Rocket Reporter - Volume 56, Issue 3

Moon Valley High School

ROCKET REPORTER 3625 W. CACTUS RD| PHOENIX, AZ 85029 | VOLUME 56 |ISSUE 3|MARCH 2021

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NEW HORIZONS ART SHOW The New Horizon Art show is a valley- wide art show held at the Shemer Art Center in Scottsdale.

The show has been hap-

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SCHOOL TRANSITIONS IN-PERSON

While teachers reported back to their classrooms on March 4, applicable students will be returning to campus March 22.

College Board discontinues subject tests CALVIN NGO REPORTER

The College Board recently decided to discontinue the SAT subject tests and remove the optional essay.

SAT Subject Tests are college admission exams on subjects that test takers choose to best showcase their strengths and interests.

Amy Di Meola, assistant principal of student services, has conflicting feelings about The College Board’s decision.

“The part of me that felt like it wasn’t fair for everyone is happy that they aren’t offering them anymore,” Di Meola said.

Di Meola believes that this change will level the playing field for everyone since some might not be able to afford the subject tests.

“There’s a registration fee to take the test, plus a fee for each individual subject test which can really add up,” Di Meola said.

On the other hand Di Meola thinks that taking away the subject tests could hurt students that are bad with a specific subject.

“Kids that are bad with one subject could take the subject test and boost their score, and taking that away could hurt students’ scores,” Di

Meola added.

Although she has conflicting feelings about the subject tests being discontinued, she thinks the essay being taken away doesn’t really matter.

“The SAT essay doesn’t make or break a kids score, the only reason I can think the SAT essay would be useful is if you’re trying to go out of state or into a prestigious university,” Di Meola said.

Senior Gustavo Vaquez thinks this change is great and a step in the right direction for the SAT. “I believe that getting rid of the essay is great because it’s practically useless for most people and it just adds onto the anxiety most students already have while preparing for the SAT,” Vaquez said.

When Vaquez was a junior, he had senior friends that were stressed about the subject tests.

“The SAT is already very stress inducing so the fact that there’s more tests, could possibly affect your performance once it is time to take the test,” Vaquez said.

Senior Jorge Rodriguez has a different take on the change to the SAT. “I think taking the SAT subject tests away isn’t the greatest idea as

I believe the tests are a great way to boost your score,” Rodriguez said.

On the contrary, Rodriguez really dislikes the optional essay so he’s happy to have it removed.

“I never really liked the idea of having an optional essay because it’s just more work for it to not affect your score,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez isn’t going to take the SAT but advises the people that are to stay strong through these difficult times.

“Although you might get thrown off by the new changes, make sure to thoroughly prepare yourself, physically and mentally, and to keep on studying,” Rodriguez added.

Photo by Gustavo Vasquez

ELIMINATION: The College Board has eliminated the SAT subject test essay. “I never liked the idea of having an optional essay because it’s just more work for it to not affect your score,” Senior Jorge Rodriguez said.

Demand for diversity grows in America MARIAM HERNANDEZ CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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NEW EXECUTIVE POWER About two months after the Jan. 20 inauguration, President Joe Biden along with Vice President Kamala Harris have signed 31

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COVID EFFECT ON SPORTS COVID-19 has had a national effect throughout the world, one of the biggest aspects being the world of sports.

In recent years, the growing demand for diversity and representation has been met with varied results.

One example of the growing demand for diversity was the Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states on June 26, 2015.

This act was an advancement for the LGBTQ+ community and the movement for equality.

“I agree that society has come to be more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community within past years but we still have a ways to go. And the reason for this has to do with the norms put on people by society, such as being seen as straight and cis gendered, if you dress and act like it,” Sophomore Kara Dudeson stated.

Some students feel they are treated differently due to their sexual orientation.

“Once people find out, it’s usually straight boys who treat me differently. Sometimes they make jokes, sometimes they sit far away from me on purpose because they think I automatically like them. The first few times this happened it felt weird because I wasn’t fully aware why, but after a while I got used to people’s ignorance,” Sophomore Kevin Baljeet stated.

This feeling of being treated this way stems to other groups and minorities as well, such as people of color or different cultures, people with disabilities, people of different body types, people of gender identities not fitting the social norm, and those who practice certain religions.

“I started wearing a hijab in third grade. Before then, people were willing to socialize with me and weren’t afraid of saying what they wanted to say,” Sophomore Zainab Al-Salman stated “After I started wearing a hijab, they were more wary and didn’t talk to me as much. I also couldn’t make friends as easily as when I didn’t wear

it.”

Sometimes diversity isn’t about ethnicity, but about ability.

“If you have had second lunch, you’ve seen [the MD] lunch table.

I just want students to stop by and say ‘Hi!’ every now and then. I want students to see those that don’t look or act like them and everyone to be included and respected,” Ixayana Vera, Special Ed teacher, said.

Vera was in an ELL program growing up as her first language was Spanish.

“Growing up, you get treated like you don’t understand. We assume other students speak English and we separate one another when they don’t,” Vera stated.

The campus does show diversity, but whether or not it’s celebrated is a different discussion.

“We need to look at policies that disproportionately affect minorities. We need to look back and see if those policies are still serving and push for a more diverse curriculum,” Elizabeth Schneringer, English teacher, said. “Students should see themselves in what they’re learning.”

There is a lack of diversity in teachers as there are just a couple of Black and Hispanic teachers on campus.

“I wish I could [see] a native teacher or teachers from other places,” Carine Masson, French teacher, mentioned The reason for this isn’t entirely clear, though many contributing factors can be the pay gap for different genders and races, as well as systemic racism.

Systemic racism, or institutional racism, as defined by Derrick Johnson, NAACP president, is “systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage African Americans.”

“I absolutely believe systemic racism is a real thing. With my background in corporate America, I’ve

seen racism and opportunities that could’ve gone to a minority or female go to white males. It’s almost an everyday thing in corporate America,” Eddie Mathis, coding teacher, stated.

Al-Salman has seen the effects of systematic racism and feels that it’s a problem.

“I don’t know if it can ever be ridden completely since it’s so present even in today’s society.

This type of racism is so ingrained in society that it can be hard to spot for those who aren’t affected negatively,” Al-Salman mentioned.

Systematic racism remains a concern for people of color.

“People are still being racist and racism in [positions of] power ultimately creates issues along the line. This leads to challenges for people of color to participate in society and in the economy. I think that is absolutely disgusting,” Sophomore Natalya Merida said.

This issue affects not only the hiring of people of color, but admission of students into colleges or in obtaining jobs.

“It does impact students and faculty. There are students not getting into colleges because they don’t have Caucasian names,” Mathis states, “The first thing they ask in tests and applications is race and nationality or gender.

They’re outdated questions, I don’t know how that would determine capability for the job, and it could end up playing a role in whether someone gets hired or promoted at schools.”

Many times movies or television shows with representation of religion showcase a disrespect for the religion.

“I think that is because directors don’t know how to properly portray people of color and of different religions and will end up doing it incorrectly so they stray away

from casting POC,” Al-Salman said.

“Take a look at the Netflix series ‘Elite’ where a Muslim hijabi falls in love with a white boy and takes off her hijab, ignoring her faith for him. In this situation, Islam is being portrayed as a restricting and evil religion that will take away your love. In reality it’s a religion that promotes peace and love, but the media portrays it as something evil. it’s getting tiring.”

Outside of the Moon Valley campus, diversity and representation has been witnessed throughout some people’s day-to-day lives.

This is only aided by media, such as having inaccurate representations in the news or in television programs.

