1. The biggest time gap in Russia is SEVEN hours.
2. There are no high schools in Russia. All kids from the first to eleventh (senior) grade attend the same school.
3. Schoolchildren in Russia may not choose subjects to learn. We learn a lot of them (about 15), but we don’t have the same schedule every day.
4. September 1st is the first school day for every single school in Russia.
5. You can only drive at the age of 18 in Russia.
6. You can watch a lot of American movies and TV shows on Russian TV. All of them are translated to Russian. It’s fun to watch Terminator or House speaking Russian!
7. American music is popular in Russia too. We also have these huge crowds of Justin Bieber fans (yeah!)
8. The life in big Russian cities sometimes looks like life in American cities. People eat in McDonalds, drink coffee in Starbucks and shop in Target.
9. In the towns people usually walk to places or use the public transportation: buses, trolleybuses or the subway. Some families do not even have cars.
10. There are a lot of small corner shops in Russia. You only need to walk for a couple of minutes to buy food. Parents start sending their kids to go shopping at the age of 10-12.
11. It’s really cold in Russia! In winter the temperature drops to under 0°F. Your winter in Arizona is our summer.
12. Most people in Russia live in apartments rather than in separate houses. Apartments usually consist of 3-4 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.
13. Russians drink a lot of hot tea. Sometimes, they put lemon and sugar into it.
14. In Russian movie theaters, when you buy a ticket, your seat is written on it and you cannot change it.
15. «Хорошего дня!» (horoshego dnya) means “Have a good day” in Russian.

Хорошего дня!

Desert Hills High School is pleased to announce an exciting college scholarship opportunity, “The Leona Promise,” available to our students!

Desert Hills is offering a $1,000 annual college scholarship to any student attending DHHS for four years. This scholarship, renewable for four years up to a maximum amount of $4,000, is open to any qualifying students who graduate from Desert Hills and attend an approved post-secondary program, four-year college or university. Students must be continuously enrolled at Desert Hills High School from 9^th through 12^th grades.

For more information on this scholarship opportunity and qualification requirements, contact the DHHS front office at 480-813-1151.

Sylvester is mean to the nth degree – she is constantly out to ruin Schuster and the glee club who have taken away funding from her first place cheerleading squad. Lynch portrays her character in such a way that her sarcastic, evil and somewhat odd dialogue comes off as cruel, but at the same time completely and utterly hilarious. Lynch quite literally masters the art of sarcasm and sardonic remarks in the role of Sue Sylvester.

The story line of Glee has many twists and while it is a comedy, it also has a dramatic flair to it. This leads me to classify it as a “dramedy.” The show as a whole is sometimes a little bit too over the top to be a believable high school experience, but then again, it is basically a prolonged musical. It definitely has a Broadway feel to it. In fact, one of the main characters, Rachel Berry, is played by real life Broadway star Lea Michele. Her character is the over-achieving, over the top diva of the group whose egotistical nature often drives the other glee club members mad. Although, there is no doubt that Michele is incredibly talented. Along with her costars, Lea has made many Glee songs into smash hits on Itunes.

The show has created a frenzy. The fans faithfully identify themselves as “gleeks”. But what exactly is the appeal of a story about a high school glee club? I think it is the fact that it is different than anything on television these days. The concept of a musical television show is completely unique. Also, music can sometimes speak to people more effectively than anything else, especially when it is sung by a vocally inclined cast such as the one that Glee boasts.

They cover a wide variety of music, every genre from rock ‘n roll to gospel. Glee is a pop culture phenomenon in the making. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be entertained with good music and a good laugh. And yes, I’ll admit it. I am definitely a gleek.

When you can see undergarments, or have to hold your pants up when you walk, your pants are too low. Now I understand what you are thinking. I have only presented a problem, but no solution. Well my dear people, the solution is simple. PULL UP YOUR PANTS!

They have these inventions for helping aid in the proper pant ride height. They are called belts and suspenders. I believe that if you are at school and your pants are too low, you should be required to wear a pair of suspenders until the end of the school day. If this rule is enforced at school then maybe, just maybe, we can encourage youths to keep their pants at the height that they are designed to be.

The DHHS Green House, built in conjunction with Glendale Community College and other sponsors, is being established as an addition to Desert Hills’ Land Lab and will be operated by the school’s Department of Science and Agriculture and FFA program.

The grand opening was a family event, and featured pumpkin carving, face painting, a pie eating contest, a petting zoo and pony and hay rides.

For more information, contact the Desert Hills front office, at 480-813-1151.

