The Granite Bay Gazette, Volume 15, Issue 3

Sophomore star

Gazette

Desk days

A look at the students who share one seat

Thursday, November 10, 2011

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K

THE GRANITE BAY

G10-11

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B8

Flyback Tony Ellison steps up on the varsity football team

Kreme cr y p az ris Reopening of shop renews donuts’ popularity

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 3

Commentary

Classroom burglary case brought to close DVDs stolen from Rath, Mortensen

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

kyle pawlak

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

What I learned in four years of high school

Granite Bay High School has a reputation for being a relatively safe school where students and teachers do not have to worry about the level of crime that many schools encounter.

Although there is still the occasional incident at GBHS involving stolen property, it does not usually happen on a large scale or is

carried out in a teacher’s classroom.

GBHS government and economics teacher Jason Rath and world history teacher Dale Mortensen , however, suffered just that.

“In August (2010), I came into (my classroom) to straighten up my files and when I opened my video drawer, I noticed all my videos were missing,” Mortensen said in an email interview. “I thought that maybe (Rath) had borrowed them, so I went next door and looked in his video file. To my sur-

prise, I found all his missing too.”

Mortensen then called Rath and together they notified the Placer County Sheriff.

Once the report had been filed, Rath and Mortensen tried to discover what they could in order to retrieve their DVDs, but they had limited information.

“There was no forced entry. (The burglar) knew where to go, they knew where to find (the DVDs)…(which makes me think) it was a previous student or a student that is still here,” Rath said. “I feel and (Mortensen) feels, that it had to have been a student, because nothing else was touched.”

“Mr. Rath and I began to think of how we might catch the thief,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen and Rath started by looking online for used DVDs, but then Rath had the thought of checking Dimple Records in Roseville.

“I went in there just on a hunch and I looked at their documentaries and I was like ‘wait that’s mine, that’s mine,’ and everything I pulled off was sold to (Dimple) on two days, June 7 and June 11, so they knew I wasn’t in there making things up because I had no way See DVDs, page A4

I

think plenty of students have had teachers who are each completely sure that their class is the most important subject anyone will ever learn.

Thus, many of us are also familiar with that nagging thought: when will I actually use any of this?

In my opinion, the answer to this question is extremely simple in most cases: you won’t.

Honestly, most of us won’t make much use of our U.S. history knowledge and will forget most of it before we are old enough to have graduated college (sorry, Dell’Orto).

The most important things I have learned in high school have little to do with the subject matter taught and a whole lot to do with overcoming the struggles of balancing lots of work, meeting deadlines or having to teach myself the material.

And sadly, most of those important lessons have come from the classes I either worked hardest in or despised the most.

Teaching myself an AP science class out of a textbook, reading what felt like thousands of pages of U.S. history facts and being carefully tortured to success by art teacher Myron Stephens all severely tested my patience and dedication.

They have also made me who I am. And experiences like those will continue to shape me throughout my life.

So what will I remember when the academic facts currently etched into my brain have finally faded?

I will remember overcoming these challenges. Unnecessary as they seemed to be at the time, each of them pushed me, made me stronger and taught me a lesson.

And I’m pretty sure that these experiences will serve me well in the long run because they are similar to frustrating situations I expect to face over and over throughout my life.

As much as I complain about group projects, it’s not like everywhere I work for the rest of my life I will be surrounded by people who do their work efficiently. And, of course, being able to teach myself will serve me well in college and beyond.

Somehow I doubt Stephens will be the last person to mock me in my life, so even that humbling experience had merit in that it gave me a thicker skin.

And sadly, if I’m destined to work for large companies for the rest of my life, the mounds of seemingly pointless paperwork I will likely face sound pretty similar to some of my past homework assignments.

All my complaining aside, I really should be thanking my teachers for this. Some people say schools don’t teach students how to work efficiently, how to problem solve or how to think critically.

But high school has taught me exactly that. Because I have often been left to my own devices, I was first to learn these important skills.

So, teachers, thank you for failing to explain everything to me explicitly, instead forcing me to rely on myself; thank you for making my life difficult in the short run so that I will succeed in the long run. How dare you teach me such valuable life lessons and make me work for my education instead of handing everything to me on a silver platter.

You have often frustrated me beyond belief now, but one day I will thank you all for doing so.

And finally, to those who criticize high school teachers for not teaching us critical thinking skills, please stop.

If “critical thinking” was taught to us, then it wouldn’t actually be critical thinking, would it? ** Kyle Pawlak, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor in chief.

Gazette photo illustration/ RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Students, both male and female, are visiting their doctors in increasing numbers to start their vaccinations for Human papillomavirus, which is linked to certain cancers.

CDC promotes HPV vaccine for both genders Research links STD to cancer in males and females

BY SHANNON CARROLL scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says 50 percent of all sexually active men and women will get HPV at some point in their lives, and many will develop cancer as a result. Members of the Granite Bay community can hardly be an exception.

HPV, often associated with cervical cancer, is the most common sexually transmitted infection in America. The problem is, the 20 million people who the CDC say are infected may not know it because HPV generally doesn’t cause any symptoms—until cancer appears.

The CDC estimates that 17,300 women have HPV-associated cancers and that nearly 7,600 men do.

Two vaccines – Gardasil and Carvarix – have been approved by the FDA to protect against 16 of the 18 cancercausing strains of HPV. The vaccines also protect against genital warts.

Stacy, a pseudonym for a Granite Bay High School junior, was diagnosed with an early stage of cervical cancer when she was 14. Her cancer was passed down through the female members of her family, not contracted because of HPV. Stacy went to see a doctor after getting nauseous and having stomach pains. At first, she just thought it was her period.

GBHS teachers offer alternatives

SAT prep courses and help with admission essays is less expensive

BY JESSICA REESE

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

There is another name in the world of SAT preparation: Granite Bay Test Prep.

Created by English teacher David Tastor and math teacher Scott Becker in the spring of 2004, Granite Bay Test Prep offers a

grand total of eight workshops every year. Ranging from small group sessions to a one week intensive summer program, Becker and Tastor offer tutoring to fit each student’s needs.

Both Becker and Tastor are firm believers that content takes precedence over strategy. When designing the workshops, they put this

David Tastor GBHS English teacher runs Granite Bay Test Prep with math teacher Scott Becker.

idea at the core of their instruction.

“We try to teach the content they are going to need, and then apply strategies to that,” Tastor said. “It’s not a tricks class.”

For Becker, this means teaching students the fundamentals first.

According to Becker, professional courses often emphasize See COUNSELING, page A4

But the doctor diagnosed her with cervical cancer.

“I didn’t know what ‘cervical’ meant, but I knew what cancer was,” Stacy said.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer caused in women by HPV and the third most common overall. The cancer develops very slowly and typically has no symptoms in its early stages. It can be treated easily if found early, as it was with Stacy.

Stacy said she couldn’t imagine why anyone who could prevent cervical cancer by getting a few shots wouldn’t do it.

“It helps you in the long run,” Stacy said. “It gives you a better chance of having a family (because cervical cancer might require having your ovaries removed), and for something that is preventable, why not prevent it?”

See HPV, page A4

Students question constitutional rights

On- and off-campus search and seizure guidelines confuse teens

BY HALEY MASSARA

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

From Facebook settings to phone passwords, adolescents tend to be very sensitive about their privacy.

But when it comes to their rights under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution – which protects them against illegal and unwarranted search and seizure of property – teens’ understanding can be

less clear.

According to Joe Herrick, the Granite Bay High School resource officer, and Jarrod Westberg, a government teacher, officers assigned to schools are required to meet a different standard of proof for search of a student than a typical patrol officer would.

“Students can pretty much be See RIGHTS, page A5

inside this issue

News

A1 – A6

Voices

A7 – A9

Second Look

A10

Features

B1 – B6

Sports

C1 – C6

Green Screen

G1 – G20

Foreign Language Students who start early have advantages in other subjects too

A3

Homecoming A photo essay from the 2011 event

A10

News

A2

Granite Bay Gazette

Thursday w November 10, 2011 NAMES IN THE NEWS

Importance of senior year underestimated

michaela monaghan mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

Bear sightings reported by local residents

O

n Oct. 22, Kristin Janda of Rocklin spotted a bear on a lawn in Granite Bay while she was driving to work.

Since then, four bears have been spotted in Granite Bay and Loomis.

It is reported that the bears have been eating chickens and possibly killing dogs.

Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game, believes that it will be impossible to relocate the bears. Instead, a depredation, or kill, permit has been issued in Loomis.

However, the permit was only issued for a single property in Loomis. The bears have not yet returned to that property and the property owners are not searching for the bears.

The bears have not been spotted in the last two weeks. *** On Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 2:45 to 5 pm, 300 freshmen, five teachers and 15 junior and senior tutors attended a special midterm study session in the Granite Bay High School cafeteria.

This event, dubbed “Kool-Aid, Cookies and Cram,” was designed to help freshmen feel more comfortable about taking their first-ever high school midterms.

The 15 tutors were recruited from Tamara Givens and KC Wachs classes. These tutors helped the freshmen study for tests in Spanish, French, Japanese, Health and Safety, English, science and math classes.

KC Wachs, Shannon Dias-McCann, Kyle Holmes, Heidi Rounds, Kathy Orchard and Julia Hedstrom also donated their time to help the freshmen study for their midterms.

There will be a similar event in December to study for finals. The staff has hopes that it will be an even larger turnout and that all freshmen will feel prepared for their finals. *** On Monday, Oct. 10, Terry Smith left his Gator parked in the breezeway between the 600 and 800 buildings.

He left the keys in the ignition while he went up to the roof for maintenance.

When he returned, the key was no longer in the ignition.

Brian McNulty has asked the faculty to ask their students if anyone has the key or knows any information about the key’s whereabouts. *** Know something we should know?

Contact the Gazette’s Michaela Monaghan at: mmonaghan.gazette@ gmail.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

Gazette photo /rachael vasquez

Taking easier classes as a senior may jeopardize college admissions

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /rachael Vasquez

Above, senior Hailey Isreal holds one of three jobs at Cookie Connection in Roseville. Above right, Isreal proposes a question during AP language with senior Drew Fisher.

Every student knows how high school is supposed to work: freshman, sophomore and junior year slowly build up the workload and, consequently, the stress.

But once the last year of high school arrives and rigorous course work has already been completed in the first three years, seniors are as good as done. At least that is what many students think.

Senior year is actually the most important time to impress colleges.

Granite Bay High School principal Michael McGuire created a questionnaire for College and Career Center speakers and admissions counselors to answer this year. Originally, the questionnaires were created to help McGuire determine if the Standardized Testing and Reporting grade bump incentives given last year affected college admission decisions.

Not only did he discover that colleges did not mind the grade bumps that students received, but McGuire learned from the sources themselves what colleges are look-

ing for.

After an estimated 10 to 15 speakers and admissions counselors answered the questionnaire, the answer were unanimous-every college is looking for students who have the holistic package.

Not only must seniors be wellrounded, but, according to the questionnaires, a student’s senior year is one of the most essential elements that colleges look at.

“Any senior who is seeking to go to a (top tier) four-year university, who has senioritis, or who skates through their senior year is not going to get in (to college),” McGuire said.

According to McGuire, state university may be just as demanding as private universities.

State schools may have lower expectations, however, the recent competitiveness should be a cause for alarm among students who are planning to attend a public university.

Although he warns students not to take easy classes during senior year

See SENIOR, page A5

Later class periods may offer an unfair edge Third period Advanced Placement classes may have advantage over first period

BY CHASE EVANS cevans.gazette@gmail.com

After many Granite Bay High School classes, “what was on the test?” becomes a more customary greeting than, “How are you?”

Students who are stressed and always grade-conscious are constantly looking to get an upper hand on a test or a quiz.

“We see answer sharing more with AP and Honors students because you have to care about your grade to cheat,” English teacher Ramona Drury said.

In the AP United States History and Honors English 11 block, there are one or two quizzes every day.

The class is taught in two periods; one is first period, and the other is third period.

“Some of the material is able to be brought to school via packets or the book or something,” AP US teacher Brandon Dell’Orto said.

However, studying during the earlier periods isn’t as easy as some would think.

“The kids won’t do the reading the night before, expecting to get the answers from the kids in first period. Life happens, and they don’t do the reading during first period or during lunch and they didn’t do any of the reading,” Dell’Orto said.

Having that extra time to read or ask for the answers from their friends in first period, doesn’t seem to help the students in third period at all.

While both Drury and Dell’Orto saw better grades by 2-5 percent on the quizzes and short term memory recall, the overall grade in the class was typically 1-3 percent higher on average for first-period students.

“When any essay needs to be written or there is a cumulative test, I feel better because I have read the material rather than gotten answers from a friend,” junior Brandon Borjon said.

“First period is more pure (in their knowledge), so they learn it better,” Dell’Orto said.

When asked about why this change is typically the same, both Drury and Dell’Orto

said that “tracking,” or having a class that determines your schedule, might have something to do with the difference.

“There could be some (high-level) class that is only offered during third period so all of those advanced students are forced to take my class during first period,” Dell’Orto said.

“I think that tracking plays a significant part,” Drury said. “Kids are being forced into schedules.”

This could affect test scores by having a really smart group of students being pushed into having a class first period.

Even though tracking may play a role, the fact that students are sharing answers is ever prevalent to the teachers.

“When kids ask for answers, they can learn a couple, but they will never retain the material,” Borjon said.

“I do think there is an ethics issue,” Drury said. “There are students that are more concerned with the grades than what the grade reflects.”

Dell’Orto tried to stop the kids from sharing answers before he realized the futility of it.

“When I first started teaching, I was losing sleep trying to make it as fair as I can

and catching every cheater all of the time,” Dell’Orto said.

Now Dell’Orto has different methods of stopping cheaters.

“I do shift it up a bit sometimes, third period will get a different test than first,” Dell’Orto said.

Drury also switches up the tests sometimes.

“I have been teaching this class for seven years so on some tests I have up to seven different versions,” Drury said.

The way that the class is set up also affects how much information a student can get from another student.

“I make my class skill based rather than information based because you can’t cheat a skill,” Drury said.

Dell’Orto believes that if anyone has an advantage, it is first period.

“Third period has an advantage on first period on the surface, but it ends up biting them in the butt,” Dell’Orto said.

And when all else fails, Dell’Orto likes to go back to one key tactic that is the bane of AP U.S. students in his class.

“I put so many dang questions on the quiz that it’s hard to remember it all,” Dell’Orto said.

Balancing life and school: Trials of the IB program

Academic stress leaves students wondering if International Baccalaureate is worth it

BY CHRIS PEI

cpei.gazette@gmail.com

IB diploma candidate Darrion Dollesin, like numerous other IB students, says he is “completely overwhelmed” by the amount of work that he has to balance in his current schedule.

IB diploma students are required to take six rigorous college-level courses across a breadth of academic disciplines, ranging from advanced-level foreign language courses to lab sciences, such as biology or chemistry.

These six courses are spread out over the course of two years, blocked in a student’s first and second periods, as well as filling a slot in either their third or fourth period.

In Dollesin’s case, however, he has seven IB classes to balance over his junior and senior year, as

opposed to the standard six.

As a result, Dollesin said he feels that he has less and less free time to do activities that he enjoys, such as drawing.

He added that it has even gotten to the point where he finds himself unable to sleep due to the amount of work he is assigned.

“I sometimes accidentally fall asleep while doing homework, so it ends up where I have to cram homework in the mornings,” he said.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s really worth it.”

When asked about the reason behind his exceedingly rigorous course load, he said that it was in order to “play the game of appealing to colleges.”

Chet Dickson, one of the IB Biology teachers, said that although the program is indisputably helpful in the college admissions process,

whether or not the experience is ul- at it.” timately worth it comes down to “the However, Dollesin remains optiindividual student and the individual mistic in his endeavor. student’s fam“I’m just going ily.” to go with it,” he Yes, IB is ramped “You have to said. “I’m just gobe aware of how ing to improvise up academically, but much effort it’s and learn how it also emphasizes taking on your to adapt. I know part, and wheththat if I work hard the importance of er or not that now, it’ll give striking a balance, the effort in one me more options and we have kids area is taking later.” away from you Christina Cross, who don’t have that being able to exa counselor at balance. plore and enjoy GBHS, emphaother things that sized the fact that are taking place “a wide variety – Duane Blomquist, GBHS in high school,” of educational IB Coordinator Dickson said. exposure” is vi“If you don’t tal to students, have that high especially when school experience, so to speak, you choosing a college major or career might regret it when you look back path.

“In order to ensure success in the work-world, students need to experience and learn from other disciplines to help make them a more well-rounded professional in their chosen career,” Cross said in an email. “Most students only have their experiences in the classroom to guide their decision about whether or not they like that subject … choosing a college major or career path proves difficult without some experience to tell them what they like or dislike and what their academic strengths are.”

Brandon Dell’Orto, the IB History of the Americas teacher, finds that the IB program helps students in that specific aspect.

“The golden ticket mindset of IB, is that you’re forced to be wellrounded,” Dell’Orto said. “The IB is like a mini college major, and it

See STRESS, page A5

News

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

A3

Benefits of an early start in learning foreign languages The younger the learner, the easier it is

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

In the European Union, 50 percent of the population is fluent in more than one language, compared to a mere 25 percent in the United States.

All nations in the European Union, in fact, aside from Ireland and Scotland, require students to take foreign language classes.

Instead of categorizing language classes as electives, Europeans consider these classes part of a student’s core and place special emphasis on language in the lower grade levels.

In around 80 percent of these nations, taking classes in not one, but two, foreign languages is mandatory during the elementary school years Despite the obvious benefits of knowing a foreign language, it’s possible to graduate from Granite Bay High School and never have to set foot in a foreign language class throughout a student’s entire educational career.

The Eureka Union School District may be doing its students a disservice by not offering opportunities for foreign language learning in the kindergarten and elementary grades.

This poses the question whether schools are making foreign language learning more difficult than

it needs to be, by teaching students after the closure of this critical period.

Most GBHS students’ experiences with foreign languages begin as freshmen, which many language educators, such as French teacher Lynne Guerne, say is much too late. Guerne has instructed both high school and elementary level language classes in the United States as well as in France.

“You’re curious at (a young) age and it is interesting and fun, but also physiologically you are more capable of making the sounds,” Guerne said. “You just soak it all in.”

Ruth Finsthwait, the owner of local Spanish education program Sombrero Time, like Guerne, is an advocate for beginning language learning at an early age.

Finsthwait uses immersion techniques to place her pupils on track to become bilingual in the future and will often hold events at which students can exercise their Spanish outside of the confines of the classroom.

“The earlier you get to learn another language as a child the better,” said Jasmine Foddrill, a mother of two young children enrolled in the Sombrero Time program.

“Not only do they pick it up faster, but their accent is better.”

Recently, Finsthwait invited her students and their families to local Mexican restaurant Más, where participants spoke nothing but Spanish to their waiters and friends and enjoyed a lesson on Spanish dancing from a Spanish dance troupe.

“We want to (reach) them young, as young as possible, because we

Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO

A Spanish dancing lesson, taught by a Spanish dance troupe, above, was but one of the privileges enjoyed by students of the cultural and lingual immersion program, Sombrero Time. The program hosted an event at the local Mexican restaurant Más on Oct. 24. know that the expansion of language is greatest for 7 and under, but we don’t start until 13 or 14,” Finsthwait said.

It is true that children are more equipped for gaining language skills than teens or adults, as their brains are still developing.

“It turns out there is a critical window for language development,” psychology teacher Nata-

Transfer students seek opportunities at GBHS

Academic program offerings draw in students

BY SYDNEY KAHMANN

skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Out of the 2,154 students that attend Granite Bay High School, 244 are interdistrict and intradistrict transfers. Based on these numbers, 11.3 percent of the high school’s student population have transferred from other high schools.

Steve Williams, director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Roseville Joint Union High School District, elaborated on the specific reasons why students get transfer requests approved.

“A program that isn’t offered anywhere else except Granite Bay … would potentially lead to an approval of a (transfer) request,” Williams said.

This does not mean, however, that one’s transfer will be approved if they are trying to attend a better version of a program that already exists at their own school. “(If a student) want(s) to transfer to Granite Bay be-

cause they have a better basketball or football program we would probably deny that, because they have that program at their own school,” Williams said.

Among the GBHS programs students transfer for, the International Baccalaureate program stands out the most.

Many students, like sophomore Kenny Doran, are transfers for IB. Doran went to St. Albans Country Day School and lives in the Lincoln High area, but he has been enrolled at GBHS since his freshman year.

The main reason why Doran wanted to attend GBHS instead of Lincoln was for IB’s different “worldly” outlook on education, and the regard it is given on a transcript.

Parisa Meschi, a senior who came as a freshman, ended up transferring to GBHS for IB, but by default.

Meschi had been attending junior high in the Eureka Union School District as a transfer student, but for the high school she had to enroll in the IB program in

News Briefs

lie Elkin said. “And the onset of adolescence or the onset of puberty is the time in which that window closes.”

Initially proposed by psychologist Noam Chomsky, there is a structure in the brain called the language acquisition device, which scientists believe works from birth until puberty to allow babies to develop language skills both in

order to get in.

Now, Meschi is having an IB problem, as she wasn’t prepared for the amount of work IB involves and feels slightly overwhelmed.

Meschi thinks that doing all of the IB work put a damper on her high school experience, as well as bringing down her GPA. “If there was any other way I could’ve come to Granite Bay besides IB, I totally would’ve,” Meschi said.

Anvita Mishra, a sophomore, also came to GBHS for IB, but she had been going to the Eureka Union School District for an unusual reason.

“I had to transfer (to the EUSD) because of spelling bees,” Mishra said in an email.

After Mishra went to Excelsior and then Olympus, she continued to GBHS for the IB program, wanting to take part in the program and to be with her friends.

However, GBHS also has students who are non-IB but still come for its other rigorous course offerings.

Oakmont senior James Le attends Granite Bay for a third period Honors Japanese class, taught by Naoko Eshbaugh, and then goes back to his own high school for a fourth-period class.

Le is thoroughly enjoying his decision to transfer, if only for a period, and likes the positive effects it has on his college-bound schedule.

“It’s really important that students try to make their schedule as rigorous as possible,” Le said.

However, Le does pay a price. Le takes his lunch to drive between schools, and still ends up late for his 4th

language after (the critical period) is much more difficult because the language centers of our brain, which are stored in the left hemisphere, have stopped developing,” Elkin said. “The way our brains connect to (language) information is neurologically different than when we learn and are exposed to language before the development stops.”

period class.

Courses and programs aside, GBHS will also be receiving a few transfers from schools with lower academic performance index scores, by the start of the next term. API scores reflect on a school’s academic growth.

According to Williams, all of the district’s high schools have API scores above the 800 mark, making each of the schools among the top 20 percent in California.

However, there still are a few schools in the Roseville Joint Union High School District that are considered under “program improvement.” These schools are Roseville, Adelante and Antelope.

Students from these schools get the “school of choice” option where they can transfer from their school to one with a higher API score without any argument.

For students who don’t have the luxury of the “school of choice” option and get their transfer rejected, the district has an appeals system set up.

Students may resubmit their transfer case in hopes that they will be accepted and enrolled in the school they prefer.

Le’s advice for students who are currently deliberating whether or not to transfer for the sake of academics is to evaluate their own individual situation before making the decision.

“Really look into (a transfer or different class) and how it can affect your schedule... and then if you really want to do it, talk to your counselor and … push for it,” Le said.

ASB UPDATE

ASB VP discusses future changes to Homecoming

Teen Issue Assembly to be hosted by Peer Helping on Tuesday

The Gazette talked to ASB vice president Sam Holzer.

“Teen Issues Assembly: The Pressure to be Granite Bay Good,” is being hosted by Peer Helping on Tuesday, Nov. 15. It will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Granite Bay High School cafeteria.

The assembly is directed toward teen issues such as body image, parent relationships and peer groups, and is for students, parents, and anyone in the community.

Gazette: What is currently going on in Student Government?

We are currently debriefing Homecoming and sending out thank you notes (to help that contributed). Also, we’re starting to gear up for Winter Ball (on Dec. 10).

Blood Drive The Oct. 20 Blood Drive had 173 registered student and staff donors. Overall, the drive resulted in the donation of 152 pints of blood.

Oliver Whitters served as the Blood Drive Chairperson and the custodians, including Mike Whiting, helped set and clean up the gym.

The next blood drive is March 27.

Lighting Project Last week, a school-wide project was started to facilitate the change of original classroom lighting fixtures to new ones. The goal of this project is to save the school district thousands of dollars in electricity bills.

A schedule has been made with dates and times of when workers will be in specific classrooms. Students and teachers should see assistant principal Brian McNulty with and issues on concerns about the schedules.

-compiled by Dorien Johnk

their native language and in other languages to which the child is exposed.

According to Elkin, the door for all language learning does not shut forever after the end of the critical period has been reached, the brain simply stores novel language information in a manner that is less efficient.

“To attempt to learn a second

Gazette: From debriefing Homecoming, what has Student Government learned?

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

The recent Blood Drive, which took place on Oct. 20, resulted in 152 pints of blood donated, from a total of 173 registered student and staff donors.

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER Speakers: SAT I & II Deadlines: Nov. 14th @ 8:20 am

Stonehill College

Test date Deadline Late

Nov. 14th @ 10:00 am

Sierra College

Dec. 3

Nov. 8

Nov. 20

Nov. 15th @ 8:30 am

Academy of Art University

Jan. 28

Dec. 30

Jan. 13

We’ve talked a lot about (announcing) Royalty and about what we can do to improve (the events) next year. We’re probably going to be changing a couple of different things. Instead of candidates at the Rally opening up a rose, we’re going to change that so that the winner will be announced because this year it was really (problematic).

Gazette: Will there be any more changes to Homecoming next year?

There are going to be more significant changes as well, like different decorations according to the theme. Also, we’re going to make some changes to Spirit Week because there are some people who disagree with our choices for Spirit Days. We’ve been trying to

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

ASB vice president Sam Holzer said that next year’s spirit week will be adjusted so that it will be easier for students to participate in. make dressing up for Spirit Week as accessible as possible. People have stated that dressing up for Grown-Up Day was difficult.

Gazette: What can we expect for Winter Ball this year?

So far, all we know is the date specifically and we are currently working on the theme.

-compiled by Rachael Vasquez

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DVDs: Defendant refused to give up names, taking his sentence in silence Continued from page A1

to tell that (the DVDs) were all sold on those days,” Rath said.

Once he had satisfactorily proved to Dimple Records that the DVDs were in fact his and Mortensen’s, Dimple Records released the name of the man who sold them to the store: Andrew Wireman, who had given his license, and therefore his name, to Dimple Records in order to make the sale.

But the case did not end immediately when Wireman’s name turned up.

