september issue 2010
DESCRIPTION
Volume 49, Issue 2TRANSCRIPT
MIRADAtheVolume 49, Issue 2Rio Americano H.S.Sacramento, CASeptember 24, 2010
This Issue
Rio graduate is “Teacher of the Year” See page 5
The best slice in Sacramento
Check out the
See page 6
See page 7
34-33: Relive the excitement of Varsity
defeat of Jesuit H.S.See back page
Rush week rolls throughIt’s that time of year again. Time to get involved, meet new friends, and explore your interests. For full coverage of rush week, see pages 10-11
Men’s soccer season kicks o!See page 13
News September 24, 2010
Briefs
The Iraq War is over. Again. At the start of this month, President Obama declared that
combat missions in Iraq are o!cially over. "e media appeared to generally accept the word of the President as fact. Similarly, on May 1, 2003 President George W. Bush announced to the world “mission accomplished” in Iraq . We may not be the most intelligent commentators, but “over” and “mission accomplished” sound surprisingly similar.
"e general consensus among political commentators before the speech was that the war was coming to a close. However, these same political commentators agreed that the war ended with the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad in April of 2003. Hey, what looks better than having Iraqi citizens tipping over and destroying the statue of their former dictator? Maybe it doesn’t taste like victory, but it sure looked like it.
Now, the American public is told again that the war has ended. Okay…cool, but I thought we were already done? But hey, we’ve beaten the same game multiple times, we must be pretty good then right? Yet, there remains one conspicuous problem for the President. "ere are still #$y thousand troops within the borders of Iraq . I wonder if they think it’s over. Non-combat or not, those soldiers have not “come home” yet like promised.
"e notion that the war has ended is absurd. "e Obama administration is only engaging in a form of semantics. No one, in-cluding President Obama, realistically believes the war is over, since for the past seven years the war has supposedly “ended” about #ve dif-
ferent times. But hey, let’s here it again to li$ our spirits huh? Nothing like a good ol’ Fight Song to sing to rally a team to victory.
During the 2008 Presidential campaign, President Obama promised to end Iraq in a timely fashion. Instead of following through on his promise, this administration has catered to the will of a small minority ingrati-ated within our government. Advocates for the war cite possible violence that may result upon our departure or other human rights violations that may occur.
But it is time for the question to be asked, how much longer can the United States re-main? You can only win a war so many times. Our economy sits in the toilet, and instead of investing in our economy domestically, we continue to spend billions of dollars overseas in a war that we are hal%eartedly #ghting (and have won multiple times).
Currently, the war has cost the nation around $750 billion. Instead of building bases and schools in Iraq , maybe it’s time we begin investing in America again.
Our troops have fought valiantly over the past seven years to protect and defend the nation. "ey have shown courage in the face of danger. Nobody questions their bravery and security that they have provided to this coun-try. It is now time for the Obama administra-tion, to espouse a similar degree of courage. He must be willing to stand up against both parties and #nally bring the war to a close. If he fails to do so, he will be breaking a promise with the American people and to our troops in uniform.
Civitas International Dinner to serve politics and great food
Festive food, great speakers, and
spending time with other students is a great way to spend
your "ursday night.
You can do exactly that at the
International Relations dinner.
What? "e International Relations dinner is a dinner put on every year by the junior class in Civitas. It is the style of a potluck with most of the food provided by students and families but some is provided by restaurants and other outside sources. At the dinner there will be excit-ing speakers to listen to and plenty of students to talk to.
Where? From #ve to six there will be an in-formation meeting in Mrs. Reed’s room A 06 for eighth graders interested in Civitas. A$er that, from six to eight, there will be the International Relations dinner in the cafeteria.
When? October 21Who? Anyone can come at no price, but a
food dish is requested.
Nationally recognized
documentary screening on
In honor of National Child Health
Day, the award winning documentary “Race to Nowhere” will be shown at school on Monday, Oct. 4. "e #lm spearheads the Ameri-can education culture obsessed with achievement, competition and pressure that’s pushing students to the edge.
It features stories of burn out students and parents, the epidemic of cheating in schools, and an uninspired and unprepared generation enter-ing the workforce. More than calling attention to an education crisis, the #lm calls for a reform among students, educators, families and policy mak-ers to help America’s youth to become bright, creative and inspired leaders of tomorrow.
A facilitated dialogue with audience members, local experts and commu-nity leaders will be held following the showing of the #lm. For more informa-tion regarding documentary activities contact Glenda Yokoyama at yokohill@win#rst.com.
"is event is expected to sell out; advanced tickets can be purchased online at http://rtnrioamericano.event-brite.com.
-By Sarah Vaira
Time to really end Iraq War
Volunteers needed for tree planting
Kenny Moulton and Zach Smith
What?
around the school’s sports facilities. At least two volunteers are needed
help with.Why? The tree planting was re-
When?
How do I get involved?
-
8.
What do I bring?
Bring gloves and shovels.
I’m ready to
volunteer, but
I have some
questions.
for questions.
American hiker freed from Iranian Prison
Shon Meckfessel, a graduate of Rio Americano, barely escaped be-ing seized and detained by Iranian authorities. More than a year later one of his three fellow hikers has been released.
Meckfessel was vacationing with his friends in Kurdish territory when his friends decided to hike near the Ahmed Awa waterfall. However, they did not realize that they had strayed across the border into Iran.
Meckfessel remained at the hotel because he was ill, but stayed in con-tact using his cell phone as his three friends ventured ahead.
On July 31, 2009, they were taken into custody for accidentally crossing into Iran and were then con#ned to prisons.
Now, a full year later, Sarah Shourd, one of the three hikers has been released on a $500,000 bail. "e other two, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, are to be held for two more months.
Shon Meckfessel is continuing to advocate for their release.
To see full story on Shon Meckfes-sel, check out the May 2010 Mirada online at riomirada.com
-By Tandena Nelson
Jesuit HomecomingJesuit senior Michael Sparks
would like to ask senior Sarah Vaira to attend homecoming with him on October 9, 2010.
-By Michael Sparks
campus
New teachers bring a wealth of experience
Alyssa Morales: Soph President“I can actually tie a cherry stem in my mouth.”
Trey Athey: Frosh President“My mom is Demeris”
Kendall Chidlaw: SB Secretary“I’ve been to all 50 states!”
OnCampusNews September 24, 2010
Starting at a new school shouldn’t be too hard for English teacher Deborah Haines. A$er all, she has taught at high schools in three foreign countries during the last six years.
Haines, who teaches 12th-grade English, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition and an English Language Learners class, began teaching at Mira Loma in 1992, and a$er 12 years decided to take her career overseas.
While Haines enjoyed her time in Germany, Portugal and the Dominican Republic, she said she is glad to be back teaching American students.
“Teaching is easier in other countries. "e classes are smaller,” Haines said. “But I like the spunkiness of American students. "ey say what they want.”
Haines, who has a bachelors degree from Sacramento State and masters in English from UC Irvine, enjoys working with high school students.
“I like teenagers,” said Haines, who has a 24-year-old daughter of her own.
Even though she speaks a little of Spanish and German, Haines said the hardest part of teaching abroad was communication.
