ISSUE 3

2 | The Warrior

In His Name,

Liz FenwickCommunications Department

WELCOME

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Welcome to the latest issue of The Warrior Magazine. I couldn’t start without acknowledging the hard work of our senior students who are about to enjoy the final few weeks of their high school experience before they head off around the

country for college. Congratulations; you made it!

Graduation from high school opens the first of many doors of deci-sion and planning for your life. There are a number of opportunities you are probably already considering, and you may also still be thinking about future possibilities. This can be both a challenging and exciting time. But whatever you choose, the one constant in your life will be your relationship with Christ. Be aware that our culture will tell you repeatedly that your life mantra should be “I am - there is no other besides me,” giving you a free pass to do whatever you want - without consequence. But a life that is centered on the great I AM will always be more fulfilling. Never underestimate the power of good company , for the friends you choose to make during your first month of college can define the

rest of your college experience.

This issue of The Warrior Magazine is one that helps capture some of the last semester of your high school career. It showcases moments that made you smile, accomplishments that made you proud, and events that changed the character of your life. It cata-logues where your peers will be spending the next four years of their lives and it tackles issues like how to deal with stress and self-image in a healthy and Christ-centered way. It marks the end of countless hours you have spent here on our Valley Christian campus. We hope that what you have learned and achieved throughout your journey here has shaped who you are as a person.

We are exceedingly proud of you, Class of 2014.

LIZ FENWICKAdviser

COVER ARTISTCLAIRE CHANEYEDITOR The cover was designed by Junior Claire Chaney, with photographs by Alex Abaunza, Ms. Fenwick, and Now and Forever Studios

VALLEYCHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Liz Fenwick, ADVISER

EDITORS Claire Chaney Jordan Dawkins Kara Hinton Kayla Phan

WEB SITES: issuu.com/vcsnews news.warriorlife.net www.vcs.net

MAGAZINE CORRESPONDENCE:Valley Christian High School100 Skyway Dr #110, San Jose, CA 95111Tel: (408) 513-2400. E-mail: thewarrior@warriorlife.net

Contents © 2014 Valley Christian High School, except where noted. Opinions expressed in The Warrior are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors or policies of Valley Christian High School.

Spring 2014 | 3

WRITERSJordan CallenderChristian CarilloTaylor FergusonNick GuevaraCarl LuoCamilla MaraisAlyssa Teixeira

PHOTOGRAPHERSAlfred BatmaniMarijke BolsensNoah GomesJenny HikidoPaul QuachSavanna Watkins

Table of Contents

In This Issue:

24 Senior Prom

Every 15 Min.26

Junior Prom14

Senior College Choices

20

Art Show 6

Love Advice

42

Social Networking+ SAT

10

Missions

30

iPad 12

In the dances to follow, this elegance was replaced with entirely new styles and sounds. The hip hop dancers had a certain power to their movements as they danced to songs such as “Last Night”, while the silky and sassy stylings of the dancers in numbers like “Let’s Have A Kiki” brought a whole new feeling to the stage. The diverse talents and styles of dance were brought together to create an all-new harmony in the Spring Dance Show, the Architectural Synapse. What’s in a name? The idea behind the Architectural Synapse was derived from John Bohannon’s TED Talk. Michelle McLaughlin and Natalie Quilici, choreographers for the show, elaborated on this in the show’s program. “John Bohannon utilizes dancers to demonstrate how choreography can in fact be a more effective means of communicating ideas than the over-abundant PowerPoint,” the two explained. Bohannon himself is quoted as saying, “If you are trying to give someone the big picture of a complex idea, to really capture its essence, the fewer words you use, the better.” Thus, the idea behind the Architectural Synapse was to paint a picture of an idea using dance.

The singular moment of darkness that enveloped the stage was now

replaced with a light. Simple, it outlined the figures of the dancers

that had worked incredibly hard for this very juncture. Adorned in flowing

dresses, these talented young girls began the opening number, “People Help the People”. And coupled with

their skill was unparalleled grace.

Welcome to the Architectural Synapse.

The show itself was performed by students who auditioned, along with the Vivid Dance Team. Katy O’Sullivan is enjoying her first year on Vivid and had a bit to say about her fellow dancers, whom she worked with in the show. “I love Vivid. [My teammates] are all really talented dancers, and we’ve become like a family.” The combined efforts of the dancers and the tech team made the show spectacular. The lighting, special effects and haze added to the mood of each dance. They helped to establish an eerie air for somber songs, such as “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and an excited, bubbly feel for others, incorporating flashing lights and bright colors. Not only did the show feature Valley’s best dancers, but it also showcased Anja Kotar’s vocal talents when she sang the song “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from the musical Funny Girl. In another interlude, Kiera Richardson performed her moving spoken word monologue about the beauty and confidence of a woman.All of these talents shone with the choreography of Michelle McLaughlin and Natalie Quilici, with guest choreographers Lauren Baines, Victoria Michelle Evans, Sarah Kocina, Krisuan Rosalejos, JeRome Slater and Nigel Shum. The incredible staff and the dancers themselves put endless hours of effort and hard work into creating something beautiful. Their end result was the Architectural Synapse; a complex idea expressed without words, and instead with the movement of their feet.

By: Taylor Ferguson

6 | The Warrior

Nathan Ngo wins best in show at the Now and Forever Studios photography competition, featur-ing work from hgih school students around the county.

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“From the Inside Out”2014 Art ShowJunior High & High School

Tuesday, April 15 - Opened at 3pm; Opening Reception 5 to 8pmWednesday, April 16 - open until 6pmThursday, April 17 - open until 6pm

Free Admission

Featured art, photography, and ceramics of junior high and high school students.

Art teacher Leighton Isaacs came up with the name of the show, “From the Inside Out. “As artists, we constantly strive to give visual voice to the inner workings of our minds, hearts and souls. This show is a chance for our students to put on display some of the things that emanate from within. The works in the show are a reflection of the creative voices of our visual art students, and we are so proud!”

Art students show off their incredible eye for detail with line and shading.

Spring 2014 | 7

S T R E S Sby Camilla Marais

photos by Paul QuachBiblical excerpt by Claire Chaney

Prom. Concerts. Football games. Indepen-dence, laughter, memories with friends that will last a lifetime. All of the above come to mind when adolescents fantasize about their high school years, frequently referred to as “the good ol’ days” and “the golden years”. So how is it then that a quarter of all high school students across America, when surveyed, honestly admit on a scale of 1-10, they are categorized as a “9” or “10”, on a level of extreme stress?

A study done in 2012 revealed that the rate of suicide attempts among high school students (ages 13-17) doubled those of any other age, and 1 in every 5 students is diag-nosed as clinically depressed. With accep-tances to Ivy League schools as rare as diamonds, immense pressure is placed on teens to not only meet expectations but also surpass them. As if academia wasn’t asking for enough, society is sending direct mes-sages to adolescents regarding how they should look, live, train, dress, and spend

their money. Athletes deal with the additional pres-sures of impressing college scouts, while keeping a watchful eye on their competition; determining whether their statistics and rankings will be good enough for a scholarship. With such great expecta-tions placed upon them, how are students supposed to respond to the stress? The answers to that could possibly be the scariest statistics out of the bunch. 75% of students admit to engaging in “serious cheating”, ranging from plagiarism to sharing test information. Teens frequently develop self-harming habits, eating disorders, and serious anxiety, as well as drug and alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism to deal with the burden of perfection placed on their shoulders. Sleepless nights are normal during the school week, whether they are spent trying to keep up with the intense workload, attempting to escape the reality of teen years though activities like social media, Netflix, or video games. So what are the healthiest ways to deal with the inevitable pressures of being a high school student? Whether it be spending quiet time talking to God or just taking a peaceful walk alone, desig-nating time to slow down is a key aspect of man-aging stress levels. Giving yourself time to unwind and enjoying some down time can clear your mind, making your work time more efficient. Another outlet for the daily stressors is exercise; even just 30 min-utes of light movement gets endorphins (feel-good chemicals produced in your brain) moving and aids

in better, more restful sleep. Eating well and getting plenty of sleep is also a key factor in helping your body perform well under pres-sure; the more good you put in your body the more you will get out of it, both academically and athletically. Lastly, there is nothing that increases stress more than keeping it all locked inside. Talking to friends, family, counselors, teachers, or any trusted adult will not only open doors to resources and help, but can also be the first step in recognizing of how to eliminate, cope with, and conquer the stress. While the weight upon high school students shoulders is inevitable, there is peace found within recog-nizing that your worth is not determined by accomplishing the standard, but rather who you are in Christ. Above all else, it is important to keep in mind that while these notable abili-ties, whether creative, athletic, or academic are given to us by God. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” In high school and especially in the aca-demic realm, it is easy to get caught up in the stresses of success. Remember that through successes and failures God has a plan for your life, even if it does not always make sense amidst the pressures of daily life.

