December 2011

Manzano High School Volume LII Issue III

Many juniors, sophomores, and freshmen are confused about the new graduation requirements that are being imposed on them after the class of 2012 graduates. The new requirements are, however, relatively simple. The class of 2013 will be the fi rst class that is required to complete four years of math, and take an advanced placement, online, dual credit, or college course to be able to graduate. These requirements are part of the High School Redesign Act, which amends many of the stipulations of the No Child Left Behind Act. Manzano High School’s principal, Therese Carroll, is in charge of implementing the changes for MHS, and she is taking a very active approach to these measures, wasting no time in implementing them. Even though these changes seem newly imposed, the redesign has been in the works for several years. So what is Manzano doing exactly to meet these new standards of the educational system? So far, Manzano is offering programs like AVID, which prepares students all through high school

Raising the Bar:Why do graduation requirements keep rising?

Continues on page 5

Students should pay attention to the people around them because someone they know may change the world, like Yvette Pino is trying to do with her Veteran Print Project. Yvette Pino graduated from Manzano High School in 1995. Through her four years she was very involved in the school, including participating on the basketball, softball, and volleyball teams; being an academic scholar; and was also homecoming queen her senior year. “I really enjoyed my time in high school and am really proud of my accomplishments,” said Pino. Her success continued after high school. She joined the military, but withdrew after the September 11th tragedy. She soon however reenlisted, because she didn’t want to look back ten years later and think, “What if?” Once back in the army, she signed up as a cook and for three years was on a competitive culinary arts team, though she never got a chance to compete before she was shipped off to Iraq. “I was afraid for her; it’s your child being put at risk,” said Steve Pino,

From Queen to Veteran: MHS grad recalls her journey to helping others

On the left is a current photo of Yvette Pino; on the right is from her time in the army. Photo courtesy of Yvette Pino.

mathematics teacher here at MHS and Yvette’s father. Soon after being in Iraq, Pino became a sergeant, and she learned how to work with people. She served under poor leadership as well as strong leadership. She felt this was to her advantage; because she knew what it felt like to work under poor leadership, she vowed to never be like that. And she certainly stuck to her word. After being discharged from service, Pino enrolled at the University of Wisconsin—Madison as an art student. After only a semester, she began to recognize an obvious schism between her and other student-veterans and the civilian student population. None of her fellow students could relate to her stories of her time in Iraq, and as a result frustration set in Pino. She joined a group at UW called Vets for Vets, which served as a means for student-veterans to communicate with each other. Also at this time, Pino worked as a student-worker at the Veterans Museum in Wisconsin, and while there she learned the importance of

oral communication, as well as how therapeutic it is for veterans to relate their stories. With these experiences serving as initial inspiration, in 2009 Pino started Veteran Print Project, which allows for veterans to share their experiences both orally and visually. The concept is that veterans work with various types of artists in order to create visual or oral representations of the military, war, etc. Pino herself made prints of her time in Iraq. “I wanted veterans to communicate with someone else who would be able to recreate their story visually. It’s nice to see a picture of what you have done,” said Pino. To see an example of the artwork produced by the Project, see page 4. For further information, or to see more artwork, visit Veteran Print Project online.

By day they stand in the front of classrooms lecturing about Steinbeck and algebraic equations; but at night they don their alter egos and Shades of Purple takes the stage and commands attention. Manzano High School, like many others, may have its own interesting quirks that make them stand out as a high school, but unlike most high schools MHS stands out with teachers who don’t just teach, they also have a band. “I think we have great musicians and a lot of fun,” said Dan Shanley, MHS English teacher and Shades of Purple’s lead singer. The name, Shades of Purple, was suggested by Helen Cortez, MHS activates director, as part of keeping with Manzano tradition. Jack Nuzum, a former MHS English teacher, started and led the group. Mr. Nuzum retired last year, leaving many to wonder what kind of changes would happen with Shades of Purple. They’re still jamming, with many of the teachers coming together to take on leadership roles. “Because we have no leader we are going more by group decision,” further explained

Purple Comes in Many Shades

Continues on page 4

Taty Amaro 2013

Teachers strut their

stuff!

Sean Cairns 2012

Tyler Gallegos 2012

Pages 2 & 3

Page 4 Page 5

See page 4

B-

PAW PRINTDecember 2011

Critics’ Corner2 In Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 Oscar-winning fi lm “Black Swan”, there is an instance in which Natalie Portman’s character, Nina Sayers, is asked who she is. Nina replies, “I’m a dancer.” This sole piece of dialogue tells you what the fi lm is about. Like Aronofsky’s 2008 masterpiece “The Wrestler”, starring Mickey Rourke, about an aging wrestler try-ing to keep in the game; like Miloš Forman’s 1984 ad-aptation of “Amadeus”, starring F. Murray Abraham, about a musician so dedicated to his work that he is driven to the brink of insanity when another proves more talented than he is; like Martin Scorsese’s 2004

A Literary Ride

The Hoover Complex

Imagine what it feels like to be only 98% human. That 2% can make a huge difference, especially when that 2% is bird. Take it from Maximum Ride--she and her fi ve siblings were science experiments; test tube babies that grew wings (along with other attributes) and escaped from the School—a.k.a., the lab in which they were created. And you thought you had problems. James Patterson makes sure whoever is reading his books never gets a chance to put it down. The average chapter is around two pages long (in comparison, the average chapter length in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is around 16 pages). That’s how fast-paced this novel is. This technique is not one of my favorites and requires an exceptional author to keep readers from getting annoyed. While I do not deny that Patterson is brilliant (who else would come up with something this wild and interesting?), that does not mean I have to like every single word or chapter. The bond between the six bird-kids is ultimately what kept me interested in the story. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the

