Sandra Day O’Connor High School
25250 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85083
Volume 18. Issue 1. October 2019
thetalonohs.com
Crises
See Pages 10 & 11 ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR MOORE
Students begin their careers at OHS By MACY SANCHEZ
“Here at O’Connor we
News Editor
morning practice, while the remaining eight cover
While OHS athletes are out competing on the pool, or on the track, the
hire senior interns through
are continuously working prepare,
rehabilitate,
such as taping, stretching, PHOTO BY MACY SANCHEZ
with a physical therapy Dickerson will be able to Seniors who have taken
be able to run an athlete Quinn Dickerson, senior,
the senior internship at
be a surgeon or something, thinking about being a is actually helping people that nursing was more my
observation
hours
each
puts into this program,
that patient one on one
Jump to page 5
News 4
Page 2
thetalonohs.com
October 2019
By HANNAH LORENZO
Copy Chief
In the 2019-2020 school
for schools in the Deer Valley
School District’s Governing
These mail-in elections are
continue voting for the issue the school is inevitable if
Heather Carter, Arizona State Senator from District PHOTO COURTESY OF DVUSD.ORG
focus of both elections as to continue within school the last chance to register to vote for the mail-in only
renovations, infrastructural
as it is the solution to
in the use of technology not to raise concerns about a
mailing were available on the
is on the overall welfare of
the years by the state, which for schools in the Deer Valley
The State of Arizona
However, the governing
School have successfully been
to not increase from the
school, where the culinary
So again, voting is essential of the school, both in the
an issue for the governing
growth can be seen for the future of several other
of welfare, such as safety,
of this year, authorization
them after my mom lost her A lot of families all over
-
hungry throughout most of
-
-
By TAYLOR MOORE
tion or game has an immense
MRHS varsity football game
cause everyone here has a
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October 2019
3
New schedules create confusion on campus By LEXI GASS
Design Chief
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, OHS introduced a system of schedules in order to incorporate more studentfocused learning time into the school day. Every Monday and Wednesday, students have an extra 20 minutes every other class period called ‘intervention time’ where they are ideally supposed to be able to go back with their teachers and go over whatever material they need help on. While this is not too complicated in theory, introducing it has caused an excessive amount of schedules that are more confusing than constructive. On Mondays, intervention time occurs during periods one, three, and six, and on Wednesdays, it is during periods two, four schedules, in addition to the Eagle Hour schedules on that the school only has one ‘normal’ day a month, the when there is not an early release schedule. intervention period comes from the need for more tier one learning, according to Kimberly Heinz, Assistant Principal.
number of students that may need help in a certain skill is greater than 20% of the class when the need is for less than are for situations when it is a very low number of students that may need intense intervention,” Heinz said. “We have implemented our Eagle Hour the past few years and what we were seeing is that teachers sometimes have needs when a larger number of students do
1 interventions for more of the intentions behind the extended period intervention - so that teachers had time in the school day to complete reteaching/interventions for a larger number of students regarding the learning targets of that particular class.” Many students agree that the time allotted for intervention is not being used properly by teachers. James Kilpatrick, senior, says that his teachers simply extend their lessons instead of offering the time to work independently. “I don’t really understand why we’re doing [intervention time] because none of the teachers are really using
it as review time, they’re just extending their class,” Kilpatrick said. “I feel like it’s a waste of the student’s time and I don’t understand what we’re getting out of it.” half days, the new schedules can have impacts outside of the school day and into the students’ everyday lives. “Every day is pretty much different,” said Delaney Spanko, senior. “Kids who have late starts have to memorize a different time to come in every day. release time have the same problem. If they have a job, they can’t give their work a certain schedule because it’s different every day.” among the student body seems to be that intervention time is not providing as much Some teachers agree that the time allotted towards intervention isn’t being used as designed. “I think it’s been a challenge having to memorize the different times the bell rings every day,” said Amy so many different alarms set on my phone to reinforce these times so I don’t forget.” marching band director and orchestra music teacher,
PHOTO COURTESY OF SDOHS.DVUSD.ORG The seven different bell schedules provide much confusion for students. has a different experience useful and impactful for with intervention time than students. teachers of core classes do. “I see the need for She openly admits that she continued work with our uses her intervention time teachers in understanding to keep practicing with her the use of this time and the students. “As a music teacher, having shorter periods in Kimberly Heinz, Assistant some classes and longer Principal. “It really does periods in others, the class give an opportunity for doesn’t have as much time students that need more to get a good warm up, learn help; and the topics that may as much music, and it ends need to be retaught can be up not being as focused of a taught in a timely manner. Administration is working with our department chairs criticisms of the intervention to discuss this time and help period, the administration make it a useful intervention team is working on developing time for all students and the system to become more teachers.”
Stetson Valley art contest inspires Students By PEYTON THOMPSON
Editor-in-Chief
Stetson Village holds the “Celebration of Art”, where students grades Pre-K-12 have the chance to display their artwork. Students have the opportunity to paint, draw, or sketch an art piece that will be critiqued by artists in the community. After the artwork has been judged, select creations will be given prizes. On Nov 8, all artwork is to actual event will take place and the students will have their art displayed for the fourth annual Celebration of Art. It is a great opportunity for students to be admired for their work and be recognized as artists within their community. “It is a community event where they are trying to get students involved in the competition and stimulate their mind and creative skills…and they’re just trying to bridge that gap between the school and the community,” said Dena
Davis, art teacher. Weeks before the event, students work hard at creating their masterpiece, so having their art displayed is quite the accomplishment. “It feels good. It’s nice that your art is good enough to be up there and that you worked hard to get to where you are,” a possible future for students them hope that their dreams can be made into a career. “Getting a chance to have that feeling of what it is like to display your work in a gallery space. And it gives them that chance to win prizes, so to understand this could be a career, you could make money by creating art, and to feel accomplished by winning,” Davis said. Every grade level is given a different theme to base their the most fascinating part is to see how their peers depict the theme. “I like being able to see what other people have done. And usually we have a theme and I like seeing how other people interpret that theme,”
PHOTO BY PEYTON THOMPSON Students’ art will be collected on Friday, Nov 8 to be entered into the annual art contest at OHS. said Allyson Snyder, junior. theme is their inspiration. based off of what inspires them. Snyder describes the thought process behind her art. “I’m doing dreams, like physical dreams, because a lot of times, they inspire me; they give me ideas for art, and art is a big part of my life, so it just gives me that creative push,” Snyder said.
Seeing a person’s own art displayed in a gallery, among other people’s work, can also give some perspective as to how an artist’s work can be improved. “[I like] looking back to see what I messed up on, trying to improve and make techniques to improve my event is not only to celebrate the art of students, but also
to bring the community together. It allows students to have their art seen by people other than their fellow peers and teachers. “After doing it now for three years, I think it has a really big impact. Mainly for the kids because it gives them that opportunity to showcase [their art] in their community rather than just hanging their work up in the school. So it’s getting their work out there,” Davis said.
