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Sports......................15-19

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April 18, 2008

Vol. 25 No. 7

Diamond DreamsBy David HendersonStaff Writer

Students Enjoy Themselves at Carnival-style Sock Hop

See SOCK HOP pg. 8

With the season in full swing, the baseball team continues to cement its legacy as one of the Bay Area’s finest programs.

See VARSITY BASEBALL pg. 17Senior Christian Lam is one of many key contributors for the the team this season, helping a relentless offensive attack that complements their strong pitching.

By Tori BerglandFeatures Editor On April 5, 2008, ASB brought the students of Valley Christian their very own carnival! The festive evening was the last dance of the year put on by ASB, and the second to last dance of the seniors’ high school career. It began at 7:00 pm in the large gymnasium with fun music, yummy food, and entertaining games! The decorations included vibrant balloons and funny pictures along the wall.

The food alone gave a great picture of being at a carnival. The ASB provided all-you-can-eat cotton candy and never-ending popcorn. There were also Caramel Apple

Pops, which also seem to be a hit, and few more sweet munchies. Although there was no eating in the gym itself, there were always people hanging out in the lobby in-between the big gym and the small gym eating the scrumptious goodies and chairs were available for those who had sore feet from dancing. Speaking of dancing, there was a section of the gym blocked off for those who enjoy cuttin’ up the rug and they sure did! The music

With a very tough and prepared Warriors team, Valley Christian finally had a break in the schedule by playing Branham High School. The team lived up to expectations and blew through Branham with a final score of 7-2.

In order to beat the Warriors, the James Logan Colts decided to pitch their ace. Struggling at first, Valley recovered very nicely by scoring five runs in the sixth inning after James Logan pulled the starting pitcher, giving the Warriors a very good lead. Danny Davis held the Colts to zero runs throughout the game, and received the win. Valley advanced in this Crown Classic game with the score 5-0.

In the next Crown Classic game, Valley had to play Santa Cruz again and this time, senior pitcher Jon Hughes took the mound. Valley went back to their traditional style of playing small-ball and racked up six points in the process. Once again Hughes shut down another team, but this time he only allowed three runs. Valley defeated Santa Cruz 6-3. The next game in the Crown Classic was against San Benito. Similar to the game against Santa Cruz, Valley had a good game by playing small-ball. Senior Anthony Kupbens pitched this game and held San Benito to three runs. Later in the game, Valley started to hit the ball into gaps in the outfield giving the Warriors eight runs.

Alyssa Tomasello, Gina Portale, and sophomores Laura Bloom and Victoria Smith enjoy the Sock Hop.

Senior Nick Neilsen shows off his superb dance moves at the Sock Hop to an excited crowd.

www.valleychristian.netTHE WARRIOR2 NEWS April 18, 2008

Ryan EshoffEditor-In-Chief/News Editor

Alyssa TomaselloJr. News EditorKaitlyn Baker

Assistant News EditorErin McKinley

Assistant News EditorLiz Fleming

Jr. News Editor

Tori BerglandFeatures Editor

Christine ByrneJr. Features Editor

Caitlin MulvihillOpinions Editor

Adam HillSports Editor

Brittney TanoriAssistant Sports Editor

Alyssa BerdingJr. Sports Editor

CJ WryeJr. Sports Editor

Eric NguyenPhotography Editor

Caitlin MulvihillBusiness Manager

Kaitlyn BakerAssistant Business Manager

Erin McKinleyAssistant Business Manager

Staff WritersEric Bates

Tanner BurnsJoyce Chen

Lindsay ColeTarah DuarteJoe Garcia

Amber GarmanDavid Henderson

Amanda HochmuthJon Hughes

Stephen LamJonathan Lampkin

Aidan LenihanMelody Makhfi

Megan McKinleyArman Moghtaderi-Zadeh

Jeff MuellerShalmalee Pandit

Erica ParkerJacob Ruiz

Jamie Walitsch

2007-2008Warrior Staff

Want to advertise in The Warrior?

Contact Diann Fugate at dfugate@vcs.net

for ad sizes and rates.

Note: The Warrior is a nonprofit publication which is published throughout the school year by the associated body of Valley Christian High School. Views expressed in The Warrior are those of the writ-ers and do not necessarily repre-sent the views of the school, staff,

or its students.

All type and layouts are created in the Warrior newsroom, room 215.

The Warrior is printed at Folger Graphics, Hayward, California.

Valley Christian Clubs! Want to add more extra curricular activites in or if you just want to meet up with people with similar interest? Joining clubs is a great way to achieve both!

Chinese Language Club – Want to learn more about the Chinese language or just want to share what you know? Come to Chinese Language Club! Meets every second Tuesday of the month in room 111.Christian Club – Meets every Thursday at lunch in room 218. Come hear Bay Area youth pastors and fellow students share with us.The Film Society – Popcorn, soda, and a flick; coming soon.French Club – Bonjour! Want to learn more about French? French Club meets every B day Wednesday at lunch.Japanese Club – Konichiwa, Nihongo o narimasuka? Translation: “Hello want to learn about Japanese?” Come to Japanese club. Latin Club – Want to know more about Latin? Come to Latin Club in room 221 on Tuesdays at lunch.Debate Team - Want to learn how to make a strong and smart argument? Join the debate team; they meet Tuesdays after school in room 420.Mu Alpha Theta – Interested in math? Want to increase your math skills? Join Mu Alpha Theta. They meet at lunch every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.Nu Delta Alpha – Don’t be deceived! Its not another math club, but a dance one!Photo Club – Interested in photography? Come to Photo Club in room 303 from 2:30 to 3:00 every Tuesday.International Awareness – Worried about the world? Come to International Awareness!Young Political Leader Club – Interested in politics or just want to talk about it? Come to room 107G every Friday at lunch!Ultimate Sports Club – Everyone needs some recreation time and just have fun. Ultimate Sports Club is coming! Slam Poetry Club – Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound,Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Have no idea what that means? Come to the Slam Poetry Club and find out! Fridays at lunch in room 422.Spanish Club- Hola! Experience all the thrills of Spanish culture, Wednesdays at lunch in room 105Go-Green – Worried about the environment? Come to Go- Green Club! Art Club – Interested in sketching, painting, or any other form of art? Art Club Fridays at Lunch in 127G.

Check Out The Valley Christian Club Scene!

A G

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n in NEWS in FEATURES

in OPINIONS in SPORTS

this week’s sports...

Baseball: Friday, 4/18 versus St. Ignatius at VCHS; Saturday, 4/19 versus De La Salle at VCHS; Tuesday, 4/22 versus Archbishop Mitty at VCHS; Friday, 4/25 at Archbishop RiordanHockey: Saturday, 4/19 versus Redwood City at Sharks Ice; (if victorious Saturday, the team will play Bellarmine in the championship on Sunday 4/20)Softball: Friday, 4/18 versus St. Ignatius at Mission Blue; Tuesday, 4/22 at Mitty; Thursday, 4/24 versus Sacred Heart Cathedral at Lang Field Swimming: Thursday, 4/24 at St. Ignatius Boys Volleyball: Tuesday, 4/22 versus Bellarmine at VCHS; Thursday, 4/24 at St. FrancisBoys Golf: Tuesday, 4/22 versus Sacred Heart Cathedral at Glen Eagles; Thursday, 4/24 versus St. Ignatius at Silver CreekTrack and Field: Friday, 4/18 at Los Gatos HS (CCS Top 8); Saturday, 4/19 at James Logan HS (Bay Area Top 8); Wednesday, 4/23 versus Riordan/Sacred Heart Prep at VCHS

-Students react positively to Spiritual Emphasis Week-Police increase presence on campus-Headlines from around the world

-Sock Hop pics on center spread!-How to have the best prom ever...-Preparing for all of those AP tests in May.

-Choosing the right style of college-See a new review of the latest movie and restaurant!

-Swimming and Diving team takes on all WCAL comers-Boys volleyball team continues its strong league performance

Witness the talent of VC students...

The 2008 VCHS Film Festival will take place on April 18. Films will be viewed in multiple rooms in the Communications Department. The winner of every category will be shown in Studio 218. The awards presentation will be from 8-9 pm. The film festival is open to all film fans!

Festival Has arrived!Valley Christian’s very own funk band, Traffic, entered the “School of Rock” competition hosted by Bay Area radio station 98.5 KFOX. Lis-teners could go online to KFOX’s website to listen to the band and its competitors perform, and then vote for who they deem to be the

best, with the winning band taking in $5,000 for their respective high school’s music program. The Valley Christian band entered the songs “Frankenstein” and “Smoke on the Water,” and competed against seven other high school bands from throughout the Bay Area.

Get Yourself Caught in Traffic!

Welcome to

Page 2: a quick look at Valley Christian student life

for decorating her table and providing tea cups and plates. Some tables had unique centerpieces including an umbrella, chan-delier, and pastel-colored ribbons. The tables had pictures so people could re-member fun times from this year’s season. To raise money for band, a lot of gift baskets and items were raffled. Some basket

themes were Teen Beauty, Spa, Chocolate, Baseball, and even College-Bound, which included an iPod, popcorn, and a movie. Many dedicated people made Val-ley Christian’s 11th Annual Ladies Tea a huge success, and the band will benefit greatly from the money raised at the tea.

On April 4-5, Valley Christian Jazz students had the honor of attending and competing in the 38th Annual Na-tional High School Jazz Competition. The competition was part of the Next Genera-tion Festival held from April 3-6 in down-town Monterey. There were over fifty high school groups in attendance, representing nine states, as well as special guest groups from Japan, Australia, and the Czech Re-public. The event is an invitation-only event. Just to be considered for the honor of performing, a group must have earned a superior rating from a major jazz compe-tition, and then anonymous recordings of

each group must be reviewed four times by judges selected by the Berkelee College of Music in Boston. This process is grueling and difficult, but those groups selected to perform are among the best and most tal-ented in the nation. In total, Valley Chris-tian received four invitations. Three invi-tations were extended to Valley Christian High School’s own jazz band, jazz combo, and Room 107. Valley Christian Junior High’s jazz band also received an invita-tion. David Gregoric and David Hook led the groups for the duration of the festi-val. The performances by each group were outstanding. “The quality at the festival was unbelievable. It didn’t even matter how we placed because we all just felt so blessed to

be there. There were literally groups from all over the world performing. There aren’t many competitions for high school kids that are of this caliber,” explained junior Room 107 member Ashley Mauro. The

jazz bands featured twelve highlight so-loists. Freshman Ryan McCray’s perfor-mance was a particular stand out and gar-nered him a scholarship to this summer’s

Berkelee Jazz Camp in Boston.

