Volume 8 issue 2

1 kitchen 2 guys 3 pies

Varsity football grabs Northwest Region Championship for 1st time

Ryan Stikeleather and Alex Lorenzo, seniors, got together in the spirit of Thanksgiving to bake three different types of pies. The results were both messy and delicious.

Turn to Page 7 to read and see how it turned out.

Veterans share their experiences and thoughts on serving in the military on Page 5.

INDEX NEWS............................2,3,4 FEATURES.....................5,6,7 DECISIONS......................8,9 OPINIONS....................10,11 FINE ARTS........................12 ENTERTAINMENT.....13,14 SPORTS.........................15,16

PHOTO BY ANGELA YUNG

Conner Baker, a sophomore and offensive tackle, stretches during halftime on Oct. 16 in the home game versus MRHS. OHS snagged the victory 17-10.

Varsity football clinched their first ever region title with a 42-18 win against Kingman on Oct 30. To see how football and other fall sports are doing, turn to Page 15.

ROTC volunteers in special olympics softball

By SHAMARAH SHOUP Editor-in-Chief

Members of the AFJROTC helped out on Oct. 16 at the Arizona Special Olympics softball game in Surprise Farms Community Park.

The 15 volunteers assisted with setting up and tearing down, keeping score and working the concession stands.

Half worked the stands, while the other half kept score, then afterword, they would switch.

“We got to miss school, and hang out with our friends and some other really cool people,” said Chris Gingrich, a senior and cadet second

lieutenant. “It was great.”

This is becoming a common tradition for the group as this is the seventh time they have helped out at the Special Olympics in three years, said Peyton Sullivan, a senior and deputy group commander.

AFJROTC instuctor John Simmons ultimately makes the decision to go, and it has been a popular event in the past.

“We talk to the players a lot in between games,” Sullivan said. “We try to be as uplifting as possible.”

The members of Junior ROTC can earn a community service ribbon by performing 20 hours of community service. Some said that

this was a great experience as well as a great source of service hours.

“The players are really cool people, they tell funny stories,” Gingrich said.

Sullivan shared a story about a particlar player.

“His name was Phil, he was 19 and had size 17 shoe,” Sullivan said.

“He told me all about last year. He was really a funny guy.”

The group says they go twice each year, and plan to volunteer at the event again in May for the summer games.

“I feel better when I can help people out,” Gingrich said.

2 News

Nov. 13, 2009

Teach-it-yourself class: independent study

By RACHEL GRESS

to take regular, honors or AP classes for credit, and receive a letter grade along with points for their GPA as well. The GPA point system for independent study adheres to the same scale that regulates normal classes. Students in a regular class can reach a maximum of four points for and A and those in a honors or AP class can reach a maximum of five points.

To safeguard against the misuse of independent study, students who wish to teach themselves independently must have

a GPA of 3.0 or better and receive approval from Brian Jacobs, the assistant principal.

“The first person they talk to is their counselor. The next person that they talk to obviously will be the teacher and then they need to pick up the forms and be approved by the assistant principal.

And usually the counselor will help the students fill out the paperwork,” Jacobs said.

While independent study may seem like an ideal answer to student schedules,

it’s not as easy as one might think due to the limitations of not having access to a teacher in a classroom setting.

Katherine Fackrell, a senior, took independent study for AP calculus AB in her junior year and often felt frustration over the “very loud and obnoxious” classroom she was in and her ability to fully learn the material.

“I did not think I learned as much as I would have during an actual class because our textbook was really not very helpful at showing examples of how to solve types of problems so I just had to figure it out on my own,” Fackrell said.

Fackrell’s concern over how well she learned from her independent study is a concern shared by teachers, administration and current independent study students.

Pamela Bobbitt, a math teacher, set the curriculum for Fackrell and now Martin, for the independent study of AP calculus AB. With her firsthand knowledge of independent studies, Bobbitt considers them to be a “last resort.”

“It’s challenging because I feel like [students in independent studies are] missing something when they don’t get a chance to interact with the class and hear other people’s questions and then feel like they haven’t a chance to ask their questions immediately instead of having to wait and find me and then get their questions answered,” Bobbitt said.

of pieces including short stories, fables, poems, plays and screenplays.

“I hit them with things unexpected and see their pure reaction as a writer,” said Susan Henry, creative writing teacher.

Henry said she tries to spice things up with interesting and out-of-theordinary assignments. She gives “weird” warm-ups like, “come up with the worst opening line to a teen romance novel.”

An example is, “He was dressed all in black, from eyeliner to Converse; no one understood; no one cared, that is until her—their eyes locked, and in that instant they knew—despite the fact that they had no souls, they were vampire soul mates.”

The purpose was to remind the students not to use clichés in serious pieces.

The class also participates in activities and then writes journal entries about them which they will later turn into stories.

They recently did a found treasures project where they were given a “found treasure,” such as a shell, and they had to come up with a story about it.

The class objective is to learn to use

a number of poetic forms and devices, be able to write in multiple different genres and to submit work for publishing.

According to the syllabus, rewriting, tight writing and real writing will be emphasized. “[Creative writing] gives me the opportunity to let my creativity flow and it’s cool to be in a class with other creative people who can give me tips on my writing,” said Setarae Banihashsemi, a senior. “The sky’s the limit for imagination [in creative writing].”

By the end of the year Banihashsemi hopes to have a collection of short stories and ideas to use and eventually publish in the future.

The class was started because of the success in other schools in the district, popular demand and because Henry was qualified and willing to teach it. “[Henry] supports our ideas and tells us there’s no wrong way to write,” said Paola Pratt, a senior.

Pratt took the class to get a better idea of what she wants to do with her future and to let her ideas flow and expand. She

recommends the class to anyone who wants to do just that. “[Henry] serves as a helping hand and gives insightful tips,” Banihashsemi said.

Henry said that she has plans to create a literary magazine and to distribute it around the school. Students will have a chance to publish their work. She said she wants the magazine to have the students’ best writing and to include artwork. It’s currently a work in progress and will hopefully be out by spring. Henry is currently looking into online sources that could help put it together cheaply.

“I want [the literary magazine] to be something between cheap and sturdy,” Henry said.

To take Introduction to Creative Writing l50/151, students must be juniors or seniors who passed the AIMS writing test. To receive the college credit, students must earn a C or better and have less than six absences per semester. Students must pay the tuition for one semester, however taking the Rio Salado test is not required.

Staff Writer

Patrick Martin is the class. Literally.

He is the student, the teacher, and his only classmate is his calculator. For some students, like Martin, independent study offers a solution to their class schedule but it does not come without its drawbacks.

Independent study occurs only when a student has either surpassed the level of a subject offered at school or, more commonly, has a schedule conflict with the desired class. Currently, there are only two students in independent study.

Unlike regular students, those with an independent study must teach themselves their subject of study, following a set lesson plan from the subject teacher. Put into a classroom, usually one in which the subject teacher is instructing as well, these students read out of the textbook and complete class assignments. While they may be teaching themselves, students who take independent study follow the curriculum set by the state like in any other class, albeit alone.

“If you can teach yourself then it’s fairly easy, but one of the downsides there’s no one really to ask for help,” Martin said.

Although independent study differentiates from the typical class, its grading system is a familiar one for students and teachers. Students are able

PHOTO BY RACHEL GRESS Patrick Martin, a junior, teaches himself calculus during his independent study period. Martin decided to take AP Calculus AB as an independent study course because of a scheduling conflict.

Unique assignments in creative writing class allow for imagination

By JESSIE DITOMASSO Features Editor

Every avid writer has been in that situation when you enter your language arts classroom and experience a moment of excitement when you look at the assignment board and see a writing assignment. You wait impatiently for your teacher to explain the assignment and pass out the rubric, praying that for once it might be something interesting, like a creative writing piece. As you read the instructions from top to bottom, you are hit with a wave of disappointment as you discover that it is not a long-desired creative writing assignment, but yet another literary analysis on a dull book.

A new class is being offered this year where literary analyses, among other boring assignments, do not exist: Introduction to Creative Writing 150/151.

Creative Writing gives juniors and seniors the opportunity to express themselves through writing without limits and boundaries. Throughout the school year, students will write a variety

Writing Club members aim to write 50,000-word novel in 1 month

By PAIGE LAPOUR Staff Writer

Writing Club is in action. Marlee Bonnette, Falicia Forward, Ellis Kim, Brandi Anderson and Christine Kweon, all sophomores, are hard at work using their imaginations to create a story of their choice in Room 506 on Wednesdays.

“Anything that encourages students to use their creative juices is a great idea,” said Janet Yonally, a language arts teacher.

Writing Club members started this club to get with other students who express themselves through writing, a place to write what they want with others who feel the same way.

Each member of Writing Club is preparing to write up to 50,000 words

for a book, one of which they hope to publish. To help them, they use the website Nanowrimo.org, which stands for National Novel Writing Month and occurs during the month of November.

“NaNoWriMo is a good way to get things written without worrying about everything being perfect,” Bonnette said.

This website provides workbooks to help plan stories out. It is good for people wanting a jump start on their novel, but anyone can join the Web site.

Bonnette said the project is designed to help people who have always wanted to finish a novel to dedicate 30 days to writing 50,000 words.

In Writing Club, they all discuss their stories that they write and tell each member what they like about it.

Everyone in the club gets a chance to

talk about what they like writing about the most. Members help each other choose names for their characters in their stories.

“They are all very nice people,” Yonally said.

Members also draw pictures of their characters and discuss them.

They talk about what their characters do and what their significance is in the story.

To help set up the plot in their story, they write down letters (A,B,C) and pretend the letters are characters, then each member writes a story dealing with the characters; writing what the relationships are between each of them and if there are any conflicts or agreements.

Anderson, Forward and Bonnette all enjoy writing romance. In addition,

Bonnette likes adventure, Forward likes fiction, Anderson likes action with a little supernatural and Kim likes realistic fiction and fantasy.

The process of editing involves reading through the story and taking parts out that don’t seem to fit well.

Anderson said she also has someone else read it.

This process is important in writing because it makes the story more “consistent and better,” Forward said.

Writing Club students joined this club because they all like sharing ideas with other writers and interacting with other students who are feeling the same things that they are feeling.

“I’m really into writing,” Kim said. “Being in this club will help me achieve my goals in the future.”

Nov. 13, 2009

News 3

House debates less-expensive health care plan

If passed, plan would give health care to 29 million uninsured Americans

By SAVANNAH THOMAS

The public option—a government-run insurance plan—could potentially raise taxes, according to an article on cnn.com.

After months of fierce debate and much deliberation, both houses of Congress are moving toward a vote on a health care reform bill.

“The only tolerable public health care would be a free one,” said Carson Howard, a senior. “If they have public health care, cool, I don’t care. But if I’m charged for it, not cool.”

Photo Editor

The Senate Finance Committee, composed of 23 members from both political parties, drafted one of the earlier bills, which it has now approved, according to an article on nytimes.com.

According to the article, the Senate Finance Committee’s original proposal “resembled what Mr. Obama said he wanted [in his proposal, released in July], except that it does not include a new government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers.”

The bill has now been amended, and will cost an estimated $829 billion to extend health care coverage to 29 million uninsured Americans, though the Congressional Budget Office estimates the Finance Committee’s proposal will cost $774 billion over 10 years.

According to cnn.com, a bill approved by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is “more liberally drawn” than the Finance Committee bill.

