North NewsVol. 9, No. 3 Clovis North Educational Center February 2017

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Since the first week of school, the CN and GR Science Bowl teams have been prepar-ing for their upcoming competitions. Spon-sored and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Science Bowl is a program offered to schools across the nation in which teams composed of four students compete in contests with a series of questions which they must quickly buzz in and answer. The different categories of questions for the high school level include biology, earth science, math, chemistry, en-ergy, and physics.

CN senior Simon Cao and CN junior Neil Maitra currently lead the CN team of

CNEC Science Bowl teams prep for regionals

By Carina Tokatian

Starting on January 31 and running through Friday, February 10, both CN and GR will be collecting money for Pen-nies for Patients. Pennies for Patients is a fundraiser for patients 20 years old and un-der with leukemia or lymphoma, the most common cancers found in kids. Leukemia is a blood cancer forming in tissues, creat-ing difficulties for the body to fight infec-tions. Lymphoma is also a blood cancer but in which there are a group of blood cell tumors developed from a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes.

Former GR activities director Cassondra Capshew decided to raise awareness for the children diagnosed with leukemia or lym-phoma by starting a Pennies for Patients fundraiser at the school in 2008. Students will be collecting loose change that CNEC students and staff can find to help support these causes. Last year, the school raised around $1200, which was donated to the finding cures for leukemia and lymphoma.

about 25 students total. About 20 students participate on the GR team. On both teams, high school and middle school levels, there are both A and B teams.

Both teams prepare and plan on partici-pating in the upcoming regionals competi-tion on Februrary 25 at Tokay High School in Lodi for the high school level and Feb-ruary 18 at Fresno State for the junior high level. The teams will compete with 23 oth-er schools from nearby counties. Science Bowl advisor Christine Long hopes the team will get into the double elimination tournament and qualify to nationals at the end of April, as the GR team has the past two years and the CN team did last year.

Pennies for Patients raises awareness across CNEC campus

By Natalia Covish

Scott Cao, Neil Maitra, Danny Mechael (top)Simon Cao, Josh Boele, Mark Bachir, and Sagar Pyreddy (bottom)

Photo courtesy of The Fresno Bee

CN boys’ basket-ball works to the top

Inside:

EditorialsPage 2

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

Computers vs. books: Which is more beneficial?

See COMPUTERS VS. BOOKS, Page 4

Does stress pose obstacles for teens? CNEC allows students to learn through

the use of computers or the wide array of books in our library. Many opt for the com-puters, as we are living in a digital age. So which is more valuable to students?

If you’re a student at CNEC, chances are, you’ve probably opened up a book and no-ticed tears, drawings, and something you probably wouldn’t ex-pect: an ancient copy-right date. This poses a problem in subjects such as geography and science, which have evolved over the years. These books may even contain outdated infor-mation. Discoveries are made every day, and chances are, that map in your book from years ago is proba-bly not current. Books are also not the most convenient of resources. On the other hand, books provide a trusted factual structure that learning from the internet cannot sup-ply. With books, we know that the sources are legitimate and can be trusted, but on the internet, it can be very hard to find what you’re looking for, and who knows if it’s accurate or truthful information? On the in-ternet, the information we read can be writ-

ten by anyone at any time.In this day and age, the majority of stu-

dents rely on laptops as an alternative to books. One of the biggest benefits of us-ing the computers to learn is that you are getting some of the most current informa-tion on the topic. Computer education also

offers countless re-sources for enhancing education and making learning more fun and effective. From apps to organizational plat-forms to e-textbooks and more, there are many amazing tools that can benefit you. Computers can also eliminate a lot of your tedious tasks. With the many sources such as

Google Docs, Word, etc., there’s no ques-tion that students would prefer to type out their essay rather than write it. Adding on to the list of pros, learning from a computer encourages peer to peer learning. With the many social applications available, it is very easy to connect students using com-puters. However, computers can be frus-trating. Sometimes students have a hard

During high school, teens are often ex-pected to excel and be involved in lots of different activities, and it can become stressful for the average student. Academi-cally, students need to maintain a good GPA, turn in all work, and study and do well on tests. Most are also involved in a sport or other extra-curricular activity. But too much stress can cause strain with their peers and grades.