3THE WARRIORwww.valleychristian.netNEWS Friday, April 18, 2008

On Saturday, April 12, over 400 la-dies enjoyed a Parisian-style afternoon tea at Valley Christian’s 11th Annual Ladies Tea. The VCHS Ladies Tea, held each spring, raises money for the band and color guard. The band directors and instructors make a wish list of items they would like to purchase for next year’s season, such as new equipment or instru-ments, and the money raised from the tea goes to pay for these items. During the tea, small groups from the VCHS band played songs, and at the end, the whole march-ing band performed the first few minutes of this season’s field show, Concept Z. The ladies enjoyed an afternoon of food and fun. This year’s theme was “Springtime in Paris.” The large gym was decorated with black silhouette cut-outs of French objects, such as a woman walk-ing a dog and a French café. Along with tea, lunch and desserts were served. Peo-ple feasted on delicious tea sandwiches, quiche, croissants, scones, and other pas-tries. Younger girls got special “Princess Plates” that included cupcakes for des-sert. Each table hostess was responsible

Ladies’ Springtime Tea

Valley Christian Jazz Groups Dazzle at Monterey Festival

Spiritual Emphasis Week a Success

Students at Valley Christian areblessedwiththeopportunitytodedicateawholeweektospiritualemphasis.Twiceayear,studentsgatherinchapeleachdayoftheweek,allowingthemtobecomemorecomfortableandfamiliarwiththespeakersandtheirviewsthantheywouldinanormalchapel.Thissemester’sSpiritualEmphasisWeekwasledbyhusbandandwife,Dale and Jonalyn Fincher from Colorado. Monday’schapelbeganwithDalesharinghis testimony so as to familiarizethe audience with a general backgroundof his life story.At the end of Monday’schapel, Dale and Jonalyn asked thestudentstowritedownanyquestionstheyhadconcerningfaith,relationships,orlifeand the future. The speakerswould thendo their best to give insight and answervarious questions throughout the week. During the week, Dale andJonalyn discussed many issues aboutfaith that teenagers face on a regularbasis. They also talked about theirorganization called “Soulation,” whichfocuses on the importance of nurturingyoursoul.Byusingstories,bothpersonalandmetaphoric, aswell as applying theirbackground in acting, they emphasized

the impact that God has on our lives. In addition to speaking dailyat chapel, Dale and Jonalyn shared theirstory and message throughout the weekby visiting various Bible classrooms andalso talking with students during lunch,continuingtoanswerquestions.Byvisitingclasses, the speakers were able to relatewith the students. They also enlightenedthestudentsbydiscussingways inwhichtheycouldshowtheworldwhatGodislikethrougheverythingtheydo.Junior Austin Lowe said, “Itwas interestinggivingmyfuturecareeralittlemorethoughtanditwasnicetobegivensomeadviceinthatarea.” Both Dale and Jonalyn haverecorded their ideas and experiences inbooks which they sold throughout theweek,andcanalsobepurchasedon theirwebsitewhichislocatedatwww.soulation.org. Dale’s book is called Living withQuestionsandanswerskeyquestions thatstudents all across the country strugglewithdaily. Jonalyn’sbook is titledRubySlippers:HowtheSoulofaWomanBringsherHome. It focuses specifically on how a woman can strengthen her soul anddevelop a closer relationship with God. Spiritual EmphasisWeek was abigsuccessandwillbeonetoremember.With the advice Dale and Jonalynprovided for the Valley Christian studentbody, students will be greatly motivatedto finish the year out strong and look to furtherpursuetheirrelationshipwithGod.

ByJonHughes,AmandaHochmuthandTannerBurnsStaff Writers

By Kaitlyn BakerAssistant News Editor

By Liz FlemingJunior News Editor

Room 107 was one of the three groups at Valley Christian to receive an invitation to play at the Next Genera-tion Festival held in downtown Monterey.

Seniors David Creel and Daniel Merriot are members of Valley’s outstanding Jazz Band that performed on April 4-5.

This year’s annual afternoon at Valley was trés chic!

“It was interesting giv-ing my future career a little more thought and it was nice to be given

some advice.”-Austin Lowe, ‘09

4 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 NEWS

Everyyear,ValleyChristianHighSchoolpresentsthe2008ArtShow.Thisisaneventwherestudentsareable tosharetheir artwork with other students, parentsandthecommunity.Thisyear’sArtShowwasenjoyedbyallonApril15. Allthestudentswhohadtheirartintheshow,wereveryexcitedtoshowofftheirtalents.Alongwiththestudents,VCHSartteacher,Mrs.. Leighton Isaacswasalsoveryexcited.“Iamveryexcitedabouttheartshowthisyear…Weareshowingsomebeautiful works from first year art students all the way throughAdvanced PlacementStudioArtandPhotography.”

TheArtShowwas judged in theValley Christian High School small gymand it involved students’ work from thedifferentartandphotoclasses.Theartwasdisplayedthroughoutthesmallgymwhichgave students an opportunity to view thetalentthatisatVCHS.

TheArtShow,onTuesday,April

15,wasopentoalltocomeandtourthegym.Delicious selections of hors d’oeuvres,desserts and drinks were offered. Alongwith the art, there was an exciting andcolorfulslideshowthatfeaturedstudents’artworkandphotos,whichstartedat8P.M.inthesmallgym.

After the show, some of thestudents’workwillbeondisplayinthenewPresident’s Galley which is the hallwayleadingtothelibrary.Thepiecesofartandthe photos displyed in this hallway willbe chosen by VCS Superintendent, Dr. Clifford Daugherty for their excellenceandtheimpactontheviewer.

IfyoumissedthisspectacularArtShow on April 15, there will be anothershowingofthestudents’workonSaturday,May 17at the Festival of theArts at theSkywayCampus.

The show truly portrayed theGod-giventalentsofValleystudents.

The Art Show was a Great Success!ByEricaParker&JoyceChenStaff Writers

On Wednesday,April 16, chapelspeaker Jared Estes touched the heartsof Valley Christian students, teachers,and administrators with his emotionalstory.Estes’stalebeganinthecityofSanJose, where he lived for the first 13 years of his life.A student of Valley ChristianElementary School, Estes recalled his

favorite teacher, Lisa Samuelson, now amemberoftheVCHSfaculty. ThedramabeganwhenEstesandhisfamilymovedtoasmalltowninKansas.Itwasthere,atBucklinHighSchool,thatEstes met and fell in love with Paige Johnson,ahighschoolcheerleaderayearEstes’s junior. After meeting in strange

fashion(JohnsonfailedtoannounceEstes’snamewhenherightfullywonHomecomingKing), the two immediatelyhit itoff.Sixmonths after their marriage, on March 6,2005, thevehicle that thecoupleandtwoof their friendswere riding inwas struckbyadrunkdriver.Withthecarengulfedinflames, Estes and the two friends managed to make it out of the vehicle, whether oftheirownaccordorwiththeaidofothers.Tragically,Johnsondidnotmakeitoutoftheburningwreckage.

Estesspenttwoweeksinacomafollowing the accident, and needed asignificant amount of recovery time for his severeburnsandinjuries.Now,threeyearsafterthetragedy,EstesmaintainshisfaithinGodandhisloveforfamilyandfriends,threethingsthatheandJohnsondiscussedon their first night together. In addition to being a living example of the dangers ofdrinking and driving, Estes spoke to thecrowdaboutanappreciationforlifeandallitsblessings.

ChapelSpeakerJaredEstesFindsHopeinGodAfterCarAccidentByRyanEshoffEditor-in-Chief

5THE WARRIORwww.valleychristian.netNEWS Friday, April 18, 2008

Valley Christian Security: How Safe Do You Feel?Increased Police Presence and Security MeasuresByJonLampkin&EricBatesStaff Writers Truly, how safe do you feel?Generally, when police are brought intoa situation the people involved in thesituationfeelmuchsafer;buttheincreasedpolice presence here at Valley ChristianHigh School has students wondering andworrying.Isittruethatpeoplearegettingcaughtsellingdrugsoncampus?Wastherereally a dead body found by the railroadtracksonlysecondsawayfromourschool?Are there really cameras in every singleclassroom? VHCS Principal of StudentLife, Mr. Mark Lodewyk stated thattherearealways rumorsand“it’sour jobtoinvestigatetheseissues.”Hecontinued,“Quality familieswhosend theirchildrento a school such as VCHS expect anddeserve a safe academic environment.Most schools in the WCAL have policeofficers on campus as well and we feel it

isbettertobeproactiveratherthanreactiveinprotectingourcampus.”

What people have noticed themost aboutValleyChristian’supgradeonsecurity is the extra police officers around thecampus.Onanygivendayyoumayseethem directing traffic after school, standing inthequadlookingoutoverthecrowdofstudentsorevenatlunchpatrollingtheroadup to the hill and parking lot. The SJPDofficers also carry guns, and are ready for any kind of incident. When asked theiropinion considering having police officers withguns,bothfreshmenAmber GarmanandLindsay Cole agreed,“Idon’tknow,kind of scared but I guess it’s good.”These police officers work 5-hour shifts throughout the morning and afternoon.Along with the extra bodies, the schoolhascamerasallover,includingbrandnew

ManyVCstudentsarenotawareof their fellow classmate’s talents andcreative ideas. However, some studentsputtheirextratimeintostartingtheirveryownbusinesses.OneofVC’sownjuniors, Branden Feist, created his own designsforashirtandstudentsaroundtheschoolhelped support by purchasing their veryown shirt. Electric Threads Corporationis Feist’s first company and he has started solo. His inspiration comes from hispassion for art. “I wanted to find a way

to become successful while doing what Ilove,”Feistsaid.FeiststartedhiscompanyinlateFebruary. Feist orders his prints and shirtsand makes his shirts in his own garage.The most popular T-shirt includes his first design, a green or teal colored shirt withthe logo Electric Threads Corp. He alsomakesshirtsforotherbandsandcompaniesalongwithhisown.Feisthopestobecomesuccessfulwithhispassionforart,throughhisnewshirtcompany.

VC Entrepreneur Finds his PassionBy Melody MakhfiStaff Writer

cameraslocatedinthegymlobby.Peopleentering and exiting the school campusnevergounnoticed.

Lodewyknoted,“Weusecamerason a daily basis. Cameras are here toassist us with various purposes and areusedprimarily to aid in the safetyof ourcampus.”

It is obvious that school hasfocused on prevention, but do studentsmore feel safe? “I felt more safe whentherewerelesscops,”saidTanner Burns,asenioratValleyChristian.Manypeopleare uneasy about the increase in securityaround the school. Many false rumorssuchaselevatedgangviolencearoundtheareahavesurfaced,butPrincipalLodeywkreassures the school and its studentsthat, “Nothing out of the ordinary hashappened.”

Some girls show of Feist’s recent shirts.

OneofthegreatestjoysofEasterand many other holidays is being able tospend timewith family.But thousandsofchildrenaroundSantaClaraandSanMateoCountieswerenotabletoenjoythisspecialprivilegethisyear. SeveralValleyChristianstudentsdecidedtohelpthesekidsinneedandgivethem an Easter to remember by servingwith Help One Child. This program isdesigned to find permanent homes for at-risk children. On Wednesday March 19,students gathered to stuff 800 eggs withcandy and Bible verses. Then, about 20

VCStudentsServeOverEasterwithHelpOneChildJamie WalitschStaff Writer

students along with Bible teacher Ms.

