The View _ Octorber 2010 by The View

RELAY FOR LIFE

DVTHUNDERMEDIA.COM EXERCISING EFFECTS

DV students support the cause

What effects does long term exercising have on athletes?

The View Features page 7

Sports page 6

16440 S. 32nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85048 480-706-7900

October 2010 Volume 15, Issue 01

Desert Vista High School

Web site redo part of tech goals

New, more advanced site to unveil after break

Stress mess Feeling overwhelmed in ﬁrst term common for many By Angie Bumstead The View

Angie Bumstead/The View

SCHOOL FUSION has a lot of beneﬁts to offer to students, parents and teachers. This new layout has better graphics, is easier to navigate, and more organized than the old site. Reach the new site by going to desertvista.us.

By Angie Bumstead The View

One of the school’s academic goals is to increase the use of technology. The web team has spent countless hours working on a tool for students and teachers by updating the Desert Vista web site. “In June we started evaluating numerous options and came upon the School Fusion company. We purchased the program, designed the new layout, and started the process of changing over from the old web site to a new site,” said business teacher Dabney Leinberger who along with media teacher Michelle Coro, and campus technology technician Abie Contract head the group. “Our speciﬁc interest was in making the DV web site a better technology tool for communicating with our community,” Leinberger added. Powered by School Fusion, this web site aims to beneﬁt parents, students, and teachers. Not only is it more organized, but it also has many more advanced new features. One of these new features is especially helpful. Each student can log in and view a personal calendar system. This helps students stay organized by compiling scheduled activities and due dates, test dates, and homework for classes. “We’re really excited about some of the features offered by

INSIDE VIEW NEWS......................................2 OPINIONS.................................3 SPORTS...................................4 FEATURES.................................5 FEATURES.................................6 FEATURES..................................7 REAR VIEW...............................8

the site,” said Michelle Coro, “One of the things that encouraged me to recommend it was the use of personal calendars. Our students are busy with school, clubs and a host of activities. Helping them to stay organized is a big plus.” Another new feature of this web site is students will have the ability to check all of their grades at once. No longer will students have to scroll down lists of teachers every time their grade changes. Also, students will have 24/7 access to resources and documents, as well as online drop boxes if their teachers choose to use them. “The school web site has been in dire need of updating for years,” Coro said. “It was functional, but outdated. We found a way to make that change happen.” With an initial cost of $1,400 for setup and a yearly renewal fee of $500 a year, the team felt this was a reasonable investment for such a functional, organized site. Even though much of the work of setting up the site and importing student info is done, the web site committee will still have a lot of hard work when it comes to keeping the site updated with the newest information. Soon, parents will be asked to login so they can access the site too. Teachers will be in charge of keeping their own personal sites updated. “Parts of the site can be updated daily, by the hour, or even

Key updates that will help

• One login allowing

students and parents to check grades in all classes

• Announcements and news ﬂashes updated daily

• A messaging system that allows messages to be sent to and from teachers

Kelsey Gross, “Every college will be able to see these scores. If I don’t get a good score, everything I’ve worked for in school will be for nothing.” And it’s true; these exams give colleges an overview of each student’s mental capabilities. They will be determining what scholarships may be eligible for. Scoring well is crucial for all college bound students. For every teenager, social life and friendships require a tremendous amount of focus and effort. Drama within groups of friends puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on everybody. “The cliques around school stress me out a lot,” said Junior Elisabeth Ashley, “When my friends start drama or get in ﬁghts, it makes everything more difﬁcult. Emotionally, it’s hard to deal with.” So whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, stress can be an expected constant in life. Learning to deal with stress can be one of the biggest challenges, but one of the most relieving to conquer.

ISSuing

a new detention policy minute,” Coro said. “It’s much more functional for us to be able to make changes as needed.” The committee has high hopes for this site, as well as the rest of DV’s administrators. “We hope this just becomes another resource that teachers and students have available to them.” Coro said. “Technology changes so fast that this won’t solve all the problems of the world, but depending on how teachers use this, it can become a help for everyone who chooses to experiment with it.”

DRESS CODE

All dressed up and nowhere to go? Students at DV have a lot to say about the changes to the dress code.

It’s two AM on a Monday night and there’s still homework to be done. School and sleep are at war, both trying to take priority. With only six hours left until school starts, sleep has the upper hand. Stressful situations like this are daily occurrences for students here at Desert Vista. With school, family, and social life, balance is a maybe, but stress is a definite. October is arriving along with the end of the first quarter. Students will soon enough be receiving report cards in the mail. “I’m really stressed out about getting my report card,” confided sophomore Jihan Valencia, “I’m afraid of what my grades will be. It’s really stressful because I’m so worried about keeping my grades up.” This fear seems to be spreading like a disease around campus. Getting good grades may be one of the biggest pressures throughout school. Not only does October bring report cards, but also testing. This month will be filled with AIMS, PSATS, and SATS. “Preparing for the SATS is freaking me out,” admitted junior

GATORADE OR WATER?

When you are thirsty, which do reach for ﬁrst?

Desert Vista is going through the accreditation process, a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools, and designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of educational standards. Go to dvthundermedia.com to view a special video that presents the school’s goals.

