February 5, 2021 VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Vol. XXX Issue 4
Valley Welcomes New Teacher By Kaycee M
Valley High School would like to welcome Mrs.
Marisol Cruz to the Eagle’s nest!
Mrs. Cruz was teaching English at Cesar Chavez
High School before coming to Valley.
She was there for thirteen years. She is
in her sixteenth year as a teacher.
Mrs. Cruz was born here in
Delano. Her parents were migrant
workers. Her parents emphasized
humility, honesty, loyalty and hard
work.
Although she was born in Delano,
her family would travel back-and-forth
to Mexico because they were farm laborers. Mrs.
Cruz lived in Mexico up until she was seven years-
old. She went to school in Mexico for two consecu-
tive years in her parent’s hometown, Tanagancicua-
ro, Michoacan.
After returning to Delano at the age of seven,
her family stayed in Delano permanently. Her first
language is Spanish. She learned to speak English
fluently around sixth grade. She struggled in school
for about two years until one of her teachers decided
to place her in GATE. GATE is a program that
schools had for gifted and talented students.
She attended Delano High School in the years
when it there was only one high school in the city.
She then attended Cal State University of Bakers-
field and she loved it so much. Going to college was
never her plan as a high school student. “In a family
of migrant workers, we never aim so high. I was a
good student in high school and I knew I had a
responsibility to graduate. I thought
that I was going to go straight into the
workforce after high school,” Mrs.
Cruz said.
One day she decided to go into the
counseling office to ask Mrs. Kuney
about one of her classes and a repre-
sentative from Cal State Bakersfield
greeted her. They asked if she wanted
to go to a university. Mrs. Cruz
responded that she didn’t plan to go.
They saw my transcript and I was then given an
acceptance letter to college. Mrs. Cruz wanted to be
a teacher because she loves helping others. She said
she fell in love with teaching when she became a
substitute teacher. “I felt a great sense of satisfaction
when I made a difference in the lives of students…,”
said Mrs.Cruz.
Mrs. Cruz is married to Mr. Cruz, who teaches
French at Cesar Chavez High School. She has two
children, a son, Leonardo who is two years old and a
baby girl, Miranda, who is six months old.
Although we are still in distance learning, don’t
forget to greet and give Mrs. Cruz a warm welcome
to Valley High. We wish her the best at Valley !
Music Appreciation is a new elective at Valley There is a new elective being taught this semester
at Valley High and it is ok to listen to music while you
are in it. This semester Mr. Reed is teaching Music
Appreciation.
Mr. Reed states that he is teaching all kinds of
music. “We are listening to everything we have time
to listen to, from modern music all the way back to
classical.” According to Mr. Reed so far the students
that have participated have really enjoyed it.
As of this date, the music class has studied music
by The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Santana, B.B. King,
Benny Goodman, Scott Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald,
Vivaldi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and then we started
listening to different guitarists. We listened to some
classical and flamenco guitar. We also listened to the
guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe
Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Mr. Reed has been surprised how the students have
reacted to different types of music. Mr. Reed thinks
they never gave the music a chance because they
didn't think they would like it, but after listening to
certain songs they have a deeper appreciation for
different genres of music.
Music has always been a big part of Mr. Reed’s life. “My mother is a music teacher, and I have been
involved in music for as long as I can remember,” he said. Mr. Reed started singing he was five and started
playing instruments in the third grade. Now in times of lockdown music can be a great escape for a lot of
people. Whether it is finally practicing an instrument you've had for a while, or just listening to songs to relax
and unwind. Music is incredibly important to me, and he hopes students find what he has to say about music
interesting.
Above: One of the Beatles’ album cover. Below: Santana in concert
Mr. Santillano,
The students, parents, teachers and staff at Valley High School want to thank
you for all that you do for all of us, but especially our students.
You are a very special individual that goes above and beyond your call of duty.