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October 2019
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Boring Benches Turn Beautiful With Tiles By MACY SANCHEZ
News Editor
Throughout the years, the ceramics classes have been responsible for making wonderful works of art. From ceramic pallets, working fountains, mobile animals, and countless other jaw-dropping projects, they never let us down. This year, they are taking on a relatively new project: the ceramic bench project. Across the OHS campus there are benches alongside each building. Although they serve their purpose, the benches are plain and unattractive. This year, all Ceramics 1-2 classes are creating beautiful tiles to decorate the benches. Responsible for the cultivation of the ceramic benches project are Jeff Davenport and Kent Younger. Both OHS teachers instruct Ceramics 1-2 classes, along classes. “The bench project is a project where we have benches on our campus that have simply been concrete for the last few years. So, we are going to start adding tiles to them to make them beautiful and add to the school climate and culture,” Younger said. “We want to make it welcoming for our students to sit on and be attracted to. Our 1-2 students will be designing tiles to go onto the bench. And right now, since the benches we are working departments, we are doing The students are required to create four tiles each. One of which needs to encompass aspects of the ceramics class. The remaining two tiles should illustrate OHS dance, band, or choir. Akshara Tanikella, senior, takes Ceramics 1-2 and is in the midst of creating her tiles. “There’s three different types you have to do: an additive/subtractive tile, which means you put clay on top which is where you scratch out to see the design, and then you do this color glazing thing, where you just paint
PHOTO BY MACY SANCHEZ Tanner Valus, sophomore, and Akshara Taikella, senior, carefully etch out their designs on the clay tiles. the color and design onto it,” OHS has decorated a bench. dents get the opportunity Tanikella said. A few years ago, a bench out- to make tiles, only a select These tiles give the students few will be displayed on the an opportunity to learn and with tiles from seniors. Along bench. Teachers from each be creative, all while express- with Tanikella, Tyler Darr, art class will select a handful ing their support for OHS’s sophomore, is in the process of their favorites, and whicharts programs. of creating his ceramic tiles. ever tiles are picked will go on “I think it’s cool because “I’ve seen the one bench the bench. all of the tiles are different. that they have already cov“I am hoping at least one Of my three tiles, my favor- ered with tiles. This one’s a of my tiles will get picked. It ite is the theatre one. It has little different but it has the would be cool to have my artthe happy and sad theatre same idea. It gives the school work out in the open where faces on it, and curtains in more life and brings out the everyone can see it,” Darr the background. It is also my colors. I think it’s a good said. idea,” Darr said. As far as this year goes, one While all Ceramics 1-2 stu- bench, the arts bench, will be Editors-in-Chief:
Sports Editor:
Staff Writers:
Peyton Thompson Rohan Patel
Rohan Patel
Nick Felides
Editorial Chief:
Kaden Ryback*
Chris Bonifaz
Copy Chief:
Hannah Lorenzo
The Talon is published as a forum for student opinion at Sandra Day O’Connor High School: part of the Deer Valley The Talon is an award winning publication with dozens of awards for it’s staff members as well as ranked the
top online publication and one of the top print publications in the state. Letters to the editor must be signed and dropped off in Room 508, e-mailed to thetalonohs@gmail. com or mailed. Letters may be edited for content and/or space
consideration. Obscene or libelous statements will not be printed. are of those of The Talon staff and do not
Taylor Moore
News Editor: Design Chief:
Lexi Gass*
Macy Sanchez
Chase Wyatt*
Features Editor: Adviser:
Cindy Garraway Photo Editor:
Isabella Foster
Visit The Talon online at thetalonohs.com to see stories weekly.
completed. After the teachers select their favorite tiles, the maintenance team will work to apply them to the bench. “The goal is to have one bench done this year, and each year try to do another bench until all of the benches are complete. As we move out through campus for the next few years, we’ll match the bench with the academic area. And so, we’ll support all areas in building beautiful tiles for all of our benches here at OHS,” Younger said.
Kaden Ryback Arts and Entertainment Editor:
Peighton Gellings
*Denotes member of editorial board.
Features 4
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Page 5
Eagle P.A.C. is there for students’ welfare By HANNAH LORENZO
Copy Chief
time for students, especially for those who struggle with making connections or who it seems to students that no one else is there to relate to or express certain issues on situations impacting their lives. However, every year, students at OHS have the opportunity to choose from a huge variety of clubs to participate in, and share their love and knowledge place for communication. Now an exciting new club has entered campus, which plans to go above and beyond expectations. The new addition is now known as Eagle P.A.C. (Peer Advocate Crew), and it was introduced this year by Bloom365, a program at OHS that focuses mostly on student welfare. The club follows a similar structure as Bloom365 in where it continues to keep the message, “Bringing love on others more”, in its curriculum. Alex Kasten, senior, is the president of Eagle P.A.C. and had a special goal in mind when coming up with the idea. “I wanted to start this club on this campus because nothing like this has ever been started before,” Kasten said. Bloom365 has high hopes for the club to be a success for students, and Kasten goes on to emphasize why it stands out from the rest among campus. “It is so important because outreach program to ever be started at a Deer Valley School,” Kasten said. Eagle P.A.C. is focused on the overall awareness of what exactly goes on in a student’s everyday life. Shedding light
PHOTO BY ISABELLA FOSTER Eagle PAC students led by Alex Kasten, senior, read about the Eagle Peer Advocate Crew at a club meeting. on harmful situations, to comfortably communicating with peers are some of the main goals. “In my mind, the club is more of a way to spread awareness of abuse through relationships and anything, and even if you are the abuser, learning how to get out of that tendency,” said Tatum Yoon, senior. Along with activities within the club, the members also want to promote it through numerous events, such as Coffee for Kindness and Fun Runs, so that they can spread empathy and respect around campus, and make the difference they want to achieve. “If we could get 10% of people involved, then we
would successfully [have] been able to affect change,” Kasten said.
“
I wanted to start this club on this campus because nothing like this has ever been started before,”
-Alex Kasten
Eagle P.A.C. has been able to do just that by giving the support that is needed at school. And as students continue to share their own experiences, new ones are made that show possible growth for the future.
“It’s made me realize abusive people in my own life, and maybe some tendencies that I may have that I didn’t realize before, and just working on everything just to be a better person in general,” Yoon said. Although students are a main target for the club, it is very want to connect with their students and help them along their journey in life. “I think it’s good for students and teachers because not a lot of teachers understand where students are coming from with mental health,” said Alana Higgins, senior. “And mental health is very young and new for teens that don’t really know how they’re feeling, and so it will help with them.”
With the focus on the students, the club has the guideline to effectively be a with consistent meetings, it makes an even bigger impact. Meetings are twice a month on Wednesdays in Danell Stephenson’s room 409, before school and during Eagle Hour. So, no matter the problem, Eagle P.A.C. is there to be a helping hand for all students at OHS. “I think it’s a really good club, and I think it’s very fresh; a lot of people don’t know about it,” Higgins said. “So it has a lot of targets, like sexual assault and things, so it seems scary to teens, but I think it’s something that every teen should be getting involved with, for sure.”
Continued from front page, Students begin their careers at OHS contact with the athletes or patients and being able to treat them. It can be a lot of fun, and it is a lot of work, but I think it is super rewarding. You actually get Dickerson said. Whether it is icing, getting a Aid, the majority of OHS athletes have most likely received help from an intern. Varsity basketball player, Malia McIver, senior, has received extensive help from the interns all throughout her highschool career.
“Honestly, they have been really great. Last year I had a stress fracture and I kept playing on it, and I ended up partially breaking it. They’ve helped me through a lot of rehab that I had to do with my foot,” McIver said. As well as help with major injuries, the interns are there to help ease any pain, big or small. “I go there if I have any minor inconveniences and they make me feel so welcome. It’s so easy to just go there and say, ‘I have this
problem or it hurts while I’m doing this,’ so then they’ll give me a minor adjustment the next day,” McIver said. Attending games means that the interns must travel with the teams. This means long bus rides, bags full of medical supplies, and buses packed with athletes and interns. The long and late hours can be tedious, but it means the world to each team. “They are probably one of our number one supporters, which is honestly the best
thing ever. They get to be on our bench, they see most of our season, and they see extra practices. They usually know how much hard work we put in. It’s really great having them be there throughout all of it,” McIver said. All of the hours spent at the school and at sporting events can seem like a hassle, but for students aspiring to become a medical professional, this internship is a perfect opportunity to introduce “I’m the vice president of
the sports medicine club, so a lot of people come to me if they have problems or if they don’t know what to do. I enjoy it. It gets me involved with the school a lot,” said Lauryn Jacobs, senior.”It’s a lot of time commitment. You really have to want it, and want to be a part of it. You really have to be committed and have the time to do this.” Applications to become an intern next year are open now and can be found on the DVUSD website under senior internship.
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October 2019
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Mr. McLain maximizes school potential By KADEN RYBACK
Editorial Chief
OHS is growing fast, and as the student body continues to grow, it requires more guidance. This new school year calls for staff members to take on higher ranking leadership roles. Justin McLain, one of OHS’s Assistant Principals, was one of them, and he has found himself in the role of Athletic Director this year. Before having his current role, McLain was a long time member of the math department. On top of his experience gained as a teacher, he also had experience in being a coach as he helped lead multiple sports teams. “I was in the math department for thirteen years, part of it coaching the boys basketball program, and then the girls basketball program myself, which I was a varsity coach for. I also was a part of the baseball program up until moving into administration,” McLain said. McLain claims that the role of Athletic Director
PHOTO BY KADEN RYBACK the criteria for everything he loves about working in education. So when the opportunity arose, he eagerly accepted it. “Athletics was the reason that I got into education, because they go hand in hand, and I love teaching and I love coaching. I absolutely jumped on it when I had the opportunity, and it has been awesome,” McLain said. This background helped him in getting ready to take on the challenges he now faces. On any given day, McLain has to deal with the general needs of students and teachers on campus.
