North NewsVol. 9, No. 2 Clovis North Educational Center November 2016

Inside:

As Christmas is approaching, the CN band prepares for December 3rd, when the band will play in the annual Clovis Christ-mas Parade. The parade held in downtown

CN band preps for annual Clovis Christmas Parade

By Armaan Salahuddin

On December 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a CNEC blood drive, taking place in the CN small gym. It will honor CNEC nurse Gayle Inouye-Guenther, who died of cancer in 2014. All donations will go to the Central Valley Blood Center.

In order to donate blood, you must be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 109 pounds. Donors under the age of 18 must also have parental permission. Permission slips are available in the Activities Office. It is advisable that donors are hydrated be-fore they have their blood drawn.

Screening processes will take place at the small gym. Donors will be asked ques-tions and have their blood tested for iron deficiency. Afterwards, there will be a wait-ing period where a raffle for prizes will take place. Senior Natalia Benik is also working on getting scholarships for this event as well.

“Blood supplies are drastically low be-cause of natural disasters,” says Activities secretary Jennifer Boman. By just donating a pint of blood, you could help save lives and do the community a good deed.

CNEC hosts blood drive for Central Valley Blood Center

By Iris Wang

Unified Sports gives an opportunity for varsity sports players to team up with the special ed stu-dents on the CNEC campus and play sports during their off seasons. The all-star players encourage the special needs students to strive to be the best they can by setting the bar higher for athletic performance.

The main goal of Unified Sports is to create more opportunities for the special ed students to be involved in school ac-

Unified Sports ‘bridges gap’ between special ed students, varsity athletes

By Natalia Covish tivities. Members of leadership help make this happen; In fact, several students from

leadership are participating in this activity and everyone comes out to support all the players. Every Tuesday and Thursday the team practic-es after school with games held on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30.

Special ed teacher Roman Gonzalez states

that Unified Sports “bridges a gap between special ed students and regular students. It makes sure that there are opportunities for the special needs students too.”

Chris Garcia and Cody Gruen run back to play offense.

Clovis is open to the community.The parade will start at 6:30 in the eve-

ning and features numerous Christmas- themed floats, decorated cars, equestrians, and our very own CN band.

The band will be performing the “Christ-mas Parade Sequence,” a medley of the songs “Joy to the World,” “Good King Wenceslas,” and “Hark the Harold Angels Sing.” To add to the festivities, the CN band will also decorate their instruments with Christmas-themed ribbons and tinsel.

CN band teacher David Lesser says, “We just wanted to do something to support the community.” Other high school bands will be performing as well, and the parade is simply “just for fun,” according to Lesser.

CN band marches at last year’s Christmas Parade.

CN’s K-9 promotes happiness on campus

NewsPage 2

This year, both Clovis North and Gran-ite Ridge are undergoing a change of se-mesters, which will include a 17-week first semester and a 21-week second semester. The current semester will end the last day of school before Winter Break begins, De-cember 23.

This change of semesters has not only impacted the CNEC campus, but all schools in the district, excluding elementa-ry schools which remain unaffected. Prin-cipal Scott Dille attributes this change to a decision made by the district’s calendar committee. The calendar committee meets every two years to plan out the following two years and in the most recent time they

By Carina Tokatian

CUSD calendar committee adjusts semester durations

Although the CN varsity boys’ wa-ter polo team approaches the end of their season, the team is not quite finished yet. According to CN boys’ water polo coach Andrew Wilson, the boys have been saving up to go to Croatia. The visit will be spent traveling in a yacht large enough for 45-50 people, which will travel to seven different sites on the island. The boys will be able to play in the ocean and also compete with other teams at each stop.

Wilson describes the purpose of the trip as being “a training trip.” He plans to take around 13-15 students along with the parents for a total of 35 people. The team will be going from July 1 through 8 this summer. They have been doing a series of fundraisers such as restaurant fundrais-ers and a curb side dinner pick-up. Selling T-shirts is also another possible way to fundraise for the trip, as one of Wilson’s athletes had suggested.

