“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.”  – Jewish Proverb

If parents really researched their facts before they spoke, they would know that many former graduates and even several students of this 2010’s class have been accepted to many UCs. Here are a few of the students : Asir Fiola ’93, Nhien Tran ’07, Timothy Wright ’09, and Tammy Huynh ’10.

To prepare students for college, Mrs. Courtney Bakan, high school guidance counselor, encourages students to have a goal from 9-12 grade. They must perform well all these four years of high school. Also, the top three students of the Junior class, are able to participate in the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program. The ELC program allows almost every school counselor to send in their top three students from the Junior class that year. In the summer, the three students that had their transcripts sent in, will get mail from the ELC program.

ELC program recognizes the accomplishments of these students and this increases the chances of those three to get accepted into a UC without applying. In order to be a part of this program, there are various requirements. One must have taken their SATs before Junior year had ended and also maintain a very high GPA. Also, there are certain courses that must have been completed. ELC accepts the top 4% of students expected to graduate over all.

Mrs. Bakan sends the transcripts of these three students to the ELC representative. This program allows almost a guarantee to a UC. Not all students will attend a UC, but they have the opportunity. Another way that Mrs. Bakan helps the students is by reminding them to take their SATs which is essential to preparation before applying.

“Bethel did a tremendous job of preparing me for the rigors of academic life at UCLA. The self-discipline I learned at Bethel was essential to my success at college”, said Asir Fiola, 1993 alumnus. Asir graduated from Bethel and was blessed to be accepted to four prestigious UC schools : Irvine, Santa Cruz, Riverside, and UCLA.

“Every student is ultimately responsible for what schools they get into. I don’t care what school you go to. If you don’t try and put the effort needed to get into the school of your choice, then you won’t,” said Timothy Wright, alumnus.

Many parents have the mindset that since seniors don’t attend a UC post high school, that they weren’t accepted. What they fail to realize is that students do get accepted, but don’t attend for various reasons.

Not every student comes out and says exactly why they did not attend a UC. It could be for various reasons. One possible reason would be available majors. For example, Wright was accepted to UCI, UC Merced, UCR, and even UC Davis before applying. He was part of the ELC program as well.                           However, he now attends Cal State Fullerton.

Wright said, “UCI was the closest UC school I was accepted to. While being a very prestigious well known school, it was not the right fit for me.

“UCI is known for its strong math and science programs, but it almost completely lacks an art program. CSUF is known as having a very good art program especially the especially in the area of graphic design.

“It was not an issue of UC vs state school. You can’t compare those very well. You really have to look at each individual school’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Huynh adds that she too would choose a Cal State over a UC if it had a better program for the major that she was going for.

Often times, money is also an reason for not attending a UC school to which a student was accepted.

“Many times, whether looking at UC schools or even private colleges, students are afraid to apply because they look at the cost of tuition and assume they cannot afford it,” said Mrs. Jennifer Simonds, history teacher.

“This is why many students from our school do not attend UCs. They fail to apply for financial aid and even grants. Most students also won’t try for scholarships because many of them require essays,” Simonds adds.

“Bethel goes above and beyond when preparing their students for college,” Wright says. “My time at Bethel taught me to think for myself, to understand what truth is and how to deal with having a full plate.”

“Bethel goes above and beyond when preparing their students for college.” – Tim Wright ’09

Wright adds, “Bethel is one of the few places that one could be involved in so many things on top of regular school stuff. Bethel taught me the character and determination and skills needed to handle going to

school and working in the real life.

“I think one of the strongest areas that Bethel has provided me with is the necessary communication skills both written and oral.”

Parents and students alike need to consider that beyond the name of the school is the fact that some Cal States have better programs for certain majors than UCs do.

“I enjoyed dressing up as a nerd a lot. It was an opportunity to show my school spirit in a fun and silly way,” said Diana Pham, eighth grade.

On Fake-an-Injury Day, Pham was “feeling very uncreative,” but she enjoyed “being able to have these injuries without feeling the pain.”

Caree Morley, senior, said she enjoyed dressing up for Spirit Week especially as a nerd, but added, “I had to go to the doctor’s that day in my nerd outfit, and I definitely got some stares.”

Morley added, “It made me smile to see all those who participated and went ‘all out’.”

Leilani Phan, sixth grade, said that she designed her very own shirt on Retro Day. “Fashion today has better material and styles,” said Phan.  On Career Day, Phan was a photographer which she would like to be  when she grows up.

Ruth Jenkins, eighth grade, said that

“it was fun to see others’ ideas and craziness” on Nerd Day.

Priscilla Lopez, sophomore, enjoyed dressing up on Warrior Day because she was wearing her pink jersey with the others, and “we felt unique.”

At the end of the week, the Spirit Award was presented to the class that earned the most points for participation.  This award went to fifth grade who won with 527,000 points.  Eighth grade won second place with 525,000 points and second grade won third place, with 520,000 points.

The Warrior Award was also presented to one student in elementary and one one student in the junior high and high school who exhibited the most spirit.

The winners of the Warrior Award  were Chandler Kirkland, fourth grade, and Thalia Arredondo, senior.

Kirkland said, “I like Retro Day because I enjoyed being a hippie from the 70s.” He added, “I thought it was great how I won the Warrior Award for elementary, and it was a miracle because I never won anything like this before.”

He added, “The hardest day for me was Nerd Day because it felt weird when I was wearing my mom’s glasses and a stretched shirt.”

Students went “all out” showing school spirit and making lasting memories.

The record overall was 12-7 taking the girls to playoffs for the sixth time in a row.

The girls worked very hard in practice with the guys’ basketball team.  “I liked playing with the boys.  It was better to actually play against people than air,” said guard Caree Morley.

Coach Joel Simonds said about  his new experience, “Adding the girls into my schedule wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be because the girls had a great attitude.

“I had a great experience working with the girls.  I think the girls have been good for so long that I didn’t want to ruin it.  Their game is a little different than the guys.  The girls try to do what you ask them to do.  It’s a different expectation level,” said Coach Simonds.

The team grew stronger together through all of the grueling games and practices. They played through numerous injuries and have fought like Warriors in their games.

Rita Batarse, senior, dealt with black eyes from games and played through her right ankle injuries. Pokey Lopez, sophomore, played well despite her numerous physical pains.

“Although I had no serious injuries, it was difficult for me to catch really hard passes, to know when to shoot and to have the courage to be aggressive,” said Morley.

According to Simonds, the seniors were definitely a focal point of the team.  “They had moments where they played really well and really struggled.

“Rita and Hannah had shin problems; we were already shorthanded, and it was making things more difficult.

“I thought that Thalia had an outstanding improvement over the course of the year.  She started not being able to do a lot and ended up being one of the best team defense players.  She was the biggest positive surprise.

“As for the other girls, Caree showed a lot of improvement over last year at being more agressive,” said Coach Simonds.

“The playoff game was key to me.  It was important to keep the tradition.”  – Coach Joel Simonds.

“Alyssa became an outstanding defensive player. We played at Eastside, and Caree didn’t play because she was sick.  Priscilla fouled out with six minutes left, and we were winning by six. I made Alyssa guard the ball.  She was almost at full court press by herself,” said Coach Simonds

“We won by ten, not that Alyssa played by herself.  It was such a great win at being so shorthanded.  The girls started to believe individually that they could be pretty good,” Simonds added.

Heading to playoffs for the sixth time in a row, the girls’ hard work paid off. The girls defeated the Rough Riders of Perris in the first round of playoffs. However, in the second round, the girls struggled to stay consistent in their game against Lake Arrowhead Christian.

“The Eagles gained a significantly substantial lead in the second quarter that we could not reach,” said power forward Hannah Berg.

“We had a chance to win with a little bit of luck.  The playoff game was key to me.  It was important to keep the tradition,” said Coach Simonds.

Many accomplishments have been achieved by the girls this season.  “My greatest accomplishment was making more than technical shots this season,” said Morley.

“Each girl had her strengths.  Hannah was an outstanding rebounder.  Rita was a great scorer in the post.  Pokey was a little bit of everything,” said Coach Simonds.  He added, “I was very proud of them.  They never quit.”

The season ended with a resounding success. Coach Simonds met his goal of keeping the tradition alive and hopes for the same next season.

Sixth grader Leilani Phan has never been on another team before.  She joined this year because she wanted to have more volleyball experience. “My two sisters Hillary Phan and Jenny Phan inspired me to  play volleyball.”

Phan added, “Diana Pham helps me mostly through volleyball practice because she shows me how to do it the right way if I do something wrong.”

Seventh grader Cherish Morley has been playing volleyball for two years now. “I joined this year because my mom made me, and I am glad because it was fun,” Morley said.

Pham has been playing volleyball for two years. “Other than Coach Ashton, Tammy Huynh (senior) helps me mostly through volleyball practice because she takes her knowledge of high school volleyball and shares it with the junior high girls.”

Pham added, “My favorite part in volleyball was when we beat OC Christian because everyone was able to do something to make it happen.”

Coach Ashton said, “The most exciting part in volleyball was winning games, spending time with the girls and getting to know them.

