erbal abuse leaves a scar no one can see. Some students suff er from

verbal abuse everyday, but their pain is often suff ered in silence. It’s either words such as either fat, ugly, stupid, a nerd, or every other insult that is played off as a joke. Friends often abuse each other without even knowing it. Even parents can verbally abuse their children through seem-ingly harmless words. “Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts...” says writer, Robert Fulghum in his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kinder-garten. Words really do break our hearts. Countless times people are in-sulted by each other without even the most remote realization. According to teensagainstabuse.com, 1 out of 4 teens (25%) report enduring repeated verbal abuse. Subtle abusers can be the worst abusers out there. There is a surplus of words in the English language, why should they be used to

abuse? Verbal abusers attack the na-ture of a person. Sometimes the abuse can lead to the victim literally think-ing there is something wrong with them when there is nothing “wrong” at all. If talking someone down isn’t bad enough, it gets worse given time. If the abuse isn’t stopped, it, “usually escalates, increasing in intensity, fre-quency, and variety. The verbal abuse may begin with put-downs disguised as jokes. Later other forms might sur-

face. Sometimes the verbal abuse may escalate into physical abuse, starting with ‘accidental’ shoves, pushes, and bumps,” says Kerby Anderson, presi-dent of Probe Ministries International. That means kids who start off being bullied by name calling usually end up getting physically harassed or bullied. Many victims of verbal abuse take the blame themselves and try to change their attitude accordingly as to not aggravate their abuser. If you’ve ever seen Everybody Hates Chris, you

get the gist of it. There is hope for. Oak Hills has a program called Peer Assistance, where students can go to vent their problems and hopefully fi nd support and solutions. Peer assistance is stu-dents talking to students, one-on-one, and it is completely confi dential. If peer assistance isn’t comfortable, fi nd a teacher or adult who you feel comfortable with and who you can be completely hon-

est with. Every student has a right to a safe education and the administration at OHHS have made this a priority. However, they can’t help with issues they are unaware of. Through thick and thin

there are always people around to help. For anonymous help call 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.ndvh.org. There are so many forms of abuse and none of it should be toler-ated. Verbal abuse, as with other types of abuse, is often subtle or silent. We can help others and help ourselves, and it all starts with a little courage and some loving words.

BEST

OF

2012

Many of us all have someone we can admire and look up to, someone we turn to for support and help. Mr. Larry Porras has been that person for count-less students. Through all his hard work and dedication, he strives to make our school a better place each and every day. Mr. Porras’ twenty-fi ve years in the Hesperia Unifi ed School District as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal have created an outstanding leader and encour-aging principal. He does his best to recognize students in the daily bulletin, converse with and encourage students on campus, and is always standing by to support all his students and athletes. Gabriela Saad, a junior at Oak Hills said, “I think its really amazing how [Mr. Porras] is a very support-ive principal. I see him driving around in his cart and talking to students and driving them around and I think that shows how much he cares and how he likes being a part of the student body. He is not just like any normal principal who would just announce things. I think he is pretty cool.” Mr. Porras is always going out of his way to talk to his students. We all hear the announcements he makes to recognize students over the intercom. He often jumps on his

cart and rides around, talking to both students and staff , making everyone’s day just a little brighter. He goes out of his way to do what he feels is best for the students and our campus. Rebeca Thweatt, a senior here on campus, recog-nizes all that Mr. Porras does and agrees that, “he likes to be involved in what’s going on at school and tries to meet a lot of students and go to events. You can tell that he re-ally enjoys being here.” Having a hard-working and loving principal is something to be proud of. Mr. Porras not only cares about our grades, but he cares about each individual. He wants us all to succeed, to graduate with good grades, and make something of our lives.

Students all across campus have many good things to say about Mr. Porras, and many would

like to tell him how thankful they are. Sophomore Isaac Reed and junior Peter Saldana would like to tell Mr. Porras to “Keep it up!” and “Good job!” So, Mr. Porras, from all of your students,

thank you for all you do. We love and appreci-ate all your hard work and dedication to us,

and we thank you for making our school such a great place to learn and grow.

“

PrintOAK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, OAK HILLS, CA

PawOHHS TALENT SHOW: Saturday Night

Dec 15 in the Dog PAC

at 7pm!

v

photo-CROSS COUNTRY

Winter 2012Vol. 4, Issue 2

“as jas j

Peer assistance students won’t judge, make assumptions, or give advice, but are always ready to “genuinely be there for someone,”

BEST OF 2012Best Movie

In a close vote just edging out The Dark Knight Rises, the

best movie of 2012 is...

The Avengers

Alexis Ramirez represented

OHHS Cross Country at

CIF.

