annie sogaard portfolio 2019

ANNIE SOGAARD’S SPRING 2019 PORTFOLIO

REFLECTION 1- SELF ANALYTICAL EVALUATION

BROOK, MAJA AND I jumping around in the rain together. <3 Maja, if you’re reading this, I had such a fun time with you in New York. The bodega was a good call.

In terms of production skills, I think that the first semester was great for me to get the hang of being an editor. I learned how to design pages, how to make things work if I have too little or, on very rare occasions, too much content to work with for my spread. Second semester is when it became more fluid to me. It didn’t take me as long on production day to get all of my articles and photos layed out, I didn’t have to redo my entire layout two, three times in one sitting, and I became comfortable enough with indesign to try new things.

I figured out my own system and what worked best for me, and being an editor felt a lot more natural to me.

I honestly didn’t have many problems with deadlines this time around. I think after a couple months of being in newspaper, people figure out what pages they do and don’t enjoy writing or photographing for, and when you have an actual interest in something, it is a lot easier to force yourself to get something done, as we all learned the hard way.

Teamwork was also something that felt a lot more genuine and a lot easier this semester. Maybe I’m wrong, but I definitely feel like the staff was a lot more comfortable talking to me and asking me for help, or at least I hope. Especially after returning from New York, it felt like everyone genuinely liked being around each other and liked helping each other, and we became a lot closer in terms of our little community.

The only problems/hardship I really encountered this time around, and I think I speak for all of my fellow editors when I say this, was senioritis. You think you know what senioritis is, but you really don’t until unfortunately, one day, you do. However, while it was admittedly difficult for me to trudge along in my pre-calc class or my government class, for example, newspaper, at least to me, actually matters.

We are all actually putting in work to something that MATTERS; it matters to the future staff, it matters to the judges at Columbia, it matters to everyone at this school interested in partaking in an award winning publication, and it was really important to me that I try my hardest to NOT break our winning streak.

REFLECTION 2MOST SIGNIFICANT WORK I think my favorite article that I wrote this semester would be the Metro Arts Fashion Show article. I chose this partly because I was participating in it, but partly because I genuinely thought it was a really cool opportunity.

Participating in it at all was a lot for me, because despite how it may seem, I do not like doing things that put a lot of eyes on me; ESPECIALLY if the literal only thing I’m showcasing is my face. Going through the journalistic process while training for the show helped me calm my nerves a LOT. Living as far away from EVERYTHING as we do, it’s a bit discouraging to feel like you’re trapped in a bubble full of adults who seem to only be interested in cowboys and the Phoenix Open. A lot of my peers, myself included, are incredibly interested in the arts. FABRIC in Tempe is a venue that I had never even heard of, but they provide so many opportunities for students who want to be involved in fashion and art that blow me away.

I might just again be reading too much into it, but I felt as though writing about this in the school paper would make more students like me see that there are a lot more opportunities to utilize your talent than you’d think.

The actual writing process was really fun for me, as well. I interviewed so many cool and interesting people, had some great conversations, and I learned a lot more about my community. It actually opened up some opportunities for me, because the two directors of the show saved my phone number and told me they would keep in touch with me for any future fashion shows that I can participate in, either as a model or a musician.

ME AND DEV DEV at the house show that we organized and threw for New Year’s! <3 Listen to bummergirl on spotify and apple music and also youtube and every other streaming service

TAKE A HIKE

Spotlight

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

May 17, 2019 ● 7

Coachella Controversy

by Max Sotelo

F

video editor

OR two weekends every

year in April, hundreds

of thousands of people Amid all the buzz about the 2019 Coachella fesflock to Indio, California By come Frida Alvarado hike. Hikers that come to trail encounfor the Coachella Valley tival, co-owner Phillip Anschutz has under staff writer Music and Arts Festival. ter insects and a variety of birds, many In 2016, LGBT+ rights group, scrutiny for his anti-LGBT+ status, sparking the Freedom for All Americans, publocated in the leafy canopies. The trail IKING is one oflished thea listmany ways #BoycottCoachella conversation. of influential peo-

H

politicians, and foundations to enjoy natureple, also get a whoand have donated to anti-LGBT+ organizations. nice workout, offering the disThis list included Philip Anschutz, the billionaire owner covery of new terrain, of the Anschutzanimals, Entertainment Group (AEG) who owns and even plants.

Manywhich trails in Goldenvoice, runs and organizes the Coachella music Cave Creek are perfect opportunities festival.

A few other things he owns to experience all of these sharesperks. in include the Los Angeles Lakers, the Gila River Arena, Starting with Black and Mountain the Walden MediaTrail, production company, among numerous which was rated four other stars given sports and teams and concert venues. the title “difficult” on the website The publishing of this Az list caused an uproar on social media, and the movement to Utopia, a website that shows, matches, boycott Coachella was born.

“I’ve been times, and I and recommend hikes all six around only heard about it last year,” said Anna Draper, senior who Arizona. The trail is located ona North attended the festival.

Anschutz has addressed the Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek, with controversy by pulling financial from groups with the some a distance of 2.2 miles.support Along with policies against LGBT+ people donatedallow $1 millionpets to the trail being fee free, theyandalso Elton John AIDS Foundation.

“I think good he made an on a leash, but the trail is it’ssteep and effort to fix the problem, but then the he shouldn’t have the been rocky. The further into hike, donating to those organizations in the first place” said Jensen more the hiker ascends, forming slates Persinger, a senior and festival attendee. and jagged rock to climb through.

Not to be confused with the actual founders of Coachella, The trail is known for giving hikers Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen, who came up promoting undera gruesome workout and is a recomground shows in the 1980s, built the festival from scratch in 1999. mended challenge. Hikers who are not It is unclear what level of involvehas in the day to beginners usually take ment 2-4Anschutz hours comday operations at Coachella.

“I was unaware that Philip pleting the hike.

Anschutz used to donate to support hate,” said Alex Sotelo, a “It’s kind of tough to hike the first senior and a festival attendee.

In a statement in response time because it’s kind of steep, but to the controversy and it’s boyAnschutz said that the a really fun hike and, cott, once get to claims that you he was homophobic were “fake news” and that antithe top, you’ll have a really good LGBT+ activities were view against The Anschutz Foundation’s valof cave creek,” said Waverly Collison, ues. He also announced that it not his intention to donate a sophomore who hikeswas at least a money to groupsonce who may have indirectly had anti-LGBT+ week. beliefs.

One of the most popular and more enjoyable hikes is “The Jewel of the Creek and Dragonfly Hiking Trail Loop.” It was also rated four stars and an “easy” hike. It is located at 44000 N. Spur Cross Road, Cave Creek with a distance of 2 miles. The Jewel of the Creek is free, kid friendly and has an stream that is crossed twice on the

ng on the beach

TWO FESTIVAL GOERS, KAYLA DOBBS AND MADDIE MILLER rest in

between sets. A huge part of the Coachella experience are the outfits and festival fashion, and this is a perfect example.

4HOLLAND LOBERG

terrain is a smooth trail, with a few caves along the way.

“The creek that runs through is really pretty to go on and chill out, especially in the summer when there is water. Its really cool,” said Emily Watters, a sophomore who has been hiking the Cave Creek area since she was in fourth grade.

Skull Mesa Trail is located on Skull Mesa, a large flat mountain north of Cave Creek. There are different trails that lead to the hike and each trail/ path have their own different terrain but the total distance of the hike is 11.3 miles. The hike gives hikers a glimpse of ruins of an ancient Verde Hohokam pueblo and fort that are on the northwest edge of the Mesa. There is a fee of three dollars per person and dogs are also allowed. The hike is used by hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.

Hikers are also able to bird watch and get a nice view of Phoenix.

“You need to bring water, the right shoes, more water, and if you bring a dog, bring even more water,” said Beth Udisky, whose been hiking weekly since 2011.

Spur Cross Ranch is a five mile loop trail and is one of the most popular and easiest hikes located in the Spur Cross Conservation Area. With it being open year-round, it offers many activities and sights. There is a facility called the Solar Oasis, which is a conservation area with an ironwood replanning area opposite, and a river. Hikers are allowed to bring their dogs on a leash and their kids.

