Annalee Barnett

Annalee Barnett

2016-17 Newspaper Portfolio

Self Analysis

This semester in Newspaper, I have grown in my writing, design, and leadership skills. The presidential election took place during this semester, which made many things more difficult than usual. As you may already know, I am an avid Trump supporter… most people in class are not. Although I felt testy at points I believe that I was, or I hoped I was, kind and diplomatic to everyone. However, I do believe that there were times where I could have spoken more freely or openly when I disagreed with something. If I could change one thing from last semester, I would take more risks. I would sign up for more difficult articles, I would take more pictures, volunteer for more jobs, and apply for positions that I know are out of my reach. Because if I never try, it will never happen, but if I do, I might just be surprised.

Being a leader was never the first things on my list of priorities when I joined this class. I planned on keeping my head down and writing as much as possible, but leadership is in my family. My father, uncle, aunt, grandfather, and great grandfather all lead or have led or pastored their own churches. For some reason I didn’t inherit their natural leadership gene. They’re all fiery, bold, and outgoing leaders, while I see myself as quiet, calm, and a behind the scenes kind of person. I try to be as kind as possible as a leader and I hope it makes writers want to sign up for my page more.

Being a student leader in a class of students can be difficult because no one likes to be judged and graded by peers. It is also diffiuclt to give a friend a bad score if they are deserving. If there was one thing that I could change about my leadership style, it would be my communication skills concerning my peers. I believe in order for a person to be succesful in a leadship position, you have to know the people writing for you. Next semester, and in the future, I will become more involved with the writers around me. If I can tell that they are having a bad day, I’ll pray for them and try to be as kind as possible, if they’re having a great day, I’ll be just as excited for them as they are for themselves. Even if I end up arguing or disagreing with my peers, I will stand to my values, but I will try everything to make ammends.

In InDesign this semester, I was taught many new things and was very pleased to learn that pervious skills and information from last year had stuck. I thought that I applied lessons from last year to this semeseter very well because I did not have to ask Mr. Adamson for nearly as much help as I did last year. I felt very “If I could change confident with different designs, tools, one thing from last and technicalities of InDesign. I even semester, I would take remembered how to ignore text wrap while writing captions, which has been more risks. I would sign a long time battle for me. I think that up for more difficult colleges like to see students have expearticles, I would take rience in diverse areas. more pictures, volunteer Concerning deadlines... they are still a challenge for me and I feel that this for more jobs, and apply semester I procrastinated a lot. I wrote for more positions that all of my stories the night before it was due and it always added so much stress, I know are out of my so next semester, I plan on writing one reach.” paragraph every night before it is due Annalee Barnett, sports so that the night before, all I have to do editor. is edit.

This semester, I also learned much more about journalism ethics due to several days dedicated to lessons.

I was pleased to find that I already knew a lot about journalism ethics but I was also happy to learn more. I even found myself writing in the journalistic style while writing an essay in english.

I believe that I was an asset to the staff by the ideas I brought to the table as well as my experience from last year and my freshmen year in Digital Journalism.

This year I had several fears about how the election results would effect the class but I was very happy to find that every person was still respectful and kind. This experience has left me with much love for everyone in the class because I know how different it is in the real world.

I think my greatest weakness is my personality. Maybe if I was a little more outgoing or bold I could be a better journalist. But I will work with what I got and make the best out of it.

Reflection 1

Out of all of my articles this semester, I am most proud of my Salt River Horse Shootings article. I worked the hardest on this article and took the most time on it. I emailed and called countless organizations including Forest Services, the Salt River Horse Association, the Audobon Society, and the BLM (Bureau of Land Managment). Two of those were government organizations and it was slightly intimidating talking to them because they were strangely defensive. When I interview a member of the tribe of the area that the horses occupied, the man asked me to send him the article so that there woud not be any law suits to deal with. However, I did not use any of his quotes, so that was not a problem. I was also proud that I reached the president of the Salt River Horse Management group. I think that this article was my best because I was pushy enough to get what I needed.

My most succesful spread was in the month of November on page 22.

There were two articles on this page and one picture, I thought that both articles, written by Sean Gannon and Emma Russelo, were very well written. The photo that was taken was very good as well.

What I liked most about this spread was how different both the articles were.

It wasn’t the same old “Boys Basketball is havinig a good season” article, it was unique. The articles were a Polo Match at West World and a Grand Prix in scottsdle. I have never heard of either of the events and I learned about them from two different people.

This was one of the more difficult spreads to complete however because I did not have the Polo picture or the Polo article until the day after production day because the event had taken place the day of production day. Emma did an awesome job of cooperating with me even when I was freaking out about the deadline.

From the first draft of the spread to the last, I feel that it improved majorly.

I had to move the Polo article from the bottom to the top of the page to make the overall spread more interesting. I also added a sidebar about cool Polo facts and Adammson helped out by adding a cut out picture of a Polo stick.

I had to fix the headline of the Grand Prix article to make it stretch all the way across the article in order to keep it from being awkward. What I like most about the finished product is the diversity of the articles and the quality of both visual aspects.

Editor Reflection

This year I was in the position of Sports Editor. This particular job has always been daunting to me due to how the pages were last year. In previous years, the Sports pages have alwasy been last minute and highly stressful due to the unwillingness of writers to want to write for sports.

I feel that this year, Sports has been highly dependable. I have been able to count on nearly all of my writers and when things are late, it is because my writer and I have clearly communicated a plan of action to get the work finished.

I am most proud of how the sports pages have turned out and how well the people who wrote for me did. When I asked them to add, edit, or write something, they did it without complaining and they did it well. I also had several common and dependable writers that wrote for me nearly every month.

For most editors, the beginning of the year began back in June when we had the Summer camp for editors. At the camp, we discussed what our goals would be for the 2016-17 school year. I believe that with so many new editors, we have done very well. Even though we may have “I am most proud of how the lost the Gold Crown and Pace Maker, I think that sports pages turned out and our paper this year is more than worthy because how well the writers who wrote countless hours of hard work and effort have been for me did. When I asked them poored into the paper by editors and writes alike. My to edit, edit, or write something, personal goals at the beginning of the school year included writing at least one front page article, which they did it without complaining I accomplished in the December issue, I wanted and they did it well.� to make my pages more organized and Annalee Barnett, sports editor. reliable, I wanted to become a better writer, a

stop, definit-

better photographer, a more reliable writer, and much more outspoken and pushy. I believe that I have become more pushy, a better writer, and that I have reliable pages. However, I do believe that I need to continue to work on my photography skills. I think that this year in Jounralism, I pushed myself much more than I did last year. I put myself in countless situations in which I felt very awkward, but I know I can do better. There should never be a point in which striving for improvment should and I can ley improve.

SEPTEMBER

September Article, Features, top small/mid/large colleges

FEATURES

CHOOSING A COLLEGE FOR DUMMIES The power of choice: while some students have just started high school, college is on the minds of many. Several elements are involved in selecting a college. Avoid making wrong choices by having all of the information.

E

By ANNALEE BARNETT g sports editor

VERY year, high school juniors and seniors enter a mad rush to find and be accepted to the college of their choice. However, due to location, price, and other obstacles, finding a college that fits them can be immensely difficult.

The Princeton Review of Colleges is a useful tool for any student who may be at an impasse in the college decision making process. The Princeton Review is a prestigious organization that rates schools every year based on affordability, acceptance rate, size, and other factors. They poll students from around the country to produce the list of rankings.

“Use that as one point of data, it’s one source.

Everybody has their agendas, everybody has their opinions, so between the college board, the Princeton Review, even just personal anecdotal views,” said high school counselor Mike Sarraino.

Sarriano attended Kent University in Ohio and later transferred to the University of Phoenix for his Masters.

One college mentioned in the Princeton Review is the CUNY (City University of New York)--Hunter College. For the third consecutive year, Hunter College has been named by the Princeton Review, one of the top ten “Best Value” public colleges in the nation.

Hunter College is a liberal arts school with 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The school is very diverse and has students of all racial, ethnic, and cultural background. Hunter provides three schools- education, health sciences, and social work.

Hunter ollege is located on the upper east side of Manhattan and is the largest school within the CUNY organization.

“I think large colleges do have good education, smaller ones don’t have the university type feeling so I’d prefer the larger ones,” said Sydney Scudder, a junior. Scudder plans on attending Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe for business management. ASU is one of the top rated business schools in the country.

Scudder has visited many colleges such as Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Harvard Law in Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard is ranked in the Princeton Review as well. It has been ranked second as the toughest college to get into, and sixth for best career prospects. Harvard’s acceptance rate lies at 18 percent. While there are 5,232 applicants, only 561 end up attending the college.

Harvard is an Ivy league school, along with colleges like Stanford, Brown, Cornell, Yale, and Princeton. ““It’s good to want to go there [Ivy League colleges] but just know that they have a 5 percent acceptance rate so out of the 40,000 people that go there, a nominal amount of kids get in,” said Sarraino.

Stanford University has been ranked first on the Princeton Review for best classroom experience and eighth for best professors. It has an acceptance rate of 11 percent, while there are 3,847 applicants, only 180 will attend.

Drew Ballard, a junior, has not yet set his college plans in stone.

However, if he could attend any college he wanted, it would be Stanford or UCLA. “They’re really prestigious schools and they're out of state and it’s good to get the experience of out of state colleges and being a little more independent,” said Ballard. History and French particularly interest Ballard, and he plans on delving deeper into both topics when he reaches college, wherever that may be.

12 ■ SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY to think about college. Even though Kade Doran has some time to go before he has to worry about school, he looks at his options for potential universities. 4KEELY DORAN

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

SPORTS

TACKLING THE COMPETITION

By FAITH HASHER § staff writer

This fall season, the football team is focused on becoming a better team, with more practices and training.

“We are really focusing on process rather than the instant gratification of wins,” said junior Jordan Dauch.

The varsity team has zero hour every day, which means they come in an hour before school to lift to keep up their strength during the season. Then, after going to school all day they have practice from about 2:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Michael Hudnutt, head football coach, is confident in the team's season as he thinks they have worked harder than they have in previous years. The team has weaknesses, but he believes they can be fixed.

He said the team had a lot of penalties at the first game, “but we just have to improve every week.”

The season started off with the varsity football team winning their first two football games, the first against Seton Catholic with a final score of 33-9, and the second against Mingus, with a final score of 13-6.

In senior Joe Palanzo’s eyes, the team is playing a little selfish and need to learn to play efficiently together.

After the first game Hudnutt gives some tips of what they are working on.

“We need to learn to play more as a team and we will be set,” said Palanzo.

Hayden Rummel, a senior, is hopeful in the team this year because most of the seniors have been playing “Before together since a very young age. every game, I “We have a personally say lot of seniors, so we have a lot of a speech and experience,” said Sam Nolette Rummel. says a team Hudnutt agrees. “Having prayer.” thirty seniors on Hayden our roster makes Rummel, senior. a huge difference,” he said.

Some of the football players believe that Saguaro is going to be their biggest competition.

Palanzo is confident if they work efficiently together that they will put up a good fight.

“Before every game, I personally say a speech and Sam Nolette says a team prayer” said Rummel.

These traditions are done before every game whether it is home or away.

AT THEIR FIRST game of the year Varsity football players line up and focus on the upcoming challenge.

4 FAITH HASHER

VOLLEYBALL OFF TO A SMASHING START Louis Jagus previews the upcoming season for the Cactus Shadows varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen teams.

SERVING THE BALL TO THE OPPOSING team,

senior Kiersten Seaback contributes to the win against Paradise Valley High School.

4LOUIS JAGUS

18 ■ SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

The volleyball teams have been pulverizing the competition with a winning streak of 2-0. Their first home game on September 1 was an undeniable victory for the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams alike. Zach Davis, the Varsity coach, is “excited and optimistic” about the season ahead.

