the view _ february
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February 2011
February 2011Desert Vista High School
Future Life Savers
OPIN
IONS
NEW
S
Talented TSTDC members rigorously
rehearse to prepare for national
competitions.– page 2
Desert Vista High SchoolThe View
SPOR
TS
Go toDVThundermedia.com
for more news, slideshows and more!
FEAT
URES
Learn more about basketball player
Danny Powell, this month’s featured
athlete.– page 7
People show way too much
PDA. Read what students think in a Valentine’s Day
opinion.– page 4
Are newspapers still important? Possibility of
Internet taking over The View.
– page 3
Dash for Darfur
by Isabelle TuliStaff Writer
Isabelle Tuli/The View
Volume 15, Issue 5
by Jessica TuellerStaff Writer
STAND race to raise for genocide victims in Africa on Saturday
Nine o’clock on Saturday, January 29th, students braved the cold morning and dashed for Darfur. “This is the 5th annual Dash for Darfur,” said STAND sponsor Laurie Wi-esinger. “The money raised by this event funds several programs that help victims of genocide, primarily in the Darfur region of Sudan.”Volunteer Japna Ahuja said
“We’re just making everyone aware of what’s happening and raising money for the kids there who are being affected.” Although the race is STAND
sponsored, National Honor So-ciety members Japna Ahuja and Hayley Schwartz showed up to help. “They have some NHS volunteers here for hours,” said Schwartz, “but STAND runs it.”STAND has been fundrais-
ing for the people suffering in
Darfur every year of Ahuja’s highschool career. “I was in STAND freshman year and then sophomore year I was a student representative. Then this year we’re (Schwartz and I) just helping out because we’re in NHS. So I’ve been involved for three years.”
This year, appearances were few. Ahuja guesses that twenty runners showed up. They’ve had bigger turn outs other years, but this year was less advertised. Hopefully more people will
show up next year to help STAND fundraise for this cause.
Jessica Tueller/The ViewThe fi rst runner comes in cheering after one lap around Desert Vista campus at the fi fth annual Dash for Darfur 5k run.
HOSA prepares for competitions and careers
Nicole Salsburg/The View
Angel Lam, president of the HOSA club, studies with Brandon Djaja, to ensure excellence on the upcoming online testing.
Imagine the feeling of accom-plishment one might have if he or she saved a life. Right here, right now, students are working hard learning how to work with medicine and save lives. The Health Occupation Students of America club, also known as HOSA, meets every other Tues-day after school. HOSA gives students the ability to study medicine, and it supports skill development through state and national competitive events. Every year HOSA has a State
Conference and a National Conference. In the past, there have been many individual successes. “It’s hard to prepare for
these competitions because other schools have special daily classes that supports the study of medicine. Whereas, our club only meets once every other week,” explained HOSA sponsor Mrs. Brigit Musheno. Having such little time to work
by Nicole SalsburgStaff Writer
shows that these members have a lot of commitment. These hard working students must fi nd time on their own to study and prepare for these competitions. They dedicate their spare time to study life science, but it pays off; HOSA has won fi rst place in the National Conference in the past. Soon there will be online
testing for the HOSA club. However, filling in bubbles isn’t the only thing they work to accomplish. “During com-petitions, competitors have to perform real life saving moves, such as CPR, to real people in the room, in front of judges,” said Musheno. The students who score highest on the online test make it to the State Conference. The top three people in State advance to Nationals, which will be happening in April. HOSA defi nitely opens up
many great opportunities for students If you’re interested in anything from public speak-ing to performing a life sav-ing medical treatment, HOSA might just be your beaker of tea.
Participants were able to choose from a variety of char-acters to play with.
