October 2011

Manzano High School Volume LII Issue II

page 4

CAPTION HERE :)

Editorials on pages 6 & 7 pages 2 & 3

Critics’ Corner

Mr. Bortot and Mr. Cook taking the place of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Photo courtesy of Mr. Heimer

Prestige onstage with Foreigner. Photo courtesy of the MHS website.

At the end of September, Manzano’s Prestige choir had the privilege of performing with Foreigner, singing backup during the chorus for “I Want to Know What Love Is”, the band’s biggest hit. But how did this particular group come to sing onstage with a multi-platinum band? Rewind to the morning of August 29th: the class was beginning rehearsal for the fi rst choir concert when junior Evan Stoor announced that he had heard on radio station Coyote 102.5 that Foreigner was coming to Albuquerque and were looking for a New Mexico high school choir to perform with at the Hard Rock Pavilion. In order to Continues on

page 5.

Heather Fisk 2013

enter, choirs had to submit a video of themselves singing “I Want to Know What Love Is” by noon on Monday, September 5th. Excitement fl ew through the group. Although it was a great opportunity, Mrs. Erickson told the students they would have fi ve days to learn, practice, and record the song; it would require commitment as well as sacrifi ce, practice at lunch and after school. A vote was taken. Majority rules, and for the next couple of days, hours were consumed by practice, both at school and at home. After school Friday, Prestige stood in position dressed in red and black attire in front of a camera manned by

junior Adam Rougemont. After several takes, everyone headed home; all that was left was to wait. “We worked really hard,” said sophomore and Prestige member Amanda Porter. Among the schools that entered were La Cueva, Del Norte, Eldorado, and Sandia, along with Manzano. Each school made a YouTube account and uploaded their video onto 102.5’s website. Prestige returned to school on Tuesday, September 6th after the three day weekend, and that afternoon Coyote announced on-air that three out of the fi ve choirs that had entered had made it

A Prestigious Honor: Rockin’ the Pavilion with Foreigner!

No, it isn’t the Men in Black; it’s the Manzano Infraction Blitz, the new measure created by the seventh period collaboration to crack down on behavioral and dress code-related infractions on the Manzano campus. The Blitz is primarily focusing on issues such as the under-usage of ID cards, and dress code violations. The Blitz was the brainchild of the seventh period collaboration group as they were trying to come up with clever ways to come down hard on infractions while also trying to build positive relations with students. For those who don’t know, collaboration is a time where teachers meet in room C9 to brainstorm ideas and share data and experiences from their classes. The seventh period collaboration decided to enact the blitz based on data from a survey that was given last year to isolate the biggest problems at MHS. “We know that lack of respect was a problem,” said Andrew Cook, Manzano Spanish teacher and Foreign and Classical Language department chair. Mr. Cook is referring to results from that survey. According to the data, the biggest issue was that students did not respect the authority of their teachers, which meant that they were not inclined to listen to criticisms from the staff. The collaboration group thought it would be a good idea to increase the amount of supervision while also giving the students a reference that they could relate to. “If it (the Blitz) was going to have universal appeal, it had to be one that was universally recognized,” said Mr. Cook of the Blitz’s “Men in Black” parody. Mr. Cook and his collaboration group agree that the blitz will greatly benefi t the school. Mr. Cook said he sees no detrimental consequences coming

Neuralyzed:MHS’s new disciplinary measureSean Cairns 2012

Continues on page 4

PAW PRINTOctober 2011

Critics’ Corner2 *This year, the Paw Print is using an “A+ to F” grading scale.

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I don’t mind telling you that John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi -horror classic “The Thing”, starring Kurt Russell (“Escape from New York”), is the greatest horror movie ever made, because it’s the truth. So naturally, being of high opinion of the original fi lm, I was immediately interested when I heard a prequel was in the makings. (Side note: The 1982 fi lm was adapted from 1951’s “The Thing from Another World” based on the novella titled “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, Jr. For the purposes of simplicity and my own ego, when ‘original’ is used, it will be in reference to the 1982 fi lm.) The 1982 and the 2011 versions share an almost identical premise: the titular Thing is found in Antarctica by a group of researchers and when brought into base for closer examinations, the Thing awakens, wreaks havoc as it kills, devours, then takes on the form of whoever or whatever it eats. It then falls to the researchers to prevent the Thing’s escape from the frozen continent to civilized society, because if it should, as calculated in the original fi lm, it would take 27,000 hours, or 1125 days, for the earth’s population to be infected from fi rst contact, eventually resulting in the extinction of the human race. So what is the Thing? Good question. Well, as Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) fi nds out in the 2011 fi lm, the Thing is

initially a scorpion-type creature removed from an ice-cavern in Middle-of-Nowhere, Antarctica, frozen in ice for the past 100,000 years. Once in containment in the Norwegian-research base, the Thing’s body heat quickly melts the ice, allowing it to escape while all the researchers watch on dumbfounded. All right, now is it as good as the original? Truthfully, yes, to a degree. In the fi lm’s continuum, the events that take place in “The Thing” 2011 are only days away from the events that take place in “The Thing”

The thing about “The Thing”Billy Huntsman 2012

Billy’s must-see fi lm of the month: Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”

On September 23rd, theaters were fi lled with fans of handsome “Twilight” werewolf Taylor Lautner. But this time, Lautner took on the main role in “Abduction”, from director John Singleton. The fact that Singleton was nominated for both Best Director and Original Screenplay Ocars (Boyz n the Hood”) at the age of 24 says that he’s not a random person in the fi lm industry. If you saw “Boyz n the Hood” (1991), “Four Brothers” (2005),

No Abducted HeartsAnya Soboleva 2013

Billy is the Paw Print’s fi lm critic.