Vivian Pipkin took the eggs to Union

Presbyterian Church in Los Altos onSaturday March 22. They helped put onan Easter party that included an Easteregg hunt and a puppet show for childreninvolvedintheHelpOneChildprogram. Sophomore Stevan Milunovicstated, “I really enjoyed preparing acelebration of our Lord’s resurrection forchildrentohavefun.”Aboutonehundredchildren showed up for the fun event.Valleyhasbeenhelpingwiththisprogramforthepastseveralyears.TheyhavebeeninvolvedwithmanyChristmascelebrationsaswell.

The Easter egg hunt at the church.

THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net NEWSFriday, April 18, 2008

Autismistheworld’sfastest-growingdevelopmentaldisabilityandit’svitalthatparents,especially,areawareofit.Autismaffects1in150birthsaccordingtotheCDCand1to1.5millionAmericansarediagnosedwithit. Autism,bydefinitionisacomplexdevelopmentaldisabilitythataffectsthegrowthofthebrainandthusimpairssocialinteraction,communication,andcausesrestrictedandrepetitivebehavior.Brainscansshowdifferencesintheshapeandstructureofthebraininautisticchildrenversushealthychildren(AutismSocietyofAmerica).Thehardestquestionparents,doctors,andresearchersarefacingisthecauseforthedisease. Autismisveryuniquetoeachindividualinthateachchildcanshowvariedsymptomsorsigns.Thus,parentsorguardianswillhavedifficultyidentifyingwhethertheirchildhasautism.Somecommoncharacteristicsofautismare:repeatingwordsorphrases,littleornoeyecontact,usinggesturesorpointinginsteadofwords,difficultyinmixingwithothers,tantrums,andpreferringtobeingalone.Therearenomedicalteststodiagnoseautism,unfortunately.Theonlywaytoverifythatachildhasautismisfortheindividual’scommunication,behavior,anddevelopmentallevelstobeabnormal. Thereisnospecificcauseforthedisease.Researchers,doctors,andparentsarestillstrugglingtofindananswer,howevernoaccurateonehasbeenfound.Someparentsbelieveachilddevelopsautismthroughhowhe/sheisraisedandthelackofsocialization.However,othersbelievethere’salinkbetweentheThimerosalandtheMeasles,Mumps,andRubellavaccineandautism.Withtoddlersandyoungstersinjectedwithvaccines,manywouldn’tbesurprisedifthatwasthecause.Obviously,thereismuchresearchtobedone.

ByCaitlinMulvihillOpinions Editor

WhatintheWorld???

Has science finally gone so farastodefynatureitself? Wellmaybenot.

One of the controversial storiesof today is that there is a pregnant manwho recently appeared on Oprah. Theman is reportedly5monthspregnant andiscarryingthebabythatwasconceivedbyin vitro fertilization. When his wife wasforcedtohaveahysterectomysomeyearsbefore, she was left incapable of havingchildren and therefore was renderedincapable of having children. The manalsowentonOprahrecentlywherehewas

brought to tearsbyOprah’sslightlybluntquestionof“AreyoureadytoputAmericathrough this.” Media and paparazzi nowfollowtheHawaiianbornman’s lifeverycloselybutsomeessentialconcernsremain.

The first has certainly causedthe most uproar, and that is that the“man” is actually a transgender woman.While under the effect of the law she islegally a he and is married legally, butbiologically speaking he is still a womanandthereforeisabletocarryachild.Thishasledtoseveraldoctorsrefusingtotreat

them because to many doctors this is anethically wrong union and they won’tcompromise theirpersonalmoralsevenifit means violating the Hippocratic oath.

The second problem, which isfar lessfocusedonbutcouldprovidejustasbigaproblemis thefact that if itevercame to an abortion there are no rightsguaranteedtomenunderthelaw.Whateverthecircumstancesleadtothiswillremaina closely watched story because itbends and flexes the morals ofAmerica.

The Pregnant ManByChrisMeyerStaff Writer

1 in Every 150

American Children

ByStephenLamStaff Writer

Jimmy Carter Visits Israeli

city of SderotA u t h o r i t i e s

Recommend a Suspension of

Troop Withdraws

Kenya Erupts… Again

6

Pope Pays theUnited States

a Visit

FormerUnitedStatesPresident,Jimmy Carter,spenttimeintheIsraelicity of Sderot, the target of manyPalestinianmissiles,thispastweek.Heis become a figure of controversy inIsraelasaresultofhispriordescriptionofIsraelipolicytowardPalestine.Afterbeing shown wreckage from rocketsthathadfallen,Cartercharacterizedtheattacks as criminal. Carter is currentlyonatouroftheWestBank,Egypt,Syria,Jordan,andSaudiArabia.

Chinese President Hu Jinato met Vice-President-elect Vincent Siew of Taiwan met on Saturday forthe first time since the 1949 post-civilwarsplit.Ma Yong-jeou,whowontheChinesePresidentialelectioninMarch,communicatedthathehopestocontinuenegotiations once he takes office inMay.

China and Taiwan Meet After 59

Years of Silence

PopeBenedictXVIisvisitedtheUnitedStatesforthefirsttimethisweeksince becoming the leader of the Ro-man Catholic Church. ManyAmericanCatholicslooktothePopeforguidance,especially concerning how to processthe many sex abuse scandals that havesurfaced in the church during the pastdecade.Duringhisvisit,PopeBenedictcalledtheseabuses“shameful”and“be-yond comprehension,” satisfying manyAmericans.WhileinAmerica,thePopeturned 80 years old, and was thrown abirthday party by President George W.Bush who hosted a crowd of tens ofthousandsofAmericans.PopeBenedictXVIplanstosaymassatYankeeStadi-umonSundaywherehewastoldbytheYankeesthatheiswelcome…solongas

hekeepshisPopeMobileoffofthelawn.

Violent demonstrationsbroke out in Kenya following theopposition’s suspension of talksregarding the formation of a power-sharing government. Raila Odinga,Kenya’s opposition leader accusedPresident Mwai Kibaki of attemptingto concentrate executive power in thepresidency.

United States Ambassador toIraq,Ryan Crocker,alongwithGeneral Petraeus met with CongressionalcommitteesinWashingtonforaprogressreportonIraq.Crockersaidthatprogresshas taken place, but described it as“uneven and often frustratingly slow.”General Petraeus recommended to theSenateArmed Services Committee andtheSenateForeignRelationscommitteethat the United States suspend troopwithdrawals in order to maintain thesecuritygainsmade.

THE WARRIORwww.valleychristian.netNEWS Friday, April 18. 2008 7

ValleyChristian’spremiersinginggroup Room 107 and the award-winningjazz band traveled to beautiful Hawaiiduring spring break to perform severalconcerts and to promote Room 107’snewalbum,Room 107,whichdebuted inJanuary.ThegroupstayedonthebigislandofHawaiiinthetownofKonafromMarch24-31. The week began with aperformance in Kona a t a local churchcalled The Rock. Throughout the rest ofthetrip,thegroupperformedatmanyotherlifecentersandcommunitycentersontheisland. They even had the opportunity toplayandsingonapierbytheoceanforadockedcruiseship! Traveling to such an exoticlocation to perform provided Valley’sstudents with a unique opportunity to

This year’s Winter GuardcontinuedtostriveforVC’smotto“Questfor Excellence” as they pushed forwardthrough the end of their season. OnSaturday,March22,2008,theWinterGuardcompetedinDublinatDublinHighSchool.They received third place with a score

HawaiiWelcomesRoom107learnandbroaden their cultural horizons.The students engaged in many Hawaiiantraditions and even had the chance toattenda luauonthebeach.“Atonepointduring the luau, it started to rain and wegotsoaked,sowealljumpedintotheoceanwithourclotheson!Itwasdefinitelyoneofthemostmemorablepartsoftheentiretrip,” recalled junior, Ashley Mauro.Mauro along with the other members of107 will forever remember this trip andkeep all the fun memories close to theirhearts.Thanks to thededicationandhardworkofthemembersofRoom107,undertheleadershipofMr. David Hook,aswellas the jazz band and director, Mr. Dave Gregoric, the groups are now not onlya great success in California, but also inHawaii.

Winter Guard Ends With a Bang!68.5.TheWinterGuardgirlsthenhadtwoweeksoff to practice for Championships. This year’s championships wereheldatIndependenceHighSchool inSanJose on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Theguard performed their best show of thewhole season. The Winter Guard placedfourthwithascoreof71.3. Thisyear’scaptain,seniorElaine Ku said, “I thought this season has been

themostpositivesofar.ItissadthatIamdone. IdonotknowifIwanttodoit incollege. IwillstillenjoyitwhetherIamperforming or watching guard.” Ku hasparticipatedineightfieldshowsandindoorshows during her four years at Valley. ThisseasonwasfreshmanTaylor Tanton’sfirstseason.Shealsohadagreatexperiencethisyear.Tantonsaid,“Ilikedallthepeoplethere.Sometimesinstructors

were tough on us when they gaveconstructive criticism, but I am doingfieldseasonnextyear. I likeditoverallandnowIknowmanymorepeopleandfriends at Valley. I am going to missit because it tookup a lot ofmy time.”

Captain Elaine Ku wanted tofinish the seasonwith, “Iwould like tothankalltheguardgirlsforagreatseason.”

ByErinMcKinleyAssistant News Editor

ByLizFlemmingJunior News Editor

“The members of 107 will forever remember this trip and keep all the fun memories close to their hearts”

8 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 NEWS

It’s All About UsIn bookstores May 12, 2008ISBN 0-446-17798-9

Lissa Mansfield is used to being in the “in” crowd—but being accepted by the popular girls at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is harder than she thought. If Lissa can keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she’ll be golden. But when he pressures her to go all the way, Lissa has to decide how far is too far. Between that and shopping for a knockout dress and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactor’s Day Ball… who knew finding a place at Spencer Academy would be so complicated?

Join the community at www.allaboutusbooks.net!

God, girlfriends, and a great handbag.What else do you need to survive high school?Local author Shelley Adina introduces the girls of Spencer Academy in her new series from Hachette FaithWords about teenagers following their hearts—and keeping their faith—as they face the challenges of cliques, classes, and crushes.

The Fruit of My LipstickIn bookstores August 2008ISBN 0-446-17797-0

Gillian Chang starts her second term at Spencer Academy ready to focus on her studies, her faith, and her friends. She’s prepared for everything—except love! She’s falling hard for Lucas Hayes, but she never seems to be able to measure up and be the girlfriend he wants. With her heart on the line, Gillian conceals more and more from her friends. So when she’s accused of selling exam answer sheets, even they wonder if it can be true. Gillian will need the power of honesty—with herself and with Lucas—to show what she’s really made of.

And coming in 2009…

Be Strong and Curvaceous (January)

Tidings of Great Boys (May)

Who Made You a Princess? (August)

The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth (January 2010)

Carnival Festivities at the Sock HopContinued from Page 1

was provided by the ASB’s iPod that was filled with fun, clean songs. One side of the bleachers was pulled down for those who wanted to take a break. Some adorable girls in pink hats took advantage of using the bleachers as a stage and put on a little show for the rest.

