Spirit Week Starts with a Wimper and

Volume LXXIX Issue 2
December 2003
GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Another Year
at Number One
The Rivalry...The Tradition…"The East L.A. Classic"
BY: AMY ROMERO AND MANUEL VARGAS
Despite this years loss, the East L.A.
Classic remains a cherished tradition. It
all began in 1926, when the Garfield
Bulldogs and the Roosevelt Roughriders
played for the first time. The game marked
the beginning of a tradition that is now
known as the East L.A. Classic. Its also
known to be the the biggest high school
football game west of the Mississippi.”
Since both high schools are located in
East L.A. and only three miles apart, a
rivalry was born. Garfield and Roosevelt
students and alumni attend the game to support not only their school but its players as
well, as both teams play for respect and to
represent their community. It has become a
tradition when alumni and students meet
and cheer their team on to victory.
The tradition goes on to this day, but the
rivalry began in the late nineteen-twenties,
not then known as the Classic. The game
was held at either schools football field
until 1951 when it was moved to Weingart
Stadium at East Los Angeles College
(ELAC). The game attracted so much
attention from the community that it was
moved to accommodate rising attendance.
A bright spot in the history of the Classic
includes Mike Garrett who won the
Heisman Trophy in 1965. In high school,
Garret played for Roosevelt and scored six
touchdowns in the 1961 game. He went on
to attend USC and eventually played in the
NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in the
late 1960s. After his career with the
Chiefs ended, he returned to USC to
become an athletic director.
In 1972, Vic Loya and Al Chavez (football coaches for Garfield and Roosevelt,
respectively), along with publicity director
The sun rises over an empty campus. Its a
cool morning, and the fields of Garfield are
still moist with morning dew. Walking into
school, the beating of drums, the sound of
flutes, trumpets and tubas are off in the distance. On the football field flags wave in the
air as drill team practices. Garfields
Marching Band practices every morning and
their dedication pays off by taking first place
at city championships.
It takes great dedication for a student to
become a band member. Practices are very
time consuming. The band practices every
morning, after school, and on weekends.
Band demands a lot of each students time.
Practicing to remain number one is very
challenging, but its a small sacrifice compared to the rewards. Its obvious to anyone
who has seen the band perform that their
long arduous hours of practice really pay off,
as was the case at the competition on
October 25 at Chaffey High School where
the Garfield Marching Band took
Sweepstakes, an award that is better than
first place. Drill Team took first place and
drum line took second. Their great performances have resulted in numerous trophies
proudly exhibited in the band room.
According to Joe Enriquez, the current band
instructor, a band member must be, dedi cated...setting up a goal and not giving up till
the very end. Rodney Quinones, a member of the drumline said his reason for
becoming a band member was to be part
of a championship team.”
A key difference from last year, is the
change in leadership. For all returning band
members, this is the first year without Mr.
Manyweather. After 36 years as band
instructor, Mr. Manyweather retired, leaving
the marching band with championship legacy. Many wondered if the loss of Mr.
Manyweather would change the outcome of
the city championships. As the assistant
band director for the past six years, Mr.
Enriquez continues the teachings of Mr.
Manyweather. As a senior band member,
Jessica Porras said, there are similarities
between Mr. Manyweather, and Mr.
Enriquez, as both believe A perfect practice
makes a perfect performance.
After graduating from Garfield in 1995, Joe Enriquez
moved to San Bernandino and became a
band instructor for Riverside Community
Band continued on page 2
CRIS ZURITA
Garfield’s very own “Blues Brothers”
Auggie Marroquine, Cris Zurita, Jose Luis
Jimenez, and Brian Rivera.
BY: ALEJANDRO CARRILLO
Players ready to rumble at this year’s Classic.
and popular game announcer Ted Davis
met at the game. It was then, that they
coined the term The East L.A. Classic.”
School activities started taking place at
Garfield and Roosevelt as the rivalry
grew. These activities prepared players
for the big game and motivated students
to attend. One popular activity that continues to this day is Spirit Week. This is
when students decorate school buildings
to cheer and prepare their teams as they
prepare to face-off against their rival.
During Spirit Week students are urged
to show their school spirit by wearing
school colors.
In 2000, The Classic was once again
moved to the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum near the Sports Arena. Publicity
directors expect attendance figures at
30,000 for years to come as this high
school game attracts even larger crowds.
