Tigers Plan Long Term for Life After WHS

By Berthalidia Acosta

Many of us have no idea what we will do after high school. However there are still many students that have their futures planned out and know what they hope to accomplish before their senior year. We asked students from freshmen to juniors to tell use what they plan to do in their future.

Priscilla Enriquez (Freshman)

What are your plans after high school?

• “I want to go to UCLA. I would like to major in sports medicine. I would love to be a sports physician.”

Anna Espinoza(Sophomore)

What are your plans for your future?

• “I plan to attend St Mary’s College of California. I plan to study in the social works program and I hope to get my master’s degree. I want to become a social worker that helps students with family problems and tough situations.”

Nancy Frausto (Junior)

What do you want to accomplish after high school?

• “Well I hope to get into UC Davis where I would proceed in getting my bachelors degree in entomology.”

These students know what they want and will work hard for their goals. They are really enthusiastic about how they will accomplish their goals. Overall these students are on a good path and striving to achieve their goals for their future

Spring Sports Update

By Pria Bun and Jocelyn Sanchez

This year Woodlake High has started of the second semester with spring sports.

Each sport from boys tennis and track to swimming, softball, and baseball fight for each win. Baseball as well as softball fight for wins and are determined to take league. Boy’s tennis is currently having a great season thus far, goodluck boys. Coaches are ready and determined to take a league win for this town. Swim has had a short season, and is doing very well with three points behind the opposing team every match.The six seniors on the team had been honored at their senior night very early in the season due to a short league. For all teams, seniors will be playing their last season of high school sports and as for our underclassmen, they have many more sports to look forward too.

We interviewed some athletes about how their season is thus far,

• Robby Stevenson- Baseball

Q:In what ways do you feel your team has improved?

A:We have a lot more chemistry this year. I also feel like people physically matured over the year and naturally got stronger.

We interviewed some athletes about how their season is thus far,

• Danielle Doria- Swim

Q: What have you done to change your times since the season began?

A:I guess at the beginning of the season I was focused more on butterfly and that is my main stroke, I started goals for myself to beat in each meet.

• Joshua Benavidez – Track

Q:How have you enjoyed track?

A:It’s going pretty well but the first meet I feel in front of everyone and it was embarrassing. It’s been a lot harder since my freshman year, our coaches really push us harder to do better.

California No Longer In Drought

Nikole Kimble

California is finally out of a drought after 11 years. The last report of california having regular water levels was in 2007.There are some parts in California that still have low water levels, but most of Los Angeles and other parts of the state are drought free. But along with a lot of rain coming down, so are a lot of flash floods. The february rain storms have brought us to that. In California, their were many places wiping out the roadways and causing traffic. Recently in woodlake there was a road closed due to so much water. Mudslides are also a problem from all of the rain as well. Many places in not only california, but the United States have mudslide warnings. This is the most rainy spring that has yet to come due to climate change. Although many people are ecstatic to have water again, we may be receiving to much of it back.

Front Office and Science Department Renovation Postponed

 By Nicci Contreras and Danielle Doria

This summer the front office and science department were suppose to be renovated, but this was postponed. Many do not know why, and are confused about the situation. So we decided to ask Mr Rodriguez for more information. When we asked Mr. Rodriguez why it was postponed he stated, the school applied for state funding and got the funds but there is a delay in the district. By the time the school gets the funds and construction started it will interfere with the school year so they decided to renovate the next summer. The second question we asked him was how he thought the new renovations would improve the science department, he explained that with the new renovations the science department will have up to date equipment, desks, tables, and the rearrangement will be different. The classroom will have a whole new feel to it, and it will be much better for the teachers and kids.

We then decided to interview someone who used the science department daily, which was Mrs. Fraizer. When asked about the situation Mrs. Frazier stated, the state wasn’t doing good financially so the state could not release the tax funds into the schools budget. Mrs. Frazier and Mr. Campe were a big part of getting the building ready to be renovated, even though she won’t be able to use it.  We asked her how she felt about changing jobs and not being able to use the new science building, she said that she was DEVASTATED and so mad that she will not be able to use the new equipment and have an amazing new room but she was also happy she has the new tables, new chairs as well as the microscope carts. The renovation will most likely not be here till 2020, but sadly Mrs. Frazier will not be in the science department by then, and we wish her well with her new job.