Although the dancing and the food were big hits, the main part of the event was the games. There was a choice of seven different games. If someone succeeded during each of them, raffle tickets were rewarded. Brown lunch bags were available for students to put their tickets in and carry around. All of these games were available to everyone who wanted to play as many times as they liked. They opened when the dance began at 7:00p.m. and ended at 9:00p.m. Once the time ran out, all those with raffle tickets went to the prize table and turned in their bags with their first and last names and grade levels written on it. This allowed ASB to organize the bags by the total number of tickets won, and before the end of the dance, the top game players were called back to the table. At this time the student with the most tickets got to choose first and so on until all the prizes were given out. The top prize was a ticket to JSB (only awarded to the top junior or senior) that was won by senior Nick Neilsen, and the rest of the winners had choices of gift certificates, stuffed animals, and cookies. After all the top winners had chosen their prize, everyone else had the option of taking a stuffed animal.

It was a night full of memories for all who encountered the fun evening, and those who did not attend, most definitely missed out on Valley Christian’s Carnival.

ASB prepares for the Sock HopSeniors Christine Hanks and Gina Portale enjoy Sock Hop activities

Friends have fun dancing at the Sock Hop

Amy Griffith shows off her dance moves

Features 9April 18, 2008

With the Junior Senior Balljust around the corner, the ladies ofValleyChristianarescramblingtogetready.Itseemsasiftheladieswillhave“Until theEndofTime” toget ready,butApril28iscreepingupfasterthansomemaythink.Eventhoughtheboysdon’t always quite understand all thebuzzoveronenight,totheupperclass-mengirls,itisanightthattheywillre-memberforever. Not sure what to do to makeyourprommemorable?Hereareafewtipstohavingyourbestpromever.Forthe ladies, it is extremely importantto find the absolute perfect dress, themostexquisitebag, thebesthairstyle,andthemostamazingshoes.Thedressis by far the most important element.Everygirl hopes tobe thebell of theballandagorgeousdress is justwhatisneededtostandout.Someofthetopcolorchoicesofthisyearareteal,yel-low,andhotpinkdresses.Makesureto

Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts come to San Jose

“You treacherous miscreants!” is the trademark saying of Dr. Robert Burns. As the Advanced Placement United States History Teacher, Dr. Burns has a busy schedule all year round. He works diligently to prepare his junior students for the AP Test in May of each year. Dr. Burns is a fabulous teacher who uses innovative teaching styles in order to prepare his students. Lum, the extension of Dr. Burns’ genius mind, works together with his dog “Sunshine” to help his students to remember key facts by use of acronyms and sayings. This great method of teaching has helped students for many years to score 5s on their AP Tests. “I really enjoyed my junior year with Dr. Burns. He was an amazing teacher and really got me excited about learning about history,” stated senior, Erin McKinley.

Despite teaching and preparing the students for the AP Test, Dr. Burns spends his summers grading AP essays. “I absolutely love his enthusiasm! He makes class interesting every single day. His anecdotal stories are entertaining and always make me smile,” stated junior Liz Flemming. His dedication to the study of the history of our great country is incredible. Dr. Burns was also a veteran of the United States Air Force. His deep passion for service has been passed down to his children as well. The Burns are an amazing “All American” family.

Dr. Burns is also an avid sports fan. During football season, Dr. Burns

Callin’ all cowboys and cow-girls!Taylor SwiftandRascal FlattshavecometoSanJoseattheHPPavilion.Fri-daynight,April11,atpromptly8:00p.m.,Taylor Swift tookthe spotlight asthe opening artistfor Rascal Flatts.She played someof her classic fa-vorites, includ-ing “Our Song,”“Tim McGraw,”and“Teardropsonmy Guitar.” Shecaptivated the en-tire audience withher hair shaking,toe- tappin’ per-formance. Everyseat in the housewasfilledwithex-cited fans scream-ingtheirlungsout,singingalongwitheveryworldtotheirfa-voritesongs. Taylor Swift sang for about anhourbeforetheHPPavilionwasfilledwiththetonesofRascalFlatts.Theymadeadra-matic entrance with a descending bridge,whichconnectedtwostagesandbothends

of thearena.Thefirst song thatfilled theearsof the fanswas“MeandMyGang.”ThebandplayedawidearrayoftheirsongspullingfromeventheirveryfirstCD.

Surprisingly, all mem-bersofRascalFlatts,includingthedrummer,sangduring theconcert. “It wasawesome to knowthatallofthemu-sicians were tal-ented. It was soinspiring to seethe wide rage ofinstruments thatthey could playand sing whilethey were per-forming. It mademe want to pickup an instrumentandplay!”saidse-nior,Tori Bergland. The most moving expe-

rience during the concert was at the veryend of the concert when Rascal Flattsplayed “He’s Not the Leaving kind,” andtenMarineswalkedontothestage,salutingtheAmerican flag.A sense of honor andnationalismwassetaflamethroughoutthemultitudeofpeople.Eventhoughmanyof

thefanswerenotChristians,RascalFlattspraised our Lord and Savior by playingmanysongsthatwereaboutGod,glorify-ingHimforHiswondrousways. Both Taylor Swift and RascalFlattswereextremelyrelaxedonthestageandmadethefansfeelliketheywereback

homeinNashville,Tennesseesittingonafrontporchwiththestars.“TheTaylorSwiftandRascalFlattsconcertwassomuchfun.I felt like they were singing right to myheart,”saidjuniorAlyssa Tomasello.Theconcertwastrulyamemorableexperienceforpeopleofallagesandineverystageoflife. It honored our country, our soldiers,andourGod.

ByAlyssaTomaselloandChristineByrneJunior News Editor and Junior Features Editor

Teacher Feature: Dr. Burns

ByAlyssaTomaselloJunior News Editor

TaylorSwiftRockin’Out

RascalFlattsLive

findamazingaccessoriesthatwillcare-fullycomplimentyouroutfitchoice.Toaddextrapizzazz,makesuretofindamatchingtieortuxedoforyourdate. Once the outfits are all takencareof,don’tforgettofigureouttrans-portationoptions.WithJSBattheTechMuseum this year, driving is sure tobeacompletebreeze.Also,thereisnoneed to worry about dinner reserva-tions; adeliciousmealwill be servedallnightlongatthedance. The glitz and the glamour ofprom night might make the eveningfabulous, but always remember thatwhenlookingbackyouwillforeverre-memberthepeopleyouspentthatonespecial night with.Always rememberto make the best of the evening, ig-nore the cornymusicor anyother is-suesandjustletlooseandhaveagreattime.Thesearethenightsthatwillberemembered forever so make themcount!

How To: Have Your Best Prom EverByChristineByrneandAlyssaTomaselloJunior Features and Junior News Editors

See Dr. Burns on page 12

April is almost over, which means it’s time to start studying for May’s AP exams. If fear has got you paralyzed and trembling with dread, then you need these tips to help alleviate some of that gut-wrenching terror.

An AP test is the final exam for an Advanced Placement class. It is graded on a 1-5 scale, with 3 or higher being a passing score. Some colleges award class credits for passing these exams, allowing students to opt out of general education classes, or sometimes even enter college as a sophomore. These tests can be daunting – the exams are over 2 hours in length and they assess a year’s accumulation of knowledge. Here are a few tips from teachers and students for studying for AP tests:1. Get lots of sleep so you can concentrate on studying.2. Don’t get sick. Take extra vitamins, use Purell, and do whatever it takes to stay healthy and energized.3. Go to as many review sessions as possible.4. Form a study group. The best size for a group is 3-5 people. Larger groups make it difficult to concentrate and stay on task.5. Do not cram!

Many seniors have experience when it comes to AP exams, so they know what the best methods of studying are. Senior Morgan Szobozlay said, “For science and math, go for the formulas. For history or English, make sure you study trends. When you study chronology, try writing it down, and then think of a way to connect the dots from one point to the next. Study what the teachers give you. And the best thing overall is to get enough sleep.”

When it comes time for AP tests, teachers are willing to spend extra time creating study materials and holding review sessions to help their students succeed. For AP U.S. students, Dr. Burns creates lists of important facts called “PEP cards.” Senior Kelsey Power “took the PEP cards and chapter outlines, put them in a binder, and read over them,” which helped her tremendously when she was studying for the AP U.S. exam last year.

There are many study guides available to students to help them prepare for AP exams. Senior Stephanie Kim said, “For past AP tests, I bought a lot of Barron’s study guides.” In the words of Dr. Burns, “There are two rules for studying. 1) Study the content. 2) See rule 1.”

Tackling the Dreaded APs: 5 Tips to a 5By Kaitlyn Baker and Erin McKinleyAssistant News Editors

10 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 FEATURES

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THEWARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday,April18,2008 FEATURES12

So everyone is counting down the days: 20 days left of school (not including finals or subtracting for AP tests) for seniors, and 25 for underclassmen. That means only half of those numbers is the number of each class left…I do not think I am the only one saying “that’s not very much time!!” To some, especially some college-excited seniors, that sounds like way too much time, while others are saddened by the lack of time left, not really the school part of it, but rather the realization that the 2008-2009 school year REALLY, honestly is coming to end. The recent school rule that was set last year stating that the second semester senior year, if students have an A in the class, they have the option of taking the final at the end. The obvious ambition for the majority of the senior class is to keep the grades solid so the school year can actually end on May 16. How does that sound?

The new rule gives a little kick to those who attempted to struggle with Senioritis, but for those who were taken hostage by the terrible disease, like most underclassmen, it gets hard to want to push through at this point. The sun is out and the days are longer and more beautiful—who wants to be sitting in a building with chairs connected to the desk? It’s hard, but everyone is trying to get through the same obstacle, so everyone needs to rally together. Many generations have gotten through the last month of school…yes, they may have suffered, but they showed the students of Valley Christian High School today, that it is not impossible.

Here are a few reasons to just suck

it up and punch through hard. The first is for underclassmen, especially sophomores and juniors, colleges DO look at all your grades. Don’t let anyone tell you certain semesters don’t count—they do. And even if you are planning on going to a junior college or even you know what the college you plan on going to expects and you are barely reaching, but nonetheless reaching it, you very well may change your mind. Actually, the majority of you will, so don’t shorten your options just because you want to be lazy.

For seniors, just because you are accepted into college and have made your decision, there is something called “provisional” acceptance that most colleges use. This means that if you don’t push through and do well, that college you have already bought your sweatshirt for, can swipe away your acceptance as fast as picking up a piece of paper. So for embarrassment-sake, keep a decent GPA so you can keep the excitement you feel throughout the rest of the summer.

According to B.G. Jett, “If the word quit is part of your vocabulary, then the word finish is likely not.” Be encouraged to finish the race. Have pride enough to push through the hard times and fight and you will be grateful later on down the road. I guarantee you will look back in a few years and remember how hard it was, but how you were disciplined enough to be successful, and you will learn lessons for instances you will encounter later. Don’t get caught up in thinking about what you do and do not want to do now, but focus on the future and what you will want to do.

