November 7, 2019
VOL. MMXVIX, No. 7
RAM’S EAR R I O V I S TA H I G H S C H O O L
New hwy 12 roundabout, more problems than thought about
by Tuck Forbes, Staff Writer
The new roundabout that is under construction at the Highway 12 and Highway 113 intersection has been a long time coming. Back in May of 2018, the idea was originally hatched by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). It was met with a lot of backlash from the community. Nonetheless, they continued on with the roundabout plan by hiring a private contractor, OC Jones, to work on the multimillion dollar project. OC Jones started construction on the roundabout on August 23, 2019, and expects to finish by this fall.
According to Caltrans, the roundabout will reduce speeding on Highway 12 and decrease accidents by 37%-74%. Caltrans acknowledges that the roundabout will cause a slowdown during rush hour. Some problems that have been pointed out by people are the size of the roundabout and the impact it will have on Rio Vista traffic. The roundabout is a little small for trucks so they have a hard time passing through it. This is viewed as both good and bad. It will reduce truck traffic, but anyone that relies on semi trucks will be infuriated with it. Ms. Mahoney is concerned that not
many Californians know how to use roundabouts correctly. She wants people to know that they work best if you just keep going and don’t stop in the roundabout. There are also many people that think the roundabout will help. One such is Eamonn Drury who feels the roundabout will be an easier way to navigate the Highway 12 and 113 intersection. Others also feel the roundabout will help reduce the truck traffic in Rio Vista.
As of September, the roundabout has already caused the death of two senior citizens. At about 10:40 pm on September 18, a Toyota Prius carrying two senior citizens crashed into the concrete barrier in the center of the roundabout. The two passengers were an 80 year old Rio Vista man and a 79 year old Suisun woman. These two deaths will hopefully be the only ones that happen at the Highway 12 and 113 roundabout for a long time to come.
Belgium exchange student experiencing lots of firsts by Lily Griffin, Staff Writer
Day of the Dead culture brought to Spanish class by Sophia Saldana, Staff Writer
learning about the Day of the Dead fun for her students. She makes special bread and brings it to her class. She likes to show them videos that really capture the visual and colorful aspect of the special celebration of life. One of the ways Ms. Stark has her students be a part of the celebration is by making papel picado. Papel picado is colorful tissue paper cut to make beautiful and intricate designs that are hung for decorations. Another way she really tries to make her students a part of the Day of the Dead is by making their class project personal. They get to choose a loved one or a celebrity they really liked who has passed and write about them. Even the students who don’t have Ms. Stark can be included. She has a place where other kids can write the name of their loved ones, and have them on display on the altar. Ms. Stark became interested in the Day of the Dead when she was in college. She had been studying Spanish at UC Davis when she saw her first Day of the Dead celebration. She thought all of it was a very touching experience. Another reason why she is interested in The Day of the Dead is because her son is from the culture. Ms. Stark’s favorite part of the Day of the Dead is that it’s a special remembrance day for those who have passed. She says, “I like feeling that the people you love are close to you.”
the river the most and likes to watch the river run. Justine didn’t play any sports in Belgium, but when she got here she made the cheer squad. They don’t have any cheer teams back home and they have only seen cheerleading in movies so she thought it would be a fun experience to try. Her favorite class this block is US History with Mr. Porter. Her favorite American food that
Photo by: Lily Griffin
Every year on November 2, families all over the world celebrate “Día de los Muertos” or the Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead is celebrated all throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage in different parts of the world. The Day of the Dead is a celebration of life for those who have passed on. The Day of the Dead tradition was first started by the Aztecs in the 1500’s as a way of honoring the dead. During the celebratory holiday, families create beautiful ofrendas (offerings) for their loved ones. On these altars, people put water, their loved ones favorite meals, family photos, candles for every family member that has passed, and marigolds. Marigolds are the flowers of Day of the Dead. They are said to lead the spirits to their ofrendas in the world of the living and then back to the land of the dead. RVHS’s very own Spanish teacher, Ms. Stark, celebrates the holiday with her students. Ms. Stark enjoys teaching her students about the Day of the Dead because she thinks it’s important that when you’re learning a language you also learn about the culture. She also thinks it’s important to have students of Mexican/American heritage to learn these traditions. She states, “I like to teach my students cultural lessons to help keep the traditions alive.” Ms. Stark tries her best to make
This year, Rio Vista High School is happy to host an exchange student, Justine Simonis from Verviers, Belgium. She arrived at the beginning of August and will be graduating with the class of 2020, then returning home in June. She is enrolled as a senior here, but when she goes back home she will already be graduated and will start college. Justine is staying with George and Janet Salm, as well as Duda, an exchange student from Brazil. “Our relationship is the same as sisters, we talk a lot and we make company for each other. I don’t think my experience here would be the same without her.” Duda mentioned about being exchange students together. Justine came to America with the Belgium organization, WEP, an organization working with ISE (International Student Exchange). It is her first time coming out of Europe and onto a whole new continent. The reason why Justine wanted to be an exchange student is because she loves to travel and wants to improve her English. She loves meeting new people so this is a great way to do so. She sees many differences between her hometown and Rio Vista. In Belgium, instead of having one high school, like Rio Vista, they have four high schools since their town is much bigger than Rio. Verviers, Belgium is also much bigger than Rio Vista. The most difficult part for Justine about being away from home is she gets homesick, so everytime something happens, she thinks about her family and friends and realizes how much she misses them. Back home in her free time, she used to be a youth movement leader and she would work on Saturdays. During the week she likes to listen to music and watch TV series. Since Rio Vista is right on the water, Justine loves it. She likes the docks and
Justine Simonis, an exchange student from Belgium, (right) with Junior Atziri Villasenor (left) in their cheer uniforms before a home football game.
she has tried is hot cheetos or tacos. Justine is having a wonderful time exploring new things in California. She enjoys meeting new people and she definitely plans on coming back to America in the future. Justine has made many new friends from interacting with people at school and from the varsity Cheer squad. She is excited to spend this year in California going to new places. She definitely plans on coming back for vacation in the future.
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