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CdS Sunrise Corona del Sol High School | Tempe, AZ | Vol. 36, No. 4

Competition Government repeats as state champions Read story on page 4

Wrestling takes 2nd at sectionals

Read story on page 31

Above: The 2013-14 wrestling team poses for a group picture after its second place finish at sectionals.

Division I sectionals were postponed a week due to a skin infection. Photo courtesy of Jim Martinez Left: Corona’s Competition Government team took first in state for the third consecutive year and will head to nationals in April. Photo illustration by Liz Cheney

table of contents

in this issue of the Sunrise...

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Comp. Gov. Repeats at State Competition

After hours and hours of preparation, Competition Government comes out victorious at State

New Semester Brings New Staff

Meet the newest addtions to Corona’s campus including new security and the new football coach

Hauntings of Corona

Read about the strange happenings around Corona that some blame on a certain ghost...

10 Ways to Spend Spring Break

Spice up your spring break with a bundle of ideas which range from relaxing to adventurous

Are you a procrastinator?

Do you wait until last minute for everything? Take the quiz and see where your procrastination habits stand

Wrestling sectionals success, state delayed

Corona wrestling takes 2nd place at sectionals and qualifies 11 wrestlers for state competition

XC Senior Recognized by Gatorade Award

Senior Nathan Rodriguez was named the Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for 2013-2014

Corona del Sol Sunrise Staff Editor-in-Chief Jacqui Marzocca Online Editor-in-Chief Mason Kuluris Managing Editor Devika Sharan Online Managing Editor Josh Ambre

News Editor Sapna Daryanani Opinions Editor Alisa Rodriquez Life & Times Editor Aashini Choksi Sports Editor Omar Soussi Clubs Editor Nikki Hinshaw Photo Editor Elizabeth Cheney Assistant Photo Editor Max Butler Graphics Editor Matthew O’Donnell

Social Media Editor Manali Chavan Online Photo Editor Kelly Zimmer Online Sports Editor Johnny Waddell Staff Brenna Bochenek, Natasha Burrell, Tony DeLorenzi, Andrew Eversden, Lauren LaGioia, Joseph Macias, Bridget Manning, Kevin Park, Carson Pyatt, Katelyn Stys 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.

Corona del Sol High School | 1001 E. Knox Road | Tempe, AZ 85284

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Letter from Nikki Hinshaw | Clubs Editor

an Editor

The bell rings at 6:23 a.m. for the poor souls who choose to attend school that early. They are going to zero hour, the extra hour of classes offered at Corona that allows students to make up credits or get ahead. They can enroll in more academic courses, including some AP classes, or opt for an extra elective class to meet the credit requirements or advance in a musical field.

With these advantages comes a shockingly early start time that can bring about many other problems.

Taking zero hour can either be a blessing or a curse, and individuals have to determine whether the results will be beneficial for them.

Zero hour calls for an early rise, which often causes a huge lack of sleep. For a typical high school student, homework and extra-curricular activities prevent them from going to bed a decent time, and earning the recommended amount of sleep. Late nights added to the one fewer hour of sleep in the morning results in tired teens whose schoolwork as well as personal life can be affected.

For those who aren’t fazed by a lack of sleep, there might be other downsides of zero hour that need to be taken into consideration. Students may see declines in grades due to this class option, which can jeopardize Grade Point Averages (GPAs). When taking a rigorous math, English or other academic course at that early of an hour, students are often not fully awake or are not functioning enough to give their best effort at the work.

For any student who wants to maintain a strong GPA, they must ensure that they will mentally and physically be able to give the coursework their finest effort.

On top of the average homework from six classes, an academic class zero hour will add one more set of homework assignments to the already abundant workload common for most high school students. The motivation, work ethic, and determination involved in waking up to a challenging class so early in the morning might not be present in all individuals.

In order to take a zero hour class, students should possess the ability to get to bed at a decent time, in order to match the extra-early start time. They also need to eat a strong breakfast, as there is an extra hour to starve through before lunchtime.

On top of those ideas, it is also smart to enroll in a class they are passionate about, so they aren’t dreading the class every morning. I take World Music (Steel Drum Band) zero hour and because of my love of music, I am able to get up every morning with eagerness instead of dread.

Constantly asking “why am I doing this?” is not a healthy attitude toward a class that the goal is to do well in.

As long as desire, health, and good intentions are present, zero hour can be a beneficial idea that will help propel students toward achieving their academic or personal goals. 

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Striving for an A

++ + + =A+

Corona is on track to become an A+ school

Devika Sharan | Managing Editor

This year, for the first time Corona is applying for the A+ Award, awarded by the Arizona Education Foundation. The award recognizes schools ho are exemplary schools. The application process has several steps to it.

Step one of the process is filling out the application for the award, which is long and extensive, going into every possible detail. The theme for Corona’s application was “We Bleed Orange.”

“It’s (the application) very elaborate; it’s long,” principal Brent Brown said. “(There are) many sections to it, from school achievement to the culture of the school to cleanliness to everything you could imagine with the school and we answer those questions in an essay form.”

Step two is when the review board of the foundations evaluates all the applications from all of the schools, and if the board likes what they see, the school is awarded a visit.

The visit is step three and this is where Corona is right now in the process.

“We were just granted a visit,” Brown said. “A team of people will come out for a day-and-a-half on our campus and they will go in and out of classrooms. They’ll talk to staff, they’ll talk to students, they’ll talk to parents, they’ll check out our campus and see if everything that we put in the application is factual.”

Corona’s visit is scheduled for March 27 and 28, so don’t be surprised if people enter your classroom and ask questions about our school.

If the board members like what they see and it is what it is, then Corona will move on to step four, which is simply receiving the A+ Award, and then it’s up to the school to keep it up by rinsing and repeating the process every three years. R

44 pages 18 months

28 faculty and staff

3 community members 3 students

CdS golf alumna playing on a world stage Katelyn Stys | Staff Writer

Many Corona athlete alumni have gone on to do great things for the colleges they play for. Some even excel at the university level, and Dana Finkelstein is among this elite group of student athletes.

Finkelstein, a 2012 graduate, played golf throughout her years as an Aztec and has since gone on to play golf for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

“It gave me the chance to play, not only as an individual, but as part of a team like you do in college,” Finkelstein said of how Corona’s golf team has prepared her for college. “It also helped me to learn how to manage my time since I had to keep up with my school work as well as golf. In college, it is so important to learn how to balance the need for doing well academically as well as athletically.”

Finkelstein is representing the United States this June in Switzerland at the World University Golf Championship. She qualified because of her high world amateur ranking and her stature as one of the best

golfers in the United States.

“It is a biennial golf competition where collegiate golfers from many different countries come together to play in team and individual competition,” Finkelstein said.

Finkelstein plans to stay well prepared for her trip this June. She will be there for a total of nine days while the tournament lasts for four days.

“We (UNLV) are about to start our regular spring season in February; that will keep my game ready to go to Switzerland in June,” Finkelstein said. “We have practice and work out almost all week when we are not traveling to tournaments, so that will help me to prepare also.”

Finkelstein is very excited to see what this trip brings for her. “(My experience) has been fantastic so far,” Finkelstein said. “I love my team, coaches and all of the UNLV athletic staff. It is also so great to be able to travel and see new places and meet new people.” R

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Mr. Smith goes to Washington...again Josh Ambre | Online Managing Editor

As its ascent to success steepened at the We the People State Competition on Jan. 11, Corona del Sol’s Competition Government team not only managed to avoid losing its footing, but emerged with a firstplace victory that will give the team a chance to compete at the national finals in Washington, D.C. “I feel very fortunate to be taking a team again to the national finals in my last year,” said Competition Government coach Timothy Smith, who will be retiring at the end of the school year. “I am anxiously looking forward to showing the students around Washington, and I know I will cherish every moment.”

As always, the team’s preparation for the competition was what allowed it to conquer its traditional rivals, Marcos de Niza and Hamilton, which came in second and third place, respectively.

“The team over winter break made huge strides in the skills for debate,” Smith said. “They spent countless hours practicing with coaches and alumni. I believe that through proper study, this year’s team can do as well if not better than last year’s sixth place finish at the national finals. This year’s team is dedicated to the cause, and I would say the only pressure they have is what they expect of themselves.”

High personal expectations seem to be consistent throughout the team’s members, driving them to continually improve their abilities.

“I always think I can do better,” senior Sarah Galvin said. “There’s consistently a difference between what you think in your head and what you can say, but I think that everything I said was concise and to the point.”

That being said, it is difficult to dispute the fact that many team members improved their performance from previous competitions.

“I’m going to admit that the first time around was rough, but it inspired us to do really well the second time,” senior Rajeev Chhetri said.

“I feel as if I definitely improved. I was more confident, my answers pertained to the questions more, and it was better all-around because my unit studied more.”

Perhaps even more important than personal improvement was the proficiency of each individual unit’s performance at state.

“My unit did a really good job,” Galvin said. “Everyone could speak well, everyone made really good points, and we worked well together.

Everyone could pick up where another person left off.”

In addition to working toward winning the national finals, Corona’s team will need to devote a significant amount of time and effort into making the trip affordable.

“The estimated cost for four coaches and 30 students to attend the finals is approximately $65,000,” Smith said. “The students will be expected to pay a major portion of the cost through the use of tax credit funds from friends and family. The remainder of the funds will be raised through a number of fundraising activities that the team will be organizing over the next few weeks.”

The national finals will be held at George Mason University, Washington, D.C. from April 26-28, during which the team will be representing the entire state of Arizona—a burden second only to that of making Smith proud during his last year teaching here at Corona.

continued on page 5

Kevin Park

Back row, left to right- sponsor Tim Smith, Patric Cao, Manny Martinez, Andy Chang, Nicky Redmond, Sean Ewen, Kanin Pruter, Rajeev Chhetri, Bryce Manning, Ben Imadali, Kyler Johnson, Nick Martinez, Musashi Lowe, Vatsal Shah, Edward Shin, Rohit Badia, Evan Anderson, Kevin Grout, coach Justine Centanni, coach Alison Rund Front row, left Sarah Galvin, Hannah Kimball, Laraib Mughal, Elizabeth Cheney, Lily Engel, Megan Rowland, Halie Carpenter, Shimoli Shah, Julie Song, Brynn Wheeler, Amy Hong, Natalia Baker and Gabrielle Geenen

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Arizona Supreme Court Justice Murray Snow shakes hands with Unit Four after a hearing at the state competition. The competition took place on Jan. 11 at Grand Canyon University. Photos by Kevin Park

Smith to Washington continued from page 4

“It’s really important to us that we do well this year, because it’s Smith’s last year,” Galvin said. “Winning nationals would be the highlight of high school.”