He juggles multiple school monitoring activities, such as regular teacher evaluations, overlooking clubs on campus, and handling student discipline. However, McLain’s main focus is overseeing the athletic clubs on campus. “For our school I evaluate the athletic coaches. I’m over the facilities, the athletic budget, the mission of the program, coach evaluations, and new coaches. When decisions need to be made they go through me, and we collaborate and have a team decision for big problems that may arise. My goal is to really empower coaches to be the leaders, and hope that
they are empowering student athletes to be leaders and captains, and to help manage their individual teams,” McLain said. Having access to the stats of each team, McLain is able to gauge which teams has the most improvement. When asked what makes an athletic club more successful, McLain emphasized that the little things are what truly matter. “The teams that typically tend to be successful are the teams that do the little things the right way in the long run. So you look at the coaches that have been on campus since the beginning, and look at how they run
their program, look at the expectations they have for their athletes, and those are the programs that are the most successful,” McLain said. As an example, McLain points to the success of the spring sports, whose coaches have proven through their team’s performance just how important it is to set the right goals and expectations for student athletes. “It’s been our spring sports that have really helped us out, with softball winning the state championship last year, and baseball winning it the year before that. It’s those coaches that do the right thing over the long period of time that I have seen have the most success. It’s the coaches that have the ability to maximize their player’s effort within the time frame that they have,” McLain said. With everything on his plate, McLain appreciates that he doesn’t have to handle it all on his own. OHS’s staff works as a team, and he is thankful for the other members that have helped make his monumental tasks more manageable.
Teen Artist Guild paints a bright future By KADEN RYBACK
Editorial Chief
Teen Artist Guild is a club devoted to helping students across the valley who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Founded in 2014 with the mission of supporting aspiring young artists, the Teen Artist Guild has helped students achieve their goals in the art world by giving them unique opportunities to help foster their passion, and further progress their art education. Sandra Zally is the founder of The Teen Artist Guild, a club that grew out of the Phoenix Center for the Arts. Zally went to art school at the University of Southern Maine, and although she believes the school was a rewarding experience, she claims that it didn’t teach her how to make a living as an artist. This experience led to
one of her main motivations in starting the club, which is to give artists guidance in turning their passion into a feasible career path. “It has always been a desire of mine to help young artists, you are going to be a doctor or a lawyer, or even a chef, you can go to school for that and there are clear steps to accomplish that goal. Artists path. A lot of people, when you say you are going to be an artist, they say, ‘Well, how are you going to make money?’ I think that a baker bakes, a doctor is a doctor, and I think that an artist should be an artist,” Zally said. Pursuers of a career in art increase their creative abilities, learn new artistic styles, and learn new ways of perceiving that natural
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDRA ZALLY The Teen Artist Guild comes together for another group meeting.
world. These are no doubt valuable skills, but Zally argues they are not skills that are only valuable to Guild, Zally believes that members can learn art skills that can become vital assets to a person’s capabilities in has been able to witness this “Artists are very creative people. So, they usually don’t want a job where everything is already planned for them. For instance, we had a guy that worked for the city as a lawyer and he would provide visuals for lawyers to take to court to share in the courtroom. He was an artist, but he became known as the guy who could provide visuals. He ended up creating his own job by becoming a strong visual artist,” Zally said. Teen Artist Guild has brought together students of multiple grade levels from schools across the state. One of these students is Ruchi Ukhade, senior and the club’s current president. Ukhade discovered the club when she was in middle school, and saw an opportunity to make her mark in the art world. “I got into it in the 7th grade, I went to a show and I really liked it because they had their own exhibition. There was a lot of empty space, so I really wanted to some of my own artwork,” Ukhade said.
For many of the groups members, one of the desirable aspects of the Teen Artist Guild are the events it hosts in Downtown Phoenix during the First Friday Art Walk. At this event the club’s members are able to present their work, and are allowed to sell their art to the event’s many attendees. Ukhade found this to be an eye opening experience into the art world that got her to keep pursuing her love for art. “I hadn’t really done a lot with my art at the time. The Teen Artist Guild helps put up shows at First Friday, and in those festivals we had our own booths where we could set up our art work. It was really good for marketing and getting our artwork out there, and just being known in the public because after we did these shows a lot of people would know us by name,” Ukhade said. Samantha Cassity is Vice President of Teen Artist Guild, and a student at Northwest Christian School. Cassity attempted to start an art club at her school, but due to the busy lives of high school students, the club never really took off. Cassity then focused more of her energy towards the Teen Artist Guild, and became one of the club’s biggest experience of selling her art to be a helpful morale booster artist. “I feel like personally it
validates all my hard work, it makes me feel like I actually am talented, because as artists it’s easy to be insecure. You see so many other things, and everyone’s art is so different that you wonder if you have really developed a style that is personal to yourself. So I just feel really great, and it helps me continue to do art,” Cassity said. Besides being able to experience the business side of the artworld, the club also allows members to participate in large scale art projects. The most recent project being a mural at brand new coffee shop where the Teen Artist Guild painted an abstract art piece on the roof of the building. “They painted an abstract mural on the roof, and these metal slabs on the top of the did it all on their own,” Zally said. As for the future, the club hopes to grow and bring its the state. Cassity wants people who are interested in the club to know that it is a supportive group, and a great way to build friendships. “Personally I’ve made friends through it. So if you are having trouble trying to build a community with people who are like minded, Teen Artist Guild is good. We also learn from each other. It’s just learning from each other and growing together,” Cassity said.
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October 2019
7
Smash Pro-league broadens its player count By CHASE WYATT
The ESports scene is still up and coming and one such game is Super Smash Bros Ultimate. There are tournaments happening all across the Valley, from Glendale to Gilbert. There’s a company called TriForce Collectibles that helps to host some of these tournaments, along with some of the colleges here in Arizona. TriForce Collectibles hosts a tournament every Friday night at their Glendale location. The group SAKGaming hosts weekly tournaments all over Maricopa County, and once a month, they host a tournament called Ascension usually in either Chandler or Gilbert. TriForce Collectibles opened up this past February and has been hosting these Super Smash Tournaments since the end of July. The group SAKGaming, has been
hosting the Ascension and weekly tournaments since the release of Super Smash Ultimate back in December of last year, and this next Ascension Tournament coming up will be Ascension X. Yale Chung, sophomore, is on the Super Smash team and is planning on attending the GCU tournament and more after that. “I heard about the Discord through my friends and they sent me the link and that’s how I joined. I want to go to the GCU and more after that,” Chung said. Josh Hafer, Math teacher and advisor of ESports club at OHS, has high hopes for the Super Smash team portion of the club, and is coming up with plans for the future. Hafer is planning on working with Grand Canyon University to host a tournament for ESports club. “We’re holding a tournament on Nov 2, which
is a Saturday, and we’re having it at GCU, just for OC kids, and then for any other college kids that are there, too. But then we’re going to hopefully start weekly practices starting soon and if we can get students to start bringing in Switches, and then start going to more tournaments,” Hafer said. Ian Olds, co-owner of TriForce Collectibles and the person who runs the Super Smash Tournaments, started these tournaments so that people on the west side of the valley have a chance to participate in tournaments without the need to travel so far. “I’m a big gamer; I love competitive games. I play all kinds of competitive games at home in my free time and I love Smash Bros. There’s a pretty healthy Smash Bros scene here in the Valley, so I
we have a space big enough to host tournaments so why not,” Olds said. Hafer is planning to set up a station for Super Smash Hafer is planning to set up a station for Super Smash Ultimate during the fall festival on Oct 25, $1 per ticket, you play until you lose, or until you win three in a row.
of places here on the west side that host tournaments, and
PHOTO BY CHASE WYATT One of the many monitors for the tournament contestants.
“We are having Smash Bros on multiple Switches. It will cost $1 per ticket for a round, if you win you play again for free, if you win three in a row, you get a prize. We’re also going to advertise for the drinks, and recruit for our other games like Overwatch, League of Legends and Rocket League,” said Hafer.
Continued from page 6, McLain Steps Up To Help Maximize The Student Body’s Potential “I have to give a lot of credit to Sue Perreault. She is the athletic secretary. She does an amazing job of helping keep the coaches in compliance to the necessary credentials to coach. She is also a huge factor in a lot of those day to day operations,”
McLain said. When asked if he could tell one thing to students at OHS, McLain stresses our school to widen its competitive scope to encompass more than just our schools rivals, and to take advantage of the limited time we have here as students
on campus. “I would tell them that yes, it is great that we compete against Mountain Ridge, and yes it is great that we compete against the schools in Arizona, but we really need to be thinking about competing against schools
globally, because that is what the founding principal wanted for this school. If I can honor his legacy, it is to take this school to be the best it can possibly be,” McLain said. “Just like we are trying to maximize our athletes
potential with the time that we have them, I think we need to maximize our students’ potential in the classroom, and just maximizing our potential individually with the time that we have on this beautiful campus.” McLain said.