Amanda Sims 2012

Billy Huntsman 2012

Amanda is the Paw Print’s book critic

Gasman, and Angel are all one big family—sometimes the “happy” part is there, sometimes it’s not. Max is the oldest with 14 years under her wings; she is the leader, the mom, the commander-in-chief. The fi rst book in the series, “The Angel Experiment”, is mind-blowing. I was hooked by the fi rst page and could not put it down until the last page turned. Usually, most people wouldn’t dare to claim that there is an “action genre” when it comes to novels, but Patterson might have broken through that barrier. There is rarely, if ever, a dull moment and there is always a life- threatening situation that gets your heart pumping. Simply reading the “Maximum Ride” series is a workout. However, a disclaimer must be placed on the rest of the series. The second book, “School’s out Forever”, did not even come close to living up to my expectations and it only slightly got better from there. By the second-to-last book in the series, I was ready to call it quits. Why? Because the author was no longer writing with his head, but with his heart. The only reason the

books continued on so long was the “love interest.” After a while, that gets old. If I wanted a bad drama-romance, I’d read “Twilight”. Also, after such an intense series of adventure, one would expect a much better wrap up of the story line, but most of the time, the reader gets a bare minimum conclusion, if any at all. There is no room for extra explanation or much needed conversations between the fl ock. The one redeeming thing about the later novels is how the bird-kids “save the world” in ways people wouldn’t think heroes would. Instead of delaying a nuclear explosion or killing the evil force, the six kids do things that any kid could. For example, in “Fang”,

they feed starving children in Africa. All right, most people couldn’t just pack up and leave for Africa, but that act is something that does not need to be carried out by a superhero—or genetically enhanced bird kids. Overall, the series is a B- because, while it had its perks, a stronger plot trumps dramatic infl uence every time and twice on Sundays. When it becomes clear to the reader that the author is only continuing the series to make money, the reader is strongly repulsed—at least, in my case. Favorite quote from “The Angel Experiment”:“Hours went by. In the dictionary, next to the word stress, there is a picture of a midsize mutant stuck inside a

Billy is the Paw Print’s fi lm critic

Oscar-winning fi lm “The Aviator”, starring Leon-ardo DiCaprio, about Howard Hughes’ tenacity to reinvent the aircraft industry; and like “Black Swan”, Clint Eastwood’s new fi lm, “J. Edgar”, is an

in-depth analysis of a person’s commitment to something, whatever that may be; in this case, John Edgar Hoover’s commitment to being the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A biographical fi lm telling of, in addition to his tenure as F.B.I. director, Hoover’s relationships with primarily his condemning mother, Anna (Oscar-winner Judi Dench, “Shakespeare in Love”), his personal secretary, Helen Gandy (Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts, “King Kong”), and his protégé, Clyde Tolson (Arnie Hammer, “The Social Network”), the fi lm tactfully balances the explorations of Hoover’s personal as well as his professional life. The audience gains much insight into Hoover’s rela-tionship with Tolson, largely believed to be scandalously homosexual, but to counterbalance that, the audience is also shown Hoover’s cunning detective mind, mostly in his and the Bureau’s investigation of the Lindbergh kid-napping, which is shown from beginning to end through

isn’t loud, nor does he command the spotlight like DiCaprio, but when it comes his turn his perfor-mance is direct and very believable. What’s interesting is that the fi lm borrows some from “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, in that the fi lm is told by Hoover in retrospect shortly before the election of Richard Nixon as president, when Hoover was around 77. For this, DiCaprio, Hammer, and Watts were each molded to appear as old as their respective characters would have been then. And the makeup is astonishingly realistic, what with Hoover’s potbelly, Tolson’s shining bald dome, and Gandy’s Meryl Streep-complexion. Watching the fi lm, particularly the sequences concerning the Lindbergh case, I couldn’t help but be drawn back to Eastwood’s 2008 “Changeling”, starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, which details the somewhat factual disappearance of a woman’s son in a connection to the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, and her subsequent jour-ney to fi nd him in 1928 Los Angeles. When these two fi lms are looked at together, it’s very obvious that Eastwood, born in 1930, has a fascination with that time period, perhaps yearning to live back then. In parts of the fi lm, the audience will catch minute references to John Dillinger, who was a notorious though very charismatic bank robber in the Depression-era, and Melvin Purvis, the pri-mary F.B.I. agent hunting down Dillinger, assigned to the case by none other than Hoover. As an interesting reference point, and to see Billy Crudup (“Watchmen”) portray Hoover in a minor role, see Michael Mann’s 2009 “Public Enemies”, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. In conclusion, while the fi lm is somewhat dry and uninteresting at points, it is nonetheless a carefully-crafted, fi nely-acted, good fi lm that will appeal more to fans of Leonardo’s acting abilities than his good looks.

B+

the course of the fi lm. This is effective storytelling and engaging fi lm-making. But it’s Clint Eastwood: what else could you expect? As an actor, I’ve never been a fan of Clint’s—I think his delivery is too old-fashioned, his diction exaggerated, his word choice corny and unbeliev-able, and his whole persona of being the “tough guy” too dry, clichéd, and too John Wayne-like—but as a director, he’s nearly incomparable, having learned much of his craft from “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”’s director, Sergio Leone, be-fore making his own directorial debut with 1971’s “Play Misty for Me”. His other director credits include 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby”, winning both Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars that year, and 2008’s “Gran Torino”. And with an emotional yet subtly humor-ous screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, (2008’s “Milk”, for which he won an Oscar), the fi lm has all the right technical ingredients to be a great fi lm. Now to the acting. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Hoover, and as you can only expect, his performance is the meat and potatoes of the whole fi lm. Hoover had a dynamic personality; at times he was the most loved man in the country, and at others he was the most feared and hated. And despite this, Dicaprio delivers terrifi c acting, ranging from being the shy delivery boy for the Justice Department (Hoover being 24, and DiCaprio taking on a much more “Titanic”-like appearance), to the commie-hating profi ling face of the F.B.I. which all moviegoers saw in theaters before the start of the fi lms, to the endur-ing and austere man whom even presidents feared crossing. And while it is true that DiCaprio is who will draw people to see this fi lm, Hammer’s perfor-mance is something that may surprise you. He

Paranormal BoreBilly’s must-see rental fi lm of the month: Anthony Minghella’s “Cold Mountain”

This year, the Paw Print’s critics are using an “A+ -- F” grading scale

dog crate, wondering if her destiny is to be killed or to save the world.Okay, not really. But there should be” (197).