Edith Guijon Elevated to Woodlake’s First Female State Officer Candidate

By Clarissa Elias

Woodlake FFA is proud to announce Woodlake’s first female California State Officer candidate Edith Guijon. Edith has been a passionate, hard working, motivated leader not only on campus but in this organization. From freshman year to senior, Edith has competed in multiple teams ranging from A.E.T. to Floral Judging. Along with her completions, Edith has served as not only a Chapter Office, but also a Section Officer and Region Officer. Edith has also managed to participate in school sports such as basketball. In a personal interview with Edith, she spoke to me about her journey and her motivation.

As a Freshman, did you ever think that you’d be selected to run for State Office your senior year?

“As a freshman I was embarrassed of my agricultural background which consisted of picking in the fields every summer with my grandparents. So generally speaking when I first walked into my ag class as a freshmen, my only goal was to drop the class. I hated speaking to people or in front of a crowd, I didn’t enjoy agriculture mostly because I didn’t know all the aspects of it. Four years ago I would have never imagined myself to be where I am, who I am, let alone to pass the first cut for state office.”

What has been your biggest motivation to run for State office?

“CTE programs are incredibly important and are never given enough credit. With that being said, Agriculture Education has given me skills and real life experiences I would have never been able to receive anywhere else. The most important thing FFA has taught me is being myself and embracing everything I have to offer. Society today paints this perfect picture of what we as young adults are supposed to be or what to look like and we fall into the trap. Because of FFA I have learned to break the mold, empower others, and become my own person. My motivation to serve the 89,000 member of California FFA has truly been that I have the power to teach students across California that they are important, they are perfect in their own ways, and being them is more than enough.”

We all would like to wish Edith the best of luck on her great endeavor. Woodlake High is rooting for you!

Upcoming Senior Events

By Alexandra Gonzalez & Isabella Franco

Seniors have a lot of fun activities heading their way, and the biggest one is Gradnite at Disneyland. Gradnite for seniors is on June 4th, and we will be going to Disneyland until the early hours of June 5th.. This will be such a fun event to go to, and other senior classes will also be there to celebrate. Gradnite is also held the week we graduate from high school, which makes graduation week more exciting. We asked some of our seniors if they’re going to Gradnite and how they feel about it.

As we ask Ciana Koo how she feels about Gradnite and if she’s attending, she responds with “Yes, I will be attending Gradnite and I can’t wait to meet new seniors.” As we ask Julian Duran how he feels about Gradnite and if he’s attending, he responds with “Yes, I can’t wait to go and I know it’s going to be fun.”

In other news about senior events, senior exit interview will be held on April 24th and on May 1st. Seniors who are graduating must do this interview. Scholarship night is on May 28th and our seniors will be awarded with scholarships they applied to. They probably will end up leaving with some of the scholarships they applied to. Seniors should really think about applying because it’s free money that they can use towards college.

Dog Days at WHS

By Lillian Ramirez-Velasquez

It has been known for many years that dogs can help relieve stress and anxiety. However, training dogs not only relieves stress and anxiety, but it can help teach leadership skills. On campus we are lucky enough to have a dog training program after school; this program is run by Katie Baker, a Woodlake alumni. During her high school years, she had the amazing opportunity to train dogs, and has continued the tradition by bringing the program back to campus.

When asked what made her want to bring the program back, Katie explained how the program was a big part of her life in high school, and how it gave her reason to get up in the morning. She believes that bringing the program back to Woodlake High will bring the students much joy and help teach wonderful life skills. Usually, when people choose a puppy/dog they want in their lives, they go for one that is the “cutest”, but when it comes to dog training, the dog and students veer towards who they think matches their personality best. However according to Katie, once the students begin to spend time with the dogs and learn their personality “they often end up with dogs who are quite different from themselves”. When this happens, Katie takes advantage and uses the moment to teach the students a life lesson- learning how to deal with personalities that do not always mesh well with theirs. This gives the students a chance to view things from another perspective and how to work with conflicting opinions.

When asked the big question of how training the dogs has changed her life, Katie not only said that it has shaped her into the person she is today, but it even helped her meet her husband and she “honestly couldn’t be luckier”.

Mia Villegas, a student in the program, was asked the same question. Mia responded that, “Training the dogs has made me more patient and social than ever before. Being around the dogs has even made me happier”.

