Mia Valenza by Lori Hart

MIA VALENZA YEARBOOK PORTFOLIO 2015 Publicity Editor/Team Leader

SELF-ANALYTICAL ESSAY BECOMING a team leader this year changed my experience in yearbook tremendously. I entered yearbook this year with minimal experience on InDesign but now I have designed three spreads and I have a deeper understanding of the tools and guidelines. As far as leadership, I have learned to be more assertive and clear when giving instructions. Being a team leader has not only made my schedule busier but it has made me much more dedicated to the book. As the publicity editor, I know now that it is much harder to capture the attention of my peers than I expected. I have tried using both Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat but no one really cares. I put in a lot of effort to capture kids’ attention and I’ve had to learn not to take it personally when they ignore me. BEING a team leader has changed the relationship with my peers in that I am not really friends with Julia anymore. I did not want to be a team leader and there are plenty of pros and cons. One of the advantages of being a team leader is that I feel more included in the class and that I have an important role which was a feeling I lacked last year. A con is that I am not assertive enough so my team members often don’t do their work until the last minute such as on the deadline two night. If I had to describe my method of leadership I would say I am the laid-back kind and it is not working for me. Next semester I need to quit being so easy going so that I can convey the importance of being punctual with deadlines. OVERALL, becoming a team leader has given me skills I can apply later in life. I know not to be a pushover and to give proper orders, but also that sometimes I really have to take things into my own hands to get them done. Being a major part of the staff has also taught me how to work well in a group like as an entire unit. I like knowing how to work with Mac computers now too because I think it will help me in office settings which I will be in as a vet tech later in life.

REFLECTION #1 THE spread I am most proud of this year are pages 70-71. This is a spread I designed for deadline two. The main reason I like this spread the most is that the dominant package stands out much more in comparison to my other spreads. From beginning to finish, the spread was completely transformed. We began with a main story about homecoming court and four mods, but at the end we only had two mods but it fits much better. If we had included all four spreads, we would not have been able to make the dominant photo as large or cool. Also we edited the dominant photo so that the two people are in black and white with just the sash and bouquet of roses in color. My personal work for the page wasn’t too hard as far as writing. I wrote a story about winning homecoming queen from the first person point of view. My purpose when designing the spread was to make homecoming the clear main focus since it is one of the bigger events of the year. A specific thing I like about the page is that we have photos lined up on the right of the page with a color bar separating them from the main story but that it still looks like a package. What I learned from designing this spread is that sometimes you have to give up a decent mod to make a more appealing look overall.

REFLECTION #2

REFLECTION #3

THE spread I am the least proud of is pages 62-63. I had to cut a lot of photos and make them small in order for everything to fit. The dominant package had to be rearranged several times and cropped so that the additional photos could be used. Another issue with this spread is that three of the photos on it are from someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cell phone so the quality is not good at all. If I could change things about the spread it would be the pictures. My team and I should have been better prepared and taken photos ourselves to ensure the quality. Everything for the spread was created last minute, including one of my mods that I did not put adequate effort into. The aforementioned mod now looks slightly out of place on the page, it is very boring, and it was hard to arrange in a visually appealing manner. From this spread I learned that it is more difficult than I thought to create clear distinction between stories and mods. Working closely with Adamson did not help on this spread as much I thought it would because even he was stumped with what to do. Overall, my feelings toward this spread are nonexistent. I am indifferent. I have seen uglier spreads but my others look much better than this one.

I am proud of this photo because it reminds me of something I would see on Time magazine or another prestigious publication. The background came out dark unintentionally but rather than weakening the impact of the photo, it enhances the subject, Nolan. I did not necessarily capture any specific emotion however I do think that it provokes some sort of emotion in the viewer. It displays rule of thirds very clearly since the subject is to the right with the black sprawling out toward the left. I am attracted to this picture because of all the photos I took that night, this one is one of the few good ones. I like that you can see the sweat on his face and that his eyes look really blue. I am not the best at photographing sports and I think I found my niche - focusing on faces rather than the action on the field.

REFLECTION #4 W

REFLECTION #5 THE hardships I faced this semester were mostly related to punctuality on deadlines. Neither I nor my team had their mods and stories done on time for deadline two. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned from this is that deadlines are much more serious business than I knew last year. As a staff member last year, I never fully understood how crucial they were. Overall, the situation was handled professionally even though it took me until 11:45 pm to get everything on my spreads. I remained calm and tried to design as much as I could with very little material. My greatest weakness (shocker) is procrastination. What I willl do next semester is create a strict schedule for both myself and my team.

TEAR SHEETS ROYAL FUN

“OKAY SO YOU’RE ALL GOING TO WALK with your partners to the top of the fifty yard line and wait for them to announce your name,” said Cameron Bender, the student council director. I looked around at my fellow homecoming royalty nominees and over to the crowd of students, which seemed

HOMECOMING queen Mia Valenza recounts what it was like to win

miles away. We could hear the dull roars as the cheerleaders finished their intricate half-time routine and we all began to line up. When I started high school, I was not a stereotypical popular student. I flew below the radar and kept my circle of friends relatively small. The last thing I would have expected would be to be on the homecoming court my senior year. My best friend Madeline Jones, a senior, said that she wanted me to be crowned homecoming queen. That Friday on October 30, I found myself on the field during half time of the homecoming game, surrounded by the winning couples from each grade besides seniors. We were adorned in sashes and were holding bouquets of red roses. Out of the ten of us, I believed I was the least likely to win and I happily accepted that.