TheCountdownContinuesByToriBerglandFeatures Editor

While theendof theyear is fastapproaching, there is one last dance forjuniorsandseniors,theJuniorSeniorBan-quet, also known as JSB. This year JSBwillbeheldonApril26,2008at7o’clockindowntownSanJoseat theTechMuse-um. The Tech Museum is known for themanyinteractiveexhibits,galleriesandanIMAXDomeTheater. Alongwithanightofdinneranddancing,ValleyChristianstudentscanusetheir fascinating facilities. Keep in mindladiesthatyourdressesneedtobeindresscode. If there are any questions, pleasetakeyourdress toMrs.Samuelson in theofficebeforehandtomakesure. ThedresscodeforValleyChris-

JSB: Until The End of TimeByBrittneyTanoriAssistant Sports Editor

Continued from pg 9takes on the job of statistician. Dr. Burns, along with his wife, Kate Burns,

travel to every single game of the season. This extremely difficult job is made to look easy under the leadership of the Burns duo.

Dr. Burns is much more than a teacher, a sports fan, a veteran, and a statistician; more importantly, he is a tremendous man. He sets a great example to his students and to all who come in contact with him as well. “I admire his remarkable energy and passion for students, football, and Reconstruction,” said senior Editor-in-Chief, Ryan Eshoff.

One of the greatest qualities of Dr. Burns by far is his quirky sense of humor. He has the ability to make any day brighter and each class a bit more interesting with his hilarious personality. In fact, Dr. Burns adds humor to the classroom with his creation of the “Dumb-ster.” Dr. Burns not only adds fun, but he also demonstrates impeccable qualities of a Christian leader. During daily prayer before each class period, Dr. Burns gives the students a piece of wisdom and advice that is beneficial to their well-being. Whether it is on school, friendships, family, future, or life in general, Dr. Burns knows just what to say to share with his students messages of love and truth. Dr. Robert Burns is an absolute amazing man and a great inspiration to all students and staff of Valley Christian High School; he is truly respected and loved.

Dr. Burns Takes Center Stage

tianmale students include,no facialhair,nopolishormake-upandyourshirtsmustbebuttonedandtuckedinatalltimes,al-though guests who do not attend ValleyChristian may have facial hair, but stillmust abide by all other dress code poli-cies. Ticketswillstillbesolduntilthedaybeforethedance.RememberthatifyouaretakingaguestwhodoesnotattendVal-leyChristian,youneedtopickupaguestpassintheofficeandhaveitsignedbeforeyoucanbuyhis/herticket.Hereisthescheduleofthedatesandcostofeachticket:April14-18:$120April21-25:$130

Opinions 13 April 18, 2008

Small School? Big School? What works for whom and why

By Caitln MulvihillOpinions Editor

A successful college experience is, in many ways, contingent upon the extent to which the school being attended is a “good fit” for the student’s personality. Big colleges and small colleges each have characteristics that make them very distinct from one another. The size of the college does, in many ways, determine the type of environment it has, and not every environment fits well with the needs of every student. While an “education” is, in fact, an “education” regardless of where it is received, and many degrees can be attained in either school, there are certainly decided benefits to attending either type of college that would be helpful to observe.

The images that come to mind when reflecting upon the merits of large universities are often of lecture halls, football games, and big campuses that are navigated by students on bikes. These pictures, although stereotypical, are not so far from the truth. Large schools are often attractive to students who can imagine themselves being independent within the whirlwind that defines bigger universities. Many who apply to these schools describe what they’re looking for as “the college experience.” This often means that they want to be acquainted with a lifestyle and approach to learning that is distinct from their experience in high school and congruent with the way they imagine the personality of the bigger, more populated schools to be. In addition to the physical size of large colleges, they are also usually highly populated, which often means that the demographic of students is very broad. Since much of a student’s “college experience” has to do with the type of people he or she is surrounded by, this can be a very appealing attribute. Also, students who are interested in studying subjects that are more acute or less common find a home in the many majors and courses that big universities offer. Cultural anthropology, for example, is not an area of study that every university is equipped to teach. Students who take up an interest in this subject, or those interested in learning

less-common subject and languages like Portuguese or Swahili, for instance, often enjoy the resources and vast course offerings of large universities like those in the UC system. In addition to offering a variety of courses, big universities are also known for the many options they present to students as far as activities are concerned. Many classes at large universities are indeed taught within the confines of the lecture hall (especially general education classes), and this environment is often appealing to students who do not mind studying independently and having a more impersonal connection with the class. Another bonus found at bigger colleges is the distinguished faculty that they draw. In fact, it is not surprising to have classes taught by professors who are at the pinnacle of the best and brightest in their field. The assets acquired by students who attend large universities are independence, the ability to associate with many different of types of people, and having a recognizable university name on a resume.

While smaller colleges might not house notable football teams, they do have certain personality traits that are worth the consideration of those who are choosing a school. Smaller colleges and universities are often defined by their communal atmospheres, professor-

student relationships, and small class sizes. Students select smaller colleges for a variety of reasons, some of them being the comfortable, nurturing atmospheres, availability of professors to students, the emphasis placed on liberal arts, and the intense intellectual communities that are known to develop. It is not rare in smaller universities for the relationships developed over the course of four years to be lasting, as the environment of small class sizes and fewer students allows everyone to get to know one other well. While some say that this setting sounds suspiciously like high school, it should be noted that just because the enrollment might be fewer and class sizes are smaller does not necessarily mean that the approach to education, treatment of students, or college experience resembles that of secondary education. The professor to student ratio and smaller learning environment often means that class discussion replaces the lecture format, and student interaction with one another and with their professors allows for them to grow both intellectually and socially. Professors are frequently easily-accessible, which lets students receive help, attention, and a greater appreciation for the subject. Many students who attend smaller colleges enjoy sharing meals with professors,

By Adam HillSports Editor

If you have never heard of the place, it’s called La Costa, but chances are, you have never seen it either. It is a little shack, located on the corner of Senter Road and Monterey Highway, across

from KFC. The

servings are generous, and so

are the people. “Well, I think it’s

obvious that we like the place, because we go every Thursday after practice for a

lil pre-game meal,” said senior baseball player Jon Hughes. F r o m the back of the school, looking over the balcony, you can see the shack surroundedby its palm

trees and the lifestyle that goes with that neighborhood. The restrooms are clean, the tables are wiped daily and they always have enough napkins to clean up the mess you

Beans, Burritos and Baseballs!

might make if you are not very burrito-eating-talented. Despite the creative menu on the window in both English and Spanish, they do not have chile verde burritos, but they do have free water. The orange salsa bottles on the table are extremely tasty and spicy if you are one who can withstand the tough flaming excellence. “I had an 8 day streak where I had La Costa. I’m surprised not as many people know about this place because it’s the best Mexican food in town!” mentioned senior Mike Reiling.

You may have noticed, but important events in life tend to happen every four years. Graduating from high school and college, voting for president, Tiger Woods losing, Tom Cruise getting a new girlfriend, and your friend whose birthday is February 29th getting a chance to party. This summer, one of the greatest events our society has ever developed takes place in Beijing, China, when the Games of the XXIX Olympiad fire up their engines and their torches on August 8. No matter where they are held, the Olympics are faced with protest, and this year the dissent is magnified with much controversy surrounding the host nation. It seems that what is getting lost in all the shuffle is, well, the sports. When the Olympics originated in ancient Greece (in a shocker, the U.S. team failed to win the medal count that year), the games served as a pedestal for the world’s greatest physical performers, not a time for political protest. Unless the Dalai Lama has a flawless dismount, there is no reason his name should be more important than classic monikers like Romanian gymnast Marian Dragulescu or Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenbaand. Personally, the Olympics are one of my favorite events of the quadrennial, especially when Summer Games roll around. Aside from the athletic talent on display, many of the stars have incredible background stories that touch and inspire. This time of year, I’m more concerned with the sand on Kerri Walsh’s legs than Chinese economic policies in Africa.

How many medals can Michael Phelps win? How will the poor Chinese air quality affect long-distance athletes? How will the U.S. Men’s Basketball team respond to poor performances on past world stages? How many times will we have to bust out the dictionary when Bob Costas is talking? These are the questions I will be concerning myself with come August. The most compelling international arms race this summer is more of an international neck race. That is, can the host Chinese dethrone the United States in the medal count?

Each time the Games roll around, new legends are born, some are forgotten, and past ones are reborn. Like so long ago in Greece, the Olympics showcase the world’s greatest athletes, albeit in slightly more modest attire. It would be quite a shame to dampen the proverbial Olympic spirit and extinguish the torch of glory, determination, and triumph.

see SCHOOL SIZE page 14

Baseball Team Dines at La Costa

Let the Games Begin!By Ryan EshoffEditor-in-Chief

When choosing a school like Holy Cross, students often take into account a school’s locale and grandeur.

14 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 Opinions

Delano “Del” Damron A Realtor Who Cares and Has For Over 30 Years!

Do Stairs go up? Or Down? . . . . It’s a Matter of Perspective!

It depends on where you are on the staircase. So while headlines trumpet a national “lending crisis” and “plunging real estate prices,” the fact is that the Bay Area’s mature neighborhoods remain strong.

Here:• In the last 10 years, Bay Area homes have appreciated

more than 175%* • On average, homes doubled in value every 6.6years*• Mortgage rates continue to remain near 25-year lows**

If you are considering selling or buying a home call me. Get the facts. And make your decision based on Bay Area market reality.

* Source: Dataquick 1997-2007** Source: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation 30-Year fixed Conventional Rates

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sometimes even being invited to his or her home for dinner! Even though a vast spectrum of majors and courses may not be offered in universities that are small, the classes that are available are usually easily accessible. Students who take pleasure in sitting around with friends and having intelligent conversations should consider looking into these intimate, community-centered environments. Along with all these benefits, there are drawbacks to attending smaller schools, many of them having to do with the lack of diversity in courses, people, and activities that are offered. At universities and colleges that are small, the sports programs are often not nearly as funded, so the sense of school spirit is not always there. The type of people who are attracted to small colleges sacrifice the variety of communities, organizations, and courses that attract different types of people. This can be either a benefit or a drawback depending on what a person is looking for, as the specific types of communities are often what attract people to certain schools. The range of activities and opportunities offered at smaller schools is also more limited. It may be easier, for instance, to find a group of people who enjoy underwater basket weaving at a college of 30,000 than at a college of 5,000. Also, larger universities attract speakers, guests, and exhibits that would not visit smaller

schools, so that is something to mull over for prospective college students who enjoy those things.

