File - Matt Dallas Only

September 2006
1
volume 13
party!
Break out the cake and make
history as CCSD turns the big 5-0
class!
by, for and about the high school students of Clark County
September 2006
Vol.13, Issue 1
Founders
David Phillips • Paul Aizley • Sari Aizley
Board of Directors
President: Tom Warden,
contents!
01
by, for and about the high school students of Clark County
Vice President, Community & Government Relations,
Howard Hughes Corporation
President-elect: Chris Ferrari, Deputy Director of
Government and Public Affairs, R&R Partners
living history! what’s your
place in CCSD history? 02
Vice President: Marydean Martin,
Owner, Marydean & Associates
Treasurer: Michele Johnson,
President/CEO, Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Secretary: Sari Aizley, Publisher, Aizley Publications
Past President: Dr. Paul Aizley,
Professor of Mathematics, UNLV
Founding President: Barbara Buckley, Esq.
Nevada State Assemblywoman;
Executive Director, Clark County Legal Services
Mark Brown, President, YourBuyer, Inc.
Cindy Creighton, Executive Director,
Nevada Subcontractors Association
Kathleen Frosini, Director, Career and Technical
Education, Clark County School District
Paul Henry, Esq., President, Henry and Associates
Judy Jenner, Spanish Content Manager, Vegas.com
Denise Karpelenia, Coordinator 6-12 English
Language Arts, Clark County School District
Catherine Levy, Gov. and Public Affairs, R&R Partners
David Phillips, Photo Supervisor, CSI,
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Susan Sawyer, Guidance Counselor, Sierra Vista HS
Patrick Smith, Account Executive,
The Rogich Communications Group
Dr. Carrol Steedman, Director of Credit Programs,
UNLV Division of Educational Outreach
Myrna Williams, Clark County Commissioner
Honorary Board
Shelley Berkley, U.S. Congresswoman
Jan Biggerstaff, Owner, Graphics 2000
Thalia Dondero, Board of Regents,
wired! clearing up the
12 noise on Ipod dangers
¡a celebrar! el mes nacional
de la herencia hispana 22
Nevada System of Higher Education
Mark Fine, Developer, CLASS! Past President
Robert Forbuss, Strategic Alliances, LLC
Mary Hausch, Asst. Professor of Journalism,
25 sports! gridiron girls
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Gary Steven Markewich, M.D.
Julie Pippenger, Executive Director,
Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
take the field in 2007
Sarah Ralston
Judi Steele, President & CPO,
Clark County Public Education Foundation
Patricia Wright
Elaine Wynn
Staff
Maureen McDonough, Executive Director
Lina Hernández, Diganos Editor
Mary Phillips, Administrative Coordinator
Ariel Gove, Advertising Director
Stephanie Espinoza, Editor
Jessica Fryman, Staff Writer
Jennifer Polito, Community Relations Director
Jennifer Campeau, Advertising Assistant
Media Services
David Phillips, Cover Photography
TenWestCreative.com, Graphic Design
Student Correspondents
Amanda Adams, Las Vegas HS
Alicia Cooper, Clark HS
Pedro De Leon, PAL Intern, Las Vegas HS
Jessica Fryman, Liberty HS
Jaime Garcia, Western HS
Anupa Gewali, Green Valley HS
Whitney James, Liberty HS
Kerstin Kent, Faith Lutheran HS
Farah Minwalla, Palo Verde HS
Rikki Mitchell, Faith Lutheran HS
Michael Oliva, Coronado HS
Brianna Rizzo, Arbor View HS
Kayla Jo Rosoff, Sierra Vista HS
Asia Sapp, Liberty HS
Kaice Scarborough, Centennial HS
Meghan Shumaker, Western HS
Danielle Sloan, Green Valley HS
Jillian Stenzel, Faith Lutheran HS
Erika Turner, Las Vegas HS
Gregan Wingert, Las Vegas HS
class!
Publications
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 451025
Las Vegas, NV 89154-1025
Phone: (702) 895-1504
Fax: (702) 895-1505
Campus Services Building, Room 226
[email protected]
Submissions and Letters E-mail:
[email protected]
Website: www.classmag.com
CLASS! is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, accredited by the United
Way of Southern Nevada. The opinions expressed herein are the views of
the student writers who submit their work. CLASS!, its board of directors,
its donors and advertisers, and the Clark County School District do not
necessarily agree with these views. Submissions considered for
publication are checked for plagiarism through Turnitin.com.
Submissions may be edited for style, content and space restrictions.
college! high school students
get SAGE wisdom at UNLV 30
news!
opinion!
entertainment!
body&soul!
scholarships!
artspace!
diganos!
instyle!
schoolzone!
class!
04
06
08
14
17
18
21
26
28
career center!
get out there!
funzone!
calendar!
32
34
35
36
on the cover…
Celebrating CCSD’s 50th is a piece of cake for
(clockwise from left): Brianna Rizzo, Arbor View HS; Peter
Mazzamutto, Liberty HS; Jessica Fryman, Liberty HS;
Anupa Gewali, Green Valley HS; Victor Pirana, Liberty HS.
02
magazine would like to thank our distinguished donors Alan Molasky • Altadis USA • Altria Corporate Services, Inc. • American Medical Response • American Pacific Corporation •
Amy Ayoub • Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation • Angel Park Golf Club • Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley • Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani • Assemblywoman Ellen Koivisto and Vic Koivisto • AT&T • B&E Auto Auction •
Bank of America, George Smith • BankWest of Nevada • Barbara and Harlon Unruh • Barbara Molasky • Barrick Gold of North America • Betsy Rhodes • Bloomingdale’s • Bob and Aydie Unger • Bouchon • Boyd Gaming • Brad
Friedmutter & Linda Fresh • Caesars Entertainment • Canepa Riedy Rubino & Lattie • Charles Silvestri • Chief Justice Nancy Becker • Citibank (Nevada), N.A. • Clark County Commission • Clark County Public Education Foundation •
Clark County School District • Claudine Williams • Coach • Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf • Colours, Inc • Commissioner Myrna Williams • Commissioner Rory Reid • Community College of Southern Nevada • Congresswoman Shelley
Berkley • Corrigan Management Investments • Cox Communications • D’Lights • David Phillips Photographers • DeLuca Liquor & Wine, Ltd/Nevada Wine Agents • Diamond Resorts International • Diane Fearon, Bank West • Dillards
• Doggie Oasis • Dominic P. Gentile, Ltd. • Dr. Carrol Steedman • Dr. Paul Aizley & Sari Aizley • Edward Doumani • Elaine & Steve Wynn • English Garden Florist • Envelopes of Nevada • Estwin Corporation, Irwin Kishner • Ethel M
• Eureka Casino, Mesquite • Excalibur Hotel • Faiss Foley Warren • Fertitta Enterprises • Fitzgeralds • Flora Mason • Flower Peddler • Four Seasons Hotel • Frank Visconti • Friends of Chip Maxfield • Galleria Mall • GC Wallace •
Geoff Schumacher • Gilbert and Edythe Katz Yarchever • Governor Kenny Guinn • Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors • Greenspun Family Foundation • Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. • Harrie’s Bagelmania • Hispanic Broadcasting
Company • House of Blues • Howard Hughes Corporation • HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A. • IGT • Jerry and Yvonne Gordon • Jerry Johnson • Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman • Jill Meredith • Jim Severson • Joe and Kim Rolston • John A.
Ritter, Focus Property Group • Jones Vargas • Joyce Mack • Judge Michael Cherry • Judi Steele • JulieAnn’s Bakery • Karen Galatz and Jon Wellinghoff • Kelly Shook • Kincaid's Flower Korner • Kitty Rodman • KLAS TV-8 • Kolesar
& Leatham, CHTD • Krispy Kreme • Kummer, Kaempfer, Bonner, Renshaw & Ferrario • KVBC Channel 3 • Las Vegas Sun • Latin Chamber of Commerce • Lionel Sawyer & Collins • Marie Callender’s Restaurant • Marie Ray, M.R.
Whitsett, Inc. • Mark and Gloria Fine • Marnell Corrao • Mary Kay • Marydean Martin • Mayor Oscar Goodman • MGM/ MIRAGE • Michael E. Minden Jewelers • Mike Smith • Naomi Arin • Neiman Marcus • Nevada Arts Council •
Nevada Department of Education • Nevada First Bank • Nevada Mining Association • Nevada Power Company • Nevada State Bank • Nevada Subcontractors Association • Nevada System of Higher Education • Nevada Title
Company • O’Reilly Law Group • Orleans Hotel • Palms Casino Resort • Paperdoll Boutique Stationery • Paradise Development • Pat Rubin • Patsy Welding • Paul Steelman Design Group • Pauline Goldmann • Peccole Nevada •
Polo Ralph Lauren • Pulte Homes/Del Webb • Pursiano Law Group • R&R Partners • Regent Thalia Dondero • Republic Services • Richard & Andrea Goeglein • Richard & Patty Wright • Rita Abbey and Robert Belliveau • Robert C.
Maddox & Associates • Ron Tiberti • Roy Purcell • Saks 5th Avenue • Samuel Schaul • Sarah Ralston • Scholastic Inc. • Schreck Brignone • NV Senator Barbara Cegavske • NV Senator Bob Coffin & Mary Hausch • Senator Harry
Reid • Sierra Health Serives • Sonja and Michael Saltman • Southwest Gas Corp. • Southwest Printers • Spa at Lakeside • Spago • Sprint • SR Construction • Station Casinos • Sue and Paul Lowden • Sunbelt Communications •
Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center • Susan Houston • Susan Sawyer, Kelly Sawyer and Andrew Doran • SW Regional Council of Carpenters • Tanya & Roni Amid • Tapestries and More • Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada •
Thom Reilly • Tiger Lily Flowers • Tower of Jewels • Trattoria Del Lupo • Tropicana Resort & Casino • U.S. Bank • Ulf Buchholz, Photographer • University of Nevada, Las Vegas • University of Nevada, Reno • UNLV Boyd School of
Law • UNLV Performing Arts Center • Venetian Foundation • Venetian Hotel • Wal-Mart Store No. 2050 • Walter Moore • Walters Group • Wells Fargo • Whittemore Family Trust • William and Lynn Weidner • Wynn Resorts
02
50:50
A blast
by Kayla Jo Rosoff, Sierra Vista HS.
happy birthday
The Clark County School District is in good company
as it commemorates half a century of service.
Disneyland, David Copperfield and Artificial Intelligence
all turn 50 in 2006, along with the CCSD.
The year was 1956 and the date, Feb. 1.
Superintendent R. Guild Gray of Las
Vegas School District Union No. 2 was
“In those days teachers taught every subject,” she says, quoted
in Nevada Family Magazine. “We didn’t have art teachers and P.E.
teachers. We hardly had time to use the restroom.”
preparing to address the Board of
School Trustees, which was consolidating
14 separate school districts into one.
“There was already so much rapid growth and makeup
going on here, even 50 or so odd years ago,” Frank
Lamping says of Gray’s knowledge that the district
would become as large as the state highway department.
Lamping, who taught in the district for 40 years and has
an elementary school named after him in Henderson,
now serves on a committee that is helping the public
celebrate the efforts the district has accomplished.
“There are lots of good people that are part of the
committee, giving their time and effort. They are what make
this school district great, and what it is today!” he says.
CCSD
Making history: CCSD high school students
celebrate the district’s golden anniversary.
Clockwise from left: Peter Mazzamutto, Liberty HS;
Brianna Rizzo, Arbor View HS; Victor Pirana, Liberty
HS; Anupa Gewali, Green Valley HS; and Jessica
Fryman, Liberty HS.
photo: David Phillips
Though CCSD’s official birth was in 1956, many of the
district’s schools are much older.
In 1865 the first Mormon settlers arrived in St. Thomas
(now an underwater ghost town at the bottom of Lake
Mead) and set up a schoolhouse with just enough space
for 25 students and one teacher.
At age 100, Clark County School District’s oldest living
namesake, Lomie Gray Heard, began her teaching career
in Clark County 12 years before CCSD was even
founded. She still remembers schools similar to the one
established in St. Thomas.
The drive to teach today’s Clark County youth about
what the district used to be like compels the 30-plus
committee members to publish books, build a time
capsule and hold a fundraiser in March 2007, all
devoted to Clark County’s history.
Lamping too realizes that many Clark County students
are unaware of the district’s rich past.
“Only old-timers appreciate the history CCSD has to offer,
with many who are part of the district’s staff and who
attended the schools just moving into town in the last
few years,” he says.
Today, as about four or five new schools open in the district
every year, many of CCSD’s students take for granted the
schools they attend. The feeling was far different in 1909.
With no sufficient high schools in Las Vegas, many students
had to continue their education in Utah.
In 1909 Clark County High School opened at Third and
Bridger, but was not officially established until 1911. A
year after the high school was built, an elementary
school was put in its same facilities – its board members
serving not just Las Vegas, but the entire district.
By 1921, with the valley continuing to grow, another
high school was set to be built: Las Vegas High School
on the corner of Seventh and Bridger, now the home to
Las Vegas Academy.
03
Time Machine: CCSD historians gathered photos
spanning the history of the district and beyond,
from the late 19th century to the new millennium.
Photos courtesy of CCSD.
from the past
CCSD CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
UNLV Regent Thalia Dondero, a district namesake and wife
of Harvey Dondero, who helped capture many of CCSD’s
memories in his book “History of the Clark County School
District,” has seen just how many changes the district’s
schools have gone through.
town, consisting of mainly African American students, saw
white students enter through their doors with the Sixth
Grade Center Plan. This plan allowed white students to be
bused to schools outside their neighborhoods, many on the
Westside areas of town.
“I have five kids who attended school in Clark County. I was
a complete PTA mom. I stayed very active in their lives. It
was so interesting to watch [CCSD] evolve as I watched
them,” she says.
“CCSD now has such great equality, which means
great chances and opportunities for kids to
learn and grow.” Howe says.
Though not a part of the CCSD’s anniversary committee,
Dondero is planning her own 50 year reunion celebration.
Railroad Pass School District, one of the 14 districts
combined into Clark County, made up the original bulk of
Henderson’s school zone and, in 1932, had just one
schoolhouse. By 1953 Basic High School was built and,
two years later in 1955, Park Village Elementary had
opened its doors.
“We grow so much stronger and diversified each year,”
says Principal Beth Howe of Greenspun Middle School in
Henderson, one of 45 schools located in the city today.
“We are very progressive.”
With the rapid growth Henderson has experienced over the
years, Howe appreciates just how many changes
were made to accommodate the great number of students
that were coming in.
Growth in Clark County would not have happened if not for
steps taken in 1968 to integrate schools. Hot off the heels
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, schools on the west side of
As the Clark County School District ushers in its birthday,
both employees from its early stages and those new
arrivals to the district all know that these celebrations
would not be possible without the Clark County students’
continued commitment to learning.
“It is so important that we instill the value of an
education. If kids take the time to recognize and
participate in the anniversary, they can get a sense of
that,” Lamping says.
While turning 50 may be ‘over the
hill’ for some, CCSD has never
looked better. Already the nation’s
fifth largest district, the district
is expected to become the fourth
largest during the 2006-2007
school year. It has aged gracefully,
perhaps even better than a
theme park, magician and a
scientist’s experiment !
During the month of September,
CCSD invited current and former
students, teachers and
administrators to contribute
their significant items of CCSD
memorabilia to a display at the
district office. For more
information, call 799-5304, or
visit the district communication
office at 5100 W. Sahara.
THEN:1956
NOW: 2006
Student
Enrollment:
THEN: 20,420
NOW: 303,000
Teacher’s
Beginning Salary:
THEN: $3,810
NOW: $29,133
Number
of Schools:
THEN: 30
NOW: 317
Cost of Building a
New HS:
THEN: $300,000
NOW: $60 Million
Cost of One
Gallon of Milk:
THEN: $0.97
NOW: $2.82
Average Price
of a Home:
THEN: $17,800
NOW: $240,000
Average Income:
THEN: $5,300
NOW: $47,000
news!
04
looking back and moving forward
the start of a new Legacy
Ranch re-opens
local and national news that matters to you
Looking
back and
moving forward
CCSD’s new superintendent challenges students to challenge themselves
Within the past 50 years,
CDs, cell phones and video
games have all been invented.
However, the most significant
establishment ef fecting Las
Vegas students is the Clark
County School District. While
trends come and go, the
education received in CCSD
schools will forever impact the
students and their future
families and co-workers.
As the district reflects upon its first 50 years, plans are
in the works to make the next 50 even better. Though
many people in Clark County are concerned about
education, it’s the top priority for the district’s new
superintendent, Dr. Walt Rulffes.
Rulffes, however, who was elected in January, is no
stranger to Clark County. In fact, he served as CCSD’s
chief financial officer for the last eight years, leading
efforts to raise the funds to build many of the schools
CCSD students attend today.
Looking back over the district’s first 50 years, Rulffes
points to growth, technology and the No Child Left
Behind Act as the three greatest impacts on schools that
have developed since CCSD was established in 1956.
“It’s an exciting time right now, full of challenges and full
of opportunity,” says Rulffes. “With enrollment in the
district over 300,000 now, my plans are to create ways to
give large schools the feeling of being smaller through
programs inside the schools.” He adds, “I also want to see
more of the decision-making done at the school level, so
administrators can better respond to the needs of their
particular students.”
One of the ways Rulffes plans to improve schools is by
ensuring that technological advancements are used in
the best way possible. With the rapid growth of
technology since the district’s inception, many schools
now have computers in almost every classroom,
opening up new educational opportunities that weren’t
even imagined 50 years ago.
However, while technology allows students to access
Web sites on the Internet for research to further their
education, the possibility that students will use
inappropriate or non-school related Web sites is a
concern as well.
To protect students, the school district blocks
unapproved Web sites. However, coincidentally many
valuable sites, essential for school projects and
students’ education, are blocked as well.
“The school district has an obligation that is the
equivalent of providing parental protection to students
while they are in the school’s custody,” Rulffes says. “We
will be diligent in blocking inappropriate material. If we
err [and block necessary sites], students may have to use
other avenues [for their research].”
For Rulffes, creating safe and successful school
environments for students extends from implementing
technological safeguards to reforming the No Child Left
Behind Act.
NCLB was designed with the hope that it would
motivate educators to help all students meet standard
education requirements, regardless of circumstances
such as language barriers and physical or
developmental disabilities. If some students are not
testing high enough in one subject, then the entire
school is considered a failure. As a result, NCLB labels
many Clark County schools as failing.
by Jessica Fryman, Liberty HS
In another attempt to better the Clark County School
District, efforts to increase the number and quality of
high school graduates are being extended.
“We currently have a shamefully low rate of graduates,”
says Rulffes. “It’s a freedom issue. If you haven’t even got
a high school diploma, you really don’t have the freedom
to be successful in life.”
In addition to increasing the number of graduates, Rulffes
hopes to increase the quality of graduates as well.
“There’s no harm in having a rigorous curriculum,” says
Rulffes. “For example, what harm would there be if a person
took more in high school than they felt they would need to
go into some trade?”