Brawl Tournament Anime club hosts the Super Smash Bros Brawl
The smell of cheese pizza wafted through the crowded classroom and all eyes were diverted to the front screen. It was after school on Friday, January 28 and the annual Su-per Smash Bros Brawl tourna-ment was in full motion. The event was happily hosted by the anime club, “The best part of being the instructor of this club is seeing the students hav-
ing fun,” said Stephanie Smith, who has sponsored the club for a year and a half, referring to the dedicated members: “The students are a great group and are self suffi cient.” The widely popular game,
Super Smash Bros Brawl, is the third installment in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros series. It is a unique crossover fighting game for the Wii where you can choose your fi ghts location and Continued on pg. 2 “Brawl”
February 2011
Speech Warriors Worldly Lack
The View
by Jessica TuellerStaff Writer
AP World History no longer offered
To-be-sophomores crowd into the auditorium and take their seats as a counselor pulls up a PowerPoint. As everyone opens their booklets, she says, “Oh, and cross off AP World History. It will not be offered next year.” Many students expressed
confusion and disappointment at this announcement. The lack of AP World means that all sophomores will be required to choose between Honors and Regular World History/Geography instead. “I am very disappointed that
AP World History will not be offered,” said freshman Rajeev Parvathala. Parvathala is cur-rently taking the elective credit AP Human Geography. It is the only social studies class offered to freshman, and it’s 35 students are eager to stay on the AP track. Parvathala con-tinued, “I was looking forward to taking a rigorous course on world history and being able to get AP credit for it, but now
Jessica Tueller/The View
TSTDC prepares for National Qualifiers
Jason Cowan, Tony Garvey, Jay Raju, and Corrine Carlton (left to right) practice Public Forum Debate, preparing for a tournament at Central High School.
by Nicole SalsburgStaff Writer
Best way to brawl
2 NEWS
It’s 9:00 at night and there are still students acting their hearts out in the black box in the A building. Who are they? The Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company stays after school most days of the week and works hard, to prepare for upcoming tournaments.On February 5th 2011,
the team traveled to Central High School, to compete against 40 other Arizona high schools. Many indi-viduals competed suc-cessfully, becominging finalists (in the top six). “When I’m on stage this rush of ex-citement comes over me,” said sophomore TSTDC member Kyle Fisher. “As I hear the other competitor’s names be-ing called, I get more and more anxious as I get closer to the top. When they announce what I place I got, I am just really happy that I made it this far.”Others took home the big
trophy, coming in first place in their event, whether it be in acting, speaking, or debat-ing. Desert Vista also won the
that won’t be possible.” Another AP Human Ge-
ography student, freshman Jennifer Zhang, was also disap-pointed: “Coming from other school districts, I have noticed AP World History to be a rather universal class that I was look-ing forward to taking . . . and while the Honors World History course might make up for this, the course still cannot be as fast-paced and as in-depth as AP World History would be.” Complaints have also arisen
because 2014 will be the first class without this course op-tion. It is, as Zhang said, “un-fair.” But why did AP World His-
tory suddenly drop off the course list? Mrs. Schmidt said that it is a personal subject: “I made the decision to stop teaching the course, no one made it for me.” Overall, it is Mrs. Schmidt’s class and her decision, but that won’t stop many students from being dis-appointed. Right now, AP World History
is gone, and does not seem to be coming back.
tournament sweepstakes, col-lecting the highest ranks overall throughout the day. This March is the National
Qualifiers, where students compete for the spot in the National Tournament, held in Texas over the summer. Prepar-ing for National Qualifiers takes a lot of work and commitment. “Preparing for State and Nat Quals is hard,” said Fisher, “but
I just try to get as much coaching sessions as I possibly can. I am putting up a new piece and I am trying to think creatively, and might bring an actual door in for a prop. I am also re-cutting my pieces and making them as close to perfect as I can.” This has been a very successful
year for this talented company, but it’s not over yet. At Nation-als, only the top people in each
event get to compete. How are the best determined? Through the National Qualifier compe-tition, this year to be held at Glendale Community College. TSTDC is working hard so they can spend summer at Speech and Debate camp, and take first place at the National Tourna-ment. Even though for some, they have seen the last tourna-ment of the season, others will
still be working hard the rest of the year. Most will even begin preparing their pieces for next year. “The best thing about
State, and all tournaments really, is the experience,” said Fisher. “It is vital in any career and especially Speech and Debate. We are competing against high quality people throughout the state, and when we make it to finals, it’s a great feeling to say you are one of
the best in the state.”If you have any interest in ar-
guing about politics, presenting on a subject you have a passion for, or acting out characters from funny or dramatic plays, TSTDC is just the club for you. Join the team next year, and you too could be standing on a stage in front of tons of people accept-ing first place and holding that trophy in your talented hands.
Continued from page 1
the character you want to battle with. The object of the game is simply to knock your opponent off of the screen. Those who attended the event had to pay only a 3 dollar fee to
participate, with an added bonus of delicious pizza. And with a little extra pay, a plethora of sodas and chips. The players could choose from a variety of well known characters, from Mario to Pikachu, to battle their formidable opponents with. With a six minute time limit, the contestants fought for best two out of three to move on to the next round. The winner would walk away with a $20 gift certificate, a ribbon declaring first place, and best of all, a little Yoshi stuffed animal. The runner up would receive a $15 gift card. Come join the anime club every Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
in room C-108 to experience a taste of Japanese culture.