Chhetri has been experiencing similar emotions, some of them mixed. “(We want to) end on the best note possible and make sure he (Smith) knows we did our best,” Chhetri said. “Even if we don’t win, it’s important that Smith knows we did the best we could.”

In order to make its dream of victory a reality, however, the team will need to devote an unprecedented amount of time and study into preparing for nationals, in which more than 50 teams will be competing.

“It’s nationals,” Galvin said. “It’s always going to be hard. We’re going to have to push ourselves and we’ve constantly got to assume that the other teams are going to be better than us. As a unit, we need to focus more on historical documents (such as) the Federalist Papers and the Constitution,” Galvin said.

Since the National Finals are taking place in the U.S. capital, the team is looking forward to seeing a lot more than a first-place trophy.

“I’m just excited to see Washington D.C.,” Chhetri said. “I think seeing things like the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution will mean so much more now that I’ve studied them. I feel as if I see the Constitution, I might break down and cry.”

If the team does manage to win nationals, emotions of a comparable caliber are sure to be experienced.

“I would love for our team to make it to the top 10 in the nation,” Galvin said. “That is the greatest possible outcome.”

Chhetri shares similar views.

“We all work super hard, not only for us, but for Smith, and we wanted to get him to Washington,” he said.R

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Where are they now?

Corona alumna reaches for the stars with NASA

Nikki Hinshaw | Staff Writer Once students walk out of the gates of Corona del Sol High School for the last time, their future is in their hands. With all of the education provided by the school, many alumni have been able to strive in their fields of study, including newly announced President of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts Laurie Leshin.

Leshin has been prominent in her science-related work after her graduation from Corona, a school that she said helped prepare her for her career.

“I was a part of the great Class of 1983, which was the first class to attend Corona for all four years of high school,” Leshin said.

At Corona, Leshin was involved in various activities including working as a co-section editor on the Corona del Sol yearbook, the Sunset, which competed for her interest in science and technology.

“Truthfully, I debated whether to major in chemistry or journalism for most of my freshman year at ASU,” Leshin said. “Ultimately, I think I made the right choice for me, but I did have a great time working on the Sunset.”

After graduating from Corona and attending ASU, Leshin became an important figure at ASU in directing space research, from which she moved on to work at NASA, where she was a part of sending rovers to Mars in an attempt to discover water and possible life.

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“There is nothing in the world like discovering something that has never been known before, like discovering water trapped in soil that your rover just dug up on Mars,” Leshin exclaimed.

Leshin’s new job as President of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute entails many responsibilities, which include interacting with staff of the Institute, controlling budget, overseeing activities and connecting the community through the Institute. Leshin is also able to collaborate with important members of our government to ensure the best education for students.

“As a higher education leader I also work with policymakers (like Congress and the White House) to make sure the laws and funding are in place to be able to educate all qualified students and do the research that advances human knowledge and leads to more economic prosperity for our country.”

Leshin’s success in her field has been tremendous, and although her time at Corona has passed, the influence her education made is great.

She encourages students to follow their dreams and make discoveries for themselves, and expresses her wishes to return to the school that sparked her passions.

“I would love to come back to visit sometime. (It) would be great to meet some current students,” Leshin said. R

Meet Corona’s newest staff

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Alisa Rodriquez | Opinions Editor

It’s the beginning of a new semester. Classes have changed and so have some teaching positions. There are familiar faces like Aarin Tunstall, who is now the Career Technician, and Louis Schmitt who is now the interim lead of the security guards. Then there are the new faces like security guard Justin Garman, attendance secretary Mary Bradshaw and new head football coach Corey Nenaber. R

Garman

“Being given the opportunity to know the students before I decided I wanted to teach and the relationships I get to build with the kids (is why this job appealed to me).”

Here are three fast facts about Justin Garman Q: What is something you can’t live without?

A: My girlfriend Q: If you weren’t a security guard, what would you be?

A: An astronaut

Bradshaw

“The best part (of this job) is that its really busy and the day goes by fast.”

Photo by Bridget Manning

Schmitt

Here are three fast facts about Mary Bradshaw Q: What’s something you can’t live without?

A: My kids Q: What’s something not a lot of people know about you?

A: I am a huge cat person

“It’s a fun place to come (to). I look forward to coming and doing the job. It’s not a chore. It’s nice since you’re helping people and watching the safety of the children. And develop(ing) friendships with the teachers. And it’s just a fun place to work.”

Here are three fast facts about Louis Schmitt Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

A: When students don’t follow the rules or disrespect the staff Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: I work out a lot, about 6-7 days a week

Photo by Bridget Manning

Photo by Bridget Manning

Tunstall

“My favorite part of this position will be interacting with the students, having them learn from me as well as me learn from them.”

Here are three fast facts about Aarin Tunstall Q: Do you have a hidden talent?

A: I can tap dance Q: Who was your favorite teacher at Corona?

A: Jan O’Malley

Nenaber

Photo by Elizabeth Cheney

Photo by Kelly Zimmer

“I was really excited (for coaching). It took a few days for it to feel real. It was pretty surreal for a little while. The decision was a tough choice. Maricopa was a great school for me. Maricopa helped me a lot professionally, but there is no place like home.”

Here are three fast facts about Corey Nenaber Q: Who was your favorite Teacher at Corona?

A: Greg Hebert, he is the man!

Q: What is your favorite memory of Corona?

A: As a coach, winning a state title with baseball in 2009 or beating Desert Vista over there. As a student, I’d have to say winning our Homecoming game senior year. We beat McClintock on TV. It was a big game for us and a great memory.

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The secret behind the red striped paper Devika Sharan | Managing Editor approval for a donation of such a There’s five minutes left until large size, the 15 pallets of paper the end of the period and you’re were brought to the school, ready standing in the library, tapping to be used for years to come. your foot urging the printer to “A semi brought it to his print faster. Triumphantly you (Parker’s) company and so it took think about how your next period a series of trips to actually get it teacher will never know how you here,” Jannuzzi said. “I think it took rushed through the assignment, between 10 and 12 different trips.” finishing with minutes to spare.

For all the students at Corona, You rush to the printer, take your the red striped paper has been assignment and run to class a part of their lives for years. The without a backwards glance. paper was originally donated As you hand the freshly printed around 2007 and has been in assignment to your teacher, you constant use since then. notice that the prominent red “It’s used in pretty much stripe is a dead giveaway. any printer for student use, like So why is it really there? computer labs,” Meyer said.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t “Anywhere where the red stripe just so teachers know where an doesn’t cause a problem.” assignment was printed.

At first, the paper was tried in “We were in the midst of trying the copiers as well, but continued to cut back on paper and people to jam and so the paper has been were cutting back on budgets,” limited to only printers. This was social studies teacher Cheryl one of the main reasons for the Jannuzzi said. “Our budgets were donation. smaller then, too.”

“It would not go through their Just in time, when it seemed that the school would have to The red striped paper was donated in 2007. There was an estimated (the company’s) printers because the grain direction was the wrong employ a form of paper cut back in amount of 1.5 million. Photo by Kelly Zimmer way and would jam,” Parker said.

2007, help arrived.

The paper is predicted to last at “James Parker is my significant other and he actually called me one day,” Jannuzzi said. “He had a client least until the end of next year, if not longer.

“I keep thinking we’re going to run out but then all of a sudden red who had ordered 1.5 million sheets of paper. Then the client changed its mind but because it was so much he (Parker) thought a school could striped paper appears,” Jannuzzi said. “It would be fun to have it last 10 years, so if we could get it to 2017.” really use this.”

The red striped paper is a constant reminder to the school of the The paper was all completely donated and Corona didn’t have to pay anything for the pallets and pallets of paper. The paper was generosity given to them just when it was needed.

“It was extremely generous and extremely kind. I tell James, ‘Well I estimated to have been worth about $38,000.

“The red striped paper over the last few years has saved us a lot of printed paper today,’ and it makes me think of him throughout the day,” Jannuzzi said. “I’ll be sad when we don’t see the red paper anymore.” R money,” Campus Technology Director Andrew Meyer said.

After going through the district’s governing board in order to get

Red Striped Paper Facts: • • • • •

1.5 million red striped papers were donated by James Parker in 2007 The paper was estimated to have been worth about $38,000 Took 10-12 different trips to bring all the paper to school Is in every available printer for student use Predicted to last at least until the end of next year, if not longer

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NAHS Art Show Manali Chavan | Social Media Editor

Photos by Max Butler

With rows and rows of displayed paintings, drawings and photographs, the National Art Honor Society Club transformed the auditorium lobby on Thursday, Jan. 23 into a one-of-a kind art gallery. The club’s annual art show gave club members a chance to display their artwork for both their friends and family. This year’s theme was “Imaginature.”

“When we were trying to come up with a theme, we noticed a lot of the pieces had nature, so we combined it under ‘Imaginature’,” said junior Cami Rowan, vice president of NAHS. Although one of the main aspects of the show is to display their artwork, members have broader goals they hope to accomplish. “(NAHS) is more of an art promotion club where we create art and try to promote art in our school community,” sophomore Lauren Dwyer said.

NAHS has participated in multiple art-related activities throughout the school, such as decorating trashcans and creating murals that aim to spread artistic awareness. They hope their annual art show will bring as much awareness as these activities have.

“It (the art show) is about spreading art across the school and making it known,” Rowan said.

Members were able to showcase multiple styles of artwork, including oil paint, pen and ink, watercolor and even photography.

Sophomore Sarah Lesniak used sharpies with different thickness to create her piece.

“I liked the balance of black and white,” Lesniak said.

NAHS members also pulled their works from their photography

(Above) Senior Laura Rodriguez’s piece, Surplus. The photo is made of miniature stars to create a larger one.

(Left) Sophomore Sarah Lesniak posing with her piece, Down Under. The piece was done with a sharpie.

(Right) Piece by Sophomore Christa Burgess. The art show was held on Janurary 23. class. Senior Laura Rodriguez displayed her piece titled Surplus, which includes multiple, tiny origami stars arranged by color to create a larger star.

“When my friend went to China, she bought a bunch of paper to make origami stars,” Rodriguez said. “When she was bored in class she would make them. I would see her with bags full of them and I really wanted to use them.”

