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

March 13,2009

Vol. 26 No. 8

What Lies Within:

VCHS Communications

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

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

NEWS................1-4A&E..................5-6FEATURES.......7-10SPORTS........11-15

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

Bringing Music to the

Happiest Place on Earth

Father Daughter Dinner Dance Goes Retro

By Tarah DuarteJunior Features Editor By Melody Makhfi

Junior A&E Editor

The Valley Christian VocalDepartment, which includes the worshipbandandtheWomen’sEnsemble,traveledto Disneyland during winter break fromFebruary 18-21. The group consisted of40 singers, and several staff membersincluding the director, Mr. David HookDuring the two day trip the group gaveanexcellentperformanceattheCarnationPlaza. Whentheyfirstarrived,thegroupdinedat theMedievalTimes inAnaheim,California.MedievalTimesisanamazingdinner show filled with jousting knights,brightmedievalcostumes,andevensomeaudienceinteraction.ThiswasagreatstarttotheweekendandafunwayforthegrouptoenjoytheirfirstnightinAnaheim. The second day of the trip, thegroup headed toDisneyland and enjoyedtheir free time in the park. Going onridessuchasSpaceMountainandIndianaJones, the group got the chance to relaxbefore making their way to Main Streetfor theirbigperformance. Withboth theworshipbandandtheWomen’sEnsembleperforming, the VC Vocal DepartmentdefinitelyimpressedattheHappiestPlaceonEarth.Singingasetoflovesongs,theperformancewasabsolutelyperfectfortheweekafterValentine’sDay. Junior Amber Coney had muchto say about the performance and her

See DISNEYLAND page 5

On Saturday, March 7, ValleyChristianSchools’girlsjoinedtheirfathersfor the annual Father Daughter DinnerDance. This year’s Leadership class, ledby Mr. Nathan Smith, put together afabulous event for girls and dads alike.The theme for theeveningwas, “AWalkThroughTheDecades”andfamiliescamedressedtoimpressinavarietyofcostumesrangingfromflappergirlsandzootsuitstooutfitsfromthefuture! Upon entering the gym, dadsand daughters were greeted with a funand entertaining decade theme. Coveringthefrontwallwasagiganticsignreading“A Walk Through the Decades” and wasilluminated with floor lights and a hugewhite and black balloon arch. The tableswere decorated with orange and blacktablecloths with the table centerpiecesbeing highly creative. In the middle ofeachtablewasanoldrecordbringingbackmemoriesforeachandeverydad.Ontopof the record, along with confetti was anoldermodelofacokebottleeachholdingafewcarnations.Thecenterpiecesdefinitelyadded to the decade theme. Coloredposters aligned the sidewalls, eachposterrepresenting a decade and the memoriesassociatedwiththem. The fun night started out with adeliciousdinnercateredbyBuccadiBeppo.Thedadsanddaughterswereabletofillupwith salad, penne pasta, lemon chickenandParmesanchickenwhileenjoyingeachother’scompany. After eating, a few tables werecleared toallowmore roomon thedancefloor.Thedadsanddaughterswerenotonlyabletodancetoasoundtrackbuttheyalso

hadthefunopportunitytoenjoyaliveband.Senior Nathan Underwood sang lead,juniorCorey Martin played bass, seniorDevin Valdez was on guitar, sophomoreTyler Mauro played drums while seniorChris Lazar played keyboard. The boyskept theaudienceentertainedas theyhadcostume changes throughout the night tocoordinate with the musical decade theywouldplay. Throughout the night, dads anddaughterswereencouragedtobidonsilentauctionitemsaswellasbuyraffletickets,allproceedstobenefittheLucillePackardChildren’s Hospital. Up for bid wereGoldenStateWarriorstickets,OaklandA’stickets,moviepassesandmore.Available

VC fathers and daughters bonded over dinner and enjoyed the fun retro atmosphere.

70s attire was a very popular decade choice for the night.

The Tomasello Family won the night’s costume contest with a very creative Hairspray-inspired ensemble.

The Whitaker and Thomas duos came decked out as 60s hippies and the very famous Sonny and Cher.

See FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE page 2

Some of the group gets wet on Disneyland’s classic Splash Mountain ride.

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2 THE WARRIOR NEWS March 13, 2009

News - Successful Alumni Talk About Life After Valley pg. 3 - Seniors! The Next Step on the Road to College pg. 4

A&E - Les Misérables: Brilliant Opening Night on the Valley Christian Stage pg. 5 - Take a Look at Hollywood’s Latest Movie Release pg. 6

Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

Jacob RuizAssistant News Editor

Priscilla ShenAssistant News Editor

Liz FlemingA&E Editor

Melody MakhfiJunior A&E EditorJohn-Luke KvapilJunior A&E Editor

Alyssa TomaselloFeatures Editor

Christine ByrneFeatures Editor Tarah Duarte

Junior Features Editor

CJ WryeSports EditorStephen Lam

Assistant Sports EditorRachael Shen

Assistant Sports EditorJon Lampkin

Junior Sports Editor

Erica ParkerPhoto EditorJoyce Chen Photo Editor

Staff Writers

Tyler VerreyClare Lee

Arazue Moghtaderi-ZadehDanny HittlerDarelle Jones

Dominic Taguinod Nathan Farrokhian

Ryan LoweSamantha Varada

Taylor FineMelissa LimKaleb Tuttle

Zayn KirkendollLeanna Borelli

Tom ZellnerChris Tozer

2008-2009Warrior Staff

Want to advertise in The Warrior? Contact

Diann Fugate at dfugate@vcs.net

for ad sizes and rates.

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

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

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

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

Fricke-Parks Press, Union City, California.

The Inside Scoop:Features - VC Students Make a Difference in Cambodia and Mexico pg. 8-9 - An Unanticipated School Event Sends Students Home Early pg. 10

Sports - Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball Fall Short in CCS Semifinals pg. 11 - March Madness is Here! Take a look inside pg. 15

2009 AP Exams ScheduleMonday, May 4

Thursday, May 7

Wednesday, May 6

Tuesday, May 5

Thursday, May 14

Wednesday, May 13

Tuesday, May 12

Monday, May 11

Friday, May 8

Friday, May 15

8 a.m. 12 noonUnited States Government and Politics

Calculus ABCalculus BC

Computer ScienceSpanish Language

United States History

English Literature and Composition

Biology Music Theory

Chemistry

Macroeconomics

English Language and Composition

Human Geography

Comparative Government and Politics

Statistics

Japanese Language and Culture

NO AP TESTS

European HistoryStudio Art (Portfolios Due)

Physics BPhysics C: Mechanics *

*Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Test 2 p.m.

NO AP TESTS

Art History

Microeconomics

NO AP TESTS

Father Daughter Dinner DanceContinued from page 1through the raffle were Raging Waters tickets, Starbucks gift baskets, as well as a variety of other fun items. And don’t forget the costumes! Many couples came dressed in very interesting costumes ranging from a dad in a dress to daughters dressed as hippies. Taking third in the costume contest was the Wilson Family, second was the Griffith Family and taking home first was the Tomasello Family! Each couple enjoyed themselves that night making memories and forming bonds that will last a lifetime. The Father Daughter Dance was definitely a success!

Amy Griffith and her dad defied expectations and came as though they were from the future.

Dads and their daughters came dressed as everything from gangsters and flappers to greasers and pink ladies.

Families enjoyed their pasta dinner from Buca di Beppo before dancing the night away.

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3THE WARRIORNEWS March 13, 2009

What is life after Valley like? While it remains a mystery to the average high school student, Jason and Tawnya Kuzia, two alumni from the 2001 Valley Christian graduating class, have experienced success outside of school and have gone through the ups and downs of post-high school life. Both of the Kuzias have chosen to pursue careers in the arts and entertainment industry. After high school, Jason set his sights on technical theater. He attended San Francisco State and then worked at Legend Theatrical, and returned to Valley to work in the theater for several years. He then moved to Hollywood and has created or worked on commercials from Safeway, Apple, BCBG, and Hill Physicians. Jason’s career has also included lighting and designing the 2007 NAACP Awards and worked on movies such as 10th & Wolfe, Crashing, The Incubator, and the soon to be released The Kings of Appletown (which stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse as well as Victoria Justice from the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon) During the filming of his last major motion picture, Jason was invited to become one of

the youngest ever to hold the position of art director, and be accepted into an elite union with a total of less than 1000 art directors worldwide. Tawnya Kuzia (formerly Tawnya Martin) has chosen to make her mark in dance. After graduating from Valley, she attended San Jose State, and continued her dance training in a work study program at Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, one of the premier dance studios in the nation where she trained and assisted some of the world’s top choreographers including owner and master teacher, Bill Prudich. Tawnya has been fortunate to train under some of the best choreographers in the country including Dee Caspary (The Newsies, Paula Abdul,

