November 11, 2021
VOL. MMXXI, No. 4
RAM’S EAR R I O V I S TA H I G H S C H O O L
Coach Smith to attempt World Record with just four fingers
Photo by: Brook Summitt
youth programs at Calaveras and eventually progressed to starting programs here in Rio Vista such as youth programs and starting teams here at the high school and middle school. His experience so far has been really good with the wrestling program as it has gone on for eight years now. He says, “ It’s hard to start a new sport especially when high schoolers don’t like to try something new but I know it will only get better from here.” He encourages his athletes to be confident although this is not something you can tell someone to automatically do, he believes that “Confidence is developed just like any other skill, as you practice and
take someone down for the first time the confidence builds up brick by brick. You have to build it by accomplishing little things along the way.” “Fake it till you make it.” are words of advice from Mr. Smith. “Nobody should know by looking at you that you are not confident. You should always show confidence when walking onto the mat. By showing your nervousness you will lose.” This advice is great to keep in mind when feeling unmotivated or not feeling good enough to compete. We wish nothing but the best for Mr. Smith and his attempt to break the world record. RVHS wishes him luck!
Mr. Smith before attepting to break the four finger push up record.
by Brook Summitt, Staff Writer
Along with being a special education teacher, Mr. Smith is also head coach of the wrestling program here at the high school. In fact, he actually created the program here and is looking forward to having a full girl team which has never been done before and this year has been his most successful in terms of the size of the teams. This coming November 12, Mr. Smith hopes to break the world record of the most push-ups with four fingers which includes both thumbs and index fingers. He
saw it somewhere and became inspired and motivated to do it. At first he tried for 20 push-ups and succeeded through 25 and thought it was a good place to start knowing he’d eventually have to work up to more than 85 within 60 seconds. Mr. Smith feels confident about his attempt and Rio Vista High School is all here for it! Ever since 1998 Smith’s teaching career started which was followed by his passion for wrestling. He first started coaching
Second annual Trunk or Treat brings community together
“I think it’s a great idea to have Trunk or Treats for high schoolers because once we are teenagers everyone thinks we are too old to trick or treat but I think everyone can trick or treat and have fun,” said leadership teacher Ms. Gornto. Teachers had booths with all different kinds of decorations, like one was Star Wars, another one was under the sea, and another one was Monsters Inc.” I like how the teachers came together and gave out free candy. It made my night,” said senior Melissa Uribe. Last year when RVHS hosted Trunk or Treat it was a drive by so teachers just handed candy to your car, and this year students were actually allowed to walk around from teacher to teacher and get candy. Trunk or Treat is a fun activity for everybody to enjoy and hopefully it becomes an RVHS tradition.
Photo by: Ms. Gornto
Rio Vista High School held their second Trunk or Treat on October 20. Trunk or Treat is an event that is run by RVHS staff held in the student parking lot. It’s not just the high school that participates, the middle school students and the elementary school students are invited too. Teachers tell everyone to wear their costumes, but it’s not a requirement to come get candy. There are a few costume competitions such as best decorated trunk, most original costume, scariest costume, best group costumes, and best homemade costume. There were many people that came to the Trunk or Treat this year and wore their costumes, which were a majority of the younger kids. “It was really cool seeing the community come together and making some kids’ days. This should definitely be something we do every year,” said senior Alex Ornelas.
Mrs. Ann, Mrs. Cronin (former vice-principal), and Mrs. Gornto show off their elaborate Trunk or Treat.
Photo by: Mrs. Jones
by Bradaen McCann, Staff Writer
Boone Hurley (12), Jason Calvan (12), Ryan Zamarripa (11), and Jovany Vega (11) showing off their pepperoni pizza they made together.
Culinary students learning important life skills
by Boone Hurley, Staff Writer
One of the electives at Rio Vista High School is the Culinary Arts class. Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Jones are the new teachers for this year’s class. Culinary Arts is consists of learning to cook for yourself and others. They teach three culinary classes, each of the culinary arts classes consist of four kitchens. Every kitchen has a head chef, assistant chef, busser, and dishwasher. Head chef does most of the cooking while assistant chef helps.The busser helps collect all ingredients for both the head chef and assistant chef, and the dishwasher washes the dishes. Junior Jovany Vega says, “My favorite thing about culinary is getting the freedom to cook and being able to interact with classmates especially James Mentee.” The students each get equal opportunities for every position. Although the class is based around cooking it also teaches very import-
ant life skills and teaches how to work as a team. “I enjoy the Thursdays and Fridays the best because those are the days we cook,” said junior Ryan Zamarripa. “I like watching everyone work together and to watch everyone work together and watch the progression,” said Mrs. Anderson. RVHS students and staff really enjoy the Culinary Arts class. A lot of the time the students cook for the staff. Mrs. Jones exclaims, “Some days its absolutely fantastic and other days I want to scream inwardly.” They all seem to agree that the students are learning a great variety of skills that pertain to cooking and kitchen skills. The students and staff have enjoyed the food that has been made. So if would you like to learn how to cook or just love to make food, be sure your next elective is culinary arts.
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Photo by: Shannon Laurens
My first Halloween in the United States
Kyra Atkinson and Korbin Schneider all dressed up in their Halloween costumes for spirit day.
by Carmella Martins Rumiato, Staff Writer
Halloween is a holiday celebrated every year on the 31st of October. This tradition originated in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and dress in costumes to drive away ghosts. As an exchange student this year from Brazil, I have been looking forward to this holiday. As a kid I always saw it on TV and all of the decorations on the street and used to dream about experiencing it. Today, many Americans celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and children go to door to door asking for candy, with the famous phrase “trick or treat”. But Halloween is not only about going to door to door, there are a lot of other traditions that come with it like the pumpkins. Before Halloween, people go to pumpkin patches to choose the best pumpkin to carve a scary face on and use as decoration. In Brazil they don’t celebrate it, so I was very excited to experience this tradition and have my opinion about it. Going to the pumpkin patch was a whole experience; from going to the haunted house and being startled, to choosing a pumpkin. Picking a pumpkin was a little bit difficult because there are so many to choose from, but after looking around I found the best pumpkin for me.
The Halloween tradition of going door to door began with poor children in medieval Europe that would go around asking for food and money during the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and in exchange they would offer to pray for their families. In today’s time, children typically dress up in costumes and use the famous phrase “trick or treat” to ask for candy. Never going trick or treating before made this experience very exciting to me. The first house was very strange because I didn’t know the person that lived there and I was knocking on their door and expecting candy in return, but as I went to more houses the more normal it became; the decorations on the houses were amazing and seeing people put that much effort into it is incredible, the people giving out candy were so nice too, I will never forget this elderly woman dressed as an angel, she was so sweet. The whole Halloween experience was amazing for me and in my opinion it’s something everybody should go through at least once in their lives. If I ever have kids I will definitely bring them to the United States so they can go through this amazing experience on their own and not only through the TV.
