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Precedent PERRY HIGH SCHOOL || GILBERT, AZ
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NOVEMBER 2017|| VOL. XI ISSUE II
Badminton wins Perry’s 1st state team title By Mallory Malanson the precedent
Three decades ago the U.S hockey team performed an unbelievable miracle, beating the invincible U.S.S.R. team en route to the 1980 Olympic gold medal. Likewise, the PHS badminton team also slayed a giant who had previously had their number. Two of the past of three seasons, rival Xavier Prep has topped the Pumas in both regular and postseason meetings, but this year was different. In a magical season, Perry posted its first ever undefeated campaign (18-0), including a season sweep of the Gators and an eventual 5-0 semifinal ousting of their rival. The difference between the Miracle on Ice and the dominant Pumas? It was more than destiny, more than luck – it was the fact that PHS had unmatched depth, talent and chemistry. “In the history of badminton in Arizona, no one has ever seen what they have done,” principal Dan Serrano said. The Pumas dominated Arizona, outscoring their opponents in all matches 147-3. This was all due the difference this year by having a talented depth. “We were solid 1-7 and we play with 6. From number 2-6 they could beat each other every day,” coach Lerina Johnson said. She went on to explain that most of the girls are trained the same way, as they practice together at a badminton pro or badminton center. This way, the players gain fierce competition against other teams, and each other. But not only are they trained the same way, each individual on
photo published with permission from PHS Athletics
The badminton team poses for a championship photo minutes after winning the division-I state title. With a 5-0 win over Mountain Ridge, the Pumas became the first ever PHS team to win an AIA state championship, capping off a perfect 18-0 campaign.
the team has their own strength. By using each player’s unique talent, the Pumas were able to keep dominating the court. Johnson said, “we play with different styles – I let them play their own styles and fine tune them as an individual. We focus on their strength.”
Individual state champion senior Jillian Lagasca, has many strengths on the court and focuses on one aspect of the game, “I just stay mentally strong - keep things in and stay calm during [my] matches.” This season Johnson wanted her players to pl;ay loose to lift up
specifically for Make-A-Wish. Principal Dan Serrano said, “I never thought we’d get ten grand. That’s really good.” At the same time as the Make-A-Wish fundraiser, the Emery Bear Drive kick-started its fundraiser, with a bear toss at the Perry-Basha rivalry football game on Oct. 27. Serrano said “I was a little surprised that we were doing because [Emery] left. We will keep doing it; it’s for a good cause.” PHS alum Emery Miller has been collecting stuffed animals for children since he was in elementary school who are hospitalized during the holiday season . He collects bears from schools
not only in the country, but also internationally. Just last year, he collected over twenty thousand bears alone. Senior baseball outfielder Anthony DeAndrea has been a part of the drive for the past two years. “I want to help give back to the kids who are in the hospital during the holiday season. Emery isn’t here so we need to step up and help promote it around school, get people donating, and help pass out the bears,” he said. The goal for the Make-A-Wish fundraiser was ten thousand dollars; which was exceeded. The Bear Drive goal was 350 bears; and about 300 bears were collected. Rivalry or not, Perry and Basha has never failed to come
their confidence and spiking the energy on the court, “we had a lot of fun. These girls really take on my energy.” By taking on the enthusiasm of Johnson, the badminton team had an astonishing season. They dominated the court in all matches rounding up with three
state titles - singles, doubles, and team. Finally crossing the threshold of state runners-up in the last two seasons, the Pumas took the state championship by storm. Johnson said, “we had the best season for definitely school history, but also possibly state history.”
together as a single unit to donate and raise for every fundraiser presented to the schools. Due to the efforts of the students and faculty, children
will be granted their wishes and other children will have a soft companion to comfort them as they spend their holiday season in the hospital.
Rival schools come together for Make-A-Wish foundation By Morgan Chung the precedent
When a fundraiser is announced at Perry High School, the students fight to raise as much money, or items, as they can within the time frame given. Recently, Perry and Basha teamed up to raise money for the Make-AWish foundation. Student Council Advisor Lerina Johnson said “We were going to make it a competition between [Basha and Perry] to try to raise more money and it worked very well because together we are turning in a check for ten thousand dollars and Perry raised $5239.50.” This is Perry’s first year of holding a large fundraiser,
infographic by Madi Kimball
News 1-3 • Opinions 4-5 • Banned Books 6-7 • A & E 8-9 • Sports 10-12 Students Showcase Talent Perry host the Unified Talent Show for Chandler shcools Page 9
Banned Book Banned books stir up controversy across the school district Page 6-7
www.phsprecedent.com Swim Places at State Swim comes in third at state with several individual champs Page 10
2 || news BRIEFS
Struggling 9th graders get support from new tutoring program Entering high school is stressful for any incoming student; overwhelming students with work in each class can create unexpected drops in grades. School faculty has brainstormed an original resource for all freshmen. It is referred to as the “Bring Up their Grades” or B.U.G. program. In this program, students will complete goals before the first semester is up, identifying areas of academics that need help, examining three choice classes to focus on and making five personal steps to reach that goal. Acting as an asset to motivate progress, the agreement also asks that no other grade in another course can drop. Preventing accidents can be easy with the right preparation. Accelerating grades early saves seniors stress and show new Pumas how to be efficient and responsible throughout high school.
Winter dance has ‘ugly’ twist
Spooky season is over, and now holiday season Be Sure To... is in full swing. •Bring I.D. STUGO is in preparation •Wear sweater for their •Have Fun! second annual Winter Dance coming up this December. “Better in a Sweater” will be taking place out in the courtyard between the D and E buildings. “We decided to move it outside, where it will be chilly,” Junior Loralli Johnson said, “but with everyone dancing around and in sweaters it will be perfect.” The gym will be dedicated to mingling with friends as well as a place to get warm and cozy. While getting out of the cold, students can make themselves at home as there will be couches and chairs as well as a projector. With the theme being “Better in a Sweater” students can wear ugly sweaters or holiday attire. The idea is for it to be an Ugly Sweater party on campus. The dance will be taking place Dec. 16 7-10 PM. Tickets will cost $10 with activity, $12 without, and $15 at the door. Tickets will go on sale Nov. 27.
Popular STJHS teacher passes
Richard Cramer passed away early Wednesday morning, Oct. 25, 2017 after a four year long battle with esophageal cancer. Cramer was born and raised in Tempe, Ariz. and graduated from Arizona State University. He earned a BA in Education, an MA in Instructional Technology, and a certificate in administration. Cramer taught in Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) since 2004 and has been teaching for 23 years. He was a Social Studies teacher for Santan Junior High School since 2012. Prior to that, he was the Dean of Students for three years and an Instructional Specialist in CUSD for five years. Cramer is survived by his three children, two of which (Alyssa and Jacob) are currently enrolled in CUSD and his son Dylan who graduated from Perry in 2017. Kayla Gee, Madi Kimball and Morgan Chung contributed to this stor
the precedent || phsprecedent.com
november || 2017
Loss leaves question of on-campus memorial
friends, will there be a memorial dedicated in Brayden’s honor? With now 3 student deaths in the past 3 years at Perry, only one memorial has been dedicated. Back in 2011, it was for a young lady named Lauren Moore, who had passed away that year. Brayden Mason was very
cherished and was beloved by many students and members of the faculty at Perry High school. Mr. Serrano said, “if the family were to come to me, I’m not against it, but there is an approval process.” He said that it would be up to
the family and if they wanted a memorial, the school would help fund one. As for the football team, a temporary one was set up outside of the locker room for his fellow peers to visit and share their kind words. Sophomore Blake Cutlip, a friend and teammate to Mason, stated that “In front of our locker rooms for a while there has been a picture of him and a poster with stuff that people have said.” No one has yet stated as to whether or not the football team will potentially fund a memorial for Brayden, without asking for help from the family. His fellow teammates really appreciated having a picture of him outside of the locker room so that they could remember their fellow Puma on game days and every day. There are also students on campus that were not a part of his football family who have said that they would raise money for a small memorial to be put up in Brayden’s honor. Junior Charles Hendrickson was a very close friend of Brayden. “I think that a lot of people would support that,” Hendrickson said, “I would start a fundraiser, along with a lot of our other friend’s that were very close to him.” Brayden was a very kind hearted and friendly young man. He was inspiring to many of his fellow peers and students. “He did make a very big impact in a lot of people’s lives,” Hendrickson said of his friend, “and he affected me a lot as well” Brayden Mason was a very well respected and loved individual, and if it is possible, he deserves to have a memorial dedicated to him and his legacy deserves to live on.