“It is hard not speaking the language,” Haines said. “It’s dif-#cult solving problems every day when you don’t speak the lan-guage. Also not having books, movies and television in English is tough.” Without the luxuries of entertainment in English, Haines immersed herself in the di&erent cultures.
“I like Germany because of the e!ciency of the country and the Dominican Republic because it is sunny and warm,” Haines said.
Outside of her career, Haines has traveled to other parts of Europe and to the Caribbean. She returned to America this past summer and has decided to settle permanently, but her curiosity for other countries may never be satis#ed.
Meet your student body o!cers
Audrey Engle: SB Publicity“I was in a K-Mart commercial when I was "ve”
Kelley McCuen: Senior President“I emailed Justin Bieber last week...he hasn’t responded”
Macey Peterson: Junior President“I’ve kissed a frog before”
Christy Grellas: SB Treasurer“I was born on the Greek Independence Day”
Sami Swanson: Social Commissioner“I went to the Australian and Salt Lake Olympics”Rohith Sachdeva: Social Commissioner“I’ve thrown up in three di!erent sushi restaurants”
Tanner Bond: Senior Treasurer“I’m not even on the executive coun-cil... I just snuck into the picture”
Elizabeth Eggert: SB President“I’m Elizabeth Eggert and I’m your new student body president. This year is going to the best year yet! This year is packed with awesome events, old and new!”
Makenzie Reed: Social Commissioner“I was born in the same hospital as Princess Diana’s son”
Vanessa Martinez: SB Vice President“Fall TV season starts this week...I’m shaking with anticipation”
Q. How do you like the school?A. This is a great place, the sta! has been very warm and welcoming and the campus is beautiful.Q. What were you like as a teenager?A. I was a good kid most of the time but I was an instigator at the same time. I was always dragging my friends into doing shenanigans and then letting them take the blame.Q. What is the most memorable day on the job?A. Chasing a streaker through the "eld on the last day of school.Q. What is the best thing about being a teacher?A. Realizing that you’ve made a di!erence in a stu-dent’s life and making a real connection with them.Q. What would you say to the people who say his-tory is boring and has nothing to do with today?A. History is the greatest story ever told. It is so impor-tant because understanding your past can give you incredible insight into your future.Q. What was your favorite subject in school?A. Lunch and history.Q. What is your life’s biggest accomplishment so far?A. Shooting under par in golf, passing the player abil-ity test for the PGA, and making a connection and a di!erence in the lives of some troubled kids.Q. Favorite quote?A. “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re probably right”-Henry Ford.Q. What is the best thing about being a teacher?A. Well the summers o! don’t hurt…but really it’s realizing you’ve made a di!erence in kids’ lives.
Rocco MarrongeliH. World History and Psychology
Q: How long have you been teaching?A: Two yearsQ: Why do you like to work at Rio?A: It’s a great place to work. Faculty is very wel-coming. The students are often enthusiastic and bound for greater things. They want to do things in the future.Q: What is something interesting about you?A: When I was in the Peace Corps, I worked as a beekeeper with killer bees in Paraguay for two years. I got stung a lot.Q: What is your favorite book?A: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. I like this story because it is beautiful writing. It is sad and makes me want to appreciate life more.Q: What are some of your hobbies?A: Hiking and playing the guitar.
Adam DorisEnglish
Where in the world is Deborah Haines?
By Carly TyerStaff Writer
By Caitlyn Temple
By John Ferranini
Do you have a teacher you want to see featured?
Contact us at [email protected] or go to the Mirada facebook page
photos by carly tyer/mirada staffphotos by john ferranini/mirada staff
photos by Caitlyn Temple/mirada staff
World News September 24, 2010
Student leaves America to be “French-i!ed”
For senior Annie Breault, France is not only a country she came to know and love, but also the place of her second home and family.
Breault, who spent the latter half of her junior year and some of her summer in France, was a foreign exchange student for almost six months.
“Besides a family trip to Mexico, this was my #rst time out of the country for an extended period of time,” Breault said. “I was in France for about #ve and a half months.”
During her stay in France, Breault made it a goal to dive head-#rst into the culture of the country and experience all that it had to of-fer.
“I decided to be an exchange student because some of my best friends at Rio were foreign ex-change students, and they in'u-enced me to do it. I also did it to have a non traditional high school experience. I thought a semester would be a perfect amount of time to spend abroad because it would give me time to immerse myself in the culture and a get a better under-standing of the language.”
Breault’s typical day consisted of classes and relaxing in her French home.
“I would walk to school and go to class until noon, and then we had
two hours for lunch break. My day usually ended around 5 or 6, and then I was able to watch TV with my family and learn new recipes from my host mother. In France, they eat dinner around 7:30 or 8, and depending on the family, the
meal could last from 20 minutes to 2 hours.”
When not working on school-work, Breault lived her life like a “normal French teenager.”
“Because Paris was just 10 min-utes by train from my house, I
would spend most of my weekends shopping or going out with friends from school. My host family really made an e&ort to show me their town and customs.”
However, Breault’s favorite memories came from simply “dis-covering” what it meant to be French.
“I really enjoyed discovering a foreign country and becoming a part of another family. Everyone was so welcoming and just as curi-ous about America as I was about France, so the exchange was great. Of course, the French food isn’t all that bad either.”
Despite the amount of fun she had on her trip, Breault said that being in a foreign country for so long was, to say the least, “challeng-ing.”
“Some days throughout my ex-change were challenging, but it forced me to push myself even fur-ther; every day was a learning ex-perience. When you’re in a foreign country and you don’t have the im-mediate comfort of friends, family or things you can really call your own, it can be really frightening be-cause you have to take on the world like an adult.”
However, if you put your best ef-fort into your experience, the mem-ories are “incredible,” Breault said.
“When you start embracing the challenges that you’re faced with and make the most out of every-thing, you begin to feel so con#-dent because you’ve accomplished
something that not everyone gets the chance to do, and the rewards of that are incredible.”
During the trip, Breault did have a little trouble adjusting to the dis-tance between both of her families.
“While I was in France, I missed my friends and family the most. However, upon my return I went through reverse culture shock, and at one point, I even felt like I was closer to my host family than with my natural family. It was a weird feeling, but on the other hand it’s so comforting because I know I have my ‘family’ and just as great of a group of friends in France as I do here.”
Overall, the most important thing that she took from the trip were not only the memories of her second family across the globe, but also the life lessons associated with meeting and interacting with new people, Breault said.
“Studying abroad made me re-alize that no matter how many dif-ferent cultures there are, if you are willing to start a conversation and be friendly with someone, you will most likely #nd that you can re-late to that person on some level. I found that it really is important to be aware of other cultures and be open to learning about them.”
When asked if she would ever return to France, she had only one thing to say.
“As much as I love being back home, I would go back to Europe in a heartbeat.”
d It was one year ago that senior Isabella Marvelli said goodbye to Sacramento and “ciao” to the island of Sardinia, a self-governing region in Italy.
She had always had an interest in studying abroad, and during her sophomore year, the perfect oppor-tunity presented itself.