Page 4.

“Everybody Loves Porras”

No Shave November Bulldog Beards...

STICKS & STONES You may be bullying the people you care about and not even know it...

photo-RYAN O’TOOLE

photo-RYAN O’TOOLE

Go to page 5 to match each beard with the

correct face!

Best Video Game

In a close vote narrowly de-feating Halo 4, the best video

game of 2012 is...

Black Ops 2

Best Song

By a wide margin, the best song of 2012 is...

Gangnam Style

Best TV Show

By a landslide, the best televi-sion show of 2012 is...

The Walking Dead

BY JADE HOWE senior editor

BY STEWART WOOD & JODI VAN ENGENstaff writers

Don’t agree?Give us your opinion on Twitter

#OakHillsBestof2012 #OakHillsWorstof2012

Batman vs Superman page 6

photos-MICHAELA D’EPIFANIO & RYAN O’TOOLE

One gift, one smile, and a lifetime of gratitude. There is no greater appreciation I have for people who donate especially during the holidays,” said Sarah Munoz, a Hesperia resident. The holiday seasons are full of happiness and memories that a person carries with them forever. An-other thing that happens frequently around the holidays is donating and charitable work. In today’s economy it may be hard for some people to buy gifts for their family. Thanks to the help of the community, some families don’t have to go without. “Thanks to the church I attend my family is pro-vided for during Christmas,” said Munoz, “People donate toys and clothes to the church and the church hands them out to the children for Christmas.” Not only can people donate to certain places but there are also food drives, free holiday meals, and give-aways for those in need. For some people, volunteering has been on their agenda for years. “This will be my third year donating gifts and volunteering to help with the dinners,” said Corie Mcgraw, a senior at OHHS. “There’s nothing better than see-ing a little kid opening their gift excited

as they can be. I do it to help, I do it for those smiles.” Clubs from OHHS also love supporting holiday charities. The Animal Awareness Club donates food and blankets to the Hesperia Animal Shelter. The Cheerleaders adopt a few families and not only donate toys or living items, but also spend time with the families as well. Even if you have never donated before, it is never too late. Bulldogs, if you have time this year, go out and support our local holiday charities. One gift, one meal, or just some spending time can make a child or a family’s holiday brighter.

A teacher, author, and a father, Dr. Scott D. de Hart spent over 20 years as a college pro-fessor, but has traded that for a life of a Bulldog at Oak Hills High School. Dr. de Hart has been working at Oak Hills since fall of 2010 as a 9th grade English teacher, 11th and 12th grade English teacher, and one year as the journalism teacher. “He’s one of those teachers that could truly connect with their students, and that is vital to learning,” said Nhi Nguygen, president of Poets and Quills Club. “Many students love Doc and come to him for advice, and he helps and motivates them; he could manage to make some of the most unmotivated students learn with pleasure.” Most of Dr. de Hart’s assignments make the students think beyond what they were ac-customed to think. All the books that he has his students read are books that make them think more critically about literature, history, and life. Dr. de Hart went from a career as a col-lege professor and administrator in South Korea, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, California, and Mississippi to becoming a Bull-dog English teacher because he wants to prepare today’s younger students for higher education. “I chose to focus on preparing students for college rather than prepare college students for their future work as adults,” said Dr. de Hart. “I discovered that too many students entered into college unprepared to handle critical think-ing and incapable of interacting with higher learning concepts across more than one area of education.” Dr. de Hart has a doctorate specializing in English, Philosophy, Law, and Theology from the University of Oxford and holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Religion, while also having a master’s degree in Historic

Theology & Philosophy. “Dr. de Hart had extensive knowledge concerning a majority of the sites and monu-ments we visited, he was our own personal tour guide,” said Nicole Olney, former student of Oak Hills. Olney joined Dr. de Hart on his most recent trip with Oak Hills students to London and Paris for an educational trip exploring the riches of European culture, history, and litera-ture. Among the sites visited included the Eiff el Tower, Pere La Chaise (the famous cemetery with Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Abelard, Chopin, etc.), Notre Dame Cathedral, the Catacombs, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Oxford, and Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare. Dr. de Hart spent most of his time while in England living in the city of Oxford, where he would enjoy his spare time in Stratford-upon-Avon attending Shakespeare’s plays and enjoy-ing the theatrical atmosphere of the city. “I believe that the world will improve if the world is educated,”said Dr. de Hart. Dr. de Hart is a published author, his most recent book Transhumanism has been at the top of Amazon in sales. He also enjoys playing guitar, traveling, and spending time with his fi ve children when he is not at Oak Hills High School. “A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and of many others.” Percy Shelley. This quotation captures my philosophy on life and education because to truly reach students one must inspire them to want to learn and this means connecting to their life, their hopes, fears, and dreams,” said Dr. de Hart.