“Because of recent matters like Covid, there’s been a huge lack of diversity and targeting of the Asian community, both in the media and in real life,” Sophomore Tina Nguyen said.

Coming from a Hispanic household, Merida hears news from her phone and on TV in English before her mom does on stations like Univision or Telemundo.

“There should be better coverage for other households that want their news in other languages. All people should be allowed to be informed in what is going around them. If getting good new reports in Spanish is sometimes difficult, I can’t imagine how it might be for a more foreign language, and that is simply not fair,” Merida said.

Furthermore, the media plays an important role in our decision making.

“Media molds how we think, the way things are presented influence how we see certain individuals doing the same thing. The verbiage they use hurts one and builds others like ‘Protesting at the capitol vs Rioting at stores’,” Vera stated. names changed

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THE ROCKET REPORTER

SCHOOL NEWS

MARCH 2021

Art show offers students scholarship opportunities JERAN OXLEY REPORTER

Photo by Shemar’s Art Center

COLLAGE ARTWORK: Junior Shanandra Litsui’s artwork was displayed at Shemar Art Center and her art symbolized the mix of her past self and who she is now.

The New Horizon Art show is a valley- wide art show held at the Shemer Art Center in Scottsdale.

The show has been happening for at least 13 years and artists whose pieces are shown have the opportunity to earn various scholarships and awards.

“The Shemer Art Center was a house that was transformed into an art gallery,” Shanalee Dorsey, art teacher, stated.

In 1984, Martha Shemer purchased the home and donated it to the city to be turned into an educational

art center.

Every year, two students from each participating school are selected to have their artwork be a part of the show.

“Every year so many talented artists are selected to participate in the show,” Dorsey said.

This year Dorsey picked two of her talented students, Junior Shanandra Litsui, and Senior Trinity Madrid.

Litsui said that she was shocked and anxious when Dorsey asked if she could enter one of her pieces into the show “I loved the opportunity to teach such lovely

students, the environment they learn in is very professional, so I was very proud to see such high quality work produced from them,” Dorsey mentioned This year’s show was affected by the Covid-19 virus.

“Due to Covid-19, the Shemer Art Center held a virtual pre-recorded ceremony on their Youtube channel,” Litsui said.

Students said that because the show was held online they didn’t feel as anxious as they would have felt if the show was held in person.

“While watching I felt more at ease and relaxed,

however, if the show had been in person I would have felt more uneasy and unconfident about my art,” Litsui noted.

They also offer scholarships to select students.

“There were around 23 donors who offered scholarships,” Litsui mentioned.

The scholarships range anywhere from $50-$100.

Litsui said that she was given a $50 scholarship and a certificate for her artwork.

The display was up from Jan. 19 to Feb. 27 “You can find the display on Youtube at the Shemer Art Center’s Youtube channel,” Litsui stated.

New faculty acclimate to new way of teaching RAMZI SALAZAR REPORTER

After an extensive transition to a school year of virtual learning, Moon Valley continues to gain new teachers amid a pandemic.

Brenden Lechner, English teacher; Ashley Fergus, ECE teacher; and Madison O’Neal, science teacher, are some of the newest editions to the Moon Valley faculty.

As a Moon Valley graduate, Lechner claimed to have had, “a dream come true” when he became a teacher.

“Switching career choices was not bad at all. I am now able to do something that I have always dreamed about” Lechner stated.

Lechner is eager to teach in-person once the pandemic is over.

“This is a very new and exciting experience, I used to care for dogs at a dog hotel so this is very different and fresh,” Lechner said. “Working with students especially

when they’re right at the transition of becoming young adults is fun, I love interacting with people while being able to teach them.”

Every teacher has a different motivation for their teaching career, but O’Neal simply wanted to spread the interest of science.

“My goal is to get kids excited about science and encourage them to study science.

I love science and I want people to realize that you can get involved with science and make a difference in so many different ways. I believe that science is crucial in our society and it needs to be a top focus” O’Neal stated.

O’Neal realized while she was in college that she is more passionate about helping people and allowing them to understand science instead of working in a lab.

“When I think about it, when you’re working in a lab doing research all day, it gets lonely,” O’Neal said. “I remembered the reason why I liked science and it was my teachers who interested me, so maybe I can go and interest students and encourage them to study science.”

Although Lechner became a teacher because it was his dream, Fergus wanted more of a challenge.

“I just wanted to explore new challenges as Moon Valley has a pre-school on campus and my last school did not have one.”

Fergus stated.

Even though Fergus has been a teacher for a few years, she feels that virtual learning is pretty hard.

“Having come from a school that doesn’t provide the same online sources as Moon Valley, getting used to working through a computer is quite stressful,” Fergus said.

“It just has been pretty hard with COVID and not getting to interact with people. My old school system didn’t have Google or anything like that so it was basically like learning from scratch, so it was a little hard Other teachers who are new to Moon adjusting.” Fergus stated.

Valley this year include: Edward Lawson,

Photo provided by Brenden Lechner

NEW ADDITION: Moon Valley welcomed six new teachers to campus this year including Brenden Lechner, English teacher.

NJROTC instructor; Kristen Harris, special education teacher; and Taylor Dunn, math teacher.

National Honor Society inducts new members virtually ELLIE BERNARD REPORTER

The induction ceremony for the National Honors Society (NHS) was held virtually on Feb. 18.

To be inducted, there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to become a part of the NHS including GPA, service and character.

Senior Emily Riddle, has been part of NHS since her junior year.

“Once you go through the ceremony you are considered an official member and it is a

Editors-in-Chief Brandon Tolliver Mariam Hernandez Photo Editor LaDashya Litsui Reporters Amy Aguilar Ellie Bernard Brooklyn Camou Alyssa Gonzalez Melissa Gonzalez Randy Gordon Daniel Hill

way for current members to officially welcome new inductees to the National Honors Society,“ Riddle said.

Though there is no true award that is offered on induction night, the real award is having the opportunity to be inducted into the NHS. Due to COVID-19 the school could not safely host the induction ceremony on campus making the experience less personal and self warming.

“Typically, we would have each inductee walk up and

Mariam Hernandez Samantha Huerta Gabriel Kesterson LaDashya Litsui Brianna Lopez Emiliano Lugo Gunner Markins Arizona Mulliqi Calvin Ngo Don Ngo Jeran Robinson Oxley Ramzi Salazar Aiden Schwoebel Makhi Spottsville Brandon Tolliver

light a candle on stage as part of the ceremony as their families watched in the crowd,” Riddle said.

This year, procedures were relatively different due to online learning and COVID-19.

This year’s ceremony lasted only about 15 minutes whereas it is usually about an hour.

“However, we did the best we could and I think we pulled it off quite well,” Riddle said.

Most of the responsibility falls on the officers and the sponsors, Melanie Al-

len and Rina Beukema, are there for guidance.

“In this club, our adult sponsors make sure that everything is running smoothly,” Riddle added.“They are always there if we have questions and they make things operate as they should.“

“We are so proud of how the officers ran the induction ceremony,” Rina Beukema, NHS sponsor said.

“The ceremony was such a success and we’re excited to add new members to the organization.”

All members of the club

Johanna Torres Sunni Washington Adviser Melanie Allen MVHS administration Anat Salyer, principal Amy DiMeola, ast. principal Brian Fitzgerald, ast. principal Edwardo Lopez, ast. principal Purpose The purpose of The Rocket Reporter is to objectively

participate in monthly meetings and group volunteer events when they arise.

“Everyone volunteers and makes the community a better place,” Riddle said.

