Brook Bowman's portfolio by Lori Hart

BROOKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PORTFOLIO

SELF REFLECTION This semester was different than any other. It was my first time as an editor. In my last reflection, I talked about how much I had grown and matured through the year. This year, I took on new responsibilities that required me to learn new skills in order to grow as a person. One of the biggest things I struggle with is time management and procrastination. Although I was able to get away with these traits for many years, there was no way I could do that this year. With many deadlines from college, newspaper, and yearbook constantly approaching, I had to overcome my senioritis and manage my time better. I am still working at this everyday. Although, I feel like I am starting to get better at it. In addition, I have always been a very giving person. If someone needs something or needs something done, I find a way to do it. Yet, I often reach my breaking point and feel bad if I don’t get it done. This semester I was more honest with myself on what I could and couldn’t handle. I feel that I was able to successfully. Next, I knew, as a team, we struggled a lot last year with communicating with each other and making those relationship. Last year’s editors I barely knew until the end of the year. The classroom always felt like a tense, stressful environment. Going into this year, Kassidy and I knew that we didn’t want to repeat that this year and I’m so happy we decided that. I think we did a much better job making a relationship with each person in the class. I genuinely feel like I know something about each person and can joke around easily with any-

one. With this mindset, I gained a few friends. Also, it helps such a stressful, busy environment feel more welcoming and friendly. Lastly, the biggest struggle was having to teach myself and others something that I had never done before. Without the help of Adamson, I only had my previous Photoshop skills to back me up. I knew a bit of Indesign and Illustrator. But, not enough to teach other people. For the first two issues, I winged it. I truly had no idea what I was doing and was making it up as I went. And, I can admit, the first issue’s big typo definitely discouraged me. I felt like I had “failed” already. It’s kind of funny to think about now. Yet, I’m so happy and excited with how the last two issues turned out. I think finally giving myself confidence that I could do it helped Kassidy and I pull it off somehow. Additionally, I know we rely on Adamson a lot. But, I feel like it was almost a blessing in disguise to be forced to learn things without him. The last issue, where he was the most absent, taught me a lot on how to work indesign, create a bomb front page, and get an idea of how we wanted the paper to look. At times, it felt like I was the only one designing everything and it makes me more grateful to have him here the days we do.

REFLECTION #1 I think my biggest contribution to the newspaper was my design to skills. To put it nicely, I think I have a good eye for design and I know what looks nice and what doesn’t. I am also very honest on what I think looks bad and what looks good. So, I can constructively help the newspaper look even better. I like working alongside Kassidy a lot since we are very different people with different strength. While I am good at telling people what to do, design, and photoshop, he is great at writing, coming up with ideas, and overall a great dude. He helps keep everyone sane in all the madness. Something I am proud of overcoming this year is having confidence in myself. In the first two issues, I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me to not disappoint. Last year’s newspaper won a crown and they all seemed like they knew what they were doing. While this year, none of had a clue of what we were doing. I didn’t want to be the editor in chief that disappointed. I didn’t want next year’s newspaper or last year’s newspaper to talk about how bad this year was. So, the first two issues I followed and copied a lot of Sara and Kiera’s way of doing things. Yet, I still wasn’t loving the outcome. It wasn’t until I wrote for the front page in November that I gained some sort of inspiration to do things the way I liked it. It’s funny how November always seems to inspire me to do bet-

ter. Therefore, I think the last two issues where I did things the way Kassidy and I wanted to do it are our best, yet. Maybe even our best. I hope next year’s newspaper can look back on them and learn from those mistakes. In addition, I am very proud of the way we treated the staff this year. Although a lot of bad things were happening behind the scenes, the staff and myself felt very unincluded in a lot of the things the editors were doing. This year, I feel like I genuinely know each person in the room. It makes days like production day a lot more fun. I feel like I’ve gained a new family that I get to come to for one hour everyday. It’s one of my favorite high school experiences that I’m so glad that I get to enjoy. This class has taught me how to laugh in even the worst situations. In that room, I have even made some of my closest friends that I will continue to know throughout my life.

L F RE

I T EC

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teaer t sh e s

section one: Photo Essay

20 ● September 24, 2018

september

BACK IN BLUE

october

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

4. seNior’s Nest Class of 2019 shows their spirit for the first football pep-rally of the year. The seniors pack the stands with their blue out attire and loud chants. “I feel like our class has a good amount of camaraderie among us; everyone is always hype at the pep rallys and we have always been a high spirited loud grade,” said Kira Solberg. 4brook bowmAn

Starting off a new school year at Cactus Shadows, students are showing their falcon pride.

nothing :(

1. New HeigHts

Siena McCollum, senior, and Sydney Perry, junior, celebrate their line up for the new volleyball season with a jumping high five. “Since we are all friends on and off the court which help a lot during practice and has helped us stay undefeated; and we don’t get angry at each other on the court which is good cause that could cause a down fall of the team,” said McCollum.

december

TURNING ARIZONA’S SENATE BLUE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, Kyrsten Sinema

THE

PRESS

3. Brianna Foley,

Gibson Hreha, Sam Schott, seniors, and Katelyn Mizera, junior, return to their original roles in the dance Emerald City, choreographed by Lori Hart and Liz Lincoln. 4BLAKE DORAME

December 21, 2018 vol. 10, no.4

2. uNder tHe spotligHt

Jack Skummer execute a lift during Emerald City. “Both Jack and Brooke did an outstanding job preparing for this move,” said Hart. 3

THEN VERSUS NOW

4BLAKE DORAME

Comparing styles from the past to 2018, Frida Alvarado explains how old trends reappear and how to make an outfit vintage and retro. See story on page 18

BOYS BASKETBALL

With a new coach to help, the boys basketball team is having a fresh start to their season. Grant Richardson reports on the team’s success. See story on page 21

bowmAn

By Kassidy Wheeler editor in chief

he midterms have concluded, and the Democrats failed to take the Senate from the Republicans. However, Congress is now split, with the Democrats gaining control of the House of Representatives. Voter turnout reached a 50-year high, as nearly half of eligible voters went to the polls to cast a ballot. Locally, the Cave Creek Unified School District had two seats up for grabs, and voters chose Scott Brown and Beth Hatcher to further represent the school district. During the Governing Board Forum October 11, the East Valley Institute of Technologies (EVIT) implementation of Career Technology Education (CTED) was an important talking point. “To be able to join CTED and offer that to the students would be a wonderful thing, and I think a lot of students would take advantage of those classes,” said Brown. Voters voted to pass CTED, and a “nickel tax” will be assessed per $100 of secondary assessed valuation. This means that a home with a value of $100,000 would see

3. Year four Audrey Coleman and Izzy Cantwell, seniors, spend their last golf season together. “We have both been of the school golf team for a while and we are friends off the team as well, I love audrey,” said Cantwell. This year, the golf team is hoping to win the state championships for the third year in a row.

4miAh thirion

5. BeacH patrol This year, Cactus Shadows introduced eight new nest leaders for the first time. Two of the eight leaders, Nick Ford and Dani Ramos, seniors, cheer on the varsity football team in the spirit beach theme. Ford and Ramos spent their Friday night hyping up the crowd for the game against Williams Field High School. “Our job at the football games are to make sure everyone is involved in the game; like actually cheering on the players,” said Ford. 4logAn mcdAde

CHANGE

a tax increase of $5 dollars. “The opportunities for the kids are fantastic, and we can’t cover these things in Cactus Shadows right now, so it’s a great idea for us to join EVIT,” said Hatcher Since CTED passed, students will now have access to Career and Technical education as well as skill specific job training that students would not have access to without the program. At the state level, Arizona voted Democrat Kyrsten Sinema to become senator and take Senator Jeff Flake’s seat, over Republican Martha McSally. Sinema is prochoice, supports background checks for firearm purchases, and is against mass deportations. “Having Sinema as a senator can help balance out the state, and it’ll be more progressive to have both a Republican and Democrat representing Arizona. It’s important for people to find the middleground and work together,” said Lauren Whalen, a senior and registered

8. Abigail Querrey,

voter. Now that Sinema has won, she plans to provide quality, affordable healthcare for all Arizonans and fix the Department of Veterans Affairs. Finally, she wants to address “Commonsense Immigration Reform,” which would strengthen borders, support dreamers, keep families together, and improve Arizona’s economy. “I think it’s a big deal that Sinema was elected, not just because of her politics, but it shows Arizona is leaning in a more bipartisan direction. The fact that she won, but other Republicans won like Doug Ducey, it shows that people are willing to cross the line and vote both parties,” said Molly Gum, a government teacher. Nationally, races between Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O’Rourke in Texas were watched closely, but with Cruz winning, people were still surprised at how close O’Rourke was to taking the lead in a historically red state. Even though Democrats lost in states like Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee, these states are historically red and Democrats almost had key senate victories. See Election Recap on page 4

junior, is hoisted into the air towards the end of the Emerald City dance. The choreographers focused on the roles of the aristocracy when designing the dance. 4BLAKE

6 6. Erica Honing,

DORAME

junior, holds an arabesque in Tin Man, which was choreographed by local artist Ramon Soto. Soto set the piece on the girls in just four days. 4BLAKE

PRESS

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona November 20, 2018 vol. 10, no. 3

By Brook Bowman editor in chief

Scientists from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believe that climate change will be irreversible by 2030.

y 2030, Earth is expected to experience catastrophic climate change as a result of the current levels of greenhouse gas emissions. In October, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report which stated that the planet will reach the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2030. This leaves the planet at a risk of extreme drought, wildfires, floods, and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people across the globe. “We need to prevent climate change, because we don’t see the effect it will have right now, but in the future it will be seriously detrimental to the Earth,” said

Ashley Wilkins a senior. Scientists are predicting that the planet will be past the point of help by 2030. According to Global Commission on Economy and Climate, the study performed concluded that the next two to three years will be a “critical window” for bold climate decisions. If global emissions exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, Andrew King, a lecturer in climate science at the University of Melbourne, believes that our planet will experience more heat waves, long summers, a great rise in sea level, more drastic droughts, extreme rainfalls, etc. In order to avoid reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius, the IPCC said that global net emissions of carbon dioxide would need to fall by 45% from 2010 level by 2030 and reach “net zero” by 2050. The world already amounts 40 billion tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions per year. “I collect my fruits, vegetables, or coffee grinds, and buy biodegradable things so I can compost, and by doing this it degrades it and creates fresh soil that can be used to pot plants,” said Doni Nasr, a Spanish teacher and environmentalist. In 2018, emissions show no sign of slowing down. In fact, they continue to rise in numbers.

