Brook Bowman Portfolio Spring 2018

newspaper 2017-18

PORTFOLIO

by brook bowman

C

oming into newspaper, I would have never expected to be editor in chief by the end of the year.

It’s extremely weird for me to think about how I moved to this small town and by coincidence joined Literary Magazine since I had a few friends in the club. If I hadn’t of done this, I would have never joined Creative Writing. In addition, I joined Newspaper only because I had you as a teacher. I didn’t think too much about it.

Now, here I am.

As I stated in my last reflection, I struggled a lot with Newspaper in general from the beginning. With that being said, I really tried to prove myself this semester.

My junior year of high school was one of the weirdest year of my life. I growed and learned many valuable lessons this semester.

It’s weird to think I was the same person writing this reflection only five months ago.

I’m sure no one thought I would be in the position I am now. But, I didn’t receive the most improved award for no reason. Additionally, I was really excited to start learning design this semester. In middle school, all day, everyday I would experiment and play around with photoshop. It’s fun to take my skills and apply them to new applications like Indesign.

Admittedly, I struggled with deadlines towards the end of the semester. Some of the senior’s senioritis started to rub off on me. Also, one of my biggest faults is procrastination. I will wait until the last possible moment to get all of my articles and interviews done. But, I have to give myself credit because I always made sure everything was done on time. Whether it was done at three am, I made sure it was done. I was really

tired of being that person that people felt they couldn’t depend on and I didn’t want people to talk bad about me anymore. I know I’m not lazy and undependable. So, I’m glad I was able to prove those people wrong.

The drama this year was no secret among the class. Although, I feel like next year’s staff will go beyond that. Sure, we have our differences. But, I truly do care about each person and I hope they feel the same. If there was a staff member who needed help, I tried much as possible to offer a helping hand this semester.

Luckily, I don’t think we faced any major problem against journalism ethics this year. My peers and I have always told the truth to you and amongst ourselves. No one plagiarized and I think each of are are very understanding of opposing views.

From growing so much last semester, my hardest problem this semester was trying to prove myself to everyone. At times, I took on too much work and was very overwhelmed with all the stress. But, it was realization for what I am going to be doing next year. In a weird way, I kind of liked the stress and being busy. When I applied to the Walter Cronkite summer program, I really thought there was no way I would get in. But, when I did, it was the first time I had felt truly confident in myself. By no means and I this amazing designer, creative, or smart person. Yet, being able to do something that no one was able to do in this class before, was something so special to me. Overall, newspaper helped me boost my confidence a lot this semester. I have never been more happy to be apart of something.

R E F L E C TION #1

year in review; This year was a rocky from the start. I wasn’t sure or secure with the person I was.

As the year progressed, I started understanding myself and the person I wanted to be as I grew older. Additionally, I really fell in love with Newspaper. Now, as I take on the responsibility as EiC, I’m extremely excited for the future.

REFLEC TION #2

year in review; When I first joined Lit Mag and Creative Writing, I looked up to the seniors a lot. They inspired me to be the person I am today. I was lucky enough to work alongside them and to follow them in their footsteps. I’m going to miss them dearly. Seeing Mrs. Hart give her speech to them made me tear up.

It’s going to be hard to follow the same path.

But, I know we will be able to do it.

W

eirdly enough, I think my last piece was my best piece this year. At first, I didn’t start writing anything that I thought was good until November. So, once I was able to start writing in a journalistic style more easily, I was writing a lot and trying to prove myself to the staff. At this point, I was only trying to produce content and not enjoying it as much as I was in November in December. Finally, I realized I can only handle so much by the May issue. Then, I wrote the teacher strike article for the front page. I was really invested in this topic from the beginning and was excited to write about it.

I enjoyed each interview a lot since it was cool to see a different side of my teachers and peers. Also, I tried to get as many different sides as possible like contacting my friends from my old schools and teachers against the strike. In the article, I enjoyed adding creative pieces to it as well. Next year, I want to try to do that more because it makes the article more interesting for the reader. Not only did I enjoy writing the article, but it was my first of my writing to get on the front page which was exciting for me.

This article was pretty difficult for me to write. I worked on it for a week, but I still found myself staying up until 3 am to finish it the night before deadline. I really wanted it to be perfect considering the topic of the article. Although, I knew it wouldn’t be the best since it was my first time writing for the frontpage. I really struggled receiving feedback in the first semester. Now, I enjoy it and accept it. So, I was looking forward to your, Kiera’s, and Sara’s edits and feedback.

I’m trying to get better at writing more journalistically and plan to practice that

more this summer. Therefore, this article did change a bit from its original draft. But, I think the end product looked great.

I don’t have the edits for this because it was all changed in Indesign. From what I can remember from the edits, is that I need to stop using transitions so much. I think I tend to overuse those because sentence fluency is something that annoys me a lot and makes me lose interest. I didn’t notice that I can go without the words and the sentence sounds just fine on its own. There was a few other edits to make my sentences sound better. Also, I think we added a little more information, got rid of a quote, replaced that quote with a statement, and spiced up a few sentences. Otherwise, I think that was it.

THE

PRESS

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

THE MAY 18, 2018 ISSUE

A FORCE IN MOTION, teachers staged a walk in to bring attention to low funding across the state.

Shortly after, the Cave Creek Unified School District participated in the 6 day strike. 4 BLAKE DORAME

WHAT’S INSIDE

5

15

GET LIT The Yearbook and Literary Magazine staff release their 2018 editions.

Brook Bowman talks to the staff and advisers of the publications to get a closer look into the production process.

TEACHERS STRIKE BACK

OBSOLETE OBSTACLES Michael Marchica, a senior, paves his way to state, winning the 300 meter hurdles. Griffin Goldstein reports on his road to the top.

“I believe schools should’ve stayed closed until a genuine change was made.”

Following walk-ins, marches, and protests, educators launched a historic state-wide strike for higher pay and more sufficient funding.

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

Dressed in red, Arizona’s educators conducted an historic 6-day strike, that lasted from April 26th to May 3rd, to protest the lack of school funding and teacher pay.

Many districts, Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD) included, were forced to close for that period. However, CCUSD did open up doors on Monday, unlike many large districts in the state such as Scottsdale Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, and Peoria Unified School District.

The walkout caused a lot of controversy among parents, students, administration, teachers, and community members, with many voicing strong opinions on both sides.

“I completely agree with the motivation behind the strikes because I believe our teachers deserve higher pay and schools need increased funding in order to provide the best possible education for students. I think the results of the strikes will positively impact our education in the future,” said Amanda Carlson, a junior and stu-

dent at Desert Mountain Many students and teachers questioned why CCUSD seemed to be the only ones back at school.

As the bulk of the strike raged on, at Cactus Shadows, 24 teachers were missing from their desks on Monday morning.

“Personally, I believe schools should’ve stayed closed until a genuine change was made. I respect teachers for standing up for themselves. But, I also know that there are a number of details not available to me as a student,” said Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

Debbi Burdick, Superintendent, made the decision to open schools on Monday based on the number of teachers who planned to be at school.

“We knew we had enough staff to safely supervise students and safety is always our first concern,” said Burdick.

According to Burdick, most of the smaller districts in Arizona reopened on Monday, and some did not close at all. Those that did not stay open were large districts that did not have enough supervision.

Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

See Red for Ed on page 3

STRIKE OUT, Karson Shipp, a history teacher, leads a group of around 50 educators from the community in a walk in. Shipp shared a speech rallying his colleagues in the fight for higher funding and teacher pay. 4BLAKE DORAME

REFLECTION #3 newspaper 2017-18

may; teachers strikes back

At first, I chose this article because we have to write for either news or Arizona sports each issue and nothing else aplegislators pealed to me. Also, I thought it would be propose new easy to write. Likewise, this article was education bills really annoying write because it is about AzMerit. I was already not looking forward to having to do it. So, I didn’t want to do it at first. But, I ended up learning a lot about AzMerit that I hadn’t known before. It was interesting to see how bad Arizona’s education standard is and how underwhelming students were performing. Also, I thought it was interesting to see how Arizona is approaching the New robotics club plans for upcoming competitions bad scores. Overall, I think this article was very informative and great factual evidence. I think the article turned out great and looks amazing on the page.

In addition, I thought it was funny how Adamson photoshopped a rug into the photo.

4 ■ MARCH 9, 2018

NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

A

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

S

AZMerit, a standardized test administered by the state of Arizona, slowly approaches next month, scores from previous years are questioned again.

Within the first year of the revamped AZMerit testing, grades between 9th and 11th struggled to maintain a proficient level of understanding in English language arts according to Arizona Department of Education. Additionally, results showed that high school students had lower scores than middle or elementary students in each subject. AzCentral reported that in 2015, 43 percent of third graders were “minimally proficient” in reading and were at potential risk of being held back a grade.

Whereas Arizona’s Institute to Measure Standards, a previous Arizona standardized test, required a passing grade in order for a student to graduate, AZMerit does not. Therefore, the difficulty of AZMerit leaves students not caring for the outcome of score without consequences.

Steven Bebee, principal, unveiled a new plan to increase student incentive.

“AZMerit will impact your grade in a positive way, and not a negative way, this year. It is basically extra credit for those who take the test seriously,” said Bebee.

In previous years, it’s become difficult for students to give their full attention to the test. A poll from CSPress that surveyed 116 students from Cactus Shadows, said that 86 percent did not take the AZMerit seriously. Likewise, many students have been con-

fused on the reasoning for doing AZMerit. One of those students is Devon Molina, a junior.

“I’ve never really been a fan of AZMerit nor have I understood why we have to do it. So, I don’t really care about it when I’m taking the test,” said Molina.

While some pupils may not see the point in doing well on the assessment, this severely impacted the school.

“Many students didn’t take the test seriously, just like Newspaper’s poll showed. If you have pride in your school, I would think you would want to take it seriously. If we would of just had half of the campus put in effort, we would of been ranked an ‘A’ school this year.

Although it doesn’t impact your graduation, it does impact our

“Within the first year of the revamped AZMerit testing, grades between ninth and eleventh struggled to maintain a proficient level of understanding in English language arts according to Arizona Department of Education.”

STUDY, STUDY Michael Chmura, a senior, ditches the AZMerit, instead spending his time preparing for the SAT. “I wish I had known earlier that I could have just taken the SAT instead of doing both,” said Chmura. 4SARA WINDOM

school and they way we are perceived to the community,” said Bebee.

“I believe AZMerit was introduced to be a more advanced and improved form of standardized testing but sadly failed to meet its goal. From a student perspective, AZMerit is often not aligned with our coursework and the format is often difficult to navigate,” said Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

Despite the fact, Ozaki still cares and always tries his best while taking the test since he believes it can impact his future.

Yet it is no secret that Arizona has a continuous problem with education. It is currently ranked 43 in education by the US News and World Report. Legislatures have cut over one billion dollars from Arizona’s K-12 education since 2009. As a result, Arizona has been experiencing for the past two years one of the worst teacher shortages with thousands of classrooms needing teachers.

“The shortage of teachers has definitely impacted our scores. Teachers impact everything that happen on campus. The better the teacher and the better they teach it then the better off the student,” said Bebee.

In recent events, the Arizona Board of Education approved of high school students to skip out on the AZMerit and instead be required to take a college-entrance exam. Yet, the school will be required to pay for the test. Administration is already requiring all juniors to take the SAT for free on March 21 during school hours.

