Rocket Reporter - Volume 57, Issue 5

Moon Valley High School

Rocket Reporter 3625 W. CACTUS RD | PHOENIX, AZ 85029 | VOLUME 57 | ISSUE 5 | MAY 2022

3

YEAR IN REVIEW

Seniors work to get top 1% of their class GLORIA MAULIDI REPORTER

As the 2021-22 school year comes to a close, students reflect on their experiences.

“It wasn’t the best school year, but it also wasn’t the worst,” Freshman Miles Ghigo said. “Everyone was

4-5

SENIOR SEND OFF

Upon the completion of the Senior Class’ last year of high school, the seniors hope to share their advice to benefit the underclassmen.

Seniors advise underclassmen to stay on top of

6

SUMMER CAMP

The top 1 percent students of the class of 2022 class include: Seniors Joseph Villela, Denisea Lovato and Isaac Prentiss.

These three seniors reflect on the last four years of their high school careers along with the academic and personal hardships they went through to graduate as a top 1 percent student.

“I had to keep my grades up all the time,” Villela stated, describing the pressure he felt.

“I couldn’t really afford to slip up, I couldn’t be lazy and had to just keep going no matter what.”

However, after receiving a full ride scholarship to ASU, Villela believes that his, “hard work these past four years paid off and now I can go to college without having to worry about student loans.”

Villela’s coding teacher, Eddie Mathis described Villela as a “genius.”

He’s just a very intelligent and smart individual and I knew at the freshmen level that he was destined for greatness,” Mathis said.

Mathis is proud of Villela’s academic achievements over the years, and that “he turned into the amazing student I knew

he would turn into.”

When asked about the sacrifices made to stay in the top 1 percent, the three students confessed to having many sleepless nights in order to meet their tight AP classes’ deadlines.

“I definitely sacrificed a lot of sleep and it feels as if I had to mature, learn and grow up a little faster than others so I could achieve higher,” Lovato said.

Despite the challenging four years, Lovato admits that her hard work has opened the door to many college scholarship opportunities that will help further her academic learning.

“I definitely think that my hard work opened up a lot of opportunities for me in regards to scholarship options, so that will be a huge help in college,” Lovato said.

Curtis Folkman, marketing teacher, reflects on the years Lovato spent in his class, calling her “an overall well-rounded, smart student.”

“She is really committed to doing good work, has got a great personality, and is very intelligent,” Folkman said.

Being a top 1 percent student gives these high achieving scholars many academic benefits for their higher education

Photo by Gloria Maulidi

TOP 1%: Senior Denisea Lovato, Isaac Prentiss, and Joseph Villela finish the school year in the top 1% of seniors. “I definitely think that my hard work opened up a lot of opportunities for me in regards to scholarship options, so that will be a huge help in college,” Lovato said. which wouldn’t be as easily accessible to other students.

“I got access to a lot of scholarship opportunities and I just recently received the new All-American scholarship to ASU that covers a large majority of my tuition cost,” Prentiss said.

As for how it feels to be a top 1 percent student,

Prentiss said that “it feels nice to have such a personal accomplishment that says ‘I did something in my four years of high school.’”

Lora Zimmer, physics teacher, described Prentiss’ dedication in her class by calling him a natural leader and a smart individual that she will “miss greatly after he

graduates.”

“He is extremely dedicated, very smart, a great leader, and just a student that is such a pleasure to have in my class,” Zimmer added.

For all their academic achievements, Mathis thinks that all the three students worked very hard and he wishes them all the best with college.

Honors and Awards recognizes seniors As this year’s final sports season comes to a close, athletes are already looking toward next year’s sports seasons.

According to Dustin Williamson, basketball coach, the basketball team has al-

8

SKILLS USA

Courtesy of MVHS Facebook

HONORS AND AWARDS: As graduation approaches, seniors are recognized for their accomplishments throughout the years at an awards ceremony. “It’s important to show students that they have done a good job and someone has recognized their hard work,” Metheny said.

BRANDON KITCHEN REPORTER

Students involved in classes such as Construction, Film and T.V. and Engineering Sciences competed in SkillsUSA this year.

According to the SkillsUSA website, “SkillsUSA Championships are career @ROCKET_REPORTER @ROCKET_REPORTER

Honors and Awards Night was held on May 17 to recognize the achievements of seniors throughout their time at Moon Valley.

A wide variety of honors and awards were presented at the event including scholarships, department awards, athletic awards, NHS tassels, student of the month awards and many others.

“It’s important to show students that they have done a good job and someone has recognized their hard work,” Jennifer Metheny, head of the honors and awards committee, said.

The honors and awards committee, which consists of teachers from every department at Moon Valley and other staff members, was responsible for organizing and holding Honors and Awards Night.

Counselor Reena Gosa-

lia’s role in the honors and awards committee was planning the ceremony and making sure anybody who needed to be there was there.

“Preparing for the event was a lot of reaching out to people, communicating with teachers and making sure anyone who was going to present an award was there,” Gosalia said. “It was a lot of steps because we tried to make it as good as possible for our students and their families.”

Many of the students who were invited to the event were initially surprised to hear that they were earning awards.

“I was very glad to hear that I was invited because I do a lot of things to help out people, so hearing that I was going to be recognized for that felt very nice,” Senior Michelle Piedra-Cusick said.

Other students, however, were already aware of what they had earned and why they were being invited to Honors and Awards Night.

“I was pretty excited because I assumed they were going to talk about my scholarship and I was happy to hear that it was going to be commemorated,” Senior Zoe Dacey said.

Families of the students were also welcomed to the event, where they were able to celebrate all the hard work that their kids do while attending school “My mom was very ecstatic because she really likes to be involved in events like this,” PiedraCusick said. “It proves to her that I’m actually do-

ing important things at school.”

Students also got the opportunity to recognize the achievements of their peers and celebrate alongside them.

“I was happy to see people that I have known for so long be shown off and noticed,” Senior Aliyah Hursey said. “Knowing the people that I know who worked really hard at Moon Valley were being honored was very satisfying.”

Piedra-Cusick believes that more events focused on celebrating the achievements of students would be a beneficial addition to Moon Valley.

“A lot of students don’t get to hear that what they’re doing means something very often,” Piedra-Cusick said.

Gosalia hopes that the event had a positive impact on everyone who attended and that “ students came out of the event feeling recognized and knowing that they have done a great job here at Moon Valley and in their lives.”

2

THE ROCKET REPORTER

SCHOOL NEWS

MAY 2022

AP students prepare for high-stakes testing PARKER SZMANDA REPORTER

There’s no rest for the studious as the end of the school year brings the promise of summer vacation, along with Advanced Placement testing.

