December 2009

Valley Christian High School
t
Cerritos, California 90703
CROSS SECTION
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40
Volume VII Issue 3
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
2
Opinion / Editorials
The Day Which Must
Not Be Named
As the holiday that we celebrate
on December 25th nears closer
sports editor
and closer, people are beginning
to get further and further away
from sanity. Almost every year, this holiday seems to be
losing its meaning bit by cheerful bit. This holiday is meant
to celebrate the day that Jesus is born, but apparently, this is
too much to handle for some people. We might as well start
calling this holiday Gift Giving Day, because calling it what
it was formerly known as makes people feel like we are
shoving religion down their throats. It’s downright ridiculous.
Take “holiday” shopping as an example. According to afa.net,
in 2005 Target didn’t use the forbidden word once, but it did
say holiday 36 times in its catalog. It also banned Salvation
Army bell ringers from outside the store, instead allowing
people donate items bought from Target to Salvation Army.
Oh yeah, you have to pay for shipping too. I can see children
20 years from now saying to their parents, “Dad, did you go
holiday shopping yet? Where did you hide the holiday presents?
A few years back, on Nordstrom’s “holiday shopping” section
of their website they referred to the special date of December
25th. “I can’t wait to see what Santa got me for December 25th!”
Only after many protests did Lowe’s change their sign
for “Holiday Trees” that hung outside every store.
“Mommy, can I help you put lights on the Holiday Tree?”
Gap, for many years, has been on this list and has continually
refused to use the forbidden word. However, this year, the
American Family Association made a difference and finally got
Gap’s Old Navy division to make a commercial with the word in it.
However, many companies still refuse to say the word.
The AFA has an annual “naughty and nice” list that names
companies who don’t use the harmful phrase. Some notable
companies include Office Depot, Radio Shack, Dick’s
Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Staples, and Barnes & Noble.
This huge deal over two words has begun to put a damper
on my holidays. I can’t stop thinking about what people will
start complaining about next. I don’t want to have a future
with Holiday 1, Holiday 2, Holiday 3, and so on. Let’s make a
difference.
On the holiday on December 25, make sure you don’t just say
Happy Holidays. To every single person you see on that day,
don’t be afraid to use the forbidden words. Merry Christmas.
jeff hing
iClick, iListen, iPay
Too Much
Charging one dollar for one song
on iTunes is outrageous. The popgraphics editor
ular source to buy music, iTunes
has been charging ridiculous prices
for music for a few years now and it looks as if it will only get
worse.
Some songs on iTunes cost more than a dollar now, paying
more than a dollar for one song is not worth it. Most songs on
iTunes are 99 cents however a lot of songs now cost $1.29, an
example of this would be all of Michael Jackson’s music. Funny
that before he died most of his older music was still .99 each, but
now it’s remastered and cost 1.29.
When you buy something you don’t even get to have an actual copy of the album or song so if anything the content you
buy on iTunes should be cheaper not more expensive. Buying
music on iTunes makes about as much sense as buying a threedollar ringtone for your cell phone. I don’t see any reason why
iTunes needs to charge so much for music on their site. The only
nice part about buying music from them is that it puts the music
straight into iTunes and you don’t have to do all the work of dragging it in there.
Other music sites make so much more sense to buy from. The
average song on a European music site costs about 10 cents, ten
times cheaper than on iTunes. Also if you buy on a European
website the albums you want to buy come out sooner and you
don’t have to have the music on iTunes.
It seems obvious, if you don’t want to pay outrageous prices for
one song then you should start purchasing music from a European site. Whether you buy your music on iTunes or somewhere
else, it’s the same music so why bother paying ten times more for
it? Either iTunes needs to drop its prices to a reasonable amount
or people need to stop putting up with iTunes.
ryan hadley
Laura
Bauer
Around this time last year, I was watching our
previous editor, Andrea, laugh at me as I proposed
my newest idea for a Christmas article.
“Fruitcake!!!!” I said, with the satisfaction of a
well thought-out idea.
Needless to say, she didn’t favor the idea, but
shared it with Grace, the other editor at the time,
and they teased me about it the rest of the day.
This year, I brought up the idea to my new-andhopefully-more-open editors, Paul and Heidi.
It was then that Mrs. Zoetewey reminded me of a
very special thing that I now have, which I didn’t
this time last year: A Column.
So to all those who dismissed my fruitcake
idea the minute I put it out there (aka Andrea and
Grace), I just have one thing to say to you: It’s
fruitcake time.
My fruitcake column starts where all fruitcake
columns should start….Wal-Mart.
It was there that I desperately searched up and
down aisles for the fruit of the cake.
But Wal-Mart, the once promised-land for everything under the sun, did not have a fruitcake, however it did contain some confused workers who
looked at me really funny when I asked where the
celebrated Christmas treat could be found.
The next store I tried was CVS pharmacy (aka
the old Sav-on). This operation failed as soon as
it started. We walked in, took long hard look at
the Christmas section, and then did something
that most boys struggle with: asked for directions.
The manager at the store assured us that they “had
some last year!” but no longer. As many of my
good friends would now say…fail.
After CVS failed us, we ventured over to Vons.
The cashier at Vons said she didn’t think they had
not yet received their Christmas merchandise.
This surprised me considering the fact that every
other store has had Christmas supplies in since before Turkey Day, but I decided not to bring this
up considering that there was a long line forming
behind us.
So finally, I turned to my mother.
“Mommy…..I need a fruitcake.”
You can imagine the surprise and suspicion on
my mother’s face when she heard this… it almost
matched the surprise on my face when she actually
showed up with one the next day.
“Harry & David’s,” she said.
It was then that I decided to gracefully bow down
and acknowledge wisdom quite superior to my
own.
So for the next few days, my well-soughtafter fruitcake sat on our counter, lonely and
uneaten.
My mom would keep reminding me about it,
and I would keep announcing that I was going
to eat it soon, but it never happened.
Honestly, by this point, I was intimidated by
the round and foreign object. I had heard enough
horror stories of fruitcake that I feared taking the
first bight. And the cake alone was just scary. It
looked somewhat slimy and disgusting, with what
seemed like disfigured red and green grapes on
top.
It wasn’t until last night, (a week after I actually set the cake on the top of my counter), that I
actually built up enough courage to eat the cakelike-object.
Let me tell you, it was not that bad.
I mean, it wasn’t “O MY GOODNESS” amazing, but it was okay.
A little slimy, but certainly sweet and fruity.
To this day, I am still not quite sure what to make
of the fruitcake, but all I know is that I was full
after one bite.
It is kind of a filling little snack.
However, it is still sitting there, waiting eagerly
on my kitchen counter.
It takes time and dedication to finish eating a
fruitcake.
So next time you’re in the market and see the tin
can full of this sacred holiday tradition, I advise
you, reach over and grab one....but just make sure
you know what you are doing, because you may
be stuck with it for a while.
Fruitcake is truly a gift that keeps on giving....
and giving.
Thumbs up for the
school for purchasing
the Journalism
and Yearbook
class a new
printer. It
makes creating the
newspaper and
yearbook much easier.
Cross+Section Mission Statement
The purpose of Cross+Section is to inform readers of events and give recognition to students and members of
the Valley Christian community. Cross+Section aims to provide a forum for student expression and a voice
for our community, while upholding the standards and ethics of Valley Christian High School.
Cross+Section Editorial Policy
Cross+Section offers a medium for the diverse student population of Valley Christian High School to articulate a voice. Cross+Section provides a public forum for student expression. It will aim to provide accurate
and true information to the Valley Christian community. We will strive to avoid publication of gossip, crude
content or language, and profanity. Cross+Section is student-run and the staff is responsible for all content.
