January 2007 - Taft Union High School

The Gusher
Volume 94, Issue 3
The Voice of the Wildcats
Since 1912
Taft Union High School, 701 Seventh St., Taft, Calif. 93268
January 31, 2007
Artist-turned-speaker Wahl
promotes the “art of vision”
By Courtney Glendening
Features Editor
Motivational speaker and
artist Erik Wahl came to TUHS
on Wednesday, January 24 to
address students about creativity and innovation. The San
Diego resident has consulted
with top businesses like FedEx,
Exxon Mobil and Disney.
Wahl’s artwork is on display
in executive offices throughout
the country and he has lectured
for the Department of Defense,
the London School of Economics and the California School
Board Association.
Wahl began as a business
consultant, but out of frustration with business, he started
painting seven years ago.
“It’s been a wild ride, but
a fun ride,” Wahl said of how
he came to be a motivational
speaker.
Wahl says his presentations
are 50-60% stories about motivation, with the remainder customized for the audience.
The assembly started with a
video of U2’s “It’s A Beautiful
Day” during which Wahl turned
two black canvases into life-like
portraits of Bono and The Edge;
when the song was finished, so
were the paintings. The audience was clearly impressed by
the fact that the images were so
quickly and accurately painted
in front of them.
After this exciting introduction, Wahl talked about tapping
into the mind’s creativity and
plugging new ideas into our everyday lives.
“Look at the future of opportunity as if it were a blank
canvas,” Wahl explained.
He talked about the limitations and pressures that blur
your “vision.” Instead, he suggested, focus on your goals to
create new opportunities.
“There will always be a radical new way to experience your
future,” Wahl explained.
Wahl wrapped up the lecture by demonstrating his experience with “the art of vision.”
He began painting what appeared to be an abstract figure,
but which turned out to be an
upside down portrait of Albert
Einstein.
What was the most important message Wahl wanted to
leave students with? “To think
differently,” Wahl enthused.
“Don’t allow self-imposed limitations or barriers to block future achievements.”
Oil-Technology Academy senior Fontes
wins $20,000 Horatio Alger Scholarship
By Lillie Gervacio
than 100 books having to do essays: one on his goals, one
Staff Writer
with courage, kindness, self- about his past and one about
Senior Marty Fontes has discipline and optimism, which whom he compared himself to.
been chosen to receive a $20,000 were best sellers throughout the Oil-Tech Academy coordinator
scholarship by the Horatio Al- late 1800’s. They are known as Rick Woodson wrote a letter of
ger Scholarship Foundation.
“rags to riches” stories.
recommendation on his behalf
“When I found out, I
His mother, Linda Fontes, and shortly thereafter Fontes
was excited,”
received
an
Fontes recalled.
e-mail asking
“My
famhim to call the
ily was...well,
foundation.
pretty
much
He
learned
speechless.”
that he had
The Horatio
been selected
Alger Scholarfor the scholship is awarded
arship
and
in Washington
would be sent
D.C. in April
a packet for
and the awards
him to fill out.
banquet
will
Fontes
broadcast
fulfills
this
on PBS. It is
scholarship’s
awarded
to
requirements
students who
well, as he has
have a strong
shown during
academic record, Senior Marty Fontes celebrates his scholarship. Photo by B.J. his four years at
Eveland
show strong charTUHS, including
acter and perselearned of the scholarship on three years in the Oil Technolverance, want to help out the the Internet, and wrote a letter ogy Academy.
community and have worked to the foundation explaining
“We in the Oil-Technolto overcome hardships they’ve why her son was a perfect can- ogy Academy are very proud
faced in life.
didate. The foundation agreed
Horatio Alger Jr. wrote more and asked Fontes to write three continued on page 2
Motivational speaker and artist Erik Wahl paints a pop-art
portrait of U2’s Bono in minutes. Photo by Jenny Gonzales
In-School Suspension eliminated
in favor of Saturday School
By Joshua Webb
News Editor
In an attempt to find a much
more effective deterrent for
minor behavior violations, a
group of 30 teachers proposed
a new form of disciplinary action to the board. The motion
to replace In-School Suspension
with a form of Saturday School
passed unanimously when the
board voted on December 17.
The administration hopes to
implement Saturday School as
soon as a few details are ironed
out.
“In-School Suspension isn’t
taken seriously by the students,” said special education
teacher Tom LeClair, a major
proponent of Saturday School.
“We’re trying to create a higher
level of integrity and to correct
behavioral issues.”
What concerns the staff
about In-School Suspension
is that it takes a student out of
class for a day.
“[The staff] thought that
[In-School Suspension] was ultimately counterproductive,”
LeClair stated. “The staff supports students staying in class
with as little disruption as possible.”
Saturday School will consist of a study skills-type class
staffed by one teacher and one
campus security officer beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at
noon. Officer Greg Collins has
also proposed changing his
work schedule in order to ensure that the students make it
to Saturday School. Collins will
go to the home of any student
absent from Saturday School
in order to escort him or her to
TUHS.
News & Opinion
Page 2
Freak dancing inappropriate
By Jenny Gonzales
Editor-in-Chief
When I walk into a school dance, I’m usually greeted by the
same scene: music blaring, lights flashing, and the most obvious,
students grinding up on one another. Now, not all of the students
dance in this manner, which some teenagers have named “freaking” or “freak dancing.”
Freak dancing has caught the attention of school administrators
and caused problems at school dances nationwide. At Taft High,
extra chaperones have been implemented to cut down on freaking,
and some students aren’t happy that their “freedom of expression”
is being restrained.
I was raised with pretty strong moral values, and I’m one who
sees freaking as a problem. Not only is it causing problems between the two sides of the generation gap, it’s also kind of disgusting to witness.
Come on, people. Nobody wants to see guys rubbing up on
girls as they hike up their skirts. Girls, how about some self-respect? Sure, the days of prim and proper ladies are long gone, but
it still isn’t ladylike to wrap your leg around your dance partner.It
would be nice to see girls respect their bodies a little more. Maybe
if girls start respecting themselves more, they will know better
than to let guys have a grab wherever and whenever they please
on the dance floor.
The media add to the promotion of freak dancing. It’s uncommon to find rap and hip-hop music videos without half-naked girls
dancing up on idolized music stars.
I’m not suggesting all dancing is bad, but some of it gets a little
too extreme. I’ve attended plenty of school dances, and I’ve had
a great time dancing without rubbing my body on anyone else.
Freak dancing is an inappropriate and distasteful thing to be doing
at a school dance.
Renaissance plans variety
of activities for spring
By Samantha Gonzales
Staff Writer
New Renaissance advisor
Greg Goossen and his staff are
gearing up for the spring semester with exciting events to
come.
Student and Staff Member
of the Month nominations and
awards are ongoing.
“We ask for nominations
of excellence and attitude or
both,” says Goossen. Students’
popular votes tend to be teachers who have an enjoyable class
and are generally sincere and
caring about their students.
Negative attitudes and apathy seem to have spread among
the student body, so to turn
things in a more constructive
direction, Renaissance team
members have put up positive
attitude posters in various locations around campus. The posters were Goossen’s idea, and
with the help of juniors Brittany
Plowman and Cari McMillan,
the posters suddenly appeared
everywhere.
Renaissance class is narrowing down rally themes for the
spring rally in April.
Final exam exemptions continue to be in popular demand
as semesters end. For the fall
semester, exemptions were
available to 63 students, with
44 students taking advantage of
them. Exemptions are based on
the previous semester’s GPA.
Goossen notes, “Teachers
have the right to say no, but
they tend to be supportive of
student’s achievements.”
The attendance awards program has also resumed. Recipients of the rewards are given a
variety of goodies such as coffee, juice, pastries, hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, donuts
and fruit.
Enrollment in the Renaissance class is increasing. “If we
get too many more people we
will need a different room,”
says Goossen. Twenty-eight
people attended the last meeting, which was a surprising
turnout.
Renaissance has a variety of
plans for the spring semester,
including increasing the number of noontime activities, the
Day at the Green Carnival, the
Spring Renaissance Rally, and
the Midway breakfast.