Arizona state schools grant college credit when a student earns a 4 or a 5 on an AP exam. The exams take place the weeks of May 2 and May 9.

Whether or not out of state schools accept those credits is dependent on the school itself as “some ivy league schools currently don’t accept any AP [scores],” Jennifer Wright, AP U.S. History teacher, said.

Although the actual testing period begins during the final month of school, AP students still feel the effects beforehand.

“It brings about a lot of stress,” Wright said. “The pressure put on to prepare and to do well can be overwhelming.”

Teachers do what they can to prepare students.

“The AP teachers on this campus use the resources and the information provided from College Board to help ensure students will have the best chance possible on this test,” Wright said.

Teachers feel that the tests benefit not only the students, but themselves as teachers as well.

“From a teacher perspective,” Wright said, “the process of grading [has] helped me be a faster grader [and] really understand how the grading works.”

There are always improvements to be made regarding how the school tackles AP test prep.

“I wish there would be more recognition on campus for AP success,” Wright said, referencing some sort of medal or merchandise available to students who are in an AP class.

Wright mentioned that students gain certain lessons that benefit them in the long run, such as time management and study skills when taking an AP class.

“As a student you’re responsible for tak-

Photo by Parker Szmanda

PREPARATION: Jennifer Wright, AP US History teacher, prepares students for their college level exam. “The AP teachers campus use the resources and the information provided from College Board to help ensure students will have the best chance possible on this test,” Wright said. ing that content and absorbing it and creating your own learning,” Wright said.

Jennifer Metheny, AP Statistics teacher, warns students every year about the eligibility to earn credits from the tests.

“Not every college takes AP credits so you have to be careful about that,” Metheny said.

Teachers like Metheny make an effort to include as many in-class tests that resemble the AP tests as possible.

“In my class, I approach every day as an AP-like day,” Metheny said. “[This way] they understand how the test is graded in order to write what the graders are looking for.”

AP tests can give students characteristics that they will use later in life.

“I think it’s a good program and it introduces students to the rigor and how college courses and college content could potentially be,” Metheny stated.

AP tests are important to a student’s future. “[AP tests] prepare [students] for the

higher education portion of what to expect and what the class entails,” Counselor Brandi Jans said.

Jans said the AP test preparation is stressful for her as the AP testing coordinator.

“It can be stressful preparing,” Jans said.

“Even on an AP coordinator’s end, preparing and making sure all the students have what they need, is stressful for all parties.”

Regardless of the test results, AP tests work to the benefit of students.

“If they get a low score, they’re most likely to improve in the following years,” Jans said. “Juniors have the opportunity to improve their senior year.”

Jans shared that taking AP tests also saves money.

“If they do pass successfully, they won’t have to pay for it in college,” Jans said.

Students feel that AP testing builds up all year and that the teachers’ efforts to help students can be felt from the foundations of lessons being taught.

“I feel they’ve done pretty well with the resources they give up,” Duarte said.

“[Teachers] use their own time to personally talk to us about things.”

Although students feel prepared, the stress can take a toll. “[Students] are really stressed out because some of us have a lot of tests and there’s a lot of material to get through in a little amount of time,” Junior Cate Inman said. “That’s not including things like sports, final projects, theater, art shows.”

These concerns are met with ways to alleviate the stress through heavy preparation.

“We do multiple choice practices throughout the year,” Inman said. “There’s practices in my classes, study guides, and online quizzes.”

Junior Sondraya Zuhri finds it difficult maintaining a healthy balance of longterm school expectations and the addition of approaching AP tests. “[The tests] add a lot of stress, it’s always in my mind,” Zuhri said. “I have to figure out what I want to focus on: homework or studying.”

Teachers do what they can to alleviate the loads brought home through classroom preparations.

“My teachers, like Wright, do a very good job preparing us. She provides so many review options,” Zuhri said.

The approaching tests do not make the school work stop, and some students find this difficult to compensate for.

“In [some classes] it’s a little more stressful because I’m more worried about the grade than actually absorbing information for the test,” Zuhri said.

Zuhri, like many other students, does her best to find a balance but ultimately, it takes up a vast majority of her time.

“I stay up until 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., every night trying to do both my homework and study,” she said. “We should have less homework during AP month.”

Overall, the testing has many advantages to rival its setbacks.

“It’s a very rewarding experience to have the opportunity to take the exam and be challenged,” Jans said.

Governing board brings school visits back to campuses MIA HOMAN REPORTER

Brian Capistran, GUHSD superintendent, paid a visit to Moon Valley to meet with teachers and students on April 27.

According to the district website, Capistran graduated from Glendale High School, started his teaching career at Sunnyslope High School, and proceeded to become the principal of Apollo High School before becoming Superintendent.

The visits are meant for Capistran to get in touch with teachers and students “These visits are for the superintendent and governing board to stay connected to the schools because they don’t work on a school campus,” Salyer said. “I think that it’s a good thing for them to touch base

Rocket Reporter Moon Valley High School 3625 W. Cactus Rd | Phoenix, AZ 85029

Editor-in-Chief Mariam Hernandez Photo Editor Jeran Oxley Reporters Hussein Al Aboudi Gary Chandler, III Nathalie Cruz Quesada Delyla De Leon

with our teachers and students.”

Due to the pandemic, the visits were halted for about two years.

“The visits were kind of paused for a while but now that everything has really calmed down and has become safer, they can make time for the visits,” Principal Anat Salyer said.

The governing board gives dates to schools for the superintendent and governing board members to come and visit.

“This year it was a little different because we haven’t had a superintendent visit in a while so they were quicker with getting the dates,” Salyer said.

Normally, the visits happen twice a year but since Covid-19 affected protocol, they were more limited.

When the superintendent and govern-

Dylan Fetzer Zakiya Foggie Victor Garcia Maria Guerrero Beltran Allyson Halfar Mia Homan Brandon Kitchen Arop Kual Jessica Lopez Martinez Gloria Maulidi Jackson Morrison-Alviar Daly Rescola Helena Seghid Makhi Spottsville Victoria Stitt

ing board members arrived on campus, they were given a schedule and a master key.

During their time, they visited classrooms, talked with students, had a Q&A with the Student Council and met with various faculty and staff groups.

“I think the visits are necessary because he takes time out of his day to meet with teachers and students,” Senior Micah Southwick said.

Southwick has gotten to know Capistran since Capistran meets monthly with all district student government presidents to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at each school.

“We have monthly meetings with the superintendent so we have a pretty good relationship,” Southwick said.

Parker Szmanda Jennifer Torres Adviser Melanie Allen Student Teacher Ashley Fivecoat MVHS administration Anat Salyer, principal Edwardo Lopez, ast. principal Tiffany Fain, ast. principal Amy Di Meola, ast. principal

Southwick feels positive about the relationship Capistran has with Moon Valley.