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 Monica Garcia and Diego Torres
Editors Kayla Delk, Jorie Forbes and Donny Roos Adviser Julie Griffin
Ram’s Ear Staff Kyra Atkinson, Victoria Coronado, Michaela Delazzar, Greta Dole, Diana Freyre, Monica Garcia, Sherley Guerra, Daniel Hurley, Shannon Laurens, Carmella Martins Rumiato, Braeden McCann, Jordan McDonald, Alex Ornelas, Synia Reed, Roxana Segoviano, Brook Summit, Diego Torres, Jenna Torres, David Torrez, Melissa Uribe, Jovany Vega,
Calendar of Events
November
November 1 - CSU/UC applications Open November 1 - Saint Mary’s Administrative meeting during 4th Period November 3 - Family Engagement Night (6:00 p.m) November 4 - UC Davis Presentation (2:00 p.m.) November 6 - Cross Country Subsections @ (Frogtown) Time TBA November 9 - University of Reno Metting (2:00 p.m.) November 10 - Air Force Table Set Up @ Lunch November 11 - Veteran’s Day (No School) November 12 - Wrestling Rally - Mr. Smith attempts World Record! November 13 - Cross Country Sections (Willow Hills) Time TBA November 13 - Rio Vista Wrestling Scrimmage Invitational (Rio Vista) November 16 - S-Club Meeting @ lunch November 17 - Cross Country Fall Sports Awards (Theater) 6:00 p.m. November 19 - Girls Basketball vs Buckingham Charter (home) (VAR) 6:00 p.m. November 19 - Boys Basketball vs Buckingham Charter (home) (JV) 4:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:30 p.m. November 19/20 - Girls Soccer @ Stagg HS Brown & Gold Tournament (away) Time TBA November 22/26 - Thanksgiving Break November 22 - Boys Soccer vs Natomas (home) 5:00 p.m. November 22 - Girls Soccer vs Natomas (home) 3:00 p.m. November 25 - Cross Country RV Turkey Trot (RIo Vista) 8:00 a. a.m. November 29 - Girls Basketball @ Turlock Christian (Foundation Game) (away) November 29 - Boys Soccer @ Fairfield (away) 7:00 p.m. November 29 - Girls Soccer @ Fairfield (away) 5:00 p.m. November 30 - Deadline for CSU/UC applications- CSU Fresno State, Cal State Fullerton, San Diego, CSU San Jose, CSU Pamona, CSU San Luis Obispo, CSU Cal Poly, CSU Long Beach CSU Los Angeles
December
December 2 & 4 - Boys Basketball @ Foresthill Tournament (JV & VAR ) (away) Time TBA Decemeber 3 - Girls Basketball vs Delta (Home) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 3/4 - Girls Soccer @ Argonaut Tournament (away) Time TBA December 7 - Girls Soccer vs Highlands (home) 4:00 p.m. December 7 - Boys Soccer vs Highlands (home) 6:00 p.m. December 8 - Boys Basketball @ Winters (away) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 8 - Girls Basketball vs Winters (home) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 9 - Girls Soccer vs Esparto (home) 4:00 p.m. December 9 - Boys Soccer vs Esparto (home) 6:00 p.m. December 10 - Boys Basketball @ Delta (away) (JV) 5:00 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 10 - Girls Basketball vs St. Helena (home) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 14 - Boys Basketball vs Natomas (home) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 14 - Girls Basketball @ Natomas (away) (JV) 5:30 p.m. (VAR) 7:00 p.m. December 14 - Girls Soccer @ Linden (away) 4:00 p.m. December 15 - Deadline for CSU Bakersfield, CSU Channel Islands, CSU Chico, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Monterrey Bay, CSU Northridge, CSU Sacramento, CSU San Bernardino, CSU Sonoma, CSU San Marcos December 16 & 18 - Boys Basketball @ San Juan Tournament (VAR Only) Time TBA December 16 & 18 - Girls Basketball @ San Juan Tournament Time TBA December 16 - Girls Soccer vs Vacaville Christian (home) 4:00 p.m.
November 11, 2021
Tim Higgs: from student to teacher
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74th Bass Derby:
At least there was food
Photo by: Аlex Ornelas
by David Torres, Staff Writer
Mr. Higgs having a relaxed prep period
by Synia Reed, Staff Writer
Rio Vista High School has some of the best supportive and dedicated teachers. One in particular is a favorite among many students, Mr. Higgs. Mr. Higgs was born January 8, 1990 making him 31 years old. Growing up Mr. Higgs lived in Rio Vista with his family. Along with his parents he has two younger identical twin brothers. His mom taught fifth and sixth grade at Riverview middle school. After graduating Rio Vista High School Mr. Higgs also taught at Riverview middle school for seventh and eighth grade for 4 years. Mr. Higgs is now a government and economics teacher at Rio Vista High School, which is a class where they learn government and politics at a college level. Mr. Higgs describes how different Rio Vista High was when he went to school, “ It was very different, we didn’t have block schedules and there were seven periods in a day. The school was much larger and there was no such thing as cell phones.”said Mr. Higgs. Knowing that Mr. Higgs attended high school at RVHS, he is very familiar with the teachers and the school. In fact, some teachers that taught him are still here. Some hobbies of Mr. Higgs enjoys watching professional sports such as baseball, basketball, golf. Some of his favorite sports teams are the San Francisco 49ers
and the Oakland A’s. Mr. Higgs also enjoys watching Tiger Woods play when he watches golf. Outside of watching sports Mr. Higgs likes to “go camping with friends, play video games, and go fishing. I didn’t really have any traditions, my family traveled around the world a lot,” Mr. Higgs said. Mr. Higgs attended college at Chico State University. He shared his opinion on college saying, “College was fun, it was a great experience to move out and see what other parts of the world were like.” Mr. Higgs majored in sociology in college which is a study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences of human behavior. Mr. Higgs is a twelfth grade government and economics teacher. “As an economics teacher I suggest a regular bank over a credit union, because a regular bank is an easier way into a branch with a major bank,” Mr. Higgs says. Being an alumni at RVHS and being so helpful and hardworking, just goes to say that Mr. Higgs is a big part of what RVHS is as a school. The hard work that Mr. Higgs has put into this community since a young age goes, and the impact that he’s made on students since a young age, shows how much of a knowledgeable teacher he’s become.
Club of the Month Acts of Random Kindness by Shannon Laurens, Staff Writer
The Acts of Random Kindness Club is a club for well. Being kind. For example, just talking to someone who looks lonely or helping someone out with their homework. Every month they also try to do fun activities to help boost the students spirits. The club advisor is Mrs. Griffin and the club president is senior Greta Dole, they’ve surely been doing a good job of keeping the school’s students get excited to be on campus. For September, the ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) club handed out green ribbons for Mental Health Awareness Month. For this month, they’re handing out Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and also selling ghost pops for a cheap 50 cents, which are usually a Blow Pop or a Tootsie Pop with a tissue over it and a wire ribbon (like the ones used to close loaves of bread) closing up the tissue at the base of the candy part, and then a spooky face is drawn onto the tissue so it resembles a ghost. Another activity that the ARK club is participating in is jack o’ lantern painting. The club advisor Mrs. Griffin says she would just paint a jack o’ lantern face right
on top of the pumpkin. The ARK Club president, Greta Dole, says she’d love to make her pumpkin very spooky and creative for the Halloween season with lots of colors and lines. Carving can be really time consuming and messy, so painting is definitely the right way to go. Painting could also get messy, but at least you won’t have slimy pumpkin seeds all over you by the end of it. When everyone is finished painting their pumpkins, they’ll put them all around the school and by the time Halloween is over, students can bring the pumpkins home. The ARK club is a very positive club and entering is surely going to give you some high school years to remember. It’s a great way to make friends and meet some amazing people. Next year you should consider joining and uplifting all the students around you.