Many of the NAHS members spent months preparing their pieces. Members spent anywhere from a couple of weeks to months on their artworks; they even submitted art pieces from previous years.

“I did it for a majority of spring break (2013),” Rodriguez said.

“Whenever I got bored at my friend’s house, I just played around with them (origami stars).”

In addition to creating their artwork, members put in a great deal of time into arranging the actual event.

“We stayed after school and brought in panels from (art teacher) (Megan) Knight’s room and set them up,” Dwyer said. “One of my friends brought in her paper origami cranes and we hung those up to go with the ‘Imaginature”’theme.”

During the event, guests were able to munch on refreshments such as crackers and sip rose water as they walked through the exhibit.

“The atmosphere was really nice because there was a lot of people and food and music,” Rowan said. “It was just a fun experience overall.” R

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Spring choir concert promises success Brenna Bochenek | Staff Writer The Spring Choir Concert is a must Mexican folk song titled “El Aire Lloro” and upbeat, almost like a Disney song.” see for anyone who enjoys music from all Choir students will be joined onstage by from Thoroughly Modern Millie, “Forget About different genres and is looking for a fun members of the Corona Community Chorus the Boy.” evening. Jaztecs, A Capella, Encore, Women’s (CCC) for the grand finale.

“My favorite song to perform would Ensemble and Men’s Chorus will each be have to be ‘Corner of the Sky’,” A Capella “This started six years ago with parents, featured in the concert. teachers, older siblings and just “All five choirs will prepare and people in the community who perform vocal selections ranging like to sing and enjoy the outlet,” from classical to music theatre to Hebert said. pop, all spanning five centuries,” The combination of students director Greg Hebert said. and CCC members will perform Some highlights of the show will “To Sir With Love” which was taken include “Always Look on the Brighter from an old movie from the 1960s Side of Life” from Monty Python’s and arranged more recently by Spamalot, performed by Men’s the television show Glee.

Chorus; “On My Own” from the classic “I chose this song because of Les Miserables will be performed by the impact of the lyrics for adults Women’s Ensemble. “Will the Circle that have had a direct impact on Be Unbroken”, a gospel arrangement students’ lives,” Hebert said. of the well known American classic The Spring Choir Concert will song will be performed by Encore. be held on February 28 and March “Dawn”, a contemporary choral 1.

Tickets go on sale on February arrangement will be performed by 25 in the bookstore and are five A Capella, and “Bogoroditse Djevo” a dollars each. Be sure to check Russian A-Capella arrangement titled Corona Community Chorus performs at the 2013 show. The concert out the Spring Choir Concert will be performed by Jaztecs. for a great time. With the great Some other performances that was held on March 1 and 2. Photo courtesy of Ken Brown line-up of songs and the guest will be featured in the show are performers, you’re sure to be “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin, a jazz arrangement “Four Brothers,” “Cantante sophomore Colten Merdich said. “It reminds singing in your seat by the time the curtains Domino” from the Latin Renaissance Era, a me of my childhood and it’s very fun and close. R

Four Aztecs excel at state music festival Aashini Choksi | Life and Times Editor Four Corona students who auditioned for the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) Solo and Ensemble Festival this past December received a rating of Superior and qualified to perform at a concert held on Jan. 31 at the Mesa Convention Center.

“I’ve done it (the AMEA festival) for the past two years,” senior Jasmine Xi said.

In the past, any student was able to participate. However, this year students had to audition by submitting a video of a live audition and received scores based on their performance. As a result of their high scores, four Aztecs qualified to participate in the Tier 2 performance at the AMEA conference.

“It was a little different this year because you had to qualify to even go to the festival,” junior Katie Holste said.

Out of a total of 35 points, Xi received a score of 33 for her Bach

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Violin Sonata and sophomore Teresa Yu scored 32 for her Saint-Saens Violin Concerto. Xi and Yu played solos along with the quartet, which consisted of juniors Eric Lin and Katie Holste.

“We got rated an excellent, which is pretty good,” Yu said. “We worked hard.”

In addition, the CdS String Quartet scored an almost perfect score of 34 out of 35 for its rendition of Mendelssohn’s string quartet in F minor.

“We practiced a lot during class the week leading up to the concert,” Yu said.

AMEA is a non-profit corporation which holds festivals and events for students who want to advance in the musical field.

“Hopefully, we can do another quartet this year,” Yu said. “It was fun.” R

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Mughal awarded for support of diversity

Devika Sharan| Managing Editor

Mughal holds her award while posing by Unity Club leader and nominator Jennifer Bart. Mughal and Det. Jon Evans were recognized for their involvement in the community. Photo courtesy of Laraib Mughal Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, for many, is a day off to take time to remember the efforts of a great civil rights leader. For the City of Tempe, however, it’s a day to take time to also applaud the efforts of other community members who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity in Tempe.

- Assistant Principal The City of Tempe Jim Bell spent MLK Day hosting an MLK Diversity Awards Brunch to recognize these very people. On this day, Corona student senior Laraib Mughal was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Individual Youth Diversity Award. Along with Mughal, Corona’s Police Liaison John Evans was also recognized at the brunch; the City of Tempe Police Department School Resources Officers received, as a group, the Educational Diversity Award for their dedication to serving the youth of our community.

“It was given to me because I’m actively involved in several activities that are committed to promoting tolerance and progress in our community and in our schools,” Mughal said.

Mughal was nominated for the award by Unity sponsor Jennifer Bart, past Unity sponsor Jan O’Malley and Activities Director Jim Bell.

“Laraib is a special student here at Corona, how she’s instrumental in bringing everyone together,” Bell said. “That was kind of the main focus for the award. But I kind of look at her as being an absolutely wonderful human being.”

“...I kind of look at her as being an absolutely wonderful human being.”

Mughal received the award because she has been actively involved in several activities that are committed to promoting tolerance and progress in communities and schools.

“I was president of Unity Club my junior year, a Unity Leader my sophomore and junior year and I attended Tempe’s Diversity Dialogues,” Mughal said.

Mughal was also a counselor for a leadership and diversity camp for middle schoolers known as Minitown. She also organized “Mix It Up Lunch Day” at Corona last October. Because of all these factors, she was nominated and chosen for the award.

“I found out on December 20, 2013,” Mughal said. “It was the day right after school ended for winter break and I got a call in the morning.

It was such an exciting moment because it was the first real award that I have ever received.”

Mughal feels honored to have received the award for all her hard work and dedication to promoting unity over the last few years.

“It’s such an amazing feeling knowing that I’ve done something good with my time,” Mughal said. “I do all of the things because I want to see change and because I want to be a part of the change. I’m definitely not done yet, - Laraib Mughal I have a long way to go, but it’s a big step in the right direction.”R

“It’s such an amazing feeling knowing that I’ve done something good with my time.”

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Rclubs

Club provides food for thought Manali Chavan |Social Media Editor Corona has more than fifty clubs on campus, each with a unique who aren’t necessarily as fortunate as we are,” Tao said. Our motto is purpose. Some are dedicated to volunteering and helping the blessings to blessings, which kind of sums up our purpose.”

The club is an opportunity for students to hold food drives, community, such as Water for All, Key Club and Red Kettle Club.

Corona added another club to that impressive list this year–the Second volunteer within the community and learn how to cook with their friends.

Helpings Club.

“Although our mission has evolved a bit from (our) original concept, Started by junior Michelle Chiang, Second Helpings aims to feed the hungry by cooking meals for the homeless and packing food we still haven’t wavered from our goal of feeding the hungry,” Chiang said. “We will accomplish through other organizations this by cooking meals for the such as Feed My Starving homeless in Tempe, packing Children and IHelp. food at Feed My Starving “At Second Helpings, our Children and participating in vision is to give people second other food-related volunteer chances by feeding them opportunities.” wherever we can, whether Second Helpings has only it’s on a local, national or been around for one semester, international level,” Chiang but the club has already made said. an impact by volunteering The club was officially with Feed My Starving founded in August 2013 but Children, holding food drives Chiang and co-president and selling desserts at Bonfire.

Sonya Tao had been thinking This semester, they plan to of the idea for a while. participate with IHELP, a “We came up with the idea program administered by the for Second Helpings a year or Tempe Community Action so ago during a conversation at Agency. lunch,” Chiang said. “Somehow, “(The IHELP program) a group of friends and I started enables us to cook a full mealtalking about the issue of an entree, main course, dessert wasting food. It seemed so ridiculous that restaurants and Juniors Sonya Tao, Rebecca Ericson, and Pragathi Gopal pack various food items. and drinks-for a large group of grocery stores were throwing The goal of the Second Helpings Club is to provide meals for people in need. Photo homeless people,” Chiang said.

by Devika Sharan Sponsored by culinary arts away leftover food while teacher Danelle Arbogast, Second Helpings plans events and meets on homeless people starved on the streets.”

Second Helpings isn’t just about getting volunteer hours or Mondays in C104.

“I hope that people will be able to walk away knowing that they’ve spending time with friends. Its main goal is to make a lasting impact given someone the gift of food, which is often a blessing that we on the community.

“The important part is to share the joy that food brings with people overlook and take for granted,” Chiang said. R

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clubsR

Students use poetry for expression Josh Ambre| Online Managing Editor Although it has often been said that words have the power to perform every manner of miracle, such as opening doors, freeing the mind, and healing the soul, senior Daniel Karbon and sophomore Dorothy Settles have used the power of words to shape the world around them in their own unique way; together, they have created the first Slam Poetry Club in Corona del Sol history. “(Slam poetry) is a form of poetry that has a very definite beat and rhythm to it, almost like rap, but it can be a lot deeper and without all the profanity,” Slam Poetry Club sponsor Cindy Glick said. “It (the club) is open to all types of poetry, but mainly spoken word.”

Spoken word or slam poetry is a relatively recent creation, owing its origins to a grassroots movement in Chicago in 1985.

While these two terms are often used interchangeably, slam poetry is typically associated with competition. That being said, the Slam Poetry Club, which will meet every Monday in E235, aims primarily to promote student expression and will not be engaging in any kind of competition among students.

“Our first priority is to hear everyone’s poem and listen to what they have to say,” Vice President Settles said. “Also (we want) to bring others out of their shell and create a common place of acceptance.”

Going hand in hand with this spirit of creative acceptance is the club’s goal of connecting the student body with poetry on a level that goes above and beyond that experienced during an ordinary English classroom.

