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Desert Vista High School

December, 2011

Volume 16, Issue 3

MRS. MOM

BEHIND THE BEAUTY By Amitty Tam Staff Writer

From the looks to the poise, sophomore Sarah Engels has got it all. Born and raised in Ahwatukee, she has been selected to represent Ahwatukee in Miss Arizona Teen USA. Engels has been doing pageants since she was 10, having receiving a package in the mail asking her to participate in a pageant. Even though she has only been doing pageants for a couple of years, she has already won a major pageant, The NAM National American Miss, a couple of months ago and one of the key parts to her success was her parents. “My parents are really supportive of me! Especially with money, because pageants are expensive. They are always there for me and are like my best friends, they’re like they get me what I need,” said my sisters! They become your life Engels long friends, because they share the On the outside pageants look same hobbies and you make a lot of glamorous and easy but they are friends through your hobbies,” said actually a lot of hard work to go Engel. through and to prepare for. Not only has Engels made a lot of “It depends on the pageant you’re friends during pageants, they have doing, but usually they take a few also bought out her self-confidence. months to get ready for. You need “I use to be really shy but after I to walk in your dress, or go to the started doing pageants, they really gym because you may need to get in brought out my confidence,” said shape to wear your swimsuit,“ said Engels. Engel A lot of people aspire to do Pageants may take up a lot of time pageants, but they may not be and it certainly takes a lot of effort confident or bold enough to step on but Engels still manages it all. In a stage and present themselves. addition to preparing for pageants, “Signing up for it and just going on she also dances and cheers. Most like whether you win the crown or recently she was featured at the not, and just getting on that stage is winter dance show, where she had to a step because not many girls can do prepare and learn the dances weeks that. So definitely do it.” in advance. She is certainly a busy If she wins Miss Arizona Teen, she bee, but she manages to make time goes on to Miss American Teen in for her friends, some of them she January where she will compete on has made from pageants. a national level with the other 50 “ Some of the friends I have made state’s winners in the US.

ONE STUDENT DEALS WITH THE REALITIES OF A PARENT-TEACHER By Ankur Razdan Staff Writer

Most teenagers detest their parents, and the ones who do not still usually act as if they do, when in the company of peers. Some students try to ensure that only their closest friends ever even meet their parents. Unmonitored interaction with the student body by a parent is unimaginable to most, like a sick horror fantasy. Micah Musheno would read all of this and laugh. Every day, her mother spends time with almost two hundred of her friends and peers, and it worries her not a wit. Her mother is a science teacher at Desert Vista, Mrs. Musheno. This is not to say that this situation is not without its fair share of problems. “It’s kind of weird when everyone does badly on a test. I get random people getting angry at me over the next few days, it’s very strange. If they’re very annoyed about the amount of homework they have to do this week, I kind of get my toes stepped on a lot,” said Musheno. “But I’ve never had anyone try to seriously get revenge on me ever.” The fact that most of her friends have her mother as a teacher, however, does not bother her. “That’s one thing I never think about at all, that most of my friends are AP kind of kids and most have had my mom at some point. For example, most of my friends this year have her for Biotech. But hardly anyone mentions it in class at all.” Musheno only calls her mother ‘mom’ in class, not ‘Mrs. Musheno’ because, “everyone would probably

make fun of me if I called her Mrs. Musheno. She’s not that to me!” Her mom and she have a semi-strict rule against discussing school matters at home, which is somewhat mitigated by the fact that she often stays at school with her mother well into the evening, her classroom abuzz with students even hours after seventh period. The only perk some would see in having a parental teacher is nepotism, but Musheno experiences none of that. “People like to joke that I get special treatment, but I don’t get any better grades just because she gives them to me. It’s more because I’m held to a higher standard. I got a C on the ﬁrst test this year and

she was pretty mad,” she said. Both of Musheno’s parents are educators; her father teaches at UC Berkeley. Despite a family legacy, going back several generations of educating, Musheno would hate to be a teacher. “I simply loathe children. And I’m not studying any sciences or anything any ways, so I teaching kids how to ﬁnger-paint or something would be awful.” Musheno’s entire world is a mixup between home life and school that most people would ﬁnd unfair and sickening. But she prefers it that way. Said she, “I probably wouldn’t have excelled as much as I have without her.”

A UNIQUE POSITION: Micah Musheno relaxes by a tree.

Razdan/The View

FOR AP STUDENTS, BENEFITS OF STUDYING OUTWEIGH THE STRESS By Michelle Borbon Staff Writer

“I spend hours and hours studying just for one quiz,” said Charmaine Mills, a freshman in AP Human Geography, one of the 18 Advanced Placement classes available to students at Desert Vista. Mills is in three other honors classes, involved in Speech, Theater, and Debate, Art Club, and Latin Club. “I took the class because I wanted to take higher level classes” Mills said. “Its not hard,

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but I didn’t expect it to be so much work. Honestly, it gets really stressful.” So how much work do students like Mills really invest? On average, most AP classes are 60 minutes of homework every night, sometimes up to 90 minutes. Mid terms are rapidly approaching and the extra studying is making students wonder how much AP classes actually help. “An Ivy league school is always going to look for the most challenging classes the school offers, which are AP classes at

Feeding children tops groups goals By Sujin Seo Staff Writer

Three-year old Marilyn was born into a poor Haitian family and weighed barely 14 pounds. Her family just couldn’t afford to feed her. Soon the three year old, whose ribs were like toothpicks poking out under her dark skin, was suffering through the last stages of starvation and tuberculosis. Miraculously, Pator Micheal and