Each officer has a specific leadership role with individual responsibilities.

“Since we are not in person it is hard to see who is going above and beyond. However, I know that the officers have really put in the work this year,” Riddle said.“President Ariana Spencer and myself are almost always working on something for the NHS in order to make

report important issues on the campus and surrounding community. This publication serves as a student forum for student expression and follows standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the student editorial board and the newspaper staff.

Signed editorial columns represent an individual’s view.

it the best club it can be.”

“Of course, we could not do so without assistance from NHS club members, Lily Flores and Ciara Moore , our secretary and treasurer. We all make sure people know about the due dates and meeting times and we are always available to answer anyone’s questions!” Riddle stated.

To be in the NHS, a student must be in the Junior or Senior Class and must also meet certain national requirements like GPA, leadership and service.

The opinions expressed in The Rocket Reporter are not necessarily views of the adviser, administration or the Glendale Union High School District.

Letter Policy The Rocket Reporter welcomes brief letters written to the editors. All letters must be signed, but names will be withheld by request.

We reserve the right to edit all letters and no letter which is obscene or libelous will be published.

THE ROCKET REPORTER

MARCH 2021

SCHOOL NEWS

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After new protocols, winter sports wraps up season EMILIANO LUGO REPORTER

With another winter sports season almost in the books, athletes and coaches have experienced many accommodations because of the current situation in the world.

Due to the COVID-19 virus and mask mandate that follows, sports such as wrestling, soccer, and basketball all had to follow certain procedures to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Basketball practices and games are an example of these procedures in action.

The team continued with regular practices although the AIA had shut down winter sports for a short while.

“Our players and coaches did a great job following the COVID protocols put in place by the AIA. We did not have to pause our season, as many schools did, because our guys wore their masks, socially distanced, and kept good health habits all-season,” Matthew Elliott, Varsity boys basketball coach, stated.

One major change that occurred during basketball was the low number of fans at the stands during games.

“It was definitely different not having as many people in the stands during games. We usually get good crowds at home that really support our guys so we missed that,” Elliott mentioned.

Soccer also implemented unique protocols for the safety of players, coaches and others.

The players were doing virtual practices during the shutdown by the AIA. Head Coach David Coates said that he had mixed feelings about AIA reopening the sports but he was happy for his players to be able to play this season, and was really happy that his seniors got to play this year.

Since fan attendance was limited, the school live-streamed games and Coates loved the idea of the live streams to happen for all sports in the future.

The fan attendance during soccer games was similar to those of previous years, but the schools did increase the number of family members that could go per player up to four.

Wrestling followed a different path than basketball and soccer.

“It’s a struggle because we don’t have a lot of kids out there,” Brian Raper, boys wrestling coach, stated.

The COVID virus has not affected the team majorly, but some players had to be away for a two-week quarantine period because of the close contact.

The veteran players got upset when AIA shut down their season because they wanted to spend their last year of high school on the right track, even starting petitions to change the AIA’s choice.

When the decision was overturned, many seniors were pleased.

This past year has affected all sports, players and students, but with the following protocols, Moon Valley looks to have a successful spring sports season.

One-third of students live with an unmarried parent SAMANTHA HUERTA REPORTER

According to the Pew Research Center, in 2018 about one-third of U.S. children live with an unmarried parent, meaning students with divorced parents, or students living with one parent.

Freshman Alexander Keehn is one of the many students fitting the statistics.

“I’m actually happy my parents are separated because my dad isn’t a bad person, he just doesn’t know how to be a dad and I could never imagine living with him and being happy,” Keehn shared.

Kheen said that her brother is also completely happy without her dad.

“We are both completely satisfied with our life without him really in the pic-

ture,” Kheen said.

Senior Morgan Tassiner never struggled with her parents separation, but her sister did.

“My older sister, Jayda, had a very hard time growing up with our divorced parents. Unlike me, she was able to experience life with them together, and it hit her pretty hard,” Tassiner stated.

Not every child gets a chance to live happily with both parents and not everyone gets the chance to have a “mom” or “dad.”

Others tend to be closer to one or both step-parents than their actual parents.

“I have one step parent, and I wouldn’t consider my dad’s house a second home.

I see his house as a place where I extensively stay every so often,” Tassiner stated.

Many people tend to

have the assumption that it makes the school life of a student harder.

“For me, my dad doesn’t care if he sees us or not so we don’t have any problems with schools, or moving back and forth,” Keehn mentioned.

Students under these circumstances live a normal school life and do the same things other students do.

Just because one has seperated parents does not mean they cannot live their life to the fullest with one parent or stepparents.

After growing up with seperated parents, some move on from their potential trauma, while others stay in that trauma.

Seth Millican, English teacher, said growing up with separated parents was one of the “hardest things in my life.”

Millican grew up with

FAFSA provides drive-thru MAKHI SPOTTSVILLE REPORTER

With Moon Valley still being remote, students are having more trouble getting ready and prepared for universities, colleges and education after high school.

The pandemic is affecting families financially due to the fact that some families lost their jobs and college may still be too much to pay for.

The FAFSA application, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, helps with alleviating financial problems.

Every year high schools usually hold in-person events to promote and get students to sign up for FAFSA, but this year is a little different.

College Success Arizona, Be A Leader Foundation and Arizona State University are working together to host a series of FAFSA drive-thru events where families can get guidance on completing the forms. “[Glendale High School] hosted a drive-thru event where students could come and sign-up for FAFSA [on March 6],” William Ramsey, Career Center specialist, said.

FAFSA gives students opportunities

to get into the colleges of their choice and families that have low incomes can receive grants that will help with the costs of college.

FAFSA is also important because it gives students access to loans, scholarships and other financial aids for education.

“I wasn’t necessarily struggling with finding grants and scholarships but FAFSA definitely helps and makes the process of finding the financial aid to help you get into your dream college,” Senior David Acosta said.

Last year, Moon Valley had an over 80 percent completion rate, and despite this year’s circumstances, Moon Valley encouraged more seniors to complete the FAFSA. Even if you have your scholarships and loans, FAFSA can still help with other things such as off-campus housing and grants are free money which you don’t have to pay back.

“Even though we are all going through this pandemic, and school is even harder to get scholarships, I suggest all seniors should at least sign up for FAFSA,” Senior Natalie Howard said. “FAFSA is going to be a huge help finding the little pieces you need to get into a higher education.”

separated parents and the trauma from toxic relationships affected him as a child.

“If you grew up with an alcoholic father, one of two things come out from that. You either avoid alcohol because you see the troubles that come from it or you yourself become an alcoholic because of what you went through,” Millican added.

Millican said he was determined to change the course of his life and not follow in his father’s footsteps.

Millican is now married with children and vowed to “fight through any martial problems I went through.”

Because of the lessons learned from his trauma, he was able to keep a stable family and make sure his kids did not go through the same experiences he did.

Photo from Morgan Tassiner

SINGLE PARENT: Some students struggle with their parent’s separation, but Senior Morgan Tassiner is happy to live with just her mom. “I see [my dad’s] house as a place where I extensively stay every so often,” Tassiner stated.

Fergus takes over tennis RANDY GORDON REPORTER

This year the girl’s tennis team got a new coach, Ashley Fergus.

Fergus was the tennis coach at her former school, Agua Fria, and decided that this would be a good introduction to her new year at Moon Valley.

Fergus applied for the job as Early Childhood Development teacher; however, she had no plan to coach, so when the position opened she decided to apply.

Fergus felt very excited and felt that her getting the coaching position was a sign that Moon Valley was the right place for her.

