Austin Hagan's Portfolio

Austin Hagan

Portfolio

Reflection

Over the past several months, I have learned and relearned a few very valuable lessons in newspaper. Being able to spend time as both a writer and editor, I was able to gain a unique perspective. As a staff writer, I found it most difficult to keep up with the semi-short turnaround time, especially in the beginning. As an editor, the most difficult thing was dealing with students who would lie to you, because you just want to yell at them, but you have to keep your composure and just keep telling them to do their work.

On the topic of leadership and teamwork, I think the biggest thing would be to have the intimidation of being new in the class and not knowing the editors. I knew some of the editors, so when I first joined it was much easier to communicate and talk about my articles with the editors. I think that if we had a little more codependency on one another, beyond the threat of a bad grade (which doesn’t seem to affect a lot of students), it would go a long way. I personally think that the chances to be a leader are somewhat scarce, partially due to some students not caring whatsoever and partially due to the lack of control over the paper. I would love for us to win an award for the paper, but it’s very difficult to encourage others using something they don’t really don’t seem to care about.

I have learned more about print journalism and all that goes into it.

Working as an editor in Veterans Heritage Project the designs we go with are very modest, which at face value seems to be a far cry from what we do in newspaper, but behind the scenes (in some ways) it is exactly the same.

Learning another rule set for a publication will help a lot in the future because I intend on majoring in some form of communications.

As for deadlines in the future, I plan to assign more articles to avoid the last minute struggle when you have a less than desirable writer doing multiple stories on your page and having to rely on them. As for the new daily deadlines, I see that it may be helpful for some, but I think ultimately the kids who are going to get their stuff done, will get their stuff done.

This semester I wasn’t able to be as involved as I wanted, due to health issues more than anything and next semester I’m going to be very swamped with the Since You Asked editing season in January and early February, which (hopefully) will just get my mind more refreshed with InDesign.

With journalism, I don’t know why you would do it if you didn’t have some dedication to the truth, but it seems like there must be some other reason because there are a few that certainly don’t care about much.

The December issue gave me the most issues this semester. If I get the same writer on two articles, I may shift them to be doing the least important articles. As for my weakness, it has to be failing to keep up with the daily deadlines. I’m going to try and get it all done before too many of the deadlines pass in the future so I can just turn it all in.

Analysis I would say my most significant work was my article on LGBT Support Group for the December issue. It required a lot more attention than others, I did a lot more research for this article than any other. Though I think you could construe my opinion through the article, which I think is its biggest weakness, it wasn’t an article about the controversy around the LGBT community, it was about LGBTQ support groups and why they are in so many high schools. In the beginning, the article was primarily statistics and now it is about half local interviews about our support group here and half statistics. I like that it shows how evident the need for outreach is for LGBTQ youth through statistics.

Austin Hagan travel editor The LGBT support group on campus allows students to have a comfortable environment to discuss a difficult subject. The group meets weekly and is completely anonymous; if interested, speak to a counselor or a trusted teacher.

Beyond giving students the chance to share what they are personally are going through, the group here at Cactus Shadows has weekly topics. “It’s a topic that they can discuss how they relate to it, then get advice from one another, so they can see how others deal with going through the same thing,” said Molly Gum, an advisor of the support group, teacher, and alumni of Cactus Shadows.

Gum goes on to explain, “sometimes there might be something that came up that week, or with a particular student, that needs more focus, but other times we have an idea in mind… But there’s always some kind of topic at the center of each meeting… Things that have to do with their personal journey, but also society as well.”

Some of the topics the group discusses include: self acceptance, family relationships, self esteem, dealing with public perceptions and discrimination.

Wesley Winter had previously been a part of the group, but now cannot attend due to time constraints with work. “For students that have certain self conflicts, with who they are, what they are, how to come out, I think it’s a wonderful tool,” said Winter, a senior.

The support group makes an effort to allow everyone to have a voice within the meetings. “I’ve gone to most of the meetings, if not all of them and they are always a really open and welcoming experience,” said Rachel Matheson, a senior.

Across the country, schools have been implementing programs a lot like the one we have to help students gain the tools to be successful in life. The CDC says, “For youth to thrive in schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe and supported.”

Representation in the form of support groups and clubs are to allow youth to fill these needs, as well as to educate.

According to a 2017 survey by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention in thirty states, an estimated fifteen percent of high school students report being either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or unsure.

The 2017 CDC survey includes statistics for topics like, “Were Electronically Bullied,” “Were Bullied on School Property,” “Were Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property,” “Did Not Go to School Because of Safety Concerns,” and “Were Physically Forced to Have Sexual Intercourse,” show a noticeably higher percentage in LGBTQ youth. Which, in the opinion of the CDC, can have seriously negative effects on youth’s education and mental health.

According to the 2017 CDC survey, forty-eight percent of LGB, thirty-two percent of unsure, and thirteen percent of heterosexual youth have seriously considered committing suicide in the year leading up to the survey. About twenty-three percent of LGB youth, fourteen percent of unsure, and five percent of heterosexual youth had attempted suicide at least once in the year leading up to the survey.

“I can relate to their experiences and I wish that there was something like this available when I was in high school, I think that it could have been helpful and would have made a difference for a lot of people,” says Gum. In high school, it can be difficult to find people or groups that allow youth to be themselves, or figure out who “their self” is, but it is important for youth to have that sense of safety and support to succeed.

I really enjoy sharing the music I like with others and this allowed me to make a playlist that could potentially be listened to by lots of others. I look forward to continue doing this over the next few issues. I liked the November playlist more than others because it had a lot of freedom due to the overall feel of the month.

I enjoyed writing this article a lot, but beyond that I enjoyed the background work. My cousin Jordan Anderson, Maja Peirce, and I drove for the majority of a day tasting different pies and looking for geocaches. We ended up under a bridge

by Rock Springs Cafe and called a number that was written there. As it turned out, it was a girl about our age that lives in Glendale and we talked for a little bit. I also bought a little heart rock for my girlfriend as well.

by Austin Hagan Travel Editor Pie is known to have been eaten by ancient Egyptians over four thousand years ago. The association with America does not stop with it being on the menu of every Thanksgiving since the second one. With one in five Americans claiming to eat an entire pie themselves, it has become a popular addition to the Thanksgiving meal.

Not only do Americans enjoy sliding slices of sweet or savory goodness down their throats, according to Crisco, forty seven percent of Americans are comforted by the thought of pie. Whether someone is going to share or consume the pie on their own, it is important to know the many options when heading into this Fall.

First up is Walmart. It may seem like a low bar, but their pies are quite good. The biggest benefits of Walmart pies is their proximity, price, and availability. In terms of taste, it may be surprisingly good, but it is nothing compared to the others on the list, or homemade pies.