For all the “extras” that big colleges and universities offer, they also have some disadvantages that are too often overlooked in the hype and prestige of the school. For instance, even though the bigger colleges may have a variety of courses and majors, it is often exceedingly difficult for students to take courses that are not in their major. It is also difficult to get into classes at times, and this hardship sometimes even forces students to extend their college stays for an extra semester since classes that they need are full and unavailable. Classes are often taught by TAs rather than professors, and professors are not as readily available as they are at smaller schools, especially considering the number of students that they teach. Relationships with peers can also be more fluid since students are many and interaction in lecture-style classes can

be minimal. Attendees of large schools often get to know many different people throughout their college experience, many

of whom drift in and out of touch as schedules and housing situations shift. For this reason, big universities are often recommended to the social butterfly types who can easily make acquaintances wherever they are and do not mind not always having a tightly knit group of friends. Selecting a college can be a daunting task. Too often, students pick the school that seems to have the best name without considering their own personalities and the personalities

of the schools. Often, this method of consideration results in the selection of big colleges, which may or may not be the best fit for individual students. While the name of the college or university can be important, especially if one is interested in pursuing certain careers, the job market and graduate schools are looking increasingly upon attributes that students attain in smaller college environments. The ability to engage discussion, communicate well in writing, and think critically outside the box are all characteristics that are highly valued in most careers and graduate programs. These skills are reinforced in the seminar-style classes that are prevalent in smaller colleges. In the end be sure to remember that what works for one person is not necessarily helpful for another individual--no college can be the wrong choice if it is the one that “fits.”

Movie Review: 21

21 is the gripping story of several MIT students who take on the Vegas gambling giant and show that the system can be beat. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) joins a team of card counters based out of MIT who fly to Vegas and count cards to take money from the unsuspecting casinos. 21 is inspired by the true story of a team of MIT students led by Micky Rosa who is a famous card counter who bankrolled Vegas for nearly a million dollars during his years as a counter. This is a thrilling tale that

shows what the high life of Vegas really looks like from the eyes of a true high roller. 21 is an excellent movie that keeps audiences hooked as the players seem to magically predict the cards and win money right under the casino’s noses. Laurence Fishburne makes his return as the villain Cole who is a PI in Vegas who specializes in catching card counters. He spent his life chasing scams and the MIT team is the biggest scam he ever chased, headed by his worst enemy. This is an excellent movie and is wholeheartedly recommended.

By Chris Meyer

Cal Berkeley is home to 23,482 undergraduate students.

Big School? Small School?Continued from page 13

Sports 15April 18, 2008

Tyler Walker squares up on the ball to drive in a runner in their victory.

By Liz FlemingJunior News Editor Valley Christian’s varsity and junior varsity golf teams are well under way. The teams have been working hard since February to improve their scores and better their swings. Junior varsity’s season began on February 27 against Archbishop Mitty. The boys lost, but considered the match a good learning experience. Despite several early season losses against Mitty, St. Francis, and Bellarmine, the boys remained undaunted and hopeful. Their hard work at practice paid off with a big victory against Sacred Heart Cathedral on March 20. They defeated the Fighting Irish at the Lincoln Park course with a score of 224-249. Junior Levi Yun commented, “It

By CJ WryeJunior Sports Editor The varsity boys tennis team has been powering through their season. As the second half of their season has begun, the boys have been able to prove their strength in the WCAL. With Coach Brooke Hoekstra training the varsity team every afternoon, the team has been able to improve greatly since the beginning of the season. On Monday, March 17 the team hosted a home match against number three in West Catholic standings, Archbishop Mitty. First singles player, sophomore Bryan Trieu, had incredible control of his

Varsity softball Hanging in tHere

Eric Kim recieves his award after another sucessful tournament.

Golf Team is on Stride for Success

was nice to finally get a win in the West Catholic League. It’s so competitive, and I think it shows how far we’ve come since we started playing this season.” Unfortunately, the team could not close out in their next match-ups against Serra, Bellarmine, and Saint Ignatius, but they delivered once again on April 10 against Riordan with an impressive win of 225-240. The varsity boys season began on February 28 at Silver Creek against Serra. They put up a good fight, but lost closely by a score of 218-211. The boys played again on March 4 at Shoreline, but lost to St. Francis. The team has played well much of the season, but fallen short in the WCAL. However, on April 10, the varsity team

secured a first league win over Riordan, to complete Valley Christian’s sweep of the Crusaders. This year’s team features five seniors, Matt Warnock, Ryan Forsyth, Alamgir Mand, Nick Gutierrez, and Kenny Keating, junior Eric Kim, and freshmen David Byrd and Will Clark.

By Adam HillSports Editor With an extremely young talented team, the Lady Warriors are making a stride for excellence. The Warriors have 5 victories this season with still the second half of league play to come. Most recently, the team lost to a very good Saint Francis Lanceres. Next Tuesday the Warriors will face an always tough Archbishop Mitty. The addition of new coach, Alex Sanguinetti, has helped out this team a lot. “She makes us run a lot, but we know it’s all for the best. She also has a good resumé,” said senior Sarah Reinhartz. Sanguinetti played at Oklahoma City University, winning two NAIA championships and receiving the MVP award, before she participated in the 2002 olympics as a part of the Canadian National team. “It’s so much fun to be apart of a close team,” stated senior Kerbie Haight. “Everyday is a blast. We have so much fun.” In early April, the Warriors hosted Sacred Heart Cathedral, where their bats came alive. Behind Haight and Reinhartz, junior Codie Sawyer was also part of the team’s 10-3 victory. “Our bats came alive, and it takes a lot of stress away from our pitchers when we are able to hit the ball well,” remarked Sawyer. Freshmen Jazmyne Biglarderi, Julianne Kendrick, Janell LaRont and Tyler Walker have been a big part of this team. Sophmore Hannah Wiley and LaRont have been outstanding on the rubber. This years pitching staff has only allowed 23 runs.

The Lady Warriors find themselves tied in fourth place, but still many games left to play. The Warriors are battling for a top league finish and a high CCS seed.

The Warriors play tonight at 6:30

at Mission Blue then again on Tuesday at Mitty. Do not forget to come out and support the Ladies on Senior Night against Presentation on the 29th of April.

Varsity Boys Tennis Prove Their Strength in WCAL

shots, but his opponent was able to return everything. Despite many close games, the Warriors fell to Mitty 7-0. The Warriors traveled to San Francisco State to compete against Sacred Heart Cathedral on Monday, March 19. The team came out ready for a win and confident in their team. The Warriors were able to capture a 4-3 win over the Irish. All the singles players were able to come through for their team, including Trieu, senior Taylor Perkins, and sophomores Matthew Isaaco and Marcus Hidalgo. Next the Warriors competed

against Piedmont Hills for a non-league game on Monday, March 21. The match was tied 3-3, when the first doubles team, senior Eric Nguyen and junior Christian Kim, were able to defeat their opponents pulling out another 4-3 win for the team. On Tuesday, April 1 The Warriors faced off against Serra High School. Trieu and Perkins, once again, were able to come through for their team. However, it was not enough and the Warriors went down 4-3 to Serra. The boys varsity tennis team has been on a role this year and they are preparing to go all the way in their league.

Junior Christian Kim shows off his backhand.

Former VC Athletes Excel at the Next LevelBy Ryan EshoffEditor-in-Chief The Valley Christian athletic department continues to crank out numerous standouts in many sports. Recently, a pair of VC athletes were honored for their performances by various organizations. Former VC track star Rubin Williams went on to continue his impressive career at the University pf Tennessee. At the 42nd annual Sea Ray Relays, Williams received the Tony Wilson Award for outstanding track performer. Williams holds numerous NCAA marks in a variety of events, most notably his top-five times in the 200-meter sprint and the 400-meter relay. As a high school senior, Kevin Miller was one of the top pitchers in the Bay Area, and Miller got the opportunity to build his legacy close to home when he signed with UC-Berkeley. The Bears knew they were getting a good pitcher, but they probably didn’t think he’d be this good. Through 38.2 innings, Miller had a record of 5-0 with an unprecedented ERA of 0.00, having yet to give up an earned run all season. Miller posted 38 strikeouts as well, giving him a very solid 1:1 strikeouts/innings ratio. For his achievements, Miller was named the Cal Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of April 7. With so many great teams and individuals, it is a sure thing that Valley Christian will continue to develop stars like the three listed above in the years to come.

16 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 SPORTS

Girls Varsity SwimmingBy Shalmalee PanditStaff Writer The Diving team has started off with a great season. With great divers, they have great meets. With the first meet againstBellarmine, senior Trevor Kerth placed in an impressive second place against Bellarmine’s USC bound diver, Robbie Taylor. Against Presentation on Thursday March 13, freshman Lauren Speers was the only one to dive. She placed second in the entire meet. With a personal score of 163.30, she pulled in four points for Valley. Diving on Wednesday March 19, against Sacred Heart Cathedral, Speers, theonlydiverfrombothschoolsgotafinalscore of six. Trevor Kerth also pulled in a finalscoreofsix,placingfirst.Sophomore

Thomas Connolly earned second place with afinalscoreoffour.Nicholas Bettencourt endedthemeetwithafinalscoreofthree.At the Oak Ridge Invitational, there were no divers. On Thursday, April 3, men’s diving scored a total of thirteen points against Serra. Kerth pulled in six points, Connolly, four, and Bettencourt, three. The same day, Speers dived against Notre Dame Belmont, and had a score of six. These points were added to the team score. “The season has started of well, and the people on the team are great, I’m so glad I’m on this team,” said Speers. So far, the diving team has started off with a great season, with many great memories to share.

By Tarah DuarteStaff Writer For JV girl swimmers, this season is about hard work. With practice every school day from 2:30pm- 4:30pm the team is getting better and better. Many members oftheteamarefirstyearswimmersbuttheyaredefinitelyabletoswimagoodrace. At the first league meet againstPresentation, the hardest team in the league, the girls quickly learned what they needed to work on. With a losing score of 158-35 coach Jen O’Connell saw the need for improvement and made the practices tougher and the girls were able to really improve. The score didn’t bother the girls too much as they rebounded nicely and beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 105-57. There were many standouts of the meet against

SHC including the 500-meter swimmer, freshman Sophia Yaksic. She swam 500 meters, which is 20 laps, with a great time of 6.59.00. Coming off a great win against Sacred Heart, the Warriors went up against Notre Dame and came out with another great win. With the winning score of 112-56 many more success stories were made. The girls have made much improvement over the course of two months. Shaving seconds and seconds off their time at each meet, girls are starting to become really excited for meet days. “Meet days are really fun. I like being able to see my improvement at each meet,” freshman Claire Parkyn said. Girls have really gainedconfidenceintheirabilitiestoo.“At

thefirstoftheyearIwasunsure of my abilities. Now, I can dive off that blockwithconfidence,”Parkyn went on to say. With their last meet at home on May 1 against Saint Francis, make sure to come see how the girls’ hard work has paid off.

By Alyssa BerdingJunior Sports Editor The Varsity Lady Warriors are at the climax of their WCAL season and are experiencing great success. Chilly, early-morning practices have paid off for the team, as it continues to hold its own against the tough league competition. After a close loss to the Presentation Panthers at the beginning of the season, the Warriors looked to prove themselves in a meet against Sacred Heart Cathedral on March 19. The girls competed hard and came out with a big win over their o p p o n e n t s , 1 3 2 - 2 7 . Winning two events for the Warriors, senior Ciki C o e t s e e captured a victory in both the 200 IM and 100 Free. Also, the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay teams out-swam their o p p o n e n t s and led the Warriors to a victory. This meetdefinitelyboosted to confidence ofthe Warrior team, as they prepared for the Oak Ridge Invitational on March 28-29.