THE NEEDTO SUCCEED

The pros and cons of social networking in high school

ocial Ne working Controvers

By Jordan Callendar

It may not seem like it, but just like abortion or gay marriage, social networking is a controversial topic. Whether it is for the better or worst, social media has taken over our soci-ety. Social media is the use of websites and applications to communicate with other users, or to find people with similar interests. There are both pros and cons of social media, but which one outweighs the other? A big source of social media’s suc-cess is due to high school students. 59% of students with internet access use social media to discuss school topics and 50% use the sites to talk about school assignments. Social media sites don’t only help students, but can also help teachers and their schools. The sites give teachers the ability to interact with each other and bring guest speakers into their class with the help of social networking sites. A site that helped with this, was Edmodo, a social networking site used for contact between stu-dents, teachers, and parents. Andrew Saenz, a Senior at Valley Christian High school said, “I use social media a lot so I can get help with my homework and other school assignments and projects”, he continued to say, “I’m sure I’ll continue to use it for school when I go to college”. Social networking has spread past high school and into college. More than 80% of US college and university teachers use social media, and more than 50% use it for teach-ing, while 30% use it for communicating with students. Another educational bonus that social media has, is that it provides a wider variety of subjects, which makes researching information easier, and more accessible. Social networking has provided many positives in the educational field with schools, teachers, and especially stu-dents. On the other hand, social media can be detrimental to your education. Students who use social media had an average GPA of 3.06 while students who didn’t use social media had an average GPA of 3.82. Also, students who used social networking sites while study-ing got 20% lower on tests. An anonymous

student at Valley Christian High School said, “When I used social media a lot I had a 1.7 for 6 weeks which affected my life a lot”, he went on to say, “Now that I don’t use social media as much, I spend more time studying and using my time more proactively”. These type of statistics and stories alert teachers, and is why two-thirds of them believe that social media does more to distract students than to help their education. Social networking can also hinder your chance of getting into college if used inappropriately. A survey found that 35% of college admissions officers found information such as plagiarism, illegal doings, or other information that can hurt their chances of being admitted into the college. A lot of the problems that colleges find have to do with cheating. There have been photos of standardized tests posted to social media sites, which lets students find answers ahead of time. The SAT is one of the tests that have had parts of the exam posted to social media. Social networking can really hold a student back from a good education. Social media can change more than just your education, it provides people the opportunity to build better relationships and make new friendships. 52% of teens using social media say that using it has enhanced their relationships with their friends, while 69% say they get to know students at their school better, and 57% make new friends. Dylan Car-lyle, a Junior at Valley Christian said, “when I first came to Valley, social media helped me meet new people and get new friends”. Social networks give students a place to make new friends, and typically quiet students can feel more comfortable using social media. More than 25% of teens say that social network-ing makes them feel less shy, 28% feel more outgoing, and 20% feel more confident. Social media can do a lot for somebody’s personal life, and can change their social life. Though there is good in social media, there is also bad. Social networking can cause stress, offline issues, be a source of procras-

tination, and can lead to cyber bullying. 15% of social media users have had an experience that caused a friendship to end because of social media, 12% have had an experience that resulted in a face-to-face argument, and 3% resulted to a physical confrontation all because of social media. An anonymous student at Valley Christian High a school said that social media causes “drama and is annoying, people want to talk bad online but don’t follow up in person”. Social networking can also be a waste of time. 40% of young students spend 54 minutes a day using social media. 36% of people say that social net-working is the “biggest waste of time,” even more than fantasy sports (25%), TV (23%), and shopping (9%). 42% of American Internet users play games on social networking sites that cause procrastination on their real work. When someone receives a new social media notification, they take on average 20 to 25 minutes to return to their real work. For 30% of people, it takes around two hours to return their complete attention to their original work. Another con of social media is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying has really taken off in many high schools, and has caused a huge problem. An anonymous student at Valley said that “I have never cyber bulled someone, but if their was someone I didn’t care for, I would bully them online and at school”. 49.5% of students have been victims of online bullying and 33.7% have committed online bullying. Cyber bully-ing has affected many peoples life, and has brought bad moments and hardships in their life. Social media can bring many bad times to people, and can affect their life in a bad way. Social networking is an issue with many people. The controversy around it involves the pros and cons that are involved with it. With pros like educational benefits and cons like personal life problems, social net-working is a huge controversial topic. Whether one believes in social media or not, one should use it appropriately and be careful in what you say and do.

S A TBy Claire Chaney, Editor

The season of standardized testing, college acceptances, and stress is upon us. With the announcement of a new SAT, current juniors and seniors were quick to become irritated because this new test appears easier, the question is, will it really be? A new grading scale, optional essay, and updated vocabulary section may lead some to believe that they’ve been gypped because their test in comparison, is seemingly impossible. While preparation efforts may feel futile, this new test is still administered by the same group of people who are covering the same material. When junior Amy Roat heard about the change, she said, “it seems kind of unfair because we have to prepare in a differ-ent way and from what it sounds like, it’ll be a lot easier to do better on the new test”. Many students reacted in similar ways, and various mock twitter accounts with insanely easy questions popped up, escalating quickly to a level of hilar-ity. And as much as students might hope that questions will be as simple as “2+2”, it won’t quite that simple. The test has merely been adapted to fit a growing generation, and bridge the gap between students from wealthy families and those who are affected by poverty and lack the ability to gain extra preparation for this rigorous test. However, many forget that the end goal of the new test is the same as the old, according to CollegeBoard the goal of the test is to “[give] both you and colleges a sense of how you will be able to apply the thinking, writing and study skills required for college course work”. Which leads some students to the question of whether or not the three subjects, including writing, tested in this grueling four hour test will be an accurate projection of their ability and ultimately desired major in college or career after high school. The current college admissions process takes into consideration high school GPA, extra curriculars, SAT or ACT scores, and depending on the university, an essay. Most of the things taken into consideration are academic, and rightfully so. Colleges are academic institutions intended for higher education beyond the high school level. In addition to teaching students to expand upon knowledge gained in high school, universities prepare students for a career. A standardized test is not often used in order to determine whether or not a person will receive a promotion or change jobs. And while most careers expect the academic intelligence taught in schools, there are many traits vital for the workplace that cannot be accurately measured by marking A, B, C, or D. What if a test could be developed that measures creative ability? Accord-ing to Scott Barry Kaufman of Scientific American, studies “found that divergent thinking test scores did a much better job predicting creative achievement in art, music, writing, science, leadership, and social skills than IQ tests”. With this in mind, it is difficult to understand the practicality of a test such as the SAT. There are exceptional cases in which this kind of test is extremely accurate, but in the cases of many, it is not an accurate portrayal of their talents and abilities. Creative ability is not something that’s taught, it’s not something the upper class will have “more” of because they cannot pay for creative preparation. Those in lower income families would be able to do just as well on this type of test, as well as eth-nicity playing no real role.

The New SAT, The Old SAT, and Capability Beyond Multiple Choice

Profile one: Kathleen McCarthy (artistic)

Senior Kathleen McCarthy will be attend-ing San Diego State University in the fall and is

majoring in dance. When applying to college, dance was the most important factor to her when it came to deciding where to go. “I looked for schools with good dance programs and good dance teams and based off my college application list on how well I thought the

programs were”, and she has stayed dedicated to that. The application process can be frustrating for many

that feel like not all of their skills can be captured on paper or via online submission. Kathleen adds,

“Face to face is always better to demonstrate abilities and talents and what not. But I think

that applications did an exceptional job at demonstrating one’s abilities.”

Profile two: Wynne Stagnaro (academic)

Senior Wynne Stagnaro will be attending Harvard College in the fall and is majoring in

a biology related field. Throughout high school, Wynne has tried various extracurriculars and recently

discovered her love for science through taking Valley’s scientific research class. “However, [she]’d like to think

that all my extracurriculars somehow made [her] better, smarter person in ways that will help me with science, even learning music or playing a sport [that] may seem completely unrelated”. And while she can see the ineq-

uities such tests can bring about, she feels that they are a “necessary evil”. Overall, Wynne says, “I think

people have the right idea speaking out against standardized tests, but pouring more money

into preparing students to the T might not be the way to go, nor will

abolishing all standardized testing”.

