The Granite Bay Gazette, Volume 15 Issue 7

of s e ual g a nt iling a v b Ad ing B1 be

Friday, April 27, 2012

Spring style

Baseball stars shine C1

Gazette THE GRANITE BAY

G 8-9 THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 15 w ISSUE 7

Commentary

School district’s legal troubles, costs rising

RJUHSD has paid more than $500,000 since ’08

BY SHANNON CARROLL scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

jessica reese jreese.gazette@gmail.com

Sometimes, free speech can be wrong

P

en and paper in hand, I walked into the Friday afternoon keynote address at Journalism on the Edge, the spring 2012 national high school journalism convention in Seattle.

After four hours of journalismcentered sessions, there was finally a break when everyone was strongly encouraged to attend the keynote address by Dan Savage, creator of the It Gets Better project.

I went in with an open mind, having always respected the project and what it has done to give hope to students with alternative sexual orientations.

Even our community, small hamlet that it is, has been rocked by the corrosive effects of bullying, and I fully believe in anything that can bring peace and hope to those struggling with their sexuality.

Now, I am not so sure. My support of the project is no longer freely given – it is shaky at best.

The message, to me, had always been “it gets better,” as the name suggested. The project was about keeping hope, keeping positive, believing in a better future.

After hearing Savage speak, those hopeful messages have been twisted.

Those warm and fuzzy feelings are, according to Savage, a misconception. In his mind, at the center of the project is a “raised middle finger” to conservative parents, religious persons, Republicans – everyone and anyone who does not agree with him.

Maybe such feelings are not the case for everyone involved in the project, but the fact that the project’s spokesperson and creator is espousing such hate-filled, hypocritical views does not reflect well on him or his efforts.

What I found even more disgusting was Savage’s blatant attack on the Bible, religion and even the students in his captive audience. He called the Bible “bull____” and hurled ugly names at those students who chose to walk out of his scathing speech.

I was not happy, to say the least.

But, above all, I was disappointed in his violation of what the convention had taught me.

Before his talk, I attended a session on satire titled “Laugh Responsibly.”

Over and over we repeated “satire is humor, with a purpose.” The presenter taught us about “knowing our audience” and, above all, asking if causing a stir was really worth it.

Unless what you say has the potential to make the world a better place, she said, it is not worth it.

Mr. Savage, I don’t believe your words were worth it.

You certainly did not know or respect your audience, and you did not make the world a better place.

Instead, you spread hate and attacked the very people whom you were supposed to be inspiring.

I was disgusted, I was disappointed and I was angered.

For an organization that’s supposed to be promoting journalistic education, ethics and integrity, this was a monumental misstep that did much more harm than good.

I appreciate what the officials in the Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association were trying to do: shed light on the horrors of bullying. I only wish they’d had better foresight.

Because maybe then they could have made a real difference. *** Jessica Reese, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

The Roseville Joint Union High School District has taken heat for its handling of a legal issue that resulted in payments of more than $300,000 in a court case last fall, but those fees turn out to be only the beginning of the district’s legal issues.

In all, the district has paid roughly half a million dollars to settle legal issues since the

beginning of 2008.

In addition to the one huge payment, the district has made numerous smaller payments totaling more than $160,000 to settle other lawsuits over the past five years, mostly involving special education, according to documents that the district provided based on a state Public Records Act request by The Gazette.

That $160,000 doesn’t include certain settlement costs that weren’t quantified, such

as the cost of remedial education at a private school for one special-education student. The total also doesn’t include the time that district personnel spent dealing with the legal issues.

As of press time, The Gazette hasn’t yet been given access to all the special-education documents pertaining to a reporter’s request for all legal settlements over the past five years, so the total cost of the settlements may be even higher than the more than $160,000.

In addition to the payments of legal fees, the district has been embroiled in legal issues over the misuse of funds in the English Language

PROJECT X

Development program.

Gary Stevens, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services, said the district does not have an in-house legal counsel, which other larger districts often have.

“Contrary to what many people may believe, a school district is a very complex operation,” Stevens said. “Our district, site administrators and staff are striving to provide the best programs for our students and at the same time

Granite Bay students try to mimic party from movie

BY LENA EYEN

leyen.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo illustration/SHANNON CARROLL and RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Students are ignoring risks when they choose to attend Project X-themed parties.

The parties have become popular after the release of the movie.

“If you’re a teenager, Project X is a comedy. If you’re a parent, it is the scariest of horror movies.”

-Ryan Owens, for ABC News *** Since the movie Project X was released on March 2, many students across the country – including some at Granite Bay High School – have been trying to copy the crazy party the movie centers around.

The movie follows three desperate teens who, in an attempt to win over their classmates and the girls they never had a chance with, throw an epic party full of alcohol, sex, tasers, cars driving into swimming pools and people being shoved into ovens.

The movie is produced by Todd Philipps, who, according to The Huffington Post, has “made a career recording the mistakes, pitfalls and seduction of getting totally wasted.”

Unfortunately, many teens walking out of the theater leave inspired to, at some point, participate in a similar experience.

Ashley, a pseudonym for a Granite Bay High School junior who asked to remain anonymous, recently attended what turned into a Project X-themed party.

“The whole house was packed, so you could barely move and had to push through people,” Ashley said. “It wasn’t just the inside – the backyard was like that too.”

Ashley said that, after the theme song from the movie was played, people started going crazy.

“Tables were being thrown, there was even a balcony overlooking the living room that people were jumping off of,” she said.

Ashley heard about the party through text messages and phone calls, but she’s heard of other Project X parties that used Facebook, Twitter, and even Craigslist to advertise the party.

Nicolette Pinkney, a sophomore, saw

If state budget fails, campuses could cut off spring admissions

Some teachers critical of testbased grade bump

BY NICOLE BALES

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

inside this issue

News

A2 – A6

Voices

A7 – A9

Second Look

A10

Features

B1 – B8

Sports

C1 – C6

Green Screen

G1 – G16

the movie and at first found it so ridiculous she thought it was funny.

However, Pinkney said that by the end, her reactions became negative as the movie simply became gross.

Dr. Tara Niendam, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California at Davis, said that because the brain is undergoing significant development during adolescence, teens are tempted to mimic the reckless attitudes displayed in such movies.

“Hollywood makes its money by making us feel strong emotions – shock, fear, happiness, love, hope,” Niendam said. “When we see something so entertaining, we think, ‘Hey, I could have a party like this and it would be super fun!’ ” Niendam said the frontal lobe of the brain, which is still developing until the mid to late 20s, contributes to the maturation of many cognitive, social and emotional skills.

“Such skills include the ability to evaluate risk related to different choices and predict possible dangerousness of certain activities,” Niendam said.

She compared the process of adolescence to riding a bike with training wheels.

“You have the ability to drive the bike, but you still need the help of trusted adults to provide you with wisdom and support so you don’t tip over or crash,” Niendam said.

AP psychology teacher Natalie Elkin said she thinks these types of parties are a result of teenagers wanting to express the desire to fulfill certain needs.

“To me, it signals the need to fit in, which is really important to everyone but especially teens who are kind of garnering their sense of identity,” Elkin said.

Elkin said teens fail to understand the long-term consequences for decisions made in the present. “(Teens) don’t really see that (a) See PROJECT X, page A5

Departments decide the STAR incentives

CSU cuts could have ramifications

If Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal doesn’t qualify for the November ballot – or if it qualifies and then fails – the California State University system will have to face another $200 million in trigger cuts throughout the 2013 school year.

What will make the consequences of these cuts different from any other year is that instead of fee and tuition increases and declining course offerings, the CSU system will turn to its most drastic consequence yet – freezing all 2013 student admissions.

In order to avoid these cuts, the Governor’s budget would have to be approved by the legislature, and voters

See DISTRICT, page A5

BY KELSEY KNORP

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com Jill unverferth

If Jerry Brown’s budget doesn’t pass, students might not be able to attend California state schools

would have to approve his proposed tax initiative in November to increase taxes on the wealthy.

The budget proposes a total general funding increase of $367 million to CSU, the University of California See CSU, page A6

Caffeine Dangers Students can be negatively affected by energy drinks

A2

STAR test incentives were offered across all academic departments at Granite Bay High School last year, but now each department will decide what kind of incentive it will offer – or if they will offer any at all.

The standardized exams, which are required at all California high

schools to be used by the state to measure academic success, is notorious for its inability to motivate students to do well. This is largely because of the fact that it is not taken into consideration by college admissions departments, nor does it affect a student’s overall grade in any of the classes they have taken that school year.

Before last year’s STAR tests were administered, the faculty agreed that the GBHS scores did not accurately reflect the intelligence or capabilities of students. Therefore See STAR, page A5

Legally Blonde Check out photos from the high school’s musical

A10

News

A2

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w April 27, 2012

NAMES IN THE NEWS

chris pei

cpei.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette staff wins award at convention

T

he Gazette finished eighth in the Best of Show competition at the spring national high school journalism convention April 14 in Seattle.

The GBHS student newspaper competed in the broadsheet category for newspapers with 17 and more pages. The Seattle award was the 15th national convention Best of Show prize for the Gazette since its inception in 1998.

“This was a huge testament to the efforts of Granite Bay High journalism students,” said Karl Grubaugh, the Gazette’s longtime adviser and advanced journalism teacher. “I was very impressed with the quality of other newspapers in Seattle, so for us to be in the mix in the Best of Show competition means we’re doing something right.”

In addition to the Best of Show award, seven Gazette students won individual honors in the national Write-Off competition on Friday, April 13. Senior co-editor-in-chief Rachael Vasquez received an excellent award in sports photography, and staff writer Joey Puhala received an excellent in yearbook copy captions: clubs.

Co-editor-in-chief Kyle Pawlak, co-editor-in-chief Jessica Reese, features editor ShinEui Park, entertainment editor Samantha Spargo and news editor Nicole Bales all received honorable mention awards in their competition categories.

Co-editor-in-chief Shannon Carroll received two first-place national awards in the Quill and Scroll Writing and Photography Contest, sponsored by the Quill and Scroll Society based at the University of Iowa. Carroll won in the In-Depth Individual and General Columns categories. *** The GBHS Future Business Leaders of America chapter competed in the State competition this past weekend from April 19 through April 22 at Hyatt Regency, Irving.

Michael Tom received sixthplace in Sports Marketing.

Bradley Chee and Brian Wei received fifth-place in Network Design.

Lisa Nguyen received first-place in Business Communications, qualifying for the Nationals competition in her event. *** Ten students from the GBHS Speech and Debate team recently qualified for the National Speech and Debate Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will take place from Saturday, June 9 through Saturday, June 16 at the Indiana Convention Center and Ben Davis High School.

Congratulate Natalie Kreeger, Tiffany Alunan, Ally McReynolds, Rani Ghosh, Nick Ontiveros, Justin Habashi, Bhagat Cheema, Aseem Khurana, Reed Klaeser and Parmeet Sahota for making it to Nationals. ***

Chris Pei, a junior, is a Gazette News editor.

CORRECTIONS Accuracy is perhaps the most important fundamental of good journalism. It's the policy of the Gazette to correct all factual errors that are brought to our attention.

Email us at: gbgazette@yahoo.com Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

A caffeine overdose can happen easily

After binging on energy drinks, out-of-state students hospitalized

BY HAYLEY McAVOY

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

On April 19, five students at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, were hospitalized for a drug overdose.

That drug was caffeine.

“It’s the most-used drug in the world,” said John Macleane, health teacher at Granite Bay High School.

According to a survey by the Nebraska Medical Center, about 75 percent of adolescents have at least one cup of a caffeine drink every day.

“The energy obtained from caffeine is often short-lived and doesn’t last for long,” said Oliver Seban, a family physician at the Woodland Clinic.

Seban also admits to having a caffeine addiction, to coffee in particular “It gives you a sense of wellbeing,” he said. “It’s almost like a placebo effect that gives you energy.”

For hardcore coffee drinkers like Seban, it’s hard for them when they don’t get their daily fix.

Often, when the stress overcomes them, their anxiety shoots

up and they experience withdrawal.

Usually withdrawal is associated with more widely recognized addictive drugs, not something as common as caffeine.

“Unlike other drugs, you won’t scratch holes in your skin or barf your guts out, but, instead, you will get headaches, insomnia and become easily irritated,” Macleane said.

Drinking caffeine puts the body in a stage of ‘fight-orflight’ response.

“When teenagers are stressed out about an exam, then take a

Gazette photos /kristen Taylor

Caffeine drinks sold in at a local grocery store, above, contain anywhere from 80 to 240 mg of caffeine per can.

Two retirees return to fill counselor’s absence Former faculty members work part-time while Bussey is on indefinite medical leave

BY NATALIE KREEGER

nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com

As Granite Bay High School students are scrambling to pick the right classes or seek advice for college, some students have found new faces occupying the office of their counselor, Carey Bussey.

Since mid-February, Bussey has not been at GBHS. In an email earlier in April, principal Mike McGuire told the GBHS faculty that the Roseville Joint Union High School District board of trutstees had approved a request for an extended medical leave for Bussey through the end of the school year.

McGuire told the faculty that retired GBHS counselors Walt Wild and Linda Drever have agreed to work part-time to fill Bussey’s position.

Wild, who retired last year, said he is delighted to be back at GBHS working with students.

“I am filling Mrs. Bussey’s spot for the time being, and my main priority is to help students with class registration,” Wild said.

Wild and Drever are both working to ensure that there are no problems because of Bussey’s absence.

“Both Walt Wild and Linda Drever are outstanding counselors with a great amount of experience,” assistant principal Cathy Raycraft said.

“They are very familiar with the entire process of class registration and colleges, and very well suited and beyond qualified to fill Mrs. Bussey’s spot.”

Raycraft said the transition has

lot of caffeine, they put their body in a panic mode,” Seban said. “This causes the heart to palpitate and makes it even harder to study or meet deadlines. Caffeine just makes the situation 10 times worse.”

According to Seban, besides panic and anxiety attacks, too much caffeine can cause arrhythmia. Arrythmia is when the heart has an abnormal beat and becomes very sensitive.

A common misconception about caffeine is that it stunts growth in adolescents.

Research has not supported this hypothesis, that one action causes the other’s effect on the body.

“Every time we believe we’ve got it pinned for something, we do the research only to discover there’s nothing,” Macleane said.

It’s not to say that caffeine is Linda Drever

Retired GBHS councilor filling in for Carey Bussey along with Walt Wild.

been “seamless” – with no apparent problems or issues.

Drever are doing a great job of Some students were surprised filling in.” to find two different people occuDistrict officials said they look pying Bussey’s office – but they forward to having Bussey back on have been satisfied with the ef- the GBHS campus. forts of Wild and Drever.

“We are hopeful Mrs. Bussey “At first, I was slightly conwill be able to return to GBHS,” fused as to why there was said Ron Severson, an RJUHSD someone else working in Mrs. assistant superintendent and forBussey’s office,” mer GBHS princijunior Justin Hapal. bashi said. “But If Bussey does not after talking to return back in the Mr. Wild, I found fall of 2012, GBHS At first, I was that he was just may have to hire as efficient and another permanent slightly conqualified as Mrs. counselor to fill her fused as to Bussey.” spot.

Many students Wild, for his part, why there was are wondering said he is only fillsomeone else if Bussey will ing in this spring. working in Mrs. be returning to “I do not plan to GBHS – a quesBussey’s office. come back in the tion that remains fall,” he said. “I am unanswered. only helping out for – Justin Habashi, “I really hope the time being.”

Bussey comes junior Many seniors have back, but after been concerned with asking around, Bussey’s absence it seems like because they haven’t nobody really been able to get has an answer to that question,” letters of recommendations from Habashi said. her.

Even school administrators said However, Wild and Drever are they don’t know whether Bussey more than happy to help solve will return in August. this problem.

“We don’t know if Mrs. Bussey “If any seniors do in fact need will ever come back, and at this a letter of recommendation for point we really don’t know what’s a scholarship or anything else,” going to happen,” assistant prin- Wild said, “Mrs. Drever and I cipal Brian McNulty said. “As of would be happy to write a letter of right now, Walt Wild and Linda recommendation.”

harmless, because it can cause significant damage to the body.

“The problem is people don’t have (caffeine) in moderation,” said Lauren McAvoy, a nutrition major at the University of California at Berkeley.

Caffeine can be a wonder drug. It is used as an ingredient in medication for migraines and tension headaches. More recently, it has been proven to help prevent type II diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

In moderation, caffeine is a mild stimulant that can get the body physiologically aroused, but only for short periods of time. It can be, in other words, a temporary source of energy.

Generally, however, caffeine in moderation is a good thing.

“People do too much of a good thing, whether it’s drugs or alcohol or anything, they

just overdo it,” Sebad said.

McAvoy suggests, instead of drinking caffeine, people should work out.

“Exercising releases endorphins into the body, which are a natural stimulant,” McAvoy said.

Other alternatives to highly caffeinated beverages are herbal tea, getting enough sleep and adopting a healthier lifestyle.

The students at Buena Vista University had a quick recovery and returned to classes the following week.

They were taking part in an experiment and unknowingly ingested 5,000 milligrams of caffeine.

The average cup of coffee has 600 mg at most. The lethal dosage of caffeine is estimated to be about 12,000 mg. Doctors recommend not testing the boundaries of caffeine overdoses.

Advanced Placement curriculum to change AP to become more like IB

BY CHRIS PEI

cpei.gazette@gmail.com

A “new AP” is on the horizon.

For students, this means that both the curriculum and testing for certain advanced placement courses will soon undergo significant changes.

According to the College Board website, the purpose of these revisions is to elicit a shift from the traditional “lecture-and demonstration” model to one that is tailored to “diverse learning styles and interests.”

The changes, taking place in the 2012-13 academic year, will be geared toward reducing the breadth of course material in order to promote “a deeper understanding of key concepts within the curriculum.”

In the case of AP Biology, for example, classes will now be directed at scientific inquiry and student-designed labs rather than textbook memorization.

In other words, emphasis will be placed on developing skills rather than memorizing content.

Debbie Noyes, the physiology teacher at GBHS, said the reason behind these changes is to create “a more focused curriculum.”

“In a way, AP seems to be trying to be more like IB,” Noyes said.

“Rather than memorizing information word for word from the textbook, the focus will shift to more open-ended investigations.”

One of the major changes will be the way in which labs are approached, Noyes said.

According to Heidi Rounds, an IB Biology teacher at GBHS, there are traditionally 12 “standardized” labs, ranging from enzyme catalysis to population genetics, that students are required to complete over the course of AP Biology.

These 12 labs, or the “dirty dozen” as Rounds called them, have very straightforward procedures, leaving students with little to no room to freely investigate certain areas of study.

The “new AP” was, as a result, created to address this issue.

“The way that the new labs are set up leaves a lot of the investigation up to the students themselves,” Rounds said. “Instead of having written-out procedures that students can easily refer to and copy, it’s now all about finding the answer yourself.”

Shane Dixon, the AP Biology teacher at GBHS, said the changes will benefit the students overall.

“The current AP Bio curriculum is, as of now, enormously broad, making it impossible to cover everything,” Dixon said. “Being able to spend more time on certain chapters will allow students to make deeper See CHANGES, page A6

Friday, April 27, 2012

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A3

Middle school cuts to affect extracurriculars Budget plan will compromise band and Spanish programs at junior high schools

BY KIANA OKHOVAT kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

Certain programs in middle schools such as band and Spanish may soon cease to exist.

Governor Jerry Brown’s new budget plan calls for a $4.8 billion cut in public school funds. This would be a response to voters rejecting a proposed tax hike that he hopes to qualify for the ballot in November.

These cuts could prove to be devastating for the corresponding programs at Granite Bay High School, since Cavitt and Olympus are its main feeder schools.

GBHS Band Director Lynn Kulikowski is one of many worried teachers.

“If we didn’t have any feeder programs for music, it would be like starting math as a freshman, and trying to pass the SATs when you’re a senior. So (students would) end up about eight years behind,” Kulikowski said.

GBHS sophomore Alex Rocca, an active member in the band program, has been doing band since the fifth grade. He started with the

clarinet at Ridgeview Elementary School, moved to alto sax in the sixth grade and has continued with music since then.

This makes him one of the many “feeder students” that entered the band program at GBHS. “My skills obtained through Cavitt would have been nearly impossible to gain in just a few short months at GBHS if I hadn’t had the background at Cavitt,” Rocca said. “We would not have the same skilled musicians coming into the program, and would have to teach everyone everything from scratch.”

A loss of skilled musicians is only one of the effects of budget cuts.

“Students (wouldn’t) get the opportunity to play music, and (wouldn’t) get the opportunity to know if it’s something they like; they (woudn’t) get that choice.

That’s what I think is more of a tragedy,” Kulikowski said. “Students that maybe could be really good at music, would never find out, because (it wouldn’t be) offered.”

Gazette photos /RILEY MAC MILLAN

Olympus band director Elaine Wersky, above, conducts the band during its daily practice session. A Olympus Junior High student plays the drums, top left. A student focuses on music while playing trombone, bottom left.

See BUDGET, page A6

Victims, reporters of abuse discuss Child Protective Services

An anonymous GBHS student shares her experience with CPS

BY AMBER LES Special to the Gazette

When a child or teenager is living in an environment that has the potential to be dangerous, neglectful or harmful, to whom can they turn?

Receiving help is, at times, a long and strenuous process, and Granite Bay High School students are among those who have been victimized by acts of child abuse.

“My dad has had a long history of physical abuse,” said an anonymous GBHS student. “He used to hit (my brother and I) at a very young age with a baseball bat if we didn’t hit a ball right, and force us to practice our sports way after it got dark.”

The physical abuse escalated. Her father once threw her brother down the stairs when he was in second grade, causing a broken nose and bruises. The female GBHS student has suffered bruises all over her thighs and back from the time she was small.

“In seventh grade I told a teacher (about the abuse), and she called CPS,” she said.

“I ended up getting scared and telling my dad, which only made him hit me more.”

CPS, or Child Protective Services, is a state organization whose goal is to keep children safely within their own families, and if that’s not possible, action could be

“I spoke with (the student) about the situtaken to remove the children from their homes. But with more than three million ation for weeks, and came to the decision reports of child abuse per year, and 40-60 that I needed to make a report to CPS,” the cases handled by each caseworker at any teacher said.

When the teacher called, CPS assured one time, many frequently question the efhim over the phone that the report would fectiveness of CPS. receive a follow-up.

“CPS is the (worst) It never did. organization that I Some teachers “There are different regulahave ever dealt with let us know, but tions for what is considered in my entire life,” and I guess it depends said the anonymous for the most part abuse, on the situation,” the teacher GBHS student. the (report) is be- said.

“They didn’t come A recent review of CPS stanuntil four months aftween the teacher dards found some flaws in the ter the report, when and CPS. system. CPS has a standard I seriously needed routine that their officers folhelp.” low in order to respond to an As far as GBHS is – assistant principal allegation of abuse. First, the concerned, the adinstance of abuse and/or neministration is fairly Brian McNulty glect is reported. Then, the uninvolved with the case is assigned to a casechild-abuse reporting worker when it is proven to meet the approcess.

“The teachers don’t have to notify us if propriate criteria. After that, the report is they make a report to CPS,” assistant prin- investigated, and it is determined whether cipal Brian McNulty said. “Some teachers the alleged maltreatment occurred. The orlet us know, but for the most part the pro- ganization has created specific guidelines and criteria for what “abuse” is. cess is between the teacher and CPS.” There are many arguments that standardCases of possible abuse have been reported by the GBHS staff, involving many izing the classification of maltreatment is different situations. A teacher who asked impossible, because of the broad range of to not be identified made a report of abuse reports that come in concerning possible abuse. This could lead to either unnecesfive years ago.

Extra-credit policies differ among teachers

Some students say grade-boosting policies are unnecessary and unfair

BY MYLES SLATTERY mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Whether or not extra credit should be given is often a subject of debate.

Granite Bay High School Advanced Placement European history teacher Mike Valentine said he personally feels offering extra credit in advanced placement classes often leads to students taking advantage of it.

“I don’t want the class to be all about extra credit,” Valentine said.

Instead, Valentine said he offers specific assignments that give students an opportunity for them to raise their grade.

However, Valentine said his policies differ from class to class.

“For (non AP classes), I give extra credit, but AP classes are a different animal because everybody in the class would do it,” Valentine said.

Some students at Granite Bay High School find themselves desperate for

extra credit points, leading them to Wolf said. veer farther away from the necessity Valentine, for example, only gives to learn. extra credit for educational purposes.

Freshman Matt McCord, for exam“If I send a student to the (Sacraple, admits to taking extra credit for mento) Railroad Museum for extra granted by slackcredit and I lectured on ing off and waitthe railroad, (the student As long as the would get something ing until extra credit is given to of it other than just a extra credit has out boost his grade. grade),” Valentine said. something to do “If I know extra “(Extra credit) is usually credit is given in with the class, it just a way to make up for a class, I won’t a test you didn’t do well is very helpful. on,” Valentine said. necessarily try as hard, because I Some students find it know that I will unfair that some teachers – sophomore Maddie be able to make give extra credit and othWolf it up later,” Mcers don’t.

Cord said.

“I feel like if some teachHowever, for ers give kids extra credit, many students, all of them should,” Mcextra credit is not only beneficial for Cord said. “It gives the other students their grade, but also for their overall an unfair advantage and will probaunderstanding of the class. bly lead to students wanting to pick “As long as the extra credit has the teachers that give extra credit something to do with the class, it is very helpful,” sophomore Maddie See GRADES, page A6

sary and invasive CPS involvement, or a CPS were released by a county grand jury. failure to provide correct services to a fam- Following these reports, the head of the organization resigned and was replaced. ily or the children affected.

But the late response time, as the female This was all amid pending lawsuits against GBHS student experienced, is typically the CPS claiming it blatantly ignored or failed fault of an overworked and understaffed to follow-up on significant cases of abuse, resulting in further injury organization. According and neglect of the victo ABCNews, CPS workThey didn’t tims. ers have exceeded the come until four However, despite these recommended workload reports, CPS has made by 62 percent. Even local months after the a positive impact in the newspapers are riddled report, when I lives of many children. with stories concerning Calliope Steinkamp, a late CPS response times, seriously needed freshman at GBHS, has funding cuts, crucial erhelp. dealt with Child Protecrors in workers’ judgtive Services since her ment, and a decrease in early childhood. Her faavailable foster homes.

– an anonymous GBHS ther and mother were Approximately onestudent, on CPS both drug addicts, and her fourth of cases dealing father has Type 1 bipolar with seriously injured disorder, which caused children were investigated by CPS in recent years, and 1.5 percent him to go into fits of rage. CPS took her out of the home when she was 6 years old, of fatalities occurred in foster care.

Although these issues might seem out-of- while her mother was dealing with drug rereach to the tight knit Granite Bay commu- hab and her father was incarcerated.

“They helped me in a really big way,” nity, one of the nearest CPS offices in Sacramento has been under scrutiny for years. Steinkamp explains. “Even though I still In 2008, Sacramento County commis- have to deal with a lot of caseworkers, I’m sioned a review of Child Protective Servic- really thankful for what they did.” es in response to an increase in child abuse deaths that year. The review identified is*** sues that were given “recommendations Amber Les, a junior, is an editor with for improvement.” thegrrronicle.com, the news website proIn late 2011, highly critical reports about duced by the Journalism class.

News Briefs

Collection results in for the March 27 blood drive

During the spring blood drive, 179 pints of blood were collected from both students and faculty. A total of 202 registered donors and 87 new donors attended the event.

GBHS hosts March to Make a Difference More than 175 participants took part in the Granite Bay High School March to Make a Difference to raise awareness for teen issues in the community.

Vendors such as the B.R.A.V.E Society, Franny’s House, BeMoneySmartUSA, and the Coalition for Placer Youth attended to promote their organizations. After the threemile walk ended, the walkers enjoyed a barbeque and music provided by 107.9 The End.

—compiled by Dorien Johnk

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Jibran Khan, a senior, was one of 175 participants in the March 27 blood drive.

ASB UPDATE The newly elected class president addresses future plans regarding events The Gazette talked to next year’s senior class president, Emma Farrell.

Gazette: What are your future plans as the senior class president?

I really want to work on making sure that our class makes memories together and bonds really well. I want us to do really well at events and to have a lot of spirit.

Gazette: What positions have you

previously held?

tivities that we want to do.

I was the freshman class president for the fall term of my freshman year, and I’ve been spirit commissioner with (junior) Paige Finkemeir.

Gazette: Is there anything new you want to do that will differentiate you from the current senior class?

Gazette: What does being a senior class president entail?

I’m in charge of all the senior events and senior spirit at event. I make sure that we can raise money to pay for all the ac-

Emma Farrell, next year’s senior class president, said that she hopes to do something different for senior ball next year.

I want to do something different for senior ball and maybe switch it up a little bit. I also want our float to be the best float we’ve ever had (at Granite Bay High School).

—compiled by Rachael Vasquez

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

A4 News

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Off-campus lunch off limits Freedom to grab a quick bite could cause legal conflicts

BY ERICA PETERSON Special to the Gazette

Many students have the misconception that the Granite Bay High School administration is “cracking down” on unfavorable school rules, such as leaving campus. However, the assistant principals’ secretary Debbie Nordman insists this isn’t the case and said the administration is just making “their campus monitors more visible.”

While the general perception is that the administration is focusing more on students leaving campus, the fact of the matter is that it has always been against the school rules. GBHS is a “closed campus,” meaning students are not able to go outside the designated classroom areas while school is in session.

For many students, however, the boundaries might not be clear.

“The parking lot and the streets are off campus,” assistant principal Brent Mattix said. “Our No.1 priority is to keep students safe, and we can do that best when we know where our students are.”

The issue for administrators is liability.

During school hours, the faculty is accountable for the well-being of students. If something were to happen to a student off campus, it could open the door for lawsuits.

If GBHS was to be an open campus, however, teachers and administrators would not be liable for students during lunch.

Davis Senior High School is very similar to GBHS, both socioeconomically and in size. Since the school was founded, however, it has been an open campus.

“On average, about 60 percent of my students leave to get lunch off campus each day,” said Anthony Vasquez, a sophomore and junior English teacher at DHS. One of the reasons GBHS administrators are Gazette photo /Rachael Vasquez

See LUNCH, page A6

Although students leave for lunch, GBHS remains a closed campus. Therefore, students are not permitted to bring outside food on campus or they will face disciplinary consequences.

Pink is the new black in school and workplace GBHS students, graduates among the increase of female college students and bread-winners

BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

According to Granite Bay High School Advanced Placement United States history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto, “we men are darn scared of you women.”

Although this remark may have been made to entertain his first period class, he should be scared. The World Bank predicts that the earning power of women will hover around $18 trillion by 2014.

The role of the American woman has changed exponentially from the suburban housewife of the ’50s to the modern empowered and independent thinker. “‘Why are you working so hard to go to a good college if you’re only going to end up raising children?’” GBHS alumni Stacey Wong heard repeatedly as a successful member of the Granite Bay High School Debate Team.

Wong, a freshman at Stanford University and GBHS alumni, claims that despite her tremendous hard work, boys in her debate class would make fun of her diligence and ideas for academic success.

“They would make jokes about women belonging in the kitchen,” Wong said in an email.

However, the role of women is no longer just as a housewife. In fact, 60 percent of women in the United States are the primary or co-breadwinner for their families, according to a 2009 survey featured on Center for American Progress.org. Every day in America, women

Cindi Underwood College and Career Center counselor advises waitlisted seniors to remain hopeful but to have a backup university.

