“From the prez, principal, & chief” An all-call for Coronado community parental involve-ment (2)“Harry vs. Edward” Debating pieces on which literary-culural icon would

whoop who (3)“Word”For the NCTE National Day of Writing, students sub-mit their souls (4-5)“Fixing Broken Memories” Coach Garcia & LSC students shine and resurrect the

school’s trophy cases (6) “Explorer presents: HP7”Coronado, Harkins, and Warner Brothers make pact for exclusive movie premier (7) “Skin Grows Back, Points Don’t”

Varsity volleyball perseveres through injuries and close games to finish strong-spirited (8)“AthletiDon Trading Cards”Explorer to print actual trading cards for eligible CHS

fall, winter, and spring student-athletes (9)“State Fizzle Fo Shizzle”

For the Coronado community

Coronado Explorer2010 Winter Edition

Cost: two candy canes

Coronadoexplorer.com

Dear Reader, Mr. Biera, Bianca Murtic (9), Santiago Lopez (11), and the rest of Coronado wish you an enlightened end to the semester and a wonterful winter season.

If you’re interested in joining Journalism, adver-tising, or publishing with us, e-mail Mr. Gerchick at

wgerchick@susd.org.

Cover by Ellen Walmer

Coronado P.T.O.The Coronado PTO is a dedicated group of volunteers consisting of Coronado parents and community members. CHS PTO is currently working with various groups for holiday philanthropy and other endeavors.

To join Coronado PTO or if you’re interested in volun-teering, please send an e-mail to Erin Toth at nikitsha@aol.comSUS

Foundation for the FutureCoronado Foundation for the Future, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, was founded by a group of com-mitted Coronado alumni and parents of CHS students for the benefit of Coronado students in 2002. Located in historic Scottsdale, AZ, Coronado High School has been the heart of its community for almost 50 years. Today Coronado High School faces many challenges in continuing to provide a first-rate education and although the new academic campus is now complete, a plethora of needs remain. Coronado Foundation for the Future, Inc. values the potential of every student, lifelong learn-ing, public education and the Coronado community. It seeks to connect CHS alumni with each other and today’s students.

VolUnTeer opporTUniTieS abound within the Foundation. If you have any experience with fund-raising, please email us at president@corfound.org.

Coronado Cares Charity ClubPlease come join our Facebook page and also at our web page (soon to be released) at mycccc.com for all the latest Coronado news and information. We meet the first Thurs-day of every month at Flicka’s Baja Cantina On Scottsdale Road from 6:30-8pm to discuss opportunities to help our fellow Coronado students and charity groups as well as help spread the word of school activities.

pleaSe be sure to join us at both our Facebook page and our web page coming soon. Get involved by emailing Lee McGhee at lpk@qwest.net.

Newspaper Editorial StaffJournalismTeacher/Advisor:Mr.GerchickConvergenceChiefAnthonyCostantiniCampusHappeningsEditor:ReidBlakeyLayoutEditor:BianceMurticEntertainmentEditor:JesseBarberSportsEditor:MichaelBurgessPhotographyEditor:EllenWalmerWordEditor:MonicaBeltran

Multimedia Media Staff WebHead:CharlieUnfrichtCo-WebHead:MarcosMartinezArtisticDirector:SpencerSimmonsVideoHead:WyattRichardsonSocialChair:StevenSlover

CORONADO EXPLORER

TO REACH USAlthough the Coronado Explorer has been published since 1961, this year’s staff is working hard to provide our community with a quality newspaper that embraces journalistic integrity. If you have any ques-tions, comments or complaints about this or future issue content, please e-mail them to wgerchick@susd.org. Any story or advertising inqui-ries should be sought out through the appropriate channels below.

We’re looking to release our next issue, our Valentines Edition, in February. So please make all inquiries as soon as possible.

Mail: Coronado High School 2501 N. 74th St. Scottsdale, AZ 85257 Story ideas and advertising inquiries: E-mail wgerchick@susd.org

News 2

Issue thank you’s: Coronado Foundation for the Future, Steve Schrock, Lee McGhee, Keri Pittinger, Alyssa Tilley, Nathan Nelson, Paula Delgado , Heidi Rodriguez, Samantha Hernandez, Kim Dawson, China Wok, cooperating Coronado community schools, and many more cheery holiday souls.

Staff ContributorsKatieMcCarthySheaVanAttaYestinaSutherlandJacklynZobelZackCheekMelissaConradErmiasHidruDidiDuncanBrandonMack-LeeRichardTignorErikRomero

Special thanks to the many Coronado Dons who’ve done good for the community this season.

Holiday Philanthropy

Hey there Coronado. This is the entire Explorer staff giv-ing a shout out to you all. We would just like to say thank you for all your support for the first half of the year. So far, we have put out three papers: a Homecoming Edi-tion, a Halloween Edition and our current issue, the Winter edition. One thing that you all probably do not know about is our website. That is right folks, the Explorer has a website at Coronadoexplorer.com! We have dilligently been work-ing to put it together and master the web as Pai Mei masters the Five Finger Death Punch. We have many interesting stories that have or will soon appear on the Coronado Explorer website. The biggest thing that we want to address is that we hope all students do the best that they can on their finals. When it’s all over, everyone can go home for two solid weeks of Tron watching and good times! Happy Holidays, Dons!

SEASON GREETINGS FROM

THE STAFF

The Coronado Explorer is published by students for the Coronado High School community in south Scottsdale, Arizona. Views in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the C.H.S. Administration, faculty, staff or student body.

