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Volume 18, Issue 4
Nordhoff High School
February 2015
NHS Digests
Snack Lockdown
Photo by Emily Johnson
Shane Hersh heads for a TD against Bishop Diego in the league championship game victory this
past fall. Hersh just agreed to walk-on at the University of Arizona to play baseball.
Hersh Taking Talents to U of A
By Tyler Rogers
Multi-sports star Shane Hersh recently attended an invitational baseball showcase at the University of Arizona. His performance there — combined with the numbers he put up on the Ranger
baseball team last year — earned him an invitation
to walk-on to the Wildcats’ team next year.
Hersh, who is also a two-time ALL-CIF football player, has eyed UA for a long time, and accepted the offer.
“It’s amazing.” Hersh said, talking about the
opportunity, “I’ve always wanted to go there and
everything just fell into place.”
Hersh’s junior year stats consisted of a .299
batting average, 20 hits, 16 runs batted in, and 2
home runs.
Teammate Luke Boyd spoke for the rest of
the team saying, “We were ecstatic after hearing
the news. After his junior year last year and Shane
not getting any offers made me a little bummed
because he is such a solid and ideal player and the
best teammate you can have. I am stoked for him
and for what he is going to accomplish over there.”
Garcia a Hero
By Finn Matte
Senior kicker Cooper Garcia was the hero of
the Ventura County All-Star football game Saturday, Jan. 17, kicking a 24-yard game-winning
field goal as time expired to give the West an upset
24-21 victory over the East at Ventura College.
Other Nordhoff representatives were Baylee
Rogers, who intercepted a pass during the game,
Austin Baker, Shane Hersh and Ivan Jauregui.
By Mackenzie Sharon
and Anna Zaucha
After Nordhoff High School’s
very first lockdown drill during a
time when the entire school was
out of class, vice principal Dave
Monson told the faculty he is very
pleased with the successful outcome.
In an email he sent to NHS
faculty, Monson said, “Despite the
weather, which drove a few students
inside to begin with...I was very
pleased how serious and quickly
everyone responded.”
The lockdown took place December 18, 2014 during snack. The
administration, which has held a
number of lockdown practice drills
during regularly scheduled classes,
did this as a safety precaution to
prepare students for action in case
of a real lockdown.
The school’s goal was to get everyone safely inside within 60 seconds of the lockdown bell. Monson
was satisfied to say, “Except for a
handful of students, everyone else
was inside and out of sight in less
than 60 seconds.”
Our part-time school resource
officer, Deputy Lindsay, was at
the scene as well. He said he felt it
went well and all of the faculty was
pleased that almost every student
took the drill seriously.
According to Monson, “Most
students seemed to have a particular
location they knew (or wanted) to
go to.”
This factor may have had something to do with the fast response
time. However, since this was our
first time doing this type of drill,
students were notified by teachers
prior to the drill.
Natalie Cornejo, a senior, said,
“I think the lockdown was kind of
pointless because if there were a
real lockdown, I would run away
off campus and not just hide in a
classroom where I could get shot.”
Although students cannot practice escaping off campus in the
case of a lockdown, Monson felt
that “it was good practice for other
situations...such as a bank robbery
around the corner or if we had a
bear wander onto campus,” — both
of which have happened in the past.
However,
most
students
thought it was still a good idea.
Loren Abasi, a junior, thought that
“the drill was useful, but at the
same time people did not take it as
seriously because they knew it was
going to happen and that they were
safe.” She also said that in the case
of an emergency, “no one will act
as calm as that.” Loren witnessed
that most people were already waiting outside of classrooms before the
bell even rang because they knew
what to expect. However, she and
many others agreed it was good to
practice a lockdown so that students
will know what to do if this happens.
Echoing the sentiment of the
teachers we talked to, Science
teacher Mr. Lepine agreed: “I think
the lockdown was a good idea because students need to be aware of
how to handle these situations and
the great thing about Mr. Monson
is that he understood exactly what
it was about and how he anticipated
it would work.”
See LOCKDOWN Page 3
Lugotoff Named ASB President
By Rena Becker
Danielle Lugotoff has been elected ASB president, and Chase Bowen ASB vice-president.
In order for students to hold office at Nordhoff,
they must be enrolled in Nordhoff’s leadership
class. It is optional for these students to run for
office; it is not required.
This year the class presidents elected from
freshmen to seniors are Monique Villares, Taylor
Santino, Laurel Miller, and Zoe Jordan.
The class vice presidents listed from freshman
to seniors are Salma Hernandez, Parker Marquez,
Lindsey Raymond, and Jordan Greco.
Meredith Rimpa was elected junior class representative, and Austin Linkenhelt was elected senior class representative.
These students plan to work hard to accomplish many things around campus.
Lugotoff stated, “ For the next couple of
months I will be focussing on planning a fun grad
night, upcoming school dances, senior class fundraisers, and setting up next years senior sibling
program.”
This year there was very little competition for
offices. The only competition was between Taylor
Santino and Francisco Soto for sophomore class
president.
Lugotoff commented that she was disappointed there wasn’t a competition for office, but it did
give her some good slogan ideas.
Raymond was also disapointed.
“I was disappointed I didn’t get to compete for
my position, but I am also very honored to be the
junior class president.”
Nordhoff’s leadership teacher, Mrs.Bronwen
Cull-Michels commented, “I encourage all students in the class to participate in the elections
process and I would love to see more competition
next year.”
Wiseman Retires
Nordhoff Computer Lab teacher Mrs. Wiseman retired at the end
of 2014. Here, NHS teachers Mr. Buck and Mrs. Cull-Michels present her with flowers and a retirement gift on her last day.
News
Spring Into Once Upon a Mattress
Page 2, The Ranger
By Emily Johnson
The Nordhoff Music Department is thrilled to
present Once Upon A Mattress for their spring musical. Once Upon A Mattress is based on the well-known
fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea.”
Queen Aggravian, has taken over control of
the kingdom in an attempt to keep Prince Dauntless
single. She has decreed that only the princess that can
pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in
the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does.
Audition workshops were held at lunch on
February 2015
Wednesdays in November. Auditions were held Thursday, Dec. 4th and Friday, Dec. 5th 3:30-7:00pm and
Saturday, Dec 6th 10:00am-4:00pm. Callbacks were
held on Sunday, Dec. 7th 11:00am-3:00pm.
The main roles in the play went to the following: Lucas Caliri, Gabrielle Castagna, Kirsten Hoj,
McKay Johnsen, Chance Lang, Hunter Roemelen,
Ashley Sengstaken, and, Tim Thatcher.
Kirsten Hoj said, “I’m super thrilled to play
Winnifred and I hope everyone comes to see it because
it’s going to be awesome.”
You Can Learn to Drive Smarter
By Vincent Litonjua
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and
Ventura County Medical Center (VMCM) are offering
a traffic safety program for teenage drivers and their
parents. The Start Smart Program is aimed at helping
future and newly licensed teenage drivers to become
aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California Driver.
Traffic collisions are the leading cause of
death for 15 to 20 year-olds, according to the CHP. The
main goal of having this program is to provide teens
and parents with an understanding of how poor choices
behind the wheel can affect lives of many people. The
course includes information on defensive driving, traffic laws, dynamics of traffic collisions, tips on avoiding
traffic collisions, and DUI awareness.
Start Smart classes are FREE of charge.
The next class will be held January 28 at 6:30 p.m at
VMMC, 3291 Loma Vista Road, Building 340, Suite
201, Ventura.
For more details or to make reservations for
the class, call Officer Rolando Tejeda at 477-4100 or
Elena Gutierrez at 652-5904.
Finn Matte, a newly licensed driver, said,”The
class would be helpful for drivers who need more information while on the road, especially while traveling
to busy cities where you are not familiar with the area.”
Lindsey Raymond, another student who recently was licensed, commented,“I think it would be
helpful for all the new drivers who don’t really know
what they’re doing, and it would help them get more
experience so the roads are safer.”
Parking Lot Finally Running Smoothly
By Tyler Rogers
After a full year, our new parking lot procedures are running better than expected. Even without
barriers on some days, the overwhelming majority of
parents continue to use our designated drop-off and
pick-up zones. As well, many parents have utilized alternative zones that have reduced congestion in the lot
tremendously. Through patience and cooperation, the
parking lot is safer and more efficient than we have
ever seen it.
The only continued suggestion to drivers is
the need to pull as far forward in the drop-off zones to
allow as many cars in this area as possible to prevent
back-ups that can leave cars stranded in the middle of
Maricopa Highway. Please be aware that we can fit
seven vehicles in the F-wing zone and another seven
vehicles in the turnaround zone by the trolley stop,
and this space is necessary during the peak of time of
7:20-7:40. On average, it only takes 20-30 seconds for
students to exit their vehicles so even if the line of cars
stops momentarily, please wait to pull forward in the
drop-off zones before allowing your students to exit
the vehicle.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transition to new procedures for student
drop-offs and pick-ups. please remember this is being
done primarily for the safety of students, but also to
increase the efficiency and reduce the congestion and
time spent inside the parking lot.
As a student who gets dropped off, Giovanni
Quiroz says,” These new adjustments are a great idea!
They can really help solve the traffic issues.”
As a student who drives himself to school,
Varian says, “I just want to feel safe while entering the
parking lot. This makes it safer.”
Congratulations
Coach Henney (NHS class of ‘95)
on your Back-to-Back-to-Back
CIF Football Championships
Paid advertisement
Anorther daily visitor to the partking lot
agreed these updates are working well: “I believe that
parents are a key factor why dropping off student.
They can encourage their child or children to exit their
vehicle in less time than the twenty second average.”
Despite best efforts, Mr. Monson still needs
cooperation from some parents to successfully transition to these new procedures.
He asks that parents please use the second
driveway by the trolley stop, enter the lot, make an
immediate right turn into the student preferred parking spaces that face the stadium. If more cars entering
the lot would use this driveway and available drop-off
space, the drop-off and pickup times would be even
more efficient. For afternoon pick-ups, if traffic
backs up to the main driveway (nearest the stadium),
please use the second driveway (nearest the trolley
stop), turn right into the first lane of stalls and park in
any open senior/junior parking stall. Exit the parking
lot through the main driveway.
Consider dropping-off and picking-up at alternate locations-there is designated space on Maricopa Highway before and after main driveway, around
the corner of Valle Rio, across the street or before peak
morning time or after peak afternoon time.
SUPPORT STUDENT JOURNALISM
Advertise in this newspaper.
Contact [email protected].
Photo by ???
Science Ingenuity
Up to Much Good
By Marissa Vacio
Science Ingenuity is a small class that does so much.
It is a student run class that takes place in new teacher
Mr. Costanza’s class.
Costanza exclaimed, “ It’s the first year teaching it and I
love working with the kids in a more creative way,”
They meet during 6th period in room A2 and and go to
room C5.
The students in this class are Paul Bentz, Dane Campbell, Carson Demmond, Xander Dubeau, Jacob Fajardo, Bela Fujimoto, Andrew Holland, Nicholas Lewis, Dylan Merry, Landis
Meyer, Libby Schroeder-Somlay, Jacky Zheng.
These students work in teams of about 3 people a group
on student projects that they present to their class.
They do projects such as Carbon Dioxide Nerf Dart Cannons, Cardboard boats,Setup Circuit Testing, etc.
All students’ circuits are fabricated and awaiting testing.
Costanza is insisting on a safe test bed before they go and
test each of the students circuit boards they soldered.
The circuits are timing circuits giving a pulse and duration, both of which are adjustable.
Carbon Dioxide Nerf Dart Cannon are operational and
students are quantifying their range and height parameters using
physics equation of motion.
This information, unique to each students’ cannons, will
be used in some competitions for accuracy and force.
The Cardboard Box competitions were “fun and creative”
Costanza exclaimed. “Sadly, their prototype boats performed better than the final boats did. Students should not be surprised to see
more boats; they still have a lot of cardboard and a lot more to
learn when it comes to nautical engineering. “
Now that the robotics equipment is enroute to Nordhoff
they are taking inventory and organizing the C5 room.
Also, next semester the students are planning to attend a
Robotic Competition at the Ventura Fairgrounds!
The Science Ingenuity class asked for donations at
school and via Facebook and they also had support from Help of
Ojai.
They now have enough raw materials for each student to
fabricate their own creations and in time they will be able to take
items apart, fix, and then reassemble or explore new unique uses
for these items.
They have many hand appliances, blenders, toasters,
vacuum cleaners, electric garden tools, a compressor, irons, mechanical items, and paper shredders.
As they would say “an assemblage artists’ dream collection!”
Becker
Enterprises
February 2015
News
Recycling Club Makes Plastic Fantastic
By Reuben Holly
About two years ago, math and science teacher, Mr. Lepine, started a recycling program with his
environmental class. Although the program is a work
in progress, the program aims to get rid of bad packaging around the school, recycle and compost the starch
lunch trays, recycle cans and bottles, and ultimately
spread awareness.
By continuing this program, Mr. Lepine and
his environmental class hope to reduce ocean trash and
do what they can to reduce the amount of trash they
send to the landfill.
