The Talon: Volume 14 Issue 1 October 2015

The Sandra Day O’Connor High School

Talon 25250 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85083

Volume 14. Issue 1. October 2015

thetalonohs.com

T-Shirt Printing Page 3

OC Captured Pages 8&9

The Giver Page 12

Football Page 13

By RYAN TEMPLE

Because of resources and an existing advisor, the two clubs joined, according to Eddleman.

Kathy Huntington, Encourage OC adviser, could not have been more thrilled with the idea of sponsoring an organization such

Once the foundation of the group was in place, there was only one thought in Huntington’s mind.

“We’ll make it happen,” Huntington said.

Given that the club originally

cause it’s more along the lines of our mission, which is just to encourage people and be a positive part of the campus,” Huntington said.

Santillo is very pleased with everything the club does in the

Encourage OC excels at elating Eagles Editorial Chief

Movements represent generations, give character to groups of people and define periods of time.

At OHS, there is a new movement that looks to represent the school in the most encouraging way possible.

Encourage OC is a club that is still in infancy, but has made a massive splash on and off campus, with good merit. Nicole Santillo, senior, president of Encourage OC, was one of the five students responsible for kicking off the organization.

“Last year, it started as Friends of Rachel club, but then we switched it to Encourage OC,” Santillo said. “The idea of Encourage OC has been around since the end of our sophomore year (2014).”

Taylor Eddleman, vice president of Encourage OC, was also part of the group that helped bring the club to existence. Eddleman said that she, Santillo, Alexis Stolfus, Makaela Elkins and Lara Brown, seniors, came up with the idea within their church.

After the assembly for “Friends of Rachel” last school year, everything came together quickly.

“We wanted to do something more encouraging, and we were in the process of starting this club, and then we had that assembly for Friends of Rachel,” Eddleman said.

PHOTO BY VALERIE BOND A popular way the club elevates students moods, is by sending out encouraging and uplifting messages over twitter under the handle @EncourageOC.

as this.

“I was approached by Nicole, Taylor, Makaela, Alexis and Lara because previously they had wanted to start an encourage club doing exactly this,” Huntington said. “I thought perfect, we have our leadership built in right there.”

started as Friends of Rachel, the idea of it being “Encourage OC” had to grow naturally, but that was easy to accomplish as it morphed into a larger effort.

“As the club grew and evolved, we realized it was more appropriate to call it Encourage OC, be-

hope of spreading positivity to the entire OHS campus.

“It’s not just encouraging students at the school, but it’s also encouraging the teachers as well,” Santillo said. “Everyone on the campus needs encouragement.”

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Choir continues to create classy concerts

create ethereal harmonies in their ‘Alleluia’ song. This choir’s final number, ‘Mice Madrigal’, had the Students in the OHS choir pro- audience chuckling in multiple ingram sang their hearts out on Oct. stances, as it included fake crying8 in their first concert, kicking off yes, they even used tissues to wipe the year with entertaining songs away the ‘tears’- and some very of all genres and some intriguing dramatic acting skills. props to go with them.

The final choir to perform was The concert began with a the honor choir. Their set includlight-hearted opening number, ed an acapella rendition of the which was followed by three per- popular ‘Man in the Mirror’, by formances by the program’s be- the one and only Michael Jackson, ginning choir. They began with followed by a couple of aquatic a spiritual and energetic ethnic themed songs. song, and finished with a ‘enterThe honor choir girls pertaining’ version of ‘That’s Enter- formed their delightful version tainment’. of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, complete Next, concert choir took the with vibrant yellow umbrellas. stage, using their all-girl power to

By SHYANNE COOPER Staff Writer

Following them were the honor choir males, who got very enthusiastic in their song ‘Splish Splash’. (This antiqued song actually got many of the older folks in the crowd dancing along in their seats.)

After a successful concert, the bittersweet closer put everyone in a nostalgic, musical mood. “Those [closing] songs are usually my favorite… it is always exciting to see everyone working as a team to create such beautiful music,” said Hallie Moore.

At the night’s end, every student who had performed was buzzing with energy and adrenaline. Though they went their sep-

arate ways after that final number, it was clear that they were all still connected through the power of the music they had just shared together.

That auditorium audience was filled to the max, and it was safe to assume by just watching their expressions that they were enjoying every minute of it. People of all ages are encouraged to attend the concerts. Choir council president Maddie Chicon, senior, pointed out that there is something in each concert for everyone, and Moore said “it truly is an empowering experience for both us and our audience.”

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October 2015

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Administration adjusts to new staff changes

By TAYLOR STOKES Staff Developer

Although the year has just begun, OHS Administration is already expecting big changes by rearranging positions Nicole Duquette, vice principal, said the changes have to do with how new the school is and the ages of the staff that started here.

“This tends to happen after 10 to 12 years . They hired a whole bunch of staff all at the same time. This naturally clusters them around a similar age band and then they’re hitting retirement at the same times,” said Duquette.

Each time a new position is open in the administration department or more classified staff, the job is offered to people on campus and then extended to the whole district.

Kari Beth Paulk, former curriculum secretary, is an example of someone students would recognize from the front office who is leaving.

“Change can be a great thing if we open our minds to the change.

We’ve had many great people leave our office recently due to retirement. Their lives are changing just as ours are changing. Change brings new opportunity,” Paulk said.

Paulk is leaving not because of retirement, but because she has a new job opportunity at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Parish.

There have been at least four PHOTO BY TAYLOR STOKES administrators retiring or leaving Julie Pickle sits at her new desk in place of Kari Beth Paulk, due to changes in administrative staff. for other opportunities and one other who is expected to retire.

Parking jumpstarts First live broadcast: students’ questions

OC Journalism Dept. launches new mode of sports coverage

By RYAN TEMPLE Editorial Chief

Those quarterly grade checks for parking spots have certainly become more costly in the 2015By TREY ESPINOZA cheer on their team without even Staff Writer 2016 school year. Parking prices having to leave the comfort of rose from an annual $40per year, What is a student supposed to their homes. to $100 per school year. This inThe first broadcast had only a do when they are not able to make crease has not come without its it to a game, but want to see how few technical and audio problems. naysayers. a team performed? In the profes- The live stream is available for “It’s kind of frustrating,” said sional sports world, fans could anyone on the O’Connor Sports Erin Hiestand, junior. “If they watch the game live on televi- Network YouTube channel, and is need it to go higher then I guess sion or the Internet… and now at also saved as a recording so even if that’s fine, just tell us what it’s goOHS, students can do exactly the students cannot watch the actual ing for.” live event, they can still go back same thing.

However, Jim Migliorino, Recently at OHS, there have and watch the recording.

DVUSD Deputy Superintendent “It’s great and interesting... been many steps taken to further of Fiscal and Business Services, improve our learning ability such it has a lot of potential and is a has an answer to the 150% inas iPads and apps dedicated for great way to save people both gas crease. our school to use. On Oct. 7, the and money,” said Ethan Gilchrist, OC Journalism Dept. utilized this sophomore and member of the newfound technology to broad- first broadcast team.

Someone who The next live broadcast will be cast the varsity volleyball game happening soon. against Centennial. could turn it in The OC Journalism Dept. late could still plans to continue broadcasting such events, and this will be an get a better spot entirely new way for students to

“

than you.”