Kohi Gill cracks down on his AP work Borbon/The View

DV,” said Mr. Mark Kulik, one of the gifted counselors on campus. Thirty one percent of colleges look Andrea Brewer, the founders of their ReachHaiti orphanage, found her and took her in. They fed her packaged meals from the organization Feed My Starving Children two times a day. Three months later, Marilyn is a healthy 33 pounds and is called “the spunkiest little girl in our family!”. Feed My Starving Children is a nonproﬁt Christian organization that helps starving children like Marilyn. Their workers have traveled from the dangerous ruins of Haiti to the drought-ravaged lands of Somalia, often risking their lives in countries www.dvthundermedia.com

at the number of AP classes and 60 countries universally recognize them. Harvard takes the top 10-15% of the graduating class with students taking the most rigorous classes available to them. “I would never tell a student they must take ONLY AP classes because I don’t know what else is going on,” said Kulik. “If you have three hours of homework every night and you work 30 hours a week then you are going to be overwhelmed.” In terms of college preparation, students who take AP classes in high school, on average, do oneruled by terrorist groups or dictators. Their journey revealed the staggering needs of these famine-weary people. “Our food gets to the places where there is simply no other help,” said Mark Crea, CEO of FMSC in a press release on their website. “You start to understand what six years without rain really looks like. You realize how critical it is to get the food in.” FMSC has six packing plants in the US, one of them located in Tempe. This branch was a temporary site but, because of how much good it has done and the affect it has on the community,

third of a letter grade better in University level classes. “AP classes can give students excellent preparation for college,” said Philip Sadler, a Harvard Professor and researcher in his book that details AP classes. “An AP course’s work does not magically bestow advantages on under prepared students.” For a student that has ambition, time, and is willing to do the work, AP classes are the best option. “Getting a B in an AP class is better than an A in a regular class,” said Kulik. “ It means you were willing to challenge yourself.”

FMSC: THE TYPICAL VOLUNTEER SETUP OF A FMSC SITE. Barendrick/The View

Please recycle

December, 2011

DV Thundermedia.com

NEWS

Two heads are better than one

Best Friends: They love hugging trees.

By Nathaly Silvestre Staff Writer

“True friendship to me is someone that will do anything with you no matter how ridiculous it is, like it could be like the craziest thing in the world and they would still be there for you and they will support you no matter what” said Dalton Schade, a senior. “I think that true friendship is that someone that no matter what happens between you guys like you’re still friends and like nothing can really separate you,” said Colin Pakulis a junior. “True friendship is someone that’s like there for you and they always make you like laugh and stuff ” said Megan Aguilar. “I think true friendship is when you can trust your friend and you know that they will be there for you and you can tell them anything and you know they will keep secrets for you and they’re just good friends” said Ja’bria Wilson. Different views on friendship from four completely different people. Friendship is probably one of the most important things humans have

these days besides the essential food, water, shelter, etc. Being friends with some one is always knowing that you are never alone. In high school making good friends is not always easy. Sometimes searching high and low seems to be the only option. In the end once that friend has been found it is always worth it. The best part of that kind of friendly relation is having a best friend. A best friend is that one person that understands and will hold all the secrets that have been shared. Best friends are also tons of fun and are very enjoyable people. “The funnest thing that me and my best friend have done is just have a sleepover like I’m not really into like, well shopping’s fun but I like just sitting around with my best friend and just hanging out so having a sleepover is really fun for me” said Wilson. “ The craziest thing that we’ve ever done, I don’t know we’ve driven down Pecos pretty fast,” said Pakulis. “ I like to go to the mall or go see a movie or just hangout at their house its fun,” said Aguilar. “The craziest thing I’m not really sure there was one time when I lived up in Nebraska with one of my friends during the winter we went sledding and instead of just sitting on the sled it was down a steep hill we decided to treat the sled as a snowboard and that didn’t go to well” said Schade. A good friend will always be there no matter how long nor how far. Even though sometimes its not forever just hope for the best. “ The longest friendship I ever had would probably be from fourth grade to eighth grade. So its like four years” said Aguilar. “One of my friends that I’ve known that I still talk to, to this day I’ve known since I was like two years old” said Pakulis. “The longest friendship that I ever had that I kept in contact with is someone that I met when I was four,” said Schade. “The longest friendship I ever had is that I actually remember is from when I was three years old all the way to now and its just been going on” said Wilson.

Feed my children program reaches out Story Jump from page 1 site has been recently opened as a permanent base. “We are thrilled to join the FMSC permanent site family,” said Janine Skinner, FMSC Site Supervisor in Tempe, in a press release. “The credit goes to the people of the Phoenix area, along with my gratitude.” Volunteers from all over the greater Phoenix area have helped packaged food. Students have volunteered too - a 7th grade class from Altadena Middle School has already raised over 14,000 dollars in a packaging session. DV students have also helped package food whether it’d be because of Key Club or a family tradition or because it’s just plain

fun. FMSC’s fame has grown enormously by word of mouth as active volunteers tell their friends all about this opportunity. “I think it’s an amazing program and has amazing people. [...] it’s awesome how they are able to give so much food to the children in Third World countries,” said Sydney Schmisseur, a freshman who helps package food with her family every year. FMSC has so far reached nearly 70 countries and continue to support those countries through constant supplies of food. Their shipments go to countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe. They have helped millions of children worldwide to ﬁght world hunger everyday. Now Marilyn, a healthy, spunky baby, has a future to look forward to.

Energy Drinks: Enemies?

By Jillian Biddle

Staff Writer

Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular, and some people suffer from their effects. Monster and Red Bull are just two of the many energy drinks available that contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine. RockStar Energy comes equipped with 63 grams of sugar in each can—the equivalent of two standard sized snickers bars. The caffeine included is up at 160 milligrams. Monster Energy also contains extraordinary amounts of caffeine, some including a high of 200 milligrams. Drinks possess the same amount of caffeine in them as 14 cans of soda. “Energy drinks are really bad for you, and so in my opinion people shouldn’t be drinking them as much as they do.” said freshman Mara Norton-Hill. Few people share an opinion like this. The FDA currently has a limit for sodas’ caffeine contents, unlike these drinks, where there is none. Energy Drinks are classiﬁed as suppliments, and the FDA does not regulate foods classiﬁed as such.

