Eye of the Tiger (Issue 8, Volume 18) by Eye of the Tiger

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PAGE 2 · NEWS

EYE OF THE TIGER ROSEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 1 TIGER WAY ROSEVILLE, CA 95678 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cam Medrano NEWS EDITOR Danielle Bennett FEATURES EDITOR Nicole Khudyakov A&E EDITOR AJ Welker Jackson Young SPORTS EDITOR Elena Bateman ESPAÑOL EDITOR Lizeth Preciado Czarina Monroy PHOTO EDITOR Megan Huber ONLINE EDITOR Jordan Del Valle Tonoian FACULTY ADVISER Bobby Ritter The mission of Eye of the Tiger, a news-gathering organization run by Roseville High School students, is to inform, entertain and serve as a public forum for student expression. We will accomplish our goals by reporting unbiased news while offering student perspectives in our columns and editorials. This includes, but is not limited to, prominent issues, changes and events that have an impact on the students and communities of Roseville High School. We will strive to report with depth, accuracy and timeliness. It is not our goal to sensationalize issues. We do not push moral values or political agendas. Views expressed in the opinion and entertainment sections, columns and letters-to-the-editor are those of the individual author and do not necessarily belong to Eye of the Tiger staff, this publication or Roseville High School. All letters-to-the-editor must be signed and are subject to review by the editorial board before inclusion in the newspaper. We reserve the right to edit submitted work as needed for space limitations and content. Nonattributed editorials reflect the opinion of the staff and must be approved by the editorial board. Eye of the Tiger offers advertising opportunities available in our newspaper, biweekly news broadcasts, livestreams and on our website. For any inquiries or questions, contact our staff at info@eyeofthetigernews.com.

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EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · MARCH 19, 2019

SWIVL: App connects students, teachers CONTINUED FROM FRONT

she learned how to use the device and brought the idea to RHS where the path to use the Swivl began. “When we realized the benefits through the district program, then we decided this is something we would like to try further at Roseville High,” Schmatjen said. Junior and IM3 student Kira Runkle believes the use of Swivl will aid in student achievement now that the risk of falling behind in class will go down and students have the opportunity to catch up on content while still obtaining the class experience. NICOLE KHUDYAKOV EYE OF THE TIGER “I think with being able to go back and watch [class Above, junior Kira Runkle studies in Doug Ash’s (pictured below) IM3 class. Beginning this year, the math department began implementing Swivl devices recordings], my grades in order to improve student learning and collaboration. would definitely improve on tests and quizzes as well,” make us better teachers,” opportunities for collaboraRunkle said. “It’ll allow Schmatjen said. “[If] I am tion and continuity. more growth of all stulooking at strategies from According to Schmatjen, dents.” other teachthe prices of Swivls hinder Stuers and the department’s ability to I think with being they have station one to every classdents won’t be good stratroom. able to go back the only egies to “I don’t know that we will and watch [class people do things, be at all teachers all the time recordings], my feeling the then it’s recording yet, because the effects of grades would defi- just add- equipment is quite expenthe Swivl. to my sive,” Schmatjen said. “But nitely improve on ing Teachers tool box if we can get three or four tests and quizzes o f w h a t teachers working as a team can gain access to as well. It’ll allow will make and have equipment for that each other’s me a betmany teachers at a time, then more growth of all ter teach- we will just probably rotate video lessons, allower.” the equipment through.” students.” LIZZIE PELZMAN EYE OF THE TIGER ing them to Prior While the use of Swivls - Junior Kira Runkle learn from to Swivl, is currently exclusive to IM3 each other teachers classes, the math department Swivl program in hopes frankly, I don’t always come and grow as educators, would often sacrifice a prep aims to implement the deof improving his teaching up with good ideas and which Schmatjen believes period to watch and evaluate vices in other IM classes and skills. when someone does come will help the department the methods of other teachpotentially Pre-Calculus. “I can learn things from up with one I’d like to see it grow overall. ers. Now, learning from IM3 teacher Doug Ash other teachers. There is not go through,” Ash said. “It al“We think this will coworkers will open more is eager to implement the one way to do things and lows me to do things better.”

MARCH 19, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM

NEWS · PAGE 3

BYRD: Promoted extracurricular growth Erin Granucci feels that Byrd was essential in getting the program off the ground. School’s campus as its new“Mr. Byrd is the realy appointed principal, enson why PLTW is here at tering into the position after RHS,” Granucci said. “He his previous time working encouraged us to bring as principal at Monterey PLTW to RHS and allowed Trail High School in Elk us to put our own twist on Grove Unified School Disthe courses. He has always trict. Though he will now been an active participant be returning to Elk Grove and the greatest support to as director of learning and PLTW teachers and stusupport services this month, dents.” in the time he has been at Outside of CTE coursRoseville he has seen RHS es, Byrd set out to help all develop new programs, elective n e w p r o student If it’s going to help g r a m s intervenand exmake this place tions and tracurnew cura better place, riculars riculum. he was on board that alWhen Byrd iniwith it, no matter low students to tially apwhere the idea gain life said. “That’s a human being plied for the came from.” skills for that’s going to take a wellposition at the furounded skill set out in the RHS, he did - Assistant Principal world, and they’re going to so finding Matt Pipitone ture, including do just fine.” that the VA PA One of the greatest chalschool classes, AVID and Peer lenges Byrd feels the school and its history fit his personHelping, believing this is faced during his time at ality, and particularly the key in preparing students RHS was the shift to a new school’s mission statement for the real world. curriculum — to new Com- that ‘working together we This included becommon Core standards, new will prepare every student ing involved in the activistandardized testing and for post-secondary educaties these programs set up. an all new Integrated Math tion.’ Through his time at Starting his first year at system. RHS, Byrd aimed to help RHS, Byrd joined Peer But for Byrd this was a the school live up to that Helping as a speaker for challenge “every school was mission statement and contheir “Got Love?” Spring facing” and one he knew tinue with the practices that assembly, and has joined at RHS was well-equipped to made the school stand out each of the following ever handle. to him in the first place. since. To help out RosTo give extra help with To do this, Byrd set his eville High School’s AVID students who might be focus on supporting proprogram, Byrd went along struggling, Byrd worked grams that develop life with the program to recruit with other RHS staff to deskills, such as CTE courses. new velop the Before coming to RHS, stuR O A R the school sported three dents support CTE programs in Culinary, It’s not exactly a t period stuMedia Productions and midComputer Science. As his the same where dents have d l e between time at RHS draws to an you get to know schools. their first end, RHS has added Project He feels and secLead the Way Biomedical [students] the he wantond period Science and Engineering to same way. And ed to do classes, the list, with Photography everystudying working on becoming one that’s what I’ll thing he otherschools as well. miss the most.” could to that had Byrd worked to bring the build on implementPLTW programs to RHS - Principal David Byrd the proed such inby learning from Antelope grams terventions High School’s functioning t h a t successfully PLTW programs, acquiring are shaping the students of and setting up the period funds from the district, and RHS. within two months. sending interested teachers “Being involved in the For assistant principal to PLTW trainings so they school in some other conMatt Pipitone, this is part of could begin offering them text… that’s a well-roundwhat made Byrd so impactthe 2015-2016 school year. ed human being,” Byrd ful as a principal, even from PLTW Biomed teacher