“I don’t think he wants changes to be made to our school. He just gives us ideas on how to make it a better place for teachers and students attending,” Southwick said.

Salyer is impressed with how the campus interacts with Capistran when he visits.

“I think Moon Valley always impresses him because our students are very polite and the campus is always very nice,” Salyer said.

The superintendent visits all the schools in the district on seperate days and times.

“I feel like he does like our school because it is nicer and more traditional looking than the other schools in our district,” Southwick said.

Purpose The purpose of The Rocket Reporter is to objectively 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.

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

MAY 2022

SCHOOL NEWS

3

Students show appreciation for teachers GARY CHANDLER REPORTER

Students and staff came together May 2-6 for a week of appreciating teachers’ hard work and all that they do for the people on campus.

Students showed gratitude and even went far as getting their teacher a gift to show how thankful they were.

“I give my teacher an apple, a gift basket and a thank you note to show how thankful I am,” Freshman Christian Vazquez said.

Students made their teachers feel special, as it was their week and they have done much to help students out especially during the difficulty of the past two and a half years.

“Teachers should be ap-

preciated all the time and not just for a week,” Freshman Joe Peterson said.

Teachers felt appreciated even when getting something as little as a verbal thank you.

“Occasionally, students will come and drop stuff off and it is always very much appreciated,” Eric Zimmerman, band director, said.

Besides the act of teaching, teachers participate in the campus culture, as they come up with lesson plans and grade assignments, coach sports and sponsor clubs.

“I think teachers deserve more props as they are always there for us and want to see us succeed,” Vasquez said.

Teachers stated that they are not expecting to get anything, but are very

thankful if they do.

“I’m not expecting anything but I know stuff is going to happen from the parent club, the administration and students,” Zimmerman said.

Vasquez believes it important to take this week seriously because “teachers do not get paid much and it will help with anything they need.”

“I typically only give stuff to some of my favorite teachers,” Vazquez said.

Despite it being a special week for teachers they still have to follow their normal routines.

“It feels like another week because we still have to do work and get on like it’s a typical school day,’’ Zimmerman said.

Teachers are also appreciative that their students make an effort to show

gratitude to them.

“People do try to make teachers feel appreciated, however it’s the thought that I appreciate most,” Zimmerman said.

Everyone does something different to show their gratitude and have a tradition that they like to do with teachers.

“What I typically do is give my teachers a handshake and a gift basket,” Peterson said.

Not only do students show appreciation but the administration does as well and typically do something special for teachers.

Throughout the week, teachers were showered with breakfast from STUCO and Parent Boosters, lunch from Calvary Church, and an ice cream sundae bar from adminis-

Photo by Gary Chandler

APPRECIATION: May 2-6 was teacher appreciation week. “Occasionally, students will [give me items] and it is always appreciated,” Eric Zimmerman, band director, said. tration.

At the end of the week teachers were given a

backpack embroidered with the Moon Valley logo.

Teachers, students reflect on 2021-2022 school year

Photo by STUCO

BACK TO “NORMAL”: After almost two years, students saw some normalcy in their school year including the first allschool assembly since December, 2019. “This year was tough starting off with so many restrictions from Covid-19, it made transitioning back to school Challenging for everyone,” Madison O’Neal, science teacher, said.

MARIA GUERRERO REPORTER

As the 2021-22 school year comes to a close, students reflect on their experiences.

“It wasn’t the best school year, but it also wasn’t the

worst,” Freshman Miles Ghigo said. “Everyone was still getting used to being back.”

Ghigo feels like despite the lack of communication, he appreciated he was accepted by other students.

“We need to communi-

cate with each other everywhere on campus a lot more now and I love how accepting people here are,” Ghigo said.

Madison O’Neal, science teacher, said the year was tough with Covid-19 restrictions in place.

“This year was tough starting off with so many restrictions from Covid-19, it made transitioning back to school Challenging for everyone,” O’Neal said.

“Protocols, limitations, etc., made it really hard to build a community when

we aren’t sure how close students are with each other.”

Senior Makayla Earls said this school year was better than expected.

“By far, this was my best year of high school,” Earls said. “I experienced a lot of growth and I appreciate everyone I was lucky to meet and befriend.”

This year is the first full in-person school year in two years, making it hard for some to return to normal.

“I think Covid-19 and online learning made students feel that teachers are almost obsolete,” Jenna Serafini, English teacher said.

Serafini said that this year was “challenging for students and teachers as nobody knew what to expect.”

“We were all happy to see sports and events run mostly in a normal fashion, though a lot of these events were very limited.”

Serafini said.

Moon Valley had many events throughout the year including sport games,

concerts and dance shows.

“This year was a rollercoaster, it had its ups and downs, but I really enjoyed what the school had going on, like the assemblies and plays,” Sophomore Tersean Wright said.

“I loved the assembly and eagerly anticipated prom,” Serafini said. “The car show from DECA was great for our campus as well as having a mostly normal homecoming week.”

Despite restrictions and lack of communication, students learned much information for their futures.

“I learned a lot about college enrollment and the whole process of getting your FAFSA done,” Earls said.

“I learned that to make friends, you just have to go for it,” Ghigo said. “Don’t be afraid to start conversations.”

Students and teachers look forward to a more normal school year next year.

“I’m hoping next year is going to be better than this year,” Wright said.

Teachers move on to new opportunities, retirement JERAN OXLEY PHOTO EDITOR

Moon Valley will see up to 10 new teachers joining its staff for the 2022-2023 school year.

With the arrival of these new teachers means that a few teachers are leaving or retiring from the school.

Taylor Dunn, math teacher, has been at Moon Valley for two years.

“I have been teaching for two years now and will be relocating to Washington High School next school

year,” Dunn said.

Sunny Zamar, social studies teacher, has taught at Moon Valley on and off since 2014 and will be headed to Sunnyslope High School next school year.

Some teachers are leaving to pursue new professions.

“I will be moving on to a new job,” Eddie Mathis, coding teacher, said. “I will be doing Cybersecurity at Discover Card. Basically, I will be ensuring Discover’s applications, systems and

networks are secured from hackers and others who are attempting to gain access to the company’s data.”

Students are sad to see their teachers move on from Moon Valley.

“I am sad to see Mr. Mathis is leaving but I’m glad that he has the opportunity to get a new job and get new experiences,” Sophomore Niall Lankford stated.

