COUGAR ChRONiclE - Corona-Norco Unified School District

COUGAR ChRONiclE - Corona-Norco Unified School District

Volume VII
Issue 1
Norco High School
Cougar Chronicle
Have You Heard of Mrs. Hurd?
By Sabrina Alcala, Sydney Bates, Alfonso Mota, Emily Patton, and Jennifer Xu
It’s never easy being the new kid at
school, so being the new assistant principal
must be a huge challenge. Luckily for the
students at Norco High, our new AP, Mrs.
Hurd, is just the woman to handle it.
Although she was originally employed
in marketing, earning her degree at Boise State
University, Mrs. Hurd went back to college
in order to pursue her love for education.
She received her teaching credential at Cal
Poly Pomona, and started her journey in the
educational system as a language arts teacher
at a local school, Roosevelt High.
Mrs. Hurd then went back to college,
receiving and administrative credential from
National University. With a new degree in
hand, she worked as the student advisor at
Norco Intermediate for only one year. Finally,
she landed the position of assistant principle
at NHS this year, surpassing hundreds of other
applicants.
Mrs. Hurd has to adapt to her new
working hours while being a wife and mother
of three. Her son Jayden is a freshman here in
campus, and maybe the reason why she was
and a bit nervous as to how to control a horse,
sporting that freshman red on the class colors
she was more than ready to be on solid ground.
day. He is on the freshman football team,
Norco High welcomes Mrs. Hurd. Her
putting a little responsibility on Mrs. Hurd’s
bubbly personality, warm smile, and fierce
shoulders.
school pride makes her perfect for the job.
Her personality fits in great at Norco,
as we have fierce school pride. She’s already
making plans to attend Friday night
football games on a regular basis, and also
mentioned that she and her family were
excited to attend the traditional Norco Fair
that comes in September every year.
She is quickly falling in love with
the city of Norco, saying the environment
is like no other. “Norco has that small-town
feeling which I like, but it is not too small
giving it that city feeling,” Mrs. Hurd states.
She and her family plan to move to Norco in
upcoming years.
This year’s administration photo
Mrs.Hurd being interviewed by NHS senior,
was taken on horseback. While this is a
common practice to Norco residents, the new
Tobi Katz.
AP, fully adorned and in heels, felt slightly
nervous about this meticulous task. Uncertain
Letter From the Editor
By Alexa Diaz
It’s a whole school year and it seems
that as quickly as they are gone they are back
again. You’re missing the summertime already,
aren’t you?
To freshman, I welcome you to Norco
High. The next four years won’t be easy, although
I hope you truly do make the most of them. One
night you’re signing your first class syllabus, and
the next you’re pulling an all-night study session
for your U.S. history test the next day. So, as your
life at NHS continues, take pictures, do some
soul searching, and don’t sweat the small things
because they won’t matter a week or two from
now.
To sophomores: welcome back. By
now you’ve gotten the hang of things and I
hope you see this year as your homestretch into
upperclassmen responsibilities. This year will
be busier than your first, although I promise that
junior year will be coming around before you
know it.
To upperclassmen: I hope you’re as
excited as I am about our lives after these
final years of high school as the countdown of
semesters, and for seniors, months, begins.
It’s as though the first bell of the year rang
yesterday and now we’ve already taken a few
tests and know what it will take to survive and
succeed.
It will be stressful and it will take work,
but that’s what it takes to climb the ladder that
will get us over the hurdle of high school, I know
that we are all capable of excelling.
It’s now that school dances, assemblies,
and football games roll around, and I hope that
you truly make the most of them. To my fellow
“I’d-rather-be-at-home” students, let’s keep in
mind that it’s important to stop, take a breath, and
remember that we are still in our youth and, while
yes, piled with homework and our futures in
mind, that a part of the process is just being a kid.
For most seniors, it is at this time of
the year the pressure is on to start applying to
colleges, picking a trade, or deciding where you
are going to start your path in life.
Remember when you were younger and
someone asked you what you wanted to be when
you grow up? Most of us had no idea what to
answer so we were told, “Don’t worry. You have
plenty of time.” Well, it’s crazy to think that now
we don’t, and it’s time to take the next step into
adulthood and that will be different for each of
us.
Whatever you are choosing to do after
high school, whether it is traveling the world,
studying abroad, or going to school in your
favorite city, make sure that whatever impact you
plan to make in this world is a positive one and
that it makes you happy.
There is an increasing amount of pressure
on each of us every day. It is important to be
happy in the classes we are taking, even if the
only reason is we are there because it provides
valuable credits for graduation.
As for the classes that maybe aren’t your
favorite, if you can’t change your situation,
change the way you look at it.
Almost everyone that you pass each day
in the hall is someone you will never see again
once you’re handed that diploma. So, in the
meantime, do what makes you happy.
For every passion that each of us holds in life,
there is always a path to get there.
Right now, at these moments in our lives,
that path consists of the hallways and classrooms
on this campus and the effort we put into our time
spent here.
So, give it your all this year and keep in
mind that these years are going to pay off when
you’re living your dream.
emescal Avenue
Norco • California • 92680
Ranchland Gives Back
By Alexa Diaz
Phone: 951.736.3241
Principal: Lisa Simon
Advisor: Jen Jacobs
Reporters:
Sabrina Alcala
Kristie Arreola
Travis Ayala
Xochitl Barrios
Sydney Bates
Cole Baumeister
Sarah Beld
Brianna Chanphimarn
Courtney Clarke
Alison Doyle
Tori Fernandez
Sydney Fix
Tobi Katz
Cierra McClure
Alfonso Mota
Emily Patton
Jason Siegel
Jennifer Xu
Daniela Zaragoza
Editor-in-Chief:
Alexa Diaz
Norco’s local Ranchland
Market works to place emphasis
on healthy living and, all
the while, give back to the
community.
It is clear that when
someone moves to Norco it does
not take too long to notice that
there are animals around every
corner. After only six months of
owning and operating her market,
Ranchland on Sixth Street,
Owner Heidi Toso gave back to
the animal-loving community
after observing the fact that “All
of the houses have some kind of
animal.”
Ranchland’s owner takes time
to “Clean the lettuce and fruit,
put them in boxes, and ask
customers to take the food to
feed their animals.” In doing this,
Ranchland offers different foods
to local animals and pets alike in
a conservative and helpful way.
By preparing the boxes
of food Ranchland Market has
gotten to know the animals and
their habits such as the vegetables
they enjoy amongst other
Assistant Editor-inChief:
Katie Yates
Layout & Design:
Bailey Reed
one’s diet and overall health. The
store’s main goal is to exchange
ideas through food to improve
peoples’ well-being and lifestyles.
In preparation for this, the market
is always prepared to offer healthy
products such as special olive oils,
fresh hummus, pita chips, and
arrays of spices to promote healthy
living.
Through healthy foods,
Toso has learned by giving back
to the Norco community that, “If I
help someone, someone else will
come and help me.” The owner
says, “You get it back somehow,”
and hopes that same idea inspires
other Norco citizens to take part in
the community as well.
“When you help someone
or the animals you feel connected.
I feel happy because I’m sure they
are happy,” described the market’s
owner.
While the new management is
relatively new to Norco it is clear
she has already touched the lives of
residents and their pets alike.
Great juice recipe to try!
Assistant Layout &
Design:
Becca Valadez
Basic Green Vegetable Juice: Serves 1
Buisness Manager:
Minerva Corona
This is a power-packed green drink.
Owner of Ranchland,
Heidi Toso.
September 2012
preferences. Some of the market’s
favorite diners include a turtle
named Molly who enjoys certain
types of lettuce and a donkey
named Francine. The market also
prepares food for local chickens
and sheep along with batches of
carrots and apples for neighboring
horses.