College gets put on hold Waitlisted seniors must make alternative plans

BY NATALIE KREEGER nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com

For the past couple of months, Granite Bay High school students have been anxiously waiting for college acceptances.

Now that college acceptances have been released, students have until May 1 to submit their Statement of Intent to Register form.

Many individuals found out they would be attending a four-year university; however, for some the waiting game is not over.

A handful of seniors were waitlisted at a wide array of schools. This leaves seniors in the dark for yet another month and even two months for some.

Because of recent budget cuts and an increase in applicants, seven UC campuses have implemented waitlists.

See WAITLISTED, page A6

are redefining their roles in society.

The female graduates from GBHS will soon be joining the workforce with both brains and brawn in ample supply.

Wong was co-valedictorian in June 2011, along with female counterpart Chelsey Lee. She maintained a 4.5 GPA while participating in speech and debate, played in the American River College Jazz Band and played on the girls’ section-title winning tennis team all four years of her high school career.

She is just one example of how the overwhelming motivation of women can help manage their time and balance many activities. This motivation allows young women to better succeed.

“It’s a very service-oriented economy (right now), so you need employees to be motivated. Women are better connectors than men,” management expert Jay Forte said in a New York Daily News article.

This motivation has led to the tremendous success of the women on campus.

Senior Gabby Cho excels in academics while maintaining an active and well-rounded lifestyle. She has maintained a 4.55 total GPA throughout her high school career, making her third in her class. She’s also participated in track and field and student government.

Cho contributes her success not to her gender, but to the resources she’s been given.

“Hard work and all of my teachers help (has contributed

to my success) – we have some great teachers at GBHS that have had a large impact on me,” Cho said.

While Cho and Wong both excelled immensely, the males on campus have not fallen short. Senior Will Harkin is captain of the lacrosse and soccer teams at GBHS while maintaining excellent academic standing. He contributes his success not to gender, but to the advocacy from his family.

“They inspire me and support me in everything I do,” Harkin said.

Harkin is fifth in his class and has earned a total 4.51 gpa for his high school career. He believes that being a boy has not necessarily hindered or helped his success in high school but admits that males typically feel fewer pressures than females in some respects.

“I don’t really have to spend as much time worrying about some things that… (a female) sometimes worries about… I don’t have to do my make up in the morning,” Harkin said with a laugh.

As seniors head off to college, they must realize that women graduates will be making a significant impact on American society.

In 2010, 58 percent of all undergraduate degrees were awarded to women, according to McKinsey and Company.

According to the self-help psychology book, Be Your Own Therapist, by psychotherapist Thayer White, women use their left brain more than their right, meaning that they are much more detail oriented than men. Wong’s attention to detail prompted her to create a sort of roadmap for her success.

“As part of my goal identification process, I was constantly reflecting on my overall satisfaction with life,”

Wong said. “Every month I reflected and still do reflect on social, academic, extracurricular and athletic goals that I have for the month, complete with a plan on how I’ll achieve them.”

Unlike Harkin, who attributed his achievements simply to hard work, Wong admits that being detail oriented has contributed to her immense success both academically and in extracurricular activities.

As students enter college, they must brace themselves for an entirely new way of thinking. One of these ways will be in seminar sections of classes. Wong has noticed that women tend to be more hesitant in participating in such sessions.

“I remember expressing to my professor that I was nervous to share my ideas during class,” Wong said.

“He responded along the lines that my hesitation was understandable – society has taught women that they don’t have as many valuable things to say.”

In today’s society, however, women are gaining a much greater influence – 12 women are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

Women shine in what has been a predominantly male workforce throughout America’s history.

“At the same time, being a woman in underrepresented sectors can really help you stand out,” Wong said.

Although women might feel that they have suffered from sexist prejudice in the past, those that learn to embrace their talents and overlook the stereotypes can experience immense success.

“As a woman, I still feel pressure to succeed, but I think there are fewer expectations of me,” Wong said, “As a result, I have more freedom to explore, which I think is a beautiful thing.”

Friday, April 27, 2012

A5 News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

STAR: Many teachers say test doesn’t match what happens in classrooms Continued from page A1

test, but it will also depend on their performance on the AP test.

“You’ve got calculus students taking the they decided, for the first time, to offer a grade bump to any student who scored better summative (test), and that’s below their than expected based on their grades in the ability level,” Vaughan said.

History teacher Brandon Dell’Orto said corresponding class.

This meant that, for example, students he is more negative about the grade bump with a C-plus in Geometry could have their – and about the STAR test itself.

“Here’s one of the ironies of the STAR grades raised to a B-minus if they achieved test – I’m the STAR test coordinator, but I’m a score within the proficient range.

Math teacher Lisa Vaughan supports the probably one of its least-supportive fans,” continuation of the grade bump and said it Dell’Orto said. “I think that it’s designed had a positive effect on her students’ per- to act like it’s teaching accountability, and I think it’s done the opposite.” formance on the STAR test.

Dell’Orto noted that when Although she estimates the first STAR test was creshe only gave three or four I’m the star test ated in 1998, the state atgrade bumps, she said stuto offer monetary dents finally utilized their coordinator, but tempted incentives to students, but full potential on a test that funding dried up. Because formerly only received I’m probably one the test is not a factor in minimal effort – and their of its leastcollege admissions, students scores demonstrated that supportive fans. remained unmotivated to change. perform well.

“I had students come back Scores were especially low and say (they had) never – Brandon Dell’Orto, on the math portion of the gotten above a certain levSTAR testing test, so in fall of 2010 the el, and (they) got above coordinator Roseville Joint Union High it (last) year,” Vaughan School District established said. “I feel like even just a goal to find a way to raise putting in their best effort, they saw a better score, which made them scores by 10 percent on the next test. Before long, every department was involved in this feel better, (and) helped our school.”

The math department has decided to keep discussion, and the grade bump was chosen the grade bump for math students, but with as a test-run solution at GBHS. Dell’Orto estimates he awarded 65 to 80 some minor adjustments. AP math students will have the opportunity to receive a bump grade bumps to his AP United States History as a result of their performance on the STAR students. This statistic, which stands in stark

contrast with Vaughan’s three or four, made him believe the incentive did not serve its intended purpose.

Although the social studies department decided to keep an amended version of the grade bump – students in the AP classes must do well on the AP test to get the grade increase – Dell’Orto himself voted against it and said it won’t be long before the department abandons it altogether.

“If you had to write an essay for a history test, then they would be equally hard, but the nature of the question (is) different,” he said.

To him, another major drawback is the use of the grade bump by several students as something to fall back on should they underperform in their classes. “(Students) were lowering their level of effort in the class as a whole, planning on the grade bump to be able to, on paper, look like they did better than they were,” Dell’Orto said. “That was a Frankenstein monster version of what we were trying to do with the grade bump.”

English teacher Anthony Davis initially supported the grade-bump incentive, but after witnessing the results, he said it did not accomplish what it was originally designed to do. The couple dozen grade bumps he estimated he handed out were predominantly awarded to his Honors English students.

“The net effect was just impacting those students at the upper end of the range, it was sort of like that A-level kid,” Davis said.

“It really wasn’t having the impact that I would have wanted it to (have) ... in other words, to help that lower-end kid. With an

honors-level class ... they’re already getting and therefore it is not necessarily fair for stuthe grade bump for that. … It’s like, how dents who do well to receive the grade bump.

“It’s like taking an easy test to evaluate for much candy can you keep handing out?”

Davis and the rest of the English depart- a class that’s probably much harder than the ment agreed that the test’s content is some- STAR test,” Cooper said.

Although Cooper wasn’t eligible for a what irrelevant to what they focus on in their classes. Therefore, a high score on the grade bump after receiving all A’s, he still English portion of the STAR test should not said he devoted a significant effort to doing qualify a student to receive a higher grade well.

“I’m not sure if it (helps people with less of in his or her English class.

Assistant principal David Vujovich, who a work ethic) because then they would think, is overseeing STAR testing this year, has ‘Oh, I don’t have to try as hard in the class, enjoyed seeing the positive effects of the I can just (use) the STAR bump.’ It won’t actually help them in the end incentives. learn as much,” Cooper said.

“I think that the incentives Junior Dalton France reare very reasonable, and I It’s like taking ceived bumps from an 88 think that students are goan easy test to percent to A-minuses in both ing to keep swimming up his AP European History and to that bar and representing evaluate for a English 10 classes. While our school in the best way,” class that’s he appreciates that his GPA Vujovich said.

However, he said the deciprobably much increased, he said it might not be fair for the STAR test sion regarding grade incenharder... scores to affect students’ tives has been left to the – Chase Cooper, grade- point averages, somefaculty, because it’s teachers who are the ones teaching GBHS sophomore thing that is factored into college admissions, when the curriculum and interactcolleges do not take the ing with students.

STAR test scores into ac“We’re going to take it year by year because it is the faculty’s decision,” count in the first place.

It remains to be seen whether the scores on Vujovich said. “The only thing that (principal Mike) McGuire told our teachers was this year’s test will change after the recent that what (they) decide(d) on, they had to adjustments by the faculty. “(The incentive) enables our school to follow through with.”

Sophomore Chase Cooper said the STAR show its true potential when our kids do test is not the most accurate measurement of well on the test,” France said. “but we just what students have learned in their classes, shouldn’t need to be bribed to do well.”

DISTRICT: Employee claims money was hidden Continued from page A1

be good stewards of our taxpayer funding.”

Stevens also said approximately 85 percent of the general operational budget is spent on employees and related costs.

“Decisions and actions are taken with the best interest of the district in mind,” Stevens said.

According to the documents provided by the district, it paid $50,000 to former Roseville High School special-education teacher Tara Skinner under a settlement reached last year.

Skinner had filed a complaint after she was not rehired for the 20102011 school year.

The district’s documents didn’t disclose whether it had to pay her legal fees.

In a 2008 suit related to special education, the district agreed to pay $7,500 to cover attorney’s fees.

The rest of the document was, as is required by law, heavily redacted, so additional information isn’t available.

In another suit, settled in 2009, the district agreed to provide the parents of a special-education student with reimbursement for as much as $18,430, “as a full and final settlement of all past and present attorney’s fees, costs, and/or expenses related to the case.”

School board member R. Jan Pinney said dealing with special education can be tough.

“People can sue anybody,” Pinney said. “They don’t have to have grounds. I think we do a pretty good job here of making sure we provide the best opportunity for kids.”

Other cases in 2009 related to special education involved a case where the district agreed to pay $7,250 to an attorney, as well as a case in which the district agreed to pay $2,500 to an attorney.

In 2010, the district paid $4,200, $7,500 and $6,000 to attorneys. The district also paid an attorney fee of $10,000 and agreed to provide “payment for all and any compensatory education services” after a dispute regarding whether the district provided a student with a free appropriate public education.

In 2011, the district paid $15,500 to an attorney.

In 2012, the district paid $25,000 to an attorney. In another suit, filed after The Gazette made its request for information, the district settled and agreed to pay $9,500 to the attorney for a parent who had been denied access to medical information for her child, who was treated by a school nurse.

These settlements come on top of the well-publicized legal fees of more than $300,000 that were paid to settle a case filed by Mike Harris.

Harris filed a lawsuit after he wasn’t able to get access to records relating to his son.

Harris’ lawyer, Paul Nicholas Boylan, said: “That’s $300,000 that buys a lot of stuff… that keeps a lot of teachers.”

In addition to the legal-fee payments, the district is still dealing with the fallout from a complaint filed by Ted Herr, the district’s Coordinator of Intervention and Support – a position that has since been eliminated.

Herr alleged that the district had received $421,005 specifically allocated to educate students with limited English proficiency but had only spent $181,600 on such students during the 2010-2011 school year.

He alleged that the district reported to the state that all the funds were used for their designated purpose, even though that was untrue.

Herr said that a small part of the $239,405 that wasn’t spent on the English Language Development program was used for AP Chemistry

at Antelope High School – something the district said was accidental – and that some of the money was “just plain stashed.”

“The money was intentionally hidden. . . and (people in the district) sent in false financial data to show the state that they were doing what they were supposed to,” Herr said.

“Kids were damaged.”

As for the rest of the money, in an article in the Roseville Press Tribune in December, district officials are quoted as saying, “Both (assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction John) Montgomery and (director of categorical programs Judy) Fischer were well aware of the large reserve and both believe they had communicated to (Ted) Herr that their expectation was that he would communicate a complete plan that would make use of the funds.”

Neither Montgomery nor Fischer responded to requests for an interview.

Herr called the accusation that he was at fault because he didn’t put together a plan “all lies.” He said that he did put together a master plan, one the district chose to ignore.

“It’s a cover-up,” Herr said.

Herr said that, after he filed his complaint, he has seen a large number of changes take place in the program, especially after the district hired a consultant to come in and make sure that everything it’s doing with the money is legitimate.

“We’re seeing a huge positive change in what the district is doing,” Herr said. “It just took a sledgehammer to do it.”

Ron Severson, the district’s assistant superintendent of personnel services, said, “We probably should have been spending that money faster.”

But he said the district had a structural problem and that the reason the money wasn’t being spent was

because the district didn’t have the program in place to spend it.

“Essentially we had one person at the district office – and that was (Herr) – he was responsible for administering the whole program,” Severson said. “As it turned out, that didn’t really make sense.”

Herr’s appeal went to the California Department of Education and was evaluated there. Regarding Herr’s allegation that the district ignored the legal process for allocating funds to the different schools, keeping most of the money under district control, the Department of Education found that “the district self-imposed several corrective actions to ensure compliance with the law,” something the district was said to have provided evidence of complying with.

According to Jennifer Hill, who is now the English Language Development specialist at Granite Bay High School, there are only four students in the program, two of whom are also in the special education program.

All these financial issues are occurring at a time when the district’s “rainy-day fund” equals around 21 or 22 percent of the budget, according to teacher and Roseville Secondary Education Association president Brandon Dell’Orto. State law says the fund only has to be around 6 percent.

“They’ll use that just in case something happens,” Dell’Orto said. “Our district has always been financially prudent, which is nice. We don’t lay off people like a lot of school districts do.”

Still, Dell’Orto is concerned that the district is being – even in difficult financial circumstances – too fiscally conservative. “(The money is) here for (current students),” Dell’Orto said. “It’s not supposed to be spent on students three years from now. It’s like the inverse of Social Security.”

PROJECT X: Legal consequences serious Continued from page A1 decision may change the course of (their) life forever,” Elkin said. “Law enforcement and parents need to be educated so that we know what our kids are being exposed to and (what we) might be up against.”

Officer Joe Herrick, the GBHS school resource officer, said the potential legal consequences include being charged with a various alcohol-related misdemeanors. In addition, Herrick said that because of the state’s zero tolerance law for drivers who are minors and alcohol consumption, students could have their driver’s licenses revoked.

Herrick also said there is potential liability if people get hurt – and not just for students.

“The homeowners that are hosting these parties could get sued if kids get hurt, injured or killed,” Herrick said.

Herrick said the consequences extend to all who are involved, potentially resulting in adults being subject to legal charges for contributing to the delinquency of minors.

The parties can also be very dangerous, Ryan Spikes, a senior football player in Houston, was fatally shot in the head during a massive party in March that was inspired by Project X .

At 12:30 a.m., police arrived

because of noise complaints, and several people began shooting.

Spikes was shot and killed.

His mother, Debra Spikes, said in an interview with Houston’s KHOU 11 News: “I look at this every day on the news, and when I see this (kind of story) I say, ‘My, my, my, somebody’s child. ... I just couldn’t believe it was my turn.”

Despite the catastrophic effects that Project X has resulted in, screenwriter Michael Bacall, in response to questions from the Hollywood Reporter, said he was not at all surprised or disappointed by critics’ reactions.

“I love it,” Bacall told the magazine. “I think we’d be disappointed if there wasn’t some kind of outraged response to Project X.” Julia, a pseudonym for a GBHS senior who asked to remain anonymous, has attended several Project X parties, despite having not seen the movie.

“One guy jumped off the balcony on to the beer pong table,” Julia said. “(The house was) trashed and messy with empty bottles of alcohol and soda spilled everywhere.”

Mckenzie Brito, a sophomore, said that after seeing the movie, she had one thought: “I thought, why am I (at) the movies right now?” Brito said.

“I should be at this party.”

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WAITLISTED: Goal is to maximize enrollment Continued from page A4

Susan Wilbur, the UCs’ systemwide director of undergraduate admissions, said this year’s waitlists were implemented in order to admit as many qualified students as possible without over-enrolling each campus – a problem that has troubled the UC system in the past.

The only problem is that UCs have no way of knowing how many people they will admit from the waitlist – the entire process is quite arbitrary.

“Because it is impossible to know how many applicants ultimately will be admitted off the waitlist, students should submit by the stated deadlines an SIR and the requisite deposit to an institution to which they have been admitted,” Wilbur said.

College and Career Center counselor Cindi Underwood also advises students to commit to another college even if they were placed on the waitlist.

“The best advice I can give is that students should commit to another

school even if they are still waiting to hear if they have been accepted through the waitlist,” Underwood said.

Many seniors are encountering this predicament and must commit to an alternative college.

“I was waitlisted at three schools: University of Chicago, Northwestern and Wesleyan University. University of Chicago is my top choice,” senior Madeline Ochi said.

Essentially, waitlisted students are presented with two options:

accept admissions offers from other universities or stall those offers and wait for a response from a waitlisted campus.

“University of Chicago will notify me by June 30 at the latest about whether I will be taken off the waitlist,” Ochi said.

The waiting game for Ochi seems everlasting, for she will have to wait well into summer to figure out where she will be officially attending college.

Ochi will send in her SIR to Tufts University in order to guarantee

herself a place at a four-year university.

Similarly to Ochi, senior Kelly Greco faces a similar problem.

“I was waitlisted at my No.1 choice, UC Santa Barbara,” Greco said. “If I get off the waitlist, I will go to UCSB. But, I won’t know until May 31 at the latest about whether I have been admitted off the waitlist or not.”

Greco will enroll at San Francisco State for the fall in order to ensure she will be attending college, but she will wait until she hears back

CHANGES: Courses to trade breadth for depth Continued from page A2

connections within the curriculum, whereas before, the focus was just on memorizing a bunch of stuff.”

Dixon added that the content of the course itself will still be challenging, but it will be easier to handle because it will flow better.

“The (current AP Biology) course is essentially the equivalent of two college semesters of biology,” Dixon said. “By narrowing the scope of the content, I’ll be able to cover the more confusing topics in depth.”

In order to adapt to this curriculum change, the science department is currently in the process of

calibrating the course offerings to reflect the “new AP.” “I’m going to be taking over both sides of the block next year, which will allow me to teach one unit at a time, so I can more fully integrate the biology with the physiology units,” Dixon said. “That’s also going to be a lot better for students as well.”

However, AP Biology isn’t the only course undergoing revisions.

According to the College Board website, AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Chemistry are projected to undergo changes in the 2013-14 academic year.

Although specific details regarding these changes have yet to be released, the College Board web-

site suggests they will be similar in nature to those of AP Biology.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Noyes said. “Our entire curriculum seems to be swinging toward this direction. Ultimately, I think it’s going to end up helping to prepare students for the much more handson approach that they will encounter when they go to college.”

BUDGET: Eureka cuts could affect students long-term Continued from page A3 Kulikowski is not only concerned about how the increasing budget cuts would affect the music program, but also other programs that are important in the lives of students. In some cases, it is what keeps them active and involved on campus.

“Imagine,” Kulikowski said, “a high school experience without sports, any electives, without music, without ceramics (or) foreign language. It would be nothing.”

For Rocca, involvement in the band program was more than enriching his experience at high school. He considers the experience itself and the skills he learned of great value as well.

“Band has affected my life in so many ways, but the things I will always carry with me are the friendships I’ve gained, the gift of music - knowing that I can pick up an instrument and make music with it that I can share with others - and the lessons of hard work and a strong work ethic, dedication and leadership.”

Kulikowski and other music teachers are trying to get the school board to realize that, to some students, music is as important as the traditional core subjects offered at the schools.

Olympus band director Elaine Wersky is especially concerned about the cuts being made to music programs in elementary schools.

“Cutting music at the elementary school

is tantamount to killing a well-established tree,” Wersky said. “You cannot start an instrumental music program at the high school level, it takes too many years to develop … it takes many years for a sapling to become a mature tree.”

The Eureka Schools Foundation, an organization that helps fill the gap of budget cuts and insufficient funding from the state government, has been supporting programs such as music and Spanish for nearly two decades.

ESF President Kristie Greiss believes the music program has the possibility of being saved, mainly because many families appreciate the value of music and will fight to keep the programs.

Sophomore Adithi Reddy, who took Span-

ish 1 at Olympus, considered the class to be helpful in many ways.

Taking Spanish earlier at Olympus also allowed Reddy to take classes she wanted to take in her freshman year, such as Honors pre-calculus, without falling behind in Spanish.

Furthermore, the Spanish 1 class at Olympus is the same curriculum and has the same finals as the Spanish 1 class at GBHS, making the transition smoother for students.

“I think, generally, it helps to learn a foreign language earlier on,” Reddy said. “Developing skills when you’re younger makes it easier to develop them further when you’re older.”

CSU: New budget will not increase funding for schools Continued from page A1

1 and close Nov. 30. During that two-month period, the November system and to California community election will take place and CSU will waitlist all eligible applicants. colleges, a 1.7 percent increase.

“Unfortunately, just about all that If the tax measure is approved, CSU change is an accounting gimmick,” will accept most eligible applicants. said Robert Turnage, the assistant If it fails, the number of admissions vice chancellor for the CSU budget. will be severely restricted.

“We don’t want to turn away “It’s taking bonded indebtedness from one part of the budget and any eligible students, but we’re suddenly saying let’s put it in the being forced to because the state higher education side and call it has backed away from its commitment on higher education and the higher education (funding). “(The state) hasn’t provided one state is doing this because it’s out of money itself,” additional dollar Turnage said. to hire one adTurnage said the ditional faculty I want to be a CSU enrollment member or admit level is still above one additional neonatal nurse what can be susstudent.” and Chico has a tained.

After recent really good nursCSU is trying to cuts, CSU was able to make up ing program. ... I plan ahead because, if the trigger cuts about $300 mildon’t want to go occur mid-year, lion through tuout-of-state – it they would have ition increases, already admitted but that still left would be nice, students, hired facthem with $400 but it’s too ulty and scheduled million in spendexpensive. courses. ing reductions.

“We can’t wait to “We suffered see what happens in budget cuts in –Jill Unverferth, the November electhis current fisGBHS junior tions and then recal year from the act,” Turnage said. state that totals “(We) need to start $750 million,” reacting now.”

Turnage said.

He said the CSU’s funding prob“(That’s) almost a third of our … cost. … The Governor’s budget lems aren’t going away anytime provides no real increase in fund- soon, and if the tax measure fails, ing next year for our program, higher education will be looking toand it provides the possibility that ward an extended period of austerity.

“It’s unfortunate the way the budwe’ll lose another (even more) if the tax measure fails. Accounting get has been put together,” Turnage gimmicks don’t help us to serve said. “You almost need to be an accountant to figure out what is going students.”

There are some exceptions for on behind the numbers.”

In terms of the way CSU funding spring 2013 admission, such as if students receive an associate’s currently operates, campuses are degree in two years at a community coming up with ways to serve stucollege. Those students would have dents better without raising tuition priority when applying to CSU cam- and planning new programs for stupuses for the spring 2013 semester. dents transferring from community Only nine of 23 CSU campuses of- colleges.

The plan is to slowly reduce adfer the guaranteed transfer program for community college students with missions by three percent to serve an associate’s degree, but they are the most eligible students more spread out regionally so all students effectively.

“You can’t provide courses to stucan apply.

CSU applications will open Oct. dents for free,” Turnage said. “It’s

important that we’re able to give them the basic courses they require and the basic student services that they need to succeed.”

William Tierney, director of the University of Southern California’s Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, told Businessweek magazine that freezing enrollment at the CSUs would be a devastating move for the state. He said CSUs should look to enroll 100,000 students a year to keep up with the state’s economic outlook and employment projections.

He added that if the Brown tax measure were to fail, students would be turned away from CSUs and have to settle for crowded community colleges, more expensive private or out-of-state schools, or, worse, not attend college.

According to the California Budget Project, 12.7 cents out of every state dollar supports higher education, compared to 15.2 cents in 1980-81. Meanwhile, 10.5 cents of every dollar goes to corrections and rehabilitations.

California colleges and universities have to keep a balance between total funds and the number of students admitted.

According to a figure in the new state budget, CSU enrollment has been able to stay increasingly consistent since 2008 through raising tuition. This year, the state of California funds 49 percent of CSU costs (compared to 81 percent in 2000), while tuition covers 51 percent.

Meanwhile, 85 percent of the CSU budget is reserved for faculty and staff, excluding the separate budget for California Public Employees’ Retirement System contributions for CSU employees.

According to NBC.com, CSU employees began a two-week voting period on April 16 about whether or not to declare a strike.

According to reports, CSU faculty members are fed up with 22 months of negotiations that didn’t result in a new contract. They are also reportedly angry they are having to take a lot of pay cuts while campus presidents are getting raises.

If the California Faculty Associa-

tion approves the walkout, it could be the largest university strike in state history.

According to the state budget, combining the two separate CSU budgets will “require the University to factor these costs into CSU’s overall fiscal outlook and decisionmaking process.”

“If the ballot measure (is not) approved, we still have an obligation to maintain a balanced budget,” said H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the California Department of Finance.

“Under the governor’s proposal, if a ballot measure were to fail then … those cuts will be put into effect January 1, 2013,” Palmer said.

This worries many GBHS students because they are unsure what’s coming.

“Right now, nothing’s set in stone,” said Dave Simmons, a California Legislative Analyst. “(Whatever) the legislature passes out, we won’t really know until the (May revision) because everyone’s still going through initial hearings and public debate.

“When the May revision comes out we’ll have a better idea of what’s going on with the numbers.”

Jill Unverferth, a GBHS junior, has planned her classes around the requirements necessary to get into one of the CSU campuses.

“I was planning on going to a state college (and) I haven’t taken the required classes for (any other) university, so that’s a big issue,” Unverferth said. “You need to have three sciences and take a certain amount of language, and I only took two (years of language), (but) that’s all you need for a state college.”

Unverferth wants to attend Chico State University in the fall of 2013, but now that she knows there’s a possibility of restricted admission, she’s looking for other options and is preparing for the worst.

“I want to be a neonatal nurse and Chico has a really good nursing program,” Unverferth said.

She is now starting to look at other schools who have the program and that are in the same price range as a CSU. “I don’t want to go out-of-state – it would be nice, but it’s too expen-

GRADES: Bumps vary by teacher and the situations of students Continued from page A3 over the ones that don’t.”

The rules for rounding grades have also become unclear.

Normally, students see grade bumps as something all teachers should do. Despite this, most

teachers only use grade bumps to make up for the lack of extra credit given in the class.

AP Calculus teacher Craig Takagishi said his decision to round grades typically varies.

“If I give a student the opportunity to raise their grade with extra

credit, I won’t bump their grade, but if extra credit is not given I will bump their grade, it depends on the situation,” Takagishi said.

Some GBHS students see the issue of grade bumping from a different perspective.

Sophomore Michael Geraghty

said teachers should establish clear rules beforehand, so there is little to negotiate.

“All teachers should bump grades,” Geraghty said. “If you are only off .5 percent or so, an 89.50 compared to a 90.00 is really just a game of chance.”

sive,” Unverferth said.

She’s taking her second science next year, so that means she would have to double up on science in order to meet those requirements.

Unverferth is also concerned about missing out on the first two years at college away from home and not gaining the independence and personal growth.

Although Unverferth is preparing for the freeze, she doesn’t think the CSUs will follow through with their plan.

“It wouldn’t work,” she said. “A lot of students stay in-state for college. They don’t want to make it so that kids don’t have a school to go to … they just need money.”

After three years of a high school schedule focused on getting into a CSU, Unverferth is adjusting her senior schedule to fill in the requirements for other schools.

“It’s scary,” she said. “I’m wondering, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ ”

from UCSB. “Another problem is that there are a bunch of upfront fees that I will have to pay,” Greco said, “a $100 registration fee and another housing fee for San Francisco State, even though I might not end up even going there.”

Familiar with the waitlisting process, Underwood only has one tip of advice for seniors with an unclear future.

“The only thing that seniors can do... is wait for the results and hope for the best,” Underwood said.

LUNCH: Closed campus likely to stick around Continued from page A4 against having an open campus is because of potential disciplinary problems. Davis has problems with discipline because of its school policy.

“There are more tardies after lunch because some students are unable to make it back due to lack of parking spaces,” Vasquez said.

“But when you put responsibility on students, give them freedom– they respond.”

Vasquez believes it is good to give the students this freedom that most don’t get to experience until college.

However, changing GBHS from a closed to an open campus has been discussed several times. “(Administrators) continue to bring it up to parents at parent information meetings,” Mattix said.

Despite the meetings, Mattix said, parents continue to oppose it.

For students who regularly leave at lunch, however, the consequences remain.

“The consequences with being off campus are generally suspension and a parent conference meeting... It’s an invisible suspension,” Mattix said.

An invisible suspension is a suspension that doesn’t go on school records and is another name for a disciplinary call home. In addition to a call home, students receive five lunch detentions.

“If a student is off campus, we want it to be a learning experience, and we want to make sure they are aware of the consequences,” Mattix said. “Generally, once people are aware of (the consequences), we don’t have any additional issues with them.”

While many students are hopeful that one day GBHS will be an open campus, the reality is the decision lies with school officials and parents.

“We might not be able to leave,” senior Eric Urmanita said, “but we can still make lunch fun by hanging out with our friends on campus.” *** Erica Peterson. a junior, is an editor for thegrrronicle.com, the news website produced by the Journalism class.

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GAZETTE

Commentary

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL 1 GRIZZLY WAY GRANITE BAY, CA 95746

News Editors: Nicole Bales Chris Pei Voices Editors: Lena Eyen Haley Massara Lifestyle Editors: Danielle Dieterich Kelsey Knorp ShinEui Park Green Screen Editors: Ari Black Sahil Khosla Hayley McAvoy Samantha Spargo Sports Editors: Meghan Carlsen Austin Downs Mat Fukuhara Illustrators: Lena Eyen Chase Evans Hayley McAvoy Jessica Reese Samantha Spargo Photographers: Riley Mac Millan Rachael Vasquez Kristin Taylor Staff Writers: Haley Byam Chase Evans Sam Holzer Dorien Johnk Brooklyn Klepl Natalie Kreeger Riley Mac Millan Kiana Okhovat Joey Puhala Myles Slattery Kristin Taylor Madison Touloukian Brad Wong Advertising Manager: Mary Haney

Adviser: Karl Grubaugh The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the advanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School.

Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Granite Bay High School’s faculty, administration, adviser or student body.

Students are protected in their exercise of press freedom by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and California Education Code 48907.

Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer.

Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a caseby-case basis.

The editorial board reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material.

Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.

