April 7, 2022
VOL. MMXXII, No. 3
RAM’S EAR R I O V I S TA H I G H S C H O O L
Bye bye masks; mask mandate lifted by Diana Freyre, Staff Writer
Photo by: Carmella Martins
No more masks! On Mar. 12 the mask mandate for schools K-12 was lifted, removing the requirement to wear face coverings. Lots of people had different opinions on the mask mandate being lifted. “It feels nice not being forced to wear a mask everyday to school anymore,” said senior Alex Ornelas. “Now it feels as if everything is somewhat getting back to normal.” Both students and teachers have different opinions on this issue and lots of people around campus as well. Sophomore Alondra Garcia said,“I honestly think it’s weird seeing people without face masks because wearing masks was the new ‘normal’ but I’m glad because it’s starting to feel how life was before COVID-19.” Although some are people are happy about the mask mandate being lifted, some
Senior Scarlett Dole diligently wearing her mask while working on her AP Art project.
RVHS welcomes new students from Nigeria
by Donny Roos, Associate Editor
Photo by: Kayla Delk
This year, RVHS welcomes new students from Nigeria! Joyce and Sharon Ekemere flew 17 long hours half way across the world to California in December, and moved in with their relatives. Joyce and Sharon both had their high school lives in Nigeria interrupted this past year as they moved, but are ready for what’s to come. They both said life here is very different from where they used to live, but in a good way. Sharon is currently a junior, and is excited to graduate. She has her eyes set on attending San Joaquin Delta College after she completes high school. Sharon says, “I miss my friends and family in Nigeria.” Moving to an entirely different continent, let alone country, is difficult and challenging, but Sharon keeps looking forward. “I really want to explore California and meet new people. It’s been fun so far, and school is very different. I’m also interested in learning Spanish, I think it will be easier
than French,” said Sharon. Joyce is a senior this year, and plans to attend college in California, but isn’t quite sure where yet. Joyce says she also misses her friends and family back home, but said, “I was really surprised by how welcoming Rio Vista was, I was not expecting it. The croissants are also really good here.” The journey over to the States was tiring. “It was a long process coming over here, and the flight was super long. I accidentally locked myself in the bathroom and had to yell for help,” said Joyce. Joyce and Sharon moved here to have a better college experience, and they both said that the United States’ college system is better and easier as a whole compared to the system in Nigeria. People also have a lot of misconceptions about Nigeria. “The U.S. thinks we have no phones and are poor! Trust me, we are not poor and have lots of technology,” said Joyce.
don’t really mind still wearing masks, “I honestly don’t know how to feel about the mask mandate lifting because we’ve worn them for so long that it feels normal,” said senior Greta Dole. “I still wear mine because I don’t want to risk getting COVID-19 even though I’m vaccinated and boosted. Now that it’s getting to how it was before COVID-19 it just feels weird seeing people without face masks.” Teachers have also had mixed feelings about whether to wear a mask or not. Ms. Stark, the Spanish teacher, still strongly believes that face masks should be worn. “There are still lots of students who aren’t vaccinated and I will personally still wear a mask to protect me from getting COVID-19 and to protect my students as well.”
Time to BeReal. New social media app takes over RVHS
by Brook Summitt, Staff Writer
Your friends for real. BeReal is an app that students here at Rio Vista High School have been downloading to connect with their friends. Everyday the app simultaneously sends out a notification at a different time for people to capture a photo within two minutes. The app captures the front and back camera to show what everyone is doing at that exact time. You are able to react and comment on everyone’s snapshots and it’s a fun way to check up on your friends. The senior class quickly discovered the app and introduced it to everyone on campus. “It’s fun, especially when it is at a random time and everyone participates, you get to see what everyone is up to at that specific time,” said senior Alonzo Chavolla. Of course it’s hard to keep up, especially when the students have things to do outside of school. Luckily, you are still able to post a photo late and see everyone’s post, but it’s not as fun since you didn’t capture what you were doing within the two minutes like everyone else. Senior Spencer Emigh said, “Honestly, I thought I’d never get it but once you get it it’s pretty cool, especially how it sends you a random timer to send a picture and you can see what all your friends are sending in the same time zone.” BeReal is very different compared to other social media. You don’t get to curate your feed and edit your pictures. There’s simply no filters, there is no way to lie about where you are or what you’re doing. Of course the feed
Sharon Ekemere (left) and her sister Joyce (right).
is always more interesting when out of school hours. “It’s cool that you can react to what people post,” said sophomore Jameson Bleoch. “You can comment what they call a ‘realmoji’ and it’s sort of like a reaction to your friends photos.” If you haven’t already, download the app and add all your friends. Promise it will be fun. Go BEREAL!
Spring Break! April 11-18th No School Monday, Apr. 18th
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RAM’S EAR
Photo: flickr.com
Saint Patricks Day
Leprechaun traps such as this one are a common and fun activity to partke in during Saint Parick’s Day.