The store owner says
that she does go the extra mile to
ensure the food is good for the
animals to eat although it is not
the quality to sell to her customers.
Although, Toso said that, like with
animals, she does not like to see
people hungry and occasionally
donates food to those who need it
also.
Ranchland’s owner
describes Norco as a very unique
city in its rural-based culture and
enjoys the, “Stories that customers
tell me. They bring me pictures of
their animals and I feel connected
to them although I don’t know
them.” She describes Norco
residents as those people that. “Go
the extra mile for you.”
Later this year, Ranchland
Market plans to start a juice club in
Norco to teach people how juicing
fruits and vegetables can improve
2-3 stalks celery
1 cucumber
2-3 large leaves kale
4-5 large leaves lettuce
2 cups spinach
1/4-1/2 cup parsley
Picture Perfect
By Becca Valadez
Over the years, Photoshop has
become a models best friend. Companies and
magazines have set an image of perfection that
they know is virtually impossible to achieve,
but lead people to believe otherwise because
their products just
might work. But
what has started
out as advertising
facial creams and
beauty products
has gone beyond
just harmless
promotions and
Brad Pitt
has now become a
number one reason why
teens lack self confidence.
“78% of girls with low self-esteem
admit that it is hard to feel good in school when
you do not feel good about how you look,”
states Dosomething.org, a website designed
to help teens believe in themselves and social
change. Research has shown that girls who are
exposed to these kinds of unrealistic images
are more dissatisfied with their own bodies and
are more likely to have high levels of stress and
depression because of it. 4.2 percent of girls
and women will develop anorexia and bulimia,
one of the top mental illnesses that lead to
death. Although men and boys are less likely to societies view on body image and releasing
have such eating disorders, 5 to 15 percent of
original, unedited pictures of themselves.
them do have it.
Jessica Simpson is one, with her foundation “A
Photoshop is almost always used on
Beautiful Me” and was involved in Operation
a celebrity, whether they request it or not,
Smile. Tyra Banks launched her “So What”
although most do. However, when one
campaign to promote positive body
picture is taken of them looking normal
images. Britney Spears let out
in everyday clothes and no make-up,
a picture for her Candie’s shoot,
they are ridiculed and mocked for
showing what she really looked like,
simply looking like a normal human
minus all the unnecessary touchups.
being. Celebrities such as Kate Winslet
In December of 2010, Kourtney
and Brad Pitt have told photographers
Kardashian was published on the
that they do not want touch-ups done
cover of a magazine that showed her
on their pictures. Kate Winslet was
“amazing post-baby body” and air
one of the first to speak up on the
brushed out her entire belly. “They
Kate Winslet
issue when she took action against GQ
doctored and Photoshopped my body
magazine for digitally altering her body
to make it look like I have already
in its photographs, making her unrealistically
lost all the weight, which I have not,” Kourtney
thin. Brad Pitt saw a picture of himself in W
told Women’s Wear Daily at the time. She then
magazine and requested a photographer who
published the original photo on her blog.
enhances flaws. A photo of Kim Kardashian
The unrealistic image that companies
leaked on the Internet—with no Photoshop—
provide the world with not only affects
which she posted on her blog saying, “I’m
teens, but also celebrities—the ones they are
proud of my body and my curves and this
Photoshopping. Nobody is perfect, no matter
picture coming out is probably helpful for
how much companies want you to believe it.
everyone to see that just because I am on the
cover of a magazine doesn’t mean I’m perfect.”
Many stars have even gone so far
as starting organizations to help improve
Curiosity
By Alfonso Mota
On August 7, 2012, after a journey
of eight months, the NASA rover Curiosity
flawlessly carried out a highly challenging
landing on Mars to begin a two-year search for
the building blocks of life.
The Mars rover has the primary goal
of digging at the base of Mount Sharp, a threemile-high mound which scientists believe holds
a record of Mars’ history.
Packed with scientific tools, cameras,
and a weather station, Curiosity will be
collecting information from Mars about its
composition and climate. Its main goal is to find
the basic ingredients of life, such as carbon,
nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and oxygen.
Communicating by means of its high-
gain antenna and orbiters, the rover will be
regularly transmitting the information from
its findings as it moves through the planet.
Curiosity has already transmitted photos and
videos of Mars to Earth, and there are plenty
more to come.
Tofu: Friend or Foe?
By Minerva Corona
Everyone knows that vegetarians
choose tofu as an alternate to meat, but in some
cases it’s not as healthy as everyone assumes.
Tofu is ground soybean used
to form a gelatinous, white cube.
It is known to be a great source of
calcium, vitamin E and is rich in
protein. Other benefits are that it
has been known to reduce the risk
of cancer. Tofu can also be the more
affordable option.
The difference between tofu and meat
is that one would have to increase the amount
of tofu that is consumed because 100 grams
of tofu equal to 17.9 grams of actual meat. In
order to achieve the appropriate amount of
protein, which is 150 g of lean meat, one would
have to eat 290 grams of tofu daily.
Because tofu has to be eaten in such
large amounts in order to receive the suggested
amount of protein, it makes one think that
maybe tofu isn’t as great as everyone says. Tofu
is known to absorb about 15 percent
more cooking oil when cooked
compared to regular meat, making it
more of a health risk to consumers.
Another health risk is that tofu is a
processed food.
All in all, any food in
moderation is the healthiest option for your
body.
On Campus
Breaking the Stereotype
By Kristie Arreola
Cheerleaders, football players, band
members, and ASB students are only a few
students on campus who are commonly
stereotyped.
People wonder every day if they’re
stereotyped and worry about their actions,
outfits, make-up, and friends. People are
more and more judgmental and developing
stereotypes that are, in most cases, unreal.
One may wonder, for instance, why
band kids are called “geeks and nerds,”
especially those in band. Kyle Havens, a
drum bass player, said “You may always be
in band, but that doesn’t make you a nerd. I
have a 2.4. That doesn’t make
me a nerd; in fact, far from it.” And band
members don’t only hang out with each
other, they hang out with many friends.
Being stereotyped, people tend to
group people into cliques, which is often
far from reality. Every single person has a
different personality.
The main attraction at Norco High
seems to be football since it is by far the
most well-known sport on campus. Although
this is true, people make big judgments
under false pretenses. Matthew Williams
said, “We work to hard to be judged.
Keeping up with grades and football is a
lot of hard work, and in the end, it pays
many school functions are all in line. There
off.” Players are not required by the coach
are hard jobs and tasks for these students
to maintain a certain GPA. However, many
while still doing homework and keeping up
players pride themselves in maintaining a
good grades. Senior and president of ASB,
high GPAs while
carrying honors and
AP classes.
Blonde,
mean, popular,
staying in a clique,
and uneducated,
are a few of the
things Norco
High School’s
cheerleaders are
NHS cheerleaders during their practice.
stereotyped as. Senior,
and captain of
the cheerleading team, Emmy Eckles, stated Alexis Johnson, said, “I’m not only about
that “this year we are trying to change our
school and ASB, but also socializing. ‘Nerd’
reputation and show how outgoing and
may be classified as an ASB stereotype as
friendly we are no matter what sport we are.” well as ‘teachers pet,’ but these are only
“We don’t want to be judged…we are all
stereotypes.”
different and have different personalities,”
Overall, Norco is home to some big
said junior cheerleader, Bailey Daniels. They stereotypes. However, one thing is bigger
also add how it hurts to be called bad names than the stereotyping and that is our school
when in reality it is difficult to do what they
pride, after all, “WE ARE
do and maintain the required grades.
NORCO!”
The ASB at Norco High makes
sure Homecoming, the prom, dances, and
Dear Gerdy Corner
Dear Gerdy,
I am new to this school and I don’t really have any
friends. Are there any clubs I should join so that I can meet
some new people and get involved in school?
