Adopt-a-Family spreads holiday happiness

Visit The Windjammer online at: my.hsj.org/ca/lakewood/windjammer
The
Windjammer
Mayfair High School
Volume 53 Number 3
News Briefs
Dec. 3- SAT exams, Mayfair
is now a SAT testing site
Dec. 7- National Pearl Harbor
Rememberance Day
Dec. 21- Beginning of Winter
Dec. 23- Jan. 6- Winter Break
Dec. 24- Christmas Eve
Dec. 25- Merry Christmas!
Dec. 30- Deadline to register
for the Jan. SAT and SAT
subject tests
Jan. 1- Happy New Year!
Jan. 9- Welcome back to school
Mayfair Middle and High School
Performing Arts presents:
The Music Man Jr.
When: Dec. 2 and 3
Time: Evening Showtime starts
at 7 p.m. and Saturday Matinee
starts at 2 p.m. (Doors open 30
min. prior to showtime).
Where: MPB theater
For the Dec. 2 performance, a
canned food drive will be taking
place. With every can donated,
one dollar will be taken off the
at-the-door admission.
For more information, visit
www.MonsoonTheater.com.
6000 N. Woodruff Ave. Lakewood, CA 90713
Adopt-a-Family spreads holiday happiness
By Monica Haroon
Reporter
A little food goes a long
way! As the year comes closer
to its end, Mayfair prepares itself
for the yearly Project Shepherd
program.
Project Shepherd is a program
done in Lakewood that allows
students to help residents that are
in need by collecting goods, such
as canned and storable dry foods.
It may be a single struggling
mother, unemployed parents, or
just companionless children and
seniors, but everyone deserves to
celebrate a happy holiday!
With the success of Project
Shepherd that Mayfair achieves
each year, Adopt-a-Family is
another way to help people in
need.
This year’s holiday season
is difficult for families. Some
parents struggle to provide their
OPINION
page 2
Monthly Poll:
Holiday foods
LEISURE
page 3
The abominable
flu season
Christmas
gingerbread
cookie recipe
SPORTS
page 4
CIF story
Boys and Girls
Soccer
WEB EXCLUSIVES
my.hsj.org/ca/lakewood/
windjammer
The Music Man
Review
Christmas
Atheism v. Religion
Monica Haroon/ The Windjammer
Classes support Project Shepherd by bringing in cans.
family with the basic needs, but
with Adopt-a-Family, it is made
possible that these families receive
their essential requirements.
Adopt-a-Family provides stability
for families that are in a critical
situation. It is a fund drive that
“adopts” a family by providing
certain foods for them. Not only
is it exceptionally meaningful, but
it is also an easy way for students
to give back to the community
and learn about the importance of
community service.
Several
clubs
have
participated in this helpful food
drive.
When asked how they are
preparing for the drive, Gay
Straight Alliance president, Anna
Firpo said, “The food drive was
suggested to us by our advisor
and the club members were
ecstatic to sign up. So as a club,
for their hard work. The Musketeer
Club meets monthly in room 437
and works to recognize every staff
member at Mayfair, especially the
non-teaching staff.
At the beginning of the school
year, club members got together
and decided on recognizing
custodians for all of their work and
discussed different possibilities to
raise money. The club members
wanted to recognize custodians
for their help because they often
don’t get recognized as much.
Musketeer
Club
vice
president, Joey Thompson said,
“Every staff member at Mayfair
contributes so much to make our
school a great place to learn and
achieve goals. The Musketeer
Club has performed random acts
of kindness to teachers and other
faculty members as a way to say
thank you for all they do.”
The Musketeer Club hosted a
car wash last month and used the
money to buy donuts for Mayfair’s
custodians. The club also used
the funds that are collected when
students buy their new ID cards.
Lina, a Mayfair custodian,
was both surprised and thrilled
by the club’s recognition, she
said, “I’m happy, thank you. I’m
grateful to be recognized because
I like my job. Everyone is very
humble here.”
Musketeer Club advisor, Mr.
we signed up to support a family
and all the members pledged to
bring certain food items. The club
has already begun collecting what
they pledged to bring.”
CSF
President,
Louise
Angeles said, “As part of the
Mayfair community, CSF is more
than willing to participate in the
food drive by sponsoring a family.
Contrary to popular belief, CSF
members are not simply academic
students; we want to contribute
and lend a helping hand too.”
Senior, Quiana Sanchez,
Vice President of the CSF club
said, “This year, CSF wants to
expand its horizons, and not just
in regards to academic success. If
we can help alleviate the burden
of a struggling family, that means
we have found success within our
community as well.”