Arcadia gets coal in their stockings is for Christ-masFONZI THE BEAR

BY SPENCER SIMMONS

Fonzi welcomes you to get “wrapped up” in the holidays. Flip through the right corners of this issue.

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

LEE E. McGHEE

REALTOR®

Cell: (480) 648-7044

Fax: (480) 945-7997

leesellsaz@cox.net

For All Your Real Estate Questions and Needs

Canned goodness: According to Ms. Weisneck, Coronado fed 44 fami-lies (34 Coronado families and 10 other community families) this past Thanksgiving.

Bleeding scarlet: Steve Zepeda (11) donates blood on December 2nd.

Mentorship: Tim Rogan (12) reads to a Crockett Elementary student.

Dear Coronado Dons Family,

On behalf of the CHS Varsity Chorus, choir booster group, PACE, the orchestra ensemble and brass trio, we thank you for supporting and attending our 1st annual Renaissance Madrigal Feaste and Masque, “The Changing of the Guard.” We hope that you enjoyed an enchanting time wafting away in the Manor called “Deep.” Since the revelry was so warmly received, we anticipate that we will return again next year. We wish you a restfull and peace-filled holiday season filled with tradition and

shared joys with family and friends.

Cordially,Dr. Sammy Brauer

Festive Thank You from Dr. Brauer

Soccer season has begun and our boys varsity team, which made it to the state semi finals last year, has a home game against Arcadia on Friday, December 10th at 6:00 PM. And with this huge match upcoming, based on attendance to home games this year, the stands will likely be... Empty. 20 home Coro-nado fans, 30 at most. Why aren’t more fans in the stands? I’ll suggest some answers. At Coronado, we usually pride ourselves on being a diverse school full of all dif-ferent kinds of people who all get along. But how well do people really get along

on the whole? Look at it this way, have you ever been to a Coronado soccer game? If the answer is yes, then that’s good and they ap-preciate the support. If your answer is no, maybe you don’t quite fall under that category of “being a sup-porter.” Also, if you decide no, my second question quite frankly is whether you are a true Don or not. In no way am I saying that students who haven’t been to a soccer game are unspirited because that would be too harsh. I’m simply telling it like it is. I have been to plenty of soccer games and consider myself to be one of the most involved people on campus.

soccer, or could there be more? Plenty of kids hang out at football games, saying “What’s up” to each other, having a good time. So why don’t I see this at soccer games? Just like many Dons gathering at Fiesta Burrito, we tend to group or not group as creatures of habit. If you consider your-self spirited and proud of Coronado, try watching the soccer games this season be-cause they are entertaining for the most part and those boys deserve credit for the goooooooooaaaaaaals they make. If you can’t make it to games, at least stop a player in the hallways and tell him “Good job” or thanks for repping our school. Per-

Who is the best X-Mas character?

A. Frosty the SnowmanB. St. NickC. The GrinchD. Ralphie from “A Christmas Story”

The Martinez Poll Go to coronadoexplorer.com to vote

Or,awarmreasontosupportboyssoccer.H T CHOCOLATE

Winner of the hottest male cheerleader is...

Bryce Paul with 50% of the votes!Congratulations, Bryce. You’re Coronado’s 2010 hottest male Powderpuff cheerleader.

Most memorable holiday activity?A. Opening presentsB. Drinking hot chocolateC. Hangin’ with the familyD. Chillin’ in the cold weather

Whats your New Years resolution?

A. Get to the gymB. Get better gradesC. Learn how to jump ropeD. Quit being a Grinch

ByJesse Barber

Opinonation 3

But this doesn’t mean my peers who haven’t been are different than me. People just aren’t into it some-times. On the other hand, has there been many boys soccer fans considering the recent success of the program? The Explorer asked head soccer Coach Tsorin just what he thought. When asked if he feels like there is is support from all different grades and students, his answer quite simply was, “not at all. Well, mostly not. Kids on the team don’t feel like there is a lot of support for all they do.” Digging deeper, the two of us discussed how most of this is because most kids at

Coronado are just not soccer fans. In America, soccer isn’t as popular as say baseball or football and Coronado is no exception. Although spirit has dimmed in our opinion over the past couple years, we still see football stands semi-filled when the Friday night lights come on. When it comes to soccer, we can’t say the same. Most students on campus weren’t interested in the last year’s soccer season until playoffs rolled around and Coronado was on its way to being a state contender. I feel like all sports are as important as the next, but boys soccer just isn’t getting the credit it deserves. Is it just because there isn’t really general attention overall to

haps, however, there’s yet an-other reason we don’t often go to boys soccer games. It’s too darn cold out in December! If you don’t go to games because its too darn cold out, well then we have a solution for you. This Friday, December 10th the Explorer will provide free hot chocolate for the home game against Arca-dia. All the more reason for people to come out, support your fellow Dons, and have a chocolatey warm toast to a good season. Come down to the game(s), drink your hot chocolate, have some laughs, and be friendly. Show the cheer and go Dons!