Additionally, this year, Arizona legislators are introducing two new bills, the House Bill 2037 and Senate Bill 1411. The House Bill 2037 proposes that high school juniors would be required to take the SAT or ACT at no cost which might replace the AZMerit. The Senate Bill 1411 would extend the state’s school letter-grade system. The current system is mostly based on AZMerit scores, but could now give a grade based on school performance.

Team ‘Galactic Gears’ announces partnership with Bella Vista Preparatory School and begins fund raising.

By MAJA PEIRCE g staff writer

Robotics Club gears up to start competing in tournaments during the next school year. Every Wednesday, the club meets to strategize ways to fund raise, recruit more members, and build robots.

“I saw a poster for it in middle school and decided to just go for it.

Now, I’m the treasurer,” said Ryan

Donnellan, a freshman.

Many of the Robotics Club members have transferred from Sonoran Trails Middle School, where robotics is a fairly prevalent group. They have already been to competitions and built robots prior to this year.

Since robotics club is new on campus they have spent a lot of time trying to raise money in order

to partake in competitions next year.

“As of a couple weeks ago, we started partnering with Bella Vista Preparatory School and their robotics team. So this next week we’re meeting with them to discuss what they want to do,” said Sasha Sypkens, club sponsor and a science teacher.

The team missed the deadline

for the first robotics competition, which is generally in January, but there are other smaller competitions that the club is considering.

One of the most prevalent in the area, VEX, invites high school students to compete at the Arizona State University Tempe campus.

“There's many teams trying to help each other out. It gets really competitive and difficult,” said

Sebastian Cuc, club president.

Before competitions, the robotics team builds a robot and at the competition they will be given several tasks to perform and the judges decide what robot does each task the most efficiently.

After teaming up with Bella Vista Preparatory School, the team settled on the name “Galactic Gears” for their next competition.

4 ■ FEBRUARY 9, 2018

NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Leadership club packages food for children in need

february; blt field trip

I chose this article because I knew it would be a lot of fun since I got to go on the field trip. Also, I was able to participate in something for a good cause. In the beginning, I didn’t know what BLT was and I was excited to learn about it. Consequently, it ended up being a pretty cool club and I enjoyed my experience a lot. Also, I liked writing the article and interviewing each person.

This experience was an opportunity for me to work on my photography skills as French exchange students to arrive well. I think the photos and the article turned out really well. Overall, I’m really proud of how much hard work I put into this article and the final production of it.

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

SPORTING

WHITE

AND

blue, the Breakaway Leadership Team, or more commonly known as BLT, traveled to Mesa, Arizona on Feb. 1 in order to donate their time to Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization that gathers volunteers in order to produce hand-packed meals for malnourished children.

With hopes to distribute meals to schools, orphanages, clinics, and feeding programs around the world, FMSC produced nearly 273 million meals due to the work of more than one million volunteers in 2015, grabbing the attention of BLT club members.

Leading the club are co-presidents Caitlin Bickle and Akayla Dolezal, both seniors, alongside Aaron Pettinato, the Dean of Students and co-advisor to BLT, and Corrie Klinefelter, a school counselor.

As stated by Pettinato, everyone must be nominated by a peer or a staff member in order to be apart of the club.

SEEKS DIVERSITY

“We really aim to pick out a diverse mix of kids in all social groups. Therefore, all voices are rep-

resented and heard,” said Pettinato, “I know that this year we have great leadership. Our co-presidents, have really made a conscious effort to try and connect the social groups together on our campus through kindness and social awareness. I’m very proud of the group we have this year and some of the projects they have took on.”

Members started off the day with a trip to FMSC’s Mesa location and watched an educational video that explained exactly how the would be helping the organization. From there on, they divided into different groups of what they would be doing for the next few hours.

SEEKS TO BUILD CHARACTER

“FMSC is a great service project that helps build character. It teaches empathy and opens your eyes to some of the struggles that other kids are going through in other parts of the world,” said Pettinato, telling exactly why they chose the trip. “When we were leaving... I just thought about how that was a great perspective for me to learn off of and be more grateful for the life I live.

And, I’m sure the rest of the kids had their shared moments from the trip as well.”

With that being said, club mem-

bers spent the day scooping vitamins, vegetables, soy, and rice which would eventually be sent off to rural villages in the Philippines.

Other members were seen labeling, sealing, weighing, or boxing the bags while others did the heavy work like refilling the rice containers or taking the boxes to be shipped away.

Alexa Diaz, a junior, spent some time scooping grains into bags.

“The field trip just showed how important it is to give back to those who are less fortunate and be thankful for everything you have,” said Diaz.

Once time was up, the team cleaned up their mess together, tried out the food that they just made, and watched a few more videos to wrap up the day. Chaperones and members could be seen buying merchandise that would help remember that day and would donate more money to the organization.

AT FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN IN MESA, Molly Scaccia, a freshman

from the BLT club helped to prepare food for malnourished children in the Philippines.

Feed My Starving Children also ships food to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, North and Central America, and the Middle East 4 BROOK BOWMAN

By MORGAN REIMER g staff writer

For students eager to expand their knowledge of French, French Honor Society prepares students by learning about its culture, foods, and games.

Linda Dunbar, French Honor society adviser, is looking for more people to host French students, who are coming for their spring break to learn more about America, and better their English skills. So far, the “Frenchies” are scheduled to come on Feb. 23, and stay until March 9 with their host families.

“They’re the group from northern France, and it’s a school group; They’re on vacation, and so they are coming, there’s about 25 of them, and they’re just coming to... get a little taste of American family and school,” said Dunbar.

Exchange students aside, French club participates in several activities

Zeeb starts a new year

spotlight

HUMANS OF CACTUS SHADOWS

Wrapping up her first year of teaching, Kristine Zeeb, a math teacher, reflects on the journey that has brought her to teaching in room 1003.

Starting as a student-teacher, Zeeb picked up the job mid-year last year and was hired as a Geometry teacher. This year she is teaching Pre-Calculus and Algebra 3/4.

“We’ve been friends since last summer; we actually met when both of our ex-boyfriends, who were best friends, dumped us at the same time.

We learned that girls are definitely better than guys; we stick together through everything,”

Starting Out

At the age of 22, Zeeb knew she wanted to be a teacher after previously studying film editing.

“I went to Scottsdale Community College and got my Associates in Arts, and then became the lead technician of the film school. Then, eventually worked my way up to becoming a faculty member there and teaching film editing. I knew I wanted to do more with this kind of profession and help out kids,” said Zeeb.

Last year, Zeeb taught Geometry for a semester, and now promises she will never go back to the subject.

“I don’t like Geometry. I’m much better at teaching Algebra and Calculus. Now that I’ve taught for more than a semester for the same students, it’s so much easier. And, this year I’m dealing with juniors and seniors, which is day and night to teaching freshmen or sophomores,” said Zeeb. “My classes now are individually unique. I have so many different students with different wants and needs. There’s so much growing each kid does through these periods of their life.”

LAUREN LOCKET AND LAUREN BLAU, juniors

Making a Difference

Currently, Zeeb is learning to appreciate those special Cave Creek moments. “Teaching has taught me that everyone has their own expectations of themselves. Everybody has problems, a different way of thinking, or has struggled with some type of education. And, it’s just recognizing the fact that everyone is unique through learning and teaching. You really have to appreciate those differences in people,” Zeeb said. “No matter what happens, I try to remember after all of the politics that the most important thing is the reason I’m here is for you guys and this is why I teach.”

To Olivia Palmer, a junior in Zeeb’s Pre-Calculus class, her fourth period classroom has become much more than just a place to learn unit circles.

“Zeeb can be very real with her students. During the digital citizenship assembly when all the boys left, she gave the girls actual real advice about sexual harassment in the workplace and what to do. What she said was actually valuable,” said Palmer.

Zeeb admits that, not only did she prioritize this subject to the girls, but to the boys as well. “Generally, everyone should expect to be treated well. If they aren’t being treated well, they should be asking, ‘Is this normal? Is this weird?’ One of the biggest things I want to make sure my students know the type of communication and openness of the subject they should be having,” said Zeeb. “I want to be breaking down the barriers for women and for them to know it’s not their fault. Instead, learn exactly how to deal with the situation.”

“Fashion is a form of expression; it helped me express myself more and stand out from the crowd. I would describe my personal style as bohemian fairy,”

BRIANNA FOGELSON, a sophomore

Connections and Quirks

Known for her caffeine addiction, Zeeb claims that she’s been drinking sodas out of sippy cups since she was two years old. Once she hit the age of 14 or 15, she started drinking Red Bulls daily.

Additionally, Zeeb is also known for her obsession with Stars Wars, decorating her classroom with quotes and pictures of the cast.

“My brother was the one who really liked it. I remember whenever I was too sick to go to school, my mom would have my brother stay home with me, and we would watch Star Wars all day. After that, I really got into the books since my teacher was encouraging me to read more,” said Zeeb. “The movie and books have just been there for me through all of my struggles and I like the idea that they are just good people promoting the idea of good vs. evil.”

Julee Negron, a Pre-Calculus student, has also made a personal connection with the new teacher.

“Mrs. Zeeb is a really genuine person and cares for all of her students. Teachers tend to take her for granted since she is so young, but I’ve learned so much from her with math and the outside world,” said Negron.

Living by the quote, “If you help one student, you’ve changed the world,” that her friend once told her, Zeeb will continue to move through this year and the years to come, hoping to become a role model or mentor to each of her students.

“I’m currently listening to Migos’ new album. My favorite artist would be Oh Wonder; I like a lot of different music, but I was drawn to Oh Wonder because their sound is so unique,”

ABIGAIL NOSAN, a sophomore

4MIA GILLING

Brook Bowman staff writer

8

FEBRUARY 2018 intrigue

throughout the year including community service projects and school events.

One of the new volunteer opportunities of French Club this year was visiting the preschool to teach kids more about the language. This included how to say their names, learn about body parts, colors, and teaching the kids as often as they can.

“It just exposes them to, you know, another language from an early age, so that’s cool,” said Ashley Wilkins, a junior and second year member of French Club.

Another popular club activity was the crepe competition. French club experienced how to make crepes, many for the first time, and were challenged to a competition. Teachers were invited to taste test their crepes, and deem a team the winner.

“I’m excited for next semester where we can make sweet crepes because this semester we made savory crepes, but I want to make more crepes,” said Bella Sayegh, a junior.

French Club, or French Honor Society, meets in Room 158 every other Friday at lunch. Before students can join, there are certain requirements that must be met. Students have to take at least two years of French before they are considered for a recommendation letter.

Typically, students take French 1/2 in middle school, then French 3/4 freshman year. Applicants must maintain an A throughout their French language class in order to stay in French Honors society, and have to write a letter beforehand stating why they would be a good

“They’re the group from northern France, and it’s a school group; They’re on vacation, and so they are coming, there’s about 25 of them, and they’re just coming to... get a little taste of American family and school.”

Linda Dunbar, a French teacher.

fit for the club.

Once they are committed to the club, they have to pay the $80 club fee in the bookstore, and have to complete five hours of community service per school semester. For seniors, to get their chord at the end of the year, they have to complete everything listed above, and remain in the French class itself.

february; zeeb

When I saw this article on the board, I knew immediately that I wanted it.

Zeeb is currently my Algebra 3/4 teacher and we get along well. Also, she is a very interesting person with a cool background which I thought would turn out as a great article. Overall, I think the article turned out great and represented who Zeeb is as a teacher. Zeeb came up to me with teary eyes and thanked me for writing something good about her. She said she didn’t get complimented a lot and this was very special to her. My favorite thing was when she lamenated the article and stapled it to her wall. This whole experience was very special to me because I felt good making someone happy.