The adviser will review and give advice on any material which could be potentially harmful or damaging to
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necessarily reflect the views of Valley Christian High School or the Cross+Section staff as a whole.
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right to edit submissions for length and clarity, and also reserves the right to reject a submission if deemed
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Contact Information
Mailing Address:
10818 E. Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703
Attn: Cross+Section
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.vcschools.org
Opinion / Editorials
3
The Twilight of their Life
staff editorial
Edward Cullen is unattractive.
Most
girls
who read that
sentence
are
probably more
upset
about
that than they
were when they
found out that
the Wall Street
bailout money
was spent on
executive bonuses. Actually,
the majority of
teenage girls
probably didn’t
hear about the
bailouts,
because they were
quarantined
from the world,
either rereading
New Moon, or
waiting in line
for the movie to
premier. (Please
direct
angry
comments to
Paul Bakker or
Heidi Furlong,
Cross+Section
Editors-inCARTOON BY JULIA IP
Chief).
Whether or not the Twilight novels will be remembered with any literary merit remains to be seen. But regardless
of the phenomenon’s staying power, we as a staff feel that the hype and obsession over a series of mediocre films has
gone too far.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the film was produced on a $50 million budget (a ridiculously low sum by
today’s standards), -numbers.com, estimates the film’s international gross over $500 million thus far.
Our problem isn’t with the story itself. The vampire concept is overused, but it is a compelling story. The movies are
just poorly made and are causing unwarranted obsession. T-shirts, posters, and other useless merchandise are raiding
the wallets of teens. People skipped work and school to camp out for the premiere in Westwood, and record numbers
stayed up late, wading through the crowds to be among to first to watch New Moon at midnight.
Many Twilight fans agree that the movies are actually horrible, but they fall for the trap simply because it has the
word “Twilight” attached to it. Producers of the film rely on this hype. They know that they can release movies that
don’t live up to the book because Twilight fans are so obsessed with the story that they watch the movie regardless.
By going to see New Moon out of obligation, fans are inadvertently promoting the production of horrible movies.
When producers spot this trend, they will continue to exploit it, setting a domino effect of even more bad movies.
The solution is simple: If you love Twilight, stick with the books. If you just can’t resist Taylor Lautner’s abs or Robert Pattinson’s teeth, just google image search them. Their pictures are littering the internet. There’s simply no excuse
to feed this evil empire of horrible movies.
Qué? What? Ecusa?
At Valley Christian, our main dialect is English, but our campus actually holds an interesting diversity of languages. Simply opening my ears and listening to harmless chatter as
staff writer
people pass by eavesdropping ears, I have discovered the presence of not just English, but
Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Japanese, Korean, German, and Dutch. I’m positive that there
are many more spoken at out multilingual school.
However, at a school that was founded on the basis of English, I have to ask myself, how suitable is it for students to
speak a language other than those that are taught in school?
Being a bilingual student myself, my mother is constantly reminding me to use the appropriate language at the
appropriate time. But then, when is appropriate? And when is it inappropriate? It’s like this: nobody would wear a
swimsuit to the mall, but when playing along the seaside, it is “appropriate” to wear one. The same can be applied to
what languages to use.
When in a room full of people who mostly share one language, English, is it suitable to use the other language when
talking to a friend when nobody else can understand? Not only will other people misunderstand the content of the conversation, it sets the speakers apart from the group in the room. It is a courtesy to speak the same language as others.
That can also be used with the golden rule.
This can also be useful with our walk with God. What can we say to another person, regardless of what languages
used, when Jesus is right there, intently listening?
It is not unusual for me to hear people complaining about being super annoyed by an instance when they couldn’t
understand what others were saying. Upon hearing these complaints, I always feel slightly guilty, because this is a
habit I fall into more than I want to. Nowadays, I limit my Mandarin Chinese in school to “Ni Hao” because “hello”
is a universal language.
Julia ip
Paul
Bakker
It’s no secret that healthcare has been tearing up
Capitol Hill over the past few months. Ever since
Obama entered office, Democrats have been pushing
for reform, as Republicans have been pulling out all the
stops to stall it. It seems that everybody has an opinion
and nobody agrees, but I would like to explore some
solutions that have been brushed aside by the partisan
ideologues that run the country.
1. Extinguish the sun.
It’s no secret that the sun’s harmful UV rays are the
leading cause of skin cancer. Getting rid of the sun
would result in less skin cancer, which is one less disease to fight.
2. Pro-smoking education.
According to a study I just made up, smokers die
younger than non-smokers. If we can just get a few
more people to start smoking, we won’t have to worry
about rationing care.
3. Loosen the definition of “doctor”.
It’s a relatively subjective term to begin with. I mean,
if Dr. Phil is a doctor, why can’t I be one? By increasing
the number of doctors, you let the competition bring
down prices. Who needs a government option to regulate the private sector when Dr. McShady offers buy
one get one free kidney transplants?
4. Play the Blame Game
Why make progress when you could focus on all the
cons? I like to call it congress. Everybody loves pointing fingers, so I’ll start by blaming myself. The fact that
not all Americans have access to comprehensive and
affordable healthcare is all my fault. Every day I eat
thousands of calories worth of absolute garbage, which
takes a tremendous toll on my health. Normally these
expensive doctor visits would create an incentive to quit,
but thanks to my luxurious PPO, I can use up countless
hospital time and resources at no personal expense. If I
would just put down the box of Krispy Kremes , there
would be plenty of healthcare to go around. But I love
my sedentary lifestyle too much to give it up.
5. Vaccinations for every existing disease.
All these 5K walks, and still nobody can figure out a
cancer vaccine? Why don’t these “doctors” pull their
Ivy League shenanigans together so that my children’s
children can live in a world where health insurance is
irrelevant?
6. Tax the poor.
Since the whiney rich people keep griping about the
government taking what rightfully belongs to them,
maybe poor people will have a better attitude. I suggest
a regressive tax system, in which poor people are penalized for being poor. Who knows? It might give them
some incentive to strengthen the middle class.
Since the democrats continue to flaunt the fact that
nobody has come up with a good alternative to their
proposition, I felt an obligation to offer my two cents.
Take that, Barney Frank.
Have a response? Write a letter to the editor for the
January issue, see submission guidelines on page 3.
Cross+Section Staff
2008-2009
Editors-in-Chief
Paul Bakker
Heidi Furlong
Copy Editor
Laura Bauer
Sports Editor
Jeff Hing
Graphics Editor
Ryan Hadley
Staff Writers
Julia Ip
Kym Aaronsen
Johanna Lorette
Adviser
Sharon Zoetewey
News
4
R e m e m b e r
Model United Nations Club Holds MORP?
its First Conference of the Year
Rumors spread quite
fast around the school
staff writer
campus, such as the Sadies dance. There are
rumors saying there won’t be a dance, it will be held in the
school gym, a carnival theme, its now called MORP…and
the list continues.
Rumors are rumors, don’t believe everything you hear, because the school is still having a Sadies this year, but instead
of going to Knott’s or Boomers, it will be held in the school
gym.
According to urban dictionary, most MORPs are 80s
themed or you just wear mismatched, bright, crazy, fun outfits and look like a total goof ball. Its lots of fun no matter
what grade you are in.
In the previous years the dance has been held at either
amusement parks or fun centers, but not a lot of students go
to them; and the school loses a lot of money because of it.
Thoughts for theme are still coming our way, but we
should know soon.