Rulffes says he thinks high schools should have
requirements equivalent to obtaining a Millennium
Scholarship in order to make college an easy option for
all students.
“It’s the district’s duty to prepare students for a successful
adulthood in any career path or avenue they choose,” he
says. “I want to see all of our students succeed.” !
“All the No Child Left Behind Act measures for the success of
a school are the math scores and the reading scores, and
now we’re going to bring science into the picture in 2007,”
says Rulffes.
He adds, “Education, especially at the high school age, has
to be more holistic – how to be a creative student, how to
study, how to learn how to learn. [The No Child Left Behind
Act’s] focus is too narrow in terms of measuring the
success of a school.”
Rulffes is aware of the flaws in the No Child Left Behind
Act and says, “We’re going to make our voices heard in
2007 when the federal government starts hearings on
revising the law.”
above: Superintendent Dr. Walt Rulffes and Rancho HS Principal
Robert Chesto are interviewed by Channel 3’s Kendall Tenney at the
grand ‘re-opening’ of the new and improved Rancho, which turns
52 this year. photo: David Phillips
top of page: Liberty HS senior Jessica Fryman, left, got the straight
scoop from CCSD Superintendent Dr. Walt Rulffes, on what CCSD is
doing for teens and what teens can do for themselves.
photo: Erika Turner, Las Vegas HS
!news!news!news!news!news!news!news!news!
news!
the start of a new Legacy
by Jessica Fryman, Liberty HS
In the past 50 years, the Clark County School District
student enrollment has increased by more than 270,000
students — a statistic that is inevitably followed by the opening
of new schools. This year, Legacy High School will open in
North Las Vegas and provide education to about 1,600
Clark County students.
Despite some initial setbacks, the “I am excited to bring new
things to Legacy like new
Legacy Longhorns opened their
and fun traditions that no
doors to their student body of
other school has had yet,”
freshmen, sophomores and
says Kelcie Donaldson, freshman
juniors on Aug. 30.
student council member.
“There are some clean-up and
construction issues and we’re still
waiting for additional wardrobes and
bookshelves,” says Principal Dr. Tammy
Malich. “The important stuff is here
though — the books and the computers.
We’re not too concerned.”
Malich has few concerns for this coming
school year as she is exceedingly
qualified to be the principal of Clark
County’s newest high school. A Valley
High School graduate, Malich has been
involved in the Clark County School
District all her life. She’s been an
educator for 16 years, this being her
third year as a principal. Legacy is the
second new school she’s opened after
opening Findlay Middle School as
principal two years ago.
Many of Legacy’s freshmen are also
coming from Findlay and are looking
forward to a brand new school with the
many opportunities that lie ahead.
Legacy students certainly do have new
traditions to anticipate. A global studies
school, Legacy offers several foreign
languages including Mandarin Chinese,
Japanese, Arabic, French, Spanish and
American Sign Language. Students will
be required to take two years of a foreign
language in hopes that they will be
better prepared to live in a global society.
The administration’s drive to better
educate their students is apparent
through their effort to find qualified
teachers and to develop effective
courses as well.
“We literally searched from all over the
world,” says Malich. “Our Arabic teacher
came from Spain and our Japanese
teacher came from Chicago. We searched
high and low and near and far, and we
were able to find licensed certified
teachers in every one of those [foreign
language] areas.”
In addition to extensive options in the
foreign language department, Legacy will
offer molecular biology and international
marketing classes.
‘Ranch’ re-opens bigger and better
Back in 1954, a Republican was president, a new invention
called television was just starting to gain popularity, and Rancho
High School was opened for the first time in Las Vegas.
Though more than 50 years has passed since then, there’s still a Republican in the
White House, technology is still advancing society, and Rancho High School is
opening—again.
However, this time, the ‘Ranch,’ as alumni call it, is bigger and better than its first
graduating Class of 1957 could have imagined it would ever be.
“In Las Vegas, anything that’s more than 50 years old, we either implode or
rebuild,” says Rancho Principal Robert Chesto, a Rancho alumnus from the Class of
1967, in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun.
Under the Clark County School District’s school replacement program, Rancho is
getting more than just a face lift. Occurring in two phases, the school’s reconstruction
began with the demolition of the old gym and athletic fields in May 2004.
A new, massive, two-story, mall-style school building was built on that site and
opened for business on Aug. 30. Phase Two of the project began this summer with
the demolition of the old school to make room for state-of-art athletic facilities !
To fulfill their global studies mission,
Legacy will also have technology courses
that focus on communicating with
students internationally and educating
students to work in a virtual setting.
“We are providing students with
technology opportunities, programs and
equipment that are unique,” explains
Malich. “We will be doing virtual courses
and projects where our students will
work with students in other countries.”
Legacy also awaits fall sports as many
student-athletes have been training this
summer. Although the gymnasium was
not expected to be completed until the
first day of school, the athletes did not
let that delay their conditioning. Sports’
teams were relieved and thankful to use
other schools’ gymnasiums in order to
prepare for their season.
05
Photo: Kaice Scarborough, Centennial HS
Legacy
High School
Mascot: Longhorns
Colors: Burnt orange and white
Motto: “The world of learning, the
world of difference.”
Mission statement: “The mission of
Legacy High School is to provide
students with educational enrichment
through an understanding and
appreciation of being academically
motivated, culturally diverse,
technologically sound and socially
respectful members of a global society.”
Despite the inevitable and usual
problems with opening a new school,
Legacy is set to better educate Clark
Legacy’s floor plan is a new design that
has only been used with Arbor View High County students.
School and the reconstruction of Rancho
Malich says, “There are going to be
High School.
problems in every school, but I think if
“It looks like a mall with
classrooms!” exclaims Kyler
Larkins, a Legacy freshman.
Legacy students and staff expect this to
be the first of many successful school
years, and with new traditions, courses
and technology, their expectations are
sure to be fulfilled.
you focus on solutions and not on
problems then you have fewer problems
and more solutions.”
It is through the execution of those
solutions that Legacy will motivate and
prepare its students to live productively
in our global society !
What’s new on the ‘Ranch’
Phase I, completed fall 2006:
Phase II:
73 classrooms in 4 separate
academic wings
14 science labs
5 computer labs
3 art studios, plus photography studio
2 family and consumer science labs
Drafting technology lab
Automotive technology lab
120-seat lecture hall
Medical and aviation magnet program
special facilities
2,700-seat gymnasium
300-seat auxiliary gymnasium
Wrestling, dance, weight rooms and locker
room facilities
State-of-the-art, 460-seat theater
Drama room and backstage facilities
Enhanced classrooms for band, orchestra,
choir programs
5,000-seat football stadium
Three concession/restroom buildings
Baseball field
Softball field
Practice field
8 tennis courts
5 basketball courts
opinion!
06
Schools created for gay students only
lead to more discrimination
Piercing policy: is it really just and fair?
Should they have pulled the plug on grad’s speech?
have your say · tell it like it is · get it off your chest · make some noise
Schools created for gay students only lead to
more discrimination
students admit to being prejudiced
against gay students, according to a
by Asia Mayfield, Meadows HS
report from the U.S. Sexual Information
“Homosexuals are sinners against God and profaners of
love,” states one girl matter-of-factly. “They are doomed
to burn in hell.” The girl who said this is 13 years old.
This is the kind of comment that leads
to discrimination and intolerance.
It’s not news that the gay community
has come a long way in its efforts to
achieve equal rights and respect.
‘Brokeback Mountain,’ a movie featuring
two gay cowboys, recently swept the
Golden Globes and took home a few
Oscars as well.
And yet, despite all, gay people still face
discrimination every day — verbal slurs,
beatings and even murder. Ironically,
some of these attacks are done in the
name of religion, a philosophy that is
supposed to support love and peace.
and Education Council. Because of this,
41.7 percent of LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Transgendered Questioning)
teens don’t feel safe in their high
schools.
One answer to this troubling statistic
could be Harvey Milk High School,
Many mainstream religions are opposed
to homosexual activity and think of it as
a sin. And that’s fine. However, should
one person’s religion dictate how another
person lives his or her life? No, it
shouldn’t. What’s worse is when
religions push their beliefs on children,
causing discrimination in schools.
located in New York City. HMHS is a
In fact, 40 percent of high school
students go on to college.
public high school, and its goal is to
provide a safe, harassment-free
environment for homosexual teens. The
school is like many private schools in
that it’s small with a rigorous academic
program. The school has a 95 percent
graduation rate and 60 percent of those
In theory, HMHS sounds good — a
secluded haven for teens to feel safe.
And yet, is this seclusion really good for
the kids? After all, are things really so
bad at regular schools? And, even if they
are, these students won’t be going to
‘gay only’ colleges or jobs.
If we are going to create
schools only for students
who are gay, perhaps we
should start schools for
overweight kids, for kids
who wear glasses or for
students with red hair.
The point is that instead of creating
schools that separate and discriminate
even more, the best solution would be
education in all schools, both public and
private, that teaches benevolence,
understanding and equality !
Piercing policy: is it really just and fair?
by Kristen Sroczynski, Basic HS
Nose stud. Monroe ball. Industrial bar. Labret spike. All of these are becoming more common types of piercings.
At Basic High School, the piercing policy is strict. It says that studs, jewelry and other similar items, which are
attached to body piercing other than the ears, are prohibited.
If they are seen, you are forced to take them out or you cannot
return to class.
Why do students get piercings? What are the seemingly social prejudices against them, and why
are they not allowed at Basic?
“Piercings should not be visible at all on any student even if it is clear or if it is taped down. There are
no exceptions. Teachers should be helping to catch students that are wearing the piercings at
school,” says Greg Hunter, assistant principal.
But such a strict piercing policy is not widely supported by the student body. Piercings are a form
of free expression, and it is unfair to keep students from being who they want to be.
“The policy for piercings is specific to Basic, although many schools in Clark County have a no
visible rule also,” Hunter says. Nevada Revised Statute 51.31 deals with this issue.
“Piercings could distract from the educational environment. It deals with the Community
Standards for Dress Code and it has an unprofessional appeal. Someone wouldn’t go into a job
interview with a nose ring or their eyebrow pierced,” Hunter adds.
photo: Warren Skalski, MCT Campus
His points, however, directly oppose the students’ views on the subject.
“I have a piercing in my nose and I liked the look and the feeling at the time,” senior Madison
Inglett says. She also has her navel pierced and has not experienced any complications
with either.
“Piercings have nothing to do with how we learn or how smart
we are,” Inglett says.
Senior Tiffany Quezada agrees that the policy shouldn’t matter because “it’s not hurting anyone
wearing piercings.” !
Graduation speech of
biblical proportion
by Gregan Wingert, Las Vegas HS
After a long four years of working her butt off in high
school, Brittany McComb was finally graduating. As she
gave her valedictorian speech, she knew she was defying
authority, and midway through her religious statement her
microphone went dead.
McComb graduated this year from Foothill High School with a grade point average
of 4.7, which made her a class valedictorian. As a valedictorian her job was to
write a little something to share with her fellow graduates on graduation day.
Before the big day McComb’s valedictorian speech was edited by administration to
make sure there was nothing offensive or inappropriate. What the administration
found was a speech filled with religious references — including one that went as far
as to explain the death of Jesus Christ.
McComb received the edited version of her speech and discovered that more than
half her religious references were deleted. The changes to her masterpiece did not
float her boat, so at the ceremony she decided to recite the entire speech without
revision. All of a sudden the room went silent as the audience realized her speech
had been cut short.
The administration was right to stop McComb’s speech. Due to the separation of
church and state required by the U.S. Constitution, the administration did not want
the misconception that the school agreed with and advocated McComb’s speech.
After all, Foothill is a public school which means taxpayer dollars are used to fund
the school and its graduation. There is a time and a place for everything, and
apparently that graduation was neither the time nor the place for a religious sermon.
The issue of free speech in this case is important, but even your First Amendment
right to freedom of speech is not absolute. For instance, some musician’s lyrics are
censored for language, and television is also edited for profanity. The mention of
religion would not have been prohibited from McComb’s speech, but to go into
detail and recite Biblical references was not necessary. If there was a valedictorian
who wanted to use profanity in his or her speech, there would probably not be a
huge story on how that student was denied free speech.
If the school board allows religious statements during public school graduations any
religious valedictorian could say whatever they please for the sake of free speech.
The entire speech could be all about that person’s religion. The individual could be
allowed to belittle other religions. Where would the administration draw the line?
Would they be allowed to?
When you attend graduation you want to hear about academic accomplishments.
After all, that’s why you went to school for four years. The valedictorian speech
should represent the entire graduating class. It should tell the world (or at least
everyone in the room) that your class has arrived. It should inspire hope, not
stir controversy !
con
pro
Should they have pulled
the plug on grad’s speech?
opinion!
Foothill High School Valedictorian:
Lawrence Jenkins/MCT Campus
!opinion!opinion!opinion!opinion!opinion!opinion!opinion! 07
School district goes against
public opinion – again
by Michael Oliva, Coronado HS
The 15th of June was meant to be a day of commencement
and celebration to 12 years of education for Foothill High
School Valedictorian Brittany McComb. Instead, it was a
day of violation and stress that put her and her speech in
the national spotlight.
During her speech, McComb used the phrase, “God’s love is so great that He gave
His only son up.” After that line, her microphone was cut short. She continued
without audio, saying, “To an excruciating death on a cross so his blood would cover
all our shortcomings and provide for us a way to heaven in accepting this grace.”
The Clark County School District was responsible for shutting down the speakers and
microphone. While it was argued throughout the local and national news media, the
only opinion that matters is that of the people’s outlook. It was quite obvious that
the people in attendance thought she should have been allowed to keep speaking.
This is drawn from the fact that attendees of the ceremony started booing and
chanting, “Let her speak, let her speak!”
However, the people’s opinion does not matter to the school district, a left-leaning
organization. Not only is the district dominated by the liberal Board of Trustees and
administrators, but it agrees with the American Civil Liberties Union on the decision
to pull the plug. The ACLU supports decriminalizing heroin and cocaine use, giving
government benefits to homosexual couples and opposes non-religious moments of
silence. It is so controversial, that a group known as Stop-the-ACLU has nicknamed
the organization “Atheist, Communist, and aligned with Lucifer.”
When our school district agrees with an organization like this, it is a sad day for
students in Clark County. The district is funded by taxpayer dollars, and if the people
who pay the taxes think that McComb should have been allowed to speak then the
district should apologize for going against the people it works for and change the policy
to ensure that this does not happen again. Three months later, this has not happened.
A major component of this problem is that voters don’t pay attention to elections for
the school board trustees. Foothill High School falls in District A, and the District A
Trustee is Mary Beth Scow. In Scow’s biography on the Clark County School District
website, it claims that she is active in her church, yet she has failed to do anything
about this breach of McComb’s constitutional right to be able to express her religious
feelings publicly. One can’t play it both ways; either Scow's biography is wrong, or
she's failing at her job, or she's simply playing along her party’s lines. That’s right,
her party – Scow is a registered Democrat.
Since the district has been on a path of failure for the past several years, my solution
is to allow school vouchers to be used in the district. School vouchers enable parents
to send their child to any school of their choice using tax dollars that would have
been used at the designated school and sending it to the new school. If one is to pay
taxes for their child’s education, then one should have choice as to how that
education is presented. The new school can be a private school which is run in the
private sector, where schools must provide the best results in order to remain
competitive. Bishop Gorman and the Warren Walker schools are just a few examples
that show that private schools are more successful.
The Foothill High School Mission Statement states that it, “Prepares [students] to
realize their maximum potential as contributing members of the community.”
Brittany McComb has contributed to her community. She has shed another light on
the awful tribulations that subsist within our county’s school district. Like most
glitches that can be found within the district, this problem will probably go without
any solution being implemented. Just like low graduation rates and teacher
shortages, this will simply be added to a list of hindrances. I’m sorry Clark County,
but we can’t recruit language impaired foreign teachers to solve this problem !
Enchanted songstress
Thom Yorke’s The Eraser
‘Harry Potter’ nears the end
Comics and TV and movies, oh my!
Anime Vegas: Believe it!
08
entertainment!
what’s hot and what’s not in the world of books, film, music and nightlife
Enchanted songstress releases
debut album
by Farah Minwalla, Palo Verde HS
Enlivened by her mother’s love for the
piano, Burns began to show her own
knack for music as a teenager in Miami.
She would compose her own songs, one
of which made it to her new CD.
www.shaunaburns.com
“This album has been a long time in the
making — since I
was 15. It has
taken time,
experience and
things that have
happened in my
life,” says Burns.
After pursuing a
degree in
anthropology at
the University of
Utah, Burns was
inspired by the
peaceful
landscape of Nevada and Utah and
realized more than ever that music was
her true calling.
“The seasons and landscapes out here are
different than in Miami. Coming here you
can hear and feel the Earth,” says Burns.
Burns began touring petite coffee shops
in Salt Lake City and then traveled to the
UK and Europe to spread her music.
She eventually landed here in Las Vegas
in 2004, where she continues to capture
the ears and souls of all who listen.
“Seasons and the wind circling
and whispering to me is my
music. For me music is truth.
When you are surrounded by the
energy of truth it is very
comforting,” says Burns.
For Burns that truth and energy has
created a distinct sound full of folklore
melodies that are accompanied by harps
and whistles. ‘Every Thought,’ also has
touches of Enya, Depeche Mode and Tori
Amos, which altogether generates
something quite spectacular.
But even the most beautiful music can’t
be appreciated if it isn’t heard. In addition
to touring, Burns uses the Internet and
MySpace to gain more listeners, since
MySpace is one of the fastest ways to
help artists across the world obtain a
voice (Remember, that’s how Panic! at the
Disco was founded by Fall Out Boy’s
Pete Wentz).
“I can’t imagine not having the connection
between my Web site and MySpace,”
says Burns. “What this has really done is
level the playing field for all artists.”
Thom Yorke’s
The Eraser
is still, in its purest form, a Thom Yorke album. Yorke’s
voice comes to us raw and unprocessed, a quality very
rare in most Radiohead albums. But what does this
compact disc really have to offer?
by Danielle Sloan, Green Valley HS
The album starts off with ‘The Eraser,’ a song that’s a bit
of a mystery to me but may just be the point of it all. It
opens with a piano sample that sounds as if it came right
out of a 1920s silent film. Soon enough the electronic
beats come in, which are then met by some ghostly wails.
Incomprehensible words, electromechanical
piano samples and an abundance of moaning
fused together isn’t what most people would
describe as music. However, this triumvirate
of madness is beautiful music. Or at least, it
is when it’s done right. And that is exactly
what Thom Yorke does in his debut ‘solo’
album, The Eraser.
The Radiohead front man manages to craft an album
unlike anything he’s ever done before. In other words,
The Eraser is not a Radiohead album. But if you’re a
fan of the less danceable electronica/experimental
sound (such as the music by Boards of Canada or Sigur
Rós) then this just might be the album for you.