January 31, 2007
Saturday School Survey
Interviews by Joshua Webb
Photos by Jestin Korsgaard
Michael Cooper
Senior
“I think it’s a good idea, provided they get people to show
up. Why should they get to skip
school as a punishment?”
Gianna Hampton
Senior
“It’s definitely going to be an
improvement. In-School is not
much of a deterrent to those
who have to do it; Saturday
School seems to be a better alternative.”
Michelle Perales
Senior
“It will be a very effective punishment since students don’t
take detention or In-School seriously.”
Tyler Garrison
Sophomore
“I see why they changed it, but
it’s your weekend and there
shouldn’t be school on a Saturday.”
Jeremy Barham
Freshman
“I would rather do In-School,
because Saturday School takes
time away from the teachers’
and security guards’ weekends.”
Ashly Cricchio
Freshman
“I’d rather do In-School because
it would be easier. I really don’t
want to come to school on Saturday.”
Fontes scholarship
Fontes is planning to go to
Taft College and then transfer to
UC Merced to pursue a degree
in environmental engineering.
continued from page 1
of Marty for his hard work
over the past three years,” said
Woodson. “His community service work and his initiative to
apply for this great scholarship
are noteworthy.”
Fontes is also involved in
track, Academic Decathlon, Science Bowl and academy functions. In his free time he has
been tutoring a middle school
student from Orange County
for the last five months in English, history, math and computers.
“Marty is a real great guy,”
says friend Brittany Plowman.
“He’s smart and he’s funny.”
He will be flying to Washington, D.C. in April for the
awards banquet and is anxiously awaiting the trip. He will be
making a speech thanking the
foundation.
Fontes admires Oprah Winfrey because she tries to help
people with her money.
The Gusher
Taft Union High School
701 Seventh Street
Taft, CA 93268
(661) 763-2300
Adviser: Bill Wolfe
[email protected]
The Gusher is a monthly publication of the journalism class at Taft
Union High School. The Gusher is an open forum for students, faculty
and alumni of TUHS. The opinions and views expressed in The Gusher
are the sole responsibility of the staff and do not reflect the views of
either TUHS, the TUHS District, or the Board of Trustees.
Editor-in-Chief/Photo Editor
Jenny Gonzales
Sports Editor
Barbara Eveland
Managing Editor
Megan Chappelear
Entertainment Editor
Jordie Hood
News Editor
Joshua Webb
Staff Writers
Brianne Carroll, Sarai Espinoza,
Lillie Gervacio,
Samantha Gonzales,
Billy Johnson, Jestin Korsgaard,
Nathan Lampkin
Features Editors
Lacey Chappelear
Courtney Glendening
News
January 31, 2007
Page 3
Peavyhouse joins TUHS faculty
By Courtney Glendening
Features Editor
ACE AVID student Mejia
named Student of the Month
By Jim Carnal
Special to The Gusher
Hilda Mejia, a good-natured
sophomore appreciated by
her teachers, has been chosen
as the Renaissance student of
the month for January at Taft
Union High School. Students
are nominated by staff and selected by Renaissance Committee students. The Renaissance
program promotes academics.
English teacher Lisa Borrecco said, “I nominated Hilda
because she is very unique and
does not follow others. She always has a smile on her face
and asks me how I am doing
every day when she walks in
the room. Not only is she a
bright, young lady, she is also
very polite and puts forth her
best effort at all times. She is a
breath of fresh air.”
That ever-present, bracescovered smile was mentioned
by all of her teachers.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen
her without a smile on her
face,” added Ted Pendergrass,
the Architecture, Construction
and Engineering (ACE) teacher.
“ Hilda is one of the hardest
working ACE students. What
sets her apart is
her attitude - she is always
happy and willing to work.”
“She has a great sense of humor, is a hard worker and she
has become more organized
and determined to succeed
this year,” added AVID teacher
Debra Popejoy. Advancement
Via Individual Determination is
designed to help students prepare for college.
“Hilda is one of those rare
students that you wish were
more common in all our classes,” added Bob Peterson, her
Spanish teacher for the past
two years. “She always works
so hard in class and never complains. She is one of the most
proper and well-behaved students. She loves to contribute
in class and share her opinions
and feelings. She loves to work
with other students and has
never complained about who
she has to work with, rather
she views it as a new experience or opportunity. She lives
by the saying, ‘Volar con tus
propias alas,’ which means fly
with your own wings or stand
on your own two feet. She is a
leader not a follower.”
“Hilda is a great person more
than anything,” added her P.E.
teacher Brandy Trejo. “She is
truly a joy to have in class.”
Hilda said, “I was so surprised because out of the whole
school they picked me. I like to
count my blessings and I’d like
to say thanks to my teachers.”
She hopes to attend Cal Poly,
San Luis Obispo or UCLA to
become a psychologist.
Most students probably
know Jackie Peavyhouse as the
“Pepsi Lady” from elementary
school who rewarded her students with sodas.
Peavyhouse began teaching
the fifth graders at Taft Primary; when they moved them to
Roosevelt, she moved as well,
teaching the Roughriders for 10
years. Peavyhouse then taught
P.E., social studies, science, language arts and reading at Lincoln for one and half years.
The sports fanatic teacher
also coached volleyball and
basketball for 6th grade girls for
eight years.
With all the history she has
with her Lincoln athletes, what
brought Peavyhouse to Taft
High?
“It was an opportunity to
try something new, and I really
liked the idea of collaborating
with other teachers,” she explained.
Peavyhouse feels right at
home with the friendly staff
and familiar students.
“It was fun to see my old students, how they matured,” she
says. “Everyone on
the staff was
welcoming.”
Peavyhouse graduated from
Arvin High
School and
earned her
B.A.
and
M.A. at Cal
State Bakersfield and administrative
credential at
Fresno Pacific University.
She
is
currently
working on
her special
e d u c a t i o n Jackie Peavyhouse has joined the faculty after
c re d e n t i a l . many years in local schools. Photo by Bill Wolfe
She
has
taught English language learn- Eminem).
ers at all schools for 16 years.
Peavyhouse hopes to prePeavyhouse resides in Taft pare her students for the chalwith husband Jerry, who has lenges in their lives.
just retired after 45 years in the
“Anytime you want to come
real estate business.
by, I still have the brain food jar
She enjoys line dancing, full,” Peavyhouse says, referreading, team sports and music ring to a tradition past students
(everything from the classics to will remember.
New Developmentally Disabled Program makes it
possible for local students to attend Taft High
By Jestin Korsgaard
Staff Writer
then moved on to educating
handicapped students. Many
of the students involved in the
program who live in the Taft
area were originally at different
schools, such as Centennial and
Ridgeview, but were moved to
TUHS at the request of parents.
“I just want to thank the
students and staff for being so
considerate,” says Maxwell.
“Everyone’s been so nice, and
[the Developmentally Disabled
students] enjoy talking with
other students.” The transfer
to TUHS has been great for the
students, says Maxwell.
Students Bailey Brisher and
Jacob Prater enjoy the class
and say that it’s a lot of fun.
They enjoy being at school
and spending time with their
friends.
TUHS has a new program on
its campus, the Developmentally
Disabled Program.
With
nine
students
ages 14 through 20, the
Developmentally
Disabled
Program helps students learn
basic life skills such as using
money, understanding time and
weather, and being helpful
to society. The students’
education levels range
from learning colors and
words to the third grade
level. In addition, the
class takes a community
field trip every Friday
to learn how to use and
spend money.
Instructor
Paulette
Maxwell
heads
the
Developmentally Disabled
program. After graduating
from Fresno State and
Cal State Bakersfield,
Maxwell
taught
deaf Paulette Maxwell (front row, center) and Ali Matthews (back row, far left) and some of
students in Fresno, and the students in the Developmentally Disabled Program. Photo by Jordie Hood
Features
Page 4
January 31, 2007
Popejoy and Taylor find “family” means adoption
By Courtney Glendening
Features Editor
Most students at Taft High
know AVID teacher Debra
Popejoy
and
mathematics
teacher Doug Taylor to be personable, fervent educators, but
many probably don’t know that
they are caring, compassionate
Foster Parents as well.
