September 2009 Hesperia, Ca Vol 13. Issue 1

S2009-2010

Faces of Death: A Generation Desensitized, page 3

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LEARNING IN HIGH DEFINITION

As the school year begins, students walk through the gates expecting a new year filled with changes: new teachers, new classes, and new classmates. This year, stu-dents enter the classrooms to find some-thing extra--about twenty new LG flat screen plasma televisions. Walking into a classroom with a huge 50-inch television on the wall is a great way to start off a new year. However, there are many questions about the source of the televisions, not to mention a few rumors that need to be put to rest. No, the money used to purchase the televisions could not have been used to keep the teachers lost due to budget cuts. The money for the televisions and the money for teachers come from two completely different funds. The televi-

sions were purchased from Midway in Victorville, with money taken from categorical funding. Mr. Sommers' television is the exception as he won his 42" television through Green

School for being the “greenest” teacher on campus last year. The new televisions can never replace some of our favorite teachers lost to budget cuts, but they will enhance the delivery of lessons for students and teachers. “We’re trying to enhance the de-livery of [the teachers'] ‘golden nuggets’,” said Mr. Ahlgren, vice principal. Those “golden nuggets” represent teachers' best practices and activities that students connect with. The main focus of the staff is always finding new and more

Sultana continues to lead in technological

advancements as they introduce new high defi-

nition televisions as a teaching tool

effective ways to educate students. In some cases, the televisions have completely im-proved the learning process. “We would be in serious trouble if we didn’t have the plasmas.” said Mr. Hansen. Hansen feels the TV's have been

very helpful in teaching some of his largest classes with up to eighty-eight students.

Replacing the LCD projec-tors has helped Mr. Hansen take his technology-driven class to a whole new level.

The new TV's will last for up to seven to ten years, saving the school money com-pared to paying up to five hundred dollars several times a year every time an LCD projector lamp blows out. For a class who uses technology “ Every period, every day”

like Mr. Hansen’s, the new televisions will definitely come in handy. The students’ schoolwork is projected on every wall, and the Interwrite pad connected to the TV's serves as a replacement to the whiteboard. The televisions also help simulate a col-lege course in this class--no paperwork, no homework, just technology. The televisions create a new way to learn through visual/audio lessons. Doing so also helps contrib-ute to the cause of going green by lower-ing the number of pages printed to create worksheets. It is important that everyone knows that the televisions are not here simply for entertainment purposes. Sure, watching a science video in high definition is cool, but the real purpose of the TV's is to save the school money by replacing the LCD projectors. The TV's will be pulling the teacher away from the whiteboard and help modernize the way our “nuggets” will be delivered. So say goodbye to the white, and hello to a new brighter high-defini-tion gold.

SHYAN HICE-PHOTO EDITOR

LG high definition televisions now allow teachers to visually bring les-sons to life. While the technology is cutting edge, the long-term costs will save Sultana money when compared to maintaining projectors.

unchtime is the best time of the day. You get to see all your friends and steal some relax-

ation between the stresses of the day. During the hustle and bustle of the hour, many students forget to throw away their trash and just leave it lying around. Trash, much like money spent repairing damage and replacing items prematurely worn-out by careless students, adds up. "Treat Sultana like your home," said Scott Ahl-gren, vice principal. "Treat it with respect and there wouldn't be a issue." After the bell rings, students have to hurry off to class and often leave trash for someone else to deal with,

but it really adds up. Main-tenance has to come around with rubber gloves and pick up every single piece of left over trash to keep Sultana clean. If students picked up after themselves a little more, the money that goes towards maintenance could be put to-ward some more recreational things. Jose Ramirez, Sul-tana's Plant Supervisor suggests, "Maybe a few extra benches or some shaded awnings..." Let's not forget the damage done to textbooks, water fountains, desks, pencil sharpeners, sports equipment, etc. Every bit of damage adds up and prevents Ahlgren and the other administrators from providing recreational areas,

technology sites, and con-nection areas that they have envisioned for years. On average, Sultana goes through 100 pencil sharpeners each year and the estimated debt of lost or mis-treated books rounds up to $4000. Ahlgren and Ramirez are tired of all the needless wear and tear that goes on around campus, hinting that students do not allegedly 'have enough pride' in where we go to school. "All I'm asking is after lunch, just pick up your trash," Ramirez said with a smile. Ahlgren believes that students who leave trash behind, spit their gum on the ground, or mistreat school property should be

fined, no different than fines on a mistreated set of text-books. Every year, Sultana gets funding that helps pay for maintenance and repair-ing things around campus, but if we all did our part and had a bit more respect that money could be used for to benefit students, improve the campus, and create a more comfortable overall environ-ment. "I'm here to help you guys," Ramirez said. "And if we could all care a bit more and take after ourselves, things would change."

