February 5, 2021 VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Vol. XXX Issue 4

Valley Welcomes New Teacher By Kaycee M

Valley High School would like to welcome Mrs.

Marisol Cruz to the Eagle’s nest!

Mrs. Cruz was teaching English at Cesar Chavez

High School before coming to Valley.

She was there for thirteen years. She is

in her sixteenth year as a teacher.

Mrs. Cruz was born here in

Delano. Her parents were migrant

workers. Her parents emphasized

humility, honesty, loyalty and hard

work.

Although she was born in Delano,

her family would travel back-and-forth

to Mexico because they were farm laborers. Mrs.

Cruz lived in Mexico up until she was seven years-

old. She went to school in Mexico for two consecu-

tive years in her parent’s hometown, Tanagancicua-

ro, Michoacan.

After returning to Delano at the age of seven,

her family stayed in Delano permanently. Her first

language is Spanish. She learned to speak English

fluently around sixth grade. She struggled in school

for about two years until one of her teachers decided

to place her in GATE. GATE is a program that

schools had for gifted and talented students.

She attended Delano High School in the years

when it there was only one high school in the city.

She then attended Cal State University of Bakers-

field and she loved it so much. Going to college was

never her plan as a high school student. “In a family

of migrant workers, we never aim so high. I was a

good student in high school and I knew I had a

responsibility to graduate. I thought

that I was going to go straight into the

workforce after high school,” Mrs.

Cruz said.

One day she decided to go into the

counseling office to ask Mrs. Kuney

about one of her classes and a repre-

sentative from Cal State Bakersfield

greeted her. They asked if she wanted

to go to a university. Mrs. Cruz

responded that she didn’t plan to go.

They saw my transcript and I was then given an

acceptance letter to college. Mrs. Cruz wanted to be

a teacher because she loves helping others. She said

she fell in love with teaching when she became a

substitute teacher. “I felt a great sense of satisfaction

when I made a difference in the lives of students…,”

said Mrs.Cruz.

Mrs. Cruz is married to Mr. Cruz, who teaches

French at Cesar Chavez High School. She has two

children, a son, Leonardo who is two years old and a

baby girl, Miranda, who is six months old.

Although we are still in distance learning, don’t

forget to greet and give Mrs. Cruz a warm welcome

to Valley High. We wish her the best at Valley !

Music Appreciation is a new elective at Valley There is a new elective being taught this semester

at Valley High and it is ok to listen to music while you

are in it. This semester Mr. Reed is teaching Music

Appreciation.

Mr. Reed states that he is teaching all kinds of

music. “We are listening to everything we have time

to listen to, from modern music all the way back to

classical.” According to Mr. Reed so far the students

that have participated have really enjoyed it.

As of this date, the music class has studied music

by The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Santana, B.B. King,

Benny Goodman, Scott Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald,

Vivaldi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and then we started

listening to different guitarists. We listened to some

classical and flamenco guitar. We also listened to the

guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe

Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Mr. Reed has been surprised how the students have

reacted to different types of music. Mr. Reed thinks

they never gave the music a chance because they

didn't think they would like it, but after listening to

certain songs they have a deeper appreciation for

different genres of music.

Music has always been a big part of Mr. Reed’s life. “My mother is a music teacher, and I have been

involved in music for as long as I can remember,” he said. Mr. Reed started singing he was five and started

playing instruments in the third grade. Now in times of lockdown music can be a great escape for a lot of

people. Whether it is finally practicing an instrument you've had for a while, or just listening to songs to relax

and unwind. Music is incredibly important to me, and he hopes students find what he has to say about music

interesting.

Above: One of the Beatles’ album cover. Below: Santana in concert

Mr. Santillano,

The students, parents, teachers and staff at Valley High School want to thank

you for all that you do for all of us, but especially our students.

You are a very special individual that goes above and beyond your call of duty.