1982, hence the fi lm being called a ‘prequel’. Which, from the beginning, really puzzled me: if this is a prequel, and I’ve already

seen the original, and the fi lms are only days apart in terms of storyline, shouldn’t I be able to fi gure out the big plot-points in the prequel? Oddly enough, no. Because while there were certain points I was able to predict, there were also certain points that left me pleasantly surprised. Example: If I have a complaint about the original, it would be that it didn’t explore the sci-fi genre enough, which it should have, because it defi nitely has sci-fi characteristics—the Thing clearly being an alien, as well as in the prologue we see a fl ying saucer traversing

the stars above Earth. The prequel fi xed that; part of the ending of the fi lm is spent exploring the Thing’s spacecraft, which, even with its very intriguing CGI, isn’t even the highlight of the fi lm. The highlight of the fi lm, for me, because I’m a sick little gore-hound, were the special effects used when the Thing killed, ate, and transformed into people and animals. It’s a refreshingly graphic fi lm, which it should be, considering how graphic the original is, which is probably one of the leading factors as to why I like it so much. The only other fi lm I can think of that even comes remotely close to how graphic either “The Thing” 1982 or 2011 is, is Peter Jackson’s 1992 “Dead Alive” (a.k.a. “Braindead”), but that fi lm doesn’t have the seriousness required to make such gore effective. I would recommend watching the original prior to seeing the prequel, simply because of the amount of homages given to the original, as well as the ending, which is a direct segue into the original. That in particular struck me as special; because if you do see the original beforehand, you will see how all the props and even the location in the end-credits scenes of the prequel greatly resemble those seen in the beginning scenes of the original. Being that this is director, and Dutch fi lmmaker, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s fi rst big-budget ($35 million, as well as American) that attention to detail really impressed me. On a second side note, the fi lm’s credits are worth watching all the way through not only because of the scenes from the original fi lm, but

also because you will see all the actors’ and fi lmmakers’ names, most of which are of either Dutch or Norwegian or some other kind of Scandinavian/Nordic origin. Reading them and trying to pronounce them, I sounded like Helen Keller trying to read the newspaper to my dog while gurgling mouthwash and humming “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. At the end of the day, the fi lm is enjoyable, particularly the closer we get to Halloween. Even as I say all this, I can’t help but wonder if those back in 1982 who thought the 1951 version was what I consider the ‘82 version to be said the same things I’m saying about the 2011 prequel. Everybody out of the Way-Back machine, watch your step, exit’s on your left!

Anya is the Paw Print’s foreign exchange critic

or “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003), you c o u l d n ’ t wait for “Abduction” to enjoy a n o t h e r

genius thriller/action fi lm. But even Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley, “Alien”) or Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy, “Harry Potter”) couldn’t save the fi lm. The plot is pretty banal. All of a sudden, Nathan (Lautner) fi nds his child-picture on a site about missing people. He discovers that his parents are not his biological parents. And that’s when the

fun begins. Nathan starts running from bad guys; his psychologist, (Weaver) turns out to be a secret agent, and he’s getting closer with a girl he likes. Seems like all the weight of the world is on the boy’s shoulders. But why is everything turning this way? Nathan’s actual father stole a piece of important information, and, of course, the bad guy wants it back. To make the story more complicated, they couldn’t leave political subtext alone, so our evil dude is Russian. Nicola Kozlow, the owner of an almost Russian name (Russian: Nikolai) fi nds out that the information is on Nathan’s cell phone now. So Kozlow goes on an all-out manhunt for Nathan. One of the reasons for watching this movie was Jason Isaacs, of course, who played a gorgeous role of Lucius Malfoy in “Harry Potter” and as Nathan’s father in this fi lm. It was such a pleasure to see him. But the director decided not to indulge me and killed him in the fi rst 20 minutes. Not cool, I should say. Making the movie based on one actor’s star-power is a very risky task: it’ll be great or the fi lm will become an

epic fail. It always depends on the actor’s ability to make it shine. And Lautner, I think, killed the fi lm. (Team Jacob, please, don’t be mad at me.) Lautner didn’t put forth enough effort, pure and simple. He isn’t a lead actor, at least not yet. Every minute it seemed like he was going to become a wolf and attack ‘evil Russians’. Lautner never changes facial expressions or gestures. Sometimes you wanted to scream desperately a couple of suggestions, so he could look in the camera with the right face. Yes, he’s perfectly fi t, the shirtless moments are awesome, but this is not essential: you don’t have to have abs to be a good actor. The story of Nathan is a very emotional one, which was why Lautner was miscast. I’m afraid he’s stuck with Jacob’s Black character forever. Lily Collins (Lucy Pace, “Priest”), who plays Nathan’s girlfriend Karen, is young for the movies. Her experience is poor and her character was almost invisible. The movie would remain the same without her. Sigourney Weaver. You have to say

nothing, it’s enough to call her name, and people imagine the well-known face. Talent has a name. But in “Abduction”, I needed more Weaver. She had a really small part, which was frustrating. Alfred Molina (Doc Ock, “Spider-Man 2) plays a mean CIA agent, and did it well as usual. His character Burton really made me mad. But the only moment that really made me happy was when a group of Russians said a couple of Russian words. That was surprising. On the whole, the movie is not bad. Lautner’s fans, of course, will be satisfi ed completely. See it only if you have some free time.

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PAW PRINT 3October 2011

Critics’ Corner

“The Son of Neptune” ReviewAmanda Sims 2012 Hazel isn’t even supposed to be alive; Frank’s life is tied to a half burned stick; Percy’s is in the wrong camp. What do these three have in common? They’re demigods. And, as if that weren’t enough, they’re also three of the seven demigods from the ever-important, latest prophecy involving the end of the world. In the last novel in Rick Riordan’s “Heroes of Olympus” series, Percy Jackson had vanished. In this novel he returns—without his memory. The only thing he can recall from his past is one name: Annabeth. Hazel, a daughter of Pluto, can fi nd metal, jewels, gold, and anything precious material in the earth, but it comes with a price: the valuables are cursed. But there might be a way out. A long time ago, her father told her that a son of Neptune would free her of the

curse. Could Percy be the one? Frank has self-esteem issues. He’s large and clumsy and thinks he can’t do anything right—except archery. He is completely intimidated by Percy. But as it turns out, his heritage has the potential to make him even more powerful than a demigod of Percy Jackson’s caliber. There is a certain quality of expectancy when you pick up a Riordan novel. You know that the characters will struggle, begin to discover who they really are, travel around America, and make new friends. Despite how badly things get muddled up—the story will always have a positive outcome and will wrap up in one perfect little package leaving the reader craving the next book. “Son of Neptune” is no exception. Riordan has nailed the perfect pace.

