may issue 2010
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Version 49, Issue 9TRANSCRIPT
MIRADAthe Volume 49, Issue no. 9Rio AmericanoSacramento, CAMay 27, 2011
Animal dissections spur debate
Page 2
What will be this summer’s movie
blockbusters?Page 10
In his years here automotive technology teacher Larry Hawe, has taught his students to fix complicated engine problems. How-ever, he has recently been challenged with a problem he has no power to fix: budget cuts forcing the closure of the school’s Auto Tech
program. Next year, Hawe will have to set up
shop at New San Juan High School. And the garage doors on Rio’s 1875 square foot auto shop will likely close for the last time.
“It’s a bummer for all the people taking auto because they’re missing out on their ba-sic structure about cars,” Hawe said. “It’s go-
ing to be sad. I’m very disappointed because these students really get into the class and take a big interest in autoshop.”
Shop has been funded through the coun-ty’s Regional Occupational Program. How-ever, because of budget shortfalls the county will no longer fund the ROP program.
San Juan Unified School District has
moved most auto shop programs to New San Juan, and will not fund the position at Rio, which is already fully staffed for the number of students. Principal Brian Ginter said the school cannot afford to pay for the position with site funds.
School puts brakes on auto shopLoss of county funding eliminates classes
By Jarett HartmanEditor-in-cheif
Nationally ranked women’s soccerwins section championships
Back page
By Kyle Cartier and Jessie ShapiroMirada Staff
See AUTO page 2
New calendar would end first semester before winter break
A new school year calendar passed by the district will start school two days earlier and end the fall semester before winter break.
The calendar, which would go into effect in the 2012-2013 school year, was approved by 92 percent of San Juan Teachers Associa-tion members who voted on the calendar as part of a new contract this week.
The 2012-2013 school year will begin on Thursday, Aug. 16 (a change from the usual Monday start) and end on Wednesday, Jun. 5. The fall semester would end on Dec. 21. The spring semester will begin on Jan. 7, the first Tuesday of the month.
The spring semester is longer because of STAR testing.
The 2013-2014 school year will follow the same pattern.
Next year’s calendar will also change from an earlier proposal. The semester will still start on a Monday, Aug. 22, but winter break will start Dec. 14 instead of Dec. 23. Finals will be held the second week after break in-stead of the week immediately after.
The new calendar is intended to improve learning and make semesters resemble those of most schools, officials said.
“Students need a break over winter break without worrying about finals when they come back,” English teacher and union rep-resentative Matthew Valencich said. “The idea of the new schedule is to have students start with new classes when they come back from break, to start clean with a new semester when they return in January.”
Jason Haughin puts his knowledge he gained in auto shop to action by welding a car frame. Haughin is a supporter of keeping the class and feels it’s valuable subject that should not be dismissed and overlooked. “It sad that kids won’t get to experience any of this” Haughin said.
News May 27, 2010Page 2• The Mirada
Dissection goes under the knifeJunior Ashley Chen grimaces as
she slices into a fetal pig, first pull-ing back the skin then exposing the organs that she and her lab partners will study as part of an anatomy unit in AP Biology.
“The first cut was pretty gross, especially since the formaldehyde was nauseating,” Chen said. “The dissection was an interesting expe-rience. It was graphic, but I think it is a lab worth doing because it helps us learn more about the anatomy of animals, including humans.”
Those common feelings of nau-sea from chemicals used to preserve pigs and frogs as well as feelings of accomplishment from identifying mystery organs are a traditional part of the biology experience. But national animal rights groups want to change that by encouraging schools to switch to virtual dissec-tion on computers.
Citing humanitarian concerns and a several academic studies on the learning benefits of virtual dis-section, The Animal Welfare Insti-tute and other animal protection groups are offering the Digital Frog 2.5 computer program to the first 25 schools that pledge to stop ani-mal dissections. Last month, Ran-cho Verde High School in Moreno Valley became the first school to transition.
“I think that in this age group, it’s more important to learn re-spect for life and to learn about the animal itself rather than cut it up,”
Serda Ozbenian, a spokesperson for the Animnal Welfare Institute said in a phone interview from her Washington office.
“Aside from the ethical argu-ment, it’s environmentally bad to take animals out of their habitats and cut them up,” Ozbenian added. “Wild frogs that are dissected in high schools come from the wild. Amphibian populations are crash-ing, so this is ecologically bad.”
Biology teachers here said they appreciated efforts to protect animals, and that they make envi-
ronmental concerns part of their curriculum. But, they said, virtual dissection does not offer the same experience as actual animal dissec-tion.
“I don’t dissect in regular biolo-gy, but I do in AP because I want to give people that want to have a fu-ture career in science the chance to develop skills that they will need,” Biology teacher Nicole Brashear said. “I think that virtual dissection is a great thing because you under-stand the anatomy of the animal without using the real thing, but it’s
not just about the anatomy. It’s also about learning the dissecting skills and tools.”
But not all biology teaches agree.“Those dissection tools are ar-
chaic compared to the surgical tools of today,” Julie Shaeffer, a bi-ology teacher at Boulder (Colo.) High School said in an email inter-view. “That scalpel may be useful for opening up an animal’s body in high school classrooms, but they do nothing to train real surgeons.”
Shaeffer practices virtual dis-section in her classroom and is currently trying to persuade other high schools to do the same. In her article titled “Overcoming the Dis-section Paradigm in High School Biology” she argues that “you don’t become a doctor because you like dissecting animals, you become a doctor because you want to help sick people feel better.”
This month students here will dissect fetal pigs and frogs. Biology teacher AJ Paulus said that he does not have a preference, but agrees that actual dissection allows stu-dents to develop certain skills. Pau-lus dissects frogs and worms each year with his students and this year was fortunate enough to receive $500 worth of fetal pigs from the PTSA and the Science Boosters.
“Yes, the animals are living things, but the dissection provides skills and is beneficial and fun for the kids,” Paulus said. “Seeing something online and seeing the real thing in front of you is nothing alike.”
As to the ecological harm of col-lecting wild frogs, Paulus said the concerns are overstated.
“The frogs that we dissect are grass frogs, which are bountiful,” he said. “The wild frog extinction is tied to air pollution and human expansion, not science.”
Despite the controversy, most students interviewed favor dissec-tion and their primary objections had more to do with smell than eth-ics.
“I learned a lot about the differ-ent organ systems and how every-thing fits together and I think that it’s very important to do get the hands-on experience,” junior AP biology student Olivia Arstein-Ker-slake said. “I really liked the dissec-tion except on the third day our pig, named Markiemark, was smelling pretty darn nasty.”
Auto: Program offered at San Juan High
By Elina ZhukMirada Staff
Sean Shelton and Flyn Kaida-Yip handle and examine their fetal pig during AP Biology’s dissection lab. photo by michael cheng/mirada staff
“To keep these classes, Rio would have to fund the classes from its budget,” Ginter said. “If Rio did this it would severely hurt its bud-get and other aspects of the school that need funding.”
The move to New San Juan harms students involved in the pro-gram, Hawe said. Freshman and sophomores who cannot drive like-ly cannot get to San Juan, which is 10 miles away on Greenback Lane.
Students who want to add auto shop to a college prep curriculum or who just want to try out the class also will lose the opportunity, he said.
“I learned a lot in auto,” senior Jason Haughin said. “It’s sad that kid won’t get to experience any of this.”
However a few students said they plan to follow Hawe.
“It sucks (that Rio’s program is closing),” junior Austin Ellington said. “But I’ve been in auto since freshmen year and I love this class
so much that I plan on going to San Juan after school in the ROP pro-gram. I definitely want to pursue in autoshop since I’ve been into cars since I was 5.”
Hawe encourages other students to also make the move and study auto mechanics based on his own experiences in the business.
Before becoming a teacher, Hawe was an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) master mechanic.
Hawe also owned an operated his own shop specializing in smog related repairs in Carmichael for 21
years. He first sold the shop seven years ago but has recently had to repossess it, and is looking to sell it again.
Tauting the benefits of being a mechanic, Hawe said that he did “very well” running the shop, mak-ing enough to buy three houses, go back to school (where he played No. 3 on the American River College tennis team) and pursue his passion for teaching.
“I do this for fun,” he said. “I made enough to do what I want to do, and that’s what auto shop did for me.”
Hawe said he wants to pass on success to his students, noting that a master mechanic working in a shop can realistically make $60,000-$80,000 a year and that a top mechanic working for a dealer can make over $100,000.