Send Letters to the Editor to: gbgazette@yahoo.com Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

A Section

Friday w April 27, 2012

The Granite Bay

Editors-in-Chief: Shannon Carroll Kyle Pawlak Jessica Reese Rachael Vasquez

Voices

shannon carroll

Words, words, words An ode to the beauty of the English language from a lifelong linguaphile

many different situations. Sometimes, you want to impress people with scarroll.gazette@gmail.com your erudition; other times, you just want to be smart. A person can have ark Twain once said, “The eleemosynary tendencies or simply be difference between the a generous guy. You might masticate right word and the almost your food, but chewing works, too. right word is the difference between Connotations change all the time. lightning and the lightning bug.” I “Winning” was a normal word until couldn’t agree more.

Charlie Sheen Words matter got hold of to me. I love the it. “Occupy” sounds, their meant, well, to F. Scott Fitzgerald endless varieties, occupy, until the connotations, wrote in The Great the protesters the richness, the started camping Gatsby about Daisy fun. I love that out. “Change” words constantly Buchanan “gleamnow reminds evolve. me of President ing like silver, safe After reading Obama. I can’t Jane Austen’s and proud above even hear the Pride and the hot struggles of word “maverick” Prejudice for the without seeing the poor.” There isn’t first time, I fell Tina Fey dressed head-over-heels a single five-dollar as Sarah Palin. in love with the String together word in there, but way the word words properly, “nonsensical” what an image. and you get sounds. It’s something musical. No magical. F. matter how Scott Fitzgerald you try and say the word (happily, wrote in The Great Gatsby about Daisy grumpily, when you’re sick and it Buchanan “gleaming like silver, safe sounds like you have a frog in your and proud above the hot struggles of throat), the word always sounds good. the poor.” There isn’t a single fiveSay it three times and let the word just dollar word in there, but what an roll off your tongue. image.

Another amazing word is William Faulkner wrote, “his very “sumptuous.” Saying it is like eating body was an empty hall echoing with a juicy peach. You bite into the word, sonorous defeated names… filled and it’s filled with an explosion with stubborn, back-looking ghosts.” of sweetness. It’s a rich word that Merveilleux! Or at least, wow! invokes the feeling of something rich, Now listen to Jersey Shore “star” something luxurious.

Snooki – who once admitted that Whenever I hear the word the only two books she has read are “kumquat,” I can’t help but laugh.

Twilight and Dear John. In her debut The word reminds me of something a novel, A Shore Thing, she wrote, “He little bizarre. It’s such a distinct word. had an okay body… she could pour Whenever I hear it, I stop and smile a shot of tequila down his belly and and think about summer. slurp it out of his navel without getting Word choice matters so much in so

M

splashed in the face.”

Or, “Gia danced around a little, shaking her peaches for show. She shook it hard. Too hard. In the middle of a shimmy, her stomach cramped.

A fart slipped out. A loud one. And stinky.”

Her words tell you everything you need to know about the selfdescribed “guidette” who lives by the motto “G.T.L” or “Gym, tan, laundry.” Stay away. Far, far away.

Then look at how inventive Mary Poppins was with its song based on “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” How much fun is that word? Plus, if you say it loud enough you’ll always sound precocious. I have that song on my iPod and listen to it at least once a day. I can now spell that word perfectly backward and forward.

Inventive people don’t stop there.

I love “sniglets” (thank you, Mr. Dell’Orto), words that should be in the dictionary but aren’t.

My personal favorite, “destinesia,” is when you go somewhere but, when you get there, can’t remember why. “Bi-sacksual” means being OK with either a plastic or paper bag at the supermarket. “Bleemus” is the film that collects on top of soup and coffee if it’s left out too long.

William Shakespeare invented more than 1,700 of our common words, and new ones are being coined all the time. To be “plutoed” is to be demoted, like the former planet. A “kardash” is 72 days, like the marriage of Kim Kardashian. Kneeling on one knee, appearing to pray, is now “Tebowing.”

If we think about them and use them right, words can be sumptuous. I’m feeling all eleemosynary inside. I think I might just Tebow. *** Shannon Carroll, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Good things in life are worth the wait Waiting lists spark drive to work harder

Commentary

M

ost people don’t know that the first time I attempted to join the Granite Bay Gazette, at the beginning of my junior year, I was rejected from the program When this happened, I was placed on the waiting list for a position in the Advanced Journalism class and, therefore, the school paper.

I won’t lie – at the time, I was pretty pissed. But I waited over the summer, and luck ended up being in my favor: a member of the program dropped out because he had moved away, and suddenly a spot was available to me.

I jumped at this chance and immediately arranged a schedule change so I could take advantage of it.

Coming into the program late, and only being admitted because

T

kyle pawlak

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

others had dropped out, put me in a position that I didn’t have much experience with: I felt as if very little was expected from me.

I didn’t feel the pressure to excel at anything, to write brilliant stories, to lead or even to do anything out of the ordinary.

Essentially, I felt like people assumed I was good enough for the program, but only just.

As liberating as it was to feel as if there was no pressure to exceed expectations, for some reason it served as profound motivation for me.

I wanted to prove that I hadn’t belonged on the waiting list,

I gained a new position because that I more than deserved to someone left the class. be on the newspaper staff, and The student who left had been even that I could crush the in training to run The Gazette’s expectations for myself and my website, leaving a vacant fellow staff writers. position. And of all the students While I am far from a prolific in the class to take his place, I figure in high school journalism, was selected.

I think I succeeded in my Once again, I had advanced my goals and made my point that I position in the program because deserve to be here. someone had left, but Throughout to do so, both times my first I had to be the prime semester on One year candidate to fill the the staff, I vacancy. relentlessly from the And despite the wrote my waiting list to fact that I started on stories far the waiting list for before their co-editor-inthe program, because deadlines, chief. That’s people took notice of did my best something how hard I worked, to adhere to I am now one of the Assosciated I am very four co-editors-inPress style proud of. chief. rules, and One year from the made any waiting list to coedits to my editor-in-chief. That’s something stories the instant they were I am very proud of, and the handed to me. whole experience taught me a And people apparently noticed. few important lessons.

The beginning of the second First of all, sometimes all semester oddly echoed the first:

the motivation a person needs is to have someone else doubt them, just a little, or to not make the cut. I didn’t make the cut originally, and that gave me enough motivation to get me where I am now.

Second, as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, don’t give up if you don’t get picked the first time. It worked out for me, and the same might happen to you.

And finally, if you are on the other side, deciding who is on the waiting list, don’t write anybody off. Don’t assume that if you have to resort to accepting people on a waiting list, you are making a sacrifice. The people on the waiting list might surprise you Whether that person is like me and has extra motivation to prove his or her worth, or merely because of some ability that slipped under your radar, you might find that the person on your waiting list might be better than who you originally had. *** Kyle Pawlak, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

‘Project X’ parties: An impossible fantasy

here are few things that can safely be assumed to be forever beyond mankind’s grasp. Immortality.

Telekinesis. Infinite knowledge of the universe.

And, of course, the perfect party.

But nonetheless, like Icarus flying towards the sun on wax wings, man – or rather, boy or girl – has always ached to throw the greatest bash of a lifetime.

We, as young people, are inundated by idealized imagery of parties – beer commercials, TV shows, the lyrics of popular music – so naturally, we desire that unattainable rager, where everything goes flawlessly and everyone has fun.

The latest piece of pro-party propaganda flung our way is Project X, a movie whose central plot revolves around a few high school students throwing a gigantic house party. Though the event itself is not without complications, the main characters survive ultimately – ludicrously

– unscathed. the concept of a “perfect This has spawned party” is fictional. It just copycat parties doesn’t work. across the country, Party-themed media works The voice of the with equally massive because it emphasizes the Granite Bay turnouts but somewhat glamour of your average more unsavory ramshackle get-together, Gazette dénouements. turning it into a divine On some incredibly experience of beauty and short-sighted level, pleasure. It teaches us to it’s easy to sympathize with the teens ignore everything that could go wrong, and who planned the events. But the timeless instead focus on what could go right. human desire to be popular for a night But parties are hardly that clean-cut, as cannot excuse the damage they cause, both anyone who has attended an out-of-control to their neighborhoods and their guests. celebration should know.

And yet, the “Project X party” is not an Intoxicated people – specifically, isolated incident. Such huge parties have intoxicated young people – are disgusting, been a problem since time immemorial, destructive and varying degrees of but rather than serve as a warning to dangerous. Why anyone thinks gathering would-be hosts, news of them eggs them several hundred such people together in on. one place would be a good idea is difficult But no matter how many party planners to comprehend. try and fail, we cannot seem to realize that On top of that, a successful Project

EDITORIAL

X Party breaks several laws simply by existing. Playing loud music at night, staying out in the open past curfew, possession and use of controlled substances, and disturbing neighbors are all potential offenses, and police will (rightly) eye any party of such gigantic size with particular scrutiny.

Imagine the clean-up. What if a few hundred of your drunken peers had trampled through your living room? All the Febreeze in the world couldn’t mask the scent. How long would you spend paying off one night of insanity?

Movies like Project X – and its earlier equivalents, Superbad, Sixteen Candles and Animal House – make the party-gonewrong seem like a feasible idea, rather than a quick way to wreck your house, blemish your criminal record and destroy your college fund.

It only takes a little common sense to know better.

A8 Voices

Friday, April 27, 2012

BAY

Do you think the STAR testing incentives have improved scores?

“I think it helps because it gives kids more of a drive to actually do well and take the time on it than slack off.”

freshman Amanda Hatch “Only certain teachers do it, but if all teachers did it, it would definitely be a benefit; it makes people try harder.”

sophomore Jalee Hagans “I think it depends on the people. But if we were to look at it as a whole, last year’s test scores were really high and that was the year we first started implementing the perks.”

junior Nikole Farler “Yes and no. There is still the point that people who care, try, and there are (still) the kids that don’t care.”

senior Allen Murray “I think that students live in an incentivebased society and as a result, offering kids bonuses for doing well or trying has naturally improved their willingness to try harder. ”

staff Kyle Holmes –Compiled by Brooklyn Klepl

Rejection just makes every ‘yes’ that much sweeter danielle dieterich ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

N

o. It is the most infuriating word in the English language.

Its effects range from mild disagreement to harsh condescension, leaving the only consistent aspect of the word its negativity.

And yet, “no” can also be the most motivational of all words. Perhaps it is the rebellious teenager in me, but nothing makes me more dedicated to overcoming a challenge than when someone says I can’t do it.

This is not always a good thing, mind you. Many a bet based entirely on this mindset has led to disastrous results.

However, in my life I have found this prideful determination to be a far greater asset than curse. In fact, some of my proudest achievements were largely spurred by my resolve to prove myself to all those who said “no” to me.

The summer before seventh grade, I tried out for the Olympus Junior High School Drill Team. They said no to me.

At first, I was devastated, but after about a week of feeling sorry for myself, my self-pity began to evolve into a sort of motivating anger.

This newfound drive led me to take dance classes and work harder than ever to improve my skills.

Come tryouts the next year, I was considerably more experienced and more confident in my abilities. They said yes to me. So did the Granite Bay High School Drill Team (all

four years).

Human beings are social creatures, and we seek approval in nearly all that we do. Perhaps it is because of this that when I face dissension or even blatant rejection, I often am willing to dedicate more time and energy than ever before to be met with approval.

The sting of rejection is so unpleasant as to prompt extreme behavior to ensure that it is not experienced again.

But the sentiments of “no” can be motivating for other reasons too.

For example, when applying to colleges this fall. I was cautioned by three people, including my father, not to get my hopes up because I probably would not get accepted to the University of California at

Berkeley.

Granted, these warnings were given with the best of intentions and in the politest possible way, but I was nonetheless offended. I was also that much more dedicated to proving myself.

Before this, I might have shied away from writing anything too personal in the application’s essays or from putting in the extra effort of having a teacher edit those essays. But coming in contact with this negativity made me suddenly more than willing to disclose intimate personal experiences in my writings even with the knowledge that they would be read by a teacher.

This is mainly because the lack of faith in my abilities that I encountered had

planted a seed of doubt within my mind. I desperately wanted to prove to both myself and all those who had doubted me that I was indeed worthy of being wanted, even by a prestigious school like Cal. But even more frustrating than being told I might not be good enough for Berkeley is when others try to dismantle my dreams.

If one more person tells me that journalism is a dying field and I shouldn’t pursue a career in the profession, I think I will scream.

If someone else says to my face that my dream of entering into the Peace Corps after college is pointless because “we have just as many problems here in the United States,” I might just slap them.

Nothing is more rude or condescending than taking someone’s goals in life – told to you in confidence – and belittling or criticizing them.

However, there is also nothing more rewarding than the feeling of achieving what was deemed impossible or unwise by another.

When I got my acceptance letter to UC Berkeley, it was like a trophy proving I had overcome all the dissension and the rejection I had faced, and I was so ecstatic I sincerely considered taking a victory lap.

So keep on saying no to me. Keep on telling me why my dreams are impractical and my philosophies wrong. But above all, keep on telling me what I can’t do. I will keep on saying, “Challenge accepted.” *** Danielle Dieterich, a senior, is a Gazette Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN Lifestyle editor.

The times, they are a-changin’

Echoing the social roles embraced decades ago.

Commentary of men and women during Today, more than 32 percent of our the 1950s, Santorum’s country considers itself secular, the political convictions largest at any point in our nation’s seem beyond outdated, history. In addition, more than 16 percent alienating him from the of 18 year olds in America today have general populous that has both a tattoo and a piercing, two body long since left behind augmentations traditionally viewed as inding through the Grapevine on our way these limited gender roles. unsavory. down to Los Angeles in the family mini This is not unique to While monumental social changes like van, afflicted with a terrible case of car the Santorum campaign, interracial marriage became popularized sickness, I was simply trying to focus on the scenery however, as Michelle during the last cultural movement in to take my mind off my churning insides. sholzer.gazette@gmail.com Bachman, another GOP the 1960s, transgender, gay and lesbian Suddenly, a song began building over the car Presidential candidate, individuals, as well as women fighting for stereo, of a generation’s dream of revolution, a song also advocated for dated by a whispy, whiny man who reproductive rights, are waging a bitter war against gender identities and a stripping of the defined a musical era. backwards legislation that pits them against outdated rights of homosexual citizens.

This song electrified me. I political ideologies.

Both candidates have since dropped These oblivious was rooted to the spot, shivers Our generation can make the choice to march out of the race. running up my spine, shocked forward and bring about the greatest shift in social individuals, like a However, this phenomenon of those at how seemingly small an act consciousness seen since the Civil Rights Movement living in the past doesn’t exist purely in frog slowly boiling the political spectrum. The antiquated as a song could cause so much and Women’s Rights movement all rolled into one. to stir in me. in a ever warm The KONY campaign, conducted by Invisible ideals of organizations such as Focus Bob Dylan’s message on the Family have worked to deny gay Children to bring attention to the alleged war crimes ing pot of water, in “The Times They Are marriage efforts and gay and lesbian committed by the LRA, demonstrated something A-Changin” seems to hearken are blind to the anti-bullying efforts across the nation. incredible: that a generation, utilizing technology that back to a bygone era, but Dylan goes on, pleading with writers we understand better than anyone before us, could potential destructoday it is nearly prophetic in to pick up their pens and report the spread a message of social justice reaching out to the its scope and understanding tion of their own injustices they have seen around them. furthest corners of the globe. of how much our society has ignorance.

Because of the ability for anyone with As the song draws to a close, Dylan declares changed. a video camera and a wireless router that the old order is rapidly fading. In the past 12 His opening verse warns to act as an impromptu journalist, months, we have seen dictators fall, rights gained and those who have not heeded the the world has witnessed firsthand, governments begin to represent the interests of the signs around them that soon they will be “drenched through sites such as YouTube, the Arab Spring and people. to the bone” from the approaching storm. police brutality focused on the Occupy Wall Street If we are to learn anything from the political and These oblivious individuals, like a frog slowly movement. social revolutions sparked across the globe in 2011, it boiling in a ever-warming pot of water, are blind More important than the timeless lyrics of Dylan is the fact that the true revolution has only just begun. to the potential destruction of their own ignorance. is that the generation that this song was written for *** This is so incredibly evident in the recent political has been quick to judge the very same change they Sam Holzer, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer. campaign of Rick Santorum.

In a year of social and political turbulence, we must stay progressive

W

sam holzer

Thumbs Up Thumbs up: STAR testing is over!

Thumbs Down

the

OH, NO, NO, NO!

Commentary

HEARD on

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Thumbs down: Senioritis has really taken over.

Thumbs up: It is not too cold to eat ice cream anymore.

by Brooklyn Klepl, staff writer.

Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Thumbs down: Summer weather is kicking in, but we are still in school.

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Men have no right to control the legality of female contraception

e z Ga

O u

Commentary

o , u s r e i c h d o oi b c r

Voices A9

e tt ei llu s tr a ti on NA /L E EN EY

nicole bales

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

I

have never had much against talk show host Rush Limbaugh, but the day he called Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” was the day I realized he was nothing but a narrow-minded bigot.

Fluke is a law student studying at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. She’s a very respectable woman, and she should be treated with the same respect as any male Georgetown law student.

She made very accurate points about women’s health care, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, in which prescription contraception is necessary for treatment.

Women also use the drug to treat acne and hormone imbalance.

Limbaugh has gone through three marriages with no kids, which makes him a complete hypocrite regarding what he preaches. He’s obviously used his fair share of contraceptives, and he’s been divorced three times, which conflicts with his supposed religious views. So, if he has the right to call Fluke a “whore,” we have the right to label him a “manwhore.”

Contraception has nothing to do with political views, and it has nothing to do with religion; it’s about women’s rights. It’s a woman’s right to protect and to choose what to do with her body.

Telling women that they can’t have access to the most basic healthcare is stripping their rights away.

Unfortunately, separation between church and state is not widely practiced in our country.

This is the United States of America. It’s the land of immigrants, a country with many religious beliefs and values. The politicians of this great country should put their bias aside and do what is in the best interest of the American people.

Recently, some Republican presidential candidates have said they would ban contraceptives, and Mitt Romney went even so far as to say he would ban Planned Parenthood.

My question to them is: If you want to cut health care costs, why aren’t you in favor of contraception if it means preventing people who can’t afford it from having children?

If you want to cut spending, cut a few billion dollars out of the trillions you’re pouring into hallmonitoring other countries, and take care of your own country. Provide us with the healthcare that a super-power country like us should be able to provide for its citizens.

Instead, these candidates tell people that if they can’t afford healthcare, it’s their fault. Many Ameri-

cans are forced to live without adequate health care – such as insured contraception – just because they can’t afford it.

Meanwhile, insurance companies are making billions of dollars off the American people, often by denying care and dropping patients who can’t afford to pay.

The average annual cost women pay for contraception is $3,000 per year. It’s alarming and disturbing that Viagra and vasectomies are covered by insurance while birth control and abortion aren’t.

It’s up to the woman and her doctor to decide which form of contraception, if any, is appropriate for the patient. The decision shouldn’t be made by biased politicians, insurance companies and bureaucracies whose ultimate goal is to satisfy their agendas.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 14 percent of

U.S. women use contraception for non-contraceptive purposes, and 58 percent use it for both birth control and reasons other than pregnancy prevention. That means that only 42 percent use the pill solely for birth control compared to the 100 percent of men who use Viagra for purely sexual reasons.

With new legislation, women might need to go through thorough exams to prove they need contraception before receiving it. In cases such as the new multiple-state Contraception Bill, women would be

forced to prove their reasons for needing contraception through invasive transvaginal ultrasounds, and they might even have to pay for it.

So why aren’t men expected to prove they have erectile dysfunction when they ask for a prescription?

It’s ironic that the people writing these bills are mostly male legislators who have their biased agendas and obviously don’t have women’s health in their best interest.

I also find it hypocritical that the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is being questioned while the issue of controlling women’s bodies isn’t.

Hypocrisy is a sin, Rush. *** Nicole Bales, a junior, is a Gazette News editor.

Who needs fate when you’re a pragmatist?

Our destinies are determined by our choices, not some divine abstraction

‘I

t was meant to be.”

No matter the circumstance, I have never quite been able to buy into the belief behind this consolation.

Somehow the idea that the future is predetermined, a web just waiting to weave people and places together through strands of “destiny” and “fate,” has never seemed plausible to my skeptical mind.

To me, it has always come across as a rather transparent coping mechanism, an easy way of deflecting disappointment.

I found that at the start of my senior year, there seemed to be many more people of the same mindset as myself.

This I observed as I, along with everyone around me, agonized over college applications, desperately digging for every inconsequential accomplishment from the past four years that we could perhaps

assign more importance to than they were actually worth. It was time to regurgitate every obligation or leadership position we had taken on for the primary purpose of shaping ourselves into the most appealing applicants possible.

This, to me, has very little to do with fate and everything to do with shaping one’s own future. If one student hadn’t participated in student government all four years of high school, would NYU have found him as appealing? If another hadn’t paid hundreds of dollars for an SAT tutor, would she have been accepted to UCLA? If the top five percent of our class hadn’t consistently enrolled in six AP classes each year, would they still appeal to the most prestigious colleges in the nation?

Likewise, my choice to devote much of

Commentary

kelsey knorp

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

my high school career to my dance company, a choice I made purely out of enjoyment rather than future ambition, undoubtedly prevented me from pursuing more admissions-friendly endeavors.

So do I blame some preconceived map of my future for where life takes me? No. I consciously took one path over another and consequently, here I am.

I am as guilty of purposeful future-shaping as the next senior. This is why, upon receiving my first rejection, I refused to

believe it was because I was fated to attend elsewhere.

The truth of the matter is that while I worked as hard as I could at every endeavor I committed myself to throughout high school, the specific admissions officer who handled my application could easily, at the moment he was perusing it, have been suffering from a lack of caffeine or worrying about his family problems. He could have selected my application immediately after reading that of the next Stephen Hawking, a comparison that would certainly not have worked in my favor. He could have simply disliked my on-paper persona (perhaps he was an optimist), or maybe he is known for being prejudiced against strawberry blonde individuals.

Had he handed it to the gloomy officer next to him, who incidentally has a strange affinity for strawberry blondes, I might have indeed been accepted. But that was not the end result of this particular scenario, one of many that will continue to shape my existence.

Whether this way of thought stems from a lack of spirituality or simply deeply rooted pessimism, I cannot be sure. When I voice my beliefs to my parents, I never fail to receive a pair of perplexed head tilts and looks of concern. How, they wonder, did we raise a child so devoid of hope?

However, it is not hopelessness that drives my way of thinking. It is the hope that there is not just one place or one future to which I am assigned. It is the hope that, at any time, I can choose to redesign my future and become what I decide I want to be.

Everything happens for a reason.

However, that reason is not some cosmic force, but rather a conscious choice made in accordance with one of life’s many coincidences. And so I will continue to hope that both chance and common sense are on my side as I enter adulthood, and that they lead me to build a life I will be proud of. *** Kelsey Knorp, a senior, is a Gazette lifestyle editor.

The unnecessary horror of the Week of No Bells

Is the end-of-period tone really too distracting for IB students?

G

ranite Bay High School can be easily divided down class lines: IB, AP and CP. There is, of course, some mixing of the classes, but by junior (and especially senior) year, the divisions are fairly concrete.

For most of the year, the IB population goes more or less unnoticed on campus. Yes, the program is brought up in class and during passing periods, but the devoted students often spend their time studying somewhere.

That is, however, not the case all the time. A few times every year, the true power of the IB students can be seen – nay, heard – on campus. It is during these times that the bells go silent.

During these weeks, teachers often offer up the explanation, “it’s for IB testing.”

Yet, that hardly seems like a true concrete reason.

The rumor mill, of course, has a few theories. One is that the bells could contain answers, sent via Morse code.

OK, maybe it isn’t quite that serious, which is precisely my point.

Since it isn’t a life or death situation, I hardly see the point of stopping all of the bells for a small handful of students.

Considering the ringing of the school bell only lasts a few seconds, I doubt such a “disturbance” could truly hurt the IB students. In fact, the bells could actually help students with pacing.

Had the IB Bell Ban – yes, it has earned an official name in my world – been only one day, I might not have been so perturbed. It wasn’t,

Commentary As tempting as it is to believe that, the rational side of me says that the real reason is probably just that they don’t want to be interrupted. To which my argumentative side responds, “So what?

Deal with it!”

Now, I do not mean to be insensitive to the IB students. I understand the course load is rigorous and they work hard. Still, jreese.gazette@gmail.com I cannot help but feel it is a bit absurd that they cannot hear bells during their testing. though.

I mean, really now? No bells? Is this some new puNo, my fellow classmates and I had to go a week ritanical IB movement? Their tender ears cannot hear without bells. A week during which, I might add, the shrill bells while testing? Because, surely, the sound schedule was frequently off-kilter, making getting to would cause all of their brilliance to leak out of their class on time a lot like playing Russian roulette. ears, ruin their concentration and lead to the demise of the IB program and the world.

On one particular afternoon, about three days

jessica reese

into the Week of No Bells, I was nearly late to class because, while working in the journalism room at lunch, I was unaware of how much time had passed.

Upon realizing that my next class was mere minutes from starting, my journalism posse and I ran to AP language and composition.

Once there, mercifully missing the start of class by a few seconds, we sat down to begin an in-class synthesis essay.

I was about midway through the essay when, suddenly, some kind of Broadway music blared from the dance room beneath our feet.

Believe me when I say that there are very few things as difficult as trying to write an essay while listening to what I can only assume was the soundtrack to The Lion King.

So, dear IB kids, if I can write an essay while the dance class seemingly kills a heard of wildebeests or zebras or whatever they were doing one floor below, you can take a test with a few measly bells. *** Jessica Reese, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-inchief.

A10 Second Look

Second look

Bend and... oh SNAP!

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS performers put on an engaging version of Legally Blonde: the Musical

wGazette photosw Rachael Vasquez Elle Woods (junior Kelsey Lynn), left, listens as Brooke Wyndham fires Professor Callahan and hires Woods as her new attorney. Woods’ Delta Nu sorority sisters Serena (senior Sara Beil) left, and, middle, Margot (junior Alanna Wilson) look on with astonishment. Wyndham (senior Rebecca Schmidt), middle left, pauses as her legal team considers her situation. Bottom left, Wyndham directs her exercise For a review of class through Legally Blonde a jump rope The Musical, lesson. please see After propospage G10 ing to her boyfriend, middle bottom, Woods and finance Emmett Forrest (junior Eddie Schubert) hold hands and smile. After going for a walk, Kyle (senior Xavier Sánchez) and Paulette (senior Sharon Vaupen) pet their pooch Rufus (Cooper Milburn). Below, sorority sisters, left, Pilar (sophomore Alyssa Middleton), middle, Margot and, right, Serena, tell Woods to remain optimistic after Woods is kicked out of a law school class.

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Friday w April 27, 2012

Are bilingual students smarter?

Commentary

shineui park spark.gazette@gmail.com

Dear Life, stop trying to mess with my life

E

ver since I was in eighth grade, I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life: become a journalist. The last thing I wanted to do as an adult was be stuck in a tiny square cubicle taking calls and typing out data all day.

But being a journalist is no easy feat. I never anticipated reaching people for interviews to be that aggravating when they never contact me back, or how different the style of writing articles were, compared to analytical essays.

So by the end of my junior year, I ditched the idea of being a journalist. I was hesitant about the idea of leaving a dream that I’ve cultivated in my head for the past three years of my life, but journalism just didn’t cut it for me.

Don’t think that the years spent with the Gazette were a total waste, however.

This class has taught me lessons and given me the knowledge I would have never gained anywhere else. It taught me how to communicate with others, whether it’s with my fellow editors, staff writers or photographers. It also taught me how to give a voice to those who want to be heard in the world, but never had a chance to.

With these lessons, I came up with a new dream: to major in public relations and become a publicist.

As I was filling out college applications in the beginning of my senior year, I mainly looked at what colleges were the best for my major.

That’s how I was introduced to my dream college, which is Boston University.

I researched for hours and hours about this school, went to multiple receptions held by BU in San Francisco, had a nerve-wracking interview with an admissions assistant and quadruple-checked my application to make sure it was flawless.

After months of waiting, I actually got accepted. I remember the exact moment when I got my admissions email. After my lacrosse game in the Bay Area, my teammate gave me permission to check my email on her phone. As I opened and read the email, tears started falling from my eyes, knowing that my dream school - my future alma mater - accepted me.

But later that day, I realized they gave me a not-so-good financial aid package and that attending this school would leave me a $120,000 debt by the time I graduate in 2016.

In contrast, another school I was accepted to, Loyola Marymount University gave me a financial aid package that covered all my tuition and fees, and the only thing my family needed to pay for is my room and board and books. LMU has always been in the back of my mind. It’s not like it was on the bottom of my college list, but it wasn’t at the top either. I’ve been looking into BU so eagerly that nothing else mattered.

My friends told me to not look at the price tag, that I should just go to my dream college. But this is what happened few weeks ago: I pressed the “commit” button for LMU. I never thought this would happen. I never expected to go there or to press the “decline” button for BU. My brain just told me to go to LMU. Another thing about attending LMU is that I’ll be majoring in marketing instead of public relations, but that doesn’t bother me too much, since the two majors are fairly similar.

But this is what life does to people sometimes. I drive hard and fast towards my goals. Like, 100 miles per hour fast. But sometimes the gate shuts and I have to go pursue another goal. Life just throws some serious curveballs.

From wanting to be a journalist, to public relations and BU, then to marketing and LMU, I’ve finally learned that no matter how hard I try to guide my own life, fate always has something in store for me. I’ve accepted that these things happen for a reason and that even though one gate has closed, another will always be open.

*** ShinEui Park, a senior, is a Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

Knowing multiple languages offers advantages in the classroom

BY DANIELLE DIETERICH

A

ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

ccording to a recent article in the New York Times, being bilingual has significant benefits including an increase in cognitive skills and even prevention of dementia later in life.

“I’ve heard people say that being bilingual helps students learn in ways they never realize,” Granite Bay High School senior Moosa Zaidi said. “If that’s true, I’m probably not even aware of all the ways in which being bilingual has helped me.”

Moosa and his brother Haroon were raised in a bilingual home and learned Urdu — the national language of Pakistan — as their primary language.

However, the brothers also learned English at a young age.

“Having been born here, I’ve been exposed to English since birth,” Moosa said. “The beauty of learning language at a young age is that it occurs effortlessly.”

This effortless learning has continually proven beneficial to Moosa, especially when it comes to world language classes.

“When I first began to learn Spanish, I was surprised how many Spanish words almost match the Urdu word for the same entity — even as they differ from the English word,” Moosa said.

Moosa, who is currently enrolled in International Baccalaureate Spanish, said his knowledge of the Urdu language has helped him grasp the concepts of nouns assigned as feminine or masculine and has made memorizing vocabulary easier.

Not only does being bilingual help Moosa learn the Spanish language, but it makes him more culturally aware than the general monolingual population.

“I think knowing two languages has added to my appreciation of other languages and cultures,” Moosa said. “I realize each language has something unique to offer; its own concepts and its own literature.”

His brother, senior Haroon Zaidi, expressed a similar view of the cultural awareness brought on by bilingualism.

“Any language comes with the ability to understand its culture,” Haroon said. “It has its own literature, music and ideas; these aspects will inevitably help mold a person.”

Both Haroon and Moosa are at the top of their class academically and members of the IB program. Yet, the brothers do not attribute their academic prowess to their mastery of two languages.

Although studies have shown that being bilingual does, in fact, increase problem solving skills, Haroon says he is only aware of the advantage his bilingualism gives in world language courses.

“For most classes, being a polyglot doesn’t really help; however, in foreign language classes, it is immensely helpful — for it allows you to relate concepts,” Haroon said.

