Alexa Dragone 2k15-16

Alexa Dragone

Portfolio 2016-2017

MEMBERS of the Nest encourage the football team as well as each other

were appointed to be the Nest leaders this year. “The team knows how passionate we all are, and how we all enjoy being there cheering on the team, winning or losing,” said Danahy. Matt Sill, a senior and varsity football player, enjoys the passion, dedication, and support of the Nest on game day. “It makes everyone on the team more rowdy, and creates more positive energy for the game among the teammates. Everyone on the team was nervous for the first home game and no one wanted to disappoint the Nest, but then we walked out of the locker room and heard all the cheering. It really made the team feel like we could win, and we did,”

said Sill. Every game, the Nest leaders guide the entire student section in a chant to cheer on the team to a hopeful victory. “The ‘I believe that we will win’ chant gets me pumped because it is at the beginning of the game, so I hear it and it gets everyone on the field more excited to play,” said Sill. “The energy reflects off of the Nest and the football players. The players will put their hands up to the Nest, signaling for us to be louder,” said Rodenburg. Friday night lights set the scene and help create a sense of unity and passion throughout the school. story by christina fankhanel

WHO SAIDWHAT?

STUCO student body and class presidents say they got what it takes to win the votes of their fellow classmates, but who said what?

1. “I am running for sophomore class president because I love student council and I love our sophomore class! If elected, I will make sure that all of your voices are heard and I will do whatever I can to make your sophomore year a great year!”

A. Casey Nidds B. Fiona Ash C. Nick Antrim D. Lauren Busbee E. Allison Mazella F. Isabella Bingaman G. Tara Prager

2. “Cactus Shadows, get ready for a year that’s out of this world…a vote for me guarantees Student Council events from another dimension! 3. “A vote for me is a vote for a year full of fun activities, and amazing memories... I love this school and the people in it more than anything,

4. “A vote for me is a vote for you because ‘we’re all in this together’ and I want you to ‘count on me like 1-2-3’ because voting for me is voting for a friend who wants to help make our junior year the best year yet!!!!” 5. “SENIORS. I will make it my mission to make this the best year possible for the best senior class in history…you guys deserve it. GO CLASS OF 2016.”

7. “I’ve been in student council for many moons. It is my goal to help make this year one to remember!”

PASSION FOR ACTION

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life anyomre. Maddie Jones is love. Maddie Jones is Life. Diarrhea

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LOVE WITH ALL MY HE(ART)

“My favorite thing is when the Nest gets louder although they rarely chant for volleyball but when the do it makes me more excited to play harder,” said Casey Davis, a sophomore and volleyball player. photo by

TIMED TEST

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ALGEBRA 1/2 Nico Scanturro ALGEBRA 3/4 Ryan Gramlich PRE CALCULUS Sara Patterson

ALGEBRA 5/6 Madison Vander Vlucht GEOMETRY Jordan Lund

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CALCULUS Emily McAtee

DIFFERENT level math students were timed on how long it took to complete a test in their subject

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SUCCESSFUL

the nest, student leadership, cheer, math, athletes

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JOSIE FLANERY explains the love she has for art ART CLASS is one of the multiple fine art classes you can take to get your fine art credit. Some students, like James Rockwell, “...just took art to get an easy A and get my art credit over with,“ said Rockwell. While some students, like Josie Flanery, actually enjoy the class because they love art, “Being able to hangout with my friends and talk about the things we do and painting is a lot of fun for me,” said Flanery. “I like to being able to express myself because we get to be creative about it and just do whatever we want.”

1 TAPPING THE BRUSH IN THE 2 SKETCHING THE LAST LINE on her PAINT to finish the first coat, Josie drawing, Jordan Russek does the final Flanery, a freshman works on her touches on her drawing. “I love art, it is paper mache sculpture for art class. such a great class and the projects are “This is my first time doing a sculpture always so fun.” This is Russeks first this way, I usually just use clay,” said year of doing art. Flanery. Flanery has had a love for art since seventh grade.

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“The energy of the Nest gives me and other players energy and the excitement to drive better, and play harder,” said Max Solberg, a junior and cross-country runner.

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PASSIONATE

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Find the slope between the two points (4,3) and (5,7)

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1 SCREAMING HIS HEART OUT, Benjamin Rodenburg cheers for the team after scoring the tying touchdown. The Nest was encouraged to wear all tie-dye clothes for the game that night. photo by sam spina 2 CHEERING AFTER THE TEAM scored a touchdown, Allison Mazella, Gabrielle Windsor, and Morgan Easterbrook, seniors, encourage the players as they switch to play defense. The first home game was the first game the team had won this season. “I couldn’t contain my excitement, I was so happy for our boys,” said Mazella. photo by chloe heslop 3 WAVING THEIR FLASHLIGHTS IN THE AIR, members of the Nest sing along to “Sweet Caroline.” The song played at every game during the second quarter. “Singing that song reminds me of how much fun the games have been throughout high school,” said Natalie Hunter, a senior. photo by nicole neri 4 LAUGHING ON THE DAY OF THE DEAD Keegan Cook, Dellan Raich, Benjamin Rodenburg, NIcholas Potthoff and Joseph Wintermeyer sing the school song, “Whether we win or lose being at football games with my friends is my favorite,” said Wintermeyer. Every game he boys get together and cheer up he student section. photo by nicole neri

THREADS FOR HOPE

cafeteria window to show their spirit for homecoming week.