This years Classic was the 69th matchup between Garfield and Roosevelt. The
CRIS MARTINEZ
overall record is held by the Roughriders,
with thirty-seven wins. Since the game
was moved from ELAC to the Coliseum,
the Bulldogs have had no luck and have
lost the past four years. Even after a 41-0
defeat by Roosevelt in the 2000 Classic,
Garfield still holds the record for the
most lopsided game in the series as they
beat the Roughriders 54-10 in 1995. The
attendance for this years game was the
smallest, at approximately 12,000.
Garfield might have not expected to win,
but certainly not to be shut-out 33-0.
Unfortunately that turned out to be the
final score on Saturday, November 8,
2003. Its
great to practice here, its great
for the kids. But as far as playing, I would
rather play at ELAC, says Coach Wicks.
For many, the game still turned out to be a
very exciting experience. Even for the
players on the field playing their hearts out
and giving it their all. Its one of the
Classic continued on page 4
Spirit Week Starts with a Wimper and Ends in a Roar
BY: ALEJANDRA SOTO
It was the week before the big game. The
atmosphere was different, the whole
school had one thing on its mind. The
football players eyes were hungry for
victory. The football players and student
body were eager to put an end to the threeyear loosing streak. Another loss was far
from everyones mind.
During Fridays Pep Rally, the bleachers
were filled with students dressed in red and
blue showing their school spirit. The students were excited. The Pep Rally was a
motivation for everyone, including the
football players. To everyones disappointment, the Varsity team wasnt able to
attend, but all went well either way.
Everyone was thrilled when Band, Drill,
and Cheer performed giving the audience a
preview of the half-time show for The
Classic. The crowd was extremely proud
to see their fellow classmates perform so
well. Coach Hernandez gave a speech
guaranteeing to win this years Classic”
and the crowd went wild, clapping and
screaming as if there were no tomorrow.
When the Pep Rally was over everyone felt
confident our team would win this year.
Friday morning, students were absolutely delighted with the beautifully decorated
halls. As students entered the main building, they were completely amazed by what
they saw. Taking the first few steps into
school they came across balloon arcs and a
dog house. Walking further in, they saw
emblems representing cheer, drill, football, and leadership. Everything in red,
white, and blue. There were balloons,
posters, and banners with Class of 2004”
written on them. On the second floor
black, gold, and silver balloons and with a
foil paper walkway lined the hall.
Approaching the second floor, balloons
and stars could be seen. It was movie
star material. Balloons and stars with
Class of 2005 all over the ceiling.
Seeing the main building, students were
more motivated to see the rest of the halls.
The Sophomore Hall was poorly decorated, and everything seemed to have been
done in matter of minutes. There was no
theme, balloons were
mismatched, the red
carpet was uneven.
The decorations were
badly done.To everyones disappointment, the Class
of 2008 didnt do anything.
The Senior Hall cheered
everyone up, giving everyone
a sense of school pride.
Franchesca
Corcoran
commented, Seeing
the Senior Hall
inspired me to go
to the game and
cheer for Garfield, it just gave me so much
school spirit, which I didnt think I had.”
Although very nicely decorated, the Junior
Hall didnt show a lot of school spirit due
to the fact that they didnt use the schools’
colors. Instead choosing something unique
by going with a black, gold, and silver
theme. Either way students were very
pleased with the Senior and Junior Halls.
The beginning of the week started off
slow due to the rain. There was hardly
anything up. There were no balloons,
posters, or banners that indicated it was
spirit week. On Wednesday a few posters
were up, but not enough to show school
spirit. Poster hanging from the bleachers
declared LETS
SHOW ROSIE WHAT
WERE MADE OF and
IF
ROSIE THINKS
THEYRE NUMBER
ONE,
THEYRE
W R O N G . ”
Unfortunately, hardly
anybody knew it was
spirit week, until
Thursday and Friday came along. As one
faculty member stated, It seemed more
like Spirit Day, than Spirit Week.”
Activities for the first half of the
week seemed unplanned.
Spirit Week continues on page 2
2
FEATURES
THE GARFIELD LOG
DECEMBER 2003
And the Winner is...
SAHID BACHA
Garfield’s 2003 Homecoming Court from left to right; Jonathon Iniguez- Freshman Prince,
Erika Reynoso -Freshman Princess, Erik Robles - Senior Prince, Susana Contreras - Senior
Princess, Minerva Franco - Queen, Manuel Arias - King, Jasmine Serrano - Junior Princess,
Octavio Rivas - Junior Prince.
Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
BY: ALEJANDRA SOTO
Its the week before Homecoming and
theres a lot to be done. Working on this
project is all the Homecoming Committee
can think about. Hardly anytime can be
wasted, everything is hectic, one minute
lost sets everything behind. This is how
Student Council is year round.
The members of Student Council work
behind the scenes; planning every event to
make sure they are successful. Not only
that, they also represent the student body
when anyone from the district comes. By
being part of the student council they have
to set an example for the rest of their peers.
According to Wendy Lopez, Senior Class
President, Being part of student council is
good practice because it not only helps you
be more dynamic around school, but
because it helps you to prepare for the
future and the real world. It helps you
develop techniques on public speaking,
personal communication skills, parliamentary procedure skills, conflict resolution
skills, event planning and facilitation skills,
financial management skills, cooperation
skills, and time management skills.”
Student Council, otherwise known as
Leadership, isnt all fun and games. Its
exactly the opposite. It consists of hard work,
responsibility, and dedication. It is required
to be present every school day, even when
your off track; the class is year- round. Many
people join student council thinking its not
too much work, their main reason being to
become more involved around school. Jesus
Meneses, Student Body Treasurer, added,
Sure, it does help you to become more
involved, but being involved means to be
willing to do all the work that is required
when your part of the student council.”
Brenda Jaime, Senior Class Treasurer, adds,
being part of student council is fun and
stressful at the same time; theres a lot of
work that has to be done to get things done.”
Student Council consists of several committees which are dedicated to one specific
area, whether it is finance, student services,
entertainment, technology, senior issues, or
publicity. Most of the work done by these
committees is for the benefit of the school.
They work hard to acknowledge and recognize students who have maintained a good
grade point average and those who have
managed to excel in sports or any type of
activity. Throughout the year theyre working hard to make the school year full of fun
events and activities that everyone can take
part in. Theyr e constantly helping out with
delicate matters, such as: collecting canned
foods for low-income families during
Thanksgiving, raising money to help out
with local calamities (i.e. the wildfires, the
death of a student), helping the Red- Cross
with their blood drives, and helping with
the environment by taking part in the recycling program. Whether it is a dance, or
some other kind of project, they are always
busy.
Monica Arellano, Student Body
President, said, When I took office I
knew that it was be a lot of hard work and
responsibility, but I didnt imagine it
would be so much. I believe that we all
feel the same way, everybody joins thinking it wont be too crazy, but the truth of
the matter is, every day is chaotic.
Members of Student Council arent the
only ones who are busy throughout the
year. Mr. Montes, advisor for the past
three years, has the most responsibility.
He makes sure that everyone has something to do and that they are doing what
they are suppose to. Mr. Montes also manages to put in extra time; although he
doesnt get paid for the extra hours, he
does it because its
a privilege to help out
and because [he] loves to be part of a
group that is so motivated to help others.”
Mr. Montes took this position thinking it
wouldnt be too much work and because
it would be an interesting experience to
work with students outside of the classroom, he believes it is important for the
students of the school to be involved and
to know what is going on.
For almost everyone, Student Council
has been a good experience. David Reynoso,
Student Body Historian, even dared to state
that student council has revolutionized [his]
school life. [He] attends the majority, if not
all, of the activities and [he actually] thinks
he has become part of school, not only academically, but socially as well.”
Mr. Montes notes that this opportunity has
allowed [him] to work with students, not
only on an academic bases, but in a more personal level. [He] has been able to see his students grow to become mature adults. Overall
it has been a good experience for [him], even
though it means spending many hours of
[his] time taking care of school matters.”
Adriana Quezada concluded, The Student
Council is like a small community, everyone
is there to help each other. Committees are
always working hard to get their assignments done because if one committee is
behind it sets back everyone else. So, everyone works at the same rate, keeping track of
each other.”
Band continued from page 1
Spirit Week continued from page 1
Middle School. In 1997 he was asked to
become the assistant instructor for Garfield
High Schools marching band, a job which
he most graciously accepted. After six years,
he became the current band instructor. He
attributes his recent success to his mentor,
Mr. Manyweather. I feel that Ive been really successful because I learned a lot from
Mr. Manyweather.”
On Saturday, November 14, 2003 our
marching band took first place at the LAUSD
City Championships, for its fourth year in a
row. As we celebrate the bands fourth year
being city champs, we cant help but admire
the passion and dedication for music that the
band members together with instructor Joe
Enriquez demonstrate. Confident that the
Garfield Marching band will remain number
one for many years to come.