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
Coming to a new school presents opportunistic challenges
and getting involved is an excellent way to acquire friendships.
A great way to meet new people who have some of the same
interests as you is to join some of the clubs here on campus.
Some clubs you may find interesting include American
Cancer Society (ACS), Friday Night Live, Cougar Buddies,
or Cooking Club. Honestly there are clubs on campus that
coincide with just about every interest. My recommendation for
you would be to stop by activities and ask for a list of all the
clubs here on campus.
Good luck and best wishes! I’m sure you will have friends
in no time.
-Gerdy
Norco High Kicks it Up a
Notch
By Emily Patton
While Norco
High School has always
enforced the district’s
borderline dress code
policy, the Norco High
School staff of 20122013 stepped it up a
notch by incorporating
new details into
what attire is school
appropriate.
The new policy
goes for all students.
Some of the biggest
rules there are, and the
staff have really been
strict for years here on
school grounds, are no
chains on any clothing
items, no profanity.
Logos such as drugs,
nudity or weapons
paraphernalia on
t-shirts or jeans are not
acceptable
As for the
girls, shirts must cover
their midriff, have two
straps, and if the top is
too shear then you must
wear a tank top under
it to prevent skin being
shown from the armpit
to the belt. Look at the
flyer of school dress
code policies to see what
is appropriate for shorts.
Norco also does
not allow any form of
soft-soled shoes such
as slippers and pajamas
on campus may not be
worn except when it is
Pajama Day. Sunglasses
are permitted on
campus, during lunch,
but are not acceptable in
any classrooms. Hats are
also not allowed in any
classroom, as per the
teacher’s discretion.
There are posters
plastered in every
classroom on campus
and any staff member
can enforce policy
if any rules are not
being followed. These
penalties can be avoided
by following the rules.
Over summer
students may have
bought a shirt they
would really like to
wear, but it is not school
appropriate. If you think
you can wear it and not
get caught, wrong. The
consequences can range
from a warning and
a clothes change to a
suspension.
On Campus
Hardest Workers
By Jennifer Xu
Seven hours
of school, daily
homework, and
having a job, leaves
no luxury
time, or even
sleep, for students
who take on extra
responsibilities in
addition to
education.
Being able to
provide for oneself
without the constant
need of parents for the
majority of things
would most likely be
the reason why most
over-achievers choose
“independent” as the
word that describes
the impact that having
a job and taking on
school-work brought
into their lives.
Drake Metro,
a junior at Norco
High, is just one
of these people. In
addition to his
daily fill of classes,
he works part time
pumping concrete
for the company
his father owns.
Motivated by the need
for money and to
refrain from parental
dependence, Drake
has given much of his
summer time up to
work six days a week.
Though he currently
only works three
days a week due to
school being back in
session, it is still not
an easy task to take
on. He claims that it
is “difficult and very
tiresome,” depending
solely on Sundays
to catch up on sleep.
Nevertheless, he
enjoys his job and
even thinks about
doing this in the
future.
Samantha
Aguirre, a senior
here at Norco, is
another one of these
independent
people. She managed
to land a job as a part
time receptionist.
Working every other
day after school, 3-4
hours per day, this
job keeps her busy,
though she claims that
it is not difficult to
manage. The decision
of whether or not she
should take on a job
in addition to school
was an easy one for
her; she needs work
experience, school
credit, and money.
She also enjoys
what she does, and
says that due to her
time management,
she is still able to
have a social life
and be a teen, even
with all these extra
responsibilities.
With schoolwork and a job at
Subway, Lillie Kadin
says managing time
is difficult, however,
“the key is to
prioritize and use my
time wisely.” As a
result, she tries to get
her homework done
as quickly as possible.
It was very difficult
for her to land this
job, considering that
many businesses
want people that have
had work experience
before, but she still
managed to stand
out from all the other
applicants during
interviews. Like
Drake and Samantha,
Lillie loves what she
does. Although it does
take up much of her
time and causes her
to sacrifice much of
her social life, Lillie
enjoys work. She
loves the experience
and the money she
earns from it.
These
students are not the
only ones working
and attending
school; however,
they provide insight
as to what it is like
to be a student with
a job. Despite the
work-load, they
enjoy their jobs and
feel that the benefits
received outweigh
the sacrifices made.
Freshmen students
working hard
during their PLC
time.
Freshmen PLC
By Tobi Katz
The upperclassmen have the
privilege of sleeping
in while the freshmen
are required to attend
mandatory PLC
tutoring sessions
in order to prepare
them for success
throughout their years
at Norco High School.
Handfuls
of freshmen were
assigned a PLC
coach. The coaches
consist of teachers
counselors and
administrators who
work together to
create a year long
program to ensure
each student receives
the support needed
to be successful in
high school. Not
only is this a tutoring
program, but it is
also giving students a
chance to get to know
the staff a little better.
The role of a
PLC coach is vital to
each student in that
group. PLC coaches
are there to build
relationships with
the students, check
student grades on
Zangle frequently,
and to create a 4-year
high school plan and
routinely update it.
The main goal for
freshmen PLC is for
the students to be
and stay successful.
With the national
and state failure rates
ranging from 30-35
percent for freshmen,
the expectations of
the program is to
eliminate 9th grade
failure at Norco High
School.
In order to
receive a passport
out of the program,
students have to
earn a “B” or better
in the last semester
of 8th grade. Out of
600 plus freshmen,
roughly 200 received
a passport out, and
after the 1st quarter,
students are expected
to passport out with a
“C” or better in their
classes. If students
do not improve, their
PLC coach could refer
them to tutoring or an
Academic Saturday
School. “Failure is no
longer an option at
Norco High” says Mr.
Amabile, one of the
assistant principals
here at Norco High.
This year the staff
is pushing the point
that student success
is important. This
PLC program will
demonstrate helpful
work ethic and will
make it possible
for the freshmen to
stay here at Norco
High and not have to
transfer out to obtain
credits.
Cougars #1 Team in the Nation
By Cierra McClure
The Norco High girls’ softball
team earned first in the nation and the CIFSouthern Sections Division 1 Championship
on June 2, 2012 at Bill Barbar Park in Irvine.
Norco was already thrust into national
spotlight when the girls had brought home
the title from Tournament of Champions in
Bullhead City, Arizona, which is one of the
nations most prestigious high school softball
events. This began the journey for the
highest ranking the school has ever earned.
“We knew we were going to be getting
everybody’s best game,” starting shortstop
Kylie Reed explained in a Press Enterprise
interview. “We had to prepare that much
harder.”
To summarize the season, Cougars
softball finished as the number one team in
the nation as well as being the first softball
team from Southern California to be the
nation’s top-ranked squad.
Norco High School and their
league rival, Santiago High School, have
been in countless battles throughout the
years, and have competed in six southern
sections together since 1998.The seventh
championship between the Cougars and
Sharks was earned by Norco with a 6-4
victory, winning their 3rd championship.
During the CIF championship game
Norco had talent throughout the line-up
and on the field. Pitcher Emily Lockman
played tough defense only allowing four hits,
walking one batter, hitting two at the plate,
and striking out three. She got out of jams in
the first and second innings when Santiago
Softball girls show their team
unity and CIF Championship
rings.
had runners in scoring position at second and
third base.
Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the second
inning, while Ashley Goodwin singled up the
middle taking two on a sacrifice and scoring
on Amanda Sandoval’s single to left field.
By the third inning, Norco was ahead with
a score of 3-0. Emily Lockman cracked a
double down left field line bringing Kylie
home and third base, Taylor Koenig, right
behind her with a single. Kylie Reed delivered
her third single of the game and later scored
off Abby Lockman’s single to shortstop. With
power-hits and singles they ended the fourth
inning with a score of 6-0 all with two outs
on the board.