Wilson claims that the trip is being planned by the club the boys are in, which is separate from the school team. They will also be the first water polo team in the CUSD area that will have travel inter-nationally. He hopes every member raises 100% of the money so they can go on this unique experience abroad.

CN boys’ water polo team fundraises to go to Croatia

By Carina Tokatian

CNEC choirs prepare for upcoming Winter Concert

By Nandana Jayasankar

The open water polo course on the Adriatic Sea that the CN boys’ team will play in.

met, they decided to change the semester lengths.

Dille proposes the committee’s reasoning as remaining “consistent with the other ma-jor districts” in Fresno. Says Dille, “They met and felt like it was better to match oth-er districts,” pointing out the difficulty of taking two weeks off then coming back to finals. The major difference now between CUSD and other districts is CUSD’s short-er time-span of winter break.

Deputy Principal Tami Graham explains that the decision was not solely made by the calendar committee, as the district sent out a survey to the CUSD staff as well. As for now, Dille believes this change will re-main permanent for the next two years until the calendar committee meets again.

With earlier concerts behind them, the GR and CN choirs are ready to take on their next task: the annual Winter Holiday Con-cert. This concert is taking place on Thurs-day, December 22 from 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM and will include two performances.

CN choir teacher Heather Bishop says, “We invite five choir stu-dents from each elemen-tary school in CUSD and try to incorporate as many win-ter and holiday songs as pos-sible.” These elementary school students get to come up on stage and sing with all of the types of GR and CN choirs. Granite Ridge offers a Soprano/Alto Choir, Tenor/Bass Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and Treble Clef Choir. Clovis North offers a Soprano/

Alto Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and a Women’s Chorale. This performance will be televised on KMPH Fox 26 in a seg-ment called “Choirs of Christmas,” airing on Christmas Day.

About 350 or more students will be par-ticipating in this performance. Students at CNEC can use their ID cards to get into

the event, but if not a stu-dent there is a $5 fee. When asked about the biggest chal-lenges for the choirs, Bishop is confident in her students’ abilities. She

states, “We work together like a team and a family and I feel like the kids always rise to the occasion. It’s all about the music and the journey to get it done, not the trophy.” As for the future, Bishop hopes to take her students to festivals in Fullerton and Dis-neyland.

Editorials Page 3

North News StaffEditor in Chief: Amy Zaninovich

Online Editor: Iris WangNews Editor: Carina Tokatian

News Staff: Natalia Covish, Nandana Jayasankar, Armaan Salahuddin, Iris Wang

Editorials Editor: Julianna RiosEditorial Staff:

Aidan Daher, Kennedy Ma, Joann Moon, Laci Poindexter Features Editor: Gracyn Torigian

Features Staff: Breanna Bernhardt, Hayden Lusk, Erin Miller, Daniel Wang,

Sports Editor: Gracie WebbSports Staff:

Hannah Carstens, Lilian Chen, Lindsay Mason

College is something all students at CNEC hope to be looking forward to in the future. Many students are overcome with stress about the world that lies ahead of them in the college of their choice. But there are many ways to prepare for college, including taking AP (Advanced Placement) classes and helping the community.

This fall, 20.5 million students are ex-pected to attend American colleges and universities. Many of these stu-dents, if not all, took procedures in order to ensure their spot to a college of their choice. High school is the time to start preparing for college. Get-ting good grades in high school is important, as it opens more doors for students in the future. By excel-ling, more colleges will likely notice you. The average GPA for a student going into a top college is a 3.5 to a 4.0 GPA; that’s an average of an A- or A average. With good grades, most students are eligible to be ac-cepted into AP classes, which gives them an edge to get into college and allows them to take more difficult classes during col-lege.

AP classes are an option many students

Not too early to prep for collegeconsider when choosing classes. AP classes offer college level curricula. Many Ameri-can colleges and universities grant place-ment and credits to students who obtained high scores. An Ivy League school recom-mends you take three to five AP classes, while an average college recommends two to three AP classes. Choosing the amount of AP classes depends on the student and

how much she or he can handle, because many students be-come overwhelmed with the work from the classes.