Jeff Moore, who as the Placer County Deputy District Attorney prosecuted Wireman, was able to explain why. “(Wireman) was charged with receiving stolen property because we were able to determine that he sold the DVDs to Dimple Records in Roseville,” Moore said. “(But) from (the county’s) perspective we didn’t have enough evidence to be able to tell who took the DVDs from the school… so we didn’t really have any idea who took the DVDs.” Because of this fact, Wireman was prosecuted for selling Rath and Mortensen’s

property, but not for burglary or entering into a school building.

According to Rath, Wireman had no direct connection to GBHS, and therefore would not have known specifically where to find the stolen property, making Rath believe that Wireman did not work alone.

“He wasn’t the one who took them… (someone) just gave (the DVDs) to him to sell and he probably just kept some of the profit,” Rath said.

But Wireman took the criminal high road and refused to reveal the names of the burglars no matter what.

“He knows, but he won’t talk, he won’t tell you who it was that did it,” Rath said.

“I guess there is honor amongst thieves.”

A year later the case was finally scheduled to go to court.

“I got a subpoena, I was supposed to go to a trial… then it was pushed back, then I got a call that said he pleaded out,” Rath said. “He took four years of jail for stealing my and (Mortensen’s) DVDs. They even asked him and he wouldn’t talk.”

Rath was disappointed with the result of the trial.

“I told the district that I didn’t want to

press charges against him… I just wanted (to catch) the guy that gave (the DVDs) to him, because somebody around here, either in college or still on this campus, got away with something,” Rath said.

Despite his disappointment, Rath is trying to look on the bright side.

“At least somebody close to it is doing time. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be doing four years for somebody else, especially a high school student … (if I was) 24 or 25 years old.”

However, Wireman is doing time for more than just this crime, and his decision not to give up the name or names of others involved was not much of a sacrifice.

Wireman was not, in fact, offered a reduction in his sentence in return for names.

“I wasn’t willing to deal with him on his sentence because he was also being prosecuted for a separate theft from a church in Roseville,” Moore said. “We consolidated those cases and, due to his criminal history, I wasn’t going to give him any deals.”

Although Wireman was not given an offer, he did not step forward to offer his potential information either.

COUNSELING: GBHS teachers offer

alternative options for help with tests Continued from page A1

strategy over concepts.

“I think sometimes the kids get trained almost to a fault,” Becker said.

One student he worked with, who had attended other courses, was so focused on playing the SAT’s games that it was impairing her ability to solve basic problems. When Becker presented the girl with a simple quadratic function, she began plugging in the answers rather than actually doing the math.

“All the tricks are great,” Becker said, “but if you don’t know how to do the math, then all the tricks in the world aren’t going to be able to help you because you’re not even going to know where to get started.”

To teach students the concepts, Becker starts by breaking down the SAT. The College Board already has divided the test into four categories: number and operations; algebra and function; geometry and measurement; and data, statistics and probability.

Becker then further divides the sections into their most basic components. This is where he begins his instruction, building up from the basics.

“The more that you look at (the test), you realize there’s only so many ways that they can twist and tweak the stuff,” Becker said. “The math is the math.”

Senior Jason Sandretti chose to enlist Becker’s help on the SAT II math level 2 exam because of Becker’s ability to tailor the class to his needs.

“I looked into Kaplan, but it really was too structured,” Becker said. “He was able to meet me a couple times and really helped me out.”

After working with Becker, Sandretti took the test a second time and saw a 240-point increase.

This kind of result is not that uncommon for the workshops. Though there is no average promised increase on the SAT, most students report back a 60 -point increase in each section, a 180-point increase overall.

Sahil Khosla, a senior, also saw a significant increase in his scores after attending the workshop. “(The workshop helped me in) English especially, because that’s my worst subject,” Khosla said. “He definitely helped me out because I don’t know grammar rules very well.”

The starting point for every English workshop is the essay. In fact, the essay is where Tastor got his start in the SAT preparation business.

About eight years ago, when the essay section was first introduced, Tastor’s students came to him asking for help. There were already SAT prep courses on campus, but the essay was not a focus.

With the blessing of the teacher running the oncampus course, Tastor started hosting workshops focused solely on the essay. When the teacher left a few years later, Tastor took over the entire English section of the workshop.

When teaching the essay, Tastor focuses on how to approach the prompt and outline the essay. This includes discussing how the SAT essay differs from

a standard English class essay, such as what kind of examples can be used.

Students often default to literary and historical examples, feeling that examples from pop culture would be looked down upon. This, according to Tastor, is not the case.

“One of the essays that the College Board uses as an example of a top-level essay has the TV show Friends and (the book) Catcher in the Rye as examples,” Tastor said.

After the essay, the workshop focuses on the writing section. Because most students don’t get grammar on a daily, or even weekly, basis, this includes a lot of review.

The final English section is devoted to preparing for the critical reading section.

Another service offered by Tastor is college essay advising.

At Folsom High School, where Tastor taught before coming to GBHS, the personal statement is a part of the curriculum.

When Tastor began teaching at GBHS he found that many students were looking for direction with their essays but were unable to find help in class because of the rigorous pace of the 4x4 schedule. Tastor attempted to offer guidance whenever possible, but quickly found himself overwhelmed.

“It got to the point where I was spending so much time (looking at essays) that I thought I’d just run workshops at night,” Tastor said.

The workshops, running between one to two hours, were well-received and, much like his SAT essay workshops, students began asking for more. “(The essay advising sessions) evolved from these one-hour to two-hour workshops where kids could get ideas and walk out with outlines or even a first draft, to actually working with people through the process,” Tastor said.

The advising sessions are offered at $60 a session, with a three-session minimum.

There is not set schedule for these three sessions.

Students can come in with a complete essay or nothing at all – Tastor tailors the sessions to fit each individual student.

Unlike other courses, Tastor doesn’t lock students in for three sessions from the get-go.

“It was on an appointment-by-appointment basis, so it wasn’t like we were paying $4,000 and I was going to do a three-month program,” senior Elana Rabishaw said. “I knew what I needed and I needed it now.”

Tastor and Becker focus on helping the student as much as possible. Sometimes this means providing extra help before testing dates or ending the sessions or tutoring early.

“Becker and I have a philosophy: when the kid’s ready, we tell the parents we’re done,” Tastor said.

“We don’t find a way to fill out eight (more) sessions.

We don’t believe in taking money like that.

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Wireman’s case ended with a global sentence of four years for his involvement in the thefts on campus and in Roseville and for a previous probation violation.

According to assistant principal Dave Vujovich, the situation Rath and Mortensen have been involved in is very unusual for GBHS teachers, and the school is always looking for ways to prevent such occurrences.

“In my seven years in the district… I have never seen a large-scale theft out of a classroom,” Vujovich said. “We’ve had a bike stolen, or a skateboard, and we typically get those things back.”

Vujovich was also surprised that the theft was even feasible without anyone observing it.

“Those classrooms are right there in plain view… (If you live) across the street, their bathroom windows face the school. Those classrooms are visible and we do have alarms.”

However, Vujovich did see one possible way that the thief or thieves might have gotten around the alarms.

“When the alarms get shut down (they do it by sector), if somebody turns off a

sector, someone could come in to take something and we could be working (nearby and not notice),” Vujovich said.

As Vujovich pointed out, Rath’s and Mortensen’s classrooms, which are adjacent to the parking lot, are in a very visible area.

“It’s a high-traffic area… it’s not like if I took (something) and stuck it in my pocket. They had to carry stuff out, so (they were) pretty gutsy,” Vujovich said.

While the school alarms are still in place, the administration is also looking into the possibility of security video cameras, in part to prevent such a theft from happening again.

“I have a bid for security cameras, all the schools have been looking into it… we are always looking for it but there is a privacy issue,” Vujovich said.

Even beyond the issue of privacy, the school has purely financial reasons not to purchase video cameras.

“It’s something that we would like to have, but it’s probably something that we wouldn’t want to spend money on especially in these poor economic times.”

HPV: Vaccine recommended for

both genders before sexual activity Continued from page A1

The vaccine is “strongly recommended” by the CDC. The vaccine consists of three shots over a six-month period and is recommended to girls 11 or 12 years of age, because the vaccine needs to be given before sexual activity begins.

Kristen Ehresmann, a director at the Minnesota Department of Health, said no one means to insinuate that children are beginning sexual activity when they are 11 years old.

“We suggest that age for vaccination because it is before the onset of sexual activity,” Ehresmann said. “The HPV is very easily transmitted, and once a person is infected the vaccine will be less effective for them.”

Ehresmann said the HPV vaccine is now endorsed for boys, too, to make the vaccine a “standard of care.” “(The decision) also draws attention to the importance of the vaccine,” Ehresmann said. “This vaccine is an important tool in protecting people against cancer.”

William Schaffner, chair of the Department of Preventative Medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a physician, stressed that HPV doesn’t only affect females, contrary to what was originally believed.

“HPV is a viral infection transmitted sexually that can be a precursor to later development of cancer,” Schaffner said. “The most common type of cancer is in the cervix, but we’ve come to know that it causes other genital

and anal cancers… and cancers of the throat, mouth and neck.”

Originally, it was believed that HPV could be eliminated just by vaccinating females, but not enough were getting the shots.

While the federal government has not mandated vaccines, Schaffner said he wishes it would. He said that, at best, 60 to 70 percent of people would get vaccinated without a mandate.

“Are we going to permit males and females to be unprotected against certain cancers when we know we have a safe and effective vaccine?” Schaffner said. “It would be shameful to allow 30 percent to go unprotected when we have a mechanism of protecting everyone.”

Elissa Maas, the vice president of the California Medical (CMA) Foundation, said that the CMA has started trying to educate people about what HPV is and what the vaccine can prevent.

“No doctor had really talked about (HPV) until recently,” Mass said. “We’ve got to all stand together and educate the public, parents, policy makers, and we need to make sure physicians and other health care providers are staying on top of advocating the vaccine.”

Senior Natalie Kreeger started her vaccination process last year, but she doesn’t believe that the vaccine should be mandated.

“I think education is the key,” Kreeger said. “Forcing people will lead to complaints … but I still think everyone should get the vaccine. I just think we need

to focus on awareness.”

Kreeger said her doctor recommended the Gardasil vaccination to her, but because of the side effects and the fact that the vaccination takes place over six months, it was hard to convince herself to keep going back.

“The first time. . . it was just like a normal shot,” Kreeger said.

“The second (part of the vaccination) hurt really badly. After the shot, I felt really nauseous for the rest of the day.”

Other side effects can include pain and swelling around the injection site, slight fever, headache, nausea, fainting and muscle aches. In rare cases, people have experienced blood clots or Guillain Barré syndrome, a rare disease that may result in muscle weakness.

YetKreeger said she was happy she got the vaccine because the temporary pain she experienced could prevent permanent future consequences.

Sophomore Derek Smith is also in the middle of the vaccination process.

“My parents and I agreed I should get it so I won’t contract (HPV) later in life,” Smith said.

“Doctors have now found that it does lead to cancer in men, so we wanted to prevent that.

“There’s a lot of nasty stuff (HPV) can give you,” Smith said.

“It can lead to many other diseases. More people should start getting (the vaccination) because it’s preventing a disease you could potentially kill off, and that makes sense.”

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SENIOR: Final year demonstrates students’motivation Continued from page A2

McGuire recognizes that not a majority of the students take what he considers a year off.

“The fact of the matter is that the seniors who are very much interested in going to a top tier-one university are not taking skate course in their senior year,” McGuire said.

“They are taking the most rigorous courses that we offer in their senior year.”

Senior year may be commonly looked at, however, admissions counselors look at academics from all four years of high school.

Like freshman year, senior year is an indicator to admissions counselors that students have motivation throughout high school, whether with easier course work in their freshman year or a challenging schedule in their senior year.

Because being admitted into colleges has become more competitive and admissions counselors want to see their potential students step up to the plate in a year in which many seniors dismiss.

Although colleges are not able to see seniors’ grades throughout their whole last year of high school, Trevor Oftedal, admission counselor for Westmont College in Santa Barbra, said that all colleges keep track of their admitted students when students send in their final transcripts. “(Westmont) notices, that if students don’t follow through (with hard classes) senior year, that they probably won’t do well in college because college is all about following through and working hard,” Oftedal said.

Oftedal admits that even if prospective students apply for Early Action, an early admissions process, Westmont College will move students to Regular Decision and, consequently, ask for their senior year

transcripts.

If students are not working to their capabilities, it is possible that colleges will question such students.

“If we see that you failed a class then we might actually revoke our decision,” Oftedal said. “And, if you don’t graduate high school, you don’t get (admitted).”

Despite Oftedal’s concerns, he admits that Westmont is more understanding than stern.

“Numbers don’t always tell the truth because something might have happened your first semester or second semester,” Oftedal said. “If we see that you were a straight A student and then you started getting straight C’s, we might wonder what’s going on and call you. Other schools might not be that tolerant, but that’s just how Westmont (handles those) issues.”

Like McGuire and Oftedal, Advance Placement government teacher, Jarrod Westberg notices that not all seniors are dismissing senior year as an easier year.

In fact, Westberg, who has only taught seniors in his teaching career, said that in recent years, more seniors are challenging themselves.

Although throughout the year, Westberg notices decreasing grades, he remains optimistic that the grade will eventually increase and that the seniors are experiencing what every class before them has experienced, just small glitches of senioritis.

“I don’t look down at seniors, especially the high- achiever students that have been in AP classes their whole life,” Westberg said. “These kids have been working very hard for a very long time.”

According to Westberg, senioritis do not usually last too long because of our school’s general character.

“This school has always had seniors that

Gazette photo /Rachael Vasquez

Senior Haliey Israel participtes in a socratic seminar during a discussion in AP language with senior Kelsey Knorp. have been driven,” Westberg said. “It’s hard to get away from that mentality (because) it just (becomes) second nature to high achievers.”

Senior and AP student Hailey Israel admits that this year she is taking what she calls senior friendly classes. Among these classes are physiology, in which every two

weeks she waits until the night before a test to complete a homework pack, and the Regional Occupation Program, which she will be taking in the spring.

Unlike most ROP classes, Israel’s will allow her to work even more at her three jobs at Cookie Connection, Subway and for senior Haley Harris’s father’s website.

Her reasons for taking AP classes, such as language, art history and government, while still struggling with her elective, art 3, is simple.

“As a senior, I still want to look like I’m doing something,” Israel said. “I just want to make sure that I have the proper course work to impress colleges as a senior.”

STRESS: Perfection not a requirement in IB RIGHTS: Probable cause not needed Continued from page A2

Duane Blomquist, the IB coordinator at GBHS, said that a large portion of the stress imposed on students is tells colleges that if they can make it through (the pro- a result of the rigidness of the current course offerings.

“The more we expand, the better the offerings will be gram), a student can balance all the aspects of their life, they can manage their time and can still be involved in for the kids,” Blomquist said. “Next year, we’re offering IB Film, IB Psychology and IB Spanish HL. With the community.”

In regards to the stress involved, Dell’Orto said that more choices, students’ schedules should be significantly lightened.” the IB program is like “a balancing act.”

Beside the new course offerings on the horizon, the IB “(Teachers) are still figuring out how hard (they) can push (students) without breaking (them), yet still pre- program at GBHS is also planning to add a new option pare (them) for the things that are out there,” Dell’Orto called the “career certificate.”

According to Blomquist, the casaid. reer certificate is for students who Dell’Orto’s main advice to stuhave “a specific passion in an area dents who are currently strugthat they want to focus on.” gling with the IB program is to IB is now saying “IB is now saying that the prorealize that they “don’t have to do that the program is gram is not just for the elite acaperfectly on everything.” demic student, but for the general “Once you’re in the IB pronot just for the elite student population,” Blomquist gram, I think it’s important to lisacademic students, said. “This year, there’s just one ten to what the colleges are sayschool in the nation with this ing: they’re saying that you don’t but for the general thread of IB, meaning that we’ll necessarily have to have straight student population. be the second.”

A’s,” Dell’Orto said. “OccasionBlomquist said this , along with ally you need to let go of some other adjustments to the IB prothings. All we (teachers) ever ask – Duane Blomquist, IB gram, should alleviate some of (of students) is to give the best Coordinator the “growing pains” associated (they) have, but it’s just a class. with the program.

It’s not more important than your Blomquist added that the IB life. It’s not more important than program is not intended to overyour family. It’s not more imporwhelm students, but rather, is suptant than your friends. It’s just a posed to create the ideal “wellclass.”

The vital thing to remember, Dell’Orto said, is that rounded student.”

“Yes, IB is ramped up academically, but it also emhigh school is much more than getting immaculate phasizes the importance of striking a balance, and we grades.

“The colleges are pretty clear about it: they want have kids who don’t have that balance,” Blomquist said.

As for Dollesin, he plans to continue doing the IB well-rounded students,” Dell’Orto said. “They want students who are involved in things, instead of just be- program, in hopes of “bettering his future.”

Although he plans to also play golf in the spring, his ing focused on getting straight A’s. The IB program is a great program as long as you’re OK with getting the plan for getting through high school remains the same.

“There’s not much I can do,” he said. “I’ll just work occasional B. If you (have that mindset), you do have harder and hope it’ll pay off in the long run.” time for sports, and you do have free time.”

for investigations on school grounds Continued from page A1 searched for anything on campus, if there is a belief that something might happen,” Westberg said.

Police officers must demonstrate “probable cause,” which is a reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime.

In contrast, officers on a school campus need only prove “reasonable suspicion,” which is merely the impression that something illegal may have taken place.

This altered standard of proof is applicable on campus, at schoolsponsored events and even in certain cases in which the perpetrator of a crime only knows the victim through school, Herrick said.

“We want to keep you safe,” he said. “You have that right to come to school. So anything you do during that time, you fall under school jurisdiction.”

The lowered standard of proof was felt firsthand by alumnus Monica Hower when she was searched by the school administration during her sophomore year.

She was cited for dress code, and, when administrators suspected her of drug use, she was detained in an office and subjected to sobriety tests. Her phone, iPod and backpack were

searched.

Hower, currently studying political science at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said she believes the school’s actions were illegal.

However, students sometimes make the mistake of assuming reasonable suspicion – not a more conclusive standard, probable cause – is applicable outside school events.

As a 20-year-old Westberg was one such student. He was stopped by a police officer for no apparent reason, and his car was searched.

“As soon as I started learning my rights, it was kind of weird when I realized that how I was searched was illegal,” he said.

Senior Wes Finkemeier had a similar encounter with law enforcement. He and his friends were stopped by officers when they were relaxing in a park in their cars.

Police questioned them, shined flashlights in Finkemeier’s car, and ended up searching one of his friend’s cars. They found contraband and later arrived at the friend’s house to inform his parents.

“I was freaked out,” Finkemeier said. “I’d never had a run-in with the cops, and I was just like, get me out of here, I don’t want to talk to you.”

No one involved had charges pressed against them, but Finkemeier said he didn’t think the search of the car was legal.

According to Westberg, police can be stricter when dealing with students, who may be unfamiliar with the Fourth Amendment.

“I think the (police) departments want their presence to be known,” he said. “I think they will search (young people) more often, because (they are) not as likely to know their rights.”

Hower said an officer’s decision to search a given student is also a question of appearance.

“When I (wore) strange outfits, I definitely got a little more heat and discrimination,” she said.

But if students are off-campus and understand their rights, they can avoid a voluntary search by refusing to give consent.

“If you’re driving,” Monica said, “and a cop accuses you of something and wants to search your car, and asks you (for permission), you tell him no. Why? Because you can.”

Westberg took a somewhat more cautionary stance.

“You have no idea what might happen (if you say no to an officer),” he said. “But (your) rights are that (you) don’t have to be searched (without a warrant)… that’s (your) option.”

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Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

A Section

Thursday w November 10, 2011

GAZETTE The Granite Bay

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

Editors-in-Chief: Shannon Carroll Kyle Pawlak Jessica Reese Rachael Vasquez News/Web Editors: Nicole Bales Chris Pei Voices Editors: Lena Eyen Haley Massara Lifestyle Editors: Danielle Dieterich Kelsey Knorp ShinEui Park Green Screen Editors: Ari Black Hayley McAvoy Michaela Monaghan Samantha Spargo Sports Editors: Meghan Carlsen Austin Downs Mat Fukuhara Illustrators: Lena Eyen Chase Evans Hayley McAvoy Jessica Reese Samantha Spargo Photographers: Olivia Cornell Dorien Johnk Riley Mac Millan Rachael Vasquez Kristin Taylor Staff Writers: Crosby Allison Olivia Cornell Chase Evans Dorien Johnk Sydney Kahmann Brooklyn Klepl Riley Mac Millan Becky Massil Joey Puhala Kristin Taylor Brad Wong Advertising Managers: Mary Haney Brooklyn Klepl

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 case-by-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.

An artificial snack shortage Vending machines close too early, making students starve

I

t’s halfway through fourth period, and you’re so beyond tired that you can’t concentrate. You realize you need some energy, some food.

The day has been long, though, and you have either eaten all of your food at lunch, or in a secondor third-period class. But you really need something to quench your hunger, because you have a practice right after school and don’t want to be famished.

But, you’re in luck, right? The vending machines have been open all day, why shouldn’t they be open now?

As soon as you are able to view the machines, you see that they’re closed. You go back to your class, ready to face the rest of the lesson and your practice with an empty stomach.

Throughout my years at GBHS, I know I am not the only student who has been stuck in this situation.

What I wonder is why they’re even closed during school hours in the first place? Isn’t their purpose to give students another option for food if they don’t bring enough of it to get them through the day?

I think they should be kept open throughout the school day and even sometime after it comes to an end.

There are always large numbers of students who stay after school, whether for sports, tutoring or a club meeting. Everyone, sooner or later, gets hungry, and I believe the machines are very convenient to those students.

The extra food also leads to the students being more active in their fourth-period classes and their activities after school. The carbohydrates in their system allow them

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

dorien johnk

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

to focus easier and perform better.

In addition, most underclassmen and some upperclassmen don’t have cars and don’t have the ability to go and pick up Chipotle or In and Out. The vending machines give them an option to get food without having to leave campus.

I used to be one of those underclassmen. I remember the days when I had to go straight to the locker room and then my practice.

I would always try to remember to pack extra food, but I rarely did.

Then, at practice, everyone would be asking the same question: “Do you have any food?”

During all of the questioning, I always thought it would be so much easier if they just kept the machines open. People could get a snack, eat it and not complain about being hungry or not having any food.

Extra food just makes the average student’s school day much more bearable.

Vending machines opened longer leads to more food. More food leads to happier, more productive students. Those students improve our school environment. So why not keep them open? *** Dorien Johnk, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Accept and be proud of your shyness

Being alone can be just as satisfying as going out and socializing with friends

W

alking alone into a restaurant for a casual, solitary night out is just about the biggest risk any teen could take.

One glance at the herd of those popular kids on the other side of the restaurant making obtuse glances at the lonely kid seated at a table for four should settle the point. Who knows – there might even be a few snide jokes exchanged between friends.

Of course, it doesn’t end there. The average Joe at his own table with all his homies surrounding him will also give you a similar stare. The only difference is that his face would be filled with more pity than ridicule.

Unless they’re acting in some eccentric manner, I’ve never in my life seen anybody get these odd stares when they’re out with a group of friends.

Years ago I attended a junior high school that had “homerooms” which were basically classes for students to report to before going to their actual classes. They

would just rather do and only lasted about 20 Commentary experience these things minutes and I usually alone when they feel kept to myself during more comfortable. those times.

This summer when Then one day I was at Sunsplash, I somebody asked decided to go on the me if I was sad and Stealth ride alone. I lonely just because didn’t bring any friends I kept to myself. I with me because I had to withhold my wanted a day to myself at laughter. the water park.

Why do people rmassil.gazette@gmail.com However, as I was superficially assume about to embark on the that anybody on their own must be either stealth’s drop, I managed to catch the look insane or depressed? I’m not saying that of disbelief in the lifeguard’s eye before if someone hangs out on their own that he asked the question eating away at his they’re not odd – perhaps they are, and mind: “Why are you going alone?” hanging around alone is an oddity on its I’m in a waterpark, not a dark alley. It own, but who’s to judge from first glances? shouldn’t be weird – or dangerous, if that’s Loners generally aren’t like other people, what he was getting at – for me to go on a and yet they are. Sure, they don’t enjoy ride by myself. going out with a bunch of friends to a Where did this assumption that you can football game like most people do, but they only have fun when you’re with friends come from? Is it wrong to want to share a still have feelings, hobbies and basically good time with yourself? a normal life just like everyone else. They

becky massil

Society has often been wrong about a few things, and the concept that loners are generally gloomy losers is just not true.

It should be alright to say that you would rather spend your time alone, at least once in a while. It shouldn’t be weird or awkward to go out and enjoy spending time by yourself just because people will raise an eyebrow seeing that you aren’t with any friends.

I understand that it’s hard for some of you to accept the fact that an acquaintance of yours would rather stay at home alone rather than go to the mall with you, but that’s their choice and they are allowed to make it. There’s no sense being angry if that’s what they’d rather do.

And if you’d rather party at home alone than go the party down the street, don’t be afraid to do so. Other people might look at you funny if that’s your plan, but never mind them. *** Becky Massil, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

The HPV Vaccine: It’s not just for girls anymore

L Send Letters to the Editor to: gbgazette@yahoo.com

Commentary

et’s say, hypothetically, that a dangerous, highlyvirulent disease outbreak occurs. The pathogen can be spread by anyone, but only causes severe symptoms in people with blue eyes.

A vaccine is developed, but it is expensive, so it is marketed as a drug for blue-eyed people.

Would it be ethical to only require blue-eyed people to be vaccinated, and allow people with other eye colors to freely carry and spread the disease to others?

Would brown and green-eyed people feel responsible if they infected blue-eyed loved ones?

Moreover, would only

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

requiring a fraction of the general population to be vaccinated actually protect anyone?

This is, in a sense, the debate over immunizing boys to human papillomavirus (HPV), a disease which is more dangerous to women than men.

The most common argument against vaccinating boys is that there simply isn’t enough money,

and that girls should get priority, as they are most at risk.

While the vaccine is pricey, it has led to the impression that boys do not need to be vaccinated if the resources are available – and, for most Granite Bay families, indeed, they are.

So if it isn’t a fiscal question, it’s a medical and ethical one.

HPV is known to cause certain types of cancer and genital warts in men as well as women, and 50 percent of men and women will be infected at some point in their lives.

Statistically, that means in any given couple, one member has had HPV. From a purely scientific point of view, vaccination just

makes sense.

But medical fallout aside, men are just as, if not more, socially responsible for the spread of the pandemic – particularly since sexual contact is the most common method of transmission.

Despite baseless rumors (rumors acknowledged by someone as high-profile as Michelle Bachmann), the vaccine has been proven safe – for both girls and boys. So if immunization programs are being considered for young girls, why are boys exempt?

If any serious attempt is being made at eradicating – or at least containing – HPV, it doesn’t make sense to only vaccinate half

the population.

True, the incidence of feminine complications may decrease, but the prevalence of the virus will not. And unless every single female is vaccinated, those who have yet to receive the drug will be all the more at risk.

