Downey vs. Warren Rivalry Week
November 17, 2015
Downey students flash their Viking spirit around campus on Oct. 23 because it was the renowned Viking Pride Day, the final day of Downey versus Warren rivalry week.
Students express their school spirit this week by dressing as the theme of each day of the week, which commenced with “Tacky Tourist Day.” Ever since the day Warren High opened its doors in 1955, it has been the rival school of Downey High School.
ASB leads the student body in Downey’s competition against Warren.
Downey High’s ASB anticipate the rivalry the week before the school year starts. In charge of Downey High’s campus and community events, Kristina Cruz, has been preparing for rivalry week days in advance.
“I look forward to seeing all the students participating in school events,” Cruz said.
Senior, Dyana Jocol, looked forward to rooting on Downey High during the Downey versus Warren football game.
“I’m looking forward to seeing our school win,” Jocol said, “to remember Downey High School as the greatest school ever.”
English teacher, Ms. Kasner, has instructed at Downey High for over 20 years. Every year she looks forward to celebrating rivalry week with her students.
“There has definitely been more school spirit the past two years,” Kasner said. “The overall attitude has changed about school spirit.”
Besides Downey High’s student body, the traditions executed in order to celebrate rivalry week have also revolutionized throughout the years.
“Old traditions involved the mutilation of the bear,” Kasner said, “and about ten years ago that was frowned upon, so the beating of the car was introduced.”
Downey High School is not merely an institution, it is a place where students are taught by staff members, and occasionally each other five days a week to become erudite and excel in subjects such as math and English, as well as share a sense of unity through the pride of where they come from or belong.
“You have a connection with the place, like your home,” Kasner said, “and our second home is Downey, where we carry these traditions.”
Despite the fact that Downey lost the game, the student body has been exposed to something more influential than any game could ever define – unity.
“Nobody in this school really knows each other,” Fregoso said. “I mean there are so many students now, so I believe it is possible to have them get to know one another by getting to read each others’ stories on Downey Legend.”
If she is able to promote newspaper to the students, then those students can read stories about others’ lives and view them differently.
“Many people, many stories,” Fregoso said, “and when students pass each other without knowing who they're walking by, mainly because of how they dress or how they talk, it's kind of sad, because one can't simply judge a book by its cover.”
She knows how it feels to walk past students and not know who they are. During her freshman year, Fregoso moved to Downey High from St. Emydius, a private middle school, that only had about 250 students.
“That school was so little,” Fregoso said, “almost everyone knew each other.”
During the middle of her sophomore year, former newspaper writer, Akhila Nalamilli, mentioned the Downey Legend newspaper with Fregoso.
“Angelica is a very nice girl,” Nalamilli said. “Her writing is amazingly done and a great use for newspaper.”
Fregoso's love for writing came to her when she was in first grade; as she started taking tests on The Magic Treehouse: Age of Dinosaurs, she loved the idea of being able to write her own stories and include her own characters and make her own world.
It is not really a goal to write those kinds of stories to this day, Fregoso pointed out. Joining newspaper was to become open-minded and to write actual stories of actual people rather than typing fiction.
“Although it seemed interesting to write what I want my characters to say and how I want my world to work out,” Fregoso said, “I think it's better to write what real characters say and how their worlds work.”
Knowing how she had a flowing passion to accomplish this goal, Norma Fregoso, mother of Angelica, agrees that she can do it.
“My daughter has always been a creative writer,” Mrs. Fregoso said. “Ever since she was a young child, she has expressed interest for writing stories.”
Fregoso's writing also inspired her friends to improve on various things like essays and CQTs.
“Angelica's very passionate and puts all her emotions into her work,” Carolina Marin, Fregoso's best friend said. “Not everyone has the ability to express themselves correctly, and I feel that she is capable of conveying her point thoroughly and emotionally without confusing or misleading the reader.”
With much more to experience, Fregoso patiently waits for what stories she will be writing about in newspaper, and to obtain knowledge about the lives of students, teachers, and the citizens of Downey.
“I’m really critical of my work,” Macias said. “Naturally, I didn’t think that me, out of all the other wonderful photographers on staff, would be photo editor.”
Having little to no interest in the subject, Macias took a liking to photography after an opening for yearbook, just a week before her junior year. At first not being sure, photography would later become one of her greatest passions, although she still had a lot to learn.
“I didn’t know how to teach her. It was an entirely new concept for her and she had no interest in it until about a week before she started her junior year. I couldn’t project what I knew and what was in my head to her,” sister Cindy Macias said. “I always love seeing new photos of events she goes to.”
While being shy at first, Macias has been able to develop many things thanks to photography. Having the will to learn, and being able to seek help from the then photo editor, Fernando Mandujano, Macias was able to come out of her comfort zone, meet new people, and become a leader, all while doing something she loves.
“She’s definitely learned to become more of a leader because of photography,” Mandujano said. “She can lead a group of photographers and she’s managed to teach them how to work with cameras.”
Macias plans on pursuing a career in photography in the future, with her goal being able to work for a big publishing firm and becoming a well-known photographer.
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