Valley Christian High School 100 Skyway Drive, San Jose, CA 95111 www.valleychristian.net

May 20,2009

Vol. 26 No. 10

What Lies Within:

VCHS Communications

Departmenthttp://warrior.valleychristian.nethttp://kvch.valleychristian.nethttp://film.valleychristian.net

http://communications.valleychristian.nethttp://kvch-tv.valleychristian.net

NEWS................1-4A&E..................5-6FEATURES.......7-14SPORTS........15-23

“BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT.” EPHESIANS 6:10

The Last Dance

Students spent the night on the dance floor, enjoying their last dance of 2009.

Seniors meet together in a big group to take pictures before the dance.

Juniors Kelly Marine, Nicole Lord, and Taylor Ulmer look beautiful on the night of JSB.

Couples danced the night away at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose.

Leaving a Legacy

By Alyssa TomaselloFeatures Editor In American culture, prom is amonumental occasion, and to some, itserves as a right of passage.AtVCHS itis no different. For months in advance,boys and girls scramble to find the perfect date.Girlssearchfortheperfectdressandaccessories.Boyshavetheseeminglyeasyway out, but sometimes finding the perfect tie to match the girl’s dress can be moredifficult than it seems. All this preparation leadsup toonespectacularnight—JuniorSeniorBall.

Thisyear’seventwasheldApril25attheFairmontHotelindowntownSanJose.The theme for theevening, “BeforeNight Falls,” was evident throughout thegrand ballroom. Glittering moons andstars adorned the room. The scene wasbreathtaking. After much preparation by thejunior class officers and ASB, the evening was set to be a great success. Studentsarrivedearlyintheeveningandsatdowntoabeautifuldinner.Thefabulouschefsatthe Fairmont prepared a delicious dinnerofshrimpandchicken.StudentsravedthatthiswastheJSB’sbestdinneryet.Thispartoftheeveningwasbyfarthehighlightofmostoftheboys’night.Onceeveryonehadeaten, thecoupleswere ready toget theirgrooveon. First on the dance floor was a choreographeddanceto“JaiHo”bysomeof the theater students. Students such asAneesh Chaganty and Janelle Kesterkicked the night off with an entertainingdance. The Slumdog Millionaire dancebroke the ice and got everyone else ontothe floor. For hours on end, the students danced and enjoyed themselves. JuniorNicole Lord’sfavoritepartoftheevening

wasdancing.“Ihadsomuchfundancingthenightaway.MydateandIdancedforhours,onlystoppingtogetsomeair!Themusicwasgreataswell.”Lordisnotaloneinherpraises.“ThiswasthebestdanceIhave ever been to at Valley,” said seniorPhillip Thrappas.Allaspectsofthenightprovedtobeagreatsuccess. Formanystudents,thenightwasmade even better by who accompaniedthem. Senior, Clayton Eslick, stated,“JSBwithmygirlfriend Rachel Grazianowasamazing!Icouldn’thaveaskedforabettertimewithabetterperson.”Studentsenjoyedthecompanyoffriendsthroughouttheevening.

JSBisalsoamajortransition.Formostoftheseniors,thisistheirlastdance

of high school. It serves as an ending ofhigh school and a final memory before graduation. Nick Backlund said, “JSBwas really exciting. It was great to hangout with friends, dance, and have dinner.Itwasagreat ending tomysenioryear.”Theseniorstreasuredeverymomentofthedance.

Students agreed that “BeforeNight Falls” was the best Junior SeniorBall at Valley Christian. Juniors andseniors will look back many years fromnowandsmileaboutall thefun that theyhad. Senior Alyssa Woody recalled, “Itwas the best night of my life. I will tellmygrandchildrenaboutitwhenI’mold.”It was definitely a night to remember for ValleyChristianstudents.

By Tarah DuarteJunior Features Editor Thelightsdimandthesoftroarofthecrowdturnssilentas theviewsof theonlookers turn to face the stage. Slowly,the voice of Christina Aguilera fills the theater as the talented Jazz II dancers file out from behind the curtain. Dancing toAguilera’ssong,“EnterandWelcome”thestudents embraced the techniques of Bob Fosse. Choreographer Sarah Borg saidthat this dance is about “how one oftenmaskswhoheorsheisbecauseheorsheis trying to fit the mold of something or someoneelse.”

After the Jazz IIdancers left thestage,oncameHipHopIwhodancedtoamixofpopular90ssongs.ChoreographerNami Lofland hoped that the dance“captured the overall feeling, style andsomeofthosesignaturedancemovesfrom[the90s].”

Next, dancers from Hip Hop IIandIIIenteredanddanced toasong thatcould quite possibly be called the themedanceoftheHistoryMakersDanceShow.Thegirlscameoutdeckedincostumesthatrepresentthepeoplewhoarededicatedtomakinghistoryanddanced to twosongs-“Real Talk” by Lecrai and “Movin’” byGroup 1 Crew.

Followingafewdanceslatercamea dance titled, “Hands and Feet,” whichwas danced by Borg, Lofland and Autumn Mortenson.DancingtoBrandon Heath’ssong, “Give Me Your Eyes,” the ValleyChristian Dance Department teachersportrayedtheideathatweshouldyearntobeourheavenlyFather’shandsandfeet.

The last dance before theintermission was titled, “Aerial Feats,”which was danced by the Charis DanceCompany. Using ideas from Cirque duSoleil, the dancers used acrobatics anddancing to create an exciting and breath-takingperformance.

Aftertheintermission,JazzI,IIIand Jazz III Honors danced an adaptedversion of “West Side Story,” whichwas a ground-breaking collaboration ofdance movement, staging and cameramovement.

Oneofthelastfewdancesoftheevening was titled “Sounds of Stomp”which was an a capella rhythm andembracedtheideasbehindSTOMP.

Mortenson challenged theaudience to think about what legacythey would leave because by watchingthe History Makers Dance Show, it wasapparent that the legacy you leave canimpactmanygenerationstocome.

2 THE WARRIOR NEWSMay 20, 2009

News - Check Out Next Year’s Exciting New ASB! pg. 3 - Students Gather at the Flagpole for the National Day of Prayer pg. 4

A&E - Lucky Stiff Hits the Valley Christian Stage pg. 5 - Talented Students Display Their Work at the Art Show pg. 5

Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

Jacob RuizAssistant News Editor

Priscilla ShenAssistant News Editor

Liz FlemingA&E Editor

Melody MakhfiJunior A&E Editor

Alyssa TomaselloFeatures Editor

Christine ByrneFeatures Editor Tarah Duarte

Junior Features Editor

CJ WryeSports EditorStephen Lam

Assistant Sports EditorRachael Shen

Assistant Sports EditorJon Lampkin

Junior Sports Editor

Erica ParkerPhoto EditorJoyce Chen Photo Editor

Staff Writers

Tyler VerreyClare Lee

Arazue Moghtaderi-ZadehDanny HittlerDarelle Jones

Dominic Taguinod Nathan Farrokhian

Ryan LoweSamantha Varada

Taylor FineMelissa LimKaleb Tuttle

Zayn KirkendollLeanna Borelli

Tom ZellnerChris TozerBryan Trieu

2008-2009Warrior Staff

Want to advertise in The Warrior? Contact

Diann Fugate at dfugate@vcs.net

for ad sizes and rates.

Note: The Warrior is a nonprofit publication which is published throughout the school year by the associated

student body of Valley Christian High School. Views expressed in The Warrior are those of the writers

and do not necessarily represent the views of the school, staff, or its students.

All type and layouts are created in The Warrior newsroom, room 215. The Warrior is printed at

Fricke-Parks Press, Union City, California.

The Inside Scoop:Features - The Upper Classmen Dance the Night Away at JSB pg. 10-11 - ‘09 Degrees of Seperation: See All of the Crazy Ways the Seniors Are Connected pg. 12-13

Sports - VC Teachers Share Their Favorite High School Sports Experiences pg. 17 - Varsity Baseball Emerges as a Team to Beat in the WCAL pg. 18

Get a Step Ahead This

SummerBy Ryan LoweStaff Writer Just like the seasons of the year, school also has its cycle, beginning each fall with the new school year and circling around to the end of the second semester. While most students are buried in the anticipation of final exams, some Valley Christian Warriors are already looking forward to the next term – summer school. Valley Christian offers two different types of classes for summer school. Some classes that are offered are planned for a traditional format with teachers and students meeting in a classroom for an intense six weeks of learning. The Internet has also provided a more flexible approach to learning through the use of an online school format. The online version allows students to complete many of the course requirements under their own timeframes, while still requiring all to attend specific online meetings and classes to ensure that any questions are answered and supplemental material may be presented to the class. To be eligible for the online classes, students must go to an orientation and show that they have the proper equipment for the class, including high speed Internet access. Students go to summer school for a variety of reasons. Some people want to go back and improve on a grade to better their chances for the colleges they wish to attend. Others take summer school so they can take a lighter course load next year and to allow for more focus on each class. Others still enroll in summer school for the enjoyment of learning and experiencing new ideas. Valley Christian offers a wide range of summer classes, ranging from some of the traditional core courses like Algebra and Biology, to some of the more relaxing electives like photography. Some Warriors will choose to work for the summer or vacation with families, while others will just hang out with friends or participate in missions. However, some Warriors will be back in the classroom continuing their education or using summer school as a bridge to a most productive and enjoyable next school year. Students sign-up through Virtual Valley and find the complete course offering packet online at www.valleychristian.net. Students and parents can also feel free to contact their Valley Christian counselor for more information.

Congratulations in Order for VC Vocal Groups

By Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief Valley Christian’s vocal department has much to be proud of. They work countless hours practicing, recording CDs, and preparing for performances at Valley Christian and around the bay. Just recently, VC’s jazz vocal group Room107found out that it tied for first place in the 32nd Annual Student Music Awards awarded by Downbeat Magazine for best Jazz Vocal Group in the High School Division. This is a huge accomplishment for the students and truly shows the excellence present in Valley Christian’s Vocal Department. Many students in the group are seniors this year and are soon to be graduating, so they are very excited to

end their high school singing careers with a little bit of recognition by the music elite. Furthermore, one of Valley Christian’s eighth graders, Laila Smith, also blew away the judges at Downbeat Magazine with an amazing performance. She was awarded Downbeat’s top Jazz Vocal Soloist in the Junior High Division. According to Kelly Grosser, the main contact for Downbeat’s contest, over eight hundred entries were submitted this year throughout the different categories and it is very impressive to have such strong representation from Valley Christian’s Vocal Department.

3THE WARRIORNEWS May 20, 2009

Welcome Your2009-2010 ASB

ASB PresidentBritt Abrahamson

ASB Vice PresidentDavid Mignea

ASB Secretary Chelsea Tamura

ASB TreasurerAinsley Laven

Chapel CoordinatorLindsay PundCommunity Service RepresentativesMackenzie BeveridgeSam MathisonEvents CoordinatorsDavid KoLeslie NguyenInternal Affairs CoordinatorCamille TuckerMusic CoordinatorTori Evans

Public Relations RepresentativesRachel Hatcher Lexi HausmannRally CoordinatorsVictoria SmithJordan SissonSports CommissionersAustin ManskerCaitlin BrentonVideo CommissionersJasmine ChiongAmari Collins

Conservatory RepresentativeKiley GunterCheer RepresentativeKelsey KroeningSenior Class PresidentCasey StaubSenior Class Vice PresidentSteven FlowersSenior Class Secretary Kyle GerransSenior Class TreasurerNicky Slavich

Junior Class PresidentMichaela MaleyJunior Class Vice PresidentTatiana BraunJunior Class Secretary Yaechan ChoiJunior Class TreasurerMichael LomioSophomore Class PresidentNardin Sarkis

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!By Priscilla ShenAssistant News Editor The Wednesday before senior fi-nals is always senior chapel. Representa-tives from the senior class got up in front of classmates, underclassmen, faculty, admin-istration, and parents to share their experi-ences and wisdom. Katrina Smith read a Dr. Seuss favorite, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Daniel Huffman, decked out in his letterman jacket, challenged seniors and underclassmen alike to be aware of their im-pact on others and to impact the people they come into contact with in a positive way. Those impacts can go a long way, and not the kind of impact Huffman’s car had on a 4Runner at the beginning of the school year! Kaylan Whitaker followed Huff-man with a short speech about God’s pres-ence in the face of uncertainty. She said, “Family and friends are human too, and they will fail you. Someone else will ac-complish more than you and you will be overlooked. A sprained ankle or blown knee can suddenly end your athletic career. You can’t rely on your job either, especially in this economy.” Only God will always be there, and especially in the darkest of times. Amy Thomas delivered a power-ful message to the student body about two clichés heard in high school: God has a plan for you and God loves you. God has a plan for every one of his children because he loves each and every one of them. Kelsey Byrd began by saying, “Alright, I’m going to get straight to the point.” In the fall, Byrd’s club basketball coach died of a heart attack. Two months later, her uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Byrd ex-plained to the seniors how God places people in their lives for a reason. Jeryl Concepcion was the last senior to share. He sang “Word of God Speak” as Mr. Da-vid Hook played the keyboard. Mrs. Julie Wilson shared an in-spirational message based on her personal

experiences. From shifts in friendships dur-ing high school, she learned that people are only in her life for a season. About the man she thought she would marry, she shared, “He dumped me for a blonde chick. Oh, but blondes aren’t bad; they just have the advantage.” Wilson learned that not only is life painful, but it can be full of the same pain repeating over and over. Wilson moved to Califor-nia and was pushed together with another teacher at Valley, Mr. Jeff Wilson. Mr. Mark Lodewyk was proved right in the end when Mr. and Mrs. Wilson got married. Wil-son discovered that God can chang-es circumstances, but it may not be when it is wanted or expected. The Friday before senior finals hosts the annual awards ceremony for VC. This year, many students were honored for

their excellence in academics, athletics, and arts. Seniors Kevin Wang, Sarah Su-

wanda, and Gregory Chen were named 2009’s salutatorians; Katherine Chen, Timothy Lin, Rachael Shen, and Priscil-la Shen were named 2009’s valedictorians. Baccalaureate, the spiritual portion of the

graduation process, is May 21 at the Church on the Hill. After some musical presentations and worship, four pastors will address the senior class and their parents. Pastor Bret Al-len, Andrew Allen’s dad, is from Bethel Church and will speak first. Pastor Matthew McDermott, Kiley McDermott’s dad and the rector from St.