You race towards a beautifully lit Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. With excitement in your eyes, you spot the presents with your name. Quickly, you sit down and tear apart the carefully-wrapped package from your Aunt Carol. Justin Bieber’s new book. Disappointment replaces your previous excitement. You wish you could tell her you’re not 7 and you don’t have “Bieberfever.” Unfortunately, that look of eagerness on her face is too much to handle. What would you do? “Oh...I love it!” is a lie I hear alot, and admittedly often during the winter holidays. It’s understandable. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, but you don’t want to go through yet another year of awful presents. Don’t worry; I too suffer from the “bad present flu”. I know Christmas is a time for giving...blah blah blah. But come on, we all know it’s really about the presents we get. We all base our Christmas on the quality of the presents. Every year, the same few family members or friends just don’t seem to know you enough to get a half-decent gift. It’s grandma’s hand-knitted sweater “knitted with love,” or mom giving you clothing not even your grandmother would wear. Even worse: just a card that says “Happy Holidays.” These are the types of presents you just aren’t eager to see. So what do you do about it? Well, if you’ve got the guts, you go straight to the source. You tell them straight up that you didn’t like the gift. That option could go two ways: ei-ther your gifter takes the advice or they never give you gifts again. Another, safer option is indirectly telling someone you dislike their gift. This is my way of dealing with un-wanted presents. I drop a few hints to my mom that I don’t like the gift, and she’ll coolly slide in a comment about it in the next conversation. Problem solved.

The misfit presents By Bianca Murtic

As the jingle bells dingle tunes, and the sweet aroma of Douglas Fir dances in the air, we are reminded of “the most wonderful time of the year.” Whether your experience of Christmas is snowflakes and a scalding hot chocolate, or a standard AZ valley X-Mas, we all can relate. In correspondance to the countdown of St. Nicks upcom-ing chimney dive, I have a few suggestions...

1) Please, please, expand your Christmas List. I under-stand budgets are tight due to the piss- poor economy, but it’s time to revert to those old lists that contained a surplus of options for mom and dad, that ranged from an easy Toys-R-Us trip to unattainable items such as Apache Helicopters. Yeah, thats right, I said it, an AH-64A/D Apache Attack Helicopter. That my fellow Dons is where you should set your standards.

2) Buy the most obnoxious wrapping paper for your gifts. It creates a lasting impression. Don’t go cheap with a typi-cal Christmas theme. Go bold. You want the recipients to remember that pattern for years.

3) Make sure to acknowledge the person that gives you the gift with the abominable wrapping paper. Write them a letter stating your gratefulness for their present, and your distaste for their chosen gift wrap. It’ll give them something to giggle about.

4) Lastly, lets pay some homage to the man with the beard, cool? Set out the [dang] cookies. While flying around the last thing Mr. Claus craves is reindeer food. Those gallop-ing goons have 364 days to rest and store energy for one little flight around the world. Got it?

Recap: Extensive Wish List, Eye-Crossing Gift Wrap, Wrap Wrecognition (literary humor), and nom-nom-nom-nom cookies for Papá Noel. Coherence to the recommendations listed above will lock in a joyus and merry X-Mas.

In 2009 something remarkable happened. The Arizona Cardinals went all the way to the Super Bowl. The fact is, Kurt Warner led a bunch misfits into the playoffs with a fool’s dream. At the end, they were there. It is widely considered one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played, but, in the end, the Pittsburgh Steelers came up with the victory in the last few seconds. I now ask the question, where are all the fans that came out of nowhere two years ago? Okay, every team has bandwagon fans but Arizona is among the worst. When the Cardinals are winning, the fans are great. When they are losing, they are nowhere to be found. My evidence? If you were to walk around at the mall two years ago in January, you would see an onslaught of red and black. Walk around the corner now, what do you see? Joey Garcia (12) repping the 49er’s after a not-too-impres-sive win over the Cards.

Bandwagon or fan? By Reid Blakey

Past, presents, and future By Wyatt Richardson

Fonzi the bear looks good under your tree...

Shake the globe,turn the knob.

The twinkling begins while the glitter swirlsas it falls.

There are roses within the middleBuds, just beginning,

growing as the notes swell and rise.Glitter spins and descends,it seems much too quickly,

as light illuminates off every piece.Every moment so bright,

for one second,all that can be seen.

Then it’s over.Moving on,

oh, so quickly.Can it slow down?

I want to see every moment, remember,

engrave them in my brain.Yet the music continues,

the pieces fall.Suddenly, the twinkling begins to slow down.

Each moment now seems spread out.Yet I do not want it to end.

I want to go back, please,

shake the globe,turn the knob,

let the twinkling rise once again.The beginning was too fast,

each moment taken for granted.The simple notes overlooked.

Why is it now that I can hear the harmony?The harmony that exists in every moment ,

the beauty seen within the light,the moments that were illuminated,

that sped by.Please, shake the globe again.

Turn the knob, let the twinkling begin,

once again.But no,

the pieces descend,land on the fully grown rose,

surround it as if they are snow.The music slows down,the twinkles spread out.Then, all of the sudden,

the music stops. Everything is so silent, so still.

Please,shake the globe,turn the knob,

all I want is for the twinkling to begin, to rise and swell,

once again.

by Alyssa Tilley (12)

4 “Word” PROLOGUEDear Reader,

It was the first day of Christmas when the

“Word” section asked CHS English students

to master the literary device of symbolism.

A symbol is “a person, place, thing, or event

that has meaning in itself and also stands

for something more than itself.” For Alyssa

Tilley (11), her snow globe holds symbol-

ism for each holiday season. Read and think

what’s symbollic to you these holidays.