Those who participate in
Adopt-a-Family help to make the
holidays a little brighter for local
families in need.
Musketeers show appreciation for custodians
Inside Scoops
Staff Editorial:
Cafeteria food
Friday, December 2, 2011
Marysol Gonzalez
Lina the custodian.
By Marysol Gonzalez
Reporter
Mayfair’s Musketeer Club
has recently dedicated its time
to raising money to recognize
custodians to show appreciation
Boppell, is proud of the club for
their dedication and all that they
have accomplished.
He said, “It’s the club that
gives back. It isn’t about us, it’s
about everybody else.”
The club hopes to continue
recognizing custodians along
with other Mayfair staff. The
idea of the Musketeer Club’s
commitment to helping others
began back with former Assistant
Principal, Mr. Richard Pearce.
Mr. Boppell said, “It all
started with former Assistant
Principal, Mr. Pearce. He always
gave back to the community and
would always find ways to help
others.”
Sophomores take the CAHSEE Band makes music in Vegas
By Aaron Eaton
Reporter
On Dec. 7, sophomores will
be participating in a field test of the
writing portion of the California
High School Exit Exam.
The CAHSEE consists of:
language arts and math. The test
is mandatory, all students must
pass the CAHSEE. If it is failed
the student has until senior year
to retake the failed parts.
“I passed both parts the exam
when I took it last year. It was a
little hard on the mathematics part
because of the material I didn’t
know. I do know quite a bit of
English though. Overall, I think it
was a good experience. I did learn
some new things on both parts of
the exam,” Junior Sunay Jones
said.
The CAHSEE is 20 percent
writing. Practice is given in
sophomore English classes.
“We saw the field test as an
opportunity for our sophomores
to do a practice run on the writing
portion, and hopefully make them
less anxious about the whole
thing,” Principal Mrs. McKinley
said.
The first time students take
the exam is an opportunity to
get a feel for the writing prompt.
Seniors who need to take the
CAHSEE this year will be taking
it on two consecutive Saturdays:
Dec. 3 and Dec. 10. Performance
report feedback on procedure and
how prepared the school is, is
taken by a census of the exam as
a whole.
“We have an excellent first
time pass rate, compared to
other local school districts. We
outperform them,” said Principal
Mrs. McKinley.
According to http://www.
cde.ca.gov/index.asp, the passing
score for the math part of the
CAHSEE is about 55 percent of
items correct or a score of 350.
The passing score for the ELA
part of the CAHSEE is about
percent of items correct or a scale
of 350.
By Michelle Cruz
Reporter
On Nov. 5, our very own
Mayfair marching band placed
2nd in the Las Vegas competition
among 28 bands in the division.
Mayfair’s band was declared
the Las Vegas Invitational
champion the previous year.
Although band did not win this
year and was only less than a
point away from placing first,
members remained proud.
Mr. Phillips, Mayfair’s band
director, encouraged everyone to
go to the competition this year
and was successfully able to
pursuade almost all the members.
He provided students with buses,
but some students were also taken
by their own parents.
Louise Angeles, a current
senior who plays the snare in
drumline said, “My last Las
Vegas competition was simply
amazing. From the crazy bus ride,
the glow stick “party” in our hotel
room, winning 2nd overall out of
Louise Angeles
Colorguard and band stand proud
28 bands, and our free time in the
Adventure Dome, I always have
the best experiences with band.”
Another
senior
who
participated in band since his
freshman year, Dustin Pak, said,
“We had a great time and everyone
over there loved our show!”
Mr. Phillips is glad to
announce that this year’s band
members came up to a total of
152, Mayfair’s largest number
of students involved in band. He
also claims that their main goal as
a whole is to have respect among
everyone.
Last but not least, as Mr.
Phillips said, “If you don’t go to
win it all, don’t go!”
2
OPINION
PAGE
Volume 53, Number 3
6000 N. Woodruff Ave., Lakewood, CA 90713
Friday, December 2, 2011
Cafeteria food needs makeover
Staff Editorial
Just as your stomach begins to rumble,
the bell rings to end class. Even though your
stomach feels like it’s eating itself because
you are so hungry, you don’t go to the
cafeteria. Maybe you brought lunch from
home. Maybe you’re a senior or a teacher
and you have the privilege to get something
off campus. Maybe you even choose to
remain hungry. Apparently something is
going on with the food in the cafeteria.
