February 17, 2022
VOL. MMXXII, No. 1
William Lindsay soars to Eagle Scout rank built by anyone with common materials available anywhere in the world. After being inspired by camping stoves he owns, William was able to create his own stove prototype made out of recycled steel cans screwed and riveted together. Other goals of his stove were for it to be wood-burning, high efficiency, low cost, and producing no smoke. Through the help of his fellow scouts building and testing his prototype stoves, William was able to improve his stove design. He also performed many different experiments, such as burn tests, with different stove designs to test factors like temperature, fuel consumption, and time, which determined the most efficient design. “The part of my project I particularly enjoyed was conducting the experiments because of the hands-on aspect. I compared stove designs by boiling water in each one, measuring a bunch of variables, and recording the data,” said William. After finalizing his stove design, William’s next task was to create an instruction packet explaining how to build and use the stove design. His manual includes hand-drawn visual images explaining each step to make sure that his instructions are identifiable by anyone, no matter what language they speak. The packet’s title “Wood Burning Cook Stove” is also translated into the world’s five top languages, such as Spanish and Mandarin. In total, the manual is nine pages long including seven steps. On Dec. 15, 2021, William passed his board of review officially becoming an Eagle Scout. In total, approximately 237 hours over the span of four months were spent on the project, including 65 hours of William’s personal time and 172 hours by his Scout Troop. His finalized instruction packet was given to Rio Vista’s local
Omicron variant causes rise in COVID-19 cases
by Jorie Forbes, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Omicron, a variant of COVID-19 first detected in the United States in late November, 2021, has been spreading rapidly throughout the country since the holiday season. According to Solano County mandates, if a class has above 20% of people who tested positive for COVID-19, then it gets shut down. Rio Vista has not had to deal with this issue. After returning to school from Winter Break, an unreleased amount of students tested positive for COVID-19, causing them to miss the beginning of their new classes. From missing in-class instruction, to missing sports practices and games, to having bad symptoms, the five day quarantine period put a strain on the students. One of these students was senior Sam Esperson who missed three days of his new classes. Having a more positive outlook on the situation, Sam says, “I never like missing class, but if I had to choose to miss any week I would want it to be the first week. So I guess I got lucky.” It may be difficult to have to stay home for an extended period on short notice, but many adaptable students are more than capable of switching their routines to stay on top of their work. Many student athletes have also had to quarantine because of COVID-19. One of which is senior Daniela Arias, who said, “COVID-19 has caused me to miss a week
of soccer practice and a game. It is frustrating because I love going to practices and interacting with my team but instead I have to stay quarantined in my room for a week.” For some, sports are a great outlet. Students love them because they enjoy being a part of a team and interacting with the other players, so having to miss a week of practice can be a struggle. COVID-19 affects everyone differently in regards to what kind of symptoms they may experience. Junior John Peterson, for one, said, “I had a cough and I couldn’t taste orange juice.” Daniela Arias has slightly more severe symptoms, saying, “I have experienced fatigue and a sore throat.” There are many possible symptoms one can have, from being completely asymptomatic, to being hospitalized because of it. COVID-19 has been an ongoing issue since March 2020, and is not over yet. Many people all over the U.S. and in the community of Rio Vista are still affected by it. Students in particular are having to miss in-person classes and sports practices and games because of it. Everyone reacts to COVID-19 differently, from only losing their taste, to having fatigue and a cough, to many more severe symptoms. Hopefully the remainder of the school year is not heavily affected by COVID-19.
Rotary Club, the beneficiary of his project, and will be distributed as necessary. A piece of advice that William gives to other Scouts pursuing their Eagle Scout ranking is, “Obtaining the Eagle Scout rank is a lot
of work, but it is definitely worth it. Not only is it a great opportunity to give back to your community, but the experience has also taught me a multitude of valuable life lessons that I will carry with me forever.”
Senior William Lindsay wearing his Boy Scout uniform with his completed merit badges, holding his Eagle Scout offical certificate and wood burning cook stove.
Breaking Down The Walls
by Jorie Forbes, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Breaking Down the Walls is a school program that focuses on building a connection within schools. Stated on their website, the focus of this event is to create empathy, build social awareness, and create meaningful relationships with peers outside their traditional friend group. The nearly six-hour-long program consists of different activities and workshops, some of which were small student-led groups. On Jan. 24-26, RVHS got the opportunity to participate in the program. On Monday, Jan. 24, a select group of upperclassmen were chosen to participate in a leader training session to prepare for leading small workshop groups. Of these nearly 40 students, half were scheduled to lead on the first day, and the remaining on the second. One of the chosen leaders, junior Ryan Zamarippa, thoroughly enjoyed his experience. “I love how Breaking Down the Walls has contributed to the community and how they chose leaders. It has made me feel special and important,” he said. For the main days of the event, half of the student and staff population attended each day. During these days, the attendees participated in a multitude of different activities, such as one-on-one communications with random partners describing their childhood or sharing their biggest hardship, hands-on small group activities led by the student leaders, and large group bonding activities. Many students took a lot away from the program, such as senior Synia Reed, who said, “It was fun and I loved the experience.” Senior Daniela Arias, a student leader, thought the program was very helpful, saying, “Breaking Down the Walls has introduced new ways for me to interact and learn new things about my peers.”
Photo by: Monica Garcia
According to the official Boy Scouts of America website, only 8% of Boy Scouts graduate to the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievable rank in the Boy Scouts program. Senior William Lindsay can now officially say he is a part of the 8%. William began his journey in 2016 after being recruited by other Rio Vista Boy Scouts. Throughout these five years, he has completed and earned the 21 required merit badges and has earned an additional 11. The merit badges ranged from learning how to play chess to camping outside without a tent, but William’s favorite to complete was the Astronomy merit badge, “I have always been fascinated by outer space. The requirements presented an ideal balance between hands-on learning and expanding my knowledge of the stars and our solar system. I had a lot of fun going out at night and using telescopes to analyze the constellations and map out the night sky.” To gain the title of Eagle Scout it is necessary to create and complete an Eagle Scout service project, the most major requirement. William took an ambitious approach and wanted to create a project that could impact people on a global scale, unlike other Eagle Scouts that have focused on improving their local community, “I have always enjoyed challenging myself and helping others. I wanted to make as big of a difference as I could with the limited time and resources available,” said William. The first step of creating his service project was to do research on the major problems of the world. Worldwide issues that he identified are food/water problems and his solution was to create a more efficient method of cooking that could be
Photo courtesey of William Lindsay
by Kayla Delk, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Senior Mayra De La Torre and partner, Senior Jimmy Ryan, participating in a partner bonding activity.