3 Lord have mercy this can’t bemy

“We as a team play harder when there are more people in the Nest. It personally pushes me when there are more people watching,” said Trey Elletson, a junior and football player. photo by

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PREPARING DINNER FOR THE FAMILIES, Mali Creek and Helen Lee, both sophomores have fun. “It felt amazing knowing all our work helped someone,” said Creek. Ronald McDonald is the charity of Student Council for this year. photo by caeron bender

2 VOLLEYBALL covered the entire

ATHLETES share how the Nest encourages them

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To be outgoing can be frowned upon, but in art class being outgoing gets you noticed by other students and teachers. “Josie is an exceptional artist. She is incredibly outgoing and she says a lot through her artwork,” said Deborah Wales. Not only is Flanery in art class, but she took her love as far as art club. “This is my first year in art club but I really love it ad it is cool to be able to be with people who actually enjoy art,” said Flanery. story by alexa dragone

3 PAINTING HER FLAMINGO Ninna Sogaard is focused on completing the piece by the end of the day, “I have been working on this piece for a couple days now and I really think it has come together nice,” said Sogaard. Art is one of her favorite pass times.

THIS YEAR, KEY CLUB volunteered on a year-long fund-raiser called Threads of Hope. Threads of Hope is an organization that sends thread bracelets made in the Philippines to other countries. The organization has a system where the sellers of the bracelets get half the proceeds, while the makers of the bracelets in the Philippines get the other half. Toni Ann

I have no idea what to do with this I’m dying

Cantarella, a junior, says her favorite part about selling the bracelets is “connecting with the people because you are helping to sell the materials they made, and the money goes directly back to them.” Threads of Hope is a win-win situation, allowing the poverty driven areas get necessary materials while Key Club members help support their club.

photo by christina fankhanel

TOMS is a passion of Stephanie Floe because she loves to give.

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Toms company has started a chain reaction of the “buy one, give one”. With each type of item you buy you give something different to someone in need. “It gives you incentive to buy the shoes because it gives back to less fortunate families and make you feel like you’re doing your part,” said Stephanie Floe, a junior. 1. adjective 2. adjective 3. verb 4. adjective 5. adjective 6. verb 7. adjective

What you buy What you give bag a safe birth for a mother and child in need shoes

a pair of shoes for a child in need

eyewear

restored sight for a person in need

coffee

safe water to a person in need

created by christina fankhanel

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Jack Wilson, seniors, lift Hayden Nobis, senior, to throw him into the pool. At the weekly team dinners, a different member would be thrown into the pool each week.

2 AS THEY SWING, Lockett, Clark, and Wilson, chant “Three,

2.

Two, One!” Nobis was the first member thrown into the pool for the season. “I love this tradition because it is a great way to get all of the new runners accustomed to the crazy traditions our team has,” Madeline Jones, a senior and co-captain said. 3 BOMBS AWAY! Letting go of their victim, Lockett, Clark, and Wilson watch as Nobis flies into the pool. The first team dinner was held at Lockett’s house, as well as the dinner before the state meet. 4 FISH BAIT Making a splash, Nobis lands in the pool and escapes the August heat. After Nobis was submerged, all of the other members of the team jumped into the pool. “Not only was it fun to watch, it was also great to cool off after running all afternoon,” Jones said. photos by alyssa grove

3. ... and we encourage the

girl next to us to help keep the positivity and energy up when we get on the floor,” ...said Sophie Evans, a sophomore on the pom team.

1 DUCIL IUME OFFICIM PORECTIAS ID UTEMPOR ATURESTIIS DOLUPTASPEL INCTEM. ET PRO OFFICIA NONSE NONSENI TATEMQUAE. ITAT RE 1

2 CHEERING FOR THE BOYS

NON-STOP Sophie Evans, a sophomore, chants for the boys to “win win win.” Evans has been on pom since her freshman year. photo by christina fankhanel

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3 STARING IN AMAZEMENT, Jessica Stevenson, Kelsey Kinsey, and Shannon Smith, juniors freak out as they watch Antonio Marchica, a senior scores the winning touchdown. “There really is nothing like the excitement of watching your team win,” said Kinsey. Stevenson has been on the team since freshman year, Kinsey is first year varsity, and Smith is a first year. photo by christina fankhanel

WORK HARD PLAY HARDER

OUTGOING

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self-analysis

If you looked at my grade in yearbook you would think that my effort in this class is slightly above mediocre. However, if

you look through the yearbook you will see that that is not the case. Throughout the entire yearbook you will see work from either me or my team. All year long I have done everything I could to make sure that my part of the yearbook is done to judges liking. My effort this year in yearbook is more than I have put into any other class. This year I was a team leader and Managing Editor. Even though I fell short to the Managing Editor, I feel as though my efforts as a team leader was above par. I will not lie, I am not perfect. I know that may seem hard to believe, but it is true. I know I am a strong leader and a hard worker, but my weakness is my inability to communicate and motivate my team. Because of this, my team did struggle. The quotation, “you are only as strong as your weakest link” is a perfect motto for my team this year. Throughout the year I was faced with the challenges of all of my team’s weaknesses. Everyone on my team had useful