Not too fast so the readers can’t keep up, but not so slow that we want to chuck the book at the nearest wall to make it more interesting. The dialogue between characters is witty and funny and that mood keeps the readers happily engaged even when the mood turns sour. It was, however, a little odd to have Percy’s narration in third-person instead of fi rst-person, like it was in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” It was strange at fi rst,

Uncharted FunBree Vargas 2013

“Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception” is undoubtedly one of the best Play Station 3 games made this year. The graphics are beautiful and really take you on an adventure through the eyes of Nathan Drake, the game’s hero. Not being a PS3 owner, I would buy a PS3 just to play this game every night. This game will blow your mind. When you fi rst open the beta you’ll notice an icon located at the bottom of your screen and by clicking on that icon you’ll be able to access trailers, game play, and interviews about “Uncharted 3”. This is not something you’re exposed to in every game’s beta and this is the fi rst time I’ve ever seen this before myself. I would’ve recommended checking out those videos before you played, but if you didn’t you really missed out. “Uncharted 3”’s storyline follows Nathan Drake who is exploring the Arabian Peninsula and the Rub’al Khali Desert in search of “Atlantis of Sands”. When the secrets of this mysterious place are uncovered, his plan of exploring turns into a new game of survival. The thought of fi ghting for your life in a place that’s never been heard of is hard to imagine, and Drake must face his biggest fears in this game. The game’s main setting changes from Europe to the Middle East; areas covered in ancient buildings among the land which is in a continual state of collapsing. The entire “Uncharted” series has never been reviewed as “bad” or “tasteless”; the storylines are complete and full of excitement, it’ll make you so eager to fi nish, but once you do you’ll regret rushing through it. This series has nothing but fun and spectacular adventure, and nothing is more than the greatest game series in existence. “Uncharted 3” has custom settings where you can create classes with your preferred choice of weapons, boosters, and kickbacks. You also have the choice of choosing

between heroes or villains for your class’ character and can even change the color of their cute Indiana Jones-like attire. The interesting thing about this beta is the game modes are constantly changing, whether it’s co-op or not. This gives players a different feel of the game instead of just releasing all the game modes at once and having gamers automatically deicide which mode is their favorite; each player gets a taste of every mode this game has to offer. The fi rst game mode that was released was Arena, which consisted of Gold Rush, Siege, and Survival. Gold Rush is basically just killing the opposing team while collecting treasure and bringing it back to your side of the map to earn more points. Siege is pretty simple: you and your teammates must be standing in a certain area and kill all of the opposing team within the given time limit. Survival is just like “Call of Duty”’s Zombies, but instead you’re in the “Uncharted” maps killing rounds of enemies. Other game modes in “Uncharted 3” are Team Deathmatch, Three Team Deathmatch, Free for All, Hardcore Co-op, Hunter Arena, and Co-op Adventure.One major problem the beta faced was that it would kick people offl ine and players could not re-access the multiplayer for some time. In

all reality, what game beta hasn’t kicked us offl ine or crashed our consoles? Almost every beta has problems, and crashing and failure to connect online is one of the major problems with any of them. Like any game, “Uncharted 3” includes ranks or levels, whichever you prefer to call them. The maximum level rank in “Uncharted” is 47. There was a rumor going around saying that 50 was the highest rank, but to clear things up it is indeed 47. This beta was released back in late June and was closed on July 1. Naughty Dog made sure that everyone who played the beta enjoyed it and is certain they will buy “Uncharted 3” when it’s released on November 1, 2011. This is a game PS3 players will not want to miss!

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Bree is the Paw Print’s video game critic

Amanda is the Paw Print’s book critic

but once the story started rolling, it was imperceptible. The logic is sound: when an author has

seven main characters, it’s much easier for everyone to comprehend when each

narration is in third-person. If you enjoy the “Percy Jackson” series and the complex plot and life-endangering situations that have always kept readers guessing, then “Son of Neptune” will not let you down. I rate “Son of Neptune” an ‘A-’, because it seemed slightly rushed, but still up to par with the rest of Riordan’s work. Favorite Quote: “‘Are you kidding?’ Percy said. ‘You think I’d leave my team behind? After surviving Fleecy’s wheat germ, running from cannibals, and hiding under blue giant butts in Alaska? Come on!’”

Sandy is the Paw Print’s junior fi lm critic

From director Jim Sheridan (“Brothers”) comes “Dream House”, detailing the story of a father with a haunted past—which includes murder. Daniel Craig (“Quantum of Solace”) stars as Will Atenton, a publisher from New York City who moves to a small town in Connecticut with his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz, “The Constant Gardener”), and their two daughters, Trish and Dee-Dee, where Will plans to work on his novel. Trish and Dee-Dee start to see a man watching the house from the front yard, and from the widows Will starts to have fl ashbacks of a family tragedy which seems to have taken place in the house before he and his family moved in. Both Will and Libby start to fi nd more evidence of what had happened to the previous owners of the house. Eventually, Will discovers that years past, a woman named Elizabeth (Naomi Watts, “The Ring”) and her two daughters, Beatrice and Katherine, were all murdered, leavingher husband,Peter Ward, as the main suspect, but

Dream On Sandy Nguyen 2014

who was let off easy because of lack of evidence. The fi lm is really just another basic timeline of any other haunted house movie, with strange messages written all over the house, strange footprints found in the snow, and “faces” outside the windows looking in at night. Not to mention there’s that “creepy” neighbor living nearby (who just happens to be Watts ’ character). “Dream House” is a predictable fi lm. If you haven’t noticed, there always seems to be that one haunted house in Connecticut (“Haunting in Connecticut ”, anyone?) just waiting

to be sold to some unwitting family. But the fi lm can get sketchy with some twists and

turns. Spoiler alert—For instance, Peter Ward having another personality is a pretty trippy concept. The acting is well-done by the cast and the atmosphere is perfect for a horror movie, but the big turn-off of this fi lm is the plotline. It is dreadfully slow and it doesn’t get you hooked, nor does it get you to

sit at the edge of your seat, biting your fi ngernails. Overall, the fi lm is not as good as it was seen in the trailers, and is a must-not-see movie. With an appropriate title, “Dream House” will draw you into one of the most satisfying naps you’ve ever had.

