T I HE

Friday, December 20, 2013
CHANNEL ISLANDS
HIGH SCHOOL
THE
Volume XVIII, Issue III
First Person
Cherishing
holiday
memories
By Vanessa Valerio
Staff writer
n my family, no holiday
season is complete without
our family reunion held every
year at my grandparents’ house,
here in Oxnard.
The day before Christmas
Eve, I spend the night at my
grandparents’ and wake up bright
and early to help my grandma
make
tamales and
buñuelos.
Even
though I’m
not good at
making
tamales, I
always look
forward to
helping my
grandma. She always tells me
stories of her childhood in
Mexico and of the many lovers
she left behind for my grandpa.
After my grandma and I
finish gossiping, we start getting
ready for the actual Christmas
Eve party. Slowly, family guests
start arriving and our lonely
Christmas tree is soon packed
with piles of gifts from left to
right. The house, too, starts to
become full with excitement and
little kids are running around,
impatiently waiting to open their
presents.
One year, the whole family
felt so enlightened by the
Christmas spirit that we even
went Christmas caroling. It was a
bit hilarious going caroling since
most of my family sound like
dying animals when they sing,
but either way all the laughs and
smiles from the little kids and our
family bonding made it worth it.
As the clock strikes twelve
we all huddle up in the living
room and my grandma passes
around the baby Jesus, which we
kiss and get candy from. Then we
open our gifts.
Another family tradition we
do as a joke is wrap the gifts in
cereal boxes. It is so hilarious
seeing the little kids’ expressions
when they unwrap their gifts and
see that they got a cereal box.
Once they open the cereal box
and realize it is not cereal but
instead what they wanted, it gets
me every time.
We continue eating the
remaining tamales and sit in the
living room watching Christmas
movies. As we sit around,
conversations start surfacing and
soon memories of past Christmases fill up the air.
I always look forward to
spending Christmas with my
family. Just seeing the joy and
how it brings my family together
is what makes the holiday
memorable.
I
Class of 2010
Ms. Shirley Moore, far right, is the lead singer for Oxnard band Dirty Rice. Last month they played the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills.
Dirty Rice on the side
Counselor by day, Ms. Moore rocks at night
By Kenia Perez
Staff writer
Flashback to 2010, when CI counselor
Ms. Shirley Moore and Mr. Mau Valoaga, volleyball coach, along with a few other friends,
decided to play a few songs at a birthday
party.
That was the dawn of Dirty Rice, a South
Oxnard-based band that is proud to represent the city in a positive light. Their style of
music is described as feel good reggae, influenced by J. Boog as well as Bob Marley.
“It was supposed to be a one-time thing,
but it’s turned into almost four years now,”
says Ms. Moore.
Mr. Valoaga says, “My favorite part is
saying we are from Oxnard.”
Along with Ms. Moore (vocalist) and Mr.
Valoaga (guitar), the band has five other members: Pika Maiava (drums), Mataio Valoaga
(bass), Charleen Morla (keyboards), and
Henry Otineru and Nasau Galeai (both vocals and guitar). They were all friends or knew
of each other before they became Dirty Rice.
Ms. Shirley Moore at her desk.
Ms. Moore, a CI graduate, says, “Feeling
like I gained more family is my favorite part
about being in the band.”
Students at CI have been able to see the
band grow and enjoy their music as well.
Jonathan Butler, a senior, saw the band
perform at CI two years ago and became a fan
since then. He admires the band for what they
represent and says, “Dirty Riced gives hope
to garage bands of making it further than
expected.”
“My favorite song is ‘Number One’,”
says Ralph Navarro, a sophomore.
Navarro is actually related to band members Otineru and Galeai. He says that he legitimately likes the band, not because he has
relatives in the band, but because he enjoys
the sound.
The band has come a long way from their
beginnings at a birthday party. They have
opened for J. Boog at the Ventura Theatre,
and recently for Shaggy this past November.
Dirty Rice now plays in front of thousands, which can be intimidating, but Ms.
Moore is happy with this accomplishment
because it has pushed her boundaries.
They have proven that dedication and
talent go a long way, even when being based
from a small town. The only person with past
professional training in music is Ms. Morla;
the other members have the special ability to
See MOORE on Page 2
Coach Jones stepping down
By Vanessa Valerio
Co-captains Alex Astudillo and Edgar
Almaguer with Ms. Carly Jones.
Staff writer
Ms. Carly Jones, a science teacher at CI,
recently decided to step down as head water
polo coach after 10 years of leading the team.
Ever since she first started the water polo
program at CI, Ms. Jones has focused all her
heart and soul on the team, but being a fulltime coach for water polo and swim as well as
a teacher has taken its toll on her.
Although she has gained a lot of memories from coaching water polo, Jones says, “It
seems like the right time to step down and be
more involved with friends and family.”
After being a dedicated coach for so long,
Ms. Jones says she wants to focus her time
and not be so overwhelmed with managing
both polo and swim. Instead she wants to
remain coaching swim, but not water polo.
Mr. Kip Atwater, a first-year science
teacher, will be taking over the boys’ and
girls’ water polo teams. He assisted Ms. Jones
with the boys’ team this year.
“I never imagined how much joy coaching polo would bring me,” says Ms. Jones.
She still remembers when Josh
Biggerstaff scored the first goal in water polo
for CI and also scored the first goal against
CI by accident. Jones says she is going to
miss the tournaments and staying overnight,
but most importantly bonding with her boys’
water polo team.
Lorenzo Garcia, a third-year water polo
See JONES on Page 2
The Isle File
Page 2
MOORE:
Fashion Spotlight
Contiued from Page 1
be able to play by ear, not by reading music.
Mr. Valoaga says that to this day he
still gets very nervous about going on stage
and adds, “When I don’t get nervous anymore, I feel I will not have the same passion
as when I first started.”
Both Mr. Valoaga and Ms. Moore are
grateful for the blessing of being part of Dirty
Rice, but Mr. Valoaga does admit that the
possibility of this ending scares him. He further explains this feeling by saying, “When
you get scared of the end of something, it
just means you have something special in
your life.”
Ms. Moore says, “This was a dream
and it has gone further than I expected, so I
would be upset, but it’s OK because this
has been such a blessing.”
The future for these “Weekend Warriors” is unknown, but with all the success
and accomplishments they have achieved
so far, they have given the 805 a lot to be
proud of.
