CdS Sunrise December Issue

CdS Sunrise

Corona del Sol High School | Tempe, AZ | Vol.38, No. 3

SLEEP Students struggle with the effects of a lack of sleep story by Katelyn Stys pg. 16

Contents

Staff editor-in-chief Nikki Hinshaw managing editor Katelyn Stys online editor-in-chief Carson Pyatt online managing editor Tanner Kujawa production editor Brenna Bochenek life & times Megan Marples sports Jake Pyatt online photo editor Maria Martin copy editor Kajal Dave cartoonist Celeste Hayes staff Faryal Ashraf Karly Castro Dion Deguzman Nikki Dull Juan Estrada Celeste Hayes Isabella Hulsizer Lauren Puffer Kasey Ruthardt Patricia Stoica adviser Kris Urban The Sunrise is an open forum for student expression and welcomes letters on all matters. The staff reserves the right to edit as required. All materials submitted for publication must be signed. Views and opinions contained herein are those of the author and not considered to be the opinions of the staff, adviser, administration or the Tempe Union High School District. Unsigned editorials reflect the views of the editorial reflect the views of the editorial board. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

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From an editor Brenna Bochenek | Production Editor With final exams almost finished, it will soon be time to take a holiday break.

Many people often feel stressed over school breaks, and use this time to prepare for than January SAT and other important things approaching in the upcoming semester. However beneficial you think this may be, I urge you to use winter break for what it is meant to be: a break from school and time to spend with family and friends. Sure, you probably will have some schoolwork to do, but be sure to make time for yourself as well. Use your time wisely so that you do not have to spend your whole break worrying about your homework.

Winter break has 17 days and I encourage you to take advantage of every single one. Watch six consecutive hours of Netflix, spend a whole weekend playing video games with your friends or spend your days preparing for the holidays with your family. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do; you might choose to spend a day doing nothing at all, and that’s ok, just do what feels right to you. During the school year we get so caught up in all the tests, sports practices and club activities that we don’t pay much attention to taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. It is important to give ourselves a much deserved break from the large toll that high school can take on us and to acknowledge all that our families do for us during this stressful time. Make sure that you spend some of this break spending time with the people you love, and let them know how much they mean to you.

I know that for me, I will be taking this time to relax with my family and release all the stresses that have built up over the past 18 weeks. I am going to revel in the fact that I don’t have a plan for every single day of the week. I will spend my break doing the little things that I usually don’t has time for, or maybe I’ll try something new. The point is, winter break is a time that should be spent focused on us and our families taking a step back from the stressful world that we are consumed by. I hope that we all can take this time to recharge and rejuvenate, so that when we come back in 2016, we can make the best of the new year. Have a safe and happy holiday Corona. R

What’s online?

The CdS Sunrise staff works hard to produce content and post stories daily. Check out some of our newest content at cdssunrise.com. R

Jayla Lindsey is a freshman in Senior Company dance. Check out the story on her online and look for the story on other freshman dancer Makenzie Stratton on pg. 27.

Photo by Dion Deguzman

Turning 18 comes with a variety of new opportunities and responsibilities.

Check out staffer Isabella Hulsizer’s reaction to this milestone birthday.

Photo by Isabella Hulsizer

Contents

What’s in this issue...

9

Staying Fearless

Follow Senior Lauren Hightower’s journey with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) Photo Courtesy of Chandra Delite

16

Need for Sleep

Many high school students struggle to get a healthy amount of sleep at night and use different methods to combat sleepiness Photo Courtesy of Flickr.Commons

Dance It Out

27

Check out Makenzie Stratton, who earned a spot on Senior Dance Company as a freshman Photo by Megan Marples

32

Defending the title Members of the boys basketball team discuss their upcoming season and the pressures they feel to make it to the state championship

Photo by Maria Martin

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Life & Times

A year in review Carson Pyatt | Online Editor-in-Chief

A

s the year draws to a close, many people look toward the future, determined to better themselves in the upcoming year. While we look forward to the new year we also believe that 2015 had plenty of occurrences worth remembering.

Same sex marriage- With a 5 to 4 vote from the Supreme Court in favor of legalizing same sex marriage, the United States became a nation where gay people could marry no matter what state they were in. June 25 marked a day when our nation took a giant leap towards better equality for all.

The Dress- The famous (or infamous) picture of a dress, described as either white and gold or blue and black, took the Internet by storm. Some people saw the dress as gold and white, while others saw blue and black. It drove people insane trying to figure out why nobody could agree on which color it was. This dress was definitely a huge phenomenon that deserves to be remembered, but will hopefully be left in 2015.

Corona 4-peats- In March, the Corona boys basketball team won state for the fourth year in a row, taking the coveted 4-peat in the sport. The Aztecs defeated Desert Vista, 57-32 . This was a huge accomplishment, as we had been the favorite to win since the beginning of the season with a huge target on our backs.

Marching band performs at halftime- Katy Perry’s halftime show at Super Bowl XLIX was watched by 118.5 million people, according to Nielsen data and billboard.com. This was the largest Super Bowl Halftime Show audience to date, and our very own Aztec Marching Band was part of the performance. Members of Corona’s marching band took the field at the beginning of the show, using balls of light to add to a crazy and bright performance.

Women’s World Cup- The United States finally won the coveted World Cup in the summer of 2015, 16 years after its 1999 win. The women’s team defeated Japan, 5-2 , bringing soccer fans around the nation together to celebrate the win.

Deflategate Scandal- On Jan. 18, 2015, the New England Patriots beat The Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Championship game. Speculation arose when players, coaches and the media began to question the state of the footballs used in the latter half of the game, claiming they were altered. Claims the Patriots deflated the footballs to give Brady an advantage drew negative attention to the football organization. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl, but the scandal didn’t end. On May 11, Brady was given a four-game suspension, and the Patriots were fined $1 million and forced to give up two draft picks. Brady appealed his suspension, which was repealed Sept. 3. Deflategate brought new attention to cheating in sports. R

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What to look forward to in

2016

Tanner Kujawa | Online Managing Editor Presidential Election- This coming year, America will elect its 45th Commander-in-Chief; in other words, a new President. While the two candidates who will fight for the Oval Office won’t be chosen until the primaries in the Spring, current front runners include Republicans Ben Carson and Donald Trump, as well as Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The presidential election is set to take place in November 2016.

Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro- Next summer, the best athletes from around the world will compete in various events for their country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Events will include Track and Field, Swim and Dive, Gymnastics, and many more. The Olympic games will take place from Aug. 6 to Aug. 21, 2016.

Super Bowl 50- The 50th Super Bowl game is set to be held on Feb. 7, 2016 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California; the home of the San Francisco 49ers. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game will be branded with the Arabic numeral “50” instead on the Roman numeral “L”.

Finding Dory- The movie that teens from all over the world have been waiting for since they were kids is finally here. The funny yet forgetful Dory, voiced by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, reunites with her long lost loved ones. Along the way, the fish learn a lot about family and friendship.

Disney Pixar is set to release Finding Dory in June 2016.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice- In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gotham City’s superhero Batman, played by Ben Affleck fears that Metropolis’ own Superman, played by Henry Cavill, is abusing his power. The two engage in a war with one another as the world struggles with what sort of hero they really need. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a set-up to the highly anticipated Justice League movie that will be released in 2017. R

Life & Times

Woods works with dogs Kasey Ruthardt | Staff Writer Service animals are a key component in the lives of those who are visually impaired or medically in need. The animals don’t just become service animals in a day; it takes months of training and many people to help put the animals through the process. Susan Woods, Corona’s guidance office secretary at, is one of the people that helps train the animals. Woods was introduced to service animal training from her daughter, who is also a trainer.

The dogs begin their training at about eight to 10 weeks old. Every six months they’re evaluated to see how they’re progressing in their training. Woods works with another person to put her dog through his training, switching off every two weeks. Woods has worked with 13 dogs and she finds the job to be very rewarding.

“You feel like you’re doing something

for someone else and it allows you to bond with the dog and train them,” Woods said. “It’s very rewarding watching them change and grow and develop the skills that they need.”

Woods is the beginning step for the service animal’s training. She teaches them basic discipline and behavior skills.

It’s not like having a pet; the trainers have guidelines to training and have to stay consistent with those guidelines. Woods says it’s a lot like taking care of a child.

While this job has many upsides to it, there are also some downfalls. At any time during their training, the dogs can be dropped from the program.

“There’s a 10 week program that they go through that they can be dropped from at any moment,” Woods said. “After that they go to a class and are paired with a blind person and graduate.”

Watching this happen can be hard

Guidance Counselor Susan Woods sits with her service dog. She has been working with him for a few months.

Photo by Lauren Puffer

for someone who’s been working so hard with the animals. It is also difficult to not become emotionally attached to the dogs.

“It’s hard to give them back, but you know that it’s not your dog, it is a dog that’s being trained for a purpose,” Woods said. R

Cheer places at USA regionals Nikki Dull | Staff Writer was put forth to perfect the performance to their full potential.

Cheer is a sport that is always there to support the wins of “We ran the routine full out multiple times the week of the school teams, but cheer itself is also representing Corona in competition,” Winter said. “We also practiced a competition warm a positive way. CdS participated in a regional competition the up where we can only have five minutes to practice tumbling and weekend of Nov. 7, where both varsity and junior varsity qualified stunts.” for a bid to nationals.

The varsity cheerleaders competed as well with a routine they The cheer squad competed at the annual USA Regionals performed at the first assembly of the school year. With lots of Competition at Deer Valley High School. Both junior varsity and tumbles, basket tosses, and jumps, varsity finished in sixth place. varsity showed off their hard work with some talented dance “We learned our competition routine in July and it was a great moves and impressive stunts. Junior varsity took third place and first chance to perform it in front of judges varsity took sixth, both teams and be evaluated on it,” senior captain earning a spot in nationals.

Kathleen Click said.