THE SNOW GLOBE

Be a “rebellious author” next January

B244 open every other Tuesday to Dons who want to share, critique, learn about various forms of writing.

up to you. You can collaborate on fictional writing that follows an Anime/Manga sto-ryline, songs, poetry, and even video game design. And for those who are stressed over college and essays, re-ceive valuable insights regarding what colleges look for in writing. When asked about how Rebellious Au-thors would work in a relaxed environment, Gabriela Flores (11) thought “it would be really cool to have an event like that. Just like in many events, not many will show up at first but after a while students will realize that this support is actually beneficial to themselves.” Rebellious Authors is not meant to seem like a grade-driven tutor-ing session. Instead, the Explorer wishes to open up a much more relaxed environ-ment where students can have fun writing. Whether it’s written to relieve stress or for entertainment, they all end up writing something and in the process they all create a whole new world filled with different perspec-tives. Writing isn’t just a means to pass AIMS; it’s a way of life. It has helped us all communi-cate throughout time. It brought us entertain-ment and even to this day provides us with a new sense of direc-tion. So make what you can out of it even if it’s some silly rhyme that takes up too much time may have people saying, “Wow, that was such a sweet chime.” Ha, ha. So don’t be shy and come to the “Rebel-lious Authors” session during lunch, every two weeks starting January 11th, in room B244. I hope to see you all there. Until then, “TTYL!”

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Now it’s your turn to create a holiday carol of your own! Have fun!

Carol of the _______________ (noun)

by __________________ (your name)

Hark how the ____________(noun),

sweet ____________ (color) bells all

seem to ________________(verb), “throw

________________ (plural noun) away.”

________________ (holiday) is here,

bringing ____________ (abstract noun).

To young and ______________(adj.) ,

______________ (adj.) and the

______________(adj). merry, merry,

merry, ________________ (holiday)!

Merry ____________________ (adj)

__________________(holiday)!

WINTER MAD-LIBby Monica Beltran

Starting Tuesday, January 11th the Ex-plorer welcomes stu-dents to sharpen their writing during “Rebel-lious Authors” sessions at lunchtime in room B244 (Mr. Gerchick’s room). During these sessions all students are encouraged to bring their work to either im-prove upon or receive valuable input. Students may also access the many books in the Explorer’s Word writing library. Besides receiving help from the Explorer Word sec-tion head, students can co-edit their composi-tions. Students who’s work meets Explorer staff publication stan-dards may have their work published in the Explorer newspaper (see “Snow Globe” for an example) or in the Word section of Coro-nadoexplorer.com. Whatever writing genre you choose is

by Katie McCarthy

Winter Wonderland

ESP: What’s so special? By Katie McCarthy

When are students ever recognized for good citizen-ship? Is there an award for just being exceptionally kind towards others? E.S.P. is meant to acknowledge those caring students for serving their community on a daily basis. “Started almost 20 years ago by a counselor here named Bev Highland,” said Ms. McKallor, the head of this program on campus. This program has been honoring students for “excellence, spirit,” among other aspects for almost two decades. This is not just another way to get free food with a pizza party and a bag of cookies. As Ms. McKal-lor put it, the program was designed “to be a positive force on campus” and was meant for encouraging each student to strive to be a bet-ter person. So when selecting the individuals, or classes, staff members search for students that show good character, citizenship and those who take pride in their school as well as serve those around them. They also look for those with improvement in school attendance or general improvement in

... and even on top of the tree.

school work. Academic achievement has nothing to do with the nominations, just pure kindness and citizenship. Bianca Murtic (9) was one of many students who have already been selected as ESP’s. “It meant a lot for me. I got to be recognized for the good deeds that I’ve done,” explained Bianca. She was not only happy to see herself selected but was de-lighted to see other students who shared her common trait of helping out around the school. If you are asking the question, “How do I get to be one of those people?” Well, do not focus on what you will receive if selected. Each student was nominated not because they were helpful everyday and expected recognition. They acted on such kindness be-cause they knew it was the right thing to do. And they are recognized for what they do everyday, they are thankful that the school has such a program; a program that shows how people should be to one another. Being rewarded for hav-ing good character never seemed so great. Simply put by Bianca, “It was a really cool experience.”

Below is a list of the E.S.P.’s from this year so far. This list will continue to grow as students and classes are selected each month.

1st Quarter ESP’sAcevedo, AriannaAnarkulov, AsanBaldwin, EdBossert, BrianBossert, ErinBuresh, JenniferCampbell, DanielCarbajal, JacobCarranza, FranciscoCorley, E’toyaCruz, AlexandraDixon, DedriqueDolores, KarlaGrande, NickHajdarovic, AminaHernandez, AndresHingson, WillKreiger, LyndsieLanderos, IvanLau, WinnieLeitz, EmilyLugo, BreelleLuna, CieraMarrufo, GaryMartinez, JessicaMorales, EthanMunoz, JoshMutschler, ElizabethNorman, JeremyOwens, JessicaRojas, JaimeSvoren, ReedTorres Martinez, MartinValenzuela, David

Wierzbinski, CodyZapata, Dominique

November ESP’s Almaguer, Bryan Alway, TaylorBendickson, HannahBreese, JoeTilapa Delgado, AlejandroFlores, MichelleGarcia Perez, MarthaGonzales, TawannaHaro Garcia, JesusHernandez, JoselynHernandez Carrillo, Maria Hernandez, Maria DIlia, BishoyKalember, DanielLopez, SantiagoMoore, SpencerMurtic, BiancaPerez, Eliseo (E.J.)Pisano, DominicRamos Gonzalez, JocelynRenderos, KarinaRichardson, WyattRodriguez, RaquelRomero, ChristinaSegar, WilliamShepard, BarronSoto, JoseStarr, NicoleTownsend, Peter