When asked why he participated in the recycling program, senior student, Dominic McLeod said,
“I like helping out and raising money to buy resources
and school supplies.”
In addition to having a school recycling program, Lepine says that,”The easiest way to start a
home composting and recycling program is to look
around for ways to cut back on trash such as reusing
certain materials or starting a compost pile for agricul-
LOCKDOWN...continued from Page One
However, in the case of a real lockdown teachers
let students know that it is advised to escape off campus
if the student is not near a classroom.
Sadly, with the recent shootings at schools in
America, lockdowns are occurring more and more often, and it is important that we are prepared in the case
of a real lockdown. The next step in preparation for a
real lockdown would be “to practice lockdowns with
no warning as this is more realistic and likely to happen.”
Although Ojai is a relatively safe town, it is somewhat essential to have a classroom or place in mind that
students would go to in case of a real lockdown because
there will not be much time to think about that as the
lockdown is happening.
Important Dates
Fri., Feb. 6
Ojai’s Got Talent
7:00p.m.- Matilija Auditorium
Mon.-Fri., Feb.16-20
Presidents’ Week Break
Wed. Feb. 25 Collaboration Schedule
March 2-6
WASC Visit
March 5-15
Spring Musical “Once Upon a Matress” at
Matilija Auditorium
Tue. & Wed., March 17-18 CAHSEE
Fri., March 20 Spring Rally
Fri., March 27
Minimum Day, End of Quarter
Mon.-Fri., April 20- April 24
Testing Week and Senior Week
Mon., April 28 VC Assessment for Seniors
Fri.- Sat., May 16 and 17 Spring Dance Concert at Matilija Auditorium
Wed., May 27 Spring Showcase
Wed., June 3 Awards Night- 6:30p.m.- gym
Mon.- Wed., June 8-10 Finals- Dismissal at
noon
Wed., June 10 Last Day of School
Thurs., June 11 Graduation-
Go
Lady Rangers
Soccer!
Paid advertisement
tural use.”
Essentially anything that reduces the amount
of unnecessary material going into the landfill is a
good start.
In 2006, Americans produced 251 million
tons of trash with 35% of that coming from schools,
hospitals, and businesses. 55% of this trash was deposited into the landfill while only 33% was recycled. On
average, the class collects a 30 gallon plastic bag worth
of trash every week. Occasionally when the class raises money, they will spend it on a celebration of their
hard work.
What Does
Cheaper Gas
Mean to NHS?
By Mackenzie Sharon
Gas prices under $3 for all of 2015? Is that
even possible? According to forbes.com, the US Government has stated that the average gas price will be
$2.94 in 2015.
Very few people believe that after the last
few years of inconsistent gas prices, rising to over $5
a gallon during 2012, that this significant of a drop on
prices could even be possible. Whitney Di Acri actually chuckled when it was mentioned to her.
Out of the senior classes asked, 50% of the
seniors said that when deciding on a car MPG is the
most important factor. Could this change for the group
of nordhoff students that will be looking to buy cars
next year?
As gas prices go down the likelihood of them
skyrocketing like they have in the past goes up.
The Ranger, Page 3
Baby Grady is here!
By Morgan Giove
Nordhoff High School counselor Ms. Grady’s baby
is finally here! Her name is Zoe Blythe Freedland. She was
born on December 24th at 8:22 p.,m., weighing 7 pounds,
3 ounces. Ms. Grady has been working at NHS since 2006.
She is the Mo-Z counselor. She is expected to return to
work this Spring.
Debate Club
Looking for More
Students
By Morgan Pupa
Nordhoff’s debate club meets every Wednesday at
lunch in Mr. Bohney’s room. The club is not currently competing, but practices debating topics such as veganism, euthanasia,
and gun control.
When asked what her favorite part about debate team
was, President Stella Slaughter stated that, “My favorite part
is the people, they’re funny and we have a lot of good times.”
Slaughter has been a member since the debate club was started
last year.
The debate club currently has about 10 members, but
the number varies slightly each week as different debate topics bring in other participants. When asked what his favorite
debate topic this year was and why, Dylan McEttrick said, “My
favorite topic was veganism because the two points of views
were both evidenced and the debate was constructive.”
The debate club is always open to new members and
hopes to begin competing in the future.
Page 4, The Ranger
Media
Arts
Helps
Local
Business
By Aaron Tello and Juan Garcia
As 2014’s local election season neared its conclusion, Nordhoff video students and faculty provided technical support in the creation of two very
different informative videos to be broadcast on
Ojai’s Channel 10 (KNHS) and the OUSD website.
On October 1, students Josh Bocchicchio and
Taylor Madden, along with video teacher Tom
Friedman, videotaped a forum of five candidates
for Ojai City Council. The forum was held at the
banquet room of the Soule Park Golf Course, and
was sponsored by the Ojai Board of Realtors and
the Ojai Chamber of Commerce. The NHS Media
Arts crew not only taped and edited the forum for
broadcast, but also provided and set up Nordhoff
Video’s sound amplification system and microphones for use by candidates, without which the
forum would have been far less effective. When
asked about the preparation, Taylor madden said,”
we took the microphones and other required equipment and set everything up including the camera
angles and adjusting the lighting. We then sat there
for 3 hours and listened to what was going on.”
Mr. Friedman thought that is when very well, and
also that it was “a great learning experience for the
students who assisted with the forum.”
The resultant video, which ran almost 2 hours,
was rebroadcast numerous times on KNHS (channel 10) in the weeks before the November 4 election, affording TV viewers ample opportunity to
hear candidates’ responses to questions about key
issues facing Ojai. When asked about the overall
experience of the project, Tyler Rodgers said,” It
was a good learning experience to help learn how a
small local government works.”
Another election-related project took video
students Stella Slaughter and Honzek Mikhalek
on a tour of deteriorated infrastructure across the
Nordhoff campus. The presentation was led by Dr.
Greg Bayless, Nordhoff principles, as Slaughter
and Mikhalek videotaped his comments and filmed
examples of infrastructure problems. This was for
an informative video in support of Bond measure J,
intended to raise funds for needed repairs throughout the facilities of the Ojai Unified School district.
Two other segments of the segments of the 7minute video, one featuring a similar guided tour
of the Matilija Junior High campus led by MJHS
Principal Bill Rosen, the other featuring a statement by OUSD Superintendent Dr. Hank Bangser,
were videotaped and edited by NHS video teacher Tom Friedman. Madden then added,” the city
council members seemed pretty happy with Nordhoff’s media arts program and was very pleased
with the project.”
The video describing the need for repairs at
OUSD facilities played many times before the
elections, both on television and the district website, and very likely contributed to the successful
passage of Measure J by a broad margin. Rogers
added, “I suggest everyone to consider taking this
class; it’s a lot of fun and is a good learning experience.”
In addition to the campaign video and the filming of the public forums by student, teacher Tom
Friedman included, “Students also did work that
broadcasted on local radio that was useful to the
local election.”
Nordhoff media Arts programs, including
Video Production and Graphic Arts, are part of
our country- and statewide CTE (Career Graphic
Tech Ed) initiative to provide high-level technical
education and real-world, professional-level experience to Nordhoff CTE students, many of whom
are contemplating technical/creative Media Arts
Career.
Along with the media arts department Mr.
Friedman thanked Mr. Bohney’s Government class
for helping out with the local government project.
News
February 2015
Music Department Keeps
in Tune with the Holidays
Photo by Mackenzie Mayberry
Nordhoff softball players Kayci Jakab and Bailey Osborne
draw attention to their team’s food drive in front of Vons.
Lady Rangers Rack
Up the Cans
By Mackenzie Mayberry
Over the holidays the Lady Ranger Softball team donated six
50-gallon barrels of non-perishable food to The Help of Ojai. Money was also donated which was used to buy more food to help.
This year they were only set up at one location instead of two.
Vons so kindly let them set up in front of their location while being
so accommodating. They had made some changes in their schedule
to let the ladies set up. At the same time the ladies were asking for
donations Vons was also having a food drive which was when at
check out one could buy a Hunger Bag for $10. When the ladies received cash donations they would use that money to buy the Hunger
Bags that one could get in Vons.
Also one group of the ladies started knocking on doors. They
went to all the near by houses behind Vons to see if anyone would
give up a couple cans. When they had come back to Vons they had
a wagon with over 6 bags full of non-perishable food items.
One player, Megan Best, said ,“ I really enjoyed collecting the
cans, it made me feel good knowing I helped the less fortunate.”
Sarah Madrid, another player, added, “ I really enjoyed helping out the community. It made me feel good about myself.”
Every year the softball team goes out and does this Food Drive.
This food drive used to be called the One Ton Food Challenge but
they collected one ton of food super easy. So they changed the name
to the Five Ton Food Challenge, bumping up the stakes. The five
ton mark represents the collection efforts of the entire Ojai community, not just the softball collection — which did, in fact, once again
reach the one ton mark.
“To all those who donated to the food drive, thank you so
much,” said junior pitcher Megan Best, who was one of more than
the one dozen team members who participated in the drive.
Your
Ad
Here
Just $25 for a business card ad in this paper.
Contact faculty moderator Mr. Cotti at
[email protected].
By Megan Best
The Nordhoff High School Music Department presented two winter concerts. On Tuesday, December 9th
the Gold ‘n Blue Chorale and the Chamber Choir performed songs for the winter season. On Tuesday, December 16th the String Orchestra and the Symphonic Band
performed sounds of the holiday season.
The Gold ‘n Blue Chorale performed: Here We Come
A-Caroling, On a Peaceful Winter’s Night, Sing We Now
of Christmas, and Wintertime. The students who are in
the Gold ‘n Blue Chorale are: Amanda Ballinger, Jackeline Borjas, Benjamin Castel, Kaitlyn Erickson, Kamile
Fargher, Angela Ferreira, Maya Gilbert, Erin Huntsinger,
Catherine Keller, Lupita Lozano, Caysee McCormick,
MiKyla McGhee, Roxey Newman, Hannah Rittmeyer,
Emily Roth, Ashley Sengstaken, Caitlin Sharp, Kayla
Spencer, and Kolbie Wills.
The Chamber Choir performed: Wassail, What You
Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby, with decant from
Amanda Ballinger and Madeline Bigger, Throw Open
Your Shutters, Follow That Star, with solo from Chance
Lang, and You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch, with speaking solos from Austin Linkenhelt and Phoebe Wilkinson.
The also performed songs from Walt Disney’s Lion King
2: Simba’s Pride. The songs were: He Lives in You and
Ain’t That A-Rockin’ All Night, with solos from Amanda
Ballinger, Whitney DiAcri, Chance Lang, Madeline Bigger, Marin Jorgensen and Giovani Quiroz. Gold ‘n Blue Chorale and the Chamber Choir combinedon two songs from Walt Disney’s The Aristocats
called Scales and Arpeggios and Bom Bidi Bom.
“My favorite son was our last song, Bidi Bom. I
think we did well, but since it was our first performance
of the year we were a little nervous. I think our next performance will be better,” said Erin Huntsinger.
“My favorite song was Bidi Bom,” said Chaney Holland.
“On a scale from 1-10, I’d give our performance a
7,” according to Phoebe Wilkinson.
The String Orchestra Performed: A Festival of
Lights, Christmas Bells (Ding Dong Merrily On High),
The Journey Of The Magic, You’re A Mean One Mr.
Grinch, and All Is Well and Silent Night. The piano and
keyboard was played by Raelynn Clare and the percussion was played by Noahm Byle and Roselynn Hall.
“My favorite song was Christmas Bells. I think the
string orchestra did ok, but we could have used more
practice and preparation,” said Kaleigh James.
The Symphonic Band performed Hanukkah Dance
(Sevivon), Celtic Carol, Patapan, Ashland Park, Chanukan is Here, and Stars and Stripes for Christmas. “My Favorite song was Chanukan is here. According to
the comments, we sounded really good,” said Alexis Garcia.
Next up for Maestro and the Nordhoff High School
Music Department is the talent competition and showcase. The 2nd annual Ojai’s Got Talent for students in
grades K-12 who live or go to school in the Ojai Valley will take place on Friday, February 6 ar 7 p.m. at the
Matilija Junior High School auditorium. Tickets will be
$10.00.
Is There School Today!?
By Marissa Vacio
If you ever wake up in the morning and aren’t
quite sure if there’s school because there’s really bad
weather or some kind of emergency in Ojai such as a big
fire, students and parents should know to visit the District
Office website at http://www.ojai.k12.ca.us or call the
District phone number (640-4300) as the phone message
will be remotely updated to reflect the opening or closing
of schools.
Students can also listen to radio and television
stations, including KHAY at 100.7, KXLM
(Spanish
broadcast) at 102.9 or KEYTTV Channel 3.
Information regarding the closure of schools
will be communicated to the radio stations by 6:00 a.m.,
it is probable that schools will be open.
Students should continue to listen for messages
on these stations in case circumstances worsen. Other
media sources may be unreliable.
Also, the District will always make us of the
Connect Ed parent telephone calling system assuming
phones are working. Messages will be sent only when
necessary and compelling to provide updated information.