-Audrey Langdon “We think that our parking fee may not have been increased since it was implemented, over a decade ago,” Migliorino said, via email.

“We determined that the increase in our school parking fees from $40 to $100 would be be used to pay the cost of one existing high school monitor position.”

Audrey Langdon, senior, has PHOTO BY TRAVIS ROBERTSON more of a problem with how the Skyler Cardella and Ryland Holeman help live broadcast the varsity volleyball game of Oct. 7. higher fee was introduced to students in the first place.

“It wasn’t reallty mentioned, it just kind of showed up,” Landon said. For next year, Langdon proposes the price be lowered, but not as low as the previously used $40 fee.

Thomas Pratt, lead monitor, would not predict another change in the price next year, but cannot definitively rule it out.

“I’d be very surprised if they did, but at the same time, I can’t predict that,” Pratt said.

Changes in pricing are not the only differences in parking this year, as the method to determine which students obtains which spot was generated by a lottery.

“The lottery was to help prevent the concert atmosphere where kids are lining up early in the morning, being on campus when they shouldn’t be,” Pratt said.

While Hiestand may not have enjoyed the price increase on parking, she has been pleased to see the lottery method take effect.

“I thought it was good that we didn’t have to wait in line overnight to get a good spot,” Hiestand said.

Some students, on the other hand, do not like the uncertainty the lottery leaves in where students could end up parking all year.

“I like it but I don’t like it,” Langdon said. “Someone who could turn it in late could still get a better spot than you.”

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October 2015

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Eagle Ink prints potential on shirts Food Drive fills need to help others

By ETHAN GILCHRIST Hard News Editor

A fresh batch of creativity is printed daily here at OHS. Heated at 360 degrees for 35 seconds to permanently imprint the design, and then added to the stack of completed shirts.

The new school business, Eagle Ink (Innovative and Kreative), is in room 419. The graphic design class, a part of Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, just installed their t-shirt printer a few weeks ago along with a heat press.

Eagle Ink’s t-shirt printer is able to print shirts, socks and more. All of this is aimed to establish a business that will spread across the Deer Valley Unified School District.

Mohamed El Nounw, graphic design teacher, more commonly known as Mr. Moe, heads the program with seniors Audrey Covington, Vanessa Hana and Chase Lister.

“I feel really good about it because it gives me a sense of accomplishment to have something that I made on a t-shirt,” Lister said. “Before, I was just making random stuff for no reason what so ever but now there’s a purpose to it.”

The shirt making process takes three steps. First, students design the logo in Photoshop or Illustrator, then that image is moved to the access computer and into the printer.

The shirt, sock, or any type of clothing is put in the Viper printer where it prints the ink into the shirt. It is then moved into the heat press where the ink is baked for 35 seconds at 360 degrees and you have your final product.

The whole idea came when Moe observed the t-shirt printer at Yonkers High School last year.

He spoke with the teacher and found out all about it. Once the

By JASMINE BLACK Announcements Director

PHOTO BY ETHAN GILCHRIST Vanessa Hana takes recently printed and pressed pink socks, folds them, and adds them to the pile.

business plan was complete it was arrived last school year to teach laid out to the board who loved it. graphic design they never did This year it was installed and much. within two days the graphic de“I love the fact that I actualsign class was able to figure the ly get to learn how to do this and whole process out. The students experience it,” Covington said. “It agree all this took was a teacher prepares you for college too. We who knew what he was doing. can learn more and feel more ex“Before, we had a teacher who perienced.” didn’t really know how to use the Graphic design has always had program so it wasn’t getting any- to create designs which never went where. Then Moe was seeing all anywhere other than their computer screen. Now these amazing dewith the t-shirt signs he was like I Before, I was printer they have a think we can make something out of making stuff chance to get their work out and into this,” Hana said. for no reason the real world.

“We got the shirt Moe sparked machine, so everywhat so ever, new interest all one’s designs could now there’s over campus in come to life.”

In the next six purpose to it.” graphic design and months, Moe said -Chase Lister CTE. The t-shirt they want at least 50 percent of students on campus printer may even further the wearing shirt from the printer. By growth.

“A lot of what we try to do the end of the year Hana hopes they have 75 percent wearing here at O’Connor (is) support everybody, football supports band shirts.

Within three years, Moe wants and cheer, and all the other sports the department to purchase an- support all the other sports, and other printer and supply the en- all the clubs support the clubs, tire school district with shirts said Mr. Moe. “Making sure that this includes all clubs, elementa- everything stays here whether it’s ry schools, junior highs, and high just the school or the Deer Valley district, everything stays in schools.

Students say that before Moe house.”

“

The Eagle Ink Crew:

PHOTO BY ETHAN GILCHRIST Audrey Covington poses in front of the Viper One.

PHOTO BY ETHAN GILCHRIST Mr. Moe and Vanessa Hana print socks for Football Boosters.

PHOTO BY ETHAN GILCHRIST Chase Lister stands in the Eagle Ink workspace.

The statement, “I’m dying of hunger” is usually used as an over exaggeration before students briskly walk to get in the long lunch lines. However, being hungry is actually a recurring crisis happening even in our neighborhoods.

The OHS food drive that is held every year by the Interact club uses the month of October to raise awareness and help out those in need.

Melissa Mara is the adviser of the Interact Club and has the scoop on the importance of the food drive.

PHOTO BY JASMINE BLACK

Q: How long is the food drive?

A: It’s about a month long and we do it every year. This’ll be our sixth or seventh year. We work with St. Mary’s to help people who are in need of food and this is a great opportunity for O’Connor to help people other themselves.

We do have kids at O’Connor that are food impaired and are in need of food.

Q: What is one thing people do not know about the food drive?

A: I think one thing people don’t know about the food drive and the food bank is it’s not handouts. People actually do based on their need, pay a certain amount for the food that they get. This issue can be with families, elderly people, even college students.

Q: Where do all the cans go to?

A: All of the food goes to people who are hungry in Arizona, they don’t just store it and give it to people who are not in need.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: One in three kids in Arizona are going hungry, along with one in five adults and one in seven elderly.

Q: Do you have any goals for this year?

A: O’Connor usually comes in second to Mountain Ridge, last year we came in third. I’d really like us to get back to second place and I’d like to do at least 50,000 meals which is 17,000 more than we did last year.

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Features thetalonohs.com

October 2015

Changes to spiritline amp up school pride

By BAILEY BRAMMER Editor-in-Chief

Each Friday night, the varsity football team suits up to take on their latest opponent. However, they are not the only team on campus that practices each day for their spot beneath the Friday Night Lights.

Although they do not wear helmets or shoulder pads, the girls on the OHS spiritline spend up to 20 hours a week perfecting their performances for football games, as well as preparing for their first competition Nov. 7. The teams will also compete in state qualifiers Dec. 12.

This year, spiritline has been split into two teams-- pom, led by head coach Carissa Jackson, and cheer, led by head coach Lauren Fetkenhier.

“Pom is more dancing and flowy, and cheer is more stunting and tumbling and flipping around,” said Haley St. Paul, sophomore and member of the cheer team.

Many of the girls on the team,

and practicing every day after school for two hours or more, the girls often dedicate entire Saturday’s to their sport.

While there have been changes in coaching and team organization with both cheer and pom this year, many of the girls are happy with the split.