Nicole Salsburg/The View
“The best thing about State, and all tournaments
really, is theexperience.”
Professors Packing Heat
A view of The View
by Kelly BodineStaff Writer
Proposed bill would put classrooms in the lime light and students in danger.
Jared Loughner bought his gun legally. He was carrying it in a legal fashion. The extended clip, which allowed him to spray bullets into the crowd, was also obtained legally. Loughner was obviously not of sound mind, yet he was allowed to purchase and carry his fi rearm into point blank range of the United States Con-gresswoman he intended to as-sassinate. His actions caused the death of nine people including a nine-year-old girl. A brief mental health exam, or background check of his digital footprint, would have given more than enough concern to keep him from buying a semi-automatic pistol. The shooting left the country shell-shocked, but is it enough to lobby for higher regulations?The second amendment of the constitution guarantees Ameri-cans the right to bear arms, but how far should that right extend. Should they be allowed in bars? How about nursing homes? Should they need a permit? Ari-zona has the some of the loosest gun laws in the Union. Therefore, it is not surprising that events like the Tucson Tragedy occur within our state. Even still, a bill has been proposed in the Arizona legislature that would expose us to even more violence. If Columbine taught us any-thing it should be that schools are no place for fi rearms. Desert Vista security guard, Jim Snow, is convinced that having fi rearms present on campus would create an unacceptably dangerous at-mosphere. “If you are not trained extensively in gun use than you
by Joseph BeckStaff Writer
The Good, the Bad, and the Others
February 2011
The View OPINIONS 3
by Mason RobertsStaff Writer
Teachers, instructors, educa-tors, whatever you choose to call one, we have all had them at some point and most are good, others seem to be something from the ninth circle. You might be wondering what it is that makes a quality teacher versus that inhumane dog herder. Well I embarked on a school wide search for answers. It lead me to some pretty interesting opin-ions. For starters, I personally
believe a good teacher requires a set of traits. Of course the need to be patient is on the list,
but the need to have integrity as well as a charitable heart, and a kindness that knows no bounds. helps too. There has to be a certain curiosity that shows while you are trying to learn from them, they are trying to learn from you and about as much experience as can fi ll a gallon jug. Now I know a bad teacher by
the look in his or her eye, the at-titude he has as he marches into the room giving off a presence of anger and I think, a hint of...jealousy? But enough about my opinion let’s hear from some of our interviews. “My instructors need to be
Kelly Bodine/The ViewHallie Johnson enjoys this January’s issue of The View.
People need to know what is going on in the world around them. I hate being out of the loop. Thankfully The View is written specifi cally to share the secrets and knowledge that sur-rounds our lives. It’s the job of the staff to grasps all the details that we can and share. As media outlets change around the world, so does the concept of the school newspaper. “The View is an important part of our school,” Amanda King, Se-nior said “It keeps us up to date on everything here at DV.”Mr. Marrero, the Spirit and Stu-dent Council instructor added, “If The View can fi nd a way to transform itself to the era of tech-nology, such as Facebook, then it would still live, we long for what’s happening in our school.” Teens across the country are us-ing computers, iPods and smart-phones for communication. They don’t use paper as much as their
young enough to reach me, but know a lot about their subject,” said Arya Saba, a sophomore at Desert Vista High School. He seemed to be into a more relaxed, but still inspiring educational experience. “The worst teacher I ever had seemed incapable of fi nding our papers, and such a silver tongue he made us believe we were to blame.” Our friend Arya has had enough reliving of poor quality teachers, so I moved on. “In third grade I had this
teacher and she was the sweet-est old lady. She use to smell like warm jelly beans and she brought in a bunny every Friday named Mr. Snuggles,” said freshman student Kailyn Sanders. She clearly had a very cushy time with her teacher. I can’t wait to see who got on her bad side. “In sixth grade, my English
teacher was so awful. She assigned homework EVERY night! What kind of devil wor-shiper does that!?” Yes Kailyn, what kind of devil
worshipping teacher assigns homework? Our last interviewee is another
freshman named Alexis Con-
keyboards and touch screens. The View wants to lure in more of their readers as it’s stories make it to the websites that beckon teenagers to actively read, engage and become more civic-minded. The goal of the View is to work its way on to the screens of laptops and iTouches. It’s the direction that local and national newspapers are going at this time and it’s the direction that high school journalism and the schools they serve needs to embrace. The View in my opinion should do everything it can to keep Des-
ert Vista students coming back for more. That includes fi nding more ways to reach our audience. This place might seem like just brick walls and grey stairways, but everyone has a story. Stu-dents should have no reason to wonder about what is happening here. The school newspaper fo-cuses on bringing out the values, recognizes achievers, and letting people in on action. Issues can be found in class-rooms all over the school as well as the offi ce. All you have to do to believe me, is grab a copy.