“It (poetry) can reflect your deepest most innermost thoughts in a way that makes people connect with you,” Glick said. “It’s really all

Settles reads poetry at a meeting. Settles, along with Karbon, has created the first Slam Poetry Club in Corona history. Photo Illustration by Kelly Zimmer

Karbon reads an original piece of poetry. Slam Poetry Club meets every Monday in room E235. Photo Illustration by Kelly Zimmer about making connections and spoken word is the vehicle.”

As a creative writing teacher herself, Glick is optimistic about the extent to which slam poetry can make creative writing more accessible to students across the board.

“I hope that they (the members) will achieve making what they do cool,” Glick said. “I want people to see how hip it (slam poetry) is.

A lot of people haven’t been taught it, and people don’t know what it is.”

Even if the average person is unfamiliar with slam poetry, there is a wealth of knowledge and information to be enjoyed on the Internet, which served as the source of inspiration for Karbon to create the Slam Poetry Club.

“The Internet’s always a great place to start,” President Karbon said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to find talent and be able to see who’s out In addition to hosting a forum of free poetic expression through sharing poems and providing weekly topics for members to write on throughout the week, Karbon and Settles have drafted some longterm goals for the Club in the coming months.

“One night, (we plan on) renting out the little theater to have a group slam showcasing an ‘Ode to the Youth of the 21st Century,’” Settles said.

In any case, Karbon and Settles urge everyone even remotely interested in slam poetry to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.

“Any and all (are welcome),” Karbon said. “If you like poetry, if you like talking, and if you like attention, then this is the place for you.”R

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Rlife & times

DECA students advance to state Natasha Burrell | Staff Writer

Among the Corona DECA state qualifiers: (top row, from left) Omar Sbai, Russ Davis and Andres De los Cobos. (Bottom, from left) Eric Castellano, Jameson Langlois and Wes Goodman. Photos by Liz Cheney Five teams from Corona del Sol medaled in the team events at the DECA District Conference on Jan. 10. The teams will now go on to compete in the Arizona State Conference on March 2-4. The teams competed in both the role-play competition and the marketing cluster exam competition. Seniors Andres De los Cobos and Eric Castellano were medalists in the role-play competition in the Marketing Communications Team Event.

“They give us a scenario and they give us 30 minutes to read over the scenario and come up with a solution,” De los Cobos said. “After the 30 minutes are over, they put us in front of a judge for eight minutes and we present our plan. They grade us on whether or not we hit the key indicators, how we’re dressed and everything about our presentation.”

DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), is a marketing class at Corona. Senior Jameson Langlois, who has been in marketing classes since his freshman year, partnered up with junior Omar Sbai and took first place overall in the Sports and Entertainment section of the Marketing Team Event.

“DECA is an opportunity for high school students to get involved with marketing and business-related things to practice what they’re most likely going to be doing after college if they study business,” Langlois said.

Sbai also medaled in the Marketing Cluster Exam along with senior Trevor Wood, junior Brent Einstein and junior Kyle Coggins. Their success, they said, is due to their ability to work well together.

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“Our tactic was definitely using each other as a team and bouncing back and forth off of each other because I think we have contrasts in our strengths and weaknesses so what I couldn’t do he (Langlois) made up for and vice-versa and I believe that’s what made us successful,” Sbai said. “Confidence is key. We had fun and really enjoyed it.”

Coggins and Wood also took first place overall in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Event. Seniors Trace Langley and Michael Stears were Role-Play Medalists in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Event, and seniors Russ Davis and Wes Goodman were Role-Play Medalists in the Marketing Communications Team Event.

All of the teams who medaled will now prepare for the State Conference by practicing in class and preparing different scenarios. The students present their ideas in presentations and practice marketing their ideas to their fellow classmates.

“You learn a lot through the class and you get good experience in situations that you would have in the real world and expressing your ideas to a CEO in business,” Castellano said.

The class is great preparation and worth taking, according to Langlois.

“I like the opportunities and that practice you get for interviewing skills and things that you’re actually going to use when you’re older,” Langlois said. “That way you’re one step ahead of the people that you’re going to be competing against in the future.” R

life & times R

Photo illustration by Kelly Zimmer

The Ghost of Gretchen Alisa Rodriquez | Opinions Editor

On March 20, 1981, a Corona del Sol groundskeeper found Gretchen White, a 23-year old Arizona State University senior, dead in the parking lot. She was strangled, raped and run over by her own car. Even 32 years after her death, her murderer has never been found.

Three decades have passed. You would think that she is finally resting in peace. However, there are claims that she still haunts the halls of Corona, near the last place she’s been.

Oscar Ramirez Jr., Lead Plant Foreman for the district, lived and worked at Corona in the 80s, after the time White was murdered.

“I used to walk around here at 2 or 3 in the morning,” Ramirez said. “I would always hear sounds and noises. And when I would walk outside, I would see flashes, things inside the hallways.”

Ghosts tend to come and haunt during the night. So there is no surprise that the custodians Fred Gonzales and Alfredo Leal have had an experience.

“I’ve never seen her, but I heard her,” Leal said. “(I would) hear whistling, near the girls locker rooms. I was working and I thought somebody was messing with me, but there was no one there and I was the only one working.”

“There was also a guy who quit,” Leal continued. “(He) was cleaning the window at the hallways and he saw someone who he thought was a teacher, and he turned around to say hi, but (they) were gone.”

“One of my expierences is in the dungeon,” Gonzales said. “I would hear noises and a sense of feeling, a cold draft. I knew there was a spirit there. And in the library, I’ve seen the TV turn on and off by itself.”

Students have also heard noises.

“We got back around 2 a.m. from the bus,” junior football player Colin Freeland said. “I walked outside from the locker room and I could have sworn I heard someone come around the corner, and the shadow was getting closer and closer but no one came.”

However, she doesn’t just scare students and the maintenance staff. There are some teachers who have seen her when they are in the building at night.

“Well, I (have) worked here for 12 years and heard a lot about this ‘ghost’ and I thought it was just frightened people who saw what they thought they were seeing,” English teacher Karyn Dempsey said. “One day I was here on a Saturday. I parked my car and there was no one else here. The E building is kind of a freaky place on a Saturday when you’re here by yourself, so I just try to get in and out.

Like most of the rooms in the E building, I have a door at the back. So I come in through that door and closed it on my way in. I was working for 45 minutes on my computer when I had to run down the hall to get something off the printer. It took me like 90 seconds to go get the paper off the printer and when I came back, the door that links to the other classroom was wide open. I latched that door, but even if I didn’t, the most that will happen is that it will be ajar. But for it to be opened requires force. So I ran into that room to see if someone was there, but it was dark. And the door to the other hallway was closed. So I grabbed my bag with my keys and took off. When I got to the parking lot, there were no cars.”

Skeptics will say that they just imagined all of their expierences that it was all in their head. Believers, however, will know that they really did see Gretchen White, the ghost of Corona. R

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Rlife and times

10 things to do over spring break

Elizabeth Cheney | Photo Editor

1. Relax School is a major stressor for teens and can prove to be detrimental to both mental and physical health. Taking a break for oneself is essential to staying sane; especially in this crazy place we call school. Fill up the bathtub and take a break for some much needed “me-time.”

2. Movie Marathon Who doesn’t like movies? With five full school days off, you can spend day and night watching the entire Harry Potter series, which takes 21 hours. Or if you’re not ready for an all night marathon, you could try something more subtle like the Hunger Games or the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

With over a week to relax, students can take naps, sleep in, or just sit at home. Photo by Kelly Zimmer

3. Attend a concert Although there may not be any major headliners performing this spring break, we can still expect good music to come to Arizona.

On March 3, One Night of Queen will be performing at the Chandler Center for the Arts. The same night, Beethoven’s Fourth will be played by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Viva Phoenix 2014 is on March 7 and the Pink Floyd Experience will come to Talking Sticks Resort on March 15 to end spring break with a bang.

In addition to these major concerts, there are always the smaller local ones that can be found with a little bit of looking and maybe a few connections.

4. Visit the Zoo Roadtrips are a popular way for students to spend spring break with their friends. Photo by Sara Montano

The Phoenix Zoo is home to more than 1,400 animals, including 30 species that are currently endangered in the wild. Admission to the zoo is $20, but students can save $3 with a valid student ID. All proceeds go toward helping the animals.

5. Roadtrip All you need is a map, a full tank of gas and a desire to drive for as long as it takes. Take a trip down to good ol’ Tombstone, which is a great tourist spot and is only 2 hours and 50 minutes from Phoenix. Or drive 1 hour and 52 minutes up to Sedona and explore Red Rock Park or Slide Rock, which is nature’s all-natural water park. If you are really feeling adventurous, hit the highway and head across Arizona’s border into California for a trip to the beach. Wherever you decide to travel, a road trip is a great way to leave all your worries behind and spend a day, or more, in a place away from home.

6. The Main Event New to Arizona, The Main Event is your home for entertainment. Located on Warner and the I-10, the Main Event has a bowling alley, billiards, laser tag, gravity ropes and an arcade. With so many activities under one roof, The Main Event is guaranteed to be a must go for spring break.

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Rlife and times

7. Finish that...

...book you started at the beginning of the quarter, or last year or whenever you had a chance to sit down to read. Or that TV series you started but could never get around to finishing because school just got in the way. Netflix has every season of Gossip Girl, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Lost, Scrubs, Doctor Who and Parks and Recreation, just to name a few. So take a seat and finish that book, TV show or any other unfinished activity this spring break.

Reading may not be a priority during the school year, but students can catch up during breaks. Photo by Sara Montano

8. Take a hike

Mountains are everywhere in the valley, so why not spend spring break hiking one? South Mountain, which is right in the center of the valley, has a variety of hiking trails perfect for every type of hiker.

A slightly more difficult hike can be found in Camelback Mountain, which is only a short drive away. Or if you want something even more rigorous, try Picacho Peak, which is about an hour outside of the valley.

9. Take a trip to the lake There are five lakes around the Phoenix area: Lake Pleasant, Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake. Each of these lakes are great for boating, sailing, fishing, water skiing and swimming, which make for a great day trip during spring break.

10. MLB Spring Training March means baseball, lots of baseball. During spring break we’ll see many professional teams come into the valley to play. Start break off with the Chicago White Sox v. Arizona Diamondbacks game on Sat. March 8. Or if you can’t make that game, there are plenty of other chances throughout the week; like the Los Angeles Angels v.

Cincinnati Reds on March 9, or the Arizona Diamondbacks v. Seattle Mariners on March 10.