After five years of fertility
treatments, traveling to hospitals, corrective surgeries and
six miscarriages, Debra and
husband Alan Popejoy decided
they wanted to adopt a child.
The Popejoys went through
training and attended several
classes to become certified foster parents. They had to update
their foster parents license yearly with house inspections. The
certification process took about
four months.
The process was not only
time-consuming, but was also
filled with surprisingly demanding requirements. Any safety
hazard, such as a can of paint
on a low shelf in the garage, had
to be moved
completely
out of the
reach of children. Medicine could
not be stored
in medicine
cabinets due
to its obvious location.
All medications must
be locked up
or kept very
high out of
reach.
The Popejoys adopted
through the
Kern County Foster Care System, which handles children
who have typically been abused
and neglected.
After they were certified,
they told the county they were
ready to adopt any child between newborn and three years
old regardless of gender, race,
or disability.
Noah, a tiny, malnourished,
half
African-American/half
Caucasian, was the first of their
foster children.
“The minute we met him,
we knew we wanted to adopt
him,” gushed Popejoy.
He was taken from them
twice. They had him for about
14 months before his biological mother completed the bare
minimum of her rehabilitation
requirements to take him back.
Noah’s father was incarcerated
and his mother was just recently out of prison.
Although the Popejoys only
had only had Noah for a little
over a year, they were completely attached to him and devastated to lose him. They knew
that they wanted him back.
“We were so heart broken
that we lost Noah,” said Debra
Popejoy.
During the 4 1/2 months
Noah was back with his mother, she was pregnant with Noah’s half-brother, Craig. The
Popejoys told the county that
they also wanted Noah’s baby
brother Craig.
While the Popejoys were in
Solvang, they received a call
from Noah’s mother. She told
them that she needed them
to take Noah back, that she
couldn’t handle caring for him
any longer. About five minutes
later, the county called to in
from the Popejoys that Noah’s
mother’s parenting rights had
been terminated, and that if
they wanted Noah, they should
be at the Jameson Center in Bakersfield in three hours.
Overjoyed, the couple frantically borrowed a car seat and
managed to arrive in Bakersfield at the center at 6:01 p.m.
[it closes at 6 p.m.] to reunite
with Noah. They immediately
bought him clothes, food and
toys; all of the items the Popejoys had previously purchased
for him had been given to his
biological mother, who had sold
them
for
drug money. Noah
had been
so visibly
abused,
Popejoy
had to take
him
to
work with
her (for at
least
six
months)
because of
his “clinginess” to his
new mother.
In May
of
2005,
Craig, Noah’s half brother, finally came to the Popejoy family.
After tons of paperwork
and a hearing before a judge, in
which family and friends spoke
out on Popejoys’ behalf, the
children legally became Noah
and Craig Popejoy on February
17, 2006.
Since then the boys have become socially well-adjusted and
get along well.
“We’re just like mom and
dad,” notes Debra Popejoy.
She remarks that the experience has been everything from
shocking and chilling to the
most blessed thing that could
ever have happened to them.
Is the Popejoy family complete?
“Uhh...it’s
complete!”
laughs Debra Popejoy. “We feel
very fulfilled now with our two
sons.”
After Doug and Valerie
Taylor and their first son, the
two decided they wanted him
to have a brother. Attempts
to have a second child failed,
leaving the couple to consider
adoption.
The Taylors took classes
once a week for two months to
becoming foster parents. They
did not get to meet the children
prior to having them in their
home; instead, they received a
phone call asking if they had
room and would like to take on
another child.
Philip, six years old at the
time, was the first to come to
the Taylor family. After finding
out that Philip had a 5-year-old
sister, Julianna in foster care,
they adopted her as well.
Taylor had to convey to his
children that when the kids at
school claimed they couldn’t
be related [due to their ethnic
differences], they should just
ignore it.
“I told them if they didn’t
believe you, they didn’t need to
know,” explained Taylor.
The Taylors later received a
call from the state about threeyear-old Annecca. The couple
welcomed the little girl into
their family.
Philip is now 12, Julianna is
11 and Annecca is seven.
“The biggest thing was telling the kids this was it, that
they would know we were the
last set of parents they would
have,” Taylor says. “Once they
accepted that, there was more
tightness in the family.”
Taylor acknowledges that
this was a fulfilling experience
filled with high expectations for
their children and lots of love
in the family. His wife is now
pregnant.
“There is a master designer
we call God: he knew that if
we had a baby after Caleb, we
wouldn’t have gotten into foster parenting,” Taylor says,
explaining how everything
has come full circle. “We got
children who needed parents
and got what we wanted in the
end.”
After all of the frustrating
and wonderful experiences in
the adoption process, would
they recommend it to others?
“If they have a heart of
steel,” comments Popejoy. “It is
continued on page 8
January 31, 2007
Features
Page 5
Quinceanera a once-in-a-lifetime day for girls
the quince girl.
“Mass means very
much to me because I
“Now you get to wear was born and raised
two beautiful dresses, your Catholic,” agrees juquinceanera dress and your nior Maria Uriarte.
The big day is
wedding dress,” said Sarah
Hamblin, CAHSEE teacher, af- like a wedding day.
ter she looked at senior Andrea It comes with special
Villasenor’s quinceanera pic- invitations, flowers,
decorations, food and
tures.
A quinceanera is a big day for music. On this day
a Latina girl turning 15, known her friends and famas coming of age, or Sweet 15. ily accompany the
The birthday girl is known as Quinceanera.
Before the quince Andrea Villasenor surrounded by her
the “quince girl” and the event
is known as a quinceanera. This girl can go shopping
tradition started back in the Az- for all these things, she has to that make them look good but
tec time; once the girl turned choose who will participate in they all have different ideas,”
15, she was then considered a her quinceanera. Most likely said senior Maria Ramirez, who
woman, given new responsibil- the quince girl will choose 14 participated in a Quinceanera.
The Chambalanes then select
ity and was allowed to be mar- girls, known as Damas, and 14
the
suit they will wear. Chamried. On this day the quince girl boys, known as Chambalanes.
balanes
wear a normal suit,
She also picks a main Chamis treated like a princess.
or
the
preferred
Pachuco, but
These days, the quince girl balan who is often the quince’s
these
are
is given a party to
only
some
celebrate with her
examples.
friends and family,
T h e
after a traditional
quince
girl
Catholic Mass, also
has
many
known as a Mass
decisions to
of Thanksgiving. At
make, rangthe Mass the quince
ing
from
girl thanks God for
what
food
life, asks for help
to
serve
and
for her future and
what
music
always to believe in
they
will
God. The most implay,
up
to
portant part of the
the
color
Mass is that it repof
everyresents the quince
thing.
The
girl and her parents
color
of
the
thanking God for
quinceanera
her life and blessings and also allows Martha Huerta and some of her Damas at her Quinceanera. is one of
the
most
her to affirm her
i
m
p
o
r
tant
commitment to bedecisions
the
quince
girl
has
to
ing a strong Catholic woman in brother. He will escort her to
make,
because
without
a
color
the Church. This means a lot to the party and dance with her.
Sometimes it is difficult to ar- having been chosen, nothing
range for all the boys and girls can get done.
“Color wasn’t a hard deto meet in order to practice the
cision
for me because I just
dance that they will perform at
picked
my
favorite color, which
the party.
is
pink,”
said
Villasenor.
“I never had all my Damas
Quinceaneras
can be quite
and Chambalanes together, not
expensive,
requiring
some
even on the last day of pracparents
to
save
for
years
just
tice,” said Villasenor.
to
provide
this
celebration
for
The dance, which the Damas,
their
daughter.
A
quinceanera
Chambalanes and quince girl
perform at the party, has also can range anywhere from a
become a tradition. For some, simple $5000 up to $20,000 or
it can take months to learn the even higher. Some may say that
instead of spending so much
right steps.
