By Samantha Wittern
Junior Staff Writer

Is he a monitor or a security guard? Who is constantly riding through the A-TECH halls on a bike?

Actually, Officer Garza is a category one police officer and has been for the past 20 years. After working for six years at Durango High School, Officer Garza has finally arrived at A-TECH. The administration chose him after pleading for a school cop. Unfortunately, last year there were not enough CCSD police officers. This year, however, there were enough CCSD officers.

“It’s a little bit closer to my home,” stated Officer Garza on why he chose A-TECH.

So does having an officer on campus really make it safer? According to Mrs. Price it does. She also likes the fact that, “he handles things and takes them off my hands,” says Mrs. Price.

Coming from Durango High School, Officer Garza has noted some differences between the two schools.

“The big difference is that everybody here jells together.” Officer Garza plainly stated,“There is no big clique interference, and no gang or clique violence.”

So what’s the difference between Officer Garza and a standard school security guard? Put simply, Officer Garza’s job does not end after leaving A-TECH’s campus. This means that if he has to, he can write tickets and arrest troublemakers.

By Casey Goodwin
Editor-in-Chief

It appeared in the middle of a school day. Before school, the east side of the atrium’s western stair case was empty. By the time students filed back to their lockers to deposit their books at the end of the day, a strange green, black, and blue structure had appeared there.

The exact nature and purpose of the thing was originally uncertain. Signs were posted on the structure ordering students (who used it as a counter to rest their backpacks and binders) not to lean against it.
Finally, on September 22, the exact purpose of the object became clear.

“This structure is called a kiosk,” explained William Escalante, an admissions counselor from Nevada State College.

Escalante represented his school by sitting behind the decorated counter during both lunches on September 22. He laid out an array of pamphlets and informational materials on the college and was available to answer any questions students had for him.

Escalante will be available to speak with every third Monday.

Several different southern Nevada colleges will use the kiosk. The University of Nevada Las Vegas, the College of Southern Nevada, and Nevada State College will take turns advocating for their schools. One week UNLV will be here, the next week CSN, and then it’ll be Nevada State College again.

A-TECH is not the only school with a kiosk. According to Escalante, it is one of 15 high schools in the Clark County School District that will be visited by local colleges in this manner.

“This is for you, the students, so come and talk to us,” Escalante suggested.

Photo coutesy of www.iwatchstuff.com

By Omar Zepeda
Junior Staff Writer

“Ghost Town”’s Bertram Pincus lacks people skills. He is a dentist who dies unexpectedly for seven minutes during a colonoscopy. When he wakes up, he finds out something frightening: he has acquired the ability to see ghosts.

The ghosts all want something from him. They follow him around everywhere he goes. They are even in his room with him when he sleeps. Frank Herlihy is the ghost who disturbs him the most. Herlihy forces Pincus into breaking up the marriage of Herlihy’s widow, Gwen.

The movie is both funny and entertaining, definitely worthy of some laughs. Of all the characters, Bertram Pincus was the most humorous, because he did ridiculous things to get away from people.
Some of the parts of the movie failed to be funny and were just stupid, such as when Bertram Pincus gags because the dog smells bad and when Tea Leoni picks up the bag of dog poo. These gags were unintelligent and immature.

The jokes and scenes of “Ghost Town” were not original. The movie was predictable. During many scenes, like when Bertram is about to be hit by the bus, the audience could tell exactly what would happen before it occurred.

Overall, “Ghost Town” is an average and unsurprising movie. It is fun to watch and it is pretty enjoyable.

Courtesy of habituallychic.blogspot.com

By Allison Neighbors
Editor-in-Chief

One crazy, over-involved mom, her best friend, an aging magazine editor, another mother with four children, and their partying friend embark on a journey to cope with the first mother’s cheating husband.

The women of “The Women” are all hilarious and unique. The movie is full of laughs, even though its central themes, cheating and divorce, are serious.

Females of all ages found “The Women” fun to watch. Little girls and older women alike enjoyed and laughed at “The Women” while it was in theaters.

Throughout the film, there was only one male. Even the extras in the movie- the people walking down the street, customers in shops- were all women. The women who had children all had daughters and their husbands and boyfriends were neither seen nor heard by the audience. It was a cute concept, but a little overwhelming.