We are lucky enough to live in a pocket of the world in which HPV vaccination is not only feasible, but economically viable and medically sound. Science has blessed us with a miracle – a cancer vaccine.

There is no reason for us not to take full advantage of Gardasil and vaccines like it. It is our responsibility, as a community and a country.

A8 Voices

Thursday, November 10, 2011

HEARD on

BAY I

What are you thankful/excited for this Thanksgiving?

“To spend quality time down in Palm Springs.”

F r e s h m a n

Nick Dumke “My supportive friends, and that I can express myself freely.”

S o p h o m o r e

The struggle to balance it all

AP classes make dinner, much less a social life, too difficult to plan

bought a gym membership two months ago, yet I haven’t set foot inside California Family Fitness since signing those membership papers.

I was excited to be in control of my lifestyle and do what I want to do when I want to do it, and this personal gym membership was just one of those ways.

Finally, I would be able to work out when I wanted to and feel good and healthy.

However, one thing got in the way of this glimpse of control over my life: My Advanced Placement classes.

Now I know there are many benefits in the AP system, and in the long-run it definitely is worth it.

But as a short-sighted, impatient junior, these benefits are a little shady right now.

Since the start of high school, I’ve been on the best (and most challenging) route to success, as have most of my fellow AP class students.

I have done what I was supposed to do. We’ve overloaded ourselves on classes that will boost our GPA over that no-longer-sufficient 4.0 and stacked up some extracurriculars and programs to look like we are involved in our communities.

For doing everything that I was supposed to, it certainly seems like there is a whole lot of waiting for my reward.

The amount of work has limited me not only from luxury free time activities like the gym, but also having time for meals.

It’s all about grabbing something so you don’t crash, and it had better taste good, because you need instant gratification somewhere in your life.

My diet as been limited to scattered unhealthy snacks and a full meal every now and again. Since I have no time for a sport with all its numerous practices and games, I can almost feel my muscles being replaced by fat.

As a teenager, I’m not feeling too

meghan carlsen mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

guilty about the junk food I’ve been consuming, but I know it will catch up to me eventually.

So I tell myself I will work out on the weekend – except I find seeing friends and family to be a more interesting activity on Saturdays.

With everyone being so busy, it’s hard enough for me to actually see people during the school day, and after school on a weekday is completely out of the question.

My Saturdays are spent reacquainting myself with the outside world, while Sundays are basically another school day without 10-minute passing periods.

Even some of my teachers have explained to me that some AP classes go way deeper and require way more work

than an actual college course on that subject would.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am totally a supporter of the AP program and what it does for students and their learning experience.

But I am also a supporter of having a life outside of school and not having to wait 18 years for your life to actually begin. *** Meghan Carlsen, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.

Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN AND JESSICA REESE

Twinkle, twinkle, little star?

Cassandra Fong “ I’m excited for my sister to come home.”

J u n i o r

Sara Northam “I’m going to Hawaii.”

S e n i o r

James Yang “Always my family.

(I’m) also thankful for employment.”

Satellites in the night sky cause confusion and frustration

M

ore often than not, when I look up into the light-specked abyss of space, my attention is drawn to the brightest, closest stars first. On closer inspection, I usually notice some sort of activity around them in the form of flickers. My interest is piqued, but in vain; that’s a satellite, and I’m one of the many who are fooled by their pseudo-star-like display.

The disappointment of seeing a satellite rather than a star is stark; and there are plenty of reasons why this doesn’t have to happen.

Most people probably don’t see a problem with this, and are content to live their lives with infrequent star-related confusion. But why should we allow such an annoyance when the solution is as simple as turning off the orbiting lights, which are of questionable necessity, or by replacing the specular exterior of the satellites with some non-reflective surface.

Seeing a comet burn as it passes by our sun, or a meteor as it enters our atmosphere, is a remarkable sight for practically everyone on Earth. Although satellites provide some diversion between more interesting occurrences, the entertainment is achieved through false perception.

Satellites eventually must come down, as their orbits eventually bring them to within 160 kilometers of Earth where they’re affected by significant drag, so how much of an effort would it take, while performing repairs, to attenuate the lustrous hull of these spacecrafts?

A multitude of supposed UFO sightings have been caused by what are referred to as “Iridium flares,” the flash of light seen by people as an

S t a f f

Compiled by Kristin Taylor

COMMENTARY

crosby allison

callison.gazette@gmail.com

Iridium satellite temporarily reflects the sun’s rays. While some consciously look for the flares to see their dim flash, the light can be harmful to astronomers’ equipment or readings.

If the solar panels that fuel most satellites are the issue at hand, a new coating which absorbs more energy from the sun by capturing more of its photons, rather than reflecting them, has been developed. The advantages of employing such an invention, as well as others that could reduce flares, could benefit both those few that share my opinion and the commercial benefactors of satellites.

Although there is no danger or grave reason for the satellites to be darkened, I believe theirs is a needless cause of confusion. Seeing manmade anomalies rather than the phenomena of space is not as satisfying. *** Crosby Allison, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN

Thumbs Up Thumbs up: It’s almost

Scott Becker

COMMENTARY

Thumbs Down

the

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Thumbs up: We get

Thanksgiving Break!

Thumbs down: You’re expected to remember everything you learned before break .

new classes in a month!

by Kristin Taylor, staff writer.

Thumbs down: We

have finals in a month.

Gazette photos /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Voices A9

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Commentary

ari black

ablack.gazette@gmail.com

Swimming and running in PE cause insecurity

O

ften, it seems as if school rules and tendencies are intentionally trying to add more pressure and strain to the lives of students.

As 8th graders slide into their freshman year, they are burdened with the pressure of wanting to fit, feel accepted and just overall get through their first year of being underclassmen.

Added on along with these worries is the typical issue of adolescents: self-consciousness.

A negative perspective on self body image not only stresses out the many boys and girls at Granite Bay High School, but also results in eating disorders and causes individuals to view school as an unaccepting place.

As a freshman PE class requirement, students are forced to dress in swimsuits that leave them half naked to go swim in a pool with a class of peers, flooded with immature, judgmental eyes and mouths.

On top of this, students are then required to participate in a day of class where they reveal their swimming ability in front of the rest of the class, to then be ranked.

Along with the hesitation in participation is the lack of participation. The usual individual complaining about cramps or sickness is disregarded by their peers and assumed to have Competition self image issues. begins to override The the ideas and inswimming unit could tended message be proven of maintaining a to be a good source of healthy lifestyle. exercise, yet the overall idea of having students go through the trouble of it seems simply avoidable.

In addition to swimming, running has conflicted many young PE students.

Although our running teams and overall athletics on the GBHS campus contain many strong athletes, not everyone can run a 6-minute mile, ending with a smile on their face.

Each increasing minute results in another decrease of grade. Competition begins to override the ideas and intended message of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

If we are promoted our whole lives to “go at our own rate” and “just try our best” in academics, why are these messages not taken over to another aspect of our school careers?

Exercise is an obvious and necessary need for young adults today, but why are we only promoting these elements with environments and grades that discourage the student rather than promote them to continue these practices?

Rather than placing students in environments of pressure, classes should promote the ideas of support and encouragement.

School should not be an environment where judgment occurs. Though its appearance is evident on any high school campus, it is the school’s duty to avoid imposing any uncomfortable situations on their students. *** Ari Black, a senior, is a Gazette Green Screen editor.

Granite Bay’s fashionable impracticalities

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

It’s just school, so there’s no need to dress up

E

very day when I walk onto campus I see a girl in a tight little skirt, a low-cut top and floppy sandals. And when I see this, I think to myself, “That can’t be comfortable.”

Yes, we go to public school so that means we are allowed to dress whatever way we want to “express ourselves.” However, school is supposed to be a place of learning, and how is that possible when you are so uncomfortable with your clothing?

One day while eating lunch, I was sitting with my friends just outside the breezeway when a girl walked by in a dress that was so short I was convinced it was a shirt. As she walked by, she kept yanking down the so-called dress but it didn’t make a difference.

Her butt was hanging out all over the place. It was disgusting!

Why would any girl want to go through that? It’s not cute, it’s gross and you should be embarrassed. We are at school, not a club; no need to dress like a hooker.

And this girl was just one occurrence. Day by day, I see girls pulling down their skirts, pulling up their shirts (or down) and

Commentary

olivia cornell

ocornell.gazette@gmail.com

adjusting their sandals. All these adjustments make me cringe.

Thankfully, summer is ending and clothes become more sensible as it grows colder, but that opens a whole other can of beans because girls will still wear skimpy clothing when it is 50 degrees outside. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer to not freeze my butt of at school when it’s rainy.

I feel like every year more and more unrealistic clothing show up on girls’ bodies. Why don’t you leave the uncomfortable clothes at home? I’m sure you can find outfits to wear to school that don’t interfere with being able to walk across the quad without touching your clothing. You can save the

tight, short impractical clothes for events outside of school. You don’t need to show off your body at school.

But garments are not the only problem. It’s also make-up and hair.

When you go into the bathroom because, well, you actually have to go to the bathroom, you have to stand and wait in line for days because girls are taking their sweet time putting on makeup, doing their hair and re-doing their hair. I promise you that doing yourself up in the bathroom doesn’t make a difference. Get ready before school and don’t bother the rest of us with your beauty needs.

The worst is when girls use hair spray. It fills the air and the rest of us can’t breathe. Why do you bring that to school with you?

It’s weird and so annoying to everyone else.

So, I beg you girls of Granite Bay High School, please try and be more practical. There is a reason it is called school, not a club. *** Olivia Cornell, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

A10 Second Look

Second look

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Once upon a homecoming

Students enjoy the week-long event featuring famous childhood tales

wGazette photosw Rachael Vasquez

ď ˇSenior Adam Wagner, far left, poses as his teammates lift him up during the varsity football and varsity cheer dance at the Homecoming Rally. Coaches and teachers, left, observe the firework halftime show at the football game on Oct. 28. At the Bonfire Rally, junior Joey Long, above, performs in his class skit as Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk. Below left, senior Hank Montgomery is Cat in the Hat for his class float based on the books by Dr. Seuss. Homecoming King Ian Fitzgerald and Homecoming Queen Megan Harris, below, take a victory ride in a carriage. Junior princess nominees hug, below, before Chiyoh Arai receives her crown.

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Thursday w November 10, 2011

Commentary

Grizzly gets students in an up ...

danielle dieterich

roar

ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

Life as a selfproclaimed procrastinator

I

’m staring blankly at a computer screen. Name, date and title are all filled in and after that: nothing.

I must have written and rewritten that first line one hundred times, and yet each time I find a reason to erase it and start all over again.

As I sit here, mind blank and eyes tired, all I can think is “Why didn’t I do this earlier?”

I’ll tell you why. It’s the thing that drives teachers mad, gives parents panic attacks and threatens to be the downfall of seniors everywhere: procrastination.

I am an experienced procrastinator. I wait until the last minute to do everything from my math homework to cleaning my room. I even procrastinated on writing this column about procrastination.

What can I say, it’s called a bad habit for a reason: procrastination isn’t a one time thing. The more you get away with putting things off, the less motivation you have to actually get things done in a timely manner.

If I can get away with waiting until the last minute to do something, I fully intend to. I personally think that, while procrastinating certainly has its drawbacks, most of the time the benefits exceed the costs.

Not only does knowing I have very little time to accomplish a very large amount provide excellent motivation to be efficient, but I also find that the pressure helps me to stay focused and I tend to do some of my best work on a time crunch.

Besides, no one ever procrastinates on something that they actually want to do.

There is something incredibly satisfying about knowing that you could be working on some boring project or chore but you are choosing to actually enjoy yourself instead.

It’s like the over-used example of the child who is offered one cookie now or three cookies if they are willing to wait for a week. Well guess what, I want my cookie now.

Part of being a teenager is seeking immediate rewards rather than thinking about the long-term.

I would rather have one horrible night where I stress out way too much, cram everything I have to get done into a short period of time and almost certainly get no sleep, than pace myself and be slightly miserable every night until I am done with the whole process.

Maybe that is illogical or immature, but quite frankly I don’t see what is so wrong with that.

I am 17 years old and I think I have every right to be childish once in a while. And yet, for all my talk about the wonders of procrastination, I am well aware it has its drawbacks.

Procrastination can be like a drug, it makes you feel better for the moment but in the long run you are worse off than before.

Also like a drug, it can be difficult to admit you have a problem. I am pretty sure that after every time Mr. Valentine collected outlines in AP European History my sophomore year I told myself that I would never procrastinate again. Needless to say, I was lying to myself.

After junior year there was no doubt about it: I am a procrastinator.

But now it is senior year and my final chance to procrastinate before the hard wake up call that comes in college and I intend to enjoy it as much as possible.

So procrastinators unite.

Tomorrow.

*** Danielle Dieterich, senior, is the Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

inside lifestyle

Random club

B4

Top Ten

B2

Random student B4 Random facts

B6

TCID:BW

Mascot unites GBHS, inspires school spirit

BY Joey puhala jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

W

hat’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of Granite Bay High School? Griz-

zlies.

Being the backbone of any school’s personality, a mascot is what produces school spirit, motivates sports teams and ultimately affects the way people view the school.

So what do the students here at GBHS think of the ever-so-humble grizzly that belongs to our school?

Most of the students here would agree that this beast of an animal does an accurate job at reflecting our school’s character.

“I think the grizzly is a great animal to reflect GBHS’ sports life,” sophomore Michael Geraghty said. “It shows we are very fierce and want to win, and as you can see from our tribe, we love to cheer like the wild grizzlies that we are. Plus it has the same logo as California, which is cool because that’s where we live.”

The competitive edge that the grizzly bear has in the wild is also reflective of out athletic performance over other schools.

“Being the grizzlies means that we’re fierce mammals,” sophomore Marc Ellis said. “They’re at the top of the food chain, just like us as a school, plus they are very intimidating.”

The fact is, a school’s mascot is a major factor in stimulating a school’s spirit, a competitive quality that GBHS seems to have quite a lot of recently.

“Regardless of the occasion,” Geraghty said. “If it’s a school sports event, I’m always down to unleash my inner Grizzly. If we were any other animal, I wouldn’t get nearly as fired up.”

That is the purpose of a mascot after all, to inspire school spirit and get students excited about school events.

“A good mascot has to really fire you up,” sophomore Owen McNiff said. “You have to want to be that mascot. You have to feel it, and the grizzly makes me do that.”

Without the Grizzly, some students would venture to say that we would lose a lot of our drive, that the spirit which pushes our sports teams to victory just wouldn’t be there.

“Mascots are 100% important. It’s ... the symbol of

our school, and it’s the life and breath of our spirit,” Geraghty said. “I really don’t think we would be as aggressive if we didn’t have the mascot we do.”

Not only does the mascot get students more excited about school events, it also helps athletes perform at their best by increasing crowd support.

“I was in the grizzly bear mascot costume on SportsA-Rama night,” sophomore Jackson Rodriguez said. “I definitely would say that the way people get fired up over the mascot makes the people in the event try harder.”

Lots of Granite Bay High sports fans even think that the effect of the grizzly goes beyond that of a conventional mascot.

“It’s more of a community rather than just an animal,” sophomore Owen McNiff said. “I feel like everyone who cheers for Granite Bay is part of an association of people who are automatically friends with one another. Like a secret clan of GBHS fans.”

Although most students are proud to be a part of the grizzly community, some still see room for improvement when it comes to our mascot.

“I’m happy being the Grizzlies, but if I could be any mascot, I would definitely be the dolphins,” Marc Ellis said. “They are … as dominant as grizzlies, only they live in water and are way smarter.”

Mascots are generally either ‘hit or miss’ when it comes to selecting a good one. Although we seem to See Mascot, page B5

Struggling with offensive stereotypes GBHS students say they are judged on race and religion

BY KELSEY KNORP

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

Within the confines of a culinary class, it would not generally be considered unusual for one student to warn another not to walk too close to the many ovens around the room.

However, when it happened to senior Sam Holzer, the cautionary remark was perceived as hurtful and offensive.

Holzer is of the Jewish faith, and the comment had been made by a would-be comedic fellow student who meant to reference the gas chambers and subsequent cremation tactics used by Nazis during the Holocaust.

Some might find this joke merely distasteful; many would find it downright appalling.

To Holzer, however, the joke, while upsetting, was of a quite familiar nature to him.

“I’ve had money thrown on the ground in front of me (by) people who told me not to pick it up,” he said. “They felt like I’d be tempted to. That was the joke.”

Holzer has tolerated comments about his socioeconomic status, his faith’s history or something as commonplace as his nose since seventh grade, when he missed a day of school for Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday of prayer and fasting.

“Someone asked me the next day when I came to class, ‘how was your Jew day?’”

Holzer said. “It was the first time comments (about my faith) hadn’t been kind of inquisitive. They were more hurtful.”

Holzer usually tries to laugh off the jokes, but he notices that the stereotyping he experiences at GBHS isn’t a universal occurrence. He attributes this discrepancy to the fact that he is one of few Jewish people in a primarily Christian, conservative area.

Junior Mariam Bereket-Ab, a student of African American descent, experiences similar treatment, in her case for the color of her skin.

“I don’t like running, so people are sometimes like, ‘well that’s surprising,’” Bereket-Ab said.

Bereket-Ab doesn’t let these types of comments bother her, but it strikes her as strange that people use them so liberally.

“Not every black person is the same,” she said. “If someone (says), ‘oh, obviously you can’t swim,’ I think it’s weird, but I just kind of laugh.”

Like Holzer, Bereket-Ab feels that because she is part of such an underrepresented minority, some students feel it is more acceptable to racially profile her.

Most of her cousins live in the Bay Area, and she notices a distinct difference in the social acceptability of those comments

Gabby Cho GBHS senior has been stereotyped based on her race

when she visits them.

“When I go there, (I notice) white people don’t usually say that stuff to black people, because there’s so many of them,” BereketAb said.

Sophomore Cesar Sanchez is of Mexican descent. His family’s taqueria, El Sombrero, is a popular eatery for Granite Bay families. Like Holzer, Sanchez noticed that stereotypical comments about his race became more common once he got to junior high.

See Stereotypes, page B5

Gazette does it Gazette staff members challenged yearbook to a pie eating contest

Emerald Brigade Putting in the time to achieve excellence

Cheer vs. Dance Setting their differences straight

B2

B3

B3

B2 Lifestyle

Thursday, November 10, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

An epic pie-gobbling extravaganza

REASONS FOR A SENIOR TO BE THANKFUL

The Gazette takes on yearbook in a delicious hands-free challenge

BY SYDNEY KAHMANN

skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

You have an endless supply of food with which to eat your college application stress away.

University of California application deadlines are near, but your senioritis-affected grades won’t be a factor in your acceptance.

Furthermore, you still have Christmas break ahead to make up for procrastination on your Common App.

Your older friends are home from college, so you no longer have to feel like the geezer of Granite Bay teens.

The first semester is almost over, and soon you’ll have your TA/off period.

You have one more year with a TV to yourself on which to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

You also have one more year to stuff your face without worrying about contributing to the freshman fifteen.

P

umpkin pies can be a delicious fall favorite, or turn into a pretty nasty dish in a pie eating competition.

Needless to say, the Gazette’s first ever “Gazette vs.” challenge was a hilarious success.

For the first challenge the Gazette staff took on the yearbook staff in a fall pumpkin pie eating contest.

The girls started off our competition, with female Gazette representatives junior Brooklyn Klepl and senior Olivia Cornell pitted against yearbook senior Bridgette Galarza and junior Jenny Woo.

Thanks to the supersized Costco pumpkin pies, the girls were horrified and shocked, giving them a hesitant start.

The girls took a lady-like approach, using their hands to try and eat their pie as cleanly as humanly possible given their pumpkin-y predicament.

Cornell took a careful but steady pace, giving the Gazette girls an edge on the competition.

Klepl got off to a strong start as well, making some solid pie-eating progress.

Woo and Galarza had no trouble keeping up, matching the other girls bite for bite.

By the end of their match, the girls had all eaten around a third of their mas-

Many prefer to keep thoughts to themselves

BY BECKY MASSIL

rmassil.gazette@gmail.com

O

ften there are questions asked about people who remain silent during class or don’t ask for help. Are these people good leaders? What are they thinking and how do teachers encourage them to engage in class activities more?

Although most quiet students do not like to express their thoughts to the class, they are often required to discuss their ideas and share with the teacher what they have learned.

Granite Bay High School English teacher David Tastor says the student’s quietness is not the problem; the difficulty arises if the teacher is unable to tell if the student is paying attention.

“If a quiet student is… watching a conversation and taking notes or interacting in that manner, I know that they are following along so I don’t really have a problem,” Tastor said. “It’s the quiet student that has his or her head down or is staring off into space that I’m going to try to engage.”

Tastor tries to engage quiet

Misconceptions regarding Mormons common at GBHS

students in class activities by calling on them, assigning them to small groups and listening to their discussions, and having them write reflective assignments.

“There are plenty of ways to engage as a teacher,” Tastor said. “I can break people into small groups … and walk around and then hear people who don’t normally talk.”

Group activities also allow quiet students to demonstrate the leadership skills that some of them have even if they are not natural leaders.

Sophomore Matthew Moeller most often feels the need to step up only when it is required of him.

“I think group activities are fine and I’m pretty good at leading,” Moeller said. “I can become a leader if necessary, but I won’t do it naturally.”

BY DANIELLE DIETERICH etween Broadway’s The Book of Mormon, HBO’s “Big Love” and the recent announcement of two Mormon presidential candidates, Mormonism is making its way into mainstream media in a very real way.

Yet much of what the public has been exposed to is filled with misconceptions and bias.

Even the name Mormon is technically incorrect, according to Granite

Bay High School senior Daniel Flinders.

“The actual name of our church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” Flinders said.

Senior Chloe Shaw also believes that the student body at GBHS is largely uninformed about Mormon policies and basic beliefs. “(A) common misconception (is) that Mormons aren’t Christians, but we believe in Christ,” Shaw said.

The fact that such a basic tenant of the religion is largely unknown illustrates just how little most students know about one of the most commonly practiced religions in America.

“I feel like people have a vague understanding (of Mormonism)

turned into a messy brawl.

The boys decided to step it up and show the girls how pie eating is done, in cannibal-like fashion.

The stage was set for Gazette

senior Kyle Pawlak, yearbook senior Ian Fitzgerald, yearbook senior Taylor Ito and Gazette junior Austin Downs, to chow down See CONTEST, page B4

Gazette photo illustration/RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Quiet students avoid attention in classroom speaking situations However, being quiet also means that participating in class is harder, as is the case with senior Samantha Galang, who usually does not say anything in class.

“Nobody will notice (me), so when I do try to say something, nobody really pays attention,” Galang said.

Tastor said that in a large classroom with lots of students to consider, it becomes hard to advise the lost but silent student when there

Chloe Shaw Student is one of many practicing Mormons at GBHS

and they (draw) conclusions about the reasons why we do things,” Flinders said. “(People) tend to stereotype us.”

Mormons study from three different sources: the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.

With so much scripture to study, the list of rules practicing Mormons adhere to is extensive.

“A lot of people just find it kind of cute the way we have all these rules,” Flinders said.

He feels that many students fail to see Mormonism as a lifestyle and don’t understand the need for See MORMON, page B4

If you really knew me,

you would know...

You’re done with SATs forever! Unless you’re one of those unfortunate December test-takers. In that case, good luck!

- Compiled by Kelsey Knorp

sive pies.

While all did well, the Gazette had a slight lead, ending with the Gazette for the female win.

On the guys’ side, the contest

Students’ beliefs are often misjudged

B

You’ve hopefully been asked to your last Winter Ball.

Senior and yearbook staffer Ian Fitzgerald, front, plunges headfirst into his supersized pumpkin dessert

Students avoid vocal participation in class

ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

You can start building your Christmas wish list, which will include the MacBook Pro you “need for college.”

Gazette photo /RILEY MACMILLAN

Lindsey Ribota

you would know that I’m really athletic when it comes to sports and not as girly as people think I am. I’m not really afraid to tackle people to get what I need.

Taylor Ito

Davis Pae

I’m a huge Star Trek fan. I collect a lot of random stuff related to it, like action figures, videos, comic books, props from the show. I have a Captain Kirk Ken doll, too.

you would know that my friends and I pull stupid pranks on each other, like doorbell ditching, putting hands in warm water while sleeping and covering houses with toilet paper.

- Compiled by ShinEui Park

are many other more assertive students vying for the teacher’s attention.

“When I have (students) that are constantly begging my attention because they have questions, need help or have disciplinary problems, the kid that’s quiet is going to disappear,” Tastor said.

Tastor said that this can be See QUIET, page B4

Families use unique traditions to show thanks No matter what the ritual, Thanksgiving means fall, food and family time

BY DORIEN JOHNK

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

T

he first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the pilgrims who ventured to the New World. The great feast was intended to give thanks for safe travel and was three days of fun and celebration.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is thought of mostly in a different manner. We still give thanks for all of the things we are lucky to have, but we also have developed new traditions.

Most people, when they hear the word Thanksgiving, think of turkey, pumpkin pie and football. Others are excited for their traditional trip or family reunion around the dinner table.

The most traditional family celebration is a big family get-together for which relatives gather from near and far to be together for one night of feast.

Granite Bay High School freshman Hannah Day considers Thanksgiving a holiday that she really looks forward to.

“Every year my grandparents and aunt and uncle come down to our house and we have a huge dinner with turkey and potatoes,” Day said.

After the meal, Day said that she and her relatives play games and just spend time with each other.

For sports fans, one very important event during Thanksgiving is football. This is true See TRADITIONS, page B4

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Lifestyle B3

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Marching toward progress Putting sweat, tears and hard work into the school’s Emerald Brigade

BY LENA EYEN

leyen.gazette@gmail.com

I

t is one of the highest ranked high school bands in the state, and has performed in famous arenas such as Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center.

With 115 musicians, the Emerald Brigade at Granite Bay High School has achieved monumental success due to its endless hours of hard work and dedication.

Emerald Brigade Band Director Lynn Kulikowski said that the musicians are all like a family.

“These kids work really hard and they have learned how hard work pays off,” Kulikowski said. “When they are out marching in 110 degree weather over the summer, they can go to a performance and (see that) their performance level is so much better than any other schools around.”

Each school day, every Emerald Brigade member attends zero period practice, followed by practice in either first period (for the percussionists and those in Color Guard) or second period (for the rest of the musicians.)

In addition, the Emerald Brigade meets on Monday nights from 6:30 to 9:00 as well as other practices throughout the week.

Freshman Natalie Caraway had to quit playing soccer in order to allow room in her schedule to partake in band. “(Being in the Emerald Brigade) is definitely different and a step up from other things that I have done before,” Caraway said.

While many sports teams define a hard day as practicing for a few hours, the Emerald Brigade will sometimes practice for more than eight hours.

“Super Saturdays” occur most Saturdays where the Emerald Brigade does not have a competition, and the idea of practice is taken to the next level.

Junior Madison Touloukian is a musi-

cian who has been a part of the band system for seven years, including the Emerald Brigade for three years.