“We love life, not because we are
used to living but because we are
used to loving.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche
February 2015
News
The Ranger, Page 5
New State Laws for 2015 May Affect Students
By Reuben Holly and Hudson Handel
2015 has finally arrived and many
people are coming up with their New
Year’s Resolutions. Whether or not
people will stick to them is another
thing but there are definitely changes
occurring on the state level.
930 new laws went into effect on
Jan. 1, 2015. In California, they range
from environmental, to political, to social.
The most highly publicized new
law, of course, is that undocumented
immigrants are eligible to apply for a
driver’s license in California. Another
most students have heard about is the
statewide ban on single-use plastic
bags that goes into effect on July 1
(of course, Ojai already has this law).
California is the first state in the union
to pass such a ban.
Many of the laws won’t be felt on
a personal level by students, but others
just might be. Here are five most likely
to concern Nordhoff students:.
The first is in regards to students,
“School districts collecting information on students through social media
are limited to data involving student
or school safety. Districts must allow
parents to review and correct any such
information collected. When asked
about how this law might affect Nordhoff, Assistant Principal
Mr. Monson said,”The definition
of safety isn’t clear as it could mean
physical or emotional safety, but Nordhoff currently doesn’t have a program
to monitor social networks and has no
interest in starting one.”
The second concerns bikeways:
“Local agencies, including cities and
park districts, may place proposals on
the ballot that, if two-thirds of local
voters approve, would impose a vehicle registration surcharge of up to $5
to develop and maintain bikeways.”
When asked about his thoughts on
this law, senior Landis Meyer said,”It
is a good idea and I’m not against it
because $5 is nothing.”
A third pertains to curriculum:
“State education officials must consider incorporating lessons about the
Armenian genocide and other mass
killings, such as those in Rwanda and
Darfur, into curriculum standards that
will be updated in 2015. Lessons about
genocide should include oral testimony from survivors, rescuers and witnesses.”
Senior Carson Demmond said,
”This would be a good idea because it
would eliminate bias and people need
to know this.” (See Faceoff on Page 15
for more student opinions on this).
A fourth law speaks to equal gender participation: “Public schools must
publish the number of girls and boys
participating in each sport to show
whether the sexes have the required
equal access to athletic programs.”
Demmond said, ”It would be a better idea to monitor how much money
a sport spends rather than publish participation as it varies.”
A fifth regards student information: ”Businesses may no longer use
personal information about minor students obtained through Internet education websites and mobile applications
for any purpose other than online education.”
Senior Nick Lewis said,”It depends, but this law doesn’t affect me.”
Here are some of the other laws
that NHS students took note of.
Birth certificates will now feature a “parent” option, rather than just
mother and father, to accommodate
same-sex parents.
Confederate flags and merchandise with its logo can no longer be sold
in state government stores.
Shelled eggs sold in California
must be produced by hens that live in
enclosures that comply with the state’s
new, more ample living standards.
Hens must have enough room to stand
up, stretch their wings and turn around
in their new enclosures.
It’s now legal to have your dog
with you in the outdoor seating area
of a restaurant if the restaurant doesn’t
object and certain health and safety
standards are met by the establishment
Drivers for Uber, Lyft and other
ride-sharing companies must be insured during the time when the app
is open but they are not en route to
a pickup. Before, drivers were only
insured when they were actively en-
gaged with a customer.
Victims of childhood sexual abuse
will now have until age 40 to press
charges.
Smartphones sold or manufactured
in California after July 1 must have a
“kill switch,” a command of some kind
that renders the phone inoperable if it
is stolen or lost.
It’s now illegal for websites to
force embarrassed people to pay money to remove their mug shots from the
web.
Students who incur a concussion
must sit out seven days and have a doctor’s note to return. Full-contact practices are now banned in the offseason
and can only be held twice a week during the season.
Named for a Saratoga teen who
committed suicide days after being
sexually assaulted while passed out,
“Audrie’s Law” increases the penalties
for individuals convicted of sex acts on
a person who is unconscious or otherwise unable to give consent.
Possessing crack cocaine with the
intent to sell used to carry a heavier
sentence than powder cocaine. Now,
they carry the same sentence.
Public schools are now required to
send their graduating seniors’ GPA to
the California Student Aid Commission to hopefully increase the number
of students who receive Cal Grants
Previously, California’s “revenge
porn” laws only covered pornographic
images taken by other people. Now, it
will also be illegal to post intimate selfies without the consent of the person in
the photo.
Schools are now required to have
an EpiPen on campus. EpiPens are
used for people going into anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction.
Millions of retail and fast food
workers will able to accrue sick days
starting in July. For every 30 hours
worked, they will qualify for one hour
of paid sick leave.
Colleges and universities in California must adopt new guidelines for
dealing with sexual assault on campus.
Instead of the traditional “no means
no,” a lack of a verbal “no” does not
mean consent was given.
Photo by ???
Kunde Juggling Busy Schedule
By Kathryn Lehnerer
Juggling a part time job with school and
sports is challenging. Learning to set priorities, using time wisely, not over stressing, is crucial to having success balancing a part time job with school.
Cameron Kunde, a junior at Nordhoff High School,
is successful with this balancing act, so I decided to
sit down with him to find out how he manages it all.
Cameron Kunde works part-time at the
Ojai Athletic Club. He keeps the gym clean and organized, and sometimes helps at the front desk. He
cleans out equipment closets and keeps the weights
in order. He’s worked there for a few years, and has
found a balance between school, track and field, and
work. He also manages to fit in some free time for
himself.
Asked if it’s hard to juggle school and a
job, he said, “Yes and no. It’s not too bad because
I don’t work a ton of hours, but it does get a little
taxing with school and homework during the week,
and having to drop everything to go to work on
weekends.”
Getting a job in a small town can be hard,
so it helps to have connections.
“Everyone in my family has worked at the
Club, my father, mother, grandmother, and brother.
When I was looking for a job I applied there. Since
they knew everyone in my family they hired me,”
Kunde explained.
Having good people skills is a plus. And
liking what one does also helps.
“When I see Cameron working at the front
desk he’s always smiling and happy to help” said
Hannah, a gym member. .
Cameron tries to find a healthy balance between work, school and sports. When asked if he
would recomend someone get a part time job, he
responded very enthusiastically: “Yes I would! Part
time jobs are not the most fun, but they do give you
a few extra dollars, which is nice, especially for gas
money. As long as you don’t work too much, it’s not
bad.”
Students Coming to Terms with Citizenship Program
By Emily Johnson and Jessica DuBrin
With two full years completed, the citizenship
program has made quite an impact on the NHS culture,
specifically the issue of tardies. With almost 85% of low
citizenship grades due to tardiness, the citizenship program and its accountability for students has improved the
attention to punctuality and significantly reduced the number of tardies each quarter.
In the school year ‘11 - ‘12 , the year before the
citizenship program started, the total number of tardies
campus wide, broken down by quarters were: 1st quarter: 2412, 2nd quarter: 2675, 3rd quarter: 2948, and in the
4th quarter: 3108. The first year the citizenship program
started was ‘12-’13. The total number of tardies decreased
and were as follows: 1st quarter: 1421, 2nd quarter: 1615,
3rd quarter: 2118, and in the 4th quarter: 2485. By the 2nd
year of having a citizenship program, the number of tardies decreased by over 50% compared to the year with no
citizenship program. The number of tardies in ‘13 - ‘14
were: 1st quarter: 1021, 2nd quarter: 1457, 3rd quarter:
1974, and in the 4th quarter: 1717.
Sarah Bowen said, “I think it’s important. It helps
students keep on top of grades and gives them a better experience at Nordhoff. The point system is difficult to make
up especially for dress code and tardies, but it does make
you have a reason to not do them. I think it helps you to
become a better student and person on campus. Although,
I hope it becomes easier to make up points to improve your
grade.”
NHS is promoting character traits and responsibility through a citizenship grade. Students who maintain
at least a C grade or better will be rewarded with full access to extracurricular activities on and off campus, including eligibility for Ranger Rewards.
Dylan McEttrick said, “I think that the citizen-
ship grade is necessary because it can give colleges an idea
of ‘who a student is’. For example someone can have really good grades but still be a ‘bad person’ or vice versa. I
don’t think that a tardy should take off points because it’s
not always up to the student whether or not he or she is
tardy. I know that for me, any time I’ve ever been tardy is
because of my dad, not me.”
Students who earn a D grade will lose privileges
to on-campus extracurricular activities, such as graduation
ceremonies or rallies, and any students who earns a failing
grade will lose all extracurricular privileges-including participation in athletics and performing arts. These students
will not be permitted to attend dances, sporting events or
graduation events. All students begin the year with 100
points, and this grade is cumulative throughout the year.
Citizenship grades will be checked quarterly or
before school-wide activities such as rallies or prom. Students will be given the opportunity to earn back lost points
by participating in administration-approved, on-campus
community service.
Makenna Mays said, “I think that citizenship and
everything involved with it shouldn’t reflect how good of
a ‘citizen’ we are, but I do support some disciplining for
things such as tardiness or dress code violations.
Students can earn back lost citizenship points by
approaching any teacher, staff member, or administrator
and request to assist them with some project, event, or
classroom or campus clean-up. For every 30 minutes of
work, a student will earn back 5 points. The supervising
adult will notify Mr. Monson how much time was completed.
Chaney Holland said, “Well I think that it makes
sense that they would give you some sort punishment for
being tardy, etc, so it doesn’t become a habit. However,
from experience I have had trouble checking my citizen-
ship grade so I never knew how much I was missing or
how to make it up.”
To earn an A, a student must have between 90100 points. To earn a B, a student must have between 8089 points. To earn a C, a student must have between 70-79
points. To earn a D, a student must have between 60-69
points. To earn a F, a student must have between 0-59
points.
Tardies, citizenship violations-littering, minor
classroom issues- will result in a loss of 5 points. Lunch
detentions, dress code and cell phone violations will result
in a loss of 10 points. Classroom referrals, truancies and
SARB letters will result in a loss of 15 points. An in-house
suspension will result in a loss of 30 points and an at-home
suspension will result in a loss of 50 points.
Absences or tardies must be cleared by a parent
note or phone call within 48 hours - 640-4343, x2710. A
student who arrives late or needs to leave early must have
a parent note or phone call prior to his or her arrival or
departure. A students must have his or her parent write a
note if he or she needs to leave school for an appointment.
Every student must sign out of the office if they are leaving school during school hours. This is a legal requirement
and any student who does not sign out of school prior to
leaving campus will be marked “truant” for any classes
they missed. The school will not interrupt class time to
release students from class for non-school appointments
or reasons.
A freshman or sophomore leaving at lunch for
any reason must have a parent come into the attendance
office to sign him or her out. Any student without an offcampus lunch pass must have a parent come into the attendance office to sign him or her out during lunch time. If,
however, a student is going home ill, a parent can phone to
release the student.
Page 6, The Ranger
For Fun
Your Valentine Horoscope P demonium
February 2015
By Meredith Rimpa and Emma Wood
Aquarius - The realities of your love life will appear more clearly than usual
this year. Indeed, you will immerse yourself in the here and now. This becomes important
as it empowers you to stabilize your love life. Day after day this will extract your inner
pessimism. Your friendship life keeps great importance in the way you live your love affairs this year. This influence is further strengthened this year as well.
Aries - You are quite likely to meet someone really special or interesting in the
first quarter of the year and this might turn into a life - long relationship. you will become
the center of attraction in all parties held in the first half of the year. chances are bright for
you this year, but be wise enough to choose the right one for yourself. Overall, this year
will be good in terms of love for you.
Taurus - This year states very few chances for a romantic tour, but some interesting dates are definitely on the cards. Misunderstandings with the lover might start
reducing in the middle of the year, but for that you will have to be a little patient and open
hearted. This year will be just okay in terms of romance for you.
Gemini - You will have the passion and drive along with the right flexibility
and the charisma to get the one you love. You will need to sharpen your communication
skills to avoid any gap that will result in into a misunderstanding leading to separation
from the loved one. Cupid will play the right strokes in your life and bring you close to
someone special and just like you.
Cancer - Cancerians are good at nurturing. Ruled by the Moon, they make
great parents and compassionate partners. The trouble is that they tend to get addicted
to the role of nurturer. This year, you may find yourself in a serious relationship, but no
need to fear! If things are meant to be and feel right, let them be. If a current relationship
ends it’s not the end of the world so pick yourself back up and be the confident, mindful
person you are.
Leo - This is your year for love! You’ve had some difficulty with relationships
in the past, not because you did not try hard enough but rather the opposite! You put so
much effort into your past love affairs and when they ended they were quite a challenge
for you to recover from. Not this year. 2015 brings a new year and new chances for you.
Theres nothing wrong with passion but don’t be afraid to allow your partner to put in
some effort. The key to success is to find equal ground with your loved ones.
Virgo - Its time to get yourself out there and find that special person! Don’t
let anything hold you back! This year will bring you confidence you lacked in the past.
There is also change in store for you; a haircut maybe?
