Much is going on at RVHS this fall

A lot has happened within one month's time at River Valley High School. From a DUI conviction to a raucous spirit week, there have been a number of activities to kick off the autumn season.

Although summer is officially over, it is not time to start bundling up just yet. The students at RVHS are feeling the heat, but the sweltering weather did not dissuade them from showing their school spirit and support of the sports teams during spirit week.

One day, students wore pajamas — some teachers even joined in; on another, they sported their class theme. For instance, the senior class theme was Greek apparel, so if you were a senior, you wore a toga. It was pretty interesting to see the upperclassmen bolstering around in bed sheets and curtains all day.

Then, of course, there was class colors day, where freshmen were dressed in white, sophomores wore gray, juniors had on black and seniors, green.

The seniors also attended a mandatory DUI sentencing on campus, wherein a man convicted of three DUI misdemeanors was incarcerated for one year, sentenced to 18 months' rehabilitation and fined $1,700.

Before the court convened, students were asked to remain quiet unless prompted to speak and told to turn off all electronic devices. Individuals who violated these strict guidelines would be held in contempt and given a hefty fine. Students chose the former.

The event, organized by the Student Committee, was a wake-up call for the graduating class of 2010. We learned it is not worth ruining your life — and possibly someone else's — for something that can easily be avoided.

When school first started, there was a shortage of textbooks at RVHS, mainly due to an error with scheduling. As a result, some kids had to wait before they could do their assigned reading.

Rebecca Ulm, a senior, said, "I had to go a whole month without a history book. We even had a test during that time. In order to be prepared for the exam, I was forced to go to a friend's house to study. But the textbooks are here now, so it's all good, I guess."

Since then, books from Yuba City High School have been sent over, and the library technicians have sorted the situation out.

What's more, some seniors feel like they are stuck having to baby-sit because their younger siblings are going to the same high school. It is not uncommon to see a family member walking about the grounds.

When asked, senior Kayla Colfax exclaimed, "It is weird having your little brother spend time with you at school and at home. I just can't get away from him!"

For those of us who have younger brothers and sisters, we like to get away from them whenever we can. Some don't mind it, while others are slightly annoyed — but really, what can you do?

Aizell Kittles is a senior at River Valley High School. His column appears about every sixth week in Education.