Every teacher has parts of the job that they love and will miss as they enter a new path

“My favorite part about teaching is the bond and relationships I have with my students. I don’t just see them as my students; I truly feel like they are my own kids. I grow to care for them all so much,” Zamar said. “While I will still be teaching after this year, I will miss all of the students I’ve had here at Moon Valley very dearly.”

Those that are leaving Moon Valley have advice for the new teachers that will be here next year.

“There will be some frus-

trating days in the beginning, but each day things get better,” Mathis said.

Mathis said the most important part of teaching is getting to know your students.

“Open the lines of communication with them and keep it open. Spend some time talking about things that are important to them. This lets them know you care about them and are interested in what they think,” Mathis stated.

Dunn said that it is very easy to get caught up in all

the bad things that happen during teaching.

“New teachers should focus on the good things that happen throughout each day as it will make the career much more enjoyable,” Dunn said.

Other teachers that are either leaving this year include: Melanie Allen, English teacher; Ivette Barrios, math teacher and Brandi Jans, guidance counselor.

Dawn Harman, media center director and Mike McCourtney, math teacher are retiring this year.

4

THE RO

SPOTLIGHT

Seniors reminisce on their years as a Rocket ter the four years of memories we made,” Senior Samantha Perez stated.

This year witnessed multiple a c c om plishments from the S e n i o r Class such as awards from administration, teachers and the state of Arizona.

“The admin tried to help in the beginPhoto by Makhi Spottsville ning of the NOSTALGIA: Seniors reflect on their accomplishments and hard work from their year by givfirst to last years of high school. “I had plenty of great memories at Moon Valley ing away that helped me and shaped me for this moment in my life,” Lovato said. awards for doing good things, like if you picked MAKHI on their freshman-junior up trash, complimenting someone, things of that years.

SPOTTSVILLE “I’m excited for the nature,” Senior Elizabeth REPORTER bright future of me and my Guerrero said.

Guerrero said she reAs senior year comes to friends but we all are sad a close, seniors reminisce that we have to leave af- ceived one of those awards

for picking up cups outside the cafeteria.

In athletics, we have had seniors make firstteam, second-team and runners-up in 4A. “Even though our season didn’t go as planned or as we would have liked, there were still highlights to it,” Senior Cordell Outridge stated. “Two of my teammates got firstteam all region and one second-team all region [in football], then Channel 12 news coming to our only win of the year and getting a whole team interview,” There were a variety of prestigious scholarships given out.

“For me I have three big choices to make now.

I have to choose between Arizona State University which is a full ride, or Duke and North Carolina,” Senior Denisea Lovato said. “There are positives to each of these schools so I have to really think about this,” Despite the interruption of Covid-19, seniors made many memories during their time at Moon Valley.

“I had plenty of great memories at Moon Valley that helped me and shaped me for this moment in my life,” Lovato said. “But junior year especially shaped me because it put me through hardships and really helped me find out who I am and what I want to do in my future.”

Seniors felt that certain teachers helped shape who they are as students.

“A person that helped me along the way was Kim Thomas, math teacher, she was there for me, helping me with my college letter recommendations and just being a great teacher my senior year,” Senior Lauryn Schumann stated.

For Senior Connor Huey athletics helped shape his high school experience.

“I think my favorite event throughout my entire high school career was the Moon Valley vs Greenway Varsity basketball game my sophomore year,” Huey said. “I always look back to that day because the energy was crazy, everyone was hyped and the gym was so loud I wish I could go back to those times.”

Gradu

VICTOR GA REPORTER

As seniors tak high school, the taking the colleg Seniors De’sh socci and Serina attend major un zona.

Moore is curr education at Ari ing a major in Sp Both Seeley an attend Northern “I want to suc Moore said.

Moore is very new path of his l “It’s going to b but I’m up for th As he continu he will miss his h friends.

“The only thin and hanging out day,” Moore said Attending coll has been plannin this school year.

“To have an o high level of edu have never thou lion years,” Moo Moore receive college for free, ple don’t do or h “I just want to enjoy the proces stated.

CON

Hard work pays off in scholarship opportunities MARIAM HERNANDEZ REPORTER

A variety of students on campus received the opportunity to attend the college or university of their choice for a reduced fee with the use of a scholarship.

Students such as Senior Albert Plasencio received scholarships based on their performances in a specific trade, for example, culinary arts.

“I was hoping to win a full ride scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America,” Plasencio said. “Instead I earned a full-ride to Johnson and Wales in North Carolina.”

Plasencio’s scholarship is worth $137,000 Plasencio mentioned that he was introduced to the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (CCAP) by Vince Pernick, culinary teacher.

“It helped me sign up, find out about how to compete and what scholarships to apply for,” Plasencio stated.

Upon being made aware of the choice to be a part of the program, he was very excited as it coordinated well with his goals for the future.

“I´ve always wanted to be a chef, so when hearing about it, I thought it was an amazing opportunity,” Plasencio stated.

Pernick was helpful in guiding and cheering for Plasencio throughout the application process and waiting for the results.

“He definitely deserves it and he can go anywhere or do anything now,” Pernick stated, ”He’s a leader to the people in his class. He knows the basics, which are the most important foundation that he can receive.”

A number of scholarships and opportunities are also awarded for academic excellence to students such as Senior Lia Arencibia Rodriguez.

“I work really hard in my classes and I think I was picked to be a National Merit finalist mainly due to my PSAT scores,” Rodriguez stated.

The National Merit Scholarship is awarded, after some elimination from the semi-finalist and finalist stages, to students who fit criteria such as taking the PSAT/ NMSQT and entering the required information or documents.

“I think it’s really cool. A lot of colleges and universities give scholarships for being a finalist or a semi-finalist, so it’ll definitely help me pay less,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said her mother supported her throughout the process.

“My mom was one of the only people I talked to about it. She really helps me look over essays, apply for scholarships, that kind of thing,” Rodriguez stated. “So when we got the notification that I was a finalist, we celebrated together.”

Rodriguez also accredits much of her success to her teachers and other family

members.

“I received a lot of help, on campus and from my family, my teachers. They really helped me to be curious and continue learning and I think that’s ultimately why I received the award,” Rodriguez said.

Senior Denisea Lovato was awarded a similar distinction for her academic achievement and dedication to learning.

“I received the Flinn scholarship, which offers a full ride to any of the three in-state universities and a study-abroad trip with all expenses paid,” Lovato stated.

Lovato is grateful to her friends and family for their support and encouragement throughout her high school career, as well as her mentors.

“Ms. Metheny and Ms. Thomas were very excited for me, especially after learning about the trip abroad,” Lovato said.

“My connection with my teachers, and my GPA and things like the principal’s list, definitely helped me to get here.”

Jennifer Metheny Koch, math teacher,

discussed her appreciation for Lovato and congratulated her for her opportunities.