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PAW PRINT4 October 2011 School News

Artistic expression is the essence of the emotional and overall growth of many people. In whatever form it may take, it represents a desire for an outlet to convey complex ideas and feelings. High school embodies a time in which a great majority of teenagers discover who they are and, subsequently, their callings. Some teens choose to focus on athletics, education, academics, or service to their country. Others choose artistic expression as their vehicle to show the world their

Through the Lens: Discover the art of photographyDavid Jio 2013

MHS students worked hard one afternoon fi lling close to 300 survivor bags that were handed out at the Susan B. Komen/Race for the Cure. Yvonne Reneau and Gloria Trujillo teach the Community Referenced Learning (CRL) special education class. Nice job, Monarchs!

out of the Blitz. While many think the idea is a good one, some teachers and students are concerned that the project is sending a mixed message to students. “I believe the M.I.B. gives a mixed message and increases the gap between teacher and student. ‘Encourage’, ‘support’, ‘edify’, ‘challenge’, are a few words that come to my mind when musing the advocation of teaching. Not ‘blitz’, ‘infraction’, ‘intimidate’, ‘lord-over’, or ‘enforce’,” said Patricia Lewis, MHS yearbook advisor and fi ne arts teacher on the Blitz. Mrs. Lewis’ concern stems from her high school experiences where she said she may not have always agreed with her administration, but she always respected it. Manzano assistant principal Ken Tuley, who provided the collaboration with the data they needed to conduct the Blitz, has a middle-of-the-road opinion on it. “We have rules and they need to be followed, end of story,” said Mr. Tuley. Mr. Tuley said that making sure the rules are enforced is more a safety issue than anything else. Mr. Tuley went on to say that he does not enjoy being a disciplinarian, and would rather be having educated and stimulating conversations with students. He went on to say that none of the staff really enjoy disciplining students. “I can do a better job building a relationship with others if we’re all playing by the same rules,” said Mr. Tuley. He would later go on to say that the biggest problem is that no matter how much coaxing is given, there are always some students who will not comply with what is being requested of them. But what are the students saying? The administrators and teachers are pushing the Blitz very hard, and there is apparent progress, but the question is whether they are targeting the right people? According to some students they are not. According to Corey Michaud, MHS senior, “Nothing has changed... It’s like a game of chess; they take out the pawns and leave the main pieces standing.” He was explaining how the students who are causing more serious problems are smart enough to not be conspicuous and the ones who do get caught are only minor offenders. Will the Blitz harm or help Manzano? Only time will tell, but for now students should be aware of the existence and purpose of the Blitz and wear their ID’s and be in dress code at all times.

MIB from Page 1

This year there was a new squad at the annual cheer and drill assembly. And despite being the newest group, the MHS Special Olympics cheerleading squad stole the show. For many years, Special Olympics has worked hard in every competition out there, demonstrating courage, joy, and friendship in learning all these sports; now they have come together to make a new cheerleading squad this year. “It’s outstanding that they learned so much in little time,” said Karen Scheffner, an EA and Special Olympics coach. The Special Olympics team only just started last month to prepare themselves for the cheer and drill assembly held at MHS. They decided to participate not just for

school sprit but also to show off their talent. “They’re really fast learners and very eager to learn,” explained MHS cheerleader Bryanna Boughter, who helped

Tyler Gallegos 2012

Special Olympics Cheerleading

potential, and this can take many different forms, one of which is the art of photography. “[Through photography] I can express how I’m feeling,” said budding MHS photographer Zak Thoesen. “I can create an image that coveys the emotions in me to whoever is looking at the photo. It’s like painting; the painter is feeling something or has a vision when he/she is painting. It’s the same thing with photography.”Photography, beyond the defi nition of taking pictures with a camera, is as legitimate an art form as painting or music. There are many small factors taken into account when a photographer creates his art: lighting, composition, metering, and, above all, the artistic message behind each photo. Photographs are artistic creations; without a legitimate emotional expression behind the art, it ceases to be art in the fi rst place. “Photography allows me to express a subject’s feelings or emotions,” said MHS senior and student photographer Justin

Jew. “We use tools to create pieces similar to painters.” Manzano has as of late witnessed a fl ux of students expressing themselves through photography. The elective photography class provides students with quality cameras with which to take photos, offers training in the operation of the cameras, time in class to take photos around the school, and multiple assignments which help guide students in the right direction. “It’s super cool to see others enjoy the craft,” said Jew. “It’s all about spreading the love! We need more artists in this world. It’s wonderful to see how others see things” Student photographers at Manzano adopt different styles that refl ect their unique visions;

Sweeping Victories

Thank You!

Too Early = Not EnoughMeadow Butler 2013

get the team ready. Special Olympics received uniforms consisting of white shirts and purple skirts for the assembly. The ten girls stood patiently as they were announced and when it was time to perform they showed Manzano what they could do. “It’s fun because I get to show my school sprit and want to fi ght for my own team,” explained Jade Yniguez, a Special Olympics cheerleader. Eldorado, West Mesa, School of Hope and all of MHS stood and clapped as the Special Olympics showed their cheerleading skills. The assembly overall was a huge success but there was no doubt that the talk of the day was the Special Olympics team.

Example of Justin Jew’s photography.

styles that have earned some students the chance to gain attention and sometimes even compensation for their work. Photography is, however, an art form, and like any style of art, the artists can never be pigeonholed into one style. “I’m mainly a landscape photographer. But I’ve been hired to do commercial work for home building companies, events, and people,” said Jew. “Photography has opened up so many opportunities for me in the past couple years. I’ve had the pleasure to explore and gaze at some of the most extraordinary places in the United States. Right now I’m just busy doing commercial work and selling my fi ne art prints. It’s provided an awesome lifestyle.”

