The Student News Site of Thunderbird High School

The Challenge
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Entire Thunderbird Cast and Crew for Little Woman, the Broadway Musical
Thunderbird Theatre at Gammage!
The Ren Fair: A Mask and Dagger Experience
Family photo of the Choc family before their disappearance. Anthony Garcia Choc (left), Aurelia Choc Cac (middle), and Niurka Zuleta Choc (right). Credits to FBI Most Wanted.
Missing Persons: Lost but Not Forgotten
Flood in Hawaii, caused by the Wahiawā Dam, from PBS news.
Hawaii’s flood: Wahiawa Dam
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Credits to THS yearbook
Softball Successes
Phoenix Recycle and Waste Bins, courtesy of Fox 10 Phoenix
Trash Fees Have Been Approved to Increase for Phoenix Residents
Photo of the 1969 draft lottery. Credit to Wile E. Heresiarch on Wikimedia Commons.
The Rise in Draft Age
+ D4vd (main) and Celeste Rivas (inset). (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; LAPD) nydailynews
Singer D4vd is charged with first-degree murder due to the death of a teenage girl
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Phoenix Faces New Scorching Temperatures; Will This Summer Be Hotter Than Last?
Entire Thunderbird Cast and Crew for Little Woman, the Broadway Musical
Thunderbird Theatre at Gammage!
The Ren Fair: A Mask and Dagger Experience
Credits to THS yearbook
Softball Successes
Credits to THS NJROTC
THS at the Regional Brain Brawl
Family photo of the Choc family before their disappearance. Anthony Garcia Choc (left), Aurelia Choc Cac (middle), and Niurka Zuleta Choc (right). Credits to FBI Most Wanted.
Missing Persons: Lost but Not Forgotten
Flood in Hawaii, caused by the Wahiawā Dam, from PBS news.
Hawaii’s flood: Wahiawa Dam
Phoenix Recycle and Waste Bins, courtesy of Fox 10 Phoenix
Trash Fees Have Been Approved to Increase for Phoenix Residents
Photo of the 1969 draft lottery. Credit to Wile E. Heresiarch on Wikimedia Commons.
The Rise in Draft Age
+ D4vd (main) and Celeste Rivas (inset). (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; LAPD) nydailynews
Singer D4vd is charged with first-degree murder due to the death of a teenage girl
Credits to THS yearbook
Softball Successes
Thunderbird baseball gathered in center field during a game.
Thunderbird Baseball: The New Beginning
A Titan swimmer competes in a swim meet. Picture courtesy of THS Yearbook.
Swim and Dive Season Is Splashing In!
Hayven Lick signs her commitment to Park University
Hayven Lick Commits to Park University
Photo courtesy of THS Yearbook
Cheer Tryout Information
Left, Erika Kirk is seen during an appearance on "Hannity" at Fox News Channel Studios in New York City on December 8, 2025. Right, Druski attends the launch of Fanatics Studios www.msn.com
The impact of Druski mocking Erika Kirk through skits
Photo courtesy of Pixabay https://www.pexels.com/photo/super-mario-and-yoshi-plastic-figure-163077/
Mario super jumps! But can it stick the landing?
Project Hail Mary serves as a message to future generations, urging them to make an impact and change the world. Originally published as a book in 2021 and awarded the Goodreads Best Science Fiction Award, the story follows an unknown alien microbe called “astrophage” that has been discovered to be eating the sun. In 30 years, all life on Earth would go extinct. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), the protagonist, goes on a mission to save the stars and prevent the sun from being eaten. Along the way, he meets a mysterious lifeform that could help him. “When I’m older, I want to become an astronaut” is a common aspiration among many people at a young age, but as they get older, their dream of becoming an astronaut often subsides. According to a survey cited in the BBC’s Sky At Night Magazine, 14 percent of people globally want to work in the space industry, showing that although being an astronaut is a common dream in youth, it rarely ever becomes a reality. As someone who has always been fascinated by space, I never considered a career in it, thinking it was too hard. However, watching Project Hail Mary changed my perspective entirely, and I believe it might have influenced many others as well. “As humans, our paths to our desires and dreams are shaped by our imaginations, perceptions, and impressions,” according to Aerospace American. The film showcases various elements that could inspire the younger generation to pursue involvement in the space industry, including its cinematography, character growth, struggles, and the depiction of life beyond Earth and a whole new world. “After seeing this movie, it gave me an unsaid motivation to make an everlasting impact on the world, especially in the space industry,” said Carter Madsen, junior. For the coming generation, it is easy to believe that making a global impact or working in the space industry is impossible, but as Madsen said, watching this movie changes this mindset. Grace's character growth plays a big part in this, as he is prompted to go into space without any astronaut experience, showing that any ordinary person, whether or not they believe in their potential, can seize the opportunity to do something great. Project Hail Mary doesn’t just tell a story about saving the sun; it shows how a person's courage and curiosity can ultimately shape the world’s future. If you’ve ever briefly dreamed of space, science, or making a difference, Project Hail Mary is worth watching. It may not turn you into an astronaut overnight, but it could be the spark or motivation that pushes you to reach that dream and make a change. In the end, Project Hail Mary is more than entertainment; it is a call to action, leaving viewers with one question: what kind of impact will you make on the world?
Project Hail Mary and Its Potential Generational Impact
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment; acquired from xbox.com. The image shows heroes Domina, top left; Vendetta, left middle; Emre, bottom left; Winston, top right; Jetpack Cat, far right middle; Anran, middle right; and Mizuki, bottom right.
What Triggered The Resurgence of Overwatch?
All credits to HYBE and Belift Entertainment.
Arirang: BTS’s return
Left, Erika Kirk is seen during an appearance on "Hannity" at Fox News Channel Studios in New York City on December 8, 2025. Right, Druski attends the launch of Fanatics Studios www.msn.com
The impact of Druski mocking Erika Kirk through skits
Photo courtesy of Pixabay https://www.pexels.com/photo/super-mario-and-yoshi-plastic-figure-163077/
Mario super jumps! But can it stick the landing?
All credits to HYBE and Belift Entertainment.
Arirang: BTS’s return
Erica Kirk and Nicki Minaj speaking together at AmericaFest. Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore
Nicki Minaj: The Face of Many Controversies
Image taken by Casey S
Thunderbirds musical: Little women
Spider-Man: Brand New Day poster. Credits to Columbia Pictures
Spider-Man: The Past and Present
SoundSphere Scream 7 Movie Flyer
Scream 7 Review
Image taken by Casey S
Thunderbirds musical: Little women
Photograph by Kathryn Riley / Getty
Did Bad Bunny’s Performance Lead to Fans´ Expectations?
Jesse Pinkman (left) and Walter White (right), photo courtesy of HD wallpapers
Why Breaking Bad Remains One of Television’s Greatest Series
Photo courtesy of Amanda Edwards
Better Call Saul: A Story That’s All Good, Man
Erica Kirk and Nicki Minaj speaking together at AmericaFest. Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore
Nicki Minaj: The Face of Many Controversies
Photograph by Kathryn Riley / Getty
Did Bad Bunny’s Performance Lead to Fans´ Expectations?
Jesse Pinkman (left) and Walter White (right), photo courtesy of HD wallpapers
Why Breaking Bad Remains One of Television’s Greatest Series
All credits to Mob Entertainment
Playtime Co.: A Complete Descent
Best Pet Results
Common Pets (license | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
What’s the Best Pet?
It's a picture of the word "survey"!
SURVEYS!
Wordle 4/23
Photo courtesy of Rancho Mirage Florist
Sunflower
Photo courtesy of Rancho Mirage Florist
Sunflower
(Picture by Anabelle Ambs) Bryan Stevenson dedicated his life to advocating for the lives of the incarcerated on death row. Because of this, Stevenson is heavily respected as a defense attorney
Bryan Stevenson’s Extraordinary Events
Pajama Day is a Spirit Week Discrepancy
Pajama Day is a Spirit Week Discrepancy
Are Video Game Movie Adaptations Any Good?
Are Video Game Movie Adaptations Any Good?
AEW Dynasty Poster - Credit: All Elite Wrestling
AEW Dynasty Review
Exciting upcoming movies students are looking forward to in 2024
Exciting upcoming movies students are looking forward to in 2024

The Challenge

The Challenge
Lily Backus

Lily Backus, Editor

Lily is a sophomore at Thunderbird High School this year. She’s a second-year journalist, first-year editor, and head of the Photography Department for the Newspaper Club. Lily is also a member of the Writers Guild, Masque & Dagger Theater Club, Club Soda, and serves as the Historian in CTE leadership for Stagecraft. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, listening to music, and documenting her life through writing, videos, and photos.

All content by Lily Backus
Load More Stories