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

MEGAN HUBER EYE OF THE TIGER

CAM MEDRANO EYE OF THE TIGER

During his tenure at Roseville High School, principal David Byrd promoted the development and growth of elective programs such as Project Lead the Way Biomed and Engineering in order for students to develop technical skills that extend outside of RHS. the beginning. His first year at RHS, before having ever had the chance to acclimate to the school and work with RHS’ students, his administrative team had proposed a new idea to kick off the school year – spending the first day putting students through a mock rotation of their classes that semester. Though no students or staff had participated in these rotations before, and Byrd was entirely new to the school, he gave it his best shot. RHS has continued to hold this day of rotations ever since. “He has a real attitude of ‘let’s do this right. Let’s make this happen,’” Pipitone said. “Whatever the

crazy idea may be. If it’s going to help make this place a better place, he was on board with it, no matter where the idea came from.” For Byrd, the most important part in his role as principal was to leave what he felt made RHS so strong in place, take time before making changes and help others carry through their vision for interventions and courses. This is something English and AVID teacher Kelly Capell valued in her time working with him. “We have a staff and a campus and students who are steeped in tradition that we really appreciated and value, and he quickly saw that,” Capell said. “He re-

ally listened and made us feel heard, and that’s something that you will really fight for.” From his experience working both at district positions and on school campuses before, Byrd anticipates the most difficult part in leaving RHS will be not having that same connection with the students and teachers on the school campus. “I’m going to be at schools, and I’m going to be on campuses, and I’m going to be around kids,” Byrd said. “But it’s not exactly the same where you get to know them the same way. And that’s what I’ll miss the most.”

UPCOMINGEVENTS MARCH 21

Student Body Elections Voting booths for class leaders will take place in senior square. You must have your student ID to participate.

MARCH 23 MARCH 29

Junior Prom Junior Prom begins at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. The theme is The Great Gatsby.

Students host Concert A student led concert will take place in the Patti Baker Theater at 6 p.m. Entrance is free.

CAM MEDRANO EYE OF THE TIGER

Roseville PD vs. varsity girls tennis The varsity girls tennis team organized a series of competitive table tennis matches against members of the Roseville Police Department last Thursday. According to members of the tennis team, they considered the idea after meeting Roseville PD staff during High School on the Hill Night. With the help of assistant principal Matt Pipitone and youth service officer Nathan Hance, they arranged a time for members of the department to come together and play a few competitive matches in a tournament bracket. Tennis team member Natalie Ang enjoyed the unusual experience of intermingling with PD staff. “It was interesting getting to know them on a more personal level than we normally would, but this was really nice - seeing them, talking to them, playing with them,” Ang said.

APRIL 13-22

Spring Break No school.

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · EL 19 DE MARZO, 2019

PÁGINA 4

ESPAÑOL NOTICIAS Profesores, estudiantes se benefician del nuevo “Swivl” dispositivo

POR LIZZIE PELZMAN

l.pelzman@eyeofthetigernews.com

En el último trimestre, el maestro de IM3, Miguel Quinonez, utilizó los servicios de grabación de pantalla para ayudar a los estudiantes a estudiar y revisar en casa. Según Quinonez, descubrió que este acceso a los recursos era beneficioso para los estudiantes que necesitaban práctica adicional con el material. Ahora, los maestros de IM3 han comenzado a trabajar con el dispositivo “Swivl”, una base de iPad que está programada para seguir a los maestros mientras caminan por el aula. A su vez, esto permite grabar su enseñanza para que puedan publicar sus videos para los estudiantes que están ausentes o encontrar problemas para entender los conceptos. Para hacerlo, los maestros adjuntan un iPad a una base Swivl que sigue al maestro mientras se mueven por el aula. “La colaboración es clave”, dijo Quiñonez. “Encontré que la parte más beneficiosa era observar cómo mis compañeros explicaban un concepto y cómo interactaban con los estudiantes. Esto me ayudó a mejorar mi arte de enseñar “. Este desarrollo proviene de la jefa del departamento de matemáticas y la maestra de IM3, Sandra Schmatjen,

que trabaja con el distrito para entender cómo usar la tecnología y los beneficios que se derivan de ella. Allí, en el distrito, ella aprendió a usar el dispositivo y llevó la idea a RHS donde comenzó el camino para usar el Swivl. “Cuando nos dimos cuenta de los beneficios a través del programa del distrito, decidimos que esto es algo que nos gustaría probar más en Roseville High”, dijo Schmatjen. Actualmente, RHS tiene tres Swivls ubicados en diferentes clases de IM3. Sin embargo, los maestros no han comenzado a grabar debido a dificultades técnicas con los Ipads. Sin embargo, pronto llegarán nuevos ipads y, una vez que el equipo y la tecnología comiencen a funcionar, el equipo IM3 comenzará a operar de inmediato. Los videos se publicarán en el calendario de la clase y en Youtube, lo que permitirá a los estudiantes en el futuro más acceso para ayudarlos en sus tareas o para comprender los conceptos básicos. Kira Runkle, estudiante junior e IM3, cree que el uso de Swivl ayudará en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. “Creo que con la posibilidad de regresar y ver [las grabaciones de la clase], mis calificaciones definitivamente mejorarán también en las pruebas y los exámenes”, dijo Runkle. Runkle también anticipa que los estudiantes afectados por actividades extracurriculares tendrán la

NICOLE KHUDYAKOV EYE OF THE TIGER

Ahora, los maestros de IM3 han comenzado a trabajar con el dispositivo “Swivl”, una base de iPad que está programada para seguir a los maestros mientras caminan por el aula.