The Damas help the quince money for one party, the mongirl select the dress that they ey should be put into a college
will wear. Traditionally, they all fund for the girl’s education.
have to wear the same dress in Others may disagree.
“I think anyone who can
the same color.
should
have a quinceanera be“This can get difficult because
you
can have an unforHuerta looking lovely
cause all girls want the dresses
By Sarai Espinoza
Staff Writer
Damas (left) and Chambalanes (right) at her quinceanera.
gettable time which will only will wear is a pastel color or
happen once at the age of 15,” even red or royal blue.
said Uriarte.
After many months the anticOne
major
contribu- ipated day arrives and friends
tor to paying off parts of the and family join together to celquinceanera are the Padrinos, ebrate her day. They help the
or sponsors. Each sponsor takes quince girl get dressed. A phofinancial responsibility for what tographer takes pictures of this
they have been assigned to pay, once-in-a-life event. Everyone
such as the dress, cake, doll or comes along for the traditional
invitations.
Mass ceremoT h e
ny, at which
most fun
the quince girl
but stresswill give her
ful
asthanks.
pect of a
After
all
quinceanethe months of
ra
expepracticing, the
rience
is
Damas
and
shopping
Chambalanes
for all the
come togethaccessoer with the
ries. Every
quince girl for
accessory
the dance they
has a meanwill perform.
ing, such
All eyes are
as a tiara,
on the quince
which the
girl while she
quince girl
walks into the
will wear,
reception. Afmeaning
ter the dance
a
prinhas been preAndrea Villasenor, Quince Girl
cess,
the
formed, the
Bible that
food is served.
will help guide her in life, the Once everyone has eaten and is
quinceanera scepter, symbol happy, the music and dancing
of authority and responsibility, start.
the bracelet or ring represent“That’s when the fun being the never-ending circle of gins,” Villasenor says.
life, the earring which means
With music coming in from
listening to the word of God, rap, hip hop, rock and country
and the world and the cross or music, the quince girl and her
medal which represent faith in friends and family dance the
God. Many of the accessories night away.
are bought by the padrinos and
A quinceanera is a team efare brought to the quince girl fort of family and friends, and
while she is getting ready for very strong family ties come
the big day.
into play.
The dress is the biggest decoAs Maria Uriarte says,
ration the quince girl will wear. “Everyone who can have a
The dress is commonly white quinceanera should have one;
in the United States. In other you are only 15 once.”
countries, such as Mexico, the
Photos courtesy of
dress worn by the quince girl
the Quince girls
Features
Page 6
January 31, 2007
Read this article and save thousands of dollars!
Billions of dollars in financial
aid is available every year.
Learn how to obtain money to
make college a reality.
By Megan Chappelear
Managing Editor
For decades, the cost of college tuition, like almost everything, has been climbing. As
the cost of higher education has
risen, students have struggled
to keep up.
According to the College
Board, during the 1980s the cost
of attending college rose over
three times as fast as median
family income. The average
annual cost of a public college
education, for tuition and fees,
is now $11,000 per year, while
private colleges are $27,000 or
more. Over the past decade, college tuition has climbed 90 percent. Skyrocketing tuition may
appear as if it threatens to
make college unaffordable
for all but the wealthy.
However, there is more
financial aid available than
ever before. Nearly 70 percent of students attending
four-year schools pay less
than $8,000 for tuition and
fees, according to the College Board. Students are
currently receiving over
$122 billion in aid each year.
After grants are taken into
consideration, the price the
average student pays for
a college education is significantly lower than the original
tuition. In other words, no one
pays “sticker price.”
Students are still more likely
to qualify for aid if their family’s annual income is less than
$70,000. But many schools will
offer some aid to talented students whose parents earn more.
Colleges and universities are increasingly offering aid to good
students in order to improve
the reputation of the school.
Some of the funding and aid
that is available includes scholarships, grants, loans and workstudy programs.
An education loan is a form
of financial aid that must be
repaid, with interest. Education loans come in three major
categories: student loans, parent loans and private student
loans.
Many students rely on fed-
eral government loans to finance their educations. These
loans have low interest rates
and extended repayment terms.
Student loans include the Federal Stafford and Federal Perkins Loans.
After you graduate, leave
school, or drop below half-time
enrollment, you have a period
of time before you have to begin
repayment. This “grace period”
will be six months for a Federal
Stafford Loan and nine months
for Federal Perkins Loan.
Parents of dependent students can take out loans to
supplement their children’s aid
packages. The federal Parent
Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) allows parents
to borrow money to cover any
costs not already covered by the
student’s financial aid package.
Repayment generally must begin within 60 days after the student graduates, leaves school,
or drops below half-time enrollment. There is no grace period
as with Stafford and Perkins
loans.
PLUS loans are the financial
responsibility of the parents,
not the student. If the student
agrees to make payments on the
PLUS loan, but fails to make the
payments on time, the parents
will be held responsible.
Private student loans help
bridge the gap between the actual cost of education and the
limited amount the government
allows students to borrow in its
programs. Private loans are offered by private lenders and
there are no federal forms to
complete. Eligibility for private
student loans often depends on
their credit score.
According to the College
Board, some families turn to
private education loans when
the federal loans don’t provide
enough money or when they
need more flexible repayment
options. For example, a parent
might want to defer repayment
until the student graduates, an
option that is not available from
the government parent loan
program.
Few students can afford to
pay for college without some
form of education financing.
Two-thirds of undergraduate
students graduate with some
debt, and the average federal student loan debt among
graduating seniors is $19,202,
according to the 2003-2004 National Postsecondary Student
Aid Study (NPSAS).
With a loan debt of $19,202,
at a 4 percent interest rate, a
student would pay $194.41 per
month for ten years, which is
less than most car payments
(although those are usually
paid off within five years).
The federal education
loan programs offer lower
interest rates and more flexible repayment plans than
most consumer loans, making them an attractive way
to finance the cost of education.
A grant is a form of federal or state financial aid that
does not need to be repaid.
They’re typically given to
people who demonstrate financial need. Grants are amazing sources of financial aid for
people with need. Need is determined by filling out a Free
Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). Every prospective
college student should fill out
one of these--even
if you don’t qualify for grants, you
may still receive
scholarships.
Undergraduate scholarships
are forms of aid
that help students pay for
their education. Unlike student loans, scholarships do not
have to be repaid. Hundreds of
thousands of scholarships from
several thousand sponsors are
awarded each year.
Generally, scholarships are
reserved for students with special qualifications, such as academic, athletic or artistic talent.
Awards are also available for
students who are interested
in particular fields of study,
who are members of minority
groups, who live in certain areas of the country or who demonstrate financial need.
The best way to search for
scholarships is to use a personalized search, like the FastWeb
scholarship search, that compares your background with a
database of awards. Only those
awards that fit your profile are
identified as matches.
In addition to the FastWeb
scholarship search, there are
many other free scholarship
search sites. It doesn’t take
much time to search and it’s
free. To find small
local awards that
aren’t listed in any
book or database,
look for notices
posted on bulletin boards at your
school’s guidance
office, the public library and outside the financial
aid office at nearby colleges and
universities.
Average students often ask
whether there are any scholarships available to students who
don’t have a 4.0 GPA. There are
many scholarships for average
students that focus on qualities
besides academic merit. There
are also many community service scholarships.
However, students who are
awarded scholarships often
need additional financial assistance, such as loans and grants.
Other helping hands in paying for college are work-study
programs. The federal government subsidizes many parttime jobs on and around college
campuses to provide students
with stable opportunities for
employment. At the start of
each semester, the financial aid
office will award a fixed amount
of money in the form of a workstudy grant. Financial aid counselors try to calculate an award
that will help cover the cost of
food, books and entertainment
during the semester for students.
Work-study students earn
an hourly rate similar to what a
college or university would pay
a regular part-time staff member
in the same position. Because
many work-study positions are
unskilled, entry-level positions,
most work-study students start
out making minimum wage.
Securing financial aid is one
of many important milestones
you’ll face in your college career. Plenty of help is out there
waiting for whoever comes
along to take advantage of the
opportunity.