They are also allowed to horseback ride

One example of something I’m very proud of this semester would be the way I designed the page about coachella. I really thought that the way the photo looked was really cool, and I like the way that I can make it work when I have way less than what I need for my spread.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS SPOTLIGHT

Students trade their phones for fresh air and scenic routes on a day spent exploring the desert.

OUT FOR THE DAY, Waverly Collison, a sophomore, hikes through Feldspar Trail to get to Tom’s Thumb. 4FRIDA ALVARADO

Animal Guardian Network Contact:

(623) 780-1604 carrie@animalguardiannetwork.org Address: 4815E Carefree Hwy #108, Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Desert Foothills Library Contact:

(480) 488-2286

SPOTTED FROM AFAR, two hikers climb over and up boulders using rope and other hiking equipment. 4FRIDA

luxury soap scents offered by the Handmade Soap Club. “I love lavender scents, so the White Lavender soap is definitely my all time favorite,” said Nia Sogaard, a freshman.

4BLAKE DORAME

H

By Max Sotelo video editor

and making organic soaps and selling them to customers worldwide has turned out to be quite a successful business for Cactus Shadows senior, Lily Ellison. Her company, Handmade Soap Club, is just that. She sells subscriptions of three luxury bars of soap per month to hundreds of customers, not just locally, but around the world.

“I loved [making soap] ever since I first started doing it,” said Ellison. “I was like, ‘This is so cool, you can make something out of nothing!’”

She got her start making soaps from when she was

attempt to understand the material in a more handson way. She got the idea to make a business out of this, and she began selling on Etsy, before moving to her own website, HandmadeSoapClub.com.

“I would say that my company grosses almost ten grand a month,” said Ellison.

She keeps her clients updated through an email newsletter she sends out often, which updates customers on latest soap drops, along with a channel on YouTube, where she showcases the process of making them and other fun things. She also has a blog, where she dives deeper into some personal aspects of her life.

“Lily’s a hard worker, and it really shows in her soap,” said Ryan Pogemiller, a friend of Ellison.

seeing everything develop from the beginning, and having control over the variety of scents, colors, and packaging. Her least favorite part of having such a successful soap business is having to deal with business professionals who don’t take her seriously, due to her being a young woman.

The most popular scent is the white lavender soap bar, but her favorite is a calla lily, which hasn’t been released yet.

“I ordered a bunch and took them to my son and his wife, and I have friends with whom I exchange gifts, so I took them all home and everyone loved them,” said Irene O’Hare, a substitute teacher.

Her goal is to one day change the skincare industry, because she feels as though there

ever since I first started doing it. I was like, ‘This is so cool, you can make something out of nothing!’”

LiLy EWLLison

who has taken on soapmaking

38443 North Schoolhouse Road Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Foothills Food Bank Contact: (480) 488-1145 Address: 6038 E Hidden Valley Dr. Cave Creek, Arizona 85331

Wild at Heart Contact: (480) 595-5047 Address: 31840 N 45th St. Cave Creek, AZ 85331

3 Lauryn Stornelli

I also am proud of this volunteering opportunities sidebar I made. Not because I think it looks good or it was particularly interesting, ACADEMY but two girls told me that AWARDS OFFER DIVERSE they actually went to two of CHOICES these places I had listed.

Call me a philanthropist. staff writer

I am also very proud of this picture of soap.

Address:

and mountain bike.

Many hikers recommend to always do research of the hike before hiking it.

Knowing the type of terrain, animals hikers can encounter, and the weather of the certain day will make the hike easier and more fun.

“Some hikes you can't just get up and do, you need to prepare for it, especially for out-of-towners because they don't realize what they are getting into, so research so you know what you're getting into,” said Udisky More hikes in Cave Creek can be found on AllTrails.com.

By Ryan Bartholomew

Lily IEllison thrives a think it looks veryin professional and “I lovedI think homemade soappapers endeavor [making soap] the pink frilly make it look very cute.

dcourt@dfla.org

ALVARADO

February 8, 2019 ● 11

WHITE LAVENDER AND FRENCH WOOD CEDAR are just two of the many

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

Academy Award winners Alfonso Cuarón, Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins are back on the stage, this time to give awards, not receive them.

Now that the Oscar nominations are in, the award season has a focus.

The Academy has recently moved away from mainstream movies over the last few years, giving Best Picture to low-budget film Moonlight followed by the fantasy The Shape of Water, which bodes well for a group of lowerbudget studios.

This year, the race is led by two very large contenders. Warner Bros. redo A Star is Born and Universal’s Green Book are the front runners at the moment.

The first few months of the year saw some promising releases as well. Black Panther broke many records with its release and re-entered the conversation, as well as Get Out, which rode its success all the way to 6 Oscar nominations. Spike Lee´s hit BlackKklansman also performed well, which may make him the first black filmmaker to ever win Best Director.

Mainstream tastes will be well accounted for, with nominations for A Star is Born, and by likely a Best Supporting Actor nod for Michael B Jordan for his powerful performance as Killmonger in Black Panther.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma may be a possible Best Picture contender. This would be the first win for a non-documentary Netflix production.

Best Actress will find Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born pitted against Glenn Close in The Wife. Felicity Jones may be in the mix as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex. Personally, my vote, if I had one, would go for Lady Gaga, because I liked the movie and her acting and performance in it.

Barry Jenkins, producer and screen writer, is back with an acclaimed adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk. The Front Runner has Hugh Jackman as the presidential candidate Gary Hart, while Christian Bale is vice-president Dick Cheney in Vice.

Honestly, the line up of movies this year is fairly solid. The fact that the Academy has moved from just mainstream films to a much more diverse selection is certainly an improvement. The smaller productions now

10 ● February 8, 2019

SPOTLIGHT THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Shipp’s trip Teacher takes trip to China and is impressed by the ancient culture

“When you actually go there, you see that it is 5,000 years old, and you get the feeling that this has been here for a long, long time,” K ar son shipp

recalls his recent trip to

china

4KARSON SHIPP

THE GREAT WALL can be seen from space and also from the eyes of millions of visitors. 4KARSON SHIPP

K

By Connor Green

tear

Staff writer

arson Shipp is one of the History teachers here on campus From his strong relationships with students to his fun teaching atmosphere, it is easy to see why he would be a well liked teacher.

Shipp started his journey at Cactus Shadows as a student. During his time as a high school student, he was not very fond of it.

“I was a pretty bad student overall,” he said. “My GPA was around like a 2.2 or something.”

THE FORBIDDEN CITY in China’s capital is not so forbidden anymore. 4 KARSON SHIPP However, that is also what led him to wanting to be a teacher. “I got rejected by ASU, and, you know, no one gets rejected some greater meaning.”

Shipp is very passionate about the stufrom ASU. Then it kinda became like, okay, That can be a bit hard to comprehend dents he could help, and that he sees himself this is my experience, if I become a teacher, because of the stark contrast with the U.S. in a lot of them, because it was not too long maybe I can help the kids like me.”

As a nation, the United States is only about ago he was a student here.

“This community has that problem. When 300 years old. Shipp is also notorious for Shipp is not just an average teacher, you grow up being given a lot, it’s hard to being close with the students. As per the recently he and his wife went on an eye motivate yourself,” said Shipp. students’ requests, Shipp began streaming opening trip to China. Being a history While the community may have a probVideo games, mostly Fortnite, on a website teacher and talking about China in most of lem, it is teachers like Shipp that help in trycalled Twitch for the students to watch. “At his lessons, going there was a whole other ing to keep students on the right track by the time, Fortnite was super popular, so I experience. making class interesting, and easier to focus gave in and the kids all liked it,” he said. Shipp “When you actually go there, you see that on. also has an open Instagram with historical it is 5,000 years old, and you get the feeling “I never had his class, but I watched his memes and updates on his everyday life. that this has been here for a long, long time,” streams. He seemed like a fun teacher to he said. “Just about everything you see there have,” said Kameron Kholer, a junior who is based on some form of tradition. It all has loves PC games.

