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School HymnMad Libsand More
page 3
SoccerTeam’s Bus Break-in
page 9
Volume 103, Issue 2 Modesto High School December 2015
The Panther Press18 H StreetModesto, CA 95351
Editors:Liam Coyle, Nicole Parhizgari, Enya Rodriguez, Lucy Wenstrup, Natalie Schlenker
Panther Press Staff:Erika Gonzalez, Waleed Khan, Sarah Lee, Yarithceli Mariscal, Aiden McAllister, Amar Pannu, Amrit Pannu, Micheal Perez, Aryana Perillo, Maria Ramirez, Laurel Reeves, Jordan Toledo, Jasmine Underwood, Alexandria K. Yaum and Kristina Zuroff Adviser:Kerrie [email protected]
The Panther Press is created for and by students of Modesto High School. The goal is to bring news to MHS and to acknowledge ideas, events, and individuals on campus in an unbiased and professional manner. The opinions expressed in this publica-tion are those of the journalism staff and not of Modesto High School or Modesto City Schools. This publication may also be accessed at mohipantherpress.com. Letters may be mailed to MHS or submitted to Kerrie Glenn’s mailbox in the main office.
Table of Contents
C & R INTERNATIONALSALES, INC.
Manuel ToledoSales & Procurement
2403 Navy Drive Stockton, CA 95206
209-943-1777 Office 209-943-1131 Fax [email protected]
Stories
Mohi Mad Libs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Putnam County Spelling Bee . . .4-5
Southern Soiree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Cross Country State . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Soccer Team Stuck in Napa . . . . .9
Talented Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Photo Editing 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13
Holiday Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Grief Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
MoHi Mad Libs
Holiday Edition
All _________________________ to thee Modesto High. (verb)
Let not thy soaring _________________________ die. (plural noun)
In _________________________ and crimson majesty, (color)
Our colors __________________________ for victory! (verb)
Thy _______________________ sons and ______________________ raise (adjective) (people)
to thee in ever reverent praise.
Our song sent streaming to the _______________________, (place)
All hail to thee Modesto High!
I don’t want ______________________ for Christmas. (noun)
There is just ________________________ thing(s) I need. (number)
I don’t care about the ________________________ . (plural noun)
underneath the ____________________________. (holiday item)
I just want ____________________ for my own. (noun)
More than you could ever know.
Make my ____________________ come _______________________. (noun) (adjective)
All I want for Christmas is _________________________. (noun)
Email your best appropriate
answers to
By: Jordan Toledo
“All I Want For Christmas”
December 2015 3
Stories
Mohi Mad Libs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Putnam County Spelling Bee . . .4-5
Southern Soiree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Cross Country State . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Soccer Team Stuck in Napa . . . . .9
Talented Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Photo Editing 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13
Holiday Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Grief Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 THE PANTHER PRESS
25th AnnuAl
PutnAm County
SPelling Bee
Modesto High’s theater, music, and dance departments delivered the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee to students and families on November 6th, 7th, 13th, and 14th in our school’s auditorium. The audience laughed and screamed as the cast brought the production to life. Every actor brought their own personality and set the
stage for the night. Audience members were encouraged to volunteer to be part of the show as they would participate in the bee with the other competitors, add-
ing an enthusiastic flare in the crowd and making great laughs for the show. Featured in the show was Lucy Wenstrup as Rona Lisa Peretti who
kept order and control of the spelling bee. Following Wenstrup was Christian Von Rotz as Vice Principal Douglas Panch who was not
your typical vice principal. Not only was he playing a serious role but he added spunk with silly remarks to the audi-
ence volunteers. The spelling bee competitors con-sisted of Jesse Garcia as Chip Tolentino, Laura
Hay as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Albert Coito Jr. as Leaf Coneybear, Lucas
Shirley as William Barfée, Amanda Davis as Marcy Park, and Xan-
thia Yerby as Olive Ostro-vsky. Mia Martinez-Escobar
played Myra Mahoney, the comfort counselor. The ensem-
ble did a great job of adding their
Story by: Aryana Perillo, Sarah Lee, Maria Ramirez
Photos by: Maria Ramirez
December 2015 5
own touch to the play as they projected their talent on the stage. In addition to the cast members, the pit created effective music accompanying the actors. This included local musicians and music teachers, as well as two Modesto High band members, Megan Brown on percussion and Aly Ramirez on flute. The specialized backstage crew from the Performing Arts Academy made the show a spectacular event to watch, creating the lighting and makeup and managing costume and mics. Many, young and old, fell in love with the play the first time they saw it. Modesto High students were amazed by what their fellow peers and staff had to offer. “My favorite part of Putnam was putting together my character. Myra Mahoney is nothing like me, so I had to be told to act tougher a ton, which was hard at times but I think I worked it out,” said Mia Martinez-Escobar. Delving into the inner thoughts of the actors who portrayed these stunning characters made the significance of the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee more intriguing than it already was itself. Martinez-Escobar shared,“My experience was fantastic! I had a ton of fun along with the hard work that went into making our shows better every time we performed it.” With the vast spectrum of per-sonalities embedded into the students and their roles, both the concept of the play and the students’ performance were remem-bered as an extremely unique and astounding production.