Monday was dull and there was hardly anything that showed school spirit. The activity
for that day was a Teddy Toss Contest,”
similar to Hot Potato, but instead using a
teddy bear with a Roosevelt T-shirt. Not
many participated because it was moved
into the auditorium due to the rain. The noon
dance held on Tuesday barely advertised the
The Classic, consisting of repeated music,
the game only being mentioned once.
Wednesdays activity, couples having to
pop a balloon while dancing was more
organized, but there were no prizes, thus not
many participants.
After getting off to a rocky start with the
rain and the lack of advertisement, Spirit
Week slowly got better by the end of the
week. Full of school spirit by Friday, everyone was talking or thinking about the game.
EDITORIAL
A Sigh Relief From Our Bulldogs
As most of us here in Garfield may already know, bus mechanics working for the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) were on strike since October 14,
when approximately 2,200 MTA mechanics had walked off the job. The MTA
mechanics were demanding for better health benefits and better wages . In support, MTA bus drivers had also decided to participate in the MTA strike. Various
sources stated that the bus drivers were on strike to show their respect for the
mechanics strike on the MTA (which many of us Garfield students found to be
irrelevant). Los Angeles Countys chief economist had stated that the MTA strike
was costing about $4,000,000 each day in lost business, wages and personal
incomes. Many of us felt that having the strike wasnt at all worth the risk of
destroying our economy, and leaving people without transportation; however, we
all have to think for a moment and put ourselves in the position that the MTA strikers were in. Receiving health benefits is an extremely important necessity here in
the United States. Without having any health insurance, families would be forced
to pay tens of thousands of dollars to hospitals, dentists, etc. if medical emergencies were to occur. Personally, after hearing those facts, my point of view towards
the strikers was definitely steered to a direction more in their favor.
Thankfully though, it was announced that on Monday, November 17, a deal was
worked out with the MTA workers, which had a panel of mediators settle the
healthcare issues and MTA buses started appearing on the streets again. By
Wednesday, November 19, all MTA bus routes were operational again, which
gave many of us a great sense of relief. A lot of us here at Garfield were definitely feeling the impact of the strike, but we werent the only ones. An estimated,
400,000 people a day, were unable to take the bus during the strike. Many people were finding it difficult to get to places, which were once simple to get to not
too long ago. Some of our parents, who take buses, were having a harder time
getting to their jobs. There were a few situations that were announced in which
workers were being fired from their jobs for not showing up on time. Many Garfield
students, including myself, found that to be outrageous and completely unnecessary. A lot of us felt that the people, who were getting fired were under circumstances, in which were simply out of their power to deal with and probably
shouldve even been excused, depending on what their situation was. The strike
had somehow even had an unfortunate effect on our local traffic. It was estimated that our local traffic had increased about 6% since the strike had begun, which
might not sound like too much right? Wrong! Considering that our traffic numbers
are way too high as it is, 6% wouldve definitely made a significant increase in the
number vehicles on the road. People, who werent even using MTA buses, were
suffering the consequences of the strike too!
After interviewing many of the students here at our school about the MTA strike,
the responses we received pretty much all had the same basic idea. Most of us
here at Garfield felt that the strike wasnt fair for us at all. A lot of us here were
having to get up extra early in the morning to get to school or having to leave
school extra late and in some cases, both. There were also some of us, who had
missed whole days of school due to the lack of transportation. Following the grueling schedule of coming early and leaving late, had really interfered with our
homework and our after school activities. Some of us felt that the MTA strike was
just a big waste of time and energy. However, there were also a lot of us who felt
that the MTA mechanics really deserved the benefits they were demanding for,
but at the same time, we were also wishing that the situation never went as far as
it did. At least now, us students can take the MTA buses like before and dont have
to worry about coming to school too early or staying too late. Maybe after having
to endure many of the consequences of the strike, most of us will remember not
to take simple things like this for granted.
—Tony Lopez
In response to an article published in the October issue of The Log, Gilbert Parada
responds to his critics
While the majority who have read the article in its entirety feel that it is unbiased, I
have been attacked by those who dont understand its content and claim that it is
unfair.
It was my intent to give the reader the facts. What I believe I revealed is that the
cheerleading squad seems to be nothing like the negative stereotypes that are given
to them by others.
While I do stand by my article and its merits, I would like to sincerely apologize for
any misrepresentation that anyone may have had.
NEWS 3
THE GARFIELD LOG
DECEMBER 2003
Costume’s
Delight Students
Dude, Where’s My Scholarship?