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October 2019
Hailey Bishop freshman
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When I was little, my friends and I used to go out in the house and play Hunger Games. We’d make plans and attack each other, and it really helped make some lifelong friendships.
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Interviews and photography by Isabella Foster and Lexi Gass
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Be yourself and dont change who you are depending on who you’re around. It’s something that I think I’ve done pretty well, but I can see it in a lot of different people who try to act two different ways around different people to try to get different outcomes. Having a good identity and having that integrity is pretty important, because if you’re the same around every person, you don’t have to ever be worried about how others will see you.
@OC_CAPTURED
@OC_CAPTURED
aptured
Max Lyons junior
thetalonohs.com
Amy Alley senior
Interviews and photography by Isabella Foster and Lexi Gass
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I went to an audition once, and I totally bombed it. It was just awful and when I say awful, I mean it was so humiliating in every way. But they gave me a piece of advice, that the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. So just be prepared and be optimistic and you’ll be good. Your own preparation is the only thing you’ll have control over, and that was so applicable in my audition, but it’s also applicable to everything in life.
@OC_CAPTURED
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10 October 2019
How do we react when our safety is at stake? A student opinion. By LEXI GASS
much more complex than it
Design Chief
What should we do when there are threats made against are becoming less and less
the campus. This caused an outrage among many parents who decided to take their kids home and angrily call the school about the issue.
absolutely nothing wrong to maintain peace but also say what needs to be said.
can be hard to tell what to do.
their kids out of school that day. Sending a child to school need to knowingly keep a child
more threats made against anything. So where do we draw the line?
AttackerReported S
students were in tears fearing how far-fetched they seem.
people actually know what it
you inform the public without as simple as it might seem.
share with the public. It is
against a school are scary. When trying to inform the
amount to nothing. If the
while being scared out of your mind. The problem arose when parents took to social media sites like Facebook and
week before that appeared the school on some Tuesday. This sent many parents into them to pull their kids out of school for the day. While it is a good thing that parents were
is actually something to be
While the anger felt by these out hateful messages or false rumors that only make the
possible that since this was of the message. The message was sent at around 7:15 that
was not going to inform the
the school day was to start. most kids were already on
people to think the threat is
always be terrifying to people. try and make the campus as
By PEYTON THOMPSON
Editor-in-Chief
Safety First: The Issue of School Shootings
or threats. On Tuesday Oct
there was a plausible threat
it was not a real threat. remained on high alert for the
it was. was put out there was not credible and was completely Phoenix Police. We trust their
PHOTO BY LEXI GASS
back to us and said the other
thetalonohs.com
11
-Related Incidents d in the 2018-2019 School Year
Shooter threat brings up unsettling emotions “When our parents were kids are doing before adults see what other kids are doing and it’s not appropriate and
The email sent out that morning was released with the purpose of informing parents and the general public of this It was sent out to raise awareness in case something possibly happened. “[The email was sent] to goal was to get it out early
were coming to school and trying to do as a school with helping kids learn. So when
ugly when it comes to social media. If used appropriately saying the world was going to end in 2030 because of climate change. So I think for us it’s
decided to pull their kids out of school in case something
inappropriately. such as this one become an
Social media plays many roles
for the rest of the day. I understand that it was to come and pick up their
out. But the goal was to
spread the word about such
played a part in shaping our that the media changes the way people think.
the possibility of turning into does not always help to create in the end result.
or program it is they’re using… “I think a lot of things are happening in our world right now from climate change to
so that was the reason that weird to think about the fact that I could come to school and
today. Social media and school threats are only a few of the many examples that are out there. Issues like these
non-credible threat has the
[well] from the students’ any child should feel that way. the past and what the media it all and understand our own
handled in the best possible way. importance of bringing about awareness of such We were in touch with the
seems suspicious needs to be reported.
threats before and that one was a smaller threat because people spread it around and were able to use social media
20 years ago people didn’t
for us to step away from our parents and start deciding our
Social media did not exist and
able to sort through all the
senior. we can act… the kids are in the
today. Social media in itself has
Opinions
4
thetalonohs.com
Page 12
Editorial: Trump’s Ukraine Call Was Unquestionably Inappropriate
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speak together on Sept 25, 2019, at the United Nations General Assembly. On Sept 25 President wrongdoing for his July 25 water. Over his time in Donald Trump stood before talks with the President the press core in New York brought national attention City after attending the to the constitutionality of United Nations 74th General has been accused of abusing his presidential powers to get an explosive whistleblower dirt on a political opponent. report put the life of his This is certainly not the which raised concerns over presidency in the spotlight. a violation of the Foreign Trump began his speech with allegations over supposed wrongdoings that have most prominently his before outright denying any put his presidency in hot
dealings with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 general election with the intentions of getting Trump into power. Now another challenge has risen to the scene. Trump held a phone call with Zelensky in late July. During
open one up. Many believe
having Zelensky speak with Attorney General William
and that if it was done with the intent to give Trump the
order to investigate former
impeachable offense. The investigation that Trump is calling for stems
an investigation is that he wants information to use Democratic frontrunner for the 2020 election. Critics say that this was an attempt to get a foreign power to
their past work in Ukraine. This request by Trump caused many to question if this is why just a week before
in Ukraine. Biden was put in charge of U.S. foreign policy in Ukraine during the Obama
almost 400 million dollars in aid to Ukraine permitted by
was part of a Ukrainian gas
summary of their phone call was released on Sept 24 by whistleblower came forward raising concern over the call. The allegations of an abuse of presidential power stem from the fact that Trump was attempting to get Zelensky to push forward with an and withheld military funding as a tool to get Zelensky to
top prosecutor in 2016. This top prosecutor once ran an investigation on the aforementioned gas company. Conspiracies arose around the idea that Joe Biden did
Jump to page 13
NCAA must take action on California law By ROHAN PATEL
yet not one that could become the number one overall pick
Editor-in-Chief
California has long been known as one of the most progressive states in the nation. Yet in a shocking move California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that allows NCAA athletes and any use of their image or likeness. The law will be enacted in 2023 and comes as a blessing to college athletes who have long toiled for yet have never been able to touch a cent of their hard it challenges their outdated values of keeping college only for amateur players. can be used on the wide-open are consistently used without compensation deserve some NCAA could not exist. Many argue that studentathletes receive compensation through the athletic scholarships that they receive to attend college. But while the individual schools have
it was his time at Duke University that cemented his status as the best prospect in Williamson likely would not be where he is today. And with the NBA getting rid of the rules that forced players athletes will make the jump PHOTO COURTESY OF CNBC California Governor Gavin Newsom enacted the “Fair Pay to Play Act” on Sept 16, 2019. the NCAA has not. Think of million. And the only thing all the advertisements you perhaps the largest victory stopping him from earning for athletes. Athletes can now that deserved money earlier like March Madness. Every stay in college and still receive was the NCAA. commercial features players who help generate revenue for pressure of having to go players to make money professional in order to earn while in college would stop receive no money for the this trend and encourage use of their image. One of athletes to stay longer in
without any consideration for a higher education.
errors was their production of college video games that
they will see the light and realize just how useful this law could be. The NCAA will have to make a decision come 2023 when California
If
the
NCAA
accepted
allowing for more revenue for both parties. The law also allows college players to earn endorsements
as the Duke phenom Zion the “one and done” trend. Players attend college for only one year in order to become eligible for the NBA and then immediately enter of dollars await them. As soon as Williamson went an endorsement with the Jordan brand worth over $15
and earn money for their athletic abilities. The NCAA encourages high academic new law aids their goal. Not only would staying in college have a positive impact on the would also help them grow as case of Williamson. Coming
gives these players a valid as they can earn their well deserved money and receive an education. California lawmakers truly handed the NCAA a great gift with this law. While the NCAA has rudely declined it
should realize that accepting rather than opposing it and becoming the enemy of players and fans alike.
