REBEL NATION
April 2015
Edition 4
Rebel Round-up
With only two months of school remaining, the Rebels focus on finishing the year
strong. Juniors and seniors took the ACT on March 17th, while the underclassmen
took PLAN and EAGLE tests the week before.
The school will now turn its attention to End-of-Course (EOC) testing which is set
to begin later this month.
Seniors’ Final Day Approaching
The seniors’ last day is May 7th. They will meet in the cafeteria and watch the senior slideshow and then parade around campus to say goodbye to underclassmen
and staff. We will miss you all and wish the brightest of futures to the Class of
2015.
Yearbooks Still on Sale
2014-2015 yearbooks are available for purchase in Mrs. J. Pontiff’s room (314) for
$35, cash or check payable to Riverdale High School. Yearbooks can also be purchased online at ybpay.lifetouch.com and the Yearbook ID code is 11878215. A
snapshot of the page is shown below. The deadline to purchase yearbooks is Friday, May 15, 2015.
In this issue...
Page number
Baseball
2
Softball
3
Track
4
Open House
5
Reb-O-Lympics 6
Visit ybpay.lifetouch.com to order your 2014-15 yearbook today!
Sr. Luncheon
7
Jr. Prom
8
Talent Show
9
Sr. Prom
10
Spring Break
11
Play Ball!
By Angelle Moncada
As baseball
season starts,
the Rebels
plan on striking out all other competition
and hope to host a playoff
game. The Rebels are off to a
great start led by six seniors
(pictured right). Senior player
John Bott said, “I’m very confident about our chances to
win the district title. Since day
one that’s been our main
goal...to win district. This year
our team is very close, and
we work very well together. I
can’t wait to see what will
happen.” The Rebels hope to
make 2015 the year they
make the playoffs for the
fourth time.
Senior players Richard Repath, Lloyd Buchanan, Zach
Ryan, John Bott, Brandon Schneider, and Glenn Pursell
pose for a picture after one of their wins.
Senior John Bott and Junior Christian Smith
Freshman Diego Zepeda
plays third instead of second
due to a player injury.
stop for a photo after Christian threw a perfect
game, and the Rebels won 14-0.
Senior Night
By Claire Easterling
Senior softball players Brittany Carriere and
Samantha Payne have been playing on the
Riverdale softball team together since freshman year.
Rebel Nation sat down with the two seniors to
reflect on their four years:
Standing, left to right: Brittany Carriere (senior), Rebecca Canady (senior), Whitney
Lotz (freshman), Katelyn Lee (sophomore), Dawn Simon (freshman), Lyric Johnson (sophomore), Samantha Payne (senior), Elena Barahona (sophomore), Kylee
Veneralla (freshman), Madison Aitken (junior), Micah Martinez (freshman), Tatyana
Lee (sophomore), Kaitlyn Gandy (sophomore)
Lady Rebels Softball Team
Current Wins:
School
Score
District Or Tournament
Grace King
17-1
N/A
Patrick Taylor
10-0
N/A
L.W. Higgins
19-9
Tournament
John Ehret
5-3
Tournament
South Lafourche
13-0
Tournament
Patrick Taylor
8-3
N/A
Warren Easton
16-1
District
Grace King
15-0
N/A
Ursuline Academy
6-2
District
Haynes Academy
5-0
N/A
East Jefferson
6-1
District
John Ehret
10-1
N/A
Brittany Carriere (bottom left): “Samantha
Payne and I have always been there to lend a
helping hand to each other these past four
years. I remember when we first met when I
got switched into honor classes, and we discovered we both loved softball. That’s where
we started our journey four years ago, at Jefferson Playground, playing our first home
game with Coach G. when we were at the
bottom. Now, four years later, we’re almost at
the top. I’m so happy that through this game I
gained a best friend. I will keep memories of
my teammates with me forever.”
Samantha Payne (bottom right): “I will miss
playing softball with my best friend, Brittany
Carriere. I am going to miss every single one
of my teammates. I couldn’t have asked for
better teammates. I love them all and will miss
playing on the diamond with them.”