BY VICTORIA BARRIOS
BY MYRNA SANDOVAL
Halloween is the one day of the year
when someone wearing a cape to school
doesnt get laughed at. Monsters and fictional characters are a common sight.
Garfield High was no exception this year.
CRIS MARTINEZ
Students dress up from Tinker Bell to Jocelyn Soto, Lucina Lomeli, and
Chespirito, and from the Mario Brothers Franchesca Corcoran smile for the camera.
to a couple of party boys.”
The annual Halloween Contest is always a sight to see. About forty-five students
participate in the contest. The contest is held during lunch in front of the seven
hundred building. Students crowd around the mall area to decide which costume
they think is the best. The contestants are presented one by one, and individually
parade in a circle in front of the mall area. After all the contestants are presented,
the music starts and they all begin to parade in a circle as they try to win the crowds
support. After the music stops the contestants are lined up and the disqualification
begins. The contestants are picked by the response of the crowd. The six costumes
selected this year as finalists were Chispirito, the three devils, Tinker Bell, a
French maid, the Mario Brothers, and the two party boys.”
The finalists narrowed down to the Mario Brothers and the party boys. This
year the party boys Eric Robles and Sergio Arrizon were the winners. Some people think that Chispirito should have won, as he represented the meaning of
Halloween. Eric and Sergio won movie tickets to the movie of their choice. They
pranced around the crowd dancing with students, and unbuttoning their shirts.
After Eric and Sergio gave one last performance the contest was over.
Strokes on Fire
BY MYRNA SANDOVAL
CRIS MARTINEZ
Juan Mexicano came disguised as the
infamous Chespirito.
Suspicious and impatient by nature, The
Strokes new album
Room on Fire, is
more or less the same
as their previous album
Is
This It.
Both
albums have a high pumping sound that
gets people hiked up. Room on Fire is
faster and gives a glimpse of the dark side
of The Strokes.
The Strokes, who made Room on Fire,”
are not the outrageous overnight sensations of two years ago. Their songs are
more succinct and unforgiving this time
around. In the song Reptila,
instruments
intervene with their grinding guitar, and
one-note pumping bass. Singer Julian
Casablancas sings with a unique voice that
can chill the very marrow of your bones.
The lyrics to Automatic Stop are gruesome: Im not your friend/ I never was”
is set to a reggae beat. In The Way It is”
there is a lot of compression on the high
speed bass, guitars and drums. One of the
best things about this album is that The
Strokes resisted the temptation to change
their sound completely. Dont
slow me
down, if Im going too fast, Casablancas
sings in Reptila.
This record is not for
comfort or purity; its built for a room full
of thrills and speed.
Every year hundreds and thousands of
dollars go to waste because students are
not aware of financial services available to
help them pay for college. Many students
dont know that scholarships and grants
are available to undocumented students
and students of minority backgrounds.
The money is free and does not have to be
paid back. There are many techniques that
can be used to receive this aid, such as creative essay writing or figuring out the
requirements. One must be careful with
what theyre applying to, even if it sounds
great.
One big misunderstanding about scholarships is that they are only awarded to students in the top ten percent of their class or
to those with a grade pint average (G.P.A)
of 3.5 and above. In fact, many have a
simple requirement of only a 2.0 G.P.A..
Associations and foundations often
require only an essay and a completed
application, but many students think they
wont qualify and end up passing on great
opportunities.
Two years ago, The California State
Legislature passed the law AB 540. This
law stated that, Students who live in
California for three years and graduate
from a high school in California pay the
same tuition as a resident.
This law
opened the door for undocumented students to receive much needed help. Many
programs and foundations are now helping
undocumented and under privileged students. Some of these foundations include
AHPE Corporate Scholarship, Fulfilling
Our Dreams Scholarship Fund, Aztec
Scholarship Fund Academic Awards, and
the Beca Foundation, which are all nonprofit foundations and open to all educational fields of study. The Fulfilling Our
Dreams Scholarship Fund which started
in 1998, awards fifty scholarships ranging from $500-$2,500
Many foundations give scholarships to
students studying or planning to study a
certain subject. For example the American
Bar Association (ABA) - Legal
Opportunity Scholarship Fund awards
scholarships up to $5,000 worth of financial assistance. It is intended to encourage minority students to attend law
school in addition to provide financial aid
for those in need. One must only be a
U.S. resident with a 2.5 G.P.A. and planning to study law.