by Carmella Rumiato, Staff Writer
Saint Patrick’s day is a celebration of Irish culture. It’s celebrated annually on March 17, which is the day Saint Patrick died in the fifth century. Even though many years have passed, people continue to celebrate it. Saint Patrick’s day is celebrated all over the world, but especially by the Irish community. During the day of Saint Patrick, there are a few traditions that people tend to follow. There are the small ones that people do from their homes and big ones that involve a lot of preparation. One of the traditions is that you are supposed to wear green during the day or people are allowed to pinch you, or even worse, the leprechaun will pinch you. The green is supposed to make you invisible to the leprechaun. I completely forgot it was Saint Patrick’s day when I came to school that day. Coincidentally I was wearing a green shirt under my hoodie so I was saved from getting pinched. When I got home I made sure to change to an all green outfit. Another tradition is to eat corned beef and cabbage, which I think tastes pretty good. It tasted just like vegetable soup. A tradition sometimes followed by kids is building leprechaun traps. They build the traps during the day of Mar. 17, and usually use green things to build it. Sometimes they even put instructions so the leprechaun knows what to do. At night, parents will put
gold coins on the traps to make it seem like the leprechaun passed by, sometimes the parents even put prints of tiny footsteps with green paint to leave more evidence. Another Saint Patrick’s day thing, that is not really a tradition but more like an advertisement, is the shamrock shake from McDonald’s. It is only sold during the month of March and it is supposed to be made of “shamrock”, but it’s actually a mint milkshake. Even though it is not really shamrock, it’s very delicious and totally worth buying during the month of March. One of the biggest traditions would be the parades. New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the most famous. In a typical year, it has an average of 150,000 participants and 3 million watching on TV. Cities like Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia also host parades. Since 1962, Chicago has dyed the Chicago river green every year. The use of green dye originally started when city workers used green dye to trace illegal sewages but then realized it would be a great way to celebrate the holiday. Before coming to the United States I had heard of Saint Patrick’s day maybe once or twice, but being here and celebrating it for the first time was really nice. It’s amazing to see how many cultures and traditions there are out there in the world that we don’t even know about.
RAM’S EAR
Published by Rio Vista High School, Digital Publications Class 410 South Fourth Street | Rio Vista, California 94571 (707)374-6336 ext. 1224 email: rvhsramsear@gmail.com Printed by School Paper Express, Wappingers Falls, New York Letters to the Editor: To be published, letters must have the author’s name, address, and telephone number.
Co-Editors in Chief Jorie Forbes & Kayla Delk Associate Editor Donny Roos Adviser Julie Griffin Ram’s Ear Staff Daniela Arias, Diana Freyre, Monica Garcia, Michael Gilpin, Fabrizio Lazo Gutierrez, William Lindsay, Michael Lorton, Carmella Martins Rumiato, Braeden McCann, Cristal Monreal, Mckenna Pratt, Bella Saldana, Brook Summitt, Diego Torres
Calendar of Events
April
April 1 - Baseball vs Delta (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 2 - Booster Club Dinner 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Tickets may be purchased at front office, these fund all athletics, arts, and academics) April 5 - Baseball vs Highlands (away) 4:00 p.m. April 5 - Softball vs Highlands (away) 4:00 p.m. April 5 - Golf vs Esparto (Home) 3:00 p.m. April 7 - Baseball vs Highlands (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 7 - Softball vs Highlands (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 7 - Swim Team Center Meet 4 (Home) 3:30 p.m. April 7 - Golf vs VCHS (Cyress Lakes) 3:00 p.m. April 8 & 9 - Softball Jim Elliot Softball Tournament April 11 - 18 - Spring Break April 12 - Baseball vs Vallejo (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 18 & 20 - Baseball Sutter Spring Tournament (away) TBA April 20 - Softball vs Buckingham Charter (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 22 - Swim Team SDL Championship @ Highlands (away) 10:00 a.m. April 26 - Baseball vs San Juan (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 26 - Softball vs San Juan (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 26 - Golf vs Golden Sierra (Home) 3:00 p.m. April 28 - Baseball @ San Juan (away) 4:00 p.m. April 28 - Softball @ San Juan (away) 4:00 p.m. April 28 - Golf vs Linden (Home) 3:00 p.m. April 29 - Baseball vs Florin (Home) 4:00 p.m. April 30 - Prom 7:00 p.m.
May May 2 - Golf SDL Tournament 2 TBA May 3 - Baseball vs Golden Sierra (Home) 4:00 p.m. May 3 - Softball vs Golden Sierra (Home) 4:00 p.m. May 5 - Baseball @ Golden Sierra (away) 4:00 p.m. May 5 - Softball @ Golden Sierra (away) 4:00 p.m. May 10 - Golf Div 6 Tournament May 13 - Baseball All League selection meeting May 13 - Softball All League selection meeting May 16 - Softball Div 6 Playoff May 16 - Golf Masters Tournament May 18 - Academic Awards 6:00 p.m. May 18 - Baseball Div 6 Playoff May 18 - Softball Div 6 Tournament May 20 - Baseball Div 6 Tournament May 20 - Softball Div 6 Tournament May 21 - Softball Div 6 Playoff May 23 - Norcal Tournament May 24 - Baseball Div 6 Playoff May 25 - Sports Awards Night May 26 - Senior Trip
June
June 1 - Golf State Tournament June 3 - Graduation
Use the numbers 1, 9, 9 and 6 exactly in that order to make the following numbers: 35, 72, 76, and 100 you can use the mathmatatical symbols +, -, ×, /, √, ^(exponent symbol) and brackets.
