GauchoLife
ECHS STUDENTS & CAMPUS LIFE
We Made It
Thoughts on The End of the School Year
By: Mckayla Daniel and Hope Vang
Published: 5/29/18
It’s about that time, in less than a couple of weeks we will be off for the summer! The mighty El Capitan Gauchos have made it through the school year of 2017-2018. To many, this school year was filled to the brim with memories both good and bad, struggles, many tests, friendships, and growth. Now it's time for students to share those memories and on top of that their plans, thoughts, advice for the future, and most importantly, give thanks to the ones that made this school year possible.
Each and every individual here at El Capitan has made some type of impact, whether it be on themselves or on others; either way, he or she managed to make it to the end of the year with a positive attitude. Our Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and staff were asked to describe their year in five words. A Freshman, Edelmira Aguirre described their year as “a crazy roller-coaster of emotions.” While Sophomore, Lyric Adam stated that his school year was “fast, motivating, theatrical, enthusiastic in school spirit and even inspirational,” which is a little more than five words but all the better. Junior, Matthew Banda said that is was “just another good ol’ year,” and lastly, Senior, Angel Martinez described his final year as “fun, hard, tiring, fast & busy.” As for the staff, Ms. Urquizo commented, “It was GREAT, GREAT GREAT!” Even though this school year was stressful for students and teachers alike, many still enjoyed their time, which shows that together as a school we are doing awesome! Senior, Angel Martinez also shared his thoughts about the school year ending stating, “I am really excited but nervous, this is like a second home to a lot of us and I am going to miss all the memories and fun times.” Which brings us to our next topic. When the end of the year starts to become apart of everyday conversation you mostly hear how excited people are to be leaving, because it’s true, who doesn’t want summer break to come? However, we don’t tend to hear the full story when it comes to what people truly feel about the school year ending.
Many of the students here at El Cap shared their thoughts about the school year ending and it sounds like a lot of students’ will be leaving pieces of their hearts behind but in all truth, they are also excited for the summer to finally be here. Martha Manzo, a sophomore, says “I have grown and learned so much from this school year and I am very sad. At the same time, I am excited for the school year to end just because I am ready to take on Junior year.” Melia Danby, a junior also shares her thoughts, stating, “I feel relieved that the school year is over because this year was more difficult than the last. Junior year is the year where your grades really matter so I’m happy that it is over with. However, I don’t want the school [year] to end at the same time because I don’t want to be a senior. That means I will have to be more responsible and adult-like.” Another sophomore voices his feelings, commenting, “Honestly I am so ready for summer but I will miss all of my teachers, friends and being busy during the day. Even though I hate waking up early in the morning, it gave me something to do and It was super fun to be apart of all of the activities etc... Over the summer I will miss it.” So even though most of the students here at El Cap are excited about the summer, they will miss being apart of the school as it holds so many memories for them. As for the seniors leaving, they are ready to tackle their next challenge in life, but they are melancholy about leaving their high school life behind. But in result of this year, many of us have felt a change in ourselves, and that shows that not only hard work pays off but that the relationships we develop pay off as well.
Even though this was his first year of high school, Freshman Eric Domen says that he has felt a difference within himself, “since the beginning of the year I feel like I have accomplished a lot, because I wanted to end this school year with higher than a 3.0 GPA and I did. I also wanted to compete in a talent show, which I did and it was an awesome experience. I performed at [a] rally and the hip-hop concert was a blast.” Aside from Eric, many other students feel like they have accomplished so much and felt a difference in themselves, while others say they haven’t. A sophomore voiced her thoughts saying, “I feel a huge difference from the beginning of the year to now. I feel like a completely different person because I realized a lot about myself this year that I had no idea I was capable of before. I feel very accomplished because I learned a lot.” Along the same lines, another sophomore Marcos Allizelle discovered a lot about himself as well, he commented, “I have felt a huge difference in myself from the beginning of the year to now. In the beginning, I had no friends, failing most of my classes, and having a hard time in school. Now, I made amazing friends, who make me laugh and smile. School has gotten a lot easier.” Junior, Melia Danby says “I have felt a difference in myself from the beginning of the year until now because I have become lazier. In the beginning, I was a lot more focused on my assignments, but now I have hit the point in the school year where I don’t want to do any work.” Lastly, a senior also shares how he has felt a difference stating, “I have seen a difference, I’m more mature. I feel pretty accomplished because I made it to graduation and that’s a step in the right direction.” Even the staff at El Cap have felt a difference, Ms. Urquizo “accomplished [her] first year of teaching AP Stats!” As you can see, many students and staff here at El Capitan have felt a difference in themselves as people and in their academics. However, there are also those who haven’t felt a difference. Damian Ortega commented, “Not really, I’ve been the same since the beginning of the year. I don’t feel a difference because I feel like I could have done better, but next year I’ll catch up on all my credits and school work.” So even though many of the students and staff felt like they have accomplished at least something this year, there will always be that select few that don’t feel that way, and that’s ok, it takes time to grow. Furthermore, on the topic of school and the work that is involved with it, students share their plans for the future and advice for younger classmen.
Seniors at El Capitan High School are ending their legacy, others are still continuing, so as the seniors say goodbye they share their plans for the future and their advice to the younger students they are leaving behind. One senior commented that his plans for the future are, “to go to the local college and after two years, transfer to CSU Stan, then join the Navy for about four years and as a career, I want to be a teacher.” He then gives his advice stating, “make sure to be yourself at all times, if anyone is trying to drag you down, let them go, they are not worth it.” Another senior gives his advice saying, “don't wait until the last minute to turn in assignments.” Which is a big deal in high school, if you want to have good grades, which are a lot of students goals for next year, then you have to turn in your assignments and work hard. As for other students, Sophomore, Martha Manzo, voiced her plans for the upcoming school year, “next school year my plans and goals are that I will be an ASB Officer, Director of Philanthropy, I will also continue on being the wrestling manager. I am hoping of starting a club that focuses on empowerment with young ladies and grow a more positive environment here on campus.” As for her advice, she said, “don't stress so much! Enjoy school! Go to games, go see plays, participate in rallies/dress up days. High school will be so much fun if you want to make it fun.” A freshman also voiced her plans for her sophomore year saying, “My goals are simple for next year. Try to get only A's and B's, Be more active in school activities, Step outside my comfort zone more, be at school more and to be happy. LIFE IS SHORT. Live it while we are still young.” And for junior, Melia Danby, who is going to a senior next year, stated, “My goal for the upcoming school year is to stay focused throughout the whole year and finish high school strong. Also, if I can get a 4.0 that would be great.” As more students comment about their future plans and goals we see that most of them are based around getting better grades and for seniors passing college, but as for advice, there is a wide range of it.
Here is a link to a Special Senior Interview featuring Cristian Castillo.
A sophomore gives her advice commenting, “Continue to do what makes you happy because no matter what it is, it'll get you where you want to be.” While another sophomore, Naomi Archibeque-Parra said, “Don't let fear take you over, take a risk academically and socially, DO YOUR EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS, and don't give in to what others think and believe.” As for Allizelle Marcos, yet another sophomore, he voiced his advice saying, “People will always tell you who you are your whole entire life. You just have to punch back and tell them, "No, this is who I am." You want people to look at you differently, then make them. You want to change things, you're gonna have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world.” A freshman soon to be a sophomore, Edelmira Aguirre, gives her advice to incoming freshmen saying, “for our upcoming freshman just have fun and listen. You are now a Gaucho, own it and be proud to be one.” Another freshmen says, “don't give up and learn to time manage, and don't stress out when you are behind in a class or you don't have a good grade in it. Make new friends and make memories, have fun and go do different things. Don't be afraid to try something new, like a sport or club. Lastly, a junior states, “My advice is that it is okay to get help from teachers, counselors, or other students. It is important to stay positive and look on the bright side so you don't stress yourself out. Also don't slack because if you start slipping just a little it will become a habit.” As far as advice goes, many of the students here at El Cap say that if you want to succeed you have to work hard, and that getting help from teachers is ok. They also say to be you, don’t let others bring you down, you are here to learn and grow as a person not to impress anyone, you are an original and that is pretty awesome.
From the students and staff here at El Capitan we all have people to be thankful for, whether we thank them for helping us with school work or getting us through anything we face throughout our life, we are thankful to at least one person. Sophomore, Lyric Adam, commented, “I would like to thank ALL of my teachers for encouraging me to do my best even when I didn't want to. I want to thank them for putting up with me as well, I ask a lot of questions.” Angelina Hernandez also voiced her thanks, “I would like to thank many people like for example, my mom, my cousin (coach Frank), my history teacher Mr. Bartley, my health teacher Mr. Sanchez and my close friends because they have been of great help and help me improve myself as a person also in school.” Once again Martha Manzo gave her all and commented, “I would like to thank all my teachers. Mrs. Arteaga for continuing my growth in being a Spanish speaker and always inspiring me to have a positive attitude. To Mr. Sanchez for just being yourself and being the most funniest teacher. Mrs. Lema, when going to your class I always felt loved and cared for. Ms.Brazil for giving us assignments that actually teach us and making me analyze and think more outside the box. Mrs. Blake for always giving me the time, help and teaching the way you do. To Mrs.Bham for being such a cool teacher and making history interesting. To Coach Petty for teaching me not to strive for A's but to strive instead for K (knowledge). To Mrs.Petty for always having your door open for me. To Mr. Fuentes even though he is not my counselor but I have known him since the summer of barely starting as a freshman for always providing me with information, advice, always there when I needed someone to listen. To my bus drivers who provide me everyday a safe trip to come to school. To all staffs and teachers thank you for making my sophomore year memorable.” As for others, many thanked themselves for staying strong and positive throughout the whole year, they thanked close friends and family as well as the teachers here at El Cap that made everything possible.
As each and every student and staff here at El Cap went through the year, they were sure to make memories, as this article is coming to close we would like to lastly go over the memories made throughout the year. We also asked to see if anyone would change anything about their year and these were some of the responses we received. Junior, Damian Ortega said his favorite memory was, “Hanging out with close friends and meeting new friends.” While a sophomore said, “My favorite memory would be every day in school. I enjoy each and every day of school. School was a mess for me but my new friends made me love going to school. I look forward to having them in my classes again. Each day is a good worthy memory.” A freshman said that her favorite memory was, “meeting new people and being more open. This was my favorite memory because I finally stepped outside my comfort zone.” Another freshman said that her favorite memory was, “the talent show because it showed that the regular day kids we have seen every day in the hallways have a talent we never knew about.” Junior, Matthew Banda said that his favorite memory was the dress up day, “The dress-up days during October were my absolute favorite. From greasers to work-out gear, it was all very fun.”
Here is a special Shout to Lyric Adam for sending us some of her favorite memories!