From left: Ryan Yere, Catalina Posadas, Adrian Capili, Patricia Manansala, and Joshua Camaclang.
Illustration by
Alyssa Yambao
Time for cool-weather wardrobe
By Alyssa Yambao
Staff writer
It is finally getting chilly here at the
Islands, and it’s time to pull out some
heavier clothing, bundle in layers, and
play with different textures.
Cooler weather calls for heavier fabrics. Combining different textures makes
an outfit more interesting, and a great
way to wear a monochromatic outfit
work. For example, if you can wear an allblack outfit without looking Goth by pairing different textures.
Ladies, a great wardrobe staple is a
parka or anorak. Throwing on anorak instantly makes an outfit casual and is a
great force field against the wind.
The cold weather shouldn’t stop
you from busting out your skirts. You
can keep your legs warm by adding nylon tights, long socks, or both. It’s always nice to have a couple pairs of sheer
or opaque tights in your closet. When wearing sheer black tights, try wearing a pair of
black knee high socks over them. This combo
is adorable and gives the allusion of longer
legs.
Another great way to elongate your legs
while maintaining warmth is to wear the same
colored bottoms and shoes.
A great thing about the winter season
is texture play!
Velvet and leather are excellent textures
to wear in the winter. Velvet is a nice and
soft fabric that doesn’t way you down and
keeps you surprisingly warm and looks elegant.
A nice leather jacket is also great for the
winter and they come in a variety of colors
and styles and provide a little bit of edge to
any outfit.
A great way for guys to keep warm is to
wear a nice coat or jacket. If you want to be
a little more casual, wear a military style
jacket. If you want to be a little fancy, you
can wear a nice coat with a button up
layered under.
Flannels and button ups are always
a nice way to spruce up any look. If you’re
wearing a button up and you want to
make it more casual, cuff the sleeves and
layer a casual t-shirt or graphic top under.
Some no brainer winter essentials include scarves and beanies.
Ladies, a great alternative for a
beanie is a head wrap. Head wraps are an
excellent way to keep your ears warm and
they are adorable.
For guys if you want to trade out a
beanie for a hat, you can’t go wrong with
a 5-panel or a newsboy cap. Scarves are a
great way to grab attention to your face.
When wearing a pretty neutral outfit, wear
a colored scarf.
JONES:
Continued fromPage 1
player at CI says, “Coach Jones has seen us
all grow up. It’s going to be different next
year without her, but she will still be there
during swim.”
Ultimately Garcia is happy that Jones
won’t be as stressed next year and will be
more energized during swim season.
As for next year’s boys’ water polo players, Jones says, “They’re going to have a
great coach and I will enjoy cheering them
on from the sidelines.”
Correction:
The winner of
the Halloween
Contest’s
Scariest
Costume was
incorrectly
reported in
the November
issue. The
winner was
Juanita
Quiñones, a
senior. The
Isle File
regrets the
error.
Page 3
Friday, December 20, 2013
Piece of Mind
What is the worst gift
you ever received?
“My sister gave me a Hot
Wheels, because I had told her I
wanted a car.”
-- Veronica Campuzano, freshman
Horoscope forecast for 2014
By Ruby Ochoa
Gemini (May 21- June 20)
Staff writer
Gemini, if you’re trying to have the best year
yet you’re going to have to work hard.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22- Dec. 21)
Sagittarius, this year will be a bumpy and rocky
ride. You will have up’s and down’s and when the
ride is going down, remember that there will be up’s.
Capricorns (Dec. 22- Jan.19)
This coming year is going to be nothing but
great. Everything is going to go your way. Take what
life gives you; don’t fight it, just go with it.
Aquarius (Jan. 20– Feb. 18)
“The worst present I’ve ever
gotten was getting absolutely
nothing.”
Aquarius, this year will be filled with love and
appreciation. Show the people you care for exactly
how much you care for and love them. Like they say:
The love you give is the love that you will receive.
-- Edward Lopez, freshman
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Pisces, 2014 might not be so great to you at
first, but there will be something that changes your
year, something special, so keep your eye out.
“My mom got me a liquadora
(blender); she said I needed to
learn how to shake, shake,
shake.”
Aries (March 21-April 19)
-- Nancy Gonzalez, sophomore
Aries, 2014 will be one of the luckiest years in
your life and you will find that missing part that you
have been looking for!
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
You’re ready for the new year to come, but the
year isn’t ready for you. You need to shake off all
the negativity and just keep positive vibes flowing.
“My grandma gave me a cross,
because she said I needed
Jesus.”
-- Jonathan Avalos, sophomore
Cancer (June 21- July 22)
Cancer, your family will be on your mind a lot
this year. You will be super busy doing activities
with your family and close friends. However, these
activities will keep you, your family and friends
stronger than ever.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
Leo, this year is your year to shine and do all
the things that you have been holding back on. It’s
you’re time to show what you can do.
Virgo (August 23-Sept. 22)
Virgo, this year will be different for you but
open with great opportunities. You and the people
around you will enjoy all of these opportunities
that you get.
Libra (Sept. 23-October 22)
Libra, you have what it takes to make a great
impression on people, you’re a good friend, and
always there for others; however, there will be
situations where you have to think about yourself
even if you think you’re being selfish. Go with
what you want and what you feel is right.
Scorpio (October 21- Nov. 21)
Scorpio, this year is all about you. This is your
year to be selfish with whatever you want to do.
Put it this way you’re the queen and your wish is
other people’s command.
Ask Raider Sam
Jealousy issue causing problems
By Juan Cortez
should I do?
Staff writer
“I got an ugly looking sweater,
and to top it off it had a hole in
the underarm!”
-- Eunique Washington, junior
“I got underwear as a present,
and the worst part was they
made me wear it.”
-- Christian Solis, junior
“They gave me a box, and once I
opened it a big chicken popped
out and scared me so much.”
-- Estela Rodriguez, senior
-Confused Junior
Dear Raider Sam,
Recently, my boyfriend’s “best friend” has
been saying things about me. She has told him that
I’m no good for him and that he can do better. I’m
the best he’s got for sure; I treat him right and I
really care about him. Should I confront his “best
friend” or leave it alone? Please help!