You have guided many students towards accomplishing their goal to finish high

school. Thank you for always lending an ear to hear their problems. Thank you

for your advice. Your words make a huge impact on the lives of your students.

We all appreciate you. Have a great week.

Your Valley High School students,

past, present and future

By Alvaro Baion

The vaccines for COVID-19

are necessary for helping to bring

the pandemic under control when

combined with effective testing

and existing prevention measures

and there are several promising

vaccines are in the works. How-

ever, none of these vaccines are

ready for kids.

Pfizer is studying its vaccine

in children over age 12. But that

effort began only a few months

ago. Moderna will start testing its

vaccine on kids later this year.

The delay in testing kids means it

could be many months before the

FDA approves vaccinations for

anyone under 16.

If you have insurance and end

up at an out-of-network provider,

you won’t have to worry about

balance billing or surprise billing

when getting a COVID-19 vac-

cine. Wherever you get it, you

will not have out-of-pocket costs.

That means if you go to a phar-

macy or doctor’s office when it’s

your turn for a vaccine, you will

not have the extra hassle of find-

ing out ahead of time if it’s in

your insurer’s network.

While the current circum-

stances surrounding 2019 corona-

virus disease (COVID-19) are

challenging for most people,

many teenagers are particularly

impacted.

Some are missing the first

season on their varsity team,

their part in the school play, or

their final semester of high

school. As such, many teens may

seem down, disappointed, or

moody.

As of now, there does not

seem to be an end in sight for

this pandemic but the hope is that

the vaccine will help.

COVID Vaccine Ready for Teens? Not so Fast

THE COVID CRISIS CONTINUES... The Valley Rumor staff decided to do several stories about how everyone, especially teens, are dealing with COVID.

It is almost a year that we have been in lockdowns, been told to wear masks, not go to school, not eat out at

restaurants, & so much more. We hope everyone is doing well and is being safe.

We have heard stories about families being hit hard by the virus. Although we cannot be together in these difficult

times, our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone during this moment in our world history.

by Cindy Maldonado

Coronavirus was first discovered in 2019. It is caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan,

China, in December 2019. Coronavirus started from a Chinese person eating a bat. Researchers have found

that just over half, or 53 percent, of people living with someone who has an infection with the new coronavirus

contracted an infection themselves. Around 75 percent of those infections within 5 days of the first household

member getting sick.

During the holidays there was an uptake in cases. The virus spreads for about 2 days before experiencing

signs or symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs or symptoms first appeared. Some

symptoms are :

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

The United States continues to see fewer new cases. For the first time since November, the country is

averaging fewer than 150,000 cases a day. Going into Monday, 47 states were reporting sustained declines in

cases. The other three were mostly flat. But the continued spread of new variants has scientists deeply worried

about the months ahead. Deaths remain near record levels. More than 90,000 coronavirus deaths have been

announced so far in 2021.

About 1.3 million people are receiving a vaccine dose in the United States every day. Less than 2 percent of

the country has been fully vaccinated. After being administered Covid-19 vaccine, some individuals may have

side effects like mild fever, pain at injection site and body ache. This is similar to the side effects that occur

post some other vaccines. So it is advised that everyone stay home and wears a mask at all time and stay 6ft

apart.. And if you must go out, please be very careful and keep your distance.

A Brief

history of

COVID-19

Why do teens stay up so late at night?

by Aylin Ortiz

Teens have

an extremely

tough time falling

asleep at night

because most

teens have a lot

of distractions,

that do not allow

them to sleep

early. Teens

feel freer to have

some time to

themself at night.

One of the major reasons of why teens just

cannot sleep at night is because of schoolwork. They

also must study for tests the next day, or just stressed

out if they did not get all of their schoolwork done.

Another reason that causes teens from falling

asleep can be family problems. Some teens can have

problems going on in their family and because of the

stress and the overthinking of the situation, can be

the cause of the insomnia at night.

Some teens do not sleep at night because they are

to energetic. Sometimes this can be because their

brain tend to just work on later schedules than most.