During her time at Agua Fria, she coached for four years.

As Moon Valley’s new tennis coach she wants to change the team and make the game more mental and help with all of the techni-

cal motions of the sport.

“I want to make the team more of a team and make the game more mental than physical so it becomes easier for the players,” Fergus said.

Fergus feels that the attitudes of players and parents makes a difference.

“The [players] are definitely a different set of kids.

They are very respectful and are great listeners and are loving the team aspect of the sport,” Fergus said.

Fergus took a break from coaching a few years back when her father got sick because tennis was something that they always did together. She and her father had been playing together ever since Fergus was 6 years old and it was always her favorite sport.

Fergus agrees that coaching under the current COVID situation proves challenging as players have to wear masks, sanitize and keep a good distance from

each other.

Freshman Cheyenne John tried out for this year’s tennis team. “[Coach Fergus] is very friendly which makes it easier to talk to her and learn from her. She is very attentive to the players during practice and gives quality advice that is easy to understand,” John said.

Senior Hannah Heffke is a student trying out for the tennis team this year.

“Coach Fergus is an amazing leader because she is all around supportive and gives constructive criticism, which makes our team stronger than it was before,” Heffke said.

Fergus finds ways to encourage and strengthen her team. “[Fergus] always finds a way to bring out the best in us during practice by playing music or integrating drills that are fun but also work on our individual skills,” Heffke said.

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THE RO

SPOTLIGHT

Teachers find ways to stay positive amid pandemic LADASHYA LITSUI REPORTER

The pandemic caused a shift in the traditional ways of teaching for teachers due to the switch from in-person to online learning. The product of which was a decrease in motivation for teachers.

Allison Nguyen, Spanish teacher, explained that this school year has been “going much better” than the months spent online from last year but it’s still “stressful at times.”

“The biggest thing I miss is being around other people, students and teachers alike,” Nguyen mentioned, “I miss being able to talk with my colleagues, see what’s working with them and take their best ideas and running with it.”

“It’s helpful that we’re all in this together, I mean I try to have a lot of grace with my students but students have a lot of grace with me because we all understand that this is a difficult time,” Nguyen said.

Many teachers utilize different techniques when teaching online that have proven difficult to implement online.

“I really like teaching in groups, in pairs and in partners [but] it’s really difficult to do that on a computer,” Nguyen added.

Nguyen mentioned that her motivation lies in encouraging her students and being a positive role model for them.

In order to provide the best environment for her students, Nguyen wasn’t teaching from her house but instead was going to her parent’s house daily because “it was easier” and made her “more successful.”

However, it’s important for Nguyen to be present for her children when she’s home and usually sets time aside early in the morning or late at night to grade but another thing she makes time for is her hiking which she does twice a week to help with stress.

“The hardest part is talking to a blank screen,” Nguyen said, “my students turn their cameras on to say ‘good morning’ but most of them have to turn it off because of internet issues and that’s hard [to gain motivation from].” “[Although,] some parts are easier and some are harder, I learned a lot and I will take what I’ve learned so far,” Nguyen added, “and it’s a time when teachers are really needed so I’m proud to be a teacher and make an impact.”

Junior Lauryn Schumann expressed the importance of crediting teachers for all the work they have been doing while teaching

online.

“I feel it is important to acknowledge your teachers, thank them for their hard work, and stay engaged in class whenever possible,” Schumann said, “there is a lot of work required to ensure that online classes run smoothly and efficiently.”

Schumann explained how she has it “pretty easy” compared to teachers who have to manage all the workload they do in a day.

“I do my homework, hit submit, wake up in the morning and log on to class,” Schumann said, “there’s definitely a lot of hard work that I’m putting in, but it is nowhere near [what] teachers are handling at the moment” Schumann also mentioned that it’s important that a teacher’s “endless encouragement [should] not go unnoticed.”

“Unmuting ourselves, reaching out to ask questions, or sending an email to thank them are all signs of life that prove that they’re not teaching into the void,” Schumann added, “it’s crucial that we do our part.”

Junior Haylee Warr also expressed the need to appreciate teachers’ efforts “to keep pushing and teaching” even when “they feel like they can’t.”

“As a student, the most I can do is simply do what I am asked, complete and turn in assignments, participate in class, and be respectful,” Warr said.

Sara Hopeman, 3-D design teacher, said her motivation to teach online is based on getting “a good feeling tone in the classroom before class starts.”

“I care and I want [my students] to have fun,” Hopeman said, “it makes me feel better to see them laugh and smile [which] alleviates the stress of the actual academic expectations that [we all] have.”

Hopeman revealed that her “biggest stress is not knowing the emotional state of the students on the other side of the screen and not knowing how to make them feel better.”

“Even seeing a face on a screen or reading the chat, [I] still don’t know how that student is doing overall,” Hopeman said, “it’s very hard to establish a connection with them.”

Hopeman said that building a relationship with students from the 1-2 level is hard because “the student doesn’t know how to ask for help and trust the teachers to lean on.”

“I feel the most stress when I ask the students to log out and work independently and then come back [because] I know I won’t be getting everyone to come back,” Hopeman said.

Courtesy of Allison Nguyen

FINDING HOPE: While learning continues to slowly transition back to in-person, teachers like, Allison Nguyen, Spanish teacher, are finding the motivation to stay positive. “We all understand that this is a difficult time [that we are all in],” Nguyen said who finds motivation in hiking.

To deal with the stress, Hopeman actually does the assignments with the students so at any time they can go to her for guidance.

“I will sit there and sculpt with them on camera even though it’s independent working time,” Hopeman said, “[plus] I love teaching and even though it’s been a challenge I look forward to it everyday.”

Hopeman also revealed that pre-planning assignments and having a schedule to follow has completely relieved the stress that she wanted to avoid in the beginning of the school year.

“I started planning around the end of June because I knew in the back of my head that we were not going back,” Hopeman said, “and when August hit, I had a solid plan for [supplies distribution] and what assignments they would be working on.”

Nguyen and Hopeman both also believe in “separating being an educator and being

a mom.”

“The way I keep myself being me, away from all the [stress], is when I come home, I’m a mom and I have those responsibilities to my children,” Hopeman said.

Although this is Warr’s first time in 3-D design, Warr explained how “[Hopeman’s] aura is beyond welcoming.”

“She always greets us with a smile and happiness. She is also always willing to help, listen, and make sure everything is okay, “ Warr added, “it’s nice having a teacher who cares about their students and wants them to look forward to the class.”

Although last school year teachers struggled with the transition to online teaching, they managed to create a system that works best for them and their students.

Overall, teachers are motivated to help the students at Moon Valley to succeed during these difficult times.

Students, teachers contemplate return to campus ARIZONA MULLIQI REPORTER

While teachers reported back to their classrooms on March 4, applicable students will be returning to campus March 22.

Due to COVID-19, many things regarding public places have changed, one example being the mitigation measures schools are taking.

With the safety of students and staff in mind, administrators are taking precautions for the back to school process.

“There will be a maximum of 16 students per classroom and we’ll need to see how many students are coming back, depending on our surveys that were sent out” Principal Anat Salyer said.

As for distance in classrooms, Salyer said they are enforcing that students stay six feet apart and wear masks as part of the mitigation strategies.

Additionally, students will be asked to keep a good distance from other students during passing hours, lunch hour and other times where contact is highly possible.

Brian Fitzgerald, assistant principal of dis-

cipline and attendance, said that “students need to be masked up, on campus at all times and social distance 100% the best we can.”