This year Rio Vista finally got to have their yearly Bass Derby Festival. The town had to miss out on it for two whole years, due to Covid-19. The town had little information about the festival, but in the middle of this year we got the news that there would be a festival, but it was not going to be the same as the other previous years. The difference between this year’s festival and the ones from the past years was that this festival was not going to have a carnival. We got the news that the company that usually brought them was not going to be able to bring them this year. Senior Alex Ornelas stated,“I was a little upset when I found out that the Bass Derby Festival was not going to have a carnival full of rides. The rides are what makes the Bass Derby a lot of fun especially when you’re hanging out with friends.” It was very disappointing because the main thing that grabs peoples attention is the rides. Without the rides, a lot of people thought that the festival was going to be boring and not feel like the past year’s festival. The people from the community still found a way to make the festival a less boring experience for all those still wanting to attend. The only thing that they could still do was bring out all the stands on the streets and sell items, have little fun
games, and had a little concert that they always do during the festival next to the post office. Sophomore Sherley Guerra stated, “What I did in the Bass Derby was mostly walking around and seeing what each tent sold and the interesting things they had and also being with friends.” They also counted on having their annual Bass Derby which was very important because whoever got the biggest white striped bass this year would get double the prize which would be $3000. Junior Jose Torres Solis stated, “Unfortunately this year I wasn’t able to enter the contest but hopefully next year I am able to join it with some of my cousins and friends.” This year’s festival even had a train that would drive people around downtown which was amusing to a lot of people and even more amusing for all the children. Even though the town could not have the rides at the festival this year, the community still found ways to make the festival different from the past years but also fun for everyone to go out there and have all sorts of fun with friends and family. Hopefully at next year’s 74th annual Bass Derby Festival, the town can have back the regular festival and have all those rides back that the whole community all loved and missed out on this year.
Students share their unique cultural traditions by Sherley Guerra, Staff Writer
As of today, there are 223 national- because it brings her family closer and they ities with more than 60 traditions in the get to visit her grandfather each weekend. world; where each one is unique with their In Brazil, one of the most celebrated festiown culture and traditions. Getting to learn vals is called Carnaval. It’s celebrated on about other nationalities and ethnicities is a Friday, before Ash Wednesday, and lasts an interesting way to learn about each oth- five consecutive days. Another popularly er. Sophomore Leyun Liu, junior Carmella celebrated holiday is New Year, and everyMartins, and senior Dominic Rogers share one has to wear white during the celebratheir nationalities and ethnicities. tion. Carmella was born in Brazil and calls Leyun’s nationality is Chinese. One it her home. In Brazil, they speak Portuculture/tradition she and her family cele- guese, and it is Carmella’s first language. brate is the Chinese New A Brazilian food she Year, known as Lunar New “Chinese New Year would recommend is BriYear. Every year, Leyun gadeiro, which is a chocoand her family come to- is fun; we get money late ball, and Pao de Queigether to celebrate the Chijo, which is a cheese bread nese New Year. The Chi- in red envelopes that ball. Carmella’s advice nese New Year is also the going to Brazil is to are passed down from about most celebrated festival/ be aware of your surroundholiday in China. “Chinese ings and be sociable with married couples .” New Year’s is fun; we get the people around you.“If - Leyun Liu money in red envelopes they get to know you since that are passed down from married cou- you are new to the country they would love ples. My family and I gather together and to help and would love to talk to you,” she make food and pray to celebrate the special said. day.” Leyun was born in China and visits Dominic’s ethnicity is Haitian and often to see family. She speaks her born Cuban. A culture/tradition that he and his country language, Mandarin, every day. family do is called Boleros. Boleros inA food she would recommend to try from cludes Brujeria, which is witch crafting beChina is mooncakes. Mooncakes are little liefs. The most celebrated festival/holiday cakes that taste like sweet lotus seed paste in Haiti is Fête Gede. It is similar to Day with either red bean or egg yolk filling in of the Dead, and celebrates the ancestors the center. The advice she would give to and usually starts on the first two days of those who want to go to China is to not November. get caught on the wrong side of the city or Dominic hasn’t been to Haiti or town and check how sanitary your restau- Cuba, but would like to visit one day. He rants and bathrooms are. “Some places can has some family over in Cuba and Haiti be dirty and you need to be careful,” she but most of them moved to the US. He can said. speak Spanish from Cuba and speaks it evCarmella’s nationality is Brazilian, ery day with his family and at work. A food and she is one of our exchange students recommendation he gives is Diri Djon Dithis year. A tradition she does is her family jon and Diri Ak Pwa which are born Haiti always meets up on Sundays to spend time dishes. “I love the rice in the food. It’s retogether. This is a family tradition to them ally good,” he said. Dominic doesn’t recommend going over to Haiti because it is a dangerous place to go. By getting to know these students from sharing their background, we get a glimpse into their ancestry and culture. Every nationality has a unique story waiting to be told, and it’s always interesting to learn more.
Soccer Tryouts November 1st - 12th
November 11, 2021
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Photo: Roxanna Segoviano
Looking for a fast pace, challeging class? AP Chemistry might be for you
One of Scarlett Dole’s AP Art projects which deal with mental health struggles.
AP Art: The world is your canvas
by Greta Dole, Staff Writer
Mx. Gilliand helping Junior Wesley Writh some of his work.
by Roxanna Segoviano, Staff Writer
AP Chemistry is one of the many AP classes that Rio Vista High School offers. AP classes are for students who want more credits and like taking on challenges. The teacher for this class is Mx. Gilliand, but her students call her Mx.G. This is definitely a tough class but it’s worth it, if you really enjoy science. Junior Daniela Roman is currently attending this class. She says, “The fast paced teaching is definitely the hardest for me because AP classes are more packed together then the CP classes.” Daniela has been keeping up her grade, which is good because she is also captain of the varsity soccer team. She also says, “My favorite part is doing labs and seeing the results of the experiments.” She also commented that asking Mx. G for help and asking questions definitely helps her stay on track. Junior Yolanda Montano is also in
AP chemistry. Yolanda commented, “The most challenging part about AP Chemistry is the fast pace and remembering different formulas, the names of elements, and shapes.” Yolanda also says, “My favorite part is doing the labs with my group and being hands on with the experiment.” The class has been stressful for Yolanda but asking for help always makes things easier for her. Juniors Daniela Roman and Yolanda Montano both are working hard to pass this class and their other AP classes they’re taking to get extra credits. AP Chemistry is definitely a hard class, but with effort and hard work students will pass. Keeping up with the work and keeping your grade up will give these students extra credits. Asking for help and talking with the teacher really helps and keeps you on track with assignments.