Spotlight

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS SPOTLIGHT

February 8, 2019 ● 11

ACADEMY AWARDS OFFER DIVERSE CHOICES

WHITE LAVENDER AND FRENCH WOOD CEDAR are just two of the many

luxury soap scents offered by the Handmade Soap Club. “I love lavender scents, so the White Lavender soap is definitely my all time favorite,” said Nia Sogaard, a freshman.

4BLAKE DORAME

By Ryan Bartholomew staff writer

February 8, 2019 ● 9

Barrett Jackson continues to lead valley auctions Ethan Penington Staff writer

The annual Barrett Jackson car show took place in Westworld, Scottsdale from January 12th to 20th. More than 300,000 car enthusiasts came from around the world to view and bid on luxury and vintage cars and memorabilia.

The luxury auto show mostly consists of classic car related memorabilia along with new and old models of cars passing through the auction block. The first few days of Barrett Jackson, all the collector memorabilia passes through the auction block, going through the small parts and signs first and then moving on to larger items like a neon gas pump, for example.

Auctioneers slowly transition into the actual cars by selling large model cars and things made out of cars.

However, Barrett Jackson isn’t just a place for old car guys to gather and remember the good old days. There are things for both young and old generations of car fanatics to appreciate.

Barrett Jackson fills around 75 acres of tents with some of the most expensive cars you can find; either because of how classic and rare they are, or because of their being the newest and most high tech models of cars on the market. In

fact, they hold the Guinness World Record for the “largest single unit marquee”.

Walking around, there is everything from hot tubs to knives to beds. Lining the walk from the front of the main tent to the back along with many of the most expensive cars the auction has to show and a few food vendors. Not only is Barrett Jackson one of the biggest classic car auctions it was created in Scottsdale.

Barrett Jackson is more than just a auction. It is also an opportunity for the biggest companies to show off their new products, like the Dodge thrill ride and video simulation or the Ford Dino drag race.

“There are always new cars and new things to see, and it’s always an awesome time to see the new cars in their glory,” said Jack Demmit, a junior and car enthusiast.

Seeing all the new things companies have released or are planning to release brings a nice balance to all the classic restorations and race cars they are auctioning. Not only are car companies trying to market new products, it seems like just about any other company you can think of has a little space to display their product.

THE 2019 DODGE CHARGER is just one example of the many new sports cars at the car show.

4ETHAN PENINGTON

XXXTENTACION Presents: Members Only, vol. 4

By Connor Green Staff writer

“The last time, the last time we talked, the last thing you said was ‘I love you’. I love you Jah. Thanks for everything.” A heartfelt message to the rapper XXXTENTACION, who was shot and killed, from his brother Corey on the introduction to the album.

After XXXTENTACION or X, the most popular member of the rap group Members Only was murdered a little over seven months ago, there was speculation as to when the groups fourth installment to their quartet of albums was going to be released.

That date came sooner than expected when on January 10th, the rappers instagram account posted a logo and a date for the album. The album was set to release on the late rappers 21st birthday, and was said to have 25 songs, with X being on five of them.

While X’s passing was not

too long ago, this was a group album, not a solo project, which was something many people had a problem understanding. Most of the albums songs consist of two or three artists, all of which are a part of X’s group Members Only.

There are many songs on this album and each has a different vibe. Some songs get your heart racing, others make you want to stay in bed all day.

The contrast shows the diversity within Members Only.

Upon my first listen, I was unimpressed. Speeding through the album does not compliment the album, it sounds more complete and the songs become more distinct from one another. The first song to catch my ear was ‘Proud Puppy Lover!’ The song was a classic Craig Xen song, constant flow, a hard hitting, bass heavy beat, complimented by a simple bell melody that all fits together.

The next was ‘Members

Only!’ A snippet was released a couple months back that set it up to be amazing, when in fact, it was very disappointing. The snippet sounded like the song was going to be amazing, whereas instead it is truly hard to listen to at some parts, mainly due to the throat scratching screaming during the chorus.

Although disappointing, the transition into ‘Hi Wendy!’ makes the album seems like a masterpiece. For lack of a better word, this song simply goes hard.

From X’s chorus to each individual verse being nothing like another, the song feels complete, unlike a short Soundcloud song. ‘Over the Rainbow’ , ‘Jahseh on my Wrist’, and ‘Gassed Up!’ are also top tier songs of the album when it comes to the trap side of the album.

On the other side, the songs are more a melodic and slow type of rap, almost Lo-Fi, but

just not quite. ‘Red Pills’ is a perfect example of a melodic slow, almost psychedelic beat, mixed with calm and distinct rapping, all placed over a guitar sample that ties the song together. Other songs such as ‘Empty’ and ‘Cold Weather’ have a calmer more sad tone to them,but still feel like they fit in e album even though the songs have extreme differences in mood.

With the good always comes a little bad. Most songs I would rate an eight or nine out of ten, but songs like ‘Radar’ and ‘Pick Your Poison’ kind of ruin the flow of the album. The excessive repetition and off beat rapping leads to an instant skip every time the song comes up. Despite these bad song the majority, about 20 of 25, are great well rounded songs. Overall, the album was at best around a 4/5, a fantastic tribute to X.

Fourteen Songs for February Fourteenth

Lily Ellison thrives in a homemade soap endeavor

H

By Max Sotelo video editor

and making organic soaps and selling them to customers worldwide has turned out to be quite a successful business for Cactus Shadows senior, Lily Ellison. Her company, Handmade Soap Club, is just that. She sells subscriptions of three luxury bars of soap per month to hundreds of customers, not just locally, but around the world.

“I loved [making soap] ever since I first started doing it,” said Ellison. “I was like, ‘This is so cool, you can make something out of nothing!’”

She got her start making soaps from when she was failing her math class and her chemist father showed her how to make soap in an

attempt to understand the material in a more handson way. She got the idea to make a business out of this, and she began selling on Etsy, before moving to her own website, HandmadeSoapClub.com.

“I would say that my company grosses almost ten grand a month,” said Ellison.

She keeps her clients updated through an email newsletter she sends out often, which updates customers on latest soap drops, along with a channel on YouTube, where she showcases the process of making them and other fun things. She also has a blog, where she dives deeper into some personal aspects of her life.

“Lily’s a hard worker, and it really shows in her soap,” said Ryan Pogemiller, a friend of Ellison.

Her favorite part of her business is making everything from scratch and

seeing everything develop from the beginning, and having control over the variety of scents, colors, and packaging. Her least favorite part of having such a successful soap business is having to deal with business professionals who don’t take her seriously, due to her being a young woman.

The most popular scent is the white lavender soap bar, but her favorite is a calla lily, which hasn’t been released yet.

“I ordered a bunch and took them to my son and his wife, and I have friends with whom I exchange gifts, so I took them all home and everyone loved them,” said Irene O’Hare, a substitute teacher.

Her goal is to one day change the skincare industry, because she feels as though there are not enough luxurious organic products on the market.

Brown-Eyed Girl — Van Morrison Silly Love Songs — Paul McCartney This Will Be Our Year — The Zombies Michelle — The Beatles El Paso — Marty Robbins Walking All Day — Graham Coxen I Melt With You — Modern English My Girl — The Temptations First Day of My Life — Bright Eyes I’ll Fight — Wilco Can’t Help Falling in Love —Elvis Presley Show Her — James Hunter Six Love Interruption —Jack White L-O-V-E — Nat King Cole WAUSTIN HAGAN

february

“I loved [making soap] ever since I first started doing it. I was like, ‘This is so cool, you can make something out of nothing!’”

LiLy EWLLison

who has taken on soapmaking

Academy Award winners Alfonso Cuarón, Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins are back on the stage, this time to give awards, not receive them.

Now that the Oscar nominations are in, the award season has a focus.

The Academy has recently moved away from mainstream movies over the last few years, giving Best Picture to low-budget film Moonlight followed by the fantasy The Shape of Water, which bodes well for a group of lowerbudget studios.