Libra - There may be a degree of conflict between you and your partner that can
only be eased by coming to some sort of compromise. The problem is that neither of you
will really want to do so. You could go around and around in circles this way. Wouldn’t it
be much easier to try and be a little understanding? The product of this compromise will
only be positive.
Scorpio - What a happy New Year it is destined to be for you! Success in work
whether it be schooling or your career will be coming your way. Your love life is set to
be exciting this year! Maybe even meet that special someone whom you see being a big
part of your life in the future. This year will be one of which many surprises come to you.
Sagittarius - You are generally warmhearted and loyal to those who support
your cause, but woe to those who criticize or dare to suggest that you are not equal to
the sunshine itself! Don’t let other opinions affect you so harshly. Sometimes peoples
opinions of you can be positive. Someone you are more than a little interested in seems
to have found interest in you as well.
Capricorn - You know just how much a certain person means to you, yet you
are finding it difficult to trust what is happening, due to your past experience. If you can
both take some time to get together and really share your misgivings and hopes, you may
well find that life becomes a lot brighter. A good year is sure to come to you.
Pisces - An exciting love tour will be on the cards for you to an exotic location.
Make sure not to pretend what you are not just to impress your loved one; or else you
will put your relationship at stake. Allow yourself to with the flow of your internal tide
seeking a change.
By Jefferson Beckham
Ranger Editor-in-Chief
Let’s talk about photocopiers:
Someone once challenged me to
make a pun based on photocopiers.
I told him that normally, I would
refuse the topic, since no one would
give an inkling about it.
He objected loudly, but I told him,
“Watch your toner with me, young
man! Your argument’s paper thin!”
Now, do me a favor and don’t copy
these. Okay?
It’s a worse idea than employing
a chef as a secretary because he’s
bound to make copypasta! Now let’s
talk about suits:
Get ready: shirt’s about to go
down!
In one class I had, some britches
decided to shoes to challenge me. So
I decided to jacket up.
Once I let loose, they didn’t even
tie to keep up.
I warned them not to button next
time. No one’s got better puns in the
’hood to suit the occasion.
When it comes to writing this column, I get a little unhinged. Often,
I get in a jamb coming up with new
ones, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
Unfortunately, by my own admission,
I’ve gone past the threshold-- I can’t
–go back to being serious. If I do now,
I might get slammed for it.
All right, I’ll head to the door. See
you next month!
FUN FACTS
Compiled by Laurel Miller
There are over 87,000 different drink combinations at Starbucks
Nomophobia is the fear of being without your cellphone or being out of mobile phone contact
Astronauts can grow up to 2 inches while in space because of the lack of pressure put on the spin
If you go to Google and enter ‘do a barrel doll,’ the entire page will rotate completely.
The Hogwarts Express from the movies is a real train in Scotland and not computer generated.
A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years
The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body
Smoking can make your nipples fall off and turn them purple
Women cry between 30 and 64 times a year. Men cry up to 6 times a year.
The voices of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were actually married in real life
Hearing someone call your name when no one has is a sign of a healthy mind.
The “ice cream” we see in ads is mashed potatoes because it will not melt during production.
The longest time between two twins being born is 87 days
Female kangaroos have three vaginas
All the clocks in Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20
When we cry if the first tear comes from the right eye, it’s happiness. from the left, it’s pain.
The nose can remember 50,000 different scents.
The MGM lion that was used in the original logo killed its trainer and 2 assistants the day after
the logo was filmed.
What’s Most Likely to Happen First?
40% of students believe that Los Angeles will get its own football team first.
34% believe that Mr. Hoj will become the mayor of Ojai first.
30% believe that Nordhoff will get a new swimming pool first.
28% believe that Dr. Bayless will become a game show host first.
25% believe that Mrs. Hoj will start her own professional dance troupe first.
7% believe that Nordhoff will start an ROTC program first.
Ojai Print Works
Phone: (805) 649-0735
Fax: (805) 649-4700
Feel free to visit us at ojaiprintworks.com
February 2015
Entertainment
The Hobbit: The
Battle of the Five
Armies Thrills
By Vincent Litonjua
Peter Jackson is back once again with the
third and final installment of The Hobbit movie
series. The third installment of The Hobbit trilogy features a boat load of fighting while also
providing a satisfying conclusion to the three
part trilogy. Those who may have been bored by
the lack of action in the first two movies will not
be disappointed as this one will keep you entertained for what seems like the entire duration of
its 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)
risks his friendship and honor in search of the
lost Arkenstone driven by an obsession of the
power it holds. While Thorin is consumed by
finding the Arkenstone, Smaug has escaped Erebor and seeks to get revenge on the people of
Lake-town. Meanwhile, Sauron sends his armies
of orcs to descend on the Lonely Mountain to try
and destroy Middle Earth’s last stronghold and
continue to spread evil across the land. As the
fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance, the
races of Elves, Dwarves, and Men must decide
to unite and overcome the evil or suffer the destruction of Sauron.
Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an
exciting end to this trilogy and will make fans of
the Lord of the Ring series happy.
It does not quite live up to the original Lord
of the Rings films though.
The Lord of the Rings was so iconic because they used many large scale sets, huge
casts numbers, and felt very realistic and believable. In The Hobbit, Peter Jackson strayed
away from his original way of directing. There
was an abundance of cgi and green screen footage, which was very obvious in some scenes and
made the viewer feel a little disappointed that
it even got through final editing. This is fairly
opposite from what Peter Jackson did with The
Lord of the Rings because it seems there was
very little computer effects, and if there was it
felt real. Some of the costumes and makeup also
did not live up to the realism from The Lord of
the Rings especially for the dwarves.
Even after all this criticism, I still recommend to see this movie if you are a fan of The
Lord of the Rings series. It doesn’t live up to the
quality of Peter Jackson’s other films, but this
movie in particular is still entertaining and good.
Write us a letter,
it’ll make you feel better.
Email your letter to THE RANGER care of
[email protected].
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part
1 Flies Through Theaters
The Imitation Game
Shouldn’t Be a Secret
By Juan Garcia & Camille Martinez
If you like top secret war information that has been hidden for over 50 years,
along with some of the most amazing acting
seen in recent years, then you might want to
watch The Imitation Game.
The Imitation Game is based on the
true story of the man who wins the war. The
movie is set in England during the second
World War, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an incredibly smart mathematician
who was asked to help the allies win the war
Along with his fellow mathematicians Hugh (Matthew Goode), John (Allen
Leech), and Peter (Matthew Beard), they
are given the impossible task of solving the
unbreakable code, the Enigma, used to send
secret messages by Nazi Germany.
The work is long and tedious but
Alan is confident that he can build a machine
that can do the impossible. For this Alan
needs help so he goes on a search for ordinary people with extraordinary minds. This is
where he meets Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) the woman that will help him change
history.
The Imitation Game has getting
great praise due to Benedict Cumberbatch’s
Oscar worthy performance. The movie also
has a large number of twist and turns that
will keep the movie interesting for the audience.
The Imitation Game is a Drama
film/thriller with a run time of 1hr 54m,
released on Christmas Day of last year (December 25, 2014.)
Happy
Valentine’s
Day!
Paid advertisement
805-652-1400
Page 7
29747 E. Thompson Blvd.
Ventura, CA, 93001
By Camille Martinez
On November 21st the third
installment to The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay Part 1, was released
with much excitement from its fans.
The film picks up from where
it left off in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire where Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is residing in the
remains of the destroyed District 13 trying to escape the Capitol. The movie is
then focused on Katniss’ longing for her
lost friend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and
trying to win a war against the capitol
by having Katniss represent the sign of
rebellion.
Although, not as action packed
as the previous movies, it sheds a story
in a different light without all the blood
and cheesy kissing scenes. I would
highly recommend waiting for the DVD
to come out instead of wasting your
money to see it in theaters. The intense
scenes can be experienced just as well at
home because there are only a few. And
one may be disappointed because of the
anticipation for the next movie.
Director of the film, Francis Lawrence, has directed other films
that have had good reviews such as I
am Legend and Water for Elephants.
Compared to I am Legend, Lawrence
continued to surprise us with Catching
Fire and Mockingjay Part 1, by shooting Catching Fire in iMax, which was
perfect for the story, and showing the
story from the book in a good way.
Many directors were considered for the job but on November 1,
2012, Francis Lawrence (I am Legend),
director of Catching Fire announced
that he would return to direct both final parts of the series. Shooting began
September 23, 2013 and concluded on
June 10, 2014 and was filmed back-toback with Part 2. Philip Seymour, who
plays Plutarch Heavensbee in the film,
died on February 2, 2014 in New York.
Lionsgate released a statement stating
that Hoffman had completed most of
his scenes prior to his death. The ending
credits showed that the film was dedicated to him.
Woman in Black 2 Will Scare You
By Stephanie Arriaga
The Woman In Black 2 came out in theaters on January 2, 2015. The movie is
about one hour and thirty minutes and is rated PG-13. The genre of the movie is
horror , suspense and mystery.
The movies plot takes place in London during World War II . Eve Parkins
(Phoebe Fox) is a school teacher and Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory) is the school’s
headmistress, evacuating the school children and taking them to the countryside of
Grifford for safety.
On the way there they meet Dr.Rhodes which then takes them to the Eel Marsh
House. A madman confronted Eve for bringing the children to the city and said they
will never escape “her.” Even though Jean and Eve didn’t approve of the conditions
of the house there was no alternative.
They all go to sleep and the next morning Eve slowly opens up her eyes and
sees a woman dresses in black standing there and then vanishes. Later that day, one
of the children (Edward) gets bullied by two other kids and he gets locked in a nursery, where he sees a woman in black. He does not say anything when when Eve finds
and frees him. Eve feels somethings wrong especially when Edward constantly carries a rotten doll with him.
The movie was pretty good, I would say. The Woman in Black 2 is better than
the first Woman in Black. The first woman in The Woman in Black looked different
than the woman in The Woman in Black 2. The woman in The Woman in Black 2
looked more scarier and more realistic to a ghost.
Tom Harper was the director of this film. This was the first horror film than he’s
made. Tom has directed The Scouting Book for Boys, Dis/Connected, This is England ‘86, and the most recent besides The Woman in Black 2, The Borrowers, which
was made in 2011.
International Mot
Linguistic Diversity
This Way, Na
Page 8, February 2015, The Ranger
Bonvenon!
Nordhoff
Celebrates
(Welcome!)
By Jefferson Beckham
International Mother Language Day is observed
every February 21, since 2000.
It was proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 17
November 1999, as a way of promoting cultural diversity.
The date, 21 February, was chosen because, on 21
February 1952, students in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) rallied for official national recognition of the Bengali language (with some 210 million native speakers in
2010). Unfortunately, they were shot and killed by law
enforcement for their demonstration.
The United Nations already recognized the need
for more than one official language. It has therefore adopted six: English, Spanish (Español), French (Français),
Russian (Русский), Arabic (
), and Mandarin Chinese
(中文).
Here at Nordhoff, English and Spanish may be the
local linguæ franca, but that doesn’t mean other languages
can’t thrive here. These two pages prove it.
This month, in celebration of this holiday, The
Ranger decided to have several students around the camAlbanian (Shqip) pus translate the poem “This Way, Nay That Way” into
several languages.
I wrote “This Way, Nay That Way” originally as an
assignment for my sophomore Honors English class, when
prompted with the question “Where do your thoughts go
when you dream?” My thoughts go like a leaf-- wandering
boundlessly through nature, seized by scavengers, traded
for high prices-- but ultimately, they return to me. It also
emphasizes that in nature nothing goes in one direction-they really oscillate.
I chose “This Way, Nay That Way” because, in
practice, language often behaves this way. One person
sends his or her words in one direction-- and with them,
his or her ideas or feelings-- then the direction reverses.
It doesn’t necessarily need to go in only two directions;
multiple people can join in on a conversation, exchanging
a wealth of ideas of untold genius, much like the conventions I observe (and often take part in) every snack and
lunch.
Without language, I seriously doubt the human
race could have risen up from an ape in the forest to the
deus ex māchinā it is now.
Translated by Pia Zonic
Translated by Jefferson Beckham Croatian (Hrvatski) Një Gjethe e vetme,
Varur në një degë;
Era frynë ai rreth,
Këtë rrugë, jo atë rrugë,
Deri një ditë,
Gjethi vendosi të bie.
Dy botanistra,
Gjetur këtë Gjethe;
Ata duke argumentuar origjinën e vet,
„Këtë rrugë!“ „Jo, atë rrugë!“
Deri ata arriti vendimu,
Ai erdhi nga rrjedhën e sipërme.
Jedan List,
Visi na grani;
Vjetar ga puše,
Ovamo onamo,
Dok jednog dana,
List nije odlučio otpasti.
Dva botaničara,
Našavši List;
Oko porijekla lista se raspravljaše,
„Ovamo!“ „Onamo!“
Dok se ne usaglasiše,
Da ga je rijeka donijela nizvodno.
Gjethi rënie,
Valëzimi në Era,
Ai përshkuar fshati,
Këtë rrugë, jo atë rrugë,
Deri ai arriti një Lumë,
Dhe zbarkoi në të.