oportunidad de ponerse al día más fácilmente. “[Swivl] permite una oportunidad más equitativa para aquellos que faltan a la escuela debido a los deportes o la enfermedad”, dijo Runkle. “Permitirá un mayor crecimiento de todos los estudiantes”. Los estudiantes no serán las únicas personas que sienten los efectos del Swivl. Los maestros pueden obtener acceso a las lecciones en video de los demás, lo que les permite aprender unos de otros y crecer como educadores, lo que Schmatjen cree que ayudará al departamento a crecer en general. “Creemos que esto nos hará mejores maestros”,

dijo Schmatjen. “[Si] estoy viendo estrategias de otros maestros y ellos tienen buenas estrategias para hacer las cosas, entonces solo estoy agregando a mi caja de herramientas lo que me hará un mejor maestro”. Según Schmatjen, antes de que Swivl los maestros tuvieran que abandonar un período de preparación para ir a ver a otro profesor, lo que podría abarcar todo el período de clases, sin dejar tiempo libre para lograr nada más. Ahora, con los videos, el aprendizaje de los compañeros de trabajo será más accesible para cualquier maestro. Considerando el hecho de que los Swivls son caros, Schmatjen cree que debería

haber un proceso de rotación para que todo el departamento de matemáticas se involucre. “No sé si estaremos todos los maestros grabando todo el tiempo todavía, porque el equipo es bastante caro”, dijo Schmatjen. “Pero si podemos lograr que tres o cuatro maestros trabajen en equipo y tengan equipo para tantos maestros a la vez, entonces probablemente vamos a rotar el equipo”. Una vez que los giros se ponen en marcha, los maestros de IM3 van a grabar primero para comprender mejor la tecnología y evitar la sobrecarga de los departamentos de IM1 e IM2. Y también existe la posibili-

dad de grabar Pre-Cálculo. Doug Ash, profesor de IM3, está ansioso por comenzar el nuevo programa Swivl y mejorar su enseñanza en RHS. “Puedo aprender cosas de otros maestros. No hay una sola manera de hacer las cosas y, francamente, no siempre se me ocurren buenas ideas y cuando alguien tiene una, me gustaría verla pasar “, dijo Ash. “Me permite hacer las cosas mejor”. Actualmente, el departamento de matemáticas aún se encuentra en las etapas de planificación del proceso de grabación, pero esperan resolver las dificultades técnicas a tiempo para comenzar a grabar inmediatamente.

REPORTAJES Juego de cartas baraja a RHS, cautiva a los estudiantes, profesores POR DEAN EFSTATHIU

d.efstathiu@eyeofthetigernews.com

Roseville High School, mientras que la escuela más antigua de RJUHSD, definitivamente no tiene pocas tradiciones. Para un club de RHS, 2019 es el nuevo 1993, con el vivo y bien juego de cartas Magic The Gathering que viene a la escena de RHS. Un juego lleno de estrategia, batallas y pura suerte; los estudiantes de RHS han tomado muy bien lo que muchos consideran un juego obsoleto. No solo el juego se ha infiltrado en el Board Game Club, pero también varias actividades y clases durante el almuerzo. Mientras que algunos pueden acudir a la cafetería para su des-

canso de 30 minutos, otros se encuentran a sí mismos ocupando al consejero del Board Game Club y el salón de clase del maestro Scott Brink. Para los estudiantes de RHS, Magic the Gathering se ha convertido en una excelente manera de conectarse con otros y hacer nuevos amigos. Uno de esos estudiantes, el estudiante de primer año Connor OlsonDonohue, usa este juego para encontrar nuevos amigos, ya que el estudiante que lo introdujo al juego se mudó. “[Olson-Donohue’s friend] taught me a lot about the game, he’s probably the number one person I would have to thank for introducing me to the game,” OlsonDonohue said. Según Olson-Donohue, ha estado jugando durante aproximadamente dos años y, al sumergirse en el mun-

DEAN EFSTATHIU EYE OF THE TIGER

Un juego lleno de estrategia, batallas y pura suerte; los estudiantes de RHS han aprovechado lo que muchos considerarían como el juego obsoleto de “Magic the Gathering.”

do de la escuela secundaria, encuentra el juego para

ayudar a aliviar el estrés. Según Brink, reciente-

mente, en 2018, comenzó a jugar el juego una vez

más. Brink dice que se sorprendió al ver a los estudiantes entrar con mazos para usar el espacio para renovar su amor por el juego de cartas. “[En] una de las primeras reuniones del año en el Board Game Club, hubo dos estudiantes de primer año que vinieron a jugar y trajeron cartas de Magic”, dijo Brink. Brink vio este renacimiento de Magic en RHS como una oportunidad para enseñar a sus compañeros a jugar y permitir un espacio seguro para que otros jueguen otros juegos. Como resultado, Brink ha visto una inclinación en la asistencia al club. “El Board Game Club está abierto para cualquier persona y si quieres venir para aprender a jugar, tengo un montón de mazos para que la gente use”, dijo Brink.

PROXIMOSEVENTOS MARZO 9 MARZO 23

Actuaciones musicales de primavera

Roseville High Theatre Company presentará su versión de “Little Shop of Horrors” a las 7 p.m. Las entradas son de diez dólares para admisión general, ocho para estudiantes.

Junior Prom Junior Prom se llevará a cabo a las 7:30 pm en la cafetería. El tema de la noche es el gran gatsby.

MARZO 29

MARZO 21

Un concierto dirigido por estudiantes Un concierto dirigido por estudiantes se llevará a cabo en el Teatro Patti Baker. La entrada es gratis.

Elecciones del cuerpo estudiantil

Las cabinas de votación para los líderes de clase se llevarán a cabo en la plaza principal. Deben de tener sus identificaciones de estudiante para participar.

ABRIL 13-22

Vacaciones de primavera No hay clases.

FEATURES MARCH 19, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM

PAGE 5

Freshman celebrates fifth year cancer free

COURTESY HAILEY JOSEPH

COURTESY SUZIE JOSEPH

Freshman Hailey Joseph was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in fourth grade. Now approaching five years cancer-free, Joseph’s illness continues to shape the way she sees herself in relation to the world today. BY VINNY JORDAN

v.jordan@eyeofthetigernews.com

Five years ago, Hailey Joseph woke up from a six hour surgery with her teary eyed mother at her side. Her family’s long held suspicions had finally been confirmed. Joseph had just been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “[ I ] asked my mom if I do or don’t [have it], she looked at me, started crying, and said ‘Yeah, you do.’,” Joseph said. Suzie Joseph, Hailey’s mother, was the first to take notice of the strangely large lump buried under

the skin of Joseph’s neck during a routine shower. Though the family had their suspicions, they kept quiet in the hopes that it was a false alarm. Hailey’s sister, Abby, said the entire family did their best to cover up any concerns and act normal for Joseph’s sake. “We didn’t want to alarm her more than she already was about the situation,” Abby said. Yet, as the date for Joseph’s surgery to remove her lymph nodes grew closer, tensions continued piling up. Until she underwent the procedure, doctors couldn’t be sure

whether she truly had cancer. Hailey’s brother, junior Ethan Joseph, said it soon became more difficult to keep calm. “From the beginning, I knew it was probably going to be cancer, but we were trying to be optimistic,” Ethan said. Finally, Joseph underwent a long, but successful procedure, during which the surgeons took out the cancerous tumor in her throat, which allowed doctors to confirm everyone’s worst fears. In the eyes of her family members, Hailey handled the news well. “She was really strong through-

out the whole process,” Ethan said. “I don’t think any other person would be as calm as she was.” In response to Hailey’s diagnosis, her family put together some fun and inspiring merchandise. Suzie believes this helped support her daughter throughout that difficult time. “I was making T-Shirts and our slogan was ‘Keep Calm and Hailey On’, then we became ‘Team Hay-Hay’, then we made bracelets and more T-Shirts,” Suzie said. In addition, Hailey got to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity when a local radio station reached out to her family and invited them to meet country star Hunter Hayes. “It was incredible and so amazing,” Suzie said. “He was so sweet and [she] loved it. It seems as if it was quite the experience.” As for today, Hailey is living

a healthy life and, in fact, is more alive than ever. “Today, it looks like nothing’s ever changed… she’s more lively than she’s ever been,” Ethan said. Abby is also excited to see her sister cancer free. “She’s coming up on her fiveyear mark,” Abby said. “But she’s cancer free and that’s all we can ask for.” Now a freshman, Hailey has been cancer-free for five years, but she is still feeling a few of the effects of the disease that attacked her in her younger years. Part of her current routine includes sticking to a special low-iodine diet and taking daily medication for her thyroid. With the cancer playing such a critical role in her life, Hailey embraces her battle scars. “Whenever people look at my throat, they always see the scar,” Hailey said. “It’s just a part of me now.”

