Tucson ‘Comic-Con’ 2023 Starts This Week!

By Jose Nagore and Julian Tellez

Tucson Comic-Con is an event where people of many pop culture groups meet to enjoy the game or show they like, as well as to see other participants of other groups.

Comic-Con consists of many things to do, such as games, “cosplays”, raffles, competitions, and more. Many pop culture groups can be found throughout Comic-Con, such as Fallout, Resident Evil, and Ghostbusters.

This event is not just for adolescents and young adults.

“I like to see the new preview video games, movies, and comics. The first thing I want to see at Comic-Con is Dark Horse,” said Mr. Travis, a Pueblo teacher excited for Comic-Con.

There will be several vendors at Comic-Con, and most will only accept cash. Some items sold at Comic-Con are Funko Pops, trading cards like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon, comics, figurines, and more.

“I’m most excited for the merchandise. It’s the thrill of spending money on posters, figurines, and equipment,” said Damian Witt, a Pueblo High School student who expressed great interested in the upcoming Comic-Con.

Comic-Con will be held at the Tucson Convention Center this Friday, Sept. 1, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for Friday’s and Sunday’s event and $30 for Saturday’s event—or $55 for all three days. Tickets can be bought online or in-person.

Warriors Attend Political Spectrum

By Jose Jovel and Emely Villanueva

On Tuesday, Aug. 22, several Pueblo High School students, accompanied by counselor Dr. Teresa Toro and Principal Frank Rosthenhausler, were invited to listen to a political spectrum involving Arizona State Representatives Raul Grijalva (D) and Juan Ciscomani (R).

The event, hosted by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was located at the Pima Community College Aviation Center, and was moderated by Ms. Karla Morales.

Although several high schools were invited to the event, Toro said that only Pueblo High School students were present. Several members of the PHS Alumni Association were also in attendance including PHS Class of 1990 Ms. Adelita Grijalva.

“This event gave our students an opportunity to listen to bipartisan discussions regarding several issues related to Southern Arizona,” Toro said.

Issues discussed included the Arizona economy, border issues, education, DACA and avoiding a government shutdown if a budget deal cannot be reached by the end of the month. Both representatives had many differences, but the event was respectful and civil.

Pueblo’s Student Body President, senior Alexia Moreno, said, “I was a little nervous about speaking publicly and asking questions, but I was happy that my voice came across and that I didn’t panic. I think I sounded confident and enjoyed the experience of speaking in front of a lot of important people.”

Another student, junior Mariana Martinez said, “I think it was a great opportunity to see Raul Grijalva and Juan Ciscomani in one room—a democrat and republican working together to put Arizona together and to represent Arizona as a whole in Congress when they return to Washington, D.C.,” said junior Marianna Martinez.

Esmeralda Almazan, a junior, said, “Education wasn’t discussed as much as I had hoped. Giving education more funding is an investment for the future. The more money given to public education today equates to more money coming back tomorrow.”

Senior Marcos Figueroa said, “I really enjoyed meeting Representative Grijalva and his daughter, Adelita. I was hoping that more issues regarding education were discussed at this event. Arizona needs some serious help in this department.”

Warriors Register To Vote In ’20 Primary, General Election

By Daeyalina Moreno

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Pueblo’s CCLC Program hosted a voter registration drive in order for young voters to participate in Arizona’s Presidential Preference Election next month; the deadline to register for the March 17 election is next Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Economics teacher and CCLC Coordinator/sponsor Mary Wallace said, “We partnered with folks who were familiar with the voting process to help us with the drive, including Mi Familia Vota and the League of Women Voters.”

In order for Pueblo students to register for the general election in November, they must be a U.S. citizen, be 18 by November 3 and have no felonies. Warriors who missed this opportunity to register will have another opportunity to register to vote in another drive in September.

“It’s important to bring a form of identification to register,” Wallace said.

Many Warriors volunteered to make today’s voter registration drive a success.

“I partnered with [credit recovery teacher] Ms. Christina Benitez,” Wallace said, “and without her wonderful help, the process of making the voting drive a reality would have been difficult.”

Benitez said, “We feel a sense of accomplishment in being able to generate an interest in the political process of voting. Our Pueblo students seemed very happy and pumped to have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming presidential election.”

Both Wallace and Benitez hope that this enthusiasm continues with our young voters, and she encourages our students to inspire their parents to vote, too—especially in the general election (Tuesday, Nov. 3).

La Familia Vota: Victor Preciado, Shania Shelby, Samantha Torres & Selina Ramirez.

Ms. Selina Ramirez, the leader of Mi Familia Vota and a fervid member of the group for the past four years, was present at Pueblo’s voter registration drive, along with three other members of MFV: Mr. Victor Preciado, Shania Shelby and Samantha Torres.