He went on to strongly recommending the learning of a second language to any seeking an increased cultural awareness or academic insight.

“Foreign languages open up a whole new world, not only in the sense that a person now has the ability to travel there and converse with the people, but also intellectually,” Haroon said. “Armed with the ability to read the language, one (has) the whole history and cultures of civilization lying before See BILINGUAL, page B6

TOMS combines fashion and overseas aid

Company’s humanitarian efforts with shoes grow

BY SAM HOLZER

S

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

pring time at Granite Bay High School brings out tank tops, shorts that stretch the definition of decency and a slew of Agentinean alpargata style shoes.

Better known as TOMS, this shoe brand burst onto the footwear scene in 2006 when founder Blake Mcoskie came up with a revolutionary business campaign.

For every pair of shoes bought by a consumer, a pair of shoes is then donated to a child in need.

With this goodwill-centric idea ruling its business practices, the TOMS shoe business has skyrocketed, even inspiring knockoff shoe brands that attempt to capitalize on this incredibly successful business model.

Senior Ashlin Crawley has been a fan of the TOMS shoe company since she first discovered these stylish South American pieces of footwear.

“I started buying them because they were stylish and fashion-

inside lifestyle

College of the Month

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How To

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SAT Tip of the Month

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Random Student

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able, but when I found out about charitable practices. their charitable efforts I became But what he found was that the even more supportive of them,” shoes did not hold up.

Crawley said.

“They weren’t durable at all,” Sophomore Kelly Fox agrees Reagan said. “I also think they with Crawley saying how the look dumb, especially when shoes are comfortable, go with wearing socks, and I like to wear any outfit and that the donation of socks.” another pair of shoes Reagan does admit is an added bonus. that they were the only When I Currently Crawley pair of shoes he wore counts over nine pairs found out about for a month straight. their charitable of TOMS in her colBut these claims of a lection and is looking efforts I became lack of durability were at interning at the disputed by Crawley. even more supcompany while she at“I have so many tends college next fall. portive of them. pairs that I cycle “After reading the through them, and I -Ashlin Crawley, book by Blake (Mydon’t only wear one,” senior coskie), Start SomeCrawley said. “But, thing That Matters, I my first pair just love the company even more if started ripping, and I’ve had them that’s even possible,” Crawley for nearly three years.” said.

Crawley’s support of the brand However, there are students on also stems from her personal relacampus who do not wholehearttionship with a TOMS campaign edly support TOMS as much as called “Style your Sole,” where Fox and Crawley however. participants are encouraged to Senior Harrison Reagan was decorate their own personal pair first introduced to TOMS by his of TOMS shoes. older sister and wanted to help out the company because of its See SHOES, page B6

Students donate blood Some denied for medical reasons

B2

Researching AIDS in Africa GBHS mom searches for cure

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Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

TOMS shoes come in a variety of colors and styles. With every pair of shoes bought, another pair will be donated to the needy.

Dangers of acne prescriptions Doctors warn of side effects

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B2 Lifestyle

top

reasons to be excited for the Upcoming weeks

Warm weather in the forecast

Friday, April 27, 2012

Students can’t give blood, can’t save lives

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Strict BloodSource requirements prevent some donations

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

T The American Music Awards

STAR test grade bumps (if you study)

It’s all downhill after AP tests are over

The Senior Goodbye Rally is a tear-jerker (in a good way)

Fun, games, food and music at Day at the Bay

here is perhaps nothing more rewarding than saving another human’s life.

BloodSource provides potential blood, plasma and marrow donors with an opportunity to give blood that can help patients across California and the nation.

For 15 and a half years, BloodSource has been at Granite Bay High School to collect blood from students.

But of course, there are certain requirements to be a donor for the safety of the donor and patient.

There are obvious and logical limitations: according to BloodSource.org, people who are pregnant, who have AIDS or who have contracted Herpes are not allowed to donate.

However, there are some restrictions that fall under a gray area.

People in the process of acne treatment, allergy treatment, under a certain weight or have traveled to certain countries can be denied the opportunity to donate.

Some students were turned away from the blood drive on March 27 for legitimate reasons, but they were disappointed they couldn’t participate.

Rachel Lyon, a junior, was one such student.

“I went to donate the first time this year, and the nurse kept on poking me with needles to try to find a vein,” Lyon said. “After, they said I didn’t have big enough veins, and the only one sizeable enough was on one of my tendons.”

Lyon felt a little frustrated but didn’t think it was a huge deal.

At both blood drives from this and last year, Lyon tried to donate, but she was turned away each time.

Nonetheless, Lyon believes it’s good to give blood to people in need.

“I’m definitely going to try to donate next year,” Lyon said.

Another junior, Jenelle Revelino, tried to give blood in March, but she was unable to due to her weight.

“I had heard that you had to weigh 110 pounds,” Revelino said. “I wanted to see for myself, but they weighed me and told me I was under the weight limit.”

At first, Revelino felt that a few pounds difference wasn’t a huge deal when she could save someone’s life, but she understood the health risks at hand.

“I’ve always looked up to my mom for donating blood whenever she can,” Revelino said. “I was excited that I could finally do something good like

Students dedicate their time to giving back skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

Finals will finally be over

End of the year class parties

Summer... duh.

- Compiled by Riley Mac Millan

possibly save a life.”

Consequently, Revelino felt she wasn’t at a huge risk and was determined that she could make a difference in somebody else’s life.

“I’ll definitely try again next year,” Revelino said.

“It’s worth a try; maybe I’ll put rolls of quarters in my pockets or something.”

Junior Gokul Asokan was unable to donate last minute because he was sick that day.

“I felt sad but totally understood why I couldn’t give blood,” Asokan said.

It was Asokan’s first time trying to give blood after being inspired by his friends and the motivation to save peoples’ lives.

“Of course I’ll try again next time,” Asokan said.

“Saving lives is one of the best things I can do for someone else.”

The school nurse Linda Warfield was very pleased with the overall blood drive results.

“87 of those who donated are new donors which (is) a good number,” Warfield said. “It shows that new people are interested and hopefully will continue to donate in the future.”

Even so, some donors had complications.

“Many students were ill that day, and one must be symptom free for 24 hours before donation,” Warfield said. “However, there is always the possibility of donating in the future.”

Summer volunteer Rippling effects campaign opportunities abound Anti-bullying meant to have lasting results

BY SAHIL KHOSLA

Last chance to bust a move at Quad Dance

Gazette photo /RAchael vasquez

 Senior Steven Smith looks away as he donates a pint of blood for the spring semester BloodSource blood drive. He is wearing the free t-shirt given away by BloodSource to all the donors.

G

ranite Bay, being a small affluent community, isn’t exposed to widespread poverty or other social pathologies. At the same time, Granite Bay High School students often joke about living in a “bubble,” shielding them from viewing people in desperate circumstances.

But, despite this notion, several GBHS students with selfless intentions have sought to impact communities around the globe while taking time away from their summer vacations.

Senior Kyle Jaynes has volunteered multiple times with World Changers, a Christian organization that helps impoverished families construct homes. For several years, Jaynes traveled to Clovis, California to build roofs, repaint fences and help local homeowners with projects.

Jaynes has worked with Global Expeditions since eight grade and has grown considerably from his initial experience in Clovis.

“When I first started, it was kind of scary since I was younger and going off away from my family to do mission work which I wasn’t so sure about,” Jaynes said. “But, that first year really changed me because it opened my eyes to making a difference, and… you really see how it changes (the homeowners lives) too.”

Jaynes also volunteered

for Global Expeditions in Ecuador, where he repainted classrooms and helped put on a Sunday school for the local children.

Jaynes and his fellow companions played soccer with the local children and performed skits during school hours, but he also realized how desperate their situation was and the level of poverty that surrounded them.

His experience dramatically shaped his perspective and has made him appreciate all he has. “(Everyday I) look at (my) life and say in what ways can I take what I have with more appreciation,” Jaynes said. “(I try not to) waste food and to say thanks for all (I) get.”

Similarly, senior Tyler White also has participated on several Christian mission trips and also strives to make a difference in the world.

This summer he plans to volunteer at Hope Center in Africa.

While in Maloui, White plans to help children with their schoolwork, feed them and play with them. The children at the Hope Center are selected by the community leaders and have lost a parent or guardian to the AIDS epidemic.

“It will be a hard and amazing to see a third world country, to live there for a month and to see these kids suffering from AIDS themselves and losing family members (will be a difficult task).”

Despite the possible difficulties, White looks forward

Kyle Jaynes Senior volunteers internationally through Global Expeditions and World Changers

to helping these kids in dire need and giving them love and support.

To prepare for this monumental mission, White will draw from his experience on past mission trips in Mexico to become an effective leader and volunteer in Africa.

Though Jaynes and White have both served abroad, GBHS students wanting to get involved don’t have to travel too far away from home to make a difference in people’s lives.

Senior Thomas Cartwright volunteered at the Special Olympics last year with several other students.

Cartwright found himself moved by the athletes’ dedication and passion for the sport and their unrelenting drive.

“It was really inspiring to see these athletes overcome their struggles and their efforts really enhanced the overall experience,” Cartwright said. “I was really amazed by their strength and unwavering dedication and would strongly recommend that everyone find a way to help others, because it’s a great experience that will greatly change your perspective.”

BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN

on making individuals more aware of the bullying problem at GBHS. ith the recent on“The (goal of the) Ripple Efslaught of heavy rains fect was to make an applicable and wind, the familiar message on how to better the green “Ripple Effect” braceindividual that would in part betlets have nearly vanished from ter the whole school,” Finkmeier Granite Bay High School gates. said.

While the symbolical presence The Ripple Effect was put in of the Ripple Effect has disapplay to build a stronger, more peared, it’s common to wonder supportive and encouraging if the Ripple community within Effect is still the student body. making in “I think the main The (goal of the) difference to goal of the Ripple Ripple Effect was the students Effect was more of GBHS. than preventing to make an “When I bullying,” senior applicable think of the Sara Beil said. message on how Ripple Effect “Its purpose was (I think of) to create a better to better the indibuilding a school culture vidual that would more accept– one without ing and kind teasing and ignoin part better the place to go rance.” whole school. to school, (a Beil is a part of place) where the Advanced meeveryone dia class at GBHS – Wesley Finkmeier, can fit in,” and created all of ASB president sophomore the Ripple Effect Alex Rocca “Call to Action” said. videos as well as conducting According to the National the Gay-Straight Alliance Club Education Association, it is interview. estimated that 160,000 children “I see the main goal of Ripple miss school every day due to Effect (as) inspiring individufear of attack or intimidation by als to look beyond what people other students. exude and consider what they GBHS is striving to eliminate might be struggling with before that fear from its campus. casting any judgment,” senior These alarming statistics Ian Fitzgerald said. prompted GBHS to impleFitzgerald is also part of the ment a week long anti-bullying Advanced media class and cocampaign that took place from wrote the scripts for the video March 12 to 16. bulletin.

Senior Wesley Finkmeier, As“The media team did fantastic sociated Student Body President, and the week could not have wanted to create a compassionate student body by focusing See RIPPLE, page B7 mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

W

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

College of Granite Bay mom strives the Month: to find AIDS University of California Los Angeles

Lifestyle B3

treatments

Laboratory research seeks to cures difficult diseases

BY JESSICA REESE

W

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

Who: 26,162 undergraduate students Where: Los Angeles, California Tuition and Fee Cost: $11,604 Acceptance Rate: 22.7% U.S. News Ranking: No. 25 (national universities) Mascot: Joe and Josephine Bruin Athletics: The Bruins -UCLA athletes compete in the NCAA Division 1 athletics program and are part of the Pacific-12 conference.

-UCLA is the leader in its conference with 107 NCAA titles, more than any other university, and 128 team titles.

-UCLA offers 22 varsity sports.

-The new Athletic Performance Sports Training Facility has doubled in size to 15,000 square feet which houses 27 Olympic sized weight lifting platforms.

-UCLA also offers 30 different intramural sports leagues with more than 8,000 participants per year.

Academics: -16:1 student faculty ratio -51.6% of its classes have fewer than 20 students.

-UCLA’s four year graduation rate is 68%.

-UCLA offers 126 undergraduate major and 75 undergraduate minor degrees and programs.

-The School of Engineering and Applied Science ranks upon the top 10 engineering schools in the country and the School of Theater, Film, and Television is one of the leading programs of its kind in the world.

-There are more than 600 student organizations including around 60 Greek chapters.

-The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is located on campus and is one of the top ranked hospitals in the country.

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

hen confronted with scenes of sadness and sickness, many wonder how they can make a difference.

While there are many opportunities to do so, individuals often struggle to find the solution that works best for them.

For Monica Ord, mother of senior Mackenzie Williams, making a difference in the world is not simply a hobby - it is a profession.

Ord’s list of humanitarian projects is lengthy and includes everything from researching a cure for cancer to filming a documentary on the effects of climate change on an Inuit man.

“My passion is to help things that come my way in whatever way I can,” Ord said. “So, whether it’s carrying someone’s groceries or making a difference with cancer, it’s what I feel we are here ORD FAMILY for.” Monica Ord, right, meets and works with those who are inflicted by AIDS across the sea in Currently, Ord is the vice president of two research companies: Viral Genetics and VG Energy. Africa. She is the vice president of two research companies, but does not work in a laboratory.

The former focuses on finding treatments and and James Cameron to distribute Theo, a film she cures for numerous viral disorders like AIDs and fuel source. helped produce.

Lyme Disease, while the latter is making strides in As vice president of Viral Genetics and VG Though Theo is a somewhat fictitious tale, with Energy, Ord is not involved in the lab. Instead, she the research and development of biofuels.

Larry King and Mira Sorvino in cast, the central handles communication between her companies The two seem to be intrinsically different in character, Theo, and his message are entirely real. and governments, other companies and individual their purpose and work, and yet VG Energy’s Ord first learned of Theo from a friend who met supporters. research was him at a party in L.A. The Inuit man had left his Even amongst all these corporate duborn out of Viral village after becoming alarmed with the effects of ties, Ord still keeps her focus on making Genetics’ cancer climate change, and was trying to find help in the a difference in the lives of others. research.

More than Hollywood hills.

“My favorite part (of being vice presi“(Cancer and bioanything I think “From what I heard everyone was giving him dent) is actually (meeting) patients and fuels) are incredlip service and saying that they would help or do people we have been able to impact,” my duty is to ibly different and something, then the next day no one would,” Ord Ord said. “More than anything I think to be quite honest, feel enough to said. my duty is to feel enough to genuinely (the discovery) was After speaking with Theo, she decided she had care.” genuinely care. an accident in the to do something to help him spread his message.

One particularly memorable experi“miracle” categoTheo proposed she accompany him on a dog ence Ord has had while working at Viral ry,” Ord said.

– Monica Ord, sled through the arctic, to visit five Inuit villages Genetics was traveling to Africa.

The idea to take and see the effects of climate change.

“I love Africa,” Ord said. “Being in a vice president of Viral on biofuel develop“I called Richard Branson, at the risk of him different country, you realize so much ment was proposed Genetics and VG thinking I had lost my mind, and asked him if he about how fortunate we are and how while Viral GenetEnergy would go,” Ord said. “To my complete shock he much we truly take for granted in a ics was working said yes.” material sense.” with metabolic disOrd and Branson spent two months on the dog In 2006, Viral Genetics began the first rupters, compounds sled journey through the Arctic. phase in a series of AIDs trials in Africa. able to shift a What they found moved Ord and Branson so The last trial showed great promise, according person’s sugar and lipid levels. Viral Genetics was much, they decided more needed to be done. using the compounds to cut off tumors’ sources of to Ord. Using the results from this second trial, “The Inuit had huge levels of poisons in their the company was able to create a stronger platnourishment – lipids and sugars – thus shrinking blood and high levels of cancers,” Ord said. “The form for their upcoming trial. and killing the tumors.

Inuit have no pollution or traffic and they live “Our great hope is that this leads to the end of “(An agriculture student who wandered in) just mostly off the land. The reason their toxin levels happened to mention that if we could shift oil the AIDS,” Ord said. were so high is because all the pollution we cause In addition to their cancer and AIDS research, other way in plant cells, we would have the Holy rises to the poles and impacts people that haven’t Viral Genetics was also recently filed a proposal Grail in biofuel,” Ord said. done (anything).” with the U.S. government for an Investigational After receiving a $750,000 grant from Texas When they returned home, the two began writNew Drug (IND) aimed at treating Lyme Disease.

A&M to test the concept on algae, the idea ing a script for Theo, and are currently in talks “Getting these treatments for multiple diseases snowballed. The plant cells’ oil levels increased with Sony for distribution of the finished film.

300 percent, and Ord and her colleagues are now into patients that need them is everything,” Ord Ord’s hope is that once people see the movie, working with Richard Branson, the creator of the said. they will make better conscious decisions about With the company’s drive and commitment, Ord Virgin Group, as well as numerous other counhow they impact the planet. believes that Viral Genetics has a bright future. tries and companies in an effort to make biofuel “We are too independent of one another,” Ord Ord also has a bright future – one lit with stage cheaper and more accessible. said. “Because we don’t think we need each other lights and television cameras.

Ord’s hope is to eventually make nations oil we don’t take care of each other.”

Currently, Ord is working with Richard Branson independent, with biofuels becoming the main

Fun Facts: -Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and actor Sean Astin, best known for his portrayal of Sam Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, were both alumni from UCLA. -Encompassing 419 acres, UCLA is five miles from the Pacific Ocean, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Music Center, Chinatown, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo are all a few miles east of the campus, and the mountains, beaches lakes and deserts are all within a short drive from campus.

- Compiled by Dorien Johnk

If you really knew me,

you would know...

Christina Sabin

Matthew Meyers

I can play the piano. I do covers of pop music like “DJ got us falling in love again” by Usher and right now I’m making a cover of Skrillex.

I’m still involved Girls Scouts and have been for the past 11 years because I love helping others and it’s just a lot of fun.

Jeannette Llyev

I’ve traveled to Bulgaria and Canada from the United States by myself.

- Compiled by Mat Fukuhara

B4 Lifestyle

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Student

Spotlight

Hamza Abbasi

Leader of the Giving Hands Club and Manager of Speech and Debate Gazette: How do you balance leading both Speech and Debate and the Giving Hands club?

Abbasi: Both have taught me important skills, and I’ve met amazing people in each. I don’t really need to balance my life because all of these activities are already part of my life and part of who I am.

G: How has your club impacted the community?

A: Our overall motto is to make the world a better place; we really focus on trying to improve the overall community. Recently, we held a book drive and collected over 300 books to give to the less fortunate.

G: What can GBHS expect from the Giving Hands Club in the future?

A: Our next project is a supply-type activity for the homeless. We are going to be collecting blankets, food, clothing and other products to give the homeless in the Sacramento area. Anyone in the community can donate to our cause.

- Compiled by Natalie Kreeger

how to...

Personalize Your Bedroom 1. Buy a few mini bulletin boards or one giant bulletin board. Cover them with pictures, magazine cut outs and drawings.

2. Put fun lighting around the room. If school work is done inside this space, make sure that a well-lighted lamp sits by the working area.

Candles also serve as perfect dim lighting for falling asleep or cozying up the space.

3. Additional wall fixtures such as canvases or posters add a nice touch to making the room an enjoyable place to spend time in.

4. Choose cozy and decorative bedding and pillows to provide yourself with a better sleep and an overall more luxurious atmosphere.

5. Invest in a good quality speaker system so your room may always be filled with music that suits your mood.

- Compiled by Ari Black

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

U.S. views of Middle East skewed

American misconceptions about Iran have long aggravated immigrants

BY KIANA OKHOVAT

kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

I

t is common in the U.S. for Middle Eastern countries such as Iran to adopt poor reputations due not only to Iran’s uncertain intentions and corrupt government but also to the manipulation of these stereotypes by American media.

Many Americans have a negative perception about Iran and the Iranian people, simply because of what they see in the media. Especially now, in the midst of presidential campaigns, Iran is used as a playing card by politicians.

One topic under much examination has been Iran’s nuclear intentions.

One concept that many misunderstand is that the figure of authority is not the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. If this was more widely known, it would certainly change the amount of attention and blame the President receives.

In an interview with Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Mohammad Javad Larijani, who is Iran’s High Council for Human Rights and close advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, said, “nuclear weapons (are) not (an) asset, it’s liability.” His point was that if the U.S. has the right to use nuclear research to enrich uranium, Iran should have that same right.

“We are not secondary citizens of the world,” he said. “We are number one citizens of the world. Treat us as first degree (citizens) and we will be more forthcoming.”

Iran’s nuclear program began during the reign of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a period of time in the 20th century also known as Iran’s Golden Years. The research reactor and the fuel to run it was supplied by the United States.

After the revolution of 1979, Iran became an Islamic Republic, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, who suspended Iran’s nuclear effort.

However, after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein used

chemical weapons on the Iranian people as well as his own during the Iran-Iraq War, Khomenei changed his mind.

Iranian-American Neda Rezvan has lived in the United States for nearly ten years. She describes the impression the media gives the American people as very negative. “(Many people) are often driven by a political stance, to put the Iranian government in a bad light, which then reflects the Iranian people,” she said.

Iranian-American engineer Hamid Zolfaghari agrees, adding how he resents the media’s portrayal of Iranians as terrorists and war mongers.

Zolfaghari believes that it was the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis that initiated a wave of anti-Iranian sentiment against the Islamic regime and Iranian immigrants.

“After the release of the hostages in 1981, these sentiments gradually declined, but once in a while it See IRAN, page B7

Students pursue blemish-free complexion Drugs such as Accutane discontinued due to discovery of some harmful side effects

BY ARI BLACK

ablack.gazette@gmail.com

M

odern medicine seems to provide a medication for every bodily dysfunction imaginable.

From the flu to headaches to fungus to back pain, prescriptions can be written to supposedly relieve an individual of any ailment.

However, as every commercial watcher knows, with every drug comes an array of potential side effects.

Though Accutane was once the most prevalent drug prescribed to high school students, it was taken off the market in 2009. Generic versions continue to be produced in other countries, and the one now most often prescribed by American doctors is called

Isrotretinoin.

Senior Hailey Israel underwent the Isrotretinoin method of treatment at the beginning of her sophomore year.

Upon the starting her treatment, Israel was subjected to blood tests for the first three months to ensure that her white blood sell count was not reacting negatively to the medication.

In addition to the blood tests, Israel also was required to take pregnancy tests every month before she could fill her prescription, followed by an online test to ensure she was aware of the risks and proper birth control usage.

Beyond the hassles of fulfilling these requirements, Israel’s side effects made the process even more painful.

“My face looked like it was cracking off, and my lips were so dry that I split them every day to the point where they would bleed,” Israel said.

“I didn’t have the joint problems a lot

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Doctors and manufacturers of Isrotretinoin strongly caution patients against taking the drug if they are pregnant or will become pregnant during treatment. of people complain about, though.”

As the side effects continued, Israel found ways to ease the pain and make it through her six month period of being on the Isrotretinoin.

“I used Chap Stick and lip moisturizer

Program recognizes students Boys’ and Girls’ State representatives learn about being American citizens

BY SHINEUI PARK

spark.gazette@gmail.com

A

s the school year nears its end, Granite Bay High School juniors have begun preparing for the SAT and college applications to submit in the fall. However, two students out of this 572 are preparing for something else as well: Boys’ and Girls’ State.

Boys’ and Girls’ State is a program that allows two representatives (one girl and one boy) from every school to go to a state convention that teaches them the importance of being a citizen and how government works. The students who are involved in the program have the task of making all the rules for the week-long camp, while participating in a mock legislative and judiciary system and receiving firsthand

experience with government operation.

Boys’ State is held at Sacramento State University, while Girls’ State is at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.

Although the Boys’ State and Girls’ State programs are at different times and places, the process of choosing the representative is similar.

First, the school faculty votes for students based on a list they receive of all the students with above a 3.5 grade point average. Any student who receives two or more votes moves on to the second round. The long list of students is then narrowed down, and there is another round of voting.

The top five girls and the top five boys are those who continue on to the interviews, which are sponsored by an outside organization called The American Legion.

College and Career Center director Cindi Underwood is in charge of overseeing the distribution of ballots and making sure the paperwork is completed by the students.

“The faculty chooses students they’re aware of and that would best represent (GBHS),” Underwood said.

“They look at strong leadership capabilities, and it’s not based on popularity.”

like I was an addict and it was my drug,” Israel said.

Before taking Isrotretinoin, Israel was put on medications such as birth control, See ACNE, page B7 Emma Farrell Junior Farrell is going to be this year’s Girls’ State representative.

Although the program itself has not gained wide recognition on campus, junior Emma Farrell, this year’s Girls’ State representative, has had friends and cousins who participated in this program as well.

Farrell is honored to have been chosen and excited for what the program has in store for her.

“I guess the reason why I was chosen was because of my interview and what I wrote in my personal statement,” Farrell said. “Maybe it showed that I was somehow interested in government, which I am. Maybe I’m a good representative of the school because of my involvement with student government and the leadership skills I have already.”

See STATE, page B6

Friday, April 27, 2012

Lifestyle B5

w The Granite Bay Gazette

I ed t o V

Class of 2012 Election of 2012

18-year-old seniors able to vote for first time in upcoming presidential election

BY Dorien Johnk

M

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

itt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Barack Obama.

To the many Granite Bay High School seniors who are following the presidential race politics and current campaigns, the slight mention of one of these names could spark an ongoing political conversation for hours on end.

Turning 18 gives these seniors new creative freedoms to express their opinions through the act of voting for the very first time in their lives.

While not all 18 - year - olds look forward to voting or even care at all, there are many at GBHS who do plan on voting and expressing their liberties.

Senior Nima Miralikbar, even before he had turned 18, had been politically informed and involved.

“I stay politically involved to ensure I am aware of what is happening in my community, county, state, and country,” Miralikbar said. “I want to know what other people are doing and how I can be a part of it or frown upon it.”

Voting, Miralikbar believes, is a way to express himself, even if

sometimes the vote might not make a dramatic difference.

To stay updated on the latest news, Miralikbar checks his four main home pages daily: msnbc.com, politico.com, fox.com and cato.org. “(These websites) are great sources that give a variety of view points on an issue... when I log on to the computer, I see those pages and read about what I am interested in,” Miralikbar said.

Senior Brianna Matheus, along with searching for information online like Miralikbar, takes advantage of other resources to stay politically involved.

“Most of my research and information comes from watching the news,” Matheus said. “Being in Mr. Westberg’s Advanced Placement government class is also a great resource because we incorporate current news into our conversations all the time and discuss politics on a daily basis.”

Matheus, this upcoming Nov., will finally be able exercise her right to vote and exercise what she has learned from her research. “(I want to vote) because I tend to complain about many aspects of society that need to be changed, and if I were to sit around simply wishing things would be different, that would be pathetic because I could be out

there actually making a difference,” Matheus said.

She believes that everyone has the power and opportunity to make an impact on today’s politics and government. Also, she believes voting is another way to stay informed of the modern social and political issues.

“I do all of this research on politics and (stay involved) because I believe that my opinion is valued and influential and can actually make a difference,” Matheus said.

Tyler Vilfer is yet another senior who is excited to finally be able to vote and make a difference in the national policies and government.

Vilfer stays politically involved through the news and the internet, just as Miralikbar and Matheus. But, he believes the media has become a larger political factor over the years.

“Today, with the large role media plays in politics, there is very little that does not get covered or announced on the news both negative and positive,” Vilfer said.

He stays politically connected and informed using a Cnn.com application on his phone and the daily news.

“I want to vote because it does not take much effort or time to go do,” Vilfer said. “It is also a privilege that Americans have that people have worked hard at maintaining.”

Gazette illustration/DANIELLE DIETERICH

Prep period mystery...

What teachers do during their period off

BY RIley mac millan

rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com

F

ull time teachers instruct classes three periods a day and have one prep period.

What happens in the one period that students and teachers are separated?

Some students speculate that teachers throw wild parties by themselves, do laundry or have nap time.

Advanced Placement European history teacher Mike Valentine lectures three times a day and has his prep period during fourth period.

“What I do is grade during my prep,” Valentine said. “(I get) ready for the class in the following days which could be the next two or three days in advance. I make copies, I get everything set, I review my lesson plan.”

Valentine spends most prep periods busily working.

“That’s business as usual,” Valentine said.

Sarcastically, Valentine added, “(I) watch movies, I cook ... that’s what is really going on.”

When work gets to be too much though, he does take the occasional break.

“There will be some days,

where I am so tired, especially lecturing three (consecutive) lectures, and I start to work… I literally have fallen asleep with my head on my desk,” Valentine said.

Other days prep periods are just needed for a break to relax or to review educational material.

“Sometimes I put on actual movies that I’m going to review so I can show (my students),” Valentine said. “Sometimes I’m grading and watching movies at the same time, so I call that relaxing.”

Occasionally, going off campus is required for classroom needs.

Generally, teachers don’t go too far because prep period is only so long.

“Last Friday I went to the district office because I had some business down there… when I was a head coach I’d go out and buy things for the track every once in a while,” said Valentine.

Once in a while, prep periods can even hold genuine excitement for some teachers.

“The craziest thing (was) we had a lockdown here once, it was the beginning of the prep period, so I just shoveled (the students) into my room, and they stayed there the whole period, because

it was the real deal,” Valentine said.

Some prep periods are shared with other teachers having a class in the room.

“My craziest prep was when I needed some peace and quiet to work since another teacher was sharing my room,” Spanish teacher Mimi Hafeman said in an e-mail. “I’d work in our World Language ‘closet’, brought a heater, table, chair and lamp.”

Student government teacher Tamara Givens has a first period prep and a fourth period release.

Having the release allows her to leave early to set up for school events such as set up for rallies and dances.

“On Mondays, I spend my whole prep period going over the weekly reports from student government last week and (its) PBGs, which is (its) project planning guide,” Givens said. “Then Mondays fourth [period] … I have management meetings ... I spend most of it doing e-mail and going over my paperwork.”

Teachers as a whole spend nearly every prep period hard at work at their computer or desk.

“I spend most of (prep) every day doing e-mail - almost all of it,” Givens said.

Share Curiosity.

Read Together.

The

CollegeBoard SAT

un-Official SAT practice guide Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalkboard is its own separate game. Answers can be found on B6.

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 1

f. Thrifty, cheap

1. Adulation

a. Bitter, hateful

6. Rancorous

2. Frugal

b. Wealthy

3. Impetuous

c. High praise

4. Opulent

d. Secret, stealthy

5. Perfidious

e. Wisdom

7. Surreptitious g. Rash, impulsive, acting without thinking 8. Sagacity h. Careful, cautious 9. Prudent i. Faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy

- Compiled by Natalie Kreeger

Rapping their way to an A Students assigned rap project to help them learn

BY Annie loomis

F

Special to the Gazette

rom the learning the alphabet to memorizing colors in Spanish class, teachers often incorporate musicality into lessons to help students with memorization.

Some teachers have started to incorporate rapping into their lessons to see if the students become more in-tuned with their studies and are better able to memorize material.

The fast paced rhythm of these raps keeps the students awake and more focused on the lesson. Not that a long lecture on World War II isn’t fun and exciting, but sometimes teachers feel the need to spice things up a bit to keep the blood flowing and students on task.

History teacher Jill McKinney has recently started to try this teaching method in her classroom.