Profile three: Theron Kay (athletic)

Senior Theron Kay will be attending Baylor University in the fall and will be majoring in

Music Composition. In addition to his focus on music, he will also be playing baseball for the Baylor Bears. Because he is majoring in music, his applica-

tion process included recording and sending various music pieces in addition to his written application. Says Theron, “I picked Baylor because I liked their baseball program and the scholarship they offered me above

anything else any of the schools had offered me. When I learned it had a music school as well, it just sealed the deal.” However, when asked about the SAT playing a role in his application process, he

believes that a three subject test shouldn’t play as major of a role in college

admissions.

A Reflection over the Technology SwitchBy: Carl Luo

iPads Ahoy! When this year rolled around the returning high school students received a pleasant surprise; every student and teacher had been outfitted with iPads! While iPads can provide great benefits, they also present new complications. To understand all of the technological changes, a Warrior staff member interviewed a wide variety of people on campus to see how they felt about the iPad integration. What many people do not realize is how much effort was put into prepar-ing for the iPads. Miss Way, a teacher at Valley Christian, explained how the school worked diligently to train the teachers. The school gave the teachers iPads nearly a year before the students received them. Not only that, but Apple experts came to help train teachers during one of the inservice days. IT also hosted extra iPad train-ing sessions during the summer. As Miss Way put it, “The school really gave us a great deal of support. If they did not, we would not be as ready as we were.” Many teachers appreciate the addition of iPads. One teacher, Mrs. Cronquist, expressed how much she has enjoyed iPad integration. Two years ago, she barely used Apple products. Now, she and her class use them all the time. Before iPads, Mrs. Cronquist blew through two-three boxes of paper each week. Now, she has not used even one box. One significant reason is the introduction of WebAssign. WebAs-sign is an online website where students can do their homework and turn it in. Since it is online, students can easily access it, making their lives easier. This has not only cut back on the paper, but also cut back on the time math teachers need for grading. Mrs. Cronquist also has a more personal reason to be overjoyed about the iPad pro-gram. In the past, Mrs. Cronquist had to do all the maintenance for the math laptops, but now since each student has an iPad, there is no more need to use the laptops. However, the teachers interviewed are not blind to the problems iPads bring. As Mrs. Keck, a Spanish teacher, put it, “iPads are great and bring efficiency to the class.” However, they can also be a distraction, especially in the form of games. Miss Way also brought up the fact that some students learn less effectively on a screen instead of with a pen and paper. Three years ago, Miss Way did her Masters’ thesis on student cognitive learning on screen, and found that students tend to retain infor-mation better when they use the kinesthetic process of writing. As Miss Way often says, “The brain is connected to the hand.” Of course, the reaction from students is more positive. Two anonymous inter-views indicate that students love the entertainment of the iPads. iPads are also great educational tools, whether one considers the easily portable eBooks or the acces-sible Moodle pages. At the end of school day, students report about 50% percent of

the battery is used, indicating active use. Whatever the opinion, the school has already invested thoughtful effort into the iPad program. Nobody is more qualified to talk about this than IT director Mike Annab. He and the rest of the IT department spent about two years preparing for the iPad introduction. During that time, Mr. Annab visited many other Christian schools (Monta Vista, Orange Lutheran) to learn from them. VCS IT did independent research and brought back iPads for experimentation. They spent a significant amount of time analyzing and playing with iPad apps, trying to figure out their uses and limitations. It was during this time that they experimented with airplay and how it worked. Mr. Annab endorsed how the iPad has standardized the technology interface. Previously, carts with laptops had to be shared by teachers. Access to these laptops was unreliable, which made it difficult for teachers to properly integrate technol-ogy to their teaching method. iPads are light-weight and every student has them, which means they solved this problem. Mr. Annab believes the teachers have done a superb job of using their iPads. Even with all these accolades, Mr. Annab would like to increase teacher and student technological worldview. According to him, most teach-ers believe that iPads are simply a tool. In this digital world, that limited view is a prob-lem. As Mr. Annab put it, “People work, make money, and entertain themselves with technology. Technology is not just the hammer (now), it’s the workshop.” He believes that if the entire school community continues to work towards this mentality, the com-munity will improve academically as it aligns with this technological shift. Another IT leader, Jeremy Cunningham, commented about the transition to eBooks. During the start of the year, students had problems downloading their eBooks. Mr. Cunningham used this example to display how the problems of being on the cutting edge of technology are being solved. Many people students prefer “the touch and feel of a normal book,” observed Mr. Cunningham, and he understands that. However, he still believes that eBooks are superior. eBooks are lighter and more portable than traditional textbooks. Many note taking strategies that students miss with paper books (highlighting, book marking) have been solved with eBooks, and they have also added more educational tools like defining new vocabulary words. The new iPad transition still has many flaws to iron out, but new and great inno-vations have been the direct result of it too. While some students disliked aspects of the iPad technology switch, others have appreciated that it is a great educational tool.

iPads Ahoy!

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Junior Prom 2014

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Photos courtesy of: Summer Jurcevich, Alex Abaunza, and

Now and Forever Studios

14 | The Warrior

1

Spring 2014 | 15

CrossFit Silicon Valley

1345 The AlamedaSan Jose, CA 95126

Contact us at (408) 275-0440or

info@crossfitsv.com

10 11

12 13

1) Grace Joseph and Tina Pham 2) Cameron Ponce and Melissa Reese3) Alexis Corini and her date4) (from left to right) Julia Aufricht, Maddy Pape, Brooke LaVelle, Sammy Baker 5) Leia Wang, ?, Annemarie Sohn dancing with a group of friends6) Adriana Adamo and Rebecca Reyes7) Lidnsay White and Taylor Ash8) Katie Bartenslager, she doesnt go to our school, Alex Bristol, Andrew Bristol, Stephanie Torode9) Syndey Leal, Dalton Craig, Michaela Giordano10) Karyn Reyes and her date.11) Jasmine Fini, Alex Bristol, Stephanie Torode, Katie Bartenslager, Kalym Stockman, Brianna Zoltie12) Nicole Carson, Keenan Brigman, Matt Reynolds, Kayla Posada13) Michaela Giordano, Sara Watts

Spring 2014 | 15

e are blessed to live so close to one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries. Monterey Bay is considered one of the richest marine regions in the world, and its close proximity enables us to study this important resource first-hand. The VCHS Marine Biology Club started its 2nd year with a bang with the installation of a 1,000 gallon salt-water aquarium in the Conservatory to help bring awareness of our precious oceans onto our campus.

Save Our Shores Annual Beach Clean Up – Sept. 21, 2013 Our Club participated again this year in “the largest volunteer event on the planet”. For over 30 years, Save Our Shores has been leading efforts to protect and preserve the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories – The new Marine Biology Class joined Our Club on December 3, 2013, for an educational visit to

Previous Marine Biology Club activities: - Save Our Shores Clean-up – September 2012 & 2013 - Santa Cruz Wharf tour – We learned about the seals that have made the wharf their home - Monterey Bay Aquarium – Our club visit was joined by VCHS Biology classes

Our Ocean- Preserve, Protect, UnderstandBy: Marisa Chirico

Moss Landing Marine Labs. We learned about the research that is currently being carried out in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.

AMSE Seminars – We were fortunate to host David Cripe, a Special Events Coordinator at Monterey Bay Aquar-ium and a VC Alumni. Also, Holly Lohuis, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s professional dive partner, spoke at an AMSE Seminar on November 17, 2013.

Biweekly Meetings include: -Ways to preserve the ocean -Educational information regarding sea life -Job opportunities -Articles to read in the latest “Science Daily -VCHS Aquarium Updates -Special Exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium -SCUBA – Certification will be offered next year to the Club and class -Ways to stop harming marine life

16 | The Warrior

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Our Ocean- Preserve, Protect, Understand

By: Helen Newen

The Medical Club is a club to appeal to those who are interested in the medical field. This club will promote careers in medicine and hopefully assist fellow students to find their right path. The different events will help create awareness for various diseases, allow a vision for students interested in the medical field, as well as unify a group of students together. One of the many activities that happen in Medical Club recently involved the dissec-tion of a pig’s uterus. Students in Medical Club were able to have the opportunity to look at the different development stages of an unborn pig fetus. In addition, the students were able to see the facial features and the organs inside the fetus, clearly. The Medical Club members had a fun time. This dissection can be related to medical careers that do inverto fertilization, pregnancy, keeping the baby healthy while the mother is pregnant, or becoming a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor. Furthermore, this activity gave them the opportunity to see how amazing God designed the uterus and the developmen-tal stages of a fetus.

The Medical Club Striving For Greatness

How readers can get involved: Meetings every Monday in room E126

Quotes: “What were your favorite moments in the club so far?”

Angie Chen: “The Stanford surgical unit from last year was an amaz-ing experience! This year Medical Club started out with the CPR unit. CPR is such a good and useful skill to know and now I feel safe because I know how to use it properly and efficiently in times of danger.”