You have guided many students towards accomplishing their goal to finish high
school. Thank you for always lending an ear to hear their problems. Thank you
for your advice. Your words make a huge impact on the lives of your students.
We all appreciate you. Have a great week.
Your Valley High School students,
past, present and future
By Alvaro Baion
The vaccines for COVID-19
are necessary for helping to bring
the pandemic under control when
combined with effective testing
and existing prevention measures
and there are several promising
vaccines are in the works. How-
ever, none of these vaccines are
ready for kids.
Pfizer is studying its vaccine
in children over age 12. But that
effort began only a few months
ago. Moderna will start testing its
vaccine on kids later this year.
The delay in testing kids means it
could be many months before the
FDA approves vaccinations for
anyone under 16.
If you have insurance and end
up at an out-of-network provider,
you won’t have to worry about
balance billing or surprise billing
when getting a COVID-19 vac-
cine. Wherever you get it, you
will not have out-of-pocket costs.
That means if you go to a phar-
macy or doctor’s office when it’s
your turn for a vaccine, you will
not have the extra hassle of find-
ing out ahead of time if it’s in
your insurer’s network.
While the current circum-
stances surrounding 2019 corona-
virus disease (COVID-19) are
challenging for most people,
many teenagers are particularly
impacted.
Some are missing the first
season on their varsity team,
their part in the school play, or
their final semester of high
school. As such, many teens may
seem down, disappointed, or
moody.
As of now, there does not
seem to be an end in sight for
this pandemic but the hope is that
the vaccine will help.
COVID Vaccine Ready for Teens? Not so Fast
THE COVID CRISIS CONTINUES... The Valley Rumor staff decided to do several stories about how everyone, especially teens, are dealing with COVID.
It is almost a year that we have been in lockdowns, been told to wear masks, not go to school, not eat out at
restaurants, & so much more. We hope everyone is doing well and is being safe.
We have heard stories about families being hit hard by the virus. Although we cannot be together in these difficult
times, our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone during this moment in our world history.
by Cindy Maldonado
Coronavirus was first discovered in 2019. It is caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan,
China, in December 2019. Coronavirus started from a Chinese person eating a bat. Researchers have found
that just over half, or 53 percent, of people living with someone who has an infection with the new coronavirus
contracted an infection themselves. Around 75 percent of those infections within 5 days of the first household
member getting sick.
During the holidays there was an uptake in cases. The virus spreads for about 2 days before experiencing
signs or symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs or symptoms first appeared. Some
symptoms are :
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
The United States continues to see fewer new cases. For the first time since November, the country is
averaging fewer than 150,000 cases a day. Going into Monday, 47 states were reporting sustained declines in
cases. The other three were mostly flat. But the continued spread of new variants has scientists deeply worried
about the months ahead. Deaths remain near record levels. More than 90,000 coronavirus deaths have been
announced so far in 2021.
About 1.3 million people are receiving a vaccine dose in the United States every day. Less than 2 percent of
the country has been fully vaccinated. After being administered Covid-19 vaccine, some individuals may have
side effects like mild fever, pain at injection site and body ache. This is similar to the side effects that occur
post some other vaccines. So it is advised that everyone stay home and wears a mask at all time and stay 6ft
apart.. And if you must go out, please be very careful and keep your distance.
A Brief
history of
COVID-19
Why do teens stay up so late at night?
by Aylin Ortiz
Teens have
an extremely
tough time falling
asleep at night
because most
teens have a lot
of distractions,
that do not allow
them to sleep
early. Teens
feel freer to have
some time to
themself at night.
One of the major reasons of why teens just
cannot sleep at night is because of schoolwork. They
also must study for tests the next day, or just stressed
out if they did not get all of their schoolwork done.
Another reason that causes teens from falling
asleep can be family problems. Some teens can have
problems going on in their family and because of the
stress and the overthinking of the situation, can be
the cause of the insomnia at night.
Some teens do not sleep at night because they are
to energetic. Sometimes this can be because their
brain tend to just work on later schedules than most.