Example 63 = 1x9+9x6
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What would we do Gas Prices Reach without The Bean? Record Highs by William Lindsay, Staff Writer
Gas prices have recently experienced a dramatic increase over the past month. This is primarily a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that has led to a worldwide economical struggle. The sanctions placed on Russian exports, the major one being oil, means that countries will have to find alternate sources of these products. Now that oil will no longer be as accessible as it used to be, the prices are bound to rise. Oil is one of the world’s largest commodities and every country relies on it heavily because not only is it a primary fuel source, it is also used to make most common plastics. Russia, being the largest country in the world by land area, means that it has a massive oil supply. Stretching from eastern Europe all the way across Asia to the Pacific Ocean, Russia totals over 6.6 million miles of mostly barren tundra and taiga, all of which is rich in fossil fuels. Russia’s population is roughly 144 million people, and though it may seem like a large number, it is dwarfed by the fact that there are only 23 people per square mile compared to Singapore’s 21,681 people per square mile; so it makes sense that Russia is among the largest oil exporting countries, accounting for about 12 percent of the worldwide oil supply. Many major European countries including Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States rely heavily on Russian oil exports. These countries have recently placed sanctions on Russian exports in response to the invasion of Ukraine, meaning they are
refusing to import these foreign products. Though the sanctions are likely to be effective at mitigating Russia’s attack, they will also have a damaging effect on the worldwide economy. Across the United States, gas prices have been reaching record highs. Finding prices over six dollars per gallon for standard gasoline isn’t uncommon anymore. In fact, it has become a fairly common occurrence. Senior Daniela Arias says, “The gas prices have caused me to worry on how much money I have. I work a part time job so it’s hard for me to afford gas in addition to other paying bills.” Because of the prices, citizens are struggling to fill up their tank, forcing them to limit the use of their automobiles. “I am mad about it because it costs me 70 dollars to fill up my tank when it used to be 35,” senior Donny Roos says. “Now I have to be more careful about how much I spend and I have to think about how much I spend on gas.” The increased gas prices have also caused people to change their daily lives. Arias says, “I used to go out to Stockton and Lodi but now I don’t do that as much anymore. I also run my car on ‘Econ’ mode now.” Senior Sophia Saldana says, “I think it’s wild how much gas is right now. I have to drive out of town a lot for swim practice and now that the gas prices are so high I feel bad about going.” Many families have been staying home and making less trips on the road, remaining stuck at home. “I try not to do any unnecessary driving. I’ll walk or ride a bike,” Saldana says.
Photo courtesy of Joire Forbes
Meet Mrs. Mahoney
by Kayla Delk, Co-Editor in Chief
The Human Bean franchise, nicknamed “The Bean,” was brought to Rio Vista during the spring of 2019. It sits alongside the Ford Dealership, an ideal location right alongside Highway 12. For many students, specifically seniors with off-campus lunch privileges, it is a common lunchtime destination to grab a quick drink. What makes The Human Bean unique is the large variety of drinks offered, appeasing to anyone’s taste buds or mood. Ranging from your typical coffee drinks such as freshly brewed coffee, cold brew, chai, and lattes, The Bean also offers their specialty espresso “mocha” drinks which help to set them apart from their competitors. Senior Kyra Atkinson’s favorite drink is the “snowy mocha,” The Bean’s signature specialty drink, which combines white chocolate, milk, and espresso. “It’s either really sweet or not sweet in the slightest and I like the risk of if it’s gonna be disgusting [or not] in the morning,” said Kyra. The Bean also offers customizable flavored energy drinks, made using Rockstars and Red Bulls, which are comparable to the famous Dutch Bros rebels. Because of the vast amount of flavorings for the drinks, many RVHS students have come up with their own unique orders. Senior Mason Kitchens orders a “lemonade Rockstar with blueberry and blackberry blended.” Senior Daniela Arias orders a “Red Bull with pomegranate, raspberry, and lime.” Junior Joy Bell orders a “green apple smoothie with a fruit punch Rockstar.” Freshman Adam Stone orders an “original Rockstar with pomegranate.” While having the opportunity to completely customize your energy drink The Bean also has a “secret” menu referencing popular Dutch Bros Rebel flavors. Senior and The Bean
worker Diego Torres said, “We refer to our secret energy drink menu when someone comes through and tells us a Dutch Bros drink and we’re not sure what flavors go inside. We also use it when someone wants a surprise Red Bull or Rockstar.” Along with having a “secret” menu, The Bean also has a “secret secret” menu inspired by the worker’s favorite drinks. Senior McKenna Pratt orders a “20 oz. Alexis Special” referencing RVHS alumni and current Human Bean worker Alexis Brown’s signature order. The Human Bean is also a common location for students to work at, and its staff is made up of mostly current and former RVHS students. While working at the job may seem relatively fun and easy, Diego Torres comments about his least favorite part of the job, “My least favorite part about my job is dealing with people’s ridiculous orders. One time somebody came through and got 10 scoops of caramel syrup in their drink and I was wondering if I could even sell this.” Similarly, junior Dylan Jelly comments, “[My least favorite part is] dealing with picky and complicated customers.” Although rude and difficult customers may make the job unenjoyable Diego said he enjoys,“working with friends and making drinks. The satisfaction you get when you make drinks smoothly is just awesome.” The Human Bean serves as both an essential drink destination and as a workplace for students. The unlimited creativity offered by the menu has allowed students to create their own custom drink orders, resulting in many distinctive flavor profiles. The Rams Ear Staff encourages students to try a unique drink mentioned in the article and thanks The Human Bean for their service to our community.
Photo by: Fabrizio Lazo
Senior Jorie Forbes’ goat, named Patrick, Pat for short, enjoying an ice cold “Dirty Dan” Rockstar, a specialty drink from the Human Bean.