This year, the race is led by two very large contenders. Warner Bros. redo A Star is Born and Universal’s Green Book are the front runners at the moment.

The first few months of the year saw some promising releases as well. Black Panther broke many records with its release and re-entered the conversation, as well as Get Out, which rode its success all the way to 6 Oscar nominations. Spike Lee´s hit BlackKklansman also performed well, which may make him the first black filmmaker to ever win Best Director.

Mainstream tastes will be well accounted for, with nominations for A Star is Born, and by likely a Best Supporting Actor nod for Michael B Jordan for his powerful performance as Killmonger in Black Panther.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma may be a possible Best Picture contender. This would be the first win for a non-documentary Netflix production.

Best Actress will find Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born pitted against Glenn Close in The Wife. Felicity Jones may be in the mix as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex. Personally, my vote, if I had one, would go for Lady Gaga, because I liked the movie and her acting and performance in it.

Barry Jenkins, producer and screen writer, is back with an acclaimed adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk. The Front Runner has Hugh Jackman as the presidential candidate Gary Hart, while Christian Bale is vice-president Dick Cheney in Vice.

Honestly, the line up of movies this year is fairly solid. The fact that the Academy has moved from just mainstream films to a much more diverse selection is certainly an improvement. The smaller productions now are getting represented and have a fair chance of winning.

sheets

Renaissance Redux THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS SPOTLIGHT

10 ● March 8, 2019

SPOTLIGHT THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Humans of Cactus Shadows

“

Almost old school: games that ‘00s kids grew up on Makenna French staff writer

After highschool I plan on continuing my academics in college and hopefully play baseball for ASU, but I’ll probably just go to any team that takes me doesn’t matter if they are bad.”

Nick Agacki junior

“ “

I plan on going to college and finishing getting my pilot’s license, because right now I’m getting trained by my dad who’s a flight instructor. Once I finish, I’ll hopefully be crashing planes and stuff.”

C olin Saliba, senior

I’ve been a security guard here for about 5 months but I’ve also been at other places so in total I’ve been a security guard for 7 years. It’s not really a hard job but sometimes kids do silly things and are destructive.”

Frank Gasparino school security guard

4BLAKE DORAME

Video games have been around for quite some time. The first commercial arcade game was released around 1971 and so many games have been created ever since.

To give just a few nostalgic moments for all the gamers out there, there is Minecraft. Minecraft is a video game that allows players to build with different types of blocks in a 3D generated world it includes survival and creative modes but also adventure modes with storylines that can be bought on the marketplace. The game was first released to the public on May 17 of 2009. Created by Markus Persson and later was developed

by Mojang, the game has expanded to mobile and console use over the years.

“I used to play Minecraft a lot. I played on mobile and Xbox. it was fun, and it’s still pretty popular. I know some people who still play it.

I still have it on my phone and scroll

4LOGAN MCDADE 4LOGAN MCDADE

past it sometimes which gives me a nostalgic type of moment,” said Christian Ramirez, a senior.

Minecraft is not dead though, it is still one of the biggest games in the world averaging around 91 million players playing monthly and has sold over 100 million copies.

Another game is Roblox. On the average over 70 million people

still play monthly. This game’s first beta version, Dynablox came out in 2004, which was later renamed in 2005 as Roblox. It came out of beta and was officially released in 2006.

Roblox is a multiplayer online creative system which allows players to create their own games and play games created by other players. It uses lego-like structures and avatars that can be customized.

“One of my favorite throwback games would probably be Poptropica because i could only play it at school. I never got to play club penguin or webkinz,” said Irelynn Hukill, a junior.

Poptropica was an online game that is still active where there were multiple worlds users could play on and complete each quest for it. It is still active today.

Then there are some even older games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda which both came out in the 80s and then the classic Pac-Man which was also released as an arcade game in 1980.

Video games have been around a long time and more than 150 million Americans play them. 60 percent play them daily and 64 percent of households have at least one person who plays video games.

“I had a Nintendo 64, it was my first game console. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was my number one game, I spent hours and hours playing that. I love Super Smash Bros. Mario Kart 64. I was an avid video gamer,” said Bret Lineburg, a history teacher.

Video games are a thing of the past and a thing of the future as well. People have careers solely based on playing video games and make millions from it as well. Many old games believe it or not are not dead and may or may not be for some time.

Spider-Man movies have seen many different forms over the years since Toby MacGuire’s debut of the franchise in 2002. Since then, there have been three more variations of the franchise, with each one gaining even more popularity following its release.

Spider-Man is the first up. This era of movies began in 2002 with Toby MacGuire playing the lead role of Peter Parker. The movie at the time of its release was a very new concept, as it was one of the first superhero movies ever released, especially in a series like that. The franchise had reviews in the low 90s on Rotten Tomatoes, but only scored at 63 percent with

the release of Spider-Man 3.

Overall, this was probably third in my personal rankings of each franchise.

The Amazing Spider-Man came next, and with it, much lower reviews than Spider-Man. The series focus was still on Peter Parker, now played by Andrew Garfield, but changed some of the villain encounters up in movies.

For example, the first movie in the Spider-Man series featured Green Goblin as its main villain, where as here, it happened to be the Lizard. These movies were not nearly as good as their predecessor. The story in these movies felt rushed, almost forced in some places, however this could be due to being jaded by the original

march

series of movies. This is definitely the worst of the four franchises by far, it isn't even close especially with the newer series.

This brings us to the new live action SpiderMan movies, with Tom Holland as the webslinger this time around. This series is slightly harder to judge, since we only have one movie released as of this paper, with Far From Home releasing in early July.

However, even with the one movie, it still shows much more promise already than The Amazing Spider-Man. Holland has been the most fitting cast for the role of Peter Parker, as far as live action is concerned anyway. The one movie that has been released scored a 92 on Rotten Tomatoes and it is well

earned. This is definitely my number two in this list.

Now for Into The Spiderverse and this is an interesting one. This is the only animated Spider-Man movie ever, so there isn’t much to compare it to in terms of animation. The animation itself is beautiful, there’s no mistaking that.

Everything is very fluid and has a very comic book-esque design to it, which is what the directors said they were going for before the initial release.

The story now follows Miles Morales, which is also the first time that Miles has even been mentioned in a Spider-Man movie, much less being the main character of one. Peter Parker takes on the role of a mentor instead of

the main hero, and the villains are pulled from a very long list. It was also good to see some of the more obscure Spider people brought in.

I don’t think anyone knew who Peni Parker or Peter Porker were at all before the release, so getting themselves on the map a bit more was definitely a plus, as well.

It won six awards, one for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.

This movie was amazing to watch and was a very fresh breath of life that the entire Spider-Man franchise needed. This is by far the number one iteration of SpiderMan so far, and I cannot wait to see where this style goes next.

By Jo Breese staff writer

The 2019 Arizona Renaissance Festival is back in Gold Canyon this year, every weekend until March 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with brand new attractions and vendors.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival has been going on for 31 years. This year the festival boasts nine different rides, 49 entertainers, and over 200 vendors. One of the festival’s biggest attractions is the jousting, which goes on three times a day.

Over 2,000 other costumed characters can also be seen throughout the festival grounds.

The festival also puts on multiple themed weekends. These include the Regal Royal and Monarch Monday (February 16-18), Time Traveler Weekend (February 23-24), Pirate Invasion! (March 2-3), Celtic Weekend (March 16-17), and the Fairytale Fynery & Fantasy Weekend (March 23-24). Each of these themed events add their own spin to the renaissance theme the festival has, each in different ways.

For example, during the Regal Royal they will have a birthday party for “the Queen” with cake and a small skit.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival has many new performers and entertainers this year, but they still have returning guests such as

ORNATELY SCULPTED POTTERY is just one of the

many things that artists bring to sell at the Renaissance Fair.

4 JO BREESE

Local equestrian makes it rein: Luke Fappani, a gold medalist for the US Reining Team, has already kickstarted his career in reining horses.