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“No, the money used to purchase the televisions could not have been used to keep the teach-ers lost due to budget cuts.”

Students pay for damage and neglect

Students speak the “Ugly Truth” about violence-page 3

PAIGE VUKOVICHnews editor

LINDSEY PEREZstaff writer

Is the Key Game over?

Find the full story on page 5

SaturdayMostly sunny. Highs 98 to 104.

SundayMostly sunny. Highs 97 to 103.

Weekend Weather

weatherunderground.com

IN THE NEWS

The Sultana High School newspa-

per has offi-cially changed it’s

name from the Turban Talk to the

Sultan Static.The move reflects an ongoing effort

to modernize media and tech-nology at SHS.

CURRENT EVENTS:Check www.sultanahigh-school.com for all the

latest news and events.

INSIDE!Remediation-2

Editor’s column-3

Fashions on a budget-4

The scoop on Ms. Francis-4

Health and activity-5

SULTAN STATIC WWW.SULTANAHIGHSCHOOL.COM2

News

Beginning September 14th, re-mediation classes will be held for 9th graders in room G-704 from 2-3 pm after school . Remediation is man-datory if you have any failing grades. The goals of remediation are to decrease the frosh dropout rate, reduce the quantity of failing classes, increase student academic awareness, and raise academic accountabil-ity The fact is, the high school gradu-ation rate is only 68 percent, and the frosh drop-out rate is at an all time high. 613 cur-rent SHS students are freshmen. 42 percent of U.S. frosh fail, and that means 307 SHS

freshmen will fail at least one class this year. “The Academic Remediation program will kinda suck,” said Alex Parfitt. “…I nor-

mally hang out with friends.” Students must realize that this is not a form of punishment, but it is a program that is here to benefit you and help you catch up with your academic scores. There is no way you can ditch remedia-tion. Staff will come for you ten minutes before your 6th period

class ends to take you to the remediation class. Remediation is madatory and stu-dents cannot be ex-cused without raising their grade. If you’re involved in any after school clubs or activi-ties, then you must tell your coach/club direc-tor why you cannot show up. “I think the program is the best one we can come up with because it actu-ally makes students accountable” said Mrs. Lambdin, English teacher. This program not only is meant to increase grades and help students along, but it is also meant to teach responsibility to all freshmen as they prepare a pathway for college and the work-ing world.

Freshmen failing any class are now subject to academic reme-diation until they provide evidence that they are passing.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT SULTANA HIGH SCHOOL:September 2009

Do you have something you want to say? Would you like the entire campus to hear your voice on a certain issue or topic? Would you like to complain about something you don’t

think is right? Then write a letter to the editors of the Sultan Static. Letters should be submitted to Mr. Kleber in Room B-206 and include your printed name and signature for

verification.

SHS Introduces Academic Remediation Program

by staff writers MATT IMERMAN

and LINDSEY PEREZ

SULTAN STATIC STAFF:

Editors- Courtney Looper and Hali Kunsek

News Editor- Paige Vukovich

Sports Editor- Ryan Young

Features Editor- Kelsey Marsh

Voices Editor- Brittany Fraser

Entertainment Editor- Mercedes Cannon

Photo Editor- Shyan Hice

Web Editor- Hayley Tharp

Staff Writers- Scott Brown, Domino Gardina, Matt Imerman, Brianna Johanson, Aly Merritt, Kayla Perez, Lindsey Perez, Savannah Mac-

Donald Stiner.

The Sultan Static is published by Sultana High School’s Advanced Journalism class. All opinions expressed are those solely of the writ-

ers and do not necessarily reflect those of the students or staff of Sultana High School or HUSD.

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

“I think the pro-gram is the best one we can come up with because it actually makes stu-dents accountable” said Mrs. Lambdin, English teacher.

U.S. ARMY ARMY STRONG Joseph.Fernandez@usarec.army.mil 760-948-7049 Cell: 1-877-824-3622 Fax: 760-948-5149

SULTAN STATIC WWW.SULTANAHIGHSCHOOL.COM3

September 2009

VoicesEditorial Content

TheUGLYTruth.