“We [Mi Familia Vota] really want young people to vote,” Torres said. “The youngest age group of voters is and has historically been the least active on election days. We want to change that statistic. We especially want to appeal to Hispanics, who have the lowest voter participation among all ethnicities.”

Mi Familia Vota visits Pueblo sometimes as often as twice a month, and the group has already registered many students who will be 18 by November. The number of registering students has dwindled a bit due to the high number of students who have already registered.

“Still—every new registered voter means a great deal to us and the political process,” Torres said.

She added that she and her co-workers try to reach as many prospective Latino voters to participate—even going door-to-door to educate and inform others to vote.

“We welcome any Pueblo students who are 16 or older to help us spread the word,” Torres said. “Students can earn $15 per hour, up to five hours per day, by joining our group.”

If interested, get in touch with a local Mi Familia Vota office at: mifamiliavota.org.

Class Of 2020 Senior Completes Half-Marathon

By Jacquelyn Gutierrez

He may have been sore the next day, but Class of 2020 senior Joel Bustamante finished the TMC/A-Mountain Half-Marathon race on Sunday, Oct. 28, in just one hour, 36 minutes, which is excellent time considering that the first place time was one hour, 06 minutes.

Bustamante said that Hiking Club sponsor Mr. Ernesto Somoza motivated him to participate in this event by giving him a coupon to participate in this event.

“I’ve always wanted to run a complete marathon,” Bustamante said, “but maybe I should stick to half-marathons until I have completed enough conditioning.”

To run 13 miles (a half-marathon) is a challenge for anybody, but Bustamante said that the beginning of a lengthy race is the most challenging.

“Your legs feel great pain until they become numb,” he said. “After about seven miles, I couldn’t feel my legs, and I felt that ‘runner’s high’ which is actually an endorphin high.”

Bustamante said that he is fervid member of the Hiking Club and was an avid member of the Cross Country team last year, which gave him more confidence with running.

“I always encourage my friends to exercise, in general,” he added. “Exercising is healthy for everybody, and I guess I just want all of my friends to stay or to get healthier.”

He paused and added, “This half-marathon is just the beginning for me. Some day I want to participate in the Boston Marathon.”

Homecoming 2018

Tailgate Party at Homecoming 2018

Tailgate
By Getsemani Cazares and Sophia Shivers

On Friday, Sept .28, Pueblo’s homecoming was punctuated by a tailgate party, organized by our own student council members.

Ms. Sarah Sutton, who is beginning her first year as student council teacher/advisor, started the year off to organizing this huge event.

Sutton said, “Everything at Homecoming went well for being my first year of being a part of student council.” She added that she was very impressed by the huge numbers of alumni who showed up for this event.

Many clubs participated in the tailgating event, which is a grand opportunity for clubs to raise money for their clubs.

Sutton said, “There were about 20 clubs selling, and student government gets five percent of what the clubs earn because of the effort and costs of putting up posters and preparing for events like this.”

Despite a very successful tailgating night, student council admitted that they faced some difficulties in preparing for this event.

Vice President Class of 2022 Angelina Cecil said, “There was miscommunication, and clubs were not setting-up in their correct location. But in the end, everything worked out.”

Angella Armenta, secretary for the Class of 2022, has a few suggestions that can help improve Pueblo’s next events.

Armenta said, “Clubs can definitely learn how to be more organized. Better communication is needed and a better way to handle the tickets needs to be discussed for next year.”

Still, Sutton feels that Tailgating 2018 was a very successful event. “We’ll all be better off next year.”

Warriors Defeat ‘The Undefeated’
By Adamaris Castillo and Jessica Prado-Rascon

What better way to kick off the fall weather for the Warriors then to blowout the Douglas Bulldogs, after a very disappointing 1-4 losing streak! The 2018 Homecoming game was a perfect day for the Warriors to show the world what they’re actually made of.

After losing a few consecutive games, the Warriors practiced diligently to ensure that they had a dramatic and triumphant comeback on the field at this year’s homecoming game.

…With a win of 47-0, our Warriors made this homecoming one for the books!

Running back and linebacker Omar Ibanez (#34) said, “I felt like I stepped up. In fact, we all stepped up as a team to play for each other rather than playing for ourselves. I also felt that everybody on the team brought all of our strengths together to complete the goal we had set for this game.”

Senior Flavio Gonzalez (#77), defensive end, said, “The game against Douglas really united the team and got the stamina rolling for us. I think that this game actually helped us build the chemistry that we needed to sustain us through the rest of the season.”

Robert (“Bobby”) Jackson (#1), a senior and a wide receiver, said, “I felt like this game really brought the team closer to being a real team—a whole team. During the homecoming game, we truly showed our true colors—and they were some bright ones!”

According to Head Coach Brandon Sanders, “Defeating an undefeated team was a definite wake-up call for the players. Their ‘inner Warrior’ awakened!”

He added, “The homecoming game was a solid win for us—definitely winning at the right time. The team truly showed the world what we Warriors can do.”