“My girls are crushing it and I look forward to watching them grow throughout their volleyball careers,” said Davis.

Reilly Puckett, a middle hitter on the junior varsity team, finds it difficult to balance school and sports.

She manages to be a straight A student and a first string athlete by squeezing in some personal time.

Despite the exhaustion that the athletes experience, they still love the sport and some aspire to receive volleyball scholarships.

“The late nights are worth it,” said

Puckett confidently. “My motivation to do well on my homework and finish my assignments comes from volleyball because if my grades are bad, then I can’t play.”

Balancing school, work, and athletics is a challenge, but with junior varsity practice five days per week from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and varsity practice 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the student athletes need to utilize every single free second that they can to finish their assignments. Even their weekends are dominated by the packed volleyball schedule.

The girls must attend mandatory conditioning on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Davis and the other coaches push their athletes to work hard, but are sympathetic to the fact that academics must come first.

“The positive playing environment created by our coaches ele-

vates our playing and makes us want to work harder,” said Puckett.

The goal for the girls’ volleyball team is to continue to work hard in order to win. They were 4A Division I Region Champions in 2008. In 2007, they were the runner-up of 4A Division I State Team, one of the most difficult tournaments to get any kind of recognition in.

“Our recent success is due to hard work at practice and encouragement by our coaches,” said Kiersten Seaback, senior.

Katherine O’Connor, the predominant middle hitter, is “looking forward to what the season has to offer, not only for the team but for the program as a whole.” Her optimism seems to be contagious as her teammates nod in agreement during the first home game on September 1.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

TART

SWIM TEAM CHANGES DIVISIONS

By GRACE HAYCRAFT § staff writer

The swim team is preparing for a new season, ready to represent Cactus Shadows starting with their first match on September 1. There have been many changes to the team this year. The team has switched divisions, from division one to division two. The switch was made based on population. This affects who they play against; they will now compete against larger schools. This allows them to “race teams close to their performance level,” said Kailee Mckeon, a junior.

Quinn Akin, a senior, said, “I honestly don’t think it will have much of an effect on the team… we don’t really focus on the size of the school, we just like competing in general.”

In addition to change, Trevor Moore has joined the team as new assistant coach, doubling at a swim school nearby. He will be taking over the place of Justin Burns, who has coached for seven years. Moore will be helping along with head coach Eric Niebch.

As the new season starts, so does intensive training to get in shape.

Training for swim contains a mix of

on land practice and actual swimming.

“The training for the new season is really challenging because you have to push yourself, but you find out what you’re good at,” said Co-Captain Sara Jay. With all the training, each swimmer has some sort of motivation to improve, either personally, or based off of someone else.

“I look up to all of my teammates as swimmers, as well as my coach,” said Akin.

On a different side, “I don’t really look up to anyone in particular, I just want to do the best I can throughout high school,” said McKeon.

Multiple records have been broken in the team as of last year. According to AIA Online, Kobe Gall hold three records in the 100 free, 100 breast, and 200 free. Nicholas Rooker comes next with two records in the 100 fly and 200 Individual medley. On the girls’ team, Kendall Bennett holds the record in the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free.

These records have been set under the help of the captains Sara Jay and

Rachel Dutcher for the girls’ team and Kameron Moore and Kobe Gall for boys’. The captains have a variety of jobs to do besides swim, such as organizing team attire, setting up fundraisers, encouraging new teammates, and setting up the banquet and awards.

“I love [being co-captain], it can be stressful but I’m glad,” said Jay. With the thrill of the season beginning, swimmers can be excited or scared of many things. Perhaps most importantly, the meets. As Jay puts it, the charger invitational meet is the competition to be looking forward to.

“We get to compete against all of our division schools in one meet, and it is a great way for us to be able to place in our heat and meet other swimmers,” said Jay. Others are just excited about the season in general.

“I am most excited to compete with my amazing team. I have built great friendships and am excited to continue that,” said Akin.

A lot of effort has been put in to make the swim team better than ever, and students at Cactus Shadows should show them lots of support.

TEEING OFF INTO A NEW SEASON

By HALLIE WOOLDRIGE § staff writer

The boys and girls golf teams have now officially started their season with the goal of winning this year's state title.

State is one of the biggest golf tournaments. They compete against other teams in Arizona that have qualified.

State is not until the end of the season, so the girls will have time to prepare.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all of the girls improve on their skills throughout the season so we can do amazing at state,” said Coach Mark O’Brien, who teaches math.

At tournaments, only five compete at a time, so the teams have a system to choose who competes at each event. The entire team practices together and when a tournament is coming up they will have a small competition between their teammates to see who will fill those five spots.

“It’s so stressful because you really want to play,” said junior golfer Annalee Barnett. “You want to play so you can say you contributed to a match.

STROKING THE BALL into the

hole, senior Becki Meils, diles in her golf game after a break due to to a broken finger.

4HALLIE WOOLDRIGE THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Par is a term often used in golf. It is the average amount of times it should take to hit the ball in order to make it into the hole. When a golfer breaks par, it means he or she was able to get it in the hole with less hits than the average.

“My favorite memory is the first time I broke par in ninth grade,” said senior RJ Sirota.

Female golfers are a lot more rare than male golfers, so colleges tend to give out scholarship money to encourage girls to pursue golf.

Colleges also have a girls golf team so girls and boys can represent a college in a sport that interest him or her.

“You can get a lot of scholarship money if you are a girl and plan on golfing in college,” said Barnett.

One of the biggest challenges in golf is to get the ball in the hole in less than three putts. A three putt is when a golfer requires three putts to get a ball in the hole.

“My least favorite part of golfing is all of the times I have hit it in the water or out of bounds. Oh and three putting how could I forget that those are the worst,” said Sirota.

Another benefit to being on the girls golf team is the bonding. They often go out to team dinners with one another off of the golf course.

This helps them become a lot closer because they are in a more casual environment and don't have to be so serious and focused.

“My favorite experience is our team dinners and how close we are as a team. We all get along super well which makes it a lot of fun,” said senior Chantal Savoie.

Captain Taylor Searles, a senior, credits the golf team with helping her become a better person.

“Joining the golf team was the best decision of my life. It definitely made me the person I am today. The girls on the team are great and we just have a good time but we want to win as well,” said Searles.

SPORTS

Why do you come to Football games?

“I love seeing my friends at the football games.”

KEELI PUTNAM, FRESHMAN

“It’s fun cheering for our team. It’s school spirit.”

CHANDLER THOMAS, JUNIOR

“Well, I go to them because I like to wear a unicorn costume and get a lot of looks.

Little kids love me.”

SEAN BANKEMPER, JUNIOR

“They’re fun and there’s a lot of my friends there.”

KOLTON HANSEN, FRESHMAN

“They’re fun and exciting to watch our teams perform.”

MARK MARANDO, SOPHOMORE 4LOGAN LARKIN SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 ■ 19

OCTOBER

OCTOBER

October article, news, shooting horses

NEWS

no more horsing around The Salt River horses are in danger of being harmed if Forest Services are allowed to capture and kill them.

By annalee Barnett g sports editor

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, along with thousands of other horse lovers, have been fighting against the roundup and possible euthanization of the Salt River horses on U.S. Forest Services territory.

House Bill 2340 makes it illegal to kill, harm, or interfere with a herd of approximately 100 horses that reside in the Tonto National Forest area. However, both the Bureau of Land Management, otherwise known as the BLM, and Forest Services want the round up of the horses from the land due to possible safety hazards, overpopulation, and overall care for the horses.

This Bill is not permanent and will go into full effect on January 18, 2018. Forest Services deserted their plan for roundup after receiving thousands of messages from angry horse lovers.

Those who wish to have the horses rounded up believe that it may be for their own good.

“If [the horses] are starving out there, than it’s better for them to die humanely than having to suffer, but if it’s just because they’re annoying, I think they could find better ways,” said Taylor Searles, a senior. A rally on September 15 was held at a BLM board meeting by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

The group attended to denounce the proposal of killing 45,000 captured wild horses as well as to call out faults in the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro System.

The group has alone taken steps to ensure the safety of the horses as well as drivers along the highway, by providing fencing along the road to keep horses off of it.

“The fencing along the road came out of our pockets,” said Simone Netherlands, president of the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

The Audubon Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation is also concerned about the horses, but for different reasons. Some environmentalists say that the horses are hurting the habitat and causing harm to native species.

“None of the plants there evolved for the grazing of horses, so it’s definitely damaging,” said Steve Grager, a member of the Audubon Society.

While the Audubon Society and environmentalists believe that the horses are hurting the ecosystem, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group believes otherwise. A 2009 study in the BMC Ecology showed that there were cases of native plants becoming more diverse and growing through the distribution of seeds through manure.

“People think we only care about the horses, but we care about the entire environment,” said Netherlands.

There are approximately 80 to 140 horses on U.S. Forest Service land alone, with more horses in other territories. Geographically, the Salt River horses are located in three major locations, Tonto National Forest, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and Pima-Maricopa County Indian Community.

The Forest Service is only allowed to handle horses on their land, so if a large herd moved off their territory and into another, those horses would be protected by that land. In Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the horses are completely protected by tribal law.

A memorandum was signed by the Forest Services stating that the management of the wild horses can be undertaken by anyone as long as there is written consent from Forest Services.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group is made up of approximately 100 volunteers and holds volunteer and clean up days along the river. The group has several upcoming events such as a parade at Apache Junction and a presence at the Arabian Horse show at West World.

horses graze in a field,

at Spur Cross Ranch Reseration. These horses unlike the ones at the Salt River, are at no risk of being harmed. 4 lauren haggar

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

OCTObER 14, 2016 ■ 3

October article, opinion, standing for the flag

OPINION AS PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOCUS IN ON THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, STUDENTS WEIGH IN ON THE ISSUE OF THE FLAG

AnnAlee BArnett

respect our country Every man and women has total freedom in the United States.

They can say what they feel, they can be what they want, and they can stand up for what they think is right. These freedoms cannot be infringed upon. That’s the beauty of being an American.

Those who enjoy the liberties provided to them by the United States should also respect the flag of the country that gives them so much opportunity. Why protest against the very thhat gives you the right to do so?

Recently, there has been a surge of American citizens who have been sitting during the National Anthem. This trend was started by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick at the third preseason game when he refused to stand for the National Anthem due to his feelings regarding the police and oppression.

Kaepernick is in the public eye, so he should use his fame to voice issues that he feels are pressing in the United States.

However, there are better ways to speak out against police brutality then wearing anti police socks and sitting during the national anthem.

On August 27, Kaepernick's birth mother, Heidi Russo, sent out a tweet that read, “There’s ways to make change with“Why protest out disrespecting and bringing shame to against the the very country and family that afforded very thing you so many blessings.”

On August 28, 1963, one man successthat gives fully took a stand against black oppresyou the right sion in the United States without totally demeaning his country and his flag in to do so?” the process. Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the top of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and recited his famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” He changed history and helped stop oppression all while standing for the flag, imagine that.

Although Kaepernick’s protest is peaceful, it is not positive. In sitting during the national anthem, he has created a maelstrom of anger among fans and Americans. So much so that the focus has been put entirely on him and off the reason he is protesting.

The people he has angered are less likely to focus on the reason he’s sitting and more likely to focus on how much they disagree with him.

The hashtag, #VeteransForKaepernick is being used by Veterans who support Kaepernick’s display of freedom of speech.

Although there are many Veterans that are totally supporting Kaepernick, there are others who are not. They respect that he is exercising his right to freedom of speech (as is the right of every American), but they do not respect the way in which he does it.