“How do you feel about Medical Club in general?”

Pavithra M., Eva O., Priya C.:“Our experience with the club has been really inspiring!”“Every club meet presents something new, and we get to learn interesting skills every Monday.” “Each meeting we get to do something creative and exciting while both learning and having fun.” 17 | The Warrior

quiz

What will be more fun than spending an afternoon with few of your buddies play-ing quiz bowl and being a part of a team while you learn many different subjects in a fun and interactive way? We are open to suggestions. So far, none can compare. That’s why we love quiz bowl. We get to learn beyond the classroom while enjoying every minute of it! We also get to compete with other high school quiz bowl teams in Northern California when we visit UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and other campuses every month. In February, the Quiz Bowl club gained an invaluable resource to their team: Mr. Carothers. Mr. Carothers entered VCHS as a substitute teacher for the AP U.S. History class, and he agreed to be our mentor for the rest of the year. Mr. Carothers has proven him-self a dedicated mentor, giving us strate-gies in order to study and increasing the amount of teamwork in the club. On March 1st, the quiz bowl team visited Stanford University for the California Regional Championship. This was an open competition, which means the varsity and junior varsity players were mixed together. We ended up playing against some of the smartest juniors and seniors in the state. Still, our all freshman team became seeded at fourth place and jumped up to the higher bracket at the end of preliminary rounds. On March 15, we attended the California NAQT state championship at UC Berke-

ley, one of the most prestigious open tournaments in the state. The top 15% qualified for the National NAQT Tour-nament in Chicago and the top 25% were invited to the National PACE championship in Washington DC. Once again, our all freshman team played against 10 different teams who were mostly upper-graders and some of the most experienced players in Northern California. Our team played well and learned a lot. Although we ended up being the seventh team in the middle bracket, we had so much fun during our visit at this campus. Our team captain, Omeed A. received a prize for achieving the 7th place with the most correct answers at Stanford and 8th place among the 72 students who participated in UC Berkeley tournament. In all tournaments, the most exciting rounds are usually when both teams are within 5 - 20 points of one another. Another great thing about these tournaments is the amount of people that one gets to meet and befriend. We often see many familiar faces who share one common inter-est: to seek knowledge. Everyone is civil and helpful towards one another. These friendly competitions only draw more respect towards all opponents. Although winning is sweet, we have also learned that compassion and empathy towards losing teams builds friendships which will last longer than the thrill of a single moment of victory. Although Quiz Bowl is new

Quiz Bowl officers from left: Vivek M. , Akaash V., Omeed A., Devyan B By: Omeed Askary

18 | The Warrior

this year to VCHS, we are sure it is becoming very popular. In evidence of that, during the recent VCHS Open House, we demon-strated a mini tournament among the middle school student visitors and their parents. Our table was by far the most crowded among all the ones in the large gym, with more than 40 visitors visiting our table and participating in the game. With the help of our dedicated and talented team members like Anika K. , Devyan B. and Akaash V., along with our advisor Mr. Caroth-ers, it was a successful event. Our next endeavor will take place at UC Berkeley on April 19. This will be an NAQT all Junior Varsity team event. We are plan-ning to send two teams from VCHS to this event. We also look forward to the two National competitions that our team members qualified for earlier this year. Ashish P. has qualified to attend The National Geography Olympiad. We also have Omeed A. and Dhilip R. as qualified candidates who will attend The National History Bowl/Bee. Both events will take place in Arlington, Virginia on April 25-27. It is an exciting month for our club. We also look forward to next year as we expand our scope of tourna-ments in the field of Science. We will take part in the Science Bowl in October 2014 at Stanford Univer-sity. We are also invited to attend

the televised program, Quiz Kids, which we will hopefully attend as we expand next year.At this point, the Quiz Bowl program would like to use this opportunity to extend our gratitude to AMSE and especially Mr. Vavken and Ms. Bell for believing in us and supporting this fun and interactive well-rounded academic program. Also, we would like to thank Mr. Kistler and Mr. Reichow for being our mentors during the first semester of the school year. The Quiz Bowl club would not have existed without them. GO WARRIORS!

bowl

Who would be good at Quiz Bowl?•One who loves knowledge and thrives on learning more•One who doesn’t mind losing for the sake of knowledge•Anyone with the passion for one subject or more•Anyone who loves to read•Maybe You !If interested to learn more about our program please feel free to contact us via email : Quizbowl.VCS@gmail.com

Quiz Bowl Team @ UC Berkley March 15, 2014 Anika K., Andrew R., Omeed A., Max G, Vivek M., Devyan B.

Spring 2014 | 19

S e n i o r College Decisions

Oregon State University Samuel Acomb Benjamin Bucknell Justin Favet Katherine Jeffrey Alexis Panos Justin Zuchowski

Vanguard University of Southern California Meghan Adams

University of San Diego Samrath Ahuja

Oral Roberts University Elizabeth Ajayi

Howard University Brandon Alexander

San Jose State University Timothy Allen Adrina Bourang Jamie Dequine Efrain Gonzales Kyle Gurrola Izzat Halabi Shelby Hetrick Chad Horsager Sarah Kennedy Ran Iiang David Maumalanga Mitchel Mayes Amber Meadows Mark Muendelein Breno Muller Pereira Charles Nelson Eruve Nevarez Erica Ramirez Andrew Ross Jordan Sankus Connor Snow Kevin Valadez Megan Villarreal

Moody Bible Institute Brandon Buscher

Drexel University Christopher Bonte

Cabrillo College Moises Azua

Foothill College Nyan Aung

Airforce Byron Baker II

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Hailey Allison Adam Belluomini Kyle Brereton Katelyn Dietz James Fairweather Jackie Lam Barrett Lowe Claudia Macedo Edwina Pham Corey Stryker Garrett Taylor Jeeven Vase Andrew Warnock

University of Nevada, Reno Auston Anderson Kimberly Figone Mattison McMillan Kendra Rice Connor Smalls

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities David Andris

West Valley College Tanya Aquilina Stephanie Cucchiara Sierrah Hoover Rebecca Kester Joela Norman Mario Orlando Lauren Pearson Jordan Quist Troy Stainthorp Kiley Stokes Eva Toubia Michael Vegegas Austin Mayhew

University of California at Berkeley Zachary Artman Christopher Chon Guanghong Fu Elizabeth Lin Tanay Nathan Caroline Pritchett Indrapratik Reddy Shivani Reddy Ai Hoang Diem Truong Michael Zhang

Colorado State University Lauren Campoy

University of California at Santa Cruz Sivateja Arvabhumi Miriam Contreras Tri Vu Minh Do John Joseph Helen Newen Markus Tran Adam Trinh

Santa Clara University Juliana Banuelos Thanh Dat Bui Andrew Lung Karen Mac Kirsten Mead Natalie Nguyen Jacqueline Quirke Brian Roush Anders Wang Victoria Yao

Saint Mary’s College of California Ryan Barron

Santa Monica College Alexandra Bascom

San Francisco State University Jonathan Bautista James Charles III Samantha Hamada Alexandra Hoffman Kavan Kumbhani

20 | The WarriorBackground Image Provided By: the305

Omar Torrentera

Boise State University Britney Beltramo

Gonzaga University Jack Benazzo

Point Loma Nazarene University Michael Bergen

University of San Diego Bryson Brigman

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univer-sity - AZ Doug Chamberlain

Sonoma State University Gabrielle Bettencourt Sara Citti Rachel Eager Maria Kowalczyk Jessica Mitz Audrey Patterson Jordyn Patterson Jenna Qualls Sara Van Wagoner

American University Kelli Bicknell Christina Martino Siyuan Shen

Rice University Monica Bodd Rebecca Cunningham

California State University, Mon-terey Bay Marijke Bolsens Alisha Crowder Mikayla Ehlenberger Megan Lippi

University of California at Santa Barbara Evan Borras Megan Nguyen Adam Vasquez

De Anza College Megan Braun Jessica Dellamonica Erwin Garrido Timothy Ryan Samantha Singh Chi Tran

Colorado School of Mines

Daniel Ginther

Pepperdine University Ian-Michael Brenton Dalton Dexheimer Trent Dexheimer Brianna Visalli Andrea Wigginton

University of Portland Katie Bronk Quinn Mello-Bastida Jonathan Pfeffer Christopher Manderson

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Marissa Carlyle

University of California at San Diego Audrey Chang

University of California at Davis Katherine Chang Krista Lane Hyunwoo Park Johnny Phan Jr. Allen Speers Angela Sun