Mrs. Mahoney reading with her students during her English class.
by Cristal Monreal, Staff Writer
Meet the English and AVID teacher, Mrs. Mahoney. Mrs. Mahoney is a very unique and kind teacher who cares about her students. She goes out of her way to make sure everyone is succeeding. She does multiple activities so her students enjoy her classroom and always look forward to going to her class. She really enjoys teaching and helping her students. Some ways she helps her students is by talking to them at lunch, providing materials for them, answering and asking questions for her students, and helping them with personal problems. Mrs. Mahoney has 3 kids. They were born in 2009, 2011, and 2015, and their names are Mckayla, Emily, and Conner. She got married in 2006 to Ryan Mahoney. Mrs. Mahoney attended Saint Mary’s college in 2001 and graduated from Saint Marys in 2005. She loves teaching and helping her students understand. Her primary role is to give proper instructions and help students learn. Her interests during her free time are going shopping, arranging flowers, and go-
ing to concerts. She loves going out and hanging out with friends and family on weekends. Cooking is a daily task in her lifestyle, and scrambled eggs are her go to for breakfast. She also enjoys relaxing in the hot tub when she can. Mrs. Mahoney likes staying fit so she goes on runs and exercises on a regular basis. Sophomore Benny Mandujano said, “Mrs. Mahoney explains her work thoroughly and helps us out when we need it, she understands our struggles and helps us out.” Sophomore Sherley Guerra said, “She is kind and leads us to the right path with great advice.” Mrs. Mahoney always knew she wanted to attend college, but she just didn’t know what college she wanted to attend. In her English class they are currently reading How To Kill A Mockingbird and working on questions about them. Her AVID class is currently working on doing TRFS, working on binder checks, and getting college presentations done. Mrs. Mahoney hopes to continue providing her students with help, and hopes to achieve better and bigger things.
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The reality of Senioritis Girl Scout Cookies:
A Timeless Tradition
Photo by: Daniela Arias
by Jorie Forbes, Co-Editor in Chief
Senior Mason Kitchens snoozing through his third period U.S Government class.
by McKenna Pratt, Staff Writer
The effect of senioritis has been crucial to senior lives. Senioritis is the decreased motivation for seniors, typically at the end of the school year. Seniors who experience senioritis lack motivation in finishing school due to the end of their high school career coming closer to an end. Seniors have been having a hard time completing assignments in all classes. The staff have noticed an increase in tardies and absences as well. Not much has been done to help this issue be resolved although many events have been put on by the school, it seems to not be doing enough. Being a senior comes with challenges that have to be faced near the end of the school year. Senior Alessando Garcia said, “Being a senior has been complicated because we have to apply for college and scholarships, as well as fill out our financial aid application (FAFSA). We have a lot of AP classes that we all have signed up for which creates a very stressful year due to all of the work required.” Being a senior has its perks, but when it comes to getting ready for the real world, there is a lot seniors have to prepare themselves for. Senior Anjolina Arriola said, “Preparing for life after high school
and having to figure everything out has been the hardest part about being a senior.” Preparing for the real world is quite scary, especially for those who are not sure what they plan to do with their lives. On the flip side, many seniors have enjoyed their time as a senior without all of the worry and stress. Senior Mason Kitchens said, “The highlight of my senior year was getting to enjoy one more year with my friends.” Many students have been enjoying the social aspect of being a senior due to the fun activities they have been doing with their friends. The social aspect in and outside of school has taken a toll on all of the students as well. The thought of only being able to see the same people everyday has merged friends back together. Seniors have been more worried about spending time with friends because of the fact that this is all coming to an end. Senioritis comes in many different forms, but for more students it involves the lack of participation in school. Seniors cannot wait to graduate and move forwards with their lives and it has shown!
The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A is a program known for helping young girls build leadership skills through earning badges, going on trips, participating in hands-on activities, and much more. The most well known aspect of the Girl Scouts is their cookie sale. Every year between January and April, Americans take delight in buying delicious Girl Scout cookies from their local community. Since 1917, the Girl Scouts have taken part in selling a variety of cookies to citizens all over the United States. Starting as a mere idea has now spread to a nationwide tradition, with over 200 million cookies sold yearly. All of the profits from the sales go directly to the local troops, where they may choose how to spend the money. Many young girls can attest to partaking in the scouting experience. As kids, twins and seniors Greta and Scarlett Dole were Girl Scouts. Through their local troop, they participated in the selling of the cookies. Greta remembers a positive experience, saying, “It was fun and I was able to buy my own cookies.” Scarlett, on the other hand, relays a more stressful experience. “It was a grueling and difficult task,” she said. “We were there from sunrise to sundown. We wandered the streets
at night.” Greta and Scarlett look back at their scouting years with gratitude, seeing that the program benefited in the social and problem-solving aspects of their lives. On the other side of the operation are the customers. This year, throughout February and March, Rio Vista citizens were able to purchase their own cookies from outside of Lira’s, the local grocery store. The cookies offered are S’mores, Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Lemonades, and Thanks-A-Lots. The most popular of these are Thin Mints and Caramel deLites. Senior Meraiah Groves agrees with this ranking, saying, “Thin Mints and Caramel deLites are both my favorite.” Freshman Justin Byers’ favorite cookie is also the Thin Mint. According to junior Tessa Miguel, the classic Shortbread cookie is underrated. This is the favorite of both Tessa and freshman Letty Bellante. Every year, the frenzy for everyone to get their hands on the famous Girl Scout Cookies comes around. From having fond memories of participating in the scouting program, to everyone having their own favorite cookie that they look forward to enjoying, students at Rio Vista High take “deLite” in the over 100 year old tradition.
What’s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Lemonades 7.1%
DON’T MISS THIS MEMORABLE NIGHT! Caramel deLites 25%
Shortbread 5.4% Peanut Butter Patties 14.3%
Adventurefuls 1.8%
You are cordially invited...