“This year we’re under new coaching and it’s a lot different than it’s been before, but it’s a better experience and it’s a lot of fun this year,” said Joelle Narducci, sophomore and member of the pom team.

Regardless of whether the girls are on pom or cheer, they put an equal amount of time and inPHOTO BY EMILY BURNS tensity into their training.

Spiritline salutes the flag during the National Anthem prior to a varsity football game.

“They work their tails off and including St. Paul, grew up with a have bonding sessions after school, they really have a lot of talent,” background in dance or gymnas- we don’t just hang out at cheer,” Fetkenhier said. “I think sometics, which helped them become a St. Paul said. “If you’re having times people don’t realize how part of the team. trouble in your classes or having much energy and effort and skill According to St. Paul, the girls a rough time at home, you always goes into spiritline, and it’s defiare all very tight-knit, and have know that there’s going to be nitely a challenging sport. They’re built strong friendships through someone on the team that’s sup- working out just as much as any other athlete does, as well as supspiritline. porting you.”

“All of us come together and In addition to team-bonding porting the student body.”

Freshmen Tailgate:

Mentors organize freshmen for pre-game festivities and fun

By HAYLEY WHITE Staff Writer

The Freshmen Tailgate is very important to introducing freshmen to high school and getting them comfortable.

The tailgate had free pizza and water for the freshmen who attended, and musical entertainment.

It was held on Oct. 7 before the freshmen football game against rival Mountain Ridge. The Eagles beat the Mountain Lions 23-22 on a last-second field goal.

“We like to interact with the freshmen and get them more involved,” said Aodet Yako, senior mentor. “I know last year it wasn’t as big of an event, we tried advertising more and getting them pumped up and more mentors came than last year too.”

Katy Culley, freshmen mentor advisor, said that this is a fundamental event to interacting with the freshmen outside of school.

“We hold the Freshmen Tailgate to provide an opportunity

for freshmen and mentors to get together outside of the MTSS-A setting and showcase some of the school spirit that is common among our upperclassmen,” Culley said. “We want that school spirit to be passed down from one graduating class to another.”

According to Culley, integrating freshman into the school is the sole purpose of the freshmen mentors and they are planning many events throughout the course of the year to strengthen that bond between mentors and freshmen.

“We have quite a few events to look forward to in the coming months. We’ll host a movie night on the practice field where we’ll bring out the big blowup screen and serve hot chocolate and popcorn,” Culley said. “Freshman are encourgaed to bring a blanket and some friends to come hang out.”

To stay up to date on upcoming events, freshman are encouraged to text @froshrock to 81010, according to Culley.

PHOTO BY ANNA AURELIUS Freshman football players prepare for the rivalry game agaisnt Mountain Ridge on Oct. 7.

Continued from Choir, page 1 As the choirs build their skills through the year, they will begin to anticipate their end-of-year competition in the spring. Students will become even more excited this year because the annual competition was kicked up a notch; concert and honor choir were invited to participate in a momentous invite-only competition in April.

The competition will be held in New York City.

Not only will they be competing in New York, but they will be competing in Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious concert venues in the world.

To perform in this 20th century landmark is once in a lifetime oppurtunity, and the choir students will work tirelessly to preform their best.

In past district assesments, OHS choral prgram has scored the highest.

This has led to the journey toward Carnegie Hall.

According to Chicon, the choir has worked hard musically and director Cindy Durazo must be applauded for her efforts.

The next choir concert is in December.

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October 2015

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Pregnancy unit teaches students life skills

By KAYCI RIGGS Copy Chief

Everyone has seen the girls, and even a couple guys, wearing the empathy bellies around campus and carrying around the little flour babies. It’s kind of hard not to notice your peers growing up around you.

They are not actually growing up just yet, they are just preparing for their fast approaching future.

According to Martha Lee, child development teacher, the pregnancy unit is one of the favorites among the students.

“They get so invested. A lot of the parents get into it with them as well,“ Lee said.

The unit consists of the empathy bellies first, which is some of the students’ least favorite part.

“Wearing the empathy belly really sucks. It was so painful,” said Destiny Rael, sophomore.

Although it may not be popular among the students, Lee still

PHOTO BY VALERIE BOND Carly McArthur, junior, Aniya Clark, freshman, Jayme Bonkoski, freshman hold their flour babies

feels that it’s important.

“We start out with the empathy bellies so they understand what it's like to be pregnant,” Lee said.

Rael also said that wearing the empathy belly was eye-opening, but not very fun. She said it shows students that they do not want to

be pregnant while in high school.

There is also an element of understanding of what mothers and grandmothers went through that comes with wearing the empathy bellies for a couple of days.

“You know what pregnant people went through and when you get pregnant, when you're old-

er, you know what it's going to be like,” said Isabel Gonzales, freshman.

The second part of the unit is the flour babies. Students have to carry them around school for two days and then bring them back after the weekend.

“We build the flour babies so they begin to understand that babies are fragile,” Lee said. “And because I want them to have to carry them through school and deal with friends and things like that.”

The last part of the unit is the simulator babies that they take home over a weekend, so they don’t end up disturbing other classes.

“The simulator babies I do second semester and they take those home over a weekend because I don't feel it’s fair to interrupt classes if the baby starts crying, which they would,“ Lee said.

Students explore medical field in new club

By TRAVIS ROBERTSON Hard News Editor

For the longest time, students interested in medical professions have had very limited options at OHS, with few clubs or classes in the field. This year that's about to change.

FMPA, or Future Medical Professionals of America, is a new club for students with medical interests that also encourages students to live a healthy lifestyle.

Owais Salahudeen, junior, has hopes of being a medical professional in the future. He said it feels great to give back to the community and save lives.

"I want to become a surgeon," Salahudeen said. "Being a doctor is a very good way of giving back to a community, it feels nice to help people and it's a fun job. It feels cool to say 'oh you know, I help improve people's lives.”

Salahudeen said he got the idea for the club when he was

“

The purpose of this club is to expose kids to the medical field, because what they see isn’t how it really is.”

-Owais Salahudeen

sitting with his friends at lunch sophomore year, when they realized OHS doesn't have a medical club and that FMPA strives to show the sides of the medical field you don't hear about often, and also promotes healthy living.

"The purpose of this club is to expose kids to the medical field, because what they see as the medical field isn't how it really is, like doctors don't really work at the hospital the entire time they have their own practices and stuff," Salahudeen said. "Also if you want to be a medical professional you should be living like a healthy person."

Colton Flowers, senior, is an officer of FMPA who said it provides much needed connection to the medical field.

"I just like the fact that it connects me with medical professionals and gives me a more in depth understanding of each field and maybe the possibilities that I have of going into the medical field," Flowers said.

Salahudeen said by emphasizing the extra knowledge of this club that you won't get anywhere else.

"One of our biggest things that we offer is that we're going up have guest speakers who come in once a month and they're going to be from all different types of fields," Salahudeen said. "They could be physicians, ICU nurses, surgeons, health administrators just so everybody knows that the

medical field isn't just doctors there's so much more to it there's a business side, there's an engineering side to it, like when you have to build MRI scans."

Students not interested in a medical profession can still get involved. Salahudeen said having knowledge in the medical field is a great head-start for any future career you might have.

"A big thing is that health in America is the largest economy so people who want to be businessmen, or lawyers or engineers they

all will maybe have to do stuff with the medical field," Salahudeen said.