This was JV’s first competition With a performance that was carefully as a team, so it was an anxious yet choreographed, it was a challenging exciting experience for them. routine.

“It was very nerve-wracking,” “All the songs in our routine were JV captain Megan Winter said. carefully chosen to pump us up and inspire “But right before we went on, the us to do our best,” Click said. team gave each other last-minute A bigger team than last year and girls advice, and it was fun taking the from competitive cheer backgrounds have floor with them.” really helped the team with improvements The routines performed at to their cheers. the competition were much more “We went with a bigger team this year,” intense and complicated than All three cheer teams perform at the winter assembly. Varsity and head coach Chrissy Wiley said. “The more normal football or basketball game junior varsity received a bid to compete in nationals. Photo by Dion bodies on the mat look impressive.” R cheers. A lot of practice and effort Deguzman

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Life & Times

Parent expectations Faryal Ashraf | Staff Writer Parent expectations are one thing that can drive cold fear into the heart of any student, no matter how good or bad of a student they are. It doesn’t matter if you are a straight-A student or one who’s struggling to get by in class. The fear of letting down your parents can, and often times will haunt you.

Parent expectations can arguably be a good or a bad thing. They could be a good thing in the sense that having high expectations can lead to amazing results and can be the motivational push a student needs. They also could be bad in the sense that it could stress students out so much that they would just crash and it would instead drag them down.

It also almost always depends on the type of student. Parent expectations can lead a kid to do their absolute best however it may not result in the desired outcome.

Sophomore Ben Quon has a positive view on the expectations his parents have for him.

“My parents’ expectations for me are pretty good and I get motivated by them,” Quon said. “They just want me to try my hardest.”

Quon states that his parents hold fair expectations for him and are understanding if he falls short of fulfilling them.

“Their expectations are fair. I’m not like mad at them or anything for having high expectations,” Quon said. “They do motivate me and I try hard in school if they stopped having certain expectations, then I might stop trying in school.”

Junior Aronee Hossain believes that parent expectations play a big part in forming students into the young adults who will go onto college.

“I think parent expectations form who we are as high schoolers. They motivate you and your parents look after you and they expect certain things from you,” Hossain said.

“They want you to grow and mature and succeed and without parents expecting things from you, you don’t have those values instilled in you about what you should expect from yourself.”

Hossein said all parents have the same basic expectations from their children: to do well and be set on a path to success.

Parent expectations aren’t always so clean-cut. Then again, parent expectations don’t just have to include grades.

There could be other criteria a parent would like for their child to meet. Sometimes, parents can throw in the wish that their student be in sports, the leader of various clubs and

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Photo Illustration by Isabella Hulsizer maintain a 4.0 grade point average.

Sometimes parents expect something from students that just can’t be achieved no matter how hard one tries.

Sophomore Colleen Geraghty thinks that parent expectations can have a negative effect on students.

“I think that parent expectations can be stressful for students,” Geraghty said. “It can lead them to feeling like they have to perform more to please their parents then they actually have time to.”

Geraghty added that parent expectations can get out of hand.

“I think a few of their expectations are fair,” Geraghty said. “But it often becomes stressful when they expect straight A’s, being in three clubs and having a part time job, and for having to study for all of those advanced classes they want you to be in.”

Recent Corona graduate and history teacher Sebastian Bernal said that parent expectation are a bad thing and can place unnecessary stress on students.

“Parent expectations make kids resort to bad things like cheating because they feel like they have to do well for their parents,” said Bernal. “It puts unneeded stress on them (students), having them stay up too late to finish their work.”

Bernal said that the dynamic a student has with their

Life & Times parents can ease or add more pressure rooting from parent expectations.

“If a parent and their child are on good terms can make the student feel like they have a little more leeway and if they’re on bad term they always feel like they have to impress their parents,” Bernal said.

Guidance counselor Dan Brugger said that parent expectations are a good thing and can help drive a student to do better, if they are reasonable.

“Parent expectations are a wonderful thing. If they are taken to an extreme, then they can be a bad thing but “If we were all just left to do whatever we please, we if the expectations are realistic then they’re not,” wouldn’t be as successful.” Brugger said.

- Brugger Brugger said that a lack of parent expectations could cause the students to not be doing the best they can.

“I’m seeing students these days whose parents aren’t giving them enough guidance. The students are doing whatever they want and they don’t regard the wishes of their parents,” Brugger said. “Parent expectations are a pretty healthy thing. If we were all just left to do whatever we please, we wouldn’t be as

successful.”

Brugger also said that if parent expectations are too high, they could be a bad thing as well.

“I can see the downside if the expectations are too high and nonrealistic. Then they could lead to stress,” Brugger said. “But to have some expectations is a good thing.”

Brugger said that communication between a parent and their child is key to have suitable expectations.

“If you’re openly communicative and it were a two-way conversation, he parents have their expectations and the student understands why, and the expectations are fair, it would be fine,” Brugger said. “If the communication wasn’t there and parents were yelling at their kids, and they aren’t listening or understanding the student perspective about why the expectations can’t be achieved, then it gets a little unhealthy.”

Parent expectations are dependent on a few different things.

The dynamic a parent has with their kid can be the fine line between high and low expectations. If a parent believes that their student is capable of doing well in hard classes and getting good grades, then the parents might have high expectations.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that those expectations have to be fulfilled. It all depends on the type of student and how much time and effort they are willing to set aside. R

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Life & Times

STAFF NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS Parks and Recreation Lauren Puffer | Staff Writer Parks and Recreation is a comedy about an ambitious middle-aged woman named Leslie Knope and her coworkers who work for the Parks and Recreation department of their local government in Pawnee, Ind. Indiana is a stereotypical American town and the people who live there are anything but normal and very resistant to change. Throughout the show, Leslie ends up facing scenarios that no average government worker would ever have to deal with. The personality of the characters really shapes the show; every character’s unique persona constantly puts them in the most ridiculous of situations. For instance, Leslie’s boss, Ron Swanson, is an outdoorsy man with an intimidating mustache who ironically hates the government despite working for it. He and Leslie work very well together, but, seeing as they are both hard headed and stubborn, they are often faced with funny dilemmas with each other. My favorite part of the show is how the characters’ personalities compliment each other. Every viewer can relate to the characters in this show on some level or another, which must be the reason this show is so widely loved. R

90210 Dion Deguzman | Staff Writer 90210 brought a modern flare to the older show Beverly Hills, 90210, which was an amazing series in the ‘90s. The modern 90210 brings the audience into the lives of many wealthy high school students who attend West Beverly Hills high school.

The show begins with teenager Annie Wilson who is moving from Wichita, Kans., to the big city of Beverly Hills, Calif. The first season is filled with drama, romance and heartbreak, but it does not end there. In the next seasons the characters graduate from high school and deal with friendships that are broken, boyfriends who are stolen and a certain character carries the guilt of murder. This show was filled with suspense and drama and left me wanting more after every episode. Life as a high school student is not as dramatic as 90210, yet that is why I believe I couldn’t get enough of it. R

Criminal Minds Carson Pyatt | Online Editor-in-Chief I have always been a fan of intense television dramas, and Criminal Minds has been a favorite of mine for years. This show follows the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI: each individual episode features a new crime or mystery to solve, while there are continuing plotlines about the characters’ lives. The people on the team are all individually wonderful and possess their own merits: leaders like Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) contribute a seriousness to the series, while team members like Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) use their individual talents when certain situations arise. The women on the team are hardcore, incredibly intelligent and unbelievably good agents; I like the fact that the show features strong and important women. Although it is pretty graphic, I’ve always found this show to interest me from start to finish. What I like about this show is that I can almost never guess how each episode will end: the murderer is never who I think it is and the crimes are never solved when I think they will be. I also like the fact that despite the death and sadness, justice always seems to win in the end. Also, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid are undoubtedly some of the best looking television characters of all time. If they were really part of the BAU, I would be heavily inclined to sign up to be part of that team. R

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Gossip Girl Isabella Hulsizer | Staff Writer In the Upper East side of New York there is a group of extremely rich and privileged teens who constantly party and get into trouble. This group consists of Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Nate Archibald, Chuck Bass, Dan Humphrey and his sister, Jenny Humphrey.

Blair is a stereotypical mean girl, and she is constantly competing with her best friend, Serena, to be the most popular. Nate is the dreamy love interest, and all girls in the series take a turn with him. Chuck is the son of an incredibly rich hotel owner, who finds himself always in more trouble than he can deal with. Lastly, Dan, also known as “lonely boy,” has an enormous crush on Serena and eventually pursues that love interest. To spice up the drama even more, there is an anonymous blogger coined “Gossip Girl,” who reports the latest flings, fights and falling outs of the group. Every episode offers a new problem that the group has to solve causing the viewer to be on her toes and second-guess who Gossip Girl is. If you begin watching the first episode, you’ll never be able to stop. R

Carrie Diaries Kasey Ruthardt | Staff Writer This prequel to the television series Sex in the City, the Carrie Diaries is about young Carrie Bradshaw on her journey to making it in the “big city.” Carrie handles the death of her mother, the struggles of having a younger sister and the ups and downs of friendships and love/heartbreak. She’s a young high school student trying to grow up. She starts off with an internship at a law office where she meets a woman who opens her eyes to the wonderful world of working for a fashion magazine. Carrie instantly finds the love of her life, New York, and is forced to balance school, friends, hiding her double life and just being a normal teenager. The Carrie Diaries is an easy show to connect with because she’s going through things everyday high school students go through.

It’s the type of show to immediately grab the audience’s attention and keep them captivated. R

Staying Fearless

Life & Times

Brenna Bochenek | Production Editor Senior Lauren Hightower referenced a quote from pop icon Taylor Swift to describe how she is staying strong in spite of the way her life has been changing recently.

“Being fearless is overcoming your fears every single day and striving to do anything you can to become stronger than your fears, or something like that,” Hightower said.

On Sept. 25, Hightower was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and has been keeping a positive outlook on her diagnosis despite the hospital visits and chemotherapy treatments. Hightower credits much of her positive attitude to the support she has been receiving from the people around her.