When choosing what major and col-lege you want to advance your edu-cation in, it is rec-ommended that you consult a counselor

to learn about scholarships and things you can do after school to heighten your chanc-es of getting into the college of your choice. Scholarships and grants are often awarded based on merit or financial need, and can be specific to the school, the student and/or the student’s chosen major.

CNEC provides us with the tools we need to succeed with counselors, AP classes, and opportunities for scholarships. Students have the ability to advance and prepare for the next four to eight year of their adult life.

How are you being a supportive friend? When a friend falls down, do you pick them up? When a friend is getting bullied, what do you do to stop it? Being a supportive friend is easy: be the kind of friend you’d like to have. What does being the kind of friend you’d like to have mean? That means you should treat others the way you want to be treated, and if you are a kind friend, you will most likely get kind feedback.

When something tragic has happened to a friend, whether it be a break-up or the death of a family member, always try to be that person to help him/her get through it. Be that assuring voice that can help him/her; be that shoulder to lean on.

You can also be a supportive friend in many ways. One of the biggest ways to show that you care for one is by of-fering him/her your time. A criti-

cal part of being a supportive friend is that you don’t judge, but listen. When a friend is going through something, it is up to you to listen to them, and give them the best, honest advice you can. It is even more ef-fective if you already went through some-thing that your friend is going through. You will be able to communicate a lot better, and you can give him/her your best advice on how to make the situation better.

However, sometimes it can be hard to understand what a friend is experiencing. However, showing empathy and trying to put yourself in your friend’s shoes is a good way to try to understand how your friend is feeling. Nevertheless, if at times you cannot relate, just your presence and will-

How are you being a supportive friend?

See SUPPORTIVE FRIEND, Page 6

EditorialsPage 4

Most of us are taught, at a very young age, to use our manners. Though this may seem like a rudimentary idea, many CNEC students fail to use them on a daily basis. In fact, many of us make decisions that ac-tually reflect bad manners, and our actions are in need of improvement.

One issue that is rarely spoken about is our lack of hallway etiquette. On our way to classes, the hallways become crowded and chaotic, so what can we do to make the transitions smoother? Respecting the walkway can make changing classes a whole lot easier. If we are going to stop to check our phones or talk to friends, we should be courteous of the people around us and move out from the middle of the walkway. Also, being more conscious of others’ personal space is important. Shoving or cutting off other students can make moving from classes very unpleasant.

The etiquette of CN students in the park-ing lot is also in need of change. Before and after school, the parking lot is a busy area, and getting in and out of it can be stress-ful and frustrating. However, it is impera-tive that student drivers remain patient and respectful of those around them. When a driver allows his/herself to become frus-trated, he or she can forget his/her manners

Where are our manners?and traffic rules. Cursing at or cutting off fellow drivers, like some CN students do, only makes the situation worse. This kind of behavior can heighten the risk of a car accident and is very impolite.

Furthermore, littering proves to be a ma-jor problem on the CNEC campus. During lunch, students need to be more consider-ate of where they put their waste. Students often neglect to throw their trash into the garbage bins, although there are trash bins located all throughout the campus, and it is not difficult to dispose of the trash properly. Why do we treat our school with such little respect? Are we this careless? If we are so impudent and thoughtless that we cannot clean up after ourselves, there is a serious issue. The janitors’ jobs are not to pick up our trash, but to keep the campus looking nice and clean.

Finally, CNEC students can try to be more well-mannered in their everyday lives. This includes opening doors for oth-ers, using “please” and “thank you,” and helping others without being asked to. Moreover, paying attention to people when they are talking is a courtesy that is often overlooked. Failing to make eye contact

with someone or checking your phone while another is talking is very disrespect-ful and rude.

But these are just a few areas of our at-titude that need change. We should try to be more respectful and considerate in ev-erything we do. As CNEC Broncos, we must make a larger effort to be deferential toward the people and areas around us.