San Diego State University Marisa Chirico Kathleen Mccarthy Veerparatap Tatla

University of Detroit Mercy Inseok Choi

Pepperdine University Sarah Chue

The University of Arizona Luke Courtney Drew Cureton Amy Higgins Trent Huse Payton Locatelli Chad Nelson Joseph Novelli Madison Quibelan Andrew Saenz Amanda Streeter

University of San Francisco Randy Cruzet Xinyi Zhou

University of Washington Oliver Davis III Erin Nguy

Concordia University - Irvine

Paulynne De Jose

Grand Canyon University Brittany Diatte

Azusa Pacific University Bryonna Diaz Jennifer Hikido Christian Kolb Erin Loo Dimitri Morris Katie Trader

University of Notre Dame Madeleine Dilfer

University of the Pacific Ashley Duong Sierra Kanetake Arianna Maghsoudnia Sunny Qianyu Yang

Mount Vernon Nazarene University Stephen Ellis

University of San Diego Blakeney Fairey

Arizona State University Nicholas Feghali Timothy Kahlenberg

Biola University Sarah Florenzie Deanna Furlan Deanna Harris

Boston University Yu Xin Fu Yuqi Zhou

California State University, Chico Nicholas Galvan Georgia Lomax Jackie Speidel Lauren vonSzeremy Andrew Yoshida

Gavilan College Fa’auliGaoteote

Colorado State University Marissa Garcia

Rider University Alexis Garrett

California State University, North-ridge Michaela Giordano

Spring 2014 | 21

S e n i o r College Decisions

Taylor University Katherine Gonzales Courtney Spoutz

Chapman University Justine Gonzalez Abby McLachlan Brittany Zamora

Wheaton College IL Rachel Goranson

Gavilan College Davis Gunter

West Valley College Maria Halatsis Matthew Kastle

California State University, Fresno Kylee Harn Kody Kroening Trenton Rhoades

University of California at Santa Barbara Melissa Hartman

University of Oregon Caitliin Hernandez Brenda Ko Jeffrey Korns Mikaela Parkyn Jacob Seligman Morgan Starkey

Cuesta College Clancy Hickinbotham

University of California at Los Angeles Ryan Hoang Shelby Smallwood

School of Visual Arts Eunpyo Hong

Carnegie Mellon University Sung Ho Hwang

University of Colorado at Boulder Kaitlyn Iruegas

University of California at San Diego Srijit Jana

Foothill College Trevor Johnson

Abilene Christian University Brianna Jowers

Baylor University Theron Kay

University of Michigan Audrey Keaney

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Yoonjin Kim Zi Yu Zhang

Art Center College of Design Yu Jin Kim

Evergreen Valley College Jacob Lang Luis Morales

California Lutheran University Christopher Lazar

University of California at Irvine Alexander Lee Kai Wen Wu

California State University, Los Angeles Jeremy Lee Jessica Xu

Washington University in St. Louis Jihyun Lee

Pennsylvania State University, Uni-versity Park Sang-Min Lee

Johns Hopkins University Yi Lee

Yale University Christopher Leege

University of North Texas Jordan Lief

San Diego State University Ashley Light

YWAM Oliva Lira

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Yimeng Liu Peter Romanchuk

Fresno Pacific University Zachary Lowenstien

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Jordan Luciano

St. John’s College Tyler Malone

University of Portland Christopher Manderson

University of San Diego Juliette Martichoux

University of Conneticut Tyson McLellan

University of Massachusetts, Amherst Suk Hyun Min

Olivet Nazarene University Jonah Moore

Texas Christian University Emily Moretti

California State University, Bakersfield Rebecca Mortensen

Seattle Pacific University Brenda Muldoon

University of Colorado at Boulder Wade Myers

22 | The Warrior

Seattle University Irvanpal NattNortheastern University Gregory Nau

San Jose City College Alexander Nelson

University of California at Merced Alan Nguyen Naomi Quan Tamanna Sharma

California State University, Fullerton Andrew Nguyen

Westmont College Nathan Ngo Jonathan Nguyen Jonathan Pathmanabhan

Stanford University Regnia Nguyen

University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign JooHyuk Park

Baylor University Abigail Parsons

Hawaii Pacific University Amber Perez

Nova Southeastern University Alina Philip

William Jessup University Marissa Pietrowicz Lauren Sampino

The University of Texas, Austin Tyler Reynolds

California State University, Chico Daniel Ribeiro Frank Tomasello

Emory University Jin Hyeong Rim

Westfield State University Tyler Robbins Calvin College Aaron Roth

Malone University Richard Salazar

San Francisco Conservatory of Music Daniel Santos

Brazil Pedro Santos

California Lutheran University Alex Shulman

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Alexis Smith

MCPHS - Massachusetts College of Phar-macy & Health Sciences Peter Sohn

Harvard College Wynne Stagnaro

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Alexandra Stegemiller

Northwest Nazarene University Kendra Stewart

Crown Madison Stricklin

University of California at Riverside Sam Taft

Menlo College Matthew Tallerico Thomas Yiengst

University of North Texas Jeffrey Tesik

University of Utah Lindsay Trevino

Grand Canyon University Samantha Villanueva

Parsons The New School for Design Alejandra Washington

The University of Alabama Katie Osumi Alexandria Wilson

Point Loma Nazarene University Alexa Wise

Chapman University Michael Hoefling

Spring 2014 | 23

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Spring 2014 | 25

Pictured top: Reni Ajayi, Alexa Vitale, Kailee BeneventoPictured middle: Charlie NelsonPictured bottom: San Jose Fire Department26 | The Warrior

MINUTESevery fifteen

by Claire Chaney, editor and Camilla MaraisPhotos by Now and Forever Studios

On March 24, 2014, the Valley Christian student body lost 21 students due to injuries sustained in automobile accidents. And while their deaths were not real, the impact that it had on our student body was. As staff writers, we were given the privilege of covering this meaningful event. When attempting to approach this story in a way to do it justice, we were stumped. How could we accurately portray the full spectrum of emotions that occurred through the duration of this program in a single article? In order to document the opin-ions and emotions of VC students during the Every 15 Minutes program, we decided to send out a survey. Our results were inconclusive. Instead of giving a mundane itinerary and insincere quotes, we decided that it would be best to hear from fellow classmates and staff themselves. The follow-ing viewpoints are what we feel accurately capture the true responses to the program.

Interview #1: Student who participated“I’m really glad that I got to be a part of the Every 15 Minutes program. When I got to school, my heart was pounding out of my chest because I was so scared. I thought that people would take it seriously, but had no idea that it would be as serious as it became. On the retreat, we talked a lot about the effects of drunk driving on the people around you like your family and how it affects them emotion-ally. Then, we wrote letters to our parents which was really hard because it was like I was dead and had to pour my heart out into saying goodbye to my family. It was a really good experience that made me realize how short life can be and how important it is to cherish the people that you have around you.”

-Kailee Benevento, 11

Spring 2014 | 27

Pictured top left: paramedics and Charlie Nelson. Pictured top rightl San Jose Fire Department. Pictured middle right: onlook-ing students. Pictured bottom right: San Jose Fire Department and paramedic

28 | The Warrior

Interview #2: Personal experience with drunk driving“The summer before my freshman year, I had the unfortunate experience of being in a car accident that involved a drunk driver. Even though my mom and I were uninjured in the collision, watch-ing the events of this program brought back a lot of really heavy emotions. I didn’t have to drink and drive to feel the effects of what can happen in an accident like that, and it is a very real thing that can affect more people than you’d think. Hopefully this program was able to open the eyes of more students about the decisions they make regard-ing alcohol and driving.” -Anonymous student

Interview #3: Someone who was apa-thetic“I fail to recognize how it would stop/prevent people from drinking and driv-ing. There are plenty of people who know the facts and still drink and drive, sometimes because it is convenient, other times because they don’t believe drinking affects them. The key thing is to make people aware that drink-ing does affect your driving, and while everyone can tell that to you, that doesn’t mean you’ll believe it.” -Gregory Nau

Interview #4: Analytical student“Unfortunately, none of my classes had someone “die,” so I was very confused on why there was such a big emphasis on those students. However, after-wards, I understood, but the gravity of the situation didn’t hit me as hard as the other presentations. Actually, the most impactful presentation was the parent speeches. Personally, seeing a grown-man/father cry hit me emotionally deep. I can relate to drunk driving as I was in an accident where the person who hit us was slightly drunk. This presentation was extremely impactful. I hope other students will take this lesson to heart.” -Katherine Chang Interview #5: Someone who has decided to change their actions“It’s cliché but it’s true, people our age either think we’re invincible or that the risks of our actions aren’t that real. I consider myself extremely lucky that the stupid calls I have made haven’t hurt anyone in the common and realis-tic way I learned from the assemblies. The fact that I could be capable of so

much damage blew my mind. It would be a burden that I would never want my friends, family or myself to live with, and that definitely causes you to think again about some decisions you’ve made. -Anonymous student