If you have an idea for a

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please see Mr. Kraus in room

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A

PAW PRINT 3December 2011

Critics’ Corner

Even if you don’t like the “Paranormal Activity” series, there is one aspect of the fi lms that you may not yet recognize, and that is the practical information the fi lms provide us with. I mean, if knowing that ghostly spirits don’t like being fi lmed and having those fi lms edited together into reels that are then distributed to movie theaters worldwide, attracting record-breaking audiences and making hundreds of millions of dollars, isn’t useful, then I don’t know what is. This probably isn’t a lesson we need to learn three times, but, hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fi x it, right? In the fi rst “Paranormal Activity,” a young couple (Katie Featherston as Katie, and Micah Sloat as Micah) moves into a two-story house where supernatural events start to happen to Katie, who claims that an “evil spirit” has haunted her since her childhood and has followed her to her new home. The fi lm boasts some scary moments, but not many, and in the end I found the fi lm simply unthrilling. I’ll go one step further: the fi rst fi lm was one of the best

Sandy is the Paw Print’s junior fi lm critic

Bree is the Paw Print’s video game critic

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” is one of the greatest games created, even for the motion-troubled Wii. If you own a Wii, buy this game. If you have ever enjoyed a “Zelda” story, buy this game. That’s as simple as it gets. “Zelda” games have always had a huge variety of themes and if you’re a “Zelda” fan you defi nitely know what to expect, and if you haven’t then you should be expecting dungeons, or temples to be challenging as always,

Paranormal BoreSandy Nguyen 2014

As a pop music fan, on November 22nd I ran to the mall to fi nd her new album, “Talk That Talk”. Her fi rst single, “We Found Love” has been the Billboard Top 100’s number one for six weeks already, so I was expecting that the album would be really good. Well, the reality turned out to be even better than the expectations. RiRi is famous for changing her music style and her own fashion for every new CD. Every new album becomes an era, as her fans, the Rihanna Navy, call it. In her fourth and fi fth studio albums, “Rated R”, 2009, “Loud”, 2010, Rihanna open about how messy life gets. “Rated R” was the album that was very honest. After

“Talk That Talk,” Rihanna!

Anya is the Paw Print’s foreign exchange critic

that, it’s hard to go back to doing songs that are fi ctitious. “Loud” became a little break after “Rated R”-it was very romantic, sometimes a bit silly and playful. The Barbadian singer

changed her hair color from pinkish red to blonde.Now let’s “Talk That Talk”: 1. “You Da One”--A nice playful song repeating “You da one that I dream about all day/You da one that I think about always/ You da one that makes sure that I behave/ My love is your love, your love is my love/ You are the one so I make sure I behave/ My love is your love/ your love is mine”. It’s the album’s second single and has a lot of Rihanna’s Barbadian style in it.2. “Where Have You Been”--Produced by Ester Dean, Dr. Luke, and Calvin Harris (a Scottish DJ), who also worked on “We Found Love”. The Rihanna-Calvin collaboration seems to work really well. The song is one that makes you dance and sing with the chorus. It’s easy to get it stuck in you head. One of my favorites.3. “We Found Love”--The album’s fi rst single and Rihanna’s eleventh number one single on the Billboard chart. If you haven’t heard it, turn off the 8-track and turn up the radio! Do I even have to say that the song is in my

list of favorites?4. “Talk That Talk”--“Oh, boy, I usually only get this excited when I hear the title of a movie in the movie,” says Peter of “Family Guy”. Now is the right time to get excited. This is the third song Rihanna performs with her producer, Jay-Z. It’s good and makes you want to move just like “Umbrella” (“Good Girl Gone Bad”, 2007) or “Run This Town” (“The Blueprint 3”, 2009).5. “Cockiness (Love It)”-- Such a playful, arrogant song! It’s TTT’s version of “S&M” (“Loud”, 2010). The lyrics are dirty, but it’s still smart and funny. Defi nitely one of my favorites.6. “Birthday Cake”--A short naughty ‘celebration’ song, written by The Dream --Rihanna, Marcos Palacios, and Ernest Clark.7. “We All Want Love”--There’re a few really deep songs in the album, and this is one of them. Rihanna is known for being a Bob Marley fan, and the track is very Marley-styled. The chorus goes, “We all want someone there to hold/ We all wanna be somebody’s one and only/ We all wanna be warm when it’s cold/ Yeah, yeah, yeah/ No one wants to be left scared and lonely/ We all, we all, we all, we all/ We all want the same thing. Everybody wants something gotta want something/ Yeah, yeah, we all want love”8. “Drunk On Love”—Dynamic! The lyrics are

a sacred sword called the Sword of Destiny, outstanding graphics, and more objects that must be obtained to rescue the abducted Princess Zelda. The story has the same theme as almost all of the “Zelda” games; to save Princess Zelda and all of Hyrule fi eld from Ganondorf, the primary antagonist of the series. The thing that makes every “Zelda” game different from one another is not only the themes, but also the characters. “Skyward Sword”’s characters are extraordinary. The Wii probably isn’t the ideal console to play an adventure game on because of the system’s tempermental motion sensors, but “Skyward Sword” works around this perfectly. This game will not only give your dominate-hand a workout by swinging your arm around while fi ghting enemies with your Sword of Destiny. It will also make you look like a complete idiot prancing around in your room, moving objects around dungeons and blocking your enemy’s moves. This also includes the typical temper tantrums you get throughout every dungeon where you fl ail your arms around screaming at your television because you forgot to get an object, or missed a mini-boss you need to fi ght to obtain a key. “Skyward Sword”’s appearance needs getting used to; it’s a mixture of “Twilight Princess” and “Wind Waker’s” graphics, but with this creative touch it makes “Skyward Sword” that much more important to the series. Since “Skyward Sword” is a prequel to “Ocarina of Time”, its graphic design fi ts perfectly in with the series. It captures both the light and dark between the entire “Zelda” adventures. This isn’t just a game you play; it’s a game you feel. “Skyward Sword” will be remembered for years and years; it’s not a franchise to dust off your shoulder and forget about. This series is unbelievable and “Zelda” creators have added on to the “Zelda” generation and made “Skyward Sword” breathtaking, and special by releasing it near “The Legend of Zelda’s” 25th anniversary. It will stay in the hearts of each and every “Zelda” fan, forever. This game is special to Wii owners. It brings something new to the table of Wii games. It beats all the sports, dancing, and mini-games, “Skyward Sword” delivers a deeper experience that satisfi es many Wii players who never would’ve thought an adventure game could make the Wii’s motion sensor reach high potential. “Skyward Sword” is the perfect Wii game, and it’s out just in time for the holidays! I know what I’m asking Santa for.