Mark’s Church, will follow Pastor Allen. Then Pastor Robert Thomas, Amy Thom-as’s dad, will represent Calvary Church and take the pulpit. Kaylan Whitaker’s dad, Pastor David Whitaker from Morgan Hill Bible Church, will conclude the mes-sage portion of the night. Commencement 2009 will be in the morning of May 23 in the VC football stadium. In addition to two student addresses from high honors gradu-ates, Mr. Ninos Malek will be the faculty speaker. Malek, who teaches government and economics at Valley will challenge the graduates of 2009 as he did at last year’s commencement ceremony. Announcement of the David Wallace Award and the Quest for Excellence Award will follow Malek’s speech. Then the graduates will be present-

ed with their diplomas and Dr. Clifford Daugherty will present the Class of 2009.The conclusion of high school is nearly here for seniors, so from the entire jour-nalism staff, congratulations to the Class of 2009; good job in high school, and good luck in the next chapter of life!

Baccalaureate speakers, from left to right: Pastor Allen (with wife Valerie), Pastor McDermott, Pastor Thomas, and Pastor Whitaker.

Senior English teacher Mrs. Julie Wilson and Senior Economics teacher Mr. Ninos Malek

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4THE WARRIORNEWS May 20, 2009

The08-09schoolyearisboilingdown to days, seniors are leaving, andjuniorsaretakingoverthecampus.Soon,twelvehundredstudentswillbeparadingthroughthehallsofanewyearthisfall.Alongwithanewschoolyear, comesanewcheerteambringingthetremendousamountofspirittheyalwayshavebroughtinthepastyearsasWarriors. The cheerleading team for the2009-2010 school year was set in stonethe week before spring break and willbeginpracticesthissummerinearlyJune.With a new team comes a new vision.“Ourvisionforthisyear’scheerteamistounite togetherasateam, representingValleyChristian in aChrist likemannerandtosupportourathletes.Cheerleadingover the past 4 years has had manychanges at VCHS but we are going tocontinue to make the best out of ouryearwith some changes,work together,supportoneanother,andbringmorespirittoVCHS!”saidheadcoach, Vanessa Lal.This year the Valley Christian Warriorcheer team will consist of head coachLal,assistantcoach Angelica O’ Connel,

Mr. Lodewyk ascheeradvisor,varsitycaptains Bri Melynchuk and Briana Ahmed, as well as Sammy Olson asjuniorvarsitycaptain. Coach Lal said, “I am hopingthat the reputationof thecheer team isthattheyarestudentswhotrytheirbesttohavewonderfulgrades,careaboutothers,representChristonandoffcampus,valueValleyChristianandrespectthemselvesandoneanother.”Attimes,cheerleadershavebeengivenanimagethatdoesnotappropriatelyrepresentwhotheyareandwhattheydo.Inresponsetothis,CoachLalsaid,“Theimageofcheerleadingisasportwhetherpeoplelikeitornot.Weworkoutandtryourbesttobeinshapeto have the ability to stunt, dance, andcheer.Cheerleadingisacombinationofall3activities.Cheerleadingistobringforth the school spirit and to supportour team.” For the 2009-2010 seasontherewillonlybeJVandvarsityteams.It definitely can be said that the Valley cheerleaderswillbereadytocheerandlead the crowd along side the ValleyWarriorsnextyear.

VARSITY

MarissaSanMiguelDanielRubinoBriMelnychukTaylorOdom

KelseyKroeningBiancaKhishaveh

RonnieStoneTaylerJamesTiffaniGrilli

AmberGarmanTaylorFineNickConnet

BrianaAhmedKrystenHenerfauth

AndreaStickelBeccaSingley

JUNIORVARSITY

BeccaNydamMadisonCardoza

BethanyLavenNatalieTomasello

ShayeLocatelliAmberKnop

SarahvonRaesfeldJessicaBurresSammyOlson

CassidyZimmermanMikaelaHarn

RachelRobichauxJocelynHorsafes

AmyReyes

New Cheer Team Hits ValleyBy Taylor FineStaff Writer

2009-2010 New Cheerleading

Roster

By Leanna Borelli Staff Writer Do you want to improve your skills in a certain sport this summer? Or maybe tune up your music skills? Or maybe just have some fun outdoors? Now is your chance because this summer, VC coaches and teachers are offering a lot of fun camps to give students a fun summer experience. Boys basketball will be coached by Steve Cotton and is for grades 8-10; this camp will take place June 15-19. Girls basketball will by coached by Richard Harris for grades 8-10 and will happen July 13-17. Co-ed tennis is coached by Brooke Hoestra during June 15-19 and is for grades 8-10. Girls soccer will be coached by Jolene Fugate for girls enter-ing grades 6-12 and is also during June 15-19. Boys soccer will be coached by John Basanese during the week of July 20-24 for grades 6-12. All five of these camps will cost $125.00. Boys wrestling will be coached by Steve Hernandez the week of June 22-26 for kids entering grades 5-9 and this camp will cost $100.00. Baseball will be coached by John Diatte during July 13-17 and is for grades 6-9; the cost is $200.00. During July 27-31, two girls volleyball camps will take place, one for 9th grad-ers and another for 10-12 graders. Both camps cost $125.00 and are coached by Vonda Reid. Girls strength and condition-ing is coached by Mrs. Fugate for grade 9-12 during June 15- July 24. Boys strength and conditioning will be coached by Mike Machado during June 22-July 30. Besides sports there is summer band camp for woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. The camp is for beginning to advanced musicians who are entering grades 4 -12. This year’s theater camp is already full.

A Powerful Day of National Prayer

VC Summer Sports

By Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief On Thursday, May 7, Christians gathered all over the country to observe the National Day of Prayer at their schools, workplaces, and churches. First declared a national day of observance in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and President Harry Truman, this day exists to communicate the need for prayer and repentance among the Ameri-can people. This day is considered part of the religious freedom held in America, as is explained by the National Day of Prayer Chairman Mrs. Shirley Dobson who said, “We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do not become involved and sup-port the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too.” One of the amazing aspects of the National Day of Prayer is the fact that people in all different environments, Chris-tian and secular, were coming together to pray. At public schools throughout the na-tion, students gathered at their flagpoles and made a statement about their personal faith in Christ and their commitment to be an example on their campuses. Students and teachers at Val-ley Christian gathered on this day early in the morning, coming to school before many of their classmates, to meet together

with their peers to pray. Led in worship by some members of the Chapel Worship Band, the students spent the first part of the morning worshipping together and praising the name of God. Raising their voices to-gether, these students joined thousands of other people gathering around the country for the very same reason. Following worship, the teachers and students met together in groups to pray for different parts of American society, including the national and state govern-ments, local law enforcement, the Ameri-can military and their families, the state of the economy, VCHS students and teachers, and that the name of God may be glori-fied in this country. Students alternated in prayer throughout their respective circles, praying over all the topics included above as led by junior Steven Milunovic. Senior Rachael Shen reflected on her experience that Thursday morning and said, “It was a very encouraging time to pray for our country and our school es-pecially during these unstable times and it was also very touching to know that people across the country, especially in public schools, were praying at the same time.” This year’s National Day of Prayer was focused on prayer as being “America’s Hope” and it was evident that the students

at Valley were hoping and praying for a change to hit America and its leaders over the next few years.

Mr. Dave Hook, along with VC students and teachers led worship during the evening National Day of Prayer event at San Jose City Hall.

5May 20, 2009A&E Arts andEntertainment

As students depart from school for their summer vacations, they go many different places and do so many different things. One thing that most students will get to do during the summer though is see a concert. Whether you are a metal head or prefer country, there will be a concert this summer that interests you. If alternative rock is your type of music then you will love the thirty-five band, all day event at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on June 6. There are many big names currently on the lineup, including the Offspring, 311, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alkaline Trio, and Rebelution. There will be three

stages featured during this all-day event. On July 5 at Konocti Harbor in Clear Lakes The All-American Rejects are scheduled to play in a sure to be sold out venue, following 3 Doors Down, who take the stage the night before on July 4. On July 9, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Rise Against will play with Rancid. The following week, Shoreline will be the place to be when one of the hottest tours takes the stage to rock a sold out crowd. It’s going to be all yellow when Coldplay performs July 13. The 2009 Grammy Awards were more than an award show for many people.

Blink 182 announced their reunion, and their proposed plan for a 2009 summer tour. The dates have not been released yet, however they will be touring with Weezer. Blink 182 has also released the set they will playing, which includes 29 of their songs. Though it is not certain if they will be coming to the Bay Area, this concert will be a must-see concert for fans. If you like to get hyphy, then some of the following rap concerts may be the place for you. You can kick off the summer right with The Roots on May 30, at The Daves Symphony Hall. Or perhaps you are a fan of local artist such as Andre Nickatina, who will

be playing at the Avalon on June 5. Be sure to check listings for local smaller venues like the Catalyst in Santa Cruz to check out some cool local shows. The Bay Area will also feature many great country concerts this summer. Guitars & Stars 3 is going down on June 16. The show features John Rich, Lee Ann Womck, Jason Michael Carroll, Lee Brice, and Holly Williams. On July 18, Kenny Chesney will play at AT&T Park. Country star Tim McGraw will play in an exclusive Northern California performance at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa on July 25.

Upcoming Summer Shows to Hit the Bay AreaBy Danny HittlerStaff Writer

Lucky Stiff is the story of a man named Harry Witherspoon who travels to Monte Carlo with a mission to gain six million dollars. However, there’s a catch. He must bring along his dead un-cle Anthony’s corpse or else he will not inherit the money granted to him and all inheritance will be sent to the Univer-sal Dog Home of Brooklyn. The cast of Lucky Stiff has been rehearsing since “the last week of March,” said Aneesh Chaganty, a senior at Valley Christian. This third and last installment of the 2008-2009 season of Valley Christian Theater was an emotional performance, as another amazing season of productions has

finally drawn to a close. It was particular-ly memorable for the seniors, as this play marked their final show for Valley Christian. A big difference between Lucky Stiff and other shows seen during this sea-son was that Lucky Stiff was completely directed and put on by students at Valley Christian with minimal help from the The-ater Department. Lucky Stiff was directed by junior Jeff Mayfield and senior Daniel Huffman. All production elements of the show were put on by the Honors Theater Tech class. Amber Coney a junior at Valley Christian played the character of Anabelle Glick. Co-ney said that getting to sing about dogs was

her favorite part in the musical. Coney also said that getting to spend time with the cast

was one of the best experiences of this show.

The show ran from May 14 through May 16. This comical experience was a great opportunity to end the school year off in the right way. After numerous incred-ible performances this year, it was a chance to see many of Valley’s talented actors and actresses take the stage one last time. Lucky Stiff was a nostalgic nod to another great year of shows in the VC Theater Depart-ment. But with its comedic elements and whimsical plot, it also proved to be slightly more humorous than bittersweet. Slightly.

Lucky Stiff Marks Final Performance This YearBy Taylor FineStaff Writer

Art Show FocusThe Warrior A&E’s:

By Sarah Blaha, sophomore

By Tommy Higgins, junior

By Chelsey St. Martin, senior

6 THE WARRIOR A&EMay 20, 2009

Summer MoviesBy Melody MakhfiA&E Junior Editor With summer just around thecorner, teens everywhere are aching towatchtheupcomingmoviestheyhavebeenanticipatingthroughoutthisyear.Summerflicks are fun plans while enjoying the time off school. So when you have the chance, be sure to head over to catch a few hit movies!

Many have been talking aboutthe upcoming Transformers movie. Thesequel:Revenge of the Fallen,staringShia LabeoufandMegan Fox for another movie you won’t want to miss. After the young hero,SamWitwickylearnsthetruthaboutthe ancient origins of the Transformers, hejoinsthemissiontoprotecthumankindwith Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle. Along with sequels, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewillbereleased

onJuly15.AsHarryPotterbeginshis6thyear at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,hediscoversanoldbookmarkedmysteriously, “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince,” and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

comes out on the first of July. This flick is perfect for the whole family and a fun comedy to enjoy. For the older generation,Final Destination: Death Trip 3D is an interesting catch. As a fan of the previous films, Mercedes Fernandezstated, “the action packed movie shouldbe even better now that it is in 3D!”