By Grant Richardson

L staff writer

UCA Fappani is a freshman

at Cactus Shadows who reins horses. Reining is a type of competition where the riders guide horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. It is judged by three main concepts: functional correctness, maneuvers, and attitude.

Fappani has been riding horses since he was two years old and he has started showing them over the last five years. Andrea Fappani, his father is the one who got him into riding horses and is his trainer.

Mr. Fappani has been very successful with horses. He has became one of the all time leading trainers in Reining-world wide. He has also became the youngest NRHA (National Reining Horse Association) million dollar rider. He is now a five million

Ryan Report: The Spider-Man franchise continues going strong

By Ryan Bartholomew staff writer

March 8, 2019 ● 11

Jo Breese reviews his visit to the Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon

dollar rider and three time NRHA futurity champion.

Fappani is always trying to get better and to practice as much as he can.

He tries to practice at least six days of the week. It is convenient that his dad is his trainer so he can train whenever.

They have a good father and son relationship that makes it easy for them to work together.

He loves having a good challenge so he can work hard to get it right.

“When you get a really tough horse to ride and at the beginning they are quite a handful and hard to ride but then the satisfaction of making them good and showing them is a fun time,” said Fappani.

Riding horses has been in their family for a couple of generations. The family has been extremely successful and they look to keep up all the hard work. Mr. Fappani has participated in very big events in his career.

Audiences continue to feel ...

the impact of music

by Brendan Donaldson staff writer

Throughout most - if not all of documented history, music has been around in some form or another.

Listening to music the human brain releases dopamine, which is a hormone that puts people in a better mood. Of course, this depends entirely on the type of music that is being listened to, if it is sad music it is more likely to put off a sadder mood or feeling than happier music.

“I don’t really listen to music very much, if I do it’s usually on the bus or while doing homework but not really much more than that.” said Alex Pissas, a sophomore.

There are people who listen to music religiously and there are those who barely listen to music and everywhere in between.

“I listen to music non-stop and it calms me down but it depends on the music that I’m listening to,” said Jackson Rea, sophomore and avid music listener.

The emotions behind music itself is impactful in more ways than one, from the listeners, to the artist themselves, and even the producers.

“I listen to music all the time, but if I’m kind of down, I’ll put on my playlist and I get in a better mood,” said Jill Columbo, a school security guard. “My favorite right now is a rock band called The Revivalists, out of New Orleans, and I will be seeing them next week in Las Vegas, actually,” said Columbo.

While music can be touching for the listener, the actual artist’s perspective is overlooked. there has been a large amount of celebrities and artists in particular that struggle whether it is from drugs to simple anxiety that most people struggle with.

This generation has seen many artists who have risen up and amassed an incredibly large fanbase and following. In the past decades there have been artists who have had influence on the young and generation that is grow-

MONTHLY PLAYLIST:

“I’ve had great moments in my career but one that stands out is to represent the United States in the Olympic Games and winning gold with my team,” said Mr. Fappani.

He has been a great mentor for Fappani and always keeps him motivated. He constantly tells him that if he wants to stay competitive, he has to keep his foot on the gas pedal and not stop working.

Fappani stays humbled with all of his success and how much money he has won. Over the last couple years he has won $75,000.

“He is an excellent person in and out of school, he has so much talent on horse riding and gets fantastic grades in school. I am very lucky to call him a friend,” said Cooper Roderick a freshman and one of his closest friends.

He looks to keep up with riding horses and follow in his father's footsteps.

Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones Going Up the Country by Canned Heat Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus The Sign by Ace of Base Santa Monica by Everclear Bloody Well Right by Supertramp Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana One Week by Barenaked Ladies What’s My Age Again? by blink-182 Just a Girl by No Doubt Champagne Supernova by Oasis No Rain by Blind Melon I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones

W AUSTIN HAGAN

Spotlight

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

ing up during the time period and also even generations born after the artist had stopped creating music.

People still talk about the “greats back in the day,” artists like Queen, Journey, Green Day, AC DC, Eminem are just examples. These artists are still talked about, listened to, and some are still touring and making music.

Looking at the legacy and the impact that the bands or artists had on their generation.

A few of the large genres during the 1980’s and 1990’s were types of rock, early rap, and hip hop.

Nowadays the biggest genres are hip-hop/ rap and pop music.

One genre of music that has gathered a massively devoted fanbase is relatively new: emo rap.

The community of emo rap has lost huge names such as Lil Peep Jackson R ea a sophomre music lover (Gustav Elijah Åhr) and XXXTentacion (Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy) usually referred to as “X” who both have passed away. Merely a few days after X’s death a fellow hip-hop artist Juice WRLD released a song mourning the loss of the two fallen artists.

Their music had an impact on many lives with multiple memorials made by fans.

Emo rappers songs usually include substance abuse and battling with the rapper’s own personal mental illnesses or troubling times, bringing comfort to fans but also quite possibly creating a false image or representation of how substances help deal with troubling times which has the potential to turn a generation into struggling addicts.

This does not mean that any sort of music is wrong, bad, or shouldn’t be listened to. However, in the past the music that has blown up has an impact on society good or bad.

“

I listen to music non-stop and it calms me down but it depends on the music that I’m listening to.

Cast in Bronze, a 4 ton musical instrument containing over 35 bronze bells that has been invited to play for Pope John Paul II and the Presidential Inauguration.

Also returning is the performance act, Cirque du Sewer, a trained animal show with rats and cats, and Knotty Nauticals, a interactive comedy show with rope walking and fire eating. The festival has 14 different stages, each with their own schedule and shows, scattered throughout its walls, which is why it is handy to grab a map up front before you enter. Another reason to grab a map is to see which shops/venders you want to visit. With over 200 venders spread over 30 acres, it can be hard to locate certain shops.

Vendors can have everything from faux elf ears to fantasy maps to a steel battle axe.

There is also a costume shop at the front to rent or buy outfits for the fair. The fair is not just shops though, it also has many different foods too, like the turkey legs and roasted corn-on-the-cob. If you are planning on going, be sure to bring a credit card or $30 to $100 to carry around while browsing the fair.

The Festival also hosts a dinner and entertainment event call The Pleasure Feast. It includes a renaissance themed five course meal along with a special edition goblet and 90 minutes of entertainment.

The Pleasure Feast takes place at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. everyday the feastival is open. It costs $75.95 and comes with a admission ticket to the festival, but they sell out quick so preordering is necessary to get a spot.

March 8, 2019 ● 9

Musicians in the making “Soundcloud just emailed me and told me that I am ready to be monetized, so as soon as I start paying seven dollars a month, I will make money for each play I get on my songs. My plan is to get monetized, make money off my music, and then release an album,” said Molly Scaccia, a sophomore.

Equipment and beats can be expensive, so students have to learn how to work with what they have.

Ceejay Notice, a sophomore, puts his work together by using a microphone and a laptop. He also uses the FL Studio to sequence his music together. The FL studio is a digital audio work system that features a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer.

Notice has been making music since the age of 12.

His favorite genre to work with is rap. His musical inspiration is eminem, and 4MIA BRITO depending on what he is doing in a year, he wants to continue working on music where. as a serious thing. When Students on campus he’s in a creative block, actively listen to the artists, Notice stops for a couple of and even some of the staff. days and continues when an “I think it is brilliant, and idea pops into his head. students should continue to “Always rap, because it make their own music. I think is really cool to put words it also helps spark their cretogether and make them ativity,” said Karen Dolezal, a sound better. I like this thing choir teacher. that I did where i was gathWith social media nowaering all sorts of beats and days, it is easy to have your stuff and writing to all of music spread through multhem. I just made it into this tiple platforms. collection of songs and it is

Hope Black staff writer

Multiple students at Cactus Shadows are making music from all types of genres and styles. Some students are doing it just for fun, while others are taking it like a future career.

Apps like Bandcamp and Soundcloud make it simpler to upload music from any-

pretty cool,” Said Notice.