Maintaining a well-established GPA will help you get into college, and many high school students are aiming for one of the many elite colleges around America. How-ever, the competition to get into these uni-versities has become more and more out of reach for many students academically. In order to be seen by these colleges, students will push themselves to be accepted or get scholarships for these colleges. Unfortu-nately, some students may push themselves too far and become stressed because of all the pressure they have put on themselves.

Too much stress and pressure can be damaging to the body and mind. As stress usually leads to lack of sleep, that starts to worsen performance at school and involve-ment with family and friends. Mentally it can exacerbate mood disorders, problem behaviors, changes in personality, and cog-nitive issues.

By knowing what you are capable of, you must know when to focus on school or when to focus on other responsibilities. Par-ticipating in a sport or an art is also a good way to relieve some of the stress brought on by school.Talking to a teacher or trusted adult will help with choosing what you are capable of. Both can get your mind off of school and direct your focus elsewhere for a couple of hours a day. By knowing what you can handle and participating in stress-relieving activities, and you can eliminate some of the stress that is involved in high school.

Some stress in high school is inevitable, but controlling it and not allowing yourself overwhelmed by it will help you sustain a healthy balance between your school and personal life.

Features Page 3

On December 6, a very special guest visited the CNEC campus. Mr. Cool, a police horse, was brought onto campus to bring big smiles onto Special Educa-tion students’ faces. “The students got to experience seeing a large animal, some-thing most of them have never seen be-fore,” stated Officer Janel Iskenderian. The students were very pleased to see Mr. Cool and were excited to learn inter-esting facts about him as well. Mr. Cool is a sixteen-year-old standard breed horse. He

Mr. Cool creates memories on campus

By Breanna Bernhardt Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), is an ongoing GR club advised by Paul Babcock. Babcock agreed to become the advisor of FCA because he has “experi-enced God’s love in a profound way,” and wants to let other people experience the same love. The meetings for GR FCA are on Thursdays at lunch in the GR gym and the meetings usually go until the bell rings.

Babcock’s goals for FCA are to get as many people involved as possible and for those students that are involved to serve for the Lord on the campus. Most FCA meetings feature a guest speaker who will share their message about God’s love to the students. Students can become FCA lead-ers and be able to share their testimony at meetings on Mondays at lunch. The mes-sage that Babcock wants students to take away is to “never forget God’s love” and to “always encourage others.” FCA is also available to non-athletes and those seeking further encouragement.

GR FCA builds faith on campus

By Erin Miller

was previously a race horse before he went into intense training to become a police pa-

trol horse.The students also

got the chance to go up and interact Mr. Cool personally. Leslie Iskenderian, a Special Education teacher on campus, has been working with her police of-ficer sister Janel to keep the tradition of bringing a police horse to the CNEC campus for three years now. They hope to continue this tradition for

many years to come to allow the students to experience an environment with large animals.

Mr. Cool greets Adan Montiel and Leslie Iskenderian.

In serious issues such as divorce, sui-cides, etc., studies show that it is easier to talk to younger mentors about problems (bullying, conflict resolution, etc.) rath-er than talking to trained adults first. CNEC’s Peer Counseling has helped many people new to this school or who have things they feel uncomfortable telling an adult.

Peer Counseling creates positive outcomes for the mentor and mentee, which include both growth and learning opportunities. It also takes less resourc-es for students to talk to their peers, compared to the school needing to re-cruit an adult. On top of that, students are at a point in time where friendships break easily, and Peer Counseling can help through experience to resolve it. Finally, Peer Counseling also makes tran-sitions from middle school to high school easier and less stressful.

Peer Counseling ‘first line of defense’ for student issuesBy Hayden Lusk With similar groups on other campuses,

Peer Counseling has 44 students on CN’s staff alone. At CNEC, students participat-ing in Peer Counseling have many various

responsibilities, including giving new stu-dents a tour of the campus, attending vari-ous training days, and hosting events such

as Red Ribbon Week and St. Baldrick’s. Michelle Miller, head of the high school program for Peer Counseling, says, “Peer Counselors are like a first line of defense,”

reflecting that peer counseling is one of the first places to go if something is bothering you.

