Outlet mall opens Oct. 11 - Canutillo Independent School District

In Sports 

The 

Eagle Eye 

Canutillo High School -- Canutillo, Texas Friday, October 5, 2007 -- Vol. XVIII, No. 1 

Outlet mall opens Oct. 11 

Garcia spends vacation 

as congressional page 

Eagle Eye Staff Reports 

One high school senior 

found a creative way to 

spend her summer vacation. 

“It was awesome; I didn’t 

want to leave Washington 

D.C.,” senior Miriam 

Garcia said of her experience 

as a Page in the U.S. 

House of Representatives 

during a special reception 

attended by family, friends, 

CISD teachers and administrators, 

Superintendent 

Dr. Pam Padilla, and Congressman 

Silvestre Reyes. 

Garcia worked with 

a team of high school 

students selected from 

throughout the country in 

the House of Representatives 

this summer. Her 

duties consisted primarily 

of delivering correspondence, 

legislative material, 

and small packages within 

the Congressional complex. 

She also answered 

phones and took messages 

for Members, called them 

to the phone if they were 

in the House Chamber, and 

prepared the House Floor 

for sessions. 

During the reception, 

Congressman Reyes, 

whose office nominated 

Garcia for the summer 

program, said that the Canutillo 

legacy continues 

See Garcia/3 

N 

See Mall/3 

Story by Xochitl Callejo 

Eagle Eye Editor 

ext week, The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso will 

open their doors to new shoppers for the first 

time. 

Since February 8, Horizon Group Properties Inc. have 

been building the 385,000 square feet outlet center located 

on the northwest corner of the intersection of interstate 

10 and exit 6 by the new Transmountain loop, 

less than a mile away from the school and right on the 

edge of the Canutillo community. 

“I think it is great that we are getting a mall so close to 

home,” junior Ashley Padilla said. “Because it is closer 

to home then that means we don’t have to travel all the 

way to Sunland [Park Mall]. It just shows that we are 

growing.” 

The outlet plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony at 

10 a.m. followed by the grand opening of 85 stores. Ten 

more stores will open two weeks later. 

“We plan to have a great turn out on the grand opening,” 

Marketing Coordinator Cecilla Reyes said. “There 

are so many things for the public to do. There will be no 

way it would not be a great experience.” 

Other employees of the outlet mall are looking forward 

to the opening. 

“We’ve come a long way since Feb. 8,” Marketing 

Director Gina Slechta said. “We are looking forward to 

our grand opening ribbon cutting.” 

The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso will be accessible from 

the highway for area visitors, including Las Cruces and 

Mexico. 

“The center is perfectly located to serve consumers 

from El Paso, Las Cruces and Mexico and will be a natural 

stop for tourists driving I-10,” Reyes said. “You can 

see the bright colored towers of the mall for miles.” 

The mall has many shopping amenities including a 

courtyard with water fountains, a soft play area for small 

children and a food court with high speed internet. 

“Our goal is to create an enjoyable shopping experience 

for our customers,” Reyes said. 

Fallen firefighter honored 

with scholarship creation 

Eagle Eye Staff Reports 

G 

uillermo “Benny” 

Balderrama, a 1992 

Canutillo High 

School graduate, who was 

killed this past March was 

recognized during the first 

home football game by 

friends and family. 

Balderrama was riding his 

motorcycle home when a 

drunk driver hit him from 

behind. He survived the 

crash but died a few hours 

later from his injuries. 

Balderrama lived in Austin 

at the time and was a member 

of the Austin Fire De- 

Eagles coast to easy wins in 

Cathedral, Santa Teresa games 

XOCHITL CALLEJO/EAGLE EYE 

The outlet mall is scheduled 

to open Oct. 11. During a special 

open house on Sept. 12, 

visitors were allowed to see 

the progress just one month 

before the grand opening. 

When it opens students can 

expect stores like Aeropostale, 

Banana Republic, Coach, Hot 

Topic, Guess, Gap, Journeys, 

Nike, PacSun, Puma, Quicksilver, 

Tommy Hilfiger, Vanity 

Fair and Zumiez to be available. 

partment for several years 

before his death. 

In honor of his life, 

friends, family and fellow 

firemen started the Benny 

B Athletic Scholarship 

fund that will be administered 

through the Canutillo 

Alumni Foundation for Education 

(CAFÉ). 

Creation of the scholarship 

was announced during 

halftime at the Canutillo- 

Chapin football game, 

Aug. 31, at Julius & Irene 

Lowenberg Eagles Stadium. 

See Firefighter/3 

ANDREA HERNANDEZ/EAGLE EYE 

Family members and friends of Guillermo “Benny” Balderrama 

pay their respects to the fallen fire fighter after CAFE members 

announced the creation of a scholarship in honor of Balderrama 

during the Eagles first home football game. A giant flag 

flew in Balderrama’s honor.

2 • The Eagle Eye • Friday, October 5, 2007 

Frenetic 

thoughts 

going into 

my last year 



ith my senior 

W 

year just starting 

I can honestly 

say that this 

is by far the most hectic 

and frustrating year I have 

ever gone through in all of 

my 12 years in school. I 

thought they said it was the 

most fun? Then I thought 

about it, and then I figured 

out that who ever said that 

had to have been a slacker 

and didn’t feel the need to 

keep trying. 

I have been working so 

hard since school started 

and school has only been 

going on for two months, 

but I am glad to say that I 

am not the only senior who 

has been working hard. 

Our senior class is big, 

but when I attended the 

senior class meeting it 

was packed. People were 

even standing up because 

there wasn’t enough room 

to sit. I loved seeing that 

our class really did come 

together and are trying to 

The Eagle Eye 

Canutillo High School 

6675 South Desert Blvd 

El Paso, TX 79932 

The Eagle Eye is a student newspaper produced by the Canutillo High School Publications Department. Some 

material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service. 

The newspaper attempts to inform and entertain its primary audience, as well as school faculty and staff, the 

administration and the members of the community, in a broad, fair and accurate manner on all subjects that 

affect readers. It also seeks to provide a forum for the opinion of students, the staff of the paper and the faculty, 

to encourage an exchange of ideas and opinions on issues of prominence to the readers. 

Editor: Xochitl Callejo 

Stories: Christina Castro, Enrique Gallegos, Daniel Orrantia 

Photography: Xochitl Callejo, Ruben Gomez, Andrea Hernandez, Richard 

Delval 

Advisor: Rick Tate 

Cartoon by Lorenzo Castro 

Despite hurdles, American Dream still inspires 

Story by Lewis W. Diuguid 

McClatchy Newspapers 

(MCT) A lot of people 

wonder what’s on the 

minds of kids. 

The best way to find out 

is to ask, but get on their 

wavelength first. A New 

America Media survey did 

that in its poll “California 

Dreamers: A Public Opinion 

Portrait of the Most 

Diverse Generation the 

Nation Has Known.” 

The survey gauged the 

opinions of people ages 

16 to 22. The 601 respondents 

were contacted on 

cell phones. 

California was picked 

by New America Media 

get the most of their senior 

year and I know that just by 

what I experienced at the 

meeting that this year will 

be fun for us. We are also 

setting an example for the 

seniors that come after us. 

If any of you can imagine 

it is really hard for me to 

write these last columns, 

not because I have writers 

block or because I just don’t 

and its polling partners in 

part because one in eight 

of the nation’s young persons 

lives in the state. 

Also, three-fifths of the 

state’s youths are people 

of color; about half are 

immigrants or the offspring 

of immigrants. 

“Taken together, this 

poll paints a portrait of a 

generation coming of age 

in a society of unprecedented 

racial and ethnic 

diversity - the first global 

society this country has 

seen,” the poll stated. 