The Finance Committee bill has received so much attention due to the bi-partisan votes—one Republican senator, Olympia Snowe of Maine, voted to approve the Finance Committee bill, breaking with the other Republicans to do so. All 13 Democrats in the committee voted to approve the bill.

Snowe’s vote to approve the bill does not guarantee that she will vote in favor of it in the Senate-wide vote.

The Senate Finance Committee bill does not feature a public option, though the Health Committee bill does. The Health Committee’s public option was “designed to compete with insurance companies and force them to rein in costs.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada hopes to have “a single bill that can win at least 60 votes in the Senate, meet President

Obama’s promise to change… health care, and cost no more than $900 billion over the next 10 years,” according to cnn.com.

Some critics of President Obama’s health care reform bill worried that a public insurance option, funded by the government, would not only have meant a raise in taxes but would have allowed a legal insurance monopoly, resulting in lower quality of care in a system in which the only ones who benefited are the bureaucrats who run it.

In the House of Representatives, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California expects a final bill for consideration “soon.”

The House Democrats are debating three versions of the health care bill, trying to lower the overall expense by $200 billion, according to cnn.com.

Obama plans to reform education, Registrar Sartin’s balancing act: advocates longer school year transcripts, schedules, report cards

By LEAH STAPLETON

Copy Chief

Fun and sun surround you every day. Homework is nothing but a distant memory shoved far into a deep recess of your mind. Isn’t summer lovely? Looking forward to the pure bliss that is summer vacation helps many students get through the school year without completely losing their sanity. But soon, that beloved threemonth break could be in jeopardy. It may soon utterly vanish—or at least be considerably shortened.

President Barack Obama has a plan to increase educational instruction time and lengthen the school year.

During an address to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Obama said that “the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom.”

The goal of this reform is to increase the test scores of American children, who are consistently outperformed by children in other countries.

Diane Jackson, a government teacher, is in favor of this plan.

“We need more educated people,” Jackson said. “What better use of your time but to put it to use learning? You’re getting a free public education.”

Julian Yi, a sophomore, said he believes the plan is a good idea.

“It might give America an opportunity to do better and have a better reputation for education systems than it has in the past,” In order to initiate the changes in education, Obama has proposed a system with five pillars of reform.

1. Increased investments in early childhood initiatives could help children prepare for kindergarten. Obama wants to give an additional $5 billion to Head Start, a program designed to help lowincome families get their children ready for school.

2. He hopes raising testing standards will ensure that all students are learning

the skills they need to be successful in the real world. Obama said that “the solution to low test scores is not lower standards; it’s tougher, clearer standards.”

3. More teacher training will ensure that all teachers are on the same level, the plan says. Money has been given to prevent teacher layoffs, but Obama said ineffective teachers should not remain on the job.

4. Obama said he wants to reform the school calendar to maximize the amount of learning students are getting out of their time spent in school.

5. All students should have the opportunity to receive a higher education.

Obama plans to provide more scholarship money, especially for students who are unable to afford college.

Some students do not agree with this education plan.

“If students put the time in while they’re here, they can succeed,” said Michael Neary, a junior. “Kids [succeed] now. I don’t think there needs to be change.”

Heather Ratliff, a junior, agrees and said that students already spend enough time in school. “[Schools would] have more dropouts,” Ratliff said. “I don’t see a point, most kids just sleep.”

Obama said one of his reasons for regarding education as a top priority is that “by 2016, four out of every 10 new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training.”

Although Obama has recently proposed this plan, it most likely won’t be an immediate change.

“I think it’s going to happen over time, not soon,” Yi said.

Whether students and staff members approve of the new plan, it may just be a glimpse into the future of the education system.

“Some [students] are never going to like it,” Jackson said. “The others will get used to it.”

PHOTO BY SIRIGUL GOSUWIN Karen Sartin, registrar, stands in front of OHS, where she has kept order for six years. Sartin is in charge of sending high school transcripts to colleges for seniors and creating student schedules and keeping data.

By SIRIGUL GOSUWIN Design Chief

Her hectic day at work starts at 6:30 am. First, she makes the needed corrections for schedules and then works on large projects such as correcting emergency information and transcribing transcripts.

After that, she puts together the second semester schedule and files documents.

Without the hardworking Karen Sartin, registrar, these tedious tasks would never be fulfilled.

“The job is massive,” said Lucy Kennedy [clerk]. ”She barely has a spare minute [to rest]. She does have the hardest job on campus.”

Sartin has held the position of a registrar for the past six years. The duties of a registrar consist mainly of being the data keeper for the whole administration; however, many students don’t realize the significance of data keeping.

Take an official transcript, for example. In order to gain admission to colleges, an official transcript must be sent from the high school. Without the registrar imputing all this information, many students would not have an official record to show their academic achievements.

“The students’ transcripts are the grades they’ve earned from classes they take here on campus, “Sartin said.

Another aspect of Sartin’s work is

creating the master schedule and sending out report cards. She sends out the report cards twice a year to students and their parents.

“I would think that her job is pretty hard, because she deals with every senior’s [transcript],”said Jordan Moore, a senior.

Creating the schedules is Sartin’s favorite part of her job.

“We have a program called the Master Scheduler which is used to create the [schedules],” Sartin said. “The students [give their] request for the classes they would like to have and I enter the information and press the button on the computer and [it] places the students into their [requested] classes.”

Regardless of what tasks are needed to be completed, Rosie Campa, a clerk, said that Sartin is always up to the challenge.

“She is always very calm, and defuses the situation,” Campa said. “She’s always polite and gracious.”

Along with this chaotic job title Sartin holds, she takes the time to visit her children and grandchildren on a regular basis. She likes to scrap-book her memories. She has just recently finished scrapbook of her children and is starting on her grandchildren.

A graduate of SunnySlope High School, Sartin has lived in Arizona for many years. Although she did not attend a university, she said “she wishes she

4 News

Nov. 13, 2009

Resetar, new assistant principal, takes over security, discipline

By HEAJIN YU Editor-in-Chief

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Huh? What, change? When did this happen?

There’s a new face in the OHS community that has many students wondering who she is. Mystery solved: her name is Patty Resetar. She’s the new assistant principal in charge of campus security and freshman and sophomore discipline, replacing former assistant principal Matt Kuffel.

Resetar made the transition to OHS from her previous job as a teacher on assignment at Mountain Ridge High School, where she taught health, P.E. and drivers education for four years.

“It’s going to take time [for me to get to know everyone],” Resetar said.

She said she wishes all the students had their names on their foreheads so that she could memorize them faster.

As Resetar is getting comfortable with the new campus, many Mountain Ridge students were surprised by the move. “[I was] a little excited that I could finally use my phone at lunch,” stated Bradley Dawson, a senior and student body president at Mountain Ridge, in an e-mail interview. “Just joking! I was happy for her because I knew that she was receiving a promotion but also sad because Resetar has been with Mountain Ridge for so long and has become part of our family.”

Lindsey Brass, a senior from Mountain Ridge said she was “really mad” about the move because Resetar was her basketball coach during her freshman year, and the idea that Resetar was going to a “rival

school” shocked her.

Resetar is described by her former students and the current administration here as energetic, outgoing, vibrant, dedicated and optimistic, yet strict.

Dawson stated that although she is strict with rules, “she knows how to have a good time and can put a smile on your face.”

Many Mountain Ridge students want OHS students to know that Resetar is consistent, fair and strict especially when it comes to dress code.

“Ladies, don’t wear skimpy clothes,” Brass said. “And guys, take off your hats in the building. She loves to take hats; it’s like her hobby.”

Because of her “eagle eye” for dress code, many Mountain Ridge students know that Resetar is meant to be an eagle.

“If you are within 100-foot radius of her and you are on your phone or wearing a hat, she will catch you,” Dawson stated.

However, a new rule in OHS allows students to have their cell phones during lunch and passing time. It’s only dress code that students should worry about.

“I’m fair and consistent,” Resetar said. “I’ll uphold the school policy. But I want [the students] to know that I care about them. I want to be an asset to the students. If they [need someone or] want to talk, I’ll be available.”

With this sudden change, many students haven’t been able to personally introduce themselves to her. However, they do want to officially welcome her to OHS. “I’m happy that she’s here,” said Anthony D’Avello, a senior and student

PHOTO BY HEAJIN YU Matt Kuffel, former assistant principal, shows his replacement Patty Resetar around campus on one of his last days before he moved to Boulder Creek. Resetar has received a warm welcome from the OHS staff and students. body president. “I’m excited to see a new face with new ideas. I haven’t met her personally but I definitely plan on it.”

Alyssa Poland, a junior, said that she “loved to meet her.”

“I love all the administration,” Poland said. “Welcome to OHS! It’s an amazing school with amazing students. You won’t regret being here.”

Resetar shared her experience in being part of the OHS community and said that she “heard that OHS is like a big family and that’s exactly what I’ve experienced.”

Principal Bryce Anderson said that working with her has been “wonderful” and that “in her short time here, she understands what a great place OHS is.”

Energy, without a doubt, is needed

with Resetar’s past experience as a coach and P.E. teacher. She said she loves to exercise and assures that students will see her running around the campus. “[Just because I’m running around], doesn’t mean anyone is in trouble,” Resetar said. “I like to get to places fast.

I’m a Cali girl.”

However, Resetar jokingly added that here at OHS, she won’t be running as much because now she has a golf cart that can get her to places around campus just as quickly or faster.

Dawson stated that “every day you could spot her running to lunch. It was said that you know you’re from Ridge when you know that the cheetah is not the fastest animal on the earth…Mrs. Resetar is.”

Nov. 13, 2009

Features 5

Veterans: Serving country, preserving freedom Teachers share military experiences, patriotism

By HEAJIN YU Editor-in-Chief

Major Herb Weil stands with his father, who came to visit him at the Vandenberg base in California. He worked with ballistic missiles.

Lt. Col. John Simmons reunites with his family at the RAF Lakenheath base in England after returning from the Second Gulf War in 2002.

Petty Officer Brian Stewart stands in front of a ship, getting ready to be deployed on Nov. 8, 1993. He went on a West-Pack, which is a tour of Asia and Australia.

Simple fact: freedom comes with a price. Those unsung heroes who were willing to pay this price are our veterans, and four of them are at OHS. Of the entire Arizona population, 12.4 percent are veterans, according to the U.S. Census and at OHS, four veterans are now teachers.

Junior ROTC instructors Willie Carmicle and John Simmons, math teacher Herb Weil and history teacher Brian Stewart all served in the U.S. military and shared their experiences ahead of this year’s verteran’s day.

Lt. Col. John Simmons It’s a bird…it’s a plane…no it’s Lt. Col. John Simmons on a jet, or close enough, an F-15E aviator.

Simmons, who served 21 and a half years in the Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1996, flew the F-15E four years after they were introduced.

The F-15E jet came after the F-11 and everything in it is computerized and on a glass cockpit. The pilot is able to change the video screen to different weapons like air-to -air radar or air-to-ground radar and even observe the laser guide bomb, watching it as it lands to the target, Simmons said.

Simmons was part of the First and Second Gulf Wars, where he trained F-11 aviators and flew F-15E in combat missions, respectively.

“There’s lot of stuff going on,” Simmons said. “[I’m] flying an airplane and trying to locate a [target] while [I’m] getting shot at and trying to take care of wingmen at the same time because you don’t go by yourself. And, [we’re doing this] around 500 miles per hour.”

