ASB honors nine staff members at inspiring Veterans Day assembly

Rafa Heredia
starts musical
career,
Features,
Page 4
Fall sports
coverage,
Sports,
Pages 6-7
Halo 3 ODST,
CD’s and more
reviewed,
Entertainment,
Page 8
Taft Union High School, 701 7th St., Taft, Calif. 93268
Volume 97, No. 2
November 17, 2009
ASB honors nine staff
members at inspiring
Veterans Day assembly
By Matt Daniels
Staff Writer
The ASB held a special Veterans Day assembly to honor the veterans on the TUHS staff. From left, Rick
Woodson, Gary Morris, Doug Taylor, Mike Colen, Mike McCormick and Sigi Cruz. Photo by Nicole Frost
Taft community mourns loss of young
student killed in hit and run accident
By Monica Solis
Editor-in-Chief
The loss of a classmate and friend
has stunned the TUHS campus and
the entire community, which united
in mourning for and celebrating the
life of 14-year-old freshman, Odales
Michelle Ramirez.
On the evening of Nov. 10,
Ramirez was walking northbound
on the east side of the intersection
of Kern and Second Streets, and
was more than halfway across Kern
Street when she was struck by a car
just before 6 p.m.
According to Taft Police Sgt.
Mike Eveland, a vehicle in the slow
lane heading westbound stopped for
her, but the vehicle in the inside lane
did not. The suspect vehicle, a white
Jeep Cherokee, fled from the scene.
Witnesses called the police immediately, but it was too late. Ramirez
was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shock and grief overwhelmed
the community when word spread
of Ramirez’s death. Dozens of people, including friends and family,
gathered in fron of Little Caesar’s
Pizza for a candlelight vigil.
“She was the greatest person in
the world,” said freshman Alondra
Molina.
The community came together
on Wednesday, Nov. 11 to host a
car wash in her honor. A second,
larger vigil was held later that night,
where friends and family gathered in prayer and remembrance of
Ramirez. A bake sale was held on
Saturday, Nov. 14 in front of Save-ALot Foods to help raise funds for her
funeral.
Students wore lime green on
Thursday, Nov. 12 in honor of their
late friend’s favorite color. The bulletin boards in the quad were plastered with green butcher paper, on
which classmates and friends could
express their feelings.
“She was a great friend,” recalls freshman Erica Montoya. “She
would do crazy things to make us
laugh.”
Grievance counselors were also
on hand to assist coping students.
Students gathered in the Quad to re-
lease lime green and pink balloons
Friday, Nov. 14 during Nutrition
Break.
A Mass of Christian Burial was
held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church
on Nov. 15. Ramirez will be laid to
rest at Taft Cemetery.
An arrest was made on the morning of Nov. 11 in connection with her
death. Police arrested Glenn Travis
Russell, 46, after someone saw him
trying to remove parts from the
front of a white Jeep that resembled
the suspect vehicle.
continued on page 5
Signing Michelle’s Memory Wall on November 12 was a step in the
grieving process for many students. Photo by Monica Solis
Taft High military veterans were
honored in a brief, but moving ceremony on November 10, the school
day before Veterans Day. The entire faculty, staff and student body
packed the auditorium to pay tribute to teachers Mike Colen, Sigi
Cruz, Mike McCormick, Doug Taylor and Rick Woodson, as well as
three BVHS teachers who were unable to attend.
The ASB, under the guidance of
advisor Eric Newton, came up with
the assembly as a way to recognize
the veterans who work among us
every day, after having served their
country.
The assembly began with an a
capella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by freshman Viviana
Camacho. Her impressive performance received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. Newton
then provided some background
to the Veterans Day holiday, which
recognizes the armistice that ended
World War I at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11,
1918.
“Today we honor those men
and women who are fighting, have
fought, and who sacrificed their
lives in order to ensure that we have
our continued freedom in the greatest country on the planet,” Newton
said. He then asked for a moment
of silence for those who gave their
lives in service to their country.
With stirring music playing quietly in the background and a huge
American flag projected onto a
screen at the rear of the stage, Taft
High’s veterans were called to the
stage one at a time to be recognized.
First up was history and Oil Tech
teacher Rick Woodson, who served
in the Navy from Sept. 1971-Aug.
1975 during the Vietnam War era.
Next was MOT manager Gary
Morris, who served in the Army
from 1971-1973 during the Vietnam
War. Morris was stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany, where he
was assigned to heavy transportation in the 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry
Division.
Math teacher Doug Taylor served
in the Air Force from May 1991 to
May 1996. He was stationed in Texas,
Arizona, Alaska and Korea as a crew
chief (jet mechanic) on F-16s. Taylor
was awarded “Best Crew Chief” at
his base and was rewarded with the
opportunity to fly an F-16 Fighting
Falcon. He visited the Demilitarized
Zone between North and South Korea.
Taylor says the Air Force played
a major role in shaping him into the
man he is today. The entire experience provided him with the discipline to accomplish anything he sets
his mind to. He encourages anyone
who lacks direction and discipline,
or who just wants to travel, to enlist
in the U.S. Air Force.
Art teacher Mike Colen was honored next. Colen served in the Navy
from 1966-1970, visiting 13 countries
from the Arctic to the tip of South
America. His ship, the USS Yorktown, was involved in the recovery
of the Apollo 8 spacecraft in the middle of the Pacific after the crew made
man’s first trip around the moon in
late December 1968. The ship was
also used in the filming of the Pearl
Harbor movie, Tora Tora Tora!
Counselor Mike McCormick
served in the Navy from 1967-1969.
He was in the submarine service,
serving on a Sturgeon class nuclear
fast-attack submarine in the North
Carolina Sub Group #8 for two
years.
Math teacher Sigi Cruz served in
the Army from 1993-1996, stationed
at Fort Stewart, Georgia. In 1998 he
joined the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to a transportation company
that shipped packages all over the
country. His term ended just two
months before 9/11, after which he
was called back to service in the Reserve. Cruz reached the rank of E-5
Sergeant.
BVHS faculty members Scott
Bennett, Dale Newlove, and Willie
Stubblefield also served their country in the military.
Once all the faculty veterans were
on stage together, they were given a
rousing standing ovation by the appreciative TUHS community.
Following the assembly, Taylor thanked everyone, “especially
the ASB. That was an exciting and
memorable experience.”
Woodson echoed Taylor’s remarks, saying, “The sentiment expressed, and the very well-behaved
audience, made it a very special experience.”
Nancy Dyer, the Oil Tech Academy English teacher and a close colleague of Woodson, added that “I
was very moved by the assembly,
especially since I was married to a
veteran of the Vietnam War, and I
know servicemen returned to a nation that did not respect their service
to this country. I am proud that we
paid tribute to all veterans.”
She also noted that “the young
lady who sang the National Anthem
was awesome!”
Bubbling Under: What’s Inside
Students attached note cards to balloons in the hope that their thoughts
and wishes would reach Michelle. Photo by Sadie Burton
FFA excels at County Fair
AVID and Oil Tech updates
2012 urban legend exposed
The truth behind CSI
Networking sites risk relationships
Page 2
Page 3
Page 3
Page 5
Page 5
News & Opinion
Page 2
November 17, 2009
Lunchtime
crowding in
quad resolved
with addition of
more tables
By Taylor Pritchett
Staff Writer
Patrick Wilke shows off his prize-winning steer at the Kern County
Fair. Photo courtesy of Teresa Taylor
FFA members excel at Kern County
Fair, win seven first-place awards
By Nicole Frost
Staff Writer
FFA members had one of their
most successful years at the recent
Kern County Fair. Many students
and their animals placed at the Fair
and seven of them raised first-place
animals.
“We had a lot more kids in the fair
this year and we did much better,”
said advisor Teresa Taylor. “This is
our fifth year showing in the fair. We
won many more prizes and this was
the best year so far.”
Students who participate in the
fair spend months taking care of
an animal to prepare it for auction.
Their animals are judged by their
weight, muscle and market value
and the showmanship of the student
presenting them.
“It went well. It was more organized last year, but we won more
prizes this year,” said FFA reporter
Cristina Loza.
One of the many standout FFA
students, Patrick Wilke, blew everyone away by raising the champion
Kern-fed and bred market steer and
the reserve champion shorthorn
market steer. He not only won for
the highest-placing animal but he is
also the president of the FFA at Taft
High. He traveled to Indianapolis
to attend the national FFA convention ,which was held from October
20-25.
“The convention was good,” said
Wilke, “The National Convention is
the highest point of FFA competitions. Also, this year has been great
and FFA has really helped me upgrade my speaking and leadership
skills.”
Another
standout
student,
Thomas Grauer, raised and showed
the reserve champion Hereford market steer and placed first in the Senior Beef Leather Lead at the fair.
“We had a good year and did well
at this year’s Fair. We also did well
at Jackpots, conferences and competitions. This summer we had a conference in Washington D.C. where
all of the officers went to work on
leadership skills,” said Grauer.
Many prizes were won and a lot
of money raised by the participants
in the fair. The 2009 fair proved to be
very successful for the FFA.
Students standing in the sun.
