst of many students running around the track. Being very dangerous animals, custodian Burt Fong put everyone out of danger by killing the snake, something he has done many times on campus.
“I know people are upset with me that I killed it, but ra0lesnakes can lay up to 20 eggs at a time which means there are a lot more of them out there, maybe even on cam‑pus,” Fong said.
Due to Fong’s frequent experiences with ra0lesnakes, he was able to tell that this one was about 8 weeks old. Ac‑cording to Fong, ra0lesnakes are most dangerous when they are young because they do not know how to control their venom. In addition, the snakes blend in extremely well with the landscaping at our school, which makes them even more dangerous.
“If you are walking and see one of these snakes you should immediately notify an administrator or one of the custodians,” Fong said, as he hopes that no students will a0empt to take care of it themselves. “These snakes can make a jump‑a0ack from up to four feet away, so make sure you get out of there im‑mediately.”
Fong catches about two snakes each year and has witnessed some close calls with students and administra‑tors. Most recently, he recalls a time last year as Sarah Dunn was coming out of her office. “All of a sudden I saw her fall to the ground, and as I helped her up she was clearly trying to use her legs to back away from something. Once I heard the hissing noise I knew exactly what had happened.” Fortunately, Dunn was not bi0en or harmed, but certainly shaken up by the experience.
As you go through your normal routines here on campus, keep an eye out for these dangerous reptiles, and inform others in order to pre‑vent any serious accidents.
Jessie Shapiro
Mirada Staff
Musicians win Downbeat prizes
Senior Omar Gardizi plays a saxaphone solo with the PM Jazz Band at the Reno Jazz Festival on April 25.
Courtesy of Briana Ezray
WILLIE ROBIN-SON-SMITH/
Photo Editor
Intermedi-ate and Beginning Concert Bands play at the spring concert on Satur-day.
Students elect new campus leadershipQ&A with new Student Body President Ben Egen. Why did you decide to run for presi-dent?I like to lead and I feel as if I can do a good
job shaping the student body into a group
that respects their high school.
What was your first reaction when you won president?“WOW” and I was in shock.
What do you plan on improving in the upcoming school year?School spirit is my number one priority.
What’s one thing you would like to have say in?Picking the next principal.
What is your vision as president?My vision is to transform the student body
into a group that individually strives to be
a spirited, fun-loving, hardworking, and ac-
tive student body.
What do you want from the new prin-cipal?I want someone who has a positive vi-
sion of Rio as a successful, well-rounded
school.
-Katherine Casey
Vice PresidentShelby Ostwald
Commis‑sioner
CommissionerLauren Grippi
PublicityVanessa Martinez
SecretaryEmily Child
Treasurer Ashley Taylor
Junior Sam Friedman congratulates Ben Egan on being elected student body president.
Caroline Fong/Mirada Staff
The final band concert of the year Saturday began on a high note as band director Josh Muray announced that musicians had garnered prestigious awards.
Downbeat Magazine named a five member band the best high school combo. Sophomore gui‑tarist Victor San Pedro won the High School Outstanding Per‑former award.
A group of five boys from Small Ensemble received the “High School Outstanding Per‑formance” award. For the seniors of the group, Cashel Barne0 on drums and Kai Ambrose on pi‑ano, this award was the perfect
way to end their high school ca‑reer.
The juniors, Zach Giberson on guitar and alto sax, Zach Darf on tenor sax and Nathan Swedlow on bass, plan to keep playing in band next year.
These kids perfected earned their awards by practicing their instruments for years.
They were chosen from a plethora of kids throughout the country and even from around the world.
“It feels great to win such a prestigious award at such a young age,” Swedlow said. “Mu‑sic is the voice of the children of the future.”
Andi Plaat
Mirada Staff
Students discuss college admissionsAs expected, the number of stu‑
dents statewide admi+ed into the University of California decreased this year. The UC system reported a 72.5
percent admission rate this year, compared to 75.4 percent last year. This was the lowest admission rate for the nine UC campuses in a de‑cade.The UC regents voted in Janu‑
ary to cut freshman enrollment for next year by 2,300 students. They recently decided to increase fees by 9.3 percent for next year, or $622 more, due to cuts the Legislature made in UC funding for this and the next fiscal year. Rio faired well in admission
numbers to both the UC and CSU in comparison to the state totals, but many students still expressed surprise and disappointment as re‑jections arrived from schools they believed or hoped would admit them.
“I was glad I got into the schools I did. It made me see how much weight my academ‑ics played in ge0ing me accept‑ed because I don’t have many extracurricular activities.”
‑ Maureen Purcell
“I was surprised I did not get
into a state school when my SAT scores were 300 above the aver‑age and my GPA was a point higher than the average. I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get into certain schools, but col‑lege will be fun no ma0er where I go”
‑Eric Barger
“At times the economic situ‑ation scared me away from a0ending Berkeley, but the importance of applying for scholarships shone through. I expected to be accepted into all the schools I applied to. My work in high school reflected the requirements for each school.”
‑Jessica Adams
“Most of the schools I have applied to are out of states and privates, and they have all given me aid and scholarships, so with financial aid taken into account, they end up being comparable to UCs in price.”
‑Marissa Price
“I was denied or wait‑listed at every private school to which I applied. It looks like I’m going to a UC next year.”
‑Nick Terzakis
“I am very happy with my options. With the variety of schools I got into, I had the choice between public and pri‑vate schools, small and large student bodies, and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit all of them. I am exited to be on my own.”
‑Stephanie Hubbert
“This process has given me a reality check because the ap‑plication process is incredibly competitive. I was expecting to get into a few schools that I was denied at. It might have occurred because of the budget
cuts and large amount of appli‑cants.”
‑Emily Williams
“I was accepted to my top school, but now that I’m lacking funding, I might go to San Fran‑cisco State and transfer.”
‑Molly O’Keefe
“Even though I was denied to my top school, I am perfect‑ly happy going to my second choice which I will enjoy just as much.”
‑Michael Storm “I pre0y much expected to
get into the schools I applied to, not realizing how impacted they had become. But when I saw how many people didn’t get in I was surprised and glad I was accepted.”
‑Camille Jacobson
“I wasn’t too surprised that I wasn’t accepted to Cal. It’s ex‑tremely competitive and al‑though I was pre0y disappoint‑ed, I’m really happy with my situation. I was offered a lot of money from an amazing private school.” Claude0e Linzey
Curt Casazza has another medal to add to his collection behind his desk in his C‑10 classroom.
The psychology and economics teacher, a veteran runner, proudly completed the Boston Marathon for his second time. He finished the 26.2 mile race in three hours and five minutes, placing 1, 981 out of 25,000 runners.
AHer joining a running club five years ago to get in be0er shape, running has become an important part of Casazza’s life. He has completed 11 marathons in the past five years, two of which have been the Boston Marathon.
Being an experienced runner and fa‑miliar with the Boston Marathon, Casazza was able to focus on the competition.
“This year was different because I was racing instead of running,” Casazza said.
With every marathon he runs, Casa‑zza’s main goal is self improvement, striving to beat his time from the previous race. This year, he is especially proud for running a “negative split” in the Boston Marathon, which is running the second half of the marathon faster than the first half.
Despite the mental and physical chal‑lenges that any marathon presents, Casa‑zza can pinpoint the struggle of running such a long distance.
“It’s more.. management of the race..pushing your body to the limit while mentally knowing your physical ability,” he said.
Other than running marathons, Casazza challenges himself in other ways. Currently he has being doing a lot of bik‑ing and is considering competing in a 100 mile century ride. Casazza is also training for his 60 mile run on the last day of school.
“I want to run from Cameron Park to school and back in one day, 60 miles round trip. I’ll have to leave at like 3 or 4 in the morning,” Casa‑zza said.
When he is not training to ac‑complish physical goals, Casazza spends a lot of time taking care of his six‑ and nine‑year‑old daughters.
“They keep me busy,” he said.Casazza plans to take his family to
Boston in 2011 when spring break and the marathon conveniently overlap, so he can run in the race and enjoy a vacation.
“I run, run and run more,” Span‑ish teacher Antonio Losada said about his out‑of‑school activities.
In fact, Losada just completed the Boston Marathon two weeks ago in three hours, twenty‑one minutes placing 5,098 out of 25,00 with teacher Curt Cazazza.
Prior to the race, Losada ran about 40 miles a week, quali‑fying for the marathon due to his time in the California International Marathon last Decem‑ber.
“I’ve always ran long dis‑tance, but in the last two years I’ve discovered I really like
it,” he said. “I enjoy the camaraderie that goes along with other people. The most difficult part of the race was overcoming pain, but [at the end] I was very happy with myself and with my time.”
Not only does Losada enjoy be‑ing active, he also fond of reading. He says his current favorite is Don Quixote.
Losada has recently received a grant for the National Endow‑ment for the Humanities (NEH), a program dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation and public programs in the humani‑ties. Over the summer, Losada plans to spend six weeks at Bing‑hamton University in New York with this program at a seminar reading, debating and analyzing the famous literature work and his most recent favorite Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.