Telling the teen body to fall asleep later at night and
then to wake up later in the morning. This can hap-
pen very commonly in teens. This also happens be-
cause teens can adapt at different schedules. If teens
adapt their brain to sleep at later time to wake up
later the next morning than it can make it
students for the achievements they are making in the classroom, even it is during long dis-tance learning. Valley High School continues to be inno-vative in recognizing student achievement in every possible way. Earlier in the year, stu-dent were treated to really big snack bags for a job well done in the first semester. Hopefully soon, there will be someone knocking at your door and saying “Good work Valley High School Eagle! You have earned it.”
Valley High School students will soon be able to look outside of their house and see a reminder that they are doing well in school and the effort they are making in their educa-tion is well worth it. Beginning at the end of this cycle ( which is today), students that are doing well in aca-demics and attendance will be getting a yard sign that they can display outside of their home in their yard. Principal, Mr. Diaz, said that it is im-portant that we continue to recognize
Valley high students to receive recognition
exceedingly
difficult for them
to change it to a
different schedule.
Researchers say
that teens need 8
to 9 hours of
sleep. The change
in the circadian
rhythm seems to
be since the brain
hormone melato-
nin is produced
later at night
than it is for the
kids and adults. So, this means that teenagers have
harder time falling asleep.
The most common cause of insomnia is physical
discomfort. For example, when one is sick from a
cold, the stuffy nose, body pain, or even a headache.
Headaches can come from difficulties at school,
being in a relationship with problems and even
problems in the family.
It can be common for teens to suffer from insom-
nia from time to time. Many teens that suffer from-
chronic insomnia can be helped by a doctor, a thera-
pist, or other counselor.
To avoid the insomnia, it is recommended to not
drink any caffeine before the bedtime. Also, avoid
violent video games or video games at all as well as
less usage of the phone and late movie nights.
Avoiding all of these can promote a better night
sleep and good sleeping habits.
by Martaisela Sigala
Many teens are suffering from what some are
calling quarantine fatigue. Life as a teenager during
Covid -19 has not been easy. Teenagers are feeling as
if things are kind of pointless and stressful and
somewhat depressing. This is happening because they
have to do online classes, as well as many other things.
Dr. Carisa Parrish a doctor at Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center and co-director of Johns Hopkins’
pediatric medical psychology program, provides
insights into how parents and guardians can help
children and teens wait out the remaining months of the pandemic and look forward to better times.
“Young people are frustrated, angry, depressed and resentful,” Dr. Parrish says. “They were not meant to
spend their lives in front of computers. They’ve given up so much already: their springtime, their summer,
sports, birthday and graduation parties, vacations and now spending winter holidays with friends and family.
They’re tired. And so are their parents,” Dr. Parrish adds.
Lately, doctors are acting as an occasional referee between parents who want to stay the course with physical
distancing, masks and hand hygiene, and kids who are over it. Parents who want to keep the kids and the rest of
the family safe from coronavirus infection do not know what to do with their children, who want to socialize with
their peers.
What can parents do about this? Parents can support children by explaining that postponing what they want to
do today can mean a happier tomorrow, with a better chance of loved ones staying well.
Teens and Coronavirus Pandemic Fatigue
February 8 and February 15
by Esmeralda Jurado
Putting life on hold for months
can seem impossible to do, espe-
cially for children and teens. It can
be easier for adults to accept the
grinding duration of the corona-
virus pandemic.
“For adults, giving up a year of
life as normal is tough enough,”
Dr. Carisa Parrish says. “But for
children, a year is an eternity.
“It’s especially hard for children
to see differences in what some of
their peers might be allowed to
do, based on their parents’ choic-
es,” Parrish says. For instance, a
child might notice on social media
that a friend is having a sleepover
party with a big group of friends,
which he or she would not be al-
lowed to attend. “These losses
are real and must be validated,”
Parrish acknowledges. “But I
would caution parents against al-
lowing the grief to soften their
resolve to follow safety precau-
Teens and COVID 19
tions by letting them go to the
event.”