The bottom of the fifth inning was
nerve-racking for both Norco and Santiago
sidelines. Santiago stepped it up that inning
scoring four runs against Norco. With the
tying run at the plate, Yvon Minogue hit a line
drive up the middle to pitcher Emily Lockman
making an unbelievable play to end the CIFSouthern Sections Division 1 Championship
with a victory.
Head coach Rick Robinson told The
Press Enterprise, “This has been such an
amazing team to coach and I really emphasize
the word team. I’ve told them all year, we
don’t need a superstar, we need to be a team,
and that means each and every player is doing
a job and being there for their teammates, and
that’s what they did.”
Super Studs to Superstars
By Katie Yates
Everyone was anxiously watching the
United State­­­­­­­s of America dominate in the 2012
Summer Olympics, where athletes from all over
the world were going for the gold.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty
May-Treanor took the gold in women’s beach
volleyball for their third straight Olympics.
The 2008 “Dancing with the Stars” competitor,
May-Treanor, plans to retire and raise a family
with her husband, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher,
Matt Treanor.
The United States women’s soccer
team was also an incredible group. Japan had
no chance with the incredible shots blocked by
goalie, Hope Solo, who was also a “Dancing
with the Stars” competitor. Solo won the
Golden Glove Award as the top goalie in
last year’s World Cup. She has not publicly
announced her plans, but it is assumed that she
will continue defending her net.
Solo and teammates, Alex Morgan and
Abby Wambach, each competed in the Chicago
Marathon to benefit a charity of their choice.
Nobody can discuss the Olympic games
without talking about the incredible medals
earned in the pool. The famous swimmer that
emerged from the Beijing Olympics, Michael
Phelps, competed this year and won the title as
the most decorated Olympian of all time. He
states that he is “ready to retire and move on to
other things.” These plans include traveling and
teaching children to swim.
Ryan Lochte made a name for himself
in this year’s summer Olympics by earning
not only gold metals, but also breaking world
records in the 200-meter IM, the 200-meter
backstroke, and the 400-meter IM. He also
holds American records in the 200-meter
freestyle, the 10-meter IM, and the 200-meter
backstroke. He plans to swim in the 2016
Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, make a television
debut and move to Los Angeles. It has been said
that Lochte is in talks with representatives from
“Dancing with the Stars”, “Gossip Girl”, “The
Bachelor”, and even Will Farrell is interested in
working with the athlete.
The ‘Fierce Five’ made Olympic,
gymnastic history in the 2012 London Summer
Olympics. This group included Mckayla
Marony, Kyla Ross, Aly Raisman, Jordyn
Wieber, and Gabby Douglas. They are said to
be the best gymnastics team since the 1996
“magnificent seven.” Each girl has said that
they are accepting endorsements and would
like to experience more stardom. Gabby
Douglas, the first African-American to win
gold in the Women’s Artistic Individual AllAround Competition, is now endorsing Frosted
Flakes and wants to become an actress or a
host of a television program. She has even
guest hosted with Nick Cannon on the popular
show, “America’s Got Talent.” The entire clan
even announced the winner of an award at the
VMA’s.
These Olympic athletes are big news,
and Americans are proud of them.
Water is Not So Soft
By Cole Baumeister
Although jet skiing appears to be a fun
summer activity and a good way to beat the
heat, many accidents each year occur due to
the inexperience in rental jet ski users.
The danger in these water vessels is not
completely derived from user inexperience.
Part of the problem is that these vehicles are
unsafe in design. An example of this can be
found in the maneuverability. To turn a jet ski,
the operator must accelerate to successfully
perform the change in direction. Not only
is this an un-natural and awkward design, it
promotes aggressive riding styles.
Jet skis haven proven to be more
dangerous than other watercraft as well.
Studies show that a jet skier is 6.6 times
more likely to experience injuries than a boat
operator. A huge number of jet ski related
accidents are recorded every year but, the
actual number may be even higher due to
the fact that many accidents are unreported.
Some feel that mandatory safety and operation
classes should be required before renting
a jet ski. This idea is becoming more and
more popular as accident rates increase. The
National Transportation Safety Board has
questioned and
criticized these
vehicles for
various reasons.
There are
many design flaws
with watercraft
in general. For
one, there is no
braking system;
they must
coast to a stop.
Maneuverability
as well as the
overall “squirrelly ness” of the vehicles
contributes to the faulty design.
The danger of a jet ski is not
completely at the fault of the rider. Many
accidents, some fatal, are due to faulty design.
A huge number of jet ski related accidents
are recorded every year. However, not only
operators are in danger of injury with jet
skis in the water. In many cases, swimmers,
kayakers, skiers, and boat
drivers are put at risk due
to the infamous safety
conditions.
One way or another,
something must change to
increase the safety of these
aquatic monstrosities. That
may mean requiring safety
classes, or improving the
safety in the design of the
vessels. In the meantime,
water enthusiasts should
stay aware of safety
precautions as well as their surroundings.
Lacrosse: A True Gentleman’s Game
By Travis Ayala
Norco High School has the honor
of being the first high school in this
region to establish a lacrosse team.
Lacrosse is a true Native
American sport and dates all the way
back to 1100 AD. Sherry Sanchez, a
counselor at NHS says, “Lacrosse has
been around for 400 years; they used
hard wooden sticks, played on a 15
mile field and had hundreds of players.”
Present day lacrosse consists of 10
players on each team. Each team has
three attackers, three midfielders, three
defenders, and a goalie. The players are
equipped with lacrosse sticks, which are
long sticks with nets on the end used
to carry the lacrosse ball. The object of
lacrosse is to try to score on the opposite
team’s goalie by sprinting down field
and throwing the ball into the goal using
your lacrosse stick.
The idea of lacrosse came to
NHS organizers when the 8th grade boys
of the Corona Cavaliers Lacrosse Team
had no level to advance to. Ms. Sanchez,
whose son played for the Cavaliers
last year, took the initiative to continue
lacrosse at NHS. Sanchez began talking
to the club’s president, Darren McClure,
and after consideration decided to form
a lacrosse team at Norco with one idea
in mind: bring Lacrosse to the Inland
Empire.
When lacrosse was announced
last year at NHS, it became an
immediate hit. About 130 boys showed
interest in joining, but the number is
expected to drop to from 50-60 players
due to costs of equipment, it is not CIF
certified, or given and there is no school
funding. The official season will begin
in February starting with training camp,
which will deal with the strategies of the
sport. Drills will be held in September
at lunch to familiarize the players with
scooping the ball, cradling, and catching
it.
To coach this newly formed lacrosse
team, will be Head Coach Keith Parr.
Parr is a veteran college lacrosse
player, who played for St. Mary’s
College Seahawks in Maryland. After
he graduated, he moved to Las Vegas
and played on a men’s lacrosse club
team, then moved to California where
his children played for the Cavaliers
and became Head Coach. Sanchez
approached Parr and asked him to
consider being head coach at Norco. He
accepted due to the fact he wanted his
children to continue playing lacrosse.
Parr is very excited about the
opportunity to coach lacrosse at NHS.
He feels that this team is the missing
piece to lacrosse in the Inland Empire.
Parr has no concerns towards the boys
or the sport itself, and only hopes that
the players realize it’s a true Native
American sport about integrity and
sportsmanship. He is looking forward to
putting lacrosse on the map in the Inland
Empire and showing the players that
“lacrosse is
a awesome
sport.
It’s a true
gentlemen’s
sport.”
Lacrosse sticks
Meet your Varsity football team
Artie Vasquez
At 6’3” 280 pounds, Norco fans are usually
able to spot the junior offensive lineman a mile
away, even though, Artie Vasquez, offers our team
in blue more than just his made-for-football stature.