“I was very excited when I learned about the scholarship,” Metheny stated. “She works really hard and she deserves all of the good things coming her way.”

Metheny said that Lovato is someone to look up to and overall a dedicated scholar.

“She’s a super awesome kid. She follows through on things and is overall a nice person, helping others when she can and making the class a better place,” Metheny stated.

These awards are not always a definitive course of a person’s future, though they offer a sense of accomplishment and motivation regardless.

“Freshman year, my goal was to graduate at the top of my class and I’m still pursuing that,” Lovato said. “But since the scholarship is for in-state schools only and I had my heart set on going out of state, I did actually turn it down. It was still an honor to receive that recognition and distinction.”

Photos by Mariam Hernandez

ACHIEVEMENTS: (left to right) Seniors Lia Arencibia Rodriguez, Denisea Lovato and Albert Placencio are recognized for their work throughout high school, offering them chances at a free education.

OCKET REPORTER

MAY 2022

5

uation leads to decisions about life after high school

ARCIA

ke a new leap into life after ere are some seniors who are ge route. hea Moore, Emmalyn Mara Seeley are all planning to niversities in the state of Ari-

rently enrolled to begin her izona State University, seekports Journalism. nd Marsocci are planning to n Arizona University. cceed in the sports talk field,”

y excited about starting this life. be a different culture for sure, he challenge,” Moore said. ues his journey, he is sure that high school experiences and

ng I will deeply miss is seeing t with friends mostly everyd. lege is something that Moore ng on since the beginning of . opportunity to succeed at a ucation is something I would ught could happen in a milore said ed the opportunity to attend something a variety of peohave the chance to do. o experience college life and ss while being there,” Moore

Marsocci and Seeley share that they are definitely excited about their new journey at NAU. The girls will be rooming together on campus and hope to benefit from it.

“To have a chance to room with a best friend is always a great opportunity and something that we are both very excited to do,” Marsocci said.

Seeley shared that both of them will enjoy each other’s presence, especially since they have been friends since their freshman year.

“To start a new journey and conquer something new with a friend right by your side will definitely make us feel at ease with the process,” Seeley said.

Marsocci is still undecided about her new career path, but knows she wants to have caring for animals involved in it.

“It’s a lot of paths I could take, but I know my passion is something with helping animals,” Marsocci said.

On the other side, Seeley wants to pursue a major in Psychology.

“I want to enter this work force and also be able to help out troubled kids to try to lead them down a better path of success,” Seeley said.

Both girls bond over their excitement to have fun and enjoy the new experiences on college campus.

Marsocci and Seeley both intend to live their lives to the fullest while being there.

“I want to be able to go out and see new things, while experiencing the different culture of life they provide there,” Marsocci said.

“Going out and enjoying life with my best friend is something that I never even dreamt of doing,” Seeley said.

The girls admit that wouldn’t all be possible

without the help of Couns e l o r Brandi Jans.

Jans has been h e lpi ng and going out her way to make sure the seniors receive everything t h e y h a v e b e e n working towards.

“I’ve b e e n working hard for countl e s s hours to make s u r e Photo by Victor Garcia every FUTURE PLANS: As the school year comes to a close, seniors prepare to embark on s tu d e nt a new journey where they will navigate higher education and career-oriented lives. gets the opportunity to make something out of themselves them. after high school,” Jans said.

“I really just hope all of this could help Jans has been welcoming to all seniors and them with doing bigger and better things for shares that she wants nothing but the best for their lives,” Jans said.

NGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022!

Upperclassmen offer final wisdom to younger peers ALLYSON HALFAR REPORTER

Photo by Arop Kual

ADVICE: Seniors depart from their fellow underclassmen, leaving behind their wisdom in hopes of making their high school experience enjoyable. “Join more sports and be more active in your community, do as much as you can, senior year goes by a lot faster,” Gomez stated.

Upon the completion of the Senior Class’ last year of high school, the seniors hope to share their advice to benefit the underclassmen.

Seniors advise underclassmen to stay on top of their work.

“Students should stay on top of their work and on top of any late work,” Senior Tawni Gomez stated.

Although staying on top of work is important, seniors recommend having a fun time with the years they have for high school.

“Make sure you have fun and don’t stress about grades,” Senior Micah Southwick stated.

The challenges of Covid-19 made school difficult for seniors according to Gomez.

“School was getting easier, but Covid-19 happened in the middle, which kind of made it difficult,” Gomez said.

Southwick agreed that school got easier from 9-12th grade.

“It got easier. I don’t take as many classes now and I’m a TA and have more electives so it’s more fun,” Southwick stated.

Despite Covid-19, Counselor Brandi Jans said that “seniors lived the full high school experience, got involved, and created forever memories.”

One of the main issues that seniors ran into was tailoring the workload and other factors that affected the school year they were in.

“Some advice I wish I had for freshman year was to be more involved with school events,” Gomez stated.

Southwick wished he had known to have more fun and be less stressed about grades during his freshman year.

Seniors wish they had prepared more for important tests.

“I hoped to have prepared more for the ACT during sophomore year,’’ Gomez stated.

Southwick also said that studying more for the ACT test would have been helpful “Study for the ACT more.

It kinda just got thrown on us and we weren’t prepared for it, even though it was during Covid-19,” Southwick stated.

When seniors were doing online classes during their junior year, it caused some seniors to wish they had a better idea of how to perform during online school so they would still be able to

understand and work from home keeping their grades and overall GPA. “I wish I had better advice about how to get through my online classes,” Gomez said.

Many seniors are glad to be able to spend their last year on campus and recommend joining more sports and being more involved.

“Join more sports and be more active in your community, do as much as you can, senior year goes by a lot faster,” Gomez stated.

According to Jans, students wish they had advice about how important their GPA really is.

“A lot of seniors wish they had known how important GPA is. It helps get scholarships and it could help your future,” Jans stated.

As the last day of high school nears, for seniors, Jans suggests staying focused and finishing strong.

“Seniors should finish strong and not fall behind.

Keep on top of your grades and enjoy time with your friends while you can,” Jans stated.

Even when times get tough, seniors advise their peers to always keep their heads up.

“Always look on the bright side,” Gomez stated.

6

THE ROCKET REPORTER

NEWS

MAY 2022

Seniors decide on future plans after graduation JESSICA LOPEZ MARTINEZ

while,” Senior Latavia Mendoza said.

As the school year comes to an end, seniors are ready to graduate and head out to start the rest of their lives.

There are seniors that plan on living on campus in college, others plan on joining the army and then there are some who have decided that college is not for them right now.

“I have decided to not go to college for the moment because I want to spend more time learning cosmetology on my own for a

For these students, it isn’t in their best interest or not timely according to their goals and they would like to keep their options open and explore new things.