Imagine coming home after a long day of school, and the fi rst one to greet you is your new puppy. It smothers you with kisses, and climbs all over you from the excitement of seeing you after waiting six long hours. Investing in a new dog is a great thing to do. However, is it better to buy your pet from a breeder or to adopt an animal from a shelter? Adopting is an excellent option for potential pet owners. “There are so many dogs in shelters in need of homes, and by buying animals from breeders you make matters worse by encouraging them to keep doing what they’re doing,” said by senior animal enthusiast Amanda Wilson. “By adopting you can save two dogs, the one you bring home and the one who gets his place in the shelter.” Approximately 3.7 million animals are eutha-nized (put to sleep) each year in the U.S. because future pet owners either don’t want to adopt or haven’t con-sidered adopting. It seems as if more people want to purchase animals from breeders and pet shops than to go into their local animal shelter and adopt a pet, since only 20% of future pet owners choose to adopt. “I don’t see how someone can pay hundreds of dollars for an animal that isn’t fi xed and doesn’t have

its shots, but can’t adopt an animal for less than a hun-dred dollars that most of the time already has all of that included,” said by Karla Hernandez, senior who works with animals at a shelter. “Usually it’s these animals that need the most love, too.” The Victor Valley Animal Protective League pro-vides a safe, clean, humane environment for unwanted and abandoned animals in the Victor Valley communities. “I feel that most of the animals adopted know their lives are being saved, they are the most loyal of all animals,” said Victor Valley Animal Protective League employee of four years Jennifer Lane. “It is important to adopt because people get second chances and I believe animals do too.” If you chose to adopt, you would not only be sav-ing the life of an animal, but you could also be giving it a loving home, and your new pet would not have to suff er through anymore long days and nights of loneliness. You would also be a part of the eff ort to reduce the growing number of animals roaming the streets without homes, since almost all animals up for adoption are fi xed. Animal enthusiast, Bob Bryar, said that, “With the number of homeless pets in this world, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to get a dog from a breeder now.” Although some people think that buying from a breeder is a good idea, many retail pets come from mass breeders known as puppy mills. Puppy mills are a place where they breed masses of dogs under often severely inhumane conditions to sell to breeders and pet stores. These puppies are often put into small, tight cages with other dogs, with no room to sleep, go to the bathroom, or eat. Many of these animals are shown no love or aff ection, they are just bred as a commodity. Patricia Herra adopted her dog at a local animal shelter, “I chose to adopt because it was saving a life and would stop over-breeding of puppies, especially puppy mills,” said Herra. “There are a lot of really good animals that need homes.” There are many benefi ts to adopting a pet from a shelter, such as decreasing the number of stray dogs roaming the streets, and limiting the profi tability of puppy mills. However, the greatest benefi t is the satisfac-tion of knowing you saved an animals life.

2THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS THAT MAKE OHHS

Campus OHHSCHOIROHHS Choir

sent 12 students to perform

at Disneyland for The Candlelight Procession!

Great work!PAW PRINTwww.oakhillsbulldogs.com

Tis the season for giving, and giving back...

BY FERNANDO BEDOLLAweb editor

BY MARAM ALSAQQAstaff writer

ADOPTING SHELTER PETS The PawwwwwPrint staff

Editor-in Chief:

Kyle FulkersonSenior Editors:

Marissa HensonSamantha Horton

Jade Howe Staff:

Fernando Gomez, Fernando Bedolla,

Breeanna Manciocchi, Michaela D’Epifanio,

Jared Aguilera, Drew Tipton,

Jodi Van Engen, Ryan O’Toole,

Maram Alsaqqa, Willow Waters,Stewart Wood,

Cassie Boulware,Natasha Mayani,

Andrea Rodriguez,Karissa Petrovich

The Paw Print is a nonprofi t student publication published by Oak Hills High School’s Advanced Journalism class.

All opinions expressed are those solely of the writers and do not represent

those of the students or staff of OHHS or HUSD.

Letters to the editor can be sent to Jason.kleber@hesperiausd.org

Adopting shelter pets saves an animal and helps decrease the number of strays.