The results are fascinating 

and probably mirror 

young people’s opinions 

nationwide. Their views 

know what to say anymore 

but because there is just so 

much for me to say, and I 

can’t say it all in just this 

little column. That is too 

much of an overload. There 

is just so much I have gone 

through with my class, with 

my teachers, with home life 

and it all revolves around 

school. 

In elementary I went to 

also are not dissimilar 

from other generations. 

For example, they are 

strong believers in the 

American dream. 

“ O v e r w h e l m i n g l y, 

across race, ethnicity 

and gender, they believe 

strongly in their ability to 

determine their own futures, 

whatever the obstacles,” 

the poll notes. 

That’s important because 

that belief drives 

young people to achieve, 

just as it has enabled other 

generations. 

But the barriers now are 

enormous. 

For example, the survey 

found that one in 10 of the 

the Bill Childress campus 

but first I went to the 

old Canutillo Elementary 

school for kindergarten 

where I had Ms. Montgomery. 

I‘m not going to lie, I 

was weird, but in a nerdy 

way. In kinder I had a lazy 

eye, to make it better for 

me the doctor told me to 

wear a patch over my good 

eye so I could exercise the 

young respondents had 

served time in jail or juvenile 

hall. Young people 

also face a crushing national, 

corporate and personal 

debt, high housing 

costs, high dropout rates, 

joblessness, rising college 

costs, violence and crime. 

Yet, the survey found 

that they think their lives 

will get better. 

They “hope and expect 

to raise children in lasting 

partnerships.” That’s encouraging. 

It could ensure 

the return of an essential 

institution. 

Two-thirds of the respondents 

expect to attain 

at least a four-year college 

bad one, of course I never 

wanted to but my mother 

would force it upon to me. 

The first day I showed up 

to class with the patch everyone 

made fun of me. To 

make them stop I told the 

most ridiculous lies I have 

ever told in my entire life. 

I told the kids in my class 

that a big tarantula crawled 

up my bed and bit my eye. 

degree. But the survey 

quotes census data showing 

only one-third of Californians 

have a college 

diploma. 

Also, 96 percent of 

those polled said if they 

worked hard they could 

achieve their goals. That’s 

the American dream. 

Despite high housing 

costs and market instability, 

95 percent of the 

respondents said they expected 

to own homes, and 

almost 75 percent said 

they’d have a higher standard 

of living than their 

parents. 

Respondents ranked 

family breakdown and vi- 

Everyone bought it, except 

my teacher, she talked to 

me about it, told me that 

lies get me no where and 

then she made me confront 

the class and tell them that 

I had been lying. I was so 

embarrassed that I didn’t 

want to ever go back, I got 

over it within a day. 

What I am trying to explain 

See Column/3 

olence as the most pressing 

issues of their generation. 

Poverty was third and 

global warming fourth. 

Presidential candidates 

need to note these concerns 

if they want young 

people’s votes. 

Black and Latino youths 

said violence in their 

neighborhoods was their 

No. 1 concern while white 

and Asian youths put the 

family breakdown at the 

top. Among the groups, a 

third of the respondents 

cited school and money 

for college as their top 

source of personal stress. 

Tuition keeps rising, and 

See Dream/3 

Letters to the Editor 

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor to The Eagle 

Eye, you may send it to the Journalism Department in care of 

Canutillo High School, PO Box 100, Canutillo, TX 79835. Letters 

will be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters of more than 

200 words are subject to editing to fit available space. Provide 

full name, street address and telephone number for verification 

purposes. Letters must be signed and the editorial board reserves 

the right to refuse publication of any letter. Views expressed in 

letters do not necessarily represent those of the administration, 

newspaper staff or publication advisor. For more information 

call (915) 877-7850. 

Canutillo Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, 

color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its employment practices or in providing 

education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs. For 

additional information regarding Canutillo Independent School District’s policy of 

nondiscrimination contact: Renee O’Donnell, (915) 877-7423, 7965 Artcraft Road, 

El Paso, Texas 79932.

Garcia 

Continued from page 1 

through the efforts and accomplishments 

of students 

such as Garcia. 

“It is a thrill seeing our 

young people go out into 

the world and be able to 

compete with the best and 

brightest this country has 

to offer,” said the Congressman, 

who is a 1964 

graduate of Canutillo High 

School. 

Garcia currently is ranked 

second in her class with a 

Column 


is that most of my embarrassment 

has happened at 

school, so has most of my 

pain and happiness. 

School not only provided 

the main part of my education 

but most of lessons 

in life. I am pretty sure 

that I am not the only one. 

School teaches us the fundamentals 

of socializing 

with one another. I know 

most people hate school 

and hate the fact that 

learning has to do with the 

progress but those people 

need to figure out that if 

they didn’t have school 

what would they be doing 

instead of school? Working 

even harder to earn 

money. We just need to 

realize how lucky we are 

to actually be receiving 

Dreams 


government keeps pushing 

more of the costs back 

on students. 

The future appears to 

be more multiracial and 

multiethnic. Two-thirds 

of those polled said they 

have dated someone of a 

Firefighter 


Family, friends, local Fire 

Department personnel and 

CAFÉ representatives were 

present during the ceremony 

to announce the scholar- 

98.6 grade point average. 

She is a member of Health 

Occupations Student Association 

(HOSA) and has 

competed at the HOSA 

state and national levels. 

She is a member of Future 

Business Leaders of America, 

National Honor Society, 

and FFA. Garcia has 

also been a mentor in the 

Big Brothers Big Sisters 

program for the past three 

years. 

Garcia said that without 

an education and to also 

have a choice to actually 

do what we enjoy to do. 

I know school has been 

able to bring out the best in 

me and has also shown me 

the direction I want to go for 

my future. 

Right now college is the 

biggest thing I have on my 

mind. It is probably the biggest 

decision I will make 

so far in my life. School is 

probably, next to my mother, 

the one thing most responsible 

for preparing me for my 

future. School provided me 

with all the information and 

of the steps that will allow 

me to go to college. 

Now, if anything that I 

have just explained just 

doesn’t click then I’ll talk 

about something that is a little 

more exciting, The outlet 

different race, and 87 percent 

said they would consider 

marrying or entering 

into a life partnership with 

someone of a different 

race. 

“In light of this phenomenon, 

the entire question 

of race relations - and the 

nature of ‘race’ - may be 

ship and remember Balderrama. 

The Benny B Scholarship 

will be awarded to two 

graduating seniors that participated 

and lettered in any 

sport at the school. CAFÉ 

the support of her family, 

friends, CHS teachers and 

district administration, and 

businesspersons her participation 

in the Page program 

would not have been 

possible. 

Garcia is the daughter of 

Martha and Ruben Garcia 

of Westway. 

“It is an honor watching 

my daughter get this recognition 

and seeing her grow 

up to be such a fine young 

lady,” Martha Garcia said. 

mall is something that I am 

really looking forward to. 

Shopping, as I have to come 

to realize, is a big guilty 

pleasure for me. Not only 

is it practically in walking 

distance for most students 

but can anyone imagine 

the growth that is about to 

come? We already have 

loads of houses being built 

and I can just picture double 

the homes. Then the growth 

in terms of money making. 

I can just see it now, all of 

us coming to school with 

all of the best clothing any 

of us can find. I know most 

of people have already applied, 

well at least it will be 

hard earned money buying 

those clothes. 

Anyway, enough for now. 

See you guys at the outlet 

mall. 

forever altered,” the poll 

said. 

That and other things 

young people have expressed 

would help make 

America better. 

(c) 2007, The Kansas City 

Star. Distributed by Mc- 

Clatchy-Tribune Information 

Services. 

will award one male and one 

female student each year 

with the Benny B scholarship 

during commencement 

ceremonies. For more information 

on the scholarship, 

call 204-1019. 