Back when we were small, our favorite television shows may have consisted of SpongeBob Squarepants, ICarly, Wizards of Waverly Place, or Hannah Montana. Now, we might obsess over Pretty Little Li-ars, the Walking Dead, or Grey’s Anatomy. Whatever show it is that we love, it is no doubt that it can keep us glued to the TV screen for hours at a time, watching our favorite characters. After a while, we can become so attached to the characters that they feel almost real. So just what impact do these characters have on us?

According to Psychology Today, “People are affected by what we do if they just see or hear about our actions.” What one does, “influences the behavior of others, even though they are not aware of the effect that our actions have had on them.” Moreover, children and teens are more susceptible to the pressures of society than adults. That being said, characters on television shows have the capability to influence the way we behave on a daily basis, how we treat others, and so many more aspects of our lives. After all, who could not help pick-ing up Alex Russo’s sarcastic attitude while watching Disney Channel’s Wizards of Wa-verly Place as a kid? Furthermore, when something terrific or something devastat-ing happens to our favorite character, we are affected deeply (Yes, people are still recovering from the death of Glenn on The Walking Dead). The truth is, our favorite characters play a larger role in our lives than we might think.

Obviously, the effect that TV characters can have on us is not always positive. For instance, we may pick up their bad habits/attitudes. Also, watching the characters can lead us to have unreal expectations about life. So, how can we avoid the influence that such characters can have on us? Dis-tancing ourselves from our favorite TV shows may be helpful. Disengaging from

The role that our favorite TV characters play in our lives

See TV CHARACTERS, Page 7

Features Page 5

CNEC is reminding people that “It’s okay to be different” by establishing the Autism Awareness Club. Teens with autism will be invited to speak and remind others of this important moral. The club won’t only affect those with disabilities, but will also affect the lives of every-one around us. It will teach everyone to stand up for what is right, even if you’re standing alone.

Autism is a series of complex disorders in brain development. These disorders are characterized, in various degrees, by difficulties in social reaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors.

CNEC is initiating this club to spread the word that anyone can rise above the stam-

Autism Awareness Club comes to CNECBy Hayden Lusk pede. They are allowing students with au-

tism to speak about their experiences with their disorder in order to help and inspire others. Their speeches can greatly affect the confidence inside of everyone, result-ing in a much happier society where one

does not looks down upon themselves or oth-ers. This club can also help us better understand the hardships that people with autism are going through.

CNEC’s Autism Awareness Club direc-tor is Cynde Walton, and its president is Harnoor Mann. The meetings

take place in Room 191, once a month on Thursdays. The Autism Awareness Club can help people with and without autism to improve overall confidence and accept their differences.

Cassidy Chapman, 11th grade: “Hav-ing a roof over my head and dinner to eat every night.”

Jason Miller, 10th grade: “I’m most thankful for having food.”

Heidi Van Ness, 8th grade: “Having a great family.”

Hayden Todd, 8th grade: “Having a good education.”

Morgan Groves, 12th grade: “I’m thankful for my teachers and all the knowl-edge and learning that they provide me with, so that I may grow and shape my fu-ture to become the best person I can be and one day help others find their worth in the world.”

Grant Woods, 11th grade: “The close-ness of my water polo team. We are like a family.”

Grace Lott, 7th grade: “I am thankful for my family who manages to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. I am also thankful for my friends who keep me happy.”

Megan Maxwell, 12th grade: “I am thankful for the encouragement of my friends and family, the companionship of my pets, and the sacrifices others have made for our country.”

Bailey Diaz, 9th grade: “I am thankful for my opportunity in Marching Band.”

Shelby Diaz, 7th grade: “I am thankful for all my friends and family.”

Brooke Williams, 12th grade: “My grandmother.”

Chris Petropulos, 11th grade: “I am thankful for my parents because they have really helped me through thick and thin, and when I’m struggling they help me through it.”

McKenzie Day, 8th grade: “Family and friends.”

Cody Underwood, 10th grade: “My pets. The more I see people, the more I love my dog.”

Whitney Clark, 12th grade: “Things that make me happy.”

Lauren Chrisman, 12th grade: “My family and my boyfriend.”