Eric Zacarias, another student in the program, was asked one of the most important questions; the question being whether or not he believes the program has been beneficial to him and whether or not it would be beneficial to others. Eric replied saying, “This program has benefited me by showing me that even annoying people can help make a difference, and even stubborn dogs can be trained. This program can help others with anxiety, depression, or any other problem they may be experiencing, just being around the dogs can take a person’s mind off of their problems and make them happy”.

High school is an environment that can sometimes be very stressful, and having this program on campus is a great way to take your mind off of things. Not only is this program beneficial to the students who train the dogs, but once the dogs are fully trained, they are given to people who have disabilities. The dog training program is a great way to help students realize that something so simple can go a long ways.

If you would like to participate, the program is Monday thru Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 in room 3.

Woodlake Program Helps Keep Local Students in School and Out of Trouble

By Anthony Torrez

A new program that the Woodlake Unified School District is offering helps keep kids off the streets and in school. The program is known as Juvenile Diversion program and it was approved and has been in use since last summer. Students who have committed a crime are given the opportunity to join the program and it ensures that any student who completes the program will have their first crime wiped clean from their record, but if they fall short of completion then they will continue to have their first offense on their record. The board meets with the student and their parents and they must sign a contract to be able to participate in the program. The students are interviewed by three board members and they are WHS vice principal, WVMS principal, and Woodlake Police Chief, after the beginning process they read books on how crime can impact their community and they have to complete community service activities that are designed to prevent the student from committing a crime again. At the first meeting, the student is read the charges that they have against them. Even if the student admits to the charge they are not entered into the juvenile record if the student chooses to participate in the program. If the student breaks any part of the contract, the original offense and the new offense will both be referred to Tulare County Probation. This program can help many students become a better version of themselves by informing them on the consequences their actions carry.  

MLB Contracts Reach Stunning Highs

By Jakob Bischoff

Although baseball is nicknamed America’sś pastimepasstime, it continuously appears to fall farther and farther in popularity between it’s other major league counterparts like the NBA and the NFl. One of the areas in which baseball still excels however is how unbelievably much the players are getting paid.

This past offseason fans of the sport saw multiple players break previous records by being paid more than any professional athlete ever has been. Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, and  Manny Machado all signed brand new contracts worth a combined 1.5 billion dollars. The biggest contract went to Mike Trout who is set to make $430,000,000 over the next 12 years. This means he will be making an average of $35,500,000 a year which is by the far the largest amount any player from any sport has ever been payed. Mike trout will be getting paid $35,000,000 more then perhaps the greatest player in baseball history and the highest paid player in the 1920ś, Babe Ruth.

There are multiple reasons why baseball players are paid more than any other athletes. One of which is that in multiple professional sporting leagues there are maximum contracts. This rule is nonexistent in the MLB which allows players to be paid much more than they normally would be. They also play 182 games throughout there season which is much more than both the NBA and NFL. They also can play a lot longer because unless you’reyouŕe a pitcher it’s not as strenuous on their bodies. If one thing can be learned from all of this it is that kids should be playing baseball more than any other sport if the really want to make the money.

University Cheating Scandals

By Alfredo Estrada

Recently, a college cheating admission scandal involving students who were fraudulently admitted into prestigious schools nationwide has arose in the media.

Federal prosecutors charged 50 individuals nationwide within the alleged cheating scandal. Parents have been proven guilty of paying a college prep agency to take standardized exams or to correct solutions for students. The enterprise additionally bribed college coaches to illicitly assist students enrollment as recruited athletes regardless of their skills, most of the college students who enrolled as recruited athletes did not even play the game. Coaches from numerous colleges, inclusive of the University of Texas, University of Southern California and Stanford were implicated inside the alleged scheme.

The college admissions scheme hits many of us, mother and father, college students, instructors, and most importantly, high school students. For some, it is because it had made you feel less than at school. For others, it hits those that had to  sacrifice consecutive sleepless nights to get “A’s” on all your exams.

Lets see how some students feel about it:

Senior Marce Arambula says :

“It sucks because they’re privileged and most of us have to struggle on a daily basis to keep our grades up since we can’t financially afford it “out-of-pocket”, also I want to attend college for my future education and not to gain ‘party experience.’

Senior Jocelyn Sanchez says :

“…They for real think they could buy anything. The spot on the team roster was for an athlete that has worked all their life for  and for some rich parents kid to take it without any kind of experience in the sport is wrong on so many levels. As an athlete myself, this is very messed up.”