Simmons said that he didn’t have a fear of dying and describes his experience as stimulating because the adrenaline is flowing. He said that it’s not fear but “there is a knowledge that [he] might not be coming back.”

“If I die, I’d rather die doing something I enjoy and believe in rather than being hit by a car,” Simmons said.

Out of the more than 21 years he served in the military, he was away from his family for about five years.

Rachel Simmons, his daughter and a senior, said that she, her mom, and her older sister have always been very close and made sure that nobody was too sad while he was gone.

“We had big celebrations [for our reunions] and we always decorated the front of our house as a big welcome,” she said.

Nevertheless, Simmons said that she is very proud of her father because it “takes a lot of courage and bravery to serve the country.”

Sgt. Willie Carmicle

To ensure the best performances out of the aircraft, in the Air Force there is another unit that is responsible for removing and replacing the engines.

Sgt. Willie Carmicle served in the Air Force for 22 years and retired in 1996 as a First Sergeant. For the first 15 years, he was an aircraft engine mechanic.

“It’s a huge process. [The aircraft mechanics either] work in the shop, flight line or the test facility,” Carmicle said. “I was fortunate enough to work in all the three stages.”

As a First Sergeant, Carmicle was responsible for the welfare of the listed people in his organization. He was personally in charge of the finances of 145 people.

He served in several bases in Nevada, South Carolina, South Korea, Florida and Arizona.

Carmicle recalls his experience in the military as “the best decision in his life.” It gave him opportunities to do things and go to places that he never would have imagined before, he said.

Major Herb Weil

Sgt. Willie Carmicle receives an commendation medal at the Luke Air Force base in 1989.

And then, there were the missiles.

Weil served 17 years in the Air Force and retired as a Major in 1994. He worked with nuclear weapons which are on the inter-continental ballistic missiles.

“The kind of missiles I worked with weren’t the ones [that were] used in the trenches,” Weil said.

Weil would prepare the cruise, the members who launched the missiles. In addition, some people served underground 24 hours a day and seven days a week in a

year in case there was a need to launch the missiles. He helped train these members, who changed every 24 hours.

He was under the state of Kansas, on McConnell Air Force Base for almost the entire year.

Weil was able to visit Italy during his service time and work with shorter-range missiles.

“The weapon system was new and I got to see parts in Italy that I’d never seen before,” Weil said.

Weil recounted the times when war was not popular in the 1970s and he said he received negative attention, including people calling him a “baby killer.”

“Nobody understands the cost of war better than the people in the military. I had college classmates killed in the Grenada in 1983. We understand the risks that are taken,” Weil said, referring to the invasion of the Caribbean Island by the U.S.

Petty Officer Brian Stewart

In addition to the Air Force, there are four other branches in the military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

While the majority of the teachers at OHS served in the Air Force, Stewart served in the Navy.

Stewart served from 1991 to 1994. He sailed aboard the ship called U.S.S. LongBeach CGN-9, where his rank was E-5 Petty Officer Second Class. He was a damage control man and worked on the flight deck and shipboard. In simple terms, he was the ship’s “fire department.”

He served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During the Gulf War, one of the longest times he was out in the sea was 96 days.

“It was an honor serving my country in a time of war,” Stewart said.

During Stewart’s time, there were two fires in four years on the ship. One was due to a trash can that caught on fire because of a cigarette and the other occurred in an incinerator room where they burned classified material.

Both fires were out within minutes.

He chose the Navy because it offered the most travel, and he needed a map to name all the places he traveled to. Some of the places include Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Colleen Weeks, military wife

Colleen Weeks, a history teacher, was a military wife for nine years. Her husband, Donald, was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. He was a PMEL calibration technician for airplanes and made sure all the equipment was running at all times. He served in many locations, including Turkey, where he was part of Operation Provide Comfort that defended Kurds fleeing northern Iraq and toward the Turkey border, which was considered hazardous duty.

As a military wife, her rank was a Dependent. All military children and wives have this rank.

“That [rank] was hard for a strong independent woman,” Weeks said.

Nonetheless, Weeks said she is very proud of her husband.

Future veterans & family abroad Not only does OHS have teachers who served in the military, but many family members of students have or have had their loved ones abroad.

Megan Best, a senior, has an older sister, Lauren, who was deployed in Iraq for eight months. Currently, she is training in combat missions to be deployed to Afghanistan.

To Best, it’s important to “support the troops whenever it’s necessary.”

Daniel Gonzalez, a senior, also had his father in Iraq.

His father did tours of duty and was in Iraq one year at a time, in 2001 and 2003. Gonzalez’s father was among the first Coast Guard officers to be in the Middle East after 9/11. He was in charge on the protection and security of the entire naval and coast guard of the Persian Gulf.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Gonzalez, who is also a Chief Master Sergeant in Junior ROTC, is planning to serve the country by joining an Air Force National Guard after graduation.

OHS has several students that have plans to enter the military after high school and who will be our future veterans.

Peyton Sullivan, Captain of Junior ROTC, has plans to enter the Naval or Air Force Academy.

“I want to serve [my] country,” Sullivan said. “It’s important to put service before self.”

6 Features

Nov. 13, 2009

How to get into college: keep up GPA, be involved

By KODY D’AMOURS & CHRISTINE KWEON Asst. Design Chief & Staff Writer

Harry prepares well for college, keeping all of his grades ‘A’s, studying for the SAT and getting ready to write college applications. Then, after turning in his application, he is devastated to find out he has been rejected from the college of his dreams.

Many students like the fictional Harry tend to focus on keeping straight A’s and doing well on tests like the PSAT, SAT and ACT. These exams are all important, but there are a few components like extracurricular activities, clubs and volunteering that are vital but often forgotten. There are three things that, if done a certain way, could really impress the college admissions office: extracurricular activities, challenging classes and good grades.

“Every student should get involved with the schools and the community,” said Colleen Weeks, a history teacher. “It makes

a well-rounded and balanced student.”

There are some common mistakes that younger classmen make and don’t realize until it is too late.

“Grades really matter,” said Kathleen Giacini, a counselor. “So many times I see freshman and sophomores think everything is so far off in the future that they don’t realize that everything you do as a freshman and sophomore at school still matters and counts. It’s all part of a permanent record that the schools are going to see.”

Giacini said that, it’s best that the student be aware of the application deadlines of the college of their choice.

And taking the PSAT, SAT and ACT prior to senior year can leave “a lot of options open,” especially for scholarships.

Some colleges look for students who like and want to challenge themselves, Weeks said.

Taking a more difficult class is

By ANGELA YUNG

Bell said that for now, he’s “just living for the moment” and is focused on getting through high school.

Brooke Warren, a senior, is just trying to get through the college application process and the stress that accompanies it. She is applying to at least five different schools to keep her options open.

“The most stressful part has been trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to go,” Warren said. “[The colleges] want you to know who you are and already know what exactly you’re going to do with your life, but [I think] that being in college is what is going to teach you that stuff.”

While students are revising essays and filling out applications, teachers are working on a different assignment—letters of recommendation.

Holly Batsell, a language arts teacher, broke her own personal record by writing 10 letters in October. Batsell said she observed that more students are applying earlier, hence asking for the letters sooner.

Rather than complaining about the burden of having to write all these letters, Batsell said that she actually enjoys writing them.

“I wish I had more time to be creative with them,” Batsell said. “I really do like writing the letters because it gives me an opportunity to let those students know I have noticed all their effort. And sometimes in regular class I feel like I don’t get to let them know how amazing I think they are, because it just doesn’t come up.”

Virginia Wenzel, a science teacher, said that she is not particularly fond of

considered better even with a lower grade. Colleges like Duke University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology look at students in AP classes as students who decided to challenge themselves instead of staying in the comforts of a regular-level class, according to their websites.

“College wants to see that you can balance a busy schedule,” Weeks said.

According to Duke admissions office, the school wants to “find the ambitious and the curious students who want to tackle issues head-on and are open to change… we want some bumps.”

MIT states on their website mitadmissions.org that, “some students feel so much pressure to get into the ‘right’ college that they want to make sure they do everything ‘right’ even do the right extracurricular activities. Fortunately, the only right answer is to do what’s right for you.”

“You have to have extremely high [level classes], you have to be in [many] clubs, and you have to be No. 1 in the class

in order to get any sort of scholarships,” said Jimmy Garcia, a senior.

Tests like the PSAT, SAT and the ACT require attention and should be focused because colleges look at these tests.

According to collegeboard.com, “nearly every college in America accepts the SAT or SAT subject tests as a part of its admissions process.” “[Colleges want] a well rounded person, but obviously [a person] with good scores,” said Christopher Safi, a senior.

According to collegeapps.about.com students who want to go to an Ivy League college would most likely need a total SAT score of about 2200 to be accepted.

Students planning to go to Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University or a local community college like Glendale Community College could benefit by attempting the PSAT. The National Merit Scholarship, earned through scoring high on the PSAT, is tricky to get, but it could really aid in paying tuition, according to Giacini.

Senior year full of college stress, essays, letters, decisions Features Editor

In just a year, many high school seniors will be well into their first semester of college—already sick of their roommates and Top Ramen. But before that happens, they first have to get accepted.

Right now, many students are scrambling to write their essays, apply for scholarships and get letters of recommendations. To add to the stress, parents are nagging them every step of the way.

Liz Schmidt, a senior, is already ahead of the game. She submitted her college applications to both Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona by the middle of September, and has already been accepted to both.

Schmidt applied early to increase her chances of getting accepted and to simply get the process over with so she can focus on other things.

“I think [students that have not applied yet] need to get their butts moving because it’s quite a [long] process,” Schmidt said. “If you’re applying the last day and you’re not some great student, they might not want you.”

While Schmidt has already been accepted into her top two colleges, some have not even started applying.

Jimmy Bell, a senior, has not taken his SATs or chosen any colleges to apply to yet.

“I’m not sure what I want to do as a career yet,” Bell said. “I still got almost a year [to decide].”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELA YUNG With all these decisions to make and essays to write, seniors like Gloria Tello and Brooke Warren are stressed. writing the letters but thinks it’s important to write them.

“We’re here for [their] education,” Wenzel said. “We do everything that’s possible [to help] facilitate [their] move into the real college world.”

Come college application season, the counselor’s office is also very busy, full of students with questions, anxieties and letter of recommendation requests.

Debbie Harmonson, a counselor, said that she gets about two to three requests for letters each week and that they can take a few hours to complete. Harmonson also said that it is difficult to write good letters of recommendation if she hasn’t gotten to know the students.

“There’s a handful [of students who] walk in and plop a letter of recommendation [request] on your desk and they have maybe visited you two times in three

years,” Harmonson said. “Those that really want scholarships and to get into those high competitive schools usually do take the time to get that relationship [with their counselor] going.”

Danielle Key, a counselor, said that many students have been making the effort to talk with their counselors about college applications with questions about test scores, tuition and class rankings. “[There have been] lots of nervous kids,” Key said. “Getting [the process] started can be a little overwhelming,” While students are stressing and losing sleep over college applications and SAT scores, they can be comforted by the fact that there will be plenty of time to chill later.

“Sleep when you’re dead!” said Paola Pratt, a senior. “Sleep when you get in your dorm room.”

Parents tend to be nagging, embarrassing, but kids admit that they love them

By MICHELLE YUNG News Editor

Parents. They watched your first steps, they taught you how to ride a bike and they drove you to Little League practice.

But now, they ground you for not meeting your curfew. They nag you about studying for the SAT. With parents, it can be a lovehate relationship. Sometimes they’re cool, and sometimes you just have to block their voices out of your head. But no matter what, you have to deal with them.

“A cool parent is somebody who remains involved as a parent, not a friend,” said Jody Evans, a science teacher and mother to four children, ranging from 10 to 24 years old. “You need to keep your parent boundaries, to remain a parent and be the person that says no and sets rules, but you also need to be somebody that your child can talk to.”

Taylor Nelson, a junior and Evans’s daughter considers her mom to belong in this “cool” category.

“She’s the cool mom,” Nelson said.

“She’s the mom that all the students like. Everyone wishes that they were her daughter or her son.”

However, this doesn’t mean that cool parents aren’t embarrassing sometimes.

Some parents go out of their way to embarrass their children, but even those parents who try their best not to make their children’s cheeks turn red, still do. Evans tries not to embarrass Nelson, but admits that “I probably do.” “[My mom embarrasses me] every once in a while, like when she sings karaoke in front of her class,” Nelson said. “But she’s been asked to do the jerk [dance] and there’s a fine line. No jerking allowed.”

Good parents are also usually naggers, unless they happen to have perfect angels

as children. ”My mom knows how to push [my] buttons and my dad does too,” said Niami Ismail, a junior.

That’s just what parents do.

“Oh yeah [I nag Taylor],” Evans said.

“Nonstop. I’m constantly nagging her to study and wash her car and, you know, just the usual.”

Taylor Woods, a junior said that this nagging is not because parents want to make their kids’ lives miserable (in most cases), but rather because they care.

“If [parents are] constantly telling you to do something, or they’re constantly stressing something, it’s because they don’t want you to fail in life,” Woods said.

However, some kids in this generation fail to realize this and don’t understand the stress of being a parent.

“Parents have so many issues to be concerned about. Are their kids safe? Are

their kids learning? Are their kids out there doing something stupid?” said Martha Lee, child development teacher.

While some kids may be excited to leave the nest and all the nagging and constant interrogations, they admit that they will miss the comforts that their parents provide them, whether it be advice or their favorite flavor Pop-tarts.

“My parents are the kind of people that would go out their way to do stuff for me to make me happy so it’s like, why wouldn’t I love them?” Ismail said.

And although it may be difficult to confess, some students like David Lee, a junior, will simply miss their parents.

“I’d love to leave Phoenix after I graduate, but I would miss my parents too much,” Lee said. “Phoenix just annoys me.

I wish my parents sucked; that would be so great. Then I wouldn’t [have any problems leaving.]”

Nov. 13, 2009

Features 7

1 kitchen 2 guys 3 pies

By ANGELA YUNG & SAVANNAH THOMAS Features Editor & Photo Editor

Stikeleather takes a taste of the evaporated milk as Alex pours it into the bowl. After they each took turns tasting the batter, Lorenzo said, “Oh my God. This is good. Maybe it’s because we’re good cooks.”

Lorenzo and Stikeleather work on cutting apples with exemplary skill, “I’m excellent with knives,” Stikeleather said. However, the pieces ended up being all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Ryan Stikeleather, a senior, is an experienced pie maker. He helps his dad make pies every Thanksgiving, and he takes a certain pride in his cooking skills. Then there’s Alex Lorenzo, also a senior, who brags that he’s the “peanut butter and jelly master.”

But what happens when you get these two guys in a kitchen and give them a recipe and ingredients to make pie? Well, a lot of mutilated apples, burnt crusts and “that’s what she said” jokes.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Stikeleather and Lorenzo baked one apple and two pumpkin pies all from scratch. This meant peeling the apples, creating the filling and cutting vents into the pie crust. These pictures document how it went down.

Stikeleather puts the pumpkin pies into the oven. Twenty minutes into the baking time, Stikeleather remembered that he had to cover the crusts with foil to prevent them from burning. However, he couldn’t find any foil and the crusts ended up slightly burnt.

Turkey Fun Facts

Lorenzo sniffs the pie batter, remarking that the nutmeg smells horrible.

Lorenzo stirs together the apples in a mixture of brown sugar and spices.

What’s with the funny face? Well, Lorenzo is acting like a witch over her boiling cauldron. Stikeleather watches in amusement.

A perfect pumpkin pie lies in the foreground . It took three long hours, but the end results were well worth it. “The apple pie was tangy and delightful,” Stikeleather said. “The pumpkin pie was delectable.”

Thanksgiving. A time for family and friends. A time for reflecting on how grateful you are. A time to give thanks for all that you have. But come on, admit it. Your favorite part of this festive, fall holiday? Enjoying a delicious turkey dinner. But have you ever given much thought to the bird besides thinking about how much of it you can cram onto your plate? Share these fun facts at the dinner table—in between the bites of your turkey, of course. *Since 1970, turkey consumption has increased by 116 percent. *In the same amount of time, turkey production has increased nearly 300 percent. *271,685,000 turkeys were produced in the United States in 2007— and this number increases every year! *The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds. The average weight is 15 pounds. *Wild turkeys are able to fly for short distances. They can reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. *Wild turkeys can also run quickly, reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. *Every Thanksgiving, more than 45 million turkeys are eaten.

That’s 675 million pounds of turkey! *Twenty nine percent of turkeys eaten in the United States are consumed during the holiday season. * Turkeys aren’t only eaten during the holidays—50 percent of United States consumers eat turkey at least once a week. *Turkeys were alive around 10 million years ago. *The month of June is National Turkey Lover’s Month.

Source: urbanext.edu

-Leah Stapleton

Some students lack self motivation; need encouragement from teachers

By CLETUS MILAN Opinion Editor

“Yes you can!” students feel the effects of these words throughout the hallways of OHS during the course of the school year.

Many teachers stretch their imagination to come up with fun and creative ways to inspire students to work up to their full potential.

This year Mark Mur, a science teacher promised to wear a dress if his students raised enough money for the canned food drive.

“I am doing this to motivate my students

and to make them aware of those in need,” Mur said. All his classes combined brought 3,000 cans of food, but not enough cans for him to wear the dress. They needed 6,000 cans order for him to wear the dress.

Motivation can be intrinsic (students have a need to know about the world they live in) or extrinsic (students are given the desire to learn from an outside source).

According to the Center for Applied Motivation Inc. online, some students are motivated to learn because they like the subject matter and would like to know more about it, while other students are inspired by teachers’ incentives.

“I have a 100 club; it lets students who

have completed all of their homework assignments take off one test question,” said Denis Ohlwiler, a math teacher.

According to the Teaching and Learning Center Online, students who have a goal in mind, such as owning their first car, getting in to a college of their choice or getting their high school diploma, are more likely to become engaged in their school work.

“I try to make students think about their future,” said Colleen Fitzpatrick, a world history teacher. “I try to show them the long term affects of hard work.”

Jeff Baumgartner, a health teacher, gives his students the opportunity to earn 100 points for volunteering in the community.

This includes helping senior citizens, cleaning up a church or even serving food to the homeless at a shelter.

“I think it is great that our teachers are exploring ways in which they can motivate us to learn, but I don’t need teachers to motivate me to do better in school,” said Alexa McConell, a sophomore. “I can motivate myself.”

Some students prefer their teachers to be involved with them socially rather than just in the classroom. This would allow for the students to trust their teachers more easily.

“Teachers have to interact with their students, be more social with them,” said Chris Lefteroff, a sophomore.

What can I say?

I’m just a teenager Teens need to realize dangers, effects of alcohol Students should understand reasoning behind drinking age

By LEAH STAPLETON Copy Chief

Many children are taught from a young age that alcohol is only meant for adults and that a person is not supposed to drink it until they turn 21. But many people may not realize what is harmful about underage drinking, and why adults always tell teens it is wrong for them to drink alcohol.

The truth about the consequences of underage drinking is a taboo topic among teens. Many teens who consume alcohol do so without considering the way their actions today will affect them in the future. Those who abstain from drinking alcohol may do so only because they know they are not supposed to, not because it’s unhealthy.

Despite being illegal, many teenagers consume alcohol regularly. According to medicinenet.com, about 50 percent of middle school and high school students drink alcohol on a monthly basis.

“That’s a high number,” said Bryce Keffeler, a senior.

“I’m surprised that many kids drink regularly.”

There may be several reasons for the large amount of underage drinking that regularly occurs. Most students agree that this trend is due mainly to a mixture of peer pressure and a young person’s craving for a sense of maturity.

“[Teenagers] see their peers [drink] and they figure it’s okay, because it’s common,” said Gabby Mullens, a senior.

The legal drinking age is set at 21 for a reason; there are many health risks that accompany underage drinking.

According to teendrugabuse.us, long-term risks of alcohol abuse include liver damage, certain cancers and an actual shrinkage of the brain. These problems may not worry teens much now, especially not those who always live in the present and don’t think much about the future. But these are very serious problems that, when they occur, may drastically decrease the quality of one’s life.

“Children don’t think in the long run; they’re thinking about the now,” Mullens said. “They don’t think their actions now will affect them in the future.”

Because of this tendency for teens to be blind to the future, many may end up in dangerous situations resulting from alcohol consumption.

“If [teens] have no sense of responsibility, [drinking] could be harmful,” said Dominic Jones, a senior. “[The effects are] more long lasting than they realize.”

A large concern about teenage alcohol consumption stems not from the direct effects of the alcohol itself, but from dangerous activities that drinking alcohol may lead to. Teens who drink are more likely to move onto more dangerous drugs.

According to roadandtravel.com, driving under the influence of alcohol is the leading cause of death among young people.

“That’s terrible,” said Setarae Banihashemi, a senior.

“I don’t think people should drink and drive. I don’t think people should drink at all.”

Three out of every four students have consumed more than just a few sips of alcohol by the end of high school.

-Students Against Drunk Driving(Destructive Decisions)

ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELA YUNG

Violence is reality to teens, among high school students

By HEAJIN YU Editor-in-Chief

Fight, fight, fight!

Many staff members dread hearing these words.

In 2001, about one in three high school students were in a physical fight. One in eight of those students needed medical attention because of their injuries, according to the Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.

Last year, at OHS there were 21 fights, according to the security department. This year as of Nov. 3, there have been only four fights.

“Most of the time [teenagers fight] for stupid reasons, they fight for fighting sake or they [fight] because they want to look a certain way,” said Setarae Banihashemi, a senior.

Lauren Gilkey, a senior, said that many teenagers who don’t know how to express themselves and do not have proper guidance are more prone to show violent behavior.

What students see in CSI, which sometimes discusses teenage homicides and violence, is parallel to real life.

Homicide is the second-leading cause of death for teenagers between the ages of 15-24, according to education. com.

“Violence is a problem because of the [many] pressures of the world,” said Bryce Keffeler, a senior. “Without the right parental role models, [teenagers] don’t know how to react to situations and resort to violence. “ However, many students say that violence is not a big problem at OHS. “I think that we’re occupied with other things,” Banihashemi said. “[Many students here] have school or drugs [to worry about] so we don’t care about beating each other up.”

In the U.S., about nine percent of murders were committed by teenagers under the age of 18 in 2000, according to the Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.

“You wouldn’t think that kids our age would kill each other,” said Gabby Mullens, a senior.

Dominic Jones, a senior, said that violence is “part of human nature” and that it’s always going to be in the world.

More than one in six students between sixth and 10th grades admit that they have been bullied and more than one in 12 said that they are bullied more than once a week, according to the Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.

“There’s not a lot of physical bullying, but [there’s] a lot of mental bullying [here] where people are verbally abused,” Banihashemi said.

Keffeler agrees and said that verbal abuse is given and that it has been “going on for decades.” He said it’s just “kids being kids.”

About nine percent of murders in the U.S. were commited by people under the age of 18 in 2000. An estimated 1,561 youth were arrested for homicide.

—Students Against Destructive Decisions

About 1 in 3 high school students have been in a physical fight in the last year.

1 in 8 of those students required medical attention for their injuries.

—Students Against Destructive Decisions

More than 50 percent of teens have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school.

—Students Against Destructive Decisions

Drug abusers’ actions have lasting consequences for family members COMMENTARY

By SHAMARAH SHOUP Editor-in-Chief

Monkey see, monkey do. Fortunately for me, I am not a monkey, nor do I base my decisions on what I see other people doing.

Unfortunately for the rest of the nation, most people do. More than 50 percent of teenagers admit to having tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school, according to SADD.org.

Celebrity Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM was pronounced dead after an accidental overdose in August. The key word? Accidental.

Many teens don’t realize how dangerous the decisions that they are making can be. We’ve all seen the commercials, the posters and other various advertisements displaying the horrific effects of drugs and drinking on a person’s body.

What they aren’t showing you on TV: the families that break apart because of drugs, the teenagers who live in rehab facilities, the children of parents who had

to be taken away because their too young mother was high on cocaine.

Drugs do more than hurt your body. That same mother doesn’t know that her decisions influenced her poor child into developing the same habit. That child never had someone to steer him in the right direction. Now his decisions get worse and worse until he’s drug dealing in the streets.

Or maybe something unusual happened—he learned. Some people might realize that what they saw when they were younger was wrong. Maybe that child grew up to help his friends make the right decisions in high school. Maybe he helped them stay away from drugs and prevented them from ruining their lives.

But who knows?

I’ve had several immediate members of my family involved in drugs since I was very young, and luckily, I realized that there are reasons these things are illegal. I’ve seen my own family be torn apart by drugs. I’ve seen the minds of intelligent people melted away before my eyes. I’ve seen a good person pull a gun on someone they loved because their brain was so twisted from drugs they didn’t

know what else to do.

The effects are long-lasting. Aside from the fact that your body’s cells will be permanently damaged in places, drugs almost inevitably lead to lines on the coffee table, a low-paying deadend job and mooching off your mother.

People are trying to tell these things to teenagers; why aren’t they listening?

Perhaps they just don’t understand how extreme things end up. Most of us cry when someone dies of an overdose: it’s horrible. Even after we read the articles, and watch the stories on the news, most people aren’t trying harder to stop it. Perhaps some people just don’t believe it will ever happen to them. But I doubt the ones who overdosed thought they would die, either.

Teenagers need to seriously consider the real dangers of drugs, not just the physical aftermath. Not just the fact that they won’t be able to get a job if that company does drug tests.

Your body is destroyed and so are the people around you.

Why don’t we take a look around and open our eyes? We need to open our eyes to see what happens when we involve ourselves with drugs.

Monkey see, monkey learn.

10 Opinion

Nov. 13, 2009

Technology can be used for education, not hidden “Put your phones away. Put your iPods and Mp3 players away. Put anything with an on/off switch AWAY.” Sound familiar?

Most students in high school have probably heard this phrase before—or at least part of it.

Technology has become taboo in any sort of learning institution, aside from technology trade schools. OHS is certainly no exception, although electronic devices are now permitted between classes.

While this ideal is popular, is it good?

We argue that technology—when used properly—would be an asset as opposed to a disturbance in the classroom. Although students should not be allowed to text and call their friends at random during class, particular features that cell phones have, such as Internet or calculators, would greatly increase student involvement and understanding.

Although this may not be true in every case, such as tests, it is extremely helpful in classes that pertain to the arts. If someone wants to draw a picture of the Fox clothing logo but they can’t remember what it looks like, they could look it up on their cell phone—or a friend’s—instead of having to scurry off to the library. Or, if someone doesn’t feel inspired enough to continue their art or ceramics project, listening to his or her iPod would definitely help get their creativity flowing.

“The arts are a great time to have music

playing,” said Kent Younger, a ceramics teacher. “It aides [students] to be creative and comfortable when creating works of art.” iPods aren’t the only device that should be considered favorable though.

Cell phones can be used to increase comprehension without causing a major disturbance.

Holly Batsell, a language arts teacher, finds that in her classes, cell phones can be used for surveys. An online Web site allows teachers to create poll questions and have the student reply immediately and honestly—the sender remains anonymous—through text messaging.

“Everybody wanted to do it,” Batsell said. “There was 100 percent participation; people were even sharing their cell phones.”

In math and science classes, this would be extremely useful. Say a student can’t remember what a trilobite is: they could “Google it” on their cell phone. Can’t remember what the metric unit for work is? Google it.

Of course, these types of solutions should not be considered for things like tests, quizzes and assessments, but teenagers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable at working technology to their advantage. Obviously texting cannot replace the importance of writing an essay, but researching simple or difficult in-class

questions can be done in class, whether using their own cell phone, or by borrowing a friend’s.

Some teachers agree that technology has a place in school.

“Students already know how to use [technology], why not build on their strengths?” Batsell said.

Teachers could easily limit the use by clearly designating what times in class he or she would permit cell phone use or iPod use. Students should certainly not receive carte blanche to use technology, but an allout ban in the classrooms might make administrators and teachers blind to the possible advantages.

“Teachers are intimidated by technology because they’re not sure how it’s going to go over, or how to deal with the problems, so they avoid it,” Batsell said.

Students are well known for taking things too far, but it is a minority of students who take things to extremes. If a student doesn’t earn the right to be a part of this new type of learning, then don’t give them the privilege. As long as students have clear boundaries, they can easily follow them.

“As long as people don’t get crazy with [technology], it’s a major advantage,” said Daniel Rubin, a senior.

Now that OHS has allowed electronic devices between classes, it’s time for teachers to embrace responsible use of technology in the classroom.

will ever be exactly the same as it once was.

The past few years have been great. I have formed many valuable friendships and learned a great deal of knowledge and life skills that will help me in the future.

I’m all for embracing the teenage years and making the best of them. You have to endure them, no matter how wonderful or awkward they may be. You might as well look on the bright side.

But if I settled on the explanation that the best years of my life have already occurred, then what would there be to look forward to in the future?

People need something to be hopeful

for; they crave motivation. When life is looking a little down, the future is a bright glimpse of hope that everything will eventually be okay.

If you always believe that the best years of your life have already occurred, and that nothing better will ever come, the illumination of the future is quickly diminished, leaving you with nothing but a black, foreboding hole to stare into.

I prefer the tunnel with the light at the end.

One of the main goals of our high school education is to prepare us for the “real world.” What exactly is this “real world” that teachers so often speak of?

Editorial Board Shamarah Shoup editor-in-chief

Heajin Yu editor-in-chief

Savannah Thomas photo editor

Andrew Snider news editor

Anna Freydenzon opinion editor

High school shouldn’t be best years of your life, look forward

By LEAH STAPLETON Copy Chief

“High school is the best time of your life.”

Is it? Really? Well, I sure hope not.

Some adults, perhaps nostalgic for their youth, really do believe this statement.

This seems to be a rather pessimistic view. I don’t intend to live my life dwelling on the past. Things change, and nothing

To me, the “real world” is life after high school. The time we finally get to put all the skills we learned to good use. The time we get to flourish, grow and discover who we really are.

These will be my “best” years. They are my future, and the years where I will be able to use all the insights I have gained.

So I think a better expression would be “high school is the best time of your life… so far.” We’re all a work in progress.

Someday, when I’m older, I’m sure I’ll look back on my youth and say, “those were the days!”

I just hope I’ll be also able to add, “but now is pretty awesome, too.”

COMIC BY ANGELA YUNG

The Talon OHStalonletters@yahoo.com

https://sdohs.dvusd.org/Newspaper/TalonMenu.html The Talon is published as a forum for student opinion at Sandra Day O’Connor High School: part of the Deer Valley Unified School District. Letters to the editor must be signed and dropped off in room in Room 425, e-mailed or mailed. Letters may be edited for content and/or space consideration. Obscene or libelous statements will not be printed. Opinions reflected here are of those of The Talon staff and do not reflect the Deer Valley Unified School District. Some material courtesy of MCT Campus News Service.

editors-in-chief

copy chief design chief asst. design chief photo editor news editors

features editors opinion editors

Shamarah Shoup Heajin Yu Leah Stapleton Sirigul Gosuwin Kody D’Amours Savannah Thomas Andrew Snider Michelle Yung Jessie DiTomasso Angela Yung Brittany Dierken Anna Freydenzon

sports editors

Amanda Bowers Cletus Milan entertainment editor Tarah Wells fine arts editor Mallorie Harper staff writers Cassie Glaser Rachel Gress

Christine Kweon

Paige LaPour Joseph Nelson adviser

Erin Howard

Nov. 13, 2009

Opinion

Costco or Sams Club: Easy Choice

By SIRIGUL GOSUWIN Design Chief

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Do you like vanilla or chocolate? And of course, the important question is, are you for Costco or Sam’s Club?

The 18th year of a person’s life has many significant meanings. First and most obvious, a person who is 18 is considered an adult. The responsibility of being an adult includes going to “big kid” jail when a person commits a crime as well as choosing loyalty between two clubs: Costco or Sam’s Club.

There are two types of people in this world: those who go to Costco and those who go to Sam’s Club. Even though these two clubs are similar in the products they sell, people who shop at these clubs tend to choose either one or the other. It’s like choosing a favorite baseball team: if you’re a Red Sox fan, you don’t like the Yankees.

I am a Costco person; ergo, I greatly detest Sam’s Club. I find that Costco better

fits my personal preferences.

For example, at Sam’s Club I find the arrangement of products confusing and the products difficult to find. Also, I prefer to shop at a bright place, not a dark space where I feel like I’m going to be mugged walking down the canned food aisle.

Compared to the experience I’ve had at Costco, Sam’s Club isn’t even on the same level. However, I do think the Icee at Sam’s Club is pretty legit.

Have you ever been to Costco? If you have, then kudos to you, and if you haven’t, well...you’ve been missing out on a life-changing experience.

When you first walk through the door at Costco, you are greeted by an employee as he or she checks for your membership card. Walking around the store there is a variety of food to sample (it’s basically an all-you-can-eat-buffet while you’re shopping) You can find EVERYTHING at Costco.

Anything from electronics, food, furniture to a Prada purse— they’ve got it all. If what they’ve got in the warehouse isn’t enough, there’s a even Web site that features the best brands for half of the retail price.

The best thing about Costco is that regardless of what you purchase, the quality is top-notch. I have never bought

anything that I didn’t like; if it’s got the Costco seal then it’s guaranteed to be the best thing you’ll ever buy.

Costco is like a Mercedes-Benz while Sam’s Club is like a Honda. Even though Hondas are great cars, it just can’t beat the prestige of a Mercedes-Benz. Hence, Costco is the bomb.

The reason most people shop at warehouses such as Costco or Sam’s club is because of the bargain prices. Where else can you get insanely delicious pumpkin pie for just $5.99? Or gallons of gas 20 cents below what other gas stations such as Circle K or Chevron are selling?

The second-best part about being a Costco member is the food court located near the exit. Whenever you’re having a bad day their hot dogs with refillable soda for a $1.50 can make it all better. In this bad economy, their food sold at the food court is cheaper than the value meal at Burger King.

Some of you might be saying “what’s all the Costco craziness?” The main reason is that life is full of choices. As we grow older we need to assess which club we belong to. People will have their personal preferences. For example, I’m Team Edward, I love chocolate ice cream and I’m proudly a Costco Person.

Electronic books are inevitable for education

By ANNA FREYDENZON Opinion Editor

Textbooks are, by their defined nature, a pain in the back. They’re heavy. They’re confusing. They’re horrible to search through. I see tons of people on a day to day basis hauling these monstrosities around the school grounds, breaking their backs just to get in a few minutes of extra studying. It’s almost a safety hazard, come to think of it.

Except it doesn’t have to work this way.

The majority of the student population—or anyone who owns a computer—has the ability to view multi-paged documents in a PDF format. Internet access allows people to view long works online. These documents can be textbooks. See where I’m going with this?

Several OHS science classes offer both CDs and physical textbooks to their students. Some offer online versions as well. Yet students prefer leafing through paper rather than scrolling through pixels, even when there are plenty of features found in online texts.

My personal favorite feature found in online textbooks? The ability to print screen—so I can convert a complicated graph into a physical copy to carry around, or have a few pages to hold on to in a folder.

(Thus getting rid of the other 400 pages your class won’t cover.)

Can’t forget about the search function, either. Finding a single sentence about Euclidean parameterization in a 1,200-page textbook when it’s missing from the index is agony. With an online textbook? A whole lot easier.

Online textbooks, while replacing paper, still abide to the cost of the information and work in them. For example, the Biology: Unity and Diversity of Life textbook, the school pays $141 for the physical version and $126.75 for the

COURTESY OF BARNESANDNOBLE.COM/NOOK

The Barnes and Noble “nook” is the new book reader available. It will be released on Nov. 30 online and in-store. online version. A small difference, but it adds up when buying in bulk.

Many would criticize these “e-books” for not being portable; after all, most students refrain from hauling around laptops. Perhaps the same people might have trouble running online textbooks at full, page-ripping speed due to their computers.

Both of these issues can be solved by electronic book readers. These readers— varying in brands like the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader—haven’t been fully exploited by major textbook companies, but change is almost certainly inevitable due to the high demand. Readers are on the slightly pricey side for the student budget.

The Amazon Kindle is currently $259 while its closest competition, the Sony Reader, is starting at $199.99. Keeping in mind the multiple capabilities of the readers, the price isn’t outrageous at all—it’s incredible.

The e-book model is being embraced by a multitude of companies. Barnes & Noble is creating their own e-book reader, the nook. The nook features a colored touch screen and wireless book downloading— features which many of its competitors lack.

The most appealing feature to students?

Thousands of free classics, from The Jungle to Pride & Prejudice. Its current price for pre-order is $259. iPhone and iTouch users might have already noticed the capabilities of ebook reading on their devices. Multiple inexpensive apps allow the owner to view PDFs—and more! One cannot forget the fact that for page-hosted books, the Safari browser can view them just as easily as an at-home computer. Apple has also been rumored to be creating an e-book reader, as the company had bought a set of 10 inch touch screens from their usual source.

Yes, many students wouldn’t be able to afford these readers. However, many companies are willing to sign deals with schools to give affordable discounts, most notably Sony. Sony also donated 15 million e-books to schools around the country.

While it’s unlikely that schools will buy a large amount of readers for students, it is possible for them to offer discounts and financial help for students interested in buying one.

It’s only a matter of time until the majority of us will be carrying one thin, multi-featured slate rather than six thick, useless books.

11

Students need to relearn, find nicer manners, be more kind

By ANNA FREYDENZON Opinion Editor

Let me start off by prefacing this article. This is, in no way, directed at you, mysterious reader. You who might have had a bad day. You who have suffered from problems at home. In no way am I attempting to insult you or your excuses.

With that in mind, let’s get started.

It’s you, that little lady, who ruins school spirit as you insult the facial structure of a random bystander in the halls.

It’s you, that insane-looking guy, reminiscent of a power tool as you try to scare people holding heavy textbooks on the stairs by jumping and screaming in their ears.

It’s you, mysterious reader, who turns the school into a menacing battleground before the day starts, between each period and as the day draws to a close. Any semblance of safety for the poor, fragile freshmen evaporates when you tumble around the courtyard, bringing offense and frustration to ruin the fine mixing pot we call OHS. What makes you tick, mysterious reader? Why do you delight in antagonizing almost everyoneon campus, your giggling friends the only exception? Maybe you only target the weak, the meek and the permanently nervous. Maybe you only go for those in the spotlight, who that have become permanently tarnished by the curse of nasty (or even overly sweet) gossip.

Honestly? I’m surprised that the school psychologist doesn’t have as much work as I could imagine.

If the word “etiquette” brings to mind bad teeth and crumpets, you fit the majority of those attending the school. But etiquette is something that might need to be taught to everyone traversing the halls at school.

So what can we do to change the despicable behavior of many of our students when not in class? It’d be easier just to sit on our hands and pretend that nothing is happening, but nothing would get done from that little displacement activity.

You know what might work? Put us back in kindergarten. Teach us the golden rule again. Tell us how to properly lend our juice boxes. Pat us on the back and give us a sticker if we do something nice throughout the day. Sit us in a corner or exclude us from some “fun” activities if we mess up.

Knowing how some people think around here, this primitive teaching might actually work on some of us.

Maybe we could go militant. Did I see you drop a wrapper? Do 30 pushups. Trip someone who’s holding a bunch of soup cans for the poor? In class suspension for three days. Gossip? Clean the bathrooms.

Fear can do anything to even the bravest of students, that’s for sure.

But we don’t actually need to do any of that if people, you know, cooperate. Stop being so rude to each other before school.

Don’t trample people when going to your car. This logic isn’t hard to grasp and if you, mysterious reader, simply point it out to someone acting irresponsible in the face of this fantastic school, their activities are eventually bound to change for the better.

12 Fine Arts

Nov. 13, 2009

Aspring artist finds emotional outlet in her artwork Natural talent and a little bit of practice help to create cartoonish characters

By CASSIE GLASER

Some artists Staff striveWriter for realism, but Chrissy Douillard, a freshman, prefers her work to look “cartoonish.”

“I liked [her art], her style and how she gets ideas from things she sees,” said Collette Hinz, a freshman.

Drouillard knows she is one of many artists amongst her friends, but her work stands out.

When did you first start drawing?

[I first started drawing] in sixth grade. I was learning from a friend [because] I wanted to learn.

Do you ever use your art to express your feelings? Explain.

Yes, because sometimes when I’m sad I draw depressed people and when I’m angry I draw angry people.

How often do you draw?

[I draw] pretty much every day [for] at least an hour.

What inspires you to do what you do?

This guy, his name is Hayao Miyazaki and he inspired me ever since I was a little child. {He inspired me] because all his art is really good [and] he wrote books that became movies.

Do you ever display your art?

Just to my friends and people I know.

How does art affect your day to day life?

It gives me a reason to let out my feelings stress, so I don’t take it out on other good people.

Do your parents support you in your art?

Yeah [they support it by] say[ing] it is really good, and show it all to their friends.

It makes me feel good.

What’s your work about?

[It’s] mostly [about] people I make up [because] it’s a fun way to come up with new [characters in my drawings].

What’s your favorite media to use?

Pencil, because it’s really easy to use and you can erase it [if] you make mistakes.

What is your greatest fear?

Clowns [are my greatest fear because] sometimes they look like they are going to eat you.

Which living person do you admire most?

[I admire] my sister, because she gives me a reason to be a good girl.

Where are you happiest?

In my room because it’s really quiet.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievements are] French class, math class and art because I feel really proud when I get good grades.

Which talent would you most like to have?

To sing, [because I want] to show people I’m not horrible [at it].

PHOTO BY CASSIE GLASER Where would you like to live? most value in your Chrissy Douillard, a freshman, diligently works on another art What piece, to do add toyou her collection.

Alaska—I think the Northern Lights are pretty.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

L, from Death note [is my favorite fiction character] because in my opinion he is really awesome.

What is your most treasured possession?

I treasure] my friends, because they always cheer me up when I’m in a bad mood.

Who are your favorite writers?

Whoever wrote Death note [Tsugumi Ohbal}.

friends?

[I value] how they are always happy and crazy.

What is a trait you most deplore in others?

[I deplore] greed, because it gets really annoying and they brag about [themselves] a lot.

What is your motto?

[My motto is] “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”

Band strives to be best with early practices, persistence

By JOSEPH NELSON Staff Writer

PHOTO BY ANGELA YUNG Marching band gets set, ready to play at half time show, during the game against MRHS on Oct. 16 . This year’s theme is “We Wanna Rock. “

Waking up at an early hour to get on a field pounding or blowing on a heavy instrument while marching across a field while trying to keep rhythm and formation is a typical day in the life of a student in Band. There are many students that could not keep up with this style of life.

The students in band have to be on field at 6:30 a.m.

Jacob Crepinsek, a junior who plays the tuba, said he gets up at 5 a.m. to get ready.

Many band students struggle to wake up and be on time to early morning practices.

“I wake up at 5:30 but I’m usually late,” said Ember Carlson, a junior and on the front line.

Carlson said that Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days for her. Band students have to come back to school from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on those days.

“I work them hard because [being great] is all about persistence,” said Melanie Britton, the Band Director. “I even try to get them in on Saturdays for two hours of practice as well.”

There are many obstacles that a band student must go through.

Junior Chelsea Walsh has played the piccolo for eight years and said that she still has obstacles, such as losing her breath when she is marching and playing and keeping up with her homework as well.

There are lots of difficulties band students face on a daily basis.

“One huge obstacle for me is making curving lines on the field while playing loudly; it takes a lot of stamina,” Crepinsek said.

Britton said that putting the music and motion together along with trying to have them remember can get really tough.

Each year the band has a theme they go by.

This year’s We Wanna Rock.

“We are starting out learning the Styx then finishing up with Guns N’ Roses,” Britton said.

Elliot Ventiniglia, a student teacher for Britton said there has been a very good improvement level [In their performance] from the beginning of the year.

“They are playing much better as a group,” Ventiniglia said. “Working together is a major part.”

Britton also said that they have improved everyday because of their repetitive sessions.

The band students have been around each other for a long time giving them a bond.

“The greatest thing about band is the people, because it really starts to become a family,” Walsh said.

Unlike other schools that have as many as five directors, OHS only has one.

“The east valley schools are our biggest competition because they have more Band directors than us,” said Britton. “I am the only one here but the students are worth it.”

Nov. 13, 2009

Entertainment 13

‘Where the Wild Things Are’—smash hit for all ages Review

By TARAH WELLS

pretending to be a wolf while chasing his little white dog throughout the house.

“And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!” This quote originates from both the movie and the book Where the Wild Things Are. Thet tell a story that will captivate an audience of any age, though it is directed toward a younger crowd.

The Wild Things live as a family, but are just as lonely as Max and are looking for a leader. In the book, Max tells The Wild Things not to eat him; they easily listen and call him “king” because no one has ever told them “no” before. The Wild Things fear and respect him.

Entertainment Editor

The book was written by Maurice Sendak in 1963. It is short and sweet with only 48 pages. Within those pages, only 22 have words and the other 26 have illustrations drawn beautifully and creatively by Sendak himself. Fans of the book will adore the movie.

The movie, rated PG, is more detailed and might even be a little scary for young children. The details and graphics, like their round straw houses, are still very amusing.

Throughout the movie, viewers may laugh, cry and everything in between.

The main character, Max, is a lonely little boy who tries to have fun, even if it’s wild fun like running around the house in a wolf costume. He loves to “roar” when he‘s

In the movie it takes a little more convincing. Max tells them he was king of the some other nation and has powers to make everyone happy. The Wild Things question his so-called powers, but eventually, one by one, they start to believe him. One of The Wild Things, Carol, is like the leader of the pack and he becomes Max’s special friend and opens up to him.

In the movie, The Wild Things are very sensitive and sweet and not as vicious as they appear physically. This is another “don’t judge the book by its cover” type of story.

To differentiate the two, in the book, Max’s room gradually turns into the dark,

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. FILMS

The little boy, Max, is being crowned by The Wild Things while wearing his wolf suit. Max is played by Max Records. shadowy, green forest of his imagination.

In the movie, Max runs away into a real forest, which magically changes into the mythical forest. Max comes across a

boat that is just like his toy boat in his room and gets in to sail the scary, crashing waves in the ocean to where The Wild Things are.

Since the book does not go into much

Adaptions into movies: action-packed comics are crowd-pleasers

source material,” said Jacob Church, a junior. “That’s not a compliment, considering that they were little dolls boys played with.”

By ANNA FREYDENZON Opinion Editor

With The Dark Knight being the fourth highest-grossing movie ever, it’s no wonder why there are so many films coming out that have origins from comic books. While comic books aren’t as popular as in the past, they may manage to translate better than books into film, considering that they are already both visually and action-oriented. One might be skeptical on the success of these films; all it takes is a look at the figures to see how well they are managing in Hollywood.

“I think that the movies should be faithful to the characters,” said Mariah Dunn, a junior. “But if it wants to branch into a whole new story, it can go right ahead.”

One film, which had division in ratings, is the 2009 Watchmen movie, modeled on a 12-issue comic published

by DC in the 1980s. Many critics were unhappy with the nearly three-hour length of the movie, which the Director’s cut expanded by another 20 minutes.

Others were disappointed by the drawnout sex scenes and the emphasis on the relationship between two of the characters.

It gained a 6.2 average rating out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, though it grossed a total of $180 million in the box office.

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

The adventures of Batman and Superman have been successfully adapted on to the big screen chart-toppers.

When someone thinks of comics, the hero that might spring to their mind is probably Batman. This is most likely due to two movies: The Dark Knight and the earlier prequel Batman Begins. These follow an alternate, realistic universe of Batman, where Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne becomes tired of the corruption in the streets and dons the cowl.

The first movie follows his fight against two criminals who manipulate the population of Gotham with a toxin, while the second tells the tales of the Joker and Harvey Two-Face. The third movie will be released in 2011. However, some will remember several Batman films from the 1990s, including the notoriously awful Batman & Robin, where Arnold Schwarzenegger played the terribly punny Mr. Freeze who almost asked for awful ratings.

“Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are two of my favorite movies,” said Jason Lohmeier, an art teacher. “Yet I don’t view them as comic-book movies, just as movies based on them.”

The film Iron Man, which was popular in 2008, narrates the beginning of the weapons-giant-turned-superhero Tony Stark. Neither story nor quality was sacrificed in this well-executed, action packed film, pleasing moviegoers and

“I thought Watchmen had everything in it,” said Sejay Cabral, a junior. “It had violence, love and everything you could possibly imagine.”

Two of the most popular Marvel movie franchises are Spiderman and the Fantastic Four. The first Spiderman movie was rated rather high, but its sequel rose a few points higher on most critic sites. The third had spectacularly low ratings, most reviewers agreeing that while the effects were impressive, the story was neglected and boring. Both Fantastic Four films had far lower ratings than Spiderman, but still managed to gross $600 million total in the box office. These movies have been picked apart by the media, even through other superhero movies.

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Iron Man came to to life on the big screen with many compelling action and captured the attention of audiences. comic readers alike. The film received a 93 percent positive review average from the movie review site Rottentomatoes.com and grossed nearly $600 million worldwide.

The sequel, Iron Man 2, will be released next year. Some recent comic movies weren’t as successful.

“Iron Man was really hyped up, and I usually don’t like movies that are too hyped up,” Lohmeier said. “But it was really well done. Good story, great action and the [computer generated imagery] was disguised.”

The most recent “comic” film was actually based on a series of toys, which led way to comics in the 70s. The movie?

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which details the experience of two soldiers who join the G.I. Joe Team and fight against the insidious Cobra. The film grossed a total of $300 million as of Nov. 3 in the worldwide box office, having a 4.6 out of 10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 138 reviews.

While many claimed that the film was shallow, deeper movies might be even less successful.

“G.I. Joe was very accurate to the

“Spiderman started out pretty good,” Church said. “But it went downhill after the first movie.”

The earliest hero movies were actually 1940s serials, including Batman, The Phantom, Captain America and Superman. Batman was also a campy movie in the 1960s, starring the ultra-masculine Adam West. Some movies weren’t even considered superhero movies; examples include the ultra-dark Blade and Image Comic’s The Crow. Sometimes, these films separate themselves from their origin by being both high-quality and creative, thus pleasing modern crowds.

“The fans want more movies; they

14 Entertainment Nov. 13, 2009 November 2009 Sunday

Monday 16

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Tuesday 17

Wednesday 18

Sophomore Parent University 6:30 pm

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Thursday 19

EARLY RELEASE!

Town Hall @ both lunches

Friday 20

Saturday 21

NEW MOON!!!!! movie in theatres SAY ANYTHING concert

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THANKSGIVING!

28 NO SCHOOL

NO SCHOOL

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December 2009 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2

Thursday 3

Begining & Intermediate Dance Show 7 pm 6

7

8

Advanced Dance Show 7 pm

9 Choir Concert 7 pm

13

14 Selena Gomez concert 1 pm Marquee Theatre

State Capital Downtown 17th Avenue & Adams Street Phoenix

15

Brian Setzer Orchestra concert 7:30pm Dodge Theatre

10 EARLY RELEASE!

16

Marquee Theatre 730 N. Mill Ave. Tempe

Friday 4

Saturday 5

Advanced Dance Show 7 pm

11

12

Band Concert 7 pm

17

18th annual Christmas Mariachi Festival US Airways Center 18

FINALS

19 FINALS EARLY RELEASE!

Dodge Theater 400 W. Washington St. Phoenix

U.S. Airways Center 201 E. Jefferson St. Phoenix

Tokyo Lobby; restaurant with wacky names, yet delicious food Review

By JESSIE DITOMASSO Features Editor

Looking for a step up from Panda Express? Are Pei Wei and Chop-Chop just not doing it for you? Then Tokyo Lobby (5795 W Bell Rd Glendale, AZ 85308) should be your next dining destination. In this comfortable atmosphere, you and your friends can have a great time while trying something entirely new.

The fun starts right when you get the menu. The exotic and borderline inappropriate sushi names (i.e. “Sex on a Beach”), make for great conversation starters. They get you excited about what you’re about to eat. From the chopsticks to the little dainty sauce bowls, you get the full Asian experience at Tokyo Lobby.

Of all the different lunch options on Tokyo Lobby’s menu, three other Talon staff members and I, ordered and tasted seven, the first being the “What the Heck” roll ($9.95). It had a good presentation with tuna and a smooth red sauce spread over the rice. The middle was filled with cool crab meat. After only trying the sauce we realized why it was named as such.

The red sauce overpowered the rest of the flavor, making it overly spicy. If you plan on ordering this, brace yourself for a runny

nose and a burning mouth. The “What the Heck” roll is ideal for those who like their food really hot. Despite its surplus of spice, it was still a good eat.

The Glendale roll ($10.50) was our favorite of the seven plates. Luxurious.

Crispy. Fried. It was heavenly and really cooled down the mouth after the “What the Heck” roll. Crispy on the outside and fresh and pleasant lobster meat on the inside. I would suggest it to anyone who isn’t looking for an over-the-top oriental roll and is more of a newbie to sushi.

I, being the bravest at the table, ate Tako ($3.95). It was literally an octopus tentacle laid on top of a ball of rice. It was flavorless, but I could still tell I was eating octopus. A trace of fishiness was also present. It had a soft texture, but took about five minutes to chew just one bite. I’m not sure if this is the restaurant’s fault or if that’s just how any octopus would taste. Octopus is certainly not something people should eat in large quantities. Trying it wasn’t as exciting as I had anticipated because of its lack of flavor, but it was still fun and almost thrilling just knowing that it was a piece of octopus.

The Mexican roll ($8.95) was the next fish on our list. It’s composed of rice, seaweed, shrimp, crab, cucumber and avocado. It’s topped with a sweet sauce that tasted a little awkward and did not go

PHOTO BY: MICHELLE YUNG

Spicy Salmon Rolls and the insanely spicy “What the Heck Rolls” fill this plate at the Tokyo Lobby Restaurant. along with the other ingredients. It had a simple flavor, but tasted good. It was really nothing memorable, but was worth the buy.

The spicy salmon roll ($5.95) was our least favorite. It was just plain salmon squares wrapped in seaweed and rice. The roll itself was bland and boring. The thick orange sauce it was drowning in was too much and tasted suspiciously like French salad dressing. The yellowtail tuna ($4.50) looked like a raw strip of chicken on top of a small ball of rice. It looked pretty with

little red fish eggs on the top. The yellowtail had a soft, slippery texture and was easy to chew. The mackerel ($3.95) was similar.

It was noticeably not fresh, but had a clean flavor.

Tokyo Lobby’s food was decent and its prices very reasonable. Overall, we give Tokyo Lobby three stars out of five. Not dissatisfying and boring enough to get two, but not fresh and original enough to get four. It’s a fun place and has a large variety of food, whether you’re in the mood for some teriyaki chicken or some octopus.

Nov. 13, 2009

Sports 15

Fall sports at a glance: Looking back at the season Football

PHOTO BY HEAJIN YU Robert Calvert, a junior and corner,prepares for a block at the game against Mountain Ridge on Oct. 16.

Volleyball Girls’ volleyball wrapped up their season with a record of 9-7. After being down two games to one they redeemed themselves by defeating a team from Alaska in their Queen Creek tournament on Sept. 11 and 12, something the team considers to be their greatest achievement so far, according to Coach Bill Bellis.

“I am most proud of

the effort that our girls give day in and day out, both in practice and in competitions,” Bellis said.

What comes next for the team is aiming to win a state championship.

“That’s really our biggest goal this season, is to bring home region and state,” said Miaje Hubbard, a senior and one of the three captains this year.

Mostly a senior team,

there are only two juniors and one sophomore on varsity this year.

“We’ve really worked together on the court and we’re supportive of each other and we all have the same goals,” Hubbard said. The team has two more games to play, starting Nov.10, which will determine how they do at state.

Results were unavailable at press time.

-Mallorie Harper

PHOTO BY CASSIE GLASER Madi Newman, a senior, concentrates before taking a swing at her tournam e n t .

Cross country

Te l l o , a s e n i o r . C r o s s country participated in the Boulder Creek Invitational. The Va r s i t y a n d J V g i r l s ’ teams along with the JV boys team got first place.

“The team has grown closer together by bettering each o t h e r ’s times and the people who hold places third through seventh have really stepped it up,” said

Pa u l S m i t h , a s e n i o r.

The teams have been invited to the Doug Conley Invitational for the first time.

This prestigious competition is one of the biggest meets in Arizona. The teams also participate in the state competition o n N o v. 7 . R e s u l t s were not available at press time.

-Brittany Dierken

PHOTO BY TARAH WELLS On his way to victory, Collin Fleck, a junior, swims the butterfly.

The boys’ and girls’ swim teams who both took first in the Paradise Valley Invitational and in the Kingman and Barry Goldwater competitions.

“It’s gone really well, everyone gives all they have into their swimming with 150 percent,” said Robert Prado, a sophomore swimmer.

While stepping up to the 5A division is proving to be a challenge, the teams are holding their weight with improving their times and places within each race.

“It has been excruciating in practices, but in the end [the practicing] is worth it,” said Ali Rumble, a sophomore diver.

-Brittany Dierken

The cross country team benefited from both the camps they completed this summer as well as the hard work they put in everyday before school, and the girls ended their regular season with fourth region championship. “ We a r e d o i n g very good and getting over some injuries,” said Gloria

Swim & Dive

After winning against Kingman High School, the OHS varsity football team is first in region. The season had a rough start with three consecutive losses in the first three weeks to saint Mary’s, Desert Mountain and Horizon high schools, but turned around by winning games against Deer Valley, Willow Canyon, Boulder Creek, Mountain Ridge,

Barry Goldwater and Kingman high schools.

“I am very proud of the way our seniors have led this team and the way the team as a whole has learned to overcome adversity,” said John Rodriguez, varsity football coach.

The varsity football team has come together “more as a family” this season and they hope to prove the people who doubted

them wrong. The football team finished their season with a game against Valley Vista High School on Nov. 6. Results were not available at press time.

“This season was more intense than the last; we’re doing very well and have come together as a team,” said Chase Hardesty, a junior and defensive end.

“There’s no reason why we can’t win region.”

- Amanda Bowers

PHOTO BY TARAH WELLS Elizabeth Smith, a sophomore, prepares to assist her teammate in the game against Valley Vista on Nov.3.

Girls golf

The girls golf team finished up their season as region champions with a record of 11-5 overall and 7-0 in region. They hold the record for most wins in school, and beat last year ’s team record.

During the Deer Valley Cup, a three day long tournament in early October, the team was tied for first within the first day, when competing with all the schools in the district and brought it home for the second

year in a row. They also had a victory in a recent match against Kingman 197-235.

“Our season is going really great,” said Catherine Wilson, a junior. “We are district and region champs right now for the first time.”

The teams have a two day Super Regional tournament on Nov. 2 and 3 and then state on Nov. 9 and 10 at Maryvale Golf Course. Results were not available at press time.

“This season has been the best ever for girl’s golf,” said Greg Rice, girls golf coach. “Our goal [was] to qualify for state at the Super Regional on Nov. 2 and 3. We have to finish in the top five to go to state, which is our goal. If we keep focused we can accomplish our goals.”

-Mallorie Harper

COURTESY OF BROOKE WARREN Kailey Rumbo, a senior, out runs her opponents at the Doug Conley Invitational.

Boys golf

COURTESY OF MACKENZY KRIEBS Ben Sherman, a junior, practices his swing at a tournament.

The boys golf team finished with a record of 4621 overall, with two secondplace finishes in Kingman and Page. The team is on its way to the super regional that take place Nov. 2 to 11.

Scores were not available at press time. If they finish in the top seven they will move on to the state tournament which takes place Nov. 9-12.

Scores were not available at press time. “[We] finished second in the Page invitational that was a good surprise” said Al Baker, boys golf coach.

The teams top two golfers are Joel Smith, a sophomore, and Patrick Jackson, a senior, and they were nominated to the all region team.

-Andrew Snider

16 Sports

Nov. 13, 2009

Perceptions of football changed for better: Perserverance and persistance finally pay off this season

PHOTO BY: TARAH WELLS Marcos Larrauri gets tackled just he catches the ball at the varsity game against Barry Goldwater High School.

COMMENTARY

By HEAJIN YU Editor-in-Chief

Before this year, my experience with football or any sport for that matter was never pleasant.

I was the innocent bystander walking and talking to my friends when some type of ball—football, basketball, soccer ball or baseball—would hit me. Not all at once, but I have been hit twice within mere minutes.

This year, however, it so happened that I needed to attend OHS football games to take photos for The Talon.

I would never have known that sport

photographers have dangerous jobs until I experienced a few close calls myself. On the field, football players have no pity and tackle almost anyone who gets in their way—I can vouch by saying that I almost was a victim.

But this isn’t about my experience while taking photos but rather about how my attitude toward sports, especially football, changed drastically after attending a number of games.

Each player has so much passion for what they’re doing. They came from last year’s 2-8 record to rising to become Northwest region champions with a record of 6-3 as of Nov. 3. This is their first time receiving this title.

Jack Bridgewater, a senior and defense lineman said that he “wanted to go all out and strong in senior year.”

And they did.

“No one thought that we could [win region],” Bridgewater said. “But we did [win].”

The team came from humble beginnings; they didn’t let the teasing from their peers stop them from playing.

Many OHS students said that they had their doubts, but now we can all come to an agreement when we say that they have our respect. “[My friends] made fun [of the football team],” said Dexter Bethers, a senior and quarterback. “[But] it added fuel to the jet and made me want to play harder.”

Coach John Rodriguez said that the players’ determination accounts for their success.

“Come out and sweat with us, bleed with us and get banged up with us before [anyone] can start talking about the athletes,” Rodriguez said. “[Students shouldn’t look down on the athletes] until [they] have done what the athletes do. This goes for all sports and not just football.”

What I saw from the sidelines is different from what I saw in the stands last year.

The players return from a play covered with sweat and gulp down the Gatorade and water only to be drowned with more encouragement from fellow players.

The strong bond within the players is visible and I noticed the little rituals that they have. They not only give each other high fives but bump each other with their

helmets and slap each other backs and butts. To top it all off, they have nicknames for each other like “M-1000” for Marcos Larrauri, “Sproles” for Cody Kimes, “DMan 5000” for Bethers and “Sack Attack Jack” for Bridgewater.

The team’s focus is on the game and as they cheer, scream and yell out terms like “Cheese,” which is a code for a specific play, it’s obvious that everyone shares the same emotions. The coaches and players on the sidelines run back and forth from one end to another to keep up with the action on the field. (It’s not safe to be in the middle while they are moving.)

After observing this, I have gained a whole new appreciation toward sports.

This respect doesn’t come from the final numbers on the scoreboard but from their perseverance and persistence.

Now, I want to say “thank you” to the players for broadening my mind about sports.

And after a while, the game can get quite interesting.

This doesn’t only pertain to football, but to all sports. If I could enjoy a sports game, I’m sure that anyone (and I will emphasize anyone) can find a sport that they enjoy watching or even playing.

With fall sports coming to a close, there are plenty of winter sports that would greatly appreciate more support and fans.

As I was standing on the sidelines, snapping photos, I realized something: the grass that I was standing on wasn’t watered with rain or sprinklers. It’s spit and sweat that make our grass so green.

“Sometimes players need mentors outside the educational community.

Off-campus coaches say the disadvantages do not make as big of an impact as students might think.

“The only negative thing I can think of is that I need a sub on away trips or tournaments,” stated Nolan Hansen, assistant volleyball coach, in an email interview. “The students in sixth grade [I teach] get a sub that would not do the same activities that I would do.”

However being an on campus coach provides the opportunity for better relationships between the coaches and students.

“I like being an on-campus coach, because I am able to interact with my athletes on a daily basis outside of

athletics,” said Chris Harmonson, swim coach.

And then again, some don’t see a difference between the two at all.

“There really is no difference between on campus coaches and coaches who work elsewhere,” said Jake Nicholas, a senior, who plays defensive tackle on varsity football. “When I’m at school I don’t see on campus coaches much anyways.”

OHS has 10 off campus coaches this year; two are head coaches, and eight are assistant coaches.

“On - campus coaches [are better to hire] because the athletes always have someone to come to and that’s really important, Athletic Director Mike Cornish said. “But we have some outstanding offcampus coaches who are able to make

Off-campus coaches face different obstacles than on-campus coaches

By BRITTANY DIERKEN & MALLORIE HARPER

Opinion Editor &Fine Arts Editor Becoming a coach is no easy job. schedule.

Requirements to become a high school “Not being at the school obviously coach include passing a certification class, makes you less available to answer completing two online courses, attending questions, which I suppose can be viewed a meeting with the district athletic director as negative, but with football you spend so and going through a CPA class. All much time with the players and staff that requirements must be met by both the on- I don’t think it has a huge effect,” stated Doug Nisenson, assistant varsity football campus and the off-campus coaches.

So really the difference between on coach, in an email interview.

Although being an off campus coach campus and off-campus coaches could possibly come down to their relationships causes them to miss a lot during the day, with the students, their different abilities some say it is a positive experience for the students. or their availability.

“There is a different sort of trust It is a common myth that off campus coaches are unreachable. Many keep cell because I’m not a teacher on campus,” phones on hand: their unavailability is stated Gary Hernandez, assistant varsity sometimes a casualty of their limited work football coach, in an e-mail interview.

Annual Spiritline Clinic teaches aspiring cheerleaders

By AMANDA BOWERS Sports Editor

Spiritline held their annual cheerleading clinic on Oct. 10, part of a tradition that helps raise funds.

The annual cheerleading clinic was open to girls of all ages, and a total of 38 girls, mostly from elementary school, attended.

The purpose of the clinic was not only to fundraise for the pom and cheer teams, but “The clinic gives the younger girls something to look forward to,” said Lauren Fetkenhier, cheerleading coach. It also allows the younger girls a chance to have fun while working with the spiritline.

“The clinic gives the little kids a chance to enjoy what they love,” Fetkenhier said.

“The kids really enjoy working with the spiritline members and look up to them.”At the clinic, spiritline members taught the girls the proper techniques for cheering on their team. They were taught cheers, chants, jumps and a dance. In between cheering, the girls also had fun playing games such as “Little Susie Walker “and “Freeze Dance,” games that the girls had

to show off their best dance moves.

“Working with the younger girls was fun,” said Nicole Richardson, a freshman.

“You could tell that the little kids were excited to be there.”

All the girls who attended the clinic were invited to cheer on the sidelines along with the OHS spiritline at the varsity game against Mountain Ridge High School on Oct. 16.

Each girl who came to the game was paired with one of the OHS spiritline members and cheered beside them while performing the cheers and chants they learned at the clinic. The younger girls cheered and showed their spirit for the football team during the first half of the game and performed a dance to Party in the U.S.A after first quarter.

“Cheering on the sidelines gave the younger girls a chance to experience what its like to be a member of the spiritline, and hopefully inspires them to try out when they get to high school too,” said Heather Ratliff, a junior.

PHOTO BY HEAJIN YU Cassidy Rae Castleman a freshman, and girls who attended the clinic stand at attention during the game against Mountain Ridge on Oct. 16.