Rey Darby Second Semester Portfolio

Rey Darby’s Portfolio

Brought to you by not Rey Darby

Editing I am a new editor this year, my only experience in leading was the month I was the literary editor for the lit mag before I was given the job as the opinion editor. My qualifications was entirely my knowledge of grammar and my yearbook/graphic design class in middle school. I learned, primarily, that some of my peers are quite horrid team players, but the ones who are made my stress worth it.

I’ve never been the type to rely on others for my grade, but as an editor, to get my page done, everyone had to get their stories done first. This class is a valuable lesson in deadlines, for those who actually cared enough to make them.

When it comes to editing stories, the main issue is reading them too quickly. It’s very easy to miss a capitalization of punctuation mistake because I read over them too quickly. I make spelling and grammar mistakes because I type too fast, so it goes without saying that reading too fast can lead to missteps. Most of the issues when reading stories was the lack of explanation in people’s points. Redundancy plagued the opinion page specifically for the December issue. Simple grammar mistakes are unavoidable, and I’ve never minded fixing them. It’s tedious but necessary. However, the worst pat about editing stories, is having a completed story in the first place.

During both issues, Zeke was the only writer on my page that gave me his story on time and at full word count. Bothering people about hitting their word count was the main challenge of getting stories on the actual page. For the future, I hope that people manage their time better and don’t tell me a story is finished when it’s 150 words short. We also need more research in the opinion stories, research that could help people reach word count.

Overall I’ve had a fulfilling experience and am glad I get to have it. I’m learning a lot about the general field I am interested it and am very glad to be able to put InDesign on my resume.

Design My second semester experience with InDesign was much less difficult. it still makes me feel a vast array of emotions on production day, but I actually feel like I know what i’m doing now.

The anger is not at myself for not knowing how to use the program, it’s at the program for being just inherently frustrating and difficult.

Going into the second semester with my opinion page formula was greatly convenient and everything went mostly smoothly. Maya’s art is very interesting to work with but text wrap will always be squirrely with it. Overall i feel like i’ve found my foting with design. through newspaper and lit mag, I’ve had more than enough practice.

I’ll always resent InDesign for being InDesign, but I now have the skills to cope with it’s lack of coherence. Unfortunately with the opinion pages there wasn’t a lot to play with, nd I don’t know to much about design with photots. I wish I got more of that this year.

The May issue has by far the sexiest pages I’ve ever designed. Everything went smoothly, the stories are great, I remembered that pull quotes exist and the art is just as gorgeous as usual. it is, however, unfortunate that my best pages are my last ones.

Writing My opinion piece on the moment of silence is the story I am most proud of. I really cared about the topic and the nuance of the situation. Public school’s supposed objectivity and the complication of religion is a topic very close to my heart. I am very glad I got to write about it. This was a story I got out in under an hour on my own. I hit higher than the word count, and I believe I structured the story very well. I got the point immediately and didn’t feel redundant as I was writing. I definitely could’ve put in more research but unfortunately this was a very quick bill that not very many people were paying attention to at the time of the signing.

Usually when I am writing stories I take an afternoon and just sit with my computer until I am finished. I do not move until I’ve hit word count o each story and have a decent enough work to turn in. This piece made this process quite shorter. It flowed out of me very easily and all my edits I truly believe made the story better. My main issue of the story was an objective point of view, my thoughts were not objective and making them less inflammatory was a necessity I did not lean on immediately.

The opinion section allows me to point out my discomforts as a student at this campus. I love being able to do this and this story was a perfect outlet.

Being able to examine more global issues during the second smester opened up my writing. It was nice to be able to see my beliefs in print, it felt pemenent and effective.

Leading

I am not the best team player, I could be a little bit more social with those I don’t already know. Most of my interactions are throwaway comments and “have you hit your word count yet?”. I do my best to express gratitude but I wish I knew how to express dissatisfaction effectively. I genuinely wish some people took newspaper more seriously and I am not entirely sure how to motivate someone who doesn’t care. I don’t think there’s enough awareness of the overall effect people have over the newspaper by not contributing how they should be. I feel respected by my fellow editors, but there’s moments with staff writers there’s a feeling dismissal and disinterest. I cannot get the pages done if the staff doesn’t get their stories done and I wish that was more understood by the general class. I like being in control of a section though. I am in a place where I can make sure I am proud of the work we’re doing here. I am person who enjoys having a work load and being busy. This class undoubtedly provides this. I appreciate the level of production and commitment, it’s stimulating and fulfilling. I wish i didn’t have to rely on so many other people, but that is unavoidable. This is a school class so there is an immediate level of disinterest coming in, but those who express their interest and go above and beyond for my pages make the initial frustration worth it. We definitely get things done but I wish it wasn’t such a scramble. People should have their stories in, edited, and completed before we start working on the pages. If our writers and photographers were better organized and on top of things it would eliminate a lot of stress on the editor and advisors’ part. We’re a very well designed, well written, paper, with a cohesive group of people. We work well together when we’re actually working. It’s a very calm team in comparison to what my reference of last year’s newspaper class.

My reference being Claire Geare. Leaders follow who they’re leading in order to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be.

It gives leaders the view point to make sure the team is working and healthy.

Examples

I loved taking over the editorial for the second semester. It has lowered so much of my stess, and the work I’ve produced is some of my best. Working with hart on this made me very happy and I’m glad we could shed some light on this topic

The fact that I was allowed to write this piece was amazing to me. I absolutely love drag and I think it’s amazing that I got the chance to show how influential it actually is. Even though Barela tried to shut it down, drag is an art form I will never stop platforming

This is one of the best reviews I’ve written, second only to my last album review that I do not have in print yet. This book was a pleasure to write about, and only furthers the agenda that we are liberal paper.

November Tear Sheets 6 ● NOVEMBER 14, 2022 THE CSPRESS

the editorial: as we see it ...

their class schedules. Stability is important because it allows teachers and students to form relationships that can be beneficial in academics and extracurriculars, and have lasting positive effects.

Additionally, override funds can go towards programs in the district. Not only do they help fund academics, they can fund Career and Technical Education (CTE), arts, and athletic programs.

These programs include honors, AP, and IB classes, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), computer science, music, and drama.

“

Passing an override is essential to the financial health of the district because it can increase teacher salaries and fund both extracurricular and academic programs.

Having fully-funded extracurriculars in place benefits students by allowing them to explore their passions. While academics are important, not every student’s passions lie in their coursework, so giving them the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom can help.

Also, extracurriculars can provide experience that builds student’sresumes for college, internship, and job applications, making them vital to student success after high school.

An argument against the override is that it has a negative impact on taxpayers because it increases their taxes. However, this year, the 43 cent state equalization tax was removed from property taxes. The override tax increase would, on average, be only 21 cents, meaning that taxpayers can still support the override while saving 22 cents on their property taxes.

Others may argue that the override is detrimental because taxpayers cannot see what their money is funding. However, all spending from the override is published on the district’s website, making spending completely transparent.

The override’s benefits outweigh any potential concerns. Ultimately, it is most beneficial to the district to pass an override and ensure continued funding of teacher salaries and programs.

The Editorial Board members are Cait Bunkers, Rey Darby, Hudson Ellis, Stella Benaglio, Ezekiel Knibbe, Sarah Love, Hailey Dent, Alexis Walford, and Jimmy Le.

Staff Stella Benaglio, Cait Bunkers, Rachel Burkhalter, Rey Darby, Delia Delaney, Hailey Dent, Hudson Ellis, Johnathan Geare. Nicole Kato, Ezekial Knibbe, Jimmy Le, Sarah Love, Mia Quenzler, Stephanie Vega Gonzalez, Alexis Walford, Cal Ward, Advisers Lori Hart, Robert Adamson

Editorial Policy: The CSPress is published by the Journalism class of Cactus Shadows High School. The newspaper serves the students and staff of Cactus Shadows High School and as a connection to the surrounding community.

The comments and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all CSPress staff members.

WE VALUE YOUR comments. EMAIL YOUR LETTER TO CSPRESS. Comment@gmail.COM

The youth have too much money news editor

Rey Darby Hudson Ellis Johnathan Geare Sports Editors Stella Benaglio Cait Bunkers Creeker Editor Ezekiel Knibbe Spotlight Editor Sarah Love Photo Editor Hailey Dent Style Editors Alexis Walford Jimmy Le

The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

Defund the school This election cycle, there are lots of hot button issues on our minds. Lots of questions, concerns, worries. But let me resolve one issue. We need to defund the schools. That’s right. Defund the schools. They have been getting way too much money.

The reason Arizona has the worst schools in the country is because all the money has made staff lazy. Our school lunches have become too good, making our students soft and weak. Overfunding our football team has resulted in too many wins, especially in homecoming games.

So what is to be done? Getting our schools back to barebones academic excellence should be a priority. We should rally all the snowbirds in the country to vote “NO” in every bond election. The elderly tourist’s stake in Arizona’s youth is too great to be ignored.

Can you believe students are working on computers!? The only technol-

Opinion Editor News Editors

ogy in schools should be a blackboard and chalk. Or whatever the new budget will allow for. As far as I am concerned, I think corporal punishment would be a good thing to bring back while we are at it. It’s legal in Arizona after all.

Author G. Michael Hopf once said “Hard times create strong men,” and he is absolutely right. A rough around the edges education system will create the strongest children, since they will have to walk uphill both ways to school. It’s leg day every day for our youth. And they will have to walk because they do not need school buses either.

In addition, maybe teachers are being paid too much as well. A meager wage will inspire the teachers of Arizona to teach harder, because they will not want to go home to a family they cannot provide for.

The point I am trying to make here is that a smaller school budget is the kick our schools need to get going again.

The CSPress values Comments from its readers. If you have something to say about anything you have read, please write a letter to the editor and send it to cspress.

Comment@gmail.com. Letters must be typed, less than 100 words in length and signed.

The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. The CSPress will not print letters that are obscene, libelous or that target an individual.

Advertisements that are obscene, misleading, or illegal to minors will not be printed. The CSPress reserves the right to reject any advertisement. To place an ad, contact the adviser or the Advertising Manager at (480) 575-2493.

The CSPress is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association, and the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association.

\Maya Camas

4Hailey Dent

spotlight

10 ● NOVEMBER 14, 2022

THE CSPRESS

Delia Delaney New history teacher Cassandra Day has a different approach to teaching regular and AP History. By incorporating more easy-going and interactive lessons, she hopes students are more engaged.

Already, she is making a positive impact for the freshmen and sophomores who have her class with her preferred method of teaching.

“I try to be an entertainer. And what I mean by that is we have got to learn first and foremost, but I also like to have fun and laugh and you know, make it enjoyable as possible.

So I try as hard as I can to keep lecture fun, keep them moving, make you guys laugh if I can make a stupid joke somewhere, it just makes everyone’s day go better,” said Day. Students in her class already enjoy this

method of hers, with many positive reviews.

“I really like how she teaches and keeps the energy high so it’s a lot of fun and we laugh a lot,” said Sydney Moore, a sophomore who is in Day’s class.

With less of a formal feel to the classroom, it helps students for the most part stay engaged with the lesson.

“She makes it really fun because she cracks a lot of jokes, and she does it a lot, so it feels more casual,” said Andrea Bolwitt, a freshman, also a student of Day. As she does teach history, Day must also make sure her students are taking the required notes and absorbing information, which does somewhat normalize the classroom experience. However, Day’s jokes make note-taking far more enjoyable, often sparking interesting classroom discussions that

further help students absorb the given information.

Surprisingly, Day did not originally want to be a teacher. She always wanted to be a nurse instead, even going to college for two years to pursue this career. Starting to run out of money, however, Day took ten years off.

During this time, she did work in the ‘business world’ and in some higher universities such as Indiana University, which she didn’t enjoy too much, feeling as though they were unfulfilling.

At first, after looking at several new opportunities for a different degree , she thought that teaching would be the best fitting for her personality and began to work as a substitute teacher, which she soon began to love.

Following this, Day has now been teaching 5th through 12th grade for eighteen years,

espite the obvious health advantages for children, P.E. would be better fit as an elective that students can choose whether or not to take, and should not be required for graduation.

For one thing, P.E can promote negativity when it comes to different students’ ability to perform physical exercise. Some students are natural athletes, but for those who are not athletic, it can be challenging. The bullying that can sometimes go on in P.E. class has become a common scene in many movies, but it can be harmful in real life.

Today’s P.E. classes are remnants of the past and usually only include “gym class” type sports. In fact, studies done by Harold Kohl, a professor of kinesiology and of Texas Also, P.E. credits health education at theto University be effective, a P.E. at Austin, show that, are not tied program needs to include “healthy-living and to academics. nutrition classes, parent education, and frequent opportunities for unstructured play.”

Physical education This could explain why a National Survey of is a completely Children’s Health found that required P.E. different form of alone generally doesn’t affect boys’ physicallevels or obesity. education than activity Also, P.E. credits are not tied to academregular academic ics. Physical education is a completely differclasses such as ent form of education than regular academic classes such as math, english, science, etc. A math, English, P.E. course is better fit as an elective since it science, etc. is so much different from a regular class. P.E. credits are recorded differently from normal academic credits.

Most four-year colleges don’t even require P.E. credits for entry. P.E. requirements are declining in popularity quickly. Less and less schools are seeing a purpose in requiring the P.E. credits since they aren’t related to academic credits.

Students can be bullied and body shamed by their own coaches. Students who are transgender are constantly being identified as the wrong gender in P.E. classes also Students when it comes to competition between men and women. and bully other students who aren’t athletic make comments at those students which decreases everyone’s morale.

Analisa Packham, an economics professor at Miami University, has concluded that the participation requirement of P.E. does not have any positive effects on students’ health and academic performance.

They also found that P.E. classes had caused absent rates in the class to increase. Students are feeling like they have to avoid a class because they dislike it so much. The requirement is causing truancy and is upsetting students’ absent counts.

Of course, there are reasons why a P.E.course is good for students. It teaches discipline to one’s health and how to properly exercise. And there is a great health benefit to exercising every day.

But the cost of learning these lessons can be too great.

P.E. isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer to be able to exercise in their own home free of judgment and grades. It’s unfair to force someone to exercise if they aren’t comfortable doing it publicly. It’s also unfair to grade a student’s ability to exercise.

P.E. courses are better fit to be an elective rather than a requirement to graduate. It does more harm than good and puts students in an uncomfortable situation. It would be a much better idea to make P.E. an elective class so students have a choice on whether or not they want to exercise in school.

Rey Darby

opinion editor

Governor Doug Ducey wrongfully signed into law the implementation of the moment of silence.

Similar to the pledge of allegiance, the moment of silence takes time out of a students’ day.

The announcements are already lengthy. The moment of silence takes away another minute, when students could be learning.

Unlike last year, all classes are now the same length. Fourth period used to be six minutes longer, providing the perfect place for announcements. This year however, one class loses a significant amount of time for announcements. Announcements, yes, are necessary.

They provide extracurricular information as well as news for opportunities for students.

However, only information about the school is a necessity.

The moment of silence is an extra minute of unproductivity. A minute that is used by a miniscule percentage of the student body.

The majority of Cactus Shadows students find it tedious to sit in silence while waiting to get on with

This year, the administration has implemented a new punishment regarding lost IDs. Upon getting a third new ID, students are required to attend Saturday School.