The softball team gave
their senior teammates
balloons, flowers, and a
framed picture.
Above: Deonte Davis, Dorian Joseph, Perry Brown, Ryan Taylor, Johnny
LaRocca, Marcellino Scott, Frank Rivera
Left: Aaerion Jackson, Liya Blitzer, Victoria Santos
RHS Track is Up and Running
By Delisia Davis
With a new coach and a new member, the girls are hoping to
make it to state. Senior, Victoria Santos is a first-year member of
the track team and has been making noise. Santos said that
even though it’s her first year as a javelin thrower, she is already
throwing like an experienced thrower. Another senior, Aaerion
Jackson, has been running track all four years and recently
signed to a four-year college, Southeastern Louisiana University. The girls not only
want to make it to state, but they want to bring home GOLD, as well.
Last year, four of the boys went to state, though only one placed, but this year
they are trying to change that. Senior Darius Bovie said, “I’ve been
setting personal records every week,” and it seems like it has been
working. Every week Bovie is improving and increasing his chances
of making it to state. “Track is my life and I want an Olympic medal,”
said junior Tyroy Lanus. Lanus has been practicing every day so
that he can win state for the 800.
Riverdale Open House
By Ambria Price
Many came out to Riverdale’s first annual IB
open house on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. It was
open to the public, but mainly attracted students
and parents interested in the IB program. During
the Open House, guests were welcomed to the
Riverdale Gym with performances by the band,
cheerleaders, flag team, and Lassie dance team.
After the performances, guests were split into
smaller groups, and Riverdale students gave prospective students and their parents tours around
school. IB teachers were also present to provide
overviews of the courses that they teach and answer any questions regarding the IB curriculum.
Open House was definitely a success.
Introduced at Open HouseAthletics
Clubs
Performance Groups
Courses
Reb-O-Lympics Recap
By Iriel Nunnery
Britney Gallagher and
Malik Clark go for the win in musical
chairs.
Reb-O-Lympics was more like Senior-O-Lympics this year. The 201415 Psychedelic Seniors took home yet another win for their class, but they had to put
up a close fight with the Jammin’ Junior class. The games started off with a nice and
easy game of musical chairs, which began with ten chairs and two competitors from
each team. After nine chairs were pulled, the competitors were down to two. The
stakes were high and the stands were quiet with only one chair remaining for Britney
Gallagher (junior) and Malik Clark (sophomore). The music stopped and Brittany
grabbed the seat before Malik had the chance, so the victory of the first event went to
the junior class. However, musical chairs was only the first event; Reb-O-Lympics
was just getting started.
The next event in the games was Hula Hoop. Everyone on each team stood up and
formed a vertical line facing the stands. The trick of the game was that every player
from each team had to join hands and then pass the hula hoop through their bodies
to the next player with their hands held the entire time. Then, they had to run to the
back of the line with their team flag. It was a close call between the Psychedelic Seniors and the Saturday Night Fever Freshmen, but the seniors finished first and ended
up taking the victory and the first senior win of the day.
Saturday Night Fever Freshmen race
for the win during the hula hoop
challenge.
The games continued with tug of war. It was time to turn up the heat and see who
had the strength. After a tournament-style elimination round, it was down to two
teams: the Psychedelic Seniors and the Saved by the Bell Sophomores. The pressure
was on. Would the Psychedelic Seniors with their fastest runner Donte’ Jackson take
the win? Or would it be the Saved by the Bell Sophomores with the twin strength of
Malik Clark and Tyrus Butler. It all came down to that one last pull, and the Saved by
the Bell Sophomores took home the win.
After all the games were done, there was a tie between the Psychedelic Seniors
and the Jammin’ Juniors. To break the tie one person from each team was asked to
shoot a half-court shot; no one actually made the
ball in the basket, but the seniors came the closest
and went home with the 21-point win!
1st place: Psychedelic Senior s
2nd place: Jammin’ Juniors
Seniors compete against the sophomores, pulling Deon Turner along for
a ride.