INSIDE

OPINION

6 ● November 16, 2018

Debating the dress code The dress code policies have been part of an on going discussion for a while. The editorial staff discusses changes for Administration and students to reach a compromise

See story on page 3

THE DRESS CODE The editorial staff discusses how the dress code can be modified to meet administration and students needs See story on page 6

TEAM USA GYMNAST

Hope Black reports on Jace Williams future as a gymnast on team USA and his travels to Russia to compete on the world stage See story on page 23

PRESS

very girl remembers the first time they were dress-coded by an adult. Being called out for what they are wearing can be both embarrassing and confusing, sending the message that what a girl wears is directly related to how she is treated. For most girls, this sexualized mentality starts at a young age and continues into adulthood. Little things like holes in jeans, spaghetti straps, and not wearing a bra have become the peak of controversy inside schools. In this climate, a woman’s body and choices are given more importance than their education, character, and beliefs. According to Change.org, more than 400 petitions have been filed against school dress codes in America, most of them asserting that school dress codes are “sexist or unfairly enforced.” We do not feel that schools should focus on dress code for these reasons and for the loss in learning time that results from students having to change their clothes. Historically, girls have been subjected to a stricter dress code than men. During the Puritan era, girls couldn’t show their ankles without risking consequences. Things have changed a lot since then, and women are not restricted in the same way. Even today, we live in a society that judges a women for what she wears. Many times, girls are dress-coded because their clothing is deemed “distracting” for boys, the idea being that their bodies cause boys to lose concentration. Creating an atmosphere where boys are led to believe that it is acceptable to allow what clothing girls wear to distract them in a learning environment, will never help them mature. Assuming that all boys are distracted by exposed shoulders and girls wearing shorts makes it seem that all boys are incompetent when it comes to controlling their focus and maturity levels, which is untrue. The rules put into effect should help boys mature to men and show those who still might be lacking in maturity that women can wear whatever clothing they want, and that it is up to them to control themselves, not women. Of course, there are situations where dress code is completely necessary in order to enforce some sort of regulation for a professional environment. We understand the need for dress codes. What needs to change are the shaming tactics used against young girls. Taking away their class time, making them wear bright, silly shirts, and yelling at them in front of their peers is not the solution.

See Climate change on page 2

STUDENT SCHOLARS Sarah Weiss became a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholar award. Morgan Reimer goes into further explanation about her accomplishments and future

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

As we see it: the Editorial

SCIENTISTS PREDICT CLIMATE CHANGE LIKELY IRREVERSIBLE

THE THE NEWSPAPER OF CACTUS SHADOWS HIGH SCHOOL IN CAVE CREEK, ARIZONA

Editors in Chief Brook Bowman Kassidy Wheeler Opinion Editor Kassidy Wheeler In-Depth Editor Maja Peirce Travel Editor Austin Hagan The News Editor Brook Bowman Sports Editor Avianna Hoppes the Life Editor Morgan Reimer Creeker Editor Lauryn Stornelli Spotlight Editor Annie Soogard Photo Editor Blake Dorame Health Editor Julia Knies Style Editor Grace Carey Staff Frida Alvarado, Ryan Bartholomew, Emma Bauer, Hope Black, Jo Breese, Mia Brito, Brendan Donaldson, Devin Dorough, Lucas Dufresne, Makenna French, Connor Green, Riley James, Logan McDade, Evan Myers, Ethan Penington, Raven Ramirez, Grant Richardson, Lauryn Stornelli, Max Sotelo, Miah Thirion Editorial Policy: The CSPress is published by the Journalism class of Cactus Shadows High School. The NEWSpaper serves the students and staff of Cactus Shadows High School and as a connection to the surrounding community. The objective of the CSPress is to publish a factual, informative and entertaining the NEWSpaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints. The Comments and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all CSPress staff members. The CSPress is also published online, at cactusshadowscspress.com. The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment. WE VALUE YOUR Comment. EMAIL YOUR LETTER TO CSPRESS.Comment@gmail.COM The CSPress values Comments from its readers. If you have something to say about anything you have read, please write a letter to the editor and send it to cspress.Comment@ gmail.com. Letters must be typed, less than 100 words in length and signed. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. The CSPress will not print letters that are obscene, libelous or that target an individual. Advertisements that are obscene, misleading, or illegal to minors will not be printed. The CSPress reserves the right to reject any advertisement. To place an ad, contact the adviser or the Advertising Manager at (480) 575-2493. The CSPress is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association, and the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association.

The EDITORIAL represents the consensus view of the members of the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board members are Brook Bowman, Kassidy Wheeler, Maja Peirce, Avianna Hoppes, Morgan Reimer, Annie Sogaard, Julia Knies, Blake Dorame, Austin Hagan, Lauryn Stornelli and Grace Carey

4 MIA BRITO

The CSPress Cactus Shadows High School P.O. Box 426 Cave Creek, Arizona 85327 (480) 575-2400 November 20, 2018, Volume 10: Issue 3 School enrollment: 1822 Number of copies printed: 1100

7 9. Jack Skummer and Nina Leonard, seniors, perform a duet in the dance, Questioning Authority. Choreographed by Liz Lincoln, the dance included many advanced lifts and partner moves. 4BROOK BOWMAN

DORAME

7. Caileen

Childers, junior, strikes a pose in the Tin Man dance, which was inspired by the idea of searching for your heart.

10. Holly Beck, junior,

4BLAKE DORAME

THE

\BROOK BOWMAN

november

5. Brooke Rozelle and

See story on page 4

Gabe Ozaki and Kayla Dobbs, seniors and Drama club presidents, announce their club at Blue Out pep-rally. With a whole new class of students this year, Dobbs and Ozaki ask the newcomers to expand the club. 4brook

junior, and Brianna Foley, senior, make it Back to Kansas in a dance choreographed by Haley Vago, dance teacher. Vago was insipred by “the red shoes and clicking your heels.” 4BLAKE DORAME

4BLAKE DORAME

For the first time, Drama Club thespians perform the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime at Thescon. Maja Peirce reports about the play’s success.

2. Baiylee Soltau, senior, Emily Schmit,

meister, senior, performs a balancé in the ballet Poppy Fields, choreographed by Elissa Ericson. “It’s about how sometimes people can be influeced by outside negativity,” said Ericson.

INSIDE

1. Seniors Brianna Foley and Morgan Muellenmeister follow the Yellow Brick Road in Oz, a dance choreographed by Elissa Ericson, the chair of the dance department. “It’s about having a new approach to the world, maybe even going out of state for college,” said Ericson. 4BLAKE DORAME

4. Morgan Muellen-

STUDENTS PERFORM AT THESCON

4AviAnnA hoppes

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Falcon Dancers Visit Magical Oz

BOWMAN

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

Photo Essay

24 ● December 21, 2018

is the first woman, the first bisexual, and the youngest person to take the seat in Arizona. \ BROOK

leads the way in the dance Scarecrow with some hip hop moves. The dance was created by local choreographer Ricky Malouf, and was a favorite with the dancers.

4BLAKE DORAME

section two: september

the NEWS

2 ● September 28, 2018

THE

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

THE BREAKING POINT

PRESS

The the NEWSpaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

october

THE

PRESS

If you are 18 years election old on can regis day, you ter today. You to vote can sign up on vote. org.

September 28, 2019

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona October 19, 2018

vol. 10, no. 1

vol. 10, no. 2

INSIDE

LIKE THE SNAP OF a pencil,

schools in Arizona are facing a shortage of teachers. With too many positions to fill, schools are being forced to find different solutions. 4 BILLY PILGERIM

INSIDE JOHN McCAIN

After the death of John McCain, many are wondering who will fill his seat in the Senate. Grace Carey reflects on McCain’s honorary and courageous life with Jeff Flake, an Arizona Senator. See story on page 3

NEW PRINCIPAL A history teacher, the dean of students, the athletic director, and now principal, Jim Swetter returns for his eigth year at Cactus Shadows in a whole new way. Morgan Reimer examines what it takes to be a principal. See story on page 9

GIRLS GOLF

With hopes to win the state championships for the third year in a row, Miah Thirion discusses traditions, practices, goals, etc. with the team. See story on page 19

to heat up, the streets of Cave Creek are filled with many different election signs.

Even as classroom sizes continue to increase, more schools are losing their teachers

By Kassidy Wheeler editor in chief

eacher turnover is having a profound impact on Arizona school districts. Last year the problem was so serious that only four months into the 2017 school year, more than 500 vacancies were created statewide. This problem is not just a local issue. On the national level, teacher turnover affects schools every year. According to a study done by the Learning Policy Institute, this year alone, students across the nation will enter one of more than 100,000 classrooms that have a teacher who is unqualified to teach their subject. As a result, schools are forced to trade quality for quantity because there is a severe lack of qualified educators. Some teachers retire, but recent studies suggest that at least two-thirds of teachers leave for other reasons. “There’s a teacher shortage across the nation, and it’s not something we wanted to happen, but we always try to make things best for our students,” said Jim Swetter, Principal.

Wages affect turnover

Turnover rates in the Northeast are much lower than rates compared to the rest of the country. Signs indicate that the reason for this is because schools in the Northeast offer better wages for teachers. The amount of funding schools receive varies from state to state, and is usually calculated on a per student basis. Regardless of what funding schools receive from the state, staff members are working hard to ensure that teacher turnover occurs as little as possible, but there remains a serious crisis in the United States because of the shortage of people who want to teach. “My whole summer consisted of making sure we

had enough staff members, just because they were qualified didn’t mean they were qualified for Cactus Shadows,” said Swetter. Teaching is an important but difficult job, and finding teachers qualified for this field is sometimes even harder to do. Math, science, special education, and foreign language classrooms usually get hit the hardest by teacher turnover. Finding people to fill these roles is pivotal, and that job falls to the school’s leadership. A study done by Susan Burkhauser, the Associative Director of Institutional Research at Loyola Marymount University, discovered that teacher retention increases when school leadership puts an emphasis on proper usage of teacher time, empowers their staff, and implements professional development effectively. “You become a teacher to change lives, so if teachers are being appreciated more and getting paid properly, more people will be happy with being a teacher,” said Ashley Wilkins, a senior with a family member who is a teacher. School districts throughout Arizona received a 10 percent boost for teacher pay for the 2018/2019 school year, as part of Governor Doug Ducey’s “20 percent by 2020” plan. This change was sparked by the Red For Ed movement, which took place last April and May, when many teachers and students walked out of classrooms to demonstrate their desire for improved school funding. “What the teachers are going through is reflected in the classroom and how they teach, so if they’re not being paid enough, events like Red For Ed happen to create change,” said Wilkins.