Vasquez #79 has been playing football for over nine
years and says when he isn’t playing it “feels like
something’s missing.” As this is his second year
on the varsity team, he says that this season he is
ready to “go play smash-mouth football.” Looking
forward to this year’s games and reminiscing on last
year’s, he says that being on Norco’s team is “more
like a brotherhood because everyone is united.”
While Norco’s players create strong bonds, aside
from his teammates, Vasquez would like to thank
his parents for always being there for him, as they
have never missed a practice or game. He says the
most memorable game of his football career so far
was last year’s televised match against Crenshaw
High School because it was his first varsity game.
He described the varsity competition as a “new and
exhilarating experience.” Vasquez prepares himself
for intense Friday night football by listening to
music by Jack Johnson which leaves him “relaxed
and ready for a game.” While he bleeds Norco
blue, Vasquez says his favorite NFL team is the
Chicago Bears. When he is not on the field and has
time away from school-work, Vasquez also enjoys
fishing, spending time with his family, and riding
his bike around Riverside. Although he has a love
for the game, he says he’s interested in attending
college not only for football, but also to major and
possibly pursue a career in the medical field. With
his 4.16 GPA, Artie’s options for his future are wide
open.
Coltin Gerhart
After two memorable years as the Cougars’
starting quarterback, #12 Coltin Gerhart returns
to the field prepared to keep his name a Norco hot
topic. Having the last name, Gerhart, holds high
expectations in this horse town. The name, itself, is
synonymous with sports, especially football. The
six foot 200 pound junior exudes NHS’s philosophy
of being ready to achieve by putting his studies as
one of his most important ingredients for success.
Staying true to his family’s academic benchmarks,
Coltin maintains an impressive 4.56 GPA and
is currently thriving in AP and honors courses.
He is presently interested in earning a degree in
biochemical engineering, but has yet decided where
he would like to attend college. With his talent on
the field and his determination to earn the highest
grades possible, he undoubtedly will be sought out
by many prestigious colleges, thus granting him
the opportunity to choose where he will journey
after high school. His favorite team memory so
far is the recent hike around the school together
during hell week. Aside from football, Coltin also
plays baseball for NHS, Trombly baseball, and the
Kansas City Royals scout ball team. His favorite
sports teams are the New York Yankees and the
Jacksonville Jaguars. When not representing the
Blue & White on the field, Coltin spends his time
hiking, camping, fishing, and hanging out with
friends. One of his favorite hobbies at this time is
maintaining a saltwater fish tank and growing and
selling coral. Focusing on so many things makes
Coltin a well-rounded young man that Norco High
School can be proud of.
Troy Vanscourt
Friday night lights abound once again, and
senior captain, Troy Vanscourt #47 is ready for
some football. The 5’ 10” 185 pound linebacker
says of the intense summer workouts, “It was good
to be with the team. It builds chemistry, it builds
to the season, and it gets us ready for opponents.”
Vanscourt set a personal goal of living up to the
expectations of being a true Norco football player
and has proven so with the intensity he puts in to
each and every practice. He tries to be the best
possible leader he can be by being a positive role
model for his teammates. He says, “Our team is
not just a bunch of players. We are brothers and
have formed a special bond with one another.”
Vanscourt’s football career began later than most.
Playing hockey for many years, he began playing
football in the 8th grade. He is no stranger to injuries
either. While playing during his 10th grade year, he
injured his knee so badly he needed reconstructive
surgery, and during his junior year, he tore ligaments
in his ankle. Excited to come back from his injuries,
Vanscourt chooses to focus on the positive. His
favorite part of being on the team is walking out
onto the field on Friday nights under the lights.
“Being a Norco football player is an opportunity
that not everyone gets, so I am making sure to live it
up.” Vanscourt’s personal ritual before each game is
to get dressed in a certain order and to make sure to
always follow it. The colleges he plans to apply to
are Oregon, Stanford, Cal, and San Luis Obispo. His
favorite NFL team is the Green Bay Packers, while
his favorite player is Clay Matthews who wore the
same number while playing for USC, as Vanscourt
does now, #47. His favorite hobbies aside from
football are racing motorcycles and working out.
Troy is close to his family and is proud of his older
brother, Tyler, who currently plays professional
hockey in Canada, and his younger brother, Tanner,
who plays on the NHS freshman football team. He
thanks his parents for all their love and support,
and his coaches for the unbelievable skills both on
and off field. “I am a better person thanks to all the
Norco football coaches.” When asked what Norco
High has taught him, he says “to be the best person I
can be, and to be successful in everything I do.”
Jake Larson
Norco’s ready for some football, and
senior, Jake Larson #71, is ready for the challenge.
Nicknamed Mongo from the movie, Blazing
Saddles, the 6’1” 255 pound offensive lineman is
excited for this season. Larson began his football
career playing Norco JAAF. Our close-knit
community proudly follows players, including
Larson, throughout their transition to becoming
a Norco Cougar. Larson says that the summer
workouts were especially tough on the linemen this
year because “we had to work through vacations
even when the rest of the team was not there.” This
exemplifies the dedication that players such as
Larson have to the team, school, and community.
His favorite part of being on the team aside from
playing are the traditions and the chants such as
FAITH, INTEGRITY, SELF-RESPECT, TEAM,
as the team enters the field. His personal ritual
before every game is saying a prayer. Larson has
many college prospects including: University of
Nevada; Reno; University of San Diego; Cal Poly
Pomona; and San Luis Obispo. He plans to major
in either wildlife biology or geology. These choices
seem fitting since he’s an avid outdoorsman whose
hobbies include fishing, hunting, and hiking. Jake
is very grateful for his family and the love and
support they give him. He would like to thank his
extended family like his grandma who travels from
Lake Tahoe to see him play. His greatest inspiration
of all, however, is his Papa Don Provine. Papa Don
taught him how to play football as a youngster and
is still is crucial component of his success today.
After every game, Jake proudly calls his Papa to
share the night with him. He says his Papa tells him
that “there will be rough times coming at you, but
you just have to keep pushing them in order to be
successful.”
Cougar Stars
I Would Like You To Meet...
By Sarah Beld
Sophomore, Rebecca Valadez, is
one of the only figure skaters on campus. Rebecca, also known as Becca, describes
herself as being “weird”, and the song that
describes her life is Part of Me by Katy Perry.
Juno is her favorite movie, she knows every
word in that movie. Her favorite foods are
hamburgers, burritos, and ice cream, and her
favorite subject is language arts. Becca‘s
dream car is an orange Lamborghini. Her
hobbies are reading, going to the movies,
Tumblr, and of course ice skating. She enjoys
fashion and gets her ideas from Audrey
Kitching, Miley Cyrus, and Aly Antorcha.
Becca is an active figure skater. She
practices at least two hours a day and has been
skating since she was five. Her aunt bought
her her first pair of skates. Her favorite things
about skating are that it is a very mature sport,
her friends, and the fact that she gets to hang
out with famous skaters such as Michelle
Kwan, Evan Lysacek and Courtney Hicks.
For Becca, the hardest part
about skating is the emotional
hardship that comes with it. Her
biggest accomplishment was when
she placed in the top four in the
regional competition. In the future,
she wants to become a coach at Ice
Town.
All in all, Becca is a hard
working student who has to juggle her
personal life, skating and school work
just like every teenager at Norco High.
Becca Valadez
Norco News
Famous Alumni
By Alison Doyle
Norco is stereotypically known for
its rural, yet city, way of life, where horses,
peacocks, and even a camel are a part of the
daily culture. However, Norco is also home to
successful graduates who have paved their way
to fame.
