Over the past three years on the yearbook staff, I have had the opportunity to significantly grow in my writing ability and cover a wide range of topics from unique angles.
The barbie movie
A story of female empowerment and friendship
published in the prowler 2023-24 yearbook
As of January 2024, Greta Gerwig’s hit film, Barbie (2023), reigned in 1.45 billion dollars worldwide and was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, among many other achievements. It took over social media entirely, sparking creative trends, provoking the conversation of the double standards women struggle within our society, and reminding women of the beauty in their girlhood.
Watchers all over the world went to see Barbie in theaters dressed in Barbie-esque outfits. The Morning Roar cast from the 2022-2023 school year rented out a Harkins movie theater just for them to get decked out in pink and experience the movie together. Scott Russomano (11) recalled,
“It so much fun. We built a family with the people of the Morning Roar. We were so close-knit, especially with that film nerd stuff.”
Fellow film student, Taylor Schonert added, “I feel like watching the movie with a film class was more meaningful because we were able to have open and honest conversations about how we interpreted the film.”
Russomano said, “The message was really clear about empowering women and saying, ‘Hey, the film industry is kinda messed up. But here, in a male-dominated field, we have a strong female director, a strong female lead character, and a strong female storyline.”
Schonert expressed that she felt the movie represented her struggle with being underestimated, “People think I can’t do certain things because they don’t give me the chance to prove myself.”
The Barbie movie was culturally impactful in many ways, but most of all, it reminded us that, despite those who say otherwise, we all are Kenough.
Skillsusa takes D.c. by storm
A career and technical education piece
published in the prowler 2023-24 yearbook
In September 2023, our SkillsUSA chapter traveled across the nation to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI). SkillsUSA is a student organization, partnered with career and technical education (CTE) classes, to prepare students to enter the workforce as skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. SkillsUSA strives to close the workforce skills gap, but to do that, legislative support is necessary.
Chapter members took it upon themselves to learn how to advocate at the national level for the reauthorization of Perkins VI, an act that puts funding towards CTE training in areas the workforce needs to fill.
Aspen Galanyuk, chapter Vice President, recalls meeting with Nick Bell, the senior legislative assistant to House of Representatives member Paul Gosar.
“I never imagined I would get to talk to somebody of such high status in our government, I felt very nervous, but our group prepared very well for the meeting to get our message across. We made it clear that we wanted to pass Perkins VI and provide even more funding for our CTE programs, which are so beneficial to students here in Arizona.”
“You’re cute jeans”
A friendship story
published in the prowler 2023-24 yearbook
Seniors Madilynn John, Kendall Brewer, and Maria Heiss pulled up to Senior Sunrise this year in style. This friend group painted a matching, custom “2024 Senior” design on their jeans with pink letters and hearts and white stars. These creative friends made a day out of the activity. Heiss said,
“Maddie actually brought the idea up to us after she saw her hometown friends make their own. From there we looked up ideas on Pinterest. We decorated them together at Maddie’s house, which was super fun! We got Dutch and the paints for our jeans beforehand, and made an entire day out of making them.” The girls became a close-knit friend group over the summer and were excited to start the year and finish high school together.
“Senior sunrise holds so many memories, it was a great start to our year,” Brewer recalled.
As their senior year went on, the girls were grateful for their friendships made over the course of their time at Willow. Looking back on her final year of high school, Heiss said, “I think my favorite part of senior year was senior night at the end of the football season. Kendall and I went together to watch my boyfriend and Maddie walk with their families. We had so much fun taking pictures and watching the game together.” The senior added, “My biggest takeaway from high school was learning that having a small handful of friends isn’t the end of the world, it’s actually super peaceful.”
We can learn from these close friends that the key to making the best of your high school experience is to live in the little moments and surround yourself with quality people rather than a large quantity of people.
Scholtz squared
Father-son coaching duo profile
published in the prowler 2024-25 yearbook
If Head Coach Scholtz could describe his coaching relationship with his dad in one word, it would be, “fun.”
Scholtz is in his 18th season coaching at Willow and has been coaching alongside his assistant coach and father for four seasons now.
“We are very similar in some respects. We look like twins. I know what I am going to look like in thirty years,” said Scholtz. “But we communicate very differently and work with the girls very differently. I think that’s what you want in an assistant coach.”
Assistant Coach Scholtz worked as a basketball official for 15 years, giving the coaching staff a different game perspective. “Having that on our coaching staff makes the officials more open to talking to us during games because they know we have a background of officials,” said Head Coach Scholtz.
As head coach, Scholtz was pessimistic, finding the flaws in the team. His dad found the solutions. As unlikely a duo as they are, they work, and love the excuse to hang out.
double dipping
A sports story
published in the prowler 2024-25 yearbook
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Trinity Eagles (11) learned that lesson from her experience playing Wildcat volleyball. Eagles tried out for the Frosh volleyball team her freshman year but didn’t make the cut.
“It was an experience for sure,” said Eagles. “Freshman year, I was really disappointed, but I came back, and I was like, ‘I’m going to make it this time.’ I went to conditioning, figured out what to work on, and made the freshman team my sophomore year.”
Now, in her first year on JV, Eagles is moving up and playing for both JV and varsity. “Varsity is much more intense than JV. JV can be more fun, but varsity is serious and you have to work really hard for it.” This season, she is dressing out for varsity games and playing a few sets here and there to hopefully secure a starting spot on the Varsity squad her senior year.
On top of playing for JV, Varsity, and a club called “Atomic” in the high school off-season, Eagles is a full-time student who prioritizes her academics. “I put schoolwork first, and when I find time at a game, I do my homework.”
Principal luedemann on the rise
A staff spotlight
published in the prowler 2023-24 yearbook
As we students rise in our learning careers and within our community, we must recognize those who made it possible.
A significant change this school year was our new interim principal, former Athletic Director Thom Luedemann, taking on the role of heading our administration. In the wake of our former principal’s leave, Luedemann stepped up to the challenge. “The most rewarding aspect of being a principal is witnessing the growth and success of our students,” the new principal expressed.
“Looking ahead, I aspire to continue fostering a Winning Culture at Willow Canyon. My goal is to ensure that every student receives a quality education and is prepared for success beyond high school. I also hope to strengthen our community engagement and maintain a culture of inclusivity and respect within our school.”
But his journey hasn’t been easy, faced with the challenge of addressing the diverse needs of thousands of students, staff, and community members, Luedemann has pushed himself beyond his former limits.
“One quote that particularly stands out to me is by Samuel Goldwyn: ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get.’ This quote embodies my belief in the power of dedication and perseverance. It reminds me that success in education, much like in any field, is not just a matter of luck, but a result of consistent effort and commitment,” explained our interim principal.
trump’s economic plan is projected to fail
A political opinion piece
unpublished
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the campaign promise of reduced inflation and lower prices of eggs remains unfulfilled. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. inflation has increased by 0.5% in the 24 days that Trump has been in office. The costs of groceries, rent, and gas have risen, burdening the American families promised lower prices on “Day 1.” The U.S. inflation rate is now 3%, while the federal goal remains 2%.
But why is this happening? Inflation began to rise towards the end of Former President Joe Biden’s term due to Middle Eastern tensions increasing oil prices and the avian flu. However, Trump’s impending trade tariffs might be the most worrisome and long-lasting cause for inflation among Americans. The President’s tariffs are not only causing the prices of American goods to skyrocket but also contributing to tensions with other countries and factions within his administration.
For one, trade tariffs are entirely absorbed by the consumer. Companies pay more for goods and make that money back by raising prices. The Associated Press interviewed Phil Hannon, the VP of operations at Abt, a consumer electronics store in Glenview, Illinois, and he said he expects to increase his company’s prices between 3% and 15% by March to offset the impact of tariffs.
So, if tariffs make things more expensive, why is Trump imposing them? According to CNN, it is a part of the president’s plan to lower inflation. He intends to reduce taxes within American borders, incentivizing companies to keep business here. Then, tariffs should be imposed on foreign firms to bring in revenue to pay for the lost proceeds from lowering taxes and encourage American companies to grow the economy. After that, he plans to produce cheaper oil, although it is detrimental to the environment. Finally, he plans to use Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to find places to lower interest rates and cut costs for businesses and consumers.
This sounds like an interesting plan, but will it work? Experts think not. Cutting taxes could have been done with a simple majority through budget reconciliation. Although tax cuts could save Americans some money in their paycheck, it could also raise loan rates and widen the US deficit, just like in 2017 when Trump gave tax cuts to large corporations in an attempt to create his own trickle-down economy. If Trump’s tax cuts go through, the government will have to make up the difference in Treasury bonds. Flooding the market with bonds will reduce their price and send yields higher, which will increase consumer loan rates, including mortgages, as a result. Overall, economists agree that Americans will bear the burden of tariff costs and keep inflation high.
Finally, these impending tariffs are also creating tension between the US and our allies. The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has said Canada will retaliate on the “unacceptable” tariffs and the US should expect to suffer job losses. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, labeled the move as “unjustified.”
Overall, Trump’s plan is not projected to work, and the US may lose allyship in the process.