This is a very important rule that students and faculty will need to follow, while on campus amongst one another.

As the dean on campus Fitzgerald feels online has been difficult for a lot of kids.

Some students are contemplating coming back to campus.

Senior Veronica Martinez is sorting out pros and cons of coming back to campus or remaining online. ¨I prefer in-person school learning just because it gives me the motivation to actually step up and do things and otherwise I get way too distracted and lose track of vital time for my own work. I am going back in person [because] it’s way better,¨ Martinez said.

As many students miss being around others and being taught in person, there are others who also prefer to stay online for the rest of the semester.

Senior Stevan Bostik said that he will not be coming back as he has learned to be comfortable with online learning.

He believes it’s unnecessary since the school year’s end is just around the corner.

Courtesy of Bonnie Cowan

STUDENT SAFETY: Many like Bonnie Cowan, math teacher, are anticipating the return to campus, but there are new regulations. “We are enforcing that students stay six feet apart and wear masks as part of the mitigation strategies,” Principal Anat Salyer said.

OCKET REPORTER

MARCH 2021

5

Students’ academically affected with pandemic JOHANNA TORRES REPORTER

Ever since Covid-19 hit, students and teachers have transitioned to an online learning environment.

This change resulted in a decrease in student productivity. Whether it’s lack of interest in a course or students having other priorities as a teenager, there are visible signs online learning and quarantine has impacted the lives of many students.

“It’s more difficult than being in school, since my environment is different and I get distracted easily,” Freshman Valerie Garcia shared.

Students had to adapt to learning from home, which developed distractions from many different directions.

A student’s bed in their room can be a place where they can avoid productivity, as well as use social media as an exit from schoolwork, along with many other variables that were not introduced previously.

“We’re not used to this environment of learning and it was such a weird change all of a sudden,” Garcia added.

No student expected to stay at home for almost a year, and many thought they would only have spring break for a week when in reality it turned into months.

Data provided by Audrey Conklin of Fox News showed that the failure rate “increased 83% from 6% to 11% in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year compared to the first quarter of the 2019-2020 school year” since COVID started.

At Moon Valley in the

2019-2020 school year, only 10 percent of students failed a class as compared to the over 30 percent of students who are currently failing at least one class.

“Some students have a really hard time just sitting still and paying attention to a screen, unless it’s a video game, if it’s a video game they have no problem sitting there for hours. If it comes to learning and they’re really not that interested, it’s too easy to click off and do something fun,” Sherry Speyer, math teacher, stated.

Before online learning, students were mostly productive in school rather than at home and students got their work done during school rather than procrastinating, or waiting and doing the work last minute at home.

“It’s tough. It makes teaching, especially math, really difficult when you don’t know if a student understands unless they speak up,” Speyer said.

While many are struggling with staying productive, others are keeping up with the work with little to no problem, Though there seems to be more students on the struggling end.

“My friend used to get high B’s and A’s and now she has C’s and D’s,” Freshman Kaylen Cruse said.

For other students, it has made them more productive and more motivated to stay on top of their schoolwork.

“It’s weird but it made me more productive in doing things I like to do, I guess since I have more time at home,” Cruse stated.

Courtesy of Kaylen Cruse

STUDENT PRODUCTIVITY: Many students are struggling to get used to the remote learning environment, developing many different distractions while trying to attend daily classes. “It’s tough. It makes teaching, especially math, really difficult when you don’t know if a student understands unless they speak up,” Sherry Speyer, math teacher, said.

Remote learning affects new classroom structure AIDEN SCHWOEBEL REPORTER

In 2020 students were faced with a pandemic causing a transition to online learning.

With students selecting their electives and attending them online, it was a new experience for the teachers and students as some classes rely on labs for students to complete their work.

Some students believe that learning in person is much easier with the materials that they cannot get from home.

Some even believe they cannot pass their classes because of not having the needed materials.

Although teachers are used to teaching in their lab environment, they have learned to adapt to teaching their students online.

“There’s good and bad to it, I liked it a lot more than how I thought it was going to be,” Shanalee Dorsey, Art instructor, said.

This year, it has been difficult for some students to become acclimated with this shift, but some teachers believe there are benefits to instructing in person rather than online.

“There’s benefits to teaching both,” Dorsey said. “[When} in person, it’s nice because I can see if someone has misun-

derstood something.”

It has also been a challenge for certain classes to be taught online, such as culinary arts and visual arts electives seeing as these classes require more hands-on experience.

For example, culinary arts, being in a classroom alongside a teacher showing and providing explanation with actual cooking, it is easier to understand and follow.

“I think it would be more fun in person, the kitchen [there] is much bigger than the one at home,” Senior Josiah Woolfenden said.

Many other students believe that learning in person would be more beneficial and exciting rather than relying on their experiences online.

“It felt more helpful but less relaxing in person, both had their benefits,” Senior Carlos Arce Gutierrez says.

There are also some students who don’t mind learning their classes online. They prefer to learn virtually for many different reasons.

“I prefer cooking online, I don’t have to deal with other people in the kitchen, I can just do my work,” Woolfenden said.

With their own reasons, students could see themselves having a more difficult time in person, causing disagreement on whether or not to go back in person for the last semester of 2021.

Teachers have been finding ways to make learning online easier for some students.

Based on what class they have, instructors

Courtesy of Shanalee Dorsey

MUCH NEEDED CLASSROOMS: Many students have mixed fixed about the status the surrounds at-home learning and many classes are lacking the appropriate curriculum due to missing materials and classroom settings.“There’s good and bad to it, I liked it a lot more than how I thought it was going to be,” Shanalee Dorsey, Art instructor, said. have been working hard to develop new teaching methods fitting an online curriculum.

“I felt the teacher did everything right, she

made videos to guide through the work, but I think her presence in the classroom would be much more helpful,” Gutierrez said.

6

THE ROCKET REPORTER

NEWS

MARCH 2021

Aftermath and updates to the 2020 election BRANDON TOLLIVER

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

About two months after the Jan. 20 inauguration, President Joe Biden along with Vice President Kamala Harris have signed 31 executive orders and have begun carrying out their election promises.

By Feb. 19, President Biden had signed more executives and memorandums, 40 in total, than former presidents Trump and Obama, at 24, and Bush, at 3.

Biden has taken a broader, more productive approach on executive orders, ranging from labor to immigration to corona virus.

During the Trump presidency, Trump has signed 220 executive orders, with Biden reversing 20 of them, thus far.

History teachers Ryan Kitkowski and Jennifer Wright have been keeping up with the Biden-Harris administration.

“I wasn’t surprised to see the fervor over the election.

People do seem to be more interested in politics since the election of President Trump in ‘16,” Wright said.

“I also wasn’t surprised to see a pendulum switch from Republican to Democrat. This country has a history of switching political parties in power when people are unhappy.”

There is a shift in focus with the start of this new presidency.

“There is a new look on the lives of the American people, there is a focus more towards the economy and this pandemic that we are all in; getting vaccines out and making sure that we can stop the spread of this deadly virus,” Kitkowski said.

Kitkowski is excited for the way that the world is transitioning and to see more of these promises come into fruition.

Unlike many other presidents and their administration, the Biden-Harris administration seems to be upholding their promises so far, along with listening to the people.

“You see it too many times. These candidates get elected and then fall through on all the promises that they made regarding the wellbeing of the people,” Kitkowski said. “[Thirty-one executive orders] is a tremendous amount of orders in the first two months, which truly shows that this team is working actively to deliver these promises to the people that need them the most,” Kitkowski said.