Flowers also said that FMPA will prepare students for the future where they'll need knowledge about medical practice.

"We learn a lot about the human body, and how the medical field works," Flowers said. "It’s inevitable that you're going to somehow be involved with the medicine industry."

The club meets every other Wednesday.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF OWAIS SALAHUDEEN The FMPA club sits waiting on their float for the Homecoming Parade to begin September 25.

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October 2015

Start a successful senior year

thetalonohs.com

Halloween Madness Wordsearch

Words Candy Chocolate Costumes

By SHYANNE COOPER

Fear Frankenstein Ghosts

Staff Writer

Pumpkin Spiders Treat Trick

*FIRST TO COME TO ROOM 400SE WITH BOTH PUZZLES COMPLETED GETS A PRIZE!*

Across

Down

2. Something that you carve on Halloween.

1. What holiday is on December 25th?

4. What holiday is on November 26th?

3. What you hand out on Halloween?

7. Something that scaress crows in a corn field. 5. What Holiday falls on October 31st?

8.Arizona’s largest haunted house on a farm.

6. What is white and invisible?

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October 2015

7

Homecoming Recap

By TAYLOR STOKES Staff Developer

There’s a certain feeling around campus as homecoming rolls around that is indescribable. Each year, students claim that they don’t care about the dance or won’t dress up but the second spirit week rolls around, almost everyone is excited to participate.

The theme was OC Goes Global and each spirit day, the parade and the assembly all revolved around locations all over the world.

Monday, Sept. 21 was the beginning of the homecoming festivities. The first spirit day was a little all over the place with its options but it was great that it gave everyone a choice with “Choose your Departure Point”.

Students could dress up to fit the cowboy look of El Paso, the classiness of New York, or the hippie scene of Portland.

Monday night was all about flag football. It was the Powderpuff Football game between the junior and senior girls.

Of course, nobody can forget about the junior and senior boys who cheered during the game, There was fear that weather conditions might affect the game, but they played with only a few raindrops and the senior girls ended up winning the game 28-21.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 gave students the chance to travel to Athens, Greece and wear togas to school.

One problem students faced was getting dress coded for not wearing anything underneath their togas, but despite all of that, it was funny to see students walking around in bed sheets and showing off their school spirit anyway.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, students got to take a trip to The Outback and go on a safari adventure. students looked ready to make a trek in the jungle with binoculars, safari hats, and loads of khakis.

Thursday, Sept. 24 was Carribean Beach Bum Day where Students could dress in their most touristy and beachy looks.

Finally, Friday Sept. 25 was color day. Freshmen wore white, sophomores wore yellow, juniors wore blue, and seniors wore black.

The day began with the normal homecoming festivities there was a pep rally for the game that night against Corona del Sol. Students went to the parade and saw each classes float and several campus clubs walking as specific countries to fit the theme of OC Goes Global. There were two separate assemblies, the band, spiritline, and pom all performed, there were games, and of course there was the infamous class yell.

In the first assembly, juniors won for the class yell. But in the second assembly, seniors won.

That evening, the varsity football team played Corona del Sol winning 56-28.

Saturday night, Sept. 26, the homecoming dance rolled around with a surprisingly good DJ and several hundred students present.

The dance was great and it was the perfect way to end a fun week.

It was definitely the first time all year students could really let loose.

Overall, this year’s homecoming was the best in a long time with a really great theme, a great football game, and an amazing dance.

PHOTOS BY ANNA AURELIUS AND BREANN HENRY

The Hanks

By CASSIDY MOORE Staff Writer

John and Wilma Hanks are the smiling couple that greets students coming in from the student parking lot every Tuesday morning. They have been greeting students since 2009 through their church, CCV. “At the time Brian Jacobs was the Vice Principal, we talked to the school district about having greeters. We had 20 seniors at the beginning, since then some have passed away and others are incapable of coming out here anymore.” John explained.

are very cheerful. You get a variety of characters, different ones and different actions. And some you get to recognize that you see for a while.”

John and Wilma have even gotten to know many students along the years, and are sad to see them graduate.

“2 years ago one of the girls started hugging us and it was so sweet. She did it for two years. After she graduated another girl started greeting us.” Wilma said.

Many students love seeing them in the morning as it shows that people care enough to come out and tell them good morning. They love seeing the couple come out every Tuesday.

“Seeing them in the morning definitely brightens my day,” said Chloe Lopez, senior, “It makes me

happy that their days are being brightened as well when they greet us in the morning.”

When asked to give some advice to the students, Wilma answered, “When you look back on high school you’ll realize that it is a good time.”

She explained. “I think the hardest time for people that age is when you graduate and go out to work or college, I think that’s a big step.”

John and Wilma can act like grandparents to some students and love doing so.

“We feel that some students don’t have a grandparent in town or a grandparent who’s alive.” Wilma said.

The campus loves having John and Wilma greet students in the mornings just as much as they love being there.

PHOTO BY CASSIDY MOORE

By SHYANNE COOPER Staff Writer

OHS is such a populated school, with students from all walks of life throughout the campus. One of these students is senior, Ruby Clark.

Spontaneous, giving and talented, Clark has many unique interests and experiences that contribute to the remarkable person she is.

One of Clark’s biggest passions is theatre. Although she came from a performing arts school in California, she claims that the theatre program here is fantastic. Her first performance was in Sleepy Hollow last year, and she is thrilled to see The Giver come to life this November.

While she doesn’t want to pursue theatre as a career, she looks at every performance in a sentimental light. “I just love letting loose and

getting caught up in the moment. I try not to think about other obligations and just relax.”

One of Clark’s other passions is her Christian faith. She volunteers at CCV as a youth coach for junior high kids, and also works for a nonprofit organization called One Mission.

She has gone on many mission trips with this organization. “I’ve been to Ecuador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and this time I’m going to Mexico.”

On these trips she and her small group build a house from scratch over the course of three days.

Clark’s face lights up when she talks about handing the keys over to the underprivileged families. It is clear in her expression that this is a phenomenal opportunity, unlike any other.

When questioned about going to a public school, Clark admits that it’s hard being surrounded by kids who have different values than her.

“I love being friends with a lot of people and different groups… but I choose to spend the most time with people who strengthen my faith. I love going to a public school because it gives me the opportunity to be different and show people the love of God.” Clark’s advice to people entering high school is to choose friends wisely. “Surround yourself with people who you want to become like because the people you hang around is who you’re going to become.”

Aside from sticking with people who are good influences, Clark’s

main focus right now is staying in the moment. Whether she is performing onstage, meeting with her freshmen for Freshmen Mentors, or taking a test, she prays for the strength to be one hundred percent in the present.

Clark simply wants to give her all in everything she does. “It’s hard to focus, but to be all there in the moment is definitely something I’m working on.”

As she heads off to collegehopefully, she adds, to study vocational ministry, early childhood education, or public speaking- Clark wants nothing more than to live life to the fullest and brighten the world around her bit by bit.

When the senior greeters first started coming out in 2009, they were seen all over campus, not just in a few places.

“The first year people didn’t know how to take us, they weren’t as friendly. But in the years’ time they realized we were going to be here every Tuesday.” Wilma said.

John and Wilma love seeing the different types of students that walk past them in the morning.