RIO VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
2022
PROM DELTA DIAMOND FARM 15174 HIGHWAY 160, ISLETON, CA
SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022 7:00 - 11:00 PM $85 SINGLE / $160 COUPLE
Menu
TRI-TIP, MAC N’ CHEEESE, SALAD & ROLLS
TICKETS ON SALE NOW IN MS. GORNTO’S ROOM
Thin Mints 46.4%
MarchAPRIL and April Birthdays BIRTHDAYS sss
April 1 Gregory Cook Roberto Rivera-Calvo April 2 McKenna Pratt April 3 Richard Trujillo Vargas April 4 Adriana Hernandez April 5 Taniyah Tillery April 6 Matthew Perkins April 7 Jade McQueen Natalia Torres Ruiz April 9 Kaylee Cheney April 10 Forrest Drury April 16 Eleanor Burch April 17 Hunter Goodloe Clarissa Moore
April 19 Daniela Arias Jasmyn Meyer Wesley Wirth April 20 Josie Camacho April 21 Marie Mimiaga April 22 Jacquline Mitchell April 24 Joseph Godinez Alavarez Alexander Montes April 26 Xavier Vivanco April 27 Oscar Aguilera Rodriguez Anna Gollinger Julissa Torres Mandujano April 30 Genesis Lopez
April 7, 2022
Excitement for upcoming Prom
by Daniela Arias, Staff Writer
Prom season is officially underway and the seniors are excited. For many seniors, this year’s prom will be their first prom. But for those who attended last year’s prom, they’re excited about being able to experience prom at a venue. Because of COVID-19 last year, prom was held on the quad at the high school, but this year, students are going to be able to experience prom somewhere fancier and nicer. Prom will be held at the Delta Diamond Farm, and the seniors got to vote on the theme. Because prom will be in a barn, the theme “Elegant Countryside” got the majority vote, which complements the venue perfectly. Senior Maia Stone says, “I feel like this year’s prom is going to be really good because it’s going to be the last one where I’m making memories with my friends.” Because of the theme, Maia found it hard to find a dress, however, she was able to find one that was perfect for her. “I am so happy with my dress and am excited to wear it,” said Maia. “I’m also looking forward to going with my date and having fun with my friends.”
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Although the girls are usually the ones who are most looking forward to prom, this year’s seniors boys are also excited about the upcoming prom. “I’ve had a lot of fun at previous proms and I’m hoping this years will be just as good or better,” said senior Sam Esperson. Because of COVID-19, prom was canceled his sophomore year, but he attended prom his freshman and junior year and had a lot of fun. Sam hasn’t found what he is wearing, but is planning to get a tux that will match his date’s dress. “I’m looking forward to having a blast with my friends but sad it will be my last dance with them,” said Sam. This year’s prom will be senior Donny Roos’ first prom. “I’m excited because it’s my first prom and my friend from Idaho is coming, so I’m looking forward to having fun,” he said. Donny also gets to go to his friend’s prom in Idaho so he’ll get to experience two different proms his senior year. Senior proms are always bittersweet. The seniors will get to experience one last dance together before they graduate and go their separate ways after high school.
ARTISTS OF THE MONTH
Winter Athletes Honored at Sports Awards Night -Junior Varsity Boys BasketballJV Best Defensive Player- Daniel Diaz JV Most Improved- Joey Bowers Mr. Basketball- Isaiah Holley
-Varsity Boys BasketballMost Valuable Player- Eric Braeden McCann Best Post Player- Ashlynd Rhett Most Improved- John Peterson Mr. Basketball- Josh Davis All League 1st Team- Brook Summit, Bella Saldana, Alexander Ornelas, Bryan Garcia, Daniela Roman, Greta Dole, George Aguilar, Kaleohano Ybanez, Michael Lorton, Emily Carpenter, Madison DeGroot, Brooklyn Koziol Honorable Mention All League - Josh Davis, Eric Braeden McCann, Ashlynn Rhett, Guadalupe Valdenegro, Michel Zaragoza, Jovany Vega -Junior Varsity Girls BasketballJV Most Valuable Player- Destiny Lopez JV Best Defensive Player- Faith Jelly JV Best Offensive Player- Josie Camacho -Varsity Girls BasketballCoaches Award- Gracie Medders Defensive Player Award- Bella Saldana Most Valuable Player- Brook Summit -Boys SoccerMost Valuable Player- Bryan Gutierrez Defensive Player of the Year- Alexander Ornelas Most Dependable Player- Bryan Garcia Most Versatile Player- Jovany Vega -Girls SoccerRookie of the Year- Maria Madrigal Player of the Year- Diana Freyre Defensive Player of the Year- Kiara Perkins Offensive Player of the Year- Daniela Roman
George Aguilar, Yareli Antunez, Kyra Atkinson, Serenity Bell, Patience Billoups, Daniel Cantine, Katalina Castagnasso, Josh Davis, Valerie de Flores, Michaela Delazzar, Colby Eisenhour, Emma Emmons, Alan Gomez, Anna Herbrand, Daniel Hurley, Brooklyn Koziol, Chantal Lund, Roberto Mandujano, Carmella Martins, Jaimie McDowell, Alexander Montes, Dominic Preciado, Gabriela Ramirez, Ashlynd Rhett, Gavyn Richardson, Roberto Rivera, Dominic Rogers, Maria Segoviano, Trevan Summitt, Diego Torres, Taryn Tyler, Melissa Uribe “I couldn’t choose just one, so I decided to nominate my whole ceramics class for artist(s) of the month. They have been working hard this semester and are creating and constructing some very good pieces... It’s been fun to watch.” - Mr. Rivera
-Wrestling-
Most Outstanding Wrestler- Chloe Goddard Co-Most Valuable Wrestler- Tony Bellante Co-Most Valuable Wrestler- Kaleo Ybanez Most Improved- George Aguilar Most Improved- Shenandoah Price Future Captain- Damien Castellanos