Interview #6: Teacher“For me personally, Every 15 Minutes is a hard two days. I have two boys that are just out of high school, so this is potentially a very real situation for me. As a parent we only want the best for our children, we want them to be suc-cessful doing what they love. We want the bad choices to be learned lessons not life changers. Having to bury a child

is unthinkable; having to visit a child in jail for one bad choice is unthinkable. I am very emotional when we have the Every 15 Minutes program on campus because I understand how one choice can devastate and change the lives of many. In many conversations with students, I think that the program did provide food for thought and that the students will think about choices they make having very real consequences, big and small.” -Diane Gallatin

Interview #7: Administrator“I’ve been in charge of the program for the past three times that we’ve done it, and we try to run it every four years so that every student has seen it once. We did get some very positive feedback

from parents because it opened that doorway for them to talk to their stu-dents about drunk driving so from that perspective it went very well. It is our desire that students take time to reflect on Proverbs 2:11 and have discretion and understanding when they make their choices.” -Mrs. Avilucea

Interview #8: Friend impacted“I was chosen by my best friend to write a letter to her because she “died”. We had to sit in the small gym for about an hour and listen to statistics and get into the mindset that our friends were actu-ally dead to write an impactful letter. I don’t think I thought about it as seriously until after that and I had to be placed in shoes where I could actually never see her again. That was definitely that hard-est part because I took it very seriously.” -Katie Bartenslager, 11

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes.” Which also means that out of all car accidents that occur yearly, one-third of them are caused by people who are driving under the influence of alcohol. And while the statistic has drastically changed from every 15 minutes to every 48, the reality of the effects of drunk driving are still very real and are prevalent, even in a Christian high school. As we are called to be the light in very dark situations such as these, reliance on God within us gives us the strength and wisdom to do so. 1 Corinthians 1:30 reminds us of this, “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemp-tion.” We hope that through the various perspectives presented, the impact this program had on you personally, and on our school as a student body, will remain very real. By joining us in continued prayer for those affected by drunk driv-ing, and taking steps in our personal lives to eliminate instances such as these, slowly but surely the deaths from alcohol related accidents will continue to reduce in number. Spring 2014 | 29

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Spring 2014 | 31

Opposite Page: 1. Little girl dressed in traditional Thai costume. 2. Gold statues in the Bhuddist temple in Chiang Mai. 3. Marin Heacock (11) plays with one of the boys from the New Jerusalem shelter. 4. Alexis Garrett (12) enjoys a coconut water. 5. Natalie Piccone (11) and Mrs. Harper in traditional Burmese face makeup. 6. Lexi Stegemiller (12) and Erin Loo (12) teach Burmese childeren in the Brick Village the words and hand motions to “Jesus Loves Me”.

This Page: 1. Burmese woman and her daughter in the Leper Village. 2. Naomi Quon (12) creates masks with the New Jerusalem kids. 3. Lexi Stegemiller (12) teaches one of the New Jerusalem boys to swim. 4. Alexis Garrett (12) feeds a baby elephant. 5. Allison Landis (10) enjoys an Easter Sunday service with the shelter children. 6. Maddy Pape (11) shares a moment with one of the kids in the Brick Village. 7. The kids from New Jerusalem learn English from the team. 8. The team treks through the jungle on a four mile uphill hike in 100 degree weather. 9. The team in front of the Chiang Mai Buddhist temple.

Throughout the week, the team participated in a Bible study on Daniel. Through this, they learned to set aside the “I am” in their life for the great “I AM” so that He would have full influence over how they choose to view themselves. This helped the team focus on doing God’s work and to see the Burmese people from His perspective in spite of the harsh climate and the poor conditions in which they live. This missions trip was truly a life-changing experience for our Valley Christian students.

JUST JOKING:Valley Christian defies racial stereotypes In the back of our brains, cruel names have been linked to certain races for as long as we can remem-ber. Past advocates for change spoke up against the unfair treatment based on the color of your skin. Today, we seek to embrace diversity and are more sensitive towards each others backgrounds. Under the sugar coat of this realization is the hidden truth: racial discrimination and stereo-types are still a prominent problem in today’s society. Twitter erupted with racial

32 | The Warrior

backlashes like, “This is Miss Amer-ica, not Miss Muslim #sorrynotsorry,” after Indian-American Nina Davuluri was crowned Miss America 2014. An ESPN editor titled his article about basketball player Jeremy Lin who is of Chinese descent, “Chink in Armor.” Recently, Donald Sterling the owner of the Los Angleles Clippers was fired because of his racial comments at a game. These examples show the racial discrimination that still exist today and what stereotypes are in today’s media.

Even though evidence of racial stereotyping and discrimination exists in larger society, is racial discrimina-tion and stereotyping a huge issue at Valley? Our school magazine, The Warrior emailed a forum to the stu-dent body asking if any one has been racially bullied or stereotyped at our school. The wording of the question almost begged one answer: Yes. Over the next couple of days, fifty some students replied to the online forum. Many of the students replied saying that, “Racial bullying is the least

33 | The Warrior

common type of bullying I witness on campus” or, “I don’t think REAL racial bullying is a problem at Valley.” A rampant problem students pointed out is racial stereotyping. An Indian student recalled how in the beginning of the year a group of boys constantly insulted him, referencing the color of his skin. When he tried to defend himself, the other boys retorted back, “What are you going to do, blow me up?” From a Christian perspec-tive, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:31-32 to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every other form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Hatred toward the boys was a lost cause and the Indian student ignored them, and the taunting began to stop. Ignoring or keeping quiet about the problem doesn’t always end the taunting. Wearing a concerned expres-sion, Mr.Machado, the Dean of Valley Christian considered racial discrimina-tion happening, “one one too many times.” Mr.Machado urges students to tell an adult or himself if another student is racially targeting you. On the other hand, several students believe what some feel is racial discrimination is only joking. “I’ve seen students make fun of each other in a joking matter because of their race,” junior Ryan Orlando added. “It becomes a real issue when the person hearing it, doesn’t take it as a joke.” Proverbs 26:18-19 says, “Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” Like an arrow being shot, the words that come out of our mouth can

emotionally affect another person. A person might believe the words coming out of their mouths is jest, but to another it can be offensive. There is a fine line between “joking” around about racial stereotypes and being very racially discriminatory towards a certain race. A huge factor to consider is who you make jokes or comments to. An anonymous cau-casian student who goes to Valley has heard people crack jokes about him saying remarks like, “white trash” or “your family inbreeds.” His body language gives off a cold vibe as I inquire how these remarks make him feel. “I think it’s alright when my friends joke about it. But I think it’s not right for people who don’t know me to joke about my race.” Students have commented that racial discrimination is not a huge problem at Valley because the school is pretty diverse and the students are nice to each other. Valley has many programs that do what they love as a family of different backgrounds, skin tones, and facial features. Programs, like our football teams don’t care about the players race, but think of one another as family. In the begin-ning of the Varsity Football season, the players found it difficult to work as a team. Junior David Maumalange remembers how Coach Rolle told them, “Teamwork makes the dream work,” and this motto helped the team become a family. “We are a brother-hood,” comments Maumalange, “It doesn’t matter what your background, race, etc. is.” Sometimes in our classrooms the family atmosphere isn’t evident. Valerie Lam, a sophomore, hears crude comments because of her Chinese nationality all of the time.

Snide remarks like, “Are your parents going to hit you if you don’t get an A,” are things one student in particu-lar kept saying to her. Finally, some students in her class told him to stop. Her passion about racial discrimina-tion is evident as she describes how racial comments are so normal that no one notices them. “The default remark people make a lot of times is, “You’re smart...because you’re Asian. You have to get straight A’s …. because you’re Asian.” A black student hears, “You’re so smart for a black person.” With a sassiness they retort by saying, “I’m smart. Period. My race has noth-ing to do with how well I do at school.” Our race should never determine our level of intelligence. This ideology that only certain races succeed in academ-ics, athletics, or arts only hurts us as a society. All races will be linked to a certain stereotype no matter what. As Generation Z, we can defy these sometimes fatal stereotypes and stop racial discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” We are still looking forward to that day, but we are closer each time we speak up against racial discrimination.by Kayla Phan, Editor

Photos by Paul Quach, Savanna Watkins and Jasmine Fini

Eat Less, Workout More, Look Better!