“You get some that have their headphones in and their eyes down and they walk past like you’re not even here.” John said, “And others

Ruby Clark PHOTO BY SHYANNE COOPER

By TAYLOR STOKES Staff Developer

How often do you pay attention to the people who pick up after you?

Chances are, not that much. But these people have crazy jobs and it’s time we talk about them.

Tim Vaughn, OHS Plant Foreman, is an example of someone who does a lot but isn’t acknowledged.

PHOTO BY TRAVIS ROBERTSON Q: What’s the craziest thing as long as you just open up and just you’ve seen on the job? express yourselves Q: What activities/clubs at OHS are you a part of?

A: I’m not really a part of any clubs, but I suppose AFJROTC would be because we do do outside activities but it’s more along the lines of community service.

Q: Almost everyday you’re dressed nice; why do you do this?

A: I don’t know it kind of just snapped to me because my mother owned a boutique, and then my brother eventually followed along and started dressing up as well. So I followed in my mother and my brother’s footsteps and I kind of took into it, so yeah, it’s an inheritance.

Kainoa Spencer

By TRAVIS ROBERTSON Hard News Editor

Buttoning up, tying your tie, lacing your shoes tight and keeping your shirt tucked in. This might sound like an occasional wedding, or dance, but for Kainoa Spencer, it’s just another trip to school.

Kainoa Spencer, junior, dresses formally almost every day of school because he chooses to, not because he has to.

Q: Tell me about yourself, who are you?

A: I’m a very kind and outgoing man, I can be very friendly at times but I can also be very timid and rash if I need to be, but that’s only under certain circumstances.

Getting to know me would be easy

A: Rattlesnakes. We had 80 in the beginning of the school year for a 3 month period 4 years ago. We usually have 10 to 15 at the beginning of the school year.

Q: How long have you been working here?

A: I’ve been working here for 14 years.

Q: What is your relationship with the people who work on campus?

A: I’m close with people I work with. We have our arguments and we have our fun.

Q: What’s your family like?

A: I’ve got a wife and we have five kids between us that are all grown. I met my wife here actually. She worked here for about a year and she worked in the kitchens. We just started talking and dating and then we got married.

Tim Vaughn

PHOTO BY JASMINE BLACK

One of his favorite parts of playing, is seeing and hearing the Staff Writer crowd at home games.

“It is really exciting knowing Aiden Galbreath is a sixteen these people are here but it can be year old sophomore who is a running back for the OHS varsity foot- very nerve-wracking,” Galbreath said. “When I am playing I don’t ball team.

“I’ve been playing sports all my notice that anyone is there.” life,” said Galbreath. “I play varsity now and it can be very intimidating but it is a great accomplishment.”

He is very inspired by his dad and uncle who both played football.

“My dad really encouraged me to play football when I was young, he and my uncle both played in high school and my dad did in college,” Galbreath said. “He used to coach high school and now he is an athletic director.”

A lot of his life now revolves around football.

“Since I’ve been playing football since the first grade it takes up a lot of my time,” Galbreath said.

“Now I basically just chill out when I’m not playing.”

Galbreath has learned a lot of lessons from his years on the field.

“It definitely taught me perseverance and discipline,” Galbreath said. “I learned to never give up.”

By HAYLEY WHITE

Despite being a sophomore on a varsity team, Galbreath fits in well with his team.

“There is a lot of older guys on the team and I can be very quiet sometimes but I am a lot more comfortable now,” Galbreath said.

Aiden Galbreath

PHOTO BY JASMINE BLACK

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Page 10

Opinions thetalonohs.com

October 2015

Editorial: Poor prep leaves students sour

Hands dug into the scalp, discarded papers crumpled around the drained computer and a student crippled by anxiety haunt the stuffy room. No, this is not a CEO trying to plan a massive business decision, just a typical high school senior the day before their third SAT. College preparation hits like an underestimated tsunami, in that students are warned it is coming, but rarely do they understand the gravity of the situation.

While OHS is boasted as a school that prepares students for college, actual prep for college is lacking. In order for students to feel more comfortable throughout their senior year, an overhaul is called for.

A school sponsored club or organization for students to receive guidance in managing senior responsibilities is vital.

A schoolwide SAT and ACT study group could easily fit into this organization. The school has had professional’s help in the past, however, this was not advertised

well and caused a financial burden on several students. A club could remedy this, allowing both students and teachers to streamline their resources into one vessel.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR STOKES A student, staged, breaks from the mounting stress after a rush of college preparation floods in.

While standardized tests are necessary for college admission, students must first know what direction they should take their lives, both professionally and academically.

A system similar to the one used in Society of Female Scholars would be extremely beneficial; teachers that are willing to donate their time could be assigned a few seniors for the year, meeting every week and aiding their students in their searches for scholarships, careers, and colleges.

This could be considered a “senior mentor” program. A program of this type could also incorporate other benefits, such as compiling a massive list of resources that would help students be admitted to, pay for, and look for opportunities in certain colleges.

Jump to page 11

I have stars in my eyes for the final frontier

By KAYCI RIGGS Copy Chief

Everybody has that one obsession that’s completely random and unexplained, but still entirely valid, and for me, that obsession is outer space.

There’s always been something about it that’s fascinated me, I’m not sure if it’s the vastness, or the mystery, or just the fact that stars are bright and sparkly and I like anything sparkly.

Truth be told, it’s probably the mystery. There’s just something about never knowing what you’re going to find that I love.

With all the recent announcements about Pluto and Mars, it’s made me realize that there is still so much we don’t know.

There are places that exist that we don’t even know about, and even the places we know about remain largely unexplored, and I love that.

My hope is that within my lifetime that can change. There’s no reason for why we can’t colonize the moon, and walk on Mars.

Our technological capabilities are growing every day, and one day,

the moon’s not going to seem so far away.

There’s just so much to learn.

It blows my mind how big things are and how far away they can be, and how many discoveries we can make that just seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

It’s so interesting to me that we can just now get clear pictures of Pluto, after all these years where it just seemed irrelevant, and all of a sudden it’s back in the newspapers, and people are excited about it again.

Any little thing about space fascinates me. Something’s going on with the moon? Sign me up.

The other night with the super moon, and the lunar eclipse at the

same time, every single one of my coworkers ran outside with me to see it, because we were all so excited for something different to be going on.

Something like that doesn’t happen all the time. You have to take advantage of it when it comes around.

And I’m pretty sure this entire generation takes it as a personal offense that Pluto was demoted from their planetary position, which I think is kind of hilarious actually, but it makes every new discovery about Pluto interesting to us.

Now, I’m no expert on astronomy. I’m really not, and I know it. But I like it. And I don’t really

The Talon The Talon is published as a forum for student opinion at Sandra Day O’Connor High School: part of the Deer Valley Unified School District. Letters to the editor must be signed and dropped off in Room 400-SE, e-mailed or mailed. Letters may be edited for content and/ or space consideration. Obscene or libelous statements will not be printed. Opinions reflected here are of those of The Talon staff and do not reflect the Deer Valley Unified School District.

see anything wrong with spending hours searching the internet just to learn that there’s apparently a dwarf planet named Makemake, and that Jupiter has a moon with over 400 active volcanoes?

Speaking of that, that’s another thing I love about space.

Planets and moons and everything being named after mythological beings, is like the greatest way to tie science and history together, and that’s not just because I love mythology. (I mean, I do but that’s not the point.)

