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El Rancho High School • Volume 56 • Issue 3• Friday, November 21, 2008 www.erusd.k12.ca.us/elrancho Ken Waldman, Poet or Musician? It Depends Bottled Drink him playing the fiddle. “I have Sale to Resume on being to I have been to over 160 Monday schools in thirty states. The big- gest challenge is making a sus- BY MA R I cr UZ CAST R O -SP E N cer tainable income,” said Waldman. EL ROD E O STAFF WR IT er The teachers as well as the presenter hoped the students took On Tuesday the sale of something from the presentation. bottled drinks was temporar- “I hope the presentation helped ily suspended due to three sepa- [the students] see Alaska as a real rate incidents in which bottles place by someone who has been were thrown into crowds. Fortu- there and lived there. [But also] nately, the students responsible get a better picture of what Alaska turned themselves in yesterday . is about rather than reading it from During the incident that a book,” said Sorenson. occurred on November 17th, “I hoped that everybody 2008 a female freshman was here would have gotten something hit with a bottled drink on the they wouldn’t normally through forehead requiring her a trip poetry. [For example] Oh I didn’t to the hospital for stitches. know you could write poems like “This type of behavior is that about Cheech and Chong [or] unprecedented at ERHS and is not about a plain crash,” said Waldman a reflection of the great students During the presentation that attend this school.”, said the Waldman did a couple of poetry Guidance Office in the memo and music workshops with the sent out Tuesday to the deans. students. Some of his techniques After the three incidents involved getting the students to school administrators decided to identify various sounds from jointly write up the notice. Lead- the fiddle to real life objects. ership teams (includes all depart- “I think that is where MAD E LIN E ROD R IGU E Z ment chairpersons) unanimously The Fiddler: Ken Waldman began playing the fiddle, the violin, and the mandolin at age twenty-five. Now he showed that music and po- decided Tuesday morning to ban with many years of experience he claims to have been the worst musician when he first began. etry can kind of overlap. I ac- all sales of bottled drinks until tually tried that on my drums those individuals come forward or BY M ADALIN E ROD R IGU E Z am enjoying it,” said Waldman. people participating,” said Junior at home and tried to make dif- identified witnesses step forward. EL ROD E O STAFF WR IT er The presentation had simi- AP English Language teacher ferent sounds like the ocean or This is a shocking, but not larities to the previous presen- Mr. Sorenson. “He didn’t want to somebody knocking on the door surprising turn of events as prior Fiddling poet, storytell- tations on Call of The Wild but give a presentation were he spoke rather than just hitting it to make to this incident on October 30th, er, composer and former col- it did not revolve around it. In- at people but wanted to talk with the rhythm but actually making the sale of the drinks were sus- lege professor, Ken Waldman, stead it allowed students to see people and was willing to an- noises that sounded like things. pended for a day while the prob- gave the final presentation on a bit more into life in Alaska. swer questions,” added Sorenson. He inspired me,” said Sorenson lems were resolved. Students the novel Call of the Wild in “I don’t think that it “I try to make things fresh Although the Big Read will were not happy about the sale con- the Little Theater last friday. changed their view, but it en- and be spontaneous because I nev- continue its tradition of book shar- sumption of just juice and milk. Waldman, a Pennsyl- hanced it because the kids already er know what is going to happen. I ing with young people, El Rancho However, students can not vania native, is a resident of liked the novel. I think they liked have things that I know will work has not yet decided if it will be a say they were not warned. On Alaska. Most of his poetry is hearing his poetry and creating a because I have all these poems part of it next year. “I asked Mrs. October 23rd of this year, stu- about Alaska and his life there. poem. Most of all he kept mak- I have written,” said Waldman. Chodos if we were going to do it dents began throwing the plastic Waldman’s presentation in- ing connections between Buck’s Librarian Mrs. Chodos or- next year and she said that if the bottled drinks into the crowds, cluded playing the fiddle, reading journey and his journey and that ganized Waldman’s presentation. Huntington Library is involved which caused Principal Sam poetry and telling stories about his he has been through a lot of ex- “About a month ago Mrs. Chodos we will do it again,” said Zeko. Genis to speak to the entire stu- life in Alaska. “I’ve written poems periences in Alaska that Buck at the library here at El Rancho This presentation con- dent body over the intercom about Alaska it has inspired me a went through,” said sophomore High contacted me and said-I see cludes the Call of the Wild at El about the situation. Students lot over the years,” said Waldman. English Team teacher Mrs. Zeko. you are going to be in Pasadena Rancho. “I really thank all the were warned that if this type Waldman didn’t begin play- Unlike previous presen- do you have any free time and can teachers, school administration, of behavior continued conse- ing the fiddle until he was twenty- tations, Waldman’s was not as you come to El Rancho High-, and the Big Read for their tremen- quences would soon be followed. five years old. The fiddle is actu- scholarly. “This one seemed more and I said yes” said Waldman. dous support. I think the students “If the person or per- ally a violin that just changes it’s intimate and was easier for him No longer a college pro- did a terrific job,” said Chodos. sons do the right thing, students sound depending on how high or to interact with the audience. I fessor, Waldman makes a living Waldman left the audi- will know immediately about low it’s played. “I don’t play much think he was much more willing out of presentations of his poetry ence with one last thought. the resale of bottled drinks.” and music. He also has published The universal answer for ev- any more so when I have perfor- to open up the presentation to par- said Chuck Collings Assis- books on his poetry and CD’s of erything is “It Depends”. mances that is my practice and I ticipation. He planned it around tant Principal of Guidance. The question on the admin- istrator’s minds is, “Why would students choose to act so irrespon- Wild Dogs Come to Campus sible?” “Why is this nasty trend EL ROD E O STAFF W R IT er let go of the sled,” said Stradley. “The dogs were so friendly and happening?” El Rancho isn’t the CA R OLYN LOP E Z Each student was then pretty, I would love to have only school that faces this di- placed in a group that would visit one myself. However, I ex- lemma; other middle schools Director of Adventure Quest three stations. In one of the sta- pected them to be a lot bigger.” in various school districts have Institute, Robert Stradley, and his tions, the students got to meet and Senior, Edgar Torres said, reported bottles being thrown. eight dogs came to El Rancho on pet the dogs that Stradley owns and “It’s great that we actually got to These events however November 6, to tell to 400 stu- races. Stradley’s sons, Trent and see and feel the things we read have not overshadowed the dents what dog sledding is about. Talon explained to the students the about. The dogs are a lot more calm new lunch system that has re- Students who read Jack London’s names of dogs and their daily diet. than I thought they would be.” cently been added at El Rancho. novel, The Call of the Wild, now “The most important Students watched a short “We plan to add a new buf- got to see and feel what they read. thing about dog sledding is film in the second station about fet next month to give the student Students gathered in the caf- to build strong relationships the dogs diet and the many RYAN ROJAS body more variety.” said Collings. eteria, where Stradley introduced with your dogs,” said Strad- types of dogs, ranging from Sled Dogs: Students interact The variety now includes himself and explained the rules ley, “my dogs and I really en- Alaskan Malamute to Siberian with a few of the eight dogs bottled drinks. Yesterday Collings and basics of dog sledding. “The joy spending time together.” Stradley brought for his presen- announced that the sale of the bot- #1 rule of dog sledding is never to Junior, Irma Euan said, [See Stradely, Page 7] tation. tled drinks will resume on Monday. El Rancho High School Page 2 Nov. 20, 2008 Student Planned Protest Fails BY: RYAN ROJAS better lunch environment we can’t one by pushing and fighting over all kids look bad and I’m tired of it.

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