Molly Scaccia started making her own music around one or two months ago. Her music style is a bedroom pop genre and she likes to write mostly about love, because that is one of the only thing that interests her. Scaccia’s music inspirations are Clairo, Billie Eilish, and Mimi. The hardest thing for Scaccia is creating beats.

“I just randomly get inspired to make a song by literally anything. If I am listening to a good song i’ll be like, ‘Iwanna make something like that’ so i’ll just lay down on my bed with my computer and look for a beat that fits my mood and write lyrics for it,” Said Scaccia.

Devin Dorough, a junior, is in a band called Lip Service and also releases solo music as well. He started making music about two years ago when he realized he wanted to make music of his own instead of always playing other people’s. Their music is categorized as indie. His favorite piece of work his band has put together is their Valentine’s Day demo.

“My musical inspirations are Nick Rattigan, from Surf Curse and Current Joys. I love him. Travis Barker from Blink 182 as well ‘cause he shreds on the drums,” said Dorough.

These student’s music can be found on Soundcloud.

Their usernames are “Divichi”, “Lip Service”, and “c00chiegirl”.

ROCKING OUT AT BAND PRACTICE, Devin Dorough and

bandmate Walt Wilson run through a new song before recording it. The group is currently working on their second EP, following their first EP of acoustic singles. 4MIA BRITO

10 ● April 19, 2019

AZ showcases its beauty at the Botanical Garden

By Karli Kinsey staff writer

ARIZONA IS FILLED WITH MANY HIDDEN WONDERS; IT

seems as if people are always trying to find new places to explore, take photos at, and enjoy.

One common place for people to see the natural beauty of the state is at the Botanical Garden.

The Electric Desert is the newest light and sound event to take over the Desert Botanical Garden, and will be available until May 12.

“I have heard of this place, but I’ve never been.

It is definitely a place I’d like to visit. Just by looking at photos of it online, I’ve discovered I want to check it out. Everything looks so vibrant and beautiful. I’d love to get a new perspective on nature,” said Jennifer Cento, an English teacher.

The Electric Desert is a nighttime special where cacti and other plants are lit up with colorful lights. The exhibit has six site-specific locations to see.

“It was definitely worth the trip, I brought friends and really loved all the lights and colors displayed on each individual plant,” said Carmen Borso, a junior.

“I definitely recommend this place for people who want to feel closer to nature. It was a beautiful and modern take on Earth’s natural wonders.”

The Desert Botanical Garden’s Electric Desert was founded back in 2003.

When looking at the Desert Botanical Garden website, there is an option to view other prices as well as previews of the scenery.

“I thought that the Electric Desert was such a cool experience. Being able to appreciate the natural scene of Arizona in a different light was so much fun. It was such a great way to spend my night,” said Emilie Leazier, a junior. “I would definitely do it again. The memory is great, but next time I plan on bringing a camera to take more than just mental photos.” Because there is such a limited time to go, people need to consider buying tickets now, while they last. For those who are interested, from ages three to 17, tickets range from $12.95 to $15.95. For those who are 17 and up, like many high school students, tickets are $24.95 to $29.95.

4MIA BRITO

zam!’

A JOSHUA TREE is lit by

changing colored lights. Each area also has music playing as the lights change colors. 4ELIZABETH BENNETT

SPOTLIGHT

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Les Misérables challenged Shadowbox Players

SHADOWBOX THEATER STUDENTS were delighted to hear that Les Mis would be the spring play for the 2019 school year.

“I really enjoyed playing Gavroche because it’s normally played by a really young kid, so it was fun to create my own take on it,” said Gabe Ozaki.

Theater group took on this ambitious musical

4LOGAN MCDADE

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS SPOTLIGHT

April 19, 2019 ● 11

HUMANS OF CACTUS SHADOWS

an artist in the making

by Maja Peirce In-depth editor

“Realism with a twist” describes senior art student, Natasha Jarick’s artwork in her own words.

Primarily working with pencil and paper, Jarick enjoys adding her imaginative interpretation to still lives.

“I like drawing things as realistically as possible using a reference, and usually I create it to be something that wouldn’t actually happen in real life,” said Jarick.

Taking art classes since freshman year has led Jarick to the level 8 2D drawing class she is in now.

Jarick is working on a reverse sketch of a sloth, taking black paper and drawing the creature with white pencil.

“She’s really patient. She takes a lot of time to add details,” said Halle Abadi, a senior and Jarick’s close friend.

She plans on finishing the sloth piece with adding a cigarette in the sloth’s hand.

“Natasha does very nice realistic work and also has the ability to understand abstraction. She’s not afraid to take chances and make mistakes, try new things and try new mediums,” said Deborah Wales, art teacher.

Drawing from a young age, Jarick was inspired by her mother who drew often. Jarick started sketching pumpkins and showed her mother her art projects as an excited young Rembrandt. It wasn’t until her work was put in an art show at Cactus Shadows that she realized she enjoyed sharing her work on a larger scale.

Like the sloth piece she is working on, Jarick’s art generally involves animals and plants.

“Things in nature inspire me. Almost everything I draw is some sort of organic thing,” said Jarick.

After submitting her portfolio, she won a scholarship from the Kiwanis Carefree Club to continue taking art classes through college.

Despite this, Jarick intends to major in Biology

“I went to a Suns game over spring break. Yeah, I hoped they would win against the Grizzlies but I honestly didn’t think they would. The Grizzlies haven’t really been a good team recently, so I’m happy the Suns won.”

K yle Anderson a senior

Brook Bowman

T editor in chief

HE Cactus Shadows Shadowbox Players introduced Les Misérables as the spring musical at the Fine Arts Center this year. Taking place in France during 1815, the production showcases the story of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who breaks away from parole, and Javert, the police inspector, tries to hunt him down for breaking his parole. However, this year the show is heavily student-run along with the direction of Andrew Cupo, the theater director.

Some of the most important parts of a musical happen behind the stage. For instance, Madeline McDonald, a senior, created the choreography for the play. Inspired by the lyrics and the deep emotion of the musical, McDonald put her talents to the test.

“Choreographing this musical was one of the biggest challenges of my high school career. It took a lot of hours and a lot of dedication,” said McDonald.

Yet, not everything came so smooth and easy. By reading through the libretto and listening to the rehearsal score many times, McDonald learned to fully understand and connect to the musical on a personal level.

“One of the hardest things was trusting myself and my creative opinion and not caring what others would think. Seeing it all come together made it worth it. There’s nothing that could be more rewarding than seeing your thoughts, ideas, and creations being put on a stage to be performed. I loved this cast and couldn’t have done it without them,” said McDonald.

The end product was worth it. The cast performed on March 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th, and the 16th, with each show running smoothly. Even with a set mis-hap the first night, the audience was entertained.

Natasha Jarick is ...

4LOGAN MCDADE “The story and the emotion behind the lyrics really inspired my movement. I tried to make sure every movement had a purpose and looking deep into the meaning the lyrics helped,” said McDonald.

In addition, many students contributed behind the scenes when needed. Olivia Palmer, a senior, was the first to step up to a role when one of the cast members could not perform.

Furthermore, she helped backstage with makeup and the set.

“This show has been very special. There’s so many different things we did to prepare and I’m so happy with the end product,” said Palmer.

Along with student direction, Cupo continues to direct and encourage the crew and cast throughout the production. In comparison to previous productions, this one especially stood out for its different characteristics.

“It is extremely challenging musically, both vocally and rhythmically more so than other shows we have done. Student choreography] has been awesome. This brought enthusiasm for the students since there’s somebody in the same space as them who is bringing a new perspective,” said Cupo.

“I went to Coronado over spring break. I love California way more than Arizona, I get to go to the beach and hang with friends, plus my family always rents a condo there. It’s a really fun time, But I’ll probably never move there.”

R iley Blackwell a senior

“I went to Mexico with my family and friends and I had a great time on the beach, playing volley at our condo in Las Palomas.