“My parents are really helping me realize it is possible for me to do this,” Hightower said.

“I just have to stay positive and just know that everyone supports me.”

Soon after her diagnosis, one of her longtime friends senior Kathleen Click came up with an idea to make T-shirts for Hightower.

“When she was diagnosed I really wanted to do something special for her and her family,” Click said.

“I decided to make T-shirts so that she could wear them during chemo to remind her to stay strong.”

The shirts feature the slogan “Stay Fearless,” which Photo courtesy of Chandra Delite is a reference to Hightower’s love of Taylor Swift and the fact Hightower is determined to be fearless throughout her journey with ALL. “I wanted to remind her that no matter how tough things get she needs to keep her fearless attitude and know that we are all fighting with her and supporting her,” Click said.

Click kept the shirts and their design a secret and brought them to Hightower as a surprise the moment they had been made.

“I love them,” Hightower said. “I was so excited that they had done something like that for me.”

The shirts were originally intended for Hightower and her friends until more and more people began asking Click where they could get their own.

“I decided to make a bunch and sell them,” Click said. “The profits go to Lauren and her family, and they really love the message that they send.”

Hightower has also been receiving support from other people in the community as well. Right after her diagnosis, Hightower scheduled a senior picture session with photographer Chandra Delite, who happened to be a breast cancer survivor.

Unbeknownst to them until the session was over, Hightower’s

mother had been Delite’s radiologist when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It’s really fun that it’s such a small world,” Hightower said.

“She did the pictures for free and she’s going to continue to do pictures of me through all of my treatment and document my whole journey.”

The coincidences continue, as Hightower stated that her mother is also a survivor of breast cancer and is a big part of her support system.

“She’s a cancer survivor too, so she’s kind of my rock,” Hightower said.

Hightower and her mother also wear matching bracelets with “Fearless” written on them.

“We always wear them,” Hightower said. “And when I’m not wearing mine around the house she’ll tell me to go and put mine on.”

Hightower noted that her diagnosis can have an effect on her daily activities and that she can usually tell what kind of day she is going to have.

“I wake up and I know whether I feel good, or whether I’m going to lay on the couch all day,” Hightower said. “It’s just about knowing my limits.”

On the days when she stays home, Hightower likes to keep herself inspired by always listening to music.

“I always have music on, really anything that’s upbeat and positive,” Hightower said. “I’ll just put on music and dance around the house.”

Toward the end of October, Hightower received great news; she had officially entered remission. Being in remission means that Hightower’s blood counts have returned to normal and that they do not see any leukemia cells in Hightower’s bone marrow. This is not the same as being cured. Hightower’s treatment will continue to ensure that the leukemia cells do not come back. There had been a 97 percent chance that her disease would be in remission, but Hightower was still anxious that she would be a part of the 3 percent that would not.

“I didn’t want to think that negatively about that but those things just come into your head,” Hightower said. “Once we found out I was (in remission) it made everything so much easier; it was a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Soon after she entered remission, Hightower began returning to school on her good days, and admitted she was anxious to go back to her classes.

“I was excited at first and then I walked into school and got really nervous because everyone was staring at me,” Hightower said. “It’s not fun to be the kid with cancer that everybody stares at, but I’m excited to come to school to see my friends and be social.”

Even though her cancer is in remission, Hightower will continue with her chemotherapy treatment plan for the next five to seven months and she is optimistic about the continuation of her treatment.

“I’ve realized that things could be so much worse,” Hightower said. “I know that I have a lot to be thankful for.” R

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Life & Times

Celebrating the new year Celeste Hayes | Staff Writer When the end of December rolls around and the Christmas hype calms, out pops the excitement of a New Year. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are often celebrated in different ways.

The question is, what do you do on the last day of 2015 and the first day of a new year?

Personally, my family makes a bigger deal out of New Year’s Day than New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day we drive up to Canyon Lake early in the morning, and we usually make a stop at the town of Goldfield. We then come back into town around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. We then dress up and go out to eat.

Perhaps try something new to do for this New Year’s Eve/ Day. Try something fun and exciting. Make a list of things you’d like to do/try before the stroke of midnight. Maybe go ice skating in Phoenix’s CitySkate. CitySkate is open from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on New Year’s Day. CitySkate is not open on New Year’s Eve. Students with student Staying up till midnight is one of ID are $12. For more go on the the most common ways people information website, phxicerink. welcome in the New Year. com or call (602)-722Another popular tradition is the 3900.

You could also kiss at midnight; it symbolizes make a night of purity for the New Year. bowling with friends or family. Lots of local allies have fun holiday decorations and sometimes offer discounts. But try calling ahead of time for a party larger than five; you may receive additional discounts.

And there are tons of fantastic-looking movies coming to theaters, such as the much anticipated Star Wars: Force Awaking, which is released Dec. 18. Or maybe you’d rather see a lighthearted comedy such as Daddy’s Home, which stars the very popular and funny Will Ferrell. Daddy’s Home comes to theaters Christmas Day. Or you can make a day trip to Payson, Prescott or even Flagstaff for some New Year’s Eve/Day snow. Build a snowman or have a snowball fight. Flagstaff is a great place to spend the day. There are lots of street stores that are filled with interesting goodies to look at and plenty of cafés to sip hot cocoa and enjoy the snow.

Staying up till midnight is one of the most common ways people welcome in the New Year. Another popular tradition is the kiss at midnight; it symbolizes purity for the New Year.

So go big, and head out to one of the many local block

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Cartoon by Celeste Hayes

parties. Circle K hosts a block party on Mill that is always good fun, and one in Phoenix for those who live further away. Mill is surrounded by some delightful eating establishments, such as Oregano’s, which is on University Drive, or if you want something even closer try Casa Reynoso or Mellow Mushroom.

And then of course there is a Starbucks to help restore your energy so you can party till midnight. Check their hours ahead of time, their hours for New Year’s Eve/Day have yet to be posted on their websites.

But if you’re just too lazy, like me, then you can watch the block parties from your couch. These wild parties usually last well past midnight and are always entertaining. Most popular block parties that are televised are L.A., New York and Miami.

All of them are hosted by top celebrities and some of the most popular musical guests. And of course, they feature the anticipation of the countdown to midnight.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate the coming year, may it be filled with love and laughter. R

Opinions

Losing the true meaning Megan Marples | Life & Times Editor As holidays have come and gone, the focus has shifted less on spreading good cheer and more on who can give the most expensive presents. People camp for days just to save a few dollars on electronics with Black Friday deals. Others spend exorbitant amounts of money to impress others. Long before the peppermint lattes and door busters, the holiday season held much more meaning.

We owe much of our Western perspective to the society we are in and the standards placed upon us. Our environment affects more than just our thoughts; it affects who we are as people.

For example, a typical American teenager’s view on life is very different than that of a teenager in a developing country. In the United States, we feel pressure to do well in school and juggle extracurricular activities. If the tiniest thing doesn’t work out in our favor, such as receiving a failing grade on an assignment or losing a tournament, we act as though our life is over. When the holidays roll around and you didn’t get the gift you wanted, we tend to get upset. However, this mindset is understandable. Most fortunate high school students have a very tiny realm of experiences when it comes to life. Not getting the latest phone may seem trivial to most, but to that person it may be high on the list of negative experiences.

Yet some teenagers in developing countries haven’t even had

the opportunity to pick up a pencil, let alone an iPhone. While American teenagers complain about going to sports practice or practicing their instrument, less fortunate teenagers just want to own a piece of equipment to do so.

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many Americans lose sight of the true meaning behind them. It shouldn’t be about the latest gadgets or the most elaborate decorations, it should be about appreciating what we have year-around. Entertaining activities such as cookie decorating and caroling should enhance the holiday experience, but if you rely on them too much, it’s time to reprioritize. If we let go of the presents, lights and music, many of us would not recognize the holiday season. Our vision of the holidays has been quantified down to boxes adorned with ribbons and bows, not spreading hope and love.

This time of year should be an opportunity to reflect on our life and see how to make the rest of it that much better. Instead of competing for the best present, Americans should focus on spending time with loved ones. A smile and a bit of attention go much further than an expensive gift in someone’s life. Objects don’t make people happy, people and experiences do. So this holiday season, take a step back and think about what the holiday season means to you. Happiness is fleeting when it comes to presents, so work to spread holiday cheer with those around you.R

Cartoon by Celeste Hayes

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Opinion

Which way is the right way?

A look inside 3 different viewpoints on the shopping experience In-Store shopping Dion Deguzman | Staff Writer Shopping is a way I find to relax and be in control of my life.

And there is no better way to shop than actually putting in the effort to go to the store and pay right then and there.

Some people may say that online shopping makes everything easier. They say it’s time efficient, you have more variety and it takes less effort, but let’s be real, online shopping can be stressful.

First and foremost, time efficiency is not a plus unless you want to pay the extra bucks to have it shipped to you right away.

The $7.99 you’re going to spend on two-week shipping may as well have been spent on your transportation to the store to get the item and get back home. Personally, the more variety I have the harder it is for me to choose what I want to buy. Do you know what that that leads to? Me spending more money than I intended.

Oh, and online shopping takes “less effort.” Yeah totally, until you have to wait for it to arrive to your house, open the box, realize “this is not my size, it doesn’t fit,” debate whether shipping it back is worth your money or just never wear that piece of clothing until you find a way for it to fit you. Trust me, I’ve had many panicking girl friends who wait for their dress to arrive in the mail then, shocker it doesn’t fit them the day before the dance.

Not shopping at all is just sad. Having an older brother, I know how it feels to receive the hand-me-downs. There was a diamond in the rough in every year of hand-me-downs, like a Pokémon shirt that had all original 151 Pokémon on the front. Of course I’ll take it, but his jean shorts, which eventually became my jean pants, were a no. And yes, you can have other people shop for you, but always letting your grandma buy you new clothes that aren’t current and are just outdated will only get you so far in the fashion world. Shopping for yourself helps you find out who you are as a unique individual, and it’s an opportunity to take fashion risks.

With the holiday season coming up, buying your gifts in person is what makes the holidays feel like the special Ever since I can remember, trips to the mall or department Kajal Dave | Copy Editor store always filled me with dread. I never liked buying clothes. For some reason the whole process rubs me the wrong way.

Shopping is a chore. It takes up time that can be spent for other, more productive things. I don’t necessarily mind other people spending their time shopping, after all it is their time, but I always get stressed. When my mom drags me out of the house because I need new jeans, all I can think about is the essay I need to write.

Then there’s the actual shopping itself. Finding clothes that look right, making sure they fit and going through a cycle of

No Shopping

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Deguzman shops for clothes in H&M. He said he believes that the best way to shop is to shop in-store. Photo by Lauren Puffer

season that they are. It’s the effort and thought you put into a gift; it’s the moment you see something and realize that item could make someone else really happy if he or she received it. Not to mention, shopping in the store lets you see the really funny people who are frantically running around stores for last-minute gifts.

Buying items in person makes life a ton easier than online shopping or not shopping at all. It’s the memories clothes bring you, when you remember when and where you bought and wore that item, even when they may not look so pretty. In my opinion, there is no other way to shop for clothes other than buying them in person.R looking at yourself in the mirror and figuring out if the pieces of cloth lay on your body in a way that society deems appropriate.

My discomfort with shopping stems from body image. I don’t hate my body, but I think anyone would feel a little insecure after starring at themselves in a mirror for hours. As a young woman, it can be hard to find clothes that I feel comfortable in because of awkward sizing. Newsflash: people don’t all have the same shapes. Admittedly, this is a problem that others may not have as often, but I’m a kind of big. Sizing is pretty tough for me. Body image is my own issue, and I have to deal with all the baggage that comes along with it. However, even if you are shopping for someone else, you can never be sure if the size in the brand you are buying will fit right.

If I manage to find something that fits comfortably and looks decent, I run into another roadblock. Obviously, clothes cost

Opinions

Dave cowers in fear of shopping bags. Dave said she wishes that shopping was not such a large part of our lives. Photo by Maria Martin

money. The simple act of looking at the receipt makes me feel guilty.

It’s not like I buy much—as I said before my mother has to drag me to the store—but I don’t like spending money on myself. Usually when I buy clothes, it’s things that I like enough and that I had to get because I had worn out my old stuff. If I really love something, then the guilt is lessened, but as it is, I’m not always completely happy with what I get.

It’s just there, looks OK and I want to get out of the store as soon as possible.

Online shopping helps a little because sitting in front of a computer at home offers privacy. The issue there is that you never know what you’re getting. A cute sweater online can come a size too big in a different shade of blue fabric that scratches your skin with every movement. Then, you have to go through the whole process of returning it and searching again when all you really wanted was a cute blue sweater.

Buying things has become such a stressful experience for me that I’ve just gotten into the habit of not doing it. I’ll go out and buy gifts for friends and family, but usually it’s either something obvious or a gift card. Clothing presents a first impression and does speak for you, but sometimes I wish an intelligent, composed image could be portrayed through some sweat pants and a T-shirt. R

Online Shopping

Isabella Hulsizer | Staff writer With the holiday season approaching, it is time to start tackling the task of buying gifts. Hopping in your car and driving all around town to hunt down deals can be time consuming and frustrating. The mall will be stuffed with people, your legs will get tired of walking around and your head will hurt from searching through multiple racks of clothing.

You could avoid all of this by not shopping, but there are a few consequences to that choice. If you choose not to shop, you do not feel the excitement of getting new clothes, instead you inherit hand-me downs. Sometimes if they don’t fit correctly they need to be altered. Alterations cost money, and in turn that money could’ve been spent on new clothes. And lastly, you definitely can’t avoid shopping forever because most professional jobs require you to dress a certain way.

The best way to save time, money and your sanity is by online shopping. To start, you can access online shops from any mobile device, computer or tablet. Most sites even have apps to make your shopping experience even easier. Most companies put a larger selection of products online mainly because it is cheaper to have a huge warehouses of products instead of a couple products displayed in small stores in multiple malls.

Other advantages to online shopping are the never-ending deals. Most shopping sites offer email subscriptions for daily deals or online memberships. There are also websites with coupon codes, and even advertisements on TV that allow you to save more money by shopping online.

I hear daily how I am crazy for constantly shopping online.

Everyone asks me, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll steal your card information? What if what you buy doesn’t fit? What if it isn’t the color you like?” My main response to this is that I do research.

Before I order from any site I look up how trustworthy it is. If I see multiple high ratings, then I make my purchase. You just have to be smart about where you are buying from.

Hulsizer shops online in the comfort of her bed. Hulsizer enjoyed the fact that she did not have to get out of bed to enjoy online sales. Photo courtesy of Isabella Hulsizer

Online shopping has benefited me in multiple ways. First off, for every school dance, I purchase my dresses online. This way, it is less likely for someone else to have the same dress as me. Secondly, I can always ask others to pick things they like and send me the links so I can get them exactly what they want for birthdays and holidays. Lastly, my favorite part is that I can shop from the convenience of my bed. There is no need to drive anywhere or come out of the cave I call my room. I won’t risk seeing anyone I know in public and I can snuggle under my covers with Netflix playing in the background. R

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Entertainment

Currently trending...

Jacket under jersey Some people think this trend look strange and unattractive, but why only wear jerseys when it’s hot outside?

Wearing a jersey over a jacket keeps people warm while they represent their team or school. I would never think to wear your shirt over a jacket, but it works. You spent money on the jersey so you might as well wear it and be proud while staying warm during winter.

Also, wearing a jersey over a jacket can be worn with just about anything like khaki shorts or plain blue jeans.

Vera Bradley lanyards Since some people have been going crazy over having to wear lanyards, why not talk about one of the most expensive lanyards I’ve seen worn on campus. This lanyard itself is priced at $12 not even adding up the extra $12 for the I.D. pouch that accompanies it. Although the Vera Bradley lanyard is gorgeous and made of great material that will most likely not wear and tear, a lanyard and pouch is not worth $25.

Knee-high socks and boots

I have a love-hate relationship with scarves because they can make or break an outfit. When you wear a light summer outfit and a chunky knit scarf, I think you look like you’re confused as to what season it is. Yet, a knit blanket scarf with a cardigan, crop top and skater skirt is adorable.

It’s really just a matter of wearing the right scarf for the right season outfit.

Scarves

With the colder months coming, people find such creative ways to integrate boots and knee-high socks into their outfits. I love how people can wear knee-high socks with ankle boots or knee-high boots and it looks just as cute. Also, it makes an outfit look very modern and classy. Not to mention, it keeps legs really warm. Make sure the color of your boots go with the color of your socks. For example, if your boots are black, brown socks won’t look too good and vice versa.

By Staff Writer, Dion Deguzman Photos by Lauren Puffer

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What do you think of this issue’s trends? Want us to review any more trends for the next issue? Tweet us with the hashtag #cdstrends @cdssunrise and you might see your favorite trend in our next issue. R

Entertainment

December Staff Playlist S Here are our staff picks for some good music to check out this month...

Juan Estrada

Kajal Dave

Nikki Dull

1. “Knights of Cydonia” Muse 2. “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen 3. “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” Fallout Boy 4. “Mama” My Chemical Romance 5. “Danza Kuduro” Don Omar

1. “Kathleen” Catfish and the Bottlemen 2. “House Party” Sam Hunt 3. “No” Cam Meekins 4. “Hello” Adele 5. “Breezeblocks” alt- J

1. “Glass Heart Hymn” Paper Route 2. “Here with Me” Susie Suh 3. “Saturn” Sleeping at Last 4. “I’ll Be Good” Jaymes Young 5. “Devil’s Backbone” The Civil Wars

SCOTTSDALE MICROSCOPIC ENDODONTICS Thomas J. Cipriano DDS, MS 4910 E. Greenway Road, Suite 3 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: 602-374-7879 Fax: 602-404-8287

www.ScottsdaleMicroscopicEndodontics.com cdssunrise.com R15

Cover Story

Cover Story

Importance of sleep Katelyn Stys | Managing Editor

O

n average, high school students need around eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. However, only 15 percent of young adults actually get this many hours a night. Eventually, sleep loss can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. Students who lack sleep can have trouble focusing throughout the day, may fall asleep in class and can have delayed responses to simple daily tasks.

Students’ common irregular sleep patterns often attribute to their lack of nightly sleep. Many students find themselves staying up late doing homework and waking up early getting ready for school. Students who take zero hour classes have to get up even earlier, which cuts into their sleep time.

In addition, a lack of sleep can result to students falling asleep during class.

When this happens, there is a chance of missing crucial information. Test scores and overall grades can be impacted by a lack of sleep. When sleep becomes less of a priority, the body tries to run on adrenaline, but once that runs out, you are left with a feeling of exhaustion. Although it is a difficult battle, balancing school, extracurricular activities and sleep, it is important that students find ways to get sleep/stay awake.

students need around 9 hours of sleep per night 1 out of 3 of people will have insomnia during their lifetime

Caffeine One way many students combat their lack of sleep is through caffeine. Around campus many students can be seen drinking coffee each morning to help get them through their first few class periods. However, even though this might keep them awake and lively for a little bit, eventually the caffeine will wear off.

“All caffeine is doing is telling your brain to speed your heart rate up (and) speeding your heart rate up then increases the blood flow to your brain and almost stimulates you,” Exercise Physiology teacher Bailee Roth said. “It’s not going to give you a heart attack, but it can get you to a point where you’re wired and can’t slow down, until the (caffeine levels) decrease.”

Regardless of the eventual “crash” after drinking caffeine, that does not stop students from avidly drinking coffee to support their need for caffeine to help them stay upbeat and awake throughout the day.

Some students, however, do not think that the caffeine has that much of an affect on them “I’ve been drinking it for so long and I don’t drink straight black coffee—I drink lattes and mochas instead—that I think the caffeine has minimal effects on me at this point,” sophomore Hannah Burns said.

Some students choose to drink energy drinks rather than coffee to keep them awake throughout the school day. Senior Ross Drummond drinks classic Monster energy drinks daily to

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help his body energize in the morning.

“I look forward to it, but a Monster is just a drink that I like to drink a lot, just like anyone else who likes something,” Drummond said. “Everyone is obsessed with Dutch Bros. and other coffee places and I know people who get a coffee every day just like I drink Monster everyday. It’s just something I enjoy, so I’m going to drink it.”

Roth says that even though some students choose to drink energy drinks/supplements, they are not always the healthiest choice.

“If you are telling your heart rate to speed up, that’s not natural.

At rest, your heart (rate) isn’t supposed to technically go super high,” Roth said.

In addition to the daily drinks, students can’t deny that these addictions and habits are not cheap. Drummond said he spends around $25 per week on Monster energy drinks.

Before you choose to replace your sleep with caffeinated drinks, be aware that it may put a pretty big dent in your pocket.

Scheduling Another way students find it best to manage to get more sleep is through keeping an organized schedule.

Senior Kylie McCloskey has been keeping a very detailed planner since her freshman year.

“I have to write it down so I don’t forget what I’m supposed to do,” McCloskey said.

In addition to writing assignments and obligations down, McCloskey said there is a method to staying on track.

“You should do whatever is due first, or whatever is going to take you the longest,” McCloskey said. “If you have a really big project, don’t push it off just because it’s due later. Do little parts as you go because it actually helps to be ahead sometimes.”

Keeping a calendar, whether on electronic devices or in a daily planner, can help students manage their time. Having a visible outline of day-to-day activities, sports and homework can help students understand when the best time is for them to do their homework and then go to sleep rather than take a “Netflix break.”

In addition to school, McCloskey is also a member of the Corona track team and knows that managing her time now will help her in the long run.

“Right now I’m working to get ahead of everything so that way when something comes up, it won’t be as bad,” McCloskey said. “(I) work extra hard now and then if something comes up or isn’t going my way, I have something to fall back on.”

Evening activities cause:

34%

of students to not get enough sleep

Homework causes:

28%

of students to not get enough sleep

35%

of students polled do not get enough sleep at least once a week

Statistics courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation

5 tips to getting better sleep

1

Try to go to sleep at the same time everyday.

Scheduling a time for you to go to bed each night will help your body get into a routine. Make sure you set a realistic bedtime so you can stick to a good schedule.

2

Take small naps. Everybody is tired when they get home from school, and naps can be a good thing, but make sure you don’t sleep too long. Taking 15-20 minute naps can boost your energy, but oversleeping can cause your nightly sleep to be more disrupted.

3 4 5

Manage your stress. Many people have busy schedules, so it is important to have good time management. In addition, make sure you give yourself breaks so you can calm down.

Power down. Avoid using electronics right before you go to sleep. The blue glow from cell phones, TVs and tablets can hurt your night’s sleep.

Exercise regularly. Exercising a few times a week can also help your sleep schedule. Aim to finish exercising a few hours before you go to bed so your body can relax before your head hits the pillow.

Teenagers only get around 7 hours of sleep per night Overall, sleep is an extremely important facet to a person’s daily life. One in three people will experience insomnia during their lifetime. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder where a person is not able to fall asleep. Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety and caffeine. It can be helpful to avoid extreme doses of caffeine and schedule your time accordingly to make sure you get the proper amount of sleep.

Sleeping nine to ten hours a night can put you in a better mood and make you feel better about yourself altogether. R

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Cover Story

Later start times could show benefits A

lthough it is medically recommended for teenagers to get nine hours of sleep per night, many students know this to be an unrealistic goal. With school, jobs, sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities to attend, a “good night’s sleep” has become an elusive dream.

As we try to balance these responsibilities with clocking in the proper amount of sleep, the facilitators of these activities should be working with us, not against us. Many of the activities we partake in as high school students are not mandatory, so commitment levels are at the mercy of the student. In these cases, students are responsible if their activities interfere with sleep. Making time for rest is a matter of not overextending yourself with an abundance of activities. However, there are certain institutions that require attendance at specific times, without regard for sleeping patterns.

For us, high school is the primary sleep interference.

At 7:25 a.m., or 6:23 a.m. for zero hour students, we gather in classrooms with coffee in hand, drooping eyelids and yawning mouths. When the bell rings at such an early hour, we are losing a quality period of sleep that could have a variety of positive health and educational benefits. With a few changes to scheduling, the source of much of our sleep deprivation could in turn help combat exhaustion.

A lack of sleep has been linked to a multitude of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, anxiety and other mood disorders. In addition, poor performance in school has also been a result of a lack of sleep. The lack of sleep and in turn poor test scores actually stems from the educational institution itself. Studies examining poor test scores in relation to early start times have shown a correlation. A poll by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that 30 percent of students fall asleep in class at least once a week. Despite these countless studies that clearly express a link between early start times and a conflict of teenager’s natural body clock, schools still stand firm on the ridiculously early start time.

A study by the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) shows that during puberty, a natural shift in our body clocks results in a desire to stay up later and wake up later.

In addition, these hormonal changes mean that we need even more sleep than any other age group. Nevertheless, high schools consistently start their days early, countering the statistically proven needs of its students. In contrast to some schools in the Tempe Union High School District, Corona begins at an early time that is highly discouraged by pediatric experts. Changing this start time, while presenting some challenges, could be monumental in improving the health and performance of students.

For schools that have switched their start time to a later

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hour, the positive results have been undeniable. While start times that have been pushed back to 8:30 a.m. or later have seen the best results, even a 30-minute extension produced impressive changes. In the study by the AAP, 50 percent of students who had an extra hour to sleep were able to achieve at least eight hours of sleep each night, compared to the 37 percent who didn’t have the extra hour. A later start time did not force students to stay up later, as some parents and teachers argued, but instead encouraged them to go to bed earlier.

Students reported feeling more focused at school and less tired, therefore increasing their productivity and allowing them to complete schoolwork and homework quickly, which leaves them plenty of time for sleep.

A later start time results in this positive cycle of efficiency, health and performance that could be beneficial to students. The AAP study also observed students at one school that delayed start times by a mere 30 minutes and saw similar results. It proves that the change does not have to be drastic to be helpful.

Despite the obvious benefits listed above, we are aware of the changes that would need to be made in order to accommodate a later start time, however drastic it may be.

From bus schedules, to parent jobs, to sports scheduling, to extracurricular activities, altering the schedule of the school day creates a domino effect of delays. However, if the community can get behind a later start time, with the benefits in mind, a transition to a later school start time is possible.

Countless districts across the United States have made the switch, while schools in our own district such as Desert Vista, which starts at 8:20 a.m., already employ a later start time. Although it is an adjustment, they’ve successfully implemented a later start time and have seen the positive effect on their students. In the long-run, it appears that the positive results will overshadow any negatives that arise in the beginning stages of the shift. After all, school should be a medium in which we are engaged and attentive, but without a sufficient amount of sleep, our ability to learn and retain information is lessened. The early school start time isn’t helping to accomplish the goal of more alert, healthy and well-rested students. With commitment from not only administrators but community members, we could earn better educations that result from simply being able to sleep in. R

Staff Editorial Opinion of the Sunrise Editorial Board

Entertainment

Winter Break Movie Releases Because winter break is almost upon us, here are some upcoming movies that should provide you with some entertainment over the course of your winter holiday festivities.

In the Heart of the Sea Release Date: Dec. 11 Genre: Action, adventure, drama Synopsis: Set in 1820, this film follows a whaling ship that is attacked by an abnormally large and violent whale which leaves the crew stranded in the middle of the ocean. This film is based on the real events that inspired the classic novel Moby Dick, which was written by Herman Melville.

What to look forward to: Look for lots of action and drama.

After they are stranded, the crew must battle storms, starvation and more if they want to make it home alive, and it is sure to be very suspenseful.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Release Date: Dec. 18 Genre: Action, adventure, fantasy Synopsis: This film is set 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). It will follow the adventures of new characters, such as Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley).

What to look forward to: This film will still feature the original characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2-D2.

Concussion Release Date: Dec. 25 Genre: Dramatic thriller Synopsis: Based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic neuropathologist who was the first to detect CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in pro football players. This movie follows his battle with the NFL, which wanted to stop Omalu from continuing his research.

What to look forward to: Will Smith is sure to give an incredible performance as Omalu, as he has already received a Hollywood Film Award, which heralded his portrayal as the best performance of the year.

Brenna Bochenek | Production Editor

The Big Short Release Date: Dec. 23 Genre: Drama Synopsis: This film follows four men who predict the collapse of the housing market in the mid 2000s and decide to take on the big banks responsible for the resulting economic downfall.

What to look forward to: This film is set to feature some great performances because it has an all-star cast, including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei and Melissa Leo. Also, this movie should have a great script, as it is based on the book by Michael Lewis, who also wrote The Blind Side and Moneyball.

Point Break Release Date: Dec. 25 Genre: Action, crime, thriller Synopsis: Point Break follows Jonny Utah (Luke Bracey), a young FBI agent who goes undercover to investigate a group of extreme sports athletes are responsible for a list of high profile corporate heists.

What to look forward to: Look for references to the original Point Break, which was released in 1991 and starred Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. If it is anything like the original, this film should also feature lots of great action sequences.

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Entertainment Restaurant Review

Joe’s Farm Grill Megan Marples | Life & Times Editor As the weather cools off, more people are looking for ways to enjoy the outdoors. Joe’s Farm Grill is the perfect way to do so with outdoor seating in an agricultural environment.

Joe’s Farm Grill serves burgers, barbecue, salads, grilled pizza, hot dogs and more. The restaurant was featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” because of its excellent food and unique atmosphere. Some of the more famous dishes include the Fontina Burger for $9.99 and onion rings for $4.99.

The Fontina burger consists of a 6 oz. patty, grilled mushrooms, fontina cheese, red peppers and pecan pesto.

When visiting the restaurant, I sampled some of the lesserknown dishes. For my meal, I ordered the Grilled Cheese Sandwich for $5.99. Layers of cheddar and fontina cheese are melted between slices of Texas Toast. The cheese is fairly sharp so if that’s not something that sounds appetizing to you, be warned.

I have also ordered the Farm Burger before. This classic build-your-own burger has add-on options such as mushrooms and bacon for an additional charge. You also have many cheese options to put on your burger, but my favorite is cheddar. All burgers come with a side of seasoned fries as well.

For beverages, there are soft drinks and various juices, but the signature drink is lemonade. It may not seem worth it with a

hefty price of $4, but the homemade drink is delicious. The drink comes in a large cup with half of a lemon floating in it so the lemonade never is watered down.

Be sure to arrive early at Joe’s Farm Grill because there is almost always a long line out the door. It is located at 3000 E. Ray Road in Gilbert and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. R

Photo by Megan Marples

Chocolate Mug Cake Faryal Ashraf | Staff Writer

Source: Jan D’Atri

Ingredients: - - - -

4 tablespoons flour 5 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

- - - - -

1/8 teaspoon salt 1 egg 3 tablespoons of milk 2 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips

Directions: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large coffee mug.

Add the egg, milk and oil and mix thoroughly.

Slowly mix in chocolate chips.

Microwave for 2-3 minutes, checking periodically to prevent burning.

Once cooled, top off with your choice of toppings.

Photo by Megan Marples

Post pictures on social media using #cdssnacks and show us how you enjoyed this recipe

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entertainment

Long awaited Marianas Trench album pleases fans Patricia Stoica | Staff Writer

F

un fact you might not know: One of the three co-writers and lone producer on 2011 hit “Call Me Maybe,” Josh Ramsay, happens to be the frontman of a rather successful Canadian-based band called Marianas Trench. It’s put out four studio albums, the most recent released on Oct. 23.

The album is titled Astoria after the setting of 80s film The Goonies (Astoria, Oregon), which Ramsay says inspired the record, according to a recent interview for Highlight Magazine.

In a way, Astoria feels like the most personal of Marianas Trench’s albums.

The band has covered some pretty heavy subjects before and this record is no different. Across the board, there is the theme of not knowing what the future holds.

Like its two previous albums, Astoria is a loose concept album. It also includes a few songs that are used as transitions, something the band has done before. But on Astoria the transitions are longer and more fleshed out.

Something that bothered me about Marianas Trench’s last record Ever After was that while it had nice transitional moments, they were included on a full-length song. Now, transitions are their own tracks, as they should be.

Listening to the album for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I’d heard the lead single “One Love,” but beyond that, it was a mystery. It opens as if through a dream, issuing the warning, “Astoria, I’m warning you/Not ready yet, not for you.” The title track, like all opening tracks on Marianas Trench’s past three albums, is a medley. Generally, I skip the medleys (except for upon first listen, of course). But “Astoria” is more cohesive and overall more interesting. The title track is followed up with “Burning Up,” a poppy song that features a falsetto on every chorus. I’m not really a fan of falsettos in any situation, but as it’s already grown on me, I’m sure it’ll continue to do so.

One of my favorites is “Dearly Departed,” a bittersweet song that starts out nice, with Ramsay singing over a lone ukulele for most of the song. It comes to a head during the bridge, with the lines “We never sent the cards, they’re all still on the table/Wanna throw them out but I’m just not able.”

His failed engagement is addressed throughout the record, as big a theme on the record as it would’ve been in his life.

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Marianas Trench

Before that, an entire verse is dedicated to name-dropping titles of previously released Marianas Trench songs. I didn’t really know what to think of that verse originally, as it seemed awkward and forced but it turns out that the titles of that song are “the title[s] of every song I’ve written about that person,” according to Ramsay’s Twitter, which makes that whole verse a lot more meaningful.

Astoria turned out a lot different than I expected, even though I didn’t really know what to expect. Marianas Trench has not lost any of its signature theatrics and drama, but brought in new elements to its music that were never there before, like the ukulele in “Dearly Departed.” And of course, they still have plenty of full-band harmonies throughout the record. This is the album fans waited four years for. I’ll say it was worth the wait. R

If there is something you would like CdS Sunrise to review (movie, book, CD, etc.) send it to us at cdspublications1@gmail.com

Sports Jake’s Take

High School basketball rules should be modified Jake Pyatt | Sports Editor With basketball season underway, I think it is an ideal time to take a look at some of the rules Arizona should get up to date with to prepare players for college or even just to be like other states nationwide.

The first rule that needs to be updated is the implementation of a shot clock. Not too many states have the shot clock yet but I believe it would be best for the players if they had a shot clock. The addition of a shot clock would likely increase scoring in a state that already scores more than the national average.

Many people who argue against a high school shot clock claim that “education-based basketball does not warrant that student-athletes and coaches play to entertain the public,” according to the NFHS If that is the argument then they shouldn’t be charging us money to attend these “educationbased” games. People who are against it also claim that high school basketball should remain different from the college or professional level. Adding a 35-second shot clock would not all of a sudden turn it into a college game. There are still many major differences in terms of fouls and 3-point shots.

A shot clock would create more of a pace to the game instead of a team stalling late in a game to run the clock. It would get coaches to think more and make sure players are

paying attention. Many schools in states with a shot clock claim that there really is not really a major difference with or without.

Games should be played in halves, not quarters.

Right now in Arizona, teams play four eight-minute quarters. I think playing a 32-minute game is good for a high school game and doesn’t need to be any The clock runs out during the fourth quarter of the home longer. Two game against Brophy. Implementing a shot clock could 16-minute force the game to move quicker. Photo by Maria Martin halves would be perfect. But I don’t see any value or purpose to the time period in between quarters. Teams would still have five timeouts, three 60-second and two 30-second.

With that said, the game is still in a good place right now.

These are all changes I would like to see, not necessarily a need to change. R

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Sports

Barcello bound to be a leader

Jake Pyatt | Sports Editor

J

unior Alex Barcello plays a large role on Corona’s talented basketball team.

Entering his third season on varsity, Barcello knows he is expected to play one of the most important roles for the Aztecs.

“I’ve become more of a leader,” Barcello said. “Just (making) guys around me better, just making myself and my team better as we move along in the process.”

Barcello has received 14 offers from colleges around the country to come play for them. Notable schools like Notre Dame, Gonzaga, California Berkeley, Oregon, Virginia, Wake Forest, Arizona State and Arizona have made offers to the junior point guard.

Barcello recognized he had potential to become a star player a few years ago.

“I realized it over the summer of my eighth grade to freshman year. I was traveling a lot and playing nationally,” Barcello said. “Scouts were talking to me and then (I realized) once I started picking up offers from colleges, a lot of big-time names.”

Recently, Barcello decided to start to play for the club team Oakland Soldiers, which has produced many famous basketball players such as LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Eddie House, Brandon Jennings and Kendrick Perkins.

“It’s a high-profile program,” Barcello said. “We’re going to be traveling around the country playing in the top tournaments where coaches and scouts can come watch us so it’s a great opportunity and I’m excited for it.”

Corona head coach Neil MacDonald knows how important Barcello will be to this year’s team.

“A player like Alex would be valuable to any team,” MacDonald said. “He has a tremendous amount of skill, but more importantly, he is a great student, teammate, and always represents our program and school well.”

MacDonald came to Corona as an assistant coach Barcello’s freshman year and the two have had a good relationship ever since.

“He’s (MacDonald) a very good guy, very humble,” Barcello said. “He’s down to earth.”

“I think we have a really good relationship.”

MacDonald said. “Alex and I came in at the same time so that helps. He probably gives me more credit than I deserve. I think more of it is his work ethic and dedication.”

The 6-foot-2-inch point guard has a tremendous amount of skill for how young he really is.

“He hasn’t played his junior year yet,” MacDonald said. “People seem to forget that because he plays at such a high level. He’s still maturing as a player and a student.”

Barcello is looking forward to another exciting season.

“It’s great when the stands are packed and everyone’s rooting for you,” Barcello said.

“Getting the championship trophy. I love winning, that’s probably my favorite part about it.” R

Junior Alex Barcello goes for a layup during the Brophy home game. He has been a part of the varsity team since his freshman year. Photo by Maria Martin

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Sports

Continuing as an Aztec Cartagena’s dedication lands her spot on college team Kasey Ruthardt | Staff Writer Senior Isabelle Cartagena has been playing soccer for 12 years on club and school teams. Cartagena plays outside back and she works hard to balance school and soccer. She has made the girls varsity soccer team all four years at Corona del Sol and she has managed to impress the coaches each year.

“As a freshman I would say it was her being so athletic,” head coach Matt Smith said. “You knew that even if she wasn’t quite ready she was going to be athletic enough that she was going to have the opportunity to compete.”

She has impressed not only her coaches but also her fellow soccer players that have seen her grow and change during her soccer career.

“Izzie works hard and she’s a team player,” senior Bailee McCook said.

“She’ll always be there to watch your back and she’s a good friend; she’s loyal and she’s funny.”

Cartagena is the captain for Corona’s soccer team. Not only do the players her “This is age respect her, but so do the younger girls. Girls that have only been working where I’ve with Cartagena for a few years still view met all my her as an excellent soccer player. best friends.” “She’s a really good defender and a captain and she’s funny,” junior -Cartagena good Lauren Lambert said. “She makes everything work.”

Even though Cartagena is the soccer captain she still knows how to be a team player. The way she leads the team but still maintains her own personality really stands out to Coach Smith.

“She’s highly competitive, but she’s one of those kids that can be highly competitive without being negative,” Smith said. “I think that’s a big piece; she leads by having a positive energy.”

Cartagena isn’t the only soccer player in her family; her father also played. Her father playing and hearing about other female soccer players is what pushed Cartagena to start playing herself.

Cartagena

“My dad played soccer so I guess it kinda started off of that,” Cartagena said. “And I remember hearing about (former American soccer player) Mia Hamm and wanted to play.”

For Cartagena, soccer isn’t just a sport that she plays. It’s also a place where she’s made her closest friends and made some of her favorite memories. Cartagena’s soccer career won’t be ending in high school, as she plans on attending San Diego State University to play soccer in the fall of 2016.

“This is where I’ve met all my best friends,” Cartagena said. “(I plan on attending) San Diego State University.”

Cartagena is very excited to grow and become better as an athlete. For many athletes, especially seniors, it can be difficult to balance school and their sport. Cartagena is taking on the challenge and still staying bright about it.

“I’m excited to get better and am grateful for the opportunities I have,” Cartagena said. “I usually have a lot of late nights but I try and balance it out.”

This year everyone on the soccer team is looking forward to a great season. According to Smith, last year they were just outside of the top four but they’ve improved for this year.

They’ll be facing some tough teams,w but everyone is working hard as a team to make this season a great one.

“We’re going to do very well,” McCook said. “We’re going to work hard as a team and try our hardest.” R

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Sports

Championship Attitude Senior Ryan Farina looks at facing the challenges of being a leader for the wrestling team Kasey Ruthardt | Staff Writer

Farina

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As a wrestler it is important to be a strategic and coordinated athlete. Senior Ryan Farina is looking forward to showing off these skills this wrestling season and hopefully win another state championship.

“I hope to just succeed all around,” Farina said.

Farina started wrestling nearly seven years ago when he was in the fifth grade. Farina’s dedication to the sport is shown in all he has accomplished. Over the years he has acquired abilities that have helped him succeed on and off the mat. Since last season he has improved on things like becoming quicker and building more strength and endurance.

“I’ve just become stronger and faster and overall better,” Farina said. “I’ve also added a lot more moves to my arsenal.”

Farina is confident in himself and his teammates to have a good season this year and thinks they will be able to accomplish the goals they have set.

“I think we have a strong team and I think we could do a lot of big things,” Farina said.

With a lot of younger wrestlers on the team, it is necessary for the older wrestlers to step up and play a leadership role. Farina is one of the biggest leaders as he is not only a senior but a defending state champion in the 126-pound weight class. One of the biggest strengths Farina sees in his team is all the abilities his teammates have.

“Everyone on our team is really talented,” Farina said. “We could use that to our advantage.”

In any sport it is important to have a coach who pushes you to do your best and motivates you to become a better athlete. Head coach Jim Martinez has nothing but admiration for Farina and his role on the team.

“Ryan is a leader, a role model and an athlete who demonstrates success for younger wrestlers,” Martinez said.

Martinez expects nothing but the best from Farina, but has full confidence he can accomplish the goals he has set.

“My expectations for him have to be the highest; he’s a defending state champion,” Martinez said. “I think he has a very good chance of repeating as a state champion and having a really successful season.”

Wrestling won’t end in high school for Farina as he has recently signed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he plans to wrestle and study engineering. He’s looking forward to attending the same school his older brother, Glen.

“They have a really strong engineering program, which I’m looking to go into,” Farina said. “And my brother goes there, so that’s also a plus.”

Farina hopes to accomplish all the goals he has set for himself, like winning state again, and to make the most out of his last season being a CdS wrestler.

“I’m also looking forward to winning another state championship,” Farina said. R

Sports

Freshman excells in Senior Co. B Dion Deguzman | Staff Writer

eing chosen to be in senior company is an amazing accomplishment in dance, and being a freshman chosen to be in senior company makes the accomplishment even greater. Freshman Makenzie Stratton was chosen as one of two freshmen on senior company dance.

“It’s kind of scary at first since you’re with juniors and seniors,” Stratton said.

Although a freshman, Stratton is no amateur in the dance world.

“I’ve been dancing for my studio, Tempe Dance Academy, since I was 3 years old,” Stratton said.

Stratton began to dance after watching her aunt dance when she was young.

“My aunt was a dancer and I used to watch her do the Christmas shows at our studio all the time,” Stratton said. “She inspired me to dance.”

Dance has many fun opportunities, but Stratton knew what her favorite part of dance was without a doubt. “(My favorite part of dance is) to be able to tell a story without using words,” Stratton said. “Telling a story through your motions and expressions and not through words is amazing.”

With the countless years Stratton has been a dancer, Stratton also manages to travel the country due to her talents.

In 2014, Stratton was part of the National Junior Female Top 15 in New York.

“We travel to New York every year for a competition, and out of 200 girls you do auditions and based on your solo scores you get put into the gala,” Strattons explains. “Then, you perform at the gala and you see who the winner is.”

Although Stratton is known for her dance background, she is also a cheerleader on the freshman cheerleading team.

“My mom was a cheerleader here a long time ago,” Stratton said. “It’s still weird because she sometimes still puts her old Stratton cheer uniform on.”

Dance teacher Elizabeth Dobyns speaks highly of Stratton.

“She’s an incredible dancer,” Dobyns said. “She’s probably the most technically proficient dancer we have in the entire program.”

Dobyns sees something special in Stratton, especially considering she is only a freshman.

“She has that ‘it’ factor,” Dobyns said. “She shines on stage and choreography. She is a rising star.”

Senior Eliana Carrera also had nothing but great things to say.

“Makenzie is one of the most amazing dancers I have ever seen,” Carrera said. “She inspires me to become a better dancer every time I see her dance.”

After high school, Stratton hopes to either pursue her career in dance or be a cheerleader.

“I hope to do productions in New York,” Stratton explained. “But I haven’t really thought about what dance company I’d join or what football team I would cheer for.” R

Stratton (middle) dances during the dance show on Friday, Dec. 4. She also dances at Tempe Dance Company outside of school. Photo by Dion Deguzman

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Sports

Sanchez displays talent in rugby Brenna Bochenek | Production Editor Every year, most American sports fans get excited over who is going to win the World Series or obsess over which teams will face off in the Super Bowl. However, senior Kristian Sanchez is more interested in finding out which teams make it to the Rugby World Cup. Even though rugby doesn’t get much news coverage in the U.S., it is the world’s second most popular sport. Despite its apparent lack of interest in the U.S., teams such as the one Sanchez plays on, have been starting up all across the country.

“I play for the Red Mountain Knights, but it’s not associated with the high school,” Sanchez said. “We’re a club team based in Mesa, and we’re very good.”

This is Sanchez’s fourth year playing rugby with the Knights, who have some seriously impressive statistics.

“We haven’t lost a state championship in four years,” Sanchez said. “(And) we finished off last season ranked 11th in the nation.”

Sanchez became interested in rugby because of his father, who is also an avid player of the sport.

“My dad has been playing for as long as I can remember,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been around the sport my whole life.”

Sanchez plays a position called fly-half, which means he is in charge of the team’s attacks and defensive strategies.

“It’s kind of like the quarterback,” Sanchez said. “You’re the captain of the backs, which are your fast, quick guys who do the scoring.”

Sanchez described rugby as a mixture of three sports: soccer, football and basketball with some additional elements. “(You) have to get creative on the field and make decisions without the coach’s help,” Sanchez said. “You have to rely on your teammates.”

In addition, there are no time-outs and no stopping between plays, so the game involves a lot of running, which Sanchez said is the most difficult part.

“You play both sides of the ball, defense and offense,” Sanchez said. “Running for two 40-minute halves straight with hits is exhausting, especially towards the end of a match.”

Rugby often gets a bad reputation as a violent sport because the players do not wear helmets or padded gear. Even though it is a very physical sport, Sanchez admitted that he thinks it is less dangerous than football.

“You get cuts and bruises quite a bit, but the number of concussions and broken ribs are actually very low,” Sanchez said.

Due to the lack of protective gear on the field, rugby has specific rules in place to regulate how players can tackle one another.

“In rugby you have to keep your tackles below the shoulder,”

28 R December 2015

Senior Kristian Sanchez makes a catch during a game. He has played with his team for four years now. Photo courtesy of Kristian Sanchez

Sanchez said. “You have to worry where your head is a lot.”

Even though Sanchez likes the competitive side of the sport, he also treasures the long-lasting friendships he’s built with his teammates and coaches.

“Your team becomes extended family,” Sanchez said. “I’ll always remember the players that I’ve played with for a really long time.”

Sanchez’s teammates share his sentiments about family, and value the strong leadership abilities that he brings to the game.

“He’s very good at leading others and he knows every aspect of the game,” teammate and senior Wade Young said. “He knows how to play the game well and how teach others to do the same.”

The familial aspect of rugby also comes through in competitions. Even though both teams are focused on winning the match, the players find a friendly unity in the fact that they all love rugby. “(Matches) are actually very friendly, because you’re all rugby players, so you can relate to each other in that way,” Sanchez said.

“We travel a lot, so it’s nice to see the other players out there and meet new people.”

Sanchez aims to keep his love of rugby a big part of his future, and even wants to continue playing after college.

“I will be playing next year at the University of Arizona,” Sanchez said. “Then I will move to a men’s (team) and see where it goes from there.” R

Sports

Master on the mat Snoddy signs to compete in collegiate gymnastics Tanner Kujawa | Online Managing Editor When children are growing up, parents normally embrace whatever obsession-of-the-week they have. When senior Elizabeth Snoddy was a girl, she dreamed of being a cheerleader.

However, her parents redirected her enthusiasm and led her onto the path of gymnastics, which has now landed Snoddy a scholarship to college.

“I really wanted to be a cheerleader when I was little but my mom said ‘no,’” Snoddy said. “I started it (gymnastics) through dance and I used to like to do cartwheels. They (My parents) took me to an actual gym to learn (gymnastics).”