“Serving seems to be an area that we need to work on, because it is something that has to be learned and practiced a lot,” she said.

Coach Ashton added, “I appreciate the team, because they are teachable and they work together as an encouraging team.  I expect the team to come out and play their best and do it for God’s glory.”

The Warriors ended the season 14 -10 earning a spot in playoffs. “Overall we did okay,” says guard Abi Cadenas.

“We did not play that well in the beginning of the season, but we played more like a team from the middle to the end,” says center Jonny Lopez.

Coach Joel Simonds says that if the guys were to make their free throws, we could have won some of the games we lost. Max Ruiz, guard, says, “We could have done better.”

Going to playoffs is a great achievement. “We have a good future ahead of us,” says Coach Simonds.

Coach Simonds’s best memory was, “Abi’s buzzer beater; it was the first game back, and he made the buzzer beater that won the game.”

“It’s tough that we are short handed, but we got the right people on the team,” says Coach Simonds about only having seven players. He is confident that all of the players put forth their best effort.

To improve their games Coach Simonds says, “We got to be better on starting out early,” in the beginning of the game, that is.

The CIF first playoff game was against San Jacinto Valley Academy whom the Bethel Warriors beat.The next game was against Valley Christian Lions, but unfortunately the Warriors lost.

It was a good season, and with the experience gained this season, the Warriors will definitely have a lot to offer next year.

After the crowning, in which, seniors Jonathan Lopez and Thalia Arredondo were declared king and queen of the court, and an exciting basketball game against the Acaciawood Eagles, the Bethel students went back to the school to enjoy the rest of Homecoming.

The other nominees were glad that they could be a part of Homecoming. Sean Yam, junior class prince, said with a large grin, “It shows on my face,” when asked how he felt about being a prince.

“Beautiful, gorgeous, fascinating” described the auditorium, well decorated with multiple shades of purple and winter-themed props.

Diana Pham, eighth grade ASB representative, said, “I think it’s come together really nicely, and I am very proud of being part of this.”

Photographer Roger Mondragon took pictures of the students as they posed under the tri-colored balloon archway, surrounded by three snowflake-covered trees.

Once it was allowed, the students hurried to the chocolate fountain where they were able to enjoy chocolate-covered marshmallows, donut holes, pretzel sticks and, on the slightly healthier side, apples and bananas.

Tori Mallipudi, eighth grade, nodded with her mouth still stuffed with a chocolate marshmallow in response to how good the chocolate was.

During a game of “Last Student Standing,” which was used as an “icebreaker” for the event, the chances of a male victor vanished when the statement, “Sit down if you are wearing pants,” appeared on the projector screen. As a result, Hannah Berg, senior, and Sharon Nuñez, sophomore, won first place in line for the mouth-watering food.

After praying, students lined up for the “delicious” food from Stone Fire Grill, and filled their plates with as much salad, pesto pasta, mashed potatoes, bread sticks, tri-tip and chicken as they desired.

Pham loved the food and said her favorite was “the green pasta thingies,” referring to the pesto.

During dinner, a choir of fourteen ladies from the Master’s College, served as entertainment for the students. A second, equally “amazing” performance was done after dinner as well.

To decide who ruled the court, Mr. Matt Thomas hosted a trivia game between Lopez and Arredondo. Arredondo started the game off with the answer “Superstar!” in response to what the abbreviation SS meant on the grill of a Chevy Camaro.

Lopez won, 3-1, despite the penalty he received for quickly answering a question concerning “superstar” Zac Efron. Mr. Thomas concluded the game with the statement, “Guys rule, girls drool.”

After some last minute chomping and posing, the clock struck 11:00 p.m., and the students made their way outside to be escorted home to a much-needed rest.

Winners include Ethan Do in music, Alyssa Simonds in oil painting, Ally Simmons in poetry, and Michael Tadros and Benjamin Nguyen  in academic testing.

Ethan Do, freshman, won second place in the high school division for music for his performance of Sonatina in C Major Opis 36 No. 3 by Muzio Clementi.

As is true of all freshmen, this was Do’s first time competing against students through the twelfth grade. “I felt nervous because they all did well,” he said. “I think I did alright. I made only two mistakes. I played loud when I was supposed to play quiet for a few seconds.”

In the high school art division, Alyssa Simonds, freshman, won second for her oil painting entitled Sun-kissed Palm.

“I felt disappointed because I thought my painting was better than that,” Simonds responded. “It makes me want to take more risks at my art class and do something more complex in order to get first place – maybe  an original painting.”

In the junior high speech division, Ally Simmons, eighth grade, won second for her recitation of Lewis Carroll’s  “The Walrus and the Carpenter.”  “I feel pretty good. I’m satisfied although I think I could’ve done better. I just had a lot of nerves on me,” said Simmons.

Michael Tadros, eighth grade, won third in math and Bible in the academic testing. “I felt good,” he said, with some additional singing about the phrase. Tadros also added that his winning “makes me want to try out for different things.” His motivation to return to GSACS has grown.

Benjamin Nguyen, also in eighth grade, won first for science, second in math and second in history. “I feel quite accomplished.” Nguyen also added, “This will make me want to enter everything next year.”

Bethel’s students did well this year, coming home with many ribbons and are determined to win more next year.

The first through sixth grade students will have their turn at competition as they head to the elementary division of GSACS competition held in Long Beach on April 16.

Earlier this year many students were assigned to write an essay of only 25 words explaining why their mom deserves a diamond in the hopes of actually winning their mother a diamond. Of the over 21,000 contest entries, Bethel received the prestigious award of a diamond due to the scintillating entry by Thomas Loi, eighth grade.

This is the diamond-winning poem submitted by Loi.

“Mom, hidden in the earth’s soil. Mined, discovered with great bliss. Cleansed, made absolutely perfect. Revealed with brilliant purity.”

– Thomas Loi, eighth grade

“I was happy that I won. I didn’t think I would win. When Mrs. Yates and Mr. Thomas told me, I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ I thought it was a joke, but I really did win, and I felt very accomplished,” said Loi regarding his win.

The Gallery of Diamonds in Newport Beach has held the “Why Mom Deserves a Diamond” contest since 1993.  Mr. Michael Watson, store owner, started this contest in hopes that it would give kids a chance to express in words their appreciation and love for their mothers.

“Why Mom Deserves a Diamond” is among the largest writing contests in the United States to honor mothers and receives on average 20,000 entries each year.

On Feb. 27, also known as Diamond Day, Loi, the 33rd winner since 1993, went to the jewelry store to award his mother the prize of a diamond. Loi was also accompanied by his father and siblings along with his teacher, principal and basketball coach.

“I was really nervous the whole morning because I knew I had to tell my mom the poem in front of everybody! Tracy, Tiffany and Hannah helped me with how I should read it. Tracy had me doing all these hand motions!” Loi said about reading to his mother.

Mrs. Jennifer Thai, Loi’s mother, felt a rush of feelings when Loi was reading his poem to her. “I felt very proud of him, and I was emotional. I started to tear up a little,” said Mrs. Thai.

Mrs. Robynn Yates, Loi’s English teacher, also felt the emotion as Loi read his entry to his mother. She said, “It was great to be a part of Thomas’s experience.”

The little jewelry store was filled with the love. It was clear to everyone that the mothers were overwhelmed and felt nothing but proud of their children.

Loi was Orange County’s diamond winner, but he was not the only winner of this contest. Several more Bethel students were awarded amethysts or garnets.

Amethysts were reserved for those highly creative runners up, while garnets were  given to the remaining unique essays.

“My mom’s going to love me forever!” said Michelle Tran, sixth grade, when she found out she had won a gem.

“When I told my mom she was like, ‘You won something?’” said Zakery Stiegemeyer, sixth grade, about telling his mother.

“I was so proud of my class and the winners. I think it was very good for our class as a whole,” said Mrs. Lori Martinez, sixth grade teacher. Martinez, who also taught Loi in sixth grade, added, “I’m very proud of Thomas. I think that every teacher he has had likes to think that they had a role in his win.”

When asking Nicole de Soto, second grade, about how she felt when finding out she won she replied, “I have no idea. I just won it,” but later added, “I was happy and excited for my mom.”

Mrs. Dawn White, second grade teacher, felt that her students’ winning was “awesome,” and she is very happy for the moms.

Yates commenting on the competition said, “It’s so good to take the opportunity to step outside of ourselves to recognize and truly appreciate those who have helped make us who we are. It can be life-changing on so many levels.”

She added, “I am proud of each student’s passion. Their enthusiasm for this assignment was truly refreshing. Creatively expressing one’s feelings is a great accomplishment, and doing that in 25 words is amazing. Well done.”

The winning mothers will glisten soon enough with their precious stones as their students return to the store on April 23 to present their mothers with their essays and gems.

Before the earthquake, conditions in Haiti were adverse. Most in the U.S. have water, food and shelter. More than half of Haiti’s population does not have any of these three.

“Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and is known as a fourth-world nation because it is in such economic turmoil,” said Miss Kamala Kavati, Haiti volunteer. She adds that despite this, “Haiti’s greatest need is our need; they desperately need a Savior to rock their world.”