Toby Gerhart broke many records while
attending Norco, and he led the team to the CIF
Division 5 Southern Section championship. He
was honored by being named Gatorade High
School Player of the Year for football. The state
record for rushing yards was set by Gerhart,
with a total of 9,662 yards. He now holds the
third highest total runs. He was valedictorian
of his graduating class in 2006. In 2009, he
won the Doak Walker Award and was runner up
for the Heisman Trophy. He had a successful
college career at Stanford University, setting the
single-season rushing record. He was drafted by
the Minnesota Vikings during the second round
of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Matt Hobgood, a four year varsity
By Tori Fernandez
The annual Norco Fair arrived Labor
Day weekend with a variety of activities for
family, friends, and animal lovers who enjoy
Horse Town USA.
The five day event consisted of many
activities for all ages from hula dancers to camel
rides. Several events took place during this
week, even young boys riding sheep and calves
for competition. But even these unique animal
races could not take away from the promenade
bull riding everyone loves to watch.
For someone that is interested in thrill,
there were rides for all ages. There were fast and
baseball player, set fourteen season and career
records at Norco in spite of fracturing his ankle
and nearly missing all of his freshmen season.
He acquired a 21-1 record on the mound and
forty homeruns. He now plays for the Baltimore
Orioles minor league team, the Delmarva
Shorebirds. Hobgood was named Gatorade
National Player of the Year in 2009 for baseball.
Josh Romanski was drafted by the San
Diego Padres in 2005. He later enrolled at the
University of San Diego and began playing for
the San Diego Toreros. He was then drafted by
the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. Do to an arm
injury, he had to undergo surgery. He became
a free agent and signed with the New York
Yankees minor league team in April 2010.
Wes Hatton was drafted in 2009 by the
Los Angeles (Anaheim to many) Angels minor
league division. He has been playing for three
years.
Curtis Ray Wardle was also a Norco
graduate that later went on to playing in the
major leagues. He was signed to the Minnesota
Twins in 1984 through 1985. In his last MLB
appearance, he played for the Cleveland
Indians.
Not only does Norco have athletes, but
it also has an actress. Eva LaRue an actress
from a series of shows began staring in a
daytime television show and was nominated
for a Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.” She
has starred in the television soap opera, All My
Children, and the night time drama, CSI Miami.
After high school, she started modeling and was
signed with the Judith Fontaine Agency, then
later became a Frederick’s of Hollywood model.
NHS boasts many accomplishments,
both academic, sports, and arts. This horse town
offers more than meets the eye.
Norco Fair
crazy rides for those wild adventure seekers, and
there were even prizes awarded for just throwing
a ball in a basket. For the more reserved fairgoers, getting lost in a fun house of mazes and
mirrors that show your reflection was awesome.
For those with any type of sweet tooth,
delicious deep fried foods and snacks were
available to be munched.
Animals were also available not to only pet but
also to ride. It was an exciting and different
experience to get in contact with these animals.
Many thrilling and entertaining events hit
this little town in one weekend. The Norco Fair
always has family fun, crazy rides, and displays
representing just about everything.
“It was an entertaining experience, and tons of
fun cannot wait for next years fair!” said junior,
Sarah Beld, who attended the fair on Friday and
Sunday.
The Norco Fair
is a place where many
of the Norco citizens get
together and have fun as
a family.
No Pageant at the Norco Fair
The Norco
Fair button
By Brianna Champhiman
Pageants have been a very important
part of Norco for many years. This year, the
Norco Fair lacked one of its many traditions,
the Miss Horsetown USA Pageant.
Riley Hunsucker, the winner of many
Norco titles, including Miss Pre-teen Norco,
said the fair just wasn’t the same this year. “It
felt really weird to not have a pageant at the
fair for the first time.” Hunsucker has been
competing in pageants since she was one and
has made many lifelong friends and memories
through Norco pageants. One of her favorite
pageant memories was when she won Miss
Pre-teen Norco and her best friend, Alyssa
Ackling, got to crown her. Hunsucker will miss
the pageants and hopes that they will be brought
back next year.
Sydney Bates, a first year competitor in
Norco pageants, was crowned Miss Horsetown
USA last year at the Norco Fair. She said she
had an amazing experience competing and was
thrilled to win her first Norco pageant title.
She was hoping to compete again and was
disappointed when she found out that they were
not having one this year. Bates is currently a
judge and MC for the Cali Kisses pageants.
Chloe Hatfield, a pageant girl since she
was four, has held nearly every top Norco title
there is. She has made many lifelong friends
and great memories during her pageant career.
Hatfield stated, “I make at least two or three
new friends at every pageant I compete in.”
She also mentioned that the Norco pageants
were not just about winning, but also about
the girls from Norco coming together to
compete and have a good time. She wishes the
Norco pageants would be brought back, and
is currently preparing for Ms. California Teen
USA in January. “If it wasn’t for the Norco
pageants, I would not be where I am today,”
said the competitor.
Norco News
The Norconian Resort Supreme
By Sydney Bates and Bailey Reed
Imagine it is February 2, 1929, and
Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Tarawa. In 1950,
Norco’s founder, Rex B. Clark, is cutting the
the hospital closed and the Navy announced
red satin ribbon out front the Lake Norconian
their entire missile research and development
Clubhouse. The former resort was a playhouse program would move into the old hotel. But,
for the rich and famous, a place where stars,
the Korean War broke out and the Navy
athletes, and the eccentrically wealthy escaped decided to use the south end of the old resort
the stresses of their daily lives and perused
for the missile program and the north end for
pleasure.
a reopened hospital. In 1957, the hospital
To many current Norco citizens, this
closed for good and the beautiful Norconian
is not even remotely familiar. Although the
sat empty for five years. In 1963, the north
Norconian resort covered over seven hundred
part of the old Norconian hit yet another bump
acres and is located in the city, many citizens
in the road when it was taken over by the
are unaware of its existence.The idea for the
State Prison System. Now, instead of guests
resort came about when Norco’s founder, Rex or patients, prisoners were moved straight into
B. Clark, discovered hot, sweet sulfur water
the once luxurious suites and hospital wings.
under the district. He knew he had hit gold and For several years, great lengths were taken to
immediately made plans to create the resort.
see that the hotel, itself, remain undamaged,
After opening in 1929, the resort grew and prison labor took care of the beautiful
rapidly in popularity and was considered
grounds.
the “place to be” for the rich and famous.
In 2000, the hotel was protectively
Unfortunately, the Great Depression struck
placed on the National Register of Historical
just as the hotel was starting to pick up
Places. Unfortunately, in 2002, the state of
clientele. With a dissolved stock market and
California was no longer able to pay the
poverty stricken nation, trips to the “Resort
expenses for keeping up the grandiose former
Supreme” became out of the question for
hotel, declared the building seismically unsafe
many Americans, even those who had been
and it was completely abandoned.
considered upper class.
The Lake Norco Club Foundation is
th
Tragedy struck on December 7 with
one of few organizations that have put time
the attack on Pearl Harbor, and on December
and effort into saving this once great piece
8, 1941, the Lake Norconian Supreme Resort
of Norco’s history. In fact, the foundation
was taken over by the military and the Corona has been awarded numerous awards for their
Naval Hospital was created. The Norconian
valiant efforts to save the hotel. One main
again managed to prosper, but in a different
reason they haven’t been successful is because
light. The
the hotel is not
Norconian
well known. By
hotel
spreading the word
suites were
about this one of
immediately
a kind, Southern
used as
California
hospital
Jewel, Norco
rooms and
is getting the
surgery was
chance to save
performed in
one of the most
the ballroom
important, and
and lounges.
forgotten, parts of its
The hot
history.
springs spa
Currently,
was used
city council
to treat
members
polio and
are deciding
Rheumatic
whether or not
Fever
to try to restore
victims
the old hotel
The Lake Norconian Hotel currently.
and a huge
and re-open it.
building
The vote was
program was begun that would make the
3-2 for the re-opening, but the vote needs
Corona Naval Hospital the Navy Hospital in
to be 4-1 to pass.
the nation. And, the same Hollywood stars
who once visited the Norconian as guests now
came to entertain the men and women who had
been injured at Pearl Harbor, and every battle
in the Pacific during World War II, including
Mayor Bash is the head of this new
project. He feels that this project is important
to the citizens of Norco, so we can remember
our past and celebrate it in the future. “If you
want to see it, and you want your grandkids to
see it, you better speak up,” stated Mayor Bash
during an interview. The prison is most likely
going to be closed and speeches are going to
be held to gain awareness about the site. Water
damage is beginning to ruin the inside of the
beautiful building and will eventually destroy
this historic monument.