Impact of school funding

Changes to school funding can take states a long time to put into effect, and usually is not at the top of most Arizona legislator’s to-do lists. This is why the Red for Ed movement is so power-

ful, because, as students and teachers nationwide stand up for improved school funding, they are raising awareness about this crucial issue. In many cases, schools have received the financial boosts that their local Red for Ed movements brought about. Unfortunately, for some school districts in the country, they received no budget increase, but there are other ways school districts can make sure their teacher retention rates increase. The Learning Policy Institute says that teacher preparedness and training can play a major factor in determining if an individual teacher will want to stay with a school. Teaching conditions are also a key part of whether or not someone is likely to remain. However, poor conditions in the classroom usually stem from lack of funding. If class sizes are too large, it’s because the funded student-toteacher ratio does not allow for more classes to have less students.

Lack of resources

Also, in many cases, classroom materials are not all supplied by the school. A study conducted by the Federal Department of Education showed that 94 percent of public school teachers in the United States reported paying for supplies without reimbursement. On average, they spent around $479 each year, from their own pockets, to buy tissues, pencils, and paper for students. “When teachers leave, kids get behind, and kids who already struggle get even further behind, so that doesn’t benefit students who come to learn,” said Karli Miller, a senior. The crisis of teacher attrition varies by categories of teachers. Those who are unprepared for a job in education tend to leave at rates two to three times higher than those with adequate preparation. Proven strategies for increasing teacher retention can begin with something as simple as providing staff support.

NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

AS ELECTION SEASON starts

November midterms are fast approaching, and new candidates will be on the ballot. Kassidy Wheeler discusses election details.

4 LOGAN MCDADE

See story on page 2

CHAMPIONS AND ACTIVISM

Election season is heating up

ARIZONA

By Devin Dorough staff writer

itizens of Arizona will come together to vote for a new governor and senator on November 6th. After winning the primaries last month, the candidates for the Senate are Democrat Krysten Sinema, and Republican Martha McSally. Doug Ducey, the current Republican governor of Arizona, is running against Democrat David Garcia. Current senator, Jeff Flake, who has served Arizona since 2013, announced he will not be seeking re-election in 2018. With Flake out, Sinema and McSally are running to take his spot. For the first time ever, Arizona will elect a woman senator. “I think electing our first woman senator would really break through needed diversity in Arizona, and would help to show children that they can still be whatever they want no matter who they are,” said Sophie Louis, a senior.

Sinema presents as a centrist

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Sinema, an Arizona native, went to ASU where she

received a Ph.D. degree in Justice studies. Known for being able to partner with the opposing party, Sinema went onto leading a career within the Arizona legislature. Being on the conservative side of the Democratic party, Sinema gives hope to Democrats who wish to take control of the House. According to GovTrack.us, 61 percent of the bills Sinema co-sponsored in 2017 were introduced by Republicans. If elected as senator, Sinema plans to focus on National Security and education.

McSally touts service record

On the other hand, McSally was born in Rhode Island. She moved to Phoenix as an adult, where she served as a pilot for 26 years in the Air Force. In January of 2018, McSally announced her campaign for senate and,eventually won the Republican primary against Joe Arpaio, former sheriff of Maricopa County, and Kelli Ward, former state senator. “Martha McSally is an extraordinary woman… She is strong on crime, the border, and our under siege 2nd amendment. Loves our military and our vets. Has my total and complete endorsement,” said Donald Trump. If elected, McSally plans to focus on secur-

ing our border and cracking down on the opioid epidemic. As for the gubernatorial election, Ducey is taking the lead in current polls. If elected, Ducey plans to focus on education and Arizona’s economy. In the past, he worked with the legislature to pass a 3.5 billion dollar funding plan to ensure kids and teachers received the resources they needed for the Red For Ed movement. Ducey wants to continue working with lawmakers and education leaders on reforms that improve educational results. In addition, he made Arizona’s economy a priority. Since in office, Southern Arizona had a boost in its economy and has added 240,000 jobs since the Great Recession. As for Garcia, he also has many plans for Arizona. Garcia wants to focus on quality schools, good paying jobs and an honest government.Garcia, a public school teacher, plans to increase access to high-quality early education, affordable child care programs, and expand statewide access to after school programs. Additionally, he hopes to shrink classroom sizes for better learning and increase access to all day preschool classrooms for kids.

Athletes are using their platform to stand up for their political beliefs, some have chosen to skip the annual White House visit after winning a championship. Avianna Hoppes debates the controversy. See story on page 5

LEARNING THE BASICS

“Voting for governor is super important just because our current governor has shown he’s not committed to education in any way,” said Karson Shipp, a teacher, “It took a state shut down of every school to actually force him to do something.” Furthermore, Garcia plans to add more good paying jobs into the economy. One way he wants to make this happen is by adding more solar power in Arizona. If Garcia is elected, Arizona’s solar power energy could increase by 50%. “The Voter registration deadline is October 9th. So, if you turn 18 before, please register. It is super important to the state and your county. Every human has a voice, take initiative,” said Kayla Dobbs, a senior. If you are going to be 18 years old on election day, you can register to vote today.

The sports medicine program is teaching students how to deal with hands on medical training. Austin Hagan goes into the specifics with the athletic trainer and students in the program See story on page 19

2 ● October 19, 2018

ecause of the trending popularity among teens, the FDA announced they would intensify the crackdown on e-cigs. After studies that show the percentages of teen users are at an all time high, they are demanding a new plan to stop the vaping epidemics. The FDA is requiring five major vape companies, including Juul, Blu Electronic, and British American tobacco, to address the problem with youth using their products or they can be forced to stop selling flavored tobacco products. These companies marketed fun, flavored juices in order to appeal to a younger crowd. Yet, these fruity juices are filled with harmful chemicals such as diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-pentanedione that cause respiratory problems and a condition known as Bronchiolitis obliterans. Thus, the FDA is considering banning the sales of vape liquids with candy and fruity flavors.

Vaping marijuana

Another concern is the smoking of concentrated marijuana that is used as a wax. Since it is so easy and discreet, many kids are trying recreational marijuana. A study done by Jama Pediatrics found that every one in eleven high schoolers have used marijuana in electronic cigarette. When kids vape marijuana, they are using it at a very powerful form, sometimes it is as powerful as 4 to thirty times that of dried marijuana. ¨More kids are using marijuana now because, with vaporizers, no one can smell it after,” said Kameron Kohler, a junior. According to Market Watch, since 2017, teenage usage of vapes has increased to more than 75%. Scott Gottlieb, the food and drug administration chief, is passionate about getting electronic cigarettes and other harmful products out of teens hands. Gottlieb plans to crack down on vapes, but still wants to provide a safer alternative to smoking for adults. This means vapes most likely will not be out right banned, but actions will take place to help keep kids from having these products. “A lot of people use vapes to quit smoking cigarettes, and vaping is still bad, but for people who smoke cigarettes, it’s way healthier. Kids wouldn’t be so attracted to it if they didn’t sell flavors that only a child would want,” said Meghan Albright, a junior.

It takes your breath away

4KASSIDY WHEELER

SPEAKING HER

VOICE, Beth Hatcher takes time to talk about her focus on students. Hatcher is a retired teacher whose children attended CCUSD schools. 4 KASSIDY WHEELER

As the weather cools off, politicians heat up for fall

ELECTIONS

By Kassidy Wheeler editor in chief

oting for the midterms will end on November 6, and the outcome will determine the political path of the United States until 2020. Every one of the 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives will be contested, while 35 out of 100 seats in the senate will be at stake. Locally, there are two CCUSD elections on the ballot: two governing board positions will be filled, and the CTED option, asking voters to approve a partnership between the district and EVIT to provide more CTE classes for students. IB students hosted a Governing Board Forum on October 11 in the Lecture Hall. The event was intended to give voters a chance to get to know the three candidates on the ballot -- Scott Brown, Beth Hatcher, and Mike Smith -- before voting.

FDA comes down hard

The FDA is giving vapor companies 60 days to show how they are preventing youth vaping. If the plans are not given, the company's sales can be halted until further notice. With so many studies coming out showing more and more teens becoming regular users, these companies can be in some big trouble. "No one can look at the data and say there’s no problem," said Gottlieb. Juul has already started making changes in compliance to the FDA. Now, they require an age verified signature on delivery, and have made changes to protect stores from distributing vapes to kids under eighteen. For many this isn’t enough. A lot of seniors turn eighteen in high school, which makes it easy to get a friend go buy the product. “With so many high schoolers buying vapes, you don’t need to be eighteen to get what you want,” said Kohler.

Local issues discussed

During the event, the candidates answered questions about what direction the school district would go in if they were elected. The seats up for grab are currently held by Cynthia Weiss and Mark Warren, who are not running for re-election. Candidates were questioned on how they would handle teacher retention, school funding, and career technology education for students. Scott Brown had children who attended Cave Creek Schools and is involved in Site Council and the CSHS Alumni group. Beth Hatcher retired last year from teaching at Desert Willow, and also had children who attended schools here. Mike Scott has served on school boards previously, and also worked on the budget at the State level. The midterms will not only determine who

Teen nicotine addiction

Because there are now so many teens addicted to nicotine, banning vapes could backfire. With no vaporizers, cigarettes and chewing tobacco could become a problem for not only teens, but adults who use vapes. Though vaping has shown to be harmful, it is still a lot healthier than other tobacco products. ”I do not know if kids will switch to cigarettes, but there is a good chance that something new will come out that will keep the nicotine trend among teens alive,¨ said Brad Penner, School Resource Officer. For years, kids have used products not intended for their age. But vaping has been the fastest product to become popular with smokers.

4 LOGAN MCDADE

VAPING HAS BECOME a major concern of the school administration and has led to numerous suspensions. School officials are concerned with the harmful effects of excessive caffeine consumption as well as other problems associated the increasingly popular activity. 4JAMES BEARKON

3DEVIN DOROUGH 4 ● September 28, 2018 THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS THE NEWS

Country mourns the death of an icon By Grace Carey staff writer

At age 81, John McCain, a Prisoner of War survivor, an Arizona Senator, and a presidential nominee, died on August 25, 2018 at his ranch in Cornville, Arizona due to Glioblastoma, an aggressive form on Cancer occuring in the brain. McCain’s life, in and of itself, was an eventful story. Whether or not one always agreed with him, one thing was true, he lived a life dedicated to serving his country. “I don’t even know Washington without him,” said Jeff Flake, an Arizona senator who served with McCain for the past six years. Following his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, McCain became a naval aviator after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. Nearly ten years later, McCain’s plane was shot down while flying over

“

Greatest value, courage. You don’t make it through five years as a prisoner of war without having tremendous courage.