–Innocent Girlfriend
Dear Innocent Girlfriend,
I think the best thing for you to do is to
confront your boyfriend and not his best friend. You
should talk to your boyfriend about it because if he
is a good boyfriend he will tell his “best friend” to
stop and accept you for you. If his best friend
doesn’t stop then ignore her comments because she
is just jealous that you are dating her best friend.
Don’t let your boyfriends best friend get in the way
of your relationship.
-Raider Sam
Dear Raider Sam,
I thought junior year was going to be fun and
exciting, but it hasn’t really been that fun because all
my friends that I used to hang out with all left and
now they hang out with different people. What
Dear Confused Junior,
You should go out and round up a new group
of friends. Your other friends probably left because
they found a new group of people who are as
equally crazy as they are. Go look for people with
the same interests and maybe even the same
hobbies as you. In the end, they may become your
best friends, even after high school.
-Raider Sam
Dear Raider Sam,
I’ve recently made some mistakes in how I
have treated my friends and now I don’t have
anyone. I’ve apologized to one of my friends via
Kik, but she still ignores me. Any ideas on how I
can get my friends back?
-Drama Queen
Dear Drama Queen,
If this girl was your friend, you would have
apologized to her personally and not via Kik. The
only reason she’s ignoring you is because you
didn’t have the courage to apologize to her face.
My advice to you is to go up to your friend(s) and
apologize or spend the rest of your “friendship”
being ignored.
-Raider Sam
Staff Information
The Isle File, Channel Islands High’s student newspaper, is written and produced by the Writing
for Publication class.
“Last Christmas my brother got
me a present, and when I
opened it there were bras in it.”
-- Danny Landeros, senior
Text and Photos by Jazlin Alarcon
Editors: Myriam Akbar and Aylin Rodriguez; Photo Editors: Vanessa Valerio and Alyssa Yambao;
Copy Editors: Kenia Perez and Audrey Reyes. Secretary/Treasurer: Lesly Fernandez.
Staff Members: Jazlin Alarcon, Danny Alvarez, Celeste Briceño, Juan Cortez, Jason Diaz, Elsa
Fraire, Denisse Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez, Manuel Hernandez, Gladys Ibarra, Griselda Ibarra,
Ruby Ochoa, Alejandra Romero, Stephany Valencia, Salina Vasquez and Alissa Vestal.
Staff Advisor: Mr. John Grennan, Room 29
Contact Information
For advertising information, story ideas, questions or concerns, or to submit a Letter to the Editor,
contact us at: The Isle File, 1400 E. Raiders Way, Oxnard, CA 93033. Room 29. Telephone: 3855890. E-mail: [email protected]
Page 4
The Isle File
New Faces at CI
Ms. Kristen Gabasan
Mr. Sean Blumenthal and his bleeding bride Ms. Angela Zapata had a zombie-themed wedding.
Wedding Bells
Recently, many Raiders take walk down aisle
By Lesly Fernandez
Staff writer
Quite a few of our beloved staff here at the Islands
recently decided to make the deeper commitment with
their significant others.
Mr. Sean Blumenthal, science department and multimedia teacher, exchanged rings with the love of his life,
Angela Zapata, on Nov. 1.
Their wedding was celebrated in a totally unique
way -- a zombie theme. Both Mr. Blumethal and his wife
are fans of the TV show “The Walking Dead.”
“We both love zombies and Halloween is my favorite holiday,” said Mr. Blumenthal.
Of course, it all had to begin with the first day he met
his wife.
Mr. Blumenthal met Ms. Zapata, a Columbian, in 2009
via the Internet. A year ago, he knew it was time to step
up and make things happen. Blumenthal knew he had to
make this proposal one that Zapata would remember for
the rest of her life.
“I took her to her favorite restaurant that served
Shabu-Shabu, which we actually both loved, located right
“He has made
next to the Kodak Theater in
Hollywood,” said Blumenthal.
my life much
“She always wanted to sit in
easier. He’s an
this specific table that had two
amazing man,
plaques, and we did.”
my rock.”
Marriage isn’t just about
-- Ms. Carri McDevitt getting on one knee and saying “I do,” but it’s about knowing the value of it for both the
man and woman. Blumenthal and Zapata both had a previous marriage, which made her second guess herself.
Blumenthal kept telling her to leave the past in the past.
Later, she agreed and they got married.
It wasn’t anything huge, just a 60-person wedding
at the Wedgewood Wedding and Banquet in Ventura.
Although this zombie couple didn’t have a honeymoon right after their wedding, they both knew there
would always be time in the future.
Meanwhile, you might be thinking, “When’s the
baby coming along?” Well, great news: Blumenthal will
be a dad in the upcoming year! His lovely wife is 15
weeks pregnant.
Not that long ago, CI counselor Ms. Carri Jimenez
also got married. Jimenez met her Prince Charming, Mr.
Ed McDevitt, in July 2009 through mutual friends. From
there, it all began.
Every girl always dreams about the day her true love
will propose to her and so did Jimenez.
“It was simply wonderful, totally out of the blue,”
said Jimenez. “We went wine tasting which lead us to
take a walk at the beautiful Butterfly Beach in Montecito.”
He then took out a jewelry box shaped like a rose
Age: 23
Hometown & High School: Oxnard; Channel
Islands High School
Position: School Nurse
Previous Employment: Beverly Hills Endoscopy
Clinic, UCLA Ronald Reagan
Medical Center
College attended and degree:
Mount St. Mary’s College,
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Family: 2 Parents, 2 brothers, 1
sister. 2 doggies
Hobbies and interests: I enjoy
reading books leisurely such as
Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games
series or Sarah Dessen books. I
am a Disney enthusiast. I love
going to Disneyland, and I love all the Disney characters and movies.
Impressions of CI: Once a Raider, always a Raider.
It’s nice to come back and give back to this community.
Interesting fact about me: When I was a student
here, I was involved in several clubs. I am an All
Female, Co-ed, and ASB alumnae.
Favorite Quote: “The choices you make now, the
people you surround yourself with, they all have the
potential to affect your life, even who you are, forever.”
-- Sarah Dessen, “The Truth About Forever”
Ms. Julie Euan
Age: 29
Hometown and High School: Oxnard, Oxnard High
School
Classes Teaching: Freshman English classes
Previous Employment: Outreach Specialist at
Marina West Elementary school
College(s) Attended and
Degree: UCSB- Major: Sociology, Minor: Education; Cal
Lutheran - Masters in School
Counseling; Azusa Pacific
University - Teaching Credential
Family: My husband. We have
no children yet but we have three
nephews. I also have the most
amazing parents.