It may be surprising to learn that “honor killings” are not uncommon in the United States. But first, what do they mean by an “honor killing?” In Iraq, and many other Middle Eastern countries, it is acceptable for fathers to kill their daughters, or husbands to kill their wives, if they feel that the women are disgracing the family’s honor. In the case of Noor Almaleki, her father felt she was becoming too “westernized,” or too “American” – a typical rebellious teenager. Friends of Noor insist that she rarely spoke of her dreaded home life, but they knew she was not happy with her overbearing father. She struggled with her strict family’s traditions.

It must have been difficult for Noor to be surrounded by peers who lived carefree, American teenage lives while she was limited to stiff traditions. We here in the United States sometimes fail to realize the enormous blessings that we are bestowed with through our freedom. It is stories like Noor Almaleki’s that should remind us to count our blessings.

Coach Aimee, or Amanda Lorenzo, is in her first year as Head Coach of the DHHS Volleyball Teams. This is her second year working with the Cougar players, and in that time she has developed a strong rapport with the athletes who make up the Varsity and JV teams.

“She’s a great coach,” says Michelle Tawney, a member of the JV squad. “She makes everything fun, but at the same time she pushes us to be a better team.”

And while she is passionate about coaching Cougar volleyball, Coach Aimee also has a number of other interests and goals. She currently is studying at PIMA Institute to become an EMT/MediVac professional, and eventually would like to work as a geriatric specialist.

Coach Aimee is not only a volleyball fan, but a follower of football and baseball, as well – and in particular, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Dallas Cowboys. She’s also enjoys watching a sad movie now and then, and counts as her favorites “Titanic,” “The Blind Side” and “The Notebook.”

Her favorite place is Hawaii – she lived there for several years – and someday she would like to travel to Greece, as well as attend a game in Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Above all, she is devoted to her volleyball players, and wants them to learn as much as they can from the game while still having a great experience.

“World of Warcraft,” now in its sixth year, is an adventure game that requires you to play a character of your choosing and level it from 1-80. It’s a long process, but it is all kinds of fun. “World of Warcraft”’s many different character-class combinations are what make this MMO computer game worth trying.

You can choose between 10 different races, such as: Human, Dwarfs, or Elves, and from 10 different classes, including: Shaman, Hunter and Death Knight. Even though W.O.W is addicting and very time consuming, it makes up for it in interesting game play. With all of the different quest lines and people you meet, it is hard to be bored when you are a first time player.

With fun and excitement come consequences, however, and while playing W.O.W you will also encounter some problems. One such problem comes as a result of the game’s socially based game play. Because the game is so socially interactive, it will bring out the meanness in your fellow players. Players will encounter some people that are jealous of their playing abilities and others who will be downright horrible in their attitudes.

One thing I like about “World of Warcraft” is the history and background of all of the characters. This game was very well thought out and prepared before being released to the public. With every quest you complete comes a story that explains why it is there. With every character that you talk to – from Thrall, the leader of the Horde, to the leaders of the alliance races—there is a background for you to uncover. It is an interesting journey that only gets better and better as your character advances. Once you level a character to 80, there are endless possibilities on what you can do. This is not the kind of game that you can just beat and be done with. There is much more that you can do. You can join a guild, run raids and dungeons, and even get rewards for completing unique achievements. World of Warcraft is a very fun and interesting past time with its wonderful graphics and exciting scenery. For these reasons, I rate this game an A-.

Becky Almeida, a 2004 DHHS graduate, has been serving with the U.S. Army for three years, and is currently stationed with her husband outside of Kabul, Afghanistan.

In the spring, Becky contacted Desert Hills Business Instructor Jaci Jones, explaining that she needed help supplying sports equipment to children in the Kabul region.

“We are working out of Bagram Air Field, which is the main American base,” she wrote. “While working at one of the hospital gates, my husband saw the conditions the kids were playing in and noticed that they could use some help with their soccer field.”

The couple worked with the Desert Hills FBLA chapter to raise money to buy soccer balls and other equipment for the children in an area adjacent to Bagram Field.

“I have met some amazing Afghanis,” wrote Almeida. “One elder almost brought me to tears when he thanked me for being here and said it’s because of us that the Taliban have left his village.”

“Also, the children here are so smart,” she wrote. “A lot of them speak English nearly fluently and can read and write in four languages. Needless to say, I’d love to get this project together and at least give these kids something as simple as a decent soccer field.”

To make this project happen, the DHHS Future Business Leaders of America chapter coordinated a school fundraiser in order to pay for the soccer equipment, in coordination with Soccer Shack and Sports in Gilbert.

“Working with a former student  on this project really helps to personalize the struggle in Afghanistan for our current students,” said  FBLA advisor Jones. “It’s important for the teenagers in our country to realize what’s going on over there, and to have a chance to be involved in a effort like this is invaluable.”

For more information on this project, contact the Desert Hills school office at 480-813-1151.