NFL season starts with new rules and big changes by Ryan Zamarippa, Staff Writer
On September 9, the 2021-2022 National Football League season started. The first game of the season was on a Thursday night with the Dallas Cowboys facing off in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers ended up winning the game 31-29 and started their season off 1-0. Although this season started off like any other year, this will be the first year with new rules and changes. One big change happening this season is the amount of games. Instead of 16 games, there will be 17 games this season. At presstime, the NFL was six weeks into the season with the Arizona Cardinals being the only undefeated team. So far, the Cardinals have played the Tennessee Titans in their season opener, the Minnesota Vikings in week two, the Jacksonville Jaguars in week three, the Los Angeles Rams in week four, the San Francisco 49ers in week five, and the Cleveland Browns in week six. In those six games, their star quarterback Kyler Murray has been off to a MVP start. He has completed 144-195 passes for 1,741 yards. In those pass attempts he has thrown 14 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. A couple big stories going around the league right now is Jon Gruden’s resignation. Former Head Coach for the Raiders and the Buccaneers got himself into a scandal following old emails back from 2011-2018. These emails consisted of racist, homophobic, and sexist comments throughout the seven year span. The first
email was released October 8, where the rest soon followed. Due to the emails being released, he decided to resign as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach on October 11. Long time Raider fan Braeden McCann said, “Honestly I’m glad he’s gone. With him as [the Raiders] head coach he never let Derek Carr do what he is capable of.” Raiders owner Mark Davis said, “We don’t stand for it, the Raiders stand for diversity, inclusion and social justice.” Every NFL season, RVHS students and teachers come together and pick who will win their game every week. Depending on what the matchup is and who’s playing, you go through every game that week and pick who you think is going to win the upcoming games. “In my 3 years of participating I have never won,” Rio Vista teacher Mr. Sherman said, “It’s very unpredictable because whether you pick the better team or not, the underdog could end up simply being the better team.” Mr. Smith, the teacher who created and is in charge of this activity, said that he started it as a way for teachers and students to come together. “I started it 8 years ago, that way to give the staff and students something to have in common.” Throughout these 8 years he also said that a student has never won, and this could possibly be the first year. When the football season comes back, it’s always fun for the RVHS staff and students. It gives them something to bond over, and hopefully it stays that way for years to come.
There are many rigorous Advanced Placement courses like AP U.S. History and AP English offered at Rio Vista High School. One of the courses that people might not think involves too much work is AP Art. Before taking AP Art, a student has to complete Art lll. While taking the AP course, students mostly do their own work at their own pace. Even though students have a lot of freedom, time is not on their side. The artists need to complete or at least start a new art piece every two weeks. AP Art requires two years because of the large amount of work students have to complete. The artists have to complete 15 art pieces by the end of the school year to submit to the College Board for scoring. By the end of the block the artist should have eight art pieces complete and two in progress. The artists don’t just submit art, they also submit a question and explanation of their theme. They must explain every piece and why they created it that way and what their motivation was. It’s a lot of work and it’s a class students have to really commit to. One of the AP Art students is senior Scarlett Dole. Her theme is mental health struggles. Some of her paintings are about anxiety, self isolation, and depression. She chose this as her theme because she also struggles with mental health issues and wanted to express her struggle through her art pieces. Most of her pieces are painted with watercolor. Her favorite part of AP Art is all the materials she has available to her and the time she has to herself. She has completed four of her paintings and five paintings are in progress. Senior Sophia Saldana is in her first year in the AP Art course. Her theme for her projects is Greek Mythology. Some of her pieces are about sacrifice, fate, and pride. She is using acrylic paint for her art pieces. Sophia’s favorite part of the AP Art course
is that College Board is allowing the artists to take photographs of their art pieces to show the progression of their art as one of the 15 pieces they have to submit. She said, “it takes away the stress from doing all 15 pieces.” Sophia’s main goal this year is to improve on painting skin tones and to get her pieces done. She has completed three paintings and four are in progress. Senior William Linsday is doing the class a little differently. Since there are so few people in the AP Art course, the students usually just work on their portfolio in the back of any art class that Mr. Rivera is teaching. William on the other hand has been working from home during this block. William said, “I actually prefer working from home because I can focus better when I’m alone and I can work on them any time I want.” He is using acrylic paint for his projects and his theme is vintage advertisement posters. He is focusing on bold colors, high contrast, and clean lines. So far William has started on 2 art pieces. Senior Greta Dole’s theme is emotions portrayed through music. She is using acrylic paint and gouache for her art pieces. Some of her projects are based on songs like The Trial by Pink Floyd and Cancer by My Chemical Romance. Greta’s main goal this year is to improve on the backgrounds of her paintings, human anatomy and poses. What Greta likes about AP Art is that, “it’s nice to work at my own pace but it’s sometimes hard to come up with ideas and motivation,” she said. She has three paintings completed and seven are in progress. Art is fun and relaxing but it also takes a lot of time. AP Art isn’t just another art class. It’s for the people who need that extra push to really improve their skills. Even with all the work that goes into it, it is still an enjoyable class to take for artists!
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS March and April Birthdays November 6 Jacob Brosamer November 7 Fernanda Bermudez Lopez Selene Bermudez lopez Tab Bowers Jacob Felix November 9 Dravin Kimber Berenice Sandoval Villanueva November 10 Daniel Cantine Terrance Salles-Doyle November 12 Adema Mount Jermey Turner November 13 Justin Byers Novmeber 14 Carmella Martins Rumiato November 16 Graham Crum Abram Zaragoza
November 17 Ashlynd Rhett November 18 Anjolina Arriola Noah Bidou November 21 Grant Cook Kevin Eckhart November 23 Alonzo Chavolla Garcia November 26 Bridget de Flores Valerie de Flores Micheal Gilpin Yeraldin Mandujano Pacheco Matthew Morgan November 28 Alyes Trejo November 30 Valerie Diaz Carlo Mandujano Alvarado
November 11, 2021
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October Rammies of the Month
Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by their teachers for Rammie of the Month of October. These students have been working hard, showing improvement, making good decisions, and/or making a positive learning enviornment. Mrs. Apple: Bo Garcia, Adema
Mount Mr. Baldwin: Beatrice Perez, Brandon Leyba Ms. Barlett: Trevor Coad, Azaria Maffei Mrs. Dole: Jaden Evans, Aiden Estrada Mrs. B. Gomes: Sam Esperson, Boone Hurley Mrs. N. Gomes: Antonio Rodrigues, Kathan Kamdaranikone Ms. Gornto: Mat Bodle, Nevaeh Coleman Mrs. Griffin: Monica Garcia, Kylah Vigil Mr. Higgs: Yareli Antunez, Zoe Carter Mrs. Mahoney: Belle T., Seth Burris Mrs. Anderson: Bryan Salles, Kaleohano Ybanez Ms. Moran: Sherley Guerra, Jacqueline Romero Mr. Rivera: Valerie De Flores, Damian Castellanos Mr. Sherman: Otto Vielhauer, John Peterson Mr. Smith: Mayra De La Torre Ms. Stark: Azucena Aguilar Duran, Kate Rossi
Mrs. Surla: Hannah Patin, Wesley Wirth Mr. Tingey: Gavyn Richardson, Hannah King Ms. Turk: Roberto Calvo Rivera Mrrs. Carvalho/ Mrs. Ruiz: Oscar Aguilar Ms. Alduenda: Daniela, Hailey Kennedy
RIO VISTA HIGH SCHOOL HONOR ROLL Block A 1st Semester 2021-2022 PRINCIPAL’S HONOR ROLL FRESHMEN Morgan Arroyo Colette Bellante Seth Burris Jaden Evans Giada Fabretti Jayden Hilario Ivan Jelly Brandon Leyba Alyssa Lucot Angel Menodza Belle Teisseire
CONGRATULATIONS
A-DOUGH-RABLE DONUTS ON YOUR VICTORY!