“The Haunting in Connecticut, it’s intense.” - Sophomore

Kierestan Wright

“Halloween 2, because it’s all bloody and gory.” - Freahman

Christina Meraz

“The Cube because of all the death.” - Junior Shaun Fox

“My Bloody Valentine because its all blood and guts.” - Senior

Michelle Tittle

When we watch these shows that promote killing and show strong violence, we automatically start thinking about it after we see it. Psychologists L. Rowell Huesmann and Leonard Eron found that children who watched many hours of violence on T.V. when they were younger show a higher level of ag-gressive behavior when they be-come teenagers. Maybe this is why we have so many killers and cor-rupt hoodlums flooding our streets with a mindset of causing pain and creating violence. Perhaps, were making this violence for ourselves and are responsible for the terrible things that happen because so many awful things are shown in our media and are overlooked as if it’s not a big deal.

iolence permeates our culture- even in the games children play. A 2001 review of the 20 top-selling videogames found that

89% of the 20 videogames contained some kind of violence and almost half of all games contained serious and extremely graphic violence. In 41% of these games, violence was necessary for the player to achieve their goals and move up a level. In 17% of these games, violence was the primary focus of the game as a whole. On top of that, school-age children have been proven to play videogames at an estimated 53 min-

utes per day. Let’s be realistic; when a 12 year-old kid sees

an advertisement on T.V. for a new videogame

that looks really exciting,

they’re go-

ing to ask for it from their parents, and not all parents are going to look at the rated M for mature rating on the back. Despite arguments dismiss-ing the impact of video game violence, it has been proven by psychologists that playing violent videogames increases a person’s aggressive thoughts and in many ways is worse than watching it on T.V. be-cause it’s interactive. Not only are videog-ames a huge part of the media, but so is music. Music has had a huge influence on many people’s lives, but much of the music in today’s society talks about shooting someone because they gave the wrong look, beating up the people you love, killing someone to get money, and many other unnecessary actions. This is the music that flows into our ears and gets us singing along or rapping with the beat. We walk around singing about ap-palling things and don’t even stop to think twice about it. We live in a world that thinks it’s normal to watch, play, and hear unbelievably terrible things for entertain-ment. It’s time for us to make a change. Our world suffers enough already from violence, there is no need to perpetu-ate the cycle. It’s something to think about the next time you sit down to watch a gory mov-ie or plug in your earphones to listen to that new explicit song you downloaded.

relationships, and fail to separate fantastical desires from actual reality. As males and females we all have different sexual and mental desires that need fulfillment. Fe-males often gravitate towards less

sexual interaction and more verbal communication while males more often desire sexual interaction and less verbal and mental connection. In the 2008 chart topping movie Twilight, the concept of wish-ful teenage love was taken to a

whole new level and caused girls of all ages to fall madly in love with powerful words and actions of the vampire Edward Cullen. After girls read the novels and watched the movie they wished to be swept off their feet and be showered with

sweet words from boys. Up playing on girl’s desires, guys have molded into the role of telling girls what they want to hear. As a generation so heavily influenced by what we hear and see in the media, we have taken the “sincerity” and “original-

ity” out of the true context of love and searched for fulfillment through our desires and what we see on the big screen. As a generation we have been exposed to tainted perceptions of re-lationships for so long that we often find it all comedic as well. Sexually graphic films like Van Wilder and Bruno have desensitized our minds and taken the idea of intimacy out of sexual interaction. Unrealistic as it all seems, Hol-lywood plays a major role in our ap-proach to relationships. As teenagers we often mimic what we see and fol-low the latest trends. As a generation we have become addicted to empty words and seductive actions and left chivalry and innocence in the past.

he phenomenon of interper-sonal attraction has existed

for centuries. From the 1960’s sexual revolution and the depiction of adult activity in film, to classic Disney movies, to catchy Taylor Swift lyrics, and to movie sensations like P.S. I Love You, the concept of affection and desirable pleasures has been imprinted in our minds since adoles-cence. Though made for enjoyment, many fail to realize the effect media has on our perception of love and

