Voice of the Apaches WarCry since the 1950’s Homecoming 2009 Nogales High School Volume XXXXI Issue I Spirited Apaches Prepare for Homecoming Festivities By Minerva Lopez Football, floats, and of course, school spirit. These are all the ingredients for a successful Homecoming. For years, schools across the nation have been celebrating this event. But what exactly is the purpose of Homecoming? The basic concept of it is to welcome back former students to the school. Usually, this revolves around a central event, more often, football. It includes other activities, as well. Nogales High School, for example, hosts a bonfire, a pep rally, a parade, Spirit Week, and the coronation of a Homecoming Court. The entire student body is allowed to participate in this event. Each class builds a float for the parade according the topic of that year. Themes are also selected for Spirit Week, an occasion in which pupils enthusiastically take part to demonstrate their school spirit. In addition, students come together to elect the Homecoming royalty. At the end of the week, the bleachers fill with eager spectators as the football team plays one of the most exhilarating games against a rival school. The result of the match then concludes the week-long celebration. Though initially the objective of Homecoming is to welcome back the alumni, it also serves other purposes. During this week, students rally up to show pride and admiration towards their school. In the end, anyone from the socially awkward freshman Sophomores add flowers to the skirt of their float, Rock Band. This year’s float theme to the popular senior will be left with a lingering sense of school spirit. is video games (see Homecoming Page for related stories) -Photo by Vicky Flores News Briefs By Pablo Valencia Of rules, regulations and referrals By Paulina Ibarra Giant rat species discovered Detention for dancing? No. have boys tuck in was for safety. Loose, are pretty pointless,” said NHS junior A new species of Suspensions for gum chewing? Of course baggy clothing can conceal weapons. Jose Duran. large rodents measuring not. Referrals for dress code violations? Still, some students believe the In addition to the many students 32 inches long and You bet. tuck-in policy is restrictive and outdated. being written up for dress code infractions, weighing about 3.3 pounds has been The Nogales High School faculty, Most of today’s shirt styles are tight fitting others are being sent to the office with discovered in Papua New Guinea. with Mr. Parra at its head, has been and short, making it difficult to conceal a yellow slips in hand for their free responses The creatures were found inside making short work of campus ne’er-do- weapon under their shirts, even if they on the computer program, Teenbiz3000, the crater of the inactive volcano wells since school began this fall, making were untucked. which were deemed inappropriate. Mount Bosavi which is in the Southern some teachers happy and leaving some “It’s ironic, but the boys wearing Teenbiz is a computer program used Highlands of the province. Although students convinced that the discipline huge, baggy shirts that could actually in the Language Arts classes to improve large, the new rodent (named the system is much too strict. conceal weapons are usually tucked student writing. The program is highly Bosavi woolly rat) is not the biggest rat The biggest source of complaint in,” said Senior Evelyn. “ Besides, if word-sensitive, so innocent words are species out there. That title goes to the should come as no surprise: dress code someone’s going to conceal a weapon, mistakenly deemed inappropriate. One South America native capybara which enforcement. they’re going to hide it somewhere else, sophomore was flagged for writing the can be 59 inches long and weigh up to “I’ve handled at least fifty referrals not in their clothes.” term “suck up” and another was frozen 121 pounds making them look more so far, and most of them were because of Not all people on campus are because he misspelled the word ‘but’, like small pigs. dress code violations,” said Mrs. Jimenez, unhappy with the more stringent using two t’s. Both these issues were one of the new assistant principals. enforcement of these rules. Some say that resolved, but time was wasted in the Woman arrested for tight pants The majority of these violations are campus seems more calm and orderly. process. Lubna al-Hussein, a Sudanese from boys being untucked. However, that “It is important for students to learn “This is ridiculous. They should journalist, was jailed on September does not go to say that girls breaking the to follow rules,” said NHS teacher Mr. be concentrating on our education! That’s 7th for not paying the fine