(4.0 GPA or Above)
SOPHOMORES
JUNIORS
SENIORS
Joshua Elmore Tad Bowers Forrest Drury Lisandra Figueroa Leyun Liu Hannah Patin Otto Vielhauer Celina Carpio Marco Carrillo Kaylee Cheney Kaitlynn Creed Alondra Garcia Sherley Guerra Brooklyn Koziol Evan McWilliams Jasmyn Meyer Caren Sandoval John Peterson Brayan Rodriguez Caraemay Rose Yuliana Yanez
Genesis Zepeda Antonio Bellante Breona Hoff Daniela Roman Emiily Ross Lillian Burch Daniel Cazares Michael Gilpin Gracie Medders Yolanda Montano Kiara Perkins Rossi Katherine Berenice Sandoval Briana Shafer Crum Graham Valerie de Flores Roxana Segoviano Raudel Tejeda Jenna Torres Jovany Vega Kaleohano Ybanez Ryan Zamarripa Karmen Zepeda
Daniela Arias Dakota Balcer William Lindsay McKenna Pratt Sophia Saldana Melissa Torres Kayla Delk Sam Esperson Marjorie Forbes Meraiah Groves Fabrizio Lazo Melissa Mandujano Donald Roos Isabella Saldana Maia Stone Yareli Antunez Grant Baldwin Christopher Barros James Bautista Sumain Chiv Greta Dole Scarlett Dole Cheyenne Moore Oscar Aguilar Yamilec Carrillo Mayra Corona Colby Eisenhour Daniel Hurley Karen Mandujano Eric McCann Kaylee Medlock Alexander Montes Alexander Ornelas James Ryan Brook Summitt Silvia Valencia Kylah Vigil Xavier Vivanco
Hunter Goodloe Skylar Silveira-Logsdon Kylah Vigil Kaleohano Ybanez
Ms. Roman, one of Rio’s favorites
Photo courtesy of Jenna Torres
RAM’S HONOR ROLL FRESHMEN
SOPHOMORES
Justin Byers Emily Carpenter Lesly Garcia Chloe Goddard Lillain Hoover Leland Jennings Kennedi Lehigh Destiny Lopez Molly Lutheran Joel Munguia Aiden Astrada Charles Jeffers Peter King Brooklyn Knoblock Colby Milligan Jacqueline Mitchell Nicole Monreal
Oscar Zaragoza Serenity Bell Ariana Navarro Javier Corona Victoria Coronado Melissa Delancy Daniel Dockery Angie Lopez Maria Garcia Benny Mandujano Daisy Surla Azaria Maffei Carmen Arevalo Adam Ortega Mathew Bodle Stephanie Espinoza Tessa Jelly Samantha Lyon Mathew Morgan Olivia Stone
(3.50 TO 3.99 GPA)
JUNIORS Noah Bidou Patience Billoups Bridget de Flores Madison Degroot Michaela Delazzar Destiny Grayson Michael Lorton Joshua Sanchez David Torrez Adolfo Villalpando Adriana Hernandez Kathan Khamdaranikone Jordan Mcdonald Devin McGahey Jose Navarro
by Jenna Torres, Staff Writer
Ms. Roman is a math teacher at Rio Vista High. She teaches Algebra 2, and Math Analysis. Ms. Roman had been teaching here since 2016. She is also the assistant coach for the varsity soccer team, along with her sister Ana Roman who is the head coach. She also attended Rio Vista High school when she was a teenager. “My favorite part of teaching is getting to know my students because all of them are different,” said Ms. Roman. “ The hardest part of teaching is that kids come in already having a conceived thought about math of whether they like it or not and that can sometimes be how it interprets how well they do in the class.” She wanted to share about her experience of being a teacher and she said, “I like teaching with the teachers who taught me while I was in school, it’s fun and enjoyable.”
“What I like about Ms. Roman is that she will check up on you to see how you’re doing with math. She is one of the teachers that I can definitely count on, and trust to help me,” said Junior Roxana Segoviano, “She is super focused on her students and their work, and she loves to connect with them and understand them the best she can.” With Ms. Roman saying this just goes to show how good of a teacher she is, and explains a lot on why all of her students like her, and her class so much. She is a very respectable teacher and she does all that she can for her students, and makes sure that they all pass her class. She offers tutoring to all of her students so that they can understand the concept and maybe change their outlook on math and start to slowly enjoy it.
SENIOR YEARBOOK PACKAGES!
200
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2022 YEARBOOK plus FULL SENIOR TRIBUTE PAGE HALF PAGE ($150 1/2 PAGE + YEARBOOK)
ALL SENIOR PAGE PHOTOS AND MESSAGE DUE NOV. 15!
HONOR ROLL FRESHMEN Duran Aguilar Neveah Coleman Daniel Diaz Cesar Escalara Ava Maka Gabriela Ramirez Kyra Smith Daniel Antunez Adrian Bermudez Eleanor Burch Josie Camacho Zoe Carter Anna Colliinger Landyn Hall Hailey Knight Carolina Mandujano Andrea Mandujano Kathryn Songey Natalia Torres Malia Wong Nataly Yanez Maria Zavala
SENIORS
Anjolina Arriola Kaitlyn Du Bois Monica Garcia Jenna Holden Jaime Mcdowell Maria Segoviano Diego Torres Melissa Uribe Bo Garcia Chantal Lund Kyra Atkinson Madison Belcher Jason Calvan Kylee Carlson Trevor Coad Gregory Cook Hunter Goodloe Mason Kitchens Samuel Lara Bryan Salles Adrian Tejeda Jimena Torres Susana Valencia Luna
(3.00 TO 3.49 GPA)
SOPHOMORES
JUNIORS
SENIORS
Emily Godinez Taryn Tyler Abram Zaragoza Aaron Avalos Damien Castellanos Grant Cook Rylee Fraser Dania Garcia Ashlynd Rhett Kennedy Rogers Nicholas Jacobsen Giovanni Mandujano Cristal Monreal Emily Oglesby
Angel Escalera Joseph Godinez Alan Gomez George Aguliar Andy Freyre Shannon Laurens Carmella Martins Beatrice Perez Dylan Rasmussen Hector Rodriguez Christopher Schmittel Oswaldo Segoviano Trevan Summitt Jose Torres Joshua Perez Rigoberto Diaz Tydan Maffei Isaiah Molina Adema Mount Elicia Rodriguez Breanna Rodriguez Ian Vieira
Li’yah Aragon Daniel Cantine Jeanette Chavez Spencer Emigh Emma Emmons Sean Kelly Cecilia Perez Eric Peters Synia Reed Roberto Calvo Brandon Stebbins Ashton Roberts Rasheed Lacy Julissa Torres
WAY TO GO RAMS! ARTIST OF THE MONTH Cal Moore
ORDER AT: YEARBOOKFOREVER.COM PRICES GO UP ON NOV. 1
“Cal always pushes to make the project more difficult and challeges his artistic talent and skills. plus, he is always doing art! And how could you not like that as an art teacher!?” -Mr. Rivera
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November 11, 2021
RAM’S EAR
STUDENT PROFILE
Meet Isaiah Holley
“RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT” A review about the Netflix hit “ Squid Game”
by Chloe Mcgahey, Staff Writer
Kayla Delk and William Lindsay dressed up as the chracters from the squid games for Halloween.