There are people all around the world working hard to meet the requirements for American citizenship just so that they can experience the liberties most take for granted. Any one of those immigrants would be proud to stand for the National Anthem of the flag that gave them freedom.

Americans get used to the feeling of liberty, so something like standing for the flag seems banal and overdone, but in all honesty, it’s an honor.

iillustration by dominic daviEs THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

The RepoRT CaRd

kierA riley

right to protest It is safe to say there is a problem when peaceful protest is met with national uproar, anger, and a surplus of death threats. Those respectfully abstaining from standing for the national anthem, the pledge of allegiance, or basically anything that is relatively patriotic, are not committing acts of terrorism. They are doing just the opposite; they are exercising the rights given to them by the constitution.

This issue has always been controversial throughout history but it is just recently that there has been so much conflict surrounding it. One of the issues that has caught the attention of the media is NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

After his refusal to stand for the flag during the San Francisco 49ers’ third preseason game, many questions were raised regarding the situation. It was not until he released a statement confirming his “The problem actions and the reasons behind it that the is not his situation exploded.

The reason he has taken this stance is due protest, the to the issues surrounding police violence problem is the towards people of color. It is his way of bringpeople who ing attention to an issue negatively impacting millions of lives in America, so what’s fail to see the the big fuss? patriotism in Many have viciously attacked the player, even going so far as sending him violent challenging threats littered with racial slurs and burning oppression in of his jersey. All of the outrage is happenthis country.” ing on the basis that it is disrespectful and anti-American. There are viable points coming from the opposition, but most of them do not focus on the reasoning behind the protest, but rather the act itself.

The strongest argument points out that Kaepernick is disrespecting the soldiers that fought for his right to freedom, but his fails to recognize that his freedoms include the right to peaceful protest, and freedom of speech.

Veterans have backed Kaepernick on social media platforms, starting the hashtag, #VeteransforKaepernick. The soldiers voicing their support for Kaepernick say they are proud to defend his freedom of speech. They encourage taking a stand, creating change and challenging injustice.

Blind patriotism often clouds the already foggy scope of the values that this country was originally built on. When the founding fathers created the constitution, they made it in a way in which the people had the power to speak out against what they saw as wrong or unjust. It is evident in the history of the United States that the people can and should challenge the government and strive to make it fair for all.

Through Kaepernick’s protests, he is bringing awareness to government institutions that have been bigoted, oppressive, and violent towards people. Exercising his basic freedoms is the opposite of disrespecting those who have fought for it, it is embracing and using these rights to try and make a positive change in a broken system.

Frankly, the people focusing on the issue of sitting for the national anthem are the people who are deliberately trying to avoid the issue Kaepernick is bringing awareness to.

The problem is not his protest, the problem is the people who fail to see the patriotism in challenging oppression in this country.

weather Fall has come, but in Arizona sometimes it is hard to tell. The past couple weeks, the mornings have cooled down to around 75 degrees, but by the time most people leave school, it heats up to around 95 degrees. This weather calls for hot coffee in the mornings instead of iced, which brings a more winter feel.

b

homecoming theme This years homecoming is Alice in Wonderland themed, which will bring some creativity to the dance. Compared to last years theme, American Horror Story, this theme is more relatable to most students. The theme is based off the newer, creepier version of the movie, not the cartoon version. Because of this, the dance will have a darker, more mysterious feel.

a

advisory lessons The new advisory lessons are definitely a step up from last year’s.

With increasing organization and the focus on topics more prevalent in our school’s community, such as shootings, IDs and safety in general. The new packets enforce more student participation but still, students fail to participate. Overall, the lessons are more thorough but student interest is still low.

b-

UEmma rusEllo OCTObER 14, 2016 ■ 9

SPORTS

STANDING ALONE IN HER FIELD

TOO MUCH HEAD IN THE GAME?

By CAITY BONINE g staff writer

WATCHING HER TEAMMATES, Karli

Koskovich waits for her turn to contribute to winning the game. Koskovich is the first and only girl kicker on any Cactus Shadows football team.

4FAITH HASHER

F

By FAITH HASHER g staff writer

OR the first time ever at Cactus Shadows there is a girl kicker.

Karli Koskovich, a freshman, was recruited by Coach Michael Hudnutt to be a part of the football team.

Ever since Koskovich was a little girl she always enjoyed kicking. While many find it unique that Koskovich kicks for the team, she finds it perfectly normal.

“My dad is a coach at Paradise Valley and he’s been doing the coaching since I was like six,” said Koskovich.

Koskovich grew up with football, and after all of her dad's practices and games, she would go on the field and practice kicking. People may think that, because Koskovich is a girl kicker, she gets special privileges. However, “I beat out two kickers [for this position],” said Koskovich.

“It was definitely an adjustment for the coaching staff, but realized she signed up

for this, so she is going to be treated like every other football player,” said freshman coach Adrian Drew.

Koskovich is out at practice training just like every other player. When the team is having to condition, she is out there too.

“Conditioning is the worst part with all the pads on,” said Koskovich.

“A lot of the dynamics changed on the team because we used to make a lot of “girl” jokes,” said freshman teammate, Blake Williams.

Having a girl on the team has shown the football players that girls are capable of performing at the same levels as boys.

“It motivates the guys a little more especially with [extra points] so they are motivated to block a little harder and make a tackle during a kick off so she does not have to put herself in harm's way,” said Drew.

The guys would like to protect their teammate as she is a valuable aspect of the

team.

“I have not made all of my field goals ,but my accuracy is pretty good, [the only weakness] I have is probably power,” said Koskovich.

Koskovich constantly practices her kicking whenever she can.

“I think she’ll continue [through high school], but I know she is still up in the air about it. I know the guys will get a little bit bigger and faster but she will too,” said Drew.

She is a huge asset to the football team now, and people are antici- KARLI KOSKOVpating she will con- ICH, a freshman has tinue through high joined the boys on the football field. school.

4LOGAN LARKIN

BREAKING THE LOSING STREAK Tonight, Cactus Shadows faces off against St. Mary’s in hopes of winning their first homecoming game in two years.

This year’s Homecoming game will take place on October 14, and the Cactus Shadows Falcons will be playing St. Mary’s Knights in an intense face off. The Falcons have lost the last two homecoming games against Notre Dame Prep.

“Last year they played a really good game against Saguaro, who is the best in the state,” said Michael Marchica, a junior on the varsity team.

This year, on September 16, the Knights played in a home game against Saguaro again, but lost with a final score of six points to Saguaro’s jaw dropping 36.

St. Mary’s has played six games already THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

this season with one win and five losses. So far this season, the Falcons have played five games, with four wins and one loss. They are ranked 64 in the state while Cactus Shadows is ranked 13 in the state.

The Captain of St. Mary’s varsity football team is Raymond Hixon, a junior who has only been playing for one year. His team includes senior Daniel Meador, who has been on the varsity team since 2014.

Meador is both quarterback and defensive back, with a total of eight passing touchdowns for this year, and ten solo tackles.

As a defensive back, he plays behind the defensive line and stops runs. His primary

goal is to defend pass attempts.

Another key player is Odua Isibor, a senior who is offensive line and defensive end. On a running play, as part of the offensive line, he blocks the defense and tries to open up holes in the defense.

Isibor has been on the varsity team since his sophomore year and averages eight point seven tackles per game, which according to Maxpreps is higher than the national average.

“It’s a bit nerve wracking, but I feel like if we come together and perform at the best we can, we have a shot,” said senior Cade Foster. UKEELY DORAN

Play smart, play safe. With the high risk of head injury that comes with playing the contact sport of football, the NFL has introduced disciplinary action for teams that do not follow the potential concussion protocol.

Before 2009, the National Football League did not have an official concussion protocol, let alone a way to enforce it. Over the last seven years, the protocol has been modified in order to increase the safety of the players.

“It’s important that the NFL has a protocol for concussions because of how common head injuries are and how serious they can be when they go untreated,” said sophomore Hunter Hubler.

According to the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association, the potential concussion protocol that must be followed by all teams includes the following: if a potential “It’s important that the concussion is NFL has a protocol identified the for concussions player will be removed becuase of how immediately common head injuries from the field.

Next, the and how serious they team physi- can be when they go cian and a untreated.” neurotrauma Hunter Hubler, sophomore. consultant will review the video footage and perform a neurological examination. If the player is diagnosed with a concussion, they will not be allowed to return to play on the same day.

“Education is power when it comes to concussions,” said the head athletic trainer, Joe Harvey.

In September of this year, the NFL has implemented disciplinary consequences for refusal to obey the concussion protocol if an injury is suspected. Depending on the situation, not following protocol could include disciplinary actions such as “club fines and possible forfeiture of draft picks,” according to the National Football League.

Concussions happen frequently in football, whether it is played at the high school, college, or professional level. But a study that was conducted by the Institute of Medicine showed high school football players to be nearly “twice as likely to sustain a concussion as college players.” The study estimated that high school football players sustain around 11.6 concussions for every 10,000 games or practices. For college players, that rate went down to 6.3.

“If players know how to properly tackle, it will greatly decrease the chance of concussions. It also helps having properly fitted helmets. But the amount of times there is head-tohead contact is too much to provide ultimate protection,” said Harvey.

Although there have been advancements in technology for more protective helmets, there is ultimately no guaranteed method of pre-

See CONCUSSIONS on page 19

OCTOBER 14, 2016 ■ 21

SPORTS

Teachers form fanTasy fooTball leagues

T

By Louise Jagus g staff writer

he Cactus Shadows teachers’ fantasy football league has brought an aspect of healthy competition and bonding among teachers of all subjects. Fantasy football is the competition in which participants select imaginary teams from existing players in the NFL and score points according to the actual performance of their players.

Rojon Mitchell, security guard, began participating in fantasy football about four years ago. His favorite team is the Washington Redskins, but they do not compose the bulk of his lineup.

“I don’t like picking players from my favorite team, it’s just too stressful,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell’s favorite part of fantasy football is making his lineup for next Sunday’s game and keeping track of the players. His personal attachment to players sometimes hinders his ability to remove them from the lineup if their performance was poor in the previous game, but he is still ranked 18 and has a 2-0 track record in the Cactus Shadows league.

At the beginning of the year, the participants of the league met at counselor Mike Sarraino’s house to draft players.

“It’s very stressful and frustrating,” said Mitchell. “I probably won’t ever do

that again.” was driven by his competitive nature Even though Mitchell finds the pro- and love for the Pittsburgh Steelers. cess of compiling his Sunday lineup “Fantasy Football is a double edged frustrating, he believes that fan- sword. Some weeks I love it, but most tasy football has become so popular weeks, not so much. It definitely brings because of the easy competition and me more frustration than pleasure,” user friendly point system. said Pettinato.

“Right now, Mr. Cencer has the most Newly appointed athletic director, points, but it won’t be long until I’m on James Swetter, has participated in top again. I’m confident in my lineup Fantasy Football for two years now. this time,” said Mitchell.

“I joined the league to create a stronAaron Pettinato, the new dean, is ger bond with the teachers. It’s not the original organizer of the teacher really about the competition for me,” league. He recruited 18 teachers from said Swetter. all different subjects to join his league.

His current record, 1-3, is tied with “Usually Fantasy Football leagues Pettinato, but the feud between the are composed of eight to 14 people, so two is fueled by Swetter’s hatred for we had to expand the Pittsburgh Steelers, the league,” said Pettinato’s favorite NFL “Right now Mr. Cencer team.

Pettinato.