According to www.dictionary.reference.come/browse/sadies, Sadies Hawkins came from a 1939 race that was held
on Sadies Hawkins day (in the cartoon strip Li’l Abner by
Al Capp) where the woman pursued the single men. Years
later, this idea was promoted through a popular Christian
band, Relient K. The song is called the “Sadie Hawkins
Dance” and is from the album The Anatomy Of The Tongue
in Cheek. The lyrics say “The Sadie Hawkins Dance, in my
khaki pants. There’s nothing better! The girls ask the guys
it’s always a surprise. There’s nothing better, baby do you
like my sweater?” These lyrics also implemented the idea
that Sadie Hawkins would be informal, but dates should still
match.
“We are trying to stay away from the couples only idea,
we want everyone to come,” said Mr. Petteys who is in
charge of the school dance.
It seems that the Sadies event does not have as much popularity as winter formal and JSB. This dance is more for having a good time with your friends and having a magnificent
time. So get ready to ask those dudes ladies.
Kymberly Aaronsen
On November 14, 2009, at 9:30 AM, the Model UN club held its first conference
of the year.
staff writer
Representing countries around the world, the students attending the event debated
upon the topics of Child Labor and State Sponsored Terrorism. The conference was
not official though, and they hosted it so that the club members could “get the feel” of what the club is all about.
The use of mock conferences is explained on the club’s summary online. That is so that students have “identified
themselves as a diplomat of an assigned country and then represented that country in all areas, political, social,
and economic”.
Marybeth Myhren, the club’s advisor, Krystina Wilkinson, the Club president, and Lance Lee, the vice president
conducted the mock conference, and made sure the event went well. In addition to being the two chairs of the
event, Wilkinson and Lee also led the delegates through the rules and regulation of a conference.
To prepare for this event, Model UN members were assigned countries to represent and had to make a country
profile concerning their country. They also had to create position papers for Child Labor and State Sponsored Terrorism, which are research
papers about the topics
and their country’s position concerning it.
Then, at the actual conference, delegates used
their position papers to
debate; they also could
use them as the base of
their general speeches
as well as the substantive speeches.
The official conferences, where our
students will actually
compete against other
schools in a real UN
type setting, will be
coming up until next
year May. They will he
held on the USC campus, and the second
Photo by Laura Bauer
will be held on the
While representing various countries, students in the Model UN club discussed possible solutions UCI campus.
Julia IP
for worldwide problems in the mock conference.
Prepared for a Picture?
I’m positive that our students have seen the pictures postJulia Ip
ed up in Hall C and Hall D. Practically the whole student
staff writer
body was grouped around the hallway in Heratige hall the
day the formal photos were posted. So far, the hallways of
Hall C and D have shown pictures of the first day of school, homecoming week, homecoming day, and winter formal.
Jeff Hoogeveen, our principal of curriculum and instruction, takes these photos as an
“opportunity to show off” the students at their best in our school. He figures that “students like to look at themselves”, so he tries to take the best shots of all of us.
As often as these boards are updated, it actually varies on when they do get updated.
Hoogeveen said that he tries to “find a cross section to take pictures at” and that he “looks
for something out of the ordinary” so that students will be intrigued at the photos when
they are posted up.
However, when it comes to pictures, Hoogeveen said that a lot of credit also needs to
go the yearbook staff because at the end of the year, students are able to have their own
copy of the picture.
So for the rest of the school year, students better be ready too look good even when they
are not prepared for a candid photo of them to be taken.
Photo bY Kymberly AAronsen
Many students enjoy observing themselves in the candid photos that are posted up on the walls.
Breathing the Worst Air:
Pollution in Cerritos
Live in Cerritos? Well you better
hold your breath, because according to Press-Telegram, Cerritos is
staff writers
one of the most air polluted cities
in LA County. The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, has been testing the
air around the country, and has found that in 2002 studies show that a neighborhood bordering the Santa Ana Freeway has the nation’s worst air quality. Cerritos
happens to be placed inconveniently between two major freeways. Thus, much of
this pollution is due to the waste our cars produce when the engines are running.
During rush hour, the freeways are so packed with traffic, cars sit there when
they cannot move, just using gas and giving off waste. With all of this exhaust the
city of Cerritos is bound to have a thick concentration of pollution. Carpooling
would be a smart idea.
According to Sperlings- The Best Place, on a scale from 1-100 (the higher the
number the better), Cerritos ranks #1 in terms of air quality.
A good amount of this air is 95% of toxins from a colorless liquid used in rocket
fuels and chemical manufacturing called hydrazine. Many of the factories in this
area use this liquid. Due to the fact that they are dumping the waste, which is
mixed with the hydrazine, all the acids are hurting the ozone layer. The affected
ozone layer leads to an unhealthy air base due to major radiation from the sun.
Press-Telegram also notified that EPA made an announcement that Cerritos has
one of the highest cancer risks; estimates of 75 and 100 out of a million. Seeing
this review, people of Cerritos were highly upset and sent a letter of correction
to the EPA. Soon after EPA looked over their tests, they made a speech apologizing for their incorrect estimations, saying that the cancer risk really wasn’t that
high.
Not only has EPA been telling the public about Cerritos’ air quality, KIIS FM
102.7, a popular LA radio station, also announced air quality levels throughout
the So Cal area. Ryan Seacrest announced that the worst air quality belonged to
the city of Cerritos earlier this year. This caused most of the city to be alerted of
this fact and caused quite an uproar among residents. Many residents disliked
their city mentioned on a famous radio station in a negative way.
The town hall has been holding meetings at the Cerritos Hall to communicate
about the air quality and pollution; and is finding better ways to keep the air
healthier. Ideas in which they have chosen have not been announced.
JoHanna Garfield & Julia Ip
News
5
VCHS Sends Team to El Salvador for 6th Visit
While most of VCHS was enjoying their Thanksgiving Break, Mr.
Westrup led a group of students and teachers to El Salvador, and really
Copy Editor
experienced the true meaning of the holiday. However, this definitely
is not the first time the school has taken this trip to El Salvador.
“This was our ninth trip with people from the VCHS community, but our sixth trip specifically
with student teams from VCHS,” Westrup said.
Westrup first started the trip because of a connection he had with a group in El Salvador.
“A pastor formerly serving at Bethany CRC by the name of Dave Jeltema introduced us to the
Salvadoran NGO,” Westrup explained.
This year’s trip was six days long. The group caught their flight from LAX on Wednesday night
and arrived back home on the 18th.
When the group arrived in El Salvador they spilt up into three different teams.
“Each team works and sleeps in one of three villages located on the banks of the largest river in
El Salvador,” Westrup explained.
These villages, Presidio Liberado, Amando Lopez and La Canoa, are in the Lower Lempa River
Valley which is in the southern part of El Salvador.
Senior Krysti Wilkinson explained the many jobs her team covered while visiting these villages.
“We brought supplies to the teachers, did crafts with the kids, visited surrounding families, and
spent time with the teachers,” she said.
Along with the three student groups, the
team also brought along Dr. Macer and Jill
Schmidt who conducted a medical clinic, and
Javier Mendoza and Nathan Board who worked
on a video project for the children’s centers.
Over all, Westrup has many reasons for these
trips to El Salvador. “We go with the goal of
nurturing our relationship with our friends in
El Salvador, we go hoping to learn from them
and to hear God speak to us. We go in order to
give and receive and to encourage the teachers,
parents and students in three preschools.”
Along with these reasons, the students who
come back from El Salvador always have positive experiences while on the trip.