TEARSHEETS TEARSHEETS

february february february february february february february february february february febru news, page 4, february 2018 4 ■ FEBRUARY 9, 2018

NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Leadership club packages food for children in need

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

SPORTING

WHITE

AND

blue, the Breakaway Leadership Team, or more commonly known as BLT, traveled to Mesa, Arizona on Feb. 1 in order to donate their time to Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization that gathers volunteers in order to produce hand-packed meals for malnourished children.

With hopes to distribute meals to schools, orphanages, clinics, and feeding programs around the world, FMSC produced nearly 273 million meals due to the work of more than one million volunteers in 2015, grabbing the attention of BLT club members.

Leading the club are co-presidents Caitlin Bickle and Akayla Dolezal, both seniors, alongside Aaron Pettinato, the Dean of Students and co-advisor to BLT, and Corrie Klinefelter, a school counselor.

As stated by Pettinato, everyone must be nominated by a peer or a staff member in order to be apart of the club.

SEEKS DIVERSITY “We really aim to pick out a diverse mix of kids in all social groups. Therefore, all voices are rep-

resented and heard,” said Pettinato, “I know that this year we have great leadership. Our co-presidents, have really made a conscious effort to try and connect the social groups together on our campus through kindness and social awareness. I’m very proud of the group we have this year and some of the projects they have took on.”

Members started off the day with a trip to FMSC’s Mesa location and watched an educational video that explained exactly how the would be helping the organization. From there on, they divided into different groups of what they would be doing for the next few hours.

SEEKS TO BUILD CHARACTER “FMSC is a great service project that helps build character. It teaches empathy and opens your eyes to some of the struggles that other kids are going through in other parts of the world,” said Pettinato, telling exactly why they chose the trip. “When we were leaving... I just thought about how that was a great perspective for me to learn off of and be more grateful for the life I live.

And, I’m sure the rest of the kids had their shared moments from the trip as well.”

With that being said, club mem-

bers spent the day scooping vitamins, vegetables, soy, and rice which would eventually be sent off to rural villages in the Philippines.

Other members were seen labeling, sealing, weighing, or boxing the bags while others did the heavy work like refilling the rice containers or taking the boxes to be shipped away.

Alexa Diaz, a junior, spent some time scooping grains into bags.

“The field trip just showed how important it is to give back to those who are less fortunate and be thankful for everything you have,” said Diaz.

Once time was up, the team cleaned up their mess together, tried out the food that they just made, and watched a few more videos to wrap up the day. Chaperones and members could be seen buying merchandise that would help remember that day and would donate more money to the organization.

trending now, page 20, february 2018

AT FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN IN MESA, Molly Scaccia, a freshman

from the BLT club helped to prepare food for malnourished children in the Philippines.

Feed My Starving Children also ships food to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, North and Central America, and the Middle East 4 BROOK BOWMAN

French exchange students to arrive

By MORGAN REIMER g staff writer

For students eager to expand their knowledge of French, French Honor Society prepares students by learning about its culture, foods, and games.

Linda Dunbar, French Honor society adviser, is looking for more people to host French students, who are coming for their spring break to learn more about America, and better their English skills. So far, the “Frenchies” are scheduled to come on Feb. 23, and stay until March 9 with their host families.

“They’re the group from northern France, and it’s a school group; They’re on vacation, and so they are coming, there’s about 25 of them, and they’re just coming to... get a little taste of American family and school,” said Dunbar.

Exchange students aside, French club participates in several activities

throughout the year including community service projects and school events.

One of the new volunteer opportunities of French Club this year was visiting the preschool to teach kids more about the language. This included how to say their names, learn about body parts, colors, and teaching the kids as often as they can.

“It just exposes them to, you know, another language from an early age, so that’s cool,” said Ashley Wilkins, a junior and second year member of French Club.

Another popular club activity was the crepe competition. French club experienced how to make crepes, many for the first time, and were challenged to a competition. Teachers were invited to taste test their crepes, and deem a team the winner.

“I’m excited for next semester where we can make sweet crepes because this semester we made savory crepes, but I want to make more crepes,” said Bella Sayegh, a junior.

French Club, or French Honor Society, meets in Room 158 every other Friday at lunch. Before students can join, there are certain requirements that must be met. Students have to take at least two years of French before they are considered for a recommendation letter.

Typically, students take French 1/2 in middle school, then French 3/4 freshman year. Applicants must maintain an A throughout their French language class in order to stay in French Honors society, and have to write a letter beforehand stating why they would be a good

RISING STARS

“They’re the group from northern France, and it’s a school group; They’re on vacation, and so they are coming, there’s about 25 of them, and they’re just coming to... get a little taste of American family and school.”

trending

Brook Bowman, staff writer gives a rundown on the upcoming artists in the music industry.

Linda Dunbar, a French teacher.

BILLIE EILISH fit for the club.

Once they are committed to the club, they have to pay the $80 club fee in the bookstore, and have to complete five hours of community service per school semester. For seniors, to get their chord at the end of the year, they have to complete everything listed above, and remain in the French class itself.

Billie Eilish, a 16 year-old singersongwriter, kicked off her career with her hit song, Ocean Eyes. Eilish has been writing songs with her brother, more commonly known as Finneas O’Connell, since she was 8. Now, Eilish released her debut album that she cowrote with her brother, Don’t Smile at Me, with expected hit songs like Bellyache, Watch , and COPYCAT. In fact, Vogue Magazine titled her as, “Pop’s next it-girl.”

4 CREATIVE COMMONS

6LACK Ricardo Valentine, a 24 year old that was raised in Atlanta and more commonly known as 6lack, has spent the past year launching his career.

Valentine finished off the year by opening up for the Weeknd, releasing his hit song Prblms, that recieved two Grammy nominations for best urban contemporary album and best rap performance, and releasing his debut album FREE 6LACK. Billboard Magazine described Valentine’s sound by saying, “6lack’s brand of moody hip-hop not only champions the DIY model of hustling but spotlights vulnerability and honesty in a way the emoji generation can understand.” With that being said, Valentine is expected to play at multiple big-time musical festivals like Coachella and Governors Ball this year.

4 CREATIVE COMMONS

DUA LIPA Dua Lipa, singer, songwriter, and model, began her career at age 14 when she began covering songs by other artists on YouTube.

Later, she was signed by Warner Music Group and released her first single soon after. In 2017, Lipa released her selftitled debut album and became the most streamed person due to her hit song, New Rules. Additionally, Lipa lead 2018 with several musical nominations, putting her career in the fast lane. The Guardian Magazine wrote, “Lipa is already being seen as an authentic voice of womanhood: independent, cool and in command of her own sexuality.”

4 CREATIVE COMMONS 12

M

ANY influencers have made their

fame through YouTube, an online video uploading site, by posting makeup tutorials, comedy sketches, vlogs, and singing videos.

The site has grown a lot since it was first introduced in 2009, becoming a multi-billion dollar company. Recently they have come under fire for not having enough censorship on what content is being posted.

“I normally only get on YouTube for music, but there has been some gross stuff popping up,” said Kyle Padgett, a freshman.

Recently, Logan Paul, a popular vlogger with over 16 million subscribers, traveled to the “Suicide Forest” in Japan and posted a video which showed a man who had taken his own life. After finding the body, Paul continued to keep the camera on and zoomed in closer on the man. The video was kept up on the site with no censorship from YouTube.

By the time the incident had come to the attention of YouTube, they were too late to take action.

Many influencers shared their disgust with the video and anger towards the company for not realizing it soon enough. The incident led viewers to question how well the company monitors what is being posted.

“When he saw the body, he got super excited that it was content for the video. I think it was wrong and he should have never shown the video,” said Mackenzie Zoerb, a freshman.

Paul later went to Twitter to post an apology, and then posted another apology on YouTube. In the video, he claimed he posted it to show suicide awareness, but many people questioned his authenticity. He did delete the video, but it was kept up long enough for a portion of his 16 million subscribers to see.

“I don’t think he deserves a second chance, and he kept talking about all of his mistakes that he made,” said Zoerb.

According to its website, YouTube reserves the right to take material off the site if it doesn’t comply with their Terms of Service. “We aren’t telling

you what to create -- each and every creator on YouTube is unique and contributes to the vibrancy of YouTube. As with everything related to YouTube, use your common sense, don’t abuse the site, and be respectful of others.”

Last month, YouTube dropped Logan Paul from their top advertising ranks and suspended his production from a YouTube movie.

The Paul controversy highlights current issues with social media, and the unintended consequences of a wide-open internet. In addition to the Paul incident, YouTube was the focus of a series of controversies last year, many of which were about children being exploited, and their vulnerability as an audience. There was also controversy about the popular vlogger PewDiePie, who was condemned for including anti-Semitic humor and Nazi imagery in his videos, and videos that made it past the stricter standards YouTube has for its Kids app. These videos featured wellknown characters doing things inappropriate for younger audiences.

YouTube apologized for all of this, Mackenzie Zoerb, a but the probfreshman comments on lem continues, a popular vlogger’s video as standards post. are difficult to enforce. For example, because posters are not employees of YouTube, they cannot fire them.

It remains unclear as to whether stricter controls will be put in place by YouTube and other social media sites.

“When he saw the body, he got super excited that it was content for the video.

I think it was wrong and he should have never shown the video.”

Makenna French

Staff writer

logan paul

After infamous YouTube star Logan Paul filmed and posted a video of a suicide victim in Japan, Max Sotelo, Averie Brannon, and Miah Thirion, all freshmen, ask students to weigh in on the controversy.

FEBRUARY 2018 intrigue

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CLOTHES WITH A COST

Brook Bowman highlights the most popular trends in mens footwear at school.

There used to be two seasons in the fashion world: spring/summer and fall/winter. But now, there are over 52 ‘microseasons’ in a year; fast fashion brands like Forever 21, Zara, and H&M release new clothing almost weekly in an effort to increase sales, according to HuffPost.

The major problem with fast fashion is the labor behind the clothes. As Lucy Siegle stated in her book, the fashion industry estimates that around 20 to 60 percent of garment production is sewn at home by informal workers, and according to Forbes, many workers as young as 14 years old work an average of 14 hours a day in sweatshops, making less than three dollars a day.

Not only are these clothes created by underpaid, underage workers, they are designed by companies to fall apart quickly, thus forcing customers to routinely purchase new clothes and throw out the old ones. This causes a massive amount of synthetic textiles in landfills, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. According to Forbes, 12.8 million tons of clothing are sent to landfills in the US every year.

“I used to get clothes from H&M and Forever 21, but they didn’t last; I didn’t pay for a product just for it to fall apart after one wash. The buttons on my shirts would fall off, and the threads would come undone,” said Aless Zamora, a senior.

The best way to combat fast fashion and its negative effects on workers and the environment is to buy second hand rather than retail. Instead of racing to Forever 21 to shop the newest sale, try stopping by Goodwill and searching through racks of inexpensive clothes. Choosing thrifting over fast fashion reduces carbon footprint and lowers fast fashion profit.

“I know certain styles are in massive demand, but they come and go so quickly; it’s easier to buy some sturdy and diverse options. I usually buy from Goodwill, they recycle their clothes, they’re affordable, and there isn’t any limit to their styles,” said Cody Rawlings, a junior.

Another way to keep textiles out of landfills is to donate unwanted clothing to closedloop recycling programs, which repurpose old clothes back into usable textiles.