EarlyinJunecomesLand of the Lost

starringWill Ferrell as a “scientist” whose belief in time travel and alternate realities lands him in one of those alternate realities, completewithgiantinsectsanddinosaurs.

My Sister’s KeepercomesoutonJune 21, which stars Cameron Diaz andAlec Baldwin in a life-changing film about

a girl whose genetic match for her older sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia.

As for comedies go, The Boat that Rocked, isaperiodcomedyaboutanillegalradiostationintheNorthSeainthe1960swhichwillbereleasedonAugust28.

Be sure to catch a few of these movies, if not all, this summer.

Summer Theater: AladdinByTommyZellnerStaff Writer Every year the Valley ChristianTheater Department puts on a summerprogram. This summer camp providesa great opportunity for kids, ages seven through fifteen, to experience the art of theater. This year the summer theaterprogramwillbeputtingonthehitDisneymusical, Aladdin Jr. But the programoffers more to students than just a summer

Movie Review:X-Men OriginsByZaynKirkendollStaff Writer

The long-awaited release of the new X-Men movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine finally came on May 1, 2009. The setting is seventeen years before the original X-Men movie was made.Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is with themutant group, Team X, and it tells of his violentrelationshipandpastwiththem.Hestruggles to find answers as to why is he is like this, while dealing with a complex relationship between him and his evilbrotherVictorCreed(Leiv Schreiber).WillWolverine uncover the secrets of his past? X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasa box office hit when it was released grossing just over $85.1 million in thebox office opening weekend. Many great reviews were posted about the movie aswellastheactors.HughJackmanreceivedoutstanding reviews for his thrilling performance. With an all-star cast, and a heart-stopping plot, who wouldn’t want to go and see this movie? So take the family outtoseeX-Men Origins: Wolverine,anddiscover the untold story and secrets of the beast himself, Wolverine.

show; it offers them a great opportunity to receive intense training in acting, singinganddancingonstage.Aladdin Jr.isastoryof the sultan’s daughter, Jasmine. She has three days to find a husband, and she meets the street-savvy Aladdin. It is a romantic and comedic story of their unlikely love.For more information, go to the theater office on the fourth floor and ask for an informational packet, or ask Mr. Matt DeMerrit.

Sherri Duarte Consulting

(408)718-6977

RNP Advisory Services, INC. Tracy Newquist

(408)779-0699 x222

17190 Monterey Street, Suite 202

Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Congratulations class of 2009!

7May 20, 2009FEATURESSo Long, Farewell,

Auf Wiedersehen!

Sweet Memories of SeniorsBy Christine ByrneFeatures Editor

By Christine Byrne and Alyssa TomaselloFeatures Editors

Back in the Day

By Stephen LamSports Editor

“My favorite senior year memory was making it to the CCS Championships for football.” Christopher Tozer “My favor-ite memory was going to the Oregon Shakespeare festival at the beginning of the year!” CJ Wrye“My favorite memory was beating St. Francis on Senior Night for volleyball.” Erica Turnlund“My favorite memory was sharing my last season of high school soccer with my bud-dies.” Jacob Ruiz“My favorite memory was when I Met LL Cool J on the Washing-ton D.C. trip!” Stephen Lam“I really enjoyed going on the Washington D.C. trip with my friends from AP Government.” Alyssa Berding

“My favorite memory was making shirts and dressing up for Spirit

Week with all of my best friends!”Lisa McKinney“I would have to say the dances and the rallies! I also loved the ASB retreat!” Sarah Deboard

“My favorite memory from senior year was the Fall Spirit Week this year! My best friend, Christine Byrne, and I were fruit loops!

We were all white for milk and were con-nected by in-ner tubes! We went to every class together!

It was out of control!” Alyssa Tomasello

“My favorite memory of all high school was my junior year. I did a huge burnout in the bottom park-ing lot with my truck. There was smoke ev-erywhere and then the secu-rity guard came up in his truck and I just smiled

and drove away and gave him a friendly ‘Have a nice day!’ The next morniing I recieved a $100 ticket. Totally worth it.” Ricky Long

“My favorite memory was hanging out with my best friends at lunch at our lunch spot.” Clayton Eslick

It’s Funny The Way It Is that All Good Things Come To An End

So Here Comes Goodbye

Day ‘n Night I think about howYou spin my head Right Round

There is an Echo in my mindThat keeps reminding me of you

It seems just when we got Closer that it was time to say Goodbye

I’m not Mad, because I know This bond is Forever and Always

It’s no surprise that this Love Story Is Coming to Terms

But don't let this transition Knock You Down

Live Your Life to the fullest and Keep being the Unusual You

that We love.

These are the Best Days of your lifeyou’re just begining The Climb

Sugar, you’re AmazingSo say your goodbyes

and JUST DANCE

Neoncolors,plasticjewelry,Men At Work,andDeLoreanDMC12,wereallpopularfadsinthe1980s.Highschoollifevariedfromtoday’sdo’sanddon’ts,likehightopReeboks,“bum”sweatshirts, neon t-shirts, and flared up

collars.About25yearsago,thegraduatingClassof1984preparedthemselves

forafutureofnewfads,cars,lifestyles,andclothes. Britney Spears, Rihanna,Lil Wayne,andThe Frayarehotartiststhatalmosteverygraduatingclasswouldknow,butbackin1984Madonnawastheinartistsandthe80siconformusic

andfashion.Also,Duran Duran,Rick Sprinfield, Journey,AbbaandMichael Jacksonwereallcommonfavorites.“AllthegirlswantedtodresslikeMadonna!”saidMrs. Cindy Torode,Madonnalovedblack,withheadbands,overlappingwristbands,andlacegloves.Butforeverydaywear,itwasn’tt-shirts,jeans,andvans.Mrs.Torodesaidthat“the popular thing was to wear button-fly 501jeans,withaBUMsweatshirtthatwouldhangontheshouldersandhightopReeboks. Butfashionandmusicweren’ttheonlythingshappeninginthe80s.Therewerealsotechnologicaladvanceslikecomputers,andtheworldwideweb!Videogameswereintroducedinthe80saswell.ThemostpopulargameswereSpace InvadersandPac Man.FamousactorsatthattimewereClint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Dudley Moore, Michael J. Fox, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Cosby Show, Fox Network, Married…With Children, The Simpsons andtheWeather Channel debutedonlivetelevision. Inthenews,milestoneeventsthatoccurredthroughoutthe1980’swere:TheriseofA.I.D.SintheUnitedStates,TheIranContraAffair–oneofthebiggestscandalssinceWatergate,andthereelectionofRonald Reagan.Also,adevastatingearthquakeinthebayAreakilled63citizensata6.9magnitude.TheChallengerSpaceShuttlealsoexplodedon its tenth flight on January 28, 1986.

“I loved the Senior Circle before the WBA Championship perfor-mance at Diablo Valley

College for marching band!” Nicole Kohlman

“Freshman year, I lost 80 pounds and I came to school thinking I was a completely new person

with a new attitude and a new image. I asked out a bunch of girls and they all

rejected me. If you’re read-ing this and you remember

me, please call me! I’m still single, ladies!”

Trishul Kapoor

“My favorite memory was when the power went out and all of our friends went out to eat and got

massages!”Kaylan Whitaker

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The Icon of the 80s, Madonna

Neon Reboks

8 THE WARRIOR FEATURESMay 20, 2009

The end is close now and the chances to make lasting high school memories are rapidly passing by. But even after finals have been endured, year-

books have been signed, goodbyes have been made, and the festivities of gradua-tion are over, some seniors are choosing to take a senior trip to top off their high school years and make one final memory. Different groups of seniors have some very fun trips planned out for the sum-mer. Ally Russo and some of her friends have already booked a cruise to Mexico.

J e s s i c a Huse and her friends are excited about a trip down south. Huse said, “I’m re-ally excited about going to L.A. We don’t have a concrete plan. We’re just hop-ing to find

fun things to do and cool places to go.” Melissa Helder and Rachel Gra-ziano are go-ing to Cabo San Lucas and staying at a timeshare house with their friend from another school. “I’ve gone quite a few times and I’m re-ally excited

Thinking About a Senior Trip?By Jacob RuizAssistant News Editor

Tin Do is a senior at ValleyChristian High School this year, who iseagerly awaiting graduation this May,andplanstoattendUCBerkeley in the fall.He has been living inthe United States forfour years and is anativeofVietnam.Wesat down with Tin todiscusshishighschoolexperience and whatit’s been like livingawayfromhome.Q. Do you miss yourfamilyandcountry?A. A little bit, butthanks to moderntechnology, I can talkto my parents viaphoneandemails.Q.Howdidyoumakethe decision to cometo Valley in the first

place?A.Itwasa longstory. Inshort,mymomcametoValleyandsetupameetingwith

Mr. Wessling. ThenI came to have aninterview with him.When Mr. Wesslingdecided to give meadmission to VCHS, Iwent back to Vietnam,acquired a new visaand then came backonAugust 15, 2005. Itwas not much of mydecision.ItwasmostlyGod’splan.Q.HowhaveyourfouryearsatValleybeen?A.Ithasbeenablessingforme togo to such agreatschoollikeValley.I am going to miss itnextyear.

Q. Were there any

hardshipsthatyouexperienced?A. Well, the first year was probably the hardest,sinceIdidnotknowhowtostudyandhowtomanagemytime.Thenexttwoyears were easy, but senioryeariskindofhardformetoo,becauseofAPBiology.I had to memorize a lot ofmaterials.Overall,itwasn’ttoobad.Q. What kind ofextracurricular activitieshave you been involvedwith?Whatdidyoulikethemost?A. I participated inmarching band, dance, andan internship. Outside ofschool,Iplaytennis.Q.Whatdidyou learn fromthedanceshowthisyear?A. Imade friendswithmanypeople,andhadagoodtimedancingfortheLord.Q.WhydidyouchooseUCBerkeley?

A. It’sagreat school that isalsoclose toSanJose,wheremyrelativeslive.Q.Doyouhave any special plan for thissummervacation?

A.I’mgoingbacktoVietnamforamonth.I’mgonnaplaya lot of tennis, spend timewith friends and then gobackforcollegeQ. How do you feel aboutyourcollegeyears?A.IfeelkindofsadtoleaveValley this year. However,it’s alsokindofexciting tothink about college, aboutthechallenges,andthenewfriendsI’mgoingtomeet. EventhoughTinDowillnot be at Valley Christian

HighSchoolnextyear,hewillstillloveValleyandvisitsometimestoseehisfriends.Weallhopethathecanenjoyhis college years and have a successfulexperienceinBerkeley!

InternationalStudents

ByClareLeeStaff Writer

The majority of internationalstudents are returning toValley Christiannextyear,butabouttenarenotcomingbacktotheUnitedStates.Althoughthisincludesstudents who already left school in themiddleofschoolyear, this isstillafairlylarge number. Mr. Scott Wessling said, “Generally,thosewhoaren’tcomingbackdecidedtohaveayearexperiencethisyear,and the failing world’s finance may also be thereasonfornotreturning.”Wesslingsaidaround fifteen more international students have been accepted next year. In detail,there will be six students from China,another six students from Vietnam andonestudentfromGermany,whointendtoenrollforthefallterm.Mostinternationalstudents should have a great year withthehelpofMr.WesslingandMrs. Linda Kohlmoos. Although students are goingbacktotheirowncountriesandnotcomingbacknextyear,allofthemwillmissValleyChristian and love all the memories theymadeatVCHS!

SpotlightonTinDo:TheInternationalSuperstar

to be going with my two best friends this summer!” said Helder. Other se-niors are planning fun trips to cel-ebrate their completion of high school. A senior trip is a terrific way to conclude high school. Next year, friends will be scattered in different places of California, the U.S., and perhaps around the world. Make a final memory with your friends this summer so that years later, you will be able to look back fondly at your high school career and its finale.

ByClareLeeStaff Writer

Tin Do

A cruise to Mexico is a favorite among students.

Cabo San Lucas is a tropical paradise where students love to vacation with their friends. The Los Angeles skyline is a beautiful sight at night.

The International Crew!

Tin is hard at work.