One thing that sets this program apart from others is that teachers and staff are also encouraged to participate, mixing in and interacting with the students outside of the classroom. Mrs. Brandi Gomes, an English and AVID teacher, attended the first day, and she felt like the program was very beneficial. “I like that they were student-centered and focused on communication, especially over the past few years. I have noticed with my own kids that they are struggling socially. A lot of the social skills that we used to have are gone, and reaching out to people is harder,” she said. Breaking Down the Walls is a three day school program that allows all students and staff to break down the social barriers between them, and grow a closer sense of community. From training a select group of students to lead others, to doing many oneon-one and group workshops, the program combines a multitude of events to encourage bonding with classmates and teachers. Hopeful for the positive outcomes from the event, Mrs. Gomes said, “By breaking down some of the walls between people that we don’t know, we can reach out and build a positive future here.”
Page 2
A sneak peak into Mrs. Griffin’s life
by Kyra Atkinson, Staff Writer
Many know the lovely Mrs. Griffin. She’s won teacher of the year for 20212022. She graduated from Rio Vista High and went to Delta College for two years. After graduating with a degree in graphic design she transferred to University of Pacific where she received her B.A. during this time she traveled to Italy for a year to study design. After college, she moved to Mexico for four years where she started a design business. The company made brochures, menus, logos, billboards, signage, and designed department store windows. She moved back to Rio Vista after the devaluation of the peso in Mexico and they lost a lot of clients. She is married, and she has three daughters and a granddaughter who’s going to be five months old in late February. She says, “if you have the opportunity to live and work in paradise go for it. There’s times I miss it but I’m glad I started my family here, we visit quite often. I’m glad my family enjoys Mexico too.” In Rio Vista she started her own business and produced a magazine. She still has every issue she’s made! She unfortunately had to stop producing the mag-
azine and graphic work because she fell ill with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, causing her to become paralyzed and not have control of her movements. She says, “it was a very frightening life changing experience, but I’m glad I made it through.” After a three month recovery in the hospital and a year of physical therapy she was able to start a small business where she sold homemade things. She sold things like candles, lip balm, and things like that. She ended up going on vacation to Mexico and while she was there, she got a call from Mrs. Turk asking if she’d want to teach journalism. A few days later Mrs. Griffin called back and asked if Mrs. Turk would want her to also teach graphic design. She says, “I was looking around for my husband, but he was out fishing. I had to keep it in until he got back. Teaching’s definitely different from living in Mexico but it wasn’t a huge change for me.”Now she’s been teaching graphic design in high school for seven years. She also teaches radio and yearbook. If you’re interested in digital design, or being on radio you should definitely check out her classes.
Exchange student experiences Christmas in United States
by Carmella Martins Rumiato, Staff Writer
Christmas is a holiday celebrated all over the world and each country there are different traditions that come with it. For me, the most famous traditions are the ones Iv’e seen in American movies, like waking up Christmas morning, opening gifts, and it being cold outside. Living in Brazil, I have always experienced Christmas but not like I saw in the movies. The first big difference was the weather. In the month of December is when summer starts in Brazil so everybody is wearing shorts, shirts, and bathing suits to travel to the beach and enjoy the heat. In all of the American movies it’s always cold and sometimes even snowing, so for the first time experiencing this holiday with cold weather made it seem like I was actually enjoying it in the right way. Christmas Eve was not exactly what I expected it to be, but I had a great time. My hostfamily always throws a party for their family and friends every year. They realized how many of their friends used to spend it by themselves after losing family members or just living far away from their families, so they decided to open the party for everyone who didn’t have a place to go. With COVID-19 still being around this year they unfortunately didn’t invite all the
February 17 , 2022
RAM’S EAR
people they usually do, but everybody still had a great time. Christmas Day was incredible, I really felt like I was in a Christmas movie. I woke up and my brother called me downstairs to open the presents under the tree. We wore matching pajama pants and my host mom took a picture of us holding our socks in front of the tree. After the pictures we opened presents. I didn’t expect to get half of the presents that I got and after talking with people later, I realized that people in the United States spend a lot of money during the holidays because everybody gets a lot of presents. After we opened all the presents we had a very traditional American breakfast with eggs, bacon, bread, and hashbrowns and ate it at the table. After that we decided to watch “ Christmas Vacation” together in the living room. On Christmas Day after some quiet time with my host parents and my host brother the rest of the family came for a family fun day, where we played some games my host mom created and exchanged gifts at Secret Santa. Overall, I had an amazing holiday, almost just like the ones I admired from the movies I used to watch on TV when I was younger.
Calendar of Events
February
Febuary 1 - Boys Soccer vs San Juan (Home) (Senior Night) 6:00 p.m. Febuary 1 - Girls Soccer vs San Juan (Home) (Senior Night) 4:00 p.m. Febaury 2 - Boys Basketball @ San Juan (away) (JV) 4:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:30 p.m. Febuary 2 - Girls Basketball @ San Juan (away) (VAR) 6:30 p.m. Febuary 3 - Boys Soccer @ Encina (away) 6:00 p.m. Febuary 3 - Girls Soccer @ Encina (away) 4:00 p.m. Febuary 4 - Wrestling SDl Tournament @ Linden (away) 3:00 p.m. Febuary 8 - Boys Basketball @ Esparto (away) (JV) 4:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:30 p.m. Febuary 8 - Girls Basketball @ Esparto (away) 6:00 p.m. Febuary 10 - Boys Basketball vs Golden Sierra (Home) (Senior Night) (JV) 4:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:30 p.m. Febuary 10 - Girls Basketball vs Golden Sierra (Home) (Senior Night) 6:30 p.m. Febuary 19 - Baseball scrimmage @ Natomas (away) 11:00 a.m. Febuary 22 - Baseball scrimmage vs Winters (Home) 3:30 p.m. Febuary 25 - Baseball vs Galt (Home) 3:30 p.m. Febaury 25 - Softball @ Natomas (away) 3:30 p.m. Febuary 28 - Baseball vs Edison (Home) 3:30 p.m.