“I lost 20 pounds on Nutrisystem!” “I have never been happier with my body after using the Ab Roller Evolution!” Companies are constantly trying to convince people that dieting programs or exercise machines will give them the bodies they have always wanted. Whether it is getting six-pack abs or having a celebrity’s body, dieting and exercise plays a huge role in self-image. “If you want defined muscles and a good physique, it’s all based on what you put into your body,” said senior Katie Osumi, who “goes paleo”. The paleo diet basically cuts out all wheat products and turns the focus more on meats, vegetables, and fruits. Dieting and exercising to the extreme can be life-threatening, and most people do it just to look better. On the Internet, ads trick people into think-ing that they can lose 20 pounds in just a week. Everybody wants to know: do diet and exercise really make you look as good as you want to? It’s not a bad thing to diet and exercise. When done properly, it can be quite healthy. But on this past season of The Biggest Loser, winner Rachel Frederickson sparked heated debate over whether she had lost too much weight. At her appearance at the season finale, people across the country were shocked to see the new Rachel, skinny as a stick. Did she diet and exercise too much or was it something else that caused this woman to go from an overweight 260 pounds to a slim 105 pounds? Rumors spread that she had become anorexic or bulimic, but she told sources that none of that was true (E!Online). New studies have shown that exercis-ing does not helo much when it comes to losing weight (The Guardian). Dr. Timothy Church of the University of Louisiana led an experiment among four women who were each given different amounts of time exercising. While one group was the control, who were not supposed to make any differences to their daily routine, Church found that there was no significant difference in weight loss between the four groups; in fact, some women had even gained weight. He discovered that many of these women relied on compensa-tion: they would eat, work-out, then reward themselves with more food. Senior Chad Horsager said, “Having the self-control to have a clean diet is where people are defined for their physique.” People will try anything to lose weight through exercise, whether it be running or going to the gym every single day. Many people also try to use to lose weight through dieting. Some people think that diet-ing is eating in smaller proportions. South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem are just a few of the

dif-ferent diets where effects are questionable whether or not they really work. Yes a person might feel skinnier, but in the end, it can be extremely unhealthy. When asked if dieting works, junior Amy Roat said, “Diets really don’t work because once you stop dieting, the weight will just come right back.” UCLA research shows that diets will help you lose a little bit of weight in the begin-ning, but eventually that weight will come back. Avid Crossfitter Rafael Maciel says, “There are many “quick” weight loss diets that cut corners on nutrition. These “quick” diets are unsustaina-ble and often, the individual gains all the weight back and more. I know, because I have tried them. Over the years I have found that the only real formula for long lasting weight loss is through proper nutrition.” Dieting and exercise is not a bad thing, but when people distort the two in order to feel good about themselves, it can become a serious health issue. For a short time the person may look better, but in the long run, the weight will come back, and all that work will not have been beneficial. Instead, people should remove carb-loaded foods from their diet and instead eat healthier and workout at least three times a week. Instead of sodas, drink fruit smoothies and lots of water. Instead of sitting on the couch, go for a run around the neigh-borhood. Just because people want to look better, doesn’t mean that they have to starve themselves or workout constantly. Judd Xavier, owner of Crossfit Silicon Valley, commented, “Through various media channels people are jaded by an obscene look of skinny or “beauty”. Real beauty and fitness come from within and how it is shown through the way we take care of ourselves. Everyone has a different look and everyone can achieve their best when commit-ted, and it shows. But it is sad when someone tries to achieve an ideal that is unobtainable.” There are so many healthier options for looking and feeling better. 1 Peter 3:3-4 tells us, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperish-able beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” Instead of focusing on the way we look or how we appear to other people, it is important to keep our character healthy. Our character is ultimately defined by who we are, not how we look.

Does dieting and exercising really get you that skinny body?

Story by Kara Hinton

Photos by Marijke Bolsens and Jenny Hikido

34 | The Warrior

“Not wearing makeup is fresh; nothing on my face is keeping me concealed. Wearing makeup makes you may look better, but your personality is still the same

as if you were not wearing makeup.” -Reni Ajayi

“I wear make up for self-expres-sion purposes. Without make up,

I don’t feel less confident or beau-tiful. I feel confident with or with-

out it. It’s just fun.”-Kimberly Tien

“I feel more brighter, more awake. I look more awake (haha). When I’m not wearing makeup,

I feel comfortable - at least when I have enough sleep.”-Paulynne De Jose

“I don’t wear make up a whole lot because I want people to see for who I am. When I wear makeup, I feel like a whole new person, partially because I don’t feel like myself, sometimes good and bad. It feels a little fake, and I have

more attention on me.”-Shelby Hetrick

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LADIESLOVEDIAMONDS

The Origin of the SportSoftball originated in a very interesting way. It all started after a Yale vs Harvard football game. A student from Yale jokingly threw a boxing glove at the Harvard stands, and some one hit the glove with a broom stick. From that, softball was created. Later that day a man by the name of George Hancock created a “soft ball” by tying a boxing glove. The game was played without gloves because the “ball” was soft enough to catch. He later created rules and drew a small baseball diamond and foul lines in the Indoor Boat Club, where the games were originally played.

How has softball developed since then?Throughout the years, softball has become more and more popular. It evolved and people started to play it outdoors. The same type of “ball” was used, but Lewis Rober, a fireman, made significant changes. He made the fields smaller, the balls softer, and made the innings shorter. Eventually, leagues were created, and softball is now being played all throughout the world.

Valley Christian Warriors SoftballThe VCHS Varsity Softball team is off to a phenomenal start, beginning 17-4. They are on an incredible 10 game win streak, and with 3 games left the team looks to finish strong for a chance to play in CCS.This girls team is one of the best not only in our area, but in the nation. They rank in the top 100 teams in the country. With an ERA of 0.44, opposing teams shouldn’t be going into matches with this Valley Christian squad expecting to score much.

Brynne Fitzpatrick:“People underestimate the game of softball and the work ethic that dedicated softball players have. For those who don’t know much about softball, they see girls pitching, throwing, catching, and hitting, which all takes skill. The hardest part about softball is definitely the mental part of it and how you always have to be ready for anything like in any sport, but people seem to think that softball is different. Also, if you research it, softball players have less time than a baseball player does to react to a pitch (when a certain speed is thrown). Softball requires skill and mental toughness in order to be successful which goes against what a lot of people think.”

Alexis Corini:

“I think the hardest part of the game is definitely the mental game. It’s difficult to stay focused and not overthink and psych yourself out. And along with that, its difficult to pick yourself up after a bad play. A lot of the game is about attitude and confidence on the field, and its important to be focused and confident in order to do well. Once you get down on yourself, its hard to get back up. Never give up, because you can always make the next play, and the game can turn around in a second.

by Jordan Callendarphotos by Now and Forever Studios

LADIESLOVEDIAMONDS TRACK&FIELD

harder, better, faster, stronger

o distance, hurdle, or weight can stop our Track and Field athletes from making it to CCS. The only factor that is against them during practices is the sweltering heat on the track. Sweat rolls down their faces as they train for the upcoming meets. Some of the different events they will face are the meter runs ( 100, 200, 400), relay races, hurdles (110, 300 meters), and discus. Track and field athletes train everyday. Junior, Nathan Lynch explains that, “We’re always exercis-ing. In the gym, on the track, or in the weight room.” Freshmen Justin Barana and Nedu Ndili said one of the hardest workouts they complete are the dread-ful “ Warrior 200’s.” First, athletes run 200 meters in 40 seconds, then 39, and all the way down to 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, they start again at 40 seconds. Mondays are usually the hardest workouts because they focus on endurance. Practices on Tuesday work on speed training by having runners sprint the first 50 meters of a “race.” Wednesdays are when the meets happen and Thursdays and Fridays are the cool down days.Knowing your teammates and having a strong bond plays a huge factor in many of the relays. “Having chemistry with your relay team really comes into play,” Varsity athlete Akil Jones says, “It helps to get to know everyone on the team because sometimes one member of the group may be injured.” Ath-letes have to be ready for a substitute in their relay

in case another is injured. Having a strong bond insures they will still have a connection during the races. In between the difficult training sessions, laugh worthy moments are made each day. Varsity ath-letes Elaine Ma and Bekah Bruckner remember the time when Valley alumni, Coach Cal tried to jump over a short hurdle and, “Fell flat on his face!” Junior Varsity athlete Austin Chang recalls how he was the last leg in a relay and fell down a few meters before reaching the finish line. Teammates Javon Sturns, Brandon Do, and Michael Min joke around about how they stealthily put turf down each others backs during practice. Whether Varsity or Junior Varsity, all the athletes have goals they want to meet this season. A majority of the goals are to improve their times in the running events or throw the shot put farther than last time. Recently, Varsity athlete Elena Bruckner won the girls shot put with a throw of 46 feet and ½ inches. Her previous best was 43 feet. After throwing the 46 ½, Bruckner was stunned Afterwards, she wanted to immediately participate in the next meet and throw even farther. As CCS comes closer, our track and field athletes train to win and work together as one. The heat during practice is nothing for these Warrior’s who want to glorify God by doing what they love.