Junior Ally Streelman reflected on the experience. “I learned so much, but probably the main
thing I got out of this trip is that the true happiness and love aren’t based on material things.
Also, the little things you can do have a big impact on people in need,” she said.
And Senior Angie Olson summed it up when
asked to describe the El Salvador in one word,
as she said,
“El Salvador is Indescribable.”
LAURA BAUER
The Flu Season Hits Hard
KYmberly Aaronsen
The swine flu, also known as H1N1, has
caused some panic over the possibility of
staff writer
a pandemic.The swine flu symptoms are
As a mother and her child pick up the
very similar to the flu symptoms, high fegrandmother, she gets into the car and they
ver, cough, sore throat, chills, body aches,
sing along to the tune on the radio. They
headache, and occasionally vomiting. Since
go to the market, wear knitted hats together,
the swine flu is very contagious, you want
and cry together in the car; but when the
to make a doctors visit and stay home until
grandmother changes the radio station, she
the H1N1 goes away.
pulls over and kicks her out of the car. A
However, some speculate that the hype
new mom takes her place. Try a few difover H1N1 is unwarrented. According to
ferent moms and get all the extra mother
Bloomberg.com, a study performed by the
you need this flu and cold season. Sound
Centers for Disease Control and Prevenfamiliar? A commercial brought to us by
tion in Atlanta found that only 1 out of
getmommed.com by Kleenex.
every 5,600 swine flu victims died. ComInfluenza is not a very pleasant visit;
bined with the fact that the normal influit tends to visit
enza strain kills an avfrom November to
erage of 36,000 people
March. Coughing,
The flu can spread fast. If each year, the diagnoses
high fever, tiredyou have a fever, it would be could be media hype.
ness, nasal conNonetheless,
H1N1
gestion, and body better if you stay home and tends to affect younger
aches are all symp- get plenty of rest and drink people, including teentoms of the flu;
agers, so precautions
but there is also lots of fluids. ”
should be taken whenthe stomach flu in
ever possible.
which you vomit
The flu and cold are
and have nausea.
very contageous, so common sense should
The flu can spread fast. If you have a fever,
always be exercised. If you’re feeling unit would be better if you stay home and get
der the weather, stay home and get plenty
plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.
of rest.
The cold has very similar symptoms
As it is that time of year, we all need to
including stuffy nose, frog in the throat,
keep washing our hands and turning away
sneezing, congestion, and sometimes a little
from others when we feel a sneeze coming
fever. According to WebMD, the best way to
on.
prevent getting a cold is to wash your hands
The other night as I watched some TV, I
regularly, drink plenty of fluids, don’t cough
noticed that about one fifth of the commeror sneeze into your hands, don’t touch you
cials had to do with medicine. Even televiface and eat the right foods.
sion seems to be telling us something.
“
Photos contributed by nathan board
The people in El Salvador enjoyed the fellowship with the teams from Valley at the
different schools, and the team members felt equally blessed by the people.
Christmas with a Sound
This year’s VCHS Vocal Music Concert will be held
at Bethany Christian Reformed Church in Bellflower.
graphic editor
The concert is on December 14th and is one of many
concerts that will be performed by Valley Christian
High School. The Vocal Music Concert includes a number of songs that the choir
classes have been preparing since the last time they had a concert. Mr. Mantey says
students will be missing out if they don’t attend this concert because “this particular
concert will end with a very cool closing song sung by candlelight.”
Mantey also encourages students to attend the concert because they will be supporting their friend’s hard work and the concert will include something everyone
will enjoy. Mantey is excited about this concert and says “I am a new director this
year, and I’m very excited to continue to work with these students and their amazing talents. Every concert has something new to offer, and each student grows as
a performer and a person through
the rehearsal process”. One of the
things that Mantey is especially
proud of is the number of soloists and small groups that will be
performing, also the choir will be
caroling with the audience at one
point in the concert.
Another concert that already
took place is the Christmas Messiah Concert which will be occurring on Sunday, December 6th. The
performance included adult participants as well VCHS orchestra
members.
Also the Jazz band and Orchestra will also be having a concert on
Tuesday, December 15. Orchestra
will be performing three songs.
One of the songs they are performing will be a rock version of “The
Carol of the Bells”.
Photo by heidi furlong
The Christmas concerts this year
will be exciting for everyone be- Your Christmas break is sure to be brighter after
cause it offers entertainment for a hearing the beautiful sounds made by our talented
Valley musicians and singers.
wide variety of people.
Ryan Hadley
Features
6
Robert Yeutter Works Behind the Scenes
Boys’ Bible Study: A New Beginning
This year’s Boy’s Bible Study has made some changes.
Jeffrey Hing
As you may have noticed in the announcements, Boy’s Bible Study is now student led. In the past, the bible study has
Sports Editor
been led by a teacher or a group of teachers, but this year,
they decided to change the way the bible study is run.
As the boys discuss when their next meeting will be held, the teachers observe quietly
Tradition Lives On:
Freshman Andrew Shubin is the man in charge of this year’s bible study. Shubin seems
extremely dedicated the task of leading the Bible Study and helping the members “grow
in our relationship with God.” Although this is his first time leading a bible study, Shubin
found that leading the Boy’s Bible Study is not really all that challenging.
“The group is based on discussion, so it’s not really that difficult,” Shubin explained.
Although, being the leader of the group, Shubin
does have increased responsibilities. Shubin studies
the book a day or two before they meet, highlights
key areas, and writes down discussion points in his
book. He then helps get the group started in their
discussions.
The group is currently going through the book
“Thoughts for Young Men” by J.C. Ryle, which
chronicles the four areas in which young men
struggle the most. Each member reads from the
book and then comes to bible study ready to discuss
questions with the group.
The Bible Study first meets as an entire group and
then splits up into smaller groups. Depending on the
number of people that attend, usually freshmen and
sophomores discuss the book together while the juniors and seniors discuss amongst themselves.
Shubin describes the purpose of Boy’s Bible
Study as trying to realize what young men struggle
with the most and how to overcome these challenges.
He also wants to encourage the guys to realize
how young men are seen today and try to “change
the stereotype of young men.”
About eight to ten guys attend bible study right
now, so any guys looking to further their relationship with God are welcomed to attend. The Boy’s
PHOTO BY JULIA IP Bible Study currently meets every other Wednesday in room 44, Mr. Becksvoort’s room, but Shubin
hopes to make the Bible Study a weekly meeting.
When people think about football, they often recognize the coaches and players, but fail to realize
how much work goes on behind the scenes. Robert
Co-Editor-In-Chief
Yeutter, a senior at VCHS, faithfully attends every
game, home and away, filming from the end zone to help players and coaches
observe weak points and develop strategies. His involvement even earned him a
nomination for service ambassador.
Yeutter, who has always had an interest in videography, was approached by
head coach Eric Streelman last year. He eagerly accepted the role. He played
football his freshman year, but due to injuries, he was unable to return. Filming
allowed him to participate in sports without subjecting himself to more injuries.
Depending on the doctor’s clearance, Yeutter is considering trying out for Baseball, but he is also interested in filming for Volleyball.
The job requires serious time dedication. Often he stays up late into the night
editing clips and perfecting the video. Prior to his current role, he had produced
home videos and videotaped for family functions, but had no formal film experience.
Yeutter does not plan to go into film for a career, but if the opportunity came
up he might be interested. Instead, he plans to become a business accountant. He
currently works for his grandmother at the Artesia Cemetery, running the website,
updating the database, trimming roses, and occasionally digging graves.
Prior to Valley, Yeutter attended Nazarene Christian School, now called Norwalk Christian Academy, which wasn’t a great fit for him. He noted that high
school has been a much better experience. “Valley seemed like another home to
me,” he said.
He cites Joe Torre as his main role model because of his ability to constantly
work hard regardless of the situation.
In his spare time, Yeutter enjoys watching TV and staying up to date with politics. He regularly watches shows on Fox News such as Red Eye and Glenn Beck.
He is also an avid Dodger fan, eagerly anticipating the next season. “I think this
is our year,” he said.
Whether Yeutter is practicing crunching numbers in Accounting class or filmPHOTO BY RYAN HADLEY ing for football at Friday night football games, his cheerful demeanor and dedication are a blessing to Valley’s campus.
You can always find Yeutter walking around the school campus doing jobs for the football coaches.
The Streelman Family
“Brewer, Terhorst, Kors, Bras, Goedhart, Winters,
Becksvoort, Pheifer, De Kraker, Tamminga, Wunderley, Kaemingk (principal at the time), Hogan, Sprik,
Editors
Wassenaar,” rattled off history teacher, Mr. Erick
Streelman, as he leaned back in his chair and reminisced. He laughed as he thought back on all his
past educators who are now his fellow co-workers.
Erick comes from a long line of Valley alumni and was sent to this school himself after his parents
attended and graduated.
Alecia Streelman, his mother, graduated in 1970, and Curt Streelman, his father, graduated in 1969.
In 1995, the proud parents decided to send their own child to their alma mater.
“Like our parents, we believed it was our God-given responsibility to provide consistency between
what our kids learned at church, home, and school,” Alecia said.
Her son didn’t complain about his parents’ choice.
“I loved Valley. Friends and teachers
and everything about it,” he said.
Erick proved that the apple doesn’t fall
far from the tree, as he was just as involved as his parents were at Valley.
His mother participated in many different activities including music, drama,
debate team, yearbook staff, school newspaper, chapel programs, Bible studies,
missions, and intramural sports. While
his father played football, baseball, basketball, and was in the band.
Naturally Erick got involved the minute he started at Valley. He did “everything.” He, like his father, played football, baseball, and basketball. He was
also involved in Madrigals, concert choir,
praise team, Broadway Showcase, NHS,
and VCTV (a broadcast of morning announcements).
With all these activities, you can bet
the Streelmans had a great time here at
Valley. They made many memories which
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ERICA STREELMAN will stay with them for many years.
“An athletic highlight was winning the
Coach Streelman celebrates after winning league against Paraclete. Streelman returned to Valley after going to school and 1968 CIF Basketball Championship,”
teaching in the Las Vegas area
Curt said. His wife added, “My favorite
memory is that Valley Christian is where
I met my future husband!”
7
Paul Bakker
No Kung Fu, Just New School: “Zacky” Chan
being an athletic director is, Chan says, “I enjoy getting to see the athletes participate in their sports.”
Prior to being an athletic director at Valley Christian, Chan was the athletic director at Mayfair for 13 years. While at Mayfair Chan, coached girl’s volleyball,
football, baseball, and boy’s volleyball. In addition to coaching various sports,
Chan also taught math at Mayfair. Chan enjoys working at Valley Christian and
he says, “I love the community that
Valley Christian exhibits.”
Chan attended Norwalk high school
and then went on to get his bachelors
from Long Beach State and received
his masters at Cal State Domingas. In
high school, Chan was very involved
with sports. Chan played football,
baseball, basketball, and wrestling.
Chan loves watching sports, however he does not have a favorite sports
team. Although Chan does not have
a favorite sports team, he does have
a few favorite coaches and players.
Chan said that his favorite player
would have to be Brett Favre because
of his durability.
When it comes to TV Chan is a big
fan of dramas; more specifically crime
scene shows. Chan says that he enjoys watching all of the CSI shows,
as well as Numbers because of his
background with math. Chan listens
to a lot of sports radio shows, but his
favorite type of music is country.
Chan is also an owner of an iPhone
and he said that his favorite app would
have to be the ESPN sports center app
because it keeps him updated.
Chan has 3 kids, a daughter in 2nd
grade, a daughter in 1st grade and a 3
year old son. Chan’s wife is a graduate of Valley Christian High School
PHOTO BY HEIDI FURLONG
and she was in the class of ’94.
Valley’s new Athletic Director, Zac Chan, is used to the nickname“Zacky Chan”, even at his previous school, Mayfair High.
Zac Chan is Valley’s new athletic director and he loves his job as well as the
atmosphere of Valley Christian.
Zac Chan, Valley Christian High School’s new
athletic director has been working on this campus
since July 1st. Chan’s job on campus is to oversee
Graphics Editor
all of the athletic programs. A few of Chan’s responsibilities include making sure sports teams have schedules and staff as well
as overseeing day to day operations. When asked what his favorite part about
Heidi Furlong & Laura Bauer
Ryan Hadley
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ERICA STREELMAN
Streelman’s parents, Curt and Alecia have been involved with VCS for many years. Mr. Streelman Sr. graduated from VCHS in 1969 and Mrs. Streelman in 1970.
Erick was not short on his own memories, “I remember my sports the most. Relationships are best
memories, friends that I made and things we were able to experience together,” he said.
Alecia said that since their time at Valley, the school has changed in many ways. She noted that
since she went to Valley, students are now allowed to drive their schools to school, a privilege that
students did not have back then, and there is no longer a Senior Square, a fenced off area just for
seniors. There was one other major change she noted.
“The biggest change is that Valley Christian has expanded its borders. It is no longer the homogeneous Caucasian/Dutch/Reformed place it once was-and that’s a great change!” Alecia said.
Her husband added, “The teachers are better, and the student population is more diverse.” He also
said that the students have a “deeper spirituality.”
In general the Streelman family has enjoyed their time at Valley and continues to watch it grow as
it reaches it’s 75th this year.
“Valley Christian has seen some changes but it has been and will continue to be a great place to
send kids to school. It’s not perfect but it’s got a lot going for it!” Curt concluded.
Art/ Entertainment
8
Artist of the Month:
“I like art, because it gives people the freedom to express themselves,” Senior Emily
Copy Editor
Felipe explained about her creative vision.
“There are some things that just cannot be
detailed in words or actions, and art is a great way to help people depict those
thoughts and emotions.”
Felipe began her love of art at an early age, but besides art classes here at
Valley, she has never had any formal training. However, she hopes this will
change soon.
“I want to take some art classes in the near future, because I want to learn
new techniques and improve my abilities,” she said.
But Emily’s art would never give you the impression of someone who has
never taken a formal art class.
Emily thrives most when she is drawing, and her favorite media consists of
pastels and pencils.
“I just love how pencils and pastels can create various textures, lines, and
shades,” she added.
However, anyone who has ever been friends with Felipe, or even sat next her
in class, knows that her art isn’t the only artistic thing about her.
“I have really neat handwriting.” She explained. “When I was a kid, I noticed
that everybody had a distinctive style in their handwriting, and I wanted to have
my own style, too.”
Felipe developed this unique way of writing after experimenting with many
different types of handwriting until she finally created one of her own. Now,
PHOTO BY: HEIDI FURLONG
Felipe is well know by many for her “Computer font-like” typing, and has three
Emily Felips spends alot of her time usimg pastels and pencils in her creatoins. Felipe also has a very recogdifferent versions of it.
nizable handwriting, the “Emily Font”, which is used in our headline above.
But, Felipe will not be around to share her love or art with us very soon, as
she is constantly reminded. She said that to her senior year is “both the end and
Felipe is hoping to major in Graphic Design next year.
the beginning.”
“I really enjoy making art, and I want to use the talent God has given me to its fullest
However Felipe stays mainly glass-half-full when she added, “Even though I’ll have
extent.” She added.
to graduate soon, there will be new opportunities in store.”
However, this wasn’t orginially Felipe’s plan.
Felipe definitely has a bright future awaiting her after graduation, and one that is not
“At first, I thought art would just be a hobby for me,” she explained about her love of
void of art.
art, “but now, I can’t imagine my life without it.”
LAura Bauer
Restaurant Review: Bob’s Big Boy
Johanna Garfield
I recently went to Bob’s Big Boy to try their famous burgers and will definitely
be
back soon.
Staff Writer
The restaurant played classic oldies, and, in general, had that old diner look to
it. Bob’s is a historical restaurant. The first local one was built in 1949. If you have seen the movie, I Am Sam, the
lead character goes to Big Boy for breakfast.
In front of the doors there is a Bob statue for
people to take pictures with. Inside and outside
there are neon lights.
There is a nice attitude in the restaurant, people are smiling and enjoying the food. There
were a lot of old people eating there. It’s obvious that Big Boy has been around a while.
Right when I walked in, there was someone
holding menus and prepared to seat me and
my family. Before I even was fully settled in
my seat there was a waitress asking us how we
were doing. The waiters/waitresses were really
polite and were always checking on us. The
cooks work fast, my food was on the table 20 or
so minutes after I ordered. I found these people
work hard and many them told me they enjoy
working there.
“There’s no point in doing a job you don’t
like, especially being a waitress,” said Vanessa,
a Bob’s Big Boy employee.
They have about five different types of
burgers; I chose the signature Bob’s Big Boy
PHOTO BY: LAURA BAUER
burger. This has two patties, and three parts of a A classic look and a classic burger sure can bring happiness to a
hamburger bun. They make a special sauce on young chubby 6 year old boy, known as Big Boy.
the burger; I believe it is made out of ketchup
and relish. The meat was fresh quality, and the
Bob’s Big Boy Background:
fries were really crispy. I noticed the fries didn’t have
a lot of grease on them. You can ask for their signature
According to Bob’s Big Boy History, Bob Wian in
burger without the fries; you can’t find this offer on
Glendale, California was the starter of Bob’s Big Boy.
the menu, but they will offer it to you if you say you
This restaurant was actually named Bob’s Pantry at
just want a burger.
first. Creating a new style, Bob cut a normal hamburger
The dessert they are known for, Hot Fudge Ice
bun into three slices, then placed two hamburger patties
Cream Cake, was really rich, but wasn’t overwhelmwithin the buns. He then added a specially made relish
ing. They placed two slices of chocolate cake with hot
sauce, which then lead to Bob’s signature burger.
fudge and a spoonful of vanilla ice cream in between,
What changed the name? A chubby six year old boy came
topped with whipped cream and to top off everything
walking into Bob’s restaurant, and quite amused, Bob
PHOTO BY: LAURA BAUER else, a cherry.
called the kid Big Boy. It then later occurred to him that
Big Boys is a great restaurant to hang with your friends or gather
I am a major burger fan and I can honestly say that
it would be a good idea to add that name to his, leading
around the table for lunch or dinner.
Bob’s Big Boy is practically top on my list of places
to Bob’s Big Boy restaurant.
to eat for a good American meal. I suggest you go
ahead and try it.
In-Depth
“There’s an App for that.”
Top Apps
of...
People
Everywhere:
-Traffic Rush
-Slime Ball Lite
-Amature Surgeon
-Mad Libs Lite
-Dragon Dictation
Valley Students:
-Trade Face
-Field Runners
-Word Warp
-Party Lights
-Pandora
-Pocketgod
-FML
-iShoot
-Tap Tap Revenge
-Shot Gun
-Shazam
-Kitty Cannon
Valley Staff ’s
Top Apps:
I am proud to say that I, along with
the many others, am a proud iPhone
owner, and as a proud iPhone owner,
cOPY eDITOR
my best friends are Apps.
I must inform all of you non-iPhone owners that you are truly
missing out, because apps are a beautiful thing (to this I must disclude iPod Touch owners because you technically own an iPhone
with out the “Phone” part. It’s almost like you own an “I”).
The wonderful App Store opened its doors to us faithful iPhone
users in 2008, and the world changed dramatically.
Now the magical mystery store has uploaded over a billion Apps
into the iPhones and iPods of the world.
However, that means that with the purchase of my first iPhone,
(Christmas present freshman year), Apps were not yet out. But, Mac,
as always, soothed my worries away, and when the Apps store officially opened, it refused to disclude those Apple obsessed people
(like me) who purchased the iPhone in its early years.
Now, with a White 3G in hand (I’ve already gone through 2 iPhones, my first died on a family trip, and it’s sibling was dropped
face down.), I must say that Apps and I go together like “peas and
carrots.” Boy do I love those dear Apps!
Time flies, even in line at Disneyland, when you have Tap Tap
Revolution to “dance” your troubles away.
I have also gotten a good chuckle out of my Clown Nose how
many times, as it shows my friends their true potential.
And then there is my favorite: Shazaam. I cannot tell you how
many times a song has come on the radio, and I have “tagged” it with
Shazaam. Now I never again have to say “I love this song! Who’s it
by again?”, “I want to buy this but have no idea.” Shazaam not only
tells you who the song is by, or what it is called, but it also gives the
lyrics, a link to the Youtube video, and a link the the iTunes page so
you can buy it right away.
Apps are a simply amazing addition to the wonderful Apple Industry (props Steve Jobs), and proves the saying that Snapple has so
happily adopted… “The best stuff just got better.”
Laura bAUER
Mrs. Zoetewey - “It’s a tie between my fantasy football
app (I check it a million times on Sundays to see if I’m winning), and the Brushes app which is a really cool painting/
drawing app , and I am trying to figure out which language
app to practice/learn Italian is the best one, so that will be on
there soon.”
Mr. Sprik – “For a true “non-native app” - At Bat 2009
(MLB). Great way to keep up with the Dodgers, even get live
audio and video streamed. Also, I’m also developing my own
PowerSchool web app for the iPhone, other schools have already expressed interest.”
App Fun Facts
-The App Store opened on July 10th, 2008.
Mr. Board - “iHeartRadio app, I can listen to my favorite
talk radio shows while I’m out and about. Sudoku is a close
second.”
-Over a billion downloads have been made.
Mr. Chan – “ESPN Sportscenter because I love sports and
enjoying keeping updated with scores.”
- Conner Mulcahey, a 13-year old boy from Weston,
Connecticut, downloaded the billionith App and not only
received the App, Bump, but also received a $10,000 iTunes
gift card, an iPod Touch, a MacBook Pro, and a Time Capsule
storage solution.
Mr. Zoetewey – “I have a few favorites: Maps, Mail, ESPN
Fantasy Football, Ultra Timer, Facebook. I use the Maps all
the time when driving long distance on the freeway or going
to a new place. Mail, nice to check email without logging on
to a computer. Fantasy football app gets used a lot on Sunday
and Monday keeping track of my team. Ultra timer is a an
interval timer program I use for workouts.”
-There are over 35,000 Apps in the store
-According to ‘Busted Loop,’ as of 2009 you would need to
pay $144,326.06 to buy all the Apps in the App store.
-Only 5% of people who download an app open it within 30
days.
9
Involvement
10
Helping the World One PoverTee at a Time
There is a major move of ministry taking place
in L.A. Thanks to Povertees, there are homeless people feeling loved and cared for, and even
Staff Writer
some are coming to the Lord.
Gianna Persico and friends started the organization a few years ago when they were
in high school. They were planning to provide food and clothing for the homeless, but
with doing that came the need for money, which then led to Povertees.
“We are selling shirts all the time,” says Persico.
Members of Povertees take the time to put together these t-shirts. This
gives them the advantage of visiting different meetings, schools, etc.
to advertise the ministry, and get money for the food and clothing
they need to provide.
After visiting the homeless for some time, the idea
grew to more than just providing materials for these
people. It became an idea of giving these people a
friend and someone to talk to.
“They want to have friends, have
a relationship, and that’s what
Povertees does,” said Krystina Wilkinson, a friend of
Persico, and a member
of Povertees.
O n e
of the
Johanna Garfield
PHOTO BY JOHANNA GARFIELD
GÜTEN TAG!
Pysch! Class
Paul Bakker
Co-Editor-In-Chief
challenges of this ministry is seeing the people you have grown to love, not always
succeed, and fall back down. Many of the homeless people Povertees visits go back
into doing drugs, drinking alcohol, etc. and many end up in jail. But, the members of
Povertees persist and go and visit their homeless friends in jail. With this they are showing the love of God, and hopefully showing those that are homeless that they can
live better. This is the job Povertees has
taken to fulfill.
“We have such a responsibility to take
care of these people and love them,” says
Persico.
Povertees will welcome anyone who wants to
join. They can use plenty of help, but there are
many things that can be done outside of an organization. You can help through your daily life.
“You don’t
You Can Help! By buying
have to be a part
these
shirts you would be particiof the organization to
pating
in making this world a bethelp,” says Persico.
ter
place,
You don’t have to be out
One of the ways you can
in
L.A.
to
help the ministry and the
help is to buy their shirts. They
homeless.
Your donations and suphave a website and they also
port
what
Povertees
is doing.
have a Facebook profile. You can
Povertees
advises
us to help
buy some of the samples they have alpeople
in
our
daily
lives.
If you
ready made and provide for you, or you
see
someone
on
the
street
that
can ask for a custom shirt. They make norlooks
hungry
and
cold,
lend
a
hand
mal shirts, and they also make v-necks.
You can make a difference and look good at and offer to get them a meal from
Burger King or McDonalds, or
the same time with Povertees.
buy them some blankets.
German
Club is a
Co-Editor-In-Chief
new club
on campus this year, led by enthusiastic seniors
Louisa Bakker and Emily Dyer.
There haven’t been a lot of meetings yet
this year, but there have been two events.
If you went to the Harvest Festival, you
might have noticed the German Club
booth where they were selling traditional
German foods and telling people about
the club.
“Harvest Festival was a big hit. We
sold out of brats before 6 o’clock and a
lot of people seemed interested,” Bakker said. “We had a great turnout,” Dyer
chimed in.
PHOTO BY HEIDI FURLONG
Members of the German Club also went
to Old World Village, in Huntington Louisa Bakker leads a blindfolded Travis Boreland at
a German Club meeting. Bakker and Emily Dyer have
Beach, for Oktoberfest.
“We had a bigger turnout than we ex- been working hard to start Valley’s very first German
pected,” said Bakker. With students and Club on campus.
members of their families, about 15 people attended. The girls agreed that it was a fun trip.
“When we went, there was a traditional German oom-pa band, wiener dog races, beer (which we
didn’t have, but is very German). A lot of people were wearing traditional clothing, like lederhosen
(the overalls) and dirndls (the dresses). We ate bratwurst, sauerkraut, and there were tons of German
baked goods. There was a dance floor where people did the chicken dance, or just jammed to the
music,” Dyer recalled.
“It exceeded our expectations,” Bakker said.
The girls were encouraged to start the club by there mothers, who had had a German club in high
school too. Both of their mom’s grew up in Germany.
“My mom lived in Germany until she was in 4th or 5th grade,” Dyer said. And Bakker’s mom lived
there, “until she was 25.”
In order to start a club, students
need a teacher-sponsor, and the girls
asked Mr. Bras to take this role.
“Anytime a student is passionate about something, you try to give
them the avenue to explore their passion,” said Mr. Bras, the German
Club teacher-sponsor. “Also Emily and Louisa are responsible young
women so I know they would take a
strong leadership role.”
The girls are excited for where this
club is going this year.
“We want to have fun and do games
and stuff, but we also want people to
PHOTO BY HEIDI FURLONG learn something,” Bakker said.
Heidi Furlong
When signing up for classes, many students spend time mulling over how to fill the
elective spot. Before making that tough decision, first consider signing up for Psychology
with Mr. Bras.
This is Bras’ third year teaching the class, and he’s enjoyed the chance
to explore the world around, study social interactions, and the mysteries of
human behavior.
Bras teaches the class from an open minded perspective, spending a lot
of time on discussion. He encourages people to get involved in the discussions, and insists that the class is more enjoyable with more interaction.
Bras encourages people to sign up for it, and at least give it a chance.
“People tend to enjoy it,” said Bras. Some students drop when they realize that it isn’t for them. “It isn’t the most structured class,” he said, “Some
students do better with that kind of environment than others.”
The class focuses more on the fun parts of psychology. It explores the
motivations behind the actions that we do without thinking about it.
“It helps you understand people and it helps you understand yourself,”
said Bras.
“Psychology is one of those classes where you can learn a lot about the
mind and what it can do. Mr. Bras is a tight teacher. You play a lot of cool
games, too,” said senior John Zipper.
Psychology isn’t for everybody. Students who prefer strict structure
might find it isn’t for them. Outgoing, open minded students tend to enjoy
it the most.
“It’s important to learn History and Math,” said Bras, “but you deal with
personal interactions all the time, and psychology explores those things.”
PHOTO BY RYAN HADLEY
Sports
Athlete of the Month:
11
Sebastian Malpica
In a time when most sports are slowing down,
mixed martial-arts, or MMA as it is referred to, is
making big splashes in the pay-per-view category,
Sports Editor
rivaling the numbers that big boxing matches put
up. The UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, broke the record for pay-perview sales in a year, generating $222,766,000 in 2006. This emerging sport has
drawn interest from many people, including Sebastian Malpica.
Malpica, a freshman at Valley, recently took second place in the annual SoCal Classic, a mixed martial arts competition. Malpica competed in the middle
weight 130 pound division, which consisted of five other competitors. The tournament was elimination style, which meant that if he lost, Malpica would have
been automatically sent to the third place bracket. Malpica won the first four
minute round by outscoring his opponent. He then waited to see who he would
face in the championship match.
In the championship match, Malpica was taken down and submitted with
around two minutes left in the round. The second place finish was an impressive
showing by Malpica, who was in his first competition, and has been training for
a little less than a year.
Malpica’s interest in Brazilian jiu jitsu stemmed from an interest in the UFC,
the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Malpica enjoyed watching the fights and
noticed that many of the UFC fighters have a background in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu,
so he decided to try it out.
Photo by Sharon Zoetewey
Malpica started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu just a short while ago, but has
Sebastian is new at Valley, but seems to be having a good time. “This is my first year at Valley. I really enjoy
made extremely impressive strides in a very short amount of time. He is curattending this school and I look forward to spending the next 3 years here with that same frame of mind.”
rently training at the Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu jitsu gym in Cerritos, where he
When asked if he had ever been hurt while practicing jiu jitsu, Malpica reflected “The
learns under Renato (Bubbaloo) Sobral, a fighter who amassed a 35-9 record in
only
time that I have gotten hurt would be during a sparring session with my friend.
his career as a professional UFC fighter.