are likely to use it incorrectly.” Furthermore, Desert Vista, like all high schools, has its share of fi ghts; and some and with more than just hurt feelings. Such scuffl es would become much more volatile when there are bul-lets fl ying instead of punches. Snow worked as a Special agent for the FBI for twenty years before becoming a security guard for our school. He is particularly concerned that the confusion could prove fatal when so many are reaching for their safety re-leases. “Once, while I was work-ing as an agent, we were pursu-ing a young man with a knife. The kid was warned to drop the weapon. When he didn’t, the offi cers behind me fi red 54 shots, only six hit their intended target. The other 48 hit a wall behind him.” The most frightening part of this scenario is that the people fi ring were trained professionals. The majorities of gun owners, however, are not trained, nor are they professionals by any defi ni-tion. That, added to the ease with which one may obtain a fi re arm in our great state, makes for a loaded powder keg. If you know where to look, an adult without any form of background or men-tal health check can legally obtain a fi rearm. Guns have been the beginning and end of many of our country’s great tragedies: Columbine, Virginia Tech, and the Giffords shooting. The an-swer is not more guns, but less. Proposing that guns should be present at school is not only fool-ish but irresponsible as well. For the overall health of the school system, it is imperative that this bill be shot down.
Questioning what it takes to categorize teachers
Mrs.Michele Stanley helps a student in her bio classMason Roberts/ The View
nors. “I have had a pretty fair batch of teachers every year,” she said. “No one teacher par-ticularly sticks out as great or not so great. But I did hear about this one teacher who locked a little girl in a jagged pipe room where you could not sit down, and there were no walls to lean on! It sounded horrible!” As it would appear the closest
Alexis came to a bad teacher was a movie about a psychic girl. I guess that bad teachers are harder to fi nd than I thought!I wanted to interview a teacher
to fi nd out some inside in-formation on how the teach-ers get hired, what kind of screening process they have to go through to get hired that sort of thing but I could not seem to fi nd an available teacher or offi ce offi cial. I guess for now it will remain
a mystery as to how some teachers gets their jobs and what rigorous challenges they face. So the real question is, what do you think makes a teacher good, bad or just plain ugly?
Find your True Love How
much is too much?
by Brittany WoolgarStaff Writer
by Chrissy GrandellStaff Writer
What’s your take on PDA?
Gross? Unnecessary? Or maybe even cute?
“Get a room!” is something of-ten shouted to students display-ing PDA. PDA is short for public display of affection. Everybody is so overjoyed that you got your-self a date, but is it necessary to let everyone know by your physi-cal actions? “I think it’s alright to give a quick kiss and hug goodbye, or hold hands across campus. But to have a rated R make out ses-sion in the middle of the hallway is just gross. Honestly, nobody wants to see that,” said freshman, Alexis Flesey. Most feel that PDA is really just inappropriate on a school campus, and that if it is necessary to do those kinds of things with a boyfriend or girlfriend, that it should not be done on somebody else’s time. “As gross and disgusting as I think it is, It’s one of those things that you can’t help but to stare for some reason,” said sopho-
more Jake Osmun. It seems that the couples do not mind their public display as much as all of the single people. Even teachers think it is inappro-priately awkward. “Ugh, can you spell blah?” said Rachel Proudfoot, PE teacher. “When I was in school, anytime you saw a teacher, you would stop holding hands or stop doing whatever you were doing. Now I guess the cultures
have changed. Students should be respectful. If students can remember that school is not a place for it. We should show our affections in other ways.” Obviously times have changed among teenagers, and different things are thought of to be acceptable. But according to students and staff of the Des-ert Vista campus, PDA, should be turned into PDA… personal display of affection.