In connection with a missions team, Miss Kavati has had the opportunity to work in Haiti for weeks at a time on three separate occasions within the last two years.

Mrs. Diane Seeley, Bethel support staff, comments, “We are very fortunate to be able to wake up and have food and water and to see our families. I am so grateful. My desire is to help them (Haitians), especially the children in the orphanages.”

“Haiti’s greatest need is our need; they desperately need a Savior!” -   Kamala Kavati, Haiti volunteer

In response to this tragedy, Bethel actively participated in collecting funds from both the church and school communities. Donations were sent to the CrossWorld organization.

CrossWorld serves the church by  reproducing churches among the unreached. The organization will take the donations and share with those in need in Haiti. The church and school had the privilege of donating over $2,000.

The day was filled with strenuous activities such as heavy lifting, moving ladders and barrels and transferring cement blocks.

Rita Batarse, senior, said, “Moving the frames for the houses out of the semis was not easy.” At the end of the day, Batarse said she had smashed her hands constantly while moving the frames.

Along with Batarse, Tracy Loi, senior, agreed that it was tasking work. Tammy Huynh, senior, added, “It wasn’t so hard that we couldn’t do anything, but it was difficult. We all had to tug large, heavy wooden walls around.”

The entire experience of being a part of something bigger than themselves was rewarding for the volunteers.

Habitat for Humanity is a non profit organization that builds “simple, decent” houses for those in need. In 1976 Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International. As of today Habitat is a world leader in relation to poverty housing.

Habitat so far has built more than 300,000 houses, sheltering more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities worldwide.

It is not a give away. The future owners have to pay 1 percent of the down payment and their own mortgage at a fixed rate. In addition they have to put in a certain number of hours to help build the house.

“I think when a homeowner takes part in the build, it adds value to the project and to the home. There is an additional sentiment attached to the house. This is an important step in the Habitat for Humanity Project,” Mr. Thomas said regarding the requirements of the future homeowners.

Many students are looking forward to the next opportunity to volunteer.

Parents who came to admire their children’s work at Open House on Feb. 9, also viewed science fair projects and caught a glimpse of the future, state-of-the-art science lab.

After visiting the classrooms and perhaps playing a round of “Are You Smarter Than a 4th Grader?” or viewing a slide show of a chemistry class, most of the students, parents and staff headed to the auditorium to check out the science fair. The crowd was silenced for the results. Seventh graders William Yam and Andrew Nguyen tied for third place.

Diana Pham, eighth grade, Abi Cadenas, sophomore, Hillary Phan, junior, and Amanda Touchstone, senior, each won third place for their respective grades.

Second place was awarded to Cherish Morley, seventh grade, Jenny Truong, eighth grade, Ethan Do, freshman, David Wright, junior, and Thalia Arredondo, senior.

First place winners were Emmet Mallipudi, seventh grade, Michael Tadros, eighth grade, Alyssa Simonds, freshman, Kevin Trinh, junior, and Tammy Huynh, senior.

Several other awards were handed out. The Most Creative award went to Simonds, and the Most Unique award went to Do.

The Principal’s Choice award went to Chau Nguyen, eighth grade, and Huynh.

The overall second place winner was Simonds. “Even though I didn’t get first, I am proud,” said Simonds. The overall first place winner was Michael Tadros. He said, “I had to try really hard to earn this award. My work definitely paid off.” This is Tadros’s second year winning this award.

The highlight of the evening came  when Mr. Matt Thomas, high school principal, revealed the artist’s renditions of the new science lab.

There were many quick responses. William Yam, seventh grade, said, “I love the plans, especially the fireproofs of everything.”

The science lab is to be constructed in classrooms 15 and 16 and will consist of fireproof cabinets, student desks, teacher’s desk and chemistry hood among other details.

Mr. Thomas said, “I am amazed by the responses of the crowd. People were so excited and had many questions and positive comments. I even received a donation before the night was over. So I am very pleased.”

The science lab is estimated to cost between $20,000 and $30,000. Currently the school has raised nearly $7,000, and anticipates raising enough to begin construction  of phase one this summer.

Bethel hosted two games supporting the fight against cancer on Jan. 9. This was Bethel’s first sports event to raise money for a charitable foundation.

During this “PINK game,” Bethel strived to raise at least $200 to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Jimmy V. Foundation. They fortunately exceeded their expectations.

For every $5 that was donated, contributers received items such as: pins, booklets, hair brushes and a variety of bread loaves.

The two varsity teams received special uniforms and gear for the cause. The girls wore pink uniforms, and the boys wore pink headbands and wristbands.

The cause and the fans spurred the teams on to victory against Crystal Cathedral.

The Lady Warriors came out hard and won the game 44-30. The boys also gave the game their all, winning 63-34.

Bethel will be hosting two more PINK games on Jan. 23 and Feb. 6.

For final contribution and game results, read the next edition of “The Shield.”

            According to Mr. Matt Thomas, high school principal, the school is expecting to raise at least $20,000 from various fundraisers beginning this year. The  money will be used to build a new science lab for the students. Most of the money will be used to buy equipment such as new tables with fire-proof tops, new fire-proof cabinets, updated supplies and additional plumbing gas lines.

             On Sept. 4 the school fundraisers were kicked off when Pete Hembrick the “fundraiser guy” came to Bethel to promote the chocolate and catalog fundraiser.

            The “fundraiser guy” encouraged the students to sell chocolate and raise money for the school. The students were excited to see the wide variety of prizes they could win.

            Mr. Thomas stoked the competition when he told the junior high and high school students that whoever sold the most chocolate would win $50. The second-place person would receive $25, and the third-place person would receive $10.  The chocolate sale and the catalog fundraiser ended on Sept. 21 and results are pending.

            On Oct. 8 the Value Books fundraiser began and coupon books were sent out to all students. The cost per book is $20 with 20 percent going to the school. The book contains over 150 coupons for many different restaurants and retail stores such as Daphne’s Greek Cafe, Rainforest Cafe, Coco’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop and much more. 

            The school is also selling a larger book which costs $35 but contains many more discount offers including several fine dining choices.

            If each student and teacher in the school committed to sell at least two books, the school would receive well over $2,000 toward the new science lab. The Value Book fundraiser will end on Oct. 30.

             There will be upcoming fundraisers in the near future, including Christmas wreaths during the Christmas season and another chocolate fundraiser as well. The Bethel community is anticipating great involvement and significant results.

            Mrs. Courtney Bakan, science teacher, is hopeful that the lab will be ready to use by next year. She knows that the new science lab will benefit not only her by having everything in the same room, but also the students by enabling them to have a greater variety of hands-on experiences.

            Hannah Berg, Tracy Loi, Rita Batarse, Thalia Arredondo, Tammy Huynh, seniors, and Priscilla Lopez, sophomore, were the starters of the first game.

            After a few unsettling moments, Bethel overcomes a rocky start and wins the first game 25-20.

            New Harvest is already showing signs of fatigue as the teams prepare for the second game. The high-spirited Lady Warriors win once again, 7 points in the lead.

            The third game starts off badly for Bethel, but Bethel manages to tie at 22, due to Arredondo’s consistent serves and the team’s overall effort. The score continues to teeter on every point.

            With a powerful serve from Batarse, the ball hurtles through the air and lands on New Harvest’s side of the court. Bethel wins the game 28-26 and a perfect match.

            Arredondo, outside hitter, gives her opinion of the match. She says, “I think over all, it was good, but we still have a lot to work on – our communication skills and giving it our best the whole time.”

            Bethel’s first victory of the season on their home court greatly increases the team’s morale.

            The game started with no score until three minutes into the first quarter. The Warriors made their first shot, and continued the run to 6-0.

              At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles suddenly caught up to the Warriors. The quarter ended with the Eagles leading 8-6.           

            The Eagles played hard in the second quarter and quickly took the lead with a score of 12-8. Their energy continued throughout the quarter.

            The lead fluctuated for the rest of the second quarter. Sophia Tran, sixth grade, made her very first shot. The second quarter ended with the Warriors in the lead 20-17.

            The Warriors were noticeably exhausted after the first half, but Sara Cadenas, point guard, worked hard to get a win. She quickly scored two points, rebounded the ball, and made another two points.

            The third quarter was also the time for the Eagles to make their move. They managed to score 12 additional points. The quarter ended with the Eagles leading 29-28.

            The Warriors were determined to win this game in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles widened their lead and won the game 38-32.           

            Coach Sam Mallipudi was asked about his thoughts on the first game of the season. He said, “It is fun coaching the junior high basketball team, but it is a lot of work.” He added, “ I think we should increase our stamina and endurance so we do not get tired at the end of the game.”

            Diana Pham, forward, said, “I like being on the basketball team because I actually get to play.” She also said, “I enjoy the wing-post position even though I foul people to the point that I have to get out of the game.”

            Chau Nguyen, point guard, said, “I am excited about this season because I think we have a good chance of winning at least one of our games.”

            Overall, the Warriors gained valuable experience from their first game and are preparing for their next.

            Last spring students had the opportunity to take the AP Economics class taught by Dr. Terry Cantrell, school administrator, and many continued the challenge this year by taking APUSH taught by Mrs. Jennifer Simonds, history department head.