The food is really overpriced. A lunch
on campus is $2.25 for students and $4.00
for teachers, who practically get the same
thing for lunch as we do. Now surely we
would all agree that we don’t mind paying
for food that’s worth our while, but that’s
the problem. The food in the cafeteria is, to
be frank, gross. It’s greasy, flavorless except
for the salt, it tastes frozen, and is not of
good quality.
It’s not uncommon to pass by someone
and hear the occasional “what meat is
supposed to be in my sandwich?” or “what
is this swimming in my apple juice?” Some
people buy the lunch, but once they taste it,
they just eat the fries. Some students don’t
even put it in the trash and unfinished food
brings a natural predator at Mayfair -seagulls.
These birds have become even more fearless,
attacking food that people even had the
courtesy to throw in the trash. If the food was
better, less food would be thrown away and in
turn attract fewer seagulls.
There is a variety of food choices, but
they aren’t available everyday. The usual
choices are pizza with fries, hamburgers,
Kim Kardashian’s long lasted marriage
By Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez
Copy Editor
Reality star Kim Kardashian filed for
divorce from her husband Kris Humphries
this past Halloween in an attempt to gain
publicity.
After a mere 72-day marriage,
Kardashian confirmed her divorce to her
NBA player husband.
She said, “After careful consideration,
I have decided to end my marriage. I hope
everyone understands this was not an easy
decision,” according to abcnews.com.
All I can say is: we all saw this coming.
Junior Edith Vargas said, “It seemed
like she knew from the beginning that she
was having second thoughts.”
If anyone watched the recent episodes
of “Keeping up with the Kardashians”,
you could easily tell that this pair had no
chance of making things work. Humphries
was too stubborn and traditional, while
Kim was too materialistic. It was evident
that Kim only wanted the big, glam, overthe-top wedding of her dreams. And that’s
exactly what she got.
According to latimes.com, Kim’s
August wedding cost an estimated
$10 million, and reportedly made the
Kardashians millions by selling the
wedding photos, the rights to televise the
wedding and other details.
Now that the star has filed for divorceher name has suddenly become relevant
again. It’s a win-win situation for Kim.
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, the author of
“Starstruck: The Business of Celebrity”, said
the gossip surrounding the failed marriage
only strengthens the Kardashians’ pop
culture standing and that the divorce is just
another thing that keeps people fascinated.
But there are some Americans out there
who thought the wedding and marriage
were legitimate.
In fact, Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity,
Inc.: How Famous People Make Money,”
thinks fans and supporters of the Kardashian
marriage feel betrayed. And with good
reason. Kim’s engagement lasted longer
than her marriage. True love? I think not.
But whether the wedding was a sham,
or the real thing- it has definitely captured
America’s attention.
calzones which are like pizza, chicken in
some form, and Hot Pockects, which are also
like pizza. They do offer some healthy food
choices, mainly fruit and salads. Our school
wants us to eat healthy, but the majority of the
food available to us is not healthy.
Because of the new state policies
regulating what foods are served in schools,
Mayfair was forced to take out several
choices that were available for lunch. But
because the food in the cafeteria is not up
to par, people don’t eat anything all day.
Surely we have all experienced a situation
when hunger has affected our ability to
concentrate. Usually these same people are
the ones who don’t eat anything during the
day, so they binge when they do get to eat,
which would be at the fast food restaurant.
In a way, what was trying to be prevented,
the student population consuming large
amounts of fast food, is being facilitated by
our school lunch program.
However there are reasons why
people do make daily visits to the cafeteria.
The service in the cafeteria is great. The
cafeteria workers are very nice and friendly.
Also, 48 percent of students are eligible
for free lunch at Mayfair, and a lot of them
take advantage of that. The school lunch
program has allowed food to be available
to everyone, despite their family’s income.
And as stated, healthy choices, if scarce,
are available, if we choose to eat them. As
a solution, bringing prices down might help,
but we ultimately agree a new school lunch
program would be a better solution. Better
food means more people will buy which
means more money for the school. `
Letter to the editor: The other side to dress code
While the administrative team respects
the fact that students have a right to their
opinion regarding dress code, and The
Windjammer staff has the right to express
their opinion in the newspaper, we would
respectfully ask that in the future some
research be done or questions asked before
publishing an uninformed opinion. We are
all on the same team here, and sometimes it
is easy to lose sight of that. Administration
wants Mayfair to be a place where students
thrive and learn the skills that they will need
to be successful in whatever future they
want for themselves. A safe and orderly
environment is the first step in achieving that
at a school, and like it or not, the dress code
plays a big part in providing that to students.