Winter 2012

A journey into the world of Dr. de Hart

Dr. de Hart poses in front of the resting place of Oscar Wilde, his favorite author, while visiting France

BY BREEANNA MANCIOCCHIstaff writer

Th C dl li h

photo-Samantha Horton

photo-de HART

The sweat, broken toes, sore ankles and knees. Hours of practice and stretching. The ability to lose all fear and go out in front of a crowd and perform. This is dance. Dance is a sport, but a sport that requires the ability to make art with the body. It requires a tremendous amount of dedication, passion, strength, and the capability to tell a story with movement. Shianne Cole is a freshmen here at Oak Hills High School. She dances at Dance Dynamics where she practices Monday through Saturday for four hours a day. She’s part of their competition team and practices Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Tumbling. Cole started dancing when she was six years-old and has continued since. She had the op-portunity to be in Discount Dance Magazine and in a music video for up coming singers. “It was fun but stressful,” said Cole, “you don’t want to mess up on camera.” Dance gives Cole the motivation to work hard at everything she does; dance allows her to gain personal motivation. “[Ballet] is my style of dance so when I watch [my teacher] move, I try to move like her so it motivates me,” said Cole. Dance goes beyond just a sport for her, she plans to pursue it as a career. She wants to attend Cal State Fullerton and pursue a dance degree. She then later hopes to become part of a company. Cole’s message that is sent through her dance is “that you have to push yourself in everything you do, it doesn’t come naturally, you have to work for it and want it.” Johnathan Rangal is a junior who dances on campus with Latin Dance Club. He began dancing at a young age when he saw the movie Selena; he was inspired by the characters and their passion for dance and music, especially the connection they

made with it. Rangal has received no lessons, “danc-ing came naturally to me through watching other people, monkey see, monkey do,” said Rangal. Latin Dance goes further than just a hobby for him, it is part of his culture, which is important to him because it has always been a part of his fam-ily and important because it allows him to connect with his heritage. Being a part of a dance team on campus has a great meaning for Rangal, when he dances in front of an audience he isn’t only performing, he is spreading respect for the dance style he is perform-ing and also for his ancestors. He practices seven to eight hours in a complete week not only learn-ing the routines for Latin Dance, but also to bring suggestions to the team. Latin dance is important to him because it has introduced him to more aspects of his culture, he grew up dancing to Salsa and Cumbias, but has now been introduced to more styles such as Merengue and Bachata. It is special to him to have the public performances because the audience can appreciate and experience the team’s love for dance with them. Rangal believes that dance promotes that America is a “melting pot,” people’s stories are connected to a dance and to their music. “Music is a universal language and danc-ing is speaking it,” stated Rangal. The message he sends through his dance is “be happy with your body, it’s not about how you look it’s all about the movement and to enjoy yourself, don’t worry about what people will think. It’s about the connection with the music”. Karen Guerrero is a senior who dances at the Multi-Cultural Dance Center. It wasn’t until she saw her older brother dance with the Latin Dance Club that she gained an interest in danc-ing. It wasn’t until she began taking lyrical ballet

lessons for her mom’s wedding that she gained passion for dance. “I even fi nd myself dancing around. It’s just more meaningful because I could put move-ment to the lyrics and express them,” said Guerre-ro. She used to practice lyrical ballet for three hours a week, but is now down to just one. Her favorite thing about dance is that it is an escape, “I get to listen to music and just let my-self go,” it’s like a diff erent world. She ignores all the stereotypes put on a ballerina and doesn’t feel like the stereotype of her physical appearance holds her back. The message she sends through her dance is “it’s okay to stand out from the stereotypes and have fun doing what you love.” These are just three diff erent stories of dancers we have on campus. Each student prac-tices a diff erent style of dance in diff erent locations. However, they share one important quality in com-mon, they all share the passion for dance. Dancers are athletes; they put just as much dedication, sometimes even more, into what they practice. What makes each dancer special is how they tell their own stories with their own style. Each dancer is unique even if they dance with a team.

3THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS THAT MAKE OHHS

Feature Winter 2012

PAW PRINTwww.oakhillsbulldogs.com

DEDICATION TO GRACE

OHHS Drama Follows the Yellow Brick Roadphoto-OHHS PHOTO CLASS Sprinting backstage for wardrobe changes, coming center

stage into the bright hot spotlight, and hearing an ocean of applause explode through the crowd as the fi nal curtain closes are just a few of the many things “drama kids” experience. The Oak Hills drama department knows the hardships of producing a widely known show, such as the Wizard of Oz. “It takes a lot of hard work, and some serious dedication,” said senior Emily Smith. “You can’t be a sissy in drama.” Preparation for a show this large is time consuming and ex-hausting. With rehearsals every day lasting from between two to eight hours, cast members aren’t left with time for much else. Performing dances over and over, remembering lines, and belting out tunes we’ve heard in the Oz fi lm, the kids spend their weeks preparing for the fi rst curtain call. With preparation lasting 3 months, and weeks of strenuous physical activity, you can understand why a production like this takes such a large amount of dedication. Despite grueling hours, and loss of spare time, cast members would say it’s worth it. “The best part is when you see people cheering at curtain call,” said Smith, “nothing can beat that.” Before the show opened on December 6th, rehearsals contin-ued late into the night to perfect this exceptional production. When drama students and cast members were asked the secret to the drama department’s tremendous success, many of them simply answered “The Hunters.” With the Dog-PAC packed full, and an anxious audience awaiting the fi rst curtain call, the lights went down and the show be-gan. All the hard work paid off , the show continued with loud bursts of laughter from the crowd, and a roar of applause at the closing curtain. “I thought it was very entertaining,” said senior Jared Agu-ilera. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it a second, or even a third time.”