Ben Avera, 12th grade: “My girlfriend.”Heidi Van Ness, 8th grade: “Having a

great family.”

North PollWhat are you most thankful for?

The newest addition to the CNEC cam-pus is bringing a calm-ing and loving effect to our students and staff. AB teacher Claire Steinbronn has brought her therapy dog of 9 years, Owen, to join the CNEC staff. Owen has become a full time member of our staff to support the CNEC community. The re-action according to Steinbronn has been amazing. “It’s as if I am walking with a ce-lebrity. It takes twice as long to get anywhere on campus, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Students with a fear or allergy to dogs can inform Steinbronn

CNEC’s canine addition brings calm to campus

By Gracyn Torigian and she will arrange minimal contact. She also has Owen groomed regularly to avoid

shedding that would trig-ger allergies.

Owen is a certified therapy dog which dif-fers from service dogs. Owen is put through training to provide psy-chological or physiologi-cal support to a variety of people, while service dogs only focus on their owner. Like any dog, you should always ask the owner, Steinbronn, permission to pet Owen and avoid giving him any food that could make him sick. He now brings a calm atmosphere and feeling of love to our

school. Owen is an amazing dog and a true Bronco at heart.

FeaturesPage 6

E R Y B U Q T R O Q W T Y F A

D T R E M B E P R O H O R Q W

R E A W K B Z I A A D D R V E

D L P R M R Q E N L V D E C E

F Q E E B X U K G B G S B H I

O A V P P E S T E R J D N E A

F O L F I G L N M U T U A I X

N X J L I L J E G M Z S R C R

M G R V O D G L C T Q Y C C I

G C I J Z Y F R N D P F W S I

G N S A U C E D I P A S O R G

G R E W O L F Y A M X B L V R

P U M P K I N H I O P X L J W

B T O G F Q A L V S P C E Z Q

B D S U M J Y W Z J S A Y L R

Autumn Word SearchAUTUMN

CELEBRATECRANBERRY

FALLFAMILYHAPPY

Find and circle the list of words in the puzzle below

MAYFLOWERNOVEMBER

ORANGEPIE

PILGRIMPUMPKIN

REDSAUCE

THANKSGIVINGTURKEYYELLOW

You are trapped in a room with only 60 minutes to escape. You have no tools. But you see writings and clues everywhere. This is Breakout.

It’s best to be with a partner, in fact the minimum of people to attend must be two and the max is six. If you do decide to be with one or two partners you might be with other parties trying to escape.

So far Breakout has only three rooms: Sabotage Black Ops, Sabotage Code Red, and Wanted. Both of the Sabotage rooms are the same, but for the Wanted rooms you get to choose if you want to be a cowboy or an outlaw (these two have very different playstyles).

In every room, a voice will come from a speaker explaining the scenario, which may provide special details that will help you escape. The rooms are filled with clues, details, and decoys. Decoys play a very im-portant role, because you may find yourself wasting your precious 60 minutes trying to figure out something that has nothing to do with escaping.

However, clues will be hidden behind paintings, in trash cans, etc. Anything that has a black sticker with the Breakout logo shows that it’s not a part of the game, and it’s just for decoration. The stickers could be on power outlets, posters, chairs, etc. You might look under chairs, on top of cabinets, and just think outside of the box just to find one clue. If you do get stuck on a problem, a clue, or anything, a text will appear on the screen giving you a hint.

Breakout plans to have more rooms in the upcoming months. The perfect place for parties, meet-ups, groups, and just friends wanting to have fun, Breakout is at the corner of Blackstone and Sierra.

No escaping the fun of Breakout

By Daniel Wang

ingness to hear what he/she has to say can make a difference to your friend.

Why is being a supportive friend impor-tant? It is important because it is a two way system. If you help them in their time of need, they will help you in your time of need. Also, helping others can also benefit

SUPPORTIVE FRIENDyou. When you help someone, you might be going through a similar problem. Not only are you giving your friend advice, but you’re also solving your own issue.

So always try to be a supportive friend. It is imperative to help others in their times of need, and hopefully, they will return the fa-vor when you need their support. Remem-ber, just listen.