Kids clustered on the steps. A shortage of tables. A congested cafeteria.
This was what you would have
seen if you had looked around the
campus of Taft High at lunchtime
last quarter.
Many people assumed lunchtime
crowding was due to the large freshman class this year.
But, according to the Guidance
Center, the difference in the number
of incoming freshmen between this
year and last is minimal.
The overcrowding problem could
also be due to the fact that fewer students are eating off campus.
Campus supervisor Mary Miller
agrees that more students are eating
on campus.
“It’s just so expensive,” says
Miller.
“And the food here really isn’t
that bad.”
Most parents just can’t afford to
have their students eat off campus
every day in these difficult economic times.
But, thanks to the MOT department, a few more tables were added
in the quad, which has helped reduce the problem of crowded steps
But there’s really nothing that can
be done about the cafeteria. There
just isn’t room to add more tables.
Fortunately, the crowding problem has been reduced by the addition of the new tables in the quad
And when the economy improves, more students will likely
resume eating at the local fast-food
joints, reducing cafeteria and quad
crowding.
On the Spot: What are you afraid of?
Survey and Photos
By Grecia Almaguer
Staff Writer
Senior Dustin Harlan (left center) was one of 66 people who gave blood
in the recent blood drive. Photo by Karissa Dixon
Blood drive collects 66 pints
By Karissa Dixon
Staff Writer
The Blood Drive sponsored by
The Key Club on Oct. 13 produced
66 pints of blood for Houchin Blood
Bank.
Although 85 people signed up to
give blood, 19 were unable to donate
due to various reasons. Some people
had health issues, others had a new
tattoo and, in a few cases, some people failed to show up, possibly due
to fear of needles. Of the 66 blood
donors, 55 were first-time donors,
an encouraging sign.
“The reason I gave blood was because it was a great opportunity for
students to give back to the community, and now that I am old enough,
I thought that I should give back,”
said senior Chelsea Skinner.
Even though there was no exact
goal for the blood drive, The 66 pints
donated is a good result, Counselor
Mile McCormick hit the four-gallon
mark.
“I have given blood 32 times
over the years but the reason I first
The Gusher
Taft Union High School
701 7th Street
Taft, CA 93268
(661) 763-2300
Adviser: Bill Wolfe
bwolfe@taft.k12.ca.us
The Gusher is a monthly publication of the journalism class at
Taft Union High School. The Gusher is an open forum for students, faculty and alumni of TUHS. The opinions and views
expressed in The Gusher are the sole responsibility of the staff
and do not reflect the views of either TUHS, the TUHS District, or the Board of Trustees.
Editor-in-Chief/Layoutw
Will Palmer
Editor-in-Chief/Copy Editor
Monica Solis
Freshman Edtmer Medel
“I fear snakes because they’re weird
and they slither.”
Senior Kasey Stunteback
“I fear the future because I don’t
know what it holds.”
Freshman Lizbeth Figueroa
“I fear the Boogie Man, because he
looks weird and lives under my
bed.”
Editor-in-Chief/Photo Editor
Sadie Burton
Sophomore Jessa Dahlgren
“It bugs me when things are clogged.
It disgusts me.”
Features Editors
Silvia Gervacio
Krystle Holder
Sports Editor
Rod Sanchez
Sophomore Cristina Loza-Perez
“I hate crickets! One time when I
was younger I rode a bike through a
patch of grass and come to find out
that it was full of them; they jumped
all over me with their disgusting
legs!”
decided to give blood is because my
friend needed platelets, so I went to
Las Angeles to help him. The reason
I continued to donate blood is because I want to help out in anyway
I can to help people survive.” said
Counselor Mike McCormick.
After a donor gave blood they
were provided with a snack to get
their blood sugar level back up so
they would not faint because of loss
of blood.
“The doctor let me have three
cheeses and two orange juices and
told me that I was a brave soldier.”
said senior Jeremy Miller.
This was the first blood drive this
year but there are still two more opportunities for those who would still
like to donate. The next blood drive
will be held on Jan. 12.
“I thought the blood drive was
pretty fun and very organized, said
senior Ashley Hartness. “They were
very nice and caring about everyone. I just wanted to give blood so
that maybe someday I could possibly save someone’s life.”
Coach Sprague
“I fear the bus breaking down so we
can’t go kick the other team’s butt.”
Senior Chelsea Coke
“I fear shaving my ankles because of
the way they feel with socks.”
Staff Writers
Grecia Almaguer,
Karissa Dixon, Nicole Frost,
Shannon Gillespie,
Mersadies Gunter,
Julia Laguna,
Miranda Landreth,
Winter Martin, Devin Marie,
Jill Maxcy, Katarina Moore,
Sarah Muro, Tina Perez,
Taylor Pritchett, Nick Ramirez,
Brianna Rowden
Junior Patricia Peterson
“I fear squirrels because they’re vicious and will attack me.”
News
November 17, 2009
Page 3
Oil Tech Academy keeps students
busy with career skills, activities
By Sarah Muro
Staff Writer
Oil Tech Academy is not only
about oil. It’s much more than that.
The Academy covers English taught
by Nancy Dyer, World History
taught by Tim Greer, U.S. History
taught by Michael Goodwin, science
taught by Wendy Berry and Eric
Newton. And of course, the history
of oil by Rick Woodson.
“I think that it’s pretty cool that
we’ve got really good teachers. They
are great at teaching us the history of
oil. I love it,” said Patricia Petersen.
The seniors will be working on
their senior project all year long.
This project is the most important
thing they are doing this year. In
April and May they will be give
Power Point presentations to Woodson. The seniors will be job shadowing each semester. And taking field
trips to an offshore platform and a
Santa Barbara Channel boat tour of
Platform Holley and the Oil Seeps.
The juniors are working really
hard to make it to the T.H.U.M.S Island in Long Beach Harbor.
“I’m hoping our juniors this
year will get to go to Long Beach.
We didn’t get to go last year,” said
Woodson.
With the help of Oxy-Elk Hills
they will be taking a tour of production and water plant facilities this
fall, followed by a geology tour of
McKittrick Oil Seeps and Carrizo
Plain at San Andreas Fault.
The sophomores will be selfmarketing and continuing to write
and work on interview techniques
at Oxy-Elk Hills.
“With 138 students this is our
biggest group yet. We are very excited about all three classes, and so
far it’s been a smooth year,” said
Woodson.
English expectations for grades
11 and 12 will be the same as last
year.
“I think the sophomores will be
putting pressure on our other classes,” said Dyer. They want to keep on
top of things and are eager to compete with past projects.
Goodwin will be taking over
as the coordinator of the academy
within the next few years.
“The academy has really evolved
into an outstanding program,” he
said.
U.S. History will be undergoing
changes with new technology and
the basic curriculum. Goodwin is always making room to improve.
“I’m trying to give them every
opportunity to succeed in whatever
their career focus is. I provide them
with the tools and expectations in
order to be a productive, tax-paying
citizen,” said Goodwin.
Senior Anthony Carino and choir instructor Amanda Locke were
pleased with the evening’s performance. Photo by Devin Marie
First choir concert shows off
wide range of vocal talents
By Devin Marie
Staff Writer
After the first choir concert of the
school year, it is apparent that the
TUHS choir is the pride and joy of
Taft High.
The choir festivities kicked off
with the men’s choir singing two
songs, “More Pretty Girls Than
One” and “I’m Bound Away.” Both
songs were brief but good.
As a requirement to go to Festival, members of the choir are expected to learn and perform an Italian song.
Sophomore Cassie Pappas performed a solo “Caro Mio Ben.” She
did not disappoint.
Another soloist, senior Brianna
Rowden, sang “Vittoria, Mio Core!”
After the two delightful solos,
it was time for the women’s choir
which performed two songs, “The
Song in the Air” and “I’ll Make the
Difference.” In the latter song, freshman Kayla Schuyler’s solo displayed
her appealing and refreshing voice.
Once the women’s choir was finished, another Italian solo was executed.
Soloist Rafa Heredia sang in
place of Beau Riddle, who was under the weather. Heredia belted his
song confidently to the entire audience and awed everyone. His voice
was pleasant and delightful.
As if the talent in the previous
choirs hadn’t expressed itself with
utter force, the chamber choir, also
known as the advanced choir, still
had to perform.
They started off with their version of the song “Bonse Aba.” Perfectly harmonized voices filled the
auditorium with glorious music.
The song featured a catchy, fun, tribal beat, with Heredia accompanying
on the bongos. In my opinion, it stole
the show. It was very impressive.
It’s no secret that the next soloist, Anthony Carino, can sing beautifully. He lived up to his reputation
as he sang his rendition of “Vergin,
Tutto Amor.” It was impressive to
say the least.
“I love singing. It makes me
happy,” Carino said.
Not to be outdone, the chamber
choir’s second song, “Steal Away,”
was beautiful to the point of producing tears. It was obvious that
the choir was singing their heart out
and having fun doing it.