Or at least, that's what the announcements said at the beginning of the year. Any information regarding students wearing IDs has been sparse, with little mention in daily announcements and nothing on the school website. Students need to be well informed of their expectations in institutions they are a part of. If students aren't knowledgeable on what they should be doing or wearing, punishing them is unfair.

This policy seems to be loosely enforced, as students are often just charged money for ID replacements. Some students get at least four or five new IDs, and have yet to be sent to Saturday School.

Like other issues, enforcement of policies are uneven and irregular.

Keeping record of student infractions is time consuming, and is senseless for something as minute as forgetting to bring your ID to

in several different schools, her first being Pike High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She later taught at two different schools in Richmond, Indiana before moving out here to Arizona. After teaching at North Canyon High School for a semester, where she taught credit recovery for seniors who missed out on class mainly due to COVID, she taught a whole year online for Paradise Valley Schools for an online pilot program for 7th and 8th grade. She then chose to teach here at Cactus Shadows due to its convenient location, within reach of where she currently lives. Despite having only recently joined the Cactus Shadows staff, it seems Day will continue to do a great job.

opinion editor

Hot chocolate MAKING A CHANGE. Brooke Benter makes her voice count by signing off on an Amnesty international petition to release prisoners convicted for self-expression. 4 Rey Darby

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WHailey Dent

Hocus Pocus two tries its best Rey Darby

opinion editor

Camp classic Hocus Pocus got a sequel thirty years later and it is not as bad as anticipated. The original was known for its camp aesthetic and old Disney charm. The main fear that came with the sequel was that it would not live up to the original.

Which it didn’t, as most sequels thirty years later fail to capture the essence of the nineties.

Thankfully, this movie went a very nostalgic route that pandered to Hocus Pocus’s original audience rather than a new one. It kept the same camp aesthetic as well as dialogue.

It made the fun choice of bringing in the drag queens Ginger Minj, Kornbread Jete, and Kahmora Hall to have a moment for the queer community this movie so heavily inspired. The same actors remained to play their iconic roles and relied

more heavily on the singing of The Sanderson Sisters.

The drag queens definitely could have had more screen time. As a community so involved with camp culture, drag could’ve brought a little more to the movie.

The soundtrack besides the songs The Sanderson Sisters actually sang left something to be desired. In the beginning past the flashback, it makes you expect the movie to be a teen recreation in the same vein as Riverdale. Thankfully, it is not .

The movie redeems itself later on despite over the top characterization and cheesy dialogue. However, Hocus Pocus is not Hocus Pocus without over the top characterization and cheesy dialogue.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi acted their iconic roles seamlessly, fully committing to the campiness of The Sanderson Sisters. Their chemistry on screen in these roles never fails, and feels

steps to making better policy decisions is congratulatory, but why do they make these decisions quietly?

The administration should simply announce "Students that need a new ID must pay $2" or whatever amount they deem necessary.

Giving away small dollar amounts seems preferable to spending half of your weekend somewhere most would rather not be.

Forgetting something as small as an ID isn't necessarily hostile.

Sometimes people forget things as they rush out the door on their way to school. These things happen. The consequences of forgetting to bring your ID should not be punishment. The punishment especially should not happen after only a few infractions. If some serial forgetter is getting hundreds of new IDs, then maybe some corrective action should be put into place.

But after three new IDs? It doesn't make any sense.

just like the original.

A new cast of characters is also brought into the movie. The three teen girls are used to unlock the lore of the world of Hocus Pocus witches and relate to the past of The Sanderson sisters viewers don’t see in the original. The choices made for the younger Sanderson Sisters could have been better. It gave the viewer perspective while also getting a laugh.

The choices of Hannah Waddingham and Sam Richardson were perfect for the roles they played. Most viewers would not know they needed another beautiful powerful witch, and a fanboy with a magic shop to go with. These actors make these characters fit right into the specific culture of this movie.

Hocus Pocus may not have lived up to the original but it did create the best homage it could’ve in today’s media climate.

The human rights focused club, Amnesty International, is a relatively new club at Cactus Shadows.

They focus on human rights issues around the world to bring awareness of these issues to students “I felt that our campus needed a club like this. There wasn’t really a place for anyone who felt passionate for human rights,” said Ayden Schure, senior, president and founder of the Cactus Shadows chapter of Amnesty International.

The club focuses on how to bring awareness and foster inclusivity on campus.

“We spread awareness around human rights issues and issues most kids would not be familiar with because much of it takes place around the world, not just the U.S.” said Angela Thomas, IB Coordinator and advisor for Amnesty. “Many issues are being discussed in bigger areas, but not necessarily here on campus. So we try to make more kids aware of what’s going on.”

Recently, the club focused on those imprisoned for their form of expression. Banned Books Week was dedicated to highlighting book bannings and attacks against freedoms of expression.

According to their website, Banned Books Week is intended to “ draw attention to people around the world who have been threatened, imprisoned, or murdered because of their writing, art, or other published work. As a member of the Banned Books Week Coalition and in solidarity with the American

Library Association and organizations around the world, Amnesty activists work to fight challenges to freedom of expression.”

The Amnesty chapter at Cactus Shadows provided information and resources to help people such as Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani, and Janna Jihad. “Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani, known as Sareh, is a gender nonconforming LGBTI human rights defender and in October 2021, Revolutionary Guards arbitrarily

“

“We try to make kids more aware of what’s going on.”

Angela Thomas

IB Coordinator detained her in connection with her real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as her social media posts defending LGBTI rights. She was convicted of “corruption on earth” and sentenced to death on September 4, 2022.”

“Janna Jihad just wants a normal childhood for herself and all other Palestinian children. But the 15-year-old Palestinian teen lives in the Israeli-occupied West Bank – and life under systematic discrimination is anything but normal.

Having begun documenting military violations at the age of seven,

IB seniors host governing board debate Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

IB seniors hosted a debate with the four CCUSD governing board candidates running for office this year. Their goal was to advance their ability to engage in local communities and politics.

The candidates were Scott Brown, Brian Bunkers, Cindy Cummens and Jackie Ulmer. This debate was held in the Fine Arts Center in September, and was facilitated by a group of IB students and their advisor, Angela Thomas, teacher and IB coordinator.

“We made the questions for [the candidates], and I think it’s different coming from students rather than adults because they are unique to students in the district,” said Kacie Keller. “It helped them see what we want from them if they get the position.”

The IB students have been hosting the forum for every

election over the past fifteen years. The original class created the debate in the hopes that voters in the area would have a chance to hear from each candidate on topics that are important to students.

One of the main goals was to inform voters before they made their choice.

The governing board is the highest administrative power of the school district, just above the superintendent. They are responsible for all decisions on the local level and the enforcement of laws from state and national government. The Governing Board page on the District’s website lists a variety of goals, ranging from curriculum and assessment to technology needs.

“It’s important because it provided space for Cave Creek voters to connect with the various candidates,” said Thomas.

The forum was organized

following traditional debate methods. Each candidate had a timed opening statement. Then, student moderators asked a series of questions. The candidates only had a certain amount of time to answer each question, and were given the questions ahead of time.

The students were involved in the entire process, from choosing the questions to moderating. Others served as timers, letting the candidates know when their time was up.

“We were able to see the candidates’ views on certain issues affecting the district,” said Lani MacMillan, one of the student moderators. “It was a way for the whole community to hear the responses from the candidates in order to make the best decision in this upcoming election.”

The results of the election were not known at press time.

SPEAKING HER MIND. Cindy

Cummens debates with other candidates. 4 CSHS Photography

Tip at drive-thrus Drive-thru workers deserve the same gratitude that servers do Nikki Kato staff writer

People who serve a customer through a drivethru deserve to be tipped.

Employees who take orders at the window multitask in order to get food ready fast by the time the car pulls up to the window. They make the process easy, fast, and convenient.

Drive-thru orders can get complicated and tedious, and the person working has to juggle a lot in order to get everything done right and quickly. Tipping is “a token of appreciation for service that is provided,” according to a story aired on PBS. So if a drive-thru worker does a good job, they deserve a tip.

Those who work at drivethrus do a lot more than people assume. The same PBS story showed how these workers are responsible for cleaning, taking out the trash and bussing tables.

Servers typically rely on tips for a lot of their wages, according to research done by the New York Times.

Especially during the pandemic, it was the only way workers could have a wage they could live with.

Tipping is not forced, especially if the service was not good or a customer had a very small and easy order.

But if the server or barista went above and beyond or made the customer’s day then adding a small tip is a way to show gratitude.

Tips make up a substantial part of people’s income, according to PBS News, and being a drive-thru worker is a lot more stressful than working at the counter.

They have many duties for minimum pay and are constantly moving.

\Maya Camas

THE CSPRESS

Rey Darby

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school.

Another thing to take into consideration is the efficacy of wearing IDs to school. Of course, it makes sense as a way to easily identify students and to isolate potential outsiders. But in many cases this makes no difference in the case of an emergency. So what IDs ultimately are are academic credit cards. They serve no purpose other than buying lunch and books. If this is the only utility of school IDs, why do students have to wear them? If students doubt the usefulness of IDs they'll be less inclined to follow school policy of wearing them.

Which will lead to the punishment of Saturday School. Maybe. If it's enforced.

Simply charging students for new cards would make more sense. The school is spending money on printing, so obviously they would like to make that money back. A simple transaction between the student and the school is the more sensible approach. Which is good, because this is the approach administration seems to be taking. Taking

2 NOVEMBER 14, 2022

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Sat, Nov 19, 11 AM – 3 PM

instead, Ducey has provided Arizona students with another minute taken out of their day.

Those who argue for the moment of silence do not actually care for the mental well-being of students.

Prayer helps only a select few students while the moment of silence takes away time from teachers and students.

Almost every positive statement said on the moment of silence makes prayer the focus.

The other, “Gather your thoughts, reflect on your day,” comes as an afterthought.

This law was also proposed by a religious community in response to the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. This attempt occurred 41 years ago. It is completely irrelevant to the world we live in currently.

Very few people in America itself still feel the need to have a moment of silence every morning in honor of the late Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan’s effect on America has been overshadowed by the country’s needs now. An extra 60 seconds of nothing is not what students of Cactus Shadows need.

4Hailey Dent

from a survey of 100 Cactus Shadows students on November 6, 2022

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their classes.

According to Ducey, “the purpose of the moment of silence is to delegate time for students to, reflect, meditate, pray, prepare for the day ahead or anything they—and their parents—choose.”

In order to keep this law constitutional the idea of meditation and preparation for the day was added. The constitution allots citizens religious freedom. This entails the idea of no ruling religion in the USA. Since education is directly connected to the state, public education should be free of religion within its walls.

The law was proposed for the purpose of allowing prayer in the classroom.

This time is specifically dedicated to allowing room for religion within the school system. The idea of setting aside time for prayer is directly contradictory to the freedom of religion. Public education is meant to stay objective; that is why it is public education. If the government wished to help kids, “Refocus emotionally,” They would focus on the inaccessibility of mental health counseling and uncomfortable environments of underfunded schools. However,

Students oblivious to ID policy Hudson Ellis News Editor

FAVORITE FALL DRINKS Calender of events

NOVEMBER 14, 2022 ● 7

Here’s a tip:

Amnesty International club promotes awareness

New teacher brings different approach to teaching staff writer

D staff writer

orace Mann, often called the father of public education in America, sought to create a free system in which children could be brought up from any walk of life and become a productive member of society.

Part of this vision now includes a focus on health education. In the modern day, much of the attention towards health education has been shifted to focus on biological education and mental health, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, we must not let this new concept dissuade from the more traditional importance of our physical health. Physical education requirements, while often too strict, are a crucial part of modern education.

A seemingly obvious benefit of physical education While it is is the fact that it forces people to be physically active. commonly While it is commonly understood that an hour or more understood of physical activity can have profound effects, the benefits of a period as small as 30 minutes of physical activthat an hour or ity a day are often underestimated. In the paper, Health more of physical benefits of physical activity: the evidence, published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Darren ER activity can have Warburton, Crystal Whitney Nicol, and Shannon SD profound effects, Bredin found that physical activity has, “a linear relation the benefits of a between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead period as small to additional improvements in health status.” This evias 30 minutes of dence points to the fact that any physical activity at all physical activity is worth considering, as the health benefits increase as your physical activity increases. Even 5 minutes of physia day are often cal work could make you more healthy then if you hadn’t underestimated been active at all. This, in combination with, “irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the… prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death,” makes the requirement of at least some physical activity in school more than a worthwhile investment into the future of the students.

On top of the fact it addresses many long term health concerns, mandatory physical education has been shown to create a long standing habit. By being exposed to an environment where physical activity occurs regularly, people are more likely to form a thought process in which they exercise on their own accord more often.

This is supported by a study conducted entitled Physical Exercise SelfEfficacy for College Students’ Level of Motivation in Physical Activity, published by the International Journal of Science and Research, in which Samuel Joseph Bebeley and Yi-gang Wu inquired to students from colleges with and without mandatory physical education classes. They were asked if they could motivate themselves to do physical activities under certain strenuous circumstances. They concluded that, “a mandatory course or programme in health and physical education or literacy [should] be instituted in schools and colleges… especially in the junior high schools, senior high schools and college undergraduates before graduation to help maximize motivational level in physical activity.”

Simply by being around those who work out regularly, students will be more inspired to continue their own physical activity, and become more rounded individuals.

Some valid criticism comes in the form of an argument against the necessity of P.E. classes.

While a P.E. class is an effective option, the idea that other classes that incorporate physical activity could count for a P.E. requirement.

Students in Football, Basketball, Cheer, Pom, Dance, or even Marching Band could receive the physical education credit they deserve, without sacrificing a whole class that they are not interested in.

Cait Bunkers

The objective of the CSPress is to publish a factual, informative and entertaining newspaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints.

the editorial represents the consensus view of the members of the Editorial Board.

Hudson Ellis

H Editors in Chief

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Moment of silence merges religion with public school

Rachel Burkhalter

Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

CCUSD needs override On November 8, voters within district boundaries cast their votes on a maintenance and operations (M&O) override.

Results were not available at time of publication.

An M&O override is a special election placed on the ballot by a district’s governing board. It allows the district to exceed its budget by 15%. This money comes from property taxes of homes in the district.

Passing an override is essential to the financial health of the district because it can increase teacher salaries and fund both extracurricular and academic programs.

A key part of the override is increasing teacher salaries. In Cave Creek, teacher salaries are in the bottom 15% of the state. Additionally, teacher salaries are lower than districts in surrounding areas.

Lower salaries and rising costs of living and transportation make it difficult for teachers to work in Cave Creek and be able to afford all of their expenses, which contributes to high rates of staff turnover.

When salaries are increased by an override, teachers are more able to afford living and teaching in Cave Creek. This means that the district is able to attract and retain teachers, providing students with more stability in

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NOVEMBER 14, 2022 ● 5

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Janna’s principled journalism has attracted unwanted attention. She’s been harassed and threatened with death, but she won’t give up – not until institutional racism against Palestinians ends.”

“We’re focusing on reproductive rights. Emailing the representatives and trying to gain those rights back for people with uteruses,” said Grace Leazier, senior, PR officer for Amnesty.