1 IN BETWEEN PLAYING TIME, Marchica takes a break to be named homecoming king. After being nominated for homecoming royalty four years in a row, it was finally time for this running back to shine. “I was expecting Corinne [Querrey] and Ben [Rodenburg] to win,” said Marchica. 2 LOST AND INSECURE, Valenza graciously accepts her destiny to be crowned homecoming queen. Taking after 2015 prom queen, Nicole Toomey, Valenza carries on the yearbook royalty legacy. “I’m so happy I could make my yearbook

WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL

Brainstorm Solutions “We use specific techniques with school, and career counseling… depending on the area—academic, career, and social— help me with what techniques I should use… It’s a lot of trial and error.” Brainstorm Solutions “A lot of counseling that I use is solutionbased, where I work with the students to come up with a possible solution to their problem.”

As I strolled down the field, my arm intertwined with Daniel Golding, a senior, the pommies and cheerleaders began screaming my name. We were instructed to stop at the edge of the line and get our photo taken, which was hard for the socially incompetent part of my brain to accept. Promptly after we all got our pictures taken, we lined up single file along the field. Sophia Beaudoin, the 2014 homecoming queen, was there to crown the winners. My insides were shaking as I stood in the spotlight and I grew queasy. The crowd went wild as Antonio Marchica, senior and varsity football captain, received the title of homecoming king. Out of the corner of my eye, I observed Sophia walking in my direction. I stared straight at the Nest and held my breath. Cheers erupted as I felt the tiara placed on my head. My jaw dropped and Allison Zilka, another student council adviser, placed the homecoming queen sash on me. As cliche as it sounds, winning homecoming queen was an unforgettable experience and I am honored to have been nominated by my peers. story by mia valenza

Antonio Marchica, 12

2 Daniel Golding, Mia Valenza, 12

mentors proud,” said Valenza. 3 3 BASKING IN THE SPOTLIGHT, seniors Cole Parker and Madison Mercer stroll across the field toward the stands. Mercer won homecoming court her junior year but Parker had never been nominated before. “I was kind of bummed that I didn’t win but I’m satisfied with who won,” said Parker. 4 SITTING ON THE CEREMONIAL GOLF CART, Marchica and Valenza revel in surprise. Dr. Debra Burdick was driving the cart around the track. “I said, ‘Floor it Debbie’ when I got on,” said Valenza.

I-CAN DO THIS

THE counselors at Cactus Shadows work hard with their students in order to make sure that they reach their potential.

ALL ABOUT ME

FOREIGN language students explain the best ways to succeed on their I Can statements. 1. Receive the assignment from the teacher

Build Relationships

“It takes time to develop strong relationships with the students… and that’s where we make progress, when we make that connection.” Be Available

2. Learn the specifics about the topic

3. Write the sentences on a piece of paper 4. Prepare and memorize the I-Can statement

“Our daily schedules usually never repeat in the same way… students can walk-in with a problem that we need to help them with.” story by christopher haines

5. Present the paragraph in for the instructor

HOLDING A GIANT PEN, counselor Lori Dahne helps Bobbi Kerr, a senior, fill out her college application. One of Dahne’s main priorities is to help students make the transition from high school to college. “She knows what she’s doing and makes it easier,” said Kerr. photo by ashley

6. Bonus: Include vocabulary from previous chapters and experience to impress them story by christopher haines

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BRAVE

TRUSTING

counselors, homecoming court, foreign langauge

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MORE THAN A CLUB BRIANNE Kunkel, president, and Antonio Marchica, work weekly to help members of Project Unified.

DURING class, history teacher Geoff Johnson prompts his students to express the appreciation for their favorite teachers. 1 DURING A WORK DAY in

history, teacher Geoff Johnson chats with senior Alec Allen at his desk. Johnson tries his hardest to create personal connections with each of his students. “Mr. Johnson is different from other teachers. You can tell he genuinely cares about what’s going on with you,” said Allen.

photo by christopher haines

2 AFTER OFFERING HIS CLASS time to work on their homework, math teacher Augustin Angeli assists sophomore Bob Bobertson with a problem. Angeli is very enthusiastic about helping students understand their homework. “He actually helps you work through it instead of just telling you an equation and leaving you on your own,” said Bobertson. photo by christopher haines

Geoff Johnson: “He’s probably one of the most inspiring teachers I’ve ever had. He makes it known to his students that he cares and he cares about more than just you as a student. He cares about you as a person.”

Augustin Angeli: “I learned more in his class than like I have ever have about math. He made math one of my easier subjects now, that’s why I am doing really well now. Even though he wasn’t there that long, he made a really big impact. He was really positive even when he had a sickness.” Doni Nasr: “She develops a lot of relationships with her students, and she really cares for them. She was honestly there for me last year when I was going through some stuff.” Molly Gum: “For speech everyday I would wake up and look forward to going to her class. Her environment that she makes is like so open, and I feel like she makes such an impact on everyone’s life because she understands what people are going through.”

Lori Hart: “She helped me find my passion for what I want to for the rest of my life. This weekend she text me saying thanks for all your help, and that like really touched me no teachers have ever went out of their way for me like that before.” story by julia diede

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

“We live in a community that needs to be unified and it shouldn’t matter what race or ethnicity you are.” - Emma Torrey, 10