for wearing dress code are being overlooked. Any fe- Verdugo, “it’s a part of growing up.” what school is for,” said Yamile Diaz. pants deemed “too tight” and a blouse male Apache would be wise think twice Others worry that too much time Actually, administrators point out that was “too sheer”. before deciding to wear a spaghetti strap is being wasted on what they veiw as that students’ education is the main focus Hussein was originally issued shirt or short shorts to school. frivolous concerns. of this administration. That, and student 40 lashes for her apparel but later The current dress code has been in “I think that for the most part, the safety. High Expectations, Accountability, her punishment was changed to a place for many years. The initial reason to reason these dress code referrals are given No Excuses! simple fine of 500 Sudanese pounds. She, however, chose not to pay in an attempt to have the decency laws of Students rush to get involved in clubs the conservative government declared When it comes to introducing unconstitutional. clubs in about 40 minutes then there is If her verdict isn’t overturned, no other way to do it than the Nogales Hussein could face up to a month in High School way. Club Rush, like no jail. other fun Friday has something to offer to the student body with presentations and Human fat can save you demonstrations about what its all about. A study done at the Stanford In an effort to encourage students University School of Medicine has shown to get involved on campus, Nogales High that millions of fat cells removed during School Student Council hosted a club rush liposuction can be turned into induced on Friday, Sept. 17, during lunch. Over pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. a dozen NHS clubs manned booths to Thes cells can be used to regenerate povide information about their activities body tissue for organs and repair and opportunites thier organizations offer. damage. These stem cells are much Clubs repersented included some less controversial than embryonic stem well-known clubs, such as Students cells which are obtianed by destroying Against Destructive Decisons (SADD), embryos. Future Busines Leaders of America It is unsure how the cells would FBLA), and Drama, as well as some affect someone they were not retrieved new clubs on campus, like the Fashion Photo by Robert Zubieta from but scientists wish to have a bank and Design Merchandise Club (FADM), that could perhaps store 200 different Senior Ray Reyes talks to interested students about the MESA Club. Other popular varieties of iPS cells. Continued on page 3 boots included Drama, FBLA, SADD and FADM. Take a look inside at our Check out the 2009 Royalty Intrested in what the clubs are Football movies, feature “Revenge of the in the Homecoming Section doing? Find out in Club Beats. moves and more. 90’s” -pgs. 8-9 -pg. 7 -pg. 6 -pg. 16 Campus Students take the challenge at StuCo Retreat Ryan Thomson Nestled away in the beautiful planning future fundraisers and learning forests of Prescott is Chapel Rock, where how Student Counsel worked at a college thirteen Student Council members spent level. To break the ice and build team two days learning fundamental leadership work, the group played games, sang and teamwork skills for the future, which songs and told interesting stories about included experiencing the challenging themselves. rocks and ropes course. “All the games were great. I Departing school at 8am, could tell that everyone got to know each thirteen NHS students made their way other better and became closer as a group. up to the Student Council Retereat. Upon Alec and Gerald did a great job of leading arrival, after a quick game of volleyball, everyone as well,” said Josh Wodka, the students got to work in a workshop Student Body Secretary and NHS senior. lead by ASU Student Government leaders After hours of educational fun, Gerald Bohulano and Alec Thomson, the group went off and ate a delicious spending the evening doing activities like meal provided by the camp. Bright and early the next day, StuCo members rose and began what was both the most fun and the most frightening of all the activities they would “It was like flying, I had so After washing up, they ate a prompt lunch do, the Chapel Rock High Ropes Course. much fun,” said NHS Sophomore Class and the dining lodge and departed back to The first challenge the kids traversed was President Manuel Felix. Nogales. the 50-foot rock wall. As hard as it was After meeting the first challenges, All in all, the weekend was an normally, the challenge was increased the students found that the next event was exciting, fun, and frightening weekend when a few daredevils chose to climb the even more intense..