Scholarships are not only offered in academic subjects, but also for those interested in the arts. Help is offered to students
interested in studying photography, journalism, communications, or other liberal
arts majors. One of the many non-profit
foundations is the National Television
Academy (NTA) grants two students with
a scholarship of $40,000 each. This award
is for students who intend to major in
telecommunications or any similar communications-related field.
Like always you should be careful about
what youre applying to and what youre
signing. In every profession there are hard
working people but there are those who
are less than ethical. There are a few
things one can look out for to prevent any
misfortunes. For example, if youve
received a letter claiming there is an abundant amount of money in scholarships just
waiting to be claimed and all it costs is
$50, be wary. Scholarships provide financial aid for students who cannot afford
college and do not require any form of repayment. Another way to identify a scam
is the classic claim Scholarships guaranteed or your money back. There are many
scams, some as foolish as If you enroll
tonight the cost is only $800.00. If it
sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Always be aware of possible scams.
Preparation is crucial in the process of
applying to anything; some of the basic
techniques are to follow the application
procedures. In the essay be creative;
include personal achievements, life experiences, and other information that would
make you a good candidate. Gather five
letters of recommendation from teachers,
counselors, ministers, or employers and
make sure they are aware of where to send
it. Make sure everything is typed, mailed
on time and most importantly make sure
that the information is accurate.
Ways of increasing your chances of getting a scholarship are making sure you are
eligible, being organized and not waiting
until the deadline to send in the application. Send in your applications with updated essays and letters of reference. All
deadlines are from November 14, 2003 to
June 30, 2004.
There are many places to find information on scholarships or answers to questions that one may have. For more informaion, contact Ms. Head, the college advisor, in room 511.
If you would like to do some personal
research check The College Blue Book
25th Edition & The 2004 Hispanic
Scholarship Directory, which can be
found in the library. Another good
resource is the internet. Sites such as:
www.finaid.org, www.nasfaa.org, and
www.fastweb.com provide scholarship
information. Other good places to look are
religious, cultural, and professional organizations.
There are many more scholarships available. All it takes is a little commitment,
dedication, and hard work.
Students Stand United in Hope for Change
Editor-in-Chief:
Alejandra Soto
Managing Editor/
Illlustrator:
News/Sports Editor:
Copy Chief:
Copy Editor:
Photo Editor:
Photographer:
Monica M. Koyama
Evelyn Valdez
Federico Martinez
Tony Lopez
Cristian Martinez
Sahid E. Bacha
Reporters: Victoria Barrios, Alex Carrillo, Brenda
Gerardo, Lizzette Martinez, Sandra Martinez, Lupe
Navarro, Amy Anna Romero, Myrna Sandoval,
Cristian Santos and Manuel Vargas.
Staff: Sergio Guzman, Jose Angulo-Mendez
Contributor: Cris Zurita
Advisor: Arlette Crosland
Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters must be
signed and verifiable in order to be published, but name
will be held upon request. Pseudonyms or initials will not
be accepted. Letters should be sent to [email protected].
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
BY VICTORIA BARRIOS
A lot of students are not aware of how
many clubs we have on campus. United
Students is one of the many clubs that is
working to recruit new members and
improve the learning environment at
Garfield.
United Students is a club that was first
formed at Roosevelt High School ten years
ago and came to Garfield three years ago. It
is currently under the advisement of the program organizer Lizzet Petron and on campus advisement of Mr. Smith, Mr. Rondini,
and Mr. Palacios. This club is open to students of all ethnic backgrounds and grade
levels. Its purpose is to improve school conditions and contributing to policies that
affect students. Monthly workshops are
held to work on building student leadership
and politicizing the student body after
school.
The association believes that all students
should have equal opportunities and the
required classes not only for high school
graduation but for college entry as well.
This organization offers academic services
and college tracking for students planning to
attend college. The service is to help students organize the required classes to get
into the UC or a Cal State systems.
Although many students are not aware of
this club, United Student has been publicized in the LA Times for numerous reasons.
One of them was being recognized for the
tardy room policy, which was abolished at
Roosevelt High School. Another issue was
their battle with the High School Exit Exam,
which they tried to abolish because it was
reducing the number of graduates
Being recognized by the LA Times was
an accomplishment for United Students
but not the only one. Recently the first
educational justice week, which was a
series of political educational workshops
done in many different classes, was another accomplishment for the group.
Following these workshops were twolunch time activities held in front of the
seven hundred building.
With the guidance of the organization
advisor, Lizzete Petron, and the help of the
campus advisors Mr. Smith, Mr. Rondini,
and Mr. Palacios, United Students hopes
to proceed with their organization.