BY KARISSA PETROVICHstaff writer

BY ANDREA RODRIGUEZstaff writer

Sen

ior

Expen

ses

Senior year can be the most memorable school year of your life, but it could also be the most expensive. At OHHS this year, expenses for the senior class of over 550 students can add up quick. “It is really expensive, but it’s your senior year, and you should be able to get what you can out of your senior year,” said Oak Hills senior Samantha Horton. To help seniors make an efficient financial plan, they can use this list of many com-mon senior expenses. Costs can certainly vary, especially based on things such as your definition of a haircut, or what really is a “necessity.” However, planning now will help as the costs really kick in as graduation approaches.

Other Expenses:Sports physical: $20Basketball Spirit Pack: $120Prom ticket: $125ASB card: $35Gradnight: $80Parking pass: $10-$20College application fees: $55-$90Yearbook: $80- $110Gradnight spending money: $30-$100

SAT: $50ACT: $50

Letterman’s jacket: $400- $550

Senior pictures: $25- $400

Suit rental: $50-$150

Essential senior pack-age: $142Super senior package: $242Complete senior year package: $335

Haircut for dance/prom: $12-$200

Class ring: $500

Back to school supplies: $30-$60

USB device: $5-$30

Books for ex-pository/ honors English: $40-$70

BY DREW TIPTONstaff artist

photo-COURTESY OF SHIANNE COLE

Snapped knees, broken ribs, concussions. 30 million children and teens will participate in a sport each year, around 3 million will receive a sport related injury in that time according to Stopsport-sinjuries.org. These injuries could be major setbacks in which the athletes may or may not fi nd a way to recover from. Practice, although being a benefi cial part to the game, can sometimes be more dangerous to the athlete than the actual game. Improper stretching and warm-up techniques in practice can harm the body more than the strain during a game. Also, constantly practicing causes the strain on your body to overwhelm your muscles, ligaments, and other parts of an athlete’s body. These are referred to as overuse injuries, common in young athletes today. According to sportssaftly.org, “One third of parents often don’t take some safety procedures during a child’s practice as they would for a game.” Many injuries that happen in high school can aff ect teens for years after the actual injury took place, making them rethink their career or future in that sport. After the continuous strain and injury a teen’s body is put through, the harder it is to participate in sports. With multiple pulls, a muscle or ligament can become weaker and in which could sometimes cause arthritis. Arthritis could chronically bother the athlete long after the injury. “I constantly wake up to pain in my ankle from

the injuries I have encountered, and I know it will get worse as time goes on,” senior Kyle Fulkerson said. Not only can it prevent them from playing the rest of their high school career, it could also damage their hopes of going to college for their sport. Some of these injuries can cause people to lose scholarships for col-lege, but can also prevent people from having future physical job opportunities. After almost giving up on his dream because of knee injuries, junior Justin Gillham feared that he didn’t know how he’d get to college because wrestling was his path in. Injuries cannot only hurt a high school ath-lete’s goals during high school, but it can cause loss of college athletics scholarships, chronic pain for years into adulthood, and can also limit future job opportuni-ties. Prevention of some sports related injuries can be put into action by stretching the muscles, plenty of water for hydration, and wearing safety equip-ment. Listen to the precautions of coaches or other adults on or off the fi elds at all times. Sometimes inju-ries are not as bad as they seem at fi rst, athletes need to know when they should sit out rather than risk any further injury.

Your heart is pounding and your legs are weakening, but fi nding a way to push through is vital.

Cross country is all about fi nding the bal-ance of pacing and push-ing at the same time. It is unlike any other sport because these athletes run miles after miles facing unknown and varying terrain, fi nd-ing a way to pace and push beyond their limits is key.