Yorke’s love for his computer has become more
prevalent ever since Radiohead’s, OK Computer. He likes
his computer so much that it seems he even made it his
new band mate along with producer Nigel Godrich (who
has also worked with artists Beck, Travis, Pavement, The
Beta Band, U2 …the list goes on). However, this album
www.shaunaburns.com
Her lyrics have passion, her voice speaks truth and her Celtic
flair gives off a tranquil vibe that I have never heard from an
artist before. An enchanted songstress with a calming and
mystical voice, Shauna Burns combines all the right words and
melodies to create a mesmerizing debut album, Every Thought.
The following song, ‘Analyse,’ is by far the most
benevolent song on this record. It’s a concoction of
optimistic sounds accompanied by ongoing beats and a
lucid piano that all combine to create an almost ironic
meaning. You see, the song is somewhat deceiving since
it consists of lyrics of hopelessness, ‘It gets you down/ It
gets you down/ There’s no spark/no light in the dark.’
Yorke’s wonderfully melancholic voice is enough to melt
one’s face off. The pinnacle of his vocals can be heard in
‘Atoms for Peace,’ a strongly political song with offbeat
lyrics such as ‘Peel off all your layers/ I want to eat your
artichoke heart.’
Another politically inspired song is ‘Harrowdown Hill.’
It’s named after the place where British Ministry Defense
employee David Kelly (who unconsciously caused a
political scandal involving weapons of mass destruction)
was found after committing suicide. Yorke has been
cited as saying that ‘Harrowdown Hill’ is the angriest
With a myriad of young hopefuls trying
to be the next ‘it’ band, Burns offers
advice that she believes is vital:
“Surround yourself with people
who respect your vision.
This includes musicians and
producers that will have your
back. And as cheesy as this
sounds, never give up because
the hardest thing to overcome
is failure.”
For the rest of the year, Burns will tour
across the United States, enchanting
more people with her art for the sake of
beauty. She has created music that will
touch your life because it takes you in,
it plays just for you and it inspires the
forgotten person inside to awaken !
song he has
ever written.
Many (including
Radiohead
junkies) are
considering The
Eraser to be a
“complete let
down.” In the
last decade,
Radiohead has
become a
remarkably
successful band that’s created as much hype as Lance
Bass’s ‘coming out.’ The British rockers have even
gained an international following consisting of a trillion
modern beatniks and indie showgoers. Then why are so
many critics bashing this album, you ask?
Despite Yorke’s musical ingenuity, the monotony of this
album, as well as Radiohead guitarist Jonny
Greenwood’s absence, are evident. Not to mention the
high expectations given by the international following
mentioned above.
But don’t let those naysayers get you down. The Eraser
is still one of the most innovative records of the year.
For more information visit www.theeraser.net or
www.xlrecordings.com !
‘Harry Potter’ nears the end, will he meet the
ultimate fate? The crystal ball is still foggy…
by Gregan Wingert, Las Vegas, HS
J.K. Rowling cast a spell of confusion when she stated
during an interview that at least two main characters
would die in the last installment of the boy-wizard
series. Until that seventh volume makes it
to bookstore shelves, those who will
ultimately perish still remains a
mystery. But Rowling’s recent
death threats have led many to
dust off their crystal balls and
read all their tea leaves in
hopes of predicting which
characters are most likely to
make the cut.
Every fan of the series has known for quite some time that seven is the
lucky number. But when it comes down to it, if Harry lives there will be an
enormous demand for a side story.
Harry is not the only character in danger, however. Almost everyone is
certain that You-Know-Who has to be defeated no matter
what. The series would definitely remain unfinished if
the villain was still in the picture. Good always
triumphs over evil… right?
Other characters such as Harry’s main man Ron
Weasley or Hogwarts’ brightest witch Hermione
Granger are sure to be on the front lines
fighting alongside the hero. Either one of their
deaths would be tragic, compelling and
heartbreaking. However, Rowling was careful
not to give any hints as to who would be
executed, nor did she give an answer to
whether the boy who lived would die.
“We are dealing with pure evil!
So they don’t target the extras, do they?
They go straight for the main characters...
Or I do,” said Rowling in an interview
on the British Television program the
‘Richard and Judy Show.’
“I’m not going to commit
myself. I don’t want the hate
mail apart from anything else,”
said Rowling.
So there are still many other characters that
could be in for a death sentence.
Many of us muggles believe that the hero will
make the ultimate sacrifice — that Harry will
save the wizarding world by vanquishing the evil
Lord Voldemort in an epic battle sequence that will
thrill readers and make for a great movie. However,
whether or not Harry does kick-the-caldron is totally up to
Rowling. Though she never officially announced whether or not
Harry will survive, she did mention during the interview that she understood
why authors killed off their main characters in order to prevent non-author
written spin-offs.
Despite the endless talk on which of the good
guys has to go, there are also some bad guys that
have everyone wondering. Professor Severus Snape
represents all the teachers you love to hate, but is he
done flip-flopping sides? Then there is the biggest bully of
them all, Draco Malfoy, who everyone seems to like a tad too
much. These characters are all eligible candidates for death, and whether you like
them or not, they will no doubt play a major role in the series’ cryptic plot.
“No, I’ve never been tempted to kill [Harry] off before the
end of Book Seven because I’ve always planned seven
books. I want to finish on seven books,” said Rowling.
Because there is so much uncertainty, the ultimate ‘Harry Potter’ conclusion is sure
to be bittersweet no matter what happens. Whether fans are to witness the battle to
end all battles is still unknown, but unlike Harry’s other encounters with the Dark
Illustration: Gracie Wingert, Las Vegas HS
Lord, this time he might not be so lucky !
!
class! wants to hear from you!
This is your place to write in, speak out and talk back. Share your own opinions about what you
like about CLASS! and what you’d like to see changed in a letter to the editor. Send e-mails to
[email protected], subject: ‘Letter’, or U.S. mail to CLASS!, UNLV, Box 451025, Las Vegas,
NV 89154-1025 or faxes to 895-1505.
Have topics you want to see covered? Want to read your work in print? Send us your articles
along with your name, grade and the name of your Clark County school to [email protected].
Our sections include:
·
·
·
·
news!
body & soul!
wheels!
schoolzone!
·
·
·
·
entertainment!
!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment! 09
opinion!
features!
inStyle!
college!
·
·
·
·
entertainment!
diganos!
artspace!
career center!
· wired!
· sports!
Your story could be published next!
For more information, click the Students link at www.classmag.com or call 895-1504.
!
entertainment!
10
!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment!
Comics and TV and movies, oh my!
San Diego’s Comic-Con thrills fans and kick starts comic industry careers
story and photos by Stephanie Espinoza, class! correspondent
The lines often wrapped around entire rooms — twice. The crowded
hallways were enough to make sardine cans look comfortable. The
staff was more than willing to offer a stern frown if you tried to enter
through an exit door. Not to mention the humidity. But believe it or
not, it was all more than worth it just to get the chance to visit the
largest gathering of comic book junkies, movie buffs and all other
pop culture devotees in North America: the San Diego Comic-Con.
Picture the commotion of a popular concert mixed with the fanaticism of a ‘Star Trek’ convention all
packed into a single building that can accommodate over 100,000 hungry fans. And at least half of
them are dressed as Batman.
But this event was for more than just the ‘geeks’ and ‘geeks-at-heart.’ The second floor of the
460,000- square- foot San Diego Convention Center was host to those endless lines that eventually
led to the many rooms set up for celebrity panels, movie screenings, industry seminars and more.
The ground floor consisted of one enormous exhibit hall made up of booths where professionals
showcased their art, dealers sold their swag and companies offered previews of their latest products that
won’t be in stores, on TV or in theaters for months.
To describe all the events that took place during the July 20-23 convention would take days — and
even those who attended all four days of the convention, plus the three-hour preview night on July 19,
wouldn’t have had the chance to see everything.
Straight outta Hyrule: Comic-Con regulars sport their costumes of
‘The Legend of Zelda’ video game characters Zelda (left) and Link (right)
at the Nintendo booth.
But if you’re interested in the goings-on of Comic-Con to prepare for next year or simply want to hear
the latest news in the entertainment industry, read on for a recap of some of some of the best
entertainment that this reporter was able to see.
Best Artist:
From the famed rows of tables dubbed ‘Artist’s Alley’ to the sci-fi and fantasy
illustrators to the guest appearances by comic book artists, there were too many
amazing styles to dub only one person as the best of the best.
However, in the teenage market, I was especially impressed by Fred Gallagher, the
writer and illustrator of the Japanese manga-style webcomic and graphic novel,
‘Megatokyo’ (www.megatokyo.com).
Gallagher was one of the few artists willing to draw a sketch for every visitor that came
to his booth (for free), and who even took the time for a brief interview about his work.
Gallagher believes that quite a few of his readers are high school students.
“I’ve been contacted by many of them,” says Gallagher. “They’re finding the comic
through the libraries or computer clubs. A lot of the high schools have blocked access
to the comic because they can sit in class and read when they’re supposed to be doing
other things.”
However, Gallagher – who created a ‘Megatokyo’ reading poster for the American Library
Association in 2004 – is glad when his comics help students get involved in reading.
Lines were out the door to meet the young rising stars of the ABC Family drama, ‘Kyle XY,’
Matt Dallas, April Matson and Chris Olivero, who also discussed the show and answered
questions for fans during the ‘Kyle XY’ panel.
‘LOST’ stars Daniel Dae Kim and Jorge Garcia, who play Jin and Hurley,
respectively, also spoke at their own panel regarding the future of ‘LOST.’
And speaking of futures, Disney Channel Star star Ricky Ullman of ‘Phil of the
Future’ appeared at Comic-Con to promote his latest work, a Dark Horse Indie film
and supernatural thriller titled, ‘Driftwood.’
Ullman proved to have the patience of a saint, taking pictures with every teenage
fangirl that asked in his long line of autographs, and always with a smile. Away from
his ‘Driftwood’ panel, Ullman mentioned his other upcoming work including the film,
‘Normal Adolescent Behavior,’ and even a rap career.
Ullman ties with Garcia as the nicest TV star. As lovable in real life as his character
Hurley on ‘LOST,’ Garcia was the only witnessed
celebrity to give a hug to the first fangirls who
asked him during the question and answer
Since many Comic-Con attendees are industry hopefuls, Gallagher was also willing
to offer advice about becoming a professional comic artist.
“The best thing to do is investigate the kinds of art out there and then work on your own
way of doing things. You can learn a lot from others, but if you just copy them you’re not
showing what it is you can do. What you put into it is what makes it unique.”
Best TV Personality:
Comic-Con is always teeming with celebrity guests. But while it was difficult to get
up close and personal with such movie stars in attendance as Hilary Swank or
Samuel L. Jackson, many of the TV stars proved to be very approachable.
‘The O.C.’s’ Adam Brody attended the convention to promote his new comic, ‘Red
Menace,’ a collaboration with established comic authors Danny Bilson, the father of
his co-star girlfriend Rachel Bilson, and Paul DeMeo.
ABC Family's "Kyle XY" star, Matt Dallas, waves hello to fans.
Anime Vegas: Believe it!
Anime-niacs from all over the southwest got their
fill of Naruto, Vash, Sephiroth and the boys from
‘Full Metal Alchemist’ at the 2006 Anime Vegas
Japanese anime convention, held at the Cashman
Theater during the three-day Labor Day weekend.
The third annual event saw some slips compared to last year, but overall,
the convention offered something for everyone, from gaming to screenings,
cosplay (costumed role play) to concerts, and everything in between.
Adam Brody, of Fox’s ‘The O.C.,’ attended Comic-Con to promote his comic series ‘Red Menace.’
phase of Saturday’s ‘LOST’ panel — an action most stars politely refuse. Garcia was
later seen shopping around the dealers room for comic books, proving just how
down to earth and cool he really is.
Best Panel:
Which leads me to one of the best panels of Comic-Con. ‘LOST’ wins not only for its
celebrity guests, but also for its crazy fans (one woman even shouted at the panel
guests claiming that the Dharma Initiative was real), intricate theories and cryptic
information that was let slip.
Discussing how many days had passed on the show, ‘LOST’ creator Damon Lindelof
says, “You’re making the assumption that they’ve been there as long as you think
they’ve been there.”
For those who think everything on ‘LOST’ can be explained in the real world, and for
those who think it’s all one big fantasy, Lindelof confirms that ‘LOST’ is really meant
to go both ways, “The show is dancing between supernatural and science,” he says.
“We want to bounce between the two worlds of reality and fiction.”
Various fan theories were also discussed at the panel including the most
outrageous ideas.
“The plane landed safely and they faked the crash with clones,” says Garcia in
regard to his favorite theory. Lindelof then went on to make a Comic-Con guarantee
that you will never hear the word ‘clone’ on ‘LOST.’
He did however promise that ‘LOST’s’ third season will have more action, more
romance and more change.
“Within the first six episodes [Kate] will be officially making her selection [between
Jack and Sawyer],” says Lindelof. And that’s not all. “Midway through the year, there
will be an event that will hopefully fry everybody’s brains.” !
Season 3 of ‘LOST’ begins Wed., Oct. 4 on ABC.
The overcrowded dealers room contained large, elaborate displays to get attendees excited
about new releases like the recent thriller, ‘Snakes on a Plane.’
entertainment!
!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment!entertainment! 11
“I got involved because a friend of mine
invited me to the Anime Vegas meetings
at the Charleston library,” says David
Studebaker, a junior at Foothill High
School who volunteered to work at the
event. Studebaker cosplayed as Vash,
complete with trademark red trenchcoat,
glasses and spiked hair.
“I’ve gotten a lot of requests for pictures
— a lot!” he says. “It’s kinda cool.”
Anime Vegas began as an informal
get-together by local anime fans at the
Charleston Library, where they could
watch and discuss anime, and learn
about Japanese culture.
“This is my first convention,” says
Caitlin Watts, a freshman from Advanced
Techologies Academy, who cosplayed as one of her favorite anime characters,
Edward, from ‘Fullmetal Alchemist.’ “I’m having a lot of fun. I really love anime,
and it’s great to be around other people who like the same things you do.”
“I got into anime like everyone else, watching ‘Sailor Moon,’ ‘Pokemon,’
‘Digimon’... anything with a ‘mon’!” she says. “You either love it or you don’t.”
‘FMA’ fans like Watts were treated to the American dub premiere of ‘Fullmetal
Alchemist: The Movie – Conqueror of Shamballa,’ two weeks before the movie’s
scheduled national release date.
In addition to anime screenings, Anime Vegas hosted voice actor discussion
panels from such shows as ‘Bleach’ and ‘Naruto,’ in which fans and budding
actors were able to ask the pros questions,
ranging from “Are you married?”
to “How can I become a voice actor?”
Also offered were an anime trivia contest,
a cosplay masquerade, a Super Smash
Bros. Melee video gaming
competition, an anime music video
competition and even a concert
feature Japanese rock bands. Most
importantly, of course, was the
Dealer’s Room, where fans could pay
outrageous prices to own a ‘genuine’
Naruto headband ($25) or unlock
the magic with a ‘Kingdom Hearts’
Keyblade ($65).
Still, the Pocky (a Japanese
chocolate-covered cookie stick)
was only $2 for a big box, so it
was all good !
Vash vs. Alfonse: David Studebaker,
Foothill HS, volunteered as an event
‘Minion,’ cosplaying as ‘Trigun’s’
Vash. Caitlin Watts, A-Tech, shows off
her best Alfonse from the ‘Fullmetal
Alchemist’ anime series.
12
wired!
Can you hear me now?
the hot spot for gadget freaks, gamers and tech-heads
Can you hear me now?
Students head back to school with tunes in tow but as their
popularity rises, so do the health problems associated with
iPods and MP3 players
by Desiree Montalvo, Green Valley HS.
Today’s teenagers might become known as the ‘hearing
aid’ generation, and experts say iPods are to blame.
“Music that’s listened to too loudly is a strong proponent of premature hearing
loss,” says Wal-mart hearing instrument specialist Mina Chambers. “Especially
among teenagers.”
Audiologists like Chambers believe tens of thousands of teens are causing serious
damage to themselves by listening to their iPods too loud, and are likely to suffer
hearing loss later in life.
Not all teens blast their music, however. Sophomore Vanessa Herrera doesn’t listen to
her music loud because she has headaches due to the earphones pushed into her ears.
“I only listen to my iPod loud when it’s connected to speakers,” she states. “It’s
easier to understand the lyrics and it just sounds better.”
Bateman, a user of the trademark iPod headphones that fit inside the ear, listens to
her music privately at only 3/4 of the maximum volume, acceptable by experts. She
also says that the ease of carrying around the smaller headphones is a plus and one
of the reasons behind their popularity.
However, some Green Valley High School students aren’t worried about the
iPod’s effects.
“The iPod earphones are more convenient,”
she says. “The big ones mess up my hair.”
“It’s a problem, but concerts are a lot louder than iPods and you have to be more
worried when you’re there,” says senior Elizabeth Bateman. “Look at Ozzy Osbourne.
That man’s ears are messed up.”
Sr Jordan Johnson also uses the small headphones. Although he claims that these
occasionally cause him pain, and the quality of the music is better with larger
earphones, he still uses his because “it’s trendy.”
According to the League for the Hard of
Hearing, the average concert can reach
around 110 decibels. The iPod’s maximum
volume follows closely at 100 decibels.
“The small headphones are nicer and easier to carry around,” says Herrera. “They
don’t normally hurt my ears, but they definitely make the sound louder than the
large headphones.”
Experts recommend that people shouldn’t listen to music above the 85
decibel mark, the noise level equivalent to sound usually heard
around construction machines, heavy machinery and
subways. Any noise above the 85 decibel mark can
cause permanent hearing loss.
As a rule of thumb, Chambers says, “If a neighbor
can hear your music, or if it reaches a level
that becomes uncomfortable, you should
turn your music down.”
Unfortunately, the majority of
teenagers say they are known for
exceeding volume levels.
“When I’m singing in the car
and I really like a song, I
just crank it,” explains
Bateman. “When you
love the song, you
just get into it.”
Former senior Cash Helwig agrees:
“They make the sound louder because you’re
putting it directly in your ear.
I only really turn my music up
loud if I’m in the car
with my mom and she’s
listening to her junk.”
Helwig says he listens to his music privately
at three-fourths the maximum volume.
Senior Jeff Yi, who uses headphones that
cover his entire ear for comfort, listens to his
music at approximately half the maximum level.
“I don’t like my music too loud,” says Yi. “But
premature hearing loss isn’t something that I really
worry about.”
Experts say that Yi has reason to worry. According to
the American Hearing Research Foundation, 28
million Americans have experienced some type of
hearing loss and this number could rise to 80
million within the next 25 years.
Some audiologists believe this is due to pumping
music directly into their ears.
They also believe that if teens are continually
exposed to such high levels of sound, by the year
2031, most Americans will be using hearing aids,
or develop tinnitus (a permanent buzzing or
hissing noise in one’s ear).
Illustration: Ryan Berti and Jaci Greb, Green Valley HS
!