“We basically have Super Saturdays because we do not have enough time during zero period, first period, second period or Monday night (practices),” Touloukian said. “It is where we learn and rehearse in order to get things permanently etched into our brains.”

Super Saturday begins at 9:00 a.m.

“We go out to the field and stretch for 20 minutes. Then we do a basics block, for about an hour, which is where we work on the fundamentals of marching,” Touloukian said. “Then we either learn a new drill, which is the routine, or we practice (the already introduced routine) again and again.”

By then, it is about 12:30 p.m. and is break time for lunch.

At about 1:30 p.m. the musicians return to the field to continue learning the drills and rehearsing. Around three, they begin ensemble.

“Ensemble is when percussion and Color Guard come out to all practice together, and do one or two full runs (of the entire show),” Touloukian said.

By 5:00 p.m., the day is over and the exhausted band members get to return home.

However that is just one Saturday.

Kulikowski said that this year alone, the Emerald Brigade will perform in seven competitions, including the statewide championship placed the weekend before Thanksgiving.

“We decided this year to step up and do a Western States Division for a circuit rather than just Northern California,” Kulikowski said. “It has really paid off for us because we are looked at being ranked top in the state vs. just Northern California.”

Even though Emerald Brigade demands a large portion of the musicians’ time, it does not mean that they are restricted from doing anything else.

Cheer vs. Dance

Differences and similarities of the two programs are finally settled

BY DORIEN JOHNK

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

T

he difference between dance and cheer is sometimes hard to see. Some think one is a sport while the other isn’t, while others have strong opinions about the differences between the two.

The cheerleading and drill teams at Granite Bay High School are both award winning teams composed of talented students.

But, they have different opinions of each other.

Katie Gezi, a senior drill captain, has been on the drill team since she was a freshman. She started dancing when she was in sixth grade and has enjoyed watching herself grow as a performer.

“I like dance because I like performing and being in front of an audience is really fun,” Gezi said.

Gezi said one of the hardest aspects of dance is adapting to the many styles and having to attend dance camp every summer.

“Cheer is doing stunts… and they have little dance sections” Gezi said. “It’s not as extended as (dance) moves are… and (there are) more versatile types of dance.”

Both teams have to dance and do stunts, just cheer stunts are harder, Gezi believes. They also both have to perform on the sidelines during football games and halftime.

Other dancers on the team have similar opinions.

Sophomore dancer Kennedy Mac Millan has been dancing since she was two years old. Mac Millan believes that even though some people don’t consider dancing a sport, it should be

“It is a lot but you can still do other things,” Caraway said.

Many of the band members, such as Caraway and Touloukian, participate in other extracurricular activities in addition to band.

“A lot of our kids (also) do sports,” Kulikowski said. “These students do so many other things that it is really amazing how they juggle it all.”

In the end, being a part of the band is more than just playing music.

Some outsiders even say that it seems as though the band has their own society.

“I feel like we do spend a lot of time together,” Touloukian said. “Everyone is there working towards a common goal and we are all there because we want to be there.”

Kulikowski attributes some of the hardworking atmosphere to the fact that the musicians have become good friends with one another.

“They enjoy spending time together so it is more like a family that works really hard together,” Kulikowski said. “They bicker every once in a while just like everybody else, but there is an atmosphere that is different than any other band because they are so close together.”

Because of the tight knit community that is formed, many still follow the classic yet arrogant misconception about band.

“Generally people don’t think we are the coolest of people and that we only hang out with band people,” Caraway said. “We’re not just ‘band.’ We intermingle and are definitely not all nerds.”

Kulikowski said that the band members at GBHS are really different from other schools because they are some of the highest achieving students at the school.

“We have a lot of valedictorians and salutatorians that come out of band,” Kulikowski said.

Even with the beginning of a more challenging circuit, the Emerald Brigade’s success is not slowing down any time soon.

“They pick it up so fast,” Kulikowski said. “They are so good at performing and putting in that hard work that it just pays off.”

Gazette photo /Rachael vasquez

thought of as one.

“It keeps you active,” Mac Millan said. “The hardest aspect of dance is probably learning new routines (to a fast song)… because they are sometimes hard to memorize.”

Directly contradicting Gezi, Mac Millan doesn’t think there is too big of a difference between cheer and dance.

“I just think cheer is more about stunts and specific cheer moves,” Mac Millan said. “Dance is actually dancing and we don’t stunt or do those moves that they do.”

Cheerleaders, on the other hand, have their own views about the two sports.

Senior and varsity cheerleader Torrey Headly likes to cheer because she has made many friends, met new people and challenged herself through cheering.

“It’s also fun because you get to be a different type of stereotype than (cheerleading) is given,” Headly said. “Cheerleaders have a whole other perspective of what they’re supposed to be like and we get to be different.”

Headly is also a dancer and thinks that dance and cheer are very closely connected.

“I love dancing and in cheer I get to dance,” Headly said. “I think that’s my strong point because I’ve been dancing since I was younger and it’s really gets you strong.”

Headly thinks that cheer is a challenge because it is a lot of repetition of moves and it consumes much of her time after school.

“I also think it’s hard to get things right on the first try. When you learn a routine you have to train yourself to get it exactly right.”

The challenges drive Headly to really focus on cheer. “(Drill and cheer) both work really hard,” Headly said. “I used to be on Drill and it is a lot of hard work, same as cheer.”

For cheer and dance, Headly thinks that they are both putting in the same hours of hard work.

“We all have to do halftime and we all have to think of things to go with the band.” Headly said. “We’re both working towards the same goals.”

The

CollegeBoard SAT

un- Official SATpractice 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 B5.

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 1 1. Abdicate 2. Cache 3. Paltry 4. Jaded 5. Elocution

a. Cleverly inventive or resourceful b. A small amount or share c. Ridiculously or insultingly small d. Knowledge of something before it exists or happens e. Overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited

6. Abstinent 7. Ebullient 8. Ingenious 9. Foreknowledge 10. Pittance

f. A hiding place, esp. one in the ground g. To renounce or relinquish power or responsibility h. a person’s manner of speaking or reading aloud in public i. dulled by overindulgence; worn out or wearied j. forbearance from any indulgence of appetite

- Compiled by Danielle Dieterich

Stereotypes, no longer affecting one band student, lead to self- discovery

Y

ou’re in band?” is a question I get a lot. Yes, I’m in band. And that girl over there plays soccer. And that guy you’re sitting next to is one of those “lax bros.”

Being involved in something shouldn’t change the way people look at you.

In the past, I tried to shimmy past the topic when it came by in a class.

If someone would ask me a question about rehearsal or the music we’re playing for the spring concert, I’d lower my voice and look around the room.

Not anymore. I, Madison Touloukian, am a proud member of the Granite Bay High School Emerald Brigade. And honestly, I don’t think it should matter.

These past few weeks with the Emerald Brigade has blown my mind. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings I get after we perform our field shows.

As the adrenaline rushes through my body, and a smile grows on my face, I know that there’s no way I can hide what I’m proud of.

Being in the band has given me the majority of my most memorable high school experiences.

I met my best friend freshman year because we both played the same instrument. The chance that we would have become friends outside of band is slim, considering she’s a year older than me.

The people I’ve met through band are going to be the people that, twenty years from now, when I look back on my high school experience, are going to stand out in my mind.

Because of my leadership experiences in band, I know how to deal with many types of people. I pride myself on the ability to stay positive, even when everyone’s sweaty and tired after a five hour rehearsal on the hot turf.

Everyone can go to Winter Ball, or Quad Dance, or participate in Lip Sync. Not everyone can march a ten minute long routine while playing an instrument.

GUEST Commentary

madison touloukian Not everyone can say that they spend every Saturday with their closest friends, laughing on long bus rides on the way to some random high school.

Not everyone can say that they’ve marched off a football field fighting a smile, and exuding the confidence that’s only possible when you know you’ve performed better than you ever thought possible.

The word “band” tends to be given a bad connotation. I’d like to change that. We’re just like any other school activity, and we put an immense amount of work into our performance.

The Granite Bay Emerald Brigade is something our school should be proud off; we kick butt. At the local band competitions, we have the other bands shaking in their shakos (“band hats” for those who don’t know).

When I offer up the fact that I’m in band, I’d love for someone to say “Wow! That’s so cool!”

It’s not like I’m looking for anyone to fluff my ego, or for The Tribe to show up to our Folsom High School competition (although that would sure be something).

I just want to be proud of the fact that I spend every Saturday working towards a monumental goal, along with one hundred other incredibly hard working people.

Collecting nostalgic memorabilia of the past Teacher compiles metal lunchboxes for 10 years

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

A

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

generic collection would consist of coins or Pokémon cards hauled away in a binder or in the attic. But Granite Bay High School science teacher Scott Braly puts his collection to practical everyday use: he collects lunchboxes.

Braly owns a total of about 110 metal lunchboxes that he has collected over the past ten years and rotates his lunchboxes for lunch everyday.

He keeps his lunchboxes on shelves, which cover two walls of his office area at home. When packing his lunch for the day, he simply grabs the next lunchbox in the sequence.

“I have them in order on the shelves and when I get to the end, I go back,” Braly said.

When he gets a new lunchbox, it gets a spot in the front of the line. Braly has enough lunchboxes to get him through a semester of lunches without any repeats.

With such a large collection, Braly has spent an estimated $2,000 on lunchboxes.

The average price he pays for one is $25, and the most expensive lunchbox he has is $45. This is his orbit lunchbox, which has a book value of a couple hundred dollars.

This particular lunchbox is expensive because it was made during one of the early Apollo missions and the company who produced it used a picture from the

National Geographic magazine on the display without permission, causing manufacture to cease. There are only a few of these orbit lunchboxes in circulation and Braly is in possession of one.

Braly’s favorite lunchbox, also his first lunchbox which got him into collecting, is his dome top Grizzly Adams.

“That’s the holy grail of my lunchboxes,” Braly said.

He remembers carrying lunchboxes to school as a kid: his Land of the Giants, Hot wheels and Land of the Lost lunchboxes.

But he was always jealous of his friend with the Grizzly Adams lunchbox. It was one of his favorite TV shows in the 70s.

10 years ago, when Braly spotted the exact lunchbox, it brought back memories from his childhood and he knew he had to have it.

Outside of teaching, Braly and his wife used to work with antique dealings on the weekends. In the business of collectables, he had booths neighbored by other dealers who sold lunchboxes.

“Once you’ve gotten a few, it plants the bug and you start looking for them more seriously,” Braly said.

Braly has accumulated a great deal of his lunchboxes from bidding on eBay and now has a third of all existing metal lunchboxes in production.

See COLLECTING, page B5

Riding with the police

Gazette writer Riley Mac Millan tells a first- hand experience about spending a day with the police

BY RILEY MAC MILLAN

rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com

N

ever before could I have imagined that I would be sitting in a police car at the age of 17. Looking around I found a shot gun, a billy club and miscellaneous buttons where a radio should be. I heard male and female voices buzzing on the police scanner. I was in for the ride of my life.

When I first got in the car, I was nervous.

I signed paperwork, answered questions with just a few words at a time and avoided talking.

Eventually I loosened up. I realized it was going to be a long night. I made myself comfortable and prepared for the next few hours.

A few weeks before in teacher Jason Rath’s government class, a project called

“Doing Democracy” had been assigned.

This included the option of going on a ride-a-long with someone who is in law enforcement.

I gladly accepted the challenge of going through this process.

I have a friend whose mother works in the law enforcement field. She gave me the number of a sergeant of the Auburn California Highway Patrol who assigned me to have my ride-a-long during the “swing shift” from 4pm-10 pm on a Sunday night.

The officer who I was riding with was Officer Dean Deascentis. He was a very friendly man who loves his job and enjoys talking about his police work.

We started out the night driving on I-80, checking for anyone who was speeding.

Deascentis said that this was his ‘beat’. (A ‘beat’ is the route a policeman patrols.)

See POLICE, page B5

B4 Lifestyle

Thursday, November 10, 2011

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

Drama Club President: Senior, Sara Biel Gazette: What is the purpose of drama club?

Drama Club is just for drama geeks like myself and other theater people to come and just have fun.

We do improv every other week, which is just making up scenes on the spot. It actually isn’t just for drama people. We’ve had a lot of new people just come and want to have fun and had a lot of converts, like people who have never done theater before and find that drama is enjoyable. We do workshops to prepare you for auditions, and we’re planning to do an “acting-forthe-camera” workshop which is for people who want to become movie stars.

A twit is the technical term for a pregnant goldfish.

Panda bears eat up to sixteen hours a day.

Colors like red, yellow, and orange make you hungry.

Cows give more milk when they listen to music.

Americans, on average, eat 18 acres of pizza a day.

How often do you meet?

We have been meeting every other Wednesday. Sometimes we meet on Fridays.

A one-day weather forecast requires about 10 billion math calculations.

Nick Gainer, sophomore

Gazette photo /OLIVIA CORNELL

There are more French restaurants in New York City than in Paris.

The first VCR was the size of a piano.

Sources: http://www.snapple.com/retired-facts/

If you had to wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Aqua What is your ideal date?

To have it be like a James Bond movie

–Compiled by Shannon Carroll

What is your favorite aquatic animal?

A narwhal

What is your favorite article of clothing?

A vest

Coke or Pepsi?

Coke

Do you have a special talent?

Yes, catching food in my mouth

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Cloud City in Star Wars

Do you help out with school plays and musicals?

Totally. Sometimes we have sessions where we make posters and stuff for the play and usually a lot of the people who are involved in the plays and musicals at school are in Drama Club as well.

Why did you want to be president of this club?

Drama has always been my thing, my niche. It was always my dream to be the president because it’s what I love doing and I love teaching people all about the joys of drama.

–Compiled by Hayley McAvoy

–Compiled by ShinEui Park

QUIET: Students uncomfortable CONTEST: Pie promotes messy competition expressing their thoughts aloud Continued from page B2

Continued from page B2 academically harmful for the student in two ways.

“If it is a kid that is quiet and is a nonlearner, then I’ve lost them. Or, if they’re quiet and socially not engaged, then I’ve (also) lost them, and that’s where it gets scary,” Tastor said.

Likewise, it is sometimes difficult for quieter students to confront teachers if they require help.

Junior Ada Shaw does ask for help from her teachers personally, but she does not like to ask during class.

“I ask for help (with) classes, but I am scared to ask questions during class (time),” Shaw said.

Although some quiet students participate when class participation credit is involved, others fall short of the goal because they find it difficult to express their thoughts and answers to questions aloud.

“I refuse to talk because I get selfconscious about saying what my answers (to questions) are,” Galang said. “I have an easier time talking to a small group of people than with a large group of people, but even then I tend to just not really say anything and go with what the group consensus is.”

Tastor says the best way for struggling quiet students to perform better in class is to self advocate.

“They have to learn to go ask for the help they need and be okay with that,” Tastor said.

Tastor also presents a solution that allows quiet students that don’t usually feel

comfortable directly sharing their ideas to share their insights in a more indirect way.

“A think-pair-share is a strategy where I ask a question, have kids write down the answer and then have them share it with the person next to them,” Tastor said.

Tastor said this strategy allows a quiet student’s partner to share his or her thoughts and answers on his or her behalf.

However, for most quiet people like Galang, participating in class doesn’t mean taking part in a discussion – it means observing what is occurring in the classroom. “(Class discussions) are interesting for me because I get to hear all the random, funny things people talk about,” Galang said. “I actually like having a loud class and being the really quiet person.”

Shaw also prefers to stay in the background during class activities in order to evaluate the things that happen in class on an unbiased level.

“I won’t raise my hand because I like to stay objective,” Shaw said. “I don’t ever give opinions.”

Generally, quiet students prefer to listen to their more assertive peers and generally enjoy being able to hear other people’s thoughts and opinions.

“It would actually feel more awkward if there were no loud people in the classroom,” Galang said. “If a class is based on participation and everybody is quiet and nobody ever talks, the teacher is more likely to pick a random person.”

“I want to know what my students know,” Tastor said. “Just because a kid is quiet doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t learning.”

for the championship.

Wasting no time, Fitzgerald assaulted his pie with a fast head-into-pie entry.

Fitzgerald continued to eat his pie like a crazed animal, shocking his team, the competitors and the audience.

Little did they know, the sight would get even scarier, as Fitzgerald picked his head up for a short breath.

Every scrap of skin, hair and neck was covered in a

pumpkin and cool whip mess.

Sideburns, beard, mustache, eyelashes, eyebrows and everything else was covered, giving him a ghastly, crusty facial glow.

Pawlak’s approach was the complete opposite. He was slow and deliberate, wiping his face between bites.

Downs made a decent start, but didn’t make it very far before making gagging sounds.

He repeatedly mentioned how he hates pie and was disqualified from the competition

by Gazette senior ShinEui Park for playing with his food and turning it into a pumpkin pie volcano mountain.

After going to the bathroom, Downs allegedly threw-up, proclaiming once more how foul pumpkin pie is to him.

Ito stayed in the competition nearly to the end, but dropped out as he believed it was not physically possible for someone, in one sitting, to eat an entire Costco monster pie.

Down to the final two, Fitzgerald’s eating slowed, al-

lowing Pawlak to catch up.

Pawlak made steady effort all the way to the finish, and rejected many truce offerings from Fitzgerald before finally accepting after both had eaten most of their now unrecognizable pumpkin pies.

In the end, the Gazette may have won the contest, but yearbook’s Fitzgerald stole the show with his enthusiastic effort.

All in all, the Gazette looks forward to more “Gazette vs.” challenges in the future.

TRADITIONS: Students give thanks differently Continued from page B2 for junior Kevin Myers and his family. “(After our dinner) we all watch football, play games outside and hang out.”

Meyers said.

One of Meyers’ favorite Thanksgiving memories was when he visited his grandparents. He watched the annual football game and played in an actual game with his family members.

A more unusual Thanksgiving family tradition happens every year in senior Kayla Karlsson’s family.

“Nine years ago, before I started playing soccer, I would have dinner with my family. (My family) would rotate between houses every year,” Karlsson said.

Instead, her family and soccer team now spend the vacation in San Diego at a yearly Thanksgiving break soccer

tournament. However, Karlsson doesn’t miss out on all of the holiday festivities. “(Now) we spend (Thanksgiving dinner)...at like a Denny’s with our soccer team because we’re like family. Or we might order in at the hotel and get everyone on the team together,” Karlsson said.

On Thanksgiving Day, instead of getting ready to eat a family dinner, Karlsson spends the day at the mandatory practice to prepare for her upcoming games. She thinks of it as a different yet fun tradition to have for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Instead of eating with relatives, it’s like a soccer family,” Karlsson said.

Sophomore Christian Stone and his family have two Thanksgiving traditions that are different than most. “(My family) goes on the Run to Feed the Hungry every year. We started doing the run about five years ago,” Stone said.

During the run, his family stops at all of the restaurants along the trail.

Every year, they bring along with them a wagon that they decorate as a large pumpkin.

Stone and his relatives still have a big Thanksgiving dinner, but that isn’t what he anticipates most.

“I look forward to the (Run to Feed the Hungry) and...when we play flag football with all of our families,” Stone said. “I like watching my (family) playing football...and it’s fun to see (them) get together.”

Whether students participate in traditional or unusual Thanksgiving rituals, one common theme seems to be the sense of family that is evoked by the holiday.

“I think (Thanksgiving is) fun because you get to be with family and do family activities,” Day said.

MORMON: Misconceptions about the LDS religion have become widespread Continued from page B2 for so many rules dictating the appropriate standards for dress, language, music, dancing, dating, physical health and more.

“They refer to us as ‘Are you one of those Mormons?’ which sort of has a negative connotation,” Flinders said.

Perhaps the most widely acknowledged misconception about Mormonism is the belief that Mormons traditionally practice polygamy. This is in fact a myth; LDS banned the practice when Utah became a state in 1896.

“The guys always get the jokes like ‘How many wives can you have?’” Shaw said.

Mike Sebesta, a prominent local Mormon authority, had much insight to offer on the issue. As a local

LDS bishop and father of two GBHS graduates and one current GBHS student, he has experience working with the youth in his church and is very familiar with the way young Mormons are treated in school.

“My own kids have gone to the high school and they have had comments made about what we believe or don’t believe,” Sebesta said. “In high school it can be fairly harsh… I don’t think out of (a desire to cause) direct harm of an individual but out of lack of knowledge or lack of understanding.”

Despite this, Sebesta believes that the public is becoming more informed about LDS practices and, as a result, young Mormons are being treated with more respect in their schools than in the past.

The Mormon Church encourages community involvement, tolerance and leadership, which plays a significant role in helping the church to successfully establish itself as a major religion.

“We try to be a very big part of the community … and we have the opportunity to be a great example and hopefully just let people know that we are just like everyone else,” Sebesta said.

And yet many young LDS members feel they are not viewed as normal high school students.

“I feel like (our peers) treat us differently,” Flinders said.

While GBHS has not had any serious issues with harassment or bullying of Mormon students, LDS members are sometimes subjected to ridicule and judgment by their peers.

However, according to Sebesta, young members of LDS rarely let this treatment affect their religious beliefs.

“I have heard of situations where some unkind words have been said, but I don’t think it has ever affected the attitudes … of our youth because we believe

what we believe,” Sebesta said. “Hopefully when you believe in something strongly enough … you strongly adhere to it.”

While many Mormons feel they are viewed differently because of their religious views, they refuse to reciprocate any judgment passed upon them.

Both Flinders and Sebesta expressed that while they may not agree with the beliefs of other religions, they are taught through the policies of the Mormon Church to view others with tolerance and respect.

This live and let live attitude provides a strong basis for the church and makes members of LDS more accessible to the outside world.

“I don’t focus on what people think we do or don’t believe,” Sebesta said. “We claim the privilege of worshipping the almighty God … and allow all men the same privilege to let them worship how, where and what they may.”

Thursday, November 10, 2011

w

Lifestyle B5

The Granite Bay Gazette

College of the Month Kalamazoo College

Who: 1,369 undergraduate students Where: Kalamazoo, Michigan Tuition and Fee Cost: $35,920 Acceptance Rate: 54% acceptance rate U.S. News Ranking: #68 (national liberal arts colleges) Athletics: the Hornets • Kalamazoo is part of NCAA Division III Athletics.

• Kalamazoo has both men’s and women’s teams in basketball, baseball/softball, cross country, golf, soccer and swimming/diving.

• They also have a women’s team for volleyball and a men’s football team.

Mascot: Buzz the Hornet Academics: • 11:1 student faculty ratio • Over 90% of Kalamazoo stu-

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

• Kalamazoo started their K-Plan, which encourages students to thoroughly study their major, take part in hands-on learning, study internationally and take part in a senior project Fun Facts: • Selma Blair, Vivian from Legally Blonde, went to Kalamazoo College her freshman year.

• On Fridays, the Student Activities Committee shows a free movie on DVD before it has officially been released.

• Downtown Kalamazoo has many art galleries and other artistic hubs.

• Kalamazoo has a local golf course.

dents receive some financial aid.

• More than 85% of Kalamazoo students study abroad.

• Kalamazoo offers study abroad programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North Ameri- Compiled by Sydney Kahmann ca and the United Kingdom.

Desk: The story of a single GBHS seat and the students who sit in it Continued from page B6 Although CP Chemistry is not noted as one of Shaw’s favorite classes, she continues to strive as a hardworking student.

Second Period Dixon teaches CP Chemistry again second period, with sophomore Thomas Taylor sitting in the same spot Shaw occupied during the previous class.

Similar to Shaw’s initial reasoning, Taylor chose this specific seat in order to be near his friends.

Taylor sees nothing special or wrong with his current desk, but if he could choose another place to sit, it would be somewhere in the infamouslystereotyped back row. But all in all, this current seat has proved satisfactory to him.

As for the class, Taylor admits that science is not one of his strong subjects.

“I’m good in classes such as AP European History, but chemistry is hard,” Taylor said. “Whether it’s biology or chemistry, I’m not really good at science in general.”

There is also another difficulty Taylor must face, which is his habit of procrastinating. He doesn’t only procrastinate in chemistry, however.

“I procrastinate on almost everything,” Taylor said. “It’s a habit with all my classes. I know it’s really bad.”

Third Period During third period, Dixon teaches the school’s one and only AP Biology class. In this same seat junior Scott Downs now sits.

Midterms have passed and finals are approaching, yet the class has yet to switch seats. The current seating arrangements were made by Dixon at the beginning of the school year.

But Downs does not mind the situation of not switching seats.

“I think it’s pretty comfortable, with good viewing distance and great reliability,” Downs said.

One of the most visually appealing factors about Dixon’s classroom is his large, decorative fish tank.

Not only is the sound of the streaming water calming, but it’s also entertaining to watch the many

His collection is still growing but he is no longer avidly on the hunt for lunch boxes. He still collects today, but not as seriously as when he first started his collection. He finds new lunch boxes at the occasional garage sale and he and his family enjoy going to antique street fairs every month or so.

The last metal lunch boxes were produced in 1985 and Braly likes to collect them because they are memorabilia of the past and they give him opportunities to connect with his students as well as other teachers. “(Lunch boxes) are a blast from the past and a picture of culture,” Braly said. “It’s nostalgic for a lot of adults to look at them. I’m using (my collection), I’m enjoying it, I’m sharing it

Fourth Period

Continued from page B1

With the school day almost finished, all that is left is fourth period, which is the last CP Chemistry class Dixon teaches for the day.

Following the previous three students is junior Nathan Wiley.

Last term, this fourth period class moved seats a total of two times and, like Taylor and Shaw, he was able to choose where he sits.

As class progresses, Wiley patiently stays in his seat while tapping the eraser of his pencil against the table. Although there are other areas of the classroom where he would like to sit, he is content with where he currently is.

As the upcoming spring sports season approaches, Wiley looks forward to playing for the varsity boys’ lacrosse team, which is also his sixth year playing lacrosse in general.

“When I was in fifth grade, I kind of got out of the soccer stage, and I started playing lacrosse because it was something new and I wanted to try it,” Wiley said.

“I’m not super smart, but I still try to get good grades and do homework on most nights,” Wiley said. “Chemistry as a subject is just difficult to comprehend because it’s more technical compared to other science subjects such as biology where the material is broader.”

a former student and friend of Braly, surprised him with the 1964 NFL lunch box last year, just before graduating. He and Braly had had multiple conversations about his lunch boxes and when Hollingshead asked about NFL lunch boxes one day, Braly told him he had three of the four existing ones in his collection but had never been able to get a hold of the 1964 make.

Braly said that with the economy being down, people are selling their collectables because they are not a necessity. He said collectables are “red hot” and as inexpensive as ever and that now is the perfect time to get into collecting.

“I invite any students (or staff members) who have any interest in (lunch boxes) to stop by,” Braly said. “I’d be happy to talk about them any time.”

POLICE: Student’s ride-along experience Within the first ten minutes, officer Deascentis sped up from 65-90 mph to catch up with a speeder.

During this speed-up, we had been conversing about police work. He kept a normal conversation while increasing speed, like it was no big deal which showed how cool and calm a policeman must be while on the job.

