El Solano Yearbook: 1932

The Santa Paula High School 1932 El Solano Yearbook is online! The yearbook was published during the depression years, and is a small volume containing just over 40 pages of content. As Freeman M. Eakin (the same Eakin for which the Eakin auditorium is named) states in the Principal's message, "The 1932 EL SOLANO in particular is of necessity brief and to the point in its portrayal. The vainglorious boasting which characterizes most annuals has been eliminated and in its places there is a sane and sensible record". Another sign of the times was the formation of a Thrift Club, which makes an appearance in the yearbook.

The 1932 Senior class had just 68 members. The majority had individual photos in the yearbook, although a few just have their names listed. Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen didn't have individual photos, but were represented by group photos on the steps of the old school building. The class pages took up about a third of the yearbook, with the remainder mainly composed of short articles about school clubs and athletics (softball replaced baseball this year!).

The layout of the online 1932 yearbook is close to the actual layout of the yearbook. The images are slightly touched up for clarity and much of the text was re-typed, instead of scanned, to make it easier to read. To avoid damaging the yearbook, the scanning was done on a very thin scanner perched on the edge of a table so the yearbook would not need to be opened beyond 90 degrees.

In addition to the 1932 El Solano, the 1903 El Solano has been reformatted. The original online version was completed a number of years ago, and although all the content of the yearbook is present, the layout isn't exactly the same as in the actual yearbook.

Be a Giraffe!

Looking out my window I noticed a small group of students busily at work near one of the stairway walls. Investigating, I discovered that they were drawing rather cheerful giraffes on the wall.

When asked why they were drawing the giraffes, they stated that they were from ASB and were encouraging students to be giraffes. This was as good an answer as any I suppose, and the drawings did seem to be having the desired effect. Two of my students, Jeremy W. and Jessica T. both stated that they did indeed want to be giraffes after seeing the murals.


Have a great weekend!

Day of the Dead

Santa Paula High School held its fourth annual Day of the Dead celebration on November 2nd. In past years, MEChA and Folklorico have collaborated to put on the celebration, although this year MEChA took the lead in organizing the event. The event is an opportunity to showcase student art and Folklorico dancers as well as to raise money for campus clubs through food sales.

El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries between October 31st and November 2nd. Although the Day of the Dead falls near Halloween, it is a very different holiday. The focus of Halloween is evil and scary spirits that people try their best to avoid. The celebration of the Day of the Dead welcomes the spirits of departed friends and relatives.

Although the Day of the Dead honors loved ones and friends who have died, it is a festive occasion, not a scary or gloomy one like Halloween. Sometimes all night feasts are held in graveyards with decorated tomb stones and people celebrating through the night.

In traditions thousands of years old, dating back to the ancient cultures of Mexico such as the Olmec, Toltec, Mayan and Aztec, masks were made to honor the dead. These masks are often stylized skulls or Calaveras representing life and rebirth. During the Day of the Dead, masks and face painting add to the festive atmosphere of the celebration. The masks used to decorate the central courtyards during the Santa Paula High School celebration were made by Ms. Renteria's AVAD and EL classes. In addition to the masks, the courtyard was decorated with papel picado made by Ms. Madrigal's students.

During the Day of the Dead, families put out alters with favorite foods and objects that were special to their departed loved ones. Special bread called pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and candy skulls are also common. The Spirits consume the "essence" of the food while the actual food is eaten by the family and friends of the departed. During this year's celebration, pan de muertos was provided by MEChA.

The dances (Danza Azteca) at the noontime celebration were performed by Huitzilin iuan Xochitl (Hummingbird & Flower), Naui Olin (4 Movement) along with independent dancers, including our own Mr. Pinedo and Mr. Vega. In pre-Columbian times the dead were honored twice a year with dances and celebrations. When Spain conquered California and Mexico, these ancient customs merged with Spanish customs and became part of the Day of the Dead festivities.

Thanks to Mr. Torres, Ms. Renteria and Mr. Vega for organizing the celebration and providing information for this article!

Halloween / Santa Paula-Fillmore Game

The end of October was a busy one with both the classic Santa Paula-Fillmore football game and Halloween occurring during the same week!



Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so ASB declared Thursday Halloween dress up day. Many students and teachers wore their Halloween costumes, including Mr. Lopez in his most excellent Hellboy costume, pictured to the left. A Haunted Hallway was set up by ASB members in the mysterious dark and locked hallway behind the library. The Haunted Hallway was a big (and loud) success.

Friday is the classic Santa Paula-Fillmore football game. This is the 99th year the two teams have played, and Cardinal students and teachers demonstrated their pride by wearing the school colors of red and white and participating in events such as "Smash the Flashes Car"

Academic Achievement / Higher Education Day

This Wednesday, October 21st, Santa Paula High School honored students who earned a 2.5 or higher GPA or significantly improved their grades on their last report card. Eligible students received their tickets at the beginning of forth period and were excused to the Bryden Gym for a special academic assembly followed by lunch provided by the school.

After lunch, seniors attended a college seminar and participated in a college fair in the courtyard that hosted over 20 representatives from various colleges.

The event was a great success and the administration complemented the participating students for their behavior and enthusiasm in continuing their education after high school.

Santa Paula High School Blood Drive

United Blood Services visited Santa Paula High School this Thursday for the Fall blood drive. Sponsored by the Associated Student Body, over 100 students signed up to donate blood and save lives. This year the minimum age to donate blood was lowered to 16 years (with parental permission), and this helped increase the number of students donating. Students donating blood were rewarded with a cool shirt as well as the traditional cookies and juice.

United Blood Services is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1943. They provide blood and blood products to over 500 hospitals throughout the United States, helping over 15 million people in need of lifesaving blood.

If you missed donating blood this time, don't worry - Santa Paula High School will be holding a second blood drive this spring.

Santa Paula High School FFA Petting Zoo

For the twelfth year in a row, the Santa Paula High School FFA is sponsoring a petting zoo at the Faulkner Farms Pumpkin Patch. This year's petting zoo has a varied collection of cute animals, including baby chicks, ducks, and piglets. Visitors will also get to see a young heifer calf, lambs and goats. The petting zoo is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable FFA students that can answer any questions you or your kids might have about the animals. All this for only a couple dollars!

The money raised will be used to support FFA programs at Santa Paula High School, including maintaining the Agriculture Academy's farm, purchasing animals and equipment, and helping students pay for leadership conferences. In addition to raising money for FFA programs, students gain valuable experience working with the animals, helping the community and interacting with the public. Every Friday, senior interns will lead tours of the farm for school children from local elementary schools.

The Faulkner Farms Pumpkin Patch is put on by the Santa Paula Rotary Club and has many other attractions for the entire family, ranging from pony rides for the kids, a pumpkin chucker (a big catapult type device the hurls pumpkins), a unique country store, gardens, live music, a wide variety of food, and much more. The Pumpkin Patch is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm every weekend in October, except for Halloween when the Pumpkin Patch closes at 3:00. Admission is only $3.00.