“Pacing your-self...picking your lines,” and “running with other runners to push yourself,” are three important things to running a good race, junior Mi-

chael Stone and fresh-man Alexis Ramirez

explain. Alexis Ramirez

and Michael Stone have proved themselves as elite run-ners this season as Ramirez made it to the CIF play-

off s and Stone placed 9th in MRL out of more than 100 runners. They have “great potential” and are “very committed runners," said second year coach Oscar Lemus. Coach Lemus says that patience and an understanding of the sport are needed to be a good runner. You also need to be committed and have a good work ethic, which he says are two qualities Ramirez and Stone possess. He also has noticed that other runners look to them as lead-ers and people they can talk to. Ramirez has been running cross country since seventh grade, but in a short time found success in being a cross country runner winning several medals, trophies, and ribbons. In the Don Bosco Invitational, a freshmen girls event, she placed fi rst out of 100 other freshmen girls. At this competition she ran the best race of her career running the course in 18 minutes and 13 seconds. Her fast times and good work ethic during the season and in the off season have resulted in a fi fth place fi nish in the MRL and is proof that “hard work sure does pay off .” With only being a freshmen in CIF playoff s, Ramirez said competing in the races were, “a lot of com-petition but also a good learning experience.” In his third year running, Stone has also found success in his sport by fi nishing ninth in the MRL and completing his goal of running a race under 16 minutes, doing it three times this season. His best time was 15 minutes and 53 sec-onds in which he ran in a large meet called the Inland Empire Challenge. According to Coach Lemus, he “has the right mind set” and goes into the races “being prepared” to do his best. To be able to meet their goals and have success-ful seasons,they must train hard in the preseason

to keep in shape. Ramirez “stays off her feet” but still is able to prepare for the season by biking and swimming each day. However, once the season starts she prepares with hard work in the mornings by doing hill, speed, and long distance runs. Support and encouragement also breed success, and Ramirez has received much of this from her parents and siblings. Also her friend Bryan Yglesias has helped boost her confi dence by always believing in her and never giving up on her. Stone looks to fi nish out his high school cross country career next year by continuing his success and to reach his goals. Ramirez will continue her season by compet-ing in Albuquerque, New Mexico after qualifying for Nationals at the Junior Olympic Regional Champi-ons at Mt. Sac for the USA Track and Field team.

4THE STORIES BEHIND THE GLORY

Sports Winter 2012

WINTER SPORTS UPDATE

Boys Basketball:Boys Soccer:

Girls Basketball:Girls Soccer:

Wrestling:www.oakhillsbulldogs.com

12/20 vs A.V. JV/Var @ 4:30/7:30 PM

1/15 vs Hesperia JV/Var @ 3:00 PM

12/20 vs A.V. JV/Var @ 3:00/6:00 PM

1/14 vs Serrano JV/Var @ 3:00 PM

1/9 vs Serrano JV/Var @ 5:00/6:00 PM

Reputable Runners Ahead of the Pack

Alexis Ramirez has become a standout runner in her fi rst year at

Oak Hills.

2. Oregon 3. Stanford4. Alabama5. Georgia6. Ohio State7. LSU8. Texas A&M9. Florida10. Kansas St.

2. New England3. Pittsburg4. Miami 5. Denver6. Baltimore 7. San Diego8. Tennessee 9. Cincinnati 10. Indianapolis

2. Green Bay3. Atlanta4. Chicago 5. NY Giants6. Dallas7. Washington8. Tampa Bay9. Seattle10. Minnesota

Injuries are just another part of the game

NCAAF NFCAFC

Tips For Reducing Injury

1. Proper stretching before and after workouts.

2. Drink water for hydration. 3. Wear proper safety equip-

ment, even during practice.4. Listen to coache’s and doc-

tor’s precautions.5. Get a full amount of quality

sleep.6. Take days off from work-

outs.7. Maintain a healthy and bal-

anced diet. 8. Allow the body time to adapt

to new strenuous workouts.BY CASSIE BOULWARE

sports writer

OHHS POWER RANKINGS:

1.1.

1.

Staff & Students have voted for their top 10 College and top 10 AFC and NFC football teams. These are your OHHS NCAA and NFL Power Rankings:

BY KYLE FULKERSONeditor-in-chief

Michael Stone continued his suc-cess this year gaining momentum

for his senior season.