March
March 1 - Softball @ Winters (away) 3:30 p.m. March 2 - Baseball @ Dixon (away) 3:30 p.m. March 2 & 5 - Softball Linden Tournament (away) TBA March 4 - Baseball vs Delta (Raley Field) 6:00 p.m. March 8 - Baseball vs VCHS (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 8 - Softball vs VCHS (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 10 - Baseball vs VCHS (away) 6:00 p.m. March 10 - Softball vs VCHS (away) 3:30 p.m. March 10 - Swim Team @ Dixon (away) 3:30 p.m. March 10 - Golf vs Highlands (Cherry Island) 3:00 p.m. March 11 - Baseball @ Amador (away) 3:00 p.m. March 15 - Baseball vs Elliot Christian (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 15 - Softball vs Natomas (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 15 - Golf vs Esparto (Yocha De He) 3:00 p.m. March 16 - Baseball @ Vallejo (away) 4:00 p.m. March 16 - Softball @ Woodland Christian March 17 - Swim Team Center Meet 1 (Home) 3:30 p.m. March 17 - Golf vs VCHS (Home) 3:00 p.m. March 18 - Baseball vs Elliot Christian (away) 6:00 p.m. March 18 & 19 - Swim Team DeLaSalle Invitational (away) TBA March 21 - Baseball @ Florin (away) 4:00 p.m. March 22 - Baseball @ Linden (away) 4:00 p.m. March 22 - Softball @ Linden (away) 4:00 p.m. March 22 - Golf vs Golden Sierra (Cold Springs) 3:00 p.m. March 24 - Baseball vs Linden (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 24 - Softball vs Linden (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 24 - Golf vs Linden (Elk Horn) 3:00 p.m. March 24 - Swim Team Center Meet 2 @ Highlands (away) 3:30 p.m. March 28 - Golf SDL Tournament March 29 - Baseball @ Esparto (away) 4:00 p.m. March 29 - Softball @ Esparto (away) 4:00 p.m. March 31 - Baseball vs Esparto (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 31 - Softball vs Esparto (Home) 4:00 p.m. March 31 - Swim Team Center Meet 3 @ Linden (away) 3:30 p.m March 31 - Golf vs Highlands (Home) 3:00 p.m.
April
Co Editors-in-Chief Jorie Forbes & Kayla Delk Associate Editor Donny Roos Adviser Julie Griffin
Ram’s Ear Staff Daniela Arias, Najmedin Asad, Kyra Atkinson, Kaitlynn Creed, 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
April 1 - Baseball vs Delta (Home) 4:00 p.m. 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.
February 17, 2022
Page 3
RAM’S EAR
Don’t Go Zoom Zoom in Zoomies!
Photo by: Brook Summitt
New Foreign Exchange Student at RVHS
Foreign exchange student Anna Herbrand from Germany.
by Michael Lorton, Staff Writer
Meet Anna Herbrand, she is the new 11th grade foreign exchange student at Rio Vista High School. She came to the United States all the way from Fredersdorf, Germany. To take that into account it’s roughly an 11 hour flight from Germany with no stops. Anna also happens to come from a smaller town in Germany. “Rio Vista is similar to my hometown [Fredersdorf]. The only difference is that there are more stores and things like that,” she said. Anna also talked about her favorite subjects as well. Her favorite subject is biology because she finds the anatomy and functions of the human body interesting. Another subject she likes is art, “I love art because it allows me to create new and unique things.” Anna also commented on the United States having a very different variety of food. “My favorite food here is Panda Express. I usually order orange chicken and fried rice.” One of her favorite foods from home was spaghetti bolognese. Another interesting thing she got to witness
was our basketball team’s game against San Juan. “It was so exciting to watch,” she exclaimed. One of Anna’s hobbies she enjoys back home is horseback riding. In Germany, horseback riding is a sport for the masses. Back at home, Anna’s family consists of her older sister and her parents. She stays in contact with her mom often She calls her mom multiple times a week to keep close. She also spends some time messaging her friends to stay close as well. Some of her other activities she does during the day is reading, listening to music, taking photos, and hanging out with her cats. She also spends time hanging out with friends during the meantime. Anna also wants to go visit Los Angeles while she is still in the United States. “I want to visit L.A. because I want to see the differences between Rio Vista and L.A.” Anna is looking forward to spending time in Rio Vista and she is excited for the new experiences.
DO YO
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
ELIEVE IN.. B . U
NO YES Love Sight? AT FIRST
Montezuma Hills, the cursed road for teenage drivers. As the year goes on, many accidents have occured in the backroads of Rio Vista. A whopping total of 13 students were involved in half a dozen accidents. For the privacy of these individuals, names, dates and locations will not be disclosed. For the first occurrence, one student was t-boned at an intersection by a pick up truck. The student claims that it was a traumatizing experience seeing the truck as they looked over through the driver window. As the truck hit the driver’s side, airbags were released as the car started to release smoke inside the car. “The smell is indescribable, I couldn’t get the aroma out of my head for days,” as said by the driver. This crash involved two highschool students. The passenger states, “We were just vibing to music, and the next thing we know there is a big truck at the door. Thankfully it was nothing bad and we were okay and it was just the car that was damaged which could always be replaced rather than a person.”
As of the second accident, the tires on the car locked and the driver lost control, causing the front of the car and the bottom of their radiator to rip off. Four students involved in this crash luckily made it out with only one broken toe. “We were whippin a bit too hard and lost control,” says an anonymous source. As of this crash, the car rolled forward and onto its side leaving the two individuals in the car unharmed. “We were chilling listening to 42 Dugg just driving around Montezuma and came around a blind corner and lost control. The good thing is that we only came out with scratches and brusies and didn’t get seriously injured. Long live that car, we made it out of the mud,” says the passenger. These are only a few of the many instances that students have been involved in these horrific occassions. Montezuma has many winding roads with sharp turns and blind corners. As for upcoming drivers, be aware of the unpredicatble conditions that Montezuma provides, and most importantly, drive safe!
Stuck in Mexico
by Monica Garcia, Staff Writer
Most times when going on vacation you expect to just go on vacation and come home with no problems. Well that isn’t the issue nowadays with COVID-19 still around. This year a couple of Rio Vista High School students learned that the hard way when they were not able to come home after their three week vacation in Mexico. While their time in Mexico was filled with fun and partying it was finally time for them to start gettin ready to come home. The day before their flight they had to go to get tested before coming home in order to board the plane. Unfortunately once getting their results back they had tested positive for COVID, which made them get stuck in Mexico for another week or two. This issue could be a great thing for some students because it means a longer vacation from school. Freshman, Guadalupe Valdenegro, who is currently still in Mexico because of the whole COVID situation says, “Honestly it felt good because I wasn’t necessarily stuck and I felt like I had more freedom and vacation time.” It can be a great advantage to stay longer and be away from all the work from school. To others though it is an issue because they might not like missing their classes and having to do their work over there or they can also be missing the sport they are currently playing. Senior and soccer player, Adrian Tejeda, who also
Photo courtesy of Monica Garcia
Photo by: Monica Garcia
by Brook Summitt, Staff Writer
Senior Monica Garcia stuck in Mexico due to contracting COVID-19.
got stuck in Mexico says, “It was sad not leaving because the following week I was able to be back on the soccer pitch after my accident I had against Highlands.” It is all a very fun experience to some but a challenging one to others. It is a memory they will for sure always remember. Hopefully they still enjoyed their time there and get back home safely.