9THE WARRIORFEATURES May 20, 2009

Academy of Art UniversityJordan Brazie

Arizona StateJanay Lampkin Cameron Marshall** Jacynda Palacios Arizonia Western University Robert Fiscalini III **

Art Institute of CaliforniaKristin Raymaker

Azusa Pacific UniversityJennifer Cline*Ashley Mauro *Jordan OsunaKathryn Pense*Lanise SinghMary Torode*

Baylor UniversityKristyn Dilley*

Bethany UniversityKimberly AndresenJacob Jones*

Biola UniversityDenise Darnell* Sam Suksiri*Amy Thomas*Justin Von Konsky

Bob Jones UniversityKaylan Whitaker

Boston UniversityTrishul Kapoor

Cal State East BayTravis- Jerome Jonson

Cal State FullertonLisa Gresch*Janelle Kester*

Cal State Long BeachAimee BishopNathan Underwood**Seyka Huff

Cal State Monterey Bay Constantine CondosDaniel McCormick Lawrence Milan-Zepeda Mikayla Reynaud

Cal State SacramentoCaitlin Barbour Sarah BrantJeryl Concepcion Grace DuncanJessica HuseKaty Sullivan

Cal Poly PonomaKyle CrowderNicholas Fahrner

Cal Poly San Luis ObispoShawn “Codie” SawyerRobyn BaylessAlyson Frederick*

Douglas Gallatin Brandon Ivy * Christian Kim

Erica Turnlund

California Lutheran UniversityCaitlin Jensen*

Calvin CollegeTrevor Plug

Canyonview Equestrian CollegeSerena Heppes

Chico State UniversityNicholas Attwood Julie BergmanAdam BillingsCayla ClaphamTrippe Gibson Taylor Overstreet

Concordia University IrvineTiffany BuiLisa McKinney*

Dartmouth CollegeKelsey ByrdElizabeth Fleming*

De Anza CollegeAndrew AllenAlyssa BallardTony ChenAlexandra CurranMichelle Cussary Kaila Gaffney Ryan HuntNatalie JasmineJoshua KappMichael LangdonFrank Maniglia Rachel NydamJanaki PadiaImre “Nick” Varga

Duke UniversityTimothy Lin

Eastern Washington UniversityDaniel Johnson**

Evergreen Valley CollegeBranden FeistSteven Nevarez Michelle SchoningNicholas Ta

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: SFKara Greene

Foothill Junior CollegeAustin Lowe*Anthony Olivares Matthew SteelePhillip ThrappasChristopher Tozer

Fresno PacificNikolas Kikuta

Fresno State Jordan Tao*

Going to school in KoreaYunhee Kim

Gonzaga UniversityClayton Eslick**

Grossmont Junior CollegeCory GambelloRyan JonesBrett Schweiger

Harvard UniversityAnna-Kay Richards*

Hollins UniversityRebecca Pfeil

Howard UniversityJordan Smallwood*

Indiana UniversitySung Choi*

Manhattan School of MusicGregory Chen*

Menlo CollegeSean Gray*Alexandra Perry*Katrina Smith*

Mission CollegeBreanna Hernandez Lorenzo Jaso Richard Long

Mt San Antonio CollegeMafoe JamesPeipe James

Northwest Christian Univer-sityTyler Betcher Andrew Heath

Oklahoma Christian Univer-sitySarah DeBoard

Pepperdine UniversityDanielle MinkeBritt Nelson

Purdue University Adam Obereiner

Rensselar Polytechnic Insti-tuteDavid Romanchuk*

Saint Mary’s College of Cali-forniaTim Harris*Colby Stevens

San Diego State UniversityBrian RealmonteYvonne TillerNicole Wise*

San Francisco State Univer-sityNicole BausekTara Chavez*Lara Lovaglia

San Jose City CollegeNicholas BacklundDerek ColvinDavid GarciaMishawn CummingsKayla HinmanIsaiah Ray

San Jose State UniversityLeonardo AbellaAmanda FlynnNathalie CheadleDarrick DiazRachel EsperanzaRobert Fair III*Melissa HelderErik HoldenSarah Hubanks Meryl Kaiser George Karoglou

Patrick KhachiAustin KnopDavid KohlmoosChris LazarMatthew LeeAndrew MarobichKayleigh OcampoDaniel Ortiz-Theriault Kristine RothKatelyn SandersJordan SmeadCharles StrandridgeHannah TowlesChristina Trieu Joshua VenegasKaela WhiteChelsea WhitmarshRebecca WilliamsAlyssa Woody

Santa Barbara City CollegeDustin McKennan

Santa Clara University Christine Byrne*Jonathan CanalesVictoria HallStephen LamAlyssa Tomasello*

Seattle Pacific UniversityNicole Kohlman Kelsi McDonaldTally Slinker*Michaela Warner*

Seattle UniversityClifton Adams*

Sierra City CollegeSteven Knight

Sonoma State UniversityJoseph Rosa-Diniz*Kevin Tarangioli Cecilie Wyre*

Southern Methodist Univer-sity Kassandra Wagner

Tabor CollegeJordan Epp**

Taylor UniversityEmily Von Raesfeld**

UC BerkeleyVictor ChangBrandon CocoTin DoAnton Lawrendra*Adrian Rapazzini*Priscilla Shen*Rachael Shen*Kevin WangShallyn WellsDawning WuJin Yang*Levi Yun

UC DavisKatheryn BatchelorAlex HigginbothamEric KimNatasha LieNicholas MatsumotoKristi McBain*Macie McMillan**Enoch QuonAlexis Salandanan*Matthew StallingsSarah Suwanda*

Timothy TranLinda Wang

UC Irvine Larissa FongAlex Uda

UC Los Angeles Katherine Chen*Jonathan Chue*Chi Tran*Justin Zoland*

UC MercedJames GizziStefani Sanchez

UC RiversideAllyson Caesar*Ryan NgClare NguyenDustin Tran

UC Santa BarbaraCherrelle McMillian**

UC San DiegoGrace Anderson**Doan DoAmy GriffithTaline PalmerKevin Ngo

UC Santa CruzAlexandria Benanti*Jeremy Corrales*Brian StansburyDevin ValdezDaniel Lai

University of ArizoniaJennifer Bergman**Rachel Graziano*

University of Colorado, Colorado SpringsNatalie SumnichtCachet Whitman

University of OregonSamantha Varada*Tyler Verrey*

University of the PacificVictor CesenaGregory Matsumura*Jacqueline Rocamora*

University of PortlandAmanda Primrose*

University of San Fran-ciscoAndrea Valverde

University of Southern CaliforniaAneesh Chaganty*Rebekah Woods*

University of Washington Rachel Weerth*Kimberly Kawamoto*

Undecided Michelle AcostaNikki BroscoeCaynan CopelandJames GaileyDanele HowardAndrew JuddEnoch KimDaniel Lara

Kiley McDermottMatthew Nilmeyer Jacynda PalaciosChelsey St. Martin

United States Air Force AcademyJacob Joseph

United States ArmyMichael Rosenberger

United States Marine CorpsBrett Eaton

Washington University, St. LouisChristopher Hohl

West Valley Junior Col-lege Benjamin BeasleyGregory EvansAlexandra KasnestisMichael PenseJacquelyn RandoDevin Reed

Jacob RuizAlyssandra Russo Christopher Schmidt John Youssef

Western Washington UniversityNicole MasuratMary Strutz

Wheaton CollegeAlyssa Berding*

Whitman Jazzmyne Ross

Whitworth University Daniel Huffman*

Work Force Drew Hughes

Where Are The Seniors Headed Next Year?

*- Received Merit Scholarship

**- Received Athletic Scholarship

THE WARRIOR FEATURES 11THE WARRIORFEATURES May 20, 200910 May 20, 2009

Before Night Falls JSB 2009

THE WARRIOR FEATURES 13THE WARRIORFEATURES May 20, 200912 May 20, 2009

Seyka Huff drives a Jetta like Amy Thomas who manages rugby which George Karoglou plays, who is Greek like Phillip Thrappas who played defensive back likeMishawn Cummings who has an older sister that went to Valley like Sam Suksuri who makes films like Aneesh Chaganty who was in sophomore AP European History with Jacob Joseph who worked at Safeway like Kyle Crowder who takes Spanish 3 like Britt Nelson who went to elementary school with John Youssef who is an only child like Lina Palmer who went on the Oregon Shakespeare trip like Tasha Lie who dances like Janay Lampkin who is in Leadership like Codie Sawyer who loves photography like Kayleigh Ocampo who drives a Volkswagen Beetle like Adrian Rapazzini who did junior high Show Choir like Erica Turnlund who played a varsity sport like Kiley McDermott who transferred junior year like Bryan Novak who had a shoulder surgery like Lisa McKinney who plays Water Polo like Grace Anderson whose mom is a teacher at Valley like Doug Gallatin who makes robots like Brandon Ivy who was a freshman mentor like Kaylan Whitaker whose dad is a pastor like Andrew Allen who drives an old-school car like Nikki Broscoe who played jr. high softball with Amy Griffih who rides horses like Kristi McBain who was in Guys & Dolls with Jeryl Concepcion who was in Spanish Club like Hannah Towles who is in Community Outreach like Anna-Kay Richards who was a Homecoming princess like Christine Byrne who was in String Ensemble freshmen year with Devin Valdez who performed at

the Father Daughter Dance like Nate Underwood who got an athletic scholarship like Macie McMillan who has curly hair like Jacob Jones who has the same last name as Ryan Jones who is in Radio like Michael Pence who had knee surgery like Alyssa Berding who went to kindergarten with Mary Strutz who is an artist like Cachet Whitman who had junior year Honors English with Kristin Raymaker whose dad is a firefighter like Aimee Bishop who goes to Venture like Kayla Hinnman who lives in Morgan Hill like Constantine Condos who moved to LA and back like Liz Fleming who was Junior High yearbook editor with Kelsey Byrd who was athlete of the month like Kevin Tarangioli who goes to school with his cousin like Tim Harris who has a great sense of style like Stephen Lam who is half-white and half-Asian like Jordan Smead who played trumpet like Jordan Osuna who is a lifer like Robyn Bayless who was in color guard like Meryl Kaiser who had braces like Austin Lowe who is in fourth period chemistry like Andrea Valverde who loves to read like Caitlin Barbour who does community service with Trishul Kapoor who hangs out with David Romanchuk who plays hockey like Matt Floresca who has pierced ears like Jordan Smallwood who went to Washington D.C. like Shallyn Wells who has red hair like Kaila Gaffney who has Statistics with Taylor Overstreet who cheerleads like Kimberly Kawamoto who is a Yearbook Editor in Chief like Tiffany Bui who is a middle child like C.J. Wrye who went to science camp and roomed with

Rebekah Woods who plays guitar like Tyler Verrey who loves the San Jose Sharks like Sarah Suwanda who plays soccer with Emily VonRaesfeld whose mom is an elementary school teacher like Jacob Ruiz who works at Starbucks like Melissa Helder who played Junior High softball like Alexandra Kasnestis who wants to be a police officer like Chris Tozer who wrestles like Peipe James who has a twin like Rachael Shen who was in 8th grade Latin with Rebecca Williams who likes to wear skirts like Rachel Nydam who drives a Mazda 3 like Lisa Gresch who is a tap dancer like Natalie Jasmine who is in Advanced Leadership like Christian Kim who did martial arts like Alex Viramontes whose prayer warrior is Mrs. Avilucea like Alexandra Curran who wants to study fashion in college like Chelsea Whitmarsh who works at Australian Tan like Sarah Brant who went to Holy Family like Jessica Huse who went on the mexico missions trip like Sarah DeBoard whose mom works at Valley Christian Junior High like Matt Steele who lives in the same neighborhood as Allie Perry whose dad is a real estate agent like Victor Cesena who is in seventh period economics like Cassandra Wagner who played tennis like Christina Trieu who lives in Silver Creek like Kelsi McDonald who is over 6ft tall like Alex Higginbotham who was home schooled like Nathalie Cheadle who goes to MHBC for youth group like Daniel Huffman who transferred sophomore year like Clayton Eslick who was a CCS Champion like Jazzmyne Ross who came to Valley Christian in 7th Grade like Michael Langdon who has an older brother who played water

polo like Nikolas Kikuta who was in junior high band like Darrick Diaz who is in hip-hop like Kaela White who was a teachers assistant like Ashley Mauro who sang in Disneyland like Grace Duncan who was in the same math class in 6th grade with Drew Hughes who played flag football in junior high like Brian Realmonte who has the same first name asBrian Stansbury who had freshman Bible withTrevor Plug who is going out of state for college likeMichaela Warner whose brother is in the freshman class likeSteven Knight who played defensive end in football likeMatthew Nilmeyer who is in AP English with Mrs. Wilson likeAdam Obereiner who was in 4th grade at VC with Kyle Kirmse who plays roller hockey like Austin Knop who played VC soccer with Nicholas Fahrner who drives a BMW likeChristopher Lazar who went to the Mexico missions trip likeMary Torode whose parent is a VC teacher likeCory Gambello whose younger sister plays soccer like Ryan Ng who plays chess with Timothy Tran who is in Spanish 4 likeErick Kim who is on varsity golf likeLevi Yun who is in ASB likeRobert Fair who is a third generation “Robert” likeRobert Fiscalini who snowboards like Nick Varga who went to the 2007 Moto-GP with Adam Billings who is going to Chico State like Cayla Clapham who is in water polo likeRachel Esperanza who is in Spiritual Disciplines likeKim Anderson who was in Les Miserables like Danielle Minke who is in Jazz likeKatrina Smith who went to elemenatary school with Rachel Graziano who lives in Willow Glen likeTally Slinker who was in the

Emotions dance show likeNicole Wise who went to elementary school with Nick Backlund who drives a lifted truck like Ricky Long who likes to go fishing like Brent Eaton who has Contemporary Authors with Patrick Khachi who played water polo freshman year likeLanise Singh who has a nice smile like Jennifer Bergman who has a younger sister that’s a freshman like Alyssa Tomasello who is very cheerful and spirited likeJanelle Kester who is a VC lifer likeDusty Zoland who goes by a different name like CJ Standridge who is in marching band like Chi Tran who was in AP English with Alex Uda who played basketball likeDanele Howard who has lived in a different state likePriscilla Shen who was a sports team manager likeJacynda Palacios who is artistic like Brandon Feist who has the same name as Brandon Coco who played tennis junior year likeTin Do who is an international student likeSung Choi who played varsity soccer like Joseph Rosa-Diniz who is going to a state school likeSarah Hubanks who had Mr. Hinn for Psalms with Victoria Hall who went to St. Stephens withJanaki Padia who was in History Makers the dance show like Lara Lovaglia who wore the football jersey of Sean Gray who went to Home Church likeDavid Kohlmoos who plays the piano likeGreg Chen who is in 5th period AP Macroeconomics with Natalie Sumnicht whose younger brother is in the sophomore class likeKathryn Pense who was in Spanish 3 with Jeremy Corrales who has piercing like