S o u t h e r n
S o i r é eStory by: Erika Gonzalez
and Laurel Reeves “I am going to strangle them with the lights!” This is just one of the many things one might have heard at Modesto High’s Fall Formal, “A Southern Soirée”, set-up this year. In all seriousness, sophomore volunteer Roma Raje was just joking. The MoHi Leadership was in charge of decorating, and they worked really well together to finish this enormous job. At the start of the long process, sophomore Cole Romero was asked whether he had an idea of what the gym should look like for the event. He replied “I don’t even know yet, we’re just going for it!” They transformed the school’s drab boys gym into a beautiful masterpiece; gold, ivory, forest green, and white lace fabric backdrops draped on the walls. String lights were hung along the backdrop ensembles as well as across the venue and a pho-to-booth composed of two shabby-chic benches, a burlap backdrop, and two sparkling chandeliers was set up for the guests. Romero’s method succeeded nicely. “When I first arrived, I simply had one thought: Wow,” sophomore Niki Patel re-marked.“Everything is easy; nothing is hard because we’re the leadership kids!” sophomore Lau-ren Bridges exclaimed. Finally the big night arrived. On Saturday, November 21st at 8:00 p.m., cheerful students flooded into this lovely, romantic venue. It did not take long before the music had everyone dancing and celebrating. Though many students had a date to accompany them, several went with a group of friends. When asked about her experience at the event, sophomore Natalie
THE PANTHER PRESS6
Contreras replied, “It was a lot of fun, much better than last year!” Every student interviewed hollered out, “It was lit, bruh.” Although the majority of the feedback was positive, senior Sabina Villalobos had her own take on things, “I spent the entire time texting my ex. It was great.” Sarcasm aside, she later admitted that formal was also “lit”. Overall, this year’s head dance coordinator junior Ellen Davis accomplished her goal of creating a fantastic fall formal. Her work and the work of the sophomore leader-ship class truly paid off.