President’s Day
No School On February 21
RAM’S EAR
Page 4
Getting busy in the barn
New science teacher Mr. Valdez, also on active duty in Army
by McKenna Pratt, Staff Writer
Photo by: Kaitlyn Creed
COVID-19 has affected many over the past few years, especially those who participate in the Dixon May Fair. The closing of the fairgrounds, due to the restrictions, has had a huge impact on students involved in FFA. Not having a fair has caused many participants of this club to lose a lot of money because they have not had anyone to buy their animals. Hopefully this year these students can break even or even make a little extra money to make up for previous losses. These students have spent a lot of time and money preparing for the Dixon May Fair and are ready for a genuine fair this upcoming year. A few seniors who are members of FFA have many hopes and expectations for the Dixon May Fair. Sam Esperson, who has shown animals at the fair for 10 years now, is looking forward to showing his market lamb. Sam states, “I hope I can finish out my showing career strong with a win in my showmanship and market classes.” Meraiah Groves is also looking forward to showing for her fifth year. This year Meraiah is showing a goat and a
Mr. Valdez in his third period psycology class.
Meet Mr. Valdez, a new science teacher here. Mr. Valdez has taken over for Mx. Gilliland who taught chemistry, physics, and physiology. He used to teach at Davis Senior High School and Lee Middle School before transferring here. Mr. Valdez has always taught science. “I have always been interested in science and doing research,” said Mr. Valdez. He majored in science at UC Davis. Mr. Valdez’s favorite part of teaching is the impact he can make on his students. “I love seeing the outcome of the students’ learning, not only science, but life skills in the classroom,” he said. Mr. Valdez is not only a teacher, but he has also been in the army for seven consecutive years and is still on active duty
today. “I used to watch soldiers in their uniforms on commercials as a kid and ever since then I’ve always wanted to be a part of that.” Mr. Valdez joined during his junior year of high school. Junior Tony Bellante, a student taking physics said, “It’s been alright and it’s not as hard as I thought, although it’s hard at points because he challenges us a lot in the classroom.” Junior Valerie De Flores, also taking physics, said, “He brought a lot of the teaching methods from where he used to teach along with him.” Although he hasn’t been teaching here for a long time, the students have already enjoyed having him and can’t wait to see what Mr. Valdez has to bring to the science program.
What Would You Consider The Perfect Date?
single fryer rabbit. She states, “I hope that we can go back to how fair used to be and that we can keep trailers out there again.” There are many hopes from these two FFA members that the fair will return to normal, especially since it is their senior year. Being properly prepared for a fair is the key to a successful show. Sam Esperson states, “I just previously got my market sheep, so I am still in the process of letting them calm down and get used to their new homes before I start training them.” Sam has been allowing his sheep to acclimate to the new environment that they are now in before starting the proper training needed to equip the animals. This training for both of the seniors’ animals requires showmanship work, many baths and lots of exercising. Meraiah Groves has not yet received her goat or single fryer rabbit, but she is very determined to put a lot of time and effort into making this year count. The past two years have been a roller coaster for the showmen, but they are more excited than ever to finish out high school with a promising fair.
Photo by: McKenna Pratt
by Diana Freyre, Staff Writer
February 17, 2022
Tessa Miguel’s Dixon May Fair lamb named Snoopy.
March and April Birthdays FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS “A candlelit dinner and ending the night with a stroll around down town and eating some ice cream.”-Diana Freyre
“I guess something like spending the day together doing something semi-entertaining where you two chat and both be comfortable.” -Genesis Zepeda
“Hiking and lunch.” -Sophia Saldana
“A night-lit dinner on the rooftop in a big city overlooking the lights.” -Brook Summit
February 1 Leilani Barbosa Jalen Moss February 3 Adrian Bermudez Hurtado Feburary 4 Fabrizio Lazo Gutierrez February 6 Dania Belen Garcia Garcia February 7 Angela Meyers February 9 Nicholas Jacobsen February 12 Joy Bell Carolina Mandujano Alvarado February 13 Devin Carpenter Nevaeh Coleman February 14 Nathan Arellano Bryan Salles
February 16 Giada Fabretti Benny Mandujano Rojas February 18 Najmedin Asad February 19 Hannah King Kennedi Lehigh February 20 Ian Vieira February 21 Daniel Anunez Antonio Bellante Tessa Jelly Cheyenne Moore February 23 Hailey Knight February 24 Khloe Robinson February 25 Joshua Davis February 28 Mikayla Harris
Happy Counselor Appreciation Month!
“Chuck E. Cheese” -Trevor Coad
“April 25th” -Bella Saldana
We love Ms. Alduenda!
Feburary 17, 2022
Hopes for Block B
RIO VISTA HIGH SCHOOL HONOR ROLL Block A 2nd Semester 2021-2022
by Michael Gilpin, Staff Writer
With winter break coming to a close and schools switching to their second block, students have been asked about their hopes for the new year and their new classes they’ve enrolled in for B Block. Junior Daniel Cazeres said, “my hopes for this block are 100% to not fail my classes and actually have some resemblance of a sleep schedule because last block was awful.” Junior Joseph Fonbuena says, “I hope to at least get a C in every class to finish out the year.” A higher shooting junior Kaleohano Ybanez has said, “Well I hope to get my credits to pass, honestly I just wanna get outta here. I need 35 more credits and I’m enrolled to earn 20. If I pass this block I have a chance at early graduation next year and won’t have to stay for B block hopefully.” Two freshmen gave more simplistic answers. Alyssa Lucot has simply said her hopes for this block are “chicken tenders.” Letty Bellante only hopes for “good grades.” A particular interview stood out which came from junior Adolfo Villalpondo who says, “I was hoping it’d be fun and more comfortable since we’re all coming back from COVID-19. A Block was nervous, especially [for] freshman but now it feels like people are getting more comfortable, thankfully.” Villalpondo’s answer to the question raises positive awareness and opens an opportunity to try to better help the underclassmen in adapting and
FRESHMEN
Morgan Arroyo Colette Bellante Seth Burris Justin Byers Jaden Evans Chloe Goddard Brandon Leyba Alyssa Lucot Angel Menodza Belle Teisseire Natalia Torres One of the juniors interviewed, Adolfo Villalpondo, posing.
fitting into high school as many students’ experiences have been butchered due to COVID-19. Adapting to high school life has been especially hard on the current freshman it seems. Freshman Jaden McQueen had hoped, “to not get bullied,” and, “to hopefully not get slurs yelled at me again.” It goes without saying that students’ and teachers’ mindsets differ with many things. One of which is personal hopes for the outcomes and occurrences in school. Mr. Sherman said, “[I hope] that we stay open and don’t get shut down, I’m trying to make it to June 4th without getting shut down and I’m hoping for a good block. Students have been good so far, and yeah, just wanting for a good school year.”