4
SPORTS
THE GARFIELD LOG
DECEMBER 2003
All Bark and No Bite: Bulldogs Routed by Roosevelt Roughriders...Again
BY: CRISTIAN SANTOS
The East L.A. Classic, was played on
Saturday, November 8, at the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum hoping to attract more
attendance than in past years. Garfield
played against Roosevelt for the fourth consecutive year, making it the 69th match-up
in history.
Both teams came out along the sidelines
ready and eager to play under the illuminating lights as the day grew darker. As the
vivid fireworks were launched, both sides
went wild and the coin was flipped, RHS
would receive.
The Garfield Bulldogs went in as the
underdogs, losing the last 3 games since
1999 and looking forward to win, but instead
suffered another loss. The Roughriders routed the Bulldogs by a score of 33 to 0. Coach
Wicks pointed out the errors, Uh, a lot of
turnovers obviously, Roosevelt had a short
field to play on, and all five of their touchdowns came on a short field. But turnovers
did not kill us, not tackling and having our
QB Josh Magana (#1) in the long defense in
the first half is what killed us.”
Garfields punter was put to work constantly and turnover after turnover on every
possession the bulldogs were unable to
score. The Bulldogs started off on the wrong
foot by throwing an interception on their first
possession, it was taken to the opposite end
but was called back since RHS had stepped
out of bounds near the spot of the interception. Garfield answered back intercepting
near their own 20 on a long pass. After that,
RHS completely took over. Roosevelt
scored their first 8 points in the first quarter
and added another 19 in the second, backed
up by 2 more interceptions and a recover by
the special teams defense on a punt return.
The closest the Bulldogs ever came to scoring was near the end of the second quarter
inside the 10-yardline but time was quicker
than them, being left behind in their closest
attempt to score.
At halftime, the bulldogs went into the
locker-room down by 27 points, most of
them looking sad but focused on what strategy they would use to come back from a 27point deficit. Coach Hernandez chose not to
comment on any questions at halftime, but
some players were able to give their thoughts
on the first half. Frank Olivares (#61), Well,
we just have to go out there and play, we
were driving the ball with little mistakes, little mistakes kill people, we just gotta pick it
up, if they can score 27, then we can score
28. Michael Vera (#35) added, Well were
just not executing, were not catching the
ball, were making mistakes on both sides of
the ball, no more mistakes in the second
half. On the other hand, in the opposing
locker-room the Roosevelt coaching staff
ordered Roosevelt players not to answer any
questions. Meanwhile, as the two teams
were preparing inside the locker rooms for
the second half, more action was taking
place out in the field. The Garfield band, the
three year defending champions played very
impressively along with drill team, pumped
up the crowd for the second half. Shortly
after, both teams left the locker rooms into
the field, pumped up and energized to play
the second half and finish the game.
Entering the second half, Garfields
receiver, Daniel Anguiano (#15), suffered a
hard hit with a front and back impact after
completing a catch; he was carried off the
field. The Bulldogs defense managed to
stop Roosevelt from scoring throughout the
third quarter. Despite a fumble recovery by
Seferino Diaz (#40) and the maneuvering
one handed interception by Ricardo Castillo
(#16), the offense was still unable to execute with 1 fumble, and 2 more interceptions in which one of them was picked off
inside the end-zone breaking up
Garfields only chance of scoring. As the
fourth quarter began, the Bulldogs realized there was no chance for victory.
RHS picked off another long pass in
CRIS MARTINEZ
Garfield goes head-to-head taking on Roosevelt at this year’s 69th annual Classic.
which they fumbled, recovered and pitched
back with a great hustle to enlarge their
lead. The Roughriders running back Chris
Hurtado (#18) finished the job breaking
free from the defense on a long run followed by another run to score the last 6
points of the game. Unfortunately Garfield
came up empty handed in the end. We
adjusted in halftime and came out to play
much better. Unfortunately by the time we
adjusted it was too late, they already had 27,
as you can see they only scored one touchdown in the second half, Coach Wicks
explained.
The Bulldogs put very little pressure on
Roosevelts
Quarterback
Nathan
Holloway (#6) and Roosevelts
RB,
Roosevelt took advantage of this by rushing in all their touchdowns.