The Talon
13 October 2019
thetalonohs.com
DaBaby’s new album cements status in rap By ROHAN PATEL
Editor-in-Chief
DaBaby brought back the heat on Sept 27 when he dropped his second album “Kirk”, furthering his ascent in the rap world. The album immediately climbed to the top spot on the Billboard rankings as the Charlottebased rapper’s fan base continues to grow. Inspired by his late father, DaBaby’s latest work is the perfect mix of heartfelt thoughts and success. DaBaby wastes no time getting to the rapping as he immediately starts with his
on Baby” was far more concerned with his money surprisingly reminiscent song where DaBaby raps about his late father and daughter. He mentions his rollercoaster
of emotions when he learned his father had passed away, but minutes later he also found out that his hit song “Suge” had reached number one on the charts. The song is introspective and a great opener that sets the tone of the rest of the album. DaBaby jumps right back into his usual style of rapping about his success and fame both of which seem to garner the most popularity and serve as the successor to “Suge”. These songs truly showcase DaBaby’s clear and crisp lyrics, which is a refreshing change from the new mumble rap style. His style embodies true rap, with creative lyrics and hard-hitting beats, something that has become However, DaBaby’s style can become tedious to listeners after a while. His style varies little from song to song, so his best work includes
is another introspective song Gucci Mane. All of these additions greatly impact the song, and help make it more more musicality to the hook, and Gucci Mane have verses provide relief from DaBaby’s fast-paced rap. Another one of his best DaBaby’s rap is on point, but Gates provides a good change-up. The song reverts but DaBaby is best with this type of lyrics. His songs with other artists also prove to SH*T” with the rap trio Migos has all the components of solid trap music. Migos show why they are one of the top rap groups and DaBaby
PHOTO COURTESY OF GENIUS.COM KIRK’s album cover features DaBaby and his late father. does not have to do too much work to get the job done. the album is one of DaBaby’s best works, and one of the best rap albums of the year. which is another one of the His featured artists provide album’s best songs. needed contrast to DaBaby’s Although the rest of the rap and balance out the songs on the album are also album. There are multiple excellent, they could be great tracks on the album perceived as bland due to and they show how DaBaby their similarities. However, has grown as an artist, and is the better songs from poised to make waves in the rap world.
Continued from page 12, Trump’s Ukraine Call Was Unquestionably Innapropriate having the top prosecutor removed, and Biden has claimed he had no knowledge of his son’s business ties. So far, Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He claims that he wasn't requesting an investigation for the purpose of helping him against Biden in future elections. Trump has instead doubled down on his claim that what Joe Biden did in 2016 was illegal, provide any evidence for his claims. have mostly been split down party lines. Many Trump supporters have pushed the idea that there was no gain for Trump in his request to Ukraine, in other words, no
hand, many critics see a clear abuse of presidential power. These critics include House Democrats, who announced on Sept 24 that they would initiate an impeachment inquiry, setting the stage for a political showdown. The question over whether or not what Trump did was impeachable is still up to debate between legal scholars. However, there is no denying that what Trump did was inappropriate. Foreign powers have no place in United States elections, Trump is trying to carry out an investigation on previously
debunked theories for his own political advantage. As for the impeachment inquiry, this may end up blowing up against the Democrats. Historically speaking, whenever an impeachment inquiry is held, the public tends to side with the president as the impeachment proceedings are seen as a bitter attempt to get the sitting president characterized the inquiry in this manner, railing against it by claiming that it is nothing but an embittered witch hunt. However, Trump has done little to help his own case. that China should investigate
the Bidens’ dealings in their country, which only added more fuel to the impeachment
has refused to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. So, Congress has instead turned to issuing more subpoenas, the US special envoy to Ukraine, who resigned from to House members behind closed doors. But perhaps most damning of all was which Trump’s Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters that during the call there was a quid pro quo, but claimed that it was nothing out of the normal, and that’s just
part of diplomacy. Mulvaney quickly backtracked his comments the following day. What will come of the impeachment inquiry is unclear. If the Trump Administration still refuses to cooperate, the inquiry will only be given more ground to stand upon. What Trump did may not be impeachable, but public support for the impeachment inquiry has been on the rise have made comments which seem to go against their own case. However, this isn’t the and nobody would be foolish enough to say that he couldn’t come out on top yet again.
Fastfood Mock Meats, No Laughing Matter By KADEN RYBACK
Editorial Chief
Burger King has been a long time favorite for those looking for a quick juicy new twist on their most iconic 8, Burger King, through a partnership with Impossible Foods, began rolling out the Impossible Whopper in their stores nationwide. Its main selling point being that it is 100% Whopper, 0% beef. The Impossible Whopper was made possible by Impossible Foods, a company whose goal is to cut back on animal agriculture globally.
The way they plan to do this: replace animal meat with plant-based meat. Their scientists got together and created a mock meat that they claim looks, tastes, and smells just like the real deal. They call it the Impossible Burger, and it has truly cooked up a storm across the country. Multiple popular restaurants now offer the Impossible White
Castle,
and
even
the meat on their Impossible released in January, it has exploded in popularity, so much so that back in June, the company couldn’t keep
PHOTO COURTESY OF CNN.COM Burger King has introduced the Impossible Whopper as a vegetarian option.
up with demand, leading to a temporary shortage of the meatless burger. Burger King found this creation’s success to be an enticing business opportunity. They had the idea of using the Impossible Food’s meat as an alternative to their regular beef found in Whoppers. Burger King saw this as a way to get people who follow plant-based diets to try out their signature burger, and so, the Impossible Whopper became possible. Instead of beef, the patty contains soy, potato, coconut
That last ingredient is crucial in the mock meat’s makeup. Heme is an iron containing molecule which is found in both animals and plants. It’s what gives meat its taste. Does this mean that it is off, the Impossible Whopper itself certainly isn’t vegan friendly, as the burger comes with mayonnaise. But as
for the patty, its ingredients would deem it plant-based diet friendly, however, vegans may be distraught that it is cooked on the same broiler as the beef ones. In response to this, Burger King is now offering to cook the Impossible Burger using a non-broiler method of preparation available upon request. There are many skeptics about the Impossible Whopper. For people who have enjoyed more than a few beef Whoppers, it is quite a challenge for a mock burger to meet the regular Whopper’s delicious taste. Impossible Whopper has the look and feel of a regular beef difference, however, is that it lacks the greasy juice that coats a typical Whopper. As for its smell, it is notably less strong. But the real question is, how does it taste? Does it
the Impossible Whopper does not disappoint. It has a rich taste with a smooth texture that feels comfortable on the tongue, but anyone who is a regular Whopper customer would be able to tell that it’s different. Also, it is certainly not as juicy, which is to be expected from a meatless patty. But perhaps the greatest taste difference is that the Impossible patty has a subtle metallic taste, which may be due to the fact that it is attempting to replicate the distinct taste of beef. time, it was entirely satisfying. The future for mock burgers such as this brainchild of Burger King and Impossible Foods is bound to dominate the market, as consumers search for foods that favor a plant-based diet. If there is anything the Impossible Whopper has proven, it’s that a good burger doesn’t have to be made from beef.
4
Arts & Entertainment October 2019
thetalonohs.com
Page 14
Theatre bops to the top with ‘High School Musical’ By PEIGHTON GELLINGS
Arts and Entertainment Editor
There are several movies that have been iconic for this generation and High School Musical is one of the biggest. Most of the students on campus grew up singing along to Troy and Gabriella, and that enthusiasm has not lessened, in the slightest. With the Disney Channel Original movie being a vital part of their own childhood, the theatre program set out to bring the musical production of such a beloved story to the students of OHS. Jonathon Bacon, junior, plays the infamous Troy Bolton and is excited for the cast’s original take on such a classic show. “It’s a very edgy take on High School Musical, Mrs. [Fioramonti] is doing a really
good job just making this different than the usual High School Musical, my fellow costar Gabriella Montez or Casey is doing a really good job. Our duets are going to sound phenominal, its going to be a great show all around,” Bacon said. For this generation, “High School Musical” is a childhood staple and the OHS theatre shows a promising interpretation of it. Elise Sheppard, junior, plays Taylor and likes the behind-the-scenes differences of this show. “This show is a show that is near to my heart; I grew up watching High School Musical, so having the chance to be in it is really fun, and it’s a bigger cast than previous shows have been so its fun working with new people and making
PHOTO BY PEYTON THOMPSON The character Ryan Evans performs on stage during the song Bop to the Top.