It reminds me that we’ve been researching outer space for centuries, and we still know so little in comparison, and how absolutely crazy that is to think about.

editor-in-chief:

Bailey Brammer

soft news editor:

announcements director:

Emily DiTomasso

Jasmine Black

sports editors:

media producers:

Alexa Fuenmayor Colby Wyatt

Josh Dreiling Grahm Kenobbie Tanner Webdale

copy chief:

Kayci Riggs design chief:

Valerie Bond

staff writers: staff developer:

Taylor Stokes editorial chief:

Ryan Temple

Abigail Gheju Cassidy Moore Hayley White Marc Bretz Shyanne Cooper Trey Espinoza

videographers:

Skyler Cardella Gabrielle Benedetto Ryland Holeman Seth Moller Bryce Sutter

hard news editors:

Ethan Gilchrist Travis Robertson

adviser:

Chad Renning

The Talon

thetalonohs.com

October 2015

OC sounds off: opinions on Hoco?

By TRAVIS ROBERTSON

By ETHAN GILCHRIST

By ABIGAIL GHEJU

I thought this year’s homecoming spirit week was a great idea and most of the days, with the exception of Safari Day that asked too much of the students, were a ton of fun. My favorite was “Choose your Departure Point” because it actually offered some choice with what students could dress up as and I really loved toga day too.

I say with the exception of Safari Day because it asked a little too much of students and it isn’t really that unique of a day. Also, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the choice to give every parade group a country to represent.

The parade is a time where we’re supposed to represent our clubs and classes, while making us represent a country adds an unneeded hassle on everyone. Regardless this week was great fun.

This year’s homecoming spirit week was awesome. The thing is the theme itself wasn’t all that interesting but the people really went all out this year on the spirit week.

It was nice to walk around campus and see people wearing all out safari outfits or animal onesies. This theme gave people multiple days to really throw together an outfit that was unique whether that was togas, hippies, cowboys, suits, class colors and even beach bums outfits.

Unfortunately, a fantastic spirit week was offset by a disappointing parade as nothing about the parade seemed very global. I was a part of the parade for the journalism department and we were supposed to represent Canada.

We didn’t do that all that well and the majority of the other groups out there seemed to be the same as us.

As a senior, I thought my last homecoming spirit week was the absolute best. It was refreshing to see students let loose from their typical school clothes and dress up. Especially amidst all this stress and anxiety over college, this spirit week was a great way to unwind. You could definitely feel the fun and relaxed atmosphere on campus and as the week progressively got closer to Friday, the energy was even greater and for good reason.

The parade was a summation of everyone’s excitement built up through the week and was finally released as class screams during the assembly. Honestly, the assembly was also my favorite part of the whole week and the band’s performance truly outshined everything else. Despite a sort of lackluster theme, considering we’ve seen some of these dress up days before, it was overall an amazing and fulfilling spirit week.

Hard News Editor

Thoughts on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump?

Hard News Editor

Should the school mandate sophomores and juniors to take the PSAT?

Staff Writer

11

Continued from Editorial, page 10

Should something like this come to fruition, one mistake that cannot be made is a lack of commitment. Hours dedicated to it could be some of the most productive spent on school grounds, but students and staff must understand that this would provide direct, applicable advice that most future graduates could only dream of.

Regardless, there will be critics of this idea that will harp on the fact that OHS does not have the resources needed to pull off a club of this type. While it is commonly known that public schools are lacking in funds, college prep must take precedence in an educational system that aims for one goal above all else: move students into a level at which they are ready for secondary education.

Sacrifices have to be made, especially for a program that is long overdue.

All this is said with one certainty, that being the fact that there would be minimal student opposition to a club that would give them newfound confidence in their decisions.

Scan the QR code on the left to read their opinions on these topics.

Art programs don’t recieve enough canvas

By CASSIDY MOORE Staff Writer

Choir. Band. Drama. Art. All these programs are all cut before your standard math or science class. Having a variety of arts program for students to choose from is a great way to guarantee that every student has a way to reach their creative potential and a way to express themselves.

All across the country, the arts programs in schools are the first to go due to budget cuts. The arts are considered the least essential when it comes to a student’s education. I believe the arts programs are just as essential to a student’s growth and education as a science or math class.

Growing up with an arts programs at my elementary school, I loved being in choir and band.

However, many elementary school students across the country do not have access to an arts program and I believe that cutting an

arts program could be just as detrimental as cutting a whole math program at an elementary school or middle school.

I think having a variety of arts program for students to choose from is a great way to guarantee every student has a way to reach their potential.

Attending a school in a country where being good at music or art is considered a hobby and being good at math or science is considered smart and essential can be tough for students who want to pursue art in the future.

Many students, myself included, struggle with math or science.

Those who excel in arts aren’t taken as seriously as their peers who excel in math or science.

Students are required to take four years of math, three years of science and only one year of art, because math and science are pegged as essential for a student to master in high school.

Art is a way to express yourself, and many students need an outlet to get away from the stress of their everyday life.

I think that if we valued art more and accepted that it is just

as important as any other subject taught in schools, then we could support more students who want to pursue the arts in their future.

PHOTO BY CASSIDY MOORE Sylvan Austin, freshman, plays the trumpet at marching band practice in preparation for a game.

4

Arts & Entertainment

Page 12

thetalonohs.com

Theatre prepares for The Giver

By EMILY DITOMASSO Soft News Editor

The OHS theatre department will be performing The Giver on November 12, 13 and 14.

Rehearsals have been happening Monday through Thursday, ending around 4:30. The first day of rehearsal consisted of reading over the scripts and practicing.

Learning the script before a show can be nerve racking, but according to Toni Fioramanti, theatre director, there are a few techniques to help an actor be prepared to play their part.

“

ImprovTeam: Members kick off the year with “Slap on the Wits” show

By ABIGAIL GHEJU Staff Writer

PHOTO BY EMILY DITOMASSO Jasmine Amoako- Agyei, junor , and Chris Ackerman, junior, rehearsing for The Giver on October 13. .

know the lines.

There are so However, for this particular Richards is facing a different

many things that play, obstacle. can go wrong in a “For this show, what is really hard is the character analysis. show.” The people [the characters] are -Jessy Richards bi-products with no emotion,” Richards said.

Kayla Guzek, senior, plays the Fioramonti suggests that stumother in the play and the hardest dents use flashcards, repetition, lots of movements with your lines part for her is playing the wife of her best friend. (actually acting it out).

“Seeing someone as your hus“There are so many things that can go wrong in a show,” said band but he is your best friend, you just got to get into the mode Jessy Richards, senior.

Richards said that memorizing of acting,” said Guzek.

Aside from the actors, the set the lines is the hardest because you and the costumes help bring the can’t actually use the techniques learned in theatre class until you show to life.

“It kind of sets the tone for the show,” said Tori Niemiec, senior and costume director.

As the costume director, the first task for Niemiec is to read the script and go through the characters to see what type of person they are.

The costumes for The Giver are going to be a futuiristic uniform look.

“For this, it is more futuristic and that means I have to look sharper and clean cut,” Richards said.

Before the actors begin making the costumes, they check to see what pieces they have already.

Jump to page 13

Keep carrying on Simon Snow

By VALERIE BOND Design Chief

In 2013, Rainbow Rowell released her novel titled Fangirl which tells the story of a girl named Cather who writes Simon Snow fanfiction, which she titles Carry On, Simon.