Chrissy Grandell/The View
Around campus, PDA has become a frequent sight as students and teachers travel from class to class throughout the day.
Data Match is prom’s biggest fund raiser for a reason.
Shannon Masel/The ViewMikayla Greene, freshman, reads her Data Match after waiting in the long line.
To some students, data match is just another fund raiser to increase holiday spirit. But to
juniors and seniors, it is the main reason why they get to have such a fun prom. “Data match raises several hundred dollars. It’s our biggest fund raiser,” said Mrs. Boggs of prom commit-tee. Brenna Goodwin, a junior on prom committee, says that she will for sure be buying her results. “It is a really useful tool to help the lonely souls of Desert Vista fi nd their soul mates,” said Goodwin. Are the results accurate? Can you really fi nd your “true love”?
Shannon MaselStaff Writer
Well, maybe not. But you can fi nd a valentine that you can get along with. Japna Ahuja, junior, met her boyfriend of this year from Data Match last year. “We didn’t date or anything til this year, but last year when I bought my Data Match, it said that we were the perfect match,” said Ahuja. Not only is it helpful, but the survey is fun too. “My favor-ite question is “Who’s your favorite TV dad?” I guess what sitcoms we watch is important for compatibility,” said Sara Delaney, a member of prom committee. Help our seniors have an awesome prom, and fi nd a valentine along the way. The results from Data Match will be available for purchase for $3.
Partners In Crime (stopping)
Students come to school everyday with their boyfriends and girlfriends, but not all of the couples at Desert Vista are married and work together. Security guards Walt and Janet have been married for 28 years, and every morning they get up and come to work together like they have been for 17 years. The two met in 1983 when Janet walked into the bar that Walt was working at. They hit it off, and started dating. Five years later they decided to get married when Walt popped the question on a Dinner Date. “We got married in my dads backyard in July, it was great, but a little hot,” says Walt of remembering their wedding day. Walt and Janet have three children today, two boys and a girl. When
they are not working at school, or spending time with their family, the two enjoy spending quality time together. “We like to go to the movies and go on walks together,” says Janet. As Valentines Day approached they look back on all of the special moments that they have spent together. “My favorite memory of Valentines Day is when I had fl ow-ers delivered to her here at DV,” said Walt. It will be hard for him to top that this year! After being married for 28 years it is clear that this couple enjoys spending time together. For 17 out of those 28 years they have been getting up in the morning, going to work together, and going home to-gether. In all of this spending time together at DV they still fi nd time to go out and spend more quality time together. They are truly Desert Vista’s power couple. It is a match made in heaven.
February 2011 The ViewCENTERSPREAD 5 4
How How How PDA:
by Chrissy GrandellStaff Writer
We asked students around campus what they do when they like someone, and what they do when they don’t.
“When I’m into a guy, I fl irt a lot and become really awkward. When I don’t I don’t notice them around school. Some-times on purpose.”
“It might be a little weird, but when I like some-
one I wink, bat my
eyelashes. Blow kisses.
If they do not interest me I ignore
them when-ever I can.”
-Chloe McNeal
“When I like someone, I creep via Facebook/Formspring. All day long.When I don’t like someone, I run away, fast.”
-Luke Stratton
Heart-Shaped Memories
Whether it is a bad day, a good day or even a broken heart, there is always a song you can turn on and jam out too. Love songs have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, and they have always been a way for people to express their feelings without saying anything. Out of the ten best songs in 2010, picked by AOL, six of them are love songs. Sure love songs now have a differ-ent rhythm than love songs from the 1900’s but when you look at the lyrics, they are all saying the same thing. After asking some teachers at Des-ert Vista what their favorite love song was they came up with the following; Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi, Ev-ery Breath You Take by The Police, and What’s Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner. The songs previously listed are some of the most famous love songs of the 80’s and 90’s. Sure these songs have much different melodies and takes on the lyrics than music now, but they all seem to have the same meaning. Some of the songs students of Desert
Vista enjoy are; Love Story by Tay-lor Swift, My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dion, and Sparks Fly also by Taylor Swift. Love songs have differ-ent effects on people. And everyone likes them for different reasons. Sophomore Madi Nahmias says, “My favorite love song is Baby Blue Eyes by Rocket To The Moon because I love the lyrics and it has a great melody.” Other students enjoy love songs because it is an escape from reality. “I enjoy love songs be-cause they allow me to dream of that fairy tale ending,” says Sophomore Alyssa Goldberg. All in all love songs express feel-ings that people are sometimes to shy to hide. Whether it is from the 80’s or today, they can put you in a great mood.