by Kayla Phan, editorPhoto by Jenny Hikido

Pictured: Tommy Arechiga (12) and Ben Staub (11)

N

Bas

ebal

lBaseball. Many people used to call it America’s past time. Despite this title, how much do people really know about this sport? Baseball looks simple on the outside. A player swings a stick, hits a ball, and runs around the bases. But everything is much more complex on the inside. Take it from these Valley baseball play-ers. Baseball is a sport centered hugely on the individual. Every player has a huge amount pressure. One great example is the role of the pitcher. Jason Tate, a Varsity Baseball Junior, explained how during plays everybody’s eye is on the pitcher. The pitcher has a pivotal role during games. Every pitch does not just stand-alone, but rather build upon each other. The assistant coach Mr. Ryan Realini, describes that, “Baseball is a lot like a game of chess. What somebody does during one play will affect the next one.” From a pitchers perspec-tive, they have huge role in setting the tempo of the entire game. The more strikes they throw in a row, the more the other team’s physiologi-cal confidence is broken. Once achieved, this repeated tempo can destroy other batters’ composure and confidence.Keeping good composure is very important, for hitting a baseball is more difficult it looks. Mr. Realini likes to point out that, ”I have huge respect for people who can even hit a baseball. When you are batting, you are trying to hit a flying object, that is both small and moving about 80-90 miles per hour.” To put this into perspective, cars on the highway have a speed limit of 65 mph. Batters get very little time to react and in baseball just hitting the ball is not enough. A sloppy swing will not cut it. Isaiah Azua, a Senior, explained that, “A long swing

(of the bat) does not have enough power to drive the ball very far, and can land in the foul area.” Batters have to practice making solid contact with the ball. To be able react quickly enough requires excellent composure. Isaiah also explained how every batter, “has his good days and bad days. Sometimes I could be playing and be having a great game, and the next day I can’t hit anything.” This process can be very frustrating and Isaiah expounds that the only thing to do during “the rough days” was to just take it calmly.

baseball focuses a lot on the individual, but is also a team sport. The overall team tactics are drawn every game by the coaches. During every game the coaches look at the overall game and try to decide the “chess moves” they have to try to win. They try to weigh each option to determine what is best for the team. For example, two decision coach Realini and others have to decide making a sacrificial bunt is more worth it to bring someone to second base, or do they risk the outfield catching a hit. These decisions affect the next play since each inning has only a few outs. What’s more, each play used will make the other team more wary of the next one, meaning that every action made will make the next action less effective.In many ways playing baseball is like being the body of Christ described by Paul. From 1 Corinthians 12: 15-27, Paul describes how every person is part of the body of Christ. Just as much as the eyes need the feet Christians must build each other up in the name of God. Every baseball player is essentially a separate unit. Similarly with the direction of the coaches, each individual unit works together to be one body, the baseball team.

by Carl Luo

38 | The Warrior

you got served

valley christian’s boys varsity volleyball team Great success is what every team looks for, but not all teams achieve it. The Valley Christian Boys Varsity Volleyball team hasn’t had their most suc-cessful season, but they know how to compete and have fun. Whether they had close losses like the match against Serra (3-2), or blowout wins against Branham (3-0), this team always played their hardest. They played for each other, and each player did everything they could to make the team better. All good teams have great chemistry and teamwork, and this team had both of those. Legendary basket-ball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said, “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” No sport can have a one-man team and to be great, every player needs to play for each other. Senior Andrew Saenz said, “We all like to hang out and do things together, because we feel like bonding as a team will help us when we go out to play.”

Senior Chad Nelson stated, “We know we’re not the best team, but we believe that if we keep putting our heart into the game, we can achieve some great things.” Although the Valley Christian boys have not had as much success as as they would like this season, they never gave up and played until the last moment of each game. They showed this type of passion in the beginning of the season in a game against Serra. After a quick lead in the beginning of the game, they thought they had it, but Serra made a comeback to even things up at 2-2. The boys thought they could come out with the win, but in the end, Serra was just too much to handle. Serra came away with the victory, but throughout the whole game neither side gave up or quit. The boys at Valley are able to com-pete in every game, because they believe in each other and support each other. They always play until the very end and always believed they could

big things. Although they have not had the most success in their own league, they have had much more success in tour-naments, winning a total of 7 games. They have been able to win two of the tournaments they played in this season. Andrew Saenz said, “even though we played some tough teams, were able to come together as a team and pull out some wins.” This Valley Christian Varsity Volleyball team focused a lot on teamwork, and used their chemistry to play to the best of their ability.

by Jordan Callender

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Spring 2014 | 39

Thirty versus eight. Normally, the odds wouldn’t be in favor of the eight people, but our boys varsity swim team was determined to beat all odds. Those eight boys were seniors Andrew Lung, Michael Hoefling, Adam Trinh, Ian Brenton, juniors Asher Kleinsmith, Conner Barnett, sophomore Matthew Thomas, and freshman Andrew Koustoumbardis. It has been a tough season for the boys, but they have defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral and had an outstanding win in the 200-medley relay against Bellarm-ine. Varsity coach Kevin Parizi praised the boys saying, “The guys have done an outstand-ing job this season! With only eight guys on the team, we can’t fill all of the scoring lanes at a meet, making it virtually impossible to win. They still come out to swim hard every

week to better themselves and do what we are really meant to do: glorify God.” Three of the individual and three of the relays have already qualified for CCS this year. Sophomore Matthew Thomas had a very successful season, winning many of his individual events in the league meets.

By: Kara Hinton, Editor

Super 8

“They still come out to swim hard every week to better them-selves and do what we are really meant to do: glorify God.”

Seniors Adam Trinh and Andrew Lung both said, “I think that this swim season is the best season so far because since there are only eight of us, we’ve all gotten a lot closer. It’s great having so few people because we don’t have to focus on winning as much. It is so much more fun that way! We are also a lot closer because we’re able to hang out a lot.” The boys have turned their focus more towards becoming closer and less on the win. “It is amazing to see each week that even though there is such a small number of guys on the team, they always want to challenge and support each other to swim their hard-est, regardless of the win.” It has been difficult for the boys to go up against 30-40 other boys when there are only eight of them, but they have enjoyed the season and grown so much closer as a group.

40 | The Warrior

Golf

TennisSpring 2014 | 41

42 | The Warrior

OL eV

D A V C

i EBy: Alyssa Teixiera

Spring 2014 | 43

Q: I’m too ugly to get a good looking girl to like me. What do I do now?

A: Ugliness is nothing to be ashamed of buddy. Many people are affected by this condition every year and dedicated doctors are working to find a cure. In the mean time those afflicted by this tragic condition have several options.

Option 1: You could try to cover up the ugly with flashy clothes and accessories.

Option 2: You could constantly carry around a puppy with you. This not only attracts people, but it distracts them from your tragic condition...of being ugly.

Option 3: Embrace it! You got to do you, no matter how hopeless the situation. I guarantee that you will find someone who loves and accepts you for who you are. Warts and all! 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Q: How do I get out of the friend zone?

A: Oh no! You’ve been friend zoned! What to do? My advice would be to closely examine the situation. First ask, “what could send the object of my affec-

tion running for the hills?” This question has many possible answers.• You listen to too much Justin Bieber• You don’t like Jennifer Lawrence (because who doesn’t Jennifer Lawrence?!?!?) • You abbreviate words unnecessarily• You chew really loudly• You’re rude (you know who you are)• You have twelve cats and you keep pictures of them in your wallet

Q: How do I let down a guy who likes me, without hurting his feelings? And what do I do if I really don’t like him?

A: Ah yes, the great struggle. It’s a tale as old as time! That really cool and well meaning guy who wants to be a little more than friends but you just aren’t interested. It’s an uncomfort-able situation. Communication is key! Specifi-cally the form of communication through which you get your message across. Here is a good and effective way to let him down easy while still being understood:Hold a puppy while saying no, because like I have said before, no one can be upset with you if you have a furry friend in your hand. When in doubt a fluffy friend is always the answer...or chocolate!

Notable Mentions:I’m in love with this girl. Every time I see her or smell her, I can’t ever get enough. She’s so beautiful. However, she gets in the way of my athletic schedule and overall health. She doesn’t support my running aspirations and she always wants me to be with her. I tried to explain how important my sport is to me, but she doesn’t seem to get it. I love her and don’t want to give her up but she always wants to be with me. Her name is Pizza.What do I do? Please help!

DISCLAIMER: Results may vary. We do not advise following this advice.