“Hearing loss due to iPods is a very uncommon thing,” states
Gall. “Anyone exposed to loud noise can have hearing loss. I
think that’s what people are afraid of.”
Gall says that teens should be more concerned about hearing
loss in respect to concerts.
“I’ve had patients that
have stood by a speaker
at a concert, and that
one experience resulted
in permanent hearing loss,”
he says.
Illustration: Ryan Berti and Jaci Greb, Green Valley HS
However, Dr. Frederick Gall, an ear, nose and throat specialist,
hasn’t seen many patients with hearing loss due to iPods.
Teens should also be worried if they’re roadies for bands,
Gall noted, but they should only be worried about hearing loss
due to iPods if they listen to their music for prolonged periods
of time.
However, Johnson is still becoming increasingly worried about
his hearing.
“I didn’t used to be worried about premature hearing loss, but
every time I listen to my iPod all the way up, it gets less
loud,” says Johnson.
The rising numbers have also caught the attention of MTV.
The House Ear Institute has launched an ad campaign on the
network called, “It’s How You Listen That Counts,” to
encourage teens to be proactive about hearing loss.
State senators, such as Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey, are now asking health institutions to review research to
determine if the devices are contributing to premature hearing loss.
Markey claims that consumers need information about the potential health problems that could be caused by loud music.
“I don’t understand what all the commotion is about,” says
Yi. “Sometimes when I’m in the car or at home, I just want to
blast up the music and scream. If I only do that for 30
minutes a day, it can’t be that bad.”
According to Chambers, Yi should be fine.
“You should listen to music very softly and not all day long,” says Chambers. “Half an hour here and there is safe.”
Gall also advises teens to “just use common sense when listening to music.”
Gall believes that if this is done, the hearing loss of many teens could be prevented. If these measures are not taken, however,
teens could be robbed of the very sense that allows them to hear their music in the first place
wired!
!wired!wired!wired!wired!wired!wired! 13
14
body&soul!
how safe is the classroom?
school food rules –
the hidden cost to your health
Teen Talk with Dr. George
health for mind, body and spirit!
how safe is the classroom?
by Farah Minwalla, Palo Verde HS
I remember the day playing out like a stereotypical high school drama. It was like the
scene in ‘Mean Girls’ where Lindsay Lohan runs to the bathroom and eats lunch alone.
That was my initial reaction. I ran to the bathroom and cried. In a sense, I cried for
everything in my life — all the failures, but most of all my broken self esteem.
Imagine one of your teachers calling you ugly, fat or stupid. What I wondered most
was, “Why would a person say it if it weren’t true? Why would a teacher say it if it
weren’t true?”
Teachers are supposed to be our educators and our role models. They often interact
with students more than their own parents. But even if they have such a strong
opinion of a student, what right do they have to harass them?
I am positive that young women and even young men around the country have gone
through discrimination, verbal harassment and even sexual harassment by a teacher.
Just turn on Court TV and hear TV personality Nancy Grace scream about sex
offenders in high schools.
One of the most public cases of teachers having sexual relations with their students
is when Florida middle school teacher Debra Lafave, 25, had sex with her 14-yearold student. Despite the fact that the student admitted Lafave had sex with him
three times in four days according to court documents, in March 2006 all charges
were dropped against Lafave.
If a teacher can engage in sexual harassment with a student and get away with it,
it’s no wonder that verbal harassment can occur and easily go unnoticed.
According to the Clark County School District Web site, “Unlawful discrimination,
harassment and sexual harassment will not be tolerated.” Which means there
should be consequences when a teacher crosses the line. Their job is to teach, not
to ruin the self-confidence of young women and men with derogatory comments.
Though it may seem difficult to accuse a person in authority of inappropriate
behavior, speaking out is the first and most important step toward stopping
the problem.
After calling me ugly, my teacher continued to talk trash about me in front of me
and behind my back. I wish I had told someone. But after dealing with my feelings
and writing about the problem, I am now stronger and more self-assured that I am
not ugly, fat or stupid. I will never again let any educator harass me the way this
teacher did and neither should any teacher or any other person harass you.
All the people that come and go in your life will make a lasting impression on who
you continue to be. No matter how others treat you, have faith in yourself and smile
because you are beautiful. I think so !
Rick Nease/MCT Campus
Farah
Throughout my entire life, I was a confident girl and I made decisions for myself that I felt were
justified. That is until a teacher called me ‘ugly’ and then laughed at me in front of a room full of 30
students.
teentalk
with Doctor George
Dr. Constantine George is a Las Vegas native.
He went to medical school at the University of
Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, Nevada
school food rules
by Casey Petroff, LVA
Dr. George enjoys working out and reading.
mct campus
the hidden cost to your health
and finished his schooling in Phoenix, Arizona.
The food you buy in the cafeteria is healthy, right?
The regulations about what can be sold are strict enough —
no Dr Pepper or candy bar shall dare tempt any student in
the Clark County School District. But what about nutritious
snacks, like those pre-packaged cookies students buy off
the cart at Las Vegas Academy and other schools? They’re
healthy, right? Wrong, actually.
The average person needs around 2,000 calories per day, with no more than 600 of
those coming from fat. Daily sodium intake should not be more than 2,400
milligrams. The Clark County School District regulates what is sold in the cafeterias
based on the amount of fat, sugar, and sodium in the food, but the number of
calories is not limited.
According to CCSD guidelines, foods such as baked potato chips, breakfast bars,
assorted ice cream bars and low-fat chocolate chip cookies are permissible to sell.
Sodas, candy bars and other unhealthy fare are not.
Naturally, the food sold in LVA student stores, food carts and lunch lines should
follow CCSD guidelines. However, because CCSD rules do not cover calories,
students are purchasing foods with a huge calorie count.
For instance, a student can buy a ‘nachos supreme’ (800 calories) from the lunch
windows, a side dish like baked shoestring fries (200 calories), a drink such as milk
or a carton of juice (150 calories) and a dessert, maybe a cookie (200 calories).
This meal alone approaches three-fourths of the required daily caloric intake. If this
student is also eating two balanced meals at home, plus a snack, he is exceeding
the daily recommended intake by perhaps several hundred calories.
But it doesn’t stop there. Many students have a tendency to buy food based on price
instead of nutritional value.
“Generally, because the cookies are 50 cents, most students buy two,” says Janet
Michelin, LVA Health teacher. “And that’s about a quarter of what they need right there.”
Rheanan Black, a senior, agreed. “They’re like, ‘Here’s a buck, I don’t want
the change.’”
The cookies, made by Buena Vista Food Corporation, are 236 calories each.
If a student spends $2.50 or so to buy five, he has consumed half the amount
of calories needed for one day in only one sitting.
There are many solutions to fix this problem, but few of them are practical. The most
obvious is to start counting calories in students’ lunches, but with all the other criteria
foods are forced to meet, lunches would become unsavory and could lack vital nutrients.
Another solution is to begin monitoring students’ food purchases, but this is equally
unrealistic, as it would be impossible in a school with thousands of students and
could also encroach on students’ personal freedom.
A third solution is to loosen other nutritional requirement in exchange for lower
calorie foods.
This is a problem that should not be overlooked. The generation now in schools
across the country may be the first generation in 60 years to have a shorter
lifespan caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
Unfortunately, health alone is not enough of an incentive to eat right. On this issue,
perhaps, someone needs to meet students halfway !
15
body&soul!
body&soul!body&soul!body&soul!body&soul!body&soul!
teen talk for today’s teens
Get answers to your health questions each month in the Teen Talk health column, sponsored
by Southern Hills Hospital. Dr. Constantine George, specializing in adolescent health, gives
you advice on everything from acne to asthma. Send your confidential questions by e-mail to
[email protected], by U.S. mail to CLASS!, UNLV, Box 451025, Las Vegas, NV 89154-1025, or
by fax to 895-1505. Here is this month’s Q and A with Dr. George:
Q. I eat out at least three times a week. How much fast food is
too much?
Dr. G: There are studies which show that if you eat fast food more than twice a
week you have a strong risk of becoming obese and developing diabetes if you are a
teenager or a young adult. The best thing is to avoid fast food all together. Substitute
with home cooked meals and/or snacks such as fruits and vegetables. Fast food provides
your body with high amounts of fat and lots of calories without any nutritional value
(empty calories). Also the more fast food you eat, the more likely you are to drink an
increased amount of soda. Those who eat more fast food eat/drink more calories, fats
and carbohydrates and less fruits and vegetables than those who do not eat fast food.
Q. Is diet soda really healthier than regular soda?
Dr. G: Whether it is regular or diet soda, both are sweetened/carbonated
beverages which are not really good for your body. Regular soda has sugar, which
causes you to consume more calories than you need on a daily basis. Diet soda has
artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, which give diet soda a sweet taste. Even though
this makes diet soda sound better than regular soda, neither is good for you. The more
soda you drink the less milk you drink, so the less calcium you get; this can lead to
bone problems like osteoporosis (weak bones) and fractures (broken bones). Also,
soda has lots of phosphorus so the more you drink, the harder it is for your body to
absorb calcium even if you are getting the right amount. Soda leads to increased
cavities and destroys the enamel (outer layer) of your teeth. Water and milk are the
way to go.
Q. Can counting calories help you lose weight? How many
calories should I be eating each day?
Dr. G: Teenage girls need about 2200 kcal and teenage boys need about 2800
kcal a day in order to properly grow and to also have enough energy for daily
routines/activities. Counting calories is helpful so that you monitor how much you are
eating. It is important to maintain a well balanced diet while you are watching the
amount of calories that you eat. The food guide pyramid is a good resource. Don’t get
all of your calories from only one resource, as this is not healthy. Start off by cutting 500
kcal out of your daily diet initially and then talk to your doctor about how to continue in
a healthy fashion. Cutting more than this at once is not healthy. Ask your doctor about
getting you in touch with a dietician/nutritionist.
Come to the “Teen Talk for Today’s
Teens” workshop on October 19th
Teen Talk for Today’s Teens will be presented by Dr. Constantine George
on Wednesday October 19th (6pm to 8pm) at Southern Hills Hospital.
Dr. George will hold a question and answer workshop for teens and their parents
on current teen issues. Teens can email their questions in advance to Dr. George
at [email protected].
All questions will be kept anonymous.
Call to register for this free teen
workshop at 880-2700.
16
MOVE TO A DIFFERENT BEAT
Gyrotonic exercise offers new ways for students to keep in shape
by Manuella Monreal, LV Academy
YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE YOGA
LOTUS POSITION LOOKS LIKE AND
YOUR MOM HAS EVEN STARTED UP A
PILATES CLASS WITH HER FRIENDS.
IT’S CLEAR THAT THESE FORMS OF
EXERCISE ARE TAKING OVER THE
WORLD OF FITNESS.
But while both these systems work wonders, there is
another up and coming exercise trend that could help
improve your body in ways that Yoga and Pilates cannot.
It’s called Gyrotonic exercise, a kind of fitness that both
stretches and strengthens your body through training
with the Gyrotonic Expansion System exercise
equipment. Created by Hungarian ballet dancer, gymnast
and swimmer Juliu Horvath, Gyrotonics naturally
combines elements of ballet, gymnastics, swimming
and yoga. And it’s changing the way people do fitness.
Local personal trainer Patricia Monreal says, “People
from all walks of life are eligible for this exercise,
from the excelled athletic to a person coming from
physical rehab. All will gain strength, flexibility, and
become pain free with this miracle machine.”
GREEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DAVID ESPINOZA STRETCHES IN THE
STYLE OF GYROKINESIS – A FORM OF GYROTONIC EXERCISE INVOLVING MATS
AND STOOLS INSTEAD OF EXERCISE MACHINES. photos: Stephanie Espinoza, class! correspondent
THE MANUAL PHYSICAL THERAPY
INSTITUTE (MPTI) CURRENTLY
OFFERS GYROTONIC EXERCISE TO
RELIEVE PAIN AS A REHAB CLINIC.
BUT WHILE MANY ADULTS HAVE
TURNED TO GYROTONIC FITNESS
ROUTINES TO HELP REGAIN
STRENGTH AFTER SURGERY AND
ALLEVIATE PAIN, THE POPULARITY
OF THE EXERCISE IS SPREADING TO
THE EVERYDAY RECREATIONAL USE.
In an Aug. 25 article by MSNBC
Contributing editor Jacqueline Stenson
called, “Go ‘Gyro’ to sculpt, stretch and
strengthen,” Stenson states that the
number of gyms and studios offering
Gyrotonic exercise across the world has
increased from 300 to over 1,200 in the
past five years. Close to 700 of those
are in the United States.
Even celebrities like Madonna are
beginning to use the Gyrotonic form of
exercise in their daily life to build up
their physical states. Despite hectic
schedules, fitting in only an hour a day
can help transform your body.
Still, not everyone knows about such a
new system yet.
“Yoga, Pilates, cardio work and the
treadmill are all part of my method of
exercise,” says senior dance major
Lauren Frias. “I have not heard of the
Gyrotonic.” She adds, “But with more
knowledge of it, I would definitely try
it out. Anything that I can challenge
my body with is definitely worth it.”
“Dancers use the Gyrotonic for the
prevention of injury. They can gain
strength and flexibility. They would
execute the process with a fluid-like
melody, just as they would in moving
across the floor.”
Dancers like Frias can especially benefit
from Gyrotonics. Monreal, a former
dancer herself, also works with dance
clients and attests to the results of the
workout system.
For those who like the fluidity of dancing,
there’s another form of Gyrotonics that can
be practiced without all the machinery.
Gyrokinesis is done with mats and stools
in a class setting. It uses elements of
dance, gymnastics and Tai Chi in a kind of
“yogic dance,” as it’s described on the
San Luis Obispo, Calif. Infinite Dynamics
Studio Web site,
http://www.infinitedynamics.com/gyrokinesis.php
The site states that both Gyrokinesis
and Gyrotonic are designed to “use
motion, improve cardiovascular fitness,
encourage muscles to work together in a
holistic fashion, reduce stress and calm
your mind, aid in physical rehabilitation,
vastly improve dance performance,
provide new edge to sports and martial
arts performance [and] give depth and
understanding to weight training.”
Monreal believes such exercise really can
improve your daily life. “Because of the
rotational movements in the spine and
joints, [people can] increases their range
of motion while stabilizing each area.”
Since a special license is required to
instruct Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis, there
are still few local places you can go to
take advantage of these fitness forms.
However, interested students can look to
the open gym Pilates by Dolly, where
Monreal is employed !
Scholarships!
make the most of your college future
September Scholarship Directory
Angel Soft Angels in Action Award
Contact: http://www.angelsoft.com/angelsinaction/
Amount: $1,000 – $15,000
Deadline: October 1
Requirements: The Angel Soft Angels Action Award is available for students ages 8-18 who demonstrate outstanding service to better their school, community or a charity
organization. You must be nominated for this award by someone over 18 years old. Nominations require an essay of 200 words or less about the nominee’s acts of service. More
information and nomination submissions are available online at the above Web site.
Scholarships!
17
Outstanding Students of America Scholarship
Contact: http://www.outstandingstudentsofamerica.com/
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: October 10
Requirements: High school seniors who are well-rounded and have a 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply for the Outstanding Students of America Scholarship. Students must fill out an
application (found on our Web site) in its entirety and have the application signed by the student and school counselor. In addition to the application, students must write a
biography and essay. The biography is to be written in bullet form and should include participation in activities, service and achievements (see sample bio on our Web site); the
essay is to answer “Why I need/deserve this scholarship” and should be no more than one page, double spaced. The applicant must send the application, biography, essay and
business-size self-addressed and stamped envelope to
be considered.
Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship
Contact: http://www.freedomforum.org/freespirit/
Amount: $1000 – $50,000
Deadline: October 15
Requirements: Scholarship open to high school seniors who are interested in a career in journalism and who show qualities of a free spirit. Applicants must fill out and sign the
application on our Web site in addition to submitting two essays, a sealed letter of recommendation, their official high school transcript, samples of journalism work and a 4x6
headshot photograph. Both essays must be a maximum of 500 words, typed or hand printed, double spaced and signed/dated by the applicant and school official. The first essay
is to explain, “why you want to pursue a career in journalism” and the other is to explain, “your specific qualities as a free spirit and explain your experiences and/or struggles
that make you a free spirit.” More details regarding requirements for the application process are listed on our Web site.
Horatio Alger Association Scholarships
Contact: http://www.horatioalger.com/scholarships/index.cfm
Amount: $20,000
Deadline: October 30
Requirements: High school seniors planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree who have overcome adversity must demonstrate financial need, participate in extra-curricular activities
and have a 2.0 GPA to be eligible. Students must apply online. One letter of support from an adult must be mailed and the required form can be downloaded from our Web site.
A photocopy of the applicant’s parent/guardian’s first page of tax return for 2005 or 2006 must be submitted to verify income stated on application. Students must also download
and complete a certifications page, which requires a signature from the applicant, parent/guardian and principal/vice principal.
Prudential Spirit of America Award
Contact: http://www.prudential.com/community/spirit/awards/
Amount: $1,000 – $6,000
Deadline: October 31
Requirements: This award is available to students in grades 5-12 who have done volunteer work in the past year. Applicants must participate in service through school or other
organizations such as Girl Scouts, YMCA, etc. The application can be downloaded beginning September 5 and must be completed by October 31.
For more information on how to plan for your future, how to choose a college and how to get financial aid, log onto the
Clark County School District’s Guidance Counseling website at http://ccsd.net/cpd/guidance_counseling.
18
artspace!
Exhibit your artistic talents in words and
pictures. E-mail your work to
[email protected], and be sure to
include your name, your school, and a
description of your artistic medium
your space to express your vision in art and poetry
Title: Albert
Title: C-O-L-A. Cola.
Jessica Wilkinson, Green Valley HS
Jessica Wilkinson, Green Valley HS Title: Joey V
Jessica Wilkinson, Green Valley HS
say anything
by Courtney Waldron, A-TECH HS
First Prize, Northern Trust Literary Society
adventures in Gaza
by Justin Najar, Green Valley HS
Beirut Triple at the checkpoint
and the camera crews are taking interviews
with the recruit who learned how to shoot
and made sure his shots didn’t disappoint
Glory, Glory, car bomb is a trophy
ten more on the way
artspace!
!artspace!artspace!artspace!artspace!artspace! 18
I sat in Ham Hall one crisp October evening,
inhaling every note of passion produced from
a philharmonic orchestra. The notes danced off
the stage, whirled over to my seat, and tickled my
ears. I ogled at the musicians, whose bodies moved
with every phase change; they played a living
romance on their strings, and I couldn’t help but steal
a certain thrill from the affair. I turned to my friend and
breathed, “Isn’t this absolutely incredible?”
“I guess.” I knew her monotonous reply all too well. Her enthusiasm
displayed itself on her listless expression, a sigh escaping her vocal
chords, her face melting into the hand that so effetely supported her chin.
My heart retreated to my stomach.