by Brittany WoolgarStaff Writer
Everyone has a special memory, whether it’s your fi rst day of school or when you fi rst learned to ride a bike. But when it comes to well-known hol-idays, such as the famous Valentines Day, everyone has a special memory that was either shared with friends, or their “special” someone. With all of the memories that are cre-ated for ourselves, they certainly can make us smile, and make our day with the simplest of things. For many of our teachers, their fa-vorite memories from Valentines Day consisted of a happy memory from their early childhood. “My favorite memory from Val-entines Day was when I was in the second grade,” said English teacher Mr. Abgrall. “ We passed out valen-tines and I got a lot of them, and then shared them with others”. Whether the heart-fi lled day is full
of love, happiness, kindness, or all of the above, for many of us, a smile is planted right on our faces that others give us with the things that they do for us. For others, their Valentines Day memories were fi lled with laughs, un-usual costumes, and fl owers to make their day a little bit brighter. “My favorite Valentines Day memory was when I was in high school, and a man in a gorilla costume came to my house and delivered a rose that has a clip-on gorilla on it,” said Mrs. Leinberger. With all of the memories that are created for ourselves, they certainly can make us smile, and make our day with the simplest of things.Valentines Day is a day to celebrate your love for others and their love for you, but other than that, the memories that are created on that day can leave imprints on you forever.
Mia Vollaro
A lot of people do not look forward to the holiday. But are they throw-ing a party to denounce it?
What is so annoying about the day that it requires a party?I am single this year and don’t want a valentine. I just want to have fun with my friends.
What if someone asks you to be their valentine?I guess I’d invite them to my anti-valentine day party. But that would be weird.
Have you always disliked the holiday, or is it your relationship status talking?Well maybe it’s because I am single, but I still think that the holiday is super cheesy. Willy Carter
The classic guy: Willy sticks to dinner and fl owers for his sweetheart.
What is your favorite part of the holiday?The girls. And candy.
What is your dream date for Valentine’s day?Walk on the beach, a nice dinner, and, of course, a romantic helicopter ride through the city.
Do you fi nd V-day cheesy?Yes, but in the best way possible. You just have to have fun with it.
In your opinion, why do people hate Valentine’s day?They are bitter and think that no one wants to be their valentine!
Love Through Lyrics
Melissa Dean Staff Writer
Students aren’t the only one who have special Valentine’s Day memories, teachers possess them as well.
Melissa Dean/The View
Melissa Dean/The View
Do YOU Like or Dislike Valentines Day? Why?
-Ashlinn Vercelli
Abgrall
Abgrall
Leinberger
February 2011The View6 Campus News
Bank on itDesert Vista takes care of its own kind with $11,000 check
By Roseana CRuz
C
GettinG cancer was not how the nurse expected to spend this year. Getting this check from clubs will his helping her financially and really increased morale.
photos by Michelle Coro
Nurse Kennedy thanks Dr. Battle with an embrace. Kennedy drew a smile on her head. Overcome with emotionJean Kennedy accepts donation of check, gift card and sick days.
>>DV Community GiVes BaCk to one who CaRes. see sliDeshow on DVthunDeRmeiDa.Com
l u b s a ro u n d campus got a chance to aid a woman who al-ways helps those who are sick, be-
loved school nurse, Jean Ken-nedy, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Social Studies teacher and
Community Counts sponsor, Kathy Shamley organized the contributions which amount-ed to $11,175. It took about two weeks to collect all the donations, done right under Kennedy’s nose. She got the idea when Key Club made a donation to Mrs. Kennedy around Christmas time. “She gives everything up for
the students,” said Shamley. “So it was time for the students to give back.” Kennedy, was diagnosed
with an aggressive form of breast cancer in late No-vember. She’s had a double mastectomy and continues
to visit the doctor for regular Chemotherapy, radiation, and blood tests. This results in a $50 burden for each doctor appointment, $150 a week just for co-payments of what insurance will not cover, and can add up to $300 total for a week treatment. As Shamley noted, “Cancer is expensive.” On February 2nd, teachers,
counselors, administrators, and Brian Kennedy, Mrs. Ken-nedy’s husband, gathered in the counseling office to sur-prise the school nurse with the check. The recipient was invited to the event without any idea what was going on, but was obviously suspicious. “I didn’t know what was
happening but I thought I would try to make a happy face,” said Kennedy to the group. At this comment, she turned around and took off her hat, revealing a smiley face she had drawn on the back of her head, and the room roared with laughter. Finally, Shamley made the
announcement and handed her the check. “Cancer sucks” was written on the back of the envelope which contained the check. “It just seems unfair that
you [to Ms. Kennedy] should have to worry about money when you’ve got enough on your plate.”Kennedy was overwhelmed.
