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The Glory Of Comic-Con ’23

By Jose Nagore

The Tucson Comic-Con came to an end on Sept. 3, boasting thousands of people in attendance, including both my friend Julian Tellez and me.

On Friday, Sept. 1, we both attended Comic-Con the moment the event started. The overall experience was, again, awesome.

In the shopping area, I bought several items, including a box full of Yu-Gi-Oh card packs. Julian, meanwhile, enjoyed the plastic guns and real sword, as well as the various posters available.

Julian bought Anakin’s lightsaber and a game called Texas Hold em’ With Zombies. Julian felt generous and bought us both sodas and enjoyed the experiences of being in mobile escape room. We tried to solve a conspiracy theory, but we failed. It was, however, fun to at least give it a shot.

Day 2: On Saturday we arrived at around 10:30 a.m., and I decided to focus on the games area at Comic-Con, entertaining myself by painting my D&D miniature. I also enjoyed playing demo games like the card game Omni. I also found several people cosplaying, and some were very cool and creative.

Julian decided to play Smash Bros.; however, he could not participate in the tournament. Julian then did some raffles and won a Pokémon elite trainer box. We were both definitely in our element!

Day 3: On Sunday, I attended the event alone, as Julian had to work. Solo, I participated in the tournament for Texas Hold em’ With Zombies. I had fun, but I lost due to the agreement all participants made to go “all in” at the first round. I decided to also go shopping for one more round, as several last day discounts were available at the stands.

Comic-Con was a wonderful, exhilarating experience, and I recommend that everybody attend next year—at least to escape reality for a few days and be thrust into an entirely different environment…a place where a lot of people with imagination can hang out and get “lost” for a few days.

There’s always reality the day after…

Ms. Kelly: Welcome to PHS!

by Alyvette Moreno

Ms. MaryAnne Kelly joins Pueblo High School this 2023-24 school year as the new college algebra teacher.

Kelly previously taught at University High School but chose to transition to PHS for the opportunity to teach dual enrollment class, giving students the chance to earn college credit.

Although she is new to Pueblo this is hardly Kelly’s first year as a teacher.

“This is my 39th year teaching,” Kelly said, “but coming to a new school is exciting and challenging.”

She added, “I hope my legacy at Pueblo is that people will remember me fondly and really learn math,” Kelly said.

Kelly comes to Pueblo with an impressive collegiate record…

She has earned many degrees from multiple schools including a Bachelor’s of Arts, a Bachelor’s of Science, a Post Bachelor’s Degree in Math/Science Education, a Master’s in Education, a Graduate Certificate in ED Media, and a certificate in Community College Teaching (Math)—from various colleges, including the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.

She said that she will be attending online classes studying abstract algebra at the University of Northern Colorado.

Kelly said that she felt the magic of Pueblo High School from the very beginning and added, “My students are personable and don’t give up, and I look forward to teaching math to all of them.”

Ms. Hancock Feeling ‘At Home’ At Pueblo

by Jose Nagore & Julian Tellez

Coming all the way from Tennessee, Ms. Kalen Hancock has joined the Pueblo faculty family as the new science teacher, replacing former teacher Ms. Melissa Espindola who left last spring to pursue another college degree in Chicago, Ill.

Hancock’s classroom, Room 166, may be isolated from most of the other science classes, but she admitted she has felt “an extraordinary” community feel from PHS students and teachers.

“Moving to Pueblo truly felt refreshing,” Hancock. “I love seeing new people and moving into new places. It makes life more exciting. Everybody has been so welcoming to me from the very beginning.”

Hancock earned a degree in social engineering and chemistry, which she said will benefit her students and will support her endeavors as an educator.

“Being at Pueblo this year feels like being a young teacher again,” she said. “I have a lot to teach students here.”

Hancock said that she is proud to report that she has not dealt with any negative student behaviors.

“It’s been nothing but fun so far,” she said. “I have a positive learning environment, and I believe that this trend is going to continue throughout the school year.”

She added, “I love this school’s culture! Everybody is kind, and I just love how immersive the culture is between students and teachers.”

Former Principal, Mariachi Aztlan Teacher Visits Pueblo

By Emely Villanueva & Jose Jovel

Mr. Richard Carranza with current Mariachi Aztlan.

Mr. Richard Carranza, Pueblo High School’s principal from 2002 to 2004, visited his alma mater on Tuesday, Aug. 29, spending most of the morning with current mariachi teacher Mr. John Contreras and mariachi students.

Carranza graduated from PHS in 1984 and returned to Pueblo, becoming a social studies and mariachi teacher for many years before becoming an administrator.

“I love Pueblo,” Carranza said, “and I’m glad to be back to visit. I grew up a few blocks from Pueblo, so this wonderful place has always been my second home.”

Few know that Carranza created PHS’s mariachi program—at first, with just a few students and then dozens by the time he transitioned to administration, “graciously” leaving his mariachi program to Contreras, one of Carranza’s guitar students.

“I came up with the name ‘Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School’,” Carranza said. “Before Southern Arizona became part of the United States, this region was known as ‘Aztlan’, so it made sense to name our mariachi group in honor of its original regional name. One of my colleagues, Ms. Estrella Gonzalez, agreed that would be a great name for PHS’s mariachi program.”

[In 1853, the United States purchased more than 30,000 square miles from Mexico, courtesy of U.S. diplomat James Gadsden, to ensure a safe southern railroad path across Arizona to the Pacific Coast in California.]

During his visit to Pueblo, Carranza was interviewed by Ms. Sarah Wilson’s radio students.

Carranza spoke with us about the founding of Mariachi Aztlan and its impact on Pueblo and our community.

“I created an entire [mariachi] program,” Carranza said. “I was fortunate that a very visionary principal, Mr. Richard Gastelum, approved my idea to proceed with mariachi. There was no curriculum, so I had my work cut out for me. We had no instruments at first, but that changed quickly as the program expanded.”

After leaving Pueblo in 2004, Carranza became the Northwest Region superintendent for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nev., and then served the San Francisco Unified School District as superintendent.

In 2016, Carranza moved to Houston, Tex., where he became the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District until 2018, when he was hired as New York City Schools Chancellor.

Carranza was inducted into the Mariachi Hall of Fame of the Tucson International Mariachi Conference in 2016—creating the first music curriculum-based program in the Tucson Unified School District.

“I’m amazed at all the improvements at Pueblo since the last time I visited, and I hope the improvements continue,” Carranza said. “I’ve always been proud of Pueblo—as a student, teacher, and administrator. I will visit Pueblo every time I come back to Tucson.”

He and his wife now live in San Antonio, Tex.

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.”