Michelle Acosta who played freshman softball with Alyson Frederick who dyed her hair blonde likeChelsey St. Martin who was in 6th grade math with Nicole Kohlman who is in marching band likeMikayla Reynaud who likes to sketch likeDaniel Johnson who received a football scholarship like Cameron Marshall who has a parent who works at Valley likeLeonardo Abella who speaks another language likeDawning Wu who has taken more than six AP courses like Anton Lawrendra who works in the lunch program like Timothy Lin who wears glasses likeAndrew Heath who has the same name asAndrew Judd who shares a last name with a celebrity likeTrippe Gibson who is going to a state school like Joshua Venegas who played rugby with Michael Rosenberger who skateboards like Jordan Brazie who is a great photographer likeMichelle Schoning who has 6th period Spanish IV with Stefani Sanchez who watches the soccer games of Matthew Stallings who is in AP Literature with Katheryn Batchelor who was in Les Mis like Jennifer Cline who loves to ride horses likeSerena Heppes who is Filipino likeYvonne Tiller who manages a sport like Kristine Roth who does theater tech like Amanda Primrose who was in biology sophomore year with Brett Schweiger who plays varsity football withTyler Betcher who has Mr. Coney’s government class with Caynan Copeland who was born out of state likeNick Attwood who does radio with Christopher Schmidt who is in Mr. Smith’s Spiritual Disciplines class with Kevin Wang who has the same last name as Linda Wang who is in marching

band with Jordan Tao who is in winter guard like Denise Darnell who has government and sits next to Kara Greene who had the young Mr. Wessling’s Biblical Interpretations with Samantha Varada who carpools likeJames Mafoe who has a twin likeJulie Bergman who did cheer in 8th grade likeAlyssa Woody who has a younger brother likeLarissa Fong who has a great dancing ability likeDoan Do who has a two letter last name like Nicholas Ta who has British Literature with Katelyn Sanders who is in marching band like Jacqueline Rocamora who went to Asia with Clifton Adams who plays volleyball like Jacky Rando who is Italian likeAlly Russo who drives a Ford likeAlex Benanti who play water polo likeJosh Kapp who went to elementary school with Alexis Salandanan who eats lunch with Enoch Quon who has the same first name asEnoch Kim who had chemistry with Lawrence Milan-Zepeda who plays rugby withFrank Maniglia who is a director for VC Film with Justin von Konsky who didn’t go here last year like Colby Stevens who is athletic likeLorenzo Jaso who’s muscular like Isaiah Ray who’s a VC Warrior likeDaniel Lara who always has a buzz cut likeGreg Matsumura who likes to play chess likeVictor Chang who used to play basketball like Breanna Hernandez who was on the same team with Rachel Weerth who was at Valley Christian junior high likeClare Nguyen who is an artist likeChris Hohl who hangs out in the physics room likeTony Chen who has AP physics likeKevin Ngo who has AP

Macroeconomics likeDaniel Lai who was in VC marching band likeJonathan Chue who was on the drum line with Jin Yang who played tennis likeKristyn Dilley who is in Bio Tech and sits next to Michelle Cussary who has an older brother who went to VC likeNicole Bausek who went to Silver Oak Elementary with Dustin McKennan who was on VC Splash with Caitlin Jensen who played the flute in junior high withKaty Sullivan who is in the AP Comparative Government with Daniel McCormick who recently saw Wolverine withDustin Tran who was in Mr. Guven’s English class withAllyson Caesar who took Japanese withNicholas Matsumoto who had AP U.S. History withAmanda Flynn who has French IV with Tara Chavez who has AP Statistics and sits next to Jonathan Canales who is in Spiritual Disciplines with Daniel Ortiz-Theriault who is in Contemporary Authors with David Garcia who is in Spanish III withGregory Evans who is going to West Valley withDevin Reed who is in marching band withKatherine Chen who is going down south to a UC college likeCherrelle McMillian who plays basketball likeTravis Jonson who transferred to VC likeJames Gailey who is good friends with Derek Colvin who buzzed his hair like Steven Nevarez who is going to a local college likeBenjamin Beasley who has rich gold hair likeNicole Masurat who is going out of state for college likeRebecca Pfeil who has a license likeAlyssa Ballard who is staying in the Bay Area for college likeAndrew Marovich who has short hair like Erik Holden who had a class withYunhee Kim who is going to a college in Korea.

Class of ’09 Degrees of S e p a r a t i o n

14 THE WARRIOR FEATURESMay 20, 2009

When Seniors Were Freshmen...By Alyssa BerdingEditor in Chief

In the first week of school on August 29, Category 4 Hurricane Katrina strikes the gulf coast, followed by hurricanes Rita and Wilma within the next two months.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, King Kong, Crash, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 prove to be the box-office hits of 2006.

ABC’s Lost wins a Golden Globe for best television drama and is one of the most popular shows of the year.

Apple debuts its latest innovative and must-have item, the iPod with video.

People everywhere get caught up in the brainy, Sudoku puzzle craze.

Lance Armstrong wins his seventh Tour de France and retires shortly after from competition.

The Pittsburg Steelers dominate Super Bowl XL, winning the title with a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

MTV’s reality show Laguna Beach begins its first season, launching Kristin Cavallari to celebrity status.

Tom Cruise issues a passionate confession of love for his fiancée Katie Holmes while jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch.

Pluto is no longer considered a planet, after seventy-nine years of being identified as one.

Justin Timberlake brings sexy back as he tops the charts with “Sexyback,” the number one song of 2006.

Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by hanging for his crimes against humanity.

Taylor Hicks becomes the surprise winner of American Idol Season Five.

The XX Olympic Winter Games are held in Torino, Italy. Apolo Anton Ohno wins his second gold medal in short track speed skating and Shawn White a.k.a. “The Flying Tomato” claims his first gold medal in the men’s snowboarding half-pipe event.

Where Will Your Friend Be 5 Years From Now?By Liz Fleming and Rachael Shen A&E Editor and Assistant Sports Editor

How to: Get Along With a Roommate

How to: Save Money in College

For many Valley Christian se-niors, leaving the Bay Area this fall will be hard enough without the support of family and friends. How you get along with your roommate, however, can be a nice blessing or a terrible curse. While in most cases, the roommate you end up with is completely up to chance, there are three guidelines you can follow to have a successful relationship with your roommate. The first guideline is to COMMU-NICATE! This isn’t just a room for you, you are sharing it with a completely differ-ent person who has different likes, dislikes, needs, and wants than you. For a success-ful relationship to work in any context the first rule is to always communicate the important things such as: what time “lights out” should be, when important dates are that you may need to stay up late for, and general cleanliness rules. But be sure not to over-communicate as well. Your room-mate does not necessarily want to be your best friend and may not care about every little detail in your life. In other words, communicate carefully and with caution. The second guideline is to make guidelines! Sit down with your roommate and make a list of things that are absolutely necessary to follow for the year you will be

Hello seniors! Ready to buy, but not spend? Moving away to college can be time consuming and expensive, and with the economy on top of college tuition, money is surely tight. So how is it possible to go to college, and still have personal spending money? Well, here is a great idea to help survive those upcoming college years, so sit back, relax, and take a bite into some juicy advice! Driving that nice Escalade up to campus? Maybe a Mustang, or a money saver Prius, but can’t take it with you? Well here is a new solution to your automobile

By Erica ParkerPhoto Editor

By Tyler Verry Staff Writer

Aneesh Chaganty: Daniel will get a good job offer senior year of college, but it will not be what he wants to do and he will not be happy until he moves to LA and does theater.Daniel Huffman: Aneesh will be working on his Masters degree at USC in film, will be part of many student films and will be acting in a few successful indie films.

Christina Trieu: Tiffany will go to cosmetology school and will start her own beauty salon.Tiffany Bui: Christina will be on a sidewalk screaming from being too hyped up on coffee because she just got into another car accident.

Tara Chavez: Jacynda will be in Arizona painting cactuses and studying to be a lawyer in her spare time. She will be a desert wanderer and happy and amazing.Jacynda Palacios: Tara will be at Cal.

Gregory Matsumura: Alex Uda will be a boss.Alex Uda: Greg will be at UOP finishing up his pharmacy program and will have the unofficial best car on campus. He will be known as the “oblivious, short, buff Asian guy.”

Meryl Kaiser: Janay will be a professional dancer in music videos and on television.Janay Lampkin: Meryl will be working at Apple and protesting something.

Macie McMillan: Nicole will graduate from SFSU and will be a psychiatrist at a high school.Nicole Bausek: Macie will be married to a cute doctor on the soccer team who she will meet at UC Davis.

CeeJay Wrye: Sarah will graduate from UC Davis and will be studying at Harvard Law School to be a defense attorney.Sarah Suwanda: CeeJay will be an investigative reporter.

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problems, Zip Car! A Zip Car is a great economic investment, it allows college students(or anyone for that matter) to rent a car for a certain amount of hours, and drive anywhere. A Zip Car comes included with gas, insurance and 180 free miles! Thinking about taking the bus next year? No way! Get a Zip Car; drive yourself, your friends, and family when visiting! It is a great money saver, has awe-some availability hours, and the cars are brand new! Check out zipcar.com for center locations, rates and more!

living together. Things on this list might include what to do with groceries, toilet-ry items, and clothing. If you don’t mind sharing these items, say so! Anything to help each other throughout the year will help alleviate stress and tension. Some-thing else to consider might be when it’s okay for company, such as relatives, boy-friends/girlfriends, and friends to visit and how late they may stay. But don’t become anal retentive because after all they are just guidelines! Whatever the circumstances, these guidelines are just meant to smooth out the transition to a new living arrange-ment. The last guideline is to respect your roommate! After both of you have sat down and made a list of things to do to keep tension minimal between both of you, the next thing to do is to respect your room-mate’s wishes. Even if your roommate does not respect a single parameter, you can set the example by following the guidelines laid out. When asked about respecting her college roommate, former Valley Christian senior Amelia Lipscomb said, ”You have to get used to another person’s habits and never be afraid to say something if the per-son does something you don’t like or does something disrespectful.”

15SPORTS

Bells Ring Victorious Over Warriors

May 20, 2009

By Kaleb TuttleStaff Writer There are inconsistent teams, and then there is the Valley Christian hockey team. When healthy and fully staffed, the team is as good as any in the league. However, when any of their best players are injured or unavailable, they struggle. Senior David Romanchuk was named team captain at the beginning of the season, and played well this season for the

Warriors. He was effective until he had jaw surgery recently, and missed the end of the season. The Warriors have simply not been the same since. The Warrior’s hockey team started off the season well. They won their first game, shutting out Castro Valley to win 7-0. They then lost to the best team in the league in a hard fought game by only one goal, and proved they would were a force to be reckoned with. However, what was a 5-4 game early in the season with everyone

healthy became an 18-1 game later in the season with the roster depleted. 18-1. That did not sit well with the Warriors. Marco Gagliardi, the talented forward for the Warrior that was accused of shutting down for the last part of the season, woke up. With Gagliardi’s five goals and one assist, and Max Vallis’ two goals, the Warriors won their first playoff game against East Bay Vipers—a team that beat them by five goals a few weeks before and was heavily favored to win.

And then, on Mother’s Day, the team played the Bellarmine Bells, the second best team in the league. The Warriors, hurting but still fighting, came up a bit short against the Bells. Gagliardi scored twice and Jared Pilet scored once, but Bellarmine was too much. They won the game 6-3 against the depleted Warriors, but the Warriors were able to hold their heads high. They finished the season well, and played hard through adversity.