Students, teacher continue to game on BY DEAN EFSTATHIU

d.efstathiu@eyeofthetigernews.com

It seems that 2019 is the new 1993 with the revival of the old card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG), which has made its entrance at Roseville High School. Students of RHS have taken well to the game’s reliance on strategy, battles, and plain old luck. For freshman Connor OlsonDonohue, the game - one he’s been playing for two years - took on a new meaning once the close friend who had inducted him into the world of MTG moved away. Olson-Donohue now continues to play as both a tribute to his friend and an attempt to seek out and find new friends. “He taught me a a lot about the game,” Olson-Donohue said. He’s probably the number one person I would have to thank for introducing me to the game.” For the students at RHS, Magic the Gathering’s game modes are a great way to connect with others and make new friends. Olson-Donohue’s first year of high school has been a stressful transition. He found solace in Board Game Club, which is hosted by English teacher Scott Brink. It wasn’t until last year that Brink, a fellow Magic player, renewed his love for the game and started started to play Magic again. Initially, Brink was surprised to see two freshmen come in with decks of cards from a game he’d once valued so highly. “One of the first Game-Board Club meetings of the year, there were two freshman who came in to play games, and they brought Magic cards,” Brink said. Brink saw this revival of

DEAN EFSTATHIU EYE OF THE TIGER

Brink, along with various members of the Board Game Club, are in the process of reviving vintage card game Magic: The Gathering. After falling out of love with the game, its resurgence around RHS convined Brink to continue playing.

Magic at RHS as an opportunity to teach his fellow students a thing or two about good games and a nostalgic look into the past. Board game club is a chance for students to broaden their gaming horizons by teaching each other how to play, and is a safe space for others to play games of their choosing. More people soon began showing interest and Brink has continued informing others of MTG cards, with the intent to teach anyone willing to learn. “Board Game Club is open to anyone and if you want to come in to learn how to play, I’ve got a bunch of decks for people to use,” Brink said. Brink also prides himself on the idea of a safe space for anyone to come in, and play game of

their preference. Since the game’s introduction in 1993, the creators, Wizards of the Coast, created new sets each year to continuously entice players and keep updating the game. Set updates, including the cards and the play style, are renewed on a yearly cycle to keep things fresh. Alongside sets, there are three main ways to play the game: standard, modern, and commander are all ways to play with the yearly updated cards and sets. Standard game mode is playing with the most current set of the year, with a minimum card deck of 60 cards. Modern is very similar, but uses current and old sets. Lastly, Commander uses legal cards in a 100 card deck.

DEAN EFSTATHIU EYE OF THE TIGER

PAGE 6 · FEATURES

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · MARCH 19, 2019

Seniors reel in film fantasies

COURTESY MADI KING

Seniors Madi King and Sophia Applebaum act in their own self-directed short films. Their most recent and elaborate series is based on the adventures of original character, Timmy Westside.

BY TANNER BEASOM

t.beasom@eyeofthetigernews.com

Careful cinematography and well-placed state lights are only part of what drives a film forward. Student directors Sophia Applebaum and Madi King bring passion and excitement to their selfproduced films and prove that it doesn’t always take a professional director and camera crew to create art. Their ideas originate from a closer source than

theaway movie capital of Hollywood. The duo started making short films in eighth grade. Their movies would be written on-the-spot, as an exercise in improvisation. As would the story, props and characters. Throughout the years the duo planned, improvised, and edited their own films - typically for themselves to watch and laugh at, as part of a joke. “We liked to get a solid idea for a movie

HUMANS OF RHS Hannah Bettencourt is using her first year of high school to her advantage. As a freshman, Bettencourt entered high school with only a tentative plan. She quickly shed her middle school habits, and involved herself in organized sports - an extracurriculuar option that once held little of her interest during her days at Buljan Middle School. The connections she’s made as a long distance track and field runner have helped Bettencourt assimilate into high school life. -Nicole Khudyakov

NICOLE KHUDYAKOV EYE OF THE TIGER

I just wanted to do something and I always wanted to run. I like it, I like the people. I’ve made a lot of friends [and] we always run together and we’re a lot closer because we go through the same things everyday and attend practice and whatnot. I like the people I hang out with at track and it’s fun competing. I [also like] the coaches, the way they’re willing to help us.”

down, then we filmed it. It was pretty much improv. It was like acting on what our idea was, and then we’d expand on that,” Applebaum said. Nowadays, the two produce independent movies with much more prep; they have characters, stories and basic writing to guide their way. “I feel as though my acting skills progressed throughout each film,” Applebaum said. “I definitely feel that our concepts and

movie ideas matured as we matured.” Although making movies is no easy feat, especially without the backing of a professional crew to rely on, the two seniors see it as just another challenge on their way to a successful film. Most recently, King and Applebaum created two films to show their friends, both revolving around an original character named Timmy Westside. “I think [Timmy West-

side] was definitely our best concept so far, and it’s really fun to make. We’ve already had the idea so it was more building on the characters,” King said. Thus far, the Timmy Westside films are their proudest work, and the film series they enjoy showcasing most to various family members and friends. King and Applebaum often use the time they spend hanging out with their friends to premiere

their movies and other various film projects. The films are always big hit and the focal anticipation of their get togethers, according to senior Paige Pickard. “I think that they’re really funny [...] they’re just naturally funny people and it really shows through the movie. The talent just comes through them.” Pickard said. The two plan on producing even more films until they part ways for college.