Academic All League Boys Basketball- Noah Bidou, Sam Esperson, Eric Braeden McCann Girls Basketball- Colette “Letty” Bellante, Gracie Medders, Bella Saldana, Brook Summit, Guadalupe Valdenegro Boys Soccer- Alex Ornelas, Jose Navarro, Jovany Vega Girls Soccer- Daniela Arias, Lillian Burch, Stephanie Corona, Greta Dole, Monica Garcia, Sherley Guerra, Kennedi Lehigh, Samantha Lyon, Maria Madrigal, Hannah Putin, Kiara Perkins, Daniela Roman, Briana Shafer, Melissa Uribe, Silvia Valencia Luna Wrestling- Antonio Bellante, Justin Byers, Emily Carpenter, Madison DeGroot, Chloe Goddard, Brandon Leyba, Jazmyn Vigil, Kaleohano Ybanez
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April 7, 2022
RAM’S EAR
Seniors prepare for High schoolers in the AP exam season workforce
With the month of May coming right around the corner, AP testing season is back for the 2021-22 school year. Each year, high school students are offered college-level Advanced Placement classes that they can take that will bump up their GPA. In May, AP tests are offered for AP students, with a grade of three, four, and five being considered as a passing grade. This is huge because passing an AP test may count for college credit, essentially eliminating a possible class that one might take in college. This year, various high schoolers are preparing for a variety of AP tests. Senior William Lindsay says, “I’m taking six AP classes this year, and I’m also taking the AP test for all six.” Senior Bella Saldana says, “I’m taking five AP classes this year, of which I’m taking the AP Literature test.” When taking AP classes, most tend to prepare extensively because noone knows exactly what they need to do in order to pass the test. William says, “I haven’t started studying as of now, but I will start soon.” Other students like senior Jorie Forbes are confident in their abilities to pass the test
without much studying. “I think I’m just going to wing it, however I still give myself a 40% chance to pass.” AP tests and the College Board institution overall is a very controversial figure. Many students argue that the price for AP tests is far too high and that it should be lowered. Additionally, the fact that one can earn college credit for passing the test almost forces many students to pay the money needed to take the test. Jorie Forbes says, “I think it’s a scam. I don’t know why students have to pay hundreds of dollars to take a test that literally takes 2 dollars to print.” Bella says, “I hate it. It’s terrible but if it means I get college credit for taking it and passing it I guess I will do it.” Overall, May is a stressful month for many high schoolers, but it can also be very rewarding. Passing the test can help you save money in college by not needing to enroll in as many classes as needed. This month of May will be especially huge for the seniors taking AP tests. Hopefully they all pass in order to earn as much college credit as possible before leaving for college!
NEW SPIRIT WEAR!
Photo by: William Lindsay
by Fabrizio Lazo, Staff Writer
High schoolers Jordan McDonald, Kylee Carlson, Patience Billoups, Mikey Lorton, and Ian Vieira, on an after school shift at the Pizza Factory. The restaurant is a popular local business at which students work.
by Michael Gilpin, Staff Writer
Many teenagers take up part-time jobs while in high school, especially at local businesses and fast food chains such as Rio Vista Pizza Factory, The Point, Taco Bell, and Lira’s. With each person having different personal reasons for having a job while also maintaining the responsibilities of school, some students can find their experiences in the workplace challenging when it comes to balancing everything else they have going on. It can get especially hard if they choose to play sports while still being employed. Some students choose to have their jobs temporarily during the off-seasons of the sports they play. Junior Mikey Lorton had decided to quit his job at the Pizza Factory last year once summer was coming to an end and football season was starting up. Mikey also joined the wrestling team and once the wrestling season was over he reapplied at the Pizza Factory because he doesn’t have any sports he plays in the spring. Junior Joseph Fonbuena said, “I don’t find school and the job as the difficult mix but if there’s a sport involved it can get hard.” Joe has worked at McDonald’s and has applied to a few other places, but currently works at Pizza Factory. For students that don’t have trouble managing both responsibilities of a job and a sport, the problem they find is not having freetime. Junior Ian Vieira says, “How it affects me the most is my free time. I like to play video games, play football, and
spend time with friends and my girlfriend, and when I’m working a lot of hours it cuts into that time.” Even if freetime is cut into, a few students have seen additional improvements to their lives outside of the money and new connections they have. Junior Breona Hoff said, “It may have made school a little bit harder but it makes you feel more capable than you were before. It’s also helped with my anxiety a lot.” Junior Toby Laurens has noticed similar benefits from having a job and has said, “It’s tiring [and] takes a lot out of you. You don’t really have a lot of time for school which is why I quit, but it does teach you time management skills.” Senior, Anjolina Arriola said, “At first I couldn’t ever find time for school necessities, but over time I gained routine and it’s been really smooth sailing since then.” This just goes to show the resilience of high school students. Some resourceful students find themselves doing their school work in the time they have while at school. Junior Noah Bidou said, “Yeah usually I have a T.A. period so I’m chilling.” Experiences are different for everyone and there were a few students who overall found their experience to be drab. Junior Daniel Cazarez said, “Honestly it sucks.” Junior Ryan Zamarripa said, “It sucks hella bad.” Senior Li’yah Aragon said “Not the best, 10 out of 10 don’t recommend.” A junior of few words, Julian Mena, said “Pizza.”