Jeff Flake Arizona Senator

Hanoi, Vietnam. Then, he was released back into the hands of the U.S. government after enduring torture and interrogation for five years. By 1981, he entered the political world and went on to serve three decades in Congress, which included six terms in the Senate. “I think that he served our country valiantly. He did a lot for military families and veterans. I know he is very popular

within the military,” said Ryland Davidson, a sophomore. McCain was often referred to as a “maverick,” meaning that he was an independent-minded person. While he was a Republican, he was not always partisan to his party. For instance, in 2017, after eleven hours of deliberating, McCain gave a thumbs-down to the Republican National Party’s motion to undo the Affordable Care Act. “Greatest value, courage. You don’t make it through five years as a prisoner of war without having tremendous courage. Courage to stand up to your leadership, to push for unpopular things on Capitol Hill, like Campaign Finance Reform or Spending Reform; things that needed to be done, but weren’t very popular. The courage to pursue them, nonetheless, that’s what I learned from him,” said said Flake. Not only was McCain a political giant, a “maverick”, a prisoner of war, and a Senator, he also promised the people his honesty, even in the toughest cases. For instance, during his 2000 political campaign, he made a pivotal comment, regarding the state’s right to choose whether or not to fly the Confederate flag. Ultimately, his conscience got the best of him, and he later redacted the statement, citing how wrong he felt it really was. “He showed that he didn’t just have a loyalty to his political party, he had a loyalty to his country in general,” said Molly Scaccia, a sophomore. Though McCain was not a native Arizonan, due to his father’s Naval career, he moved to Arizona in 1981, and became the Senator in 1983. He lived there until his final days with his wife, Cindy McCain. McCain received many medals, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart; and of course he fought for the United States in Vietnam. With the sudden opening in the Senate, Republicans are now fearing a possible Democratic majority. Considering the fact that Jeff Flake will not be running for re-election, this leaves a seat to fill in the upcoming election in November, 2018. However, McCain’s seat, will not be permanently filled until 2020. In the meantime, Jon Kyl, a former Arizona Senator, has stepped up to fill the late Senator McCain’s vacant position.

THE NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

September 28, 2018 ● 3

We just kind of sat in ing light relaxplayed this ing. They that kindrecording everyoneof made giggl a little bit. e

MOTIVATED BY APRIL’S RED FOR ED MOVEMENT, many

teachers are moving from their classrooms to the state capitiol. Christine Marsh, an english teacher, is the democratic nominee for Legisative district 28’s state senate elections. 4 BLAKE DORAME

SPORTING HER BEST POSE, Molly

Scaccia, a sophomore, finds her inner zen. “Meditating helps me calm down because it forces me to focus on my breathing rather than anthing else that is stressing me out at the moment,” said Scaccia. 4 MAX

This year, Cactus Shadows introduces Calm Club, a new club with the intent to help students with stress and anxiety.

SOTELO

Teachers run for office After the recent Red for Ed movement, many teachers across the state were inspired to take action for their community. By Julia Knies spotlight editor

Inspired by the Red for Ed movement, an influx of teachers have stepped up in Arizona to run for a variety of offices, with the goal of making significant changes in how Arizona fund. The National Education Association stated that the average Arizona teacher makes around $47,000 annually compared to the national average of around $58,000. This makes Arizona the 49th worst state in the nation for high school teacher pay and 50th worst state for elementary teacher salaries. In addition, it is one of the only states that gives tax money to non-public schools. “For as much as [teachers] work, and all the stuff they have to deal with, helping kids out and everything...They should be getting paid more,” said Halle Abadi, a senior. In 2008, funding was cut across all platforms due to the recession. Since then, it has continued to decrease. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it is estimated that funds will continue to be cut since there is an increase in students. Because of the low schooling budget and lack of resources, educators and supports organized the Red for Ed movement. The six day walkout in April resulted in a 20 percent increase in teacher pay in Arizona over three years, though educators originally requested a higher increase in budget. “It’s one of those things where everybody has to be on the same page, and so once they had the opportunity to [walkout], they seized it, and I admire teachers for doing it,” said Gabe Ozaki, a senior. Inspired by the Red for Ed movement, many teachers like Christine Marsh, a Cactus Shadows English teacher, have decided to take the political approach. According to the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, more than 40 past or current education professionals are run-

ning for Arizona state legislature. Marsh is Arizona’s 2016 Teacher of the Year and is running for a seat in the state senate. One of her original inspirations for running was when a student asked if Arizona students were worth less than other students because Arizona students are funded less. “I realized I have to run, or I won’t be able to look my students in the eyes. I realized I would lose more sleep by not running than by running,” said Marsh. Additionally, the CCUSD governing board elections are coming up and a teacher is running for a position on the board. Involving themselves in their community, the IB seniors have decided to host a debate between the three candidates running for two slots. “I think it’s a great thing [that teachers are running] because they know, like, they’ve been there inside of the classroom. So, they know what needs to be done, and they know how it can be done. So I think it’s a really good thing for teachers to run for the governing board,” said Ozaki. As for a teacher winning, many Democrats are guessing that voters will side with educators rather than Republicans. The Democrats only need to pick up two more seats in the Senate to flip it. “[If two more Democrats are elected,] everyone down at the capitol will have to work together, they will not have an option… It will be a game changer for Arizona because they will have to compromise and negotiate,” said Marsh. If Marsh wins, she plans to continue teaching, and have the teacher with whom she did her student teaching with come in for her while the legislature is in session. Election day takes place on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, and voting can be done at any local polling place.

CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTED By Hope Black

M staff writer

EETING

every morning before school in Room 150, Calm Club hopes to bring some peace and quiet to stressed and overworked students. Counselors Corrie Klinefelter, Melissa Beverly, and Mike Sarraino take turns running the club with Beth Udisky, the social worker. and Lauren Pilato, the new prevention coach. With the goal of decreasing stress and anxiety, Calm Club gives students a space to relax and unwind, helping students focus more efficiently in class. Calm Club gives students a space to relax and unwind with the goal of helping students focus more efficiently in class. According to a study done by Tulane University, a group of third-graders who participated in yoga and mindfulness intervention during their school day improved in a many important circumstances, including psychosocial and emotional quality of life. In addition, Forbes

Magazine reported a study that showed a boy with ADHD improved in behavioral and attentional measures when he used yoga and mindfulness training throughout his day.

Stressed students “It was actually Ms. Beverly’s idea,” said Klinefelter. “We know that a lot of students have a lot of stress and anxiety, and we thought this was a positive way to have a good start to the day for students.” During the meeting, students and advisors sit in a circle and listen to an audiotape meant to relieve anxiety and stress. “I thought it was actually kind of abnormal,” said Molly Scaccia, sophomore.“We just kind of sat in relaxing lighting. They played this recording that kind of made everyone in the room giggle a little bit.”

meditation helps Studies have shown that meditation in fact does help manage with anxiety, depression, and pain. For example, in a breast cancer study, 163 women were enrolled in an 8 week mindfulness

program that was based on getting rid of their stress. After four months, the women showed more improvements than the women who did not participate. meditation does in fact help manage anxiety, depression, and pain. “I think it will help people struggling with anxiety and stress issues, because a lot of kids come into school with a negative mind set and maybe it will change their viewpoint and give them a good outlook,” said Chloe Talbert, a sophomore. The idea of using meditation and breathing to relax is not new, and is growing in popularity. According to Apple, the Calm app, which uses meditation and mindfulness training to lower stress, was the number one app in 2017. Quartz.com, which tracks emerging technologies, believes that the new era of smartphones may be to blame for new peak of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. With the help of yoga, meditation, mindfulness intervention, etc. there might be a new way of trying to understand mental health issues.

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS THE NEWS

This year, the dress code has been watched a lot more than the past few years. “Last year, they didn’t really care about the dress code, but I guess this year they are more strict about it,” said Brooke Stevens, sophomore.

VENDING MACHINE PRICES All of the vending machine prices have risen twenty-five cents.

IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION

This policy has changed from out of school suspension to in school suspension. The students who receive a suspension attend a class that does “discuss the natures of addiction,” said Jim Swetter, principal. Suspended students are with Angie Braude, a new teacher, where they go on an online website called Pride Academy, and serve the certain amount of days given for their suspension.

IDENTIFICATION

This rule “has always been a rule at Cactus Shadows, it is just being more enforced this year,” said Swetter. Like the new rule last year, students must have IDs when entering school grounds. And, they must wear the lanyard at all times during school hours. While this rule is the same as last year, the administration is actively enforcing it this year.

BATHROOMS

“Most of the time, when a bathroom is shut down, it is due to vandalism,” said Swetter. The only bathroom that is unlocked is the science building bathroom, and that is usually monitored by the athletic director, Tandehl Collentine, or the dean Aaron Pettinato. “There is a smaller area where the teachers are able to have more supervision on students during lunch,” said Swetter. This change is for monitoring purposes, and to make sure that certain groups do not attend the bathroom too often.

EVIT helps career growth

This organization will provide career and technical education specific to certain job skills. It will also turn areas of the former Desert Arroyo Middle School into an area where juniors and seniors will be able to participate in the program. “For taxpayers, I think it’s a nickel for every $100 of their homes value, and I believe the average home price in Cave Creek is near $550,000, so it’ll be about $25 to $35 extra in taxes,” said Shipp. If approved, a “nickel tax” would be assessed per $100 of secondary assessed valuation, this means that a home with a value of $100,000 would see a tax increase of $5 dollars per year if the proposition passes. According to the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce, The average price for a home in Cave Creek is $555,750, meaning they would pay $27.79 extra in taxes per year. In addition to local elections, nationally, Democrats currently hold 49 senate seats, but they might be able to win Republican held seats in Arizona and Nevada. However, election outlook shows it seems likely that Democrats might lose 10 seats they hold in states that President Trump carried in the

2016 election. “If the Democrats are able to flip the senate they will have more control, and I think that’s why they tried to delay the Kavanaugh hearings, because the Democrats want more control over things,” said Evan Ziker, a senior. Both of Arizona's senate seats are up for contest, and according to the Morning Consult, President Trump has a -3 net approval rating in the month of September in the state of Arizona. This is significant because that means that little over half of voters in the state disagree with the current administration. This means there may be more votes for Democrats running for the senate in November. The three possibilities to have the vote are Angela Green, a Green Party Member, Kyrsten Sinema, Democratic candidate, and Martha McSally, Republican candidate. In the Nevada race, the candidates include Libertarian Tim Hagan, Republican Dean Heller, and Democrat Jacky Rosen. Nevada currently has a -7 net approval rating of the current administration in the month of September.

for every American, swift path to citizenship for dreamers to diversify talent in the country, and will work to end loopholes at gun shows for third party sellers. “Having a paid day off to make sure people go vote is important because, most people aren’t really incentivized to go vote and you have to make sure your voice is heard by casting your ballot,” said Brandon Holmes, a senior. Voting is necessary to elect leaders and ensure the future of the United States. Voting matters, and making sure to actually go out and vote is the most important part of the process. Making sure voters have enough time to cast their ballot has been problematic in the past, especially for those who work long hours.