Juniors prepare for TAKS 

Story by Enrique Gallegos 

Eagle Eye 

Senior year is nearing for 

the juniors which means 

they need to prepare for exit 

level TAKS, prom and, most 

of all, getting ready for their 

final year in high school. 

Some students seem nervous 

about the TAKS and 

have strong feelings about 

it. 

“I think it shouldn’t be 

mandatory to pass if we are 

going to have to take it,” 

junior Krysta Ayers said. “I 

think its a waste of time.” 

Juniors might feel there’s 

too much pressure on them 

this year. 

“I feel that TAKS puts you 

under a lot of pressure,” ju- 

nior Isaiah Herrera said. “Its 

either sink or swim and only 

you can decide your outcome.” 

Junior Yadira Soto agreed. 

“Its a lot of pressure towards 

us and its stressing 

because with out passing 

it we can’t graduate,” she 

said. 

Even though the juniors 

have a very stressful year 

they are still looking forward 

to the junior/senior 

prom. 

“I think prom will be a night 

of excitement that will leave 

memories with us,” junior 

Jesus Jimenez said. “The 

good moments with friends 

and the beginning of wrapping 

up high school life.” 

Junior Anna Gomez 

agreed. 

“I’m happy about prom 

because it’s a great time 

to have fun, hang out with 

friends, and forget about all 

the drama,” she said. 

Not all juniors plan on 

helping with prom, but they 

do plan on attending it. 

“I don’t plan on helping 

out much with prom but 

I do plan on attending it,” 

Herrera said. 

Others just want to see 

how their hard work paid 

off. 

“I can’t wait for prom 

so I can see how all of our 

hard work and fundraising 

has paid off,” junior Jessica 

Paez said. 

Mall 


The outlet center also 

gives area teens a new place 

to meet and get away. 

“The mall will be great for 

me and my friends because 

it gives us a new place to 

hang out and have fun,” Padilla 

said. 

Not only will the mall 

provide a new family and 

friend spot but also new 

jobs for the community. 

“The most exciting thing 

about the mall of course is 

all the jobs it is offering,” 

Padilla said. “I applied 

and I would love to work 

there.” 

Reyes explained her view 

on the job growth in the 

community. 

“The center will provide 

many new jobs for this 

area.” Reyes said. “We are 

excited about the new employees. 

We have mangers 

already training the new 

employees.” 

Under the new school funding 

formula, Canutillo ISD 

voters must decide Nov. 6 

whether to approve the school 

tax rate adopted by the CISD 

Board of Trustees. 

On August 27, the Board approved 

a tax rate of $1.10 for 

school staffing, equipment 

and supplies and salaries and 

29 cents to pay for District 

bond debt, for a total tax rate 

Friday, October 5, 2007 • The Eagle Eye • 3 

Tax Rollback Election Fact Sheet 

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007, CISD Tax Rollback Election will be held at: 

Precinct No. 2 - Vinton Fire Station, 510 Vinton Rd.; 

Precinct No. 3 - Canutillo Middle School, 7311 Bosque Rd; 

Precinct No. 4 - Canutillo Elementary School, 651 Canutillo Ave.; 

Precinct No. 5 - Fire Station #2, 111 Borderland Rd; and 

Precincts No. 11-2 and No. 170 - Olga Kohlberg ES, 1445 Nardo 

Goodman 

Early voting is October 22 through November 2, at any Early Voting 

Polling Place. 

Tax Rate 

It is up to the Canutillo taxpayers to vote on the tax rate adopted by the 

CISD Board of Trustees. 

The rate approved by the Board on August 27, 2007 is: 

1) $1.10 Maintenance and Operations: this pays for the daily 

operations of the District such as salaries, supplies, utilities 

and other necessities; 

2) $0.29 Interest and Sinking Fund: this pays for the bond 

debt; 

3) For a total tax rate of $1.39 per $100 of property valuation. 

Benefits to the District 

The voter approved tax rate of $1.39 will result in the following: 

1) This tax rate will be .27 cents lower than last year’s rate; 

2) Canutillo ISD will gain $962,804 in local revenues and 

$2,087,462 in state matching funds in fiscal year 2008; 

3) The tax rate will provide for additional state funds in fiscal 

year 2009 (about the same amount as in 2008). 

Impact on Taxpayers 

The voter approved tax rate of $1.39 will result in the following: 

1) The owner of a homestead with a $100,000 assessed valuation 

will see a tax decrease of at least $130.55; 

2) The owner of a homestead with a $200,000 assessed valuation 

will see a tax decrease of at least $261.11; 

3) Senior citizens over 65 and disabled citizens WILL NOT be 

affected by the tax rate. In fact, they will see a savings on 

their school tax bill. Funds Allocation 

The additional funds will be used for the following: 

1) Staffing and equipping of the new Garcia Elementary School; 

2) Staffing for the new Northwest Early College High School; 

3) Continuing to provide and support three to four computers in 

every classroom; 

4) Staffing and equipping of the new Arellano Elementary 

School, which is scheduled for construction in 2009; 

5) Providing additional instructional supplies and resources to 

all campuses as the student enrollment increases; 

6) Maintaining competitive benefits for District employees 

School board call rollback election 

of $1.39 per $100 valuation. 

If taxpayers approve the proposed 

rate, it will NOT mean 

a tax increase. In fact, the tax 

rate will be 27 cents lower 

than last year’s rate. The average 

homeowner with a homestead 

worth about $125,000 

would see a reduction of approximately 

$337.56 in property 

taxes. Senior citizens 

over 65 and disabled citizens 

will not be affected by the 

proposed tax rate. 

Should the rollback election 

pass, CISD will gain about 

$1 million in local revenue 

and about $2 million in state 

matching funds for a total of 

about $3 million. This revenue 

will allow CISD to pay 

for instructional resources including 

staffing, equipment, 

supplies, and salaries.

4 • The Eagle Eye • Friday, October 5, 2007 

District introduces E-books 

CISD students are able 

to access a new web-based 

application this school year 

to read books online. 

Electronic Books (e- 

Books) are now available 

through Destiny, the 

District’s browser-based 

software program that provides 

library resources district-wide. 

The e-Books can 

be viewed or checked out 

from any web-supported 

computer. 

CISD is first in the region 

to introduce the e-Books, a 

web-based reading resource 

recently purchased by the 

District’s School Resources 

Division. The District is 

using this comprehensive 

system for fast and easy 

library management for all 

schools. 

The system helps promote 

reading advocacy by matching 

students and library 

books in a virtual environ- 



With homecoming just 

days away some students 

might be curious as to the 

plans and activities that are 

being made. 

“Homecoming is a major 

event for us,” student council 

sponsor Gary De Leon 

said. “There are so many 

things to do and to plan in a 

short amount of time.” 

Homecoming will be during 

the week of Oct. 8-12. 

During the week there will 

be many activities held 

during and after school. 

The senior class has come 

up with activities for students 

to participate during 

school time. Monday will 

be cartoon day. Tuesday 

will be back to the 80’s 

day. Wednesday will be 

punk rock day. Thursday 

will be twin day for lower 

classmen and toga day for 

seniors and Friday will be 

spirit day. Some of the activities 

are the parade, bonfire, 

football game against 

Mountain View and the 

dance held the day after the 

game. This year’s homecoming 

dance theme will 

be Hawaiian/“Aloha Canutillo.” 

Some student council 

members have their own 

thoughts on how homecoming 

week will turn out. 

“I really think we have 

chosen a good theme,” 

student council president 

senior Norby Padilla said. 

“All the activities we have 

planned will be fun including 

the food and drinks at 

the dance.” 

At the student council 

meetings the members discuss 

expenses and some of 

the ideas that each member 

ment and providing a broad 

range of reading levels. The 

online library-classroom 

connection provides a quality 

online educational environment 

and resources for 

students and teachers. 