Telling the teen body to fall asleep later at night and

then to wake up later in the morning. This can hap-

pen very commonly in teens. This also happens be-

cause teens can adapt at different schedules. If teens

adapt their brain to sleep at later time to wake up

later the next morning than it can make it

students for the achievements they are making in the classroom, even it is during long dis-tance learning. Valley High School continues to be inno-vative in recognizing student achievement in every possible way. Earlier in the year, stu-dent were treated to really big snack bags for a job well done in the first semester. Hopefully soon, there will be someone knocking at your door and saying “Good work Valley High School Eagle! You have earned it.”

Valley High School students will soon be able to look outside of their house and see a reminder that they are doing well in school and the effort they are making in their educa-tion is well worth it. Beginning at the end of this cycle ( which is today), students that are doing well in aca-demics and attendance will be getting a yard sign that they can display outside of their home in their yard. Principal, Mr. Diaz, said that it is im-portant that we continue to recognize

Valley high students to receive recognition

exceedingly

difficult for them

to change it to a

different schedule.

Researchers say

that teens need 8

to 9 hours of

sleep. The change

in the circadian

rhythm seems to

be since the brain

hormone melato-

nin is produced

later at night

than it is for the

kids and adults. So, this means that teenagers have

harder time falling asleep.

The most common cause of insomnia is physical

discomfort. For example, when one is sick from a

cold, the stuffy nose, body pain, or even a headache.

Headaches can come from difficulties at school,

being in a relationship with problems and even

problems in the family.

It can be common for teens to suffer from insom-

nia from time to time. Many teens that suffer from-

chronic insomnia can be helped by a doctor, a thera-

pist, or other counselor.

To avoid the insomnia, it is recommended to not

drink any caffeine before the bedtime. Also, avoid

violent video games or video games at all as well as

less usage of the phone and late movie nights.

Avoiding all of these can promote a better night

sleep and good sleeping habits.

by Martaisela Sigala

Many teens are suffering from what some are

calling quarantine fatigue. Life as a teenager during

Covid -19 has not been easy. Teenagers are feeling as

if things are kind of pointless and stressful and

somewhat depressing. This is happening because they

have to do online classes, as well as many other things.

Dr. Carisa Parrish a doctor at Johns Hopkins

Children’s Center and co-director of Johns Hopkins’

pediatric medical psychology program, provides

insights into how parents and guardians can help

children and teens wait out the remaining months of the pandemic and look forward to better times.

“Young people are frustrated, angry, depressed and resentful,” Dr. Parrish says. “They were not meant to

spend their lives in front of computers. They’ve given up so much already: their springtime, their summer,

sports, birthday and graduation parties, vacations and now spending winter holidays with friends and family.

They’re tired. And so are their parents,” Dr. Parrish adds.

Lately, doctors are acting as an occasional referee between parents who want to stay the course with physical

distancing, masks and hand hygiene, and kids who are over it. Parents who want to keep the kids and the rest of

the family safe from coronavirus infection do not know what to do with their children, who want to socialize with

their peers.

What can parents do about this? Parents can support children by explaining that postponing what they want to

do today can mean a happier tomorrow, with a better chance of loved ones staying well.

Teens and Coronavirus Pandemic Fatigue

February 8 and February 15

by Esmeralda Jurado

Putting life on hold for months

can seem impossible to do, espe-

cially for children and teens. It can

be easier for adults to accept the

grinding duration of the corona-

virus pandemic.

“For adults, giving up a year of

life as normal is tough enough,”

Dr. Carisa Parrish says. “But for

children, a year is an eternity.

“It’s especially hard for children

to see differences in what some of

their peers might be allowed to

do, based on their parents’ choic-

es,” Parrish says. For instance, a

child might notice on social media

that a friend is having a sleepover

party with a big group of friends,

which he or she would not be al-

lowed to attend. “These losses

are real and must be validated,”

Parrish acknowledges. “But I

would caution parents against al-

lowing the grief to soften their

resolve to follow safety precau-

Teens and COVID 19

tions by letting them go to the

event.”