Let’s face it, students test the boundaries
of the dress code all the time. If you have
been caught violating the dress code, isn’t
it infuriating when you see another student
violate it and not get caught? For this reason,
our dress code is well defined. There is a
clear finger tip test for determining if shorts
or skirts are too short, clothes must be free
of any holes and must not be frayed, outer
garments must cover under garments, etc.
Students sometimes see this as strict and
unreasonable, but it helps the administrative
team be consistent and fair with all students.
Dress codes exist for many reasons.
At Mayfair, we believe that it is important
to have a dress code not only to avoid
educational distractions, but to set a tone for
how we want our campus to be. There are
bigger problems in schools right now than
how students dress…funding, safety, poverty,
drugs, etc., and it is naive to think that the
dress code is our main priority. However, if
we asked most students what their priority is
about their school, safety would probably be
at the top of their list. Safety starts with an
orderly school environment, which includes
well defined rules and the enforcement of
those rules. So, the dress code isn’t just about
“distractions.” We would agree that one
hole in a pair of jeans is not an educational
distraction. Two holes may not be either. But,
where is the defining line? That is why we
take the “opinion” out of it and simply have a
well defined rule.
If every teacher and every staff member
was consistent about calling students out
about dress code violations, the violations
would stop, or would at least become less
frequent.
- Mrs. McKinley
Principal
What is your favorite holiday food?
Poll conducted by Breahna Upton
Web Editor
“I guess ham.”
-Kristian Lopez
7th grade
“Cookies!”
-Chelsea Trotter
8th grade
THE WINDJAMMER STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Warren Poirier
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Shannon Turner
News Editor
Sarah Carmella Bumacod
Opinion Editor
Amandalynn Peralta
Leisure Editor
Diane Choi
Sports Editor
Jasmine Eileen Gomez
Web Editor
Breahna Upton
Copy Editor
Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez
Reporters
Michelle Cruz
Milton Duenas
Aaron Eaton
Leinorina Fonoti
Marysol Gonzalez
Monica Haroon
Stifon Jones
Melanie Lim
Guadalupe Santos
Yandy Torres
Brenda Vidaca
Advisor
Mrs. Kari McDaniel
“Turkey, because
it’s good.”
-Josh Hollins
9th grade
“Mashed potatoes They
remind me of home.”
Angelica Davis
10th grade
Visit us on the web at:
my.hsj.org/ca/lakewood/windjammer
e-jammer.tumblr.com
twitter.com/windjammer2011
Mayfair High School
6000 N. Woodruff Ave.
Lakewood, CA 90713
(562)925-9981 x211
Disclaimer: The views expressed in The Windjammer
do not necessarily reflect the views of its staff, advisor,
Mayfair’s faculty or the administration. The Windjammer
is a student ran newspaper. All stories are student written
unless otherwise noted.
“Candied yams. They’re
[explicit] amazing.”
Nick Lavinger
11th grade
“Adobo chicken. It makes
me think of Christmas.”
-Quiana Sanchez
12th grade
Corrections? If you find a correction in The
Windjammer that you feel needs to be addressed, please
send the correction to room 211 or email kmcdaniel@
busd.k12.ca.us
Do you have an opinion? If you want to express your
opinion about an issue, write a “Letter to the editor”
and bring it to room 211. All letters must be typed and
include a first and last name. No anonymous letters
accepted.
Distribution: The Windjammer is published 8 times per
year on the first Friday of the month.
Advertising: For advertising rates please contact Mrs.
McDaniel at (562)925-9981 x 211 or kmcdaniel@busd.
k12.ca.us
Volume 53, Number 3
LEISURE
6000 N. Woodruff Ave. Lakewood, CA 90713
3
PAGE
Friday, December 2, 2011
Abominable Sick Season: How to overcome or prevent it
Sarah Bumacod/The Windjammer
Signs of cold may be tickly throat, sneezes, and runny nose.
By Sarah Carmella Bumacod
News Editor
Your throat is sore. Your nose
begins to run. You feel the need to
cough, but you try to stifle it back.
One sniffle, then you start noticing
ten more. Everyone around you is
sick. What is going on? The flu,
that’s what.
The fall season marks the
beginning of gloomy and cold
weather. However, the wind is
bringing around much more than
a chilly breeze; it is also spreading
the flu virus. Since the flu is
contagious and highly common,
it would be wise to familiarize
yourself with its symptoms.