Spider-man swings into theaters
by Sophia Saldana, Staff Writer
One of the most looked forward to films this past year has been the third installment of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The release of this film has been a particularly exciting time for long-term fans of the beloved hero. In a single word the movie is nostalgic. Paying its respect to the movies before it by incorporating a significant number of old villains and allowing fans to see them take on Peter Parker in a whole new way. I was so excited for the chance to see this movie in theaters. Just counting down the minutes to see the fallout of Spider-Man: Far From Home and also to see old actors grace the big screen as some of the biggest and baddest villains Spider-Man has ever faced. For the sake of anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, and is completely missing out, I will keep this review spoiler free. For starters, the pacing of this movie was absolutely insane. For an almost two and a half hour movie, it flew by and I wasn’t bored for a second of it. Even when I saw it for the second time. Despite this being a classic superhero movie, it wasn’t only focusing on the action scenes. There was an emphasis on the in-between moments when things were calm, or at least as calm as they can be when you are a superhero whose identity was just revealed to the world. This movie had me laughing, crying, and I can safely say that there was not a single second of runtime where I was not completely invested in the plot. Aside from that, I was absolutely fascinated to see the dynamics of all these characters come to life on screen. I mean we’re talking characters from completely different universes and timelines all converging into Tom Holland’s singular Spider-Man timeline. It is years of Spider-Man movies on one screen and it is honestly such a fun concept that the screenwriters really did an amazing job of bringing to life. They transitioned so well
Page 5
RAM’S EAR
from fight scenes into scenes with such witty banter, and more than a few references to each of the characters original movies. This movie brought them together in a way that allowed fans to explore these characters outside of their own movies and that allowed them a rare look at what could happen when worlds collide. To finish this off I just want to say what an amazing experience this move was. The whole time I was on the edge of my seat, along with everybody else in attendance. I’ll never forget the way it felt to sit in that theater for the first time watching as all these characters I’ve known and loved for so long came together into one movie. Being able to see the different generations of movies come together on the big screen with all the generations of fans in the audience was just an experience that can’t be beat. Spider-Man: No Way Home was, without a doubt, one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would absolutely recommend this movie to everyone.
PRINCIPAL’S HONOR ROLL SOPHOMORES
Anna Herbrand Tad Bowers Forrest Drury Lisandra Figueroa Leyun Liu Hannah Patin Otto Vielhauer Antunez Zaragoza Kaylee Cheney Victoria Coronado Kaitlynn Creed Melissa Delancy Sherley Guerra Angie Lopez Samantha Lyon Evan McWilliams Jasmyn Meyer Caren Sandoval John Peterson Caraemay Rose Taryn Tyler
FRESHMEN
SOPHOMORES
Serenity Bell Ariana Bribiesca Benny Mandujano Daisy Surla Abella Bartholomew Marco Carrillo Javier Corona Stephanie Espinoza Alondra Garcia Maria Madrigal Mathew Morgan Kennedy Rogers Yuliana Yanez
FRESHMEN Robby Arias Nevaeh Coleman Lesly Garcia Jonathan Gonzalez Charles Jeffers Ivan Jelly Peter King Destiny Lopez Molly Lutheran Ava Maka Jacquline Mitchell Nicole Monreal Ryan Rubier Nataly Yanez Wesley Adams Angelina Bauer Joel Castillo Jose DeSantiago Kyle Preston Gabriela Ramirez Kyra Smith
JUNIORS
Genesis Zepeda Antonio Bellante Victor Reyes Emiily Ross Lillian Burch Gracie Medders Yolanda Montano Kiara Perkins Daniela Roman Katherine Rossi Bridget de Flores Valerie de Flores Madison DeGroot Jovany Vega Ryan Zamarripa
RAM’S HONOR ROLL
Emily Carpenter Giana Fabretti Jayden Hilario Lillian Hoover Leland Jennings Kennedi Lehigh Miguelangel Magana Asuzena Aguilar Adonis Bartholomew Colby Milligan Bronson Teisserie Guadalupe Valdenegro
HONOR ROLL
SOPHOMORES
Aaron Avalos-Ortega Adam Avalos-Ortega Celina Carpio Tessa Jelly Leilani Barbosa Azara Maffei Emily Olgesby Olivia Stone
(4.0 GPA or Above)
(3.50 TO 3.99 GPA)
JUNIORS
SENIORS
Daniela Arias Dakota Balcer Meraiah Groves William Lindsay McKenna Pratt Melissa Torres Christopher Barros Kayla Delk Sam Esperson Marjorie Forbes Fabrizio Lazo Karen Mandujano Melissa Mandujano Donald Roos Isabella Saldana Maia Stone Anjolina Arriola Oscar Aguilera Yareli Antunez Grant Baldwin Yamilec Carrillo Sumain Chiv Greta Dole Stephanie Corona Alessandro Garcia Daniel Hurley Kaylee Medlock Alexander Montes Alexander Ornelas James Ryan Maria Segoviano Brook Summitt Silvia Valencia Kylah Vigil Xavier Vivanco
SENIORS
Joshua Ayala Dylan Rasmussen Briana Shafer Kaleohano Ybanez Karmen Zepeda Joseph Godinez Noah Bidou Graham Crum Breona Hoff Shannon Laurens Yeraldin Mandujano Jordan McDonald Joshua Sanchez
James Bautisa Madison Belcher Scarlett Dole Kaitlyn Du Bois Colby Eisenhour-Libby Emma-Jean Emmons Jaimie Mcdowell Cal Moore Melissa Uribe Jason Calvan Gregory Cook Ashton Frazier-Roberts Bo Garcia Monica Garcia Amy Henning Mason Kitchens Eric McCann Cecilia Perez Diego Torres
(3.00 TO 3.49 GPA)
JUNIORS
SENIORS
Patience Billoups Michaela Delazzar Michael Gilpin Adriana Hernandez Michael Lorton Isaiah Molina Jenna Torres Ian Vieira Kalei Bledsoe Rigoberto Diaz Angel Escalera Andy Freyre Destiny Grayson Devin McGahey Antonio Rodriguez Christopher Schmittel Trevan Summit
Kyra Atkinson Kylee Carlson Jeanette Chavez Trevor Coad Sophia Saldana Bryan Salles Brandon Stebbins Susana Valencia Li’yah Aragon Spencer Emigh Samuel Lara Chantel Lund Synia Reed Adrian Tejeda
ARTIST OF THE MONTH Josh Davis “He surprised me the first time I saw his work! Josh is very meticulous when it comes to his projects. He spends a lot of time on his details and appearence, and the final outcome shows that.” - Mr. Rivera
Page 6
RAM’S EAR
Wrestling is back
by Fabrizio Lazo, Staff Writer