Snoddy admits that her parents led her to gymnastics with a possible college scholarship in mind.

“A lot of my family members went to college for sports and there’s not many opportunities (for scholarships) for cheerleading so they (my parents) told me to be a gymnast,” Snoddy said.

Now a senior, Snoddy has been doing gymnastics for almost 10 years. Snoddy trains hours a day at Desert Lights Gymnastics in Chandler.

“I go to gym straight from school and then I don’t get home until like 8:30-9:00 p.m, then I do homework, which sucks,” Snoddy said. “You get used to it after a while.”

Snoddy admits that at first it was hard to find a balance between gymnastics and her busy school schedule full of honors and AP classes.

“I’ve found a balance, finally,” Snoddy said. “Freshman and sophomore year I was so stressed because there was so much to do.”

Snoddy’s successful gymnastics career has led her to winning several awards, including state titles and competing in national competitions.

“I’ve won (a) state (championship) a few times,” Snoddy said. “I’ve been to nationals three times, every year I’ve competed at level 10 (the highest level in the Junior Olympic program), and then once when I was in level nine.”

On her gymnastics team, Snoddy acts as a leader and sets an example for younger athletes.

“The best part about having Elizabeth as a teammate is how supportive she always is,” said sophomore Karissa Hoffman, who is on Snoddy’s team. “She is always nice and has tons of team spirit.”

Hoffman admits that Snoddy works very hard but doesn’t just focus on herself.

“Elizabeth is very hardworking and is always willing to help people,” Hoffman said.

Snoddy

Snoddy feels all of her hard work pays off when she competes.

“Competing is really fun because you work really hard and then you get to go show off,” Snoddy said.

Her hard work definitely paid off when it came time for Snoddy to start looking for colleges.

“It (gymnastics) definitely helped me get into a really good college,” Snoddy said.

After coaches from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. saw Snoddy compete, they reached out to her coaches.

“They (William and Mary) contacted my coaches after they saw me at Nationals my freshman year saying they were interested,” Snoddy said.

Snoddy was hesitant at first when she heard about the College of William and Mary.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure that I wanted to go there at first because I thought I wanted to go to a top 10 school (for gymnastics) but then I realized that academics are way more important,” Snoddy said.

After visiting twice, Snoddy decided that the College of William and Mary was the right school for her.

“I have visited twice. I went on an unofficial (visit) and I just went on an official (visit). They (the College of William and Mary) have really good academics and when I visited there everyone was really nice,” Snoddy said. “It’s kind of small so everyone knows everyone and I really like that.”

With a scholarship offer to the College of William and Mary, Snoddy signed her National letter of intent on Nov. 13. R

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Sports

Perfect on the pitch Karly Castro | Staff Writer For many high schoolers, sports are the best way to relieve stress and help build character.

With soccer being more of a fast-paced sport, it can definitely help sharpen a student’s mind, on and off the field. Head coach Dan Salas is very enthusiastic for the soccer season to begin again.

“We have a younger team, but 90 percent of our team from last year is returning,” Salas said. “I’m excited about going with “What makes them again, getting back into our routine, John so special is that he might not and just being around them.” only be the best Under certain player on the team, circumstances, having new kids on but he’s going a team who have to be pushing never worked with everybody else to each other could be work as hard as he difficult, but Salas is optimistic about does.” -Salas working with them.

“It’s not that much of a struggle, if they’re willing to work,” Salas said. “We’ve got a foundation; it’s not a lot of guess work. These are the expectations, if they don’t want to do it, that’s their choice.”

Older players, with more experience, are great influences for the incoming freshman. Senior and forward John Rea originally attended Brophy College Preparatory high school for freshman

and sophomore year. During his junior year, he moved to Florida to attend Montverde Academy for soccer, and transferred to CdS to complete his senior year. Rea has recently committed to the University of Notre Dame.

“I really like the community there, the campus is super nice, and I really like the coach and the soccer team there,” Rea said.

It’s always important to have a coach who’s always willing to push you harder to meet your potential.

“What makes John so special,” Salas said, “is that he might not only be the best player on the team, but he’s going to be pushing everybody else to work as hard as he does. And it doesn’t matter what kind of exercise or drill we’re doing, John is focused and ready to do it.”

Rea admits to speed being his greatest strength on the field, and ball control his weakness.

“I want to get better, fitter and more in shape,” Rea said. “And I want to be more of a team player.”

“If anybody knows John, they know he’s a great person,” Salas said. “And that might not even be saying enough about him.” R

Rea

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Sports

Lauer shoots for success Faryal Ashraf | Staff Writer

The girls basketball season is beginning soon, and high expectations have been set. Senior Hannah Lauer is a point guard for Corona’s varsity team, and she has been playing basketball since she was young.

“My dad inspired me to play basketball, since he played basketball,” Lauer said. “I took it up and have been in love with it since.”

Head coach Andy Strom has also been a source of inspiration for her since she stepped onto Corona’s court.

“Coach Strom has definitely inspired me to do better,” Lauer said. “He’s seen me since seventh grade, rising and growing in my sport. All he does is continue to push me, and push me, and it’s good because its gotten me to where I am today.”

Strom said that Lauer shows great leadership skills and helps the team improve.

“Hannah is a team leader. On the court, she helps control what we do,” Strom said. “One of her best qualities is making her teammates better.”

As for Strom’s views on the team in general, he foresees a good year with their best effort.

“I expect our team to have a successful year,” Strom said. “I expect them to play hard every game and sacrifice for each other.”

Senior Hannah Lauer shoots a free throw against Mountain Pointe. Lauer has been a part of the Corona basketball program since her freshman year. Photo by Juan Estrada

Senior Hannah Lauer dribbles the ball down the court. Corona defeated Mountain Pointe 51-35. Photo by Juan Estrada

Strom also says that Hannah has taken strides as a player since he first saw her, especially in her confidence.

“Hannah has improved greatly since she was a freshman,” Strom said. “Her confidence keeps growing and she has become a very good player.”

Strom sees Hannah as a very kind person, in addition to being a talented basketball player.

“Hannah is a wonderful human being. She is very kind and cares about others,” Strom said. “She is fun to be around and I enjoyed coaching her during her time at Corona.”

For Lauer, her love for the sport has driven her to continue playing.

“What’s helped inspire me to continue playing basketball is my love for the sport,” Lauer said. “Ever since I was younger basketball has always been there for me no matter what, even when no one else was.”

Lauer has been playing in camps at Corona since she was in seventh grade, and would practice drills with the girls basketball team at the time.

Basketball gives Lauer the opportunity to let out her emotion on the court and will continue to play as a lifelong hobby.

“It (basketball) has always been a companion to me and it’s everything,” Lauer said. “Whenever I’m feeling down, sad, angry or frustrated, basketball’s there for me. If I could I would play it forever.”

Lauer credits her team for inspiring her and succeeding with her teammates is her top source for showing what she can improve on while out on the court.

Lauer has no definite plans for college yet, but says that she will be fine with going anywhere as long as there is basketball there.

“I really hope that I can make it to college-level,” Lauer said.

“I don’t really care what college I go to. I just want to continue playing basketball.” R

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Sports

Defending the title Corona basketball looks to handle the pressure to win a 5th consecutive championship Jake Pyatt | Sports Editor

The 2014-15 boys basketball tems lifts the Championship trophy. The Aztecs defeated Desert Vista, 57-32. Sunrise File Photo

C

orona basketball has been well known in recent years for being one of the best schools in the state, winning the last four state championship games. Led by many future Division I college players like Casey Benson, Alex Barcello, Dane Kuiper and Marvin Bagley, the teams were dominant every season. This year is a different story. The team lost many key leaders like Kuiper, Cassius Peat, Isaiah Bolden and former freshman phenom Bagley. Sam Duane Jr. resigned as head coach in April. There have been numerous changes to the program. However, there is still lots of talent left on the team. The team is full of many important players such as senior Tyrell Henderson and juniors Barcello and Saben Lee. New head coach Neil MacDonald does not believe there should be any greater pressure on this year’s team to be successful.

“I don’t look at it in terms of pressure to win games,” MacDonald said. “Championship programs are built, and championships are won through focusing on preparation and doing things the right way.”

MacDonald hopes to see his team have a good attitude and determination to get better every game.

“We will focus on the things we can control, like working hard and conducting ourselves properly,” MacDonald said.

32 R December 2015

“Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is very small. We will measure our success by our attitude and effort.

If we are satisfied with those, we will never be disappointed in ourselves.”

Henderson knows his team can’t get caught looking ahead. “(The pressure) is the same “There’s definitely every year,” Henderson said, “we a winning need to take it one game at a time.” environment here. I MacDonald hopes to see Corona basketball keep developing know that we have under his reign. to win and carry on “I’m not Coach Duane, but that tradition that our philosophies are very similar,” this school has.”

MacDonald said. “I’m sure -Barcello there will be some things we do differently, as this team will be different than last year’s. However, the fundamentals of the program will stay the same.”

The Aztec’s last season only had one loss in a nail-biter against nationally ranked Sierra Canyon (Calif.) in the Hoophall West tournament.

Barcello, who was named the Gatorade State Boys Basketball player of the year last season, agrees with the fact that there shouldn’t be any heightened pressure for this year’s team to win.

“There’s definitely a winning environment here,” Barcello said. “I know that we have to win and carry on that tradition that this school has.”

Barcello hopes his relationship with MacDonald will be helpful this season.

“He’s really similar to Coach Duane in aspects of what he runs and what he teaches us on defense and offense,” Barcello said.

Though the team did lose key players, MacDonald knows this group will be fine when they play as a team.

“This is a great group of young men,” MacDonald said.

“They will do the work necessary and stay focused on a common goal. I have no doubt about that.”

MacDonald doesn’t want to measure the team’s success based on a championship.

“Our focus won’t be solely on winning number five,” MacDonald said. “It will be on putting in the work necessary to compete at the highest level each time we take the court.” R