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How to stay organized: 6 steps

Manali Chavan | Social Media Editor

We’ve all experienced it before, that overwhelming feeling of not wanting to do anything. Deadlines and events crowd the days ahead, but their importance seems to dwindle day by day. Especially during second semester, it’s not surprising to see students drop one by one, as the disease of senioritis, junioritis, or even sophomoreitis begins to take over. However, the second semester of high school can be as vital as the first, and it’s important to remain focused throughout it. While a cure-all may still remain illusive, there are tips and tricks that can help keep these deadly diseases away.

Write down your tasks If you can see it, you become more inclined to want to accomplish it. Whether it’s by using an agenda, writing events on sticky notes or keeping reminders in your phone, give yourself the chance to cross things off once you accomplish them.

Take breaks Studying for SATs or finals or even next Friday’s math test can easily drain your brainpower. The last thing you want to do is over-stress about them. Take some time out of your schedule to hang out with friends or catch up on your favorite TV show.

Photo by Bridget Manning

Photo by Bridget Manning

Isolate your biggest goals Prioritizing is the best way to get things done on time. Certain assignments are always going to take precedence over others. If you know what needs to be completed, you’ll get more accomplished.

Reorganize your backpack All the new folders and binders you got at the beginning of the year are probably demolished by now. Switching them out for new ones and throwing away papers will easily lighten the load on your back.

Photo by Bridget Manning

Photo by Bridget Manning

Participate in things you love During second semester it’s easy to feel unmotivated, but if you love being in school plays or are taking classes that interest you, then you won’t be discouraged to go to practices or study, because you enjoy what you’re doing.

Leave five minutes early for any event Whether it’s by setting your clock five minutes ahead or telling your mom you need to be somewhere earlier a you have to, leaving early will help you arrive to things on time. The faster you get to your events, the quicker you can leave.

Photo by Kevin Park

Photo by Bridget Manning

Seniors share their secrets for success RGabrielle Geenen “Everyday when I have something I’ll write it down and highlight it depending on what it is.”

Photo by Kelly Zimmer

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RDaniel Karbon

RJulie Song

“Get involved, you’ll be fine. If you’re thinking of not joining something because you wont have enough time. Join it, you will have time.”

“You have to keep yourself in a good environment. Like when you’re at home, you choose a good place without any distractions.”

Photo by Devika Sharan

Photo by Kelly Zimmer

Rlife and times

_____________ Quiz (Obviously procrastination got the better of us) Manali Chavan | Social Media Editor do you do after you recieve a 1. What homework assignment?

A. Work on the assignment a little bit each day until it’s completed, and then turn it in on time.

B. Put off the assignment for a few days, but get it turned in on time.

C. Forget about the assignment until the day before it’s due and quickly throw something together the night before.

get home from a long day, but 4. You remember you promised yourself you would do 30 minutes of exercise. what do you do?

A. Don’t give it another thought and do your workout.

B. Decide to do the workout, but a less intense version of it.

C. Put off the workout until tomorrow, or maybe the day after….

come home from school to find a list have a big math test coming up and 2. You 5. You of chores on the dining table that needs to don’t know half of the materical that will be completed by the time your parents come home. what do you do?

A. Frown at the list, but proceed to complete it—might as well get it over with.

B. Decide to watch a quick episode of the Big Bang Theory before getting started on the list.

C. Take one look at the list and choose to start it after your four-hour nap.

be included on the test, what do you do?

A. Review the portions you don’t know each day and ask your teacher for help on the portions you don’t understand.

B. Complete the review guide that was given in class and decide you’re prepared enough.

C. Don’t do anything to prepare for the test as an act a form of protest against math.

dust storm hit last night and your car is 3. Acovered 6. When working on an assignment, where in dust from being outside. what do you do?

A. You expected this would happen, so you make sure to give yourself enough time to go through the car wash before heading to school.

B. Quickly wipe off your windshield and decide to wash the rest off when you come home from school.

C. Decide the windshields aren’t that dirty and figure it’d be best to wait until the next time it rains.

Mostly A’s: The word “procrastination”

is probably not even in your vocabulary.

If you are faced with any task, you always take a deep breath and tackle it right away. Regardless of your organizational skills, your number one goal is to get everything done and get it done on time.

The best thing for you is to keep up what you’re doing. The hardest part about being anti-procrastination is continuing to be anti-procrastination.

do you usually have your phone?

A. Set aside. You’ll check Twitter once you complete your assignment.

B. Right by you so you can take a few breaks in between doing the assignment to play Candy Crush.

C. In your hands. CdS Sunrise Twitter is live tweeting the basketball game!

Mostly B’s: You may not be the type

of person to start on a task right away, but you always get it done. More than procrastinating on your tasks, you chose to get them done in a timely manner decided by you. You’re not the type of person that can get something done in one sitting, and you realize that. Therefore, you chose to take breaks in between or put things off for a time when you’re better ready to tackle them. Just make sure you don’t distract yourself too much to where your tasks are never completed.

Mostly C’s: You might be expecting

to be labeled the top procrastinator of all procrastinators, but in reality more than being a procrastinator, you exhibit characteristics of someone who is just lazy. Someone who procrastinates waits to complete tasks until the last minute, whereas you declare from the very beginning that you will simply not complete them. Before you try completing your tasks ahead of time, try just finishing them in the first place.

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Rlife and times

We Y It

See what your CdS Sunrise Staff has been loving!

Manali Chavan | Social Media Editor

Go to winter apparel

Our favorite basketball theme

Flannel

Silent Night

“It was amazing to see how the student section jumped and went crazy once we scored that 11th point.”

R Omar Soussi, Sports Editor Photo by Kelly Zimmer

Our favorite album Beyoncé

Photo by Kelly Zimmer

Blockbuster movie

“They’re comfortable and stylish.”

R Sara Montano, Staff Photographer

Frozen

Photo courtesy of Disney/MCT

“The songs are really good. My heart broke when Hans broke Elsa’s heart, but I liked how it wasn’t a typical Disney movie.”

R Devika Sharan, Managing Editor

Top music single

“Timber” by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha

Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times/MCT

“Beyonce is a goddess and the fact that she dropped an album in the middle of the night and it became one of the biggest hits is incredible.”

R Kelly Zimmer, Online Photo Editor

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“I think it’s really catchy. It’s a fun song to listen to.”

R Katelyn Stys, Staff

Writer Photo courtesy of El Nuevo Herald/MCT

Photo courtesy of Abaca Press/MCT

Flower Power

life & timesR

Sapna Daryanani | News Editor

From left: Emmy Johnson (photo by Bridget Manning), Taylor Littleton (photo courtesy of Marion Rhoades Photography) and Lauren Stills (photo courtesy of Duke Photography).

A flower girl is typically responsible for tossing flower petals at a wedding ceremony, but for a select few high schoolers in Arizona, the title entails much more than this.

Seniors Emmy Johnson, Taylor Littleton and Lauren Stills are among 50 young women in the Phoenix area who bring a mature interpretation to the term “flower girl.”

In reality, these flower girls have become experts in the fields of etiquette and grace as much as they have with community service.

Johnson, Littleton and Stills participate in the Flower Girls program of the Chandler Service Club, a community organization that enables high school senior girls to make a huge impact in the community through both group and individual service projects.

“We do community service activities and learn about etiquette and how to be a better person,” Johnson explained.

Some of these activities include collaborating with the other Flower Girls for service projects, including organizing a backpack drive and purchasing items for the Boys & Girls Club. However, a major responsibility of the Flower Girls is coordinating individual service projects with organizations of their choosing.

“I’m working with the Children’s Cancer Network (CCN) this year,” Stills said. “I really like how they are a resource office for helping families dealing with cancer.”

Through the year, Stills has worked closely with children at CCN and has set up hands-on activities for cancer patients.

“Since I’m big into physical fitness, I helped with a jazzercise event for the Children’s Cancer Network,” Stills said. “I also did a cheer event.”

Stills also arranged a photo-shoot session for the patients “to help with self-esteem.”

Likewise, Littleton picked a service project that greatly appealed to her. She elected to work with The Centers for Habilitation (TCH), an organization that provides support and opportunities to the disabled.

“I loved the organization and what they do,” Littleton said. “I organized and executed a dance for special needs homes.”

This consisted of facilitating every component of organizing a

Halloween party, from creating invitations to contacting the venue.

“The most challenging part was the sole responsibility (of organizing the event),” Littleton said.

Johnson chose to work with ICAN, which provides resources for local youth living in poverty.

“ICAN offered more youth programs,” Johnson said of her decision to work with this organization. “It’s a safe place for youth to be so they aren’t on the street.”

Throughout this school year, Johnson has spent two hours every week at ICAN, interacting with children at a community center.

“The kids are so cute,” Johnson said.

While community service is a major part of being a Flower Girl, etiquette training is a distinctive factor of the overall program. In preparation for an annual ball to be held in March, which celebrates the participants’ accomplishments this year, the 50 Flower Girls have been receiving etiquette training.

“We had an etiquette dinner to practice how to eat,” Stills said. “We also have to learn how to waltz.”

The girls have acquired many valuable skills that will prove beneficial through adulthood. According to Johnson, “Thanking people is really important and being professional can also be fun.” Other skills include letter writing and public speaking.

“Everything we’ve learned is life skills we can take to college,” Stills said.

Although nominations and sponsorships are required in order for girls to participate in the Flower Girls program, Johnson, Littleton and Stills encourage anyone interested to get involved with the Chandler Service Club.

“It’s so fulfilling,” Littleton said. “I love everyone we work with. You meet a ton of awesome girls.”

Being a Flower Girl is a huge time commitment for a busy senior in high school, but, as Johnson stated, “it’s completely worth it.”

For more information about the Chandler Service Club and the Flower Girls program, visit their website, chandlerserviceclub.org. R

Rlife & times

I

t is not everyday that one receives the opportunity to run into a celebrity, much less have a conversation with one. Thus, when the opportunity arose for Cassandra Forbes’ drama class to meet British actor Alex Pettyfer at a Meet and Greet at Tempe Marketplace, the Sunrise sent two staffers for a behind-the-scenes interview. Aashini Choksi and Sapna Daryanani were among a group of students from various local high schools who were able to participate in a round-table interview with Pettyfer, who was premiering his new movie Endless Love as a special screening to ticketholders, including several of Forbes’ students. In this interview, Choksi and other high-school journalists sit down with Pettyfer to discuss Endless Love and surprise us with little-known facts about his life as an actor. Without further ado, we present to you...

13 Questions with Alex Pettyfer Aashini Choksi | Life & Times Editor

How do you think fans of the original version of the movie will respond to this version?