Later, when we pulled a car over, there was a family of illegal immigrants. The father of the family was driving without a license. They were hours away from their home and could not speak English well. A child in the car had to translate for the family so they could comply with Officer Deascentis’ needs. We ended up giving the man a ticket, and going on our way.

Policemen have hundreds if not thousands of codes. They are a shorter, easier way to spread messages. For example, 1015 means a person is being taken into custody. These codes are put into official documents and reported across police

“If we see grass or something, (people) will (say), ‘hey Cesar, you should mow that,’” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said most comments he hears reference the stereotyped low socioeconomic status of Mexicans as well as certain jobs that they are perceived as most dominant in.

Senior Gabby Cho is half Korean and feels she does not fit the typical Asian stereotype that many students apply to her. She said that oftentimes people assume her parents are very strict, and that she will be severely disciplined for not achieving the best grades.

“Actually, (my mom) is white, and she’s the one who asks how I’m doing in my classes,” Cho said. “My dad doesn’t even know what classes I’m taking, and he’s Asian.”

English teacher Katrina Wachs previously taught at a more diverse school than GBHS and feels that without exposure to those kinds of diverse environments, students at GBHS cannot comprehend the true weight of their seemingly innocent remarks. At her former school, many of the jokes made by GBHS students were offenses worthy of suspension.

“As educators, we’re doing a disservice to our students if we don’t talk about it with them, because once they leave here and (enter) a more diverse environment… they are going to get misrepresented as bad people (for making those jokes),” Wachs said.

Wachs believes that because the majority of GBHS students have not been truly prejudiced against, they cannot realistically grasp the gravity of the “jokes” they inflict on others from different backgrounds. Because this type of offensive language has been integrated into most students’ everyday speech, it has become more and more difficult to distinguish the humorous from the hurtful.

“It’s this accepted cultural language, and I don’t believe it’s acceptable,” Wachs said. “Granite Bay (is) behind this curtain, and people do and say these things that outside the curtain wouldn’t be okay.”

This distinct lack of diversity does not go unnoticed

by students from other schools, as GBHS has adopted its own stereotype.

“I think that Granite Bay High School is obviously stereotyped as this very rich, kind of affluent neighborhood where everyone drives an Escalade to school and throws these elaborate parties,” Holzer said.

This generalization cannot be applied to all students, however. Holzer, who has heard the views of his friends from schools such as Bella Vista High School and Mira Loma High School, notes that because a few more socially active students embody this image, outsiders perceive them as representative of the entire student body of more than two thousand.

Bereket-Ab tends to hear the racial aspect of the stereotype from people she knows.

“If I tell someone I go to Granite Bay, they say things like, ‘oh, Granite Bay, you must be whitewashed,’” she said. “They think everyone here is (a) stuck-up, bratty white person.”

Sanchez believes the stereotype is a result of jealousy felt by students from other schools.

“I think… it has a lot to do with our athletics,” Sanchez said. “(Nearly) everyone who (plays) a sport here is white and tends to be actually good, so people just get angry about the fact that we’re beating other schools that (in their opinion) should be winning.”

Cho has heard several implications that GBHS students take advantage of the privileges they’re given, which she thinks is a little far-fetched.

“A lot of people (from other schools) think kids at Granite Bay all do drugs like cocaine,” Cho said. “I (also) feel like people think our grades are handed to us, and everything’s a smooth path and we don’t have adversity.”

GBHS may be stereotyped for financial privilege, but Wachs feels that the prevailing advantage of attending GBHS is the allowance of ignorant comments to go unpunished.

“I think the privilege is because there’s not as much diversity here, not (feeling) like you have to be sensitive about what you say, just because that group may or may not be represented on this campus,” Wachs said.

Mascot: Grizzly represents school spirit

with other people and not just putting it on a shelf and leaving it at home.”

Junior Brandon Borjon is in Braly’s Fish and Wildlife class and was also in his Biology class. Borjon said that students found out about his collection because on the way in from lunch, he stands at the door holding his lunch box and makes comments about them everyday.

“I think his collection is awesome and I wish I had the confidence to talk about a lunch box collection openly with other people,” Borjon said. “I bought Mr. Braly a Captain America (lunch box) ... and the next time we pass out notes for staff appreciation I’m going to give it to him.”

Braly has received lunch boxes as gifts from other people.

Graduate Kevin Hollingshead,

Continued from page B3

Continued from page B1

different kinds of fish move about.

“The only thing I don’t like about where I sit is that I’m far away from the fish,” Downs said. “I can’t watch them from where I’m sitting.”

Outside of class, Downs has been involved with the school’s band since freshmen year. He currently plays two instruments: the bassoon, which he has been playing since eighth grade, and the euphonium, which he has been playing since freshmen year.

Not only is he part of the band, he teaches music lessons as well. Downs mainly offer lessons to beginning bassoon, trombone and euphonium players.

As far as school work goes, however, Downs realizes his study habits are in need of improvement.

He works hard to get assignments turned in on time and not procrastinate, but with such time-consuming extracurricular activities as band and teaching music lessons, much of his time is eaten away.

COLLECTING: Braly’s unusual hobby Continued from page B3

Stereotypes: Students cope with misconceptions and generalizations

scanners.

One exciting moment in the ride along was at the point where we thought there was a drunk driver on the road. We thought this because he was driving without his headlights on, which is a common sign that a driver is drunk.

We made a quick U-turn because the driver was on the other side of the road, and sped up to go catch him. However, the driver was not drunk, he had just forgotten to put his headlights on.

Officer Deascentis said that it is hard to be a policeman and balance his work time with his family.

This opened my eyes to the difficulties that come along with being a policeman.

On the other hand, he said that he is able to schedule his own working hours and when he wants time off he gets it. He enjoys the independence of being a highway patrolman and not having a boss over his shoulder.

I learned so much from this ride along, and it was such an eye opening experience for me, that I hope to do it again someday.

be on the lucky side, some other local schools’ aren’t as popular as our grizzly.

“The Rocklin Thunder is literally the saddest excuse for a mascot I’ve ever heard of,” Ellis said. “How are you supposed to get intimidated by a mascot that isn’t even tangible? It’s a sound, and it’s not even dangerous.”

Ellis isn’t the only GBHS student to find some local

schools’ mascots to be uninspiring.

“The Del Oro eagles are pretty lame,” McNiff said.

“What are you going to do, fly all over me?”

Overall, the students and surrounding community of Granite Bay are, for the most part, happy to be considered Grizzlies, and wouldn’t settle for anything less when it comes to what represents our school.

“Having the grizzly as our mascot makes it easy to have pride in our school,” said Ellis, “How can’t you when you have such a powerful animal.”

Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. G, 2. F, 3. C, 4. I, 5. H, 6. J, 7. E, 8. A, 9. D, 10. B.

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

B6 Lifestyle

a DAY...

IN THE LIFE...

OF A DESK The stories of four different students are shared by one desk

BY SHINEUI PARK

spark.gazette@gm

ail.com

A

morning, s the bell rings exactly at 7:45 during the chilly “611” and room ed label students scurry into the classroom e Granite head straight for their seat. This is the room wherCollege Prees teach n Dixo e Shan er teach ce Bay High School scien (AP) Biology. paratory (CP) Chemistry and Advanced Placementle: they either sit simp fairly The seating areas for the students are lab tables. at one of the tables set up in rows or at one of the nts of GBHS, stude and seats many the of out Chosen randomly ed in the secondthe desk that was decided on for this article is locat oximately the appr s, table the of middle row of the right hand side center of the room.

First Period sophomore First period is Dixon’s first CP Chemistry class with Sophia Shaw seated at this desk. opportunity to Having switched seats three times, Shaw had the choose her current seat. wherever Dixon allowed his students one by one to sit down her friend had turn, ’s they would like, and by the time it was Shaw e Shaw currently already chosen a spot, which is right next to wher sits. it’s not too “This seat is nice, because I can see the board (but) close to the front either,” Shaw said. silently carve While other more bored and mischievous studentsattentively jots Shaw s, desk their of ce surfa the into or draw upon down notes and listens to her teacher. s on her Keeping a straight-A record and receiving high score nt. stude stent persi ly notab a chemistry tests, Shaw is , she is involved Not only is her academic record consistently highg and singing actin her ort with extracurricular activities that supp acting organization skills, such as Take No Troop (TNT). TNT is an the local area. in Loomis, showing plays in production around See DESK, page B5

These four students — sophomore Sophia Shaw, top left, sophomore Thomas Taylor, top right, junior Scott Downs, bottom left, and junior Nathan Wiley, bottom right, share the same seat in room 611.

Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette Commentary

C Section

Thursday w November 10, 2011

Young player takes the field by storm

mat fukuhara mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

Blind athlete plays sports through sound, not sight

T

he sound of the buzzer will go off in ten seconds.

Matt Steven, who has been shooting the foul shots thus far, has been 0-6, and the coach knows his team’s best player can easily make the shot to tie the game. But the team wants Steven. Steven is blind.

I came across his story on YouTube and couldn’t help but to think how easy it is to get caught up in the high school politics of athletic scholarships and athletic image when there are others out there who would do anything just to be fully and physically capable of performing as any average athlete.

Steven, who has been blind since age 9, played basketball for the St. Laurence team in Upper Darby, PA. When his story first aired on ESPN five years ago, it was specifically about his abilities in basketball. He was initially asked to be on the team as a team equipment manager, but was later asked by the coach to become something more.

The coach knew Steven’s inspiring story and found that he had more to offer when he gave Steven one of the greatest gifts a coach can give a player: an opportunity.

Steven didn’t have any experience shooting baskets and probably wouldn’t have if the coach had not understood what it would take to get Steven to where he could perform with ease.

The coach used a stick to tap on the rim of the basket. During the ESPN feature, Steven says there’s a difference in the sound from when the coach taps on the rim versus tapping on the backboard.

The majority of high school athletes take for granted the fact that they can physically see the basket and think of sight as an advantage against other athletes. Taking this into account, Steven’s achievements are amazing as he finds himself excelling even without the advantage of sight.

In Steven’s case, he was able to sink shots sometimes more smoothly blind than others who have with the ability to see.

With seconds to spare, Steven listens for the right tap, takes a couple of breaths, bounces the ball and takes the risk.

With everyone holding their breath, the ball launched from Steven’s shaking finger tips to the rim and through the basket. The score has now become tied, and Steven’s team has made it to overtime.

Since the ESPN story was reported, Steven has ventured into other sports.

To play soccer, he and his brother line themselves up with the goal, and his brother taps on the cross bar.

To throw a football, he winds back and throws the football not only in a perfect spiral, but through a tire suspended in the air while his brother taps on the top of the tire.

In golf the stick is tapping on the hole.

As Steven becomes introduced to more and more sports those who watch can’t help but to be inspired by the way Steven has found athletic clarity despite what most might find as an impossible disadvantage. *** Mat Fukuhara, a senior, is a Gazette sports editor.

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Sophomore Tony Ellison stands in anticipation of the play with his fellow Grizzly football players at the Homecoming game vs. Rocklin Thunder on October 28

Sophomore Tony Ellison excels on varsity football

BY CHASE EVANS

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

Sophomores are so rare on the varsity football team that neither of the Granite Bay High School alumi currently playing in the NFL were chosen to play varsity football as a sophomore. Yet sophomore Tony Ellison was brought up to be a flyback for varsity football.

“Some people are just born with talent. Ellison is one of those people,” defensive backs coach Mike Valentine said.

“I was blessed with great skill and speed and I work really hard at what I do,” Ellison said.

He has helped the team out significantly by providing four touchdowns this year via receptions or rushes.

“He is a key asset to our team because of his speed and

Rebuilding pays off New players overcome injuries, losses

BY BRAD WONG

bwong.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /OLIVIA CORNELL

Senior Andrew Stabbert is one of the four boys added to the varsity boys’ soccer season in the middle of the season try-outs held due to a loss of players

The Granite Bay High School varsity boys’ soccer team has yet again suffered from the loss of players, along with the loss of two senior players due to a conflict with their club teams.

These losses have been so numerous that the team had to hold open tryouts in the middle of the season.

At the start of the season, the boys’ varsity leading scorer, Tommy Thompson and Dominic Scotti were both sidelined by injury.

Recently, Adam Rodriguez tore ligaments in his ankle and hasn’t played for five games. He has been out for about

C2

Fan of the Month

C3

Sports Briefs

C3

Rising Star

C5

Athlete of the Month

C5

half of the season as of early October but hopes to return for playoffs.

Diego Garcia injured his ankle after coming into a painful collision with an opposing player and also had to have knee surgery at the beginning of the year.

Noah Tooley tore his ACL and had surgery in early October. He won’t return for the high school season and will play again in five months as part of the Blues’ competitive team.

Other players are also currently suffering from injuries but manage to play through them: Dominic Scotti (broken toe), Tanner Thompson (sprained ankle), and Caleb Stordahl (gashed eye).

Females in the scrum Rewards for Granite Bay club team gives girls the chance years of work to play in a formerly male-dominated sport

BY NICOLE BALES

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

This year will kick off the first year for the Granite Bay U-19 girls’ rugby club team.

Although this sport has not attracted much attention from Granite Bay High School girls yet, the word is spreading, and girls from many other schools in the area are getting ready for the first season.

Oakmont senior Sydney Rothman explained that she is signing up because she wants to do something new and different.

“I’m looking forward to playing a sport that’s really good for you and crazy fun,” Rothman said.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Granite Bay rugby, and I know a lot of cool people (who) play for them, so it seemed like a good club to start for,” Rothman said.

Sign-ups are being help through November.

The Granite Bay boys’ rugby team is going into its fourth year, with this year’s varsity captains GBHS seniors John Kimble Jr. and Taylor Honnette.

The program consists of teams See RUGBY, page C5

Athletes are recruited and obtain scholarships to top colleges

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

As the fall season comes to a close and school sports get ready for the spring, many senior athletes at Granite Bay High School have already been offered scholarships.

And junior athletes are beginning the process of trying to be recruited.

inside sports Grizz Quiz

instincts,” GBHS junior Zak Lilley said.

His speed is something that he provides as both a flyback and a kick returner.

“He is one of the fastest if not the fastest player on our team,” Valentine said.

Ellison excelled at the freshman football level and, according to Valentine, was brought up to varsity because of the injury-prone flybacks and his sheer talent.

“I always dreamed of being brought up to varsity as a sophomore, but I never though it would happen.” Ellison said.

See ELLISON, page C5

Independent sports clubs Many GBHS students aren’t recognized in their off-brand sports clubs.

C2

Christy Cooper Christy Cooper is planning on attending the United States Air force Academy in the fall of 2012 after being recruited for girls’ varsity soccer

are on the road to achieve the Some of GBHS’s top same types of opportunities. athletes such as senior varsity girls’ soccer player KATRINA REEVES Christy Cooper and senior Junior Katrina Reeves is varsity boys’ soccer player Ty one of those junior athletes Thompson are two athletes on that road. Reeves who who have already been ofplays on the varsity girls’ fered scholarships. So have lacrosse team is right in the senior varsity girls’ soccer player Kayla Karlsson and middle of the scholarship process and is being recruited football player Gavin Andrews. A few junior athletes See SCHOLARSHIPS, page C5

Cryotherapy; the new trend for athletes GBHS athletes turn to this fresh way of preparing their bodies for their sport.

C3

See SOCCER, page C5

Freshamn Kendyl Talley rises up as a young GBHS athlete Talley works her way to become #8 on her team

C5

C2 Sports

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Uncommon sports find a home at GBHS Clubs may not go CIF, but continue to meet after school

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo/Riley macmillan

Gazette photo/kristin taylor

Chess and badmiton club (above and right) are among a few sport related clubs at GBHS that regularly meet after school to engage in recreational interests shared by many other students.

Gazette photo/riley macmillan

Although the arsenal of topnotch sports teams at Granite Bay High School captures the vast bulk of the attention, plenty of other sports are played at GBHS that are not part of the California Interscholastic Federation.

For instance, the Badminton Club has 10 to 15 people show up every Wednesday at Feist Park, according to Annie Liu, president of the club. Those in attendance set up badminton nets and play games with each other.

“We hope to have a badminton tournament in which everyone (at the school) can participate, but we would need to have more people be part of the club to do that,” Liu said.

Liu says that it’s an option for the Badminton Club to become a school sport and compete against high schools that also have a badminton team, but there aren’t enough participants yet at GBHS. The Archery Club has high hopes but is just getting started following the arrival of Spanish teacher Ben Soper, who is a long-time practitioner of archery.

“So far, we have had only three

meetings. We have not gone anywhere to shoot bows, but we have just looked at interesting bows and watched archery videos,” senior Jacob Sampson said.

The Archery club is still in the process of finding funding for a range where they can shoot their arrows and for the purchase of equipment.

“Most of the people in the club have had practice with bow shooting,” Sampson said. “I have been a hunter for a few years, but was unfamiliar with archery, so that is why I wanted to join.”

Sampson hopes that in the next few weeks, the club will be able to find a place to practice.

Tim Healy, GBHS athletic director, said, “If (one of these clubs) wanted to actually become a school sport, they would have to go through a complicated process.”

The first step toward becoming an official CIF sport is to fill out a petition showing that the sport can be financed efficiently and can be mandated properly.

“There is everything from insurance and coaching costs, equipment fees,” Healy said.

“Then you have to go back to Title IX and make sure that there is no inequity between genders.”

Even if GBHS officials decided

to pursue allowing a new school sport to be developed, Healy says that getting other schools to pursue the same sport is almost impossible.

“The reality is that I don’t have the facilities (for the clubs), and I don’t have the budget (for the clubs). Even if I had the ability to do all those things, the cost of (a sports team) traveling to the Bay Area to compete against another school is about $3,000,” Healy said.

Healy feels that the cost alone is enough to limit the amount of sports teams GBHS has.

“I think these clubs should just stay as intramural clubs,” Healy said. “But even so, (these clubs) are still having fun.”

In addition to the sports clubs, GBHS has a Chess Team that is trying to build interest. co-president Linus Halpin, a junior, said a goal for this school year is to have the best four chess members compete in either a regional or state chess tournament. The team last year came close to entering a state tournament, but things did not come quite through.

When not competing for state or regional conventions, the team focuses on lighter tasks the club would like to accomplish.

“One of the fun things the club has planned for this year is to team up with the Harry Potter Club,” Halpin said. “Then (both clubs) would participate in a life-size chess game like in Harry Potter.”

GBHS girls’ golfer began building toward impressive standing in her youth Paige Lee, awarded 2011 Northern California Golfer of the Year, shot her best score of 65 at the League Tournament in River Oaks on Oct. 17

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

Junior Paige Lee has led the varsity girl’s team since her freshman year and has set a remarkable bar for her fellow athletes.

“I think (Lee) has really put golf on the map in Granite Bay,” said Jenny Gilbert, a fellow junior on the varsity girls’ golf team. “It’s really given the community someone to stand behind, and, because she’s so successful at what she does, she has really let everyone rally behind her and show that women’s’ golf is a great sport.”

At the end of the girls’ golf season, Lee was awarded the Northern California Golfer of the Year for 2011.

Lee shot her best score, a 65, at the league tournament in River Oaks on Oct. 17, cementing her status as league champion.

However, Lee still remembers her first 66 at Micke Grove golf course in Lodi as being her fondest golfing moment.

Gazette photo/ Kritin Taylor

Grizz Quiz

“It was the first time I ever shot six under, which was really exciting, and both my parents were watching,” Lee said.

Her golfing skills run in the family, and Lee remembers coming to Granite Bay to play before she even lived here.

“Every summer I would come down here with my grandpa and we would practice, and that’s how I really got into it,” Lee said.

Lee’s whole family has a love for golf, and the sport has been apart of her life since childhood.

“All my life, my family was a huge golf family, so my dad got

me some plastic clubs, and then in the backyard we just hit a couple balls,” Lee said.

Lee’s whole family’s love for golf has greatly influenced her since early childhood.

“I started really when I was three but (started competing when I was) about nine years old,” Lee said.

The skills that Lee has acquired over her life require practice as well as a passion for the game.

During the golf season, Lee practices with her teammates Monday through Thursday but has a different schedule during the off-season.

“When the season ends, I usually practice by myself at my country club (Northridge) every other day,” Lee said.

As far as her skills go, she feels her putting is her strongest suit.

And she has hopes to improve on other parts of her game this season.

“I’m going to improve on my iron game, definitely trying to get it closer so I can have easier putts for a lower score,” Lee said.

Lee doesn’t have a star player

mentality. She stands behind the rest of the team and has a good outlook for each season.

“I really think that we can make it to Nor-Cal this year,” Lee said. “Everybody really improved over the summer, so it should be a great season.”

Her teammates say that she is an invaluable player on their team. “(Lee) has been awesome, and she’s always been someone that everyone looks up to on the team because she’s just so far ahead of everyone,” Gilbert said.

Lee’s long history of golf looks like it will continue on this year, and she hopes to serve another year on varsity as a senior next year.

Beyond that, the possibilities are wide open for Lee’s golfing career outside of high school.

“I do want to have a career in it if I can, but if I don’t then I can still play for fun with my family,” Lee said.

Ryan Arneson Football

Kiah Drongesen Volleyball

Madeline Ochi Tennis

Owen McNiff Cross country

Will Harkin Soccer

What is your favorite type of pie?

Pumpkin

Apple

Apple

Blackberry

Pumpkin

What is your favorite radio station?

101.9

102.5

I don’t listen to the radio

106.5

107.9

My family’s names around my ankle

A tree somewhere no one would see it

Will Greenwood’s face on the back of my thigh

Cross on my back

“LAX” on my arm

Who is your favorite teacher?

Mr. Valentine

Mr. Stephens and Mr. Westberg

Mr. Braly

Mr. Takagishi

Ms. Wachs

Android or iPhone?

iPhone

iPhone

iPhone

iPhone

iPhone

What would you get a tattoo of?

Compiled by Kristin Taylor

Thursday November 10, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS athletes find relief with cryotherapy New medical center brings treatment to community

they try to warm the body up by dilating three times their own size, and that brings more nutrients, oxygen and amino acids flowing throughout your whole body.”

At GBHS, many student athletes have started using this beneficial treatment for several of reasons.

BY JOEY PUHALA “It’s great after football jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com games,” sophomore Jack Dockham said, “My body just feels For the typical Granite Bay rejuvenated after.”

High School student, being Sophomore Marc Ellis also frozen at -166 degrees farenheit agrees. isn’t a part of a daily schedule.

“It helps me out when I’m reBut since the introduction ally sore or injured. It also gives of the U.S. me a lot of energy,” Cryotherapy Ellis said. it’s really good center, more Even for nonand more stuathletic purposes, for your dents are takcryotherapy can circulatory ing advantage be beneficial to a of this bensystem. person’s general eficial “cold” state of health.

– Jack Nickens, U.S. therapy for “It’s really good all types of Cryotherapy employee for your circulatory injuries. system,” Nickens “We’re like said. “It provides a physical your body with enriched therapy center, except we use blood.” cold air to constrict your blood Another one of U.S. Cryovessels, and that helps repair therapy’s features is their your muscles,” US Cryotherapy localization treatment where employee Jack Nickens said. they isolate a single muscle Cryotherapy works by using or part of your body and blow very low temperatures that extremely cold air on it. tighten your blood vessels, “I bruised the back of my calf which causes them to swell really severely, and after they when you are removed from the did an isolation on it, I couldn’t cold environment. even tell where it hurt,” sopho“When you go into the more Owen McNiff said. chamber, your body creates a Cryotherapy has been a growdefensive mechanism for itself ing phenomenon in Europe but to fight off the cold. (That’s is relatively new to Americans. called vasoconstriction,” “This is the first facility of its Nickens said. “When you come kind in America, and we are the out of the chamber, since your first cold air treatment facility blood vessels were constricted, as well,” Nickens said.

A U.S. Cryotherapy center employee, left, leads a customer into one of the center’s advanced chambers. That same worker, below, blasts cold air onto the legs of the same customer.

Gazette photo/Olivia Cornell

Many GBHS students are taking advantage of one of the only locations of its kind in the U.S. “The fact that the facility is so new to America is really cool because it gives our community something exclusive,” McNiff said. “You feel really cool when after you leave, knowing you’re one of the few Americans that can participate in something like that.”

Another one of the benefits of the US Cryotherapy center is that they use cold air as apposed to liquid nitrogen.

“We are the first cold air treatment facility. Everyone else uses liquid nitrogen, and that actually has a lot more expense to it,” Nickens said. “Liquid nitrogen is not very healthy for you either, so you can’t really breath it in. You have to keep your head out of the chamber, while we can actually keep your head in the main chamber which releases more endorphins into your brain.”

“It’s just one of those things that everyone should try at least once,” McNiff said.

Senior Jake Neptune exemplifies spirit and passion for GBHS sports

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

At almost any Granite Bay High School sport event, senior Jake Neptune can be found there loudly cheering on fellow GBHS athletics.

This year, Neptune’s involvement with GBHS’s fan base, The Tribe, is quite substantial. Neptune has been a part of The Tribe since its beginning last year.

Neptune manages the Facebook fan page of The Tribe, which has over 600 members.

He posts on the page at least

SPORTS BRIEFS A quick look at highlights of Granite Bay High School athletics this fall.

Cross country wVarsity cross country boys’ runner Trent Brendel first place in the SFL and are undefeated. wKatie Mersereau placed second in the SFL for the girls’ varsity.

Girls’ Golf wGBHS girls’ golf won the SFL League title and finished 3rd in the Section Playoffs and 5th at the masters Golf Tournament. wPaige Lee was named the Northern California Golfer of the Year 2011.

Boys’ water polo wBoys’ water polo won the 2011 SFL Title.

Football wArik Bird broke 1,000 yards at the varsity game against the Rocklin Thunder. wAdam Wagner and Spencer Briare led the team in catches against Del Oro and Rocklin.

Girls’ volleyball wKassie Donnels was player of the game in the tournament against Roseville. wMaddie Deters made multiple kills in the tournament against Roseville: a kill in the front row, back row, and a point off a block.

two times a week with updates regarding when and where The Tribe will be cheering at, along with any other opportunities The Tribe will be offering that week.

“When it’s time for the big game, I have paint all over me,” Neptune said. “My friends and I are all (pumped) up and ready to

Sports C3

go.”

For football games, Neptune arrives early and tapes off a section reserved for The Tribe. If there is a tailgate for the football game, he will be there helping out along with painting other spirited fans.

“I move (fans) if they were there for the JV game into one group instead of having them in small separate groups.”

Once Neptune has organized The Tribe section, the game is about to start.

Then Neptune starts to lead chants and get everyone in the section involved and excited.

“I think our best chant that we do is the ‘I believe’ chant.

That seems to be a fan favorite,” Neptune said.

After the game is over, Neptune, along with other spirited members, start making their way towards the field for one of Neptune’s favorite activity: storming the field.

“If we win, we are ready to storm the field,” Neptune said.