Regardless of the hallways filled with outstanding athletes each year, a select few can always be pinpointed as performing excellently during the course of their season. Though the Warriors haven’t been graced with a CCS c h a m p i o n s h i p so far this year, they have placed themselves in an excellent position to pocket a few as both the baseball and track team have built great post-season expectations. Both teams, throughout the season, have flirted with the opportunity to have great playoff races, and shown occasional glimpses of greatness. Yet just across the way, despite their also occasional flashes of brilliance, the Warriors fell just short of a gridiron championship. The football team, led by head coach Mike Machado, lost in the CCS finals to archrival Bellarmine College Prep. Just one week before this bitter upset, the Warriors overtook the Oak Grove Eagles in a match up for the decades. Players such as Robert Fiscalini, Phil Thrappas, and Cameron Marshall executed perfectly during the game. Although each of the players were exceptional in their own

In the Rearview MirrorBy Jon LampkinJunior Sports Editor

regards, watching the Marshall brothers play together was phenomenal like no other. With only seconds left, Oak Grove drove down the field only to just miss a field goal. Missing the field goal, resulted into the Warriors walking away victorious and springing themselves into the CCS Open Division Championship. Analysts had speculated that if Valley Christian had walked away as the Open Division champs, they would have moved into the state bowl champion series. But even with this torn away, the team accomplished an amazing record in what many consider the most competitive league in California, and made a few pit stops along the road to

defeat extremely competitive out-of-league competition. Just across the tracks, the other set of football players were a little less fortunate in their league schedule. They both shared a common rival, as they troubled to defeat the Bells as well. Known as a dominant WCAL soccer powerhouse, the Warriors were never able to take a shot at the Bells. However, the Warriors’ varsity soccer team included a number of standout athletes and many seniors going on to play in college. They worked hard throughout the season and kept their cool in a very competitive WCAL league. The Lady Warriors also impressed on the soccer field, volleyball court, and

basketball court on their respective senior nights. All teams experienced highlight wins over higher seeded teams in the WCAL. As the baseball team is competing to maintain their streak of CCS championships, so did the girls basketball team just months earlier. Headed by Coach Richard Harris, the Lady Warriors competed with the likes of B u r l i n g a m e , Saint Ignatius and Sacred Heart. The

Lady Warriors had a remarkable season, returning for the second consecutive year to the CCS finals. Although they fell to their rivals, the Fighting Irish from Sacred Heart Cathedral, the girls are known as some of the most intense and committed athletes at Valley Christian. One of the biggest challenges that the athletic program has faced this year has proved to be the jump from Division IV to Division III. The jump challenged each of the teams in their own accords and pushed them into a pool of schools characterized by better competition. Looking in the rearview mirror, one can only anticipate what is to follow in the coming years.

Senior Ryan Jones brings down a magnificent catch. Junior AJ Newton follows through down the floor with a floater.

Senior Kevin Tarangioli dribbles just past a defender.

The boys volleyball team celebrates after winning a much needed game.The varsity softball girls have had their best season in many years.

16 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMay 20, 2009

Warriors Show Their Skills In College Athletics

Golf Teams Take Their Last Swings

JV Tennis Looks Toward the Future

Valley Christian HighSchool is not necessarily known for itsspectaculargolfprogram.Thatbeingsaid,however, the JV and varsity golf teamshave played hard this season and haveachieved victories on and off the course. The JV team has beenparticularlyinterestingthisseason.Whilethey have lost every match they haveplayed,theyhaveallimprovedthroughouttheseasonandgrown togetherasa team.In fact, one of the team members cameup with a strange, albeit interesting rap.Team raps aside, though, perhaps thegreatest accomplishment of the teamthis year has been the gender integrationthat they have achieved so smoothly. Hannah LozinskiandShaye

Locatelli have made an unprecedentedimpactontheteamthisseason.Whenaskedabout the team, Locatelli said, “It’s notawkward.It’sgoodtoplaywiththeguysbecauseit’sachallenge.”Achallengeforwho,exactly?Lozinskihasalreadybeatenafewofhermaleteammates,includingthenumberoneon the team,Kevin Walker,and Locatelli has made such incredibleprogresssincethebeginningoftheseasonthatshehasevenbeguntoplayinanumberof the matches. Their hard work anddeterminationhasimpressedcoachChuck Heath to thepoint thathe relieson themofteninmatches.Thetwolooktobecomethecoreofapotentialgirlsteamnextyear.Thevarsityteamstartedofftheseasonpoorly,andlostseveralmatchesbyonlyafewstrokes.Finally,onthelasttwodaysofMarch,thevarsityteamwonbothoftheirmatches,beatingbothRiordanandSacred Heart Cathedral. The team wasextremelyexcitedabout theirsuccessandcontinuedtoportraytheirgrowthinthenextmatches. Their hard work finally paid off. Junior player Austin Yao said, “We’re having a fun year.Golf is a lot of fun, and we’ve all been

ByKalebTuttleStaff Writer

NathanFarrokhianStaff Writer

As the season came to aclose, the Warriors JV tennis teamdid not do as well as they wished. However, some of the top playershad a chance to shine againstthe good teams in the league. Coming off a somewhatdisappointingseason,theJVtennisteamendedtheirseasonwitha0-7lossagainstSerra. Although many of the playerswere disappointed about their record,otherswereabletoshowcasetheirskills.SophmoreEvan LoodidverywellwinninghisgameagainstSacredHeartandMitty.Also, Loo was the only person on theteamtowinagameagainstSt.Ignatius.Also,JuniorAndrew Rolen wasabletotake a game from Mitty’s single seat 4.Rolandthinksthat“Iftheteampracticesover the summer they can definitely do a lot better in the upcoming years.”

Andrew Rolen returns his opponent’s serve with a perfect forearm.

Evan Loo volleys the ball back over the net to his opponent.

Justin Witt executes a perfect chip onto the green.

Austin Yao watches his perfectly hit ball enter onto the fairway.

improvingtogether.”Theteamhasmanyunderclassmen that are looking verypromising for the upcoming years. Theyearendedwellandeveryoneisexcitedtosee what the summer practice will bring.

By Liz FlemingA&E Editor

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ff With the spring sports seasonsdrawingtoaclose,manyValleyChristianseniorswillfoldawaytheirWarriorjerseysfor the last time. Graduation marks theend of their athletic legacy here, but formanyofValley’stopathletes,itwillopena new chapter in their athletic careers.This year, fifteen athletes have signed to representtwelveschoolsaroundthenation. Senior Cameron Marshall,football phenomenon and the athleticpowerhouse of the WCAL signed toArizona State University, after carefulselection. Marshall hopes to be animpactplayerfortheSunDevils,andwilllikely make an immediate contributionas a freshman. TheASUprogram is up-and-coming and excellently coached,and will likely be in strong contentionfor a bowl appearance next fall. Fellow senior Daniel Johnsonhas signed toplayatEasternWashingtonUniversity. In high school, Johnson wasaWCALall-leagueselection,andstandoutplayerfor theWarriors. HewillcompeteforplayingtimeasarunningbackatEWU. Linebacker Robert Fiscalini, afirst-team WCAL selection, committed to Arizona Western Junior College thisspring. The Matadors have a promisingteam, and Fiscalini will be in a goodposition for immediate playing time. Also set to attend college inArizonaiscross-countrystarJen Bergman,whorecentlycommittedtotheUniversityofArizona.Jenwillparticipateinbothcross-

countryandtrack,whereshewilljoinformerteammateDahlys MarshallasaWildcat. Another successful trackstandout, Cherrelle McMillian, hascommitted to UCSB. McMillain plansto run for the Gauchos in the spring. This year, the basketballdepartment has three athletes committed.Tim Harris signed with a talented St.Mary’sprogram.Theall-countyselectionandSan Jose Mercury NewsAthleteoftheWeekhasanexcellentopportunitytoplayon one of the best mid-major programs,undercoachRandy Bennet.ThesuccessfulLady Warriors team will graduate twoexceptional players to college athletics.Amy Griffith, one of the teams leadingscorersforthelastthreeseasonsandanall-leagueselectionfortheWCALandcounty,isboundforUCSD.AsaTriton,shehopesto challenge for significant playing time her freshman year, and will likely be anoffensiveforceforSanDiego.TeammateKelsey Byrd will join the Ivy Leaguepowerhouse Dartmouth College in thefall. Byrdhelped lead theLadyWarriorsto two consecutive CCS championships,and garnered numerous awards. Senior Liz Fleming will joinByrdatDartmouthasavolleyball recruitfortheBigGreen.Fleming,aWCALandcountyall-leaguepickin2008,helpedleadthe volleyball team to an appearance inCCS finals for the first time in twenty-one yearsandasuccessfulruninstateplayoffs. Soccer sends two girls off tocollege programs next year. Macie McMillan, who led the Lady Warriors

this season and was a significant member on their WCAL championship team twoyearsago,willbeanAggienextyear forUC Davis. She hopes to challenge forplaying as a freshman, and will get a lotofD1experiencetoensurethatshewillbea strongcompetitor as anupperclassman.Teammate Emily VonRaesfeld hassigned withTaylor University in Indiana.VonRaesfeldledtheWarriorsinassistslastseason, and will bring her talent and fierce competitivenesstotheTaylorTrojanteam. Senior forward Trevor Plug hasrecently signed with Calvin College inMichigan.Plugwasanall-leagueselectionfor the WCAL, and a big offensivecontributor for the Warriors. He will bejoiningacompetitiveDIIIprogramatCalvin. ValleyChristian’stalentedbaseballteam will send two stars on to collegeprograms.SeniorshortstopClayton Eslicksigned with Gonzaga University this pastfall, while pitcher Nathan Underwoodwill continue his athletic career at LongBeach State University. Both boys haveshined for Valley Christian, contributingto back-to-back CCS championships anda WCAL title. They could potentiallylead Valley this year to anotherWCAL title and CCS championship. Grace Anderson has beena standout member of the swim teamfor several seasons and an all-leagueselection. She has signed to swim atUCSD next year. Fellow swimmerAlex Higginbotham, a member of theCCS-winning relay last season, willcontinue his swim career at UC Davis.

17THE WARRIORSPORTS May 20, 2009

Teachers In High School Sports

Track And Field Compete in Finals Withthetrackseasoncomingtoaclose,manyoftheathletescontinuedontothe finals held on Thursday for JV and the finals on Saturday, May 16 for the varsity teams. During the trials, the top 8 willcompete next at Serra High School. The anchor leg for the would-be WCALchampionship,Cameron Marshallhaspulledoutdue toanstrain inhis leg,although,hisreplacement,Brian Houp,isa viable fill for the position. The 4x100 relay teamstillhasashotatthetitle,anditwouldnot be much of a stretch for them to grab it. Conversely, the JV 4x100 team has pulled up freshman Jarrod Lawson to fill the void that Houp has left behind. Despite this fact, the JV boys still has not achieved less

By Darelle JonesStaff Writer

than first and any West Cal meet. On a different note, sophomoreJeremy Thompson went head-to-head with St. Ignatius in the high jump event. Jump after jump, the competitors were adamant about not letting the other win. Once the bar was moved to 6’0”, the pressure was on. Thompson scratched on the first two jumps, but was resolute on the fact that the he would get over the bar, and he did. This record has only been matched three times in history, including Valley’s senior, Daniel Johnson. Thompson seeks to shattertherecordthisyear,ifnot,nextyear. Despite the fact that Valley Christian’s varsity has a 0-7 record, they held the biggest threat in the finals. Also, long distance runners, such asfreshman Sean Davis, are in the toptier to sweep the 16m run. Overall, the competition was tight this year. Andwith the speed thatall teamspossess, thefinals as well as trials have been exciting.

By CJ WryeSports Editor

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Kristin Sato runs to meet her teammate at the end of the relay.

Jarrod Lawson reaches the finish line just in time.

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Sports have always been a huge part of the high school experience. Some of high school’s greatest moments involve some kind of sporting activity. The practices, games, team bonding, and fan support bring memories to all that can never be forgotten. Students may not know that many of their own Valley Christian teachers excelled in sports and have memories of their experiences that they have not forgotten. Track and cross-country was a main sport for many of our teachers.Mrs. Kate Nees competed in the 4x800 relay in state during her freshman year,then continued to run cross-country for the next three years. Her team qualified for state all three years. Mrs. Nees said,

“The highlight of my cross country experience was leading my team as co-captainduringmysenioryearandplacingsecond as a team at state in Columbus, Ohio.” Mr. Stephen Torode and Mr. Myron Falkowski also ran track in highschool. “The funny thing about our track team,” said Mr. Torode, “is that although we had a track team, we never practiced or competed in any events whatsoever.” Trigonometry is not Mrs. Jamie Cronquist’s only specialty. In high school, she swam the 100-meter freestyle andcompetedagainstmanydifferentteamsacross the state. “I hated sweat, so water was my solution!” said Mrs. Cronquist. Mrs. Cindy Nardi may not

seem like the competitive type, but she competed in tennis and played second base for the varsity softball team. She was even featured in the Scotts Valley newspaper for her success on the softball team. High school volleyball players includeMrs. Julie WilsonandMr. Scott Vanderveen. Mrs. Wilson was a volleyball star in the state of Ohio. She played four years of varsity volleyball and was named All-State Honorable Mention. Like many high school students Mrs. Wilson had conflicts with her coach, but she learned how to have respect for authority figures through it. Some faculty who played sports in high school came back not only to teach, but also to coach the students at Valley

Christian. Mrs. Jolene and Mr. Donny Fugate have both impacted the sports teams here at Valley. Mrs. Fugate not only played soccer in high school but also in college. She was a starting forward for the San Jose State team. Now she has been coaching the Valley Christian varsity soccer team for six years, leading the Warriorsto two CCS championships. VCHS grad Mr. Fugate (‘96) not only coaches here, but played four different sports at VCHS. Everyone knows the football and soccer coach excelled in both at Valley, but he also served it up on the tennis team. He was doubles partners with Mr. John Basanese (VCHS ‘96), who now also helps coach the boys soccer team with Mr. Fugate. Economics teacher Mr. Ninos Malek played many different sports,but his main athletic achievement included playing goal keeper forhis varsity high school soccer team. VCHS teachers succeeded in manysportswhentheywereinhighschool.Students may not have realized how involved their teachers used to be, but they can learn more from them than just the subjects that they teach. Through their experiences, students can learn how to get throughhigh school and succeed in the future.

During her high school days, Mrs. Kate Nees excelled in cross country.

Mrs. Fugate was a starting forward on her high school soccer team.

Mr. Fugate played four high school sports: soccer, football, volleyball and tennis.