OPINION

MARCH 19, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM

PAGE 7

Senioritis hits as teachers press on

As college acceptance letters roll in, seniors should not check out

BY AJ WELKER

a.welker@eyeofthetigernews.com

t’s Christmas in March for seniors: gifts in the form of college acceptance letters flood mailboxes... and school, for seniors, is out. Even though an entire quarter of the 2018-2019 school year remains, as seniors begin to land in their future academic homes, motivation and desire to perform in their final high school classes fades day by day. Graduation announcements get sealed, stamped and sent to relatives. It all begins to feel real. Teachers of seniors attempt to keep students engaged by pressing on through the curriculum and continuing to demand excellence. It’s an admirable,

JASMINE LUNAR EYE OF THE TIGER

albeit unrealistic, standard to have. It’s not apathy, necessarily. Throughout my four years at Roseville High School, I’ve been surrounded by friends and fellow students who have consistently worked hard in classes and extracurriculars alike. Yet we’re all beginning to feel senioritis kick in. Change is coming for seniors and fast. Whether we’re staying in the Roseville area, moving to a different part of California, or leaving the state altogether,

six months from now our lives will be vastly different. The long term is all that’s on our brains. The short term feels pointless and quite frankly, irrelevant. As I dig through the mail each day, foaming at the mouth at the sight of a large envelope, or pouring through my email in search of a “Congratulations!” in the subject line, my microeconomics homework regarding the effect of tariffs on the U.S. economy seems unnecessary.

The class isn’t boring and the material is incredibly useful, but the now of high school is completely underwhelming to focus on when the rest of our lives hang in the balance. And after the grueling process of applying to colleges while staying on track in our classes, some of us feel that a break is warranted. But college isn’t coming any sooner and high school isn’t ending any faster. Teachers have an obligation to teach us until the term is up and though they have the

added challenge of trying to get through to a plethora of students who have checked out, they press on. As the last quarter of my high school career begins, I’ve decided to check back in. I’m ridiculously excited, nervous and overwhelmed for what the future has in store for me, but I refuse to let my last bit of high school pass by without so much as a second glance. College is on the horizon. But soon I’ll miss the struggle of getting into the Berry

Lot, the narrow avoidance of Lake Roseville, or the long walk from admin to P-35. So for now, if you see seniors walking to class a bit slower, looking around a bit more, or laughing a bit louder, let them take it all in. I’m going to miss Roseville High School, between teachers, friends and the opportunities I’ve found, but I’m not going to miss it before it’s over. And I’m not going to attempt to remember when it’s too late. Living in the present means doing my homework, enjoying every second of my last high school musical, buying my senior ball dress and studying for AP exams. It means spending time with friends, old and new, visiting past teachers and thanking the ones I have. It means being as little of a pain as I can be to my parents, who have been there through each step of the process. There will be days when the senioritis hits harder than others. The temptation to think ahead and live in the future may win out over present moment attention, but I at least know I’m here. Letters may flood my mailbox and emails may come through, but until I hear my name and walk across the graduation stage, I’m a Roseville High School student. Nothing more, nothing less.

Homework load forces unfair choice

BY LIZZIE PELZMAN l.pelzman@eyeofthetigernews.com

NATHAN SANGRIA EYE OF THE TIGER

Personal finance’s potential wasted BY JARED HUBER

j.huber@eyeofthetigernews.com

he personal finance course is a waste of time. Yup, one of the only things in school that can try to prepare us for life after high school is a waste of time. Schools should take responsibility in teaching their students the majority or all of the information within the personal finance course, otherwise there is no guarantee students will actually learn and value the material. I’m sure we can

all name at least one person who paid someone to do theirs or was paid to do someone else’s. The school’s administrative staff is well aware of this issue, as it’s probably occurred as long as the course has existed. To address this, starting next school year RHS plans on making everyone take the final exam of the course on school grounds while being monitored by a staff member. However, this does not address the main issue – that in its current format, students do not learn from nor place value on the course meant to teach them crucial life skills. Considering a sizeable chunk of the student population didn’t even do the personal finance course, they must not find it important enough to be selfmotivated.

If I’m being honest, even as someone who did take the course, most of the information I took from it didn’t make all that much of an impact. All I can remember is that you shouldn’t put more than 33% of your income into rent. That’s pretty much it. If my life depended on explaining the four chapters of the course to you, I genuinely don’t think I’d be able to recall more than a few sentences worth. And yet, I do remember that it took me nearly seven hours to complete the course, which really isn’t all that realistic when you think about the fact that a large portion of the student population has to go to work most days of the week and have actual homework to do from their classes at school. They don’t have the time

to spend on a course that does not even teach the material in an effective way. If the school implemented the content from the personal finance course into the classes we’re already required to take, we wouldn’t have to punish kids for trying to weasel out of doing it, or make it intimidating for the years of students ahead. Or, maybe we could cut half the content out of the course and just plop the rest of it into Government and Economics and span it over a week-long lesson. This way no one would be cheating to pass and everyone still gets the same information. Otherwise, students will continue to not value the course and the apathy towards it will prevent students from being prepared when exiting high school.

s the spring term continues, students have to manage a substantial homework load, especially if these students are in an AP class and extracurriculars like sports as well. The result: students are having to sacrifice sleep in order to maintain a good grade in a class. Medical professionals say that teenagers need around eight to nine hours of sleep every night, but it’s difficult for us to complete all of our homework and, for those involved in athletics, go to practice as well. When there is already a commitment to a team, it’s hard to get out of practice for homework and the student would risk sacrificing playing time or missing something important. To keep up, these students have to stay up until two or even later in order to accomplish the homework that teachers give them. And as the years go on the amount of homework keeps increasing. Junior and senior year are supposedly the hardest years for high schoolers, especially because the amount of AP

classes available is much greater than what is possible to take sophomore and freshman year. But, even the sophomores in one or two AP classes are having a hard time with that workload. For students who participate in extracurricular activities, the amount of homework can be detrimental to their social life and sleep. The weekend seems like an opportunity to get ahead on homework to make the week easier – though teachers will still give us more over the course of the week as well. We are then stuck doing homework the whole weekend rather than ever having a chance to be teenagers. And the weekend would also be the perfect time to catch up on sleep, instead of getting up early for school every morning and potentially going to sleep late due to the homework load. Teachers should understand the challenges we put ourselves through to get good grades in classes to put ourselves on a good path in the future and in turn teachers should limit the amount of homework and focus on giving more impactful assignments to give a better understanding of the lesson that take less time. Teachers could also collect all homework on a certain day in the week so students can manage their time while finishing all homework.

PAGE 8 · OPINION

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · MARCH 19, 2019

Queue cutters should not be tolerated

LETTERS FROM A SENIOR Ask the important questions

School admin needs to step in and enforce etiquette

BY DEAN EFSTATHIU

d.efstathiu@eyeofthetigernews.com

BYKEVIN AIKEN

k.aiken@eyeofthetigernews.com

magine this: you’re in your third period class, the bell is about to ring for lunch and you are excited to get in line early and get your lunch. Well think again. In reality, the bell rings and you meander your way through the crowd of people in the art wing. You are near the amphitheater in a few seconds and you start to go a little bit faster toward the cafeteria so as to not spend your half hour of allotted time waiting to get your lunch. You make it just in time as a bunch of students flood the cafeteria. But you notice something strange. You’ve been standing in line for a few minutes now and the line hasn’t moved at all. And then you see it. That one dude in the line

NATHAN SANGRIA EYE OF THE TIGER

letting his 20 friends in, cutting everyone, wasting everyone’s time, all so they can grab their lunch. And now the line is a few minutes longer. A few minutes is inconvenient for people. It takes so much precious time out of your day. The brief lunch period is, well, brief enough as it is without these kind of interruptions. But do you want to know what the best part is? For some reason, no mon-

itor in the cafeteria seems to notice it. It’s almost coincidental sometimes. I have not been the only victim to these problems however. There are plenty of students on campus who are frustrated because people can’t simply wait 5 minutes for their turn in line. Now you may think that it is “not that bad.” But if you think about it, we get one lunch a day, whether it’s first or second and some of us have to go to club meetings or want to

hang out with our friends or just actually have time to eat. Again and again, I see teachers become frustrated when students bring their lunch to class. Most of the time, it isn’t their fault whatsoever. And I simply don’t think the wrath is deserved. I understand not wanting a mess in your classroom, but teachers must consider that it’s not like students want to eat lunch during class. It just so happens that

lunch lines become so unmanageable that it becomes the only option. RHS should place more of a focus on preventing students from cutting lunch lines. There should be more awareness on the part of administrators to ensure students are following rules in the lunch line. It is unfair for abiding students to waste an entire lunch period simply because we’ve become too complacent to do anything about line cutters.

Legitimate career choices undervalued College is not the only postsecondary option for students

BY JAKOB THRUELSEN

j.thruelsen@eyeofthetigernews.com

urrently I am a junior at RHS and as I’ve been progressing through my classes since freshman year, I’ve noticed something that keeps occuring. There is a lot of persuasion to get students to take AP classes so they can try to get into great colleges. There are flyers, people visiting from different col-

leges and surveys about AP Classes, all designed to motivate students to try for the college track. The school’s mission statement centers around preparing “every student for post-secondary education.” But, when high school glorifies college so much, it reaches a point where it feels like a student has no future if they do not attend one. However, college is not always necessary to be successful in your adult years. Don’t get me wrong, college is a great experience for many people. It provides many opportunities, allows students to meet amazing people, attend parties and gain new experiences. While I do agree that we should be prepared for college, we should not take away from class time that should be spent actually learning to take a meaningless survey about college as we are for the Equal Opportunity School survey.

in life, classes like InteIn addition, AP classes grated Math 2 and Engin high school shouldn’t be lish 10 should be enough seen as the best and most to prepare students with a useful classes on campus. basic understanding of the Most AP classes are not material. very useful at higher levCollege els, unshouldn’t less you be seen as want to Vocational the only be in a way out. certain schools are There are major that forced into the always requires alternathose skills. shadow of the tives for The colleges and people most useful classes are universities that to do after they those like high schools graduate, Governor even ment and seem to glorify before. Economics so heavily.” There and techare high nology paying classes, labor jobs because that some people really enyou are actually taught majoy doing or students can terial that will really affect attend trade school, which your life. can be a really good investHigher level math and ment. English classes are meanVocational schools are ingless unless you want to forced into the shadow of chase a career that requires the colleges and universithose skills. ties that high schools seem For most career paths

to glorify so heavily. But trade schools are great for people that love hands-on experiences for certain jobs, like graphic designing and culinary. Trade school is also fairly cheap compared to universities and students graduating a technical school are way less likely to accrue a large debt. Only certain careers, like those in the law or medicine field require that specific degree from the traditional college track. Students can prefer labor or social media jobs, or anything else that will not call for a college degree. High schools should work towards preparing their students for the real world, with universally important skills. Classes in subjects like parenting, money management, or something that fights the major issues in society today. Students need to be more prepared to face the real world, rather than hiding

Every Fifteen Minutes must come back

BY ELENA BATEMAN

e.bateman@eyeofthetigernews.com

our years ago, Roseville High school experienced its last Every 15 Minutes assembly. In Every 15 Minutes roughly a dozen seniors would be pulled out of class to theoretically represent one student dying every 15 minutes from drunk driving.

A teacher would then read their obituary to the class, someone would set up gravestones around senior square and the student would go to a nearby hotel to undergo intense lessons on the effects of drunk driving. The next day, the students would come back to school and attend an assembly with their fellow seniors where their parents would give a speech describing the pain that would occur if their child had, in fact, died from drunk driving. Today, many schools in our area go to similar measures to simulate how drunk driving can affect students. This means they take this

issue much more seriously than RHS, which makes me envy their students. From what I’ve seen on social media, schools like Woodcreek create incredibly realistic videos that all students – not just seniors – are required to watch in which their peers get in car accidents caused by drunk driving, costing them their lives. After seeing this video on Twitter, I felt emotional even without knowing the students in the video. Watching a high school student’s life taken away by something so illogical was incredibly saddening. That’s why Roseville High School must bring

a similar program back. Though the previous assembly system was rather flawed – only seniors experienced it at all and only the students pulled out of class actually underwent an indepth learning experience centered around drunk driving – if we were to change it a bit, it could become something incredible. Not only could this type of event warn against illegal activity while driving, but it could raise awareness towards how unsafe driving habits in general could destroy lives. And with Every 15 Minutes we could also teach students how to appreciate their classmates and their own life.

By simulating their peers hypothetically dying, students are exposed to the true brutality of these deaths and gain an understanding of what real families are forced to go through because of drunk driving. If a classmate of mine were to “die” in the simulation, when I was given the opportunity to see them again I would be incredibly glad and understand that we must take our lives much more seriously and treat people properly. Not only could it be important to keeping the roads safe, but families and students could learn to appreciate their own lives and those around them.

oming into High school as a freshman, I thought it was going to be the hardest four years of my life. I was never so wrong. High school is nothing like the movies or the many TV shows that have 25 year olds playing 16 to 18 year olds. There are no happy endings or situations where things work out in the end. The main idea that these movies and shows miss is the idea of life. Life isn’t the stereotypical idea of someone always saying its hard or unfair. Life is ever changing and we can either change with it or fail to make the best of every situation. That idea is the same for high school and my message for anyone reading this is, put your life into perspective. Ask yourself the most important question, am I satisfied with where my life is right now? I understand that this question isn’t something you say aloud or when your’re talking to someone. It’s a question that you live with everyday. You wake up with it, go to school with it and it’s there when you’re hanging out with friends or family. If we fail to try to answer this question, then life will become hard or unfair. When we slow down and put our lives into perspective, we have a chance to see where we are and improve on the situation we are in. At school, this could be when you get a bad grade on a test and are afraid to tell your parents. It could be when you don’t make the basketball team or anything else extracurricular and now feel you aren’t as good as you previously thought. This is exactly the right time to ask ourselves, am I satisfied with where my life is right now? It’s the right time because you or someone out there has been working to make the team, get the best grade or earn that award and it didn’t work out. However, I have to ask one more question that isn’t as dramatic, but still important. My question is what just happened as bad as you are making it? We must ask this either before or after we ask our satisfaction in our lives. Because if we stress about the bad grade or anything else pertaining to school or our teenage lives, then we may never be able to move past it. That idea will spiral into a destructive pattern where you or us can never move on to another door that will lead to something better. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like using cheesy quotes, like when a door closes another opens. But sometime we need to open that door, gain perspective and work hard to improve your life. As you progress through high school, remember that you and only you can make your life better. You have to choose between waiting for that moment to thrive or get up and go get it yourself.