Specifically their focus on reproductive rights stems from the Dobbs Case, a law against 15 week abortions disputed for being unconstitutional.

This club was founded on Schure’s interest for an inclusive space dedicated to human rights.

“It creates a safe place for people on campus who feel marginalized or discriminated against, and who want to stand up for other people. Not just for people at our school and our nation but people around the world. It allows us to take action on a more global scale,” said Schure.

In the face of discrimination at our school, Amnesty provides report forms. Similar to incident forms provided at the counseling offices.

“We also have report forms.

There was anti-semitism on campus, so they filled that out,” Leazier said.

The club brings petition signings and other forms of action to campus. Students can take global action because of this club. Before, campus was limited to students’ own and U.S. resources.

from MID-TERM on page 1 ballot, each candidate was required to collect at least 268signatures on petitions to be submitted to the state. The petitions had strict requirements for signatures. If they were not completed properly, the signatures would be invalidated. “[You could collect them] after you file a statement of interest, which I did at the end of November 2021,” said Cindy Cummens, one of the candidates.

In order to collect signatures, candidates held events in public places, such as Starbucks stores, and invited both people they knew and passersby to sign their petitions. They also used social media to begin advertising their campaigns.

Candidates were able to file their signatures with the Maricopa County Elections Department between June 11 and July 11.

As in every election, candidates require funding to advertise their campaigns. Each candidate was required to report any funding they received, who they got it from, and how much money they received. Some candidates were funded by political action committees (PACs).

One of the opportunities candidates had to explain their positions to voters was the International Baccalaureate candidate forum. Seniors in the IB program formulated questions to ask the four candidates in front of a live audience. In the first round, candidates gave an opening statement and answered the students’ questions. In the second round, candidates answered questions submitted by audience members and read a closing statement.

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Tips make up a substantial part of people’s income, according to PBS News, and being a drive-thru worker is a lot more stressful than working at the counter.

Those who oppose tipping at drive-thrus may say that tipping culture is getting out of hand, but it is not mandatory, and it does not have to be an excessive amount. Even rounding up to the nearest dollar could be a considerate tip for a drive-thru worker considering how many customers go through every day.

Think about the fact that, especially with the pandemic, giving a worker some extra change can really add up all day and help make a difference. At the end of the day, a tip, whether it is big or small, is just a way to show appreciation to the community or the people in the world.

Next time you go to a drive-thru, consider rounding up to the nearest dollar for a tip. Think about how much the employees are doing and show appreciation if it was a good experience.

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the editorial: as we see it ...

Homelessness invisible in Cave Creek

Homelessness is a silent problem in Cave Creek, AZ. Google the nearest shelter.

Results flood in, but seem to be just too far out of reach 20, 25, even 30 miles away— close enough to drive, not close enough to walk. And for many unhoused people, walking is the only option.

As a result, most stranded in Cave Creek migrate southwards and never return. Save for a silent few— the teenaged, the elderly, and the physically impaired, who survive just outside the peripherals of the comparatively privileged population.

A population that, due to lack of exposure, often lacks awareness, understanding, and hard statistics. In 2018, Town Marshal Adam Stein reported one homeless person in the town of over 5,000. A report that reflects the lack of understanding that comes with the fact that Cave Creek is a wealthy area, simply unaware of what goes on beneath their model homes.

In January 2021, Joshua Barger was found dead. He was among the few homeless people visible to the public eye, remembered for being particularly kind, and sharing stories. Like many unhoused people in Cave Creek, Barger killed time by day in the comfort of the Desert Foothills library.

Upon news of his death, library staff Caitlin Decker commented that “Joshua was a perfect example of ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’”

It is comments like these that demonstrate how, often, unhoused people have to work harder than most for their basic respect in a town so uneducated.

Deeper under the radar live teenagers suffering acute homelessness due to family disputes. Cave Creek holds a strongly religious note, due to its presence of various churches. In few cases, this manifests into adamant homophobia— which manifests into domestic abuse of

queer teenagers. Queer youth flee their abusive households if they aren’t kicked out first.

These teens live further in the shadows for fear the public will meet them with similar discrimination.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety should liberate victims of child abuse from their homes to avoid letting them loose onto the streets or couch-crashing, or worse— but the department faces too many restrictions to do so effectively.

Without public support, teens are forced to rely upon common authority figures, such as teachers and school counselors. This is not a solution. School staff is not equipped to accommodate teens’ physical safety. At most, teachers and staff can provide food and counseling to homeless students, as well as limited financial aid— that is, out of their own pockets.

The real solution to homelessness lies at the city, state, and even national lev-

els. However, the latter two fall out of the scope of our paper, so that will leave you with this: your participation in local politics matters.

Residential construction is a constant in Cave Creek, but only for single-family homes.

Each building is expensive and holds only three to six people. Voting to instead plot land for the construction of low-cost, high-density housing (apartment buildings) can be the difference between a roof over someone’s head, and the stars.

Only a block away from our high school, the second apartment complex in Cave Creek is currently finishing construction. But these are still high-cost, low-density luxury apartments— the type to retire in, not to live in.

Judging by the fact that the only truly low-cost housing in Cave Creek, the Alta Vista apartment complex, is currently full to the brim— that extra living space is needed.

Staff Stella Benaglio, Cait Bunkers, Rachel Burkhalter, Rey Darby, Delia Delaney, Hailey Dent, Hudson Ellis, Johnathan Geare. Nicole Kato, Ezekiel Knibbe, Jimmy Le, Sarah Love, Mia Quenzler, Stephanie Vega Gonzalez, Alexis Walford, Cal Ward, Advisers Lori Hart, Robert Adamson

Editorial Policy: The CSPress is published by the Journalism class of Cactus Shadows High School. The newspaper serves the students and staff of Cactus Shadows High School and as a connection to the surrounding community.

The objective of the CSPress is to publish a factual, informative and entertaining the NEWSpaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints.

How to holiday properly Hudson Ellis, Ezekiel Knibbe

It’s the holiday season (October) and it’s time to bring out the antiquated decor and incredibly flammable Christmas trees.

To get in the spirit, I decorated my house two months in advance with every strand of Christmas lights that Walmart had in stock. That way, my neighbors, their neighbors, and every lowflying aircraft can know how festive I am.

Due to the current political climate, I’ve decided to celebrate other holidays as well as Christmas, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, even though I still don’t know what Kwanzaa is or entails. I’ve rigged menorahs up on my roof in tandem with the Christmas lights, and the fire department has tried contacting me several times about it but I’ve told them to cool it with the anti-Semitic remarks.

For Kwanzaa, I’ve painted my house varying shades of red, black, and green to represent the vast cultural and social heritage of the African-American community, which I Googled briefly but I still don’t really get it.

But I went to the protests last year so I think it makes up for it.

On top of all the flak from the fire department, the HOA has been bothering me about a “plethora of concerns” they have with my decorations. Totally ruining the spirit.

Anyway, I’m thinking about hiring a personal team of carolers to go around the neighborhood singing a medley of festive songs, and my large shipment of eggnog just arrived in the mail.

The company I ordered from thanked me and said that I’m what’s keeping them afloat all year since eggnog sales usually drop after December. What gives? I

personally drink the stuff yearround, and I’ve only had a few people come to me about attending an AA meeting.

Honestly I just think that the world would be better if it was always holiday season. I’m already working with some world leaders about making these holidays a monthly thing.

Most of Europe is on board, but North America has been hard to convince.

Maybe if we have more holiday cheer everyone will stop being so darn sad all the time. I know that I only feel happy when I’m decorating so maybe that’s the problem with the kids these days.

Limiting our school to one entrance has shown no benefits to the safety of Cactus Shadows.

The change was made in efforts to secure the campus better, however it has been proven that it does not promise better protection for our school.

In fact, it has only caused indirect consequences.

To start, the new gate rule is inconvenient and changes many student’s morning routines which are already early to start with. Parking passes are $150. For students who parking the west lot, or further from the front entrance, it is overpriced for the new hassle of how far it is from the school. Students are forced to plan for a longer walk which is inconvenient.

Following the events that happened on December 2nd, it showed that having only one entrance to the school does not stop potential intruders from entering onto school grounds.

People are still able to jump the fence.

Even though the lockdown on December 2nd was not caused by an actual armed intruder, but rather a student with a laptop charger, the one entrance rule may have contributed the paranoia.

Editor in Chief Cait Bunkers Opinion Editor Rey Darby News Editors Hudson Ellis Johnathan Geare Sports Editors Stella Benaglio Cait Bunkers Creeker Editor Ezekiel Knibbe Spotlight Editor Sarah Love Photo Editor Hailey Dent Style Editors Alexis Walford Jimmy Le

the editorial represents the consensus view of the members of the Editorial Board.

news editor and creeker editor

Nikki Kato staff writer

T H E C A C T U S S H A D O W S P R E S S

The Editorial Board members are Cait Bunkers, Rey Darby, Hudson Ellis, Johnathan Geare, Stella Benaglio, Ezekiel Knibbe, Sarah Love, Hailey Dent, Alexis Walford, and Jimmy Le.

Johnathan Geare news editor

The CSPress is also published online, at cactusshadowscspress.com.

You need to stop being a fan.

No, seriously— stop being a fan of music artists, YouTubers, sports teams, politicians— it only serves to hurt you. Having an unbroken loyalty to the idea of a group, or heaven-forbid an individual, takes away the only powers you have as a consumer: the ability to separate art from artist, and the strength to withhold your monetary support from the artist.

We have a tendency to attach ourselves to people more so than their work— this is ever more prevalent today, as fans link together on Twitter to build tidal waves out of fan bases, all while the fire is fueled by direct interaction with the creators themselves.

When half the fun is idolizing the creator, art and artist are fused. This is as problematic as it is unproductive.

Take for example an artist with a raving fan base— the quality of their music becomes

The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

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The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. The CSPress will not print letters that are obscene, libelous or that target an individual.

\Maya Camas

8 ● DECEMBER 16, 2022

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The CSPress is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association, and the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association.

creeker

Janey’s supports student artists

people argued that the shootings are caused by guns in the wrong hands and not how many entrances are in a school, according to KXAN News.

The backlash that Ted Cruz got reveals that changing a school entrance rule is not seen as any kind of solution when it comes to securing campus.

Making this change has only caused misunderstandings and stress for both students and teachers. Also, having only one secure entrance would not stop an actual intruder from getting onto campus.

People may argue that having one door makes the school more secure. Nonetheless, it does not have much more effect than having two or even three entrances, and having one entrance for a bigger school like a high school is a logistical nightmare, according to KXAN News.

To keep the school protected, more action than school securitization must be taken, such as gun control and mental health resources.

Something different needs to happen if real change is wanted from any kind of school violence. Restricting entrances for students to enter campus is not the solution.

less relevant to his success than their ability to generate hype.

The fans will love whatever they put out, as long as it’s them. So why innovate?

In a world where audiences value art over artist, all of the weight of a piece’s success lies on its own merit. This breeds innovation and competition, as creators compete on even playing fields. The little guys don’t have a hype train to be run over by.

To partake in fan culture is to be both manipulated, and a manipulator. Creators exercise a great deal of power over their fans; these are the people responsible for spreading ideas, which often transcend social boundaries.

Sometimes this is used for good (raising awareness, inspiring future artists), and sometimes this is used for evil (Kanye). To be a fan of art before artist is to understand that often, the artist does not have your best interest.

On October 10, Kanye West returned from a two-year hiatus on Twitter to post not-sosubtle threats against those of the Jewish faith, culminating in a jpeg of a swastika, a banned Twitter account, and millions of betrayed Kanye fans.

Kanye’s actions do not discredit his music. To separate art and artist is to appreciate the art, and write off the artist.

This ideology does not serve as a pass to rack up Ye’s streaming numbers. The decision to not listen to his music is a tool and is the only power we hold as consumers.

Understanding such is paramount. The one inextricable link between art and artist is monetary.

Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

In order to ensure religious holidays are simple fun, schools must make sure all students feel included. It is the responsibility of administrators and teachers to shy away from religious aspects in school, or make sure students of all religions are included.

America has always aspired to be the land of the free.

Among the many protections provided by the constitution is the separation of church and state. This idea should naturally persist in public schools, which the government runs.

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Almost a quarter of all Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh people feel as though they have been discriminated against for their religion.

Z oua M. Feng and K atharine Elder

While not a revolutionary idea, the implication becomes more of a conflicting issue in the holiday season, when events such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa are debated as to whether or not they should be allowed in school.

Some believe that no holidays should be allowed due to their religious origins, and others would go as far as teaching the religious aspects during school.

As stated previously, the United States is a secular nation, meaning there is a government mandate of the separation of church and state, to an extent. There is no official religion in America, however, the true situation is that the nation is heavily rooted in Protestant Christianity, and its influence on law, prejudice, and our everyday lives is strongly felt. This heavy influence is fully felt by those who do not share that faith. According to

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THE CSPRESS

a 2019 study by Zoua M. Vang, Feng Hou, Katharine Elder and entitled Perceived Religious Discrimination, Religiosity, and Life Satisfaction, almost a quarter of all Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh people feel as though they have been discriminated against for their religion. In a nation that is supposed to provide opportunity to people of all creeds, there is a chance that you may be discriminated against simply for the private rituals you experience in your own home. This trend cannot be allowed to continue.

Step one is preparing our future generations by creating a safe space for students of all faiths, including the holidays that come with these faiths.

Another aspect of religious discrimination is the way that religion may be forced upon students at a young age.

Especially in their younger years, students are much more impressionable and are far more likely to adopt the ideas put forward to them.

According to a paper entitled Age Differences in the Prosocial Influence Effect, written by Lucy Foulkes, Jovita T Leung, Delia Fuhrmann, Lisa J Knoll, and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, “Across the three youngest age groups, children showed the most susceptibility to prosocial influence, changing their reporting of prosocial behavior the most.”

The malleability of the beliefs of young children is important, as they are discovering the world around them, but this should not be exploited, intentionally or otherwise. It is the responsibility of the school to provide as objective a perspective as possible, so that students may explore the world for themselves.

These facts leave us with two options: either schools must more widely celebrate the various holidays and religions associated with them, both in winter and in general, or schools must fully secularize their celebration of the holidays, meaning no religious implications.

Either way, it is not necessary to remove holidays in their entirety while schools focus on what matters: keeping children, of any religion, safe and included.

Stephanie Vega Gonzalez

staff writer

staff writer

For years, inventors and car manufacturers have theorized environmentally friendly alternatives to gas-powered cars, and, luckily for consumers who care about the environment, they created electric vehicles.

Financially speaking, electric vehicles are the more economical option. According to finder.com, the 2022 national gas price average was at $4.04 per gallon with a peak of $4.99 per gallon the week of June 16th, showing how unpredictable gas prices can be.

When it comes to electric vehicles, however, all you have to do is install a charger, and plug the car in. On average, it costs you $0.045 per mile to drive an electric vehicle, with the most common cost per mile being $0.0388 per mile according to ecocostsavings.com. Also, maintenance costs for electric vehicles are much cheaper. Regular, gas-powered cars need an oil change every 3,000 miles or six months. With the cost of an oil change ranging from $20 to $60 and up, the prices can snowball fast.