As for wanting to change anything, Junior, Melia Danby, said, “If I could change one thing about this school year, I would add more fun events at lunchtime and during school. I would do this because sometimes you need a break from working and school can get boring.” While a sophomore said, “I would change the laziness that has come upon me because it stops me from doing greater things.” Then there are others that wouldn’t change anything, a sophomore gave her opinion saying, “I wouldn't change anything about this school year. IT WAS A GOOD YEAR!” So as this school year comes to a close, we can all conclude that it was a great year. Yes, there were many hardships and parts of the year that we would like to forget, but that doesn’t change the fact that many people here at El Capitan enjoyed their year and the memories that came with it. We hope you enjoy your summer! We made it!
Here's a look at key memories experienced this year at El Cap!
Why Journalism Matters
Journalism’s significance in El Capitan and high school students around the world
By: Rachel Livinal
May 29th, 2018
“Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.” - American Press Institute
It is the essence of the spreading of information that allows breakthroughs. Without news, there would be no history to build upon, no way to communicate with the rest of the world and no way to improve everything in the world today. Journalism is vital to society, but without it, knowledge is not spread, communication skills fall behind, and humanity can be enveloped by the big, bad world of ignorance and dictatorship. But, in order to keep the support of journalism, it must start in high school classes and newspapers. El Capitan is cutting it’s journalism class after it’s very first year; many students in the class value it, but what about other students and staff at school? What benefits are received for students who take a high school journalism class? Why is journalism, specifically in high school, so important?
This year, El Capitan was able to add a journalism class that to integrated the Gaucho Gazette into its curriculum. This, in turn, helped the school newspaper grow magnificently. The population of viewers has grown as the pages on the site have as well, and many people appreciate the variety of news found in the Gazette.
A sophomore, Itzel Arredondo says, “I like that it has a ray of recognition and is very open to all news in the school, whether it is good or bad.” But journalism as a class at El Capitan will be cut after this school year due to the lack of students signed up for the upcoming year. In a survey for El Capitan students and staff, 77.3% said they would like to see journalism come back as a class in years to come. When asked about their thoughts on the cutting of journalism, many students expressed that they are upset. Tessa Gonsalves, sophomore, says, “I think it is important that students learn how to write about certain events that bother them and for students to share what is happening around campus. Ajah Hassaan also states, “Our opinions are not really voiced that well any other way besides organized things such as the [walkout].” Even for students who admit they aren’t very interested in the newspaper, they still believe it should be kept for those who do enjoy it. Many students expressed how they would’ve joined if time, CTE pathways, and schedules allowed; Shiwani Lata, sophomore expresses, “I don't think that it should be cut. If I had room in my schedule, I would have joined. I really wish they would have kept it because the students that want journalism [would] have worked hard for it to stay.” Nathaniel Saldana also thinks, “I wanted to join it, though it didn't count as art, so I couldn't spend time on it. I don't have time for fun.” Ms. Brouillard, the music teacher here at El Capitan shares her belief, “Learning ethical journalism is an important part of today's society and we are doing our students a disservice by not offering it. In a time when CTE is constantly being pushed and now mandated, journalism class is important, even if they aren't getting CTE credit for it. We should be offering our students classes that will enable them to get jobs in different fields after graduation, and by cutting this class, we are taking that away from students.” Journalism offers many benefits including a career choice that many students might have not discovered without joining the class.
But writing and editing broadcasts and articles may not only benefit those looking for a career in it; research shows journalism can improve skills needed in college. According to a study done from the Newspaper Association of America, “High school journalism students earn higher grade point averages, score better on the ACT college entrance examination and demonstrate better writing and grammar skills in college.” Experiments in both 1987
and 2008 both showed these students also had a higher ACT composite score, ACT English score, and a higher college freshman grade point average. Not only does journalism improve school performance, it also improves life skills. As stated in Huffpost, “The emphasis on communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking [helps] students find new ways to deliver meaningful content [and develop] skills that make journalism students the best prepared for any college or career opportunity.” Michael Geheren, a college student from the University of South Dakota states, “Without high school journalism I would be nowhere. [It] taught me excellent life skills, from workplace politics to strong leadership.” Even if isn’t what all students love, journalism still reapes benefits for future writers and leaders.
People feel many different ways about journalism; some think it’s gone too far off the deep-end or is boring, while some believe it is amazing and the very essence of sharing all opinions. Just as Mena Barase exclaims, “I feel that it is very underrated. Everyone in journalism works hard and writes great articles. But I feel like the rest of the school just ignores it.” Whether or not everyone sees when it's updated, journalism has gone heads above its existence as a club from only one year before. Preparing kids for all kinds of careers is important. Spreading school news is important. Journalism is important.
Influencers
Article by: Gabriela Spiva
Nowadays, almost everything in our lives is decided by a thumbs up, like, or a subscription. In this evolving world it has become increasingly difficult for people, especially young students, to establish who they are online. In these two cases, social media presence has actually been a positive aspect in the lives of two groups of teens. The first teen is only sixteen years old and is currently a Sophomore attending El Capitan High School. Wendy Park, or @Wenccino as she is known online, currently has a presence that amounts to 16.6 thousand followers on Instagram and approximately 450 subscribers on YouTube.
This success has not been easy, as we talked in an interview Wendy shared the constant struggle she goes through, “Well first, we call ourselves influencers because really that’s what we’re doing as our job. We try to offer positive influences to impressionable followers and offer them someone to look up to.” Influencer; someone who affects or changes the way that other people behave… When thinking of the constant trends Wendy is always having to keep up with you begin to realise that it really is a job. She is constantly searching for ideas to please a demanding following and trying to maintain her own sense of image and style at the same time. This constant battle between what the public wants to see and where her own heart is taking her is always on her mind,
"I'm always trying to give my following what they want without losing myself. I try to remember that my feed, or flow, of my Instagram should be me. Not anyone else."
Adorned in a Gucci tie and a pair of sponsored earrings this photo posted on April 29 garnered 2,788 likes and 110 comments.
In this Wendy is wearing an, "APOLOGIES CO." t-shirt with nikes and a simple, black pencil skirt. Created on April 25 this photo captured 6,178 likes, 200 comments, and brought in commission through her "wenccino" coupon code.
While she has definitely made waves for her work in the beauty community most of her success has come from her sense of fashion. Adorning herself in Gucci, Offwhite, and other well known high fashion brands she gains followings from many people who look to improve their sense of style. Often in front of a simple background she poses in many unique ways to sample the clothing she has acquired. Many of the posts she makes are recreated by followers and often she is repping a small brand as a promoter. While Wendy does make commission off some of these items with partnerships, contracts, and coupon codes most of the purchases she has to make for her projects, including but not limited to, makeup, clothes, and props are done out of pocket. But what if you can’t afford props? Or simply have no income or following?
We move on to the second example of followings with K-OSS NATION. K-OSS is currently an active dance group at El Capitan High School consisting of approximately 9 members debuted in early 2016 with four members. The club grew to contain multiple members and then began performing at school events such as rallies, lunchtime performances, and shows. As they grew they began to realize they could turn their on stage presence into a social following. Their youtube career kicked off with their love for dance as Cromwell, an original member of K-OSS, explains, “It started as a hobby because we loved to watch dances and other practice events. We loved to perform and so we started to dance on camera and post things to youtube while still building the club.
This cover of kpop group, KARD's "HOLA HOLA" was one of the first full covers uploaded. It allowed the group to explore their ability to be able to learn a dance by self teaching.
The group took an all female song by group TWICE and incorporated males while filming in front of a bright mural to show the theme.
BTS's "MIC DROP was the first major comeback drawing attention for the group in 2018.
Building their YouTube following, they slowly realized just how difficult it truly was to keep with a following of subscribers. You have to maintain the level of activity in order to be able keep rising and growing your fanbase. This year K-OSS took to marketing in order to gain more members and was able to grow the club to 9 continuously active members. With this new large group they were able to tackle more extensive covers. Recently, they have reached the 1,000th subscriber mark and the 100th follower on instagram. Though these achievements may seem small, they go to show that with dedication anything can come from hard work and dedication.
Our Teacher's Impact
El Cap's Teachers effect on students
By: Rachel Livinal
April 18th, 2018
It’s extended lunch and Mr. Clinton is talking to a student. The student has been fooling around and Mr. Clinton decides to give him a talk, but not just any ordinary conversation; he talks to the student in a low voice: very serious, very relatable, and very to-the-point. The student listens intently, looking him in the eyes and grasping the material he’s given. By the end of it, Mr. Clinton asks him if he’s going to do better and the kid nods with his eyes still wide, fresh motivation entering his vision. He opens his computer and does his work for the remainder of the period.
Teachers at El Capitan are exceptional, and students recognize it. During the first weeks of school, most teachers can be seen showing powerpoints or talking to the new rush of kids, not about schoolwork, but about their lives; a simple presentation that can help students relate to them and to remind them that these people in charge are human too, making them more approachable and understanding.
Jimmy Sanchez, a senior here at El Cap, talks about Mr. Holl, an anatomy teacher, “ He's funny [and] he always talks to me about his past [experiences] and what he thinks about [a] certain subject. I ask him advice [for] what's on my mind.” Another student, freshman Jamie Hunt exclaims about Mr. Briggs, a P.E. teacher, “ My P.E class always felt like a family.” She goes on to say, “ Mr. Briggs pushed me to do my personal best and he was a great role model of what a teacher should be like. I think El Capitan is blessed to have a teacher such as [him] that is so dedicated to his students and wants to see them succeed.”
Mr. Briggs isn’t the only teacher at El Capitan that’s very job is to see students excel in everything they do. Mr. Gonzalez is also often caught doing everything he can to make sure his kids feel safe. Sreeja Reddy, junior, shares, “One time, a kid was going to pass out because he had not eaten in two days, so [Mr. Gonzalez] gave him his lunch.” Junior, Mikayah Thomas also says, “He is a good and caring teacher who wants all his students to pass if you put in your effort.” One way many teachers connect with their students is through different teaching methods; these teachers aren’t just here to teach from a textbook. Mr. Holl is one of the most well-known teachers for his goofy personality and the ability to make anatomy class fun. Rachel Chang, junior, believes, “He's hilarious and cracks up jokes at the most [random] times which can be entertaining… honestly, if Mr. Holl didn't teach Anatomy, I 100% guarantee that students would lose motivation [on] that subject and it wouldn't be as exciting to learn.” Mr. Sanchez also comes to the table with something new: sarcastic humor. As said by freshman Kalia Yang, “Sanchez is the best teacher here [socially] and personality-wise. He's put me in table groups that allowed me to make new friends and it really impacted my personality on these people I met just this year.” Another freshman also admits, “I know 'everyone' likes Mr. Sanchez, he really has gotten students to come out of their shell and become more involved.” Mr. Fernandez, a Spanish 1 teacher also makes teaching, especially a new language, fun with his songs and dances that prepare kids for the next level of potentially becoming bilingual. Shiwani Lata, currently a sophomore, claims all of his craziness prepared her for Spanish 2 and she often uses his silly but useful dances and songs.