Losada does love his summers. That is why he entered teaching aHer moving to the United States with his wife in 1985.
“I wanted summers off so I could travel.” Losada said.
Before immigrating to America, Losada lived in Madrid, Spain for the first 25 years of his life, 15 of which were spent under the Franco Dicta‑torship.
Now happily se0led in California with is wife and two children, Losa‑da enjoys spending time outdoors exercising in his free time.
Curt Casazza Antonio Losada Teachers complete Boston Marathon
Sarah Vaira
Mirada Staff
Curt Casazza and Antonio Losada ran strong times at the Boston Marathon.
Courtesy of Curt Casazza
Percent of applicants admi0ed into the University of California 2009
News04 05.08.09
Lack of sleep harms students’ performance
Sarah Vaira
Mirada Staff
Whether the reasons are pro‑crastination, partying, or just insanely busy schedules, 90 per‑cent of students find they regu‑larly receive less than the rec‑ommended eight to ten hours of sleep.
Nationally, 26 percent of high school students routinely sleep less than 6.5 hours on school nights, and only 15 percent sleep 8.5 hours or more.
“Generally I stay up late to finish my homework,” sopho‑more Veronica Molina said.
“I have to stay up to get my homework in with all my other activities. My parents also like to try to find time to do things with me that can only be done in the evening.”
Additionally, many students find morning classes particu‑larly tedious.
“I feel tired in morning class‑es, though this year it doesn’t ma0er as much because my first classes are P.E.... and band, but last year I had Spanish first so I felt a lot more affected,” sopho‑more Erica Gutmann said.
Certain studies blame teen’s night owl tendencies as prevent‑ing them from going to bed at a reasonable hour.
Most teens report that their worst sleepiness occurs dur‑ing early morning classes and right aHer lunch, and find they
are most focused around 3:00 in the aHernoon, right at the end of school.
“I notice that I feel more alert in the aHernoon,” sophomore Jessica Obert said.
Sleep deprivation is common
in teens due to early morning school start times and tenden‑cies to go to bed late at night.
Excessive sleepiness is also associated with reduced short‑term memory, learning ability, negative mood and inconsistent
performance. The National Sleep Founda‑
tion also states that poor pro‑ductivity, loss of some forms of behavioral control, inabilities to stay focused on a task and dif‑ficulties si0ing still can occur from a lack of sleep.
“When I don’t get enough sleep it affects my ability to be in a good mood and I feel less motivated to get anything ac‑complished,” sophomore Jackie Grossbard said.
The effects of sleep loss are a serious issue, and can account for many behavioral and emo‑tional problems in teens. Grave consequences of too li0le sleep may include injury or death due to fatigue caused traffic ac‑cidents.
According to an NSF study researching the correlation be‑tween lack of sleep and traffic accidents, drowsiness or fatigue has been identified as a princi‑ple cause in at least 100,000 traf‑fic crashes each year.
One approach is to start daily high school schedules when stu‑dents are most likely to be alert and able to learn. Many school districts across the nation have adopted later school start times, and still more are considering the change.
Despite obvious problems with sleep deprivation oHen caused by early school start times, districts are unable to make the necessary changes without considerable difficulty because of the effects on the community.
“It is difficult to accomplish because any change in school start times is disruptive to the entire community and people oppose it, despite the good reasons for it,” sleep expert Dr. Fred Danner said. “Any change in school start times effects the entire community, as it disrupts established child‑care arrange‑ments, extracurricular activi‑ties, work schedules, and family life.”
Alex Kleemann
Mirada Staff
Swine flu strikes Sacramento
When sneezing or coughing, be sure to cover your mouth in order to prevent the spread of germs.Wash hands with soap often.Avoid sharing food or water with others.If ill, stay home and report your symptoms to the attendance office.
•
•
•
•
How to stay healthy
ALEX McFALL/Mirada Staff
Junior Jacob Block dozes off during class. Like many of his fellow students, Block spends his nights studying for his classes, and do-ing homework until the early hours of the morning of the next day.
The swine flu epidemic is sweeping the nation.
One of the many areas infect‑ed is California, including the Sacramento region.
Swine flu is the type of flu that is common in pigs all over the globe but mostly in the Mid‑western United States, Mexico and South America. Transition from pigs to humans is possible yet rare.
The outbreak we are cur‑rently experiencing is due to a new strain of influenza A virus sub H1N1 that contains genes that are most closely related to swine flu.
With normal flu‑like symp‑toms, chills, fever, muscle aches, sore throat, headache etc., this disease is oHen mistaken with influenza, making it difficult to detect. Much like influenza,
H1N1 swine flu spreads main‑ly through person to person contact through coughing and sneezing.
The origin of this disease is still unknown, but is currently being investigated.
The Center for Disease Con‑trol (CDC) plans to take aggres‑sive action to respond to the outbreak. The CDC stated that their goals are “to reduce trans‑mission and illness severity and to provide information to help health car providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.”
Currently in California, 30 people have been infected, the third most in any state, follow‑ing New York with 73 and Texas with 41. Out of the 279 people infected nationwide, one person has died from the disease.
This disease has been spread worldwide, infecting about 1,400 people in 20 countries.
Despite how far this disease has stretched, people in Sacra‑mento are feeling the effects and have had a few scares them‑selves.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the first death from swine flu occured this Tuesday in Tex‑as. The victim was a woman in her thirties, who also had other chronic health problems.
Just last week, St. Mel School of Fair Oaks was closed when 12 students developed “flu‑like” symptoms and were suspected of having contracted swine flu or the NIH1 virus.
AHer having each of these students tested, three tested positive for swine flu. One of the students who tested positive had just returned from a spring break trip to Mexico.
On April 27, St. Mel School closed in order to stop the spread of the disease among students and faculty at the school.
“Our top priority is and re‑
mains the safety of our students and their families,” said school principal Janet Nagal, in an an‑nouncement.
The Sacramento County health officials have given ap‑proval for the school to reopen. Classes were resumed on Tues‑day as normal.
Fortunately the students that have been infected by the Swine Flu have recovered or are in the process of recovering.
“We are extremely grateful for the assistance and coopera‑tion we have received from the County Health Director, Dr. Glennah Trochet, and for the outpouring of prayers and good wishes we have received for the well‑being of our students, families teachers here at St. Mel School,” Nagal said in an an‑nouncement.
Along with covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands frequently in between
everyday activities. The Center for Disease Control also recom‑mends following public health advice regarding school clo‑sures, such as the closing of St. Mel School, avoiding crowds and other social distancing mea‑sures in order to stay healthy and to prevent the spread of swine flu.
Joe Tavalero
OWNER • OPERATOR • INSTRUCTOR
VILLAGE DRIVING SCHOOL916-961-4107
LICENSED/BONDED
4110 MAIN STREET FAIR OAKS, CA
Now Offering On-Line Driver Education
News 0505.08.09
Imagine a vice principal entering your classroom,
making students suddenly tense as they eye the visitor. Imagine the administrator whispering to your teacher, as all your classmates stare silently.
Imagine (or maybe you don’t have to) that you’re an honors student with no disciplinary record, but like everyone else, you know this visitor can only mean one thing.
Imagine having to nervously follow the administrator to the school offices. Imagine the experience that awaits you in a back room as an event worse than anything you could have imagined. And now it’s happening to you, at your school.
You are asked to remove all of your clothes, yes all, because the administrator suspects you of hiding a common prescription drug.
Savana Redding faced this experience as a 13‑year‑old student at an Arizona middle school in 2003.
Her case against the school and assistant principal, who ordered the strip search, was recently heard before the U.S. Supreme Court.
An appellate court previously ruled that the search violated Redding’s Fourth Amendment
rights against unreasonable search and seizure.
The last Supreme Court decision on this subject, New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985), ruled that students still maintain their Fourth Amendment rights in school. However, officials only need to prove a reasonable suspicion, instead of the standard probable cause, in choosing whether to conduct a search.
Yet this previous case, which led to current policies regarding searches in public schools, involved the search of a girl’s purse for marijuana aHer a teacher caught her smoking cigare0es.
Actually witnessing this illegal and school rule‑violating activity logically led to a search of the student’s purse, in which a vice principal discovered marijuana rolling papers. The administrator then decided there was probable cause for a more thorough search, during which administrators discovered marijuana in the bag.
In contrast, the current case, Safford Unified School District v. Redding, began when another student, caught with five
prescription‑strength ibuprofen, lied that Redding gave her the pills.
Two female school staff members watched Redding remove her clothes in a back room, but did not find any pills.
Redding announced to the press that the event still affects her emotionally.
The simple truth of high school and middle school life is that drug abuse and other safety problems persist on many campuses. Stafford Unified School District lawyers named a 2006 Office of National Drug Control Policy report that found that 2.1 million teenagers abused prescription drugs in 2005.
School officials oHen need to act with urgency and strictness when handling these issues, instead of waiting until disasters or arrests happen.