It’s also important to help your
teenagers understand that no one
really knows yet how the corona-
virus affects people of different
age groups — contracting the
virus might be very dangerous for
your teenager, even though the
facts are still unclear. You can
help teenagers — and college stu-
dents who’ve been sent home —
create a realistic schedule for get-
ting work done in defined periods,
building in breaks and times for
socializing, exercising and enter-
tainment.
The key principle: do a session
of work first, then reward yourself
with something relaxing. Keep in
mind that it’s not going to be as
effective as school, but it may get
to be more effective over time as
everyone on the school front, as
well as the home front, works to
improve remote learning.
Teenagers and young adults
will do better during this stressful
time if they get adequate sleep,
eat healthy meals & exercise reg-
ularly. Keeping a consistent sleep
schedule, with predictable times to
wake up & go to bed, is especially
important to maintaining a positive
mood and their ability to fulfill aca-
demic expectations.
Dr. Emanuele also notes that
having family members around
more often can feel overwhelming
or create strain. “Families will
need to diffuse tensions in the
home with parents and siblings,
because everyone is going to be
stressed out more,” she says.
“How to do it will be different for
every family, but parents are go-
ing to want to think about when to
give young people more freedom
and how to make sure that their
kids’ time is still structured. Every-
one should be contributing in
some way.’
The Old Goat vs.
The Kid
Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are so good that it’s easy to be bored with their greatness. Brady, the NFL’s Greatest of All Time, is going against Patrick Mahomes, the young challenger who throws lightning in this year’s Super-bowl matchup. A matchup that is beyond legendary, the Greatest Quarterback of All Time vs. the Greatest Quarterback on the Planet. Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go up against Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, the defending champs. Brady will be playing in his 10th Super Bowl. Believe it or not the next-closest quarterback in terms of the number of times in the Super Bowl in a career is former Denver Broncos John Elway, with five. A Super Bowl win would give Brady more championships than the former San Francisco 49ers & Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana and Elway combined. No one comes close to what he has done in his career.
Here are more crazy Brady stats... • Brady is one win away from
winning more Super Bowls in his 40s than Aaron Rodgers has won in his career.
• Brady is one win away from having more Super Bowl rings than any individual franchise.
• Brady has more Super Bowl appearances than the Bears, Titans, Jets, Chargers, Saints, Browns, Cardinals, Jaguars, Lions, and Ravens combined.
The thought of anyone passing Brady as the all-time quarterback is crazy. But the only person who could even come close is his op-
ponent in this Super Bowl. Mahomes is a long way from GOAT status, but if he wins this Super Bowl he would be on that path. A second Super Bowl win would put him in a class with a few people. Only a dozen quarterbacks have won multiple Super Bowls. Mahomes is the youngest quar-terback to ever make multiple trips to the Super Bowl. If Mahomes wins two Super Bowls by 25, he would be the youngest ever to win two titles. To think about the GOAT it is about rings. Even if Mahomes wins this Super Bowl, Brady will have six and Mahomes will have two. If rings are what matter most, the only quarterbacks with more than two are Brady, Mon-tana, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and former Dallas Cowboys quarter-back Troy Aikman. If Mahomes gets his second title, he would be just one ring shy of passing the totals of all but four quarterbacks in NFL history. And he’s only 25.
1. Tom Brady has won six
Super Bowls. Which
player has the second-
most Super Bowl wins?
2. Name the seven starters
(offense and defense)
from the Chiefs’ Super
Bowl 4 team to make the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3. Name the four QBs to
start the Super Bowl with
multiple teams.
4. Who was the MVP
in the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers’
previous
Super Bowl
appearance?
How much do you know about the big game? See if you can answer these questions.