Features
January 31, 2007
Page 7
M.O.T. keeps the TUHS campus in business
By Nathan Lampkin
Staff Writer
With a small army of 27 staff
members and a budget of more
than $1.2 million, the TUHS
Maintenance, Operations and
Transportation (M.O.T.) departments strive to keep this school
up and running and one of the
best campuses around.
“We have great people working here,” explained M.O.T.
Manager Gary Morris. “A really great staff that’s ready to
work.”
As manager of M.O.T., Morris must make sure everything
is running smoothly in every
department. To help with the
heavy load, he has plenty of
employees to turn to, starting
with his assistant, Shawn Holmes. Not only does she help
Morris with the management of
M.O.T., Holmes is also the Shipping & Receiving department;
she’s a one-woman crew. From
keeping track of all keys, order
placements, mail, and any injuries that happen to the staff,
to keeping the school calendar
up to date, everything goes
through Holmes.
“I love my job,” says Holmes. “There’s always something
to be done.”
There are four different
departments within M.O.T.:
Maintenance, Grounds, Transportation and Custodial. Each
department has a head supervisor who oversees all the operations within that department.
The Maintenance department works to keep everything
in working condition and is determined to fix anything that
breaks.
“We’re just kind of ‘Jack of
all Trades’,” says Rocky O’Neill,
a staff member of the maintenance department, meaning
they can work in all areas: electric, windows, doors, desks, tables, benches and, worst of all,
plumbing.
“Nothing’s worse than unplugging a clogged sewer line,”
exclaims Neal Finney, head of
the maintenance department.
The rest of the maintenance
staff includes Aron Jones, Kirk
Kindred and Butch Neal.
The Grounds department is
responsible for the landscaping of TUHS. They take care of
everything outside, including
all the athletic fields. The crew
maintains about 30 acres.
The head of the department
is Barry Jameson, and working
alongside him is a whole team
of workers: Larry Breslin, Hans
Kauhn, Travis Milner, Pattie
Mullen, Keith Sexton and John
Wagner.
Each season brings a new
challenge; one of the hardest is
the weather. The desert climate
of Taft takes its annual toll, with
blunt coldness in the winter
and sweltering heat in the summer. However, a lot of positive
public feedback makes the challenges easier to deal with.
“People are always stopping
me at the store or on the street
to say how good the school
looks,” says Jameson. “And
other schools actually call to ask
us our secrets on how we make
our grounds look the way they
do.”
When it comes to cleaning, the Custodial department
makes TUHS shine. One of the
first things people notice when
they visit our campus is how
clean everything is, and we owe
it entirely to them.
Keeping the TUHS campus
clean is a lot of work; fortunately, the department has a
large enough staff to get the job
done. Led by supervisor Diane
Wheeldon, there are 11 custodians total, not including the
student workers who take on a
good portion of the work.
“TUHS is one of the cleanest
schools around,” says Wheeldon, “and we couldn’t get it
all done without our student
workers’ help.”
The hardest cleaning of the
year occurs during the summer,
when every room is stripped
down from ceiling to floor to
get a deep cleaning. The carpets
are shampooed, the walls are
scrubbed down and every piece
of gum they can find is scraped
up.
“There’s lots and lots of
gum,” says Kim Martin, a staff
custodian, “more than you can
believe. It’s everywhere.”
The Transportation department is there to make sure everyone gets where they need to
go. Transportation supervisor
Greg Davis and his #1 mechanic Gary Rennie are the only employees on the staff. Together
they maintain all the vehicles
owned by TUHS: school buses, vans, golf carts, gators and
trucks, 60 vehicles in all.
“Anything with wheels we
work on,” says Davis.
Since TUHS
has
sufficient
funding, all of
the vehicles are
top of the line
and are the envy
of other schools.
“We
pimp
our rides over
here,” exclaims
Davis.
All
repairs
are done in the
bus garage, a
place they like to
call “The Rock”
because
the
building is located away from
the TUHS campus, off by itself,
isolated like an
island.
Aside from maintaining all
the vehicles, Davis also organizes the transportation of the
sports teams for every athletic
trip.
Few students know what it
takes to operate a school like
TUHS.
It takes a lot of hard work
and long hours, and much of
it goes unnoticed. So next time
you see an M.O.T. staff member
around campus, take the time to
stop and say “Thank you,” because TUHS wouldn’t be such a
pleasant place without them.
Top: Kirk Kindred, Neal Finney and Butch Neal of the Grounds Crew enjoy a lighter
moment during a day of hard work. Finney is head of the Maintenance department.
Middle: Keith Sexton and John Wagner prepare the softball field for the girls’ next game.
Bottom: Shawn Holmes is indispensable to keeping M.O.T. running smoothly. She is a
one-woman Shipping & Receiving department. Photos by Nathan Lampkin
Features
Page 8
Sophomore girls create their own
“reality show” by trading lives
NASCAR
track
near Taft
breaks
ground
By Jordie Hood
Entertainment Editor
By Billy Johnson
Staff Writer
With the closure and destruction of Mesa Marin Speedway
in October 2005 came the birth
and construction of a new home
for NASCAR in Kern County.
The Collins family, owners
of Mesa Marin Speedway, negotiated with Destefani Farms to
reserve a tract for the racetrack
on Enos Lane and Interstate 5.
After many months of planning and preparation, the Collins-Destefani team received
permission from the county
planning commission to put
Kern County on the racing map
once again.
The racetrack will be a halfmile-long oval track with a
one-eighth mile drag strip, 5200
seats and more than 20 luxury
suites. Paved parking and landscaped lawns with playgrounds
are being blueprinted for concerts and small events.
The Collins family and
Destefani Farms are hoping to
have the racetrack completed
by spring of 2008. Contractors
started turning the dirt in late
January.
MTV purchases Guitar Hero game,
plans reality show using concept
By Jestin Korsgaard
Staff Writer
By now most young people,
gamer or not, have experienced
or seen the phenomenon that is
the Guitar Hero series. Millions
of Americans have enjoyed the
unique game style in which
players use a lifelike guitar to
imitate real songs by pressing
color-coded buttons instead
of frets to rock’n’roll classics
that accompany each
game.
However, the
second
and
latest installment may
be the series’ swan
song. Harmonix, developer of the Guitar Hero
games, was purchased by MTV
in September.
At first, MTV was a channel devoted to playing music
videos daily, bringing many up
and coming bands into the limelight. As of late, the channel has
been more focused on “reality”
television and dating shows. In
fact, the channel only broadcasts an average of three to five
hours of music related shows a
day (two of which are between
January 31, 2007
6 a.m. and 8 a.m.). Instead of focusing on musical artists, which
was MTV’s original purpose, it
has become more interested in
focusing on people with no talent or personality (i.e., Laguna
Beach, My Super Sweet 16, Real
World/Road Rules Challenge,
etc.).
MTV hopes to continue its
parade of sub par television by
adding Guitar Hero reality and
guitar shows.
One idea that
has already
emerged is a
Guitar Hero
wedding,
with a competition
at
the reception.
MTV executives
also
want to apply
the game in
the online virtual world MTV is
constructing on shows like “Laguna Beach.”
That being said, what is in
future for the Guitar Hero series? Will the third installment
soundtrack consist of current
musical fads and overrated
bands? I shudder to think of
playing guitar along with the
current single by Fergie. This
gamer, for one, refuses to buy
any game that has MTV in control of its soundtrack.
Wife Swap, Switching Lives and now
Friend Swap? That’s
right.
Sophomores
Kari Edmaiston and
Samantha Cox recently “traded” lifestyles.
The girls basically moved into each
other’s houses and
spent a week with
their new, but not unknown, families. The
trip sent each girl on a
whirlwind adventure
in their best friend’s
shoes.
“It was hard to get
used to at first,” said
Edmaiston. “I adjusted Samantha Cox and Kari Edmaiston: best friends. Photo by Jordie Hood
quick though after the first cou- chores at Kari’s was definitely lot of time with my new brothple of days.”
something to get used to.”
ers.”