Anti-Hippie

5THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS THAT MAKE OHHS

Entertainment Winter 2012

PAW PRINTwww.oakhillsbulldogs.com

WE ARE THE SHOW The excitement rushing through their veins, impatiently waiting, anticipating the fi rst note of the fi rst song. Finally, the drums start off , the riff s of the guitar and the bass join in; the crowd erupts in anxious screams and the lead singer starts the fi rst lyrics of the crowds favorite song. That kind of rush cannot be experienced through the radio or headphones, only through a live performance. “I’d like to motivate fans to come out to a show not only to see my band, but to listen to other bands they might not have heard of,” said Woody Spokas, drummer of Handguns. As the crowd starts to scream and sing along to the fi rst verse of the song, they feel this feeling of being overwhelmed with excitement. Although no one in the crowd is in pitch, everyone still sounds great as they are singing in unison. Spokas feels, “Shows are the one place people can go and don’t have to worry about being judged.” Many times concert go-ers feel connected to everyone in the venue as they are singing to every word of every song, like they belong there. They see the artists happiness looking out to the crowd thankful for everyone being there, supporting their band. “People should go to a live show because going outside of one’s comfort zone lends perspective and understanding,” said Kelen Capener, bassist of The Story So Far. “If a live show is within a person’s comfort zone, it ought to lend peace, tranquility, or an intangible feeling such as happiness or satisfaction.”

Not everyone has the same outlook on concerts. Parents have a diff erent view on whether their children should go to concerts. Najiya Abunaja, a parent of a 16 year-old daughter states that people at these places are always drunk or high which is one of the reason she feels unsafe with her child attending. Another parent feels that their children know right from wrong and will make the right decisions and can enjoy the music without drugs or alcohol. Most concerts held at all-age venues do not off er

alcohol, the ones that do require a wristband and ID check. Timothy Hill from the Chain Reaction music venue said, “Because we only have bands and not DJ’s, we don’t have problems with drugs or alcohol.” Most concert tickets are expensive which also deters people from attending. This does not have to be the case. The alternative is shows. Shows are smaller than concerts which makes them more aff ordable. According to http://www.allages.com, Chain Reaction’s website, their goal is to keep all of the shows reasonably priced, (usually $8.00 to $20.00 dollars) and bring in the biggest and best bands they can of any genre. “I attended a concert for The Beatles when they fi rst came to America, this is something I will never forget,” said Patricia Herra. Everyone should attend at least one concert to decide for themselves if it is for them or not. The concert experience is something you carry with yourself forever.

“Punk is Punk,” said Thomas Steensland, junior at Oak Hills High School and bass player in the ska/punk band the Anti-Hippies. Punk music has been exciting teenagers, getting their blood pumping, giving them a way to rebel for decades, this generation is no diff erent. “One day we decided--we have the instruments--let’s start a band and from there it took off ,” said Steensland. The Anti-Hippies consist of three mem-bers: senior Travis Lees on drums, junior Thomas Steensland on bass, and sophomore Tyler Jessen playing guitar. The three are next door neighbors who play songs about life, peace, philosophy, and the occasional ‘school sucks’ anthem. The band was infl uenced and inspired by your classic 80’s punk bands. Minor Threat, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and a few newer voices such as No Cash and Leftover Crack.

They rake in a few gigs, backyard shows mostly, but they really aren’t trying to “sell out” or even make it big. “We don’t care about success,” said Travis Lees. “The shows are fun.” The band sees making it big as really an added bonus and not their main goal. “It would be cool [if] people actually started liking us,” said Lees with

a laugh. With the lack of pressure to please a label company, the guys are free to write what they want and play what they want. Check out the Anti-Hippies on YouTube, Facebook, or ask

one of the guys for their demo. Guaranteed the Anti-Hippies will make your blood boil, or at least get you skanking.

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER

Skyfall is no ordinary Bond fi lm. It is displayed with pure tenacity and gracefully celebrates James Bond’s 50 years on the big screen. The tale begins with the familiar “007” recipe, Bond meets with M, gets a set mission, and continues to do what Bond does best. The plot is pushed with a well crafted outlook on the his-tory of Bond, yet keeps it simple for any newcomers to the 007 saga and provides a pleasurable experience for all who care to be a part of this celebration. This all unfolds when M’s past comes back to haunt her when an old agent reminds her of her previous wrongs. That burden is Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva, playing the role as a true antagonist, Bardem is clever with his approach and plays a deeper more cynical role than any other 007 villain to date. Played out with beautiful scenery from Shanghai to Eng-land and another fulfi lled role by Daniel Craig returning with an amazing portrayal of Bond. With a different approach long lived Bond fans are accustomed too, Craig plays more of a deeper role and shifts between being vicious, cunning, and charming through-out the fi lm. Skyfall has been a memorable experience and is easily in conversation as one of the best Bond fi lms ever made. BY FERNANDO GOMEZ

staff writer

Match the faces with the beards from the front page

BY WILLOW WATERSstaff writer

Anti-Hippies

SKYFALL

During concerts, fans feel a special connection with everyone around them and everyone on stage.