Këtë Gjethe rrafshuar,
Duke u ankand të;
Oferti e lartë kërcyen rreth,
Këtë rrugë, jo atë rrugë,
Deri një Burrë fitoi,
Për nuk një shumë të vogël.
Padajući List,
Pleše na Vjetru;
Putuje seoskim putevima,
Ovamo, onamo,
Dok se do Rijeke nije protegao,
I u rijeku upao.
Ovaj prešani List,
Na licitaciji;
Ponude pršte,
Ovamo, onamo,
Dok ga jedan Čovjek nije osvojio,
Za ne mali iznos.
Gjethi lundrues,
Vela në Lumi;
Ai lodhshëm nëpër lugina,
Këtë rrugë, jo atë rrugë,
Deri ai arriti një pjesë të qetë,
Dhe erdhi në breg.
Atë Burrë i njëiti,
Aksidentalisht duke rënë Gjethe e tij;
Psjesëta hedhën sa andej këtej në Era,
Këtë rrugë, jo atë rrugë,
Deri ata arritën pyllu,
Që ata origjinën nga.
Plutajući List,
Jedri Rijekom;
Nosen rijekom on vrluda kroz dolinu,
Ovamo, onamo,
Do mirnog dijela,
Gdje se na obalu nasukao.
Isti Čovjek,
Ispusti slučajno taj List;
Fragmenti se raspršiše,
Ovamo, onamo,
Do šume,
Iz koje je i došao.
German (Deutsch) Translated by Antonia Seitz
Dieser Weg, Nein, Der Weg
Kēlen (antaxōni ankēlen) T
F
T
“T
U
It
The falling Leaf,
Dancing in the Wind;
It traversed the countryside,
This way, nay that way,
Until it reached a River,
And landed in it.
T
B
T
T
U
F
The floating Leaf,
Sailing in the River;
It meandered through the valley,
This way, nay that way,
Until it reached a calm stretch,
And washed ashore.
T
A
T
T
U
T
Japanese (日本語) Translated by N
こちらへ、あち
一枚の葉っぱが枝にぶらさ
ある日葉っぱが落ち
風でこちらへあちらへ
落ちた葉っぱは風で飛
川に落ちるまで
こちらへあちらへ飛
川に落ちた葉っぱ
川岸に着くまで谷を
こちらへあちらへ流
二人の植物学者がこの葉っ
上流からきたと結論が
葉っぱがどこからき
「こちらからきた!」「いいや、
と言い争いをし
押し葉にされた葉っ
オークションにかけ
ある男が小さくない値段を
値段は上に下に動
この男は葉っぱを落とし
ばらばらになった葉っぱ
元の森に戻るま
風がこちらあちらへ
Russian (Р
Translated by Jefferson Beckham
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
Zwei botaniker,
Finden das Blatti;
Sie streiteten sich über den ursprung,
„Dieser weg!“ „Nein, der weg!“
Bis sie eine entscheidung trafen,
Es kam von flußaufwärts.
ān λi jamāla
pa anānīke nīkan ān λi janīra;
tiēlen semme λi jamāla λi jūrāna anrā
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
il ān jalōna
tiēlen pa λi jamāla jacērja ñalla wenīkan;
Das fallende Blatt,
Tanzt im Wind;
Es fliegt durch die lanschaft,
Dieser weg, nein, der weg,
Bis es einen Fluß erreicht,
Und in ihm landet.
Dieses gepreßte Blatt,
Wird versteigert;
Das höchste gebot schwankte umber,
Dieser weg, nein, der weg,
Bis ein Mann gewinnt,
Für eine nicht zu kleine summe.
λi jamāla antū
pa jajāra sū λi jūrāna;
tiēlen ñamma ja rā jekiēn
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
il tiēlen ñamma ja japōññe λi jatāna
il aþ tiēlen ñamma sūjōl;
Das schwimmende Blatt,
Segelt im Flußi;
Es schlängelte sich durch das tal,
Dieser weg, nein, der weg,
Bis sie eine ruhige strecke erreight,
Und es an das ufer anschwemmt.
Der gleiche Mann,
Läßt das Blatt versehentlich fallen;
Seine Fragmente verstrewen sich im Wind,
Dieser weg, nein, der weg,
Bis sie den wald erreichen,
Von dem sie gekommen waren.
λi jamāla anhēr
pa jaþīña sū λi jatāna;
tiēlen ñamma ja rā jajīra
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
il tiēlen ñamma ja japōññe jaþāwa antōrja
il aþ tiēlen ñamma ōl jahāwekien;
Ein einzelnes Blatt,
Hängt an einem Zweig;
Der Wind blies es umher,
Dieser weg, nein, der weg,
Bis zu dem einen tag,
An dem es sich entschied,
Herunter zu fallen.
A single Leaf,
Hanging to a Branch;
The Wind blew it around,
This way, nay that way,
Until one day,
The Leaf decided to fall off.
Ovamo, Onamo
Këtë Rrugë, Jo Atë Rrugë
Original
English Один лист,
Свисающие
ēnne māxaten
Ветер взорва
ñatta λi jamāla japōññe;
Такум образ
tiēlen pa sāenne weanñēīki xiēn jē jarūmma; Пока в один
tiēlen temme an ien þō jēkenna lā;
Пластинчаты
tiēlen temme anīþa ien jawā xō jēkenna lā;
te þō il tiēlen sete anñēīki
В резуильтат
tiēlen ñi sāen rūjūrāna;
Таниы в знар
Она пересек
þō λi jamāla anmōma
Такум образ
la sū jatāsa;
До реки,
tiēlen pa antēnni anōna anrā
И приземлил
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
il tiēlen sele ān λi māmān
Плавающие
jē ān weantēnni anīña;
Парусный сп
Зто мы споты
xō λi māmān ñe
Такум образ
ñi λi jamālaēma matāra;
До тех пор п
tiēlen ñaxxa jahūwa ankepōla sū λi jūrāna
И выброшен
þō jēkenna jawā xō jēkenna
il tiēlen ñaxxa anrūsa rā jajēla
ja tiēlen ñi saēþ rū;
“Words were not given to Man in
order to conceal his thoughts.”
“The world’s most famous and popular
language is music.”
—José Sarmago
—Psy
“If yo
unde
If yo
that g
ther Language Day
The Ranger, February 2015, Page 9
l poem by Jefferson Beckham
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) Translated by Tori Doan
Spanish (Español)
Two botanists,
Finding this Leaf;
They were arguing its origins,
This way!” “Nay, that way!”
Until they reached the decision,
t came from upstream.
Môt Lá rơi,
Treo lên Cành;
Gió thối ri rào,
Đường này đường kia,
Có một ngày,
Lá sẻ rơi rụng.
Hai ngời thác sĩ,
Kiếm được Lá;
Cái nhau lá từ đâu ra,
“Đường này!” “Đường kia!”
Tới khi quyết đinh,
Từ một con sống.
Una sola Hoja,
Colgando de una Rama;
El Viento se la llevó por todos lados,
Por aquí, no por allá,
Hasta que un día,
La Hoja decidió caerse.
Dos botánicos,
Encontrando esta Hoja;
Estaban discutiendo sus orígenes,
«Por aquí!» «No, por allá!»
Hasta que llegaron a la decisión,
Que venía de río arriba.
This pressed Leaf,
Being auctioned off;
The highest bid was swaying around,
This way, nay that way,
Until one Man won,
For not a small sum.
Lá rụng xuống,
Nhảy trong Gió;
Vòng quanh trên quê huong,
Đường này đường kia,
Một ngày cặp bênh,
Và gừng lại.
Lá tấn ũa,
Ban nó đi;
Giá cao ngay ngút,
Đường này đường kia,
Một Ông thắng,
Với số tiền nhỏ.
La Hoja que cae,
Bailando en el Viento;
Atravesó el campo,
Por aquí, no por allá,
Hasta llegar a un Río,
Y aterrizó en el Río.
Esta Hoja presendada,
Siendo subastada;
La oferta más alta se balanceaba,
Por aquí, no por allá,
Hasta que un Hombre ganó,
No por una pequeña suma.
That same Man,
Accidently dropping his Leaf;
The fragments scattered in the Wind,
This way, nay that way,
Until they reached the forest,
That they originated from.
Lá nói trôi,
Đi vòng trên xong;
Ngắm ngoài cảnh,
Đường này đường kia,
Tới khi cập bến,
Rưõi sạch nó.
Cũng Ông đó,
Rời Lá xuống;
Mùi thơm Gió thối,
Đường này đường kia,
Tới đinh núi,
Lá ở tại đây.
La Hoja flotante,
Navegando en el Río;
Serpenteaba por el valle,
Por aquí, no por allá,
Hasta llegar a un tramo tranquilo,
Y fue arrastrada hasta la orilla.
Ese mismo Hombre,
Accidentalmente dejando caer su Hoja;
Los fragmentos se dispersaron en el Viento,
Por aquí, no por allá,
Hasta que llegaron al bosque,
De dónde vinieron.
ay That Way
Nicole & Kaori Golden
Esperanto 飛ばされ
で
飛んだ
ぱは
を過ぎ
流された
っぱをみつけた
が出るまで
きたのか
、あちらからだ!」
した
っぱは
けられ
を付けるまで
動いた
Translated by Jefferson Beckham
Ĉi Vojo, Ne Ke Vojo
ちらへ
さがっていた
ちるまで
へ動いた
Đường Này Đường Kia
Translated by Rena Becker
Por Aquí, No Por Allá
Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) Translated by Heta Khatri
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
Sola Folio,
Pendante al Branĉon;
La Vento blovis ĝin ĉirkaŭ,
Ĉi vojo, ne ke vojo,
Ĝis unu tago,
La Folio decidis defali.
Du botanikistoj,
Trovante ĉi Folio,
Ili argumentis ĝia originoj,
“Ĉi vojo!” “Ne, ke vojo!”
Ĝis ili atingis la decido,
Ĝi venis de kontraŭflue.
અેક અકેલુ પાંદડુ
અેક ડાળીને અટકી
પવન તેની આસપાસ ઉડાવતું
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
એક દિવસ તયાં સુધી
પાંદડા એ પડવાનો નિણઁય લીધો.
La Folio falanta,
Dancante en la Venton;
Ĝi trairis tra la kamparon,
Ĉi vojo, ne ke vojo,
Ĝis ĝi atingis Riveron,
Kaj surteriĝis en ĝin.
Ĉi Folio apalanda,
Estante aŭkciitaj;
La oferto plej alta estis tuj ĉirkaŭ,
Ĉi vojo, ne ke vojo,
Ĝis unu Homo gajnis,
Per ne sumon malgrandan.
પડતું પાંદડુ,
પવનમાં નકકી કયુઁ,
તે દેશભરમાં આમતેમ
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
તે એક નદી સુધી પહોંચે તયાં સુધી
અને તે પડીયું.
આ દબાવમાં પાંદડુ
હરાજી બંધ કરવામાઁ આવી હતી
સોથી વધુ બિડ આસપાસ બદલવામાં આવીયું
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
એક માણસ જીતીયો તયાં સુી
નથી એક નાની રકમ માટે.
La Folio flosanta,
Navigante en la Riveron;
Ĝi serpentimis tra la valon,
Ĉi vojo, ne ke vojo,
Ĝis ĝi atingis trechon serenon,
Kaj lavis al tero.
Ke Homo sama,
Akcidente faliginte lia Folio;
La fragmentoj disĵetis en la Venton;
Ĉi vojo, ne ke vojo,
Ĝis ili atingis la arbaron,
Ke ili estigis de.
તરતુું પાઁદડુ,
નદીમાં તરતાં
તે ખીણ મારફતેેે જતાં,
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
તે એક શાંત ઊંચાઇ એ પહોંચી તયાઁ સુધી
અને દરીયા કિનારે પહોંચીયું.
તેજ માણસ
અચાનક તેનુઁ પાંદડું પડયું
પવનમાં પથરાયેલા આ ટુકડાઓ
આ આ બાજુ, ના આ બાજુ
તે વનમાં પહોંચીયુું તયાં સુધી
જયાંથી આવીયું તયાં સુધી.
“To speak a second language is to
possess a second soul.”
してしまった
ぱの一部が
まで
へ吹いた
—Charlemagne
Русский) Translated by Shelly Bese
Таким Образом, Разве, Что
Два раццелилея,
Найти зто лиф;
Они были у мверждая ее происхождение,
«Зтот слосов!» «Или ты полагаешь, йто спосов!»
До мех пор пока они достигли решения,
Из верхнего.
с филиал;
аш его вокруг,
зом, разве, что,
н прекрасный день,
ые решил упасть.
те падения листьев,
ргия ветра;
кается в сельской местности,
зом, разве, что,
лся в его.
Выгладите зто лиф,
Троннон выкл;
На торгах выло колевание вокруг,
Такум образом, расве, что,
До мех пор пока адин человек выиграл,
За небольшую сумму.
лисмья,
порт в реке;
ыкались через долину,
зом, расве, что,
пока он досмиг вытянутом,
ны на берег.