She noticed an increase in the understanding of the topic and discovered some outrageous talent she never knew her students had.

“I think the ones that rocked it

more than anyone (were) Matt (Zuex) and Frank (Niebauer),” said David Tastor, an English teacher that works with the same group of sophomore students. “They really don’t say much, but they put on a show right there.”

Niebauer was less than thrilled with the idea originally but eventually warmed up to it and performed enthusiastically.

“I felt really scared about singing in front of the whole class at first,” Niebauer said. “But, then once I did it I felt really accomplished.”

Some students, like Zuex, Kevin Hall and Zachary Pickett, decided to use beats or music backgrounds to rap to. Most beats came from Eminem, a rapper whose tempo many of the students felt they could easily work.

The students really jumped onto the idea of this because they could relate to the modern day music and it made them care more about the subject matter, according to sophomore Eddy Montoya.

“I enjoy this rap because it gets

the point across, and you understand the more you learn about it and say it,” Rania Buddawi said.

Rapping to learn has become very popular in these classes and has always been met with a positive reaction. In addition to McKinney, a handful of other teachers are also beginning to use rap in the classroom.

Sometimes teachers may be concerned that students will take things too far because of the explicit language used in some raps today.

But, if students know that this activity will be taken away from them, then they keep it appropriate and actually apply the lesson to their raps.

The teachers who use rapping as a method of teaching can expect a growth in their perceived “coolness factor.”

Annie Loomis, a junior, is a staff writer for thegrrronicle.com, the news website produced by the Journalism class.

www.granitebaygazette.com w w w. r e a d . g o v

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, April 27, 2012

Random facts

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Random club of the month

A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting

One of 2,100 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue

President: juniors Kimberly Sinclair and Holly Rodeo

The average person spends two weeks of his/her life waiting for a traffic light to change.

Gazette: When do you meet?

We meet on differing days of the week, usually once a month, as well as going to an observatory night whenever there’s interest and availability.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state never to report a temperature of zero degrees F or below.

What is the main purpose of the club?

One alternative title that had been considered for NBC’s hit Friends was Insomnia Cafe.

The purpose of the club is to get together with people who share the same interest in learning about astronomy and cosmology in order to have fun while experiencing the specified field. We try to learn from each other since we all have specialized knowledge on certain topics.

The Capitol building in Washington DC has 365 steps to represent every day of the year.

The year that read the same upside down was 1961. That won’t happen again until 6009.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile national monument.

Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space.

Source: http://www.popculturemadness.com

– Compiled by ShinEui Park

Astronomy Club

What happens during the meetings?

Zachary Harvill, sophomore

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Gazette: What is your biggest fear?

Spiders. One time I woke up with one crawling on me and I was scared for the rest of my life.

What is your favorite radio station?

KCVS radio 5105 in San Francisco. It’s an alternative rock station. My dad is the general manager.

What shampoo brand do you use?

Suave.

What is your favorite beverage?

Coca-Cola.

If you could be anyone for a day who would you be?

I would be the main character in All Quiet on The Western Front. I really enjoy World War I history and I’d really like to see what he experienced.

– Compiled by Kristin Taylor

During the meetings, we’ve done different things like have discussions over recent scientific discoveries or perform small experiments, (such as micrometeorite hunting).

When we have our observatory nights, we all get together and drive out to the Sac City Observatory to partake in its community observatory nights once a month.

We get the chance to view stars, planets and deep-sky objects through a .41 m telescope.

– Compiled by Madison Touloukian

STATE: One girl and boy are chosen to go to a week long state convention in summer

SHOES: Mixed opinions about TOMS brand shoes arise

Continued from page B4

Continued from page B1

Farrell hopes that through the program, she will cultivate her leadership skills so she can make a positive impact on school culture.

Junior Patrick Carroll, who is this year’s Boys’ State representative, is also pleased to be chosen as one of the two representatives.

Although Carroll feels that the other candidates were excellent and well-qualified, he thinks that what made him stand apart is his philosophy of staying well-rounded.

“To me, three things that are equally important in my life are academics, athletics and community service, and I keep those as my highest priorit(ies) in my life,” Carroll said.

He is an active member of Eagle Scouts and will soon be the varsity boys’ water polo team captain. In order to prepare for Boys’ State, Carroll will continue to practice his leadership and public speaking skills.

“After coming back from a program like Boys’ State, where there is a huge emphasis on leadership and community service, I think that I (will) be able to bring back to Granite Bay a great deal of leadership experience I gained over that week, and I will fully take the lead in the activities I do,” Carroll said.

Both Farrell and Carroll are eagerly awaiting the summer convention to take part in this educational experience.

Senior and former Boys’ State representative Brad Smith feels that the program expanded his knowledge in ways he could have never imagined.

Although government operations are demonstrated on a small scale, Smith said the convention accurately depicted how the system operates. It also showed him the benefits of being able to rally for campaigns and specific action to take if he wanted to make a difference in the community. “(Boys’ State) has helped me substantially in classes like Advanced Placement Government, because while I learn about it in the textbook, I’ve actually experienced it firsthand through the program,” Smith said. “It made AP Government very easy, because I knew a lot of the legislative and judiciary processes

already.”

Whenever possible, Smith is glad to share his experience with his peers, recalling events he experienced and explaining lessons he learned.

One of Smith’s favorite memories occurred during a mock city council meeting.

During the meeting, the “mayor” was under scrutiny from the rest of the “city” because no one believed that the mayor was doing a good job. As the town meeting progressed, an unhappy citizen stood up and took out a fake pistol and “assassinated” the mayor.

Everyone in the Boys’ State program then had to deal with the hypothetical financial aftermath and go through the judicial process of prosecuting the shooter.

“The amazing part of Boys’ State is (that) while there are counselors to supervise the program, none of the events are planned,” Smith said. “The citizens were unhappy, so one boy took it on his own personal belief to assassinate the mayor.”

Smith advises future Boys’ State representatives to study for the Boys’ State Bar Exam because it is essential to all Boys’ State positions.

“Enter with an open mind and a friendly attitude and make sure you get to know everybody, because everyone is really great,” Smith said. “Try to also be involved with the program, because there are people that just sit out and don’t do anything.

Those who are involved have the most fun.”

The Boys’ and Girls’ State program is about being an active citizen. Whether it is on a small or large scale, these students have the opportunity to one day use what they learned in the outside world.

“They could maybe write a policy that could make a difference in a law,” Underwood said. “Maybe they could make a difference in the world, particularly learning how to write and change what needs to be changed or changing the way people think.” could make a difference in the world, particularly learning how to write and change what needs to be changed, or changing the way people think.”

BILINGUAL: Multilingual students are benefited in foreign language courses Continued from page B1

them.”

Although he has taken several years of Spanish classes at GBHS, Haroon does not consider himself to be fluent.

“I believe that when you stop having to think in one language and translate it into another is when you truly learned a foreign language,” Haroon said. “My eventual goal is to be able to actually read full length novels in a foreign language as quickly and aptly as I can in English.”

Similarly, senior Aurora Gaumer has spoken both English and French since childhood and took Spanish classes at GBHS. Gaumer found her fluency in two languages to be at times helpful and at times a hassle.

“I think (being bilingual) has enormously helped in learning Spanish, but not in my English classes or other speaking/writing classes,” Gaumer said. “It is hard because in my head, the two languages get mixed together and I can’t find words, then stumble and

make a fool of myself.”

Despite these occasional drawbacks, Gaumer generally enjoys being bilingual. She even expressed an interest in teaching her future children French.

“I think (being bilingual) really helps in the international world as well as communities here, because people see you as a higher being because it is so hard to learn another language,” Gaumer said. “But, the reality is that once you have learned one other (language), the others follow.”

Crawley took it a step further and asked her great-grandmother to personally decorate one of her nine pairs.

“When I asked her to paint them she started crying,” Crawley said. “They’re something really personal to me. It’s like wearing a memory on my feet.”

In 2009, TOMS started another campaign called “One Day without Shoes” where, in order to raise awareness about the dangers of going without shoes, participants would spend an entire day going barefoot.

The first year this campaign was introduced, many students on campus chose to participate. But, the confrontation with administration and teachers over the breach of dress code has been minimal in recent years thanks to co-operation from the student body.

Assistant principal Brent Mattix refers to section three of the GBHS dress code, where it states that footwear must be worn at all times because of state law.

“It’s a health and safety issue as well,”

Mattix said. “With the woodshop and construction tech classes on campus, there is a required closed toe shoe policy because of the potential health hazards.”

Students have recognized this as well and complied with the administration on this policy.

Crawley even admits the irony of the policy as a health issue.

“The whole point of the campaign is to raise awareness and show the potential dangers of shoeless-ness,” Crawley said.

“This policy is in place to prevent that same danger from happening to students on campus.”

Mattix says that the administration is in complete support of students making statements on campus, but the school does have the obligation of upholding state law.

“We don’t have an issue with students not wearing shoes,” Mattix said. “But, we do have to comply with state education policy, and the students have been co-operative. We try to build a supportive relationship with them.”

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Lifestyle B7

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RIPPLE: School hopes for continued change following week-long campaign Continued from page B2 been what it was without them,” Finkmeier said.

According to bullying statistics, 1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.

Although it is not known that any student has dropped out of GBHS due to bullying, it is no secret that bullying is an issue on campus.

A junior at GBHS, who wishes to remain anonymous, admits that she suffered both verbal abuse and sexual harassment for an entire school year.

Unfortunately, she believes the Ripple Effect has not brought any real light to the bullying situation at GBHS. “(Within just) a couple of days of (the Ripple Effect) being over, people… (went) back to their crude, judgmental lives,” the junior said.

Other students agree that while the Ripple Effect did make a difference for a short period of time, it is difficult to see a long lasting difference.

“It’s different because we don’t have the daily videos and the signs

around school reminding us what Ripple Effect means,” freshman Becca White said.

In fact, just mere minutes after a Ripple Effect video was shown, students returned to their bullying ways in the school locker room.

“I heard terrible things… such as kids being called ‘faggots’ and others treating the Ripple Effect as a joke,” Rocca said.

The Ripple Effect did make a difference within GBHS’s halls, even if it did not last. It is clear that the student body came together to change the school’s atmosphere at least for a few days.

“We got a lot of e-mails from students and teachers really praising the Ripple Effect and saying how they started to see it taking effect,” Beil said.

Beil also stated that the Ripple Effect sparked controversial conversation in her AP Psychology class that prompted students to seriously consider their actions.

“A lot of people don’t realize teasing someone, even jokingly, has a long lasting negative effect on the person being teased,” Beil said.

This is made clear from the 2011 Ripple Effect survey, in which only

30 percent of students claimed that they had bullied someone. However, 50 percent of students admitted to being a victim of bullying.

With the implementation of the Ripple Effect, it is hoped that the number of bullying victims will decrease.

“We wanted to make (the Ripple Effect) not only raise awareness but also give a call to action that students could be responsible for,” Finkmeier said.

Some feel that the only way to ensure greater success is to take even greater steps towards anti-bullying policies at GBHS. “I think with recurring anti-bullying training the Ripple Effect can have a long-term effect on students,” Rocca said.

He does not feel that the one-week long program is sincerely making a difference on the GBHS campus.

Nonetheless, at GBHS is beginning to make great strides towards an anti-bullying campus through the Ripple Effect.

“It is GBHS’s responsibility to its students to not raise a bigoted, ignorant population,” Rocca said, “(It must) raise the enlightened, forwardthinking community and culture of tomorrow.”

IRAN: Misconceptions about Middle East are common in American society Continued from page B4 flares up again,” he said.

With tensions increasing between the U.S. and Iran, mainly over Iran seemingly hiding secrets about its nuclear program, the U.S. has begun talk of war against Iran.

“The nuclear problem between the U.S. and Iran is obvious,” Rezvan said. “The U.S. is concerned it could be used in a weapon. I cannot see how another war would benefit the U.S. Unfortunately, politicians may see a benefit, to distract people from the worsening economic problems.”

Rezvan also believes American foreign policy has been irresponsible with its actions. “(It) can be quite immature and based on strength alone,” he said.

Another misconception among many Americans is that Iranians support the Islamic Regime. In actuality, the majority of the Iranian people do not. The 2009 presidential protests were demonstrations of discontent among many Iranians. Rezvan is among them.

“A different form of democratic government could make the most of the huge potential that Iran has,” she said. “I think (the government is) slowly destroying

Iran’s prosperity and standing in the world. There are so many clever and educated people who have left Iran because of this.”

Rezvan believes that Iran’s brilliant culture and heritage is very under-appreciated by most Americans, which is why the media is able to so easily influence its audience.

“It is important that Americans are more educated about the world, and for me, especially Iran,” Rezvan said. “They need to be informed about our culture: the truth, not the shallow mainstream media caricature.”

Rezvan feels that the media needs to go beneath the politics and show that the government of Iran does not accurately represent the people.

Rezvan describes Iranians as having close family ties, strong friendships and high respect for parents and older member of their families.

Zolfaghari agrees, saying that in general, the American public’s knowledge of Iranian Americans and Iran remains somewhat limited.

Senior Parisa Meschi is Iranian but was born in the United States. She travels frequently to Iran during her summer vacations.

She believes that the way the media continuously portrays Iran in a negative light is very irresponsible.

“Evidence from Iranian scientists show that everything (Iran is) doing is for peaceful purposes. Iran is a sovereign country and has gone through all the requirements to have this (nuclear) program,” Meschi said. “The U.S. is making a big mistake, in my opinion, by making these accusations because not only are they getting on Iran’s bad side, they are affecting their own economy. The price of gas has gone up drastically because the U.S. decided to put sanctions on Iran’s oil.”

Meschi feels that because of the negative attention Iran is getting, people will start to think badly of Iranian citizens, if they don’t already.

“Iran is always in the news when something goes wrong. Constantly highlighting negative things and having it constantly be in the media brainwashes Americans into thinking Iran is an awful country,” she said.

Meschi has sometimes been subjected to remarks implying that Iranians in general are affiliated with terrorism. Extreme racial harassments that have occurred make her cautious and sometimes uncomfortable when asked about her ethnicity.

The result of the bad media attention as well as racial profiling and rude slurs, Meschi feels that the tensions

between the countries restrict cooperation and success that could be achieved by working together.

“America needs to do a better job (of making) Muslims and Middle Easterners feel more comfortable in this country,” she said.

Meschi explained that since she travels to Iran every summer, she is often asked if it is safe to travel there.

“Because of the constant negative (attention) America gives Iran, American citizens think badly of Iran and think it to be a dangerous place to visit when in reality it’s not,” she said. “I’ve been to Iran eight times and not once have I been treated badly. It’s funny though (because) when I return to the United States, where I was born, I get security checked at the airport as if I am a dangerous person.”

Meschi believes that the constant talks of going to war with Iran are spurred because the American government is intimidated by Iran and sees them as a threat.

“The U.S. would gain nothing if they went to war with Iran. A war with Iran would be a repeat of Iraq, going into a country under false accusations,” she said.

“The U.S. would waste a lot of money and many innocent Iranians and Americans would be killed for no reason.”

FRUIT: Family business attracts local customers with home-grown produce Continued from page B8

The busiest season is summer time when Otow produces its most popular products: peaches and Japanese hand dried persimmons.

The height of peach season is midJuly to early August, and persimmon season starts mid-October. In between, the orchard experiences a period of slow business.

“It’s like a morgue around here,” Kuratomi said. “It’s like grieving or something.”

Kuratomi wants to make September an apple month to help business pick up faster, and Otow’s apples ripen sooner than those of Apple Hill, a popular farm located in Camino, California.

However, during peach and persimmon season, the orchard has nothing to complain about as the parking lot is always full and Kuratomi has to have

someone out helping cars back out of the narrow driveway.

In the fall, Otow sells hand-dried persimmons, which are first hand-pick, hand-tie and, after drying, hand-massage. This season lasts for about five or six weeks. Workers peel about 20,000 persimmons, and it takes five pounds of fresh persimmons to make a pound of dried. Although there are dehydrators that could do the job, Kuratomi likes doing it the old fashioned way.

“A lot of people have said, ‘It’s like you’re going back in time, rather than moving forward’,” Kuratomi said.

However, Kuratomi says the farm is about “balance” and not “control.”

One of the things he hated about the classroom was controlling the class and controlling the curriculum and controlling the grades.

“It’s about balance and exploration and our workers having some say in how we

do things,” Kuratomi said.

Kuratomi applies this principle in his avoidance of any kind of chemical fertilizers or sprays for the last six or seven years. He says they seem to be having about the same success with their crops as they did without the chemicals.

Kuratomi’s workday consists of wandering around to see what the workers are doing and completing little tasks that need to be done. He generally looks for tractor work because this is his favorite thing to do.

“I walk around every day and clip off dead twigs and stuff like that,” Kuratomi said. “(I) check the fruit, and (if) there’s too much, (I) pull some off here, pull some off there. Most of the time I’m looking out for things that need to be done, but I’m trying to accumulate a list so the workers have something to do.”

Due to the rainfall in recent weeks, Kuratomi has busied himself making

ACNE: Doctors caution teens against acne medicines with severe side effects

furniture and reading agricultural manuals, which are other hobbies of his.

This late rain is bad news for the fruit trees, as rain after blossoming causes moisture in the bud, allowing disease to grow and promoting leaf curl. Unusually delayed rainfall has been a problem the past two years.

Although there is the element of unpredictability in farming, Kuratomi loves what he does and his favorite part about his job is the independence it allows him.

“If you just want to go in for coffee, you go in for coffee,” Kuratomi said.

“When you’re a schoolteacher, you’d keep a coffee pot in your room, but you never get a bathroom break.”

Tradition is also something Kuratomi values, along with the beauty of nature and watching the fruit grow.

“All of a sudden spring starts to show up and grass starts to grow and flowers

start to bloom and trees bloom,” Kuratomi said. “And… you know it’s going to happen again next year, but still it’s something.”

Kuratomi also loves the face-to-face contact he gets with his customers and familiarity with them.

“We really stress local,” Kuratomi said. “Unless you feel like you’re getting a superior product, it doesn’t make sense to drive from Rocklin over to here if there’s somebody in Rocklin selling.”

When it comes down to it, Otow Orchard is all about the customer and Kuratomi makes the effort to share the enchantment of the orchard with the families that stop by.

“To everybody that comes out here, we say when you have the time, go for a walk and spend some time out in the orchard,” Kuratomi said. “They might pick something, but… the experiences are worth a lifetime.”

Continued from page B4

and lowered Thompson’s dosage, which eventually made the pain less severe.

After the treatment, Thompson is generally pleased Tetracycline, Retina and Differin; nothing seemed to with the aftermath. work.

“It has returned a little bit, but nothing to the degree of In the end, Israel’s Isrotretinoin treatment only caused what it was before; overall, I’m happy with the results.” her to benefit in the short run.

Dermatologist Dr. Vera Chotzen of Laser & Skin “I am glad I took (Isrotretinoin) because my skin was Surgery Center of Northern California explains that the super clear for a year, but now I am going through the use of Isotretinoin is not 100 percent effective, though it same thing again,” Israel said. “I currently am seekis the most effective for scarring that exists. ing out dermatological help again because my skin has “Total clearance depends on returned to a non-manageable the total mg/kg dose over the state.” course of treatment, meaning Senior Ty Thompson had a difthey need to get enough toferent experience with the acne It should only be tal drug relative to their body medication. taken if weight to shut down the oil Thompson started his treatment really necessary and glands long term,” Chotzen said. in October of his junior year. For “There is always individual the first three months of his treatpatients need to be variation in response related to ment, Thompson was receiving followed by a stress level, genetics, hormones, his medication under the table products, etc.” without a doctor’s supervision. knowledgeable Chotzen also explained the Eventually, after the first three medical provider. emphasis for strict regulation for months, Thompson began taking female patients on the drug. the drug under a doctor’s super“The big issue with Isotretivision and prescription.

– Dr. Vera Chotzen, Laser noin is that it causes birth defects “Taking (Isrotretinoin) was & Skin Surgery Center of if someone is pregnant while takokay under the doctor’s supering the drug,” Chotzen said. vision,” Thompson said, “but Northern California To help keep the patients when I was taking it without informed and the doctors on the any supervision from a medical same page, females on Isotretiprofessional, it was terrible.” noin go through a program called During his treatment, ThompiPledge which is created to son was only required to do the prevent pregnancy while on the drug. monthly blood tests. After each, Thompson would then “There are no long term issues with childbearing, it is be given his next dosage. only an issue if someone is on the drug while pregnant,” In addition to his chapped lips, Thompson also had Chotzen said. additional side effects.

Chotzen believes that Isrotretinoin is a “miracle drug.”

“I had a lot of joint pain, and it was especially hard to “It should only be taken if really necessary and pasee at night,” Thompson said. “I had to take three Advil tients need to be followed by a knowledgeable medical before I had to do any sort of activity because of the provider to adjust the doses and watch for rare side pain.”

Eventually, the doctor took matters into his own hands effects.”

Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. C, 2. F, 3.

G, 4. B, 5. I, 6. A, 7. D, 8. E, 9. H

Quench your thirst for the Gazette.

B8 Lifestyle

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

As different as

APPLES ORANGES and

Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE

Fresh and fruity approach separates orchard from chain groceries

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

A

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

fter turning off of Eureka Rd. into Otow Orchard, customers are greeted by a sign that reads “Please Toot for Fruit” as well as the barking of Mocha, the establishment’s resident canine.

“Her job is to tell Grandma (Helen Otow), somebody’s here,” said Tosh Kuratomi, owner of the popular Granite Bay fruit stand. “(Mocha) looks at the house and barks, barks, barks.”

6232 Eureka Rd. is an “L” shaped piece of property that has been home to the Otow family business for 101 years. The estate is comprised of 40 acres of fruit trees that provide the stand’s products.

The 96-year-old Helen Otow owns the property, and her daughter Chris Kuratomi and son-in-law Tosh run the family fruit stand.

The family grows and produces fruits, vegetables, eggs and incidental firewood to sell to the local community out of the warehouse beside Otow’s house.

They are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed on Mondays.

Although it is more convenient to pick up produce items when already shopping for other grocery items at Safeway or Raley’s, Otow claims to provide better quality.

“The grocery store always has to be concerned with shelf life – how long will it last? How long will it store?” Tosh Kuratomi

said. “They can’t begin to get real ripe, soft, juicy fruit on the shelf. Everything has to do with durability.”

Selling all its fruit is no problem for Otow, and it is even able to sell bruised and wormy fruit at a discounted price. Its customers really enjoy its product.

Junior Taylor Reynolds is one of many loyal Otow customers.

“All of our relatives back in Connecticut have to get everything from the grocery store, so we take advantage of being able to get fresh fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Junior Megan Barnett is also a frequent customer and prefers Otow’s fruit over grocery store produce.

“It tastes pretty good, and it’s juicy and always fresh,” Barnett said.

Prices, however, are sometimes higher at Otow due to the fact that grocery stores often have sales on fruit that are so low they actually lose money in their attempt to entice customers to purchase more items.

“They can sell peaches at $1 a lb., and we might be selling them for $3 a lb., but at the same time, we don’t have trouble (selling them),” Kuratomi said.

Unlike the grocery stores however, making money isn’t the biggest concern for Kuratomi, as he is a retired schoolteacher and farms for pleasure.

“We have a retirement income, so we don’t worry so much about the income,” Kuratomi said. “We don’t have to take things so seriously that every peach has to be perfect and every

tree has to live and I think it really makes the difference.”

Kuratomi has managed to pay the bills every year with a net income of $5000 to $6000. He concedes that this isn’t much to raise a family on, but since the couple is retired, they are able to keep the place going and keep a couple of employees.

Although farm work is generally a seasonal job, Kuratomi hires workers year round and finds odd jobs for them to do when business is slow.

“We want to be sustainable not only for ourselves as an orchard, but also for the families that work for us,” Kuratomi said.

Most of the work to be done at this time of the year is devoted to irrigation, and digging ditches is an example of the way Kuratomi likes to both remain old fashioned and keep people occupied.

“We’ve resorted to digging ditches by hand because it keeps people busy,” Kuratomi said. “We could go out and get a machine and have it done in a day, but the machine costs $160 and I’d rather give (the workers) $160.”

Their payroll eats up 40-50 percent of their total income, and 15 percent of their income goes to the San Juan Water District.

Kuratomi is adamant in making the harvest support sales the whole year rather than getting a harvest and making profit all at once. The harvest is spread over 10 months of the year with a dead period from the middle of March to the Middle of May. See FRUIT, page B7

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

C Section

Friday w April 27, 2012

Two graduated Grizzlies headed to NFL

Commentary

meghan carlsen mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

I drop out of sports, but they drop in on me

I

am a softball dropout.

I played softball roughly from the ages of eight to 14 and loved it. I loved the game itself and the skills we developed, from sliding to bunting to laying yourself out on to the dirt to catch a ball.

I loved the team spirit of little girl softball chants combined with the smell of hot dogs and taste of bubble gum and sunflower seeds.

I loved putting on those variously colored knee-high socks and standing out on the field in the evenings while that perfect summer temperature set in as the sun went down.

I am a basketball dropout.

I loved this sport also even though I only played it from the ages of about ten to 13 because that’s when I and others realized “Hey, she’s pretty short at only 5 foot 3 inches tall.”

Last but certainly not least, I am a gymnastics dropout.

Participating in this sport literally from when I was in diapers (a ‘Mommy and Me’ gymnastics program) until I was 12, it also became a passion of mine somewhat more than the other two sports because I was actually somewhat good at it.

Despite me saying that I love all these sports, I’m a drop out of every single one of them.

Why you may ask?

Truthfully, I quit each sport at the time when the commitment to get to the next level required more time then I was willing to give.

Yet, I still love those sports and I would never trade those sport playing years. I miss being part of a sport more than I ever thought I would.

Sports invade our lives and provide a common bonding ground for virtually all people, whether you are playing them or talking about them.

Just the other day, I was on a tram in Seattle for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention when Mr. Holmes struck up a conversation with a random man on the same tram because he was wearing a Seattle Seahawks jacket and cap.

They ended up talking for about twenty minutes about not only the Seahawks but football in general, baseball and basketball. Along the course of the conversation they also picked up two other bystanders on the tram who joined the conversation.

None of these men knew each others’ names or their stories but yet they could hold a continuous conversation with each other all stemming from the simple question “Are you a Seahawks fan?”

Being a part of the newspaper has made me see how important sports are to a community.

I used to think news was the only important thing, and Greenscreen, Features and Opinions are just fun and entertaining. But there is always a special place in our hearts for sports.

They involve us emotionally with players and teams, and we live the wins and losses with those teams and players.

They pump us up physically, letting us be excited about something just because it’s great to be excited about something, all together supporting one event.

So although I’m a drop-out of sports personally, I’m still involved because the sport world seems to always suck us in somehow here and there, with Superbowl Sunday and March Madness brackets in our AP Calculus classes.

So yes, although I couldn’t handle the commitment to play, I embrace the commitment to support, because you gotta love those sports.

*** Meghan Carlsen, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.

FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Above left Miles Burris, graduate of GBHS from 2006, played football at San Diego State University as a linebacker and is now entering the 2012 NFL draft. Above right Devon Wylie, graduate of GBHS also from 2006, played football at Fresno State University as a wide-receiver and is also entering the 2012 NFL draft.

GBHS alums enter into the 2012 NFL draft

BY CHASE EVANS

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

It’s the second round in the 2006 football playoffs and Union Mine High School is up 20-10 over the Granite Bay High School Grizzlies with seconds to go.

Emotion prevalent on everyone’s

face, two captains #9 and #7 walk off the field knowing that they have scholarships to San Diego State and Fresno State respectively.

That is the last game that Miles Burris and Devon Wylie played in a GBHS uniform.

Five years later, Burris and

Putting the best pitch forward

Wylie appear again, this time in a large national spotlight.

Both the football players have been invited to the 2012 National Football League Draft.

“It was always my dream (to play) in the NFL,” Burris said.

After graduating together in 2006, the two players found themselves continuing their childhood

dreams.

‘My best friend Miles Burris played with me all throughout the GBHS program, we both ended up signing with division one teams, and now we are both entering the NFL Draft,” Wylie said.

Both players excelled in their craft throughout their collegiate football careers, placing them in the top 150 eligible draftees in the nation by most analysts’ hypotheses.

Miles Burris “I started playing football in 5th grade,” Burris said. “The team was practicing right across from my house so I went out and played.”

See NFL, page C5

Baseball stars shining on field

Players amp up their skill level for this season and years to come

New coaching pushes softball program

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

When Granite Bay High School varsity softball team’s overall record reached a grand total of 3-19 in the 2009-2010 season, it signaled that something was wrong, either with the players, the coaches or the overall attitude towards the program.

Varsity softball coach Michele Granger came in to change the program and build it up from its’

“Both of them had the physical abilities to make it all the way to the NFL,” GBHS varsity football coach Ernie Cooper said.

Gazette photo /Kristin Taylor

Freshman Kady Poulos on GBHS varsity softball winds up for a pitch during a game versus Del Oro High School on April 4. slightly broken state.

Granger recalls watching the team play before she was involved in the program and painstakingly seeing them lose game after game.

“I’m here because I think I can make a difference in the program,” Granger said. “I think I can…

See SOFTBALL, page C5

Some may know that Granite Bay High School is home to an internationally renowned golf player, college prospect tennis players and NFL-bound football players.

Yet some may not know college and professional prospect baseball players walk the halls of GBHS everyday.

The boys’ varsity baseball program is doing well this

year, with a record of 12-3, and the team is full of stellar athletes.

Junior Travis Magness is the relief pitcher with an impressive 3.15 earned runs average (ERA) and is a strong part of this year’s varsity team.

Magness started playing baseball ten years ago and loved playing it and hanging out with his friends.

Since then, it has turned into a more serious passion.

See BASEBALL, page C5

inside sports Grizz Quiz

C2

Fan of the Month

C2

Athlete of the Month

C3

Rising Star

C5

Sports Briefs

C5

Girls’ varsity soccer team struggles After suffering from many injuries, it is unclear what the season outcome will be.

C2

Picking up another athletic outlet Trap shooters grow and strengthen their program at GBHS.

C3

Spring Sports Update In the middle of their spring season, players and coaches share their goals and predictions.

C4

C2 Sports

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Friday, April 27, 2012

Sophomore Jackson Rodriguez could be a potential leader of the Tribe

BY JOEY PUHALA

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School’s Tribe is notorious for bring rampant spirit to GBHS sport events.

The Tribe, however, is run mostly by upperclassmen, eventually graduate, leaving Granite Bay in the rearview mirror of their lives.

So what does that mean for the future of the Tribe? Who will take command and continue to raise the spirit levels of our school?

The answer, simply put, lies within underclassmen.

Among the most exuberantly spirited underclassmen is sophomore Jackson Rodriguez.

Rodriguez cheers regularly in the Tribe and plays both soccer and lacrosse for GBHS. “I’ve been playing sports since I was about four years old,” Rodriguez said, “I’ve been playing all my life.”

Rodriguez is an enthusiast about sports in general, but has a particular interest in school sports.

“I always love watching pro-level sports,” Rodriguez said, “But there’s something interesting about being able to personally know the athletes you’re rooting for and their personalities. You just don’t get that at pro levels.”

His favorite spectator sports are basketball and football, and one of his favorite pastimes is keeping up with NBA activity.

“I’ve been a Kings fan by nature my entire life,” Rodriguez said, “It’s fun to keep up with all the stats and know what’s going on with all of the players.”