Some students may not feel their best coming to school; personal problems, schoolwork, jobs, or family is a lot for every teen to handle, but many teachers at El Capitan understand what it’s like. Mr. Petty is one teacher who has gone above and beyond in every aspect of his teaching; take it from junior Evan Myrtue who says, “Coach Petty has not only impacted my life but so many [others]. His motivation [is] to make me better as an athlete, a student, and as a man.” Alexandria Serena, another junior, also admits, “He is someone that does not judge anyone's situation, which is why many students are comfortable talking to him. Thus, Mr. Petty is a not only an educator but a coach. This shows that he really cares about his students (and players) and takes pride in helping others, [which he considers part of his job].” Mr. Gonzalez is also a teacher that connects with his students on a deeper level; Sreeja Reddy explains, “He always tells all of his students that we are all important to him; even the ones that frustrate him. He continuously reminds us that if we ever need to talk to anyone if we're feeling sad and want to vent or simply just want to talk, that he is here for us anytime.”
Teachers have an impact. Whether it comes to their students through their different teaching methods, life stories they love to tell, the push to have their kids succeed, or teaching them to become stronger from their problems instead of letting them get weighed down, teachers are there. Just as Shiwani says about Mr. Fernandez, “If I ever see him in the hallways now, he always says something to brighten my day.”
Without the effort of the teachers at El Capitan, students wouldn’t have the extra helping hand they so desperately need during some of the hardest years everyone has to struggle with in their lives.
Enough is Enough
El Capitan joins the National School Walkout 2018
By: Rachel Livinal and Christina Rhaburn
Thousands of students walked out of school on Wednesday, March 14th in protest of the gun violence that has surfaced in schools again recently and has been highlighted in the media and politics. While some chose to protest with their voices, others walked to protest with their silence for the 17 students who had lost their lives to the school shooting on February 14th, 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School. Students and teachers walked out of class as part of the National Walkout to raise awareness of safety issues, specifically the recent big impact of brutality with guns. Many schools participated in this national event including our school, Merced High, Golden Valley, Atwater High and many more nationwide. El Capitan witnessed its own set of rules and events.
The overcast, cold weather was ignored as a small crowd of students gathered to the front of the school. Phones were drawn to document the event, a few signs showed quotes about gun violence, and a small group of people stood on concrete blocks to wave to the crowd. Gabriela Spiva, a senior, spoke to the crowd, expressing her opinions on the event, “You all have a voice and every single one of you matter. The fact that you are out here says you care and you matter. We all love each other. Love each other, that’s all we can do. You are lucky to be alive.” Students have the right to protest because of the first amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law… abridging freedom of speech… or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for the redress of grievances.” However, some rules do not allow students to disrupt others in their class. Students in public areas have a right to express their political views but schools can still place limits on how they express those views so they won't affect classroom learning time.
Kids at El Capitan preceded to have a moment of silence for the victims and then Spiva spoke again, encouraging others to voice their views, no matter if they agreed with her or not. A few students began to speak, but an interruption occurred as a student from the audience shouted, “For all of us who want 17 minutes of silence, can you all come and join us over here because we’re not here for the political talk. We’re here to say our tributes to 17 members [shot in the latest school shooting.]” A big part of the crowd walked over a ways from the original standing spot and into the grass where they proceeded to bow their heads and pray or just stand in silence to pay their respects. A few became angry saying, “We’re supposed to be united!” while others clapped for the change.
Some schools were stopped in their expression of anger, sadness, or call for change. Students from Berks County were punished for becoming involved in the national school walkout. 21 students overstepped that ruling by gathering near a flagpole instead of being in class; as a result, all of them were suspended. Also, a student at New Prague High School in Minnesota, was removed from school property because of peaceful protesting with a sign that said, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”
The Women’s March was another national protest concerning human rights and other major issues such as immigration, women’s, health care, reproductive, and racial rights, and freedom of religion. The event’s main motive was for the participants to become increasingly active in promoting women’s rights, although the mixture of different reasons caused a bit of chaos but ultimately, all people came together for a change. The Women’s March youth group praised students for participating in the walkout proclaiming the students as “heroes.” The organization even created a program called “ToolKit” to inspire a generation of student protesters who will register to vote and continue to support candidates that promote these ongoing causes.
Students at El Capitan had mixed views on the occurrence in their school. Quenyshia Blacksher, a junior, felt, “At first, it started off peaceful, but then students wanted to separate and that created [division]. They kind of missed the whole point.” Another junior, Zamya Woodward agreed as she stated, “ I feel like the separation kind of created tension between both groups but I like how everyone was speaking their mind on what happened and all
all the shootings. Put our voice out there, you know?” Others felt completely different. Mary McCostlin, another senior, explained, “ I chose to go on [the silent side] because the 17 minutes were for the 17 people that died in Florida. The main purpose was to give our respects to the people that died.” Another female senior stated that she went out solely for the purpose of participating in silence to honor the victims, voicing, “I am for gun control, however, I didn't think to interrupt the 17 minutes of silence for political talk was okay.” She went on to explain, “One of [the protestors] stated, ‘I'm not going to stand here and spew political views at you,’ but that is just what they did. I saw the unorganized event as disrespectful to the lives lost at Parkland.” Emma Wells, a freshman, and student that chose to not participate said, “ I felt that I didn't know much about the situation so I wasn’t going to support anything I didn’t know about. I think some people just used the situation as a reason to get out of class but others really took the situation into their [own] hands.”
The student walkout on Wednesday at El Capitan may not have been the most organized or unified but one thing was for sure: every student that walked out at 10 AM made the same unanimous decision no matter how they chose to express it in those seventeen minutes, and that choice was to convey the need to witness some sort of change in America.
THE STAGE IS WAITING FOR YOU
Talent Show Auditions
By: Hope Vang
The theater, where a stage awaits for students to show their talent. A high school, where students roam going from class to class. Hidden within these students are talent. Singing, dancing, the talent is endless. El Capitan High School holds their talent show tryouts on January 18, 2018. Maybe an ordinary day for others but for some, the day they have been waiting for.
On thursday in January, talent is shown. Mr.Price and Kayla Medina watch every performance one after another. The talent show gives an opportunity for students to show what they’ve got.
Come support your fellow Gauchos as they show their talent on the stage! Results of who won and their prize will be revealed!
February 1, 2017 @ 6 pm
Entrance Fee:
$1 w/ASB
$2 for students & children
$3 for Adults
Stay tuned for the talent show article!
In modern times for as long as anyone can remember we as a society have been making New Year's resolutions, however, scientists don’t really know how, when, or why it got started. Traces first appear around 4,000 years ago when the ancient Babylonians began the tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions. For the Babylonians the year began not in January, but in mid-March when the crops were planted. So during a massive 12 day religious festival, known to the people as Equity, they crowned a new king whom they then affirmed their loyalty to. New Year’s Resolutions are how they would make a promise to the gods to pay their debts or return objects they had borrowed.
The first instance of January marking a new year came in Ancient Rome (46 B.C.) after the reform-minded emperor, Julius Caesar, tinkered with the calendar and established January 1st as the beginning of the New Year. At this time many people held belief in the two faced god, Janus, whose reign was over gates, transition, and time. Janus was believed to look into and have control over the future which led people to offer sacrifices and promises of goods and conduct to the deity for the following year.
Lastly it has also been rumored that in the 1740s, an english clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Services, or watch night services, which were commonly held on New Year’s Eve or at New Year’s Day. His creation of the watch night services included readings from Scriptures, hymn singing, and served as an alternative to the raucous celebrations that were held to celebrate the coming of New Year’s. The watch night service also was held at the New Year’s and was spent praying and making resolutions for the coming years.
A recent New Year’s Resolution survey showed that 56.6% of people say that they do have New Year’s Revolutions but never follow through with them. El Capitan Digital Art teacher, Mr. Matt Bogard, commented his New Year’s Resolution is “Lose weight because I’m too heavy.” Freshman, Joshua Falkenstein, stated his New Year’s Resolution was to, “To make sure my grades are at or over a 4.0 this whole year because high school grades determines where you end up in life.” Fellow Freshman, Victoria Rodriguez, commented, “To be a better person than I was the last year because it helps make me who I am...” Answers like these show that even at a young age, people are always seeking to better themselves.
In a final glimpse of the survey, there was a group of 27.8% of responses that keep their New Year’s Resolutions. While many may seem to be silly or fun like Dillion Greenwood’s, “To get Buckets! Because ball is life.” Many students put thought and time into how they will tackle the coming year. Junior student, Anthony Giron, explains he hopes to, “Go through the year being a friend to everyone and make new friends, try new things and always have a smile cause I grew up with negativity from other people and I don’t wanna be like those people.” Senior student, David Hernandez-Perez, New Year’s Resolution is “Be happy not just look happy. I don’t feel happy all the time and this is an incentive to be happy.” Overall, the coming year offers hope and a chance for change; it’s up to you what you choose to do with it. Happy holidays & good luck with your resolutions, Gauchos!
Out with the Old and In with the New
New Year’s Resolutions
By:Guadalupe Alvarado
12/14/2017
Wishes Do Come True
Winter Wish Rally
By: Mary McCostlin
December 19, 2017
With the holidays right around the corner, there is many gift giving, friendly gestures, and communities coming together to make miracles happen. Here at El Capitan, that is exactly what our leadership students, teachers and staff are doing this year at our Winter Wish Rally.
This year our leadership have worked several hours just to get together decorations, deciding wishes to be granted and assure everybody is in the holiday spirit. When choosing the wishes to grant they aim for wishes that are made for other students to help or put a smile on their face. WIth the help of local businesses, our very own staff of El Capitan, and the coin wars making a total of $1588 El Capitan was able to grant a total of 47 wishes this year. During the week of the rally our leadership students were making wishes come true everyday, by going to classes and making somebody’s day with a small wish that someone else had made for them. As Wendy Woua explains, “It was really nice how they wanted to help out, even if there wasn't much that they could do.”
Walking into the rally was a sight to see, lights, decorations hanging from the basketball hoops, and to add the star on top, all of our students coming together. “This rally looks so much nicer than it did last year!” is what Hannah Urtiz had to say about the rally. During the rally we had performances by our Gaucho Marching Brigade Drumline, National Champion Cheer Team, and our very own Kayla Medina singing “All I Want for Christmas is You." As Athena Lee said, “The rally was very entertaining and sentimental to watch, everyone having their wishes granted. I really enjoyed it.”.
With many wishes being granted in the rally, we had many parents present to receive wishes that their student had made to thank them for all that they do. These wishes included a day for themselves to go out and eat, a day at the spa, or a salon. One wish that had been granted was for Fabiola Ceja made by her friend Madison Weed to be able to attend her senior prom, which included two prom tickets, and $150 to buy a prom dress in the Merced Mall. To make this wish possible for Shane Carl, Mr. Abarca helped out with reaching out to the 49ers and getting four tickets to see one of their games that was held on the Sunday, Dec. 17. One of the wishes made by Gindale Smith for her sister, presented our students with a surprise performance by freshman Gyonna Smith rapping.