Gucci Slides: Taking on their own spin of a typical sandal, Gucci, one of Italy’s most prestigious fashion houses, has created Gucci Slides.

Nordstrom described the shoe as, “A boldly patterned strap adds signature refinement to a classic slide sandal grounded by a wellcushioned, logo-patterned sole.” At a whopping $210, it’s surprising that many are willing to pay the price. But, they can be seen one many men’s feet as you walk the hallway.

SHOPPING PERSONALIZED COLLECTIONS, Hannah Bryant

and Anikka Fremel, juniors,browse curated collections from fashion influencers at the Goodwill Reclaimed Fashion event. “I thought the event was a really good idea and I was surprised about the amount of clothes that were really unique and cool,” said Fremel. The event allowed fans to meet with local influencers.

4MAJA PEIRCE

goodwill goes fashion forward On January 25, Goodwill teamed up with Instagram stylists to create the first ever Reclaimed Fashion event.

Eight different Instagram stylists took a look in their neighborhood Goodwill to find pieces they found appealing. After shopping, they put together a rack of their personal selections. At Reclaimed Fashion, people were able to shop the racks and pick their favorite items.

“It was a unique experience. It was surprisingly simple to find items that I like within a few minutes, which usually takes an hour or so. It was convenient and easy to sort through, not to mention that I found some good finds,” said Hannah Bryant, a junior.

The narrowing down of the Goodwill clothing made it a faster and accessible shopping experience for many.

“I found a ton of awesome pieces. Lots of items were brand new with tags including an amazing Theory mini skirt, and a handful of fabulous true vintage pieces. I found several Vince, J. Crew and Loft items, and I tried to find both casual and dressy/more professional items so there is something for everyone,” said Jessica Greenberg, a stylist.

Catering was also provided at this event with cider and sweet treats along with a photo setup that gave Instagram followers the opportunity to take pictures with the stylists. Reclaimed Fashion was a chance for people to find affordable clothes that are in style and find them fast.

“I found two slips and a purse. The final price was almost $15 and it was worth every penny. I would most definitely go to this event again. It was fun, simple and a unique experience,” said Bryant.

With a packed store and local news coverage, Gene Watson, the original creator of this event and many of the people involved plan on the event returning and expanding from the single Tempe shop to several around the valley.

“I’m almost positive that this will happen again,” said Josie Jackson, a stylist.

Reclaimed Fashion connected thrifters with style influencers that inspire them on social media.

Maja Peirce staff writer

intrigue FEBRUARY 2018

cool kicks

Vans Old Skool Sneakers: Titled the most important shoe of the year by Vice Magazine, Vans’ Old Skool Sneaker, a skater shoe with a simple canvas, can be seen in a rainbow of different types of colors and designs across campus. Not only taking Cave Creek by storm, the $60 shoe is seen on the feet of many celebrities.

Due to the popularity, Vans has created custom, limited edition shoes designed from the original Old Skool.

Vans Checkerboard SlipOns: In 2017, the Van’s classic white slip-ons took a twist by adding a checkerboard print to the shoe. The $50 shoe became the latest easyto-wear, go-to shoe in everyone’s closet this year.

Noticeably, the classic 90’s Southern California fashion has skyrocketed Vans’ popularity this year with men’s shoes.

Adidas NMD_XR1: Coming in the colors of black and grey, Adidas released a new sneaker titled NMD_XR1.

“Designed after authentic running shoes, these men’s sneakers bring modern looks and innovative tech to the streets,” Adidas described the shoe. These shoes can be seen sported in a dayto-day fashion, at the gym, or walking the hallway.

Revealing the truth behind fast fashion.

spotlight, page 16, february 2018

Zeeb starts a new year

Mia Gilling style editor

spotlight

HUMANS OF CACTUS SHADOWS

Wrapping up her first year of teaching, Kristine Zeeb, a math teacher, reflects on the journey that has brought her to teaching in room 1003.

Starting as a student-teacher, Zeeb picked up the job mid-year last year and was hired as a Geometry teacher. This year she is teaching Pre-Calculus and Algebra 3/4.

kicks on campus

Blake Dorame captures the most popular shoes around school.

“We’ve been friends since last summer; we actually met when both of our ex-boyfriends, who were best friends, dumped us at the same time.

We learned that girls are definitely better than guys; we stick together through everything,”

Starting Out

11

At the age of 22, Zeeb knew she wanted to be a teacher after previously studying film editing.

“I went to Scottsdale Community College and got my Associates in Arts, and then became the lead technician of the film school. Then, eventually worked my way up to becoming a faculty member there and teaching film editing. I knew I wanted to do more with this kind of profession and help out kids,” said Zeeb.

Last year, Zeeb taught Geometry for a semester, and now promises she will never go back to the subject.

“I don’t like Geometry. I’m much better at teaching Algebra and Calculus. Now that I’ve taught for more than a semester for the same students, it’s so much easier. And, this year I’m dealing with juniors and seniors, which is day and night to teaching freshmen or sophomores,” said Zeeb. “My classes now are individually unique. I have so many different students with different wants and needs. There’s so much growing each kid does through these periods of their life.”

LAUREN LOCKET AND LAUREN BLAU, juniors

Making a Difference

Currently, Zeeb is learning to appreciate those special Cave Creek moments. “Teaching has taught me that everyone has their own expectations of themselves. Everybody has problems, a different way of thinking, or has struggled with some type of education. And, it’s just recognizing the fact that everyone is unique through learning and teaching. You really have to appreciate those differences in people,” Zeeb said. “No matter what happens, I try to remember after all of the politics that the most important thing is the reason I’m here is for you guys and this is why I teach.”

To Olivia Palmer, a junior in Zeeb’s Pre-Calculus class, her fourth period classroom has become much more than just a place to learn unit circles.

“Zeeb can be very real with her students. During the digital citizenship assembly when all the boys left, she gave the girls actual real advice about sexual harassment in the workplace and what to do. What she said was actually valuable,” said Palmer.

Zeeb admits that, not only did she prioritize this subject to the girls, but to the boys as well. “Generally, everyone should expect to be treated well. If they aren’t being treated well, they should be asking, ‘Is this normal? Is this weird?’ One of the biggest things I want to make sure my students know the type of communication and openness of the subject they should be having,” said Zeeb. “I want to be breaking down the barriers for women and for them to know it’s not their fault. Instead, learn exactly how to deal with the situation.”

“Fashion is a form of expression; it helped me express myself more and stand out from the crowd. I would describe my personal style as bohemian fairy,”

BRIANNA FOGELSON, a sophomore

Connections and Quirks

Known for her caffeine addiction, Zeeb claims that she’s been drinking sodas out of sippy cups since she was two years old. Once she hit the age of 14 or 15, she started drinking Red Bulls daily.

Additionally, Zeeb is also known for her obsession with Stars Wars, decorating her classroom with quotes and pictures of the cast.

“My brother was the one who really liked it. I remember whenever I was too sick to go to school, my mom would have my brother stay home with me, and we would watch Star Wars all day. After that, I really got into the books since my teacher was encouraging me to read more,” said Zeeb. “The movie and books have just been there for me through all of my struggles and I like the idea that they are just good people promoting the idea of good vs. evil.”

Julee Negron, a Pre-Calculus student, has also made a personal connection with the new teacher.

“Mrs. Zeeb is a really genuine person and cares for all of her students. Teachers tend to take her for granted since she is so young, but I’ve learned so much from her with math and the outside world,” said Negron.

Living by the quote, “If you help one student, you’ve changed the world,” that her friend once told her, Zeeb will continue to move through this year and the years to come, hoping to become a role model or mentor to each of her students.

“I’m currently listening to Migos’ new album. My favorite artist would be Oh Wonder; I like a lot of different music, but I was drawn to Oh Wonder because their sound is so unique,”

ABIGAIL NOSAN, a sophomore

4MIA GILLING

Brook Bowman staff writer

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OPINION THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

TWO PERSPECTIVES With immigration policies under scrutiny from both sides of the aisle, students examine the legality of...

‘Sanctuary Cities’

PRO- BROOK BOWMAN According to the dictionary, the word “sanctuary” means “safe haven.” In the United States, there are over 500 sanctuary cities, whose goals are to provide a safe place for people who need it. In one form or another, sanctuaries have been around since Ancient Greece, and were once even a part of the judicial system in England.

Since the early 1980s, American cities have opened up their free land to refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala while their homeland faced civil wars that killed many innocent people daily. In 1985, San Francisco was the first to pass a city ordinance that banned city police from helping federal immigration officers.

Today, sanctuary cities are synonymous with illegal immigrants, and are the cause of much controversy. In the United States, there are over 11 million undocumented immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center.

President Trump has targeted sanctuary cities and released an executive order that would expand immigration enforcement and punish local governments who do not comply. Additionally, Trump promised to withhold federal dollars from such cities. The order was later denied by a federal judge, and has not gone into effect.

Opponents of sanctuary cities often cite stories about horrible crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The most famous being the death of Kate Steinle, where Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, an illegal immigrant and convicted felon, murdered Steinle while walking down the streets of San Francisco.

However disturbing these crimes may be, statistics do not support the often-repeated cry that illegal immigrants are murdering our citizens at a higher rate than your average American. For example, a recent report by John R. Lott Jr. of the Crime Prevention Research center stated thatre 163 percent more likely to commit a first degree murder. The statistics Lott used to reach this conclusion are controversial, and there are many studies that show that immigrants are less prone to criminality than the average U.S. citizen.

Instead of attacking sanctuary cities, people should be paying attention to their message. Advocates of sanctuary cities know that, in most cases, deportation is the wrong punishment for illegal immigration, which is a breach of civil, not criminal, law. They understand, as do most judges and juries, that our laws are not perfect, and that they do not adequately protect the needs of strangers who, for the most part, have crossed the border to take work that is eagerly offered them.

Allen summed it up clearly. “No legal system can perfectly implement justice in every circumstance.

Sanctuary serves now as it has in the past as a corrective and a challenge to such imperfection. We should remember that it was once a part of the law, and it remains an effective way to reform and strengthen it.”

CON-EMMA RUSSELLO

“By enforcing this law, Governor Jerry Brown is putting the people in his state in danger.”

“Many studies that show that immigrants are less prone to criminality than the average U.S. citizen.”

A sanctuary city is a city that puts policies in place that prohibit the local police's involvement with federal immigration agencies. This is a dangerous practice that should not be allowed.

In January, a law that officially named California a sanctuary state went into effect. This law prohibits police in California from asking people about their immigration status, or from participating in some federal immigration enforcement activities, according to an article on Fox News.

By enforcing this law, Governor Jerry Brown is putting the people in his state in danger. One of the more famous cases about illegal immigrants happened in California in 2015 when, in San Francisco, a 32 year old woman named Kate Steinle was brutally shot while walking down a well-known pier with her father.

The man who fatally shot her was an illegal immigrant with a criminal record who had slipped into the United States five times before. He should have been deported for the sixth time, but, since San Francisco was a sanctuary city, they did not contact any immigration agencies when he was picked up for other charges.

The illegal immigrant was acquitted of all crimes in November, 2017, except for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This raised much debate, and the illegal man that killed an innocent women, was sent back to Mexico, only to most likely re-enter the country illegally again, according to an article on CNN. Time and time again, one hears on the news about an illegal immigrant involved in a criminal activity, who had been protected by sanctuary cities. One of which includes, in Portland, an illegal immigrant who brutally raped a 65 year old woman to the point of almost killing her in her own home. Prior to that, he was released into the community instead of being deported by the Portland police.