“I learned about Rotary Youth Exchange, the program I went on, in Mr. Hodgin’s French class,” Mar-velli said. “I #gured I’d write my name down and see if I even had a shot into the whole program.”
Marvelli did not expect to be chosen since she was still in high school, but to her surprise, she was. As part of the program, she would be living with a host family in a dif-ferent country for about a year.
“I chose Italy because my grand-father was full Italian and my whole
family lost contact in Italy.”Upon her arrival, the only word
Marvelli knew was “ciao.” "e obvi-ous language barrier was di!cult at #rst, but a$er studying hard every-day at school and at home, Marvelli became 'uent in the language.
“I also understand a dialect within the island that I lived on be-cause my host grandma was from a little town that still spoke their tra-ditional dialect,” she said.
A$er her feeling of homesick-ness began to subside, and once she began to pick up the language, Marvelli started making friends at school. School in Italy, though, was a lot di&erent than it is in America.
“In Italy, the students go to high school for #ve years and through-out the #ve years they stay in the same class of about 25 kids,” she said. “"e teachers switch classes during the day and the student have their own room. We also got out earlier because in Italy, lunch is the
most important meal so everyone went home to eat with their families at 2 p.m. every day.”
When school was over for the day, Marvelli spent her time on Sar-dinia’s white sand beaches that are considered some of the most beau-tiful in the world. She also went cave exploring and star#sh and mussel #shing.
Marvelli did a lot of traveling during her time it Italy as well, es-pecially when her friends and fam-ily from the United States visited her.
“I went to Rome with two of my American friends,” she said, “and then I went to Venice, Rome, Luca, Sienna, Pisa, and Florence with my American parents when they vis-ited in March.”
When her American friends and families weren’t with her, she spent time with her host family, who she grew extremely close to.
“I love my Italian family so
much, they are like another set of parents, just on the other side of the world,” Marvelli said.
"ough she misses her Italian friends and family, by no means have they lost contact. She contin-ues to talk to them at least once a week, and looks forward to seeing them again soon.
“My aunt is getting married in October so I’m going to Italy for a week for their marriage.”
Marvelli is also excited for her best friend in Italy, Mietta, to come to America next summer and get a taste of the American culture.
“I absolutely loved my experi-ence,” Marvelli said, “and I learned more in a year than I could have ever learned in a classroom from four years of high school.”
In fact, Marvelli plans to spend another year abroad in Italy during college.
By Jarett HartmanNews Editor
By Alli HendersonStaff Writer
Above: Senior Annie Breaultmonths as a foreign exchange student in France.
Ciao Bella: Student says goodbye to Sacramento for a year
Bella Marvelli immersed herself in Italian culture during her nearly yearlong stay. “I love my Italian family so much, they are like another set of parents, just on the other side of the world.”
Want to travel to France this summer?
Contact Mr. Hodgins in room B-5 or e-mail him at [email protected]
photo courtesy of bella marvelli
photo courtesy of annie breault
In Kadhir Rajagopal’s Algebra class at Grant High, an equation is likened to a neighborhood and the x’s become “brothas” who must stick together.
Rajagopal’s unique math vo-cabulary inspires students, many of whom have failed math previously, to succeed. Students also bene#t from Rajagopal’s energy and com-mitment, which recently earned him the honor of Sacramento County Teacher of the Year.
“I take responsibility for student success,” he said. “I will #ght each student before they fail.”
Rajagopal, known as Mr. Raja to his students, grew up poor on the south side of Chicago, before mov-ing to Sacramento and attending Rio Americano. Due to his back-ground, Rajagopal understands the importance of an education for his students.
“It is my mission to make a dif-ference,” he said.
And judging by the recent suc-cess of his students, it appears as if he is making a substantial impact.
Two years ago, 80 percent of stu-dents in one of his Algebra I classes began the year far below basic on the 2008 STAR test. In 2009, 71 per-
cent scored basic or above, while 39 percent were pro#cient or above. Despite previous struggles, many of his students go on to higher math.
“Raja has closed the racial achievement gap,” Principal Craig Murray. said
Rajagopal, a 1999 graduate of Rio and then of UC Berkeley, de-sired to make an impact shortly af-ter entering college.
“My sociology professors at Berkeley convinced me that the only way to reach out to inner-city youth is by being a teacher.”
"erefore, upon graduation, Ra-jagopal became a history teacher for at-risk youth. A$er teaching history for two years, Rajagopal re-
alized the area in which most stu-dents struggled.
“You are three times more likely to get a Bachelor’s degree if you pass Algebra II.” Rajagopal explained. “Math is the key,”
To ensure the success of his students, Rajagopal creates an en-vironment that is interactive and inspirational.
“I wanted to create a culture in the classroom where it is cool to learn. It needs to be cool to be smart.”
"roughout the room, posters of Tupac, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. are stapled to every corner. Quotes about success moti-vate students to act.
“I need to explain things in a language they understand. "ere needs to be a 30-way conversation.”
Explaining math in a way his students can understand led him to use words like “brothas” and “pop-pas” to connect students to math-ematical concepts that would nor-mally appear distant and abstract.
His ability to interact with his students is also based on the notion that everyone must understand the concept before leaving the class-room.
At the beginning of every year, Rajagopal asks each student to give the telephone number of a parent or close family member. If a student does not understand a concept in class he will call up a parent to ask if their student can stay a$er school until he or she understands the as-signment.
"is interaction is one of the core principles of his soon to be published CREATE teaching mod-el. His teaching model appears to be working.
At the beginning of each day, students receive 50 points towards
their grade. When a student an-swers a question they receive points, bad behavior costs students points. “"ey can visualize their grades,” Rajagopal said.
His success has proven results. Oscar Flores, transitioned from an ‘F’ student to an ‘A’ student a$er taking Algebra with Rajagopal.
“Rajagopal will #ght you until you learn the material. He will do anything to see you walk to the po-dium.”
"e persistence of Rajagopal ap-pears to have paid o&, Flores is now on the path to college and success. “He gave me hope that I could do something big in life, he has in-spired me to help other students.”
Rajagopal continues to break down barriers for students. “It needs to be hard to be mediocre,” Rajagopal said. “And it is my mis-sion to make a di&erence.”
“If you notice, I don’t sit down,” Rajagopal said. “I don’t know where my chair is.”
NewsSeptember 24, 2010
Rio graduate honored for ‘"ght’ to teach
at-risk students
“Rajagopal will !ght you until you learn the material. He will do anything to see
you walk to the podium.”
By Peter Hammon and Zach Smith Staff Writers
Kadhir Rajagopal teaches algebra at Grant High School. Rajagopal was recently honored as Sacramento County Teacher of the Year for his innovative and energetic approach to teaching students who struggle with math.
