I was sitting in my first period class when Ellaina walked in. She seemed almost confused, as if first period is not part of her daily routine. She came in and stood there waiting for the questions, and she sat on top of the desk like the CEO of a company. Ellaina is seventeen years old and is number five on the soccer team. She has been playing since she was five: “My dad signed me up, and it just stuck.” Megan Young, her coach, calls her Lainy Lou because her mom calls her that. “I think Megan heard her and started calling me Lainy Lou.” Her mom and coach must be friends. “I would consider the soccer team more as family than friends.” I think my friends on my softball team should be more like that. Ellaina said that the team has dinners at team members’ houses. “Sometimes we go to Megan's house but mostly to Colby Ibarra's house and Bella Magno’s house.” 

My own softball team would never get together like that, and I think we should start to do that a bit because it sounds fun. It might bring us more together, so we aren’t fighting all the time. Ellaina agreed: “I like how soccer brings people together to make new friends.” Her team should really show how it's done on the teamwork act for my softball team. 

Soccer is co-ed. “It's kind of hard being in a mixed gender team because some of the boys will go easy on the girls, and the girls can’t really push them over so they have to play smart.” To be honest, that sounds kind of hard, trying to push over a boy like that. She has passed out on the field twice in this season. Now she can say she has a bit of trauma of having the ball being kicked hard around her. This interview wasn't really like how the other ones felt. This one felt more normal, like I was talking to one of my friends. At first I wasn’t really nervous, and then when she walked in I started to get nervous because she kind of seemed intimidating. Then she started talking and she seemed less intimidating. All I could think of was how some people must feel when they play against her on the field. 

-Tayza Winn

Hello, my name is Tayza Winn, and I am a seventh grade journalism student in Mr. Howes’s class. My nickname in this wonderful class is Friday the 13th. I was given this nickname due to the reason I am always talking about some murder story or something about blood. It's always about a murder scene. I like murder stories and am so interested in it because ever since I was a little kid I was always seeing people get killed on the TV shows my mom watched. She liked to watch crime scene investigators do their cases and stuff on the TV. She had always told me to go to my room, and that I can't watch it with her, but I didn’t listen. I would sit behind her and watch it without her knowing I was there. I also like murder because of the road kill on the side of the road. When I had the chance to see it, I thought it was really cool to see the organs and bones on the road all smushed flat with blood everywhere. I soon found out about CSI and wanted to get a job there when I’m older. I have been told by many people that I would be good for CSI because I like murder scenes, and I want to go investigate the murders and crimes that happen around California. I like to write about sports and murder stories, but sadly murder stories aren’t related to school. 

Our journalism class is very fun and interesting. Mr. Howes is a good and fun teacher because not only he makes jokes and has fun, he is one of the teachers who actually gets us going on our work. If you ever get the opportunity to join the journalism class with Mr. Howes, I suggest you do it. There is always something to write about, so we can’t just sit there. We always have to be doing something whether it's an article for next week or this week. A thing I love about this class is I can improve more on my writing and get more out of my comfort zone by doing interviews… of course, here I am in my own head… I am not doing an interview right now because I am a little scared to ask anyone else and to find someone interesting that I can interview. So, for now, you get to see a little of the inside of Friday the 13th’s head.

-Tayza 

I was sitting in my first period class when Chase Coefield walked in confidently. It was a little weird at first because he was just standing there until I told him that he could sit down. I was a little scared at first because I didn’t know who he was, and my first interview was awkward and scary. Chase is a football player for the Fall River team. His number is 12. He had started playing football in freshman year at 14 or 15 years old. He said he played because everyone plays football in high school, but he soon realized that he actually liked to play and kept it up. In his freshman year he played offensive line, right guard, defense, and linebacker. Chase wants to play college football but doesn't think he has enough talent yet. His favorite part about football is when he hits or runs into someone and gets his aggression out. Now in his Junior year, he plays linebacker and tight end. Chase's favorite team to play against so far in the year is Mt. Shasta. A nickname that his fellow team mates gave him is Dixie Guy Princess. It makes me wonder how he acts on the field… His advice for a child who would like to play football: Don't be timid and give 100%. He gave off really good vibes. He seemed nice. I am starting to realize that thinking about interviewing a subject is scarier than actually doing it. I was afraid he would be mean or judgemental about my questions, but he was super nice. In fact, he might have been nervous himself.

-Tayza Winn

 On Saturday, I used my brand-new press pass to walk into the volleyball game. I was strutting like Clark Kent, unstoppable, for my first game coverage. This game was last Saturday, and it was extremely interesting. The Fall River Gold team had lost to the Big Valley and the Tulelake team. That is okay because it was a good game, and they had tried their very best. As I was watching the game, I saw Madelynn Walker  serve the ball over the net from the back of the court and score an ace. Further into the game they had kept the ball up in the air and Emma Vanover jumped up and spiked it to the other side of the net and scored a point. Fall River had their first game at 8:30 A.M and their second game was at 1:30 P.M. Their first game was against Tullelake. It was a very good game, but they had taken the loss. Volleyball was such a wonderful sport to watch. I have found out that Amy Miller has trauma from having volleyballs thrown at her head multiple times. She even used the phrase she “...was a magnet”. Madelynn Walker had a little PTSD from practice serving the ball because she would lob the ball into the air, and unruly teammates would smack it out of the way. She described it as basically wrestling at that point, not real volleyball. Leora Bolmen has trauma from running because she trips and falls over a lot. Both Madelynn and Leora said that the practices are a bit too early for their liking, and they should have practice after school. I have had so much fun learning about these girls' experiences from volleyball. I had found another interesting sport I might consider playing next year. On the Fall River Junior High Gold team there is Amy Miller, Madelynn Walker, Wittley Pearson, Addie Harris, Leora Bolman, Jordan Hutchinson, Carmen Utterback, and Emma Vanover. All of these girls did so well at this game, and I am looking forward to watching them play again. -Tayza Winn