In the words of Hawe, closing the shop program here “is a sad sad day.” Hawe helps a student understand the fundamentals of auto shop. If the class is not available next year
students will miss out on this valuable opportunity.
photo by michael cheng/mirada staff
AP Biology teacher Mrs. Brashear helps junior Hailey Ferko dissect a pig
photo by michael cheng/mirada staff
“I do this for fun. I made enough to do what I want to do, and that’s what auto shop did for me.”
-Teacher Larry Hawe
News
Rio Students may be less reli-gious than young adults nation-ally, but they appear to know more about religion than most Ameri-cans, according to a test of 50 stu-dents based on one from the Pew Research Center in Fall 2010.
Students answered 73% (or elev-en) of the fifteen questions correct-ly. Nationally, Americans answered only 50% (or sixteen) of the thirty-two questions correctly.
More than half of students an-swered correctly that Martin Luther inspired the Protestant Reforma-tion, that Vishnu and Shiva are cen-tral figures within Hinduism, and that Moses is the Biblical figure who lead the Jewish exodus from Egypt.
More than half incorrectly be-lieved that the Jewish sabbath was on Sunday (rather than Friday eve-ning until Saturday evening), that the Roman Catholic teaching on the sacrament of Holy Communion is a symbol of the body and blood of Christ (rather than the actual body and blood of Christ), and that the majority of Pakistan are Hindus
(rather than Muslims).“People’s knowledge of religion
seems pretty much limited to their own, so they stereotype other re-ligions,” World and U.S. History Teacher Natalie Hanson said.
Stephen Harris, Professor Emer-itus of Humanities and Religious Studies at CSU Sacramento, offered his opinion on this lack of informed knowledge on even Judeo-Chris-tian traditions.
“Perhaps this lack of informed opinion,” he said, “results from a deeply entrenched anti-intellectu-alism or underdeveloped curiosity about the world we live in.”
“People should be more in-formed,” sophomore Breanna An-drade said. “They should be more aware of the people around them.”
Ms. Hanson commented on how religious knowledge among stu-dents could be improved.
“It’s hard to teach religious is-sues, like the Protestant Reforma-tion, without inserting doctrinal or dogmatic issues. Comparative reli-gion studies are very good, but it’s hard to do because religion is such a touchy subject,” she said. “I would love to teach it, but I won’t if people
get upset.”The Pew survey, which con-
tained thirty questions, found that Jews, Atheists and Agnostics, Mormons, and white non-denom-inational Christians were the most knowledgeable, while white Roman Catholics and white mainline Prot-estants were near the national aver-age. Black Protestants and Hispanic Roman Catholics were the least knowledgeable.
Education played a major role. Among college graduates, the aver-age score was 54.6% (17.5), where non-high school graduates, the av-erage score was 33.4% (10.7).
Those who went to private re-ligious schools also scored higher than those who attended public school, and scores went up among those who attended religious edu-cation or church groups.
The religious composition of Rio is 37% non-religious, 22% Roman Catholic, 15% non-denominational Christian, 10% Jewish, 6% mainline Protestant, and 10% other religions, including Islam, Mormonism, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity (see “Surveys indicate drop in religious practices” 4/29).
By John FerranniniMirada Staff
Religious knowledge above national rate
answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-a, 4-a, 5-c, 6-d, 7-b
1. Which of the following is not one of the Ten Com-mandments?a. “Thou shalt not commit adultery”b. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”c. “Thou shalt not steal”d. “Keep holy the Sabbath day”
2. Which Biblical figure is most closely associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering?a. Jobb. Elijahc. Mosesd. Abraham
3. Whose writings and ac-tions inspired the actions of the Protestant Refor-mation?a. Martin Lutherb. Thomas Aquinas c. John Wesley
4. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?a. Fridayb. Saturdayc. Sunday
5. Is Ramadan...?a. The Hindu Festival of Lightsb. A Jewish Day of Atonementc. The Islamic Holy Month
6. What was Joseph Smith’s religion?a. Roman Catholicb. Jewishc. Buddhistd. Mormone. Hindu
7. Is a public school teacher permitted to lead a class in prayer or not?a. Yes, permittedb. No, not permitted
Sample Questions Pew Research Center Survey
Though Megan Walsh is only a freshman, she has already ac-complished big things for being so young.
Walsh has been involved in Girl Scouts for 10 years.
“I love being a Girl Scout,” Walsh said. “When I was younger it was all about earning fun badges and go-ing to different Girl Scout Events to earn patches. Now that I am older I do a lot more leadership activities.”
On April 9 she organized a clean up for a younger girl scout troop from Del Dayo Elementary School in the special education garden for her Silver Award, the second high-est award a Girl Scout can earn.
“My goal was to rehabilitate the garden so that the special education students could work in the garden and further develop their motor skills,” Walsh said.
Megan got the idea to collabo-rate her project with the special ed. department after talking with her AVID teacher Mr. Agostinelli.
“He introduced me to Ms. Lud-wig, the special education teacher,” Walsh said. “It turns out she had already been thinking of a clean up day and she was excited to hear about my project.”
At the clean up day, the younger fourth grade Girl Scout troop took on many tasks to create the garden, and Walsh had help from many oth-
ers including freshman troop mate Celeste Brown, freshman from El Camino Natalie Miller, and seventh grader from Arcade Middle School Gabby Miller.
“The younger girls planted in the planter beds and created garden signs,” Walsh said. “They also raked and added mulch around the rose bushes.”
Plants in the beds include vari-ous fruits and vegetables such as
tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, peas and peppers.
In addition to tasks, the girls learned about composting from landscape architect Mark Brown, and other parents were at the clean up to use the power tools when it came to rototilling and chopping the large weeds.
Walsh had to reach out the com-munity to get supplies for her proj-ect from businesses such as Hasties Capitol Sand and Gravel, OSH and Emigh Hardware.
Heather Ludwig, the special education teacher that supported Megan throughout her project, has been thoroughly satisfied with its result.
“I thought it was great, and it got the community involved,” Ludwig said. “The students have enjoyed it. They love to see how things grow
and change.”The garden can be seen by any
student when another administra-tor is also there. Megan would like to thank anyone involved with the
project, especially Heather Ludwig.Megan plans to earn her Gold
Award, but wants to take some time off before she “embarks on another major goal”. For now, she is content with the results her Silver Award.
By Danielle ArbiosMirada Staff
Megan Walsh helps clean the special education garden. Walsh’s work helped to earn her Silver Award.
photo courtesy of megan walsh
Some people may say that David Bennett has his head in the clouds - the electron clouds. His Tesla Coil has the ability to create mass amounts of electricity essentially free of cost.
“I chose to build a tesla coil be-cause I wanted to power my house wirelessly,” Bennett said. “I also want to eventually hook it up to a free energy generator so that I can power my house for free.”
Over the past few months, Ben-nett’s Tesla Coil has been a work in progress.
“I have been working on it for about four months now. It is six-feet-four-inches tall by three feet in diameter, and is capable of pro-ducing millions of volts of electric-ity and can also send electricity through the air without any need of wires.”
After seeing an example of a Tes-la Coil on the Internet, Bennett said he was “intrigued” by the thought of creating free energy.
“Once I found out I could send the electricity wirelessly, I started on it right away.”
However, Bennett started with a goal in mind: earning a $50,000 scholarship sponsored by Google.
“I am interested in the Google International Science Fair competi-tion because I would love to get rec-
ognized as an up coming scientist,” Bennett said. “I would love to get an degree in electrical engineering.”
Whethe he wins or not, Bennett still has plans to continue building over the course of his high school career.
“One of my future projects will be the free energy generator. But I also plan on building a turbine jet engine over the summer, and a miniature particle accelerator.”
Freshman cleans up garden to earn high award Young engineer aims for Google scholarshipBy Jarett Hartman
Editor-in-chief
David Bennett’s completed Tesla Coil. With it, he will be able to power his entire house for free.
photo courtesy of david bennett
To see a videoslideshow from the clean-up day, go to
http://youtu.be/Y4VVzykJWjU
May 27, 2010 Page 3• The Mirada
answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-a, 4-a, 5-c, 6-d, 7-b
News
Christy Grellas
Student Body President “I’m here to make the 2011-2012 school year the best year yet! I hope to create fun and new activities that everyone can get involved in!”