Skyward SailingBree Vargas 2013

Anya Soboleva, 2013

exercises in boredom, ever. In“Paranormal Activity 2” a married couple, Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and Dan’s (Brian Boland) house is repeatedly “burglarized”; all the rooms are trashed except for their son’s and the one thing that’s missing is Kristi’s necklace, given to her by her sister, Katie (from the fi rst fi lm), both of whom were haunted by a demon when they were children. Now, why would any demon want to follow two related girls for this

long? Why not migrate from different people? That would somewhat be more fun, right? Which brings us to“Paranormal Activity 3”. Back in 1988, young Katie and Kristi live with their mother, Julie (Lauren Bittner) and her boyfriend, Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith). Strange things starts to happen around the house when Kristi starts to interact with her imaginary “friend”, Toby. Even as the family starts to fi gure out what’s going on, no one bothers to bring up the brilliant idea of running out the door, and into a new home. Why stay in the haunted house and investigate when there are exits all over? It would’ve been a short movie, sure; but it would’ve been a movie with smart characters. What a refreshing take on the horror genre that would be, am I right, or am I right? So why come out with a third in this series? Well, while the fi rst two fi lms were a bit of a letdown, the third one ties it all together and gives you the reasons for the mayhem that has been going on by going back years before the fi rst two fi lms. Many horror fi lms these days simply try too hard. They try to frighten audiences with blood and guts. I give “Paranormal Activity 3” credit for not going down this road, as this fi lm is more of a “bump in the night” kind of scare, which gives the audience high anxiety. Once the movie starts, you might drift off to sleep, as the plot starts off kind of slow. But not to worry! Once one of the characters screeches out a scream, you’ll be awakened and you won’t miss any intense parts and you will left shaking. It could’ve been better, but good enough is good enough, right?

C+

fl irtatious – you can hear Rihanna’s style in it. 9. “Roc Me Out”--You may think: ‘I’ve heard it before...’10. “Watch ‘n’ Learn”--Rihanna is called a “sexpert”. Maybe that’s right, because this track is very naughty and sexy!11. “Farewell”--An adorable song. The chorus gives you a chill, “So farewell/Somebody is gonna miss you/Farewell/Somebody is gonna wish that you were here/That somebody is me”12. “Red Lipstick”--Even though critics agree this song is the weakest on the album, as well as the least favorite of the Rihanna Navy, it’s on my list of favorites. It’s the TTT version of “G4L” (“Rated R”). Its hardness, beat, and arrogance may make you like it.13. “Do Ya Thang”--A funny fl irtatious song that reminds us of “If It’s Lovin’ that You Want” (“Music Of The Sun”, 2005). Seems like RiRi and The Dream were just having fun with this one.14. “Fool in Love”--The last but not least song. And the last in my list of favorites for TTT. It’s a smart and deep song. The name might remind you of “Stupid In Love” (“Rated R”), but it’s way better: it’s not depressing, it’s a nice song; it doesn’t spoil your mood. “Fool in Love” sounds a lot like the “Rated R”-era: the music is like “Cold Case Love”. The chorus is a mixture of “The Last Song” (“Rated R”) and “California King Bed”

A+

(“Loud”). Rihanna goes further with each album. She grows older, and her music becomes more advanced and progressive She never disappoints. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

PAW PRINT4 December 2011 School News

It turns out they do not actually make keys in Key Club. However, you could say, it’s a key to helping the community and making the world a better place. “Key Club is basically a student-led organization whose main goal is to teach its members leadership skills by helping and serving others,” said Tay Maharath, MHS senior and Key Club member Michelle Thompson-Loyd is the sponsor teacher for Key Club and although the students do most of the work, she organizes them and provides leadership for the group. “Mrs. T.L. is very energetic and a huge riot to talk to,” Maharath said. With so many people falling into hard times due to the econmomy, help is needed now more than ever. Lots of organizations and charities provide services for others; now it’s being incorporated into schools. Manzano’s Key Club is a fairly new organization and it’s all about helping. Key Club does activities within the community outside off school, as well as inside the school. “Pretty soon we’re going to volunteer to help homeless girls,”

said Olivia Olmstead, MHS senior and Key Club member. Some of the members also woke up at three in the morning and volunteered at the Balloon Fiesta. “We do various projects that help the community, both on the school and city levels, from volunteering at the Balloon Fiesta to being part of a youth movement that warns people of the dangers of secondhand smoke,” Maharath stated. Key Club recently was involved with Evolvement. Evolvement is an anti-tobacco group. They raise awareness about tobacco. and its effects on the body. They attended the lecture and have been spreading the message around school raising awareness on this issue. Many students are a part of Key Club. Most are good students who have high G.P.A.’s and who are planning on going to college. Being a member of this club looks really good on a college applications and anyone can join the club. “All you have to do to become a Key Club member is go to the meetings at lunch every Tuesday in Mrs. Thompson-Loyd’s room and sign in,” said Olmstead.