SPORTS MARCH 19, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM ·

@EOTSPORTS

PAGE 9

Freshman stands out on varsity golf choosing golf,” Jones said. “Golf was always my main sport. I never really chose any other sport over it, I just found out that I pracThroughout the years, ticed golf so much that I the Roseville High School didn’t really have time for varsity golf team has found playing other sports and their roster mixed with a still being able to practice variety of ages. golf as much as I wanted This year the team finds to.” themselves upperclassman Although he is the heavy with seven seniors, youngest golfer on the one junior and one team, Jones is already imfreshman proving the team’s scores. standout Coach Corey Fukuman Carter Jones. has seen the impact Jones Jones has made on the team. is a seasoned “He’s been the second golfer and best player on our team although beand has lowered our team ing young, score by a significant numbrings a ber,” Fukuman veteran mensaid. tality to the Acteam. Jones’ cordbiggest golf ing to accomplishFukument came m a n , two years Jones is ago, shooting his just what lowest score, 73, at the team major golf tournaneeded to amment State Fair. plify the competCarter has a 6 itive spirit. handicap and is “Carter realready number ally pushes two on the team. our seniors,” At the age of Fukuman seven Jones was said. “He encouraged by his gives them father to start playsomething ing golf, and he fell in to shoot for love. and challenges “When I was them which is seven I went out something they and hit on the really needed driving range going into the a lot with my season.” dad,” Jones Senior teammate said. “My dad taught me how to CARTER Brad Morin believes that Jones’ leadership play golf and really JONES and experience can sparked my passion help carry the team to for the sport and I a successful season. found out I could actually “Carter has played a lot be really good at golf and I of golf and as a team we started practicing it a lot.” can learn a lot from him,” When Jones was younger Morin said. “He’s the seche played other sports, but ond best and he’s the only ended up choosing to focus freshman so if he can lead solely on golf in order to by example while the upbecome a high level golfer. perclassmen lead in other “I played a lot of sports ways I think our team can growing up but I ended up BY BELLA AYALA

b.ayala@eyeofthetigernews.com

do really well this year and make a playoff run.” Even though Jones does not lack in golf experience, he recognizes there is still things he can learn from the upperclassmen. “I think it’s a good learning experience because I get to learn from all the upperclassmen how high school golf works and how to learn to deal with missing class and how to make it up,” Jones said. In order to become the golfer he is today, Jones has had to work really hard. Jones’ brother, junior Mason Jones, is impressed with his brother’s work ethic. “Carter is a really hard worker,” Mason said. “He wakes up early on the weekends to go out and play and he always tries to play as much as he can, after school, everyday, he’s out trying to hit balls on the range and practice his putting.” Mason is proud of his brother and looks forward to seeing his brothers hard work pay off this season. “I’m really proud of him,”

BY BRAYDEN DOTOLI b.dotoli@eyeofthetigernews.com

COURTESY MASON JONES

Despite being the youngest player on the varsity boys golf team, freshman Carter Jones finds himself aiding to lower the team’s score. Mason said. “He works so hard and I can’t wait to see the great things he will do this season as a freshman on the golf team.”

This is just the beginning for Jones as he hopes to one day take his golf skills to the collegiate level.

COURTESY MASON JONES

Performances of the Week MARCH 4-8 Boys volleyball comes out on top against River Valley BY COBY ESTRADA

c.estrada@eyeofthetigernews.com

The Performance of the Week for the week of March 4 is the boys varsity volleyball team’s win against the River Valley Falcons. The team won three sets to zero after losing the first set. The Tigers came back to win the last three in a row. Sophomore varsity player Thomas Plaskett was all over the place diving on the ground left and right. Plaskett believes the success came from the hard work of the team and their chemistry throughout matches and practices. “Our team chemistry is really good,” Plaskett said. “We all get along and every

single one of us works hard in practice.” The team carried on from the win against River Valley, after defeating Yuba City a few days later. This is Plaskett’s first full year of varsity volleyball , as he was pulled up for playoffs last year. Plaskett is starting as and is the only sophomore on the team. Teammate Miles Judd believes that Plaskett’s experience with club volleyball helps the team out even though he’s only a sophomore. “Even though Thomas is an underclassmen, he plays club all year and definitely has experience in this sport so he helps our team a lot and all of us are really glad to have him on the team,” Judd said. This year’s volleyball team consists of only three seniors and the rest are underclassmen. Plaskett believes that the future is bright for the volleyball program at Roseville.

“Although we only have a few seniors on our team, we are very talented and we will be good in the future,” Plaskett said. “Our team is majority juniors so we will be very very good next year.”

MARCH 11-15 Baseball wins league opener against rival Woodcreek BY BRAYDEN DOTOLI

b.dotoli@eyeofthetigernews.com

The Performance of the Week for the week for March 11 is the Roseville High School varsity baseball team victory over cross-town rivals, the Woodcreek Timberwolvesnning 1-0 in the first league game of the season. The Tigers went 1-2 in preseason so they were hoping to bounce back and

Scheduling of sports limits player participation

start their league season off strong. Senior Brandon Renstrom started on the mound for the Tigers and held the Timberwolves scoreless through his five innings of work. Renstrom held the Timberwolves to one hit, while walking two and striking out four with no earned runs. Renstrom, even with his great pitching, feels everything is a team effort and is grateful for his team’s good defense. “My team played outstanding defense behind me to help me backup my pitching,” Renstrom said. “It helps a lot knowing that when I pitch I can trust my defense to back me up when they hit it.” Renstrom feels the team stuck well together and was in the game the whole time which helped lead to the win. “We were in the game the entire time and that’s what helped us stay in the game and keep the 1-0

lead,” Renstrom said. After this key win, The Tigers hope to keep the moment going after this key win versus their rival. “This key win can hopefully help us gain momentum for the upcoming games,” Renstrom said. “If we keep up playing great defense like this we should win many games.” The Tigers had a total of three hits in the game, but three hits was all they needed to get the win versus their rival. The RBI came from senior Rylan Woods and the run was scored by junior Brennan Eid after coming into pinch run for sophomore Josh Alger. Alger came into the game in the sixth and helped preserve the shutout and help the Tigers to a win. Alger went 1-3 in the game and gave up only two hits in his two innings of work while striking out one. The Tigers hope to keep their season going with more wins.