While accessing past presidencies, Wright stated that the first 100 days of a presidency is pretty telling in regards to their overall success.

“I will wait to see how the next couple of months goes.

They do have the support in Congress to help get things passed and I just hope the things they pass actually benefit the people of the country and not the few at the top,” Wright said.

“I think out of this new presidency, I’m looking forward to the fact that we have our first female vice president who also happens to be a woman of color,” Wright said. “Lots of ceilings burst after this election. And that is awesome!”

Rina Beukema, English teacher, was actually very disappointed during the process of this past election.

“There was just a lot of finger pointing and name calling on both sides of the campaign,” Beukema said.

Photo by Phil Roeder

BIDEN PRESIDENCY: The Biden-Harris administration started their terms with various executive orders. Additionally, the Senate began the impeachment process of Trump. “I feel confident that the Biden-Harris team and cabinet will be successful over their term. However, that does not mean that we, as constituents and citizens, can tune out and trust that they will do their job,” Junior Lauryn Schumann said.

“It was just sad watching it and realizing that you are an American.”

“When all things are said and done, I think that we just need hope and positivity, something that was lacking last presidency, we need to just band together and stop the hate,” Beukema said.

Junior Lauryn Schumann, has been following politics even closer since the election of Trump in 2016 and was happy with the outcome of the 2020 election.

“I feel confident that the Biden-Harris team and cabinet will be successful over their term. However, that does not mean that we, as constituents and citizens, can tune out and trust that they will do their job.”

Schumann said. “It is important that we continue to hold them accountable, whether that be through petitioning, speaking out, or contacting our senators/ representatives when we

see something that is unjustified.”

Junior Denisea Lovato feels that the country is divided and that the Biden-Harris administration will have to work hard to ensure they can bring unity.

“There is lots of accountability and expectation being held in place for this new administration. Seeing the efforts of getting these huge executive orders passed is a telltale sign of what this team is working towards,” Lovato added.

Besides Biden only being two months into his presidency, the Democratic party, along with several Republicans, had tried to completely remove former President Trump from office, but failed.

The impeachment hearings against Trump started on Feb. 9 and lasted 4 days. The idea behind the impeachment case was to

try to convict Trump with inciting an insurrection against the U.S. Capital on Jan. 6, during the certification of the election results.

While representatives were inside certifying election results, many Trump supporters began breaking into the Capital after Trump demanded that they “fight like hell” to ensure that they have a country and strike down the “stolen election.”

After the decision of the impeachment trial, 57-43, Trump was acquitted, failing to receive the full twothirds vote.

The talk over formally removing Trump’s ability to ever run for public office has not yet died down.

Democrats, along with several other Republican colleagues, have now decided to try to invoke the fourteenth amendment that briefly states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and

Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Senator Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, gave his support for former President Trump in acquitting him for inciting an insurrection, but did also give support for the newer method to charge the former president.

Trump continues to do political conferences and has mentioned the potential for him to run in the 2024 Presidential race, the newest conference being hosted on Feb. 28 at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

At the CPAC, Trump stated, “Who knows? I may even decide to beat them for a third time” referring to the claim that Trump beat President Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Race.

Teachers are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine BROOKLYNN CAMOU REPORTER

The district, in partnership with Kroger, made Moon Valley a major vaccine POD site for teachers, allowing them to get both doses of the Moderna vaccine.

James Bloom, English teacher, decided not to wait for the school POD site to get his vaccine and instead went to State Farm Stadium to get his vaccine.

Bloom received his first dose of the vaccine in January, his second dose three weeks after the first, and reported feeling ill after getting both. “[After I got my] second vaccination yesterday, I felt like I had the flu,” Bloom said. “I know that it’s just

the side effects of the second vaccination.”

Although Bloom felt major side effects regarding his second vaccination, others report to have not noticed any difference.

Ryan Kitkowski, history teacher, said that he didn’t feel any major symptoms, besides pain in his arm from the shot.

As for the future of the vaccine and virus itself, Bloom believes that COVID will never truly go away and will instead act like the flu pandemic.

“When flu season rolls around, people get a booster vaccination, and everyone goes around feeling pretty safe.” Bloom said.

Kitkowski also believes that a vaccine will now be given yearly as opposed to the current two time dos-

age.

“In the future, I believe that getting the vaccine will become normalized, and with enough vaccinations, it could become something similar to the flu [vaccine].”

Kitkowski said.

Many agree that COVID could become not much more dangerous than the flu once under control.

Bloom believes that the opening of POD sites, especially in Moon Valley, is a great start to getting back to a normal school schedule.

“I’m hoping that if enough teachers will get the vaccine, we may be able to transition to in-person again,” Bloom said.

For now, it doesn’t seem like schools will be opening 100%, as some teachers, including Bloom, will

not be returning in person.

Several students are also having mixed feelings about schools opening up again.

Freshman Maggie Nguyen is one of those students.

“Until most, if not everyone, has gotten the vaccine, schools shouldn’t be opening fully,” Nyguen said.

Other students, like Freshman Baruch Soto, find that reopening schools isn’t a bad idea.

“I like school, and I do better in person,” Soto said.

“If everyone is staying safe and wearing masks then there isn’t much of an issue. Plus if most teachers are able to get the vaccine, it’s even safer.”

Most people believe that COVID will soon die down once everyone has received their vaccinations.

Photo by Hakan Nural

TEACHERS RECEIVING VACCINE: The first Covid vaccines were given in December, and teachers were able to sign up to receive one in January. “I’m hoping that if enough teachers will get the vaccine, we may be able to transition to in-person again,” James Bloom, English teacher, said.

THE ROCKET REPORTER

MARCH 2021

SPORTS

7

Girls basketball looks to each other for motivation AMY AGUILAR REPORTER

The girls basketball team has had many ups and downs through their season.

Senior Yvette Ruiz and Sophomore Kymari Smith are helping the team end the season on a high note.

“I maintain a good work ethic by putting in work during and outside of practice,” Senior Yvette Ruiz said.

It’s important to have a goal to look forward to or to have something or someone to help you along the way.

“It’s important to stay focused and fortunately my team has helped me with that along the way,” Ruiz added.

The girls basketball team has had a different season this year since the outbreak of COVID and it added restrictions and changes; one being only having a Varsity team instead of three separate levels.

“One change that I can say is some teams are missing their athletes,” Coach Eddie Mathis said . “We’ve lost a couple of athletes because some parents were a little hesitant about COVID.” Due to increased restrictions, basketball games have been a bit different for the girls and attendees.

“It is hard to stay motivated during the pandemic due to the lack of fans in the stands,” Ruiz said.

Another change with some restrictions is having games being hosted closer together, with multiple games a week. “[Having games closer together] sounds fun but the games really do put a toll on the body, especially having to balance school and work,” Ruiz said.

Although it may be hard and stressful at times Ruiz said it’s hard to choose what her favorite thing about basketball is because she enjoys it all.

“If I had to say one it would be the connections and bonds you make with others through sports,” Ruiz said.

Players all have their favorite part of the season. The reasons may vary but for Ruiz it’s her teammates.

“My favorite thing about the season is being around a group of individuals who want to see you succeed,” Ruiz said.

Despite the fact that basketball can be stressful, Smith said that it helps relieve her stress when someone hits the perfect shot.

“That sound relieves all of my stress and gets me in the zone,” Smith added.

Basketball can help the players stay positive and happier during hard times.

“Everyone absolutely despises waking up at 6 a.m. and so do I, but the funniest things happen during those practices because everyone’s so tired and delirious,” Smith said.

While some people dislike playing with new implemented restrictions, Smith actually feels safer playing these restrictions instated.

“It makes me feel a lot safer, and wearing a mask while playing is not as bad as everyone makes it seem,” Smith said.

Each player has different ways to stay positive and motivated, however for Smith, her friends and family help her stay motivated.

“Another way I stay positive is by thinking about my future athletic choices,” Ruiz said.

Basketball has opportunities included in it but it also has included responsibility.

“I’ve been blessed enough to have oppor-

Photo courtesy of Kymari Smith

GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYERS: Standing on campus before a game (L-R) Sophomore Kymari Smith, Senior Morgan Tassainer and Sophomore Kymani Smith prepare for their game. While some people dislike playing with new implemented restrictions, Smith feels safer playing these restrictions instated. tunities to play basketball in college, and I’m very excited about that,” Ruiz said.

Another responsibility is maintaining good grades and keeping up with their school work.

“We remind them constantly to work hard in the classroom and we constantly check on their grades. We make sure they understand that you have to be successful in both the classroom and in sports, the classroom comes first,” Mathis said..

Mathis tries his best when keeping his players motivated and ready for every game.

“We constantly let them know that the success that they have on the court will spill over into life, we let them know that what you’re doing this morning is more than just basketball,” Mathis said. “We want these players and students to know that they are setting themselves up for the rest of their lives and future careers.”

Spring sports begins despite shortened season DON NGO REPORTER

The spring sports season will continue to go on amidst a year of uncertainty in all athletics.

Brian Raper, head track coach, is preparing for what he calls an odd track season in his coaching career.

“This track season will be very different compared to previous years since this season is much shorter, starting in March instead of January,” Raper expressed.

Last year’s track season ended early due to the pandemic, so this year will be a new experience for all.

“I have yet to see what the specific effects will be with track and field since there are no specified guidelines, unlike wrestling that has a mask mandate,” Raper said.

Raper is having trouble scheduling and organizing due to the lack of information.

“There is no training regiment yet due to unknown player numbers,availability or mask policies since there is very little information given at the moment,” Raper explained.

There are many returners that are the aces of his track team.

“My best sprinter is Senior Jordan Richardson,

best distance runner is Senior Hayder Al Ainizi, and best girl runner is Senior Yvette Ruiz,” Raper stated.

Al Ainizi is willing to give his all to achieve his goals for this track season.

“With positive energy and hard work, I will try to achieve my main goal of qualifying to run the Track and Field state championship meet,” Al Ainizi said.

Al Ainizi is relieved to hear that he can still run for track even though this year has been full of restrictions and setbacks.

“I’m honestly grateful to even have a season for my last year of high school since this past year has been very troubling for everyone,” Al Ainizi expressed.

Many people quit sports due to the threat of the pandemic around the world.

“Despite these tough times and many former teammates not coming back due to the pandemic, I still encourage everyone competing in any sport to stay positive and always work hard,” Al Ainizi stated.

Senior Lamarius Miller believes that optimism is crucial during these hard times.

“I think the entire situation is just really unfortunate, but overall I’m grate-

ful we get to have a season,” Miller expressed.

Seeing as the last season for Track and Field was cut short, many are looking forward to putting in the work for this year “I feel like we have to make this year count especially since last season ended so abruptly,” Miller stated.

Similarly to Al Ainizi, Miller hopes to qualify to run at the state championship meet for Track and Field.

“Currently, I’m just focused on making state for my last year or at least hitting new personal records,” Miller said.

Cara Schaefer, boy’s tennis coach, is proud of her team for their incredible effort this season.

“Senior David Acosta Gomez and Junior Scott Campbell have been working hard for that number one spot on the team,” Schaefer said.

With several regulations and mandates being upheld, there are many problems with participation for the sport.

“The turnout of athletes coming out for open courts has dropped. With students not being on campus, getting rides to practice has been a challenge, as well

as students wanting to stay clear of COVID,” Schaefer expressed.

Online applications can be used as a means of communication and learning about sports and coaches during this time.

“To make things easier, I communicate through Google Classroom and Remind 101 and post a ton of tennis instructional videos on google classroom for them to watch and learn,” Schaefer explained.

Ashley Fergus, girl’s tennis coach, is focusing on strengthening her team’s mental skills.

“Our goal is to improve our fundamental skills and practice self-care. Tennis is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. We plan to focus on the mental part of tennis,” Fergus explained.

A majority of the sports have a shortened season due to the pandemic.

“Obviously, our season has been shortened, however, we still have our 13 matches as a normal season. We will have games three times a week instead of once or twice,” Fergus stated.

Fergus believes that her students are a “resilient set” that have the passion and work ethic to achieve their dreams.

“Tennis can be a long game on the court for hours. It is important to have endurance during a match. You have to get the ball over the net and get ready for the return. Our tennis teams will be physically fit and mentally ready,” Fergus said.

Christy Wiley, head softball coach, is happy to have sports amidst a troubling year.

“I think this year was extremely tough on sports and athletes. With all the necessary precautions, I am glad that we were able to have sports,” Wiley stated.

Due to an abnormal year, the softball players were not able to maintain their training regiment.

“This isn’t a typical year and we weren’t able to start as early as we normally would. We didn’t even get to the weight room this year,” Wiley said.

Many activities the teams do normally were cancelled or limited due to COVID. “We aren’t able to be in any tournaments and we have a limited number of people we were able to invite to games,” Wiley explained.

Kevin Simington, head baseball coach, set up a work-out schedule for the team.

“The group started out running, using training ladders, weighted training balls, bands, and lifting ropes.

We started working out four days a week with Fridays off. Now we have started light throwing and field work as well as hitting in the batting cages,” Simington explained.

Unlike the other sports, baseball is not affected as much since each player is already playing far apart from each other.

“Baseball should not change very much other than the locker room and dugout. We all just need to keep in mind to stay home when we are sick,” Simington said.

Simington is optimistic about the baseball season this year and is thankful for being able to coach at all.

“We all should be very proud of the work that was done by the schools and administrators that worked this out so sports could take place since it would have been very easy to say ‘no sports at all’ this year,” Simington stated.

Spring sports will continue to be played with many regulations and restrictions in place in order to protect the safety and health of all those involved.

8

THE ROCKET REPORTER

NEWS

MARCH 2021

Stock trading continues to rise in popularity DANIEL HILL REPORTER

Trading stocks is when one invests into a company and receives a stock in return and the price of this stock depends on how well the company is doing.

When a company is doing poorly, their stocks can be bought for a low price and when a company is doing well, it’s stock can be sold for more.

The difference between what was spent buying the stock and what was made selling the stock is the profit.

Curtis Folkman, business teacher, is an avid stock trader and got into trading stocks because he felt it would be “cheaper and hopefully just as exciting as gambling in a casino.”

Folkman described the stock market as “owning 1/1,000,000 of a company, equaling 1 share give or take. If the company is successful then your share will increase in value, like supply and demand.”

“The trick is knowing when to get in and when to get out. On a 10 year average, the market will always make money,” Folkman added.

Folkman said that the most he’s made through the market was through an investment in Lucent Technologies.

“A friend and I tripled a $5,000 investment in the company’s Initial Public Offering,” Folkman said.

According to Folkman, however, it is not all sunshine and rainbows.

“I’m losing [money] currently. The day trading fantasy is just that, for an armchair investor like me,” Folkman said “You lose when you sell, if you sell too early you run the risk of missing the bump and if you buy too late recovery becomes difficult.”

To avoid losing and risking even higher

stakes, Folkman suggests to never think you know what you are doing.

“Research, research, research. Network with others. Consider all angles, find investments or companies that interest you or you are a customer of,” Folkman said.

Folkman also suggests to “always seek professional assistance before committing to any investment.”

Early in January, members of the social media platform Reddit banded together to boost Gamestop, AMC, BlackBerry and Macy’s stock prices. This is because, according to CNN Business, hedge funds on Wall Street were looking to short these stocks.

“Short selling is when an investor borrows a stock, sells the stock, and then buys the stock back to return it to the lender,” an article from Investopedia claims.

“Short sellers are betting that the stock they sell will drop in price. If the stock does drop after selling, the short seller buys it back at a lower price and returns it to the lender.” the article continues.

Short selling a company is legal, but is seen as immoral because to do so one must bank on a company’s failure.

Because companies such as Gamestop and AMC were hit especially hard by COVID and the changing digital times, they were obvious targets for short sellers.

By boosting these companies that had just been shorted, the Reddit community, r/WallStreetBets, planned to make the investors lose as much money as possible.

CNN’s Christine Romans called it, “a populist uprising armed with no-fee brokerage accounts instead of pitchforks.”

Even celebrities, such as, Elon Musk showed support for the movement.

Gamestop became the most traded stock on the planet when Robinhood, a free stock

trading app, suspended trading on Gamestop stocks.

This meant investors only had two options, sell their stocks, or hold onto them.

“GameStop shares lost more than 44% of their value on Jan. 28,” CNN Business claims.

“It’s a free market and I think it should be kept that way. When someone or some people work together in an effort to prevent a free flowing market then that is where the rules need to come into play. Everyone should play fair” Folkman said.

Senior Uyen Nguyen got into stock trading during quarantine because she was “bored and stock was something to do.”

“I think it’s cool if you got it in you but if you haven’t traded your stocks then it’s a bummer because you could have lost a lot of money,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen wants to remind people that it is best to trade stocks for fun, rather than as a source of income.

In fact, Nguyen claims that she has only made $50 through the market.

She also, however, “[hasn’t] lost any money yet.

On top of trading for fun and not money, Nguyen advises others to, “buy low and sell high. Always start an hour after the market opens.”

“What Robinhood and a lot of other stock apps did was unfair because now we know we are always at a disadvantage.

When they start losing money they want to stop it but when we start losing money they collect,” Nguyen said.

On the power of Reddit in influencing the market, Nguyen said, “Reddit could be a strength and a weakness because people do a pump and dump. If you get into the stocks early and buy at a low price, other people will tag on when they see the num-

ber going up. But once Reddit meets their goal, they all sell and the price drops immediately which leaves everyone else who isn’t in on it at a huge loss with very little chance for profit.”

Senior Julie Serrano takes the perspective of someone on the outside of this whole situation, but looking to get into it after learning more about it.

According to Serrano, not only did she not know all this was going on, but Serrano didn’t understand how the stock market works.

Serrano is a part of the minority, as according to a study by pewresearch, more than half of American households are invested into the stock market, and the number is rising.

Part of the confusion over the market was, as Serran explains, is that she was not in an environment where the stock market was talked about or where people part of it.

The same study found that only 28% of Hispanic households are invested in the market.

This is a far cry from the 61% percent of white households who are invested, or the total 52% overall.

Additionally, she never learned about the market in school outside of the stock market collapse leading to the Great Depression, leaving only a negative connotation in her mind about it.

Looking to join the bandwagon, she is looking to get into the market by downloading Robinhood, acting on the allure and prospect of making “easy money through investments.”

With the market gaining accessibility through free apps such as Robinhood, many experts agree that investing will become more and more popular.

COVID-19 effects sports Olympics delayed by a year GUNNER MARKINS

GABRIEL KESTERSON

Covid-19 has had a national effect throughout the world with one of the biggest aspects being the world of sports.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic there have been many more regulations that have been implemented. For instance, during high school games, you are required to wear a mask.

Many players, like Junior Charlie Akers agree that this season is different from past seasons.

“It hasn’t been a normal season at all,” Akers said.

“Even though masks are hard to breathe in, especially when working out they keep us all protected.

The AIA also wants the parents of the players to be as safe as the players themselves as how fans enjoy the game have been affected as well.

The AIA also made a statement about the attendance of other family members and other new regulations . Each person on the team can now have two family members but they have to wear a mask and be socially distanced.

Other athletes have stepped up and shown support for the increased usage of masks, such as Junior Jacob Johnson.

COVID-19 has delayed a variety of activities such as school, public sports, and delivery services as well as the 2020 summer Olympics.

May looked forward to seeing the Olympics happen, but understood why there was a delay in the games.

“I wouldn’t allow the Olympics to happen if it were up to me, there is only so much you can do to stop COVID-19 from spreading, because the NBA did the same thing and some of the players still caught it,” Freshman Asonti Buffington said.

According to ushistory.com, the ancient Greeks “loved competition of all sorts, and each year, the various city-states of Greece sent athletes to festivals of games, which were held to honor the gods.”

In 1896, the Olympics officially started and included other countries. The first olympic games were held in Athens, Greece and run on a four-year cycle.

“I believe they take place in order to provide goodwill throughout the world and bring people together in a peaceful environment,” Eddie Mathis, girls basketball coach, stated.

When it comes to the olympics, many people have a favorite sport to watch as there are around 35 different sports in the olympics.

Freshman Hussein Al Aboudi’s favorite part of the Olympics is when people get their awards.

However this isn’t the case for everyone, another widely watched part of the Olympics is the Olympic torch relay.

The torch relay is going to be extra special this year because 118 year-old Kane Tanaka will be the torch bearer representing Japan.

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Photo by Jordan Burries

PRACTICING DURING COVID: All sports are to play and practice with masks on. Additionally, fans are limited in the stands.

“It is important to stay safe with the masks, but we are also having fun while doing it.,” Johnson said.

“We can overcome this virus if we all wear our masks and stay calm.”

In every contact sport, they have to make sure to sanitize everything that everybody is touching.

In the world of sports very few people have contracted the virus because of the mask mandate.

In the NBA, only one player got it when they were in a bubble for the NBA playoffs.

Slowly over time, many big league sports, like the NFL, NBA, and MLB allowed fans in the stadium with specified seating in the stadium, ensuring that all attendees can correctly social distance while attending a game.

With the continuation of school sports, all coaches are making sure that all players are following the new expectations and football seemed more difficult to keep within the mitigation procedures.

Justin Southwick, defensive back football coach, said that the difference with the pandemic is that they had to clean everything as soon as it was used.

They spent time after every practice cleaning pads or helmets even if it was used once.

Football also could not have their usual summer workouts because the virus was still surging during that time Even though there are limitations with sports, people still seem to have fun and stayed safe during the pandemic.

Considering the fact that the Olympics were first held in 1896, she is nearly just as old as the olympics.

Overall the Olympics is about competing for medals and in a competition, there are winners and there are losers.

Everyone has a different opinion on which sport America is best at, however, both Buffington, as well as Mathis agree that “America is best at basketball.”

It appears that despite what happens, the Olympics will move forward this summer.

“I feel as if there is gonna be a lot of safety concerns, other than that I don’t believe it will change that much compared to previous years,” Buffington stated.

The Olympics are set to take place in Tokyo, Japan and begin July 23 and end Aug. 8.

Photo by Alex Smith

DELAYED: The 2020 Olympics, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, are set to begin July, 23 after being delayed by one year.