The Key to the World

Mr. Shanley Shades of Purple have been around since the fi rst staff talent show in 2002; the teachers have been playing and performing since, and the line-up is constantly changing. For now around 19 people have been part of the band and more are to be expected. Shades Of Purple had been preparing for the 10th annual faculty talent and spring show, their two performances of the year. The band meets to decide which songs to play. While under Mr. Nuzum, the band played more oldies. Even though the songs have changed Shades of Purple remains the same. Shades of Purple has Dan Shanley on vocals and various percussion, Art Samora on bass, Chris Castillo on drums, Sue Perea on trumpet, Steve Pinzone playing lead guitar, Brett Rimer on guitar, Brad Dubbs on trumpet, David Roberts playing the fl ute, Andy Cook on keyboard, Sam Candelaria (former administrator) on guitar, Tim Nuzum (Mr. Nuzum’s son) playing guitar, and Richard Hielkema (MHS former band teacher) playing trumpet. “For (only having) two to three rehearsals I thought the talent show went well,” said Mr. Rimer about their latest performance. The band hardly plays together, but each band member studies his own part and they have a few

Shades of Purple from Page 1

Rhianna Sczczesiul 2012

A Talented Staff

Shades of Purple on stage. Dan Shanley on vocals, Brett Rimer and Steve Pinzone on guitar, Art Samora on bass, and Chris Castillo on drums. Photo courtesy of Mr. Heimer.

rehearsals before the performances and play their best to hear the cheers of the Monarchs around them. “I felt we were prepared for the faculty talent show. We may even grow in numbers,” added Mr. Rimer. Many students think it’s cool that the Manzano staff have their own band which helps improve student/teacher relationships.

An example of Veteran Print Project’s artwork

PAW 5School NewsDecember 2011

PRINT

for college and beyond, and the standard advanced placement and dual credit programs. In the opinion of many, the fl y in the ointment is the requirement for a fourth year of math. “We had a hard time getting kids to take three years of math,” said Ed Bortot, Manzano Assistant Principal and head of the AVID program. According to Mr. Bortot, state and nationwide scores on standardized math and science tests have been down, which is why the state is now mandating a fourth year of math. The Algebraic Models class was created specifi cally to fulfi ll that requirement; it allows students to take the Models class their junior year and then Algebra II their senior year. In addition to the new classes, Mr. Bortot is taking a very active approach in getting students to pass these classes. He gives mandatory tutoring sessions for sophomores and freshmen who are failing their classes. If these students are failing classes, fi rst Bortot will request their presence in tutoring and if they do not attend, or refuse, he will send them to ISS and then to tutoring. “They’ll thank me later if it does work,” said Mr. Bortot. He explained that even though the method is harsh, students will ultimately benefi t from it. Mr. Bortot said that he is basically, “forcing them not to get an F.” Once

a student gets to a D or above, he or she is no longer obliged to attend tutoring. While the standards may still seem daunting to many students and staff, Manzano has come up with some creative solutions to meet the requirements and, as Ms. Carroll put it, kill two birds with one stone. Manzano will soon offer classes, such as Spanish and English, as online courses. The use of the online resources for these classes allows students to fulfi l their core requirements and receive the online requirement in one fell swoop. Andrew Cook, Manzano Spanish teacher, will be the fi rst to teach an online Spanish course which fulfi lls both the online and foreign language requirement. He was optimistic about the future of the online class, saying that his students will be “just as, if not more successful.” Mr. Cook explained that the class would allow him more one -on-one speaking time with the students which would promote the learning of the language. He also said it will allow students who are too shy to ask questions in class an opportunity to ask questions and have personal attention. Cook also said that the technology training would be valuable for students. “It’s (technology) a part of

life these days,” said Mr. Cook. The biggest question on students’ minds though is probably: why is this change being implemented? The answer is surprisingly simple: competition. Other countries are surpassing the U.S. on standardized math and science scores, so it is imperative that the U.S. trains an educated workforce that can stay afl oat in the dynamic global economy. However, even in light of the new economic prospects of the global market, some criticize the new program as being nothing more than a rehashing of the same system, just under a different name and a different helmsman. “I just wish there were more tracks,” said Brett Rimer, Manzano English teacher. “Not every student is going to college.” Mr. Rimer said that there should be more options for students who want to pursue a career path other than getting a post-secondary education. Mr. Rimer brought to light the issue of educational equality versus educational liberty. In other words, trying to give all students the same set of skills versus allowing students to choose what path they see fi t. “It’s not apples to apples,” said Mr. Rimer. What he means is that a student becoming a lawyer would not need to take a course in calculus; the same way a student becoming a rocket scientist would not need

to take a rhetorical language course. Another question on the minds of everyone affected by the change is how the abrupt changes will affect the school on the short term and on the long term. Ken Tuley, Manzano Assistant Principal said that whenever changes like this are implemented, the school must pass through what he calls “the valley of despair,” or a dip in grades, graduation rates, etc, before the change has a chance to become second nature to those affected, after which statistics will climb out of the “valley” and begin to increase. Others however, such as Mr. Cook, don’t expect to see much, if any, kind of drop in overall performance. The last and most important question is what the students think of all of these changes since they are the ones who are will be most affected by it. There is a defi nite schism in the junior class between those who are aware of the changes and what they entail, and those who are unaware of the changes. Lewis Bandy, MHS junior, said that he is “very aware of it (the rising standards.)” Bandy would go on to say that even though there have been junior class meetings, and other events that have sought

to explain this change, the majority of the junior class are not aware of what is going on and are ill-prepared for it. Jessie Perez-Baca, another MHS junior, said “I don’t like it (the change in standards.)” Perez-Baca is taking a class at CNM next semester to complete one of the requirements, but agrees with Bandy that too few of the juniors are aware of the changes to fully be prepared for them. According to Bandy, the only class who will be truly prepared for this change is this year’s eighth graders, the class of 2016. Bandy said that many of his fellow classmates may not be able to cope with the raising standards and he expects to see diminished graduation numbers in his class.

