Capistrano Valley High School - El Gato Yearbook (Mission Viejo, CA)

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ROP m b icuji, hley! luuuk off! At exactly 11:47 a.m., massive hordes of students surge to the cafe- teria, and the mad dash to the lunch lines has just begun. Meanwhile, a mild-mannered group of kids pull out of the parking lot, ready to eat out for lunch. Why? Because they ' re rebelling against school policies? No . . . these students are part of the Capo-Laguna Beach Regional Occu- pational Program - a program de- signed to provide students with the basic skills required for a job. According to Capo ' s ROP Career Center Technician, Ms. Barbara Raht, ROP offers more than practi- cal, vocational skills. It allows stu- dents to discover their interests by exploring different career areas. Indeed, ROP presents a vast vari- ety of classes, ranging from animal science occupations to trade and in- dustry. In fact, said junior Tammy Folsom of the commercial floristry class, It ' s taught me how to save and manage money in a business, and by learning flower arrangement, I was promoted into the floristry depart- ment at my original job. In addition, senior Heather Bick- ford enrolled in the nursing assis- tant ' s class to become more familiar with the medical field. Says Bickford, I ' ve received my CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) after completing internship, which allows me to work at a convalescent hospital. However, not all students take ROP merely for means of career ex- ploration. In fact, this year ' s most popular class, graphics and offset printing, includes senior Chad Wil- liams whose career plans are geared toward engineering. Then why the ROP class? Because it gives me practical credits to graduate, and it ' s a fun senior class where all my friends are! Regional Occupational Program 55

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▼ BRINGING IN THE DOUGH AND THE CREDITS — Freshmen Claudius Stute, Billy Luhnow and Ms. )odi Anderson help out at the snack bar during lunch. Students taking snack bar operation not only earned credits, but also received pay. ► FUTURE BANK TELLERS OF AIVIERICA - Senior Laura Wu and her fellow banking occu- pations classmates attained certificates of completion after their course, allowing them to work as tellers at most banks. Mx. A STARTING FROM THE BUILDING BLOCKS — Junior )oey Peterson and senior Mike Ishii gain knowledge in brick-laying from Mr. Beekman. ROP classes provided students with a unique opportunity of hands-on exper- ience. ► IN THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN - The red-headed pumpkin may just be dressed up in costume, but senior Heather Bickford is in uniform for her nursing i 54 Regional Occupational Program

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n MiU 1niU tjouM {m)(fm ou do solemnly affirm that the testimony you may give in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? 1 do. Divorce Court? L.A. Law? Nope — it ' s Mock Trial, Capo-style. Mock Trial is a competition team that studies a ficticious legal case and presents it in a real court set- ting in front of a real judge against other high schools. This year the case concerned a high school stu- dent accused of selling drugs and inducing a minor to take drugs. We wanted something more in- tense, like murder, said sopho- more Leona Robbins, who por- trayed the witness Jesse Anderson, but the case was pretty relevant. Studying the merits of the case and rehearsing the lines is one thing, but the actual presentation itself is an entirely different story. I was scared out of my mind, said senior Carol Marinelli, who was one of the principle witnesses for the prosecution, and I almost sat down on top of the desk instead of in the witness stand. I was afraid of being eaten up by the opposing attorneys, added senior Ben Lloyd, one of the de- fense attorneys, or that I would miss an objection, or even worse yet, misobject. Despite the fears and the butter- flies, the team won two of its three competitions. We won Round III so decisively and got so many points that we were sure we were going on (in the competition), said advisor Jewel Kamita. The kids were celebrating on the bus on the way home from the courthouse. The top sixteen teams in the competition advanced to Round IV. Capo finished 17th. When you come that close, it ' s a pretty big downer, said junior Mi- chelle Heller, who portrayed the defendant Chris Willow. Even though it wasn ' t a fairy-tale ending, Mock Trial as a positive ex- perience for all involved. I learned that it ' s tough to be a lawyer, but it ' s interesting, said Ben Lloyd. And if you ' re prepared and know what you ' re doing, then it can be a lot of fun. It ' s a lesson for life. 56 Mock Trial