At the rally there were three wishes that really touched our students, and those wishes went out Bryce Boggs (an ECHS alumni) and Brody Ferguson (sophomore) including their families to have a family meal together with the trouble of both battling a type of cancer. Garin Boggs quoted Bryce Boggs, “He said it’s the best rally he’e been to since the start of El Capitan.” The third wish is for Sarah Caseri & family who lost their house in a very recent fire, in which she received a pair of boots and $1500 in gift cards to help out her family. “I think the most heartwarming wish was that granted was giving the boots and raising $1500 for the girl who lost her home to fires. It really showed me how much the school and community can come together when someone is in need.”
“It’s a lot of fun being able to see everything finally come together, but as any big event can be stressful at times, but in the end it paid off and we had a memorable rally.” We can all agree that this rally was one of the best and most memorable rallies that El Capitan has had and the Gaucho family can't wait to see what happens next year at the Winter Wish Rally.
WORK WORK WORK
Gauchos get to work: A look into student employment
By: Brooklynn Davis
12/18/2017
Student Employment throughout high school is a big part of most people’s lives. Even if it isn’t such a big part of our life, it still crosses our minds at least once. Some teens aren’t aloud to have a job during high school because students tend to pay attention to the job more than school, while others are forced and influenced to get a job in high school to help support their family or do other things. Other students have a choice whether they want a job or not in high school. We’ve asked students and other citizens about their current or past student employment and the experiences that come along with it. We’ve also got parent and guardian opinion about student employment on their child.
Student employment can range from in school jobs such as helping around the cafeteria to picking up around the school, grocery store employee, restaurant, fast food, beauty, family business, etc. There are hundreds of different kinds of jobs that students do in order to fulfil their goals and needs. Goals and needs can also range and are the reason why students end up employed in the first place. Things such as supporting their family, saving up for personal items or needs or saving up on a big item such as a car or college. Layton Houser, a Junior at El Capitan High School who is employed at the Cultural Museum in Yosemite National Park says, “It looks good on my resume; after high school I hope to be a tour guide in Bodie” as an explanation on why he is employed. He also explains his experience and says, “I work for experience and knowledge- not for money.” Out of all the students who are in fact employed and work for money, he differs. Because his current job somewhat relates to his future job, he thinks this is a good opportunity to begin the little steps into his future job. Is balancing school, personal life and his employment easy? He says, “It is easy to balance work and personal life because I enjoy what I do, working is like a hobby to me, and it doesn’t interfere with much. I work in the summer or during weekends when I am free.” Balancing these is no big deal to Layton, especially because of how he enjoys what he does which is another topic that will be covered shortly.
Enjoying and working on a job that you like and are passionate about is way better than working on a job that you had to force yourself into or that is boring. Doing a job that bores you is way more stress than a job that you love. Not only do you get money from your job, but you satisfy your need for happiness and you have fun. If you just do a job that completely bores you and is hard and you’re just doing it for the money or to make your family or another person happy, then you’re not on the right track. This is proven to cause stress, depression, confusion and a way lower chance for happiness. If a student chooses a fun job during high school, yes they will have fun and then it’ll be less stress, but it can also cause more stress with school and being behind because your focus will be on the fun (your job) rather than on your school and homework which is boring according to most students.
Cheyenne Mckinney, a Merced College student and a mother of 6 says “I want them to focus only on their education and 9 out of 10 kids will do both and dropout of school because money is more important.” Cheyenne is an experienced parent who has seen friends and others do this. She doesn’t allow her kids to have a job during high school because of the priority of the job over school. Some parents/guardians believe their children need to have a job during high school to get their education, experience and money while other parents/guardians think that they should wait until they are done with high school. The parents/guardians that believe they should have a job in high school most of the time need their child to help support the family or so their kid can get some early experience. Parents/Guardians that do not want their child to have a job in high school obviously have had some type of situation happen or they just think they are too young or that school education is a priority and the parents/guardians can support their children until they are done with high school and “job ready.” Waiting until after high school is a better option therefore there won’t be one importance over the other. You need you high school education and graduation to move on in life. You need it to go to college and to get a decent job or high career. With all the homework high school gives you, it’s easy to understand how stressful it can be.
On Ice
El Capitan Winterguard takes Dayton, Ohio
By: Mary McCostlin
May 3, 2018
Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships is what everybody looks forward to if you are part of the winter guard world. WGI goes all the way back to 1977, where it was founded by 6 people, Don Angelica, Shirlee Whitcomb, Stanley Knaub, Bryan Johnston, Marie Czapinski, and Linda Chambers.
El Capitan Varsity Winter Guard is the first ever school in Merced to attend WGI in Dayton, Ohio, only being open for 6 years and going so far.
“It feels amazing to attend WGI in Dayton, Ohio. I never even knew about it until high school, and I never thought we would be as good to be there. Now we are and it feels like a dream come true.” - Senior, Aris Sandoval.
The varsity winterguard has practiced non-stop to be the best they can be, from practices after school, and on the weekends has all paid off for them.
I'm sad it's all coming to an end, I’ve been apart of this for so many years, but I’m glad it's ending with something as big as Dayton. All of our hard work has been rewarded.” -Senior, Yuliana Amador
On the road to WGI they have competed in many different places, such as San Diego, Fresno, Las Vegas, etc., places highly in every competition. El Capitan Varsity winter guard had also placed first at the CVGPC 2018 championships in the Scholastic Open class, and accepting the the Shirley Whitcomb Memorial Award.
On Tuesday morning of April 10th our very own varsity guard began their journey to the airport and onto Dayton, Ohio.
I've been in guard for four years and counting. I'm very excited and anxious knowing that we are competing against so many different guards and its such a huge honor. -Junior, Cecelia Gutierrez
From there they had their first rehearsal outside of California on the eleventh to perform in Prelims on the twelfth in Scholastic Open Round 2. The very next day they performed again in Semi-finals where they placed with a score of 83.700 and ending their journey.
“This is amazing, a dream come true, I never even knew about WGI. I was happy when I made varsity only because I didn't think I would actually make it.” -Only Freshman, Jiashae Thao
A huge congratulations to our varsity winterguard for all they have accomplished this year!
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Final Showdown
ECHS & MHS Present Into the Woods
By Andrew Felix
May 9, 2018
On Friday, April 27, 2018, Merced High School joined El Capitan High School in an effort to have a final jaw-dropping theatrical performance. The play ran from Friday to Sunday. Into The Woods follows a young couple who is cursed and needed to obtain four objects to reverse it, causing them to bump into well-known characters such as Rapunzel and Cinderella. It was truly enjoyable to see these schools come together for a performance after over a decade of parting ways. Friday night attendee Deven Bustillos says “Wow man, that really was a great three hours of my life, and it was hecka packed too” subsequent to the play. Sunday afternoon attendee Emily Pelayo has to say “I mean, it was cool. It was really long but pretty worth it. A lot of people didn’t go either.” I was seated in the left section, front row. Immediately the suspenseful music swept the room and two actors performed a great musical number. The costumes were the real deal! I felt just as if I was in the Sydney Opera House. Overall the buzz is there, those who attended can surely say it was a great way to end both schools theatre performances for the year and cannot wait to see what is in store for years to come.
Clash of the Classes
The rally on Friday and students' reactions to it
By: Rachel Livinal
The “Clash of the Classes” Rally on Friday, March 26th was one to remember with performances from the winter guard and the talent show winner, countless lifesize games like Cup Pong, and teachers like Mr. Davenport and Mr. Sanchez showing their comical side for everyone’s laughs. A competition was inevitable and people from each class were excited for the results such as one student, “I feel like it’s going to be really fun and I’m really hoping the sophomores get a win.” But, even though some believed the rally turned out great, others thought differently and wanted improvement.
The rally started off with a bang; the winter guard performance was incredibly elegant. Each member leaped into the air like gazelles as flags and rifles sliced and twirled into the air effortlessly. The higher the props were thrown, the louder the crowd became as each was caught with perfection. Everything from the teamwork used at the beginning of the routine, to the scene of a separated member complete with looks of despair from the whole group made everyone receive long-lasting chills even after the performance.
As the rally commissioners ran onto center stage, they exclaimed the point sections as up to ten points for each game and up to twenty points for class colors (being how many students wear their class color in their class section), decorations each leadership class put in their grade level section, and class chants for each grade. The determining win would then be finalized by teachers such as Mrs. Blake, Mrs. Petty, Mr. Schneider, and Señora Verrinder. Some students didn’t feel good about this game, like a sophomore student who felt before the rally, “ I think seniors win all the time just because they’re seniors.” When later asked if she thought people were going to wear her section color of yellow, she expressed, “No one likes the color yellow, it’s ugly.” Some say the class color of yellow may change for the incoming juniors next year, but it will definitely remain yellow for the remainder of this school year.
The first game was kicked off. Various students were called onto the stage along with Mr. Sanchez. Labeled “Elephant March”, the object of the game was to try to knock cups over with a tennis ball inside a beige tight. Each player had to put the tight around their head and swing as fast as possible. In the end, the seniors won and everyone applauded. As leadership transitioned, cheer gathered in a group with their metals, backpacks, and jackets. Unfortunately, due to slow wifi, the video wasn’t really able to be seen in full, (but it is attached below this article if you are interested)!
The next game involved another group of students and the one and only Mr. Davenport called “Junk in the Trunk.” To play the game, each player had to attach a box with an opening on the side to their backs and try to shake out as many ping pong balls from the box before time ran out. All levels were jumping and shaking around and Mr. Davenport started running and dancing around the students. As time went off, each box was counted and the seniors once again were announced the winners.
Next up, was a game called “This Blows” with Ms. Urquizo in for the next round and another batch of students. This time, the goal was to blow all of the cups off the table with a balloon. Ms. Urquizo looked strong as well as Jenasis Yarrell, sophomore, but ultimately, in the end, the freshman and seniors won the game. Then, the latest talent show winner, Eric Domen, freshman, took the stage and the crowd watched silently. With his guitar in hand, he played a clever little toon for a short amount of time and proceeded to put it back in its case. Mr. Price quickly whisked the guitar away and Eric immediately began to start dancing, shocking everyone in the stands. He blew everyone away with his individuality and the crowd bellowed with cheers as Eric finished his act with a few bows.
The game of “Pong” became a close one to beat. With freshman and sophomores teamed up on one end and juniors and seniors on the other, each team had to knock a ball into each cup in order to win the game. Both teams battled it out and it seemed like no winner was going to be declared, but eventually, Price called the winners as freshman and sophomores. Many liked that game including Shelby Wilman, freshman, who said, “My favorite part was when they played the cup pong game.”