New officers plan for year
Ellie Lewis
Commission-er of Social Affairs “I would like to tell the school that I will work my absolute hardest so that everyone en-joys their time
at the rallies next year. . What I would love to accomplish is putting in my best effort so the rallies are memorable and exciting to all students.”
Darci Naftulin
Student Body Vice President“I would like to tell the school to have a good summer and stay safe. I
want to accomplish having more spirit for events and more involement in our school.”
Student Body Government Emmy Savidge
Student Body Secretary.
“I will help put on exciting, new events, and make the events we have now
even better! I would like to add more lunch time activities and have more involvement in spirit weeks.”
Matty Cunnigham
Student Body Treasurer
“Thanks for electing me I want to make next year the best ever and perhaps syphon
peoples money into my off shore account in Newswitzerland.”
Alexa Heinzer
Student Body public-ity
“I would like to tell the school that we are going to have a
great school year and I am so happy I am in charge of the publicity! I would like to make everyone enjoy school and let ev-eryone know what is going to be going on around school with the posters I will.”
Senior Class Government
Arianna Sue
Sophomore class president
“Thanks for all the support and elect-ing me president and I want to make this coming sophomore year as fun and produc-tive as possible. Now we can actu-
ally go by our names and not just be called ‘the freshman’. Go class of 2014!”
Tyler Broad-land
Commis-sioner of Social Af-fairs.“I’m looking forward to making the rallies fun
and bringing new ideas to them as well. I hope to get more people involved with the rallies and make them more enjoyable for the whole student body!”
New student body officers were asked the following questions: • What would you like to tell the school?• What do you wish to accomplish next year?
Junior Class Government
Vice President-Dylan BlockPublicity-Dani HigleyTreasurer-Ohr TaylorSecretary- Katie Keaton
The Freshman officials will be elected at the beginning of the next school year
Jarett Hart-man
Senior Class President “I’m excited for senior year! I hope I can make the senior events
exciting for everyone next year and help make our senior year as good as it can be!”
Sydney Selix
Junior class presi-dent
“Next year is going to be awesome! We just designed our junior shirts and are already planning prom and other stuff. Also, we’re going to be upperclass-
men now what what!? If there’s one thing I really want for next year, its a non-last-place at homecoming, am I right?”
Vice President-Alyssa MoralesPublicity-Moriah TaylorTresurer-Haley AyresSecretary- Scott Coile
Sophomore Government
Vice President-Zach HammondPublicity-Scott HomerTreasurer-Bryant WaltonSecretary-Alex Melliza
Students in student government having a fun time while planning upcoming end of school events to make sure they are a good time for all and run smoothly.
Zachary Smith
After Governor Arnold Schwar-zenegger commuted the sentence of Esteban Nunez, son of former speaker Fabian Nunez, allegations of political favoritism emerged. Nunez, a Rio alumnus, who was convicted in the October 2008 stabbing of a San Diego State student, is currently serv-ing a reduced nine year sentence.
In a lawsuit filed on May 9 by the San Diego County district attorney, the merits and legality of the commu-tation were posited to the courts.
San Diego District Attorney Bon-nie Dumanis argues that state law re-quires notification of family members prior to the enactment of the pardon or commutation.
However, this lawsuit will face an uphill battle as state law clashes with the California Constitution.
Despite the obvious political influ-ence, it is not the role of the judicial branch to infringe upon executive power of pardon, reprieve, and com-mutation. One of the key provisions of the state constitution allows for the Governor to pardon and commute the sentences of convicted felons.
The Constitution clearly states that under any circumstance that the “Governor deems proper, [he or she] may grant a reprieve, pardon, and commutation, after sentence, except in case of impeachment.” There ex-ists no clause dealing with political influence or the ability of courts to overturn such action.
The separation of powers is designed to promote distinct roles within government. Each branch, while limited in its powers, has designated responsibility, and it must remain within the confines of the state Constitution.
If the family wants to fundamen-tally alter the constitution to restrict gubernatorial powers, this would be a different situation.
While the anger expressed by the family is justified, the questioning as to the legality of the situation is not justified.
Advocating for the alteration of the Constitution and questioning the legality of the decision are two entirely different debates.
While every citizen of this nation feels for the victim and his family, the judicial branch should not interfere with an established executive power. The decision of the former governor, while unjustified and not warranted, should be left out of the judicial system.
Separation of powers
May 27, 2010Page 4• The Mirada
News
Retiring staff recall years at Rio Bob Jamison PE Teacher How long have you been at Rio?I have been at Rio long enough for six U.S. President’s to have served in office and to have taught three Rio teachers.Why are you retiring?What are you going to miss most about Rio?I am going to miss the great staff at Rio.What did you like most about work-ing here?I liked great talents that have walked through the doors at Rio.What are your plans for after retire-ment?I plan to continue educating and supporting youth.
Cindy Dover Attendance office
What are you going to miss most about Rio?All of the friends that I’ve made over the years, and the students and parents.What did you
like most about working here?I’ve really enjoyed all of the stu-dents, I’ve met a lot of great ones; and I’ve become good friends with some of the other staff members.What are your plans for after retire-ment?
My husband whom I’ve been mar-ried to for 35 years is very ill so I’ll be taking care of him.After all of the years that you’ve been in the attendance office at Rio, what’s the best excuse you’ve gotten?Being here for so long, I’ve gotten every single excuse under the sun for why you’re late, why you want to go home, etc. But one particular excuse does stands out in my mind. One morning, a boy came in to the office, and he was late almost every morning, so I finally asked him, ‘Why are you late every single day?’ Without a thought, he responded, ‘ Because the bell rings before I get here.’
Maddie MooreDisciplinary Staff
What are you going to miss most about Rio?All of the friends that I’ve made over the years, and the students and parents.What did you
like most about working here?-’We really enjoyed all of the stu-dents, I’ve met a lot of great ones; and I’ve become good friends with some of the other staff members.What are your plans for after retire-ment?My husband whom I’ve been mar-ried to for 35 years is very ill so I’ll be taking care of him.After all of the years that you’ve been in the attendance office at Rio, what’s the best excuse you’ve gotten?
Being here for so long, I’ve gotten every single excuse under the sun for why you’re late, why you want to go home, etc. But one particular excuse does stands out in my mind. One morning, a boy came in to the office, and he was late almost every morning, so I finally asked him, ‘Why are you late every single day?’ Without a thought, he responded, ‘ Because the bell rings before I get here.’
Lucene JeffriesMath Teacher How long have you been at Rio?I have been at Rio for 15 years and
20 years in the San Juan district.Why are you retiring?I am retiring because I am getting old. Not because I want to, I love being here!
What are you going to miss most about RioThe kids.What did you like most about work-ing here?I love the positive happy attitudes among the students and staff.What are your plans for after retire-ment?To get a job and do lots of garden-ing. I might work for a parochial (religious based) school. What has been one of your favorite memorizes here at Rio?One of my favorite memorize
would be this years fashion show, it was very special.
Robyn CoxMath Teacher
How long have you been at Rio? 8 years
Why are you retiring? Besides the fact that
I think it’s time to do that, my husband of 43 years has recently retired, and it feels like it will be re-ally fun to do more things togeth-er....camping, playing tennis and golf, working with the Women’s Empowerment program in Sac..that kind of thing.
What are you going to miss most about Rio? Mostly the kids, and the wonderful people with whom I’ve worked
What did you like most about work-ing here? Several things: I liked the rela-tionships I was able to build with families. When I had siblings, I got to know them and their parents really well, and I liked that. I liked getting to know people on the staff...when you work with people for 8 years, you DO get to know them really well...
What are your plans for after retire-ment?
As I mentioned in #1, camping, traveling, playing tennis, playing more bridge for sure, watching my grand kids play sports, return-ing to Rio for sporting events and occasional subbing, and some tutoring....that would be in Math, of course!!
What has been the funniest ex-perience you have had as a math teacher? I have SO loved it when a student, who has been struggling with a math concept, finally understands and feels comfortable enough to blurt out “I GET THAT!!!” in class...just priceless. I think #2 was the summer school class that gave me a T-shirt with a picture of me on the front, and the caption (Any concept questions???)...I guess I say that ALL the time...it was very cute.
What has been one of your favorite memorize at Rio?The first year I went to the special prom, I was really pleased to see all the kids and teachers dancing together, laughing, enjoying each other and the entire evening...all together...nobody left out, every-body excited and energetic, it was really a wonderful time. I’ve loved every back to school night when families come together to see how/where/with whom students will be spending significant time dur-ing the year. And I love teach-ing classes that mean I can get a student for more than one year.....I love the relationships that you get to build...Rio has been such fun for me...I will miss every part of it.
