WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE

The Challenge strives to maintain the highest level of journalistic standards including sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy and fairness.
This publication serves as a forum for student opinion and strives to cover events and issues of importance to students at Thunderbird High School. We publish six issues per year- the next issue date is Oct. 2.

We encourage readers to submit suggestions, congratulations and letters to the editor through the front office. Letters must include name, phone, but can be held upon request.

What is new with the Challenge Staff-

Sharyn Tom has been declared a National Winner in the American Society of Newspaper Editors/Quill and Scroll 2009 International Writing and Photo Contest. The winning entry was a feature story entitled "Stealthy Cheating."   As a national winner, she won up to a $1500 scholarship. Her entry was one of 26  that won from a field of 367 stories from across the nation. Every year there are usually only no more than two winners from the entire state of Arizona.


Talisa Timms, the new Editor-in-Chief of The Challenge, and Sharyn Tom, Business Manager,  have  been selected to the  Arizona State University Walter Cronkite High School Journalism Workshop. This is a very prestigious honor with students applying from across the country with only 35 students being selected. Talisa was selected for the Broadcast Journalism portion of the workshop while Sharyn will participate in the print portion. For two weeks every summer, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication brings high school students to ASU for intensive, hands-on experiences in broadcast and print journalism, all expenses paid. The institute is  designed to prepare students for college journalism studies and give them an opportunity to explore career options.


The following students won awards from the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association Spring Convention April 19.
The contest was for the first three issues of the school year.

Vaughn Hillyard- Excellent for December front page design (Saulo Morris)
Vaughn Hillyard and Daniel Tehran- Excellent for November double truck (focus on elections)
Vaughn Hillyard- Excellent for news story on EOP Change
Sharyn Tom- Excellent for Thinspirational Editorial
Sharyn Tom- Honorable Mention for Stealthy Cheating Story
Sharyn Tom and Amanda Gilmore- Excellent for December Double Truck design (focus on economy)
Bradford Ellington- Excellent for McCain First Editorial
Katie Tamboer- Honorable Mention for original artwork of Barack and Roll and McCain First


Also, Talisa Timms, Sharyn Tom, and Katie Tamboer will be honored at the Arizona Press Women's luncheon in May for winning awards for stories and or artwork.


And finally, 10 staffers of The Challenge participated in Journalism Night at the Phoenix Suns game on April 15 against the Golden State Warriors. Students had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session with top Phoenix Suns public relations executives to learn about career opportunities  and how to interview sports celebrities. Then the students sat courtside and watched the preview practice followed by watching the Suns game with an all you can eat ticket.

The Challenge, a Columbia Scholastic Press Association gold medalist publication, is produced by the journalism students at Thunderbird High School.

Advertisers may contact us at 623-915-8900 ext 7117 or 7118.

Future students who are interested in writing for the newspaper should contact editor Vaughn Hillyard or advisor Sheri Siwek. Students must have a passion for writing, interviewing, page design, photography and working as a team. This class is also for you if you can meet deadlines and enjoy working in a fun fast paced atmosphere. The newspaper class could be the best class you ever take at this school.

Editorial Board-2009-2010

Editor-Talisa Timms

Business Manager-Sharyn Tom

Managing Editor/Feature Editor-Amanda Gilmore

Photo Editor- Jaimee Krauss

Sports Editor- Cristina Tehran

Entertainment Editor-Teresa Hauer