As the final bell rang, students began to leave the gym, which caused lots of controversies after the rally was over. Price tried to have a final test to show who the loudest class was in the gym, but by then, many students had left and much fewer from each section remained. In the end, the seniors won the “Clash of the Classes” and people vented about the event through social media and elsewhere. Martha Manzo, a sophomore in leadership, explained, “Y'all need to stop hating on the rally when y'all don’t do anything to make it better! You guys don’t understand how much we work as leadership students to make it fun. We are all part of this school, so we should all show our school spirit.” Leadership did put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into these events, especially the rallies such as another leadership student when she described, “It’s day 39, my head hurts and it’s hot, we are still up here [decorating for each class section.]” Another leadership student expressed, “[I am] very disappointed because I sat through 300 rehearsals, set up the rally, and when everyone left, someone came by and destroyed my hard work…. I was disappointed with the technical difficulties; that made no sense.” But even though some may not have enjoyed it, others were blown away. Mena Barase, sophomore exclaimed, “The rally was amazing! I loved all the action that went on such as Colorguard and Eric's performance! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.” Anne Gueorguieva, another junior participant in leadership also declared, “ I love leadership. It’s a lot of fun seeing things put together and all our hard work [paying] off.” No matter what people thought of the rally, leadership has taken huge gains in their events since the establishment of the school, and there will only be improvement for the next one to come!
Double-click box to see photos in full!
Photos courtesy of Yearbook Staff: Makenzie Webber and Araceli Rivera and Journalism Staff: Rachel Livinal
Full Length Gaucho Cheer Competition Documentary Courtesy of Para AH.
Back to Reality
By: Osvaldo Moreno
Coming back to school after a long two-week break could be very hard for kids as they have to re-adjust to waking up early which could be hard because of the weird sleeping schedule they developed during the break. Kids nowadays don't take advantage of their breaks, instead, they decide to stay up super late on social media texting their friends or playing video games. Other kids travel to different places in the world to visit family and might stay up late with them to socialize about how they have been. When asked what he did over the winter break Oscar Perez, a junior at El Capitán High School stated, “For my winter break off my family and I went down to Mexicali, México to visit some family and spend the holidays with them.” When asked how does he feel about coming back to school and having to wake up early he said, “I don't really mind coming to school because it helps me communicate with my friends, but one thing I don't like is having to wake up early.”
Parsa A. Hormozdabadi, a junior/senior at El Capitán High School, when asked on what he did over his winter break said, “Over my summer break my mom and I went up north to visit my uncle in Vancouver, Canada. We did a lot of exploring and I also had a chance to experience a snowfall and realize how cold it really gets.” When also asked on how he felt about coming back to school Parsa commented, “School is an important part of my life because without it I wouldn't learn anything and I would have a hard time being a successful adult.”On the other hand Gustavo Gonzales, a sophomore at El Capitán when asked the same question about what he did over his winter break exclaimed, “this winter break was one of the most interesting and incredible vacations because my parents and I were able to spend a lot of quality time with our relatives in México that we really don't see.” When questioned on how he felt about coming back to school he uttered, “I really dislike the idea of having to wake up early in the morning and have to sit down in a tiny chair for seven hours.”
Although it's hard the first couple of days back to school, it’s easy to adjust back into our daily routines. We’ll eventually get back into the habit of waking up early, doing our homework, etc. Other than that it seems as if everyone is glad to be to come back to school, whether it be to see our friends or to learn new things this semester. Overall, the first few weeks back to school can be stressful, yet we still get to tell stories of our break and welcome the next half of our school year with open arm.
Where The Readers Go
Get to know El Capitan’s Book Club & find your next great reading adventure!
By: Mckayla Daniel
December 13, 2017
Here at El Capitan students are offered many different clubs, all in which bring great opportunities to both the students and staff. Not only do clubs allow students to interact with subjects outside of school, they also allow them to meet other students and create long-lasting memories while doing what they love. A fine example of this is El Capitan’s very own Book Club. What is the Book Club, exactly? Book Club is a club that meets every other Tuesday in the library training room (E103). Besides the fact that the members of the Book Club read, they also participate in the Merced Union High School District’s Battle of the Books every year. While talking about past competitions, Clarissa Serna, the president of the club comments, “participating in Battle of the Books isn’t really intense, I mean you are going against yourself and I don’t know about you, but I am my own worst enemy!” For Clarissa, being the president isn’t hard, in fact it is rather fun. She claimed that the hardest thing she does while running the club is sending out the emails for each meeting. Besides, she has help from her friend Nauticia Lee who just so happens to be the vice president.
To many, reading isn’t a go-to hobby to take up their time. In fact, a lot of people claim they don’t like to read. To some, it might be the idea of books being too long, or simply that the story doesn’t interest them. But J.K Rowling once said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” To the students of the book club, reading is their escape. Calvin Hu stated that “life is poison,” while Estefania Cuevas added that “books are medicine.” To them, reading takes them into a different world where every book provides a different story that they can escape to when life gets tough. There are many genres to choose from while looking for a great story ranging from fantasy, romance, comedy, and even manga, (Japanese comic books and graphic novels). All in all, there are many books with many stories, containing great adventures waiting for you, but it’s up to you if you want to accept that adventure. Some books and book series the students of the book club recommend include: Ranger’s Apprentice and Harry Potter. They also recommend Bone Gap and We Are The Ants, both of which are books selected for Battle of the Books this year. The book club is made possible thanks to our very own Mr. Doyle, who is the advisor for the club. When asked if he liked being the advisor he replied with, “yes, I love literature and working with the students.” Without him and the students who take interest in reading, this club wouldn’t be a part of El Capitan. It's true that many people will continue to dislike reading, but there will always be that other half collecting books and taking up more space on their shelves. When the Book Club isn’t reading or competing in Battle of the Books, you will find them doing other fun activities like pizza parties, selling soda during the Food Fair(s), and trips to Barnes and Noble. If going on adventures and competing in Battle of the Books interests you, please consider joining the book club!
Fun Fact: The book club was one of the largest clubs on campus with almost 40 members during the 2015-16 school year!
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Warcross by Marie Lu
A spoiler free book review!
“Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life.” Marie Lu
Virtual reality. Hoverboards. Tokyo. Spies. Rainbow hair….need I say more?
Warcross is a vast sea of action, exciting sci-fi, and twists and turns you won’t see coming. This world,
very similar to ours besides a few differences in
technology, introduces a plot full of secrets and lies, friends and enemies, good vs. evil, and many more promising attributes. Emika Chen our main protagonist, is a college dropout who now runs the streets of New York City as a hacker and bounty hunter. Ever since her beloved father died, she has been struggling to keep a roof over her head, in which she tracks down petty criminals that the police are too indolent to track themselves in order to earn quick cash. Soon, Emika finds herself hacking into the live Warcross opening ceremony, where she unfortunately gets caught in all her rainbow hair glory. Fortunately for her, this incident caught the eyes of someone who might just be able to help her pay the bills. Meet Hideo Tanaka, who at just thirteen years old invented the NeuroLink and Warcross, a virtual reality combat game that took the world by storm. A game in which almost everyone around the world plays. A game where the live championships are watched by all and teams compete to steal the other teams artifacts. So it comes as a surprise to Emika that Hideo now 21, offers her a job; a job in which she has to go undercover as a spy in the game. Soon after, Emika is off to Tokyo where she is thrust into a world of both fame and fortune only to find that her investigation uncovers a sinister plot with awaiting consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
First off, can I just say Wow! This book was one heck of a thrill-ride. Although Warcross was different from Marie Lu’s other works, I still noticed her touch of magic. Everything about Warcross from its’ plot, dialogue, scenery, and characters was just superb! Marie Lu sets this book full of beautiful world descriptions as the players find themselves in all the different and exciting arenas with vibrant colors and obstacles. Other than that, besides the fact that Marie Lu is a wonderful writer, she knows how to excite her audience with just the right amount of action that can relate to that of The Hunger Games and Divergent. When I came to find that Emika was treading into some dangerous waters which would most likely reveal dark truths and cause her even more problems than what she already happens to be graced with, I predicted an outcome in which had happened, but nothing prepared me for what came next. And my predictions didn’t make my reading experience less pleasing, in fact it was fun to guess what would happen and I ended up being totally surprised by the completely different outcome. It made my reading experience all the more exciting.
“But sometimes, people kick you to the ground at recess because they think the shape of your eyes is funny. They lunge at you because they see a vulnerable body. Or a different skin color. Or a different name. Or a girl. They think that you won't hit back - that you'll just lower your eyes and hide. And sometimes, to protect yourself, to make it go away, you do. But sometimes, you find yourself standing in exactly the right position, wielding exactly the right weapon to hit back.” -Marie Lu, Warcross
Not only did Warcross contain well written world descriptions, it was also very diverse with Emika being Chinese-American and Hideo, Japanese. Lu also introduces one of the men on Emika's team who is in a wheelchair with the other two men Roshan and Tremaine being gay. The diverse cast and international appeal of the game helps Marie Lu to create characters of all colors and backgrounds for her reader’s enjoyment.
“They believe that objects have souls. The more love you put into one, the more beautiful it becomes.”
― Marie Lu, Warcross
I wasn’t all for the romance in this book as I found it a little too cliche for my liking with a rich boy falling for a girl in need of help, however I have to admit the relationship presented in this book wasn’t all to bad. Both of the characters were easy to fall in love with and their romance wasn’t rushed, just a little too predictable. I can’t hide the fact that I got the feels and had fangirling sessions though XD.
“Everyone has a price, he’d said. Name yours.”
― Marie Lu, Warcross
Last but certainly not least, the villain! My, my, my...where do I start with the villain in this book? All I can say is that he is a “love to hate, hate to love” character. Yes, that is all I am saying about him because in all honestly that's all you really need to know; you can find out more about him for yourself! But it could also be the fact that I love villains, more so than the actual main characters.
“Everything's science fiction until someone makes it science fact”
― Marie Lu, Warcross
Overall, I highly recommend this book as it is at the top of my favorites for 2017! If you are a sucker for high sci-fi, action packed adventures with amazing characters, look no further because this is the book for you! So go to your local library and pick it up right now….I mean it..like right now! Whats even more exciting is that the ending of this book sets up for a sequel that sounds amazing, which I absolutely can’t wait for! 5/5
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Did you miss out on any good Fall reads? Well no need to worry Fall is not yet over, here is a list of great recommendations to get into the Fall spirit!
Daughter of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
“There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.” -DOTPK Tricia Lavenseller
Blurb: “Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving
her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.”
-Taken from book jacket of Daughter of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, Goodreads.
Highly recommend if you love adventure through the seven seas and a rockin female leading protagonist very much like Captain Jack Sparrow! 4/5
They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
Blurb: “On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and
through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day” -Taken from book jacket of They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera, Goodreads.
Highly recommend if you are in a mood for a friendship that will warm your heart and make you cry. 5/5
That's all for now! Have a great Thanksgiving break, and go on many reading adventures!
Tailgate party
Freshman tailgate party
by:Sativa Labuguen-Nai
November 8,2017
The party wasn’t that big but it was still a great party. They had two games out to play and had music playing. As soon as you walk towards the event you can smell the hamburgers.
They served hamburgers,chips,rice krispies and water.They’re were friends laughing and having a great time. Some freshmen were waiting for the game to start. Some of the football players were wearing their pink out to support breast cancer. The freshmen team had a good game even though we lost the game six to thirty-four. The players were upset.Allison Candelaria said “The music was nice and there was only a little bit of people that came.”