December ESPs Abbott, KatherineArocha, CeserBarber, JesseBarrett, JamieBittinger, BrandonBrowitt, KaitlynBrown, BrianCastro, LeslieChischilly, RenoColville, WestonContreras, Christy

Cox, AlexFigueroa, DulceGarcia, ItzelGarcia, ElizabethGonzales, BedilliaHagerman, JohnHarris, DominiqueHorn, TessaHubbard, CoryKlemaszewski, ChrisMay, LukeMontelongo, Francisco “Paco”

Munoz, VeronicaNaperkowski, DonovanNava, NickNiemeyer, SierraNunez, StaceyParlman, DavidPena, KewinRojas Berrelleza, KevinSlover, StevenSoto, AlejandraTorres Juarez, VaniaYanez, Mayra

For many Coronado Dons, Christmas comes once a year. Trees sparkle, lights shine bright, and mouthwatering smells fill the air. Unfortunately, not all kids enjoy this experi-ence. A half hour drive away from Coronado, Crockett Elementary houses children of severely strained socio-economic conditions. The

CROCKETT GETS A VISITOR Adiscountedapproachtotheseasonalactofgift-giving

kindergarten class of Crock-ett was never guaranteed any “Christmas cheer.” That is, until Coronado arrived. Every December, Corona-do’s own National Honors Society (a service club) orga-nizes the trip to Crockett. Members of NHS select a kindergartener from one of several Crockett classrooms, and purchase a present for the youngster (at a $20 price cap). The club meets one final time to exchange

receipts and wrap packages before finally departing. The bus ride to Crockett was disheartening. Warm chatter of fellow NHS-ers seemed to betray the grayness outside. Buildings became shorter and flatter, duller and more barred. Graffiti began to pop up in random locations, first subtle and then prominent. As we traveled deeper into Phoenix, the territory grew increasingly foreign.

by Anthony Costantini

Then, suddenly, we had arrived. Excited NHS kids piled out of buses, followed by the girls of Coronado dance troupe Don X. (This marked the first year that Don X accompanied NHS to spread the cheer.) Walking through the hallways, Crockett felt eerily reminiscent of a prison. Gray paint chipped from the walls and parts of the inner courtyard were untouched. The playset situ-ated between the classrooms felt out of place and time. While I’ve attended Crockett before, nothing could prepare me for the reactions of the kindergar-teners. Perhaps it was the awkward sight of 15 big high-schoolers squeezing into the classroom. Maybe it was the anticipation of Santa or just seeing some-thing new. For whatever reason, the children were ecstatic. Lining up on one side of the classroom, NHS mem-bers waited to take a seat with their “buddy.” One by one, the 15-18 year olds picked up a miniature chair, and attempted to sit down without toppling over. Eventually, the teacher reached my name. I was pointed to a quiet kin-dergartener named Oscar,

who had previously been a photograph. The moment I met Oscar, I regretted not meeting him sooner. Initially we had trouble striking up conversation. However, as soon as we reached the topic of Pokemon – a mutual interest – our friendship was certain. The deal was sealed when I offered Oscar a piece of gum, and he later repaid me in dinosaur gummies. Soon, the time came for Santa Claus’ arrival. Senior Kenny Edmondson was chosen for the jolly role this year and was already get-ting suited up outside. The children were seated on the carpet beneath a window, and as Kenny began walking past the classroom, one girl jumped up and screamed “Santa!” This sparked a chain reaction of whispers, which erupted into cries of joy as “Santa” made his entrance. “Being Santa was great be-cause I got to see more joy in one room than I’ve ever seen before,” said Kenny. “In one class this boy jumped up and hugged me, and it just made me think of how those kids probably don’t get much for Christ-mas, and that this meant a lot to them.”

After all the presents were handed out, Santa made his way to the next classroom. Then, NHS members had the opportunity to play with the children and their new toys. I sat down with Oscar to help him open his present. The contents? A stuffed dragon, a Spiderman action figure, an Ironman action figure, and a pack of Hot Wheels. For a moment, I was sad I couldn’t have gotten Oscar any Pokemon toys or packs of gum. This feeling passed quickly, how-ever, as I saw the little kid jump up and ask to go play outside. After a day of “play” that tired even the high-school-ers, we were forced to say “goodbye.” Some buddies took it better than others. In his quiet fashion, Oscar gave me a simple smile and uncertain handshake before running off to lunch. Other buddies, like Steven Slover (12), were moved to shed a tear before leaving. “That kid just embodied innocence in its purest form. It made me sad that he didn’t really have a lot going for him because I know he could go places.”

Clockwise from left: Holly Groth (12), two elves, Tim Rogan (12), a little elf, Jesse Barber (12), a smiley elf, Wyatt Richardson (12), a ponytailed elf, and Alexa Vitola (11) color their books and this photo with their smiles on December 3rd.

INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR JOURNALISM CLASS OR CONTRIBUTING TO THE

EXPLORER?

We’re looking for writers, photogra-phers, artists, and web page designers.Stop by room B244 to talk to Mr. Gerchick.