New Special Olympic Cheerleaders at the Cheer and Drill assembly. Photo courtesy by Cheyanne Herrera

PAW 5School NewsOctober 2011

PRINT

to the second round: Manzano, La Cueva, and Sandia. The second round would be held at the Music Go Round on Menaul the morning of the 17th, which happened to be the day of Manzano’s Homecoming. Dressed in formal attire of white, black, and purple, Prestige waited outside of Music Go Round, while the other two choirs began to arrive. First came Sandia, soon followed by La Cueva, both dressed in their choir robes. La Cueva was called in fi rst to sing, then Manzano, then Sandia. As Prestige marched single-fi le into the store, La Cueva and Sandia clapped and cheered, wishing them luck. Once inside, Prestige was informed that they were live on-air on 102.5. The choir would be graded on musicality, stage presence, and “passion for Foreigner”. After Sandia had auditioned, while judges began deliberating, news cameras arrived. “Would you guys want to perform again for the TV?” asked Erica Viking, one of the judges and talk show host for 102.5. The answer from all three choirs was unanimous, “Yes!” Before proceeding, Viking stated that the judging had already concluded, and this rendition would have no bearing. After performing for the cameras, there was only one thing left to do: announce the winner. The three choir directors were brought up and thanked for participating. “It was really weird because I wasn’t full-on nervous but not full-on confi dent…It could have gone either way,” recalled junior Nathaniel Catasca. Then Manzano was announced the winner. Instantaneously there was a massive roar as every Manzano affl iate began hugging, jumping up and down, and even cried, while Sandia and La Cueva smiled and clapped. “It’s one of the biggest wins we’ve ever had. It felt surreal,” said senior Dominique Rodriguez. Fast-forward a couple weeks to the night of the 30th. Once again in the same attire as at Music Go Round (formal white, purple, and black), Prestige calmly boarded a bus bound for the Hard Rock Pavilion. Beaming from ear to ear, Prestige was led onstage just as “I Want to Know What Love Is” began. The choir sang along with lead singer Kelly Hansen during the chorus. In the middle of the song Hansen stood less than arm’s-length away from Prestige. In the next couple seconds, another member of the band stopped playing, turned his back on the audience, faced Prestige, and directed them just as Mrs. Erickson would. After singing the last chorus with the audience, the song ended. The audience clapped for the band and the choir. Hansen then asked for another round of applause for the choir. This time, the applause of 15,000 people was solely for Prestige. Every single member wore a huge grin. They then left the stage and headed back to the seats in the grass area. Along the way back, people were clapping, yelling, and congratulating Prestige as they passed. “It’s a great thing to be able to say, so I’ll just have bragging rights for a long time,” joked junior Chloe Jew when asked how she thinks it will affect her life. “It’s just an extraordinary memory to look back on.”

Prestige from Page 1

Coach Carol Barnitz has been the volleyball coach at Manzano for what seems like forever. So for her fortieth season, the Paw Print sat down with her to get to know her a little better

PP: How long have you been coaching?CB: Forty years.

Patrick Smithgee 2013

Q&A with Coach Barnitz

PP: What is your favorite memory and why?CB: So many girls have become very successful in life who have been in this program.

PP: Out of all your years of coaching, which year was your favorite?CB: Every year has been my favorite. You can only focus on one at a time.

PP: How is this year’s team doing?CB: We fi nished in seventh place in the New Mexico Metro Tournament. We have been in and out of the top ten. The girls are playing well together as a team.

The Manzano Royal Guard Marching Band had a fantastic victory at Pageant of Bands, taking second place in the 5A division, fi rst place in People’s Choice, and third overall. The band continued its winning streak as it stormed into Flagstaff, Arizona, and conquered the Northern Arizona University Marching Band Competition with a superior rating, the highest rating possible. “I think we have a lot of strong leaders,” said Sami Sword-Fehlberg, senior band member and drum

Sweeping VictoriesSean Carins 2012 and Rafael Ruiz 2013

For the average high school student, the day begins at 6 am. But with all the homework, having a job, and managing a social life, teens are missing out on the most important thing their body craves: sleep. Adolescents, who are driven to sleep longer than adults biologically, studies have shown that insuffi cient sleep has been the cause of disciplinary problems, poor concentration, sleepiness in class, and of course diffi culties in school. At the University of Minnesota, reports have shown that 7,000 high school students who start school at 8:40 am have seen results in getting slightly higher grades, fewer

PP: What made you decide to be a volleyball coach?CB: I just love the sport.

PP: What is your favorite part about the sport?CB: It is a fast-paced game and it requires a lot of intelligence. I have been blessed to have smart players.

PP: What do you do other than coach?CB: I live in the mountains, so I like to go hiking with my husband, and biking. I also have two dogs.

PP: Did you play volleyball in high school?CB: Yes, I played all the positions. But my favorite is the center. I was also a swimmer in college.

PP: What is the key to lasting in the coaching fi eld for as long as you have?CB: Being really patient and demanding at the same time and having high expectations.

Too Early = Not EnoughMeadow Butler 2013

depressive feelings/behaviors, and being less sleepy during the day. “I think school should start later because I work, and I have about two to three hours of homework every night, so I only get about for to fi ve hours of sleep a night,” said MHS senior John Harsh. Research shows that teens need eight to nine hours of sleep to function properly, but the average teenager only gets seven hours of sleep a night. But there are many other reasons teen aren’t getting the sleep they should: caffeinated drinks, phones, computers, T.V., and social life. There is also procrastination with homework, or, for some Manzano students, zero hour. “It sucks having zero hour because you have to get up early, plus if you don’t have

a ride you have to get up even earlier. Also, when there is a football game, (at night) you don’t get home till 10 and you have homework. It gets frustrating,” said Jessica Vargas, MHS junior and a member of the marching band’s color guard. There are some people who disagree with the school starting time being pushed back to a later time. It is true that most teens would take that extra hour to sleep in and they would only end up staying up later. Teen’s biological clock keeps them up until about one to 1:30 am. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to have school start at a later time because every student would have to get used to the new schedule.” said Kara Butler, MHS counselor. If school started an hour later, as well as

scheduled the demanding classes to later in the day, the depression and absenteeism would come to an end. But this doesn’t mean teens should take that extra hour to sleep. They should wake up, eat a good breakfast, and maybe do some extra studying. Also, an appropriate bedtime for teens is 10 pm. This will lessen the rate of depression or suicidal thoughts compared to the other teens who stay up late, according to the University of Minnesota reports.. Teens and their parents/guardians should take into consideration that the best thing for their child is eight hours of sleep. Some suggestions to help get the eight hours you need is to set a regular bedtime, turn on bright lights in the morning to help you wake up, and get up at the same time for school every day.