“I decided not to go college because I don’t really know exactly what I want right now and I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money at school when I know I’m not really focused on one main thing at the moment,” Mendoza shared.

According to CNN, ”there are about 1 million fewer college students enrolled

REPORTER

since before the pandemic began.”

This decline has to do with the fact that many students cannot or will not want to deal with the cost of college and the stress that may come from taking out student loans.

Some see the time away from education as a positive thing that helps students destress, while others see it as the source of their stress.

“I feel like I’m not much of a school person and I wouldn’t want to be stuck continuing to go if I know it’s not what I want,’’ Mendoza said.

Pacheco admits that she would much rather work instead of attending college.

“After high school, I plan on just working and living my life for a while,” Senior Dania Pacheco said.

According to CNN, “the job market is very strong when there is a very high demand for low-skilled workers without a degree and their wages are rising.”

Even though they are not attending college, students are still happy with their decisions and they know that they will still be able to do things they love and be successful.

Fewer restrictions allow for a more “normal” summer JACKSON MORRISON-ALVIAR REPORTER

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, many teachers and students are preparing to kick off their summer break on May 25.

“My family and I go to Wisconsin every summer so that’s the big thing I’m looking forward to,” Beth Fairbanks, English teacher, stated.

Fairbanks will pack up her family and head to the Midwest on May 29.

“There are going to be fairs going on in each county every week while I’m there, so my family and I will go to those,” Fairbanks said.

Compared to the last two summer breaks, there are significantly fewer Covid-19 restrictions and mandates.

“This summer I’m going to be more comfortable traveling because there is a much smaller risk of catching Covid-19,” Fairbanks stated.

Although on summer break, Fairbanks will have to prepare for the following school year as she moves from being an English teacher to the Media Center director.

“I also have to prepare for things at school because I’m switching jobs,” Fairbanks said. “I have to get used to what my new role is going to look like on campus.”

Many student-athletes who participate in the summer sports programs are practicing their sports throughout their summer break.

Freshman Dyllan Reilly will participate in football this summer.

“Aside from sleeping in and doing some things at home, the big thing I’m going to be doing is 7 on 7 spring football,” Reilly said. “I’m also looking forward to being able to have more free time to do whatever I want.”

In addition to free time and football, Reilly has other events planned for his vacation.

“I’m also traveling to California with my family to stay with some family that lives there,” Reilly said. “I’m really looking forward to going there because Phoenix gets pretty hot during the summer, so it’ll be nice to go to the beach.”

Students who are currently juniors are coming up on their last summer break of

Photo by Beth Fairbanks

SUMMER PLANS: This summer more people are looking to have “normal” summer plans.

Beth Fairbanks, English teacher, takes her family to the Midwest every summer and enjoy time on the lake, at fairs and spending time with family. high school.

“Going into my senior year, this is the last high school summer break I’ll ever have so I’m trying to make the most out of it,” Junior Jackson Stevens said.

Stevens will also get a job over the summer.

“I’m going to try to get a job to make some spending money on the side, but I don’t want that to get in the way of me having a good summer,” Stevens said.

“Some of my friends and I are also possibly planning a trip to go to California to get away from Phoenix for a while.”

Teams prepare for next season with summer camps

Photo by Audrey Perkins

SUMMER CAMPS: Sports teams will work on honing their skills by attending various summer campus. Before camp, the football team practiced during spring ball preparing for their 7-on-7 summer league.

HUSSEIN AL ABAOUDI REPORTER

As this year’s final sports season comes to a close, athletes are already looking toward next year’s sports seasons.

According to Dustin

Williamson, basketball coach, the basketball team has already begun to set goals, both for themselves individually and for the team as a whole.

The key to their improvement takes the form of a sports summer camp, which they will be attending every weekend in June,

where they will be conducting a variety of training activities.

“These include several fundamental practices, a variety of shooting drills, and live game scenarios,” Williamson said.

The summer camp will be held in the school’s practice gym, and it will be

open to anyone, regardless of if they are on the basketball team or not.

Williamson explained that this summer will be a great opportunity for anyone wanting to get into basketball or high school sports as a whole.

“They have a lot to work on individually, but I think that as a team, they mainly need to focus on their synergy, accountability, and really honing the fundamentals,” Williamson said.

One particular goal Williamson hopes to achieve through this rigorous training will be to get the team back to the playoffs, as they haven’t gotten there in a long while.

The football team will take players to an in-state summer camp.

“We take the players to a summer camp to focus on team bonding, football plays and to get them in an environment outside of what they’re used to,” Santiago Maldonado, head football coach said.

Similar to the football and basketball team, the wrestling team is holding a

summer training program as well.

Bryan Smith, wrestling coach, explained that over the summer, the wrestlers will be going on a trip to Utah where their training camp will be held.

Smith said that getting them out of state and facing off against people they aren’t familiar with will be good for the team since the main trait that the wrestling team needs to work on is experience.

“In general, wrestling had a good year, but overall school athletics didn’t and we need more student involvement in sports,” Smith said.

Smith said that while wrestling did good, even better than expected, the other sports teams had tough seasons.

Smith and other coaches, like Williamson, believe that the root cause of school sports being subpar this year was the pandemic over the prior two years.

“The pandemic made people lazy, thus students have become less interested and more isolated;

unwilling to pursue things that take intense dedication,” Smith said.

In their eyes, a good way to fix it would be the different teams’ summer camp.

Students such as Sophomore Daniel Gaspar agree with Smith.

“I think it would be good for people to come here since it’s an opportunity for people to get into more physical activity,” Gaspar said.

Sophomore Chance Miller also encouraged his fellow students to sign on for the summer training that is being offered.

Both Miller and Gaspar have been heavily involved in their schools’ sports for the past two years, and not just wrestling, and they are both imploring people to join.

“It’s okay to have the jitters when getting into something like wrestling or football, but it’s also important to overcome your fear and take risks because you could find something great, so just come join us and have fun,” Miller said.

THE ROCKET REPORTER

MAY 2022

NEWS

7

Student speaks out against cafeteria menu ZAKIYA FOGGIE REPORTER

Junior Nina Learned has become disheartened by students’ food choices on campus and decided to take action.

Learned feels like students have enough things to worry about and she believes one thing that can help is better food at school.

“The food here is not good enough for students,” Learned stated. “Especially when we are trying to learn because we need energy and you’re not getting that energy because you’re not getting enough nutrients.”

Learned’s mother is a chef and a nutritionist at the WESD school district,

so Learned has been educated by her mother about health and safety of food.

“She’s educated me really well on all of the dietary needs of students, especially since she deals with younger students,” Learned stated.

