Skating is life

Skateboarding needs more acceptance in the world as a sport because it takes skill and dedication to even be able to stand on the skateboard itself.

I used to believe it was just a hobby guys used to get away from annoying girlfriends and parents. Until, one day, I asked a friend of mine who so happens to be very passionate about skating, “What’s your favorite sport?” and without hesitation, he hit me with “Skateboarding”.

I tried arguing with him that it was no sport but simply a hobby. Then he asked me, “Do you know the definition of sport in the dictionary?” I said no. He said that the known definition of a “sport” is: “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

Skateboarding was a sport that was showcased in the very first  X Games, in which is an annual sports event arranged by ESPN that focuses in extreme sports. When X games first started, in 1995,  skateboarding had been chosen  in which an individual skater competes against another for entertainment.

Kids and adults look at it as if its just a hobby boys used to waste time, yet they don’t know the difficulty it takes to ride one.

“The hardest thing about skating is when you know a trick but you’re not able to land it,” Junior Jesse Reyes, 16 said.

Skateboarders are dedicated; they show up to skate whether there’s rain, sunshine or snow (if they have a place to do it) without a schedule. No coach tells them when to arrive, how long to work, or what the next trick is. They don’t care what the next trick is; even if it’s down a 7 stair jump, skaters keep at it.

 I just find it amazing how these athletes can just dedicate their life to something they have this passion for. Skateboarding isn’t just a sport, its a passion. These skaters look up to skating as a way to express themselves and be themselves. Just likes artist draw, just like singers sing and just how people dress is there way of expressing themselves, skating is a way they express themselves.Like Freshman Elizabeth Martinez, 15 said “Skating is not a hobby, it’s a passion.  It’s life!”

 

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The Softball girls are fired up for Softball

 

       The girls softball team is gearing up to play ball. Tryouts were held on Feb. 22 and the regular season is now on its way.

  Last year’s season didn’t go the way they wanted it to; however, they have been working hard and are hoping for the best this season.

    Senior Kailee Ennis, 17, said, “ I look forward to destroying S.P.”

  The Varsity girls expect to do better than last year and win league and possibly C.I.F.

 Senior Kayla Everett, 17, said,  “We are definitely capable of winning C.I.F. We have a lot of power hitters now, and everyone seems really focused.”

        Some of the Seniors are capable of playing Division1 softball. Possible scholarship winners include: Abbey Howard (catcher), Kailee Ennis (catcher), and Summer Evans (pitcher/centerfield).

   Home runs are the most exciting play in softball and baseball, and when asked who she believes will hit the most home runs this year Ennis  stated,  “probably my girl Victoria Cervantes.”

      Softball isn’t just a sport for these girls, its also like having a second family. As a team it’s important to be close and communicate with one another. The team has really good communication skills and its drama free.

     Emphasizing the strength of the team, Everett said,, “We get along really well.  We’re like one big family and it shows on the field. Interacting together is an important way to built a team.”

 

Benefits of eating healthy/exercising

Exercise to tone your thighs, build biceps, or flatten bellies. Work out to decrease heart disease, diabetes and cancer risks.  No matter the reason, there are many different ways to get fit.

    Senior Yuli Chamu,17, a varsity soccer player, is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.

   “I stay fit by playing soccer here at EHS and my club soccer.  I eat healthy such as fruits, vegetables, sometimes meat and beans which have proteins and always stay positive,” said Chamu.

  Teens who have trouble with eating healthy and staying fit should find a workout buddy, according to soccer coach Edgar Gomez.

  “Help others who have trouble with staying fit,” said Gomez. “Show them that they can do anything they put their hearts to it.”

    Lisa Courduff, our school nurse, comments that eating vegetables can be a good benefit of being healthy.  For example, vegetables have good vitamins and different ways how the vitamins in the vegetables can help benefit with different types of situations.

  Important sources of many nutrients found in vegetables include potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C. Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

 According to Courduff, when students are active and eat well, they will have great results. You’re physical and mental health will have great results.

   “Look at the big picture” said Courduff.

 

Social media challenges social lives of teens

This generation is known for being technically advanced, but some teens push the limits, spending almost every waking hour on their phones or computers. It has become a real issue because it interferes with a students’ education, sleep or other daily routines, according to www.dailymail.com. With all of the new social media applications, this era of young adults is caught in a virtual trance, forgetting about the outdoors or even social lives.

  Sophomore Josh Legger, 16, said in total he spends approximately three hours on his phone daily. However, he does make time for other interests.

   Some of Leggers’ favorite activities to do besides being on his phone are riding dirt bikes, going to the desert, hanging out with friends or going to the beach.

    Legger would rather be outdoors, he said, because “the outdoors are peaceful, very pretty and there is always something to do.”

   According to www.kidshealth.org, teens should get at least one hour of physical activity daily.

       There are many things that a teen can do outside, such as going on a hike or riding bikes. Junior Nick Constable, 17, said that fishing is his favorite outdoors activity to do besides being on his phone or playing volleyball.

   Sports are a great way to stay active and be off your phone.

  Junior Carlos Talancon, 17, enjoys playing soccer instead of staying inside and Junior Ashton Hoppe, 16, stays active by tumbling and cheering on the football and basketball team.

   There is a variety of things to do besides being on your phone or being a couch potato.

 

Baseball hits the field again!

 Most baseball players are looking forward to this upcoming season in March.

  Senior Bryce Donnelly, 17, said, “I am looking forward to winning and bonding with teammates. I expect our season to go very well, our goal is to be league and CIF champions.”

  This year’s team has high expectations after winning league last season.

   Senior Matthew Duniphan, 17, said, “ We are all looking forward to reaching the standards from last year’s championship team.”

  Their preseason practices helped them out on their footwork and conditioning and helped them get ready for season.

  Senior Conlan Harvey, 18, said,” The preseason helped me get back into baseball and got me ready to play again.”

  There is still more for the team to work on, though.

 “We need to work on finishing in big games and hitting in clutch moments,” said Coach Aaron Hoofard. “My goal for this season is to win league again and CIF.”

 

Trash on Campus

Everyday on our campus unfinished or unopened lunches are left for birds to pick up and custodians to clean.  Throughout my freshmen year, I have been seeing a lot of this and seeing staff members and custodians taking too long to clean the trash on campus.

   I find it disappointing that such a wonderful school like Escondido High would have so much trash on a daily basis. I feel annoyed that people would just leave their trash; this is high school and people should be more responsible.

Most students don’t know that leaving trash leaves a bad image for the school and makes some teachers and custodians annoyed. There are also certain people who had enough of this and Teacher Natalie Vargas is one of these people.

“A bad environment is connected to a bad attitude,” Vargas said.

She and her sixth period class have been planning to try to raising awareness about trash on our campus. Junior Jordan Ramirez, 16, will be doing public announcements at school about picking our trash.

Some club should have a day where they clean up the campus for one day and the custodians should tell the students to pick up their own trash up instead of doing it their self.

“People only pick up their trash when they see me,” said custodian Mike Vilasques.

Teachers should encourage their students about cleaning up the campus by giving extra credit. For example, have the custodians sign a paper saying they did pick up trash that day. The school should also have recycling bins around the campus.

It’s not only the job for teachers and custodians to clean up trash around the campus, it’s also the students jobs. Everyone should contribute to help clean up our campus.