If any student needs to go to Peer Counseling, CN stu-dents can go to Miller’s room (156), and GR students can go to Katie Aiello’s room (113). Also, students can look for the Peer Counselors who wear blue wristbands or they could ask a teacher to complete a request to contact a Peer Counselor. The sessions with Peer Counselors are completely anonymous, and they keep your information con-fidential. Peer Counseling has

helped many students so far, and they are hoping to continue this into the future on the CNEC campus.

24 out of the 44 Peer Counseling members a student can go to.

SportsPage 4

Coach Nick Pappanduros wants to help his team achieve success on and off the field. “I try to put them in the best situ-ation to have success in our games,” Papanduros says. This is his tenth year at CNEC coach-ing girls’ golf, boys’ golf, and girls’ soccer. Pappanduros has also coached at Edison High and Bullard High. He’s been coach-ing soccer for about 20 years. He plans to continue coaching until he retires from teaching.

There is a total of 23 girls on the team, each one encouraged

Pappanduros’ experience drives CN girls’ soccer

By Lindsay Mason

The GR girls’ 7th grade basketball team is Gianna Bomarito, Isabella Boscacci, Ta-kiya Cenci, Alaina Jones, Charlize Lewal-len, Emily Mam, Elishadiy Minyahil, Elizabeth Moffitt, Rakel Munshi, Taylor Pacheco, Sydney Perez, Asha Sra, and Rhya Williams. The starting girls are Sra as point guard, Pacheco as shooting guard, Williams as small forward, Cenci as power forward, and Moffitt as post. Everyone on the team makes a difference by coming to practice every day and working hard. So far this season, the team has gone undefeated by working on defense in practice.

This is head coach Alex Mendoza’s first year coaching at GR. He feels excited to watch what the team can accomplish dur-ing each game. He chose the girls on the team by looking at their confidence in the sport. He also feels that respect goes a long way on the team, stating, “Before and af-ter each practice the girls shake all of the coaches’ hands.”

GR girls’ basketball goes undefeated

By Hannah Carstens Competing in the Valley Championship last year, the CN varsity boys’ basketball team has high expectations set for this season. So far, the team is liv-ing up to these standards with an overall re-cord of 14-7 and a league re-cord of 3-1.

In pre-sea-son, the team participated in the St. Hope Classic Tourna-ment in Sacra-mento, Califor-nia, the Clash on the Coast To u r n a m e n t in Oxnard, California, and the McDonald Tip-Off Classic in Chico, California. Also, CN hosted the Valley Children’s Tip-Off

CN boys’ varsity basketball starts off winning season

By Gracie Webb Invitational Tournament. On January 13, the boys started off league season with an intense game against Clovis West, keeping the score close throughout the whole game until pulling away in the 4th quarter. The

final score was 83-73.

Fourth-year head coach Tony Amund-sen shares that the team set their goals to-gether, hoping to win league, be placed highest seat possible for playoffs, and win the Valley Championship. Amundsen ex-plains that all

the league competitors are very skilled and the team has to be consistent throughout league in order to achieve their goals.

Photo courtesy of RAWSPORTZ

by Pappanduros to improve by “getting back into fundamen-tals.” Pappanduros describes his team as “a youthful team with a solid senior class lead-ership.” He says, “The girls get along great and enjoy coming out to participate. This is what every coach strives for.” His goal for this season is to win a TRAC title followed by the Valley Championship. Their main goal, however, is just to become one as a team. The season record currently stands at 10-5-3.Hannah Hall dribbles the

ball away from defender.

COMPUTERS VS. BOOKS

Continued from Page 2

time logging into the computers. Comput-ers are a tedious tool to master, and do not always work the way you want them to. Books, in contrast, are reliable and don’t have these same problems.

Today, we live in a digital world. Us-ing technology can prepare students for a future deeply rooted in technology. Com-puters, when used correctly, can enhance learning and may be more beneficial and convenient than books. Does this mean we should ignore books altogether? Books have played such a prominent role in soci-ety for generations and are without a doubt important learning tools. Ultimately, books and computers are both crucial parts of education, and it is up to students to decide when to use each resource.