ANSWERS: 1. Hall of Famer Charles Haley with five. 2. Len Dawson, Curley Culp, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Emmitt Thom- as and Johnny Robinson. 3. Tom Brady, Peyton Man- ning, Kurt Warner, and Craig Morton. 4. Dexter Jackson. 5. Julian Edelman in Super Bowl 53 6. Chuck Howley from Super Bowl 5. 7. Super Bowl 29: San Francisco 49, San Diego 26. 8. Super Bowl 53: New England 13 Los Angeles Rams 3 9. Miami with 11. 10. Green Bay’s Max McGee in the first Super Bowl. 11. Washington’s Timmy Smith with 204 yards in Super Bowl 22 12. Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
5. Who is the last non-
quarterback Super Bowl
MVP?
6. Who is the only Super Bowl
MVP from a losing team?
7. What is the highest-scoring
game in Super Bowl history?
8. What is the lowest-scoring
game in Super Bowl history?
9. Which city
has hosted the
most Super
Bowls?
10. Who scored the first touch-
down in Super Bowl history?
11. Who has the most rushing
yards in a single Super Bowl?
12. Which four teams
have never appeared
in a Super Bowl?
Super Entertainment at Super Bowl by Joyce Calipusan and Tatiana Daniels
The Super Bowl halftime show this year will provide so
much excitement as the weekend and the game get closer.
This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show will be filled with a
long line of high end musical artists to take the stage at the
half. In this year’s Super Bowl, Abel Makkorien Tesfa better
known as “The Weeknd” will be performing at this year’s
halftimes how. Also there are rumors that Ariana Grande
will be joining him as they are going to perform their 2014
collaboration “Love Me Harder”. This year’s show will be a
little different than those in the past due to the pandemic.
Country singer Eric Church announced on Jan. 19 that he
will join forces with 12 Grammy-nominated singer and
songwriter Jazmine Sullivan to perform
the “Star-Spangled Banner” before the
big game.
In addition to Church and Sullivan
bringing a dose of patriotism to the
event, the NFL announced that
two-time Grammy-winner H.E.R. will
be on hand to perform her rendition
of “America the Beautiful.”
Writer, rapper and performer
Warren “WAWA” Snipe will be on
hand to help out the people singing the national
anthem and “America the Beautiful” by performing
the songs alongside them in American sign language.
After making a huge splash performing her poem
“The Hill We Climb” to resoundingly positive reviews
at Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the NFL
announced one week later that Amanda Gorman will
perform an original poem to honor three people who
have served during the coronavirus pandemic.
Black
History Month
is celebrated
every year in
February in the
United States
and Canada,
and every
October in the
United King-
dom.
Originally, Black History Month was
only one week. It was created by Carter G.
Woodson, an African-American historian,
author, and journalist.
This celebration of African-American
history was intended to be the second week
of February as “Negro History Week.” This
week was chosen in order to commemorate
the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and
Frederick Douglass.
Black History Week became more pop-
ular and grew to Black History Month due
to the recognition given by the leaders of
the Black United Students at Kent
State University in 1969.
Morgan Freeman, a well-
known African - American figure
as long as well
as others, criti-
cize the holiday
because they
believes it pre-
vents the inte-
gration of
African-
American
history. “I don’t
want a black history month. Black history
is American history,” he has said.
Maya Angelou said, “We want to reach
a time when there won’t be Black History
Month, when black history will be so inte-
grated into American history that we study
it along with every other history.”
However, while some say that black
history is a vital part of American history,
thus rendering Black History Month un-
necessary, others believe that it is neces-
sary to set aside this month in order to en-
sure that black history is acknowledged.
American history is made up of several
different races, backgrounds,
and cultures. One very important
part of our history is the African
American culture.
February is Black History Month
Editorial: Valentine’s Day has lost its meaning
When we think of Valentine’s Day, the first things
that come to mind are boxes of chocolates, roses,
cards, or even heart-shaped candies. For a lot of
people, the question is, should items be replaced for
expressions of love?