I didn’t bring any friends but I just met everyone there because everyone was at Las Palomas. ” C hris Elletson

a sophomore

4BLAKE DORAME

NATASHA JARICK DRAWS A REALISTIC SLOTH with white colored pencil on black paper for her 2D art class. 4 MAJA PEIRCE

in college until she finds what she wants to pursue and continue art on the side.

“I think that she is a hard worker and she’s very self directed,” said Wales.

Jarick wants to keep up the enthusiasm each time her hand grabs a pencil and fears that if she pursues art as a career she risks losing her passion.

The unique view Jarick contributes to the world of art will undoubtedly continue to grow in the upcoming years and fuel her drive to creating imaginative creations.

Students travel to New York to receive publications award Spotlight

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

By Lauryn Stornelli

April 19, 2019 ● 9

creeker editor

Senior directed one-acts return to the Fine Arts Center

4LOGAN MCDADE

E

By Raven Ramirez staff writer

very year, the Drama Department finishes it season with the Senior Directed One-Acts. This show offers graduating seniors the possibility to direct, often for the first time. These student directors have all of the responsibilities that Cupo would have in a regular show.

There are nine plays this year, directed by 16 seniors, each running between ten and fifteen minutes long. Some plays are directed

by more than one senior. Students find or write a script for their cast to perform. The auditions for the One Acts were held April 1.

“Depending on the show, you Nya Cunningham could have a rehearsal every day and sophomore Macy Huydgens with your director or it could be prepare for the every other day depending on the upcoming onedirectors’ schedule,” said Devon acts. 4MIA BRITO Witham, a senior who is acting in this year’s show.

One-Acts give the seniors a chance to direct and have full control of their own production. This is their last hoorah in high school theater, and provides the opportunity to put everything they know

RUNNING THROUGH THEIR LINES, senior

about a show together for the final performance of the year.

“I decided to write my own script because I could make the One-Act anything I wanted that way. If I used one that already existed then I’d still have to go along with someone else’s creativity,” said Delaney Sims, a senior.

All scripts written by students had to be approved by Cupo.

The senior directors this year include Kayla Dobbs, Luke MacGowan, Emily Bergman, Delaney Sims, Jack Skummer, and Olivia Palmer.

While the directors must be seniors, auditions for the one-acts are open to all students. There is also the option of being a part of the show without having to get up on stage and perform. Students are needed to crew for the OneActs and any show that Drama Club puts on. Crewing consists of moving the sets around, props, makeup, quick changes, and much more.

Most of the seniors who are directing One-Acts this year have been preparing since last semester. Cupo had a deadline for these seniors’ scripts last semester, they could either write their own or pick one off of the internet. Cupo picked certain scripts and those seniors were the ones that got to direct.

“My favorite thing about them is the opportunities for the younger classmen to be cast many times in their first role, and the most challenging thing is the logistics, rehearsal spaces, costumes, and sharing time/resources,” said Cupo.

The One-Acts will take place on Thursday and Friday, April 25 and 26. There will also be a matinee.

ZACHARY STEPHENS AND EMMA DEAN,

freshmen, go over their lines together as actors for the upcoming Senior Directed On-Act plays.

4EMMA BAUER

PUBLICATIONS STUDENTS POSE IN THE POURING RAIN IN TIMES SQUARE, just after seeing the Shakespearean play King Leer during their trip to Columbia University in New York City.

4ELIZABETH BENNETT

Students involved in the publications program at Cactus Shadows took a red eye to the Big Apple to dive right into their journalistic and design endeavors at Columbia University on March 19.

Every year, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association holds a week long convention for students across the country, where they compete for awards and attend classes.

The CS Press has won a Crown Award nine times - seven Gold and two Silver.

This award-winning streak has placed the school’s newspaper as one of the best in the country. Literary Magazine has also won a handful of Crown Awards over the years.

This year, newspaper students erupted in cheers when the announcer on stage listed them as a Gold Crown winner for the 2017-2018 CS Press newspaper.

“I had no idea I would be so excited,” said Brook Bowman, one of this year’s Editors in Chief. “It feels so good to be

4MIA BRITO

Ryan Report:

DC Entertainment comes back strong with amusing hero ‘Shazam!’

By Ryan Bartholomew staff writer

Finally, seven films deep, the DC extended universe is getting back on its feet. The well reviewed and relatively modest budget of ‘Shazam!’ seems to have struck a chord with comic book fans of the hero.

Though one of the oldest characters in DC's superhero stable, "Shazam!" doesn't get the same recognition of Batman or Superman.

But by scaling back to a $100 million budget and going for the lighter tone, "Shazam!" steadily built up its word of mouth with stellar reviews. Warner Bros. also showed the film nationwide two weeks before opening, where it grossed $3 million in advance screenings.

Billy Batson, the protagonist, is a young boy who, one day, after running onto the subway to avoid bullies, enters the Rock of

Eternity. It is here where Billy meets the wizard Shazam, who has been searching for a champion of good for millenia. He gives Billy the power to transform into an adult superhero by merely speaking the wizards’ name.

Now using the name Shazam, Billy and his friend Freddie begin experimenting with his powers for all sorts of shenanigans.

Thaddeus Sivana, a failed candidate to be the wizards’ champion, now aware of what Billy has become, begins his plans to become the champion of good and release the Seven Deadly Sins.

This movie has done a lot of stuff incredibly well, and not much that I did not like. Starting with the overall tone of the movie, it is done very well, with humor that comes through very clearly. It is an infinite improvement over what happened with Batman v. Superman,

and is building off of the good reviews that Aquaman received on release.

The casting was good overall, I thought Zach Levi was the perfect choice for the role of Shazam. He really portrays the teenage excitement that someone would have if they just got superpowers. Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddie gives a great performance as well, providing excellent support to Zach Levi. The two play off of each other very well, and it is very entertaining to watch.

Upfront, I need to say I have not read the Shazam comics at all. The villain plot was, strange. What makes it feel weird, I am not sure of, but it just has a strange feeling to it. Maybe watching the movie again when it comes out on Blu-ray or DVD I would be able to pin it down. It is not an extreme issue, it is just some little details that irk me.

My other gripe with the movie is also one thing I liked. Having a humorous tone is amazing, especially since the early DCEU movies were unbelievably dark and depressing overall. Shazam! has taken the comedy a little bit too far though. What makes a good movie is having balance between seriousness and comedy. And this did not have balance at all, it was almost all jokes and never anything that you could really get serious about.To be honest, this movie was pretty good. It was enjoyable to watch, especially compared to the rest of the DC movie releases. Maybe not as good as Aquaman, even though that may be from the shock factor, but still good in its own right. IMDb has it at an 8/10, and I am inclined to agree entirely with that. Very good movie, would recommend to everyone who likes superhero movies.

april

recognized for all of the Saturdays and late nights spent putting it all together.”

Neither Literary Magazine or Yearbook received a Crown this year, but, thanks to the classes offered by the CSPA, they were given the opportunity to find out why.

“I took a class called Yearbook Trends and I thought it was really useful because the instructor showed us all the award winning yearbooks and explained why they won the award. I plan on taking some of these trends to make next year’s yearbook better,” said Jenna Shea, a sophomore.

Lit Mag members attended the “CSPA Trend Review for Literary Magazines,” a class taught by one of the judges, Kathleen D. Zwiebel, to collect insight on what her and the other judges are looking for in nominees.

Christine Boisson, a Cactus Shadows alumn who attended the trip twice as a student, enjoyed the classes and the variety of different topics offered.

“There was this one lecture about how to speak in a group of people. It was a

really interesting way to learn how to approach somebody in an interview or approach somebody in your day-to-day life,” said Boisson.

Additionally, Boisson appreciated the exposure to college level classes and instructors.

“The lecture seminars prepared me for how lecture courses are sometimes taught in universities. One instructor gave us these cards that said “stop, think, speak,” and explained the steps.

Like stop, don’t speak immediately because we always say things that we don’t mean and that’s where misconstrued grammar comes from and conflict,” said Boisson.

In addition to the convention, students toured the city and attended Broadway shows, Rockefeller Center, and dinners in Little Italy.