He is also an avid NFL fan, and hosts his own fantasy league.

“I also love watching football, and having a fantasy league to manage makes the experience way more involving.”

Rodriguez began rooting for The Tribe his freshman year, and has been a part of it since.

“I would see The Tribe at the games,” Rodriguez said, “I thought it would be fun to try it out.”

Rodriguez plans to continue to cheer on his fellow classmates through the remaining two years of high school.

“I hope to be a part of it for the rest of my high school life,” Rodriguez said, “ I would like to eventually lead it if I can.”

Rodriguez’s favorite part of being a part of The Tribe is participating in its chants.

“I just love the chants,” Rodriguez said, “It’s the most fun when I look up the names of the players on the other team and come up with specific chants that involve their names.”

Jackson Rodriguez Sophomore’s favorite part of The Tribe is engaging in the various chants.

At some point, Rodriguez would like to carry on his Granite Bay spirit to his college in the future.

“I think it would be awesome to have a college team to cheer for,” Rodriguez said, “It’d be great to have something like The Tribe but with a larger student body.”

Varsity soccer strives to excel despite injuries Broers’ players shoot for their second straight section title while pulling up underclassmen

BY MAT FUKUHARA

mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School varsity soccer coach Mark Broers hopes to be the first to make history.

“I haven’t heard of any team that has ever won (the section championship) twice in a row,” Broers said.

Last season, the team managed to win the section title with a league record of 6-3-1 and 15-4-2 overall, but this season the team has suffered injuries early on and has had to readjust its strategy.

“We’ve tried a hodgepodge of different tactics,” Broers said.

“It’s been game by game (change) based on personnel and what I know about them.”

Since the beginning, defense has been one of the team’s strengths, so Broers’ focus has been primarily on motivating the offense to score more goals because more reliance upon the defense in the first few games has led to more ties than wins or losses.

“Ties are alright,” Broers said.

“They keep you going, but wins really set you apart.”

This being the reality, Broers has struggled with the choice to become more of a risk taker. “(Not wanting to tie) makes

it tough,” Broers said. “Do you gamble and go for the wins sometimes or play it safe and let the draw happen?”

With an increasingly competitive environment facing the team, Broers has decided to take the risk and focus on the offense.

“What I’m trying to do is get them to shoot the ball and score because they are so good at passing and moving they miss (scoring) opportunities,” Broers said.

With improvements to the offense, sophomore mid-fielder Makenzie Brito also believes the team can achieve a second consecutive title.

“We’re in a rough spot, and we’re trying to pull through,” Brito said. “We do need to score a lot more; the defense can only help out so much. As offensive players, we need to get one in the net.”

As a mid-fielder, Brito has been given the responsibility of moving the ball up and down the field, carrying it from the defense to the offense. It’s one of the most physically intensive positions on the field.

“It’s a lot of hard work, and I get tired, but I know even though we’re missing all these people, I’m helping our team pull through (the loss of players),” Brito said.

In addition, Brito feels more responsibility based on years of experience.

“I feel like I have to prove myself a lot more because I’m playing with 18-year-olds and I’m only 15-years-old,” Brito said.

“It’s more of a motivation for me to play my hardest and do my best.”

Brito isn’t the only one to feel responsible for supporting the team. All players take the season seriously and show their passion for the team by caring for other players.

“When one gets hurt or fouled during a game, like when Amy (Schlehofer) went down (at the Davis game), we all played for her in that moment like a family,” Brito said.

Schlehofer is a senior varsity player who recently returned to the field after spraining her wrist five weeks ago and feels the team’s second consecutive title will be the result of a combination of Broer’s coaching talent and team unity.

“It’s taping up before a game, putting on our cleats and warming up,” Schlehofer said. “Before the game, we all get in a huddle and everyone says a little something that gets everyone excited, so that alone gets everyone in the

Gazette file photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Junior Paris Loomis dribbles the ball up the field on March 8 against Whitney High school.

mindset for the game.”

Both players believe Broer’s efforts will ultimately lead to another section title as long as both team and coach adjust to

game play and any potential future injuries.

“Broers stepped up big time being head coach after Roberts left,” Schlehofer said. “He’s done

a good job managing all the girls and knowing… how to deal with so many injuries this year. It’s a huge mishap, but he’s done well and we love him.”

Previous Athletes of the Year succeed at the collegiate level Zingheim and Nielsen find athletic success at Stanford and BYU

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

When college started in late September, Granite Bay High School graduates Katie Zingheim and Kevin Nielsen found themselves facing a new facet of sports life: college competition.

Throughout the summer following her graduation, Zingheim constantly anticipated competing at Stanford University.

“I was really looking forward to the competitive atmosphere and just being able to compete,” Zing-

Grizz Quiz

heim said.

When she first arrived at the school and pre-season training began, she was surprised to find out just how easy her body was able to adapt to the brutal work outs.

“The workouts were designed to rule out those who weren’t fit, and I was very glad when they became easier,” Zingheim said.

When preseason came to a close and it was time for her first indoor meet in Idaho, she started strong. “(My first pole vaulting run) was 13-feet, 1-inch.,” Zingheim said. “I was really pleased because (the

height) was just below one of my personal records.”

Despite being a freshman, Zingheim has found she is able to match, if not beat, her competition when at meets.

But as the season begins to settle down, Zingheim will still be pushing herself to set a new personal record.

“That’s probably what my main focus is right now,” Zingheim said. “Getting better and better and then eventually setting a (personal record).”

Zingheim’s head coach at Stanford University, former Olympic pole-vaulter Toby Stevenson, has known her for almost two years now.

“I first heard about her through her private high

school coach,” Stevenson said. “Then she got put on my radar, and I began to recruit her to Stanford.”

As Stevenson became more involved in Zingheim’s recruitment process, he began to notice the tremendous athleticism and potential she had. “(Her skill level) is (now) way ahead of what it was as she finished up high school,” Stevenson said. “It’s now just a matter of time, experience and growth.”

When Zingheim was still in high school and ranked among the best in the state, she continued to learn a skill that few other female pole-vaulters could ever accomplish.

See ATHLETES, page C3

Rylie Christian Swimming

Jake Keester Boys’ Tennis

Chasteena Determan Softball

William George Baseball

A Chewy Bar

A Turkey and ham sandwich

Fruit Loops

Honey Bunches of Oats

A Burger

What is the worst sports injury you’ve had?

Sprained ankle

Sprained ankle

Fractured spine

A compound fracture of the wrist

Pulled both of my groins

What is your favorite perfume/ cologne?

The Pink brand with the purple cap

Polo

Sensual amber from Bath and Body Works

Voyage

I don’t wear cologne

Do you do your own laundry?

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

When do you normally go to bed?

10:30

11:00

Midnight

10:00

11:00

What was the last fast food you ate?

Matthew Postell Boys’ Lacrosse

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

- Compiled by Haley McAvoy

Friday, April 27, 2012

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Sports C3

Senior Kevin Staniszewski will continue to carry the baton past graduation

BY SAHIL KHOSLA

skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School senior Kevin Staniszewski is a returning captain for the varsity track team and shares his goals for the upcoming season.

Staniszewski enters his third season as a varsity hurdler, participating in events such as 110-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles and the 4x400meter relay. He was also named most valuable player for the hurdlers for two consecutive years and continues to demonstrate excellence in his events.

At the King Gilbert Invitational meet, Staniszewski placed first in the 110-meter hurdles and 4x400-meter relay with his team.

“Winning an event at a big meet is cool, but it’s (much) cooler when you get to share the victory with three good friends,” Staniszewski said.

Among his most commendable accomplishments, Staniszewski also qualified to run three events at the Stanford Invitational meet and competed against some of the best runners in the state.

But one of his crowning achievements during the ongoing season was when he placed 1st place in all four of his events, earning 20 points for his team at the Nevada Union meet.

Staniszewski is devoted to improving

his times and aspires to break the school record for boy’s hurdles; his personal best is less than a second over the school record. “(Each week) I’m getting closer and I’m shaving off tenths and tenths of seconds (to ultimately reach my goal),” Staniszewski said.

As a captain, Staniszewski’s unwavering dedication to motivating his teammates allows him to serve as a leader that anyone can approach at anytime. Additionally, his teammates have noticed his constant drive to become the best. “(Staniszewski) is (one of) the most driven athletes I have ever seen, (and) he consistently strives to improve in all

aspects of his races,” captain Daniel Graham said. “I have spent cumulative hours with Kevin after practice, and that was just to work on his starting form. Kevin is a living testament that hard work pays off and (during) practice; he always pushes me to give that extra effort.”

Staniszewski aspires to be known as the best hurdler in the area and his passion to become the greatest he can possibly be.

His positive outlook and leadership capability serve as some of his inspiring characteristics and he understands that his competition is working hard, and he must work equally hard to attain his goals, finding inspiration from his fellow cocaptain.

“I’m motivated by Graham; we always push each other at practice and never slack off,” Staniszewski said. ‘We make each other better athletes and I’m really grateful to have such a great friend and co-captain.”

As his high school track career comes to a close, Staniszewski’s overall track career will continue in college. He plans to walk onto California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo’s track and field team next spring, furthering his commitment to becoming a notable player.

“Track is something I’m really passionate about and when you’re passionate about something it’s really easy to give it 100% and go out there to strive to do my best,” Staniszewski said.

Gazette photo /Riley Mac MILLAN

Varsity 4x400 runner Kevin Staniszewski receives the baton to start another attempt at improving his overall time at a GBHS track meet

Trap pulls trigger on a new season P.E. sport recruits As team grows,

Class becomes an avenue for athletics

safety continues to be main target

BY MYLES SLATTERY

mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

BY DORIEN JOHNK

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

How many Granite Bay High School sports players, when they go to practice, stand 16 yards away from a clay thrower and shoot at clay pigeons that are being shot into the air?

The answer: only members of the GBHS Trap Shooting Club.

The club, only being on campus for four years, and has both male and female members from freshmen to seniors.

Senior Chris Beck joined the Trap Shooting Club when he was a freshman. As the senior who ran the club graduated that year, Beck took over the lead role to keep the club alive.

Beck’s sophomore year, he became president, and from then on, trap shooting became not just a club, but a team.

“We have a ton of different venues from the bay area to Auburn,” Beck said. “High schools like Del Oro, Woodcreek and Roseville have teams, and we shoot and are compared to them when we compete.”

Daniel Eitzman, a freshman, signed up for the Trap Shooting Club on club day.

“When I joined the club, I already knew how to shoot,” Eitzman said. “(But after a few competitions), I learned how to focus and concentrate better…as well as have quick reflexes.”

Eitzman found the sport to be fun and exciting but he also joined the club to hone his skills.

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

President and senior Chris Beck increases his accuracy and overall performance with another shot at a clay pigeon. The Trap Scooting Club practices at Auburn Trapshooting Club.

“Within the club, there are ranks that you can achieve, and I wanted to become an extinguished expert, which means you are really good at shooting,” Eitzman said. “I want my skills to grow.”

Along with the growing skills of the players, the sport itself is also growing. The GBHS team now consists of 32 members, whereas last year there were only 17 members.

“Within the district, there are only those four teams, but the sport is growing state wide,” Beck said. “Four new teams have been created within the last year or so.”

The campus faculty advisor and assistant coach of the Trap Team, Scott Braly, has also noticed the improvement throughout the sport.

“Two years ago, we were third in state for the Junior Varsity team, and last year our JV retained that position,” Braly said. “Our Varsity squad also came in second at the U. S. Open in Las Vegas this past summer.”

Braly said that the Trap Shooting growth was mainly concentrated in the Northern California areas.

The growth in this area causes him to be excited because of the increasing amount of teams that the GBHS team can compete with.

After the four years of growth of the trap team at GBHS, the team was recognized by the National Rifle Association. Because of the organization, the team actually owns three donated guns.

One of Beck’s favorite aspects

of the sport is that it is versatile.

“The sport is cool because you can shoot as an individual or as a team,” Beck said. “Your team can be compared to other teams and an individual can also can be compared to other individuals at that same event.”

The core goals of the team, even though there has been an increase in popularity, have not changed.

“Safety has always been the first goal, because if there was ever an accident, it would be the end of the sport,” Braly said.

“Also, other things we as coaches hope the students feel and accomplish are camaraderie, enjoyment, team building and skill development.”

competed in over 12 different events between all his meets combined.

Just like Zingheim, Nielsen and the rest of the BYU team has traveled across different parts of the country, ranging from Texas to California.

While at some of these events, Nielsen pushes himself to improve on his pole vaulting skills.

“So far already I have gone three feet higher on my pole vaulting,” Nielsen said. “Continuing to work to bigger poles is one of my main goals right now.”

But since Nielsen competed in both indoor and outdoor meets, the specific events he did for each varied.

When the event was indoors, Nielsen would only be doing a heptathlon, and if the meet was outdoors he would be doing a decathlon.

For Nielsen along with Zingheim, indoor track and field begins at the start of the new year and lasts until the end of March. With almost no break between the two, outdoor meets start as quickly as one week after the final indoor meet.

“Indoor (season) goes by super quick, and it’s actually surprising just how different the two really are,” Nielsen said.

In comparison to both his teammates and opponents, he feels as though his skill level is right up

there at the college level.

One of Nielsen’s ongoing struggles while at BYU is his team bonding skills, for many of the teammates are much older than him and have known each other for quite some time.

“It just takes time,” Nielsen said.

“Pretty soon (the team) gets to know each other better and that transfers over to our performance.”

Nielsen’s coach this year at BYU, Mark Robison, has known him for almost a year and could not be more pleased with the progress.

“I remember being in contact with him for around a year, and I was very happy when I was able to recruit him to BYU,” Robison said.

When Robison first met Nielsen, he was impressed by Nielsen’s overall athleticism.

Recruiting for high school sports teams is a necessity for most coaches in search of talent.

Many high school coaches recruit students for sports based on leadership qualities and physical ability in which they can be beneficial to the high school’s athletic program.

Granite Bay High School physical education teacher and girls’ water polo coach Linda Dickson recruits from her physical education class to improve her team.

“I recruit because I want to give students the ability to participate in an activity that they will enjoy,” Dickson said.

For many teachers who also coach school athletics like Dickson, giving a student the chance to excel in an extracurricular activity not only is advantageous to the team, but also to the student.

“When students try a sport they often enjoy it even if they had previously said they were not interested,” Dickson said.

For students, they also see the valuable aspect of recruiting.

“Playing water polo is one of the best decisions I have made in high school,” junior Hayley McAvoy said, “water polo has really changed me as

a person.”

Many students originally lack the interest and willpower to set out and play a sport on their own, but when nudged by a coach, they often revel in the decision to embark on a extra-curricular endeavor.

“I don’t like to say no, so I tried water polo and now have a lot of fun and enjoy the sport,” McAvoy said.

Former wrestling coach and current physical education teacher Mike Lynch also sees benefits to recruiting.

“I not only recruited students to help the team, but also to help the students overall high school experience,” Lynch said.

Student and wrestler Alex Cooney also was affected by the high school recruiting process.

“After joining the high school wrestling team, I have learned to balance my time, and it has taught me how to be a more responsible person overall,” Cooney said.

Giving students the opportunity to excel is just the thing some students need to really achieve their absolute best in high school.

“I am so glad I chose to wrestle in high school, it is probably one of the best things I could have done to better the overall quality of my high school experience,” Cooney said.

ATHLETES: Both graduates compete year round in indoor and outdoor meets “(Zingheim) is one of the few girls that I know that can get upside down the pole, a maneuver that is difficult to get used to,” Stevenson said.

As Zingheim is now competing in higher level pole vaulting, the mentality behind the tough sport is something that Stevenson hopes that she can improve on over the next few years.

“The event happens very quickly, so preparing yourself in a short amount of time can really define your attempt,” Stevenson said.

Nielsen is another high profile GBHS grad in the world of college athletics. He is currently competing in indoor and outdoor track meets for Brigham Young University and is pleased with his progress this season.

“My pole vaulting is going great, and I’m really doing well at high jumps,” Nielsen said. “Things are just progressing from where they were in high school.”

However, things were not always this easy for Nielsen. After finishing up the high school track and field season, he competed in Junior Nationals, but as soon as that finished he took a two month break from anything track and field related.

“That break really put me out of shape and the first couple weeks of preseason were brutal,” Nielsen said.

So far this season, Nielsen has

Since Nielsen competes in the decathlon, his skill level in each event varies.

“He was very good at the long and high jump as well as the hurdles,” Robison said. “But, he has improved a whole lot in events such as pole vaulting, where he has moved up a whole three feet.”

Despite this steady improvement, Robison still sees room for

improvement elsewhere.

“Like most freshmen in college athletics, maturity is something that (Nielsen) is getting used to,” Robison said. “He has already shown maturity (between himself) and the rest of the team.”

But at the core of everything that Robison sees in Nielsen, he says that nothing stands out more than his outstanding character and effort.

Friday, April 27, 2012

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Boys’ volleyball works its way up to No. 1

Spring sports teams keep up their skill level and energy for the rest of their season Boys’ volleyball “We are 18-4, and our only losses were to a team in San Diego. We are currently ranked 19th in the country and the no. 1 team in Northern California, which include the Bay Area. Our biggest room for improvement is consistency.”

Coach Bruce Honberger

Girls’ soccer “The girls have worked this season to overcome all the injuries we sustained in the first few months.

We’ve had a freshman and several sophomores start on a regular basis in place of seniors and yet we’re still in second place.”

Coach Mark Broers

Boys’ tennis “We started off a little slow. But, as we are approaching the end of the season and the more important games, the guys are beginning to take more initiative and take things more seriously. The guys have had more competitive matches.”

Coach Rory Wood

Track and field “The younger group is extremely strong and talented. JV boys were the only group to win (our most recent meet).

Overall, we’re happy with the season. There’s a lot more personalities on the team this year.”

Coach Jackie Nasca

Boys’ golf “We’re going to win league because we’ve earned so many points. We have 13 points and Del Oro (High School is in second) with 9 points. Unless we lose everything from here on out, which we’re not, we will win the league.”

Coach Terry Stafford

Boys’ lacrosse “We’ve been playing a lot of sophomores and juniors (due to earlier injuries). We play well at times, but we’re inconsistent. Since we started getting players back, we’ve been undefeated with seven wins in a row.”

Coach Scott Pink

Girls’ lacrosse “The season is going better than expected. We will set a record for wins for GBHS this year. I would like to win GBHS’s first girls’ league championship.

There’s been great bonding. The hardest game was against Davis High School.”

Coach Stu Brokowski

Swimming “We’re undefeated so far. We don’t really wind-down for swim, so we’re winding up for league championship and sections. Our boys had the toughest test against Del Oro (High School) recently, and they won that meet easily.”

Coach John Sherman

Baseball “We’re 13-3 overall and 5-0 and first place for league. We’ve been doing a good job pitching, playing defense and hitting. (We’ve had some) tough games verse Woodcreek (High School), but we won.”

Coach Pat Esposito

Softball “We have seven wins (so far and) we had eight last season (total) so we should definitely, if we’re playing well...beat our win total for last year. We have a reasonable shot at making the playoffs if we win some key games which would be a big improvement.”

Coach Michelle Granger

“Since we came back from a tournament in San Diego, we haven’t lost a game. So, we haven’t lost in over a month. We’re no.1 in the section league.

We’re looking to do well in playoffs. All our hard matches are on the road.”

GBHS senior Matt Austin

“We’ve lost a few games so far, but we still have a chance to go to sections if we win the rest of our games. We have a lot of juniors and sophomores on our team that will hopefully come back next year and we’ll have a good team.”

GBHS junior Jessie Myers

“We’re doing very well this season. We had our first lost to Del Oro (High School). The match was close and the score was 5-4. The team can improve on our double matches. We get along really well and have fun a lot.”

GBHS sophomore Zach Low

“So far, we’ve had (many) invitationals. A dual meet against Woodcreek (High School) is coming up. Our JV and freshmen boys are really doing well. We have a bunch of new distance runs and we’ll see how these changes take us to the league championship.”

GBHS sophomore Katie Mersereau

“We won our first league tournament and got six points for that. All the guys on the team are contributing. We have probably one of the best teams around. I really want our team to go to state and we’re trying to break some records.”

GBHS senior Alex Gibbs

“We beat Jesuit (High School) in a really close game and we were glad to have won. The coaches have done a great job of challenging us. We’ve been pulling up younger kids to fill in some of the spots because a couple of guys are out for the season.”

GBHS junior Grant Caraway

“Our season is actually the best it’s ever been.

We’re undefeated in league, so we just have to play everyone again. Hopefully, we can win league this year. I like to see our team grow. This year, I’d like to see that we get the ball up the field more.”

GBHS junior Katrina Reeves

“Everyone is doing their best to get ready for the taper for the SFL championships. Del Oro High School is the second best boys’ team, but we’re the best (since we won our meet against them).

We’re not worried to lose league.”

GBHS senior Andrew Neiman

“We’re undefeated in league. We have three more series against Rocklin, Roseville and Del Oro (High Schools). We’re looking like we could go pretty far in the playoffs and we’re hoping to do well. Our biggest rival is Woodcreek (High School).”

GBHS senior Jordan Blake

“I think we’re doing pretty well. Our hitting could be better but that’s just something you kind of have to work on your own. But our fielding’s really good and our pitching’s good this year too. I think, if we beat Roseville and Rocklin these next few games, we can make it to playoffs.”

GBHS sophomore Nina Murphy-Cook

Compiled by Rachael Vasquez Gazette photos /John Park, Rachael vasquez and RILEY MAC MILLAN

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

SOFTBALL: Coach raises the bar on the varsity softball program at GBHS Continued from page C1 make the experience of my kids playing in high school better, and I think I’ve learned a lot.”

Granger saw that the softball program at the varsity level was not up to par with any other varsity programs at GBHS. “People thought they could just come out and get a varsity letter in softball,” Granger said.

Granger became the varsity coach last season and saw a considerable improvement from the previous season’s record when they achieved an overall record of 8-11.

Last season, however, was an adjustment season for many as Granger tried to implement a program that would be taken seriously.

“I definitely ask for a level of commitment that some of the kids didn’t want to do,” Granger said. “Last year was probably a little rough because (the players) had to start learning what my expectations were, but I try to make them better.”

Junior Kristin Kupershoek has been playing on the varsity team since her freshman year, so she spent one year with the previous coach, Tim Troakey, before Granger came into the program.

“It was kind of hard going to a different coach, but (Granger) is going to be there for awhile, so she’s able to start from the beginning and build the program up unlike (Troakey) was (able to),” Kupershoek said.

Starting this season, Granger is attempting to change even more aspects of the softball program including the skill level of her players, and she’s found offering athletic P.E. to her players has helped with that goal.

Athletic P.E. lets the players start their

practicing earlier before the season starts. they didn’t, and next year I guess I can tell “If your kids aren’t playing outside (of them that they can’t,” Granger said. “It’s the season) and already in shape they’re a hard lesson for kids to learn that even if going to get hurt,” Granger said. there’s things you want to do, you don’t Granger has noticed a decrease in (do them) because you’re a part of the injuries because the team was able to start team… I didn’t play Powder Puff (in high practicing right after Christmas break and school), I’ll tell you that.” this warmed the players up to the season Despite the program’s mentality boost, gradually. The team has also been reaping the players have not caused much push the benefits of getting a back for Granger. whole practice in earlier in “I feel like we’ve the day, before it gets dark. gotten better way She’s an intense faster than a lot of Practice days vary on coach. I’ve never length depending on other programs have whether they have a game because Granger’s had a coach as day the next day or not, a really good coach, intense as her, and and she knows what but they can typically run up to three hours, from she’s doing,” said that’s why i stay 1:30 to 4:30 pm.

Nina Murphy-Cook, with her because Granger has also been a sophomore on the trying to change the attishe’s such a good varsity team. tude GBHS has toward the Murphy-Cook and coach. softball program in general sophomore Maricela by requiring for certain Garza were both on home games that each varsity last year as – Nina Murphy-Cook, player bring three fans. freshmen and have GBHS sophomore “When you come in also played softball and your program’s been with Granger on their unsuccessful and nobody outside club team. comes to watch you, They were neither (no one really holds you) accountable,” surprised nor shaken by her passion about Granger said. “If they start bringing their the sport. friends or people they hang out with to “She’s an intense coach,” Murphy-Cook home games then the next day at school said. “I’ve never had a coach as intense somebody would say ‘great hit’ or ‘good as her, and that’s why I stay with her, catch’… and then (it would boost) selfbecause she’s such a good coach. She reconfidence (and) pride.” ally puts all her effort into it, and it really With so much more being asked of the makes a difference.” players compared to previous years, it’s Even though Murphy-Cook and Garza not surprising that there was some push are up to the challenge, they recall the back over Granger’s disapproval of her varsity team’s problem around try-outs players playing in this year’s Powder Puff time with gathering recruits. game.

Garza remembers that they had about “I made it very clear that I’d prefer that 25 girls at the beginning of their lunch

NFL: Two old friends and Grizzly football stars to be drafted by NFL Continued from page C1 The now 6’3”, 240 pound man that bench pressed 225 pounds an astounding 31 times was once a boy playing peewee football with the other 5th graders.

“It was immediately my favorite sport and became a passion of mine,” Burris said.

From 5th grade until his senior year for the San Diego State Aztecs, Burris has been shutting down running backs as a middle linebacker.

After all of his years of learning the position, he is ranked by most scouts as the 7th best middle linebacker in the draft.

“I have played linebacker my whole career and I have loved it since the first hit,” Burris said.

His junior year and senior year at GBHS, he lead the Grizzlies to two playoff appearances, losing in the second round both years.

He was a captain his senior year, voted in by his fellow teammates as a leader and team captain. “(Burris) was very physical and aggressive with great work ethic,” Cooper said.

Yet Burris didn’t miss a beat playing for the San Diego State Aztecs, who gave him a scholarship to play football at their school.

Burris “redshirted” his freshman year, which means that he played as a reserve for the team while learning the system and playing on the special teams unit.

He rose to a starting position his sophomore year and was an All-Mountain West linebacker his junior and senior years.

“The most important thing is that we had two winning seasons,” Burris said. “We turned the program around and took the team to two bowl games for the first time in a long time.”

Now a graduate of San Diego State’s business management program, Burris is awaiting the results of the NFL Draft.

“It’s all a big waiting game right now,” Burris said. “I’m hearing everything from (being drafted) in the 2nd to the 5th (rounds).”

Burris has very specific requirements for who is to be his new NFL team.

“Whichever team that is willing to pay me,” Burris said jokingly.

Devon Wylie “(Wylie) is the fastest and shiftiest player I have ever coached,” Cooper said.

Wylie, a 5’10” 185 pound wide receiver played football since he was in 4th grade.

“I always wanted to play football,” Wylie said.

He played a mixture of flyback and wide receiver in the Granite Bay system from 4th grade to his senior year.

“The GBHS football system is fantastic,” Wylie said.

“Cooper is a great coach and a blast to play for.”

With 19 touchdowns and over 1,500 total yards his senior year, Wylie helped lead the Grizzlies to the second round of the playoffs his junior and senior year along with Burris.

With his athleticism and gaudy stats, he was quickly recruited and given a scholarship by Fresno State.

Despite being injured and “redshirting” his junior year, Wylie put up good numbers in college.

Playing the slot and outside receivers, Wylie caught for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns throughout his collegiate years along with significant punt and kick return duties.

“The biggest difference between playing in high school and college is that you can’t just be an athlete, you have to be able to run routes,” Wylie said.

He went the NFL combine and ran a 4.39 second 40 yard dash which proved to be one of the fastest among eligible draftees.

Yet it is not just his athletic skills that separate Wylie from other NFL-bound wide receivers. “(Wylie) could sit down with an NFL wide receivers coach and have an intelligent discussion with him,” Cooper said.

Wylie is projected by some analysts as high as a 4th round draft pick.

“I’m expected to be drafted but I don’t really know when or where,” Wylie said.

With a draft party at his house in Roseville, Wylie will be sitting and waiting for the call from an NFL team offering him a job as a player for their team.

“I am really excited to be able to go out and make my dream into a reality,” Wylie said.

To find out where Burris and Wylie end up being drafted and which team you can watch them play for the following season visit www.granitebaygazette.

informational meeting and only ten by the end of it.

“She’s very upfront, and most people don’t like it so they’ll leave,” Garza said.

“They did not want to commit. They were not ready for the hard work.”

Granger’s “upfrontness”, in her opinion is simply being truthful with her players.

“What I try to do is to just tell the kids that are trying out where I see them because I don’t like to waste my time, and I assume that other people don’t (either),” Granger said. “I try to deal with people how I would want to be dealt with myself.”

Even though the intensity has put some girls off the sport who thought it would be a fun and easy activity to participate in, most of her remaining players feel like all it did was weed out those girls who weren’t going to take it seriously.

“She can be tough on us but it’s always for the good of the team and the good of the program,” Kupershoek said.

However, with a total team of 11 and 9 of those players needing to be on the field, the team suffers with not having enough interest in softball. This is partly due to a lack of a feeder program that would build players up from a young age to enter GBHS such as Five Cities Girls’ Softball League or Roseville Girls’ Softball League.

While other schools, such as Del Oro High School, receive fully well-developed players, GBHS has to struggle to find what they can get.

Granger explains that there are kids trying out for other schools that would be starters on her varsity team, but they don’t even make the cuts at their school.

Despite these struggles, Granger has been able to build up the varsity softball program to be a force to be reckoned with,

Kristin Kurpershoek GBHS junior on the varsity softball team has adjusted to the changes to the program holding a total of seven wins so far this season with many more games to come.

Granger and her players even feel that playoffs are in reach.

Recently, they were able to hold their own in a game versus Woodcreek High School, who was one of the top ranked in the state of California. Even though they lost, 2-0, Granger holds pride in her team for pushing hard the whole game and holding the score down as low as it did.

Above all things, Granger puts an emphasis on having players on varsity who are fully committed.

“I don’t think there’s a value in playing a sport if you’re not putting an effort into it,” Granger said. “I’m not saying we have to win all the time, although I’d like to.

But, I’m saying if each kid learns how to give whatever their 100 percent is, then they can walk away from the program having learned something.”

The new changes that Granger has made, along with the positive outlook that her players have committed to, are continuing to show increasingly improved results in record, skill level and attitude.

“This program will get turned around because there’s enough kids that are athletic and want to be here that will create that turn around,” Granger said. “If I just push them and direct them in the right way I think we’ll do well.”

SPORTS BRIEFS Boys’ volleyball • Senior Alec Naki was on a hot streak against Nevada Union High School on April 19, scoring eight kills on eight attempts • The team is now ranked #18 in the nation according to ESPN Boys’ Baseball • The team defeated tough opponent

Woodcreek High School twice this past week Girls’ Lacrosse • The girls completely annihilated opponents Christian Brothers High School by a score of 19-3 -Compiled by Austin Downs

BASEBALL: Years of dedication pays off Continued from page C1

“I condition and workout after school” Magness said.

“Whenever I have time I see a private coach that helps with my mechanics.”

While Magness is successful at GBHS, he also pursues his passion elsewhere, like playing on traveling teams and attending baseball camps.

In his career, Magness has had some memorable moments.

“Out of my whole baseball career, one of my proudest achievements was hitting my first home run in the majors (division) in little league,” Magness said.

Another strong accomplishment happened more recently when Magness pitched against Pleasant Grove and finished with a 2.8 ERA and a .333 batting average (BA).