by Victoria Coronado, Staff Writer
College of the Month: University of California Los Angeles
by Jovany Vega, Staff Writer
The University of California, Los Angeles, also known as UCLA, is a university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA was founded in 1919 and it is the only leading research institution in the U.S. that was started in the 20th century. UCLA’s primary purpose is the creation, dissemination, preservation, and application of knowledge for the betterment of global society. It is a very well known and prestigious university in California. UCLA is the university that receives the most college applications in the world. This year, UCLA had 102,232 students applied and of those students 16,494 were accepted, which is an overall acceptance rate of 16.1%. UCLA is ranked number one in public universities and ranked 20th among all national universities. Some famous UCLA alumni were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Professional
Thanksgiving Faves
Photo by: Kyra Atkinson
He was the player of the game on offense when they went against the Linden Lions, but they did end up losing to them. He ran 47 rushing yards. “Everything is a lot faster than the team I used to play for because we are older and faster now,’’Isaiah said. His favorite play is either a trap or a down right. The down right is an outside run to either the left or right and a trap is right down the middle. Isaiah was always a fast kid and is good at catching so he thought why not try out football and he ended up being really good at it. One piece of advice Isaiah would give you is “never give up there is always a way.”
Photo by: Chloe McGahey
Freshman and JV’s fullback Isaiah Holley wanted to be famous when he was younger, which encouraged his football career. He’s been playing football for nine years, he started playing for Rio Vista midgets in 2014. Before that he played for the Lahaina Chiefs in Maui, Hawaii in 2011 for two years, his Uncle Christopher Pitts played for Arizona State as an offensive lineman. His uncle Renee Holley and father played in San Diego and they were both number 22. Isaiah’s favorite position he’s ever played was wing back for one year in 2016. He plans on playing football for a couple more years of high school. His favorite thing about football is scoring touchdowns, “practice how you play,” Isaiah said. They all get along pretty good, and they all help and encourage each other. Football came to Isaiah naturally. “My favorite memory was my first ever touchdown and it was in Maui, we were going against a team from Las Vegas, California because we did a thing called pop warner which is where you go against teams from all over the state. It was a hand off to the right side, I took the ball and ran 90 yards and we beat them by 20 points,” Isaiah said. His favorite team to play is Big Valley Christian because they’re easy to run on.
basketball player), Sara Bareilles (singer-songwriter), Mark Harmon (actor), Danielle Panabaker (actress), Jamaal Wilkes (professional basketball player), Jack Black (actor), James Dean (actor), Jackie Robinson (professional baseball player), Kristen Stewart (actress), and Ben Stiller (actor), among many others. UCLA’s mascot is the Bruin. UCLA’s colors are “True Blue” and gold, which were chosen specifically to represent the state’s ocean and wildflowers. The campus size is 419 acres. It’s in-state tuition and fees are $13,268 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $43,022. The top five most popular undergraduate majors at UCLA are biology, business economics, political science, psychology and psychobiology. UCLA also has over 1,200 clubs and student organizations. There are 15 multipurpose workout facilities and six pools spread throughout campus. 74% of undergraduates participate in student clubs or organizations. UCLA also has a great variety of sports that include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, football, soccer, tennis, water polo, etc. Their most popular sport is football. The Bruins lead the nation with 119 NCAA team championships. UCLA has worked its way up to be one of the best and most prestigious universities in California. Becoming a Bruin isn’t easy but surely will be rewarding. Responsibility and hardwork is key to achieving all your goals and living up to the university’s expectations.
Squid Game has been one of the most popular shows watched on Netflix this year. With 111 million views within 28 days of its release, Squid Game placed number one on Netflix’s US Top 10 List. Squid Game is a Korean drama based on classic playground games from South Korea that a group of poor, indebted citizens play in order to win an excessive amount of money. Most of the students in school have watched the show, including sophomores Ariana Bribriesca Navarro, Lisandra Figueroa, and senior Yareli Antunez Zaragoza. These students shared their thoughts about Squid Game and what they liked most about it. Ariana decided to watch the show because of TikTok. She saw clips of Green Light Red Light, which is one of the show’s games, and it got her hooked into watching it. Ariana has watched k-dramas before, but she hasn’t seen a drama like this one. “The show is very interesting and shocking and has a lot of twists,’’ she said. She was most shocked by the show’s ending. Her favorite character was the main character, 456. Ariana would definitely watch more shows like Squid Game. She thinks Squid Game is a good show and recommends it to people who are into action, suspense, and thrillers.
Lisandra thought the show was good too, being the first Korean drama that she has watched. TikTok also got her to start watching the show. The episode that shocked Lisandra the most was episode 6. Lisandra liked the character 067 the most. “It was overrated slightly, but it’s good,’’ she said. Lisandra would give similar shows a try and recommends Squid Game to people who like action. Yareli was interested in watching Squid Game because of the popularity. “Just the buzz around it, I wanted to see what it was about,” Yareli said. Squid Game was one of her first intakes of Korean media. She was most shocked by episode 6, and her favorite character is 001. She enjoyed this show, so she would consider watching more shows like this one. Yareli thought it was entertaining, and would also recommend people to watch it. As you can see, Squid Game is one of the first Korean dramas to take over Netflix with its popularity. The show has been seen all over social media from TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Squid Game’s dark story has intrigued many people to watch it and become a new trend around the world. Maybe in the future, Netflix will consider adding more Asian shows to its browser menu.
Digital Publishing gets students involved and out of their comfort zone by Kyra Atkinson, Staff Writer
Digital Publishing is a very important class for Rio Vista High School. The class designs the yearbook and the monthly newspaper. The class is split into two groups, yearbook and newspaper. The people in yearbook use Walsworth Online Design program to create the yearbook spreads. Everyone in the class does a photo duty every month, where they take 50 photos or more of a sporting event or an activity happening at school. Junior Shannon Laurens, who’s in yearbook says, “Photo duty is actually really fun and before getting in the class I wouldn’t have been participating in the school events as I am now.” The class has helped her typing since everyone has to write a story every month for the newspaper. Sophomore Sherley Guerra, also in yearbook, says “Photo duty is really interesting and fun, it’s something that’s gotten me into taking photos. The class has helped me learn how to design better and make combinations.” She’s improved by having to redo spreads and having to rewrite articles. Photo duty lets students participate when they wouldn’t normally go to events. Sophomore Sherley Guerra has gone to more events than ever before
since she has to reach her photo duty count. Shannon has also went to more school events, she says, “football and other sports arent really my favorite thing to take photos for, but going to other school events such as coffee with RVHS and the student showcase give me more of a fulfilling school year.” Football game photos get taken quite a bit since we need action shots for yearbook, as well as newspapers. Senior Monica Garcia works on both the newspaper and yearbook. She says, “The newspaper is pretty fun, it’s a lot of work, but a good experience if you like writing stories. It keeps you on track since you have deadlines to keep up with.” Junior Kristiana Vega says, “it’s fun because you get to get out of your comfort zone and write about things you wouldn’t normally write about, and I think that’s good.” Digital Publishing is a very fun and exciting class that everyone should consider taking part in. It can improve your writing skills, working with other people, and it can also help you get more active in the school events. Another bonus is that it’s also a college preparatory class. Taking part in Digital Publishing can be beneficial for you and the school. Use your digital skills for the school in the years to come.