Continued from Page 3

Sports Page 7

Andrew Wilson is CN boys’ water polo head coach for the third year. He has coached water polo for Clo-vis High, Newberg High in Oregon, and Lincoln High, also in Oregon. He likes the “amazing pools to practice in,” and the “very supportive administration” best about CN.

The boys on the team are Nate Torres as goalie, Chris Petropulos, Tyler Mannon, David Hoffman, Parker Bell, Jack Kurtt, and Tyler Hill as drivers, Chandler Nor-ton, Trent Fox, Curtis Vidi-noff, and Jarrett Huffman as two-meter defenders, Grant Woods and Evan Belli as utility players, and Brennan Evans as the center defender.

CN boys’ water polo strives to do well in league

By Hannah Carstens

CN football finishes league strongBy Gracie Webb

The CN varsity football team is currently holding a league record of 2-3, tying for 3rd place with Buchanan and Clovis High. According to head coach Casey Quinn, throughout the season the team has demonstrat-ed “unity, cour-age, and com-mitment” while becoming good student athletes and represent-ing CN well.

Quinn be-lieves one of the toughest challenges the team has faced is learning how to play as a team as well as “believing in the system.” Quinn feels that the athletes on the team are “high charac-ter kids” who have the devotion and work

ethic to become exceptional football play-ers. As Quinn’s first season at CN contin-ues, he remains adamant about establishing healthy relationships with players, parents,

and coaches at all levels in the pro-gram.

On Friday, No-vember 4, CN had a phenomenal win against Buchanan with a final score of 21-14, earning the victory bell back. Quinn cred-its the outcome of the game to “ev-eryone doing their job” and “over-coming some ad-

versity.” During playoffs, Quinn looks for-ward to the players and coaches having the opportunity to serve and show their support for CNEC.

Clovis North football celebrates winning the victory bell against Buchanan.

Wilson feels that they could work on being more consistent. “They have been work-ing on fundamentals as well as offensive

and defensive tactics,” he says. They were the champions of the San Luis Obispo Tournament on September 23 and 24. Wilson thought that the team would be in the top eight in the DeLong Tournament, which was very competitive, on Oc-tober 21 and 22. They nabbed third place in the tournament.

This season the team has had a 17-12 record. There league record is 5-5. They have done a very good job in the tour-

naments but also very well in their league.

Evan Belli surges out of the water, preparing to shoot.

GR varsity volleyball wraps up season with improved skill

By Lindsay Mason

The GR varsity volleyball team has worked hard this season to improve their skills. Head coach Jason Powell, says the 14 girls on his team have “sped up their game, improved their offense and defense, and drastically increased their volleyball knowledge”. He describes them as “great, hard-working kids that are devoted to be-come better.” He enjoyed coaching girls with such dedication and commitment to the sport throughout the entire season. His team practiced Monday through Friday and ended with a record of 10-6.

Powell is always trying to help out his team. He says, “I try to help thembecome better players and better people through the game.” Powell has coached volleyball for 19 years and has coached at CNEC since the school opened. He has also coached at Madera High School, Lemoore High School, Central High School, and Thomas Jefferson Middle School. He doesn’t plan to stop coaching any time soon and is look-ing forward to continuing coaching girls’ volleyball.

the TV is also healthy for your mental and physical health, as it enables us to take part in more productive, intellectually challeng-ing activities and/or exercise. By simply monitoring our attitudes and actions, we can avoid the influence that the characters of our chosen TV shows have on us.

Television plays a large role in our daily lives. After watching a series, getting at-tached to the characters and even taking over their personas can be easy. However, it is important that we do not pick up these characters’ bad habits or attitudes. Yet, by taking note of our behaviors and being able to separate TV from reality, we can enjoy our favorite shows without consequences.

TV CHARACTERSContinued from Page 4

Photo courtesy of RAWSPORTZ.