There was no trace of Coach Hernandez
after the game and GHS players had no
comment to any questions refusing to
speak because of the upset. Fortunately
Coach Wicks was available to give his
opinion on the game and what caused the
stunning loss. Coach Wicks was asked
what Garfield did wrong both offense and
defense, his response was:
“I will think its
not even the
turnovers, turnovers is stopping the
opportunity from scoring, but it doesnt
allow the other team to score, we just
gotta go out there and even if its
turnovers, we gotta stop them from
scoring. So I will look at it collectively,
but uh it was a whole team effort, not
offense not defense just all together.”
Garfield fans and players were crushed
by the outcome of the game. But the
whole evening was not a disappointment
for Garfield. Before the Varsity game at
5:00 pm, Garfields cheer squad performed outstandingly against Roosevelt.
They initially performed against each
other and then joined together as one.
Both schools presented their homecoming courts, pairing up students from both
schools as a demonstration of sportsmanship. I felt nervous, but proud,
Susana Contreras, Senior Princess commented. Garfields King Manuel Arias
was crowned and finally last years
returning Queen, Frances Zepeda,
finalized the ceremony by crowning
Minerva
Franco,
our
2003
Homecoming Queen.
Girls’ Volleyball Aces Its Way into the Record Books
BY: CRISTIAN SANTOS
Girls Varsity Volleyball was undefeated
this year and maintained a 68 and 0 winning streak in their league. Defending their
title on November 5, as Eastern League
champions. The team holds the best sports
record in school history and yet they feel
they do not receive enough support or
recognition. This year they reached city
quarterfinals but lost to Taft, finishing
with a record of 14 and 1.
The team consists of twelve girls (juniors and seniors) under the direction of
Coach Carrie Danchok. This team has
girls with numerous talents, many are
involved in other sports including softball, basketball and cheer. In spite of
Classic continued from page 1
hectic athletic schedules, these girls are
also victors in the classroom. Although
the minimum requirement of a 2.0
Grade Point Average (G.P.A) is needed
to be part of the team, the overall team
G.P.A. is above a 3.0.
Everyday at practice, groups of two or
three play "Queen of the Court" where
one side of the court is the "Queendom"
and the other team must defeat it in
order to enter it. Following this friendly
competition they move on to "Kenjis
Passing Progression", a drill meant to
improve passing skills. After these two
drills, practice is halfway done, and
"Speedball" begins in which they form
two teams, usually starters vs. substi-
Can you dig it? Rosalie Hernandez going deep against Roosevelt at this year’s game.
tutes. The catch is that this drill is nonstop, therefore players must be attentive
at all times; this develops speed and
awareness skills. The final drill is a routine brush-up for the starting line up.
Practicing daily from 3 to 6 pm takes a
toll on a student-athlete, however neither these Bulldogs nor their master are
groaning.
Arriving from Griffith Middle School,
Coach Danchok began as Mr. Dorns
assistant with the Boys J.V. Volleyball
team. Since then, shes been Head
Coach of Girls Varsity for the past nine
years. Successful longevity is what
Coach Danchok hopes for.
Defense is the teams best weapon,
according to Danchok "Other schools
complement us on our digging" she
says. The team is also known for its
indomitable defense and not allowing
the ball to hit the floor.
Despite the loss of six starting players
who graduated last year, the team continues its record-breaking run. This includes
All-City first team and Eastern League
M.V.P. honoree Silvia Apocada and AllEastern League first Team defensive player Cathy Valdez. Leading the team this
year, senior Rosalie Hernandez, will be
missed as well.
These ladies hold their heads up high, play
as one, and kick some serious volleyball butt.
With Coach Danchok at the helm, and a tradition of excellence to live up to, Girls
Volleyball will continue its reign on the
court. For further information, log on to
www.eteamz.com/garfvball.
greatest feelings of all, says Frank
Olivarez, center offense for Garfield.
Theres
nothing better than playing here
in front of all these people, all this crowd,
hearing the excitement...its exciting.”
The rivalry between Garfield and
Roosevelt wont end anytime soon. As long
as both schools are in the same part of the
city, there will always be an East L.A.
Classic for students and alumni to support.
CONGRATULATIONS!
GARFIELD CROSS COUNTRY
TEAM,
Boy’s Varsity placed second at
the State Meet and won "Best
City Team" by beating City
Champs, San Pedro.
Congratulations to
Varsity runners
Valentin Jimenez
Robert Hernandez
Camilo Oropeza
David Cardiel
William Oliver
Francisco Barranco
Juan Gonzalez
Varsity Girls-4th in City
JV Boys-2nd in City
JV Girls-City Champs
Frosh-Soph Boys-City
Champs
Frosh-Soph Girls-4th in City
ALL TEAMS