For the week away from
“I usually don’t go near my
Neither of the girls really
home, the girls were pretty siblings [two brothers],” says missed home, and Edmaiston
much isolated from one another Edmaiston. “At Sam’s, I actu- definitely didn’t miss doing
except for school. They wanted ally talked to my sister.”
chores, but in the end Kari and
to get a feel for what each girl
“I hung out with Kari’s little Sam were happy to be home.
went through day by day with- brother quite a lot actually,”
“It was nice getting away
out each other’s company.
says Cox. “It was kind of the for a while, but as much I hate
“I don’t have chores at same thing; I never talk to my to admit it, I got kind of homemy house,” says Cox. “Doing sister or anything, but I spent a sick,” says Cox.
Academic Decathlon team stuffs brains for B.C. competition
By Courtney Glendening
Features Editor
The nine members of the
Academic Decathlon team are
studying hard and preparing
for the two-part competition
held in the beginning of the
new year.
Any student with a “C”
average or above is eligible to
compete. A typical team consists of three “A” students,
three “B” students and three
“C” students.
Under the instruction of new
adviser Kathy McLaughlin,
these intellectual students are
required to study from a very
thick binder full of information
on subjects ranging from math
to music. This year’s theme is
“China and Climatology.”
The team meets two-three
times a week after school to
read and take notes. But these
gatherings are not enough; the
students are also required to
study on their own time.
The two parts of the Academic Decathlon are held on
separate days. On January 18
students gave a speech on global warming and climatology
and wrote a timed essay on one
of three different topics.
On February 3, the students
will travel to Bakersfield College to test all day, competing
against other Kern County high
schools. Keep in mind that these
students are not tested on a diminutive amount of categories;
they must take separate quizzes
on seven subjects: art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, social science and a group
Superquiz are the categories in
which the students compete.
The Super Quiz is composed
of two parts (oral and written)
with different themes.
Each year students are also
required to read a novel; this
year’s selection is The Good
Earth, set in China prior to the
Revolution.
Although it is McLaughlin’s
first year advising, she is optimistic and positive about the
experience.
“It’s pretty intense,” said
McLaughlin. “The new members seem enthusiastic. They
are the most dedicated group of
students.”
Popejoy, Taylor
families grow
continued from page 4
heart-wrenching to watch what
these kids go through.”
Taylor has a similar opinion.
“Only if their heart is in the
right place, they are willing
to work hard and are strong
enough to discipline,” he advises.
Bringing the Taylor’s family full circle, new baby girl Zoe
was born December 22, 2006 at
1:15 p.m. Zoe was 7 lbs. 6 ozs.,
and 19.5” long.
“We could not have asked
for a better delivery,” Taylor expresses. “God makes good on
his promise.”
Sports
January 31, 2007
Page 9
Boys’ varsity basketball team tries to find winning ways
By Barbara Eveland
Sports Editor
The boys’ varsity basketball
team has gotten off to a slow
start this year, winning only
seven of their 16 pre-league
games.
“We need to step it up a little
and stop playing scared,” says
senior center, AJ Savaii.
The Wildcats played their
first league game against Shafter
on Jan. 12. The Cats started out
slowly, ending the quarter with
Shafter leading 16-8. At halftime the Cats were down by 16
points, partly because of the 11
free throws they missed. Taft
lost the game by 10 points, by a
final score of 62-52.
“Ball plus bucket equals
win,” adds Savaii.
The Cats played their second game against Arvin on Jan.
19. The game was a close one,
with the Cats leading at the end
of the first quarter 23-20. At
half-time the Cats were ahead
by four points and fighting to
maintain their lead.
The close game created tension between the two teams.
An incident between an Arvin
and Taft player led to an angry
mother from Arvin being escorted off the court.
More tension developed as
the game entered the homestretch with the two teams
only a few points apart. After a
couple steals and points by junior Lyndon Faagau, the game
ended in a tie and went to overtime.
Another tie at the end of
overtime led to double overtime. The Cats were having
problems with free throws,
making only 22 out of 54 in the
game. But the Wildcats eventually came out on top by two
points, winning 64-62.
“We’re getting better as we
play,” says junior guard Andrew LeClair.
“We are slowly improving,
and if we get over the third
quarter hump, then I think
we’ll be winning more games,”
explains junior forward Steven
Spoonemore.
The Wildcats’ third league
game against Wasco on Jan. 23
was another exciting, competitive game. The Cats started out
playing well. After a while, however, the team lost its momentum and missed a few crucial
free throws. They also gave up
many turnovers, costing them
quite a few points. Wasco won
the game by only four points,
with the final score 59-55.
“If we play good we can
beat any team in our league, but
if we don’t, then they can beat
us,” says Coach Mark Hutson.
The Wildcats hosted the Te-
Junior forward Steven Spoonemore defends a Shafter player.
hachapi Warriors on Jan. 26,
with Tehachapi winning 57-41.
Taft got off to a great start with
an 8-0 lead. The Cats made a
few mistakes and got into some
trouble with fouls, which cost
them a few points. They ended
the first quarter with a fivepoint lead, 15-10.
Taft lost its lead in the second quarter, after allowing Tehachapi to score nine baskets in
a row. The quarter ended with
Tehachapi up by 12, 32-20.
The Cats found themselves
falling further behind in the
third quarter. The Warriors took
a 20-point lead, with a score of
45-25.
Taft tried to catch up in the
fourth quarter but had no luck.
They missed 16 out of 29 free
throws, along with many other
errors, that may have cost them
the game. The Cats lost by 16
points, 57-41.
“Sometimes we play good
basketball, but sometimes we
Photo by Jenny Gonzales
go out and stink up the court,”
notes Hutson.
The Wildcats then played at
BCHS on Jan. 30. The Cats lost
by 47 points, 73-26. The Cats
were missing two key players
in the game, due to ejections
from the Tehachapi game.
The Cats have four league
games before the season ends.
They continue on their way on
February 2 against Shafter.
“I hope it all ends on a positive note,” says Hutson.
Lady Wildcats lose close games but show signs of steady improvement
By Lacey Chappelear
Features Editor
This season’s girls’ basketball team is optimistic about the
current season. Even though
they struggled at the beginning,
they’re looking to the future.
“I expect to win league,”
coach Ryan Hickman stated confidently. “We have improved a
lot from last year. We have won
more games. I’m happy with
the attitudes. I’m proud of them
whether we lose or win.”
“I love my teammates,” senior Emily Graves asserted
enthusiastically. “They’re my
favorite.” Only five of the 11
players are returning players,
though that doesn’t seem to
faze them.
“Everyone gets along well,”
Hickman affirmed.
“Obviously, the coach is a
strength,” he jokes, before revealing the team’s real strength:
“Their attitude.” Hickman of-
f e r e d
That preAmy Gladiction came
govich as
true
when
an examTaft thrashed
ple of that
Wasco
on
attitude.
Jan. 23. Sad“It’s
ly, that was
her first
not the case
year playwhen Lady
ing for the
Cats played
school.
Te h a c h a p i
She has
on Jan. 26.
picked up
Though the
the sysgame
was
tem really
close,
Taft
well. Befell
short.
cause of
Hickman,
her hard
however, is
work, she
proud of the
finds her- Kelsee Melton brings the ball up the court in the Feb. 2 game against way the girls
self as a Shafter. Photo by Jenny Gonzales
played and
starter.”
views
the
Even
game not as
though they started out the
“I think my team is doing a loss, but as the first real test of
league season with a loss, the swell,” Graves declared. “We the season.
team is confident about their lost our first game, but we are
“I think that we passed our
abilities.
going to win the rest.”
test with flying colors,” Hick-
man told The Driller.
Four days later, the Lady
Cats played the BCHS Eagles.
They played well in the first
quarter, holding a 12-10 lead.
But the girls struggled in the
second quarter, as BCHS outscored them 21-6 to take a 31-18
lead at halftime. Hickman described the quarter as the team’s
worst of the season.
In the third quarter, the Lady
Cats played better, outscoring
BCHS 9-8, but could not catch
the Eagles, who took a 39-27
lead into the fourth quarter.
Strong defense by Taft brought
them to within five points, as
they outplayed the Eagles 1611, but it was not enough. BCHS
held on to win 50-43.
The Cats felt confident
enough after their strong second half to look forward to
hosting Shafter on February 2.
They hope to avenge their earlier loss to the Lady Generals.
Sports
Page 10
January 31, 2007
Boys’ soccer starts 13-0, on way to SSL playoffs
By Sarai Espinoza
Staff Writer
Only once is a great while
does a high school soccer team
have an unforgettable season.
Taft High varsity boys’ soccer
had a perfect 13-0 pre-season.
They took first place in every
tournament.
To open their first game the
boys had an easy 7-0 victory
against Mojave. An excellent
performance was displayed by
the team.
What are the keys to their
success?
“To experience the game and
to be strong,” answered Coach
Ruben Arreola.
When it comes to game time
the boys don’t waste any time;
they have usually scored by the
end of the first half.
The players credit Arreola
for their motivation.
“When we go into the locker room after a rough half, the
coach always inspires us to do
better, and we go out and just
work hard and do it,” said Gonzalo Carrillo, as Diego Salomon
nodded in agreement.
The boys blew out every
opponent they faced early in
the season with their smothering defense, potent offense and
skilled play by their goalie.
“We all played together, we
Alex Franzen (24), a foreign exchange student from Sweden, shows his European soccer skills in a recent game. Photo courtesy
of The Derrick
passed the ball around, and
that’s what makes us so good,”
said Salomon.
League play began with a
game against Shafter that ended in a heartbreaking loss that
spoiled their perfect record to
that point.
The Cats learned that it was
no longer easy to win and that
they had to work even harder.
They took their experience and
turned it around in their next
league game by defeating the
Tehachapi Warriors 2-0.
The team also provides their
own motivation.
“They know that they were
the number one team and that
they did well in the pre-season,
so they know that they are not
bad,” said Coach Arreola.
League play is coming to an
end and they still have goals
to meet, which are to finish
strongly and go far in the playoffs, something this team feels
they deserve.
They still have some challenges to face: Arvin and Wasco.
Every coach hopes for a
good attitude from every player on his team. Arreola says he
was impressed by his players
from the start.
“They are more motivated
this year and they have a better
attitude,” he explained.
Captains Alonso Rodriguez
and Manuel Meza also had
something to say about their
team.
“We play with everything
we’ve got, like it’s our last
game, because we are good and
we play with our hearts.”
Girls’ varsity soccer team struggles to turn disappointing season around
By Sarai Espinoza
Staff Writer
The girls’ varsity soccer
season started off with a new
coach. John Delaney has been
coaching for the last 15 years
and has been playing since he
was seven years old. He has
even played in Japan. Delaney
had been coaching girls and
boys at the college level in Long
Beach before working with the
Taft team.
Despite new leadership, the
girls’ season has been a challenging one. In league play they
have a record of 1-6-1.
Some players still have plenty of motivation.
“Soccer is a motivation
enough. They work hard but
they have fun too,” said Delaney.
The fact that this team is off
to a rough start can’t be ignored.
in her team.
“We have potential
but we just need to use
it,” she says.
Their season is not
over yet. The team still
faces a big challenge in
rival Tehachapi, who
they will be playing at
home.
Who are the major
contributors?
“Everyone. It’s a
team effort; everyone
is included,” says Delaney.
The key to their success in the games they
Junior Maria Uriarte chases down opponents to reclaim possession
have won or played
of the ball in a recent home game. Photo courtesy of The Derrick
well in is the hard work
of the most motivated
players.
Some players have not been perform. Delaney works with
Their goal for the remainshowing up to practice and oth- the players who show up to
ers have not gone to games be- practice and tries to improve der of the season is to learn the
game better.
cause of the cold weather, which their game.
“Winning is a good goal,
has had an impact on how they
Shiloh Mayfield still believes
too,” Delaney admits.
Delaney has been impressed
by how quickly the inexperienced girls have learned the
game and made a significant
contribution.
Even with their disappointing record so far, the girls plan
to take down their next few opponents and try to make it to
the playoffs.
Coming in next
month’s Gusher
Season wrap-ups for
basketball and soccer
Season previews for
spring sports:
baseball, softball, track,
swimming, boys’ golf
and boys’ tennis
Entertainment
January 31, 2007
Page 11
Ferdinand the Bull build loyal following with gigs
By Jordie Hood
Entertainment Editor
Meet Ferdinand The Bull.
Many have heard of them
through random talk around
town or have been lucky
enough to see the quartet play
a gig. If you haven’t, sit tight;
you’re about to get an earful of
what you’re missing.
The group was formed back
in 2004 with an acoustic sound.
After the withdrawal from the
group of two of members, the
remaining members picked up
the pieces, recruited new blood,
“went electric like Bob Dylan”
and took their music in a new
direction.
The new and improved Ferdinand The Bull now consists of
RE Atteberry on lead guitar and
vocals, Keith Jones on rhythm
guitar and vocals, Josh Hansen
on bass and Billy Johnson on
drums. The boys are making
their mark on the Taft music
scene one gig at a time.
“We started off playing as a
side project and then I just kind
of became part of the band,”
says Hansen.
The group’s sound is definitely unique among the Taft
scene. With influences ranging from the Beatles to Under
OATH, their music has a sort of
FtB: Billy Johnson, RE Atteberry (front), Josh Hansen and Keith Jones
red-light green-light effect. Mellow bass lines contradict fun,
catchy, upbeat guitar riffs.
“Like a painter, I am an artist,” says Atteberry. “I make
masterpieces with my fingers.”
The group’s first show,
which took place in early Oc-
tober in the Taft High quad
during lunch, was a small but
memorable performance. Since
then, Ferdinand has played numerous shows around Taft at
such venues as The Spot and
even played a short set for the
Rotary Club. The boys even
Photo by Jordie Hood
performed at the Taft High Fall
Renaissance Rally, which was a
huge hit.
“The rally was our biggest
show yet,” says Johnson. “It
was a privilege playing in front
of the whole school, and I’m
glad we got to do it.”
With a mix of mellow
sounds to ease your mind and
hard-hitting rock rhythms to
make you move, it’s no wonder
the response from listeners is so
positive.
“I love their music,” says
senior BJ Eveland. “They’re not
like all the other bands in Taft.
I’m glad there’s a band that actually sings instead of screaming the whole time. Their
shows are really fun to watch,
too. They’re always upbeat and
having a good time.”
“The band is awesome!”
says senior Sarah Cook. “I love
watching them play. There’s
never a dull moment.”
The band’s most popular
song,” Keep On Runnin’,” is
an upbeat rock anthem with a
southern spin that’s easy and
fun to listen to.
“The whole band is going
through a lot,” says Johnson.
“We’re learning from what life
throws at us.”
“The hardest thing is trying
to make listeners happy as well
as yourself,” says Jones.
If you aren’t yet convinced
enough to go to a Ferdinand
show for a listen, you can check
out their MySpace page first at
www.myspace.com/weareferdinandthebull.
Black-Eyed Peas bring funky
“monkey business” to Bako
By Brianne Carroll
Staff Writer
The Black Eyed Peas’ mix of
energy, funk, and hip-hop shook
the walls of the Rabobank Arena at their recent show and left
fans astounded and sweaty.
As I entered the complex to
search for my seat in the swarming number of people I noticed
that everyone wss already on
their feet dancing and singing
along to “Get Low” from Lil’
Jon and The East Side Boyz, a
song well-known to all hip-hop
fans.
I thought to myself, “If this
crowd is this pumped-up from
listening to a song over the PA,
then they are going to go crazy
when the Black Eyed Peas get
on stage.”
The Black Eyed Peas consists
of Will I Am, Fergie, Apl.de.ap
and Taboo. The group formed
in the late 1990s and its first two
albums, Behind The Front (1998)
and Bridging The Gap (2000),
earned them critical praise.
When their third album, Elephunk, was released in 2003,
the group’s status skyrocketed
with “Where is the Love?” the
first single from the album,
The group has sold 7.5 million albums worldwide and has
received four Grammy nominations and one Grammy award.
The concert they performed
was based on their most recent album, Monkey Business,
their most outstanding and renowned album yet. In addition
to presenting new material from
this upbeat album, they also
performed their hit singles from
the three previous albums.
Fergie, the only woman in
the four-member group, has
recently released her first solo
album, The Duchess, and performed two of her hits during
Will I Am and Fergie lead the Black-Eyed Peas in their partying concerts.
the concert.
The group’s party, upbeat
and bouncy sound had the
crowd on their feet for most of
the concert.
One disappointment was
that they performed a couple of
songs that people weren’t famil-
iar with, which caused somewhat of a drop in the crowd’s
energy level.
Overall, the concert was
fun and very eventful. When
they weren’t dancing with one
another, each member of the
group was running back and
forth across the stage jumping
up and down, adding more fuel
to the crowd’s already raging
fire.
The group’s interaction with
the crowd and their cheerful
approach made their buoyant
music all the more appealing.
Entertainment
Page 12
January 31, 2007
Beatles CD proves, once again, that all you need is love
A long-time fan’s view of the “new” CD
By Billy Johnson
Staff Writer
The Beatles have been generating awe ever since their debut
album Please Please Me in 1963.
Even though half of the quartet
has passed away, The Beatles
are still running strong with the
release of the new album, Love.
The music is not new, however. On Love, all the selections
are actually hits that the band
put out throughout their career.
Now you’re wondering,
What’s the point of even making a new album? Well, all of
the songs were modified and
placed in an experimental order. The album is full of songs
that have effects, riffs and drum
beats from other songs merged
into each other.
Love was produced by original Beatles producer Sir George
Martin and his son Giles Martin.
The album was actually intended to be the soundtrack
of a new show by the unique
“circus” act, Cirque du Soleil.
The Love show is already one
Keith Urban
Love, Pain & the Whole
Crazy Thing
Keith Urban’s new release,
Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy
Thing, is sure to be a hit. The
album was released in November and already a few songs
have made it to the country
music charts, including “Once
in a Lifetime,” which debuted
higher than any other country
single ever.
Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing makes good on the
promise of its name. Songs like
“Once in a Lifetime,” with its
upbeat attitude, and “Shine”
and “Won’t Let You Down”
with their promise of forever, illustrate the love in the title. On
the other hand, “Stupid Boy”
and “Used to the Pain” embody
of the biggest hits
on Las Vegas. Oddly
enough, the songs are
still in perfect time
and sound compatible. One song, “Gnik
Nus,” is actually “Sun
King,” recorded backwards.
Love
contains
popular hits such as
“Hey Jude”, “I Want
to Hold Your Hand”,
“Come Together” and
“Help!” All of the
songs are creatively
layered with multiple
bits and pieces of other songs.
The album is the epitome
of emotion and adventure. It
demonstrates persuasively the
influence the Beatles have had
placed in rock n’ roll.
It reminds everyone how the
Beatles revolutionized music in
the 1960’s. Love also proves that
Paul and Ringo still seem to
know what the audience wants
to hear. The two original Beatles have their own projects, yet
they took the time to look back
the pain. “Raise the Barn,” with
its depiction of small-town, toetapping, barn-raising way of
life, makes up “the whole crazy
thing.”
Urban carries on his tradition of making his albums a
personal journey for the listeners. Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy
Thing is a wonderful mix of joy,
despair, love and life. Whether
or not you are a country music
lover, this album is first-class.
Keep Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing in mind when looking
for some good new music.
-- Lacey Chappelear
Incubus
Light Grenades
Once again, Incubus has
awed their listeners with their
rockin’ cure for boredom. It
A new fan embraces their timeless music
By Jestin Korsgaard
Staff Writer
Love is a “mash-up” of songs
from all periods of The Fab
Four’s career. The collection
makes The Beatles sound
fresh and inventive again.
into their archives and play
with technology.
The fact that these two legendary musicians are still willing to explore and expand their
vintage tunes and come up
with something fresh is proof
that they’ve “still got it.” This
album is a “must buy.
comes in two simple words,
Light Grenades.
On this album, the band’s
sixth (and first since 2004’s A
Crow Left of the Murder), Incubus emphasizes a more earthy
sound, but they still maintain
the distinct, almost alt-metal
vibe for which they’re well
known.
Grenades contradicts itself. It
has songs describing how life
can make you feel like you’re
on top of the world and how it
can be so ugly that it makes you
plummet back down to earth.
The first single off the album, “Anna Molly,” has a push
and pull groove to it, but is one
of many on the album that follow the mellow rock rhythm
which brings the yin and yang
together.
There are, however, two
songs which seem to follow
their own story line all together: “Earth To Bella, Part One”
and “Earth To Bella, Part Two.”
Part One foreshadows what’s to
come for “Bella,” whereas Part
Two makes you start to think it
might be an “I told you so” conclusion to its sister song.
Whether you’re a long-time
fan or just getting with the program, Light Grenades is an album that will not let you down.
Despite the universal
impact The Beatles have
had on music, many people of our age have yet to
hear most of their music.
The “new” Beatles album, Love (soundtrack
to the Cirque du Soleil
show of the same name),
is a great way for someone to introduce themselves to The Beatles.
The first half of the
album largely consists
of slower, more mellow
tracks. The first track, “Because,” works well as an opener
with its a capella vocals and sincere lyrics. “Eleanor Rigby”/
”Julia,” while unsettling, possesses heartfelt lyrics backed up
with classic violin and smooth
shifts.
Upbeat tracks like “I Want to
Hold Your Hand” and “Drive
My Car”/”The Word”/”What
You’re Doing,” which beautifully mixes a mash of electric
guitar solos, horns and jazz piaIncubus has once again shown
us that eyeliner and tight pants
are not all you need to make it
in the music biz.
-- Jordie Hood
McFly
Motion in the Ocean
With two number one U.K.
albums behind them, McFly
have broken the record set by
the legendary Beatles, becoming the youngest band to chart
at #1. They headlined in Japan,
completed a sold-out arena
tour, and filmed Just My Luck
alongside Lindsay Lohan; all
in 2005 while the four members
were still under 21.
Now McFly have returned
with their highly anticipated
Motion in the Ocean.
“Stargirl,” the first single,
no, feel out of place on the first
half of the album.
The second half shows off
the musical prowess of The Beatles with such tracks as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and the
psychedelic “Lucy in the Sky
With Diamonds.”
“Within
You Without You”/”Tomorrow
Never Knows” mixes psychedelic guitar, hypnotic drums
and Indian sitar.
Powerhouse tracks like the
danceable “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)”
and everyone’s favorite singalong, “Hey Jude,” complete
the home stretch of the album,
with “All You Need is Love”
quite properly finishing up the
album with its uplifting lyrics.
Although Love is a sensational album showcasing The Beatles’ talents, the real stars of the
album are producers Sir George
Martin (commonly known as
“the Fifth Beatle” for his influence on The Beatles’ sound)
and son Giles Martin, who was
born in 1969, a year before The
Beatles split up.
soared to #1, the band’s sixth
#1 hit. Its pure-pop-rock sound
resembles their old work so
much that it fooled fans and
critics alike into thinking that
McFly was back with nothing
ventured and nothing gained.
The lyrics are also a bit immature, but it’s still a great song
that will make you want to sing
along with Danny Jones and
Tom Fletcher.
“Sorry Isn’t Good Enough”
and “Bubblewrap,” with their
great melodies and more profound lyrics, show the band’s
musical growth but still have
that special McFly poppiness.
“Please Please” was written
by Fletcher about the off-screen
romance between drummer
Harry Judd and Lindsay Lohan. Fletcher raves about being
in love and wanting to settle
down, all while still obsessing
over Lohan’s red hair and green
eyes.
McFly also covers Queen’s
“Don’t Stop Me Now.” It’s a
great tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen.
If you like guitar-driven pop
rock, you will love McFly, best
described as a mix between
Blink-182 and the Beatles. Get
ready for another British Invasion.
-- Lillie Gervacio