Learned wants to make a change, claiming she sees how students are really struggling and feels that school should be a place where students feel safe and that includes the food they are provided.

“Students are here 7-8 hour a day and sometimes longer due to extracurricular activities and should be provided with a substantial meal,” Learned said.

In order to carry out her plan of trying to change the school’s food, Learned

talked to administration about her concerns as well as wrote a letter to the district’s governing board.

Learned has also gotten signatures and support from students and is listening to students about why and how the food should be changed and proceeded to bring that to the district board.

When asked what types of food should be supplied, she said she thinks we need more variety with vegetarian and vegan food because there isn’t enough for people who don’t eat meat.

“There are also people who don’t eat meat for religious reasons and they don’t have many options,” Learned stated.

Learned said that the

salads that are offered aren’t often vegetarian and when they are, there aren’t many of them available to students.

The school receives funding from the federal government for the free and reduced lunch program meaning there are certain standards that must be held to, so the options in the cafeteria are a bit limited this year..

In addition to the food choices, Learned feels that the “1,104.8 milligrams of sodium in the spicy chicken sandwich is not good at all for students as the max amount of daily sodium for an adult should be 2,300 milligrams.”

Learned feels as though students should have more options during lunch.

Photo by Kiya Foggie

ACTIVISM: Junior Nina Learned became disheartened by the cafeteria food choices, so decided to try and make a change. “The food here is not good enough for students,” Learned stated. “Especially when we are trying to learn because we need energy.”

Russia-Ukraine war leaves communities affected JENNIFER TORRES REPORTER

The war between Russia and Ukraine has affected many communities and people within it.

“It’s probably something we’ll look back on in the near future, we’ll see the atrocities that would be declared as war crimes,” Brian Raper, AP Government teacher, said.

Raper mentioned that something like this does not need to happen as he sees the images and the videos online or on television and witnesses the devastations.

“This war can take a human toll on the idea that there is truly evil out there,” Raper said.

Students are also feeling sadness from the information being shared about the war.

“Hearing about the war made me feel sad and worried about the innocent citizens who are sadly involved in it,” Freshman Karen Rivera Cuevas said.

Rivera mentioned that it’s possible that the personality and minds of many people were gravely affected.

“They’ve become worried and concerned for their safety and of others,” Rivera said.

This current situation can bring feelings of concern to others.

“The situation in general just makes me feel very scared and hopeless,” Freshman Sopia Ibarbo Baca said.

Baca said the topic can sometimes be a heavy subject for her to talk about. “ I feel bad for the Ukranians that have to deal with their country being attacked

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

ATTACKS: Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. many Ukraine citizens have fled for their lives. “This war can take a human toll on the idea that there is truly evil out there,” Brian Raper, social studies teacher, said. everyday, but I also feel bad for the Russians that have to deal with the economy falling apart because of Putin’s decisions,” Baca said.

Baca assumes that the gas prices could be increasing due to the current circumstances.

“My dad talks occasionally about having

to pay so much money just to fill up his car with gas,” Baca said According to CNN, global food insecurity will is “likely to worsen from a ruined Ukrainian harvest.”

Food insecurity is defined as the “disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other re-

sources.”

CNN stated that the war can cause costs to rise, affecting people who are already struggling with grocery bills and inflation.

CNBC news also stated that not only can supply-chains be disrupted, but “investors are rattled by the rampant inflation and the effects on global growth.”

Understanding Astrology: fact or fiction?

DYLAN FETZER REPORTER

Over many years, astrology has been a way for people to see what they may, or may not act like according to ancient constellations of stars in the sky.

It has also been a controversial topic to some because astrology has no explanatory power for describing the universe, however, there are others that follow it and ask for people’s signs to determine what they are like as a person.

Astrology signs are based on a person’s birth date and some find entertainment from it by asking others for and analyzing others signs.

Jonathan Peters, social studies teacher, is not a believer in astrology.

“To say that the alignment of planets influences the day a group of people were born eliminates choice option and free will,” Jonathan Peters, history teacher, said.

In today’s society, astrology can often be simplified to a judgment of people’s

personality based on their zodiac signs.

“I think you can definitely see elements of people’s personalities based on it, but obviously it’s not the only judgment of one’s personality,” Jennifer Wright, social studies teacher, said.

Astrology is not a religion, but it does consist of religious and ceremonial practices dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, though it developed more in Greek civilizations.

In astrological culture, an important idea is the

“big three”: your sun sign, which represents your identity; moon sign, your subconscious mind; and rising sign, your social personality.

“My sign is a Gemini, but I was born close to the Taurus moon. Technically, I was born under the Gemini moon but I feel like both sometimes,” Wright said.

Some people think your zodiac element also affects your personality.

“I like air signs because they are usually the coolest,” Sophomore Sara Reese

Photo by Nastya Dulhiier

ASTROLOGY: Some believe that the year and month that they were born tells a lot about who they are as a person said.

Astrology has given people an ability to find out

people’s signs and begin a judge of character with the information provided for it.

8

THE ROCKET REPORTER

SCHOOL NEWS

MAY 2022

Engineering, film students bring home SkillsUSA awards VICTORIA STITT REPORTER

Students involved in classes such as Construction, Film and T.V. and Engineering Sciences competed in SkillsUSA this year.

According to the SkillsUSA website, “SkillsUSA Championships are career competition events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels.”

Ryan Swartz, construction trades teacher, and Lora Zimmer, engineering science teacher, sponsor the SkillsUSA program on campus.

Last month a handful of students competed in SkillsUSA in hopes of going to nationals.

The competition was held April 19-20 and 12 students competed, according to Zimmer.

Among these students, Senior Mathew Camacho took a, first place gold medal.

Although he did well, Camacho learned “there were a lot of things he didn’t know.”

The automotive manufacturing and robotics groups placed high in their competitions.

“They [Automotive Manufacturing] came in first, so they are eligible to go to nationals and robotics placed sixth,” Zimmer said.

“I had two students take second place in a digital group,” Swartz said.

Teachers decide on who they want to represent at SkillsUSA and choose the basic criteria based on the effort put in.

“I select the students that want to do this as a profession or want to put a lot of hard work in my class,” Swartz said.

The purpose of the competition is to give real-life

experience to participants.

“Students compete against other schools and they get a chance to interact with advisors and judges from their industry,” Zimmer said.

Preparation for the competition starts at the beginning of the school year and students practice their skills in hopes of doing well.

“I think we’ve been preparing inadvertently all year,’’ Zimmer said.

During the competition, students are given a blueprint or prompt to follow and this gives them the chance to showcase their skills during a set amount of time.