With only nine swimmers ready to compete, the Warriors were the underdogs

of the tournament. However, under the leadership of senior captains Alex Wells and Kristina Micotti, the Lady Warriors battled hard and overcame all obstacles, including the stormy weather of the El Dorado Hills. Aheadbyfivepointsmidwaythroughthemeet, the Warriors worked hard to maintain their lead. In the last event of the meet, the Warriors’ 400 Free Relay team, composed of freshman Britany Tomsula, junior

Alex Benanti, s o p h o m o r e Kelsey Roland, and senior Tawni Argent, won by an impressive 11 seconds. This win propelled the Warriors to a final 349points; 30 points above host Oak Ridge High School.

O n April 3, the girls went on to compete against Norte Dame in a WCAL meet. The Warriors d o m i n a t e d and claimed a big victory 126-49. The Lady Warriors continue to reach for success in

their league season. In fact, five outof the nineteen girls on the team have alreadyqualifiedfor theCCSpost-seasontournament.

JV Girls Swimming Starts

Diving Team Dives QuicklyInto The Game

With a SplashSenior Lauren Cutler takes a breather from swimming.

The Varsity Girls Swimming team takes a break.

By Aidan LenihanStaff Writer They boys JV swim team has been improving greatly, despite a close 82-78 loss against the Serra JV squad. Freshman Grant Douglas had a great 100 backstroke. The boys are 2-2 this year behind Douglas and Kevin Dorn who won the 50 Freestyle. Joey Pratt also won the 200 Freestyle. Sophomore Tommy Zoner has been a huge part of this team as well.

By Aidan LenihanStaff Writer The boys varsity swim season is in full swing and they are looking to be one of the top teams in WCAL and CCS. The water Warriors had a great win against Serra. Some of the great performances during the meet came from seniors Joshua Shemata and Kevin Parizi, and juniors Nick Kikuta and Alex Higganbothom. The Warriors’ most recent meet was against Sacred Heart Prep. Even with the boys missing one of their key swimmers, they still pulled off a win against a very good Sacred Heart Prep team. Most notably, the Warriors lost to Bellarine earlier in the season by only 14, which happends to be the closest anyone

has ever come to defeating the number one team in the nation for past 7 years. Parizi has been strong all season, since placing second in CCS last year. Parizimostrecentlyplacedfirstinthe100backstroke. The varsity team holds only 3 freshmen, one of them being the brother of star 6’8” sophomore Shane Fleming, frehsmen 6’6” Casey Fleming. Shane Fleming is the defending CCS champion in the 50 and 100 yard free style. The boys only have three more meets before they face Bellarmine again in theWCALfinals.

JV Boys Swimming

Freshman Jonathan Howonfirstplaceinthe 100 breast stroke and second in the 100 individual medley. There are only two more meets left in the season. May 1, is the Warriors’ last home game and the varsity swim team clearly has many prospects in the program.

Varsity Boys Swimming

Some of girls swimming team takes a break.

Another day of practice with Coach Cathy Manthey! Varsity Boys Swimming warms up for their next meet!

Varsity Baseball ContinuesTo Impress Continued from Pg. 1

University roommates, Michael Couch and Hughes. After a fairly slow start against Bellarmine, Valley soon picked up the pace and scored the majority of their runs in the third and fourth innings. Valley won this game against the rival Bells, 6-0.

were smashing the ball all over the field. Leading the way were seniors Mike Reiling, Adam Hill, and Hughes. The game ended with a score of 9-0.

The Riordan C r u s a d e r s were up next on Valley’s radar, and Valley took over this game with ease! From pitching to hitting, the Warriors had the full package this game, racking up thirteen hits and an amazing 19 runs! Valley breezed through with a final score of 19-1. The always-exciting rival game against the Bellarmine Bells featured

a match-up of future Santa Clara

On the first of April, the Warriors took on Archbishop Mitty. This game attracted many pro-scouts, all crowding around to watch the highly recruited senior pitcher, Jon Hughes. Hughes pitched a great game, holding the Mitty Monarchs to zero runs and leading his team to another win. The Warriors’ offense was the surprise. Instead of small-ball, the Warriors

17THE WARRIORwww.valleychristian.netSPORTS Friday, April 18, 2008

Rugby Wraps Up Season

Freshmen Baseball

JV Baseball Holding Firm in League Play

The South Bay Exiles club rugby team’s season has just ended. For many of the players, it was their last season playing for a high school team including the team captains Byron Edrington and Scott Cody. Steven Karstetter had an outrageous season by scoring 8 trys during the season. “This sport is a lot of fun and more people should give it a try. The team had a lot of potential and ability,” said Steven Karstetter, Senior.

To kick off the season, the South Bay Exiles met at Holder’s country Inn for a team breakfast and bonding time. Shortly after, the team participated in a tournament in Sacramento and won two

By Christine ByrneJunior Features Editor

Senior Darren Jones goes for the legs and strongly tackles his opponent.

Junior Constantine Condos brings intensity to the field and helps to lead the Exiles to victory.

By Adam HillSports Editor

By Adam HillSports Editor

The Warriors are holding firm in second place at the end of the first half of league play. Coming off huge wins last week against rivals Archbishop Mitty and the always tough Bellarmine, the Warriors are in the race for the league championship. Sophomore Stevie Thompson pitched a gem against league rival Bellarmine, throwing a shut out. Outfielder, Mike Karabotsas, had a clutch hit to help lead the Warriors to a 2-0 win. The team’s offense has been productive, especially against tough teams.

Unfortunately, last Friday, 3 runs were not enough, as they found themselves on the bottom end for only the second time this season against Junipero Serra, 5-3. Pitchers Alex Coleman and Thomas Reynolds held the most powerful offense in the league, who averages almost 10 runs a game, to just 5 runs. Today, the team looks forward to battling against St. Ignatius, who they lost their first game against 13-4, but this time in the dreaded city of San Francisco. “We have excellent pitching and solid hitting, all we need to do is be able to overcome these long bus rides and to just be able to focus day in and day out,” mentioned head coach Seth Martinez.The Warriors continue to excel in league play and

establish themselves as a team to be feared in the up-coming play-offs.

Sophomore pitcher Reynolds winds up to strike out his opponent.

The freshmen team is off to a hot streak, after defeating 5 of the toughest teams in the Bay Area. At the start of the second half of league play, the Warriors are 5-3 and in contention for one of the top spots in the league standings. “We’ve fielded a great group of young athletes who love the game and are passionate enough to buy into the program,” stated freshmen head coach, Andrew Simon. “This is probably one of the best teams we’ve ever had.” Despite some adversity, the Warriors were unable to play with key player, freshman Justin Buller, but were able to overcome and win 6-2 most recently against the St. Francis Lancers. Unfortunately, the Warriors have only had 2 home games at Parents Park, designating Los Arboles the home of the freshmen. Los Arboles does have its home field advantages, but against Serra, it was a slugfest. Because there is no fence in the outfield, the ball can continue to roll, making a double in a normal field, into a triple. Centerfielder, freshman Shawon Dunston threw a guy out at the plate, to save the slugfest from getting out of hand. Against archrival, Bellarmine, the Warriors were able to keep them to 3 hits, 1 run, winning 5-1. “We have a real strong bond, and hopefully we will beat Serra to end our season strong,” mentioned freshman Ryan Capozza.

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games there. T h r o u g h o u t the season, the Exiles competed against many teams including B e l l a r m i n e College Park, Live oak, and W o o d s i d e High. All of the Exiles were very athletic, tried their hardest, and gave it their all throughout the season.

“This season of rugby was a year of growing and learning for the team. By the completion of the season, the team had bonded like a family,” said

Coach Annab. To wrap up the season the Rugby team

will have a party to celebrate all of the effort displayed throughout the season.

Senior Anthony Kupens winds up for a strong pitch.

The Warriors are definately a force to be reckoned with in the W.C.A.L.

Safe! Senior Christian Lam slides into first base.

18 THE WARRIOR www.valleychristian.net Friday, April 18, 2008 SPORTS

With their seasonalready in full swing, theVarsity Warriors haveestablished themselves as aforcetobereckonedwithintheWCAL. Coming off a bigwin in the Willow GlenTournament the weekendbefore,theWarriorstookonthe Serra Padres on March17. The boys started offstrongandcapturedaneasyfirst game victory, 25-19. However, in the secondgame,theWarriorslosttheirintensity and struggled toexecute.ThePadrespushedaheadandcameouton top,25-21. But in the third game, theWarriorsbattledbackandsurgedaheadoftheiropponents,regainingtheirlostmomentum.Capturingadecisivevictory in the thirdandfourthgames, theWarriorsdefeatedthePadresandaddedtotheir impressive 12-1 record. On March 19, the Warriors faced off against rival Bellarmine and came out fighting in the first game. Their

strong defense, led by sophomore liberoKyle Gerrans, opened up key offensiveopportunities on the net, propelling theboys to an impressively hard-fought first game victory, 28-26. Unfortunately, the Warriorsranoutofsteaminthenextthreegames and were defeated by the Bells, 25-18, 25-20, and 25-16.

Varsity Boys Volleyball: A Force To Be Reckoned WithBy Alyssa BerdingJr. Sports Editor

JV Boys Volleyball Powers Through

As the second half of the JVboys volleyball season rolls around, theboys have been able to come together asateamandcompeteintheWCAL. As the seasonbegan, the boys werehaving difficulty playing asateamandovercomingtheiropponents.However,as the season has wornon, the boys’ competitivespirit has come out andthey have been able togainmomentum. On Thursday,March 13, the Warriorsprepared to competeagainstSerraHighSchoolin their own gym. TheWarriorscameoutstrong,dominating the game rightfromthestart.TheWarriorswereabletowin the first game easily, and were ready to shutSerraout.Asthesecondgamecamearound,theWarriorsoffenseworkedhard,puttingSerraawayandwinningthematch2-0. Thevolleyballteamthentraveledto Bellarmine College Prep on Wednesday, March 19. The Warriors were hoping to

Although the Valley JV softballteamhashadaroughstarttotheirseason,the fun group of girls is improving moreand moreeach game.The seasonis abouthalf wayover andthe girlshave stillheld theirheads highandputouttheir besteffort. DespitethelossesagainstMitty’sfreshmenandJVteams,SacredHeartPrep,Presentation,andNotreDame,theteamhasheldtheirheadshigh and continued to play their hardest.OnThursday,April3thegirlsprovedtheirtalentastheypulledoutwithawinagainstSacred Heart Cathedral with a score of 17-15. “I felt that we really connected with eachotherthatgameandplayedasateam.Wealsohadagreatgameindividually.Wereallydidnotmakeverymanyerrors,”saidfreshmen Amber Garman.