Supporters of sanctuary cities believe that federal immigration deportation policies are unjust because they cause police to arrest anyone who looks like an immigrant, and causes people to live in constant fear of deportation. For many people here illegally, being sent back home is cause for fear for their lives.

However, in a study of Arizona done by John R. Lott Jr. in early 2018, the president of the Crime Prevention Research center, he found that, based on data from 1985 to 2017, undocumented immigrants are at least 146 percent more likely to be convicted of crime than other Arizonans, and 163 percent more likely to commit a first degree murder.

Violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants do not only occur in sanctuary cities, but it should be a wake up call to those cities that are.

Supporters of sanctuary cities are putting their fellow citizens at risk by allowing criminals to remain in the country illegally. It is one thing to provide a safe haven for people who are escaping bad situations. It is another thing to allow known criminals to be here. Leaders of these sanctuary cities should focus on making our country safer for everyone.

\SARA WINDOM

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ‘SANCTUARY CITIES’?

CONNOR SCHMID, FRESHMAN “I think sanctuary cities should be allowed as long as they are allowing people in from countries that have a lot of bad stuff going on, and if they are not doing bad stuff in America, then it is okay.”

HARTMAN LARSON, SENIOR “I don’t support sanctuary cities, I feel that if they are going to come here, they need to do it legally.”

CARMEN LOPEZ, JUNIOR

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COMPETING FOR

THE CROWN

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

1. WALK OF THE GODS Michael Marchica, a senior, strutted his stuff in DIY toga, made out of teenage mutant ninja turtle bed sheets. “My favorite part of the show was the talent portion because I thought everyone had great talents and it was a blast to watch,” said Marchica. 4 SARA WINDOM 2. GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME Walter Denzak and Tyler Phillips, both juniors, performed ‘Getchs Head in the Game’ from High School Musical. The boys practiced the choreography with their pageant coaches, Emma Bernaud and Haley Rudee, both juniors.

“Practicing for the show was a lot of work, but I had a great time being on stage for the first time ever,” said Phillips. 4SARA WINDOM

Boys of all grade levels participated in Mr. Cactus Shadows, an annual pageant complete with fashion, talent, dating, and school spirit competitions.

“I feel like sanctuary cities should be allowed because everyone should have the equal right to live and work here.”

4SEAN GANNON

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3 3. HOW FAR HE’LL GO Chase Kirby, a junior, lip synced ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from ‘Moana.’ “Even though I got cut, I still had a lot of fun participating,” said Kirby. 4MIA GILLING 4. C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G Dustin Styles, a senior, sang ‘The Campfire Song’ from Spongebob during the talent portion of the show. Styles also played guitar for Benji Gerst and Jack Skummer, both juniors. 4MIA

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8. MOVIN’ AND GROOVIN’ Michael Barnett, Michael Marchica, and Dylan Bowman, all seniors, performed the opening dance with fellow Mr. Cactus Shadows contestants. “Performing in Mr. Cactus Shadows was definitely worth the free prom ticket,” said Barnett. 4SARA WINDOM 9. SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT Walter Denzak, a junior, wore a frat-themed toga for the fashion segment of Mr. Cactus Shadows.

Denzak’s coaches Karli Koskovich and Emily Shimkus, both juniors, helped prepare him for the show. “It was fun doing the show because all of the guys were super funny,” said Denzak. 4SARA WINDOM 10. TOGA TIME Adam Busbee, a sophomore, showed off his toga for the pageant judges. “Coming up with funny ideas and being around all of the guys was the best,” said Busbee. 4SARA WINDOM

GILLING

5. NICKY FIERI Nicky Wintermeyer, a

senior, dressed up as Guy Fieri and made a “Southwest smoothie” which included ingredients such as hot dogs, thin mints, hot sauce, and raw eggs. “My favorite part of Mr. Cactus Shadows was spending time with my friends,” said Wintermeyer. 4MIA GILLING 6. ONE MAN BANDZack Paul, a senior, sang ‘Holy Cannoli’ by Walter Mitty and his Makeshift Orchestra as his talent, which included a kazoo solo.“I liked having the chance to poke fun at myself a bit alongside my peers and get a laugh out of my close friends,” said Paul. 4MIA GILLING 7. DRESS UP Lucas Seton, a junior, modeled his toga, which his pageant coaches, Mason Schmid and Tori Raines, both juniors, helped him make. “Getting together with a really funny group of guys and doing a show with them was really fun,” said Seton. 4SARA WINDOM

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h march march march march march march march march march march march march march mar style, page 18, march 2018 style

spring has sprung Take your spring style to the next level with these trends.

DIY SILK SCREEN

Try printing your own t-shirts by following these steps.

Step 1:

You will to need the following: a screen which you can handily DIY or buy online, emulsion, sensitizer, a squeegee or a card with a straight edge, lots of newspaper to stop any ink from damaging the surface you’re working on, ink, a source of strong light, a design printed on transparency paper, and a dim room.

Step 2:

SILK, SATIN, AND SLIP DRESSES: Shiny fabrics are everywhere this spring, but so is the simple slip dress. Combine these two trends into one by rocking a shimmering slip.

Pictured: Aubrie Gilling, a freshman, in an Urban Outfitters slip dress and a thrifted sweater.

TRANSPARENCIES: Sheer fabrics are making a statement on both runways and in stores. Style a see-through top over a tank or pair a mesh longsleeve under a loose top to create this look.

Pictured: Hannah Iserhott, a freshman, in a thrifted sheer top over a Topshop tank.

FLORAL: Flower-clad clothing pieces have been trending in spring style for decades, but this year, bold florals are taking the spotlight.

In a dim room, prepare a large, flat surface with newspaper. First, start by adding water to the sensitizer, pour that into the emulsion, and mix it up the emulsion until it’s a consistent green color. Start by pouring a small portion of the emulsion mix on both sides of the screen and spread it out using the squeegee. Make sure that this process is as even as possible.

Step 3:

Pictured: Kamryn Bartkus, a freshman, in a Brandy Melville off-the-shoulder top, Zara pants, and checkered Vans slip-ons.

Then, leave in to completely dry in to dark for a few hours or overnight. At this point, you’ll want your design printed out on transparency paper. You can do that at any printing service. Once the screen is dry, lay the transparency paper on top of the screen and use a strong light to let it burn into the screen for about an hour. Once its design is burned into the screen, rinse off the screen with cold water and it should reveal your image.

Step 4:

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NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

A

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

Put the fabric under the screen and pour ink on the top of the screen. Then, spread the ink out with the squeegee at a 45 degree angle going left, right, up, and down Continue this until you feel the ink has been spread evenly.

PASTELS: Making a comeback with each spring season are pastels. Light purples, yellows, pinks, and blues will be trending this spring.

Pictured: Angelina Gegaj, a freshman, in a thrifted pastel jacket and Forever 21 dress.

PLAID: Carrying from summer to fall/winter to spring, a staple plaid piece never goes out of style. This spring, plaid blazers and plaid pants are especially trending.

Pictured: Caitlyn Taylor, a freshman, in a thrifted blazer.

POLKA DOTS: The newest trend for spring is the polka dot print.

Pair any polka dotted piece with jeans for an easy, fashion-forward spring look.

Step 5:

Pictured: Alexis Nelson, a sophomore, in a thrifted polka dot blouse.

Mia Gilling

style and photo editor

Lastly, remove the screen from the fabric and leave the ink to dry. Now, you have your new custom shirt, bag, blanket, or whatever you desire. Repeat step four on as many fabrics with your design as much as you would like.

Brook Bowman and Annie Sogaard

Arizona legislators propose new education bills

staff writers

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MARCH 2018 intrigue

S

AZMerit, a standardized test administered by the state of Arizona, slowly approaches next month, scores from previous years are questioned again.

Within the first year of the revamped AZMerit testing, grades between 9th and 11th struggled to maintain a proficient level of understanding in English language arts according to Arizona Department of Education. Additionally, results showed that high school students had lower scores than middle or elementary students in each subject. AzCentral reported that in 2015, 43 percent of third graders were “minimally proficient” in reading and were at potential risk of being held back a grade.

Whereas Arizona’s Institute to Measure Standards, a previous Arizona standardized test, required a passing grade in order for a student to graduate, AZMerit does not. Therefore, the difficulty of AZMerit leaves students not caring for the outcome of score without consequences.

Steven Bebee, principal, unveiled a new plan to increase student incentive.

“AZMerit will impact your grade in a positive way, and not a negative way, this year. It is basically extra credit for those who take the test seriously,” said Bebee.

In previous years, it’s become difficult for students to give their full attention to the test. A poll from CSPress that surveyed 116 students from Cactus Shadows, said that 86 percent did not take the AZMerit seriously. Likewise, many students have been con-

fused on the reasoning for doing AZMerit. One of those students is Devon Molina, a junior.

“I’ve never really been a fan of AZMerit nor have I understood why we have to do it. So, I don’t really care about it when I’m taking the test,” said Molina.

While some pupils may not see the point in doing well on the assessment, this severely impacted the school.

“Many students didn’t take the test seriously, just like Newspaper’s poll showed. If you have pride in your school, I would think you would want to take it seriously. If we would of just had half of the campus put in effort, we would of been ranked an ‘A’ school this year.

Although it doesn’t impact your graduation, it does impact our

“Within the first year of the revamped AZMerit testing, grades between ninth and eleventh struggled to maintain a proficient level of understanding in English language arts according to Arizona Department of Education.”

STUDY, STUDY Michael Chmura, a senior, ditches the AZMerit, instead spending his time preparing for the SAT. “I wish I had known earlier that I could have just taken the SAT instead of doing both,” said Chmura. 4SARA WINDOM

school and they way we are perceived to the community,” said Bebee.

“I believe AZMerit was introduced to be a more advanced and improved form of standardized testing but sadly failed to meet its goal. From a student perspective, AZMerit is often not aligned with our coursework and the format is often difficult to navigate,” said Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

Despite the fact, Ozaki still cares and always tries his best while taking the test since he believes it can impact his future.

Yet it is no secret that Arizona has a continuous problem with education. It is currently ranked 43 in education by the US News and World Report. Legislatures have cut over one billion dollars from Arizona’s K-12 education since 2009. As a result, Arizona has been experiencing for the past two years one of the worst teacher shortages with thousands of classrooms needing teachers.

“The shortage of teachers has definitely impacted our scores. Teachers impact everything that happen on campus. The better the teacher and the better they teach it then the better off the student,” said Bebee.

In recent events, the Arizona Board of Education approved of high school students to skip out on the AZMerit and instead be required to take a college-entrance exam. Yet, the school will be required to pay for the test. Administration is already requiring all juniors to take the SAT for free on March 21 during school hours.

Additionally, this year, Arizona legislators are introducing two new bills, the House Bill 2037 and Senate Bill 1411. The House Bill 2037 proposes that high school juniors would be required to take the SAT or ACT at no cost which might replace the AZMerit. The Senate Bill 1411 would extend the state’s school letter-grade system. The current system is mostly based on AZMerit scores, but could now give a grade based on school performance.

New robotics club plans for upcoming competitions Team ‘Galactic Gears’ announces partnership with Bella Vista Preparatory School and begins fund raising.

By MAJA PEIRCE g staff writer

Robotics Club gears up to start competing in tournaments during the next school year. Every Wednesday, the club meets to strategize ways to fund raise, recruit more members, and build robots.

“I saw a poster for it in middle school and decided to just go for it.