November 11, 2021
Page 7
RAM’S EAR
Three talented sophomore Rams Girls soccer coach and players promoted to varsity team preparing for successful season by Melissa Uribe, Staff Writer
Photo by: Braeden McCann
Soccer season is just around the corner. Soccer conditioning started October 20 and ends October 29. Official tryouts will be November 1- 3, and the first practice will be November 8. Head coach is Ana Roman along with assistant coach Mayra Roamn. Coach Mayra Roman is excited for soccer this year. She wants to prepare the girls for success this year, especially since there wasn’t soccer last year because of COVID-19. Senior Monica Garcia is trying out for soccer this year. She’s joining soccer because she has always liked the sport and enjoyed playing it. She also likes to make new friends. Monica wants to push herself as much as she can during practice, or in the game if she makes the team. Last time she played was in eighth grade with Coach Roman and she played both defense and mid-field. She’s not sure if she will make it on the team since there’s a lot of girls trying out and they have had more experience. Monica says, “My first day of conditioning was pretty fun but tiring.’’ It’s been a while since she’s gone running. Senior Melissa Uribe is also interested in trying out for soccer this year. She doesn’t know if she will make it on the
Sophomores Marco Carrillo, Nathan Panelo and Matthew Bodle on their home turf.
by Diego Torres, Co Editor-in-Chief
know what to expect at first. The game was definitely a lot faster than Jr. Rams and that was a huge difference,” Marco also mentioned how when he was playing Jr Rams the kids were the same age as him, and now the kids are a lot older and bigger than him. Nathan Panelo another key player plays linebacker for the Rams and has 15 solo tackles and two and a half sacks on the season so far, and has been a great help. Something Nathan realized right away about how different Jr Rams is from varsity is the size of the kids and how hard they would hit compared to Jr Rams. “The transition was pretty difficult and I wasn’t the star player anymore so that was something that was different for sure,” Nathan commented about the transition from Jr Rams to Varsity. Something that comes with being on varsity is having that “Welcome to varsity moment” and these three players all had quite a moment. “I got ran over by a grown man and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Matthew exclaimed about his welcome to varsity moment. Marco didn’t really have a welcome to varsity moment but he did say that the hits were definitely a lot harder. Nathan commented, “I got sandwiched by a really fat lineman and that was definitely my moment and it wasn’t too fun.” Being a sophomore on varsity is definitely something impressive, and these three players will be ahead of the game having that varsity experience.
Senior Night planning has it’s ups and down
by Diana Freyre, Staff Writer
After being able to have a volleyball, football and cheer season this year the seniors were happy but anxious that their senior night was coming up, but unfortunately it didn’t go so well for football and cheer. On October 11, the volleyball team had their senior night and played against Highlands. The game was going well and the volleyball team beat Highlands 3-0 but due to some of the events that happened during the game Highlands did not want to play in the up coming home football game that was scheduled for October 22, which was supposed to be the Senior Night for football and cheer. “I think it’s kinda unfair for us the seniors, especially since we didn’t decide to make those bad decisions,” said Stephanie Corona, a senior on the cheer team. Kylee Carlson, the varsity cheer Captain wasn’t too happy about not having a senior night either. “I just really hope it still happens but I don’t want to get my hopes up and get excited for nothing but it sucks that we get hurt for something we didn’t decide to take action on.” Not having any-
more home football games really upset the cheer and football team, considering they’ve been through it all and loved every single second of it. “It honestly sucks not having another home football game, since I’ve been playing almost my whole life so far, I first started football on Jr. Rams and ever since have continued playing football,” said Diego Torres, the quarterback for the varsity football team. Not being able to have a senior night really upset all the seniors, in which they were looking forward to, the cheer team was prepping big for the senior night game and so was the football team. The positive outcome about this situation is that because of Highlands not wanting to play, it’s an automatic forfeit and therefore the boys Varsity team was able to go into the first round of playoffs, which will be played on November 5. Both teams are very hopeful that they will do great in the playoff game and they just want to get on the field already since it’s been almost over a month since the last played and cheered, so after not playing it’s freshing to get back on the field.
Newcomers enjoy the camaraderie and competition of JV volleyball team
Photo by: Brook Summitt
The varsity football team this year has been short handed resulting in multiple underclassmen being brought up to play varsity football. Three sophomores were brought up at the beginning of the season and these three players have stepped up and made a big difference so far this season. These players are Matthew Bodle, Marco Carrillo, and Nathan Panelo. They also did not play JV as freshmen due to Covid-19, and so they went from Jr. Rams to varsity which is very impressive due to the huge playing level jump. Matthew Bodle has been tremendously helpful for the Rams on defense, having 26 solo tackles and two sacks playing defensive back, and has transitioned well to playing varsity. “My first experience on a varsity game was a little bit scary but once I got into it and realized these kids were soft I was fine,” Matthew Bodle explained. Varsity football and Jr. Rams are extremely different from each other in regards to play style, the speed of the game, and of course the size of the kids. Matthew also commented, “The transition from Jr. Rams to varsity was weird because I didn’t get to play JV my freshman year so I didn’t know what to expect but once I started playing all that changes is the size and speed of the kids.” Marco Carrillo is leading the team so far in rushing with 383 yards and also has four touchdowns. He has been a great help for the Rams at the tailback position and is a key player for the team. “My first game experience was good, but I didn’t
team because she hasn’t played since elementary school. Melissa decided to try out for the team because it’s her last year of high school and she wanted to play sports. She plays at home with her dad. “If I do make it on the team, one goal that I would have for myself would be to just have fun and make memories,” says Melissa. Sophomore, Sherley Guerra is also trying out. One reason she is trying out is to try a sport in the school, as this being her first year in playing soccer in high school. Another reason why she joined was for the memories that she would make with her teammates in practices and also gain more experience for the future. Sherley says, “First conditioning was good. We started with some stretches and running, and then went to the weightroom.” Her goal is to make it on the team while trying her best in conditioning and tryouts, but if she doesn’t make it she won’t give up since she has two more years to make it on the team. These girls are ready to play ball. As the teammates become closer with each other, they become like one big family, soccer is a great way to create bonds.
JV volleyball girls hudled durimg time out.
by Jordan McDonald, Staff Writer
After having a long break away from not being in school, the JV volleyball girls were excited to finally have a season. Most of the girls who played this year had never played a sport at the high school. People come out and watch the girls play, which encourages them to have fun and play harder. “It’s very fun! I feel like our team has improved so much from the start,” Junior Marisela Licea said. Marisela has enjoyed making new friends and actually being a part of a team. This is Marisela’s first year playing a sport for the high school. She plays as a middle blocker. “It’s very difficult, but I really feel like I’ve gotten better and this is my first time playing,” she exclaims. Marisela is upset that the season is very close to ending. “I’ll miss all my friends and hopefully I will see them next year,” she said. Freshman Eleanor Burch decided to participate in volleyball for her first year of sports. Ellie plays the position of middle blocker and left outside hitter. “I like vol-
leyball because I have a lot of games. And I love going out to eat afterwards with the team,” Ellie shares. Sophomore Sherley Guerra explained the struggles of wearing a mask while playing, “It was hard in the beginning, but after a few games I got used to it.” This is also Sherley’s first year playing volleyball but she plans on playing all the way to senior year. “I like practicing with my teammates and making memories with them,” Sherley said. She’s sad that the season is close to ending and will miss her teammates. JV volleyball is finally back after such a long break, and the whole school is very excited about it. All the girls on the team are very connected and love spending time together. Over the season, the girls overcame all their obstacles together as a team. They are all very excited to be back and work together to do great things. The JV volleyball team spent most of the season struggling, but they wrapped up the season with a win against San Juan.