Yet another universally known truth in schools across the country is that some students, especially girls, carry drugstore pills in their backpacks for the simple purpose of relieving a headache or cramp.
While the school policy prohibiting students from carrying this medicine at school
seems as reasonable as the one prohibiting cell phones, no one doubts that both of these items can still be found in students’ belongings.
And unlike cell phones, these pills enable students to perform and concentrate clearly in class.
While the intentions of the girl who accused Redding are unknown, the facts of the case prove that school administrators took away a student’s constitutional rights.
Perhaps more importantly, the school violated the basic emotional and mental security that students and parents expect in schools. Public school faculty and staff have a responsibility not only to prevent illegal and inappropriate behavior in students, but also to act as supportive role models for students.
The administrators must maintain the balance between the elimination of dangerous student actions and the creation of a welcoming and understanding environment in school needs to more clearly drawn, in all levels of the education and judicial systems.
Hopefully the Supreme Court will help to reestablish the balance.
OpinionPage 6
05.08.09
The Mirada
OUR VIEW
The MiradaRIO AMERICANO HIGH SCHOOL
4540 American River Dr.Sacramento, CA 95864(916) 971‑8921 ext. 80
my.hsj.org/ca/sacramento/[email protected]
Editors‑in‑ChiefWillie Robinson‑Smith
Hannah ShapiroMolly GlasgowJenifer Carter
News EditorsKate FinegoldMolly IngramAlexis Shen
Opinion EditorsCarly McCune
Alexander McFall
Features EditorsJack Sheldon
Christian Oldham
Sports EditorAlex Reinnoldt
Photo EditorWillie Robinson‑Smith
PhotographersCaroline Fong
Graphic ArtistEmily Kim
Online EditorAlex Kleemann
Staff WritersCaroline FongJessie Shapiro
Katherine CaseySarah Vaira
Savannah Sterpe‑MackeyTate RountreeDanny FordBen Egan
Alex Kleemann
Business ManagerMolly Ingram
AdviserTyler Allen
Michael [email protected]
The Mirada is the independent voice of the students and a forum for diverse ideas published by Rio Americano’s newspaper class.
The Mirada welcomes story ideas, comics, le0ers to the editor and opinion pieces. Submit ar‑ticles and le0ers to the box in A3 or the main office. Unsigned edi‑torials represent the views of the Mirada editorial board.
Opinion articles and le0ers to the editor are the views of the in‑dividual writer and not necessar‑ily the views of the Mirada or Rio Americano High School.
We welcome advertising, but reserve the right to refuse any ad.
Maintain students comfort and security Emily Kim/Graphic Artist
Shameful strip search of 13-year-old requires reevaluation of student rights
People use water for just about everything. Cleaning, drinking, and of course for the always essential dazzling dis‑play of jets at a nearby water fountain. California, with its growing population, depends more and more upon everyday water needs, which has led to a water crisis.
More people enter the state than it has water coming in, leaving many people without the proper amount of water for their basic cleaning and drink‑ing needs.
The state government has ordered enormous cutbacks on water usage and pumping, but these cutbacks are not helping to slow down the crisis. That is why every one of us as individ‑uals must cut down on our own usage.
Every day, the four main uses of water are for the toilet, the clothes washer, the shower and the faucet. We each use about 18.5 gallons of water everyday for the toilet, 15 gallons for the clothes washer, 10.9 gallons for the faucet and 11 gallons for the shower. Now, the government
and various California associa‑tions have issued many state‑ments explaining how we can conserve water, such as using cold water for our laundry, turn‑ing off the sink while we brush our teeth and cu0ing down on shower time. But there is one method that has not been ex‑
pressed to the public that would be extremely effective. The obvi‑ous answer is to stop bathing.
One survey said that if we simply cut our shower times by 5 minutes, we could save 50 gal‑lons a week. Now, imagine if we removed our showers entirely. That’s talking about saving hun‑
dreds of gallons of water every day. The choice is an easy one.
Some people might complain that they would reek of body odor. Well, if everybody follows the plan as I hope, the smell of “BO” would be eliminated en‑tirely. In the words of Ayn Rand, “If everyone is special then no‑
body is.” Now, if we simply tweak that
statement a tiny bit, we get “If everyone smells like BO, then nobody does.” AHer a while, people would get so used to the smell of BO in their lives that it would simply pass through their nostrils unnoticed. This would get rid of the opportunity for embarrassment in so many ways. If people are always used to a bad smell, then the next time you have to rip one in class, the pungent odor would simply float by unnoticed. Thus, the old adage, “He who smelt it dealt it” would be removed from our lifestyle entirely.
Not only would my plan cre‑ate a more peaceful, albeit smelly environment, but it would also help save money for the average person. One would no longer need shampoo. “Greasy hair is easy hair,” as I like to say.
Also, nobody would ever need to buy soap again. The removal of hair care products and skin care products from our lives could save us hundreds of dollars a year, perhaps even ev‑ery month or week if your hair looks like the Jackson 5 afros.
Bathing is absolutely unnec‑essary to success. Tarzan didn’t.
Allow me to make a proposition…
We intrude. Rude. Crude. Cruel. Our in‑tentions unclear. Just
the way we want it. None for all and all for hate. All for eight. What’s the belief of the day?
The next step in denial. Ac‑ceptance, I scoff at you. Like the man who beats the weakest.
Because. What be0er reason you ask?
Like a brick in the face. Isn’t that right, Sarah? Just agree before you slaughter the helpless.
Why us? What have we done? Just because we’re different, but who makes the distinction?
They do. Their game. Their name. Our shame. The same. With venomous tongues of
copper fire they salivate like wolves hungry for more to de‑spise. Spi0ing false refuge.
To loathe. Not love. They break our wings. We cannot fly. Only fall into unjust eternity. Into apostle seas of mindless‑ness.
Drowning us. Alone. Shallow. We push you deep.
Fall. Down, down, down…the world is falling down. Like snowflakes fragile disguised with the others. Individuality? Ha. The curse of your own dis‑parity. Be like us. The only way.
True love? Not without the state’s consent. We hold the matches, and we will burn you to the ground.
We have taken them with us. Their thoughts?
Nonexistent. Watch the flames rise. From
the ground our progress returns to nothingness. You’re wel‑come.
Regret your actions today. Right now. It will save you time. Listen to your conscience. If you have one.
Marriage is a word. The abil‑ity to say it, to know it, is some‑thing we all share. Now you take the words out of our mouths?
Choke the sentence falling right out through my words cas‑cading. Falling to the ground. The world around me falls to the ground.
You pulled the rug from un‑der me. Expect me to stand back up to face the abuse.
Never again. Not until the unjust hand is put to rest. The hand needs to hold the other, help it along.
We’ll put you on the ladder. Climb higher. Then we pull it out from under you. You fall. We laugh.
Climb the mountain. Ava‑lanche is rolling down. Be0er luck next life. You won’t have a chance in this one.
He’s on the ground. Keep kicking. Don’t let him go any higher. Don’t let him look at you. He’s not worthy. He’s dif‑ferent. Are those tears? Doubt it. He has no feeling. He doesn’t deserve to be treated as a hu‑man. Don’t stop kicking.
You spit in the face of a blind man? Don’t let the deaf cross the street? They are as human as any of us. I’m just as human as
you. Any of you. You try to cloud the truth
with a veil of false pretenses, and you succeed in le0ing igno‑rance blossom.
Just put your hands heavy around my throat. Their imprint is already there. Ever‑present in this negative society.
I see this insanity fill the minds of those not thinking for themselves. Like backhand‑ing equality in the face. Guess what? Joke’s on you. We’ll be back. Stronger.
Let the sky sink around us, we’ll pull it back up. With time you’ll be gone. We don’t need to feed off hate. Love is the way. You don’t see. But we do. You want your alarm to be the doomsday bell? I don’t think so. Listen to us.
Not reason, truth. Cut away
the layers. To the core. Cut away the soul. Watch the hope fly away.
That’s what you want? Not in my country.
This is not so simple. Not black and white. Morals. Have a heart.
Heart? I don’t need heart. I just continue the past. Spread the sanctity.
The sanctity of what? Dis‑crimination?
Mistakes. Narrow minds. Anarchy. Chaos.
Peace. Love. Freedom. How we began. How we should con‑tinue. Only you are in the way. Only you can help.
Help us. Make the world a be0er
place. Be0er for you. Be0er for me. Half past hope is nowhere near doomsday.
Saving water can save change and state
Jacob Block
Guest Writer Choke the sentence falling right out through my words... The world around me falls to the ground. You pulled the rug from under me.“
”Block originally wrote this stream of consciousness for Honors English 3.
Eric Barger
Guest Writer
Emily Kim/Graphic Artist
Opinion 0705.08.09
Submit your le0ers with your name and grade
to room A3 or online at
[email protected] MAIL
Could pot spare a little green for the economy?
States are scrambling for funding as the economy continues on a downward
spiral. The state is grasping at straws, a0empting to find in‑novative, and even slightly ex‑treme, fall backs to raise money for the failing state budget, such as legalizing and taxing mari‑juana.