Now, I’m the treasurer,” said Ryan

Donnellan, a freshman.

Many of the Robotics Club members have transferred from Sonoran Trails Middle School, where robotics is a fairly prevalent group. They have already been to competitions and built robots prior to this year.

Since robotics club is new on campus they have spent a lot of time trying to raise money in order

to partake in competitions next year.

“As of a couple weeks ago, we started partnering with Bella Vista Preparatory School and their robotics team. So this next week we’re meeting with them to discuss what they want to do,” said Sasha Sypkens, club sponsor and a science teacher.

The team missed the deadline

for the first robotics competition, which is generally in January, but there are other smaller competitions that the club is considering.

One of the most prevalent in the area, VEX, invites high school students to compete at the Arizona State University Tempe campus.

“There's many teams trying to help each other out. It gets really competitive and difficult,” said

Sebastian Cuc, club president.

Before competitions, the robotics team builds a robot and at the competition they will be given several tasks to perform and the judges decide what robot does each task the most efficiently.

After teaming up with Bella Vista Preparatory School, the team settled on the name “Galactic Gears” for their next competition.

h march march march march march march march march march march march march march mar

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NEWS THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Student Council organizes updated lip dub production

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

Four years ago, students and faculty participated in the school’s first lip dub in order to promote Falcon pride. The video shows students lip-syncing to their favorite music while exhibiting school pride. This April, Student Council is recreating the lip dub and adding a new tradition to Cactus Shadows.

Cameron Bender, the adviser for Student Council, was there for the first and now the second lip dub.

“We think it’s important to have fun at school. We’re proud to be Falcons, so it’s a great way to showcase student’s strengths and personalities. The first lip dub had such a strong impact on school spirit and unity, that we thought it would be a good focus for us this semester,” said Bender.

Through homecoming, prom, and now the lip dub, Student Council members tend to make the whole process look easy. In reality, months of preparation goes into making the ten minute video.

“First, we have lip dub auditions that are open to the whole student body. Next, we mapped

the route, started planning with club presidents and team captains, ordered all the props like confetti cannons and colored powder for the color party, booked a DJing company, and finally held our first practice,” said Bender.

After the first few practice, Bender stated that Stuco continues to have another practice with the student body and follow up with lip dubbers, clubs, and teams until the big day.

Since the first Lip Dub aired across Youtube, recent members of Student Council have been awaiting to recreate this moment once again. Ryan Pogemiller, a junior, has been in Student Council since his freshman year.

“I think the lip dub helps bring pride, because everyone gets to participate in something at least once. I’m looking forward the most to seeing the final product.

It’s going to be awesome,” said Pogemiller.

One of the 81 lip dubbers, Morgan Mullenmeister, a junior, auditioned in order to be more involved in showing school spirit.

“I’m really looking forward to

working with everyone because a big variety of people tried out, and my partner is amazing. It seems like a really fun way to show school spirit,” said Mullenmeister.

Mullenmeister, along with all other lip dubbers, are currently going through rehearsals during advisory, lunch, and after school in order to learn the choreography and be ready for the real thing.

“We’re hoping that students will have tons of fun on lip dub day. We’re excited for the whole school to get together to show falcon pride. It also helps to reignite school spirit in the spring,” said Bender.

This year, the Lip Dub will be on April 25 and includes 81 lip dubbers with a mashup of 15 songs. Stuco has asked students to dress in all white or school pride colors for the color party that will take place after the lipdub.

“We think it’s important to have fun at school. We’re proud to be Falcons, so it’s a great way to showcase student’s strengths and personalities.”

Cameron Bender, Student Council adviser.

MOST OF THE SCHOOL participated in

the 2014 Lip Dub . To view the previous Lip Dub video scan this QR code. 4 SEAN GROSS

Teachers continued from page 1

4 SARA WINDOM

whose mother is a cousnelor at Sonoran Trails.

Seeing her mother protest set an example for Creek, saying that her actions inspire her to stand up for herself and others.

“No one can comprehend the issue at hand like the first hand witnesses,” said Creek.

Students from early elementary years to high school are also backing up the protests.

“It’s important. Teachers in Arizona do need to get paid more,” said Riley James, a sophomore.

Several of James’ teachers are in support of Red for Ed. Members encourage students, parents, teachers and all other citizens to get involved.

“We cannot stop, we cannot rest for even one second, we must continue to act,” said Karvelis.

After the march, Arizona Educators United gained more than 20,000 new Facebook members, the Republic reported.

trending now, page 17, april 2018

Trending through the decade...

trending

PLAYING THE WAY THROUGH TIME Video games have advanced quickly over the past 10 years with the introduction of new tech including virtual reality, first person shooters, and arena style games.

Most recently, the game Fortnite has been the game to play. Players start out with nothing but a pickaxe, and must gather materials to build defenses, find weapons, shields, and traps. The arena filled with 100 players gradually shrinks, causing all players to converge at one point.

Other popular video games include Call of Duty: World War 2 and Battlefield 1. As most video game developers are steering more toward futuristic themes, Sledgehammer Games and EA are aiming for a more historic theme. While Battlefield 1 was released before Call of Duty: World War 2, many fans of EA’s new game claimed that Sledgehammer was copying them with the idea of a historical game.

Virtual reality, the latest advancement in video game technology, allows for users to play certain video games with a virtual reality headset and two motion sensing handles. Some games that are intended for virtual reality play smoothly and run well with the given technology. Other games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, created in 2011 were ported to work with virtual reality systems and play clunky and sluggish.

A NEW VISION

tech editor

FROM FLIP TO FLAT

Avianna Hoppes staff writer

intrigue APRIL 2018

In 2008, the world witnessed events like the first black president of the United States to be voted into office, the Britney Spears meltdown, the start of the recession, and the end of High School Musical. But in fashion, silly bandz were born alongside snapbacks and waist belts.

In response to the the early 2000s, 2008 ditched the crop tops and the miniskirts for boot-cut jeans and tank-tops. Thus, becoming the year of loose fitting, laidback style.

According to Vogue, runway fashion was also was similar to street fashion. Models like Naomi Campbell and Natalia Vodianova walked down the runways of 2008 New York Fashion Week wearing bootcut jeans, faux fur, and bright colors.

A few trends from 2008 are bright tights and high waisted shorts. Many stores displayed tights in colors pink, purple, blue, green, etc. Slowly, this trend turned into bright leggings. High shorts were also a brief trend in 2008.

In addition, many fashion trends included Ray Bans glass or otherwise known as “nerd glasses”, boho headbands, and belts tied around the chest.

Celebrities like Kanye West, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Beyonce were all seen partaking in these trends during 2008.

10 years later, many people are wearing offthe-shoulder tops, shoes like Old Skool Vans and Adidas Superstars, and jean skirts. According to Elle Magazine, the X-girl sunglasses, fanny packs, and the color red are going to be the hottest fashion trends of 2018.

staff writer

Sean Gannon

From 2008, when most digital communication was done via email, to now in 2018 where most people prefer texting, communication has transformed over the last 10 years.

Phone bills and texting have evolved. For example, most phone companies made customers pay for minutes on phone calls and pay per text. Now all phones have unlimited talk and text based on different phone plans, which did not exist on cell phones in 2008.

From flip phones to smartphones, this generation has owned some sort of technology. The percentage of teens owning phones keeps increasing.

Another major change in communication in the last decade is social media. In 2008, the top social media sites were, blogs, Facebook, and Myspace.

The top sites today are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube. In 2008, there was roughly 300 million users, but now in 2018 there are 2.3 billion users. Chat rooms have become more common and people now rely on social media for communication.

FASHION FORWARD

Brook Bowman

2018

school funding on March 28.

kids and hating education since state inception, and it’s getting old,” said Hazeltine.

“In many respects, you get what you vote for.

When you vote a legislature in that does not value public education at all, when you vote a governor in who thinks he’s the education governor but is anything but that, you get what you get.”

Because of the situation Arizona schools are under, many teachers are inclined to move West, heading to New Mexico, California, or to Nevada to increase their pay by $15,000 to $20,000.

However, some teachers do not believe they should have to move in order to make a livable wage, and activists do not think they should leave the state in such disarray.

“It is my belief that teachers should be one of the highest paying jobs nationally, because they do just as much meaningful work as doctors and lawyers do,” said Mali Creek, a senior

2008

HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS and students from Arizona gathered to protest teacher pay and

First and foremost, Arizona comes in dead last for education, ranking 50th nationally.

This is largely attributed to a few factors, including low pay, a stressful work environment, and an overtone of disrespect for the profession. This causes a disconnect for many qualified professors.

Additionally, “West Virginia consists of about 20,000 teachers in 55 school districts. Arizona is estimated to have about 60,000 active classroom teachers in more than 200 school districts and a public charter sector of 550 schools,” Ricardo Cano and Angel Mendoza reported for The Republic.

Among the faculty taking the Capitol by storm was Chris Hazeltine, an English teacher at Sonoran Trails Middle School.

“I’m a veteran teacher who, after 20 years, is making $43,000 a year, and I’m a native Arizonan who has experienced Arizona hating

Television shows influence a big part of culture, and the shows that kids, teens and young adults watch now are very different to ones kids used to watch around 10 or more years ago.

For example, a new show that a lot of teenagers and adults are raving about is This is Us. This show represents the modern culture that a lot of young adults are used to seeing, as well as shows modern plot lines that a lot of people can relate to.

A parallel to This is Us could be Grey’s Anatomy.

Although this show is still on today, it was around in 2008, making the older shows a lot different then the newer ones. In the older episodes, smartphones were not around, and the culture they talk about is very different.

Another example of television shows is regarding Disney channel, K.C. Undercover is a popular choice among kids today. The clothes and way the actors in the show talk are similar to the modern times.

Suite Life of Zack and Cody started, and in the next couple years the show was a really big hit for kids. There were no iPhones in the show, and the way the actors dressed fully represented the era.

Emma Russello travel editor

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Natural state

SIERRA FLUEGEL, embraces her surroundings while sitting in a tent at an Arizona campground. Exploring ones surroundings, fishing and hiking are just some activities one can participate in while camping. 4 ANNALEE BARNETT

The vast wilderness of Arizona holds towering mountains, hidden valleys, and treacherous canyons, all of which are an ideal spot for anyone looking to camp.

“I love camping, there’s just something about getting out there and enjoying the peace and quiet that Arizona has to offer,” said Casey Douglas, a senior.

Douglas has camped in many places throughout Arizona as well as other states, his favorite spot being in Payson.

Due to Arizona’s high geographic diversity, the options for camping are plentiful. North lies the red rocks of Sedona, the forests of Flagstaff, and the seventh wonder of the world, the Grand Canyon. South holds the mountainous wilderness of Tucson and the Superstition Mountains.

“My favorite thing about camping has to be the opportunity to be out in nature and enjoy being outside” said Lauren Finley, a senior.

Finley has camped in several locations, including the Havasupai Reservation, which is home to a multi-

tude of different waterfalls.

Obtaining a permit to camp in the Havasu canyon is considered a very difficult task due to the fact that permits sell out in the first two weeks it opens.

Havasu draws visitors from all around the world, all of whom are looking for a permit.

There are several places in Arizona where a permit is required to camp such as Fossil Creek and select areas of the Grand Canyon. However, obtaining a permit is not an impossible task.

While packing for a camping trip, it is most important to pack with location in mind.

“When we go camping, we bring our huge camper, so we pretty much bring the entire kitchen,” said Brittney Dodd, an English teacher.