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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE PUBLIC SPEAKING, but that doesn’t mean it is not important. Speech and debate class helps students with writing speeches and public speaking. On January 25th in Molly Gum’s third hour, the class decided to take it upon themselves to use their new speech skills to choose their own controversial topics. “I feel more confident giving speeches in class or

STUDENTS in Molly Gum’s third hour Speech and Debate class discuss controversial subjects

presenting projects after this last semester of taking the class,” said Katie Thomas, a junior. Some students may even keep the lessons they learn from the class throughout their whole life. “I’ve never liked speaking in front of crowds. At least if I’m good at it I won’t embarrass myself,” said Thomas. Speech class also encourages students to speak

out and express themselves more. The teacher, Molly Gum, really focuses on the opinions of all her students, pushing them to become better speakers and more confident. “Teaching kids to speak up and do it with eloquence is the goal of this class. I want to teach them what the power of words are and how, if used correctly, can change the world, ” said Gum. story by trenton smothermon

“We threw the freshmen into the pool at the first team dinner, but we got in trouble by Coach Egan, so now we have to do it when she is not looking,” said Lindsey Murphy, senior. After all of the freshman were soaked, the rest of the team followed. Hayden Nobis, a senior, had never been thrown in before. “I always leave the backyard when people start pushing everyone in, and this year people began to notice, so at the first team dinner I got picked up and thrown into the pool,” said Nobis. The cross country team views getting pushed into the pool as a initiation and a way to get everyone excited for the meet the following morning. story by

christina fankhanel

BOYS in Rec Sports give their opinion on what activities they prefer in class

story and photos by chloe heslop

Jais Schilcher, junior

Gregory Isho, junior

2. Warm Up or Cool Down

4. Football or Soccer

1.PE or Rec Sports

3.Basketball or Baseball

5. Sit ups or Push ups

6. Pacer or Pull ups

7. Badminton or Pickleball

8. Hudnutt or Egan

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

MICHAEL Chmura, a sophomore, works hours to make sure the theater sound system sounds perfect

Controls which speaker the sound comes out of

1 1 DISCUSSING IMPORTANT topics about politics, Evan Miller, a

senior and Adam Braude, a junior, have a debate in front of the class to share their views. “Speech and Debate has helped me gain confidence to be able to present to the class, and share my opinion,” said Miller.

2 DEBATING HIS POINT about gun control, Brett Inman, a senior

Controls levels of volumes, sound tones

Everyone was nervous for their first day of high school. Cactus Shadows tries to help by putting on the Freshman Camp, a day for incoming freshman to come to and get used to the campus. They find where all their classes are, who their teachers are, and how to survive their first year of high school.

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loves being able to share his opinion about controversial topics. “The class Speech and Debate is a very beneficial class because it allows me to express my opinion in a respectful way and hear other people’s opinions on a controversial topic,” said Inman. 3 DELIBERATING THE WARM UP, Katie Thomas, a junior, speaks with her classmates. photos by alexa dragone

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Freshman Friday isn’t a joke to the cross country team. The team gathers at one of the upperclassmen’s house the Friday night before a meet to eat a dinner loaded with carbohydrates and bond with each other. It is tradition at these dinners that the returning members of the team throw the freshmen into the pool.

2. Warm Up or Cool Down

Sean Wright, junior

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CROSS COUNTRY seniors throw their teammates in the pool for the traditional team dinner initiation

1 PICKING THEIR FIRST VICTIM, Jake Lockett, Zachary Clark, and

... we walk in pairs when we walk on the floor to compete...

Young life a place where young people of all 1. are being 2. are all themes of this group of young people from high school to the college leadership. Singing and dancing are all ways to 3. the club. Being 4. to one another has let young life grow in size. “You can be yourself and you will be 5. ,” said Zoe Monroe a four year member. Monroe claims games, music, singing and 6. are the ways members are 7. .

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HOPE YOU CAN SWIM

“At competition we always...

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MADLIB fun about young life living

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WE GOT SPIRIT

...wear the same thing in and out of competitions so we are recognized as a team...

S-CLUB adviser Ann Rice talks with Lorna Cooper, a sophomore about the rest of the year. “The first meeting was pretty hectic but it was fun as always,” said Cooper. Cooper is the vice president of S-club.

BEING YOUNG

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GIVE WHAT YOU GET

The Superintendent’s Challenge is a challenge for the student body to try to get 100 hours of community service a year. If you achieve this, you receive a cord at graduation, Seniors recordscore-holder for hours is Abigail Walker, with 415.5 hours. The junior with the most hours is Gabriella Gianni, with 388 hours, and the sophomore with the most hours is Ashley Gil with 277 hours.