Hobbies and interests: Running,
reading, and traveling. I also enjoy watching boxing.
Impressions of CI: Both the staff and students are
very kind and helpful. CI has a lot of school spirit!
Interesting Fact About Me: I am a pescatarian. I
eat fish but no other meat.
Favorite Quote: “Be thankful for what you have;
you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what
you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” –
Oprah Winfrey
Ms. Lili Castellanos
CI counelor Ms. Carri Jimenez became Ms. Carri
McDevitt on Sept. 14. Here she is with husband Ed.
and proposed. “I jumped up and down, it was just the
sweetest thing.” said Jimenez.
They were both officially engaged as of April 2013
and got married on Sept. 14 during the mid morning at
The Cross in Ventura. It was an intimate wedding, about
45 people in attendance.
“We didn’t have that much time to plan a huge wedding, all that mattered was that we made commitment to
ourselves,” said Jimenez.
In the future, the lovely couple plans to make their
own family and travel a lot more. Some of their previous
traveling includes Costa Rica, Hawaii, New York,
Yellowstone, and many others. As of now, their marriage
has been excellent. “No complaints, he has made my life
much easier,” said Jimenez. “He’s an amazing man, my
rock.”
Other recently married staff members from the Islands include:
Ms. Debra Covarrubias, physical education teacher,
married Mr. Trevor River, special education deparment,
on July 13.
Ms. Ethel Alfaro, computer lab staff, married her
husband Tetsuya Yamada on Oct. 12.
And Mr. Jed Colvin, social science teacher, married
his longtime girlfriend Stephanie on Oct. 18 in what Mr.
Colvin described as a small wedding.
Age: 28
Hometown and High School: Oxnard, Hueneme
High School
Class Teaching or Position: Counselor
Previous Employment: K-8 substitute teaching;
teaching adults English as a second language;
Hueneme School District
outreach specialist in Oxnard
Elementary School District.
College(s) attended and
Degree: CSU Channel Islands bachelor’s degree in Liberal
Studies; Cal Lutheran University master’s degree in School
Counseling + PPS Credential.
Family: Husband and two boys
(3-year-old and 6-month-old)
Hobbies and Interests: Photography, jogging, watching movies, baking, and costume
jewelry.
Impressions of CI: Everyone has been so nice and
helpful. I love it here.
Interesting Facts about Me: Completed a half marathon this year.
Favorite Quote: “Go confidently in the direction of
your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” –
Henry David Thoreau
-- Pictures and Text by Salina Vasquez
Holiday Page
Friday, December 20, 2013
Page 5
Where to go, what to do for the holidays
By Alejandra Romero
Staff writer
During the holidays, a lot of people
complain that there isn’t much to do in Oxnard and they claim it’s such a boring city.
But this year, Oxnard has a chance to change
their minds.
This year in Riverpark, passing the Esplanade, The Collection has opened itself to
the public to show its holiday spirit. They’ve
started a tradition of lighting their giant
Christmas Tree, and get this: they’ve opened
up an ice-skating rink!
For those of you who love the snow,
ice, or any frozen type of water, ice skating
is the place to go. Only $15 for adults and
children, and $12 for toddlers. Each session
lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes, and it’s open all
week. Seems to me that The Collection is
one of Oxnard’s highlights of the city this
year.
Another familiar, traditional Christmas
event held here in the city of Oxnard is none
other than Candy Cane Lane. (Also referred
to as the Lights on F Street or Christmas
Tree Lane)
Every year, practically every single
house on F Street lights up their front yard
for visitors, near and far, to enjoy the decorations displayed. This street is so popular;
people from out of town come see the lights
on trolleys.
A fun fact about Candy Cane Lane: there
is a house that decorates their yard with an
entire train track set, and some years they
even sell hot chocolate and coffee to those
who stop by.
Hot chocolate, coffee, family and
friends, AND Christmas lights? What could
be better than all of that on one little street?
If you’re stuck at home these holiday
nights, make some plans to visit The Collection and Candy Cane Lane. Grab a few
friends, do some afternoon ice skating, grab
a bite to eat, and head on over to Candy
Cane Lane to end the night.
Don’t miss out on the wonderful opportunities Oxnard has given us this year;
make memories this holiday season with your
friends and family.
Catchy
holiday
tunes
By Stephany Valencia
Staff writer
The holidays are here and the whole
country is filled with festivity. Everywhere
you go you see lights, decorated lawns,
real Christmas trees for sale, advertisement
after advertisement, and the best holiday
music you will ever listen to playing
everywhere.
You walk into most stores and
Christmas music is playing. Everyone
loves that! There’s something about
“Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” that is
so catchy and has you singing along.
Maybe it was his “very shiny nose” or
that one foggy Christmas Eve when Santa
wanted Rudolph to guide his sleigh.
Everyone has their own favorite
pick.You soon catch yourself humming,
singing, or simply just thinking about that
one Christmas song that catches your
attention.
My favorite Christmas song is
probably “Deck the Halls.” I guess you
can say it’s pretty safe to say that it’s fun
to sing to because of the beat. It’s
something about the fa-la-la-la-la, la-lala-la part that gets me going and singing
really ugly to it because, well, I can’t sing
well. Those who have heard me attempt to
sing know.
Some people say most Christmas
songs are really annoying, but they still
like singing along.
Yamilex Corral, a senior, claims that her
favorite holiday song is “12 Days of
Christmas.”
Corral says, “It is an annoying song,
but I like it, it’s fun to sing along to, not to
mention, it’s probably one of the most
complicated and longest holiday songs
ever.”
Ms. Imelda Blanc, Spanish teacher,
also has a favorite tune or tunes of her
own. One of her favorite holiday tunes is
“Jingle Bells.” She says, “It gets into my
blood stream, it gets me happy.”
It is indeed a very happy joyful song.
Good choice, good choice, Ms. Blanc.
Another of her favorites is “Noche de
Paz,” a Spanish version of Silent Night.
Blanc says that the song, “Esta muy
bonita” and adds “it puts me to sleep.”
It is such a peaceful song; I can see
why she likes it.