3rd place: Saved by the Bell Sophomores
4th place: T-bird Teachers
5th place: Saturday Night Fever Freshmen
The winning team has their game
faces on.
Senior
Corner
How is senior
year going so
far?
“Senior year has not been what I expected, but class of 2015 has made it a
blast! I would not trade this year for
anything! “ Senior Class President Keristen Edwards
“Well, being a two-sport athlete and an
IB student it was strenuous, but being
surrounded by great people and hard
work has gotten me through it. With
soccer I experienced my first ever playoff game, and with baseball right now I
look to have at least one more postseason berth.” John Bott
Keristen Edwards, Rachael McGee, Lilly Nguyen, Janet Hammonds, Emily Sharpe,
Karen Gallegos, Mehvish Khalid, and Ashley Tran pose on the balcony after eating.
Senior Luncheon
By Lilly Nguyen
The Senior Class of 2015 cherished their
last year together with lunch at Oceana
Grill on Sunday, March 22nd.
The sun was shining on the beautiful class
of 2015 as they arrived on the Sunday
afternoon. Over 100 seniors came to
celebrate their 40 days left until graduation together. They were served a buffet
of delicious choices: chicken alfredo,
shrimp etouffee, bread pudding,
steamed vegetables, and garlic mashed
potatoes.
Best buds Aareion Jackson, Angelle Moncada, and Courtney
Brown had a blast at luncheon.
Senior Prom is in Season
Cheerleader captains Bethany Guillot and Megan Pearson pose with
dance team captain Ambria Price.
All the senior girls are in full-out panic as prom approaches! Boys prepare to put their
best suits and ties on as girls get ready to make their way down the red carpet with
their fabulous dresses! Psychedelic seniors will head off to a Hollywood glammed-out
prom on April 2nd. See page 11 for more details.
Senior Trip
Seniors are pumped for the first senior trip in over ten years to Orlando, Florida, the
weekend of April 16th to April 19th. The seniors have a busy schedule planned, venturing
from Universal Studios to Busch Gardens to Downtown Disney. Seniors will attend Grad
Bash with seniors from across the country to celebrate their accomplishment of graduation.
Early Birds Catherine Kerner and
Janae Pichon wait in front of
Oceana Grill.
Juniors Shake it at Prom
By Rochelle Luminais
On Saturday, March 28th, Riverdale High School juniors
gathered at the Sheraton Galleria in Metairie for their prom.
Junior girls showed up in their fancy dresses and showed off
their hours of preparation. The guys who were dragged along
to this event got one perk… FOOD! They got to sit back and
enjoy a tasty diet of finger sandwiches, brownies, and lemonade.
The music was blasting, and everyone was ready to
dance. The dance floor was full of people doing the Whip,
Nae Nae, Bobby Shmurda, Jerk, and Dougie. We even
brought it way back to the Cha–Cha Slide. No one was left
out with this wide variety of dance moves.
The Sheraton Galleria was the perfect venue for Riverdale’s first junior
prom.
Juniors voted for Prince and Princess; the nominees included Johnny LaRocca, Robert Trahant, and Matthew
Leblanc for prince and Skyla Blady, Janie Fuentes, and Veronica Maes for princess. Juniors elected Johnny LaRocca
and Veronica Maes as prince and princess for the night.
Prince Johnny LaRocca and Princess
Veronica Maes stand outside the dance
room after they were crowned.
Iriel Nunnery and Razan Badr strike a
pose outside junior prom.
Rochelle Luminais and Ms. Brown
(librarian) are dressed to impress at
prom.
Rebels Got Talent
By Tayler Goletz
On Wednesday, April 1st, the yearbook staff sponsored its
annual talent show. The talent show raises money to offset the
cost of yearbooks. The talent show featured Riverdale’s exceptional student body as they entertained the crowd through dance
and music. The line-up is listed below:
1. Alexis Interiano sang while playing the piano.
2. Davante’ Burse sang “If I Ever Fall in Love Again.”
3. Kayla Laiche, Kylie LeMay, Raquel Palmisano, and Mary Strickland
danced to “All Night Long.”