a new group of friends,” Sheppard said. One of the reasons why the show was so important to such a large audience was its relatable appeal, something that reigns true with Bacon. His take on Bolton is a very personal one since Bacon embodies him on a daily basis, participating in both the arts and sports. “Troy means the absolute world to me cause its been my dream role since age 2,“ said Bacon. “I play basketball and I’m the VP of the choir program and for the longest time, I didn’t do drama or theatre because I didn’t feel like that was the status quo for an athlete to step out of the box, now I’m an athlete, actor, singer and dancer.” In the past, the theatre program has put on productions that have been Broadway classics, but they decided to switch to a more modern approach this year. Harrison Staley, junior, plays Zeke Baylor and is looking forward to bringing this show to life. “Usually in the past we’ve done a lot more shows known to the adult demographic, but this year doing High School Musical, we really wanted to do it because it is one of the last generations to really know High School Musical and really enjoy
doing it, and enjoy showing it to other people,” Staley said. Every show takes a great deal of hard work to succeed, especially High School Musical. With more scenes than previous productions comes the need for more materials to support the story, which is something that the student body can help with. “We do have tech here so you guys can come in and help paint the backdrop and build the set; stage production does a lot of that, but we still need extra help to pull that off and it is great for community service,” Staley said. High School Musical is a very well-known movie with a multitude of iconic songs that almost every student on campus knows by heart. This does not make the cast’s jobs necessarily easy. There comes the stress to do right by the story and its characters that are very near and dear to a great deal of people. “There’s a lot of pressure, me as Zeke Baylor, ‘Creme Brulee Boy,’ I needed to watch that scene over and over just to get his essence; this sounds so advanced but it’s true. He’s such a torn character because he’s so in depth, but he’s one of those characters you didn’t notice until he popped up out of nowhere. He’s become a fan
favorite, so trying to portray him, it comes with a bit of pressure but it’s good for me,” Staley said. On the other side, however, the cast is extremely excited to see how the audience will respond to the show and their interpretation of these beloved characters, along with a couple secrets they have hidden until curtain call. “We got a teacher as Coach Bolton; it’s a surprise, and it’s really funny that he comes in and he’s just doing it and learning this with us. I’m really excited to see the reactions of everyone when we come on stage, and do ‘Get Your Head in the Game.’ I can’t wait to see that,” Staley said. High School Musical is a show that needs every underlying component to come together and so everyone is contributing in their own way, to make the show the best it can possibly be, especially Bacon. “I just try to come to rehearsal everyday with a smile on my face and a good attitude,” Bacon said. ”At home I’m always running through the dance numbers [and] I have my sister run my lines with me. I came to day 2 of reheasal 100% memorized, so my lines are already down packed. I just try to lift everyone up when I see them down.”
Choir gives the performance of a lifetime By CHRIS BONIFAZ
The voices of dozens of OHS students rang out through the auditorium to a packed audience. On Oct 10 and 11, the SDOHS choir performed alongside Stetson Hills choir in the main auditorium. Even though most of the choir did not think the concert would be a failure, they still had some hesitation. year in Honor Choir and we lost about more than 10 seniors, so it was kind of nerve-racking leading up to the concert,” said Max Dedo, senior in Honor Choir. He went on to talk about some of the previous members of the choir who had a huge impact on their sound. They now needed that space adequately. This meant making sure the new singers joining Honor Choir
were able to integrate with the rest of the choir as soon as possible. “We had all these new kids coming in and we were not sure if we were going to blend well, but overall it went pretty well,” Dedo said. While Honor Choir was ready for the stage, Concert Choir also felt like they were just as prepared for the upcoming concert. “I felt very prepared because Ms. Backstrom worked really hard with each individual choir and we all knew our pieces very well, and I did not have a doubt in my mind that we were going to go up there and mess up,” said Kara Scholl, sophomore in Concert Choir. With all of their pieces coming together, they were a lot less concerned for the concert. After the concert, both classes had time to performances. “I know for Concert Choir
personally, we really excelled in our blending for “Kyrie”. That was something we learned the song, but the more we practiced helped perfect the blending on stage,” Scholl said. Scholl felt that they did really well, and did not notice any mistakes while performing on stage. Honor Choir had similar success, but a very different strong suit. “I know it’s kind of weird, but tempo. I think we did not get conducted on two songs, so being able to feel the rhythm as a choir and blend together and keep time is really important in anything musical,” Dedo said. performances, Scholl delved into what makes them different from each other inside of the overall choir. “Honestly, all the choirs are the same because we are just one big family. While
Concert Choir does have a little more advanced pieces, I feel like the different names are just titles and we all just want to go up there and be singers,” Scholl said. Dedo also went on to say that he sees no difference between the different categories because they are all just as talented, but some want to take the more
advanced pieces on, so they get a chance to do that when moving up the ranks. The trials and tribulations set for the choir took time to overcome, but they believe that they did well in beating them. In the eyes of the choir, the concert went very well, and they hope they can continue to keep this level of quality for years to come.
PHOTO BY CHRIS BONIFAZ Conductor, Anna Backstrom, leads the choir through the concert.
The Talon
thetalonohs.com
October 2019
15
Borderlands 3 fails to innovate the wasteland By CHRIS BONIFAZ
BOOM! SCREECH! BOING! These are some of the noises you hear while driving around the chaotic landscape that is the borderlands. After being on hiatus for so long, and the previous installment in the Borderlands 3 had some big
that are said to contain untold riches — with new abilities and new, deeper skill trees to build up and explore as you play. One of the better characters is Moze, whose ultimate ability brings in a walking, two-legged mech that can be customized with a variety of weapons. Zane is a hitman with drones and a deployable hologram-like
messing with your abilities. Oddly, the powers are more pleasurable than the guns. The weapons that run around, honing in on enemies and blowing up, add a bit of freshness, but every Borderlands game has a Gearbox didn’t kick it up a notch here; everything is just slightly different, delivered in the expected way. Again, no
the vault hunters themselves, however, it stumbled with the villains of the game: Troy and Tyreen, who are referred to as the Calypso Twins. They’re presented as YouTubers from the future, reminding viewers to “like, follow, and obey” during their broadcasts, and they’ll do whatever it takes to gain control of the vaults. The problem is that they are just so boring.
In Borderlands 3, you once again have a nearly limitless array of guns to collect, sell, and use in combat, which makes every pickup potentially exciting. Finding a gun with a unique or enjoyable collection of one of the series’ greatest joys. They have a stylized, cartoonish world in which the rich and powerful are selfcentered, malevolent jerks. In addition, there’s a punk rock-like distrust of rules and authority from everyone else. This world and its weapons are designed to be best enjoyed with friends. As with Borderlands 3’s predecessors, it’s easy to invite up to three friends along to shoot everyone and everything you see. The franchise’s loud, nihilistic backdrop has always been a playground in which you can kill everyone and watch the numbers go up. Borderlands 3 introduces four new vault hunters — kind of like soldiers of fortune, questing for vaults
By PEIGHTON GELLINGS
Throughout the years, Will Smith has participated in many iconic albums, movies and television shows ranging from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to “Men in Black.” With Smith still riding the momentum from his latest work on Disney’s “Aladdin,” it was expected that “Gemini Man” would follow such success, but sadly reality hit hard. “Gemini Man” released on
PHOTO COURTESY OF: GAMEWATCHER.COM The image for the Borderlands 3 cover, a new game by Gearbox. copy that can confuse and more, no less. Borderlands 2 had Handsome attack the enemy, while FL4K But the character abilities Jack, a villain who acted as a is a robot that can summon feel more interesting because loathsome, hateful piece of they offer some complexity. A garbage. It was really good them. Lastly, Amara is a siren big appeal is strategizing with for bond building between the with a variety of telekinetic friends and upgrading the player and villain that would techniques that let her grab vault hunters to complement last the entire game. He did so each other. You can also many horrible things purely rebuild your character for out of arrogance or cruelty, the ground. a small cost if you want to and took so much pleasure Each vault hunter comes experiment with different in it, that destroying him felt with three skill trees, allowing builds, or set up a vault extremely rewarding. you to mix and match your hunter one way when playing The Calypso Twins ... upgrades as you level up to alone and another way when don’t. They taunt you, but create custom loadouts and playing with others. their words and actions seem play styles, or just have fun Gearbox succeeded with strangely toothless. The fact
boring, and left the audience falling asleep or reaching for their phones, which obviously much less one transpiring from the action genre. When it came to the acting, it was subpar at best. Will Smith is a great actor and his work playing Henry was fairly decent, but it is
“Gemini Man” was horribly predictable and did not introduce anything new to the audience. It was just more of the same, unoriginal content and somewhat random tidbits about the main character, Henry, that didn’t really come into play later on in the movie. It was stated earlier in the movie that Henry is very
done well with critics, the box The plot looked to be unique, but it was just more of the same cliches that Hollywood has been overusing since the was supposed to offer the audience a break and it was unfortunate that it merely accomplished the opposite. None of the components of “Gemini Man;” whether it be the script, acting or the CGI aspects really worked individually or together, making for a very lackluster The overall story did not make sense and was hard to follow at times. It was very
illogical, with the story being hardly developed at all. What is most disappointing had so much potential. With Will Smith, almost anything is possible and with the deaging technology, they could only increase the Will Smith factor, but this was not the case. Instead of being this revolutionary movie effect, it just made it seem like the producers had a very low budget and couldn’t afford enough actors to carry out the scenes. To some degree it worked, but it wasn’t realistic and like a poorly programmed scene. Going along with the theme of the movie and the
PHOTO COURTESY OF: FLIPBOARD.COM A promotional image for the new movie, Gemini Man, starring Will Smith . written script. Character allergic to bees, and so later interactions were very forced and awkward with their decided to switch to his side, small developments being the clone injects him with very sudden. Occasionally bee venom claiming he “had the writers would try to grab to make sure,” and what does at the audience’s emotions that even mean? Why would during the few death scenes, he think to do that? Nobody but they were not memorable knew what happened during characters and so their the entire movie. Every move attempts went unsuccessful. the characters made was
well. At one point, Henry was thrown off a motorcycle and face planted into the concrete after driving at record speeds. He should have been dead, but he just had to clean up a couple paper cuts. The cinematography and direction seemed very juvenile. Most of the scenes that the viewer couldn’t see
that they’re manipulating the media for their own ends is quickly forgotten after and instead they become sneering, forgettable baddies who add little to the game. Even returning characters, like Ellie and Lilith, feel bloodless and limp. The returning cast and new background characters struggle to make any kind of impression in Borderlands 3. Characterization in Borderlands 2 was often handled by a character’s actions or even in the mission structure itself. In this game, people are much more likely to just tell you who they are instead of showing you. If someone is bad, they’ll let you know. If someone likes cars, that’s what they’re going to talk about. It’s all very blunt, leaving little room for the player’s imagination. The sparks of joy and malevolence that helped past is a photocopy of the earlier entries that’s missing the attention to detail that made those games so special. Overall it seemed like the developers tried to focus more on the gameplay rather than bringing something new to the table for the writing. This translates to amazing gunplay and beautiful landscapes in the weirdest art style, but left with boring villains and uninteresting side characters.