Mr. Vanderveen not only coached volleyball, but also played in high school and at Calvin College.

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18 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMay 20, 2009

Warriors Press On To Third CCS Title

By CJ WryeSports Editor

Exciting Finish for Girls SwimmingBy Arazue ZadehStaff Writer

JV BoysVolleyballLooks Ahead to Next SeasonBy Sol TaguinodStaff Writer

The back to back CCS champions have once again put themselves in an excellent position to reclaim their championship title. The boys had two hard games coming up for their last two league games and they needed wins in order to clench a league championship. Already on a four game winning streak the Warriors went on to play Bellarmine Prep for the last time on Tuesday, May 5. Junior Danny Davis was on the mound for the Warriors as they battled back and forth with the Bells until the seventh inning. The Bells were up 5-4 in the seventh with two outs as Gonzaga-bound senior, Clayton Eslick came to the plate. With two strikes on him, he hammered a fastball into left field to spark a Valley Christian rally. Eslick was able to steal second on a pass ball entering into scoring position with

junior Matt C a r r o l l c o m i n g up to bat. C a r r o l l scorched a ball down the left field line sending E s l i c k home and tying the game up 5-5. With C a r r o l l w a i t i n g in scoring p o s i t i o n ,

senior Nathan Underwood came up to rip a fastball deep for a home run, winning the game 7-5. Next, the Warriors faced off against the Serra Padres for their last league game. A lot rested on this game for if the Warriors could clench a win, they would be able to tie with Serra for league champs. So on Friday, May 8, the Warriors took the field behind Underwood. Underwood gave up only one run during the first and second innings. His offense backed him up as senior clean-up hitter Nick Backlund hit a home run in the fourth to keep the Warriors in the game. Underwood came out in the sixth giving up only three runs to the Padres and Steven Thompson came in to close the Warriors out as they led 6-3. However, the team hit some rough patches as the Padres soon scored three runs to tie up the game. With the bases loaded, Davis came in to pitch, hitting a batter and putting Serra up 7-6. Davis was able to get the Warriors out, but they would need

some solid offense in order to get the win. In the seventh inning, the Warriors rallied together as David Garcia got on base with a single, Backlund walked, then Eslick hit a single to the right to load the bases, and Underwood once again came through to hit in the run that tied up the game. Carroll then came to the plate and hit a ground ball to shortstop allowing an out at second, but the Warriors had gotten their winning run in. Valley then went out in the bottom of the seventh to get three outs right away to seal an 8-7 victory against the Serra Padres. This was the first time the Warriors had defeated the Padres at their home field in four years. With this win came a two-way tie for first place in league between Serra and Valley Christian. The WCAL playoffs began on Tuesday, May 12 at Valley’s home field against Sacred Heart Cathedral. With Brett Schweiger on the mound, the Warriors came out strong in the first inning and scored three runs right away off of base hits by VC’s big hitters Garcia, Backlund, Eslick and Carroll. The Warriors’ bats continued with big hits throughout the whole game and their defense was solid, allowing very few base runners. The Warriors easily defeated the Irish 13-0 as they continue on into the second round of the WCAL playoffs against Bellarmine Prep once again. The Warriors defense held up strong behind Underwood as the Warriors defeated the Bells 7-5 to take them into the championship game. The Warriors arrived at Santa Clara University on Thursday, May 14, to once again face their rivals, Junipero Serra. The Warriors bats were strong from the

beginning as Backlund hit a three run home run in the first inning to put the Warriors ahead 3-0. Valley scored again in the second, but was unable to hold their lead for very long. The Padres’ bats came alive and they scored 7 runs in the bottom of the second. Thompson relieved Underwood and was able to get the Warriors out of the long inning. However, the boys did not give up and continued to crack each one of Serra’s pitchers and entered the sixth inning tied 10-10, Backlund having another home run. Schweiger had relived Thompson by now to close the Warriors out. Unfortunately, two balls got away from catcher Trevin Craig allowing two runners to steal home. Valley suffered from some errors and entered into the seventh behind Serra 15-10. Craig was able to smack the ball deep into left for a one run home run, but it wasn’t enough for the Warriors. On a ball hit into left Eslick attempted to make it home, but the ball just barely beat him for the third and final out giving Serra the 15-11 win and WCAL Champion title. Through the WCAL final upset the baseball team continues to look ahead toward CCS and their chance at a third CCS title.

The Valley Christian JV and varsity girls swimming teams finished their intense, solid league play at the end of April. However, WCAL and CCS is still progressing and the teams continue to show school spirit, develop and improve their personal times, and fight until the finish! From start to finish, the JV Lady Warriors have improved and developed, thanks to coaches Jerry Bozzo and Jen O’ Connell. Bozzo and O’Connell eagerly advise, teach, and encourage the girls to do their best. Both coaches are vital elements that make up a strong, spirited team. Jessica Tencati, a sophomore on the team, explained that this season has been “rewarding, and very fun!” To further describe her 2009 swimming experience, Tencati enlightened non-swimmers, stating that “it takes many weeks of practice and dedication to be ready for a swim meet…you not only have to be physically ready but mentally also.” The amount of commitment, physical strength, desire, and competitiveness involved in swimming can be represented through the JV Lady Warriors. Although the JV season is coming to a close, these girls still compete against their previous times to excel and hopefully get pulled up for CCS! Similarly, the varsity girls swimming team competed thoroughly and with an incredible fierceness that

proved to be worth it, as many girls’ times improved dramatically. Coaches Bozzo and Cathy Manthey are extremely dedicated to improving the girls and developing as a team. Sophomores Michelle Angelilis and Britney Tomsula agree that “our coaches work us hard, but they are incredible motivators and leaders.” Through the ups and downs these varsity girls have experienced, the overall season was fun and exciting for most, with individual and team challenges met with poise. Although it was challenging and draining, “it was completely worth it,” Tomsula adds. The most challenging team, the girls agreed, were the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs. Mitty’s renowned reputation exceeds it in swimming, however the Valley Christian Warriors promises to compete diligently and with pride against Mitty and every team they swim against. The varsity girls swimming season has been extremely

exciting to watch, as the girls grew and strengthened themselves throughout. The girls swam exceptionally well during the WCAL Championships on May 7, 8, and 9. During the 200-yard freestyle, freshman JV swimmer, Erin Opray competed well against the difficult Presentation and Mitty swimmers, getting a time of 2:20:54. Likewise, the varsity girls fought intensely during this three-day meet. Freshman Julie Nguyen gained eighth place in the 200-yard IM, a great start to the competition against the difficult opponents. In the 50-yard freestyle, UCSD-bound senior Grace Anderson competed incredibly, gaining the ninth spot against 80 competitors. Following this event, in the always difficult 100-yard butterfly, junior Jamie Walitsch reigned victorious against nineteen other swimmers, falling in ninth place overall. And finally, in the twenty-seventh event of the weekend, Anderson

once again achieved a high rank in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.32 seconds! Although the Lady Warriors never secured first place in this intense event, they ended their season with a splash and continued on to the oncoming CCS events!

On Friday, May 15 and 16, the Lady Warriors competed strongly in the CCS playoffs. The girls swimming teams have fought throughout the entire season, excelled during WCAL, contested vigorously in the CCS championships, and show a promising future

in the upcoming seasons.

Coming off a somewhat disappointing season, the JV boys volleyball team ended on Thursday, April 30, in a loss to the all-around athletic Junipero Serra High School JV team. Serra sought to get even with Valley due to the shutout win in the game Valley Christian won over Serra in the ’08 season. Recapping the ’07-’08 season, the team ended with a decent record of 3-9 and looked to only improve this season. The JV Warriors ended this year with a 0-11 league season, but a 2-16 record overall, including 2-1 wins over both Aptos and Branham. This was a tough season for the JV squad in the competitive WCAL as the team started off very shaky, with the majority of the team as new comers to the Valley Christian program. Although there are a great number of new members to the team, a few key players stood out throughout the season. Reed Starkey, arguably one of the greatest assets to the team, ended the year with a great spike success rate, along with Trenton McNelly, who improved greatly throughout the season to become one of the best players on the team. Through the season, the team as a whole developed and look to be very promising in the coming seasons.

Senior pitcher Nathan Underwood scorches the diamond with a classic fastball.

Sophomore swimmer Myvy Ng warms up with a lap of breaststroke.

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Senior David Garcia looks to steal third base.

19THE WARRIORSPORTS May 20, 2009

Softball Brings Season HomeBy Melissa LimStaff Writer

JV Baseball Leaves its MarkBy Darelle JonesStaff Writer

Diving Ends On Perfect 10By Rachael ShenAssistant Sports Editor

Thevarsitysoftballteam’sseasonhas come to a close. The varsity girlsparticipated in the Wilcox Invitational atMissionCollegeoverEasterbreak,whichwas a series of games to determine thetop teams among San Jose high schools.In the first game on April 3, they faced Homesteadandeasilywonwithascoreof8-1.ThenextdaytheyfacedLynbrook,andagain, easily beat them, 11-0. Later thatsameday,theladiesfacedSanBenitoandcameclosetoanothervictory,butendedupwith a difficult loss of 5-2, probably due to the tiredness from thegamesearlier intheday.TheInvitationalcontinuedthenextweekend and theWarriors played againstLive Oak on April 10 and won, 1-0. The next daytheladiesplayedSanBenito,theteamtheymettheweekbefore,andfelltothemagain in a loss of 5-0. The girls suffered anotherlosswhentheyplayedMt.Pleasantlaterthesameday.Itmayhavebeenatoughweekoverall,buttheWarriorswalkedoutwith an impressive fourth place finish. After the Invitational, the Lady

WarriorsfacedtheGundersonGrizzliesonApril 20, the first hot day in their season. Despite the sun, theWarriors went homewith a 15-0 win, thanks to strong defense and great pitches throughout several innings. April 21 was another hot day and the ladies were matched up againstPresentationHigh.TheWarriorsmanagedto hold back the Presentation Pantherswithatieattheendofseveninnings,butthe Panthers pulled ahead in the eighth.Although the Warriors fell 3-2, it was a close match and the ladies played hard. The Warriors went against Anchor Pointe Christian, a non-league school,on April 27. The ladies finished them off easily and scored a victory of 11-1. The first day of May was senior day and many people joined to supportthe two seniors, Alyson Fredrick andAlexandra Perry. Although the game finished with a loss for the Warriors 3-1, therewasstrongbattingbyjuniorJasmine Dickerson with an unbelievable playsending freshman Alyxis Kyles home.It was a good game even with the loss.On May 5, the Lady Warriors played Saint

Ignatius in theirsecond to lastregular seasongame.Theladiestried hard, butcame up shortwithalossof9-8.OnMay8,thelastleaguegamefor the Warriorswas against theSaint FrancisLancers. Sinceit was the lastgame,theladiesgavetheirbestandclosedtheir season off with a win of 3-2! It was a tight game, but the ladies worked hardtowinand thevictorybroughtasmile toeveryone’sfacesontheirwaybackhome. The season for the Warriorscontinued with WCAL starting on May 12. On May 12, the Ladies faced off against Saint Ignatius,where theWarriorsplayedintensely and ended with victory of 4-2. Thejuniorvarsitysoftballplayersalsoshowedgreatimprovementssincethebeginning of the season. They have allgiventheirbesteffort sothattheywillbe

able to continueon in softball asa varsity player.Overcoming manydifficult challenges within the teamthroughout theseason, theirbonding seems tobe a lot strongerand everyone hasgrown in strengthand ability. In the gameon April 3, the Lady Warriors

faced off against Notre Dame BelmontHigh School. At first, it started off as a closematch,butonce theygaveupa runandgaveNotreDameachancetotaketheoffense, it was hard to catch up and theTigers took the game with a score of 13-1. On April 9, the JV softball team faced Archbishop Mitty. The ladies gave their best but suffered a difficult loss of 10-0. TheW a r r i o r splayed in anon-leagueg a m ea g a i n s tGundersonon April 20. Being s t r o n g e rthan anyp u b l i cschoolintheBay Area, the LadyW a r r i o r sf i n i s h e ds t r o n g

with a victory of 15-3. Ontheverynextday,theladiesfacedoff against the Presentation High SchoolPanthers. The game finished with a 10-0 loss, but the ladies departed cheeringeachotherandremindingthemselves thatthey would do better in their next game. Thefollowingday,thegirlsweresupposed to play against Archbishop Mitty, but due to some difficulties, they faced themonMay1andhadtodealwiththehardrain.Due to theweather, theirvisionwasblurredandtheylostthegamewithascoreof 15-1. However, the ladies were not down because they actually had scored and didbetterthantheirlastface-offagainstMitty. The second to last game of theLadyWarriors’seasonwasplayedagainstSaint Ignatius. The game finished in loss by the Warrors of 9-2. It was a loss, but the ladies played their best and kepta better score than their last two games. IntheWarriors’lastgameagainstSaintFrancis,theladiesgaveupthegame,losing 20-1. After the game, the ladies were provided with meals and snacksthat the parents had brought and officially finished their season with promises to each other that their next season wouldbe stronger, since they showed bigimprovements over their last season. All of the Valley Christian studentsareinfullsupportof thesoftballteams and hope that the varsity Warriorswill finish strong in the WCAL and CCS and that the JV team will continue to improve on their seasons next year. Great job Warriors! VCHS is proud of you all!