“WHEN I WAS BORN, I should have had a severe disability or died. The nurses called me an angel,” said Kunkel. She first got involved in Best Buddies (now known as Project Unified) in her sophomore year. Kunkel, now a junior joined Unified as a way to help others -- instead, they helped her. “Starting in middle school, I became depressed. I didn’t know my purpose in life,” said Kunkel. Although Kunkel occupied her time with volleyball, she did not feel as though it was enough. She prayed for a sign for something to change her life. Her prayer was answered when she blew out her ankle during a freshman volleyball camp. Because of that, she joined the Unified Adaptive P.E class, where she met Jace Mayer. Kunkel was amazed by how happy he was, and how comfortable he was in his own body. “If Jace can love his body when it can’t do half the things mine can, then why can’t I love mine?” Kunkel thought. “I do it all because of Jace.” A similar thing happened to Marchica. “[Joining the Adaptive P.E class] changed my life by opening my eyes to a whole new viewpoint,” Marchica said. He joined Project Unified this year, and has learned a lot from his experience. As a senior varsity captain, Marchica thought he knew all there was about playing football, he soon found out he was incorrect. The day before the first game, Coach Michael Hudnutt brought in a motivational speaker to talk to the players. The speaker asked, “Who do you play for?” Marchica found himself puzzled, and slightly embarrassed. He realized he did not have an answer. Weeks later, during senior night, the question still lingered in the back of his mind. As Marchica was called to the coin toss, the answer grabbed his hand. The answer was Reece Parfet. When Marchica did not have time to explain that Parfet had to stay behind, he brought him on the field. Marchica proudly introduced Parfet to the opposing team as their fifth captain. Marchica finally went home with his answer to the long held question. “I play for Reece.” story by julia diede

1 AFTER INJURING HIS SHOULDER, senior

Antonio Marchica sits with junior Reece Parfet on the bench. Reece is present for all the games and is frequently seen consoling or cheering on the players. “He brings a really good energy to the games that you don’t see very often otherwise,” said Marchica. photo by brianne kunkel 2 SPENDING TIME IN FRONT OF THE GREEN SCREEN, juniors Brianne Kunkel and Jace Meyer share a laugh. Meyer is the main reason that Kunkel became so involved in Project Unified. “He is so happy with himself that it’s contagious,” said Kunkel. photo by camryn mayer 3 ON SENIOR NIGHT, Marchica and Parfet link hands on the sidelines. Shortly after, Marchica brought Parfet to the middle of the field for the coin toss. “He’s truly become part of the team and I introduced him as our fifth captain,” said Marchica. photo by brianne kunkel 4 WHILE TAKING A WATER BREAK, Marchica engages with Parfet about the game. The two are often seen together laughing and talking about the plays. “He gets really excited when we’re winning and he encourages us if we’re up against a challenging team,” said Marchica. photo by gina

OPINIONATED students share how they feel about the Twitter trend #BlackLivesMatter

“Humans were created to be equal and treated with respect. We weren’t made different to be treated differently.” Katelyn Inman, 10

ON EDGE

DEVASATING statisitics about the 2015 United States school shootings

150 98% 3X 1/4 0 School shootings since 2013

Of shooters suffered a loss of some sort

Of the shooters abused alcohol and other drugs

The rate of school shootings since 2011

Female shooters

graphic by christopher haines

brown

BLAZIN’ SADDLES

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

HOW DO YOU GUYS PLAN TO MAKE NEHS MORE INTERACTIVE? We want to do more community service and volunteer work as a group. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO FOR NEHS? We really want to make it a fun environment. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO ALL OF THIS?

Mrs. Metcalf. She is queen. story by julia diede, photos by ashley kritzstein

ON CENTER STAGE

JUNIOR Joseph Emnett found his love for football at a young age

SMILING EVEN DURING PRACTICE, Jospeh Emnett , junior, shows up to the football field everyday to practice.

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AS HER HORSE GALLOPS around the barrels, junior Megan Boyd grips the reins tightly to remain in control. Boyd has been riding horses her whole life but competitively for about four years. In the past four years she has received cash prizes along with two buckles for excellence and she qualified for a world championship on her old horse Hershey. “It sounds really prestigious but it’s not really that cool,” said Boyd. “I was in the second division which is basically a group of the people who never win.” While she is modest, not many people can follow through with such a hobby as Boyd’s due to fear of injury. “Any time a horse slips or falls in a performance, I hate that because you have no control,” said Boyd. And even though Boyd has been bucked off her horses Ace and Squirrel a handful of times and gotten her fair share of bumps and bruises, she still pursues horseback riding with a passion. “After going to a couple rodeos in elementary school I decided I wanted to be a cowgirl when I grew up,” said Boyd while laughing. Boyd did not simply share that childhood dream with many other girls; she still chases after that goal today. “I am motivated to continue by wanting to make a career out of rodeo or getting a college scholarship,” she says. As for short term goals, Boyd hopes to make it to the high school national finals rodeo this year or next. story by mia valenza

JACQUELINE BENSON AMY ABEL HOW DO YOU GUYS PLAN TO MAKE NEHS MORE INTERACTIVE? We are trying to get the members more interested. Because last year all we kind of did was pay for the cords. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WFOR NEHS? We want to make it less serious. A lot of people think we sit around and read books all day. We don’t. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO ALL OF THIS? English is my favorite class. So it is fun for me to be around people that feel the same way. And being a president I know I can help in some way.

BARREL racing is the unique hobby of horseback rider Megan Boyd

NEHS co-presidents Jacqueline Benson and Amy Abel explain their goals for the club this year

STUDENTS discuss whether or not to take early college classes their junior and senior year

Emnett began playing football ten years ago and now plays center for the varsity team. “My dad played football in high school and so did my uncle. I wanted to try it and it was amazing,” said Emnett. photo by julia diede

WHETHER RAIN OR SHINE, Emnett give his all at pracitce. Emnett fell in love with the sport when he watched it on the television with his parents when he was younger. “I always have to

ALL THAT JAZZ

“MY FAVORITE PART OF JAZZ BAND IS SOLOING TO CHAMELEON BECAUSE IT’S SO FUN,” said Duncan Schoepe, senior. photo by julia diede

teachers, Twitter, Project Unified, school shootings

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Mikaela Morris, 12, photo by julia diede

Alexander Chen, 10, photo by julia diede

Duncan Schoepe,

12, photo by julia diede

photo by julia diede

“I LIKE JAZZ BAND BECAUSE IT’S A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND I MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDS,” said Katherine Doyle. photo by julia diede

Chen, Katherine Doyle, 12, and Gary Wykoff, photo by julia diede

Paul, Chen, and Doyle,

photo by julia diede

Paul, Chen, Doyle, Morris, Ryan Lambert, 12, Schoepe, photo by

julia diede

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maddie jones maddie jones maddie jones

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“I PLAY MUSIC BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD, MAN,” said Zachary Paul, sophomore.

A smalll group of dedicated musicians create jazz music every morning in Room 608

stay motivated despite losses and hard practices because they only make you better,” said Emnett. photo by julia diede

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TOLERANT

1 FACING THE HEAT, Boyd rides her horse Ace all over the yard. Boyd has gotten used to riding in high temperatures because she does many shows in the summer. “I get really sweaty but it is what it is,” said Boyd. photo by mia valenza 2 TREADING CAREFULLY around the obstacles on the makeshift course, Boyd and her horse Squirrel rehearse their show routine. Boyd and her horse practice on her friend’s ranch in order to prepare themselves for future competitions. “I’m grateful to have a place to practice any time I want,” said Boyd. photo by mia valenza 3 RIDING TO WIN at the professional’s choice super show in Las Vegas, Boyd speeds around the barrels. The show took place on June 1 in the evening. “It’s always nerve-racking to compete in front of such a large audience,” said Boyd. photo by

TAKING THE LEAP

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TEAR SHEETS

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COVER LETTER Mia Valenza 4466 East Coyote Wash Drive Cave Creek, AZ 85331 May 11, 2016 Lorraine Hart 5802 East Dove Valley Road Scottsdale, AZ Dear Mrs. Hart: I am applying for a job on your yearbook staff. I find your yearbook to be of upstanding quality and I would be a valuable asset to your team based on my prior experience. I have been interested in writing for many years and have practiced my skills thoroughly over the course of my high school career. Not only do I have training in journalistic writing but I also possess appropriate skills in dealing with people. I learned that because of my experience working at a restaurant. I know how to be a team player and how to coordinate tasks amongst a group of people. Taking a fair share of work is another one of my specialties. I am willing to do the dirty work such as editing papers into the wee hours of the morning. Please consider me for the job position on your staff. I have high energy and a passion for writing and I will make for a beneficial addition to the team. Sincerely, Mia Valenza

Mia Valenza Staff Member Cave Creek, Arizona mv4729@gmail.com 480-310-8878 OBJECTIVE Active team member who effectively collaborates with all levels of staff members and establishes quality relationships with students and parents. Energized personality that will boost the morale of the team members around me EXPERIENCE • Cook/Server/Cashier Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Scottsdale, AZ Jan 2015 – Apr 2016 Built a friendly environment for customers Managed money within the cash register/rang up food Served customers their food on trays Cooked food for customers Cleaned up every night Did dishes • Yearbook Staff Member The Shadow Yearbook, Cave Creek, AZ Aug 2014 – May 2016 Collaborated with my team and designated tasks to each member Designed spreads using InDesign Managed publicity Maintained a positive energy EDUCATION High School Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek, Arizona 2012 – Current Member of yearbook staff for two years Creative writing student for one year Theatre student for two years AP Physics, AP Literature, honors biology and chemistry AWARDS

Work featured in Shadows Literary Magazine, awarded gold and silver crowns 2013/2014

SELF-ANALYTICAL EVALUATION Becoming a team leader this year changed my experience in yearbook tremendously, and second semester was especially trying for me. I entered yearbook this year with minimal experience on InDesign but now I have designed six spreads and I have a broader understanding of the tools as well as the issues that commonly occur. As far as leadership, I have learned to be more assertive and clear when giving instructions but second semester became more difficult in terms of interacting with my team. I was much busier than I expected during second semester and I lost touch with my team members despite seeing them every day. As the publicity editor, I know now that it is much harder to capture the attention of my peers than I expected. I have tried using Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat but no one really cares. Second semester I have even attempted to verbally communicate with my peers about the yearbook and was met with rude remarks and eye rolls. I put in a lot of effort to capture kids’ attention and I’ve had to learn not to take it personally when they ignore me. Being a team leader has changed the relationship with my peers in that I am not really friends with Julia anymore, even more so second semester.

I did not want to be a team leader when I was a junior and there are plenty of pros and cons. One of the advantages of being a team leader is that I feel more included in the class and that I have an important role which was a feeling I lacked last year. Being close with Maddie, Emma, and Alysa has also helped me have much more fun second semester than I otherwise would have. A con is that I am not assertive enough so my team members often didn’t do their work until the last minute such as on the deadline two night. If I had to describe my method of leadership I would say I am the laid-back kind and it did not work for me. Overall, becoming a team leader has given me skills I can apply later in life. I know not to be a pushover and to give proper orders, but also that sometimes I really have to take things into my own hands to get them done. Being a major part of the staff has also taught me how to work well in a group like as an entire unit. I like knowing how to work with Mac computers now too because I think it will help me in office settings which I will be in as a vet tech later in life. Taking this class has helped me prepare for college which I will be starting this August and I look forward to applying my skills in a more serious setting.

REFLECTION #1 THE updated spread I am most proud of this year is pages 42-43. This is a spread I designed for deadline four I believe. The main reason I like this spread the most is that the dominant package stands out much more in comparison to my other spreads. I also took all of the photos in the dominant package as well as wrote the main story and all of the caption. From beginning to finish, the spread was completely transformed. We began with a main story about baseball and three mods, but at the end we only had two mods but it fits much better. If we had included all three mods, we would not have been able to make the dominant photo as large or cool. My personal work for the page wasn’t too hard as far as writing. I wrote a story about baseball players and their shenanigans during practice. My purpose when designing the spread was to make baseball the clear main focus since it is one of the least covered activities every year. A specific thing I like about the page is that we have photos going across the top as the dominant package. What I learned from designing this spread is that sometimes you have to give up a decent mod to make a more appealing look overall.

REFLECTION #2 THE spread I am the least proud of is pages 62-63. This has not changed since first semester. I had to cut a lot of photos and make them small in order for everything to fit. The dominant package had to be rearranged several times and cropped so that the additional photos could be used. Another issue with this spread is that three of the photos on it are from someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cell phone so the quality is not good at all. If I could change things about the spread it would be the pictures. My team and I should have been better prepared and taken photos ourselves to ensure the quality. Everything for the spread was created last minute, including one of my mods that I did not put adequate effort into. The aforementioned mod now looks slightly out of place on the page, it is very boring, and it was hard to arrange in a visually appealing manner. It looks even worse on the printed out book. From this spread I learned that it is more difficult than I thought to create clear distinction between stories and mods. Working closely with Adamson did not help on this spread as much I thought it would because even he was stumped with what to do. Overall, my feelings toward this spread are nonexistent. I am indifferent. I have seen uglier spreads but my others look much better than this one.

REFLECTION #3 THIS photo has remained my favorite because I hardly took any photos during second semester. I was mostly designing. I am proud of this photo because it reminds me of something I would see on Time magazine or another prestigious publication. The background came out dark unintentionally but rather than weakening the impact of the photo, it enhances the subject, Nolan. I did not necessarily capture any specific emotion however I do think that it evokes some sort of emotion in the viewer. It displays rule of thirds very clearly since the subject is to the right with the black sprawling out toward the left. I am attracted to this picture because of all the photos I took that night, this one is one of the few good ones. I like that you can see the sweat on his face and that his eyes look really blue. I am not the best at photographing sports and I think I found my niche - focusing on faces rather than the action on the field.

REFLECTION #4 I believe I was an asset to the team in many ways this year but significantly with my positive attitude and willingness to learn. Second semester I made even more of an effort to put in long hours to make this book better. I would often stay after school during the week to make small changes that were bothering me and/or work on my own personal assignments. On my spreads I was always open to things being rearranged because I knew they would look better in the end. I try to be encouraging to all the staff members and crack jokes to keep the mood light even in stressful situations. I am also dedicated this year and I stayed until 11:45 pm on our second deadline night because I wanted to leave less work for the editing team. I am also adamant about proofreading things which I believe expresses my dedication because I want the book to be nearly perfect. After seeing the book published, I have noticed the smaller things that I thought I had fixed but they printed in a way different than what I expected.

REFLECTION #5 THE hardships I faced this whole year were mostly related to punctuality on deadlines. Neither I nor my team had their mods and stories done on time for deadline two or deadline five. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned from this is that deadlines are much more serious business than I knew last year. As a staff member last year, I never fully understood how crucial they were. The stress of deadline weighed heavily on my shoulders this year even though my position was not as important as, say, editor-in-chief. Overall, the situation was handled professionally even though it took me until 11:45 pm to get everything on my spreads for deadline two. I remained calm and tried to design as much as I could with very little material. My greatest weakness (shocker) is procrastination. What I will do post-high school is create a strict schedule for myself in college.

animals. As of a few months ago, she was lost in her pursuit of a career she cared about. Recently, however, Valenza has her heart set on becoming a veterinary technician and she will be attending Mesa Community College in the fall to get her degree in applied science. Valenza loves finding funky shoes that no one else has. She currently has five pairs of “jellies” and her collection of chunky-heeled shoes is also growing rapidly. She would say it is her one financial weakness besides coffee. Lastly, Valenza has taken up an interest in photography in recent years. She likes to take macro nature shots but it’s also fun for her to take pictures of her friends. Although Valenza does not wish to continue with photography in a professional setting, she plans to keep taking pictures in her free time.

1 Salad dayS Mac Demarco 2 Birch Tree The Foals 3 Nara alt-J 4 hazey Glass Animals 5 lover, you Should’ve come over Jeff Buckley 6 ize of The world The Strokes

7 aiN’T NoBody Chaka Khan 8 you’re The oNe The Black Keys 9 The leSS i kNow The BeTTer Tame Impala 10 Space SoNg Beach House 11 expaNdiNg aNyway Morning Teleportation

Mia Valenza shares her eclectic music taste

11 SongS to get to know Me

Mia Valenza is an eighteen year old girl from Cave Creek, Arizona with an array of interests. She grew up on a ranch in Rio Verde until she was seven, and she has moved fourteen times since then. Her parents got divorced when she was five and she has two older halfbrothers. Valenza’s passions range from reading, to animals, to unique shoes, to photography, and much more. One of Valenza’s foremost interests is reading. Her favorite place to purchase books is HalfPriced Books across the street from PV Mall. You can catch her perusing the clearance section, always on the hunt for cheap novels. She has a wide range of favorite genres, some of which include psychology, grammar, and even mystery. Valenza looks forward to expanding her collection of books. Valenza’s deepest passion is for

2 iN aN emBrace, seniors Valenza and Marchica pose for their photo together. The two had both been nominated in previous years but had not yet won. “I was expecing Ben [Rodenburg] and Corinne [Querrey] to win,” said Marchica.

was shaking while they prepared the crowns for the king and queen. They crowned the king first - star football player Antonio Marchica - and the crowd erupted into applause. Valenza was happy for Marchica; he deserved it. Suddenly, before she could see who was crowned queen, the students exploded once more and she felt the crown rest atop her head. Her jaw dropped as cameras started flashing and she and Marchica stood arm in arm. After the crowning ceremony, the two took the traditional golf cart ride around the track with district superintendent Debra Burdick. Valenza sometimes looks back on that night and she cannot help but laugh. She won against all odds - or so she thought and she looks forward to reflecting on this moment in the distant future.

As most people know, Valenza worked at Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill for over a year. It was her first job, which she started when she was sixteen. By the time she left, she was three days short of her eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately for Valenza, over the course of her job there she developed crushes on many of her co-workers, almost all of whom were signficantly older than her. Besides her frequent infatuations with the older men she spent five days a week with, she also made some dear friends there. On Valenza’s last day, her co-workers really went above and beyond for her. Her managers and fellow cooks hung balloons, created a large sign that was displayed in the dining room, got her a cake, and bought her gifts. Amongst all of these things though, Valenza’s favorite part of the party was a card that her closest co-workers wrote in. It brought Valenza to tears and she received many hugs that day. Valenza will always look back on her first with fondness and she plans to stay in touch with a handful of her friends from Rubio’s.

Valenza looks back on her first job

Rubi(bR)o’S fReSh MexicAn gRill

1 wiTh her jaw dropped, Valenza receives the crown for homecoming queen. Former queen Sophia Beaudoin was there to give her the award. “I still can’t believe I won. I think it’s hilarious,” said Valenza.

Bracing against the cool autumn air, senior Mia Valenza waited to hear her fate. It was Valenza’s second year being nominated as homecoming royalty, but she did not win during her sophomore year. The last thing Valenza expected to happen during her senior year was to be nominated for anything - especially homecoming queen. With a different voting system than previous years, Valenza had no expectation of making it past the top ten. Much to her surprise, she was a member of the top five, along with the top brass of her peers; gems such as Corinne Querrey, Madison Mercer, Allison Capozello, and Madelyn Dingus. As she stood on the fifty yard line at half time and walked down the football field, she heard screams from the cheerleaders and shouts from the student section. Her stomach

THe homecoming queen reflects on her big night

37 SecondS of fAMe

MY greatest weakness when it comes to publication is my lack of creativity when designing spreads. I will do basically the same layout for each one, think it looks good, and when I re-visit it, someone will have completely rearranged it into something I never would have thought to do. Alysa and Maddie both have such an eye for design that they can just sit down in front of a terrible spread and transform into something beautiful within an hour. I am just not good at design at all. If I were to try to overcome this weakness, I would probably have to look to magazines and other yearbooks for inspiration and ideas. Unfortunately, I will probably never be using InDesign again. However, I would still like to have a better eye for design.

All About Me(uh)

REFLECTION #6 REFLECTION #7

TEAR SHEETS

REFLECTION #8 MIDDLE linebacker and running back of the varsity football team discuss the team’s game day traditions Many students know what it is like to be in the Nest for football games, but not many people think what it is like to be down on the field. The boys on the varsity football team have multiple traditions they practice before every game, but the homecoming game has earned its own special momentum and habits. Unlike other games, before homecoming the boys spend some time to bond as a team.

“As a team we eat together before the game then talk about our schemes and what plays the other team might be doing,” said Ethan Bondurant, a senior running back. While discussing strategies, the boys were buzzing because they were about to play Cactus Shadows’ rival Notre Dame Prep. “I’m sure some players were nervous but most of us were just determined to beat Notre Dame,” said Bondurant.

“The energy was electric because we all just came off the field from pre-game for our last homecoming ever,” said Connor Musick, a senior middle linebacker.

Despite the pressure of playing a skilled team, the boys continued to follow their usual ritual of a prayer and chant. Even during the main game of the year, some things never change. story by mia valenza

WHILE AT PRACTICE, Alexander Doughty, a senior, takes a break from the heat and steals a sip from a hose. The boys practiced every day after school from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., even in the blazing heat. “I remember thinking, ‘Maybe if I drink enough water, one day I’ll be as good as Matt Sill.’” said Doughty. photo by alexis hunter-wilson

IN THE LIGHT OF THE STADIUM, Brandon Busbee, a junior, stops to take a breath while on the sidelines. The team was playing Barry Goldwater High School and won 38-0. “We shut out both Goldwater and North Canyon two weeks in a row,” said Busbee. photo by emily watkins

1 GRAZING HER FINGERTIPS along

the thin cloth, Shavonne Morn, a junior, plays her part as a creepy mental patient in the drama club’s haunted house. Morin, along with many other students, auditioned for her role in the eerie and interactive production. “I loved being around a bunch of my friends, and of course watching people be terrified was a plus,” said Morin. photo

3 AS THE HALLWAYS GREW DIMMER and the lights began to flicker, Drama Club and their Haunted House was ready for the unsuspecting audience. “I didn’t really anticipate so many people coming, but I think once we had our first night, word kind of got around that it wasn’t cheesy and hokey and a lot of people wanted to come to see what it was about,” said Andrew Cupo, Drama Club adviser. Many students who heard about the event had auditioned like it was a play that the school would be performing, and everyone found a spot where they would be most useful. “[Alexa Dragone] had once told me that she wanted a contortionist in the production and that is what I wanted to do,” said Madelyn Lever, a junior. The people who did not want to try out or audition found themselves in the crew of the production, which varied from sound design to props and costumes designers. Drama Club’s “Haunted” Fine Arts Center idea helped to raise funds to pay for expenses and went towards a foundation for reparations on the building, and left a lasting impact on the Club’s history. story by

FRIENDLY FACTS

TWO sets of best friends take a quiz to see how well they know each other

Without looking, what is the color of your best friend’s eyes? Malana Russo: Brown Reagan Davis: Brown. I had to double check. What is the name of your best friend’s parents? Russo: Laura and Bryan Davis: Michael and Maria Favorite ice cream? Davis: She likes the Talenti cookie caramel crunch thing. Russo: I think hers is like chocolate or something.

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2 ALL MARKED UP, Julia Horner, a

junior, awaits the next crowd of people who walk by so she can startle them as an unstable person with Satanic etchings on her skin. The Haunted Fine Arts Center production run by drama club on October 22 was a project pitched by Alexa Dragone, a junior, as a fun way to celebrate Halloween. “It was really hectic and cool but it was super rewarding and very fun,” said Horner.

photo by nicole neri

3 THREE MAKES A CROWD. In a

strobe-lit room at the Fine Arts Center, Victor Kelly, a senior, Quinby Demmitt, a freshman, and McKenzie Moller, a sophomore, prepared to chase out the cluster of visitors when given their cue. “The craziest part about the haunted house was scaring people that went and spoiled it for the other guests when they entered the room,” said Kelly. photo

Do you know each other’s phone number by heart? Davis: No. Russo: No, that’s what contacts are for.

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story by julia diede

Without looking what is the color of your best friend’s eyes? Helena Benedetto: Hers are green. Madison McNamara: Hers are blue. What is the name of your best friend’s parents? McNamara: Shelly and Frank Benedetto: Denine and William, who also goes by Mack Favorite ice cream? McNamara: Hers is mint chocolate chip. Benedetto: I want to say it’s chocolate. Do you know each other’s phone number by heart? McNamara: Yeah. Benedetto: Yes.

Malana Russo, 12, and Reagan Davis, 12

Helena Benedetto, 11, Madison McNamara, 11

christopher haines

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Natalie Neri, 12, photo by Nicole Neri

Ashley Danahy, 12, photo by Nicole Neri

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Jessica Stevenson, 11, photo by Katelyn Finegan

EVERY YEAR, THE STUDENTS IN DANCE CLASSES, ranging from beginning to advanced, put on a student choreographed show at the Fine Arts Center. What audiences do not get to see is the creative process that goes into producing such a display. Elissa Erickson, dance teacher, makes the routine into an end-ofyear final grade, but participation in the actual show is optional since it is by audition only. “Creativity is a large part of our dance grade because we have to find interesting ways to express what we’re trying to say with our movements,” said sophomore Katriel Anderson. A large obstacle for the students working on this project is having to create their own original dances from scratch. “It is so hard coming up with

James Hullett, 12, and Nicole Rasmussen, 10 photo by Katelyn Finegan

CLUES FOR CREATIVITY

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ON A SUNNY DAY, Keely Doran, junior, Katriel Anderson and Samuel Twichell, sophomores, read and critique each other’s work. Lori Hart, creative writing teacher, encourages students to work in comfortable environments and often plays music in her classroom. “It’s nice having a class that you can just chill out in and kind of do your own thing,” said Doran. photo by christopher haines

CREATIVE Writing students offer simple tips for writing short stories.

original work and it takes about an hour to come up with 10 seconds of a dance. It’s really difficult because you want it to look good and not boring, but still incorporate our message or theme,” said Anderson. And what is a “good” dance without an appropriate soundtrack? “Choosing the song is actually pretty hard because you want it to go with the message of your dance, but that’s the most fun part because the song really gives you something to inspire your movements,” said Anderson. As a whole, the process of putting on a studentchoreographed show requires not only focus but also creativity. “Sometimes we all get stuck and run out of ideas, but once you find inspiration it’s easy to put things together,” said Anderson. story by

1. Brainstorm: free write a bunch of different ideas the story could be about. Famous authors often keep a record of all their different inspirations. “Create a journal and start writing in it everyday,” said Katriel Anderson, a sophomore. 2. Create an outline for the story, and decide what the main conflict will be. 3. Design a diagram of the characters and settings that will be in the short story. 4. Write out a full rough draft. “Get everything you’re thinking about onto the paper, even if it sounds terrible and stupid in your mind because it can always be changed,” said Kenzie Beutler, a sophomore.

mia valenza

Peyton Kuehn, 11, Kiara Miller, 11, Morgan Easterbrook, 12, photo by Katelyn Finegan

5. Make personal edits and changes to the story. “Don’t try and censor things the first time you write… it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time through,” said Keely Doran, a junior.

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“The basic cheer moves consist of a simple formation. First you push back, then put your hands into fists at shoulder height. Then cross your arms after doing a single clap. Finally, you end it with swinging your arm in the air,” said freshman and JV cheer captain Anna Draper. photos by Mia Valenza

CREATIVE

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“It is a really big mental game where you have to get into your opponent’s head…” said Alex Nieminen, a senior. “You have to have some sort of really good mentality and you can’t beat yourself up after a mistake.” She has been playing since she was four, and discusses the terminology behind the sport and what techniques to use, given the circumstances. “The topspin kind of lobs the ball over your opponent’s head and backspin could be used when you’re slicing,” said Nieminen.

Sprinting up and down fields, the tired players push to finish not only the game, but the day. With a combination of both defensive and offensive players, the varsity girl’s soccer team and its athletes represent the school in more ways than one.

“The best thing about soccer is that it’s not like football where the coach tells you to make plays. You create them as you go, so you don’t have to follow any strict rules,” said Sandra Baker, a senior. But while there are good moments, there are bound to be a few bad ones as well. “I’ve been yellow-carded because I was too close to the ball and stalling time,” said Carmen Brown, a senior. “I like to play offensively because there is a lot less responsibility than when I play defensively,” said Brown.

“There’s a lot of stuff you can do. With doubles, there is a strategy called poaching, where whoever is serving, the person at the net will have a signal for whatever strategy you’re going to use,” said Christina Paluscio, a senior. “I try really hard not to get to my own head because as the point drags on, you don’t want to jinx yourself and try to end too quickly and missing their opportunity… I let my opponent make the mistakes,” said Paluscio. The key to winning is to keep calm and be patient during the match and to not become overconfident. “The rule of tennis is to hit where your opponent isn’t, and I think the main thing is to vary your shots,” said Maya Glicksman, a senior. Glicksman advises not to keep the same shot and to switch up the shots so your opponent does not become too comfortable. “When you and your opponent are at the net, volleying back and forth, you just have to go for it and make your move,” said Glicksman.

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GET IN POSITION

1 AT THEIR FIRST MATCH of the season, senior Maya Glicksman warms up on the court. The match took place on February 29 at 3:30 p.m. “It always feels good to get back into the swing of things - no pun intended,” said Glicksman. 2 AFTER PLAYING a game of doubles, juniors Alyssa Suddreth and Hannah Gohlke take a break. The two sat together sharing a laugh and hydrating. “Tennis is a lot more tiring than most people would expect,” said Suddreth.

TENNIS girls from the varsity team explain the risky maneuvers used during matches

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STEP by step, junior varsity cheer captain teaches some basic cheer moves

IN THE AMPHITHEATER, sophomores Ander Harris and Kenzie Beutler read each other’s work without the distractions of their classmates. Harris has a unique sense of humor and gets along well with Beutler because of it. “We get each other and we appreciate the kind of writing that most other people think is weird,” said Harris. photo by christopher

8. Present to the class or an audience like other friends and family. story by christopher haines

Dellan Raish, 12, mia valenza

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7. Make revisions based on their feedback, but remember that you are the writer and have the final say. “Don’t believe other people who tell you that you can’t be a writer,” said Haley Bayuk, a junior.

Ashley Ong, 12, photo by Nicole Neri

SHARING A LAUGH in the computer lab, Annaka Daehnke and Kat Tracy, sophomores, work on revising the first drafts of their stories. According to Hart, many students skip writing full rough drafts and it hinders their writing in later stages. “Taking this class has taught me the importance of putting your all into pre-writing because it really does make a difference,” said Tracy. photo by chrisopher

6. Have your classmates revise and give constructive opinions to changes that can be made. Sometimes it is better not to have friends give feedback because they can be too gentle.

varsity baseball, varsity girls tennis, varsity girls soccer

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Amber Koklys, 12, Allison Capozello, 12, photo by Katelyn Finegan

BEGINNING dance student Katriel Anderson talks about the student choreography project

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Riley Krawczyk, 10, photo by Katelyn Finegan

WE’VE GOT THE FUNK

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Bianca Wright, 12, photo by Nicole Neri

STEALING BASES AND GETTING CAUGHT in pickles may seem like the most daring part of baseball, but to the players on the varsity team, there are worse things. From an observer’s point of view, players should be worried about rolling ankles, stray balls, and concussions. However, a look behind the scenes shows that the players are more concerned with the aftermath of disobeying their coaches. “Eating in the dugout is really dangerous,” said senior and second-year varsity pitch runner Richard Walker. There is obvious horseplay that goes on behind the scenes with the baseball players, but food is a strict pet peeve for the coaches. Additionally, head coach Gaetano Gianni has a special pet peeve of his own. “I went to photograph tryouts and the assistant coach told me that Gianni would kill me if I was on the grass too much,” said senior and newspaper editor Rees Bixler. Throughout the season, many of the players deliberately push the coaches’ buttons to get a chuckle. “Oh! Picking the grass is a big one. We are not supposed to pick at the grass but everyone does it,” said senior pitcher Jacob Horn. “This is my first year on varsity and it’s funny seeing everyone messing with the coaches,” said senior pitcher Frankie Caloroso. As the season progresses and the players get more comfortable, the shenanigans also escalate. Every day of practice brings with it new humorous antics and the players continue to test their coaches’ limits. story by mia valenza

REBELLIOUS

Alanna Hallsted, 9 Kathrine Pusateri, 11, photo by Katelyn Finegan

IN HIS BATTING STANCE, senior Benjamin Rodenburg takes up home plate. Rodenburg is a third year varsity player and recently received a scholarship to play for Creighton University in Nebraska. “Baseball has always been my passion and I can’t wait to play college ball,” said Rodenburg. photo by mia valenza 3 AT THEIR FIRST GAME of the season, senior varsity player Dellan Raish pitches against Arcadia High School. Raish has been on varsity since he was a sophomore. The team beat Arcadia 11-9 on February 24. photo by mia valenza 4 ON DECK, senior Benjamin Drenth peers out to the crowd in the bleachers. Drenth’s walkup song was “U Mad” by Vic Mensa. “Picking your walk-up song is fun but the guys usually give eachother crap,” said Drenth.

TURBULENT TENNIS TECHNIQUES

GIRLS on the varsity soccer team discuss the daring aspects of the game

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REBELS with a cause – junior varsity baseball players take chances on and off the field

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RED CARD REBELS

Destiny Esparza, 10,

1 WHILE HIS WALK-UP SONG PLAYS, junior Joseph Palanzo gets ready to bat. Palanzo is a second-year varsity player and finished last season with a batting average of .392. photo by mia

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ACTORS in Drama Club’s haunted house explain what it was like behind the scenes

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MY previous portfolios have basically been similar to this one. I feel liike I will get points docked in the “growth” category because this portfolio is not that spectacular. But in my defense, the design is consistent and I honestly just prefer minimalist styles and designs. Specifically though, I will say that I now care about exact spacing and leading sizes and whatnot. When I first started making portfolios or working on InDesign in general, I did not understand nor did I care about all the technical stuff. The program has really grown on me. I’ve also found that honesty really is the best policy. It may not get you a better grade but it helps people see your true character and helps build relationships. My design last semester had a lot of faded transparent boxes and I’m definitely over that this semester. My writing has not grown all that much but it’s still pretty good I think. I’m so sorry this portfolio sucks I am just so stressed out I promise I’m trying.

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