As the year opens, the excitement of the first performance builds. Upon losing a major repertoire of actors to graduation, many wondered how El Capitan’s drama department would fair, however, they have gone above and beyond to show they will excel far beyond any expectations set.
While watching a play, it may become easy to forget how much work goes into a performance. Every person is held accountable to pull their part and help the show run smoothly. Makayla Leonard, the current master behind hair and costumes added, “We are getting fully prepared...we’ve really pushed and gotten through these last three days doing our dress rehearsals which, especially today, have looked really great so far..” As I wandered the halls trying to find my way to the stage, I couldn’t help but take in the cozy feeling of the back corridors. The sound of giggling and childlike excitement reverberated through the walls and brought a sense of comfort to me. It is easy to forget, but to most of the actors, it is so much more than a show; London Ceja added, “I love carrying on the legacy of being a part of the Gaucho Guild of actors and it’s really just turned into a place of home. I really just get excited when friends of mine are having certain roles and new people. I get so excited to welcome them into our family.”
“Arsenic and Old Lace”, upon first hearing this title I was completely lost. It struck my curiosity as I wondered what in the world it was about. Upon asking for a brief summary I was told it was about, “Old Lady Serial Killers..” from Mr. Patrick Kincaid, the current mastermind behind the shows. My favourite summarized sentence however was from Makayla who chimed, “A lot of murder.” I, a serial killer genre connoisseur, jumped at the idea of little old women having a little extra kick to their personnel and immediately got my ticket to go.
Upon watching it, I can only say it truly did not let me down. It struck every beat with power and spark, they pushed through technical errors without falter, and brought something so sinister to be completely benign and humorous. These teens have brought so much passion and light to the stage that any audience can realize and awe at the vision before them. The first night opened with a medium sized audience who were ready to watch. At every joke, they laughed and interacted well above what was expected. The Sunday may have been ridden with technical difficulties, however, they never stopped hitting every line and maintaining the characters they had embodied.
In finality, the students sacrifice spots and act towards the betterment of the show. As Nick Rohme added, “I started off sharing the scene with Arthur for Teddy and [the] Officer..as time went on I realized memorizing both sets of lines would be too difficult so to help make the show the greatest I decided to just stick to one.” What highschool student would normally pass up a chance for more lines? The Gaucho Guild would if it meant the show would end up a bit greater. These students put their hearts into the show so please come see “Arsenic and Old Lace”, this Friday and Saturday at seven and this Sunday at two. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
All Photos for this article by Gabriela Spiva
Opening With
Excellence
By Gabriela Spiva
October 27, 2017
The Courage to Beat Cancer
Bryce Boggs & Brody Ferguson brave through their diagnoses
By Rachel Livinal & Gabriela Spiva
In the small town of Merced, things like football, making grades, and what your friends are doing this weekend may seem to be on the mind of most teens; however, for some, their thoughts are being directed to a much more serious place. Bryce Boggs and Brody Ferguson are prime examples; these two teenagers spent last school year with preparations to take on the ultimate battle, cancer.
Courageous, outgoing, a born fighter who never surrenders, Brody Ferguson is a remarkable person. Not only is he a ray of light to everyone around him, but his perseverance is rather exceptional. Even as a young kid, he never settled with his
disadvantages. Aiden Mitchell, one of Brody’s friends and sophomore at El Cap explains a time in grade school during the mile. He says, “Back then, Brody was in a wheelchair or he [was] on crutches. Every day the teacher would give him a pass to run the mile, but he wouldn’t take it. He would wheel himself around or use crutches and go all the way around [the field].” Josh Duyette, another friend of Brody’s, and fellow sophomore, adds to Aiden’s recollection, “He would do that all the time.” Ferguson is a bright young athlete who, even down an appendage from a previous bout with cancer, wowed everyone around him when he took on the challenge of swimming. Nothing stopped him from flying through the water and giving it all he has. Bryce Boggs is an amazingly bright academic scholar and graduated valedictorian of his class this past year. The two boys may live in two different worlds in terms of interests and school life, but find themselves both fighting with all their strength.
Bryce was just diagnosed with sarcoma cancer. According to his brother, Garin, a sophomore at El Capitan, he’s had surgery to remove the tumor, five weeks of radiation, and will continue chemotherapy in February. Garin describes the way Bryce has processed it. “At first, he was probably angry and sad. But I think as time moved on, his attitude changed. He [now] focuses every day on recovery and being able to defeat cancer so that he can live his life.”
After losing his leg, Ferguson unfortunately was diagnosed with cancer yet again in his lungs.
Bryce Boggs exemplifies what it is to be a Gaucho at the 2017 El Capitan graduation.
Aaron Dickison describes his own thoughts the moment he found out, “I was shocked because I thought that he had gotten rid of it.” Chase Minor, another of Brody’s friends, explains, “I got really bummed. He’s a great guy, he doesn’t deserve it.” Murmurs of agreement rise from the group. That’s the thing about cancer, no one deserves it, but it’s still an infinite issue. As Aiden concludes, “For some reason, anyone I know with cancer is always the nicest, most courageous person I’ve ever met."
Bryce may be going through arguably the toughest time in his life, but his family is there every step of the way to back him up. Garin goes up to see Bryce every Friday night and comes back late Sunday night. The water polo teams are very active in supporting Brody throughout his battle as well. They chant his name before every game, keep his cap on the bench, and are all dedicating this season to him. The school is currently standing with their fellow gauchos as they wear bracelets that say, “Team Bryce Cancer Sucks,” and the new, “Brody’s Wave” T-shirt circles the campus. Even though they are teenagers, each student finds a way to show that they may not be currently on school grounds, but Brody and Bryce are always with them in thought and strength. Aaron even shaved “Brody” into his haircut. The support is limitless and according to Aaron, “[Brody] loves getting the support from anyone that’s willing to give it to him.” The boys ask to pray for him as much as possible. Aiden advises, “Even if it’s not directly to Brody, just be kind to others because you never know what battles people are going through.” Chase also says, “Do your best to support and if you ever see him, don’t bombard [Brody] with questions. Let him be himself.” When standing on the sidelines it may seem like you can do nothing to help someone going through a major fight, however, there is so much love and support to shine on them. Just as Garin states, “Never give up hope. There is always something to keep fighting for. It doesn’t matter what the odds are. Keep pushing forward.” Keep the support for Bryce and Brody strong in your hearts and your minds as they battle one of the hardest challenges any person can face with courage and their heads held high.
A Howlin’ Good Time
El Capitan Halloween
By:Guadalupe Alvarado
November 9,2017
On a cold, bitter morning on Tuesday October 31, 2017 El Capitan high students came shivering to school dressed up in their Halloween costumes eager to greet their friends. Looking around all you hear is the excitement and eagerness as they talk amongst themselves not giving a care in the world. There are also people taking pictures of people who are wearing their costumes and complimenting them as they watch with awe. While looking around the many different types of costumes you see are witches, nurses, playing cards, Michael Jackson, and many more. Not only did the students dress up the teachers joined in on the fun as well. Mr. Davenport embodies Taylor Swift,while Ms.Angel, Ms.Arteaga, Ms.Besecker, Ms.Quiralte, Ms.Salas, and Ms.Evans have all transformed to minions. During lunch the weather heats up and the real fun begins. The amphitheatre fills with halloween music getting into the Halloween spirit as students begin to take interest a pair appear from nowhere and start a dance battle. The crowd goes crazy cheering. So far this Halloween has been very entertaining and we hope you have fun, stay safe, and have the best Halloween of all time!
Photos courtesy of Yearbook staff: Marynn Quintanilla, Michael Anderson, Simran Kaur and Journalism Staff:Guadalupe Alvarado
We got spirit, how ‘bout you?!
Del Oro Band Review
By Mary McCostlin
October 27. 2017
With their first actual competition in Cupertino being cancelled last Saturday, October 14, due to bad air quality from the bay area fires, the Gaucho Marching Brigade (GMB) was stoked to be able to finally perform on Saturday, October 21, 2017. It began with the entire GBM meeting at El Capitan 5:30 am to finish loading the trailer. As the color guard pass around their secret buddy gifts that they had arranged, most people are making sure everybody has everything to set off to their “first” band review at Del Oro High School located in north of Sacramento in Loomis, California.
As everyone gathers onto the two buses at six in the morning - with seniors being first - the color guard finishes each others’ hair and makeup, and make sure everything is ready to get off the bus when they arrive in Loomis. It could be presumed that everyone would be wide awake to perform and not able to handle the agonizing 3-hour-long-bus-ride, but actually, most take this time to get extra rest. As soon as they enter Loomis, everybody's bus buddies start to wake the others up, so there are no tired faces when arriving. As the buses enter Del Oro High School, many members are waiting to get off the bus to use the restroom since they were not able to stop on the way there. Practice time before performing is cut short due to being a bit late; band and color guard have only about 20-30 minutes to warm up because of time restraints.
As “warm-ups” come to an end, the GMB starts to march onto the street where our amazing drumline begins to prepare for their performance. While percussion is presenting their work, the entire band is watching their fellow members “kill it” in front of the judges.
“I’m so excited and nervous,”says senior guard member,
Kasernyia Thao, and most of the other members immediately agree.
While the band is fixing their lines and rows, the color guard takes to the street as they count their steps to perform. Once there, our drum major, junior, Bryan Garcia, performs his introductory drum major routine, then he blows his whistle, and the band performance begins.
Slideshow: The Gaucho Color Guard Takes to the Street (all photos by Mary McCostlin)
Slideshow: The Gaucho Marching Brigade (all photos by Mary McCostlin)
As the last of the bands compete, the GMB walks back to the campus where everyone except for those who accept awards change out of uniform. While waiting for the parade to end, the band boosters hand out food to the members and they all walk out to the stadium waiting for the awards ceremony to start.
Minutes before the awards ceremony begins, band members in the football stands yell chants to other bands: “We got spirit yes we do! We got spirit, how ‘bout you?!” They scream it louder and louder, back and forth, until they both end up stopping from exhaustion.
Right when the awards start, three members of each band: a representative for percussion, color guard, and lastly the drum major walk out onto the football field to represent their entire bands. The pressure weighs on all members as the a speaker calls out the names of schools for percussion awards: fifth place, fourth, third - the Gauchos await anxiously - second, and finally, El Capitan takes the win with first place. Ultimately, the GMB take first place in all categories: overall for drum major and color guard, first place band in division 3A, and the showmanship sweepstakes. The whole band and color guard explodes into jumping and cheering for their wins. But these Gauchos also know how to keep it humble.
“It wasn't our best, but it was enough for us to succeed and take home the win,” senior,
Delia Hurtado.