It’s also important to help your

teenagers understand that no one

really knows yet how the corona-

virus affects people of different

age groups — contracting the

virus might be very dangerous for

your teenager, even though the

facts are still unclear. You can

help teenagers — and college stu-

dents who’ve been sent home —

create a realistic schedule for get-

ting work done in defined periods,

building in breaks and times for

socializing, exercising and enter-

tainment.

The key principle: do a session

of work first, then reward yourself

with something relaxing. Keep in

mind that it’s not going to be as

effective as school, but it may get

to be more effective over time as

everyone on the school front, as

well as the home front, works to

improve remote learning.

Teenagers and young adults

will do better during this stressful

time if they get adequate sleep,

eat healthy meals & exercise reg-

ularly. Keeping a consistent sleep

schedule, with predictable times to

wake up & go to bed, is especially

important to maintaining a positive

mood and their ability to fulfill aca-

demic expectations.

Dr. Emanuele also notes that

having family members around

more often can feel overwhelming

or create strain. “Families will

need to diffuse tensions in the

home with parents and siblings,

because everyone is going to be

stressed out more,” she says.

“How to do it will be different for

every family, but parents are go-

ing to want to think about when to

give young people more freedom

and how to make sure that their

kids’ time is still structured. Every-

one should be contributing in

some way.’

The Old Goat vs.

The Kid

Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are so good that it’s easy to be bored with their greatness. Brady, the NFL’s Greatest of All Time, is going against Patrick Mahomes, the young challenger who throws lightning in this year’s Super-bowl matchup. A matchup that is beyond legendary, the Greatest Quarterback of All Time vs. the Greatest Quarterback on the Planet. Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go up against Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, the defending champs. Brady will be playing in his 10th Super Bowl. Believe it or not the next-closest quarterback in terms of the number of times in the Super Bowl in a career is former Denver Broncos John Elway, with five. A Super Bowl win would give Brady more championships than the former San Francisco 49ers & Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana and Elway combined. No one comes close to what he has done in his career.

Here are more crazy Brady stats... • Brady is one win away from

winning more Super Bowls in his 40s than Aaron Rodgers has won in his career.

• Brady is one win away from having more Super Bowl rings than any individual franchise.

• Brady has more Super Bowl appearances than the Bears, Titans, Jets, Chargers, Saints, Browns, Cardinals, Jaguars, Lions, and Ravens combined.

The thought of anyone passing Brady as the all-time quarterback is crazy. But the only person who could even come close is his op-

ponent in this Super Bowl. Mahomes is a long way from GOAT status, but if he wins this Super Bowl he would be on that path. A second Super Bowl win would put him in a class with a few people. Only a dozen quarterbacks have won multiple Super Bowls. Mahomes is the youngest quar-terback to ever make multiple trips to the Super Bowl. If Mahomes wins two Super Bowls by 25, he would be the youngest ever to win two titles. To think about the GOAT it is about rings. Even if Mahomes wins this Super Bowl, Brady will have six and Mahomes will have two. If rings are what matter most, the only quarterbacks with more than two are Brady, Mon-tana, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and former Dallas Cowboys quarter-back Troy Aikman. If Mahomes gets his second title, he would be just one ring shy of passing the totals of all but four quarterbacks in NFL history. And he’s only 25.

1. Tom Brady has won six

Super Bowls. Which

player has the second-

most Super Bowl wins?

2. Name the seven starters

(offense and defense)

from the Chiefs’ Super

Bowl 4 team to make the

Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Name the four QBs to

start the Super Bowl with

multiple teams.

4. Who was the MVP

in the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers’

previous

Super Bowl

appearance?

How much do you know about the big game? See if you can answer these questions.