This time of year the music is always
jolly, jingly, and full of joy. We all have that
favorite Christmas song we like to shower
to, or simply just to do busy work too. It’s
about that time to deck the halls, jingle
your bells, and rock the night away.
Happy Holidays, Raiders!
We’re back to school Jan. 6
Islands Tradition: Raiders had a chance to have their picture taken with Santa Claus (Mr. Paco Reynoso).
The magic of Santa Claus
By Gladys Ibarra
Staff writer
Christmas is right around the corner
and the first thing that comes to mind is
Santa Claus. CI students and teachers reflect on how they found out about Santa
Claus and whether they still believe in
him or not.
Senior Osvaldo Serratos started to
believe in Santa when he was about 4
years old. Osvaldo was told by his dad
that Santa wasn’t real one day when they
were at Toys ‘R’ Us. He asked his dad if
Santa was going to get his presents and
he replied, “No, I’m Santa.”
Junior Chris Barrera believed in Santa
up to the second grade. He was exposed
to the truth when his sister and brother told
him that Santa wasn’t real. They showed
him the presents that they had gotten for
him revealing that Santa didn’t exist.
Mr. Gary Porter, a history teacher here
at CI, started believing in Santa when he
was 5 years old. He never told his kids that
Santa isn’t real.
“Till this day I still get up at 2 a.m. and
put presents for my grown kids,” said Porter.
Mr. Craig Davis, a supervisor here at
CI, remembers believing in Santa when he
was about 3 years old. He stopped believing when he got a little bit older, “because I
wasn’t getting what I wanted.”
“I wanted a race track, but you know he
doesn’t come to the hood,” said Craig.
Sophomore Alejandro Serratos
started believing in Santa Claus at around
the age of 4 and stopped believing at 10.
“I didn’t leave out milk or cookies -I left out tacos if that counts -- but it
wasn’t for him. It was on an accident,”
said Serratos.
Ka Chun Choi actually never believed in Santa. “It is so unreal,” he said.
“I have never found a gift next to my bed
or anything. My parents are boring.”
Here at the Islands, there are still
those who are taken back by the question When did you stop believing in
Santa? “I thought he was still real...,” said
Alex Astudillo.
Holiday traditons center on family
By Aylin Rodriguez
Staff writer
Christmas is right around the corner.
Houses will be twinkling and homes will be
filled with the scent of pine tree and food.
Gifts will be wrapped and traditions will be
shared.
For Paola Arriaga, a senior at the Islands, every Christmas Eve is the same for
her.
First she goes to her mom’s house to
play board games with the younglings while
the adults get everything ready. After everything is ready, they eat tamales and
champurrado and wait until 10p.m. to open
up presents.
Afterwards, Arriaga goes to her dad’s
house and takes a stroll down Candy Cane
Lane. After the twinkling lights, Arriaga then
“clicks her heels three times” and finds herself back in time at her dad’s house to open
up more presents.
On Christmas day, Arriaga then finds
friends to go to the park by the Ocean View
Pavilion, to feed the ducks.
Another senior at the Islands, Vanessa
Gomez, does Christmas a little different.
On Christmas Eve, Gomez visits her
grandmother’s home. Like Arriaga, Gomez
has a feast at her grandmother’s home with
tamales and champurrado. Although sometimes to shake things up a bit, her aunt makes
chicken alfredo.
While waiting for midnight on Christmas Eve to approach Gomez and her family
like to play Christmas games. Some of the
games that Gomez and her family like to play
are naming all the reindeer and singing
Christmas songs. When midnight, or Christmas day, finally approaches then the exchange presents among her family.
Afterwards, she goes back home to
sleep and to wake up to even more presents
from her immediate family.
After opening the presents at her house
with her immediate family Gomez goes back
to her grandmother’s house for leftovers and
to give even more presents that anyone else
might have wanted to give.
When the whole celebration is over,
Gomez and her family clean up and everyone sits at the living room to watch Christmas movies.
Christmas traditions are special to everyone, whether it is something like celebrating Christmas with two different parents, or
going over to the same house twice.
Page 6
The Isle File
OPINION
Benefits of
being a
vegetarian
By Myriam Akbar
Staff writer
became a vegetarian during my
freshman year of high school. Because
I was raised in an Islamic household, I
didn’t grow up eating pork, so I only had
to stop eating, beef, chicken, and seafood.
At first I technically became a
pescatarian, which unlike a vegetarian,
allowed me to eat seafood but not other
meats. During the summer after my
freshman year, I decided to finally become
a full on vegetarian. I’ve been a vegetarian
now for about two and half years now and
I wouldn’t go back even if I could.
Vegetarians make the choice to not eat
meat for various reasons, such as personal
health, the environment, economic and
world hunger
concerns, compassion for animals,
belief in nonviolence,
food preferences, or
spiritual reasons.
Regardless of why
someone becomes a
vegetarian, there are
lots of health benefits
for us all.
For one,
vegetarian foods are a major source of
nutrition and vegetarians have lower rates
of heart disease and some forms of cancer
than non-vegetarians.
Other health benefits include being at
lower risk for developing heart disease;
colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancer;
diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
This is because a healthy vegetarian
diet is typically low in fat and high in fiber;
however, even a vegetarian diet can be
high in fat if the person eats a lot of
snacks, fried foods, whole milk dairy
products, and eggs. Therefore, a vegetarian diet, like any healthy diet, must be well
planned in order to help prevent and treat
certain diseases.
The most common question people
ask me because I’m a vegetarian is, “Are
getting the proper nutrition you need?”
Yes, yes I am.
First of all, protein is found in both
plant foods and animal foods. It’s not
necessary to combine specific foods
within a meal in order to be “complete.”
Vegetarian sources of protein include
beans, tofu, low-fat dairy products, nuts,
seeds, tempeh, eggs, and peas.
Other vitamins and minerals vegetarians following a healthy diet are NOT
lacking are calcium, vitamin D, and iron.
It’s easy for vegetarians to obtain
these by eating foods such as leafy
greens, broccoli, and beans for calcium.
Iron can be found in breads, cereals, dark
green vegetables, dried fruits, and
soybean nuts.
What scares most people about
vegatarianism is that they think they can’t
enjoy all the food they’re used to. Trust
me, you can.
All you have to do is basically
subtract the meat from your favorite foods.