& Kid‘s Incorporated), Mandy Moore (choreographer for American Idol Juniors and So You Think You Can Dance), Tovaris Wilson (So You Think You Can Dance, Britney Spears, Austin Powers II, and Janet Jackson), Liz Imperio (Madonna, Selena, Cher, Gloria Estefan), Doug Caldwell (Austin Powers Gold Member, 13 Going On 30, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith), and Keri LaGrand. Currently, Tawnya is busy choreographing for companies, award shows, and events such as “The NAACP Awards where she choreographed for Vanessa Williams and the “original dream girl” Sheryl Lee Ralph and dancers. In 2006, the couple decided to open the bay area’s newest dance center, Nor Cal, where Tawnya is also the Artistic Director of its pre-professional dance company the PACK Dance Co. However, they have never forgotten where they came from or who helped them get there. The friends they made at Valley made significant impacts on their lives. “Many of the friends we had at Valley are still good friends and some of the staff have become great mentors for us in our careers

This year’s Winter Sports Banquet was another successful and memorable evening. The teams in attendance were the boys and girls soccer, JV and freshmen girls basketball, JV and freshmen boys basketball, and the wrestling team. The girls softball team helped serve the dinner- chicken, potatoes, and a garden salad. Jerry Hitchman was first to speak. He talked of the dedication of Valley Christian players and their potential to impact others in a big way. Eric Sharrenberg also gave his annual speech talking specifically about the integral part of Valley Christian’s athletic program - the players themselves. He also praised the Valley Christian coaches for setting positive examples for their teams and challenging them in their character and not just on the field. Following this, Sharrenberg went on to talk about the accomplishments of each VC team during the team during their season. Some significant moments during the winter season include the girls and boys varsity basketball teams making it to the CCS semi-finals and the girls barely losing to Sacred Heart Cathedral in the WCAL finals. During this time, the teams all listened attentively and enjoyed spending time reflecting on their many successful seasons. Around 7:15pm, folks finished up their dinners and the teams and parents broke off into separate rooms for individual awards and recognitions. All of Valley Christian’s winter sports can look back on their seasons with pride and say that they bonded as teams and grew in their personal abilities.

and businesses,” says Jason. They both say that without the guidance they received from Valley’s arts staff , Troy Gunter, Skip Sharp, and Kim Brown, they would not have the faith, persistence, and passion for what they both love doing today. The major piece of advice that the Kuzias would give to a current student at Valley would be to “submerse yourself in what you love to do.” They strongly encourage following your own individual passions and doing what you love. They

never gave up on their passions and both have been e x t r e m e l y successful in their respective fields. Jason was even allowed to vote for the art director/p r o d u c t i o n category for the Oscars and

decided to vote for The Dark

Knight. Jason and Tawnya Kuzia are both prime examples of regular students that attended Valley Christian High School and went on to be successful in the fields that they love.

By Kaleb TuttleStaff Writer

VC Alumni: Where Are They Now?

By Jacob RuizAssistant News Editor

Reflecting on a Great

Season

Tawnya Kuzia has truly paved a way for herself as a renown choreographer and dancer.

Jason Kuzia is one of the youngest art directors in Hollywood.

On February 21, 2009, girls from across Silicon Valley gathered at Calvary Chapel in San Jose to listen to inspirational testimonies and presentations given by women their age and older about the importance of purity as a Christian woman. “The Purity Conference was a great experience for all who attended,” said Ms. Vivian Pipkin, Valley Christian sophomore Bible teacher. The Purity Conference was for all ages and is put on every two years by Calvary Chapel. During the conference, speakers of various ages and ethnicities shared their life stories and their own personal struggles with purity in today’s society. Not only women, but also men, shared with the girls about their love life and the importance of purity from their point of view. Ms. Pipken even added, “The girls Purity Conference was such an inspiring event for the girls to attend! The speakers gave such great

Girls Reminded to Return to their First Love

advice and encouragement. The panel of Christian college guys that answered the girls’ questions on what they wanted in a girl was so awesome. Purity rings were also being sold to remind the girls to stay pure and with the power of God they can.”

Though there may be temptations, and other sin in the world, the Purity Conference was held to remind young women about their most important love, their Savior Jesus Christ. In Revelation, Jesus speaks to churches about repentance and tells them how they have forsaken their first and most important love. Many people

search for love in numerous ways, but if young women, in particular, do not have Christ Jesus first in their lives, true love will be truly hard to find. This type of love takes commitment, perseverance, and patience. Jeremiah 29:11, 13 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future, you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The Purity Conference challenged the young women to chase after God and His love, keeping themselves pure in His sight.

By Erica ParkerJunior A&E Editor

The Girl s Purity Conference was such an inspir ing event for

the g irl s to attend! The speakers gave such

good advice and encouragement .

~ Ms. Pipkin

A group of VC girls take a moment to pose for a picture at Calvary Chapel’s Girls Purity Conference.

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4 THE WARRIOR NEWSMarch 13, 2009

Preparing to Take the Next Step

What Did YOU Give Up?

Miss Torok’s Healthy Habitat

A&P Students Feeling Feline

By Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

By Alyssa TomaselloFeatures Editor

Wellness for Students, Fac-ulty and Staff, oh my! The Well-ness Center is available to everyone! The Wellness Center is now open for everyone to use. Teachers get personal training on Wednesdays by Amy Torok, who is also known as Valley Christian’s very own Jillian Michaels from The Big-gest Loser. Students are also allowed to use this wonderful facility during their P.E. or Strength and Conditioning Classes. The Wellness Center is a place where people can get together to exercise and improve their health. It contains state of the art cardio equipment such as ellipticals, treadmills, and bikes. Along with cardio, it also contains weight training equipment such as weight resistance machines, dumbbells, barbells, stability bells, bands, and medicine balls. The Wellness Center is so impor-tant because in today’s really fast-paced

life style, many people do not schedule time to go to the gym and get their well-needed exercise in order to stay fit. Luck-ily, even in this busy world, the people of Valley Christian High School have the advantage of going to the Wellness Center to work out their bodies. Personal trainer Torok stated, “Exercise is today’s medicine because it decreases blood pressure, low-ers cholesterol, reduces stress, increases flexibility, and improves bone density.” VCHS photo teacher, Mrs. Cindy Torode is one of the teachers who goes to the teacher sessions on Wednes-days and knows Torok by the nickname of “Torturous Torok.” Mrs. Torode ex-citedly said, “Every Wednesday she works us past what we can bear, and yet I show up; I’ve lost four pounds and yes, I can run for two whole minutes now!”

By Tommy ZellnerStaff Writer Curiosity killed the cat, but Mr. Vander Veen and Company dissected it. VCHS science teacher, Mr. Scott Vander Veen’s Anatomy and Physiology classes have begun dissecting cats. Start-ing a few weeks ago, they began by skin-ning the cats. According to junior Danny Hittler, “Skinning the cats was by far the worst part. Once we got past the skinning, the whole thing got a lot more interesting.” After skinning the cat, the students had to pull away, separate, and label the muscle. Currently they are in the stage of observ-ing all the muscles of the cats. Once they

pass this stage, they will move on to label-ing all of the different structures and sys-tems inside the cat’s body, including the respiratory, nervous and digestive system. Dissection is a very important part of the Anatomy and Physiology class. It allows the students to get out of their textbooks and learn through a hands-on experience. Nathan Campeau, another junior in Anatomy and Physiology, said, “I am glad that I go to a school where we get the opportunity to not just learn science out of our books, but get hands deep, literally, into what we are studying.”

Ash Wednesday, February 25, marked the beginning of the Lenten Sea-son. For the next forty days and forty nights the Catholic Church, along with other Christians, observe with reverence the pe-riod of time leading up to Easter Sunday. Lent is a time of meditation on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians are asked to reflect on the ultimate sacri-fice of God giving up his son Jesus to die and take the punishment for the sins of the world. Jesus died to remove the guilt of people’s sins, so they could be forgiven and deemed righteous by God. God demon-strated His overwhelming love for people by providing a way for people to be saved from the consequence of their sins and to have a personal relationship with him. Just as Christ fasted and as God sent down His only Son as atonement for people’s sins, Christians are encouraged to go without something for this short pe-riod of time from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. By giving up something, Chris-tians experience a little piece of what Je-sus felt and gain a greater understanding of what He went through. For this period of refrainment, each person thoughtfully and prayerfully selects something to go with-

out having or doing. Then, he or she prac-tices self-control and discipline to keep from indulging in whatever was given up. However, Christians are rewarded for their self-denial on Sundays, when they can treat themselves to the foregone item. The pur-pose for this Lent tradition is to spend time thinking about and thanking God instead of partaking in something in particular. Valley Christian students in par-ticular have chosen to give up things such as candy, sweets, soda, secular music, television or a favorite televi-sion program, bad habits, video games, Facebook, Myspace, Starbucks, cof-fee, Jamba Juice, cookies or other baked goods, texting, or instant messaging. As more time goes by, the students who have chosen to fast for Lent claim that it is getting easier to resist the temptation to give into their wants. The first few days may have been difficult, but many students are finding the experience to be a positive one. It is giving them more time to re-pri-oritize their lives and to focus on the things that are really important. Overall, fasting for Lent has proven to be a worthwhile expe-rience for Valley’s student body as a whole.