As a long day comes to an end, everybody loads the buses and heads home - once again sleeping on the bus until they get a truck stop right by the Ripon water tower to eat. All you see are people walking around in Carolina blue shirts going into fast food places and gas stations. With time limit of about thirty minutes, band members rush back to the buses for a final role call. With everyone on the bus still eating or talking with friends, the rest of the bus ride is energetic and playing Heads Up until they reach the signature brick buildings of their home campus. Even after a long, exhausting day of competition, everyone is ecstatic about their wins and to finally be home . . . eagerly awaiting their next competition, the Fresno Band Review on Saturday October 28. There certainly is no rest for these wickedly awesome Gauchos.
Please click on the above images to see them in full view. (All photos by Mary McCostlin)
Brody's friends show their support & drive awareness in creatively noticeable ways.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Get to know El Capitan's Interact Club
By Guadalupe Alvarado
ECHS Interact Club
What is Rotary Interact Club? The Rotary Interact Club is an organization which brings together humanitarian services and advances goodwill and peace around the world. At El Captain, the Interact Club is about giving back to the community while also gaining community service hours for students. El Capitan’s Interact club is currently run by Ms.Urquizo and meets every Wednesday at lunch in B201. Ms.Urquizo became the club’s advisor after she was asked by former advisor, Ms.Lema. Ms.Urquizo accepted the offer because she thought it was a great opportunity and she also wanted to be an advisor for a club. When speaking about how the club is able to raise money she explains, “The funding that the club goes through in order to raise money is working at the food fair. They also work at the local crab feed in which they get a majority of their money.” Current events for the club are an event at Christmas, tutoring at Sheehy Elementary School every Wednesday, and giving back to the school community. Like many clubs, the interact club maintains club officers. The president of the club is Mayra Lua; she is in charge of making an agenda for the meetings on what events are coming up and being a positive leader.
“I wanted to be a leader and have everyone organized with themselves and just having leadership skills.”
Mayra Lua, Interact Club President
Thomas Martinez is the vice president of the club; leaving him to be the man in charge when Mayra cannot attend. ¨I wanted to be the vice president because I wanted to have it on my graduation transcript¨ says Thomas. Alexi Saeteurn is the treasurer of the club and she is in charge of money affairs. Alexi comments, ¨I have been a member of the club since my sophomore year, and I wanted to become the treasurer of the club because I am great at handling money." Finally, we have the secretary Ellena Urrutia who is in charge of getting everyone organized for the meetings and taking notes when the president is presenting. Ellena joined the club last year and has enjoyed every minute of club life because she gets to hang out with her friends while also helping the community. She wanted to be the secretary of the club because ¨I am [a] very organized person and I like planning things for the club.” If you are interested in helping the community and school and earning community services hours, please consider joining the Interact Club.
Left to Right: Alexi Saeteurn, treasurer; Ellena Urrutia, secretary and Mayra Lua, president
Back to Being Gauchos
The first weeks back to school
By Mckayla Daniel & Mary McCostlin
What better way is there than to start the school year off with some school spirit?
As we all know, school's back in session, which means football games have started and for most, school spirit is rising! Not only did we get to have our first home football game of the season, many got to witness an eclipse; some of which who got to see it for the first time! Along with that amazing experience, El Cap had its first rally that pumped up the students and got them ready for the upcoming school year. The back to school pool party also served as a boost to the new school year allowing students to socialize and meet new friends! Let’s take a look at all the fun-spirited events that made the first few weeks back to school worthwhile!
"My favorite part being back at school is seeing all the returning students and meeting the new ones because I love to learn about what my kiddos did over the summer. I look forward to helping kiddos be the best Gauchos they can be and influencing them to make decisions that will positively impact their lives each and every day."
Miss Sharon Fee
(Student Support Services)
“My favorite experience of being back at school [was] seeing all the happy faces walking around campus.”
Mr. David Rogers
(Associate Principal)
The First Rally
It's true that many would agree that this was one of the best rallies yet. The decorations, although simple, served their purpose in making the rally look presentable. This rally didn’t just happen overnight, it took time and hard work that had to be planned out and it happened to be accomplished by El Cap’s leadership students.
Not only did the students in leadership dedicate their time into making the rally enjoyable, they took that time out of their summer to help create all props and decorations needed for the rally. Makenna Williams stated, “It’s great being a leadership student and decorating for the rally because I get to have a creative outlook and at the same time show support for my school.” The rally started off with a bang as Riley Gresham and Jayden Guerrero, our rally commissioners danced to a famous “White Chicks” scene.
Everything from the class decorations to the creative and fun games were done thanks to all the students in both leadership and Link. Those games consisted of a giant pool game with a large cue made from a wooden pipe and a yoga ball which was later spray-painted to resemble an eight ball. The second game consisted of getting as many balls in the other class’s pool before time ran out. The goal for leadership this year is to get more students involved and to make it the best one yet. On top of the amazing games, leadership had a huge surprise which consisted in revealing the long awaited mascot, Cap! With an excellent performance from our cheer team, the crowd started to get more into the rally, which was a big accomplishment. When asked, how she felt about her performance for the rally, Emery Trujillo, a varsity cheerleader answered with, “I feel comfortable and confident with my team. We worked really hard, so I believe we will put on a great performance,” which indeed they did.
Along with our mascot Cap, we had another guest, Mr. Bik, the original Gaucho! When asked the question, what is most exciting about the first rally of the school year, Mr. Bik responded with, “It’s most exciting to see all the students coming together as one, and seeing the incoming freshmen experience a rally for the first time.” Mr. Bik is an El Cap alumni, he informed students that the last graduating class of the original El Capitan was in 1962. He pointed out that there is lots of memorabilia around the school, such as: the library, the band room, and outside of the gym showcasing all the past sports teams and past winning band and cheer competitions.
Knowing that the legacy of our school is still growing strong is enough to jump into the new school year with a positive attitude. As the crowd grew louder with cannons firing free shirts, the spirit grew stronger. Not only do many think the rallies this year will be more thought-out and enjoyable, they will be looked forward to as well! Especially with the new schedule, who wouldn't want to get out early after a fun day at school? All in all, the back to school rally was a success, and by the looks of it, all the students had a great time - which is all that really matters.
The excitement is palpable as the crowd goes wild.
Gauchos span generations.
Riley Gresham & Jayden Guerrero
Leadership introduces Cap to his fans.
Your 2017-18 Rally Commissioners: Riley Gresham & Jayden Guerrero
“My favorite part so far is seeing students being respectful to each other and their teachers. Respect is earned, not given. Extending the olive branch never hurt anyone...be the first to say 'hi' or 'good morning Mr/Mrs...whoever.' And I am looking forward to watching the students progress from freshman to sophomores, and so on. Watching them learn about themselves and preparing for life after high school."
Mr. Jason Chavez
(Intervention Teacher)
My favorite part about coming back to school is seeing my teachers and fellow students again. I miss the laughs and jokes I had with my teachers and they got to tell me what they did over the summer! And I miss being in a classroom with people who made me laugh and some I cried with XD. I am looking forward to being a T.A for the library this year and help starting the Choir Club for this year! I really like working in the library because I get to help teachers and students and I learn new things! And I get to hear Mr.Doyle's and Mr. Pangelina's funny jokes all period! And the new club that choir kids started is going to put a name on El Cap's Choir! And as president I'm really excited to work with them!
Hannah Escobar
(Junior)
“My favorite part so far of being back at school is the change in events and cafeteria food. The Leadership Events have been amazing, the sports events are entertaining, and the food has definitely stepped up.”
Ajah Hassaan
(Sophomore)
The Eclipse
Reflected crescent photograph by Araceli Rivera
What is a Solar Eclipse?
Solar eclipses are natural events that take place throughout the world a couple times a year, although it is deemed rare to see one in totality. It can take many years in order to witness one. To some, it is a once in a lifetime, and they like to make the best of it. It’s been 38 years since the last total solar eclipse which passed through the United States, and a total of 99 years since the last coast-to-coast eclipse. With this being the first for many, America’s solar eclipse just might have been the most watched in history. This eclipse was visible from all 50 states and as a total eclipse from a 70-mile-wide sliver of 14 states. Many schools had planned to be closed; some had made arrangements to have students and family view it together, while other schools that were still going on allowed students to view it by making a pinhole projector or by buying special lense glasses for students.
A Little Town
A little town in California reached a partial eclipse on August 21st, 2017. The town of Merced was excited about this amazing event and the students of El Capitan High School got a few minutes of out of class time to catch a glimpse of one for themselves. A group of friends, in particular, were captivated by the eclipse. After all, it was a first for all of them.
“My first solar eclipse was a nice experience because it looked very beautiful.” - Brianna Mirabal
Although seeing the eclipse during school was entertaining, it wasn’t what a lot of students expected. Given that we weren’t in the path of totality is a result of that. Only seeing partial isn’t as fascinating as seeing one in totality. But to one student, she was amazed at what she saw.
“The eclipse was what I had expected because I got to see the Moon pass over the Sun. The next big solar eclipse will probably happen in about 30 years, so I feel lucky that I got to see this one.” - Sharnjit Purewal
Juniors, Sharanjit Purewal & Jeannette Villicana, experiencing the eclipse during 3rd period.
When asked if they wanted to see another eclipse, their answer was definitely! The students of El Capitan High school truly enjoyed this breathtaking event, some kids cracked jokes while others stood there in awe as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing with their own eyes.
“It was fun! It felt like I was blind.” - Jeannette Villicana
Not only did this astonishing event bring the students and staff of El Capitan together, it made them believe in things unimaginable. They got to see the world in a different way, and that in itself is a memorable experience to keep with you.
The Beautiful Oddity of a Solar Eclipse
By Rachel Livinal
During the middle of a Monday morning, the slow breeze suddenly began to decrease in temperature. The sky turned a darker, hazy blue, almost as if a storm were coming. The trees cast shadows of little crescents and students stood around in small groups, talking excitedly about the change. The awe of something different, something new. One of the few times when the sun is hidden by the moon, a solar eclipse.
The shadows of trees showed little crescents due to the eclipse.
August 21st, 2017, people all over the country and at El Capitan High School experienced a solar eclipse, some for the very first time. Mrs. Brazil explained, “I have vague memories of seeing partial eclipses when I was little, but I never did anything like make the boxes or wear the glasses. This is the first one that I looked through the glasses, saw the crescent, and thought it was cool.”
Even though it was a remarkable sight, cameras couldn’t quite catch the true essence of the view everyone was able to see with their eyes. Mary McCostlin said, “ I hate how it’s not coming out as clear on my phone as on the glasses.”
Sadly, a phone camera might only catch a little gleam of light coming through the darkness, and a professional camera really couldn’t capture much different. It was an experience to only remember, but that didn’t take away the beauty. Many stared with their glasses for a few minutes, others for a few seconds. But, no matter how interested you were, no one was able to resist the urge to look, even if only for a moment.
Merced, recently labeled the ninth worst place to live in America, needed the unique excitement of a solar eclipse. The kids of our small city especially, wanted the chance to watch an underdog, the moon, take on the ultimate bully, the great and powerful sun. The eclipse was something to remind us of a bigger, better world out there full of boundless opportunities for those who choose to look.