The 2010-2011 volleyball team being coached by the legendary Carol Barnitz

The band performing their 2011-2012 show. Photo courtesy of the band’s website.

major. Sword-Felberg said that the band worked much harder this year to improve upon the three categories on which they would be judged: visual appeal, musical appeal, and overall effect. This year, the Royal Guard took on a jazz theme, which, in the opinion of many, is part of the reason for the increased dedication and practice. “I think the kids like the show a lot more,” said Brad Dubbs, Manzano band director. “I think we needed a show that was appealing to the kids.” Dubbs said that the appeal of the jazz routine is more relatable and fun than some of the other overall themes he has selected in the past. While the band may not have taken fi rst at Pageant, Dubbs said that there wasn’t much separating them from the title. He said that the end score is mostly based upon the category of overall effect, which, according to Dubbs, is highly subjective based on the judge. “Nothing was really stopping us from taking fi rst,” added Sword-Fehlberg. The band recently competed in the Zia Marching Band Fiesta. The band did not make the fi nals, but Dubbs said that it was the best he has ever seen them perform. Zia is judged differently than the other competitions. Manzano has been one of only two schools in Albuquerque to have held the highest award at Zia. Now that the competitions are done, the band will resume its regular duties and continue to perform for the Monarchs.

Editorials6October 2011October 2011

PAW PRINT

What do teenagers spend the majority of their time doing? Eat-ing? Facebook? Nope. The answer is the dreaded device of torture called homework. High school teachers give way too much homework. I think they should only be allowed to give us a little homework and then spend class time to work on long projects and lengthy assignments. Some examples this would apply to are physics, geometry, chemistry, Algebra I, Algebra II, and history--the most commonly hated subjects. Why? Because these classes always have a lot of homework! Teachers only spend class time teaching the material (and are always giving way too many examples) and then students are expected to take their own time at home to do the work by the deadline. What teachers do not seem to understand is that we students have

seven classes that we have home-work in! That is a lot of work. It’s bad enough when we get a lot of homework from one class, but seven is just unreasonable. Students spend seven hours of their school-week working at school. Why should we have to go home and use our own personal and valuable time doing more work? Between the hours students spend getting ready for school, the seven hours spent at school, and the eight hours of much needed sleep we hardly ever get, we students have eight precious hours to live and enjoy our day and accomplish things. At least we should, anyway. In reality, half of that goes to more work! Teachers and parents say education is an important key to a successful future. This is true. But what about in the meantime?

Are we really expected to work until our brains turn to mush? Weekends do not count because those are spent catching up on sleep homework has taken away from us! There is really a simple solution to this issue. Teachers should have a limited amount of maxi-mum homework they are allowed to give us. Work should be done at school and homework should only be given if you did not get a chance to fi nish or for study guides. This way, students can actually live their lives. As a bonus, teachers would stop complaining about homework not being turned in. Everyone wins!

Skylar Griego 2014

Switching all regular core classes to the curriculum of today’s honors and AP classes would make the drop-out rate nosedive and would better our economy as a whole. Most people would agree that education in the United States today is not the best. Evidently, the youth have become lazy, with an intense lack of motivation. This mindset is a direct refl ection of the youth’s parents and various infl uences throughout the years. In essence, if everyone just did a better parenting job, most confl icts in society would vanish. This being said, we must look at society and realize there are going to be bad parents in this world. We must also realize that certain infl uences are out of parental control. So, what can be done? Well, what do students who lived in the time period where not every child got to go to school have in common with the students in today’s honors and AP classes? One thing: both have the mindset of wanting to learn because they chose to

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Heather Fisk 2013

Enough with the Homework! Nom-Nom-NomSandy Nguyen 2014

A G.E.D. is Not for Me Rhianna Szczesiul 2012 These days leaving high school early to start college is pretty common. Many students are doing this. However, these students claim they have a high school diploma when they don’t. The GED test replaces a high school diploma but it is not a diploma. A high school diploma means that a person has gone to high school and received all the required credits. It is unfair for someone who has dropped out to say they have a high school diploma when they have a GED. High school is actually quite challenging and it can be hard to stick through it. The GED does not require the same things as a high school diploma. High school requires you to wake up early fi ve days out of the week and sit in long classes surrounded by immature peers. When someone who took the “easy” way out says they have a high school diploma, it is discouraging to the student who stayed in high school because they have worked very hard to receive that gratifi cation. Even though the GED doesn’t require you to wake up early every school day for four years, it is based on what is taught in high school. The GED is a test of high school curriculum and judges whether you know it or not. You have to test for two days at a CNM campus that is pretty far from anywhere. Just because everyone says it’s really easy to get your GED, it isn’t necessarily true. It can be pretty complicated and you still need to study, otherwise you may get a poor grade and have to pay for it more than once. The GED can be a neat thing to do if you want to get a headstart on college but keep in mind those who have worked really hard and call your GED what it is instead of a diploma, because it isn’t.