Wrestling is finally back after nearly two years of no action. This year, however, has been special for wrestling, considering how the team has had the highest amount of wrestlers ever: seven freshmen, two sophomores, and nine juniors. The two captains, juniors Kaleo Ybanez and Tony Bellante, are extremely important to the success of the wrestling team. Coach Smith says that the captains are “very important because of their knowledge of the sport. They know what needs to be done during a meet, they help fellow wrestlers make weight, and they have good communication with the team.” The wrestling team this season is having its most successful year. According to Coach Smith, the team is set to finish higher than ever before, reaching second place in the league. Achieving second place in the league will give the team a chance to compete for the section title. The wrestlers are also very pleased with their own individual performances. Wrestler Michael Lorton says, “For a first year, I’m doing good since I have a good win-to-loss ratio.” Kaleo Ybanez says, “My season is going well so far. I’m starting to place in varsity tournaments.” Tony Bellante says, “It’s going better than ex-
Swim season is starting up
by William Lindsay, Staff Writer
pected.” Joining wrestling may seem pretty daunting to some. Kaleo says he initially joined the team because “I like the individual nature of the sport. I like how it’s all up to me for my performance on the mat.” Junior Ian Viera says that he joined wrestling because he “got talked into it by Tony Bellante.” The team will have 12 to 13 wrestlers next year with one year of experience in the sport, which will greatly improve the team’s performance. Additionally, Coach Smith predicts that the sport will become more popular next year because there is “a higher chance of more wrestlers joining because there’s more wrestlers on the team.” When asked what is the most satisfying part of wrestling, Coach Smith says, “It’s seeing the improvement and growth in each wrestler when compared to their first day on the team.” With more experience and new additions predicted to enter the team next year, this wrestling team definitely has some serious potential to win a championship next year. The hard work and performance of the team is evident. Hopefully they improve so that Rio Vista becomes serial winners in wrestling!
The 2022 swim season has finally arrived with practices beginning Feb. 7. This will be the final season for seniors Sophia Saldana and William Lindsay who will also be serving as the team captains. Longtime coaches Toni Tucker and Dan Mahoney will be coaching again and are looking forward to an exciting and eventful season. Last year’s season went swimmingly. The boys placed first and the girls placed second. However, fears are rising that the 2022 season may be threatened by the COVID-19 Omicron variant. As the number of cases continue to rise, the possibility of cancellation is ever-increasing. The 2020 season suffered this very fate as the season was cancelled after the first meet, leaving the swimmers with no opportunity to compete after training for two months. Coach Dan Mahoney is staying optimistic and hoping for the best, saying this year the team will “work with factors we can control, abide by any COVID-19 framework we must, and go out and have fun.” There were a sufficient number of swimmers on the team last year. This year, however, the team is going to need new recruits for the 2022 season, the boy’s team especially. A number of swimmers graduated last year, leaving just two boys returning to the team. There needs to be at least four members per team in order to participate in relays, which means the boys will have some work to do constructing a new relay team. Getting additional swimmers on the team is crucial because without them there will be no chance at winning the championships. Fisher Lyon, RVHS alumnus and experienced swimmer, says, “For people who are thinking about swimming, I say go for it! Even if you don’t know how to swim, the coaching staff is incredible
Photo by: Kyra Atkinson
RAM’S EAR
OPINION POLL Roberto Rivera-Calvo (12) “Ryan Reynolds” Fabrizio Lazo (12) “Zendaya” Monica Garcia (12) “Tom Holland” Jeanette Chavez (12) “Cole Sprouse” Diana Freyre (12) “Scott Eastwood” Alyssa Lucot (9) “Ethan Cutkosky” Patience Raeana Billoups (11) “Adam Sandler” Melissa Uribe (12) “Andrew Garfield” Guadalupe Valdenegro (9) “Maluma” Daniela Roman (11) “Edson Álvarez” Julian Mena-Mejia (11) “Jenny Ortega” Anjolina Arriola (12) “Vinnie Hacker” Silvia Valencia Luna (12) “Giveon” Bella Saldana (12) “Leo Howard” Julian Mena-Mejia (11) “Jenny Ortega” Brook Summitt (12) “Jalen Green” McKenna Pratt (12) “Kris Bryant” Beatriz Perez (11) “Lunay” Sam Esperson (12) “Charli D’amelio” Li’yah Aragon (12) “Angus Cloud” Daniela Arias (12) “Jensen Ackles” Kiara Perkins (11) “Chris Wood”
Best RomCom?
(Romantic Comedy Movie) Kathan Khamdaranikone (11) “Long Story Short” Michael Gilpin(11) “Mr. Right” Daniela Arias (12) “Pride and Prejudice” Tessa Miguel (11) “The Longest Ride” Li’yah Aragon (12) “50 First Dates” Kyra Atkinson(12) “A Silent Voice not a comedy, but I don’t watch that other stuff” Yolanda Montano (11) “Fools Rush In” Madison Belcher (12) “50 First Dates” Alessandro Garcia Gonzalez (12) “Titanic” Daniel Cantine (12) “Shrek” Bri Shafer (11) “She’s the Man” Patience Raeana Billoups (11) “50 First Dates” Daniel Cazarez (11) “Mr. Right” Angie Lopez (10) “A Silent Voice” Kate Rossi (11) “Love Simon” Sherley Guerra (10) “The Half of It” Genesis Lopez (12) “What Men Want”
and your peers will want to help you and see you succeed! Being on the swim team is an excellent opportunity and experience that you won’t want to miss!” Senior Sophia Saldana has been an avid swimmer for over 10 years, and the 2022 season will be her final year of her high school swimming career. In addition to being on the Varsity Girl’s team since freshman year, she has done a lot more than just swimming for the school. “Meets outside of highschool are a lot bigger and longer,” she says, “Travel meets like the Arizona meet are super fun because I get to travel with my team and we hang out during the meet, in between prelims and finals, and after at the hotel we stay at.” She is looking at a number of colleges to potentially join the swim team after graduation, among them including UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State, UC San Diego, Cal State East Bay, and UC Santa Cruz. She says, “I really enjoy all the meets I get to swim at high school and year round alike because they all give me competition, more opportunities to push myself toward my goals, and friends to share accomplishments with!” She hopes to make it to sections as well as win back the League Champions title this year. The coaches and swimmers are optimistic for the upcoming season. This year, they are hoping to compete in at least eight meets and hopefully get swimmers to qualify for sections. For anyone interested in joining the swim team, there is a sign-up sheet in the office. Contact one of the captains for more information. Practices will be held Monday through Thursday from 3:30-5:30 (2:30-4:30 on Wednesdays) at the city pool. And if you are an inexperienced swimmer, don’t fret! Everyone is welcome!