December 2015 7
Photos by: Laurel Reeves and
Erika Gonzalez
Cross CountryContinues
After a spectacular performance at the Cross Coun-try Subsections Race, Modesto High’s varsity boys cross country team traveled to Folsom High School, ready to give it their all in what could be their final race this season. All of the practices, hard workouts, and days in weight room had been building up to this moment. One final stand. 11:00 A.M. The bus transporting all of the runners arrived at Folsom High School. After setting up their pop up, the team began to walk the course. It would be a difficult and gutsy race. The varsity boys would have a 3 mile race filled with long and steep loops, trying to maintain a deadening pace throughout. All the while before the race, trying to stay relaxed and mentally strong. 12:50 P.M. Time to warm up for the boys. Time to run. The stress from the race was mounting. Alan Guerrero, Marc Alania, Josue Perez, Jose Orendain, Luis Orendain, Cameron Duquette, and Orlando Cardenas would run the race of their lives. After a short jog, the then began to stretch, making sure that their muscles were loose and ready. They headed back to the pop up to grab their racing flats, and to strip off all of the extra layers of clothing. 1:15 P.M. The team runs over to the starting line. Ev-erything else must be left out on the course today. They continue with strides, their final run-outs. Their chance of going to the State Competition would hinge on their performance in just fifteen minutes. 1:25 P.M. The starter of the race called all runners to the line, giving them the instructions that they had heard so many times before. “Runners take your mark” said the starter. All 200 runners tensed. And then the
gun sounded. The seven boys fought for position the entire race, starting quickly. There was no holding back. The team had to give everything. Their challenge today was to run as hard as they could for as long as possible. The team ran an amazing race, all fighting until the very end. Orlando was the first to finish from the team, placing sixth overall with a time of 16:32, trailed by Marc Alania who finished in 13th place with a time of 16:47. Next came Josue Perez, who finished 24th overall with a time of 17:09, pursued by Alan Guerrero, who placed 25th with a time of 17:10. Jose Orendain came after that with a time of 17:27 in 38th place. Luis Orendain finished 53rd in 17:52. Cameron Duquette ran the course in 18:12, finishing 63rd. An outstanding race for the varsity boys cross coun-try team, they grew stronger throughout the season. Orlando Cardenas and Marc Alania qualified for the state competition individually, the rest of the team and their coaches supporting them every step of the way. Orlando went on to run a 16:21, finishing 91st out of the state of California’s best, and Marc finished 103rd with a 16:28.
Photos courtesy of Screamin’ Scott Durham
Marc and Orlando break a
5 yearstate meet drought.
Modesto High Walks the course at
sections.8 THE PANTHER PRESS
December 2015 9
T
Stuck in NapA
By Amar Pannu
Breaking into a locked bus isn’t as hard as it looks. Just remember to try the escape hatch first. The Modesto High Varsity Boys soccer team recently had an interesting excursion to Napa valley. They went to Napa and played Napa High School. Unfortunately they lost by one goal, but that isn’t the worst part of this story.
Anthony Mejia, the team’s goalie, ex-plained what occurred that strange night. After the game, the team decided to celebrate their season by stopping by a local supermarket and buying food for the journey back home. While shopping, the bus driver discovered a problem with the bus they were using. The main door would not open. This was a serious problem. It was approaching nine o’clock in the evening when this problem was discovered. The driver alerted the coaches of the issue. The first thing they tried was having a group of players try to pry the door open, which was not successful. The driver then called a me-chanic who said it would take hours to reach
the bus. One of the players recommended tying the emergency hatch on the roof. The bus driver insisted that it would not work. They waited for the mechanic to arrive, which took almost 5 hours. Once he arrived, he tried his luck with opening the door, but was not successful. He then sug-gested trying the emergency hatch on the roof. They tried this and where successful. Had they tried that previously, they would have been able to leave hours earlier. The team left Napa at approximately 2:30 a.m. They arrived at 4:20 and they were ecstatic to arrive back at school.
The Modesto High boys soccer team.
10 THE PANTHER PRESS
Most students know Mr. Mitchell for his artistry and dedication to Modesto High through his involvement in things such as Mock Trial, Boys Tennis, PHAST, and-what he is best known for-his photography at school events. If you have been in any of his classes, you are probably familiar with his stories de-scribing the things that fascinate him of the activities he likes to do. Along with his inter-est in the arts and media, Mr. Mitchell likes to stay active through disc sports, namely disc golf and Ultimate Frisbee. An activity that began in 1990 has grown into a passion. For disc golf, he has a collection of nearly 80 Frisbees, and he boasts a record throw of nearly 400 feet and two holes in one. He has been involved in different ultimate leagues and now plays frequently with some of his students on the weekends. Mr. Mitchell says that these disc sports are very important to him in that they bring him to a happy place like when he creates art.
You probably have seen Mr. Lawson either walking around on campus, visiting a classroom, or at the class meetings at the beginning of the year. You may not have known that he is a very talented photographer. Using both film and digital photogra-phy, he is able to express creativity. With inspirations like Ansel Adams and Peter Lik, he has developed a great interest in landscape and travel photography. His photographs, taken from many amazing loca-tions, from Yosemite to Paris, show the beauty and variation in the nature of places all over the world. With this practice and his love for travel, Mr. Lawson gets to capture his experiences in many different places and cultures, his favorite being Iceland.