People who chew gum as loud as cow chewing grass absolutely irritate me! Don’t chew gum with your mouth open! There’s nothing wrong with chewing gum, I chew it all the time. Who doesn’t? But there’s really no need to chew it so loudly. No one wants to hear you snapping your gum and see your jaw moving fi fty miles an hour. It’s not that hard to chew gum with your mouth closed. Blowing and popping bubbles is normal, but chewing it like how a food critic rolls a chunk of rib-eye around in his mouth is irritating, unattractive, and/or disgusting. There’s a possible chance of your gum falling out of your mouth if you always have it wide open. No one is ever interested in seeing your chewed-up gum. Chewing gum is a good thing. It stops most people from smoking and what not, and it also brightens up your smile. But in order to stop chewing oh-so-annoyingly (if it’s one of your worst habits) start chewing in front of a mirror. Maybe that will solve this situation. Chewing gum or eating with your mouth open is and will always be unattractive. If it ever becomes attractive one day, then you are either extremely strange, the person who fi nds it attractive is even stranger, or there’s just something wrong with the world. Now, if this is one of your habits, or you just tend to naturally chew like an idiot, start chewing gum with your mouth shut, because if you smack your gum, I smack you!

be there. In regular classes, students often go just because they are required to. There is no initiative, thus resulting in ditching, drop-outs, or getting involved in other bad things. But the thing is, virtually everyone’s brain has the same capacity. If the government changed requirements to where core classes were all more advanced and fast-paced, it would put everyone on the same level while reducing the drop-out rate, as well as the overall crime rate. Students in honors and AP classes rarely drop out, mostly because they are more involved and build up a sense of personal accomplishment as well as a larger capacity to understand various points of view. They also score higher on national tests. These students are more engaged during school because their classes demand it. If the classroom environment doesn’t demand hard work, respect, etc., then people, especially sleep-deprived teens, won’t do it. Some people claim that certain

individuals are mentally not capable of learning at such a fast-paced level. This is true--people with Down syndrome, autism, or other conditions of that nature cannot, and it’s not their fault. If average students were all put in “advanced classes” from a middle school age, they would honestly never notice a major difference; it would just seem normal. In addition to these classes, the government needs to require each student to participate in music and/or sports as healthy outlets, because let’s face it, life is stressful.It would also be benefi cial to add a required class of critical thinking, logic, and common knowledge. Obviously, it wouldn’t be as focused as core classes, but rather teach people how to communicate and present a good argument. Perhaps some mock trials and debates would be a part of this class’ activities. As a result, not only would America grow in the number representing and

contributing to her glory, but would also keep the youth out of trouble while in the tough transition to adulthood. What would start out as busy-work would transform into self-motivation and pride in how the youth portray themselves. If the government intertwined all of these aspects and made them requirements, it would keep the youth, upon whom America will one day depend, active, engaged, and motivated.

PAW PRINT

7EditorialsOctober 2011

I hate William Shakespeare, not only because he stole my name (work with me!), but also because his works are so overrated. Now I get it: back in Will’s time, when there was nothing to do but either go to the theatre or die from the Plague, yeah, his plays were nice and distracting from the sheer horror of not only being surrounded by death, but also being under English rule--just being English, in general (I’m not fond of the English). Today, though, do his plays or sonnets or poems--whatever, whatever, whatever--really have any relevance? When’s the last time you called a black guy a “Moor”? See what I mean? To me, it seems to many people that if you know any Shakespeare, you’re a Cambridge scholar. You could work a garbage truck and pump the waste out of porta-potties on the side, but if you can say which of Shakespeare’s plays the quote “‘Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed?’” is drawn, then you must be akin to Stephen Hawking. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not impressed. I’ll still think you’re a repugnant idiot. Now do his plays provide a nice foundation upon which fi lms and literature can build? Yeah,

A Loathed Enemy... Billy Huntsman 2012 “My son will be a doctor!” says a proud parent. Well, that’s not necessarily what the kid may want. That’s what the parent want by trying to live vicariously through their children. Many students talk about how their parents want them to become doctors, lawyers, and other high-paying and prestigious professions. You may have heard of some of these parents’ remarks yourself. However, this is the parent living through the student and not really what the student wants. Regardless if the student is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, it is important for both the parent and the student to be on the same page. Especially in the student’s senior year, it is crucial to be on the same page to help with scholarships, possible majors, and more important details that will affect the rest of their lives. These parental powers are being used for the wrong reason and are being more hurtful and stressful for both the parent and the the student. Parents, this is the time for you to see your child’s success and what they can really do in high school. It’s not time to push them for what you want. You need to help them achieve what they want and guide them on the road to get there. Many parents remember that time back in high school with less responsibility, hanging out with friends, doing homework, and just living the life of a teenager all your hopes, dreams, and aspirations so close to being achieved. This is the exactly the same way your son or daughter feels. But pushing them for a life you want for them, and not the one they want to make for themselves, is being counterproductive. Sure, some parents may say, “But this is good for my child” or “This road will make him/her successful”. True to an extent, but will it make your son/daughter happy? Even if you, the parent, push them to a certain career choice, will that make you happy? Parents should want their kids to succeed and be a hard worker but that doesn’t mean you need to force your child into a job they don’t want. The only thing that is going to do is making the student unhappy and puts strain on your relationship with them. Parents and their kids should work together rather than work in different directions. Talk and keep the relationship open about career choices. That way, it is a “team effort,” so to speak. This will help both the parent and the student to understand, work together, and more importantly both will be happy in the decision.

Tyler Gallegos 2012

defi nitely. Take “Richard III” with Ian McKellen, based on Shakespeare’s play of the same name, yet taking place in 1930’s Britain. Good movie. Shall we examine “Hamlet” with Mel Gibson, adapted straight from the text? What a piece of excrement! Now don’t get me wrong; there have been movies made that were only based on Shakespeare’s plays that were dreadful--”Romeo + Juliet”, anybody? Leonardo DiCaprio? I was asked if I were excited about Roland Emmerich’s “Anonymous”, about the possible scandal behind Shakespeare’s works having not actually been written by the Bard himself. I said, “No.” Why on Earth would I want to pay money to see a bad movie made by a bad director about a bad writer? Rhetorical question. I hear it all the time--“No other writer has contributed as much to the English language as Shakespeare.” I’m sorry, I guess Hemingway and Faulkner and Steinbeck and McCarthy and Poe and Joyce and Lovecraft and Fitzgerald and Tolkien and Michener and--need I go on?--were all just dust in the wind, right? Passer-bys in the current of English literature, inconsequential? Do you mean to tell me that had Romeo and Juliet never gotten together, Cthulhu never would have risen from the depths of the Sunken City R’lyeh? Had Othello

not smothered Desdemona, would the nameless narrator still have had the cunning to smother the glass-eyed Vulture and then stow him away under the fl oorboards? Had the Shrew never been tamed, would Antone Chigurh still be an indiscriminate judge of humanity? Yes. I’m not trying to say that no writer has ever taken infl uence from Shakespeare; only that the reach of his infl uence has been greatly exaggerated for reasons I still have yet to categorize under the various labels of conspiracy I have developed over the years; exaggerated in the same way Joyce’s use of stream-of-consciousness is. Challenge me to name a more infl uential poet and a more infl uential playwright. Just goin’ off the top of my head here--poet: W.B. Yeats; playwright: Tennessee Williams. Bottom line: if you believe that Shakespeare is as infl uential as the Bible, as he is often made out to be, then you have no place reading any literature above the merit of R.L. Stine.