Sam Lopez & Arlie Kontic crowned King & Queen

Royalty: Some Traditions Never Die
By Candy Rodriguez and Alyssa Soza

The traditional crowning of royalty during homecoming’s halftime definitely brought great anticipation and excitement to the Pueblo community. At last, our Warriors finally got to see who they chose for king and queen; this year, seniors King Sam Lopez and Queen Arlie Kontic were named Pueblo’s royalty.

“I was a little surprised that my peers voted for me,” Queen Arlie Kontic said. “All week long, I was a little nervous. I wondered how I would act if I won, and when I did, I actually didn’t make a fool of myself.” She paused and added, “Being homecoming queen was the cherry on top of a really great day. The next day was my birthday.”

King Sam Lopez said, “I was genuinely surprised that I was voted king, and I was even rooting for the other nominees [Chuck and Lulu],” Lopez said. “I felt that my peers really respect me and appreciate me. I am very humbled to accept my peers’ votes to be their homecoming king.”

Seniors Chuck Hindley and Lulu Pereira were honored to have been nominees, as were Alex Cocio and Renee Olvera.

“I was honored to have been nominated for queen,” Pereira said. “Two ‘L’s make a ‘dove’.” She explained that she and Chuck Hindley were prom prince and princess nominees, and we were nominated—but lost—this year.

“I still feel lucky to have been nominated,” Pereira said. “What a great honor, and I couldn’t be happier for Sam and Arlie for being our king and queen this year.”

Dance On Saturday?
by Jacquelyn Gutierrez

For the first time in recent memory, Pueblo High School held their homecoming dance the day after the actual football game, on Saturday, Sept. 29 inside the South Gym. Actually, this dance almost didn’t happen, but members in the Student Council take the initiative to proceed with homecoming dance plans.

For the 2018-19 school year, Pueblo High School’s student government decided to host prom a day after the football game because many wanted a more formal look to the homecoming dance. In past years, students attended homecoming dance directly after the game—usually in jeans and sweatshirts.

Ms. Sarah Sutton, the new student government sponsor, said, “I am extremely proud of how the junior class held this whole thing [homecoming dance] together. Overall, it seemed like everyone had their fun [at the dance], which is the whole point.”
Junior class treasurer, Damon Carrasco said, “Homecoming dance gave students a lot more time to prepare, compared to past years when the dance was immediately after the game.” She paused and added, “I really believe that Saturday worked out great, and I hope that we continue to hosting the homecoming dance the day after the football game.”

Although, the dance was not on a traditional Friday, there was a large turnout of over 100 students with an unexpected appearance of a live band, PELT, kicking off the night.

Senior Marina Rivera said, “I loved the band at the beginning. The music was great and gave a great feel to just kick back for a bit,” Rivera said, “I just thought the DJ should have played more of a variety of music, that’s the only thing I didn’t like.”

Along with the crowd, there was a German presence at his very first homecoming dance.

“I loved it. In Germany we don’t have events like this, so it was so nice to have been able to experience something like this,” Said Sophomore foreign exchange student Johannes Grundler

Overall, the crowd was pleased with the great job that the junior class did in hosting the Homecoming dance this year.

Warriors Join In On 2017 Women’s March

by Kanani Salazar and Abigail Sotelo

Yamaika Romano & Abigail Sotelo at Women’s March 2017 in Tucson, AZ.

On Saturday, January 21, 2017 several Pueblo Magnet High School students and faculty participated in the Women’s March, which began at Armory Park and ended at Joel D. Valdez Library Park.

There were several purposes of the Women’s March, including for marchers to advocate for equal rights of women, to end racial profiling and to voice opposition towards President Trump, who had just been inaugurated the day before. There were also protests related to pro-choice and birth control.

Participant and Pueblo High School teacher Dr. Raul Gonzalez said, “This march was an opportunity for everyone to express themselves and to stand up for those groups and individuals who are under attack. I hope we don’t miss more chances to actually do something about the injustices in the world.”

Men and women of all ages and of all races let their voices be heard. They used their power of communication to stand in solidarity with the many groups that have been under attack—such as women themselves, the LGBTQ community and minorities.

Pueblo High School teacher Ms. Victoria Bodanyi also committed to being a part of the march. She said, “Marching was straight up goosebumps the whole time I marched. I felt I was a part of something bigger, and it felt good to stand up and speak out.”

Marching inspired several of Pueblo’s students to express themselves—to voice their frustrations and opinions.

Junior and participant Yamaika Romano Robles said, “The march made me feel stronger about the future. There’s always hope.”

Another junior, Abigail Sotelo, said, “During the march, I felt empowered by my own fortitude and my own convictions. I mattered—my voice really mattered. I feel as if Donald Trump has nothing on me and nothing on America.” She paused and added, “Trump does not represent me, at all.”