simple interactions between characters. The only good part about the movie was that they didn’t force a romantic relationship on Henry, even though they made it seem like they would in the beginning, which was very awkward. Danny, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, looks to be in her twenties where Will Smith is and looks like he’s in did not share any on-screen chemistry. They instead were just partners with a very weird relationship that, the pair did not seem to share any on-screen chemistry in either scenario. The whole movie was fairly pointless. The directors and writers should have waited to make this movie until they had the right script and technology to accurately depict the cloning. With more character and story development, it would have time to make “Gemini Man.” It was a very unfortunate that this was not it and even more so that it was such a disappointing release.
16
The Talon
October 2019
thetalonohs.com
By NICK FELIDES
his coworkers and scares *SPOILERS* Mid 2018, the Internet was taken aback “Joker”. No fan was asking for this to be a movie,
were not excited for taking
do not achieve either. Those movies did
not
be invested in the characters,
that manage to do both.
and giving him a concrete
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIRED.COM fans and even comic book
that
the
director,
Todd Joker.
be nice at times. Sometimes,
a message and he achieved
This movie does not serve to serve the character, which
shoots an innocent TV star
By CHRIS BONIFAZ
Mario Kart is amongst the greatest of the Nintendo
micro transactions. Micro transactions can be
the game stagnates after
iteration of the game has of stars gained, and are in This new version of the game, however, has come the best items in the game,
choosing the best items for PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM
the game than ever before. boosts.
direction.
not come back to the game
Instead
of
having
fans of the game defend it the game and have the time
PHOTO COURTESY OF NINTENDOLIFE.COM
Sports 4
thetalonohs.com
Page 17
Football perseveres through tough season By ROHAN PATEL
Editor-in-Chief
Varsity
Football is ingrained in the culture of every high school. It can bring a school together and rouse up school spirit. Although the OHS varsity team has struggled throughout the season, their drive and motivation are still visible, and they continue to bring more excitement to their school. OHS heads into their game against Mountain Ridge on Nov 1 with a 2-7 record, coming off a 3516 loss against Liberty. While the season has been underwhelming, quarterback Dylan Simonton, senior, feels the team has still accomplished some of their goals. “Obviously [our season hasn’t gone the way] we wanted it to, but it being senior year, our goal has really just been to have fun and enjoy this last year we have with our team, and I
think that we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that,” Simonton said. The season has also allowed players to create a lasting connection with their teammates, which will help improve their chemistry on
“Our goal was to make playoffs, but instead we’ve built a really good bond with our teammates and we have a family,” said Daymian Stewart, junior. However, while their record may not showcase their progress, the players still feel like they have made great strides this season against some of the best teams in the state. “I think it’s pretty clear that we can compete with these teams. Like Pinnacle is one of the top ranked teams in this league, so is Chaparral, so is Perry. And I believe that we played pretty well against them, even though the record doesn’t show that,” Simonton said. Stewart attributes their
growth to the standards their coaches have set for them, as well as their hard work in all aspects of the game. “Well, each side of the ball has pillars, like for example, defense is ‘Finisher’ and ‘Relentless Effort’, and offense is ‘Protect the Football’, so if we just stick with the pillars we’ll be good As the seniors head into the last couple games of their high school career, they are both excited and sad as they wait to see what lies ahead. “It’s a bittersweet type of thing, being in the program for four years and then it’s this close to being over; it’s kind of scary,” Simonton said.
JV
The JV team stands at 3-4, as they recently lost to Tucson 33-22. Just like the varsity team, the JV team has been able to develop chemistry between players. “Football brings you together and I feel like since we’ve been playing together for a long time it’s really built that bond.,” said Cole Schemel, sophomore. Their trust in one another “It really helps. I feel like it hypes us up, and boosts our
PHOTO BY ISABELLA FOSTER OHS gets ready to snap tha ball against Boulder Creek on Sept 20.
By CHASE WYATT
Boys
Boys’ golf kicked off the season tremendously and season strong with these next few games. The golf team has been averaging scores only a couple strokes above par, throughout the season.
In the past two matches, they placed second at the Chaparral Invitational, and fourth at the Dobson Invitational. On Tuesday, Oct 22, the team will host Mountain Ridge and Liberty at the 500 Club for the last game of the regular season. The team is coached by history teacher, Uriah Cross, who, as quoted by him, “is
PHOTO BY CHASE WYATT Devin Osinski, senior, tees off at the 500 Club on Oct 22.
harder,” Schemel said. In order to close out the season strong, the team feels that they must continue to work hard and be attentive to detail. “We got to execute on all
the best.” Max Lyons, junior, has been on the team since his freshman year. He feels the golf team is a great experience for him, and has really enjoyed the team this year as a whole. going to be state contenders and we have a lot more depth than last year. All the guys are supportive, and it’s nice that we get to work hard as a unit, and it’s pretty cool to see everyone on the range, helping each other with their angles and such,” Lyons said. Matthew Rodi, senior, has been playing golf for most of his life and grew up around it. He’s been playing since his freshman year and feels that the team this year is going to go all the way. “Overall, we’ve performed very well; everybody’s doing their part this year, so that’s
PHOTO BY ISABELLA FOSTER An OHS defensive back makes a tackle against Mesa on Aug 23. sides of the ball and get in “It helps because we don’t the end zone,” Schemel said. have all these distractions for The JV team’s next game the day; we just get right to will be at home on Oct 24 football,” said Aiden Alvarez, against Liberty. freshman. Most importantly, the team Freshmen Every morning, freshman has developed a family-like football players start bond that will be useful in their day with hours of years to come. “I think we’re doing good practice. Their dedication has translated to success on as a team. We’re coming together like a family,” record, despite playing some Alvarez said. The team is coming off a of the premier teams in the 50-12 loss against Liberty state. Their early morning and will play at Mountain practices have helped the Ridge on Oct 30. *Due to The Talon going to team both on and off the print, scores for the Mountain opportunity to solely focus Ridge game can be found on AIA365.org. on football.
a good sign to how well the team has been. We’re winning state this year,” Rodi said.
Girls
Girls’ golf team started out rough, but has since made up for it by playing phenomenally in their past few matches. The girls’ team is a small but hard working group of only nine players, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. On Oct 3 they played in Cornville at Mingez Union High School, in which most of their players placed in currently in playoffs. Sydney Dzwonkoski, senior, feels that she has up a club in her sophomore year. “I feel I have exceeded my expectations and have accomplished my goals. Looking back to when I
started in my sophomore year, and I had never picked up a club or done anything and now looking back on this year, I have done a full 360 transformation,” Dzowonkoski said. Kaelah Clothier, senior, has felt that the team has made great improvements since the beginning of the year. She loves this team more than anything, and believes them to be as close as a family. “Our swings, in themselves, are getting better. And we’re having better contact with the ball and the end result is a lot better. More of our shots are going straighter and farther than before. It’s a lot of underclassmen, and they bring a light humor to the team that us seniors don’t have. It could be a dead silent bus, and then they’ll suddenly make a weak joke that just makes everybody laugh,” Clothier said.