Sweet Dispositions

lmost everything we see in our day to day lives contains some kind of violence. When we sit

down to watch T.V, play vid-eo games, or listen to a new CD, there is almost a guar-antee it will have some kind of violent undertone to it. From lyrics with the mindset of murdering people we hate, to video games with domes-tic violence, or just killing for the chase, our generation is fascinated with entertain-ment-based violence. The Television Violence Monitoring Project was a study examining the amount of violence in tele-vision for three years. The researchers concluded that 61% of television programs contained violence, 43% of violent scenes involved humor either directed at the violence or used by characters involved with violence, and 75% of violent scenes fea-tured no immediate punish-ment or no condemnation of the violence. The results proved that it is in our nature to watch violent entertain-ment because without high ratings, the show wouldn’t exist. If someone was to see a person being stabbed on the side of the road or see-ing a husband beating his wife, it would be a horrific sight. Yet when we watch it on T.V. or see it in a movie, it isn’t a big deal and it’s actu-ally considered entertaining.

A

V

Images on this page are used in critique of the violence they represent and perpertuate in

entertainment.

RATED NB: NO BIG DEAL

T

BRITTANY FRASER

voices editor

COURTNEY LOOPEReditor in chief

SULTAN STATIC WWW.SULTANAHIGHSCHOOL.COM4

September 2009

FeatureThe people, places, and events that make up SHS

RECESSIONISTA

Ms. Francis: heart, mind, and soul

“Buy it, charge it, save for it, or walk away. You are in that clas-sic department store, stocked to

the nines with the most popular and fashionable items. You used to shop here often, maybe in the good ole days of middle and elementary school. The difference here is you’re

now in high school, the economy has changed, and money is more pre-cious than before. That $100 pair

of boots is making you anxious, but you don't have the cash and neither

do your parents.” People get a sense of pleasure in find-ing a bargain and, just like certain fashion trends, splurging is out of style, even for the well off. Students’ spending habits are chang-ing drastically, especially when it comes to items that are bought on a 'want' rather than 'need' basis. Clothing is now not necessarily chosen on terms of fashion, but rather by how large a hole it will burn in the buyer’s pocket. “I think it will get worse before it gets better,” said sophomore Allison Smith on the subject of the economy. With a grim outlook and hardly any relief in sight, the current state of the world’s economy may be around for a while. However, there is an upside to this recession: habits are being formed that are teaching students the

value of a hard-earned dollar. Despite lifestyle changes, there is absolutely no reason not to enjoy this new budgeted life. Trends in spending and accessibility to bargains have changed. It is possible to live large on a budget, and almost all retailers (sec-ondhand alike) are making this possible. Even the top fashion magazines are filling their pages with recession friendly items and ideas. At this point, a designer wardrobe is out of the question. It is quite possible that all Sultana students know this, but there are some that aren’t letting a failing stock market hinder their style. “My grandma [gave me] all of her old Hollywood movie star clothes and from then on I fell in love with anything unique and vintage and handmade,” said Senior Hanna Dorsey. Having unique style has never had anything to do with wearing the latest trends, and this holds true especially now with stu-dents turning to vintage, consignment and secondhand shopping. The state of the economy has changed everyday style and it has also changed outland-ish habits, in some cases, for life. However, fashion holds true as it has through several recessions and a depression.

Christianna Vera (left) and Hanna Dorsey (right) sitting back and enjoying life in their fash-ionable, yet affordable clothes. Students are finding new and creative ways to achieve the looks they want in a difficult economy, because nothing can stop Sultana’s recessionistas.

ankruptcy, welfare, and government issues are all things that we hear about in today’s world. Many of them are caused by poor

decisions that we as individuals make. Luckily, we have a teacher who will help us steer clear of those decisions. Her name is Ms. Francis. "I love touching lives,” said Francis. Francis has been through it all, from the lowest paying minimum wage job to top dollar jobs that are in high demand. Francis was in the roof-ing business for twenty years. She has hot-mopped, painted, shingled, and tiled--none of which are pleasant. She taught piano for a while and then moved on to JC Penny's. Af-ter this she went to a fast food chain and toiled for low wages. Later she was a teacher’s aid for a few years and then decided she wanted to become a full time teacher. Now she feels content impacting the lives of her stu-dents. Francis started by teach-ing elementary and learned quickly that the younger stu-dents weren't right for her. She moved up into high school and taught sophomores. She stayed for a while and then learned that her teaching style still wasn't

affecting them as much as it could with other students. At this point she made a decision to begin teaching seniors, and this is where she found her niche. Maverick Padilla, a cur-rent student in her class, said, "She embodies a lot of things teachers have lost over the years." According to Padilla, Ms. Francis teaches her students with respect in order to gain respect. "She can actually connect with the students. Her class is fun and goes by quick,” said Ashlegh Johnson, another current stu-