Magness also has his eyes focused on baseball after high school.

“The goal right now is to make it to college and play baseball,” Magness said. “After that it would be awesome to play pro.”

Scott Romuk, also a junior, is another varsity pitcher who is an excellent closer.

Since he was five years old, Romuk has enjoyed baseball because of the outside atmosphere and playing with his friends.

Every Wednesday morning instead of sleeping in Romuk is working hard in the gym at Results, a local gym for athletes to train.

Besides high school, Romuk is part of a travel team, the Bandits, who have played national tournaments in Georgia and San Diego.

“It’s a great experience to see all the great teams,” Romuk said. “I hope the out-of-state tourneys get me noticed for collegiate attention.”

Romuk has an astounding .6 ERA for 12.2 innings and used to have a zero ERA until April 16, where he gave up his second home run in his career.

It seems Romuk is getting noticed for his talent as he has been invited to hit with the Cal Poly: San Luis Obispo coaches.

Romuk’s proudest showing was when he threw a one-

hitter in front of an Oregon Scout for a full seven innings.

In the future, Romuk hopes to receive a college scholarship to schools like Cal Poly, San Diego State University, Long Beach State University and Oregon University.

Aaron Knapp, a junior, is one of the Grizzlies’ best batters with an impressive .415 BA. Ever since he was three years old, Knapp was inspired to be a professional baseball player, just like his dad.

“I picked up baseball because I loved the feel of the road trips and games,” Knapp said. “Now, watching my brother play at Cal is motivating and I can just see myself there.”

To stay in tip-top shape, Knapp works with a personal trainer who sets up workouts that are baseball specific.

Knapp also hits at least five to six times a week.

For Knapp, there is no off-season for baseball as he plays for a Nor Cal traveling baseball team that is currently ranked 5th in the nation and plays tournaments across the country.

Knapp also played for the Rockies scout team, where he was noticed for his skill and made the cut for his professional potential.

Despite such a long baseball career, two moments in his career really resonate with him.

“One of my proudest moments was getting pulled up to varsity and pinch running and scoring in a playoff game,” Knapp said. “Afterwards, I got a hug from my brother who was a senior at the time. It was one of the best feelings of my life”.

Also, Knapp is already a committed collegiate athlete.

“Committing to University of California Berkeley was one of the best decisions in my career,” Knapp said.

While this is a huge success for many, Knapp is still ambitious about a professional career.

“The plan right now is to leave college as a junior and enter the draft,” Knapp said. “Playing for the Braves would be awesome, but I gotta love the Giants too.”

Even with all these future plans, Knapp hasn’t forgotten his high school team.

“I’m hoping to make 1st team all league,” Knapp said.

“My ultimate goal is helping my team earn another Section Ring for Granite Bay.”

Grace Reego dominates and strives in the pool as an underclassman

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

As school begins to wind down, the covers come off backyard pools.

However, the summer swimming season for sophomore Grace Reego is nothing new; she has been swimming all year long.

Reego is on the varsity girls’ swim team and swims for the Wolverine Aquatics Club in the off season. As a child, she was offered the opportunity to swim on the Sierra Marlins team for a period of time, but chose to get into swimming through the much less competitive Granite Bay recreational team growing up.

“My whole family swam, so I was just put in a pool one day,” Reego said in an email.

Reego’s older brother was a swim-

mer and currently plays water polo for the University of Southern California and her father swam competitively as well. Now, as a sophomore, Reego is stepping into the family shoes.

When she swims in meets, her best event is the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.

“Breaking two minutes is (a) dream,” Reego said.

With an impressive time, swim coach John Sherman has Reego swim with the boys on the team at practices.

“I like to see if I can pass them so I really push myself hard to (tick) them off,” Reego said.

Reego’s other best events are 100-yard backstroke and 500-yard freestyle in which she has times of 1:02 and 5:28.

Although being an underclassmen competing with juniors and seniors

would seem intimidating, Reego doesn’t let it faze her.

“It’s awesome swimming up with girls like (senior) Sophie Weber and (junior) Hannah Calton because they motivate me just seeing them in my same race,” Reego said.

However, despite her impressive times and swimming capability, her

true passion is for water polo.

“I know I have the talent and especially the drive to get me to a D1 school on polo,” Reego said. “I love swim but polo is my main focus.”

Reego plays the position of attacker, so swimming helps her get faster and improve at her position.

Although being in the water is a blast for Reego, her favorite memories from this season so far are from her team’s overnight stay at a hotel at the De La Salle Invitational tournament.

But most importantly, Reego is looking at her swim times as an invitation to improve.

“It’s discouraging comparing (my times) to last years’ section times because they were so fast, (but) (…)

I am super dedicated and focused so they will get better throughout the season,” Reego said.

Gazette photo /FIRST LAST

Sophomore Grace Reego takes one big breath as she swims to a victory for GBHS.

C6 Sports

Friday, April 27, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Stats at a Glance Boys’ Baseball Upcoming Games: w4/27 @ Del Oro w4/30 vs. Rocklin w5/2 @ Rocklin Record as of 4/23/12: 13-4

Boys’ Lacrosse Gazette photos (3) /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Upcoming Games: w4/27 @ Bella Vista w5/1 @ Oak Ridge w5/4 vs. Jesuit

Senior Brendan Keeney, above, winds up for a pitch during a series game against Woodcreek High School on April 18.

GBHS won 9-3. Left, freshman Rowan Maze-Conway prepares to dive off the block during a swim meet against Rocklin High School on April 10. The swim team remains undefeated in league. Sophomore Nina Murphy-Cook, below, tries to beat the ball to first base, but she is tagged out in the game against Del Oro High School on April 18. Del Oro High School won 1-0.

Taking a breath, freshman Shelby McPhail, far below, swims in a freestyle race on April 10. Murphy-Cook, bottom, attempts to tag out Del Oro High School sophomore Taylor Haynes, but she is unsuccessful on April 18.

Record as of 4/23/12: 8-5

Boys’ Volleyball Upcoming Games: w5/1 @ Rocklin w5/3 vs. Roseville Record as of 4/23/12: 24-6

Girls’ Soccer Upcoming Games: w4/27 @ Rocklin w5/1 vs. Roseville Record as of 4/23/12: 6-4-2

Girls’ Softball Upcoming Games: w5/1 @ Del Oro w5/3 vs. Rocklin w5/8 @ Roseville

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Record as of 4/23/12: 7-8

Swimming Upcoming Meets: w4/27 SFL Swimming Trials @ Roseville Aquatic Center w4/28 SFL Swimming Finals @ Roseville Aquatic Center

Girls’ Lacrosse Upcoming Games: w4/27 vs. Bella Vista w5/1 vs. Oak Ridge w5/3 @ Christian Brothers Record as of 4/23/12: 12-2

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC mILLAN

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

green screen.

The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide April 2012

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pring tyle

Pages 8&9

Page 2

Page 3

SUNDAY

MONDAY

may

TUESDAY

1st

Staff Appreciation Week

Problems with video game ratings

Page 6&7

13

Food reviews: Chinese Food

Page 8&9

Spring Fashion Feature

Page 10

Legally Blonde: the Musical review/ Austin Lee Feature

Page 11

’90s nostalgia

Page 12

Best musicals on DVD

Page 13

High tech high school

Page 14 &15 Movie Reviews

Page 16

DIY ombre hair

27

*AP Testing* begins

21

*IB Testing* begins

THURSDAY may the fourth be with you

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th

Music reviews

Page 4

WEDNESDAY

15

Memorial Day

STAR WARS DAY

Day at the Bay Quad Dance

24 FINALS Wednesday Periods 1,2

SATURDAY

Guitar Show

Spring Dance Show

*IB Testing* ends

FRIDAY

Senior Ball

In this Issue

April 2012

calendar.

Thursday Periods 3,4

19

Senior Goodbye Rally

Start of SUMMER Vacation Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY

The rise of Facebook slacktivism

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Viral campaigns spread awareness, but little else

he world is a smaller place than it was ever before we can organize rallies through Facebook events, stay updated from hopeful tweets and watch videos on YouTube of protesters taking to the streets. The beginning of a revolution isn’t with a gunshot heard round the world it might begin with the click of a mouse.

During the Arab Spring last year, a revolutionary seed sprouted in several countries including: Tunisia, Egypt and Libya; this is eventually lead to the downfall of these autocratic regimes.

It seemed like countless hashtags with #ArabSpring were tweeted and retweeted.

This “Twitter Revolution,” as some journalists and foreign policy experts dubbed it, emerged almost overnight as thousands of people took to the streets with their cries for change.

More recently, the KONY 2012 campaign received over 80 million views and attempted to shed light on Joseph Kony’s practice of child conscription.

I remember being in awe of this movement’s sudden popularity. This video was a prime example what a viral video is, especially as it spread rampantly over my Facebook newsfeed.

But, I was rather disappointed in how this video encouraged others to do their part, by purchasing a $5 kit and when the April 20 movement fizzled, I wasn’t surprised to see a lack of reaction in Granite Bay. While I support people spreading the message and attempting to get involved,

slacktivism doesn’t strike me as a commendable effort.

We have to realize that there’s a clear line between inspiration and participation.

Simply sharing a status update or video link won’t win you a Nobel Peace Prize.

You certainly won’t be idolized or lauded for your passive effort in this KONY campaign and shouldn’t expect to because your ‘Like’ isn’t life-threatening, like an Egyptian protest nor is it as brave as MLK rallying crowds to speak for the civil rights movement.

But, slacktisvism does have some merit; it’s a great way to realize that an issue exists and to get public awareness across. Even though you’re not getting hosed down, mauled by dogs or shot at, your post has the potential to awaken others and get the message heard.

And at the end of the day, that’s what really counts.

Social networking has the potential to tackle some of the world’s biggest issues, but this digital revolution revolves around spreading photos, status updates and information from the protester in the arid desert to someone sitting behind a desk in an air-conditioned room.

There are great passive movements that don’t require a lot of effort and still support altruistic causes. Red Cross allowed donors to pledge $5 through text messages after the Haitian earthquake and Stanford’s Folding Home donates some of your computer’s processing power to help scientists study Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and cancers by

Commentary

sahil khosla

skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

simply downloading a program.

Prominent celebrities also have a big role in activism and can awaken a sleeping audience to a global catastrophe and pave the way for future change through a few Tweets.

Selena Gomez recently advocated thousands of her fans to support UNICEF’s activities to prevent children from starving to death in the Sahel. It’s a laudable effort, and I’m happy to see people reaching out and donating to help support this endeavor.

If anything comes from the KONY movement, we should look at how the youth was reached and realized there was something more important the Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s, at least momentarily.

I like to think of Slacktivism as an Avantgarde form of activism – it has its merits, but won’t be memorialized like a traditional protest, but it’s a great start.

April 2012

music.

Stick to Your Guns Diamond

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BY SAM HOLZER

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

ost contemporary hardcore albums would not typically begin with a speech made by Jiddu Krishnamurti, a modern Buddhist spiritual and philosophical leader.

But, Stick to Your Guns, a band that originated in Orange County and began playing music in 2003, opt to do just this on their fifth album and latest release Diamond.

The hardcore punk sound that was so evident on their first two albums has come back in full force, channeling the abrasive energy of their predecessors and the true architects of contemporary hardcore, Have Heart.

Blended with this beefed-up punk sound is a more modern take on the metal core genre.

The album barely gives listeners a chance to breathe before the band tears straight into one of their most punishing tracks ever, the album’s title track “Diamond.”

“Empty Heads” begins with a musical inter-

lude that recalls punk bands of yesteryear like Minor Threat, with Jesse Barnett screaming at the top of his lungs all while razor sharp guitar chords cut through the noise.

The song “Bringing You Down” showcases drummer George Shmitz, while he manically pounds a jackhammer-like rhythm over down tuned guitars, creating an invigorating, almost tribal chant atmosphere.

Behind the punishing breakdowns that define this album are moments of clarity in the storm that gleam like diamonds in a trash heap.

The sugar sweet chorus of “Against Them All” is a welcomed change of pace, while “Beyond the Sun” has a radio rock vibe that recalls their song “Amber” off The Hope Division, their previous release.

Some moments on the album are even shockingly beautiful. “Ring Loud (Last Hope)” has a children’s chorus accompanying Barnett’s gravel throated vocals.

These moments of bliss are like being suspended in the eye of a hurricane, knowing that

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the walls of noise could come crashing down at any second.

While the album promises a message of hope, the lyrics that weave through Diamond are not too heavily laden with a message that SUMERIAN RECORDS causes the listener to become annoyed.

On the final track of the album, and, in my Diamond was reopinion, their strongest song to date, “D (I leased on March 27 AM) OND,” closes the album with a combination of positively breathtaking elements.

Barnett turns his pen on himself, defining everything that consumes and embellishes his Skip to: life until he finally gasps that “I am forever more than just surviving, this is my life and D(I Am) this life is my diamond.”

OND Overall, Stick to Your Guns has crafted an album that entirely captures their sound up to this point.

Just like how real diamonds are forged under extreme pressure and heat, Stick to Your Guns has taken the harsh criticisms of past releases and forged them into a sparkling gem of hardcore music.

The Shins Port of Morrow

T AURAL APOTHECARY

Port of Marrow was released on March 20

Skip to: No Way Down

BY CHASE EVANS

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

he Shins are a very dull band.

They do not make especially good music, yet one cannot say that it is necessarily bad music.

Their music is just ambient and “there”.

I have listened to the Shins for a while now and never really was impressed with them.

Their newest album, Port Of Morrow, is no different.

With a soft electric guitar feel prevalent throughout the entire album, the songs flow seamlessly from one song to the next as the album progresses.

While it is a good thing that the songs flow together, I prefer to be able to distinguish one song from the next.

The first song on Port Of Morrow is “The Rifle’s Spiral”, which has the Shins’ signature soft electric guitar feel.

This song could have been plucked straight out of their previous album Wincing The Night Away due to its similarity in sound and tonality.

The album progresses to “Simple Song” which is exactly what the title implies.

It is indeed a very simple song, yet very marketable and is thus dubbed as the single of the album.

It is a song that is nice to listen to, but not an original style.

If one song on this album describes the Shins and their music the most, it would be this song.

The album continues to be slow and monotonous with the tracks “It’s Only Life,” “Bait and Switch,” and “September.”

These songs are all similar and repetitive with comparable guitar chord progressions and drumbeats with vague, shallow lyrics.

It’s not that James Mercer is a bad lyricist, it’s that it isn’t special or unique, much like their overall musical style.

“No Way Down,” the next song on the album, is probably the most different of the tracks.

It features a soft, yet fast tone with good musicality.

The album ends not with a bang, but with a whimper as “Fall of ‘82,” “40 Mark Strasse,” and the album namesake “Port Of Morrow” fall into the same path of uninteresting.

The Shins have a very characterized sound, but they focus so much on maintaining that sound on this album that they lose uniqueness between songs.

The lyrics are not great but are also not the most shallow of lyrics.

The music is not brilliant or boring; it’s just mediocre.

The Shins are just, well the Shins. They’re not exciting or special but are a minimally satisfying ambient music band.

Train California

BY KIANA OKHOVAT

T

kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

rain’s latest album, California 37, was not as good as I had hoped it would be. Before listening to this album, the only song I knew by Train was the hit “Hey, Soul Sister,” which I loved. As a result, I expected the album to be of the same quality.

I was in for disappointment.

The first track in the album was one of the better songs, “This’ll Be My Year.” In short, it was more of a history lesson from 19852012. The song concluded with the singer meeting his perfect love, living happily ever after though hard times and them maintaining a strong love for each other in the process.

The next track, “Drive By,” was more upbeat. The only reason I found it appealing was because the music video that accompanied it was authentic. It was like a scrapbook, making the song slightly more endurable.

The opening of “Feels Good at First” could

almost be confused with the comparable band Plain White T’s single “Hey there Delilah.” But that hope is shattered when lead singer Pat Monahan’s voice entered.

The song reminded me of Robin Hood forest songs; it is carefree with a strong guitar beat.

Nearly halfway through the album, I finally became interested. “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” was catchy, sentimental and had a slightly Spanish edge to it, which I loved. It wasn’t my favorite song because of the annoying chorus, however, it was the red flower in the yellow field.

“Mermaid” felt more like a reggae-type song. It was the typical song that talks about the beautiful girl he’s in love with - hence the title - “Mermaid.” To be honest, the lyrics were more interesting than the song itself.

Train’s usage of figurative language was lovely, however, I wished the band was able to transform the lyrics into an equally beautiful song.

“California 37,” the ninth track, was one of

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my least favorite. Again, it reminded me of a song Robin Hood and his merry men would sing. Very idle, the song had no obvious direction. I was squirming in my seat, waiting for it to finish.

“When the Fog Rolls in”reminded me of the sad songs they play in movies when the Prom has ended, and that one girl is still there, lonely, probably broken-hearted. Low and behold the song was exactly about that: a depressed, broken-hearted lover. It seemed repetitive in theme and overall unoriginal.

Train sings about the great and golden times he and his sweetheart had together, and how he will have to accept that her love is ‘somebody else’s to take.’ The lyrics were less depressing than the actual song. This put me in a glum mood.

The album also had a general country tone to it, which began to drive me nuts.

The only tracks that were worth listening to were “50 Ways to Say Good-Bye,” “Sing Together” and “This’ll be my year.”

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COLUMBIA RECORDS

California was released on April 17

Skip to: Sing Together

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April 2012

play.

The Game Changer New ESRB ratings challenge traditional rating system

BY JOEY PUHALA

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

‘J

ust as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents — and children — about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior.’

This is the argument proposed by Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf.

Even though a study conducted by Indiana University has shown that violent games can be associated with violent behavior, many gamers still feel that imposing a large warning label onto the covers of almost all video games is a drastic solution to the problem.

The proposed label would be put on all games that have an ESRB rating above “early childhood”, which largely consists of games designed for young children.

But, this label would be branded on many seeminglyharmless games such as Little Big Planet, Brain Age, Cars, Finding Nemo, Pokémon and many other nonviolent games.

Several Granite Bay High School video game players see this potential law as overkill.

“I think there’s definitely an issue that needs to be addressed,” sophomore Austin Pink said. “I just don’t know if slapping a fat warning label on Mario is the best way to go about it.”

If the law is passed, it would group all kinds of unrelated games together. Innocent children’s games would be put in the same boat as games that solely involve killing.

The label would also have a significant impact on the way parents shop for video games for their children.

“It would make it (more) difficult for parents and children to filter (through) the content (of these games),” Pink said. “(I support the) current system of ratings (since it) works fine.”

In fact, the current rating system categorizes video games based on their content, using six different age ratings and make it easy for Gaze tte illu consumers to strati on/LE NA E identify the YEN intended audience.

As parents grow increasingly concerned about the content their kids consume, a law like this could severely impact the accessibility of video games.

“I used to play a ton of video games,” sophomore Marc Ellis said, “If my parents had not allowed me to (buy) an innocent game because it had (this proposed) warning on it, I would (have been) furious.”

This kind of warning could potentially affect the sales of video games dramatically.

Developers and gamers alike both could face more challenges with this new regulation.

“I think (this law) would (definitely) lower the amount of sales for video games in general,” Ellis said, BACK

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“especially (in households) with younger children.”

That being said, the types of games this label would be placed on are also the most popular games with GBHS students. If parents choose to ignore these warnings, there could be an increase in the popularity of these games with teens.

“I think (that) a large part of the audience of these games are (teenage guys),” Pink said. “To them, the idea of something being so violent that it needs a warning might (appear) enticing. It might also increase the sales of a game, (but) I think that

/CHASE EVANS

(video game) sales would decrease with younger children, and it would increase with teens, so the total sales (would be the same).”

Many GBHS students play “Mature” rated games.

One specifically popular one is Call of Duty.

“Playing a war-based game like Call of Duty is much more intense than other (video games),” sophomore Nick Palmer said. “I would much rather purchase an M-rated game over one (that has) a lower rating one because (they) are usually a lot more fun to play.”

April 2012

Page 5

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Senioritis Mixtape

CURTIS MAR

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

For those days when all you want to do is sleep:

“I listen to this quintessential summer song every year.”

Bruno Mars – “The Lazy Song” “Though slightly cheesy, this song is really perfect for when you just ‘don’t feel like doing anything.’”

Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun” “How can you not think of summer with a title like this?”

Jack Johnson – “Banana Pancakes” “This sweet song has a smooth, sleepy rhythm that’s great to listen to when you need a little break.”

Jason Mraz – “I’m Yours” “This song’s easy tempo is incredibly relaxing.”

Best Coast – “Our Deal” “Best Coast’s songs have a California vibe that will leave you wishing for the beach.”

Fun – “We are Young” “This song about enjoying youth is my senior-year anthem.”

For those times when you can’t stop thinking about summer:

Gazette Photo/KRISTIN TAYLOR

When did you start playing the ukelele?

Last year.

What was your inspiration to start playing?

My friend played, and he was the first one to show me.

Who is your favorite musician?

Jake Shimabukuro, a Hawaiian ukelele player.

Do you play any other instruments?

I used to play the taiko drums.

Beach Boys – “Surfin USA”

than playing other instruments like the guitar?

The guitar is a lot harder because there are six strings and the ukulele only has 4.

Do you see playing the ukulele in your future?

Yes, I like it but I don’t think I’m going to make it anything more than a hobby, but just play for fun.

Compiled by Lena Eyen

Is playing the ukelele more difficult

Trending

Colored jeans bring new meaning to ‘booty pop’

BY RILEY MAC MILLAN

rmacmacillan.gazette@gmail.com

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olored jeans have made their mark on campus. Men and women alike sport these brightly colored jeans as they stroll through Granite Bay High School. These jeans have brightened the campus with their vibrant look.

Colored jeans are a revival a retro trend from the 80s. This fad can be donned by people of all ages; Parents, teens and children can all sport these jeans without issue. For the fashion savvy, one of the many positives of trend is that one can’t simply label it as a “grandma trend” or only for teens.

Colored jeans come in every hue imaginable. Red, blue, yellow, orange, purple are just a few of the many options for fashionistas.

Additionally, it’s not very difficult to find a pair of these jeans, since most retailers carry them and offer their own designs and chic colors. Retailers like Delias, H&M, Hot Topic, Target,

Nordstrom, and Forever 21 are just a few stores that sell this trendy item.

Colored jeans don’t have to cost a fortune; they can easily be found at inexpensive rates, and some stores even offer them as low as five dollars. Since these jeans are easy on the wallet, this fashion trend fit any budget and one can still be trendy.

Colored jeans can show individuality and can express a variety of emotions. The vivid colors can also brighten the atmosphere and boost one’s mood if one is feeling slightly sad. These pants can also be a great way to make a first impression on a date, an interview or a casual event.

Another great thing about this trend is that it can be worn all year. The immense diversity of colors allows one to don seasonal colors like blues in the spring and darker hues for the fall.

These jeans can also be paired with a wide variety of clothes and accessories. One can easily pair colored jeans with neutral tops, shoes and pops of colored accessories.

For the individual who is seeking to be more adventurous, one can sport neon jeans, which really stand out by comparison.

Colored jeans can also encourage people to take more fashion risks, and it offers plenty of flexibility to match or pair contrasting colors.

However, girls aren’t the only ones who sport this growing trend. Guys have also been seen around campus wearing colored jeans as they leisurely walk through the quad. White jeans tend to be very popular among males.

Colored jeans are super fun for spring-time fashion. As flowers begin emerging, students can also blossom though a wide variety of colored jeans.

These jeans are not just a fashion statement, though. They can just as Gazette photos/RILEY MAC MILLAN easily be worn for a day of relaxing at home or while working in the yard. Colored jeans add a splash of color to an But, it’s recommended that one wear outfit and are an emerging trend. cheaper jeans while working to avoid spoiling a pricey investment.

Page 6

April 2012

eat.

Eats from the East We sample local Chinese restaurants

Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE

Sunny Garden

BY MARY HANEY

mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

One spring break evening, I decided to dine at Sunny Garden, a small Chinese Restaurant tucked in a strip mall off of Auburn Folsom because it came recommended to me by local business owner Sovy Medved of Pullman Kitchen, who happened to be good friends with the owners of Sunny Garden.

Upon entering the store, I noticed the typical Americanized Chinese decor.

The restaurant was not very crowded but did have a fair number of customers, some of whom, based on their friendly conversations with the workers, appeared to be regulars.

My party was relatively large, so we decided to order family style.

We started off with Hot and Sour Soup, before moving onto the main portion of the meal. It was tangy and delicious, though I did add a little extra spice to give it some extra kick.

After our soup, we ordered entrees like Basil Chicken, Thai Spicy Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork, Cashew Prawns and my all-time favorite, House Special Egg Foo Young.

After a short wait, the food was brought out plate after plate. It looked and smelled delicious and the taste did not disappoint. My brothers devoured most of the Sweet and Sour Pork and the Spicy Beef without thinking twice while my parents and I took little bits of everything and savored all of it.

All of the dishes were very good and unlike many Chinese restaurants in our area, many of them were stirfried instead of deep-fried, adding to the unique flavors of each.

The best by far was the Egg Foo Young, something that is very hit or miss with most of our local Chinese Restaurants.

The Egg Foo Young is a Chinese version of lasagna, scrambled eggs with pork, shrimp and green onion, topped with a gravy-like sauce.

Sunny Garden’s entrees range in price from about $7.25 to $10.50 depending on the type of meat. The soup and rice dishes were all around $7.

Our party of six left Sunny Garden very content with both the food and the bill.

Bottom line, if you are out towards If I was ever in need of a delicious and inexpensive lunch or dinner in the Folsom area, Sunny Garden would be my first choice.

Panda Express

BY MYLES SLATTERY

mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Panda Express is a convenient way to enjoy Chinese cuisine at an affordable price.

When you walk into Panda Express, you are hit with the wafting aroma of wok-tossed Chinese delicacies.

This chain restaurant is Americanized to the max, with assembly line ordering and forks and knives instead of chopsticks.

Although you can get chopsticks, I feel as though this is just a gimmick the company uses to give the appearance they are more ethnic than they truly are.

Panda Express probably is not the best place to go if you are trying to lose a few pounds. The one exception is the restaurant’s most popular dish, orange chicken with a reasonable 420 calories per one serving.

For an average restaurant aficionado like myself, a key factor in my overall enjoyment of an establishment is the quality of its soda machine.

Panda Express has a standard soda fountain with your typical Pepsi-Cola beverages and free refills which allow you to load up on sugary drinks until you pass out from overdoses of high

fructose corn syrup.

Overall, the entrees are delicious; they fill you up with sweet meaty goodness, and keep you feeling full and happy.

The signature orange chicken is prepared to perfection and has a sweet, tangy flavor.

The treasure shrimp that they serve is brilliantly breaded and lathered with saccharine; toothsome sauce drizzled over succulent prawns fresh out of the blue ocean.

Although the entrees are great, Panda Express’ fried rice is dry and lacks an ample amount of meat products.

The atmosphere of the restaurant wasn’t very exciting, with an ordinary seating arrangement and uncomfortable furnishing.

As for the price, $6.35 plus tax for one side and two entrees is definitely affordable for most Granite Bay High School students.

Overall, the total enjoyment I received from the restaurant was pretty high. I was quite happy about my visit to Panda Express and recommend everyone taste it for themselves.

Reviewer’s Grade: B+

Reviewer’s Grade: A

Tsing Tao

BY MADI TOULOUKIAN

T

mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

sing Tao is the perfect place for quality Chinese food at an affordable price.

Upon my arrival at Tsing Tao, I was greeted by two friendly waiters and instantly seated in comfortable red booth near the back of the restaurant.

At 1:00 in the afternoon on a weekday, the restaurant only held one other party, but as I walked by their table, they all seemed to be enjoying their meal.

I took a seat, along with my two family members and a friend, and we were promptly offered water or tea.

Although it seemed small, the lunch menu held all the classic Chinese dishes, from Lemon Chicken to Vegetable Chow Mein. The prices for the dishes were reasonable. It is possible to order a main dish, with rice and cream cheese wont-ton sides for $6.25.

I struggled to find a main dish that fit in with my vegetarian diet, so I decided to ask my waiter if there was an eggplant dish on the menu.

Although he originally said they did not, I was pleasantly surprised that he offered to make a special dish tailored to my tastes.

Before our meal arrived, we were offered small bowls of beef soup, which also contained a soy-like broth, vegetables and tofu. I did not personally eat the soup, but my companions thought it was the perfect first course.

At this time, I took the chance to look around the restaurant. It was decorated with colorful Chinese decorations and eclectic artwork. Despite the small space, it did not seem crowded or stuffy.

The atmosphere was pleasant as hits from

the early nineties played in the background.

Though they did not exactly suit the restaurant’s environment, they did bring back some funny memories.

Our food arrived steaming, and I was thrilled to see that the eggplant dish looked flavorful and appealing. The steamed rice also complimented its flavors excellently.

The Vegetable Chow Mein was nothing exciting or special, but was still equally satisfying.

My carnivorous guests very much enjoyed both the beef and broccoli dish and the almond chicken dish. Our entire party reclined in the comfy booth after satisfying our cravings. We were even happier to receive the bill and learn the entire meal had cost a mere $30.

Overall, Tsing Tao is a wonderful Chinese restaurant if you’re looking for an affordable way to placate your Chinese food craving in a cozy environment.

Reviewer’s Grade: A-

Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO

Tsing Tao is located near Gold’s Gym, Ace Hardware and Subway

April 2012

Five Guys Mongolian Barbeque

BY BRAD WONG

A

Page 7

eat.

bwong.gazette@gmail.com

s a high school student, eating out can slowly burn a hole through my wallet and sometimes I don’t get a satisfying

dish, a paper spells out what quantities of what sauces are required, making it less of a nightmare to make the meal delicious.

I was hungry that day so I piled the noodles and smashed them down with another bowl.

With a combination of beef, broccoli, carrots, sauces, garlic and a hint of chilies, I had an ideal bowl.

Then I waited a painstaking 5 minutes for my dish to be cooked right in front of me as my mouth watered to the cooking aromas.

I sat down with my bowl, soda, chips, soup and wontons and dug right in.

As a strategic eater, I tackled the entire bowl of noodles first, which was warm. Every component of the dish was flavorful and spicy.

Next I had their soup and finished with the wontons and chips.

Completely satisfied, I finished my soda and left the great Mongolian BBQ. A meal fit for a king, and all for a total of nine bucks.

meal.

Finding the perfect balance between price and good portion size is hard to find nearby.

While some restaurants offer this balance, none do it better than Mongolian BBQ off Douglas Boulevard in the TJ Maxx shopping center.

For about nine dollars, one can get a gargantuan amount of noodles, soup or salad drink, wontons and crispy chips.

The reasonable price is good enough, but the amount of food is even better. One rarely finishes an entire meal of “Mongo” (as it is frequently called by loyal diners).

If one manages to eat an entire bowl of noodles or other entree, a “Mongo” hangover is in order for the next few hours.

The actual food is great and freshly stir-fried for one’s viewing pleasure in the open kitchen on a Reviewer’s Grade: Alarge round flat grill.

The possibilities for one’s Mongo creation are endless. One of the best features of the restaurant is that one makes his or her bowl of noodles exactly to the individual’s liking.

First, one picks from different types of meat, ranging from pork to chicken to beef.

Then comes the best part where one piles on whatever amount of noodles is desired and, if smart, compacts the noodles to add even more.

Later, one can add whatever vegetables from the wide assortment of extras that ranges from corn to carrots to broccoli.

And finally, one adds the cooking oils: sesame, ginger, teriyaki and so on.

If one is completely unfamiliar to what kinds of Gazette photo /RACHaEL VASQUEZ sauces would go well together he or she can read Mongolian Barbeque is located near a list of combinations for desired dishes.

TJ Maxx off Douglas Blvd.

For example to make a “Teriyaki” flavored

Chinese Chopsticks

BY BROOKLYN KLEPL

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

I

n my opinion, it takes skill to mess up traditional American Chinese take-out.

Unfortunately, when I visited Chinese Chopsticks recently, they did exactly that.

My disappointment did not start right away. On first glance, it looked like a nice, sit down family restaurant, and the food smelled pretty good too.

Then the waiting began.

There was a ‘please wait to be seated sign’ and my party and I waited near it for at least ten minutes before someone emerged from the back and leisurely walked to the front to seat us.

A little irritated, we scanned our menus for something good.

When the waiter returned, I ordered the fried rice and asked if I could have vegetarian style instead of pork fried rice.

The waiter looked stunned at my question, and told me the restaurant offered no substitutions, and that pork was used in almost all dishes.

I was taken off guard by his dramatic response because, after all, I was the customer, I should have the

final say. So I decided to ask just why the chef couldn’t make any substitutions.

It turns out that the fried rice is pre-made, which unfortunately makes me think of the Chinese food sold at grocery stores that sits under heat lamps all day.

I decided, though, to order fried rice anyway.

My party ordered lettuce wraps and egg drop soup to go with my pork fried rice. We wanted to order the soup to go, but Chopsticks wouldn’t allow it.

When the food came, we were so excited to finally eat something that we consumed at least a quarter of the meal before we stopped to assess the quality of the food.

We soon realized that the cooks had forgotten a main component of our lettuce wraps: the lettuce.

Once that problem was straightened out, another problem arose when I found a chuck of raw pork in my fried rice.

I was completely disgusted and left very unhappy with not only the poor customer service, but the quality of the food.

Reviewer’s Grade: C-

Granite Bay Chinese

BY JOEY PUHALA

A

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

uthentic Chinese food is, in my opinion, one of the most delicious indulgences available to enjoy.

The first notable aspect of the restaurant is its traditional oriental décor, with pictures and wallpaper fitting the theme.

After a few minutes of thumbing through the menu, the waitress came to the take my order.

With her limited English diction and thick Chinese accent, the process was difficult to say the least.

But, after a few non-verbal communication strategies, I was able to make my order, and while slightly annoying, the interaction seemed to contribute to the authenticity of the restaurant.

After ordering a combination plate, which included general chicken and pork fried rice, the waitress quickly brought me a glass of water. Or at least something close to water. The drink ended up tasting slightly more like dish soap than water.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long until I received my wonderfully hot plate full of food, along with a soda that I ordered to replace the tap water.

Lathered in thick, rich sauce, the chicken was splendid, erupting in flavor. The texture was perfectly crispy, and more than made up for the disappointing water and difficult service.

The fried rice was a wonderful addition to the chicken, and, with a bit of added soy sauce, rivaled the general chicken as the most flavorful aspect of the dish.

The combination plate that I had ordered offered a more than generous amount of food, easily enough to feed two to three people.

And, to top of my banquet of a meal, included was an egg roll with a sweet sugary red sauce that seemed to simply melt away in my mouth when I bit into it.

With this wealth of mouth-watering food, I expected the bill to total somewhere around $15 to $20.

But, to my surprise, I got all of this food for under $10, and even got a classic fortune cookie to top it off.

Despite the restaurant’s somewhat tricky ordering process and questionable water, the quality of the meal

was fantastic, and, best of all, inexpensive.

As far as authentic Chinese food, Granite Bay Chinese is definitely one of the best options that Granite Bay has to offer.

Reviewer’s Grade: B+

Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO

Granite Bay Chinese near the Dollar Tree, Raley’s and Starbucks

Pages 8 and 9

BOLD There’s nothing subtle complementary

and

BEAUTIFUL

April 2012

strut.

about spring’s color-blocking trend; pairing brights for a fresh spring look

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

TANK Navy chiffon, Nordstrom SKIRT Off-white chiffon, American Apparel BELT Yellow waist belt, Target NECKLACE White with gold accents, Forever 21

TANK Magenta chiffon, Lush.

SHORTS Orangered denim shorts, Levi’s.

TOP Teal silk, Lush SHORTS Cobalt tailored, Forever 21

CUFFS Bronze, Forever 21 TOP Cobalt, Tramp

PURSE Yellow, H&M

SHORTS White denim, Morgan NECKLACE Bronze BRACELET Bronze-gold, Nordstrom

Model/WILLOW MCCONNEN Gazette photo illustration /SAMANTHA SPARGO

CLUTCH Teal snakeskin with bronze-gold accents, Expressions NYC

Like the model’s hair? Check out page 16 for a DIY on how to create this ombre style yourself.

Page 10

April 2012

music galore.

Talent to treasure Sophomore Austin Lee promotes the expansion of classical music JOEY PUHALA BYBY JOEY PUHALA

jpuahala.gazette@gmail.com jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

O

n June 9 and 10, the Classical Masters Music Festival will be held at the Performing Arts Center at Folsom Lake College.

Founder of the festival and Granite Bay High School sophomore Austin Lee hopes to inspire young classical music enthusiasts through the event.

“Our mission is to provide an interacting and engaging environment that supports and stimulates the interest of young people in music and performing arts,” Lee said.

The Classical Masters is a non-profit organization which means the excess revenues are put toward achieving the event’s goals rather that simply trying to turn a profit.

“I decided to make it a non-profit because we exist to serve the community,” Lee said, “to support young musicians in their pursuit of performing arts.”

The idea for the event came to Lee when he started playing piano and noticed the effect it seemed to have on the people around him.

“I really liked seeing the enjoyment on the faces of the Alzheimers-impaired residents at my mom’s car facility when I play piano for them,” Lee said.

As a part of the festival, there is also a competition for minors to compete in.

“Included in the festival is a classical music performance competition for musicians ranging from ages 4 to 18,” Lee said. “This includes competitive and noncompetitive categories for piano and string ensembles,



LEE FAMILY

Pianist Austin Lee stands in front of his pride and joy: the piano.

such as viola, violin and cello.”

“For the first year, the only instrument that was part of the festival was the piano,” said Brittany Luu, a junior board member for the event. “This year we decided to extend it out to string instruments that way we can allow a wider variety of students to participate in the

festival.”

Playing music in a concert setting can also greatly sharpen the skills the musicians.

“Playing in front of an audience increases your execution skills,” GBHS student and guitarist John Hayes said. “If you can perform a simple piece in front of an audience, your overall skills will become better and better each time you play.”

The festival also includes classes that provide competitors with an opportunity to learn more about classical music.

“The event has Master classes,” Lee said, “which give our competitors the opportunity to be taught by professional performers and professors.”

The festival includes a concert for the event attendees.

“We have a concert that features a world class pianist as well as selected winners whom we have asked to come perform for this year’s event,” Lee said, “and the performance of the competition finalists.”

Even people who don’t have classical music experience can enjoy the event.

“My favorite part of the event is just listening to all the competitors and guest performers play,” Luu said.

“I think that people should attend just because they get to experience others sharing something they love with them.”

This concert is also a good way for people who are not typically involved in the classical music scene.

“It’d be especially great for someone who has never been to a classical music concert before,” Luu said.

“They’ll be able to experience something new and maybe even discover that they love classical music.”

Legally Blonde, wonderfully acted Students’ interpretation of a major musical is fantastic

BY BROOKLYN KLEPL

W

bklepl.gazette@gmail.com

ith opening night on April 19 and running all the way through to May 4, Legally Blonde: the Musical is taking over Granite Bay High

School.

Junior Kelsey Lynn who plays Elle Woods, the main character, was very excited to perform in Legally Blonde because it is her first lead role, though she has had other big parts such as Marty in last year’s musical Grease.

“Surprisingly, there weren’t that many differences as I thought there were going to be between the musical version and For more phothe movie version,” Lynn said. tos from Legally The play set had a unique and Blonde: the Musivery functional set made up of cal, see Page A10. many pink blocks in staggering heights and white stairs going up the middle. Also, the set consisted of four pillars that could be rotated to fit the scene, and the words ‘Legally Blonde’ were framed in light bulbs.

My favorite part of the performance was the infamous ‘bend and snap’ scene.

In this scene, Woods tries to teach her friend, Paulette, played by senior Sharon Vaupen, how to get a guy 99.99 percent of the time.

This scene was so memorable because it was the turning point for Woods to decide if she will continue on with law school or if she will drop out and become an actress like everyone expects of her.

with is homosexual.

One of my favorite parts about the musical is that it Woods discovered this when she drops her scarf and had live dogs in the scenes. does the bend and snap, but the pool boy does not react.

“The dogs are really fun to work with except that Rufus the Bulldog is really slobbery which is kind of a pain, Overall, the GBHS’ musical theatre class did a fabulous job with Legally Blonde: the Musical. but a bull dog is a bull dog,” Vaupen said.

“The energy that the cast brings to the musical will Another aspect of the musical that made it great was make this a very memorable performance for GBHS,” that it followed the movie very accurately and even had director Jim Prichard said. some of the same memorable quotes in it.

A funny point of the musical was during the “Whipped into Shape” song. The props for this dance were jump ropes, and when one of the chorus members lost her grip on it while doing the complex and fast choreography, the rope went flying.

“Unfortunately, during the scene at the end, one of the girls lost her jump rope, and it flew off the stage, but I thought she played it off pretty well, and she was trying to be cute as she went and got it,” said senior Rebecca Schmidt ,who plays Brooke Wyndham.

The audience laughed and enjoyed the funny way the actress went and got the jump rope. This action just showed that everyone can make mistakes.

The musical number that I could not look away from was “Ireland” sung by Vaupen.

She has an incredible voice and the amazing part was that she was belting out the hard vocals while doing an Irish riverdance.

Gazette photo/RACHAEL VASQUEZ Another very funny number was one called “Gay or Granite Bay High School junior Kelsey Lynn  European?.” This scene is unique to the musical, but it shows some attitude in the Legally Blonde: a did hint to a scene in the movie where Woods discovers Musical scene. that the pool boy that her client supposedly had an affair

April 2012

Page 11

nostalgia.

’90s NOSTALGIA

BY SAM HOLZER

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

F

or half of a second it seemed as though someone had finally figured out the secret to time travel.

With old trends coming back, the revival serves as a nice reminder of a simpler time, one reminiscent of childhood memories.

Granite Bay High School senior Jack Deyager has noticed a remarkable amount of demand for a return to the style and culture of an era in which the current generations teenagers grew up in.

“I definitely think there’s a demand for all of these things from the past,” Deyager said. “Shows like Hey Arnold and Doug are back on TV.” However, senior Kyle Jaynes, also a senior at GBHS, feels the reason of the resurfacing of these now 20 year-old trends is not purely nostalgic.

“I think the saying that trends come back every 20 years is true,” Jaynes said.

“In 2007 through 2009, there was a lot of neon because that was ‘80s fashion 20 years ago; now it’s the ‘90s turn.”

Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN

Whatever the case may be, this surprising flood of ‘90s era nostalgia isn’t just limited to re-runs of popular television series, but it has also managed to influence many other facets of the 21 century.

In the past year, fashion trends have appeared, recalling the glory days of ‘90s culture.

Snapback hats and plaid flannel shirts have become the norm for males, while belts worn with dresses and oversized t-shirts are quickly becoming the new dress code for females.

Senior Jordan Long has definitely seen a revival of ‘90s era fashion trends, especially with the return of warmer weather in Granite Bay. “Now that it’s starting to get warmer, there are more floral patterns and neon; tie-dye and bright colors are all coming back,” Long said.

Jaynes feels that the main reason behind this increased trend towards previous fashion styles is because the current generation of teenagers is feeling

a longing for the past.

“The reason is that people really like revisiting their childhood,” Jaynes said, “and because so many people that go to our school are in between being a kid and an adult, it’s easier to return to things in their past; it’s comforting.”

Deyager agrees with Jaynes, saying how he was instantly enticed to watch a show after remembering it from his childhood.

“Boy Meets World was on the other day, and I got really excited because I used to watch that show,” Deyager said.

Deyager is not alone in his love and remembrance of these now-classic television series.

In keeping with audience demand, MTV, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are all beginning to air blocks of their shows from the ‘90s, hoping to recapture the young adult demographic that grew up on this programming.

“I think they’re trying to bring back the teenagers and early 20 year-olds who are now young adults, especially

because all these shows are on late at night,” Jaynes said.

Deyager sees the increased demand for these blocks of programming not as teenagers trying to relive their childhoods but as the current generation discovering them “I think the kids of today recognize that the new stuff on TV isn’t nearly as good as it use to be; that’s why they’re re-playing all these shows.”

While these trends show no noticeable sign of slowing in popularity, Jaynes is not as optimistic about their future.

“I think it will phase out in two to three years; there may be some more retro or throwback trends, but I think overall it’s going to fade away in the next few years,” Jaynes said.

And while this may be the future of these nostalgic novelties, for the time being, Deyager is going to enjoy their revitalized popularity.

“I’ve always loved the stuff from my childhood,” Deyager said. “Now I get to live with it all over again.”

JOIN THE EXCITEMENT. Your Names.

Your Faces.

The Gazette.

Page 12

April 2012

musicals.

Top 4 musicals on DVD A look at some of the most popular musicals available at home BY BROOKLYN KLEPL bklepl.gazette@gmail.com

The Wizard of Oz is a fantastic story of letting go of childhood and going through the motions of becoming an adult.

It has not only withstood the test of time, but it has grown to become a wellknown and beloved classic.

The main story is based around a farm girl from Kansas named Dorothy. It starts when her evil neighbor tries to put her dog, Todo, to sleep. She then runs away from home. But she gets caught on a tornado, and she is whisked away from Kansas, Dorothy lands safely in the wonderful land of Oz. In order to get back home, Dorothy must face many challenging obstacles on her way to the Emerald city.

The Emerald City is the capital city of Oz and, it is where the wizard lives. It is also where Dorothy most go if she wants to ever go home.

She is not alone in this journey. Dorothy meets crazy characters such as tin man (who needs a heart), a cowardly lion (who needs) courage and a scarecrow who needs some brains.

The Wizard of Oz is a perfect musical that will cheer anyone up on a rainy day. warner bros pictures

The Wizard of Oz

Since I was little, I have been obsessed with The Sound of Music.

Set in Austria during the Nazi invasion and on the brink of World War II, Maria (Julie Andrews), is a failure as a nun and ends up being a governess for the Von Trapp family.

Little does she know, this 20th century fox family runs on military time and has no time in its schedule for fun.

As she gains the trust of the seven rambunctious Von Trapp children with loyalty, music and love, Maria finds that all the children have wanted since their mother’s tragic death is to piece back together their family.

This classic musical should be on everyone’s must watch list.

The Sound of Music

Grease

The special thing about Grease is that it captured the culture of two generations in one musical.

The cheesy acting and over the top hair were what made ’80s movies so great.

While the poodle skirts, electric music and dialogue made references to the simpler time were reminiscent of the ’60s (where the movie actually takes place).

The story line follows two groups in high school: the Greasers, also known as the T-Birds, and the Pink Ladies. paramount pictures The leader of the T-Birds is Danny Zuko, while the ladies are mainly lead by Betty Rizzo better know as Rizzo.

Over the summer, Danny meets Sandy a girl who came to California from Australia.

Then, surprisingly, they end up going to the same school.

Long story short, Sandy and Danny try to find themselves, and each other, through all of the high school drama.

Mary Poppins

walt disney pictures

Of all of the top classic musicals of all time, Mary Poppins is by far the best.

This is the second classic that stars Julie Andrews. Her co-star is the infamous Dick Van Dyke The story follows two little kids Jane and Michael as they learn respect and poise.

Mary Poppins, portrayed by Julie Andrews, plays a nearly perfect nanny that leads the children through fantastic adventures.

For example, she takes the children into one of Bert’s (Dick Van Dyke) chalk paintings or dancing with the chimney sweeps on the London rooftops.

Bert is one of Mary Poppin’s friends who lives in the less wealthier part of London and does odd sidewalk jobs.

What makes this one of the best musicals is the amazing use of special effects that created a cartoon world where the actors could interact with the fictional characters.

April 2012

Page 13

tech.

Hill also uses the website Edmodo, which is remarkably similar to Facebook but more geared toward students and teachers.

Students can take polls, quizzes, and send her messages and questions messages, all through her Edmodo page.

“If the goal of high school is to prepare students for the real world and prepare them for college, why are we sitting here with pen and paper?” Hill said.

Math teacher Shayne Stedman takes advantage of YouTube by recording his math lessons, using his Smart Board and then posting them to YouTube for students to refer back to at home.

This is beneficial for students who miss class as well as the students who just want to review the lessons. “(Technology) not only assists in the whole learning environment as far as increased comprehension, but it also helps teachers in their efficiency,” Stedman said.

BY ANNINA HANLON Stedman is considering a “flipped day,” where Special to the Gazette he pre-records his lectures and assigns students to watch them at home for homework. The next day in class students would work on problems they would normally have as homework, and they would be able to receive help if needed giving the students more one-on-one time with the teacher. addition, Dropbox enables students to organize all n the last decade, everyday life has become Government and economics teacher Jason Rath also their archived material by topic allowing it to be easily increasingly immersed in technology. So much uses technology to enhance learning. accessible. so that some say we have officially entered ‘The Rath uses CmapTools, which allows students to Prichard also uses Google Docs, which makes it Digital Age.’ easily create and share complex concept maps.

Technological leaps and bounds have been made over possible for multiple students to communicate and Rath also makes use of Prezi, a “cloud-based” work on the same document at the same time without the duration of a couple decades. presentation software which allows students to create Smartphones and tablets are just two examples of the ever having to be in the same room or pick up a captivating presentations. It eliminates the hassle of technology industry’s newest devices that now dominate phone. bringing PowerPoints and Keynotes to class on flash “Pen and paper is really very confining,” said daily life. In addition to these new devices, more drives and allows students to work on presentations advanced websites, programs and applications have also Prichard, adding that the future lies in digital anywhere with Internet access. education. been developed.

Some teachers are even using apps in their Spanish teacher Jennifer Hill’s classroom houses Many at Granite Bay High School have heard and use classrooms. For example, librarian Julia Hedstrom of Aeries, Blackboard and Turnitin, but many teachers another innovation that provides extended learning for encourages students to use the Access My Library her students. are using other programs and websites to enhance app which gives students access to digital reference Hill uses her iPad in conjunction with her AppleTV learning. databases and ebooks including some that are not to wirelessly project lessons and to take notes while Speech and Debate teacher Rita Prichard uses the available to the general population. still moving around the classroom. website DropBox. “Technology is here to stay,” Stedman said.

This mobile ability is helpful because Hill can assist DropBox effectively eliminates the need for students *** students all around the room while still teaching the to transport articles and reference materials when the Annina Hanlon, a freshman, is a staff writer for the rest of the class all without blocking the screen.

Speech and Debate team travels to competitions. In grrronicle.com, a news website by the Journalism class

Welcome to

THE DIGITAL AGE Classrooms use modern technology to enhance education

I

Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOY

I

By: Chase Evans cevans.gazette@gmail.com

the three stooges: D-

have now lived out the saddest Friday afternoon of all time.

I went to the 3:30 showing of The Three Stooges and was the only person in the theater.

The movie starts off showing the three babies with the standard Three Stooges haircuts (a bowl-cut for Moe; long, curly, yet still balding hair of Larry and the bowling-ball interpretation of Curly).

If you are a fan of PG-rated slapstick humor then this movie would be hilarious to you.

But, if you’re a cycnical 17-year-old male sitting alone in a theater on a beautiful Friday amongst the empty chairs, it becomes a lot less funny.

The movie continues with the antics of the young Larry, Curly and Moe complete with sledge-hammers to the face, ridiculous slapstick comedy and considerable homage to its namesake TV show.

Flashforward to the adult stooges, still living in the orphanage where they were dropped off as babies.

Due to the medical expenses of the three living there, the orphanage is in debt $830,000.

The stooges offer to repay them.

And thus the plot of the movie is finally revealed after 45 minutes.

They take their bikes to the city to mess around and look for jobs to earn the large sum of money.

That is when ‘Gloria’ from Modern Family comes from literally nowhere to ask the Stooges to murder her husband for exactly $830,000.

If you think you are confused, so was I. It was a very morbid twist on a childish slapstick comedy.

However, the stooges accept the job, and the antis continue with mishaps on the murder of her husband complete with incredibly fake pain and miscommunication.

They realize that the husband they were asked to get rid of was actually their childhood friend who got adopted when they were boys.

The highlight of the movie was when the stooges were asked to change babies’ diapers in a hospital, which somehow turned into them having a ‘water gun’ fight using peeing babies to ‘shoot’ each other.

Honest. That was the highlight.

Please don’t see this movie. It is not worth your time.

D

on’t be fooled by the inherently cliché title - Drew Goddard’s recently released film, The Cabin in the Woods, is far from your run-of-the-mill horror flick.

In fact, in terms of genre I would describe it as a clever and entertaining fusion of sci-fi, thriller and parody.

Think of it as a gorier and perhaps more tongue-in-cheek version of the Scary Movie series.

The premise of the plot follows a group of five college friends (starring Thor’s Chris Hemsworth) who travel to the eponymous “cabin in the woods” and are ruthlessly, yet hilariously, murdered one by one.

The sequence of events is, at first, painfully predictable, following almost every genre convention there is.

Zombies? Check. Couple that’s murdered while making out in the woods? Check. In fact, I even recall a point in the film where the characters play a round of the game “truth-ordare.”

There’s even a cookie-cutter cast of characters, complete with the jock, the “dumb blonde” the stoner, the black guy and the virgin.

However, through the mash-up of references and cheap-scares, a glimmer of originality emerges.

Despite the typical slasher-film archetype that the plot and characters are modeled after, there’s a plot twist that’s revealed in the opening sequences.

The merry troupe of five is actually under surveillance, in what seems to be a demented reality TV show where contestants fight to the death, quite reminiscent of an ancient coliseum.

The interesting plot and sense of dramatic irony make for an enjoyable, albeit, slightly one-dimensional, film.

My one complaint is the ending, which I won’t give away here, but it was in my opinion, anticlimactic and quite absurd.

Fans of the horror genre will likely find this film to be largely satisfying, especially those who love parodies as well.

For typical movie-goers who aren’t too fond of either genre - go see it anyway, that is, if you don’t mind a little gore along the way.

Rated: R By: Chris Pei cpei.gazette@gmail.com

UNIVERSAL

lionsgate

the cabin in the woods: B+

MGM STUDIOS

Rated: PG

April 2012

film.

T

he stiffmeister and gang are back.

American Reunion, released April 5, was the funniest movie I’ve seen this year.

While it might not have been the most intellectually stimulating movie in the world, it was entertaining and drew humorous references from all the other American Pie movies.

For American Pie lovers, this movie ties together the entire series, all the way back to the first American Pie. It made me feel almost nostalgic.

The movie begins by showing how the lives of the rowdy group of guys from high school have matured.

The five seem to have gone on to live good lives.

Chris “Oz” Ostreicher is an anchor for a knockoff ESPN sports station and has an amazing wife.

Paul Finch has apparently traveled all over the world and became rich off of underground gambling in Baccarat in the Middle East.

Steve Stifler seems to have settled down a little and works for a big time company as an assistant.

Kevin has married to an attractive wife. He is now Jim Levenstein’s “favorite housewife,” as he does all the chores and cooking.

And, of course, there’s Jim Levinstein, who is now married, a father and appears to be living a comfortable family lifestyle.

The five end up meeting together for their high school reunion, and things spin back to their high school days.

Going to teenage parties, pulling pranks on kids and drinking the night away are just a few things that are part of their adventures.

It turns out everyone has their faults, and not everyone is truly happy in their life.

While this is easily one of the most cliché subjects out there, it was nice to have some balance. It’s not just all about partying and booze.

The movie was continuously entertaining with its humor and mishaps as the American Pie series has always been.

Furthermore, the conflict provided relief from the comedy that made the movie engaging rather than just a few guys having a good time.

Having said that, the five “grown-ups” did enjoy themselves, and the movie is full of adventurous events of the group reliving their glory days as grown men.

I won’t give away the ending, and one of the funniest parts, but be prepared to see Stifler get his revenge on Finch for messing around with his mother.

Rated: R By: Brad Wong brwong.gazette@gmail.com

american reunion: A-

Page 14

Film district

Rated: PG-13 By: Myles Slattery mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

lockout: B

ockout is set in the year 2079, and takes place at a maximum security prison in outer space, where a former government agent convicted for espionage is offered total freedom, from his sentence, if he saves the president’s daughter from this space prison.

The protagonist of the film, Snow (Guy Pearce), is a cynical, witty, talented agent that, throughout the movie, creates comedic relief with his sarcastic remarks and clever phrases.

It becomes Snow’s mission to free the president’s daughter from the outer space prison.

Lockout, being only a 20 million dollar budget movie, compared to Avatar which had a whopping 237 million dollar budget, had some visual faults and was far from flawless.

As for action movies, this movie definitely isn’t a visually spectacular movie, but all of the action along with the witty character of Snow, made up for the lack of exciting visuals with exciting scenes and humorous dialogue.

Although no scene left me breathless, every action-based scene was enjoyable because of the like ability of Snow.

The plot of this movie was needless to say, predictable. The whole movie was basically a cliché.

There weren’t any jaw dropping moments, and the film based entertainment off of the characters and action scenes.

I enjoyed Snow’s role so much that it totally veered my perception of the movie for the better.

His one-line remarks captivated me from the start, and his rebellious gestures were hilarious.

For action movie fans, Lockout won’t necessarily rival explosive action packed blockbusters, but definitely will offer to most fans a pleasurable, thoughtless flick that you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Overall, I would encourage anyone to wait until this movie comes out on DVD to see it.

Although it was enjoyable, it just wasn’t up to par with other blockbuster films worth my hard earned cash.

B

ased on previews, the film Think Like a Man seemed like a movie worth paying ten dollars for and spending two hours watching it.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

One poorly acted scene after another, I sighed to myself hoping it would be over.

Halfway through the film, my fellow moviegoer was asleep and I was well past ready to leave.

The plot was pretty straight forward: four young women grow increasingly tired of trying to get men to do what they want.

Incidentally the woman, (Jennifer Lewis, Meagan Good, Regina Hall and Taraji Henson) come across a book titled Act Like a Woman, Think Like a Man, which they believe will help them further win over their men by manipulating them into doing what they want.

As their plans begin to work, the women put more and more faith into the book and the men grow more and more frustrated until they realize where they’d been getting their information from.

The men are initially disturbed that the author, Steve Harvey, would release man’s best womanizing tactics. That is, until they realize they can use these to their advantage.

It is then that they begin using the book’s theories against the women and the war has begun.

Although the idea of the movie was good, I would suggest skipping the movie entirely and just reading the guidebook (which actually exists.)

It was a challenge to stay awake and most of the people around me looked relatively uninterested too.

The movie was overall very slow and uneventful, with only one true laugh out loud moment throughout the theater.

The only saving grace for this film is the fact that there was no possible way to make a sequel to it.

My advice, if you really want to see this movie is to wait until it’s available on Redbox or Netflix and save yourself the time and money. Or if you just want some dating advice to manipulate a man of your own, pick up the book.

Rated: PG-13 By: Mary Haney mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

WARNER BROS PICTURES

Screen gems

think like a man: D-

L

Page 15

film.

W

hile watching the Wrath of the Titans, my opinion about the movie slowly degraded as the film progressed.

The cast seemed promising enough, starring Avatar’s Sam Worthington as Perseus, the half-god, half-human. Zeus was played by Liam Neeson and Harry Potter’s Ralph Fiennes appeared as Hades. Even Pride and Prejudice’s very own Rosamund Pike played Queen Andromeda.

Since I had arrived early to watch the ‘beforethe-movie’ skits and clips, I had the opportunity to watch the audience enter and, much to my surprise, all the seats were being filled by older men.

This was a huge contrast from the first film, Clash of the Titans, which had the theater filled with families.

At first, I thought I was in the wrong theater, but after checking the room number, I was indeed in the right location.

Basically, this sequel is about Perseus, a single father raising his son who is the love of his life.

Perseus wishes to live a life as human as possible, which is why he completely separated his son from his father Zeus and the other gods.

However, Perseus isn’t alone.

An increasing number of humans have stopped praying to the gods. As the gods get weaker, they start to lose their control over their most dangerous prisoner, Kronos.

It is up to Perseus to save the day.

Because it was a predictable plot, the only thing that kept me from falling asleep was the special effects, which is why I recommend seeing the movie in 3D. There was one particular scene when Perseus had to kill a wild mythological beast that was very well filmed.

Also, in a scene when Perseus his friends have to travel into Tartarus, the deathly and terrifying maze was very well captured.

There were a few more, but I don’t want to give the film away.

However, what really bothered me about the film was actress Rosamund Pike. Truly, she belongs in Pride and Prejudice as Jane Bennet.

Her ill-fated attempts at portraying a strong, confident queen who fearlessly leads her troops into war were horrible. I was growing very tired of her towards the end of the film.

So, watch the film: but only if you truly have a lot of time on your hands with nothing to do.

Rated: PG-13 By: Kiana Okhovat kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

wrath of the titans: B-

April 2012

April 2012

Page 16

green screen.

diy: ombre hair Brunettes: spice up your do with this hip hairstyle tutorial

1.

Shampoo and condition your hair then let it air dry completely. Make sure that you do not heat style your hair before beginning the bleaching process, as it can make it weak and cause it to break. Put on old clothes that you wouldn't mind ruining and drape an old towel around your shoulders underneath your hair to catch dye.

3.

The Cabin in the Woods

B+

Divide your hair into a top and bottom half and tie the top half up so it doesn’t inadvertently pick up any dye. Mix together the packets of bleach and solution and prepare as described on the package. Before you put any dye on your hair, eyeball how far up you want the ombre effect to go so you have an idea of where you will stop applying dye.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves if a pair is not provided with the dye.

2.

4.

Don’t Forget:

wClear the area around where you will be sitting from anything that you don’t want bleached. (It’s best to try this DIY in a tiled bathroom.) wAlways wear gloves when touching the dye because it can dye your hands. wTalk to your stylist before trying this DIY if your hair is already colored (it may not be able to handle the additional damage).

Lockout

B

The Three Stooges

In Theat ers B-

Wrath of the Titans

A-

sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

When time is up, shampoo and rinse your hair to remove the solution. If you would like, use a deep conditioner to re-hydrate dried out strands. Let your hair air dry to keep from damaging it further with harsh heat tools like blow dryers. Then go out and rock your new look!

Starting with the ends, begin applying the bleach solution thickly. Apply less and less as you make your way up to the end the ombre.

Let your hair sit for the least amount of time recommended (which is usually anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes), then test the color by scraping the bleach solution off a strand. Warning: Never leave the solution on your hair for more than an hour. This will cause the tips of your hair to break

Model /HAYLEY MCAVOY Gazette photo illustration/SAMANTHA SPARGO

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO

American Reunion

D-

D-

See pages 14 and 15 for reviews

Think Like a Man