Simon Snow is a fictional- fictional character, meaning Rowell wrote a fictional series of books, The Simon Snow series, into a fictional book, Fangirl. It’s like what John Green did with An Imperial Affliction in The Fault in Our Stars.

When I had the pleasure of reading Fangirl all I could think about when I finished was how much I wanted to read the entire story of Simon Snow. So imagine my joy when I discovered that Carry On was just that. Simon Snow’s story.

On Oct. 6, Rowell released her newest book titled Carry On which follows a young magician, Simon Snow, as he struggles with the world of Magicks as well as the normal struggles of a teenager.

October 2015

PHOTO BY VALERIE BOND Characters Baz Grimm-Pitch and Simon Snow in fanart by Leela Wagner. It can be found in the collector’s editon of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Personally I feel that Carry On deserves its own genre of literature because of the numerous topics it touches on. Normally Carry On would be classified as a fantasy novel, but I believe it should be called a mysterious coming of age young adult fantasy novel with a touch of romance.

When we meet Simon and his

gang of magicians they are in their 8th and final year of school at Watford School of Magicks. We know Simon is the Chosen One, the most powerful magician ever seen, and according to his roommate and arch nemesis,Tyrannus Basilton Grimm- Pitch, he’s also the worst magician.

Not only does Simon struggle with daily adolescent drama like dating and school, but he also deals with having the weight of the world on his shoulders and the impending downfall of his society.

Raised as a Normal, or nonmagick, Simon is unaware of his magical gifts until the age of 11 when the Mage,the head of the Magick society, discovers him and brings him to Watford.

Carry On follows Simon, his best friend, Penelope Bunce, his ex- girlfriend, Agatha Wellbelove and Tyrannus Basilton GrimmPitch also known as Baz, as they fight to save the Magickal world from the Insidious Humdrum, that for some unknown reason has taken the face of Simon Snow

Last Wednesday, Improv had their first show. They featured a variety of games including Press Conference, Director, Subtitles and a new skit called the Rap Game.

I thought the energy of the show was definitely contagious and especially enjoyed how the improv members interacted with the audience by asking them questions and involving them in the games. Similarly, the audience was equally as receptive and lively. Colton Flowers, senior and fellow member, attended the show.

His favorite moment of the night was when the alumni from previous years were called up and performed with the others.

Overall, the show had a casual atmosphere and the members were all very laid back which contributed to a successful performance.

Bryce Craig, sophomore, is the leader and also credits the members for the success of the show.

Craig said “They’re professional when they have to be and can also mess around.”

Member Amma Sarkodee-Adoo, senior, has been apart of the club for two months and absolutely loves it. She said she enjoys “the fact that every show and game is different. There is no script and it literally could go anyway. It’s terrifying but fun.”

Improv has been asked to perform at the playwriting competition on Oct. 30. If you’re looking for an exciting and comical night, the improv show is definitely a worthy event to attend. himself.

Carry On is a wonderful book that keeps you guessing and wondering with each turn of the page. It has the irresistible girly romance everyone wants that is down played with witty humor and fantastical plot points.

If you have ever read one of Rainbow Rowell’s other novels such as Eleanor and Park or Fangirl and fell in love with it, I highly recommend this book for you.

Sports

Check out highlights on

OC Sports Network’s Youtube Page

4

October 2015

thetalonohs.com

Page 13

Eagles anticipate going deep into playoffs

By ALEXA FUENMAYOR Sports Editor

Save a spot for your Friday nights because football season is here.

Over the summer, OHS was moved down from Division I to Division II, meaning a whole new set of teams for the Eagles to play.

“We have to play at the same level as last year because Division II still has good teams,” said Jamal Jennings, senior.

Although the team started off the season with a loss against Brophy, 45-0, the team found their niche as the season progressed ranking 32nd in the state and having a record of 5-3. * The team even reached 50 points two weeks in a row taking the win over Millennium 50-15 and Corona del Sol 56-28.

Against rival, Mountain Ridge, the game was tied at halftime but the Eagles pulled through and

won 24-21.

Keeping the momentum going, the team hopes to finish off the season and make it far into playoffs. The team will play Desert Mountain at home this Friday.

JV While the transition from freshmen to JV is hard, says Logan Mahan, sophomore, this year’s JV team has broken a losing streak.

Since the 2013 season, the JV football team hasn’t won a game but this year’s team has two wins against Apollo and Millennium.

Ricky Johnson, head coach, said JV is all about preparing for varsity and he believes the kids are ready to play varsity next year.

“We’re a family and we play for one another,” said Danny Jelow, sophomore.

During the game against Mountain Ridge, the team battled hard but fell short 29-18.

Freshmen It has always been hard tran-

PHOTO BY ANNA AURELIUS The Eagles offense looks to drive down the field in a game against Willow Canyon earlier this year.

sitioning from little league sports, to high school sports but the freshmen team has done it almost flawlessly.

After a last second field goal, against Mountain Ridge, winning the game by one point, the freshmen team continued their undefeated season.

Last spring, some current

freshman played together as eigth graders.

Travis Prince, freshmen, said that being on that team helped him since he already knew the program going into high school. *Due to the Talon going to print, scores for the Deer Valley game can be found at azpreps365. com

Cross country teams race toward state Continued

from The Giver, page 12

PHOTO BY KATIE DUBE At the starting line, the varsity girls look to outrun the competition and get the victory in their race against Paradise Honors and Northwest Christian.

By BAILEY BRAMMER Editor-in-Chief

To most high school students, waking up at the crack of dawn to run for miles does not sound appealing.

However, for the OHS cross country team, this is their daily routine.

Led by Michael Iauch, head coach, both the boys and girls teams are preparing for the state invitational Nov. 7, and have taken part in bigger meets this year, including the 42nd Stanford Invitational Sept. 26.

“We went to California and had a great time there, we had a bunch of team bonding. The course was nice and difficult, but

the amount of kids and the speed made it a lot of fun,” said Kyle Webster, senior. “ We have to get used to the amount of people and the speed of those bigger races.”

According to Webster, both teams have been focusing on speed training, and getting their times closer together in order to qualify for state as a team.

Webster is ranked ninth in state for Division I Section II, and Jesselyn Bries, sophomore, who took fifth overall in the state championship last year is currently ranked fourth in state.

This year, however, the girls team in particular has been dealing with a multitude of injuries.

“We have two girls out right now, so it’s kind of hard for us to

move up,” said McKayla Cordova, junior.

Despite these setbacks, Cordova believes that the team is very close, and strengthens these bonds each and every day.

“Sometimes it’s difficult having a smaller team, but sometimes it’s good because it’s like a close, tight-knit family,” Cordova said.

“The girls are really nice, and very sweet.”

With the state invitational in less than a month, the team has been increasing their workouts, and would appreciate seeing “The Nest” there to support them.

“It would be amazing to have a group of O’Connor kids come out and support our team at state,” Webster said.

“Sometimes we do borrow from Mountain Ridge because we are actually really good friends with them, at least their theatre department,” Niemiec said jokingly.

The designers also go to Joann’s fabric to get pieces to add to what they already have.

However, before they go out to shop for the supplies they need, the students have to get the store approved by the bookstore.

“If actors need to get anything for themselves, they go to Good Will because it is cheap,” Niemiec said.