Senior Alexis Interiano plays piano
while singing an alternative rock
song.
4. Kaylonna Franklin and Amanda Wilburn sang “Man Down.”
5. Malik Sinegar sang “Lay Me Down.”
6. Kayla Marshall, Ambria Price, and Zepporah Washington
danced to a hip-hop mix.
7. Iriel Nunnery sang “If I Ain’t Got You.”
8. Braxton Cavalier played guitar and accompanied sister
Queta on the song “I’m Yours.”
9. Deon Turner sang “Let Me Love You.”
Kayla Laiche, Kylie LeMay, Raquel Palmisano, and Mary
Strickland dance to “All Night Long.”
10. Julie Baker and Rachel Saavedra danced to “Crazy in Love.”
11. Rachael McGee sang “I Will Always Love You” and then
closed the show with an original piece on piano.
12. Ar’kajah Horn sang “All of Me.”
13. Shana Hill, Najai Martin, and Tatyana Lee sang “Weak.”
14. Darrin Butler, Deon Turner, and Ben Rhone danced to a
krump mix from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.
Darrin Butler, Deon Turner, and Ben Rhone bust a move at the 2015
Riverdale High School Talent Show.
Left: Da’Shawn Green
& Nehemie Joseph
Right: Aareion Jackson
& Anthony Foster
Left: Bethany Guillot
& Brandon Frabbiele
Right: Branden Daigre & Mariah Green
Left: Courtney
Brown & Guest
Right: Tayler Goletz & Guest
Old Hollywood
By Melissa Sindik
The Class of 2015’s prom was held on April 2nd at the
Riverview Room. Seniors were extremely satisfied with
the décor of the interior and the beautiful sight of the Mississippi River as an exterior view. Riverdale’s proms are
always unique due to the fact that the Prom King and
Queen are picked by the luck of the draw instead of voting. Dancing was put to a halt while DJ Wild Wayne announced Kendrick Phillips and Brittany Levitt as 2015’s
Prom King and Queen. After the announcement, seniors
carried on with their dancing and laughter. Overall, Prom
was a complete success, considering most seniors anticipated this night for years, envisioning what they would
wear, who would they bring as their date/guest, where
they would eat, and whether they would actually have an
amazing time. Most seniors would vouch that it was everything they hoped it would be, and that it was definitely a
night to remember.
Left: Taylor Freeman & Guest
Right: Brittany
Carriere & Guest
Left: Emily Sharpe
& Benjamin Rhone
Right: Jenny Trollman & Guest
Ashley Tran, Karen Gallegos, Matthew Pham, Lilly
Nguyen, & Mehvish Khalid pose before heading out.
Angelle Moncada poses
with her favorite teacher/
SBA mentor, Ms. Pontiff.
Spring Break
By Tyson Kauffman
With Spring Break around the corner, there’s
no doubt that the Riverdale Rebels are already
making plans to do the fun things that they love to
do.
When you hear “Spring Break,” you probably
picture going to the beach, hanging out with
friends, and just having a good time, so what
plans do you have for Spring Break? Below is
what some of the Rebels had to say:
“What are your Spring Break
plans?”
“I’m going to hang out at my friend’s house.” -Brendon Willis
(Freshman)
“I’m gonna sit on the sofa...watch cult classics and 80s movies until 3 AM and eat.” -Gabrielle Liggans (Junior)
“I’ll watch all 8 seasons of House M.D. and eat Nutella. And
go to church, of course.” -Cielo Azzad (Junior)
“I’m going to go to prom and sleep for the rest of the break.” Ashley Tran (Senior)
“I’m going to hang out with my friends and go to prom.” Liliana Tabora (Senior)
“I’m going to Nashville, Tennessee!” -Rashme Mendoza
(Senior)
Fun Fact: Miami Beach, Florida,
is ranked as the top Spring
Break destination for students.