I felt as low as when I showed her Johnny Depp in ‘Chocolat;’ when I
made her taste a caramel macchiato; when I taught her how to tango; and
especially when I lent her ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.’ I put these favorites of
Night raid on a settlement
and the websites have live broadcasts of firefights
there are loudspeakers for havoc-wreakers
Allah, Allah, Yahweh, Yahweh
another grisly dying day
mine on a pedestal and raved about them and adopted them as part of
my identity. And when I finally shared them with my best friend, well, she
was bored.
She was not the first to look at me after reading an Annie Dillard essay
and say, “Why are you wasting my time?” In fact, Ms. Roberts’ entire
English class said the exact same thing after finishing the assigned
reading. “How did you like the essay?” she asked, and we all wrinkled
Massacre at a refugee camp
and the bulldozers prevent full disclosure
tit-for-tat, both sides are good at that
the survivors are all tramps
Official lines fail against independent commission finds
and the bodies are buried with the truth
our noses, contorted our eyes and moaned, “What is the point?”
New paint on the walls
pockmarks and holes blasted by shrapnel
mean high death tolls
and this means more ambulances and higher fences
lines are jammed with emergency phone calls
wounded lying and shell-shocked casualties trying
to dial home using stumps
die. They crack and pop and burst and give moaning to the world
We wanted philosophers, wizards, iconoclasts, Dave
Barry, or blood. And Annie Dillard was none of those.
On the surface, Dillard wrote about absolutely nothing. But as I delved
further into her prose for analysis I noticed her words — how they
intensely described the nothing and made it devilishly climactic. She had
the ability to observe the tiniest movements in the most forgotten corners
and illuminate them into a monolithic experience. Dillard moths don’t just
through their demise. And encourage me to write.
I found that when I had so much to say but could never find the right
words to say it — when my theories had out-matured my techniques or
my techniques outmaneuvered my ideas; when I longed to write with
passion but had no motive or message and my hand ached with
convulsions just to hold a pencil and say something — I could write
anyway. I learned that writing isn’t always about swaying or entertaining a
reader. Sometimes it’s just about writing.
I matched Annie Dillard to the musicians I so adored. Periman and Ma
Rock-thrower smashed by a tank
his guts were spilt but accidents don’t bring guilt
everyone knew he was out past curfew
and more and more join the ranks
calls to arms met by swarms
saying “To hell with it all”
have nothing explicit to tell the world. Through their music they do not
have to contemplate society, God, or life; they just play for the soul of it.
Their passion is enough.
Sometimes I wonder if my tastes are intellectually sophisticated or if I’m
just odd. Whatever my excuse, I turned to my friend to apologize for
dragging her to a classical concert, but her eyes were shut; saliva
glistened in the corner of her mouth. Maybe we should have just
gone shopping !
Dile no al abuso sexual
Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana
La moda de MySpace.com
El precio escondido de la salud
21
entérate de las noticias nacionales y locales en español
Enemigos amistosos: los depredadores sexuales
se esconden donde menos lo esperas
por Amanda Adams, Las Vegas HS
Hace nueve años, una niña de siete años de edad se estaba hospedando en la casa
de unos amigos de su familia cuando le sucedió algo que cambió su vida para
siempre.
Ella estaba durmiendo en una habitación
en el segundo piso cuando un hombre de
23 años entró al cuarto y abusó de ella.
Él era conocido por la familia desde hacía
muchos años. A la niña le tomó más de
ocho años antes de que pudiese decir lo
que le ocurrió.
Una de las frases más comunes dicha
por los padres a sus hijos es: “¡No
hables con extraños!” Pero de todos
modos, muchos niños y jóvenes siguen
perdiendo su dignidad y hasta su vida a
causa de la violencia sexual de parte de
alguien que ellos mismos o sus familias
conocen y confían.
El abuso sexual en este contexto no se ve
tan malo como si alguien fuese violado
por un extraño. Muchas víctimas
sobreviven y aprenden a manejar el dolor
y a seguir con sus vidas. En algunas
casos, aquellos cerca de la víctima no
alcanzan a imaginar lo que le ha ocurrido
a sus seres queridos y por una persona
que conocen.
Muchos ni piensan que el abuso sexual
es más emocional que cualquier otra
cosa. Siete años es una edad demasiado
dura para afrontar una situación como
ésa. Pero los 16, los 25, los 30 y hasta
los 80 también son edades difíciles. No
importa la edad, el asalto sexual tiene el
mismo efecto emocional en todas sus
víctimas. Las cicatrices físicas se pueden
sanar pero la inocencia y la confianza se
pierden para siempre.
Imagínense lo siguiente: una niña se hace
amiga de sus vecinos, un señor de 40
años y su hija (que tiene su misma edad) y
pasa la mayoría de las tardes en su casa.
Al principio todo va muy bien: ven la
televisión, comen y juegan con sus
muñecas. Después de un tiempo, el
señor empieza a estar demasiado cerca
de la niña y ésta se siente incómoda. De
todas maneras, la niña sigue yendo a la
casa porque la hija del señor todavía es
su amiga.
Un día, la niña va a la casa a verse con
su amiguita pero ella no está. El señor le
pide que entre para mostrarle un regalo
que su hija le dio. Ella entra, él la viola y
la mata.
La niña entró a la casa porque muchas
veces los depredadores sexuales crean un
nivel de confianza al comienzo de una
relación para luego destruir la seguridad de
la víctima. Su prioridad es llegar a controlar
a la otra persona. Ellos tienden a fijarse en
las personas débiles y vulnerables como los
niños y hasta los jóvenes, que no saben de
los peligros que corren.
Sin embargo, cualquiera puede ser víctima
del abuso sexual porque los depredadores
sexuales no sólo buscan a los niños; ellos
también se hacen amigos de los padres
para manipularlos y así ganar su
confianza y la de sus niños.
“Los padres son tan ingenuos –están
preocupados por extraños cuando
deberían estar pendientes de sus cuñados.
No alcanzan a imaginar lo mañosos que
podemos ser,” dice un depredador sexual
que ya fue encontrado culpable, en el libro
“Preparando a los Niños para el Abuso
Sexual” escrito por Gregory Weber, un
abogado de Wisconsin y especialista legal
sobre la protección de los niños.
Weber dice que los depredadores “alistan”
a sus víctimas, padres e hijos, durante
mucho tiempo sin causar sospecha hasta
que se hayan ganado su confianza.
También añade, “Estas personas
usualmente buscan niños con una
vulnerabilidad obvia. Un niño que no se
sienta amado o popular entre sus amigos
absorberá la atención de un adulto como
una esponja. Los niños que tienen
problemas en casa y permanecen solos la
mayor parte del tiempo, los que no tienen
autoestima o que no tienen amigos son
‘presas’ directas.”
Los jóvenes, en especial, corren un gran
riesgo porque es éste el momento donde
ellos están tomando sus propias
decisiones y tomando mayor
responsabilidad con sus vidas y seguridad.
Pero no siempre tienen suficiente
información porque sus padres, maestros
o consejeros pueden sentirse incómodos
a la hora de hablarles del abuso sexual.
Para aquella niña de siete años, ahora 16,
esas lecciones las aprendió de una manera
más dura – sufriendo en silencio esperando
a que algún día su dolor se acabara.
Cuando esa desconfianza que aprendió a
temprana edad la sintió en su
vida nuevamente, ella sabía que tenía que
hacer algo.
Ella le dijo a alguien y al decirlo, le dio
a otras personas la fuerza para que
también hablaran !
Ten sabiduría
No es suficiente desconfiar de los extraños. Para protegerte a ti mismo
deberías seguir estas normas, publicadas en la página en Internet
www.rcbo.org:
1. Sé consciente de las técnicas de ‘preparación’ que los depredadotes usan para
que confíen en ellos. Estas incluyen “atención extra, regalos, entendimiento,
afecto, piropos y hasta dinero.” Todo esto para que te sientas en una buena
relación. Los depredadores son grandes manipuladores y se saben estas técnicas
demasiado bien.
2. Aprende a confiar en tus instintos. Hay una razón por la cual las personas se
pueden sentir incómodas –es el ser interior diciendo que existe peligro cerca.
Escucha al tuyo y mantente lejos. No importa si tienes la razón o no, lo que
importa es estar a salvo.
3. Habla con un adulto confiable. Si estás preocupado por algo, ten siempre cerca
un adulto con el que puedas hablar.
4. Acércate a tus amigos. Los números en las estadísticas indican que los
depredadores tienden a acercarse a los jóvenes que están solos. Aunque no con
todo el mundo te la puedas llevar bien, siempre es bueno tener un amigo cerca
que te pueda ayudar.
Busca Ayuda
Si has sido o conoces a una víctima del abuso sexual o cualquiera de sus
formas, existen unos factores importantes que debes saber:
1. No estás solo (a). Uno de cada cuatro jóvenes ha pasado por algún tipo de
violencia sexual antes de cumplir los 20. Alguien que tu conozcas puede haber
sufrido o estar sufriendo por algo relacionado. Te pueden ayudar o al menos
entender por lo que estás pasando.
2. No es tu culpa. Tú fuiste la inocente víctima del comportamiento criminal de otra
persona. Así tu no hubieses seguido las reglas y hubieses confiado en alguien que al
final te hizo mucho daño, eso no justifica que hayan atentado contra tu vida.
3. Es tu decisión si quieres o no reportar el crimen. No te hace mala persona ni
débil no hacerlo. Cuando tus instintos te dicen que debes permanecer en silencio,
tus instintos están tratando de refugiarte. Entiende que estás herido (a) y que
necesitas tiempo para pensar.
4. Debes buscar información. La mejor manera de empezar a sanar tu cuerpo y tu
mente con lo que ha pasado es aprender sobre el tema. Busca en el Internet,
pregúntale a un doctor, habla con un amigo o ve a la biblioteca. Lo más
importante, pase lo pase, reporta este crimen a la policía cuando te sientas mejor.
Para asistencia e información, contacta al Centro de Crisis de Violaciones de Las
Vegas al 366-1640 o envía un correo electrónico a:
[email protected].
22
¡A celebrar!
Esta es una
buena excusa para
salir y celebrar
nuestra cultura.
Una vez más el Distrito
Bibliotecario del Condado de
Clark ha preparado una serie de eventos
en honor al mes de la herencia hispana.
Como muchos sabrán, estos eventos se
celebrarán entre el 15 de septiembre y el
15 de agosto. Este año, ustedes tendrán
la oportunidad de disfrutar de música,
historia, comida, cine, baile, cuentos en
español, exhibiciones de arte y mucho
más. Esta es una excelente ocasión para
sentirnos orgullosos del lugar donde
venimos, sea cual sea tu país de origen,
y de aquellos que lucharon para que
nosotros llegáramos a ser una cultura
rica en gente amable y trabajadora.
Vengan y compartan con toda la
comunidad hispana esos detalles que
hacen de esta cultura una de las más
diversas y encantadoras del mundo.
¡Los esperamos !
23
MySpace.com rompiendo con todos los límites
por Lina Hernández, editora de Díganos
En menos de dos años, MySpace.com ha pasado de ser un refugio de aquellos que
querían compartir su talento musical, a una red social de jóvenes en Internet con
más de 100 millones de usuarios registrados. La página reporta el usuario número
100,000,000 registrado el día 9 de agosto del presente año. Nunca antes había
estado tan accesible entrar en la mente de un adolescente.
A finales del verano del 2005, 32 millones de usuarios, la mayoría de ellos menores
de 22 años, entraban al sistema en un promedio de dos veces por semana, con una
red de amigos de al menos 68 personas por usuario. De acuerdo con la página en
Internet Alexa, reportes de agosto del 2006, indican que es el cuarto sitio en
Internet más visitado después de Yahoo!, MSN y eBay. Se dice que este sitio atrae a
más de 500,000 nuevos usuarios por semana.
Cada retrato hablado o perfil contiene dos secciones básicas: “Acerca de mí” y “A
quien me gustaría conocer.” El perfil también tiene una sección titulada “General”
donde los usuarios incluyen detalles personales específicos como su estado civil,
apariencia física e ingresos monetarios.
MySpace tuvo mucha más atención de parte de sus usuarios en el año 2005,
después de la trágica muerte de una joven de 17 años Taylor Behl. Behl, quien
regularmente compartía y escribía sus pensamientos en línea en su página personal,
desapareció en su primera semana de clases en la universidad. Por medio de
MySpace, sus amigos y familiares pudieron escribirle mensajes de despedida cuando
ella había decidido mudarse a Richmond, Va. para iniciar su vida universitaria.
Por otro lado, este sitio cibernético no solo podría causar sensación ya que también
ha sido sujeto a comentarios y críticas en muchos aspectos y por muchas personas.
Ya que existe un sin número de usuarios que entran diariamente al sistema, éste
puede interrumpirse sin aviso. Esto significa que como por cada minuto hay muchos
usuarios en línea, el incremento del uso del programa hace que el servidor de la red
se vuelva demasiado lento y que aparezca el mensaje de error: “Servidor Ocupado”
(Server Too Busy).
También, muchas escuelas y bibliotecas públicas dentro de los Estados Unidos ya
han limitado el acceso a MySpace porque se ha vuelto “un refugio para el chisme y
los malos comentarios de los estudiantes y para los estudiantes.” Inclusive algunas
escuelas le han sugerido a los estudiantes a no entrar al sistema en sus casas.
Muchos sostienen que ser usuario en MySpace incrementa el riesgo a caer en manos
de algún depredador sexual por Internet. Recientemente se ha reportado que algunas
universidades han iniciado una investigación en MySpace para descubrir el uso de
drogas y alcohol entre sus estudiantes.
Por otra parte, se alega que este programa perjudica a los jóvenes a la hora de
buscar un trabajo estable. La sección del periódico Chicago Tribune llamada
“RedEye” publicó un artículo acerca de MySpace y aquellos en busca de
oportunidades laborales. El artículo sostiene que los estudiantes universitarios recién
graduados ponen en peligro estas oportunidades de iniciar una buena vida laboral
debido a los comentarios y fotos que ponen en sus perfiles. Además, los estudiantes
ya empleados pueden estar poniendo sus posiciones en riesgo porque escriben
comentarios donde critican a las compañías para quienes trabajan.
Actualmente la seguridad en la red de Internet es uno de los problemas más graves
que existen. Se han visto y escuchado historias de adolescentes que se dejan llevar
por otras personas, la mayoría hombres mayores de 30
años, a encontrarse con ellos fuera de sus casas y sin
ninguna compañía de otra persona adulta. MySpace alega
que ellos tienen esto bajo control porque la compañía ya
ha creado reglas en su programa; pero por otro lado
muchos padres de familia se han quejado del peligro que
MySpace está creando para sus hijos.
“MySpace permite que se registren usuarios desde los 14
años. Las cuentas de aquellos entre los 14 y los 15 años
son automáticamente privadas. Los usuarios de 16 años
en adelante, tienen la opción de restringir sus cuentas,”
dijo un empleado de News Corporation, dueño de
MySpace.com. Para ver el perfil completo o enviarle mensajes
a un usuario menor de 18 años, se debe estar en la lista de amigos
de esta persona. Si no lo es, no podrá tener acceso a esta cuenta.
Otros programas similares a MySpace que también están haciendo parte de esta
moda cibernética son Hi5.com, Friendster, Facebook.com, Xanga.com, Flickr.com,
Lovehappens.com, mi gente.com (exclusivo para miembros latinos) entre otros. Cada
uno de estos sistemas contiene diferentes características y una audiencia distinta
que lo hace un programa único. Sea como sea, este fenómeno está cambiando la
vida de muchos jóvenes y ha venido con mucha fuerza para quedarse !
Problemas legales que relacionan a MySpace.com
Estos son algunos de los problemas que ha tenido que
enfrentar esta compañía en los últimos ocho meses:
· “Estudiante arrestado después de mostrar armas de fuego en su cuenta
de MySpace.” Un joven de 16 años enfrenta tres cargos por delitos
menores después de mostrar fotos en su perfil. (Colorado 2/23/06).
· “Escuela suspende 20 estudiantes debido a mensajes en MySpace.”
Un estudiante de escuela media en California a punto de ser expulsado
debido a amenazas en contra de otro estudiante en la página en
Internet. (California 3/3/06).
· “Dos personas arrestadas por cargos sexuales relacionadas con
MySpace.”
El abogado acusador alega que los dos hombres utilizaban la página
para conocer a niñas menores de edad. (Massachussets 3/13/06).
· “Seis estudiantes suspendidos después de amenazas en MySpace.”
Mensajes violentos atacando a otro grupo de estudiantes lleva a la
administración de la escuela a tomar medidas drásticas. (Oregon
6/7/06).
· “Madre de adolescente demanda a MySpace por $30 millones de
dólares.” La demanda alega que la famosa página en Internet no protege
a los jóvenes de depredadores sexuales. (Texas 6/20/06).
Michael Kitada/MCT Campus
¿Tienes algo que decir acerca de alguno de los artículos?
Quizás tienes una historia que comentarnos acerca
de algún evento o entidad positiva en nuestra comunidad. Entonces escríbenos a nuestro correo electrónico:
[email protected] o por correo regular a:
Lina Hernández, CLASS! UNLV Box 451025, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154-1025
¡Anímate y publica tus opiniones!
gramática o restricciones en el espacio.
Aman Batheja/MCT Campus
Tom Anderson creó MySpace.com en julio del 2003 para ofrecerle un espacio a los
músicos y bandas amateur a que compartieran su música y las fechas de sus
conciertos. Ahora este sistema, establecido en West Hollywood, Calif., es una red
social cibernética que ofrece una relación interactiva entre individuos donde se
publican fotos, comentarios, grupos, música, videos y contiene un retrato hablado
del usuario y un sistema interno de correos electrónicos.
Lina
Artículos en nuestra posesión pueden ser editados a base de estilo periodístico,
!
24
¡La RISA es
SALUD!
El precio escondido que
pagas por tu salud
Por Casey Petroff, LVA
Colmos:
La comida que compras en la cafetería de tu escuela es
saludable, ¿no? Las normas de lo que se puede vender son ya
bastante estrictas –nada de Dr. Pepper o cualquier tipo de
dulces pueden tentar a ningún estudiante de Las Vegas
Academy. Pero ¿qué pasa con esos alimentos que se dicen
llamar nutricionales, como las galletas ya empacadas que los
estudiantes compran regularmente? Esas galletas son
saludables, ¿cierto? Están equivocados, no lo son.
Una persona típica necesita un promedio de 2,000 calorías al
día. De estas calorías no más de 600 deben contener grasa.
El consumo diario de sodio no debe pasar de 2,400
miligramos. El Distrito Escolar del Condado de Clark regula
todo lo que se vende en las cafeterías de acuerdo con la
cantidad de grasa, azúcar y sodio que contiene cada alimento,
pero el número de calorías no está limitado.
De acuerdo con las reglas del distrito escolar, la comida como
los paquetes de papas fritas, paletas de helado o galletas de
chocolate bajas en grasa pueden ser vendidas en las escuelas.
Bebidas gaseosas (sodas), dulces y otros alimentos que
contengan grasa están prohibidos.