Whether this holiday has a meaningful origin is
unclear. There are many different views and opinions
about where and how this holiday came to be.
According to History.com, the holiday has both
Christian and Roman roots and is based on St.
Valentinus, a priest who served during the third century in Rome. During wartime, Emperor Claudius
believed single men made better soldiers, so he banned marriage. However, St. Valentinus disobeyed
Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.
We are not meaning to say that the modern concept of having a day of love is something to be
censured. With the current status of the world, feelings of love should be even more celebrated and
encouraged than ever. However, the holiday is now simply watered down with the stress and anxiety of
buying the perfect gift for that loved one, with the gift exchange somewhat materializing the essence of
the day.
Rather than indulging in a day of appreciation for each other, couples focus on shopping. According
to The Financial, $1.3 billion worth of gift cards are sold, jewelry companies often receive a $3.9 billion
boost, clothing stores gain $2.1 billion, and flower sales increase by $1.9 billion. Such materialization of
love is making a lot of money for companies.
What tradition does Valentine’s Day have besides exchanging gifts and going to expensive dinners?
The amount of Valentine’s Day products and advertisements are a month-long reminder to single people
that they are not in a relationship. According to Psychology Today, seeing commercials and many others
in a relationship can lead to increased loneliness and the feeling of being unlovable.
Although we can’t be sure whether the legend of St. Valentinus started this now distorted version of
the holiday, most of us can agree that the intention of the day is far from its original.
So next time you are rushing to Walmart at 9:00 p.m. the night before Valentine’s Day to fulfill the
materialistic standards of the modernized holiday, stop to question who is really gaining from your
love-intended purchase.
Editorial Staff, Editors|February 5, 2021
Kobe Bryant: One Year Gone
Kobe Bryant
August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020
It has been a year since the tragic loss one of the greatest athletes of all time.
On the year anniversary of this beloved athlete’s tragic passing, we have decided to celebrate his legacy through photos and thoughts shared by his fellow athletes. Kobe Bryant was not just
a talented sports hero, but a husband, loving father, devoted mentor, author, and Oscar winner.
On January 26, 2020, the world stopped as we knew it and the news of Kobe Bryant’s
death along with his daughter, Gianna, shook not only a community, but our nation, if not
the world. He was much more than one of the greatest basketball players to ever play, he
had his two jerseys, numbers 8 and number 24, retired from the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Kobe was a family man first, a devoted husband, loving father, trusted friend,
mentor to children, fearless leader, and a fierce competitor. Not to mention, he was also a
two-time gold medal Olympic athlete, Academy Award winner, and author. One could only
imagine what he could have achieved if only given more time.
His many accomplishments on and off the court goes to show that hard work will pay
off mand it pays off in many ways not just monetarily. The amount of friendships that Kobe
established due to his dedication and hard work to all of his projects give us an insight to
his life. He will be forever remembered for his work on the basketball court , but he will
also be remembered for his many off court endeavors.
Rest in Peace Kobe and Gianna.
The Valley Rumor
is produced by
Valley High School
Journalism class
and is circulated
bimonthly on Fridays during the
Fall and Spring semester.
The newspaper is published under
the auspices of the Delano Joint Union
High School District Board of Trustees,
but sole responsibility for its content
rests with student editors and advisor.
The Valley Rumor
Reporters/Photographers:
Alvaro Bailon, Joyce Calipusan,
Giselle Castillo, Tatiana Daniels,
Brianna Landeros, Maria Galindo Gomez,
Esmeralda Jurado, Cindy Maldonado, Kaycee Marcelo,
Aylin Ortiz and Martaicela Sigala.
Principal …………..Gabriel Diaz
Advisor …………….Jim Beltran
Valley High School
1927 Randolph Street, Delano, CA 93215 - (661) 720-4181
A Look Back...
No school
because of
snow?
Yes, it happened
here in Delano
21 years ago.