Every day we see them, listen to their lectures, take their directions, and groan over their work. They are our teachers. We spend so much time allowing them to get to know us through our work and our personality, even though we often know very little about them. Students of-ten do not realize that their teachers are much more than what they seem. So, ask yourself: how well do you really know your teachers?
“It’s pretty exciting when you have a really good game or a really good throw or you score. It’s kind of thrilling .” -Scott Mitchell
Photo taken by Albert Coito (2016)
TalentedPhoto taken by Mr. Lawson in Venice, Italy
December 2015 11
It is no secret on this campus, that Mr. Durr loves music. In some of his classes, you may catch him singing a song while strumming his guitar for his students. Along with the guitar, he is a vocalist and also plays the bass and the harmonica. Coming from a very musical family, it was no surprise that Mr. Durr would have a knack for music himself. He likes many different genres of mu-sic from many different eras, which has inspired him to explore different styles in his own playing. Mr. Durr even encourages his own students to listen to different kinds of music so that they may appreciate the art that goes with its creation. He began to play professionally at the age of fourteen. This passion for playing music live has contin-ued to this day, as he has been with the same trio, Home Grown, for the past forty-three years, and he occasionally joins in with the rock and roll group The Silvermoon Band. Mr. Durr also enjoys the act of performing solo. He as three solo albums and is working on another.
“Music is an expression of the human condition, and we need to appreciate all musical expressions.” -Patrick Durr
Teachers Mrs. Rogers has an especially unique tal-ent. At the age of eleven, she learned how to ride a unicycle. After lots of practice, she became quite the master of the ability. She can also ride a six foot unicycle and juggle while doing so. She joined her brother and sister in their local circus in junior high and stayed with it for many years. Even after it closed, she kept on performing. She appeared at birthday parties and even at the Philadelphia Spec-trum at a Seventy-Sixers game. She owns several unicycles and still rides them to maintain her skills. This talent has also continued to thrive in both of her daughters. Being a true teacher at heart, Mrs. Rogers has taught many other people.
“It is a novelty-something you don’t see everyday.” -Mrs. Rogers By Natalie Schlenker
P h o t o g r a p h yE d i t i n g
In today’s society it has become a custom to share our whereabouts on social media, whether it be through Facebook or Instagram, etc. We like to share what we’re doing – from what we’re eating to hanging out with friends or simply reading a good novel. I myself enjoy photography and sharing what I capture on Instagram, however I can be very particular when it comes to what I post because I like to share quality photos that people would like. I view my feed/profile as a visual catalog.
At first, I didn’t really care about my feed but then I decided I wanted it to be visually pleasing when people saw it. The first thing I did was down-load the best editing apps such as VSCO Cam and Afterlight. I’ve learned to use VSCO Cam more than Aftelright and I find it easier to use. The app is free on the iTunes Store however most of the presets (filters) within the app cost money, I usually wait till there’s a sale or special and I buy the presets right away. Many at times find VSCO difficult to use but after a while you’ll get the hang of it. It took me a while to see how everything worked form the preset I’d like to the exposure, temperature, saturation, etc. I first decided on what kind of atmosphere I wanted for my feed, what I’d post. One thing I have learned is that you never want to over edit because then they won’t look realistic. Deciding on a temperature for your feed is also important, whether you want it to be warm or blue, I personally like blue temperatures rather than warm ones so my feed tends to be dark and white in some aspects as opposed to warm tones. Although you may have a certain temperature you don’t have to stick with it, you can make transitions from blue to warm colors. You must then decide what you’d like on your feed; outfit of the day, a book you may be reading, hanging out with friends and your daily where-abouts.
12 THE PANTHER PRESS
By Robert Jimenez and Alexandria Yaum
December 2015 13
2. Once you’re on the tools, you can then decide what kind of temperature, constrast or exposure you’d like. I mainly use those three when it comes to editing pictures.