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STUDENTS work hours on end to reach record-high numbers

“IT IS SUCH A GOOD FEELING to know that a little card you make can have such an impact on someone’s day! I love making them because it is a fun little way to make someone feel appreciated and hopefully it makes the student feel just as good to receive them as it does to make them. It is also awesome seeing your classmate’s faces when you hand them out because they’re usually super excited to get one. I make sure to try and make all the ones my group and I make unique so that no one gets a card that looks exactly like another one. In the class we usually ask around to try and get more information about the particular student like what they like, or what they are involved in and try to incorporate that in the card. I always try to make the cards as colorful and personal as possible,” said Tara Prager, a sophomore

1 We get really into the homecoming parade and won second place for banner last year. 2 We have a song that we sing at the beginning of every meeting and we stand in a circle and hold hands while we do it. 3 It is like a sorority 4 Connects with the community 5 What we actually do and how we give back 6 We are recognized by the Soroptimist Society which are like our mentors 7 Our color is purple 8 All the proceeds from the spaghetti dinner go to a charity we choose 9 We meet on Wednesdays 10 It is an all girls club

GIVING BACK, Kimberly Paoli, a junior donates cans of food to the National Honors Society food drive. “It feels so great to give back especially knowing that I am getting extra credit,” said Paoli. The food drive benefits many local families in the community during this holiday season. photo

SORTING and selling, Key Club helps the Philippines

HELPING FOR HOURS

GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

10 THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT S-CLUB

EVERY YEAR the National Honor Society puts on a charity program called the NHS Food Drive. This is a way for students and their families to donate non-perishable food to people less fortunate than themselves. The food they donate goes to the local Foothills Food Bank for families to pick up. Some schools even put on a contest to see which class can donate the most food, giving students motivation to donate. “The main reason we do the food drive is to give students a clear way to help their community. There are tons of people who want to help out, especially around the holiday season, so the food drive is a good way to help the students help others. It is usually a really big hit,” said Madeline Jones, a senior. The food drive helps hundreds of families, giving them food so they can save money for the holidays.

Ronald McDonald House Visit is an annual event for Student Council. Every year a small group of kids take time out of their day to go and feed those who are dealing with the struggles of having kids with cancer.

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HUNGRY TO HELP

COOKING and cleaning, student council rallies together to help parents in need.

Every year clubs from all over campus compete for the best window art. Window art has been a tradition at Cactus Shadows that allows students to compete for a cash prize. Lauren Haggar, a sophomore says “Window Painting was such a great experience because not only did I help create something for others to view it was also a great bonding experience for other people in the class.

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ANSWERS: 1. G 2. F 3. E 4.D 5.C 6. B 7. A

photo by emily watkins

OLD MCDONALD HAS A HEART

SEE THROUGH ART

CLUBS around the school compete for the best creation.

6. “Hey everyone! I have been a part of student council for three years now. I believe that school shouldn’t just be about academics but about memories that will forever be held in our hearts. That being said, my goal is to make this year one to forever hold in your heart!”

THIS LINE DEFINES OUTER EDGE OF 1 PICA

Jack Mancuso and Dellan Raish, 12, photo by meghan schindler

and I’m determined to make my last year here at Cactus Shadows a great one.”

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ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

HEARTS BEATING to the tremble of the bleachers, the football players stand together hand in hand with the Nest behind them, united as one against Ironwood High School. Starting off the season 0–2, the Falcons prepared themselves to take on Ironwood for their first home game of the season. The Nest cheered on the team from the kickoff to the end of the final quarter, ending in a win for the Falcons 21-20. “Ashley and Ben help unite the football team and the Nest on the first game by leading chants to get everyone more pumped,” said Isabella Bingaman, a senior. Ashley Danahy and Ben Rodenburg, seniors,

maddie jones maddie jones maddie jones

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Speech and Debate, Rec Sports, Cross Country, Michael Chmura

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and surprising talents, but they also had harmful downfalls. My job as a team leader is to make sure that even with their flaws, they still get done what they are supposed to. Together, my team and I have made five, (six if you count the shared spread) beautiful spreads together with no mistakes. I checked and rechecked the spreads over and over and perfection was made. I wish I could write about how great I was and what an amazing team leader I was and all the work I did was because of me blah blah blah, but I can not. I am nothing without my team. I could not have done anything unless I had the help from my team. So, my self analysis in one sentence is as follows: The work I did was mainly just being a part of a giant assembly line to complete this beautiful book. I know this is not something you want to read, but it is all I have to say. A yearbook is built on the hard work of everyone involved on the staff. And that is all. I cannot give a proper self analysis because the work I did did not rely on just me alone.

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ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

HEARTS BEATING to the tremble of the bleachers, the football players stand together hand in hand with the Nest behind them, united as one against Ironwood High School. Starting off the season 0–2, the Falcons prepared themselves to take on Ironwood for their first home game of the season. The Nest cheered on the team from the kickoff to the end of the final quarter, ending in a win for the Falcons 21-20. “Ashley and Ben help unite the football team and the Nest on the first game by leading chants to get everyone more pumped,” said Isabella Bingaman, a senior. Ashley Danahy and Ben Rodenburg, seniors,

MEMBERS of the Nest encourage the football team as well as each other

were appointed to be the Nest leaders this year. “The team knows how passionate we all are, and how we all enjoy being there cheering on the team, winning or losing,” said Danahy. Matt Sill, a senior and varsity football player, enjoys the passion, dedication, and support of the Nest on game day. “It makes everyone on the team more rowdy, and creates more positive energy for the game among the teammates. Everyone on the team was nervous for the first home game and no one wanted to disappoint the Nest, but then we walked out of the locker room and heard all the cheering. It really made the team feel like we could win, and we did,”

said Sill. Every game, the Nest leaders guide the entire student section in a chant to cheer on the team to a hopeful victory. “The ‘I believe that we will win’ chant gets me pumped because it is at the beginning of the game, so I hear it and it gets everyone on the field more excited to play,” said Sill. “The energy reflects off of the Nest and the football players. The players will put their hands up to the Nest, signaling for us to be louder,” said Rodenburg. Friday night lights set the scene and help create a sense of unity and passion throughout the school. story by christina fankhanel

WHO SAIDWHAT?

STUCO student body and class presidents say they got what it takes to win the votes of their fellow classmates, but who said what?

1. “I am running for sophomore class president because I love student council and I love our sophomore class! If elected, I will make sure that all of your voices are heard and I will do whatever I can to make your sophomore year a great year!”

A. Casey Nidds B. Fiona Ash C. Nick Antrim D. Lauren Busbee E. Allison Mazella F. Isabella Bingaman G. Tara Prager

Jack Mancuso and Dellan Raish, 12,

2. “Cactus Shadows, get ready for a year that’s out of this world…a vote for me guarantees Student Council events from another dimension! 3. “A vote for me is a vote for a year full of fun activities, and amazing memories... I love this school and the people in it more than anything,

photo by meghan schindler

and I’m determined to make my last year here at Cactus Shadows a great one.” 4. “A vote for me is a vote for you because ‘we’re all in this together’ and I want you to ‘count on me like 1-2-3’ because voting for me is voting for a friend who wants to help make our junior year the best year yet!!!!” 5. “SENIORS. I will make it my mission to make this the best year possible for the best senior class in history…you guys deserve it. GO CLASS OF 2016.”

reflection 1

6. “Hey everyone! I have been a part of student council for three years now. I believe that school shouldn’t just be about academics but about memories that will forever be held in our hearts. That being said, my goal is to make this year one to forever hold in your heart!” 7. “I’ve been in student council for many moons. It is my goal to help make this year one to remember!”

Spread 1. Pages 8-9. This was the first spread I have ever made by myself. This singular spread is the one that set my whole team on a roll. I take the most pride in this singular spread simply because, how I designed it, is how they left it. Every other spread I did was completely changed. But not this one. I believe this spread gave my team the right amount of confidence to do what I knew they were capable of. The reason I did not pick another spread, is not because this was the ‘best’ spread, but because it means the most to me. This is the spread that really introduced me into what is means to be a leader on the yearbook staff. It showed me that through all the blood sweat and tears, a beautiful creation is made. Watching everyone look through the book and see what I have done, what our staff has done. And it is amazing.

ANSWERS: 1. G 2. F 3. E 4.D 5.C 6. B 7. A

photo by emily watkins

PASSION FOR ACTION

ATHLETES share how the Nest encourages them “We as a team play harder when there are more people in the Nest. It personally pushes me when there are more people watching,” said Trey Elletson, a junior and football player. photo by

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1 SCREAMING HIS HEART OUT, Benjamin Rodenburg cheers for the team

after scoring the tying touchdown. The Nest was encouraged to wear all tie-dye clothes for the game that night. photo by sam spina 2 CHEERING AFTER THE TEAM scored a touchdown, Allison Mazella, Gabrielle Windsor, and Morgan Easterbrook, seniors, encourage the players as they switch to play defense. The first home game was the first game the team had won this season. “I couldn’t contain my excitement, I was so happy for our boys,” said Mazella. photo by chloe heslop 3 WAVING THEIR FLASHLIGHTS IN THE AIR, members of the Nest sing along to “Sweet Caroline.” The song played at every game during the second quarter. “Singing that song reminds me of how much fun the games have been throughout high school,” said Natalie Hunter, a senior. photo by nicole neri 4 LAUGHING ON THE DAY OF THE DEAD Keegan Cook, Dellan Raich, Benjamin Rodenburg, NIcholas Potthoff and Joseph Wintermeyer sing the school song, “Whether we win or lose being at football games with my friends is my favorite,” said Wintermeyer. Every game he boys get together and cheer up he student section. photo by nicole neri

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ALGEBRA 5/6 Madison Vander Vlucht GEOMETRY Jordan Lund

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“My favorite thing is when the Nest gets louder although they rarely chant for volleyball but when the do it makes me more excited to play harder,” said Casey Davis, a sophomore and volleyball player. photo by

CALCULUS Emily McAtee

DIFFERENT level math students were timed on how long it took to complete a test in their subject

SUCCESSFUL

the nest, student leadership, cheer, math, athletes

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“The energy of the Nest gives me and other players energy and the excitement to drive better, and play harder,” said Max Solberg, a junior and cross-country runner.

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10 THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT S-CLUB

1.

...wear the same thing in and out of competitions so we are recognized as a team...

S-CLUB adviser Ann Rice talks with Lorna Cooper, a sophomore about the rest of the year. “The first meeting was pretty hectic but it was fun as always,” said Cooper. Cooper is the vice president of S-club.

2.

... we walk in pairs when we walk on the floor to compete...

girl next to us to help keep the positivity and energy up when we get on the floor,” ...said Sophie Evans, a sophomore on the pom team.

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BEING YOUNG

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2 CHEERING FOR THE BOYS NON-STOP Sophie Evans, a sophomore, chants for the boys to “win win win.” Evans has been on pom since her freshman year. photo by christina fankhanel

MADLIB fun about young life living

3

When I gave you my first portfolio, the cheerleader spread was just absolutely horrific. I gave up hope of that spread and just past it down to the design team in hopes that they could salvage what little I was able to do with it. Everything that was needed for the spread was done, but let me tell you it was just flat out terrible. Luckily, and my God’s good graces, the design team was able to take my disaster and make it the rainbow after the rain. The reason this spread was so difficult was because we did not have any information on freshman camp. This caused a lot of stress on everyone in my team because no one knew where t go or what to do. This is where the faults of my team leader skills began to show. Instead of sitting down and talking to them about where we could find the information or where we could find photos I let my team struggle for weeks on their own and only continued to yell at them. THe failure of this page was purely ACCEPTING because I had forgotten the lack of experience my team had and the lack of patience I had. This spread becae I huge learning experience to not only me but my team as well. Together we HJ ino play in the real world. 9learned eachnothers stregtnhs and weaknessess and howHJthey came 5

1. adjective 2. adjective 3. verb 4. adjective 5. adjective 6. verb 7. adjective

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Young life a place where young people of all 1. are being 2. are all themes of this group of young people from high school to the college leadership. Singing and dancing are all ways to 3. the club. Being 4. to one another has let young life grow in size. “You can be yourself and you will be 5. ,” said Zoe Monroe a four year member. Monroe claims games, music, singing and 6. are the ways members are 7. .

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AMAZEMENT, Jessica Stevenson, Kelsey Kinsey, and Shannon Smith, juniors freak out as they watch Antonio Marchica, a senior scores the winning touchdown. “There really is nothing like the excitement of watching your team win,” said Kinsey. Stevenson has been on the team since freshman year, Kinsey is first year varsity, and Smith is a first year. photo by christina fankhanel

5 IPSUNTUR AD UT FA Totaspere consequi tem et labo. Pe veliatur?ventiundae nihit qui dolupta tionsectiae. DelEt velest aut eribusam et pro con cus voluptae veles parchicaecto moluptati

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Young life a place where young people of all 1. are being 2. are all themes of this group of young people from high school to the college leadership. Singing and dancing are all ways to 3. the club. Being 4. to one another has let young life grow in size. “You can be yourself and you will be 5. ,” said Zoe Monroe, a senior and four year member. Monroe claims games, music, singing and 6. are the ways members are 7. . story by alexa dragone

1 HAPPY POMMIE As the crowd cheers, Camryn Mayer, a senior, and the rest of the pom team dance to

a routine at a pep rally. “Performing at assemblies is probably one of my favorite things to do being a part of Varsity pom,” Mayer said. photo by chloe heslop 2 IN SHOCK, Jessica Stevenson, Kelsey Kinsey, and Shannon Smith, juniors, watch Antonio Marchica, a senior, score the winning touchdown. “There really is nothing like the excitement of watching your team win,” said Kinsey. Stevenson joined pom freshman year, Kinsey and Smith are first year. photo by christina fankhanel 3 CHEERING FOR THE BOYS NON-STOP Sophie Evans, a sophomore, leads the “win win win” chant. “I always look forward to Friday nights to cheer on and support our football boys,” says Evans. photos by christina fankhanel 4 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS Raini Leveen, Jessica Stevenson, and Amber Koklys perform a pom routine during the homecoming assembly. photo by chloe heslop

WE GOT SPIRIT 1

2 “At competition we always wear the same thing in and out of competitions so we are recognized as a team.

We walk in pairs when we walk on the floor to compete and encourage the girl next to us to help keep the positivity and energy up when we get on the floor,” said Sophie Evans, a sophomore, on the pom team.

created by logan kloss

School Cactus Shadows High School

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S-CLUB adviser Ann Rice talks with Lorna Cooper, a sophomore about the rest of the year. Cooper was the vice president of S-club. “The first meeting was pretty hectic but it was fun as always,” said Cooper. photo by sadie thompson

Everyone was nervous for their first day of high school. Cactus Shadows tries to help by putting on the Freshman Camp, a day for incoming freshman to come to and get used to the campus. They find where all their classes are, who their teachers are, and how to survive their first year of high school.

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-Lorna Cooper, a sophomore Marching for the cause, S-Club members Oriana Mailo, a story by christina fankhanel freshman, and Helen Lee, a sophomore, carry the banner during the homecoming parade. photo by mia gilling

3. ... and we encourage the

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BEING YOUNG

MADLIB about Younglife

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reflection 2

1 We get really into the homecoming parade and won second place for banner last year. 2 We have a song that we sing at the beginning of every meeting and we stand in a circle and hold hands while we do it. 3 It is like a sorority 4 Connects with the community 5 What we actually do and how we give back 6 We are recognized by the Soroptimist Society which are like our mentors 7 Our color is purple 8 All the proceeds from the spaghetti dinner go to a charity we choose 9 We meet on Wednesdays 10 It is an all girls club

FEMININE FACTS

WE GOT SPIRIT

UNKNOWN facts about the Soroptomist Club “1 We get really into the homecoming parade and won second place for banner last year. 2 We have a song that we sing at the beginning of every meeting and we stand in a circle and hold hands while we do it. 3 It is like a sorority 4 We are recognized by the Soroptimist Society which are like our mentors 5 Our color is purple 6 All the proceeds from the spaghetti dinner go to a charity we choose 7 We meet on Wednesdays 8 It is an all girls club”

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1 KUMBAYA Dustin Stiles, junior, serenades the crowd as they prepare for an evening of fun. Monday nights, the club plans different activities, such as playing games, sing along, and food fights. 2 WITH A STARBURST IN HER MOUTH, Zoe Monroe, a senior, plays one of the weekly Younglife games. Monroe was a junior leader of the Younglife club. 4 GET YOUR GROOVE ON Payton Atkins, junior and Arielle Stanley, a sophomore, boogy down to the tunes. photos by sadie

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after

reflection 3 My

favorite photo, or photos are the first pictures I took this year. It was the first week of yearbook and I went to football’s first scrimmage. There was this picture I took, it was not necessarily an action shot because the boy was not playing, but he was taking a drink of water. The picture is of Colin Cucuzza squirting water into his

mouth. It is a perfect stream and you can almost feel the exhaustion on his face. Talking those pictures was a blast because the boys are hilarious. They know that I’m there so the try to say cool things and act cool and the best pictures I took is when they thought I wasn’t looking. Like this picture. The simple movement behind it

and the simplicity behind it I just love. It followed the rule of thirds and I think overall it is a really great picture. The other photos on the spread are ones that came in close second and third. The second photo is of Hayden Rummel. I love this picture because you can feel the motion. There is nothing like taking football photos.

reflection 4

Everyday I showed up to class and I worked. I always asked what needed to be done and alsways tried to make other lives easier by helping out. How was I an asset you ask? Well that is a question my staff mates will have to answer for me.

ction

5

Wha t you hardsh prob about a ips and l l cop ems I l the p proble r d learn out ans id not oblems did I f ac I o , we wer, but vercome had th e this ll th y t at i i s th his is t and th s year. ear? Th e re r e e al p uly how re was All I ca re is n urpo o se o I feel. never a n say a t enoug f al h To t b l. alk momen out the oom i abou t n t pr I did problem the 25 oble ms not lea s I ha 6 pages and d rn coml . I kno this ye in the ain y a w does you m r is th earbook ere ay t not fix t think were o tell n hem . Bu that thi o s t to live is a and

refle

CAVE CREEK, AZ

CACTUS SHADOWS HIGH SCHOOL

Made in the SHADOWS SHADOWS

THE SHADOWS 2016 VOL. 34

Made in 1982, Cactus Shadows came to be. Year after year thousands of students walk through the campus experiencing the so-called “four best years of their lives”. From studying all night to cramming for the midterm or rocking out at the boys versus girls assembly, memories are made every day. People say that your high school years are the years that shape who you are for the rest of your life. So I guess you could say we, the students of Cactus Shadows High School are, Made In The SHADOWS.

6

My greatest weakness is time management. I am the absolute worst human being when it comes to time management. Which is weird because deadline one my team was on top of everything. We were done and ready to go by 6 o’clock on deadline one. Deadline two though, I really screwed up. I could not prepare my personal life and because of that I could not prepare my team. This deadline no one knew what they were doing and it really screwed us up. Granted I do MADE TO SUCCEED not think any of the teams were prepared but I felt as though I was damned. My team was not giving me the things I needed and as much as I want to blame them the only person I can blame is myself. As a team leader I am supposed to guide my team, but because we had such a great deadline one that I thought I could rely on my team but I forgot that they were still new. Yearbook is not a class that you can slack off in, but I took the amount of time I had for granted and because I was slacking my team did too. This class really shows you to lead by example. If I could have done anything different it would be to have daily check ups on each team member. Check lists with my team work really well because then they get to see first hand exactly what they have to do. Another thing I need to work on is being more of a manage editor. Honestly, I have no idea what that job even means. I bet if I was shown I could be good at it but I have had no guidance nor have I had the time. I wish yearbook could be my only class, and last year my teachers were a lot more lenient with my schedule but this year my other teachers are killing me. I really wish I could give yearbook the one hundred percent attention that it needs. But I can’t. I know next year will be different because I’ll have a half day but as of right now I’m struggling to stay above water. It isn’t only yearbook that I struggle with time management with. BORE magnis solupta tibus, quiantior at aped molo idemosti cus demporiatem seque et quam volorro to doluptiat maximax imolut quia nost aliquate sedicieniet harunti nos id magnis abo. Sed es ut aut faccull uptatur, ipidele ssimili quisci volut imus et ped ma as pratias aciatio beri blaccatem quae pellessed et rem. Ecto ea nienda porume mo quaeperum venis que con pre nobitatene reri c

Younglife Livin

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Made to Win

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5

4

2

3

like i’m gonna lose you two moments, four months 1&2 In January my grandfather was apart hospitalized for five days before being put

in hospice and finally passing away. For those five day my three sisters and I slept Dragone became Jessica Ro- on the floor in the waiting room just in driguez. Nonno and Abuelita case Nonno, my grandpa had a panic attack while sleeping. Those five days were wants to be able to see the while ceremony so they asked the hardest five days I have ever endured. to move a bench to the back of “No one could do anything but watch. My the seating area but in the line grandpa thought he was going to get heart surgery but the doctor said there was a of the aisle. slight chance he would survive it. My dad was the one that told him he wasn’t going to make it,” said Melissa Dragone, my sister.

3&4 Four months apart. 5 January 3, 2014. Jessica

you have to say not matter how big or small the situation is and I admire that about her. I love Alexa Giovanna Dragone more than anything in the world because she is the most amazing, beautiful, kind hearted person I know. She is a one in a million type of friend, and I was just lucky enough to stumble her way and lucky enough to call her my best friend,” said Bella Affronti, one of my best friends. “Alexa Dragone is one of my dearest friends. She is the definition of confidence, beauty, and faith. There is no one who can make you smile and laugh like she can. There is no one who can give you the strength to keep going like she can. There

is no one who could ever love their friends and family as much as that wonderful girl can. She is a uniquely brilliant, talented, and heartfelt woman with the brightest future I could ever image. I am proud to be her friend and to say I have met and fallen in absolute love with with this amazing human being.” said Julia Horner, another bestie. I want to live my life as someone that people look at and says, “Wow, she knows who she is,”. The only this is I have yet to find out how to put that person into words. I don’t think there really is a way to simply put who anyone is into words. The best way to describe someone is to see who they are through others eyes.

all about me

one picture says a thousand words, well what about five?

emotions on my wall. “I remember being so mad when I saw the writing, but I also remember how beautiful the writing was,” said Laurie Dragone, my mom. Some are just designs, but other give the onlooker a little piece of my soul. It is hard to explain each and every piece but together they are me. When I went through my first heartbreak, like a naive girl, I thought I would never be the same. There is writing about my grandfather and there is writing about watching m sister crumble. Everything can be described with a thousand word story, but I think that the most powerful part is me not telling my story and let you think by what you see. The saddest thing abut this wall though, is that I had to cover it up. My mom and dad never like the writing but they had let me keep it until five months ago.

not just one

1

There is a lot you may know about me. Things such as my height and my weight and how many sisters I have. Those things are good to know, but they are not me. Things like what I think about before I go to sleep, what my biggest fear is, and what I wish for more than anything in the world. These are the things that define me. “Alexa. There are an infinite amount of words in the world that can describe this girl’s beauty and character. The list could go on, however, sadly, I only have a paragraph to talk about how much this girl means to me. Anyway, Alexa is the kind of person who will work as hard as she can to achieve a goal she has set for herself. She is a problem solver and I have seen her in action when she is trying to figure something out, and it can be a terrifying thing yet extraordinary to watch this girl put so much focus into one situation. I have known Alexa for about five years now and I still remember the first day we met and how she called me over to her table to sit with her because I looked like a lost puppy walking into class the first day of school. She is the most vibrant person I know, she lights up a room when she walks into it and she is always up for a good time with either a large group of people or two or three people. Lexi always puts her friends first and no matter how sucky her life is at the moment she will push everything aside and listen to what

best for last

written in stone

One night my best friend and I were playing around with dry erase markers and drawing on the back of our phone. Something came over me and I wrote a small spiral on my wall. I was almost certain that it would come off because my wall had a glossy finish to it. Well, it did not come off. Now I had this number six on my wall and got nervous that my dad was going to think that I was worshipping the devil. So i made the spiral bigger. Then I realized it looked like a snail shell. Then I drew Gary from Spongebob. “Well he can’t be alone,” Skyler Cardoza, my best friend said. I knew what she wanted to I just laughed and handed her the marker. From there she drew Spongebob and his house. That was the start of my wall. Something that started off as an accidental doodle turned into my journal. My sophomore year was really hard. Between my first love and the loss three years of memoof my grandparents, the emotions I felt were eating me up inside. So I put those ries written on the walls

reflection 8

Looking back on my portfolio you can definitely see the differences. Even from my first semester to this one, the changes are obvious. First, let us talk about the design. My God. The design was so basic and hideous I just can not. I used two different colors of green and red. Lie could I be any more basic. In last years portfolio I tried way too hard to be great at something I am not. I am not terrible at design. I am not. Am I the best in this class? Absolutely not. But I am also not the worst. The designs I do and like are very basic. My designs do not take away from the fact that this is indeed a yearbook and it does not become distracting. I use basic photography designs to help create spreads and I watch the people who are great and use what they do. I am more about looking cohesive and attractive. My ideas are above average but last portfolio they were way below. When I do what I feel looks good then the work I produce becomes something I am proud of and does not look thrown together last minute. The cool thing is though, even if I do throw it together last minute it still looks pretty decent and that is kind of cool. I would say that I have definitely grown quite a bit in this class. I have learned to catch an eye for design and not just go the basic route of lines and color but to also use words and feel.. To me the feel of a page is what intrigues people. For instance, the feel of my portfolio is very carefree and almost a controlled chaos. This is very important, which is why it is crucial to establish a feel and have a design team that makes all the spread eel this way. I do not know what else to really say except that taking this class does work and that you do learn.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook