Arizona Daily Sun from Flagstaff, Arizona • 21

SUNDAY Apnl 22 2007 Page C3 LU ARIZONA DAILY SUN CONTACT US: Chelsea DeWeese, education reporter phone: 556-2250 e-mail- cdeweeseazdailysun.com Students honor positive influences ANTHONY HUNSAKER, 14, SKATES with his father, Jason Moore Fnday afternoon. wrote an essay about his father that was one of the middle school winners in the 2007 Assets in Action essay wnbng contest Jill Torrance An-zona Daily Sun To order this photo, go to http photos azdailysun com AND THE WINNERS ARE Assets in Action 2007 Essay Writing Contest Winners, from first to third place. Elementary School Winners Kole Thompson, DeMiguel Elementary School, How My Mom Made a Difference in My Life. Sarah Bosch, DeMiguel Elementary School, My Mom and Her Four Amazing Qualities." Nat Bransky, DeMiguel Elementary School A Good Fnend. Middle School Winners David Scandura, Flagstaff Middle School, Its a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock Roll" Anthony Hunsaker, Flagstaff Middle School, "Hes There For Me.

Sterling Cinnamon, Flagstaff Middle School, My Fnend, My Guidance, My Cousin. High School Winners Jasmine Riley, Coconino High School, Assets in Action. Jessica Foster, Coconino High School, You Make Your Own Happiness." Chnstiana Cosper, Coconino High School, The One Who Brought Me Back From the Edge By DAILY SUN STAFF Nearly 70 individuals gathered in the Coconino High School auditorium on Tuesday to applaud this years Assets in Action essay contest winners. The contest is an annual affair in Flagstaff Unified School District. Winners were announced in three categories: High School, Middle School and Elementary School.

Those students then read their winning essays to audience members, including people who they featured. The 2007 Assets in Action Essay Writing Contest included and essay prompt that asked students to a one- to two-page essay on someone whos been a positive influence in their life. Student essays focused on the 40 Developmental Assets identified by research group Search Institute that are credited with enabling youth to grow into healthy, caring, and responsible adults. Judging focused on essay content, clarity and cleanliness. This is the first year all three school levels participated; The contest now includes sixth-, eighth- and ninth-grade students, where only high school students participated last year.

First-place winners were awarded a $75 gift certificate to Kohls Department Store. Second- and third-place winners were awarded $50 and $25 gift certificates, respectively. Finally, those students earning honorable mention with their essay entries earned $10 gift certificates to Bookmans Entertainment Exchange. Gretchen Markiewicz, an event coordinator, expressed satisfaction in this yearsAssets in Action turn out in terms of student essays, which numbered close to 200. She said the essay contest is a good means of introducing the developmental assets to teachers, students and to the Flagstaff community at large.

Building positive relationships is every bit as important as academic rigor, Markiewicz wrote in an e-mail. How wonderful to be able to do both through this writing contest. First-place essays from this years contest are as follows: Slight grammatical corrections have been made by Arizona Daily Sun staff. HOW MY MOM MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE Bv KOIiE THOMPSON When I was little. I used to have behavior and anger problems, but my mom was always there for me Every bme I got hurt I would be crying but when my mom was with me I would feel better Sometimes I say I hate somebody because I am mad at them, but mom tells me I dont really hate them She said I just say that because I am mad and I dont mean it She said its OK to be mad I just have to be careful how I act on it She always knows what to say to me to make me feel good about myself Ever since I started going to school, I've had a hard bme I would get easily upset and frustrated My mom was always there to support me She supported me by talking to my teachers She got me a counselor so I could have someone to talk to Even though I would get veiy upset and mad or throw a fit she loves me She would always tell me, No matter what, I will always love you She told me that how I react is a choice I have to accept my responsibility in my behavior in certain situabons Every day after school she would help me with my homework even if she gets impatient Sometimes I forget to bnng my homework and she gets a little mad Then she calms down and then helps me with the rest of my homework She is very involved in my school and all my activities, especially soccer One of the things my mom tells me is to have an education She tells me to do the best I can in school Because of my mom's constant support I enjoy going to school now and have lots of fun and turn in my homework on bme She always tells me to care for everyone She said not everyone is as lucky as we are I always try to think of others less fortunate than myself Another thing she has told me is to always tell the truth She said if I lie the consequence is always worse than if I had just told the truth She has told me to watch what I say Words can be very hurtful to people so I try to think before I say anything Sometimes that is veiy hard especially if I am mad or if someone hurt my feelings first These are just some of the reasons that my mom has made a difference in my life I know that if it weren't for her support and her love who knows where I would be nght now I hope to be as good a parent to my kids as my mom has been to me ITS A LONG WAY TO THE TOP IF YOU WANNA ROCK ROLL By DAVID SCANDUTU Twang i A sweat-drenched man weanng black hits a heavy power chord on his Jackson King Thousands of screaming fans howl delight1 Rockets shoot up from the stage as the lights come up, and the conceit begins! 20 LearningBriefs Clasnocyn Emets School spotlight Mountain Schools kindergarten to sixth-grade classes raised approximately $1,058 for The Leukemia Lymphoma Society during a three-week fundraiser.

The first-grade class won Grand Prize for its efforts by collecting nearly $290. They will receive a free luncheon provided by Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Northern Arizona Universitys Denver Hospodarsky, associate professor in the School of Forestry, recently received the Forester of the Year award by the Southwestern Chapter of the Society of American Foresters. The award recognizes Hospodarskys work with the NAU student chapter of the Society of American Foresters, and his efforts to increase membership in the society's Southwestern section, which covers Arizona and New Mexico. Northern Arizona Universitys Jim Mead, geology professor and director of quaternary sciences, and Richard Quartaroli, Cline Library Special Collections Librarian, were consultants and talking heads on Inside Grand Canyon National Park, which premiered on the Travel Channel April 15.

Northern Arizona University's Employee Assistance and Wellness office has been named as a 2007 recipient of The Process, Progress, and Leadership in Worksite Health Promotion Award from the Wellness Council of Arizona and the National Partnership for Wellness. Director Betsy Kerr and her staff will be recognized at the councils annual meeting on April 26 in Tucson. Flagstaff High Schools Robert Edel, a senior, attended Scholarship Day held at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, in February. Each of the students attending the days activities recieved an academic scholarship to Waldorf College. Students were invited based on academic performance.

NAU WILD Ventures now enrolling A series of weeklong day camps for 13 to 15-year-old youths will be offered this summer through NAU Campus Recreation to help students develop their social, leadership, environmental awareness and technical skills through adventure programming. The Wilderness Initiative Leadership Development Ventures program, or WILD Ventures for short, is a series of three weekly adventure-based day camps and a guided river trip along the San Juan River. WILD Ventures is open to the pubbc. The cost for each one-week camp is $200 for NAU students, $225 for NAU faculty and staff, and $250 for the public. The cost for the river trip is $450 for NAU students, $475 for NAU faculty and staff, and $500 for the pubbc.

Program dates are: July 16-20 Backpacking and Cooking July 23-2fv Outdoor Living and Survival Skills July 30- August 3 Mountain Biking August 9-12 San Juan River Rafting Guide Trip For more information, visit www.nau.edu. become responsible teens When my fnends and I started to hang out with Victor, I nobced not only significant changes in myself, but also in fnends around me Victors encouragement helped one of my best fnends even to quit smoking1 My fnends and I no longer use foul language, dnnk, or smoke We have all expenenced many fun and social bmes without all of the unhealthy habits Victor is also a competent influence by helping people that are in need Second, Victor validates the asset of equality and social jusbce Victor has visited the Philippines (one of the poorest place on earth and aided starving homeless children on the streets Even at his age, Victor is a rooferconstmction worker, and is planning a tnp to Afnca with his dad to build and repair homeless shelters He does all of these things willingly, asking for nothing in return Victor doesnt only help people who are much less fortunate than him, but also the fnends and peers all around Thud, is the welkJemonsbated asset of canng Victor exposes encouraging care to everyone he meets and helps them out in any way he can I had surgery done on my foot and had to show 4-H animals in the Coconino County Fair He helped me to care for not only my animals, but also others animals In addition, Victor has helped my family paint my home, rejecbng any and all money we offered him I used to have many fights with my siblings and did not get along with them Victor nobced this of couise, and conveyed critical advice I no longer have any family complicabons In conclusion, Victo' has changed my life for the better in numerous ways He not only does this by helping me with problems, but also showing me the way that he lives and enjoys life Victor is an imposing influence, helps the ones in need, and cares for everyone I feel very lucky to have met this unique fnend in Flagstaff at the NAU duBois Ballroom. Area middle and high school students will participate dunng the day and the event will be open to the public on Monday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. to allow all ages to take part. Admission into the Teen Maze is free and parents are encouraged to attend with then children during the open hours.

The Teen Maze is a literal life-size maze of hands-on, interactive activities representing vanous types of lifes challenges. As participants enter the maze, they are met with actors and facilitators who will guide them through mock situations with props and visual aids. These mock situations will illustrate how choices made today can lead to rewarding or difficult consequences later on. Focus areas for the Flagstaff maze include Responsible Sexual Behavior, Physical Activity and Nutrition, Substance Abuse, Peer Violence Prevention, Injury Prevention Safe Driving, and 40 Developmental Assets. For more information, call Coconino County Health Department at 522-7816.

Sondra Francis at Coconino Community College, located at 2800 Lone Tree Rd in Flagstaff YOUTHFEST: A CELEBRATION OF NORTHERN ARIZONA'S CHILDREN. From 6pm to 9 30 Join Northland Family Help Center at Hentage Square in a celebratory event in recognition of youth Many live performances will take place, including local musicians, dancers, poets, media presentation and fire spinners Youthfest is free and open to everyone and will take place For more information call 223-4309 or visit www noithlandfamily org FABULOUS FJA. At 6 Join the Rag-staff Junior Academy middle school rock band as they open for the Youth Against Domestic Violence Program at Hentage Square Part of Youthfest For more information call 223-4309 or visit www noithlandfamily org pack My dad and I immediately set up lessons with Mr Cumer At my first lesson he taught me how to read guitar tabs, what notes the stnngs were, and a few basic chords From those chords, he taught me a portion of the nff from one of my favonte songs Back in Black by ACDC Over the next few weeks, I learned a few more chords and a few songs After a while, I stopped doing lessons with my teacher and began at Keyboard and Guitar City, with a professional instructor But I never forgot what Mr Cumer taught me The lessons I learned have helped me come where I am today in music Music is now the largest part of my personality Mr Cumer is part of what began my life in the world of the six-stnng I hope that what he has taught me will help me achieve my rock star dream And in the words of AC DC, until then Ill be dreaming of Ridm' down the highway, goin' to a show Stop in all the byways, playin rock 'n' roll Well it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll Yeah, its a long way to the top if you wanna rock roll ASSETS IN ACTION By JASMINE RILEY Have you ever had a fnend so great that they actually cared about how your life turned out? There is one person in particular that has made a positive Impact on my life Victor is one of my closest friends and holds many important assets in life Three of the many assets that he bnngs forward include posibve peer influence, equality and social jusbce, and canng First Victor demonstrates the asset of posibve peer influence He utilizes posibve pressureon his fnends to help them portunities to military careers will be present. The Teen Joti Fair is free of charge and will introduce teens to organizations such as CCC, Nestle Purina, the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County and AmeriCorps. In addition, retail establishments, maintenance companies and restaurants are expected to attend.

The fair is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Mountain Line buses will be offering teens a free ride to the campus. For more information, call 522-7900 or visit www.coconino.eduteen-jobfair Employers may register online at the Web site. NAU to host Coconino County Teen Maze Area teens will once again get a first-hand look at how the choices they make can affect their lives during the fifth annual Coconino County Health Department Flagstaff Teen Maze. The Teen Maze will be held Monday through Wednesday ematics and Statistics as they host the second annual Mathemabcs Contest for seventh- and eighth-grade students The contest will consist of a team relay event, a multiple choice test to be taken individually and a College Bowl with one team of four from each school The event is free and open to the public For more Information call 523-6894 or visit oak ucc nau eduald4ccmc htm Friday FLAGSTAFF ARTS A LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE.

From 9 a to 11am tour FALA Also, a quesbon-and-answer session with FALA Director Kirk Quitter and the FALA Student Council will take place Space Is limited Call 779-7223 to register PALETTE TO PALATE From 5 to 8 Join artists Suzanne Botello and This is a dream I have had ever since I was a young boy, at about the age of seven Though countless hours of aft guitar, power slides, and lip-syncing in front of the bathroom mirror were a part of my daily pracbce roubne, I never actually learned guitar unbl very recently This happened with the help of my sixth-grade science teacher in Phoenix, Mr Cumer My first guitar was a small acousbc that I never learned to play Eventually, we sold it I didnt want to go through scales and arpeggios, I instantly wanted to be a rock star Finally, about five years later, I became interested in forming a rock band. I wrote lyrics, designed album coveis, named the band, and pretty much everything except playing and wnbng the music I had talked to my science teacher, Mr Cumer, who was famous with the students for his guitar playing, about teaching me to play Mr Cumer thought it would be fun and we just talked about it My dad recommended doing these lessons only for a while, and then I would find a professional teacher But it wasn't unbl I had some other influence that I became senous in my pursuit of rock superstardom Dunng a visit to my fnends house, I learned a simple bass nff his father taught me on his bass guitar We did a quick jam session, with him on guitar and me on his bass After that fateful day, I became dnven to learn to play the axe (a common nickname for the guitar) My dad and I began to think that now would be a good bme to start lessons with Mr Cumer. The only problem was, I needed a guitar While on a tnp with my father to Sam Ash Music, he bought me a guitar starter Tuba City ROTC to compete in Calif. PAGE The PageLake Powell Community Foundation has authorized a $4,000 grant to the Tuba City ROTC program, announced the foundations executive director, Danielle Hancock. The grant will help 32 members of the U.S.

Marine Corps ROTC program at Tuba City participate in a competition in California, Hancock said. The grant request came from Ken Bustamante, and the monies will be drawn from the foundations Navajo Youth Achievement Fund, Hancock said. The grant was announced April 9. Teen Job Fair slated for May 2 Coconino Community College will be holding a teen job fair May 2 at the CCC Lone Tree Campus, located at 2800 S. Lone Tree Road in Flagstaff.

Employers representing interests ranging from volunteer opportunities to training op- Wednesday ENGLISH AS A SECOND UNGUAGE. From 10 a m. to noon This free adult class coveis pracbcal. basic English commumca-bon Students leam language skills and vocabulary while speaking, listening, reading and wnbng Class is held Mondays and Wednesdays For information call Family Resource Center at 774-1103. RESUME a COVER LETTERS ON THE COMPUTER.

From 7pm to 8 Leam how to create resumes and cover letters on the computer Class meets on Tuesday and Wednesday Call Family Resource Center at 774-1103 to sign up Thursday COCONINO COUNTY MATH CONTEST. From 8am to 11 a Join the Northern Anzona University Department of Math AFTER A LONG WEEK of AIMS testing, Flagstaff Middle School students, above, unwound at a student-faculty competition. The event raised funds for the Amencan Cancer Society, Courtesy photos School Events Monday FLAGSTAFF ARTS A LEADERSHIP ACADEMY out for Spnng Holiday ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. From 10 a to noon This free adult class covers pracbcal, basic English commumca-bon. Students leam language skills and vocabulaiy while speaking, listening, reading and wnbng.

Class Is held Mondays and Wednesdays For mformabon call Family Resource Center at 774-1103 COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL BAND PERFORMANCE. From 7pm to 9 Join Coconino High School students for some live music at the CHS Auditonum, located at 2801 Izabel in east Flagstaff The event is free of charge and Is open to the public For more information call 773-8200. ACTIVE PARENTING CUSS FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN 5-12 YRS OLD. From 6 pm to 7 This workshop combines video, activities and discussion to help parents raise children who are able to resist negative peer pressure This class is for parents of children ages 5 to 12 years old The workshop also demonstrates non-violent discipline techniques and effective encouragement skills Free on-site child care will be provided dunng this workshop This workshop meets every Monday in Apnl and May 7 and 14 Call Family Resource Center at 774-1103 to sign up Tuesday RESUME a COVER LETTERS ON THE COMPUTER. From 7pm to 8 Leam how to create fosumds and cover letters on the computer Class meets on Tuesday and Wednesday Call Family Resource Center at 774-1 103 to sign up.