Golf and baseball are two sports that can go handin-hand, yet currently, boys can’t play both sports due to the fact that they are both spring sports. Girls golf plays at the start of fall making it a fall sport, pushing boys golf to be during the spring. Why can’t both girls and guys play at the same time? Why do girls get it in the fall and not the boys? Why can you not play two sports at the same time? Playing two sports at the same time could fix this problem because it would help eliminate the need to move golf to the fall. It would allow students to play both of their sports. The only problem with this idea is the necessary time commitment, and not being able to commit to two different sports at the same time. As a baseball player, I am a one sport athlete in high school, but play golf on my own in my free time. When I came into high school, my goal was to change to a two sport athlete and play both baseball and golf. So, when I heard that golf was at the same time as baseball, I got upset. This meant I would have to choose just one of the two sports that I play, rather than being able to play what I want. With golf and baseball being so similar, this problem affects many baseball players. If the golf season could simply be moved to the fall, the golf team would gain many new, eager players who would be truly interested in the sport. Not only would this help the golf team, but it would help aid students who want to play another sport that they could be really good at, and encourage them to play multiple sports. Some students who would like to try new things may like to try a new sport like golf, and a lot of these kids that want to attempt these new sports are students that play baseball, but can’t with both of them being at the same time. The decision to move boys golf to the fall season is not one that can be done by the school, this is a decision that has to be done by the SJS. To move the sport of golf to a new season it would require moving every school’s golf season to the fall because each opponent will need people to play. By putting golf and baseball at different times of the year, more boys could be pushed to be multi-sport athletes, and golf could see a rise in participation.

A&E

MARCH 19, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM ·

@EOTARTS

PAGE 10

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS When a prop takes center stage, two actors act as the backbone behind the scenes. Juniors Annabelle Tiznado and Ethan Jones must bring this inanimate object to life for a live audience.

STAFF REPORT

ae@eyeofthetigernews.com

A mean green mother from outer space is visiting Roseville High School Theatre Company this March 28-30 and April 4-6 in Little Shop of Horrors. The musical follows Seymour, a desperate, nerdy underdog with a strange knack for plants and a struggle to survive. It’s your classic romantic comedy, with everything from mysterious love triangles to overbearing father figures, with one, small added detail. Man eating plants. Little Shop of Horrors features Audrey II, the carnivorous plant hungry for blood. Audrey II talks, dances, and sings, playing a pivotal role in the musical and the arc for Seymour as a whole. The 1986 movie starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin had Hollywood magic and special effects. What does the Roseville High Theatre Company have? The answer: four plant puppets, each one larger than the last with more tricks up their sleeve. Though the Audrey II starts at the size of a basketball, it eventually grows above six feet tall, with a wingspan to match. These puppets, yellow in color, surrounded by luscious leaves and accented with pulsing green veins weren’t the creation of Roseville High School, as the process to build the plant from scratch is complex enough to serve as a college thesis. The plants costs $1200 to rent for three weeks, and $300 more for each additional week of rehearsal. It’s a hefty price to pay, but one well worth the hassle, as it stuns as soon as the lights hit it. The question still remains- what brings this character to life? That’s where juniors Annabelle Tiznado and Ethan Jones come in. These two incredibly different people contain one striking simi-

larity-- they play the same role. Tiznado dubs the plant, contrasting the sweet, traditional musical theatre ballads with a rhythm and blues style, adding to the general Motown feeling Little Shop of Horrors already exudes. “You’ve got to make a lot of decisions with your voice. You’ve got to keep your voice inflections crazy,” Tiznado said. “The plant is, as a character, super insane.” Audrey II’s voice only serves as half of the whole that makes this musical one of a kind. Jones performs the manipulations of Audrey II, puppeteering the last two plants. Though they’re made out of a soft, foam material, Jones’ position and manipulations require incredible amounts of strength and endurance. “I’m up there for a long period of time, and several points with the largest puppet, I have to hold it at about a thirty degree angle above the ground. We had to get a back brace for me to hold that up because we encountered some problems with the muscles in my spine,” Jones said. “I kid you not, that thing weighs like 45 pounds.” It sounds like an exaggeration, but Jones’ reaction isn’t off base. The puppet is heavy, hot, and pitch black. The physical exhaustion and the discipline required may make the role sound like a nightmare, but according to Jones, it’s a dream come true. “Who doesn’t want to be in a giant man

eating plant and eat people in the middle of a play? It’s really eccentric, but it’s really intoxicating in the way that you do it,” Jones said. “It’s just kind of addicting once you get in the plant.” Jones’ role in the show requires him to remain perfectly still for large quantities of time, and to pay extremely close attention to his counterpart’s choices, as Tiznado delivers her lines through a microphone off stage, barely able to see a glimpse of the puppet at work. According to Jones, the syncing up of dialogue with plant manipulations has required him to become just as much of an expert with the material, even though he himself never utters a word. “One of the things I was told is to learn to sing the song my-

CAM MEDRANO EYE OF THE TIGER

Junior Annabelle Tiznado (above) is the voice of Audrey II. Otherwise known as the plant, Audrey II is actually four seperate props, growth stages one through four. With stages three and four manipulated by junior Ethan Joseph. Joseph has to physically climb inside the prop and manipulate it from the inside.

self,” Jones said. “When we’re up on stage, I’ll actually be whispering to myself the lyrics along with Annabelle so that I can more accurately dub the words.” Tiznado, who has been attending rehearsals since the be-

AUDREY II STAGE IV

ginning, has worked with Jones in the past few weeks to bring him up to speed, as well as aid in the synchronization of the text and manipulations. “We sit [backstage] and we’ll work on it together. He just needs to know exactly what I’m saying and need to know how to do it every single time so we sync up,” Tiznado said. “It’s going really well.” The plant represents an iconic moment not only for Little Shop of Horrors, but musical theatre in its entirety. Audrey II brings in an element of ridiculousness, a necessity for suspension of disbelief, and dares other musicals to be as bold. “It keeps it interesting. I think if the plant wasn’t in there it’d be a simple story about two people falling in love,” Tiznado said. “But since the plant is there, it adds a weird, unique spark that not a lot of shows have.” This uniqueness, this spark, per se, puts a heavy burden on Jones’ shoulders. (Heavier than the plant itself.) The musical has a bit of a cult following, with die hard fans maintaining a certain expectation for what the plant should look

and act like. For many advanced puppeteers, the Audrey II is the challenge of a lifetime. When asked if he had any experience in puppeteering, Jones laughed and simply replied, “With a sock.” Though inexperienced in this area of theatre, he is not ignorant of the high standards he has to meet, if not exceed. “It kind of gives me a sense of anxiety, knowing that I’ve got to make sure I do this right otherwise it’ll look like a muppet on stage, and it won’t look quite as realistic,” Jones said. “It comes with a little bit of fear that I’m not going to make the show as plausible as it could be.” It’s not every day where two people have to unite in order to create one cohesive character, but Tiznado and Jones eat, sleep, and breathe collaboration as they continue to develop the Audrey II, whether that be vocals, manipulations, or character as a whole. It’s a strange and interesting plant with a strange and interesting background- one that is sure to stun audiences as they venture into the Little Shop of Horrors coming at the end of March and beginning of April.