5

6 Winter Wonderland

The morning of Saturday November 20th was no plainer, nor any more ex-traordinary than any other Saturday that fell before it, except for one exception. Said Saturday was one of Goodwill’s half off every-thing days… Oh and there was some holiday cheer in the air or something. Consumers “packed like sar-dines” scrambled from shelf to shelf bouncing off with one another like particles in a Large Hadron Col-lider. The purpose of their mission was simple, get in and get out with as many useful discounted items as possible. Our goal was only slightly different. Santa gave the explorer staff $99 to spend on holiday cheer. With the as-sistance of the great Costan-tini, our job was locating worthy items to be used as presents for unsuspecting

JOY IS PRICELESS

New Pathways is a men-toring program at Corona-do. For three years, students have become positive role models to their peers. Next year, the program will include all Dons. During your freshmen year, sponsors give a pre-

“What’s New Pathways?”Program mentors first semester students

by yestina sutherland

Andrew Patino (12) wrestles a book away from the Explor-er’s resident Santa.

Adiscountedapproachtotheseasonalactofgift-giving

people around campus. The beauty of the whole ordeal was finding value in the invaluable, and to spread merry festivities through the gift giving of simple trinkets. For all intents and purposes: I am your Santa Clause, bro. With the Kris Cringle vibes pounding through my veins, on an Explorer-funded voyage, I traversed the realm in search of suitable presents. Perusing through aisle after aisle we were looking for everything and anything that would, to most, seem useless. Like a child I found great excite-ment in every single mun-dane item I stumbled across. One man’s trash is another’s treasure, and Goodwill was full of gems that day. The first quality item to present itself to us that day was an old umbrella, except this was no ordinary umbrella. The handle of said umbrella had been crafted into the shape of a swan’s

than viewing the gift as the object that it was, he simply appreciated the gesture. Clasping one hand over his heart he looked me square in the eyes and said “Thank you”. There was no denying the sincerity in which he spoke. Next up was good old Mr. Nathan Slater. Seeing as how Slater has kiddos of his own, what would better suit him then a dinosaur paint-ing for his two year old son? While looking the painting over in his hands he called “the kind of thing that will put a smile on my kid’s face for years... Thank you.” It is impossible to put a price on true joy, and nothing feels better than when you can provide someone with that feeling. Perhaps my favorite deliv-ery of all goes to Dr. Pasek. Walking up to Dr. Pasek with a stuffed Pikachu doll under my arms felt a little embarrassing at first. When I told her what I was doing and handed her the doll her wide eyes looked through mine and asked “.. is this for me?” Feeling rather pleased about the whole situation I told her that I wouldn’t dream of giving it to any-body else. That did it. She walked over to her cabinet and started pull-ing out handfuls of other stuffed animals. “... what about this one? And this one? They are all friends so they need to be together!” Nothing better exempli-fies what it means to “enjoy life for the little things” than Dr. Pasek. Everybody, my-self included, could stand to learn a thing or two about appreciation from her. Ninety Nine dollars, a couple weeks, and a ton of smiles later our mission is complete. We proved that you don’t have to be rolling in the Benjamins to have a great Christmas. All it takes is a craving for a good bar-gain... and a lot of patience.

head. A novelty so ridicu-lous that one could not con-struct a rational justification for buying it. “In the Cart!” The excitement over the first big find was short lived. The spirit of Ol’ St. Nick had laced up his Doc Martens with the full intent of kicking his way into my chest. In a flurried chain of events he took control and filled my cart to the rim. Upon arriving home, we emptied our satchels out onto the table to discover an overwhelmingly large pile of junk. Granted this was probably some of the coolest junk ever, it was still junk. The real fun hit when we started going round, making the deliveries. The first shot was Mr. Troutman. We had de-cided that this would be the person that gets the “Austin Powers figurines”. When we presented him with his gift I felt like a huge weight had been removed from my chest. Because rather

by Steven Slover

Linda Criswell poses with her new panda bear, appropri-ately named “Slover.”

Assistant Principal Nathan Slater enjoys the dino poster he’ll soon give his son.

Math Teacher Mr. Replogle, recovering from an injury, is inspired by the strong-willed Nemo.

Juniors have 35 teens and 36 to 37 mentors. I’m guessing right about now you are wondering what it is that New Path-ways does?

Story continued on Coronadoexplorer.com.

sentation on the program. If you choose to become a member, sponsors interview you and meet your parents. However, the meeting is only optional. Right now there are 37 freshmen in the program and 36 mentors to help. Sophomores and

In case you forgot, December 7th, 1941 was a day that will never be forgotten. The Japanese declared war on the United States and attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The at-tack amounted with 2,402 killed in action and 57

“A day that will live in Infamy...” Pearl Harbor remembered by a vet by reid blakey

Some say that move by the Japanese attack the U.S was cowardly but I argue this: Is anything cowardly in war? The Japanese caught the U.S. off guard and destroyed an entire fleet. My grandpa, Jack Jepson, was a private in World War II and sat with the Explorer to share his thoughts on Pearl Harbor.

Story continued on Coronadoexplorer.com.

civilians killed. The Japanese sent a letter delcaring war right before the attack but it was not read until after the attack. Many Americans forget about that fateful day in our history and I believe that every American should remember those lost.

Santa Slover poses with Dr. Pasek and all her stuffed friends. Dr. Pasek likes Pikachu?

Almost Back Page 7ANTHONOLOGY Winter Edition

Tron Legacy ‘Logging On’ New Tron film coming out December 17th by zach cheek

1. Zoo lights at the phoenix Zoo (602) 273-1341Zoo Lights started on the 25th of November and will run to January 9th, 2011. Tickets can be bought online for 10$ which are good for Sunday nights through Thursday nights. “Any Night” tickets can be bought for 12$. Children two and under get in free. Tickets can only be bought online. The event runs from 6 P.M- 10 P.M. nightly. Get off that couch and go enjoy the animals of world at night with the whole family.

2. Holiday Skate at the Coyote ice Den (480) 585-RINKThe Coyotes Ice Den has now opened their annual “Holiday Skate” event. The event started the fourth of December and will go till December 26th. 9$ will get you skates, admission and depending on the day, two to three hours of skating with Christ-mas music and Christmas lights. The event is open to everyone and will be a great time for the family. Get off that couch and go enjoy the rink.

3. Shrek The Musical at aSU Gammage (480) 965-5062That’s right folks, Shrek is coming, and not just to the screen. The newly adapted musical is coming to the valley. Shrek the Musical will be at ASU Gammage starting January 4th with the last show on January 8th. Tickets start at just 34 dollars each. This would be a great gift for the entire family. Come see the ogre that everyone loves. Get off that couch and see the unique fairytale that has been brought to the stage.

Not many people of this generation remember the Tron of 1982. This Disney flick is promised to “not disappoint,” with over $173 million dollars in special ef-fects, says Wired Magazine. While ‘Tron’ didn’t draw much of an audience, the producers are going all out on Tron Legacy. “Tron succeeded at what science fiction rarely attempts and almost never pulls off,” said Disney spokesmen. “ It pre-dicted the future. That little movie distilled a visible and powerful idea that people could live inside a computer in a whole different world.

A place where you (or some part of you) can go and live.” We are living in the com-puter age. Back when Tron was originally made, it was done to show the power and magic of computers (which were not very advanced) and the movie failed miserably. The story however, lived on! “I remember seeing the first one, but I think this movie is not going to be a re-make. At the time computer games were relatively new, but now a’ days there’s a big public of people who love to play, and watch, anything with a digital mindset,” said an anonymous Subsitute teacher.

Aries: Stop laying around on the couch and go do something fun! No one cares about how many cookies you ate or how much sleep you haven’t gotten. Go on an adventure and try new things. You may be surprised by how many things surprise you.

Libra: Indecisiveness is not the key. Try using your instincts for a change. Don’t be so let down by every decision you make. Try to spend more time enjoying your decisions rather than spending time on making them. You will be happier later on.

Taurus: Different people have different perceptions. Learn to embrace this thought. Your ideas aren’t the only ones. Listen to other people’s thoughts, maybe it will change yours.

Scorpio: Money shouldn’t be your key to happiness. Stop spending and start smiling. Some of your best time will have nothing to do with money! All you have to do is try. Go out and have a picnic, take a walk, swing at your nearest playground! Have fun!

Gemini: Let this be your most unique holiday. Try letting people know who you really are, that is, if who you really are is something you can be proud of. Try sharing your hobbies with other people, un-less that hobby is playing with your favorite Barbie or “action figure.” Let us keep that in the sanctity of your room.

Sagittarius: Stop focusing on yourself and pay attention to others! Improve your friend-ship, perhaps present them a small gift, or something you made in arts-and-crafts. It will please them, which will

someday come back to you. Go for happiness this holiday season.

Cancer: Try taking both routs this season. Spend some time for yourself, think, and eat all you can. Be active with other people as well. Don’t feel the need to spend time with everyone this season. Be fair to yourself.

Capricorn: Rather than stuff-ing pie down your throat, try eating an apple. Not apple pie, not apple sauce, but a nice wholesome apple. Why stop there? Go for a jog, or a hike. Munch on some leafy greens. Your body will thank you later for your kindness this season.

Leo: Follow some crowds this season. Find people who share your interests. Be the social butterfly you were always meant to be. Stop hanging with the same people and broaden your horizon. It will do you good in the end.

Aquarius: Love your smile this season. Try showing it off more. Just make sure that before doing so you take the proper procedures. If you don’t, the effectiveness wont be as greatly appreciated. Brush your teeth, thoroughly. You might want to start using whitening strips now while there is still time.

Virgo: Test your leadership this holiday season. Stop complaining about not getting what you want. Take this op-portunity to show people you know what you’re doing. Try putting your ideas out in the open, like Santa.

Pisces: Complexity is not always the best for you. Keep things simple by giving small homemade gifts. Something that is seemingly useless can make a perfect holiday gift. Be sure not to give people garbage. Try making gifts this season sentimental, rather than expensive and gaudy.

Winter Coroscopes by ellen walmer

Bridges). And with the poor reputation of the original production, the stars are frankly putting their profes-sions on the line. Communities all over the world are skeptic about this Sci-Fi flick, and believe that it is going to fail. Even with this in mind, those com-munities are still anticipating this movie, so something will be proven. As if the movie won’t be big enough, Tron Legacy is now also a video game: you can live the life, be in the cyberspace, and be a movie action star! So if you want to see this action-packed movie, and show all the nay-sayers, go to your local Cinema starting on December 17. This movie promises to wow crowds; don’t you want to be wow’d?

There have been many leaks of media of this movie, including images, sounds, video clips and much more, just to pump everyone up to go and see the sequel! Whenever you bring the audience something they can relate too, and are interested in, they will go and check it out. Being in the Digital age, many people have wanted to find somewhere where they can be put into “cyberspace” just to have a different life, and experiences they couldn’t have in life. The upcoming block-buster stars Oliva Wilde, Jeff Bridges, and Garrett Hedlund. You may remem-ber them from movies such as Four Brothers (Garrett Hedlund), Year One (Oliva Wilde), and Iron Man, along with the original Tron ( Jeff

Off the Couch by reid blakey

4. Globetrotters at jobing.com arena (623) 772-3200The Harlem Globetrotters will be here on Saturday, January 16th. The talented circus act will be performing at Jobing.com Arena at 2:00 P.M. The basketball game slash variety show is one that every person should see in their lifetime. The show appeals to all ages and is fun for the whole family. Tickets can be bought at Ticketmaster.com. Get off that couch and go enjoy some basketball fun.

5. Tron: legacy in the Cine Capri (480) 557-0027The eighties are back with a vengeance. It has been a year of reboots and what better to end the year then one of the greatest cult movies ever made. Tron: Legacy will be hitting the the-atres December 17th. No Coronado reader was alive to see the original Tron, but now we have our chance. Disney has put a lot of effort into this movie. They have made it their new franchise film and have signed on for another movie and cartoon TV show. The movie is bulking up to be one of the best of the year.

Seasons greetings, Coronadians, to the Almost Back Page of our fine little newspaper. Before I begin, I want to men-tion a buzzword getting a lot of attention lately: “Christ-mas.” That’s what this article is about. If you don’t like it, go read the Sports section (the Sports section is online. Too bad.). There’s no telling where this sleigh is headed. Let me tell you a story: There exist two types of elves in Santa’s workshop. The first type (we shall call him Happy Elf) is excited about Christmas. He looks forward to deco-rating his tree and stringing lights and licking candy canes. Happy Elf doesn’t hate seeing his relatives - even the ones who pinch his cheeks or make the same jokes every year. He eats more than usual to make his grandmother a happy elf, too. “The most important part of Christmas,” Happy Elf says, “is having a good time with my family and friends.” Unfortunately for Santa, Happy Elf has a bad brother. For our purposes, we shall name the brother Superiorly Cynical Elf. Superiorly Cynical Elf is very much against the season of Christmas. He hates the traditions, because they are all cliché. Superiorly knows that the US economy thrives on the holiday season, and for some reason, he thinks that this is horribly wrong. You see, Mr. Cynical is wrapped up in the idea that presents are innately corruptive. He thinks that Happy Elf is a bad elf for giving and receiving presents. Superiorly Cynical Elf says that, “Everyone who participates in Christmas is a politically incorrect fool, falling prey to the fiscal schemes of Wall Street fat cats.” Ironically, the joke is on Superiorly Cynical Elf. For someone on such a high horse about the flaws of organized religion and government monetary policy, Superiorly does little to help society. In fact, in believing that everyone else misses the point of Christmas, the depressed little elf misses the point himself. “Ho ho ho,” said Santa in his workshop one day. “Where is Superiorly Cynical Elf?” “I think he’s sitting in front of his Mac again, listening to more Decemberists and blogging about how ignorant his friends are,” replied Happy Elf from behind his workbench. “Please bring him out here, Happy,” said Santa. “I have something I would like to demonstrate.”Happy Elf jumped down from his stool and left. About five minutes later, he returned returned with a reluctant Superi-orly Cynical Elf. “What do you want, Santa? I know you’re just a frag-ment of my imagination, made up to embody the pursuit of capitalism,” said the elf. “Ah, yes. I know you believe that, Mr. Cynical, but am I really? Just take a look at this,” said Santa, handing Superi-orly a large crystalline sphere. “Tell me what you see.” Peering into the murky depths of the orb, Superiorly grew a twisted grin, and looked up. “I don’t see anything, Santa.” “Look closer.” Superiorly looked down, Happy Elf desperately trying to catch a glimpse over his shoulder. “Well, Mr. Cynical,” said Santa. “What do you see?” “I see… I see… I see men in fancy suits,” said Superiorly. “They’re all staring at some kind of board.” “That, my dear Superiorly, is a business conference,” said Santa warmly, “and these men are talking about profit mar-gins. You see, because of the revenue generated by holiday shopping, these chairmen and their families will be having quite the luxurious Christmas.” “But what about the middle class, Santa,” asked Superi-orly, “What does any of this matter for the people who work hard and get a fair compensation? “Well, Superiorly, this is where the real magic happens. As all the busy customers are buying presents, their collective wealth is entering the hands of the most responsible mem-bers of society. The rich. You see, it makes sense that the rich should handle the money, doesn’t it?” “Oh,” Superiorly looked at him, surprised. “I think I’m starting to understand.” “Good. Because after this money is transferred to the rich, even more wealth “trickles down” to the bottom of society. You see, everyone benefits! And that, my dear elf, is called ‘magic’” said Santa, smiling warmly. “Oh Santa,” Superiorly sighed. “I have been a very foolish elf! Will you ever forgive me?” “Ho ho ho, of course I will,” said Santa. “I forgive all my elves. Now go grab your punch card. Naughty elves are on a 14 hour shift today.” And so, Happy Elf and Superiorly Cynical Elf trotted off to work, Santa laughing merrily in the background. This, my dear Coronadians, is the true story of Christmas. Always remember the importance of gift-giving because everyone wins. Except the elves.

“December is the toughest month of the year. Others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June,

October, August and February.” ~Mark Twain