SportsPage 8

CN girl’s tennis season ended strong with a final record of 22-3 and a TRAC record of 8-2. The girls’ tennis team’s director/coach Bryan Juinio thinks that the girls have ac-complished so much through-out their sea-son. He states, “I want them to work hard, have no excus-es, take own-ership of their game, and be accountable as student athletes on a team.” The tennis team holds the high-est overall GPA at CNEC, truly making them stellar student-athletes. The season in total has been really great, taking up second place in the league and winning the CIF Valley Championship on Novem-ber 8. Regardless of this, the biggest chal-lenge for the girls was trusting themselves.

CN tennis team finishes up the seasonBy Lilian Chen Juinio says, “It’s up to them. I could tell

them everything in the world, but it is ulti-mately up to them to believe they can play at the highest level.”

This year’s tennis team consisted of nine seniors and ex-perience from both them and the other var-sity players. Along with working hard, Juinio wanted all of the girls to just have a good experi-ence on the team. He states, “Especially at varsity level, I hope they can have a good experience and

have the experience of being together on road trips.” The CN girl’s tennis team fin-ished the season strong and with no regrets, stealing the Valley Championship title from Buchanan and ending on top.

Senior Elizabeth Shultz returns a hit against Buchanan at Valley Championships.

ALC promotes leadership on campus

The Athletic Leadership Council is a program formed last year by CN Athletic Director Coby Lindsey to create a culture of leaders within our campus. The ALC is about building an understanding about what it means to be on an athletic team. Lindsey believes the ALC will “create a positive culture within our campus.” The program was formed to display leadership through-out the athletic teams at Clovis North.

Lindsey wanted a stronger bond with the student athletes. “It’s a way for me to still be around the kids since I’m not coaching anymore,” he states. “I wanted a relation-ship with the kids.” The athletes meet once a month to discuss the book 7 Ways to Lead Your Team by Bruce E. Brown. About 50 students participate, two from each ath-letic team. The athletes are nominated by each coach. While no coaches directly par-ticipate in the program, athletes discuss with their coaches after meetings. Lindsey hopes to establish greater leadership at CN.

By Lindsay Mason

On Wednesday, November 9, nine CN senior athletes signed their National Let-ter of Intent. These student athletes include Peter Faragia (Cal Poly Golf), Savannah Fitzgerald (University of the Pacific Swim and Water Polo), Noah Haupt (New Mexi-co State University Baseball), Bryce Loosi-gian (Cal Poly Golf), Pari Manoogian (Lip-scomb University Cross Country and Track & Field), Daly Meinert (Cal Poly Tennis), Shannon Crow (Fresno State Water Polo), Brooke Tjerrild (Cal Poly Track & Field), and Brett Walker (University of Oregon Baseball).

Brooke Tjerrild, who will be attend-ing Cal Poly while continuing her Track & Field career, will be earning her fourth varsity letter this year. Tjerrild has been involved with Track & Field since fourth grade with her main event being pole vault.

CN athletes sign National Letters of IntentBy Gracie Webb In fact, Tjerrild currently holds the CN re-

cord for the pole vault at a height of 12 feet 6 inches, which she jumped her junior year. Also, she placed fifth at the 2016 Califor-nia State Track & Field Meet, was recently selected to be the KMPH/Lithia Subaru of Fresno Scholar Athlete of the Week, and was a California state finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholar-ship. Not only is Tjerrild excelling on the track, but is also involved in varsity gym-nastics, cheer, and also dedicates much of her time to Assisteens, a volunteer group. Academically, Tjerrild currently holds an exceptional GPA of 4.5.

Although Tjerrild received scholarship offers from San Diego State University, Fresno State University, and Fresno Pacific University, she chose Cal Poly based on her admiration of the “comfort and overall feel of the university.” Tjerrild explains, “Not only did it have the major I want to pursue,

but the track team made me feel right at home.” With plans to major in kinesiology, she is excited to start a new journey while experiencing life in San Luis Obispo. For student athletes here at Clovis North who are hoping to continue athletics in college, Tjerrild states, “I’d say to focus on the jour-ney, not the destination. It is not always fun and easy, but in the end, it is worth it.”

Brooke Tjerrild clears the bar on pole vault.