By Angie Bumstead The View

Students all around campus are outraged at the change in Desert Vista’s detention policy. Last year, In School Suspension was detention held during school hours, but this year, ISS is eliminated. In its place, students in trouble will now have to go to detention before school, during lunch, or after school. What brought about this sudden change? The answer is simple. Students got in trouble for ditching, gooﬁng off, and many other things. Then, as their punishment, they got taken out of more class for ISS, free to relax for an entire school day. “The faculty at Desert Vista felt it was necessary to keep students in class during the school day,” said Christine Barela, assistant principal, “By taking students out of class, they were missing valuable information.” Students who receive the punishment of after school detention will be called to the front ofﬁce to receive their referral. After this, the student comes to DV between 3:30 and 7:00 PM, where they must

Angie Bumstead/The View

MIGUEL MARRERO ﬁlls out a referral form for after school detention for a misbehaving student.

perform schoolwork. Doodling, sleeping, and gooﬁng off results in more punishment for the student. “I think it’s stupid,” said junior Tony Crawford, “that if we get ISS we would have to go in after school rather than during school.” Even though many students do believe this change is “stupid” as Crawford said, administrators believe it will beneﬁt students immensely. “This change is really great because students will no longer be pulled out of class,” said Program Coordinator for the Thunder Success Academy Miguel Marrero, “The faculty hopes this will have a positive effect on students because now dentition is taking time out of their day instead of ours.” Marrero is in charge of detention for students after school, where he supervises them.

2 NEWS Shortshorts gets you coded

The View

October, 2010

TSTDC

It’s 8 p.m.! What are do they still doing in the A-building?

A good preperation for your future

From picture perfect presentations to pasta to parent support, the TSTDC goes over every possibility before heading into competition.

By Ellie Bell The View

Karly Kalstrom was just walking to class like every other teenager, when she heard someone calling “Excuse me, miss, come here please.” A security guard about dress coded her. Kalstrom, a freshman, said it was weird because what happened was not really her fault. Her jean shorts had gotten stuck on something earlier in the day and tore a little so they had appeared to be shorter than they originally designed. Karly tried explaining but she still had to change visit the nurses’ office to make a change. “The clothes were not something you wanted to wear,” she said. “So I called my dad and asked him to bring me a pair of jeans.” Updates to the dress code are still being received with mixed opinions. Most of the students think it is ridiculously strict. Students want to express their feelings and their personality through what they wear, but feel they cannot do so. “It was just a normal day to me,” said Kalstrom, “but something unexpected had happened.” This was just bad luck for poor Kalstrom but it could happen to anyone. She got “shorted” because of her shorts, “I dress code about 10-15 students a day and out of those about 10-12 of them are girls,” said Jim Snow, security staff member. About 100% of those kids all give him grief about how the outfit they are wearing does not go against the dress codes policies. Since students seem to have a trouble remembering the rules and regulations here is a useful tips of information. The Student Handbook/Planner 2010 and the Selected Student Policies & Regulations Handbook is accessible for the guidelines and specifications. Read them before getting dressed for school.

PRACTICE is the best way to win, at least that is what members of the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company adhere to through daily late night and weekend sessions including a recent practice tournmant. The team has 7 National Titles under their belts. Photos submitted by TSTDC.

By Alex Axenbeck The View As most students, teachers and parents are aware of, being in the theater, speech and debate team at any high school is a valuable asset in later life. Desert Vista’s TSTDC team is known for being an excellent program with about 150 participants, all of them eager to become successful adults through this amazing program. Kelly Conrad, a TSTDC competitor says that she is in the team partially because universities value it, but also because the skills she learns help her in all of her school subjects and even outside of school. “ I feel a lot more conﬁdent now than I used to,” Kelly said. She also said that performing and talking to a group of people has become easier for her because of the practice she gets in TSTDC. She believes TSTDC is an amazing community of talented young actors and debaters. The team meets every day, however it is only mandatory to come two times a week. They have 15-16 competitions a year, about four of which are out of state. The TSTDC team has fourteen coaches. Their leading teacher, Eric Dominguez, is a fun, spirited addition to the group. He believes that the major

advantage of the team for the participants is “being a part of a successful team and being challenged.” Having a debate team in a high school does offer many benefits for teachers running the team, students, and parents. Teachers prosper in that they get to see ambitious students learn, debate, and excel. Students excel, for they learn and have higher chances of getting into the their dreams. And parents profit because many students earn scholarships, saving them money. Debate teams even benefit entire nations. “Every city where debate flourishes, their earning potential increases exponentially, saving billions.” http:// www.debateleaders.org/root/benefits. shtml “Universities want you to participate in what you are interested in.” Kari Fisher, the sophomore counselor, explained. She said that colleges do value participation in a club or sports activity, however they do not have an invested interest in speech, theater and debate unless you are extremely successful. Amy Hickel, another school counselor explained some colleges have debate teams and would be interested in recruiting talented debaters. In this case, being a debater could diffidently benefit a student drastically.

Don’t even think about duking it out By Ellie Bell The View He said this, she said that, he yelled this, she snapped at that, he posted this picture, she commented on that one, he bumped into this person, and she stepped on that persons toe. The next thing you know all of these people are ready to go for each other’s throats. “School fights are unnecessary,” said freshman Marisa Gomez. “They obviously are going to get stopped, and they usually are only on school campus just to draw attention,” Statistics show the reasons why school fights begin are because students have different beliefs, feel discriminated against, or feel disrespected. Plenty more reasons that start small and escalate can lead to bad feelings. Gomez said she has never been in a fight but has seen one,

“I have witnessed a ﬁght but it was very brief, only because the school security interceded.” People crowd around to see the action because it is exciting and they want to know what is going on. But it is not exciting when you are the one getting thrown punches at and falling to the ground. Students get so caught up in the action that no one thinks to go get someone for help. If it is necessary police may get involved and students could be arrested, depending on the circumstances. “I feel very safe at Desert Vista because we have a good security staff,” said freshman Jasmine Coro. “School ﬁghts don’t usually occur at DV,” said Vice Principal

explore. Your college, your way.

Christine Barrela, “but there are serious consequences for those who choose to participate in school ﬁghts.” “We like to investigate, and ﬁnd out what is really going on with the students,” added Barrela. Desert Vista does care and they want students to get along and learn in the safest most comfortable environment possible. If there is ever a problem, go to the administration, and they will be happy to help.

www.cgc.edu The college of you. An EEO/AA institution.