            AP classes are college classes that are available to students who are willing to meet the challenge. These courses help students prepare for advanced college courses and allow students to earn college credits that will benefit them in the future.

            Juniors and seniors spent their summer vacation preparing for the fall APUSH class. Students were given extensive assignments and also went to Mrs. Simonds’s house to watch the movies The Patriot and Amistad. The students engaged in open discussion comparing and contrasting the events depicted in the movies with the actual events.

            Tammy Huynh, senior, says, “ I took  the AP class because I wanted to challenge myself in my senior school year, and it has been super challenging. I’m not shooting for an A. I’m shooting to do my best, and in doing so glorify God.”

            Due to the rigorous work load a few students have dropped the class. Mrs. Simonds says that it is important for students to understand their limitations, but if they are using their time wisely they should not feel overwhelmed.   

            The juniors and seniors will continue to put much effort into taking this class. They must be prepared to answer difficult multiple choice questions and extensive essay questions that test their knowledge of U.S. History from Columbus to the present day.            

            The APUSH exam will take place on May 7, 2010.

            Although there were several who were excited to see the interesting animals, many of the students screamed out of fright each time John Walchers, representative from Prehistoric Pets, pulled out a new reptile.

            As Walchers put away the bull frog, that many said was slimy, Kaylee Nguyen, K-4, told her classmate Lydia Vo, “Close your eyes, Lydia. Lydia, close your eyes!”

            Walchers then pulled out a baby turtle named Squirt that was favored by most of the students. Colin Chu, K-4, said that the turtle was “cute.”

            Walchers proceeded to take out various snakes. Kyle Ton, K-4, began to cry because he said the snakes scared him, while Chu was excited to touch and hold the different reptiles.

            When asked why he didn’t want to touch the snake, Benny Nguyen, K-4, said, “No, I don’t want to. Im scared.”  Classmate, Belle Ngo, shared her fear when one of the snakes was pulled out. She said, “Crocodile eat me!”

            The last animal shown was a huge boa constrictor. Walchers picked out a number of students to hold this creature. K-4 teachers, Mrs. Lois Bloom and Mrs. Lorie Adams shared in the excitement as well.

            Mrs. Bloom was very comfortable with the snake and even put it around her neck while Mrs. Adams ran to the end to hold its tail. Mrs. Adams replied when asked if she was scared, “Can you tell? I just don’t want it to poop on me or anything.”

            The Prehistoric Pets representative has been interested in reptiles since the age of five when he began to catch snakes and lizards in his backyard in Texas. Although Walchers appreciates the fascinating animals he finds that his “greatest joy is working with the kids and seeing them laughing and smiling, not screaming.”            

            Prehistoric Pets has been in business since 1988 then known as Pet Country. Jay Brewer and his wife Becky changed the name of their store in 1991 when expansion of their business was necessary. Their store is now 5,000 square feet. The Brewers’ goal is for their customers to feel as if they have entered a zoo.

The time for revenge came at the Liberty Christian Volleyball Tournament. In pool play, the Lady Warriors split sets with Southlands, 25-22 and 22-25, followed with a split with Pacific Lutheran, 17-25 and 25-15. Following the pattern, Bethel split with eventual tournament champion Desert Chapel, 25-22 and 21-25.

Entering bracket play, the Warriors had a hard-time getting started, dropping the first match to Delphi Academy, 25-19, but came back to beat South Bay Lutheran 25-19 despite some lackadaisical play and having to come from behind early in the match. The stage was set for a Bethel-Liberty match-up in the Consolation Championship match. The match was close early on, but Bethel dominated the middle of the match, pushing to a 22-15 lead. After a Liberty rally, Bethel closed it out, finishing with a 25-20 win.

            The two-dollar entrance fee included a red star-shaped stamp and a match that proves to be worth the cost.

            The first game becomes quite the disappointment to Bethel fans.  Athletic Director Joel Simonds bluntly says, “We got smoked.”  “The girls seem afraid to dive,” notes a bystander.  The Lions take the game 25-15.

            Tammy Huynh, outside hitter, takes the second game 25-16 for the Warriors tying the match scores. Thomas Loi, line judge, states, “I think they (Warriors) are doing wonderful.  The first game they didn’t do so well, but they improved.”

            When asked about pre-game thoughts for the third game Priscilla Lopez, outside hitter, enthusiastically replies, “I’m pumped.”  Timothy Wright, alumnus, states, “I think they will come back and win this.” 

            As the third game begins, Mrs. Courtney Bakan, Bethel science teacher, and Mrs. Jennifer Simonds, Bethel history teacher, synchronize their cheer with the volleyball team in fierce spirit,  “L-e-t-s-g-o!” 

            Unlike the beginning of the second game, the girls’ spirits are positive, and the Warriors have a considerable lead by the end of the game.

            Mr. Carlos Arredondo, Bethel supporter, passes the ball to his daughter, Thalia Arredondo, outside hitter, who serves the winning point for the game.  Mr. Arredondo comments, “Well, the good thing is that I gave the winning ball to my daughter.” 

            Mrs. Candide Lopez, Bethel supporter, shares her highlights of the game, “It’s been incredible!  Hannah fought through her struggles.  Pokey’s serves were amazing.  Tammy had a good spike.  And Caree gave an amazing pass!”

            Before the fourth game, Loi confidently declares, “I actually think we might win because      this third game was so good.” 

            However, despite the girls’ fervent spirit in the last game, the team seems dispirited at the beginning of the fourth. Coach Matt Thomas calls a timeout to energize the girls, and the game improves greatly. Senior Hannah Berg, opposite hitter, wows the crowd with a spectacular kill and keeps a straight game face. 

            With Warriors leading 20-15, the Lions’ captain calls a timeout to break Huynh’s impeccable serves.  Her serve does break, but this gives Alise Moser, sophomore,  a chance in the game. 

            Prior to the game, Moser said she was not enthused about the game because “all I do is sit on the bench.”  When asked about her thoughts of the reality of finally getting to go in she replies, “When Matt told me I was going in, my heart dropped!” 

            The girls win the final game 25-17 and take the match.

“The Life of Fanny Crosby” written and directed by Mrs. Carolyn Davidson, elementary music teacher, will be performed by the third through sixth grade classes on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m.

This play is an encouraging account of the life and legacy of Fanny Crosby.

Through a series of flashbacks, the aged Fanny Crosby (Cherish Morley, sixth grade) remembers her life as a little girl (Sophia Tran, fifth grade) and how God worked in each circumstance to accomplish His will.

The play casts fifth and sixth grade students and includes special music by the third and fourth grades.

By Katie Tran & Krista Carr 

An emphasis on the school’s Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLR’s), filling portfolios and completing self studies can only mean one thing – preparation for the WASC review.  WASC representatives will be  visiting  Bethel’s campus March 8-11.

“It is a great opportunity for our school to see how we have excelled and how we can grow.”  – WASC Coordinator Mrs. Jennifer Simonds

WASC stands for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This organization accredits both public and  private schools as well as colleges and universities of the Western United States.

WASC’s original purpose was to encourage the standardization of secondary school programs. Its purpose now is to confirm excellence in education and to make sure schools are intent on improving.

Three representatives will be present to observe classes and evaluate the school based on its self-study. The representatives will make recommendations on how to improve the school’s programs and validate the school’s existence.

“It (WASC review) is a great opportunity for our school to see how we have excelled and how we can grow,” said WASC Coordinator Mrs. Jennifer Simonds.

Administration, faculty and staff   have all been preparing for this WASC visit for quite some time.   The teachers have gathered information on parent committees, collected evidence of the programs at Bethel and formed student portfolios.

Students have also prepared for the coming of WASC representatives by ensuring a clean campus, adding to portfolios and being attentive to the ESLR’s. Last year, the students took periodic surveys for Bethel’s self-study.

Chau Nguyen, seventh grade, is eager about the WASC visit  “knowing that we’re going to have a clean campus.” Freshman David Wright said that he believed the most valuable benefit of the WASC review is that “we (Bethel) get continued accreditation.”

Accreditation is important to any school because it impacts a student’s access to colleges, universities and future career opportunities.

The school’s website contains Bethel’s ESLR’s as well as the self-study and is available to the public.

With controlled expressions, all

actors on stage focus on staying in character as they practice for the spring play “Papa Was a Preacher”.

 The performance debut of the play will be March 25 at 7 p.m. with additional performances March 26 – 27 at 7 p.m.

“Papa Was a Preacher” enables its audience to experience a place in a pastor’s family.  The main cast is Edwin Porter “Papa” (Anthony Valenzuela, junior), Pearl Porter “Mama” (Tammy Huynh, junior), and the six children from oldest to youngest Hugh, Cecil, Raybon, Janette, Edd, and Alyene.

 Because of Mr. Porter’s occupation as a clergyman, many people, including the infamous Miss Jonas (Carolyn Hua, eighth grade), have high expectations for the family.

The youngest Porters, Edd (Michael Tadros, seventh grade) and Alyene (Minh-Thu Che, eighth grade) have expectations of their own concerning Miss Jonas.

Small family problems involving a girl cause a stir in the Porter family between Cecil (Zachary Richards, junior), and Raybon (David Jenkins, senior).