Grad requirements from Page 1

The 2011 faculty talent show was a fun and exciting night for all, and best of all the proceeds went to a good cause. The show was fi lled with a variety of acts. Some were funny, some were serious, but all were entertaining. All proceeds benefi ted the faculty talent show scholarship fund. The show earned over $1,700. “The talent show last year was a lot of fun. This year was just exciting,” said Autumn Quillen, a sophomore at Manzano High School. There were plenty of entertaining acts. Some of the highlights of the night were: Shades of purple (the teacher band), a “Dancing With the Stars” spoof, and who could forget Coach Samora’s hilarious magic act, The Amazing Arturo? Although Samora’s magic act was not very convincing, he made up for it with his great sense of humor and funny personality. What the audience initially thought was going to be a magic show actually turned out to be a funny, upbeat act where Samora showed off some dance

A Talented StaffMariah Chavez 2014

moves. “Coach Samora was so funny! Everyone was just cracking up the whole time. Especially me,” said Celeste Chacon, a sophomore at Manzano. Being a contestant of the MHS faculty talent takes hard work and dedication. An act that seemed to grab the audience’s attention was Mr. Carrillo’s piano performance, “A Melody of Tunes”. Mr.Carrillo is not able to read notes, nor has he ever taken a piano lesson in his life. Yet he played the piano with utmost confi dence and gave an inspiring performance. “I really like watching all the teachers perform while I just sit back and watch the show,” said Adrinne Shaw, a sophomore at Manzano. Many of these acts require that teachers collaborate with one another. One such act would include the duet with Mrs. Erickson and Mr. Tuley, “Anything You Can Do.” Several students commented on what a great night it was. Not only was it a chance to see teachers outside of the regular school setting, but it helped Manzano come together to raise money for a worthy cause.

MHS staff gettin’ down with they badselves. Photo courtesy of Mr. Heimer

Editorials6December 2011December 2011

PAW PRINT

Through countless videos, pictures and documentaries, over time I have come to believe that Big Foot could actually be real. Big Foot/Sasquatch sightings have been claimed for many years now, but I think the most believable sighting was the one made by Robert Gimilin and Roger Patterson in 1967. They both were on a hunt to fi nd Big Foot for several years and wanted to catch whatever they found on camera. Sure enough they did fi nd Big Foot and recorded a couple of seconds of him on tape. Some scientists believed through research that this creature was “unknown to science” while others didn’t buy it. Even when Patterson was in the hospital dying of cancer, he swore on his deathbed that his encounter with Big Foot was legit. Gimlin also agrees that their Big Foot video was real and for several years now has made appearances at Big Foot conventions. Yes, I know there have been those phony people who take fake

He Exists!

The media does not know when to stop talking about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Okay, yes, Tebow is a decent quarterback; he knows how to run the ball very well but when it comes to throwing he is not so great. Everybody is always talking about him; whether its ESPN, NFL Network, Fox Sports News, NFL.com, or ESPN.com. Enough is enough! He has been winning, that’s cool for his team and everything but why overexaggerate this player? Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, or even Peyton Manning does not even get that much attention. Tom Brady, probably the best quarterback in the NFL, he once led the New England Patriots to a 16-0 season, and oh by the way he has three Super Bowl rings. When Brett Favre was in the league, he broke legendary quarterback Dan Marino’s record for most pass attempts, pass completions, and most games ever started by a quarterback. Yet neither of these guys received this insane amount of attention from the media. Tim Tebow once only completed two passes in a game, and his team won despite his ineptness. And people worship him? Come on really? What about when Dallas Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray broke hall of famer Emmitt Smith’s record for most rushing yards in a single game by a rookie. 253 yards to be exact! There are many other stories around the league that need much more attention. For example; rookie cornerback/punt returner Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals is tied all time for most punt returns for touchdowns in a season. And how about Aaron Rodgers, leading his team to being 11-0 after a Super Bowl title? Call me crazy or whatever you want, but I believe that the media needs to stop giving all the attention and credit to Tim Tebow. If you see some of the recent Denver Bronco games, you will see that it’s the defense doing most of the work. Tim Tebow still has a whole lot to improve on before anybody can say that he’s the “best.” Never ever compare Tim Tebow to Michael Vick. Michael Vick can actually throw and run! Tebow is like a running back; he only runs the ball. If he can get better at passing, then I will him the credit he deserves. But, for now, Tim Tebow does not deserve all the credit he is getting.

Enough With the Tebow Coverage

So this year, I’m taking a screenwriting class at CNM as part of dual-credit, and in this class are a handful of people who are only taking the class to fi ll credits, but the majority of the class are fi lm-majors. Now it’s no surprise that I like movies and in fact am going to major in fi lm myself. Which is why I can say with all the confi dence in the world that there are few more annoying individuals than fi lm-majors. I’ll explain it to you: On the fi rst day of my screenwriting class, this girl who sits next to me asked me what my favorite movie is. I told her the truth—“The Dark Knight”. This was a mistake. She looks at me like I just told a big Jesus-joke in the middle of Bethlehem, and goes, “‘The Dark Knight’? Are you serious?” And I tell her I am, then ask her what her favorite movie is. I don’t remember the title of the fi lm she said, but I’ll paraphrase the description she gave me: So it’s about Yaseem the Arab going from Azerbaijan to Mecca on his Hajj, and along the way he befriends individuals from all the societies of the world—such as Cofey, the transplanted Rastafarian from starving Jamaica; Shoshana, the confl icted Jew whose mother is an Israelite and whose father is a Palestinian; and Xing-Chu, the exiled Chinaman who lost his family’s honor when he listened to Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills”. Together, these four continue onto Mecca, when they discover an old rusted bicycle along the side of the road in war-torn Iraq, which they fi x up and customize to be a four-seater, and then they ride right on into Saudi Arabia. But

pictures and just want their 15 minutes of fame, and there are also those tall people in gorilla suits who try to fool us, and some sightings are no doubt those who mistake an animal in the woods for Big Foot. However, I feel that there are things in this world that people don’t have answers for and there are creatures that haven’t been offi cially discovered. So you can’t say it’s impossible. If you look up Big Foot on Google you’ll fi nd tons of information, but the best program to watch is “Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science” on The Discovery Channel. I’m not a huge Big Foot fanatic; I don’t have a Big Foot tracking device and I’ve never gone on a Big Foot hunting spree; but I am certain that Big Foot is lurking in the woods somewhere around the world. I am convinced that Big Foot is more than just a fi ctional character in “Harry and The Hendersons.”