The chamber choir’s last and
most interesting song was “And in
the Evening.” The ladies and gentlemen that made up the ensemble
pushed out a cart filled with crystal
glasses on which select members
would “play” by encircling the rim
of the glass with a finger. The unique
music made by the glasses was
amazing and had a bell-like quality
to its sound. Soloist and senior Erica
Miller “played” the crystal glasses.
“It’s fun to be able to make music
with something as simple as dinner
ware,” said Miller about her unusual performance.
The choir’s next performance
will be the Christmas concert on
Dec. 11.
Students from the AVID senior class show off their new Netbooks, which were purchased with
a grant from Chevron. AVID teacher Debra Popejoy (far left), Adam Alvidrez from Chevron
(third from left) and principal Mark Richardson coordinated the trial program.
AVID students prepare for college admissions, success
By Silvia Gervacio
Features Editor
The AVID program is in the midst
of a busy and productive 2009-2010,
the program’s sixth year at TUHS.
The year began with a generous
donation, by Chevron, of $10,000 for
Netbooks. The AVID seniors will use
them as part of a trial program to see
if they improve students’ academic
performance.
“I really like the Netbooks,” said
senior AVID teacher Debra Popejoy.
“They are less trouble and have their
own individual server.”
Popejoy is also working hard to
help the 50 freshmen adapt to the
program’s requirements, such as
taking Cornell notes and participating in twice-a-week tutorials. The
freshmen will be visiting UCLA,
USC and CSUB, with a special class
from English professor Michael
Flachmann.
The sophomore AVID class,
taught by Mike Cowan, will visit
CSUB, Cal Poly, Fresno State and
Pepperdine this year. The academic focus this year is critical reading skills. They took the PLAN test
(practice ACT) last month.
“AVID sophomores are looking
forward to the college trips this year.
Many of them have straight A’s and
all are capable of actually attending
these colleges,” said Cowan.
The AVID junior class is learning how to conduct extensive research and write a research paper
with sources. The juniors plan to
visit Fresno State, CSU Northridge,
Loyola Marymount and UCSB. On
Nov. 7 the AVID juniors who made
1st Quarter Honor Roll attended the
UCLA vs. Washington football game
at the Rose Bowl, which the Bruins
narrowly won, 24-23.
“I thought the game was amazing! It was very intense and energetic,” said KasSandra Ramos.
For the 27 AVID seniors, their
last year is focused on applying for
college admission and financial aid.
Popejoy and AVID counselor Tammy Sutherland drove several seniors to Monterey last month to visit
CSU Monterey Bay. They will also
be making a return visit to CSUB.
“Our year is going just fine. It’s
just a little busy with getting our college applications done,” said Popejoy.
This year the AVID t-shirt theme
is rock band tour shirts.
The freshman design features the
Aerosmith logo with the motto, “Get
Your Wings.” Sophomores got The
Rolling Stones logo with the motto
“Satisfaction is being in AVID.”
The junior shirt design is based on
the cover art from Journey’s Evolution album and includes the motto
“Journey to Better Future.” The senior shirt features the four AVID
teachers dressed up as Kiss with the
motto “Rockin’ Out of High School
and Rolling Into College.”
Renaissance
makes money
with recycling
program
By Julia Laguna
Staff Writer
The Renaissance team introduced
a recycling program on campus
in mid-October. The organization
started the program with the hope
of raising money.
“I saw huge waste, and Renaissance was looking for ways to raise
money, so this seemed like a natural
fit,” explained advisor Greg Goossen.
Renaissance students play various roles in this project. Cicely Evans
was in charge of decorating the recycling cans. Josh Mastrovito, Braxton
Walters, Andrew Smith and Jordon
Vermillion are in charge of collecting
the cans and bottles. Students need
to pour out the liquid in their bottles
and put them in the recycling cans.
Goossen takes the recyclables to
various local recycling centers every two weeks or so. Where he takes
them depends on the recycler’s
schedules, who’s open and who’s
not.
They can earn up to $60 a day if
students recycled enough. Renaissance does not usually take in that
amount because students are not recycling as much as they could. Each
bottle is worth 5 cents.
“Here on campus we throw away
around $10,000 a year [in recyclable
materials], and Renaissance is trying
to put an end to that,” said David
Dennis, who teaches the TV-video
production class with Goossen and
is a dedicated recycler.
Goossen deposits the money to
the Renaissance account, and they
use it to recognize students for their
positive attitudes and academic
achievement.
The Meso-American Long Count Calendar used by the Maya supposedly predicts the end of the world in Dec. 2012.
2012 urban legend debunked
By Will Palmer
Editor-in-Chief
December 23, 2012: A date which,
to some, means very little. However,
to an entire following of people,
2012 marks either the beginning of
the end or a realization of outside
forces on a global scale.
The 2012 urban legend started
thanks to the Meso-American (Mayan) Long Count Calendar. The
calendar is based upon thirteen
“b’ak’tuns,” or cycles, until it ends.
According to the calendar, the current world began at the beginning
of the first b’ak’tun (3,114 B.C.) and
will end on the thirteenth b’ak’tun,
December 23 (or 21,) 2012.
Although current Maya scholars
generally agree that even the Maya
did not think the world would end
on this date, mainstream media
have spread the fear of a doomsday
scenario based upon faulty evidence
and questionable authorities.
The theories of exactly how the
world will end vary as well. From a
planet (named Planet X or Nibiru)
colliding with the Earth to a solar
flare caused by a galactic alignment
of the sun, Earth and the center of
our solar system, it seems like anything and everything could happen.
To add to the frenzy, Sony Film
Studios is releasing “2012,” a movie
glamorizing what could possibly
happen in 2012 in an action movie
setting. An early teaser trailer for
the movie encouraged audiences
to “find out the truth” by Google
searching “2012.” Many officials
considered this to be irresponsible
advertising and attribute the ad to
the overall 2012 scare.
2012 will most likely pass, just
like Y2K and many other apocalypse scares in the past century. Just
in case, though, studying zombie
survival guides and learning how to
preserve food may not be bad ideas.
Page 4
Features
November 17, 2009
True story of
Thanksgiving
more interesting
than the legend
By Mersadies Gunter
Staff Writer
Senior Rafael Heredia is a talented singer-songwriter-musician who
has already embarked on a recording career. Photo by Tina Perez
Heredia turns his musical
talent into a career path
By Tina Perez
Staff Writer
Senior Rafael Heredia has
achieved much in his young musical career. He not only plays the guitar, but he also plays the piano and
sings. He began to play the piano
nine years ago, and his grandfather
taught him to play the guitar. The
singing just followed. He even sings
in the choir at his church, Templo
Agua Viva.
Heredia took his dream of being
a musician and set it into motion. He
recorded his own Hispanic Christian CD. With the help of his manager and producer, Gustavo Lima,
he was able to accomplish his goal.
“There are three words to describe Rafa’s singing, a-ma-zing,”
says Heredia’s “pal,” senior Kathy
Lopez. Lopez, who is a member of
the same church choir, knows firsthand of his musical talents. In addition to music, Heredia is able to stay
on the Honor Roll, and he is on the
swimming and diving team and the
soccer team.
“By putting everything in God’s
hands, I hope to succeed,” he says.
When he arrived in the U.S. during his sophomore year, he didn’t
know any English and he was afraid
for his future. But with the help of
his friends and teachers, he was able
to learn English in less than two
years.
Another unusual thing about
Heredia is that he attended the inauguration of President Obama last
January in Washington, D.C. Students and teachers were selected to
attend. Heredia was selected along
with several other students from
Kern County.
“Mrs. Peavyhouse just picked me
and I was like, ‘Wow’,” says Heredia.
“I went alone so I was kinda scared,
but I met a lot of people.” His trip
to D.C. lasted one week, which he
spent sightseeing.
“Rafa has a real heart for music,” says visual and performing arts
teacher Amanda Posey. “His love
for life shows through his music.”
Posey describes Heredia as “a really
cool guy” and an incredibly talented
student.
Based on his current success in
the future is imminent. Heredia’s
many talents and good fortune in
being able to get a head start in his
career.
“Rafa is way different from your
average guy,” says Lopez.
Halloween Rally highlights
Jeremy Miller and Justin Uribe confuse
the crowd as Anakin Skywalker and Darth
Vader. Photo by Sadie Burton
Peter Galvan, Alberto Uribe, Andrew
Arellano and Edgar Padilla as “terrrorists.” Photo by Sadie Burton
Most people think they know
about the original Thanksgiving
and how it became a holiday. But
they might be surprised to learn that
they have a lot of it wrong. Much of
what Americans believe about the
Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving
is not historically accurate.
In fact, the true story of Thanksgiving is much more interesting than
the stories we all learned in elementary school.
Thanksgiving is traditionally a
time to give thanks for the harvest
and express gratitude in general. It
is celebrated primarily in the U.S.
and Canada.
Although the earliest recorded
Thanksgiving celebration was on
Sept. 8, 1565 in what is now Saint
Augustine, Fla., the traditional “first
thanksgiving” occurred at the site of
Plymouth Plantation in 1621.
They wrote about the colony’s
first years and about there famous
repast. But they didn’t record its
date or call it a thanksgiving. And
they didn’t specify turkey as one of
the dishes served.