 A precious “trumpeter” also snags the heart of the eldest girl Janette (Kristine Tran, eighth grade) and results in headaches for the rest of the family. 

In the midst of the these problems, the eldest Porter, Hugh (Kevin Trinh, sophomore), visits his family for a special event.

            The Porters are certain to capture the hearts of their audience as they discover together the true importance of family.

            Boys varsity volleyball season began Feb. 23 and with anticipation the boys have already begun intense practices.

            Most of the boys that are to play share the expectation of making it to playoffs.

            Another award the boys are striving for is the CIF Academic Championship. Last year the team had the honor of winning this award, and they want this year to be no exception.

            This season the team has many returning players as well as the addition of several freshman.

            Freshmen that are joining the team, such as Nathan Jenkins and David Wright do not know what to expect yet. Jenkins says that he wants to “get a lot of experience” out of the season.

            Returning player David Jenkins, senior, said that the team will be ready for the season if they “get on track.”  Kevin Trinh, sophomore, said, “I would like to improve the way I serve, my passing, and especially my setting, because I feel that I set better than anything else I do.”

            Most of the boys said that they will be ready for the tough games they will face this season, but some said they will still be nervous.

            Matt Thomas, head coach, was clear about his expectations for the team.    He said, “This season I expect the freshmen to learn the different aspects of the positions, understand the game, and grow in appreciation of volleyball.”  Thomas added, “The team is very solid and has good chemistry.”

            The boys are sure to have tough practices and even tougher games. They will have to be able to concentrate on each game if they expect to go far. Thomas added, “They (the team) are poised for a run at playoffs.”

            The roster for this season includes seniors David Jenkins, Bryant Trinh, Christopher Anderson, and Timothy Wright; junior Jonathan Lopez; sophomores Tyler Mosier, Sean Yam, Alex Trinh, and Kevin Trinh; and freshmen, Nathan Jenkins, Christopher Morley, Max Ruiz, and David Wright.

            Winners of the in-house spelling bee and speech meet advanced to represent Bethel at the GSACS competition.

            Spelling contestants include first graders Jordan Dinh, An Dang, Brian Pham and Thomas Cao; second graders Kacie Nguyen, Kim Huy Ngo, Sabrina Huynh and Breanna Dong; third graders Brian Chu, Chandler Kirkland, Lena Tran and Brian Tran; fourth graders Tran Nguyen and Johnny Han; fifth graders Tiffany Han and Michelle Hu; sixth graders Janet Doan and Allyson Chu.

            Speech contestants include first graders Nicole de Soto, Brian Pham, Thomas Cao, Jordan Dinh and Jessica Ton; second graders Andrew Nguyen, Clarence Tran, Kacie Nguyen, Danica Phan, Seraphim Le and Brookenah Yates; third graders Brian Chu, Brian Tran, Jonathan Huyhngo, Chandler Kirkland, Jacqueline Hua, Celine Tran, Kaitlyn Truong, Lena Tran; fourth graders Jamie Pham, Trina Vu, Derek Phan and Jessica Dinh; fifth graders Sophia Tran, Sara Cadenas, Tiffany Han and Michelle Tran; sixth graders Cherish Morley, Richard Tran and Janet Doan.

             Students will compete in categories such as speech, chess, piano, spelling and art.

             Several students who are returning to compete this year are determined to do better than ever.  Others are new to the competition and are going to gain experience.

             Returning participant Darah Martinez, eighth grade, said that she is excited about the competition but still fears forgetting lines from her poem.

             Michael Tadros, seventh grade, will be competing in his first junior high division of GSACS. He said, “I am excited for chess because I have never been to a chess competition before.” 

             Martinez leaves the new participants with one final thought, “Don’t expect anything; go for the fun of it because it is a privilege just to represent your school.”

             The competition will last for two days and will conclude with an awards ceremony recognizing winners from the various categories. Winners of the academic testing taken previously will also be announced.

By Michael Mattaous & Ethan Do 

            The girls finished the season with 2 wins and 5 losses and were one game away from making it to playoffs

            Although the girls have faced some difficult times this season with several losses as well as the loss of players, the team has continued on and has shown that they can still represent Bethel well.

            They proved to be strong competition in each of their games and have shown that they do have what it takes to be a winning team.

            Marissa Thomas, eighth grade, has played on the junior varsity team for three years.  She said, “There is a lot of room for improvement.” She also stated that many of the younger girls could do better if they just tried harder. Returning player Ally Simmons, seventh grade, said, “I am proud of the team and the fact that they really worked hard.”

            Like many of the girls on the volley ball team, Minh-Thu Che, eighth grade, was hoping to win a few more games before the season was over, but now they will have to be content knowing they did their best.

            The girls have learned some valuable skills and lessons throughout this season. Many of the returning players are glad to have had the chance to gain experience this year.  Some can now serve over-hand because of their hard work.

            Most of the girls are planning to play again next year and hope for a chance to make it to playoffs. 

            The eighth graders are eager about the opportunity to play on the varsity team next year.            

By Nathan Jenkins & Abi Cadenas

Boys’ varsity basketball finished the season with a winning record of 12-10 for the first time in seven years. In addition the boys secured a place at playoffs.

This is only the third time the boys’ varsity basketball has made it to playoffs in Bethel’s history.

Going to playoffs was such a big accomplishment for the boys varsity team that according to Nathan Jenkins, freshman, it was the highlight of the season. The team is proud of their hard work and believes that what brought them so far this season was practicing teamwork.

The team has had other highlights as well.  Abi Cadenas, freshman, said that for him the best memory was his scoring 20 points at a game.

Although the team enjoyed much success throughout the season, they still realize that there is much room for improvement.  When asked if he was satisfied with his plays, Kevin Trinh, sophomore said, “Not really. I know I could have done more.”

Looking ahead to next season the team knows that they may face some challenges as three of their key players, David Jenkins, Bryant Trinh and Tim Wright graduate.

Head Coach Joel Simonds  reflects on the past season and anticipates next season.

He said, “I think we can be better next season. We lose three seniors this year, which will be difficult to deal with, but our whole team is based on freshmen and sophomores so with a good off-season this summer, we can really start to become a good team.”

Despite the graduation of the team’s three seniors, the boys varsity team is extremely determined to work hard. They are still focused on the goal of making it to playoffs and eventually to the league championship next season. 

As the first quarter began, the Warriors slowly made their way to victory by scoring six points while the Patriots had scored nothing. The second quarter went by quickly. The opposing team had made several points, yet the determined Warriors were not easily put down.

At the third quarter, Hannah Berg made three continuous shots. After she saw that her throws had made it into the basket, tears streamed down her face. Warrior fans went “wild” at the end of the fourth quarter when the Warriors came out as the victors.

Coach Joe Roussell said, “It was a happy and sad game. It was a sad game because we lost four girls. The happy part was that we got four girls added to the team and they did a good job during the game.”

Despite the loss of their fellow players, the Lady Warriors are determined to dominate their next opponents for the last remaining games.

          This season was perhaps Ruiz’s hardest season because she suffered with various injuries, which sidelined her for a couple of games. She said, “I think I played my best even though I was injured.”

          Despite her injuries, Ruiz finished with an average of 9.8 points per game and an impressive 1.5 blocks per game. The team will miss Ruiz since this is her senior year.  She will be heading to Cal State Dominguez Hills next year.

           Lopez was also a great help for many if not all the games. She led the team in scoring, assists, and steals. For that reason the Lady Warriors gave her the opportunity to become captain in her freshman year. Lopez said,  “It is wonderful to know that my team made it to the playoffs.”

          This season has had its ups and downs from the uncertainty of whether or not there was going to be a basketball team this year to ineligibility problems of some of the girls. 

          These issues were solved by having girls that had never played before or had little experience playing come and assist the team. During the final stretch of the season these girls were valuable to the team by providing defense and points when needed.

          Girls like Caree Morley, junior, who had never played the game of basketball decided to play, and now she has lasting memories. She will never forget the first three-pointer she hit during warm-ups when Bethel played Baker.

          Although this has been one of the toughest seasons, making it to the playoffs was “worth it”.

“It was cool to build stuff that was symbolic of something bigger than us.” -Bryant Trinh, senior

            By building a replica of the tabernacle, many of the students understood how specific the tabernacle was from the inside to even the outside.

            To describe the tabernacle, Kevin Trinh, sophomore, said, “It was about the Day of Atonement and the different pieces of furniture in the tabernacle that represented something spiritual.” 

            Hillary Phan, sophomore, said, “I learned a great deal about the tabernacle and everything of the tabernacle has importance to all generations.”

            Long-Michael Nguyen, sophomore, said, “Because Jesus Christ died and sprinkled His blood on the Mercy Seat, we don’t need to offer anymore blood sacrifices today. When Jesus Christ died, He also served as the High Priest between humanity and God.”

            Victor Nguyen, freshman, said, “What I learned in this tabernacle project was that God is holy and that he teaches that Christ is the only true way to truth.”

            According to a few students, the hardest part of their project was working in groups, gaining the information, and building the furniture which all showed that the tabernacle was truly a specific object of God.