The impact on Cave Creek

Directly affecting Cave Creek voters in District 6, the race for the United States House of Representatives is between Republican David Schweikert and Democrat Anita Malik. Schweikert is pro-life and will fight for the rights of the unborn, a life long member of the National Rifle Association who supports the 2nd amendment, and promises to secure the Arizona border by not supporting amnesty. Malik believes in a moral responsibility to provide quality, low-cost health care

SHOWING HIS PASSION, Mike Smith, a governing board candidate, talked with forum attendees before the evening started. Smith worked at a state level. 4 KASSIDY WHEELER

The splash that seniors enjoy By Connor Green

S staff writer

staff writer

DRESS CODE

gets put into office, but propositions will also be decided on, including the option for CCUSD to join the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). “The vote would bring EVIT to our actual campus, and what that would give us is it would free up more money in our funding. We’d be able to hire more teachers, which means we could reduce class sizes, and it would be a great opportunity for students to get experience with computer science, medtech, or basic engineering,” said Karson Shipp, a history teacher.

October 19, 2018 ● 3

By Raven Ramirez With a new school year, comes new rules and this year is no exception. For example, the dress code policy if being followed more strictly, the vending machine prices have risen, the suspension policy has changed, IDs are checked regularly, athletic bags are no longer permitted in the office, and most school bathrooms are locked.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

DISCUSSING THE

DETAILS, Scott Brown, a governing board candidate, talks to Luke Rodriquez, an IB student, who helped plan and run the forum.

ENIOR Assassins, a game played by high school seniors, has taken the school by storm since it was first introduced. With water guns as weapons, and swimwear as protection, the game pits teams of two against each other. “It is pretty fun, I get to connect with a lot of people from school that I have never talked to before,” said Nick Nielsen, a senior who is playing the game this year. The goal of the game is simple: eliminate all other players and be the last one standing. Students can choose a partner, but they are assigned which other teams they must assassinate. Participants use water guns to eliminate opponents, and these “kills” must be videotaped to count. It takes motivation and skill to stay in the game. For Derek Hertzell, the senior with the most elimination, the fun of the game is what got him involved. “I just wanted to play with my friends,” said Hertzell. To make the game more competitive, there are things that can make a player “off limits.” For example, wearRUNNING FOR SHELTER, Morgan Mullenmeister, a senior, chases Noah Steward, a senior, down the side- ing beach wear, such as floaties or goggles, makes a player unkillable. Also, walk in order to eliminate him from the game. 4 KASSIDY WHEELER

school and places of work are off limits. In addition, there are several Purge Days, where players can assassinate any other team, not just the ones they were assigned. Besides being fun, there is a financial incentive to play. Each team is required to pay an entry fee, which is used to award prizes to the winners. This year, the winner will receive $2000, the runner up $1250, third place $750, fourth $500, and fifth $250. At the beginning of the competition, Cactus Shadows had a little over 300 participants. “Honestly, the money was a big reason to play,” said Hertzell. “It’s 2000 dollars, ya know?” Not everyone is a fan. With two car crashes since the start of the game, Senior Assassins is starting to spark controversy in Cave Creek. In addition, students at Franklin High School in Boston, Massachusetts, called the game ‘hypocritical’ after the recent mass shootings. Additionally, they believe that, “students could find a new way or game to have fun at the end of the year.” “I’ve never seen more than kids with floaties and such, so I don’t really have a problem with it,” said Luke Scott, the Film and TV teacher. In Hopkinton, Massachusetts, one case turned criminal when a student was mistaken for a gun-wielding criminal, creeping inside a resident’s garage. It’s cases like these that cause people to dislike the game or call it unethical.

4 ● October 19, 2018

THE NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Diplomacy while earning a diploma

FOR OVER A CENTURY, the

state fair has been entertaining Arizona residents with deep fried food, crazy rides, fun games, and great memories

This year, the fair intro state new, inter duces esting food like the hot chee flaming to pizza or fried wate melon. r-

4MIA BRITO

Climate change is standing on thin ice across the world NEWS BRIEFS By Julia Knies spotlight editor

With a surge of super storms across the planet, concerns for climate change are increasing. People are becoming more aware of the effects and causes of human-induced climate change. The average summer temperature will be ten degrees hotter by 2100, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit group. The daily temperature year-round is predicted to increase three to five degrees by 2050, and,in Phoenix alone, the number of days above 100 degrees are expected to jump from 121 days in the year 2000 to 147 days in 2050. “Our whole environment and everything in it is all out of whack and off, so the things that are happening are because of it,” said Lola Draper, a junior. The 2017 fire season in California was one of the most destructive yet, with three major wildfires causing a lot of damage. There were also four hurricanes in 2017—which is the most that there have been in a long time. “We’re getting these super hurricanes full of moisture because the oceans are warmer and the atmosphere is warmer. Warmer gas holds more water, so we get these heavy hurricanes that move very slowly and drop tons of rain causing flooding,” said Jennifer Reisener, a chemistry teacher. The increase in wildfires could be the result of temperatures rising, which effects the moisture levels in soil. It can also be from climate change

altering ecosystems, making them more susceptible to fire. “It’s becoming hotter and hotter quicker and earlier in the year, and it’s staying cold for less time, therefore the plants are dying. It’s easier for things to burn,” said Emma Pedersen, a sophomore. Climate change is the umbrella that covers global warming, oceans warming and rising, and other global phenomena. A lot of this change can be credited to the burning of fossil fuels, according to NASA. Global warming on the other hand refers to the upward temperature trend across earth since the early twentieth century, and people’s opinions tend to vary on whether or not it is real. “They go hand in hand, with global warming comes climate change,” said Pedersen. Since 1880, the average global temperature has risen about 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Such a minuscule change in temperature does not seem like it would have such a large effect on the planet, but just a five degree temperature drop globally resulted in ice covering

“

The overall gases in the environment due to the Greenhouse Effect, it’s affecting everything all over the globe.

Lola Draper a junior

a large part of North America over 20,000 years ago, according to NASA. “Enough data has been accumulated over the past fifty to a hundred years to say, with pretty good evidence, that humans have caused the climate to get warmer, so [global warming] is not controversial in the scientific community. It is only controversial politically,” said Reisener. Another aspect of climate change is the Greenhouse Effect, which is when gases—for example, carbon dioxide and methane—trap the sun’s heat, causing the planet to warm “The overall gases in the environment due to the Greenhouse Effect, it’s just affecting everything, all over the globe, like in Antarctica and the ice caps and all of that,” said Draper. Some ways to slow down humaninduced climate change include using renewable energy sources—such as wind and solar power, switching to energy efficient appliances, and conserving water. Simple changes in home can be made such as switching light bulbs to LEDs instead of incandescents, carpooling, and unplugging appliances or electronics that are not in use.

Governing Board Forum

In November, two seats will be open on the CCUSD Governing Board. IB students hosted a forum on October 11 in the Lecture Hall, where the three candidates running — Scott Brown, Beth Hatcher and Mike Smith — answered questions and spoke about why they chose to run for office. A video of the debate is available at www.ccusd93.org.

STATE FAIR IS BACK

UN Climate Change Report

In October, the United Nations released a report that included updated statistics on the state of climate change. According to the new report, by 2030 the planet could be at risk of extreme drought, floods, wildfires, and food shortage if changes are not made worldwide.

CCUSD Teachers Recieve Grants

After raising money from Rock the District, the Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation (CCUEF) awarded over $17,000 in awards to 19 teachers from across the district. Foundation members delivered the checks in person to surprised teachers.

Mia Brito

T staff writer

HE annual Arizona State Fair

is back and open for business. This year’s fair has over 68 rides ranging from roller coasters to slides and mazes, and includes live music, a petting zoo, and classic fair food. Jennifer Espinel, a fair attendee, compared the Arizona State Fair to the New Jersey State Fair. “It’s definitely much bigger than back East,” said Espinel. There is entertainment for everyone, including ethnic dances such as Pualoto Polynesian dancers and Native spirit shows. Native spirit is a group of dancers from across the United States who perform to demonstrate the native cultures and ethnic dances. In addition, there are magic and comedy shows, as well as overly enthusiastic car-

nival workers offering deals to all kinds of games. For instance, games like toss the ring on the bottle, basketball smackdowns, and water gun shooting races. “The fair got a lot bigger, there are way more rides and way more people going this year,” said Michael Nicholls, a junior. Nicholls attends the fair each year. The state fair has a large variety of food vendors selling a diverse selection of deep fried food, hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, slushies, and ice cream. Food vendors are open until 9 p.m. on weeknights and 10 p.m. on weekends. Espinel, who moved to Arizona from New York in 2006, found differences between New York and Arizona fairs. “The deep fried oreos are no contest. Back east makes them best, but the rides are more fun here,” said Espinel. A popular ride is the La Grande Wheel, one of the largest transferable ferris wheel in the world. Measuring 130 feet in height,

The State Fair returns to Arizona with the one of the largest ferris wheels in the world. Mia Brito explores the fair grounds.

the ferris wheel is a favorite with fair goers. Music lovers will not be disappointed by this year’s performances, which include Pitbull and The Wallflowers. The website recommends purchasing tickets in advance, or include the price in the fair admission. “When you walk in, there’s all this great food you can smell. I always go at night so I can see all the lights from the rides and you can hear the music around the park,” said Devon Molina, a senior. The Arizona state fair is a great family event or even a date spot for a festive occasion. They offer tickets online as well as unlimited ride passes on specific days. Check azstatefair.com for more info on rides and ticket pricing. Open from October 5 to 28, operating hours include: Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 9 p.m.; Friday from noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

By Max Sotelo film editor

Once a week, students in the Model United Nations Club meet to discuss issues of international concern. Also known as Model UN, the club simulates the United Nations general assembly. With Bella Sayegh, senior and president, and Emma Strouse, senior and vice president, members of the club choose countries and are given a task or question to resolve, based on that country’s policies towards the issue. The diplomatic club teaches members about international relations and helps them practice their critical thinking and leadership skills. “We get to choose countries and different committees and then we go to conferences and we get assigned like tasks or questions and we debate them based on what our country’s policies are towards that to try to come up with a resolution,” said Melissa Rimsza, a senior club member. Model UN was created after the League of Nations in 1923, with the first Model UN conference held in 1949 at St. Lawrence University. At Cactus Shadows, Model UN was born four years ago, when a student named Abby Walker approached the club’s current advisor, history teacher Steven Mitten, about bringing the club to campus. “She approached me about that her sophomore year, and it took a year for her to organize, and she was just very motivated to do it,” said Mitten. Starting in U.S. universities and colleges, the club soon spread through middle schools and high schools. Eventually, it reached the rest of the world. At conferences, members roleplay as delegates from their chosen country and are assigned a certain issue. Delegates get up and present the stance their country would take on that issue and at the end, form a resolution on a piece of paper. When multiple resolutions are formed at the end of the given time period, members present their resolutions and than everyone votes on the best one. “The point is that you’re not saying your own opinions on a topic, you have to do research on what your country’s stances are,” said Rimsza. As of October, Cactus Shadows does not have a debate team, but Model UN could potentially be a replacement for that, as a large part of it revolves around debate. “It’s basically practicing a debate from the viewpoint of a country,” said Kiran Gershenfeld, a senior club member. Model UN meets Wednesdays at lunch in Mitten’s room. To be eligible to attend one of the conferences, members must submit three papers, two resolutions and a position paper. They are planning on sending delegates to attend Mesa Community College’s 20th annual Model United Nations simulation, which will be held on February 8-9th, 2019.

november

THE

PRESS

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

Scientists from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believe that climate change will be irreversible by 2030.

the News

2 ● November 16, 2018

By Brook Bowman editor in chief

November 20, 2018 vol. 10, no. 3

INSIDE

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

december

See story on page 3

THE DRESS CODE The editorial staff discusses how the dress code can be modified to meet administration and students needs See story on page 6

TEAM USA GYMNAST

Hope Black reports on Jace Williams future as a gymnast on team USA and his travels to Russia to compete on the world stage See story on page 23

PRESS

December 21, 2018

SCIENTISTS PREDICT CLIMATE CHANGE LIKELY IRREVERSIBLE

vol. 10, no.4

WITH VACANCIES AT THE HIGHEST

LOGAN MCCADE

INSIDE

STUDENTS PERFORM AT THESCON

CCUSD suffers unexpected staff

By Ryan Bartholomew and Miah Thirion

he start of the school year at Cactus Shadows was tough on administration, with two math teachers leaving, and the principal’s secretary resigning as well. To further complicate things, the district has been unable to find anyone to take the math teaching jobs. As a result, the remaining math teachers are now taking extra classes to be able to keep everyone at the same level. “A lot of the teachers have been gracious enough to pick up another class, so they’re teaching six classes out of the day,” said Carrie White, an IB Mathematics and Pre-Calculus teacher on campus. “We’ve already been trying to get the kids caught up, and those teachers are great math teachers, all of them, and they are going to step up to make sure the kids are getting the appropriate education they’re supposed to get.” One of the concerns that parents have is how the teachers leaving will affect their student’s education going forward. A study done by CALDER on students in 4th and 5th grade in New York City concluded that teacher turnover negatively affects the education of students. Also, a study by Kacey Guin for ResearchBrief stated that a higher teacher turnover rate directly correlated to lower academic achievement in urban elementary schools. One classroom on campus, formerly taught by Lee Graham, has seen at least three teachers this year already, with Graham quitting in the first two days of the school year. Students with teachers that have left are now afraid that their schedules can be changed at any given moment.

November 16, 2018 ● 3

Climate change

Merit scholar at Cactus Shadows

These problems can only be fixed by a widespread change in energy, industry, buildings, transportation, and cities. In fact, renewable energy will need to provide at least 70% of global electricity in 2050, meaning the essential disappearance of coal. Additionally, the United States produced 5.31 billion tons of fossil fuels and cement, making it the 2nd biggest producer in 2016. As a producer of 10.15 billion tons, China placed No.1 above the U.S. “Pollution definitely contributes a lot to climate change, and I think we should pick up trash whenever we see it on the ground. Always try to help the planet, because nobody else is going to help it so it has to be us,” said Maya Edwards, a senior. The IPCC believes that the effects of global warming already exists on Earth. For instance, South Africa faced a drought over the summer that nearly ran their taps dry. America has faced frequent extreme rainfall events like Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Florence for the past two years. 70% to 90% of Coral Reefs are expected to die off, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef which is no limiting it’s access to the public. Flint, Michigan still does not have clean, drinkable water after six years. Even Arizona recorded 128 days with a temperature above 100 degrees in 2018. This is the third-most highest recorded in any year since 1896. It is expected that countries in the southern hemisphere will experience the worst effects of climate change. The report explains that even the slightest increase in the “base target would worsen the impact of recent natural disasters.” Tropical areas are expected to experience droughts and extreme heat waves that will make the areas uninhabitable. 194 countries are hoping to make a difference in global warming after signing into the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the reasoning behind the IPCC’s report. The United States is not one of them, joining Nicaragua and Syria in the opposition. At first, President Barack Obama agreed to join the agreement in 2015 to make a change in America, one of the top producers of greenhouse gases. Once President Donald Trump took office, he decided to leave the agreement after partaking in it for a year and a half, claiming it was unfair to the country. As part of the agreement, each country is expected to adopt clean energy and phase out fossil fuels. Under the Obama Administration, they submitted a plan in March of 2015 that set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% by 2025. Now, a U.S. State Department official released a statement saying that they appreciated the IPCC’s report and all it’s work. But, it was noted that “governments do not formally endorse specific findings presented by the authors.” Even without the help of the United States, countries involved in the Paris Climate Agreement are already set to make a change soon. Recently, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power are expanding rapidly. The IPCC reports that the government commitments made in 2015 by 194 countries will still allow temperatures to rise more than 3 degrees Celsius. The withdrawal of the United States has impacted this number. Under the Trump Administration, the talk of climate science is disappearing. U.S. government websites like Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Department, the State Department, etc. deleted any references to climate change, greenhouse gases, and clean energy. The current administration shows no sign of concern for Earth’s current climate crisis. In addition, many countries are not staying committed to the agreement due to bigger political disruptions arising across the globe.

Sarah Weiss, a senior and the national Merit Scholar award semifinalist, shares how she balances work, clubs, sports, and academics.

FDA BANS

See story on page 18

BOYS BASKETBALL

With a new coach to help, the boys basketball team is having a fresh start to their season. Grant Richardson reports on the team’s success. See story on page 21

Lone Mountain Elementary School Principal Resigns

By Kassidy Wheeler

The principal of Lone Mountain, Robert Miller, resigned early this month. Cara Herkamp, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, will now be filling the role of principal for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year.

editor in chief

Governing board and CTE Results

On November 6, the open seats on the CCUSD Governing Board were filled. Beth Hatcher, who previously taught at Desert Willow Elementary School, and Scott Brown won the race, with a combined 76 percent of the vote. The vote to join EVIT, a CTE district, also passed with almost 70 percent of the vote.

CHANGE

As far as singing in front of the school, Hayley Smith, a junior, says it can often feel, “self conscious and embarrassing, but at the same time it’s fun to show Cactus Shadows what choir is like.” It is a process to give students the confidence to sing in front of their peers, and to prepare them, Dolezal makes sure they know their music and, to give them an extra boost of confidence, Dolezal often tries to have choir and honors choir sing together when performing in front of large audiences. Choir is not only about learning new music and performing, the class also has bonding activities and fun in class events. Some of the bonding activities the class does include “music charades” and “sing or dare.” “Sing or dare is where you have to sing a song or do a dare, like someone had to go sing happy birthday to Mr. Brady and it wasn’t his birthday,” Grace Redmond, a sophomore, said about some activities the choir does during the week. One of the universal things most choir students agree on, is that Choir is a family..Dolezal wants to make sure everyone in the class is always there for one another and the kids in the class always have a safe place to go. Even after leaving the class, Dolezal’s students know being part of the Choir family is forever.

\BROOK BOWMAN

By Grace Carey

FLAVORED JUUL PODS

style editor

n July of 2017, James Monsees and Adam Bowen founded the e-cigarette company, JUUL. Originally, it was intended to help reduce smoking in adults by creating a substitute for a cigarette. However, many people under the age of 18 began to smoke after JUUL was created. “We envision a world where fewer people use cigarettes, and where people who smoke cigarettes have the tools to reduce or eliminate their consumption entirely, should they so desire,” said the JUUL company. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have seized over 1,000 documents from JUUL, related to the sales and marketing of the product. About 72 percent of the US market for e-cigarettes belongs to JUUL. With seized documents, the FDA is investigating whether or not the sales tactics were directly aimed at teenagers. In light of recent events, the FDA has banned the company from distributing certain flavors, in hopes to slow the sales in underage teens.

“I don’t think that the ban will help because I don’t think that, at this point in time, it’s all about flavors anymore, due to the power of nicotine that comes from JUUL. I think that people are just addicted and don’t care what flavor it is,” said Brad Penner, School Resource Officer. Between 2017 and 2018 the sale of e-cigarettes has gone up 800 percent, making it the most prevalent distributor in the business, with 72 percent of market share. In only a couple years, over 3.5 million people under 18 have started using e-cigarettes. 77 percent of high school kids and 50 percent of middle schoolers reported their use. “This week has been pretty good. But, usually, it’s about once a day or maybe twice that a JUUL is confiscated,” said Penner. While the FDA hopes to decrease underage use, many believe it may not help because the addiction is already too far along. “I think that kids will just switch to a different brand that still has flavors, so I don’t think it will slow sales,” said Jaden Selin, a senior. Although the risks of smoking are known among teens,

many are not concerned about the health issues later down the road. This is primarily because of the advertisement that is presented, making it seem as though e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking actual cigarettes. While it may appear safer, according to the National Center for Health Research, some e-cigarettes may contain chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene. It has also been determined by Truth Initiative, that one single Juul pod contains about 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine. “I would guess that some people just think they will be able to quit when they want to. They probably don’t realize how addicted they really are,” said Cheyenne Yerkes, a sophomore. Kevin Burns, chief executive of Juul Labs, stated that, although the intent was never to sell Juuls to youth, it has happened, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed. The JUUL company was recently given 60 days, by the FDA, to come up with a plan of action to stop the underage sales. If they fail, the FDA will take the ban of all flavored e-cigarette pods into serious consideration.

4 LOGAN MCCDADE

staff writer

Culin makes a ary of food variety breakfast like soup, , dessert, sandwich es, different spice s, etc.

For the 2nd year, Culinary students continue to learn new ways of cooking in the kitchen. Each students learns recipes of all sorts inside the classroom.

COOKING A STORM, Davis

Freeman, Jenna Englund, and Donovan Oneal, all seniors, prepare a meal for their culinary class. 4 MIA BRITO

Raven Ramirez

C staff writer

ULINARY is a class that allows students to get a head start on a cooking career. The culinary class at Cactus Shadows is taught by Barbara Burt, a teacher who has past experience of owning “Seven Sisters Sweet Shop,” a chocolate shop. “For twenty years I had a chocolate manufactory (a factory) with my husband,” said Burt. She also has been cooking ever since she was a little girl.

Teamwork in the kitchen

CYNTHIA WEISS

Four people injured and one killed in a school bus crash on November 7, 2018. The crash was at 136th and Rio Verde involving a Cave Creek school bus. A car rammed into the back of the bus, killing the driver of the car, and injuring up to 4 other students, 3 of which were taken to local hospitals. The other 23 left the scene unharmed.

The Choir program at Cactus Shadows has changed a lot over the last 3 years. It had been run by Kevin Brady, who is now the band teacher. However, it is now run by Karen Dolezal, who has been teaching Choir for 25 years prior to teaching here. The Choir classes are still relatively small, only reaching a max of 15 students in regular choir and 11 students in Honors Choir, but it is growing every year as new students show more interest. There are two divisions of choir; honors and regular choir. One of the biggest differences being the music. In Honors Choir, the music is more difficult and there are more expectations, as far as being able to read music and singing skills. Regular choir is not as rigorous, where students can sing in a more relaxed setting. Dolezal said some students may not know but, “it’s not just singing all day. There’s learning about the music and how to read it and sight reading.” In choir, you learn how to read sheet music and you learn scales and notes. One of Dolezal’s favorite sayings is “practice makes permanent,” as she believes the more you practice something a certain way, it will be more likely to be drilled into your head that way.

By Frida Alvarado

mountain biking races, Sarah Weiss, a senior, smiles for the camera in celebration. 4

Comparing styles from the past to 2018, Frida Alvarado explains how old trends reappear and how to make an outfit vintage and retro.

THE NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

life editor

AS SHE FINISHES ONE OF HER

and Madison O’Sullivan, both sophomores, and Brooke Cameron and Natalie O’Nea-l, both freshmen, sing to the right tune. 4LOGAN

MCDADE

THEN VERSUS NOW

CCUSD hosts Saudi Arabian teachers

Morgan Reimer

arah Weiss, a senior, recently discovered she was a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholar award, which is presented across the country. By gaining an exceptional score on her PSATs, her results qualified her for more than she expected. “So, they give you a $2,000 scholarship, but then, let’s say I go to ASU or U of A, they give you $16,000 scholarships per year there, so that would be almost a full ride instate,” said Weiss. The National Merit Scholar award looks at the PSAT from junior year, and only students with a high enough score are considered. Weiss received a 1490 on her PSAT, and is looking at her options. “This semester’s super busy for me, ‘cause I have cross country, I have the mountain biking team, my job’s just getting busier again because I work at Venue’s cafe, and then I have a leadership position in DECA that’s really time consuming,” said Weiss. Weiss has cross country practice on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursday mornings, and Friday and Saturday practices, though with Weiss’s conflicting schedule, Saturdays are reserved for mountain biking. Along with cross country, the mountain biking team practices Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which brings Weiss’s practice schedule to nine practices a week. “What really helps me is, when I get super stressed out, I just write a list of everything I have to do, and then I’ll cross things off, after I write that list it makes me feel so much better because I know what I have to do,” said Weiss. Even through her busy schedule, Weiss manages to have spare time for friends, school work, and works to the best of her ability for her extracurriculars. “She’s really passionate about everything, so I know that she’s going to do great in college and going to do amazing in high school for the end of senior year,” said Alex Schwartz, senior and close friend of Weiss. Weiss not only impacts the students around her, but the teachers as well. With her academic rigor and helpfulness to other students and friends, Weiss continues to learn and grow beyond the classroom. “Sarah is bright, kind, and funny. She was part of the reason AP Biology was so enjoyable to teach last year. Not only was speaking with her fun, she also seemed to enjoy the content, which is always nice, from a teacher standpoint,” said Sasha Sypkens, science teacher. Weiss aspires to go into the field of engineering, either Aerospace or Biomedical, and is applying instate, Colorado, the Air Force Academy, and Stanford.

PERFORMING DURING THEIR CONCERT, Hannah Rudee

See story on page 4

Bus Crash Kills One and Injures Four

“It’s been really stressful for me because I never know if my schedule is going to change, because there is a lot of rumours that our whole schedules might be switched around or we’re just going to get different teachers,” said Sydney Schmidt, a sophomore. Other students on campus have also expressed their dismay about the teacher turnover, and how it is personally affecting their learning experience. The math teachers that left were also not certified to teach mathematics, a frustrating idea to sophomore Caleb Payne. “It was just annoying and hard to have different teachers. They all had different curriculums and different standards. I was happy when I got an actual math teacher because I could get used to the class and what my teachers expected of me,” said Payne. To add to the issue, Candace Jones, the secretary to Principal Jim Swetter, resigned. The principal’s secretary is responsible for many different things that help make the campus run smoothly. Losing her mid-year is challenging for administration, especially as Swetter is new to the job of principal this year. “I have a variety of different things and a variety of different people that want to talk with me and meet with me and she is usually the one that organizes all that. So that is something that is going to be a change. I will just have to make sure that I am not double booking if I’m available or not,” said Swetter. As of now, Cactus Shadows administration is in the process of looking for teachers to fill the position for the 2019-20 school year. However, filling the positions next year will still not change what happened this year, and how it affected students and teachers alike.

4 ● November 20, 2018

For the first time, Drama Club thespians perform the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime at Thescon. Maja Peirce reports about the play’s success.

NEWS BRIEFS

RESIGNATIONS T Podcast Producer and Video Editor

continued from page 1

Mia Brito staff writer

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

LEVEL, many schools across the nation are worried about filling positions. Now, Cactus Shadows faces difficultly trying to fill the principle’s secretary position.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Singing their way through the year

BOWMAN

See Climate change on page 2

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS THE NEWS

the News

2 ● December 21, 2018

is the first woman, the first bisexual, and the youngest person to take the seat in Arizona. \ BROOK

STUDENT SCHOLARS Sarah Weiss became a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholar award. Morgan Reimer goes into further explanation about her accomplishments and future

TURNING ARIZONA’S SENATE BLUE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, Kyrsten Sinema

THE

In this class, students in culinary are put into groups to work together and put their minds together and cook. Dallas Overfield, a senior enrolled in Culinary, took this class because he wanted to take an alternate elective. In class, students make all different kinds of food. “We would basically make whatever culture we were assigned. One week,

COOKING

IT UP

we had to make different kinds of pastas based on culture,” said Overfield. The students also bake. They usually get to choose what dessert to make. “I remember the first week of culinary, we made cookies right away,” said Overfield. Wesley Winter, a senior, is enrolled in Culinary this year. He took this class because he wants to go into the culinary field for work.

Food from around the world “We definitely hover more around the Western and French cuisine in this class,” said Winter. This year, Culinary class students made pretzels to sell to the whole school at the student store. The students also have cook offs or challenges, similar to popular cooking shows on television, such as the British Bake Off, Iron Chef, or The Cupcake Wars. Student are given a specific food to prepare either Monday or mid week, and they prepare a recipe from scratch,

or find one online. “We prep it, cook it, and serve it on Friday,” said Winter. Usually, the food is judged by teachers and other staff who come in to try the different entrees and choose a winner. This class allows students who want to pursue their dreams in the culinary field to actually get a head start on learning how to cook, bake, and use the different tools in the kitchen needed to become a chef, baker, etc. Culinary classes give students a head start on earning a Hospitality Degree in Culinary.

A future in food “Here, you get the first steps and then you would move on to a college [like] NAU, they have a really good background,” said Burt. Culinary students are eligible to take 1/2 culinary and/or 3/4 culinary. Burt teaches 1/2 culinary second, third, fifth, and sixth period, and her 3/4 culinary class is fourth period.

Cactus Shadows welcomes teachers from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to come and expand their knowledge on American education. In hopes of improving and innovating Saudi Arabia’s schools, Building Leadership for Change Through School Immersion, the program that helped the teachers come here, partnered up with ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and sent 52 Saudi educators, 2 of which are at Cactus Shadows. “When this program came up, I just thought it was a very good idea to go outside in other education systems to see how stuff really work in America since the education in America is known to be something so huge,” said Aala Alarabi, one of the Saudi teachers at Cactus Shadows. Alarabi, a teacher of 10 years to an all girls school in Saudi Arabia, observed the students at Cactus Shadows for the past eight months. One of the differences she noticed was the separation of gender -- at her school, boys and girls are in different schools. In the short time of her being at Cactus Shadows, some of the kids have even started interacting with her in Arabic. “It’s such a short time and I wish it was longer that they could give us permission to teach. But, we don't have the permission since we don't have the United States certificate. This is something I love to do,” said Alarabi. In addition, Abdulelah Alotaibi, another teacher from Saudi Arabia, helps Kelsey Garner, an english teacher, by grading papers, interacting with the students, and helping out students with questions. In hopes of improving his English and leadership skills, he came through this program in order to experience American culture through schools. Alotaibi noticed that American schools have more lesson planning, students awareness, guidance, technology in classrooms, and interactive teaching. “I keep learning every day. I have been here before as a University teacher. But, it’s really different working there and here because here you have a lot more interaction with the teachers and student,” said Alotaibi. This program goals include getting participants to achieve better English skills, guidance in the immersion field experience, development of professional course workers, and experience the action research capstone project. “We at Mary Lou Fulton Teacher College pride ourselves in supporting the scholars to meet the objectives of the project but also to support their social and emotional well-being. Many of the scholars have brought their families with them, and they are experiencing new ways of life in school, shopping, transportation, housing, etc.” said the Ruhi Khan, the program’s director for Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Each educator who goes through the program attends workshops, develop teacher learning skills through communication, create problem-based lesson and solution, etc. They are required to take notes on the different ways the US education system is compared to theirs and try to come up with ideas to improve the Saudi education system.

4 ● December 21, 2018 THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS THE NEWS

Singing their way through the year

Trump meets 15.7 percent of his promises two years into presidency Tax cuts across the United States

Brook Bowman editor in chief

As President Donald Trump finishes serving the second year of his term, his campaign promises have come to light. Throughout his campaign, he promised to repeal Obamacare, build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, suspend immigration from terror-prone places, cut taxes for everyone, and lower the business tax rate. According to Politifact, 37.3 percent of his promises are still in the works, 29.4 percent were stalled, 15.7% were kept, 10.8 percent were broken, and 6.9% were compromised. Although there are no current plans in act to build a wall, here is everything Trump has accomplished so far.

After tax cuts, over $300 billion poured back into the U.S. As a result of the tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.

Fixing the opioid epidemic Last month, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs and many drug companies are freezing or reversing planned price increases. Since the election, the government secured six billion dollars of funding to fight the opioid epidemic. In addition, high-dose opioid prescriptions have reduced by 16 percent.

TAKEOVER THESCON

Foreign affairs and climate change Trump withdrew the United States from Paris Climate Accord and cancelled the Clean Power Plan. After Trump’s threats to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NATO allies are spending $69 billion more on defense since 2016. The Trump administration decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. He decided to withdraw from the Iran Deal. Trump implemented the Travel Ban through an executive order. Negotiated with Mexico to create a new trade deal to replace NAFTA. As Trump became more involved with foreign affairs, he reached an agreement with the European Union to increase U.S. exports in Europe. At the same time, Trump imposed tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum, and China.

“

They don’t understand that they are attacks on a person’s identity or way of life. Olivia Graeber a junior

crime because normal hate on the internet isn’t considered a crime,” said Alexis Nelson, a junior. In the past year, the FBI has been working to reduce the number of hate crimes. Many crimes often go unreported, making it harder for the police to solve. Hate crimes are especially relevant in big cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix. Only New York City and Houston showcased a decline in hate crimes from 2016 to 2017. Cities find it challenging to get neighbors to report these crimes. It can be hard to tell the difference between hate crimes and ordinary crimes. Hate crimes are motivated by a bias and tend to be more extremist while ordinary crimes tend to be done for a specific reason that normally benefits the committing the crime. “I think people don’t reports hate crimes because they don’t realize that crimes of hate are real crimes. They don’t understand that they are attacks on a person’s identity or way of life,” said Olivia Graeber, a junior. The United States is not the only country facing this growing problem. In Canada, hate crimes have skyrocketed by 47 percent in the last year, and in England and Wales they are up by 29 percent. The number one cause in the U.S. might be race and ethnicity. According to the FBI, the leading cause for the entire world is anti-sentimentalism, specifically towards Jews.

by Maja Peirce

O in-depth editor

NEWS BRIEFS Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison

President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has been sentenced to three years behind bars. The sentencing comes after Cohen implicated Trump in a hush-money scandal. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying under oath to Congress.

Science Club Wins big

The Science Club recently competed at the Science Olympiad Empire Invitational and placed in the top 10 in their topic. This was all the more difficult since most of the teams they were competing against were much bigger. Now that the competition is over, the club has already started preparing for the next one.

Deadlines coming soon

The Cactus Shadows Literary Magazine needs submissions. Submissions are open until December 31. Submit today by going to the Cactus Shadows website and finding Lit Mag under the clubs tab. The deadline for senior ads in the Yearbook is January 4. Prices start at $100, and all ads are fullcolor and can be custom-designed online. For more information, you go online to the Cactus Shadows website.

NCE again, theater students pile into a bus to travel to the Thespian Convention in Phoenix and learn the newest dance moves and get inspired by other schools and teachers. “This year there were 2,300 theater teachers and theater students from around the state. It’s kind of like the state festival for theater. Like when the football team goes to State, this is our version of that,” said Andrew Cupo, the theater teacher.

Senior opportunities In addition to workshops and performances, senior students were given the opportunity to audition for colleges and win scholarships. “You pick either a monologue and a song, or two monologues, or two songs. You go into a room and perform in front of a bunch of representatives from a bunch of different colleges and the thespian board. If you qualify for an interview, then they interview you the next day and announce the scholarships at the closing general session,” said Gabe Ozaki, a senior.

Gabe Ozaki, Kayl a Dobb Andrew s, and Cupo were nominate d for the Broadway Wor Regional ld .

Drama students perform the Curious Incident at Thescon for the first time while attending college auditions, other performances, and acting classes.

MURPHY

Reversing Obamacare

\BROOK BOWMAN

continued from the Front Page on page 1

DRAMA CLUB

As stated by the White House, Obamacare individual mandate penalty was reversed. Trump reformed the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging lowincome seniors on their drugs. Furthermore, his administration signed the VA Choice Act and the VA Accountability Act which expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care.

Hate crimes on the rise In the last year, the number of hate crimes in the United States increased 17 percent. ccording to an annual report done by the FBI, there were 7,175 reported crimes in 2017, which is up from the 6,121 reported in 2016. The FBI defines hate crimes as “a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” In 2017, 70 percent of hate crimes were motivated by race and/or ethnicity, followed by 24 percent which had a religious motive. The other six percent were biases against sexual orientation, gender, and disability. 31 percent of hate crimes were direct towards the victim’s house, but only five percent attack a church/synagogue/temple. “It is both discouraging and alarming to see how hate crimes have increased versus a decline based on an increased focus on acceptance and tolerance,” said Steven Mitten, a history teacher. Many Americans might be alarmed by these hate crimes can also happen online. The federal government has only recently started to consider cyber crimes as hate crimes. As the use of the internet spreads to more and more people, the number of hate crimes will likely continue to grow. “I don’t know if hate on the internet is considered a hate

Election recap

Trump appointed Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court.

Since the election, four million new jobs have been created and more than 3.5 million since Trump took office. In addition, the White House reported that more Americans are employed now than ever before in our history, and jobless claims are at the lowest level in nearly five decades. With that being said, African-American, Hispanic, AsianAmerican, Women’s, Youth, Americans without a high school diploma, disabled Americans, and Veterans’ unemployment rates have all recently reached record lows according to the White House.

By Avianna Hoppes

Ozaki and Olivia Palmer, both seniors, practice performing a scene from the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. “It was hands down the best experience I’ve ever had performing. I’m so glad it got the recognition that Cupo’s directing deserves.” 4 ANNA

tions and confirmations

Unemployment rates drop

sports editor

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY, Gabe

Supreme court nomina-

Economy on the rise Trump was credited with a 4.2 percent growth in the second quarter of 2018. For the first time in more than a decade, growth is projected to exceed three percent over the calendar year according to the Washington Examiner. According the White House, the United States’ economic growth reached 4.2 percent. Since the election, about 3.9 million Americans were lifted off of food stamps. Additionally, retail sales have increased six percent in the last year. In the last year, military funding increased to $700 billion and is projected to make $716 billion next year. Coal exports increased by 60 percent. Lastly, the United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.

THE NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

December 21, 2018 ● 3

Ozaki was one of the participants to win a $1,500 scholarship, which is the largest scholarship available at the awards ceremony. At thescon, the workshops range from a variety of concepts such as dance, improvisation, musical theatre, regular theatre, and stage managing.

Understanding theatrical arts “There was one class I went to last year that I unfortunately missed this year. It is called Breath of Life. You sit in a circle and a man preaches to you for about 40 minutes. It was really entertaining and then you hit a random person for five minutes and tell them ‘you are enough.’ It’s like a mini therapy session,” said Kayla Dobbs, a senior. The classes can be hit or miss. Some teachers take it as an opportunity to impress upon the the students something beyond just technical work. “I went to one called Broadway Bootcamp, which is like a Broadway dance workshop class. I always go because I think the teachers are really funny. This time, the teacher had this really amazing life lesson about personality and being yourself worked into it,” said Ozaki. There are two main stage perfor-

mances put on throughout the two day conference. Since there is only time to perform two whole plays, it’s an honor to be picked. This year, Cactus Shadows was chosen to perform ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.’

CSHS Thespians nominated Several members of Drama Club were additionally nominated for the Broadway World Regional. Ozaki is up for another award for Best Actor in a lead role in a youth production for The Curious Incident. He currently holds the lead with 21 percent of the votes. Dobbs was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for Into the Woods. She is in the lead by 11 percent. Cupo is up for Best Director in a youth production play for The Curious Incident and holds the lead by 22 percent of votes. The play itself is nominated for best youth production play and is in the lead by 17 percent. The voting for this competition ends on December 31st. The winners will be announced in January. Thescon gives students the chance to learn and grow with their work as well as bond as artists through something they are passionate about.

“I think it could have been better if Democrats got more Senate spots, but even coming close in Senate races in red states like Texas and Florida is huge,” said Lance Stahl, a senior and a registered voter. With Democrats making strides in the House, they look forward to 2020, and, in order to beat a strong Republican base, Democrats will have to present a candidate that voters will believe in to create change. Recently, former President Barack Obama met with O’Rourke and Andrew Gillum as Democrats seek to nominate people who can spark an inspirational campaign, such as the one that caught fire in 2008. However, with the Democrats failing to take control of the Senate, many challenges remain for the party. Promoting a leader to be the face of the party will be essential in the next election.

Democrats take control

When the Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and the Presidency from 2016-2018 they did not have very much opposition to their ideas. The major promises made before Trump was elected, were that he would repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act, build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, suspend immigration from “terror prone places,” and cut taxes. The government successfully passed a tax reform bill in 2017 called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which gave a larger tax break to the wealthy, large corporations, and preserves certain tax savings for the middle class, such as the student-loan interest deduction, and the deduction for excessive medical expenses. The government will cut back the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2019 by repealing the individual mandate in which people must purchase health care. The ACA, which provides subsidies, and lowered costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, will be mitigated, but not totally repealed. “The wall should be built so that we can have a Great Wall like China, another world power. It could be the eighth wonder of the world, effectively giving us two world wonders to China’s one.” said Bo Manuszack, a senior.

Trump’s wall in progress

The border wall is in progress, however, the campaign promise of Mexico paying for it never came to fruition, and the promise of the wall being less than $10 billion has been deemed as false, since the Department of Homeland Security has estimated the cost of the wall around nearly $21 billion. However, recently Trump met with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and demanded a contribution of $5 billion for the wall, or else he would be forced to partially shut down the government.