1. Jeffries shows her students how to per-form an activity measuring objects around campus to her geometry class, making math easier and more fun to learn.2. Cox teaches the hard concepts of Algebra 2 to her first period class. Algebra 2 is a difficult concept for most but Cox finds new and fun ways to help her students grasp the lessons. 3. Dover answers the phone as she works and greets students in the attendance office. 1
2
3
May 27, 2010 Page 5• The Mirada
News
Check out The Mirada’s new website!www.riomirada.com
Amgen Tour of California rolls through Capital to SoCal finish
To view and download the photos from the Tour of California visit www.riomirada.com
photo by austin hicks/photo editorChris Horner, Amgen Tour of California winner, and teammate Levi Leipheimer crossed the finish line at the Stage Seven finish on Mt. Baldy.
After a rocky start to the 2011 edition, Team Radio Shack’s Chris Horner won the general classifica-tion at this year’s Amgen Tour of California.
Chris Horner came to the race with the intentions of helping his teammate Levi Leipheimer win the race for the fourth time.
When Leipheimer faltered on the Sierra Road climb on stage four, Chris Horner opened up a signifi-cant gap. He was able to hold this gap for the duration of the race.
In the end, Horner finished 38 seconds ahead of teammate and three-time Amgen Tour of Califor-nia winner, Levi Leipheimer, and two minutes and 45 seconds ahead of Garmin-Cervelo rider Tom Dan-ielson.
Ben Swift of Sky Pro-Cycling won the Sacramento leg of the race.
Weather caused the cancellation of stage one, and the shortening of stage two, which came through Downtown Sacramento.
This year was the first year in the history of the race that a stage was
cancelled. Chris Horner finished the short-
ened, seven stage, edition of the race in a total of 23 hours, 46 min-utes, and 41 seconds.
photos by austin hicks/photo editor Ben Swift of Sky Pro-Cycling celebrates his win in Downtown Sacramento on the first day of the race. Chris Horner won the Tour of California overall race.
By Austin HicksMirada Staff
Cyclists continue to push on during stage two of the Tour of California. Weather conditions plagued the early stages of the race.
photos by austin hicks/photo editor
May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010Page 6• The Mirada
the MIRADA
NewsBriefs
With the uncertainty surround-ing the state budget for fiscal year 2011-2012, the San Juan Board of Education has released two budget plans for the next school year.
The first budget plan released by the board assumes that tax exten-sions will be passed by voters with a special election. The second plan is viewed as a worst case scenario, and it plans for an even steeper decline in funding.
As of next year, Rio Americano is expected to lose a vice principal and counselor to funding cuts. Ad-ditionally, numerous teachers that received pink slips are not expected to return, unlike years past.
However, due to an additional 6.6 billion dollars in unexpected tax revenue, the public education sys-tem will receive an additional three billion dollars in funds. These funds are expected to see the re-hiring of additional teachers and counselors throughout the district. The final budget for the district is expected to be adopted on June 28.
In addition to the cuts in staff-ing, program cuts are on the table. There has been talk among the ad-ministration of limiting the number of school events, including dances. There has even been suggestions of combining junior prom and se-nior ball for next year. Additionally, classes such as AP Comparative Government and autoshop will not be offered to students next year due to a lack of funding.
There remains uncertainty sur-rounding the budget, and the lack of any stability at the state level will continue to preclude the school board from releasing its final plans.
-By Zachary Smith
District cuts still possible despite revenues increases statewide
Complaints about the site stretch far beyond its graphic pictures and language. The special interest group, Mas-sachusetts Citizens For Life, has complained about Maria’s description of abortion, and in particular, how young women can obtain an abortion legally.
Godley, though, believes her web site serves a very important purpose. “Lots of children...have parents who are unable, for a multitude of reasons, to be engaged in the lives of their chil-dren, she said, “And for those young people we have a public health obligation to assist them in getting the legal medical care they need. Period.”
Those in the legislature and the church seem to have mis-understood the site’s message. “This site is for youth who don’t have trusted adults in their lives—it’s to try to fill that gap for our most vulnerable youth.”
-By Peter Hammond
Biology teacher on administrative leave due to student concerns
Biology teacher Stefano Mannara was placed on ad-ministrative leave last Friday by the district’s Human Resources department after concerns of alleged inappropriate conduct were brought to the administra-tion.
“We had concerns brought to us by students,” principal Bri-an Ginter said. “We looked into them and decided to turn them over to the HR department who then decided it was best and necessary to put him on admin-istrative leave.”
Two of the girls involved, ju-niors Gracia Soto and Melissa Castillo, say that Mannara’s al-leged behavior was not typical of a
normal teacher.“He would text me during
class and ask who I was texting in class,” Soto said. “When I didn’t respond he would text me again asking why I didn’t text back. I have never texted him back.”
Castillo was never in one of Mannara’s classes but had him as Saturday school supervisor. She began to receive texts from him as well, and after they be-came increasingly suggestive, she went to the administration.
Principal Ginter was unable to comment on the specifics of the situation.
“It is up to the HR depart-ment and Legal Services depart-ment to investigate the situation and determine whether or not legal action will be taken,” Gint-er said.
Mannara could not be reached for comment.
-By Jessie Shapiro
After an accident on the ski slopes, math teacher Darren Miller will not be returning to teach the remainder of the school year.
Crystal Fong, a math teacher from Carnigie Middle School has been selected to be the long term sub.
Over spring break, Miller’s ski sliced through 90 percent of his left pateller knee cap tendon.
An X-ray soon revealed the seriousness of the injury. Miller was then immediately sent to surgery where the doctors re-paired the injured tendon. The math teacher spent one night in the hospital and was released the next day.
A full recovery is expected within six to months.
-By Sarah Vaira
Rio alum nomination to federal court ended
Rio graduate Goodwin Liu’s nomination to the Ninth Circuit ended on May 19, 2011. His nom-ination came to a close as a result of the US Senate’s vote against the debate of Liu, ending the trial and his nomination.
In 2010, President Obama nominated Liu to become an ap-pellate judge on the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
While President Obama felt Liu would be a good match for the position, not everyone shared this view.
Other government officials felt Liu was not the right man for the job, and could not live up to the demands of the position. Because of these views his nomination was soon filibustered by Republicans until the close of the 111th Con-gress.
Liu’s liberal views on gay marriage, the ‘living’ Constitu-tion, and affirmative action were among the Republican objections to his nomination.
Senator Lindsey Graham said
he objected to Liu because of his statements about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
“His outrageous attack on Judge Alito convinced me that Goodwin Liu is an ideologue,” Graham said.
The Senate voted against clo-ture, bringing debate on his nomi-nation to an end 54-43, effectively ending his nomination to the Ninth Circuit.
Student publications enter the digital realm
The Mirada, the Tesoro, and the Levee have each created their own web sites.
While the Mirada has had its own web site for several years, the Tesoro and the Levee will be ac-cessible online for the first time. The Mirada received a revamped web site, as well.
“It’s a very exciting time for Rio’s journalism programs,” jour-nalism teacher Michael Mahoney said. “With the new web sites, we’ll be able to reach a much broader audience than with just a physical paper or magazine alone.”
On the Mirada’s new web site, readers are able to access sto-ries from previous issues of the monthly newspaper, as well as breaking news stories. The web-site also provides readers with exclusive videos, pictures, and stories only found on the website.
“Because [the Mirada’s] new website is easy to update, it’ll be much easier for us to get new sto-ries and information to people,” section editor for the Mirada, Shauna Milesi in coming editor in chief, said. “It’s also a lot easier for people to get to that information.”
The Tesoro’s new website has photos which were not included in the yearbook available for
download for free.The site will also host a free
download of the yearbook in the near future.
“In keeping with the spirit of our “Moment” theme, [the Teso-ro’s] new website will host photos to showcase all of the moments we didn’t get to include in the yearbook,” editor-in-chief for the Tesoro, Kyle Cartier, said. “And it’s cool to be able to see the Tesoro online for the first time.”
The Levee, Rio’s annual literary magazine, features works from all student at Rio, including poetry, photography, and videography.
“It was exciting to see that my essay is online, but it was even more interesting to read other people’s work,” Levee contributor Angelina Ellyason said.
