Shelby Nichols CSPress Portfolio 2014-2015

SHELBY NICHOLS 2014 CSPRESS PORTFOLIO

Design this semester, for me, has become so much easier; and it is very evident in my work. If you were to compare my pages from first semester this year to first semester last year, the differences would be very evident. I think I really realized that I was getting better at editing when Adamson started to yell at me less and when I was not asking as many questions on how to do tricks on InDesign. Sometimes I think back to my sophomore year when I was assigned to watch Christine Boisson work on the spotlight page because it would be me next year. It was scary because I remember watching her just whip through all these pages and click all these buttons and I could not stop thinking to myself “how will I ever remember all of this?” However, in reality, it is not at all as hard as it looks. All of the tools, buttons, and whatnots become imbedded in your brain and after a while it just becomes natural; it just takes a bit of effort. I had to work my butt off to get where I am now and I have had my fair share of failures when it came to page layouts that I had to overcome and fix. Looking back at basically all of my pages from Junior year, none of them were actually “mine”. I mean sure I placed everything and edited it all, but in the end, most of it was tweaked by Adamson to make it look much better. This year, he just slightly tweaks my pages.

When it comes to deadlines, never have I ever received a zero on the board. Especially being an editor I understand how difficult is is when you have late articles or articles that never show up at all. So, I feel that my job as a writer is to make the editors job a little bit easier by giving them what they need to work on their pages and in return I just ask that they do the same for me. Along the same lines, teamwork

is a huge paper of getting this paper Gold Crown worthy. If the class does not work together then we have no paper. Me being an editor, I have to make sure that the writers can talk to me and ask me questions so that their article can be the best it can be. Also, the editors need to have a great sense of teamwork as well. I know that on multiple occasions I am asking another editor a design question or discussing articles with them. If I cannot do that with my “co-workers” then we are not doing our jobs right.

Ethics in journalism are a very important quality to have.

It is very important to make sure that all of your information is correct because the number one reason we write the paper is to inform people on the truth; not the altered truth.

One very important time for me to use the quality of good ethics was when I was writing my “Pro Israel” article. For this article, it was very important that I had all the correct facts to back up my claims because having claims backed up with false information is bad journalism and would not get the point across. I would hate people to go around telling people information they learned from me only to get embarrassed when they hear it is incorrect.

Lastly, this semester we have not done any advertising, and I praise god for that. I hate advertising. I just do not enjoy the idea of going to people or businesses and asking for money; it makes me feel very uncomfortable. However, this year being a senior editor, I need to get over that and be a role model for the first year staffers. I will try my best, but no promises.

Y A S S E L A C I T Y L A N A F L E S

REFLECTION #1

This semester I believe my best piece of work was my “Pro Israel” article for the opinion page. I think this is my best work because it was a topic that I was, and still am, very passionate about. It helped that I was already very knowledgeable on the topic and so I immediately knew where I wanted to take the article. An article that you are passionate about really shows through the writing, and personally, I think my passion did just that. People reading my article could feel what I feel towards the conflicts in Israel and the majority opinion of the country as a whole.

I chose to write this article because I believed it was a topic that was important to be informed on. You aren’t Jewish? Does not mean it does not affect you. I want people to understand that it is not cool to be ignorant to problems around the world that do not affect you specifically. So, with this article, my main goal was to inform people about Israel. Nothing more.

Sure I put some opinion in there with reasons to sympathise with the country, because it was opinion and that was the side I was supporting. So, if people took away anything from reading my article, I hope it was at least a basic understanding of the conflict.

The first version of my article was not necessarily bad; just very unorganized. I had a lot of opinions and topics that I wanted to touch that my thoughts were all over the place and it really showed in my article. With help from my editor and a lot of thinning out, my article was finally ready for print. This article went from sloppy and unorganized to clean-cut and direct.

My favorite part about the finished product was the sheer fact that I accomplished my goal, to inform. I went in with a lot of overall topics that I wanted to touch on and I believe I covered almost all.

REFLECTION #2 The article that I chose for my “could still use some work” is my Local Farms article. However, let me be clear, I did not choose this because I did not write it well or I just whipped it out in a day. I chose this article because I absolutely did not want to write this article what-so-ever. I was negative through the entire process and was constantly complaining to people outside of the class. I did not believe that I was qualified to

write the article because I had no experience in the topic and had to rely entirely on the internet for advice on how to write it.

It is hard to say exactly how this article could use some work because on paper it comes off relatively knowledgeable and informative. However, I can tell, when I read it, that I totally BS’d the entire article. I relied on the internet to be 100% accurate in the information provided and

asked to no questions when putting those “facts” in my article. To make the article better, I would have needed to become more of an expert on it. I could do this by doing more research and interviewing more people who are experts on the topic.

This article, through all of my struggles, was decently informative. I feel as though it really got the point of the article across in an entertaining manner. There

was not much of a change from the first draft to the final because it had the information, just not the personality. To add some personality or “pizazz” in an article takes passion, which, unfortunately, I did not have. So what needed to be added I could not do. In the end, I am 75% proud of the finished product. The other 15% would be achieved through more passion and being excited to write the article.

h teacher, answers or Zoe Monroe’s metry question. eli is a second-year her at the high ool. 4SHELBY NICHOLS

with the content of the article (Angeli enduring cancer for a second time), a picture of him smiling was a mood reliever. It is mentioned many times in the article how he is trying to stay positive and this picture shows just that. He is smiling and doing what he (seems to) love, teach. I just cannot explain how much I love that he seems so happy in this picture and it makes me happy, his smile comes off the page and that is what I am proud of.

NEWS

REFLECTION #3

S ANGELI, a

Like usual, I did my best to avoid taking any pictures at all. However, also like usual, that is very hard to accomplish. The only times I had to take pictures this semester was when photographers did not get the job done and so I had to go out and get the picture myself.

My favorite picture that I took this semester was the one of Gus Angeli. It is not a Gold Crown worthy picture at all means, however I still like it. I believe this is a good picture because

REFLECTION #4

This year I was an asset to the CSPress Staff because I worked really hard to make my pages the best they could be. I came into this year fairly familiar with InDesgin, but there is always much more to learn. I can honestly say I was able to learn so much more when it comes to InDesign and that I am really getting the hang of it, finally. My dedication to learning helped the paper because every staff member needs to give 110% to the paper for it to run smoothly, which I did. Also, I never passed up on a job because I am an editor and “too good for that”. During the December production day I sat down and peer edited two pages when none of the writers had shown up.

Never, in my two and a half years of being on staff have I received a zero on the board. I always made sure that I had something to turn in. Because something it always better than nothing and something at least gives you something to start and work from. Also, it gives the editor a sense that you have started it and will

continue to work on it because they have something in their hands to start reading rather than the “I promise I will work on it tonight”. I feel like I was a very dependable writer and that editors knew that I would get my stuff done and turned in, even if I did not like the article I was writing about. Being an editor I understand how difficult it is when you do not have your articles and so I never wanted to do that to any of the other editors and in return they do the same for me.

With the writers, I always tried my best to be friendly and make them feel like they can talk to me about their articles. When we went to Boston last year, one of the teachers told us that “editors are coaches, not bosses,” which I try to model myself by. I do not try to act like I am above any of the writers and I just act normal with them. To have a functioning paper, everyone needs to feel like they are the same amount of importance as one another, which is true. This cannot happen when editors think they are above everyone else.

REFLECTION #5

Per usual, I struggled with procrastination. I always have and I always will. Although I can say with 100% honesty that I have gotten a lot better at doing things on time thanks to Newspaper. My biggest problem with procrastination was getting my interviews done on time, it was horrible at it. Sorry, but I never got my interviews done in time, not once. Although, it did always end up getting them done, just only after I had a mental break-down after not having them.

I learned to set aside time in my schedule to get my Newspaper responsibilities done. Since I believe I will never stop procrastinating, I do believe the problem will arise again. However, when it does, I will have new ways to deal with it. For example, I will go on Pandora and once I find that one song that gets me in the mood (mostly 90’s pop) there is no stopping me from accomplishing my goals and commitments.

Overall I was expecting this problem to arise seeing as it has every year since I have been in school and so I was prepared to deal with it. I knew it was going to happen and so I took precautions to make sure it did not happen often. One of the best examples with getting my stuff done on time would be working on my spreads. I worked on it every single day in class during production week, every single day at lunch, and then after school when I was able to find a ride. I was always very determined to manage my time with my pages because I knew if I did not, it would really bite me in the butt on production day.

My greatest weakness, publication related, would be time management. However, that would be a joint weakness. A lot of times in class, you go over stuff that most editors have already heard before and are aimed towards the writers. During this time it would be very beneficial if the editors could go back and work on their pages. The most recent example of this would be when you went over the portfolio in detail of how to do everything, all the editors know because we have done them before and so this was valuable time where we could have been working on our portfolios on InDesign. There is that and then sometimes I do not use my time in class wisely on my own. I could be working on an article or getting an interview done but instead I stay at my table and eat or something.

To overcome this next semester I will spend my time in class more productively.

NEWS SPREADS 2014 FIRST SEMESTER

SEPTEMBER SPREADS

news

Buckets of help Icy challenge raises money to fund research into debilitating illness

T

by Bianca dydyk staff writer

he ALS Ice Bucket challenge has taken over social media, and students and faculty here are joining the craze. The challenge was designed to raise money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS. ALS is a fatal disease that shuts down nerve cells. Victims are trapped in their own bodies that slowly fail to work, leaving them unable to walk, speak, or eat food. Yet, their brains remain untouched, so they are fully cognizant of the effects of the disease. ”My mother used to joke that she wished she had Alzheimer's disease, that way she wouldn’t remember this was happening to her,” Lori Hart, English teacher, whose mother died from ALS, said.

There are three steps to completing the challenge: 1) donating ten dollars or more to the ALS foundation, 2) dumping ice water over the head, and 3) nominating peers to do the same.

Most participants then post a video of the ice bucket being poured on their head, and then ask others to take the challenge.

“Nobody had ever really heard of it until people started doing the ice bucket challenge, and it’s letting them be more aware of what this illness is,” Reagan Heslop, a senior who participated in the ice bucket challenge, said.

According to the ALSA webpage,

The ALS

Foundation reports

that over

$110.1 mil-

lion dollars in donations have been

made so far.

approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. In total more than 30,000 people possibly have ALS at any given time. ALS is a degenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“The Sonoran Trails teaching staff all took the challenge and challenged the Cactus Shadows teaching staff,” Steve Bebee, principal, said.

Cactus Shadows staff have broadcasted themselves in the school’s weekly news videos participating in the challenge. Students have also been posting their ice bucket challenge videos over Facebook and Instagram.

“If you’re going to participate in this, you know it’s great, but participate for the right reasons, that you want to make a difference, that you want to try and help find a cure, and that you are willing to do what it takes to help fight the battle of this very serious disease,” Bebee said.

The ALS Foundation reports that over 110.1 million dollars in donations have been made so far. This includes celebrity, child, adult, and teen donations over the United States.

“Even if they are doing it for attention, who cares as long as it’s going to raise money for something so important,” Hart said.

Research from the Centers For Disease Control website shows that people with ALS have a tendency to live to three to five years after the symptoms develop. A well-known exception to this would be Stephen Hawkin, the renowned scientist who has lived with the disease for fifty years..

Doing it for a gooD cause Jake

Bombacci, history teacher, participates in the ALS challenge to raise money for the foundation. Over 110.1 miliion dollars in donations have been made since the challenge took off over summer.

4

sayge Bolli

His name may be Reede, but he actually teaches math by casey windsor staff writer

Having heard good reviews of the school, James Reede, math teacher, has joined five other new teachers at Cactus Shadows this year.

“I could just feel that this was a climate of academic study and it was just a great place to be a part of,” Reede said.

Born in New Orleans and raised in Singapore, Reede came back to the US to graduate from high school. Initially, Reede wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming an engineer, but, after a summer job helping college students, he decided that he really liked the feeling of helping students understand september 19, 2014

mathematics.

“It really made me think, is this really something I want to pursue further?”

Reede said.

Reede thinks that there is a lot more emphasis on the academics at Cactus Shadows than other valley schools.

“You can feel that this is an A+ school,” he said. “I was really thrilled with the feeling I had right when I stepped on this campus.”

Prior to teaching, Reede was a linguist in the military and then a data analyst for three years. Reede taught for seven years at Moon Valley High School and Dysart High School. He then decided to look for more job openings online and

came across one for Cactus Shadows.

The best aspect of teaching to him is “working with students absolutely without a doubt,” Reede said. “It’s helping them come to understand a subject that I really feel strongly about.”

“I think he has adjusted well to the academic environment and he seems like a really good guy,” Carter Robinson, a junior, said.

With all of the events going on at Cactus Shadows, Reede is most looking forward to “the learning care for Pre Calc and AP Stats.” Reede is certified in teaching math, but would one day like to branch out and teach economics, finance and even computer science.

He says nothing out of the ordinary has happened in his seven years of teaching and that “...as a teacher I think you tend to learn that the first and second year tend to be learning years and then after that it’s like nothing really phases you much, you come to expect just about anything.”

Reede is getting to know the students here on campus. “They are just wonderful, I can’t say enough good things about them,” he said. “They’re good students and I enjoy being here with them.”

He also looks forward to becoming more involved with sports and clubs after having walked the 5k with the cross country team and enjoying it.

also new to the faculty Xingguo Huang Mandarin Michelle Taylor Marketing Julie Clark English Mike Hudnutt Gym Evelyne Elgvist Science 3

L

news by nicole neRi staff writer

ast year’s lockers have been taken down in favor of shade-giving tables and all new bulletin boards for school news.

Steve Bebee, principal, plans to fill the newly empty locker frames with bulletin boards. After the project is completed, these bulletin boards will be the only place that clubs, teams, and Student Council will be allowed to post news.

Bebee said that this effort will “not only consolidate the information given to students, but it will also help our campus to go green” by reducing litter and wasted paper. ”I think this is a great idea, I’m totally into that. There are way too many flyers everywhere and most kids really don’t read” Amy Claire Abel, a junior, said, “Now the kids that want this information will know where to get it.”

Not all students are as optimistic about this situation as Abel.

“This won’t help clubs that are trying to advertise their events because no one is really going to go up and read the posters on the board...but it could help the school look neater…” Carmen Brown, a junior, said.

To keep the shaded locker structures from being wasted, the frames were fitted with low-cost tables. Bebee said that these tables are high enough that they will be shaded from the sun throughout the entire day.

“I always use those as a table, when we go outside for Physics labs or something,” Abel said. The tables are intended to be used as writing surfaces or places for students to eat lunch.

These new structures are intended to be more cost-effective than the lockers were.

According to Bebee, only about 150 out of over 1800 students rented a locker last year, making the lockers a waste of money and space.

“I probably only used it [the lockers] like once a month, it turned out handy when I had all those art projects, or if I had school supplies for a class I had last block,” Abel said.

A few of the locker structures will still be available to those who need them.

School turns lockers into tables

in brief

by WaDe Johnson

Another new iphone

Apple released their 6th generation iPhone September 9th. The iPhone 6 is 4.7 inches long and the iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5 inches long, and while they are the tallest iPhones, they are also the thinnest. Along with the bigger screen, the iPhone 6 is projected to have the clearest screen.

new teAchers on cAmpus

The new year brought along six new teachers; Xingguo Huang, James Reede, Michelle Taylor, Julie Clark, Mike Hudnutt, and Evelyne Elgqvist. Almost all from different departments, they all offer new teaching skills.

senior AssAssins

Water guns, floaties, and goggles are once again stripped from the pool supply sections as Senior Assassins has started up. There are 135 teams with $1,400 in the winner’s pot. Rules and assassinations can be found on the website, cshsseniorassassins.webs.com.

record rAinfAll

Record rain has taken its toll on Phoenix within this past month. Over three inches fell Monday, September 8th, beating the standing record from 1895.

Cars were trapped under water along the Interstate 10, as well as schools in the valley closing for the day.

teens At risk

A respiratory disease is sweeping across the midwest and southwest, affecting mostly children and teenagers. This disease starts off as a common cold and develops into hazardous respiratory issues. Hundreds of children are being treated in the hospital for this illness, although there is no medicine or vaccinations for this disease yet. enjoying the shade Stephanie Hahn and Eric Gaxiola, seniors, take advantage of the newly tansformed lockers to tables. These low cost tables are intended for students to use to eat or just escape the sun.

4 nicole neri

rockin’ homecoming

Cactus Shadows Student Council released their Rockin’ Homecoming theme last week. Dress-up days are themed after music festivals, ending with the Tomorrowland Homecoming dance. Homecoming will kick off October third with the Warped Tour parade.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: easy to explain, hard to solve Ryan Denson goes into the conflict to explain the details and why it has been so prevalent in the news lately.

AnAlysis by Ryan Denson staff writer

The conflict in the Gaza Strip between the Israelis and the Palestinians has been in the news frequently over the past few months, and projections are that there will not be an end to the disagreement in the near future.

Hostilities between the two groups began in 1947 when the United Nations voted to divide the Palestinian land into a shared state between the Jewish people and the Arabs, which was not recognized by the Palestinians, who claim the land as solely theirs.

“Obviously anytime you have a conflict between the Jews and the Muslims it’s going to resonate throughout both religious worlds,” James Carrick, a government and 4

history teacher, said.

In 1948, with the help of other Muslim nations such as Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, Israel was attacked, with the intent of its destruction. However, with a two day old army, the nation of Israel managed to survive.

Today the conflict still continues, with little prospect of a peace agreement being reached anytime soon. According to the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the world’s leading child-welfare program, as much as 350,000 Palestinians are seeking refuge in UN sponsored safe schools since the violence escalated in June earlier this year.

“It’s [Israel] the birthplace of many religions, and I don’t think it’s [peace] by war and I don’t think it’s by killing. There’s got to be

some middle ground. I hope in my lifetime that there will be peace,” Beth Udisky, school counselor and social worker, said.

Another 100,000 Palestinians have been rendered homeless, with over 17,000 homes having been destroyed. The battle in Gaza has reached its 68th day as of September 16th, the longest battle the Jewish state has taken part in.

hundreds killed According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 2,145 Palestinians, including 578 Children, have been killed since violence escalated in June. A total of 72 Israeli citizens have died as a result of the conflict.

Over the course of the last two months, multiple cease-fire agreements have been

breached, with both sides of the conflict blaming each other for the broken deals President Obama has taken a stand with Israel, saying that the United State’s bond with the Jewish State is “unbreakable.” Orly Katz, a junior, has taken the other side with those who feel different in the U.S., saying that she does not think the United States is “doing anything to help the situation as much as we should.”

“There have been other countries such as Canada that have spoken out saying that Israel is right in the situation, and I don’t think we’ve said anything like that considering they’re one of our allies,” Katz said.

The conflict has seemingly caused tensions around the world with many Muslim-Jewish relations being affected by its outcomes.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

news

Changes in curriculum leave some students out of luck With most medical related classes now gone, students are looking outside of Cactus Shadows to find alternatives by: Nikki dusaNek food editor

Walking onto campus the first day it was easy to see the mural of falcon eyes or the new cafeteria, but there were some subtle changes that may have gone unnoticed. The nursing program and AP Economics left the course schedule, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program will not be making it to schedules this year, and Earth Science is no longer an option.

“I thought we had a lot of students leaning toward medical, it surprised me that we didn’t have enough sign up for the nursing program this year,” Melissa Beverly, a counselor, said.

The Nursing and EMT program will not be offered this year because not enough students signed up for the classes, which told administration that they were not interested

in the programs. Nursing was offered last year and this program allowed students to learn about nursing as well as getting some time in the field. At the end of the program, it was possible for a student to graduate as a Nurse’s Assistant.

“The nursing program and the EMT program are just so specialized,” Beverly said.

EMT DEAD A new option for second semester was going to be the EMT program, which would have allowed students to complete necessary EMT training and classes. The program would make it possible for students to graduate with an option of going straight into emergency medical services. This class not only would have taught students about medical terms and actions, but would have provided them with actual field work.

“For students who did want to take these courses, we still have options,” Steve Bebee, the principal, said.

One option is PVCC. Students should speak to their counselor and, if they meet the requirements, such as being on track to graduate and having good grades, then they can go over to PVCC for half the day to participate in one of these classes

AP ECONOMICS GONE Another missing class from the course list is AP Economics. This class was offered to juniors and did not have enough sign-ups for the 2014-2015 school year. “I really wish students would take advantage of our AP and IB classes,” Beverly said.

Also, due to a lack of a science teacher this year, Earth Science is no longer an option.

This course was available to freshmen who

felt they were not ready for biology. Earth Science is designed to help prepare them for their future science courses.

“The classes are a little bit bigger, but it doesn’t really make that much of a difference,” Ella Keinanen, a science student, said.

With a missing science teacher, there may be extra people in each science room.

For the most part, classes are shaped by students’ preferences.

The more students who ask or sign up for a certain class, the more likely it is that the class will be added. Student interest is the base for courses. For example, with a second language becoming mandatory in the junior high, more and more freshman are entering high school and going right into a language and staying in it longer. Due to this preference, more languages, such as Mandarin, have become an option.

New cafeteria briNgs New food regulatioNs by: CamryN mayer staff writer

The anticipation is over and the new cafeteria has been up and running for over a month now.

After having a cafeteria that only fit 400 students, having one that now fits close to 700 students, including the new, completely covered patio seating, is new to most students. Indoor seating includes nine TVs and bar seating with electrical plugs for charging phones.

“My favorite foods in the new cafeteria are the build your own line, the hummus and veggie pack, and Chick Fil A,” Sydney Lee, a junior, said.

The build your own line has been a hit with students and is a new addition to the cafeteria.

Along with a new atmosphere and line choices for students, the menu has some changes as well, due to new government-regulated criteria for school lunches.

The changes include: not being able to serve any fried foods, no more homemade meals, all entrees are calorie counted, bread must be whole grain, and the meals in the silver containers must have vegetables, fruit, and meat in all of them.

september 19, 2014

These changes amount to no more fried french fries, homemade enchiladas and Chick Fil A will be gone and replaced with Clucks Deluxe, a similar product, until the buns can be changed to wheat bread.

“These changes have made it harder to give students options because of so many regulations,” said Shanon Quinn, director of child nutrition for the school district.

So far, the only company that has been proactive with these regulations is Frito Lay, who has always had baked chips and reduced fat options.

Other snacks such as pop tarts have been slower to change their products.

All of the snacks on campus now are required to pass a program called The Alliance Product Calculator, which calculates nutrition information about the food. If it is not compliant with the regulations, then schools can not offer it.

These new regulations do not just stop at school lunches, it now spans to things such as the DECA store and student council, who are no longer allowed to sell items such as Icees at lunch and for STUCO no more donuts two days a week.

in the new cafeteria at last, Cole Bootz, senior, takes advantage of the new amenities the cafeteria has to offer. With more space for students to sit, modern updates, and a quicker lunch line, the cafeteria has exceeded expectations.

4Sayge Bolli

5

OCTOBER SPREADS

NEWS

To fail or not to fail

The administration has initiated a Saturday School for failing seniors.

by JOANNE AIRE-OAIHIMIRE life editor

During the school year counselors, teachers, and assistant principal Laurie Umbarge check students’ report cards to ensure everyone is on track to graduate.

Currently should a senior be in trouble the only measure to prevent failure is to take away a senior’s early release and give him a mandatory study session.

The administration has develped a new program to confront these failures, Saturday School.

At Saturday School, any student with more than one failing grade will be required to attend sessions until his or her grade goes up. As of now, there will be several teachers to tutor these students.

Also specific days are set aside for English, social studies, math, etc., for the students who need more attention in these subjects.

"Currently, we have 21 pages of failing students that we need to talk to. If it is one failing grade, we'll call them in and it's probably just missing work giving them this grade," Umbarger said. "The ones with multiple failing grades, we will discuss a plan of action."

Last year, the school started this same initiative for seniors. Failing students would give up their early release and go to the online learning class, E2020. Umbarger stated many students that were failing last year allowed them to on time “I think that this is great. Obviously you wouldn’t want to give up your Saturday, but it’ll give students more motivation to succeed,” Sarah LaRue, a senior, said.

For now, Saturday School remains as a last resort for a senior who cannot attend the mandatory study sessions after school or if those sessions or office hours are not improving the student's grade.

“Each Saturday School session will be about four to six hours,” Umbarger said, “but they will not meet every Saturday.

There will only be a few sessions a month depending on how many students are failing.”

"This is not discipline, so it will not go on a student's record," said Umbarger. This new program will not count as a detention although, if a student refuses to attend any offered support sessions, there will be consequences.

In a different light, some students are not excited for this program, stating there could be other ways to increase failing grade without taking a Saturday away.

“Someone is not going to have an epiphany and say ‘Wow, I should try more now that administration took away my Saturdays,’” Cotter Ewens, senior, said.

“The majority of the students are not failing because they aren’t trying, they are failing because they don’t want to.”

OCTOBER 17, 2014

changes in store

DUSTIN STYLES and Alex Inchausti, sophomores, and Ryan Sefcik, a junior, gather around the student store to see changes made to the menu.

The store is open everyday after school as well as during both lunches. ANICOLE NERI

New regulations take away some sweet and salt favorites from the lunchtime menu

by NICOLE NERI staff writer

New state regulations on food have restricted what the student store will be able to sell, but DECA may have found a loophole in the system.

“Michelle Obama has set out some very positive new changes within the food guidelines that specify how much sugar and sodium and how many calories each student gets,” Michelle Taylor, DECA supervisor, said, “because our state adopted it, we have to do it too.”

Ramen, candy, sugared soda, Arizona tea, and nachos are now banned. The cookies that DECA baked during lunch are a different, “healthier,” low-sugar recipe. These were the store’s best sellers last year.

“The regulations state that we can’t sell certain foods until 30 minutes after the bell rings...” Taylor said,” so we say ‘Ramen and candy after 2:30.’ The rules say we can’t regulate what a student brings to school to eat, so if

BREAST CANCER CURE REMAINS ELUSIVE

they’ve already purchased it outside the timelines, they can come in. Nothing wrong with giving them hot water.”

Even so, students have been consistently negative toward the new changes. Alexis Burnette, one of DECA’s vice presidents, said that the people who work at the store are well aware of how upset students are about the regulations.

“It’s a constant ‘thanks, Obama’ we hear everywhere,” Burnette said. “People always come in and yell at us. I’m sorry, we’re just the messenger here.”

Profits have taken a significant hit since last year, and the cause appears to be the new regulations. “We’re having a lot more days of loss of profit than last year, mostly because students can’t easily buy the things that they want,” Davis Levy, DECA treasurer, said.

“In theory, it was a really good idea, but in reality, there’s so many restrictions that it makes our job a lot harder,” Burnette said.

“Now we can’t sell the things that were mak-

ing us the most money last year. It’s really putting a burden on our sales.”

A portion of the money the student store earns funds DECA’s trips and competitions, taking the financial burden off of students and parents. Burnette said that these trips will be much more expensive for students if sales continue to be so slow. The after-school purchase system is expected to help, but profits will not likely be on par with last year.

DECA’s loophole may seem a bit underhanded, but, “what we’re doing is completely within the guidelines,” Taylor said.

Contrary to some beliefs, these food rules are not a federal mandate. Districts are given the choice to either accept the regulations or to ignore them.

The student store also plans to start selling full lunches, and “once we get our lunch menus, when you purchase a menu, we’ll give you candy for free with a lunch. We can give those things for free, we just can’t sell it,” Taylor said.

2150

MEN are diagnosed with breast cancer annually

85% of breast cancer occurs in women with no genetic history of the disease.

About one in eight women in the US will develop breast cancer.

232,670

It is estimated that breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2014.

cases of

3

NEWS

Biker group provides aid to abused children

by SIERRA GALINDO life editor

TAKING A MOMENT Todd Wright, the new dean, who can be seen walking around campus daily, answers, Sam Chartier, a freshman, question.

Wright hopes to build relationships with students and tries to accomplish this by always being around to help any problem.

4SAYGE BOLLI

Cactus Shadows may have found the Wright dean

N

by ERIKA SODERSTROM staff writer

EW to the Cactus Shadows administration is bow tie enthusiast Todd Wright, the dean of students.

“My job as a dean is to make sure my students are safe and have a proper learning environment and that they’re given the opportunity to be successful,” Wright said.

This new dean is a firm believer that the most rewarding part about being dean is “building a relationship with students.”

Wright really wants to build a trusting rela-

IN BRIEF RAISING MONEY FOR TREATMENT

Cactus Shadows has come together to help one of their own, teacher Gus Angeli, with his battle with cancer. Some of the proceeds from the frozen yogurt sold at the block lunch on October 10 went to help with his treatment.

NOMINATED AGAIN

The CSPress has been chosen as one of the National Scholastic Press Association’s Pacemaker finalists. This prestigious award is given only to the top high school newspapers in the nation.

AND THE WINNER IS...

The homecoming royalty was crowned on Friday October 10 at the homecoming football game. Max Fraker was crowned as the homecoming king and Sophia Beaudoin was crowned as homecoming queen.

4

tionship with students and have the opportunity to inspire people to “do whatever they want in life.”

Being a dean can be challenging. “It has such a negative connotation to it,” Wright said, “I’m not about negative and I’m not about just penalizing kids. It’s not my job.”

Most students see Wright walking about the campus during lunches. While comparing Wright with past deans at Cactus Shadows high school senior Hanna Kessel explains, “I think that this dean is more personal and approachable than the other deans.”

Wright grew up in Montana, moved to Utah for 12 years, then lived in Mexico for 2 years.

GOING VIRAL MACKENZIE COFFMAN a Cactus Shadows senior, video went viral after lip-synching to Taylor Swift's new single, Shake it Off. Not intending for her rendition of the song to go past her Twitter followers, she was met with a shocking outcome. After posting the video, she reached the audience of Taylor Swift herself, who tweeted the video and mentioned how much she enjoyed it. After Swift posted the video, it went viral, and Coffman ended up on multiple local morning news channels. The video has reached a huge number of viewers, and the audience is still growing.

—Abby Cardenas

Finally, he moved to Arizona 10 years ago working a matter of jobs before returning to Education.

“Outside of high school, I like being a dad first and foremost,” Wright said. “Because I live with four women, I don’t get to control the T.V very much,” said Wright. This results in watching a lot of Bachelor and Bachelorette.

“I loved Juan Pablo,” said Wright.

“He’s very friendly and appears more approachable than others. I also like that he wears a bow tie because he is the only dean I have ever seen do that and it reminds me of Bill Nye,” Suzanna Gormley, senior, said.

Bikers Against Child Abuse or BACA is an organization that breaks the stereotypes of bikers by helping children who have been affected by abuse. Their motto is “No child deserves to live in fear.”

“I think it’s great,” Riata Wendt, a junior, said, “It shows that not all bikers are bad guys with bad morals.”

This group helps children who have been abused sexually, physically, and emotionally. When a child has been affected by abuse, BACA intervenes to help make the child feel safe and secure.

There are four levels of intervention.

During a level one intervention, the bikers will go on a run to the child’s house. The child’s parents or guardians are present to show the child that the club is there to help them.

They are then given a patch, stickers and a photograph with their new biker family.

During a level two intervention, several members will go to the child’s home to stand guard and help the child and their family feel safer when they are feeling their most vulnerable.

At a level three intervention, a formal letter is written to the child’s abuser on the BACA letterhead to explain that BACA will use whatever means necessary to keep the child and their family safe from the abuser’s harm.

“What they [BACA] are doing is something else. I would have never imagined bikers helping kids out like this,” Elaina Rovenstine, a junior, said.

A level four intervention is only used when the first three have done nothing to discourage the presence of the abuser. BACA will ask for the general area of the abuser’s residence and go on a “Neighborhood Awareness Run” where they will go to each house in the neighborhood to hand out stickers to the local children and give their mission statement and tell the neighbors how they function.

When the address of the predator becomes known to the bikers, they will immediately leave to avoid any type of confrontation.

In addition to interventions, BACA members will make court appearances with the child to help them feel secure, helping them give accurate testimonies regarding their abuse.

"The biker image is what makes this work," Rembrandt, Maricopa County Chapter President, told AZ Central, "Golfers against child abuse does not have the same feel. The pink alligator shirt and golf shoes standing in the driveway doesn't do the same thing."

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

NEWS

Hockey player granted right to walk at graduation

Cave Creek community donates used pumpkins Instead of throwing away those gourds after Halloween and Thanksgiving, this program gives people a way to use all of the pumpkin’s potential.

I

by: ERIKA SODERSTROM staff writer

N order to provide a source

of food for native Cave Creek animals, Southwest Wildlife Conservation center will be accepting uncarved or freshly carved pumpkins with no mold for donation.

“So this is a positive way to reuse the things that we don’t need anymore,” senior Hanna Kessel said.

“The animals can play with it [pumpkins] and the animals can have fun,” freshman Elisabeth Raby said on donating pumpkins.

Pumpkin donations started at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School as a way to salvage discarded pumpkins after Halloween and the collection of pumpkins was eventually moved to Clearwater Church near the school.

FOOD FOR WILDLIFE Southwest Wildlife used the school initially because of parent involvement and because of the location and how many students they have. It is a way for the community to save food that they would not otherwise eat.

“Some animals like to play with

T

them. Bobcats and javelina love pumpkins,” Kim Carr, a Southwest Wildlife Conservation volunteer, said. Other animals that benefit greatly from pumpkin donations are bears, coatis, and porcupines.

Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center will be accepting these donations from churches, pumpkin patches, and local schools on November 1.

The pumpkins are then used as a seasonal food item and entertainment for the sanctuary’s wildlife. “200 hundred pumpkins last a while,” Carr said.

SORTING THROUGH PUMPKINS that will later be donated, Brittany Stallings, a senior helps wild animals. Southwest Wildlife conservation rescues native wild animals that have lost their homes to development, or are found injured, orphaned, or abandoned and these pumpkins help support them. 4BIANCA DYDYK

DECA aims to produce future business leaders

by ERIKA SODERSTROM staff writer

DECA is a club that “prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management,” according to Katie Fricker, DECA president.

With assistance in building resumes, presenting ideas in a business format, as well as advice on how to interview, DECA provides members with tools to deal with anything a possible career might throw at them.

“We really try and focus on preparing our members for the business world,” Fricker said.

DECA accomplishes this goal by participating in many conferences, workshops, and competitions.

This club is for students who want to be involved in business or hospitality. DECA is the cheapest club on campus at only $25, OCTOBER 17, 2014

which includes a DECA t-shirt.

‘I am DECA’ is the club’s new slogan for the year. Each year DECA picks a new slogan to help promote the club. “I am DECA means that you are a part of the organization and the organization is a part of you,” new teacher and DECA advisor Michelle Taylor said.

“Since I’ve been in DECA for three years now I’ve seen a lot of drastic changes,” Fricker said.

One of these changes being a new advisor, Michelle Taylor. “She has really improved the student store by including more apparel, food items and CSHS merch [andise],” Fricker said.

Along with helping out in the student store, DECA members compete in many competitions.

When DECA members go to competitions they can take part in three different activities; an essay, role play, or a written test.

The essay consists of a prompt

staff writer

O walk or not to walk, a deci-

BENEFITS CENTER 200 pumpkins may seem a bit over the top, however, all benefit the animals at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. Every animal has a different use for these pumpkins.

This program helps to bring the community together to help the same cause. “Now the community has all these pumpkins after Halloween that they don’t use.

Pumpkin donations can be delivered to Southwest Wildlife conservation center located at 156th street and Dynamite or at Cool Water Christian Church.

by ABBY CARDENAS

and competitors are allowed between ten and thirty minutes to write the essay which is then presented to the judges. Some essays are written at competitions on the spot where others are sent in for competitions and have specific page requirements Another option DECA members have is the opportunity to participate in role play. Role play is a competition where students are given a scenario where they then have to come up with a solution.

This solution is then presented in front of the judges. “It’s basically when you go in front of a professional judge and you have a prompt; and you have ten to thirty minutes to prepare your response. You give them a business plan and they give you a score,” said Joanne Aire, Vice President of Community Service.

If neither option sounds good, there is always a written test.

The written test contains one hundred questions multiple choice questions pertaining to each students event. Each competition has different categories such as sport marketing, hospitality and fashion merchandise among others.

This year, DECA will attend the The Western Regional Leadership conference held in Anaheim California.

“It’s more of a tutorial about what DECA is, how it works, how you can be a part of DECA and what your role would be within that DECA organization.

And then part of that is we go to Disneyland to do leadership, ” said Taylor.

“I highly encourage everyone to join because it will truly prepare you for your future in any career path you choose,” Fricker said.

DECA meets every Wednesday at 6:30 in the morning.

sion that, until last month, was taken away from junior Carlee Turner, who spends a good portion of the year away from Arizona to train for hockey. In a unanimous decision, the governing board voted to allow Turner to walk with her class when she graduates next year.

“About a week before the board meeting, she was anxious and nervous,” Maddie Jones, a junior and close friend of Turner said regarding the wait for the board’s decision.

Turner, who has been a resident in Cave Creek her entire life and a student in the district since the third grade, found herself fighting for the chance to pursue her passion in hockey.

School district policy prohibited students from walking at graduation if they did not spend the second semester of their senior year at Cactus Shadows.

Turner and her parents decided to approach the board and ask them to change the policy.

“Once I made my decision, it was made, and I fought for it,” Turner, junior, said about leaving school from September to March to attend a hockey academy in Vermont.

The administration and Steve Bebee were left with the responsibility to find a way for Turner to walk at graduation with her class, while still giving her the opportunity to play hockey.

“The policy was written that she had to be at school the entire second semester of her senior year, which she couldn’t do because of her hockey schedule,” President of the school board, Dave Schaefer, said.

While waiting for the board to decide, the Turner family looked into other school’s policies in case they were denied. When other schools confirmed that they would allow her a diploma, she decided to stick with her roots and fight for the graduation she deserves.

“It wouldn’t be the same, I’ve grown up with these friends since third grade. You want to be a part of something you’ve grown up in. It’s not the same if you go somewhere else,” Turner said when finding out that she might have to leave.

Whether Turner was permitted to walk at graduation or not, she would not have changed her decision to continue her path following hockey.

“She’s been a Cave Creek student forever, so those are the people that we should be loyal to,” Schaefer said when all was decided.

5

NOVEMBER SPREADS

NEWS

Republican majority elected in recent election RYAN DENSON examines the results of the recent elections in Arizona, and takes a look at how the results may affect the education of students at Cactus Shadows ARIZONA CLOSED ITS POLLS without much surprise, being a Republican state, Doug Ducey won the gubernatorial race, and Diane Douglas has won the position of State Superintendent. Tucson precincts are still counting ballots. In Cave Creek, Bond Question One passed by a comfortable margin with a vote of 52 percent to 48 percent, and Bond Question Two passed almost identically with a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT "I think it [the bonds' passage] shows us that the community is willing to support our schools and I think that is fantastic, I can't even tell you. It hasn't really hit me yet," Debbi Burdick, Superintendent, said.

Winning seats on the CCUSD governing board were Mark Warren and Cynthia Weiss, edging out Angelica Petersen. Warren, who was re-elected after a respite, received 31 percent of the vote, Weiss 43 percent, and Petersen with 25 percent.

Cynthia Weiss, a parent and district volunteer who serves on the board of the Cave Creek Education Foundation, hopes to bring her professional expertise in visual arts, technology, and marketing to promote growth in our schools and achieve the outreach she feels CCUSD desperately needs.

Mark Warren, who had previously served on the board as President, seeks to be a voice of reason, and sees his win as an opportunity

Making News

WADE JOHNSON explains how the news team produces the announcements

EMILY THOMAS, a

senior, is recorded in front of the green screen for the announcements. Thomas is a co-anchor and joined because at one point she wanted to be a news anchor and wanted the chance to try it. 4ASHLEY

to "be sure to stand up for the kids who don’t have someone to stand up for them” and has promised to fulfill his commitment to standing up for "this great district."

"My dad will bring a better education for the community, not only for the kids but for the parents too," Sarah Warren, sophomore and daughter of Mark Warren, said.

FIRST BOND IN 14 YEARS The November 4 election marks the first time since 2000 that CCUSD 93 has successfully passed a bond.

The newest bond, which consists of 30 million dollars, is expected to fund six to seven years of capital improvements such as roof repairs and updated security systems, as well as bus replacements.

"What I'm excited for our schools is we are going to be able to now get the buildings painted and do all the maintenance and things that really need to happen," Steve Bebee, Principal, said.

Also benefiting from the newest bond's passage will be the district's Fine Arts Center.

In it are funds allocated for the repair of its roof, interior and exterior painting, flooring replacement, stage and theater lighting, and restroom renovations. In the ten million dollar Bond Question One funds have been allocated for improvements in the security system.

"These bonds help our district get itself back on its feet after many years of failure [to pass

bonds]," Sam Slack, a senior, said.

More than 20 school districts in Maricopa County alone had bonds and overrides on the ballot. After the polls closed and the votes had been counted, many districts approved bonds but more school districts had nixed overrides, which generally fail. Districts such as Scottsdale Unified passed their overrides while Fountain Hills Unified failed to pass their override by 130 votes.

ARIZONA LAGS Currently, Arizona is 44th in the nation for per-student funding and has overseen the tenth largest decline in pupil funding for fiscal years 2008-2015 at $663. Only half of Arizona high school graduates attending college, according to the Department of Education, and in their newest study, it was found that Arizona also leads the nation in high school dropouts at eight percent. In the recent fiscal years, the Arizona legislature has cut corporate and capital gains taxes, important sources of education funding, which has ultimately forced them to cut from the education budget.

“We have worked so hard for ten years to get these bonds passed. As you know, CCUSD hasn’t been able to pass one since 2000, so we are just so happy that the community came out and supported the district,” Lori Hart, publications teacher and member of the Citizens for Education and Home Values PAC, which worked to get the bonds passed.

A

S the week begins, Emily

Thomas and Carlos Paoletti are preparing themselves, and the equipment, to create the schools video announcements.

"I knew I always enjoyed the morning announcements and thought it was cool.

At one point I wanted to be a news anchor when I grew up so I decided to try it out," Emily Thomas, one of the news anchors, said.

Choosing the news anchors is not based off of how many years that have been in the film class. For instance, Thomas has been in the class for two years, whereas Paoletti is just beginning in film. Where Thomas is more experienced, Paoletti is able to learn more about technique and equipment with his hand on experience as the anchor.

"Antonio left us a legacy last year, and me being next of kin, took his position to keep the legacy alive," Paoletti said.

Students have reacted to the news segments is a positive manner. Thomas and Paoletti are repeatedly asked for shoutouts, and it creates more involvement with the entire student body.

Carlos and Thomas are stopped by students throughout the week, being greeted with appreciation for their segments.

"I mean, who wouldn't love watching the most beautiful students on campus? I do believe the students enjoy it, and that can

IN BRIEF LOCAL This year, finals will be taken in order, so on the first day, the first and second class finals are taken etc. This schedule will result in seniors who have a half day only having to go to the first two days of finals.

The CSPress newspaper has won the Pacemaker for the third time for the 20132014 paper. The Pacemaker is a national award co-sponsored by the NSPA and the Newspaper Association of America Foundation.

Recently, the town of Cave Creek and the town of Carefree Chamber of Commerce decided to renovate the area near the Sundial in Cave Creek. They are rennovating this area in order to create more business

NATIONAL In national elections, the Republican Party dominated, winning more seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

On November 6, the Sixth Circuit of the United States court of appeals decided to allow same sex marriage bans. This ruling goes against what some of the other court circuits have decided, which may be the set up for a struggle within the supreme court.

On Friday, November 7, Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of sending 32 tanks into their territory. This crossing would be the latest sign of Russia’s aggression.

~LINDSEY MURPHY

be accredited to the presentation our producers create," Paoletti said.

While many students face the fear of public speaking, Thomas and Paoletti do it with ease. With the practice they receive from filming, and being able to watch themselves to critique their presentation, they find that they have almost perfected their technique. Friends and teachers also seem to pick at their possible mistakes, solely for constructive criticism and to better the show for all of the students watching.

Luke Scott, the film advisor, is the one responsible for bringing about the video news announcements.

"At a previous school I taught at we had them, so when I started teaching here the setup was here but nobody took the time to run it," Scott said.

He has created something that is sure to stick with Cactus Shadows and only to grow bigger he suspects. With the technology the school already has, and with more to come, as long as there are people up for the job the show will continue to get better.

Announcements take one period to film and segments can take anywhere from ten minutes to a couple of periods to create.

While many students face the fear of public speaking, Thomas and Paoletti do it with ease.

KRITZSTEIN

OCTOBER 17, 2014

3

NEWS

I.B. and A.P. offer different routes for ambitious students

by LINDSEY MURPHY staff writer

AP AND IB COURSES can be mistaken as very similar, although there are distinct differences between the two.

Knowing the differences between these two programs can be important for prospective AP or IB students.

COLLEGE LEVEL AP courses are college level courses that are offered any year of high school and are essentially college in a high school setting.

Throughout the year of taking an AP class, students learn all of the material, and then are tested on it at the end of the year.

The AP tests are graded on a scale of one to five. “AP we prepare specifically for multiple choice assessments, short writing assessments, and essay assessments,” Steven Mitten, an IB and AP history teacher said. By taking this AP test at the end of the year, students get the opportunity to earn college

credit if they pass. “AP gives you the hard classes and the preparation for college” Natalie Neri, a junior AP student, said.

I.B. “CHALLENGING” The IB program is a program that students enter into their junior year of high school. As stated by the IB website, this program is an “academically challenging and balanced programme of educa-

tion” which “has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students.”

Like AP, if students do well on IB tests, which are graded on a scale of one to seven, they can earn college credit. If you are planning on doing IB, you “have to be an individual who manages your time and is a self starter, and you really have to balance a pretty heavy workload,”

Mitten said.

Being in either IB or AP are catches the attention of colleges. “I wanted to involve myself in a more rigorous course because I knew I was going to be applying to some more prestigious colleges, and I wanted to give myself the greatest chance of being accepted” Keith Durkin, a senior IB student said.

Students should choose whether they want to do IB or AP based on

AP AND IB AND STATE UNIVERSITIES

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

one. Mostly looks for score of 4 or 5 though

AP: Students receive university credit for AP courses, however no credit is given for any AP examination with a score of two or one. Mostly looks for a score of 4 or 5.

IB: U of A accept IB scores and students receive credit, as long as the test score is a four or higher.

IB: Students who present an IB diploma can get credit, depending on the level of the examination and the grade received. A student must get a 4 or higher on the IB test to receive credit.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AP: U of A accepts AP scores and students receive credit for them, but the AP score must be higher than a two or

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY AP: NAU accepts AP scores of a four or a five. For some

exams, you can gain credit by getting a three on your AP test

IB: NAU accepts IB diplomas and IB test scores for college credit. A score of 5 or higher gives you credit for 2 intro courses, and a score of four gives you credit for one intro course.

what they feel is the best choice for them, and if the college they want to go to accepts either the AP or IB program.

TOO MUCH STRUCTURE? Neri said she chose AP because she felt that IB “does not give you much freedom in choosing classes.”

IB classes are more structured in their scheduling, but this scheduling may work for some students.

Both AP and IB classes have a greater workload than normal and honors classes would have.

However, these courses will not take over students lives. “Its a big workload but you still have plenty of time to participate in sports and spend time with friends” Durkin said.

With AP courses, students can pick and choose which classes they want to be AP courses. IB is different from this because all of the classes taken by IB students are considered to be IB courses. Because of this, Neri said “I think that IB is a little more intense than AP”

VHP records verterans’ history NICOLE NERI examines how the contributions of this club are so important.

JOE BRETT a

veteran brought in

by Barbara Batch, founder of VHP, talks about his past. VHP brings in veterans to share their stories occasionally during the school year. 4SAYGE BOLLI

OCTOBER 17, 2014

CONTINUING THE ANNUAL TRADITION of travelling to different parts of the world, Veterans History Project will embark on a trip to Italy this spring Every year, VHP takes an outof-country trip in order to see the actual places described by the veterans they interview and write about.

“I feel like I know history in a very ‘people’ way...When I travel, I can have an understanding of what happened there. I feel it when I’m there. History gets beyond just words on a page.” Barbara Hatch, former Peace Corps Volunteer and founder of VHP, said, “You feel like you’re connected to some piece of the past, you can’t really understand this stuff unless you go there.”

“It takes a lot of work and research to put this trip together. I’ve been researching hotels, flights, food, activities...probably since July,” Lizzy Satran, senior and VHP vice president, said.

The members of VHP interview veterans and write essays to be included in the Veterans History project at the Library of the Congress.

So far, VHP has published five volumes of Since You Asked: Arizona Veterans Share Their Memories, and are currently working on a sixth volume. The books are filled with

essays written by students, and each book is backed by over 50 interviews.

The trips VHP takes are meant to help the students add color to their understanding of the veterans’ stories, so the places they travel to “need to have some sort of history with any type of conflict America was involved in. We go to different sites that we have connections to,” said Satran.

The impact VHP has on the mindset of participants can be huge. “VHP does a fantastic job of putting your life into perspective. No matter how big you think your problems are, you go on an interview with a Holocaust survivor, or a prisoner of war, and your problems are put one hundred percent into perspective,” Hanna Kessel, a senior and member of VHP, said, “These people risked everything that they ever had, just so you can have the freedom to complain about whatever made your day a bad day. It’s made me appreciate everything I have and everything the people who’ve served this country have done for us.”

Being interviewed and recognized also impacts the veterans themselves. “For the veterans, it is so affirming of their lives...to have somebody recognize them, particularly the World War II veterans who were at death’s door, and the Vietnam veterans who were spit on when they came back,” Hatch said, “Finally, after 50 years, somebody cares that they’ve served.”

“Italy has connections with a lot of the World War II veterans,” said Kessel, “One of my veterans was actually stationed in Italy while he was a pilot in World War II, so I’m looking forward to seeing some of the World War II sites we’ll visit.”

4

NEWS

S-Club seeks to empower women

GUS ANGELI, a

math teacher, answers Junior Zoe Monroe’s geometry question.

Angeli is a second-year teacher at the high school. 4SHELBY NICHOLS

BIANCA DYDYK discusses what this club does to keep up with their goal of helping women and children

Gus Angeli, staying positive through cancer WYATT BUSH examines exactly what type of cancer Angeli has and how he plans on dealing with this second wind of bad luck during treatment.

N

ON-HODGKINS Mantle-Cell Lymphoma is a rare cancer that strikes only six percent of people diagnosed, and is typically seen in ages 60 and above. Gus Angeli, a math teacher and golf coach is one of these six percent.

This type of cancer acts in the mantle region in the circulatory system. This part of the circulatory system is responsible for ‘carrying’ the immune system, which with this cancer, is weakened.

The disease is rare, but for Angeli it is not.

Six and half years ago, Angeli felt pain in his neck and armpits. His doctor told him that he had Lymphoma. At the time, Angeli did not know what Lymphoma was, and found it was some type of cancer.

me 32 ounces of green juice every morning, because it is good for me,” Angeli said.

This disappointed attitude did not last long for Angeli. “It lasted for about three or four days. At that point, there is nothing I can do about it. I have a choice to make. I can either choose to be positive and do everything I can, or I can feel sorry for myself and be miserable, and I just choose not to be that person. I am just happy that there is a treatment plan hat is going to get me well for awhile,” Angeli said.

When Angeli was diagnosed six and a half years ago, his treatment consisted of going to the hospital for five days out of each month for seven months, but this time he will undergo two months of five days with chemo, and a stem-cell transplant

IN TERRIBLE PAIN

TREATMENT IN TEXAS.

“This time around, I was waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in my gut. Obviously that is not normal. I got a CT scan and a biopsy and they said, sorry man, your Mantle-Cell Lymphoma has come back. I said, okay, well, let’s go do some treatment,” Angeli said.

Upon receiving the news, Angeli was disappointed. “I was actually angry with myself.

I did not take care of mself as much I should have. I ate foods that were not healthy, I did not go to the gym on a regular basis, and I do not know if that played a role or not,” Angeli said.

Nutrition plays a big role in health, and eating foods that would increase acidic levels creates an environment that lets disease grow. “I did that in the beginning, and it just became cumbersome. This time around... my wife is awesome. My wife has been making

He will be at the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas for the entire last month.

Angeli still has plans when he is not in the hospital, however. “I plan on watching television, movies, reading, games, taking my dog for a walk. My dog will be flown out to me when my wife visits,” Angeli said.

Many cancer patients, including Angeli, believe having a dog is great for the spirit.

Some symptoms Angeli is dealing with are fatigue, headaches, and constant lower back pain. However, he has a way of dealing with these symptoms other than medication.

“Being here helps. It keeps my mind busy.

Coming to work and working with you guys [the students] makes me happy because I enjoy my work and I enjoy you guys.” Angeli said.

“I love his attitude. I love that he is able to come every day and help us out, which he

5

does a fine job at,” Jesse Davis, a senior, said.

Angeli has been nothing short of public about his cancer. “I believe cancer is an epidemic, and people love success stories.

I believe that I am one because I beat it last time. Do not be afraid to talk about cancer, and actually you should talk about it because it helps your mind set. Always get a second opinion. You should seek out the best person in that field of cancer like I did,” Angeli said.

With his first diagnosis, Angeli was given three months to live, but after a second opinion he was given a treatment plan which led to him beating the disease.

The community has come Jesse Davis, a together to senior organize fundraisers to alleviate the the cost of treatment.

Most recently, the security guards organized a day at Oregeno’s. “I love the Oregeno’s fundraiser because hey, who would not want to go eat at Oregeno’s anyways,” Joey Meshinksy, a senior, said.

“The amount of community support right now is awesome. Our family is very blessed,” Angeli said. Family friends Jill and Bryan O’Connor have put together a donation website called youcaring.com.

“I love his

attitude. I love that he is able to come every day and help

us out, which

he does a fine job at,”

Their goal is to help women and children around the globe, Soroptimist Club, also known as S-Club, meets every other Wednesday in Amy Metcalf’s room 313.

Soroptimist is a global organization based on assisting women of all age groups with everyday struggles. “It is to empower women and children. It is to do everything we can to help their lives go smoothly,” Amy Metcalf, S-Club advisor, said.

“We have a really big and involved club this year,” Skye Cooper, S-Club vice president, said.

According to the Soroptimist International’s webpage, there are clubs in over 3,000 communities and over 130 countries. In total there are over 80,000 club members in the world.

“I’m also very interested in volunteering and I liked S-Club over the other volunteering club at our school, Key Club, because it was more intimate and a smaller group of girls you can work with,” Camille Johnson, S-Club vice president, said.

Students tend to think S-club is only meant for girls, because there are only girls on the club, however that is a false assumption. “It kind of started out as whoever wanted to be in the club and it just happened to be all girls that joined. If a guy wanted to join we wouldn’t say no, but the Soroptimist of Sawarro Foothills is the person who funds our group and thats an all women’s group,” Cooper said.

Volunteering is a key factor of being a member of S-Club. Some volunteering activities include volunteering in soup kitchens and helping out weekly in the Skully learning center for disabled people.

There are also volunteering opportunities at Black Mountain’s Bobcat Closet once every two months, which is a free store where families in the district can come and pick up clothes for their children.

“We go in and organize and then people can come in and shop there” Johnson said.

In S-club it is important for everyone’s voice to be heard. A system within the club has been made in order to achieve this want.

“How it works is when were at our meetings which are every other Wednesday, we ask girls if they want to champion an event. Which means they come up with the volunteering opportunity, and they champion it, and they set it all up,” Cooper said.

S-Club also has events that they host a few times a year where they either raise money or are making donations. Coming up S-Club will be going to Tempe to participant in the Feed My Starving Children organization. Then in December, S-Club will go shopping for the Adopt A Family charity fund.

“We have to raise money because we spend a lot of money. We adopt at least one or two families at Christmas and we also donate to women’s halfway houses,” Metcalf said.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

NEWS

ROCK THE DISTRICT IS BACK AND IT IS BIGGER THAN EVER ROCK THE DISTRICT WILL RETURN to the Carefree Resort and Conference Center on November 22, featuring 27 bands and soloists from the Cave Creek school district.

Rock the District was first created by Melissa Nelson in 2009, who was a Cactus Shadows freshman at the time. She wanted to help raise money for the Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation, which donates supplies and money to the district.

This performance gives young artists a way to share their talent with a large audience. “A lot of the kids that are in the show take lessons and work on their art form a lot, but don’t really have a venue to showcase their talent,” Casey Hagrett, head media planner of Rock the District, said, “Rock the District gives them exposure that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Abby Walker, a junior who has been singing since she was three years old, has been a part of Rock the District three times.”The exposure, just getting yourself out there, is awesome.

At least a thousand people show up to Rock the District,” Walker said, “And ABBY WALKER, a it's for your comjunior, plays the double munity. It's perbass for her band. Singforming for all ing since she was three, the people who walker is excited for you know and the exposure she will who care about recieve when performing. 4NICOLE NERI you and want to hear your music. I

feel like that's the best performance opportunity out there."

Rock the District is CCUEF’s, or Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation, largest fundraiser. Money raised goes to Cave Creek schools to help fund four major areas: classroom resources and technology, international learning, health and wellness, as well as music and the arts, according to the Rock the District website.

“Over the years, CCUEF has given back almost $70,000 in technology purchases, books, and other resources the classroom needs,” Hagrett said, “All of those proceeds go directly back to the schools.” Last year alone, Rock the District raised over $20,000 for Cave Creek’s elementary, middle, and high schools.

“Rock the District is just amazing because of what it does for the schools. It's awesome to be a part of that, giving back to the schools, instead of just something that gives the performer glory" Walker said.

Rock the District can be beneficial to the performers through exposure and experience.

"I think that it'll help me be more confident in front of crowds, with putting myself out there. I want to be a little more outgoing, and maybe this will help push me to do that,” Rachel Dutcher, a sophomore and first-time Rock the District performer, said.

This year’s event is expected to showcase some noteworthy performances. “It’s amazing how talented people are. I’m just thinking, these people are in high school, what are they going to be able to do when they’re older? It’s just super cool to see all these other performers,” Dutcher said.

~NICOLE NERI

Nobel committee names youngest ever peace prize winner

by RYAN DESNON staff writer

The 17-year old women's rights advocate, Malala Yousafzai, became the youngest co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month for her continued efforts in promoting education for women and children across the world.

Yousafzai shows that no matter where someone comes from or who they are, they can make a difference.

"The stand she is taking for education of women gives others the 6

opportunity to be educated and follow in her footsteps by making their education mean something," Michelle Hugo, a senior said.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 493 million adult women are illiterate and account for almost two-thirds of the world’s 774 million illiterate adults. Contributing to this are poverty, institutional and cultural barriers, pressures from family to marry at a young age, no safety in getting to school, lack of separate bathrooms for boys and girls, as

well as sexual harassment and gen- and for the right of all children to der-based violence. education."

Her story became publicized The Nobel Committee easily two years ago when she was shot made its decision, stressing the in the head by members of Taliban important point that for a Indian who attempted to silence the then Hindu and a Pakistani Muslim to 15-year-old because she stood up come together and fight for womfor young Pakistani girls. en's education in the face According the Nobel of terrorism, is a noble Peace Prize website statecause which should be ment, Yousafzai shares formally recognized. the award with Kailash "I think she showed Satyarthi, "for their struggle that even young people against the suppression of MALALA can stand for something YOUSAFZAI children and young people and make an impact. I

think our generation has a bad reputation, but it is undeserved," Jeri Glicksman, a senior, said.

Yousafzai aims to end these barriers that block women from achieving an education, and is inspiring millions of women across the world to stand up for education rights through her new book.

"I think that she [Malala] is a phenomenal example of what one voice can do to bring about change and bring attention to really horrific situations," Jill Jellison, English teacher, said.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

DECEMBER SPREADS

NEWS

GOING HOME to do their duties, such as: personal assistant, personal driver, maid, cook, and housekeeper.

"When I visited, I was surprised in America that you don't have househelp," Ejiro Imafidon, resident of Victoria Gardens City, said, "even the poorest of the poor have househelp in Nigeria. Sometimes it is a relative working in the house who needs to learn discipline."

In the case of discipline, usually a disruptive teen is sent to work at a family member's house. If the child was in school, in rare cases the family will pull him or her out and send their child to learn their place as a househelp.

"Relatives working as househelp is an occurrence but not often found. Normally, it's just for a summer or during a break at school," Imafidon said.

YOU CAN HAGGLE (BARGAIN) ON VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING In Nigeria, one can bargain on most items ranging from produce to the cost of hotel rooms in a method called "pricing." It is very seldom that a customer will buy something without pricing the item first. Due to this, interactions between merchants are lengthy as the customer is trying to get a better deal, whilst the vendor is trying to make a profit.

"You should never pay what you don't want to," Modupe Leke-Akinrowo, resident of Lagos, said, "even if the cost is perfect, you can always get a better deal." Unless a vendor in a market is firm on his price, which is rare, the other places one might see non negotiable prices are at brick and mortar eateries or gas stations.

Joanne Aire-Oaihimire returns to her roots and finds TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NIGERIA

NICE HOUSES AND CARS EXIST BUT ARE PRICEY ALL SMILES while celebrating their newly-wed status, Sandra and Kenneth Ighalo dance into their wedded couple’s seat. This traditional ceremony was held in Benin, Nigeria and was one of the two weddings they had. 4 JOANNE AIRE-OAIHIMIRE

I

by JOANNE AIRE-OAIHIMIRE staff writer

N November, I Ieft school for two weeks

to go to Nigeria. Whenever I talk about Nigeria or Nigerian Traditions, people always ask me what the differences are and I have no idea what to say; as I have not been there in ten years and I cannot explain the customs because they are second nature to me. Hopefully, these answers will suffice.

Due to the high amounts of smog as smoke is emitted from cars, the roadways become difficult to see. In that case, cars on the road will turn their high beams on at night regard-

DECEMBER 12, 2014

less if the other drivers are 20 feet away.

"I have never been in a car at night that will not have brights on. It doesn't make any sense to me, but as long as he can see, I won't get into the driver's way," Manny Mfon, a student, said.

IT IS COMMON TO HAVE TWO WEDDINGS In Nigeria, each tribe has a certain way of marriage. The common practice is to invite the elders of the tribe and both sides of the to-be wedded couple’s family. Wine, beer, nuts, and meat is often found at these weddings. Typically, the groom will pay a “bride price” to the bride’s family and give goats,

cows, rice, salt, and oil to please the bride’s family. If both families agree to the gifts given, the marriage is sealed. If not, the wedding is rescheduled for a later date when the families can finally agree. Afterwards, it is up to the groom and bride if they wish to have a western “white” wedding, which most opt in for.

EVEN POOR PEOPLE HAVE HOUSEHELP More often than not, when one walks into a Nigerian home, it is common for him to see a maid or a gateman for the private property. In the city, one typically has up to five househelps. These workers are paid salary

Virtually everything in Nigeria is paid for in cash, and physical cash at that. This includes, hotels, cars, university, and houses.

Currently, a 2015 Toyota Highlander sells for 11.5 million Naira or 63,000 dollars in Nigeria and in America, it is around 30,000 dollars.

The dramatic price increase is from the cost to ship the car over and the fact that all cars are imported into Nigeria as they do not manufacture their own cars. Then, buying a house is when the big money is shown.

Ejiro Imafidon, resident of Victoria Gardens City, Lekki, lives on an island in Nigeria. In her neighborhood, houses are paid in cash and cost 1.2 million US dollars on average. If the buyer wants to build their own house, land costs around 600,000 dollars for 2230 square feet. On this island, no two houses are alike as each one is custom built.

CUSTOM OUTFITS ARE INCREDIBLY COMMON Traditional outfits that people think of when someone mentions African clothing are actually worn. For women, they typically don a skirt and blouse, and the men will typically opt in for pants and a shirt. These outfits see NIGERIA on page 4 3

NEWS

Stuco strives to serve community CASEY WINDSOR explains what StuCo does to provide the student body with fun activities throughout the year.

Back to Nigeria continued from page 3

can be worn on the streets or to special events, such as weddings or baby naming ceremonies. To add versatility, the buyer can make each design different, and often style magazines are offered in the tailor's shop. The average cost of these traditional attire can be from 7,000 to 20,000 Naira or 38 to 109 United States Dollars.

TRANSPORTATION IS A LOT DIFFERENT Even in small cities, taxi drivers are found. Depending on the location, taxi fare differs and is not set. In the bigger cities like Lagos, taxi fare is expensive to a smaller city like Benin where a driver would charge a smaller fee. In addition, these are not certified drivers and can be a college student looking for more money, so they drive people on the side. The buses are normally vans, and not commuter busses.

THERE ARE PEOPLE SELLING THINGS IN THE STREETS (LIKE LEGIT ON THE STREETS) Walking through the streets during rush hour traffic are vendors selling purses, snacks, children's toys, or even paintings and murals. On the road, one in about 23 sellers are women. These men and women are not authorized sellers of the product. So, most times they will grow that produce at home or buy it in bulk and sell it to passengers who cannot get the product somewhere else at that time.

"I bought this really nice purse on the road and I wish I had bought more from him, but traffic was moving," Philo Nwarueze, Nigerian visitor from California, said.

"Selling in the streets is dangerous though, and I would not recommend it just to make money," Nwarueze, said. If it is dark outside or the driver is speeding, sometimes these sellers are hit causing serious injuries or even death.

EDUCATION IS NOT EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES

MADI MERCER , a junior and student council member, paints one of the many posters seen around campus during Homecoming week.

4 MADDIE JONES

F

ROM

homecoming, to volunteering, to improving students’ lives, Student Council is an all-around club that touches on a lot of school activities.

Aside from the two main adults in Stuco, math teacher Cameron Bender and government teacher Allison Zilka, Student Council is composed mainly of students.

“Student Council is a club that teaches the participants what leadership really is,” ToniAnn Cantarella, sophomore class president, said. With an ultimate goal of making a difference in the high school experience for the students, the student council provides the students with activities such as Homecoming, Powder Puff, Hoopcoming, Prom and Winter Formal.

“StuCo is a group of leaders coming together to try and make the school of Cactus Shadows the best it can possible be. StuCo strives to bring a fun, exciting atmosphere to the student body at CSHS,” Joey Wintermeyer, junior class president, said.

In order to provide all of this for the students, the student council needs to raise a lot of money to make it all work. With no more donuts on campus it will not be the same when it comes to raising money, but the Student Council gets the job done. Some ways to raise money include things like all of the events at homecoming and the student council based car washes that happen every so often.

4

At the universities in Nigeria, the cost is normally from 100,000 Naira to 750,000 Naira. Having a low per capita makes this figure seem large to many, but in today's exchange rate university fees compared to the United States is cheap. The average student in America pays 34,500 dollars for tuition alone and up to 45,000 dollars with room and board per year, according to Collegeboard.

The prices listed for Nigerian universities are not converted, but they do include room and board. Drumroll please, schooling in Nigeria is significantly cheaper than America, as Nigerian students pay around 555 United States dollars to 4,087 dollars each year.

EBOLA IS NOT THE BIGGEST WORRY IN NIGERIA “There is literally nothing that come in the way of student council delivering to the student body because that is what we live for as a team,” Cantarella said.

Along with all the school activities, the student council also donates their own time into volunteering at places such as nursing homes, places in Cave Creek and a variety of other places. They also help support peers and community members such as math teacher, Gus Angeli.

They have helped Angeli by holding fundraisers at local restaurant’s and selling wristbands to raise money for cancer treatment.

“The part I love most about student council is that it affords me the opportunity to give back...we do a lot of community service: it feels good to help those who need it,” Bender said.

Student Council meetings are every Tuesday after school in the lecture hall. In meetings the members of student council discuss their plans for upcoming events going on at school. They also split up into underclassmen and upperclassmen groups and plan events further.

“I honestly believe that StuCo is the heart of our school because without it, school would not be as spirited and complete as it is. I think StuCo is the reason for our student bodies outstanding school spirit and I am so proud to be a part of this club,” Madi Mercer, a junior, said.

Before arriving in West Africa, every passenger and air crew on the plane must fill out a form stating that in the last 30 days they have neither touched a dead person, nor had any joint pain, headache, diarrhea, or any other questionable sickness. Regardless if a passenger is using the destination airport as a connection or arriving in their hometown, this form must be filled out. After arrival, before the airport staff can tell a person where to go to continue or end their journey, an Ebola checkpoint is placed just outside the gates of arrival waiting to receive this paper and check the passengers' temperatures. From then on into Nigeria, the scare is virtually gone. There are the occasional "Ebola is not wanted here" and "Ebola, comot" (comot is Pidgin for leave) signs in cities or in For now, other crises relative towards the bulk of Nigeria remain prominent, such as the unreliant electricity that can leave a household powerless for up to a week, if they cannot afford a generator.

THE MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF AFRICA IS NOT ACCURATE Africa is not a country, first of all, nor is it a place filled with poverty ridden savages. The people of Africa do not all have AIDS or Ebola, nor are they all Nigerian Princes asking for money for an operation. Africans do not all look the same, and they do not all speak “African” as this language does not exist.

“It disgusts me that people think Africa is a horrible place.

We have feelings and can have jobs just like everyone else,” Uzorchukwa Okarfor, student, said. Before comments degrading a place are made, research should be done beforehand. As seen above, Africa does have many opportunities like North America and although they are not as developed, they are doing their best.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

NEWS EMILY LARSON, a junior, attends one of the National Honors Societies after school tutoring sessions. Not many people show up, so NHS encourages students to attend when in need of help.

HONORS SOCIETIES AIM TO HELP COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS

4NICOLE NERI

A look into the community of the Honors societies and how they help the school as well as provide free tutoring after school.

by CASEY WINDSOR staff writer

There are many clubs on campus. from art clubs, to leadership clubs to honors clubs. The honors clubs are referred to as the Honors Societies and are organizations formed for a particular purpose.

In order to be a member of an honors society one must maintain an A average in that specific class, for example, the members of the French Honors Society must maintain an A average in their French class.

Some honors societies include the French Honors Society, the Spanish Honors Society and the National Honors Society. “The most challenging thing about it is keeping your grades up so that you are eligible to participate,” Julia Horner, a sophomore member of the French Honors Society said.

In any honors society, a lot of volunteer work and dedication of time is required. The honors societies do things such as help tutor students on whatever they need help with, they do fundraisers to help raise money and this month, some societies are adopting a family for Christmas.

“It is a national organization and their main goal is to promote cultural awareness,” Linda Dunbar, french teacher said.

During meetings for the French Honors society, they discuss events, tutoring hours and plan

NEWS

IN BRIEF NATIONAL Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown an African American teen, resigned from the Ferguson Police Department Saturday, November 29th because the Ferguson Police Department officers were receiving death threats.

President Obama met with the White House on December first in order to review programs that provide military requirements to local law agencies.

LOCAL Silent Night Basketball is on December 12th.

The annual game is marked when the entire student section at the Cactus Shadows home basketball game is completely silent until the Falcons score ten points. Once that happens the entire student section shouts and yells for the team as loud as possible.

December fourth and fifth the Cactus Shadows’ company dance performed at the Fine Arts Center. Senior girls and boys performed pieces inspired by outer space.

~ ERIKA SODERSTROM DECEMBER 12, 2014

out their volunteering. They also host the crepe parties which are held once a quarter.

Five hours of volunteering are required per semester for an honors society. “Getting your hours can be challenging if you’re lazy, but there are plenty of small ways to get involved,” Kate Horner, secretary of the French Honors Society, said.

Being an active member looks good on any college application, so being an active participant will help getting into college, in state and out of state. Some people think that it is hard to get into an Honors Society and keep their grade for that class up, actually being in the honors society will provide any student with tutoring and help on anything they might need.

Students that are not in the honors society can be helped with something needed also. Any student in an Honors Society that does everything that is required of them and is an active member for at least two years is eligible to receive a cord at the graduation ceremony.

As for Kate Horner, senior and secretary of the French Honors Society, she was invited into the club at the beginning of her junior year and started attending meetings and fell in love with the club. She will be inducted in January and receive a cord for graduation. “I mean, Madame Dunbar is incredible. She is brilliant and hysterical and cares a whole lot,” Horner said.

Failing students get a second chance New school program is aiming towards helping students catch up in class

by WYATT BUSH staff writer

Before high school, students used to fret when a teacher threatened to call their parents. Fast forward to 2014, and that is an everyday occurrence, in the form of an e-mail, which inform a parent of their student’s failing grades and assignments.

This new method of communication has stirred complaints and confusion from the student body, mainly due to miscommunications students may have with their parents. “It is annoying because my mom says I am failing classes, and I have to explain that I am not,” Wyatt Harris, a senior, said.

Every Monday, Infinite Campus e-mails parents to update them on failing assignments.

However, this Infinite Campus automation is not part of the office hours and Saturday school program. It also comes with a disclaimer that informs parents that the assignments are either missing or failing, and the class is not being failed.

The new system was created by Laurie

Umbarger, the assistant principal of student services and instruction. “It started last year when seeing the number of seniors who weren’t going to graduate. We started out having them [failing seniors] that were not on the path to graduate to have to stay fifth and sixth periods work in the E2020 lab, either as an E2020 class or a study hall. That was very successful. More than half of them actually could walk” Umbarger said.

This year, when missing or failing an assignment, an e-mail is sent to the parents with the name of the assignment. This e-mail also informs parents when failing a class. When failing a class, it is required to attend office hours. If the student chooses to neglect attendance of the office hours, they will then be assigned to saturday school.

Despite the administrative efforts to help the students, some still are consistently failing. On the contrary, some students find it easy to pass and achieve good grades, such as Marty Hartman. “It is actually fairly easy.

If you have the will to do it and just do your

assignments, it is almost impossible to fail. I feel kids just don’t care,” Hartman, a senior, said. “Some advice I would give to failing students is to focus on finishing their assignments first, because doing your homework is great practice for tests and stuff,” Hartman said.

Questions have been raised as to whether failing is a reflection of the student or teacher. “I feel like if a teacher is getting paid to teach, then they need to do the job as best as they can. It’s still a student’s fault if they fail, but the teachers need to be involved,” Steven Harris, a senior, said.

Despite student opinions and approval of the new system, results can still be seen. “If you talk to the kids who have really been working on this, they are so much happier. They just feel good about themselves because they have just accomplished” Umbarger said. On one Saturday, over 25 students attended Saturday school, with a total of over 120 assignments being turned in.

5

MY ARTICLES: FIRST SEMESTER

SEPTEMBER ARTICLES

style

OCS the

4 Sayge Bolli

e

right.

Founded in 18th century Germany by Johann Birkenstock, the brand has gone through several ‘transformations’ before becoming what it is today. It had humble beginnings as a shoe-repair business run out of a small house in rural Germany, yet with multiple innovations by the Birkenstock family, it has established itself as a staple of modern footwear.

The innovations began with Johann Birkenstock, the inventor, who created the first ‘Birkenstock’ sandal. The torch was then passed to his grandson, Konrad Birkenstock, who in the 20th century made the additions of a contoured insole and the first flexible arch support. His son, Karl, became the first of the Birkenstocks to develop a shoe solely from this arch support (made by his father), and is thus the father of the modern Birkenstock model we see today.

“There are sandals, there are slip-ons with no back, and there are slip-ons with a back. Like a suede shoe.” Cotter Ewens, a senior and Birkenstock owner, said.

Birkenstocks, though German, have enjoyed several periods of high popularity in America. Doctors and nurses wear the product, and it was oft associated with America’s liberal movements, especially the ‘flower child’ phase during 1967’s ‘Summer of Love’.

Birkenstocks have recently fallen back into fashion, especially in younger crowds. Teens seem to enjoy the high quality of the product, and the comfort and history that follows it. This mimics a trend in the 1990s, when Birkenstocks began to gain popularity in the college atmosphere.

In a world of things made shoddily and quickly, it is probably comforting to have a quality shoe one can count on.

Jumpsuits for joy alEx niEminEn jumps in her jumpsuit that she purchased from Forever 21.

By shelby Nichols News Editor

PoPular in the 80’s, jumpsuits were brightly colored and a bit over the top. Now, all types of styles can be found such as strapless, printed, and flowy, and are becoming very common.

Jumpsuits were used on stage in the “Best Looks from New York” and in the “Best Looks from Paris” runaway line with brands such as Giambattista Valli, Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs back in 2013 and have since been showing up more frequently in stores as a major fashion comeback.

These combined pant with shirt outfits work for any season which is important for women, an outfits ability to be worn year round can be cost effective.

“It depends on the persons body type a lot but also on their personality, if you have more confidence than you can wear them better,” Allie O’Connor, senior, said.

Their ability to be versatile is a contributing factor to the jumpsuits popularity. They can be dressed up by pairing them with gold accessories and a fashionable bag or dressed down with a casual pair of sandals and a sun hat.

In summer, the pants in jumpsuits can be replaced with shorts, which would be called a romper. Or flowy ones help keep air circulation through the outfit so a person does not feel suffocated in the heat. Also sandals help with the laid back summer look.

For winter, pants are a must to keep the legs warm. But, people can add basically any accessory to help keep warm as well. If the jumpsuit is a fashion statement all on its own, then wear pale scarves and jackets. If the jumpsuit is just a plain color with no point of interest, then use the scarves and or jacket as the fashion statement. Boots can be a possibility as long as it does not make the outfit look too stumpy.

In fall, the jumpsuit can work all on its own and on those chilly days a nice cardigan can be paired. Fall colors such as burgundy, pale orange, brown, and black are good color options when deciding on a jumpsuit.

Spring jumpsuits can range from the ones with pants to shorts. This time has the most freedom because the temperature usually is not too hot nor too cold. Casual jewelry for the daytime such as stud earrings and calm chain necklaces work and for night a masterpiece of a necklace or earrings can work great with a solid color jumpsuit.

“I feel like jumpsuits are coming back because they are so different” Ashlyn Lowry, a senior, said, “everyone is trying to be like hipster and trendy and I think that is what is so appealing about them right now.”

There are a few universal rules that go along with wearing a jumpsuit. A do would be to pair it with a jacket to make it look more subtle. The jacket should be a similar color to the jumpsuit or on the same color palette. Also wearing an all black jumpsuit, even though hot in the summer, is an easy way for a slimming look.

Try to avoid wearing a jumpsuit that is like a second skin. Flowy jumpsuits are easier to find to match a body type while skin tight ones show off every flaw. Another is to avoid wearing bold jewelry with a bold print.

4grace rowett 7

opinion

israel israeli cool

a sAygE bOllI

see it my way jacob emnett and shelby nichols debate the israel-palestine conflict

Surrounded by twenty-one Arab countries, the New Jerseysized country of Israel faced inevitable conflict because of the contradicting religions. However, having to fight non-stop since the second day of statehood is a bit ridiculous.

Bottom line is that most Palestinians and many other Muslims and Arabs do not recognize the Jewish state of Israel to exist.

Hamas is an extremist group, located in Gaza, who takes it one step further; their motto being “We love death more than you love life” (referring to Israel).

Since the initiation of Operation Protective Edge by Israel, over 4,480 rockets have been fired by Hamas. 3,574 actually struck Israel, while Israel has fired around 4,200 rockets. 2,168 Palestinians and 70 Israelis have been killed since Protective Edge according to If Americans Knew, which is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the Arab–Israeli conflict. “So then why have more citizens of Gaza perished than those in Israel?” you might ask. Well, Israel actually cares about the safety and well-being of its citizens, that being their number one priority. Hamas does just the opposite. This terrorist group uses residential areas as strongholds, uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, hides weapons in schools and mosques, hide in hospitals and ambulances, and fires rockets at innocent civilians, and they have admitted to all of it.

Israel just wants to live in peace in a country that, yes, was their land first. If Israel were to lay down their weapons right now, there would be no more Israel. If Hamas were to lay down their weapons, there would be peace.

Countless times over the history of Israel being a state they have sacrificed things for peace. In 1979, Israel gave the entire Sinai Peninsula, an area larger than Israel itself and full of oil, back to Egypt just for the sake of peace.

Why is it that Israel seems to be the only country that will do whatever it takes to stop the fighting? Arabs and Muslims are shown to be the only victims in this situation living in ghettos and dying off left and right with no place to go. Not true- when Israel was first declared a state, it was split into a Jewish and Arab state; however,the Arabs did not accept this because they do not accept Israel as a state.

So, after constant years of threats and fighting, Israel took the land. However, Israel is more than willing to give land to the Palestinians as long as they are willing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and promise to live in peace. Israel has offered land to Palestinians, but Palestinians declined it and instead sent in suicide bombers.

In my opinion, I see four outcomes to this conflict. The first would be for Palestinians to accept Israel as a state and to live together in peace as one state. The second would be the destruction of one side by the other. The third would be the continuation of fighting until an agreement can be made.

The fourth and most popular solution in regards to peace would be a two-state conclusion where both Israelis and Palestinians would have their own independent states. A majority of both sides agree with this proposal; however, working out the details of this plan seems to be a bit too difficult with both sides most likely having very strong opinions.

\JOANNE AIRE-OAIHIMIRE

OCTOBER ARTICLES

Choose Your Weapon LIFE

Shelby Nichols delves into the psychology of video games and what makes them so popular

When playing video games, people get to enter an entirely different reality than that of their own. Some would argue that is the reason behind its popularity; the ability to escape the real world.

In a MacArthur Foundation survey of young adults age 12-17, it was found that 99 percent of boys play video games and 94 percent of girls, with little differences across ethnicities.

“It’s giving you a whole different perspective on life,” Chris DiMarco, a junior, said. “It’s like a virtual reality that you can’t create with anything else.”

Scott Rigby, with a Ph.D. in clinical and social psychology from the University of Rochester, helped to found a research company that was designed to examine what makes video games so addicting. The result led him to what is called, “the three basic psychological needs.”

The first psychological need being “competence” or the desire to seek out control, or to feel mastery over a situ-

ation. People naturally like to find success in something and make accomplishments, video games quench that thirst whenever someone can level up or even finish a game.

“I like playing video games because they have amazing graphics and because it is an escape into another world where you can hang out with your friends and not worry about real life,” Duncan Scheope, a junior, said.

The second need is “autonomy,” the desire to feel independent or have a certain amount of control over actions.

This theory is behind why imprisonment is a punishment and rules are disobeyed so often. To be in control of everything and make decisions is what is appealing about video games; they allow for an unlimited amount of free choices.

Final need is “relatedness,” or the feeling of wanting to be accepted and make significant contributions to life. In a 2003 study, the University of Massachusetts Medical

School discovered that people with selfless actions generally have higher levels of mental health and overall less stress. In video games, the gamer is the main person of the game and has many opportunities to make significant contributions to the situation the game offers.

"I can understand the appeal of video games to so many teens," Steve Weled, video gamer, said. "The real world can be hard and scary and video games help people forget."

While video games are there for people as a means to escape from the real world, it can even help students discover what they want to do in the future. “I used to want to do something else with my life but then I started playing video games a lot and it made me want to design video games. It helped me decide what I want to do with my life,” DiMarco said.

INDIE GAMES FOR ALL FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

A horror game about surviving five nights as a night-guard at a pizza parlor where the animatronic mascots come to life and try to hunt the player down.

MASSIVE CHALICE

A turn-based strategy game set in a medieval world where the player is an immortal king or queen who must fight off a demonic threat.

SKULLGIRLS ENCORE

Re-release of the game Skullgirls, 2D fighting style game, originally released in May 2013, is being released for new-generation consoles.

Story involves various women in the city of Canopy Kingdom seeking out the Skull Heart, a mystic object that grants any woman who is pure of heart a wish.

HOTLINE MIAMI

2D top-down action video game reminiscent of 8-bit set in a surreal atmosphere of 1980’s culture. Defined as a violent shootthem-up with stealth elements influenced by neo-noir film, Drive.

_RACHEL WEBB

TECH IS LOVE, TECH IS LIFE TOUCHPICO A small device that, when turned on, becomes a projector, turning any wall into an Android touchscreen. It also can give the desktop, and mobile

SNOOPERSCOPE This small camera can be attached to any Android or IOS device. Instead of having it to assist the camera on your phone it will completely replace it. The only connection it has is a wi-fi connection, along with a

LACIE RUGGEDKEY A new key holder that provides the ultimate protection for key as well as data. Contains a SUB 3.0 interface and it is backward compatible with USB

Just the spot for a spot of tea

SPOTLIGHT

SHELBY NICHOLS offers a taste of a local tradition Full of fun trinkets, English memorabilia, and glamorous hats, the English Rose Tea Room is a fun place to experience a real British Sunday brunch.

Located at 201 Easy Street in Carefree, the English Rose Tea Room offers a neat getaway. From scones to finger sandwiches, and, of course, tea, this restaurant provides a fun taste of England.

Right when customers enter, they are engulfed with, and there is no better word, stuff. From little tea sets, jewelry, a life size cardboard cutout of the queen, and postcards, this place has it all. Connected on the side of the restaurant as well is a neat gift shop full of furniture and decorations.

As well as meals, this restaurant also provides etiquette classes. Classes are held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for ages 6-16 in groups of 6 to 12. Subjects covered are how to set a table, correct use of the knife and fork, use of the napkin, manners at the table, and tea party manners.

A perfect place to get dressed up in one’s Sunday best to meet up with their grandma or a group of girlfriends, the English Rose Tea Room is like a fish out of water.

Surrounded by cowboys and ranches, this restaurant is a unique addition to this area.

I highly recommend this restaurant/boutique to someone on the lookout for something out of the ordinary to do on a slow day.

A SPOT OF TEA just hits the spot for Beth Janins at the English Tea Room. The team room recalls a more elegant time and old British tradition. 4 CAMRYN MAYER

The lord, the klan, and the foreigner

T

HE FOREIGNER, this school year’s fall play, opened October 16, and runs through the 18th.

“It’s an extremely funny comedy,”Julia Horner, the “antagonist” in the show, said. The show revolves around a British man, Charlie, played by senior Ron Dunlap. Charlie comes from England with his friend who is ”incredibly boring and awkward and hates having conversation,” said Horner.

Because of his awkwardness and his overall dislike of talking to people, his friend tells everyone he meets that he is a Foreigner and not to talk to him. In reality, he is fully capable of understanding what they say.

“Rehearsals were Mondays through Thursdays from 2:15-4:30 and the practices usually involved us blocking scenes or doing character work and also memorizing lines,” Emma Smith, a

the stage manager, “The set has been quite some work. There are many different factors such as trap doors that have been created and overall the set is rather large, which has been a little unusual to experience, but other than that, it hasn’t been too much of a difference.”

A new year also brings new faces to the stage and this year’s new up and comer would be freshman Sam Chartier. “He is an understudy for Ron...he’s great. He works hard and just goes for it,” said Smith.

Every year, a theme is chosen that all the year’s shows will revolve around. “This years’ theme is eleemosynary which means charitable.

The main character is rising to the occasion to help other people.” Smith explained.

John Tracy, a junior, plays David Marshall Lee, the reverend, and Payam Bipar, a senior, plays his brother-in-law.

FOODIE

kin, e

by SHELBY NICHOLS news Editor

mpkin in different ocolate chip cookies make any snack an

uses for the versatile fall ingredient, pumpkin. o many autumn meals, from pancakes to seeds.

n or at they deli-

urday ocolate dering ere is king of flour, urther rning

ve been e. It is ffins mented ccording ed Latte

Nature Box delivers healthy food right to the front door

can be made at home. It takes five steps to make this October drink. First, heat up the pumpkin pulp and spices. Second, stir in the sugar. Third, warm the milk. Fourth, blend the milk. Fifth, mix the drinks.

PUMPKIN SEEDS: When carving pumpkins, the messy insides appear to be useless. Truth is, pumpkin seeds can be a simple and salty snack. When the carving fun is over, pull the seeds apart from the sticky fruit and rinse them in a strainer. Then, lay the seeds out on a pan and season them with salt, garlic powder, oil and pepper. The longer the seeds cook in the oven, the more toasted and crunchy they will turn out.

NUTELLA SWIRL PUMPKIN: Nutella has been a craze over the last few years that teens just cannot seem to get enough of. Adding this spread to recipes has been popular for a while, but the newest addition to the list of what goes good with Nutella would be pumpkin. Nutella swirl pumpkin bread is a warm dessert that is simple to make. Once all the necessary ingredients are blended together, the only work to be done is to pour the mixture into loaf pans and let them cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. To learn more about how to create the perfect Nutella swirl pumpkin bread, go to Real Mom Kitchen’s website.

To avoid the hassle of grocey shopping, Nature Box allows for people to have healthy snacks delievered to their home.

Nature Box is a service that provides a wide range snacks that people pick out and then receive a month’s supply of it through the mail.

“It could be really useful for people with dietary restrictions with the huge variety of foods to accommodate them rather than that little section you find in the grocery store,” Alyssa Campbell, a junior, said.

To start, the program is 19.95 dollars when paying month to month, 17.95 dollars for three months, 16.95 dollars for six months, and 15.95 dollars a month for 12 months.

Then, choose from snacks that fall under any dietary restriction: gluten free, low carb, no sugar, vegan, soy free, dairy free, nut free, and genetically modified free. A limit of five snacks per month will then be sent directly to the address provided.

When ordering a box of snacks, either pick out specific snacks from the list or have a random box selected from the newest snack additions.

There are over 70 vegan snacks, 40 soy free snacks, 90 dairy free snacks, 70 gluten free snacks, 40 genetically modified free snacks, and 60 nut free snacks.

“It’s a smart idea and when we move into the future it will be more prominent, I just don’t know how comfortable people will be with it now; the concept of buying food on the internet is just so new,” Jamie Behymer, a senior, said.

According to Nature Box, all of their snacks have no high fructose corn syrup, 0 grams of trans fat, no partially hydrogenated oils, no artificial colors, no artificial sweeteners, and no artificial flavors.

Also, for every box donated, Nature Box donates one meal through Feeding America and are attempting to reach a goal of one million meals.

Feeding America is a United States-based non-profit organization that is a nationwide network of food banks that feeds more than 37 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

“If someone got a hold of your box and did something to it you wouldn’t know,” Behymer said, ”I wouldn't feel comfortable buying something off the internet because you never know what you are going to get even though they claim something about it online.”

To get ten dollars in credit, recommend Nature Box to a friend through their website, naturebox.com.

If one decides to sign up as a member, they will receive healthy living tips, recipes, and discounts on snacks.

The snacks that come in the box every month are enough to last a month. Nature Box also has a gift option, with a three month subscription for 59.95 dollars, a six month subscription for 99.95, and a 12 month supscription for 199.95 dollars.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

NOVEMBER ARTICLES

ets to nine.

In 2006 the International Astronomical Union, a group that focuses on naming planetary bodies, declared that Pluto was not considered a planet. As a result, Pluto became known as a dwarf planet.

However, A recent debate at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics concluded that Pluto is a planet. The public will know shortly if Pluto will be reinstated.

MARS NEEDS WOMEN

It is a common theme in science fiction: humans drive Earth into the ground, poisoning their planet and sucking up it’s resources like a dehydrated parasite. So they pack up their things and make a noble migration across the stars- giving them the opportunity to tarnish another one.

Such a concept may no longer be fiction.

Mars One is a Norwegian, non-profit organization convinced they will have humans on Mars by 2025. They expect to have astronauts on mars not only looking rather closely at orange rocks, but a functioning human colony: a stronghold and safe haven for when Earth inevitably falls apart.

Many believe that a colony on Mars is crucial to human survival. Elon Musk, a young, multi-billionaire and CEO of SpaceX, accredited humans making no extra-terrestrial

Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet when the International Astronomical Union concluded that for an object to be considered a planet it had to orbit the sun, be round or nearly round, and can clear a path around its orbit.

Pluto almost passed the test, however, according to the Union, Pluto was too small to have the ability to knock other space rocks out of its orbit.

“I learned throughout my childhood that it was [a planet]

“Because I grew up with it as a planet and I always considered it a planet. It’s kind of like it’s a family member that was disowned,” Riley Becquet, a senior, said.

Due to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Pluto might be reinstated. In order to determine for sure there is a spacecraft named New Horizons which is being sent through space and expected to land on Pluto in July.

This holds promise to end the eight year long debate.

contact to a macabre possibility. Saying there might be “a whole lot of dead, one-planet civilizations" littered across space. Musk has also introduced the idea of bioengineering humans to be better adapted for Martian conditions.

“If the only way I could get to another planet was to be bio engineered, I’d just take one for the team,” Sarah Nelson, a sophomore, said.

New research has shown that humans may join the ranks of dead, one-planet-civilizations. A study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that the first space pilgrims to arrive on Mars may only survive for 68 days- making the seven month journey only to be poisoned, by the mass amount of oxygen produced from vegetables.

“Oh, I think I would go on a one way trip to Mars,” Robert

Reisner, science teacher, said. “I certainly enjoy the concept of exploring, and I wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to set foot on an alien planet.”

FLYING INTO A STAR

Tests, research, and simulations have already begun for what many scientists and engineers believe will be humankind’s first interplanetary conquest: asteroids. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been given presidential directive to land astronauts on asteroids by 2025.

It will not be easy, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has called a human mission to an asteroid “the hardest thing we can do.”

Sun is on my side “We would be a self sustaining country, running off the energy they [solar panel streets] would provide.” -Joey Meshinsky

I

MAGINE an invention that would replace

all the asphalt roads in the nation with solar panels. This invention would be able to filter storm water, prevent icy roads caused by melting snow, light up when there is an obstruction in the road, and most importantly, generate more than three times the electricity the US uses. Now imagine this invention as something that has already been invented.

Solar Roadways was created by an Idaho couple with an electrical engineering background. In 2009, the Federal Highway Association contacted the couple to build the first prototype.

These solar panels are made with a durable textured glass and have been reported, through testing, to withstand around 250,000 pounds.

“I think it would be worth the cost because it gets rid of all the extra costs, such as repainting, and it also has some great environmental benefits,” Natalie Neri, junior, said.

If this invention were to replace all asphalt, the US would no longer have to rely so heavily on fossil fuels and foreign energy. Also, people with electric cars will be able to charge up anywhere on the road, leading to the same range as a gasolinepowered car.

“We would be a self sustaining country, running off the energy they [solar panel streets] would provide,” Joey Meshinsky, senior, said.

Currently, this project is in its second stage of development, and has had multiple tests done on it so far such as load testing, traction testing, and impact resistance training, passing all tests listed above.

An aspect of this idea with the intention of saving some money is what the creators call “cable corridors”. These corridors would store all cables so they are no longer susceptible to weather and would allow utility workers easy access to them.

Since these would be under ground, there would be no more need for cell towers or wires having to be replaced from weather damage. Also, since these wires would run along all roads, there would be no more cell phone dead spots or areas with slow or no internet connection.

“It is a really smart idea, but if it were to happen, it would take a lot of time to tear up all that asphalt and replace it with those solar panels, not to mention costly,” Meshinsky said.

To cover all the streets in America, which add to roughly 29,000 square miles, would require around 5.6 billion panels, a cost of about 56 trillion dollars.

As of June 20, 2014, a campaign to raise money through indiegogo has raised $2,200,341 with the original $1,000,000 goal. This money will go towards more testing of the product.

~SHELBY NICHOLS NOVEMBER 14, 2014

11

t, d. m oil.

ds.

o w er

s ut

-

us y

e

al

o,

taken

weekend.

"I think this farmers market is great. It gives everyone an opportunity to buy food with no pesticides and it is completely organic," Suzanna Gormley,

Swanson, senior, said. “They grow some of the most delicious produce and it always looks beautiful. I really like that they have so many options of products.” Not only does she

Encanto Dos, selling items on Saturday mornings from 8AM-3PM, and the market at the sundial in Cave Creek, selling every Friday morning.

~ JOANNE AIRE-OAIHIMIRE

Local produce hits the Creek

Farmers markets are a common sight in Cave Creek, but an uncommon sight would be to see food sold there that was not home or locally grown. With the price of farming ranging all over the charts, there can be many benefits to outweigh the costs.

According to Desert Roots farm, a local farm in Queen Creek, the top three reasons to eat locally are for “freshness, taste, and nutrition.” Buying locally grown food usually means that it was harvested in the last 24 hours and many farms, such as Desert Roots, pride themselves on their more “nutritiously complete” produce.

“I would like to know where my food is being grown, also having local grown food usually ensures freshness and that is always a good thing,” Jordan Tartaglia, senior and local food shopper, said.

There are many aspects to growing food and raising animals. First, an environment to do so.

For a garden with some fruits and vegetables, anywhere from a small area to grow a few tomatoes to a large area for an entire salads worth of food, what is important is the soil. A deep, organically rich soil encourages the growth of healthy, extensive roots that are able to reach more nutrients and water. To start, compost

is an important addition to the soil, for it adds organic nutrients to it and a good batch of soil should be “light, crumbly, and fluffy” according to eartheasy.com, a website that specializes in sustainable living.

Lastly, when growing vegetables or fruits, it is important to have the time to take care and watch over the produce, necessary watering and care is a large part of growing food.

“Basically all you have to do is clean their cage, feed them with food which was not expensive, and then collect the eggs, really simple,” Farren Flickinger, a senior and chicken owner, said.

When it comes to having animals, a more upkeep is needed.

“Basically all you have to do is clean their cage, feed them with food which was not expensive, and then collect the eggs, really simple.”

Farren Flickinger says about keeping chickens

When taking care of chickens, a chicken coop is a must have along with an area for the chickens to roam. Same with a goat or any other animal, a habitat is a necessity.

For example, here are the average costs of raising a chicken. All of the following information according to City Girl Farming, an organization which gives an urban guide to raising a backyard flock. The average cost of buying a baby chick is around three dollars.

For the first few weeks of their lives, they need a “brooder” or a place for them to live that is warm. A plastic bin will work fine and if needed, a brooder lamp can be bought for around 28 dollars.

After the price of a start up bag of food, water containers, and wood shavings for bedding, it should require no more than 75 dollars. The real costs come when having to buy or make a chicken coop, larger food containers, bedding, food, supplements, and more.

“I am a big proponent of supporting local businesses,” Danica Gianni, English teacher and health food enthusiast, said.

When buying food locally, it can help stimulate the local economy. More money going to local businesses rather than chains is “important for supporting the people in this community,” Gianni said.

~SHELBY NICHOLS 13

DECEMBER ARTICLES

this time the baby boomers were in their teens, which resulted in a mass amount of young adults deciding to rebel against their parents. Music took hold of this revolution and bands began to mirror what was happening in society.

"I think that society in the Sixties changed in that people started looking at others in a more equal way and that really influenced a change in peoples' minds. Equality had been fought for for so long and now integration had been coming into effect. Kids saw what was happening in Vietnam and didn't know how to feel so they did what kids do best and questioned and rebelled,” Riata Wendt, a junior, said.

In the early sixties, big names came out of the Sun Record Company in Memphis, Tennessee, such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison. Presley and the others were a few of the musicians who began to create a gap between parents and their children. Presley had sensual undertones in his music, and this was the time that parents saw a difference in how their children reacted to music.

and violence. For example, "The Unknown Soldier" is obviously related to Vietnam while "Crystal Ship" is related to the generation giving themselves to love and peace. The Doors' music was relatable to a wide range of people and was played on most radio stations,” Wendt said.

Other bands showcased new music or new ways to look at the genre they were associated with.

“The Velvet Underground started the underground punk scene and the Beatles showed that Rock n Roll could incorporate many harmonies,” Aaronson said.

Today's bands channel some of these influences from the sixties. Musicians take hold of what society is disturbed about or use their music to push how they feel. This is seen in pop, rock, rap, and everything in between.

There are musicians who still pick up on the same sound as bands from the sixties as well. As seen in many interviews with today’s artists, they tend to reference music from the sixties as a major influence.

Feverish disco dances into the `70s

It was the era of big hair, free living, and, most importantly, music.

Progressive Rock, Disco/Dance, ~SHELBY NICHOLS Punk Rock, and Funk and Soul were the popular genres of the ’70s and evident through culture of the time.

From bands such as the Bee Gees and K.C and the Sunshine Band to Pink Floyd and Rush with some Ramones and the Jackson 5, this era was bursting with music that reflected the culture.

The era started off with glam rock and singers such as David Bowie and T-Rex. This type of music was very theatrical with lyrics that had a futuristic tone and references to sex and drugs.

“I know a big movie from the ’70s was Saturday Night Fever and that was based on disco. So you could say that the music affected the culture because what was popular in music was being relayed on popular media outlets,” Allie O’Connor, a senior, said. “If a movie like that were to come out today the music would be like pop and rap and all the current trending genres.”

Disco is defined as a genre of dance music containing elements of funk, pop, and psychedelic soul music. It happened to be the next major fad after glam rock, lasting from the mid to late 70’s. This type of music is thought to be one of the most influential for it led to changes in social life, movies and

television, language, fashion, drug abuse, and sexual liberation.

Dance clubs such as Studio 54 in New York City and the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Hollywood were major attractions during this period because they were places where men and women, gay or straight, anyone from a variety of ethnic backgrounds could come together to escape what was happening in the real world.

“When you think of everything that was going on during this time, it makes sense that people would come up with a way to try and escape it for a little bit,” Monica Hamm, a senior, said, “Disco was there and they used it to their advantage and made all of these dance clubs out of it.”

The Vietnam War had just come to an end, Nixon had resigned, Elvis was found dead, and Iran took American hostages in Tehran. Just like it always has been, people generally do not like to hear or deal with bad news. The solution of the ’70s was to dance away the night, and their worries.

An overall theme apparent in most songs of this time is “sex without consequence”. What was previously looked at as risky and dirty was now looked at as a normal part of society. This was before sexually transmitted diseases and the anti-drug movement became popular so people did not think twice about it, eventually leading to this time being referred to as “the swinging ‘70s”.

dead but rock still rolls on in the `80s

n a scrunchie, fanny packs strapped nd, the ’80s was a decade that knew me known for its classic movies and was all glued together by the iconic panied these years. usic Tevelevision Video in 1981, viewxperience music. Unlike “American d Sullivan Show” of the ’50s and ’60s, view music all the time. MTV not only on, but also incorporated music videos

with Rock’ n’ Roll branching into

e, hair guitar, pop, and rap… some on, because he made a point to be out he Cars. Each genre was relatable,”

SPORTS

Many of us engage in dangerous sports for the both the ...

THRILLS and SPILLS

T

HEELS OVER HEAD Elise Jones, a

4MADDIE JONES

Aking

risks is a part of everyday life, whether it be driving in a car or just stepping outside of the house. Risk is a natural occurrence. However, for some people, minimal risk is not enough.

Some people take on larger risk activities to fulfill this feeling, such as big wave surfing, rock climbing, mountain biking, ice climbing, ice skating, and long boarding.

“Sure the risk is a huge part and wanting to get that adrenaline rush,” Ava Dyston, a junior, said. “But I think it is about the feeling of being free for a second, no other worries.”

SURFING BIG ONES

Big Wave surfing is defined as a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves which are at least 20 feet tall.

This type of surfing was “discovered” or brought to the public eye in 1953 when an image of big wave surfers George Downing, Wally Froiseth and Buzzy Trent was printed on the front page of a Californian newspaper.

This image led to California surfers traveling to Hawaii at Makaha to experience the new type of surfing.

DECEMBER 12, 2014

seventh grader, jumps on her trampoline in her backyard.

HARD ROCK Rock Climbing, or extreme free soloing, is climbing outside on real rocks without any ropes rather than inside a gym on a fake wall. The goal of this sport is to climb from the bottom to the top without falling.

Since there is no use of a rope, this sport is very dangerous under the premise that if you fall, you die. This sport is not competitive, but is instead something that climbers do for themselves. It is about freedom and the ability to climb without any restrictions.

KEEP ROLLING Extreme Mountain biking can be split up into three categories: downhill mountain biking, dirt jumping mountain biking, and cross country mountain biking.

Downhill mountain biking take advantage of ski slopes during the summer and the main purpose of it is speed. Dirt Jumping is more common for experienced BMX riders and the purpose is to perform the most extravagant jumps in the air.

Cross Country biking covers 30 miles and can be performed on several rough and rugged land surfaces. This competition starts marathon style. “I don’t think its worth it to do such risky activities,” Laura Cowan, Creeker, said. “Why risk your life

for a ten second feeling of freedom?”

“I don’t think its worth it to do such risky activities,” Laura Cowan, creeker, said, “why risk your life for a ten second feeling of freedom.”

SLIPPERY SLOPE Ice Climbing evolved from the type of rock climbing mentioned earlier. When rock climbing, climbers had to figure out ways to maneuver icy surfaces in high altitudes, so new tools were created.

The creation of these new tools led climbers to just climb ice instead; frozen waterfalls or glaciers are most common.

The birth of ice climbing can be traced to a man in 1908 named Oscar Eckinstein, who designed “crampons” or toothed claws.

This invention was a shoe that allowed a climber to gain traction on the slippery ice.

LEAPS AND FALLS Ice skating competitively comes in two forms; figure skating and speed skating.

Figure skating was modernized in 1990 when the International Skating Union eliminated the compulsory figures from singles competition.

Now, the skaters are judged on their ability to perform jumps, spins, spirals,

and to skate a program coordinated with music. There has been a trend toward more athleticism in free-skating events, adding more complicated and daring jumps.

“I loved the feeling of being on the ice, its hard to explain, but once you are there doing tricks in the moment, you forget about the risk,” Leah Klein, former ice skater, said. “All I could think about was how much I wanted to land my hardest tricks.”

Speed skating is held on large outdoor rinks where two skaters race at a time up to speeds of around 30 miles per hour.

LONG BOARDS There are some sub-variation of downhill longboarding, but the basic concept is the same; stand on the longboard and skate down on an open road. People tend to stand when long-boarding, but there are variations where the rider lies down feet first for aerodynamic reasons. Longboarding was created in the 60’s when surfers became frustrated with bad wave conditions. In the 70’s, long-boards started to appear. To break the world record for fastest speed while riding a longboard, one would have to reach speeds of over 80 miles per hour.

~SHELBY NICHOLS

21