For example, pizza. I can still eat it however, but now I have to eat pizza with just
cheese on it or I eat it with pineapple or
veggies.
Restaurants are a little trickier. It’s
hard to find restaurants with vegetarian
menus, but I’ve picked up on a few good
ones such as Red Robin, Yard House,
Urbane Cafe, and The Habit.
I
Illustration by Jullianne De La Cruz
Staff Voices
Favorite holiday memories
By Edgar Gonzalez
One of my all-time favorite holiday memories was the time
I went to Mexico in December/Christmas. It was the best
experience ever.
The day before I left, I prepared everything including my
clothes and some presents my mom was sending to my
grandparents, and my aunts and uncles.
The day I left I was so excited I swear I couldn’t stop
saying “Are we there yet?”
I was about 12 years old when my godfather and I made
the trip to Jalisco. I took a plane from Tijuana and arrived at
Guadalajara. One of my uncles went to Guadalajara and picked
us up.
When I got to my pueblo San Miguel El Alto, Jalisco, the
first thing I did was visiting my grandparents and then went to
church. I thanked god for receiving me one more time in this
beautiful pueblo.
The next day was fun because I went with my godfather
and my uncle to Santa Ana, Jalisco. Walking it was about 1
hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. It was an awesome experience
because on the way, I got to see the different animals.
The best part about the trip was that I got presents on
Christmas, spent time with almost all my family, ate some bomb
Mexican food, for example tamales, pozole and the best
menudo that my grandma makes.
By Stephany Valencia
I think it’s pretty safe to say that everyone likes Christmas. I mean what’s not to like? I love the smell of the air, cold
and crisp, just as winter should smell. I remember this time
around in 2007 I went to Blythe, California, to celebrate
Christmas with my mom’s side of the family.
This little desert town was so cold and lit up with the
festive lights and star filled sky, I was in love with the atmosphere. It definitely felt like Christmas, especially because the
whole family was there, not a single soul missing.
Everyone was having a good time hanging out, stuffing
their faces with yummy Mexican dishes, kids running around,
music playing to influence the mood, and a nice bonfire in the
yard for the men to sit around and drink. We even played
games and won prizes. I didn’t win one single game, but I still
had tons of fun.
I remember opening presents at midnight and seeing my
aunt’s living room filled with presents and family. By the time
everyone was done opening presents, the floor was covered in
pretty wrapping paper and colorful bows.
That Christmas was probably the most fun and last
Christmas that the whole family was actually present. As the
years go by, the family has been slowly separating for the
holidays because their own immediate family is expanding, or
they can’t all make it to be there anymore.
By Denisse Gonzalez
My favorite holiday memory was when I went to Guatemala for Christmas in 2010. I have gone many times before, but
the most memorable time was by airplane. It was a pretty fun
experience because it was my first time (that I remember) going
on an airplane with my sister.
I had such a great time seeing all the different things, from
checking our luggage in, to boarding the plane, to finally
arriving in Guatemala.
Their culture is so different to ours. On actual Christmas
Eve, everyone lit fireworks. I never knew that they did that
plus, they are actually legal there.
It was so much fun to finally light up our own. One of the
fireworks actually kind of followed you, so it was even scarier
than just seeing them go up in the sky. After that, everyone
went inside and just spent time with each other.
They don’t have presents — it’s not something they do
over there. At first, I was a little bummed out about that
because I wanted to rush and open presents at midnight, but it
was nice to just spend time with my family: talking about
anything, making jokes about one another, or just playing
pranks on each other.
That was one of my most memorable holidays because it
was the last one I go to spend with my grandpa. He passed
away a couple of years after that, so I will never get to spend
Christmas with him again.
Page 7
Friday, December 20, 2013
Alumni Spotlight
CI graduate fired up
to serve his home city
By Danny Alvarez
Blanca Urbano likes the people, not the food in U.S.
Photo by Stephany Valencia
Spaniard loving the Islands
By Elsa Fraire
Staff writer
Here at the Islands, our students seem
to excel at making people feel right at home.
The Raiders were ready to receive a new
foreign exchange student with open arms as
soon as they heard the news.
Blanca Urbano, a 15-year-old foreign
exchange student from Spain, is living the
California dream. She’s visiting the U.S. on a
foreign exchange program and is loving every moment of it.
“One of my favorite things has to be
the people,” said Urbano about her time in
the U.S.
Urbano says that people here are much
nicer than back home and adds, “I was walking the other day and a random girl stops me
and says, ‘OMG, I love your eyes.’ ”
Urbano explains how in her family learning proper English is a key to success. Her
older sister is also studying in a different
country. Their parents encourage them to
continue improving their English so they
could be well prepared for college.
She is enjoying CI along with all the
Raider spirit, but is a little overwhelmed with
all the students and how big the campus is.
While trying to do well on her academics Urbano makes time to go out and take
advantage of all the wonderful things California has to offer.
She loves the California sunset, but
isn’t all that thrilled with the food.
“The food here isn’t that great and
there’s a lot of junk food,” said Urbano. “In
America I had my first corn dog and Hot
Cheetos, which make me cry every time I eat
them,”
Urbano adds that she works out as
much as she can on the weekends.
Urbano still has 6 months until it’s time
for her to head back home. She is savoring
every minute she has left in the U.S. When
she gets homesick she tries to remember how
great of an opportunity she is living.
Senior Spotlight
Hernandez makes the most
of high school opportunities
By Kenia Perez
Staff writer
As a freshman, people embark on a journey that each person paves for himself or
herself. For Rebecca Hernandez, senior, her
hopes were to basically be
an average high schooler.
She wanted to be involved,
but would have never pictured herself being as involved as she is today.
Hernandez, who has
been playing soccer since
she was 5 years old, decided to try out for CI’s soccer team. Her freshman year
she made the varsity team
and is now one of four captains. She was also on varsity cross country during
her freshman year.
From her freshman year to today,
Hernandez has been a part of swim, track
and field, CSF, MESA, Students against
Animal Cruelty, Key Club, Upward Bound,
Link Crew, a Youth Ministry leader, and has
volunteered with Rosie’s Rescue.
As a student at Blackstock Junior High,
Hernandez became aware that those students who had a 4.0 did not have to wear
uniform on Fridays.
“I would see Megan Garcia not wear
uniform on Fridays and I wanted the same!”
says Hernandez about her first encounter
with wanting a 4.0 back in middle school.
As well as she did in middle school, she
never expected to be top ten class of 2014
for all of her high school career. “I just did
my work, that’s all,” Hernandez states was
her key to high achievement. Her climbing
to the top of the 2014 class was the first
motivator in Hernandez life to
wanting to attend university.
This fall she applied to
UCSB, UC Berkeley, UCSD,
UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz,
CSUN, Chico State, with Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo as her
number one choice on the
west coast. Hernandez is also
very interested in schools on
the east coast, but these applications are still in progress.
Hernandez is very excited
to be done with all of her applications and looks forward
to taking a course at OC, as
well as a job. She realizes that the past weeks
have been very busy and stressful and even
though she knows it will be worth it, she
can’t wait to catch up with friends.
With only six months left of high school,
Hernandez says she will miss Mrs. Hall
greatly, “She met me my freshman year and
has watched me not only grow up, but has
been there through some tough times for
me.”
She wants to thank everyone that has
been with her through thick and thin for the
last four years. Hernandez will always hold
a special place for the Islands and never
wants to forget about what CI has given her.
Staff writer
Back in the 1980s when he was a student at Channel Islands High School, Sergio
Martinez had a passion for becoming a
firefighter.
He grew up around firefighters and
around the age of 6 or 7 he knew he wanted
to become a firefighter.
“I didn’t know how I wanted to get
there, but I just wanted to,” Martinez said.
His dream ended up becoming true, and
recently he got promoted to become Battalion Chief of Oxnard Fire Department.
“It’s an honor,” said Martinez. “What
makes it a higher honor is doing this job in
the city I grew up in. It’s like I’m protecting
my family here in Oxnard.”
This is his dream he’s living and his
opportunity to give back to the Oxnard community and inspire young children or even
teenagers to become firefighters.
“Our doors are always open to those
who are interested,” he said.
He started off going to Oxnard College
to become a firefighter with their Oxnard Fire
Academy. He went to the reserve volunteer
in 1997 and became a full-time firefighter in
2000. He now has 14 years of being a
firefighter and has loved every minute of it.
“I knew I wanted to become Battalion
Chief one day,” said Martinez. “The time
came faster than anticipated, and the experience came even faster.”
The community of Oxnard pushed him
to become the firefighter he is today,
Martinez said, and now he wants to give
back to the community.
“My community, I want to be a part of
it,” said Martinez. “I want to be part of the
“What makes it a higher honor
is doing this job in the city I grew
up in. It’s like I’m protecting my
family here in Oxnard.”
-- Sergio Martinez,
on his promotion to Battalion Chief
change.”
Martinez married his high school sweetheart Tina Marie Martinez. They have been
happily married for 24 years. They now have
two children, Julien, 18, and Yamira Jade, 12.
They also have a dog named Massive
Arson and three horses named James Bond,
Bomb Girl, and Money Penny.
SPORTS
Page 8
The Isle File
Winter Sports
Boys’ Basketball
Coaches: Mr. Mike Keddington,
Mr. Craig Davis
Team Captains: Jaymart Sabater,
Miguel Sosa, Paul Gonzales
Returning Players: Jaymart Sabater,
Miguel Sosa, Julio Medina
Newcomers: Francis Chico Juliano,
Victor Navarro, Jake Meja, Larry
Grefalda, Miles Minier, Paul Gonzalez,
Lorenz Raqueno, Erik Alvarez, AJ Oto
Strengths: Leadership, work ethic, and
100% effort.
Areas for Improvement: Rebounding,
taking care of the ball and making sure
we “think the game” while on the floor.
Last Year’s Record/Highlights: 11-12
overall; 2nd place in the Fillmore
Tournament; Carpinteria Tournament
consolation championship.
Early Season Results: (1-3); beat
Hueneme in first round of Carpinteria
Tournament.
League Schedule/Outlook:
Carpinteria Tournament today and
Saturday; Santa Barbara Tournament,
Dec. 26-29.
Quote: “Great teamwork is the only
way we create the breakthroughs that
define our careers.” – Pat Riley
--Compiled by Juan Cortez
Girls’ Basketball
Coaches: Mr. Matthew Merricks, head
coach; Mr. Mike Johnson and Mr. Ron
Ford, assistant coaches.
Team Captains: Leah Salanoa, Lahni
Salanoa, and Heather Thompson
Returners: Lahni, Leah, Heather,
Frances Dominguez, Tabitha Cunanan,
Gabby Mendez, Vanessa Soto,
Stephany Barrera, and Aleesha Zuniga.
Newcomers: Kelsea Illengo, Charlyee
Amos, Liz Raya, Tania Avila
Strengths: Strength, willingness to
learn
Areas for improvement: Physicality
and aggressiveness
Last year’s record: 20-7
Quote: “If the girls could learn to use
their strength and get more physical, I
believe we could compete for a league
title.” – Coach Merricks
--Compiled by Gladys Ibarra
Girls’ Water Polo
Coaches: Mr. Kip Atwater, Mr. David
Haynes
Co-Captains: Karla Zavala, Vanessa
Valerio
Returning members: Judith Aguilar
(12), Citlalli Aguirre (12), Vanessa
Alvarez (11), Alexus Barreto (12), Sarah
Briones (12), Ceci Carungcong (12),
Mariah Decker (12), Adelina Fernandez
(12), Liliana Galvan (10), Iridian
Hernandez (11), Monica Mendieta (12),
Vanessa Valerio (12), Karina Zavala
(10), Karla Zavala (12), Yurica Zuniga
(12), Leslie Valdivia (11), Yvette Chairez
(11), Melody Lopez (11), Yulisa
Mendez(10), Aisha Jimenez (10).
Newcomers: Daniela Aguirre, Makaila
Foster, Brianna Garcia, Vanessa
Garcia, Michelle Hernandez, Lauryn
Chouinard-Howell, Hanidenui
Maldonado, Elizabeth Nino, Flor
Quinones, Kimberly Ramos, Julia
Sanchez, Kylan Wark, Rachel
Jashinsky, Maria Navarrete, Brittany
Garcia, Kimberly Hernandez.
Strengths: Cohesion, strong work
ethic, communication, conditioning
Areas for improvement: Tech. skills,
game awareness, conditioning.
Last year: 0-13, but lost 9-6 to
Villanova to end the season.