By Joyce ChenPhoto Editor

After laboring over numerous application essays and completing the daunting task of applying to college, this year’s high school seniors are now left wondering, “What next?” As they ap-proach the last semester of their high school experience, these students can continue to prepare for college and make sure that they are completely ready to take this exciting next step upon graduation. College is expensive. However, there are now many financial aid options available to students, easing the fear of suf-focating student loans. All college-bound students should apply for federal financial aid online through the FAFSA student aid program. Upon meeting a number of in-come eligibility requirements, students can receive a very helpful amount of aid from the federal government. The Cali-fornia state government also offers Cal-grants to its residents based on high school

GPA as well as family income level. Both these government grants are great op-tions for college-bound students looking for an easy way to receive financial aid. In addition to government aid, there are many college-specific scholar-ships available to students. Students should be sure to research the schools to which they are applying to find out if they offer academic, arts, or athletic-related scholar-ships. Some may require an application or essay, so the students should find out about them as soon as possible to ensure a maxi-mum number of financial possibilities. Furthermore, there are numer-ous outside scholarships that are awarded to students who do the work to uncover them. A great website for finding schol-arships is www.FastWeb.com. Students can plug in information about them-selves and the site will send them in-formation about any scholarship that

is catered to their talents and interests. Another way to continue the col-lege preparation process is to sign-up for AP exams and SAT subject tests. These tests often have the ability to exempt pass-ing-students from beginning level college courses and free up their freshman sched-ules to take other classes. AP tests are of-fered throughout the beginning of May and SAT subject tests are available on a specific testing day once a month. Students should be sure to contact the schools in which they are interested and find out how much credit they can receive from these types of tests. Finally, as the acceptance letters begin flooding their mailboxes, students will be faced with one of the biggest deci-sions of their lives. As they struggle to de-cide where to spend their next four years, these college-bound seniors can take a few important steps to help with the decision making process. Many colleges offer pre-

view days for future students to check out the university, and maybe even stay in the dorms. This is the best way to get a taste of campus life and see if a student can picture themselves in the atmosphere on that spe-cific campus. Students should also keep in contact with their admissions counselor from each school and present them with any questions they may have about the universities. Sometimes the counselors can even pair college-bound students with current college students to answer more questions and to help them get to know the school from a student’s perspective. Overall, the next few months are an exciting time of decisions for cur-rent high school seniors. Over this time, they will be able to make the last prepa-rations for college and get ready to take this exciting next step in their lives.

Seniors Ashley Mauro and Rebekah Wood look to be enjoying their cat dissection in Anatomy and

Physiology.

Anatomy and Physiology students were hard at work, careful to do their dissections correctly.

The guys of Anatomy and Physiology pause from their dissection for a quick picture.

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5March 13, 2009A&E Arts andEntertainment

VC Theater Presents: Les Misérables

Artist FocusThe Warrior A&E’s:

By Samantha VaradaStaff Writer “The meaning for this piece was on the innocence of kids and their love for candy,” said senior, Brandon Feist when explaining his photo. Simplyputandeasilyidentified,Feist continued to explain how he took the photo on a cloudy day so the sun did not overpower the shadows of the picture. In the original piece, Feist only kept the color of the candy to make it stand out brilliantly. Feist has been involved in art and photography since his freshman year. “Recently I have gotten more into traditional art mainly because I want to focus more on painting and drawing since that is something I really love to do,” said Feist. He hopes to continue in graphic arts in college. Not only is Feist a well-accomplished artist but also a growing entrepreneur. His t-shirt business, Electric Threads Corp, began only about a year ago with the intention of just a fun hobby. Only recently did Feist begin to see

potential for a real and thriving business. “Electric Threads Corp is a company that creates high-quality clothing, driven by art and design,” explains a quote from his business webpage. Feist’s strong emphasis on originality and creativity is evident in his work. Every design has its own personal touch and will usually not be printed again after it is sold out. “Electric Threads Corp. is a business ran by dreams and ideas waiting to be created,” said Feist in his about section on his website. Visit Electric Threads Corp online at electricthreadscorp.com to learn more.

experience on the trip, “Disneyland is one of my absolute favorite places, and going with everyone from the vocal department made it even better! We performed at the Carnation Plaza, and our set was a compilation of love songs, and we had a blast singing our hearts out. Of course, the rides were one of the best parts of the trip, but what I enjoyed most was being able to bond with others in the happiest place on earth!” Senior Ashley Mauro said, “The Worship Band performed in the middle of Disneyland and they did an amazing job and I enjoyed watching my brother play the drums!” Overall the students’ comments about their performance at Disneyland were positive, and many are exciting to go again next year. The Vocal Department has taken a trip to Disneyland a couple times over the previous years, and plan to do so for many more to come.

Continued from Page 1

The Theatre Department opened its production of Les Misérables on Thursday, March 12. Les Mis tells the story of an ex-convict named Jean Valjean who commits himself to make an honest life after spending nearly two decades in a French prison. Senior Jacob Jones plays Valjean. Jones is an active member of the Valley Christian community as he also sings in the youth chapel band held weekly every Wednesday. The revolutionary student Courfeyrac, played by junior Corey Martin, is frequently described as the youthful and passionate counterpart of the intellectual Combeferre played by sophomore Grant Douglas, and charismatic Enjolras played by senior Jeryl Concepcion. In preparing for his role in Les Mis, Martin has undergone extensive vocal training with Mr. Hook, and was allowed to forgo the Valley Christian dress code in order to grow a beard for his role. Martin has been in many Valley Theatre productions including Beauty and the Beast and Twelfth Night. The most enjoyable part of producing a play for Martin is getting to be a part of a great student and faculty staff, “Of course I lovethefinalproductbutgettingtherewiththe people I work with is half the fun.” Many of the student actors in the Valley Christian Theatre Department have formed a closely-knit community, hanging out in the theatre on rainy days and after school. Junior Nicky Slavich describes beloved theatre director Matt DeMeritt as “a real wizard when it comes to directing.”

Introducing the Cast and CrewBy Tyler VerreyStaff Writer

By Liz FlemingA&E Editor

64 cast members, 13 performanc-es, six months of rehersals, three weeks of run time, and the efforts of countless numbers of people involved. The school production of Les Misreables has been a tremendous, lengthy undertaking for both the Theater and Vocal Departments. After months of preparation, this highly antici-pated show has finally debuted in the Val-ley Christian theater to wowed audiences. It represents an exemplary col-laboration of excellence between acting and vocals, blending together both depart-ments invested in the project. Senior Jacob Jones commands the audience’s attention in his lead role as the reformed thief, Jean

The entire cast of Les Mis onstage before the teacher preview show on March 11.

Valjean. Valjean befriends the fallen facto-ry worker turned prostitute Fantine, played by senior Ashley Mauro, who works constantly to support her young daughter Cosette, played by junior Caitlin Monte-verde. Mauro’s voice is amazing, and her song “I Dreamed a Dream” was highly praised by Valley Christian staff as one of their favorites in the teacher preview show on March 11. Senior Daniel Huffman also stands out in his role as Javert, the po-lice inspector of the town. Juniors Nicky Slavich and Olivia Norman are wonder-fully despicable as the seedy inn own-ers Thénardier and Madame Thénardier. Their daughter, Eponine, played by senior

Janelle Kester, is hopelessly in love with the dashing student, Marius played by ju-nior Tim Davis, who is in love with Cosette. If possible, even more impres-sive than the outstanding quality of act-ing and singing is the attention to detail director Matt DeMeritt and his team of techies have applied throughout the show. The stage features a lazy Susan turntable, a two-story stage complete with a pit for the live orchestra that plays through the show, and incredibly detailed lighting cues. Les Mis opened on March 12, and will continue to run shows Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until March 28.

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6 THE WARRIOR A&EMarch 13, 2009

Guess who’s back? That’s right, it’s the one and only Madea and as usual, she is up to her usual antics. Tyler Perry returns once again with yet another sequal to the Madea movie line. Previously seen in Madea’s Family Reuinion, the character brings the same amount of hilarity to the new role. Perry stars as Madea, the wild, loud, and funny character that everybody loves. This time, her crazy deeds go too far and she winds up dealing with the law. Madea gets into a high-speed chase that puts her straight into the courtroom in front of a judge. Of course, Madea cannnot seem to close her mouth when words are not needed, and because of her anger management issues, she is sent straight to jail.