dent. But when it’s time to work, Francis gets down to business and doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to studying. She wants her students to be in-volved in the world and to be aware of everything that is going on around them. She pushes her students to think outside of the box. Everyday they start the day off by reading the daily idea and then talking about world news. Mr. Ardito, another SHS teacher who took her class in '98 as a sophomore and in 2000-2001 as a senior said, "I felt like I needed to take an active interest

in learning about candidates and current issues." When asked about where she thought her pro-fession was lacking, Francis thought about it for a moment and answered that if her stu-dents do not become active, participating citizens, then she feels as though she has failed as a teacher. "I have written five referrals in fifteen years,” said Francis. While her class is fun, it still leaves a serious impression on her students and opens their eyes to the “real world.” The way she teaches is meant to directly affect the lives of her students. Mr. Ardito said, "She has had an impact on my teaching style in that I want to emulate the rapport she has with her students." She also stays in touch with her students, occasionally getting a coffee or sitting down to lunch with them. While there are teach-ers who focus just on academics, Ms. Francis stands out from the crowd by focusing on her stu-dents and showing them what the "real world" is like. Ms. Francis will always be remem-bered as the one who cared and put her heart into her work. She has impacted many students and is improving the world one student at a time.

Top 10 ways to shop and save1. Shop with cash only- With a credit card on hand it’s easy to spend more than you can afford. With cash you are limited and know exactly what you can and cannot buy.

2. Hit the discount chains- These stores often carry big brand names at budget friendly prices. WARNING: Something similar to an archeological dig generally takes place at most of these stores.

3. Shop out of season- For hefty discounts one has to be willing to buy a winter sweater in the middle of summer.

4. Go virtual- Shopping online has its advantages. There are always special promo-tional codes and coupons available to online shoppers, ones that may not otherwise be found in stores. Also, try signing up for mail-ing lists for even more special discounts.

5. Be wary of trends- Something that’s popular now may not survive future seasons. Stick to items that have personal meaning rather than popular value so that they will last longer and be key items in your wardrobe.

6. Try second hand- Shop swap meets, visit thrift stores (i.e. Salvation Army, Good-will) and raid friend’s closets. Second hand clothes, no matter where they come from, are almost always unique and special in their own way.

7. Learn how to sew- Instead of trashing clothes by sending them to the dumpster, pro-long their life by sewing them. Knowing how to mend pieces correctly can save you tons of money and lengthen the life of your wardrobe. Also learning advanced sewing techniques can allow you to create personal, one of a kind pieces and to make alterations to clothing that does not fit.

8. Wash correctly- Laundering properly prolongs the life of a garment.

9. Build off of the basics- Classic pieces like denim, cardigans, solid colored tops and chic tee shirts are things that a wardrobe can be built on and hardly ever go out of style.

10. Befriend a salesgirl (or boy)- This gives you an advantage over other customers because these people know when upcoming sales are, how discounts can be found, and where the cheapest items in the store are.

“I love touching lives”-Francis

BCHANGING LIVES

A typical day in the classroom with Ms. Francis passing wisdom to an

intrigued student

MACKENZIE YOUNG-SULTAN STATIC

SHYAN HICE-PHOTO EDITOR

Check out Stage Door by SHS Drama

coming Sept 24-26.

by MATT IMERMANstaff writer

by ALY MERRIT & DOMINO

GARDINA

SULTAN STATIC WWW.SULTANAHIGHSCHOOL.COM5

September 2009

SportsSHS Athletics and Activities

n the eyes of the sports fans in Hesperia there has been a rich history of tension, rivalry, and tradition. Over the past fifteen years, the

rivalry of two teams brought the city together to watch vicious battles on the playing field. Hes-peria and Sultana High Schools both battled until the end of each game to try to win the bragging rights to the city. As the years go by, people love to see these exciting athletic games and certainly anticipate more, but another school is stepping up to the plate. Oak Hills High School has joined the Hesperia Unified School District and has started their sports programs. With the addition of Oak Hills, it will be difficult for one team to have bragging rights to the city when there are three teams. And now it makes people wonder if there will still be a rivalry between the two original schools, and if Oak Hills will have a rivalry of their own. “All three schools are in this same town, so I’m sure there will be some kind of rivalry, but for now it’s only Sultana and Hesperia,” said Coach Del-egardelle, the athletics director of Sultana High School. With the new questions come a specific problem. What will happen with the Key Game? With Oak Hills not being in Hesperia or Sultana's schedules this year, the athletic directors and principals will have a whole

year to figure out what they will do about having a key game. “With three schools it would be hard to have a key game because all three schools have to play each other,” said Delegardelle. “So there wouldn’t be a clear winner of a Key.” People also may wonder if there will be some kind of Key Game between Hesperia and Oak Hills since both schools are on the same side of the city. “I think the rivalry be-tween Hesperia and Oak Hills will be stronger because kids from Hesperia went to Oak