Naturalmente, la comida que se vende en las tiendas de LVA
y los almuerzos deben cumplir estas reglas. Sin embargo,
como estas normas no hablan de calorías, los estudiantes
siguen comprando cosas con un número increíble de calorías.
Por ejemplo, un estudiante puede comprar unos “nachos
supreme” por las ventanillas de la cafetería (800 calorías),
una orden de papas fritas (200 calorías), una bebida como
leche o jugo (150 calorías) y un postre, como una galleta
(200 calorías). Esta comida solo se aproxima a tres cuartos
de las calorías que se requieren en un día. Si este estudiante
también se come otras dos comidas balanceadas en su casa,
más una merienda en la tarde, este estudiante se está
excediendo en el consumo recomendado de calorías al día, tal
vez por más de 500 calorías.
Pero esto no para aquí. Muchos estudiantes tienden a comprar
comida por su precio más que por su valor nutricional.
Para recordar al rey Elvis
Evento: ‘Museo Elvis-a-rama’
Día(s): abierto de lunes a sábado.
Hora: 10 a.m. a 6 p.m. Lugar: 3401 Industrial Rd.
Teléfono: (702) 309-7200. Precios: $9.95.
Arte del siglo XVII
Evento: ‘Rubens y su Edad: historia de
Peter Paul Rubens.’
Día(s): abierto todos los días hasta el 31
de julio. Hora: 9:30 a.m. a 8:30 p.m.
Lugar: 3355 Las Vegas Blvd., en el Museo
Guggenheim-Hermitage dentro del hotel y casino
The Venetian. Teléfono: (702) 414-2440.
Precios: $19.50 admisión general, $14.50 para
estudiantes y para los niños entre 6 y 12 años.
Lo mejor de los pianistas
Evento: ‘Colección de Pianistas:
Lo Más Reciente.’
Día(s): abierto de lunes a sábado.
Hora: 10 a.m. a 5 p.m. Lugar: 1775 E. Tropicana
Avenue. En el Museo Liberace. Teléfono: (702)
Kirk Lyttle/MCT Campus
- ¿Cuál es el colmo de un
farmacéutico?
- Que su hija se llame Remedios.
Una consulta...
Rheanan Black,
estudiante de último año, está de acuerdo. “Ellos [los
estudiantes] dicen: ‘Aquí tienes un dólar, no quiero el cambio.’”
Un doctor y un abogado estaban
asistiendo a un cóctel cuando al doctor
se le aproximó un hombre quien le
pidió ayuda sobre como manejar su
ulcera. El doctor murmuró un consejo
médico, entonces se volvió hacia el
abogado y preguntó:
Las galletas, hechas por la corporación de comida Buena
Vista, contienen 236 calorías cada una. Si un estudiante
gasta $2.50 para comprar 5, el estudiante ya ha consumido
la mitad de las calorías que necesita por día, en tan solo una
ida a la tienda.
- “¿Cómo manejas la situación cuando
se te pide un consejo durante un
evento social?”
- “Solo envía una cuenta por ese
servicio,” respondió el abogado.
profesora de salud
de LVA. “Y esa
galleta es ya como
un cuarto de lo
que necesitan.”
Existen varias soluciones para arreglar el problema pero
algunas son demasiado prácticas. La más obvia es empezar a
contar las calorías en los almuerzos de los estudiantes, pero
con todas las otras reglas que se deben obedecer, los
almuerzos no tendrían sabor y además podrían perder
nutrientes importantes. Otra solución es empezar a monitorear
las compras de comida de los estudiantes. Pero esto es poco
realista ya que sería imposible hacerlo en una escuela con
más de mil estudiantes, además de violar su privacidad y su
derecho a tomar sus propias decisiones.
Otra solución es acabar con algunos de los requisitos
nutricionales para cambiarlos por alimentos con menos calorías.
Esto es un problema para tomarlo en serio. Esta generación
podría ser la primera generación en 60 años en tener una
vida más corta debido a un estilo de vida poco saludable.
Infortunadamente, para muchos, la salud no es suficiente
incentiva para comer bien.
Agenda Comunitaria
“Generalmente, como una galleta cuesta 50 centavos,
muchos estudiantes compran dos,” dice Janet Michelin,
- ¿Cuál es el colmo de un relojero?
- Tener un tic nervioso.
Debemos ser más cuidadosos con nuestros cuerpos
especialmente porque somos jóvenes y nuestro futuro
depende de lo que hagamos ahora !
798-5595. Precio: $12.50 admisión general,
$8.50 para estudiantes y gratis para los niños
menores de 10 años.
Día de la Independencia Mexicana
El evento localizado en el Parque Freedom tendrá
música en vivo, comida y artesanías. El evento
está patrocinado por el Comité Patriótico Mexicano
para recoger fondos para becas estudiantiles.
Llame al (702) 649-1198 para más información.
Festival de Comida Griega
A finales del mes de septiembre, se celebrará la
cultura y la cocina griega a las afueras de la Iglesia
Ortodoxa Bautista de San Juan con bailes, mucha
comida y un bazar. Llame al (702) 248-3896
para más información.
Festival Internacional de
Cine Blue Sky
Los directores de películas independientes
mostrarán sus últimos documentales y películas
cortas en el festival de cine de Nevada más grande
localizado en los cines Regal Village Square. Llame
al (702) 737-3313 para más información.
A la mañana siguiente el doctor llegó a
su consulta y emitió una cuenta por 50
dólares para el hombre del cóctel con
el problema de la ulcera. Esa tarde el
médico recibió una cuenta por 100
dólares del abogado.
Una cita con el dentista...
Dentista: Tengo que extraerle el diente
adolorido, pero no te preocupes solo
tomará unos cinco minutos.
Paciente: ¿Y cuánto costará?
Dentista: 90 dólares
Paciente: ¡¿90 dólares por solo unos
minutos de trabajo?!
Dentista: ¡Puedo extraerlo muy
lentamente si quiere!
No te quedes sentado en tu casa sin
hacer nada y aprovecha los eventos que
nuestra ciudad tiene programados para tí.
Conciertos y Exhibiciones de Arte
Alejandro Fernández
Una noche con Jaguares
Día(s): Septiembre 16 del 2006
Hora: 9:00 p.m.
Lugar: Mandalay Bay Resort
Precio: $80.75 - $159.50
Día(s): Septiembre15 del 2006
Hora: 7:00 p.m.
Lugar: House of Blues
Precio: $40 - $65
Pepe Aguilar
Día(s): Septiembre15 del 2006
Hora: 9:00 p.m.
Lugar: Mandalay Bay Resort
Precio: $70.25 - $122.75
Juan Gabriel
Día(s): Septiembre15 y 16 del 2006
Hora: 9:00 p.m.
Lugar: El Coliseo en el Caesars Palace
Precio: $59.09 - $136.36
La 5ta Estación
Día(s): Octubre10 del 2006 Hora: 6:00 p.m.
Lugar: House of Blues
Precio: $45 - $55
Exhibición:
Hot Glass Works
– objetos hechos con vidrio soplado por Scott
Dyer, Jim Samarco y otros artistas locales.
Lugar: 5115 S. Industrial Road, No. 401.
De lunes a sábado de 10 a.m. a 6 p.m.
Teléfono: (702) 739-9955
sports!
Women’s Flag Football to debut
Unfair play?
on the field, on the track and on the court
Women’s Flag Football to debut
sports!
25
by Kyle Townsend, Sierra Vista HS
The idea first started when the CCSD decided to
further its compliance with Title IX, which states that
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of
sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the
benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any
education program or activity.”
Florida first came up with the idea to have flag football
for girls and have taken it so far that there is now a
state tournament. Alaska and Nevada will both be
mandating high schools to field teams to play other
schools.
Flag football will not start until the spring of 2007 in
Nevada, with some modified rules. The field will be much
shorter than an actual football field, 40 yards by 80 yards.
Flag football is a unique sport in other ways. The
tryouts for flag football will be after all other spring
sports so as not to hurt the already established sports.
Roberto Gonzalez, MCT Camputs
With the many new sports starting in U.S. high schools, Florida, Alaska and Nevada have
decided flag football for women is a must. Although the idea did not originate in Nevada,
every high school in the Clark County School District (CCSD) must now attempt to field a
women’s Flag Football team.
Flag football will be a sanctioned NIAA (Nevada
Interscholastic Athletic Association) sport, so there will
be many advantages. Players will receive a varsity
letter for completing the entire season.
Teams will also get a coach, as opposed to powder
puff flag football where other students coach.
Although there are not many details released about the
new sport, there are many girls excited about the
possibility of playing flag football.
In a poll of two girls’ physical education classes, nearly
45 percent of students say they would want to try out
for flag football.
Most girls are very excited about the new sport to start.
“I can’t wait for flag football to start!” says Riggs.
Juniors Chloe Chapel and Rylee Riggs are both anxious
Flag football is a big step in improving Title IX and
to try it.
girls’ sports !
Unfair play?
Lacey of Western High School has her own comments about athletes and special
treatment: “With some teachers, it happens without even asking for it,” she says.
by Jaime Garcia, Western HS
Lacey is an athlete herself, but doesn’t believe she ought to be thought of differently
because of that. “We’re just student athletes. On some assignments or anything we
shouldn’t get special treatment.” !
As summer ends and fall approaches, students must
prepare for another brand new school year. While
academics are on the minds of most, the new school
year also marks a new season for student athletes —
which means a new opportunity to prove their merit and
maybe become as admired as the pros.
It’s no secret that athletes are heroes to everyone, young and old. But while they can
be revered by the ‘ordinary’ people like us, they’re not any different than we are.
Athletes are still just people who have to follow the same
rules as everyone else – in theory.
Lately there have been professional athletes in the news who broke the law but
didn’t pay for it. For example, Miami Dolphins’ running back Ricky Williams tested
positive for marijuana and didn’t go to jail. Instead, he signed with the Toronto
Argonauts and is now playing in the Canadian Football League.
Former University of Southern California defensive end Frostee Rucker was drafted
by the Cincinnati Bengals in April. Rucker is a great athlete with a bad history of
domestic violence toward women at Colorado State University and USC. The Bengals
ignored this and drafted him anyway.
This begs the question: do athletes get special treatment?
The concern becomes even more relevant when applied to our own schools.
Ashley, a student at local high school, says, “The varsity football team and
cheerleaders get to choose the top lockers before everyone else.”
John Sleezer/MCT Campus
In June, Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Brett Myers struck his wife while walking the
streets of Boston. His action was witnessed by several people, including authority
figures, but he didn’t go to jail. The next day, he pitched at Fenway Park in Boston.
26
Fashion and fun! Sponsors help promote
the latest trends for teens
Face facts: makeup may be the cause
of skin problems, not the cure
fashion news · what’s cool and trendy · who’s wearing what
Fashion and fun! Sponsors help
promote the latest trends for teens
by Whitney James, Liberty HS
They called it ‘The Scene’ – a one-of-a-kind fashion show
and shopping experience at the Las Vegas Fashion Show
Mall to present the latest back-to-school trends in
teenage fashion and style.
The Aug. 8 event consisted of several ‘Scene’ booths, each with a different sponsor
and activities.
Scene #1, sponsored by Pepsi, offered a prize wheel, free Pepsi samples and later a
BMX Bike Team Stunt Show sponsored by Mountain Dew.
Scene #2 was dubbed CosmoGirl Magazine’s Boutique, a place to view the latest in
fashion, beauty, entertainment and technology. Teens could also hang out in the
Ralph Lauren Fragrance Bar to sample free fragrances and speak one-on-one with
Ralph Lauren experts.
CosmoGirl also went the extra mile to help teens, not only with clothing advice, but
also with ways to organize their rooms.
PB Teen (Pottery Barn Teen) displayed samples of their bedroom accessories and
furniture at the CosmoGirl booth as well.
The Tweety Bird company sponsored Scene #3’s ‘Tweety Lounge’ where attendees
could create their own Tweety T-shirts, while Scene #4, hosted by Sprint, revealed
an array of new phones, games and ring tones.
While all the booths offered fresh sights and cool giveaways, it was the fall fashion
show that drew the most attention. Models sported variations of the ‘jeans and Tshirt’ look with Levi clothing to show just what kind of options there are for heading
back to school in style !
photos: Whitney James, Liberty HS
!
Whitney
Jill Johnson/MCT Campus
27
Ladies, these are common ingredients found in the
makeup you smear on your face every day.
But did you also know that these same ingredients can be found in the bottles of
cleaner and bug-killer you keep in the garage and under the kitchen sink?
Consider for a moment how much you really know about your makeup.
For most girls, putting on makeup is part of their every day routine. Spending those
extra twenty minutes at home applying her face could mean the difference between
life and death for many (if not all) females in America.
It is officially a matter of life and death if a girl happens to wake up to find a huge
zit on her face. She’ll slather on three times her usual amount of cosmetics hoping
to hide the blemish. But she may be making the inflammation a lot worse if the
makeup she is using is too oily.
Sophomore Shararyah Clark says she wears makeup for one crucial reason: “To hide
the acne!”
In order to help prevent acne, girls may want to buy oil-free makeup and make sure
that they wash off all their makeup before going to sleep at night.
Aside from aiding acne in its eternal quest
to ruin our school pictures and waste
our money we spend trying to
cure it, certain cosmetics
can also cause allergies.
Talis Bergmanis/MCT Campus
Common symptoms of
allergic reactions to makeup
are itching, swelling,
redness and dryness where
the substance was applied.
In more serious cases
hives or blisters can occur
on the site of application.
Although it can be difficult
to tell which ingredients
caused an allergic reaction,
future allergies can be
prevented by not buying
that brand of cosmetics
and avoiding brands that
have similar ingredients.
Also remember that
something ‘hypoallergenic’ is
still not guaranteed to prevent an
allergic reaction.
An April 2005 WebMD.com article reviewed by doctors at The Cleveland Clinic
Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and edited by Charlotte
Grayson, MD says, “Keep in mind that products labeled ‘unscented’ or ‘fragrance
free’ may still contain small amounts of fragrances needed to cover the odor of
chemical ingredients. ‘Natural’ generally means that the product includes ingredients
extracted from plants or animal products rather than ingredients produced
chemically. Products labeled ‘non-comedogenic’ do not contain ingredients that
commonly clog pores, which can lead to acne.” !
Thankfully, there are many ways to
keep away those mortifying
makeup-related problems. Here are
some simple things you can do to
keep your face healthy and clear:
· Clean cosmetic applicators often.When trying on
makeup in department stores, always be sure to use a
clean applicator.
· Throw away makeup that changes in fragrance, color,
or texture.
· Keep makeup containers tightly closed when not in use.
· Do not use makeup for the eyes when you have an
optical infection.You should discard the eye makeup you
have and wait for the infection to clear up before you
purchase new cosmetics.
· Always be sure to wash hands before and after
applying makeup.
· Keep makeup out of direct sunlight.
· Change your makeup when you change your toothbrush.
Even if there is still unused makeup in the container, the
applicator has probably transferred germs from your
face to your makeup.
· And as always, remember: never share makeup! It’s
better to go without mascara than to get someone
else’s eye infection.
schoolzone!
Teacher shortages continue –
CCSD works to fill the holes
Author Mike Henie sheds light
on epilepsy in new book
Public vs Private Schools
28
what’s happening on campuses around the valley
Teacher shortages continue – CCSD works to fill the holes
by Kaice Scarborough, Centennial HS
Upon returning to school this fall, students may expect to see a familiar
teacher’s face in the classroom. But in fact, many students will find
that some of their classes won’t be staffed by Clark County School
District teachers at all. Prior to the start of this school year, the Clark
County School District’s teacher shortage problem had reached an alltime high of 1,000 vacancies.
Some action is being taken to try to fill the gaps. Substitute teachers will replace
about 500 teachers in classrooms throughout the district. These substitutes must
have a minimum of 62 college credits, six of which must be in education. They
must also pass a skills test that covers English, reading and mathematics.
Foreign-born teachers and licensed teachers who serve in other supplementary roles
will also be utilized to fill the classrooms. For the first time in Nevada, school
district recruiters have even gone outside the United States to bring teachers from
the Philippines, Canada and Spain. These teachers are expected to work under
temporary visas that expire in three years.
But because such measures are not a permanent fix, the Clark County School District
must also look to what’s causing such a teacher shortage to begin with. In a district
that’s the fifth fastest growing in the nation, expensive housing and low pay may be just
what is stopping the district’s own teachers from committing to work in Clark County.
A first year teacher with a bachelor’s degree can earn $30,000. Teachers may earn
further pay increments for each year taught and for additional university credits
earned. For each year the salary is different. After about five years a teacher can
expect to earn $35,000 whereas a sixteen- year teacher with a master’s degree can
make $63,000. It all depends on how many years the teacher has been teaching
and what type of degree she or he has received.
If you compare this salary growth with other comparable fields, teachers make on
average $7,000 to $10,000 less. This disparity in pay is frequently cited as one
reason more college students don’t get their degrees in education. Incentives such as
signing bonuses and assistance with buying a home are some of the measures the
Clark County School District is trying in order to get more teachers interested in
coming to Las Vegas to teach.
The housing market has gone up, and for a first year teacher affording a home is
usually not possible. Many cities and school districts in California have put together
Author Mike Henie sheds light
on epilepsy in new book
by Cassie Hough, Sierra Vista HS
Writer Mike Henle is frequently seen on the Sierra
Vista High School campus speaking to Journalism I
classes about his adventures as a journalist. Henle,
who spent many years as a writer for the Las Vegas
Review-Journal and has written for the New York
Times, has recently published a book about success
in conquering epilepsy.
Henle is a reporter, a public relations specialist, a real
estate editor, a husband and a father (his youngest son
Jeffrey attended Sierra Vista and graduated in 2003).
But most importantly, he is a survivor.
Throughout Henle’s life he has suffered from many
seizures. Eventually he found out that the root of his
problems came from a disease called epilepsy.
A few times a year Henle shares his story with some of
the Sierra Vista journalism classes. He tells of how he
plans to use district-owned land to build more affordable housing for their faculty,
but this program does not even support enough of the teachers. Clark County
officials are exploring a plan to purchase and hold land in the Las Vegas area for the
purpose of selling homes to teachers. The district’s newly launched “Coming Home”
program will help teachers in purchasing a house.
The main reason to pay attention to all these changes is because it will affect us all
as students. In Clark County the number of students grows by about 12,000 to
15,000 a year. The fewer teachers a school has the more students will have to be
in each class. The quality of learning in this type of overcrowded environment will
suffer and there will be less individual attention teachers will be able to afford their
students. More substitutes will be put in classes, which may result in confusion for
both the students and the substitutes. And there will be fewer elective choices
available to high school students as there will be fewer teachers to staff them.
Students will have to adjust and learn to cope with factors that are sometimes less
than desirable. Regardless of who is presenting the material it will be the student’s
responsibility to learn it. Hopefully the issue of teacher shortages will be addressed
by the officials we will elect this November !
lived through many petit mal seizures and a few grand
mal (more severe, convulsive) seizures.