In a town so full of pride, there should
be more than enough to save such a fantastic
and wonderful historical building: The Lake
Norconian Supreme Resort.
The Lake Norconian Hotel in its
early years.
The Lake Norconian Hotel
during its opening.
Neil Armstrong: A True Space Pioneer
By Jason Siegel
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk
on the moon, passed away at the age of 82,
leaving behind a legacy of space exploration.
Growing up in Wapakoneta, Ohio,
flying planes grew to be one of Armstrong’s
biggest interests. He worked multiple jobs to
pay for flying lessons and earned his pilot’s
license when he was only sixteen. In 1949,
his studies in college were cut short because
he was called to serve in the Korean War
as a Navy Pilot. In 1962, Armstrong joined
what was to become the renowned space
organization, NASA. He was promoted to be
an astronaut the same year. His first major
assignment was to pilot the Gemini 8 on
March 16, 1966, where he became the first
person to dock two vehicles in space.
In July of 1969, Armstrong was a part
of the first team of explorers to endeavor to
the moon. As the mission’s commander for
Apollo 11, he flew the Lunar Module to the
number of achievements such as The Royal
landing point. He became the first person
Geographic Society’s Gold Medal, The
to not only land a craft on
Federation Aeronautique
the moon, but made the
International’s Gold Space
first steps anyone has ever
Medal, and the American
taken on the dusty surface,
Astronautical Society
as millions of people were
Flight Achievement Award,
in awe as they watched
Armstrong had proven to
on television. Doing so,
be successful with the path
Armstrong said one of
he chose. He even accepted
the most famous quotes
a teaching position at the
in American history,
University of Cincinnati.
Since his passing,
“That’s one small step for
he has left a legacy of
man, one giant leap for
space exploration and has
mankind.” After two hours
contributed greatly not only
of collecting samples of
to the NASA organization,
powder from the moon,
Neil Armstrong taking his but to America as well.
the members of Apollo
first steps on the moon.
11 returned to Earth
with their discoveries.
Through a
The Effects of Marijuana
By Xochitl Barrios
By Daniela Zaragoza
A new study
suggests that
teenagers who smoke
marijuana at least
4 to 5 times a week
will experience
a higher loss of
IQ points before
reaching adulthood
in comparison to the
average person.
Many New
Zealand researchers
have been studying
the causes and
effects of marijuana
for a decade. They
have found that
an adolescent who
smokes marijuana
often could lose an
average of eight IQ
points between the
ages of 13 and 38.
This has not been
seen by those who
began smoking in
adulthood.
Some effects of
heavy pot smoking
are decreases
in memory,
concentration, and
overall brain-power
in relation to their
peers. Problems, such
as these were proven
to be more sever on
those who began
smoking in their
adolescence.
The problems
that can come with
a lower IQ are poor
performances in jobs
and loss of income.
Some researchers
believe that because
Bullied Teen
the brain is still in
development during
adolescence, the
problems are more
damaging than in
adulthood.
Other research
suggests that not-soheavy- pot smokers
might have the same
decline in IQ as
someone who does
frequently. There
are still many tests
to be conducted, but
in the meantime, the
conclusion still stands
that one can have
a lower IQ due to
smoking pot, and the
consequences it could
bring are severe.
Fourteenyear-old Nadia Ilse
underwent ear surgery
this past August after
being picked on and
called names about
her ears.
While most
teenagers worry
about looks, fitting,
and normal teenage
things, Nadia worries
about how much she’s
going to be bullied
every day. She and
her mother decided to
resolve the problem
by drastic measures:
getting a new face.
She underwent a nose
job, a chin implant,
and had her ears
pinned back.
On her first
day of 9th grade just a
few weeks ago, Nadia
wore her hair up to
show off her new ears.
She even received
compliments from a
former bully about her
new look.
Nadia said that
every day of school
used to be a nightmare
because of the
constant teasing about
her appearance, some
kids even going so far
as to call her Dumbo
after the huge-eared
Disney character.
According to
ABCnews.com, her
mother said about her
daughter’s surgery
that “it’s no different
than somebody having
teeth that require
braces; if you had
teeth that stuck out,
wouldn’t you go to
the dentist and have
braces put on?”
Mrs. Ilse
turned to the Little
Baby Face Foundation
for help. Dr. Thomas
Romo, the president
of the organization,
found Nadia’s story
inspiring and offered
to do the surgery at no
cost.
Sadly, Nadia’s
story of being bullied
rings true to many
kids today. Teasing
and tormenting
anyone for any reason
is wrong. Any person
being bullied should
tell an adult so that
someone can step in
and help.
Entertainment
FYF Fest Sees Summer Out With a Bang
By Alexa Diaz
FYF Fest 2012 proved to be a hit Labor atmosphere didn’t prove perfect for some such
Adult Swim gave out a free shirt to anyone who
Day weekend attracting SoCal music fans to
as Dylan Quintero who said, “I love FYF. I hate got in line.
Los Angeles’s very own State Historic Park.
the dust.”
Although larger names attracted
While temperatures were high so was
Day two of the festival began bright
customers, the most popular booth of the
the excitement in the air as the gates opened
and early as fans began to line up outside the
weekend was the clothing company Love
and fans entered the
Nail Tree. The brand offered
park Saturday afternoon
unique designs whose goal is
and prepared for the
to create “Conversation about
entertainment-filled
topics neglected and often
weekend ahead.
ignored by our world.” The
With four large
popular items sported collegestages, non-stop music,
kid quotes such as “Livin’ on
the most unique of
dreams and 10 cent noodles”
vendors, and all of
and other, mostly taboo, topics
the foods one could
such as the economically
dream up, fans’ only
failing “American dream” and
worries lay with making
the false hopes that come with
sure to put on enough
young love.
sunscreen.
When fans weren’t
Bands such as White
watching a show or shopping
Arrows, The Orwells,
around they could usually be
and Doldrums opened
found posing with or drawing
the festival and gave
on the popular over-sized
festival-goers a taste of
sunglasses that could be seen
what to expect.
around the park. Although,
Fans explore the festival grounds and enjoy live music.
Chairlift took the
many festival attendees also found
main stage Saturday and
shaded spots where they could stop,
gates at a prompt 11am. Hours later, when gates sit, and enjoy the live music with a friend.
performed “Ghost Tonight” and “Take It Out
opened, The Faint, Liars, Yeasayer, Against
On Me” for fans who had cell phones flashing
By the end of the festival, fans such
Me!, and many more took the stages making
and were recording every moment they could.
as Franklin Ligh thanked FYF organizers
Lead singer Caroline Please even announced to the second time around just as memorable as
for “Such an amazing weekend,” and for a
the first. the audience that she was receiving marriage
“beautifully diverse lineup.” It’s safe to say that
While musicians and comedians took
proposals from fans toward the front of the
many FYF fans are more than excited for the
the stages, vendors lined the park with onestage.