He founded the “Fantasy Football has the most points, team to promote doesn’t really frustrate but it won’t be long camaraderie among me,” said Swetter, “In all the teachers and reality, it’s just fantasy until I’m on top again. staff, but lots of and shouldn’t be taken I’m confident in my friendly trash talk so seriously.” lineup this time.” happens behind the The diversity of comscenes. petition among the Rojon Mitchell “The Laurie’s (Ms. teachers in the league Umbarger and Ms. varies from aloof to DiCiccio) are ruthdevious, as shown by less. I lost pretty bad last week and the contrast of Swetter and Umbarger. they frequently reminded me of it,” says Despite the heated rivalries, the Pettinato. ,” said Pettinato. friendly bond between the teachers has Pettinato’s love of Fantasy Football not weakened.

Crossfit continues to gain popularity Crossfit is a rising fitness craze, and some students and teachers have chosen to take part in it. It may not seem like it, but Crossfit’s growth has risen tremendously over a decade. There are over 7,000 gyms now that are affiliated with crossfit, “a huge jump from just 13 in 2005,” as stated by channelsignal. com.

“I think people like it so much because they change it into a sport, so instead of just ‘working out’ it’s now the kind of like the ‘sport of fitness’,” said John Thompson, yearbook and CTE teacher who participates in the sport.

When someone hears the word ‘Crossfit,’ they probably think of a bodybuilder, or huge weights, or something involving an intimidating exercise.

“People get scared because they think it's crazy hard or just super intense but

really it's not bad at all. I don't think I'm really that strong and I can do it,” said senior Korie Kerr.

A big question about crossfit is if it is really any different from regular strenuous exercise.

“In Crossfit, you are incorporating different exercises every time you come in to work out. With regular exercise, you fall into a pattern, so you will probably not get the full workout you're looking for. The whole time I've been doing Crossfit, I've never had the same workout twice,” said Thompson.

Even though there have been no studies showing a major increase of serious injury from Crossfit, it is a good idea to be careful and serious if planning on joining. Many heavy weights and equipment are used and some people do not know what to do with them,

and end up getting hurt.

“It’s easy to get hurt by doing Crossfit if you aren’t very experienced and try to do everything too fast. Start out slow and make sure you’re doing the movements right,” said Thompson.

Teenagers may be timid to try Crossfit because of the fact that they are teenagers but the sport is for everyone. There are no age restrictions, recommendations, or specific risks for young people to do Crossfit.

“Teenagers think that since mainly adults are seen doing it that it would be weird for them to, but there's nothing wrong with doing it as a teenager. I do and it’s fine,” said Kerr.

Beneath all the stigma and misconceptions, Crossfit is a great idea for anyone trying to get in shape, but wants something different.

Uolivia Stickel

fooTball leagues conTinue To confronT The danger of concussions Continued from page 18 venting concussions in football.

“Advancements in helmets have helped but concussions are unavoidable. Football is a contact sport and they are bound to happen,” said junior Brandon Busbee.

22 ■ OctOber 14, 2016

Concussion protocols have been introduced and implemented in most football organizations in order to provide proper care for head injuries. Many high schools have a concussion protocol in place.

“At the beginning of every season, teams are required to take a concussion test to determine their baseline levels.

If we have an athlete with a suspected concussion, we perform a separate concussion test to determine what level of symptoms they have and to test different aspects of their brain. Athletes must be symptom free for seven days after taking another impact/concussion test before being cleared for full activity,” said Harvey.

What’s your Fantasy Football Team?

“My main three players are Drew Brees, David Johnson, and probably Patriot’s defense, and I think I have a good chance at winning.”

Marcus watts, sophoMore

“My go-to guys are Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown, and David Johnson, but I know I will win, because fantasy football is my lifestyle.”

Matthew Vogel, sophoMore

“Andrew Luck, Jarvis Landry, and David Johnson are my three players and I think I’ll win because I’m the best.”

Duncan hearn, sophoMore

“I have Cam Newton, Theo Jones, and Greg Olsen. Of course, I’m going to win, my team is the best, simple.”

saMuel goulet, sophoMore “Robert Lee Griffin, Dez Bryant, and DAK Prescott, and I will definitely win because my three players are by far the best.”

4megan walker

BranDon BusBee, junior tHe cActUS SHADOWS PreSS

Lacrosse Comes to the Nest

C

By KEELY DORAN g staff writer

ACTUS

Shadows students interested in forming a lacrosse team need to “stick to it.”

Since the early 1800’s, lacrosse has dominated east coast schools and according to the Wall Street Journal, has recently started to muscle its way west. A competitive, bare minimum contact sport that focuses more on cutting, running and passing, lacrosse is slowly beginning to dominate high school sports.

“I think it will be great for our school because lacrosse is an upcoming sport that will be big in the valley,” said Becky Hreha, whose son has been playing for several years.

“Lacrosse is pretty much my life, and I play because it’s just the best combination of all the sports I’ve ever played,” said former student Michael Hart, who has been competing in division one lacrosse since his freshmen year.

Gibson Hreha, sophomore at Cactus Shadows and long time player of lacrosse at Pinnacle is pushing for approval of a club team. It is still unsure as to whether or not the request will go through and be approved by the Desert Foothills Athletic Club.

In order to approve a team, there needs to be enough student interest. The first week back to school, several Cactus Shadows students were seen with lacrosse sticks peeking out from their backpacks with a sign dangling that read, bring lacrosse to Cactus Shadows. Student interest will be no problem, as there are players who need to commute to Pinnacle for every practice, so bringing a team closer to home would be beneficial.

Another thing to consider is that Title IX requires if any new boys team are created, there needs to be the creation of another girls team, regardless of whether or not it is the same sport. Tim Jones, who would coach the boys lacrosse team, is currently working on lining up coaches for the “Lacrosse is pretty separate girls team.

Some current prob- much my life, and I play lems that lacrosse advobecause it’s just the cates are facing are the lack of facilities. Cactus best combination of Shadows provides base- all the sports I’ve ever ball, softball and footplayed.” ball fields, but none that have the proper Michael Hart, Cactus layout for lacrosse.

Shadows alumnus New lines would have to be painted, and without the funding, the lacrosse team would have to find an off-campus site to practice.

If a lacrosse team is formed, it would be a club sport, like hockey.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

SPORTS

CROSS COUNTRY TEAM PROJECTED TO WIN STATE

By FAITH HASHER g staff writer

The Cross Country team is expecting triumph for the season with a new team and new strategies.

This team has many tradition, including team dinner, Falcon challenge, and the Cone.

The Falcon challenge is a run at the beginning of the year, at which most athletes run the longest they have ever run.

The Cone is a kind of mascot for the boys team. Every year, the captains steal a cone and they name it.

“The team dinners, Falcon challenge and our cone are all traditions we have,” said Jack Magtibay, a sophomore.

Magtibay has already experienced a year on the team and feels that these things make the team stronger. He likes spending time with his teammates.

Co-captain Max Solberg agrees that traditions are an important part of being on the cross country team.

“Every year before state, our boys team shaves their legs because we think it makes us faster,” said Solberg.

This is an event that occurs at a team dinner and all of the boys go and buy razors to shave their legs. This is a bonding experience as a team because they find it abnormal for guys to shave their legs.

This year for the first time, cross country has added morning practices. They practice Tuesday and Thursdays before school at 5:30 a.m. in the morning. This gives the athletes a more quality work out as it is so hot in the afternoon.

“Variety keeps training interesting, helps with muscle bal-

ance, and makes the body adapt and get stronger. It's not new science just a different way to work toward the same or better results,” said head coach Jessie Nelson. “We can run longer and harder in the mornings than we can do in the heat,” said Solberg.

The athletes are willing to put in work early in the morning to train. They continue these mornings practices from there off season training in the summer where the mileage is high but then have to drop it in the 100 degrees fahrenheit.

“This year’s team is motivated, has strong leadership, positive attitudes and lofty goals. They understand the level of dedication needed to be successful. I think the team is strong mentally and physically,” said Nelson.

The team is confident in their ability to do well at State.

“Easy, state champions, boys and girls. We have put in the work, and the time has coming to reap the benefits,” said Magtibay.

This year on both the girls and boys team they have a strong seven runners on both teams, which makes a full varsity team.

“We’ve put in a lot of mileage over the summer and we are running a lot faster earlier in the season,” said Solberg.

Both the boys and the girls teams have been training during the whole season so this is the fifth month of training for this year.

“We all have to sacrifice so much for each other and it’s really great to see the dedication,” said Magtibay.

BEFORE THEIR MORNING PRACTICE, seniors Derek Pierce and

4LOGAN LARKIN

Carter Homan go through their regular warm up process for their five mile run.

4FAITH HASHER

OCTOBER 14, 2016 ■ 23

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER

November article, news, empty bowls

NEWS

Feeding the hungry one bowl at a time Harold’s Corral helps support World Hunger Day in the annual Empty Bowls Project.

By ANNALEE BARNETT g Sports Editor

ALL AROUND CAVE CREEK,

CAVE CREEK RESIDENTS DEEDEE WOOD AND GORDON MISCHKE, along with many others from across the valley, joined Harold’s Corral on World Hunger Day to help support St. Mary’s Food Bank. 4LOGAN LARKIN

local potters and artists band together to produce thousands of clay bowls for the annual Empty Bowls project. The Sonoran Arts League created the event nearly two decades ago, and since then it has flourished.

The project supports Foothills Food Bank.

“It gives [the community] cash flow so that they can buy meat and dairy product like milk which are commodities that can’t be donated. So they purchase those for individuals to keep them in the food bank,” said Marcia Lang, an art teacher who has supported the event since she lived in Michigan.

The Empty Bowls Project first began in the 1960’s out of the pottery movement at the time.

The event takes place on the third Friday of October every year in honor of World Hunger Day. Every donation given or bowl bought benefits the hungry.

Minimum donations are $15 dollars and it comes with the bowl chosen, a water bottle, and a piece of bread. The food is meant to represent the daily rations the hungry would receive.

This year’s event took place for the first time at Harold’s Corral, and with hundreds of bowls and even more people, it was a successful year.

The event raises approximately

$20,000 dollars a year and all of the proceeds are given to the Foothills Food Bank.

“It was a wonderful time, I think they sold pretty much most of the bowls. The leftover bowls are saved for next year,” said Lang.

At Cactus Shadows, four teachers got together and created 25 bowls to donate to the project. In previous years, students donated their bowls.

“I did it because it was an opportunity that the teacher gave to us so that we could raise money and help people,” said Tanner Laizeure, a junior.

Last year, Laizeure donated two of her bowls to the project. Also at the event was a silent auction where artwork from local artists was bidded off.

Over the years, the Empty Bowls project has grown dramatically with more local artists wanting to participate.

“I think the empty bowl project impacts the community because it’s a chance to raise money and awareness for the hungry as well as an opportunity for students to show their art,” said Tori Auer, a junior in Ceramics.

The project has also helped to raise awareness of hungry families in the Cave Creek area. According to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Arizona’s hunger rates are higher than the national averages: 17.8 percent of Arizonans are food insecure and the national average is 15.9 percent.

NATIONAL ENGLISH HONORS SOCIETY RAISES AWARENESS FOR BANNED BOOKS WEEK

By MADDIE HOWARD g spotlight editor

The National English Honor Society also known as NEHS is a club consisted of students that explore their love for literature.

This year the club has been raising awareness for Banned Books Week that started on September 25- October 1.

Banned Books Week took place across the country to show people what kinds of books are being taken under the rule of censorship. Some of these books are favorites to many, including The Great Gatsby.

“I was definitely surprised by the amount of books that were put on the list, some of my favorite books are on the list and I never even considered that they were ‘banned’,” said Maddie McCormick, a junior and NEHS member.

Some of the books that are also on the

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

list are a classic example of traditional English literature that has been read by many people for many years.

“We need to be exposed to an advanced type of literature level in order to get better at reading and analyzing,” said Abby Kitnick, a junior and NEHS member.

OLD BOOKS STILL BANNED

High schools students around the country are still reading books that were put on the banned list. Many of these books hold an amount of literature that has been taught in classrooms even before it made the list. Teachers want their students to discover this literature that can show them a way to appreciate the story.

“I don’t think any English teacher is neutral about banned books, books are a way of exchanging ideas and unless if

you aren’t afraid of ideas, you shouldn’t be afraid of books,” said Amy Metcalf, NEHS advisor and English teacher.

The censorship of books has not affected the learning environment of students because there are different types of books for each student and each grade.

There are different kinds of books that correlate with the level that each grade or each student might be at. The community is understanding of the tools that the students may need in order to gain more knowledge by these books.

REBELLIOUS READERS

“I must give the teachers credit for not wanting to teach their students something that they are not ready for, but I also believe people in this community value education to the point that they get that

students should have many views and ideas as a good thing,” said Metcalf.

The goal for the National English Honor Society during Banned Books week was to think about all of the different books, that have been accused of censorship, and to bring awareness to them.

“People have always liked forbidden fruit, so if there is something on that list that’s forbidden, it makes it more appealing, so the goal, to get people to read,” said Metcalf.

Banned Books week is all about getting people to see the true stories within these books and to express what impact they all have on the learning environment. NEHS is a club that shares a love for literature and they want to spread that love across the school.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 ■ 3

November article, spotlight, teachers who were in the military

SPOTLIGHT

SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE ON ‘AMERICA’S GOT TALENT’

By GRACE HAYCRAFT-MCKEE g staff writer

Sugar and Spice has been in the spotlight for their impressive dancing and videos they have done for Youtube. Putting into perspective, these group of girls were on America’s Got Talent and received a “yes” from Howard Stern, Mel B, and Heidi Klum, sending them to the next round.

“It was very scary, very terrifying, but super fun and “They were just the best experience of my talking about life. My heart was racing how we can be the entire time,” said Sarah Kinert, a sophomore and super girly when member of Sugar and Spice. we’re dancing Since America’s Got or super hard Talent, the group has received more publicity. hitting and “From America’s Got strong, so Sugar Talent we started doing Youtube videos with the and Spice were group, so it was mostly like opposites.” based from America’s Got Talent when we started getSarah Kinert who performed ting noticed,” said Kinert. with Sugar and Kinert, also known as Vi Spice on “America is one of the members of the Got Talent” dance crew. Each of the girls got a nickname resembling the sugar and spice theme.

SUGAR AND SPICE performing on America’s Got Talent where they received The group name itself was actually created a ‘yes’ from all three judges. With the by their managers. success from the show, the girls have “They were just talking about how we can received many opportunities as a group be super girly when we’re dancing or super and individually, including dancing in hard hitting and strong, so Sugar and Spice music videos. were like opposites,” said Kinert.

Their choreographers mainly come up with the routines for their dances.

“They’re really good dancers. If you watch “Our choreographer, Brian Friedman, will the group dance you’d wish you could dance come up with the choreography most of the as good as them. They’re good at all styles, if time but we can have some input or if there’s you see them individually at classes they’re any improv sections we can just do whatever amazing,” said Erica Honing, a sophomore. we want.”

Kinert’s dance crew have gained many One of Kinert’s good friends, who also is a new opportunities as a group and individudancer, heard about the crew from her and ally as well. For example, one of the memthought they were amazing. bers actually danced in a music video.

SARAH KINERT

is a member of the dance group, Sugar and Spice.

4 LOGAN LARKIN

“This girl Taylor Knight was in Justin Bieber’s music video,” said Honing.

The dancers in the group have received numerous experiences to dance in front of a big crowd.

“The majority of us danced with Janet Jackson for her world tour when she came to our city and one of the girls has been on Ellen,” said Kinert.

Compared to other dancers, according to Haley Vago, one of the dance teachers, they are really impressive for their age.

“The group has definitely a wide range of ages, and I usually don’t see skills like that in performances unless they’re in their twenties, maybe even closer to their thirties. I think for their age they are really, really talented” said Vago.

Teachers learn valuable skills from service in military

By ANNALEE BARNETT g sports editor

BEFORE

THEY

WERE

known as teachers, several Cactus Shadows staffers travelled the world, aided their country, and underwent military training all in service to various branches of the United States military.

Augustus Angeli, math teacher, joined the Navy one year after graduating high school. He then went on to complete eight years of military service with four years in active duty and in the reserves.

“My friend and I decide to join the navy together versus the army, marines, Air Force, or coast guard, based on one simple slogan, ‘sailors have more fun’,” said Angeli.

While on tour, Angeli traveled 16 ■ NOVEMBER 14, 2016

the world twice, in a total of two six-month tours called West Packs, or Western Pacifics. He traveled to countries such as, the Philippines, Korea, Okinawa, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Hawaii.

Angeli completed his tours on a ship called the USS Cleveland (LPD 7) with the title of Boatswain’s mate. Tasks of the Boatswain’s mate include, directing personnel and general upkeep of the boat like painting, upkeep of structures, rigging, equipment, and boats.

“I loved being out at sea. There was something about being out in the middle of the ocean and seeing nothing but water, and no other living thing out there except for dolphins and porpoises, and the occasional whale,” said Angeli.

After leaving the military, Angeli took many personality quizzes which all told him that he would be suited best for the teaching profession.

Ronald Richards, an English teacher, was also in the military.

However, he served in the army instead of the navy.

Richards joined after graduating college in the year of 1988, he was 22 years old at the time.

“I was a lost soul. I graduated from college and I wasn’t disciplined, so I kicked myself in the butt to get myself ready for the world,” said Richards.

Before he was stationed in Iraq, Richards underwent many months of training in different locations.

Basic training took place in Fort

Leonard Wood, Missouri during the summer.

“Emotionally I was able to handle it just fine, but physically it was a lot of hard work. You are getting about three hours of sleep, so it was kind of rough, but it was doable,” said Richards.

Other training included, survival, lingual, interrogation, and jump school. Richards had two jobs while in the military, the first was a Russian Linguist. However, when the Berlin Wall fell, the need for people in that job fell, so he was payed $30,000 dollars to switch careers.

He then became a chief of the AH64 Apache, which is an attack helicopter.

Jacob Bombacci, a history

teacher, participated in ROTC (Reserves Officer Training Corps) in both high school and college, but did not end up going into the military. He instead followed his passion of teaching and music.

“If the country asked me to serve, I would absolutely serve, but I had a choice, so I made the decision not to commision and so, I only did that short period of time in the Navy ROTC and then I came back and finished my teaching career,” said Bombacci.

For Navy ROTC, intense training is withheld until junior and senior years, however the freshmen are given a taste of boot camp their first week there. They are sent to Camp Pendleton for one week of training.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

SPORTS

Falcons on Ice

High school teams are gaining in Arizona

By CAITY BONINE g staff writer

DESPITE THE ALMOST YEAR-ROUND

DRIBBLING THE PUCK, senior, Hunter

Dababneh, makes his way towards the goal in hopes of scoring a point for his team.

Cactus Shadows played the Horizon Huskies.

4CAITY BONINE

warm weather and sunshine that consume the state, Arizona is gaining a bigger market for hockey. This does not only include professional hockey. In fact, students are taking more interest in the sport in high schools and clubs across the state from Tucson to Flagstaff.

According to TheHockeyNews.com, “more teams rising at the development levels will cause Arizona to become a stronger hockey market.”

This is evident, especially at the high school level. Just in the past year, player registration rose by about 15 percent in the Arizona High School Hockey Association (AHSHA).

“I have definitely noticed hockey growing in popularity in Arizona over the years,” said Ryan Berger, a senior on the hockey team.

Hockey is a highly active contact sport that can be very exciting to watch, bringing in large, enthusiastic crowds to cheer on their favorite teams. Students at Cactus Shadows demonstrated their pride for the school’s hockey team last year as they made it all the way to State and became State Champions. This year they plan to repeat their victory.

“My prediction for the season is that we are going to win the State Championship,” said Berger.

The Nest supports the hockey

team through their wins and losses.

“I feel honored and proud to represent my school by playing for the hockey team,” said Jordan Behm, senior on the hockey team.

As said by MileHighHockey.com, playing hockey has many benefits and more students are finding the sport appealing. Hockey provides incredible exercise, as well as “building character and improving mental agility.”

The team aspect of the sport teaches players to work together and get to a point where they can rely on their teammates.

“I’ve gained a lot of good friendships with my teammates, they’re like my brothers,” said Behm.

The sport is one of the best for cardiovascular exercise and requires a great deal of coordination. Hockey is made up of short periods of all out activity and slightly longer periods of moderate activity, it is labeled as a sport that demands High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Not only do players burn a ton of calories, they also gain lung capacity and their hearts begin to pump blood more efficiently.

“Some of the benefits of playing hockey that players get as opposed to other sports are the group dynamic, as it is the ultimate team game, dressing room dynamics overcoming adversity, the contact sport and settling scores, and the ability to let things go,” said Rob Cowie, NHL scout with the Nashville Predators.

Since hockey is such a fast-paced game, players need to be able to think fast. Plays develop very quickly and require instantaneous reactions. No other sports can compare hockey when it comes to speed.

VOLLEYBALL TEAMS STREAKS THROUGH SEASON UNDEFEATED

By GRACE HAYCRAFT-MCKEE g staff writer

THIS YEAR’S VARSITY VOLLEY-

ball team did not lose one game in their section. From the experienced players and diversity between the girls, the team has been able to keep their undefeated record.

“At the beginning of the season, we practiced a lot. We had full two and a half hour practices Monday through Friday. As the season has progressed we have gotten tired and we do not really need as much practice,” said Lily Cristante, a junior and an outside hitter.

NEW GIRLS, NEW TALENT

One reason for the team’s success this year is the whole new group of girls bringing in a lot of talent. Last year’s varsity team had ten seniors out of 14 girls. Cristante is was one of the two returning varsity players.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

“No one is burned out and everyone still loves the game,” said Cristante.

Because the girls get along pretty well, for the most part, it makes it easier for the team to communicate. Each position is very good at what they do.

“We just have a great team that works well together and we know when it’s time to flip the switch and get going,” said Kierstin Seaback, a senior and a libero.

A big game the girls faced was the home match against Flagstaff. Many students were there to participate in cheering. The Nest was the biggest any of the girls had ever seen for any one of their games.

“For our Flagstaff game, there were so many people there. It was so awesome to see all the support and I was just about in tears after I saw the Nest do the roller coaster,” said Seaback.

“For our Flagstaff game, there were so many people there. It was so awesome to see all the support and I was just about in tears after I saw the Nest do the roller coaster.”

Kiersten Seaback There was an immense struggle when the team played Saguaro for the first time. They managed to win in five sets, 15-13.

“The first game against Saguaro was probably our toughest game mentally and physically,” said Seaback.

DAVIS TRAINS THE TEAM

Zachary Davis, head varsity volleyball coach also has been a big part of the team’s

success.

“In my opinion, volleyball has always done this good at Cactus Shadows, but has never been this dominant,” said Davis.

One person who has made a big contribution to the volleyball program as a whole is the new freshman coach and a math teacher, Michael DeRaffaele. DeRaffaele used to be a beach volleyball player.

“He has made a huge impact on the program. He knows a lot about volleyball and helps you through the mental game of playing,” said Cristante. ,After the season is over, the team is saying goodbye to three seniors.

“It’s always sad to see seniors leave, but I still think we are going to have just as strong of a team with all the returning players,” said Davis.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 ■ 21

SPORTS

Polo comes to Scottsdale West World

P

OLO matches, a dog fashion show, concerts, food and more

were all parts of the Scottsdale Polo Championship.

The event was held on November 5 at Westworld Scottsdale.

Polo is not well-known among a lot of students in the Cave Creek area, and the championship does bring attention to this sport.

The event has been held in Scottsdale for six years, and it's the biggest polo event in the country.

Players from all over the country came to play in four different featured matches. The first match was between LaJolla Polo Team, versus Polo Azteca. Then the Palm Springs Polo team played against the Scottsdale All-stars Polo Team. The third game was the Aspen Valley Polo club versus the Palm Beach Polo Team. Finally, the Women’s Sunset Polo Match was played, to wrap up all the matches.

“I never really knew what polo was before coming to this event, and it was fun to be able to watch the players and the horses, and really get a new perspective on the sport,” said Tara Prager, junior.

Watching the polo matches however is not the highlight of coming to this event. The people-watching, food, and activities are all apart of it also.

“There are a bunch of sponsors, with tents and lounges set up for people to hang out and watch the polo matches from, it was a cool event,” said Allie Wells, junior.

Dresses, hats, heels, and suits are what mostly everyone wears to the polo matches, so it is not the typical sports game.

“It was really interesting to see everyone all dressed up, and eating ice cream,” said Caitlyn Cassara, junior.

Along the outskirts of the field, there was the Barrett Jackson car show preview, with lots of old and new cars being shown off to the crowd. Every now and then, someone would drive the newest Bentley car around the field to spark up some attention.

Not only did cars drive around the field, but the world's longest fashion show was also on the 300 yard polo field. The models sported the highest polo fashion, despite the warm weather.

“You would think that going to a polo match would be pretty boring, but there was just so much to do and to watch that it was not boring at all, especially being able to dress up made it even more fun,” said Prager.

The Scottsdale Polo Championship has been around for six years now, and more people come to it every year. UEMMA RUSSELLO

POLO FACTOIDS Polo is an equestrian team sport, consisting of four players on each team.

A polo field is 300 yards long, and 160 yards wide with the largest field in an organized sport.

The game is about two hours and divided into six periods called chukkers.

During halftime, spectators are supposed to go out on the field to participate in a social tration called divot stomping.

!!!! !

E R U T IC P LO O P

The players must switch out the polo pony they are riding every chukker with a new one.

Polo is played in more than sixty countries, and enjoyed by over fifty million each year.

Men and women have the same handicap, so they do play together.

Left-handed people are banned from playing polo for safety reasons.

AT SCOTTSDALE WESTWORLD, Polo players John Walker saddles up for his match.

Spectators crowd the stands to watch the high action sport take off. 4EMMA RUSSELLO

They’ve got the need, the need for speed

E

Sean Gannon reviews the Scottsdale Grand Prix. The Gatsby themed event took place at the Scottsdale waterfront.

NGINES rev and drivers gear up

for the Scottsdale Grand Prix on November 4.

The Scottsdale Grand Prix was a race that is driven by experienced individuals using open wheel, single seater cars that produce anywhere from 75 to 300 horsepower. Most of the cars can reach speeds of up to 115 miles per hour. Drivers could enter their cars but they must be single seater, open wheeled cars.

“Basically they're taking old, classic Grand Prix vehicles from the past and racing them together in different classes of vehicle,” said Steve Mitten, a history teacher.

General admission was free to the races but there was a party taking place on the November 4 and 5. The party costed anywhere from $40 to $1,500 to enter. $40 allowed access to the lawn where spectators could see the cars and racing teams. $1,500 allowed access to a private cabana and exclusive wine tasting.

“A Grand Prix is actually any sporting

22 ■ NOVEMBER 14, 2016

event where people compete for a grand prize,” said Luc Flaschentrager, a sophomore and car enthusiast.

The idea behind the Grand Prix of Scottsdale was to celebrate the 1920’s era of racing with a huge Great Gatsby themed party and battles between small, vintage race cars.

“A Grand Prix is different from other races because it involves many different racers from all over, yet usually based on a general theme,” said Flaschentrager.

This was the second ever Grand Prix of

The idea behind the Grand Prix of Scottsdale was to celebrate the 1920’s era of racing with a huge Great Gatsby themed party and battles between small, vintage race cars.

Scottsdale. Races and the party were hosted in Downtown Oldtown Scottsdale between November 4 and November 6.

According to the Scottsdale Grand Prix’s website, most of the cars were built by hand.

“They're old open wheel cars. Kind of like Indy cars but a lot slower,” said Kevin McCaw, a senior and car enthusiast.

Some cars driven in the Grand Prix were actually built in the 1920s and still run and perform just as well as they used to on the track back in the 20s.

The cars come in all shapes, sizes, engine configurations, and drivetrain setups. Some were small 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder engines that pushed 75 horsepower to the front wheels such as the Alvis F-Series.

Other cars had large straight-8 engines that could produce 300 brake horsepower to the rear wheels as the Bugatti Royale Type 41 did. Cylinders are measured by litre, the larger the litre, the bigger explosion is created, the more horsepower is produced.

Most of the engines are naturally aspirated,

which means air flows directly through a filter and into the engine block to assist inside the combustion chamber. Forced induction is a function that car manufacturers began to toy with by using a mechanical fan known as a supercharger. A supercharger acts as an air compressor that blows air directly into the combustion chamber to provide larger amounts of oxygen, creating a larger explosion.

Superchargers are hooked up to the throttle body so it activates with the gas pedal.

The farther the gas pedal is pressed in, the more the throttle body opens to allow more air into the supercharger and gas into the combustion chamber.

The 1920s were considered to be the most dangerous time a person could be racing, especially in open wheel cars that could go upwards of 115 miles per hour.

There were 15 fatal crashes from 1920 to 1930. That number stayed consistent for the next 20 years until, in the 1950’s, there were 20 fatal crashes.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

SPORTS

Girls Golf brings home the gold

By FAITH HASHER g staff writer

ON THE SECOND DAY OF COMPETITION,

A hush took over the Randolph courses in Tucson this last Sunday through Tuesday as the girls golf team battled for the gold to end their season on top.

“We won state by 23 strokes, our biggest competition with Chaparral and Notre Dame because they were probably better than us for most of the season,” said Senior Golfer, Chantal Savoie, “but we worked hard to beat them.”

In the previous season, the girls golf team took home the silver, however, they hungered for the gold. Through hard work and two hour practices Monday through Thursday, they pushed to improve from their previous successful season, both physically and mentally.

“To get ready for state we did a lot of mental stuff,” said Savoie, “Like really trying to stay focused at practice and practice chipping and putting because that can really help.”

With the tension building, Sunday finally arrived and along with it, doubts, nervous anticipation, and an underlying excitement.

“I felt fantabulous,” said girls golf coach, Mark O’Bryan. “I felt really good and I knew these girls were gonna play amazing. They were on the upswing.

I told everyone these girls were ready to go.”

After three days of competition, the state title was in sight and in the end, became a reality for the girls gold team. However, with the win came the bittersweet end to the season. “ I was really anxious for the last day because I was playing with one of the best people in the state, so the nerves got to me a little bit,” said Taylor Harvey, a sophomore.

senior, Becki Meils, chips her ball onto the green.

Meils shot an overall score of 79 that day, which contributed to the win.

4PEGGY MEILS

Sports teams will now call the field house home

By ALEX LAGGREN g editor in chief

The new additions to the Nest have been delayed for a variety of causes, but are set to open during Thanksgiving weekend. The field house is the spotlight of the new con-

struction.

“When everything started this summer we had hoped that we were going to be able to use the field house hopefully by homecoming, but because of some delays, there were several issues they found, underground lines, data lines, phone lines,” said

TOPPING OFF THE FIELDHOUSE, construction workers prepare for the opening on Thanksgiving day weekend while principal Steve Bebee looks on. 4 LOGAN LARKIN THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Steven Bebee, principal.

These lines were not labeled on the construction plans by the previous company that had done work on campus. Correcting the previously unknown data and phone lines had cause unexpected delays, pushing the expected opening date back a few weeks.

“I can’t imagine how it is for the whole football team to fit in there, so the increase in space will be good,” said Sierra Fluegel, a junior and soccer player.

The new field house will hold the home and away teams, while also serving concessions and serving as the main entrance to the football field. The current locker room is still in service for the sports teams while the construction is finishing. The locker rooms inside the field house will be increased from the current home and away team lockers.

“It’s more of a just we have a joke,” said Ian Jeffer, a senior and football player.“Like when we do side leans we say facing the home locker and we say ‘which way.’”

There is also a new softball field being added as well as an expansion to the tennis courts to allow for games to be held and viewed on campus, and a discus and shotput area for track and field.

“It looks pretty sick, right now, like just the way it’s being all built up, I wish I was in it, but honestly I’m happy that we’re having a good season,” said Jeffer.

The field house will now be established as the main entrance to the Nest, with main parking being in the Fine Art Center lot, where a paved pathway will be built near the FAC to guide visitors to the entrance.

“The only exception will be then, the new bleachers and tearing down the old existing bleachers, all of that stuff is going to begin construction as soon as football season is over,” said Bebee. “They’re going to take over what we have now as the visitors side and they will begin taking out those bleachers and starting to do the new bleachers.”

The visitor’s concession stand and restrooms will also be torn down with the bleachers. The home and away bleachers will switch sides, with the Falcon bleachers now facing the right of the new entrance and visitors on the right.

“I think it won’t be the same because the home bleachers were used for so long it will be weird to switch,” said Fluegel.

The sports teams have not been affected by the construction or the delays to the field house, which is expected to open around Thanksgiving weekend.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 ■ 23

DECEMBER DECEMBER

December article, front page, cyber bullying

CS

press

the

December 16, 2016 Vol. 10, Number 4

the NEWSPAPER of Cactus shadows high school in Cave Creek, Arizona

FOOTHILLS ANIMAL SHELTER OPENS NEW CENTER Brynne Smith Memorial Campus is now host to a new Foothills Animal Rescue. see page 3

BULLYING IN THE DIGITAL AGE Cyber bullying has grown quickly as a national problem that future First Lady Melania Trump hopes to resolve

C

By ANNALEE BARNETT g sports editor

YBER bullying, the act of bullying another person through the use of technology, has become a problem in our country that soon-to-be First Lady, Melania Trump has chosen to be her cause for the next four

years.

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, approximately half of all students have been bullied online, and the other half have participated in cyberbullying. The students that have participated or even seen cyberbullying on the internet often don’t even know who the bully is.

“I knew people that were really nasty towards girls over social media and just seeing them being mean to people... my mom didn’t want that for me,” said Tayler Markland, a junior. Markland has abstained from all forms of social media due to the online bullying crisis.

However, it is not exclusive to young people as seen on social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Adults are fully capable to contributing to the cyberbullying problem as seen in the past couple of months due to the heated presidential election.

Soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump announced in November that her time in the White House will be dedicated to preventing cyber bullying in schools around the country.

“Technology has changed our universe, but like anything that is powerful, it can have a bad side. Children and teenagers are fragile. They are hurt when they are made fun of or made to feel less in looks or intelligence,” said Melania Trump.

In her speech, she emphasized the importance of her campaign.

“It is never okay when a 12 year old boy or girl is mocked, bullied or attacked. It is terrible when that happens on the playground. And it is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet.”

Trump also said she would campaign for women’s rights while in the White House. In previous interviews, she also talked about working with diseased children. However, her focus will be on cyberbullying.

“I feel like Michelle Obama’s campaign was important, but I also feel like cyber bullying would See CYBER BULLYING on page 2

A RISE IN CYBERBULLYING students on social media are often exposed to hurtful comments.4LOGAN LARKIN

“It is never okay when a 12 year old boy or girl is mocked, bullied or attacked.

It is terrible when that happens on the playground.

And it is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet.”

Melania Trump

December article, travel, best places to see lights

Travel

Night Lights BRightEN thE hOLiDAY sEAsON

Where do you go for the holidays?

Rawhide Lights Up The faux Western town is putting on a global themed light show

By AnnAlee BArnett g sports editor

All across the valley, light displays brighten hotels, public squares, shopping malls, and even the homes of local residents during the Christmas season. These events vary from sculptures created from LED lights, to railway tours, to electric light parades.

“We spend a lot of time in school right before Christmas and I think it directly affects our mood and our motivations, so if I can keep people a little happier to be in school this time of year...and it’s fun for me,” said Amy Metcalf, and english teacher.

At the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel, the extravagant event known as Christmas at the Princess began on Nov. 22 and is set to end on Jan. 1, 2017. This celebration is home to its very own ice rink, visit with Santa, train ride, and dazzling light display known as Lagoon Lights. This display consists of 4 million LED lights throughout the Lagoons of the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

“It was amazing and happy and the whole experience just made me feel very joyful and Christmasy,” said Tess Philips, a junior.

Throughout the Lagoons, the 4 million lights are arranged into vivid sculptures including a fisherman, a pirate ship, candy cane forests, a 3-D whale, a teddy bear, Nessie the 30-foot Loch Ness monster, and much more.

“I would definitely go back, it was worth it,” said Philips.

Although admission is free, parking and the train ride through the Lagoons cost extra. However, anyone is welcome to stroll through the lights free of charge.

“I go with my family every year, it’s so much fun to see all of the lights and the decorations,” said Anna Murphy, a sophomore.

From Dec. 9 to the 11, Carefree hosted its Carefree Christmas Festival which includes free festivities for the entire family like the Pet parade, the fireworks extravaganza, Holiday food and gift market, and the Electric Light Parade.

“My least favorite part was the parking, because there were like a million people there,” said Murphy.

The Electric Light Parade took place on Dec. 10 and began at 6 p.m. on Easy Street, downtown Carefree. A firework display briefly followed the parade.

The Talking Stick Trolley Tour, which took place from Dec. 1 to the 24, snakes its way through the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, and North Phoenix. The tour will take a total of two and a half hours to complete.

The tour begins at 6:30 p.m. and is every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday until Christmas eve. Tickets for the event cost $30.

20 ■ December 16, 2016

By Olivia Stickel g food editor

loUise roChforD “My favorite place is where my family is. There is no better time at the holiday’s than to be with the people you love most. If that place is Hawaii- it is even better!”

anDrew CUpo

“The karaoke bar”

steven BeBee

“My favorite place is going back home to Prescott and taking in the festivities or spending time in the woods.”

Rawhide is hosting the Lights of the World festival, a light show presenting different cultural aspects of the world, Nov. 18 through Jan. 29.

The festival consists of over 4 million lights making up 75 displays, giving it the title of the largest light show in North America. The festival is funded by the US-China Cultural & Educational Foundation , or UCCEF. The foundation exists to organize festivals, expositions, and cultural performances of bands, orchestras, and dancers, and also sets up cultural exchanges between the US and China. UCCEF teamed up with the Zigong Lantern Festival and Trade Company, a leader in lantern/light festival exports, to make the festival a reality.

The lights show offers stunning representations of America, Europe, China, Russia, Africa, Australia, and quite randomly, dinosaurs. Some of the displays move and some are interactive. There are color-changing swings with lights incor-

porated into them, and a space of many circular pads that when stepped on, light up, and when stepped off of dim down.

In addition to the lights themselves, there is a multitude of unique dining experiences. Cuisines from Japan, China, Thailand, Italy, and more are sold. There are also dozens of international vendors selling merchandise from the country they represent. The festival even includes acrobatic, dance, and music performances. If the lights and shows weren’t enough, there is also a carnival with roller coasters, games, and unique fried food.

The downsides of the festival span from price to quality. With 4 million lights, the electric bill for the festival must be extremely high, hence the hefty price.

The cost of entrance is $25, not including the $10 parking fee. It may not seem like much, but two people would be about $60, so the price racks up fast. On top of that, each thing done at the carnival costs money, as well as if anything extra is bought from the vendors. The carnival games and food are enjoyable, but the rides are semi-rundown. As for location, the festival is quite far- Chandler is about an hour away, without traffic.

As for the actual experience, the festival is extremely fun. Loud, upbeat music is played, which makes the atmosphere more lively. The light displays themselves are spectacular and colorful. The shows are great, and all of the staff and vendors are friendly. People of any age can have a good time at the festival.

evelyne BUrDette-elgqvist “Any one of my kids’ homes, if they don’t come to ours. Often, this puts us in Colorado.”

4 olivia stickel

Jeff Carpenter

“Really enjoy staying close to home... but if I did go somewhere for the holidays, it would be to Islamorada, Florida, for Tarpon and Snook fly fishing... nothing better!”

THe cAcTUS SHADOWS PreSS

SPORTS

extreme sports offer...

A

By sean gannon g travel editor

Action for AdrenAline junkieS

ction sports are consid-

ered to be some of the deadliest and most dangerous sports on earth.

They range from endurance mountain bike racing to free climbing to snowboarding and downhill skiing.

In an endurance mountain bike race, a person or team of people are challenged to ride a predetermined trail for a set time.

These typically go for eight, 12, and 24 hours and riders cannot stop once they've started, or they are disqualified.

Free climbing is just like your typical rock climb, except there are no harnesses, no helmets, and no other climbing equipment to help them.

“I mountain ski, I backcountry ski, so that's pretty extreme. Going off big mountains and through deep snow and huge trees. I used to go mountain climbing too, using ropes and stuff. One mistake there, and you're toast,” said Russell DelGrosso, a math teacher.

In mid-October, Red Bull hosted the “Red Bull Rampage” competition in Utah. This sport combines the fast paced action of

downhill mountain biking with the huge jumps and stunts involved in free riding.

“These are probably some of the most expensive sports around since there's always that chance of breaking a lot of bones and maybe even dying,” said Bankemper.

Some of the highest paid athletes are action sports legends such as Shaun White and Tony Hawk. Hawk having a net worth of $120 million and White making $2 million per endorsement deal. White is worth an estimated $20 million.

“I off-road ATV race because it's fun and I like the thrill,” said Tyler Flemming, a junior.

“I've tried a few action sports because the rush of energy they give you just makes life more fun,” said Sean Bankemper, a junior.

Trial riding is a test of someone's concentration and balance. This is a non-speed race which means it is not fast-paced like many other forms of motorcycle racing, but instead a timed event in which riders use specially designed bikes to navigate an extremely rough course. The bikes typically weigh no more than 160 pounds and have high amounts of torque, allowing for better grip on any surface. Courses consist

of huge obstacles like hopping from boulder to boulder and jumping up large walls.

Endurance sports such as enduro dirt bike riding test a person’s strength and will to push themselves to the absolute limit.

Riders go through a set course that is usually very narrow and rough and must complete it in a given time.

Extreme sports continue to become more and more dangerous because there are adrenaline junkies everywhere that seek out the thrill of potential death or a near death experience.

Extreme sports were created to allow more individual creativity and independence within the sporting world. All done with new, innovative techniques that show off certain styles and creative aspects of the sport.

Motocross is a highly spectated, fast-paced action sport that has evolved into several different branches of sports, each utilizing a dirt bike and the rider’s refined skills to maneuver it.

Speeding down the trail at Mcdowell Mountain park, a

man on his bike follows the route. He and his fellow mountain bikers are competing in the competition known as 12 Hours of Fury.

4sean gannon

Student AthleteS juggle the StreSS of SportS And finAlS

By Caity Bonine g staff writer

and graCe HayCraft-MCKee g staff writer

As the semester comes to an end, student athletes struggle to balance their athletic and academic obligations.

Jamal Scott, head varsity boys basketball coach, helps his team out by scheduling practices to fit the needs of players during studying times for finals.

“During finals I like to keep my practices a little lighter or at least not give as many practices especially because we don’t have that many games. So once finals are over, we’ll get back into the regular practice schedule,” said Scott.

There is a lot of time and effort put into coaching a team and teaching a class for Scott.

“Basketball takes a lot of attention and so does teaching so managing both of them can be quite difficult especially when you’re THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

expected to win ball games and help students receive good grades,” said Scott.

Scott understands how much pressure there was to succeed in both sports and school.

“Being a student athlete when I was in high school and college, there was a lot of pressure to perform in games. You have to do everything that every other student is doing on top of performing at a high level in sports.”

Jamal Scott, head Varsity basketball coach.

“Being a student athlete when I was in high school and college, there was a lot of pressure to perform in games. You have to do everything that every other student is doing on top of performing at a high level in sports,” said Scott.

Knowing that finals are during some sports seasons, athletes come to terms with how much energy and time it takes to manage both sports and school.

“I get tired from playing soccer and I still have studying to do after a practice or a game. I usually don’t get a lot of sleep,” said Jessica Kotowski, a junior.

Depending on the student athletes that play on club teams during finals, some find it hard to manage both.

“Nothing changes for club season during finals. You’re expected to be at practice. I personally will still go, but some girls if they’re

struggling with finals they’ll let coach know they’ll be back after finals week,” said Niki Woods, a junior.

Time management is the key to being successful with both academics and athletics.

“Having a plan and prioritizing is key.

Student athletes should make a list of academic and athletic responsibilities keeping in mind deadlines,” said Melissa Beverly, a counselor.

According to collegexpress.com, the trick is not so much the list itself, but taking the time to make one. It is suggested that student athletes make a daily to do list in order to stay on track.

Making a list of what needs to get done will help keep students on track with what they need to accomplish in a day, but the priority to make one each day is up to them.

DECEmbER 16, 2016 ■ 21

SPORTS

Tough enough for powder puff On the sidelines,

Lorna Cooper, a junior, watches the game intently. The juniors lost to the senior 12-6.

4Sam Kulliver

A

By Faith hasher g staff writer

sea of pink took the field

December 8 as the annual Powder Puff football game began. Players wore pink in support of the Susan G. Komen Center, and all money raised from the event went to finding the cure for breast cancer. There were two games: the freshman

vs. sophomore game ended in a tie, and the seniors won 12 to 6 against the juniors.

10 year tradition

Powder Puff has been a tradition at Cactus Shadows for over 10 years. It began as a fun event, but did not have a purpose until math teacher Cameron Bender arrived and helped team up with the Susan G. Komen orga-

Wrapped in a blanket, Christina Fankhanel, a senior, celebrates at the annual Powder Puff game. This event takes place every December in support of Breast Cancer. Girls from every grade play football to see who comes out on top. 4Sam Kulliver

22 ■ December 16, 2016

nization to raise money for breast cancer research.

“We thought it would be really neat to do it as a community service event so kids can learn that giving back to your community can be a fun experience,” said Bender.

Very competitiVe

Powder Puff games have a reputation for being extremely competitive. According to Urban Dictionary.com, it is an annual event “in which high school girls who don’t mind getting down and dirty separate each other by classes for a fierce game of football.” The teams are coached by football players and often, what is meant to be an innocent flag football game ends up as a rough tackle football game.

“Girls are always seen at the delicate flower, and it kind of breaks that stereotype,” said Maggie Ewens, a junior who has played in the Powder Puff game for the past three years. “It gives girls a chance to show that they have the same amount of athletic desire as guys do.”

To prepare for the big game, the girls attended three days of practice. The players were coached by varsity football players, which proved to be a challenge for some coaches. It can be difficult to teach a new sport in only a few short days.“The girls don't really understand how to play football,” said Gavin Stapely, a senior football player who

coached this year.

Meanwhile, another group of football players trained to become cheerleaders. They also practiced for three days, and were coached by the girl cheerleaders. The boys then performed stunts at halftime for the spectators.

players raise money

Each player had to raise at least five dollars in donations. The girls sold pink links -- loops of pink construction paper -- which were hooked together to make a chain and displayed at the game. Each girl played for a family member or someone close who is fighting, or has fought, breast cancer.

Sadie Thompson, a senior, played for a teacher who had breast cancer, and also for her aunt. Thompson’s aunt was diagnosed, had both breasts removed and was in remission. Then, about six months later, they found cancer in her liver and brain, and she passed very soon after that.

“I’ve had two aunts pass away from cancer,” said Thompson. “Playing for them made the whole experience more meaningful.”

Both games were very competitive. The junior varsity game started with a score from both teams within the first five minutes, and ended in a tie. The varsity game was even more aggressive, and ended with the seniors on top with a score of 12-6.

THe cAcTUS SHADOWS PreSS

SPORTS

Call the doctor to the field Louise Jagus discusses the common injuries, treatments, and causes of injury that come along with playing sports.

Sports injuries are crippling events to athletes and the team as a whole. Major injuries can result in the end of the season for the individual athlete, and potentially their entire career.

Nationally, football has the highest injury rate reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The most common injuries are ACL tears, shoulder injuries in offensive and defensive linemen, concussions, and tendinitis.

Acl, knee, And Ankle injuries

Knee injuries can result from a twist of the knee, improper landing after a jump, or from running too hard without proper warm-up, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), in their 2012 study of high school teams nationwide.

Next to football, boys’ and girls’ soccer has the second highest injury rate.

“The most common injury that I see is ACL tears,” said Cecelia Curran, a soccer player.

ACL tears frequently end the season for the athlete and results in extensive physical therapy.

“More minor injuries are ankle and knee sprains, scrapes from falling on the grass, and shin splints,” said Curran. Shin splints is a term used to describe pain along the tibia or shin bone. This is caused by overuse of the lower leg, inadequate stretching, overtraining, running or jumping on hard surfaces, and running in shoes that do not have enough support. Shin guards are required in most leagues to protect against shin splints and forceful damage.

Sprains run rampant among many sports, but specifically soccer, track, and cross country. A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament, the band of connective tissues that joins the end of one bone with another.

“To prevent sprains I wear ankle braces and knee braces while I play. When I get sprains I just massage and put ice on them.

The only real way to heal a sprain is time and

rest,” said Curran.

Curran disagrred with Aidan Ranieri saying, “the most common injury in soccer is sprained knees and ankles.”

injuries in VolleybAll

Volleyball involves jumping, diving, sprinting, and complex footwork which can all cause injuries that require intensive care.

Finger, wrist, and shoulder dislocations are common. When the two bones that come together to form a joint become separated, the joint is described as being dislocated, according to NIAMS. “Usually it's the hitters that get the most sprains because they land unevenly or go under the net and hit another player,” said Olivia Persyn, a Junior Varsity volleyball player.

A jammed finger occurs when the ligaments of your fingers are forced outside their normal range of motion.

“The setters jam their fingers a lot because sometimes the ball hits the tip of their finger straight-on and pushes it in an unnatural way,” said Persyn. Finger jams are common but do not require professional consultation.

“When we get injured we usually do physical therapy with Joe Harvey [the athletic trainer] but sometimes little injuries can be treated at home with some rest and ice,” said Persyn. Most injuries can be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories.

Kierstin Seaback, the libero on the Varsity volleyball team, sustains many bruises by diving and hard impact.

“Everyone that has played, or is still playing, volleyball has gotten a nasty bruise at some point or another,” said Seaback. “I recently got a nasty deep tissue butt bruise and it hurt to move and sit down. I had to roll out the bruise a lot and take a lot of Ibuprofen. Ice also helped a lot to reduce the swelling. With consistent care they’re able to heal fairly quickly.” Off the court, Seaback attends weight lifting and conditioning to prevent injuries during the game.

cheerleAding injuries

The leader of school spirit, varsity cheer, is a treacherous sport.

“There are many sprains and fractures from overuse, but a major concern always is a concussion from a base being hit in the head or a flyer hitting the ground,” said Nina Leonard, a varsity cheerleader.

Cheerleaders take extensive precautions in practice. They lay down mats in case a flyer does happen to hit the ground.

“For a concussion the best thing to do is rest, which is obviously the hardest thing for an athlete to do,” said Leonard. No matter how serious the injury is, an athlete struggles with pausing their sport. Suspension from play can result in underperformance due to lack of practice and engagement.

In addition to cheerleading, Leonard also participates in equestrian sports.

“In horseback riding, anything can happen when you hit the dirt...it depends on what the horse does,” said Leonard. “Personally, I’ve been lucky and only broke my ribs in an accident.”

Sports injuries do not always end the ath-

lete’s career.

“I was shaken up from the injury and it took some time for me to get my confidence back up to ride the horse that bucked me off, but I got over it with time and it doesn’t cross my mind anymore,” said Leonard.

According to NIAMS, a fracture is a break in the bone that can occur from either a quick, one-time injury to the bone, an acute fracture, or from repeated stress to the bone over time, a stress fracture.

“I had to let [the rib] heal by itself. I really couldn’t do much about it. Today I have absolutely no feeling where I fractured it...It’s just numb,” said Garner.

Fractures to a bone make that specific area more susceptible to future repeat fractures.

In general, there are a few steps that can help prevent the most common injuries.

Bending the knee past 90 degrees can result in overextension and require physical therapy. When landing a jump, bent knees cushion the impact and decrease the likelihood of stress fractures. Warm-up stretches, specifically of the Achilles tendon, hamstring, and quadriceps, can prevent pulls and tears.

4annalee Barnett Lying down in the athLetic trainer room, Michael Gombert, a senior, is

getting his back cupped. This practice is ancient and is used to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, and other problems that arise from contact sports.

Where Were you When the Cubs Won the World series?

Nick Blascoe, junior “I was sitting at home with my father and there were some tears shed, not gonna lie. My dad’s been waiting for over 50 years and I’ve been for 16 so we were both very happy that they won.”

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

katie o’coNNor, junior “I was at home with my family and we all screamed and cheered and were dancing.”

tyler PhilliPs, sophomore

“I was at home watching the game instead of writing my math essay and freaked out when they finally won. After the final out with Kris Bryant throwing it to first, I couldn’t get the smile off my face.”

“I was in my living room and we were facetiming my Chicago cousins. It was kind of emotional, my parents were crying and it was just overwhelming happiness.”

lily cristaNte, junior

DECEmbER 16, 2016 ■ 23

SPORTS

Call the doctor to the field Louise Jagus discusses the common injuries, treatments, and causes of injury that come along with playing sports.

Sports injuries are crippling events to athletes and the team as a whole. Major injuries can result in the end of the season for the individual athlete, and potentially their entire career.

Nationally, football has the highest injury rate reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The most common injuries are ACL tears, shoulder injuries in offensive and defensive linemen, concussions, and tendinitis.

Acl, knee, And Ankle injuries

Knee injuries can result from a twist of the knee, improper landing after a jump, or from running too hard without proper warm-up, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), in their 2012 study of high school teams nationwide.

Next to football, boys’ and girls’ soccer has the second highest injury rate.

“The most common injury that I see is ACL tears,” said Cecelia Curran, a soccer player.

ACL tears frequently end the season for the athlete and results in extensive physical therapy.

“More minor injuries are ankle and knee sprains, scrapes from falling on the grass, and shin splints,” said Curran. Shin splints is a term used to describe pain along the tibia or shin bone. This is caused by overuse of the lower leg, inadequate stretching, overtraining, running or jumping on hard surfaces, and running in shoes that do not have enough support. Shin guards are required in most leagues to protect against shin splints and forceful damage.

Sprains run rampant among many sports, but specifically soccer, track, and cross country. A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament, the band of connective tissues that joins the end of one bone with another.

“To prevent sprains I wear ankle braces and knee braces while I play. When I get sprains I just massage and put ice on them.

The only real way to heal a sprain is time and

rest,” said Curran.

Curran disagrred with Aidan Ranieri saying, “the most common injury in soccer is sprained knees and ankles.”

injuries in VolleybAll

Volleyball involves jumping, diving, sprinting, and complex footwork which can all cause injuries that require intensive care.

Finger, wrist, and shoulder dislocations are common. When the two bones that come together to form a joint become separated, the joint is described as being dislocated, according to NIAMS. “Usually it's the hitters that get the most sprains because they land unevenly or go under the net and hit another player,” said Olivia Persyn, a Junior Varsity volleyball player.

A jammed finger occurs when the ligaments of your fingers are forced outside their normal range of motion.

“The setters jam their fingers a lot because sometimes the ball hits the tip of their finger straight-on and pushes it in an unnatural way,” said Persyn. Finger jams are common but do not require professional consultation.

“When we get injured we usually do physical therapy with Joe Harvey [the athletic trainer] but sometimes little injuries can be treated at home with some rest and ice,” said Persyn. Most injuries can be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories.

Kierstin Seaback, the libero on the Varsity volleyball team, sustains many bruises by diving and hard impact.

“Everyone that has played, or is still playing, volleyball has gotten a nasty bruise at some point or another,” said Seaback. “I recently got a nasty deep tissue butt bruise and it hurt to move and sit down. I had to roll out the bruise a lot and take a lot of Ibuprofen. Ice also helped a lot to reduce the swelling. With consistent care they’re able to heal fairly quickly.” Off the court, Seaback attends weight lifting and conditioning to prevent injuries during the game.

cheerleAding injuries

The leader of school spirit, varsity cheer, is a treacherous sport.

“There are many sprains and fractures from overuse, but a major concern always is a concussion from a base being hit in the head or a flyer hitting the ground,” said Nina Leonard, a varsity cheerleader.

Cheerleaders take extensive precautions in practice. They lay down mats in case a flyer does happen to hit the ground.

“For a concussion the best thing to do is rest, which is obviously the hardest thing for an athlete to do,” said Leonard. No matter how serious the injury is, an athlete struggles with pausing their sport. Suspension from play can result in underperformance due to lack of practice and engagement.

In addition to cheerleading, Leonard also participates in equestrian sports.

“In horseback riding, anything can happen when you hit the dirt...it depends on what the horse does,” said Leonard. “Personally, I’ve been lucky and only broke my ribs in an accident.”

Sports injuries do not always end the ath-

lete’s career.

“I was shaken up from the injury and it took some time for me to get my confidence back up to ride the horse that bucked me off, but I got over it with time and it doesn’t cross my mind anymore,” said Leonard.

According to NIAMS, a fracture is a break in the bone that can occur from either a quick, one-time injury to the bone, an acute fracture, or from repeated stress to the bone over time, a stress fracture.

“I had to let [the rib] heal by itself. I really couldn’t do much about it. Today I have absolutely no feeling where I fractured it...It’s just numb,” said Garner.

Fractures to a bone make that specific area more susceptible to future repeat fractures.

In general, there are a few steps that can help prevent the most common injuries.

Bending the knee past 90 degrees can result in overextension and require physical therapy. When landing a jump, bent knees cushion the impact and decrease the likelihood of stress fractures. Warm-up stretches, specifically of the Achilles tendon, hamstring, and quadriceps, can prevent pulls and tears.

4annalee Barnett Lying down in the athLetic trainer room, Michael Gombert, a senior, is

getting his back cupped. This practice is ancient and is used to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, and other problems that arise from contact sports.

Where Were you When the Cubs Won the World series?

Nick Blascoe,

katie o’coNNor,

tyler PhilliPs,

lily cristaNte,