The original is very different from this movie. Our movie is very different – it’s very lighthearted and it doesn’t send out the same message about two people who are in love and the struggles that they are going through together to overcome her parents. Those obstacles are more simplistic whereas the original film has got a lot of darker subjects as well.

What is the message that you would want audiences to take back after seeing the film?

I don’t know if there is a specific message… Maybe “fight for love” – that may be one message.

We really just want people to go the theater and just have a good Valentine’s Day. There are so many great movies out there this year like Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave and The Butler. This is just a fun movie – just a fun thing to do.

Do you share any qualities with David, the character you play?

You know, we actually happen to look alike [laughs]. I guess we’re both romantic.

Endless Love is a love story. Did you draw on any personal experiences in portraying your character?

I think as an actor you are always portraying your personal experiences in some way or another. I definitely drew from my first love.

It seems that you’re kind of drawn to love stories, like in movies that you’ve been in.

Why is that?

I guess it’s because I’m a romantic.

As a celebrity, you’re constantly out in the public and everyone knows about you. How do you stay grounded? What are the things

22 R February 2014

that you do that keep you normal?

Family, friends… I love riding bikes and racing cars. I lead a very boring life. Someone once asked me “What’s your perfect date night?” and I had previously said what my favorite thing

this. I’m so thankful that I got an opportunity to do it.

Who would you say is your inspiration? Who do you look up to as an actor?

As an actor? Steve McQueen. I love Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.

I love those old school guys that just are very relaxed but etched.

We know you’ve worked in a lot of different kinds of genres of movies and obviously romantic.

Is this your favorite kind of genre to work in?

This is my favorite, but also the scariest because to open up and really be open to your emotion and being happy and being in love is a very unique thing. To pretend to be in love is even harder. That’s what I liked about it.

You said there was a month of preparation before the movie with Gabriella (Wilde). What Photo by Sapna Daryanani kind of things did you do?

Just build on trust. Just trust and to do on a Friday night is, and it’s building a connection between each other. playing PlayStation with my brother. So then Trying to not hate each other. when she said “What is your date night?” I said “I just told you. PlayStation with my brother!”

Did you do anything in particular?

Exercises like staring at each other – I know that Is it a challenge to hide your accent in sounds so weird to actually stare at someone for emotional scenes?

30 minutes. It’s kind of like a very odd thing to I’m actually American and I put on this English actually look them in the eye. Falling exercises accent. No, it is hard. I actually came to LA and I and improvisation on some things. could not do an American accent. I just couldn’t.

It was hard but I had an amazing woman who If you could have any other career besides helped me on a movie I did called Beastly. From acting, what would you do and why? that point on, it was like learning to ride a bike.

I would be a racecar driver. I get a weird feeling when I’m in a car. It’s like a sense of freedom and What made you decide to audition for this escapism. I guess it is very similar to the kind of role? job that I do now. I can be someone else.

I guess I just read the script and I wanted to be a part of a movie like this. I love movies like Love Read the complete interview online at Actually and Bridget Jones’s Diary. I’m very cdssunrise.com. R sappy and I said I want to make a movie like

Ropinions

The First Amendment is here to protect

Sapna Daryanani | News Editor

Living in the United States of America, we all share the freedom to express ourselves however we choose, thanks to the First Amendment of the Constitution. Most of us are aware of this; our “First Amendment” rights allow us to say what we want and be who we are.

In reality, our First Amendment rights do not go unregulated.

Public institutions, for example, often set certain restrictions on speech for the benefit and protection of all patrons as a whole. For the most part, however, we have managed to surmount any hurdles that stand in our way of saying what we want. We provide commentary in conversations, we permeate our thoughts through our friend circles and we post our opinions online. It is virtually impossible to regulate these methods of communication, among others that are private yet parasitic.

Simply stated, there is no perfect method of protecting individuals while simultaneously protecting their freedom of speech. How can we prevent someone from speaking derisively and detrimentally about another human being? Gossip and bullying—especially online, under a seemingly innocuous façade—are not issues to be disregarded. I have seen people I know become targets of vicious abuses of speech; the effects are nothing short of horrendous. I have witnessed others crumble under the weight of slanderous speech, some even contemplating taking their own lives. Is the government supposed to step in and take a firm stance against verbal brutality?

For better or for worse, no. No, because that would be a violation of free speech, and no, because we should know how to behave ourselves without being coddled by a law that explicitly tells us not to be rude.

The fact that it is nowhere written in the Constitution that I must refrain from posting harsh comments about others online or talking badly behind their backs does not entitle me to do so anyway.

It is acceptable to disagree with someone’s opinions, ideas and—dare I say—who they are as a person. Besides, if we were all the same, what would we accomplish as a society? Oppression of speech and homogeneity are not the solutions to the inherent drawbacks of the freedom of speech with which we are blessed as Americans.

The true solution cannot be scrawled upon parchment paper in the form of a legal document, for it lies within each of us as individuals.

Freedom of speech would not be abused as much if we, as a society, were to become more aware of the effects words have on others.

Remember, the First Amendment of the Constitution is aimed to protect us. Whatever you joke about with your friends or whatever you post on the Internet for the world to see is your freedom, and your responsibility. Words are Michelle Chiang said to be more powerful than weapons, and it is important to be mindful of the potency of what you say. You may be safe from legal consequences of your words, but the true implications could be more severe than imaginable. R

Homework infringes on students’ lives

Carson Pyatt | Staff Writer

After spending more than six hours a day at school as a student, the last thing I want to do is go home and take school with me. Unfortunately, this seems to be exactly what I do.

I typically have anywhere from two to almost four hours of homework a night. To me, this seems like an extreme amount. I understand the concept of homework; I even appreciate it sometimes, as it does indeed help me understand the material better and assists me in memorizing and retaining certain information. Homework, although it may be a pain, does help me advance as a student.

However, I think I receive an excessive amount of work after school. Now, I under-

stand that this is partially because I am in enrolled in multiple honors classes. I realize this is a factor that contributes to the hours I spend seemingly slaving away over homework. The rigor of advanced classes does account for extra work. With that in mind, I still believe that I, as well as my friends in different classes, receive an abundance of homework. I have been up more than a couple times in the early hours in the morning either studying or finishing tedious worksheets. Another thing I think is funny is when teachers preach for students to get more sleep. How can we do so if we are up so late doing homework?

I understand that homework is necessary.

I understand that it helps students develop a good work ethic and helps further education. What I don’t understand is why we get mounds of homework-don’t people think that four hours is too much?

If I were to try to find a solution, I would suggest more class work and less homework, as that is a way to practice the material without taking too much home.

Another solution is to extend due dates of homework. This way if somebody has a busy day or night, they can pick a different day to complete it.

All in all, homework is a valuable tool, but I think it must be assigned in moderation. R

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DANE-gerous addition

Alaska transfer bolsters Corona hoops lineup

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Omar Soussi | Sports Editor

uring the Desert Vista-Corona basketball game, junior Dane Kuiper showed his faith in his team with 12 simple, yet powerful words: “We all know how this is gonna end, so let’s just play.”

Kuiper’s words, directed at the starting lineup, came as the Aztecs were losing to the Thunder.

The Aztecs won the game, but it wasn’t easy. They were down for three-and-a-half quarters, but the team rallied back to win, 5750. This game was one of closest the Aztecs have played this season.

But Kuiper never lost faith in his team.

“I had a feeling we were going to pull it out, and we did, so it was a good game,” Kuiper said.

Senior Russ Davis said Kuiper’s words of encouragement made an impact.

“It made a huge difference,” Davis said. “It brought us all together as a team and it really motivated us as a team.”

dramatically. He is already listed by many as the No. 1 player in the 2015 Arizona basketball class.

“We’re very happy to have Dane; he’s been a big asset to us,” Duane said.

The move provided a better basketball environment for Kuiper. “(I moved for) better basketball opportunities,” Kuiper said. “When you become the best player in Alaska, you need to find a new place to go. I needed more competition to go against.”

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uiper found what he was looking for. He’s playing a huge role on the Corona del Sol basketball team, a team that is ranked nationally by multiple lists (No. 13 on the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 list and No. 7 on the MaxPreps Freeman rankings, as of press time) and ranked No. 1 in the state. The Aztecs are looked at as the team to beat, and Kuiper enjoys being in that position.

“I love it,” Kuiper said. “I love having every team wanting to beat ead Coach Sam Duane deyou super bad, but then when they scribes Kuiper as a very can’t .... It’s just a great feeling that versatile player who can do anyyou have.” thing.

The team responds well to be“Dane’s unselfish, he’s an ing a wanted team, with previous outstanding player, and he fits in No. 2 Hamilton losing to the Aztecs, very well,” Duane said. “He is very 62-37, and beating previous No. 1 versatile. He can play inside, outGilbert, 68-39. side, he can shoot the three and When Kuiper came from Alasdrive to the basket, and he can ka, he had some expectations, but play all over the court.” he didn’t expect how this season Kuiper is one of many stars would go. in the powerhouse that is Coro“When I first came here, I talkna’s basketball team and he’s just ed to Cassius Peat and he told me fine with that.

“It’s really easy playing with Kuiper waits to inbound the ball during the Aztecs Hoophall champion- everything, so I knew what I was all these guys because they’re ship victory over Shadow Mountain High School at Grand Canyon Uni- going to get,” Kuiper said. “But I didn’t know we were going to be very unselfish players,” Kuiper versity. Photo by Kelly Zimmer this good.” said.

Kuiper was born in Alaska and, except for a few years in Las Vegas, had lived there all of his life until his move to Arizona last summer. He e’s fit in quite nicely at Corona. Kuiper was nominated for Mr. Comet Arizona Power coach John Ortega in ninth grade, and it was that rona in his first year here, which he found amazing pretty good relationship that helped make the decision to move to the Valley. getting into stuff like that.”

After transferring from Wasilla High School in Alaska before his juKuiper is enjoying his new life in Arizona. nior year to better his basketball experience, Kuiper saw his stock rise continued on page 25

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continued from page 24

“Arizona has treated me well,” Kuiper said. “The best thing about Arizona is probably the weather, but it’s also the worst thing about Arizona.”

But he still has a weak spot in his heart for Alaska.

“Yeah (I miss Alaska) every day,” Kuiper said. “I probably like Alaska more, because you can go outside and do more things. The thing I miss most is going outside and doing outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.”

During his time at Arizona, he has built a bond with senior Connor MacDougall that’ll last a lifetime.