Rajagopal moves around his students during a math lesson to inspire participation.
photos by peter hammon/mirada staff
photo by peter hammon/mirada staff
"e Mirada Rio Americano High School4540 American River Drive
Sacramento, CA 95864(916)-971-8921 ext. 80www.riomirada.com
Editors-in-ChiefAlex KleemannJessie ShapiroSarah Vaira
News EditorsJarett HartmanTate Rountree
Opinion EditorsJessica Obert
Alli Henderson
Features EditorsAlex Chan
Danielle Arbios
Sports EditorsKyle Morales
Peter HammonShauna Milesi
Photo EditorMadison Zimmerman
Sta! WritersJohn Ferrannini
Austin HicksBrie Hutton
Keldon IrwinMariah MaxwellMichaela MilesiTandena NelsonEmma SpittlerCaitlin Temple
Carly Tyler
AdviserMichael Mahoney
Opinion September 24, 2010
This Newspaper
I (heart) boobies. O&ensive or in-formative? Recently, high school administrators across the country
have been punishing students and banning the breast cancer awareness bracelet made by the Keep-A-Breast Foundation.
"e bracelets, plastic and with-out a clasp, come in a wide variety of colors and appeal to the younger generations, the people toward whom the campaign is geared. "e slogan, in a large fun font that bears the now infamous phrase,“I (heart) boobies,” has been causing quite the stir among students and administrators alike.
Shaney jo Darden and Mona Mukherjea-Gehrig, co-founders of Keep-A-Breast, built their company to create more breast cancer aware-ness programs to educate the youth. "e company promotes the message that you’re never too young to learn about the risks of cancer.
So why are o!cials, such as those at nearby Rocklin High School, regulating the wear of these bracelets, making students turn them inside out to hide the words on the front side of the bracelet?
We don’t know. "ough some stu-dents and teachers might be confused upon #rst seeing the I (heart) boobies bracelet, there is nothing wrong with wearing such a bracelet when one learns the real motive behind it.
"e problem, according to most adults in authority, however, is the racy way the bracelets promote breast cancer awareness. Some feel that the word “boobies” puts women in a negative light. Others argue that the wording is too suggestive to be wear-ing at school.
Yet, did the bracelets get your attention? Most likely, yes. We know the #rst time we ever saw the bracelet, we had to stop and think
twice: “Does that really say I (heart) boobies?”
"is scenario of confusion and then understanding about the brace-let isn’t the only one of its kind, guaranteed. Most people are surprised when they #rst see the large wristband, and most who don’t know the whole truth behind the bracelet immediately become o&ended.
Contrary to what those who are o&ended want, which is to eliminate the bracelets and stop stu-dents from wearing them, the recent controversy over the bracelet has been good publicity for the company and the spread of its message. "e amount of cover-age the bracelet has gotten in newspapers, magazines and on tele-vision has done nothing but promote the I (heart) boobies bracelet more.
Kids and adults alike of all ages should not be pun-ished for wearing a bracelet that does essentially the same thing as the ever popular yellow Livestrong bracelets created by Lance Armstrong. Both have been key components in raising cancer awareness.
I (heart) boobies should not cause in'iction of punishment on students. It is merely a way for them to utilize their right of free speech to support the education and eradication of breast cancer.
Our View
Egging Freshmen
"e Mirada is the independent voice of the students and a forum for diverse ideas published by Rio Americano’s newspaper class. "e Mirada welcomes story ideas, comics, letters to the editor and opinion pieces. Submit articles and letters to the box in A3 or the main o!ce. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the Mirada editorial board. Opinion articles and letters to the editor are the views of the individual writer and not necessarily the views of the Mirada or Rio Americano High School. We welcome advertising, but reserve the right to refuse any ad.
Pick a sideLink Leaders
We loveThe Mission Behind the Bracelets:
Awareness =PreventionStart Now!-Don’t smoke
-Eat a high "ber diet
-30 min of aerobic exer-cise a day
-Eat anti-oxidant rich food
-Don’t heat food in plas-tic containers
-Avoid using toxic clean-ing solution
-Wear chemical-free makeup
-Check out http://www.keep-a-breast.org to get more info on how to prevent cancer and increase awareness
Jingling your keys in the hall
Hot or not?Driving to school
Playing frisbee at lunchHot
Not
Sitting behind the sweaty kid who played frisbee at lunch
Please
Recycle‘i boobies’
News September 24, 2010
RUSH WEEK1. MYTH: I wanted to start a club, but I missed the o#cial meeting, so I didn’t have a booth on the quad this past week. I’ll have to wait until next year.TRUTH: Clubs can be started up until the last week of school! All you need to do is come up with an idea, have it ap-proved by club coordinator Ms. Thomas (room C10), and ask around to see who’s interested in joining!2. MYTH: There was a certain club I really wanted to sign up for but I...a) was absent during rush week!b) was too nervous to sign up on the quad! Those seniors can be intimidating!c) simply did not get around to it!But without all the booths, there is no way I’ll be able to "gure out how to sign up now.TRUTH: Just like starting a club, it is nev-er too late to sign up for a club either! Although there are no more sign-up sheets posted, you can always connect with the club’s president directly. For a complete list of club o#cers and contact information, visit riomirada.com3. MYTH: I signed up for too many clubs! There’s no way I’ll be able to keep all of the schedules and meeting times straight. TRUTH: There’s no such thing as being too involved! Each club will soon notify you via e-mail or phone with all the information you need. At that point, sit down and map out which days you have which meetings. You’ll be surprised at how much time you have! Some clubs only meet once every two months!
The Mirada presents...
Top: The quad is full of energy every day of Rush Week. Club represen-tatives make signs and hand out treats to entice new potential members Bottom left: Senior Reed Breuer rides his unicycle in order to promote his club. Bottom right: Senior Bella Marvelli tries out the rowing exercise equipment provided by the Rowing Club.
photo by madison zimmerman/editor in chief
Common Rush Week misconceptions:
Movie star! You love the drama! Plus, celebs have the most entertaining lives!
Your dream job is...
Pro Athlete! What could be better than getting paid for playing your favorite sport?
Joining the Peace Corps! Some underestimate the importance of giving back, but not you!
You’re on Youtube. You’re more likely to watch...
Embarrassing moments caught
on tape!
Short clips of crazy and
extreme sports!
It’s Tuesday night and you "nally "nished
your homework! What’s your next
move?
Go to sleep! Whether you like it or not, school always has you stressed out and exhausted!
Meet up with a friend or two. It may be a school night, but there are still adventures to be had!
What do you like most about winter break?
The best two weeks to spend at the Boreal and Sierra slopes w/ your friends!
Which would you consider to be your greatest
weakness?
You accept any chal-lenge or dare! You tend to not know your limits.
You always put others
before you! Amidst your
you often forget about your own needs!
In one word, how would your friends describe you?
Active! You have an adventur-ous side and it often shows! Whether it be a trip to the mall or a trip to Tahoe, you never want to miss out!
Funny! You’ve heard many times that you have a great sense of humor!
You can make a joke out of
almost anything!
The simple feel-ing of holiday cheer! You love the feeling of sharing and
giving to others!
What club should you join? Take this quiz to "nd out!
If you don’t already watch the show, you should start! You love everything about those ridiculous guidos! They
make you laugh and their drama is undeniably entrancing!
You’re full of energy and love anything that gets your heart pumping! The RSSC welcomes all skill-levels of boarders and skiers and plan multiple snow trips per
year as a group.
You are an inspiration! You love giving back, and you also know how good community service hours look on
college apps! The Key Club is a nationally recognized or-ganization and o!ers countless volunteer opportunities.