BY MICHAELA D’EPIFANIO & NATASHA MAYANIstaff writers

a. b. c. d. 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B

photo-COURTESY OF NICK LANZA

“People should go to a live show because going outside of one’s comfort zone lends perspective and understanding,” ...Kelen

Capener, bassist of The Story So Far.

DogDogDishPAW PRINTwww.oakhillsbulldogs.com

6 THE L IGHTER S IDE OF NEWS AT OHHS

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN BATMAN-The Joker is back! What do we do? Call Batman! Fighting crime through the streets of Gotham City, avenging his parents’ death and riding the streets of the city’s most violent villains--he is Bat-man. “A wealthy philanthropist, Thomas Wayne, his wife, Martha, and their 8 year-old son, Bruce Wayne, were coming out of a movie theater at 10:47 p.m. As they stepped onto Park Row, a thug with a gun named Joe Chill approached from the shadows to steal the pearl neck-lace Martha was wearing. With Bruce watching, Chill shot and killed Thomas Wayne in cold blood and then Martha as she screamed for help. Bruce, traumatized by the deaths of his parents, would never be the same. Afterward, Bruce was raised by his wise and loyal butler, Alfred Pen-nyworth... Standing at his parents’ gravestones, Bruce made a solemn oath to avenge their deaths.” This is the nexus of this superhero according to www.comicvine.com. After years of training and suppressing anger, Bruce Wayne became Batman: The Dark Knight, making sure the citizens of Gotham are safe and secure. “He is a more realistic superhero, it takes a dedicated man to train and work up to be classifi ed as a superhero,” said senior Sandy Hernandez. Batman may not have the ability to fl y or the ability to run super fast, but his intense training in the martial arts, ways of detective work, and his very handy gadget belt makes him the hero he is known for. With his handy dandy butler by his side, Batman has defeated many villains. One of his most famous villains is The Joker. Although he comes back again and again, Batman always manages to put a stop to his evil plans. When The Joker comes back with a bigger and better plan, Batman once again, defeats him. “That’s why I like him,” explained senior Nicole Dye, “he doesn’t kill anybody and he’s still a beast.” In the case of Batman versus Superman, Batman is hands down the superior of the two. Batman may not fl y and may not be able to stop bullets like Superman can, but Batman is the more realistic superhero. He does get hurt and does get into bad situations that no ordinary civilian can get out of. However, he’s no ordinary human; he’s a super human. Nothing can stop Batman, noth-ing can bring him down, nothing and no one can defeat him. BOOM! BANG! POW! The joker is done, out for the count, and Gotham City is once again safe, the ultimate hero, Batman, saves us all once again.

SUPERMAN-“Look up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane! . . . . “ people of all ages are able to complete that famous phrase. For those who have never read a comic book, chances are they have heard of one of the most legendary superheroes--Superman. The man of steel, the man who can run faster than a speeding locomotive and fl y faster than the fastest jet, Superman is the ultimate superhero that sets the bar

almost a little too high for any other hero. “He [Superman] can fl y,

shoot lasers; he is incredibly strong; it’s not just the individual powers,

it’s the fact that he has so many, he has it all,” said Albert Ro-

driguez, senior. In fact, Superman has over 15 powers. But, it’s not just the special abilities that make him a

hero, it’s what he stands for and believes in.

“Superman has more of a heroic heart and does

not have so much anger and hatred towards the world,” said Diedre

Norris, senior. “He is more focused on saving the world instead of one small city

like Gotham that always manages to need saving.”

His relationship with his rival Bat-man may have moral similarities; however, the dif-

ferences drastically separate them and clearly elevate Superman to the top of the super hero pantheon. He

still manages to be human even though he is technically not from this world. Superman was born to be great and

maintains a humble life as Clark Kent, the simple journalist for the City of Metropolis. Superman does not need the fancy

gadgets, expensive tools or the high social status that Batman is known for. He keeps it simple, being a multi-billionaire is too

mainstream anyway. The most appealing feature that Superman has to off er is his originality that almost every Superhero comic book tries to

use as a model. Although his disguise may not be the most creative, he is still able to keep his identity secret from everyone. It’s not the powers and the cos-tumes that make a Hero, it is what they believe and their hearts that make any hero super.

BY SAMANTHA HORTONthe girl wonder reporter

BY JARED AGUILERAmild-mannered reporter

RYAN O’TOOLEillustration

MORENEWS

OHHS

WEB Do you have stories, photos, videos, press releases, or are you

just looking for more news? The Paw Print staff also publishes content on the school’s website: www.oakhillsbulldogs.com

Forward any items or ideas to the advisor, Mr. Kleber, at jason.kleber@hesperiausd.org. We can’t promise to publish everything, but the staff will do its best to cover as much of the dog’s life as possible.