OnApril1,theWarriorstook on Saint Francis inanother WCAL match-up. Senior captain Jay Henderson, theWarriors’killleader with an impressive 10 kills, was a force at the net.The Warriors fought hardandkeptthegamesclose,butunfortunately they fell shortof a final victory. Hoping to redeemthemselves in their nextmatch against St. Ignatius on April 8, the Warriors came out ready to fight. They surged ahead of their opponentsearlyandneverlookedback.Senior Deven Rigg had anincredible game making keydiggstokeeptheWarriorsin

the match. With strong serve-receive and bighittingonthenet,theWarriorscapturedanotherW.C.A.L.win. On Thursday, April 10 the boys warmeduptocompeteagainstArchbishopMitty for the second time. TheWarriorsstarted off slow losing the first game 25-22. Yet, the Warriors were not discouraged.

The Warriors huddle up to prepare a game winning strategy.

JV Softball Plays With HeartBy Lindsey ColeStaff Writer

By CJ WryeJr. Sports Editor

continue their winning streak. Bellarmine would not go down without a fight and came out strong early on in the match.

The Warriors’ defense haddifficulty blocking the Bells hits, and unfortunately lostthe match early 2-0. Next,thevolleyballteamtookonSt.FrancisonTuesday,April1. TheWarriorscameout hard hoping to secure anumber three win for theirrecord. The Warriors andLancers battled back andforth through out the first game, yet theWarriors wereunabletopullaheadandlostthe first game. Coming out in thesecondgame,sophomoreWill Pitman, worked hard

forhis teamtotryandsecureawin.However,astheLancersonceagainpulledahead,theWarriorswereunabletocatch up, falling to the Lancers 2-0. AstheseasoncontinuestheboysJV volleyball keeps improving everyday.CoachTammy Andershastheboysworking hard everyday helping themimprovetheirskillsforfuturematches.

Britt Abrahamson jumps for a block.

They came back in the second gamewinning 25-21. Once the boys got one win theybehind them thenext tocameeasilywining 25-23 and 25-20. Goingfortheirfourthconsecutivewin, the Warriors battled against SacredHeart Cathedral on Tuesday, April 15. The Warriorsplayedaclosematchgoing intofive games total. Winning the first two games, the Irish came back beating the Warriors in thenext two. Thegamewasleft up to the fifth game and the Warriors never let down. In a tight game the Warriors were able to pull out a 16-14 win.

JuniorErik Holden led the teaminkills,Gerrans had 14 diggs, and Henderson had theleadingassists. Theboysvolleyballteamhasbeena tremendoousforce in theWestCatholicLeague.SophomoreIan StephensonandGerrans states, “Our team is too Legit to quit!” The team has been working hardeverynightatpracticeinordertotakegoallthewayintheWCAL.

Off the field, the girls bond really well. On Friday after the Notre Damegame, many of the girls went to Mariah Alarcon’shouseforabarbeque.Thiseventendedearly,becausethenextmorningthegirls had to wake up early and meet atValleytodriveovertotheirassistantcoach,Barbara’s, martial arts studio. Here, the girlstookakickboxingclass.Notonlywasthiseventfun,butitwasagreatchancetogetinshape.Astheseasonbeginstowinddown, the JV softball team continues to

learn more about the game and developfriendshipswitheachother.

Amber Garman prepares to recieve a ground ball at shortstop.

JV Softball takes the field against Sacred Heart Prep.

“Our team is too legit to quit!” said Stephenson.

19THE WARRIORwww.valleychristian.netSPORTS Friday, April 18, 2008

By Ryan EshoffEditor in Chief

JV Boys Tennis Team Strives for AcesBy Amber GarmanStaff Writer It’s back to the tennis courts, with the new spring sunshine shining on Valley’s very own JV boys tennis team. Even though the boys may not have won very many games, their determination and perseverance never stops. The boys work very hard throughout practice and it shows during their matches.

The boys team consists of 14 hard working players, ranging from freshmen to juniors. The JV team has played schools such as, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Serra, Bellarmine, St. Francis, Riordan, St. Ignatius, and Mitty. Freshman Evan Loo stated, “I really enjoy playing on this team. Even though it’s a lot of hard work and practice, we make it fun and strive to play to the best of our ability.” Loo also said, “ It doesn’t matter if we win or lose our matches, just as long as we’re all trying our hardest and getting better from where we started this season. With the help of our coach Terry McElhatton, we get better each day and it shows in our matches.” The JV tennis team practices every day and has at least 1-2 games each week. On March 11, the boys shared a very exciting win against Riordan at Golden Gate Park, with a shutout of 7-0. Next, the boys faced St. Ignatius at Valley’s home courts on March 13. Hoping for another exciting win, the boys kept their heads up and strived to play their best. However, the final score was 5-2. On March 18, the boys drove up to Mitty High School to play the fierce Monarchs for the first time. The final score of this match was 7-0, however, the boys didn’t let this loss get to them.

Finally, the Warriors faced the Bells for their second time at Wallenberg Park on April 3. Sadly, the Bells had a shutout of 7-0. The JV team is left with two more games of the season, hoping for more wins. Their stats remain with 2 wins and 5 losses.

One of the greatest rivalries in the current Bay Area scholastic sports scene manifested itself at Sharks Ice at San Jose, with the Valley Christian High School and Bellarmine College Prep ice hockey teams meeting for a pair of games to determine hockey supremacy. The first of the two meetings between the two clubs, who met five times a year ago with Valley winning in the championship, took place March 19 in front of a packed house full of screaming students and one ringing bell. The Warriors jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd period, getting goals from juniors Max Vallis and Marco Gagliardi, and a pair of tallies from junior David Romanchuk, whose sister Paula, a senior, assisted on both. Anchored by junior goalie Alan Ashby, Valley Christian’s defense was

stout even though Bellarmine mounted a furious rally to even the game at 4. With VC captain Anthony Bradley and fellow senior Stephen Lamers dominating the game physically, the atmosphere in the already-electric arena was jolted up a notch. Fleet-footed Valley Christian senior Daniel Connell notched the game-winner late in the 3rd period when he forced a turnover, creating a breakaway opportunity, and converted on the Bellarmine goalie to give the Warriors a 5-4 victory. “It’s always fun to have a rivalry like the one we have with Bellarmine,” said Bradley. “We did a nice job of coming out strong, and even when they came back, we didn’t get down our ourselves and were able to get the win.”

In the rematch between

the two teams April 2, the game’s outcome was drastically affected on the very first shift, when Vallis went down with a sever ankle injury. The ensuing scrum resulted in Bradley and Gagliardi being ejected from the game. Later in the match, Ashby went down with an ankle injury of his own, leaving the Warriors without four of their top players. Bellarmine was able to take advantage, scoring 5 times on 42 shots for a 5-2 win, as powerplay goals by Connell and junior Matt Floresca were not enough to propel the Warriors. With no more regular season matches scheduled, the two talented squads will look to decide the season series when they meet in the playoffs, an inevitable face-off of epic proportions.

The end of the year is around the corner and the Valley Christian Track & Field Warriors are on the brink of playoffs. The Lady Warriors are made up of several supernatural athletes. These promising stars include senior Dahlys Marshall, senior Kristin Houp, junior Cherrelle McMillian, junior Jen Bergman, and sophomore Jenna Davis. The guy’s team also consists of several superstars such as junior Cameron Marshall, junior Daniel Johnson, junior Robert Fiscalini, and senior Daniel Carrillo. The future of the track and field team is looking good for the Warriors as they consist of many athletes with future potential. Sophomore Cal McNabb said, “I am doing really

By Arman M. Zadeh and Joe GarciaStaff Writers

well, track practice is finally paying off.” Though the team is one smallest in the West Catholic league, they stand a great shot in the playoffs. On March 5, 2008, the Warriors had their first track meet versus the Saint Ignatius Wildcats. The meet started at 2:30 p.m. and ended near 6:00 p.m. The Warriors put up a good fight but they could not match the sheer number of athletes Saint Ignatius had. With the biggest roster in the league, S.I. swept all four categories, varsity girls and boys and JV girls and boys. The scores concluded as follows: the varsity boys lost 129-7, the varsity girls lost 121-13, the JV girls lost 116-6, and the JV boys put up a relentless fight and only

lost 72-59. Sophomore Ian Karlson had an outstanding time at 5:03 in the mile. Junior Bergman ran a first place, 12:04, 2 mile, despite starting off the first ½ mile in last place! The Warriors had their second meet against Sacred Heart Cathedral on March 12, 2008. The Irish have a relatively small team and Valley matched up well against them. Although the Irish swept the Warriors again, it was much closer than the last meet. The varsity boys lost 60-39. The varsity girls lost 62-23. The JV girls lost 69-32. The JV boys only lost by one point, 60-59! Sophomore Dan Gillolley stated, “Maybe if I did a little better in the shot-put, we might have won.”

The times for these athletes are remarkable. Houp ran a 55.46 400-meter race, which is exceptional for any high school track athlete. McMillian ran a 56.83 and Davis ran a 57.48 in the same 400-meter race. Bergman ran an amazing race as she finished the 2-mile event in 11 minutes and 3 seconds. That’s 5:31.5 minute splits! For the guys, Marshall ran the 100-meter race in 11.02 seconds. Johnson impressed scouts as he jumped 6 ft high in the high-jump event. The Warriors just keep on getting better as the season goes on.

Track & Field Team Flying Toward the Finish

Members of the Junior Varsity Boys Tennis Team take a brief respite from their strenuous workout.

Hockey Team Renews Rivalry

The Warriors ice hockey team proves its mettle against arch rival bellarmine, winning the first game and losing the second while suffering the loss of three key players early in the game.

20

Until Next Time...Spring has arrived!! Sadly, this is our second to last edition of the Warrior this school year. It has been a fun and adventurous ride for both you guys, as the readers, and us, as the producers. We want to thank you for your support. The school year is

coming to end quickly, but if you find yourself with some free time, check out this fun back page!

i n

C e l e b r a t i o n

o f

Motherhood

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S u n d a y , M a y 1 1 t h

G K O I M S S N RN N R R B S I U SI I S O A P R G NM P A R S N I R OM Y G R E E G E II O E F B W S E HW P G L A I O N SS S P I L U T L AP R O M L O O P FS P R I N G W A I

yellowpinkrainflowersroses

tulipsfashionbaseballorangegreen

grassswimmingsunpromspring

April Word Search!

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. bySt.ClementofAlexandra

So we all know this year we have experienced some strange weather and major shifts in temperature, so here is a little

heads-up for what is expected for the next week.Sat

Apr19

PartlyCloudy

63°44°

SunApr20

61°43°

MonApr21

FewShowers

61°43°

TueApr22

WedApr23

66°46°

71°47°

courtesyofwww.weather.com

9

8 2 3 62

1 4 8 3

6 1

3

3

3

3

9

88

4

44

5 7

7

772

2

2

126

5 2

5

SUDOKU T IME ! ! !

try it for yourself and then check

your answers!

school is almost over, so here is a countdown of the number of days left! (underclassmen)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Sunny/Wind

PartlyCloudy

MostlySunny