Betty White’s legacy
Tony Bellante goes head-to-head with a San Juan Spartan.
Who is your Celebrity Crush?
February 17, 2022
by Donny Roos, Associate Editor
On Dec. 31, 2021, beloved Golden Girl and pop culture icon Betty White passed away at the age of 99. She was preparing celebrations for her 100th birthday on Jan. 17, and everyone was rooting for her to make it. Her near century-long career helped her develop a huge, loving fan base, and rightfully so. Throughout her career, she not only starred and appeared in many iconic shows and movies, but also worked with animals, was an early supporter of many under-represented groups, and started the trail-blazing feminist movement in Hollywood. “Betty White was an outstanding and inspirational woman in the entertainment industry. It’s so heartbreaking to have lost such a wonderful person weeks before her 100th birthday. She is my inspiration,” says senior Jorie Forbes. She had a major impact on everyone, even Gen Z, who is around eight decades younger than her. Her accomplishments and achievements throughout the years have affected many, causing her to be viewed as a role model. Betty White was born Jan. 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois, and moved to Los
Angeles with her parents when she was two. She began her career in the film industry in the 1930s, and rose to fame throughout the 40s and 50s. She produced her own show called Life with Elizabeth in the 1950s, and was one of the first woman producers in Hollywood. Her most well known roles are from the shows The Mary Tyler Show and The Golden Girls. She won a total of 5 Primetime Emmy awards, and was recognized internationally for her talent. Spanish teacher Ms. Stark was a longtime fan of Betty White. “She was super funny on Golden Girls and the Mary Tyler Show. Golden Girls was unique, as it was older actresses, and now that I’m older I appreciate it even more. I appreciate that they were themselves. She was classy and respected herself, and was like the captain of her own ship, which was unheard of for women back then. She was very kind and a good role model, and was hilarious.” Betty White was a role model and inspired people through her work, and it’s amazing to see people still raving about her today. She also was praised for her funny Super Bowl Snickers commercial, and was the oldest SNL host. “She’s older than sliced bread, so that’s the best thing since Betty White,” explains senior Bella Saldana. Betty was married three times, but her third husband, Allen Ludden, was the love of her life. Apart from her acting stardom, she helped animals and others. In her spare time, she worked with animals and spent four decades working with the Los Angeles Zoo. She also would cook and share her recipes. “I grew up with her, and loved her fluffy hair and watching her cook,” states senior Brook Summitt. She was an avid supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and advocated for equal treatment and representation for minorities and women during a time of segregation and close-minded societal standards. She was loved by many, and truly ahead of her time. Many people looked up to her, and were saddened by her death, but her memory is better served by celebrating her life.
February 17, 2022
RAM’S EAR
Kicking it into the new season of soccer!
Photo by: Daniela Arias
Josh Davis commits to SBCC
Page 7
Juniors Alan Gomez and Andy Freyre and senior Michael Zaragoza walking off the field after beating Vacaville Christian. by Diana Freyre, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Josh Davis
by Diego Torres, Staff Writer
Meet Josh Davis who has committed to play football at Santa Barbara Community College. He is the first student in the class of 2022 to commit to a school for sports here at Rio Vista High School. Santa Barbara Community College’s football program is one of the best that California has to offer and sends countless players to Division I programs and four year colleges. Josh has played football for his whole high school career but his love for football startedat a young age. “I’ve been playing football since I was six years old and it’s the one sport I always loved to play no matter what and I’m excited to keep playing football at the next level,” Josh explains. Injuries affected the amount of games played by Josh in his senior season but with the five total games played he rushed for 222 yards, averaged 6.9 yards per carry, and had six total touchdowns. Josh put his highlights out for the public to see and had multiple coaches reach out to him. He also reached out to schools including Santa Barbara Community College which led to him being recruited. “The recruiting process for playing football at the next level is a very exciting and stressful experience. It’s quite serious considering that wherever you go it’s gonna be your home for a couple years and you
trust the coaches on what they say the program is like and what to expect, but overall it’s a very exciting experience seeing all the different places and seeing what it’s like.” Josh always had an eye out for Santa Barbara Community College so when they became interested in him it was basically a no-brainer for him to go there. “What made me choose Santa Barbara Community College was how well the recruitment process went and how they provided me with so much information about the school and the football program. They explained everything to me from meal plans, workout programs, academics, and every resource you would ever need to succeed on and off the field.” Josh hopes to take his football career as far as possible and continue the love he has for the game and plans on transferring to a four-year after community college. “The main goal is to get out as fast as possible wherever that is, but before I can do that there is a lot of work ahead of me and a lot of learning to do in the classroom and on the field. I’m just gonna try and take football as far as I possibly can,” Josh explained. Not a lot of people go onto play sports after high school here in Rio Vista so it’s a very cool thing to see when someone does. Good luck Josh!
for them throughout the whole season, they have had to either cancel or reschedule the games due to either one team or both teams being out from COVID-19. “We’ve been pretty safe about it and take it pretty seriously by getting tested every Monday to prevent getting others on the team sick,¨said Andy Freyre, a junior who has been playing since his freshman year. Although COVID-19 has affected the team both on and off the field, they have been trying their hardest and doing their part to be able to make it to the playoffs this season. They are currently sixth in the league, but are hoping to move up and take on Linden and Vacaville Christian.
An unusual season for the Lady Rams
Photo by: Jorie Forbes
Senior Josh Davis, visting the football field after committing to SBCC.