Join Madea as she experiences jail and influences her fellow inmates with her crazy words and ways. With an all-star cast consisting of Keshia Knight Pulliam,

“The Best Sandwiches Are Built Right Here!” Erik’s Delicafe is true to its catchphrase. If you are in the mood for a delicious, juicy, mouthwatering sandwich that’s sure to satisfy your appetite, then head to your local Erik’s. As you walk into the unique, family started business, the unique atmosphere strikes you. With wood planked walls and western artifacts hung all around the room, you might even feel as though you are walking into a 19th century saloon. In some locations, there is a wood-burning stove in the center of the room, and the rustic table and chairs might make you think you are in a log cabin. Dine in or take out, the food is fresh and prepared right in front of your eyes. Fresh salads, soups and pastas are on display and available relatively cheap. Although my personal favorite is the Turkey sandwich, absolutely everything on the menu is unbelievably delicious. Soup wise, a must try is the Tomato Basil

Soup with Erik’s delicious bread. The adult menu is reasonably priced, and you can choose from a selection of sandwiches that come standard with onions, tomatoes, sprouts, and “Erik’s Secret Goo.” Beautiful fresh salads and hearty soup are also on the menu. The kid’s menu is also creative with names like “Charlie Cheesepocket,” “Tommy Turkey” and “Annie Ankle Biter.” The staff is friendly, the service is fast, and the restaurant is always clean. Popular throughout the South Bay Erik’s has many locations. If you are ever in the mood for a mouthwatering sandwich, warm soup or a fresh salad, stop by Erik’s Deli soon!

Madea: Posing for her picture, Madea brings sounds of laughter to theaters across the U.S in her new

movie, Madea Goes to Jail

Three Cups of Tea is a truly inspiring novel that follows Greg Mortenson’s real-life journey through the treacherous Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan and his mission to build a total of fifty-five schools throughout the villages wedged in its intimidating terrain. Written by Mortenson himself, this novel asks its readers to step out of their comfort zones and find the deeper purpose of their lives.

In 1993, Mortenson finds himself lost on a mountaineering expedition in an attempt to climb the forbidding peak K2, when he makes his way into a small Pakistani village called Korphe. Here he is shown the village’s “school”, which is really just an open area of land. He sees the children kneeling on the ground and scratching out their lessons and multiplication tables into the dirt, since they are without desks, slateboards, or even paper and pencils. The “school” is unable to supply a teacher more than three days a week, because the Pakistani government only provides one school teacher for two nearby villages to share. Upon witnessing this desperate need of educational resources, Mortenson promises Korphe’s chief Haji Ali that he

More Than Just a Cup of Teawill build a school for the children. However, this one promise quickly develops into a life-mission for Mortenson as he begins to build schools for many other villages throughout the area. He is regarded as a hero to the people of Pakistan for his generous heart and his willingness to fill whatever need he sees. Throughout his time in Pakistan, M o r t e n s o n learns about the importance of building relationships and reaching out to those in great need. According to Mortenson, “We Americans think

you have to accomplish everything quickly. We’re the country of thirty-minute power lunched and two-minute football drills…Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. He taught me that I had more to learn from the people I work with than I could ever hope to teach them.”

By Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

Throughout the Pakistani region, tea is a symbol of acceptance and friendship. In this novel, it represents the strong bond that Mortenson came to develop for the people of Pakistan and the respect and love that the people felt for him as well. The schools were more than just buildings to the people of Pakistan. They symbolized the fact that someone cared enough about them to think about their futures and the futures of their children. This novel truly issues a challenge to its audience to find a way to impact the world, looking beyond the boundaries of normal life to the many needs present across the globe.

By Ryan LoweStaff Writer

Sandwich Success: Erik’s Deli

Three Cups of Tea is an insipiring book for any audience.

Movie Review: Madea Goes to JailBy Zayn KirkendollStaff Writer

Greg Mortenson transformed the lives of the children of Pakistan by giving them a chance at education.

Derek Luke, Robin Coleman and many more outstanding actors, this movie is sure to be worth the money at the theater. Take the family to witness all of the comedy, laughter, and tears of the newly-released Madea Goes To Jail.

Rated PG-13

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Customers will find Erik’s selection of sandwich options amazingly tasty.

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Erik’s wonderful ambiance keeps customers com-ing back many times in the future.

• Mr. Jonathan Burton

Experience: 8 years at Valley ChristianFree Time: “I am a gardening enthusiast, especially Roses.”First Job: “First job was working as a tutor in high school in just about any subject,

my parents didn’t have a lot of money so I had to pay for some of my clothes and any other non-essential expenses.”

Favorite Verse: Romans 12:9A “ We see over and over again this idea of love; Jesus says to love others. It gives us a real sense to what love must be. Love must be well thought out. This love God talks about is a love that is very intentional, it’s an attitude not an emotion. It’s a love that thinks what is best for others and best for God.”

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Best Memory as a Counselor: “For me it’s been all of the relationships I have built with students over the years.”

Why he loves being a counselor: “It’s basically getting to work with students and help them make wise choices. God has wired me to enjoy helping people grow and develop.”

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7March 13, 2009FEATURESInternational Spotlight: Ji Park

VCHS Marching Band Goes Global

If you ask which is the busi-est year for high school students, most people would say that junior year is the busiest. I met with junior, Ji Park of Korea who is spending her busiest year at Valley Christian High School.

Q: What do you like to do during free time?A. I go to work out, hang out with friends, go out for dinner, or do some-thing creative. I hate being at home all day but sometimes I like to sleep when I have free time.

Q: When did you come to US? How long have you been stayed in here?A: This is my third year living in United States. I went to Boylan High School in Rockford, Illinois for my freshman year and then transferred to Valley Christian after. My freshman year at Boylan was much fun. I met great people and I still keep in touch with them. I would love to go visit there in my future.

Q: Have you ever studied abroad in other country? A: I’ve attended school in Paris for five months in 7th grade. I don’t think I was taking it serious about going to foreign country at that moment, but I made such a great friends and had a great time. My

By Clare LeeStaff Writer

aunt is French and her family lives in Paris so she helped me a lot for everything that I had difficulty with when I was there for couple months.

Q: How did the soccer season go this year? A: I couldn’t play that much of games since I got injured dur-ing practice and went to Korea for two weeks on December, but the season went well. I had fun playing soccer with the girls and coaches.

Q: Do you miss family? Korea?A: Of course I miss my family but I don’t regret my decision that I made to come here. I go to Korea once or twice a year and I was there over Christmas break. My

family and I try to take a vacation often, at least during summer break when I am

with them. I use MSN most of time because that way I can actually see them.

Q: Will you stay in CA next year too? Why?A: My answer is no, I will not be in CA or in the states next year. I have decided to go back to Korea to wrap up my se-nior year and go to college. I had a dif-ficult time whether I should go to college in United States or in Korea. But I thought it would be better for my future and I would have more fun if I go to college in Korea. So there are many plans that I’m going

to try this summer and hopefully all of them work out suc-cessfully.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?A: I value my sleep- and nothing annoys me more than when someone is making noise while I’m trying to sleep.

Q: What is something you would like to accomplish before you die?A: Run a marathon

Q: Do you have a favorite poem, quote, or saying?A: “Start by doing that which is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible” - St. Frain-cis of Assisi

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you won $100 million?A: I will buy a nice house in New Caledo-nia and take a long vacation

Q: What are five things you cannot live without?A: My family, laptop, exercise, my clothes, chap stick. It was great opportunity to talk with Ji and it is very sad that we cannot see her next year, because she will go back to Korea. Everybody who knows Ji at Valley will miss her, as she has been making lots of friends during her three years at VCHS.

On February 12, the Valley Christian High School Band traveled to Hong Kong. Over the next nine days the band t r a v e r s e d t h r o u g h Asia starting in Hong Kong, next Singapore, a n d ending in Cambodia. Senior, Jonathan Chue who went on the trip with the band noted,“Well, first of all, it was amazing to see

By Christine Byrne Features Editor

the stark contrast between Singapore, Hong Kong, and Cambodia. Singapore and

Hong Kong are so westernized. When we went to Cambodia, it was rare that a local had a car. Most of them traveled by motorbike.”