My Nauseating Indie Adventure before they can reach Mecca, Yaseem gets stung by a wasp, and the movie ends with a fl ashback to the beginning, where suddenly the audience is reminded of that one little piece of dialogue between Yaseem and his mother in which it’s revealed that Yaseem is deathly allergic to wasps. To be honest, this description is an embellishment of what she actually told me, but you get the idea. That’s what’s so annoying about many fi lm-majors: they think it’s so cool to be anti-establishment by not liking Hollywood or big-budget fi lms, like “Dark Knight”. Newsfl ash: it’s perfectly acceptable to like Hollywood fi lms! And anyone who doesn’t think so needs to reconsider each and every single movie you have ever seen, distinguish which of those are big-budget and which are independent fi lms, then imagine the world without the big-budget fi lms. What a terrible, gray, dystopian world that would be! Can you even imagine a world where movies such as “The Matrix”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Star Wars”, “Harry Potter”, “Twilight”, “Jurassic Park”, “Saving Private Ryan”, and others never existed? And in their places were camp independents like “Yaseem’s Big Adventure”? What would people like me have to live for? What in the world would I write about for this newspaper, another restaurant review? Oh, yeah, that was really entertaining! So beware, Reader, of the fi lm-major; because in all likelihood he or she is a parasitic “holier than thou” little ant, who wishes with all his or her heart to be a part of “Yaseem”’s sequel.

We as Americans are taught at a young age that we have the right to believe in whatever we choose. But many so-called Americans don’t believe in these words, they think that their religion is the one and only right one to choose. Now I have nothing against a person having a religious faith, although I have everything against a person who tries to condemn the religious ideas of others. I’m tired of turning on the television, going to the news and seeing a group of people with signs saying God will judge you sinners. And the same people saying I, or my loved ones are the reason why there is evil in the world just because we don’t believe in their God. I don’t want to wake up in world where people are being beaten and killed for having a different faith than others. I know that other may say that I am being hypocritical saying we shouldn’t let these people believe in what they want. But I believe that it is the greatest wrongdoing to let these individuals threaten and cause harm to anyone, simply because of the difference of faith. And I know that these people are claiming that our souls are damned in the supposed of afterlife. With that line of thinking these individuals may believe for that reason it is their duty to punish us even if their faith doesn’t tell them to. Now I’m not saying it’s wrong to have a religion, what I’m saying is it’s wrong to try to force your faith on another who has different religious ideas. The two of them should agree to disagree and move on with your lives. So debating about who is right and who’s wrong about the afterlife is pointless, we should spend more time worry about this life. And just because somebody has a different opinion than you doesn’t give you the right to threaten or harm them.

Stop With All the Judging

Beauty is Within

Billy Huntsman 2012Marissa Chavez 2012

Rafael Ruiz 2013

Shane Esposito 2013

PAW PRINT

7EditorialsDecember 2011

Derrick Rose is the best point guard (PG) in the league right now. Let’s start with the facts: last season Rose averaged 7.7 assists per game (APG) and 25 points per game (PPG). He got drafted in 2008 to the Bulls and is still their PG. There is no question that Rose keeps getting better, resulting in the Bulls getting better also. Some things he has accomplished so far are: carrying his team to the best record in the NBA by himself. First Carlos Boozer, the power forward for the Bulls, was injured and out of play for several months. Then their center, Joakim Noah, was injured, leaving Rose without one of his best weapons again. He still led the Bulls to the league’s best record and became the league’s youngest MVP ever, at age 22. Rose also made it to the All-Star team; there hasn’t been a Bulls player on the All-Star team since Michael Jordan. As well as being sponsored by Powerade, Rose also has his own line of Adidas. He can be seen on television almost nightly and is becoming one of the most famous athletes on the planet.

But despite his outstanding resume, some still might say that Derrick Rose doesn’t even play like a PG, that he scores too much, and that he should more like Chris Paul (CP3) or Rajon Rondo. CP3, who is the PG for the New Orleans Hornets, averages 9.8 APG and 15.8 PPG. Rondo, the PG for the Boston Celtics, who averages 11.2 APG and 10.6 PPG. So you might say that compared to these PG’s, Rose is the better player. Just look at the overall numbers. But his critics say that he needs to pass more and his assist totals are low. But my response to that argument is that Rose is the scoring leader because the Bulls don’t have any other key players to make plays. He has proven that when he is aggressive defensively and offensively, the Bulls are unstoppable. No one in the league can stop Rose in the paint. Once he elevates it’s going in, or he’s at the line. Besides, who do you know who has accomplished so much in only three years?

A Rose Without Thorns

We live in a society in which the human social status is determined by the type of clothes a woman wears, the items she posesses, and how she looks and portrays herself. Teen girls and young women are taught that what is on the outside matters more than what is on the inside. We see more women dressing more and more promiscuously. This society’s attire for girls is becoming more and more revealing. I see young ladies trying to look like they are in their twenties, and I also see older women attempting to fi t in with the teen crowds. High school students are dressing like they are going out to a club, with all these girls in their short shirts and skimpy tops. As a young lady I believe we should all be more tasteful in our selection of clothing; as well as with the amount of makeup we wear. Make-up is caked on so thick that some people are almost unrecognizable on days where they don’t put any on . I hate to wash my face at night; its just one of those things that needs motivation and persistence to continuously remember to remove makeup on a nightly basis. So, arguing that putting on thick make-up cover up blemishes and face acne is irrelevant unless you can honestly tell me that you wash your face and remove all of your make-up on a nightly basis. It creates more of a frustration to reapply make-up upon make-up clogging your pores even more. Others argue its necessary to wear large amounts of make-up to impress a special person and feel confi dent at the same time. So here is what I have to say to that: Guys will walk into your life and walk right back out for the next best thing. The large amounts of make-up that are applied to your face are not going to help anyone hold on to a crush or that current special person. Women should rely on their self-confi dence and who they are as a person rather than on the material items and make-up to make them the confi dent beautiful young ladies they are without it!