“The Women” is definitely geared toward females, though there were some men in the theater who seemed to get a good laugh at the movie.

Overall, “The Women” was worth seeing and definitely provided good laughs and an entertaining storyline.

Capricorn: December 23-January 20
Leave those little summer mishaps behind and make a fresh start. There are plenty of people to make friends with. Don’t dwell on the ones who don’t think that you are worth their time. It’s high school, just have some fun.

Aquarius: January 21-February 19
On the first day of school, you caught his/her eye, for days he or she has been watching you trying to figure out the words to say. This month be prepared for a very startling surprise. You will be completely swept off your feet.

Pisces: February 20-March 20
So you didn’t talk this summer. You had a thing in the past that didn’t end so hot. You know there’s still chemistry there, no matter how hard you try to ignore it. Don’t be a fool, prove yourself. He/she will take you back.

Aries: March 21-April 20
So you know that hobby you’ve wanted to take up but have been too scared to? Well now is the time to get the move on. Throw that fear out the window and muster up some courage. You’ll thank yourself later.

Taurus: April 21-May 21
Soon you are going to be in dire need of deep breathing. Practice now so panic won’t take over when the real event comes. Don’t worry about the pain; it’ll only hurt a little. Soon, it will just be a distant memory of the past.

Gemini: May 22-June 21
Vacation! Those are the words you’ll be crying by the end of October. Massive amounts of homework, projects, and high school drama are about to body slam you to the ground. Embrace your free weekends while you still can.

Cancer: June 22-July 23
The timid student who sits next to you in math class and seems to have no friends could be more important to you than you think. Give him a little attention and a helping hand. You never know what the coming days will hold.

Leo: July 24-August 23
It’s time for a new you, since old you just wasn’t getting you far. Try a brand-new look inside and out. This month is sure to be one of the most successful of your life so far. Surprises and good fortune lie in your path.

Virgo: August 24-September 23
You will discover a new, amazing talent you’ve had all along. Perfect what you know how to do and show it off to everyone. You’re sure to gather an interesting crowd and maybe even get a few requests for autographs.

Libra: September 24-October 23
School’s just started and already you have problems. New beau and old beau are cluttering your mind, and grades are starting to slump just a little.  Center your mind and put your worries in the things that really matter. Try yoga for a release.

Scorpio: October 24-November 22
Why the long face? Things have been just a little rough but your close future is bright. Hold on tight, buckle up, and prepare to ride out the rest of the storm. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining.

Sagittarius: November 23-December 22
So you got your license. Watch out speed demon, the cops are out to get you. Your flashy car doesn’t exactly help the matter. Beware of those hidden around the corners, or you will end up with a big, fat, and juicy ticket.

Dear Dr. Hiz and Her,
My life is a chaotic mess this school year. I’m a junior and I’m taking three AP classes. I haven’t seen my friends since school started and haven’t eaten a full meal for days. It seems like all I do is homework. How do I organize my life?
-Sleepless in Las Vegas

Dear Sleepless,
First off, treat yourself to a big cookie before you get an eating disorder. Breathe, relax, and sleep. There is nothing wrong with taking three AP classes. That just means that you are more dedicated than the average junior. My suggestion would be to create an organizer for yourself. Schedule your day according to importance. Make sure you give yourself time to eat, sleep, and attend to your personal hygiene. You also need to schedule time to do your own thing outside of school. Before you know it, you’ll be living life the same way that you did before all the AP classes.
-Dr. Her

Dear Sleepless,
What did you expect when you decided to take on three AP classes in one year? You shouldn’t complain about the situation you got yourself into. Think about it, what’s the worst that can happen? You lose your friends and get really good grades. Now is that so bad? Your friends shouldn’t matter so much to you because frankly, you probably don’t matter much to them. As far as eating and sleeping goes, I have the perfect prescription: Starbucks.
-Dr. Hiz

By Alexis Hanselman and Iun Chen
Advertising Editor and
Junior Staff Writer

Even though A-TECH is a known technology school, there are also many students who participate in after school extracurricular activities.

As Ms. Diamond had mentioned at open house, A-TECH has a greater percentage of students participating in extracurricular activities than any other high school in the superintendent’s school area.
There are many reasons why students participate in after school activities. Some of these reasons may be to pass time till the buses come, for colleges that require after school activities, and just to hang out with their friends.

A-TECH has a variety of clubs that meet after school, unless otherwise noted. The clubs are listed here.

Art Club
Adviser: Mr. Gearheart
Room: 407
Meetings on: Thursdays
Go in after school and have fun creating art with your friends.

Band
Advisor: Mr. Gearhart
Room: SAC
Meetings on: First period
Students who have participated in band before have the opportunity to play more advanced band.

Board Game Club
Advisor: Mr. Patterson
Room: 804
Meetings on: Thursdays
Go after school to have the opportunity to play over 300 games with your friends.

Chess Club
Advisor: Ms. Young
Room: Library
Meetings on: Friday
Play games of chess with your friends after school.

College Prep Club
Advisor: Ms. Bouchard
Room: 616
Meetings on: The first and third Thursdays of the month
The opportunity to get a head start on planning for college.

DECA
Advisor: Mr. DeMaio
Room: 805
Meetings on: Monday
Gives students a chance to prepare themselves for the business careers of the future.

Forensics
Advisor: Ms. Brooks-Curtis
Room: 710
Meetings on: 7th period
Having the opportunity to debate with many other school’s throughout the city.

FUEL Ministries Bible Club
Advisor: Ms. Stidhum
Room: 800
Meetings on: Monday
Promote the spiritual and social development of A-TECH students.

Future Business Leaders of America
Advisor: Ms. Stidhum
Room: 800
Meetings: The second and forth Thursday of the month.
Develop leadership, communication, and team skills while networking with business leaders at the local, state, and national levels.

Global Studies
Advisor: Mr. Stanley
Room: 304
Meetings on Thursday
Participate in helping to improve law related matters across the world.

Guitar Club
Advisor: Mr. Gearhart
Room: 407
Meetings on: Tuesday
For students who have an interest in playing the guitar with other students who share similar interests.

Heartland Partners
Advisor: Mr. Stridde
Room: 902
Meetings on: Thursday

Key Club International
Advisor: Mr. Meikle
Room: SAC
Meetings on: Tuesday
It’s NHS but with more enthusiasm and spirit. Plus, awesome cheers.

National Honor Society
Advisor: Ms. Schultz
Room: Lecture Hall
Meetings on: Wednesday
Have fun doing community service while helping people in need.

Orchestra
Advisor: Ms. Weatherford
Room: Lecture Hall
Meetings on: First and Second period
Having the opportunity to play and learn string instruments.

Portable Gamers’ Club
Advisor: Ms. Lee
Room: 625
Meetings on: Thursday and Friday
Students play hand held video games with their friends.

Recycling Club
Advisor: Ms. Belin
Room: 404
Meetings on: Thursday
Helping the school by going around and collecting recycled items.

RESPECT
Advisor: Ms. Norby
Room: 610
Meetings on: Friday
Purpose is to have respect for different heritages and put on heritage night.

Science Bowl
Advisor: Ms. Colledge and Mr. Johnson
Room: 403
Meetings on: Monday and Thursday
Learn and study different types of sciences and compete with other schools to test your knowledge.

Skills USA
Advisor: Mr. Gardner and Mr. Ward
Room: 601
Meetings on: Thursday
Helps improve students’ leadership and career skills.

By Alexis Hanselman and Iun Chen
Advertising Editor and Staff Writer
On September 17, A-TECH had its open house. Parents had the opportunity to meet their children’s teachers.
To start the event, parents and those students who chose to come went to the gym and listened to the administration talk about A-TECH. Ms. Diamond talked about how great the school is for the new parents and students.
Parents were supposed to watch an informational video, but due to technical difficulties, it could not be displayed. The video can be found at A-TECH’s web page.
After the meeting in the gym, students took their parents to visit their classrooms. Each teacher had a five minute presentation for the students and parents. Most of the teachers talked about their expectations and rules for the class and what the class is about. The teachers also discussed how they teach and what materials are needed for the class with the parents.
The parents had five minutes in each class and three minutes for passing period. From first period to eighth period, it took just over an hour to visit each class.
A major complaint of many parents, students, and teachers was that there was only five minutes per class.