It was a life changing experience for all Valley Christian

band members because it exposed them to a whole different part of the world. The students and chaperones visited many of the sites they had only heard about, including the breathtaking Angkor Wat temple and Choeung Ek, one of the infamous Killing Fields. When the group performed at some traditional schools, the native students demonstrated some

of the classical Cambodian

dances, and in each of the dances, a story about their culture was revealed. The students of the Valley Christian Band were given a new perspective to the blessings God has bestowed upon the United States. Chue states, “People literally live in one-room huts on the side of the road near stagnant ponds of dirty, mosquito-infested water. At

each of the tourist sites, we were flocked by children desperately trying to sell some trinkets or begging for anything we could give them.” Experiencing Cambodia as high school students was a gift, because the members of the bad were able to share God’s love by means of their talents. Music

is an incredible medium in which to share the message of the Gospel, because it crosses the language and cultural barriers. While touring through Hong Kong, Singapore, and Cambodia the VCHS band was able to perform in many different venues and learned many important lessons as they traveled the world. Chue eloquently said in reference to the trip as a whole, “I learned to treasure every moment and every experience. Do not take things for granted because you might not ever see them again.”

The students learned so much about the culture of Cambodia.

The girls stop for a photo at sunset.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson even found their own sign while in Camboda.

Photo Credits: Nicole Kohlman

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Ji Park poses for a quick photo.

THE WARRIOR FEATURES 9THE WARRIORFEATURES March 13, 20098 March 13, 2009

TO CAMBODIA AND BEYOND!

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10 THE WARRIOR FEATURESMarch 13, 2009

Most citizens on March 17 wear green, have gold chocolate coins, look for rainbows and pots of gold, four leafed clo-vers, and catch a leprechaun. Society mis-understands the real history behind Saint Patrick’s Day and the true traditions that follow this widely celebrated Irish holi-day! Born at the end of the four-centu-ry, St. Patrick was born to a wealthy family in Britain. Patrick’s father was a Christian deacon, but there is no concrete evidence of Patrick and his family being religious. Irish raiders took over his family’s estate and enslaved Patrick in captivity for about six years. Being alone for such a long time as a shepherd, he turned to God for solace and strength. Finally, Patrick escaped be-cause he had a dream that God was telling him to leave Ireland. In order to do so, it is believed that he walked 200 miles to get to the coast and entered into Britain. Later in his life, he was confronted by an angel and was commanded to return to Ireland as a missionary. He studied for 15 years to be ordained as a priest and went to Ireland to concert the Irish to Christianity. Patrick tried to incorporate some of the Irish tradi-tions with Christianity. During the celebra-tion of Easter, he had bonfires; since the Irish honored their gods with fire. The sun was a powerful Irish symbol, and Patrick added it to the cross –now called the Celtic

By Stephen LamAssistant Sports Editor

cross-- to make it more natural and mean-ingful to the locals. Starting in Ireland, this Holiday has spread throughout the world andd is celebrated in a variety of different places. Here’s what to do in the US! Try visiting some local parades or fairs that have true immigrants that can cook delicious corned beef and cabbage, or have tasty green bever-ages! Some local parades and events in the bay area are: San Francisco 157th St. Pat-rick Day Parade 2009 on Saturday, March 14 at 11:30 am; The Celtic “bard and folk guitarist play music on Thursday, March 9 at 7 pm on Saratoga Avenue; St. Patrick’s Day Mass on Sunday, March 12, at 11:30

Top: Teenagers show their Irish pride at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York.

Right:Miss Maryland Teen and Miss Maryland ride in

Baltimore’s Saint Patrick’s Parade

St. Patrick’s Day Goes Global!

Blackout Hits SkywayBy Taylor FineStaff Editor On February 27, 2009 students, teachers, and faculty arrived at the Valley Christian Campus for what they believed to be a normal Friday with a 2:35pm bust to the weekend. At approximately 9:30am the Valley Christian Campus was hit by a blackout sending the academic learning en-vironment into a halt. Students and their teachers were instructed to remain calm and collected until further instructions were given. Some students experienced darker situations than others, as some windowless classrooms were left in utter darkness. About thirty minutes after the incident, school faculty of both the Junior High and High School an-nounced that the power would not be fixed by PG&E until roughly three hours later. And due to the several hours of unavoid-able darkness, school as well any other ex-tra curricular activities would be canceled for the day requiring all students were to

report home. Faculty later reported that the cause of the blackout was due to a system malfunction with the air conditioning sys-tem. As students frantically and ex-ultantly rushed and screamed through the hall ways; students were seen taking pic-tures of the dark hall ways and illuminated exit signs. With the elevators not working some students in wheel chairs and crutches were forced to compete with their injuries by climbing up several staircases in order to go to the quad. Bri Melnchuck, a junior at VCHS said in response to the blackout, “Our class was talking about a code red, so we thought it was part of the practice drill.” Since the school day was cut short, students were left with hours of open time to fill in with social pleasures. Junior Amber Coney spoke up saying, “Since Les Miserables was cancelled, thirty of the

theater kids went out to BJ’s and then we all went to Corey Martin’s house to watch movies, and eat ice cream.” Laura Bloom, junior at VCHS, as well as several of her other friends had what might have been the most exciting blackout story than any other Valley Christian stu-dent. “We all decided to go laser tagging in Mountain View, but when we got there we found out that it did not open until 3:00pm, so we walked across the street to the Star-bucks to wait. And that’s when I spotted Corbin Bleu in the parking lot! We had a long chat with him and invited him to go laser tagging with us. That was an amazing day I will never forget.” From canceled practices, to ce-lebrity spottings, Friday February 27, 2009 will always be a day Valley Christian stu-dents will never forget and have now titled as blackout day.

Cheer Team Ups Standards With the 2008-2009 season at a close for the freshmen, JV, and Varsity Cheerleading teams, Cheerleading Advisor Mrs. Cindy Torode prepares for the new and improved 2009-2010 Spirit Season. Traditionally in the past there have always been two cheerleading teams, JV and Varsity. This year during the 2008-2009 season, the Valley Christian cheer-leading program added the Freshmen team. Next year the cheer program will be adding two more teams, creating five teams in to-tal. There will be a Freshmen, JV, Varsity, Competition, and Spirit Squad teams. The new Spirit Squad differs immensely from the cheerleading teams. The Spirit Squad will be a non-cut team that only cheers dur-ing home varsity games in the stands with the students. This will create the opportu-nity for those who have a lot of school spir-it, but do not wish to be on a cheerleading team. “I am excited about next year. It has been a very busy month planning try-outs and activities for the 2009-2010 sea-son,” reported Torode. This summer Valley Christian will be traveling to the FCC Sum-mer Cheer camp at William Jessup Univer-sity in Rocklin. For any one who is interested about cheerleading at VCHS a parent meet-ing will be held Wednesday March 18, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. for the competi-tion team. For more information, students can check grovesite under extra curricular activities. Cheerleading tryouts for all five teams will be held April 6-April 9 after school hours. The 2009-2010 season has a bright future for high potential that will be met with spirit and unity.

By Taylor Fine Staff Writer

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Clock Strikes Twelve

11March 13, 2009SPORTSCinderella Story Put to End by Burlingame

Lady Warriors Fall Just Short

By Liz FlemingA&E Editor The number one ranked team in CCS, the Valley Christian Warriors, return this season to prove their dominance among some of the strongest teams in the Bay Area. Despite some unfavorable weather conditions in their preseason, the boys have started off well. The Warriors’ season opened on February 19, with an exciting come-from-behind win over the ‘Balers of San Benito High. The ‘Balers managed to shut out Valley Christian during the first part of the game, but the Warriors came out huge in the fifth to score seven runs and secure the lead for the remainder of the game. Senior Nate Underwood started the streak with an infield single to second that scored one run and junior Matt Carroll’s double to right-center field cleared the bases and brought the score 4-2 in Valley Christian’s favor. The Warriors went on to score three more runs to close out their opener with a big win. In the first round of the Ted Tamone Memorial Tournament, Valley Christian faced off with Homestead on February 21 and showed they were the better team with a commanding 6-1 victory. Weather conditions forced the next game against Los Altos to be rescheduled, so Valley’s next game was against the Acorns of Live Oak on February 25. The Warriors scored three runs early in the first, and then Underwood held the Acorns to three hits in the game. He also struck out six batters in six innings. On Friday

February 27, the team’s rescheduled match up against Los Altos ended with Valley’s fourth consecutive win in the preseason with a 7-1 victory. Their 3-2 victory over Wilcox secured the team the tournament championship. The team began the Mike Hazlett Tournament on March 5 with a first round game against Santa Cruz High School, which proved to be VC’s most challenging thus far, handing the boys their first loss all year in a surprising 4-5 finish. They recovered for their next game against Palo Alto, dominating with a 7-2 final score, and went on to defeat Santa Clara High School 11-9 in their final game of the tournament. Against De LaSalle on Tuesday, March 10, Underwood pitched for two runs and three hits in six innings, and fellow seniors David Garcia and Nick Backlund delivered for the Warrios with a home run and three hits, respectively. Valley Christian will take the road once more this weekend to play St. Mary’s of Stockton and Elk Grove before beginning WCAL play next Tuesday at St. Francis.

Back to Back to Back?