Links to the web sites can be found at Rio’s official website, www.rioamericano.com
By Jarett HartmanEditor-in-chief
By John FerranniniMirada Staff
photo courtesy of Cal Berkeley Goodwin Liu, Rio graduate, was nominated by Presi-dent Obama to be a judge for the Ninth Circuit of Appeals. However, the Senate ended his nomination.
Lawmakers try to silence MariaTalks
Massachusetts state senators are trying to destroy a state-funded sexual health website after a Bos-ton Herald article last month ques-tioned whether it was appropriate for children.
The website, Mariatalks.com, was originally created in 2007 with the slogan, ”About sex, birth con-trol, and issues that matter.”
The website’s founder, Sophie Godley, recently defended the site’s validity saying, “If it’s “graphic,” it’s because it needs to be graphic—it’s not gratuitous and it’s not thought-less.”
Many people, including those in the state senate, don’t feel the same sentiment as Ms. Godley.
“The language used on the site is disgusting. There are words that I would find difficult to speak,” said Representative Elizabeth Poirier.
Visit us online at:
www.riomirada.comthe MIRADA
www.riolevee.co.ccThe Levee
www.riotesoro.comThe Tesoro
Junior Kayla Soskin talks with Katina Chapralis about her Junior Research Project. Chapralis was one of the teachers who received pink slips from the district this year.
photo by madison zimmerman/photo editor
Miller injury causes end-of-school absences
May 27, 2010 Page 7• The Mirada
The Mirada Rio Americano High School4540 American River Drive
Sacramento, CA 95864(916)-971-8921 ext. 80
Editors-in-Chiefs: 2011-2012Jarett HartmanShauna Milesi
News EditorsJarett HartmanShauna Milesi
Opinion EditorsJessica ObertAlli Henderson
Features EditorsAlex Chan
Danielle Arbios
Sports EditorsKyle Morales
Peter Hammon
Staff WritersTyler Cain
John FerranniniAustin HicksKeldon Irwin
Michaela MilesiTandena Nelson
Zach SmithEmma Spittler
Madi Zimmerman
AdviserMichael Mahoney
Finally, a sensible change is going to be made to the school calendar.
After years of parents and students com-plaining about finals being after winter break, the San Juan Unified School District and the teachers union have finally respond-ed. A contract that was ratified on Wednes-day will move up the first day of school by two days and end the first semester before winter break. The change, which will come in the 2012-2013 school year, proves that if we continue to speak up and make our voices heard, then change really is possible. So why should we stop here? Why not take it a step further, and make a sensible change to the school day schedule as well?
A later start time has been receiving a lot of attention lately. Nothing too drastic, just 30 or 40 minutes, meaning school would start closer to 8:30.
Sleep has many benefits, we all know that. But for many of us, sleep isn’t our first priority; we have too many other things going on: school, work, sports practices, and other extracurricular activities, just to name a few.
A recent study published in the “Journal of Adolescent Health” has found that only 8 percent of high school students get the required amount of sleep, which is 8½ to 9½ hours. So most of us are sleep deprived; surely, that comes as no surprise.
But another recent study in the “Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine” showed that delaying the start time im-proved students’ academic performances, mood, and overall health and well being. Many high schools across the nation have experimented with a later start time. A school in Rhode Island pushed their start time from 8 to 8:30, and the results were shocking. Class attendance improved, the number of students who felt unhappy or
depressed dropped significantly, and over half of the student population got the rec-ommended amount of sleep. As teens, we have a tendency to stay up later, and sleep in later. In fact, it’s scientifically proven. So isn’t it reasonable for us to want a later start time?
Until now, bus schedules have prevented flexibility in start times. But budget cuts will eliminate buses next year, so they can no longer be considered a deterrence. The effect of later sports practices has also been used as an argument against later start times. That shouldn’t be a concern. At the Rhode Island high school, coaches who originally resisted the later start time found that their athletes were better rested and more focused, and quickly came to appreci-ate the change.
Of all the educational corrections that could be made to improve learning and teen health, changing the time school starts is relatively simple, and could be extremely beneficial. Ask any high school student, those few extra minutes of sleep in the morning really do make a difference.
The Mirada is the independent voice of the students and a forum for diverse ideas published by Rio Ameri-cano’s newspaper class. The Mirada welcomes story ideas, comics, letters to the editor and opinion pieces. Submit articles and letters to the box in A3 or the main of-fice. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the Mirada editorial board. Opinion articles and letters to the editor are the views of the individual writer and not necessarily the views of the Mirada or Rio Americano High School. We welcome advertising, but re-serve the right to refuse any ad.
Speculation that senior ball and junior prom will be combined
May: Hot or not?Seniorfashion show!
Summer countdown heating upHot
Not
The work doesn’t stop
filing in
Time to fix the morning bell
Opinion May 27, 2011
Ple
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Have an opinion? Let us know!
Contact us at [email protected] submit a letter to room
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drawing by Jessica Obert/Opinion Editor
Our View
This week the district fixed the school year calendar; school start time should be next.
Page 8 • The Mirada
Danielle Arbios
The days are getting lon-ger and hotter, teachers aren’t teaching new material, and you’ve already taken the AP tests for your AP classes. So what now?
I ask myself this question every day in my AP classes. Once I’ve taken the AP test, the test we’ve been preparing for the entire year, what do we do for a month before school ends?
This month long period seems pointless. There is no reason to come to school since we don’t do anything of true value in class; the motivation to do work is gone.
Teachers may try to con-tinue their lessons, but no one is really listening.
In fact, most teachers give finals before the AP test, so grades aren’t changeable and the few “busy work” assign-ments given in this period of time don’t matter much.
Senioritis, in addition to this lull period, creates a strong animosity between se-nior AP students and school. The only incentive keeping us at school is the chance to walk at graduation.
Students want the year to wind down after AP tests, but also don’t want time spent at school to be so boring that we feel like we have no reason to come.
So how do we solve this problem of dreading school after finishing AP tests?
Teachers have the ability to make class time interesting without giving pointless as-signments and busy work to students.
For example, I know that I would love to come in and have class discussions about current issues in society. Ac-tivities like this don’t require work, but are still interesting, fun and educational.
Another and more se-vere option could be starting school sooner so students are let out for summer break al-most as soon as AP testing is over. This would also allow for finals before winter break, an-other positive to this change.
Whatever way you slice it, having AP testing a month before school ends causes stu-dents to check out sooner and care about school less.
AP’s are over, what now?
OpinionMay 27, 2011 Page 9 • The Mirada
Will grandma get a seat at graduation?
Graduation is supposed to be about the kids. Its supposed to be about those of us who have spent the past four years working toward one goal.
But the administration has managed to turn even an event like graduation into an experiment for its new policies. Our families and closest friends now have be-come lab rats.
In prior years, graduating students received six graduation tickets for family members.
This year, everyone wanting to attend graduation, including your moms and dads will have to wait in line hours before the ceremony because the administration has implemented a first-come, first-serve policy.
I wouldn’t have such a problem with the new rules but for two things.
One is the fact that the ceremony takes place on a weekday afternoon. Many parents can’t afford to take off an entire day from their jobs just to stand in line in front of the Memorial Auditorium. If those parents don’t get in line early though, they could miss a once-in-a-life-
time opportunity. Number two is...what are they think-
ing? Let’s assume that whoever made this change thought six tickets per kid was too many. What was wrong with changing it to two so that at least everyone’s Mother and Father could be guaranteed a seat?
And to this point, the administration has only offered this advice to families: “use good judgement,” in reference to how many friends and extended family you bring to the ceremony.
But what’s to stop some family from bring 50 or even 100 friends and family members? There will be no way to moni-tor or stop people from doing so.
And that of course means 50 to 100 parents that might never get to see their child walk.
I can see it already...crying mothers, angry fathers, distraught little brothers and sisters, disappointed grandparents that came from faraway places.
So some, maybe lots of you won’t get to see your parents in the audience. And just remember when you’re shaking Mr. Ginter’s hand that your mom might be outside crying.
By Peter HammonMirada Staff
Sacramento not feelin’ the loveOver the past few weeks, there
has been a recent surge in anti-Sac-ramento postings on Facebook.
“I’m in love with LA, I’m never coming back to Sacramento. See ya!!,” one USC bound senior posted on her wall.