Despite having a bumpy record,the juniorvarsitybaseball teamsought tohave a strong finish against Junipero Serra and Archbishop Riordan. The Warriors had a fiery start against Wilcox at the beginning of the year and kept that fire ablaze throughouttheseasonastheyshowedtheywere the team to beat. Standout players,suchassophomoreMarc Rouschnotandsophomore Jerrick Moralez have madeagreatimpactontheteamastheyhelpedleadtheteamtoitscurrentrecord. Against Serra, the boys stayed on topandkeptSerra’sscoringatastandstillas sophomore pitcher Ryan Capozzastayedontaskandmadesurethathisteamwas locked on having the lead. Another player, sophomoreCodie O’Connell, ranthe bases almost flawlessly as the game progressed on. A key hit by Rouschnot sent the junior varsityWarriors to a two-run score to extend their lead. Although thecallsbytheumpirewerequestionable,the Warriors pulled though and went onto eventually win the game and make astatement against the strong Serra juniorvarsitybaseballteam. Next year, the young playersof the junior varsity team will move upto continue a legacy of dominant VC baseball.

InthebigmeetagainstBellarmineCollegePreparatoryandPresentationHighSchool on April 30 at the VC Pool, Valley Christian’svarsitydivingteamfacedtheirtoughestcompetitionyet.SophomoreandlonegirldiverLauren Speerssetthebarhighabove thePresentationdiverswithafinal score of 170.60, giving her 6 points for the Warriors and the top spot in thegirls 1 meter varsity diving competition.Unfortunately,theboysdidnotfareaswellagainstthestrongBellarminedivingteam.JuniorTom Connollyhadthehighestscoreof the VC boys with a final score of 116.10 and 3 points for the Warriors. Senior captain Devin Valdez had a final score of 114.80 andadded1pointfortheWarriors.Toroundout the VC diving team, junior captain Jordan Sisson had a final score of 111.75. On Saturday, May 2, the WCAL Diving Finals took place at St. IgnatiusHigh School. Valley Christian’s own Speers made the top 10 divers at theWCAL varsity diving championships 2009 for the girls. She had a score of 276.30 to give her an eighth place ranking. Speers was Valley’s solo representative in the WCAL diving finals this year and her success reflects highly on a great season for all four of VC’s varsity divers.

Junior centerfielder Juliana Wallace rounds the corner to second base.

Sophomore Lauren Coco bats in a base hit for the varsity Warriors.

Sophomore captain and pitcher Janell Laront winds up for strikeout.

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20 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMay 20, 2009

Varsity Swimming Finishes Off Season

The boys varsity volleyball team has become a force to be reckoned with in the WCAL and is continuing to excel in their matches. Improving on last years’ season, the Warriors have dominated this year in their league play and are looking forward to their post-season tournament. In the Chico Tournament on April 17-19, the boys stayed undefeated through-out the entire three days, beating a total of six teams. In the championship game, the Warriors took on Mission Valley High School, and although the match was pushed into a third game, the Warriors came out on top and claimed the first place trophy. In the following match on April 21, the boys played against St. Ignatius in another WCAL season match. With strong defense by junior libero Kyle Gerrans and aggressive serving, the Warriors pushed ahead and gained a quick lead. The Wild-cats were unable to come from behind and overcome the Warriors’ play. The War-riors claimed another important league victory in three games and pushed ahead in the WCAL rankings, establishing them-selves as competitors in a tough league. On April 23, the boys faced off against Archbishop Mitty. Although the Warriors fell to the Monarchs in the first game, they were able to fight back and overcome their opponents in the next

games. Pushing hard on offense with impressive setting by sophomore Tyler Rigg, the boys recovered and captured this exciting match with three games to one. Playing against Sacred Heart Ca-thedral on April 28, the Warriors came out quickly, catching their opponents off-guard. Unrelenting, the boys took the first game with a final score of 25-8. In the next two games, the Warriors continued to dominate and won easily once again, capturing an im-pressive final victory over the Fighting Irish. On April 30, the Warriors took on the Junipero Serra Padres in an excit-ing, adrenaline-filled match. The Warriors fell behind early in the first game. Strug-gling to gain momentum and unable to push ahead, the boys lost 11-25. However, in the next two games, the Warriors pulled themselves from behind and gave their op-ponents some competition as they claimed a solid victory in both. Unfortunately, the boys were unable to keep their momentum going into the fourth and suffered a disap-pointing loss, propelling them into a tie-breaking fifth game. In the fifth game, the Warriors came out swinging and recovered quickly from their previous loss. The War-riors served tough and established a solid lead, winning the game and the match. In the May 2 Los Gatos Invi-tational Tournament, the Warriors won their first three matches and then faced off against Monterey High School. Although the Warriors were able to take one game off their opponents, they suffered losses in the other two games and were unable to maintain their winning streak. This loss ended the tournament for the Warriors. Beginning the WCAL tournament on May 5, the boys took on St. Ignatius and came out fighting. With strong offen-sive play by Valley Christian senior hitters

By Zayn KirkendollStaff Writer

Warriors Ranked First Going Into CCSBy Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

Erik Holden and Cliff Adams, the War-riors did not have trouble surging ahead and managed a very aggressive offense. The Warriors took three out of four games from the Wildcats and found themselves moving on to the WCAL semi-finals. On May 6, the Warriors played against the Bellarmine Bells in hopes of moving on in the WCAL tournament. Al-though the Warriors came out fighting, they were unable to hold off the Bells and suffered a disappointing loss in three games. This loss ended the Warriors’ hope of a WCAL title but a CCS title was still up for grabs. The Warriors recently had a few of their players, Rigg, Gerrans, and Holden, honored with All-League hon-ors. Gerrans made WCAL first team and Rigg and Holden made WCAL second team. It is a great honor to have a team awarded with so many all-league players. With much to be proud of so far, the Warriors are expected to do great things in the CCS tournament as they are seeded in first place in Divi-sion II and are ready to maintain their seed and capture a tournament win.

Photos provided by GoWarriors.

Astheswimseasondrawstoanend,the boys’ varsity swim team makes a final pushtowardbecomingthebesttheycanbe. Asof theMay4swimmeet, thetop three schools in the WCAL standings are Bellarmine at 7 wins and 0 losses, Valley Christian at 6 wins and 1 loss, and Saint Ignatius at 4 wins and 3 losses with Bellarmine becoming the Round Robin Champion. The boys did a great job at capturing second place in the meet. The boys have been working incredibly hard to finish off the season on a good note, including sophomore Dante Cavazos,whosaid, “The team has really been dedicated, andwehaveused eachother tomotivateand lift one another up.” The boys’ final meet was the CCS meet on the weekend of May 15 and 16 at Santa Clara University.

The varsity swim team dominated this season and will miss the senior swimmers who are graduating.

21THE WARRIORSPORTS May 20, 2009

The varsity boys tennis team played outstanding and advanced through the WCAL tournament. The team main-tained a high level of intensity and drive throughout the tournament. The play-ers were excited to compete and do well against the other schools. All the players on the Valley Christian team performed phe-

nomenally and had fun experiencing the WCAL tournament. Two teams from Valley surprised many other schools because they advanced further than anyone expected. Valley Christian’s doubles two team advanced past the first round but were eliminated in the second round by St. Igna-tius. In the first round, junior, Matt Mull-

er, and sophomore, Philip Ambler, defeated St. Francis in a nerve-wrack-ing match. For the first rounds, all players were to play an eight game pro set, meaning that the first team to reach eight sets wins; if a match reaches eight all, then they must play a seven point tiebreaker. Valley defeated St. Francis 9-8, winning 10-8 in the tiebreaker. Because it was so close, the match was extremely exciting and thrilling. The second doubles team Val-ley entered into the tournament per-formed impressively and advanced the furthest in the tournament. Coach Brooke decided to team up singles two and singles one to play doubles at the WCAL tournament. Freshman Allen Edwin and junior Bryan Trieu teamed up and ended up seeding num-ber four in the doubles’ draw. Since they were seeded, they received a bye for the first round and automatically moved on to the next round. For the

second round, Valley had to play against Mitty’s number one doubles team. Edwin and Trieu easily took the win with the score 6-1, 6-0. After defeating Mitty, they advanced to the quarterfinals where they played Bellarmine’s number two doubles team. Valley struggled during the first set, but they pulled through with the win. The score against Bellarmine was 6-4, 6-2. Af-ter moving on to the semifinals, they met with the team that was seeded number two in the tournament, Bellarmine’s number one doubles pair. Valley again ran into Bel-larmine, but this time they ended with a devastating defeat. Both teams started out

strong, not wanting to give the other team an easy win. Bellarmine took the first set with a score of 5-7. With a comeback, Ed-win and Trieu strongly took the second set 6-2. In the third set, the match started to get intense. Both teams had equal chances to take the glory. In the end though, Bellarm-ine defeated Edwin and Trieu in the semi-finals with the final score of 5-7, 6-2, 4-6. With Valley getting knocked out of the tournament, the varsity boys tennis season sadly came to an end. As the play-ers wait for next fall, they will continue to practice and train through the summer in anticipation for another great year.

The junior varsity boys swim team concluded a tough season of growth and improvement a couple week-ends ago. All spring, the boys have trained hard and competed valiantly un-der the direction of head coach Bran-don Picone, a 2008 graduate of VC. Picone’s JV team hosted St. Ig-natius on April 8 to start the second half of their season. The Warriors’ A team took second and B team took third in the 200 Medley Relay against the Wildcats. In the 50 Freestyle, freshmen Zach-ary von Szer-emy and Jarett Volkoff came in second and third, respec-tively, to haul in seven points for their team. In the end, the JV boys could not hold off St. Ignatius, and the Wild-

cats finished with the victory. Two weeks later, the Warriors trav-eled to St. Francis on April 23. Once again, freshman Kevin Yu, sophomore Andrei Savastru, and freshmen von Szeremy and Volkoff placed second in the 200 Medley Relay. Savastru also scored for VC when he captured third in the 100 Breaststroke. The guys swam hard, but it was not enough to defeat the tough Lancer swim squad. On April 30, Bellarmine visited

the hill for the final dual meet of the regu-lar season. The meet was expected to be a particularly difficult one since the Bells led the league. In spite of the tough compe-tition, VC still fought hard. Von Szeremy flew his way to a third place finish in the 50 Butterfly, and Savastru battled to a third place finish in the 100 Breaststroke. As the JV guys prepared to finish a challenging season, they trekked to Sa-cred Heart Prep for the WCAL Trials on

May 8 and the WCAL Finals on May 9. Both days, the JV Warriors swam their best and competed against the best swim-mers in the league. The boys represented VC well and proudly finished their season. With so many promising fresh-men on the junior varisty swimming team this year, VC’s aquatics program is sure to have a bright future as these guys

continue to grow and learn and improve.

Varsity Boys Tennis Advances in WCALBy Bryan TrieuStaff Writer

Proud Finish for JV Boys Swim TeamBy Priscilla ShenAssistant News Editor

The boys wait anxiously to get on the courts.

Bryan Trieu hits his killer forehand.

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The JV guys warm up for their big meet against Bellarmine.

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Mrs. Diana FairchildExperience: 1 year as a counselor at Valley ChristianFree time: “I love Star Trek”First Job: “I dressed up as Wendy and waved customers into the restaurant during the Puyallup Washington grand opening of Wendy’s restaurant. Favorite Verse: Psalms 119 “It’s a reminder of how I need to focus on God word.”Best memory as a counselor: “I love hearing from students who are really excited about the Universities they’ve been excepted too. Why she loves being a counselor: “I love working with students.”

22 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMay 20, 2009

Greg Yoder & Jeff Aber

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23THE WARRIORSPORTS May 20, 2009

Outside the Lines2009

By the Numbers Though the Valley Christian games and practices are stopping for the athletes, their progress will take no halt. In the realm of WCAL athletics, there is no room for rest. Though summer may be starting, it only signifies the start of the many camps, club teams, and countless hours of practice. But until then, we’ll leave you with a few digits to rattle your brain, regarding the past year in sports.

15 Different Sports

Almost 50 Years of Athletics

100s of Games per Year

47 Individual Teams

Athletes in a clockwise fashion: Max Hooper,Alyssa Berding, Alex DeLeon, Justin Witt, Chris Tozer

Photos by Yearbook Team, Vcsoccer.com

Over 1000 Hours of Practice Logged

Jon Lampkin

24 THE WARRIOR May 20, 2009

Introducing. . .The Warrior 2009-2010 Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Features EditorTarah Duarte

Photo EditorJoyce Chen

A&E EditorsErica Parker & Melody Makhfi

Letter from the Editor... As the editor of The Warrior for the last year, I have been honored with the opportunity of working with an amaz-ing and hardworking group of people. With our last issue coming to a close, I would like you to know how much our staff has thoroughly enjoyed serving Valley Christian’s student body and trying to represent you as well as possible this year. I am also very confident that I am leaving this paper in very capable hands next year and I know that they will

serve you well in the months to come.~Alyssa Berding

Journalism 2 StaffTaylor FineJoe Garcia

Darelle JonesDominic Taguinod

Arazue Moghtaderi-ZadehDanny HittlerRyan LoweKaleb Tuttle

Zayn KirkendollNathan Farrokhian

Byan TrieuTom Zellner