Thanksgiving Break November 20 - 28, 2021
Page 8
November 11, 2021
RAM’S EAR
Going the distance at Renfree Athletes of the Month
by Alex Ornelas, Staff Writer
was about to start, the girls huddled up, with Brooklyn leading the way, screaming “Rio on 3...1, 2, 3 RIO!!” The runners then took off, and every single one of them had shown that they gave it their all. “The run was challenging, but I think both of our teams did really well. The other teams also had good runners which made it easier to push myself and work to stay ahead,” stated Bella Saldana. Last but not least, was the varsity boys race with Co-Captain Alex Ornelas running, as well as Victor Reyes, William Lindsay, Sumain Chiv, Wes Wirth, Fabrizio Lazo, and Colby Eisenhour. Captain Sam Esperson had to miss out on this first meet due to a shin injury, but he was there on the sidelines cheering everyone on. This was the first race of quite a few runners on the team, but despite the inexperience, everyone did great. “ I was wanting to get in the top 20 and run a 21 minute 5k,” new runner Victor Reyes commented. “I didn’t expect to run in the top 10 and it felt great knowing I can compete with the top contenders.” “This was my first race ever so it was something new to me and the race was a bit difficult but I had fun while running,’’ Sherley Guerra said. “I found a running buddy during the race which made the race a bit more bearable. The whole team gave it their all and did their best at representing Rio Vista High School.” This first meet for the team had a great turnout, with the varsity boys tying in first place with Highlands out of five schools there. The varsity girls placed second out of three schools so that was a good start for them. Everyone did their part and the results were well deserved. “I was really impressed with how much effort our team put into both races, I am very hopeful for making it to sections this year,” Coach Gomes said.
Photo by: Monica Garcia
The entire cross country team was looking forward to their first league meet of the season at Renfree Park in Sacramento. They had been preparing for many weeks for their first meet, with a lot of hills and speedwork involved to get in the right shape for this race. Although this course didn’t have many hills, they still continue practicing them which will help them for any future courses. There are many courses on their schedule that have plenty of hills so Coach Gomes and Okamura had to make sure they were prepared for anything that they could come up against. On the day of the meet, emotions were getting a bit high, as some of the seniors had realized that this would be their last time running on that course. Having some experience was definitely an advantage for this team as several of their runners had already competed on this course before. The team had arrived with plenty of time to spare before any of the races were ready to begin, so everyone jogged a piece of the track as a warmup. After that, everyone did their daily warm ups, which consisted of a few stretches and drills such as “toe-walks, monster walks, high knees, butt-kicks, sideways jumping jacks, and A/B skips.” The junior varsity race was up first, so a few of the runners had done some sprints before they were up, and had taken off. Sami Lyon, Tessa Jelly, and Angelina Emmons were the three runners that ran the JV race, with each girl doing quite well. Next up was the girls varsity race, with Captain Kayla Delk running in this race, as well as Brooklyn Koziol, Greta and Scarlett Dole, Bella and Sophia Saldana, and Sherley Guerra. They went through the same process of warmups as everyone else, and Coach Okamura had to make sure that they would do a few sprints before their actual run. Before the race
The Lady Rams sporting their Team Devin shirts for the annual fundraising game. Pictured are Maia Stone, Gracie Medders, Daniela Roman, Sophia Saldana, Bella Saldana, Brook Summitt and Coach Ann.
Deven Davis game victory against San Juan by Monica Garcia, Co Editor-in-Chief
The varsity volleyball Lady Rams team has a season overall of 10-8. On Sept. 22 it was the annual Deven Davis game. This game was dedicated to former Rio Vista High School student and Lady Rams volleyball player, Deven Davis. On October 11, the ladies had their Senior Night game against Highlands High School. Their final game was on Monday, October 18 against San Juan. The Deven Davis game was a home game against San Juan. The ladies took the win in this game with a score of 3-1. The gym was decorated with posters and had a bake sale in the corner of the gym. The bake sale table had many treats like cookies, brownies, pretzels, and also sold Deven Davis shirts. Before the game everyone circled in the middle of the gym and prayed in honor of Deven. After the prayer, the ladies then started their game against San Juan. The ladies’ Senior Night started with the Seniors on the team being announced out into the middle of the gym floor with their families. Senior Brook Summit stated, “My senior night was bittersweet, I’m sad that I won’t be playing volleyball but I’m
happy to have such supportive girls besides me.” The girls were given gifts like flowers and balloons and then took a picture with their family. The game then started soon after and ended their Senior Night with a win against Highlands, a score of 3-0. On Monday, October 18, the Lady Rams had a game against the San Juan High School. Varsity volleyball player, Freshman Guadalupe Valdenegro Tejeda states, “I’m very happy because it is my first year and we have made it to the playoffs and I’m happy for the other girls as well.” The Rams won this game with a score of 3-2. The win of this game led the ladies to the playoffs. They have their first game on Tuesday, October 26 for the playoffs. Junior Gracie Medders stated, “It feels good, it’s very exciting. I feel very proud of my team and I that we made it this far.” After a long time of having no volleyball, the ladies have a score of 10-8 and will go to playoffs on Tuesday, October 26. This playoff game will determine whether or not the ladies stay in the playoffs or their season will be over.
Diego Torres
Daniel Altunez
Diego is a hard worker at practice and in the weight room. Diego is playing the QB position and has done a good job this year. He is also a good representative of the program both on and off campus. - Coach Medders
Tuna plays on both the varsity and JV team. For a first year player, he has done a really good job learning how to play. He is a hard worker and does well in the classroom. -Coach Medders
Sophia Saldana
Leilani Barbosa
Sophia is a captain and it shows on the court. She is one of the most focused athletes on the team. - Coach Ann
Leilani consistently has a great attitude at practice. She is always striving to get better at her craft, whether it be asking for more reps in a drill or watching the Varsity girls and asking questions. She is encouraging to others on and off the court. She is a great example and a great captain! -Coach Saldana
Stephanie Corona
Destiny Lopez
Varsity Football
Varsity Volleyball
Varsity Cheer
Stephanie has proven to be incredibly strong mentally and physically as one of our varsity fliers. Stephanie makes any challenge look easy and she does it with a smile on her face. We love the energy she brings!! Steph has been such asset to our squad and we are so fortunate to have her! -Coach Gornto
Victor Reyes
JV Football
JV Volleyball
JV Cheer
Although Destiny can be shy but she is fearless. Any role that is asked of her she does without any complaints. She is supportive, inclusive and respectful to everyone on our squad. Destiny has been a great addition to our team! We are lucky to have her! -Coach Gornto
Sherley Guerra
Cross Country
Victor and Sherley exemplify the work ethic and positive attitude coaches look for in athletes on any team. They are motivating to others and work very hard at practice, which translates to them being critical players in a race. We appreciate all they bring to the team. -Coach Gomes