On Dec. 6, 1994, Henle underwent a major surgery on
the right side of his brain at Scripps Hospital in San
Diego. The day before the procedure Henle faced four
seizures in one day.
“They’re taking their last shots at you,” his wife
Carmen Henle said on Dec. 5, 1994, when Henle
faced his last seizure ever.
The operation was a complete success. To this day Henle
has not had a single seizure. A few years later, Henle
wrote a forward in hopes of writing a book. However he
didn’t send it in just in case he was still sick.
“It has been 10 years, so I think that I am finally
okay,” Henle says.
It was after those 10 years that Henle was finally able to
express all that he went through in his memoir, “Through
the Darkness: One Man’s Fight to Overcome Epilepsy.”
The book is available at all major bookstores across the
country. Henle has been signing books at special
appearances in Borders bookstores here in Las Vegas.
Henle’s main goal in coming to Sierra Vista is
to inform students of the seriousness of epilepsy
and how it affects us. It is his tentative idea to start
a support group for some of the victims, especially
since he recently found out that epilepsy has a direct
tie to suicide.
“As someone who has gone through it, I
know what it feels like. I know how it is
to feel as though you are alone in the
world,” Henle says.
It is Henle’s hope to write another book, possibly a
sequel to this one. Through these books and the
possibility of a support group, Henle reaches out to as
many sufferers as he can.
He wants those diagnosed with epilepsy to be able to
come to him. Henle never gave up fighting, and in the
end he won.
“I want those who suffer from epilepsy to know they
are not alone,” says Henle !
schoolzone!schoolzone!schoolzone!schoolzone!schoolzone!
by Asia Mayfield, Meadows HS
Competitor number one: The Meadows School, 21
years of age and weighing in at 250 kids. Its
opponent, Palo Verde High School – nine years of
age and weighing in at 3,309 kids – slowly paces
the ring. The posh Meadows campus is only ten
minutes away from the long hallways of Palo Verde,
but it might as well be a lifetime away.
The crowd begins to roar and the time has come.
Let the fight begin!
Palo Verde High School, located in Summerlin, is a public school. The education is
good and students feel safe on its campus. For those who choose to take them,
there are many advanced placement and higher-level courses available. It is still,
however, a Nevada public school and so the classes are fairly large. Each student
has limited attention from his or her teacher. Instead of teaching at a natural pace,
teachers are forced to instruct at a speed that allows 40 or more students to learn
the material.
In addition, Nevada is the sixth worst state in the nation for per pupil spending, so
funding for materials is limited. However, the school does have one thing going for it
– it is free. The average Nevada family income is only around $50,000. Due to the
high cost of living in Las Vegas, this means that not many people are able to pay
the thousands of dollars in order to go to a private school like The Meadows.
Only a short car ride way from Palo Verde is The Meadows School.
The Meadows, a nondenominational private school, is very different.
There are far less students, so classes are much smaller and teachers
can focus more on the students’ individual needs.
schoolzone!
Public vs Private Schools: which is the right choice?
29
Gordon Hale, currently an upper school Spanish teacher, has taught at
both public and private schools. “You get to monitor the students’ progress
much better,” Hale says. Private schools also might look better to colleges
because classes at a private school are generally thought to be more difficult
and more advanced than those at public schools. Students attending private school
are also assumed to be heading to college, whereas public school students may or
may not choose to extend their education.
The biggest drawback is the money. The steep tuition at the Meadows, along with
the lack of full scholarships, discourages many potential private school candidates.
The competition is finally over. And instead of a win
we get…a tie. Private school is great if one can afford
it, but public schools are good for those who cannot.
Universities like Harvard and Stanford accept many
private school students, but they also accept many
public school students. In the end it is the motivation
of the students and not the school they attend that
will ensure their success !
Students of the Month
September 2006
Clark High School
Yu Chen
Shaan Patel
Clark High School couldn’t be more proud of Yu
Chen. Involved in everything from academics to
community service, Chen constantly challenges
herself.
Shaan Patel represents one of Clark High School’s
finest leaders. He accepts the many responsibilities
that come with being Co-President of DECA, Vice
President of National Honor Society and a member
of the Southern Nevada Water Authority Youth
Advisory Council.
Chen takes part in National Honor Society, Key
Club, AMSAT and many AP classes. She’s even
going into her fourth year of Japanese as well as
balancing multiple art classes to prepare for a
career as an architect.
“The accomplishment I’m the most proud of is for
the competition at our school where you had to
design a planner for the school and my art was
chosen!” Chen says.
Yu Chen
SWhaean Hui
Originally from China, Chen came to America only
three years ago and still returns to China every
summer to volunteer in the village of Lin Xian.
“I do community service and help teach the kids
English,” she says.
We’re customers too
Over the summer Patel studied leadership in the
Nevada Boy’s State mock government. Now back in
school he strives to maintain his status as a
valedictorian candidate and AP Scholar with Honor.
Interested in a medical career, Patel volunteers in
the ER at North Vista Hospital.
“I get to interact with [patients] and watch the
doctors and physicians assistants help them.”
Patel is also an active member of “Friends of India,” a
non-profit organization that puts on cultural activities
for the South Asian community in Las Vegas.
college!
30
sage advice
SAGE Academy Requirements
campus news
photos: Anupa Gewali, Green Valley HS
helping you prepare for the next step
sage advice
students experience college classes & college life
by Stephanie Espinoza, class! correspondent
It’s hard trying to learn Japanese over the summer by
yourself. Brushing up on politics in time for November
elections is no fun either if you don’t have anyone to
discuss them with.
By the time the end of July rolls around, students often find themselves bored and
actually wanting to return to school so that they can stimulate their lethargic minds,
interact with friends and even learn something new.
For those motivated students who not only want to keep academically active over
the summer, but who want to begin preparing for college and maybe even study
something they get to pick themselves, there exists a program unlike any other in
Clark County.
The Summer Advanced Gifted Education Academy allows students in grades ninth
through 12th the opportunity to take one eight-hour college-level class at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas for three weeks during the summer and earn both
college credit and high school enrichment credit.
Established three years ago by SAGE Academy Director and UNLV professor Daniel
Villanueva, SAGE is meant to be the equivalent of prestigious programs like the John
Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.
“What we’re offering is the same experience but for less money and locally,”
says Villanueva.
SAGE has been running for three years and offering different courses every summer.
The classes are chosen based on student demand according to Villanueva. During
this summer’s July 24 through Aug. 11 session, SAGE offered nine classes, six of
which generated enough interest to be taught: Elementary Japanese, French History
and Culture through Film, Public Speaking and Argumentation, Rome of the
Caesars, Science and Society and World Politics.
Villanueva, who teaches German politics, culture and language classes at UNLV,
served as the World Politics instructor as well. Though used to teaching college
students, he finds that teaching high school students isn’t all that different.
“Here we’ve been teaching the best and the brightest, so I don’t really know how to
compare them,” Villanueva says. He adds, however, “In some ways, they’re more
interested than the average college students. They ask more questions and their
minds seem to really wrap around the topics.”
Jason Yee, a junior at Green Valley High School, chose to take Villanueva’s World Politics
class because of his interest in political workings, international policy and economics.
“We learn about world power governments like Germany, Japan, China, North
Korea, Israel and the United States. We compare their governmental institutions,
we look at how their congress works and at how much power their heads of state
have and how they elect them,” Yee says.
Because the SAGE professors must fit an entire semester’s worth of work into only
three weeks, the pace of the classes can be difficult to keep up with. Yet the
students complained little about their 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours and ended up taking
in a lot of material within the short amount of time.
Japanese professor Takako Hasegawa-Gibson taught the Elementary Japanese class
and was impressed with how quickly her students picked up the language.
“They learned 46 Hiragana, 46 Katakana and 50 Kanji,” says Hasegawa-Gibson in
regard to the different characters in the Japanese writing system. “They learned
both the Hiragana and Katakana in four days! I was amazed. They are smart!”
She also adds that her SAGE course contains the exact same content as her collegelevel Elementary Japanese class. “So when they start college they can skip to the
second level of Japanese class if they want,” she says.
But SAGE offers more than just a heavy course load for scholarly students.
Throughout the summer class Yee found he was also intellectually challenged
through his interactions with Villanueva and his classmates.
“I’d have to say certain parts of the curriculum are not so much challenging as
addressing the difficult, thought-provoking questions that come up. That allows
you to reach beyond what you’re learning in school,” says Yee.
Jake Serwin, a sophomore at West Springfield High School in Virginia found out
about SAGE last year through his step-mom who lives in Las Vegas and joined to
have something to do over the summer.
“So I’m not just sitting at home bored all the time,” Serwin says.
Serwin took Creative Writing at the SAGE Academy last year and this year decided
to try Rome of the Caesars due to an interest in ancient Rome and even Latin,
which he even takes as a language class in high school.
“SAGE offers more than just basic English and basic history,” he explains.
“It’s specialized subjects that you want to know more about.”
SAGE Academy Requirements
Eligibility:
igibility:
All gifted high school students
(freshmen through seniors) must
certify their qualifications through
one or more of the following criteria:
Cost: $800 (includes daily
lunches in the UNLV Dining
Commons, textbooks
and a UNLV parking pass).
• Enrollment in/completion of AP or
Honors courses
The SAGE Academy, co-sponsored
by the UNLV Honors College,
Office of Educational Outreach
and the Las Vegas World Affairs
Council, encourages interested
students to visit
• Counselor’s letter certifying
participation in GATE programs
• Letter of previous admission
to SAGE or other talented
youth programs
• SAT scores above 540 (math) or
above 540 (verbal)
• ACT scores above 21 (M) or 28
(E) or 22 (SR) or 22 (R)
• National Merit Scholar award or
being named as Finalist
at unlv’s sage academy
And while he enjoyed the history material he learned in Rome of the Caesars,
Serwin was also particularly impressed by the way the class was set up so naturally.
“There’s only four students in the class and it’s run like a group discussion, not a
lecture, so you can easily learn from the teacher and from your fellow students,”
Serwin says. “It’s a more laid back environment, which I think is more conducive
to learning.”
The hardest thing about the class to Serwin is staying focused during the long hours and
admits that some of his favorite activities during the SAGE program were the breaks.
“We’d all go out and play soccer and sit underneath the trees,” he says.
But Serwin also likes the fact that in SAGE you can have more casual conversations with
the teachers. This kind of relaxed environment is one thing that makes SAGE so unique.
Villanueva, who lets his students call him “Dan,” feels it’s important for the students
to be comfortable enough to ask questions and learn in a way that isn’t as pressured
as in high school.
“[SAGE] is to prepare [students] for college, not in terms of just academics,” he
says. “They’ll still probably take the same classes in a much more intense way in
college. But it teaches the study skills and the socialization – the feeling of being
in college – so that students can be socially and mentally ready for college.”
Villanueva also feels that because of the way SAGE is set up, there are many social
barriers that are being broken down. “We have students from vastly different
schools all together in the same classes, which is helping to break down the rivalry
between schools. There are seniors in classes along with freshman doing the same
work and interacting together.”
“Other than learning book knowledge, these students are making new friends in the
gifted community across the valley,” Villanueva continues. “And these friendships
are lasting,” he says, citing the MySpace Web page that the students from last
year’s SAGE Academy put up to keep in contact with their former classmates.
Both Yee and Serwin know that the friends they’ve made at SAGE will not disappear
now that summer is over.
“I’ve made connections with people that will last a long time,” says
Yee. “These people have changed me for the better and opened up
my eyes as to what I want to do for the rest of my life, what kind of
career I want to pursue and what focus I want to have for the near
and far future.” !
college!
!college!college!college!college!college!college!college!college! 31
http://edoutreach.unlv.edu/sage/index.html
for more information.
Dr. Daniel Villanueva can also be
contacted at (702) 895-1688 or
[email protected]. The
Office of Educational Outreach
can be contacted at (702) 8953394 and the UNLV Honors College
at (702) 895-2263.
campus news
UNLV Senior Night Sept. 26
UNLV presents Senior Night on Tues., Sept. 26, 5-7 p.m. at UNLV’s Student Union,
Room 208. The program has information about academic programs, admissions
process, financial aid and more. For details, call 774-UNLV.
CCSN seeks student employees
CCSN’s Learning & Earning Program needs 11th and 12th graders to work at CCSN
campuses for a maximum of 12 hours a week during the school year. Students who are
having difficulty in school, have special circumstances (i.e. financial, personal, family) or
have not passed the proficiency exams can receive free tutoring while earning wages.
See your counselor for a referral or call Emily at 651-4785.
CCSD hosts Financial Aid Workshop on Oct. 11
The Clark County School District, Clark County public libraries, and educational
community cultural groups will be providing the 10th Annual Scholarship and Financial
Aid Workshops. All 12th grade students are welcome to attend any of these breakout
workshops, providing scholarship and financial aid information, specific to cultural
groups. Students are not limited to any specific group based on culture groups
workshop, but may attend any session. The event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 11,
2006 at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd North, Las Vegas, NV 89011, from
5:30-8 p.m. For more information, call 386-7100 or one of the numbers listed below
for information about a specific cultural group.
European American Students
Pacific Asian American Students
African American Students
General Sessioin
Native American Students
Hispanic Students (Spanish Interpreter Available)
Deb Sgambati
Carlos Polis
William W. Sullivan
Linda E. Young
Thelma Myers
Nancy Alamo
(396-0210)
(497-1136)
(895-4777)
(799-8484)
(799-8515)
(799-2137)
Get help filling out financial aid forms
A workshop to complete a ‘draft’ of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
form will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Classroom Building Auditorium Complex, Building A, Room
A-112, near the Thomas & Mack Arena. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and the
workshop will run from 10 a.m. to noon.
College Fair Plus set for Oct. 16 & 17
College Fair Plus is slated for Oct. 16 and 17 from 5-8 p.m. at Cashman Center, 850
Las Vegas Blvd. North. The annual event is free and open to the public.
career center!
32
Active after school
take the steps towards success
Girls in computer networking
nursing the cure for the common career
resumés · career advice · tips and techniques for landing that dream job
Active after school
It’s 4:45 a.m. and Haley Cooper wakes up after four hours of sleep. Her 14hour day starts with a full six hours of school, a few hours of free time, a
seven-hour shift at work, and ends with one hour of homework. Many teens
have after-school jobs. Forty-six percent of 20 students surveyed say they
have a job and have kept it steadily.
“
I’ve been working at Taco Bell for 10 and a half months,”
says Nathan Hermelin. “It’s cool because I get to talk to a lot of
people and sound really cool over the intercom.”
Having a job while in school is complicated. Stress rates are higher in teens because
free time becomes scarce.
“I’m pretty laid back, so I don’t stress too easily,” says Trevor Sinanian. “Work is
just something I want to do so there is low-key stress. I thought trumpet lessons
seemed like an awesome way to make money doing what I like.”
Jobs may be the answer for some students, but not all
by Jamie Dunn, Foothill HS
Out of 20 students surveyed 52 percent say the main reason they would work is to
earn money to pay bills and to have extra money for spending. Hermelin also adds
that he got the job at Taco Bell because he wanted the extra money to have if he
needs it and also because he knew people who worked there. He says he isn’t stuck
with any bills and gets to keep all the money that he makes. He even gets free time
to spend with his friends.
Some students have to have a job, and finding a first job isn’t always easy. When
getting a first job there’s nothing to put on the application under previous
employment, something most businesses expect you to have. While having a job can
help with extra money and help teach responsibilities, it’s not for all teens.
“Having a job is different from teen to teen because some need them and others
don’t,” says unemployed student Marx Santos.
After midnight, it’s finally time for some shut-eye. Haley lies down, realizing that she
has to do this tiring 14-hour day once again tomorrow !
Working at an after-school job prepares students for the future. They learn new
responsibilities, such as how to keep their accounts balanced and how to manage time.
Sinanian also says, “I’ve been doing this for two months and with me giving lessons
at Mannion Middle School, I am getting a great knowledge of teaching.”
Taco Bell employee Nathan Hermelin begins
to make a Mexican Pizza. “At work I get to
see what it takes to run a good restaurant,”
says Hermelin.
photo: Jamie Dunn/Foothill HS
take the steps towards success
Career & Technical Education Programs provide opportunities for
high school students to get ahead! What you learn in Career &
Technical Education courses will always stay with you.
Work Experience Credit/Job Bank
Did you know that you may earn high school work experience credit for your part-time job if you
work 270 hours per semester? Job openings are available to all Clark County High School students
through our district-wide job bank.
For more information see the work experience coordinator at your school.
Tech Prep
Apply for Tech Prep College Credit for your high school courses. Don’t graduate without them!
Here are just a few of the courses eligible for credit. Next semester choose:
• Accounting
• Culinary Arts
• Medical Assisting
• Auto Technology
• Drafting I & II
• Photography
• Aerospace
• Graphic Design
• Printing Technology
• Computer Science
• Hotel Operations
• Refrigeration
• Child Development
• Keyboarding/Computer Fundamentals
• Welding
For more information see your counselor.
SMART Grad
• Learn how to be successful.
• Learn about interviewing.
• Learn about preparing resumes.
• Learn about career opportunities.
See your counselor for more information.
The Clark County School District does not knowingly discriminate against any persons on the basis of disability, race, color, creed, religion, national
or ethnic origin, sex, age, nor deny access to, or treatment or participation in its programs and activities.
career center!
!career center!career center!career center!career center!career center! 33
Girl geeks are cool!
sponsored by:
by Stephanie Espinoza,
class! correspondent
Think only a boy can work a computer? Think again! Though the
Best Buy computer ‘Geek Squad’ may be mostly men, and your
own little brother set up the router at your home, there’s nothing
those guys do that can’t be done by a girl.
In fact, in Richard Kirkland’s Computer
and Networking Technician classes at the
Area Technical Trade Center (ATTC), girls
are proving their computer skills on more
than just instant messaging and MySpace.
“What we do in class is a four-piece
program called the Cisco Academy,” says
Kirkland. “We begin with an introduction
to networking and work toward the final
piece where we recreate the Internet in
the classroom.”
For those girls who think guys will do
better in computer classes because
they’re better at math, Kirkland stresses
that this just isn’t the case.
In a Feb. 2000 study compiled by H.
Dair Brown of Girls Incorporated, it’s
revealed that while boys tend to show a
higher level of ability in required math
classes, girls’ levels of ability are higher
in elective math classes.
In addition to teaching new skills,
Kirkland’s classes offer college credit for
each piece of the Cisco program that’s
successfully completed.
“The four pieces are worth four credits
each at community college,” says Kirkland.
“So you can graduate high school and
A student in Richard Kirkland’s 2004-2005 Computer and Networking Technician class
connects routers from Wide Area Networks (WANs) to the Local Network (LAN).
already have 16 college credits.”
The class also prepares students to go
immediately into the workforce.
“As far as opportunities go, these
students can end up working for anyone
who’s connected with computers –
almost every office in the world. Sprint or
Embark now, the telephone company,
Cox communications – even the casinos,”
says Kirkland. “They can’t work on the
floor until they’re 21, but they can work
in the back where all the computer
equipment is. The skills they need are all
things they’re learning in this program.”
participating in SkillsUSA competitions,
which Kirkland’s students take part in
school-wide as well as at the state and
national levels.