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HISTORY
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April 7, 2022
Page 7
RAM’S EAR
Softball hopeful to steal season back
March Madness advertisment poster.
by Diego Torres, Staff Writer
March Madness is officially underway and it’s one of the most exciting events to watch if you’re a college basketball fan. There are 64 teams in total who participate in the tournament and the teams range from powerhouses to schools people have never heard of. Something that makes March Madness even more interesting is making brackets for the tournaments and trying to guess who will win it all. What makes guessing which team will win it all hard is that the team you’ve probably never heard of is the team who will knock the powerhouse team out of the tournament, and ruin your chances of a perfect bracket. These small schools are called “Cinderella” teams when they make a deep run into the tournament beating big schools left and right. “I’m not that confident about my bracket anymore because a bunch of upsets already happened but the team I chose to win it all is still in and I think they can pull through,” said senior Alonzo Chavolla. A major upset that happened in the first round was Saint Peter’s beating Kentucky, a known powerhouse that has busted a lot of people’s brackets. No one had ever heard about Saint Peter’s until they beat Kentucky and now they’re being rooted to
win it all; an ultimate underdog story. A lot of people don’t participate in making a bracket, but it’s fun to keep up with, the games and see these teams battle it out. “I’ve never made a bracket before but I do like to watch the games and I have Gonzaga winning it all and they’ve just been playing really good basketball,” said senior Eric Peters. Out of 17.1 million brackets, not a single one remains perfect as the tournament enters the Sweet 16 round. Most of them were crushed right from the start with multiple upsets. There are leagues you can make with your friends to see who can get the most right picks for the brackets and it is always fun to compete and make bets against them. “I’m in 16th place out of 17 in my league but there’s only three people with more points possible left than me,” said varsity basketball coach Mr. Baldwin. March Madness is always a really interesting event to keep up with and if you’re a huge basketball fan then it’s basically heaven on earth. Every year when there’s an underdog to root for it always makes the tournament better to watch. So for everyone who made a bracket, hopefully the games being played are going your way!
Photo by: Donny Roos
Photo courtesy of The Sporting News
March Madness: Will your bracket make it to the final?
Freshman Hannah King throwing a perfect pitch to opposing team Linden Lions.
by Bella Saldana, Staff Writer
Off to a rocky yet promising start, the varsity girls softball team has been working to improve their skills and get on an equal level with the school’s past softball teams. “I think the season is going well. We started off a bit rocky since we have a lot of new girls but I definitely think everyone has improved,” said senior captain Greta Dole. “My goals for the season are to stop hitting right to the outfielders and improve my framing and speed while catching.” The team has been putting hard work in at practice everyday after school and improving all their skills from hitting, to fielding, to outfield work. In league, the team has a record of 1-1 with a win and a loss against Vacaville Christian. The team’s first game against Vacaville wasn’t pretty and ended in a 9-0 loss against the Falcons with many errors. However, the next time the team played them they were able to come up with a well earned win resulting in a score of 5-3. “I felt really good about the Vacav-
ille game and I feel like I played my best,” said sophomore Leilani Barbosa. “I also think we played really well as a team.” In non-league games, the team has a record of 4-4 with two wins against Natomas, one against Stagg, and one against Buckingham Charter. Overall, the team has a record of 5-5 and is working hard to keep adding wins to that record. Though there’s a lot of new incoming players this year, there’s also a lot of promising talent for the future of the softball team. This includes freshmen Hannah King, Letty Bellante, Lacie McWilliams, and Kennedi Lehigh. King said, “High school is very different from travel ball, but I really like being able to play with my friends I go to school with. It makes it a lot more fun.” The team has good chemistry and a good bond which can definitely be seen through the way they work together on the field. Make sure to come out and support!
Major League baseball on lockout for season by Mikey Lorton, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of MLB
The Major League Baseball lockout finally ended on Mar. 10, 2022 after a long 43 days. The lockout began at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on Dec. 2, 2021. The Major League Baseball Players Association were originally unable to come to an agreement on 2016’s collective bargaining agreement. League owners didn’t want to raise the minimum salaries for players and this began to spark arguments. The minimum salaries for Major League Baseball players is the lowest out of all professional sports. This includes the National Football League, National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association. People would even call players greedy for having issues with the minimum salary. “In terms of the lockout, it was interesting to see people call players greedy, when in reality
MLB Lockout logo
these players make less on their minimum salary out of all four of the major sports associations,” said Mr. Sherman. To add onto that, almost 75% of players make little over the minimum salary. The commissioner Robert Manfred has been getting a lot of backlash from hardcore Major League Baseball fans. Robert had already been getting backlash for the refusal of stripping the Houston Astros of their 2017 World Series even though they were caught cheating. The Houston Astros were caught “sign stealing” by using a center field camera that would lead to the Houston employees and then it would relay to the baserunners which would go to the dugout which would once again relay to the batters. “Frick Robert Manfred, he is the absolute worst commissioner in sports history,” said senior Grant Baldwin. On the other side of things people are very excited about the agreement on the collective bargaining agreement. The Major League Baseball players are making a better minimum salary and they’re earning what people think they deserve. The minimum salary went from $500,000 to $700,000 which is a large jump. Most importantly, baseball isn’t getting postponed any longer. “I’m excited that they finally reached an agreement to play baseball again,” said Mr. Higgs.
Rio Vista’s own Joseph Godinez on the big stage at FFA State Conference The 94th annual California FFA State Conference took place in Sacramento from Saturday, Mar. 26 to Tuesday, Mar. 29. Joey Godinez, a junior from Rio Vista High School got the opportunity to compete in the Agriscience Fair. He showcased his project, “Do Demographics Affect the Use of Home Remedies,” and placed second in state for his category.
