Sandra Day O’Connor High School
25250 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85083
Volume 15. Issue 2. December 2016
thetalonohs.com
Stugo store comes to an end By AUDREY SERRANO
Features Editor
Column story
OC Fall Sports Standuts Page 19 Photo Courtesy of AZ Central
Once Upon a Mattress Review Page 15
Pages 10 - 11 Arizona votes to increase minimum wage Art by Kasey Cross
By ETHAN GILCHRIST
Managing Editor
Minimum wage jobs are common amongst upperclassmen across campus. The Arizona minimum wage will be increasing 50% to $12 by 2020. This significant change is guaranteed to affect the economy and many students and teachers have worries and hopes for it. On Nov. 8, 2016 Ariz. passed Proposition 206 with 418,694 more votes for yes. The proposition will increase minimum wage to $10 next year and then incrementally increase to $12 by 2020. It will also guarantee paid sick time to employees. “Overall I wish it didn’t pass because, yeah, I’m making money right now and even though I’m making more money everything else is going to cost more. It’s pointless,” said Israel Mock, junior and employee at Chick-Fil-A.
“By the time I get older, money’s going to be even less valuable than what it is [now].” Mock will see no effect on his job other than the wage increase and does not take sick days. Aileen Cortez, senior and shift leader at Papa Murphy’s, didn’t want Prop 206 to pass either but has different feelings on sick days. “I think paid sick time is great because you know things happen and it really affects you and your family when you have to miss days because you’re sick,” Cortez said. Not all students are keen on the negatives, and Isabella Wagner, junior and IHOP server, said the proposition “means a lot.” “I’m going to get paid more and it’s going to be a lot easier for me to pay for my own stuff like car insurance,” Wagner said. There is no guarantee as to what the effect on the economy will be, but Cor-
Photo by Travis Roberstson
PHOTO BY ETHAN GILCHRIST Aileen Cortez, senior and shift leader at Papa Murphy’s, gets ready to wrap a pizza and give the customer step by step directions on baking.
tez said small businesses may not be able to handle the new cost and has already seen the effect on her own wage. “I will be making more money, but I just got a raise recently. My boss will not be adding my raise onto my $10 an hour,” Cortez said. Government and Eco-
nomics teachers weigh in on Prop 206 Richard Weyker, Economic and Government teacher, provided his perspective on what this means for students. “It means that for some students they’ll receive higher wages for entry level jobs and for some Jump to Page 5
The Stugo store is one of OHS’s signature spots as it provides items that appeal to the students such as snacks and an array of school-spirited merchandise, but this year the store is being closed. The store had opened late, allowing students to come in starting at the beginning of November, only to be shut down just a little more than a month later. “We weren’t really sure if we were going to have it again because of problems like miscommunications with admin about stuff,” said Demi Hulsebus, sophomore Stugo member, “so we had to figure out what we could have in the store and what times we could have it open.” The Stugo store had also sold candies and many unhealthy snacks, which soon became popular among students but a problem with the administrators. “Last year, we were allowed to sell not school-approved items but this year we have to use all school-approved items,” said Baylor Gibbs, junior and Stugo treasurer, “They’re not exactly bad food but they’re basically the same stuff the cafeteria sells.” Aside from the issues with what was being sold, the times of when the store was going to open was a problem. “Last year we were open during [both] lunches which was very successful because everyone would come in and get food but they [admin] didn’t want us competing with the cafeteria so we were only allowed to open in the morning,” Gibbs said. As the store is not getting as much profit as it did last year, the descicion has come to a close and there will be no Stugo store for the 2016-2017 school year.