“I have to say we’re best friends,” Kuiper said. “Almost every week, we hang out and we have a really good time. We’re pretty similar people, so we have a lot of fun together.”

Kuiper played for the Arizona Power basketball club team. During his time, he met most of his teammates but he didn’t play with them because he was with the under - 16 team while seniors Casey Benson, Russ Davis and his other teammates were on the under - 17 team.

“It was a great experience,” Kuiper said. “I played with a lot of great guys from schools all over Arizona, and I had a great time.”

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any colleges, including San Diego State and Oregon State, have recruited Kuiper, but he verbally committed to University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

“New Mexico was the best fit for me,” Kuiper said. “I love the coach, all the guys on the team and just the area. I really like New Mexico—it’s kind of like Alaska—and Univeristy of New Mexico is the biggest thing in that town.”

Kuiper believes that his main reason for picking New Mexico University was the head coach.

“He’s just a player’s coach,” Kuiper said. “He really knows what you’re about and makes you want to go to his school and he’s the only coach I connected to.”

Duane believes the potential for Kuiper is just beginning.

“Dane’s potential is unlimited,” Duane said. “He’s very gifted. As he matures, gets stronger, works on his game, I think that his ceiling is very high. I think he can be a very good player.”

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uiper has high expectations for how far his potential can take him.

“I want to be a great college player and hopefully go to the NBA or play overseas,” Kuiper said.

Kuiper has one goal in mind already for next year. Winning state for the fourth year in a row.

“I want to go for a four-peat,” Kuiper said.

Junior Dane Kuiper dunks in the finals of the Hoophall Classic against Shadow Mountain at Grand Canyon University. Kuiper has dunked more than 20 times this season. Photo by Kelly Zimmer He hasn’t exactly forgotten about this season, but Kuiper has let it slip in his mind a couple of times.

“I’ve only thought of next year a couple of times, “Kuiper said. “The task at hand is winning the three-peat this year, so that’s what I focus on.” R

Dane Kuiper, dressed as Robin to honor the superheroes theme, was one of the representatives of the junior class in the annual Mr. Corona pageant. Photo

by Sara Montano

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Athletic pressure

Do coaches relieve the stress put on athletes?

Mason Kuluris | Online Editor-in-Chief The average student is pushed so far past their limit, it seems they are up late with their homework only to wake up at 6:30 to get ready for seven hours of school. I want to cover the two main things that I think greatly affect student athletes. Balancing their life to commit to the sport and the coaches who help the athletes exceed.

However, let me reflect on the teenage athlete first. First student athletes spend their day at school, then are off to practice, home for dinner, homework only to start all over again the following day. Also take into account the tournaments and games, the missed social events, loss of homework time and the stress of trying to be the best at his or her particular sport. There are so many factors to being an athlete and many students will only play up until their senior year, or if they are lucky, go to college and finish their athletic career there.

Still, athletes put so much of their time into the sport they love.

I have firsthand experience with the complications of participating in a sport. I am a lacrosse player who has practice five days a week for two hours, plus the time spent at home fine-tuning my skills. In addition, I have to balance all my classes and still make time to actually sit down and eat a healthy dinner. It is so hard and many times I have thought if I did not love lacrosse so much, I would probably quit. Last year I managed to find my balance and it helped relieve stress. I woke up, went to school, and then took a few minutes before practice to stop and relax. Then I would practice and go back home for homework and dinner. I avoided too much time on the computer and got to bed early.

I gave it my all and remained dedicated to school and lacrosse during the week and left my weekends to get myself set back up for the week to come. Athletes need to focus on balance and on their own mental and physical health.

Athletes need to make sure to get their sleep, eat a lot of protein, stay hydrated and exceed in school. If they try and stretch themselves too thin they may end up breaking themselves. I have seen many athletes lose it all due to not focusing on themselves and their heath.

How much effort the students put into the sport only matter if they have a coach worth working hard for.

A coach has the power to make or break a player and, ultimately, a whole team. If athletes do not get the support they need from the coach they start to despise their sport near the end. They complain about the training, they regret signing up and drag their feet going to practice. Coaches have an important duty to their athletes to provide tough training and pressure, but to also give encouragement. If a coach is too harsh on a team, it degrades the team from the inside out.

I have had a coach who really did not understand team dynamics.

This coach was too tough on the team and by the end of the season we were down as players. The girls complained, many of them went home in tears and we all felt awful. We were constantly put down and yelled at extensively when we made a mistake.

With a new season and a brand new coach, things began to look up the following year. This coach understood the balance of a team. We were encouraged to try new things in practice and to make mistakes.

When we lost, we talked about what we did wrong rather than getting yelled at about how poorly we played. The dynamics of the team were wonderful, we wanted to be at practice and to do our best. When we played a game, we were intense, knowing our coach had our backs. We went from nearly being in last place to being at the top. It was amazing to watch how one coach could make a huge difference on the girls.

Coaches are bringing up the next generation of athletes, as well as adults. They have a responsibility to encourage the kids while still providing a challenge. They have one of the toughest jobs, but if done right, they could change many students’ futures.

Student athletes can be some of the most dedicated human beings if they are given the encouragement they need. But the most important thing is for athletes to find a sense of balance and love their sport without losing him or herself in the process. Just remember that you will exceed greatly if you keep working hard. R

Stephanie Doan

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No fuss. No muss.

Ride the bus.

If you live in Tempe you can ride transit for free. To get a youth transit pass, stop by the Tempe Transit Store at 200 E. Fifth St. For a list of required paperwork, visit www.tempe.gov/tim or call 480-858-2350.

bus 路 bike 路 walk 路 rail February 2014R27

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Junior verbally commits to ASU for gymnastics Nikki Hinshaw | Clubs Editor For junior Arianna Ruth, gymnastics has always been and always will be an important part of her life. With dedication, passion and commitment to the sport, Ruth will continue her education along with her advancement in gymnastics.

She has received a full-ride scholarship offer to Arizona State University after being recruited for her sport.

Ruth has been competing for around 10 years, dedicating a lot of time and effort into improving in all areas of gymnastics.

“We train year round, you never stop training,” Ruth said. “You do your skills, routines, conditioning; it’s crazy.”

Ruth practices, trains and competes with Desert Lights Gymnastics, where she works with a coach and other members of her team. ”My head coach (has) been my coach from the beginning,” Ruth said.

Ruth attempts to balance her schedule of four-hour practices six days a week with the demands of school.

“I do my homework whenever I can. I try to finish it before the school day is over,” Ruth said.

At the competitions Ruth attends she receives an individual score for the events she participates in and then the top three individual scores go to an overall team score. “(I do) vault, bars, beam, and floor,” Ruth said.

Ruth hoped to combine both her passion for gymnastics and an education, so she worked hard to secure interest from colleges.

“You have to fill out a bunch of questionnaires and you have to send in videos of yourself to a bunch of colleges,” Ruth said.

Since gymnastics is not a school sport, Ruth has to find opportunities to perform in front of college scouts.

“You have to do well at your meets because that’s when the college scouts see you, and you have to pay to go to camps across the country,” Ruth said.

All of Ruth’s efforts paid off, as ASU approached her with interest in her skills.

“ASU came to my gym and they saw me and actually sent me stuff,“ Ruth said. “It was really cool that they were interested in me before I was interested in them.”

ASU offered Ruth a full-ride scholarship to compete on its team come time for college. Ruth was hesitant at first about staying in Arizona but came to appreciate what ASU offered.

“I thought I wanted to go out of state, but I love the coaches (at ASU) and their facility is really nice; I love it,” Ruth said.

In the future, Ruth hopes to make the lineup to be a competitor for ASU’s gymnastic team. For now she’ll focus on honing her skills in preparations for a college gymnastic career. “(I will) continue competing for club until I go to college and then hopefully compete on their team for four years,” Ruth said.R

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Ruth performing ”Give Me Love,” choreographed by junior Amanda Johnson, at the 2013 Corona dance show, “Dance While We’re Young.” Ruth has been in dance since her freshman year. Photos by Kelly Zimmer

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Girls soccer makes playoffs for 2nd consecutive year Omar Soussi | Sports Editor

The Lady Aztecs finished their week playing against Flagstaff, The Aztecs girls soccer team ended it’s season with a 9-7-3 record Desert Vista and finally against Ironwood. They beat Flagstaff 4-0 and losing to Hamilton, 2-0, in the first round of the playoffs Feb. 5.

“Making the state playoffs was a wonderful accomplishment and played their toughest game against Desert Vista. It was a physical game eventually we will all feel good about it, but for a little while the loss where both teams played great defense but Desert Vista made one more play than the Aztecs, ruining the Aztecs’ stings,” head coach Matt Smith said. senior night 2-1. After that game, the team The team dealt with a lot of adverfinished the regular season tying with Ironsity in the beginning of the season, losing wood Ridge. Smith viewed the last week as an three of it’s first four games, each by one “ultra intense week.” goal. Junior Maddie Wolf believed it was They were the 10th seed in the AIA Divithe team just figuring itself out . sion I state championship. The Aztecs played “Our team was really young, we had against Hamilton in a tough game in which a lot of freshmen on the team,” Wolf said. the Huskies were able to shut down the Az“We lost a lot of good seniors from last tecs. Smith took the loss with grace. year, so we were just coming as a team “The final score was not a reflection of more, and learning how to play with each being out-worked or out-played but rather a other throughout the season.” brief moment of defeat,” Smith said.

After beating Mountain Pointe and The lady Aztecs huddling up before the Willow CanThe team may have lost, but Smith thinks losing to Bonita Vista, the girls tied two yon game. The Aztecs won 1-0. Photo by Kevin Park. it’ll be back next year. games against Gilbert and Sabino. After “We have some very talented players those games, the team looked like a well oiled machine, going on a five-game winning streak, winning seven out graduating, but our younger players did get a lot of opportunities so of its next eight games, beating Willow Canyon, Desert Mountain, Mesa, we will look to be competitive as always,” Smith said.

The Aztecs will still have some talented players for next year, includCamelback, Dobson, Westwood and Flagstaff, losing only to Xavier in ing Wolf, who verbally committed to ASU (which you can read about on overtime.

“We were definitely really excited that we finally figured out how cdssunrise.com). Wolf just can’t wait for next year to come.

“I’m so excited,” Wolf said.“ I know we’re coming up really good. We to play with each other and we just kept wanting to win, and it gave us lost a lot of good seniors this year, but I’m excited for next year.” R motivation,” Wolf said.