There were many shouts of “Oh my!” and “I can’t believe this!” In between tears of joy she expressed her gratitude toward her loving community at Desert Vista. “I could not have hand cho-
sen a better family in my life,” said Kennedy. “I feel like I won the lottery. My heart’s about to jump out of my chest.”Shamley brings up the sub-
ject of reconstruction after Kennedy’s mastectomy and hints that another fund will be necessary, saying “This may only be round one.”
School nurse fight to beat breast cancer
Prized Desert Vista athletes commit to college sports on signing day.
Michelle Coro/ThundermediaChris Gosselin, Nicole Adams, and Katelynn Tupponce hold up their athletic contracts.
Bright stage lights illuminate the faces of Desert Vista’s most rec-ognized athletes. Sitting behind red tables, their coaches put in a good word for them before the students sign with their future colleges. “This is a commitment for four years. So it’s tough to think about as soon as you sign that paper you’re making a com-mitment to play sports some-where far away from home and be there for a long time,” said Michael Ingrassia. This is not the only mentality toward signing those papers. There is also a huge optimism and relief when
by Michelle AbunajaStaff Writer
inscribing ones decision through a signature on paper. Signing Day was Wednesday, February 7, 2011, at Desert Vista and around the nation. Some athletes feel relieved and others still feel the stress of decision. “It was a cool atmosphere,” said Jalon Bibbs “people watching you sign and everything and just getting your decision out of the way and fi nally knowing what you’re going to do and where you’re going to go for the next four years,” Bibbs is ready to play football for Northern State University. Sean Coffi nger, plans to go to Columbia to play football and the only words he could get out were “I’m so excited,”
February 2011
The View7 SPORTS
Though that is not the same for football player and track runner Ingrassia who is still trying to fi g-ure out whether to play football or track. “I’d rather play football but my talent is more track based so I have a lot more opportuni-ties that way, so I’m kind of just, struggling to decide,” said In-grassia. Fortunately enough there is another signing day in spring so there is a “grace period” for athletes to make their decision. Though signing day is a huge event, planning for future college years that’s not the only thing some athletes have in mind. Jalon Bibbs plans to major in criminal justice while going to NSU. “Well everyone wants to go to the highest level when they’re
by Ellie BellStaff Writer
Athletes planning to take the fi eld or the court next year had to do some intense thinking, juggling and switching while registering for next year’s classes. Students were strongly encour-aged that if they plan to play next year, they need to take a specifi c Advanced Physical Education class according to their chosen sport. The plan is that students will be placed in whatever sport they play, such as all the tennis play-ers will be together and all the football players will be in a class. Students will enjoy the fact that they are training for their sport but they will also want to have been with their friends. “The new P.E. classes are weird,
Sports classes make students chose
Spotlight on: Danny Powellby Michelle AbunajaStaff Writer
Michelle Coro/ThundermediaMichelle Coro/Thundermedia
Pens ready for four-year commitments
Q. What college are you planning on going to?A. College undecided but is in between San Francisco Portland, central Michigan, and Stanford
Q. How did you get into basketball?A. “When I was little my dad took me up to the park and I saw the guys playing over there and I started playing with the them and started making friends over there, and playing with the older kids, and I did it and wanted to be the best at it and go all the way. Like that’s what every kid who plays it wants to do.”
Q. How old were you when you started playing basketball?A. “I was 7 years old”
Q. Do you play any other sports besides basketball?A. “No I don’t, just basketball”
Q. What makes you love basketball and keep playing?A. It’s a really rhythmic game, and it’s hard to explain. It’s just fast pace and its fun. Basketball is not like a sport like baseball where there’s a lot of stopped plays and stuff like that. It’s a lot of up and down and running and playing and its just rhythm you know? And its just great because
it’s a team sport so I mean. It’s just an exciting sport. Q. Recently you were recognized in the Ahwatukee Foothills News, how did it feel to be in the local paper?A. “It feels awesome to be in the Ahwatukee paper because I feel really welcome into the community since I just moved out here so that was cool to get that kind of recognition.”