Early season results: Lost to
Carpinteria in opener.
Quote: “Take down Hueneme.” -Coach Atwater
-- Compiled by Jazlin Alarcon
Luis Mottu scoring a goal against Fillmore High School.
Photo by Stepahny Valencia
Soccer off to a good start
By Denisse Gonzalez
Staff writer
The boys’ varsity soccer team’s season barely started and they are already off
to a good start with five wins, no losses,
and two ties.
Varsity player Danny Landeros, a senior forward, has been playing soccer since
he was 5 years old. He said that this year is
different without Coach Rogelio Juarez, who
is currently fighting cancer.
“We are keeping our prayers out for
him,” said Landeros.
Substituting for Coach Rogelio Juarez
is Mr. Francisco Salazar, a U.S. History and
Economics teacher at Channel Islands who
has been Juarez’s assistant. Also helping
with coaching is Mr. Salvador Orozco, who’s
been JV coach for 3 years.
“Coach Juarez is still needed but Salazar
and Chava are still great coaches,” said varsity player Uriel Sanchez. Sanchez, a senior
defense/middle, has been playing soccer
since he was 8.
The Raiders are coming off back to back
trip to the CIF championship game.
Girls’ Soccer Preview
Coach: Ms. Emily Hall
Team Captains: Roxanne Leon, Karina
Orozco, Rebecca Hernandez, Jaijaira
Covarrubias
Returning Players: Covarrubias, Andréa
Juarez, Maria Gomez, Leon, Yvette Mota,
Jasmine Padilla, Andrea Rios, Jenay Torres,
Ashley Reyes, Vivian Rocha, Hernandez,
Jacky Lopez, Orozco.
Strengths: Two strong goalkeepers, a lot
of returners, good team chemistry.
Working On: Passing and shooting.
Last year’s Highlights: Last year was a
rebuilding year since we had 12 seniors
graduate in 2012. We tied Camarillo, which
might be a first for CI.
Early Season results: 2-2-2.
League Outlook: Should be competitive in
league and able to fight for a CIF berth.
Quote: “Always Compete!” – Coach Hall
“We are a new team so we still have to
get used to communicating with each other,”
Sanchez said. “We’re playing good but not
how we’re supposed to. When we start communicating and understanding each other
better, we’re going to get better.”
Alan Zaragoza, a junior, plays defense
and is one of the captains on the varsity
team. Zaragoza has been playing soccer
since he was 10 and on the school team for
one year.
“It’s going pretty good; we’re undefeated,” said Zaragoza towards the start of
this season.
Out of all the players Coach Salazar contemplates that goalkeeper Salvador Perez,
Alan Zaragoza, and Alex Quinones have
stood out the most. Perez has stood out the
last two games, giving it his all out in the
field; Zaragoza and Quinones have both
played solid in the back.
Most improved is Fernando Blancas,
Salazar said.
“He’s a very good player but has improved; his knowledge of the game has improved and is very solid in organizing, often
he’s a very dangerous player when the ball
comes near the goalkeeper. He has become
more solid than last year,” said Coach Salazar.
Their strengths are counter-attacking,
Coach Salazar said, but some areas for improvement are to work more fluidly as a team
and to be more consistent.
Students, staff drawn to UFC action
By Danny Alvarez
Staff writer
The Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC), the largest mixed martial arts organizations and promotion company in the
world, has many fans here at CI.
The UFC hosts most of the top-ranked
fighters in the sport and produces events
worldwide.
The first UFC event was held in 1993 in
Denver. The purpose of the event was to
identify the most effective martial art in a
real fight between competitors of different
fighting styles, including boxing, Brazilian
jiu-jitsu, sambo, wrestling, muay Thai, karate, judo, and other styles.
“I started following MMA and UFC
around ’97-’98; that’s when I started getting
into it,” says Mr. Jed Colvin, social science
teacher.
When Colvin had his business for a little
while he was one of the sponsors for the
UFC for clothing, and so he went to a lot of
live UFC events in Las Vegas.
“Going to live events is a cool experience, but to focus on fights you’re probably better off watching it on TV,” Mr. Colvin
said.
Colvin watches most of the big pay-
per-view fights when he can. As for the Dec.
28 rematch between Chris Weidman and
Anderson Silva, he’s not really sure how
this fight will end, but he’s really excited and
also hoping that Weidman will win.
“Just to spark things up,” says Colvin.
“My favorite fighter right now would
probably be Chael Sonnen,” added Colvin.
“He’s driven, determined and disciplined,
just what a fighter should be.”
Another UFC fan at here at CI is visual
arts and photography Mr. Ben Clancy.
“I started training MMA as a kid and
saw the first fight in ‘93. That’s when I knew
this sport was amazing,” said Mr. Clancy.
Although he may not pay to see this
next fight, he still keeps up with the whole
UFC fighting world. He said it’s hard to get
all the fights like he used to since he has a
young son. Still, he watches all the free fights
and shows like The Ultimate Fighter.
He’s also hoping that Silva will win by
knockout to prove that the last loss was a
fluke. Connor “The Notorious” McGregor
is Clancy’s favorite fighter even though he
fights in the featherweight division.
“That guy is a knockout machine,”
Clancy says.
Another UFC fan and martial artist him-
self is Cristian Zapien, a CI junior.
“I have been training MMA for about
4-5 years now and it’s definitely my favorite
thing to do,” said Zapien.
He’s also rooting for Silva to win by
KO. His favorite UFC fighter is Cain
Velasquez, the heavyweight champion in the
UFC right now.
“I like his fighting style,” said Zapien,
“He has great cardio and I just enjoy seeing
him fight. I like how he can knock people
out.”
Some of the top fighters right now in
the UFC are Demetrious “Mighty Mouse”
Johnson, flyweight champion; Dominic
Cruz, bantamweight champion; Jose “Junior” Aldo, featherweight champion; Anthony
“Showtime” Pettis, lightweight champion;
Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, welterweight
champion; Chris “The All-American”
Weidman, middleweight champion; Jon
“Bones” Jones, light-heavyweight champion; and of course Cain Velasquez, heavyweight champion.
The Weidman-Silva fight (UFC 168) will
be on pay-per-view. Weidman is 10-0 and
Silva is 33-5. Also on the card, bantamweight
queen Ronda Rousey (7-0) looks to shut
down Meisha Tate (13-4) once again.