The sentiment has even become a topic of discussion among stu-dents during the school day. How-ever, this viewpoint is not limited to graduating seniors. There is a general perception among students that Sacramento is a city bordering on a social depression.
While Sacramento may not have the population, social scene, and glamour of larger cities, there exists numerous aspects of this city not
found in others. No other city can compete with the memories that one creates in this city. Sacramento is unique, and only one’s own pre-conceptions can blacken that per-ception.
Yes, even we will acknowledge that Sacramento isn’t perfect. It would be great if we were granted with a new entertainment complex to replace an aging Power Balance Pavilion, less muggy weather dur-ing the summer, and a more lively and inviting downtown. Many stop at the lack of these qualities and are quick to point out Sacramento’s faults, without spending the time to focus on what Sacramento has go-ing for it.
A mere one hundred miles from both San Francisco and Lake Ta-hoe, Sacramento is situated in a perfect location. The location from
other cities is a quality in itself; within two hours of downtown Sac-ramento you could be playing on the beach under the Golden Gate, or skiing the deep powder in the Sierra.
One problem is that students take for granted our downtown scene and immediately assume that there is nothing to do. A quick walk down a few city streets will bring to life the many small coffee shops and restaurants that line the sidewalks.
Second Saturday is a guaranteed event at least once a month, where crafts and live music can be heard as you walk the streets. Since Power Balance Pavilion does not usually attract big music acts daily, Sac-ramento has turned into a big un-derground music hotspot - many cafes and bars have open mic nights where local bands play to gain rec-
ognition. If music and the arts are not in-
teresting to you, the river is a beau-tiful place to walk along. With more than 23 miles of nature trails along the American River Parkway, bik-ing, running, and walking are some of the activities that can be done. Take a blanket and some food and sit under a tree at one of the many parks a long the side, like River Bend Park.
The belief that Sacramento is not as dynamic as other cities, while true in some respects, fails to ac-knowledge the personal experience of every citizen.
Sacramento is a place that needs to be cherished.
We as students need to respect Sacramento, the city of our child-hood, the city that we continue to call home.
By Zachary Smith and Kyle Cartier
Mirada Staff
drawing by Barbara Kalustian/guest artist
Eliminating tickets to ceremony is a bad idea
drawing by Barbara Kalustian/guest artist
Preview
SUMMERMOVIE
With a star-studded class, this looks as if it has al-ready won the spot as the summer’s best romantic comedy. Steve Carell never fails to bring laughs and paired with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, we can expect a lot from this summer flick. In theaters July 29.
Making his mark in comedies such as “Just Friends” and “The Proposal”, it may be interesting to see Ryan Reyonolds as the comic book phenomenon. Blake Lively will not be the only other familiar face in the highly anticipated sci-fi. The question is whether it will live up to other comic book film adaptations. In theaters July 17.
Armed with 1970’s Super 8 video camera’s, a group of kids set out to make a home made movie. While things go unexpectedly wrong while filming, the group gets an unexplained event on camera. The cast and crew have taken an oath of silence under direc-tor JJ Abrams for events past what the commercial shows so predictions are widely ranged regarding plot. In theaters June 10.
The last installment in the epic trilogy, “Dark of the Moon” is being widely speculated long before its release date. Besides the fact that Megan Fox will not be joining the cast, its business as usual as Shia LaBeouf fights robots and saves the world. The plot seems to be getting a little repetitive, but we hope Michael Bay can redeem himself after the ever dis-appointing “Rise of the Fallen”. In theaters June 29.
The newest installment of the X-Men series, “X-Men: First Class,” takes view- ers to the origins of the X-Men. Putting a spotlight on the friendship (and its eventual demise) of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr. In theaters July 14.
The epic finale to the end of a voyage that has engulfed our generation, the second part of “The Deathly Hal-
lows” concludes Harry’s journey as a young wizard. Whether you know the ending or not, this is without a doubt worth seeing, even for the sake of conversation. Produc-
ers have been smart to hold out on many expected story lines to keep us wanting more, so the two hour film is sure to be jam-packed with enter-tainment. In theaters July 15.
Comedies favorite trio returns for another dose of bad luck when they wake up in Thai-land with some new tattoos and a pet mon-key. We may have thought they had been taught a lesson after their last adventure, but the wolf pack can’t seem to get enough of the wild life. In theaters May 26.
Information regarding plot has been kept minimal by producers. Brad Pitt and Sean Penn have received reviews that may mark the peak of their careers. Ter-rence Malick writes and di- rects what is sure to be a mind-blow- er. The eerie yet intriguing trail- ers offers enough information to hook you in but is far from a spoiler.
In theaters tonight!
Crazy Stupid Love
The Green Lantern
SUPER 8
X-Men First ClassHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
The Tree of Life
The Hangover Pt. 2
TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon
Page design and writing by Madison Zimmerman
MusicFeaturesMay 27, 2011 Page 11• The Mirada
Summer jams: classic summer albums revisited
With its number of hits and its classic B-side which seamlessly melds eight songs into a sweet-and-savory 16 minute suite, “Abbey Road” is a collection of some of The Beatles’ strongest and most creative songs.
Whether you’re a new or old fan, “Abbey Road” is sure to please any music lover.
With Apple finally adding the entire Beatles’ discography to the iTunes Music Store, there’s no reason for you to not have it in your possession.
For just under $13, you can buy the iTunes LP version, complete with liner notes, a documentary, photos of the band and the album.
Why not start your summer off right with the second best selling album in the United States?
Boston’s self-titled debut contains some of the band’s biggest hits and showcases some of the band’s most beautiful instru-mentation.
With songs like “More Than A Feeling,” “Foreplay/Longtime,” and “Rock & Roll Band,” the album will not disappoint.
Full of heavy guitars, melodic riffs, catchy hooks, and the soaring lead vocals of Brad Delp, the album is a must have in your summer iTunes collection.
“Abbey Road” - The Beatles “Boston” - Boston “Third Eye Blind” - Third Eye Blind “Weezer” - Weezer
Third Eye Blind’s debut album is yet another album with songs perfect for your summer play list.
Everybody is almost guaranteed to know the hit “Jumper,” but the album also spawned lesser known singles like “Semi-Charmed Life” and “How’s It Going to Be.”
But where the album’s magic truly shines through is not its singles, but rather some of its deeper cuts. in songs like “Graduate,” “Burning Man,” and “Thanks a Lot.”
If you’re looking for an album you can have a lot of fun singing along to this sum-mer, try this debut album from Third Eye Blind. You won’t regret picking it up.
Weezer’s third album “Weezer” delivers 10 focused, tight pop songs.
Filled with some of their most beautiful melodies, “Weezer” serves its listeners with perfect pop music for the summer.
While most listener’s will instantly rec-ognize “Island in the Sun,” the album’s true genius lies in songs like “Photograph.”
But the album does feature a couple numbers which pull on the heartstrings of its listeners like “Smile” and “O Girlfriend.”
If you’re in the mood to add beautiful, well-crafted pop songs to your summer playlist, “Weezer” will certainly do the trick.
-Jarett Hartman
Summer offers listeners a chance to look back on the classics. Summer 2011 is just around the corner, and that means that many big name artists will be releasing new albums within a matter of weeks. Lil Wayne, Death Cab For Cutie, Weird Al Yankovic, Arctic Monkeys, Bon Iver, Ziggy Marley, Yes, and more will, without a doubt, be gracing the charts this summer. The steady stream of new music being introduced over the summer means that there is certainly enough ear candy to satisfy the needs of the greatest of music lovers. However, this summer also provides listeners to revisit classic albums, or maybe give them a listen for the first time.
SportsSports Briefs
After completing its 10th straight undefeated season in league, Rio tennis again made the journey to the section final.
After cruising through East Union 9-0 and Del Oro 5-4 in pri-or rounds, the Raiders met with Granite Bay in the section final, a rematch of last year’s champion-ship.
Unfortunately, Rio lost 6-3 to the Grizzlies. Wyatt Brown, Ka-dyn Silva and Patrick Johnson were able to pull out wins against the deep Granite Bay squad.
On the individual circuit, se-nior Johnson and freshman Silva ran over opponents on the way to the section title in doubles. The pair defeated Christain Brothers in straight sets in the final.
Tennis takes league and return to section finals
Senior Brendon Vogel led the Raider golf squad, also claiming league MVP honors. Vogel placed third in the section, shooting a 78. Eric lee finished the year in tenth with an 87 in his final round.