Тот же шужчина,
Уронитв его лусмьев;
Фрагменты разбросаны в знергия вемпа,
Такум образом, расве, что,
До мех пор пока они достигли лесных,
Они являются выходцами из.
Hausa (Harshen Hausa)
Translated by Jamilu Sagir
Wannan Hanyar, Ã'a, Wacan Hanyar
Ganye guda Daya,
Sagale a jikin Reshe;
Iska ana kada shi,
Wannan hanyar, ã'a, wacan hanyar,
Har sai wataran,
Ganyen ya fado.
Mutum biyu masu karantar tsirrai,
Suka tsinci wannan Ganyen;
Suna gardamar asalinsa,
‘Wannan hanyar!’ ‘Ã'a, wacan hanyar!’
Har sai da suka yanke shawara,
Ya zo ne dago kogin.
Ganyen da yake fadowa,
Yana rawa a cikin Iskar;
Yana tafiya ba a cikin filin karkara,
Wannan hanyar, ã'a, wacan hanyar,
Har sai ya kai wani Rafi,
Ya sauka cikinsa.
Wannan Ganyen,
A wani gwanjo;
Mafi girman tayin da aka je kewaye,
Wannan hanyar, ã'a, wacan hanyar,
Har sai da wani Mutum ya cinge,
Alal ba karamin jimla.
Ganyen da yake yawo a kan ruboa,
Yana tafiya a cikin Rafi;
Yana tafiya kwarin,
Wannan hanyar, ã'a, wacan hanyar,
Har sai ya isa wani sashe kwantar da hankula,
Rafin ya wanko shi bakin gabo.
Wannan Mutumin,
Ya yarda Ganyen a bisa kuskune;
A wani ɓaɓɓake warwatse a cikin iska,
Wannan hanyar, ã'a, wacan hanyar,
Har sas da suka iso daji,
Inda canne asalinsu.
ou talk to a man in a language he
erstands, that goes to his head.
ou talk to him in his language,
goes to his heart.”
—Nelson Mandela
બે વનસપતિશાસતરીઓ
આ પાંદડાને શોધેલામાં
તેઓ તેની ઉતપતિની વાત કરવામાં આવી હતી
આ આ બાજુુ, ના આ બાજુ
તે અપસટૄમ આવીયા.
*8 people specified Mandarin-Chinese; 1 person specified Cantonese.
**Includes 1 vote each of Cantonese, Ethiopian, Albanian, Scottish-Gælic, Irish, Sign Language, and Hindi.
Page 10, The Ranger
Sports
February 2015
Girls Soccer
Getting It
Together
By Stephanie Arriaga
This year Nordhoff’s girl
soccer team started off the season
with Jim Bindon as their new coach.
The girls have been practicing five
days a week to get ready for their
season.
Kayleigh Morrison says, “I
think it’ll be a tough season for us
given that we are in a more competitive league. I think we will do fairly
well we have lots of talent on the
team.”
Karley Jones says “I think
this is going to be a tough season,
but from how we played against Villanova, I know we can do really well
this season.”
They have faced Agoura, ,
Rio Mesa and Villanova. They also
played in the Buena Tournament.
They won 2-1 against Villanova.
Maya said, “We’ll we have
St. Bonaventiure as our rival so that’s
going to be challenging.”
Their first league game was
on January 14th against Santa Paula.
From there on out all their league
games are every Wednesday and Friday. They will be playing Malibu,
Bishop Diego, La Reina, and St. Bonaventure.
The varsity team consists of
captains, Kayleigh Morrison, Danielle Lugotoff, and Maya Antunez.
The others are Julia Diaz, Chelsea
Cross, Celia Nunez , Samantha Soriano , Jessica Conn, Brenda Morales,
Karley Jones , Stephanie Arriaga ,
Vanessa Andrade, Diana Murillo ,
Taylor Santino , Isolde Marx, Kaitlyn
Rogers, Reese Royle , Kaydin Mckay.
Kaleigh Morrison advances the ball
during a recent home game.
Hudson Handel, a member of the 2014 CIF-SS Championship team, closes in on a loose ball at midfield against Carpinteria
in a recent home game. The Ranger kickers are currently X-X. For more on their season, see Page ?.
Boys’ Soccer Starts CIF Title Defense
By Josh Zaucha
As the Nordhoff boys soccer team begins their Tri- Valley League schedule, the team found itself 0-6 on the new season.
Yet there is still hope for a very successful campaign to follow up
last year’s CIF championship run. Returning starters Jules Pasco,
Diego Vasquez, Jay Inman, Ra’ad Abasi, and Hudson Handel
highlight a team full of experience and one that is poised to be
successful in a very competitive, new league.
After losses to stiff preseason competition with teams
like Ventura (5-1), Oaks Christian (4-1), Rio Mesa (2-0), Camarillo (3-0), Foothill Tech (3-2), and Pacifica (7-1), the team has additional motivation to perform well in the Tri-Valley league.
“Losing to tough teams has helped see what we need
to work and improve on before league starts. These games will
definitely benefit us later on because we realized how we need to
play against quality opponents.” said starting forward Finn Matte.
The team opened league January 14th against a tough opponent in
Malibu High School at Malibu.
This year will be a very good test for the Nordhoff squad.
Not only do they have a new coach, they also face a tougher
tougher schedule than last season’s. During the offseason, the
team moved up from Division 7 to Division 4. Nordhoff will face
the likes of Santa Clara, Santa Paula, Foothill Tech, Cate and
many other talented teams as they look to make the jump into a
more competitive league. This year will be a great, new test that
will tell how well this years team can measure up to the champion-
ship team from a year ago.
“I think it’s going to be a really great challenge for our
team and force us to improve. Last year we relied on a few players but this year we need to learn how to play well together as a
team. Our new league and the teams we face will definitely prepare us for the playoffs,” said captain and starting defender Diego
Vasquez.
Over the course of the season, the team has seen much
improvement, especially on the offensive end.
“During preseason we have improved the offense by
looking to our wings more and trying to get the ball into the box.
This has lead to more goals for us.” said Matte
The team desperately needs more production on offense
and this is a step in the right direction toward success in the TriValley league.
“Our chances for success are still high after going up
three divisions and the teams we are playing are much more qualified and up to our level of play. The schools we played last year
in Division 7 were not much of a challenge so this will prepare us
much better than last year’s league season,” said staring defender
Hudson Handel.
The team would appreciate your support at the first home
league game on January 16th at 5:00 against the Carpenteria Warriors at home. A current schedule for the team can be found on
maxpreps.com or in the sports calendar located here in The Ranger.
Summer van Houten Athlete of Month
By Morgan Pupa
This month’s female athlete is Summer Van Houten. She has played for the
Nordhoff girl’s water polo team and the
swim team since freshman year. She has
been apart of both varsity teams for all
four years.
She believes the girl’s water polo
team has a shot at making league this
year and she thinks that, “Our water
polo team this year is going to be the
best one we have had during my time in
high school, we got off to a rocky start
but I have high hopes for the season.”
When swim starts in the spring
Van Houten will be swimming the 200
freestyle and the 500 freestyle; both of
which she has previously finaled for in
CIF. When asked what her favorite part
about swimming is Van Houten said,
“Getting to hang out with Nakao for two
hours everyday.” Van Houten has been
MVP for swimming for the past three
years.
Along with swimming and water
polo, Van Houten also takes various AP
classes and has applied to 4 UCs,the
University of Washington, UNC Chapel
Hill, and USC. She plans to study in the
medical field, but will not be competing
in swim or water polo in college. When
asked how she balances her challenging classes and sports Van Houten said,
“Since I’ve played sports all 4 years in
high school I’ve become adjusted to balancing everything .”
Photo by Morgan Pupa
February 2015
Sports
The Ranger, Page 11
26 Rangers
Named AllLeague
By Finn Matte
Linebacker Shane Hersh was named the TriValley League Defensive Most Valuable Player of
the year. Erik Monson earned Coach of the Year in
his first year as head coach for the Nordhoff Rangers, highlighting this year’s Fall Sports accolades.
“It feels really good to be honored as the best
in the league,” Hersh said.
Named to first team for football were: Baylee
Rogers, Austin Baker, Ivan Jauregi, Atticus Reyes,
Nick McGrew, Jesus Hernandez, Spencer Bliss,
and Cooper Garcia.
Named to second team were: Regin Wilson,
Miguel Carbajal, William Moses, Austin Santino,
Jevon Morrison, Scott Barron, Marc Conley, and
Homero Espana.
Earning honorable mention honors were:
Ryan Mahler, Junior Flores, Brandon Ocheltree,
and Charles Delgado.
McKenna Clawson was named to first team
for girls Volleyball. Named to second team was
Odessa Runyan. Earning Honorable Mention Honors were: Elizabeth Clawson and Emily Johnson.
McKenna Clawson, who has not decided
where she will be taking her volleyball talents next
year yet, also was named to the All-Ventura County Star and All-CIF-Southern Section teams.
Boys water polo coach Martin Armstrong
earned Coach of the Year honors. Named to first
team for his team were Andrew Holland and Sean
Edwards. Named to second team was Finnigan Edwards. Earning honorable mention honors were:
Justin Kern, Colby Cole, and Spencer Perkins.
Named to second team for Cross-Country
were: Landis Meyer, Elijah Balderas, and Cesar
Esperanza. They earn this honor by their finish at
league finals, which was held at Lake Casitas again
this year.
Honorable mention honors were: Nicholas
Lewis, Henry Tolmach, Angel Esperanza, Nona
Golden, Nicole Golden, Brenda Morales.
Named to second team for girls tennis were
Olivia Adelmen and Inga Parkel. Earning Honorable mention honors were: Alana Adelmen, Emily
Roth, and Alii Weston.
Bailey Osborne garnered second team
all-league girls golf accolades. Earning honorable
mention honors were: Aleda Stub, Stella Delgado,
and Mariah Hanline.
Photo by ???
NHS junior Daniel Yanez and senior Ricardo Hernandez close in on a Santa Clara ball handler during last week’s loss at home.
TVL Proving a Challenge for Boys
Finn Matte
The Nordhoff Rangers boys basketball team has a slow
start beginning with a record of 6-8. The Rangers are 4-8 in
tournaments and 2-0 in scheduled preseason games.
The Rangers faced Thatcher at home and came out with
a 49-39 win. Senior Ricardo Hernandez lead the team with 16
points going 7 for 14 from the field.
The Rangers faced Channel Islands as home defeating
them 66-57. Junior Luke Boyd lead the team with 20 points.
Junior Tyler Rogers and Senior Atticus Reyes ended up with a
solid 28 combined points.
Boyd leads the team with 14.5 points per game, Hernandez leads the team with 7 rebounds per game, Rogers leads the
team with 3.2 assists per game, and Reyes leads the team with
2.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game press time.
“We played well this preseason considering that we lost
7 seniors,” Boyd stated “We have a lot more potential and talent then I thought, but we are just starting to figure things out
and work together throughout the game to find the best shot
instead of just a good shot.”
Junior Caleb McNeil transferred from Villanova to Nordhoff and now gets to perform as a Ranger basketball player.
McNeil started on junior varsity last year at Villanova and
currently is the 6th man on Varsity at Nordhoff. Mcneil made
his first debut as a Ranger on January 6th helping the Rangers
to beat the Channel Islands Raiders 66-57.
“The transition from nova to Nordhoff is more motivational because the coach pushes us individually to train and
work harder on and off the court.” McNeil stated.
The Nordhoff Alumni defeated the current Nordhoff basketball team 71-56. Luke Boyd lead the team with 14 points.
Rogers and Junior Ezra Huffman combined for 17 points
throughout the game.
“We came into this game without a game plan and decided to treat it as if it was a practice to be able to see how well
other players on the team can perform,” Rogers explained.
“Good game to see a higher level of play and learn things
that we need to work on,” Reyes stated.
The Rangers move up a division and started league at
home January 9th against Santa Paula.
“We are going to have a game plan for every game, but
we need to execute and play each game one at a time,” Boyd
stated.
Lady Rangers Making Noise on Court
By Caleb McNeil
The end of holiday break marks the
beginning of league play for the Nordhoff girls’ basketball team. Tournament
play has helped the team get into the
groove for the Tri Valley League.
The Lady Rangers played in their
first tournament. They came out strong in
the first game beating the host team, Fillmore High School, 38 to 29. Mikyla McGhee, a sophomore, lead the offense with
14 points. She also grabbed 3 rebounds
and 3 steals. Morgan Giove, a junior, had
13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals.
The next game was against Vasquez.
The team chalked up another win with
Giove throwing down 10 points, working the boards with 5 rebounds. McGhee
snagged 9 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.
By the completion of the third game,
the Rangers were 3 and 0. They outscored San Marcos High School 40 to 20.
McGhee exploded offensively with 25
points, 5 assists, and 8 steals. Nina Miller, a senior, contributed with 6 points, 5
rebounds, and 5 assists.
In the championship game against
Santa Clara Nordhoff was no match for
the Saints and lost 54 to 33 loss, settling
for second place trophy home from the
Fillmore tournament.