population that sexual assault is a problem that deserves our immediate attention. There is one club on campus that got its start thanks to two passionate juniors who hope to use this opportunity to not only show support for victims, but potentially find volunteer opportunities to help those affected by sexual abuse. Hope Jardine and Jillian Harris started the club Women in Action, or W.I.A for short, this year. The club’s main goal is to serve as a comfortable place to discuss and educate students on the feminism movement. “We want W.I.A to be a representation of feminism and equality on campus.” Jardine explained. “A lot of kids don’t
know how they can stand up for feminism or make any sort of difference on campus, and this club is a way to do that on a small scale.” With events such as the ones in Hollywood, the co-presidents believe it is important to show solidarity. “I think that telling a survival story on social media can provide a victim with empathy and support, as well as unity with other victims.” says Harris. The hashtag has offered a safe place, so to speak, for victims to talk about their encounters with people who understand. It offers solidarity in a volatile place. It assures survivors that they are not
alone, and that their experience matters. The saddest piece of this story is that it is being seen as a fad. The worst moments of people’s lives are being reduced to a trend. This is not a trend that simply started out of the blue. People get sexually assaulted every day and that is our reality. The concept of the #MeToo campaign is to spread sexual assault awareness in the hopes to see it come to an end. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, the hotline is available 24 hours a day to support anyone who wants to share their story in a private setting. The number is 1-800-656-4673.
photo by Thomas Richardson On Nov.3, the Perry Football Touchdown booster club presented the Mason family with Brayden Mason’s jersey. From left: sophomore Cody Horcasitas, mother Karen (not pictured), father Frank, and sophomore AJ Owens accept the gift, which was signed by Brayden’s teammates and friends.
By Macie Miller the precedent
The loss of fellow student and friend, Sophomore Brayden Mason, was one that struck the hearts of many on campus. One question remains in the minds of his fellow classmates and
Social media hashtag #MeToo brings sexual assault awareness By Mia Irvin the precedent
If you were to pull up Google and type in just the number sign, the hashtag #MeToo is the first result that will pop up. Out of all the hashtags in the world, one that intros the stories of sexual assault is the most predictable search option. Everyday, the movement’s social media presence grows. More and more men and women are adding their testimonies and stories of abuse to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With every post and every story, we take one more step towards educating the
Rygiel’s dream becomes reality with new business By Madi Kimball the precedent
Beyond the classrooms, teachers have a variety of hobbies to keep them busy after the strenuous hours of grading papers. In that time, English teacher Kimberly Rygiel is busy with her newly developed hand lettering business, “Letters from the Margin”. She got the inspirations for the name of the company during her college years. “The name letter in the margin comes from the doodling habits in school when I would, to pass the time in class, doodle in the margins of the papers,” Rygiel said, “like song lyrics and things like that to keep myself occupied.” Last March, Rygiel was preparing for her own wedding when things officially took flight. She took it into her own hands to hand address all her invitations and save the dates but also had inspiration to do so. “I also took a lot of inspiration from my dad,” Rygiel said, “He learned calligraphy to address his wedding invitations back when my parents got married. I’ve always
photo by Madi Kimball English teacher Kimberly Rygiel concentrates on her lettering for her new buisiness “Letters from the Margin,” where she focuses on custom pieces.
been super impressed with that.” During her 15 month engagement, she enjoyed being able to view the progress of hand lettering, from her first save the date to the final thank you notes. Her overall goal is to get it on a stable platform such as at Etsy shop, where she can sell specific pieces of work as well as creating custom pieces. Not only is her handlettering an on-the-side hobby, but it is also apparent throughout her classroom. “My whole room is decorated with my hand lettering,” Rygiel said. “I take a lot of pride in the design of my classroom. My quote wall in the back was kind of the beginning of my hand lettering.” Her work is also showcased in another classroom across campus. Government teacher Angela Gardner has a custom piece which was the official beginning to “Letters in the Margin” when Rygiel sold her first piece to her this past summer. “I enjoy creating pieces for people that they just absolutely love and it makes me very happy.” Her work can be purchased from both her Facebook and Instagram @lettersfromthemargins.
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november || 2017
the precedent || phsprecedent.com
Staff Editorial
Reports of sexual assault spark needed conversation
Mice head off to high school
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By: Ashton Bell
Rodent problem in D- and E-buildings turn teachers into on-campus exterminators DAISY RAMIREZ the precedent
The idea of mice being in anyway relevant to Perry can be unsettling for some, however it is a situation with cause for concern. Compared to other schools, our sanitation has a good reputation and it is not absurd for even the best schools to have some kind of flaw in the system. Unfortunately for us, the surrounding farmland and recent construction has made for a pesky problem — mice. Reports of students and teachers having found mice in the D-building classrooms
may come as a surprise to some. The students most familiar with these little findings are the eyewitnesses to such discoveries, including but not limited to classes such as choir, band and orchestra, as well as the neighboring locker rooms. Principal Dan Serrano has clarified that once a month the school has an exterminator on-campus in order to control the mice, with teachers agreeing that all is being done to handle the situation and prevent it from getting out of hand. Fine arts teacher Randy Duren described his encounter with these small discoveries. “It would wreak havoc…if they knew what I knew,” Duren said, referring to students getting more informed about the mice. “I kill like ten a month. [Trapping and killing the mice] was traumatic for me in the beginning, and now I feel like a mouse warrior.” Perhaps some of Duren’s most humorous mice encounters include a time when he
ironically found a mouse on his computer mouse. On one occasion, one of his students decided to carefully remove a mouse from the trap. “I think it might have lost a foot in the ordeal,” Duren explained, “so she put it in her water jug, and took it home as a pet.” Obviously these creatures are not meant to be pets, and it is unadvised for students to interact with them for health and sanitation reasons. Teachers around campus use sticky traps in order to “humanely” handle them, and while this is the most effective method without any chemical use, Duren explained “because they scream as they’re dying and the students have a hard time handling that” it could be distracting in an educational setting. While it is understandable that administrators would not want to distract the learning environment any more than necessary, are they effectively ridding our school of these invaders?
Columbus Day dismisses pain of natives CALLIE NAGEL
the precedent
Oh America, land of the free and the home of those who really need to know they’re overstepping. Where every human being is guaranteed their unalienable rights and freedom to live their lives as they choose. Sounds pretty nice right? Well, what if I told you that the ride to what this noble land is today was not as glorious as it sounds? I’ll start with an analysis. Every child has had to face the horrifying experience of “sharing”. Maybe it was with a sibling or a friend, but the harsh reality was, after you let someone else borrow that toy, you weren’t getting it back in the same conditions as it was before.
It sounds silly, I know, but we all know the feeling of losing or damaging something. However, if there is something I’m sure most of us can’t relate to, it would be some strangelooking white dude showing up on your property, using a language you have never heard, and infecting you and the people you know with fatal diseases. So now it comes down to this, Christopher Columbus, a man so wonderful that he has his own holiday. But, why would we celebrate a man who brought forth the death and robbery of the native people? Whoop-de-doo he “discovered” (and I say that in quotes because let’s recall that our ol’ pal Chris couldn’t even navigate correctly), someone else’s land, claimed it as his, and destroyed the natives’ home. If that weren’t enough, the pièce de rèsistance lies in the complete salt in the wound such a day is for the native people. Columbus is literally the domino that started the downfall of their perfectly contented existence, with more white dudes showing up
like Chris to continue to decimate their land and tribes. After being constantly lied to and betrayed by the people who look an awful lot like the original invader from the outsider, Native Americans have every right to scream when “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” haunts their dreams. Even since then, life is not easy for nearly every Native American. Practically no one ever has driven past a reservation and gone “Wow, it’s so beautiful here!” because shocker, the future leaders of America ended up giving those who were here first the smallest armpits of America. To anyone who thinks there’s nothing wrong with celebrating a man who caused so much pain for a single group of people, go ahead, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss, right? Well, how about we wise up and stop glorifying the cause of such destruction, and rather honor the indigenous people who then and now have faced unimaginable trials due to Columbus’ discovery.
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magine having a dream. Imagine working day and night tirelessly towards this concept of success that you have envisioned since you first learned of its existence. Imagine achieving this dream. Imagine holding it in your hand, and being proud of it. Then imagine someone you look up to threaten to rip that away. This thing that you have worked towards could be potentially stolen if you do not comply with their requests. This is the world we live in. A world where people can get away with using their prestige and past accomplishments to blackmail anyone below them into uncomfortable situations with the threat of killing their career looming over the victim. This blatant disrespect and abuse of power only creates the notion that this behavior is acceptable. The reality of sexual assault is that we live in a world in which victims do not feel safe seeking help after their attacks. We ask them twisted questions and steer the blame in their direction which chases them back into the shadows which in turn discourages future victims from reporting. This concern does not lie with the person who has just been violated and used, but with the attacker. How are we going to begin to solve this problem if we cannot even take it upon ourselves to point the finger at the right person? It is not about what they were wearing or how they were acting. It is about the nonconsensual behavior that follows. By allowing these abusive figures to maintain their status and gain power, we send the message that sexual harassment and assault is okay. It is not okay under any circumstances. Now is the time to take action and set the standards for future generation. Now is the time to come down hard on these criminals. Recently Kevin Spacey tried to use alcohol and his sexuality to cover up sexual assautling Anthony Rapp who was only 14 at the time of the alleged assault. Since Rapp’s story, more people have gone on the record that they too have been abused by Spacey. The allegations span from the mid 80s to just last year. He has recently been dropped by both his publicist and his agent. Netflix has publically declared its intentions to sever ties with the accused actor and on top of this, director Ridley Scott has announced a plan to cut Spacey out of the film All the Money in the World and reshoot all his scenes with Spacey’s new replacement, Christopher Plummer. No means no. That is a statement that no one gets to ignore. That is a statement that no paycheck should be exempt from. That is a statement that is supposed to have meaning, and now is the time to make that happen.
Perry High School 1919 E. Queen Creek Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85297 480-224-2800 480-224-2820 fax
|| News Editor || Madi Kimball
|| Sports Editor || Asher Laufenburger
|| Opinions Editor || Lauren Fountain
|| Photo Editor || Emma Kline
|| Newspaper Adviser || Damien Tippett
|| A & E Editor || Ian Graham
|| Editor-in-Chief || Mia Irvin
|| Features Editor || Cameron Martin
|| Staff Reporters || India Buckner Morgan Chung Morgan Cleary Sawyer Del Fosse
Katie Duford Kayla Gee Mallory Melanson Macie Miller Callie Nagel Daisy Ramirez Victoira Vredevoogd || Artists || Ashton Bell Isabelle Martinez
The Precedent is published by the newspaper staff at Perry High School and is published as an open student forum eight times per year. The Precedent welcomes comments and criticism from its readers. Please e-mail all questions, comments, guest articles, or letters to the editor to phsprecedent@gmail.com. Submissions may not be anonymous; however, requests for anonymity may be honored. Letters may also be delivered to room C-119.
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the precedent || phsprecedent.com
november || 2017
: s u p m On Ca
Should on-campus memorials honoring Perry students be a decision made by families or the student body?
“Student body because he went to this school, but that’s his [Brayden Mason] parents so you need to respect what they want.”
Deanna Sanchez freshman
“That’s their kid so they have to decide what they want to do. I think that should be his parents’ choice.”
Habtnnu Teshager sophomore
“I feel like it depends on the student’s parents because maybe they didn’t have a good relationship with the school.”
Naxely Hurtadio junior
“I think it [the decision] should be by the parents because it’s more personal.”
Maya Curl senior
point | counterpoint:
In wake of tragedy, how should PHS remember? Only parents should have say involving Students should have ability to honor on-campus memorials for children memory of friends through memorial LAUREN FOUNTAIN the precedent
Perhaps the worst thing one could experience in high school is the untimely passing of a peer. From Brayden Mason to Michael Roach, the loss of a student rocks an entire school, reminding each person on campus how precious and fleeting life is. Keeping the memory of these students alive is the priority of their friends and family, but when the discussion of an on-campus memorial arises, so does the gray area of who gets to make such a decision. Sure, to those on campus who knew Brayden Mason, he is first and foremost a Puma, yet to his family, his loved ones, he is so much more. A family is never the only one who loses someone in tragedy, but they are surely the ones who lose the most. Like the bench honoring Ben Nelson, the decision to sponsor a memorial on school grounds should only be permitted if desired by the family. This decision should not be solicited by anyone, and be the true wishes of the family. Without this unspoken rule, how can the privacy and healing process of the family be protected? When a tragedy like the
A MINUTE
WITH MIA MIA IRVIN
the precedent
Let me get one thing straight: this is not another story complaining about why we have a dress code. Having a dress code is necessary to maintain a certain level of professionalism at school. That is understandable and in most
death of student occurs, the concern should lie with the privacy of the family, as well as the healing process of all who knew the child. Think of how funeral arrangements are handled: the family has the ultimate say. The same guidelines should be assumed with the family’s decision on how their loved one should be honored, and whether or not that honoring includes an on-campus memorial. There would never be a question of who was in charge of a memorial service, and the same should stand in terms of a memorial at school. Grieving can be a selfish thing, with individuals in mourning finding it difficult to imagine someone else possibly hurting more than you hurt. Because of this, it is important to allow a family to focus on themselves and how to cope with the loss of their loved one. By publicizing their child’s death on campus, the loss is no longer personal, but rather something for everyone to gawk at — including people who never knew the student. This is an immensely difficult decision to weigh, one that can only be made harder if the family is made to feel pressured to allow a memorial on campus. There are many ways to honor a late friend other than going against a family’s wishes to memorialize their child in such a public way. Although it may seem like not commemorating the student’s memory on campus is equivalent to forgetting about him or her, the decision is ultimately the family’s to make, with respecting that decision a way of respecting the student.
CALLIE NAGEL
the precedent
Everyone has lost something at one point or another, but sometimes those things can’t be replaced. Losing a person is one of the most unfortunate things anyone can go through. A loved one who took up a huge part of your life is now gone. Someone who was your world. Someone you created and brought into this world and spent so many treasured moments with, your baby. They say no parent should outlive their child, and it’s absolutely true. When the tragic loss of a child occurs, an entire school community feels the aftermath. Healing takes time, but there are ways to aid this process. Of course, the parents are most deeply affected by this loss, but they are not the only ones left behind. Sure, students like Brayden Mason affected the lives of his family members, but his passing also rocked every Perry student who knew him. In the unfortunate loss of a cherished student, some may want a memorial to be put up on campus. Currently, the final decision is left up to parents to make a final
decision on whether or not something like that is arranged. Understandably so, that is their flesh and blood after all. But friends who lost them too should also have a say. If keeping the memory of such students alive is the priority of everyone who knew them, an on-campus memorial commemorating their time as a Puma is a way in which the memory of late students can be honored as long as the school remains open. There are many things a family may take into consideration when deciding on a memorial, with cost being perhaps the most important factor. If a student’s peers were permitted to take on the task of an on-campus memorial, the financial stress felt by families would be eliminated. There could be fundraisers or donations taken by the school community to create a memorial that preserves the legacy of students like Mason. While this time is so difficult for friends and family, celebrating the life of a passing can be healing. Unless explicitly stated by the family that an on-campus memorial is something they do not want, there should be no sense of disrespect or overstepping in allowing those who knew a student to honor them with such a display. Grief is something that can cripple an entire community, something that can suffocate you if you suppress the pain and attempt to heal too quickly. An on-campus memorial is a way for students to be able to honor the memory of a lost friend, and heal together not as a school — but as a family.
Dress code dialogue needs to change cases, preferred. According to many teachers, the problem lies with dress coding females. However, when that code is being enforced like a weapon, it is no longer serving its purpose. When Mary Beth Tinker and her black armband protested the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, the Supreme Court established that students “do not shed their constitutional freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gates.” However in the 1988 Hazelwood ruling, the Court ruled that students’ subject to a lower first amendment rights status, thus creating a gray area. According to Principal Dan Serrano, there is no policy set in stone that explains how dress code should be enforced. Some teachers will send students up to the office to avoid conflict, some call in different teachers to confront the students, and then there are the few teachers who will take the opportunity to trade in their role as teacher for nagging
grandmother. It is not the fact that girls are being dress coded that is bothersome; it is the blatant disrespect they are treated that turns a simple rule violation, into a personal attack. Dress coding a student should be a private affair involving the teacher and the individual who is violating the code. For example, senior McKenna Jones was walking to her first hour when she was stopped by a teacher on campus. The teacher told her she was out of dress code, but did not stop there. According to Jones, she continued scolding her while she searched her bag for a different shirt. The teacher asked questions about how she could even considering leaving the house in a shirt like this. After Jones told the teacher her shirt was in her locker, the teacher continued shouting the same belittling question at her from across the courtyard.
“I understand that it is appropriate we have a dress code,” Jones says. “But the way teachers approach the situation is wrong.” Time and time again it is not the actual code that girls feel attacked by, but rather the words that are used in the process. Senior Lauren Hammers has both been a target and witnessed these interactions. “Sometimes [the things they say are] unnecessary and humiliating for girls. Especially when it’s in front of the class, the teacher has to call you out in front of everyone,” Hammers says. “If you’re going to make us change our clothes, you could do it in a respectful way.” The dress code is not the problem. Fashion is not limited to school, and opportunities to express yourself can be found over break or on the weekends. But if a girl is to dress out of code, there is no need to resort to judgemental and hostile rhetoric to inform her of this infraction.
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Divide between literature and understanding grows By Lauren Fountain
T
the precedent
he Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Bridge to Terabithia. Captain Underpants. These are just a few of the most commonly banned books in America. In the Chandler Unified School District, there is one group responsible for determining which books students in the district can and cannot read — a task that quite literally determines if and how children will be exposed to topics such as racism, rape, or mental illness. “There’s a department called the IRC [Instructional Resource Center] and people that work in that department are the ones who approve books because really any book that’s assigned to students to read should be on the district-approved list,” Principal Dan Serrano said. From the start of a student’s time at Perry, he or she is exposed to countless works of literature, all of which should be on the districtapproved list. “There are some [books] that are
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not [approved] and the district is trying to check that,” Serrano said. Serrano has previous experience with controversial literature, as he became the principal at McClintock High School when the previous principal was removed during a 1998 lawsuit against the Tempe Unified High School District, with the plaintiff claiming the use of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the presence of racial slurs in the text led to racial harassment. Such controversial works as Huck Finn spark debate time after time, even in the present at Hamilton High School. Parents at Hamilton were outraged to find that their students were exposed to To Kill a Mockingbird and accompanying materials due to the author’s use of a racial slur over two hundred times. One such parent is Ernest Russell, who told 12 News, “[The content is] just totally inappropriate for a 13-14-year-old audience.” An article by Arizona State University professor Neal Lester — who teaches a class on the word — was used to discuss the word’s history, as well as its evolution into the present. “As I get older and my students get younger, I find they are very disconnected with the realities of history,” Lester said. As we move farther and farther from the past, literature that captures the essence of specific periods is one of the last remaining ways to keep history alive and accessible to future generations. “History is history and I think that’s one of our jobs in an educational institution is to teach history, but some people don’t want us teaching history if it’s offensive to them so we work with them,” Serrano said. “There could be a book that you were
Multiple literary classics on CUSD’s approved reading list called into question as district’s Instructional Resource Center reevalutes
Controversy in literature sparks needed classroom conversation
“If a kid still says, ‘I don’t want to read that book,’ we can’t make them read it. We have alternatives.
”
Dan Serrano Perry High School Principal
LAUREN FOUNTAIN the precedent
forced to read that for your religion or your race or your culture or something that happened in history, it’s offensive to you.” The complexity of the problem, though, is the fact that To Kill a Mockingbird and other commonly opposed books are indeed on the district’s list. While teachers safeguard themselves with permission slips and supplemental activities meant to effectively introduce controversial books, there is nothing anyone can do if the content of such literature offends a certain group. “Now books have to be approved,” Serrano said. “If a kid still says, ‘I don’t want to read that book,’ we can’t make them read it. We have alternatives for students to read.” The gray area comes with Dual Enrollment courses, as the college curriculum can include content that is not necessarily approved by the district, and may be more risque than the straight-laced content the IRC permits. “Sometimes the books that aren’t on the list are Dual Enrollment books because you’re taking a college class,” Serrano said. “That’s kind of what we’re working on, because when you get to college I’m sure they’re a little bit different than ours.” No matter how such literature is approached, it is perhaps unavoidable to present texts that no group will take offense to, as time and time again the question over the guidelines for educational exposure to such works is hotly debated.
Preservation of history first, feelings second Regardless of what anyone says, the need to preserve history should trump all others. It is vital that our generation and those who come after us remember the past and don’t take history out of context. Both the good and the bad are absolutely necessary; the good to build off of, and the bad to learn from, and literature is no exception. Controversial books like Catcher in the Rye, The Color Purple, and Bless Me Ultima,
CAMERON MARTIN the precedent
to name a few, are constantly on and off the chopping block across the country in efforts to shelter young teens and minimize
It seems every week there is a new controversy circulating the web — abuse in Hollywood, crime rocking our neighborhoods, or the President’s latest 140 characters. However, the latest controversy has been reborn in the media, right in the East Valley. An assignment given in preparation for a class reading of To Kill a Mockingbird at Hamilton High School went straight to the news, with parents fuming over the in class discussion revolving around the use of the “N-word” in the novel. When literature becomes the source of such outrage in our communities, many question what constitutes adult material and how controversial issues should be presented in classes filled with teenagers. Now more than ever, though, these uncomfortable topics have merit. With more than nine hundred hate groups throughout America, gun violence surpassing the massacre levels of the week prior, and the ever-growing list of abuse at the hands of those in positions of power, how could it not be imperative to bring up this very same themes in literature and emphasize that it is still relevant? While the idea that racism and hatred are still so prevalent in our society is something to be ashamed of, having these types of conversations about the past and
their exposure to mature content and adult themes. Just like the monuments of great Confederate generals, these banned books are not monuments to hate, but failure, and we cannot just sit by and let history be lost as it is torn down and replaced with something people like. The point of these books like Uncle Tom’s Cabin or To Kill a Mockingbird are to create unease, to provide commentary. The likes of George Orwell, Harper Lee, Mary Shelley didn’t all write with the intent
its role in the present are absolutely vital. The beauty of literature is that it is timeless, and though written decades ago, still carries truth. Literature gives us the opportunity to look into history in a different way. A way that allows us to look at humans, and how they treated one another. Sharing these books through our curriculum allow us to break down social issues in a setting that many young adults feel more comfortable in than their own homes. Teaching novels like To Kill a Mockingbird allow students to feel the reality of a time that is both far away, but still leaves its vile traces. The future belongs to the children — the ones sitting in classrooms across the state and country finding universal truth in literature that may be deemed “too much” by adults who cannot seem the comprehend that the world is a very different place that when they were young. By calling for novels like To Kill a Mockingbird to be removed from the classroom, parents are taking away the next generation’s ability to incite meaningful change, to open their eyes to the things affect them and those around them. No matter the honorable attempts by parents to protect their children from the painful reality of the world, unfortunate truths of the world will only be harder to swallow upon leaving the confines of a town like Gilbert. We need to spend less time focusing on the language and sexual content of these novels, and study them for their themes of tolerance, friendship, and unity. If we fail to do this and call for the removal of these texts and the educators who dare introduce them, we are no more than bystanders allowing history to repeat itself.
to offend any one group or race. They wrote with a different purpose: to make you uncomfortable, to incite change. To make you think. Their books are our gateways to the past, providing valuable insight and highlighting our greatest mistakes to ensure they are never repeated. They cannot just be wiped away and swept under the rug because people find them offensive or oppressive. We must read them, analyze them, study them in hopes to become better as society and better as people.
Should schools have the right to ban books that contain “adult content”? : s u p m a C n O
“I don’think that the district or really anyone should have the power to ban the books. Banning them takes away the exposure students have to amazing pieces of literature.”
Desiree Stinnett
Senior English teacher
“To a certain extent because I get if a book is really vulgar, but there are some things that we have to learn from and we’re going to see it in life anyways.”
“I feel like they should the power to question and have conversations with teachers. It would be appreciative if a teacher’s voice could also be a part of the conversation.”
“I think it’s really unfair. If you can’t deal with [adult themes] in school you’re not going to be able to deal with it in real life”
Junior
Freshman English teacher
Sophomore
Elisa Thomas
Alesandra Barth
Alexa Favela
8 || arts and entertainment
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november || 2017
Freshman dancer finds her place among the elite Tatiana Savedra begins high school amid a community of dancers in Movéo Mallory Melanson the precedent
Every little girl dreams of reaching for the stars and dancing their hearts out, but one girl has definitely succeeded in hitting the big leagues in high school. Freshman Tatiana Savedra is a part of the Movéo dance team and it all started as a little girl. Savedra began dance at a young age and has continued ever since. Dancing at Club Dance Studio, her and six others on the Movéo team practice together daily. “At club it’s usually more of a competitive start… it’s a lot of repetition,” says Savedra. She went on to say that during club practice, it is more about technique and getting ready for competitions rather than concentrating on the artistic side of performing which is what moveo practices. One style of dance that requires creativity and an artistic view is contemporary which is Savedra’s favorite style. “I have more of a fluid movement, [and] I’m more of a leggy person because I’m super flexible.” For Savedra, contemporary is easier for what type of movement she can give while dancing, but performing in a group is also easier for her, “I prefer group [dances]
Morgan Cleary the precedent
DECA students are bringing an awareness to the foundation Homeward Bound.Senior Lois Zozobrado brings together local bands and performers, to raise money for Homeward Bound. Zozobrado describes Homeward Bound as a “5O1C nonprofit that helps the homeless help get back on there feet by providing programs that inform them on how to get a job, how to get a house, and how to stay on their feet.” DECA works with one charity all year, Rob Lang,
because it’s just more fun.” What makes dancing in a group fun, is knowing you have friends to back you up. The Movéo team is truly a family that sticks together at all times. Savedra says, “They help me throughout, not even dance, [but] I’ll see them in the hallway and I’ll say hi.” Because she is a freshman, the high school life is a new atmosphere, and having older girls who know the ins and outs of school are a big help. “Because they are older and have been in my shoes, they understand what it is like to be a freshman in high school.” But according to her, getting to this place was pretty intimidating. Savedra explained that at tryouts there were girls from all grades, and being the youngest and knowing that there were older girls who had already experienced dancing at school had a good grip on what to expect. But in the end, Savedra made the Movéo team and she was extremely proud of her accomplishment. So first year on the team, Movéo just recently had their first dance show this year and Savedra was happy about the outcome, “it was good, it was fun.” Laughing and giggling, she went on to explain that the show took hard work and training to get ready for, but it was all worth it.
Tatiana Savedra performs at the Movéo Dance Company show that took place Nov. 2.
DECA benefit concert to take place at SoZo Coffeehouse the marketing teacher and DECA founder on campus, is beaming with happiness that his students are making such an impact, “I am so proud of my students, they have done all of this completely on their own, and they are doing fantastic” Zozobrado has coordinated concerts for people in Phoenix before this opportunity. Zozobrado believes that her biggest
struggle will be “making sure the performers know their sets, making sure they get on and off on time, making sure the venue doesn’t get to crowded, just set up in general.” Some of the events happening throughout the night include performances by Zozobrado, Perry alum Jacob Morris, Perry Jazz band, and Junior Brandon Gummow, as well as a raffle
that will take place on the hour. Senior Maggie Bauman is in charge of the raffle, “ we have a couple different baskets, a lot of local businesses donated and local musicians donated as well” Zozobrado is excited for the raffle that is going to happen throughout the night, “we have gotten so many donations from the community that we might have to do the raffle every
thirty minutes to every hour, it is just nice to see the community come together to help in this nonprofit.” Bauman is most excited about “getting interaction with the performers and the people who we are doing this for” With excitement often comes concerns, one of Bauman’s biggest concerns is getting the publicity out so they have a big crowd throughout the event, “ we try to promote it as often as possible, we have posters, and social media, we have talked to local businesses to get there publicity as well.” Bauman is expecting a large turnout based on the
photo by Megan Connor
amount of publicity they are getting through campus and the communities efforts. Zozobrado is very confident in this concert, “ I am very confident in this, just because I have done this before, me being a perfectionist is going to make this run smoothly.” DECA hopes to have a big turnout and a big support with the communities around us to come together for a great cause. Come support your local charity and local club at SoZo Coffeehouse on Nov. 22 from 6-9pm, no entrance fee, all tips and raffle profits are going to Homeward Bound.
Multiple departments prepare for production of White Christmas Theatre, jazz band and choir, dance all to be featured in the upcoming play, perfmances begin Nov. 31 Morgan Cleary the precedent
Christmas is coming early this year. Theater productions of White Christmas is bringing together the fine arts departments to tell the story true love. The jazz choir, jazz band, and movéo are all putting in the efforts to make the story line of White Christmas come alive. The story line starts after two men start a song and dance company after they get out of the war. They get a letter from two girls that are putting on a show, when the four meet, two of them make a connection (Bob and Betty), while the other two do not realize their connection and are put
through obstacles to make their love stronger. Senior Lizzy Jensen is playing one of four main characters, Betty, is most excited for the departments coming together to make an amazing show, “ I love doing it because it’s such a classic musical, and it’s just a really fun story line, and it’s nice to work with all the departments to create one cohesive production.” Jensen’s partner “Bob” who is being played by Sophomore Austin Porter, is having his first depute in a musical on Perry’s stage. Porter is most excited about “ building the bonds with my friends and my new theater family” Bringing four different departments together for one production can have its struggles. Director Shawna
Marquis, is most excited to put on an actual musical, “ it’s awesome, this is how a musical is supposed to be, it is a great opportunity to have the jazz band to perform all of our music and giving the jazz choir the experience to perform in a live musical and give a different setting for the dance teams.” Marquis agrees that “it is a bit of a challenge for some groups when it comes to time management, but the amount of talent that is in these departments makes the whole process worth it.’ Porter believes that the biggest struggle is “ taking all the separate pieces and combining them and putting them together from a bunch of separate groups to create one production.” Jensen believes that the
photo by Lizzy Jensen
Matthew Pitman and Emily Wright practice rehearse singing with choir teacher Jameson Staley
biggest challenge will be also be combining all the departments in three weeks. But she has high hopes for this production “ it’s is a different twist then what we would do for winter fest, but I think we will have a great turnout because this production is different then
what we have done in the past.” Marquis has faith in this production just because “all the talent in this school is crazy, all the departments are putting in the time and effort that it take to make a great production, the cast is learning their lines,
the choir and jazz band is learning there music and the dance team is learning there choreography” Come support your fine arts departments, White Christmas is holding their productions on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at 7pm and Dec.7-9 at 7pm.
november || 2017
phsprecedent.com
arts and entertainment || 9
Unified assembles students to showcase Puma Pal talents Daisy Ramirez the precedent
photo by Cole Simpson
Jacob Walker and Scott Marcum perform at October’s Chandler Unified Talent Show.
New on-campus club offers cultural learning experiences for students
Alondra Cuevas creates Hispanic Cultures Club to raise awarness Victoria Vredevoogd the precedent
Clubs are one of the ways to get involved on-campus and the school shows excitement in adding the very first Hispanic Cultures Club to the list of clubs
offered on-campus. The Hispanic Cultures Club is a great for anyone wanting to learn more about the culture. Senior club President Alondra Cuevas says, “I started the club because I saw other cultures represented in
different clubs, and felt like the Hispanic community was not represented enough.” The club talks about the differences and similarities of being Hispanic or being a Latino. Many people do not know the what that means or what makes them different. The club plans to inform students about the Hispanic cultures and how important it is. “Students should join to learn more about the culture,” says Cuevas, “ You do not have to be hispanic to join and it’s a lot of fun.” The club plans on learning about holidays and festivities such as Day
The annual Chandler Unified Talent Show was held on friday Oct. 27, in the school’s auditorium. Hearing all the singing and cheering along with the acts of dancing, applause, and an auditorium filled with endless smiling faces is certain to warm the heart. Planned by self-contained teacher Heidi Peek and mostly organized by student officers and volunteers. A tradition that Peek has brought to Perry every year since she founded it. The self-contained program is for students faced with cognitive set backs, special scholastic needs,or other circumstances where the students needs assistance. An abundance of work was put in to assure this year’s talent show lived up to expectation. Along with a high school from Queen Creek all the high schools in the chandler district hosted a performance for the show. Students who do not typically get the same opportunity as others have
Peek explained through the years this event has just grown flourished and every year people want to make sure she has the show under way. “When this program started, I only had five students originally and seven at the end,we have 55 now and there’s four teachers... every year we get more students.” Inspiring to see how throughout the school’s years the student body has gained devotion to make these students feel welcome in the community. Acknowledging the special talents these students bring to the school is a crucial part of uniting as a school. In previous years jr. high students also had an opportunity to perform, however now there is not enough room. Instead they attend to watch the show, and gain more courage to perform during their high school timeline. The growth and impact this talent show has on everyone involved gives cause to mark calendars for next year’s show.
“I saw other cultures represented in different clubs, and felt like the Hispanic community was not represented enough.
school for different festivals. When asked, sponsor Lorena Decristofaro responded with, “Is it a possibility? Yes. Will it happen? I don’t know. Unfortunately, the Day of the Dead festival has already passed but very possibly we could attend next year.” The club meets once a month in D106 during conference and is always hoping for new members to get involved. There has only been one meeting so it is not too late to join and meet some fellow students interested in the culture. For a pass to join, stop by Decristofaro’s classroom.
”
Alondra Cuevas Senior of the Dead, an annual celebration to honor the spirits of the dead. Later on in the semester, they will be learning about Christmas and the different ways it is celebrated in Hispanic cultures.
From a Creative Writer’s Desk... Gears grind in the distance, a constant clang. The city was
a chance to feel pride in him/herself for their talent. It’s Inspiring seeing these students independently showing their spotlight earning talents and genuinely seeing a smile across their face,when they hear that applause and it reassures then that they belong. With this year’s theme of Disney Heroes vs. Villains, students performed songs from The Lion King, Pirates Of The Caribbean and High School Musical. “Its free and beautiful like the kids just love it.”says Peek.This is an experience that involves a whole community, and makes an impact not only on the students but Perry as a whole. Student Officer Natalia Ramos who is also a Teacher Assistant for Peek was one key part in making the talent show possible. “Small details like that you don’t think are important are crucial” Ramos explains. She explains how the talent show makes an impact on her individually, so of course an experience like this will impact others.
The club is also going to have a large potluck in December where students will learn how to make their own Hispanic dishes and bring them in for everyone to try. There is also a chance for the club to meet outside of
Mason Engle
Sophomore
I love science, writing, and reading. I love sharing and obtaining knowledge, so I am a well of random facts- some useful, some not. I love to write postapocolyptic stories, as well as those about technology.
cracked ground which bore no life. The city was falling asleep.
falling asleep. The workers had long-since brokwn down. The
The fungus grew within the dark. The city was falling asleep.
city was falling asleep. Dirt and grime coasted the skyscrapers.
Rusted steel supports the throne. The city was falling asleep. The
The city was falling asleep. The ashen sky was filled with
eternal light, with comfort’s glow. The city was falling asleep. A
gray. The city was falling asleep. Rubble and residue covered
single flicker seals their fate. The city was falling asleep. What
the streetes. The city was falling asleep. Walls were burned,
once supported begins to groan. The city was falling asleep.
blackened, charred. The city was falling asleep. The frigid air
Ancient towers that touched the sky, met the ground where they
was stagnant, unmoving. The city was falling asleep. Green-gray
died. The final clang has doomed them all. The city has fallen
monuments to times long past. The city was falling asleep. Dry,
asleep.
10 || sports
Our Take
It is expected that every fan have the same goal: to have their school come out on top with a state title. For Perry, that dream became a reality when Callahan previously Nagel second in state the precedent badminton became first. With this group of gifted and hard-working girls, it was no doubt they would have such a successful season. Finishing second in the state tournament last year, the girls worked hard to do even better this year. Not only do they work hard in practices and games, but they also give 110% in school and everything else they do. State champions Kylie Goldberg and Megan Crow are a perfect example of the practice of putting the student before athlete. Not only are these girls amazing at their badminton game, but they also exceed in the classroom. Goldberg has a GPA of 4.27 and Crow, 4.2. Both of these girls have gone above and beyond both on the court, and in the classroom. Becoming true role models, inspiring others to work hard and never give up.
FOLLOW YOUR PUMAS
Add PHS sports on Twitter Athletics: @perry_pumas Football:@perrypumas Volleyball: @pumagirlsvball Basketball: @perrypumaMBB @perryGirlsbball Soccer: @perryhighsoccer @pumagirlsSoccer Wrestling: @wrestlingperry
SPORTS NOTEBOOK
On Nov. 8 the athletic department celebrated 12 of its student athletes with its fall college signing day. This was the first year that Perry recognized junior colleges. The dozen seniors represent three sports: five will go on to play volleyball, another five will play softball and two will play baseball on the collegiate level. Of those future college athletes, ten will be attending four-year universities, while two will attend junior colleges; all spanning seven states (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington.)
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Go to www.phsprecedent.com for photos of signing day
november || 2017
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Swimmers bring home gold at State Individual State Champions Kalli Fama 200 Free 1:49.29 tourney By Hannah Knight the precedent
Perry swim and dive competed in the state competitions early this month. For the boys’ team, seniors Tai Combs and Kaden Miller dominated sprinting events. “It’s always competitive in practice,” Miller said of their relationship. “When [Tai and I] got out of the pool he said that if I wasn’t next to him that he wouldn’t have worked as hard.” The tandem worked diligently all year long, and in the 50-yard freestyle, Combs capped off his PHS career by winning his first state title with a 20.7 time, followed closely by Miller, who touched the wall at 20.95. Miller was the state’s runner up. Their day wasn’t done, however, as the two competed for another title in the 100-yard freestyle. With a time of 46.04, Miller won his first championship. “I think that it made them work harder - it made Tai want and have the drive to beat Kaden. We knew they would be first and second because they had the motivation to do it. “Between this year and last
Tai Combs 50 Free 20.70
Kaden Miller 100 Free 46.04
photo by Everett Milloy Sophomore Kalli Fama pumps her fist in the air after clenching a first place victory in state. Fama won state in the 200-yard freestyle. Along with Fama, seniors Tai Combs, Kaden Miller took home state titles.
year, I’ve been working on sprints,” Miller said. Before the 2017 season, Miller had never raced in the 100-yard freestyle. Although this was his first time placing in the event, his timing was unaffected. The Pumas ended the team championships in third place with 192.5 points. State was a success for not only the boys’, but the girl’s swim team as well. The team continues to progress with their younger swimmers, including sophomore Kalli Fama. Fama snagged the state title in
the 200-yard freestyle, scoring 200 points for her team. “I was really happy, it shows how I’ve worked really hard all season,” she noted humbly. Fama was undefeated all season in the 100-yard backstroke; during state she placed second place. Fama remains confident in her abilities, and is already plotting goals for the next season. “I want to get swimmer of the year [in the next state championship],” she confessed. “I want to try and get all the records for the school.” “We say that Kalli is just a beast,
Carrasco said. “No matter what event we place her in, she will give 110%.” None of this could have been achieved without the coach. The swimmers were not the only ones to receive praise this November; Carrasco received the ‘6A Boys Coach of the year’ dedicated to her hard work. “She’s been there for the whole team whenever anyone needed her,” Miller revealed. An accumulation of strong swimmers and a strong leader has enabled PHS to work exceptionally hard in 2017.
Junior Varsity overcomes tragedies, becomes first undefeated football team honoring late B. Mason By Kayla Gee the precedent
Football is a machine of numerous components working strategically. On the field, the athletes train to tackle the opponent; off the field, players and coaches alike have to overcome adversities without a helmet and shoulder pads. Undoubtedly, Head JV Coach Keahi Cambra influenced resiliency in the team. “Winning the JV League Championship, which is being the best record out of all the premier schools,” Cambra said, “there was nothing easy about it, it wasn’t like we just breezed through the whole season.” Truth be told that some games seemed almost insurmountable. Farther down the road, the future became unclear as “we had some setbacks, we had some tragedy,” says Cambra. The campus community instantly reacted when hearing about player Alex Edjorian’s family house fire. “I try not to worry about it [his house fire]… so no one else worries about it,” Edjorian says. Neighboring friends
photo by Debbie Moon Sophomore Zavier James runs the ball at the Basha away game on Oct. 26.
and family pull together prayers and supplies in reminder of how strong communities recover better together. The team was drawn together from the love and support of the community, to only realize how much they really needed it to overcome another tragedy.
The beginning of fall break, on Oct. 1, 15-year-old Brayden Mason was in an unfortunate accident. Mason, a young sophomore on JV football, drowned during a trip to the lake and was later found after an extensive boat search. Cambra knew his player as an integral and popular part of
B. basketball G. basketball
Upcoming
Schedules
the team: “It was kind of gut wrenching...very emotional...a challenge for our boys to overcome.” Mason’s passing changed the lives of the team forever. “I stuck by his side through wrong and right,” Edjorian starts, “The last thing he said to me [the same day as Edjorian’s final day of suspension from playing] was ‘I respect you’.” As a coach, Cambra takes up the responsibility of his boys’ physical and emotional well being. The team continually practiced and were given chances to grieve because “many of the boys have not gone through a loss like this,” says Cambra commenting on Mason’s candle vigil honoring. In spite of everything, the loss of a family’s home and the loss of a family’s son, the team ended the season prevailing as the first undefeated football team since the school opening. Principal Dan Serrano said, “The hardest thing is when a student or teacher dies, when something happens like that it’s very hard… I think that was part of their drive.”
B. Soccer
G. Soccer
11/14 6pm @ Red Mtn
11/16 5:30pm @ L.E.A.
11/21 6pm @ Highland
11/21 6pm @ Campo
11/29 7pm @ St. Mary’s
11/28 7pm @ Hamilton
12/1 6pm @ Brophy
11/27 6pm v Desert Mtn
12/1 7pm @ Highland 12/5 7pm v. Desert Mtn
12/1 7pm v. Highland 12/5 7pm @ Desert Mtn
12/2 2pm @ Desert Mtn 12/1 6pm v Pinnacle 12/1-9 CV Tournament
12/1-9 CV Tournament
SEASON PREVIEW: Soccer ready for the next level By Sawyer Del Fosse and Katie Duford the precedent
The men’s soccer team plans on breaking out of their rut this year as plenty of fresh blood enters the field. The Pumas suffered noticeable loses as ten seniors from last year have moved on. Senior Jacob Breinholt added, “We lost our keeper, center backs, center mid, and most of our front line.” Head Coach Brian Crayon stated, “ Over half the team is returning [11], and even though we have had only a couple practices the team seems to be working really well together.” Last season, the team finished twenty-second in their conference with a record of 4-8-1 and fifth in their bracket with a record of 1-3. This year the team is preparing to overcome their history. Crayon explained, “The last few years the varsity team was built around speed and while there is still some speed on this year’s team, we will be a lot more technical. This should allow us to possess the ball more and hopefully create more scoring opportunities.” Losing most of the seniors who once occupied their front line seemed problematic coming into tryouts. Nevertheless, many of the returning varsity players look to fulfill
sports || 11
the precedent || phsprecedent.com
november || 2017
photo by Morgan Cleary Senior captains Joe Osterkamp and Emma Richey plan on leaving a legacy for Perry soccer.
offensive roles. Breinholt affirmed, “We have a lot of talent in the midfield. We have a lot of guys who can attack really well.” Some of these players to look out for are Senior Joe Osterkamp and Senior Pearson Wallace. Osterkamp took a hiatus from high school ball to play in the national league with his club last year. He is set to return to the field this year.
Wallace commented, “I hope that as a team we will be able to stay more positive with each other and build each other up.” Osterkamp and Wallace will control the team from the midfield while players like Breinholt will secure the defense. Overall, the Pumas hope to be able to make a strong presence on the field. GIRLS SOCCER Every year the girls soccer team gets closer and closer to
of tryouts, the girls have been working hard with conditioning and technical skills. With the highest seeding and wins the Lady Pumas have ever achieved, coach Curtis is pushing the girls to be the best players they can. “We’ve been training really high tempo, everything is high tempo, high reps,” Curtis said, “we don’t just talk about how we need to play fast, we make sure to train our bodies.” Taking each day to work on getting better and having a champion mindset, the girls are ready to bring it on the court this season. Returning Senior Taylor Jobe is already doing her best to become a real team leader, of her goals being the way the team plays. “Playing with the same amount of heart we did last year,” Jobe recalls, “that’s one thing we didn’t lack no matter who we were playing.”
on last season’s abbreviated postseason appearance, inexperienced players are going to have to play like upper-classmen. “As the year goes on we are going to get better and better, as we are a young team,” Duane said, “We are still waiting for the guys from football to get out here.” The team’s strength is their chemistry. They play well together on the court because of their connection and play as a team rather than individuals. However, the team is not very big so there will be some things they need to focus on such as rebounding. Junior guard Bauer Bongard said, “one of our strengths is that we are really fast. Everything we do is quick, we don’t take a whole bunch of time to set up what we need to do, it’s just automatic, we just go.” The team struggled with the back end of their schedule and “We have to be able to come together as a team.
the championship game, but this year they are planning on playing smarter. Senior Amanda Dahl said, “I prepared for the season by continuing to play club and practicing to get better for the season.” She plays club with senior Emma Richey; both girls made it onto the varsity team. Roberts has big plans this season to reach the championships. Roberts stated, “the
biggest change is we have some really good senior leadership and they’re all devoted to the team and the sport and they want this year to be memorable.” Dahl added “I’m going to be a good leader this year by making sure everyone’s on top of what they’re supposed to be doing.” This is the last year for the seniors to leave a legacy. Coach John Roberts said, “We have a lot of good freshman so the seniors have an opportunity to leave their mark...and show [the younger girls] how to play Perry soccer.” Dahl said, “We have three new freshmen on the team. I think they’re going to make a big impact on the team. We lost four seniors that started and it’s going to be an impact... We’re going to go into every game not knowing because a lot of the [other school’s] teams changed and it usually doesn’t happen.” The team has changed, but the girls have adapted to make the team stronger because of them. One of the three freshman, Joey Lujan, explained, “I’m really excited, I did the fitness packet [given to the athletes in preparation for the season’s conditioning requirements] and I worked hard at practice. I think [playing on the varsity team] should be fun, it’s a new experience.” The girls have prepared for the season and are ready to bring home a state title.
“We have some
really good senior leadership and they’re all devoted.
WRESTLING By Sawyer Del Fosse the precedent
Wrestling season is starting up again and the Pumas appear to be ready with a slew of returning starters. However, many of them will not be able to train with the rest of the team until football season comes to an end. Several wrestlers double as football players and as the football playoff season comes around so do tryouts for wrestling and some of the team is not able to attend try-outs. Coach Darren Johnson said, “A lot of our varsity are playing football so they will be delayed coming into wrestling.” Some of these dual athletes include Senior Travis Calloway and Junior Justin Clatterbuck. Both made it to state last year and Calloway even placed sixth in the state. As far as the football situation, Clatterbuck stated, “Coach Johnson is really understanding... He makes it an easy transition from football to wrestling.” In total, five varsity regulars missed tryouts and will continue to miss practices until after playoffs in football. Calloway added, “We are pretty young but we will have state qualifiers. We are always pretty strong in wrestling here (at Perry).” The Pumas wrestle in Division 1 Section 3. Other teams in their section include Desert Mountain, Dobson, and Hamilton. Although early in the season, there are high hopes for the boys as they prepare to dominate the competition.
” Both basketball teams prepared to make changes in upcoming season By Callahan Nagel and Victoria Vredevoogd the precedent
The Perry gym is filled with squeaking sneakers, waving arms and deafening buzzers and chanting on a Tuesday afternoon practice. The girls are constantly chanting and yelling on the court, telling each other to “keep your hands up” or “talk to each other, come on!” The Lady Pumas are working on team unity and strong leadership this season. Coach Curtis usually tells one of the leaders what activity he wants them to do and she will lead that exercise. After losing their nine seniors from last year, and an additional three seniors this year, the girls seniority is not as dominant as it has been in the past. They make up for this with younger players like junior Simone Simmons, who have the drive and determination to lead the team. “Since there’s a lot of freshman, we have to be able to come together as a team, and make it more of a unity thing and a family,” she claimed. Since the beginning
BOYS BASKETBALL
In year two of the Sam Duane era, the Pumas are going have to face some hurdles head-on, according to the head coach. The Pumas bolster a roster full of youth, and for a program looking to build
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Junior guard Simone Simmons
John Roberts Girls Soccer Coach
photo by Asher Laufenburger Freshmen Shayla O’Neil (left) and Jaiden James (right) practicing a pass and cut play on Nov. 7.
ended with a season of three wins, seven losses away and five wins, four losses at home. The upcoming season shows the Pumas playing many teams that made the playoffs last season. However, they hope to defy the odds of being a young team and make this year’s playoffs. Junior guard Jalen
Williams said, “I think we have a chance of making the playoffs. I feel like we are better than last year and I feel like we will get pretty deep in playoffs as well.” The varsity team is practicing as hard as ever; “If you go as hard as you can everyday then the game is just going to be the same as it was in practice,’ said
Bongard. Bongard was a starter his sophomore year and is ready for the upcoming season. According to his coach, he is a “great player” on the team. Unfortunately Perry lost several seniors but coach Duane, as well as the returning players, are excited to meet the new members of the team and see how the season plays out.
12 || sports
november || 2017
the precedent || phsprecedent.com
PUMAS TAME HUSKIES; READY FOR No. 1 MOUNTAIN POINTE photo by Thomas Richardson
Senior quarterback Brock Purdy stiff-arms a Boulder Creek defender in the Nov. 3 playoff game. The Pumas then hosted Hamiltion and dominated the Huskies, 72-14. By Macie Miller the precedent
On Nov. 10, the Pumas participated in the quarterfinals for 6A division. They hosted and defeated the Hamilton Huskies for the second time this season. After playing them the first time, and winning by a mere two points, the Pumas came out strong and took the game
by a landslide beating the Huskies, 72-14. The players and coaches alike have said that the practices over the past week have been even more intense than usual and that they are working as hard as they can. “Our defense played much better, we tackled better, and played our responsibilities,” head coach Preston Jones said. “They
did exactly what they were supposed to do and what they did in practice all week.” The last game against Hamilton was a close one, but they decided to change that the second time around. Senior defensive lineman Jobiin Sweatt said that the defensive line “has improved drastically” continuing on to say, “we just stayed on
our gaps and went play by play.” Sweatt said that during practice the past week, “We have been running a lot and the coaches make sure we’re staying in shape and pushing us to the limit.” Junior wide receiver D’Shayne James said, “We’ve been keeping everybody upbeat and knowing where they are
supposed to be at. We can’t miss any steps or any gaps.” The offensive line had a great game as well, with quarterback Brock Purdy throwing touchdown after touchdown all night. James said that, “It’s more of a mental thing, it’s got to be more of a team thing. I can’t do anything without them.” Tonight PHS will
travel to McClintock High School to face top-ranked Mountain Pointe in the 6A division semi-finals. Assistant coach Brad Minor said that “we’ve got some real size up front and going into next week it’s gonna be a real physical game and they’ve got to bring it.” McClintock High School is located at 1830 E. Del Rio Drive in Tempe.
Volleyball concludes a record-breaking year, 36-7 Fourth out of 16 in the Final Four fight From Staff Reports the precedent
With head coach Fred Mann at the helm of the volleyball program since 2013, the Pumas have continued to enjoy success on the court. The 2017 season was Mann’s most successful yet. The largest senior class in the Mann-era, seven seniors helped the Pumas set team records for wins (36), kills (1484), aces (331) and blocks (308). Senior libero Halle Razo said it simply: “[we] made history.” But the greatest accomplishment of this year’s volleyball team was not only reaching its first AIA state semifinal, but pushing No. 1 seed Xavier Prep to its limits before eventually falling 3-2. In what was one of the all-time classic matches in school history, PHS gave the Gators all they could handle, eventually falling just shy of advancing to the championship (25-20; 15-25; 20-25; 25-20; 11-15). “The girls played like family and I’m very proud of them,” Mann said after the match. To say that the 2017 squad was special is an understatement. Five of those seven seniors signed to play in college last week, including
Razo. Four-year starter Ryann Davis left her mark on PHS. The 6’2 senior outside hitter not only lead all Pumas in kills (330) and aces (56), but she wrapped up a historic career in which she played in 393 sets, tallied 1,087 kills, 188 blocks and served 136 aces. “I definitely think the senior leadership we had on the court is what got us to the final four,” Razo said, “and I think it grew stronger as we kept playing throughout the season.” Considering most of the starters were seniors, Razo commented on how they are setting an example for their successors, “the younger players are able to see how [we] work as a team…” Another four-year player, Kennedy Kaminsky, concluded one of the greatest defensive careers PHS has ever seen; Kaminsky was a force at the net, tallying 379 blocks in four years. Kaminsky’s partner on the net, junior Grace Doyle, understands the talent in this senior class, but is also excited about the potential of next year’s team. “There is a lot of new talent that we’re pulling up,” Doyle said, “so that’s going to help out a lot.”
photo by John Gelen
Juniors Grace Doyle (middle) and Brooklyn Poling (right side) at Mesquite High, Nov. 7, for the Final Four playoffs. Perry tied in fourth place with Mountain Pointe out of the sixteen in-state teams.