To better remember the
common signs of the flu,
remember the F.A.C.T.S.: Fever,
Aches, Chills, Tiredness, and
Sudden Symptoms. If your body
temperature rises higher than
100 degrees Fahrenheit, or if you
are experiencing body aches,
unexplained chills, or extreme
fatigue, then you probably have
the flu.
Since this virus is contagious,
keep your distance around those
who are already sick. The surfaces
you touch may be easily, but not
visibly, infected with germs that
may give you the flu, so try to
avoid touching your eyes, nose,
or mouth. Keeping sanitized is
also an essential tip to staying flufree. Have a sanitizer bottle close
by for good hygiene, or just wash
your hands with soap and water.
Health
assistant
Sandy
Alonzo said, “Wash your hands
all the time. Don’t share drinks,
and cover your mouth if you have
a cough.”
As much as we try to prevent
the flu, sometimes our efforts
are futile. Inevitably, we cannot
always avoid every germ or
steer clear from all the infected.
Consequently, we end up sick,
and when we do, it takes more
than a box of tissues, chicken
noodle soup, or over-the-counter
drugs to feel better.
Although these measures
might ease and relieve the flu
symptoms, it will not treat it. The
flu shot does not always work for
everyone; however, if the flu shot
works for you, then pay a visit to
your physician or any pharmacy
that provides it.
Senior Quang Le said, “The
flu shot is a myth. I have never
gotten the flu shot and I have
never gotten sick.”
If your symptoms are mild,
then relieve the symptoms with
over-the-counter medicine. More
extreme measures need to be taken
for more extreme symptoms.
For more information on the
flu, how to prevent it, and how to
treat it, visit http://www.flufacts.
com/index.jsp. Keep clean, stay
warm, and stay well.
What do students usually do
Mayfair alumnis now celebrities
graduates in MLB, NFL, and NBA.
By Melanie Lim
Reporter
Mayfair may seem like just
an average school; however,
the halls you walk through and
the classrooms you sit in have
been used by some of the most
successful people today. In sports,
music, fashion, and constabularies,
Mayfair alumni have made their
name in many of these categories
with the same teachers you have
and with an ambition to rise above
and beyond.
Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. or
as some of you know him as
Synyster Gates, guitarist from the
famous band Avenged Sevenfold,
attended Mayfair High as a
teenager but later transferred
to Ocean View High School in
Huntington Beach. Not only that,
Haner is also the owner of the
clothing line, Syn Clothing.
Many of you Monsoons
remember Alterraun Verner,
number 20 cornerback player of
the Tennessee Titans, from last
year’s special assembly when
Verner came back to Mayfair to
retire his jersey. Not only was
he a jock, but Verner was also a
model student with a 4.17 GPA, a
1740 SAT score and a tutor for the
football team in math and history.
Verner’s hard work paid off as he
was offered to go to many colleges
such as Washington, Oregon, and
Boston College. However, Verner
chose to go close to home as he
played football at UCLA.
Charles L. Beck, LAPD
police chief, is an excellent
example of how far you will go
with a little hard work. Beck
started off as a patrol officer in
1977, and he is now known as
one of the most famous men who
protect LA.
Those who have been in our
Mayfair auditorium have seen
the retired basketball jersey of
Josh Childress. He started off as
a basketball player in 1997 and
graduated in 2000. He now plays
for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.
While in high school, Childress
was named McDonald’s High
School All-American and played
for the guys’ volleyball team
where he led the Monsoons to an
undefeated record and was voted
to the All-League Volleyball team.
Childress said, “I have tons of
great memories from Mayfair, but
my favorite was winning the CIF title
in 1999. It was such a great moment
and I will never forget that.”
Childress worked hard to
get good grades which earned
him a chance to go to Stanford
University.
Mayfair
currently
has
I’m not sure how many schools in
the country can say that.
Other Famous Mayfairians:
Sylvia
Amoritaradio
personality
Angela Chi-San Diego TV.
Anchor women
Michael Schmitt- magazine
writer
Janice Parks- played for
UCLA 1982 College World Series
Champions and Puerto Rican
Olympic softball team in 1996
Geri Reishl- c/o ’78 played
Jan Brady in Brady Bunch Variety
Hour
Edwin Draughan- c/o ’01 Yale
Graduate and plays professional
basketball in Euro League
Tod Burnett- c/o ’81 President
of Saddleback Comm. College
Stephen
BerrySCCA
Professional Racing
Shaun Anthony- Major
League Soccer, professional
soccer coach
Marque Richardson- USC
alumni and American actor/
screenwriter
Mark Wagner- catcher for
Pawtucket Red Sox and is on
Boston Red Sox 40-Man Roster
Justin Turner- c/o ‘00 2nd
base in New York Mets
For other famous Mayfairians,
please visit our website.
Vanilla Icing Gingerbreadmen
By Amandalynn Peralta
Opinion Editor
Do you want really awesome
gifts this Christmas? You should
leave these sugar cookies out
for Santa, a recipe courtesy of
tasteofhome.com.
Here is what you need:
The cookies: 1 cup softened
butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/4
cup half-and-half, 3 cups flour,
2 teaspoons baking powder, 1
teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2
teaspoon salt.
The frosting: 1/2 cup softened
butter, 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
(powdered sugar), 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract (optional), 2 to 4
tablespoons half- and- half
Directions for cookies:
1. Turn on your oven to 325
degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, beat the
butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time,
beating well after each egg. Add
in the cream.
3. In a separate bowl, combine
the flour, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt. Then gradually add
to the mixture in step 1 and mix
well. Cover the bowl and put it in
the refrigerator for three hours or
until you can easily handle it.
4. Then on a table or a
cutting board, put some flour so
the dough will not stick. Then
roll out the dough until it is about
1/8 an inch thick. You can cut the
cookie into any shapes you want
with cookie cutters; bells, trees,
or gingerbread men like we did.
Put them on a cookie sheet about
one inch apart.
5. Bake at 325 degrees
Fahrenheit for six to eight
minutes or until edges are slightly
brown. Put the cookies on a plate
to cool.
Directions for the icing:
1. In another large bowl,
beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and
as much half-in-half as it takes
for the icing to be spreadable. If
you want you can put some food
coloring in the icing, or you can
put some sprinkles or colored
sugar on top.
Tips:
1. Make sure you do not
overmix the dough for the
cookies. If you do, the cookies
will come out tough.
2. Chill the dough for as long
as you can. The longer you chill
it, the easier it is to handle.
3. Do not be afraid to really
coat your table or cutting board
with flour. It prevents the dough
from sticking.
during their winter breaks
Guadalupe Santos/The Windjammer
Total of 200 Mayfair High School students of all grades were
asked what they usually do during the winter break.
Winter break ‘funzies’
By Diane Choi
Leisure Editor
It’s that time of the year
again, Christmas break! Which
means, no school for two weeks!
One can catch up on sleep,
finally read the book that has been
on the to-read-list, and relax and
have fun with friends and family
members for Christmas and New
Years.
But if you want something
out of the extraordinary, you can
look up volunteer opportunities
around the community. You will
meet new people of all ages,
acquire new experiences, and
have something productive to
do all while giving back to the
community and entertaining
yourself. Although our school
does not require volunteer hours
to graduate, it is good to stock up
some volunteer hours and work
experiences for uses on college
applications and resumes. You
can always look for volunteering
experiences at Meals on Wheels,
hospitals, or houses for elderly.
Reading is important, for
people read their whole life. In a
few years, you’ll get into colleges,
and classes in colleges require the
students to self-read the textbooks
in order to take tests or write
papers. Get the reading levels
up now and be accustomed to
copious reading. There are various
types of genres from biographies
to science fiction; there is no way
that one cannot find a book that
could be enjoyed. Here are some
suggestions from Ms. Manquero,
the librarian: Delirium by Lauren
Oliver, Maze Runner by James
Dashner, and Matched by Ally
Condie.
We can’t forget about family
Christmas movies. According to
www.popeater.com, the top 10
best holiday movies of all time
are “A Christmas Story,” (1983),
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” (1946),
“Miracle on 34th Street,” (1947),
“Scrooged,” (1988), “White
Christmas,” (1954), “Elf,” (2003),
“Christmas Connecticut,” (1945),
“Home Alone,” (1990), “Babes in
Toyland,” (1934), and “National
Lapoon’s Christmas Vacation,”
(1989).
Sometimes, time flies by
without anyone actually doing
anything. If you don’t want this
to happen, perhaps you can write
down all the things you did and
for how long the activity lasted
on a paper. This way, you know
what exactly happened during the
day, how much time was invested
in each event, and what can be
changed to make your next day
more productive.
4
PAGE
Volume 53 Number 3
SPORTS
6000 N. Woodruff Ave. Lakewood, CA 90713
Friday, December 2, 2011
Athletic Spotlight: Caleb VanderBaan
By Shannon Turner
Reporter
Caleb VanderBaan, a senior
and four-year member of the
Mayfair cross country team
placed first this year in the
Suburban League.
VanderBaan achieved a time
of 16:11 at League Finals Nov.
3 at Cerritos Regional Park, his
fastest time at a league race.
However, his PR was 15:20 at the
Bell-Gardens Invitational.
The boys’ and girls’ varsity
teams competed in CIF at Mt.
San Antonio College on Nov. 12
where the Monsoons brought an
end to a successful cross country
season.
VanderBaan, who began
running cross country his
freshman year when teammate
Jimmy Duong convinced him to
join, considers competition his
greatest motivation.
“Every time I run or work
out, I think about the runners
from other schools that I need
Boys Soccer ready to
kick grass this season
By Milton Duenas
Reporter
The boys’ 2011 soccer season
is about to begin this month.
Varsity head coach Mr.
Headley thinks the team has
made many improvements from
last season. The main goal of the
team is to win league this season
and to make it further in CIF.
Coach Headley thinks senior
midfielder Aaron Thompson and
senior defenders Tony Gomez and
David Grkinich are the players to
watch on the varsity team. He
said the top newcomer to the
varsity squad is junior forward
Jesse Hernandez.
Senior varsity defender Tony
Gomez regarding this season
said, “I am looking forward to
the season because we have a
large amount of talented players;
we will have a strong offense and
defense.”
Varsity defender Ventura
Quintana when asked about
the start of the season said, “I
am excited to be going back to
playing Mayfair soccer.”
The game to look out for is the
game against Lakewood on Dec.
9, when the milk bottle trophy is
played for. The team will also be
playing in a tournament in Pasa
Robles.
The JV team is making their
season debut. The JV team that
struggled last year, has made huge
improvements to win because
of the brand new coaching staff.
Mr. Headley said to look out for
the top newcomer of the squad,
mid fielder Jose Guerrero.
The frosh-soph team, who
has won league the past four
years, is also going to start their
season. Headley thinks the squad
has a good chance at repeating
the title. Frosh-soph’s players
to watch are defenders Joey
Strangers and Justin Gonzales
and forward Jose Smith.
to beat, and that motivates me to
run,” VanderBaan said.
“There has always been some
rivalry and competition between
the two of us since we have been
running [and that] has always
pushed me during our runs,”
Duong said.
Duong claims VanderBaan’s
“golden legs, iron lungs, amazing
runs, and strong work ethic
and dedication” has helped
the team grow. He believes to
have developed a “legitimate
bromance” with VanderBaan from
running with him for so long.
“My favorite thing about
cross country is the team. Every
day is an adventure, [and] we
find ways to make practice
fun. Everyone supports and
encourages each other fully, yet
at the same time everyone is
aiming for those seven varsity
spots,” VanderBaan said.
Like all success stories,
VanderBaan’s running career was
not without obstacles.
“My biggest problem in cross
country is my lactose intolerance.
I can’t have anything with lactose
in it two days before I run, so I
have been on a limited diet for
the past three years during cross
country and track seasons,”
VanderBaan said.
Coach Broomfield, who has
coached cross country for the past
two years, admires VanderBaan’s
leadership.
“Caleb has definitely been
a leader on the team. He helped
push the freshmen and set an
example on how to train, how to
step up, and how to perform under
pressure,” Broomfield said.
“The team worked hard this
year. Whether it was running
endless miles on the riverbed, or
running mile-repeats, everyone
gave it their all. These workouts
help us build up our speed,
endurance, and mentalities,”
VanderBaan said.
“His diligence and dedication
has rubbed off on other runners
Photos courtesy of Debbie VaanderBaan
Left: Caleb running at Mt. San Antonio College on Oct. 21
which has helped the team grow basketball team, having played
significantly,” Duong said.
since his freshman year.
“He improved every year
As well, VanderBaan will
in his high school cross country continue to run track this spring,
career, and he peeked at the right running the 1600 and 3200
time. He worked so hard and meter.
he really deserved everything
Next year he plans to run at
he accomplished this year,” a four year college or university.
Broomfield said.
While he is unsure of what he
VanderBaan also is a first- wants to study, he is interested in
year member of the varsity education and athletic training.
Fall sports finish up season Girls basketball prep for success
By Yandy Torres
Reporter
As all the fall sports finished
up season including football,
girls volleyball, girls golf, girls
tennis and boys and girls cross
country, each team proudly made
it to some level of CIF.
Girls’ varsity volleyball won
their first round of CIF playoffs
against San Bernardino, Tuesday
Nov. 8. They were undefeated in
all three consecutive games with
scores of 25-4, 25-11, and 25-7.