Golf goes down swinging
Despite a slow start, Raider baseball rebounded during league play, repeating as Capital Athletic League champions with sweeps of Whitney, Mira Loma, Antelope and El Camino to finish the regu-lar season. The Raiders hot streak was noticed as they replaced An-telope in the citywide rankings.
Alex Mugnani led the team in hits during the regular season with 35, giving him a .473 bat-ting average, which also led the team. Sophomore Alec Kazan-jian finished with 21 RBIs and also led the team with two home runs. Mark Ledbetter stole 14 bases during the season, finishing four ahead of Mugnani. Sutter McLouhglin gave up only eight earned runs in 47 innings pitched en route to a 1.19 ERA.
Baseball wins league, visits playoffs again
Though Raider volleyball had its playoff hopes crushed by powerhouse opponents in a re-vamped league, the team’s steady improvement over the year showed in its last few games. Rio won two of its last three games, with a 3-0 victory over Placer and a 3-1 Senior Day tri-umph against El Camino. Even in their loss to playoff bound Antelope, the Raiders took the first game against one of the top teams in the area.
Seniors led the squad in nearly all statistical areas. Outside hitter Korey Geist had 97 kills on the year while Kyle Morales recorded 28 blocks at middle blocker. Re-ese Auble, the team’s libero, dug 41 balls on the year. Setter David Deloney had 47 aces and 327 as-sists, which earned him all-league honors.
Men’s volleyball ends season on a high note
Rio finished in fourth place overall at the section meet with 311 points. The women’s team finished in third, behind St. Fran-cis and Davis, while the men’s team got sixth place.
Freshman Robyn Butler got fifth place in the 50 free with a 24.41.
Junior Hailey Ferko placed first in the 100m breakstroke with a time of 1:05.28
The 200m Medley Relay team recorded a time of 1:48.83, good enough for third in the section.
The 200m Freestyle Relay team took second place with a 1:38.76.
Swim dives into sections
Junior Bobby Keenan won the mens’ section shotput final and Macaulay Porter placed second in the women’s 3200 meters.
Chika Eke also placed 3rd in the 100 meter final.
The three athletes were the only track members of the Rio track and field team to medal at sections.
Track and Field sprints to the finish line
Raiders earn all-league honorsRio athletes awarded for superior play during the regular season
Senior setter David Deloney was the sole Raider named to the all-league squad in the ultra-competitive Capital Athletic League.
Deloney led the team in assists and service aces as well as topping the section in assists per game.
Men’s Volleyball:
Wyatt Brown received his fourth all-league nod as he was given the league MVP award. Fellow senior Aaron Goldwyn was also named to the team for a fourth time.
Patrick Johnson and Kadyn Silva, who won the section in doubles, both received all-league honors for their singles pay during the regular season.
Capping off the list was number two singles player Charlie LaSalle.
Men’s Tennis:
Senior Brendon Vogel won CAL MVP after placing third at sectionals. Vogel just missed a shot at the Masters competition by two strokes.
Men’s Golf:
Centerfielder Alex Mugnaini received All-League honors after batting .496 and scoring 27 runs.
Pitcher Sutter Mcloughlin posted a 5-0 re-cord with an ERA of 1.36 en route to the league MVP award.
Sophomore Mark Ledbetter hit .358 on the year and stole 14 bases.
Captain Kenny Tripp, sophomores Guil-ermo Salazar and Alec Kazanjian rounded out the list.
Men’s Baseball:
Junior Alexa Heinzer scored 24 goals and passing out 16 assists in 19 games, earning her all-league honors.
Senior Emma Severson made the squad after 11 goals and seven assists.
Senior midfielders Lauren Kohatsu and Caroline Stromick were also named to the team, combining for five goals and four assists.
Vilma Gonzalez’s four goals and four as-sists allowed her to join the other three seniors on the squad.
Freshmen Elizabeth Hutchison and Emily Hansen were selected to the team as well.
Women’s Soccer:
Senior Carly Sayles led the team in nearly all offensive categories including hits(19), RBI (18), and runs (15).
Women’s Softball:Read the Mirada’s season-long
coverage of these sports atwww.riomirada.com
Q: How does it feel to end your career with a section championship, a top 10 national ranking, and an undefeated season?A: It feels amazing, I was so happy when we won...a great way to end senior year.
Q: Alexa Heinzer’s 24 goals have been widely publi-cized, but your teammates voted you MVP. What do you say to that?A: It felt great to be recognized
by my teammates, but she was the one who followed through and she deserved all the atten-tion she got.
Q: Which section title felt better, this one or the one in 2009, also against Benicia?A: This one felt better because I was a senior. Especially since we went undefeated. I felt like it should be us, we definitely deserved it.
Q: Did you ever think you might lose the title game?A: Even though we dominated, they definitely could have scored a really cheap goal, and I would have been ticked.
Q: How high do you expect to reach in the national rankings?A: Probably not number one, but I wish we could play Davis and find out who’s really the best.
Prep of the IssueCarolineStromick
May 27, 2011Page 12• The Mirada
Kyle Morales and Peter Hammon
Kyle: Why do we play sports?That’s a hard question to answer. That’s
why I asked it to you.The best answer I can think of is that
sports give us a purpose, a reason to work for something bigger than ourselves. Sports give us a chance to play for the team, for the school.
But aren’t sports just a waste of time?False. Sports allow kids to stay active,
and more importantly, learn communica-tion skills.
Newsflash.I’ve played sports with people I don’t
like.Shocking, I know, but I’m going to tell
it like it is.While I don’t talk to these people
outside of athletics, we built a relationship in the gym, for the benefit of the team. Ya, I laughed at jokes that weren’t funny. But getting along with people you don’t like is just part of life, a part of life for which sports prepares you.
Sports are unquestionably cool too. There’s nothing more badass than swatting a layup into the Rowdy Raider section or breaking free for a touchdown.
And also, what could bring more satis-faction than putting a hick school like El Camino in their place on a regular basis.
Peter: We play sports because it gives us a forum to compete...and win. It is simply human nature to want to be the best.
Sports are inherently competitive be-cause there is always a winner and a loser. Unlike other aspects of life, no gray area exists in sports, no compromise so that everybody gets what they want.
And that is what makes them so re-warding. Whether its winning the section championship (girls soccer!!!) or win-ning a pick-up basketball game between friends, the feeling of complete euphoria is the same. Until the next game or match, you are the champion, you are the winner, and there is no better feeling.
The cliche advice “Just go out there and have fun...do your best” gets thrown around so much but no one plays sports with the goal of trying his or her hardest, they play to win. But...
Of course, once the game is over, its time to move on. Sports shouldn’t consume us in joy when we win, and shouldn’t consume us in sorrow when we lose. And yet we’ve all been there before, the post-game regret while we replay the game in our heads.
That feeling that borders on depression after a loss only enhances the jubilation that comes with victory. The beauty of sports, though, is that win or lose there is always another game, you just have to find it.
For the love of the game
SportsPage 14• The Mirada
As the weather gets nicer, students like seniors David Ash-ton, Matt Parkinson and Tyler Pearson take to the blacktops at local parks for some pick up bas-ketball. All three seniors make it a habit to play at least twice a week, mostly with friends.
“I like to play with people I know because knowing the hab-its of your teammates and oppo-nents makes it more interesting, more of a mind game,” Pearson, who relies on his speed, said.
But playing with friends also creates a more personal atmo-sphere, sometimes marked by trash talking. While Ashton claims not to talk trash during games, Pearson and Parkinson admit to some intimidating words.
Parkinson says that he only talks trash to certain people, namely Matty Broad and Noah Reiner.
Parkinson is also one of the more feared players on the court, in part due to his experi-ence on the school team in the past.
Pearson agrees that he can get pretty competitive, but his
game is always respectful.“I talk trash before games,
but let my game do the talking during,” he said.
With most games being played in outdoor venues at Ashton Park and Prospect Park, most players have to change up their game a little to adjust to wind and double rims, which make it harder to shoot.
“I have a pretty nasty floater/runner and a sick cross over,” Pearson said.
Though Pearson breaks out the big time moves, Parkinson still sticks with the three-point shot and Ashton goes for the layup.
Pearson’s counterparts agree that their games get serious.
“It gets really competitive with Spencer Harris,” Ashton said of his Gold River rival.
Though Ashton is a Gold River native, he said that he enjoys playing at Ashton Park more than in his hometown.