NewsSeptember 24, 2010
For more info contact president AJ SANDUGI
For more info contact president
HUNTER AKINS
For more information contact president
Join Jersey Shore Club Join Ski and Snowboard Club Join Key Club
Features September 24, 2010
Christopher Rufo has always walked his own path in life. In fact, he found his true calling in life trekking across the desolate Mongolian Plains.
Rufo is a Rio Americano alumnus from the class of 2002 who now makes feature-length documentary #lms for PBS. Not bad for someone who never took a #lm class in his life.
His story, though, is not what you would expect from one of Rio’s most successful alumni. Rufo “barely” graduated in 2002 and admits he met his best friend and now colleague, Keith Ochwat, through their “mutual interest in cutting class,” he said.
Rufo wasn’t a total slacker though, he woke up for zero pe-riod every morning to be in the Jazz Band. More importantly, he was a hit with the ladies.
“"ere were a lot of beautiful cheerleaders in my life,” he said.
Rufo, in addition to his popularity, also had the grades and the SAT scores to get into Georgetown University.
“I wanted to study Social and Political "ought,” he said. “I was sure I was going to get into national politics.”
But Rufo soon realized poli-tics wasn’t for him.
“It’s a dirty, dirty game, and I wanted to be surrounded by cre-ative, artistic people,” Rufo said.
A$er leaving the life of poli-tics, Rufo struggled to #nd his artistic niche. "e next few years he took every #ne arts class he could: music, art, architecture, drama, cinematography. He just couldn’t #nd the right #t.
“I was pretty good at all of them, but not exceptional,” Rufo said.
Not until a$er he gradu-ated from Georgetown did Rufo stumble upon his true calling.
“I realized #lm is basically a combination of all art forms,” he said.
He had an idea for a #lm, raised a little money, and called upon Keith Ochwat to travel with him to Mongolia.
“We had no experience, no
connections, borrowed equip-ment, and no money,” Rufo said.
"e pair spent months edit-ing footage for “Roughing It: Mongolia,” a #lm about the con-temporary culture of Mongolia. "en they got their #rst break. In 2006 PBS picked up the #lm for a national broadcast.
A$er his #rst project, Rufo realized that he could see him-self making documentaries all the time, so he turned his pas-sion into a career.
Since the release of his #rst #lm, Rufo has been incessantly working on new projects. Och-wat and Rufo are currently in the #nal editing process on two new #lms: “Diamond in the Dunes” and “"e Senior Games.”
“Diamond in the Dunes” is the story of an Uyghur baseball player named Parhat Ablat in China’s Xinjiang Province.
“"e Senior Games” is a much more light-hearted #lm. Rufo and Ochwat followed sev-en athletes at the 2009 National Senior Olympics, including a 100-year-old tennis champion.
Rufo’s #lm making has given him a new perspective.
“If you have a drive and a passion, you’ll always make more money and be more ful-#lled,” Rufo said.
He says one of the biggest of perks of #lm-making, in addi-tion to being his own boss, is traveling.
“I’ve been to 30 countries in the last four years,” he said. “Making documentaries is a great excuse to travel.”
"e ladies’ man has done pretty well for himself. Maybe he just knew something every-body else didn’t the whole time.
“If you are bright and am-bitious, high school just isn’t enough,” Rufo said.
As someone who has man-aged to stay o& the beaten path in life, Rufo still remains grounded.
He only has a few cautionary words to Rio students today: “If you’re too rebellious, you just want to turn your back on life, you could miss out on some great opportunities.”
Rufo sure didn’t miss out on his.
Focusing in on a dreamFilm is an inspiration for Rio graduate, turning his passion into a career
When I enrolled in this class, I never imagined I would be in-terviewing a man who had com-mitted three armed robberies.
"e Documentary Founda-tion, a non-pro#t organization, o&ers a documentary #lm-making class for high school students.
"is spring I enrolled in the class without any particular interest in documentary #lm or #lmmaking in general. I thought I was going to learn about documentaries; I had no idea the whole class was dedicated to actually making them ourselves.
What separates the class, led by “teachers” Keith Ochwat and Chris Rufo, professional #lmmakers themselves, is that students with no background in #lm create their own documen-taries in eight weeks.
Four other Rio students and myself were the #rst minors to ever #lm inside of Folsom Prison for our documentary pro#ling inmate life.
Because no one our age had ever been allowed to #lm and interact with inmates, most of the people at the prison wanted to keep it that way because of the obvious dangers and liabilities.
Even if you’re not at all interested in documentary #lm, I would recommend this eye-opening experience to everyone.
Doc School Fall Session Details
Saturdays from October 16 through December 11 (with no class on "anksgiving weekend) from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.Class is at KVIE-Public Tele-vision’s headquarters, 2030 W. El Camino Ave.Tuition is $390. Scholarships are also available.25 students will be accepted into the fall class.Visit http://documentary-foundation.org/doc-school/ for more details.
By Peter Hammon
Above, Christopher Rufo poses while shooting “The Senior Games.”
Above, Rufo Province struggling against racial discrimination and extreme poverty.
photos courtesy of chris rufo
Peter Hammon
Documentary "lm school re$ection
1st place: Luigi’s
The Pizza: Crispy crust, loaded with cheese and topping, Luigi’s never fails to satisfy. They serve their pizza by the slice right out of the oven. Whether a large group or just a few friends, if you’re in the mood for pizza this is de"nitely the place to be. The Location: In the center of midtown and regular performances by bands, Luigi’s is the perfect hangout spot for your night out. 1050 20th St. Suite 150, Sacramento, CA 95816
Editors’ pick: ‘Pizza-by-the-slice’ 4th: Whole Foods The Pizza: We all know Whole Food’s has every kind of food imaginable, but did you know they also have awesome pizza? With doughy, whole wheat crust and fresh ingredients, any of the options are delicious (even the goat cheese with squash pizza we tried!) The Location: A little more main stream, Whole Foods is not one to pick for it’s atmosphere, but it’s easy, fast, and delicious. And the best part: it’s a!ordable! We got two large pieces for $5.1415 21st St. Sacramento, CA 95811
winner during the pizza taste test where Whole Foods, Uncle
compared.
3rd: Zelda’s The Pizza: Though it’s not by the slice, Zelda’s de"nitely provides a great alternative for the traditional pizza. Zelda’s serves up some awesome Chicago-style personal deep dish pizzas.The Location: A windowless cement building with two saloon style doors, Zelda’s looks more like a club than a pizzeria. But behind the doors lies some delicious pizza and a great place to spend time with family and friends.1415 21st St. Sacramento, CA 95811
2nd: Uncle Vito’s at Pronto The Pizza: A slice of gigantic proportions, Uncle Vito’s pizza has the perfect balance of cheese and sauce. It is de"nitely big enough to share and great option if Luigi’s is too packed. The Location: Uncle Vito’s "nds its home in Pronto, an express Italian cafe on the outskirts of midtown. It’s not quite as hoppin’ as Luigi’s but there’s a great variety of good food if your in the mood for a little more than pizza.1501 16th St. Sacramento, CA 95814
AroundTownFeaturesSeptember 24, 2010
Raider Cribz: Student turns vandalism into home decor with a gra!ti room
Why did you decide to gra!ti your room?Because I love gra#ti.Where did you get your inspiration?When I was in Art in eighth grade we had to pick an artist to study. My artist was a chalk artist named Ju-lian Beaver, and since then I’ve been really into gra#ti and chalk art.How long has it been this way?It’s been gra"ttied for a while. We messed up when we were painting my room so we decided to see what gra#ti would look like and it looked good so I kept it. We redid the gra#ti this summer. What is your favorite part?The WHY frog because I did it.What advice do you give other people who want to redo their rooms?Do whatever you want.