Beauty is Within I’m absolutely tired of hearing the world ending in 2012! I’ll admit that when I fi rst heard about this “silly” talk, I somewhat believed it. Then as time went by, I grew up and let silly, crazy, theories fl y out of my head. The world ending in the year 2012 might be an ancient theory from the Mayans! Who believes an ancient rumor? People want to hear new, juicy, gossip! Has anyone considered the possibility that the Mayans just ran out of paper. Or should I say stones? Maybe that’s why there wasn’t enough room for 2013. It’s like me making my own calendar, making it all sparkly and whatnot. Then, all of a sudden, I run out of paper and glitter, or ink in my pen! OOHH NOO! The world is going to end on the date that I stopped at now! I must go warn my friends on Facebook! So do you see what I’m sayin’?! Now, if the world does end On December 21st, 2012, what would exactly happen? (Don’t tell me about those events from the movie “2012”). Planet Earth falling? The sky falling? (Better believe Chicken Little this time). A big “BOOOMMM” will happen? What will happen exactly? Why didn’t anyone mention this way, waaayy before so we could be prepared and go buy a safety helmet? The world will end; it’s just that no one will ever know when. Nothing lasts forever, right? Frankly, I’ll believe it when I see it! Hopefully never; or hopefully I’ll be happily dead, chillin’ in my casket like a boss when that time comes.

The World is Ending...Again

Not many people call themselves morning people as for many of us it is tough to get going at that time. Also usually the mornings show how the rest of the day is going to go. When your shoes start feeling sticky and you fi nd gum on them you know it’s one of those days. Littering feels like somebody is invading your personal space. Everyone is angry because of this issue. And the big kicker is many people are contributing to this abundant amount of solid waste. Global climate could be a huge problem, but the one we need to address is the one so many of we humans contribute to and that is littering. So here is a question we should all ask: why is this occurring? My opinion is that people are lazy; nobody looks for the trashcan! For some odd reason we have gotten lazy to the point of throwing

our trash wherever feels convenient. Then we become the terrible monsters destroying the earth with our excess waste. Now I’m not a big fan of recycling or anything of that nature, although I do think we each owe everyone common courtesy to fi nd a trashcan or recycling bin if you prefer that and get rid of our trash. People need to understand this is just like me going over to your house and dumping trash everywhere and just leaving. Why should public places be any different from our homes? We all go through them everyday, we should at least have some decency to clean up these places and not drop trash where we feel like it. I understand some people might say, “I was just so busy,” or, “I didn’t want to fi nd a trash can and the janitors can do that.” Let me share some breaking news: No janitors

want to pick up your trash! When we come together and stop this ongoing problem, not only would we be helping the earth but also helping each other. We don’t have to be big believers in the environment or start the CCP (the common courtesy project). All we really have to know is that we should always, especially when we have trash cans placed at practically every corner, throw out our garbage in the right places.

Have Some Consideration, FolksTyler Gallegos 2012

Shelby-Lynne Lujan 2013Sandy Nguyen 2014

Patrick Smithgee 2013

Sara Evans

John Loges

Grade? 12

How long have you been playing this sport? Since 2nd grade.

Favorite team or athlete? Unsure.

What have you achieved from playing this sport? I have learned the value of hard work and have met friends along the way.

8December 2011

PAW PRINT

December 2011

Students and Sta­

StaffAthletesMonarchs

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

Favorite thing about MHS? The discipline and students.

Favorite High School class? Home arts, where we sewed clothes. Free time? Spend time with my three chihuahuas.

Extracurricular Activities? Theatre and choir.

Future Plans? Go to UNM and get a degree in performing arts.

Favorite Memory at MHS? Drama’s production of “Frankenstein”.

Elena Williamson Deanie Cruz

Nik Duran Steve Pinzone

Extracurricular Activities? Dance, choir, and theatre. Future plans? Undecided; something in performing arts. Favorite Memory at MHS? The faculty talent show.

Favorite thing about MHS? The diversity of the student population. Favorite High School class? Drama; English as a close second. Free time? Play guitar and participate in theatre

Grade? 11

How long have you been playing this sport? Since freshman year.

Favorite team or athlete? Jackie Robinson. What have you achieved from playing this sport? Discipline.

(Basketball)

(Wrestling) (English/)

(ISS) (Senior)

(Senior)

This one is especially for the juniors and seniors out in the reading audience, because I’m addressing the daunting c-word. C’mon, guys, get your minds out of the gutter. I’m talking about college. I recently was able to take a weekend and go out into the world and meet my future. Just a little, you know. I was presented with many options which really opened my eyes to the opportunities that are available. Did I want a small college or a big college? 100% living on campus or 40% living on campus? College town or bustling city? These are just some of the many things to be considered when looking for a college, and visits really help to fi gure out what exactly is the best fi t. As one of the information counselors said, “Finding the right college is like going shopping for jeans. Some styles or sizes just won’t fi t you right, and

Cloie’s Corner: What We All Fear Cloie Logan 2013

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sometimes you won’t look as good in the same jeans that your friend looks stunning in.” Now, most people in Albuquerque tend to assume that their best fi t for college and future in general is right here in good ol’ New Mexico. It will be, for a lot of people. But as I have recently confi rmed, there is indeed life outside of New Mexico, and the people are about as strange as us. Don’t be afraid to explore, they won’t bite- I promise. I was a bit skeptical at fi rst too. Honestly, everyone has a shot at college. There are choices out there; you don’t have to stay here forever. We are not trees. We are human and we have the means to uproot ourselves and go somewhere in the pursuit of wants, needs, happiness, and opportunity. Human willpower is strong. Like Iron Man, or Brawny paper towels. So put it to work.If you set your mind on a certain future, it is almost guaranteed you will be able to make it happen. That’s what keeps Elmer Fudd and Wile E Coyote going, anyhow. Consider all the possibilities: there are colleges galore, internships, scholarships, the armed forces, and many many people who can help you attain the future you want for yourself. College is soon approaching us. Are you going to be happy with your choice? I know it’s cliché, but the world is your oyster bed. You can choose the most attractive pearl; you aren’t stuck with the one right at your fi ngertips.