The View

3 opinions

tio

Students see no fault in faking work

f an

a uc ed

d ou e t a

Che

October 2010

Jessica Tuller/The View

By Jessica Tuller The View

It is not uncommon for a student to walk into school to the sight of peers copying assignments from their friends or making notes on their desk for a test they decided not to study for. This cheating dilemma confused me. I needed to know what was going on with the students; why they were cheating instead of learning. To look into this problem, I talked to three DV freshmen. Akhila Murella and Sue Han both denied having ever cheated. However, when I asked whether they considered copying a homework assignment to be cheating, Han responded with a discouraging “Not really”. The third

freshman, who wishes to remain anonymous, did admit to cheating, and as recently as last week. They also thought that copying a homework assignment was not cheating. I am concerned about the distinction of the line between honest, upright work for an education and the alternative: cheating. Doing your own work means not plagiarizing, copying, or sharing your answers. DV could clarify the line so students will know whether they are cheating or not. Yet when I asked whether our school could do a better job preventing cheating, Murella simply said, “No, they do a pretty good job.” I differ on that statement. DV might do much better if it installed an honor code. Students need a definition of what is cheat-

Do not let the

ing and what is not. The reasoning when copying homework is a feeble attempt to relieve guilt. If students are absolutely sure what they are doing is wrong, they will be more certain of their actions and hopefully stop cheating. Which leads to my main point. Students have to know what is wrong. DV should not have to rely on teachers to catch all the problems. AP social studies teacher Shannon Corcoran admits that teachers have a tough time preventing cheating, “I don’t know that you can really prevent students from cheating if they are determined, but I try to encourage them to be honest with themselves. In AP it is not really going to benefit them in the long run because ultimately they are going to take the AP exam in May and they need to have

their own knowledge to do well on that exam.” A teacher is not going to see every hidden answer or notice every plagiarized sentence. It is simply impossible. At the same time, Corcoran makes a good point- cheating doesn’t get you anywhere. There will still be a final exam, whether a student is in AP or not, if they haven’t learned what they should have learned, they will fail. All three freshmen openly saw that cheating was wrong, and they should not do it. One of them still chose to. Why? There must be a million excuses for cheating. “Too much pressure, fear of failing, forgetting to study, fear that they can’t do it on their own,” Corcoran said. The point is it is wrong. No matter the reason or the situation cheating is not an honest option.

The View Staff

distance

get you down

Long distance relationships can have the surprising benefit of promoting focus in school and independence in life As films like Drew Barrymore’s latest, Going the Distance, will tell you, long distance relationships can be a pain. Films, books, and advice columns such as this, serve the mass of lovers who want to know how to make By Roseana Cruz their relationThe View ship last in this situation. Many resources offer the key to maintaining trust, communication, and intimacy from afar. When you’re in love, it’s difficult to realize what benefits a long distance relationship can have. Don’t some people prefer it when they’ve got hunnies in different area codes? On September 9th, CNN’s American Morning radio show reported that long distance relationships are on the rise. And why wouldn’t they be? Who needs all that time consuming physical intimacy when a relationship based on Facebook, cell phones, and Skype fits so nicely between school, work, and episodes of Jersey Shore?

My boyfriend lives 200 miles away. Personally, I would trade everything I have going in Ahwatukee to at least live in the same city as him. But I know I can’t. I need to tie up some minor loose ends, like finishing high school, before I can move up with him. Love is unpredictable. That fat little rascal with the arrow does not wait for a convenient time to pierce you in the behind. This is when you need to get wise. Big picture priorities mustn’t be overshadowed by such an erratic emotion. I’m in love, but I’m not stupid. If I spent every class daydreaming about being with my beau, I would be wasting my education. If I spent every free day I had trying to road trip to him, I’d be avoiding a social life back home. Obsessing about him all the time would only hurt my future and make my life here less bearable. Although it can be more fun to immerse yourself in someone else’s life, it is important to live your life for yourself and what’s best for you. Though long distance relationships are not ideal, they tend to allow you to compartmentalize your life. The separation is a great practice for keeping your lives joined, and not forgetting you have one of your own.

Students need to understand the benefits of truly doing well in a class. This will not stop some, but maybe others will realize the importance of their education. There are some resolutions. A common choice for teachers is something called TurnItIn.com. This site checks all the works students turn in for plagiarism. It is a great choice for prevention of cheating. With all the excuses and indistinct regulations, this high school continues to have a population of people immune to the guilt of cheating. But with TurnItIn, realization of the importance of learning, and the possible honor code, DV can stop students from cheating themselves out of an education.

Thinking of you

My boyfriend drew this in my yearbook at the end of last year before he left for college. We’ve been mindful of making school a priority rather than obsessing over how much we miss each other.

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 Mrs. Coro’s through the school website.

Editors

Roseana Cruz, Brooklyn Rojas, Mariah Shulte, Melissa Dean, Atikah Kahn, and Angie Bumstead

Staff Writers

Michelle Abunaja, Jessica Arvayo, Alexandra Axenbeck, Joseph Beck, Shandra Beckett, Eliza Bell, Kelly Bodine, Alec Boucher, Chrisanda Grandell, Nabeela Khan, Shannon Masel, Nicole Salsburg, Jessica Tueller, Isabella Tuli

Adviser

Michelle Coro

The View

4 OPINIONS

AN ABSOLUT CONCEPT

October 2010

Modern witch hunt

Lowering drinking age to 18 should be considered to match adulthood

By Jessica Arvayo The View MY TURN

From Cape Codder’s and Screwdrivers to Daiquiris and Bloody Mary’s: bartenders know their drinks. Their age 21 and older customers know what’s good and what’s not. But it’s the teenage crowd, often on the party scenes, who also have a lot of knowledge of drinking. Alhough illegal, drinking isn’t just being done by twenty-one year olds. While it is often socially acceptable among the younger crowd, this is the twenty-ﬁrst century. We need to concentrate on more than what meets the eye: when it comes to teen drinking. It’s a shame that young adults can’t drink because we’re too “young”. Turning eighteen is like a passage into adulthood, so why not be treated like one? Bars and liquor stores only allow twenty-one year olds to buy a drink. Unjust? Maybe. Foul? Yes. Much of the public agrees; the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To many, it doesn’t make much sense; you can join the army, vote, buy cigarettes, get selected for jury duty, be emancipated from parents, the list just goes on. So how is it, that in being able to do all this, you can’t buy a beer? Once you turn eighteen and if you commit a crime, your punishment isn’t going to juvie or just a slap on the wrist; this is because of you are part of the “adulthood” crowd. Do the crime - do the time. If the government is stepping in and saying, “we’re going to treat you like

one,” why can’t they have a cold one? Why don’t they actually stick to it and make it that way in all aspects of human life? America tried prohibition twice and we’re doing it again. All that did was create serious social problems such as widespread disrespect for the law, growth of organized crime, and the development of immoderate consumption patterns. The population of drinkers has been going down since around 1980; long before states were required to raise the drinking age in 1987. Fewer young people are drinking and their average consumption levels have been dropping. Now, younger people who tend to drink do so abusively when they consume. This change occurred after the increase in the drinking age. The thing is, drinking isn’t a problem; drinking abusively is. I’m not saying that lowering the drinking age would solve all problems, but that it might help with alcohol consumption. Underage drinkers consume a lot more alcohol than people who can drink because they can’t get a hold of it as often. They haven’t learned self control or moderation because every time they do get it, they don’t know when the next time is they consume it so they want to make up for it. If the

courtesy of commons.wikimedia.com

Jessica Arvayo/The View

drinking age were lowered we wouldn’t have so much of this abusive drinking in this day and age. “The drinking age used to be seventeen, then eighteen, then twenty-one. The drinking age should go down again,” said Brendan Koehler, sophomore. Sophomore Cole Miller had a different opinion. “There would be way more drunk drivers out on the road.” Knowing how to drink and what your limit is, is maturity in itself. I agree, if people aren’t responsible enough to stay on the right track, it probably isn’t best for those certain people to be consuming alcohol like the rest. But just like with any other hot topic, you have the people who aren’t suitable for the cause. And just like with any other subject, you have the people who are for it and who oppose it. It’s just a matter of can they take it? Are

“ “Drinking isn’t a problem; drinking abusively is. is.” they ready for the change? Another reason for lowering the drinking age is, consuming alcohol isn’t bad for you, at all. Medical News Today states that men who consumed alcohol three to seven days a week rather than once in a week had fewer heart attacks. Not only that but drinking has a good effect on cholesterol, lowers the risk of diabetes, and improves body sensitivity to insulin in women. It’s not only good for your physical health, but in your emotional health as well. Older adults who drink had lower risk of developing dementia. Is this new form of prohibition doing more damage than good? Would it ﬁx all problems? No. Is it deﬁnitely a step in the right direction? Yes. Drinking isn’t the problem. Drinking abusively is. So with a new outlook on things, it would be a lot different. It’s time to ask ourselves: can we handle a change?

Teenagers commonly use offensive slang words without thinking twice By Chrissy Grandell The View

I was doing my “do or dies”, a softball drill, at practice when my Dad told me it was too late for me to do anything, before my cousin had died. My cousin, Robert Scott age 27, had died that morning due to blood clots; it was just last summer. I remember, from the time I could talk, Robert and I had been playing Barbies during visits to Grandma’s, despite the age difference. His death was a tragedy to the whole family; it caused psychological issues to us that couldn’t be imagined. Cousin Robert was one of my, and many others, biggest heroes, and he was also gay. His death really showed me how unconscious I’ve been of other people’s feelings. I never used to noticed how often people used expressions like “that’s so gay!” or “you’re retarded.” Now that I’ve learned to be more sensitive, it’s like those expressions are all I hear from teens. Ever since my cousin passed, I realize how offensive just a few words can really be. Even though I personally am

not homosexual and I don’t have mental or physical retardation, the words hurt me just as much because I’m aware of the struggles gay and challenged people go through during their everyday lives. A poll given to a Spanish

1-2 class on September 10th of 2010 questioned how often the students themselves use harmful expressions daily, and if they feel its offensive. Over half of the students said they didn’t think too much of it and that those expressions are ones they say all the

Chrissy Grandell/The View

time. Only 5/32 students knew the actual deﬁnition of the word “retard”. It seems the DV students do not realize what they’re saying is harmful to other’s feelings. Freshman Makenzi Homes said, “I don’t know, they’re just like normal things I’m used to saying. I guess I don’t feel or think too much about it.” Think about it, saying something like “that’s so gay” is basically saying that being gay is stupid. When you say that expression, you’re usually saying how “un-cool” something is. Even “that’s retarded” doesn’t make much sense because to retard something, means to slow it down. When most teens say “that’s retarded”, they’re not talking about how slow something is. Do you hear what you’re saying? Do you understand it, or even stop to think about it? Simple words that you say, can greatly affect somebody in a harmful way. Maybe because they are dealing with the issue, or someone close to them is.

Today’s politicians have revived the practice of Cold War era McCarthyism By Joe Beck The View

From secret Muslim to outright socialist, Obama has been called a wealth of insults. The Tea Party has grasped every rumor and opportunity to call him dirty names. According to the Washington Post, 20% of Americans now believe that he is a Muslim. Questions have been made about his economic policy, his religion, and even his birthplace. Aimless accusations come from nearly every rung of the conservative ladder. The dirt slinging clearly echoes the voice of former Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy, A senator from Wisconsin during the 1950’s, is best known for fueling the widespread American fears of Communism that the cold war is so infamous for. A simple suspicion of communist activities was grounds for immediate black listing and investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The “Red Scare” was a cover for eliminating political rivals. It did, however, succeed in instilling fear deep in the American psyche. McCarthyism is now an age-old tactic that has seemed to surge back into American culture with vengeance. The Republicans’ platform have lost the favor of most Americans. Many moderates have become alienated by the extremist views of Demagogues such as Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. The Republican Party seems more and more extreme simply because it is. Without the moderates, the party will fall into the Tea Party. A CBS news poll states that 56% of Tea Partiers are Conservatives. “I think it is unnerving that the Republicans are so ready to criticize when they have no solutions to offer,” says Morgan Heathcote, Junior. Many of the students at DV are likewise disturbed by ﬁerce smear campaigns. As the mid-term election nears, the smear campaigns have reached unprecedented new lows. The powerhouses of the Republican Party are throwing every dirty phrase they know. The campaign signs show clearly that the republicans aren’t running for ofﬁce, but against Obama. Candidates offer no solutions to the problems our country faces today, only criticism.

The View

5 SPORTS

October 2010

SPORTS VS STUDYING Melissa

By Melissa Dean The View It is that time of year again. Sports are lighting up the school with countless games, practices, and meetings. The athletes that participate in sports hit the field hard, but do they hit the books just as hard? Student athletes are presented with the dilemma of balancing studies with practices and the need to have both completed in a timely manner. Statistics show that student athletes are not as proficient in the classroom as they are on the field, but

Vie Dean /The

The demands between balancing sports and studies can create a dilemma for student athletes.

it depends on how they apply themselves. As the weeks go on, some of our students who do participate in school sports are having difficulty keeping up with their studies and making practices and games on time. It is creating conflicts between when to study, how long, and how it might conflict with their sport. Students who have practices and games mostly after school, sometimes find it hard to balance both activities. “I have some difficulty making my practices and games on time due to the fact that I have a lot of

Coach O’Keefe

Meli

ssa

Dea

n /T

homework. I sometimes even have to miss practice because of my homework load. It can sometimes make my life very stressful,” said sophomore Madey Bailey. That is not always the case. Some athletes balance the books and the ﬁeld during the school week at an active pace. Students who begin their homework the moment they can and try to get it done so that they won’t have as much after their practice or game is their main strategy. “I stay up pretty late some nights doing my homework, but I get it

he V iew

done. I handle my studies and playing Badminton pretty well. I love going to practice and I never want to miss it, so I get my work done on time,” said sophomore Kendall Stratton. With all the late nights, studying, and trying to get the last workout in, students here at school are either balancing the books and the sports with ease, while others are having a little more trouble hanging in there. So, if you’re a student athlete, remember, hitting the books will help you to stay on the ﬁeld more than you think it will.

WATER OR GATORADE? Which one did you choose? In a survey of students, 7 out of 10 crave water.

Spotlight on...

Nicole Salsburg/The View

COACH O’KEEFE teaches in the business department when he is not coaching.

By Nicole Salsburg The View

Q: How long have you been coaching football? A: ”At Desert Vista, I’ve been coaching for ﬁve years,

but for 25 years I coached for the air force teams, as well as coached in Germany at a high school for two years.”

Q: Do you enjoy coaching? A: “I LOVE it. I choose to coach mainly because I

absolutely love the game. When I was in college, I was small, but still tried to play football. I realized that what I wanted to do was help others be come better as well. I believe in service before your self. That’s why I love to coach so much.”

Q: How strong is your relationship with your team? A: “I do make them work, I mean there has to be

some time of authority here. But when this is all said and done, I want these kids to leave her with positive memories of the team, and me, so I think we are close.”

30% Gatorade 70% Water

By Mariah Schulte The View

In the Arizona heat, athletes that compete outdoors, or even inside, have a hard time staying hydrated through out the day before a big game or practice. Carrying those big gallon jugs around campus is the way to go for students before that seven o’clock game comes around. However, Gatorade has been proven to enhance the performance of the players. The colorful flavors of Gatorade are not only appealing to the working athletes during the hot days, but they also have something water does not: sodium, this is something athletes can benefit from during their show time. It helps regulate the fluid levels in the body. When the player is working out, they sweat. Everyone in Arizona knows what sweat is. When you sweat, you are loosing the sodium in your body. Gatorade will replace lost sodium. Along with that, Gatorade will help the body absorb the fluids faster than water would. Gatorade retains 75% of fluids as oppose to water, which only retains 50%. Though this fluid retention sounds nice, Gatorade should not be a substitute to water. Water is still needed for day-to-day hydration. “Water is the way to go,” said Kiley Halsted, senior. “Gatorade is too sweet and makes me sick.” Her sister, Devyn, also feels the same say. “I would much rather drink water, if I drink anything else I think I’m going to be sick,” said Devyn Halsted, sophomore. Gatorade does contain calories, which can cause weight gain. But when athletes are out there working it off, all they want is the hydration. And Gatorade will help with that. But the students at DV do prefer water, and we thank the Arizona heat for that.

Q: What’s the best way to get through to your play-

ers?

“Immediate corrections. If something goes wrong, we immediately correct it so it doesn’t happen again. You have to practice before you can become an expert. So, of course, I make them practice a lot. As the business principle says, there are 10,000 hours of practice, before you are an expert.”

Q: What do you do when you are not coaching? A: ”I’ve been married for 38 years, and have two kids

that are all grown up. I love to take care of my family and do everything I can for them. We love to go on what we call “Adventures.” When I was in the air force, I was in Germany, so we sometimes go back as a family and visit there. We also love to go camping.”

Q: How hard working is the freshman team this year? A: “There is not another freshman team in this district

that works as hard as these guys do. They have come a long way since they start, and are getting a lot better. I think of them being the leading edge of the spear. They are tough, and ready for anything.”

What’s the biggest thing you teach your team that is not football related?

”I teach them a lot of teamwork skills, and character building skills as well. I always use Shakespeare’s story about Henry V. “Henry and his men are out on the fields, outnumbered against the French. He turns towards his men and says ‘we few, us happy few, my brothers.’ Henry said that the men who helped fight will talk back with each other about this time and smile. They will show each other their scars and laugh. They are brothers.” I like to make my team as close and brotherly as possible. They learn to work together and rely on each other. If every person puts in 1/11 of effort we need on the field, we will have all the effort we need to win.”

The View

6 sports

October 2010

practice makes prominent

Shandra Beckett/The View

Girl's Varsity Volleyball have made a name for themselves as winners. Practice and skill keeps them ahead this season. By Shandra Beckett The View

Volleyball is a much-loved sport at Desert Vista High School. This year the Varsity Team is working really hard to be the best. They are also pulling in some impressive wins. Currently their wins to losses are 9-4. This team runs on hard work, effort, and lots of practice. From watching this sport it definitely takes a lot more work than portrayed, it takes a lot of time and

dedication. The Volleyball players are able to easily pull together and that’s how they are such a good team. To be as good as they are they have to practice a lot. Jayme Brugman, a player on the Varsity Volleyball Team, said, “We practice every day except on Saturdays and we usually practice for 3 hours a day.” These volleyball players also do intense warm ups. They do a lot of ball handling and passing. They also

Suffering Asthma GO figure 50%

all elite crosscountry skiers, ice skaters, and hockey players have EIE.

17%

of Olympic-level distance runners have been given the same diagnosis.

90%

of people with asthma also suffer from EIE.

14%

of kids have been diagnosed with asthma.

Richmond, VA is the worst city for asthma .

By Shannon Masel The View

When participating in sports, everyone gets a little winded. While most people think they are pushing it, some students develop asthma from working out and playing sports. It is a different form of asthma, called “exercise induced asthma,” or EIE. It is common for athletes competing in high endurance sports, such as track and field, to have EIE. But people from any sport can be diagnosed. “I have exercise induced asthma,” said Maddy Hays, freshman, “I was diagnosed this year.” Maddy runs cross country, and trained with the team over the summer. While the workouts are hard for everyone on the team, Maddy and the other athletes that have asthma really have to push it. “I can do most of the runs, but when they are faster, shorter runs, I normally just do another work out or sit out, because even though I bring my inhaler with me, I can’t breathe,” said Hays. “I have to use my inhaler 15 minutes before practice and I carry it all the time while I’m running.” People think that kids with asthma are put off from playing sports, but many students play sports even if they have asthma. “If an athlete truly wants to play a sport, they find a way to make it work,”

The way we strive to be the best is by practicing hard and paying attention to every detail the coach tells us.

Shannon Masel /The View

Maddy Hays, a Desert Vista student athlete, was diagnosed with EIE this summer during cross country training.

said Susan Ham, athletics assistant. “All they have to do to get cleared is to divulge all their health history for the coaches in case of an attack.” Attacks don’t just happen during the work out. They can last for up to two hours after the athlete’s done. “The biggest problem for athletes with regular asthma or EIE isn’t the heat or the work out, but the dust,” said Mrs. Jean Kennedy, school nurse. “They develop trouble breathing and normally end up wheezing during an attack.” Asthma does make playing sports harder, but it is also important for asthmatics. It strengthens lungs and keeps students in shape. If someone has asthma, the only change in lifestyle they should have is making sure they take care of it.

Sports particiption good way to stay active, on task By Nabeela Khan The View

Sports can provide many different positive assets to an athlete’s life. Young athletes learn to work hard, by giving all of their efforts towards a common goal, devoting their time and energy into their shared passions, and a sense of empowerment. Which in turn gets them step up closer to their future goals in college, their family units and careers. Young athletes learn how to communicate with their fellow mates,

organize their time, and feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments.   “Sports promote a healthy life of fitness and having a proper diet, in order to live a high quality of life. I believe mental strength, a knowledge base of commitment, and pride in oneself are definitely three long term affects of sports,” said Coach Rachel Proudfoot.   Setting up goals and achieving them obtain development of discipline in sports. Athletes figure out strategic thinking as they figure out how to play and the best way to get

around a player to score. Since their performance matters, kids involved in sports are less likely to take drugs or smoke. “Sports keeps us fit,” agrees senior track and field athlete Jacob Orozco. Playing sports leads to a positive body image and higher self-esteem. If played correctly, they bring immense enjoyment and positive feeling within the person. It can help person live a healthy lifestyle, maintain a healthy weight, create positive self-esteem, and avoid harmful demises.

practice serving and hitting the ball. Everyone strives to be the best at something, but these girls strive to be the best at volleyball. Jayme Brugman and Riley Smith, another player on the Varsity Volleyball team, both said, “The way we strive to be the best is by practicing hard and paying attention to every detail the coach tells us.” As far as spare time goes, they really do not have any. Between the hours put into school and volleyball they don’t

have much spare time. Most sports teams, as we know, have certain rituals they use for good luck. This volleyball team is no different. Jayme says, “Our rituals consist of several different sayings, which we cannot revealed, as well as always putting our right foot in the circle.” The volleyball coach was unavailable for comment at this time but she seems very proud of her team.

Featured Athlete Madison Barrow

Grade: Freshman The View Age: 14 Birthday: August 5, 1996 Sport: Swim Team Best At: Free Style and the 100-Yard Favorite Color: Blue In Her Spare Time: Reads and hangs out with friends Places She Wants To Go: Italy, “Home of Love” Pre-Game Rituals: Stretch and the girls do a chant How She Feels When In the Water: Awake, and since it’s in the morning the cold water really alerts me and keeps me energized.

By Nicole Salsburg

FEATURES 7

The View

October 2010

Run to Live or Live to Run Realy for Life’s leader

Angie Bumstead/The View

Mark Honaker leads the Relay for life group in Desert Vista’s anual homecoming parade. They hope that by representing their cause today, more people will recognize their cause tomorrow.

Carring and committed

Students like Garett Brandt marched in the Desert Vista parade on Ocober ﬁrst to represent Relay for Life that takes place in April on the DV campus to raise money for all types of cancer. The funds go to caretakers of cancer patients and cancer research. Angie Bumstead/The View

By Michelle Abunaja The View “Actually there are two things that keeps me coming back: the privilege of working with such caring a devoted people and knowing I can make a difference in the lives of others,” said Mr. Honaker, the “Riﬁki” of Relay for Life. The Ahwatukee Relay for Life event is being held on Desert Vista’s campus and needs people to get involved! Relay for life is an event held by the American Cancer Association to further all types of cancer research. Last year Ahwatukee raised 178 thousand dollars going to cancer research, caretakers for cancer patients; and transportation to and from hospitals.

Relaying helps people who are affected by cancer and the more people who relay, the more funds are raised. All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Association to give aid for cancer sufferers. The more people who join the more money is raised to help the cause. This year the co- chairs are Trey Kennedy and Sammie Ortiz a senior and junior Desert Vista. Desert Vista is a youth based relay in the Southwest and is the third biggest money raiser within Phoenix. Show some Thunder spirit and help support Relay for Life by joining the event on April 16 to April 17th “Making a difference is the biggest thing you can do,” said Mr. Honaker, this being his eighth year helping Relay for Life.

Teams that raise over a hundred dollars can spend the night. This money can be raised in any way. Ashley Roselli, the team devolvement chair, calls the over night camp “safe chaos”. Everyone is well behaved but hyped up on energy drinks and sodas. “It’s not what DV does, it’s what the community does as a whole,” said Roselli, encouraging everyone to get involved so cancer patients can see another birthday. For more information on the event Relay for life pamphlets can be found in room A- 149. Be a part of the Ahwatukee Relay, and help ﬁght against cancer by Relaying for Life.

Pop music high on Teens playlist By Kelly Bodine The View

photo by Kelly Bodine

A student’s iPod can reveal a few secrets about themselves: their favorite color, whether they enjoy music, and especially what music they enjoy the most. From rock, pop, hip-hop to country, everyone has a favorite. Teens explore many music preferences. If someone looks at two different students’ iPods, the ﬁrst iPod might have Lady Gaga all over the device. The other might contain upwards of a hundred and ﬁfty Metallica songs. So what happens when one person thinks an artist is good, but others might think differently? Freshman Ashley Williams, explains her own

musical hatred. “Justin Beiber just does duets on top of songs, he doesn’t make them up himself,” Williams said. Don’t even think about insulting Lady Gaga to freshman Lori Pruitt. “I love Lady Gaga because her songs all have unique meanings and sounds,” she said. Pruitt’s dislike? “Miley Cyrus is a phony, she was supposed to be a role model for children. I don’t think she realizes that half of her fan base is under the age of 10.” Everyone has an opinion in music matters. Each song on the radio gets picked based on how many times they are listened to or requested. Teenagers play a big part in the music business. and are part of the reason so many artists reach success or go on tour. Platinum CDs weren’t created just based on a critic’s opinion. Fans bought those albums and down-

Go online to Dvthundermedia. com for the latest music previews, reviews, slideshows and more.

loaded them to iPod’s via iTunes or some other music source. Concerts with high ticket prices blared familiar songs from those CDs played on amps, microphones and speakers. Teens have those same

songs on their iPods and listen to them in middle schools and high schools throughout the world. Music provides a student’s stress relief. Music is important to each and every teenager.

Blood: It’s in You to Give Gift of Life to Someone Who Needs It By Brooke Rojas The View From the looks of Desert Vista’s small gym packed with generous donors, the Key Club’s Blood Drive was a success. On Tuesday, September 21, 2010 students from all across our campus got called out of their classes to donate. Why give blood? Every second of every day, there are millions of people in need of blood, but not just any blood. All human blood looks alike, but different blood types must be matched correctly between donors and receivers. There are eight different blood types, and if not correctly matched, some antigens tell a patient’s immune

system to attack the transfused, or donated, blood. To prevent this, blood-typing and matching is very careful and speciﬁc. Some blood types are more rare than others, and some have those rarities without even knowing it. This is all the more reason for those eligible to give blood. Everyone has the ability to save a life. When asked why he decided to give blood, Junior at Desert Vista Jared Yalung said, “Because I want to save lives. Today is my birthday and as I grow one year older, I want to give that same gift of growing older to other people.” The act of giving blood is nearly painless and is described by most donors as a tiny pinch. “It’s the least I can do,” said Janelle Davault,

a junior here at Desert Vista and a soon-tobe regular donor. “It’s a tiny bit of pain that will help someone who I’m Jared Yalung, sure is in a lot Junior more pain than I am.” For those who did not get the opportunity to donate at the drive here at Desert Vista, there is still plenty of chances to save lives! To learn more about blood donation opportunities outside of Desert Vista, visit www.redcrossblood. org/ or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

photo by Brooke Rojas

8 News spirit week

Go to DVTHUNDERMEDIA.COM for slideshows of events

The View

Homecoming Hysteria Tuesday- St. Patrick's Day

Monday- Valentine's Day

By Roseana Cruz

Wednesday- Cinco de Mayo

of students paraded by on floats decked out and paying homage to Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, 4th of July, and Chinese New Year. Onlookers oohed and ahhed while catching or dodging the candy flung from almost every passing spectacle. The floats played songs to go along with their holiday, such as Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance and even childhood favorites from Mulan and The Nightmare Before Christmas. All were key to the company dancers who followed each float. These dancers were not the only ones who felt the urge to boogie, as Homecoming anticipation built up. “I want to dance the night away!” said sophomore, Maddie Nahmias. Luckily for Nahmias, there was no shortage of shaking it on the dance floor. One of the greatest moments of Thunder spirit was when we won the Homecoming game. The victory obviously boosted spirit, but it was also shown in the support for the Homecoming royalty. Winners were crowned at the football game and dance. The Princes and Princesses of the underclassmen were Alex Ihrke and Marissa Aguilar for the freshman class, Joey Steigerwald and Tess Kimura for the

The View

Lots of excuses are made to overlook the Homecoming dance. “I do not want to spend the money” or “it is not the most important dance of the year.” Desert Vista heard none of that last week. The school exploded with spirit and enthusiasm for Homecoming Week. “It’s a big dance,” said Chris Kinghorn, “and you have the whole week that leads up to it.” The spirit actually began the week before, with Stoplight Day. For the first time, boys and girls dressed up to reveal their status on Homecoming dates. No more worrying, “Does my crush already have a date? Do they even want to go?” Just look at their shirt. Wearing green meant they wanted to be asked. Yellow signaled they wanted to ask someone or were unsure if they wanted to go. Red said they did not want to be asked or were not attending. This spirit day created a fun and easy way to scope out dates and prepare for the week ahead. Each day’s theme had a great turn out in people who dressed up. The holidays were mimicked in Friday’s parade, reviewing the spirit week. Hundreds

sophomore class, and Miles Steadman and Julia Thatcher for the junior class. Aaron Smith and Rachel Butler were graced with the title of Homecoming King and Queen for the seniors. Everyone showed their love and appreciation. “I was surprised! I didn’t think I would ever be nominated,” said sophomore Princess, Tess Kimura. "Thank you to Mrs. Carlson. She nominated me and it was really sweet of her.” Teachers gave recognition to a select 40 students for being role models of Thunder expectations. Appreciation went out not only to the winners, but to all those nominees who proudly donned their red sashes last week.

October 2010

Friday- Homecoming shirt

Thursday- 4th of July

Michelle Coro/ DVthundermedia

ABOVE: Stool-stompers perform at the parade. ABOVE RIGHT FROM TOP: Homecoming royalty. Students show their stuff at the dance. Nick Henderon points to the crowd at the parade.

ees n i m o N e h T Gherrish

Smith

Binning

Sager

Coro

Steigerwald

Thatcher

Stratton

Leclerc

Ihrke

Fischer

Richardson

Aguilar

Calianno

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness By Atikah Khan The View

Avoiding the germs that can make you sick is nearly impossible, particularly in schools. Most students share their pencils, keyboards, electronics, even food without caring about the germs. Germs are everywhere, no matter how much you avoid them, but you can always take precautions and prevent most of them. Cleanliness of the school varies differently in different places. Students also play a role in keeping the campus clean. “The keyboards and computer tables are cleaned once a year,” said John Olson, librarian “But the carpets are cleaned every semester,” he added. He also mentioned how students sometimes still bring food and drinks in the library, though they are told not to. “I usually find the school pretty clean, I mean it’s always clean,” said Jihan Valencia, sophomore when asked about the cleanliness of school. “But changing classrooms and using a desk that has been used by someone else can put students at risk for picking up

their germs.” Germs usually enter the body through eyes, ears, mouth, and sometimes nose. Students can avoid a majority of harmful microorganisms if hands don’t come in contact with their face, which is easy to avoid. They can also use sanitizers after using the computers and wash their hands clean. One can always be cautious. However, the cafeteria is cleaned almost everyday. “The floors and the tables are cleaned everyday with sanitizers and Clorox,” said the register lady. Cleaning the school is not an easy task, with about thirteen custodians. “Students can make the job easier by keeping foods and drinks out of the buildings,” said Antonio Payan, the lead of the custodians. “And by putting gum and trash in the garbage cans instead of throwing it on the sidewalks,” he added. Students should before it gets strictly enforced. “There a lot of things kid could do. When they are in the hallways, don’t leave trash,” said James Delamonte, one of the custodian. “We spend a lot of time cleaning the hallways and we have to watch put for

photo by Atikah Khan Custodian James Delamonte sweeps as students rush by. Students can help keep the campus clean by cleaning up after themselves.

kids on cell phones or not watching where they are going.” Students should try making cleaning an easier task for the school custodians. After all it's their benefit. Health is hope and hope is everything. Avoiding and preventing germs doesn’t hurt, so why not do it?

Stauffer

Willert

Steadman

Alt

Gilpin

Arnold

Kimura

Lappin

Bryne-Quinn

Djaja

Rousch

Contract

Beating the Freshman

Blues

By Alec Boucher Freshmen always have a hard time if they aren’t helped. They are slammed with much more homework, social events, and the struggle to fit in personal time. Balancing out these factors can be the biggest challenge freshmen face; not to mention the fact that they have to acquire twenty-three credits instead of the original eighteen. “Manage your time whenever you have free time; especially in classes to do homework or

The View

plan out your week so you are prepared” Gabriel Haynie, Senior said. Being prepared is the key to a successful quarter. Freshmen should heed this advice. If they are prepared, they can have a wellbalanced schedule. A well-balanced schedule means no mid-quarter stress. “Don’t stress, go with the flow. You can’t control everything” said Drew Collins, Senior. Stress is why freshmen fail, they tend to think that they are way over their

head and cannot do anything about it. Teachers offer extra help before and after school in department workrooms located throughout the school. Tutoring and homework help are also available for those in need. When there is no other option; see your counselor to check out the options.

photo by Alec Boucher