What are you not being told about the health of the monster rainbow? photo credit: wiki contributor

With this in mind, since 1997, when the ﬁrst energy drink, Red Bull, stocked the US shelves, the industry has skyrocketed in popularity. The astounding fact that, in 2011 it has accrued 2 billion dollars in revenue, is simply shocking. Many people can exemplify side effects from caffeine over 200 milligrams, including lack of sleep, headaches, the jitters, and so on. However, students and adults alike still subscribe to a daily intake of their energy supplements. But they usually have no complaints, and only feel the intended effects.

“I have drank energy drinks like monster before, and it’s never messed me up at all. I felt ﬁne.” said freshman Tori Lapre. There are stories passed around by those who detest energy drinks about people having seizures, or even dying from them. Cases like this only occur if the person consuming the cans has a health condition, and if they consume too much. Furthermore, doctors do not condone the consumption of energy drinks due to the unhealthy values of nutrition and detrimental side effects.

Students review for semester’s final obstacles By Orion Healan Staff Writer

Winter break is at arm’s-length for the students at Desert Vista, but the final obstacles that stand between them and enjoying the holidays are semester finals. Classes are intensely reviewing what they learned this quarter, and some students are studying on their own or in groups. A relatively small group of students are preparing on their own. Some are coming early in the morning, at lunch, or after school to subject departments to work on what they don’t understand. Others, who don’t or cannot come early, use flash cards or read through notes to memorize important things at their own pace. This allows students to study quickly, but it also allows them to understand what they can or can’t remember. A majority of students like to study in groups instead of by themselves. “I prefer studying with my friends; it’s a lot more fun that way,” said Paola McGraw. Studying in a group can keep someone more focused. However, a group of students is just as likely to get distracted. Groups use similar ways of studying compared to someone who wants to study alone, but anyone who needs help reviewing has a better chance of passing when working with others instead of solo. Teachers are also working hard, especially to help students review on what they may have forgotten. They are using study guides, review games, and attending to students’ needs from their offices. Leah Dompier, a science teacher at Desert Vista, uses games to help her students study for big tests. “I think it’s a fun way to help kids study; it helps their scores,” said Dompier. Mrs. Chatterton and Mrs. Scanlan, two other science teachers, agreed. “It allows them to see what they need to understand, but in a fun way,” Chatterton said. Students study in the library. Orion Healan /The View

December 2011

OPINIONS

Life outside of school

DV Thundermedia.com

Your teachers behind the scenes!

By Morgan McFadden Staff Writer

The teachers at Desert Vista have varied lengths of time that they spent working, teaching, planning, and being involved in other school activities. Sometimes, however, the work load can get to be too much. Most teachers spend the minimal amount of time required to get their fair share of pay. Others go above and beyond the call of duty. The time that teachers spend at school after the regular school day varies depending on the teacher. Kelly Parrish, a senior and honors freshman English teacher said, “I have really reduced the hours spent at DV when I am not teaching. I’ve learned ways to get off campus more frequently. So I would say, other than to attend plays, sporting events, or other student activities, I spend no more than my required contracted hours on campus.” On the other hand, Cody Brassfield, coach of the freshman baseball team and a chem-phys and earth science teacher spends two hours in the morning preparing for the day. When baseball comes around, his hours increase. “I coach a freshman baseball team on the weekends which is four to five hour double headers. During the spring the coaching time increases, spending three to four hours additionally after school on the baseball field, I really look forward to that time.“ said Brassfield. Mark Byrne-Quinn, a Geometry 1-2 and Algebra 3-4 teacher spends two extra hours preparing for the day or helping his students, but during boys’ volleyball, his hours increase. However, this math teacher doesn’t let his busy schedule interfere with his personal time, “During the fall I spend every day at one of my daughters’ volleyball games, either at Altadena or here at DV. I also try to exercise 1 hour per day. After that, it’s eat-and-sleep with weekends, watching a couple of football games,” said Byrne-Quinn. Balancing school and home life might be pretty difficult, but Brassfield makes sure to find time for his family, “I Plan weekend trips and events with my family. I also try to plan a date with my wife on occasion. I do a lot of running to relax and wind down. If schoolwork becomes stressful, I try to take breaks and be more efficient in my work so that I don’t over-consume my time. My family (my wife Janell) is also really understanding and supportive of my job and coaching responsibilities,” said Brassfield. Parrish finds it a little bit tougher

It doesn’t always have to be like this: Kelly Parrish teaches her 3rd hour freshman English class. Although this is all her students see, much more goes on after school hours. Morgan McFadden /The View

to balance her time at home with school, saying, “Balance is next to impossible for English teachers. The rigor expected in our curriculum means our students need to write . . . a lot . . .and get TIMELY feedback. Sitting on ungraded essays for long periods of time does NOTHING to help the students, so I try for the quickest turnaround possible. Some newer tools help, like GradeMark in Turnitin.com. I can grade faster with that than I can with a pen. But with large class sizes and steeper and steeper expectations, the grading follows me home. I am exhausted when I get home because I teach a zero hour and I have a 7th hour. It makes for a long day, and most of my energy is zapped. I feel like I give my all in the classroom. So little is left for my home and family, not to mention the at-home grading. Balance? What is that? I feel like this job encroaches more and more and more on family time,” said Parrish. With such a tight schedule, it sounds like Parrish has no time for a second job, but she’s thinking about doing something a little different, “I am really coming to a point where I need to supplement my teaching job with some real money. I will be supporting my daughter when she leaves for vet school, and with no raise in sight for teachers in our district, after several years of frozen pay, I am looking to tend bar, wait tables, or do whatever it takes to bring in more money. Such a need may eventually force me out of teaching completely if I am able to secure something else full time,” said Parrish. Side jobs are difficult with such a tight schedule. Byrne-Quinn said, “I have tutored some, but with school, grading, and kids, an extra job would make it difficult to maintain my sanity.” Byrne-Quinn said that sometimes he actually enjoys his busy schedule, “I find that school is intertwined with home, going to the games my daughters participate in is social, as I have many friends who are parents. We go to the football games as a family and see friends. I also try to

keep Saturdays free for some down time with friends or my family. It is busy, but a fun kind of busy.” Though teachers at DV spend a lot of hours working hard, some have found ways to cut down the time or make it more entertaining for themselves. Time for social life activities may be limited, but teachers will continue to pull through, for the beneﬁt of the students.

Equal Exchange: Fairly traded chocolate found at Whole Foods Connor Gutman/The View

The Truth Behind How Your Holiday Products Are Made By Connor Gutman Staff Writer

BRASSFIELD

PARRISH

BYRNE-QUINN

2012 SENIORS!

your senior baby ad in the Public Displays of Affection Reserve DVHS 2012 Storm yearbook.

Space is limited. Since ads are sold on a first come, first serve basis, don’t delay! Ads are accepted until December 30 or until space fills up. Don’t forget to purchase your Yearbook!

Pick up an order form at the bookstore, the front office or A156.

As the first symster at Desert Vista comes to a close, and the holidays are nearing, it’s the season for shopping, but there’s some dark secrets in what people buy. Some corporations hire from outsource manufacturers with low worker standards. For example, 90% of Apple’s products are manufactured by Foxxcon. Last year, Foxxcon had the highest suicidal rate in the world. In just the month of April, six people tried to commit suicide. In Foxxcon, the workers live, eat, sleep, work, and “socialize” on their campus. The living conditions in Foxxcon consist of concrete, boxed-in apartments housing up to six people, no dish washer, air conditioning, and in the entire two building “living” stations, there is only one TV. Since Foxxcon is also a head manufacturer of leading television brands, It seems that they would be able to get a few more for free, but apparently not. Meanwhile Apple has spent countless amounts of money trying to please their stock holders instead of fixing the problem. Since 2010, not much has changed. Foxxcon’s idea of “fixing the problem” isn’t really fixing anything, preventing deaths by putting up

nets and bubble wrapping their employees doesn’t help. It isn’t going to stop the depression and problems these people are going through. It only covers it up and makes it look better from the outside. Another major holiday product with a bad background is chocolate. Lots of companies like Nestle and Hershey hire around ﬁve million coco pickers from child labor camps, forced labor, and trafﬁcking. Kids as young as six years old are forced to work for these big corporations for no pay, or maybe a few cents a day. Unlike Foxxcon, these “employees” don’t even get a covered place to live. They usually have their whole family together in small camping tents with very little food and water. The good news is that not all corporations are bad. When buying chocolate, consumers can buy from brands marked with “Equal Exchange.” Equal exchange companies make sure that their workers are paid fairly and are given good shelter, water, and food. If the consumers of these products can put effort into shopping from equal exchange brands, boycotting Foxxcon, and telling the corporations what the people want, then everyone can have a more fair and humane world.

THE VIEW The View is published by the Journalism students of DVHS. Contact us at 16640 S. 32nd St., Phoenix Az 85048, (480) 706-7900 ext 9-1156 or newspaper.dvh@tuhsd.k12. az.us. Read The View and other projects by the Thundermedia staffs online at www. dvthundermedia.com. The paper is printed by Valley Newspapers. Opinions, commentaries and features with the bylines are the opinions and research of the writers and do not necessarily express the opinions of the View Staff, the school faculty or other students. Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. All letters must be signed and veriﬁable in order to be published, but names will be upheld upon request. All letters are subject to condensation. The View cannot publish any materials which violate laws governing student publications. Letters should be sent to room A156, placed in the advisors mailbox, or emailed no later than one week after the previous issue. If you are interested in writing for The View staff as a “MoJo” (Mobile journalist) contact the staff through the school website. Editor in Chief Michelle Abunaja Staff Writers Kristine Anigwe, Sydney Barendrick Jillian Biddle, Michelle Borbon, Abbey Buchalter, Stephanie Christensen, Kendra Donohoe, Ryan Fedasiuk, Connor Gutman, Orion Healan, Maggie Jenks, Rusty Keyser, Aoife Malone, Natalie Marsh, Morgan McFadden, Maddie Nichols, Ankur Razdan, Kameron Ryals, Jordan Rydman, Lotus Rogers, Sujin Seo, Nathaly Silvestre, Amitty Tam, Jordan Trout, Kara Youhanaie, and Adviser Michelle Coro.

December, 2011

CENTERSPREAD

I’ll be gone for Christmas make dessert and bake pies. I can’t By Kendra Donohoe wait to go because I can see my Staff Writer family. All of us do gift exchanging and open each other’s gifts.” ’was the night before The smell of that creamy, Christmas. fresh, apple pie fills the room, and gingerbread cookies are singing All the boys and girls Christmas Spirit. were visiting families, awaiting “My family is planning on Santa, and preparing for Christmas going to Florida,” said Paige Day. The celebration begins. Winter Reynolds. “We’re going to visit break is finally here. my grandparents in the southern After all the hard work in school, part of it. Hopefully on Christmas and all the homework and tests, Eve, we’ll make a campfire and finally it is time for a break. All the roast marshmallows like we did last gifts, all the spirit, and all the giving. year, and take a taste of the family’s “Every year I go to my aunt’s house gingerbread cookie recipe before in Surprise,” said Autumn Symes. Christmas day.” “My aunt and uncle come. They After the two weeks of winter make dinner, and my cousins and I break, only five more months until

HOLIDAY CHEER. Christmas decorations, candy canes, and presents, will surley overwhelm your house with the feeling of chiristmas. Kendra Donohoe/ The View

school ends. “I might be seeing my cousins,” said Mara Norton, “and we’ll probably stay home for the holidays and make a really good dinner with everyone’s favorite food.” Some people like Tyler Morris said they aren’t going to do much for the holidays, and are going to stay home. Sleeping in could be what winter break is all about this year. The occasionally snacking and watching television is another option. Winter break is here. Time to cuddle up in blankets and relax. No school, no work. Santa is coming to town. Time to get the stockings packed, gifts wrapped, and the cookies stacked.

December, 2011

White

By Kara Youhanie

Elephant By Jordan Trout Staff Writer

“I got a picture frame and I hated it because I wanted a good present.”

Sommer Williams, Sophomore

The Holiday Vogue Weather changes mean chance to wear cold weather clothing

Abbey Buchalter Staff Writer

Well, that time of year has rolled around again. The leaves have fallen from the trees, the days have gotten colder and shorter, and the shops are packed with all kinds of snugly sweaters and big coats. Yep, wintertime is here! And with winter comes winter fashion! Winter is the time of year that fashion designers prefer designing for. With winter fashion comes textures, colors such as shades of black and grey and crème, and multiple layers of clothing. We are suddenly questioning what to wear, and which fashion trends to follow. It can get confusing. Squidoo.com and Vogue magazine state that sweaters, bell shaped pants, 70’s wear, soft colors, maxi wear, short haircuts, matching accessories, and heels, pumps, and sneakers are the deﬁnite in this winter. “I love wearing my dads sweaters, they are big, comfy, and keep me warm in the freezing cold.” said Ally Blush, freshman. “I wear what I love. I wear boots, sweaters, long

leggings, and as many accessories as i can ﬁnd, fashion IS my love. What people don’t understand is you can get a fashionable wardrobe for each season, in a reasonable price” stated Sh’kineh Grace Boursiquot about reasonable winter prices. “You can go to Ross, Rue 21, even Goodwill who have some great prices, that are in everyone’s price range and they have really cute clothes!” continued Sh’kineh. The fashion for guys is completely different. Flannels, moccasins, beanies, sweatshirts, longer jeans, and huge jackets are storming the racks in Tillys and Zumiez. Still the typical hoodies and jeans are acceptable for the typical high-school guy. “I wear just the normal jeans and T-shirts, but I lived in Oregon before, so Arizona’s “cold” isn’t cold to me.” Brenden Leader, freshman, said. Also in style this season are boots, but what is the difference between UGGs and FUGGS? Uggs are priced at an average of 100 dollars and higher, but FUGGs are priced at certain stores at the low price of 25 dollars. “ I wear UGGs versus FUGGs because the quality is better and they last a lot longer” said Gabby Trasser, sophomore.

A Different Way to Celebrate By Sydney Barendrick & Lotus Rogers

Staff Writer

“Merry Christmas!”, “Santa is coming!”, “What do you want for Christmas?”, “When are we getting a Christmas tree?”, “I love Christmas!”. Gingerbread houses, elves, wreaths, trees, sugar cookies, candy canes, Santa, reindeer, hot chocolate. Christmas is said to be the most common holiday in the Nation. But what about Hanukkah? Or Kwanzaa? or even Depavali? These holidays are rarely spoken about throughout the year, because Santa Clause is the main event. Christmas usually acts as a big blanket that covers many religion’s stories and fame. This blanket also covers the history and the people that celebrate these holidays. However the people underneath the cloak of invisibility, are still enjoying their holiday as plainly, a different way to celebrate.

“I remember one time I got a pair of fuzzy socks and they had a note that said “stay warm and snug this winter!”

Berets, beanies, and pop hats have become a huge deal of the 2011 season! They come in all different colors, shapes, and sized and always add a little emphasis to your cute winter wears. Places to buy these hats include Hot Topic, Wet Seal, Forever 21, Pac Sun, and Spencer’s! If you want to get a very warm and trendy hat at a higher price check out H&M and Urban Outfitters. Prices range from seven to fifty dollars. Big pullovers and cozy sweaters are a great fit to style with your trendy hats and fuzzy boots. The best way to look for a comfortable sweater is try sizes higher than yours, search at local department stores, and test the coziness before you buy. A hot trend in this cold weather is also lifeguard jackets and pullovers. Try sporting a AZ college jacket, boyfriend sweaters, leggings, or high waisted jeans the next time you are out and about, the compliments will be swarming your way.

Jake Cowan, Freshman

Pros

Xmas in AZ By Natalie Marsh

Staff Writer

-The perfect weather; it is never too cold or too hot.

-Don’t need to shovel snow or plow the snow -There is less accidents due to no snow; There is no iced roads or snow having to be plowed -More outside sports can still be played such as soccer, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, etc

COZY CLOTHES: Kennedy Moore is rocking the typical brown sweater with an animal print scarf pairing it with studded jeans and black VANS . Jordan Trout/ The View

Cons

-People come her to vacation because of the nice weather here during the winter, especially elder people. - We don’t get to experience the joy of snow like other people do -Everything looks dead and grey during the winter time -its not cold; you can’t have a stereotypical white Christmas - You can’t do typical Christmas activities such as making snowmen, snowball fights, skiing, snowboarding, pond skating.

Japanese New Year

Depavali

Hanukkah

This holiday is full of crazy partying and food, like an American new year, but there are a few exceptions that are celebrated differently. “We eat soup with long noodles, which symbolizes long life and we eat the same number of read beans as our age.” Katelyn Miasaky said. Besides the eating of different foods, Japanese churches also ring bells to celebrate the New Year. Families come together to watch the ringing of the bells and start a new year together. “I love being with my family on this holiday, especially when we clean our house, to chase away spirits from the previous year, and just cleanse the house for a fresh new year,” said Myasaki .

Festive music, tables heaped with food, and the opportunity to wear fancy and festive dresses, Deavali is an Indian holiday that is also celebrated around the time of an American holiday. A vast amount of candles are lit and everyone is in their best clothing. Like Hanukkah, Deavali changes every year but only lasts about a day. “It’s a lot of fun. Everyone joins together to participate in games and eats a great amount of food, while the girls get to dress up in their prettiest dresses,” said Nisha Velu. “But, most importantly, you get to spend time with family.” Traditional food is served and many different games are played, card games, board games, and some cultural games.

The lighting of Menorahs, and the giving of presents over the sacred eight days to family, is how another winter holiday is celebrated - Hanukkah. Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah starts on a different day each year and instead of celebrating for one day, Hanukkah continues for eight days, but same traditions are still celebrated. “Most of our Hanukkah traditions is just spending time with family and celebrating and having a good time,” said Jefferey Herman, a freshman. Hanukkah is known as the festival lights. It came from a light from the Torah in the temple of Jerusalem. That candle was only supposed to stay lit for a couple of hours and, at most a day, but the light shone for eight days. That is where the eight days in this holiday comes from.

“I played white elephant last year and got a giant stuffed animal! I enjoyed the game and still have the teddy bear in my room!” PJ Brown, Freshman

“I remember playing white elephant freshman year and getting a toilet seat. I was pretty confused but everybody laughed!” Sara Zorker, Senior

“It was christmas, I was like six and my mom got me this vomit green elephant...So I painted it white” Sh’Kineh Boursiquot, Freshman

December 2011

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Thunderstruck

Shattering the Hamilton Huskies 53 game winning streak By Rusty Keyser Staff Writer

Their was a huge thunder storm in the cardinals stadium on November 26, 2011 against the Hamilton Huskies. Desert Vista fans were skeptical of how we would do against the undefeated 53 game winning streak team. Nerves were on the rise and tension between the two teams was adding up. After a huge lead at the beginning of the game, Desert Vista never let Hamiltion take the lead. With a strong defense and offense, we stayed positive through the whole game and outcome brought tears of joy. Some might say that as Hamilton came out individually, Desert Vista choose to come out as a team. Which made the teamwork extraordinary. “I was shocked when we took the lead in the beginning of the game by 21 points because going to the game, and the days leading up to it; I was very excited for the players to have made it this far. But I didn’t think they would actually beat HAMILTON!” said Lindsay Nicholas. Nicholas summed up thoughts that were shared by a lot of the spectators. When the players got their say in their feelings and thoughts about the game, they all seemed to have said the opposite of what the fans said. “ It feels amazing to accomplish what has been our ultimate goal since we were freshman, and I couldn’t have asked for a better year to do so. MY SENIOR YEAR!” said Austin McLennan. “ It was like a whole new team out there on the field. Standing in the stands supported the players so much. We had hope and never gave up as our team fought for victory!” said Taylor Cutchall. “ I’ve never been so proud of my football team until today”. At not one moment did Desert Vista think they’re better than Hamiltion but to keep fighting for what they really wanted, and that was to win state! A surprise to everyone in the stands, Desert Vista’s football team really stepped up to the plate and accomplished something that will always be remembered.

Young wrestler makes impact on varsity wrestling team

In the Air: Tristan Hunter jumps “Hollywood” in Utah Submitted/ The View

Sports skills displayed outside of school confines By Maggie Jenks Staff Writer

We are the champions It what many called an upset, Desert Vista’s faithful called destiny. After a 12-1 season with it’s only loss to Hamilton, the Thunder Football team ended the Huskies hold on the top team title in the final meeting of the season to be named the 2011 Division I State Champs.

Jasmine Coro/ The View.

From the field to straight to court Multisport athletes go from one high profile team to next

By Kristine Anigwe

Staff Writer

How long have you been wrestling?

“I have been wrestling for 4 years now and I really enjoy wreslting with people older than me because they push me harder.”

inspires me. He is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the state of Arizona history and He is my hero.

Q:Do you plan to wrestle in

A Young star: Freshman Brian Mitchell made the varsity wrestling team after long hours of hard works and grueling tryouts. Sydney Barendick/ The View

“I am not worrying about colleges right know .”

Q:What’s your record? A:“It would be cool to wrestle in A:“I have played three college.” games so far, I haven’t lost yet Q:What college do you want to and hoping to keep it that way.” college?

attend?

senior player Matt Geranen said. “If we work together as a team, I believe we could go deep into the playoffs, and The season ended with a bang as the possibly achieve our ultimate goal, and varsity football team viciously took bring home another state championship victory from the Hamilton Huskies trophy.” at the state championship. The boys Geranen was also a wide receiver have turned in their uniforms, and put for our champion football team. “I the ball away for now—but for some think that the football team has more athletes, they’ve put away the football chemistry than any team of any sport and taken out the basketball. could ever have,” Matt tells The View. Thunder struck and victory was ours “The chemistry of the basketball team as the varsity boys’ basketball team will grow as the season progresses, defeated Pinnacle with a score of 70 and it will be a critical component of to 55 at the first game of the season. our teams success. As the chemistry The players are jumping into action, of the basketball team grows stronger, and clearly doing a good job at it. The it will lead us to a better record and boys ended Pinnacle’s winning streak a better chance at bringing home the of 5-0, and added a win to their own championship. The bond we shared in ratio. Then again on December 1st, football was a key to our success, as it is the boys tackled another win for DV in every sport.” against St. Mary’s with a final score of Students can only hope that this season 73-53. The team finished the first week ends as great as it started, and as great as strong by winning once again against the last season ended. With a first week McClintock. as promising as this, there’s no doubt “I think our team has a good chance that our basketball team will be able to of doing some spectacular things,” carry us far this winter.

By Jordan Rydman

Staff Writer

Q:Who inspires you? A:“Anthony Robles is one that

The mountains of Ahwatukee offer trails of all levels for local mountain bike enthusiasts. South Mountain Park, one of the world’s largest city parks, is the go-to spot for riders with its 58 miles of trails, many of those being suitable for mountain biking. Trail 2 “Bee’s Knees” is a popular trail among bikers because of it’s even path and bike friendly terrain. Tristan Hunter, a sophomore at DV, has biked since the age of 2 and is no stranger to these South Mountain trails. He mentions “Geronimo” as his favorite because of the trail’s rapid decent and switchbacks, which are 180 rotations up the mountain. The bikes are engineered a certain way so that they are accommodated to the mountain terrain. “Mountain bikes are heavier and have suspension on the front and rear of the bike,” said Hunter as he explained the engineering of the mountain bike. Mountain biking may be fun and good exercise, but there is some risk involved in speeding down the mountain trails on rocky terrain. A rider must be in good shape for enduring the more challenging trails or else they may become fatigued quickly leading to loss of control and a potential accident. Mountain bike enthusiasts acknowledge that wiping out is to be expected sooner or later, whether you are new to the sport or a pro rider. “I had nerve surgery in my wrist last November after a biking accident,” said Hunter who recently had hip surgery also due to biking accidents. These injuries don’t stop Hunter from getting back on the bike, “Mountain biking is addicting, and even if you get in a bad crash, you keep riding…that’s just what mountain bikers do,” said Hunter. South Mountain offers a variety of trails for any skill level of mountain biker so anyone can take up the extreme sport.

Matt geranen Senior who plays for the varsity basketball and football team. Babe’s Photos/ The View

The View

Features

Fangs vs. Fur By Kameron Ryals Staff Writer

Twilight is loved and hated by many. Some people watch it just for the sake of it, while others watch for the characters, like Jacob and Edward. It bothers some people how Twilight is everywhere and how Bella can’t do anything without Edward. But on the other hand, people love twilight for its drama and romance. “I stopped watching the movies because the movies got dumb and I don’t really care about it anymore,” said Caitlin Sheridan, a freshmen. “I started the books in 6th grade and the movies ruined everything. I think Edward is really ugly and

Bella is dumb. I only like Jacob.” There are many reasons why people would hate twilight. Bella always gets herself in trouble, and Edward always saves her. She chooses Edward over Jacob every time even though being with Jacob would make her more safe. “I’ve never seen twilight. It’s too mainstream and over done.” said Skylar Hatchel. “I read one book and it was pretty good and [it seems] better than the movie.” “I saw the first and second one and I hated them. They were terrible and boring,” said Quintin Dailey. “They sit there and talk about how much they love each other. Bella sits there and cries all day and Edward is ugly. All Jacob does it take off his shirt.”

December 2011

This cold season go for Coldplay

By Aoife Malone

Staff Writer

Best-selling series makes its way to Desert Vista: Skylar Hatchel poses with the second book in the Twilight series Sydney Barendrick/

While many people have many different opinions of Twilight, the franchise has made billions in the box office and in print. The love triangle between a human, a vampire and a werewolf has intrigued many and the fourth installment of the Twilight saga is staying strong at the box office.

Spend time at Festival of Lights

With their hit song “Paradise” taking 32nd place on the hot 100 chart and their album “Mylo Xyloto” taking 9th place on the billboard chart, Coldplay has become the band of the century. The band, Coldplay, joined in the year 1998, with 4 british men looking for a chance of fame. Chris Martin the lead voccalist, Jonny Buckland the lead Guitarist, Will Champion as Drummer, and Guy Berryman as Bassist. Coldplay has accomplished many things through the time the band has been together. Their top track “Fix You” was featured on an episode of “Glee” and as for their newest album “Mylo Xyloto” many people aren’t sure exactly why it is named how it is. “We did take a gun and kind of shot it right at our shoes by calling it Mylo Xyloto... It just feels fresh to us, it’s new. It doesn’t mean anything except that album’s music,” said Lead singer Chris Martin.” In the year 2000, Coldplay came out with their breakthrough single “Yellow,” Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the new century with a mix of Brit-pop and anthemic rock that landed the British band a near permanent place on record charts world wide. Their debut album, “Para-

chutes” went multi-platinum in several countries and earned the band their first Grammy, Topping their debut album’s success with higher record sales and an increased public profile. Coldplay wasn’t finished yet, they headed back to the studio in fall of 2001 to work on a second album. The band came out with “A Rush of Blood to the Head,” releasing the album worldwide in August 2002 and began a global concert tour soon afterwards. “The Scientist” was played on the radio regularly, while both “Clocks” and “In My Place” won Grammy awards. The 3rd album “X&Y” was released in 2005 and it topped the charts around the world by selling more than eight million copies during this year. This year, 2011, Coldplay has made their big comeback with their chart topping new album, “Mylo Xyloto”. This album includes songs, “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”, “Charlie Brown”, and “Major Minus”. “Major Minus” took 92nd place on the Billboards chart and “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” took 14th place. About what the name of the title refers to, Chris Martin said, “It has sort of a nice appearance to it,” he said, “ with all the O’s, we had it on one of our many lists for about two years and for all the other titles that were suggested, it kept winning.”

Holiday Spirit fills Desert Foothills Park: Dance Studio 111 performs at Festival of LightsAnkur Razdan/The View

By Maggie Jenks Staff Writer

Some who decided against going to the state game attended the Ahwatukee Festival of Lights on Saturday, November 26, 2011. The Festival of Lights is an event that takes place in Desert Foothills Park to kick off the holiday season and is one of the largest celebrations in Ahwatukee. The festival began at 11 AM and ended at 7 PM with the Harley Davidson Parade of over 100 riders. Numerous vendors lined Market-

place Street and sold anything from jewelry to bronze lawn decorations. “My favorite vendor was the jewelry vendor where I bought book earrings or the jerky hut. They have really good beef jerky,” said Kirsten Anders, a freshman. Caitlin Sheridan, also a freshman, mentioned the dance performances as one of her favorite parts of the festival. Sheridan also expressed her anticipation for Santa riding down the mountain on a motorcycle, “That’s actually my favorite part! He comes down that mountain

on a motorcycle, it’s funny,” said Sheridan. Key club members such as Nick Selby volunteered at the Festival. Selby worked at the bounce houses from 4:30-7:00 PM, making sure children didn’t hurt themselves. Over 600,000 LED lights will adorn the cacti and palo verde trees along Chandler Boulevard from 6 PM to 11PM until New Year’s Day 2012. The many volunteers who reside in Ahwatukee have held the lighting of the Boulevard every year as a tradition since 1996 and will continue this tradition for years to come.

DARIEN RIPPLE Philosophy Faculty

“I want students to engage in a learning process that translates the knowledge they gain in the classroom into everyday experience.”

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Paradise in music form: Coldplay’s songs are on Itunes now. Sarah Lee/Moxie

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December, 2011

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REAR VIEW

Staying committed to new resolutions By Michelle Abunaja Staff Writer

When the clock strikes twelve, it is the New Year and whether you believe in the 2012 apocalypse (which still gives you a year to better yourself) or not, it is time to make changes and stick to the New Years resolutions. January represents a new slate, a clean pallet for following hearts and chasing after their childhood dreams. Sadly, a majority fail. Following through with resolutions for a full 12 months doesn’t work if the goals are unrealistic. A study by University of Washington shows that only 40% of people follow through with their resolutions. The beginning of a new year shouldn’t be the only time to start making changes, though. Changes for the better are welcomed in any season. Unfortunately for habit breakers, the 21-day rule seems to only work for some. “It doesn’t take that long for me to break a habit. Obviously smoking is going to be harder than getting a good grade in math,” said junior Ethan Hoover. This comes from a book published in the 1960’s by

a plastic surgeon who started to take note on his patients’ recovery rates, averaging 21 days every time. This theory is based on experience. However, the study was not done in a controlled lab, so no one can be positive if 21-days-to-break-a-habit is fact or faked. It is always easiest to have someone hold you accountable or reward yourself for reaching a small goal. For those who are trying to create a habit, the research is even more vague. From eating better to working out, the time it takes to make a habit stick varies. “I need to eat healthier,” said Brynna Lappin “I’ll tell my mom I’m trying to eat healthier and have her pack better lunches”. University College London researchers found that a habit as simple as running 15 minutes a day could take 18 to 254 days to settle in. On average it took about two months of daily repetition. Dedication: the only way to keep up with those tiring goals that most forget by Valentines’ Day.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: A MOVIE TO REMEMBER

WHEN THE BALL DROPS

By Stephanie Christensen

By Maddie Nichols

Staff Writer

Gary Marshall directed a master piece of a ﬁlm; there are more stars in New Year’s Eve than there are in the night sky. From young actors who are popular among teens like Lea Michele and Zac Efron to classics like Sarah Jessica Parker and Josh Duhamel to just all around favorites such as Ashton Kutcher and Soﬁa Vergara, there is somebody for everybody.

“I really want to see New Years Eve because a lot of my favorite actors are in it... my mom’s showed the me the trailer at least 5 times because she really wants to see it.” Laughed Kaitlyn Smith, sophomore.

Parents can relate to Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Kim, who tries to keep her daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin) contained on the craziest party night of the year in New York City. And almost everybody can relate to the awkwardness of being stuck with someone that you do not want to be with, whether in an elevator or not. Watching this movie, I related to the heartwarming stories of making new friends and reuniting with old ones. Similar to the movie Valentine’s Day, there are different New Year’s Eve scenarios throughout the movie. “I like romantic comedies and I’m excited to see it because I loved Valentine’s Day,” Smith added. I agree with Smith. The ﬁlm A Night to Remember: New Year’s Eve is a story of love, forgiveness, and fun was a vibrant, fun, and colorful AMCtheaters.com/ ThunderMedia representation of the night before 2012 in the Big Apple. I really liked be able to take my mind off of it all seeing my favorite stars in this movie afternoon. This is how I felt when I left (Lea Michele, Katherine Heigl, the theater after watching New Year’s Josh Duhamel, and Halle Berry) but Eve on Friday, December 9th. honestly, I’m a huge romantic. Show I loved the story of Randy (Ashton me a Romantic Comedy and I won’t Kutcher) and Elise (Lea Michelle) getting stuck in a broken down elevator on the big night. Their chemistry was amazing and the ending made me go “Aaaawwwww!” Literally--out loud. New Year’s Eve was hilarious, adorable, and I recommend it for anyone. The overall message of the movie was Live up the year of 2012. Whether that means taking chances, holding on to people you love, or watching really awesome movies. Don’t let your year go to waste, because every moment (and scene) is precious.

Randy and Elise: Anybody can see that Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michelle would make an adorable couple. Daemon’s Movies/ ThunderMedia

Staff Writer

New Year’s Eve is infamous for its fabulous and extravagant parties. With only one day left in the year, people ﬁnd themselves working to ﬁnd the perfect activity to do as it comes to a close. Possible activities range from watching a favorite family movie to spending time with friends to traveling across the country, sometimes around the world, in search of this perfect night. Even for those that normally spend time with family, this night can be full of excitement. No matter what the activity, remember this: The night can only be as fun as you make it. “Every New Year’s Eve, I do the exact same thing,” said

On New Year’s Eve, millions of people travel around the world to see magnificent displays of fireworks and to watch the new year come around. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_New_Years_ Eve_Fireworks_2011.jpg

freshman Brooke Nyberg, “I always spend a little time with my family because my mom makes a really nice dinner and then everyone goes their separate ways; that’s when I go to a friends house.” Many people spend the time with only friends, but some choose to split the time evenly. Some students, however, are relieved of the choice between family and friends due to untimely travels. “This year, my family and I are spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve in England,” said Kennedy Maling, a freshman, “I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a while and I am really excited to spend it with my family.” For those traveling around the country and even around the globe, the entire holiday season, including New Year’s Eve will be a different experience than what they may be used to. For most, plans have yet to be decided and ﬁnalized. “I don’t know what I’m going to do on New Year’s yet,” said junior Madison Lange, “But whatever I end up doing is deﬁnitely going to be fun.” Some may plan parties with friends or movies with the family for the night that comes once every year. When it comes to big holidays, one’s goal is to spend those special days with those who matter the most. Whether attending parties, watching movies on the couch with family, or traveling around the world, be sure that when the ball drops in New York City, London, or Phoenix that you are with the people that make you happy.