Clayton Easlick rifles a ball over to first, in an effort to aid in his team’s chase of a CCS “Three-peat”.

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By CJ WryeSports Editor The girls basketball team had a very successful season, going 22-7-0 overall. They had many exciting games and victories, including a great win over Archbishop Mitty on the girls’ senior night. The girls then defeated the Monarchs again on February 19. The Warriors started off taking the lead from the Monarchs in the first quarter, ahead 12-8. Taking off again in the second quarter , the Warriors’ offense scored 16 more points and penetrated the Monarchs’ defense. The Warriors kept up the momentum and defeated their opponents, 62-42, and moved into the WCAL championship game against the number one rated Sacred Heart Cathedral. Junior AJ Newton led the Warriors in points with a total of 16. On February 21 the girls traveled to Foothill College for their long-anticipated game against Sacred Heart Cathedral. Unfortunately, the Warriors were unable to get past the Irish’s strong posts and lost 43-35. However, the Warriors were

hoping to replay the Irish in CCS finals, but their dreams were soon ended when they took on St. Ignatius for the semi-finals on March 4. These two teams have always had close games, with the Warriors being seeded number two and the Wildcats close behind them at number three. Seniors Amy Griffith and Kelsy Byrd contributed 12 points together for Valley Christian, but struggled from the foul line going 5 for 11. Newton once again led the team in points, having numerous breakaways throughout the third and fourth quarters. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to take down the Wildcats and the Warriors fell short of their fairy tale ending, losing 57-48.

St. Ignatius’ went on to the CCS finals for the fifth straight time in CCS Division III. “It was a very unexpected loss and we were all shocked and disappointed to see the season end so abruptly,” said Griffith. Valley Christian was the favorite to win the semifinal game and everyone was shocked to see them lose, but the girls still can look back with pride on a truly amazing season.

A.J. Newton blows past top Wildcat defenders.

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As the Warrior’s magical play-off run came to an abrupt end, a few Adi-das’ may have been left out on the court as Valley Christian put it all out there last Wednesday, making their mark in a loss to Burlingame. Walking out of league with a less than top-notch record, the Warriors weren’t expected to do much in the playoffs. But as the Warriors have proven in CCS playoffs multiple times before, a book cannot be judged by its cover or rather its record. “It was great while it lasted,” freshman Cameron Stewart paused, “but I guess we couldn’t keep it alive.” The 6-foot 8 center played an en-ticing role on the Valley Christian squad, warranting interest from club teams scat-tered across the state and interesting regu-lar WCAL watchers. But even with the down-low tag team of Stewart and junior Matt Schmidt,

Junior Max Hooper elevates over Bellarmine guard Jordan Taylor for the jumper.

By Jon LampkinJunior Sports Editor

the Warriors came up just short. As the Warriors battled through the night, Burlingame senior Peter Papa-george sparked a fury of shots to fall for the Cougars and kept the team together as the evident leader of the team. But with a well-rounded perfor-mance by the regular Warrior contributors, including the now known to be regular breakout- epidemic of Tim Harris up and down the court from basket to basket, kept the Warriors in a game that could have eas-ily gotten out of hand. Harris proved that Papageorge was not the only leader out on the court, dueling back and forth; teeter-tottering with the Panthers. With each basket the Panthers scored, Harris led the Warriors down the court, knowing that he would soon return points up onto the board. With Harris leading the team, 6-foot-7 junior Max Hooper, nonetheless, pulled up for a consistent rock-solid per-formance similar to his usual clean-cut

shooting form. Hooper kept it up through the entirety of the playoffs and averaged an impressive number of rebounds and points. The highly recruited junior shooting guard will be a game-changer like no other for the Warriors next year. Although it was not one of their best performances, the junior duo of Hooper and Kyle Travis made due throughout the stretch of the game, but in the end, just couldn’t pull through. As the clock had dwindled down to the last minutes, the team had fought hard to put points on the board knowing that the impossible, is always possible. Unfortunate-ly, the team ended up walking off the court without a win. Falling just short of victory, the Warriors have landed perfectly for a phenom-enal season next year, with a stable foundation of returning players and a sound coaching staff. With the Warriors

luck, a CCS championship may be in their unforseen future.

Photo by VC Yearbook Staff

12 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMarch 13, 2009

By Dominic TaguinodStaff Writer The men’s golf team is starting off the season with a promising squad that is looking to build off of a preceding ordinary season and turn this one into an extraordinary one. Though the Varsity team’s season has started out a bit rocky, they have been able to keep pressing forward in their so far winless season. The team hasn’t had much success in the previous few years against competitive league teams, but they defied all odds in WCAL playoffs and CCS playoffs by always making it a little further than expected. With or without the greatest talent on the team, they always make do with what they have. Last year, the JV team started off a little shaky with a new coach and

new recruits, which left little time to see the golfers’ games before creating a team. Although the team was very young, they progressed well throughout the season with the help of a couple varsity players. With the help of these players and the desire to improve, the team got better and better. They finished off the season 4-10, but this was very impressive for their little experience. They started the season mid-February and have been practicing three times a week at Los Lagos in order to play

the best they’ve ever played. Junior player Kaleb Tuttle said, “The team is very promising this year, and we’ve shown a lot of potential. We should be even better in the future as we progress.” As the season kicked off, the team played their first match on March 5 against Bellarmine. Unfortunately the JV team came short agaisnt the very talented Bellarmine team, losing 295 to 205. Their next match was played on March 10 against the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs. The Monarchs are number one in the WCAL.

Golf Team Keeps on Swinging

Brandon Shin pitches one out off of the sand, still saving par.

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Swim Team Strokes it Up As the spring sports season rolls around, the pool deck is once again filled with great activity. The swim season has officially arrived, and the varsity and JV boys’ swim teams are revving to go. This year, veteran coach Cathy Manthey, who is also the director of the aquatics program at Valley, pilots the varsity squad. For the JV team, Manthey asked recent Valley alum Brandon Picone to join her in the cockpit. Picone graduated in 2008 after an impressive four years in both the water polo and swimming programs; this is his first season as a swim coach at VC. The swimming program always appreciates with alumni return to help better the future of VC swimmers. Under the skilled direction of Manthey are four talented senior guys who lead a promising varsity team. This spring, watch talented Nikolas Kikuta, captain Alex Higginbotham, and captain Michael Langdon on the swim team and incredible Devin Valdez on the dive team as they guide the Warriors to a successful season. Notable underclassmen including junior Shayne Fleming, sophomore Casey Fleming, junior Daniel Tan, and freshman Michael Nunan will assist the four seniors. The VC guys’ swim team’s competition will take off on March 12 when they host the visiting Fightin’ Irish of Sacred Heart Cathedral. The varsity and JV teams will then go on the road for a meet at Serra against the Padres on March 19. The next destination for the Warriors is Sacred Heart Prep on March 26. The Irish always field an excellent team warranting quite a match for the Warriors. Overall, Manthey and Picone’s guys have seven stopovers before touching down at Bellarmine for the WCAL trials on May 8. Then the varsity team looks forward to landing representatives in the final destination of Stanford College for

the CCS Tournament on May 15 and 16. The CCS playoffs are always being looked towards by the swimmers as the final event that caps of the season. The varsity and JV girls’ swim teams are also getting into action as the spring sports season starts up. VC alum Kyle Kikuta is the varsity girls’ head coach, and Jen O’Connell coaches the JV squad. Both Kikuta and O’Connell are experienced, returning VC coaches who will have a great time helping to make their team the best it can be. There are also four seniors on the girls’ side: Grace Anderson, Alexandria Benanti, Cayla Clapham, and Rachel Esperanza. These four girls are supported by talented underclassmen including junior Jamie Walitsch, junior Kellen Power, sophomore Britney Tomsula, and sophomore Michelle Angelillis. The girls’ swim teams also have had seven meets this season, just like the boys, and are starting with a home match-up against Sacred Heart Cathedral on

March 12. Then the Lady Warriors travel to Notre Dame High School to take on the Tigers on March 19. On March 26, the girls will join the boys at Sacred Heart Prep to compete against the tough Gators. WCAL trials for the Lady Warriors are on May 7 at Bellarmine College Prep, and the girls’ team also hopes to send its best swimmers to the CCS Tournament at Stanford on May 15 and 16. The swim team has been on the rise for the last few years. Each year, it seems as if more and more students come out to swim and even more talent is always being found. Visit the pool deck this spring sports season to check out Valley’s impressive aquatics program. Both the boys’ and girls’ swim teams are preparing for a great season in WCAL this year. Watch for impressive, talented swimmers on both the boys’ and girls’ sides, and come out to support your aquatic Warriors.

By Christopher TozerStaff Writer The junior varsity boys volleyball team has had a great start to their season and are 2-0 in the first two games. Their first opponent of the season was the Aptos Mariners. It was a very close match, but the Warriors were able to pull out the win, two games to one. The next opponent of the season for the junior varsity Warriors was the tough Branham Bruins. Again the JV Warriors had a close match against a very talented Branham team, but our Warriors were able to win with the score in finality of two games to one game. The boys have been practicing hard and look forward to league play. No matter how tough league looks, the guys are ready to take ahold of it. When most picture traditional WCAL sports, boys volleball isn’t one of the first to come to mind, yet the WCAL is known for always yielding great teams across the board. Bellarmine is usually known for outstanding male volleyball teams, yet in the past few years WCAL volleyball titles have definitely been up for grabs.

JV Volleyball Sets and Spikes

Track Team Just Keeps Running

By Arazue M. ZadehStaff Writer Now that the Valley Christian winter sports have officially come to a close, spring sports are blooming, including track and field. Track and field, a sport of precision, endurance, stamina, and skill involves activities such as sprints, medium distance runs, jumps, throws and hurdles. High school boys and girls at Valley Christian are currently participating in this exciting sport! This co-ed high school team shows a love for the sport and their team members. Although many think track and field is mostly an individual sport, “We all work together and help each other succeed in our events,” said junior Rana Ghafari.

The first track meet was on March 11 at Valley’s very own home field. “The results were very hopeful,” said Ghafari. Ghafari, running the 400 ranked second place on Wednesday. Senior Robert Fiscalini ranked first place in his two events, the 100 and 200 meter dash. Senior Mishawn Cummings fell just one place short of Fiscalini and took second place for Valley Christian. Also, sophomore Darelle Jones claimed second place in the 100 meter dash. Freshman Sean Davis ranked first place in the mile run in addition to his win in the 800 meter run. For girls, juniors Jenna Davis got first place in the 400 meter dash and Hannah Goranson took first place for the 100 meter dash. Although Valley lost to Sacred Heart Cahtedral overall, the first meet was enjoyable and track season to come. With the season officially in swing, the talented team is looking forward to the upcoming meets. Come out for the exciting track and field meets and cheer on this fantastic team as they look to conquer the WCAL.

By Priscilla Shen, Melissa Lim, and Leanna BorelliAssistant News Editor, Staff Writers

Sophmore Kevin Dorn pops just out of the water.

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Varsity Volleyball Defeats Aptos 3-0

13THE WARRIORSPORTS March 13, 2009

Warriors Defeat Oak Grove

Varsity Tennis Opens Season Against Bellarmine

VC Divers Start Off In Style

The boys varsity tennis seasonhas officially started. With many new talented players, Coach Brooke is aiming to take the title in the WCAL tournament. For the past few years, the tennis team has struggled throughout the season, but Coach Brooke thinks this can be the year for the team to do well and make it to CCS. The season so far is going really slow because of the unfortunate weather; the past few matches, Bellarmine and Cupertino, have been canceled due to the rain. Once the matches are rescheduled, Valley will be facing the top dog, Bellarmine, who took the win for CCS last year. So this can be a good early match for the Valley players because if they do well, they will know

that they are in a good position, but if they do not do well, then they know what they should work on to improve their games. The varsity tennis team has acquired many new boys, but the player who stood out the most was Allen Edwin. This rarely occurs, but Edwin was the only freshmen who made it on varsity this year. He has high hopes and would be very effective for the team. On the line up, Edwin was already placed to play number two singles for varsity as a freshman. Edwin says, “I am happy that I made it on varsity as a freshman and I am really excited to play this year. I want to do really well and help out the team with some wins, even though I know it will be hard because

I am playing number two. I hope for the team to do well and reach their goals.” Hoping and preparing for a great season, the players have been training hard. Everyday after school, and every chance they get, the have been practicing until they could not see the ball anymore. Coach Brooke has been conditioning them and putting through long hard drills to prepare them. Coach Brooke and the players have a goal and they are going to work extremely hard to get there. The boys practice every day and have already showed much improvement. They have become great players through out the years and everyone is excited to see what this season will bring.

By Bryan TrieuStaff Writer

Enoch Quan warms up before his match.

After graduating only two seniors in 2008, the boys varsity volleyball team is ready for an exciting season back on the court. Led by head coach Rob Georgesand assistant coach Scott Vanderveen, the Warriors have begun their pre-season match-ups and are seeking to establish a strong record early in the season. In their first match against Aptos on February 26, the Warriors took control early. Powering through the match, the boys had no trouble securing their first win, as their opponents were unable to withstand the Warriors’ onslaught at the net. With this three game sweep, the Warriors felt ready to face the stronger Branham Bruins on March 3. The Warriors came out strong against the Bruins, but were quickly slowed by their opponents’ aggressive

offense and height advantage in the front row. However, junior libero Kyle Gerrans was a solid force for his team on defense, allowing the Warriors to maintain a foothold. The teams traded off winning the first four games, with neither team able to keep the momentum. In the pressure-filled, fifth and final game of the match, the teams stayed neck-in-neck to the very end, but the Warriors came to edge out the Bruins in a close, 16-14, final victory.

On Tuesday, March 10 the Warriors played against the Bellarmine Bells for their very first league game on their home courts. The boys lost the first two games 25-18 and 25-21. But the boys quickly came back in the third game winning 25-21. However, they were unable to continue their streak and lost the fourth game 25-22 giving Bellarmine the win.

By Alyssa BerdingEditor-in-Chief

Cliff Adams goes up for a spike against Aptos. Tyler Rigg slams the ball for another kill.

The Valley Christian High School diving team might be small but that doesn’t mean they are not talented. The team consists of four divers, sophomore Lauren Speers, junior Jordan Sisson, senior Devin Valdezand junior Tommy Connolly. The divers are coached by varsity swimming coach Cathy Manthey and are hoping to soon be coached by VC alumni Nick Bettencourt, who dove for the team last season. The team also has the unique opportunity to practice at Santa Clara University two days a week while the other 3 days are spent at their home pool. S p e e r s ’ personal goals this season include making it to CCS and improving her own personal dives. As for the team, Speers says they’re “hoping to have

By Tarah DuarteJunior Features Editor Whack! The softball is

hit by Captain Rebecca Roth and turns out, it’s a homerun! That is a typical scene on the softball fields. So far this season, the girls have already had one scrimmage and they’re currently getting ready for league games. They won their first scrimmage with a sweep of 6-2 against Oak Grove on March 3. Runs were scored by Roth and Brianna Klein. Next the girls played against top rated Gilroy High School on March 5. The girls had a tough day as Gilroy knocked in run after run, defeating the Warriors 17-0. After a tough loss, the Warriors took on Mountain View for another

By Joyce ChenPhoto Editor

non-league game. The Warriors’ came ready to play, getting on the score board early on. The Warriors made numerous significant plays on offense and defense. It was a close game, and at the end of five innnings, the Warriors could not get past third base and lost by one run, 6-5. This year there are about 14 girls on the JV softball team, and they are led under the watchful eye of head coach Tammy Klauser and assistant coach, Barbara Jimenez. Team Captain Roth said that, “I think it’s going to be a better season than last year.” The Warriors have many games to look forward to, including taking on their rivals, the Presentation Panthers.

fun while improving our scores and skills.” The team is now competing against other league divers. Their second meet is Thursday, March 19 against Serra-Notre Dame. Key divers of the Valley Christian team include Sisson and Valdez. They can be found out at the pool practicing every day for their upcoming meets. Sisson is the only diver who is also on the varsity swim team. The divers work everyday for their upcoming meets and are ready to

perform against their top rivals in the WCAL. Even though the diving team may not have many divers they are full of skill, hardwork, and determination. There is no stopping these four incredible divers as they defeat their opponents.

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JV Softball player dishes the ball over to first.

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Valdez executes a backwards dive.

Sisson back flips into the water.

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14 THE WARRIOR SPORTSMarch 13, 2009

Sharks on the Right Trackto the Stanley Cup Finals

By Danny HittlerStaff Writer

Soon-to-be NFL Rookies Showcase Their Talents at NFL Combine

By Darelle JonesStaff Writer

Start of the 2009 Ice Age

By Rachael ShenAssistant Sports Editor

Thespringsportsseasonisuponus,and thismeans thatValleyChristian’svarsityclubhockeyteamisbackinaction.This talented group of players will betakingupthemantelofahighlysuccessfulteamofthelastfewseasons.Theinfamousrivalry between Valley Christian andBellarmine continues as both teams topthe league in the battle forThe Cup.VChas captured historic victories in the pastcouple seasons since joining the league,including several dramatic wins over theBells, and is the current proud possessorofThe Cup. Just two years old,Valley’sicehockeyteamholdstheprestigioustitleofback-to-backchampionshipsinthehighschoolclubleague.Theyoungleaguehasalready seen enormous achievement andgrowth,addinganumberofnewteamsthisyear to lengthen the season and increasethenumberofgamesplayedperweek,andhas received agreat amountof pressdueto its groundbreaking pioneering in therealm of high school hockey. Few highschools have the honor of fielding their ownicehockeyteam,andVCwasexcitedtojointheelitefewtwoyearsago.RecenthistoryhaswitnessedValley’sdominancein the league with only a couple lossesto the Warrior record. Although VC’sroster will be missing many of its keycontributors from last season, includingitslonefemaleplayerPaula Romanchuk,who graduated last year and went on toplay at Princeton University, there areseveralreturningplayerswhoareexpectedto more than adequately fill the shoes their former teammates left vacant. SeniorDavid Romanchuk leads the team asone of the top scorers from last season.Valley’s own chemistry teacher and golfcoachKen Shamanski is theheadcoachof thisclub teamand isoneofa talentedgroupofcoachesleadingtheIceWarriorsthis season. The first game of the season took place at Logitech Ice, home of theSan Jose Sharks’ High School HockeyLeague, against Silicon Valley. The nextgame will be at Logitech on Wednesday,March 18, at 6:45 PM against theCastroValley Raptors’ Varsity squad. VC’shockeyseasonisoneofthemostexcitingand fun to watch, so be sure to checkout your Warriors on the ice this spring.

SponsoredbyUnderArmour,theNFL combine was held on February 18through24.Firsttoshowoffforthescoutswere the linemen, including tight ends.The most outstanding from the offensivelineman group was Antione Caldwellfrom Alabama. Weighing in at 309 lbsand 6’3, the former Crimson Tide playerperformed the highest in the broad jumpwith the distance of9’3”.Caldwellalsohada good performancein the blocking drills.Despite his quickhands and his widebase, Caldwell hastrouble with gettingdownfield to block. The next day,the running backs,the quarterbacks andthe wide receiversshowcased theirspeed, agility andcoordination. Therewerehighexpectationsfor big names likeMark Sanchez fromSouthern California,Beanie Wells from

Ohio State, and Michael Crabtree fromCincinnati. Although Crabtree could notperform due to surgery on his foot, thewide receiver will make a comeback onhisProDay.Thefastest40-yard-dashtimefrom the runningbackgroupwasCedric Peerman from Virgina with a 4.45. ThebestoveralltimecamefromChris Clemensfrom Clemson with a 4.41 official time.

Manyoftheathletesthatshowedup in Indianapolis for the NFL combinewere most likely first round draft picks. Despitehisinjury,Crabtreeisstillexpectedto be picked up in the third round.Also,SanchezfromUSCisexpectedtogointhefirst or second round, but only 16 career starts for the Trojans still leaves him inquestion.Thebigname from the running

back group isBeanie Wells. TheAdrian Peterson-typebackishopingto be selected first or second overallbehind Matthew Stafford. TheupcomingNFLdraftand 2009-2010seasonleadinguptoSuper Bowl XLIIIIwill be an excitingonetotrack.Anewcrop of freshmenplayers will addanother dimensionto the league toshake up how theteams compared attheendoflastseason.

Wide Receiver Tiquan Underwood of Rutgers prepares to run the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine.

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TheSanJoseSharkshavecontinuedtheir impressive startof the 2008-2009seasontoanimpressiveseason. With onlyabout a quarter of theseason remaining, theSharks have lockedup the division andonlytwoteamsremainthreats for them,BostonintheeastandDetroit in the west. The Sharks’goal for the seasonis to have home iceadvantage throughouttheplayoffs.Inordertoachievethis,theymusthave the best recordinhockey.For awhile,DetroitandBostonwerenot thatclose totheSharksinthestandings,butoflatetheyhavepickeduptheirgameandtheSharkshave slowed down a bit.The last quarteroftheseasonisgoingtotestthecharacterof the Sharks and how they respond toadversity.TheSharksalsohaveascheduledisadvantage thatcouldbeamajor factor

intheracefortheNHL’sbestrecord.TheSharkshaveplayed the fewestamountofgames in the NHL, so they will have toplayonlessrestthantheiropponentmostnights; this puts them at a disadvantage. GeneralManagerDoug Wilson addressed a major issue at thetrade deadline by adding to the roster

Travis Moen,a gritty left-winger whohas playoffe x p e r i e n c eand a StanleyCup ring. TheSharks alsoadded veterand e f e n s e m a nKent Huskins,who givesthe Sharks anice depth atthe blue line.Junior Jordan K u s c h e l lthinks that“the Sharksdid a nice jobpickinguptwo

experienced playersat the deadline. It was really importantto add somedepthbecauseof the injuresto Mike Grier and Jeremy Roenick.” Hopefully the Sharks canmake a splash in the playoffs andbring home the hardware that theyhave desired for so long to San Jose.

A Minnesota Wild forward takes a shot against the San Jose Sharks’ goal last December.

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15THE WARRIORSPORTS March 13, 2009

The Method Behind the Madness

By CJ WryeSports Editor

Varsity softball has started once again and everyone is stoked about the brand new season. The team has had a lot of challenges in the past, but with Coach Alex Sanguinetti joining the coaching staff, the team has been moving forward and rebuilding the team dynamics.

The team’s first game was against Gilroy High School at the Warriors home field on March 5. The rain finally held off for the Warriors, who started off the game well. However, the Warriors were no match for the powerful Gilroy team and lost 9-2. Gilroy is known for having excellent JV and varsity softball teams.

Next, the Warriors took on Mountain View on March 9. The Warriors scored early in the second inning and continued to play strong defense backing up starting pitcher, Janell LaRont. With LaRont’s arm, a productive offense and good defense by the Lady Warriors, they were sure to stay in the game.Junior Taylor Batey threw out a runner stealing second in the fifth inning to hold Mountain View to only three runs. Batey showed off her strong arm from just behind the plate in a collaborative effort to snag the runner at second.

The Warriors bats kept cracking as they continued to penetrate Mountain View’s defense gaps and put runners on base throughout the game. The game ended in a 5-3 win for the Warriors with three runs by sophomore Chelsea Chilman. Chilman has played an important role on the team and is an extellent fielder.

The Warriors have a young team this year with two freshmen and five sophomores. Allie Perry and Alyson Frederick are the only two seniors on the team and the team has seen big things from these two key leaders.

The girls softball team is an excellent group of girls who has definetly bonded during the year. Through both the thick and the thin, they have become a much closer group of friends and had tons of fun.

As the smells of “Braketology,” Cinderella stories, upsets, and hefty wagers approach, one must know that America is in the midst of March. March Madness, the big dance, the bracket buster, the madness, the “Sweet 16,” the “Elite 8,” the “Final 4,” and “The Big Game” all make up what is called called the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. But not only does the traditional March Madness draw near, a few nuances have been included like extended television coverage and a few additions to the normal broadcasting staff. But no worries are needed, veteran analyst “Dicky V” will still be making his usual calls and thrilling breakdowns. As Selection Sunday approaches, players and coaches across the country are ready to play basketball. With many basketball analysts requesting a larger tournament field, expanding the current field would, put simply by Jay Bilas, “water down the field.”

As devoted NCAA men’s basketball fans have been saying for years, adding any more to the field will only yield the regular season a bit more useless. It also will take away the advantage of the high seed teams that battle during the season to keep their records up.

However, there is no doubt that

quality mid-majors are left out each year. The best way to solve the this problem for the teams is to, well, win more games. But throughout the nation, teams know that they don’t want to be the team on the bubble. To be “On the Bubble” in fact is to be just wiggling on the line between the end of their season and the tournament of 64. Teams such as Penn State, Michigan and Arizona pulled through with clutch wins over the weekend bringing themselves maybe just off the bubble, showing how easy it is to make or break a chance at an NCAA Championship.

By Jon LampkinJunior Sport Editor

The JV tennis team is starting off its season with a very good roster. Most of the players were on the team last year and are ready to start a great season. Many students showed up for tryouts and the new coach, Donny Allen, had to make some tough decisions on who to keep and who not to keep. After more than two weeks of tryouts, he was able to narrow it down to the current team roster. Junior Andrew Rolen feels that “the team this year looks very good; with some more hard work at practice the team will do very good during the season.” The team did well in their first game against Piedmont High School, winning four games to two. They were able to claim two singles games and two doubles games and only give up one of both singles and doubles, giving a great confidence boost to the team. This season looks promising for the team, as they hope to do well in the league championship at the end of the season.

By Nathan FarokianStaff Writer

Champions On and Off the Court

Varsity Softball Defeats Mountain View

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Chelsea Chilman catches a line drive.

Chilman and LaRone take a break. The Warriors’ center fielder catches a fly ball.

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JV tennis defeats Piedmont Hills.

16 THE WARRIOR March 13, 2009

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