I once read, “Columbus didn’t discover America, he invaded it!” This saying is more than just a thought; it has solid truth to it. When Christopher Columbus came to the “New World” in 1492, he believed he ‘discovered’ it. Plus he thought he was in the Indies so he called the Natives Indians. Many Native Americans today do not like to be called Indians because of the misidentifi cation with Columbus. Columbus aided in the slaughtering of many people to take over a large territory that didn’t belong to him, so why is there a Columbus Day? Who made Columbus Day an annual

thing? How it is a dedication and celebration? America should wipe out Columbus Day altogether and focus on the days that are dedicated to True heroes like Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. Cesar Chavez was a labor activist who fought without violence to better the lives of farm workers. . Martin Luther King Jr. was just as great of a person as Chavez. He fought for equal rights for blacks, as well as inspired movements of dozens of other minorities. These are the kind of people we should celebrate and have holidays for. It’s plain to see that Columbus didn’t discover America because of the fact that there were people

already living here and going about their lives the way they knew how. It’s diffi cult to comprehend how awful the invasion was for the Native people but I’m sure the situation was far worse than what we’ve all read in history class. It is glaringly obvious that Columbus was a thief and he doesn’t deserve a nationally dedicated day!

Marissa Chavez 2012

Celebrate Columbus? No Thanks

Decide Your Own Future

8October 2011

PAW PRINT

October 2011

Students and Sta­

StaffAthletesMonarchs

Grade: 11How long have you been running? Two years Favorite team or athlete: Nick Sanchez.What have you achieved from playing this sport? Mental and physical strength

Favorite thing about MHS: The students, I love them! Favorite High School class: English.Free time: I like to walk my dog. Me and my husband are also helpers of Senate.Favorite candy: Sour Gummy Worms.

Extracurricular Activities: Nursing assistant program at CEC, and babysitter.Future plans: To be a neonatal nurse.Favorite Memory at MHS? I’ve made a lot of friends who are always there for me.

Sydney Bardouche Shaelee Hjorth Mary Tilley

Logan Yearout John Day Brett Rimer Extracurricular Activities: Swimming, Senate, and working out. Future plans: To get married and have a stupendous family. Favorite Memory at MHS? Wendy’s Wednesdays.

Favorite thing about MHS: The fact that we have a diverse population that gets along with each other.Favorite High School class: English. I had Mr.Usmar my junior and senior years!Free time: Traveling with family, and going outdoors. Favorite candy: Snickers.

Grade: 12How long have you been playing this sport? Nine years. Favorite team or athlete: Denver Broncos. What have you achieved from playing this sport? Strength and athleticism.

(Cross Counrty)

(Football)(English)

(IMC Operator) (Senior )

(Junior )

Contact Information:Advisor:

Matt KrausEditors-In-Chief:

Cheyanne Herrera; Billy HuntsmanJunior Editors-in-Chief:

Cloie Logan; Meadow Butler Copy Editor: Billy Huntsman

Layout Design:Cheyanne Herrera

School News Editor/Head Writer:

Sean CairnsEditorial Editor/Lead

Writer: Tyler Gallegos

Ad/Business Manager: Sean Cairns; Shelby-Lynne Lujan

Phone: 559-5904 E-mail: manzanopawprint @

yahoo.com

Cloie’s Montly Musing:This month, Cloie examines reclusiveness in today’s teens

Cloie Logan 2013

Cloie is the Paw Print’s social commentator .

I’ve been moved around a lot in my life, attending four schools in four different towns. Making new friends every time I move has always been a problem, somewhat due to shyness and somewhat due to the majority of people being so stuck in the same group of friends they went to daycare with. I’ve found it’s easier to make friends in or through class (as a neutral territory), problem being that generally in class we’re supposed to be learning and paying attention and stuff. This makes it hard to fi nd time to get to know people. The few convenient times to talk are fi re drills, picture day, and assemblies. Unfortunately, these don’t occur often. It’s altogether an awkward situation. Also, people generally resist change, so even when new people fi nd

a group of friends it might take forever to get close. Sometimes, though, you get lucky. Pretty recently I met this guy through advisory. We hit it off really well, and it turns out he’s just moved from out of state. We both needed a friend, and are now pretty close. This was an unexpectedly pleasant change, like when you eat the sugary cereal that’s bad for you for a long time but then your mom starts buying a different sugary cereal that’s good for you

that actually tastes better than the fi rst sugary cereal and doesn’t make you feel like you want to puke from how bad it is for you. Yeah, exactly like that. Anyway, it worked out well. I fi gure people are generally really nice if you try to talk to them. People just want companionship of some sort. Problem is it doesn’t always fl ower into close friendship. We resist change in other ways too; how many people do you know would willingly uproot completely and transplant themselves into some strange land? Well, that might actually be cool. But a good amount of people would just say “no thanks” and continue doing the same thing day after day. To each his own, I guess, but change

can be exciting! Adventurous! People learn all sorts of stuff from new things and/or people. I mean, look at Columbus. Up until the 1490s, nobody even really thought to sail west. They thought they’d fall off the side of the fl at world. If he hadn’t thought to sail west, history would be changed completely. Who knows what would’ve happened? But his willingness to try something no one else had before caused our whole present to happen. Mixing it up isn’t that bad. I mean, when the sky ‘mixes it up’, we have clouds. That isn’t so bad. Trying new things can lead to new forms of knowledge, new forms of happiness. If people didn’t try new things we wouldn’t have so much that we have now. People aren’t really that mean. At least, I hope not.