Tis’ the season to fight, fight, fight!

Hanna Suarez, Norma Flores, Editor-in-Chief, Sports Editor

January 15, 2013

At the Downey vs. Warren game on Jan.8, Maritza Acuna,11, goes for the ball before her opponent. Downey scored 1-0 in the second half of the game.

“We got a lot of our hard work in,” senior defense Angie Aguilar said. “Our entire pre-season was leading up to this moment.”

With last years CIF title still on their mind, the team strives for that same satisfaction.

As for the girls on the basketball courts, they came up short in their first league game against the Bears with a final score of 44-46. After half-time, the team was ready to get even with their opponent. After an exciting third quarter, the players were down by six with less than two minutes left on the clock. In the end, several fouls put Downey just out of reach of the win.

“We need to be aggressive; we can’t give up,” junior forward Bukky Adefeso said, “we have to be persistent.”

The team plans to put aside their loss and keep their heads in the game for the remainder of the season.

The Lady Vikes water polo team had a tougher loss than the girls basketball team, after four quarters of mistakes they were unable to come back and ended with a loss of 7-4. The Warren Bears proved to be the stronger team as the Vikes struggled to keep up with their fast pace. Meghan Nevarez, 12, managed to put in two goals and a few ejections. Sophomore Alex Perez scored one goal and senior Janel Madrigal put in the last point with one minute of playing time left.

“We worked all of pre-season for this one game,” senior Brenda Oporto said. “Overall, we thought it was a better outcome than last years loss of 11-1.”

With the season still early, the Vikings have plenty more opportunities to redeem themselves. All three girls teams will continue to fight for their success on the field, courts, and in the pool.

About the Contributors

Monique Munoz, Co-Photo Editor

Soon to graduate from Downey High School, 17-year-old senior Monique Munoz is a photographer and the Co-Photo Editor for The Downey Legend. Although this is her first year shooting for The Legend, she has had a passion for photography since her sophomore year. “I always have a camera with me whether it is my Canon Rebel or my little carry around camera,” Munoz said. “I take pictures all of the time in random places, looking to capture unforgettable moments.” Her goal is to be the best photographer on The Downey Legend staff. Munoz is also a photographer for Downey’s High’s yearbook. Aside from taking pictures, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and watching basketball and football. One of her dreams for high school is to participate in the powder puff game. Munoz wants to obtain a minor in photography attending Cal State Long Beach, and she plans to finish her schooling at UCLA. Because of her love for children, her main desire is to major in the medical field and become a pediatrician. She decided this as her dream career because of how well she is with children due to constantly having to take care of her younger siblings. “I wouldn’t mind working as a photographer on my breaks and vacations from my career, because photographing is more of a passion then a job to me,” Munoz said. She also mentioned she wishes to travel the world to photograph portraits, candid and landscape photos. “No matter what it takes, I am determined to achieve all my goals and believe I am capable of accomplishing anything I want to,” Munoz said.

Alexandra Menendez, Photographer

Returner Alexandra Menendez took up photography for The Downey Legend her junior year. Since the purchase of her first camera as a mere 6^th grader, photography has been a point of interest for the 17 year old; the school newspaper is just one on a long list of creative outlets she uses to express her photography skills. “I like having the ability to capture a memory before it’s gone forever.” Menendez says. Outside of campus, she refines her skills through photo-shoots with her friends and sister along the railroad tracks and otherwise simple backdrops. She plans on enrolling at San Francisco State and studying to be a professional photographer, but if all else fails, she aspires to at least be a qualified teacher. Currently, she is attending the ROP class Principles in Education to guide her into being the ideal photography instructor she aims to be. The soft-spoken Menendez lives her life to the fullest of its potential each and every day. She is a proud film enthusiast, lover of Asian cuisine, and self-proclaimed introvert – though she claims to enjoy wasting away the weekends with her friends. Nonetheless, rather than having a traditional quinceñera with the spotlight on her, Menendez chose to travel Europe alone. “I’ve always wanted to go, just to see new places I’d never seen before.” Menendez says. “I wanted something new. She still longs to travel the rest of the world – all the while, documenting her trips through a camera lens. A small girl, Menendez has big dreams ahead of herself.

Mileena Sosa, Photographer

Mileena Sosa is 17 years old and is a photographer for The Downey Legend. Although she is now a senior, her photographic interest began in her eighth grade year. She would like to continue her path with photography with the hopes of attending an art school that will guide her towards her dream job as a catalog photographer. “I like to take pictures of nature and I also like to take pictures of people to capture their expressions,” Sosa said. Getting a shot that exceeds her audience’s expectations is Sosa’s goal because of her dedication to photography. “One of my biggest worries is that I won’t be able to capture the right moment on camera,” Sosa said. The root of her inspiration primarily originates from versatile forms of artwork that catch her eye. She enjoys running and video game and another spunky perk about her is her fascination for zombies. The art of music is very important to her, as she is a former percussionist. Her favorite music genres vary from heavy metal to indie folk. Balancing her schoolwork is a main priority to her because it is the foundation of her desired future, and she has high expectations for herself and works efficiently to reach her goals. Newspaper is more than happy to supply her with the proper foundation for her future success in photography.