ANSWERS: 1. Hall of Famer Charles Haley with five. 2. Len Dawson, Curley Culp, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Emmitt Thom- as and Johnny Robinson. 3. Tom Brady, Peyton Man- ning, Kurt Warner, and Craig Morton. 4. Dexter Jackson. 5. Julian Edelman in Super Bowl 53 6. Chuck Howley from Super Bowl 5. 7. Super Bowl 29: San Francisco 49, San Diego 26. 8. Super Bowl 53: New England 13 Los Angeles Rams 3 9. Miami with 11. 10. Green Bay’s Max McGee in the first Super Bowl. 11. Washington’s Timmy Smith with 204 yards in Super Bowl 22 12. Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

5. Who is the last non-

quarterback Super Bowl

MVP?

6. Who is the only Super Bowl

MVP from a losing team?

7. What is the highest-scoring

game in Super Bowl history?

8. What is the lowest-scoring

game in Super Bowl history?

9. Which city

has hosted the

most Super

Bowls?

10. Who scored the first touch-

down in Super Bowl history?

11. Who has the most rushing

yards in a single Super Bowl?

12. Which four teams

have never appeared

in a Super Bowl?

Super Entertainment at Super Bowl by Joyce Calipusan and Tatiana Daniels

The Super Bowl halftime show this year will provide so

much excitement as the weekend and the game get closer.

This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show will be filled with a

long line of high end musical artists to take the stage at the

half. In this year’s Super Bowl, Abel Makkorien Tesfa better

known as “The Weeknd” will be performing at this year’s

halftimes how. Also there are rumors that Ariana Grande

will be joining him as they are going to perform their 2014

collaboration “Love Me Harder”. This year’s show will be a

little different than those in the past due to the pandemic.

Country singer Eric Church announced on Jan. 19 that he

will join forces with 12 Grammy-nominated singer and

songwriter Jazmine Sullivan to perform

the “Star-Spangled Banner” before the

big game.

In addition to Church and Sullivan

bringing a dose of patriotism to the

event, the NFL announced that

two-time Grammy-winner H.E.R. will

be on hand to perform her rendition

of “America the Beautiful.”

Writer, rapper and performer

Warren “WAWA” Snipe will be on

hand to help out the people singing the national

anthem and “America the Beautiful” by performing

the songs alongside them in American sign language.

After making a huge splash performing her poem

“The Hill We Climb” to resoundingly positive reviews

at Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the NFL

announced one week later that Amanda Gorman will

perform an original poem to honor three people who

have served during the coronavirus pandemic.

Black

History Month

is celebrated

every year in

February in the

United States

and Canada,

and every

October in the

United King-

dom.

Originally, Black History Month was

only one week. It was created by Carter G.

Woodson, an African-American historian,

author, and journalist.

This celebration of African-American

history was intended to be the second week

of February as “Negro History Week.” This

week was chosen in order to commemorate

the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and

Frederick Douglass.

Black History Week became more pop-

ular and grew to Black History Month due

to the recognition given by the leaders of

the Black United Students at Kent

State University in 1969.

Morgan Freeman, a well-

known African - American figure

as long as well

as others, criti-

cize the holiday

because they

believes it pre-

vents the inte-

gration of

African-

American

history. “I don’t

want a black history month. Black history

is American history,” he has said.

Maya Angelou said, “We want to reach

a time when there won’t be Black History

Month, when black history will be so inte-

grated into American history that we study

it along with every other history.”

However, while some say that black

history is a vital part of American history,

thus rendering Black History Month un-

necessary, others believe that it is neces-

sary to set aside this month in order to en-

sure that black history is acknowledged.

American history is made up of several

different races, backgrounds,

and cultures. One very important

part of our history is the African

American culture.

February is Black History Month

Editorial: Valentine’s Day has lost its meaning

When we think of Valentine’s Day, the first things

that come to mind are boxes of chocolates, roses,

cards, or even heart-shaped candies. For a lot of

people, the question is, should items be replaced for

expressions of love?