-Alex Kleeman
Josh Kleemann, 10
Top: Josh Kleemanphotos by alex kleemann/editor-in-chief
Upcoming Events
Sept. 24 Nicholas Sparks is doing a book signing at Borders Books on Fair Oaks
Oct. 6 Small Ensemble night in the band room 7-9
Oct. 7 College Night 6-8
Oct. 15 Maroon 5 is playing ARCO Arena
Sept. 25-Oct. 2 Banned Book Week
Oct. 3 World Music and Dance Festival in Old Sacra-mento
Oct. 9 Second Saturday
Oct. 13 Picture Retake Day
Oct. 18-22 Homecoming Spirit week
Oct. 23 Homecoming
PeopleFeatures September 24, 2010
How did you guys meet?Andy: We met at Arden Middle School but didn’t know each other very well until we had Spanish together last year.
How long have you been together?Andy: I think we’ve been together for two months or so.
What is your favorite thing about him?Wendy: His rockin’ bod.Andy: She doesn’t tell me when I say something really stupid.
What do your parents think of him/her?Andy: My parents think she is really sweet and smart.Wendy: My mom thinks he’s absolutely adorable and my dad thinks he’s a cool guy.
What is your favorite movie to watch to-gether?Wendy: “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”Andy: Any movie at the drive ins.
What are your favorite activities to do in your spare time together?Wendy: We like to wakeboard and go out to eat.
What is the cutest thing he has done for you?Wendy: He makes me chocolate milk.
What is your guys’ song?Both: “Lime Tree” by Trevor Hall.
What is the craziest thing you guys have done?Wendy: We heard music coming from a random house’s backyard and we just walked inside and where there was a party with all these 30 year olds. We got the weirdest looks.
Where do you spend most of your time to-gether?Andy: We spend most our time at the river.
Any nicknames?Wendy: He likes when I call him Sugar Daddy!
-Mariah Maxwell
True romance on campus
Wen
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Mun
ter,
12
photos by madi zimmerman/mirada staff
What do you look for in a guy?Someone short, with a nice, full mustache and great legs, like Ryan Burns.
Describe your perfect date.Go to UFC 125, that always wins me over.
What is the sweetest thing a guy has ever done for you?Baked me yummy cookies.
What is your favorite pick-up line?Do you know karate? ’Cause, girl, your body is kickin’.
-Emma Spittler
Where did you get your car?My dad bought it from a random guy and then we rebuilt it. It was a complete restoration.
When did you get it?We rebuilt it 5 years ago.
Where did you get all the parts to restore the car?American Mustang and Kragen.
Favorite part about the car?It’s a convertible.
What is your least favorite thing about the car?It sucks to drive. It has terrible steering and brakes.
Do you have any special car rules?I can’t drive anyone else in it until the end of this year.
If you could drive anyone in your car, who would it be?Megan Fox or Katherine Heigel.
What’s the craziest adventure you’ve ever had in your car?I was by myself and got really lost and ended up somewhere in Stock-ton. It was scary because I had no clue where I was.
Are you rebuilding any other cars right now?I’m rebuilding two other Mustangs and my dad is rebuilding a couple too.
Where did you learn how to re-build cars?My dad taught me, and he learned in England.
-Danielle Arbios and Austin Hicks
September’s bachelor and bachelorette
Alex Engleburt, 10 Trey Athey, 9
"e #rst thing you notice about a girl is…I’m gonna have to go with her face.Biggest turn on and turn o!?Turn on: Con-#dent and good sense of humor. Turn o&: Low self-esteem.
What do you think your best quality is?"at’s for the ladies to decide!What’s your favorite pick-up line?Good thing I brought my li-brary card, ’cause I’m checking you out!
-Emma Spittler
SWEE
T RI
DES
Lady Gaga gets politicalSuperstar takes a stand against the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bans gays from service.
#1MomAn Oregon woman makes sure to pick up her kids after allegedly rob-bing a bank.
NooooooooSteve Carell’s last season on the o#ce. The beginning of the end of o#ce fans’ lives.
Bynes gets an ‘Easy A’ for return from retirementAt age 24 Amanda Bynes ends retire-ment early with her new hit "lm “Easy A.”
Vicious mascot attackUnderdog Ohio U’s ‘Rufus the Bobcat” attacks Ohio State’s “Brutus” before Ohio U’s defeat on Saturday. After quitting his position, he admits the attack was premeditated.
1968 Mustang Convertible
Matt Cunningham, 11
Say what?
SportsSeptember 24, 2010
“Rio sucks a fattie nu& said.”“jesuit 56-0.”“hahaha i can’t wait until saturday so all
these rio kids can shut up.”“people from any school besides rio will say that
jesuit’s gonna win.”“baseball, soccer, basketball, cheerleading.. i’m see-
ing a repetitive winning streak, should we add football too or should we let rio win one?”
“Rio girls are uglier than Jesuit girls, and Jesuit doesn’t even have girls. Also, Rio is bad at football.”
Such comments not only turned the stomachs of English teachers, but also inspired the football team to a 34-33 victory over Jesuit.
Trash talking always seems to be an integral part of the Rio/Jesuit rivalry, and this year’s football game was no exception. In fact, the #rst “Unholy Bowl” led to more hostility than usual.
In the past, the talking has come primarily from Jesuit (i.e. last year’s basket-ball game), but this year two-sided banter became more common.
It seems that in a rivalry with a top-notch private school, trash talking is one of the few areas in which the playing #eld is level yearly. "ough Rio cannot churn out top-ranked teams like an all-boys institution, it can create more intelligent students.
But a look over the comments on the “Rio vs. Je-suit” Facebook wall was disheartening. "ough there were a few well-thought-out and clever arguments, most of the posts reverted to useless stereotypes, mis-spelled words, and o&ensive comments.
In a battle of wits, we as a school need to be smart-er or not talk at all. "is is simple to do by following a few guidelines.
1. Spell all words correctly and use correct gram-mar. Nothing undermines an argument more than abbreviations like “ur” and incoherent sentences.
2. Avoid the classic “Jesuit doesn’t have girls” ap-proach. Anyone who has been to Rio Homecoming can attest that seemingly half of the Jesuit student body attends, so Rio boys don’t have much room to talk.
3. If you talk trash, come up with something witty. "e typical “Jesuit’s gay” statement carries no meaning or value and just makes Rio students seem ignorant.
4. Be ready to defend your statement with log-ic. Most people who talk trash don’t think things through, so a logical rebuttal will silence most any Jesuit student.
We won the trash talk battle, in part because a $10,000 a year education can’t buy correct spelling. Or a good football team.
But no matter how you slice it, everything comes down to the numbers on the scoreboard at the end of the game. 34-33, “nu& said.”
Star kicks way into UVA
“I’m pretty athletic, I guess.” "e modesty coming from senior Grant Silvester is undeniable. Silvester, who recently verbally committed to play soccer for the University of Virginia, excels in just about any sport he tries.
Having played soccer since age four, the game has become second nature to him, and college scouts have taken notice. Silvester spent his sum-mer visiting a number of schools and considering their scholarship o&ers. He toured colleges such as George-town, UC Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara. However, the young athlete al-ways had his hopes set on playing for the Virginia Cavaliers.
Virginia scouts #rst saw Silvester play in Florida and invited him to a summer camp with other prospective players. “It was great. I got to meet the team and get a look at the facilities,” Silvester said. Silvester was honored to be one of only seven recruited seniors from across the nation.
When not playing for his club team, Silvester plays for the school team. "e senior captain is a forward for the Raiders, which is a welcome change from the demands of defense.
In his third year on varsity, Silves-ter wants to add the elusive Section III Division Title to his list of accom-plishments.
Silvester’s love for athletics ranges far beyond soccer. "is is his #rst year playing on the football team as kicker and he not only enjoys the sport, but also contributes to the team’s success. He voices his competitive spirit with vocal support from the sidelines.
“I love me some Raiders,” Silvester said.
So how does he balance two sports and AP classes? “His mom Michelle keeps him in line,” best friend and teammate Peter Hammon said.
At Virginia, Silvester aspires to
win a NCAA championship and add to the rich history of Cavalier soccer, last year’s national champions. Before starting his new adventure, Silvester hopes to hang soccer and football sec-tion title banners in the small gym.
Varsity looks to avenge section title loss
Last year’s boys soccer team went undefeated in the Capital Athletic League and played in the Division III championship game against rival El Camino, where they lost 1-0. "is year’s team plans to come back stron-ger than before and take the title of Section Champions.
With Bella Vista, Casa Roble and Del Campo moving to Division II, the boys face new competition against former Division IV teams including Antelope, Whitney and Cordova.
“It’s going to be more competitive with the new teams ,” senior David Ashton said.
"e team began the season with non league victories over Casa Roble,
Yuba City, Woodcreek, Ponderosa and Oakmont.
As the team prepares for league, it looks forward to facing El Camino.
“Our biggest rival is EC, because we lost to them in sections last year,” junior Logan Cone said.
Alan Posner has been the head coach of the team for four years.
“Coach makes us better by having us run to the fence and back,” senior Matt Parkinson said.
"e team plans to defend last year’s league title and believes it has an edge over its opponents, which was proved in their 2-1 victory over Ponderosa.
“We are in good shape and have good team chemistry,” Cone said.
“I de#nitely think our team will make it to the section #nals and we in-tend to win,” junior Johnny Lanthier said. “We want to win more than any other team out there.”
Staff Writer
10,000 reasons to go to Rio
Staff Writer
six goals and eight assists have helped the team get off to a 5-1-1 start.photo courtesy of Grant Silvester
Grant Silvester scores scholarship
SOCCER
Senior Mason Ybarra holds off a Wood-creek defender during a 4-3 victory.
photo by michaela milesi/mirada staff
Kyle Morales
“Apparently $10,000 can’t buy correct spelling. Or a good football team.”
Sports September 24, 2010
Soph owns the net
Sophomore Maddie Cannon rises above the net and the rest of the competition. Since 12, Cannon has had a passion for volleyball and a bright future ahead.
A$er only three years of playing volleyball, Cannon is now one of the Sacramento Bee’s “Ten Rising Stars.” But Maddie’s path to stardom was not always clear cut.
“I used to hate the sport. I was a very serious swim-mer; I didn’t care about any other sport. But in middle school, volleyball was the only sport o&ered, so I tried it,” Cannon said.
Now starting her second year on varsity, Cannon is back with a total of 99 kills and 44 total blocks so
far, helping get this year’s team get o& to a 11-2-0 start. Cannon has shared her time and talents with Force Volleyball Clubs for two years.
“I like club,” Cannon said. “It is just more competi-tive.”
For her #erce play at middle blocker and sometimes outside hitter, Cannon has earned the nickname ‘Mad-dog’.
“It’s not really o!cial, but sometimes they call me ‘Maddog,’ which I don’t particularly like,” Cannon said.
When it comes to solo blocking, Cannon truly is a ‘Maddog’.
“Because it’s one on one, when you shut them down, you know it was all you”, Cannon said.
Away from the court, she enjoys spending free time, with her friends. But Cannon’s closest buddies also happen to be some of her teammates, including Sabine Wilson, who has been her teammate for three years.
“We call each other our volleyball buddies,” outside hitter Wilson said. “Maddie and I do a lot of fun stu& like chest bumping or just running up, jumping as high as we can and high-#ving in the air. We also do little things that remind us to have fun. We have little say-ings we say to each other to pump one another up.”
Cannon’s days are crammed with volleyball, even during the summer. "is past summer she enjoyed go-ing to Reno for the Junior National Olympics, where she placed 13th in the National Division.
“It’s just really fun to be in a place where no one knows you and everything is di&erent,” Cannon said. Traveling for volleyball has given her a desire to see the world.
A$er volleyball she is unsure what she wants to do, but would de#nitely like to see the world.
“I really want to travel and experience other cul-tures,” Cannon said. She believes in following her dreams and enjoying life.
“Life is short, revel in every moment,” Cannon said.
Running Raiders sprint into season
With three meets down, the cross country season is starting to kick into high gear.
One of their most prestigious meets, the Stanford Invitational, is coming up, and the athletes are expected to show their college run-ning potential.
“I am really excited for the Stan-ford Invitational,” senior Ansel Mills said. “Hopefully this year I will #nish with both shoes on.”
"e team has built o& last year’s success and looks to continue im-proving.
“We have a really strong varsity girls team this year and also several frosh/soph runners with a lot of po-
tential,” Mills said.By practicing every day, even
in intense heat, the cross country team hopes to go the distance.
“"e team has been training re-ally hard this year and has a chance
to go farther than we have in past seasons,” senior Hannah Milstein said. “I am looking forward to see-ing how things turn out.”
By Carly TyerStaff Writer
By Jessica ObertStaff Writer
Upcoming GamesFootball
Men’s Soccer
Women’s Water polo
Men’s Water polo
Women’s Tennis
9/24/10 7:00 vs Casa Roble at Casa Roble10/01/10 7:30 vs Bella Vista at Bella Vista10/08/10 7:30 vs Cordova at Cordova10/16/10 1:00 vs Whitney Home Game10/23/10 1:00 vs Mira Loma HOMECOMING10/29/10 7:30 vs Antelope at Antelope
9/28/10 4:00 vs Whitney at Whitney9/30/10 4:00 vs Mira Loma at Mira Loma10/5/10 4:00 vs Antelope Home Game10/07/10 4:00 vs El Camino at El Camino10/12/10 3:30 vs Cordova at Cordova10/14/10 3:30 vs Whitney Home Game10/19/10 3:30 vs Mira Loma Home Game 10/21/10 3:30 vs Antelope at Antelope10/22/10 4:00 vs Jesuit at Jesuit10/26/10 3:30 vs El Camino at El Camino
Women’s Volleyball
9/29/10 6:30 vs Granite Bay Home Game10/6/10 4:45 vs Whitney Home Game10/7/10 6:45 vs Ponderosa Home Game10/13/10 5:45 vs El Camino Home Game10/16/10 3:00 vs Clovis West at UC Davis10/18/10 5:45 vs Mira Loma Home Game10/19/10 6:45 vs Mc Clatchy Home Game10/20/10 4:45 vs Antelope at Antelope
9/27/10 6:30 vs Granite Bay Home Game10/30/10 All Day Villa Park Classic Orange County10/6/10 5:45 vs Whitney Home Game10/7/10 5:45 vs Ponderosa Home Game10/13/10 4:45 vs El Camino Home Game10/15/10 7:00 vs Jesuit at Jesuit10/18/10 4:45 vs Mira Loma Home Game10/20/10 4:45 vs Antelope at Antelope10/22/10 6:30 vs Monte Vista at Monte Vista
9/28/10 3:30 vs Mira Loma at Arden Hills9/30/10 3:30 vs Antelope at Antelope10/5/10 3:30 vs El Camino at Arden Hills10/7/10 3:30 vs Cordova at Arden Hills10/12/10 3:30 vs Whitney at Whitney10/14/10 3:30 vs Mira Loma at Mira Loma10/19/10 3:30 vs Antelope at Arden Hills10/21/10 3:30 vs El Camino at El Camino
9/27/10 6:15 vs Antelope at Antelope9/29/10 6:15 vs El Camino at Pioneer10/4/10 6:15 vs Cordova Home Game10/6/10 6:15 vs Whitney at Whitney10/11/10 6:15 vs Mira Loma at Mira Loma10/13/10 6:15 vs Antelope Home Game10/18/10 6:15 vs El Camino at El Camino10/20/10 6:15 vs Cordova at Cordova
Women’s Golf9/27/10 11:30 vs CAL #1 at Diamond Oaks9/30/10 3:00 vs Mira Loma at Haggin Oaks10/5/10 3:30 vs El Camino at Ancil Ho!man10/7/10 3:30 vs Whitney at Ancil Ho!man10/14/10 3:30 vs Antelope at Cherry Island 10/18/10 12:00 vs CAL #2 at Teal Bend/Woodcreek
Maddie Cannon kills the upperclassmen competition
Team prepares for big meets and league runs
photo by sarah vaira/editor in chief
Sophomore Maddie Cannonphoto by michael mahoney
SportsSeptember 24, 2010
Fans 'ooded into the west en-dzone and mobbed the Rio foot-ball team a$er senior cornerback Spencer Harris defended Jesuit’s two-point-conversion attempt. As the dogpile broke up, dozens of stu-dents clustered behind the uprights to take pictures of the scoreboard
“Home 34, Visitor 33”"e hype leading up to the Jesuit
game began nearly six months ago when it was added to Rio’s sched-ule.
"e “Battle of American River Drive” had begun, and Jesuit pre-pared for its so-called “American River Domination”.
"e game didn’t start o& as Raid-er enthusiasts had h o p e d . B y
hal$ime, the sun had beat the #ght out of the spectators, many Rowdy Raiders out of the stands and seem-ingly the life out of the Raiders, who trailed 21-6 entering the break.
“"ough we didn’t have the #rst half start that we were looking for, we knew we still had a chance to comeback and beat Jesuit,” Har-ris said. “We wanted it more than anything.”
In the second half, Rio came out a changed team.
“[Head] Coach Maha&ey told us to put the #rst half behind us and focus on putting points up on the board and shutting down their of-fense, so we came out motivated and ready to go,” Harris said.
In the third quarter, Rio un-leashed the fury of a triple option o&ense with senior quarterback Jack Stradley behind center.
“It would have been easy to pack it in a$er they scored to go ahead 27-6, but we stuck to our game, shut them down o&ensively and found ways to score,” Stradley said.
Workhorse running back Andy Munter helped bring the team back into the game by rushing for 172 yards and setting up seemingly ever Rio score.
“Andy is the heart of our team on both sides of the ball and op-ponents don’t realize how strong he is,” Harris said.
Rio scored three touchdowns in the second half, two coming from Munter rushes and one on a recep-tion from junior wideout Kevin Akerland.
“A$er we scored our second touchdown of the third quarter, I knew we were going to come back
and tie it on the next possession”, Stradley said.
Inspired by explosive o&ensive play, the defense shut out the Ma-rauders for the remainder of regu-lation.
“We knew the only way we could win was to not allow any more points,” Harris said.
Harris and junior standout Basil Okoroike joined forces with safety Zach Simas to sti'e the heralded passing attack led by Jesuit quarter-back Ben Miroglio.
“Our defense knew that we had to shut them down in order to give our team a chance to come back,” Simas said of the defensive inten-sity.
As the fourth quarter wound down, the crowd had returned and the atmosphere was electric.
“When the comeback started, people came back from out of no-where,” senior Drew Fishman, the “Greenman”, said.
With just over a minute le$, Okoroike intercepted Miroglio’s pass, preventing a game-winning score.
“A$er the pick, I felt sure we would win,” Okoroike said.
In overtime, Rio got the ball #rst and promptly scored on a Stradley pass to Akerland and subsequent Grant Silvester extra point.
“Kevin ran a great route to get some real estate in the end zone,” Stradley said.
It was up to Rio’s defense to make a stop for the win. Jesuit scored on their drive, but decided to go for the two-point conversion on the extra point and the win.
“A$er our o&ense came through with four second half touchdowns, we knew we had to stop them,” Si-mas said.
Miroglio rolled out and passed to receiver Brian Celsi.
Harris covered Celsi like a blan-ket, batting the ball down and seal-ing the victory.
“It was a team e&ort and see-ing the ball on the ground was an indescribable moment, knowing that our months of hard work had #nally paid o&,” Harris said.
"en, the mayhem began as the Rowdy Raiders sprinted onto the #eld to join the team in a moment of ecstasy.
“We wanted to win more than anything,” said Harris. “We knew it would set the tone for the rest of the season.”
With such a comeback under their belts, the players expect to win the new Capital Athletic League and make playo&s.
“It was a big game, but our ulti-mate goal is to go not only to play-o&s, but also to sections,” Simas said.
Despite the next week’s loss to Woodland, no one can doubt Rio’s potency a$er a rebound victory against Valley.
A typically “weak” football school has suddenly become a ma-jor threat by taking down not only an archrival, but also an area pow-erhouse.
With continued determination and poise, the Raiders will look to continue their season far into No-vember.
Sports September 24, 2010
Sports Editor
34 - 33
The Battle of American River DriveOvertime victory sets the tone for successful season
“This is our street!”
Jack Stradley Kevin Akerland
Andy MunterMatt Robinson
Rowdy Raider Josh Naftulin
photos by sarah vaira, jessie shapiro, kenny moulton, blake bender, austin hicks, and emma severson