“The e-Books give students 

and parents the ability 

to see our catalogs from 

their home computers and 

check out e-Books,” said 

Susan Plotner, Canutillo 

Middle School Librarian. 

Currently, there are 818 

titles of e-Books that can 

be checked out through the 

school district’s virtual library 

located on the CISD 

website. Additionally, the 

school district uses Project 

Guttenberg for an additional 

22,000 e-Books. CISD is 

also looking at linking online 

literacy resources such 

as Scholastics@Bookflix. 

“Students and staff are 

moving forward into the 

might have. 

“We have a lot to do with 

the planning,” senior Selma 

Holguin, who is also apart 

of student council, said. “It 

takes a lot of hard work but 

I am happy to do it.” 

Student council plans to 

spend $250 on the catering 

of finger foods by the Big 

Brothers/Big Sisters club. 

They also plan to spend no 

more than $1000 on decorations. 

With help from 

Canutillo alumni, student 

council was able to have 

a free disc jockey donate 

their time. Not only is student 

council in charge of 

homecoming but also of the 

new football run-through 

tunnel. The tunnel was a 

fundraising project for the 

past three years and was 

mostly done by the senior 

class of 2007. The class of 

2008 came up with half of 

the money. 

“The tunnel is something 

we are proud of,” De Leon 

said. “We needed one and 

it’s something we deserve 

as a community.” 

Football players were 

pleased with the addition to 

their game. 

“The eagle tunnel looks 

pretty cool,” senior left 

tackle Noel Dorado said. 

“I honestly had lower expectations 

for it but it looks 

like it has turned out pretty 

good, and it’s better than 

that old thing we had.” 

This year’s council have 

some new members and 

some returning with experience. 

“This is my first year in 

student council and so far it 

is good,” Holguin said. “I 

plan to get something out of 

this club and use it to learn 

new things.” 

21st century by checking 

out a mini personal computer 

that facilitates flexible 

scheduling and timely 

access to the collection 

by all students,” Martha 

Veale, Executive Director 

for School Resources, 

said. “This resource management 

system will also 

help our District reduce 

redundant purchasing, ensure 

resource availability, 

enable accountability, and 

simplify reporting across 

the District.” 

Veale pointed out that the 

project was moving into its 

initial phase. 

“This is phase one of 

a virtual (anytime, anywhere) 

initiative,” she said. 

“Our phase two project will 

be to take the e-Books into 

the development of District 

produced reading materials 

for students, teachers and 

staff.” 

Student council finalizes 

homecoming festivities 

Padilla has his own experiences 

from being in student 

council. 

“I have been in student 

council for three years,” he 

said. “I am the president so 

I like what we do. I’m here 

for the school and I like being 

able to bring something 

out of it.” 

Padilla had several reasons 

for pursuing student council 

three years running. 

“I wanted to be in student 

council because it makes 

me more responsible and 

organized,” he said. 

Homecoming 

Theme Days 

Monday - Cartoon 

Day 

Tuesday - Back to 

the 80s Day 

Wednesday - Punk 

Rock Day 

Thursday - Twin 

Day (lowerclassmen) 

Toga Day (seniors) 

Friday - Spirit Day 

Class of 2009 aims 

to combat cancer 

with fundraiser 

In an effort to raise money 

for the Susan G. Komen 

for the Cure Foundation, 

the junior class will 

decide their homecoming 

prince and princess by 

who raises the most money 

for the charity. 

The fundraising began 

Sept. 30 and wraps up 

Oct. 10. All the money 

raised by the court hopefuls 

will be turned into 

the foundation at the 

homecoming game Oct. 

12. 

XOCHITL CALLEJO/EAGLE EYE 

Ernest Medina teaches his fourth period guitar class the basics of the musical instrument 

Guitar class added to schedule 

Story by Christina Castro 

Eagle Eye 

Students who play guitar 

have a new option for 

practicing their craft. 

Guitar I is now an official 

class this year, and 

students were happy to 

have one more choice. 

Some students were 

excited to learn how to 

play guitar in school 

with other people their 

age. 

“It’s cool for me to learn 

in this open environment 

because we learn 

from each other,” senior 

Shawn Arnold said. 

Junior Stephanie Duran 

agreed and is excited 

to learn how to play. 

“By the end of the year 

we should be able to play 

songs and read music,” she 

said. “I can’t wait.” 

Duran pointed out what the 

class was learning. 

“So far we’ve learned how 

to strum, tune, hold the 

guitar, and play chords,” 

she said. 

Junior Angelica Campos 

agreed the class was 

a welcome addition to the 

schedule. 

“I think this class is really 

different and unique. It’s a 

really cool class,” Campos 

said “Everyone in the class 

makes it so much fun.” 

Not all students were 

happy with the class 

“I don’t really like the 

class,” sophomore Raul 

Callejo said. “I was 

expecting something 

more.” 

Guitar teacher Ernest 

Medina teaches 90 students 

in three classes. 

He noted there were 

several reasons for 

starting guitar class 

this year. 

“We’ve decided to 

start this class because 

of so many requests for 

it,” Medina said. “Students 

in eighth grade 

to seniors wanted it.” 

He felt the class was 

a welcome addition. 

“I think adding this 

class is good because 

it’s another class besides 

choir or band 

that gives students a 

different revenue of 

expression,” he said.

GECU opens student run branch 

GECU in partnership 

with Canutillo ISD and 

the high school celebrated 

the grand opening and unveiled 

the name of the first 

El Paso student run credit 

union on Oct. 1. 

The credit union is located 

inside the high school. 

It will operate Monday - 

Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 

4 p.m. 

The credit union offers 

deposit products, such as 

savings and checking accounts, 

along with some 

small loans and student 

loans. Products and services 

will be added based 

on the students’ needs and 

as the credit union progresses. 

In addition, a cyber 

cafe including an ATM, 

a PC with SmartBranch access 

and a phone to SmartLine 

are part of the credit 

union. 

Students also had the 

opportunity to name the 

credit union and ATM. 

The contest was held from 

Aug. 27 to Sept. 7. Besides 

bragging rights the winner, 

Miriam Garcia, received 

a $75 gas card, Amanda 

Chavez, walked away with 

a $50 gas card, and Raul 

Callejo drove off with a 

$25 gas card. The name, 

ATTRACTIONS: 

• Big Maze • kids only Maze 

•tube slide • goat walk 

• full moon nights • 

farmers market • roasted corn • snacks 

• picnic area (reserve ahead) 

• birthday tent (reserve ahead) 

• chile patch • pumpkin patch 

ACTIVITIES: Extra activities ticket $1 

Without admission $2.50 

• corn cannons 

• cow train 

• hayride 

• pedal carts 

•bouncing ponies 

daylight hours 

Sat. & Sun. 

Maze 2007 

The Eagle’s Branch, was 

chosen and revealed during 

the grand opening celebration. 

District officials were 

pleased with the new addition 

to the high school 

“CHS is proud to be the 

model for this new project,” 

CISD superintendent 

Dr. Pam Padilla said. “This 

is innovation and vision at 

work – a credit union run 

by and for students. 

Padilla pointed out the 

advantage for students. 

“Imagine students getting 

first hand experience 

in the financial world and 

having the responsibility 

of a real job. It’s great!” 

she exclaimed. “We’re 

confident our students will 

set the bar high for other 

high schools to follow.” 

The credit union is staffed 

by four student tellers who 

will rotate and one supervisor, 

a GECU employee. 

Canutillo students went 

through an application 


THE MAZE IS HERE! 

The Eighth Annual Cornfield Maze 

$2.00 

Off 

at La Union, N.M. 

GO TO WWW.CORNFIELDMAZE.COM or WWW.LAUNIONMAZE.COM 

Sept. 21st-Nov. 4th, 2007 

Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10 p.m. Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sun 12 noon - 6 p.m. 

Maze admission Prices: 

$8.00 for ages 6 and up 

(price includes 2 free activities - 

Sat. and Sun daylight only) 

Children 5 and under free with an 

adult ticket 

(activities $1.00 each Sat. and 

Sun. daylight hours only) 

Fieldtrips, family reunions, 

company gatherings, 

by appointment only. 

Admission 

Coupon 

process. Qualifications 

included passing grades; 

and the “no pass, no play” 

rule does apply. The student 

tellers went through 

the GECU teller training 

program just like regular 

employees. They will be 

paid and will also receive 

credit through the CATE 

(Career and Technology 

Education) program. 

“There is nothing better 

than public education and 

a nonprofit financial institution 

working hand-inhand 

to give our students 

some real-life experience 

with budgeting, financial 

responsibility, dreams of 

college, and gainful employment 

that will help 

them begin their adulthood 

as young, responsible 

members of our community,” 

GECU President and 

CEO Harriet May said. 

In addition, during grand 

opening week GECU ATM 

student users might receive 

“more money than they 

One 

C o u p o n 

per 

Student 

Canutillo High School 

Maze 2007 

asked for” by simply using 

the GECU ATM located 

on the CHS campus. By 

inserting their ATM card, 

requesting $20 they could 

receive $50 instead. The 

$50 bills will be placed 

in the bin at random. The 

chance to win more money 

than they asked for will be 

extended for one week after 

the grand opening celebration. 

The credit union at Canutillo 

will be for Canutillo 

students only. It will 

not be open to the public. 

Student participants during 

the grand opening celebration 

were the CHS Varsity 

Band, Cheerleaders and 

ROTC. 

GECU has been serving 

its 274,000 members one 

family at a time for over 

74 years. GECU is proactive 

in community-sponsored 

initiatives including 

United Way and offers its 

member/owners free financial 

education seminars 

throughout the year. Today, 

GECU employs more than 

560 employees to serve the 

needs of its membership 

and $1.3 billion in assets at 

9 locations throughout the 

City. For more information, 

visit their website at 

www.gecu-ep.org. 

Globe 


if you have your family and 

you have love and you have 

food, then really you’re not 

in poverty.” 

Part of what’s made it 

easier for students such as 

Absher to study somewhere 

else is that more short-term 

trips are available to them. 

“They’re cheaper and they 

don’t disrupt the academic 

schedule,” Coffey said. 

That’s good and bad, he 

said. 

“Ten years ago, 15 percent 

spent an entire year. Now 

that’s fallen to 6 percent,” 

Coffey said. “And students 

who are spending less than 

two months abroad 10 years 

ago was 2 percent. Now, it’s 

8 percent. I think that’s not 

necessarily a good thing.” 

After they’ve gone somewhere 

else, “if they read 

about an incident in southern 

Africa, they will realize 

that it’s happening to real 

people and not just some 

anonymous person who’s 

easier to ignore,” said Neal 

Sobania, executive director 

of the Wang Center for 

International Programs at 

PLU. 

One reason not all students 

will study abroad is cost. 

Whitney Rhodes said the 

semester she spent in Thailand 

cost more than $10,000 

– the cost of the rest of her 

UWT education. She was 

lucky to have a family that 

could help her pay. 

Rhodes, who’s now an urban 

gardens coordinator for 

the City of Tacoma, went to 

Thailand last year to study 

poverty, land resources and 

community action. 

Absher paid for her 

$4,500 trip to India using 

a scholarship and financial 

aid. 

Rhodes, who like Absher 

got a degree in interdisciplinary 

arts and sciences, 

said the effects of her 

travel to Thailand are still 

jelling. 

“It’s changing when you 

first go through it,” she 

said. “But it’s months and 

years later when you see 

how deeply it affected 

you.” 

TOP 10 DESTINATIONS 

For U.S. Students Studying Abroad 

1. United Kingdom 

2. Italy 

3. Spain 

4. France 

5. Australia 

6. Mexico 

7. Germany 

8. China 

9. Ireland 

10. Costa Rica 

___ 

(c) 2007, The News Tribune 

(Tacoma, Wash.). 

Distributed by McClatchy- 

Tribune Information Services. 

AN 

AMAZEING 

EXPERIENCE 

2007 

CORNFIELD 

MAZE 

Just outside El Paso on Hwy. 28. Go to www.launionmaze.com or www.cornfieldmaze.com for a map and details or e-mail tsgrower@aol.com or call toll free 1-888-383-6293. 

Directions from El Paso: Take I-10 West, exit Artcraft, turn left, continue to Westside and take a right. Go past two stop signs, second stop is (Farm Road 259) turn left and a 

quick right onto HWY 28 towards La Union. The Maze is 2.5 miles up on the left side, almost across from Sierra Vista Growers.

6 • The Eagle Eye •Friday, October 5, 2007 

Texting and driving: why we do it 

By Gina Kim 


(MCT)SACRAMENTO, 

Calif. - There are those 

things you shouldn’t do, 

but you do them anyway. 

You leave your contact 

lenses in overnight. You 

eat that last piece of pie. 

You text-message while 

driving. 

And even if you know 

that driving while distracted 

is dangerous, you 

tell yourself that you’re 

a good driver. You know 

where all the letters are on 

your phone or Blackberry 

so you barely have to look 

away from the road. Plus, 

it’s just a quick message 

you need to send off. 

Well, it seems, you think 

just like everyone else. 

About 90 percent of 

American adults think texting 

and driving should be 

outlawed, a Harris Interactive 

poll sponsored by 

Pinger instant voice messaging 

service found. And 

yet, 57 percent admit sending 

a text while driving. 

“Sociologists call it pluralistic 

ignorance. It’s this 

concept where reality applies 

to everybody but 

me,” says Kevin Wehr, an 

assistant professor of sociology 

at California State 

University, Sacramento. 

“We justify things because 

we think we’re better or 

different from other people. 

But, of course, we are 

not better than others. We 

are just as bad as the next 

folk.” 

Text messaging has become 

a prevalent form of 

communication in today’s 

technology age. Last year, 

158 billion text messages, 

or 300,000 per minute, 

were sent in the United 

States, according to CTIA, 

an international association 

for the wireless telecommunicationsindustry. 

That’s up 95 percent 

from 2005, the association 

found. 

So it makes sense that 

some of those wireless 

messages are sent by people 

navigating the gridlock 

known as the modern-day 

commute; a scary concept 

when nearly 80 percent of 

crashes involve some form 

of driver inattention, according 

to a report by the 

National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration and 

the Virginia Tech Transportation 

Institute. 

The most common distraction: 

cell phone use, 

with the act of dialing tripling 

the risk of a crash, 

the report found. 

Simply talking on a cell 

phone affects your “functional 

field of view,” says 

Erik Nelson, a senior cognitive 

psychology student 

at the University of Kansas 

who is researching the 

impacts of texting while 

driving. This means that 

because you’re concentrating 

on the conversation, 

you have a form of tunnel 

vision and are not able to 

process what’s happening 

in your peripheral vision, 

he says. 

Texting demands even 

more attention because 

a driver can’t look at the 

road while typing. 

“You have two visual 

stimuli at the same time 

and you can’t pay attention 

to them both,” Nelson 

says. “So it’s that much 

more dangerous.” 

Nelson polled about 

300 University of Kansas 

students about their cell 

phone and driving habits. 

Every single student - 100 

percent - admitted talking 

while driving, and 72 

percent said they text message. 

“It absolutely has to do 

with this age group,” Nelson 

says. “But we hypothesize 

that future generations 

will have more of this type 

of usage frequency compared 

to older generations 

that haven’t grown up with 

this technology.” 