Hills because of the split of the two schools,” said Delegardelle. Just over one hundred student athletes transferred from Hes-peria High. With Oak Hills joining the school district, many people are starting to get angry over the possibility of not having a key game anymore. “We have to have a key game,” said Garrett Holden, a student athlete at Sultana that has been around the key game since he was a little boy. “It’s a tradition that has been around for awhile and has brought the city together.” With this, Larry Porras, the new principal at Oak Hills, has come up with a valid idea that may work in the future.

“If there is a school in any given year that beats the other two schools in the city, that school gets to hang a ban-ner somewhere that says City Champions and the year they did it,” said Porras. “They would have the right to keep that banner up at their site until another school beats the other two.” Adding to that, Bob Schnebeck, the principal at Hesperia High, has also come up with a valid idea. “I think it would be inter-esting to discuss having the key be awarded to the school achiev-ing the most overall victories in head to head competition.” Along with that, there will prob-ably be a lot more ideas before they come to a conclusion. So the main question that remains is if the traditional schools will still have a rivalry between them and if adding this other school will alter everything that the city of Hesperia has had over the past fifteen years? All of the sports fans of Hesperia will just have to wait and see as it all unfolds in the near future. So be ready in the next couple years to watch three schools from Hes-peria battle it out on all playing fields.

VIEWPOINT

T.V. or Physical Activity?

Adolescence is often a ludi-crous time in one’s life. As young adults, teens struggle everyday with conflicts such as school, friends, decision making, and obesity. One dominant problem teens today face today is obesity. Researchers at the Institute of Medicine estimate that 14% of teens in the United States are overweight. “There are too many ways of getting out of physical activity these days,” said Cheryl Eastwood, Sultana sports therapy teacher and personal trainer. Lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits are the two most common factors of teen obesity. These habits can lead to even bigger issues such as the risks of heart disease, high cho-lesterol, and high blood pressure. Obesity is a struggle through adolescence, but if not helped, it is an issue into adulthood. Teens have a naturally faster metabolism and as adults their energy levels will change. “Staying in shape is very important for teens,” said Eastwood, “Especially later into their lives.” Staying active as a teenager cannot only be beneficial, but also fun. “Find something active to do that you enjoy whether it’s walking the dog or riding your bike,” said Eastwood. Sultana also offers many workout resources and equipment for student use. Whether you’re the MVP of the school football team or a world champion video game player, staying active and living a healthy lifestyle is crucial for all teenagers.

Start with a 5-minute warm up and proper stretches to get loosened up.

Sit-Ups -legs bent -arms straight in front -lean back gradually -keep arms straight and stomach tight -return back to sitting position -repeat for 3 sets of fifteen

Chair Squats -stand tall -bend knees down like sitting in invis-ible chair -stay in position for approximately thirty seconds-keep weight in the heels -repeat motion three times

Butterfly Breath -stand tall, feet hip width apart -put arms out to sides -lift right knee touch with left elbow -return to first position -switch sides starting with right knee

Remember to go at your own pace

Sample Exercise Routine to Get Started

TRADITION AT A CROSSROADSCloser Look:

I

“We have to have a key

game,”

KEY GAME OVERALL RECORD:

Sultana 9 wins, Hesperia 4

POLL: Sultan’s favorite pro sports

HAYLEY THARPstaff writer

RYAN YOUNGsports editor

33% 31% 14% 8%

SHYAN HICE-PHOTO EDITOR

SHYAN HICE-PHOTO EDITOR

September 2009

...Versus Harsh Reality

ENTERTAINMENT

lashing lights, fog machines and you’re sandwiched between two strangers, pushed up against the stage. The music’s loud and the lead singers less than ten inches away from your fingertips. For most of us this is the average experience of going to Karma. For those of you that haven’t been let’s rewind a bit.             For many years the High Desert has not had much entertainment appeal let alone an acceptable concert venue that brought in big names. This is exactly what Karma offers to the youth of this tri-city area. For an average of $15 you can see names such as The Pack, The White Tie Affair, Hellogoodbye, Brokencyde and many other indie names.             Most of you are probably wondering what am you’re getting for this $15, other than some mainstream names. What is the environment like? Though Karma does not have a Staples Center appeal, it offers a more personal one-on-one experience with the bands. Oftentimes you get to meet the band members, get autographs and take pictures.             Concerts are usually on Tuesday

nights from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. People over the age of 21 are allowed to attend, but very few do. Your $15 only covers your admission. Karma does not have concession stands, but you are able to purchase canned sodas.             After a band plays, you are often given the opportunity to mingle, which means autographs, hugs and pictures. A chosen few who attend Karma regularly join the “Street Team”. The street team is made up of individuals who choose to post events and concerts on their Myspace page and pass out fliers encouraging others to attend. In turn, they are allowed free admission into Karma concerts. Alex Sotoking elaborated on his experiences at Karma and being a member of the street team, “The hardcore scremo bands have props, hardcore dancing and moshpits happen.”             Over all the experiences and fun times offered at Karma seem to be a bright entertainment glimmer in the High Desert, one of which was greatly needed. It seems as though there is a new way to shake up your typical evening.

Good Karma on atight budget

FMERCEDES CANNON

Entertainment Editor

Worldwide economic crisis seems to be the issue discussed anywhere and everywhere we go these days. Not only are taxes, gas prices, and groceries being raised, but also the current unemployment rate has reached a record high. As of 2009, it has been estimated that some 9.7% of people are out of jobs. Many of these people are struggling students having to pay for gas, rent, car payments, and other such necessities without jobs or parents supporting them. The word "bankruptcy" over the last few months has been overly used in describing the current state of conditions in many households. A 2009 Sultana graduate by the name of Jared Perez has been searching for any job for over four months. He has traveled to places as far as Lucerne Valley, Barstow, Phelan, San Bernardino, and Rancho Cucamonga applying to over 30 businesses and submitting applications online to 16 plus stores. He hasn't received one private meeting, nor received any prominent turnouts. "I haven't even been able to get a janitorial position," said Perez. "To anyone searching for a job, I suggest you try for anything and everything that you can find." Some 2.3 million more people are expected to be unemployed next year. With conditions going the way they are now, it is no wonder why people are saying the globe is going into the trash.

SUMMER ADVENTURES...

Entertainment options diminish as the job market goes into the can

Perspective

A senior student ambassador, a part

of the Eisenhower's program started in the

1930's, by the name of Chris Gagnol, traveled

to China over the summer for 17 days. Chris,

having only been in his program for a year,

was nominated to be apart of this experience.

Despite the 7 plus shots he had to re-

ceive, he got to climb part of the Great Wall

in Beijing and traveled to 7 different cities.

Traveling to another country "opens

your mind to a different culture cause your

so stuck with the U.S. lifestyle," said Chris.

Although Chris did not get to enjoy the dog

specialties on the menu, he found the expe-

rience to be quite worth doing and plans on

traveling to either Russia or South Africa next.

Leslie Rockwell, a travel agent and

counseling assistant at Hesperia High, has

been to 42 out of the 50 States, 2 Alaskan

cruises, Mexico over 40x, Canada, and yet,

has still not had enough traveling adventures.

“The good old U.S. of “A” is full of

amazing places,” stated Mrs. Rockwell. The

hot spots over the last 5 years that senior stu-

dents have been arranging to visit have been:

Europe, Italy, France, Ireland, and England.

The smarter, safer, and 10x cheaper

way to plan a trip is to get with a traveling

agent and set up tour guides, suggested

Leslie. You see and learn the most about

the country in a short amount of time.

From 1982-1989, Mr. Ziesmer

lived with his family in

Africa working as

a missionary. "I

wanted to go to a place

where no one had heard about Christ."

The cultural differences were im-

mediately obvious as "there was not a

way to say you are late; tim

e is not of

the essence,” said Ziesmer and "relation-

ships are very important to the people."

Although Mr. Ziesmer had to

move with his family out of Africa due to

his wife becoming ill, he continues to take

missionary tri

ps yearly every summer and

currently has a ticket to visit

Africa in June.

HALI KUNSEKEditor in Chief

We Shall Never Forget...

Sultana High School

PHOTOS-STAFF