Additionally, there is also a tech team who decide what kind of lighting will be used throughout the show.

“The Giver tends to be gray at the beginning and as the play progresses, we add more warm colors,” said Nick Ackerman, senior.

Any student can be a part of a theatre production, but they have to have previous experience before they begin.

“Anyone can try out but they need to earn their actor card,” Fioramanti said.

The Talon

14October 2015

thetalonohs.com

Badminton smashes the new season

By ALEXA FUENMAYOR Sports Editor

With birdies flying in the air, the badminton season is in full swing with some changes already in play.

To add an extra hand, a new assistant coach was brought on, which Susan Chen, senior and co-captain of the badminton team, said is a huge part of their success this season.

Tough conditioning has also been integrated into every practice, with lots of running, jump ropes and suicides. Although the conditioning adds more intensity

to the practices, Trisha Browning, sophomore and JV player, said that she has improved so much due to it.

“We’ve worked so much harder this year, and all the girls genuinely want to learn and be the best player they can be,” Chen said.

All three teams, varsity, JV and exhibition, team are almost completely new due to a lot of spots opening from last year’s seniors, which has only made players step up to the plate and compete at their higher, respective levels.

Even with the new teams, all the girls have bonded and created

a positive atmosphere.

“Not only do I come back every year because I love playing the sport, but because of the people on the team. They’re all people I would never think I would be friends with, but the common interest of badminton brings us all together,” Chen said.

Even with a recent loss to rival, Mountain Ridge, on Oct. 8, it has not put a damper on the team.

The girls still have plenty of wins under their belt like and believe they are able to qualify for the state tournament.

PHOTO BY BECCA KITTRIDGE Bre Miller, junior, prepares to hit the birdie over.

Golf teams have drive to finish strong

By COLBY WYATT Sports Editor

PHOTO BY KATIE DUBE Beauregard eyes the ball and swings her club.

The boys’ golf team has played well this year and currently sits eigth in the state rankings.

The team is on par with the expectations they set at the beginning of the year.

“We’re leading our section which was kind of our goal because that’s an automatic in to the state tournament,” said Alan Baker, head coach. “We’d like to see maybe a little bit better scoring average but we are pretty much on target.”

The team has been able to shoot for those expectations together.

“One of our strengths is we work together well,” said Kurtis Tisch, senior. “Even though we’re

a team, we’re still competing against each other and it’s good competition every week.”

“For the state tournament, we want to be top 5 or better,” Baker said. “When it’s time to compete they step up and go after it.”

The girls’ golf team is currently nineteenth in state rankings, and is under new management as new head coach Steve Casey has taken the reigns this year.

“I really didn’t have any expectations since this is my first year coaching,” said Casey. “But it’s been enjoyable. It’s been different because this is the first time I’ve coached girls so it’s been a different treat for me.”

The girls have had

Continued from Encourage OC, page 1 One way that Encourage OC has made an impact thus far is through their popular twitter account @EncourageOC, but that is far from the only aspect of the club.

“I think a lot of kids just think that we’re just a twitter that we just run to encourage people,” Eddleman said. “We’re here to encourage each other and to make a bigger impact on campus than just a twitter account.”

Santillo is able to describe several things that the club has done in its limited time so far, like the recent shoe boxes that are dedicated to encouraging teachers on campus, and even hints at much more to come.

“Last year we sponsored a student to go to camp one,” Santillo said. “Really, it’s just about helping this school and kids here be able to do things that they want to do.”

Christina Gennaro, sophomore and new member of Encourage OC, has enjoyed the activities she has taken part in this year.

“We got to do sticky notes and stick them all over school,” Gennaro said. “That was super exciting just because I know small things like that often make my day.”

Gennaro would also endorse anyone who is considering being a part of Encourage OC to go for it.

“It’s really fun and it’s a cool experience to get to know people,” Gennaro said.

Santillo seconds this, adding that the club would be a great fit for anyone on campus, as the goal is to include every individual possible.

“No matter what other groups you’re in or what other clubs you’re in, everyone is welcome in this club,” Santillo said. “It’s not like a clique.”

As for how to join, Eddleman

explains that the process is relatively simple.

“Just come to a meeting,” Eddleman said. Encourage OC meetings are typically held before and after school every other Thursday.

Huntington reiterates that the club is open to anyone at any time, and that she has also been blown away by the volume of students interested in what the club does.

“It’s just a great way to start your day,” Huntington said. “If you have a good morning where good stuff is happening, you are guaranteed to just have a happier day.”

an enjoyable season so far.

“Overall we’ve played really well,” said Mekenna Beauregard, junior. “It’s been a fun year, we’ve got to travel a lot and play at some really nice courses.”

“My goal was to get the girls to shoot under bogey golf and to make state,” Casey said of his team goal going forward. “We’ve got a couple matches to go so maybe we can pull it out and get in. The girls have always shown up with a positive attitude and worked on their game.”

thetalonohs.com

The Talon

October 2015

15

Volleyball’s chemistry is key to their victory

By COLBY WYATT Sports Editor

The OHS varsity Volleyball team is off to a hot start.

The girls are ranked 10th in state and were champions of the Diamond division at the NIKE Tournament of Champions after posting a 7-0 record.

“Our strength is our communication and chemistry on the court,” said Sterling Williamson, senior. “When we have that we start to play well with each other.”

The Eagles have a very tightknit group this year, and it translates to the court well.

“Our team’s really close,” said Olivia Brunt, senior. “We’re all really good friends and we understand each other better when we’re on the court together.”

This year the Eagles have been tasked with playing tougher teams due to the new division system created by AIA. “Our schedule is a lot harder that it has been, so it’s a big change to us,” said Taylor Specht, senior.

The team hopes a deep run to playoffs is in store this year.

“Last year we only made it into the first round,” said Brunt. “I expect us to take what we learned from last year and go further.”

JV The girls JV team is also off to a good start. With only two losses this year, the future looks bright for them.

“We want to continuing kicking butt and just keep getting better,” said Madi Murchland, junior.

The girls also share good chem-

istry, just like varsity.

Freshmen The OHS Freshmen team is currently 5-5 on the season and have struggled to find consistency.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, both mentally and physi-

two years.

“I love the sport and the sense of community that all swimmers have,” Spencer said.

The team is having a good season this year with a lot of wins, and very few losses.

“There are some tough meets coming up, but we’re ready,” Lee said.

Everybody on the swim team

practices each day for an hour and a half after school at Ironwood High School.

However, the OHS swim team does have one disadvantage against all of the other schools, which pushes them to try their best and put in all of their effort at practices and meets.

According to Spencer, the oth-

cally,” said Emily Katz, freshman.

Katz believes the team needs to come together more if they want to be successful.

“I think we should be more connected and be more encouraging to each other,” Katz said.

PHOTO BY ANNA AURELIUS The girls varsity volleyball team practices prior to a recent home game. The team is ranked 10th in state.

Swim team is in a pool of success this year

By MARC BRETZ Staff Writer

The OHS swim team has started off their season with a great record, and has been practicing non-stop.

Spencer Lee, sophomore, and varsity swimmer, has been swimming for four years and has been on the OHS varsity swim team for

er schools have the advantage because their teams are bigger and ours is relatively small.

“Swim is the best sport to have in Arizona, especially during the summer,” Lee said. “It’s all around fun and competitive.”

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