Depending on the place and intensity of the trip, different supplies are needed.

Annalee Barnett sports editor

IB goes international Every year, students who are participating in the IB program take a trip abroad to see different cultures and gain a better understanding of the world.

Brook Bowman staff writer

Each year before graduation, IB seniors await the moment they have been anticipating since they joined: their senior trip.

In the past, seniors have traveled to Costa Rica, Berlin, and many other places. This year, for 10 days, Rachel Curnutt and 11 of her peers traveled to Madrid, Barcelona, Florence, Venice, and Rome.

“I am looking forward to seeing significant historical monuments and learning about a culture other than my own. I am also excited to eat authentic Spanish and Italian food because it is some of my favorite. There, I am going to see important buildings and monuments and

immerse myself in the country's culture by eating the food, learning some of the language, and shopping,” said Curnutt, a senior and this year’s valedictorian.

International Baccalaureate organization, also known as IB, is a high school honors program different from the typical AP courses.

Instead, it is a two-year structured program with many requirements in order to be awarded a diploma alongside a high school diploma.

“IB has helped me to build a strong work ethic and has shown colleges that I am academically dedicated so that I have a higher chance of being admitted. It has also made me more

globally aware and cognizant of the implications of world events,” said Curnutt.

What made the trip so special for students is that they got to experience the world alongside the teachers that helped them through their IB journey. Andrew Cupo, the IB theater teacher, has been chaperoning the trip for years.

“The trip absolutely helps them. We come home and their understanding of the world becomes so different,” said Cupo.

Throughout the trip, seniors visited museums, historical places, and learned about the culture around them. This trip serves a purpose of exposing students to the world around them

and fully preparing them for their lives after graduation.

“One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to be in a different country with some of my best friends. And, I learned how to be more comfortable using my Spanish in another country,” said Megan Rose, senior and salutatorian.

With one two more months until graduation, the trip gives IB students an opportunity to celebrate all of their accomplishments and hard work from the past four years.

tech, page 21, april 2018 TECH

THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS

Brook Bowman staff writer

APRIL 13, 2018 ■ 9

New age radio Podcasts have become the new happy medium between radio and streaming services for smart phones.

WGRACE HAYCRAFT

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

12

APRIL 2018 intrigue

4SEAN GANNON

“When the week was done, I was a bit underwhelmed.

I knew that I did not have a huge dependence on social media to begin with, but I surprised myself at how easily I was able to give up apps like Instagram.”

SOCIAL OUTCAST? Would a week with social media make me a ...

By KATELYN REINHART g spotlight editor

“This no social media thing is going to kill me,” I sent to my friend in a Snapchat message.

When I saw the article idea on the board, I welcomed the challenge and volunteered right away. Maybe it was for self-discovery, maybe it was just me being a teenager and trying to prove that I was not obsessed with Instagram.

Either way, the results surprised me.

I put all of my social media apps in a separate folder on my phone, and they remained unopened for an entire week.

Before I started, I needed a clear definition of what qualifies as social media.

Facebook and Instagram were obvious no-go’s, but video media such as YouTube remained on the nice list. My only concern was with Snapchat, where I do the majority of my messaging, as well as read news articles.

With a frown on my face, I accepted that Snapchat would have to go in the “do not

touch” folder. Out of all of the apps kept in that folder, Snapchat was the most difficult to stay away from.

Giving away my username and password to my boyfriend so he could keep up my streaks was a mundane source of calm. I went into the week with no worries and an instinct to Snapchat message people instead of using actual text, but I felt relatively confident.

The first few days were rough, but not in an obsessive way.

I saw how many times I would usually pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram in dull moments and there were a few absent-minded close calls. It was less about needing to see other people’s posts or sending things to my Snapchat story, but more about breaking a habit.

Surprisingly, Instagram was an easy habit to break. Maybe it’s because I follow mostly shops and very few people, but Instagram did not put up much of a fight to stay at the forefront of my mind.

The one thing that I actually found difficult in my week without social media was the

lack of instant information.

I found out that Stephen Hawking died from a class discussion the next day, and I could not help but sit in the classroom and resent that everyone had known about it but me. Through the week, a general lack of information was the only thing I really missed out on.

When the week was done, I was a bit underwhelmed. I knew that I did not have a huge dependence on social media to begin with, but I surprised myself at how easily I was able to give up apps like Instagram.

I thought I would struggle my way through the week and discover that yes, I actually do have an unhealthy dependence on validation through likes and comments.

None of that proved true.

I went into the week wanting to learn more about myself and my relationship with social media, and I exited the week with the feeling that I could have gone a lot longer without it. Aside from the availability of current events, I can honestly say I surprised myself at how much I did not need social media to get through the week.

In 2014, the Serial, an investigative journalism podcast, kicked off the podcast boom around the world. Now, podcasts have become a new, popular form of digital audio media that allows people to listen to content while on the go, at home, or for fun with millions of different genres to choose from.

“I think podcasts can be a really engaging format for learning and listening about specific topics of interests,” said Jacob Bombaci, a history teacher.

Sean McGregor and Ryan Bartholomew, freshmen, have joined in on the fun by creating This Creeker Life, a podcast for the CSPress online.

Each week, they put out a new podcast that discusses topics like the Academy Awards, Food in Cave Creek, and New Years Resolutions.

“It’s fun for us to be able to do something we like for a grade in our class.

It’s interesting to see the work that goes into creating content,” said McGregor.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, 68 million people between the ages of 18 to 34 listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, which is about one in four people across the United States.

With a new form of media comes a new form of advertising. In 2017, advertisers spent 220 million dollars in sponsorships without any data on whether people were listening to the ads. Apple recently launched Apple’s Podcast Analytics which will help advertisers and producers of podcast understand what listeners are listening to.

“Podcasts have probably gained so much popularity because they are easy to listen to. Just like music, you can listen to them on your phone on any streaming platform, which brings in a lot of advertisers,” said Bartholomew.

Since the attention from Serial, This American Life, and the Joe Rogan Experience, many other types of genres like comedy, news, or storytelling have risen from iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, or Stitcher With only a year of data, Wired Magazine reported that Apple’s analytics show that over 90 percent of listeners are listening to the each full episode without skipping any ads. This makes podcasts the new gold mine of the digital age.

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may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may front page, page 1, may 2018 THE

PRESS

The newspaper of Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona

THE MAY 18, 2018 ISSUE

A FORCE IN MOTION, teachers staged a walk in to bring attention to low funding across the state.

Shortly after, the Cave Creek Unified School District participated in the 6 day strike. 4 BLAKE DORAME

WHAT’S INSIDE

5

15

GET LIT The Yearbook and Literary Magazine staff release their 2018 editions.

Brook Bowman talks to the staff and advisers of the publications to get a closer look into the production process.

TEACHERS STRIKE BACK

OBSOLETE OBSTACLES Michael Marchica, a senior, paves his way to state, winning the 300 meter hurdles. Griffin Goldstein reports on his road to the top.

“I believe schools should’ve stayed closed until a genuine change was made.”

Following walk-ins, marches, and protests, educators launched a historic state-wide strike for higher pay and more sufficient funding.

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

Dressed in red, Arizona’s educators conducted an historic 6-day strike, that lasted from April 26th to May 3rd, to protest the lack of school funding and teacher pay.

Many districts, Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD) included, were forced to close for that period. However, CCUSD did open up doors on Monday, unlike many large districts in the state such as Scottsdale Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, and Peoria Unified School District.

The walkout caused a lot of controversy among parents, students, administration, teachers, and community members, with many voicing strong opinions on both sides.

“I completely agree with the motivation behind the strikes because I believe our teachers deserve higher pay and schools need increased funding in order to provide the best possible education for students. I think the results of the strikes will positively impact our education in the future,” said Amanda Carlson, a junior and stu-

dent at Desert Mountain Many students and teachers questioned why CCUSD seemed to be the only ones back at school.

As the bulk of the strike raged on, at Cactus Shadows, 24 teachers were missing from their desks on Monday morning.

“Personally, I believe schools should’ve stayed closed until a genuine change was made. I respect teachers for standing up for themselves. But, I also know that there are a number of details not available to me as a student,” said Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

Debbi Burdick, Superintendent, made the decision to open schools on Monday based on the number of teachers who planned to be at school.

“We knew we had enough staff to safely supervise students and safety is always our first concern,” said Burdick.

According to Burdick, most of the smaller districts in Arizona reopened on Monday, and some did not close at all. Those that did not stay open were large districts that did not have enough supervision.

Gabe Ozaki, a junior.

See Red for Ed on page 3

news, page 3, may 2018 THE CACTUS SHADOWS PRESS NEWS

May 18, 2018 ■ 3

Facebook under fire following testimony in Congress

T

By KASSIDY WHEELER g staff writer

STRIKE OUT, Karson Shipp, a history teacher, leads a group of around 50 educators from the community in a walk in. Shipp shared a speech rallying his colleagues in the fight for higher funding and teacher pay. 4BLAKE DORAME

HE introduction of social media presents a variety of online risks. With just a few clicks, people have immediate access to friends, family, and their personal interests. Leisures activities that they partake in are displayed online for others to see.

Where they shop, what they buy, where they work, their likes and dislikes, and how they live their

Facebook is one of the most powerful and profitable businesses in the world, but with all that power comes responsibility.

Protecting the privacy of billions of people is a difficult challenge.

“Using our information to influence how we think isn’t really good, and showing us ads with our personal information to influence us is a really bad thing,” said Jered Moore, a junior.

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, recently appeared in front of the U.S. Congress to discuss the role that Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm in the United Kingdom that worked for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, might have had in accessing the data of nearly 90 million people.

They used this information to sway voters opinions during the 2016 presidential election. Reports in The New York Times and The Observer of London suggest that the private data of tens of millions of Facebook accounts had been obtained by Cambridge Analytica, which also was found to be attempting to influence British voters and their opinions about the referendum to leave

‘Facebook connects nearly 2.1 billion people around the world. Facebook is one of the most powerful and profitable businesses in the world, but with all that power comes responsibility.

Protecting the privacy of billions of people is a difficult challenge.” lives can all be accessed easily.

Recently, the debate between whether or not social media companies such as Facebook have the right to gather and sell private information has gained attention.

Facebook connects nearly 2.1 billion people around the world.

the European Union.

Cambridge Analytica denies these claims, despite reports that nearly all of Facebook’s users had their private data taken from an outside source due to faulty security designs. It was discovered that a developer working with Facebook had shared the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent.

This private data played a critical part in the 2016 presidential election, because Cambridge Analytica used it without the user’s knowledge to place ads to sway voters for Donald Trump.

The issue with this type of political advertising is not that this strategy uses advertisements to sway voters, but that private information was used without permission to manipulate the vote.

Social media sites use tracking technology to monitor how their users react to certain things they see while on their platform and the Internet.

When this is applied in politics, it can deeply impact the emotions and opinions of voters. Using personal data based on demographics, political preferences, cultural perspectives, and biases, Cambridge Analytica created a “Custom Audience” on Facebook. Using the tracked past behavior of this audience from older Facebook posts and other online activities, it was able to determine which types

of advertisements would appeal to them. From there, they used another tool called a “Lookalike Audience,” which created fake Facebook groups similar to those in the custom audience.

They were then able to deliver advertising messages and posts that would appeal to specific voters and reinforce their personal biases with what appeared to be many groups on Facebook that shared these same opinions.

These groups were also used to share false information.

“I think our privacy is important, and it’s better to have it protected. People need to be told if something has happened to their private information so they can do something about it,” said Jessica Brophy, a junior.

There are no laws in the United States that regulate Facebook to alert users when a data breach has occurred. Europe recently passed the General Protection Regulation, which requires social networking companies, such as Facebook, to disclose within 72 hours if there has been a privacy breach, and it also governs how private information is stored.

“I would support the government telling social media companies what they can and cannot do with people’s information in order to better control the use of personal information,” said Molly Gum, a psychology teacher.

Social media has been around for about 20 years, and was

used previously during Barack Obama’s presidential run, when his campaign set up a Facebook app for supporters to donate funds, learn how to register to vote, and learn where to vote.

This app asked permission to scan photos, friends lists, and news feeds. Many users agreed to these terms, and knew their information could be used to support Obama’s campaign.

However, the friends of the people who installed or accessed the app did not agree to the same terms, and they were exposed to advertisements in an attempt to capture votes. The data more recently obtained by Cambridge Analytica was not in compliance or even acknowledged by user agreement, which was different from how the Obama campaign used social media in 2012.

The debate about social media and personal privacy continues. The government has rarely taken action to defend privacy rights like this. Many people, until recently, were unaware of how social media compromised their privacy.

With increasing government scrutiny and public understanding, what happens next remains to be seen. One thing is certain though, social media has changed the world dramatically, and will continue to change the world in the future.

Red for Ed continued from page 1

CCUSD made the decision to close Thursday and Friday because the district did not have enough staff to adequately provide safe supervision for students.

Of those 24 teachers who were out on Monday, one of them was Geoff Johnson, a history teacher. Johnson gave many reasons for walking out, but his main concern is classroom size. When Johnson first started teacher at Cactus Shadows fourteen years ago, his normal class consisted of 27 students, which already exceeded the average rate. Now, in 2018, his biggest class has 39 students.

“Education has been taken for granted. You look at the system and kids go through it, they graduate, move on, and start contributing to society. And, they remember a few of their teachers, their good experiences with them, and they look back nicely on them. So, everyone thinks that the education system is doing fine,” said Johnson. “We paint the buildings on the outside, we build new football stadiums, we put an A+ on the side of our campus. These are all great things, but it’s not a good indicator of what is happening inside our schools.”

Governor Ducey signed the budget, which included

increased funding to schools for next year. As a result, CCUSD announced a ten percent pay raise for all teachers.

As a single father, Johnson is excited for the pay raise.

“In my opinion, teachers should be the number one paid profession in the United States, because everybody has to go to school,” said Steve Bebee, principal.

Arizona Educators United, the group that organized the walkout, called for it to end after an all-night legislative session led to the approval of the budget. This budget is expected to bring teachers a 20 percent pay raise and millions of dollars in funding by 2020.

“We will return to our schools, classrooms, and students knowing that we have achieved something truly historic.

We should take pride in what we have accomplished, and in the movement that we have created together,” tweeted the Arizona Education Association, the state’s teacher organization.

The teachers walkout has been called the first and largest teacher strike in Arizona, and is certainly something that many have never seen before.

“I was in education in Illinois and experienced a 3 week

strike there. However, that was for an individual district, not a state. This walkout has been a unique grass roots effort that is unprecedented,” said Burdick.

One of the many things to inspire the movement was the February West Virginia’s teacher strike. The teachers there staged a 9-day strike that included over 34,000 teachers, according to the Nation Magazine. As a result, educators received a pay raise, healthcare benefits, and additional school funding.

Many educators, including Johnson, were motivated by West Virginia’s movement to take a stance for themselves, future teachers, and their students.

“When we saw that, we were moved by it and decided that we need to start at least educating the community. I, personally, didn’t anticipate it starting in a walkout. But by looking at it, I was inspired and moved by what those teachers did,” said Johnson.

Following the walkout, teachers began reporting back to classrooms by Thursday or the following Monday.

“I am excited to offer a 10% raise for our teachers next year,” said Burdick.

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NEWS

May 18, 2018 ■ 5

Cave Creek woman accused of attempting to murder husband

By MAJA PEIRCE g staff writer

Since August 21, 2017, there has been an ongoing investigation into the attempted murcer of Randy Eskelson. Connie Eskelson is accused of trying to murder her husband by poisoning him with ethylene glycol, a lethal substance found in antifreeze.

Connie Eskelson claims she is innocent. She told the authorities that she found her husband unconscious that August and he was quickly rushed to the hospital.

“I found out about it because there was a SWAT team in my neighborhood and then one of my neighbors texted and said what had happened,” said Nicole Vian, a senior and neighbor of the couple.

The authorities found a fatal dose of ethylene glycol in his system.

According to the Sheriff's office, Randy Eskelson was unresponsive and showed no brain activity at the time but later made a full recovery.

“I firmly believe that my wife of 34 years tried to kill me with ethylene glycol. There is proof that it was bought by her and proof that it was delivered to our home,” said Randy Michelle Vian, neighbor.

Eskelson, in a statement enclosed in court records later that year.

To neighbors, Connie and Randy Eskelson did not appear to be unhappy in their marriage.

“They were both super nice. My parents were good friends with them and they were over to my house often. Connie Eskelson was always super sweet and a great cook. She always brought over really good food and would pick me up from the bus stop all the time.

We were very shocked to hear what she had done because they seemed like really good people,” said Michelle Vian, a junior.

Despite their friendly appearance, Randy Ekelson believes his wife tried to kill him. “‘I honestly fear for my life," he said in an interview with Richard Cano at AZCentral. "She stated many times that she would shoot herself, kill herself, before she would spend one day in prison."’

Although Randy Eskelson never revealed his wife’s motive for the attempted murder, he accused her of having a hidden firearm and an intention to kill him if released.

With a bond set at $700,000, Connie was booked into Maricopa County Jail.

“They were both super nice. My parents were good friends with them and they were over to my house often.

Connie Eskelson was always super sweet and a great cook.”

EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Watkins and Team Leader Sam Kulliver make sure the yearbooks are ready for distribution. Students

spent hours organizing over a thousand books. “Distributing the yearbook can be really stressful at times, especially at lunch, when there are long lines and everybody is impatient to get theirs,” said Kulliver. 4MIA GILLING

LIT MAG AND YEARBOOK ARRIVE IN MAY

By BROOK BOWMAN g staff writer

After many late nights, long meetings, millions of submissions, and lots of missing SD cards, Yearbook and Literary Magazine staff are putting the finishing touches on the 2017-18 editions. With the yearbooks ready to go and the Literary Magazine off to the printers, the anticipation for the release dates settles in.

The Literary Magazine is a student produced, self-funded magazine based off of student writing and art submissions. Each year, the magazine competes in some of the most distinguished competitions and has won awards from both the National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association in the past. This year, they hope to make history once again with this magazine.

“Every year it’s very interesting to see how different editors approach the design and theme of the LitMag. I think our editor-in-chief, Mia Gilling, and all the other editors have contributed a lot

to expressing their own voice through this year’s magazine,” said Julian Voitek, a senior.

This year’s magazine takes its theme from nature and the detachment of reality. To reflect this theme, the staff chose the name Uprooted. According to Voitek, the club has taken a clean, minimalist look for the design this year.

“The magazine this year is separated this into two different sections.

Up being the more lofty and absurdist submissions. And, Rooted being more grounded and connected to nature submissions,” said Voitek.

On May 22nd, magazines will be available for purchase for $15 at the Literary Magazine’s annual release party. It will be at Janey’s from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. However, the magazine is currently available for pre-sale until the release date.

Another publication, the Shadow, is also student produced. Yearbook staff members dedicate hours to find a way to include every student in some way.

“I’m so proud of the whole book this

year. Once our team unboxed the first books, it was tears to my eyes. I definitely think we have a chance of winning an award this year. We really stepped up our game and put so much effort into it this year,” said Emily Watkins, senior and editor-in-chief.

This year’s yearbook theme was “Serious, sort of.” This idea plays on both the serious and fun parts of high school throughout the book. For instance, in Sports, it focuses it on serious injuries as well as the fun bus rides home.

In addition, this year was adviers Scott LaVigne’s first year teaching the class.

“Being a new yearbook adviser this past year was both fulfilling and challenging. As someone with limited background in publications and print design the learning curve was huge. As challenging as it was, finally seeing the final product is immensely rewarding.

Being able to see all of the students hard work and creativity in a tangible object is something rare in education,” said LaVigne.

style, page 11, may 2018

dress to impress Graduation season is here and it is important to have the right outfit for walking across that stage.

The weather is predicted to be 107 degrees farenheight on the day of graduation. Wearing something too heavy or warm could result in sweating and uncomfortablility, so try and wear something loose and flowy will in order to look good on stage and in photos.

“I plan on wearing a light pastel dress, probably short and flowy,” said Sierra Fluegel, a senior.

Shorter dresses are always a trend for graduation attire, as they help seniors keep cool under baggy gowns.

“I’m going to wear a peach colored dress that is tight at the top and flowy at the bottom with nude heels,” said Morgan Pulley, a senior.

If you choose to wear heels, it is

beneficial to make sure you can walk in them. If there is trouble, ballet flats and wedges are perfect substitutes.

“I’m going to wear something dark but short and flowy with black heels,” said Alaina Woolf, a senior.

To avoid getting sweaty and overheated during the ceremony, make sure to look for dresses made out

“I plan on wearing a light pastel dress, probably short and flowy.”

Sierra Fluegel, a senior.

of breathable fabric such as cotton, linen, or rayon.

“I’m going to wear a button up

shirt and tie with some slacks,” said Kohl Shipp, a senior.

When it comes to pants, guys tend to stick with slacks or dark jeans, with no rips or holes.

Besides staying away from the combination of heavy fabrics and dark colors, graduation outfits should resemble your best self.

If bold and daring, maybe try wearing a bright color, such as red.

Bright colors stand out beneath navy grad gowns and can help break up the bagginess of the look. For a more classic look, however, go for a monochromatic color scheme such as whites, blacks, and greys. Or, for a trendier look, find a dress that follows spring: lavender, polka dots, and floral print are all in-season.

This is the day seniors celebrate four years of dedication and hard work, so their outfit should too.

Maja Peirce staff writer

GRADUATION READY Jessica Kotowski, a senior, wears a dress from Urban

Outfitters. This short, breezy, printed dress is a perfect option for Graduation attire for seniors. 4 MIA GILLING

INK MASTERS

Students share the stories behind their tattoos.

simple fix

“I got the tattoo on my middle finger because it means ‘I love you’ in french which I thought was kind of ironic.”

DEREK HERTZELL, a junior “It’s the virgo astrological sign of the stars aligned together. I’m a virgo, so I thought it would be a super cool idea for a tattoo.”

NO BELT? If you do not have a belt on hand, grab a shoelace.

RYAN POGEMILLER, a junior STAINED YOUR SHIRT? Remove the stain with dish soap, such as Dawn

ABBY KITNICK, a senior

4 BROOK BOWMAN ZIPPER PULL BROKEN? intrigue MAY 2018

If the pull on your jeans zipper, bag zipper, etc. is broken, use a key ring to replace it.

4OLIVIA STICKEL 3

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PORTFOLIO ‘18 year in review; In all honestly, publications is the best part of high school for me. It’s weird to think where I would be if I hadn’t of moved to this small little town my freshman year. Also, I never intended to join Newspaper until Mrs. Hart said they needed people. Now, newspaper consumes all my time and energy. I’m so happy that I made this decision.

Also, I love Annie and Lauryn.