Whether this holiday has a meaningful origin is

unclear. There are many different views and opinions

about where and how this holiday came to be.

According to History.com, the holiday has both

Christian and Roman roots and is based on St.

Valentinus, a priest who served during the third century in Rome. During wartime, Emperor Claudius

believed single men made better soldiers, so he banned marriage. However, St. Valentinus disobeyed

Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

We are not meaning to say that the modern concept of having a day of love is something to be

censured. With the current status of the world, feelings of love should be even more celebrated and

encouraged than ever. However, the holiday is now simply watered down with the stress and anxiety of

buying the perfect gift for that loved one, with the gift exchange somewhat materializing the essence of

the day.

Rather than indulging in a day of appreciation for each other, couples focus on shopping. According

to The Financial, $1.3 billion worth of gift cards are sold, jewelry companies often receive a $3.9 billion

boost, clothing stores gain $2.1 billion, and flower sales increase by $1.9 billion. Such materialization of

love is making a lot of money for companies.

What tradition does Valentine’s Day have besides exchanging gifts and going to expensive dinners?

The amount of Valentine’s Day products and advertisements are a month-long reminder to single people

that they are not in a relationship. According to Psychology Today, seeing commercials and many others

in a relationship can lead to increased loneliness and the feeling of being unlovable.

Although we can’t be sure whether the legend of St. Valentinus started this now distorted version of

the holiday, most of us can agree that the intention of the day is far from its original.

So next time you are rushing to Walmart at 9:00 p.m. the night before Valentine’s Day to fulfill the

materialistic standards of the modernized holiday, stop to question who is really gaining from your

love-intended purchase.

Editorial Staff, Editors|February 5, 2021

Kobe Bryant: One Year Gone

Kobe Bryant

August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020

It has been a year since the tragic loss one of the greatest athletes of all time.

On the year anniversary of this beloved athlete’s tragic passing, we have decided to celebrate his legacy through photos and thoughts shared by his fellow athletes. Kobe Bryant was not just

a talented sports hero, but a husband, loving father, devoted mentor, author, and Oscar winner.

On January 26, 2020, the world stopped as we knew it and the news of Kobe Bryant’s

death along with his daughter, Gianna, shook not only a community, but our nation, if not

the world. He was much more than one of the greatest basketball players to ever play, he

had his two jerseys, numbers 8 and number 24, retired from the Los Angeles Lakers.

But Kobe was a family man first, a devoted husband, loving father, trusted friend,

mentor to children, fearless leader, and a fierce competitor. Not to mention, he was also a

two-time gold medal Olympic athlete, Academy Award winner, and author. One could only

imagine what he could have achieved if only given more time.

His many accomplishments on and off the court goes to show that hard work will pay

off mand it pays off in many ways not just monetarily. The amount of friendships that Kobe

established due to his dedication and hard work to all of his projects give us an insight to

his life. He will be forever remembered for his work on the basketball court , but he will

also be remembered for his many off court endeavors.

Rest in Peace Kobe and Gianna.

The Valley Rumor

is produced by

Valley High School

Journalism class

and is circulated

bimonthly on Fridays during the

Fall and Spring semester.

The newspaper is published under

the auspices of the Delano Joint Union

High School District Board of Trustees,

but sole responsibility for its content

rests with student editors and advisor.

The Valley Rumor

Reporters/Photographers:

Alvaro Bailon, Joyce Calipusan,

Giselle Castillo, Tatiana Daniels,

Brianna Landeros, Maria Galindo Gomez,

Esmeralda Jurado, Cindy Maldonado, Kaycee Marcelo,

Aylin Ortiz and Martaicela Sigala.

Principal …………..Gabriel Diaz

Advisor …………….Jim Beltran

Valley High School

1927 Randolph Street, Delano, CA 93215 - (661) 720-4181

A Look Back...

No school

because of

snow?

Yes, it happened

here in Delano

21 years ago.