“We have worked hard
throughout summer and fall, as
long as we have heart we will
go far,” said Junior Morenne
Almanza.
The Lady Monsoons beat
Yorba Linda with an overall
score of 3-2. According to
maxpreps.com, they lost their
game against the Chadwick
Dolphins, Saturday Nov. 12 and
thus resulted in disqualification
of CIF Championships. As for cross country, Coach
Boppell said, “It has been a
successful year, we are more than
a team, we are a family.”
Boys finished in 2nd in
league and girls finished in 3rd.
Girls’ varsity cross country
beat La Mirada at their second
league meet, which has not
occurred in eight years. The top
two runners of boys’ varsity will
be graduating this year: Caleb
Vanderbaan, boys varsity league
champion and Jimmy Duong,
team captain. Cross country
began CIF prelims Saturday Nov.
12 at Mt. Sac College. Despite
not qualifying for CIF Finals,
Boppell said he is proud of the
team’s accomplishments.
Varsity football beat Artesia
Thursday Nov. 10 with a final
score of 69-22 and finished the
regular season with a record of 7
to 3. There is now a three-way tie
between La Mirada, Bellflower,
and Mayfair.
On Nov. 18 football played
La Serna in the first round of CIF
in which they put up a battle but
finished with a loss of 45-34.
Girls’ varsity tennis made it
to the first round of CIF playoffs.
The team played El Segundo
Tuesday Nov. 8 but lost.
“We all worked really hard and
tried our best,” said Kinsey
Carvlin, varsity team captain.
Girls’ varsity golf members,
senior Vitiya Siripanya and
sophomore Tiffany Whittaker
both advanced to CIF prelims and
competed in just the first round at
Recreation Park Golf Course in
Long Beach on Oct. 31.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Wu
Seniors who participated in CIF for girls tennis, boys and girls cross
country and girls volleyball pose.
By Rina Fonoti
Reporter
With returning players
as well as new players, girls’
basketball is ready to take on
their season.
Senior
Jamesha
West
said, “It’s going to be a tough
season, but we will have a great
season.”
Last year, girls basketball
went undefeated in Suburban
League, and they also made it to
the quarter finals in CIF .
“We expect a tough game
against Norwalk, as well as
Bellflower, but we should do
good, if we work as a team,” said
senior Imani Joseph.
They have a tough preseason game against, the number
one team in the nation, Mater
Dei, on Dec. 6.
“We should win Suburban
League again, and we shall
do well in playoffs,” said an
optimistic Coach Nick.
The girls first scrimmage
game was against Saint Joseph,
on Nov. 22, the girls took home a
victory of 36-29.
The team, as well as Coach
Nick, hope to win Suburban
League for the third time, and
hope to do really well in the
playoffs.
Senior
Tyler
Flanagan
said, “This should be a fun and
exciting season, for me as well as
my teammates.”
Top players to keep an eye
out for this season are seniors,
Imani Joseph, Nisja Bass,
Jamesha West, Tyler Flanagan
and Karay Franklin. As well as
sophomore Jessica Torrez.
As girls basketball gets
ready to start their season, come
out and support our girls on their
road to a great season.
Girls soccer hope to win
By Stifon Jones
Reporter
Hard work and dedication is
what Mayfair High Schools Girls
Varsity soccer team has been
putting into all of their practices
for the upcoming season.
Girls soccer coach, coach
Maroquian, says that practices
have been going okay despite the
injuries of a few players. He also
says that “This season the girls
are working forward to improving
on last year and winning the
Suburban League championship
again”.
Senior and girls soccer player,
Nicole Nsa, says “ Nothing less
than to be league champions and
to play as a team,” is what we
could expect this season from
Mayfair’s girls varsity soccer
team.
We could expect a couple
of highly anticipated games
against local rivals, Lakewood
high school and La Mirada high
school. On Dec. 6, Mayfair girls
soccer team will play at home
against Lakewood high school
and La Mirada high school Jan
30.
Eleventh grade student and
girls soccer team player, Lauren
Swart, says we could expect “An
improvement from last year.”
Coach Maroquian says the
key players to look out for this
upcoming season are seniors
Nicole Nsa, Tara McNaught, and
Tyler Hanley, and junior Lauren
Swart.
There is still much more to
expect this season from the team.
Senior Tara Mcnaught says we
could expect “Victory!” and for
the team to “come out strong.”
Mayfair’s
girls
soccer
team will play their first game
Friday Dec. 2 in the Ocean View
tournament.