            Bryant Trinh, senior, said “I think the hardest part was finding a time where we could all meet together, which didn’t work as planned.”

            Though there were difficult parts in their project, many students such as Phan and Trinh, said that they were “happy” they got to hang out and work with the people in their group.

            Bryant Trinh also said, “I enjoyed working on the furniture that went in the Tabernacle. It was cool to build stuff that was symbolic of something bigger than us.”

             By the end of the project, many high school students liked the outcome of their project. Long-Michael Nguyen said he liked his project because it looked “realistic”.   

            Katie Tran, freshman, said that the project showed that the Old Testament still reflects the New Testament. 

            After finishing all their tasks and assignments, the high school students realized that they had learned a lot about themselves, each other, but most importantly God.

Being available is a good character trait to have. Availability is making your own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those you serve. Make others a priority. Do not just think of yourself.

Availability is a major part of being reliable. People like parents, teachers and friends appreciate it when you are available to do things for them. People also learn to trust you when you are available.

Now we all know you can’t be available 24/7, but it is good to be available when people really need you. If someone asks you to come over and help them study, ask your parents and then make yourself available.

We must also be available to God. He is the one person we must be available to 24/7, because He is the most important person. When we are available to God, He will change our lives in ways we never thought possible.  After all, God is always available whenever we may need him.

But, if someone asks you to do drugs with them – well, you should know the answer to that one. Do not say that you will do something that is wrong just because of peer pressure. Only be available to things that you know are right and that will honor God. Availability is one way that God teaches us to be humble, and it is a way that He shows others that His children have changed.

Putting God and others first is the best way to practice availability. It makes you dependable and trustworthy. People will rely on you. When you are open to others, they will always find their way to you.

QUESTION: What are your impressions of the new president, and what are your expectations for the future?

*Hannah Berg, 11th grade : “I feel that he is going to be a great leader because he seems to be well educated. He has potential. He is going to help our country.”

*Chris Anderson, 12th grade: “He sounds like a good person. But I don’t think he is going to put through what he says.

*Tracy Loi 11th grade: “He is different. We need change and action to take place. He might be the person that could do it.”

*David Jenkins 12th grade: “He is a good public speaker. But I don’t think he is going to make a difference in what I believe.  People are more focused on the public image of the president rather than his qualities and beliefs.”

*Anthony Valenzuela 11th grade: “I personally do not care for the president, but he has promised a lot. I hope he can live up to his word.  I expect a lot from him because he has promised a lot.”

What is a good Winter Casual without a little bit of ice skating? That is what Bethel students did at the KHS Skating Place in Anaheim. Speaking of ice skating there were a many  first timers . David Wright says that it was his first time ice skating,  and just like him there were many others like Benjamin Nguyen, Victor Nguyen, Danny Phan, and Zachary Richards who were all first timers. Even though there were a lot of first timers, the skaters had fun skating and doing other activities as well.

“I had fun pushing Danny and falling,” said ninth grader Victor Nguyen.   Since pushing got carried into the scene, Rita Batarse pushed Pastor Matt Thomas on the ice causing him to get ice all over his backside. This gave everyone, including Pastor Thomas, a good laugh.

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for, the winners of the grand prize i-pod shuffles. Bryant Trinh was the winner of the guys and Carrie Morley for the girls. They both seemed to be very happy. Even though some did not win, others had nice ideas on what they would do with them. “I would give the i-pod shuffle to my little sister because I’m a nice person,” said eighth grader Carolyn Hua. Kristine Tran, eighth grade, said, “I would use it to download songs.”

Ice skating was not the only thing that people enjoyed.  A lot of people enjoyed the Marie Callenders food too.  “I really would recommend it,” said 10th grader Hillary Phan. Benjamin Nguyen, seventh grade, said, “I recommend the pie.”  Richards said, “Yes, I recommend the food.” Watch out Marie Callenders, you will be having a lot of costumers.

Since the student council was planning this wonderful event, they were feeling pretty nervous. Take Alex Trinh for example. He said,  “I don’t know if they’ll like it or not; so I’m pretty nervous. ”

According to Kevin Trinh, Winter Casual would be a “night to remember”.  Let’s see if he was right.

“Yes, I had a good time,” said Richards .  And according to Hillary Phan, she had “tons” of fun and she also says,  “For all the people that didn’t go, maybe we’ll do it again ’cause it was super fun”.  So it turns out that Kevin was right.

She was in her car doing homework with her son when she saw the automobile pull up with smoke coming out of the hood, said eyewitness Mrs. Leavell.
The owner was concerned about a Bible still in the car, said Mary Morley, Bethel’s church secretary. The owner seemed very upset and in shock when she saw the flames in the car. When the owner “did not want to look at it”, Mrs. Morley took her into the auditorium.

Custodians Fred Morales and Daniel Henry and Coach Eric Lokker all attempted to contain the situation using fire extinguishers, but the fire resiliently kept burning until the firemen arrived and extinguished the fire.

When the firemen arrived they first made sure that their apparatus was set up in a safe position upwind so that the engineers would not be overcome by the smoke, said Captain Salerno of the Santa Ana fire department . The firemen then formed their “attack line” and used the water from the 500 gallon tank in the firetruck “to cool down the fire”. Once the fire was extinguished, the firemen investigated to find the origin of the fire. After questioning the vehicle’s owner, authorities determined that it was an accidental fire due to automobile malfunction.

The car was “totaled” with “nothing to salvage”, said Mrs. Morley.

Despite the damage to the vehicle, no one was hurt, and the firemen were able to contain the situation.

The Lady Warriors started out with their usual starting five of Angie Ruiz, Rita Batarse, Hannah Berg, Caree Morley, and Priscilla Lopez. Since this is a league game and their first game against this team, this was a must-win game. Also since this was Championship Banner Night the girls had to prove to the past players that this is still a championship team.

The game started out very slowly with many turnovers going both ways, but our Lady Warriors knew that they had many advantages with them so they kept going. Since the team knew that Ruiz and Batarse were the strongest girls in the game Lopez kept feeding them the ball and the girls made some nice post moves to give Lopez the assists. And even if the girls did not finish their lay-ups, they still had a chance to make free throws if they got fouled.

At the half, the girls were ahead but by only a few points. They knew that they had to make a run in the second half or the Lions would make the run. In the second half, the Bethel Baptist Warriors played with more strength, speed, and heart. Although the girls made the run and  got the win, Ruiz dislocated her shoulder and Batarse got some cramps and bruises towards the end of the game. Coach Joe Rousell said that the girls are fine, and the injuries are not long-term.

The girls will play Pioneer Baptist on Tuesday Jan. 13 for another league game. Although the game is away it is expected that the girls will dominate and win the game.

The banners of the 2000 boys’ basketball, 2002 boys’ volleyball, 2006 girls’ basketball, and the 2008 girls’ basketball championship banners will be put on display. All the players and coaches who were apart of the championship teams were invited so that they can be honored. This is a great opportunity for everyone to see what Bethel has accomplished. 

Coach Joel Simonds, one of the championship coaches and the current coach of the boys’ basketball team said that this night is an opportunity to show what the kids have done in the past years because the championships that they have won are something to be proud of. Because of this special night, he hopes the teams that will be playing, represent and play with huge emotion. 

Many of the players and coaches that we are honoring have also received awards in the leagues. Steve Fausneaucht was league MVP in 2002.  Jessica Hilo was Express League Athlete of the Year in 2006 also that year Coach Rob Stephens was Coach of the Year. In 2008 Coach Joe Roussel was Coach of the Year. And Angie Ruiz was league MVP in 2006 and 2008. 

  At 6 p.m. the girls will play. And in between games the ceremonies will begin.  The night will finish with the boys’ game at 7:30 p.m.  All who attend will help make this a very special event.

How do I feel about this spontaneous change in weather? I could not be more overjoyed! This is the perfect time to welcome the mounds of snow and flooding gutters. People complain and complain about the rain and the cold, but if you look at it from a new perspective, you will see that God planned this season to be one of hope, whether it is hoping for the rain, hoping for a gift, or hoping to see someone that you love.

The weather is finally beginning to agree with the season. My perspective on this is that God had perfect timing for the rain to pour down upon us and that this is an example of how extremely powerful He is and how beautiful His blessings upon this earth are. We need to remember that this season is not just about the holly and the wreaths and the packages and the bows. It is also about the love that God has for us, enough that He would send his son down to this earth to give the greatest gift of all. Eternal life. So, welcome Christmas, with your boxes and bows, and welcome Christmas with God’s love and blessings.

Practice round begins, and all do well, but this does not stop Mr. Thomas from joking around with the contestants.

His first victim is H. Phan. Phan spells her word correctly and gives a satisfied look when, out of nowhere, Mr.Thomas asks her to speak into the microphone which is about a foot above her!

T. Arredando is asked to spell access, when believing she has spelled access correctly, Mr. Thomas says she has spelled it incorrectly and it is actually spelled a-x-e-s.

Arredando was quickly saddened, but soon realized she was the second victim of Mr. Thomas’s slyness.

C. Morley serves justice while pretending that he cannot hear what Mr.Thomas is saying.

The match continued on, and the games ceased as the competition grew more serious.

However, in the crowd, two eighth graders, E. Do and M. Nguyen, zip up their jackets and pull their hoods over their heads only to show their eyes. On lookers claimed that they were playing ninja.

The competition narrowed to K. Trinh and Phan who joked around with each other in between words. Phan came out as the over all winner of the Spelling Bee, giving Trinh second place, but both Phan and Trinh will represent Bethel’s high school at G.S.A.C.S.

The students headed to the Natural History Museum at 8:30 along with a few chaperons and their teacher Mrs. Martinez.  When the class arrived at the museum, the tour guide led them see the insect zoo and the tortoises.  “The tortoises felt like rock,” said A. D., sixth grader.

Mrs. Martinez, 6th grade teacher, said, “This field trip was to help reinforce what we have learned about North American insects and some crustaceans.”  According to student G. he learned that the dinosaur bone becomes rock because it absorbs the dirt surrounding it.

After the tour, the students roamed around the museum with groups.   Student A. said, “I liked the gem room because of all the colors.” Her classmate J. also added that she liked going to see the birds because the group walked through the bridge and pond.

R. also discovered part of the movie Night of the Museum was filmed there.  Mrs. Martinez agreed that a lot of movies and photos were shot at the museum because of its artifacts.

The Natural History Museum has been historical place for many to visit.  According to its website, the museum has been a place for scientific research and stores much of the world’s cultural and natural history.

Many of the children dressed up in various costumes such as Batman, Spider-man, a Power Ranger, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Sleeping Beauty, Dora the Explorer, Mulan, and a Wildcat cheerleader from High School Musical.  Even Mrs. Lopez dressed up as Sarah Palin which appeared to be a crowd favorite.

Sarah Palin impersonator Mrs. Lopez said “My favorite part of the night was being Sarah Palin because I think she is a great leader for our country. I am honored to impersonate her.”

For the children younger than fifth grade, there were game booths set up outside under the tarps.  The fifth and sixth graders were set up in one corner of the auditorium while the older kids and adults settled on the other side.

The younger kids received a bag with their name on it to store all the candy and prizes they won from games such as bowling, fishing for prizes, basketball, golf, ring toss, horse shoe toss, tic-tac-toe bean bag toss, and bobbing for apples.

The games were run by Mr. and Mrs. Stephens with the help of some of the teens such as A. Simonds, M. Thomas, Ch. Morley, T. Mosier, and Z. Richards while Ca. Morley helped out with face painting.

Fourth grader S. Hu said she liked face painting the best because she got to show it off.

“Getting my face painted was my favorite part because I was painting faces all night, and S. Hu offered to paint my face,” said Ca. Morley.

The fifth and sixth graders played games like Disney Monopoly, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Rainbow Jumbling Tower, Pass Pigs, and Uno ran by  Youth Leader Eric Lokker.  Also, they each received a “handful of corn” (a plastic bag in the shape of a hand filled with popcorn and candy corn), fake teeth, and a prize bag filled with goodies like toys and candy.

Lokker said “My favorite part was playing with the kids because I love the fellowship.”

Some of the older kids and adults played Bunco while a few played Chess, talked, or watched others play.

Ninth grader P. Lopez said “My favorite part was playing Bunco because it was the only thing I did, and it was fun.”

Former Spanish teacher Mrs. Lueskow said “My favorite part of the night was Bunco because it was fun, and I like competition.”

“My favorite part was watching others play because I like it, and I like taking pictures of them,” said bystander Renae Ashton.

About half way through the night there was an intermission for snacks and drinks. “My favorite part was the Oreos because they were quite tasty,” said eighth grader Simonds.

Tenth grader Mosier said, “My favorite part was having a lightsaber fight, my glow stick verses his iPhone, with Aaron Chidester because I rocked him.”

As the end was approaching, a small group was playing guitars and singing songs such as “Blessed Be Your Name”.

Truc Nguyen, a Vietnamese father of three students of Bethel, said that he likes and agrees with the rally because he is a Democrat and wants to vote for Obama. He feels that Obama is the “better” candidate to choose from than McCain.

The Democrats held the rally to point out that not all the Vietnamese-Americans desired to vote for John McCain for his service in their homeland, Vietnam. They wanted to give Obama a chance, since they thought that some of their people didn’t know him well.

Thinh Ta, a Vietnamese mother from Bethel, says that she opposes the Obama supporters and would rather vote for McCain because he wants to make abortion illegal.

One of the Democrats from the rally named The Ngoc Nguyen thought that his fellow community members should just stop and listen to what Obama has to say.

Jennifer Loi, a Vietnamese mother of four students who attend Bethel, said that she wants to vote for McCain because she thinks that McCain would be a “great” President in the future, if he wins.

“I want to vote for McCain because he doesn’t support abortion as opposed to Obama,” says L. Yam, father of two students from Bethel.

“I want to vote for McCain because I can’t support the Democrat, and I don’t have money for that; no businessmen want them,” says C. Phan, a father of four kids from Bethel. “The Democrat says, ‘Oh, I’m going to give you two dollars added to your check!’ Everyone says, ‘Yeah!’ But eventually, they’ll tax you the money back.”

“We want to vote for McCain because he was shot down and kept prisoner for five and a half years during his service in the Vietnam War, where he was tortured,” says Linh Nguyen and Thuy Pham, parents of three students. “He has a lot of war experience and can make the right decisions for the Iraq War and any other war that might happen in the future.”

Kristine Nguyen, mother of four kids who attend Bethel, says, “McCain, because I want a new direction, and I know McCain has a plan. First, rebuilding our savings. Second, growing our investment.”

The rally’s purpose was to point out that Obama should have a chance to win, but from Bethel’s parents’ point of view, they want McCain to have a chance to win also.

These were some of the questions that popped into people’s minds as W. Bobo was constantly writing in this small black notebook during the g.a.s.s. (Gathering After Sunday Service) activity on Sunday, October 12.

W. Bobo, a member of Bethel’s youth group, saw that his friend was taking notes in a small black notebook and asked him what it was for.  When the friend told W. that he was taking notes for a journalism class, W. wanted to take the notes for his friend.

Seeing this as an opportunity for an unusual angle for his story, the friend gladly allowed W. to take his notes.

W.’s notes ranged from facts to projecting his personal opinion.

His notes began with facts like who was entering the room, the arrangement of the chairs, that “Del Taco is served’, and that there was “No Dr. Pepper present”.

He also made observations  about people such as  “D. Bobo is sitting alone” which W. wrote down quite a few times, that “T. didn’t get a new shirt”, “T. almost punched me (W.) in the face”, “M. Thomas is not here”, “B. Lopez desires to write in this black notebook”, and “P. Lopez wants D. Wright to talk to her”.

After everyone was finished eating, they played a game which no one knew the name of.  One team would sit in a straight row of spaced chairs in the center of the room.  The other team would try to run between the chairs and avoid being hit with “the old towel of death”.  When everyone on a team was hit, the two teams would change positions.  The team that as E. Lokker put it “stayed alive” for the longest amount of time would be declared the winning team.

W. also took notes about the game while he was playing it.  Some of the highlights that he recorded in the small black notebook were that “E. takes the lead and exhibits leadership” as he held an “old towel of death” and informed everyone how to play the game, that T. Wright “crucified” J. Lopez with the “old towel of death”, that “W. got nailed in the leg”, and that T. Wright “sings a song” and “plays with hands in his pockets”.

The game ends in a tie, but W. says, “It’s Ok we’re still the better looking team”.

Everyone sat around to sing worship songs after the game was over.

Not knowing the name of a song, W. writes it down as “song x” which H. Berg then comments back saying, “Great, now the song is a variable”.

He makes some observations about people while everyone was singing like how “everyone looks exhilarated and happy”, how “one lonely person has a cell phone out”, how he found some people’s expressions amusing, and how M. Thomas “shows up at the end” and “looks for recognition”.

W. ends his notes with “the night air is surrounded with energy and encouragement from the glorious sounds”.

After the activity was over, P. Lopez , H. Berg., B. Lopez, W. Bobo, and the friend all agreed that the small black notebook was more fun than the game.

The Shipley Nature Center is a refuge that values preserving our native plants and animals.  The center was named after and dedicated to Donald Shipley, former mayor of Huntington Beach.

The 6th grade class set off to the Shipley Nature Center early Tuesday morning.  The students commenced their tour by talking about the building and naming of the Shipley Nature Center.  After the introduction, the students embarked on their tour of nature.

The class planned this excursion to learn more about the trees they studied and observed them physically.   The group quickly learned much more than facts. They also learned that humans are losing their present day treasures by destroying forests and natural environments.

The trip was enjoyed by most, but some 6th graders thought that it was boring.  Everyone had a favorite part of the tour, the girls with the butterflies and the boy with the spiders.  A. Chu, J. Doan, and A. Truong rated the trip as “boring” with the exception of the butterflies.  A couple students thought that is was fun due to the fact that they partially escaped from school.

The Shipley Nature Center is a refuge for local wildlife and enables neighboring residents to study their environment.  The center is trying to maintain the species of the present for future generations to enjoy.  Preserving the species may be tough but the staff and volunteers enjoy  their tasks at hand.

The top seven runners: C. Anderson, D. Jenkins, T. Wallace, M. Nguyen, A. Cadenas, N. Jenkins, and T. Mosier were invited to race at Avalon, the southern most tip of Catalina, for free.  The cross-country team met at the school at 8:00 a.m., took a Bethel van to Long Beach Harbor, and departed for a 26 mile fairy ride at 10:00 a.m.

The fairy ride started off clear and sunny, but soon turned foggy.  The ride took nearly 1hr. and 30min. to get to Avalon, extended by the fog.  When the ship arrived; it was difficult for the boys to see the shore because the fog was so thick.

Before the race, the team met at the pier where they ate a light snack; they then ventured past the City Hall to do their warm-ups.

The race at Avalon started off with a quick sprint across a golf course, a 3/4 mile climb, continuous up and down repeats, and then a full mile down hill, for the finish.

The Bethel stats: C. Anderson at 4th, M. Nguyen at 22nd, A. Cadenas at 28th, T. Wallace at 31st, D. Jenkins at 34th, N. Jenkins at 39th, and T. Mosier at 40th.

The team celebrated at Cold Stone’s; where Mr. Anderson bought everyone ice cream.

The game was not looking too great for our Warriors. Fundamental volleyball seemed to have been forgotten at times. With frustration floating around, P. Lopez went for a pass and ran too quickly to realize where the ball was headed. She met the ball not with her arms, but with her face instead.

The expressions of her teammates’ turned into worry as they rushed over to her side and gave her encouragement. Getting up from the ground, she shook the blow away and stayed in the game.

As Pacific Lutheran attacked the weakest link, P., she did her best to recover, and she succeeded when her game got better as she gave it her all. Despite the pain, P. played to the best of her ability, which in turn, encouraged her teammates. Unfortunately, the encouragement was not enough, and the Warriors lost.

With a loss as the outcome, the Warriors put the game behind them and are ready to play their next opponent.

The kindergartners were energized and ready early Monday morning for their first field trip of the year.  The fun started as early as the bus ride with singing fun songs such as “Jesus Loves Me”, and other “kid” songs.

They saw a wide variety of animals from common farm animals such as pigs and sheep to more unusual animals like llamas and peacocks.

The students learned that cows are used to make hamburgers, milk, and their favorite: ice cream.  The kindergartners also learned that their clothing was made from cotton and were able to see the cotton plant in person.

A favorite activity among most of the children was holding the baby chicks.  The tour guide showed them pictures of the chick during its development phases and explained on a kindergarten level how baby chicks are formed and hatched.

Mrs. Wright’s favorite part was the vegetable garden with a large variety of plants including asparagus, cucumbers, and squash.  Each student was able to plant a seed and take it home to grow.  Mrs. Osborne’s class planted radish seeds while Mrs. Wright’s class planted mustard seeds.

Some of the animals the students saw were cows, oxen, pigs, goats, donkeys, llamas, sheep, hens, roosters, chicks, rabbits, worms, snails, geese, and peacocks.  Some highlights were petting Bill, the cow, and watching Freckles and Patches, two brother oxen, obey orders.

During the meal times T. would walk around the cafeteria with Tina filming some of the crazy things people do with their food.  At the first meal T. convinced sponsors S. Bales and E. Lokker to eat an entire sloppy joe in a single bite and J. Lopez to stuff 20 grapes in his mouth only to be one-upped by K. Trinh who crammed 21 grapes in his mouth.  At the first dinner P. Lopez consumed ten bowls of rocky road ice cream; she was feeling “really good” until she reached her eighth bowl.

At Tuesday’s breakfast J. Lopez was pressured into eating a hot hash brown in one bite because H. Berg and A. Ruiz had just accomplished that task.  A few hours later at lunch A. Touchstone was persuaded into stuffing a piece of pizza in her mouth in one bite by the other girls at her table.  Mrs. Martinez got owned by several of her students at eating a piece of pizza in one bite, and there was some sibling rivalry as J. Lopez out ate P. Lopez 11 slices of pizza to 8.

At that same lunch S. Bales “fed” M. Thomas her pudding, and P. Lopez returned the favor and “fed” S. who then strode over to T. Arredondo and “fed” her a big spoonful of pudding as well.  Later that evening at dinner B. Trinh successfully flicked chocolate cake into J. Lopez’s mouth. Also, S. smashed a piece of cake all over T. Wright’s face, and being the good friend that he is, T returned the favor to S. the Marine.

On the way back from Ironwood the group stopped at In-N-Out for lunch.  At In-N-Out D. Martinez convinced her friends (K. Carr, M. Thomas, A. Simonds, and P. Lopez) to eat chili peppers with her.  They recorded their quite humorous reactions to the hot chili peppers with D. Martinez’s camera.  Meanwhile, about ten people enjoyed scarfing down their colossal 4x4s.

There were several firsts this year at Spiritual Emphasis week.  It was the first time the meals were served buffet style at Spiritual Emphasis and the first time the group stopped to shop and to eat on the way back from Spiritual Emphasis.  For Tina’s first time at Ironwood she was able to cover a lot of footage of all the food fun.  C. Bobo (a college student who attends Bethel Baptist Church) graciously allowed T. Wright to use her Canon GL2 Digital Camcorder (Tina) on the Spiritual Emphasis trip.

The practice started as a meeting where Coach B. Anderson gave information and fliers on the fundraisers. He told the team that they were going to run around Mile Square Park. He then gave instructions on how to run the course. He said that for half a mile they were to run at a race pace, but the last half they were going to jog and continue to do this all the way back.

As usual C. Anderson and D. Jenkins led the pack well in the beginning of the run. When they got to the intersection of Euclid and Edinger they split off. J. Lopez, T. Mosier, and L. M. Nugyen went one way, and the rest went the right way. C. Anderson was very strong during the run and finished the course first. D. Jenkins and L. M. finished at the same time placing second.

During the run, Coach Anderson, who was in his car, stopped a couple of times to give water, tips, and words of encouragement; but at the end of the run every runner was so exhausted he just wanted to go home.

This year the cross country team is in very good shape. With C. Anderson, D. Jenkins, and T. Wallace leading the team, who knows what can happen. The team has some tough competition this year. Last year they placed fourth in their league, but if they want to repeat or even do better, they are going to have to give it their all.

Unknown Question’s bowling was in his own words “pathetic”. Unknown Question was so pathetic that even the bowling lane rejected him. On one of his turns he let go of the bowling ball too soon. The bowling ball rolled too fast, and it hit the reset machine. The ball impacted the machine with enough force that it ricocheted into the gutter and rolled all the way back to the starting line for a second chance to fail.

While Unknown Question was struggling just to keep up with the girls, Roll, True, and Clueless were competing to see who would be able to bowl the highest score. The competition was a close one, and each lady walked away with accomplishments that she can be proud of. Roll rolled right to the top with bowling two strikes in a row and winning both the first and third games. True stopped Roll from winning all three games by taking first place in the second game, and that is the truth. Just to clue you in, Clueless bowled her first strike ever!

Not all the fun was in the bowling. True, Clueless, Roll, and Unknown Question had a blast coming up with their unique nicknames and just hanging out.

Why the sudden break in tradition? Is this really the best idea? What if a student doesn’t have an open relationship with their parents?

Elena Ramirez, eighth grade, and Marissa Thomas, eighth grade, both agree that having students lead the Parent Teacher Conference is a bad idea due to the fact that students do not like to talk to their parents about their grades.

Thomas says, “Having students lead the conference would make it harder on students who don’t have a relationship with their parents because they don’t talk to their parents about their grades.”

She concluded in saying, “This is probably not the best idea because sometimes students leave things out, and if they don’t hint at it during the conference, the teacher won’t ask questions about it.”

However, Lourice Abdelshahid, tenth grade, and Long Michael Nguyen, tenth grade, agree that having students lead the conference would be a good idea.

Nguyen says, “It’s kind of a good idea, but I’m not sure yet because it’s the first time the school has done this. Parents will get to learn about their child and the child about their parents.”

Abdelshahid says, “It’s different because you have to go to the Parent Teacher Conference because at a public school you don’t have to go to the conference. I think it should be optional, but I don’t mind going.”

All in all, having students lead the Parent Teacher Conference may be a good idea, but it could also raise other problems.

When asked if she was enjoying her birthday she said, “Yes. It is really, really exciting that everybody remembered. It’s really nice.” She also commented on how the night was going, “I had a lot of fun and am glad that I have a lot of good friends to share it with!”

She was asked, “What was your most memorable moment tonight?” Her answer was, “I ran into the pole, that was pretty memorable,” while behind her, J. Lopez reenacted the scene.

Did you meet anyone new? Arredondo, “No, no I don’t think so, well I don’t remember his name, so I guess I didn’t meet him,” she says. Overall, Arredondo says she had a “wonderful and exciting” birthday and is “very thankful” for all her “wonderful” friends that shared it with her.

The Thanksgiving Dinner at Bethel Baptist Church went by quickly with friends, food, and laughs. Pastor Davidson concluded the night with a message about giving our lives to Christ.