“For film, students are given a prompt and asked to shoot a film about it,” Swartz said. “For construction, students are given the wood and the students bring the tools to work on a blueprint.”

Students will show up

Photo by Lora Zimmer

WINNERS: Students from the engineering class took home top honors at the SkillsUSA competition. “Students compete against other schools and they get a chance to interact with advisors and judges from their industry,” Zimmer said. with their previous knowledge and tools and get to work without ever seeing their prompt beforehand.

“The problem with SkillsUSA is you never know what you’re preparing for.

So you hope you’re preparing for the right things,” Zimmer said.

The competitions can

also be used to build teamwork among participants.

“I thought it was really fun to go do,” Camacho said.

“A group of students in my advanced class decided that they wanted to use a machine. They had a little bit of help from the vendor but they pretty much

taught each other how to use it,” Zimmer says.

The students participating are able to display their skills that they worked hard to achieve.

“It’s an opportunity to show other people and other students what they’ve learned in their classes,” Zimmer said.

Suns capture the first seed position in 17 years AROP KUAL REPORTER

For the first time in 17 years, the Phoenix Suns secured the number one seed in the Western Conference with a record of 64-18.

In 2021, the Suns captured the second seed and fell short in the NBA finals losing the series 4-2.

This season, they were led once again by Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges.

Throughout the season Booker, Paul, Ayton and Bridges contributed to the Suns success.

Booker averaged 26.6 points, 5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals. Booker had a 46.6/ 38.3/86.8 from the field.

Paul averaged 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.9 steals. Paul had a 49.3/ 31.7/ 83.7 from the field.

Unlike Booker, Paul’s stats went down, aside from assists, after going down with an injury earlier in the season.

Ayton averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.7 steals. He had a 63.4/36.8/74.6 split from the field.

Bridges averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals a game.

He had a defensive rating of 108.9, finishing as a runner up for Defensive Player of the year. Bridges had a 50.9/37.4/83.1 split.

Bridges has yet to miss a game of bas-

ketball since his junior year of high school, and is one of five players to play all 82 games this season.

The Suns played the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, winning the series 4-2.

Senior Ezequiel Munoz thinks Booker should have been in the MVP conversation after leading the team when Paul went down with injury.

“He showed he can lead the team and facilitate by himself playing as point guard, playing good defense and scoring at will,” Munoz stated.

“The only team I think can beat the Suns is the Warriors after round 1 because Booker is coming back from an injury but I got Suns in 7,” Munoz said.

Online, Suns fans believed Bridges was robbed of winning defensive player of the year and like those fans, Munoz said that Bridges was in the conversation all year long while Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics guard who won the award, didn’t enter the conversation until late February.

Munoz doesn’t believe things would have gone differently in the playoffs if Pual was healthy because Booker went down with an injury in the Conference finals and they could not defend against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks forward.

“It was surprising for me as a fan and everyone else because nobody expected the Suns to go that far especially with all

the competition in the West, but they ran through everybody,” Munoz said. “In the finals though, it was a different ball game.”

Munoz believes that if Paul continues to play like he did in Game 6 of the first round and Booker stays healthy, the Suns can make it back to the finals.

Munoz’s prediction for the rest of the playoffs is that the Suns will beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games, the Golden State Warriors in seven games and a finals rematch with the Suns beating the Bucks in seven games.

“Devin Booker is definitely having an MVP season, it’s crazy that he is not a candidate,” Junior Daniel Murray stated.

The teams Murray believes can compete with the Suns are the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Murray believes that Bridges was indeed robbed for the defensive player of the year award.

Murray thinks that if Paul did not get injured in the 2021 NBA finals, they would have won since they were once leading the series 2-0.

“I did not expect that we were up 2-0 and I thought it was ring season but then it was crazy. I expected them to make the playoffs with Paul on the team but I never knew they would go that far,” Murray said.

Murray went to Game 1 of the first

round against the New Orleans Pelicans and said that it was a crazy atmosphere and he had never seen that many Suns fans in one place.

Murray thinks that the Suns will beat the Warriors in the Western Conference finals in five games then handle the Celtics in the finals in six games.

“I think Booker had an MVP season; he averaged 26, 5 and 5,” Senior Austin Auguirre stated.

“Smart did not play as many games as Bridges, while Bridges played in all 82 games. And durability is a lot when winning the award. The whole team’s defense was top 2 all year long,” Auguirre said.

“If Paul didn’t get injured. we would have won in 6 or 7 games because Booker was also injured a little bit,” Auguirre stated.

Auguirre said Suns fans expected the successes they had last season but nobody else did, making it a surprise.

Auguirre went to the opening night game when they hosted the Denver Nuggets, despite losing 110-98, he had a good time there and loved the atmosphere.

Auguirre has the Suns beating the Miami Heat in the finals in six games.

Having the best record in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns hope to continue their success, return to the finals and capture the franchise’s first championship

Basketball team hosting alumni game to raise funds HELENA SEGHID REPORTER

The Moon Valley alumni basketball tournament was to take place on May 13 .

They were hoping to bring together more than 20 basketball alumni together.

Coaches and current players on the team were in charge of organizing the event, including Dustin Williamson, basketball coach.

“It was an all hands-on deck approach and all of us coaches had specific stuff to organize with other faculty and students as well,” Williamson said.

Williamson said it was tough to reach out to all former players and alumni since

many live out of state.

This tournament was hoping to provide an opportunity for past and present players to come together.

“It would have been good for current Moon Valley players to see alumni play and see where they went with what the Moon Valley basketball program offered them,” Williamson said.

Carlos Conteras, basketball coach, helped put most of the event together and looked forward to seeing and observing the past players display all their talent on the court and have a good time.

“I look forward to seeing old faces, guys I have coached and guys I have gone to

school with, ‘’ Contreras said.

The goal of the event was to raise money and bring together past and present members of the Moon Valley basketball program.

“I think this event was meant to prove that multiple talented basketball players come from Moon Valley,” Williamson said.

When the game is rescheduled, the money is expected to go to future summer tournaments and help teams for the next season such as the Thanksgiving tournament.

“Boys basketball doesn’t hold a lot of fundraisers and supporting us in these tournaments meant a lot,” Junior Daniel Murray said.

Murray said that this will build camara-

derie within the school and lift school spirits as well.

Alumni who participated were excited to come back and play in the game again.

“I did this to reconnect with other alumni, have a good time and get buckets,” Shakir Galab, ‘20, said.

Galab was looking forward to the event and felt that events like this bring people together and hopes this tournament continues.

“Playing with teammates, seeing old friends and bringing everyone together will represent the school’s support for the alumni,” Galab said.

A new date has yet to be set for the alumni game.