“Being the first person from Rio Vista High School to ever get this far in FFA makes me proud to be where I am. Rio Vista is a small school and we don’t get the representation we deserve, so doing this is a huge accomplishment for not only me but the school. I couldn’t have done anything without the constant support of my peers.” - Junior Joseph Godinez
Page 8
April 7, 2022
RAM’S EAR
Varsity baseball searching for an answer
Athletes of the Month
John Peterson Varsity Boys Swim
Photo by: Daniela Arias
In his second meet of the year Jon qualified for the San Joaquin Section swim meet in the 50 yard free by swimming under 25 seconds. By qualifying Jon has proven he is already one of the fastest freestylers in Northern California. He is going for his second qualifying time in the 100 free today in league competition. Congratulations and good luck Jon!- Assistant Coach Mahoney
The Rams awaiting the national anthem.
by Braeden McCann, Staff Writer
The Rams are nine games into their season and they currently have four wins and five losses. The season started off a little rough because of errors and they were not hitting well. They have been hitting a lot better and have been putting the ball in play. Recently, they also haven’t had too many costly errors either. On March 4th, the Rams played Delta at Raley field, home of the Sacramento River Cats and the Rams unfortunately lost that game 10-0. It was a very close game until the top of the 7th inning where Delta scored eight runs due to minor mistakes. This game really showed the players that it’s time to step up and start making plays. Ever since this game, the Rams have gone 3-2 and have been playing so much better. “The season has been filled with ups and downs. There’s a lot of talent so far on the team, the chemistry just isn’t there yet,” said junior Ryan Zamarippa.
“Lately we’ve all been clicking together and we’ve been winning games, so hopefully we can keep that up.” In league, the Rams have only played two games so far and they were both against Vacaville Christian. Vacaville won the first game 11-0 here in Rio Vista so Rio needed to step it up, so they beat them at Vacaville 3-0 to make the series tied. Rio has a really tough league opponent coming up against Linden. Linden is 4-0 in league and they are usually a very tough team to play because they are always good. The Rams are ready for Linden and any other league opponent. They have been playing great baseball the last fews games and they are all having a lot of fun while doing it. Everyone is really looking forward to the rest of the season and see what the Rams are capable of doing the rest of the season in league.
Just keep swimming
by Monica Garcia, Staff Writer
knew I could do it, I just needed to execute it.” Sophomore John Peterson started swimming eight years ago, when he was eight years old. “I didn’t know how to swim so I joined the swim team hoping I would learn to swim that way,” said John. Through practice and self discipline, John has become an amazing swimmer. “My biggest accomplishment was beating Sean Mahoney’s record and I was very proud when I did it.” This is his first time qualifying for Sections, but certainly not his last. “It felt really good, it was a really big accomplishment,” said John.. Sophia and John have a very bright future ahead with all their accomplishments. The swim team has four more meets coming their way. Captain Sophia will push for the team to place high at the meets. We wish them the best of luck for their season and hope to see more people making it to Sections.
Photo by: Donny Roos
This year’s 2022 Rio Vista Rams swim team has a total of 17 members. The team had their first meet on March 7th, against Dixon at Dixon High School. Senior Sophia Saldana and sophomore John Peterson made it to Sections on their first meet. Making it to Sections is a big accomplishment and it’s even bigger when you make it at your first meet. Team captain and senior, Sophia Saldana, started swimming when she was six years old for the Rio Vista Rec League Sharks after an unpromising run at teeball. “I refused to play softball after tee ball,” said Sophia. One of her best memories in swimming was during a team dinner where she found out she was All-League MVP. As team captain Sophia carries a lot of responsibilities, “It’s a little stressful but I feel honored that they thought I would be a good captain,” said Sophia. She has made it to Sections all four years of high school swim, “I was very proud of the achievement of making Sections my first meet. I
The swim team happy about the results of their home meet. From left to right: Fabrizio Lazo, John Peterson, Madison DeGroot, Valerie deFlores, Melissa Delancy, Sophia Saldana, Sami Lyon, William Lindsay, Colby Milligan, Kristiana Vega, Justin Byers, Faith Jelly, Tessa Jelly, Angelina Bauer Emmons, and Chloe Goddard.
Valerie Deflores Varsity Girls Swim
Valerie’s determination helped her relay team qualify for the San Joaquin Section in two events, the 400 Free Relay and the 200 Medley Relay. This is the first relay to qualify for Sections in more than a decade. Once again, simply qualifying makes them one of the fastest relays in Northern California. Congratulations and keep up the great effort!- Assistant Coach Mahoney
Ryan Zamarripa Varsity Baseball
I chose Ryan because he has been the most consistent hitter to start the season. He leads the team in batting average and on base percentage and has had great at-bats recently. He started the year as my number 9 hitter in the lineup but has now found his groove and settled in as our leadoff hitter. He is seeing the ball really well right now and also has provided solid defense as our shortstop as well. Keep grinding Z! - Coach Sherman
Greta Dole
Varsity Softball
Greta is a great example of good teammate and flexibility. With her years of softball experience, she is a great mentor on the field to her newer teammates. Also, she has switched from playing center field for us to catching and has done so with ease. In addition, her positivity is infectious! - Coach Paco & Coach Saldana
Landon Hall Varisty Golf
The RVHS golf team started of the season winning their first two matches. The team was lead by Freshman Landon Hall in both matches. Landon won first place in the first match and second place in the second match. With Landon’s continued growth and commitment to golf he will become a strong player to contend with for years to come. - Coach Gatson