But would legalizing the drug really raise that much money for the state?
Surely people will continue to evade paying taxes on it, as well as make enormous profit. It seems unlikely that people would report their sales in order to allow their government to in‑crease its profits at the grower’s expense.
Value may also decrease, since making marijuana legal would increase market size. AHer all, part of se0ing prices is about rarity.
Also, when it’s no longer illegal, wouldn’t pot lose its sheen for people looking to do something risky and criminal?
Demand goes down, and once again, profits decrease.
How would it be checked? A mass produced drug intoxica‑tion device would be needed to check if someone is high, aside from looking into their glassy, bloodshot eyes.
That’s quite a few hoops to jump through just to make cash for the state, especially when the state needs to balance its
budget properly and make cut backs in reasonable areas, such as in the paychecks of govern‑ment officials. More taxes could be placed upon big industries (those that haven’t failed yet).
It might be one of those crazy ideas that just might just work. Legalizing marijuana could pro‑vide some monetary relief for the federal government, and might help the economy get on
the fast track to recovery.But it feels pre0y unlikely.There are more ways than
one to make money. Although it seems like there are good inten‑tions in the legalization of mari‑juana, it also seems a li0le pe0y, maybe even unnecessary.
Sure, the state could really use some financial aid in the failing economy, but does it re‑ally need funding so badly that
it is willing to legalize a couch potato, veggie state inducing drug just to make a few bucks here and there?
It’s not as though California is the only struggling state.
Almost everything is failing right now. Our state should not have to prove itself especially in need of aid, just to get a govern‑ment check. That doesn’t mean that we should break all of our rules.
Instead, we should do what we can with what we have, and accept the thought of not being able to overspend on frivolous things anymore.
Yes, people are going to buy marijuana and smoke it.
Yes, there will always be a market for it.
No, it doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile long term invest‑ment.
Let’s not grasp at straws be‑cause the economy is freaking people out; instead, let’s get to‑gether and make wise decisions. We can’t throw our laws out the window for a dollar or two.
Is it really worth the cost any‑way?
Emily Kim/Graphic Artist
Carly McCune
Mirada Staff
One STAR student enthusiasm for four star school
Dear Students:Thanks to all of you
that took STAR testing seriously. As a teacher here at Rio, I’m currently wrestling with serious disappointment in many of you who seem to be unconcerned, or maybe unaware of your part in making Rio a fabulous school.
While I watch you on the athletic fields, and enjoy your camaraderie both in class and between classes, I am saddened and frustrated when, knowing your potential brain power, you complete the math STAR test in
less time than it takes you to do your homework!
When you respond “I tried as many as I could,” I’m either not surprised that you aren’t passing Algebra 2 with a very good grade, or very surprised because you are doing well in my class, and there must be some other reason for your lack of participation.
Think about what you really mean when you say, “I’ll try…” Doesn’t that mean that you’ll give some effort, but you really don’t think you can succeed? “I’ll try,” doesn’t usually get a successful result; it’s not an “A” response.
And if you only needed 45
minutes, or less, to completely answer 75 questions, without showing much work, maybe I should stop requesting that you show me your work, and just allow you 25 minutes to test…no extra time. Would you accept grades based on those rules?
I’m sure that doesn’t sound fair to you; it doesn’t sound fair to me, either. But neither is it fair for you to expect all the rewards of being connected to such a great school, and not be willing to participate at the level of which you are truly capable.
You aren’t even being asked to perform “outside the box”.
We are providing food, water, shelter and a quiet space to complete any/all outstanding homework, prepare for tests, etc. You are asked to do your best on a series of tests.
All you are asked to do is do your best on a series of tests.
I know that you feel there is no direct link with your STAR test performance and your reputation.
I would suggest, how‑ever, that your reputation as a citizen, and as a contributor to our Rio community, is directly connected to your performance on these tests. When you sign up to participate in sport or academic activity that requires
your absence from school, most teachers are extremely accom‑modating.
It is a privilege, not a right. In my classes, I regularly have students who request addi‑tional testing time… I try to accommodate those requests. I’m wondering why I should continue that response for individuals who selfishly don’t seem to see the whole picture.
It does not have to be all about you!!
It CAN be about the commu‑nity being a be0er place where you like to come, where you’re proud to be a student, and from where you’ll be proud to be a graduate.
Robyn Cox
Guest Writer
Opinion08 05.08.09
DANCE REVIEW
FeaturesPage 9
05.08.09
The Mirada
The junior class danced the night away at the Towe Auto Museum downtown on April 18. Girls and boys adorned in formal a0ire glided out of sleek limousines, ready for a night packed with excitement at their “Game of Clue”‑themed prom.
Upon entrance into the pe‑culiarly dimly‑lit museum, the only decorations which hinted at the theme were cardboard posters accented with large
black question marks. There were no candlesticks,
revolvers or pieces of rope any‑where to be seen. The whole idea of a theme for the dance seemed rather pointless, consid‑ering that the overall physical appearance of the venue failed to display it.
They also served free ice cream and miniature water bo0les to dancers who needed a break from the dance floor.
While the lengthy dance floor was vast enough to fit all of the a0endees, the DJ was seriously
lacking in skill and musical taste. Sure, while he happened to play a good song occasion‑ally, his flaws outweighed his talents.
It’s a shame that the junior class didn’t get their money’s worth on this particular DJ.
Songs were repeated, the va‑riety of music was weak and he didn’t even bother to digitally
blend each song together, leav‑ing wide gaps of abrupt silence in between each song.
About halfway through the evening, the junior prom roy‑alty was announced, crowning Jocelyn Zidar as prom queen, and Govind Raghavan as king.
Yet, Raghavan did not a0end the dance, so Zidar was escorted to the center of the dance floor by her date, Andy Bissell.
Among the princes and prin‑cesses were Ben Egan, Zach Nathanson, Abe Leibovitz, An‑drew Spitler, Greer UU, Fawn
Press‑Dawson, Courtney Gove and Toni Smiley.
The royalty members shared a dance on the dance floor and had their pictures taken to com‑memorate the moment.
Despite the fact that the DJ repeated certain songs multiple times, it didn’t stop the juniors from having fun with their dates and friends.
For the most part, the major‑ity of the students enjoyed the dancing and other festivities, which truly made prom a night to remember.
Juniors didn’t get the ‘Clue’Molly Ingram
Mirada Staff
Clockwise from top left: Juniors Anita Farid, Halie Crom, Elyzza Carrido and Tyler Hanna have fun dancing as a group at prom. Haley Val and Gavin Marsh dance the night way while they have a finger snapping good time.Aneil Dillion dances to a dark rhumba at prom.Sophomore Kyle Pratt and his date dance with juniors Leslie Messchaert and Nick Johnson.
CAROLINE FONG/Mirada Staff
Zac is back and be0er than ever.
The only thing that can ease the pain of fans craving more of fictional “High School Mu‑sical” character Troy Bolton is Zac Efron’s character in the new movie “17 Again.”
Mike O’Donnell (Ma0hew Perry) is a middle‑aged man liv‑ing a life of regret.
When he impregnated his girlfriend in high school, he de‑cided to give up his basketball scholarship and support his fu‑ture baby, thus never a0ending college.
Now, his children hate him, his wife is disappointed in him and his best friend is a wealthy,
Trekkie soHware designer with a rocketship‑shaped bed.
But, when he returns to the age of 17 by a miraculous event, O’Donnell is given a chance to change his future by rewriting the past.
Will he change his children’s lives for the be0er, and make the decisions he turned down in 1989?
“17 Again” has made over $49 million in the box office. And for good reason.
Whether a0endance for the film is inflated by die‑hard Efron fans interested in gazing at his face on the big screen for two hours, or those looking for a film that will leave them feel‑ing happy about life, “17 Again” is the perfect remedy for a bad day.
Each scene contains wit‑
ticisms and jokes geared to‑wards an older audience than the “High School Musical” fan base.
The entire theater laughed at gags such as the awkward‑
ness between a 17‑year‑old O’Donnell and his still thirty‑something wife.
Although predictable, “17 Again” is pure enjoyment, what with all of the pop culture refer‑ences and hilarity.
Efron has matured as an ac‑tor. The new film allows him to step out of his Disney‑star mold and start acting more like his age.
Yet, some small part of Efron remains Troy Bolton. Even in his new film, Efron sports a basket‑ball jersey and displays his im‑pressive skill with a basketball.
He also shows off his danc‑ing talent with the high school cheerleaders in an unforge0able
routine performed to “Bust a Move.” In fact, if you pay close a0ention, you’ll even hear him say “we’re all in this together.”
Coincidence? I think not.“17 Again” makes you ap‑
preciate your life, and realize that decisions should be made without regret, especially when you’re 17.
Molly Ingram
Mirada StaffMOVIE REVIEW
No regrets about seeing Zac Efron ‘Again’
Director: Burr SteersActors: Zac Efron, Matthew PerryRun time: 1 hour 42 minutes
INFO
Features10 05.08.09
Features 1105.08.09
Fans of the Horrors, prepare to do a double take; the band’s sopho‑more album “Primary Colours” presents us with an all new sound and what seems to be an all new band.