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Varsity cheer takes 1st at valley competition Aashini Choksi | Life and Times Editor

CdS varsity cheer placed first in the large varsity division of the Cactus Cup competition held on Jan. 18. Put on by the Universal Cheer Association at Cactus Shadows High School, this tournament showcased the talents of cheer teams from across the valley.

“There were about 30 teams total, but ten in our division,” senior Brittany Yee said.

Multiple judges scored routines based on four categories—execution, facial expressions, cleanliness and skill. Points were deducted for mishaps or falls. “(The competition) is separated into different categories,” co-captain Anna Smith, senior, said.

“There is execution, which is how we portray our stunts. (We are also judged on) facials, which are your voice and your words that you use in the cheer, and overall cleanliness between transitions and throughout the stunts and dances. (There is also) the skill level- how difficult the stunts and cheers were.”

Although the girls perform at varsity basketball games and at school assemblies, they decided to tweak their routine for the

competition.

“Our competition routine is a little more difficult than (the) routines we do for assemblies,” Smith said. “They are more fast paced and there are three different parts to it.”

The girls had to perform an opening stunt, an ‘’elite’’ stunt and a final cheer for the judges. “(After the routine) we go into a cheer where we use signs and poms and get the crowd fired up,” Smith said. “The end is a pyramid which is a lot of points as well.”

Taking pride in her team, cheer coach Cristina Wiley said that the team has already accomplished the goals she had set at the beginning of the year.

“Winning first place was a really special moment for me to watch,” Wiley said. “I have never seen the girls, collectively, so happy in the same moment.”

Although the team knows it has come a long way, it continues to perfect its skills.

“Competition is really fun,” Smith said. “It is a different experience and it is so exciting, especially when you win first place.” R

Cheerleaders perform at the basketball game against Shadow Mountain. They have a number of routines prepared, including the scorpion. Photo by Kelly Zimmer

Senior part of national cheerleading program Nikki Hinshaw | Clubs Editor

With numerous school sports to pay attention to, sometimes outstanding athletes are looked over for their accomplishments within fields outside of the programs offered at Corona. Lauren Stills is a senior at Corona who cheers for the Aztecs, but she also participates in Universal Cheerleaders Association, a program dedicated to the improvement of high school and college cheerleaders.

“UCA is the largest cheer company in the nation and along with running summer camps and clinics also holds competitions for college, high school and competitive (all-star) cheer teams,” Stills said.

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UCA also offers staff positions, such as the role that Stills holds.

“I am part of the West Coast region and I am on the Arizona staff,” Stills said.

This year marks the first season Stills is employed with UCA, although she has attended competitive UCA summer camps with Corona cheer.

“There are no specific requirements to be on UCA staff; however, it is helpful if you do have previous cheer experience,” Stills said. “At the tryout/job interview we had to perform a sideline cheer and dance that we learned prior to tryouts and showed the judges our standing tumbling skills and stunting skills.”

Varsity Corona cheer coach Cristina Wiley believes that this experience will be beneficial to Stills.

“Lauren will be employed to run UCA summer camps and teach teams materials. It will be exciting for her,” Wiley exclaimed.

For cheerleaders who are serious about advancing in cheer, UCA is an amazing program that can help improve skills beyond what is taught in high school programs.

“UCA is focused on being clean and sharp

and making sure that everything that is done looks effortless but is safe,” Stills said.

Although being a part of UCA calls for a large amount of dedication, the benefits are worth the effort.

“The one thing that I absolutely loved about this experience was that I became part of a family. UCA is such a close-knit group of cheerleaders and it’s amazing how many new people I have become close to just two weeks after tryouts,” Stills said.

Stills plans on cheering well into the future.

“I do plan on cheering in college. I have decided to go to Northern Arizona University and have been in contact with their coach about the upcoming tryouts in April.” Stills said.

Stills is enthusiastic about this program and wants more people to know about the great opportunities UCA provides for young cheerleaders.

“UCA has definitely taught me how to work hard but still be able to enjoy what I love to do,” Stills said. R

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Wrestling success at sectionals, 11 wrestlers qualify for state Jacqui Marzocca | Editor-in-Chief Mid-practice on Feb. 7, one day before the scheduled sectionals, Aztec wrestling was at work making weight and preparing for the competition when they were told they would not be wrestling. The Division I, Section IV tournament was postponed due to a precautionary measure taken by the AIA to insure the safety of the athletes in response to an outbreak of skin infections.

A week later, the Aztec wrestlers were finally given the opportunity to take to the mats.

“Just getting the opportunity to compete in state is very comforting given the skin infection scare a week ago,” head coach Jim Martinez said.

“We have a good chance to score points as a team and also challenge for state titles in several weight classes. We will review video of our matches last week to pinpoint areas we can improve on before we start wrestling on Friday. “ Though there was a difference in opinion among wrestlers as to whether the delay was a positive or negative factor, junior Matt Churchill (132 pounds) believes it made a difference because “it gave my shoulder more time to heal.”

Taking the title of sectional champions were senior Ethan Tursini (160) and sophomore Bridger Barker (182).

“Ethan and Bridger each wrestled to their expectation level,” Martinez said. “Ethan beat a very tough opponent from Mountain View in the finals who could be the second toughest person in his weight class next week. Bridger was able to defeat a wrestler from Red Mountain who had beaten him previously. Winning those matches are important for seeding at state.”

Barker felt the win gave him more confidence for the state tournament.

“I feel great,” Barker said. “He (his opponent) beat me early in the season…it was good to get that one back, get it off my chest and get some redemption.”

This title marks Tursini’s third consecutive year taking first in this competition, but he is focusing his energy on preparing for the state tournament next week.

(Above) Senior Ethan Tursini (160) pins his Mountain View opponent in the finals. (Bottom left) Sophomore Bridger Barker redeems himself against a previous opponent. Both wrestlers took first at sectionals. Photos

by Johnny Waddell

“I’m excited,” Tursini said. “It’s nice, but I’ve got to focus on next week and I’ll let it sink in after I’ve gotten everything I want.”

Taking second place was senior Glenn Farina (138), junior Taylor Rico (170) and senior Mike Clare (195).

Third place went to sophomore Marc Farina (126), Churchill and junior Ryan Spadafore (145).

“I feel confident and I’m glad I made the mistakes I did here instead of at state,” Churchill said.

Marc Farina agreed with Churchill.

“I feel confident,” Marc Farina said. “I just want to have a better tournament than I had today. I practically beat everyone except one person–I just want to make it into the state finals.”

Spadafore reveled in the night’s accomplishments with a happy “I feel like I could conquer the world.”

Fourth place went to sophomore Ryan Farina (113), freshman Hunter Carmona (120) and Hwt. Darius Ryan.

The state championships were held Feb. 21 and 22 at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott. Check out cdssunrise.com for full coverage.

Martinez feels that Corona will have tough competition at state, but the team is planning on preparing by watching videos of their matches from sectionals and “pinpoint(ing) areas we can improve on before we start wrestling on Friday.”

“We won a couple and lost a few,” Martinez said. “Our plan is for our wrestlers to work on areas where they were vulnerable. There are a lot of talented wrestlers in each weight class. We’ll just work to be our best when we step on the mat.”

The team is excited to get out there and put all they have on the mats at the state tournament.

“I’ve got the best partners in the state, the best coaches,” Barker said. “(We’re) looking to bring one back for the Tribe." R

Results accurate as of press time. Check out cdssunrise.com for the state story and check out more updates @CdSSunrise on Twitter.

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Nathan Rodriguez named Gatorade Runner of the Year Jacqui Marzocca | Editor-in-Chief

It all started with a strenuous application, a seemingly long shot.

The text from a friend that announced his new title sent a wave of shock and excitement through senior Nathan Rodriguez, who had just been named the Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for the state of Arizona.

“I was happy I got it, but I wasn’t necessarily expecting to get it so it was a nice surprise,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez certainly was not without the qualifications. After a season of success in events such as the Desert Twilight Festival, the Tempe City Championship, the Chandler Invitational, the Sole Sports Running Zone Festival and the Sectional Championships, Rodriguez placed first in the state, individually and as part of the boys cross country team. Then he came in 11th at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional championships.

Rodriguez credits his proudest moment as “just standing on that podium with my team after state and holding that trophy.”

The training to be as successful as Rodriguez has included hours and hours of pounding the pavement.

“On average about 70-80 miles per week with my team, six days per week,” Rodriguez explained about his training. “Then anywhere from another 5-10 miles per week…by myself.”

The intensive training does not go unnoticed.

“I feel it is a very deserved honor,” cross country coach Pat Smith said. “Nathan was the best runner in the state of Arizona.”

According to USA Today’s High School Sports page, the qualifications for this award, which Rodriguez clearly exemplifies, are “high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership.”

“Nathan is extremely driven to be the best runner he can be,” Smith said. “He works very hard to achieve this.”

The Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for Arizona is junior Dani Jones from another school in the district: Desert Vista High School.

“To be able to share an award with an athlete like her is pretty

32 R February 2014

(Above) Senior Nathan Rodriguez holds the state trophy after placing first individually and as a team. (Below) Rodriguez heads toward finish line during the state championship. Photos by Elizabeth Cheney rewarding,” Rodriguez says. “I was pretty proud to be in the same category as her because, in my opinion, she’s a lot better at her age than I was.”

Jones reciprocates the strong feelings of respect for Rodriguez.

“I would say Nate and I have a supportive running relationship,” Jones said. “I was very pleased to share this award with him. I have a lot of respect for Nate and I hope his success continues at Iowa State next year.”

With the two Gatorade titles for cross country in the Tempe Union High School District, expectations for a continuing legacy of cross country runners is high.

“I’ve seen the other names on the banners in the gym, awards for other sports,” Rodriguez said. “But for cross country, I think it’s only the beginning because next year and the following year you’ll start to see a trend of athletes in cross country who will frequently get this award more.”

Jones agrees that the success of cross country in the district is a big step.

“I’m very excited about DV and Corona’s success this cross country season,” Jones said. “It was very exciting to earn titles over private schools and to represent Tempe schools.”

This is the second consecutive year Corona has had a Gatorade winner after senior Casey Benson was named the Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year last year.

“To have two Gatorade State Athletes of the Year in less than 12 months is a great honor for these young men, as well as the CdS community,” athletic director Dan Nero said. “There have only been 11 other Gatorade Athletes of the Year in Corona’s history. And the best part is both Nathan and Casey are two of the finest young gentlemen I have had the pleasure to work with in my career in high school athletics.”R