If pressed for time before Thanksgiving, and if someone is thinking about buying from Walmart, buying the ingredients there and enlisting family members to bake it could be easier; because, at the very least, they will get a good story out of it.

Second is Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole. This is a family owned and operated business that began as a food truck. Mamma Toledo and her two daughters worked together to make her shop succeed.

Beyond the comforting interior of the small shop, their pies are delicious and have a specific natural taste that somehow makes it taste more homey. They hand make every single one of them. They make sweet and savory pies as well as other delicious pastries, like their chocolate eclair, which is to die for.

The price of a full pie is much more expensive than Walmart, but buyers can certainly taste the difference.

If the family is planning ahead, their pies are available to order in time for the holidays; they have until the eighteenth when accessing their website. This shop is perfect for a stop on the way into work, or for a more specific request for the pie being purchased.

Last but certainly not least, Rock Springs Cafe. It has been said to have some of the best pie in the West. So it is no surprise that they are celebrating one hundred years of business.

Walking up to the old building, the parking lot is always packed with license plates from all over, making stops to grab some pie, lunch, or for visits to the farmers market right next door. The smell of pie is evident by the time one has reached for the door handle.

Upon entering the building, the restaurant entrance is to the left and right, but right in front is the place to be. There are shelves of freshly baked pies and all sorts of jarred goods. People working there load the shelves up with fresh pies as quickly as they are purchased.

On top of the pies, salsa, and pickled goods, there are pie shakes, which are simply pie blended with ice cream, and turned into a drink.

While all their pies are absolutely heavenly, the best seller is their pecan.

The restaurant and area around it are absolutely worth the trip, but if families do not have the time to spare, their pies are also available to order from their website.

I won best writing for this article, so I suppose it deserves to be one of the three I talk a little about. This was a really fun article to write because I was able to talk to people about their supernatural experiences, while I may not believe in it myself. I like telling stories and this article allowed me to tell more of a story than any other of the articles I had done this semester.

By Austin Hagan in depth editor It is no secret that Cave Creek is an old town, established years before Arizona had even achieved statehood. With that age comes a few interesting details. Whether ghosts are real is to be determined, but everyone can enjoy a scary story all the same.

There are reported ghost sightings all over the place in Cave Creek, from Oregano’s to Cactus Shadows.

Oregano’s supposed haunt’s name is Odette. Tapping with no discernable source, things falling, and children seeing people who are not there-perfect for a local pizza place.

“She only really comes out late at night, when you’re the only one in the area,” said Ben Gerst, a senior who works at Oregano’s.

One evening, Gerst ended up being the last person at the restaurant. As he sat in his car changing out of his work shoes, he noticed a tapping noise as if someone was tapping their finger on his car. When he looked around, he did not see anything.

Several noises later, Gerst began checking to see if his seat or anything was making the noise. The noise became increasingly fast and louder until he had enough, turned on his car and raced home.

“I actually don’t believe in ghosts. I don’t know how to explain it. But, everyone else says it’s ghosts. So it’s ghosts?” said Gerst.

Cactus Shadows’ cafeteria is another place where people have noticed strange occurances.

Most notably Martin Figueroa, a food service worker, has noticed peculiar things in the mornings when he is all alone in the kitchen.

“Things have happened here. Things like opening and closing doors when nobody’s even here,” said Figueroa.

Other spooky locations include the Fine Arts Center.

“Cupo told us this story about a little girl with little tap shoes on,” said Hannah Bryant, a student in the theater program.

The most detailed and frightening encounter is best told by Andrew Cupo, the theater instructor here at Cactus Shadows. While still in college, Cupo had the job of closing up the theater in the evening alone.

“I was locking up the lobby and I turned around, and down the hall at the end of the lobby was like, this little girl, still standing there,” said Cupo. “I asked if she was still waiting for someone, because I thought she was a dancer from the show. Then, she started walking and went around the corner, and when I got there she was gone.”

Cupo looked backstage as he was turning all the lights out, to make sure nobody was still back there. Walking past windows, he noticed a dark figure striding across the hall behind him in the reflection but, did not see anyone when he looked back. At this point, Cupo, more than slightly jarred, went to the back of the theater to get his stuff.

“As I was coming into the theater, I didn’t notice, but all the theater seats were down, as if someone was sitting in them. As I was going up the rows, all the seats popped up.

Like, each row, one at a time. At which point, I ran, grabbed my stuff, got outside,” said Cupo.

With haunting season upon us, keep an eye out for these spooky suspects.

Articles

In the meantime, Maverick ing has district, been doing physical the museum is alsoMAVERICK library. Photos and documents have been consequently, therapy with Joe Harvey, the school archived there describing the characters that home trainer. to The Golden Reef fully functioningCASHMAN “Cashman was one of the best leaders theused teamto sift ore during The sitsbuilt The Creek into what it is today. stamp mill, on once on the and not having him on the Creek’s field ismining difficult,” Visitors days.says sideline after who visit Michael Hudnutt, head coach. “My favorite part of the museum is the maptearing the hismuseum have Cashman the option to have a thattaken displays all theleadmines in the area. I like toACL. Since the injury, Cashman has on other will miss guide the or to look tour go out and find them.” said Ryder Jones, a senior. ership roles. He still is one of the team captains and remainder ofonthe around their own.

Large cities on the east coast of the United will help any way he can by making appearances at all to The due volunteer tour States struggled having polluted and smoggyseason the games this year.

“My favorite part of the museum is injury. at the museum air during the 1920’s. A great deal of the popu-the guides dedicates lation suffered from a bacterial disease known 4 LOGAN MCDADE considerthe map that as Tuberculosis and doctors began to send able time and knowldisplays all the patients out west in search of dry clean air. A edge to the museum mines in the significant amount of the founders of Cave on a daily basis and Creek moved to the desert to improve their express great enthuarea. I like to health. Survivors became familiar with one siasm about the job. great for distance Hills Fountain Park me

By Austin Hagan golongout andrunning. find “It surprised another and madepeted homesininthe the Fountain area followon September coming inup atlearn- “I get a lot of sleep the week before, eat a I ended ing their treatment.Invitational Additional outdoor exhib- 8,that them.” lot of pasta. Just kind of mentally get in the fifteenth Every year, cross country teams across its from include one of the last fullyplace. intact tubercular ing not only about

Cross country is running towards the competition staff writer

R yder Jones

with food trucks and dance floors.

“The atmosphere is unlike anything that we experience at other meets, because not only is it so much bigger, there’s so many teams there from all over the country, but it’s at night time as well and we don’t do that at any other point in the season,” said Jack THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS Magtibay, a varsity senior on the team.

The team has three more meets left this season.

zone,” said Solberg.

“I think we’re gonna do really good.but Our about the Southwest compete in the NikeinDesert mining cabins Arizona. a senior team is exhibits young, soand we inside have a lotanything of talentand thatevery- The course is not any more extreme than Twilight Invitational. The Cactus Shadows “Between the outdoor Cave said Creek. others, That wasbut pretty cool.” saidsimilarities to the dedicated came away with it does have up and Icoming.

So, I’m reallything excited,” Falcons are no exception, room as they have toismining, Brown. a lot knowledge I hadabefore, State race course.

Kirathan Solberg, senior makon the team. competed in this invitational for more the 14 ● November 20, past 2018 Although closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, ing it a very successful trip.” said Bryce Brown, “It’s a nice course. It’s on grass. State’s on Most runners have a similar but unique eight years and will continue the legacy museum Wednesday, a junior. grass, but it’s not Thursday, hilly so it’s pretty fast,” said way to prepare themselves.theThe Fridayis open September 28.

Saturday, and Sunday from one in thecoach. afterInside the museum is the Archeology Wing.

Jessie Nelson, head before meets the team gets together and has Last year, the girls varsity placed ninth noon to 4:30 pm in the evening.

On Fridays This room provides artifacts and information Another thing that they is different about this a big pasta dinner. Pasta is a great source and the boys varsity placed fourth in their on the many ancient cultures that lived in the open at 10 am. Admission price for students 12 RYDER JONES, a senior, views the collection of photos at the Cave Creek Museum; race is that it has a big festival all residents around itand students have never heard of the museum, although it has been opened of carbohydrates, which have a slow burn, respective races. This year, the team commany

the Life

Miniature phones appeal to curious buyers New Palm Phones promote less time spent on cell phones, and more time off the screen area from year zero to the present. The Spur

and over is five dollars each.

since 1948. 4MAJA PEIRCE

By Devin Dorough

programmed. buyers to think of their phone as with their friends and not their staff writer People can only use bluetooth the same as adding a smartwatch phones. to listen to music on the palm to someone’s plan.

The palm phone is only on Now in stores, there is a new phone. Although, the palm phone ¨I think this idea is interestVerizon networks, and can only phone out that is taking the “bighas a low quality battery, and ing because it allows people to be purchased if a person’s carrier ger is better” saying, and putting because it is so small, most recput down their phones and social is Verizon. Costing 349 dollars, it it to shame. This new gadget is ommend keeping a charger on media in times they do not need is an add-on to someone’s last person at the sat in

By Austin Hagan hold.happened here. Things like it. I think As thishecould make a “Things huge have bigger phone.

It costs 10 restaurant. in depth editor opening closing when nobody’s his car changing of his work shoes, he said think doors the palm phones are a on the youth,¨ Zach and “I dollars extra every month, outimpact evencrehere,” bad said idea Figueroa. a tapping as if someone was phone It is no secret that Cave Creek is an old town, because there’s videos I Bedrava, a senior. The but manynoticed people still won- noise Other spooky locations include the Fine their finger on his car.

When he established years before Arizona had der evenwhy tapping watch on my phone where I prefer ators focused on making a phone they should pay Arts Center.“Cupo told us thissaid story about looked around, he didthat not see anything. the important achieved statehood. With that age comes a when the bigger screen,” Evan Ziker, completes for this they already a little little tap shoes on,” said Several noises later, Gerst checkfew interesting details. Whether ghosts area phone. senior. tasks andbegan leaves everything else girlawith have Hannah Bryant, studentis incompletely the theater ing to see ifphone, his seat oraside. anything was making real is to be determined, but everyone can Thisa model difWith the palm program. noise.features The noise became enjoy a scary story all the same. ferent from the mid 2000s model. ¨I think increasingly the Palm Phone has a there arethesome and frightening fast and until he had enough, There are reported ghost sightings all would Theydetailed took everything their comhandful of prosturned and cons. I The think most buyers not louder get with encounter bestfirst toldworked

by Andrew Cupo, the onphone. his car and raced home. over the place in Cave Creek, from Oregano’s pany on, and changed it would eliminate or at least be an is the regular Cactus Shadows.

“I actually don’t believe ghosts. Iindon’t to Cactus Shadows.Oregano’s supposed it to here bringat people a smaller aid toin addiction a sense theater of leav- instructor ¨If I bought a palm in college, Cupo of explaining it. people But, everyone else haunt’s name is Odette. Tapping with no it know to had go the withjobtheir off their largerWhile phone.still smartphone phone wouldhow be to based closing theater inthey the evening alone. saysand it’s ghosts.

So it’sSome ghosts?”

Gerst. discernable source, things falling, andoff chilsmartphone own now. conssaid in my mind would be:up the the cost need for Z ach Bedrava, was locking up hopes the lobby Cactus Shadows’ cafeteria is itanother dren seeing people who are not there-perPalm to and haveI turned a more it’s small, so is easier to “Ilose, it. I’m not addicted to my around, down the hall on at the of the place where people with have itnoticed fect for a local pizza place. a senior. phone. I use effect theend youth, and being astrange part of your plan, andpositive it for camera lobby was like, this little girl, still standing Most notably Martin Figueroa, “She only really comes out late at shots night, andoccurances. wishes to see teens putting their you pay extra,” said Scott. a few occasional Cupo. “I asked she going was still a food Scott, servicefilm worker, has peculiar you’re the only area,”said saidMatthew down to ifenjoy out.

Thenoticed Palm has a high there,” qualitysaidphones texts,¨ called when the palm phone, and one theirin the waiting someone, are because I thought things inteacher. the mornings whenon hethe is all aloneand also Gerst, a senior another who works at Oregano’s.and business interested in the camera phone, has forTeenagers technology goal isBen to give everyone she recwas a dancer from the show.

Then, she in the kitchen.

Oneis evening, Gerst being the goal best technology present, though capabilities including facial Palm’s is about havphone that small and easyended to up The many agree it is not providing ognition for easy access to the ing a phone that is comfortable to take out on the weekends. This enough to be a good buy. phone, and Google assistant pretake anywhere. Palm Phones want way, everyone’s time is invested

Makeup and beauty made easy, especially for the holiday started walking and went around the corseason ner, and when I got there she was gone.”

Cave Creek’s eternal (albeit, uninvited) residents

“

Austin Hagan investigates the paranormal happenings of Cave Creek.

I think this idea is interesting because it allows people to put down their phones and social media in times they do not need it. I think this could make a huge impact on the youth.¨

A modern spin on the classic treasure hunt CACHERS MAJA PEIRCE, JORDAN ANDERSON, AND AUSTIN HAGAN look onto the treasures they found

that day, some ancient, while others shiny and new. After the long day of searching, they continue to their next adventure.

4 MAJA PEIRCE

By Maja Peirce and Austin Hagan in-depth and travel editors

An ongoing worldwide treasure hunt exists in everyone's neighborhood, and can be accessed as quick as the downloading of the geocaching app.

“It’s a really thrilling experience ‘cause you never know what you’re going to find or where it’s going to be,” said Carmen Lopez, a senior.

To begin, cachers consult a map to find the closest cache. By looking at the details of the cache, they can get a description, reviews, the date it was last found, pictures, and a hint if they are struggling to find the cache.

Geocaching gets people outside more than usual, and helps friends discover new places. One can truly find a geocache nearby at almost any time.

To start off the hunt, the first stop was near Stagecoach Village. After searching for half an hour, there was nothing to be found. We grew frustrated, seeing a comment calling the geocache a “quick park and grab.”

Finally, using photos other cachers had posted, we were able to locate it.

Continuing the hunt that day, we found multiple geocaches around Cave Creek, including one behind the Circle K, and one located on the peak of Black Mountain.

We began to realize some required more walking than others and the map showed a lot of geocaches at trail heads.

“I’ve seen them quite often while hiking,” said Mark Lauch, Zoology teacher.

Inside the geocaches, we found trinkets and a log book. After writing our names we exchanged trinkets. Key chains, bracelets, and stickers were discovered as well as monopoly money that fooled our eyes at first sight.

“I thought the experience was very reminiscent of my childhood, playing outside all the time and I really enjoyed it,” said Jordan Anderson, a senior.

The hunt turned an average day into an adventure with friends, allowing us to turn the town into our own backyard to explore for a few hours.

Cupo looked backstage as he was turning all the lights out, to make sure nobody was still back there. Walking past windows, he noticed a dark figure striding across the hall The rush of opening a behind him in the reflection but, did not see present is something anyone when he looked back. anyone can relate to At this point, or hope to experience.

Cupo, more than slightly jarred, went to the When a subscription back of the theater to get his stuff. box is ordered there is “As I was coming into the theater, I didn’t an anticipation about notice, but all the theater receiving the boxseats and were down, as if someone waswhat sitting in them.

As I was seeing is inside.

If some do not enjoy theirpopped up. going up the rows, all the seats subscription, it can always Like, each row, one at a time. At which point, be canceled at any time.

I ran, grabbed my stuff, got outside,” said Cupo.

With haunting season upon us, keep an eye out for these spooky suspects.

New experiences

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$9.99/month gives five beauty products every month

Birchbox-

$10/month samples of beauty products

Boxycharm-

$21/month 4-5 full size beauty products

Fabfitfun-

$49.99 4x a year full size products

Allure Beauty Box-

$15/month full and deluxe products

Play! By Sephora-

$10/month five sample beauty products plus perfume samples

Why it works

Lots of people prefer to try products before they buy the full sized ones. Subscription boxes deliver sample sizes of different products each month varying on prices.

This allows people to test and get a feel for them, so down the line they know whether to purchase those items. Thanks to the advanced makeup products and quicker delivery patterns, it is incredibly accessible and easy to try for upcoming fashions.

3 MAKENNA FRENCH

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS GOOD SPORT

October 19, 2018 ● 19

Controversy

continued from Sweet on page 18

NFL since he is an athlete, but he also thought that he should have addressed his protest more at press conferences or interview.

“It doesn't make sense, it [police brutality] could be debated for a while, I just don’t think it’s an epidemic.” said Peter Tavary, a sophomore against Kaepernick. ”I believe the NFL should be able to do whatever they want, whether it's to fire him or keep him and the other side where other players say if you fire him we’ll protest. I think it’s cool, I mean do whatever you want.”

Following the news that Kaepernick was going to be in the video, fans’ against Kaepernick protested by burning and cutting the swoosh logo off their Nike gear. People posted videos and tweets of them burning their gear. President Trump, a frequent critic of protesting NFL players, took to Twitter to say that Nike is getting "killed'' over the endorsement deal.

He also tweeted "I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!''.

“I don’t agree with him {Kaepernick] kneeling on the flag during the anthem because I feel like it’s disrespectful, I feel like Nike is endorsing more of a socialist construct rather than a capitalist construct,’’ said Zander Munhall, a sophomore.

Many speculations were made after the campaign that it would lead to sales dropping. According to MarketWatch, Nike’s stocks originally did drop after the ad but stabilized. Apex Marketing Group estimated that the Kaepernick ad had a $163 million payoff in media exposure. According to a study done by Edison Trends, Nike’s online sales had a growth of 31% from September 16 to 20.

“I think that it gave people a new opportunity to see football in a different way and also allowed football players to have their [political views]say, and it encourages celebrities, who are people with platforms to fight for what they think is right,” said Alyssa Canales, a sophomore.

Nike has not made any comments, but reports have surfaced that the company considered cutting ties with the quarterback in 2016, right after he began the protests.

WEMMA BAUER

Girls rank first

Hands on Training CHLOE JOHNSON, JUNIOR, practices CPR on a dummy, as part of the sports medicine program. In that class, which is taught by the school’s athletic trainer, Joe Harvey, students learn how to properly treat sports injuries.

F

By Austin Hagan in depth editor

KYLEE LOEWE, sophomore,

takes a swing during gold practice. The girls golf team is ranked number one this year.

Due to winning state last year, they are used to a high level of play.

or the past two years, Joe Harvey has been teaching sports med classes at Cactus Shadows. Harvey has been the athletic trainer for the past three years and, in the past two years, he has been working as a teacher for the beginning, advanced sports medicine, and the sports medicine internship. The kids are able to learn how to take care of real world ailments and are put to the test in both a traditional and hands on manner.

“In the beginning of the year, a lot of it is written, a lot of it is notes. But towards the end of the class, I would say approximately 75 percent of the tests are hands on,” said Harvey, the sports medicine teacher.

Harvey takes the kids through several units, going from basic physiology vocabulary to things like actually learning how to apply tape or casts.

The students tend to have some interest in the field whether it be actually

becoming an athletic trainer or becoming a doctor.

“A lot of kids who are interested in athletic training, physical therapy, being a doctor, being a nurse. A wide stream of fields in the medical field,” said Harvey.

Interest for the class reaches past medical field interests into scientific interests.

“I’m going to NAU for biology, and I figured an anatomy class, or something of the sorts, would really help boost my knowledge,” said Gunnar Kramer, a senior and a student in beginnimg sports medicine class.

The class extends past the average school day with the sports medicine internship program. The internship program develops even more hands on skills.

“What you do is, it’s pretty similar to what the athletic trainer does, you do evaluations on athletes. So, if they get injured or whatnot you have to know all the rehabilitations that you do on the athlete after their prognosis, or whatever their injury is. You know all the rehabilitations, and you learn how

4EMMA BAUER

to wrap ankles, wrists, and hands,” said Maverick Cashman, a senior and a student in the internship and beginning sport medicine class.

In the internship, students work with student athletes, under the supervision of the athletic trainer. The different injuries due to sports change season by season, but a lot of injuries come from track due to the large number of students on the team.

The internship is considered a tenth hour class and allows students to leave the classroom setting and get their hands on tools that professionals use.

“There are different scraping tools that you use to break through scar tissue, get swelling out of areas. Cupping kits, where you have these little plastic cups and a pump, and you put them on tight areas in muscles and you pump that and it loosens the area by bringing the blood up,” said Cashman.

The sports medicine internship is every day after school and because of when it is, it enables students to help the athletes before their practices and game.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS THE LIFE

November 20, 2018 ● 15

By Austin Hagan travel editor

Pie is known to have been eaten by ancient Egyptians over four thousand years ago. The association with America does not stop with it being on the menu of every Thanksgiving since the second one. With one in five Americans claiming to eat an entire pie themselves, it has become a popular addition to the Thanksgiving meal.

An all-American Thanksgiving delicacy

AUSTIN HAGAN DISCOVERS the cheapest and best places to find this year’s Thanksgiving dessert. Picking the best pumpkin pies of three different places, Hagan discovers the best choice.

Not only do Americans enjoy sliding slices of sweet or savory goodness down their throats, according to Crisco, 47 percent of Americans are comforted by the thought of pie.

Whether someone is going to share or consume the pie on their own, it is important to know the many options when heading into this Fall.

First up is Walmart. It may seem like a low bar, but their pies are quite good. The biggest benefits of Walmart pies is their proximity, price, and availability. In terms of taste, it may be surprisingly good, but it is nothing compared to the others on the list, or homemade pies.

If pressed for time before Thanksgiving, and if someone is thinking about buying from Walmart, buying the ingredients there and enlisting family members to bake it could be easier.

If it is not as successful as they hope, they will at least get a good story out of it.

Second is Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole. This is a family owned and operated business that began as a food truck. Mamma Toledo and her two daughters worked together to make her shop succeed.

Beyond the comforting interior of the small shop, their pies are delicious and have a specific natural taste that somehow makes it taste more homey. They hand make every

single one of them. Toledo’s makes sweet and savory pies as well as other delicious pastries, like their chocolate eclair, which is to die for.

The price of a full pie is much more expensive than Walmart, but buyers can certainly taste the difference.

If the family is planning ahead, their pies are available to order in time for the holidays. They have until the eighteenth when accessing their website.

This shop is perfect for a stop on the way into work, or for a more specific request for the pie being purchased.

Last but certainly not least, Rock Springs Cafe. It has been said to have some of the best pie in the West, so it is no surprise that they are celebrating one hundred years of business.

Walking up to the old building, the parking lot is always packed with license plates from all over, including people making stops to grab some pie, lunch, or for visits to the farmers market right next door.

The smell of pie is evident by the time one has reached for the door handle.

Upon entering the building, the restaurant entrance is to the left and right, but right in front is the place to be. There are shelves of freshly baked pies and all sorts of jarred goods. People working there load the shelves up with fresh pies as quickly as they are purchased.

On top of the pies, salsa, and pickled goods, there are pie shakes, which is simply pie blended with ice cream, and turned into a drink. While all their pies are absolutely heavenly, the best seller is their pecan.

The restaurant and area around it is absolutely worth the trip, but if families do not have the time to spare, their pies are also available to order from their website.

Family and food, Thanksgiving traditions from out west 10 ● December 21, 2018

SPOTLIGHT

From store-bought food, to home cooked meals, all kinds of unique traditions are passed down from generations

By Makenna French

T staff writer

RADITIONS

are a big part of Thanksgiving festivities. From dinner to travel, there are many activities people do to celebrate their families and what they are thankful for.

While some have their traditional Thanksgiving, others have more eccentric and unique trends.

Some families construct a family tablecloth, in which they use a plain white one, put fabric markers on the table, and have every-

to OZ

one write their name, date, and what they are thankful for. The same tablecloth is used every year and has memories added to it.

Another tradition is making a family cookbook. They type all of their Thanksgiving recipes up, and print them off for the kids to decorate each recipe.

“We go to Grammy’s house, we have candied yams with marshmallows and instead of a kids table we have a teen table away from the adults,” said Jenna Englund, a senior.

While Thanksgiving is a very big family holiday, a lot of people like

to give back, spend time volunteering and be with those who do not have families or a place to live.

Families also donate to charity because the Christmas season is approaching soon after. Common items donated are kids clothing and toys.

Some do not even eat turkey on Thanksgiving, or even eat the traditional foods. A lot of families have foods like chicken, macaroni and cheese, or even seafood for dinner.

“My family started this tradition of eating lobster for Thanksgiving dinner instead of usual turkey.

Book Review

Veterans inspire Junger’s lates

law will generally come over and We don’t know why it became a we have dinner,” said Jim Swetter, thing, it just sort of happened. principal.

Other than that, nothing too comThere are the classic tradiplicated, just a nice sit down and roots, “cooperation r

By Ryan Bartholomew tions, including football after family time,” said Nilah Haines, a Podcast Producer ity rather than alien dinner, Macy’s Thanksgiving senior. than one of rugged i Sebastian Junger’s Tribe: On the Homecoming and Day Parade, and the signaclassic food.

One family Belonging wrote on isP a &departure G Personally, I tho from the author’s Turkey, Cranberry sauce, Mashed Everyday, about how they paribly interesting. Rea ture style. He does not tell one knockout story as Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, and ticipated in a pie feast one year, of view of the veter in The Perfect Storm or War, but rather looks at the the pies.

People around smart the on Junger’s p where everyone brought oftheir experiences veteransall coming home from go service table and say what they are thankown specialty. - he does it well. story and allows rea ful for. history, psychology, For example, foods such as turans. However, there Drawing inspiration from full of all differkey pot pie, quiche, etc. And then JungerThanksgiving As a former anthr and anthropology, shows us justishow conent kinds of fun and special trathe dessert pies. affinity for tribal livi tested the structure of modern societies stands ditions along with quality family “My wife and I are very busy ber against our tribal instincts. He states time. veterans people, I like tothat justthe hidedifficulties for five many awa days in my house. mother in- home from war soc faceMy upon returning

WAUSTIN HAGAN

do not entirely come from the trauma they’ve suffered, but also from the individualist societies and cultures they must become accustomed to.

Junger claims that the modern-day versions of those white captives are war veterans who come home longing for the intimate nature of life with their platoon or company — their military tribe in a sense. He says the lack of closeness and sense of purpose in civilian life may be a main causal factor of the extremely high rate of posttraumatic stress disorder after service.

He proposes that many of the

There is a numbingly familiar quality to much of the social science research he cites. It is not exactly news that nations with large income disparities are less happy

alm also turi as w into U the mos is ity rese new inco tha gro els

Pages 10 ● October 19, 2018

in Depth

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

The horrors of human trafficking

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS IN DEPTH

Trafficking in Phoenix With the current sex trafficking industry booming, awareness could be a person’s greatest tool against the unforeseen.

Evan Myers Staff writer

Arizona, land of the sun and retirees… and human trafficking. While the Valley of the Sun is not usually associated with this particular crime, Arizona had almost a 30 percent increase in reported cases of human trafficking in 2016, according the National Human Trafficking Hotline -- 151 cases were reported, up from 117 the year before.

Brad Penner, the School Resource Officer, who used to specialize in cases of human trafficking and reported that there is a problem locally with trafficking.

“In recent years, Arizona State University conducted

SEX TRAFFICKING STATISTICS

Modern day slavery

4MAJA PEIRCE

Thousands of Americans are sold into the sex trade every year.

V

By Grace Carey staff writer

ictims are given false hopes and promises everyday, eventually leading them into trafficking.

An estimated 14,500—17,500 people are sold into human trafficking in the United States annually, according to DoSomething.org. World wide, the profit made by this crime is an estimated $150 billion. It can happen at any time, anywhere, to whomever.

“Human trafficking is the third-biggest criminal enterprise in the world,” said Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Senator at the Democratic Convention.

According to ark.cs.washinton.edu who fact checked Klobuckars’ speech, “A U.N. agency estimated the total value of human trafficking at $150 billion. The comparable estimates for the drug trade range from about $280 billion to $420 billion. There is one dicey estimate for counterfeiting of $250 billion. By those measures, human trafficking does rank third.”

It is on it’s way to surpassing the illegal sale and distribution of drugs and arms, because, unlike drugs and guns, people can be sold time and time again.

Generating this amount of income annually, the business has proved to be highly lucrative. Therefore, the trafficking numbers have greatly increased.

Sex Trafficking The most prevalent type of trafficking is sex trafficking. This alone makes roughly $33.5 billion each year. Young women, in particular, are primary targets. Most often, victims are not physically abducted.

This is considered messy and it is significantly easier for traffickers to lure people into relationships.

On the contrary, some are abducted. These victims are typically sex trafficked. They are held against

their will and forced into sexual acts by their pimp.

They do not run, because they fear being killed. They do not talk, because they fear risking others lives.

Occasionally, they are impregnated by traffickers and their child is used as blackmail to keep them around.

Once they have been under the pimp’s manipulation for some time, victims often develop Stockholm Syndrome, sentiments of trust or affection toward their captor. When the pimp has faith in their loyalty, girls are given the title “bottom girl,” and begin to handle money, training, and recruiting.

“A pimp is the guy, he’s the one who gets the money, he’s the one who runs the show. He can’t do it alone, because he wants to go party, so he promotes one of his girls to his bottom. She’s now the leader in control when he’s not around,” said Brad Penner, the school resource officer who worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for five years on Sex Trafficking.

What a Pimp Looks For Traffickers are typically clever in how they find and keep their victims. Traffickers can be anyone from low-level pimps to women dressed to the nines. They target people with similar backgrounds, making it easier to form a connection with potential victims.

“I think that traffickers probably look for people they view as being weak, because they can manipulate them,” said Natalie Persyn, a sophomore.

Victims are targeted because they experience a hardship. These stick out to traffickers, because they make a victim vulnerable. Traffickers also look for those that seem to be out of their element making it easier for them to manipulate people into performing tasks that they would not typically engage in.

The Sad Truth After bonds form, traffickers begin asking for favors, resulting in men, women, and children, being

in over their heads.

“It’s really sad, because these people trust the traffickers and a lot of times they’re all they have,” said Cheyenne Yerkes, a sophomore.

Internationally, 40.3 billion people are involved with a type of human trafficking, according to the International Labour Organization. Some are sex trafficked, some labor forced, and others kept in a debt bond. The targeted victims can be anyone from young girls living on the streets, to grown men trying to repair debts.

As soon as traffickers have manipulated an individual enough, they cling to anything that can keep them. From threats to buying them desired things, the victims are roped in.

Traffickers frequently move their people in a circuit formation. Typically, they move from state to state, and are placed in trafficking hot spots. States are either referred to as being hot, or cold. If a state is hot, people are taken there; if it’s cold, they are not.

These terms are able to tell traffickers whether or not law enforcement is heavy in that area.

“They actually have a website, it’s for pimps to go on to and they can “check the temperature,” and what that means is, if it’s hot, police is low and money is good. If it’s cold police is high and money is not good, so they won’t go there,” said Penner.

Both the east and west coast are prevalent locations where victims are taken. Sometimes, they are even taken out to port cities and shipped off to other continents.

Once victims are abroad, they are likely to spend their life in trafficking. They will never own anything as long as they “belong” to someone else. Their once promised “better life” has been taken from them and they often never get their old life completely, if at all, back.

Less than 50% of victims are kidnapped as most victims are “groomed” by the traffciker.

81% of victims are stuck in forced labor.

25% of vitims are children.

75% of them are women and girls.

Forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion dollar industry worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization.

The International Labour Organization estimates that there are around 40.3 million victims globally and 1.5 million in the United States.

Around 2 million children are subjected into the prostitution for the global commercial sex trade.

polarisproject.org and arkofhopeforchildren.org

WJO BREESE

a study on how many men were looking for a prostitute on an average Tuesday night. The numbers came back to reveal that about 75,000 men in the Phoenix area were looking for girls, and only 300 women were working that night,” said Penner.

Human Trafficking is the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labour or commercial sexual exploitation.

Some statistics about trafficking paint a grim picture: 1 out of 6 runaways become victims of trafficking. In Arizona, the average age of entry for youth into sex trafficking is 14, according the research conducted by ASU on Sex Trafficking and Intervention; 1 in 3 homeless young adults have experienced sex trafficking, only 102% of victims are ever identified; and victims are typically U.S. citizens, including adults, girls, boys and transgender youth.

According to Penner, the sex trafficking industry makes over $33.5 billion per year. “Nationally, it is the #2 problem for law enforcement, just behind drugs at #1,” said Penner. “And it’s about to surpass drugs.”

A 12 News report on human trafficking identified several locations in Phoenix, Mesa and Chandler as “hot spots” for sex trafficking. These women are usually under-age, and are “working under the control of a pimp.”

Survivors told 12 News that the pimp was almost always close by, lingering at a bar or gas station.

“He would be there as soon as it was done and come and pick up the money," one survivor said.

Victims of trafficking can seek help locally at the Phoenix Dream Center, which provides housing, meals and counseling. “Victims need to seek mental health help,” said Kolten Sauber, a sophomore.

According to their website, the Dream Center provides a variety of services. “The first step is always safe and secure housing. We provide safe housing to 48 women (plus up to 12 babies) and 12 young male survivors in luxury suite apartments that we call the Dream Rooms.”

They also provide 24-hour trauma security team to help survivors feels safe. The center also has therapy and spiritually-based healing practice, and education.

“They are scum of the earth and should be stopped as soon as possible,” said Connor Anthony, a sophomore. Playing with people's lives and taking advantage of them.”

The Dream Center reported a 92% success rate in 2017 with graduates staying out of trafficking for at least one year after they completed the program.

Erin Myers, a local therapist, warns that it can be difficult to avoid human traffickers. Many times, these predators take advantage of innocent people. “They can attach themselves to your families and really mess up your life,” said Myers. “The best thing to do is to stay away from people who seem too good to be true, or who are overly friendly to you or your family.”

Sauber and Anthony agreed with this advice. “Stay away from people who are acting too friendly,” said Anthony.

“Just stay away from then and don’t engage,” advised Sauber.

The Human Trafficking Hotline provides statistics showing that there have been 2,272 calls and 725 cases since 2007 and the numbers are still growing. 406 calls were made just this year, and 181 cases reported. 159 cases have been female and 52 cases were male and 49 minors.

October 19, 2018 ● 11

Tell about an experience you had where you felt uncomfortable online or out in public?

“I was at work one day and I was closing alone and there was a car parked like for an hour before we closed and they were just sitting in front of the place with open windows so they could see everything and then I went to the back to try and throw the trash away and the car sped around the back but I ran inside before they could get out.”

-Shelby Nesbitt, junior

“Just walking around Desert Ridge I’ve felt like I was being followed” - Josie C ourtney, junior

“A guy was texting me a lot and then I got a text and he said he wanted to rape me.”

- Mackenz ie Z oerb, sophomore

“Some random guy DM’d me trying to get to know me and then asked for pics.”

- Gina K hammo, junior

“One time I was driving home from Tempe and this one car was following me all the way from tempe to like Cave Creek and Carefree, and then I kept going down all these different dirt roads and they kept following me until finally a sheriff pulled out of a neighborhood and they finally stopped.”

- Devin Strasser, junior

4LOGAN MCDADE

3 EMMA BAUER

Travel

20 ● November 20, 2018

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

SKATER DOES A MANUAL

to grind on the edge of the bowl at paradise valley skate park. 4 CONNOR GREEN

Skate the state

Devin Dorough staff writer

Skateboarding has made a major comeback in the past couple years, bringing a new aesthetic to a sport that’s been around since the sixties.

In 1959, surfers in California were sitting on the beach waiting for the waves to pick up, they always talked about how they wished there was always waves they could ride.

Soon they were working on something new, a board that could roll on concrete so you could always ride no matter where you were.

Skateboarding soon was everywhere in California. Mostly a do it yourself sport, skaters were building ramps and emptying pools anywhere they could to ride their skateboards and make the sport what it is today. Soon companies were making boards,

gear and even started paying skateboarders to ride professionally.

Today, almost sixty years later, skateboarding is huge, with brands like Thrasher, making an impact in fashion, and celebrities like Lil Wayne and Logic, showing their fans it’s still cool to skateboard.

Though skateboarding was made to be done anywhere, it is hard to skateboard in public. Many businesses do not want skateboarders anywhere near, fearing they will break something or hurt themselves and sue.

This forces most skaters to skateparks, but with most of them in cities like Tempe and Phoenix, it is hard for skaters that live in small towns to find a place to skateboard.

Paradise Valley has a skatepark located on 40th and East Grovers Avenue. PV Skatepark has kinked snake bowls, a kidney bowl, ledges and blocks, ramps, and radial banks.

“As far as bowls go I like something mini

school, like the shallow kidney bowl at PV,” said Max Hancock, a freshman.

The park is big with obstacles for all types of skaters. The park is gated all around and it closes at 8 p.m. It has a lot of flow and ramps to get speed on.

The bowls are pretty big, but they have a shallow bowl that is still pretty steep but is easy to learn on. “I like the shallow bowl at PV because everything else is massive and the shallow one is easy for me to learn new tricks in,” said Xavier Elletson, a Junior The Wedge, on the other hand, is a little farther from the Cave Creek area, located on North Miller Road in Scottsdale, Arizona.

It has a very shallow bowl, but it also has its deep parts with its highest wall being 10 feet.

The park also has some rails and a stair set.

This park is not gated and is open all hours.

“I love how I can come here whenever I want to skate and no matter what time of

day it is and there is always chill people,” said Jacob Pierce, a local to the Wedge.

Skateparks being too far is an issue for a lot of Arizona skateboarders, especially younger ones who cannot drive.

That is why many have skate spots that they built. Building a skate spot takes time and dedication, but there is no obstacle big enough to stop someone who needs a spot to skate.

“We used to have a giant half pipe in my old backyard, so my Dad had the idea to make a mini ramp in this backyard so I could start skating again like my brothers, so we bought the plywood made the frame and in two weeks we busted out all the framing and all the sheeting,” said Hancock.

Knowing where many different skate spots are is important for skaters. If they are always skating the same obstacles they will not progress.

Exploring Tolmachoff Autumn activities at a historic Arizona site for all age groups to partake in Riley James staff writer

Tolmachoff Farms is located in Gilbert, it has many attractions for families. The admission price is $20.00. The corn maze is 6 acres.

Tolmachoff Farms consists of a pumpkin patch, mini corn maze for families, bounce houses, food trucks, a playground, a petting zoo, and a train ride.

Most of the events and activities are for kids, but the highlight of the farm was the haunted corn maze for the Halloween theme, which is directed towards an older audience.

I traveled to the Tolmachoff Farm and took a tour through the corn maze, it was a lot of fun seeing people dressed as some of my favorite horror icons, like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. Sadly there was another group in front of me, so I knew when the jump scares were going to happen, but it was enjoyable watching other people get scared.

I personally got to talk to some of the people who worked in the corn maze.

“I have been working here for the past few years, and it's a lot of fun seeing people get so scared of us,” said Michael, an employee at the farm. Michael was dressed as the horror

character Leatherface from the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

“Well I had a rather exquisite experience at Tolmachoff farms. The dude dressed as leatherface traumatized me forever,” said Daniel Zingg, who went through the corn maze. The corn maze can last from 15 minutes long, all the way to one hour long.

The maze had many different sections with different monsters, including demons, ghosts and even killer clowns. My personal favorite part of the maze were the killer clowns. The clowns don't come after you till the end of the maze, and for good reason too. I thought it was the scariest part of the maze.

“I was with my family and I got separated from them and someone dressed as Pennywise the clown came out of nowhere and chased me.

It was scariest thing ever,” said Emma Farmer, a sophomore.

Located at 5726 North 75th Avenue, in Glendale, Tolmachoff Farms has been around since the 1970s. Bill and Gracie Tolmachoff were the operators of the farm, until they passed it onto their four children. The Farm is open year round, and will have different themes and events for holidays, they even hold field trip.

SCARECROW HANGS

around to welcome guests to pumpkin patch.

4 EMMA BAUER

Travel

20 ● December 21, 2018

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

A perfect winter weekend getaway

By Morgan Reimer life editor

As the holiday season approaches, families gather together to celebrate what they are thankful for, prepare for the new year, and spend quality time together. Though it can be challenging for families to go on long trips, some of the best memories can be made in a 36 hour short weekend.

Friday: 7:30 p.m.

The Polar Express Experience.

Taking place in Williams, Arizona, this family friendly experience can be the grand start of the magical weekend. Bundled up in their favorite pajamas, families can ride the train based of the beloved The Polar Express film and children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. Lasting approximately 90 minutes, the atmosphere makes memories for those in the holiday spirit. (1-888-848-3511) starting at $55

in their natural habitat. (928-6354061) (Wildlife Park: 928-635-2289) 6:00 p.m.

After a hot shower and a long nap, the final stop before dinner is the Route 66 Family Zip Line. Flying over the town of Williams and Grand Canyon Boulevard, this family adventure will leave people hungry for more. After their day of exploring and making memories, it is finally time to chow down. (928-286-3400) starting at $15 6:30 p.m.

Not too far from the zip line is Rod’s Steakhouse, opened since 1946.

They have steaks cut fresh daily, and have meals ranging from “Rod’s Special Charred Steak,” to classics like golden fried chicken, and barbecue ribs. (928-635-2671)

Saturday 9:00 a.m.

After an adventurous night, a drive over to the Pine Country Restaurant gets customers mouths watering.

Enjoy generous portions of home cooked meals, a selection of over 35 homemade pies, and a gift shop for the kids. (928-635-9718) starting at $5.99

8:00 p.m.

When the night is almost over, the last thing parents want for their kids is something sweet, but, the Copper Canyon Trading Gift Shop is open until ten o’clock, featuring many goodies for any occasion. The gift shop holds handmade pottery, delectable hot sauces, and a local favorite: salt water taffy. Inside the “Taffy” room features several flavors for everyone, and is good to stock up on for a long bus ride. (928-635-4310)

12:00 p.m.

Next stop is the northern Kaibab National Forest. Make a quick stop at the visitor’s center to decide which trail to hike, and which lookout points are best for each family.

Enjoy a picnic together, and decide whether to continue hiking, biking, or even horseback riding. It also features the “Bearizona” Wildlife Park, where families can view the wildlife

Sunday: 9:00 a.m.

After a deep sleep, an early morning stocked with the candy bought the night before is the perfect recipe for another travel day. Hop on the Grand Canyon Railway at 9:30 a.m. to soon explore the wonders of the Grand Canyon. On the train, families get to enjoy musicians, historical commentary, beautiful views, and

an old fashioned train robbery. The railway arrives at 11:30 a.m., which leaves families to explore what they wish.

Although, make sure no one misses the 3:30 p.m. pickup time, which will arrive back at 5:45 p.m.

(928-6354010) ranges from $67 to $159

THE GRAND CANYON RAILROAD is just one of the winter treats in northern Arizona this winter. 4THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

12:00 p.m.

After stretching the arms and legs of a tired traveler, it is time to take in the sights of the Grand Canyon.

There are special lookout points and hiking trails that families can discover together, and of course features a canyon gift shop. Before gatherings everyone’s personal belongings, take one last look at the sights of the grand canyon, and grab a scoop of their famous ice cream for the ride home. (928-638-7888) parking starts at $35 After a weekend of wonders and new discoveries, families can enjoy spending quality time together, and enjoy trying new activities. Take these new adventures as a goal for the new year, or even something to scratch off the bucket list. In the end, whichever path a family takes will lead them on a brand new adventure.

The Phoenix lights

By Ryan Bartholomew Podcast Producer

With the holiday season closing in, places all across Phoenix are putting up their Christmas lights en masse.

A few special locations go above and beyond in putting up their Christmas lights each year, creating a spectacular light show for all to see.

A holiday park on Black Canyon Highway puts on Illumination: Symphony of Light each year. The event is a drive-by style show, where all of the lights are synchronized to music. Cars are lead through a winding road with over 1.7 million lights illuminating the path. The park

is at 27701 North Black Canyon Highway, and does require tickets to get in.

The award winning festival Glendale Glitters puts up their lights starting on November 23 and 24, and will stay up until January 12, 2018.

Glendale Glitters is a show of over 1.6 million lights illuminating sixteen blocks of downtown Glendale.

The lights are on from 5 until 11 pm.

Parking for the event is first-come, first-served basis in two parking garages at 58 and Glenn as well as at 59 and Glenn. For more details, call the Special Event Hotline at 623930-2299.

Christmas at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess began in 2010.

Going into its 8th annual return of this event, the Princess has transformed into a winter wonderland.

The AAA Five Diamond resort is a Christmas miracle that runs from November 20 until December 30.

With so many events, the times will change with each night, so it is best to check the resort website to be sure of times. Parking is $55 for self parking and $85 for vallet, with walk-ins at $25. The resort can be reached at (480) 585-4848 and is located at 7575 East Princess Drive.

What do you and your family do during the holidays?

“My favorite thing to do is to go to my grandma’s house and seeing all my family. I like just staying here for the holidays” Averie Brannon, sophomore

“Usually my family and I just sit around during Christmas and just spend time together and stay home.”

Maritz a Soto, sophomore

“I love making Christmas cookies with my family and we usually stay in state, my family and I just open gifts and interact with relatives.”

Jameson Boe, junior

“Every year we go to my cousins house and we all just hangout.

We don’t usually go anywhere during the holidays out of state.”

Alex Pissas, sophomore

4 EMMA BAUER

3 BRENDAN DONALDSON