With the resources provided to future editors and team leaders about how to lead a class, how to manage a team efficiently and effectively, the school’s publications now have more experienced leadership.

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Spotlight

May 17, 2019 ● 7

Coachella Controversy Amid all the buzz about the 2019 Coachella festival, co-owner Phillip Anschutz has come under scrutiny for his anti-LGBT+ status, sparking the #BoycottCoachella conversation.

TWO FESTIVAL GOERS, KAYLA DOBBS AND MADDIE MILLER rest in

between sets. A huge part of the Coachella experience are the outfits and festival fashion, and this is a perfect example.

4HOLLAND LOBERG

by Max Sotelo

F

video editor

OR two weekends every

year in April, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Indio, California for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In 2016, LGBT+ rights group, Freedom for All Americans, published a list of influential people, politicians, and foundations who have donated to anti-LGBT+ organizations.

This list included Philip Anschutz, the billionaire owner of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) who owns Goldenvoice, which runs and organizes the Coachella music festival.

A few other things he owns shares in include the Los Angeles Lakers, the Gila River Arena, and the Walden Media production company, among numerous other sports teams and concert venues.

The publishing of this list caused an uproar on social media, and the movement to boycott Coachella was born.

“I’ve been six times, and I only heard about it last year,” said Anna Draper, a senior who attended the festival.

Anschutz has addressed the controversy by pulling financial support from groups with some policies against LGBT+ people and donated $1 million to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

“I think it’s good he made an effort to fix the problem, but then he shouldn’t have been donating to those organizations in the first place” said Jensen Persinger, a senior and festival attendee.

Not to be confused with the actual founders of Coachella, Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen, who came up promoting underground shows in the 1980s, built the festival from scratch in 1999.

It is unclear what level of involvement Anschutz has in the day to day operations at Coachella.

“I was unaware that Philip Anschutz used to donate to support hate,” said Alex Sotelo, a senior and a festival attendee.

In a statement in response to the controversy and boycott, Anschutz said that the claims that he was homophobic were “fake news” and that antiLGBT+ activities were against The Anschutz Foundation’s values. He also announced that it was not his intention to donate money to groups who may have indirectly had anti-LGBT+ beliefs.

8 ● May 17, 2019

SPOTLIGHT THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Summer Bucket List

THE SONORAN ART LEAGUE RECOGNIZED student

By: Makenna French staff writer

Over the summer is the perfect time to create a bucket list of all the different things they might want to do or try during the summer months.

Here are a few ideas: DO SOMETHING SCARY, whether it is facing a fear or doing something that personally has not been tried before. Like doing a poetry slam or even going to the extreme of skydiving.

LEARN TO COOK a favorite or challenging dish.

Maybe an international dish, something that is not as easy as cooking mac n cheese.

TAKE A ROAD TRIP. Whether it is with family or friends a road trip could be a great way to create summer memories, even if it is not a far distance.

GO PHONE FREE for 24 hours, yes a horrible risk of not having a precious phone for 24 hours but it could be really good and show that there are other things important and fun to do than spending a day on a phone.

GO TO A CONCERT. Seeing a favorite band in concert can be a life changing experience and a memory that will never be forgotten.

PLANT A GARDEN, simple but effective. A garden can be a fun thing to do if interested in nature and taking care of plants and in the end you will get fruits, veggies, or flowers.

HAVE A MOVIE MARATHON. While it is not traveling or going outside, having a movie marathons with friends can be a great bonding and catching up experience while watching movie favorites.

HAVE A HOMEMADE PIZZA PARTY. Most everyone loves pizza and making it at home could be a fun experience and give small but memorable moments.

`ANNIE SOGAARD

artists with an end of the year award ceremony, held at the Fine Arts Center. Rena Jakway, a senior, won the highest honor at the celebration; the Jeff Cross Memorial Bell 4 AUSTIN

HAGAN

Local student wins highest award at Sonoran Arts league celebration

by Austin Hagan senior editor

Rena Jakway, a senior, won the Jeff Cross Memorial Bell at the Sonoran Art League’s twenty-third annual art celebration on Thursday, April 18.

The Jeff Cross Memorial Bell is the highest honor of the celebration and it is awarded to only one student per year.

It is in honor of Jeff Cross, an artist who combined his love of physics and art to create bells. After his death, his family organized a living memorial to encourage youth to strive in arts, just as he did.

Jakway has been in the arts celebration every year except one since sixth grade, and has won top honors twice. She was awarded the bell by Deborah Wales and Luwin Lazo, her past and present art teachers. Lazo also won the bell when he attended Cactus Shadows.

“My mom’s mom, who died before I ever got to meet her, was also an artist, so that similarity helped me feel more connected to her and who I come from. It’s always been a big part of my life,” said Jakway.

On top of winning the bell, Jakway received a scholarship of one thousand dollars to go towards furthering her art experience.

Jakway is going to University of Arizona this fall, where she will further her experience in art. She intends to major

in business or communications, minor in art, and hopes to make a living through her art afterward.

“I don’t ever plan on stopping art, even when my joints are old and arthritis-y. I want to animate in movies or make comics, I want to tell stories through pictures,” said Jakway.

The arts celebration is not only about honoring students for their skill in the arts, but to raise awareness of the importance of art programs developmentally. At the event, students receive awards, scholarships, and art supplies.

“I think it was the best one so far… The elementary art teachers had such beautiful work that their kids did and you can see all of the growth,” said Wales, one-half of the art program.

Teachers in the district choose their top students to be honored, as well as one to receive top honors. Alyssa Tate, a junior, was chosen by Wales for top honors for her dedication in the classroom.

“It’s more of a passion and a hobby for me than a career path, I really don’t want to lose my love for art and I know that sometimes when people go into the business, kind of lose their passion for it,” said Jarick.

Natasha Jarick, a senior, has been recognized twice before and was given a scholarship for five hundred dollars.

She plans to use it at Northern Arizona University this fall to further her skill in her hobby.

Avengers: Endgame is a legendary wrap to the series Kassidy Wheeler Editor in chief

In the latest installment in the Marvel Franchise, Avengers: Endgame has the answers to all the questions that last year’s Infinity War left viewers with.

Unfortunately, this movie marks the end of an era of heroes that many people grew up with and enjoyed experiencing the journey through their story.

The movie begins just weeks after Thanos snapped half the universe out of existence. His goal to create balance in the universe leads to desolation, and now the

may

Avengers must reverse time to bring back those who were killed.

For fans of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, this movie is an emotional roller coaster. All three play major roles in inventing time travel, taking on Thanos, and restoring the universe to how it used to be. However, the end of the movie brings a future that some fans were unprepared for.

Iron Man sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos, Captain America goes back in time to get his last dance with Peggy Carter, his love before he was frozen in ice, and Thor leaves New Asgard to be

ruled by Valkyrie.

The visual effects in the movie are extremely satisfying, one of the best parts was seeing Thanos turn to dust in the final battle scene.

The dialogue is still filled with witty charismatic lines between heroes, yet there is always a dark undertone, which leaves fans to question if the Avengers will really succeed, after all, they lost last year. Part of the movie which is so good is how real it feels. Tony Stark’s aggression toward Captain America in the beginning of the film because they lost the fight last year is something that a nor-

mal person would feel if they were to be responsible for failing to prevent something that devastating. The time traveling they do is justified through science, and at times it gets a little confusing, but it made for good story lines.

The emotional pull this movie has is absolutely brutal, from Iron Man dying a selfless death and not getting to live happily with his new family, to Thor getting fat and nearly giving up on himself, and even totally incredible moments like Captain America welding Mjölnir. Through all the ups and downs, the audience is always

entertained.

Avengers: Endgame definitely receives a 5/5 stars, and it is hard to think how the Marvel cinematic universe will continue on without some of its major heroes. It will also be incredibly difficult to top the two movies that the past 22 movies have been building up towards: Thanos’ arrival. There are still many stories to be told, and even more endings to be seen, but if people will want to see the outcomes and stories of these new heroes is another thing that Marvel will have to set up for a bright future.