3. After you’re done editing your picture you can then see what tools you exactly used as pictured to the left. Overall, the editing process is easier than it sounds.
1. Here’s a recent picture that was taken in San Francisco. You first upload the picture on to VSCO Cam and then you decide what filter you’d like to start off your picture with. For this one I went with G6 and then you go from the brush icon to the tool setting (as pictured below).
It’s all up to you ultimately, what you’d like to post on your feed. However in my opinion I believe that pictures of yourself shouldn’t be back to back, you’ll need a filler in between. Try to make your feed a pattern of sorts, one you’ll like. Another thing is that having a good camera helps a lot when try-ing to capture something you like. I mostly use my iPhone 6 plus for all my pictures and it has yet to fail me. In the end just have fun with it; don’t let it get the best of you or overwhelm your life. Think of it as a creative outlet where you can express yourself and let others view your world through your visual feed.
“In the end, just
have fun with it; don’t
let it get the best of
you...”
Students’
Holiday
Traditions
“Every year, we buy a real Christmas tree and decorate it together as a family. We also watch Christmas movies together.”
“To me, the Holidays are just about spending time with loved ones. I like to stay home with my family on Christmas day.”
“Every year I at-tend pastorelas, which is when people dress as the Nativity, and baby Jesus comes the day of Christmas.”
Shara Balzer Mrs. AlvaradoIan McLeod
“We make tamales, ham, and more. Then we go to church.” - Ms. Patsy
“It is tradition for my family and I to spend Christmas in Mexico. There, we celebrate and also do Posadas.” -Maria Guil
“ On Chrismas day, we stay in our pa-jams. We also make breakfast and play secret Santa!”
- Angelika Khy
““Our family gathers for a family reunion. We drink a traditional drink called ponche, which is simi-lar to hot fruit punch.”
Stefanie Prado
By: Stacey Mean and Yarithceli Mariscal
“ We wait until mid-night to open presents.” -Yulisa Morfin
“We have a family gathering and pot-luck.” -Ms. Brown
14 THE PANTHER PRESS
15
With the holidays just around the corner, images of lights, food, fun, friends, and family are everywhere. The holidays are supposed to be the “happiest time of the year,” but for those who have lost a loved one, they may be the most difficult. Grieving has its ups and downs, and it gets especially hard when we reach milestones in our lives and our loved one cannot be a part of that memory. The holidays signify the passing of time, and as the year draws to a close, a new one approaches. It may bring back certain special memories with a specific person that become difficult to confront or let go. Grief has no time limit; there
By: Nicole Parhizgari
The teenage years can be a confusing time. We’re either expected to act like adults and treated like kids or vice-versa. One may feel like they have to “stay strong” or “get over” their grief. Others may feel as though they have no outlet or support. No matter the reason, your school is here to help. If you are having diffi-
and are led by a Hospice volunteer through a series of discussions and
and no one is ever forced to talk or do something they do not want to do. We have successfully finished with our first group, and the stu-dents all agreed that it was a great experience for them. One student said, “I was hesitant at first, but it really helped me learn to cope better.” A sense of community developed between the group,
Surviving the Holidays
is no rule for when someone should be “over” their grief. It is something that stays with us forever. However, although the grieving never ends, we learn ways to cope and somehow move on with our lives.
culty coping with the loss of a loved one, Modesto High now has a support group that may be able to help your grieving process. Hospice has graciously offered to hold grief support sessions at our school called TAG, or Talk About Grief. The program is free and consists of 8 sessions, once a week at a time that best works for the group. You meet other students that have lost a loved one,
activities designed to help the grieving process. Snacks are provided, as well as a book that contains coping strategies. There are no expectations, no pressure, and no commitments needed. Everything is confidential,
and as one student put it, “a special bond was formed.” If you are interested in TAG or have any questions, please go to room 53 and talk to Miss Pereira. Happy Holidays!
December 2015
W E S T O R T H O D O N T I C S . C O M
Pointing your teeth in the r ight direction.
J E R E M Y T . W E S T D . D . S .
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M O D E S T O R I V E R B A N K
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