The boy’s soccer team kicks off their season strong and new! The team received two new coaches this year, Brandon and Andy. Alan Gomez, a junior on the team said, “They are harder on us and make us run too much, but other than that they are good at coaching and give good discipline.” For some of the boys it is hard for them to accommodate to the new coaches because they were used to the coaches they had the previous year. “The coaches are different compared to the other coaches we had, They make us run if we do something wrong or if some decided not to come to practice,” said senior Alex Ornelas. COVID-19 has also been a struggle
Senior Bella Saldana shoting a freethrow, making 5 out of 5 at the Woodland Christian game. by Bella Saldana, Staff Writer
The varsity girls basketball season could be described as anything other than normal. Experiencing many ups and downs, the team has struggled to have enough players to play. Throughout the injuries, sicknesses, and lack of experience due to COVID-19, senior captains Brook Summitt and Bella Saldana have worked to keep the team, not just playing, but also competing. “Being one of the only returning players has been pretty stressful,” commented Summitt, “The couple returning players we have are more skilled and experienced and it takes a lot of intensity to bring the team together and get the girls working together.” The loss of junior captain Gracie Medders due to an ACL injury during a preseason game against Escalon has also caused problems for the team early on. With less girls trying out this year, the varsity team has looked to the younger grades for support. Freshmen Letty Bellante, Lupe Valdenegro, and Faith Jelly are some examples of this, as well as sophomore Kat Castagnasso. Bellante added, “Playing on varsity as a freshman is really
cool and everyone is so nice.” Having such a young team, the older and more experienced players have had to step up and help lead in order to get the team to the level it has been on in previous years. Despite many obstacles, the varsity team was able to secure a win against Vacaville Christian in their first league game. With three varsity players out for the game, freshman and junior varsity player, Lacie McWilliams, stepped up to play for the team aiding in the win. “It was a little bit scary at first and I forgot what to do when I first got in,” commented McWilliams, “The team really helped me out though and told me where to go and what to do.” Unfortunately, following this win, the team’s next two league games against San Juan and Linden would end up getting rescheduled seeing as COVID-19 swept through the basketball team affecting almost half the team. However, throughout all the ups and downs, the team has continued to put in work and combined with commitment they have potential to make it a great season.
Page 8
Bumpy road for Rams
by Braeden McCann, Staff Writer
til now would be our defense for sure and running our offensive plays. The beginning of the year we were running man defense and we really struggled with it so we had to run zone and now it’s working out so much better,” said Noah Bidou, a junior on the varsity team. Something interesting about this team is that many of the players don’t have a lot of experience playing and they don’t really have any chemistry together. The boys team has a few players that have never played before and it’s their first year. “This is my first year playing basketball, I’ve learned a lot so far this year, and I wish I’ve been playing since my freshman year, it’s also hype,” said senior Sean Kelly on the varsity team. Hopefully the rest of the season goes well for the boys, because some of them are seniors and only got seven games left.
Photo by: Brook Summitt
The RVHS boys basketball team has not had the season that they have all been expecting so far. The Rams have played a lot of very good teams this year, and they have not had much success against any of them. With a record of 1-13, the Rams are a little over half way done with their season. This year has been a really rough season due to having such a small team, player suspensions, and COVID-19 exposures, but that has been hurting every team. With eight games left to go, the basketball team is looking the best it has all year. Even with a 1-13 record, Rio has played in some really good games, and a few of them have come down to the last few minutes. From the beginning of the season until now, the boys team has really improved a lot and the boys are starting to click. “Something we have improved the most from the beginning of the season un-
February 17, 2021
RAM’S EAR
Athletes of the Month
Josh Davis
Isaiah Holley
Josh Davis continues to improve on the basketball court. He has grown tremendously this basketball season. He is highly coachable which has made my job a lot easier. Josh’s dedication to improving his post play has been crucial to our teams improvement this season. He and Trey work very well together and he has shown the younger players how to properly represent our program and school. - Coach Baldwin
While we have been missing multiple players with COVID-19 over the last month, Isaiah has done a great job of leading the team, running our offense and helping us win games. Isaiah has been a key piece for our team and has done a great job so far. - Coach Higgs
Varsity Basketball
JV Basketball
Brook Summitt
Varsity Girls Basketball
Sophomore Ashlynd Rhett getting ready for free throws.
Lady Rams kicking it through
by Daniela Arias, Staff Writer
about the team this season. “We are already doing better than two years ago and working well together as a team!” She mentions how she has struggled with her crosses but has been practicing to improve. Greta comments, “I think we will go farther than last season. We play like we want to win and that will help us go far in playoffs.” Junior Daniela Roman is proud about how well the team has doing, even with COVID-19 affecting them. She says, “This season we started off strong winning most of our pre-season games and so far doing well in league games, despite COVID-19 affecting the team at times.” She talks about how the team needs to work on giving it their all during the first half of their games but is confident they will begin to. “The team has overcome so many obstacles so there’s no doubt we’ll overcome this one also!” Daniela says. The Lady Rams are determined to continue winning games and make it into play offs. They will give it their all everytime they step out onto the field. The girls are ready to show everyone just how good they are!
Photo by: William Lindsay
Varsity girls soccer is off to a great season so far. Now half way through the season, the Lady Rams have won five league games and lost three. Due to the recent COVID-19 spike, the Lady Rams have been greatly affected, but they are determined to stay strong and continue to play at their full potential. “I think the season is going very well so far. All the girls are positive and supporting!” says Sophomore Hannah Patin. Although the Lady Rams are doing great, there is always room for improvement. “I think the team could improve on communication while playing,” comments Hannah. Although this is Hannah’s second year on the varsity girls soccer team, it her is first year playing a season since COVID-19 had cancelled last year’s season. Due to this, Hannah had felt as though she wasn’t as connected with team, but she was able to find a way to bond with her teammates. “I’ve overcome this struggle by slowly making more small talk and jokes with the girls.” Hannah is positive that they will make it far into playoffs this season. Senior Greta Dole is enthusiastic
Junior Daniela Roman about to kick the ball against Golden Sierra.
Brook has displayed outstanding leadership skills throughout the season. We have had major setbacks due to COVID-19, injuries, and lack of commitment this year which has been a test of patience for all of us. Brook has kept her team together and their spirits high. She is our leader in points scored and a high energy player that keeps our tempo going. - Coach Fawn
Alex Ornelas
Varsity Boys Soccer
Stephanie Corona Varsity Girls Soccer
My pick is Alex Ornelas. He is an incredible player and is the type of player every coach wants on their team. His leadership and defensive presence has kept us competitive throughout the month. Teams have had a tough time getting passed him and the team feels safe knowing he’s got our backs in tough situations. He’s always pushing to get better, and he’s always showing up to practice. - Coach Ornelas
Stephanie has demonstrated tremendous growth as a soccer player and as a teammate in the past years. She gives 100% at all games and pushes her team to perform at their best, on and off the field. She has been a huge asset to the team this year. As an athlete she is always ready for feedback and as a teammate she is always trying to hype up the team before and during games. Great job this season Stephanie! - Coach Roman
George Aguilar
Chloe Goddard
Wrestling
George took 1st place in his last tournament, and got an impressive league win against a tough Esparto wrestler. Chloe has been tough and reliable in practice all year long. She is getting better at every practice. She grinded out an impressive second place finish at her last tournament. -Coach Smith