“We are pleased with how our team
competed in this tournament, and I feel
that we gained confidence as well,” stated Giove regarding the Fillmore tournament where McGhee was named to the
All-Tournament team
A week later, the Lady Rangers
hosted its own tournament. They went
1-3 against tougher competition. beating only Fillmore 47-32 while falling to
Royal, Calabasas and Dos Pueblos. Sophomore Kristin Fitz, the team’s
leading rebounder this year, was named
to the All-Tournament team.
During winter break, Nordhoff com-
peted at the Tournament of Champions in
Santa Barbara where they went 1-3.
The team again went 1-3, defeating
San Marcos in a very close game 39 to
37. Giove led the march with 14 points
and 11 rebounds. McGee put up a respectable 13 points with 5 rebounds.
Head coach Ted Cotti complimented
senior Nina Miller: “She was the glue
that really kept us together during a very
tough stretch in Santa Barbara.”
Freshmen Grace Bergmann and
Courney Haapanen also saw varsity action there and represented themselves
well enough that Coach Cotti said each
will be with the varsity for the remainder
of the season. After the tournament, the
Lady Rangers lost to Thacher 37 to 33.
Miller was the leading scorer in the game
with 11 points.
The Lady Rangers finished the prePhoto by Sarah Ignacio
season with a record of 4-7 and are off to Nordhoff senior Kelsey Seymour gets a shot
a 1-3 start in league.
off in the Fillmore Championship game.
Page 12, The Ranger
Sports
February 2015
Water Polo Suffers Early Setbacks but Still Afloat
By Morgan Giove
Only four games deep into the 2015 season, the Nordhoff girls
water polo team started out rocky.
In pre-season the Lady Rangers were defeated against upper
ranked teams such as Pacifica and Santa Ynez, however, they were able to
come on top as they defeated Hueneme 9-7. On January 8th they battled
Carpinteria in their first Tri-Valley League match up where they fell short
losing 4-8.
“It was rough for us this week coming back from Christmas Break
and having 3 starters injured, but I’m very optimistic that we will make it to
the playoffs this season” answered senior Ronni Becker. “I look forward to
going out with with a bang.”
The current roster consists of seniors Becker, Tayler Cobb, Lesly
Fregoso, Makenna Mays, Summer Van Houten, and Hanna Yount, juniors
Taylor Madden, Audrey Martel, Lexi May, Meryn Slaught, and Phoebe
Wilkinson, and sophomores Adriana Bese and Casey McCormick. Unfortunately, Bese, Fregoso, and May will be taking some time out of the pool due
to injuries.
The top shooters this season are Cobb, Becker, and Van Houten,
and the top defenders are Martel, Slaught, and McCormick.
The Lady Rangers are now in full swing in the competitive Tri-Valley League where they will face off with Villanova, Cate, Malibu, Foothill,
and Carpinteria.
Meet Diego Vasquez
By Morgan Giove
This month’s Ranger Male Athlete of the Month is Diego Vasquez.
Vasquez is a senior here at NHS
and has been playing soccer since he
was a freshman and
has been on varsity
since his freshmen
year.
When asked
how long he has
been playing soccer, he answered,
“I’ve been playing
soccer since I was
9 years old.”
When asked
how league was
looking for them
this season, he replied with “Very
hard; we got moved
up 3 divisions.”
Vasquez stated
that Carpinteria will be their toughest competitor. Vasquez was asked
how the team was this year, and he
mentioned, “We can be good, we
just need some more work, we’re
more as a team this year than last
year.”
Asked about his favorite part
about playing soccer, he responded,
“Being able to have fun with my
friends, and I just forget everything
that’s happening around me, and I
have fun one I step on the field.”
When asked if anyone else in his
family plays soccer he replied with
“Yes, my brother,
uncles,cousins, and
my father.”
Asked
about if Vasquez
was thinking about
playing after high
school and his answer was “Yes I
am. Either to play
in college or try out
for a professional
team in Mexico.”
Vasquez
is looking at Cal
State Northridge
as one of his first
choice.
Vasquez’s position on the Boys
NHS team is center defender.
Vasquez also plays for a club
soccer team in Santa Barbara, and
his position on that team is right
middle. Vasquez is also one of the
Captains on the Varsity team.
Photo by Morgan Pupa
Hanna Yount (#12) works her scissors kick beneath the surface and surveys the pool to find
an open Ranger teammate as teammate Ronni Becker (top) tries to get open. The girls’ varsity
hosts Foothill Feb. 4 and Malibu Feb. 11 at 3:00. Admission is free.
Wrestling Team Showing California It’s No Pushover
By Isabella Broida and Lindsey Raymond
“I get myself into my own world. It
helps me prepare before every match,” said
NHS sophomore, Mikayla Miles. Nordhoff
Wrestling team is coached by Fender Carnine
with the help by Paul Clemente, Tom Dikeman, Andy Garcia, Robert Hastie, and Charlie
Chaney.
“ Our best match was when Mikayla
(Miles) wrestled against a girl from Santa Ana
High School and a girl from Bomont,” said
Carine, “ Our hardest matches were when the
guys wrestled against San Fernando and Ventura.” According to Carnine the most improved
wrestler would be Courtney Dunn who is a junior.
“ The thing I like about wrestling is
it’s all in yourself. It’s up to you to determine
the outcome of the match,” said sophomore,
Mikayla Miles. Miles has been wrestling for a
total of four years. She started at Matilija Junior High, and is in her second year at Nordhoff
High School. She went to state her freshman
year.
One of the wrestling team’s up and
coming matches is the Northern Division
Qualifier at Pioneer High School on February
7. They also have a match against Roosevelt
High School on February 13th and 14th, and
the boys compete in CIF beginning on February 20th. On February 27th and 28th, the boys
compete in the CIF Master and on March 6th
and 7th is the boys CIF State Champs.
Sophomore, Esmeralda Zamudio has
been wrestling for two years. When asked why
she liked wrestling she said, “ I like wrestling
because it’s an individual sport, it is only you
against another person, and it’s all on you.” Zamudio’s hardest match was last year at Santa
Paula High School against a girl from Pioneer
Valley. She beat the girl in overtime.
The wrestling roster includes Jared
Bergmann, Dane Campbell, Kryzz Del Manzano, Dante Dikeman, Courtney Dunn, Harrisson Gregory, Catherine Keller, Alexis Kutbach, Mikayla Miles, Justin Mortensen, Kaleb
Todd, Vincent Villa, Brianna Wisegarver, Lucy
Zamora, and Esmeralda Zamudio.
Del Manzano said, “ The like wrestling because I like being on the mats, I love
the adrenalne rush before each match, and I
like winning.” She has been wrestling for five
years. Last year Del Manzano qualified for Dante Dikeman prepares to grapple in the Rangers’ recent home meet.
CIF, but she lost.
February 2015
Senior Moments
Page 13
It’s All Greco to Me!
Photo by Aliyah Zweig
Van Auker Finds Teaching at NHS Beachy
By Rena Becker
This month’s male teacher of the month always likes to “point positive” and and spend time at the beach.
Special Education instructor Mr. Merv Van Auker was born and
raised in Huntington Beach and attended Huntington Beach High School.
In high school he received decent grades and stayed under the radar, but
always just wanted to hang out at the beach. He graduated high school in
1998, then attended UCSB for college.
“ I have always thought being a teacher would be cool,” Van Auker
stated. He also added that when he met his wife’s brother, Sean (who has
autism), he knew he wanted to have a career in education.
He enjoys Nordhoff because of the sense of community it contains,
and because of all the students and colleagues he has met. He also likes
that Nordhoff is in Ojai because Ojai is the perfect size for him and is just
close enough to the beach.
Van Auker’s favorite beach is Rincon. He loves to be in the water and
his favorite place to be is The Cove.
“ Beach all the time.” Van Auker commented.
Van Auker lived in Hawaii for a year after he graduated college. He
also has traveled to Costa Rica and explored all over the U.S. In the future
he would love to sail around the world.
Family is very important to Van Auker. He has a wife named Laura
and a 6-year-old son named Flynn, whom he described as radical. He said
his future goals include being a better teacher, husband, father, and friend.
By Lindsey Raymond and Isabella Broida
Jordan Greco, a senior at Nordhoff High
School, is The Ranger’s Female Senior of the
Month. She was born in Ventura, California on
January 29th. Some of her close friends like to call
her “Jayogee.”
“My favorite teacher at Nordhoff is Ms. Passwater because she’s a boss. She also helps supervise the OWL club that I started this year, which
is a club that meets every Thursday in her room,
B-2,” noted Greco. When asked what her favorite subject is, she simply replied, “Science rules!
(Bill Nye).” She has already been to a few different
countries including Italy, however, she would love
to visit India and France.
Greco has a younger brother named Reese.
He is a freshman here at Nordhoff, and she would
also like to add, “he’s single, get at him ladies.”
Greco has two pitbulls, Lola and Murphy. She also
has two cats, Leonardo and her cat, King Ludwig,
whom she named after a fabulously eccentric German king that she learned about while in Europe
over the summer.
Aleda Stüb, one of Greco’s close friends, has
known her since they were one. They were neighbors and lived on the same street. They enjoy going
camping together and watching movies. “In sixth
grade Jordan and I dressed up as Nicole Richie and
Paris Hilton and went trick-or-treating in the middle of July,” mentioned Stüb.
When she was little, Greco wanted to be a vet.
She has now set her sights on becoming an inside
trader. “One of my favorite childhood memories
was my 3rd birthday. I talked to Goofy over the
phone in the town hall on Main Street, U.S.A in
Disneyland,” said Greco.
Greco is very excited about going to college
this year. “It’s a huge step for me, I’m stoked. I’m
also ready to get out of Ojai,” said Greco. She is
planning on staying in California for college, and is
waiting to hear back from the UC’s and CSU’s she
applied to. In ten years, she wants to be living in
California or somewhere in Europe.
“If I could have any superpower, I would really
like to fly because it would be fun. However, teleporting would be an easy way to travel. Also, time
traveling seems legit,” mentioned Greco. Some of
her favorite movies include Superbad, Dazed and
Confused, Almost Famous, and 500 Days of Summer.
Hanna Yount, another one of Jordan’s close
friends, has known her for about a year. They enjoy listening to music, going shopping, going to
the beach, and making food together. “My favorite
memory of Jordan was last summer. We were pad-
An Im-Porto-nt Teacher on Campus
By Mackenzie Mayberry
NHS science teacher Mrs. Porto was born
in Houston, Texas. Porto attended many colleges including Ventura and Oxnard College, she
achieved her masters at University of Kansas,
went to France for a year, achieved a degree from
Trinity University and also went to Middlebury
College Summer Language Institute.She was
studying french and science. She’s a pretty smart
gal.
She is fluent in French so students who see
her walking down the hall might stop and ask her
something in French.
One could catch her grabbing some dinner from Casa De Lago, Los Caporales or Papa
Lennons with her family. She met her husband,
Jack(who retired from being a National Park
Ranger),at the Channel Islands National Park.
Photo by Aliyah Zweig
They have a son, Rowan (8), who loves baseball,
skateboarding, and reading.
Porto said she became a teacher because she
thought it would be a fun thing to do with the
subjects she loved, which turned out to be all that
and more for her.
She loves playing piano (and has two at
home), hiking, reading, watching movies and
canning. She also is a quilter, sewer, knitter and
gardener.
Paid advertisement
When asked how she felt about being teacher
of the month she responded, “ I feel so surprised
and feel a little overwhelmed actually.”
Go
Rangers!
Photo by Aliyah Zweig
dle boarding and both kept falling off of the board
and got lost in the kelp in the middle of the ocean,”
said Yount.
Something that most people don’t know about
Jordan is that she’s addicted to Trader Joe’s Cheddar Rockets. She has also recently started rewatching the entire series of Gossip Girl, even though
she finished it last summer. Her favorite restaurant
is Marcello Ristorante in Thousand Oaks, and her
favorite type of food is Italian or Indian. Also, her
favorite color is grey.
Greco is very afraid of whales, mold, and Halloween. “I can’t even go out on Halloween anymore. I’m too scared,” noted Greco. If she was
stuck on a deserted island and only allowed three
things, she would bring her bed, her friends, and
her family.
“One of the most embarassing memories I
have was when I put gold thumbtacks up my nostrils and pretended to dance like an Egyptian. It was
fun until one got stuck in my nose, caused profuse
bleeding, and resulted in a pair of my mom’s tweezers halfway up my nose in an attempt to dislodge
my Egyptian bling,” said Greco. Some things that
make her really happy are art, traveling, and music.
Also, knowing that George W. Bush invented multiple words like “misunderestimated” during his
presidency makes her fairly amused.
Chewy Not Soft
By Jessica Dubrin
This month’s Senior of the
Month is Jesus Hernandez, better known as Chewy. Hernandez was born in Ventura, CA on
March 23, 1997.
Chewy plans on attending
a community college and then
transferring to a university after
high school. He has two siblings:
Sandra, 20, and Alex, 4.
Hernandez plays football
for the Rangers and his favorite
memory was when they won the
CIF Championship game against
El Segundo.