Sophomore, Christina Rhaburn, gazes at the glowing partial sun through eclipse glasses.
"My favorite part of school so far are my teachers because they take the time to explain things to me and they make things fun and interesting they make me want to learn.
I'm looking forward to graduation because it's the next step into adulthood and as soon I graduate I'm taking a nap for 2 years."
Marisol Gutierrez
(Senior)
“My favorite part of being back to school is seeing our students have positive experiences in all of their commitments - one of the greatest things a school can do is empower young people to achieve their own success.”
Mr. Randall Bartley
(Social Studies Teacher)
The Beginning and The End
Thoughts from Freshman & Senior Gauchos
By Hope Vang
We all have to go to high school, and it’s a big part of life. Go to school, graduate, go to school, repeat. It all starts and ends. On that topic, a new school year has started for El Capitan High School. Meaning . . . new freshman arriving and the next senior class leaving.
About 456 freshmen are enrolled at El Capitan High School. Introduced to a whole new world and journey ahead, these freshmen might have no idea what’s in store. With all these new students, you’ll have no idea what they are thinking. Coming to a new school and not knowing where everything is or who everyone is can be a little scary. El Capitan freshmen share what they think.
“Coming to El Capitan High School, I was pretty nervous, but once I got here and saw all the friendly faces, I felt fine.”
Amberlee Williams
“I kind of felt sad because I had to leave some of my friends. But that just means that my pool of friends will get bigger.”
Deward Yap
This whole new high school thing is a little different than what they’re used to, but sounds like they were prepared. Everything has changed but they must get used to it all.
Students may just assume things without any thought or experience. So we asked, What do you think of the school and the student body? Amberlee and Deward answered, “I think the school and the student body has a super fun energy to it” (Amberlee), and “The school seems really nice but I have not had a chance to meet the student body yet” (Deward). Sounds like the school has made good first impressions on our newest Gauchos!
The school year is going to continue and everyone’s experience will go different ways. Whether it turns out the way you want it or not, a plan is still a good idea. Amberlee's plans may not sound detailed, but what can she do? She doesn’t know what’s in store for her future, but that can be exciting, too. And it sounds like Deward is also unsure, but he’ll see what happens. Plans could continue on track or change, but no matter what their plans are, they are going help them be successful in high school.
“My plans for the school year are to hopefully meet some more friends and get good grades.”
Amberlee Williams
“Some plans I have for the school year are getting my work done on time, maybe joining track, and making new experiences.”
Deward Yap
Enrolling into El Capitan is one thing, but leaving is another. Seniors, the class of 2018, will be leaving next year to pursue their dreams. There are currently about 384 seniors attending El Capitan High School. They, too, have their own thoughts and perspectives about high school. Seniors, Maritza Mendoza and Noah Vang describe what they think.
They started from the bottom and now they’re here, so to speak, from freshman to senior. How do they feel now? Maritza and Noah answered similarly. Leaving can be exciting or scary, it just depends on how you take on it. Within your journey, you gain "goods and bads," but those help you throughout it all.
“My feelings of this being my last year here are exciting, but also scary. This section of my life is ending and a new one is beginning.”
Maritza Mendoza
“Knowing that this is my last year, I feel both nervous and excited. I feel sad because my time at El Capitan High School is done, but I am also excited because I will be able to attend another school and explore more of my life.”
Noah Vang
Seniors, the class of 2018! Leaving this school and never coming back, what do they have planned? Everyone is most likely headed to college or to pursue other dreams, but there are those who have different plans. Within Maritza’s plans, she includes something you may have never thought of. “My plans after high school are to join the airforce and get my masters in political science.” Seems like she has her journey planned ahead for herself. Noah described his plans too. “My plans after high school are to attend Merced College and from there I would transfer out to another college.” El Capitan hopes all seniors will succeed and become proud of what they have done. Another journey awaits for all seniors.
Starting as a freshman and ending as seniors, these students have gone through a long journey. Grades, personalities, or just anything, things have changed. Both Maritza and Noah answer the question in a way that makes you look at the past. She says, “My confidence, energy, and involvement in school have totally changed in a positive way,” and Noah says, “Personally, I think my social ability has improved ever since freshman year. Educationally, my grades.” Both have changed into people they probably wouldn’t have imagined as freshman.
The advice they give would like to give to the class of 2021?
“Push yourself to your limits because this is the easy part in life. Get involved, go to football games, show spirit for the school and live in the moment.”
Maritza Mendoza
“High school will go by fast, so enjoy it, explore different electives, and have fun.”
Noah Vang
Summing all of this up, high school is a journey. Through the beginning and end, it could be an easy or tough journey. What you do with it depends on your choices. If you don’t want to regret anything, make sure you are happy with what you’re doing. High school is just another step in life, we all have to deal with it, and we can all make the most of it.
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Gauchos Give
How to help the community and earn a graduation cord.
By Geanna Marcelino-Valenti
Do you want an extra cord for graduation? If so, you can get an extra cord by completing 250 hours of community service by the first of May your senior year.
There are so many opportunities here in Merced County. You can volunteer at the food bank, Boys and Girls Club, or even maintenance projects! Those are not the only places you can volunteer, you can also volunteer at Catholic Charities, recovery homes, the hospital, and more. Community service is such a great thing to do, not only does it benefit you, but it benefits your community as well.
By completing 250 hours of community service, you get a purple cord, it goes on your transcript, and you help the community. How much better can it get? In order to receive community service hours it has to be for non-profit organizations, and it must be performed on your own time. All volunteer services must comply with school board policies. All students are eligible to participate in this program. Certain community service opportunities may have age requirements, but others do not, so be sure to ask in advance.
Community service opportunities are welcome at school. There are clubs that focus on just community service, and there are clubs that participate in community service events in addition to other club activities. There may also be times where you can help teachers after school for community service. Although you may have a tight schedule and think you are not be able to fit volunteering in your schedule during the week, you can also receive community service hours by helping the city of Merced with trash pick ups, debri removal, and other community events on the weekends. Those certainly are not the only way to receive community service hours, but hopefully they inspire you to start making your community a better place - and earn your purple cord.
Gauchos are already known for their incredible volunteerism, and those who are not already involved are highly encouraged to start participating; no act of volunteering is too small. You get recognized for one more thing at graduation and you also get a purple cord. The more cords the better, right? You will also be helping your community, and it doesn't get much better than that!
By Mckayla Daniel & Mary McCostlin
Below are some links that provide more information on local community service opportunities:
Click here to download an ECHS community service log to record your hours.
Back to School Pool Party
August 25, 2017 was the first back to school dance, but instead of it being just a regular dance, it was our first back to school pool party. Many gauchos came and showed their spirit at the pool party, Cap even came to bust a move on the dance floor! “This is way better than just a normal back to school dance, leadership really stepped up this year.” - Gerica Browning. Not only was there dancing and swimming involved at this back to school party, there was also an excellent food choice. That food consisted of, Rita’s Shaved Ice, and a booth filled with nachos and drinks. During the pool party, there were many people at the photobooth, with many props that our leadership class made, and many others dancing to music with a playlist made by our own Raezhanique Brown. We can all agree leadership is trying to make this a really good year, from planning the pool party since May, thanks to Yasmine Ried for coming up with the idea, she commented, “I wanted something different. [I want to have] a fun welcome back party that people would want to have.” With having bought about 500 tickets, around 300 of those tickets were sold to our students here at El Cap. Of course this welcome back pool party was a success, with so many gauchos there coming together having a great time and being a gaucho family.
Pool Party Photograph Slideshow Courtesy Yearbook Staff: Emily Sutphin, Michael Anderson, and Bliss Gilliam
“My favorite part so far is that I can get out early because I can take naps now."
Susan Moua
(Senior)
“My favorite part so far has been being able to be a PAL because I love working with the special needs kids. They are so unique in their own ways. I also like how they are so friendly and love talking and collaborating with others.”
Beonka Benson
(Junior)
"My favourite part so far would have to be theater. This is my first time actually performing in an actual play so being able to something that's so fun and creative with many of my friends has helped ease the stress of school. I'm looking forward to Winter Percussion in band. This year will be the first year El Cap will have a Winter Percussion, since we now have a coach who will teach us. I have always loved Winter Percussion and have been doing it for the past three years, but now it's even more exciting with it happening with my friends in the band here."
Kelly Costa
(Sophomore)
“So far my favorite part of being back to school is being on the football team. The reason for this is that I like knowing that I have 24 brothers to back me up no matter what.”
William Downham
(Sophomore)
In conclusion, the first few weeks back at school were a success! With 38% having an excellent, 55% having a good, and only 6% having a bad first few weeks back at school, shows that El Cap kicked the start of the year with an amazing attitude and great school spirit! Many are looking forward to what the rest of the year has to offer, and let's just say there are many surprises up ahead. What a way to get closer to your Gaucho family!
"I am looking forward to working closely with my teacher-friends to solve world problems during lunch. Cherished times are these small lunch half-hours."
Mr. Mike Davenport
(English Teacher)
1st Home Football Game
1st Football Game Photograph Slideshow Courtesy Yearbook Staff: Simran Kaur, Nayeli Alvarez, Melia Danby & Diana Yanez
September 8th, of 2017 marked the first home football game of the season in which many students gathered around to cheer for the team and bring the school spirit back to life! The mighty varsity Gauchos played against the famous Jaguars, a team not to be reckoned with. The Gregori Jaguars come from Modesto Ca, with a state rank of 156. Last season Gregori went to nationals which proves that they are a very tough team to beat, but the boys stood their ground and played a great game. The game started off with many cheers from the crowd, mostly the spirit section which consisted of El Cap leadership and band students, some also being returning seniors supporting their High School team. With the help from leadership students the spirit section was decorated nicely with posters and other fun props, adding to the overall atmosphere of the game. With the first quarter ticking down and Samuel Evans #18 hurt, the game was tied 0-0. When asked, what advice would you give to your teammates Evans responded with, “Just go out there and play hard!”
By the end of the second quarter, Gregori had the advantage with a couple of touchdowns, but the students of El cap wouldn’t let that bring them down. With half time beginning, the players got a chance to rest and re-energize for the remaining two quarters of the game while El Cap’s national championship winning cheerleaders took the field to perform. After the excellent performance from the varsity cheer squad, the Gauchos took to the field once more with a determined attitude. By the end of the third quarter the Jaguars were up 23-0. With more players getting hurt, and the team losing confidence we weren’t looking that great, but with the help of the spirit section and the band to boost their confidence, they managed to get on the scoreboard with one touchdown during the fourth quarter. As the crowd cheered, many people were probably thinking just how much our football team has grown compared to last year and how interesting it is to see the team take on a different role as the years pass. As the buzzer for the end of the game sounded, the scoreboard read that El Cap lost 35-6. All that matters though, while looking back on this game, is that all the students of El Cap came together to support their team whether they won or not. It was a fun experience and in the end, being able to support the team and have fun with friends is all that matters.
Video Courtesy Yearbook Staff: Nayeli Alvarez