Despite the high level of competition, all three athletes say that they emerge victorious at least half of the time. Parkin-son is even more confident of his skills.
“I win every time,” he said.
Blacktop competition boils under sunBy Kyle Morales
Sports Editor
Matt Parkinson throws down after blowing past his opponent. Parkinson is a self-described night-mare to opponents due to his speed and hops.
photo by sarah vaira/mirada staff
Though his junior year is coming to a close, the recruiting trail is just beginning for foot-ball standout Basil Okoroike. Already, the cornerback has been contacted by top notch schools, including: Stanford, USC, WSU, Air Fore, Princeton, Harvard, UCLA, UC Davis, BYU, Oregon, Army, Florida State and Fresno State.
But the road to getting recruited has not been straight for Okoroike.
“It’s hard to get noticed when the school team isn’t even above 500,” he said. “Being recruited isn’t supposed to be stressful at all, but since Rio is not known for football, it puts a lot more pressure on me to get my name out there and be proactive.”
For Okoroike, being proac-tive consists of creating a NCSA profile to send out his highlight tapes and attending numerous combines and showcases.
Okoroike’s summer will also be filled with football activ-ity. He plans to attend Football
University camp in the Bay Area, an event sponsored by Ri-vals.com which could put him one step closer to the US Army All-American Game.
But this isn’t all of Okoroike, who is also looking to bulk up physically.
“I also plan to start an in-tense workout in the offseason to gain 10 pounds of muscle and increase my speed and abil-ity,” he said.
But when it’s all said and done, Okoroike’s decision will come down to more than just football.
“The factors in my college decision are academics, how good the football program is and the tuition,” the man with 4.6 speed said.
Though Okoroike has many options that most athletes can only dream of, he knows where he wants to go.
“I want to end up at Stanford wearing cardinal red because the campus is unbelievable, the coaches are good, their academ-ics are top of the line, their team is pretty good and my sister went there so my mom wants me to go there too.”
By Kyle MoralesSports Editor
Life on the recruiting trail heats up for Basil Okoroike
photo by kyle morales/sports editorAlex Mugnani celebrates after scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth inning against Benicia in the second game of a three game series. Teammate Guillermo Salazar looks for the homeplate umpire to signal that Mugnani is safe.
The Play-by-Play
May 27, 2011
Sports Page 15• The Mirada
Baseball completes turn-a-round, wins league
Despite a slow start, Raider baseball rebounded during league play and repeated as Capital Ath-letic League champions, and then advanced to Sections semi-finals before falling to Benecia.
Though the squad started 5-4 in early league play, it swept Whitney, Mira Loma, Antelope and El Camino to finish the regular season.
Rio unseated former league leader Antelope with 7-3 and 6-2 wins. Sutter McLoughlin and Guillermo Salazar both threw complete games against the Titans. McLoughlin also added in doubles to cap off his pitching gem.
Rio’s hot streak was noticed across the city, and they entered the Sac Bee rankings at No. 20 two weeks ago.
Going into playoffs, the Raiders hoped to build on their section semifinal appearance from last year. The team’s performance in league earend it a first round bye from playoff action.
After a first-round bye, the team’s play-off run began last Tuesday against Colfax from the Pioneer Valley League. Colfax, who finished third in their league, won an opening-round matchup against Pioneer.
Though the Raiders had prepared to take on Pioneer, they took care of Colfax , defeating the Falcons 8-1.
McLoughlin continued to excel on the mound, pitching a complete game and striking out 16 batters while giving up three hits.
The quarterfinal win gave the Raiders a semifinal matchup against Benicia. Last year, Rio defeated Benicia’s league rival Rodriguez.
In the three-game semifinal series, Rio dropped the first game 6-2, recording only two hits.
After a weekend off, Rio’s bats came alive in an 8-7 game-two victory. Kenny Moulton had the game-deciding RBI in the top of the seventh inning.
The Raiders ran out of starting pitching and luck at the plate in the decisive game three.
Despite gallant efforts on the mound by sophomores Mark Ledbetter and Alec Kazanjian, the Benecia hitters continued to tag on runs.
A bright spot for Rio was Ka-zanjian’s solo home run that hit off the scoreboard.
Though the season has ended, the five seniors on the team have plenty of memories to look back on.
Luke Pazdernik, who considers himself the team’s dugout nucleus, is hoping to receive the Raider Award at the team banquet for his between-inning antics.
The game also marked the end for Kenny Tripp, Kenny Moulton, Andy Munter, Drew Fishman and Ryan Bailey, all of whom played four years in the program.
Though Rio’s last two seasons have ended in the section semifi-nals, the team has high hopes for next year. With six starters return-ing and their entire starting rota-tion back, the Raiders believe that a section title is within their reach. photo by kyle morales/sports editor
Junior Daniel Callahan follows through while pitching against Benicia. Callahan’s fastball topped out at 82 miles per hour this year.
By Kyle MoralesSports Editor
Despite slow start, team makes second straight trip to section semis
May 27, 2011
May 27 , 2011Page 16• The Mirada Sports
CHAMPIONS
photo by jarett hartman/editor-in-chiefEmma Severson and Michaela Milesi embrace as an injured Maddy Peterson looks on after Rio’s 2-0 overtime victory in the section finals. The win gave Rio its second section title in three years and boosted the team’s record to 19-0-0.
Though it may not have expect-ed to play an overtime game for the section final, the women’s soccer team stayed focused, netting two goals during the extra periods, and won its second title in four years.
The Raiders finished the regular season undefeated after rolling through league with a 10-0 record. The team gave up only three goals in its first 16 games.
Rio entered the Division III Sac-Joaquin playoffs as the number one overall seed, earning a first round bye.
After defeating Inderkum 6-1, the team played Rodriguez in the semifinals.
The Raiders took care of busi-ness against Rodriguez with a 5-0 victory. Junior striker Alexa Heinzer continued on her goal-scoring tear, chipping in two goals and two assists.
Unfortunately for the Raid-ers, starters Maddy Peterson and
Devon Hamersley both went down with knee injuries during the game.
For the fourth straight year, Rio met with Benicia in the section final. The Raiders were looking for revenge after dropping the last match up between the two.
“They are our playoff rivals; we hate them,” forward Emma Sever-son said.
The game started even as both team’s held possession, but soon it became clear that Benicia had taken a more defensive strat-egy. For the rest of the game, the Raiders controlled possession and stayed on the offensive.
Junior goalkeeper Michaela Milesi recalled that there was very little pressure by the Benicia for-wards on the Rio goal.
In the second half, attackers Heinzer and Severson began to exploit the Benicia defense.
“We got tons of shots during regulation, but just couldn’t put one away,” Severson said.
With about ten minutes left to play, Severson volleyed in a cross from Heinzer, by the goal was
called back due to off sides.“I was on sides; you can see it
in the game tape,” a still defiant Severson said.
Soon after, a Rio fast break was halted due to an injured Benicia player away from to ball.
After a stalemate in regulation, the game entered extra time. In high school, overtime consists of two ten minute overtimes which are followed by penalty kicks if indecisive.
Just one minute into the first overtime period, Heinzer connect-ed for her first goal, a left-footed laser which was assisted by Lauren Kohatsu.
Heinzer added in a second goal in the 99th minute to seal the game. Sophomore Julia Butterfield delivered the assist.
When the whistle blew after the second overtime, the Raiders celebrated as a team by their bench.
Though the game went into overtime, there was never much doubt as to which team was con-trolling the game.
“Possession was about 70-30, fa-
voring us,” Severson said. “I knew that we were going to win.”
For many of the seniors on the team, this was their second section title.
“This one means so much more because it’s my last year,” Severson said.
Though Rio finished unde-feated, it is unlikely that they will be ranked first in the nation. The team hopes to be recognized with a top five spot, but many players, like Severson, admit that number one is a stretch,
“We should at least finish ahead of Davis though because they lost a game,” the all-league senior added.
Even if the team doesn’t reach the top five, the girls know they have finally put Rio on the national map.
“Past teams, including the one in 2009, have won section titles. But we have never been nationally ranked before. That will be our legacy,” senior Caroline Stromick said.
By Kyle MoralesSports Editor
Women’s soccer caps off perfect season with a section title; ranked #8 nationally
photo by jarett hartmanAlexa Heinzer shields the ball from a Benicia defender. Heinzer set the pace for much of the game by keeping pos-session and leading the Raider offense. Her two goals in overtime pushed her season total to 26 and gave Rio the victory.