“If I had to pick a favorite
teacher, it would be Mr. Lepine
because he is a very easy-going
and cool guy,” said Hernandez.
He doesn’t know what he
“wants to be” when he is older,
but when he was little, he wanted
to be a police officer.
Some of his favorite movies
are Rudy, The Hangover 2, and
The Interview.
When asked to share a funny
Photo by Aliyah Zweig
story, Hernandez said, “My most
embarrassing moment was when
I was in 3rd grade and our class
went to Skating Plus; it was my
first time ever going there. Just
about 5 minutes into skating, I
fell and my pants ripped, and everybody laughed. To this day, I
am still very embarrassed!”
Page 14, The Ranger
Student Opinion
You Weren’t Born This Way
Guest editorial by Dylan McEttrick
Although I feel entirely grateful to
attend a school surrounded by lush mountains
in a town known for its beautiful sunsets and
equal ratio of elderly people and health enthusiasts, I can’t shake the knowledge that prejudice still exists on this campus; as your resident
“gay authority,” I feel it is my responsibility to
shed light on the prejudice that is infecting our
school like an endemic of influenza. Among
the most prevalent prejudices on campus are
racism, sexism, and homophobia.
Racism, having the same origins in
this country as the country itself, wasn’t okay
then and it’s definitely not now. How on Earth
could a human being believe that he/she is any
better than anybody else based off of something as uncontrollable as the color of one’s
skin?
As I walk through the halls I hear expletives thrown around like they signify nothing. I’m an advocate of self expression but not
when it harms other people. Hannibal Lecter’s
preferred form of self expression was cannibalism, and while one (hopefully) isn’t eating
people, it’s still not okay.
While sexism can definitely go both
ways, I’m 10000% certain that the bigger issue on campus is male to female sexism. If
one were to fast forward (hopefully) about 30
years, these same women that are being degraded now will be wives and the mothers of
the next generation of children.
Just because they’re classmates now
doesn’t justify prejudice. Women didn’t create
the Women’s Suffrage Movement and fight for
years to earn the right to vote in order to later
be treated as if they aren’t equal.
Lastly, homophobia is absolutely unjustified. Here’s a quick lesson in Greek: the
combining form “homo-” (ὁμός) means same
(in this sense meaning loving someone of the
same gender) and the suffix “-phobia” (φόβος)
means fear. And now I wonder what there is to
be afraid of. Is it a fabulous fashion sense and
general good-naturedness that terrifies some?
Or maybe it’s the fact that some were born in
such a state just as others were born in another
state, with their very own sexual orientation.
Gay people aren’t monsters; there’s no reason
to fear them.
It’s 2015. While prejudice still exists
(unrightfully) all over the world, there is absolutely no place for it on campus. One should
love oneself and love others. (And if one
doesn’t, one should keep it to oneself!)
If there’s no time to do homework because one’s been plotting ways in which one
can assert superiority, if one’s profile picture on
Instagram is equipped with hate paraphanelia,
or if one saw me in the hallway and looked at
me as if I were beneath that person, one should
do all of us on this campus a favor: clean up
that act before we develop “bigotriphobia,” the
fear of people like them.
February 2015
Nordhoff’s Person of the Year 2014
The Ranger polled students in December asking them who they thought
the person of the year 2014 was. Here is the tally:
MALALA
29%
OBAMA
28%
POPE FRANCIS
17%
Other top vote getters
included
NFL Commissioner
Roger Goddell 9% and
Angelina Jolie 8%
Keep These Tips in Mind
Guest editorial by Francisco Ponce
Teachers and the curriculum which they impose constantly
force students to memorize vast amounts of information. It seems
counterproductive in a way, that schools and educators value a student that memorizes the order of a sequence higher than the student
who attempts to understand and analyze the reasons to why the order matters in the first place. Although memorization is necessary in
some areas of learning, such as memorizing the order of numbers or
something as basic as knowing the alphabet in order to form words,
at times it may seem as if students are tested on their ability to memorize facts and insignificant information instead of their ability to
understand concepts and form connections.
Throughout the day, one might need to recall an address to a
business, call a family member, recall where the car is parked, and
most commonly, remember someones name. These tasks all utilize
information one has memorized, and applied it in such away that
provides for a successful action. Having information memorized,
such as a formula, does nothing if one cannot properly apply it to its
corresponding situation. The existent trend in schools of memorization instead of school of learning is greatly impacting the success
rate in a large amount of students.
The over-memorization of facts is hindering students’ from
understanding what is actually important: how to connect what is
learned in the classroom to real world problems. Things such as the
trigonometric values, the number of protons in elements and the
quasi steady-state formula are unnecessarily memorized; trig charts,
the periodic table, and formula sheets were partially invented so that
we no longer needed to retain this information in our memory. In addition, some of the material students are forced to memorize has no
actual purpose for its memorization in our age group other than for
amusement, such as the first 25 digits of the numerical value for Pi,
or how tall the Eiffel tower is.
In contrast, memorization in some instances is not only recommended, but necessary. Physicians for example, must memorize
hundreds of diseases and corresponding symptoms in order to correctly diagnose and treat patients. The memorization of information
is in this case both reasonable and justified because physicians and
medical professionals need vast amounts of medical knowledge on
hand when forming a diagnosis or treatment in a time sensitive environment.
Students cannot be expected to retain such a large amounts of
unnecessary information as is demanded by our education system.
Not only is it unfair to those who cannot reach the level of memorization that is required, but also upsetting to know that intellectual
ability isn’t praised and rewarded.
February 2015
Student Opinion
The Ranger, Page 15
Finally Finals
FACE-OFF
A frank discussion between two Ranger journalists (A &
K) on the new law requiring schools to include lessons on
genocide in the curriculum.
A: It’s a hard hitting topic but people, including students, have
a right to know what’s going on in the world.
K: Well, people should have a choice whether they are taught
these intense lessons.
A: True, but don’t you think many adults and students already
ignore the painful but very real problems in the world such as
genocide and would continue if they had the choice?
K: Well, not everyone is mature enough to be able to handle the
brutality that genocide brings upon the people and places affected, for example the mass genocide that is currently taking
place in the Middle East.
A: Well, maturity and accepting reality can come hand in hand,
especially when people need to know what’s going on in the
world.
K: It is unfair to assume that people “need to know what’s going on in the world.” As a Nordhoff student how would you
feel if you had to endure these lessons along with your peers?
Remembering that teachers make lesson plans, and that you
cannot alter them.
A: I admit, it would be one of the most intense lessons I have
experienced but I would have a higher knowledge of what is
happening outside of my daily life, thus encouraging my well
rounded academic knowledge.
K: You make a great point, however, I stand by the belief that
not all Nordhoff students would be able to handle learning
about the whole truth of genocide.
A: As a compromise, how would you feel in one of these lessons if you were not forced into the lessons and you had a say
in how exactly they were taught?
K: I think that as a student I would appreciate the ability to
choose what lessons I was taught, in any of my classes, especially in this case but in reality we both are aware that this law
states that, “education officials must consider incorporating
lessons about mass killings such as the one in Armenia.” So
we both have our opinions.
Waking
Up to the Truth
Guest editorial by Alana Adelman
If you find yourself falling asleep at your desk in class, you’re not the only
one. Sleep deprivation has become one of the greatest causes of depression, poor
academic performance, drug and alcohol use, and car accidents for teenagers in
high school. How do teachers expect to receive student involvement in class when
all their students are fighting to stay awake? And how can parents gesture a simple
“goodbye” wave to their kids, unaware if they will make the drive over to school
safely?
The excruciatingly early 7:35 am bell counteracts what many have been saying is healthy for all teenagers. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests
that middle and high schools begin school no earlier than 8:30 am. No more than
fourteen percent of schools in America follow this recommendation, and Nordhoff certainly floats on the same boat as the other eighty six percent.
Not only are Nordhoff students deprived of sleep, but they are also in a stage
of adolescence that requires their bodies to get at least eight to nine hours of sleep.
How can this requirement be met when the morning bell rings just moments after
the sun emerges from behind the mountains?
Studies show that schools who decided to start class an hour later than their
original start times had reduced student car accident rates and a lower percentage
of tardiness each day. Could Nordhoff change for the welfare of its students? Or
will it continue to be the home for sleepless zombies?
Guest editorial by Bailey Osborne
Why is it that Nordhoff High School waits until after the winter break to have finals? There
is truly no logic in doing so, whatsoever. If teachers honestly believe students will study for two
weeks straight during a break, they are mistaken. Now, if finals were before the break, students
would most likely be more successful taking their exams since all the information would still
fresh in their minds. Also, after finishing the finals, all the students would be rewarded with a two
week long break. Everyone would come back and start a new second semester. I personally feel
that a fresh start would be an ideal way to come back to school.
Students should not have to worry about studying and/or their grades over winter break.
They have the rest of the school year to do so. Breaks are meant to help take away the stress of
school, not add to it. When a student studies for finals, he or she should be able to discuss ideas
that he or she may not understand with a teacher face to face. A student should be given live
interaction with his or her teacher in order to ensure comprehension of the subject, thus leading
the student to success. On top of that, teachers assign huge amounts of work, including essays,
projects, and more, during breaks. It’s time for Nordhoff to realize that its finals schedule is
flawed. If necessary, the school should begin earlier in the year so that it is half way done by the
time winter break occurs.
Scheduling finals before winter break would not only be beneficial to students, but to the faculty as well. This would give teachers more than two weeks to carefully review and grade their
students’ work, enabling them to feel less rushed and get work done more efficiently. In addition
to grading finals, teachers could finish up any make up work and be ready to send out grades for
the semester once school resumes.
For such reasons, I propose that Nordhoff change its schedule to ensure that we students can
take finals before heading off to winter break. I believe that in the long run everyone will benefit
from doing so, because it will create less stress and higher efficiency.
Are You Board?
Guest editorial by Olivia Adelmann
Hard work should be recognized, should it not? Nordhoff track records continue to be
broken, but fail to get recognized, as the old record board remains standing and outdated. “Standing” may be a little generous when describing this board, as it is falling apart.
Not only are the records outdated, but the ones that remain are barely visible. What does
that tell Nordhoff athletes? Does breaking records matter? Does Nordhoff care?
The answer should be yes! Every second counts -every inch matters- and every record
broken should be replaced and recognized.
An easy solution can be made to this ongoing issue. The old, crumbling board, can be
replaced with the new times that were earned and worked so hard for, or even taken down.
Nordhoff should respect the effort and dedication that each athlete brings to the field, the court,
the course, the mat, the pool, the track, etc. Nordhoff athletes compete and represent Nordhoff
High School, and the least the school can do in return is give recognition where it is due.
Aquatics Gets No Respect
Guest editorial by Lexi May
It has become blatantly obvious to me that Nordhoff High School is in ownership of the worst
pool in Southern California, and that is a generous statement. Every day during my winter and
spring sports, my day is dimmed – just a little – when I catch sight of our pool, simply because….
it’s a depressing pool.
First of all, it’s tiny. I can’t think of any other pool that I have been to that is smaller than this
one. This gets in the way when my teammates and I have to get into groups of four and five for
each lane line just to fit varsity in the pool.
Second of all, it’s the only pool left that has a shallow end of 3 1/2 feet. This creates a problem for boys and girls water polo – which together last half the school year - when each team is
penalized with a turn-over for “walking on the bottom” when we are on the shallow end of the
pool. It is especially frustrating when the referee doesn’t notice the opposing team walking on the
bottom – even though it is extremely obvious – and they end up shooting a goal because of the
advantage they had of standing on the bottom of the pool.
Thirdly, our facility is so old that it is literally rotting. The bottom of the pool is breaking
off in chunks and the coping is cracked, some pieces even lifting off of the ground. The adjacent
poolroom has holes in the drywall throughout the entire space, and has been vandalized so many
times that it is difficult to find a clean space of wall.
Our heater breaks down often, and sometimes it is so cold in that pool that I can hardly stand
it. I even once got a complaint from another school about how ridiculously cold the water was.
The very important meter lines that we use for water polo games were so faded that my coach
finally took it upon herself to paint over them in her own time. Our tarps were finally, miraculously, replaced last year, but up until then, the ancient tarps were so worn, and ripped that it was
becoming nearly impossible to put them back on the pool. I have noticed that other communities have taken it upon themselves to renew their facilities,
or build a community pool that is free to the public. Ojai, however, has made no move towards
this. I think this is absolutely ridiculous, and the fact that many of us at Nordhoff who are on the
water sport teams are embarrassed of our facilities is unacceptable.
Page 16
Our Backside
February 2015
The Ranger
The Ranger is a public foum published monthly during the school
year by the students of Nordhoff High School in Ojai, California.
To contact the paper, purchase advertising or submit material,
contact faculty moderator
Ted Cotti at [email protected].
We welcome letters, but they must be signed, and are subject to
editing for length, grammar and
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JEFFERSON BECKHAM
,
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Camille Martinez, Mackenzie Mayberry, Caleb McNeil, Laurel Miller,
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Mackenzie Sharon, Aaron Tello, Emma Wood, Annalisa Zaucha,
Joshua Zaucha, Aliyah Zweig
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