He
had
me in an arm-bar, which is a submission that targets your elbow joint, and he
“He actually was at my tournament coaching me from the side and was very pleased
cranked
it too hard and hyper-extended my elbow.”
by my performance competing for the first time,” Malpica commented.
Malpica’s
interest in jiu jitsu has continued to grow, as he has plans to continue
There are many types of martial arts, but what makes Brazilian jiu jitsu different
learning.
from the rest is the way that it is fought. While most martial arts rely on strikes, Brazil“I definitely want to keep going until I get my black belt, which won’t happen for
ian jiu jitsu tries to take the fight to the ground, finishing with submissions.
another
three to four years. I’m not sure if I have the talent to make it into a career, but
Jiu jitsu is meant to be used for self-defense, so there are many challenges in learning
if
the
opportunity
presents itself, I would definitely take it,” explained Malpica
how to master it.
Looking
at
the
results
of his first tournament, it looks like Malpica has a bright future
“It can be very painful at times. There are many different submissions that are dein
martial
arts.
signed to either break a specific bone, or put you to sleep from a choke,” Malpica
explained.
Jeff Hing
Names and Faces
Alyssa Ivins, Sumer Arnold,
Paige Burgin
Cross Country
“Sumer Arnold, Alyssa Ivins, and Paige Burgin are our
top three female runners this year, but they train hard
together, they make each other better and they’re usually within a few seconds of each other when it comes
to finishing the races. But the best part is how much
they care about each other and their teammates. All
those things together have made them better runners
and have made us a better team this year.”
Coach Becksvoort
Sam Phillips
Football
Senior Sam Phillips helped lead the team this year on
defense. Phillips, who played defensive tackle, had
an amazing total of 96 tackles on the year, including
leading the team with 9 sacks. Phillips was an anchor
on a defense that shut out it’s first round CIF opponent 45-0. Phillips, who was also a team captain, was
a main reason why the Crusaders had such a great
and successful season this year.
Kyle Kurian
Football
Senior Kyle Kurian, another captain on the team
this year, led the team with an average of 67 rushing yards per game. After coming back from injury
after the first two games, Kurian finished the year
strong with 9 rushing touchdowns. Kurian averaged
an impressive 7.4 yards per carry amassing a total
of 599 yards on the year. Kurian was a workhorse,
carrying the ball 81 times this season. He added in
13 catches for 123 yards. All in all, Kurian helped
lead the Crusader’s high powered offense and was a
key component in their success.
Jeff
Hing
What’s the difference between a golf ball and a car? Tiger Woods
can drive the ball over four-hundred yards.
It’s just a terrible joke born out of a terrible situation.
For those who have been cut off from the world, Tiger Woods
is in big trouble. On November 27, Tiger hit a tree outside his
house with his car. He was taken to the hospital and treated for
his injuries. Rumors began to pop up about the cause of the crash;
some saying it was the aftermath of an alleged affair. TMZ reported that Elin Woods, his wife, attacked and beat Tiger, leading
to his crash.
The rumors of domestic violence spread wildly, but have slowly
burned out. However, the alleged affair took an unfortunate turn.
A woman named Jaimee Grubbs came out claiming a thirty-one
month affair with Woods. This claim was given increased merit
when Tiger released a statement on his website saying, “I have
let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of
my heart…I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings
behind closed doors with my family.”
The second part of his statement is where I think Tiger made a
mistake. Tiger has carefully built his career purely on golf, rarely
giving personal interviews, and keeping all aspects of his personal
life private. Tiger’s decision to keep everything “behind closed
doors” has led to a plethora of rumors that have damaged his image. His reputation has quickly turned from iconic, pristine, and
genuine - to liar, pitiable, and dishonorable. The total count on
alleged affairs is now nine.
Tiger’s silence is only hurting himself. When a public figure as
famous as Tiger declines to speak, it opens up the media to speak
for him. Countless comedians have taken jabs at him. With plenty
more ridicule to come, Tiger needs to come out and set the record
straight specifically. Tiger should stop reading from the Vague
Quotes Book and take a page out of Kobe Bryant’s life. Immediately after the accusation of sexual assault, Kobe came out and
acknowledged he had an affair. Kobe was wrong in what he did,
but at least he didn’t allow the media vultures to make up stories.
Tiger would be better off leveling with the public, but he continues to keep his mouth shut and his life closed. Get ready for some
more jokes.
Sports
12
Boy’s Basketball
Girl’s Basketball
Boy’s Soccer
Girl’s Soccer
Aaron Padilla
Kari Korver
Jacob Wikert
Ashley Haprov
Photo by Laura Bauer
Varsity Team Record: 1-1
JV Record: 1-3
Key Returning players:
Chris Hunt
Dean Pollema
Aaron Padilla
Newcoming Starters:
Connor Tien
Anthony Roldan
Coaches’ Comment: “Very exciting team. Tons of speed and
hustle. Well-balanced scoring
attack. Look for lots of leaders
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young, so will improve all year
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time.”
Coach Branderhorst
Photo by Johanna Garfin
Team Record: 3-0
Key Returning Players:
Kari Korver- “I doubt if I will ever
again get to coach someone as
talented as she, but what I love
most about her is her integrity
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Taylor Cotton- “When Taylor decides we’re going to win, she will
make it happen and I dare someone to stand in her way.”
Jelissa Holder- “Jelissa is conWLQXLQJWRࠥ\GRZQWKHFRXUWLQ
transitions and is making wiser
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Jamie Perez- “Jamie is knocking down shots and playing with
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Player’s Comment: “Although
our team is all new in the starting
positions, we have the opportunity to succeed with the depth we
have and our ability to never give
up.”
Aaron Padilla
Player’s Comment: “I am excited for our season. I expect to
do even better than last season.
Come to the games!”
Taylor Cotton
Upcoming Home Games
12/8-12/12 VCHS Tournament
Upcoming Home Games
12/15-12/19 VCHS Tournament
Coach Hardeman
Photo by Laura Bauer
Team Record: 1-1
Key Returning players:
Daniel Hernandez
Tyler Boer
Tanner Miller
Jeriah Dunk
Josh Sutherlin
Michael Woodhead
Johnny McTigue
Coaches’ Comment: “We expect
a lot of production out of the
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speed and talent this year; it’s
just a matter of getting our guys
to click together. We’ve got a
very tough pre-season schedule
that should prepare us to play
quality soccer come league.”
Coach Becher
Player’s Comment: “Our team is
doing pretty good so far. We’re
pretty younge but we play well
together. I think we have a great
chance of being league champs
again.”
Daniel Hernandez
Upcoming Home Games
12/11 Cerritos
5:30
12/18 St. Margarets 6:00
Photo by Kimberly Aaronson
Team Record: 3-2
Key Returning players:
Hayley Haagsma
Jacqueline Lara
CaryAnn Parrish
Leezett Del Toro
Ashley Haprov
Mandy Petrus
Kaydee Crossen
Kayla Beisel
Natalie Lara
Kylee Crossen
Coaches’ Comment: “We have a
strong group of returning players
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into positions more easily then
anticipated.”
Coach Looney
Player’s Comment: “I think our
team is looking really good so
far. We have a strong team that
has the potential to go far this
season. All the girls are super
fun to play with and all get along
really well.
Mandy Petrus
Upcoming Home Games
12/15 Ontario Christian 5:30
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Photo by Laura Bauer