“A couple of years ago I had a young
lady who won the silver medal [at State].
She got beaten by only three points by a
guy in northern Nevada,” says Kirkland.
“The problem is I don’t have a lot of girls
to compete. It’s usually just one against
the rest.”
This year Kirkland has four girls in his
morning class and two in his afternoon,
who he hopes will all stay with the
program.
Kirkland continues that Cisco’s company,
Cisco Systems, is also really pushing the
gender initiative. “They want to get more
women into the job market. All these things “If [girls] really want to do it, they
are available to young ladies,” he says.
have a ball. They don’t ever have a
In the meantime, before they start their
careers, students can hone their skills by
problem with the equipment, the
material, or the guys.”
Kirkland thinks the reason more girls aren’t
getting involved in computer-related fields
is simply because it’s been a traditional
male career option, so girls don’t usually
picture themselves in such a role.
“A lot of teachers and parents don’t
tend to point [girls] in that direction
either. It’s sad because it’s really a
wide-open field.”
The best advice Kirkland can give to
interested girls is just to not think about
stereotypes. “There’s no such thing as a
male job or a female job,” he says. “You
have to think about career objectives and
goals. What do you want to do?”
For more information about ATTC’s
Computer and Networking Technician
class, visit
http://ccsd.net/schools/attc/classes/Comp
uter.htm. Additional resources can be
found at http://www.girlsinc.org !
nursing the cure for the common career
by Nicole Brown, LVA
The nurses have more responsibilities than I realized. Besides keeping track
of tedious paperwork and giving each nurse a rundown of a patient’s status
while switching rooms, they are also needed in the surgery area.
An episode of the TV drama ‘Nip & Tuck’ unraveled before my eyes, as
I walked into the surgery room wearing scrubs and a facemask. I
In the white-walled confines of the surgery room, the nurse is responsible for
didn’t know what to expect in the white-walled room of the hospital
giving the patients moral support, providing the tools (and counting them
where I was shadowing a nurse during the Clark County School
before and after the procedure to make sure nothing is left in the patient),
and prepping the baby for the mom after the surgery takes place.
District’s Job Shadow Day. For all I knew I could have fainted after
A key element of a staff nurse’s job is to try to be everywhere at once. After
making eye contact with a syringe.
Surprisingly, I didn’t faint. I was actually intrigued by the C-section procedure. I felt
strong and kick-butt since I could handle the graphic scene even when a University
of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) college student (a guy, by the way) couldn’t bear to
see the procedure and instead left the room.
The job-shadowing program gave me the opportunity to be a real nurse for the day.
I was treated like a professional, and patients would stop me in the hall to ask me
what certain terms meant and what procedure was going on in each room.
Although I had no clue what each individual was talking about, it was cool to be
recognized as an equal instead of being looked down upon as a student. A UNLV
college guy asked me if I knew what a DLW was. I had absolutely no idea, but the
fact that he thought I knew was really awesome.
One of the best parts about this newfound seniority was that I was able to purchase
food (chicken fingers and fries) at the employee discount price – how cool! I suppose
people with uniforms (or mock uniforms for that matter) get more respect.
Before I job-shadowed a staff nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit at the University
Medical Center, I thought that a nurse’s job was solely to watch after patients by
bringing them food and fluffing their pillows. I was very wrong.
everything was taken care of in one area, the staff nurse and I had to run down
the halls and check the status of other patients prepping for surgery. The whole
day was intense.
There is much gratification in being a nurse. In addition to feeling great about her
job, the staff nurse I was shadowing said that the pay is great and that the only
letdown is the long hours.
She went to nursing school for three years in England (yes, she did have an English
accent), and informed me that if I were to get a bachelor’s degree at UNLV for
nursing then I could be making about $32 an hour or more fresh out of school.
Another plus to becoming a nurse is that they are open to other opportunities in the
medical field. They can specialize and go back to school for a year and become a
doctor and/or they can switch to different departments to get a change of scenery
and experience.
The woman I shadowed mentioned that there is a nurse who worked part time as a
staff nurse and is now a news anchor specializing in the health segments on the
station. I thought that was pivotal information because once we (as students) figure out
what we want to be, we let go of our other career interests. With nursing, people don’t
have to choose between their careers and their interests because they can do both !
34
Juniors build confidence, connections
in youth leadership program
things to do · places to go · and stuff going on in and around the Valley this month
Juniors build confidence, connections in youth
leadership program
by Stefani Barajas, Western HS
Western High School students Michael Cherhoniak and
Sherina Devine are members of the Community
Leadership Training program, held by the Boys and Girls
Club of Nevada. This program is dedicated to developing
leaders for tomorrow.
After being selected out of a diverse group of high schoolers, participants in the
program attend Advanced Youth Leadership, which trains students to become
responsible, ethical leaders faithful to active community interaction.
Her favorite parts of participating are talking to different people that she would
normally not get to talk to and going to unknown places, which she had not even
thought of going to.
“The program has changed me,” she says. “No matter how
bad I have it… I will live life to the fullest. I love being in
the Boys & Girls Youth Leadership program.”
The Leadership Training program works in collaboration with the Clark County
School District and gives high school juniors the chance to fortify their leadership
skills. Admission to the program is based on community interest and character, not
on academic merit or athletic ability. Participation requires that students attend eight
“The program has given me insight on situations that
people go through and how they deal with them to achieve
a better life,” says Devine. “I was interested in the
program because I hoped it would help me be a better
leader, which it has.”
full-day sessions between January and May of their membership year.
Any high school junior may obtain an application from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las
Vegas, or at their school counselor’s office. The selection process begins in October
with a written application and concludes with a personal interview, held at the
school, with a Leadership Las Vegas graduate in November or December. There is no
She also thinks the program has made her more aware of her surroundings.
tuition charge for participation in the Community Leadership Training program.
“I’ve learned to be a little more patient and to listen carefully to what people say,”
she adds.
Students who will be juniors in the fall are encouraged to apply by October for this
life-changing experience!
Program Qualifications:
· Be a junior
· Demonstrate an interest in leadership
· Have a sincere concern about the future of our
community and a personal desire to help shape its
future
· Be able to provide quality references.
· Show commitment through participation in
extracurricular and non-school activities.
· Have the full support of a parent or guardian
and principal.
Program Goals:
· Acquaint participants with processes, programs and
challenges that exist within the community.
· Develop individual and group decisionmaking skills.
· Stimulate interest in community activities and
encourage active participation in local affairs.
· Introduce emerging youth leaders to each other and
to the existing community leaders.
funzone!
funzone!
35
solutions on page 36
word search!
exercise your mind · tease your brain · tickle your funny bone
Horoscopes—Sept 2006
Libra
(September 23 – October 23)
Your visual sense is very high, and
you may draw inspiration from a
stroll through an art gallery or
museum. This is going to be a very
emotional month.
Scorpio
(October 24 – November 21)
Money issues will arise as you spend more
than your budget allows, trying to make
yourself presentable to your friends and
acquaintances. Remember that you are a
beautiful person, and keep your confidence
up for opportunities to come.
Sagittarius
Taurus
(November 22 – December 21)
(April 21 – May 20)
The new month will give you a sense of
worth that you haven’t had before. Hold onto
this for as long as possible. The positive vibe
will propel you into the situations to come
with a vigor that will ensure your success.
Some wonderful news concerning money and
career matters could come your way this
month. This is a great month to start any
creative projects that you may have in mind.
Gemini
Capricorn
(December 22 – January 19)
This month, your level of responsibility could
increase, as well as your workload. Always
up for a challenge, this shouldn’t be a
hardship. Just be careful to pencil in some
downtime for balance.
(May 21 – June 21)
This month is going to be a little rough,
but if you stay focused and just hold out a
little longer you will see the results are well
worth it. Plan some relaxation time to catch
your breath.
Cancer
Aquarius
(January 20 – February 18)
You will get some positive, uplifting energy to
offset what you might perceive as a life of
work with little play. This energy could shake
things up and jumpstart changes in your life.
(June 22 – July 22)
Your intuition, imagination and insight have
served you well at school, and it should pay
off soon. Give yourself a pat on the back for a
job well done!
Leo
Pisces
(February 19 – March 20)
It’s becoming almost second nature to
live with uncertainty and excitement.
This month adds a bit of romance to the
scenario. You may have to stop and think
things over thoroughly.
Virgo
Aries
(March 21 – April 19)
Your imagination is running rampant and your
thoughts and ideas are going to be very
intense this month. Make sure you finish
everything essential this month before letting
your sporadic whims get the best of you.
?
(August 23 – September 22)
Matters concerning health are important to
you right now, and you might want to learn
about herbs and nutrition, as well as spiritual
healing. This would be a good month to
study up on different forms of relaxation and
spiritual cleansing.
ponder this!
Without using a calculator: You are driving a bus from Las Vegas to
San Diego. In Las Vegas, 17 people get on the bus. In Baker, six people get
off the bus and nine people get on. In Barstow, two people get off and four
get on. In Victorville, 11 people get off and 16 people get on. In Rancho
Cucamonga, three people get off and five people get on. In Temecula, six
people get off and three get on. You then arrive at San Diego. What was the
name of the bus driver?
Can you find your CCSD high school?
U
C
P
O
B
W
D
C
L
D
Y
U
C
L
F
E
L
I
S
Y
E
B
E
A
D
U
E
A
G
T
R
A
N
C
H
O
A
N
E
H
T
G
S
N
R
A
R
S
I
O
N
I
H
Z
O
L
I
D
N
H
S
I
E
A
T
R
R
C
T
Y
D
Q
D
H
S
O
R
I
I
C
C
P
N
L
A
E
R
E
O
E
S
R
C
E
I
S
O
A
P
E
Y
G
R
P
L
E
N
N
V
H
R
S
E
D
E
L
M
N
T
T
O
E
A
I
D
O
S
N
A
L
H
N
L
R
R
E
E
S
R
O
ARBORVIEW
ATECH
ATTC
BASIC
BONANZA
BOULDER CITY
CANYON SPRINGS
CENTENNIAL
CHAPARRAL
CHEYENNE
CIMARRON MEMORIAL
CLARK
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
optical illusions
A
H
L
L
N
P
C
D
I
G
I
R
D
E
R
D
M
P
E
V
S
U
D
O
K
U
Fill in the grid so that every
row, every column and every
3 x 3 box contains the digits
1 through 9
C
Z
U
L
R
G
O
Y
I
A
C
S
O
V
A
N
N
R
S
C
Y
O
N
I
A
W
V
H
T
O
L
Y
R
O
V
I
O
I
E
L
B
C
N
A
R
V
L
A
R
I
A
C
A
L
I
L
R
N
D
A
CORONADO
DELSOL
DESERT PINES
DURANGO
ELDORADO
FOOTHILL
GREEN VALLEY
INDIAN SPRINGS
LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS ACADEMY
LAUGHLIN
LEGACY
LIBERTY
What do you see, one face or two profiles?
How many legs does the elephant have?
(July 23 – August 22)
This month, you tend to view that certain
someone through rose-colored glasses. Don’t
be fooled by this effect because it will not
last into next month. Hold off a little while
longer before making any commitments.
.
A
G
A
I
N
A
N
O
L
F
N
P
D
A
S
H
R
G
L
R
S
T
D
G
U
O
N
E
Z
L
O
U
O
P
T
G
A
S
I
K
Y
G
T
T
E
A
B
Z
E
K
E
O
M
J
A
U
M
M
B
K
E
P
R
C
D
L
P
Y
E
R
C
Y
T
M
J
A
I
O
E
Q
K
I
N
O
C
L
A
S
V
E
G
A
S
H
O
L
C
J
R
J
V
W
E
N
N
E
Y
E
H
C
E
T
A
P
I
C
G
A
T
L
Y
M
E
D
A
C
A
S
A
G
E
V
S
A
L
L
F
V
Y
C
O
U
B
U
V
I
R
G
I
N
V
A
L
L
E
Y
L
E
U
H
Y
E
L
L
A
V
A
P
A
O
M
A
R
B
O
R
V
I
E
W
MOAPA VALLEY
MOJAVE
PALOVERDE
RANCHO
SHADOW RIDGE
SIERRA VISTA
SILVERADO
SPRING VALLEY
VALLEY
VIRGIN VALLEY
VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL
VOTECH
WESTERN
conundrums
Can you solve the word riddles below? Each one is
a popular phrase or saying.
36
September is Hispanic Heritage Month!
September 23-30 is Banned Books Week!
Friday Night Lights
Jillian’s Concert Calendar
September calendar
events, exhibitions and happenings
September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Sept 6 – Nov 14
September 20
Friday Night Lights
Friday Anime Fest: ‘Rurouni Kenshin’
Photography by Brandi Friez
Learn Spanish!
Las Vegas Library, in the MPR room.
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Anime movie series event: See all three seasons of the
hit anime TV show ‘Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering
Samurai’ over eight consecutive Fridays beginning
September 1. Series rated PG-13. For more information
please call 507-3514.
Spring Valley Library – In the Gallery
Teen photographer Brandi Friez, Best of Show winner in
the 2006 library-sponsored Visual Poetry Contest,
presents both black and white and color photography
drawing from her personal experiences.
Las Vegas Library
– in the Multipurpose Room
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration is required.
2006 Division 4A Varsity Football Schedule.
All games start at 7 p.m. except double-headers.
September 21
September 22
Banff Mountain Film Festival’s
Radical Reels Tour
Hispanic Heritage Month: Fiesta de la Noche
Clark County Library – in the Jewel Box Theater
7:00 p.m. Free and open to the public
Enjoy a night under the stars with family entertainment including mariachi, traditional dance with costumes and cowboy rope tricks
presented by Mexico Vivo Dance Company. Visit various booths and enjoy activities for all ages. At 7:00 p.m., Los Leones de la
Salsa will perform exciting contemporary salsa.
Movie event: The most outrageous mountain sport films from
the 28th annual Banff Mountain Film Festival will thrill and
inspire with big-screen adventures. NR.
September 29
Workshop event: Spanish language instructor
Sylvia Ceballos-Rousseau will teach a two-hour
introductory Spanish class.
Rainbow Library – in the Amphitheater 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m Salsa show at 7:00pm
Urban Artists ’06: Back to School Holy Hip Hop Party
West Las Vegas Library – in the Theatre 7:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. This is a family-oriented event.
For more information please call 507-3989. Movie event: Join us as Toni T. Ellis (AKA ‘Clarity’) hosts an evening of pivotal
urban artists featuring spoken word, music and dance. This event features special guest artist, ‘Platinum Souls.’
October 6
September 23
September 26
September 27
Gospel Fest
The Dinosaurs of Southern Utah:
St. George and the Dragon…Tracks
‘The Constant Gardener’
Book Discussion Group
Barrick Museum Auditorium, UNLV
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Contact Pat Loosbroock at 895-3401 or
[email protected]
For more information please visit
http://liberalarts.unlv.edu/index.html
Green Valley Library, 2:30 p.m. in the Sunset Room
For additional information please call Evelyn
at 507-3793.
West Las Vegas Library – in the Amphitheatre
2:00 p.m. For more information please call 507-3989 or
contact the City of Las Vegas, West Las Vegas Arts Center
at 229-4800. This event is a family-oriented event, free
and open to the public.
Music event: Join us for a performance by gospel artists of
music, dance, poetry and spoken word.
It was a wonderful movie, but was the book even better?
Come explore how movies get their great beginnings with great
books! A book discussion group for adults, held the fourth
Wednesday of the month. The program is free and light
refreshments will be provided. Registration is not required.
September 28
September 30
You Can’t Read That:
An Evening with Banned Books
Moonlight Concerts: Teddy Geiger
Day of Play
Clark County Amphitheater,
500 S Grand Central Parkway
455-8200 Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Concert begins at 8:00 p.m. Admission: $8.00 – $15.00
Garden of Pioneer Women in Lorenzi Park
West Washington Avenue at Twin Lakes Drive.
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Clark County Library, 7:00 p.m. in the Theater
Lecture event: Celebrate your freedom to read during Banned
Books Week, September 23-30. A national event now in its
25th year, Banned Books Week is recognized locally with an
evening of readings from selected banned or challenged
books. Shakespeare, Twain, Salinger, Rowling and Dr. Seuss
— literature or kindling? You decide.
‘Teddy Geiger projects an easy charm along with his real pop
chops,’ raved The New York Times while People magazine
praised ‘…a talent far beyond his years on a first-rate pop
CD….’ No carry-in food or beverages or pets. Food and drinks
available for purchase. Blankets, low-back chairs welcome.
For more information please visit www.seeyouatthecca.com or
http://www.teddygeigermusic.com.
September 29
Jillian’s Concert Calendar October 6
450 Fremont, Las Vegas, NV 89101
http://www.myspace.com/jillianslv
All shows, all ages
October 12
funzone answers
conundrums
to Funzone on page 35
A walk in the park
Ice cube
ponder this! You are the bus driver!
Tennis shoes
Space invaders
Area youth up to age 17 can enjoy playing games for fun
and prizes. A free barbecue lunch at noon will end the event.
For more information please call (702) 229-6358 or e-mail
[email protected]. You can also visit
www.lasvegasparksandrec.com or www.lasvegasnevada.gov.
Sparta, The Cab, Lola Ray
Tickets: $12-15
Fletch, I Hate Kate, Slam Dunk!,
The City Drive, The Calender Year
Tickets: $15-17
Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship,
Hangar 18, Patent Pending:
Basic at Liberty
Coronado at Silverado
Del Sol at Foothill
Chaparral at Desert Pines
Eldorado at Las Vegas
Valley at Rancho (Eldorado)
Clark at Spring Valley
Durango at Gorman (Valley)
Sierra Vista at Western
Cheyenne at Shadow Ridge
Mojave at Centennial
Palo Verde at Arbor View
Green Valley at Canyon Springs
Cimarron at Bonanza
Legacy at Pahrump Valley Double-header
starts at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
S
U
D
O
K
U
Tickets: $12-15
Del Sol at Coronado
Foothill at Liberty
Silverado at Green Valley
Canyon Springs at Chaparral
Rancho at Desert Pines
Valley at Las Vegas
Bonanza at Sierra Vista
Clark at Durango
Spring Valley at Gorman (Valley)
Centennial at Cheyenne
Cimarron at Arbor View
Mojave at Shadow Ridge
Basic at Eldorado
Palo Verde at Western
Boulder City at Legacy Double-header
starts at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
October 13
Coronado at Foothill
Green Valley at Basic
Silverado at Del Sol
Desert Pines at Eldorado
Las Vegas at Chaparral
Rancho at Canyon Springs
Gorman at Clark
Sierra Vista at Spring Valley
Western at Bonanza
Cheyenne at Palo Verde
Cimarron at Mojave
Shadow Ridge at Arbor View
Centennial at Valley
Liberty at Durango
Moapa Valley at Legacy Double-header
starts at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.