“But for the first few games (fans) weren’t allowed to storm the field because (faculty) thought that (fans) might harass the other players. But that got sorted out and now we are able to storm the

field and congratulate everyone on the field.”

Neptune’s really enjoys when the soccer and football teams’ have back- to-back games.

“When (the back-to-back games happen), it’s the best opportunity to really show support for both teams,” Neptune said.

Neptune is looking forward to the basketball season, and he hopes that the basketball team will have a repeat of last year’s playoff push. He hopes to have the chance to travel back to Power Balance Pavilion and cheer on the basketball team there.

“A couple of basketball players

Jake Neptune Neptune shows off his claw face paint at the last football game. have told me that they are going back (to Power Balance Pavilion) and going to win sections,” Neptune said. “I can’t wait to go back.”

“When it’s time for the big game, I have paint all over me,” Neptune said. “My friends and I are all (pumped) up and ready to go.”

Sports not offered at GBHS have advantages Many students take part in other athletics off-campus

BY OLIVIA CORNELL

ocornell.gazette@gmail.com

At Granite Bay High School, there are many different sports teams, but there are other sports not available at the school. For some students, school athletics are not as important as other leagues.

For students who want scholarships, they look outside of school athletics.

Sophomore Katelyn Kindelt, a dancer for iMPACT Contemporary Dance Company, does not dance for the school dance team.

“I’m really consumed with the dance at the studio I go to, and I don’t have time to do (the school dance team),” Kindelt said.

She dances year-long and plans to continue dancing after high school. “(I will) maybe minor in it, but it won’t consume my college career. I’ll major in something

else and do it on the side, I guess,” Kindelt said. “I love dancing, and I’m really passionate about it.”

Junior Madison Touloukian also participates in a sport outside of school; she is an equestrian.

Horseback riding is not recognized at GBHS because there is not a team at school for it. However, Touloukian thinks it should be treated the same.

“It would be amazing if (horseback riding) was associated with school.

I don’t think people understand how much of a commitment it is.

I (practice) every day after school for two hours, just like school sports. It doesn’t get the same credit as a school sport because no one really knows what it is.,” Touloukian said.

She practices daily with the mindset of having her hard work rewarded when she competes.

“You are judged on your posi-

It’s definitely a sport. It takes a tion and the way you ride the lot of hard work and commithorse over a series of jumps, ment,” Touloukian said.

Touloukian said. “You want it to Senior Chasteena Determan look as smooth and effortless as plays softball both for the school possible,” Touloukian said. and for a sports One of preparatory prothe difficulIt would be gram for college. ties about Her coach, Brad horseback amazing if Ceo, believes it is riding is the (horseback best for his playfactor that ers to play high the horse riding) was school ball along involved, associated with with his team. quite literHis team, the ally, has a school.

California Commind of its ets, is a college own.

– madi Touloukian, preparatory team, “You can which is the go around gbhs Junior highest level of and kick a competition. soccer ball “It gives you but (with the opportunity horseback to get college scholarships. You riding) you’re actually dealing must play a prep program to get with another animal that has watched by college coaches,” emotions and has off days and Ceo said. has temper tantrums, too,” she One problem many coaches said. outside of school sports have Because this sport is not part of is clashing with high school school sports, it is different from coaches. Some coaches will not things like soccer or basketball. even allow their players to play “Riding is actually like exercise.

for both teams, as seen with many varsity soccer players this year at GBHS. Despite this, Ceo doesn’t have that problem with his players, all of whom play for his team as well as for their high school.

“For the most part, high school coaches are out there for the same reason and want the same things. As long as the girls are out everyday with the ball, it’s good,” Ceo said.

Ceo’s players play in 125 games with the Comets, leading to the players getting a lot of playing time and improving as softball players.

In today’s world, however, getting to play college sports is much more competitive and not at all like how it used to be when Ceo was a kid. Back then, college coaches went straight to high schools to recruit players because, at the time, college prep teams were almost nonexistent.

“It’s never too much,” said Ceo.“They have plenty of time to do homework and exercise with the ball.”

T H E G A Z E T T E

C4 Sports

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Granite Bay Fall Sports Update Boys’ soccer “Our retooled team won the Sierra Foothill League Championship. Our league record was 9 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw... I’m very proud of our boys.

They have played well through injuries, club soccer conflicts, a mid-season tryout, several long overnight tournaments, and difficult league play.”

“We won league undefeated. We are nationally ranked in the top 50. We have a good chance of winning sections.”

Junior Austin Ketchersid as of Oct. 31

Coach Steve Fischer as of Nov. 20

Girls’ water polo “We did really well (this season). We came a long ways and beat a few really tough opponents in our league. We ended up just falling a little short of making sections, but the girls improved a lot, and I think next season we will be definitely in the top three in our league.”

“We had a new coach, and it was a rebuilding year with new players. It took some time for us to all play together, but we ended up being a strong team.”

Junior Sara Northam as of Oct. 31

Coach Genna Masters as of Nov. 4

Boys’ water polo “We finished the League (on October 20). We were 11-1 and won the SFL, (coming in 1st place).”

“We won all the games besides a tough loss against Woodcreek (High School). We are looking forward to sections.”

Junior Aaron Mandel as of Oct. 31

Coach John MacLeane as of Oct. 21

Girls’ golf “The girls went undefeated in League and won the League title. Paige Lee was the top golfer in the League for the third year in a row.”

“We did really well in the SFL tournament. The girls (varsity golf team) represented GBHS really well all season.”

Junior Jenny Gilbert as of Oct. 31

Coach Jason Sitterud as of Oct. 20

Cross country “All teams are having a great season. They are all running to their potential and beyond...Everyone has improved but senior Kelly Greco has improved, over (her) four years, immensely. We just did sub-sections...(our season) finishes...the week of Thanksgiving.”

Coach Carla Kehoe as of Nov. 7

Girls’ volleyball “We ended up finishing 2nd overall in league and ended up in the 4th seed going into playoffs...Our overall record is 222-7 which is really good. We’ve overcome a lot of injuries and sickness...They’ve just proven that all in all they’ve had a really strong desire to win.”

Coach Jamie Ingram as of Nov. 6

Girls’ tennis “It’s been an outstanding season. The team is outstanding. We’ve achieved the results we’ve set out to do. It’s a really good team...(I’m) just very proud of the girls for their hard work, great work ethic and just constant intensity out on the court.”

Coach Rory Woods as of Nov. 6

Football “So far, we have done well and beaten some good opponents. Both our losses were really tough opponents. We have come up a bit short twice and are getting better every week for a good playoff run.”

Coach Mike Valentine as of Oct. 26

“We really bonded as a team, and many (members) of our team made it to Sub-Sections.”

Sophomore Anna von Wendorff as of Oct. 31

“We are 7-2, (and) we lost to Rocklin. We (started) playoffs on November 4th. We have a good chance at playoffs.”

Junior Kiah Drongeson as of Oct. 31

“This has been a really fun season. I thought all our teammates got along really well, so it was really fun this year. We won (a lot). We normally do that every year, but this year it was especially good.”

Junior Kammy Kecki as of Nov. 4

“The juniors and seniors are working well together and we are looking forward to finishing the season strong.”

Junior C.J. Moellar as of Oct. 31

Gazette photo /Austin Downs, Chase Evans and Kristin Taylor

-Compiled by Chase Evans and Meghan Carlsen

Thursday, November 10, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

ELLISON: Sophomore to be among great athletes to come through GBHS Continued from page C1

“I am all for bringing up sophomores as long as they actually play like Ellison is,” Valentine While Ellison is an amazing said. football player, he is not the only Ellison realizes how special it is player to be brought up as a sophoto be on the varsity team and the more the past couple years. pressure that comes with it.

“We brought up Keeny and “I feel really honored, and I am Andrews two years ago and they not being arrogant about it,” Elstarted,” Valentine said. “But last lison said. year we brought up Calton and ParHe agrees that bringing up tridge and neither of them started.” younger players can be both good There seems to be a trend in and bad. bringing up sophomores to the “(Having sophomore starters) varsity team in recent years.

can be good unless they let it get to their head and stop working,” Ellison said.

Ellison is also playing basketball and running track for GBHS this year in order to stay in shape and get better.

“We know he has wheels but when track season comes along and we put him next to people like (Grant High School sprinter) Shaq Thompson, we will see exactly how good those wheels are,” Valentine said.

“I play basketball to keep focused, stay in shape, and build leadership,” Ellison said.

But nobody is questioning his ability on the football field.

“He is a great athlete and can keep up with the best of our players,” Lilley said.

However, some of the older players were not so accepting.

“Some of the older players were angry at me for taking some of their plays, but I feel like I have earned their respect through my

playing,” Ellison said.

“It all depends on if you are a team player for what is best for the team, or you want the glory for yourself,” Valentine said.

Ellison wants to play football at a high level as he continues his career.

“My dream is to play football in college,” Ellison said.

Both coaches and players agree with the level of talent that Ellison has.

“He is one of the hardest

players on our team to cover and stop,” Lilley said.

“You can’t deny the ability that Ellison has as a football player,” Valentine said. “He was just born with amazing wheels”.

Valentine and Ellison’s teammates hold him in high regard as an athlete and are proud of the level of play he has achieved as a sophomore.

“He is one of the best athletes in the school throughout any sport,” Valentine said.

SOCCER: Team adjusts to mid-season changes by another round of tryouts Continued from page C1 With all the beaten-up players, it makes perfect sense to add more players to the roster.

“New additions will help the bench be deeper in case we have any more injuries or need to use more people,” Tooley said.

Tooley also believes the team will win sections because the players still make for a great team, especially with the added depth of the new players.

“While the new people don’t get much playing time, Cole (Chapman) is probably

the most effective and almost scored a diving header against Marquette-Jesuit,” Tooley said.

According to head coach Steve Fischer, the team had to play with only one substitute on the bench and had to use its backup goalkeeper in order to finish their tournament in St. Louis back in September.

Coach Fischer needed to find a solution to the sudden drop in players.

“I felt it was necessary to pick up a few more players to help us through the last part of our season and held a one-day in-

vitational tryout October 4,” Fischer said.

“I added Andrew Stabbert, Cole Chapman, Charlie Gunn and Jack Hanly; they have played in every game since and have helped us greatly.”

According to Fischer, since the injuries have healed, the team’s bench is now very full of healthy and talented players, and as a result the team is playing well. Fischer also believes their odds of winning the Section Championship are pretty good.

Junior Charlie Gunn, who was added after making the Oct. 4 tryout, enjoys being part of an even stronger team.

“I didn’t expect to play that much altogether, but I feel I play the right amount, which is about ten minutes per game,” Gunn said.

Gunn has also noted that not only the quantity, but the quality of the team has notably increased.

“I watched all the games before we had the new players, and since then we’ve definitely gotten better,” Gunn said.

“It’s hard to notice there are new players who’ve been added in because all the kids who have come on the team, including myself, have been a part of the team

SCHOLARSHIPS: Athletes receive college recognition Continued from page C1

by Standford University and San Diego State.

Reeves has been playing lacrosse since 5th grade and has had her eye on a scholarship for a while.

“I’ve wanted to get a scholarship since 8th grade, I’d say, so it wasn’t like it just happened,” Reeves said.

“I tried to (get to this point in recruitment).”

Reeves, however, wasn’t officially recruited until her junior year like in most other sports.

“Colleges look at you, (and) you see them watching your game but you never really know until September 1 of your junior year,” Reeves said. “(That’s) when Division One schools can contact (or) email you (for girls’ lacrosse).”

Reeves has enjoyed getting to know the colleges that are recruiting her, and she recently went on a tour of Stanford and San Diego State.

“They invite you to come to their campus, they give you a tour of the campus, you talk to the coaches and the players and you hang out with them, get to know them (and) ask them questions,” Reeves said. “You usually watch the team practice so it’s just like showing you what the school has to offer.”

The scholarship system opens up many opportunities for athletes, if not in achieving a spot in college level sports, in the application process of the college.

“Personally, even if I wasn’t getting a scholarship, just Stanford and San Diego even looking at me… opens up a lot of doors,” Reeves said. “The admissions process is a lot easier to get in to a school if you have sports.”

Rather than the average score of a 2105 that a freshman at Stanford as of 2010 would have, Reeves needs to get an 1800 to get in.

After touring Stanford and San Diego State, Reeves could better understand the type of school she would be playing for and what that would mean for her college lacrosse career.

“I’d be playing on a D1 lacrosse team(and) they have a 20-hour-aweek practice rule which means you can’t practice over 20 hours just so that you don’t forget that you’re actually there for studying,” Reeves said.

So while colleges, especially Stanford, according to Reeves, take into account the class load of student athletes, going to school on an athletic scholarship is a different lifestyle than most students’ experience.

“If you play a D1 sport it basically is your life in college,” Reeves said.

“It’s a big commitment.”

Reeves, however, is not only willing but looking forward to taking on this commitment if she is offered a scholarship.

“The main reason I want to get a scholarship is because…it’s like me paying my way to college and not my parents.” Reeves said. “So I feel like I’m helping my parents plus they pay for a lot of tournaments to get me seen by colleges so it’s…a way to thank my parents.”

TY THOMPSON Ty Thompson has been playing on the GBHS varsity soccer team since his freshman year, and now that his senior soccer season is wrapping up he is looking on to what comes after high school.

“I’m verbally committed to Stanford, and they gave me a 50 percent scholarship,” Thompson said.

Thompson was also offered a scholarship at UC Santa Barbara.

The build-up to these offers started earlier in his high school career when he and fellow athletes looking for scholarships start sending their profiles and game schedules to recruiters.

“I started getting recruited my junior year, even kind of my sophomore summer, and so it can happen anytime that a coach sees you (play),” Thompson said.

After the long journey, Thompson is also looking forward to college life as an athlete.

“I want to excel in college,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to play

professional, but it doesn’t mean that I just want to do college kind of lackadaisically with soccer, I want to pursue soccer and try to get the most wins I can with Stanford.”

Thompson understands that even though Stanford offered him a scholarship, that doesn’t mean an automatic position and playing time.

However, he is hopeful of his prospects at his future school.

“I’m probably going to be on the team,” Thompson said. “When they offer money, that normally means they really want the person to go to their school, and that means that person will probably be playing on the team, fighting for a starting position.”

CHRISTY COOPER Cooper offers a different perspective on her scholarship because she was offered a scholarship from.

“I verbally committed to play for United States Air Force Academy in March last year,” Cooper said.

Her recruitment process, like her fellow athletes, started much earlier than her final year in high school.

“Around 8th grade…it’s different for different sports, you start sending out emails to coaches, college coaches, before you go to tournaments,” Cooper said.

Cooper explains that there is certain protocol that athletes and coaches have to follow during the recruitment process regarding who an athlete can talk to.

“You thank them for coming to your game,” Cooper said. “They can’t really talk to you, though, until, I think it’s your junior year, but they can send you back information, and you can call them, and you can go to camps.”

As far as what schools come after what athletes, Cooper admits that sometimes it is a mixture of both, with athletes going after higher-level schools and lower level schools going after superior athletes, as well.

“It was pretty evenly matched, (the Air Force Academy) really wanted me, and I ended up being their top defensive recruit,” Cooper said.

“And I really wanted to go there; they’re my number one school.”

After all the sending of game schedules and dealing with recruitship protocol, CooTy Thompson per was pleased Varsity soccer to reach her player hopes to objective. attend Stanford “My goal University in was to play D1 Palo Alto, CA soccer, and I got myself into a D1 school, so that was exciting,” Cooper said.

Cooper, like Reeves, is ready to take on the commitment of a D1 college sport.

“If you’re going to commit to something that much, it’s usually because you love it, and you want to move on with it,” Cooper said. “I didn’t want to quit playing after high school. I wanted to play college soccer and go as far I can go.”

Cooper attending a military academy creates a slightly different challenge for her which she acknowledged as part of her process regarding recruitment and admission. “(Air Force Academy is) not something you can just go and sign up for,” Cooper said. “It’s a lifestyle change so if I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy I really had to want to go there equally as much as I wanted to play soccer and so I did.”

For both Cooper and Thompson the hard work and dedication they put into their respective sport will pay off.

The junior athletes like Reeves will continue to work toward the goals that when their application time comes around they could have a scholarship coming their way.

“If you’re going to put so much time into an(sport), you’re going to try to get what you can out of it,” Cooper said.

RUGBY: Teammates say sport isn’t too aggressive for girls

Continued from page C1

for grades fifth through twelfth, of which the varsity team has grown to be very successful. This year, they have a great chance at state.

Kimble’s father, John Kimble, is the head coach of the program and was immediately on board when asked about starting a girls’ team.

The team will be competing in the Northern California Youth Rugby Association League, which consists of 14 leagues.

“We’ll be there to help out and support (the girls), whenever they need that,” Kimble Jr. said.

“We have a lot of players already from Oakmont and other schools, but we haven’t got a lot from Granite Bay yet.”

Although rugby has not become a popular sport among GBHS girls yet, Rothman thinks it’s becoming an up and coming sport for girls.

“I think rugby’s becoming more popular with girls, but a lot still don’t want to play because

they’re afraid to get hurt,” Rothman said. “It’s a little more physical than a lot of other sports, but it’s not super dangerous. Most girls would be fine.”

Whatever is holding girls back from trying the sport, Rothman believes that girls would really like the sport if they tried it.

“I think a lot of girls would really like playing, and they should definitely try playing. It’s different and fun and gets you in shape,” Rothman said.

Sophia Garcia, a freshman at Oakmont, also signed up for the team.

She is familiar with the boys’ team, so when she heard Granite Bay was introducing a girls’ team she immediately wanted to sign up.

“I actually went to all the boys’ rugby games last year for JV to watch friends play,” Garcia said.

“I also went to the San José tournament with the JV boys’ rugby team. So when I heard that a girls’ team was getting formed I automatically was interested.”

Garcia is looking forward to meeting new people

and making new friends through the club sport this year.

“I think more girls should (try out for rugby) because it’ll be good to have more teammates, and if people get hurt we have subs,” Garcia said.

Like Rothman, Garcia agreed that some girls may not be interested in trying out because of the aggressiveness of the sport.

“It’s not that popular with girls because it is, one; an aggressive sport, and two; it’s just not really that much of a popular sport,” Garcia said.

Besides the common thoughts associated with girls playing rugby, the many girls who have already signed up for the club are excited to be a part of the first girls’ team.

Although GBHS girls have not completely jumped on board with the idea yet, both girls agree that the more girls who sign up the better the team will be.

“Overall I’m really excited for girls’ rugby this year, and we’ll be an amazing team,” Garcia said.

www.granitebaygazette.com

before and have improved the team as a whole.”

Gunn also feels that since everyone is familiar with each other and how they play on the field, they have been more successful in the second half of the season.

“Before the addition of the four players, we had tied one game and lost one,” Gunn said. “Now, with the new players and ten games later, we are undefeated. Especially with section playoffs coming up, we hope to maintain our title as one of the best teams in California.”

Kendyl Talley shows she has what it takes Kendyl Talley has made her name in GBHS athletics as a freshman on the Granite Bay High School varsity tennis team. Talley, however, does not find playing on the varsity team among upperclassmen to be a daunting undertaking.

Her transition into varsity-level tennis has Gazette photo/Kritstin Taylor been smooth, Freshman Kendyl Talley and she has practices her form, while servnot really felt ing to her opponent during a some of the GBHS girls’ tennis practice disadvanearlier this month. tages other freshmen might feel on a varsity team.

“The rest of the team is really supportive of everyone, and I don’t feel any difference in the class difference,” Talley said. “The only thing that is bad about (being a freshman on the varsity team) is that you don’t get a whole lot of say in team decisions.”

This GBHS tennis singles and doubles star has had an exhilarating season so far, and she hopes to do well in the SFL doubles tournament in the near future.

“I started playing tennis when I was five years old,” Talley said. “I was doing cheer, and my step-dad switched me out of that and put me into tennis.”

In high school matches, Talley competes in doubles with senior Jordan Maggio.

“We’ve been doing quite well for the season so far. We haven’t lost a whole lot,” Talley said.

Talley’s greatest moment this season has been when she and Maggio were competing in a doubles match at Del Oro High School.

“The match was a close match; it ended up going to three (sets),” Talley said. “During the final, set a lot of people gathered around the court, and before I knew it, a ton of people were watching and cheering for both teams.”

Talley and Maggio ended up losing the intense match, but the two played the Del Oro team again and ended up winning that match.

For the SFL doubles tournament, Talley is optimistic about the success she and Maggio will achieve.

When not competing in high school girls’ tennis, Talley spends the off-season competing in private tournaments at Johnson Ranch Racket Club along with other tournaments.

During private tennis, she competes in singles matches, which varies from the doubles mindset she has at GBHS. “I like singles better,” Talley said. “I am able to do better, and I just like the play-style, and I compete better.”

Talley hopes to be able to play on the girls’ varsity team for the remainder of her high school tennis career. She also anticipates that next year, after Maggio graduates, she will be able to play singles matches instead of doubles.

“Being able to play on this team has been one of the best things about high school so far,” Talley said.

– Austin Downs, Gazette staff writer

C6 Sports

Thursday, November 10, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Stats at a Glance Football Record as of 11/4/11: 8-2 “We crushed Roseville (High School) and ended up second in league,” Michael Bertolino said.

Girls’ water polo Record as of 11/4/11: 3-7

Boys’ water polo Record as of 11/4/11: 9-2 Won SFL league “We won our first section (playoff game) and hopefully we win it all,” Patrick Carroll said.

Boys’ soccer Won SFL League

Gazette photos /Rachael vasquez

Record as of 11/4/11: 18-3-3

Girls’ volleyball Record as of 11/4/11: 22-7 “Our only league lost was to Rocklin (High School),” Chandler Awalt said.

Cross country Place at SFL league finals: Girls, 2nd Boys, 4th

Girls’ golf Won SFL league Record as of 11/4/11: 12-0

Senior quarterback Brendan Keeney, top, runs the ball in the Oct. 28 game against Rocklin High School. Above left, junior Colin Brown kicks an extra point during the Homecoming game. Senior Meghan Cole, far above right, initiates the ripple for her drill team during the Bonfire Rally on Oct. 27. Center right, seniors Jessie Douglas and Hannah Watkins and junior Carlin Flajole do a toe touch in unison during the Bonfire Rally. Senior offensive line backer Jacob Erickson, left, gives senior tight end Spencer Briare a helping hand after a tackle. Above, the varsity girls’ volleyball team cheers during a time out.

green screen.

The Gazette’s art and entertainment guide November 2011

Thanksgiving Healthy alternatives for the holiday feasts.

Page 14

Dubstep A new genre of music emerges.

Page 16

Krispy Kreme

A childhood favorite returns better than ever.

Pages 10 and 11

Page 2

In this Issue Page 4

Music reviews

Page 5

In-season produce dishes

Page 6 Midnight premiere craze

SUNDAY

13

27

Page 10&11

Have a healthy Thanksgiving

Page 16

Dubstep - new music trend

Page 17 First ever Lip Dub

Page 18&19 Movie reviews

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Election Day

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

NO

I Voted School

make a difference week ter n i W

Dan

Show

ce

19

December

5

7

S A T

1st

Jingle Ball at Powerbalance Pavillion

Winterball ACT Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY

Can you trust your food?

Comeback of Krispy Kreme

Page 14

TUESDAY

Thanksgiving Break

Japanese food reviews

3D story

MONDAY

November

Page 8&9

Page 13

November 2011

Calendar.

I

Conscious mislabeling causes confusion for consumers

t’s a frustrating world out there for us health conscious individuals.

Unless you go at nutrition labels with a magnifying glass and a fine-toothed comb, it can be difficult to discern which foods are truly healthy, and shady marketing is to blame.

Processed food companies are the worst.

Their snacks fill grocery aisles and by the hands of wellintentioned moms, the sack lunches of our youth.

Let’s face it, no one has the time to prepare for themselves three full meals a day. Occasionally we need a little help from Kashi, LUNA or Cliff to fill in the gaps.

It’s easy to become enticed by the “low fat,” “omega plus” and “whole grain” claims stamped prominently on your favorite junk foods, but the reality is these foods really aren’t that different from the original junk food.

Who cares if a package of Pop Tarts is “whole grain” if its second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup? When it comes down to it, there is not much difference between the mainstream food and the “healthy” alternatives.

The “full Serving of Fruit” and “Full Serving of Vegetables” labels on V8’s V-Fusion vegetable and fruit juices make them seem “healthy,” but just eight ounces of the juice pack has as many calories as a serving of Oreo cookies. Hardly nutritious, to say the least.

In fact, some drinks contain an abundance of vitamin C, but there is almost no vitamin A or vitamin E.

Commentary

samantha spargo sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

You are trying to be healthy while dining at Applebee’s, and so you pass up the Jack Mack & Cheese with Chicken you are craving and order a “Low Fat” Asian Chicken Salad instead.

Take a look at the nutritional facts and you’ll realize you’ve been duped.

At 714 calories, you would have been better off eating the cheesy macaroni at only 424 calories.

The Quaker Company recently released a new line of Instant Oatmeal titled “Weight Control,” even though it has the same number of calories and slightly more fat and sodium than the original Maple and Brown Sugar variety.

So next time you stop by the grocery store, take a second to glance at the nutritional labels on the “healthy” foods you think you’re buying.

You just might be surprised what you find.

November 2011

Page 3

More Random.

Trend of the Month

BY BROOKLYN KLEPL bklupel.gazette@gmail.com

New fashions come and go, but braids are always here to stay. There are many things students can do with a few simple strands of hair.

Many students at Granite Bay High School do not know how to do the simplest of braids, yet others are experts. There are many different styles of braids students try every day.

First is the simple three strand braid. This one is straight-forward and the most basic. Before trying more complex styles, one needs to master this technique.

Another popular, though more challenging, style is the Fishtail, one of the most common fashion trends of this month.

This braid is usually worn messy and is one of the more unusual looks. Unlike the traditional braid, which uses three strands, this technique uses two. It takes more time than the standard braid, but looks great with any outfit.

Next is the French braid. What makes this braid unique is the many ways it can be worn. Variations include wearing it with a headband, wearing pigtials, or even braiding it inside out.

This is a step up from the Fishtail because hair must be incorporated into an already existing braid, making the process more challenging.

Yet another style is the headband braid. This braid is a mixture of the French braid and the Classic braid.

It creates a cute accessory without using anything but hair, making it perfect for a lazy day.

There is also the formal up-do braid. This one looks like a French twist, and can often be seen worn at school dances to complement a simple dress.

The Edwardian style braid is the most complex of the four braids seen around campus. This braid has a unique twist on each side that meets in the center to result in a great classic braid down the middle.

Rose styled this braid in the classic movie, Titanic.

Gazette Photo/ ARI BLACK

Fashion on the Bay

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

CULTURE O R N E R

BY RILEY MAC MILLAN

CHUNKY RINGS

PLAID FLANNEL WITH BAND T SHIRT

FUR VESTS

BULKY EARRINGS Gazette photos/ ARI BLACK

C

rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.

reated by the United Nations in 1995, the International Day for Tolerance brings attention to the dangers of intolerance.

Intolerance is a refusal to respect other people’s opinions, beliefs or differences.

Every year, this subject is recognized on Nov. 16.

On Wikipedia, there is a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance that can be viewed by all.

This also includes a preamble and six articles on tolerance.

One, titled “The Meaning of Tolerance,” includes four sub articles which talk about what tolerance is and how it relates to human rights.

Tolerance can be defined as a fair permissive attitude towards those who have different opinions, practices, religions, etc. than one’s own.

The purpose of this day is to

THE UNITED NATIONS

spread a message of tolerance for others throughout the world.

A major role in spreading the message of being tolerant is through education. When this day was first created, it was hoped that schools around the world could spread open-mindedness and teach children to be more respectful of others.

By educating children at a young age, the UN feels that a brighter future can be achieved.

They also hope that all countries will recognize this day and do their best to tell their citizens to spread this message.

One way to recognize the International Day for Tolerance is to be more open-minded of others.

For example, the day promotes being tolerant to those who belong to a different religion Or, the next time a person dressed in funky clothing passes by, try looking at that as a sign of individuality rather than a reason to judge them.

Page 4

D

Music.

Coldplay Mylo Xyloto

BY BRAD WONG

B

bwong.gazette@gmail.com

ecause of Coldplay’s widespread fame, the album Mylo Xyloto came with high expectations and it appears, the album delivered; on its release date it was the number one album on iTunes.

Whether I agree is a whole different issue.

Even with all the hype, I have to disagree with the success of the album.

Mylo Xyloto felt like an awkward mixture of different styles of songs.

Songs ranged from upbeat to peppy borderline hip-hop songs and guitar solos.

With all the different types of songs, I didn’t really get an overall feel for what Coldplay was aiming for, or what sense they were trying to invoke through their songs.

Starting with the first song, “Hurts like Heaven,”, I was very skeptical that this could be a good album. The song had a very light and bouncy, almost juvenile, beat to it that undermined any vocal talent.

Listening to the next couple of songs, I desperately yearned to be done with the album. The songs either lacked originality and were boring, or were failed attempts at creativity and turned out to be a musical confusion.

“Us Against the World” reassured my observations on the album. The song is very slow and boring, almost to the effect of a lullaby. I was drifting off, not paying attention to the music.

“Up in Flames” had the same feel to it. It was a mediocre song except for the cowbell that persisted throughout the entire song. At this point, I nearly lost it, frustrated at the combination of a lullaby and a cowbell rhythm.

Most of the other songs were mediocre at best. I would listen to them and hear no originality or Coldplay twist, just another guitar line with another set of vocals talking about loss, heartbreak or how their life went downhill.

This subject matter was generic and made the album seem like any band could do the same songs.

While the album as a whole was quite horrid, I ab-

November 2011

solutely loved the song, “Paradise.”

This is what I was expecting for the entire album.

The song caused me to tap PARLOPHONE RECORDS my foot, nod my head, and lose myself in the music.

The vocals were meaningNeighborhoods was released on Oct. 24 ful and went hand-in-hand with the unique and harmonious melody of piano, drums and some string Skip to: instruments.

As a whole, the song was Paradise a success and actually put me in a good mood for the first time while listening the album.

In short, an internationally famous band put out a much-anticipated album that lacked consistency, harmony and musical ingenuity.

Family Force Five III

BY CHASE EVANS

F

III ENTERTAINMENT

III was released on Oct. 18

Skip to: You Got It

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

amily Force Five’s sound could be considered a mix of punk, funk, dance and many more, topped off with exciting lyrics about partying and fun.

With the band holding a reputation for such an upbeat,unique sound, III was much mellower than it should have been.

The band is known for crazy, hard dance music yet they started the album off with a very pop feeling song that teaches you how to do a dance called the “Wobble.”

Some people “Dougie,” Family Force 5 does the “Wobble.”

While Family Force Five is not known for its lyrical value, their sell-out for popular music style in this song was extremely evident and

poorly executed.

The album continues with two more songs, “Can You Feel It” and “Dang Girl”, both of which were lyrically shallow and mediocre pop songs.

However, the band finally makes quality pop with the best song on the album, “You Got It.” The song had a catchy groove to it and had a clean chorus with decent vocals from the lead singer, Soul Glow Activator, and a nice guitar riff by Chap Stique, the band’s lead guitarist.

This was one of the few songs on the album that I will ever listen to again.

After it came the worst song on the album, “Not Alone.” This was a slow almost-ballad that fell short in every aspect of quality music.

Metallica Lulu

BY BECKY MASSIL

I

rmassil.gazette@gmail.com

t seems like Metallica has been doing some experimenting since their 2008 album Death Magnetic. Whether or not the products of their experimentation are necessarily positive is another question.

One would think that Metallica experimenting with their sound would churn out favorable results.

Well, things are not what they seem, and to think that this album would necessarily sound good just because it comes from an iconic band like Metallica would be wrong; this album sounds terrible.

Lulu, a collaboration with solo artist Lou Reed, is nothing like what I would expect from Metallica. Perhaps even more so from Lou Reed. It definitely fell slightly short of Metallica’s advanced standards.

The album is very raw. It is just as angry as the rest of Metallica and Lou Reed’s music, although I disapprove of the delivery.

The vocals have almost no rhythm or pattern. The lyrics, on the other hand, are powerful, frank and incredibly vulgar, although their repetitiveness completely outdoes whatever good they bring to the album.

Yes, there are some nice riffs and blast beats, but several of the songs are mostly just down-toned groaning electric guitars with either completely random rolls on the drums or nothing but a four-count beat on the bass drum.

The occasional and experimental sing-talk nature of Lou Reed only makes the tracks sound awkward.

I suppose that the “talking” adds personality and perhaps delivers a sense of lamentation, but how much could anybody withstand listening to the same line repeated over and over again for an entire album?

At some points, it seems as if Metallica and Lou Reed are on completely different pages.

The songs are incredibly long, and some of

B

The track “Paycheck” made me feel like I was listening to 107.9 and another single by a pseudo-boy-band-pop-group.

The album was full of wanna be pop with some heavy guitar and drums thrown in for a little dance feel to it.

The only other song on this album that was worth listening to was “Mamacita,” which was a Hispanic-incorporated dance song with a nice flare to it.

Family Force Five sold out to the pop gods on this album.

The heavy dance album I was expecting was non-existent and was replaced by a low caliber pop album.

D+

them are incredibly boring.

However, the album isn’t a complete waste: sometimes Lou Reed puts a lot of outrage into his voice and it sounds despairing and distressing, which is always better than sounding unharmonious and flat-out boring.

It adds character.

Although still with some apparent downfalls, “Pumping Blood” is a good track for precisely the reasons previously described. It sounds completely chaotic, but it has moving vulgarity and the brutal riffage typical of Metallica in most places.

Somehow, it manages to cast a semblance of pleasance because, even if there is a lot of talking going on, the lyrics are strong.

Other than that, Lulu is almost completely a disgrace.

Anybody that’s brave enough to give this album a shot should, but I think I’ve made my warning clear.

VERTIGO RECORDS

Lulu was released on Oct. 30

Skip to: Pumping Blood

November 2011

Foods

Seasonal.

of the

Page 5

Fall

Delicious desserts created with seasonal produce

BY MICHAELA MONAGHAN

A

mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

s the leaves slowly change from the crisp green of summer to those burnt orange and bright yellow hues indicative of cooling temperatures, it is clear: fall has arrived.

And with the arrival of the new season comes new recipes.

Fall brings fresh fruits and vegetables that are not as common in the other seasons, such as squash, pumpkins, apples, sweet potatoes, grapes, broccoli, carrots, green beans, pears and more.

These fruits and vegetables can be used to create seasonal dishes that, somehow, just taste like fall.

apple pie

This all-American classic is the perfect dessert for fall and uses a traditional fall fruit: the apple.

Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup shortening Ice water Filling: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 7 apples cut into thin slices 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter

Pumpkin Muffins

It simply can’t be fall without the taste of pumpkin.

These muffins are a perfect snack or breakfast treat.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 cup and 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the muffin pan with paper cups.

Whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt until smooth.

Whisk in the flour until combined.

Stir together 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.

Divide batter into muffin tins and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm. www.smittenkitchen.com

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cut the shortening and salt into the flour with a pastry blender. Slowly add 6 to 8 tablespoons of water until the dough is moist.

Divide the dough in half and roll it into a ball. Roll 1 ball into a circle and then ease it into a pie plate.

Combine all the filling ingredients. Add the filling to the pie plate and make sure it lies flat.

Roll the remaining dough into a large circle. Place on top of the filling. Press the edges of the crust together to seal. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape while baking. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.

Cover the edges with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. www.foodnetwork.com

cranberry chocolate chip cookies

Cranberries are abundant in fall and are a great way to make a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe more fall-friendly.

1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup oats Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the butter and sugars until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in size. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Add oats. Add cranberries and mix until they are evenly distributed.

Roll cookies into small balls and place on a baking sheet.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm. www.notderbypie.com Gazette illustrations/CHASE EVANS

Page 6

Crazy.

November 2011

extreme MOVIES The thrill and anticipation of midnight premieres attract students

BY HAYLEY MCAVOY

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

Going to the movie theater is supposed to be a leisurely, relaxing activity. But some have started to take it to the extreme, turning a simple movie into a friendly competition.

The normal moviegoer shows up maybe a half hour early to a show, just to be safe. Others arrive with just enough time to get popcorn and sit down.

Junior, Jenny Gilbert is not the average moviegoer.

When she went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 midnight premiere, she arrived nine hours early.

Some take this even further. At the Davis midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, fans started lining up the Monday before the movie showed, a full 4 days of waiting in line.

Although most students at Granite Bay High School don’t go that far, they still take their movies seriously.

Senior Sara Beil showed up for her Harry Potter showing a mere 4 hours early, but her friends were there hours before her.

“The line was going out the door and circling around the theater,” Beil said.

This line was simply for seating once in the movie theater, as fans had purchase tickets nearly

two months in advance.

“We got some of the best seats, once we got in the movie theater, Gilbert said. “I would say it was definitely worth (the wait).”

Fan’s zeal didn’t end at showing up hours-on daysearly. Once in the theater, they continued to show their excitement.

When junior Jake Weatherholt attended the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premieres, he and his friends all dressed up in Harry Potter attire.

The same is true for Gilbert and Beil, who both sported Gryffindor capes to the premiere.

It doesn’t end there.

According to Gilbert, in her theater, attendees of the premiere had a live duel in front of all the other fans, complete with spells and curses.

In Beil’s theater they had large games of ‘ninja’ along with reenactments of the Youtube show “Harry Potter Puppet Pals.”

“We were with all the other crazy Harry Potter fans, and it was actually a lot of fun,” Gilbert said.

Harry Potter isn’t the only movie that people lose their sleep over.

Juniors Drew Diatroptoff and Andrew Thacker both sacrificed their Thursday night to see the midnight premiere of King Arthur.

They only arrived about an hour early, since King

Arthur wasn’t as high profile as the Harry Potter series.

The other notorious series that gets people out of bed on a Thursday night is the Twilight series.

Senior Juliana Rowe attended the midnight premiere for Twilight.

“I think I waited for four hours,” Rowe said. “We were the first people in line because I was freaking out and wanted to get there early.”

Senior Kelly Greco has never been to a midnight premiere, but is planning to go for the first time on Nov. 18 for the Breaking Dawn Part 1 premiere.

In the past, she’s seen the films on the first day they are released, but decided to go to the midnight showing this time around because she wants to be one of the first people to see the movie.

Although she’s not going in an all out costume, she admits that she plans on wearing a Team Edward T-shirt.

All of the attendees of midnight premieres have one thing in common: an obsession with being the first to see the movie.

The anticipation of the movie is just too much to take.

“I don’t want to see everyone posting about it on Facebook the next day and kill it,” Rowe said. “I’d rather be the one killing it for other people.”

Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY

November 2011

Page 7

Tidbits.

Artist of the Month: Jake Samson Q: Have you always been interested in art?

A: I have always been interested in art. I started painting when I was 11; my great grandmother was an artist, and my grandmother was an artist and she is the one who really started me out. I started painting with oils and when I came to high school I started working with acrylics.

Teacher Playlist

Q: Which art classes at GBHS have you taken?

A: I took Basic Art, Advanced Art, Art 3 and Art 4 and I am currently in Art 5. I am also scheduled to take AP Studio Art and AP Art History next semester.

Mr. DEll’orto

Q: What is the biggest influence in your work?

A: My influence usually shifts with each series but there are several artists that I have really enjoyed working with, (including) Josh Keyes and Gabe Leonard.

Q: Where do you see your art in your future?

A: I want to be in galleries but it is not something I want to do as a full time profession…I feel like it would kind of get boring for me. (I would rather keep it) as something on the side.

COMPILED BY LENA EYAN leyan.gazette@gmail.com

COMPILED BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 (U2 is a) great band (and this song has a) great message and captures what I’m about.

1.

“Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones It has poetic lyrics (with) cool music.

(The song) is an interesting and thoughtful take on an idea, like The Book Thief.

3.

2.

“Rhapsody In Blue” by George Gershwin I love the musical arrangement and the story created in the movement and musical interplay.

“In One Ear” by Cage The Elephant (It’s a) great song about the struggles of making it in music (business) with (gasp) bad words in it.

Gazette photo/Olivia Cornell

“Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin This is, musically, one of the most fun songs of a bygone era.

rvasquez.gazette@gmail.

5.

4.

“What I’d Say” by Ray Charles (It’s a) classic song of the Civil Rights Movement (and this song) isn’t about that at all. Most of the Civil Rights Movement music was Gospel and most of his music is about getting pretty girls.

7.

“For What It’s Worth” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (This song is a) heartbeat track that perfectly captures the essence of the 1960s and the United States’ history. And it is a parallel to the Vietnam War protests.

“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People Just because you find one or two things in a line of a song that really make sense to you, it doesn’t mean that the whole thing holds to you. It reminds me of my Nerf “wars” with my sons.

9.

6.

8.

“Take Five” by Dave Brubeck (Take 5 is the) coolest break from a standard 3/4 or 4/4 style (because it’s a) funny, progressive song.

“Glitter In The Air” by Pink It’s a song about taking moments in life and just really relishing them and enjoying them in the midst of everything. So sometimes it’s important to revel in the soul-filling moments.

10.

Page 8

November 2011

Eat.

A taste of the Far East

Gazette staffers sample local Japanese restaurants

Akebono

BY NICOLE BALES

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

As a big fan of sushi, I’ve been to about every Japanese restaurant in the area, so when I visited Akebono in Granite Bay, located on the corner Auburn Folsom and Douglas, I was very disappointed that I hadn’t discovered it sooner.

When I entered, I noticed that it was a family style restaurant with a pleasant, simple interior.

I was immediately greeted with a warm welcome from the friendly staff and chefs.

The staff welcomed me warmly when I arrived, and I was seated in no time with the option to sit at the sushi bar or a table.

If one decides to sit at the sushi bar, which wraps around the kitchen area and includes two plasma screen televisions for viewing, he can watch his food being made.

I was very pleased with the restaurants large selection of special rolls, 37 rolls strong, from which one is sure to find the perfect sushi match.

I decided to order the Ichiro, which the waitress assured me was their most popular roll, along with the Dream Come

True and the California Roll.

Although I had to wait 30 minutes for the food, it was well worth the wait.

The rolls were well presented and served in very generous portions.

Although the Ichiro and California Roll were both amazing, I would most highly recommend the Dream Come True roll.

It has shrimp, tuna, salmon, yellow tail and crab rolled into one large roll and is topped with unagi, avocado, tempura crunch, mesago, green onion and teriyaki sauce.

I loved that I didn’t have to choose what fish I wanted because they were all in one delicious roll.

Unlike the California roll, the Ichiro roll was unlike anything I had ever had before.

The roll consisted of seared tuna and avocado, topped with salmon, green onion and many different sauces.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with any of the rolls.

I’d have to say the bill at the end really topped off the night, as all the food I ordered was very well-priced.

It’s hard to find a delicious, authentic sushi at a fair price, but this one has the whole package.

Blue Nami

BY OLIVIA CORNELL

ocornell.gazette@gmail.com

The most important part of a restaurant is the food, and Blue Nami has got it covered. The service and environment, though, could be more welcoming.

When you walk into Blue Nami, you are instantly struck by the lively atmosphere. It is attempting to be authentically Japanese and due to the fact that we are in Roseville, California, I will give it to them.

One downside to the environment in Blue Nami is that there is a large screen projector on one of the walls which plays television shows all day. There is no sound on the TV and it is basically just an annoyance while trying to enjoy some amazing sushi.

Yes, I said, amazing sushi.

I have been to Blue Nami a number of times and I have never been disappointed.

On my last visit, I started out with the miso soup, which is basically the same as any other restaurant’s:

salty broth with tofu. However, the cucumber salad was unique and excellent. This salad is made up of sliced pieces cucumber in a vinegar-sugar sauce and topped with sesame seeds. Who knew this could make such a light and perfectly delicious appetizer? It is sour and sweet and crunchy, yum.

Although, I was quite overwhelmed when my soup, salad and sushi all arrived at the same time, they were all still delectable. The main course I chose was the Jack Special sushi roll, which consisted of deep fried shrimp, crab and spicy tuna. On the outside the roll had avocado and tobiko. There was a perfect mix of savory, salty and spicy when dipped in a make-shift mixture of soy sauce and wasabi.

And the best part about this mouth-watering sushi roll: it was only six dollars. All the sushi rolls at Blue Nami are 50% off, all the time.

Great sushi for a great price, I would go to Blue Nami again and again.

Gazette photo /OLIVIA CORNELL

Blue Nami’s Jack Special sushi roll, one of the many delicious rolls the restaurant offers.

November 2011

Eat.

I Love Teriyaki

BY SYDNEY KAHMANN

skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life, I would eat sushi. So I revisited one of my favorite Japanese food restaurants, I Love Teriyaki, located off of Douglas Boulevard across the street from Target.

As always, I enjoyed I Love Teriyaki’s relaxed, comfortable setting. With its interesting artwork, Japanese screen, and the blown-up photos of their food, I was put even more into the sushi mood.

Unlike so many other Japanese restaurants, at I Love Teriyaki you don’t have to worry about proper etiquette, how to look competent while using chopsticks or how to gracefully shove an entire sushi roll into your mouth.

The less traditional setting even brings you lower prices. I Love Teriyaki is one of the few sushi places I know that sells great tasting rolls at a reasonable cost.

Although the food is cooked to order, you don’t have to wait long. Just order at the counter and they’ll call you when it’s ready.

My party ended up getting two of their top sellers, the Hwy 5 and the Roseville rolls, along their honey chicken, miso soup and the Jumbo Special B plate.

The Hwy 5 was my group’s favorite. It had the typical rice, avocado and seaweed, along with a nice sweet sauce, salmon and some crispy shrimp.

The Roseville was a little spicier than I expected. I would only recommend it if you like a little spice with your seafood.

I also loved the honey chicken. The honey added a bit of sweetness mixed with the grilled chicken, a taste I may try to duplicate at home.

Unfortunately, I will not be trying my hand at their miso soup. I found it bland, with too much watery liquid and not enough flavor. I ended up sticking some rice in it (totally bad manners) just to give it some flavor and texture.

The Jumbo Special B plate had teriyaki chicken, spicy chicken, tempura, pot stickers and salad. This is a perfect choice for those who are not big sushi fans.

While not as good as the Hwy 5, it was still good and I would order it again.

Overall, I Love Teriyaki just can’t be beat. They serve good quality, fast food at a cheap price. It looks like I might be able to eat a lot more sushi without going broke.

Sumo Sushi

BY JOEY PUHALA

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

Generally, sushi isn’t the type of meal that comes to mind when you think of budget-friendly food.

Granite Bay’s Sumo Sushi, however, does a fairly good job at satisfying sushi cravings with prices fit for any occasion.

The setting of the restaurant is very laid back, which is especially nice if one doesn’t want to be burdened with the obligation of looking nice.

The atmosphere is that of a typical American restaurant. In fact, the room’s lack of Japanese influence is one of the weaker aspects of the restaurant, as it takes away from the overall sushi experience.

Upon sitting down, the waitress arrived within a matter of seconds with cold water and a stack of menus.

As I began to look through the entrees, I was thoroughly impressed with the variety that was available.

The menu consisted of a hefty amount of delicious sushi rolls. In addition to the sushi, they also offered a collection of other Japanese entrees, but nothing that strays too far from the typical teriyaki and tempura dishes commonly found at sushi joints.

After choosing a few rolls, I waited in anticipation as the sushi chef crafted my meal behind the counter, and it wasn’t long until it was sitting in front of me ready to be eaten.

The quality of the meal exceeded my expectations.

The flavors were up to par with some of the more expensive local sushi restaurants. The fish tasted fresh, and the sauces complemented each other well.

After enjoying the rolls, I decided to order some dessert. With a quick glance over the limited choice of desserts, I settled on some mango flavored mochi ice cream, ice cream surrounded with a sticky rice coating.

The dessert was mediocre at best.

It was drizzled with a chocolate sauce far too rich for the mango ice cream flavor, and the ice cream

callison.gazette@gmail.com

A dinner box at I Love Teriyaki containing Japanese favorites like teriyaki chicken, tempura, and gyoza.

itself was almost rock solid. The dessert did not compare to the entrée.

Overall, the restaurant’s price, sushi and service left me impressed, while the terrible dessert and the cold atmosphere ceased to meet expectations.

Sumo Sushi is a good choice if you want quality sushi for a great price. If you want anything else, you may want to consider a different venue.

Gazette photo /JOEY PUHALA

Sumo Sushi is conveniently located directly off of Douglas Blvd. near Chipotle and N’Joy Yogurt.

Kenro’s

BY CROSBY ALLISON

Gazette photo /SYDNEY KAHMANN

Page 9

On Cirby and Sunrise, there’s a new competitor in the sushi market: Kenro’s.

Kenro’s is a very personal restaurant, as Kenro himself prepares your meal. It’s interesting to have the proprietor and namesake of the restaurant prepare your entrees.

The ambiance one feels in Kenro’s is relaxed and amiable, and the space is perfect for larger parties. The restaurant is equipped with a full bar and a television.

At the moment, Kenro’s is still relatively new and thus has a quiet atmosphere.

This new business cannot rival Blue Nami or Mikuni in its customer base, but it has all the makings of an up-and-coming favorite of sushi and general food enthusiasts.

Many of the rolls common to most local Japanese restaurants can be found at Kenro’s, although the taste is comparatively different because of alternative preparation styles.

The selection of rolls could be a bit larger, but those

that are available, like the Volcano Roll, the Roseville Roll and the ubiquitous Spider Roll, are delicious.

Most of the menu items are healthful, without too much sauce. Besides sushi and sashimi, everything from nabe mono to donmuri is available. Kenro’s claim that his restaurant “offers the most authentic and traditional delicacies in the area” may very well be true.

The service was very good; we weren’t rushed, and we weren’t left waiting for the waitress.

The tempura was probably my favorite of the ordered dishes due to the freshness of the vegetables and shrimp, while the gyoza was not very memorable.

Although we weren’t given the customary, excessive dollop of wasabi, the food had a pleasant flavor. The Dragon roll was especially delectable, and tasted unique.

The tempura, gyoza, drinks and Dragon roll my friend and I ordered cost about $30, a reasonable fee for a reasonable meal.

I would definitely recommend this establishment to any who like sushi and desires to try more authentic Japanese cuisine.

Pages 10 and 11

Yum.

November 2011

The long-lost t reat finally return s, better than ev er

BY BECKY MASSIL

I

rmassil.gazette@gmail.com

t’s been four years since Krispy Kreme was last open in Roseville.

The local Krispy Kreme on Fairway Drive closed down a few years ago because of the economy.

“It was oversaturated,” said Krispy Kreme store manager Richard Raybon. “We were in every grocery store, every gas station, and we ended up losing money.”

Since then, the franchise was bought and reestablished by a different company.

“After they closed, about three years later, a company in Albuquerque, N.M. took over,” Raybon said. “It’s just a new franchise and they reopened in this part of California.”

Students at Granite Bay High School who have missed Krispy Kreme highly anticipated the recent reopening on Sept. 20.

“I was ecstatic about the reopening,” GBHS junior Cloe Pan said. “(The store has) been gone for so long and all of the nearby Krispy Kreme stores in the area have closed.”

Some students weren’t aware the store was going to be reopening.

“I didn’t even know it was opening until eight days before it actually opened,” senior Samantha Galang said. “Since (my family and I) drive by there everyday, my mom finally

noticed it one day.”

While Galang’s mother was skeptical at first, Galang was incredibly Krispy Kreme also has a excited. wonderful ambiance that draws customers in.

“I hadn’t had their donuts in years,” Galang said.

“The place itself is awesome,” Pan said. “I remember going in reOn the day it opened, Krispy Kreme was packed with people waitally early in the mornings when it was still dark outside and (I could) ing in line for some of the first donuts it would serve. see the lights. It’s like being transferred to a different time period.”

“There were way too many people,” Galang said. “I live close by In addition, customers have had plenty of precious memories and I would drive by there and see that the drive-through had a ridicuconcerning Krispy Kreme. lously long line.”

“I just remember a long time ago, when I The donut fever did not let up for some time after was a kid, the chocolate donut was the first Krispy Kreme reopened. donut from Krispy Kreme (that) I ever tasted,” The hot donut “So many people wanted donuts for about a week Galang said. “And after that, it just stayed my and a half,” Galang said. “Then finally after that it sign’s neon lights favorite.” started to slow down.” just bring you joy Even the Krispy Kreme donut sign is But why was there so much anticipation over iconic. inside.

Krispy Kreme?

“The hot donut sign’s neon lights just Many people believe that Krispy Kreme stands bring you joy inside,” Pan said.

– Cloe Pan, junior aside from other donut stores because of the quality Krispy Kreme provides all of the variety of its donuts and the relationship that it has with the of donuts that were available in the past students at GBHS. that customers used to and still love.

“I don’t want to say that they are just completely “There are sugar donuts, maple donuts, sprinkled donuts brand-named, but they taste different than just Safeway-bought doand all these jelly-filled donuts,” Galang said. nuts,” Pan said.

Many students believe Krispy Kreme hasn’t changed in Many students believe that Krispy Kreme produces higher quality the time it has been gone from Roseville. donuts.

“As far as I remember, they taste exactly the same (as “There’s a difference with the Krispy Kreme donut,” Galang said. they did before they closed),” Pan said.

“Other donuts will just have that single glazed layer and then the botThe students of GBHS welcome Krispy Kreme back tom layer won’t have any glaze,” Galang said. “For Krispy Kreme, the to the community. whole donut will be glazed with normal glaze and then it will have the “It just brought a lot of memories being able to go flavored glaze.” back to Krispy Kreme,” Pan said.

Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE

Page 12

November 2011

Random.

