Coronado Explorer
“For the Coronado High School community”
Winter Edition 2009
Cost: Priceless www.coronadoexplorer.com
Student-Athletes and Grade Responsibilities In This Issue News...........................2 - “...Philanthropy” Cont. - “Stage View” Cont. - “Coronado GARDEN” Opinionation................3 -”... Christmas in Egypt” - “Improve A Don?” - “Holiday Spirit” Collage Campus Happenings...4/5 - Decade Timeline - Fashions of the Decade Photoshoot - “What’d You Say?!” - “MySpace v. Facebook” Sports..........................6 - Boys Soccer -Girls Soccer - Girls Basketball - Boys Basketball - Wrestling Dontastic Creations.....7 - “Randumbness” - Marco Polo - “...Other Side of the World”` - “Vaporeon...” The Back Page.......The Back Page - The Anthonology - The Sleuther -Horoscopes -”Blade Runner”
Advertise in the Explorer Coronadoexplorer.com
Weather Report: Too cold.
By Xavier Alejandro
Adam Dickerson (12) smiles his struggles as honors student and varsity athlete.
“My how things have changed. The shorts have gotten longer, the new advances in the equipment for high school athletes, and there were no Wednesday grade checks,” said early 90’s CHS alumnus and current athletic director Nathan Slater. Nowadays, if students wish to remain a part of the team they must fill out a mandatory weekly grade check given to them by the coach. This grade check prompts us to consider the role of the “student-athlete” at Coronado. The term “student athlete” is used from grade school to college. Passing classes while playing sports is no easy feat, but willing participants must put in extra man hours to keep that “A”. Yet there are some cases
A look into student-athlete trends and what it takes to maintain their grades. that the work for one class might fall through the cracks and before you know it you are in trouble and scrambling to fix that grade. Even if you miss a whole week it is possible to make up everything and get back out there and win for the Dons. For example, Zach Kaim, a sophomore golfer, came down with a flu that laid him up for an entire week. Even with all the work, tests, and lectures from his teachers, he came back and hacked out all missing assignments in order to play. He raised his grades up enough to help the golf team out for the next few matches. Yet even with all his hard work throughout the season, his being sick finally caught up to him before the regional matches. Kaim had come
Zach Kaim (10) and Connor Ralin (12) pose for a post-golf tournament picture.
Nicholay Zelenski (10) prepares for a showdown with Higley.
to find out that he would not be able to play in the regional’s with his teammates due to his grades. Being absent for one day is hard enough to make up but with Kaim, being gone for almost two full weeks, it was just too much. For an athlete whose sport hasn’t started yet they need to take care of their grades before they can even step out of that locker room suited up for the game. Nicholay Zelenski, a sophomore on the varsity basketball team, was struggling a little bit with his science grade. With a 37% as an overall grade you would think he would have to ride the bench for the beginning of the season but Zelenski wasn’t going to have that. “All weekend I tried to finish up all the homework I was missing,” he commented. “[My teachers] gave me full credit for
everything.” With full credit for all the work he did his overall grade was already showing a significant improvement. Now that he has his grades up to snuff with the make up work that he was doing, it also prepared him for the upcoming test. “I aced the test which helped me to get to the ‘B’ that I have now.” Randall Heinrichs, junior on the varsity football team, is another student that does the extra little things on and off the field. A few games into the season Heinrichs broke his arm in two places during a practice, but was still out there everyday with the team helping them anyway he could. With that type of dedication to his team, he made sure that he kept his grades up so he could be with his team every step of the way. Cont. in Sports (6)
Multisport athlete Randall Heinrichs (11) reads “The Awakening” during 4th hour English III. Despite breaking his hand during varsity football season, Heinrichs remained with the team and kept up his grades.
By Qori Krog
Stage View: dancer’s perspective of the Coronado Dance Department Scholarship Show
first show while for “veterans” like myself, each performance is “Hmmm, I wonder what special. would happen if I just DIDN’T I’m Alyssa Johnson. I take go out there?” “I can’t eat Dance 3 and believe me, I was anything or I’ll look FAT! This shaking in my jazz pants like dress is skin tight.” “Shelby! many quoted above. You got glitter in my eye!” This is my view of the 2009 “Oh, my God! My lips are blue. Coronado Dance Department I would eat a Ring Pop right Scholarship Show. before show.” “Holy [schnikies], After two months of intense guys, where’s Yarely? We go on choreographing and rehearsing, in ten minutes!” Coronado’s dancers reached our These were some of many “game day” and had to prove frantic remarks flying around the ourselves. The auditorium was Dance 3 locker room before the packed, anticipation mounting. December 3rd Coronado Dance To alleviate tension, every Department Scholarship Show. dancer gathered in the dance Of course, no one would dare room for the traditional prejump stage and deal with the show prayer and pep-talk. Then, consequences (AKA: the wrath the herd scattered to prepare for of Mrs. Griffin). The pre-show the public eye. butterflies had us nervous, to say Cont. in News (2) the least. For some, it was their By Alyssa Johnson
On Friday December 4th, NHS members went to Crockett Elementary School as “Santa’s Little Helper’s” to give gifts and spend time with the students there to brighten their holidays.
Dons do Philanthropy
By Qori Krog and Jessica Reed
On Friday December 4th, National Honors Society, CHSazz, Coronado Dance Company (CDC) and Don Fusion went to Crockett Elementary school to volunteer their time to spend with some of the students. “The kids at Crockett have so little. We don’t know if they’re going to have a happy Christmas at home, so we wanted to give them something,” noted NHS President Morgan Staalberg (12). Two weeks prior to the event, students were asked to pick a “buddy” from each kindergarten class and sign up to bring a snack. Within these two weeks, students were to buy a gift under $10.00 to give their buddy. Jessica Perez (11) commented, “My friend chose my
child for me, the one with the cheesiest smile, but I got him a badminton set, hot wheels, and a track for the little cars.” On December 3rd, during lunch NHS students met in Mrs. Willis’s room to wrap their gifts. Some students decided to go above the limit. Many bought remote control cars, but forgot to wrap the batteries; others bought dolls, craft-sets, and sports equipment. As NHS-ers fought over tape and scissors, Mrs. Willis surveyed and prepared for the next day. On Friday morning, many students donning NHS shirts, Purple jumpsuits, Santa hats, and reindeer ears, met up in Mrs. Willis’s room and prepared for the trip. Continued on Page 2, News
News
Pg. 2 “Philanthropy” cont. from Pg. 1
“I hope I can leave my kid with someone to look up to,” said 6 foot 3 inch Maxx Simmons (12) before December 4th’s annual Crockett Elementary holiday visit. Upon arriving at Crockett, a school with many underpriviledged kids, Dons went to classrooms where teachers paired them up with their lil’ buddies. Holiday coloring packets were issued and the kids delved in using markers, crayons, and pencils; the Crockett students colored too. This time allowed the kids, young and younger, to familiarize themselves with each other. Some elementary kids were awfully shy while others sang songs out loud like “Bingo” and “Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night” by the Black Eyed Peas. Soon, groups of friends got into puzzles, books, and toys when snack time arrived. Boys and their buddies were first to get their snacks, then girls after. Most got Capri-Sun, fruit snacks, cookies, chips, and brownies. The kids devoured the munchies along with their partner, allowing more time for one-on-one buddy time. After a little time, all of “Santa’s Helper’s” went outside and waited with their gifts. When Santa walked in, the kids shrieked and giggled as they ran up to
hug him. Each high school buddy brought his or her gift to Santa and told him the name of their buddy. On the count of three, they rushed to open the gifts, screaming, laughing, bright-eyed. NHS-ers played with their buddies and gifts for awhile while heading out to the main courtyard for a holiday performance. Don Fusion, CDC, and CHSazz performed dances that the kids enjoyed. After the concert was over all the kids and students went to the playground to play tag. The playground was covered with kids playing in the sand, on the playground, and in the grass. At the conclusion of playtime, it was time to say goodbye to Crockett Elementary. Winnie Lau (11) recalls, “I forgot how tiring tag was, especially with kindergarteners full of life and energy. I chased two five years olds around a jungle of kids and by them time I reached them, they screamed, ‘Time-out!’” Mrs. Willis added that the goal of Crockett is to “reach out to children who are less fortunate and help make pleasant memories for them during the holiday season. While the event is giving gifts to Crockett children, it is the Coronado students that receive the biggest gift which is the rewarding experience of helping someone in need.” Not only did Coronado clubs go to Crockett on
December 4th but a few such as Varsity Cheer, JAG, ADVID and went to Yavapai Elementary. “The difference in going to Yavapai is that people in a way get to sponsor the children’s gift but not personally, to adopt a kid is thirty-five dollars. As to where at Crockett each student is responsible in going and shopping for that kids gift. Participating in the sponsorship was not mandatory because the day was more about spending time and having fun with the children,” Jessica Reed (11) stated. Many of the participants have heartfelt memories that will never forget. For example, Henry Balverde(11) mentioned that “the kid I got was Jose. He spoke no English just Spanish and I was just like him when I was in kindergarten. We played in the swings, ran around, got on the slides, played “Red Rover”, “Duck Duck Goose” and also sang songs. We also had lunch with them. Jose seemed really excited and was a good kid. I felt as if I was his big brother and that feeling was good. I felt really bad when I had to leave because I made a really big connection with him. What I got out of the experience is to be a good big brother, have fun with little kids, and to help more in events like this.”
Coronado Garden Takes Root Coronado is on the verge of creating a garden for its students
By Juliet Garcia
At Coronado there are all kinds of students: athletes, artists, musicians, scientists, writers, and mathematicians. But how many of those students are gardeners? The Green Agricultural Retreat of Dontastic Endeavors in Nature, a name that the Science Club came up with, will be increasing the number of gardeners at Coronado. Although construction of the garden has not actually started—Mrs. Stephen is currently trying to obtain funding for fencing—two trees have been planted and land for the garden has been set aside right behind the bleachers on the north side of the football field. Mrs. Stephen predicts that the actual gardening will begin once the process of writing grants is over. There are many diverse science classes provided at Coronado and just about every one of them can utilize the garden; the goal is to make the garden an “extension of the classroom”. Since the garden is part of a real-life
“Stage View” cont. from Pg. 1
Once the figurative curtain rose, the Coronado Dance Company started strong, movin’ to a track called “World Town.” While CDC flawlessly performed on-stage, panic spread backstage with speakers malfunctioning. We couldn’t hear the music which makes dancing a little, umm, challenging. To adjust, Mrs. G told us to be “really in-tune to what’s happening on-stage.” None of us were too thrilled. While the rest of us waited backstage, Sarah Hagerman (11) performed a cute little solo to a song called, “Catch Me.” I’d like to commend others who braved the spotlight by going solo: Hagerman, Rosa Espinoza (11), Katie McCarthy (10), Tamar Hardman (9), Tara McCarty (11) and Lupita Manzo (12). Some also performed feats between acts. Take Jessica Cook (11), for instance, who was in five dances (four in the first act alone.) From metallic shirt to skin-tight leotard to signature Don Fusion purple, Cook frequently changed her look and movements. The night’s seventh performance paid tribute to Bob Fosse, a famed Jazz choreographer. Dance 3
Madi Cooper madijewell@gmail.com
students (including myself) took Fosse’s classic jazz moves, hip movements and awkward body angles and morphed them with more obnoxious techniques such as somersaults into split pull-throughs off a chair. Trust me, they hurt! Before “I Gotcha,” the seven of us panicked upon finding we’d lost one of ours to a basketball game (We love you, Shauntrell!). Of course, the show went on. While waiting in the curtains I babbled to relieve my nerves. “Calm down. Don’t be nervous… “SHUT UP! YOU’RE MAKING ME NERVOUS,” snapped Haley Ohlinger. Some just don’t appreciate pep-talks. Actually, the nerves made us more daring and helped us to perform ALL OUT (Must have been the pep talk)! Lauren Soto hadn’t done the somersault off her chair before show night and when the time came she…well, at least she tried it (Good job, Lauren!). Other highlights included Don Fusion’s hip-hoppity performance, the two Dance 1 performances “Congo” and “Dum Diddly”, Dance 2’s “D.J. Rock Experience” (where dancers electrified the crowd with glow sticks), the Dance 3 hip-hop piece
“Wild Enos” (with flashing lights and “the blonde girl” dancing like her life depends on it), and the last dance of the night, “Ramalama Bang Bang” brilliantly performed by CHSazz and CDC and choreographed by brainybeautiful Mrs. G. When I was a wee eighth grader at Supai I remember seeing “Ramalama Bang Bang” and getting psyched about going to Coronado. This performance inspired me to get involved in dance. This leads to my final perspective. As a former spectator, it means so much as a dancer to get support from a full house as we did on December 3rd. To continue inspiring current and future on-stage Dons, our program needs your support. As Mrs. G did to close the show, I now invite you to attend or even participate in the annual “CHSazz Talent Showcase and Coffee House” on February 4-6. The show will be held in the Drama Black Box Theatre. Check Coronadoexplorer.com during the month of January for more information. And also, remember, we aren’t dancing for ourselves. We’re dancing for you. Think about it.
The Coronado Explorer Staff
The Coronado Explorer is published by the students for the Coronado High School community in south Scottsdale, Arizona. Views in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the C.H.S. Administration, faculty, staff or student body.
Editorial Staff
Advisor: Mr. Gerchick.............................................wgerchick@susd.org
Editor-in-Chief: Madi Cooper..................................madijewell@gmail.com
Guest Alumni Editor: Amber Erickson.................... (don’t bother; she’s retired) Business Manager: Mr. Gerchick...........................wgerchick@susd.org Head Web Editor: Daniel Nemet............................Daniel2010Nemet@aol.com News Editor: Madi Cooper ....................................madijewell@gmail.com Opinionation Editor: Sarah Bacon..........................bacon_4_lyfe@cox.net Campus Happenings Editor: Hannah Collins.........iluvmyclydsdale@yahoo.com Clubs Editor: Briana Lucero...................................belbriana@aol.com Academia Editor: Juliet Garcia...............................mangajg@yahoo.com Sports Editor: Tony Smith..................................... monekyfellow@yahoo.com Dontastic CreationsPage Editor: Cora Rogers...... princess_cora_belle@yahoo.com Back Page Editor: Xavier Alejandro........................xmnale@yahoo.com Head Lens: Qori Krog.............................................journalismchik@hotmail.com Staff Cartoonist: Rene Romero……………….........reneromero08@gmail.com
Contributors: Dreylon Dupas-Vang, Katie Hoye, Dean Pizarro, Andrew Fayez, Anthony These are trees next to where to Science Department hopes to plant Coronado GARDEN, behind the visitor side bleachers.
environment, rather than a picture out of a textbook, students will be able to get a different perspective on the topics they are learning. Besides assisting students in reaching their academic standards, the garden will allow students to be exposed to different gardening skills and how to better take care of the life within our environment. When asked what kind of plants would be planted in the garden, Mrs. Stephen explains that the plants will have
to be able to handle the “dry and hot environment” of the Sonoran Desert. There are plans for “crops and citrus trees, if possible”. Although the garden is going to be used primarily for assisting science teachings for the classroom, the garden will also be there for visual appeal. “Greenery! Life!” Mrs. Stephen added. Continued on coronadoexplorer.com
Constantini, Jessica Reed
TO REACH US
Although the Coronado Explorer has been published since 1961, this year’s staff is working hard to provide our community with a quality newspaper that embraces journalistic integrity. If you have any questions or concerns about this or future issue content, please e-mail them to wgerchick@susd.org. Any story or advertising inquiries should be sought out through the appropriate channels below. Mail: Coronado High School Journalism Room: B244 Attn: Billy Gerchick Telephone: (480) 484-6800 ext. 6751 7501 E. Virginia Ave. Website: www. coronadoexplorer.com Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Opinionation
Sarah Bacon bacon_4_lyfe@cox.net
Pg. 3
Holiday Spirit
No “humbug” here: some who embody season’s meaning.
All smiles: Cody Barber (11) and two cuties share their glee.
Edwin Baldwin (11) at Crockett Elementary School handing the CapriSun that he brought to share with his buddies.
Missing Christmas in Egypt
Jessica Horrigan (12) and her buddy put together pieces of the friendship puzzle.
By Andrew Fayez
In Egypt, we don’t celebrate Christmas but we do celebrate the New Year. Thinking back, the last New Year’s Eve I spent there was in 2003. I was nine-years-old and my mother and I were left alone to celebrate because most of my family had moved to other countries by then. We weren’t bothered by the lack of company though. Together we cooked a delicious meal and spent most of the night watching TV together. till three o’clock in the morning. Before calling it a night (sometime around 3 AM), we gave each other a gift. Since then, I have been to many Christmas and New Year’s parties; but I still feel that my last New Year in Egypt has been the best. Unlike so many others, it had meaning behind it that is far more important than trading gifts or eating a big meal. So, have holidays lost their meaning? Many ask themselves each year and some still are afraid to answer this question. But just as so
many others have wanted to know what people think about the holiday season, so did I. Sandra Giles (12) celebrates Christmas and New Year’s by visiting her family in Mexico for weeks at a time. According to Sandra, the Giles family keeps traditions and values strongly evident with the holidays because, “holidays mean staying with [her] family and having a good time with them.” Giles went on to say that “as long as I stay with my family for the holidays, they have not lost their meaning.” Another student that has managed to keep their sense of tradition is Jainireth Guevara (12) who came from Peru, South America. Guevara has been living here for about four years and spends Christmas Eve celebrating with a big dinner and playing games together, saving gift exchanging for Christmas morning. Guevara feels that holidays have lost their meaning, especially in America. She commented that “in Peru,
we had presents but we really didn’t care about them; we cared about staying together as a family. But in [America] most of the people care about the presents and not the fun.” Another spin on the holidays, senior Dakota Gidley always has a Christmas party with his friends and family and usually follows it with a movie. For Thanksgiving he attends the family dinner but, “even from the time he was born,” Gidley says he has noticed that some people consider holidays just another day. Regardless of which of the many different aspects of the holidays we partake in, whether it be spending time with one’s family or just decorating the Christmas tree and singing carols, these are what the holidays should be about. Not sweets and presents. As Tanner VanPars (9) said, “the fact that most people decide to put away their differences and just get along for this moment”, really make the holidays complete.
“Improve a Don?” Questions and Concerns about CHS’s New Program By Sarah Bacon
As the student body was informed at November’s assembly, our school updated our discipline program known as “Improve a Don.” The program was created by a site-based discipline committee made up of veteran teachers, administration, and security personnel to “meet the needs of Coronado’s campus.” The program is similar to the Saturday School program at Saguaro, intending to have students make up work with tutoring and make up time due to excessive absences and tardies.
“The teachers were on board [with the program],” said Mrs. Jones, the facilitator of “Improve a Don.” But when teachers made this decision, who do you think they really had in mind? Although the program is said to be fitting to our campus, who is it fitting? The program allows teachers to check off a piece of paper and send a student out for any of the following: insubordinate behavior, electronics, hats/dress code, tardiness, ditching, homework, voice level, being unprepared, and inappropriate comments. As these
NHS Buddies opening presents after they were delivered by “Santa Clause”
Kin Luu (12) helps her buddy open the present she bought.
categories are at the discretion of the teacher assigning the “Power Hour” or “Saturday School,” who holds the teachers accountable for why they refer students? A student assigned a Power Hour is required to stay one hour after school in the Lecture Hall. During your hour stay, you’ll be instructed to write a business letter on a given prompt. “It helps to improve AIMS scores by ‘writing across the [curriculum],’” said Jones. However, what if you’ve already been to one Power Hour? “You’ll be given another prompt,” said Jones. Saturday School is a whole new issue. Starting promptly at 9am, Saturday School is designed to help students who are missing seat time in class make up their missed work.
So just how does Administration plan on getting the students who don’t show up to class Monday through Friday to show up at Saturday School? With that in mind, think about this: If the students cared about passing their classes, they would have shown up in the first place. Assigning school on one of the days off is just going to cause discouragement in those who have already started to lose their drive. “That makes me not want to come to school,” said senior Ryan Smith. “I didn’t want to go to first hour because I knew I would get a slip.” Adding more hours to the school week of a student who didn’t want to come in the first place isn’t going to make them want to be here; it’s simply going to push them away.
A Decade Comes
Pg. 4
2 0 0 0
2000 George W. Bush is elected as America’s President
2001 Texting capable phones become available
2001 The First Generation Apple iPods are released
2001 DVDs become popular
2001 Xbox is released
2001 Terrorists hijack and crash two American planes into New York City’s Twin Towers
2003 Saddam Hussein is captured
2003 NASA space shuttle Columbia explodes 2002 The “War on over Texas, killing seven astronauts Terrorism” 2003 MySpace is created
2003 The first touch screen phone is released
2004 NASA rover reveals that some of Mars’ land was once covered in water
2004 Ground Zero Memorial is constructed
2004 President Bush is Reelected into office
“Change has come to America.” -Barack Obama
2005 The Wii is created
2005 Blu-Ray DVDs are invented
2005 The space shuttle Discovery is launched into space and safely returns
Fa s h i o n T r e n d s o f t h e 2 0 0 0 s
As our decade comes to an end, we’ve seen many trends come and go. But here are some that have stuck around! Left: Many students at CHS love to wear Vans and Converse simply because they’re comfortable! Not to mention all the different colors they come in. Right: Juniors TJ Kittle and Harland Gatewood model their New Era Baseball caps. These can are seen all around campus. Except maybe Mr. Troutman’s room!
Bottom: For some strange reason, Angel Perez (11) feeding Benny Cisneros (12) may not seem like a scary sight, but they sure are workin’ it wearing their purple and red plaid flannel shirts!
Right: Sophomore Reid Blakey takes a moment to think why he loves his red Ray-Ban style glasses. Who wouldn’t?!
Left: Right before the bell rings, couple Riley DiLorenzo (12) and Jenn Bain (12) let CE take a quick snap shot of their skinny jeans and boots and vans before they head off to class after lunch.
Above: Josie Hernandez sports her leggins, boots and dress on a windy day here at CHS. This is a popular getup one can see around campus.
What’d You Say?
Along with trends and fads during a decade, come words. Words turn into phrases and become apart of our daily conversation. So in honor of all the phrases and words that have become popular during the Millennium’s first decade we constructed this list
Obama ire
’re F
Fre d!” Y T Yes nemy
,w L ec A Hella an
Bank unction
alf Climate Change M e b t n o e s r e d i r r ar G o r W o H G Ter
T U ! H P S U
OMG!
You
S
M
y u
d
e
l ! W Accomplished l u Cool Gi Election b Y2K ve Mad e e g it Refu Sick u p! Deny Tight SuperBad
d!
Ba
D
Your Mother...
;) Google Global Warming T a H G Texti ’I A Bailout :D ng BLING t ’ V N o I Cell L ted L I Swine Flu e H C o ff t Phone i heart you Seriously? You Fail! h s s F e LM LOL r g r I e s n s o i l h a :( l AO t Mission nd d b r e o .
9/11
:)
To a Close
“Every generation is obsessed with the decade before they were born.” -Fiona Shaw
2006 PlayStation 3 is released
2006 The one billionth song from iTunes is bought
2005 Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast; killing thousands from Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana.
2007 Matthew Shepard Act is brought to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote, the first gay rights bill to the floor for a vote.
2006 Formerly known as a planet and apart as our solar system for over 50 years, Pluto gets demoted to “dwarf planet”
2007 The Avian or Bird Flu becomes a national concern.
2008 The PlayStation Portable or PSP is created 2007 Facebook is created by a couple Harvard college students
2008 California legalizes same-sex marriage joining Massachusetts
2009 Barack Obama and Joe Biden take office.
2008 America faces a recession which still affects us today
Pg. 5
2009 The H1N1 or Swine Flu becomes a international pandemic.
2009 King of Pop Michael Jackson dies a mysterious death
2008 Barack Obama becomes a candidate for president, the first Afican-American to do so, along with the first woman to run for vice president, Sarah Palin.
What is your favorite part of Christmas?
Sen10rs
th e Ho lid a ys ?
“My favorite thing is no school. So if you doing a sport you only have the training or maybe a game and then for the rest of the day you can decide for yourself what you want to do.” Rasmus Pederson “My favorite thing about the holiday season is the food we eat on Christmas and also the presents we get.” Alexander Giron “I really enjoy the time I spend with my family, putting up Christmas lights and the tree. And also listening to 99.9 KEZ everyday in the car and singing ‘Last Christmas’ by Ashley Tisdale” Stephanie Valenzuela “My favorite things about the holiday season is most definitely the food! Well first it’s getting with your family. Second is knowing that they are always there! I also like the smell of every holiday season!” Shauntrell Johnson “My favorite part about the holiday season is definitely winter break! There is nothing more I look forward to and getting out of school for two weeks.” Danielle Damian “The smell of old people in my living room and ... feasting on leftover Christmas ham. Happy Holidays!” Billy Bench
Juniors
“Smiles and hugs. Seriously, I love seeing people when they’re that happy. I could cry. So much joy. Life’s like a movie for awhile.” Veronica Conley “My favorite part of the holiday season is all the happiness. After all the shopping and cooking, people are too tired to argue!” Tony Wiscowiche “It’s the only time my dad remembers me and calls me.” Kendy Silva “Get presents and go to Vegas!” Hunter Tyvoll “The holiday spirit is one of a kind. The music, cheer and atmosphere in general is amazing.” Trevor Elworthy “My favorite is probably getting the family together and telling old stories and the presents.” Tara McCarty “My favorite thing to about holidays is seeing family. We usually go to California or Philadelphia. [Also] My grandmas apple cider and dream pie.” Jon Owens “Christmas because I get gifts and get the family together.” Emigido Esquirel “Chillin’ with family and friends.” Randall Heinrichs “Jest being able to sleep in and going back to Ohio to be with my family and friends.” Tyler Rothmann “My favorite thing about the holiday season is that I go to Mexico for the fair. Also, because I [get] see my old friends, grandparents and because there are no rules in Mexico. So, I can do whatever I want.” Aidel Salas-Salazar
Sophomores
“Being with family and friends.” Rebecca Meddock “My favorite thing about the holidays is that I can hear Santa and his reindeer walking on my roof on Christmas Eve night.” EJ Perez “My favorite thing about the holiday season is the lovely weather and all the decorated houses so bright and colorful. It warms my heart to see [happiness] everywhere.” Jessica Gonzalez “To me my favorite holiday season is Christmas because all the family is together having a great time.” Jamie Escadante “I love hanging out with my family, and chill with friends. Also, I love giving presents to my besties.” Brittany Stoneburner “My favorite thing about the holiday season is when all the family gets together and just hangs out.” Krystal Husdon “My favorite thing about the holiday season is hanging out with family watching movies and playing games. Basically that everyone loves each other and there’s no hate.” Dalton Carney “Well what I like it’s the happiness and joy that people have in their faces. Cheers everybody up and makes everything better no matter what.” Edgar Morales “My favorite thing about the holidays is having my family all around me and also my awesome church!” Erin Combs
Freshmen
“I go to California.” Sam Wagner “For a big guys like myself I’m just in the holiday spirit for the food that’s it I really don’t for the gifts but I still appreciate that the fact that someone thought of me and bought me a gift.” Lusando Brown “The fact that most people decide to put away their differences and just love.” Tanner VanParys “The best thing that can happy during Christmas is the snow. It may not snow here but it does snow in other places. I love going to Flagstaff and making now angles in the fluffy snow. When the snow falls from the sky it’s fun to catch them on my tongue.” Raven Hill “I like going to my grandparent’s house in Virginia because it snows.” Kaitlyn Browitt “This is tough, my favorite thing would have to depend on what holiday it is, but all in all it is Having no school or homework.” Noah Arcill “I would have to say all the food! My family makes the best every. I also like seeing my faming and catching up with them. That’s my favorite part of the holiday season.” Monique Guzman “My favorite thing about the holiday season is Christmas because you get presents and stay with your family.” Cristopher Quecada “Family and hot cocoa! Sitting by a fire place and cuddling on the couch… and always watch scary movies.” Tamar Haroman “My favorite thing about the holidays is getting together with my family and eating good food. My family always laughs a lot and we have a great time.” Bedillia Gonzales
2009 Arizona Cardinals finally make it to the Super Bowl only to lose 23-27 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
2 0 0 9
vs. Not long ago, MySpace was one of the biggest trends on the Internet. Now with Facebook becoming more popular everyday, which is better? MySpace? Or Facebook? by Hannah Collins-Lewis
In the early 2000s, most people who communicated through the internet did it via emails, chat rooms and other lame web sites. Then in July 2003, a new web site replaced boring internet communication: MySpace. The name alone explains MySpace’s use. An online internet forum where one can have a ‘space’ to talk to friends, share photos and find friends created by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. As of August 2006, MySpace had reached 100 million users and has increased since then. MySpace had always been very popular among Coronado students, but recently a competing web site
has seemingly taken the throne from MySpace. Facebook began in 2004, only a year after MySpace. Founder Mark Zuckerburg made up this web site in a dorm while attending Harvard University. As of 2009, Facebook has over 300 million users, making it the most used social networking site. MySpace followed. So the big question here is what is better between each site? The music on MySpace? Or the Live news feeds on Facebook? MySpace’s colorful profiles and bulletins? But maybe Facebook’s applications and notifications are better. Coronado Explorer asked several students what they prefer and here’s what we got back:
“Coronado, Facebook or MySpace?” “Facebook [is better]! I have one to keep in touch with my family and friends. It’s better than MySpace because it does not slow down my computer” -Alyssa Tilley “MySpace is better because Facebook makes you feel like an idiot” -Jennifer Smith “In my opinion, MySpace. I don’t have a Facebook, I think it’s really annoying, and I do have a MySpace because it’s less complicated for me” -Alysia Aparicio “MySpace because it’s more private and you can decorate your profile, I have one because that’s how I keep in
touch with my cousins who live in California” -Denise Gamboa “MySpace, because Facebook isn’t as private. My friend made me one” -Daniela Mancilla “Facebook! FB is less ‘complicated’ than MySpace. I [have one] because I like to keep in touch with my friends” -Jessica Horrigan “MySpace! Because my friend asked me to get it. I only have a MySpace. Facebook has a lot of stuff to fill in and I just don’t want to take the time to fill it out” -Kassidy Gibbons
Happy Holidays from the Coronado Explorer Staff!
Sports
Pg. 6
Tony Smith (top secret information)
Ladies Pick it Up Varsity Lady Dons Basketball team starts season with losses against Arcadia, Sinagua , and others.
Fun and Gun B-Ball By Xavier Alejandro
By Hannah Collins
Force to be reckoned with: Martin Gomez (12), Annibal Albarran (12), and Salvador Gutierrez (12) take some time to rep the Boys Soccer team.
Boys Soccer Falls to 3-2 After early #1 State ranking, injuries challenge boys soccer By Andrew Fayez
After falling 3-1 to Arcadia on December 11th, must grapple with line-up changes and inury. On December 1st CHS beat Glendale 2-1 with goals by Salvador Gutierrez (12) and forward Adan Pulido (11). The next night against Apache Junction, the Dons won 3-1 with goals by midfielder Anibal Albarran (12), midfielder Pier Luciono (12), and forward Salvador Gutierrez (12). Unfortunately, in the first half starting goalie
Emigdio Esquvil (12) hurt his shoulder which brings Luis Santana (12) to the spotlight. The last game they had was on 12/3 vs. Youngker and the starter goalie, Emigdio Esquival (12), was still injured however the Dons won 5-1. Hector Valentine (12), Martin Gomez (12), and Salvador Gutierrez (12), Adan Pulido (11), and Alejandro Medina (12) all scored goals for the Dons.
Season Keys - #1: Play as a team -#2: Communicate on the field -#3: Limit mistakes -#4: Finish, finish, finish! -#5: Stay cool, do not be overconfident Season Prediction: 8-4 record; will make playoffs and must get healthy to compete for the State Championship.
For the rest of the story, visit coronadoexplorer.com
From left to right: Shelby Landolt (12), Allyson Watchman (12), Ana Gonzalez (9), Mica Gantchoff(10), Amanda Pixley (12), Cheryl Ralph (12),
Rachel Murray (12) focuses for a free throw. On opening night, the utes of each other leaving Lady Dons and Arcadia the score to be 35-28. With Titans literally went headhigh hopes, they entered to-head. their last quarter only to During the first quarbe defeated by the Titans ter, senior Cheryl Ralph with a close game of 43suffered a concussion but 49. Although our Ladies senior Shauntrell Johndidn’t win, they played a son scored three points, tough game. Working on leaving the score at 7-9. their offensive skills during Ralph was forced sit out practice seemed to really the rest of the game due to shine through as well how her unfortunate injury and much effort they put into hopes to join her teamthe game. mates soon. The following day, the Our Ladies made a Ladies had another home comeback during second game against the Sinagua quarter with help from Mustangs. Once again, sophomore Krystal HudRalph was directed to sit son scoring four points. out as she watched her By half time, the score team play against Sinagua was 19-16 with Coronado and lose 37-54. looking to win. Story continued on In the third quarter, secoronadoexplorer.com nior Rachel Murray scored eight points within min-
Program Pride By Tony Smith
Scoring Points
Patino brothers start wrestling season undefeated as team looks for balanced attack By Zach Cheek
“Student-Athlete” cont. from pg. 1
Heinrichs is is still injured today but he still wears a brace and he still has to deal with the fact that he is without a left hand. Now that Heinrichs is done with football, he hopes his arm will heal for the upcoming baseball season. There is also the athlete that takes care of business on and off the field, in and out the pool. Just receiving a Gold Cord during the Minds in Motion ceremony, Adam Dickerson (12) does his work for school on a regular basis. As a varsity swimmer this year, Dickerson qualified for state, and in his classes he is turning in work that get him awards. “I wanted four classes with three of them as P.E.,” he laughed, but instead he is taking four honors classes, playing plays three sports and he is also a part of five different clubs here at Coronado, all very different but he seems
to always find time to be part of all the meetings and all the extra activities they offer. After a swim practice he puts his cleats on and runs to the baseball field for another practice. Even with two practices he has a job at Hollister and he still finds enough time to do his “two hours of homework” a night. “I eat before I go to bed to retain my carbs and protein,” but that might not be till twelve, maybe even one in the morning. Coaches are always pushing their players to get their work done before they can play. With weekly grade checks, the coaches are always on top of the players grades. The wrestling coach, Mr. Beracy, even has an after practice study hall for his wrestlers. This is a place where they make sure to get done with all their homework or even finish up a project that is due. Coach Bill Guthrie
runs a similar study hall before the late practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This study hall is for the players that may need a little help with a math problem or English assignment. With these study halls and dedicated students, the athletes are able to stay eligible for their fellow teammates. As you progress your game and get on a varsity team, you find the drive to do the work needed to keep a passing grade so you can help your teammates get that win over a rival school. On the varsity football team this year there was only “one athlete due to grades was ineligible to play,” commented Coach Slater. So even though the games have changed and there are new toys for the coaches to give their players to get better there are also new ways to make sure that they stay eligible.
14 Mari Cruz Arredondo and 12 Joselyn Contreras going up against Glendale.
Led by Captains Kayla Mullinax (12) and Shayla Hernandez (12), the Lady Dons soccer team is looking full of potential. With wins against Apache Junction and Youngker, the Lady Dons are scorching recent teams’ record wise. They have “scored more goals than any other Lady Dons team,” Coach Schmitz stated. This has created a positive atmosphere within the team and a program pride on game days. The wins could not come without hard work by the Lady Dons. They have worked hard this offseason, improving on such fundamentals like passing and communicating, the Lady Dons are striving for the playoffs in their current season.
Adam and Andrew Patino (11) are undefeated at press time.
“We emphasize being physical, always looking to score [I want everyone to be in the best condition],” commented Coach Beracy on the Wrestling team’s outlook. Opening the season against Campo Verde, all but two players won their matches including Wyatt Richardson (11), Andrew Patino (11), Adam Patino (11), Joe Breese (11), Sean Thompson (10), Team Captain Joey Kredlo (12), Blaze Dikeman (11), Team Captain Kaleb Cisneros (12) and many more. At Wednesday’s December 9th, while falling behind Queen Creek (51 points) and William Field
Swish: #10 Daniel Jones (12) nails a free throw while #20 Sean Martin (12) and #34 Nichoaly Zelenski (10) have his back on the boards.
Alain Martinez (11) goes off for 20 points against the new region team, the Maricopa Rams, for a win to put the Dons back to a 1-1 region record. Shane Harney (12) is averaging 15.4 points a game, Daniel Jones (12) with 22 assists overall, Nicholay Zelenski (10) with 7 blocks, and Derrick Gray (12) along with Adam Dickerson (12) is beasting it up on the boards with a combined 105 rebounds this season, the Dons are off to a good start. After defeating the Higley Knights the Varsity boys pushed to a record of 2-1 Undefeated on their home court, winning all three games by 6 points or more, the Dons aim to make sure that any team that comes through the doors of their home court walk out thinking, “We have a long drive home.” The Dons, according to azcentral.com, are ranked fourth in the power rankings to make it in the playoffs. If they keep up their streak they will almost guarantee a showing of the senior dominated team. Overall the boys are at a 4-7 season with a loss to cortez last Friday the 11th that gave the boys their seventh loss. Needing a win on the road the boys set their sights on Seton Catholic. Continued on coronadoexplorer.com
(50 points), the Dons beat local rival Saguaro by tallying 21 points to the Sabercats’ 6. Andrew and Adam Patino, this team is looking up to these two guys if they are doing something wrong, and they are always willing to help. The next Invitational Is Friday December 18th19th at Cactus, go out and support your wrestling Dons. According to team leaders, the newcomers are “showing progress” by committing to program standards. They will get their name in the paper upon making varsity.
Cora Rodgers princess_cora_belle@yahoo.com
Dontastic Creations
Pg. 7
Vaporeon Wishes Good Holidays to All
Randumbness: “Turkey Bowl”
by Kayley Stevens
by Rene Romero
Want your Art Featured?
The Dontastic Creations Page is open for ANYONE to have their work published. If you would like to have some published, speak with Mr. Gerchick (B-144) or talk to Cora Rodgers, Gabriela Cardenas, Rene Romero, or Dreylon Vang about submitting your work in the Coronado Explorer. Any media is allowed:
Marco Polo Adventures: “Kul Rite?” By axlluvr1324
I’m afraid to ask what you OR Polo want for Christmas.
Pencil/Pen Colored pencils/markers Digital works Photography
Remeber what happened LAST year?
why?
Kul rite?
Hey Cora...where’s t’e party? I wanna know who’s house it’s at...!
Marco and Polo wanted “Kol”. And eventually, they made a palace... Thankfully not YOURS!
Christmas on the Other Side of the World By May Cheevit.
You too New Zealand. Happy New Year Thailand Merry Christmas Australia!
You too Australia, Happy New Year Vietnam (Aah~ too hot.)
Ahh, you too.
“Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight Throw away the key and then Turn off all the lights. First, we’re going to set some bait Inside a nasty trap and wait When he comes asniffing we will Snap the trap and close the gate. Wait! I’ve got a better plan To catch this big red lobster man Let’s pop him in a boiling pot
And when he’s done we’ll butter him up. Kidnap the Sandy Claws Throw him in a box Bury him for ninety years Then see if he talks. Then Mr. Oogie Boogie man Can take the whole thing over then He’ll be so pleased, I do declare That he will cook him rare. Wheeee! Oooooohooo! Yum, yum, yum, yum...”
Happy Holiday’s from Korn in honor of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”!
“It’s a recession when your neighbour loses his job: it’s a depression when you lose yours.” ~Harry S. Truman
The Back Page
The Anthonology
Ruminations and Deviations The Anthonology “Y2K + 10” By Anthony Costantini
Welcome to the Y2K Plus 10 Edition of the Anthonology, and greetings once again, Coronadians. If my phrasing seems a bit backwards, fear not – that is the purpose of this article. As soon as word hit the Explorer would review the past decade, my mind turned to the one subject worthy of lampooning the 21st century: that is, the nineties. In what better way can we analyze our faults, advances, and stock prices, than in hindsight? So, for this edition only, I say forget the new millennium! Let’s hop back on the Titanic, and journey to a strange land, where “alternative” “music” reigned supreme, videogames transitioned to the unheard-of third dimension, and boyfriends everywhere developed a deep loathing for Leonardo DiCaprio. Entering an age of technological fertility, the nineties provided many firsts. Windows ’95 and ’98 revolutionized the computer-savvy market with a brilliant 16/32-bit resolution. Consumers had their first fleeting encounter with the World Wide Web, installing the unwieldy behemoth dubbed “Internet Explorer 1.0”, a creature of computer-nerd folklore. This signaled the beginning of electronic mail, or “the second worst idea for breaking up,” next to texting. For all you music lovers, the first mp3 player entered the market in ’98, with an internal storage space of 32 Mb; almost enough for that new 15-minute techno song you just torrented! Pagers also made a brief appearance, until the leading scientists of the decade realized a broken cell phone could essentially do the same thing. Plus split a dinner tip between you and 32 friends. Video games officially surpassed “hanging out” as a teenager’s favorite pastime around the first half of the decade, with the release of games like “Doom”, “World of Warcraft”, and “Mortal Kombat”. In one genius stroke was created both an enormous industry, and a new subculture of nerd: the gamer. Really, who could blame the adolescents - there was something for everyone. With Pokemania sweeping the nation, even the most awkward player could occupy himself collecting the puzzling “pocket monsters”. For reasons unexplained, some gamers still do. Music of the nineties was characterized by an utter lack of direction. In one corner stood the angst-filled lyrics and heavily distorted guitar riffs of post-eighties alternative rock. In the other corner: Britney Spears, and an assortment of her boy-band pop conspirators. This has always troubled me. There is no greater mystery in life than how N’Sync and Pearl Jam came out of the same era. Television naturally continued to dominate in the United States. Shows like Family Guy, South Park, and The Simpsons began satirizing the excesses of American life, and we just soaked it in. Sitting on our couches, in front of the boob tube. Usually snacking, and laughing the whole way. Of course, the nineties were not only about securing mankind’s inevitable dependency on machines and entertainment. There were a lot of morally objectionable events as well. From Rwandan Genocide to the Gulf War to the Grunge fad of ’91, these years were indeed scary and uncertain. In fact, it really surprises me our generation isn’t more screwed up. After all, we were born into an era of Kevorkian debate, where homosexuality was questioned as a disease, and feminism as a philosophy. Where a couple of Columbine kids ruined open-campus policies for everyone. Where people began panicking because the next decade had too many zeroes in it. Thankfully, though, we can reflect on these incidents with the insight of hindsight. And sure, as Americans, we’re bound to let a little excess through the cracks. Even now, television is still considered an “interest” on social networking websites. Video games have evolved to become the definitive solution for boredom (Halo FTW!). And yes, pop music remains today the same garbage it always was. But hopefully, we’ve learned from our bigger mistakes, and will continue to improve upon them. As for myself, I wouldn’t know. I was still playing Transformers when it happened.
Xavier Alejandro xmnale@yahoo.com
The Sleuther By Daniel Nemet
Hello all and welcome back to The Sleuther. I hope you all enjoyed the Homecoming Sleuther, but realize that I was just going easy on you. Beware for the Winter Sleuther, is in a whole new class, and Sleuthers to come will only be more difficult. While answering these questions, answers may or may not be used in the following question. If you complete The Sleuther, and you feel that you have all the answers correct, then come to room B-244 by the end of the day you will win a prize.
Reigning Sleuther winner Steven Slover (11).
Arizona was the ____th state established in Arrange two factors of the previous answer this day, _______officially disbanded. What
the United States. into a date. On was the date?
The date of the previous answer is the ____th day of the The difference between the previous answer and amount of seniors at Coronado High School is
year. the ____
On January ____ the Coronado _____ Team has a game versus ______. Take all of the numbers that are in this edition of The Winter Sleuther and order them from smallest to largest. ______________________
Winter Horoscopes
By Katie Hoye
Sagittarius: Happy birthday Sagittarius! It may be close to the end of the first semester, but that’s not stopping you from achieving that high grade you’ve so desperately wanted. Pay attention to your studies instead of that cute girl or boy and you’re sure to get an A instead of a big, fat F. Capricorn: Happy almost birthday Capricorn! It’s that time of the year again where presents are all you can think about. If you stay off Santa’s naughty list this year, you might just get what you have been wanting instead of a lump of coal in your stocking. Aries: You love your family, but you want nothing more than to take a break from the pinching of the cheeks and the sayings of how much you’ve aged. Hold your head up high and turn that frown upside down and the holidays will be a breeze. Taurus: It’s almost the New Year and you can’t stop thinking of what your resolution is going to be. As a Taurus, you love when people are attracted to you. It may be time to cut out soda for the year and get whipped back into shape at the gym. Gemini: It’s almost 2010 and all you can think is the past decade and how much you’ve changed. Keep on the same path Gemini, and the changes will continue to satisfy you. Scorpio: It’s basketball season again at Coronado and you just can’t get sports out of your head. It looks like basketball games are where you belong Scorpio. Don’t get too held up though, you
don’t want to fail finals. Libra: As a caring Libra, you just don’t know what gifts to give this year to the special people in your life. Tempe Marketplace is where you will find yourself to be in the rush of the holiday season. Don’t get too crazy though; there’s always new stylish clothes you’ll have to purchase. Cancer: You may have been down in the dumps lately, but that’s all about to change Cancer. You’re about to come across a new crush. Control your emotions and things just might go the way you’ve been planning. Leo: It’s almost Winter Break and you don’t know what to do. Put yourself out there, Leo, and this Winter Break will be burned into your memory. Virgo: As a Virgo, you like to party. But don’t get too crazy this holiday season or things just might take an unwanted twist. Keep yourself under the radar and your holidays will be quite swell. Aquarius: It seems that nothing can keep your attention as your excitement for the holidays is growing. You need to keep yourself focused as finals come nearer then you can take that break you’ve been wanting so badly. Pisces: You’ve been wanting unnecessary attention from unnecessary people. It’s time to discover who your real friends are. You may see yourself this season at a local event to meet new people. Don’t seem too desperate though or you may turn people off.
Blade Runner A Look at the Life of a Pro Wrestler
By: Katie Hoye
As you may have noticed, there have been security guards coming and going this year. What you may have not known though is that one of our new security guards, Chuck, has quite an interesting past. Chuck was once a pro wrestler. He was the “Blade Runner”. How he came to be and how he lived as a wrestler tells a fascinating, and true, story. Chuck’s journey began in high school. At the age of eighteen he was looking for a job like many teens and stumbled across an article about a small wrestling gig. After being successful with the gig he was enrolled into a top notch wrestling school. Unfortunately, he dropped out first after the second week and moved back to Arizona. That’s when his life took a troubled turn. Like many wrestlers do, he began taking steroids to get big, buff and fast, which eventually hospitalized him for almost having a heart attack. After 4 years of steroid use, he finally quit and continued to work on
his wrestling career and gain success. “The wrestling lifestyle is very difficult.” he said. “I missed a lot of holidays and had to spend them in airports instead of with my family.” It was only five years ago when he retired. Because of troubles with his knees and heart, he could no longer continue the wrestling life. Finally, his girlfriend insisted it was time he got a job. After applying for many places he was finally accepted into the Coronado community. “I love being a security guard but if I could go back to wrestling, I would. It was hard because I worked out for 8 hours a day and had quite a heavy diet, but I miss it.” Although Chuck has taken a wrestler’s oath and cannot share a lot of information about the business, he’s happy to take questions you may have and answer the best he can. So, if you get the chance, make sure you give him a warm Coronado High welcome and you’re sure to get a few interesting stories back.