The Pilgrims didn’t even intend
for the Indians to join them in their
feast. More than 90 Indian “friends”
showed up uninvited. They hunted
deer, adding venison to the threeday feast that followed.
The menu also included fish and
corn. Although pumpkin pie, sweet
potatoes and cranberry sauce are
traditionally included in today’s
Thanksgiving dinners, there is no
written evidence that they were included in the original feast.
It wasn’t until the nineteenth
century that writers discovered the
actual 1621 meal, reintroducing it as
the “first Thanksgiving.” The key
person in this reintroduction was
Sarah Josepha Hale, a New Hampsire native who wrote the very well
known “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
She campaigned to turn this New
England rite into a national holiday.
In the midst of the Civil War,
President Lincoln proclaimed the
last Thursday of November 1863 as
Thanksgiving.
Over the years Thanksgiving has
come to be an annual celebration on
the last Thursday of November. The
Pilgrims might be surprised if they
knew this.
Hannah Koerner, Devin Marie and Jordan
Yarbrough pose as the Zombified Jonas
Brothers. Photo by Sadie Burton
In addition to being a top tennis player and a good student, Veronica
Lehman is also a yearbook editor. Photo by Julia Laguna
Veronica Lehman succeeds
on and off the tennis court
By Julia Laguna
Staff Writer
She’s so fast you can’t see her.
When she hits the ball she nearly
rips her opponent’s head off. She
just won’t stop. Well, that’s an exaggeration but junior Veronica Lehman has been #1 on the varsity tennis team for almost two years and
she is a force on the court.
Lehman started playing tennis
her freshman year and has been
working her way up ever since. Her
strengths on the court are her consistency and accuracy. Lehman had
15 wins overall this season.
“It’s just fun. The girls are fun,”
she said, of the tennis team.
Lehman started off working with
coach Adeana Furman as a freshman. “I just decided I wanted to play,”
she explained.
Lehman has been working with
varsity tennis coach Jim Carnal for
two years. She uses a Wilson racket
and said that the secret to becoming
a good tennis player is “practice,
practice, practice.”
Lehman’s goals for this season were to improve her serve and
take her game to the next level. She
practices for two hours after school
and occasionally on weekends. During the week Lehman doesn’t hang
out with anyone and tries to get her
work done.
Carnal sees great potential in Lehman.
Broad Horizons takes students on
field trips to a brighter future
By Silvia Gervacio
Features Editor
Cicely Evans attempts to discern a
“body part” in one of the Halloween
Rally contests. Photo by Sadie Burton
“She will be a good #1 player.
She’s going to practice during the
off season; it will help her get a lot
better,” he said.
According to Carnal, she’s a
good leader who leads by example.
In the California High School Tennis
Classic in Fresno she went 3-2, and
in the Lewis Cup in Bakersfield she
again finished 3-2.
“She plays other #1 girls everywhere we go,” said Carnal. “She is
the best player for her grade. She’ll
have a better chance of winning as a
senior with one more year of experience.”
Lehman’s plans for the future involve college.
“I’d like to go to college and figure it out from there,” she said.
Lehman is interested in attending the Air Force Academy or a college in California. She hopes to play
in college.
“I’d like to continue playing,”
she said.
Lehman’s academic strength is
math, and she enjoys being a student aide. On occasion she plays
piano. In her spare time she enjoys
hanging out with friends and going
to the movies.
Lehman’s advice for other students who are trying to excel in both
athletics and academics is, “Don’t
overload yourself. Limit yourself
to only a few classes that you like.
Manage your time, school first. If
you have a project, don’t wait until
the last minute. Get it done!”
Have you ever wanted to be in
a club where your goal is to go on
field trips? If so, Broad Horizons is
the club for you.
Reading teacher Lisa Polk had
a student come up to her one day
with great ideas he had learned
when he attended Chicano Youth
Leadership.
“He guilted me into helping
him create a club which introduced
them to things, hence the name
Broad Horizons,” said Polk, the club
advisor.
The club earns money for their
trips by holding fundraisers such as
car washes, yard sales and the great
idea of “Wildcats Forever” t-shirts;
the club thought it was appropriate
to donate their funds to the Shaye
Fields Memorial Scholarship Fund.
“All members tried hard to sell as
many shirts as possible,” said club
member Evelyn Garcia. “We wanted
to get a lot of money to donate for
the scholarship.”
The group uses the money for
field trips that would be a fun and
memorable experience. A few things
they’ve done are bowling, iceskating, pool parties and trips to the
beach.
“I really enjoyed our bowling
trip; it was fun,” said junior Jazmin
Camarillo-Flores.
In addition to their field trips,
they are planning to go to the L.A.
Zoo and the Edwards Theatre in
Bakersfield.
The only requirements to join
Broad Horizons are to attend
meetings and must be involved
with helping the club raise money
to make field trips possible.
“Our club is fun. You learn
and do things you might not have
done before,” explained the always
enthusiastic Polk.
Features
November 17, 2009
Page 5
How and why
colors affect
people’s moods
By Katarina Moore
Staff Writer
The truth behind CSI
By Monica Solis
Editor-in-Chief
With shows like the CSI franchise
taking over nighttime television,
it makes one wonder, how much
of the show is actually true? These
shows depict forensic examiners
unraveling difficult cases using cutting-edge technology in a matter of
just a few days.
Crime
scene
investigators,
dressed in fancy designer clothing,
arrive at the crime scene and in just
minutes they determine whether
it was murder or not. They spend
a few more minutes gathering evidence, ranging from fingerprints,
hair, and skin cells to, in some cases,
vomit, from the scene.
All they do next is enter the information on a computer and in a
few seconds they’ve got a hit, and
the next thing you know they have
their first suspect. They then cut to
a flashback scene that depicts something that could have happened
with that suspect.
The show consists of an entire
hour going through evidence and
extracting DNA from a drop of
blood. In the end, it turns out to be
the last person they expected. Every
episode involves some type of chase
scene, and the capture of the culprit
and finally his interrogation.
The “killer” then explains why
he killed that person and a flashback sequence ensues. In the case of
CSI: Miami, the episode ends with
Lieutenant Horatio Cane delivering
a tense one-liner and proceeding to
put on his shades.
Leaving the glitz and glamour
behind, the real world of forensic
science is very different from what
all those shows make it out to be.
Evidence such as bite marks, bloodsplatter patterns, ballistics, and
hair, fiber and handwriting analysis
sound very compelling in a courtroom, but much of the “evidence”
rests on a shaky foundation. This
is because they are the product of
analysis made by people with minimal credentials.
In fact, according to the American
Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, no advanced degree is required
for a career in forensics. This can result in a huge problem if it leads to a
wrong accusation.
Also, submission rates to laboratories across the nation have gone
up at a time when there are backlogs in staff. The National Institute
of Justice has estimated there are
somewhere between 200,000 and
300,000-backlogged DNA samples
alone. People who watch shows like
CSI, including cops and prosecutors, put a lot of pressure on the labs
to produce results. This clogs up the
labs even more.
A lot of people choose to go into
forensic science because they believe that it’s just like the show. This
leads people to choose this as their
college major. However, when they
actually start taking the classes, they
are disappointed to find out that it’s
not what they expected.
The reality is that one team does
not solve the entire crime. Instead
there are different departments that
specialize in a particular part of the
case. Real CSIs don’t take fingerprints, they don’t attend post mortem examinations, they don’t take
photographs, examine fires, look at
footprint marks or tire impressions.
A Medical Examiner (coroner) is
the only one who examines the body.
He then submits the report to other
investigators. There are those who
specialize in collecting data from the
scene, and then they submit a report
so that other investigators can look
at it to. After comprising all reports,
they get a better understanding of
the case and try to recreate what
happened at the scene. It can often
take weeks, months or even years to
actually know what happened.
There are however, some positive aspects of these shows. They
have raised awareness and interest
in science.
Social networking sites have
consequences for relationships
By Miranda Landreth
Staff Writer
With tools like social networking sites and smartphones, keeping
updated with friends is effortless.
There is no longer a need to hang
out with friends to catch up or find
out what’s new; you can just go
check out their recent updates on
MySpace, Facebook or read their latest tweets.
It’s just as easy to check up on
your significant other with just the
click of a button. Technology is becoming more and more advanced
and it seems to be taking a toll on
relationships of all kinds.
Social networking sites have both
good and bad qualities. It’s great if
you want to keep in touch with new
and old friends, share your thoughts
or ideas, or even if you just want
something to do in your spare time.
On the other hand, too much online
interaction can hurt not only your
relationships, but other peoples as
well.
In a recent story in the Wall Street
Journal, writer Elizabeth Bernstein
told a story of two friends who developed a problem due to the social
networking site Facebook.
“A few days later, Ms. White,
who graduated in May, updated her
Facebook status, commenting that
her favorite country duo, Brooks &
Dunn, just broke up. Almost immediately, her roommate responded,
writing publicly on her wall: ‘Just
like us.’ The two women have barely
spoken since then.”
Online sites often bring out a
different side of people. Individuals can pretend to be anything they
want and they can also say anything
they want without being questioned
about it. Most people seem to exaggerate more over the Internet than
face-to-face
Others have become obsessive
when it comes to updating their
status and tweeting, sharing everything from where they are and what
they’re doing every moment to what
they are eating.
Social networking sites and
smartphones are definitely a good
thing. You can stay in touch with
people all over the world within seconds. They have a lot of downfalls
though. Talking to people through
texting and having social networking sites is great as long as you don’t
overdo it or let it ruin your relationships with other people.
In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton discovered visible colors when white light
passed through a prism, thereby
revealing different colors. He also
found out that each color is comprised of a single wavelength and
cannot be separated any further into
other colors.
Most of the colors are divided
into two different groups, warm and
cool colors. The warm colors are red,
orange and yellow, and the cool colors are blue, green and purple. Different colors have different effects
on people’s feelings and moods.
Blue represents calm, harmony
and trust and is known for slowing
down the pulse rate, lowering body
temperature and reducing your appetite. Blue is often considered to be
the safest global color.
Green is known to be one of the
most popular colors. It represents
nature, health, good luck, youth and
generosity, but also misfortune. In
some tropical countries green is associated with danger.
Orange is the combination of
yellow and red. It expresses energy.
Orange brings up memories of fall
leaves, pumpkins and Halloween. It
also represents warmth and enthusiasm and grabs attention.
Red is the color we pay the most
attention to. It represents love,
danger, desire, anger, blood and
strength. Red can evoke a fight, raise
blood pressure and pump up the
adrenaline. It wouldn’t be the right
choice of color to put in psychiatric
wards, prisons or hospitals.
Yellow represents joy, happiness, optimism, imagination, hope,
betrayal, jealousy and inspiration.
Also, the yellow rose is a symbol of
friendship; it’s less passionate than
red roses.
Purple is known to represent
spirituality, royalty, nobility, mystery, wisdom, transformation, cruelty and mourning. Purple dye was
made from the mucous gland of a
snail.
Black is the absence of light
and therefore of color. It represents
power, sophistication, elegance,
wealth, fear, evil, unhappiness, sadness, remorse, anger and death. One
of the most common superstitions
is, “Don’t let a black cat cross your
path.”
White is what we see when all
colors come together in perfect balance. It represents purity, cleanliness, peace, innocence, youth, sterility and marriage. In Japan, white
carnations signify death.
So the next time you’re wondering why you feel so depressed or
like your adrenaline is pumping,
look around you and see what colors are in your environment. You’ll
be surprised by how much colors
can affect your moods.
For more information, see “Color Psychology” at www.about.com
and “Colors and Moods” at www.
iit.bloomu.edu.
Michelle Ramirez
continued from page 1
Officers have obtained warrants
to search his home and vehicle. If
found guilty, he could face charges
of vehicular manslaughter with
gross negligence, felony hit-and-run
and destroying evidence. Bail has
been set at $37,500.
Ramirez will always be remembered for her cheerful attitude and
outgoing nature. Friends refer to
her as a “pocketful of cheer.” She
enjoyed attending Friday night football games and was planning to play
for the school soccer team.
She was a charismatic girl who
always wore a smile on her face. She
was very friendly and made friends
easily.
Ramirez is survived by her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins
and many other relatives. She is also
survived by her many friends. Her
family and all who knew her will
miss her dearly.
Students in Kathrin Hueppi’s 9th grade class at Rapperswil Secondary
School in Switzerland use The Gusher to learn more about American
culture. Photo by Kathrin Hueppi
Swiss 9th grade class uses
Gusher to learn English
By Mersadies Gunter
Staff Writer
Swiss students use The Gusher to
learn English
German-speaking students in
Rapperswil, Switzerland use the
TUHS Gusher to help them learn
English. This English 9 class is
taught by Kathrin Hueppi.
Hueppi discovered The Gusher
when her class did a pen pal exchange with Mr. Wolfe’s English
class in 2000. She decided to use
it in her English class because she
has always found it interesting and
because “it offers some genuine insight into American school life and
culture.”
Hueppi said that she thinks
English is a good language for her
students to learn because “it is the
language of worldwide communication.”
Hueppi’s students have been
learning English for two to three
years. They view the U.S. as being
a “big and powerful” country. They
expressed a variety of views on the
value of learning English and of the
United States and American life.
“America is the land of boundless possibilities,” said Nathalie.
The students enjoy American
films and TV series, including The
Simpsons, The students view Americans as cool, nice and a bit crazy.
They also think we “love” fast food.
“I like Americans. My cousin
lives in America and I like her, but
she is very crazy,” said Dominic.
Hueppi’s students find the most
difficult and confusing aspect of
English to be the grammar. They
find verb tenses, irregular verbs and
prepositions to be especially challenging. It’s not so much that English is hard to understand or read,
but it is difficult to speak.
“Writing is hard,” said Nicole.
“The spelling and pronunciation are
different.”
The students said that they want
to learn English because it is a world
language. People can speak English
everywhere now, and most of them
would like to travel and speak with
other people using English as a common language.
But perhaps a more important
reason to learn English was given
by Nicole: “To understand the songs
we listen to.”
Hueppi was particularly pleased
when the first Gusher of the year included a profile of Swiss foreign exchange student Catrin Reichmuth.
“I have prepared a few questions
about the article on Catrin, and my
colleague Jenny will give them to
her class, too,” she said. “I will lend
her all the Gusher papers, as she and
her 9th graders are interested in it,
too,” she added.
Hueppi started studying English at the age of 13, at her secondary (high) school. She studied at
the University of Bern, where she
earned the equivalent of a Masters
in Education for teaching in secondary schools (which are for students
aged 13 to 16). She majored in German and minored in French, and
more than 10 years later went back
to the university and studied English so she could also teach it in secondary schools.
Hueppi has visited the U.S. several times, including going to the west
coast in 1984 for five weeks, to Philadelphia in 1986 for almost a year, to
the east coast and Florida with her
family in 1994, and to Canada and
the west coast in 2003. On the 2003
trip her family visited Mr. Wolfe and
his family in Shafter and stayed at
his family’s house at the coast.
Swiss teacher Kathrin Hueppi uses The Gusher in her English class because “it offers some genuine insight into American school life and culture.” Photo by Kathrin Hueppi
Page 6
Sports
November 17, 2009
JV tennis has
strong season,
finishes fourth
in league play
By Devin Marie
Staff Writer
Adrian Howell breaks a tackle and decides on his next move.
Photo by
Gary Morris
Varsity football team,
league co-champions,
heads for SSL playoffs
By Sadie Burton
Editor-in-Chief
The varsity football season is
coming to a close. The Wildcats have
played well all season and only lost
two close games.
The team was able to get over
their setback at Templeton at the
start of the season and went on a
winning streak until late October.
On Oct. 16 they demolished Arvin
65-6.
“We played with heat and emotion and it paid off in the end,” said
defensive tackle Derik Casparis.
The boys continued to show their
great strength and stamina when
they beat the highly anticipated
Wasco on Oct. 23. The game was
expected to be close, but the boys
dominated on both sides of the ball,
shutting out the tigers, 42-0.
“We were ready for the game going in, played good and came out
with a win which is all that counts,”
said linebacker Blake Emberson.
The game of the season was
against rival Tehachapi on Oct.
30. The Wildcats took a trip up the
mountain for this important game
They gave it their all but ended
up losing to the Warriors 16-7. Tehachapi was able to score at the end
of what had been a very close game,
coming away with a key victory.
“I was very confident going into
the game and I believe we were the
better team, but we just didn’t show
up completely ready to play,” said
quarterback Hunter Liljeroos.
Throughout the season a few
players were able to show tremendous growth and overcome obstacles.
Underdog is an understatement
for the overachiever Brice Royal.
Not letting his age get in the way,
the sophomore running back/strong
safety has survived the season as the
youngest boy on varsity.
“I had to step it up mentally and
physically,” said Royal.
His coaches have been a huge
help in keeping him up to speed
with the other players. Although he
may be young and less experienced,
when Royal messes up he receives
the same treatment as any of the
other players.
“After being left in Hill’s thinking position for 20 minutes, I
knew messing up was something I
shouldn’t do,” explained Royal.
With support from his team and
help from his coaches Royal has had
a tremendous season and a great experience.
“I’m glad I was able to accomplish being on varsity this year. It
was a big honor and I’m ready for
next season,” said Royal.
Major knee surgery can’t stop a
Wildcat, at least not Freddy Tuuamalemalo.
Last track season Tuuamalemalo
was injured while participating in
the high jump. He suffered from
extreme nerve damage and was
told he would never be able to play
sports again.
After hard work and physical
therapy, Tuuamalemalo is back on
the field playing as if his knee were
in perfect condition.
“My knee feels normal and I
know I’m very lucky to be able to
play again,” said Tuuamalemalo.
The coaches have been a lot
of help with training and treatment.
They assist with working on his leg
and don’t let him push too hard to
worsen the injury.
The boys are proud of the work
they have done this season. The
Wildcats definitely proved the point
that they are not a team that can easily be knocked off their feet.
“We had our off days but when
we were on track we were unstoppable,” said running back Cody
Shirreffs.
The team wasn’t always given
the best of conditions to play in with
the blistering heat, freezing cold and
the many injuries, but they were
always able to suck it up and push
through the pain.
“We had to deal with the cards
we were dealt and I think that we
did a good job of that this year,” said
Coach Steve Sprague.
Even though the year is almost
over, the boys have high hopes for
the playoffs and an SSL title. As of
press time they were in a three-way
tie for first place with Wasco and Tehachapi.
“I’m glad that we were able to
have a second chance at SSL, and I
am looking forward to the playoffs,”
said kicker Ada Figueroa.
The girls’ JV tennis team has a lot
to be proud of.
Coming in at fourth in league,
and the horde of girls that make up
the junior varsity tennis team had a
very strong season.
“I’d be willing to commit another year,” says Nathan Usrey about
coaching tennis.
The junior varsity is made up of
many girls, all contributing to the
dynamic that is necessary for a successful Tennis Team. For example,
Geraldine Barrera moved up five
ladder positions, Mariah Melton
was virtually undefeated and Jessica Salazar and Trisha Adams were a
dominating force as a doubles team.
Junior Nicole Frost brought more
to the team than just athleticism.
“Frost was able to keep team
spirit and leadership skills alive,”
Usrey reports.
The team lost against Tehachepi 8-1 but picked it up on the next
game, winning 8-1 against against
Shafter on Oct 6.
They continued winning, scoring
a 8-1 victory against Wasco on Oct
8.
Unfortunately, they lost their last
to games against Arvin (6-3) and Bakersfield Christian (5-4)
“I like playing tennis. Its always
fun even if you lose. But winning
is better,” laughs Juliana “JC” Yarbrough, a freshman.
There is no poor sportsmanship
on this team. As proof all of the girls
are ready to improve their skills and
come back next year.
“I cant wait for next year! We’re
going to be awesome,” Yarbrough
gushes.
“We had a really strong team
that’s proving to be an excellent
feeder program to varsity,” Usrey
says.
Members of the JV tennis team
celebrate at a recent tournament.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Usrey
Matua Iakopo (23) breaks through Independence
High tacklers in an early season game. Photo by
Gary Rennie
Frosh football team surges to
undefeated season, SSL playoffs
By Nicole Frost
Staff Writer
The frosh-soph football team
grabbed the attention of the Taft
High community with an undefeated
season.
“We’re doing great!” says coach
Mark Hutson. “We’re 10-0 as of
Thursday.”
Hutson says that it’s difficult
to differentiate among the players
because they’re all standouts.
The defense has performed
very well this season. One of the
highlights of the season was shutting
out both Wasco and Tehachapi, two
of the strongest teams in the league.
“We did well this season,” said
quarterback Vaughn Richardson.
“We have a lot of good players and
are undefeated right now.”
Hutson, who has been coaching
for 37 years, says that these guys
are a great group and a lot of fun to
coach.
The frosh-soph team has shown
that they won’t accept anything less
than victory.
Cross-Country finishes strong
season, with Thompson in lead
By Nicole Frost
Staff Writer
This season, the cross-country
team has run circles around the
competition.
“This season’s been really good.
We have some really fast runners
and we did really well at SSL,” said
junior Travis Morrow.
Both varsity teams consist of the
top seven runners; there are 24 runners total.
For the boys, top runners include
Rocky Hestand, Devin Capela and
Jeremias Xancale. For the girls, Megan Thompson leads the team.
One of their most recent races
was at the Buena Vista Invitational
on Oct. 14. Several hundred runners
were present, with over 200 runners
in the boys’ JV race.
Xancale, Michael Hernandez
and Ty Heiter earned the fastest
times out of the Taft High boys. Megan Thompson, Daisy Guitron and
Marina Johnson earned the fastest
times for the Taft girls.
In addition to having the fastest
time for the Taft girls’ team, Thompson is the 2009 Valley Champion.
“We did very well at B.V. and we
beat a lot of bigger schools,” said
coach Tim Greer. “The girls took second place in league competition and
the boys took third place. Megan
Thompson was the top senior girl in
the entire race.”
Another recent race, at Mount
San Antonio College on Oct. 23, was
the largest cross-country race in the
country with over 20,000 high school
level runners. At this race, the top
runners from Taft were Xancale and
Thompson.
“Mount SAC was a great race,”
said Greer. “Our girls took third in a
race of over 20,000 runners from 21
schools.”
Thompson finished seventh in
the County Championship held at
Foothill High School on Oct. 31. Taft
finished 11th out of 18 teams with a
total of 287 points.
The SSL contest was held on Nov.
5. Xancale came in 9th place for the
boys, and for the girls Thompson
finished 2nd, Guitron 5th, Pedroza
9th and Shaela Alvarado 10th. The
team score was 42.
Two of the girls’ team’s most
outstanding runners are Marina
Johnson and Lilibeth Pedroza. They
are two of the very few that have
run in every race. They both maintain excellent GPA’s and know how
to help out their team.
“These girls are two out of the
five that have attended every race
and they are both great additions to
our team,” said Greer. “They have
really helped us out and gave us a
good shot at Valley this year.”
“This season has been fun so
far. The team has come a long way
this year, and next year will be even
better,” says varsity runner Daniel
Loza.
The cross-country team has had
a very productive season and they
expect a lot of achievement over the
next few years.
JV football team ends league season with big
wins over Shafter and Bakersfield Christian
By Will Palmer
Editor-in-Chief
As the JV football season draws
to a close, the team can look back at
a mostly positive experience.
The ‘Cats played very well
against non-league opponents in the
early weeks of the season.
But JV had an up and down season in league, finishing 3-2.
“The season was a’iight,” said
quarterback Aaron Kolb.
They got off to a good start in
league play with a 20-6 win against
Arvin. The team then lost to a tough
Wasco team, and a week later lost a
close game to Tehachapi, 37-32.
“Overall, the season went really well,” agreed Jamie Gonzales.
“The games that we lost were a bit
disappointing, but we did well. [At
Tehachapi] the team played well together. Even though we lost toward
the end, it was a good game.”
They got back in the win column
with a victory over Shafter on Nov.
6 and Bakersfield Christian, 14-7, on
Nov. 13.
“The team worked hard,” said
Ricky Long. “We had a few bumps
along the way, but we pulled together as a team and did the best
we could. That’s all anyone can ask
for.”
Fans got to see plenty of action
when they came out to watch the
JV team. Photo by Sadie Burton
Sports
November 17, 2009
Page 7
Girls’ golf finishes
fourth in SSL
By Grecia Almaguer
Staff Writer
Haley Walrath (center) has helped lead the varsity volleyball team to a
winning season. Angela Dickard and Karlie Twisselman provide support. Photo by Winter Martin
Varsity volleyball makes it
to second round of playoffs
By Rod Sanchez
Sports Editor
With a record of 5-5 in SSL and
26-8-1 overall, the varsity volleyball
team has had a good season.
The Lady Cats had a rough start
when they lost the league opener to
Bakersfield Christian on Oct. 6, 1025, 19-25, 25-19 and 12-25.
Taft was in a close battle from the
start, tying BCHS three times. BCHS
then took lead at 19-8, and only allowed Taft one more point, winning
the set.
BCHS kept their lead going in the
second set at 8-4. Taft managed to
get a lead at 14-13, but it didn’t last
long before BCHS came back at 2014 before winning the second set.
Taft took an early lead in the
third game at 6-2 before BCHS came
back at 8-4. After tying four times,
BCHS won the third set.
After tying each other three
times, BCHS won the fourth set.
Taft then went on a three-match
winning streak.
On Oct. 8 Taft won against Arvin,
25-19, 25-19 and 25-19. Taft beat
Shafter on Oct. 13, 25-18, 25-19 and
25-13. On Oct. 15 Taft defeated Wasco, 27-29, 15-25, 25-16 and 25-18.
“We played as a team, not individuals,” says senior Jordyn Grissom.
Taft’s winning streak ended on
Oct. 20 when they lost to Tehachapi,
25-19, 25-14 and 25-11. In the first
game Tehachapi took an early lead
at 4-1 and kept it going to 14-6, before eventually winning the game.
Tehachapi took another lead in
the second set, 3-1, and went on to
win. Taft tied Tehachapi three times
in the third set before losing in the
end.
“We go into games slightly intimidated. We start off start slow then
pick it up, but we couldn’t pick it up
this time,” said Angela Dickard.
On Oct. 22 Taft lost to BCHS, 2515, 26-24, 15-25, 25-27.
Taft again outplayed Shafter on
Oct. 29, 25-21, 25-20 and 25-15. In
the first set Shafter took the early
lead at 5-2 and 7-2, but Taft came
back to win the set.
Shafter took another early lead
in the second set at 4-2. Taft then
grabbed the lead at 14-9. Shafter
closed in to 22-20, but Taft scored
three points and won the set.
Taft jumped out in the third set,
10-5. Shafter reduced the Taft lead
by three before Taft went on to win
the game.
On Nov. 3 the Lady Cats lost to
Wasco, 25-17, 17-25, 16-25 and 10-15.
Two days later Taft lost to Tehachapi, 25-15, 25-15, 25-20.
Taft won the first round of the
playoffs against Woodlake on Nov.
10, 25-17, 25-23 and 25-20.
In the first set Taft took the momentum early and kept going to
15-7. Taft strengthened their lead at
21-10 and allowed Woodlake four
more points before winning the set.
Taft took another early lead in
the second set, 3-0 and 7-3. Woodlake bounced back at 9-8, but Taft responded at 12-9. Taft tied Woodlake
four more times before winning the
set.
Like the previous sets, Taft had a
fast start in the third set, 6-2. Woodlake cut Taft’s lead to two but Taft
carried their lead to 19-7. Woodlake
started to make a comeback at 23-19,
but the Lady Cats quickly finished
the game and match
On Nov. 12 Taft lost in the second
round of playoffs to Chowchilla.
With a strong overall record and
having made it to the second round
of playoffs, the girls have a lot to be
proud of this season.
“It was a great season for seniors,” said Dickard.
As they approached the end of
the season with only eight members,
the girls’ golf team persevered and
finished in fourth place in SSL.
“We have a great group of girls
and are moving in the right direction
for next year,” said Coach Mike
Cowan.
Throughout the season the
girls fought their way through
tough competition showing great
skill and improvement. One
golfer in particular showed these
characteristics.
“Raveena Bhakta joined the team
not being able to hit the ball,” said
Cowan. “But as the season went on
she became able to hit every single
one!”
“I feel that I tried very hard
throughout the season and it paid
off in the very end,” said Bhakta.
“I’m looking forward to the seasons
to come.”
Bhakta is happy with the progress
she has made and hopes to improve
even more in the next two years.
The girls’ golf team is composed
mainly of sophomores, so Cowan is
hoping to come back next year with
an even more improved team.
First-year golfer Tatiana Alvarez
made such significant improvement
that she ended up placing fifth in
league.
“I was shocked to place fifth in
the league. It feels very surreal,”
said Alvarez.
The team’s biggest competition
was Tehachapi, which won the SSL.
Taft finished with a round of
650, with Alvarez scoring 123 and
sophomore Taylor Kurtz scoring a
124.
Girls who are interested in
playing next year are encouraged to
talk to Coach Cowan.
Trisha Moore jumps for joy at a
recent golf match. Photo by Mike
Cowan
Boys Soccer
Girls Varsity Basketball
Girls Soccer
Nov. 30
Dec. 20-5
Dec. 8
Dec. 9-11
Dec. 28-30
@ Maricopa
@ Selma Tournament
@ South
@ Porterville Tournament
@ Garces Tournament
Dec. 1
Dec. 4-5
Dec. 8
Dec. 11-12
Dec. 18-19
Dec. 1 Dec. 5
Dec. 8
Dec. 9-12
Dec. 18-19
By Krystle Holder
Features Editor
The freshman volleyball team
has had a big season, taking SSL
undefeated. They destroyed each of
their opponents, ending league play
with a 10-0 record.
They used team skills, such as
working together and using communication on the court, to help
them achieve their victories.
“We would have group talks
at every game, and afterwards we
would do the Wildcat spell-out,”
said Delelia Iotoame.
Though the girls had many difficulties in the begining, such as
drama, they pulled through with
victory after victory.
Their biggest opponent was
Arvin.
“Their girls were tough. They
could get the ball even when it was
down near their feet,” said Kendal
Casteel. “We underestimated them
and had to work to pull it through.”
Though all of the girls were contributors, there were a few that really stood out, namely Casteel, Sarah
Scovel, and Iotoame. Sierra Melton
was the most improved, according
to the girls.
“In the beginning she was a little
scatterbrained, but by the end of the
season she was in the top five,” said
Casteel. “She improved not only
physically, but mentally as well.”
The girls have the ability to continue their on court success with
them being freshmen, they can look
forward to more wins in the future
as they continue to excel in volleyball.
By Monica Solis
Editor-in-Chief
Boys Varsity Basketball
@ Maricopa
@ Coalinga
@ Coast Union Tournament
@ Garces Tournament
@ Wasco Tournament
Freshman volleyball squad goes
undefeated in tough league play
Varsity girls tennis loses Valley
quarterfinals after 13-12 season
Winter Sports Schedules
Nov. 30
Dec. 8
Dec. 10-12 Dec. 19-23
Dec. 28-30
The freshman volleyball team has had a fantastic year, going 10-0 in
SSL play and reaching the playoffs. Photo courtesy of Athletic Dept.
Independence
@ Liberty Tournament
@ Mission Oaks
@ Lemoore Tournament
@ Garces Tournament
@ Independence
Taft Tournament
Mission Oaks
@ Parlier Tournament
@ Garces Tournament
Another
season
has
come and gone,
but the varsity
girls’
tennis
team remains as
strong as ever.
The Lady Cats
made it all the
way to quarterfinals of Valley
playoffs, where
they were eliminated by Exeter, 8-1 on Oct.
29.
The
road
to the quarterfinals was not
an easy one for
the girls. After
facing
some
tough competitors throughout
their
season,
the girls found
themselves in
fourth
place
with a record
of 4-6 in league.
Taft
finished
Sophomore Kristen Coke moved up to varsity tennis
13-12
overall
this year and held her own among the more experiand 4-2 against
enced players. Photo by Jim Carnal
Division
IV
teams.
In their match against Exeter, the Junior Veronica Lehman is seeded
girls met their toughest competitor No. 1, and sophomores Kristen Coke
yet. In singles, Exeter’s top five girls and Trisha Adams at No. 4 and 6 rebeat the top five Lady Cats in indi- spectively.
vidual matches. Taft got its only vic“Overall, we had a good seatory in the No. 6 singles match when son,” said Coach Jim Carnal. The
sophomore Trisha Adams beat Ex- team finished fifth in Valley, behind
eter’s Jay Jay Knapik, 6-4, 6-4. Taft Immanuel, Granite Hills, Wasco and
also lost in doubles matches.
Exeter.
“It was a really tough game, but
Although they will be losing
we tried our hardest,” said senior some of their players after graduaPaige Schoneweis.
tion, the underclassmen players will
Exeter played their top seven hold the team together next year.
players, who all happened to be seThere will be a winter clinic for
niors. Interestingly enough, some of any girls interested in playing tennis
the top Taft players are not seniors. or who already do.
Page 8
Entertainment
Halo 3 ODST expands top
series into new territory
By Rod Sanchez
Sports Editor
Halo 3 ODST is the latest entry in
the Halo series. The game is less of a
sequel, but rather an expansion.
That said, it might seem odd that
the game sells for the same price
as a full game. You definitely get
your money’s worth with this game,
however.
The campaign takes place during
the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3. It
is somewhat short, taking about six
hours to complete when playing at a
fairly progressive pace.
The game features some changes
in the usual Halo formula.
As opposed to
previous games,
you do not play
as the familiar
Master
Chief
or Arbiter. Instead, you play
as an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock
Trooper),
who
is referred to as
The Rookie.
ODST’s are
controlled
the
same way as the
previous protagonists; however,
there are some
changes.
The most noticeable change is
that ODST’s have far weaker armor.
As a result, you will find yourself in
low health more easily.
There is no equipment as in Halo
3. Instead there is the VISR, which
is like night vision goggles that also
tell the enemy from an ally. In all
honesty, it’s useless.
Also gone is the dual-wielding
function introduced in Halo 2. This
might seem like a downer at first,
but after an hour or two of playing,
you’ll hardly miss dual-wielding.
The campaign starts with a cinematic opening in which the ODST’s
are dropped into planet earth and
land in a city called New Mombas-
sa. After a quick tutorial, you begin
your search for the other ODST’s.
Level progression is different this
time around. Instead of just moving
from one level to the next in a linear path, you explore a hub world
as you make your way to the next
clue, unraveling the mystery of your
missing team.
After finding a clue, you enter
a flashback sequence in which you
play as another ODST. These levels
are action-filled and are the bread
and butter of the campaign.
The story is well-written but too
brief to allow any character development. This is disappointing considering you play as these various characters throughout
the game.
The
game
also features a
new co-op mode
called Firefight.
In Firefight players work together to fight
endless waves of
enemies.
Firefight can
be played over
Xbox Live but
there is no matchmaking for it.
This means that
you only play
with people on
your friends list.
This is a disappointment because Firefight is best
enjoyed with more players.
Halo 3 ODST includes a second
disc, called Mythic, for multiplayer. The disc includes every DLC
map released for Halo 3, as well as
three new maps that are exclusive to
ODST.
The Mythic disc is a nice addition
to the game for those who don’t already have Halo 3.
Halo 3 ODST may not be of the
same caliber as others in the series,
but its still a great game. The campaign is short, but Firefight and the
Mythic disc more than justify buying this game.
Classic video La Bamba captures
life and music of Ritchie Valens
By Monica Solis
Editor-in-Chief
La Bamba is based on the true
story of Ritchie Valens, a young rock
& roll singer who died tragically in
a plane crash at the age of 17. The
film, released in 1987, follows Ritchie
from his days in Pacoima, California, where he and his family lived,
to his rise to
stardom. The
film also focuses on Ritchie’s
friendship and
rivalry with his
older brother
Bob and his relationship with
his girlfriend
Donna.
Ritchie Valens, played by
Lou Diamond
Phillips, is the
typical
high
school
Mexican-American boy with
dreams of one
day becoming
a famous rock
& roll singer.
After playing with a local band, he
earns an audition with legendary record producer Bob Keane.
That is when they decide to
change his name from Ricardo Valenzuela to Ritchie Valens. After
spending time recording songs, he
appears in an Alan Freed rock n’ roll
film, lip-synching his blistering recorded version of “Ooh, My Head.”
The film also shows how Ritchie
falls in love with a girl from school,
Donna Ludwigis, but her conserva-
tive father doesn’t want her dating
a Mexican boy and forbids their
romance. After secretly dating for
a long period of time, he writes
the song “Donna,” dedicating it of
course to his girlfriend.
Soon enough, he starts gaining
popularity, scoring radio and concert
success
with hits like
“La Bamba,”
“C’mon Let’s
Go,”
and
“Donna.” His
h a l f - b ro t h e r,
Bob Morales,
feels
resentment towards
Ritchie,
because his mom
has always encouraged his
musical talent.
When Ritchie
starts making
money, Bob reacts to his fame
with
varying
degrees
of pride and
envy. Especially when Ritchie is able to buy their
mother a house.
Tours follow his chart success until the fatal plane crash that claimed
the lives of Valens, The Big Bopper
and Buddy Holly on Feb. 3, 1959.
Interestingly enough, Valens had
a fear of flying, and feared that one
day he would die in a plane crash.
This tragic incident was memorialized in the 70’s hit, “American Pie”
by Don McLean, who called it “The
day the music died.”
November 17, 2009
CD REVIEWS
Muse
The Resistance
By Will Palmer
Editor-in-Chief
Muse’s fifth studio album, The
Resistance, is quite simply put, an
amazing album. Having never heard
the award-winning British trio before, I must say I was pleasantly surprised; the amount of influences and
sounds heard in the album is incredibly deep and impressive.
The album begins with the poprock song “Uprising.” From here,
you can tell the pattern in the lyrics;
a quasi-rock-opera storyline begins
to unfold. The album has an antiauthoritarian feel overall.
The theme continues on the title
track. Featuring beautiful piano and
a catchy beat, “Resistance” is one
of the best songs on the album. The
next song, “Undisclosed Desires,” is
where the album takes a turn for the
worse. The slow, mellow, almost sad
R&B sound clashes with the poppy,
upbeat tone of the rest of the album.
“United States of Eurasia” is the
standout song on the album. I literally had to check the music playlist to ensure I was not listening to
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The influence is blatantly evident
and is quite a gutsy move on Muse’s
part. The song is a good display of
the band’s talent.
“Guiding Light” seems scattered
and incoherent compared to the rest
of the album. It is one of the few
poorly written songs on the album
and seems like a sad excuse to create
a sing-along power ballad. “Unnatural Selection,” on the other hand, is a
upbeat, almost beach/surfer-sounding rock song which rides from one
catchy riff to another.
“7 MK Ultra” is a straightforward alternative rock song, while
“I Belong to You” is a ballad sung in
both English and French, showcasing Muse’s unique talents.
However, nothing on the album
showcases their talent more than the
three-part “Exogenesis Symphony,”
a 15-minute “symphony” that was
evidently “a few years in the making.” This is not hard to believe, as
the symphony is both intricate and
enticing, as well as very emotional.
The Resistance may not be perfect, but it is clear why Muse has
garnered so much attention over the
years. This album has made a fan of
me, and I’m sure it will turn tons of
listeners into fans as well.
Ghosts” that show off Paramore’s
ability to be a dynamic band.
Each of the songs, regardless of
their differences, is obviously Paramore. The mixture of catchy rock
beats, meaningful lyrics, and lead
singer Hayley Williams’ powerful
voice makes their songs recognizable and undeniably theirs.
The band was formed in Franklin, Tenn. in 2004 and consists of
Williams, Josh Farro (lead guitar and
backing vocals), Jeremy Davis (bass
guitar), Zac Farro (drums) and Taylor York (rhythm and lead guitar).
Paramore’s name came from the
maiden name of one of their first bass
players. After learning the meaning
of its homophone “paramour,” secret lover, they decided to keep the
name and the unusual spelling.
Brand New Eyes is a hit and has
the potential to be just as big as their
previous CD, Riot!
Mindless Self Indulgence
if
By Brianna Rowden
Staff Writer
Brand New
“If.” If only they had ears. May- Daisy
be then Mindless Self Indulgence
could actually hear what their music sounds like. Lead singer Jimmy
Urine hits high notes that not even a
young female can manage.
Mindless does indeed come to
mind when you consider how few
instruments they play, and that their
songs have such simple chords that
a six-year-old could play them. The
music is repetitive and sounds like a
squirrel on fast-forward, to the point
where most of the words can barely
be heard. The song title “I Want a Lot
of Profanity” says it all. The words
are not only politically incorrect, but
dead wrong.
Admittedly, the word play and
metaphors are very creative, including their way of rebelling by laughing at current trends and politics.
Mindless Self Indulgence cannot
be placed under one genre. They are
a mix of techno, punk lyrics, rap and
screamo delivered with an industrial sound. Urine describes it as “Industrial Jungle...Punk.”
“If” is more “poppy” than their
other albums. It contains more hit
songs such as “Evening Wear” and
“I Never Wanted to Dance.”
Many artists have found MSI such
as Brokencyde, and have opened
for bands such as Rammstein and
My Chemical Romance. MSI consists of four members: Little Jimmy
Urine, Steve Righ?, Lyn Z and Kitty.
Obviously they don’t like their real
names.
Overall Mindless Self Indulgence
can be summed up with the title “If.”
As in it’s iffy on whether this is a hit
album or not.
Paramore
Brand New Eyes
By Krystle Holder
Features Editor
Paramore’s new CD, Brand New
Eyes, is a fantastic album that feeds
the hunger of both long-time fans
and their newer, vampire-inspired
followers. They achieve the perfect
blend of both their previous CD’s
with the softer sound reminiscent
of “All We Know Is Falling” and the
up-beat rocker style of “Riot!”
The album features instant hits
such as “Ignorance” and “Brick By
Boring Brick,” that upon release
could be heard on radio stations
across the country. It also includes
softer and underestimated songs
such as “Careful” and “Misguided
people. They have a very unique
and accessable sound that is both
mellow and electric.
The members of Parachute come
from Charlottesville, Virginia and
are currently touring and promoting
their debut album, “Losing Sleep.”
Since their graduation from college
in May 2008, they have toured with
artists such as O.A.R., Switchfoot,
Duffy and 3 Doors Down.
“She is Love,” one of the hit singles from their debut album, is one
of their more popular songs. This
song has a very carefree feel and a
romantic beat. It is definitely one of
those songs that can easily get stuck
in your head.
Another one of their songs, “Back
Again,” is more energetic and shows
a different side to their music.
Their songs tend to be catchy
and have good lyrics. In general,
Parachute makes broad, stereotypical pop-rock music which makes
them a good band to listen to if you
like a little bit of everything.
One my favorite songs, “The
Mess I Made,” is a more melancholy
tracks off of their album.
Parachute’s mixture of pop and
rock music make them a band that
anybody from ages 10-157 would
love.
By Sarah Muro
Staff Writer
Brand New, the alt-rock band
from Long Island, New York, initially had a pop-punk sound with raw
and stirring lyrics up until their second album, Deja Entendu, released
in 2003. The lyrics matured, moving
away from their earlier pop-punk
sound to a more indie-alternative
sound like their newest album, Daisy. If you like Sunny Day Real Estate
and Manchester Orchestra then you
will most likely love listening to
Brand New’s “brand new” sound.
Some fans are disappointed that
the titles of the tracks are simple
and short, unlike previous titles
like “Okay I Believe You, But My
Tommy Gun Don’t” and “Jude Law
and a Semester Abroad.” But again,
it shows maturity and growth for a
band that has been around for almost a decade.
Opening track “Vices” starts with
a voice no one can forget. It makes
an otherwise unbearable track quite
enjoyable, despite the more screamo
edge this albums offers.
However, Daisy does have its
share of problems. Despite the more
mature voice, the lyrics of these new
songs aren’t as creative and don’t
hit as close to home as they did in
“I Will Play My Game Beneath the
Spin Light” and “Tautou.” Despite
Brand New’s development on this
album, the songs tend to sound the
same.
The truth is, after the band’s
three-year absence, any Brand New
is better than no Brand New. Fans
who adore a sound more like their
2006 CD, The Devil and God Are
Raging Inside Me, will like the tone
and pace of this new album. But
those who prefer the softer tone will
be left with an empty feeling after
listening to this album.
In the Next Issue
Parachute
Losing Sleep
By Nicole Frost
Staff Writer
New pop-rock band Parachute
features a smooth-as-silk style that
appeals to many different types of
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