When purchasing an electric vehicle, home outlets are often installed. Though some are concerned about the travel duration of electric vehicles, it is important to remember that very few cars can withstand long distances. Plus, many electric vehicles have features where you can plan your trip, and the car will tell you where stops are necessary to make it to your destination. There are also free charging locations for electric vehicles and there has yet to be free gas stations for gas-powered vehicles.

It’s no secret that fossil fuels are bad for the environment. Environmentalists have been protesting fossil fuels for decades now. When burned, fossil fuels release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas. So it traps heat in our atmosphere and is a main cause of global warming. Even if fossil fuels were good for the environment, they are still a nonrenewable source. According to the MAHB (Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere), oil deposits are estimated to be gone by 2052. That is less than 30 years away, what will happen then? With oil deposits dried up society will have no other choice than Alternative Fuel Vehicles.

Though some of the electric vehicles’ upfront cost is high, between the lower maintenance costs, and not having to pay for gas, the amount of money you save by charging more than compensates for the initial cost.

While there is a common misconception that EVs are worse for the climate than gas-powered vehicles, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “The greenhouse gas emissions associated with an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than those from an average gasoline-powered vehicle, even when accounting for manufacturing.”

When it comes to safety, electric vehicles are required to meet the same safety standards as conventional vehicles; in fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that injury claims are substantially less frequent in EVs compared to gas-powered vehicles.

Electric vehicles are our future, gasfueled vehicles simply cannot compete with the clean, non-toxic energy of the Electric Vehicle.

Electric vehicles are the new fashion fad - everyone from super star athletes, celebrities and CEOs are driving Electric Vehicles to show off their concern for the environment. The problem is that many people do not understand exactly what they are purchasing.

Electric vehicles may seem like a great financial decision but later the costs start to add up, especially if not enough research is done. First, the initial upfront cost itself is high and the car battery packs can be expensive to replace. A regular gaspowered car has lower upfront costs. Second, electric car owners must have chargers at home themselves. It takes a lot of money to install the chargers in their own homes and can be costly. Then, there is the extra electricity bill from charging your car each day. On average charging an electric car in homes adds $30-$60 dollars each month to the utility bill.

One of the main problems with electric vehicles is that they can only last on one charge for so long. For driving in town, it’s not a problem, but if you want to take a road trip, it can be challenging or impossible. According to Property Manager Insider there are not enough charging stations around because each station can cost up to $1,000-$10,000. So trying to find a charging station can be hard.

While electricity is a cleaner energy source than gasoline, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has broken down myths for electric vehicles. It states the batteries for these cars need lots of energy in order for them to be produced. It can cause electric vehicles to create more carbon pollution than making a regular combustion car. And currently some factories are not ethically “clean”.

Research done by Amnesty International has shown that cobalt mined by children and adults in hazardous conditions could possibly be entering the supply chains of some of the world’s largest carmakers. According to an article posted by Young People’s Trust For the Environment, the batteries use copper, cobalt, aluminum, nickel, and sometimes manganese. Cobalt is a very toxic chemical to humans. It can cause cancer, harm to the eyes, skin, heart, and lungs.

While it is true that gasoline produces more pollution than electricity, that is not the full story. Regular car engines have gotten complex over the years, but this allows for fuel efficiency. The EIA posted a statistical report showing 58% of total transportation is cars who use gasoline, and 24% who use diesel. Unlike the scarce charging stations, gasoline pumps are available anywhere and they are not hard to find. Also, there needs to be a less toxic way to make electric car batteries before they can be considered climate-friendly.

Electric vehicles may have a future, but they are not yet better than gasoline-powered cars. Until these problems can be solved, gas-fueled vehicles are here to stay.

\Maya Camas

the news

THE CSPRESS

DECEMBER 16, 2022 ● 4

Restroom security tightens amidst vandalism Stephanie Vega Gonzalez staff writer

why the students who vandalize the restrooms do it in the first place,” said Mitchell Greg, assistant principal.

TikTok’s main users are teenagers. According to Exploding Topics, 25 percent of TikTok users are 10-19 years old. And participate in the TikTok trends according to ABC10 news. Even teens ask each other why it is so common to participate in the

trends of vandalism.

“Because kids do not know what the rules are,” said Kaci Koskovich, a junior.

Restrooms have toilets, urinals, sinks, and privacy doors, all the essentials to everyday life even at school. But nowadays, for students, the restrooms at schools are an escape from class itself and the people in those classes.

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It’s pretty beat up. All the stall doors have graffiti on them or there is trash in the urinals and in the sinks, sometimes the toilets.”

Lincoln McCarty

The current conditions of the restrooms makes it hard for some to just wash their hands.

Some restrooms are even continuously getting clogged or mistreated. Students themselves have admitted the conditions of their own restroom are not so great.

“It’s pretty beat up. All the stall doors have graffiti on them or there is trash in the urinals and in the sinks, sometimes the toilets,” said Lincoln Mccarty, junior.

A common rule in Cactus Shadows classrooms is only one student can use the bathroom at a time. This causes students to sometimes have to go during passing periods, leading to long lines that can cause students to be late to class and miss out on educational time because they

need to use the bathroom.

“I am late every time I use the restrooms during passing period because I have to wait ten minutes to even use the restroom,’’ said Koskovich.

Even the rules do not always prevent students from vandalizing the restrooms. When trying to find solutions there is only so much a school can do to try and find solutions.

“One of the things we do is minimizing where they go, like by having an adult nearby and there is a presence,” said Mitchell.

a junior

ON LOCK.

Bathrooms are being closed down to prevent vandalism. Few bathrooms remain open for students to use. e Kayleigh Ward

Musicians also made an impression at the event.

Singers from the Drama Club joined, as well as multiple guitarists and a jazz band. In between poetic readings and dramatic renditions of students’ works, the crowd could listen to an assortment of music.

The event has taken place at the Janey’s Coffeehouse for the past fifteen years. This year was no different. The Literary Magazine staff followed the fifteen year tradition and set the event at Janey’s once again.

“Janey’s is really cool. The food is good. It’s got a very arts-y atmosphere which I feel reflects Lit Mag very well,” said Fiona Joyce, senior and design editor of the Literary Magazine.

It is also the site for most of the Literary Magazine events during the school year.

“It’s definitely the Lit Mag area. We sell our magazines at the end of the year there. They have always just been so supportive of Lit Mag, so we keep coming back to them,” said Riley.

The artistic and local environment draws the Literary Magazine back for events as well as keeping a fifteen year long tradition.

FOOD CREATES FEELING. Belize Ellis passionately shares his poem about tacos to the audience. He had submitted it to the lit mag before, and hoped to use the event to re-introduce the poem.

“Everyone was really supportive and nice, and the coffee was a-tier,” said Ellis. 4Rey Darby

MUSICIANS SET MOODS. Singer Nina

Carrozza performs a love song, a fresh feeling for the event. This was the first time she has performed for the Literary Magazine. “I really enjoyed it and the venue was so cute,” said Carrozza. 4Rey Darby

As COVID cases rise, Maricopa hospitals feel the heat

Rey Darby

opinion editor

This fall, with a mixture of flu season illnesses, COVID numbers begin to rise again.

COVID cases had been steadily declining through September, but as November rolled around, an incline began . Death counts continue to follow the downward trend.

“It affects my whole family. It definitely forces me to be a lot more careful than most people and I can end up in the hospi-

tal a lot easier,” said Elina Amen, junior, student living with a chronic illness.

Cactus Shadows sits in the hottest COVID spot in Arizona.

In comparison to the second highest county for hospitalization, Maricopa County has 4,835 more cases.

Cases are rising along with flu and RSV. Hospitalizations are increasing. The current community transmission level for healthcare settings in Maricopa county is high. No children 12 or

DECEMBER 16, 2022 ● 7

Should you own an electric car?

Mia Quenzler

Education is for everyone

Due to vandalism and maintenance issues, most bathrooms on campus are closed, leaving students unable to use them.

“The number of restrooms open also depends on what choices the students are making in the restrooms,” said Sarah Barela, principal.

This is a common problem in high schools. According to Public School Review a poll from the National Center for Education Statistics cited that problems like apathy, tardiness, disrespect and absenteeism posed significant challenges for teachers. These issues were seen more frequently in secondary school level than the primary grades.

“Many teachers tend to ask

Rey Darby

“

is severe. Instead of attempting to enforce this rule, it is easier to just open one more gate.

After the Uvalde school shooting, where nineteen children were murdered along with two teachers, Senator Ted Cruz proposed the one-door rule which faced a lot of backlash because

THE CSPRESS

Janey’s Coffee House and Cactus Shadows’ Literary Magazine bring poets and musicians into the spotlight

he open mic event, Latte Poetry, gives young artists and writers experience while also supporting the school’s Literary Magazine.

“Latte Poetry is this annual thing that the Literary Magazine does. We get all of the creative people at school and they’re able to enter this contest where they can present original poems. We also do musical performances, kind of like an open mic, and it raises money for the lit mag,” said Shea Riley, senior, editor in chief of the Literary Magazine staff.

The staff of the Literary Magazine maintains a quiet presence on the Cactus Shadows campus. The club, however, is more present within Cave Creek itself. Latte Poetry takes place every year at Janey’s coffeehouse.

“It gives them a chance to show off their work besides it just being published in the Literary Magazine.

It encourages a lot of people to get out there, show what they have, and create something new from it,” said Riley.

The club sets the stage for young musicians and writers to showcase their work. Poets enter a contest, while musicians provide variety for the audience. All money made from the event goes to the production of The Literary Magazine.

“We’re always trying to bring awareness to the Literary Magazine, so we hope that people who come to latte poetry will submit their own works. This also raises much needed funds “Janey’s is really in order to make the magcool. The food is azine,” said Lori Hart, good. It’s got a very advisor for the Literary Magazine. artsy atmosphere Ava Holubar won the which I feel reflects event with her poem Spiral. The club’s editor Lit Mag very well,” in chief also presented Fiona Joyce her pieces to a crowd of friends and fellow Literary design editor Magazine staff members.

The turnout included more than Literary Magazine staff members. Drama club members made an appearance. Friends as well as family came to support the performers during the event.

The Fashion Club set up a stand to raise funds for their club. Attendees of Latte Poetry could buy jewelry made by student artists as well as watch their peers perform.

Ever since this new rule was established, the amount of students climbing over the fence before and after school has increased drastically. This can easily cause a misunderstanding of an intruder trying to get into campus.

On top of that, in theory, limiting our school to one entrance is to ensure student safety, however it has caused more fence jumping, which in and of itself is not very safe to do.

The school has now made it so that if a student tries to enter school from jumping over the fence, they will be suspended.

The punishment for students trying to make it to class on time

Artists are not owed fans’ loyalty

The Comments and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all CSPress staff members.

No Christmas spirit, or other holiday spirit for that matter. One day I think we’ll all start believing in Santa again and things will get better, but until then I’ll just keep writing these stories till the movement picks up again.

THE CSPRESS

One gate complicates school days Public schools lose objectivity

under are permitted in hospitals at this time in Maricopa county,” said Sarah Dent, a nurse living in Maricopa county.

In October, Maricopa’s case numbers hit 4,275. As the county entered November, 5,553 cases were observed. The rise is steady, but prevalent. Only 66.9% of Maricopa’s population is vaccinated against COVID. According to the CDC, monthly rates of COVID-associated hospitalizations were 5.2% higher in unvaccinated adults ages 18 and

older. Unvaccinated individuals were 6 times more likely to die from COVID as well as 2.7 times more likely to contract COVID. Cave Creek is a community of at risk individuals. 31.6% of residents are 65 years older. People with chronic illnesses live with caution as the rest of the world moves on.

“People should practice good hand hygiene. Stay home when symptomatic and Avoid being around others who are sick.

Consider vaccination or booster,”

said Dent.

New antiviral medication has been developed and is currently being implemented into every day COVID procedures. Though, symptoms can still be treated with over the counter medicines.

Ibuprofen and Tylenol have effectively helped in COVID recovery.

By suggestion of the CDC, treat COVID as quickly as possible.

Treatment must be started within a few days of symptoms developing to be effective.

February Tear Sheets comment

THE CSPRESS

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ● 5

the editorial: as we see it ...

The climate crisis demands action Earth’s warming trends are set to continue, as the past nine years have been the warmest years since modern recording had been put into practice. As illustrated by the data from climate. gov, greenhouse gasses rise despite corporate promises of sustainability and climate conservation.

Because of these continuing pat2022 clocked as For the climate to be terns, one of the warmest years successfully reversed, up to date.

According to the corporations need United Nations, “Fossil to take action. And, fuels – coal, oil and gas because they are – are by far the largest contributor to global climotivated by greed, mate change, accountlaws are the only way ing for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emisfor them to change. sions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emisAnd from a scarier Stanford sions.”

Transportation accounts for study, “global warming is already on the verge of cross- 25% of emissions. America’s ing the 1.5 °C threshold, even obsession with cars is literif the climate forcing pathway ally destroying the planet. is substantially reduced in Instead of focusing on public the near-term. These predic- transportation, which would tions also suggest that even cut emissions drastically, our with substantial greenhouse culture emphasizes the use of gas mitigation, there is still individual vehicles. Most of a possibility of failing to hold America entirely lacks accesglobal warming below the 2 sible public transport.

As important as individual °C threshold.”

The current climate crisis grows beyond repair as governments ignore corporations’ abuses of the planet.

According to a Nasa study, “Earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest on record.”

“

action such as recycling and using reusable utensils is, they cannot fix these problems, only federal laws can do that.

The real perpetrators lie within corporate goals for profit, and lack of government regulation.

Individuals are constantly encouraged to lower their use of single use plastic, and recycle what they can.

Corporations are driven by profit, and therefore look for the cheapest way to cover things like disposal of waste and controlling harmful pollution.’.

While car companies have turned towards electric power, it is not enough.

This allows these companies to still make money while ignoring the overuse of cars in America.

The fact of the matter is that the Earth cannot be saved by always falling back to the cheapest methods. For the climate to be successfully reversed, corporations need to take action. And, because they are motivated by greed, laws are the only way for them to change.

Unfortunately, the economic system America falls

under entirely prioritizes profit. While corporations are allowed to pursue greed and growth, nothing will change.

Though America is ingrained in the capitalist system, the government still has the ability to regulate corporations. It is always argued that, if corporations’ expenses grow, the business will fail.

Failure of business means loss of jobs.

However Amazon is known for human rights violations while Jeff Bezos has a comfortable 128.3 billion USD net worth. Billionaires like this could easily keep their business afloat while addressing their contributions to the climate crisis and human rights violations.

Climate change is not an individual issue. Therefore, it cannot be solved through individual means. America’s economy focuses on free markets, when these free markets only foster environments of greed and profit. If America is going to change course and save the planet, corporations and the government need to do better for the world they live in.

the editorial represents the consensus view of the members of the Editorial Board.

The Editorial Board members are Cait Bunkers, Rey Darby, Hudson Ellis, Johnathan Geare, Stella Benaglio, Ezekiel Knibbe, Sarah Love, Hailey Dent, Alexis Walford, and Jimmy Le.

Peak human performance is achievable Hudson Ellis

trending now editor

This simple workout routine will turn your physique into that of a Roman gladiator’s.

Step 1: Drink a gallon of milk every single day. If this seems like light work to you, drink two gallons instead. There are great macros in a gallon of milk; lots of fat and protein. The caloric content of a gallon of milk should be more than enough to meet your demands.

Step 2: Eat an entire horse. Ever hear the expression “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”? Everyone knows deep down what they need.

And that need is horse meat. There’s roughly 350,000 calories in an entire horse. Talk about caloric surplus!

Step 3: Go into a self-induced coma.

Moving around burns precious calories that could be used for your fat reserves. In a coma, you don’t move!

Comas are a restorative, effortless way to maintain weight.

Step 4: Exit the coma. It’s time to work out. Get up, leave the hospital.

Go to Coronado, California.

Step 5: Complete Navy SEAL training. This might be difficult, as all the fat you’ve gained may make it difficult to perform the rigorous cardio exercises that the BUD/S program consists of. Once you complete Navy SEAL training and have become an elite vassal of the state, go on as many covert operations as you can. This is the best possible environment for sculpting the bod you always dreamed of.

Step 6: Return home. Now that you have fulfilled the call of duty, you can return home. Any PTSD procured during your enlistment is a byproduct of “the grind”. Maybe write a book about your experience? At this point, your physique should be immaculate And that’s pretty much it. It truly is that easy. If it becomes obvious that you have not achieved the bodybuilder look described, repeat steps 1-6.

CSP T H E C A C T U S S H A D O W S P R E S S

Editor in Chief Opinion Editor News Editor Sports Editors Creeker Editor Spotlight Editor Photo Editor Style Editor Food Editor Trending Now Editor

Cait Bunkers Rey Darby Johnathan Geare Stella Benaglio Ezekiel Knibbe Sarah Love Hailey Dent Alexis Walford Jimmy Le Hudson Ellis

Staff Stella Benaglio, Cait Bunkers, Rachel Burkhalter, Rey Darby, Delia Delaney, Hailey Dent, Hudson Ellis, Johnathan Geare. Nikki Kato, Ezekial Knibbe, Jimmy Le, Sarah Love, Mia Quenzler, Stephanie Vega Gonzalez, Alexis Walford, Cal Ward, Advisers Lori Hart, Robert Adamson

Editorial Policy: The CSPress is published by the Journalism class of Cactus Shadows High School. The newspaper serves the students and staff of Cactus Shadows High School and as a connection to the surrounding community.

The objective of the CSPress is to publish a factual, informative and entertaining the NEWSpaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints.

The Comments and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all CSPress staff members.

The CSPress is also published online, at cactusshadowscspress.com.

The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

WE VALUE YOUR Comment. EMAIL YOUR LETTER TO CSPRESS. Comment@gmail.COM The CSPress values Comments from its readers. If you have something to say about anything you have read, please write a letter to the editor and send it to cspress.

Comment@gmail.com. Letters must be typed, less than 100 words in length and signed.

The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. The CSPress will not print letters that are obscene, libelous or that target an individual.

Advertisements that are obscene, misleading, or illegal to minors will not be printed. The CSPress reserves the right to reject any advertisement. To place an ad, contact the adviser or the Advertising Manager at (480) 575-2493.

The CSPress is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association, and the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association.

\Maya Camas

the news

THE CSPRESS

Chinese club celebrates Lunar New Year Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

WORKING HARD. Lexi Licari, photo editor for Yearbook, fine-tunes pictures using eDesign. Yearbook stays organized using eDesign, which allows all editors to work on pages simultaneously. “It’s slow, but it works well for designing and structuring our photos,” said Licari. 4 Cal Ward

All year long...

Yearbook class captures the moment These high school historians build the annual book of student life.

Rey Darby

opinion editor

M

any students do not consider the yearbook until the end of the year— when it is in their hands. But the yearbook producers have been working year-round to ensure it is a success.

“Right now we’re in our third deadline, about to be done with that, so we have about half of the book done,” said Ross McGillivray, the editor-in-chief of the yearbook.

The second period class uses their class time to complete the book. They interview students for the captions in the book. Besides the student’s individual photos, they take every photo for the school events, sports, clubs, etc.

The class makes the yearbook all while learning the skills of photography and graphic design.

“It has been going a lot smoother than it has been in past years. Past years took a long time to get the staff members up to date and getting them to actu-

ally understand how to interview people and to format things.

This year, people once they’re told what they did was wrong, they immediately gloss over it and understand what to do in the future. It’s very impressive,” said Kat Davidson, the content editor of the yearbook.

In comparison to past semesters and years, it’s a new experience.

“We just got three new staff members this semester and they are doing their best job to learn everything, which is really difficult. I am very proud of them. As far as work goes, because they’ve been doing their work and they turn in their stuff on time which is really exciting,” said McGillivray.

The end of the year is still a while away, but the yearbook production is still in full swing.

“Buy your yearbooks now, because we’re putting our order in and we might not have enough at the end of the year,” said Lori Hart, the yearbook advisor.

Yearbooks are available to purchase on the school website.

The Chinese Honors Society hosted an event celebrating the Lunar New Year on January 20.

“We typically learn about different aspects of Chinese culture and do activities according to those traditions. For example, we did a Chinese tea blind taste test to see if we could differentiate each type of tea,” said Alexis Ho, president.

The new years event included activities like lucky coin, lantern making, a ping pong tournament, a chopstick competition, Chinese calligraphy, and snacks like dumplings and Tangyuan.

“We had so many competitions and the ping pong was super fun, and we had a good turnout too. It was really nice,” said Benjamin Sidoti, a club member.

Students in the club organized and planned the event with help from their staff advisor, Lan Guo. “The president [of the club], Alexis Ho, came up with the outline of the event. The other club officers helped to make it succeed. During the the preparation, Mr. Gregg and Mr. Hendricks also gave us a lot of support,” said Lan Guo, the Chinese teacher.

The event was part of a 15-day long global celebration of the lunar new year. Other traditions can be celebrated at home.

In preparation for the new year, families clean their houses thoroughly and decorate with fresh flowers and red couplets on the sides of doors.

“

Pay to win politics

Hudson Ellis

Lobbying is just legal bribery

trending now editor

In recent years, many schools and other organizations have banned books from their libraries.

The books are usually banned because their contents are deemed graphic, political, or sexually explicit. However, in most instances, book bans are motivated by a disapproval of the ideas espoused within the books they are banning.

This is directly in contrast with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982) case, in which the Court held that public schools could only remove books that are “pervasively vulgar”, and not books that they disagree with. A variety of perspectives should be the cornerstone of every education. The restriction of beliefs within an education system presents a very narrow view of the world.

However, there are some instances where books should

be brought into question. Books that have no relevance to the curriculum should be reviewed by a board. The age demographic of the books should also be brought into consideration. Are the schoolchildren old enough to understand the contents of the book? These questions are important. But at some age, students are mature enough to be knowledgeable of historical events and topics.

The teaching of history is not something to be labeled as indoctrination. Topics such as slavery and the treatment of indigenous peoples are integral to a complete understanding of the story of the United States. To erase these things from the curriculum is a crude distortion of the truth.

Fictional novels make up a large portion of the banned titles in school libraries. This is more complicated than nonfiction. While some titles, like “Brave New World”, or “To Kill A Mockingbird” are of significant cultural note, others are pretty pointless and reasonably have no place in school libraries. However, the holy war to remove some topics from fiction books is still stupid. Especially when concepts like race and gender are ubiquitous in the real world, and most students in higher grade levels are likely already aware of them.

\Maya Camas

Antisemitism grows louder

Online harrassment reflects rise in antisemetic attacks Johnathan Geare news editor

Antisemitism has gone mainstream. Antisemitism, a form of hatred towards Jewish people, has been a persistent issue throughout history. In recent years, it has skyrocketed in prominence, with Anti-semetic communities and figureheads bubbling over, becoming more visible and widely accepted in pockets of American society.

One contributing factor to the rise in antisemitism is the proliferation of hate speech on the internet.

Social media platforms have provided a platform for hatefilled ideologies to spread, and antisemitic conspiracy theories and stereotypes have found new life in these digital spaces.

Because of the nature of modern social media platforms’ user retention algorithms, these ideas are allowed to echo among likeminded individuals without much intervention— anti semites are welcomed by communities of fellow anti semites, communities which average users are not exposed to. This is further exacerbated by the existence of “pipe-

lines” on social media, an idea explored by Jeanna Matthews, Professor of Computer Science at Clarkson University, in which impressionable users are given a false impression of what is socially acceptable based on what they are shown on social media, allowing these communities to fester.

One may take Kanye West— who serves as a bigoted figurehead that almost need not be mentioned— as an example of anti-semitism being handled properly by social media websites, as Twitter promptly deleted his violently anti-Jewish tweets and deactivated his account.

However, the message Twitter is sending here is hardly noble.

Supporters of Ye’s remarks have since gone unscrutinized on the platform, indicating that it was the global reach of Ye that was the issue, and his punishment is not a commitment to fighting antisemitism.

But in this day and age, antisemitism is not confined to small communities online— another factor is the increasing normalization of antisemitism in

political discourse. Some politicians have made inflammatory remarks about Jews or used dog-whistle language to evoke anti-Jewish sentiments, such as former President Trump’s comment on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming that “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel before it is too late.”

Others have refused to take a stand against antisemitism. This creates an environment where antisemitism is not only tolerated, but often encouraged.

The recent rise of antisemitism is a worrying development, and we must all work together to combat it.

This means public rejection of anti-Jewish sentiments, while also placing responsibility on the creators of the infrastructure that allows anti-semitism to grow, that being the Elon Musks (CEO of Twitter) and the Susan Wojcickis (CEO of YouTube) of the world. The future of our society depends on our ability to reject hate and embrace diversity.

Benjamin Sidoti

Chinese Honors Club member

Food is also part of the celebration.

“On New Year’s Eve, family members usually have a Reunion Dinner which is considered the most important meal of the year. Dumpling is eaten at that time to represent good wishes of being lucky and safe for the coming new year,” said Guo. In its five years of existence, the club has run multiple activities like this one.

“In past years, the honor society also performed outreach activities, including a Chinese Lion and Chinese Dragon dance at local parades and at CCUSD’s Global Beginnings Preschool,” said Guo. The club focuses on cultural enrichment, giving students the opportunity to learn about Chinese traditions and events.

“I’ve learned the traditional origin of some of the Chinese foods, the clothes that they wear, and teas they drink,” said Ho. Chinese Honors Society meets every Thursday during lunchtime to educate people on Chinese culture and help people with similar interests meet.

Queen Rules

competition. The Chinese Club filled bowls with skittles to test the skills of the festival-goers. “You had to pick up a certain amount of skittles, and whoever picked them up the fastest won a $15 Target giftcard,” said Caden Levin, a Chinese Club officer. 4 Daniel Duffey

Tat Tales

opinion editor

Drag has grown mainstream from the love of fans and political backlash. However, despite backlash, drag has influenced makeup in quiet but revolutionary ways.

“Drag is such a huge form of expression. Drag can be a creative outlet. Drag doesn’t mean feminine, it can also be masculine. It makes room for creativity within gender identity,” said Bella Price, a senior.

The medium has become essential to makeup artistry.

“Exaggerated and detailed eye and eyebrow makeup is where drag makeup becomes different and unique,” said Tyler Hammersmark, a Cactus Shadows graduate.

According to Elle’s “Everything We Know About Beauty We Learned from Drag”, “Now-common knowledge makeup techniques like contouring and baking were used by drag queens in the dressing rooms of clubs. The objective was to use makeup to transform the face into a character. Makeup was about exaggerating features.”

Drag has grown popular following the traction of Rupaul’s Drag Race, and the perception of drag has fluctuated with popularity. Its mainstream form changed from simply cisgender gay men, to non-binary people and trans women finding their identities through makeup and music.

Methods such as the cut crease, ‘baking’, and contour are drag staples that made their way into Tik Tok trends in recent years.

“Drag queens usually contour above the jawline. That is something I have been seeing a lot more on the internet,” said Harrison Lowe, a student drag queen.

From the digital fashion publication Digital Beauty’s “Drag’s Influence On The Beauty Industry”, “Obviously crazy colorful makeup on the eyes or overdrawn lips are signature to more creative drag artists and might be too adventurous for the daily routine. But contouring, cut creases, “baking,” intense highlight and more are techniques that all beauty lovers use anytime thanks in part to the knowledge of these artists and their ability to mix stage-ready or durable makeup with fashionable and exciting looks.”

These original processes were popularized for their transformative power, face lifts with concealer, and the highlighting of bone structure with contour all started from this goal of transforming the face.

“I don’t think that the drag community gets the credit they deserve for the trends that are happening with makeup — so many trends started within the drag community,” said Renny Vasquez, a celebrity makeup artist.

However, not very many people are aware of the power drag has.

“Do I feel the drag community has been given the credit it deserves for highlight, contour, cut creases? No I don’t,” legendary New York City drag performer Vivacious quipped to the magazine Elle.

Unfortunately from the persisting prejudice and content stealing nature of Tik Tok, drag hasn’t received it’s deserved recognition.

Cait Bunkers editor-in-chief

Patchwork tattoos are a new style of sleeves that stray from traditional sleeves in order to allow for more flexibility in design.

“I like smaller tattoos and kind of piecing them together,” said Lacey Leebrick, a patchwork tattoo aficionado.

Patchwork tattoos are small to medium tattoos that come together to form a type of tattoo sleeve. They are different from a traditional sleeve in that a traditional sleeve fills all open spaces, whereas a patchwork sleeve leaves open space in between each tattoo.

One can start a patchwork sleeve by choosing tattoo designs that they like. After getting a few, one can continue to fill in the sleeve with designs that fit into the blank spaces while still leaving small areas tattoo-free.

A patchwork sleeve does not need to have a cohesive theme. Tattoos are about finding artwork that one wants to adorn their body with.

“Most of them have been with somebody or for somebody… some of them I just thought were pretty and I just like how they flow together,” said Leebrick.

To have a successful patchwork sleeve, one should not get any tattoo designs that are too large compared to the other tattoos in the sleeve. Additionally, it is best to plan the sleeve to be either in color, black and gray, or a combination of the two.

While some may argue that tattoos need to be meaningful, it is up to the person getting the tattoos whether or not they are meaningful or are designs the person likes. Because tattoos are permanent, someone interested in getting a patchwork sleeve should ensure they do not allow others to persuade them one way or another.

“At first I only wanted to get ones that were meaningful, so I put a lot of time into it, I drew it out, [now] if I think one is pretty I might get it,” said Leebrick.

Ultimately, how a patchwork sleeve looks is up to each individual. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to get one so long as the person is happy with what tattoos they are getting.

INKED UP. Jackson Rinkes, senior, shows off his floral patchwork tattoo.

Patchwork tattoos work can be used to make tattoo sleeves. 4Cait Bunkers

Iris-sistable Flower Crowns

2. Grab three flowers and braid the stems together (exactly like braiding hair).

Continue for an inch.

Materials:

3. Add another flower

Dandelions or Daisies (or any flower with a soft, bendable stem) and scissors

WINNING WINGS. Sabrina Specture practices applying

drag makeup. Spectra, junior, put on a dramatic drag inspired look using bold eyeshadow 4Hailey Dent

Associated British Food, General Mills, Danone, Mondelez (or Kraft Foods), Mars, Unilever, and Pepsico. These companies make a shared $388.6 billion dollars of the $1037.9 billion dollar market. 37.4% of all packaged food made by just 10 companies.

Once companies have reached such a large size, their goal becomes optimization of the chain of production. They want to make food, packaging, transport, and distribution as cheap as possible, so they can make more and sell more. The main opponent of this optimization happens to be government regulations, which keeps a standard for products these companies sell.

To keep optimizing their production, companies have to influence our government. Politicians need money to get elected, and they have more than enough money to supply. While not able to give money directly to favorable candidates, in 2010, during the case of Citizens United vs FEC, The Supreme Court decided that PACs– Political Action Committees, The groups that companies use to lobby– may spend unlimited funds so long as they are “Independent Expenditures.” Essentially, as long as a company does not directly (not including indirectly) communicate with the election committee of a candidate, it can spend as much money as it wants to for advertisements, rallies, podcasts, news sites– basically anything to get a preferred candidate elected.

Some people would say that there is merit to allowing multinational corporations to make a decision in the political landscape of America— that money is a part of the American Dream, and should be part of free speech. This is a fine view, but the importance of money in politics today, and the freedom of those who have it to use it, has created a landscape where the voice of the people is ultimately stifled. There needs to be reform on where and how much money is spent by corporations in order to restore our voice.

The threat to our democracy is obvious: if companies can use unlimited finances to sway voters and outcompete other candidates, the true voice of the people is unlimitedly stifled.

1. Pick your flowers, make sure to keep the stem as long as possible.

Yes

comment

Is internet activism effective?

Cait Bunkers editor-in-chief

With the rise of social media use has come a new method of enacting change: internet activism.

As stated by the Humanitarian Academy for Development, internet activism “is when digital tools such as the internet, social media, email and mobile phones are used for mobilization, political action and to incite change.”

Foucault Brooke to According Welles, a communications professor at Northeastern University, internet activism represents a “transformative opportunity to inject new narratives or to change the narratives and the way we talk about things.”

Internet activism has risen in popularity via movements such as the ALS ice bucket challenge, Black Lives Matter, and movements These #MeToo. used tools such as

hashtags, asking people to share posts with others, and simple instructions of how to advocate for certain things in order to spread among activists as widely as possible.

Internet activism is easily accessible by many and allows viewpoints to be spread quickly, making it an effective way to educate and prompt further change making.

The Council on Foreign Relations says that internet activism offers marginalized groups inroads to power.

Because internet activism commonly occurs on social media platforms, it is can easily be done by most of the world population. With many platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and over four billion users, anyone can create a social media account and begin posting their views. Additionally, this can help spread information to younger demographics who may not receive their information from the news and other sources as much as older demographics.

By acting as an easy source of information, internet activism can educate the masses quickly and effectively.

Internet activism also allows viewpoints to be spread quickly. Most social media platforms have buttons that allow people to share posts in one or two clicks. Additionally, features such as Instagram stories allow users to post a few words advocating their view rather than a longer traditional post. This quickness allows internet activists to educate and prompt further activism easily.

While beneficial to society, internet activism can sometimes bring about the spreading of misinformation. This is because information is not always factchecked before being posted, leading some to believe things that are not true.

This misinformation can spread quickly and have a butterfly effect on people as they continue to share it.

However, this can be avoided entirely when people take the time to research a topic they are unsure about. By researching, people learn what information is biased and/or untrue, allowing them to make informed decisions about important topics and then share their view on them. This also helps internet activists learn to distinguish between biased and unbiased, and true and false information more quickly, making them more informed and better activists.

In order to employ internet activism to its fullest potential to create change, people must research topics fully to get all the information they can in order to prevent the spread of misinformation.

This allows internet activists to post their beliefs without unintentionally spreading false information. By participating in internet activism this way, people are able to educate others on multiple issues and inspire them to take action on them.

Nikki Kato staff writer

With our generation brings the era of social media, and in recent years it has become a tool for activism. Using social media posts and stories as a way to show activism is ineffective towards the actual problem.

Social media activism comes and goes in cycles, and is constantly talked about until something more interesting happens, according to thecampanile.org, Misinformation spreads very easily on social media especially when it comes to serious issues. Social media runs on an algorithm, so many users will mostly see what they want to see or what is getting the most attention.

Misinformation is a major conflict on social media and most people do not take the time to research if things are actually true, according to breezejmu.org.

Social media does not cut it as real activism. If a person really thinks about the effects their post will have towards the real problem there will not be much.

It has everyone thinking that they are an activist. The definition of being an activist goes way beyond posting a link on your story and going to bed thinking you have made a difference.

According to teenvogue. com, a real activist does lifelong work; they organize protests and constantly face consequences for acting towards what they believe in.

Most of the time, someone will post a half-hearted or short lived care for something on their account, and a lot of the time what that does is create a trend to care about a certain problem. Some people, according to teenvogue.com, will end up reposting for moral superiority, a culture of shame and guilt, and bandwagoning, but not because they truly are passionate about the matter.

There are better ways to make a difference and be more valuable to a problem if a person wants to be, and it is more important to focus on a few issues that really are important to you. But the reality is that it takes more than one person or one post. It takes unity in people and not just in the digital world, but the real world.

While spreading awareness and educating people is true and important, the problem with it is the amount of misinformation, propaganda, and extreme biases that comes with social media

4Hailey Dent

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ● 7

No

posts. People can be educated from verifiable news resources as a way to stay aware. Relying on social media for information is not the best way to stay up to date on worldwide issues.

Social media easily can become performative, to make a look for yourself. A lot of the environment on social media is not all real to begin with, so it is hard to make it feel genuine.

Being aware is important, so take it upon yourself to stay in touch with problems that you care about. Conflict surrounds our lives every single day, it is no one’s duty to fix every single one. Focus on things in your community and around you that you can make a difference in, and have courageous conversations with people in your life.

Change is a continuous pursuit; it does not just happen with a few hundred posts.

4Hailey Dent

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ● 9

Popular makeup looks stem from drag styles Rey Darby

QUICK WITH THE STICKS. Lan Guo, the Chinese teacher, fights for the fastest time in the chopstick

Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

Monetary corruption destroys democracy. Simply labeling it as lobbying does not change the damage it causes.

America has been the only major power of the western hemisphere since its inception. But it almost wasn’t. Brazil, the largest nation in South America, was in a similar position to America after its independence in 1822. It had land to develop, industrialists, railroads, and resources, and Brazil was relatively prosperous. This all changed, however, when slavery was officially banned in 1888. Soon after, oligarchs who were upset with the decision overthrew the government in a military coup, and established a “republic” where their money would hold more influence. This newly legalized corruption essentially stalled all of Brazil’s economic development.

America has had a similar struggle between the interests of oligarchs and democracy throughout its history– the battle between southern slave owning oligarchs, or the antitrust laws brought down on Standard Oil and other monopolies serve as good examples. Today, America faces a similar threat to our democracy, one of the oligarchs birthed from deregulation.

One example of these oligarchies can be found in the food industry. According to the article “These 10 Companies Control Everything You Buy,” written by Kate Taylor and published by Business Insider, the packaged food industry is controlled almost entirely by just 10 companies: Nestle, Coca Cola, Kelloggs

\Maya Camas

style

THE CSPRESS

Red is symbolic of good luck in the new year.

People wear red and exchange new year’s greetings, and elders give unmarried kids red envelopes.

THE CSPRESS

Censorship inhibits education

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ● 3

We had so many competitions and the ping pong was super fun, and we had a good turnout too.

It was really nice.

THE CSPRESS

comment

6 ● FEBRUARY 10, 2023

4. Combine the fourth flower stem with the center stem (by placing them on top of each other) and continue braiding within a three strand style.

5. Add another flower and continue until you reach the desired length.

6. Finish braiding the stems then tuck them into the beginning of the crown (if you are struggling a piece of thread can be used to tie the two ends together.)

3Alexis Walford

FLOWER QUEEN. Mia Quenzler, sophomore,

poses with a handmade flower crown. She picked local daisies in Breckenridge, Colorado. 4Mia

Quenzler

spotlight

THE CSPRESS

Second novel: a worthy read

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ● 15

Rey Darby

opinion editor

Leigh Bardugo’s debut adult novel, Ninth House, gets a successful continuation with Hell Bent.

Previously, Leigh Bardugo took the YA fantasy scene by storm with the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and the Six of Crows Duology. This franchise (The Grishaverse) is one of the only modern examples of a Harry Potter level success story.

Hell Bent takes Ninth House’s cliffhanger and runs with it. The book recontextualizes the world of Lethe and New Haven. As readers follow Alex Stern on her journey into purgatory, the characters get deeper than expected. And when readers think they have learned everything about Alex Stern, she surprises everyone with Bardugo’s use of separate timelines and non-consecutive story telling. The masterful use of different story lines, artfully reveals new details as the story progresses in an almost chronological feel.

Bardugo’s world building is masterful in her high fantasy as well as in her urban fantasy. Alex Stern’s Yale is a new and creative take on the academic magic genre. Pulling a character from a poor background into a world of magic and privilege, makes a perfect social commentary while also playing with fantastical danger.

The social commentary themes were stronger in Ninth House, but they did bleed into Hell Bent in the form of the character Turner alongside Alex. By including Turner’s story, the overarching themes of the book greatly benefitted.

Alex is the girl for the angry readers who have been surrounded by privilege their whole lives, and fight against it. Her story shows disruptions of systems, such as the elitist environment of Ivy League education and rich nepotism. She is a very complicated character that you’d think Ninth House provided all of the perspective on. However, Hell Bent introduced so much more to her.

A focal point of Bardugo’s writing is her strong character work. The character Darlington is extremely charming and likable. He is an immediate favorite even though he is absent for most of the book. He is the perfect mirror to Alex, and Hell Bent only strengthens the written relationship between the two.

The character Dawes has the strongest character development. From going to the side character in the beginning of book one, she grows into a strong asset and highlight of Hell Bent.

Hell Bent fell into the caveat of being a sequel, the beginning was slower than it should’ve been, and until the end readers mostly knew what to expect.

Hell Bent was not as strong as Ninth House but it was still a strong addition to Bardugo’s repertoire.

wwwwo

MAKING IT IN THE REAL WORLD. Alumna Nicole Neri, who began her photojournalism career on the CS Press, now freelances for a living. Her photos have appeared in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and the Minnesota Reformer. This photo of Roy Clark, who plays for in St. Francis, Minnesota, was taken for the Associated Press. 4 Nicole Neri

Where are they now?The CS Press takes a look at

what some of the graduates from the journalism program are up to now Cait Bunkers editor-in-chief

Nicole Neri is a Cactus Shadows alumna who has found success in freelance photojournalism.

“I started taking photos when I was young, I went from studying processes to studying people,” Neri said.

Neri’s photography initially focused on subjects like flowers. She then began to do experiments at her kitchen table and take photos of things like refraction, or the change in beams of light as they pass through various objects.

In her junior year at Cactus Shadows, Neri joined the newspaper staff. While photographing people initially made her nervous, she found ways to work through that to capture the best photos she could for the newspaper.

“She would do anything to get a good photo,” said Lori Hart, a journalism teacher.

While on the staff, Neri attended an annual journalism convention held by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in New York. At the convention, she took a course on photography that entailed various challenges in which she competed against other attendees. She was given various photo assignments and had to take photos

and choose the best one within an hour during each assignment. Neri won an award for a portrait she took during the course.

After graduating from high school, Neri went on to attend the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and

“

I started taking photos when I was young, I went from studying processes to studying people.”

Nicole Neri

Cactus Shadows alumna

Mass Communication at Arizona State University. She attended from 20162020.

“I majored in journalism and mass communication because there’s no photojournalism program, but it was a good school to make connections at,” Neri said.

While at ASU, she worked for the school’s marketing company taking pro-

motional photos for the school. She also did photography for the school’s newspaper, The State Press.

After graduating from college, Neri began to find freelance work. Her partner found a job in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and she moved there.

“The market is better there to make it as a freelancer,” Neri said.

Neri’s first two and a half years in Minneapolis were spent covering police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. She has recently begun covering other topics and working for local news sources like the Minnesota Reformer, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and others.

Neri has also photographed for larger news sources such as the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, CNN, and the Huffington Post. She also photographed portraits for a book.

One of Neri’s favorite jobs was to photograph a farm run by indigenous people in Minnesota. While taking photos, she had the opportunity to learn about designated foraging grounds and how the local ecosystem worked.

Neri’s other interests include sculpting, vinyl cut, and origami. She is also learning how to play the guitar to keep her busy, as winter is a slow time for freelance work.

March Tear Sheets

April Tear Sheets

the news

2 ● MAY 12, 2023

THE CSPRESS

District still without leader

Graduation

As the deadline approaches, there is no news about whether or not Dr. Monroe will return from his leave of absence Cait Bunker Editor in Chief

The Cave Creek Unified School District is facing a leadership change as Dr. Cort Monroe, the district’s superintendent, has taken a personal leave. This announcement was made during the school board’s meeting on February 27.

The meeting agenda stated, “The superintendent is currently on leave and there is no other administrator currently authorized to act as superintendent.

The acting superintendent would be authorized to act in the capacity of the superintendent in the superintendent’s absence.”

Following this announcement, the board held a vote to appoint an acting superintendent to temporarily fill the role until Dr. Monroe returns. The board unanimously voted to name chief financial officer Marcie Rodriguez as the acting superintendent.

Board president Janet Busbee read a statement from the governing body after the vote, stat-

ing, “Mrs. Rodriguez has over 20 years of cabinet experience with school districts in the Valley. Her financial expertise coupled with her administration experience will lend itself to moving the district forward in a positive light.”

The appointment of Rodriguez as the acting superintendent will likely provide the district with a sense of stability during Dr. Monroe’s absence. Rodriguez’s extensive experience in finance and administration within school districts in the Valley will undoubtedly prove valuable to the Cave Creek Unified School District during this transitional period.

Dr. Monroe has served as the district’s superintendent since 2017, overseeing the education of over 5,000 students across five schools in the district. He has been actively involved in the community, attending school events and engaging with parents and students to improve the district’s educational programs.

Despite Dr. Monroe’s absence,

The CS Press takes a look at what some of the graduates from the journalism program are up to now

WHEN: 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

Maja Peirce is a senior at Arizona State She majored in journalism and minored in University who began her experience in fashion.

“For a while I wanted to be a fashion design as a staff member of the CS Press.

“I was at the CS Press for two years and journalist. I started a magazine on campus and am pursuing graphic was on Lit Mag for three design now,” said Peirce. years,” said Peirce.

Peirce is currently Peirce began her journey applying to graphic design with publications as a memjobs in Phoenix. Before ber of Shadows Literary For a while I living in Phoenix, Peirce Magazine. At the time, wanted to be a in Seattle. While Peirce was also a competifashion journalist. I lived she is open to moving if tive dancer. a job opens somewhere “I really loved writing and started a magazine else, she hope to find was curious about jour- on campus and am a job that will keep her nalism. I loved the envipursuing graphic in Phoenix for the next ronment, Mrs. Hart, and couple of years. everyone in the commu- design now.”

“I really enjoy the nity. I found it much more Maja Peirce.

Phoenix area. My enjoyable than dance and family’s here, my girldecided to quit that and put Cactus Shadows Grad friend’s here,” said my focus on writing,” said Peirce.

Peirce.

When she is not designing, Peirce After leaving competitive dance for the CS Press, Peirce began to explore new roles enjoys movement via rock climbing in journalism. During her junior year she and dancing. She also enjoys drawing.

“I really love coffee shops… I spend was a news reporter, and during her senior most of my time there and draw little year, she was the In Depth page editor.

Additionally, Peirce began to explore things I see in them,” said Peirce.

Peirce is looking ahead to a career in graphic design while on the staff of the CS Press. Advisor Robert Adamson gave her the graphic design that allows her to continue to explore her hobbies and spend foundations for a career in design.

After graduating from Cactus Shadows, time with the people she loves.

Peirce began her studies at the Walter Cait Bunkers editor-in-chief

Seniors may begin check-in @ 4:30PM Doors are open @ 5:00PM

“

WHERE: at the State Farm (Cardinals) Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale PARKING: Guest and graduate parking at the stadium will be at the E2 and W3 Parking lots.

DO’s and DON’Ts: There is an entire list of prohibited items, which includes cameras with professional lenses, food (except for medical reasons), beverage containers, and banners/signs larger than 3’ x 2´. The full list can be seen in the Cactus Shadows website, under parents - graduation.

Guests MUST have clear bags.

Holding seats is not allowed, and there are no tickets, so plan accordingly.

Graduates may not take anything with them (NO bags, keys, or cellphone) Graduation Cap MUST be blank (No decorations) Diplomas will be handed out by row These CANNOT be reprinted, so DO NOT lose them GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Make sure all E-Cap activities are completed, otherwise students will not be able to graduate If students don’t go to the graduation ceremony, their diploma may be picked up on May 19th between 10:30 AM and 3:00 PM or during summer hours

3Delia Delaney, staff writer

creeker

18 ● MAY 12, 2023

Providing the proof

Science Club students explore the field of science by conducting a variety of lab experiments and raising money

Ezekiel Knibbe

There is not a set focus within the field of sciopinion editor ence. Any interest students’ have they can explore Science club provides an outlet for students to with their peers.

“One of our experiments was to figure out what explore the scientific method.

“It’s one of the few clubs on campus that explores, happens with light refraction and water beads and of course, the field of science, but also stuff that’s water. That was just one that a member threw out because it could be fun,” said Rollins. really related to the world around The club also provides volunteer us. The experiments we do are It’s all student-led, opportunities for students. In these very enlightening and we learn stuff we never knew before,” said so we get to pick our volunteer opportunities their fields Jacob Rollins, senior, and co-pres- experiments entirely of interest in science can be further explored beyond their classrooms. ident of science club. by ourselves,” “They volunteer and help with The club conducts labs on variMaya Ochoa the elementary science fair, colous types of science. The labs are student led as the rest of the club Co-President lect needed supplies for animals at the Southwest rehabilitation cenis driven by the students’ love for ter. In the future field trips such as science.

“I help in brainstorming and planning labs, activi- Lowell Observatory, Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater, ties, and outside service hours. Supply lab materi- Kartchner Caverns the ideas in AZ are endless,” said als, make sure there is an activity planned for the Higgins.

The club has been looking to do drives with aninext meeting. Whatever the students need from me I try to accommodate,” said Christy Higgins, science mal sanctuaries and zoos in the local community.

While they also connect with the school. teacher, and advisor for the science club.

“We’ve been trying to get some animal shelters Students meet in Higgins room for a new activity every meeting. Any student can participate as well and the zoo to see if we can do some kind of drives for them. Our meetings are always open for anyone as suggest the labs they do with the club.

“It’s really hands-on and it’s really about sharing who wants to participate,” said Ochoa.

As the year comes to an end the club hopes for our passions for an academic subject like science.

It’s all student-led, so we get to pick our experi- more participation next year and further opportuniments entirely by ourselves,” said Maya Ochoa, ties for students. senior, and co-president of science club.

THE CSPRESS

Mountain, which is incredibly steep and full of slate, but worthwhile for There are plenty of places to hike the views of Cave Creek and the rest across Phoenix, and Cave Creek’s of Phoenix.

“In Cave Creek, there’s a hike called location at the northern edge of the city makes it a prime area for hikers Jewel of the Desert– that’s probably my favorite family hike– but we to enjoy unique trails.

“I find that [hiking] is a really great also really like hiking Black Mountain, we’ve hiked that a lot. We way to exercise, it’s a also hike this trail called good way to spend time Balanced Rock– it’s way far with my family, and I down on Dynamite [road] really like being out in I mainly hike and it’s kind of hidden– but nature,” said Madeline Rollins, a junior who to enjoy getting it’s a really cool hike on this granite mountain range,” often hikes with her away from said Rollins. family. “You see things life for a little Hiking is fun, but it can when you hike that you also be dangerous. It’s don’t see when you’re while, important to take care to driving along the high Megan Swansiger follow safety precautions, way; even if you’re in especially as the summer the middle of the desheat sets in. New hikers especially ert, you don’t notice them.”

There are many trails around Cave should take these warnings seriously.

“A good pair of shoes will make or Creek, allowing for a variety of experiences, sights, and difficulties to try. break you. I’m not a big boot perOne of the easier trails is the Apache son; I love me a pair of trail runners Wash trail, which circles the north- just because the support is there and ern side of the Sonoran preserve. The the traction is there. I don’t like the trailhead connects to several other clunkiness of boots. So, a good pair hiking trails that cross the preserve, of shoes– Hoca is my brand– is great,” said Alexis Huss, a special education ranging from easy to difficult.

Another iconic trail is Black teacher who has hiked all over the

“

Hippo Campus goes Western Rey Darby

ery and storytelling alongside Hippo Campus’s eccentric lyricism to create a Hippo Campus recently released their song about change and loss. The band’s new western-themed alternative EP poetry, twang, and vibrant instrumentals creates a song that shows a more posiWasteland.

The EP opens with ‘Moonshine’ that tive spin on change people are resistant toward. holds the title of the best ‘Probably’ was the most song on the album. Its underwhelming release in poetic lyrics fit into the the EP. The change of pace Hippo Campus niche as was little more than bland. well as making listen- The band’s It was overall a safe bet ers dance to a song about poetry, twang, along with ‘Yippee Ki Yay’. their inevitable doom. Its The EP closes out with southern twang is acces- and vibrant ‘Kick in the Teeth’ which sible to a more alternative instrumentals is almost a satirical counaudience but keeps a new creates a song try song. Lyrics like “I’m interesting theme within that shows a about as lonely as a cowboy the genre. can be,” play to the hearts ‘Yippee Ki Yay’ draws more positive of indie fans who grew up closer to the band’s roots spin on change around country music. The but remains a safe song. song leans more cheesy than There’s nothing wrong people are with it, but while listening resistant toward. profound but the Western theme is most prevalent to it next to ‘Moonshine’ R ey Darby with this first released song. and the song after it The EP was definitely an ‘Honeysuckle’, listeners opinion editor experiment but it still fit are left waiting for someinto their niche. It’s enjoything a little more. Despite able with highlights like that, it remains a familiar listen for those who fell for their alt-rock ‘Moonshine’ and “Honeysuckle’. With its riffs and bass, as well as lead singer, Jake safe and bland moments the EP earns the band a 3 out of 5 stars.

Luppen’s, vivid vocals.

Bittersweet ‘Honeysuckle’ uses imagwwwOO opinion editor

Hiking connects people to the deserts of the valley of the sun creeker editor

Rey Darby

SOAPY DNA. Jacob Rollins, senior, laughs with Maya Ochoa, senior, as they being their newest experiment, extracting DNA from strawberries. “I like the Science club because it gives us a good opportunity to explore the field of science,” Rollins said. 4 Lexi Licari

MAY 12, 2023 ● 17

Where are they now: Maja Peirce

WHAT: The 2023 Graduation ceremony will take place on May 17.

the district will continue to operate as normal, with Rodriguez leading the administration. It is not yet clear how long Dr. Monroe’s leave will last or when he will return to his duties as superintendent.

The Cave Creek Unified School District has faced its share of challenges in recent years, including declining enrollment, budget cuts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, under Dr. Monroe’s leadership, the district has made significant strides in improving student outcomes and providing a quality education to all students.

As the district looks to the future, the appointment of.

Rodriguez as the acting superintendent will undoubtedly provide the stability and leadership needed to continue this progress.

The district’s governing board will be closely monitoring the situation and working closely with Rodriguez to ensure the district’s continued success.

spotlight

THE CSPRESS

all about

state and country. “Always hydrate.

The signs that are at trailheads, that say that you should have at least two liters of water with you from April to October, are no joke. I personally don’t like having something in my hands when I’m out and about, so I have my camelback. And I always have three to five liters [of water] on me, depending on how far I’m going…. And then sunscreen; I love being outside for the sun, so lather up,” Hiking is an enjoyable activity for anyone, whether it be to see sights, enjoy company, or even for isolation.

“I mainly hike to enjoy getting away from life for a little while and enjoying the scenery of climbing a mountain and the peacefulness of it all,” said Megan Swansiger, a sophomore who hikes occasionally. “It definitely lets you stretch out your muscles. It’s good cardiovascular exercise if you’re running or jogging up the mountain.

Not only that, but I feel it clears your head from grogginess because not having to communicate– it’s a time on your own.”

Cave Creek offers a wide variety of hiking trails for every type of hike.

“

4Hailey Dent

Live action “Barbie” movie to open this summer Rachel Burkhalter staff writer

A new Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and featuring Margot Robbie, has been confirmed to release in July of 2023.

The Barbie Movie is a fantasy comedy film based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel. The movie takes a spin on the normal Barbie franchise by creating a type of movie that any age can watch and enjoy.

Margot Robbie is cast as Barbie, and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The story features Barbie being expelled from her home for being a less-than per-

the seniors

THE CSPRESS

“Being valedictorian was a good surprise that came together at the end.”

Parker McQuain

Rey Darby

The local art community flourishes with the presence of the Sonoran Arts League.

Anywhere a visitor goes in Cave Creek they can see artists’ work all around. From the Desert Foothills Library to Janey’s and Local Jonny’s, local artists are on display.

“Sharing my work with the community provides a way for me to express myself through art. It feels nice to have someone connect with one of my paintings enough to want to buy it and hang it in their home.

And, if a painting or piece of art is appreciated by people around the

world, then that is a beautiful thing,” said Diane Andreoni, an oil painter.

The Sonoran Arts League is a non-profit organization that brings together local artists. They can be seen doing art critiques at the Desert Foothills Library as well as teaching classes.

“I connect with other artists in the area by being part of the Sonoran Arts League. The league has been active in Phoenix and Cave Creek since 1975 and does a wonderful job of putting us in front of the public’s eye. I constantly share information and vice versa with a couple other artists in the league; we love to build each other

up and inspire each other for the better. I participate in many of the league’s art shows, most important being the Hidden in the Hills studio tour in November,” said Lucas Wardein, a fine jeweler.

Class and art shows hosted by the Sonoran Art sLeague are very diverse in the types of art present.

“I attend local art shows and occasionally will take a workshop at the Scottsdale Artists’ Studio to brush up on my painting skills. I’ve met some great people at local festivals in downtown Cave Creek and a few have encouraged me to enter my work in Thunderbird Art Shows.

Next year, I’d like to have my own

These ten have achieved the highest grade point averages for the class of 2023

“Make sure you have a good school and social life balance.”

“Work hard and as long as you’re trying your best, you might get to be in the top 10.”

A HIDDEN CHALLENGE. Jessica Noll, a junior, hikes up Black Mountain. The hike is a staple of Cave Creek, despite the intense challenge of the trail. “Its one of the more difficult hikes I’ve attempted,” said Noll 4Ezekiel Knibbe

Paige Hammarston

“I took weighted classes and got good grades.”

artist’s booth to display my paintings in, and hopefully sell some, too,” said Andreoni.

Anywhere a visitor goes in Cave Creek, art can be found. The most prominent purveyor of Cave Creek art is the Desert Foothills Library.

“By being a young artist, you are able to connect with the local art community on a deeper level, not just from an aesthetic standpoint.

It allows you to see our community in a different light,” said Maya Angorn, sophomore, and a volunteer at the Desert Foothills Library.

Just like every community, Cave Creek proves itself to be rich in personalized art for the region.

Ayden Schure

Lani MacMillan

“I got A’s in all of the classes I took, and I worked hard.”

Local artists adorn Cave Creek with the help of the SAL opinion editor

MAY 12, 2023 ● 11

the top ten

Nathan Posen

fect doll who then has to set off into the real world and learn how to be herself.

The idea for the film began in 2014 when Mattel signed a deal with Sony Pictures. The movie took years to produce due to scheduling related issues but finally was filmed and directed in 2019.

Barbie is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States on July 21. The movie is highly anticipated by both kids and adults and is highly anticipated by those who grew up with the Barbie fashion dolls.

Aniyah Lewis “Surround yourself with good people and make sure to always respect and value the work that your teachers are putting in.”

Julian Rodriguez

“You can still join clubs and do extracurricular activities but time management is important.

I know kids who are really smart, but they slack off and are not ranked.”

Francesca Douglas

Alexis Ho “I took a bunch of weighted classes, like IB and AP, and worked my hardest to get good grades in them.”

“To be in the top ten you have to work really hard and have to put a lot of time and effort into school.”

Karli Neff

“Work hard and don’t procrastinate.

Join clubs too, stay happy.”

A DARKER TWIST. Artist Sarah

STORM OF EMOTIONS. Marti Niles captures an emotional colorful rollercoaster in his piece Through the Storm. The piece is composed of canvas and acrylic.

Hannesgard captures a blend of emotions in her series Dualities. It was made with a mix of media on wood panels. aHailey Dent

ACRYLIC AMBIANCE. Guests enjoy these art pieces at Desert Foothills Library. These acrylics, from left to right, are entitled Fickle Finger of Fate, Jazzfeet, and Blue Moon, all made by Jay Jacob.

May Tear Sheets comment

THE CSPRESS

The digital age kills America’s press The medium of print media is thousands of journalists have lost their jobs, and the idea dying as society knows it.

Obviously, digital media that digital news will eventuhas taken over every aspect ally become a decent business of a modern American’s life. feels like a rumor. The reality It’s easy and simple for the is this: No app, no streamlined everyday user, and reaches a mass audience for a business.

And after the pandemic, digi- The press is an integral tal everything became an inher- part of American ent part of every- society. Print and protest one’s lives. are some of the most The main appeal of digital American aspects of this news and gen- country. Throughout eral information history, pamphlets, sources is their ease. You can newspapers, magazines, type in a few key zines, and literary words and find exactly what you magazines, detail the were looking for. artistic, social, and This is the main history of the citizen of contributor to the death of print America. media, however there is something digital website, no “vertical integranews sources just don’t have, tion,” no social network, no algorithm, no Apple, no Apple consistent readership.

According to a special Newsstand, no paywall, no report done by the Columbia soft paywall, no targeted ad, Journalism Review “Print is no mobile-first strategy has dead. Long live print”, “Big come close to matching the city papers have gone under, success of print in revenue or

“

readership.”

There is no revenue, and as the world goes on, less trust in news sources. In the era of misinformation, every sight must be vetted for its credibility. And yes, this must be done for newspaper sources as well, but the quality control and processes of getting a physical print is much more arduous.

According to Scientific American “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: Why paper still beats screens”, “In general, screens are also more cognitively and physically taxing than paper. Scrolling demands constant conscious effort, and LCD screens on tablets and laptops can strain the eyes and cause headaches by shining light directly on people ‘s faces.”

People are more likely to retain effectively when the information presented to them is physical. The same reasoning is why in schools it is pushed to have physical notes to write down.

The press is an integral part of American society. Print and protest are some of the most American aspects of this country. Throughout history, pamphlets, newspapers,

magazines, zines, and literary magazines, detail the artistic, social, and history of the citizen of America.

And as America goes through protests for their human rights for multiple different communities, physical press and art will not go away.

Though the purpose of news media is to get through to a wide audience. Digital undoubtedly does this best.

With news that requires a wide audience, digital has its place. Though with local small community news, the most accessible options are local papers.

Websites in smaller communities are notoriously unreliable, but papers find that information for the reader while providing a familiar view on a community.

In communities with a low digital presence, physical papers are extremely useful for those who want to get involved, as well as those who just want to know what’s going on in their communities.

Even as this very paper comes to an end, people must not forget the importance of physical print and the connectivity it provides.

the editorial represents the consensus view of the members of the Editorial Board.

The Editorial Board members are Cait Bunkers, Rey Darby, Hudson Ellis, Stella Benaglio, Ezekiel Knibbe, Sarah Love, Hailey Dent, Alexis Walford, and Jimmy Le.

The CSPress has finally come to a close

Through trials and tribulations, Cactus Shadows is finally free from the press Hudson Ellis

trending now editor

As it has been announced, the reign of the Cactus Shadows newspaper is coming to a close. No more issues. No more awards. No more coming into school on Saturdays. Despite all the despair amidst the retirement of the CS Press, I am here to tell you why this is a good thing, actually.

First of all, I won’t have to be trapped in a room with the most annoying people known to man any longer. The gates of sensory hell are finally shutting. Our dear readers won’t have to read another whiny opinion piece from a snarky seventeen year old again. Athletes won’t be called up to a hidden room for an interview over and over again.

In addition, the school’s weary populace will not have to be subjected to harassment from our team at seven in the morning. No more cries of “do you want a newspaper”.

The only negative impact I can think of

resulting from the shutdown of the newspaper is the effect it will have on this school’s paper airplane market or the makeup of the trash cans. We’ll be recycling a lot less paper from now on.

If I’m being completely honest, I think this whole situation will benefit the news business as a whole. I think our publications are a stain on the media.

With us out of the spotlight, everyone can now focus on good quality journalism like the New York Post, The Atlantic, and Buzzfeed.

So what now? Now I’m going to move forward in my journalism career. Photograph a war-torn country. Leak classified documents online. Get assassinated by some federal agency.

The future is looking very promising, now that the CS Press is out of my way.

\Maya Camas

MAY 12, 2023 ● 5

CSP

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T H E C A C T U S S H A D O W S P R E S S

Editor in Chief News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Creeker Editor Spotlight Editor Photo Editor Style Editor Food Editor Trending Now Editor

Cait Bunkers Cait Bunkers Rey Darby Stella Benaglio Ezekiel Knibbe Sarah Love Hailey Dent Alexis Walford Jimmy Le Hudson Ellis

Staff Stella Benaglio, Cait Bunkers, Rachel Burkhalter, Rey Darby, Delia Delaney, Hailey Dent, Hudson Ellis, Nicole Kato, Ezekial Knibbe, Jimmy Le, Sarah Love, Mia Quenzler, Stephanie Vega Gonzalez, Alexis Walford, Cal Ward Advisers Lori Hart, Robert Adamson

Editorial Policy: The CSPress is published by the Journalism class of Cactus Shadows High School. The newspaper serves the students and staff of Cactus Shadows High School and as a connection to the surrounding community.

Ezekiel Knibbe

THE CSPRESS

Career diversity enrichens society Cait Bunkers editor-in-chief

These jobs are key because they offer higher wages, increased job satisfaction, better benefits, and allow for the completion of necessary tasks.

Wages can be higher in non-traditional careers than in traditional careers. According to Chicago Women in The Trades, a woman working in construction can make $47,000 per year as compared to $43,400 in a nonconstruction field. As expenses such as groceries and rent increase, an extra couple thousand dollars can make the difference when it comes to affording things.

Another benefit to pursuing a nontraditional career is the satisfaction it can bring to workers. According to a study conducted by Blinn College, when a career is chosen based on interests and abilities, rather than gender norms or other societal pressures, individuals experience greater job satisfaction.

Additionally, most non-traditional careers are unionized, which offers workers more benefits. These can include protection against unfair firing, a voice in policies at work, and higher wages. Union contracts include provisions that protect employers from firing workers without just cause, and, in the event a union worker feels that they have been unjustly fired, the union can file a griev\Maya Camas ance on their behalf against the

Non-traditional careers are necessary to the success of society.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) defines a non-traditional job as “one in which 25 percent or fewer of a particular gender are employed.” For example, according to work.chron.com, 12% of registered nurses are men, and 8% of firefighters are women.

The Comments and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all CSPress staff members.

The CSPress is also published online, at cactusshadowscspress.com.

The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

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company. A voice in policies at work is also important, especially because it can affect workers’ health, safety, and benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-union workers only make 85 cents for every dollar a union worker makes, a difference that, while at first glance seems small, adds up over multiple paychecks.

Non-traditional careers are also necessary to society. Shortages of skilled labor make it necessary for more people to pursue these careers in the future.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, these shortages will cause 2.1 million manufacturing jobs to be unfilled in 2030. Shortages of labor will cause issues such as supply chain bottlenecks and shortages of critical supplies.

An argument against non-traditional careers is that they often do not follow a typical “nine to five” office job schedule. Nurses are needed around the clock, every day of the year, along with firefighters, automotive technicians, and others. However, those who pursue non-traditional fields often find more enjoyment in jobs like these, rather than traditional jobs with less taxing schedules. Enjoying the career that one is pursuing minimizes the negative effects of a taxing schedule.

All in all, pursuing non-traditional careers can contribute to a happier society, allow for the completion of necessary tasks, and offer better pay and benefits for all those involved.

style editor

We need to unlock our school bathrooms.

Almost every student on campus can empathize over the lack of available restrooms on campus. This situation leads to many problems for our fellow students.

According to Arizona State administrative code Title 9. Health Services, there are no current laws in place that mandates a designated amount of bathrooms to students in public schools. There are, however, laws that follow a similar nature.

Take article 7. Public Schools for example. This chapter talks about the minimum amount of “Drinking Fountains, Water Coolers, or Bottled Water Coolers,” that a school needs, and gives ratios like; for every 1-100 students 1 drinking fountain is mandatory, and for every 101-200 students, 2 drinking fountains are necessary.

Also in Title 9. Health Services, a chapter named Public Toilet Facilities talks

about how for special events, “One portable toilet (is mandated) for the first 100 people, and one portable toilet for each additional 100 people, or portion thereof.”

At the very least, it should be expected that public schools should create a law similar to the one above, dictating the amount required restrooms.

A lack of restrooms is not the only problem caused when bathroom doors are locked, but also the distance required to reach a restroom.

There are multiple teachers who put into place rules about the amount of time a student can use for a bathroom break. Whether it be 5 minutes or 10, this puts pressure on a student to find a restroom, in a maze of locked ones, and get back before risking getting yelled at by teachers. This can create a lack of trust between teacher and students, and a negative relationship with each other.

This occurrence also causes students to unnecessarily lose class time.

In the same chapter priorly stated, Public Toilet Facilities, it is shown that there are laws created that help this problem.

“Portable toilets and refuse containers shall be deployed at a special event as follows…

Within 200 feet of the special event place.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is a federal agency under the apartment of labor, and created to keep workers safe, has stated that employers must, “Provide an adequate number of restrooms for the size of the workforce to prevent long lines.”

In this article a table is depicted that displays what a “adequate number of restrooms” is, it states that; Keeping in mind this document also mentions that a water closet only qualifies if, “can be locked from the inside” which is another problem faced many of the

Ezekiel Knibbe creeker editor

Abortion is a right, and the authoritarian laws that have essentially banned the practice are only a danger for those who would’ve gotten abortions and the children they were forced to have.

Firstly, abortions will continue to occur in America, whether or not safe access to abortions exists. This can be proven by the already staggering statistics around abortion. According to the World Health Organization, “Nearly half of all abortions are unsafe,” and 97% of these abortions occur in developing countries who cannot afford to provide safe abortions. Even in countries where abortion isn’t an option, those who would be mothers risk their life to not have to carry a child. In fact, unsafe abortions account for anywhere between 4.7% to 13.2% of all maternal deaths. Still, many would-be mothers currently take these odds in order to not give birth; they understand better than anyone that it would In fact, unsafe be impossible abortions account to maintain the life their child for anywhere deserves.

Secondly, between 4.7% the laws surto 13.2% of all rounding abormaternal deaths. tion are a major overreach of governmental power. The idea that the federal government can have a say in such a private procedure– even when bathroom stalls have broken no public health risk is present– directly locks which do not allow for contrasts the fundamental principles the doors to be locked. of our healthcare policies. American It is understood that the healthcare, since its inception in the reason bathrooms are being mid 1800s and enactment during the closed is due to the amount new deal of the mid 1900s, has strived of vandalism. However, this to be a widely accessible and exceptionoccurrence should not overally private system. While this has not shadow the importance of always been the case, the private relastudent health and the need tionship between doctor and patient has to have available bathrooms. largely remained intact. These authori\Maya Camas tarian abortion laws are Anti-American, and directly challenge our medical freedom by violating the privacy of our healthcare.

Some may claim that abortion is morally incorrect, and that aborting a fetus is the same as killing a child. That is a fair opinion to have. There are no laws restricting your choice to always have a baby, because it is simply that– your choice. The foundation of democracy is one of choice, not of restriction. When morals become laws, we lose this foundational principle enshrined by freedom of speech and of religion.

In conclusion, the right to have an abortion is necessary in the United States, as without it we will see an increase in health risks among women, especially those in low income areas, and we will lose our foundational principles of medical and religious freedom.

School bathrooms must be unlocked Alexis Walford

Women lose their bodily rights

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No

Hudson Ellis

trending now editor

Gun control is necessary to stop the overwhelming wave of gun related The debate surrounding gun control seems to have reached a fever pitch deaths across America. in recent years. Despite many advocating for strict gun control, there are How likely are you to be murdered by gun? Many factors may vary your several reasons why this is a bad idea. chances. If we look at data from 2021, the most recent year Strict gun control laws allocate too much power to the federal governwith a full data set, 20,958 people died to gun related murment. Once the government is allowed to regulate the firearm market, ders, 549 died to gun related accidents, 537 died to a gun a dangerous precedent is set for the role of federal intervention in the in law enforcement, and 458 died by gun in “undetermined economy. These regulations don’t prevent future gun crime, they punish circumstances,” according to the study, “What the data says responsible gun owners. A recent example of this is the ATF’s ban on pistol about gun deaths in the U.S.,” written by John Gramich and One person in every braces, a design they previously had allowed. Arbitrary and redundant gun published by the Pew Research Center. In total, 22,502 peopolicies will just spur loopholes and people circumventing the regulations ple died from a gun outside of their hands. This study also group of 89 Americans set in place. found that these gun deaths were only 46% of all gun deaths will die from a gun, On top of this, gun regulations do not deter crime. Anyone that is driven in America that year– the remaining 26,328 were suicides. to committing a violent crime will find a way to secure a gun. And with the and 1 person in every This brings total gun deaths in 2021 to 48,830. According to number of guns in the U.S. (433.9 million) bans are nearly impossible to the CDC, the total number of deaths in the US was 3,458,697 208 Americans will die enforce. A modern example of this is the city of Chicago. Despite the city in 2021. Putting these statistics together, 1 person in every from someone else’s having very tough gun laws, it still is a hotspot for gun violence. Mexico group of 89 Americans will die from a gun, and 1 person in similarly has very restrictive laws in regards to gun possession, and the gun. every 208 Americans will die from someone else’s gun. If you country is practically overrun with cartel violence. Laws are meaningless have met 90 people before, one of them will most likely be to criminals.

C DC killed by a gun.

The main driving force for gun control are emotions. Guns are seen as Without context, these figures may seem too miniscule to scary, and many proponents of gun control are often unknowledgeable deal with. The problem with about guns themselves. What really should be put into place is education gun violence, however, is the primary vicon gun safety. Once the general public has a better understanding of what tims. Gun related deaths among chilit is they’re talking about, the discussion surrounding dren and teens rose 50% from guns can move forward in an educated manner.

2019 to 2021– from 1,732 to Gun control would restrict citizens from one 2,590– according to the paper, of the most viable methods of self defense.

“Gun deaths among U.S. chilCases of self-defense using a firearm are dren and teens rose 50% in almost 4 times more likely than gun crime. two years” by the Pew Research Excessive regulation just adds unnecessary Center. Gun deaths now sit as hurdles preventing law-abiding citizens the number one cause of death from exercising their rights. between ages one and 24, Whether for better or for worse, according to “Crossing Lines guns are integral to American cul— A Change in the Leading ture. The popCause of Death among U.S. ulace believes Children,” written by Lois K. it needs to be Lee et al, published by the New armed in order England Journal of Medicine. to defend itself Sure, the average American from crime On top of this, gun may not be killed by a gun, but our and tyranny. Any regulations do not deter children probably will. Future generations of attempt to strip them of Americans are growing up in a world in which that will not be received crime. Anyone that is the most likely way they will die is only getting well, to say the least. Not driven to committing a worse, for no reason but politics. Gun violence only would substantial gun violent crime will find control be unpopular, it’s could be almost entirely eradicated– the solutions are all around us and well known. Gun a way to secure a gun. almost impossible, given violence needs to be stopped, for the sake of the political makeup And with the number of of both Congress our children and the safety of all. So what guns in the U.S. (433.9 and the United can we do? We emulate solutions.

Guns are not a problem anywhere else million) bans are nearly States as a whole. in the world. How do they do it? Take Historically, gun impossible to enforce.

Australia for example: All gun owners control has been are required to have a license to own enacted against any non-historic gun, which requires minority groups. President Reagan the individual to register fingerprints signed the Mulford Act into law to and renew the license every 3 to 5 disarm the Black Panther Party, a years. Additionally, higher restriccivil rights group. tions are required to own more As an alternative, confrontdeadly weapons, and some weaping the root causes of violence ons, such as military grade rifles, could be a good option. Setting machine guns, or flamethrowers up a more robust healthcare are not allowed for domestic use system could help address in any circumstances. Even items the rampant mental health appearing as military grade may crisis affecting the country be confiscated in some states. As right now. This would also a result, gun deaths in Australia reduce suicide, a large have gone down 61% since 1997 majority of gun related regulations. We need to enact deaths. Various courses regulations like these as soon as of action could be put possible. into place instead of simple gun control.

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MAY 12, 2023 ● 7

Does America need gun control?

creeker editor

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THE CSPRESS

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4Hailey Dent

4Cal Ward