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The Talon
October 2019
By LEXI GASS
After a season full of highs and lows, the OHS a bang, scoring a win against Boulder Creek High School. The team has fought hard against many other schools in season with Varsity having a record of 6-8 and JV having a record of 7-3.
Varsity set of competitors, the badminton team faced each challenge bravely and learned from every match set their way, according to Serena Hernandez, senior. “We worked our butts off this season,” Hernandez said. “We’ve put blood, sweat and tears into this, and we’ve all worked really hard to get where we are today, and I think that we’ve done the best that we could against
the amount of talent that we’ve played.” The two teams practiced and played together, creating a strong bond throughout the whole team. “It was really fun being the role model and mentoring [the underclassmen].” said Lauryn Edrington, senior. “I really enjoyed working and playing with the new kids and teaching them the game that I love.” Their home game on Oct 15 against Chaparral High School was the senior night for the varsity team. Hernandez shares how she feels sad to leave the team behind. “It was sentimental knowing it’s my senior year,” Edrington said. “I tried my best to imporve every game and to make the best of everything.”
was like playing the game against other teams. Many,
thetalonohs.com
like Darshana freshman, have
Sripathi, found a
JV
For many on the JV team, got to experience what it
PHOTO BY LEXI GASS A girl on the badminton team throws the birdie in the air to serve it over.
given me.”
really well; I really like my team and the coaches,” Buman said. The team’s future is looking extremely bright for all the players. As of now, it’s really only up from here for the JV volleyball team. “Personally, my goal is to get recruited and play volleyball in college,” Buman said.
By NICK FELIDES
Varsity
The OHS girls’ volleyball team is aiming higher than ever as they set big expectations for themselves going into this season. It seems they’re only going up from here, seeing their 3-2 victory against Chaparral, on Oct 24. It’s clear that this year’s team is striving for success in many facets. Keeping their heads straight and keeping their eye on the ball has really helped this team succeed. Seeing as there aren’t any seniors on the team this year, it seems to help close the age with the players. “Half our team is sophomores and [the other half] juniors; we have no seniors. I think we all get along really well and I feel like that’s why we’re doing so well,” said Shayla Lee, junior. Communication is a must and the team works in many ways to strengthen their already powerful bond. “We do team dinners sometimes; we do them every two weeks whenever we don’t have games,” Lee said. “We’ll go to someone’s house and
love for the game and the exhilaration that comes along with playing it. “I love badminton,” Sripathi said. “It’s really fun to play opposing teams and go to their schools. I like the challenges that you have while playing. There’s a rush you get when the game gets super close and you want to win.” For many girls on the team, this season was a chance to grow into a better athlete by playing teams all around the Valley. “It’s a really cool experience getting to play with other people who are at different levels of skill, because then you get to see what you need to work on to grow,” said Maia Gilchrist, senior. “This year I learned a lot about serving, or with knowing where to put the bird during a match, so it’s really just been great to feel the kind
Freshmen
A season of adversity is upon the freshmen team for girls’ volleyball. However, injuries have become the biggest detriment to the team’s overall success. “The biggest struggle was
PHOTO BY ISABELLA FOSTER The girls volleyball team goes to hit the ball back across the net in their game against Chaparral High School. just hang out and have dinner the end goal is, which would a record of 15-0. Keeping and stuff.” be a state title,” said Rylee this clean streak for the rest Not only are the players Holtorf, junior. Having this of the season is nothing but aiming for their own goals, realistic at this point. but they’re also supporting the team thus far. It’s always “Right now we are the younger players. important for teams to have a undefeated, with only two “Sometimes, before games, solid vision to work towards. games left, we’re planning we’ll take some of the “Every practice, we go in younger girls for lunch before with the mentality to get undefeated,” said Finley a game,” Lee said. The team better, and in the games we Buman, freshman. chemistry is as strong as it compete the best we can,” There’s no doubt the team can be. Holtorf said. wouldn’t be where they are “Our motto has kind of without people willing to JV been having a 20/20 vision The JV volleyball team is support them. and just focusing on what riding a wave of success with “So far the season is going
starters for injuries,” said Tanah Wright, freshman. But that doesn’t seem to be plaguing the team’s positive attitude and chemistry. “Our season is going good… and my personal goal is just to get my injuries better, so I could play,” said Reese Holtorf, freshman. Though the season has seen its ups and downs, the team is only looking up from here. Currently 7-8, the team still maintains a bright mindset and outlook so far. “We’re all really good friends and love joking with each other,” Wright said.
The Talon
thetalonohs.com
As usual, team bonding is
Photography Editor
This season has the OHS swim team continuing on a high note, bringing in faster swimmers and new preparation techniques for the rest of the season. Considering there is no dive team this year, all the focus is on the boys’ and girls’ swim teams. With high anticipation, expectations are high and the swimmers things. Swimmers are being put through harder practices that a new coach and practicing is pushing themselves harder and harder. To hopefully reach their own personal goals. “At practice, we are pushing ourselves harder personally. I can see it around the team as well; it’s helping us get better,” said Tyler Roberson, junior.
19
Swim Takes a Deep Breath
PHOTO BY ISABELLA FOSTER By ISABELLA FOSTER
October 2019
that each swimmer has fun throughout the season is the secret to involvement and success. “We are incorporating a lot of team bonding this
I enjoy most is the friendship across the team and the relationships that have come from it.” Friendship seems to
“I made a bunch of friends on the swim team and that’s why I continue competing; I enjoy it, the completely
worth
while,”
herself in this important position, has really enjoyed the opportunity to help improve the team. With her fellow captains, improving
it as fun as possible because that is the only way people want to practice,” said Sophia Lee, senior. The swim team is not just about success; each and every swimmer has their own reason for participating. Most of the swimmers on the team did not join because of the success, they joined because
for laughter and fun. “I enjoy getting to come up with ideas with my fellow captains for our team as a little more interesting,” Lee said. As the season continues, the OHS swim team is going
member becoming fantastic friends with each other is them. “I joined the swim team to originally get into good shape, but now it has evolved into a friendship across the whole team,” said Thomas Lees, junior. “What
“The season is going great; everyone is doing really well and we have been placing well at all of our meets,” Lees said. Being a captain of the
PHOTO BY VERONICA ELTON the swim team. Roberson seems to enjoy that aspect of swimming the most. He effort and not something only for each individual person.
Roberson said. It seems as if techniques have
their been
swimmer is consistently dropping time and placing at meets.
doing their best at each and every meet while they continue to throw some fun into the mix every once in a while. “We’re going to continue best and doing the best we can,” Roberson said.
Cross Country Speeds to the Finish Line to get a couple seconds off
By PEYTON THOMPSON
Editor-in-Chief
days, so you just try to get a feel for that and then when
With this season coming to a close, cross country continues with an excellent season due to their achievements in their meets. However, as the season is coming to a close, time pressures athletes to
what you’ve got to hit timesenior. of discipline to be successful in the sport. Practicing and getting faster everyday is essential if an athlete wants to improve. “Because it’s all distance running, and running is a very conditioned sport; if you miss one day of practice
order to end this season on a good note. As the season moves their hardest in practice to attain faster times, and beat their previous times. Much of team’s performance at meets.
your time. So it is important to run every single day and
have probably gone better. But as a team, everyone is doing pretty good, getting new PR (personal records).
are prescribed. Otherwise you will not run the time you want,” Merrill said. Overall the team has performed well. With attaining new PRs and
progressing pretty well,” said David Merrill, senior. Although cross country is primarily an individual sport, there are additional circumstances which bring the team closer together and foster team spirit. “A lot of the things we do biggest thing. But we also do pasta dinners the night before activity,” Merrill said. Team spirit is important when it comes to meets.
meets, a successful end to the season is promising. This season will end with the PHOTO BY MACY SANCHEZ sidelines.
junior. A lot of what the team does
past
single time there is a race, we
runner’s success comes from the encouragement their teammates provide from the
there at different parts of the course cheering the person on,” said Allena Fugatt,
in practice plays into how they perform at meets. It especially counts when trying to beat their previous time. “In practices we just try
cheering on their teammates propels
participants
hopefully allow the team to qualify for Sectionals on Nov 6. good. I’ve run some faster times, which is nice, and then we have a couple more meets
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