And for those surveyed 

who said text messaging 

is “very risky,” 35 percent 

said they still text all 

or most of the time while 

driving, Nelson says. 

“We believe there’s a social 

pressure to always be 

available,” he says. “And 

people are putting that 

need ahead of their safety 

both for themselves and 

others.” 

With our 24-hour-a-day, 

seven-day-a-week mentality, 

the need to constantly 

be reachable will only intensify, 

says Jo Mackiewicz, 

an assistant professor 

of technical communication 

at the Illinois Institute 

of Technology. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger 

signed a bill this 

month banning 16- and 

17-year-olds from using 

cell phones and messaging 

devices while driving. 

The bill fines teens $20 for 

the first offense and $50 

for subsequent violations 

starting in July. 

But still, adults in California 

will continue to have 

Go to college, see the globe 

Story by Karen Hucks 


(MCT) With classes starting 

at colleges and universities, 

more students than 

ever will have their sights 

set much farther than their 

respective campuses. 

Students might look toward 

spending part of their 

junior or senior year in Cyprus 

for a seminar on Arab 

and American Identities in 

Crisis. They might plan to 

go to a fringe theater festival 

in Scotland for credit. 

They could study at Sichuan 

University in Chengdu, 

China, or do an internship 

in Namibia. 

At campuses across the 

country the number of students 

who spend at least 

part of their college education 

elsewhere is increasing. 

The number of students 

studying internationally 

increased to more than 

200,000 in the 2004 school 

year, more than double than 

a decade earlier, according 

to the Institute of International 

Education. 

“Universities themselves 

have really begun to promote 

study abroad,” said 

Brian Coffey, director of 

international programs at 

the University of Washington 

Tacoma. 

After students come back, 

“they’re more confident, 

they’re more aware, they’re 

more marketable,” Coffey 

said. “Employers like it.” 

Studying abroad is different 

these days than it 

was when students’ parents 

went to Europe to read the 

classics their junior year. 

“The very nature of these 

study-abroad programs is 

changing,” said UWT global 

honors program director 

Claudia Gorbman. 

Students go overseas to 

do volunteer work and humanitarian 

efforts such as 

cleaning up village water 

systems, building schools 

and teaching people about 

nutrition. Most students 

still choose Europe, but 

more are going to developing 

nations, too. 

Carly Absher, who’s 

married with a 3-year-old 

daughter, went to India for 

a month before her senior 

year to study nongovernmental 

organizations working 

in a big city with big 

social problems. 

“Everything just shifts, 

the way you see the world,” 

said Absher, who graduated 

from UWT in June and lives 

near Puyallup. “I realized 

that poverty was extremely 

relative. You could maybe 

be living under a tarp, but 

See Globe/5 

free rein when it comes 

to texting and driving although 

some technology 

companies are developing 

solutions. 

Pinger, based in San Jose, 

Calif., has created a service 

that enables people to send 

instant voice messages instead 

of texts. And Sync, a 

Microsoft company, has a 

voice-activated music and 

cell phone system that will 

debut in some 2008 Fords, 

Mercurys and Lincolns. 

It’s welcome technology 

for Pierre Khawand 

of People-OnTheGo, a San 

Francisco-based productivity 

training company. 

“A few years ago, it was 

a unique thing to have a 

(text-mesaging or e-mail) 

device like this,” Khawand 

says. “Now we see it almost 

like a necessity.” 

Khawand, who uses an 

iPhone, says he rarely emails 

when driving and 

follows what he calls the 

“one-glance rule.” 

“If you can do what you 

want to do in one glance, 

that’s OK,” he says. “If 

something’s going to take 

your eyes off the road for 

more than one glance, 

then you’re in the danger 

zone.” 

Still, texting while driving 

will always be like one 

of those things people do 

even though they know 

they shouldn’t, says Wehr, 

the sociologist. 

“It’s like smoking. People 

will sit there and puff away 

Quigmans by Buddy Hickerson 

Tribune Media Services 

Distributed by McClatchy/Tribune 

Information Services 

and say, `Never start this. 

This stuff will kill you,’” 

he says. “Common sense is 

not very common.” 

___ 

(c) 2007, The Sacramento 

Bee (Sacramento, Calif.). 

Distributed by McClatchy- 

Tribune Information Services

Story by Roger Moore 

The Orlando Sentinel 

(MCT)Who knew it took 

Jesse James this long to 

die? 

Andrew Dominick’s somber, 

sober and seemingly 

well-researched Western 

is a film that plays as long 

as its title - “The Assassination 

of Jesse James by 

the Coward Robert Ford.” 

We know what’s coming, 

a picture to be straightened 

on the wall, a bullet fired 

while a back is turned, a 

version of that classic folk 

tune that goes “Jesse had a 

wife, who mourned for his 

life, three children they 

were brave.” 

But Dominick takes his 

own sweet time getting us 

there. 

“Assassination,” based 

on a Ron Hansen novel, 

re-imagines this legendary 

piece of Western lore as a 

Jesus-Judas tale of betrayal. 

Dominick’s film rides 

on the back of Casey Affleck 

as the boyish, heroworshipping 

Robert Ford, 

a late addition to Jesse’s 

circle and, it turned out, a 

fatal one. 

In early scenes, Affleckas-Ford 

all but begs first 

Frank James (Sam Shepard), 

then Jesse (Brad Pitt), 

to let him be their “sidekick.” 

“I honestly believe I’m 

destined for great things,” 

he assures them as their 

eyes roll and their patience 

runs out. He really 

shouldn’t start his pitch 

with “Folks sometimes 

take me for a nincompoop.” 

Ford, younger brother to 

the always-laughing Charley 

Ford (Sam Rockwell, 

pretty good here), isn’t 

taken seriously. He bears 

each new insult from Jes- 

se with sheepish good humor. 

But we know better. 

As Jesse, Pitt wears the 

dark clothes and shows 

the weariness of an outlaw 

who hasn’t really realized 

that he has aged out of his 

career of train and bank 

robberies. At 34 (Pitt is 

44), Jesse has a wife (Mary 

Louise Parker, with little 

to play here), children and 

a secret “cattleman” identity 

that he wears in the 

various towns where he 

lives. 

But Jesse has gotten 

sloppy. The film’s opening 

train robbery, his last 

(in 1881), is both ruthless 

and inept. Jesse has, 

the ever-present narrator 

(Hugh Ross) says, run out 

of reliable “sidekicks.” 

Dominick’s movie focuses 

mostly on these lesser 

lights in the outlaw firmament. 

Would you rather watch 

Brad Pitt’s movie-star turn 

in an iconic leading role, 

or the likes of Paul Schneider, 

Jeremy Renner, 

Affleck and Rockwell’s 

characters’ concern with 

earning Jesse’s ire, each 

fearing that James will 

ride through the snow, see 

into their hearts, and shoot 

them? It’s an interesting 

part of the story to tell, 

just not the most interesting. 

What’s worse, Dominick, 

a New Zealander 

with scanty previous credits, 

wastes a lot of screen 

time impersonating Terrence 

“Badlands” Malick. 

Too many shots of pretty 

clouds racing across a 

geographically incorrect 

sky or wind making amber 

waves of grain, lyrically 

bringing his picture 

to a halt. 

Affleck’s Ford is the fel- 

low we follow when we’re 

not looking at wheat, and 

his motivations are thoroughly 

explored. A nickel-novel 

reader who worshipped 

Jesse from afar, 

he has bought into Jesse’s 

rebel “Last Holdout of the 

Confederacy” mythology. 

He craves a myth all his 

own. And while he fears 

the man as much as the 

members of this gang that 

can’t shoot straight, he is 

the most disillusioned by 

the real Jesse. 

Pitt’s James is a cryptic 

figure, capable of terrible, 

unexpected violence - utterly 

paranoid as a man on 

the run might be. It’s an 

engaging, mysterious 

performance that gets by 

mostly on Pitt’s charisma. 

One thing that isn’t a 

mystery though is why 

this Western sat on the 

shelf for ages before hitting 

theaters. It’s arty, 

lovely to look at. It has a 

“name” cast. It’s just dull 

in ways that editing probably 

couldn’t fix. And 

Casey Affleck isn’t a name 

that sells tickets. 

This isn’t the best of 

the James Gang dramas. 

That’s still Walter Hill’s 

“The Long Riders,” with 

its brilliant casting of siblings 

to play the James, 

Lifestyles 

Assassination of Jesse James plays a little long 

(MCT)There’s got to be 

some explanation why 

Dane Cook is a movie star, 

although his new romantic 

comedy “Good Luck 

Chuck” provides scant evidence 

of the usual reasons 

like exceptional comedic 

or dramatic talent. 

The movie does suggest 

he’d make a fine porn star. 

He’s clearly completely at 

home with fake breasts, 

has no problem with bad 

dialogue and never misses 

an opportunity to strip 

down to his undies and 

show off his only indisput- 

able assets. 

To be fair, the plot does 

call for a lot of nudity. 

Cook plays Charlie, a 

dentist who suffers from 

a curse placed upon him 

by a Goth girl he spurned 

in junior high. Every one 

he sleeps with meets the 

man she’s going to marry 

as soon as she and Charlie 

call it quits. He’s the 

stepping stone to wedded 

bliss. 

He becomes an urban 

legend and soon there’s a 

line out the door of women 

wanting for his services, 

because as screenwriter 

Josh Stolberg apparently 

believes, all women are 

desperate to get married. 

He obliges, and the movie 

digresses into a well-illustrated 

Kharma Sutra for 

frat boys. It’s astonishing 

how unsexy director Mark 

Helfrich makes sex look. 

The only woman Charlie 

wants is Cam (Jessica 

Alba), a comely penguin 

specialist who works at 

the local aquarium. (Wait, 

wasn’t Adam Sandler just 

there in “50 First Dates”?) 

The very prospect that he 

could lose this girl to another 

man turns Charlie 

into a spastic fool, and as 

he flaps his lips and limbs 

in a poor imitation of Jim 

Carrey, any good will we 

Younger and Ford brothers 

and its iconic stunt - 

horsemen riding through a 

plate glass window to escape 

justice in Northfield, 

Minn., where James’ glory 

days ended. 

But for those craving 

a view of how dark and 

crowded railroad cars really 

were, what bad shots 

most of these pistol-packers 

were, or awed by the 

sight of dangerous men 

in buffalo coats riding 

through knee-deep snow, 

it’s a view of the West beyond 

the myth that’s worth 

enduring, if not relishing. 

___ 

THE ASSASSINA- 

TION OF JESSE 

JAMES BY THE COW- 

ARD ROBERT FORD 

3 stars (out of 5) 

Cast: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, 

Sam Rockwell, Paul 

Schneider, Mary Louise 

Parker, Ted Levine 

Director: Andrew Dominick 

Running time: 2 hours 35 

minutes 

Industry rating: R for 

some strong violence and 

brief sexual references 

___ 

(c) 2007, The Orlando 

Sentinel (Fla.). Distributed 

by McClatchy-Tribune 

Information Services. 

had for Cook evaporates. 

Cam is beautiful, sexy 

and nice, so the rules of 

romantic comedy call for 

her to be unusually clumsy. 

It’s hardly even worth 

noting how tired this convention 

is. But honestly, 

I could live with “Good 

Luck Chuck’s” determination 

to humiliate a cutie 

pie like Alba and its ongoing 

cruelty toward obese 

women _ it can’t be worse 

than “Norbit,” right? _ and 

even the way it treats most 

women as mere appendages 

standing behind giant, 

surgically enhanced mammaries. 

What makes the movie 


“Good Luck Chuck” waste of time and film 

Story by Mary F. Pols 

Contra Costa Times 

Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. 

Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James in Warner Bros. “The Assassination of 

Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” 

Skate turns out great 

Video Game Review 

Story by Billy O’Keefe 

McClatchy-Tribune News 

Service (MCT) 

`SKATE’ 

For: Xbox 360 and Playstation 

3 

From: EA 

ESRB Rating: Teen (blood 

and gore, crude humor, 

language, mild violence, 

tobacco reference) 

After eight years and eight 

games, the “Tony Hawk” 

skateboarding games finally 

have something 

we’ve all wanted all along: 

worthy competition. 

In fact, as competition 

goes, “Skate” is about as 

best-case as best-case scenarios 

get. It takes a stale 

genre into a wondrous 

new direction, and it arguably 

shames “Hawk” in 

doing so. 

The concept is simple: 

The left analog stick controls 

your skater’s body, 

the right stick controls the 

board. Various motions 

with each produce various 

tricks, while the right and 

left triggers control your 

right and left hands, respectively, 

during grabs. 

Additionally, “Skate” 

runs wild with real-world 

physics. Grinding a rail, 

for instance, isn’t a case of 

pressing a couple buttons. 

Here, you have to kick 

to build speed, perform 

a well-timed ollie, and 

time your landing similarly. 

Ollie too soon, and 

you’ll miss; procrastinate, 

and you’ll hit the rail with 

your gut. 

A similar attention to 

physics permeates all of 

“Skate,” making crazy 

tricks and combos much 

more of a feat here than in 

“Hawk.” 

And that, right there, is 

what makes “Skate” great. 

The control scheme, physics 

and a camera angle 

truly unbearable is Charlie’s 

sidekick Stu, a plastic 

surgeon specializing in 

boob jobs and grotesquely 

crude statements. It’s not 

rational to hate Dan Folger 

(“Balls of Fury”), the actor 

who plays Stu, but there’s 

bound to be some seepage 

in ill will, because his Stu 

is so vile he actually made 

me angry. To quote one his 

more printable statements: 

“I (pleasure myself) to her 

mammograms.” 

He’s George Costanza 

gone nuclear, and each time 

he pops up on the screen 

it’s like having toxic waste 

thrown in our faces. Why 

would we ever care about 

that’s lower to the ground 

all take getting used to, 

but it’s a satisfying learning 

curve to say the least. 

When you finally nail that 

trick you’ve tried hitting 

20 times _ and a nice 

marker system makes it 

easy to keep at it _ it truly 

feels like an accomplishment. 

Happily, “Skate’s” openworld 

city, in addition to 

looking fantastic, is loaded 

with such opportunities. 

The good vibes trickle 

down to “Skate’s” cool 

presentation and feature 

set. A mostly non-linear 

career mode lets you explore 

and master the game 

to your liking with a customized 

skater, which 

comes courtesy of a great 

creation tool. A Party Play 

mode allows for offline, 

pass-the-controller multiplayer, 

and online play 

includes races, trick competitions 

and trick-offs 

at set locations. You can 

save and edit replays of 

your greatest exploits, and 

you can even upload them 

to EA’s Web site, where 

others can rate them, You- 

Tube-style. 

“Skate’s” more realistic 

leanings aren’t for everyone, 

and the odds of the 

arcade-leaning “Hawk” 

disappearing after nine 

games are no higher than 

they were after eight. That 

doesn’t mean Activision 

should lose a little sleep, 

though. For the first time 

since 1999, the holiday 

skateboarding game on 

everyone’s lips won’t be 

theirs, and for good reason. 

___ 

(Billy O’Keefe writes video 

game and DVD reviews for 

McClatchy-Tribune News 

Service.) (c) 2007, Mc- 


Services. 

a guy like Charlie when we 

see the company he keeps? 

___ 

GOOD LUCK CHUCK 

Grade: D-minus 

Starring: Dane Cook, Dan 

Folger, Jessica Alba 

Director: Mark Helfrich 

Rated: R for sequences of 

strong sexual content including 

crude dialogue, 

nudity, language and some 

drug use 

Running time: 1 hour, 36 

minutes 

___ 

(c) 2007, Contra Costa 

Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.). 

Distributed by Mc- 


Services.

8 • The Eagle Eye •Friday, October 5, 2007 

Eagle Sports 

Friday night lights shine bright on Eagles through week 4 



ith a new football reinforced how good the 

W season coming football team is,” Guti- 

up strong some errez said. “At the game 

players and fans you could tell the football 

are starting to talk about the coaches wanted to go easy 

possibility of an undefeated on Cathedral but since the 

season. 

team was so good, it was 

The first home game re- hard for them.” 

sulted in the Eagles defeat- The Cathedral game reing 

the perennial power vealed the depth head coach 

house Chapin Huskies, 34- Scott Brooks can tap. 

30 turning on the heat with “What made the game so 

just a bit over six minutes good and interesting was 

left on the scoreboard and because we could see how 

the Eagles about 10 points the sophomores and juniors 

behind. 

play together,” Gutierrez 

“The best thing so far said. “This just shows what 

about the season is that we we will see for our up and 

beat our rivals, Chapin for coming team.” 

the very first time on the After winning two games 

varsity level,” senior Josh and enjoying a bye week, 

Pena, who plays center, the team would beat Santa 

said. “It’s nice to know that Teresa on their own field 

we are the first class to beat 33-3. They beat Riverside 

them in a long time. It is an after a rain delay 31-26. 

honor to be that team.” Football to most play- 

Defensive end Marc Nauers might mean something 

din, a senior, agreed. more than a game. It could 

“Beating Chapin has been mean life lessons learned 

the best thing about this right there on the field. 

season,” he said. “It is nice “I plan to take the lessons 

to have a little respect right from team and discipline I 

after the first game.” have gained while in foot- 

Other players agreed about ball and using it in every- 

the significance. 

day life,” Naudin said. 

“After beating Chapin Some of the lessons might 

it showed the city we are have already played out 

good and deserve respect,” well for some players. 

quarterback Drew Norris “I plan on taking my dedi- 

said. 

cation and motivation out 

Spectators who attend of football,” Pena said. “It’s 

home games are usually helped me accomplish a lot 

parents and family mem- of things outside of football 

bers of football players, but already.” 

some could just be school Senior running back Bran- 

alumni showing their Eagle don Reid agreed. 

pride. Peter Gutierrez has “Football practically 

lived in Canutillo since teaches everything it takes 

1971 and played foot- to be successful,” he said. 

ball all of his high school With the season going 

years. He also makes time good for the football team 

to attend as many football they would have to be 

games he can, both away ranked high in most foot- 

and home. 

ball lists. According to the 

“The Chapin game was a website www.epgridiron. 

really good game,” he said. com, the eagles are ranked 

“Two really good teams can as number one. 

be a great game but the team “I think it is right we de- 

that can come from behind serve our ranking,” Naudin 

and win is the best.” said. “We worked hard for 

Even though in the end the it and we plan on keeping 

Eagles won, Gutierrez still it,” he said. “We just need 

had his doubts the last six to keep working hard and 

minutes of the game. winning to stay on top.” 

“I was getting worried Reid explained his own 

because we weren’t behind ideas about the team’s 

by that much but in the last rankings. 

minutes of the game I could “The ranking are where 

see things started to click they’re are supposed to 

on the field,” Gutierrez be,” Reid said. “We worked 

said. “Next thing I know hard enough to earn and to 

we won.” 

keep it high, we will keep 

The second winning game winning.” 

of the season was against Other players might have 

Cathedral at El Paso High their own thoughts about 

School where the Eagles the rankings. 

trounced the fighting Irish “I think it is awesome we 

62-6. 

are ranked so high,” Norris 

“The Cathedral game just said. “We are a good team 

RICHARD DEVAL/EAGLE EYE 

Drew Norris runs into the endzone for a touchdown duing the team’s first home game against Chapin. The Eagles won the game 34-30 after a late 

surge put the team ahead. The team is 4-0 going into week six. 

and we deserve it, to keep 

it that high we just have to 

become undefeated.” 

Students rush to join new wrestling team 

Story by Daniel Orrantia 

Eagle Eye Reporter 

he wrestling team 

T is one of the many 

new programs being 

offered for the first 

time to athletes. 

Many students are taking 

part in this new sport 

and have taken interest 

in both the boys and girls 

wrestling team. Carlos 

Saucedo will coach both 

teams. Practice starts during 

fourth period. They 

mainly do cardio but also 

lift so they can get their 

bodies in shape. 

The season starts Nov. 12 

and the athletes are gearing 

up. 

”It’ll be excellent this 

year because of my senior 

year keeping me busy and 

since football will finish 

it will give me another 

reason to look forward 

for school,” senior Issac 

Lopez said. “What also 

excites many students is 

that finally we get to hurt 

people with out getting in 

trouble and with out wearing 

protective gear.” 

For some students, the 

season started when school 

started on Aug. 27. Some 

have never wrestled. 

“I expect to give 110% in 

wrestling but at the same 

time have fun wrestling,” 

Lopez said. 

For some the challenge 

may be in facing stronger 

opponents. 

“It will be also a challenge 

this year because of 

the fact that you’re going 

to go up against people 

that are the same weight 

but also might be stronger 

and more athletic,” senior 

Veronica Sambrano said. 

Sambrano said the team 

also helps her socially. 

“It also helps me to get 

to be out going and try to 

meet other people from 

different schools so I can 

be more out going,” she 

said. 

RUBEN GOMEZ/EAGLE EYE 

Wrestling is a new sport being offered at school. Wrestlers Steven Fierro 

and Steven Abriz practice the single leg take down after school. 

This year will give many 

students an opportunity to 

show what they can really 

do and also get people to 

try something new. 

“Wrestling won’t be 

easy for me since I will 

have to get in shape 

though I haven’t played 

sports in 3 years,” Sambrano 

said. “It will be 

tough.” 

Students get option of tennis in new schedule 

Story by Enrique Gallegos 

Eagle Eye Reporter 

T 

ennis is one of several 

new sports at the high 

school level this year 

that provides students with a 

new challenge. 

“I think tennis is one of the 

greatest up tempo sports ever 

played and truly has a special 

feeling,” junior Daniel Rosales 

said. 

While some students joined 

Some football Coaches 

have their own thought 

about the beginning of the 

tennis for fun, others would 

just rather play the sport and 

stay in shape. 

“In my opinion tennis is a fun 

sport that keeps you active and 

in shape,” sophomore Leandra 

Sanchez said. 

For some students the tennis 

class is better for them because 

it can be an alternative 

to taking the physical education 

class. 

“I’m glad tennis is offered 

season. 

“The best part of the season 

so far is watching how 

this year because it is another 

option to receive a P.E. credit,” 

junior Jesus Jimenez said. “I 

think it’s fun, and I really enjoy 

it.” 

Even though the students 

may have fun in tennis, it can 

be a challenging sport that students 

need to work hard at. 

“It’s a very fun sport, but its 

also very tough,” senior Maria 

Jordan said. “You have to be 

conditioning constantly, be- 

the team come together as 

group and win, “ football 

coach Fiacro Ramirez said. 

cause when you get in shape it 

allows you to be better tennis 

player.” 

Tennis isn’t just fun and 

games, students actually do 

have to try hard and put forward 

their best. 

“Tennis being the new sport 

made me think that it was going 

to be easy,” senior Alexandria 

Tidwell said. “But its 

actually very challenging both 

physically and mentally.”

Outlet mall opens Oct. 11 - Canutillo Independent School District

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