A throwback to 1980s goth rock, “Primary Colours” departs from the original raw, garage band sound that defined the Horror’s debut al‑bum “Strange House.” Now, The Horrors sound like a mix between The Cure and Joy Division.
Kicking off the album a soH, ambient synth and faint drum beat is “Mirror’s Image.” It’s a relatively boring song that leads into another relatively boring track, “Three Decades.”
“Who Can Say” is yet another substandard track, though it is catchy and makes for nice back‑
ground noise.Not until “New Ice
Age” do we get a taste of something different. Disharmonious guitars screech against a back‑drop of electronics and Faris Badwan’s deep vo‑cals.
While the song isn’t impressive, it has the benefit of not sounding painfully similar to the previous four tracks.
“I Only Think of You,” all dissonance and angst and a dreadfully slow tempo, is painful to lis‑ten to.
Even worse, it’s a seven minute track. Like, we get it, Faris, you re‑ally like this girl. Knock it off.
The title track of the album doesn’t really stick out amongst the rest, as it follows the same gen‑eral pa0ern of poorly blended synth, guitars, and sub par vocals.
“Primary Colours” ends with “Sea Within A Sea,” the underwhelm‑ing single off the album that clocks in at almost eight minutes.
Most of the album gives the impression that the band wanted the mu‑sic to sound discordant and like a bad caricature of 80s goth rock.
The Horrors were never musical geniuses to begin with, but their previous raw, post‑punk sound with a hint of or‑gan definitely trump this “new direction” they seem to be heading in.
If the Smashing Pump‑kins decided to make an al‑bum like “Siamese Dream” again, it would sound a lot like Silversun Pick‑up’s “Swoon.” Many of the styles of Swoon come from the aforementioned ‘90s alternative album. Immediately aHer you press play, “Swoon” opens up with “There’s No Se‑crets This Year” that starts with a single guitar buzz‑ing out a saw‑toothed riff. It sounds like it’s straight out of “Jurassic Park.”
Familiar SSPU drum‑ming comes in along with singer and guitarist Brian Aubert crooning “Who would know/ all the rea‑sons you’re alone/ if the seeds were planted firm, my dear/ would the ban‑shees tear it all apart?” The song brims with just the beginning of the band’s achievement of a stronger maturity on just their sec‑ond album.
Periodically throughout the song, there are mini breakdowns that utilize the overdubbed guitar’s power while still retaining an al‑ternative style.
Another song on the al‑bum that shines, but on the soHer side, is “Catch and Release.” The song begins with Nirvana‑sounding guitar picking and even some lyrics to match, such as “I know you’re faking just a li0le bit/ Come on and taste it / Just get excited ‘cause you’re giving in.”
The chorus is slow and is about showing a girl
new things or places: “Fol‑low me/ Down the streams of sweat on your body/ Do you see? / How the wind in your hair now feels dif‑ferently.” Slow songs like these possess sounds that have the a0itude of the haunt‑ing song “Diamond Sea” by Sonic Youth. Other songs to download before purchasing the al‑bum: “Panic Switch” and “Sort Of”
It seems like when the band wrote it, they were taking a lot of notes on “Siamese Dream” while holding a lot of their other ‘90s influences, like Sonic Youth, closer then usual. SSPU’s new album isn’t necessarily an album to lis‑ten to while hanging out, but it’s one to hear when you’re alone on a car trip or cleaning the house.
“Swoon” is consum‑ing and it tends to lull you into the static‑buzz dream world of the Silversun Pickups’ greatest album to date.
For those of you who follow P. Diddy’s ‘Making the Band’ reality series on MTV, Day 26’s self‑titled album was highly an‑ticipated.
For a group of young men that are brand new to the in‑dustry with only their second album, they looked to the assis‑tance of major hip‑hop stars at the moment such as Timbaland, Jermaine Dupree, Young Joc and T‑Pain. These front liners are featured on some tracks such as “Shawty What’s Up” and “Imma Put It On Her.” Judging by these titles alone, one may assume that these songs will be just like every other hip hop/rap track on the radio today. This assump‑tion is incredibly accurate, and if one does not have the time to listen to the CD, simply think of the typical 102.5 or 103.5 daily lineups of songs.
The songs are very repetitive, and simply do not offer any‑thing unheard of.
‑Jessie Shapiro
SIDE B
Jack Sheldon
Mirada Staff
This album ‘Swoons’ A ‘Horrifyingly’ bad album
Mini music reviews for your listening pleasure
Jenifer Carter
Mirada Staff
SIDE A
Gang Gang Dance is not only an extremely accomplished musical group, but also an art group. Brian DeGraw and Lizzi Bougatsos art work appears in New York galleries. In their album “Retina Riddim,” Gang Gang Dance combines art and music into one dazzling piece. “Retina Riddim” consists of a 30 minute collage film with music made to match the video.
The music and videos incorporate hours and hours of improvised music and homemade videos from the band. They are cut into bite size pieces and mashed all together to create something that is completely unheard of but is a breathe of fresh air. Along with the DVD that includes the video, there is a CD that features edited music from the video. Overall the two are masterful pieces of art which combines Gang Gang Dance’s artistic and musical abilities.
‑Christian Oldham
Keith Urban’s album, “Defying Gravity,” is a li0le bit of pop, rock and roll and of course country twang. The songs’ verses have a noticable rock influence, but the chorus is still good old country.
You can tell he is having fun with his music and enjoying life. Recently he has go0en out of rehab aHer 3 months, married Nicole Kidman with whom he is raising their eight‑month‑old daughter, Sunday Rose.
The song”Sweet Thing” has already hit the top 10 country charts. Urban’s new single “Kiss A Girl” is what country pop is all about.
If you are into country but not too much country this album will be great for you.
It’s the perfect mix of country, rock, and pop. You can hear more of this popular mix of genres on his tour starting May 7.
‑Katherine Casey
John Maus’s new album “Love is Real,” presents a light‑er and more upbeat messages than his past album “Songs.” Is‑sues covered in this album span from having too much money, giving equal rights to homosex‑uals and rockets flying towards your house. But it’s not that sur‑prising when you find out that Maus is actually a professor of Philosophy at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Maus likes to take the lis‑tener to uncomfortably beauti‑ful serene musical landscapes that really show off his work as a composer. Most songs, while maintaining a repetitive, sim‑plistic, and quite frankly, bizarre themes, are charming and can easily get stuck in one’s head. Maus combines airy synths‑capes with a heavy dose of 70s and 80s synth ballad nostalgia that everyone wishes they could forget. In short, it’s retro, weird, and in your face.
‑Christian Oldham
Quite possibly the most unlikely people to make an incredible CD is Chester French, a Harvard graduate duo band. Although they formed the band in 2003, Chester French just released their debut album, “Love the Future” late last month.“C’mon (On My Own)” is about as close to rock and roll that Chester French reaches, with rugged guitar beats and unhesitant vocals. Yet, it’s refreshing to find an album that doesn’t regurgitate one melody and try to make it into a dozen different songs.
Not one song on this album sounds the same. Entirely produced and engineered in their Harvard dorm, “Love the Future” proves that Chester French can literately make a successful album on their own.
If Chester French continues to make albums as impeccable as their debut album, listeners will love the future.
‑Molly Ingram
Christy Grellas, 9
Would you rather do something romantic and fancy, or casual? I’m definitely into casual dates but sometimes it’s nice to do something romantic.
What do you look for in a guy? I absolutely love athletes. Basketball players are my favorite, but they have to be funny and outgoing as well.
Favorite pick‑up line? Do you have a sewing machine? Because I’m ripped.
‑Savannah Sterpe‑Mackey
Taylor Klinger, 12
What do you look for in a girl? She has to have pre0y eyes and have a spontaneous and outgoing personality.
Where would you take a girl for a first date? Fairytale Land
What’s your biggest turn off? Ditzzy, fake, materialistic girls!
What’s your favorite pick‑up line? Did you fart? Because you blew me away.
‑Savannah Sterpe‑Mackey
Ellen Hosein poses with one of her three cars, with her favorite being her silver Toyota Camry. She loves to blast her music in this economical sedan.
Name: Ellen HoseinGrade: 12Sweet Rides: Blue Acura, silver Toyota Camry, silver Toyota Sequoia
How many cars do you regularly drive?Three. A Toyota Sequoia 2003 and a Toyota Camry, and my ghe0o car, my Acura TSX with neon lights underneath.
Do you have a preference to
either one?I like the Acura the best because it’s my party car.
How is it your party car?I like to roll all the windows down and then blast my ghe0o music ridiculously loud, but I don’t turn the neon lights on, because it’s illegal.
How did you get three cars?One is my brother’s, one is my dad’s and one is my mom’s, and all of them are mine.
What is the best feature in either one of your cars?In the Acura, the navigator GPS is the best feature because I would have no idea where I was going. I would be so lost without it. Literally.
If you could change only one thing about one of your cars, what would it be?I would make the Toyota Camry more high tech. I would also give it seat warmers.
Bachelor and BacheloretteSweet ride of the issue
Alex McFall/Mirada Staff
What they hey?! by Emily Kim
The creator of this video took KISS’ famous song “I Was Made For Loving You” but muted the music and re‑recorded the vocals and instrumentals to match almost perfectly. The end result is a hilari‑
ous and one‑of‑a‑kind experience.
Video of the month
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw5oJoUYTb8
Things will never be the same...
Features12 05.08.09
All‑League Selections
SwimmingBlair Moody‑ 200 Free RelayKatie Edwards‑ 200 IM, 200 Free Relay & 100 BreaststrokeClaudia Ruiz‑ 200 Free RelayPauline Stewart‑ 200 Free RelayRachele Gyorffy‑ 500 FreeMichael Franz‑ 200 Free, 500 Free, 200 & 400 Free RelayChristopher Edwards‑ 200 IM & 400 Free RelayCashell Barne0‑ 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay & 400 Free RelayTanner Bond‑ 200 & 400 Free RelayJeff Pollock‑ 200 Free Relay
DivingNatalie Mouzooni
Read section results at: my.highschool journal‑ism.org/ca/sacramen‑to/rio/
Recently there has been a significant drop‑off in paren‑tal funding participation in the Athletic Boosters program, the backbone to the whole athletic program.
And with this shortfall threat, comes a cloud of uncertainty in continuing some of the fresh‑men and junior varsity sports teams, due to not being able to pay for the coaches.
While nothing permanent has been determined yet, there remains a possibility that the school’s sports program will be‑come even more dependent on volunteer coaches without the Athletic Booster funding.
“There is a possibility that we may lose the stipend for lower level coaches and will need more volunteers,” Athletic Director Karen Hanks said.
Athletic Boosters provides the salary for most of the coach‑ing staff. Yet, because of the de‑crease in parent funding partici‑pation, the pay for coaches has become insufficient.
According to Hanks, Boost‑ers pays for approximately $85,000 in coaching stipends an‑nually. However, this year there has been a shortfall of about $34,000.
In order to cover the remain‑ing cost, reserve money was used, but this cannot continue. Meetings will be held to figure out a solution.
“They’re having a meeting with the coaches right before sports night on May 19 to see if they have any suggestions,” as‑sistant to the Athletic Director Janet Cutler said. “They might cut back on the trainer; not hav‑ing the trainer every season, and maybe cu0ing back one season, would save them some money.”
Even this year, several assis‑tant coaches in sports like bas‑ketball, wrestling and baseball are volunteers.
“One thing Ms. Hanks did is limit the number of [paid] coaches each sport could have in order to cut back,” Cutler said. “So a number of the coaches were volunteers even though they would have been paid.”
In the upcoming years, a growing dependence on such volunteers may become even more necessary. Yet, as it is, for all of the hours of practice, games and travel that the coach‑es put into their teams, the sal‑ary barely reflects all their hard work.
“I kind of feel like a volunteer coach already, because honestly I am not in it for the money,” junior varsity girls soccer coach William Taylor said. “It is nice to get something at the end of the season, but I do not rush home to check my mail,” While new solutions are being explored, Taylor feels that promotion of the Athletic Boosters would al‑low the sports programs to con‑tinue successfully as it has in the
past.“Much, if not all, of assistant
coaching stipends come from booster money. We as coaches and as a campus should encour‑age 100 percent parent partici‑pation in Athletic Boosters at Rio for not just stipends, but for uniforms, fields, etc. Obviously it is hard because of financial issues for many families, but it has been successful thus far,” Taylor said.
The 40 percent funding short‑fall this year will cause budgets next year to be much tighter. Sports budgets have to be based on what the school thinks will actually receive. All this adds up to a trying time for Athletic Director Hanks next year and in the years to come.
Swim/dive teams win league titles
AHer a three month season of practicing six days a week, swimmers won in all four divi‑sions at Capital Athletic League Championships.
Swimmers competed against Bella Vista, Del
Campo, El Camino, Lo‑re0o, Mira Loma and Casa Roble at this two day event on May 1 and 2.
Rio prevailed in var‑sity and JV for both girls and boys.
“Rio did really well this year,” junior Alison Burns said. “Everyone swam fast and had a
good time doing it.”Ten varsity swim‑
mers received placement to the CAL All League Team, in recognition of their victories in certain swim events.
Michael Franz, one of these ten swimmers, achieved further success, as he set a CAL record in the 500 free event, with a
time of 4:36.60.Junior diver Natalie
Mouzooni was also se‑lected All‑League.
Under the guidance of head coach Chris Nis‑sen and three assistant coaches, swimmers will now prepare for the end of season swimming sec‑tions that will take place on May 14‑16 at Tokay
High School in Lodi.Section dive cham‑
pionships wrapped up Thursday at Oakmont. For results view the Mi‑rada online.
While the boys reached as far as the semi‑finals last year, the girls team will be at‑tempting to defend their section title.
Alexis Shen
Staff Writer
SportsPage 13
5.08.09
The Mirada
Junior Michael Franz took first place in the 500 free event and set a Capital Athletic League record time of 4:36.60. He was also named All-League.
Courtesy of Alison Burns
Budget crisis threatens JV coaches’ stipendsAlex Reinnoldt
Mirada Staff
Junior Natalie Mouzooni was named All-League for div-ing.
ALEX MCFALL/Mirada Staff
Sports14 5.08.09
PREPS Plus
SEAN SHELTON, 10
dive
While writing about Brian Davis’s return to coaching, I thought about how difficult
a decision it must have been, as he sacrificed valuable family time in order to devote a large amount of time to the girls basketball team.
I watch my track coach, Gordon Hubble, continue to coach even aHer 30 years. I am amazed he has been able to maintain such a stable family life, as he raises three children of his own, watches his daughter’s soHball games and coaches cross country and track each year.
Then I watched Rich Drawbert, former head coach of the girls basketball team, retire from his position, and then, one year later, become an assistant girls coach at El Camino High School.
It made me wonder why coaches want to coach in the first place, and why they have such a hard time walking away from the job when they decide to retire.
I see coaches arrive in the parking lot from their ‘real’ jobs and go their car trunks that double as their coaching office, pulling out equipment bags, notebooks and their change of clothes. Then they trundle off to the athletic field or gym where anxious, energized kids are awaiting instructions and practice.
Being a coach means living within time constraints, chaos, disappointment, budget constraints, academic issues, personal drama with certain athletes, and the huge impact at home with their marriages, jobs and kids. There is always the disappointment of not giving enough time to their families when so much time is given to their teams. The search for balance is a constant struggle and trade‑off, and many end up having to choose which side they are on. What drives these coaches to be an athletes’ best friend, cheerleader and life guidance counselor when the return for the coach seems so minimal?
First, most of the coaches used to play that same sport when they were younger. It is not by accident that they are involved in the particular sport they coach. So it is highly possible that coaching allows them to keep in touch with their younger days and recapture the simple joys of participating, even if on the sidelines.
Second, I believe coaches truly respect pure talent and love to nurture the potential into a successful, accomplished graduating athlete. They thrive off of the unexpected giH of a winning three pointer or a long touchdown run aHer shedding 3 defenders or a sub 4 minute 30 second mile time, unique
Tie ends season, begins playoffs
The varsity girls had there last league game against Del Campo on Apr. 27, which ended in the first tie of the league season.
In the first half of the game the ball was in Del Campo’s side the whole time. The girls had great chemistry playing as a team. Their passing was excellent, great placement of the ball and good crosses in front of the goal.
Rio scored both their goals in the first half. When Del Campo did have the ball on Rio’s side they had a few very close at‑tempts to scoring but thankfully senior Kelly Rosenthal was there for some great defensive play.
”The goalie Kelly punting the ball up to Kim Hutchinson, who was able to get a quick break away to score!” sophomore Maddy Pe‑terson said.
At the halHime, the team fig‑ured that they were in a shoe‑into win and that it was all over.
However, Del Campo quickly got the ball passed all the Rio de‑fenders and scored a goal. AHer Del Campo got the momentum, they were able to get the ball back and score another goal the same way.
“They were determined and used there speed up front to beat us,” sophomore Candace Ed‑wards said.
Kim Hutchinson was deter‑
mined to score aHer Del Campo’s two goals, so she and senior Alli Kelly worked together to try and get in another score. They took plenty of shots, but could not get another score in. The whistle blew signaling the end of the game and the final score was tied 2‑2.
Girls varsity has had an in‑credible year, with so many wins. Winning all of there games except the tie against Del Campo. Play‑offs began yesterday.
*See the Mirada website for updates on girls soccer playoffs.
Why did you decide to join the dive team?Colbert listed it under “Sports to Ignore.”
How long have you been diving?Ever since I dove out of the womb.
What was your most embarrassing diving moment?When (in mid-air) I realize I’m going to screw up a dive, I tend to scream like a little girl.
What do you like about having your dad as coach?He’s like a father to me.
What’s your favorite part about diving?The uniform.
What’s your favorite dive?Blue steel.
Coaching fatigue, yet back for more
- Alex Kleemann
How long have you been playing soccer?Since kindergarten, so about eleven years.
What position do you play?Left forward for club and left midfield for school.
What’s your favorite part of the game?I love being with all my friends, feeling cool when people cheer for our team, and beating someone to a 50-50 ball. But doing little things like pinching the opponents or step-ping on their toes is really funny because it gets them all mad.
What was your most embarrassing moment on the field?When I was younger I was running down the field and I tripped. While I was tripping though, my finger somehow got caught on my shorts and I pulled my shorts down. So I was lying on the ground with my shorts at my knees and everyone laughing at me. It was tragic.
ELIZABETHEGGERT, 10
soccer
- Alex Kleemann
Alex ReinnoldtNew coach encourag-es hard work and fun
Catherine Fong
Mirada Staff
This season Jennifer Smiley is the new varsity girls soccer coach. Last year she was the assistant varsity coach to long time coach Danny Cruz and substituted in the P.E. department. She graduated from Rio in 2003 aHer playing on the varsity team for all four years. Smiley was team MVP during her junior and senior years, and was named All League all four years of high school.
Smiley continued to play soccer as a center mid fielder for four years in college at the Uni‑versity of the Pacific. Smiley graduated from the University of Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Sciences in 2007.
Coach Smiley played competitive soccer for 10 years. In 2003, her U‑19 Elk Grove Pride team placed second in the National Cham‑pionship. Danny Cruz was her coach for the Pride team.
Currently, she teaches P.E. at Barre0 Middle School and is ge0ing her masters in Integrating Teaching through the Arts.
As a coach she is working on her commu‑nication skills and preparing the girls for their future in soccer. They are working on skills to try to improve themselves individually. Her philosophy of the game is to work hard and have fun.
This season, “I’m looking forward to play‑offs,” Smiley said, “ Also, I want my team to improve on their communication skills on the field.”
Katherine Casey
Mirada Staff
Freshman Ariana Garner steals the soccer ball from a Del Campo op-ponent. The girls tied against Del Campo with a final score of 2-2.
Tesoro Staff
Please see > COACHES page 16
Sports 155.08.09
April showers bring May…mountain biking? This is the month for mountain‑biking en‑thusiasts junior Nick Jimenez, math teacher George Dunkum and chemistry teacher Phillip Montbriand to step up their game. Rain or shine, you can guarantee that these guys will be on the trail when the oppor‑tunity presents itself.
They saw their chance this past weekend, where Dunkum and Montbriand were award‑ed 2nd place in the “Coolest
24 Hours Mountain Bike Race Against Cancer,” in the pouring rain.
“They had to hose off people just to figure out what number they were in order to record the laps,” Dunkum said.
“It was very muddy and wet,” Montbriand agreed.
The race lasted from 12 p.m., May 2 to 12 p.m. May 3. It was the fourth consecutive year their team, “Team Short Bus,”consisting of Dunkum, his wife Asa, Montbriand and two others, have been on the po‑dium.
“We race on a five man coed team, my wife is the coed,” Dun‑
kum said. “We switch every lap until dark, then we each do two laps, we go back to one when it’s light again.”
Mon t b r i a n d , who has raced with Dunkum and his wife all four years, is continually pleased with the team’s performance.
“We work very well as a team,” he said. “We’re all individually good, too.”
Both men a0ribute part of the team’s success this year to their persever‑ance. Due to the difficult weather, many teams quit or simply took breaks dur‑ing the nigh0ime segment of the race.
“On our team, we had some‑one bicycling all 24 hours,” Montbriand said.
The dark hours are par‑ticularly tedious, some riders were on the trail around 2 a.m., though Dunkum doesn’t really mind it.
“You go in knowing that it’s going to happen, it’s all part of the adventure,” Dunkum said. “Sunrise laps are always excit‑ing.”
The mud was another special feature of this years race.
“At first, you’re thinking I don’t want to get all muddy, but next thing you know you’re covered in it and you don’t care anymore,” Montbriand said. “I loved it.”
However, the weather did cause some difficulties.
“There were some areas on the trail that were unrideable,” Dunkum said. “You would be slipping as you walked your bike through it was so muddy.”
The 24‑hour Cool race is one of many in Dunkum’s montage of mountain bike races, though it is Montbriand’s only.
Though unknowingly, Dun‑kum and junior Nick Jimenez both participate in the continu‑ing “Prairie City Race Series.” The race is a series of 12 races every Wednesday in spring and summer. The riders are scored by place, 1st receiving 20 points,
2 n d r e c e i v i n g 19, 3rd receiving 18, and so on. They decide the overall winner by combining the points from the riders 10 best races. So far, Jimenez has been very success‑ful competing at the sport level of the 12‑17 age group, receiv‑ing 1st twice and 3rd once.
A former runner, Jimenez is new to mountain bike racing, though he has been participat‑ing in it recreationally for some time.
“I been going out on the trails for as long as I can remember,” Jimenez said, “Because I got in‑jured running and biking is my second love I thought I should compete in it.”
Despite the sudden end of his running career due to nu‑merous injuries, namely a stress fracture, Jimenez finds consola‑tion in this new sport.
“It’s a great aerobic sport, but it can also be extremely tech‑nical,” he said. “Just because you’re the strongest, it doesn’t mean you are going to win.”
He a0ributes his success to his experience with running.
“I am a runner; I have the aer‑
obic capacity to race,” Jimenez said, “and I’ve been riding for several years, so it’s nothing new.”
Prairie City is Nick Jimenez’s first competitive mountain bik‑ing experience, though definite‑ly not his last. Dunkum plans to continue his racing career as well, for a good fiHeen or more years.
“I want to race as long as I can,” Dunkum said, “I’d like to be the national champion in my age group in my 70’s.”
Such a goal is not far off, as he was named national cham‑pion for his age group just four years ago in 2005. Prairie city, however, was not as good a demonstration of his skills as he had hoped. He is racing as an “expert” in the over 40 age group, which, according to him, greatly reduces his chances of doing well.
“I race up a category for chal‑lenge and distance” Dunkum said, “The only good thing is that I haven’t been last.”
From novice to expert, be‑ginner to veteran, young to old, George Dunkum, Phillip Mont‑briand, and Nick Jimenez have all ridden their way to success in the sport they love.
cyclesJunior Nicolás Jiménez races in Prairie City for mountain bike competitions.
courtesy of Nicolás Jiménez
Alex Kleemann
Staff Writer
Math teacher George Dunkum thought that “the mud was fun.” He returned from his lap in the relay covered in mud.
courtesy of Phillip Montbriand
Life Teachers and
student come
to life in races
accomplishments that allow a coach to feel they nurtured that talent.
Third, despite the chaos, budget cuts, and maybe team losses, just being involved as an alternative to their regular job they may have outside of coaching gives them a sense of personal accomplishment and self‑directed joy that they can turn off and on without having a boss questioning their agenda.
Finally, though, I think within each of the coaches is a teaching gene that motivates them to give more than they get, to make an impact on an individual’s life that may not have been available if not for that particular moment with
that particular coach. In watching the NFL draH
this past weekend, I noted how so many of the athletes, when draHed and thereby reaching their lifelong dream, reach back to their high school days and thank those unknown, nondescript coaches who nurtured their talent and made these moments of success possible. Coaches do have an incredible impact, even at this elite level.
Maybe these are all obvious, once stated, but I think it is a reminder, whether we are in recreational or organized activities, that those people in charge of us aHer school, on weekends, or in the evenings, coach us for reasons very personal to themselves, most not aspiring to higher levels, college or professional, and
therefore, should be cherished just for the time and instruction they give.
Especially now, as the school and athletic seasons wind down, we should appreciate them for who they are, for moments like we have with them now will disappear all too quickly in the immediate future. Ironically though, in five to ten years, we may just find ourselves coaching young athletes like ourselves, and appreciating more fully what our past coaches sacrificed for us. While it is hard to thank them ten years later like the athletes on the TV screen do, maybe a note in the mail down the road might make them think that all the daily frustration will push them to do it one more season, one more day.
Sports16 5.08.09
Varsity Girls SoftballFeb. 23 at Cordova -Mar. 3 at Ponderosa -Mar. 6 Vanden L 0-2Mar. 10 at Cosumnes Oaks L 1-2Mar. 14 at Mira Loma W 11-0Mar. 14 North Valleys W 6-5 at Mira LomaMar. 17 Mira Loma L 1-4Mar. 19 Casa Roble L 0-27Mar. 24 Bella Vista L 4-16Mar. 26 at Loretto W 6-1Mar. 31 at El Camino -Apr. 2 at Del Campo L 2-11Apr. 16 at Mira Loma -Apr. 21 at Casa Roble L 0-11Apr. 23 at Bella Vista L 2-4Apr. 28 Loretto W 3-2Apr. 30 at El Camino -May 5 Del Campo L 0-7
Varsity Boys GolfFeb. 18 Union Mine 3:30 at Cameron ParkFeb. 24 Del Oro 3:00 at Turkey CreekMar. 9 Union Mine W 240-259Mar. 11 Rosemont W 195-235 at CordovaMar. 12 Casa Roble W 225-227Mar. 17 Mira Loma W 210-221 at Haggin OaksMar. 19 Bella Vista W 206-207 at Haggin OaksMar. 24 Del Campo 3:00Mar. 26 El Camino L 227-225Mar. 31 Casa Roble 3:00 at MatherApr. 2 Mira Loma 3:00Apr. 14 Bella Vista 3:00Apr. 16 Del Campo 3:00 at MatherApr. 20 CAL Tournament 12:30Apr. 21 El Camino 3:00 at Ancil HoffmanApr. 27 CAL Tournament 12:30*Home matches are at Ancil Hoffman.
SPRING RESULTSDate Opponent TimeDate Opponent Time
Varsity Boys BaseballFeb. 27 at Folsom L 2-6Mar. 3 Del Oro L 0-1Mar. 6 at Woodcreek W 7-2Mar. 10 Argonaut W 11-1Mar. 11 at River City W 9-3Mar. 14 Petaluma L 3-6Mar. 16 McClatchy W 10-7Mar. 17 Jesuit L 2-10 at Renfree FieldMar. 23 at Bella Vista W 2-0Mar. 25 at El Camino L 5-8Mar. 27 at Casa Roble W 2-1Mar. 30 Mira Loma W 11-2Apr. 1 Del Campo W 2-0Apr. 6-9 Granite Bay Tourney -Apr. 15 Bella Vista L 10-11Apr. 17 Bella Vista L 1-2 at Raley FieldApr. 20 El Camino L 6-10Apr. 22 at El Camino W 13-7Apr. 24 Casa Roble L 1-3Apr. 27 at Casa Roble L 0-5Apr. 29 at Mira Loma L 2-4May 1 Mira Loma 4:30May 4 at Del Campo L 7-8May 6 Del Campo 7:00 at ARC
Track and FieldFeb. 28 Clark Massey Invite 9:00 am at CordovaMar. 7 CAL Invite 9:00 amMar. 11 Center Meet #1 3:30Mar. 21 Lefebvre Relays 9:00 am at PlacerMar. 28 Bronco Invitational 9:00 amApr. 1 Center Meet #2 3:30Apr. 17 Del Oro Invite 1:00 at Del OroApr. 21 Center Meet #3 3:30Apr. 24 Distance Carnival 5:30May 2 Meet of Champions 11:00 at Hughes StadiumMay 9 Nevada Union Invite TBA at Nevada UnionMay 14 CAL Finals 3:30May 20 Sub-Section Prelims 3:30May 22 Sub-Section Finals 3:30May 28 Section Prelims 3:00 at Hughes StadiumMay 29 Section Finals 3:00 at Hughes StadiumJun. 5 State Trials 2:00 Buchanan H.S.Jun. 6 State Finals 2:00 Buchanan H.S.*Home meets at Bella Vista.
Varsity Swim and DiveMar. 5 at Del Campo 3:45Mar. 6 at Jesuit 3:45Mar. 12 at El Camino 3:45Mar. 19 Bella Vista 3:45Mar. 26 Loretto 3:45Apr. 2 Casa Roble 3:45Apr. 16 Mira Loma 3:45Apr. 24 at Davis 3:45Apr. 28 at Jesuit 3:45Apr. 29 CAL Dive Champs* All DayMay 1/2 CAL Swim Champs* All DayMay 7-9 Section Dive Champs All Day at OakmontMay 14-16 Section Swim Champs All Day at Tokay*CAL Championships at Rusch Park.
Varsity Boys VolleyballMar. 17 Ponderosa L 0-3Mar. 19 Vista Del Lago -Mar. 24 at El Camino L 0-3Mar. 26 at Christian Brothers L 2-3Mar. 31 at Union Mine L 0-3Apr. 2 El Dorado W 3-1Apr. 14 at Oak Ridge L 0-3Apr. 16 at Ponderosa L 0-3Apr. 22 at El Dorado W 3-2Apr. 23 El Camino -Apr. 28 Christian Brothers 7:00Apr. 30 Union Mine L 0-3May 5 at El Dorado 7:00
Heading into the Capital Athletic League Finals on May 14, the frosh/soph boys team is currently in first place, with a record of 15‑0.
“It’s a great feeling to have such a big lead on the other schools in the league,” sophomore Ansel Mills said.
The varsity girls team stands in third place in the league, and the var‑sity boys team stands in fiHh place.
On May 2, several qualifiers par‑ticipated in the Sacramento Meet of Champions. Senior Jaron Jones took third place in the varsity boys long jump, freshman Basil Okoroike took seventh in the frosh/soph boys triple jump and sophomore Kevin Barlow took eleventh in the frosh/soph boys discus throw.
‑ Alex Reinnoldt
With their last game against Del Campo, the varsity boys baseball team concluded their season. They missed a chance at post‑season play with a record of 10‑14.
The team finished fourth in the Capital Athletic League and featured some league leaders. Senior Bran‑don Smith placed second in league for home runs, followed by senior Dylan Farragher. And junior Grant Johnson took second for his ba0ing average.
‑ Tate Rountree
The golf team finished off the sea‑son with surprise success. They tied for third place overall in the league.
“We were expected not to do very well,” coach Richard Drawbert said. “We were expected to finish in the bo0om.”
They started off strong, but their overall season suffered due to a short loss of the team’s number one player,
senior Jason Bell. Despite this diffi‑culty, Bell and his teammate, senior Kevin Lee were still able to get all‑league.
However, the highlight of the sea‑son was not the team’s turn‑around, but teammate Nick Johnson’s hole in one on the ninth hole at Ansil Hoff‑man golf course this past Saturday.
‑ Alex Kleemann
AHer many hard‑fought victories and narrow losses, the boys volley‑ball team concluded its season with a sixth place league ranking and a stronger team spirit.
Fundamentals were key to the success of the team, which boasted many consistent passers and hit‑ters. Coaches Jared Williams, Tony DeLoney and Adam Porter, all Rio alums, saw a drastic improvement within the team.
“There were tremendous strides
taken by the team this year,” Wil‑liams said. “We really helped create an identity for ourselves, and we are looking forward to a strong class of juniors returning to us next year. It was a great season, and we accom‑plished a lot.”
‑ Alex McFall
The girls soHball team is current‑ly fiHh in the league standings, with a record of two wins and six losses.
Junior Taylor McGregor leads the team with seven runs, 13 hits and one home run during the season.
In ba0ing statistics, McGregor and sophomores Sam Cunha and Kristin Hubble each have five sto‑len bases. The players that lead the defense with the highest fielding percentage include McGregor, junior Amber Bibby, sophomore Abby Ral‑ey and freshman Haley Sheridan.
‑ Alex Reinnoldt
SPORTS BRIEFS
Sophomore Ansel Mills runs in the 3200 meter (2 mile) race at the Bella Vista Center 3 league meet. He took third place with a time of 11:32.
Boys Baseball
Girls So3ball
ALEX REINNOLDT/Mirada Staff
Frosh/soph boys track team first in league
Track and Field
Varsity Girls SoccerFeb. 26 at Elk Grove T 0-0Mar. 4 Franklin L 1-2Mar. 9 at Mira Loma W 7-0Mar. 11 at Casa Roble W 2-1Mar. 16 at Bella Vista W 5-2Mar. 18 Loretto W 2-1Mar. 23 El Camino W 3-0Mar. 25 Del Campo W 2-1Apr. 1 Mira Loma W 8-1Apr. 13 Casa Roble W 4-1Apr. 15 Bella Vista W 2-1Apr. 20 at Loretto W 3-2Apr. 22 at El Camino W 3-1Apr. 27 at Del Campo T 2-2 May 4 League Playoffs TBA
Varsity Boys TennisFeb. 26 Granite Bay W 5-4 at Gold River Racquet ClubMar. 3 Yuba City 3:30 at Gold River Racquet ClubMar. 6/7 Fresno Tournament All DayMar. 16 at Del Oro 3:30Mar. 19 Mira Loma 3:30 at Arden HillsMar. 24 Bella Vista 3:30 RollingwoodMar. 26 at Del Campo 3:30Mar. 30 Oak Ridge 3:30 at Gold River Racquet ClubMar. 31 El Camino 3:30 at Arden HillsApr. 2 at Casa Roble 3:30Apr. 14 at Mira Loma 3:30Apr. 16 Bella Vista 3:30 at Arden Hills or Gold RiverApr. 21 Del Campo 3:30 at Arden HillsApr. 23 at El Camino 3:30Apr. 28 Casa Roble 3:30 at Arden Hills
Boys Golf
Boys Volleyball
Continued from page 14
COACHES: Motivated to stay involved