Q. Where did you move from?A. “I moved out here from mesa.”
-Height: 6’7-Weight: 220 lbs
Michelle Abunaja/The ViewDanny Powell prepares to take a shot in Dv’s game against Mesa.
playing sports but realistically not everyone makes it but that would be awesome if I did,” said Bibbs. With that idea in mind he hopes to get a job in that fi eld.
they don’t make very much sense to me and I wish it was just the old way. If it’s for our sport, that’s why we got to a team out-side of school,” said Freshman Michaela Duarte. The system will be easier for the coaches and teachers to know what the kids are doing so they can all be on the same page with practices and workouts. “I don’t like the idea but if it means I will be better at my sport then I guess it’s okay,” said Freshman Courtney Hayes. It also means that counselors are going to have to work at get-ting athletes into classes that a student has chosen, or help them make choices if schedules can’t be worked out in a satisfactory way that everyone who wants to play and learn can live with.
Signing Day was a huge event for the notable athletes of Desert Vista. With pens ready they wrote in their signature and their decision for the next four years.
Staff/The View
From the bottom of my heart . . .Best (and worst) gifts to give to your valentine on February the 14th
by Nicole SalsburgStaff Writer
February 2011The View8 REAR VIEW
Hope you had a Happy Val-entine’s Day! When half the school kisses
their soul mate, and the other half weeps from seeing the happy couples. But I know the gift that could cheer anyone up on Valentines Day, single, or happily in love. Chocolates. Dark chocolate, light chocolate, chocolate with almonds, to chocolate with a fruit cream fill-ing. There is always a chocolate for everyone out there. Walk into a store this time of the year, and the first thing you see are big balloons and big cheesy stuffed animals. Although these things may be cute, no one
wants to carry them around school all day. But, if you round the corner of the shop, you’ll see walls and shelves, and shelves and walls, full of glorious chocolate. Chocolate in heart shaped boxes, and heart shaped chocolates in square boxes. Chocolates come in bags, and chocolates come in containers. Clearly, with so many different assortments of these delicious treats, chocolate is the best gift to get anyone on Valentine’s Day. There is a movie dedicated
to chocolate. You’ve heard of it, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Have you ever heard of the movie, Bob and the Big Bal-loon Factory? No, because the world favors chocolate. Look-ing to sweep a girl off her feet, or maybe get a guy to like you, 290 calories of pure goodness is the way to go! However, even
though chocolate may be the top gift, flowers are definitely the second best. With hundreds of different types of flowers in the world, it’s not hard to pick one, and be amazed. A rose says love, and a carnation says beauty. For those guys who are looking for a girl to fall in love before the first date, combine chocolates and roses, and they are all yours. Flowers are simple to get, and simple to give. So if you want the best Valentine’s Day ever, stick with your flowers and a heart shaped box of chocolates. And I suppose, if you want to go over the top, throw in a gigantic stuffed dog, and a balloon that says, “I love you.”It is clearly known that giving
chocolates and roses is the best gift to give on Valentine’s Day. But wondering what the worst gifts are? Although cakes may
by nice, what do they really mean? Honestly giving someone a full cake just for himself or herself is sweet, but it’s hurting them more than pleasing them. A sugary cake,
topped with a sug-ary icing, with cute little, sugary, words that say “Be Mine”, can add a few extra pounds to some-one’s day. With image being so crucial in high school, maybe giving someone a 4,000-calorie mini cake is not the best option. Dogs! Everyone loves dogs’
right? Especially big ones that are stuffed. Yes, it’s cute to re-ceive one, but think, ‘What am I actually going to do with this when I get home.’ It is prob-ably going to sit on the shelf in your closet, collecting dust. So instead, save your honey some money, and tell them all you truly want is chocolate. But if you are still obsessed with dogs, a small one with a heart dog tag would work just fine. All in all, any gift is sweet to give, but some just stand out among the rest.
OUT
Adriana Ramos
Best gift: Jewelry, especially necklacesWorst gift: Perfume, sends a message that I smell badFavorite part: Spending valentine’s day with my boyfriend
Marysa Leyva
Best gift: Flowers, especially rosesWorst gift: anything big or obnoxiousFavorite part: All the pink
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