2013 festival.
of-kind clothing companies, vintage wear, and
Performances by groups such as The
In all, FYF Fest proved to be a
famous fair-style foods. More popular names
Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Future Islands,
memorable weekend for all festival-goers
Warpaint, Sleigh Bells, and Purity Ring paved
such as Amoeba Records, PETA, and Adult
whether their goal was to crowd surf, scribble
Swim also filled the dusty venue. Amoeba,
the way for even larger performances to take
the most on the extremely large FYF sunglasses
Hollywood’s biggest record store, offered fans
place later in the night.
scattered around the park, or simply to enjoy
the experience of on-site t-shirt printing while
Famous groups such as M83, The
the music and the unity it brings to fans
Growlers, and Refused lit up Saturday night
everywhere.
with lights, bass, and fog leaving audiences
more than satisfied. M83 energetically
performed hits such as “We Own The Sky”
and, their chart-topping track, “Midnight City”
which drove the largest crowd of the day
crazy and brought on dancing, cheers, and the
occasional crowd surfer.
With the tall twinkling buildings in
the background, the metro zooming back and
forth in the distance, and M83’s Anthony
Gonzalez screaming the name of the city itself
at spectators, one could not help but feel at the
heart of Los Angeles that night.
By the end of the first day of the event, fans
were already impressed such as Tracy Paxton
who said, “It is an amazing festival. Excellent
line up. Clean . Organized. Thank you (FYF)
Fans pose next to the popular over-sized FYF sunglasses.
for providing it for us.”
Although, the warm and windy
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Entertainment
From the Pages to the Big Screen
By Sydney Fix
Many bookworms dream of seeing
their favorite novel on a movie screen,
however, the film may not always live up to
expectations. Hundreds of books have been
turned into movies, and countless numbers of
them have failed, while few have succeeded.
As any avid reader knows, no feeling
is worse than watching your favorite book
be destroyed by its movie adaptation. This
statement rings true for the majority of
Percy Jackson and the Olympians fans, who
were greeted with immense disappointment
after watching Chris Columbus’s attempt at
recreating Percy Jackson and the Lightning
Thief. Readers have complained that the
movie followed a different storyline than the
books by altering major details and events
such as removing the main antagonist, Kronos,
and having Percy fight another character who
was not introduced until the second book.
The popular Twilight Saga series,
despite its large movie revenue, received
a mixed review from fans. Some blatantly
despise the films, while others say they
enjoyed them aside from a few details that
were skipped. Many fans seem to agree,
however, that the books were better than the
movies.
Despite the many movie adaptations
of novels that have failed, there have been a
few successes that left fans pleased. The Harry
Potter series is undoubtedly one of these
success stories. These movies have grossed
over $8 billion. The support of fans was
evident when Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows Part 2 was released in July of 2011,
earning over $1 billion and setting the record
as the 4th highest grossing film of all time, as
well as the highest grossing film of 2011. One
fan is quoted saying, “I think the story will
live on for a long time because both those who
read the books and didn’t read can still connect
because of such a great adaptation.”
The Lord of the Rings series and The
Hunger Games not only impressed their
audience, but also critics. The Lord of the
Rings trilogy was nominated for 30 academy
awards and won 17. One critic said about the
Hunger Games, “The movie delivers- and
leaves a memorable aftertaste.” The success
of both movies seems to be the director’s
ability to capture J.R.R. Tolkien’s and Suzanne
Collins’s world and display onscreen what
people had envisioned while reading the
books.
Once every lifetime, there will come a
movie adaptation of a book that will surpass
it’s novel in success and popularity. Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory and Forrest Gump
are two of these rare cases. Most people have
seen both films, but of those people, few
have read the books. In fact, many people are
unaware that Forrest Gump was originally a
novel.
Despite their occasional failures, the
trend of turning popular books into movies
benefits those who want to see their favorite
characters come to life and also those who see
a great story on the screen they wouldn’t have
experienced otherwise.
Harry Potter is a popular
million-dollar book series.
Do You Have Any of These Bestsellers
on Your Bookshelves?
By Coutney Clarke
From the top of the bestseller lists to
personal bookshelves, here are some of this
year’s most loved books and series.
Titles such as “Hunger Games,”
“Maximum Ride,” “13 Reasons Why,”
and many more, have taken booksellers by
surprise. Within a few weeks, these books have
made it to the tops of the bestsellers lists and
are still climbing. Series like The Maze Runner
trilogy, I Am Number Four series, Beautiful
Creatures book chain, and a few others have
taken the charts by a storm, being at the top for
multiple weeks and even months.
John Green is an American author
of young adult fiction and a YouTube video
blogger (vlogger) who has also become a #1
Best Selling author on the New York Times
Bestseller list. He is the author of “Looking
for Alaska,” “An Abundance of Katherines,”
“Paper Towns,” “Let It Snow: Three Holiday
Romances - with Maureen Johnson and Lauren
Myracle,” “Will Grayson, Will Grayson - with
David Levithan,” and “The Fault in Our Stars.”
“The Fault in Our Stars” is Green’s
fifth novel intended for young readers. His
first novel “Looking for Alaska” was met
with countless praise and “The Fault in Our
Stars” in no different. It held at number one
on The New York Times Best Seller list for
seven weeks and has been at number two for
another seven weeks. He is also the author of
many short stories including The Approximate
Cost of Loving Caroline, The Great American
Morp, Freak the Geek, and Reasons.
Recently many classics have become
popular. Stories such as “Pride and Prejudice,”
“Scarlet Letter,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Jane
Eyre,” and “Wuthering Heights,” have made
their way back into the interests of many
young readers. These wonderful masterpieces
are still living on their legacies as they make
their recent appearances on the bestsellers and
“Most Read” lists of this year.
Many of us were just born, or were not
born yet when the first of the beloved Harry
Potter series was published. “Harry Potter and
the Philosophers Stone” was just the beginning
of this astounding series. The last installment,
“Deathly Hallows,” was published in 2007,
ten years after the first of the series. The Harry
Potter series became the best-selling series in
history as of June 2011. The book series has
sold over 450 million copies and has also been
translated into 67 languages. The last four
books are successively setting records as the
fastest-selling books in history.
Not far behind Harry Potter is The
Hunger Games series. This saga has kept its
spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List
for an astonishing 105 weeks. It has appealed
to both females and male, and young and old
reading interests for months on end, but what
is it that makes it so interesting? It is said the
fact that it brings you to reality, and it is not
just another love story, is what makes it appeal
to most of the young readers. Even though
there is a small love triangle going on, that’s
not the main focus of the series. The Hunger
Games trilogy is about a dystopian world
where children are sent to fight against each
other to the death as entertainment. This leads
to rebellion, and fighting for what is right.
These books have made it to the tops of
the bestsellers lists for a reason, and encourage
you to find out what those reasons are.
Journalism 2012-2013
Left to right: Courtney
Clarke, Sabrina Alcala, and
Sydney Fix.
Left to right: Jennifer Xu, Xochitl
Barrios, and Daniela Zaragoza.
Left to right: Tobi Katz
and Sydney Bates.
Left to right: Alfonzo Mota, Jason
Seigel, and Cole Baumeister.
Left to right: Becca
Left to right: Emily Patton, Cierra
Valadez, Bailey Reed, Alexa
McClure, Brianna Champiman,
Diaz, and Tori Fernandez.
and Kristie Arreola
Vote for Katie Yates
and Travis Ayala for
Homecoming King and
Queen!
Photo Credits to: en.wikipedia.org, urbanpainting.co, www.koozie.com, www.childtrendsdatabank.
org, www.csmonitor.com, everydayisafilter.wordpress.com, 3.bp.blogspot.com, www.ecreativeim.com,
www.frontpagejunky.com, www.fanpop.com, www.asainfoodgrocer.com, laaggreator.wordpress.com,
freevectorlogos.org, http://www.lake-winnipesaukee-travel-guide.com
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