Video of the Month

BY MARY HANEY

mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

Although the web has millions of videos offered to view, it seems as if the simplest challenges of life serve to be the most interesting.

“The Shaytards”, complete with Mommytard, Daddytard, Sontard, Princesstard, Babytard and Rocktard are sure to entertain you during your internet browsing time.

Having been an active YouTube “vlogger” for more than four years, Shay Carl, creator of “The Shaytards,” has been sharing his family’s daily life with the entire world through his homemade videos.

The devotion goes as far as uploading at least one “vlog” per day on his main channel, “Shaytards.”

In addition to this, he also uploads “one takes” from his iPhone and he has an ongoing YouTube channel devoted solely to his weight loss. This other channel is known as “Shayloss.”

“Shayloss” won over many viewers when Carl began his own personal weight loss program that he made interactive by posting to YouTube and allowing responses from his audience.

The daily “vlogs” on his main channel

revolve mainly around the time that is spent with his family.

If watched, you may end up joining the Shaytards on their trips to Costco, escorting children around to karate lessons and fun family days spent at home.

For the Shaytards, the daily “vlogs” are a type of scrapbook. Their entries include important landmarks for their children and even themselves.

A few of these important moments in “The Shaytards’” history include the arrival of Rocktard, the youngest of the family, YOUTUBE and family relationships through thick and thin.

After struggling with jobs that he never enjoyed, Shay Carl became a radio DJ and began making YouTube videos.

Carl has now made creating his daily YouTube “vlogs” a full time job, along with being the funny and loving father captured in his family videos.

More and more people are falling for “The Shaytards” as they share their lives with the world via YouTube.

iPhone App. of the Month

BY MARY HANEY

mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

Providing you with the greatest deal, the iPhone Living Social application is the most noteworthy of the recent new apps.

Living Social is an online program that works to arrange the best online deals for fun activities in your area.

When first signed up for Living Social, you will be asked to give your name, age, email and nearby cities.

Using this information, Living Social generates the deals that would best suit you and your preferences.

The many categories of Living Social include a “Deal of the Day,” family activities and adventures with savings up to a 90 percent discount.

Many of the “Deals of the Day” include discounts at local eateries, fitness centers and more.

Living Social locations range from nearby hotspots, such as Tahoe getaways, to far away countries such as Costa Rica, Argentina and Egypt.

The daily updates from the app. allow you to view all of the deals and conveniently click “buy now.”

LIVING SOCIAL COMPANY

After buying the Living Social deal, you will receive a voucher in your email inbox the next day. You can either print the voucher, or show the email on your iPhone when paying for your deal.

“Share the Love” is one of Living Social’s newest features. Within each deal, there is an easily accessible “share” button that you can email or tweet your deal from to share with friends.

If three of your friends purchase the deal, you receive your’s free.

Living Social also gives you the option to send one of the daily deals as a gift. Instead of paying expensive retail prices on great gifts for your friends and family, you can save 50 to 90 percent of your money, and with that buy the deal for yourself.

This app is perfect for anyone who does not like paying full price for anything.

With Living Social, anyone can have a great time and be cost-efficient by taking advantage of the convenience of their iPhone.

Upcoming Concerts

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

Not only has this past month been flooded with concerts ,ranging to anything from dubstep to jazz, yet this upcoming month also offers music lovers weeks of various bands touring all over the region.

The reflection for last month contained many well known reggae and dubstep bands, although also held concerts of multiple other genres such as rock and country, were held too.

On Nov. 3, Iration traveled to Sacramento on their 2011 Lei’d Back Tour. At Ace of Spades, the reggae-rock band played their steady rhythmic songs to offer a unique yet easy to love concert, including singles, such as “Falling” and “Summer Nights.”

On the opposite side of the region with an opposite genre, Mt. Eden Dubstep played at the Knitting Factory on Oct. 22. Aside from the popular break beats that the popular DJ’s had to offer, a local DJ entitled An-ten-nae gave the crowd an opening act that was simply unforgettable.

Dubstep artist Kraddy also accompanied Mt. Eden Dubstep with remixes and beats that gave attendees a complete show worth every overpriced penny spent.

Last but not least, on Oct. 11, Incubus blessed Raley Field with its presence and talent. The concert was flooded with people, bright lights and lyrics blasting out of the speakers articulating on the subjects of love, frustration, and simple concepts of morality. 107.9 the End Jingle Ball- Power Balance Pavilion (Dec. 1) Dirt Nasty- Ace of Spades (Nov. 26) Cage the Elephant- Ace of Spades (Dec. 9) Lucinda Williams- Crest Theatre (Nov. 15) BB King- Community Center Theatre (Nov. 13) All Time Low- Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (Nov. 12) The Airborne Toxic- Ace of Spades (Dec. 8) Thousand Foot Krutch- Adventure Christian School (Nov.11) Grouch and Eligh- Ace of Spades (Dec. 15) Mary J. Blige- Fox Theatre (Nov. 11) Iration- The Regency Ballroom (Nov. 12) The Devil Wears Prada- The Regency Ballroom (Nov. 17) Pink Martini- Paramount Theatre (Nov. 20) RHYMESAYERS RECORDS

November 2011

Page 13

Trippy.

Movies continue to progress in a whole other dimension

BY CROSBY ALLISON

F

callison.gazette@gmail.com

rom YouTube videos to Yu-Gi-Oh cards, a large amount of media is now being made to appear multi-dimensional.

The development of 3D film is taken back to the times of Renaissance art, wherein artists started drawing with more realistic perspective.

Since the early ‘90s, the trend of making scores of two-dimensional surfaces appear three-dimensional has somewhat faded out, while movies are being made into 3D more than ever. The stylization is still of interest to companies, who see the development of 3D entertainment as a lucrative endeavor.

The creation of 3D TVs for domestic use delineates a growing desire for its immersive effects.

However, since their appearance on the market in 2010, 3D TVs have been selling relatively slow in the United States, because of poor-marketing and a lack of consumer-desired media available for them.

“We’ve sold a few (3D TVs), but people mostly buy HD hardware,” a Fry’s employee said.

One of the initial driving forces to popularize 3D was the movie Avatar, which caused many consumers to purchase the necessary electronics to enjoy it in stereoscopic detail. If several more movies of that caliber could be produced, the 3D market may become more viable than it currently is.

The boost for the market of 3D technology may be found in players of video games. Since the popularity of View-Masters and Tomytronics in the ‘90s, 3D

entertainment devices have come a long way.

The portable stereoscopic technology of the Nintendo 3DS and the PS3’s growing repertoire of 3D titles will help stimulate the interest in this form of media.

Due to the poor sales, prices of 3D TVs have dropped considerably. Average prices have been lowered by $500 since last year, in order to attract more buyers.

3D movies are increasingly popular with moviegoers.

“When I see movies, I prefer them in 3D,” junior Kreun said.

Even newer 3D technologies are being developed; the Nintendo 3DS allows for the same involving experience without the potentially cumbersome glasses, and they even has a depth slider.

Cinematographers now have greater control over how deep the image appears. A newspaper in Hangzhou, China is sold along with 3D glasses, as well as several other tabloids throughout Europe, because of new printing processes that add cyan and red layers to each page.

One complaint of many 3D movie goers has been the discomfort caused by wearing the dichromatic eyewear for extended periods of time, which has been claimed to cause nausea, headaches, and dizziness.

Already developments for glasses-free 3D and further improved versions of the bifocals, which have already been refurbished over the century of 3D media, have begun.

Some just do not find the stylized movies preferable over regular ones.

“It seems like so much work for something so insignificant,” McFarland said. “It’s just a form of presentation,” McFarland said.

One reason many movie theaters have renovated for the 3D trend is because of the film industry’s declining need for cinemas.

The exponential growth of Netflix users as well as BluRay consumers and improved home theaters have given potential customers a better reason to stay home than pay overpriced tickets to sit with a crowd of others.

The appeal of 3D is enough to attract more business, especially from those who do not want to spend the money for the benefit of regular use.

Gazette illustration JESSICA REESE

Page 14

November 2011

Enjoy.

S

o often in America, our culture promotes the idea that the only way to enjoy food is to eat unhealthy food.

As the Thanksgiving holiday rolls around, families are faced with a typical Thanksgiving dinner that generally can contain around 5,000 calories.

By simply cutting or replacing a few ingredients, people can minimize caloric intake and avoid unhealthy and regretful food decisions.

Better than butter Commonly used in many Thanksgiving dishes, butter is a main source of both calories and fat. Replacing this ingredient with other natural ingredients, such as herbs and seasonings, is one way to improve the healthiness of any dish, without sacrificing the taste.

Take your favorite seasonal vegetables and cover them with oregano and basil, or smother them in garlic for extra zest.

y l l u f h t l a e h g g n n i i t v i g Ea s k n a h T s thi K I BLAC

BY AR tte@gmail.com aze

.g ablack

A simple side switch A common side dish on Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes drowned in gravy. Rather than choosing mashed potatoes, which can consist of up to an average of 240 calories per cup, use a simple, yet equally enjoyable alternative: sweet potatoes. The texture of the sweet potato is similar to that of the regular potato, but is lower in fat. Sweet potatoes are also high in vitamins A, C and E.

Rethinking old favorites

Though it may seem unhealthy, turkey is actually an important component of the healthy Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey is low in fat and high in protein contains iron, potassium, zinc, and B vitamins.

Guilt-free apple pie Using alternatives can transform the final and generally most unhealthy course of a Thanksgiving meal, dessert.

Rather than the usual apple pie, make a similar tasting dessert that contains a mere 128 calories per serving, compared to the 411 calories in the average piece of pie. Combine sliced apples with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and less than a tablespoon of butter. Cook the combination in a saucepan for a tasty substitute for apple pie that is similarly satisfying.

Eating healthfully is not hard to do. Finding alternatives is the key to an enjoyable and nutritious Thanksgiving dinner.

Gazette photo illustration/SAMANTHA SPARGO

November 2011

green screen.

Page 15

Page 16

November 2011

Womp.

Gazette illustration SAMANTHA SPARGO

BY BRAD WONG

A

bwong.gazette@gmail.com

large part of how teenagers define themselves and their favorite pastimes is through music. In general, it seems that Granite Bay High School students prefer mainstream music over any other genre.

However, it has become apparent that over the summer and during the new school year, a new genre has emerged and it has begun to appeal to a wide number and variety of students – dubstep.

Dubstep is certainly unique in the world of electronic music and it is known for its heavy basslines and the drop, the most intense part of the song.

Senior Colin Black started listening to dubstep as a freshman. He was not intially impressed, especially since dubstep was just getting introduced into the community.

Black now enjoys dubstep because he believes it is the only genre that can have songs with a slow drum and bass line in every song, but it each also has its own unique sound.

Although Black finds it fun to listen and dance to, he acknowledges the hate it receives.

“People hate on dubstep because they don’t like techno or electronic music. It’s as simple as that,” Black said. “It’s not for everybody, but not every dubstep song is by Skrillex with some crazy ridiculous growling and a barrage of futuristic noises.”

Overall, Black thinks dubstep is worth giving at least a try.

“It’s worth listening to, if one can find a song or artist he or she likes. They just need to listen to different types of songs.”

However, just like anything new that pushes the boundaries of mainstream thought, Senior Wade Graves feels strongly that dubstep is one of the more ugly genres of music.

“Dubstep is long and repetitive. A producer just goes overboard on repeat with a beat that makes me have a massive headache,” Graves said. “It’s near impossible to listen to and to enjoy while sober because it makes me feel angry, anxious, frustrated or overwhelmed.”

In fact, Graves will never listen to dubstep by choice.

“I never listen to it and have only had to by obligation if my friends are playing it or if my teacher plays it in class,” Graves said. “It distracts me from my work and I

can’t think.”

Graves also quickly dismisses dubstep to have a place in the music community and does not think anyone truly likes the genre.

“It’s not music, no one plays it, and it’s just the product of a computer program,” Graves said. “Even if there are vocals they’re all electronic so it truly has no musical value.”

Junior Will George feels the same way as Graves does about dubstep.

“When I first heard dubstep, I instantly knew it was not for me and it was a disgrace to music. While it is unique, it doesn’t take real talent, but just good computer skills.

I guess dubstep is unique and good for other people who appreciate that type of irritating and plastic-rattling music,” George said.

Junior Hammad Bashir, an avid listener of dubstep, acknowledges and rejects the hatred and misconceptions people give it.

“Lots of people hate on dubstep because they think it’s just a bunch of WOB’s and WOW’s,” Bashir said. “But that’s the point: it’s unique and it’s radical. It’s cool to listen to and hear the bass kick in.”

Bashir believes that ignorance is a main cause for the hatred of this genre.

“People who hate on dubstep haven’t really listened to it and there’s not just hardcore dubstep, everyone can find some type of the many songs in the electronic genre that appeal to them.”

Bashir first heard dubstep during 8th grade to freshman year. Initially, he didn’t like it, but towards the end of sophomore year, he really got into it.

“It’s different, there’s no words, which makes it chill so one doesn’t have to listen to someone being annoying and obnoxious with their voice, like Ke$ha,” Bashir said.

Bashir also finds dubstep, along with its many varieties, enjoyable to listen to at any time.

“I listen to it when I’m doing homework,” Bashir said. “Since there are no words, I’m not distracted, but there’s some white noise in the background that keeps me going. Some people listen to classical music like Mozart or Beethoven, but my classical music is dubstep.”

November 2011

Page 17

Musical.

Lip Dub Media and Student Government prepare for the upcoming filming of Granite Bay High School’s first-ever Lip Dub

BY CROSBY ALLISON

W

callison.gazette@gmail.com

ithout any sound, videos look exceedingly strange, especially if the video is of hundreds of students singing and reveling. This sort of movie is called a lip dub, and Granite Bay High School has been organizing one of its own.

A lip dub is like a music video. A group of people videotape themselves mouthing the lyrics to a song, and the actual recording of the song is later added during the editing process.

Lip dubs have become increasingly popular, as evidenced by their appearance in popular culture, like on the NBC show “The Office.”

One of the reasons for GBHS’ creation of a lip dub is to create a sense of camaraderie among the student body and the staff, which will culminate in this month’s upcoming “Make a Difference Week.”

Junior Austin Redfern is in the Advanced Media class.

“It’s supposed to be fun and full of school spirit, which involves a surprising amount of work,” Redfern said.

Part of this fad began with Vimeo cofounder, Jake Lodwick, coining the term after making a video of himself singing, then adding the actual recording of the song over the muted film.

Since then, this style of video has caught on with many high schools, universities and other groups of people, many of which have posted the recordings on YouTube and other websites. Some of the inspiration for GBHS’s Lip Dub has been taken from already existing ones that have been made by other high schools.

Advanced Media and Student Government students have been the primary planning force behind the Lip Dub, which has been a tedious process. The classes have been feverishly planning since early October, mapping the course of the camera, finding students to perform the lip syncing, deciding which songs will be used and collaborating with clubs to determine where they will be stationed during the shooting.

Senior Aakash Shah, director of the video, has seen much of the preparation.

“Planning has been an up-and-down process,” Shah said. “We randomly have bursts of ideas, and there are times when we can’t think of anything.”

Over 900 students are arranged to participate in the schoolwide event and everyone will be included to some degree.

Senior and ASB president, Wesley Finkemeier, views it as “a way to bring the whole school together.”

Five different tracks will be used throughout the film. The songs include: “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation, “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, “Higher” by Taio Cruz and “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi. The use of multiple songs will allow more lead roles, thus allowing more students to get involved. The recording will be between six to eight minutes in length.

The Lip Dub will feature a majority of the student clubs, in order to display their members and interests. Several classes will also be featured, such as Yearbook and Journalism.

Since the camera will traverse most of the school campus, there will be ample space for everyone to become involved.

Because the Lip Dub will be one continuous shot, minimal editing will be done. There will not be any retakes or scene changes, unless absolutely necessary.

The planned date for the Lip Dub is Nov. 16. Instead of being filmed in the morning, the video will be shot at 1:35 p.m.

School will start at 7:45 a.m., like a regular day, but classes will be the length of collaboration day classes and school will be released at 1:35 p.m.

Senior Andrew Pascua will be one of the leads in the upcoming Lip Dub. “I’m excited to see the entire school partake in the Lip Dub, along with all of the different clubs and groups that GBHS has to offer,” Pascua said.

Gazette illustration/ HAYLEY MCAVOY

20th century fox

in time: B

By: Jessica Reese jreese.gazette@gmail.com

dreamworks

E

very once in a while it is good to take a break from the usual movies to go see a movie about a cat wearing boots. Now, if you’re lucky, the movie will be as great as this one is.

Let’s begin with the plot. The story of Puss in Boots combines the stories of three different childhood fairy tales: Humpty Dumpty, Puss in Boots and Jack and the Beanstalk.

In short, Humpty Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) and Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) are two childhood friends at an orphanage in the Spanish town of San Ricardo.

As children, the two hatched the idea of one day being able to find the magical beans from Jack and the Beanstalk.

However, Dumpty turned to a life of crime and ended up betraying Puss.

OK, now fast forward many years in the future and the two are reunited and with the help of a new accomplice, Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek). The three work together to steal the magical beans from Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris) and eventually steal the Golden Goose for San Ricardo.

Now, I did a pretty terrible job trying to give you a quick summary of the plot, but the plot wasn’t the main reason I liked this movie so much, but that is not to say that the plot was not intriguing and well thought out.

What won me over was the clever humor the writers put in. Although the movie’s audience was supposed to be young children, the amount of cat jokes had me giggling like a little school girl (I hope that does not make me sound weird.)

Another aspect about the movie that I liked is the way the movie is presented.

Throughout the movie, there are scenes that captivated my imagination in ways that I did not think the movie would.

The unique array of characters definitely set this movie apart from other animal animation movies.

Each character develop one way or another, whether the character became kinder or more cynical.

If you can bare to withstand the trailer for the upcoming Alvin and the Chipmunks and if you are craving some simpler-minded humor, Puss in Boots will be an entertaining movie for you.

Rated: PG By: Austin Downs adowns.gazette@gmail.com

puss in boots: A

T

ake your average Robin Hood tale, add a dash of science fiction and you’ve got In Time.

With Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried headlining the dynamic concept, the film had a great deal of promise. Of course, in standard Hollywood fashion, In Time was unable to hold up in the face of such hype.

The movie relies heavily on the ability of the viewer to simply accept what happens.

Time is the new currency, got it? Everyone is born with one year on their clock, which begins at age 25, okay? Oh, and Sylvia Weiss (Seyfried), daughter of a New Greenwich millionaire, can shoot guns, fight off bad guys and nearly die without ever mussing her hair.

All good?

If a viewer were to pick at even one of the (many) loose threads, the whole thing would surely unravel.

In Time rumbled along, moving from one major plot point to the next with little drama.

After witnessing his mother’s death, Will Salas (Timberlake) heads off for New Greenwich, the rich Zone 4. Other than a little more darkness in his brooding stare, he doesn’t seem to be incredibly shaken up the event.

My absolute favorite, however, is not until much later on in the movie. After just barely escaping from the clutches of District 12’s notorious gangster (Alex Pettyfer) in a brilliant maneuver, Salas and Weiss stand on the rooftop and – bing! – like magic come up with a new, highly dangerous plan. The plan, of course, is flawless and executed in a matter of hours.

My friend and I attended a matinee showing that started at 10:50. We walked out of the theater around 1:00 PM satisfied, but hardly chatty. It was good, fine, entertaining. I wasn’t disappointed, nor blown away. I went on with my day little affected by the movie, only giving it a thought or two.

In short, this film will not change your life. It will, however, entertain you.

My suggestion would be to save your money and catch it on the small screen. With a bowl of popcorn and a few friends, In Time is perfect for a night in.

Rated: PG-13

November 2011

Film.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

T

he third edition to the bone chilling Paranormal Activity series is finally out, and more disturbing than ever.

Paranormal Activity 3 provides an unsettling hour and a half of terror for any horror enthusiast bold enough to take on the challenge.

The movie’s plot begins similar to that of any horror film– a happy family enjoying life, that is, until something goes terribly wrong.

That something, in this case, is where the directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, got really creative.

Most horror movies seem to follow the same type of generic plot, with little to no variation.

Paranormal Activity 3, on the other hand, is one of the few modern horror films that truly provides an original take on horror entertainment, with its unique style of slow building creepiness and eerie sense of realism.

It is this realism that causes a majority of the audience to be drawn into the plot, as it is easy to relate to the happy suburban household of which the setting takes place.

It’s also this realism that caused the original movie to explode in popularity, picking up an assortment of people.

Another key aspect of this film is the fact that the suspense is built up over the whole movie.

Yes, this means the beginning half isn’t quite as action packed as the last half, but this does provide for a solid base for the storyline to work off of, and is rather refreshing compared to the conventional horror movie.

Paranormal Activity 3 also has creative cinematography, full of camera angles and tactics that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Although this movie is extraordinarily well done, there are a few downfalls of the film.

First, the beginning is a tad confusing.

The movie started in 2005, then wavered back and fourth between 1988. This would be fine, only it lacks explanation and purpose.

Another aspect that some viewers may find confusing is the ending, which involves a lot of loose ends to say the least.

The only other bad characteristic is, aside from a few puzzling scene switches at the beginning, the story isn’t tied together well, like in the previous films.

Looking past the flaws, this is a great movie for anyone who’s looking for a realistic horror movie, full of supernatural qualities and mind games.

Rated: R By: Joey Puhula jpuhula.gazette@gmail.com

paranormal activity 3: A-

Page 18

FILM DISTRICT

the rum diary: C-

By: Chris Pei cpei.gazette@gmail.com

UNIVERSAL

Warner bros pictures

O

n Nov. 4, the third installment of the Harold & Kumar series was released– A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

I have seen parts and bits of the previous movies, and this one seemed no different.

One of the big problems with this movie is that there are various comical references in the past movies, and since I didn’t fully watch the last two, I didn’t really understand the references.

So, if someone starts watching the Harold &Kumar series, beginning with this one, a lot of the comedy will go over their head.

The plot is very one-dimensional: full of marijuana, unnecessary nudity and various extreme and awkward encounters.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas began with Harold Lee (John Cho) hosting his wife’s traditional Mexican family over for Christmas.

Because it’s Christmas, Lee’s father-in-law decides to throw out Harold’s ornately decorated tree and bring in a special fir tree that he had been growing for eight years.

Later, Harold opens an anonymous present, and inside is one of the biggest blunts he’s ever seen and proceeds to smoke it.

Harold throws it away in disgust and lights Mr. Perez’s beloved tree on fire, completely unsalvageable.

While the rest of the family is out, Harold has until 2 am to find a replaceable tree.

From there follows the mishaps Harold and Kumar– ranging from an encounter with Ukrainian thugs to an accidental meeting with a Neil Patrick Harris, who fakes his sexual orientation.

During this trouble-filled night, there are some flashes of comical brilliance, but they are trumped by the other terrible and stupid jokes.

Another downfall of the movie is the 3D effect.

With “3D” in the movie title, people would expect an especially unique and jaw-dropping experience, but, alas, they would be disappointed.

One quirk of the movie I found awkward is the setting of the movie. The title says “Christmas,” which I thought was a bad choice considering Christmas isn’t for another six weeks.

Overall, A Very Harold &Kumar 3D Christmas is rather disappointing and it has an all-too predictable plot where I could guess all the lines. I was expecting a hilarious, knee-slapping comedy, but instead laughed on four occasions and left in a daze.

Rated: R By: Brad Wong bwong.gazette@gmail.com

a very harold and kumar christmas: B-

B

ased on the Hunter S. Thompson novel, The Rum Diary, starring actor Johnny Depp, chronicles a freelance journalist who leaves New York City to pursue a rumsoaked, bohemian lifestyle in Puerto Rico during the ‘60s.

The protagonist, played by Depp, acquires a job at the local newspaper, writing horoscopes and doing petty jobs here and there.

From that point forward, he begins his journey towards self-realization and, along the way, he encounters danger, romance, temptation and, of course, bucket loads of rum.

The setting and atmosphere of the island are expertly captured, but the way in which the events are depicted is, at points, sluggish and disjointed.

The largest downfall of the film is that there was no drama in the foreground to propel the plot forward. Instead, there are series of short-lived conflicts that ultimately have a minor impact on Depp.

From a poorly developed “forbidden” romance with a real estate tycoon’s fiancée, to a close bout with death by hostile locals, the events in the film are all loosely tied together, with no real coherency or buildup leading to a central theme or resolution.

Even the internal conflict of Depp’s character wanting to find his own “writer’s voice” as a journalist, is drowned in the surrounding hullabaloo.

In trying to encompass too many aspects of the book, which typically contain numerous themes and layers, the film loses its focus and poignancy, a crucial aspect that was glaringly obvious throughout The Rum Diary.

However, the film boasts a funny, witty, script—perhaps the one aspect it succeeds in best.

Fans of Depp will likely appreciate his commendable, yet somewhat restrained, performance in this film.

If you’re willing to overlook the shortcomings in the plot, then the movie is still worth watching for Depp’s comical, lighthearted performance.

Rated: R

Page 19

Film.

T

ower Heist, directed by Brett Ratner and starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and Casey Afflect, is an action comedy with a hint of crime. A big hint of crime. In fact, the whole movie is about a crime.

It starts off dull and a little slow. The main character Josh Kovac (Ben Stiller) is introduced as a manager of the hotel, The Tower.

His rich boss, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), is a big shot Wall Street millionaire.

The first part of the movie consists of the hotel’s routines and the lives of Kovac and Shaw.

In a surprising turn of events, a kidnapping of Shaw unravels to reveal unexpected consequences, for Shaw is accused of fraud involving debt from investing in the stock market.

At first, Kovac supported his boss and he tried to do what he could to help and to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was innocent until proven guilty.

It becomes clear to the staff of the hotel that they are all at a loss. Since Shaw had been a magician of the stock market, some of the staffers had given him their money and it had all been lost.

This creates a turning point for Kovac, where he decides something needs to be done in order to retrieve the money back for himself and his co-workers.

Throughout this movie, I laughed and felt myself guessing what would happen next. Some parts of the movie are predictable to the point where any good guesser could see what will come next.

At other times however, I felt surprised at what was occuring. Twists in the plot create surprises that make the movie more interesting.

Eddie Murphy plays a different type of character than his normal “family friendly, funny” character that he normally potrays.

In this movie, he plays a hardcore thief, with a strong sense of humor.

Most of the humor in this movie is blunt and will make you laugh. Other parts of this movie have more subtle humor, which takes a careful ear to notice it.

Overall, this movie is fun to watch, and will leave an impression in my mind for a few days.

I loved the action-comedy combination, and there is definitely quotable material that I will use in future conversations with my friends.

Rated: PG-13

By Riley MacMillan rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com

tower heist: B

November 2011

Page 20

November 2011

Movies.

20TH CENTURY FOX

In Time

B

dreamworks

Puss in Boots

A

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Paranormal Activity 3

In Theat ers

C-

The Rum Diary

FILM DISTRICT

B-

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas

warner bros pictures

B

A-

Tower Heist

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS