Granite Bay Gazette: November 2010

Playoff predictions

As league play wraps up teams reflect on successes, failures of the season

C1

Friday, November 5, 2010

Drumming up

Fall coffee shop review Unwind and warm up

G8

Camaraderie takes drumline to the top

Gazette THE GRANITE BAY

success

B1 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 13 w ISSUE 3 Commentary

Fallen GBHS graduate remembered

katie zingheim kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com

Technology age given bad reputation

I

recently spent a productive afternoon entrenched in a few informative hours of Law & Order.

While I witnessed firsthand the intricacies of the executive and judicial systems, a commercial for the search engine Bing came on.

I am a hard-core Google bandwagon-er. I’ve detested Bing since its inception for admittedly vague reasons.

“Is Jack LaLanne dead or alive?”,“I don’t know, Bing it,” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Yes, Bing shamelessly appeals to my love of adorable jungle animals.

Who doesn’t want to open up their web browser and be greeted by a baby panda bear, for instance, that fills the entire computer screen?

I also enjoy scrolling my mouse over those little transparent boxes and learning how many bamboo shoots said panda bear will consume in a week.

I cherish the 20 seconds I can waste soaking up these little intellectual tidbits before proceeding to the Granite Bay High School website to look up my English homework.

So I find a contradiction in Bing’s commercial that pairs an amusing concept with the tag line: “What has search overload done to us?”

Personally, I find search overload to be a wonderful, wonderful thing.

One of man’s finest creations is the automatic suggestion list that, I assume, was crafted by Google. We can learn things we never knew we wanted to know.

For example, the stock project in economics could inspire me to look up the phrase “What is the stock market symbol for Wal-Mart?” But I’ve only typed in “what is” when I’m presented with a magical list of possible searches.

Before I finish keying in my intended query, I notice, a few lines down, the question “What is lupus?” I, in fact, would greatly like to know what lupus is. Despite the 15 House episodes in which I have watched a patient being diagnosed with lupus, I still have no idea what it actually does.

Thus, an engaging and revealing 30 minutes is spent frolicking through the fountain of knowledge that is the internet.

I was looking up statistics on the number of arrests for marijuana possession in California (for English, of course), when I came across a summary of the various California gangs by the state district attorney’s office.

After about 40 minutes, I discovered that Cryps and Bloods are exclusively African American gangs. I did not know this. I also found it interesting that most white gangs are based on principles of racial supremacy. I can’t imagine any scenario in which that information would be useful.

But now I know, and I feel enlightened.

I feel a small sense of accomplishment every time I browse the inter-webs for a seemingly useless slice of my day. In reality, I am proving wrong all those who claim the technology age has made us too fast-paced, too hectic, not able to appreciate the little things.

I appreciate every little thing about the people I Facebook stalk, the episodes of The Daily Show I watch on Hulu and minutes I spend perusing Fail Blog. *** Katie Zingheim, a senior, is the Gazette’s co-editor-in-chief.

Marine Victor Dew killed in the line of duty 2009, was killed in combat Oct. 13 in Afghanistan.

He made similar impressions on all who knew asale.gazette@gmail.com w kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com him.

GBHS 2008 graduate Eric Seidman graduated in I got to know Victor just because he was Victor. the same class as Dew. The boys met at Olympus He was an individual – he didn’t follow the crowd.

Junior High School soon after I mean, he just stood out. As a Dew’s family relocated from teacher, I think you have specific the Bay Area. kids that you think about “I was pretty intimidated often (because) they made an Even though he (when I first met Victor), to be impression on you – I’ve been honest. But upon hearing him here seven years (and Victor was quiet, he had speak, I realized that he was was one of those kids). a tremendous one of the most down-to-earth In class, he was always a guys,” Seidman said. participant. It’s not that he inner strength.

“He could talk to anybody, always had the right answer; and nobody ever had anything but he always had an opinion, – Granite Bay parent against him. This is how believed in the opinion, backed he always was – perhaps if it up and that affected other kids and former Olympus anything changed about him, (so that) they respected him Junior High School it was that more and more when he spoke. He was a silent volunteer Valisa people realized it,” he said. leader.

Granite Bay parent Valisa He really touched my heart.

Schmidley Schmidley is one of many There are kids you (teach) that others who were impacted by make you say: ‘God I hope my Dew’s kind heart and quiet kids turn out like that’. That’s demeanor. She worked with how I felt about Victor. him at the OJHS snack bar, *** where he insisted on being her teacher assistant.

Granite Bay High School teacher Liz McCuen is “When he came to Olympus as a seventh grader, one of many who remember Victor Dew, a GBHS 2008 graduate and Private First Class in the U.S. See MARINE, page A12 Marine Corps. Dew, who joined the Marines in

BY ALISON SALE and KATIE ZINGHEIM

Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

Father Arnold Ortiz, O.S.J., above, blesses Patty Schumacher at the graveside service for Pfc. Victor Dew. Dew’s fiancée Courtney Gold, top left, mother Patty Schumacher and father Tom Schumacher pause and reflect at Dew’s casket.

GBHS students often feel judged on appearance Survey: 32 percent feel unwelcome

BY SHANNON CARROLL scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the vainest of them all?

We may be, according to a survey by Biddle Consulting Group Inc., which focuses on assessing the climates in workplaces and schools.

The survey, which drew 1,401 respondents from GBHS last spring, found that 32 percent of GBHS students reported feeling

unwelcome at school because of how they look.

While students generally reported feeling positive about the school and felt accepted both by students and staff, those who felt otherwise generally did so because of their appearance.

For instance, of those who felt they faced barriers to learning, the majority said their appearance was the reason.

A majority of those who felt the administration treated them better

Cathy Raycraft Assistant principal often sees the results of GBHS’s appearance conscious culture or worse than others also cited appearance as the reason.

“It’s almost like you have to look a certain way,” GBHS senior Ariel Cervantes said. “There is that stereotype at Granite Bay that basically says you have to look good every day.”

Cervantes said she might want to have a career in fashion later on, so the appearance-based culture doesn’t really bother her.

See SURVEY, page A6

Fire ravages Galleria, jobs

GBHS students among the many locals affected by recent shopping mall blaze

BY STEPHANIE SHAULL sshaull.gazette@gmail.com

On Oct. 21, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a suspect walked into Gamestop on the upper level of Roseville’s Westfield Galleria Mall, where he yelled for customers to evacuate the store and proceeded to light the store’s merchandise on fire.

The suspect, Alexander Piggee, an African American male in his early 20’s, was a frequent shopper at the Galleria prior to this incident.

“If I had seen his picture, I would

be able to point him out right away. Many people working in the mall had seen him around before,” Westfield maintenance employee Igor Karpov said.

After initially being notified of a possible situation, employees continued business for about a half hour.

“They told us to leave around eleven o’clock. First, (we) had a fire drill and (were told to) just be still and that there were police around the mall. Then, about See FIRE, page A5

inside this issue

News

A1 – A7

Voices

A8 – A11

Second Look

A12

Features

B1 – B8

Sports

C1 – C6

Green Screen

G1 – G24

Teen suicide Point Break program among many efforts to reduce the effects of bullying

A2

Fund-raiser Community hosts annual Are You Smarter Than a Granite Bay Grizzly? event.

A3

News

A2 NAMES IN THE NEWS

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w November 5, 2010

Gay students are impacted by bullying

adrienne blevins ablevins.gazette@gmail.com

GBHS Emerald Brigade sweeps at first three competitions Granite Bay High School’s Emerald Brigade, directed by music teacher Lynn Kulikowski, performed extraordinarily in its first three competitions.

At the Oakmont Fall Field Show, which was Oct. 9, the band won music, marching, general effect, colorguard, and percussion sweepstakes. To top it all off, they took home the overall grand sweepstakes.

At their second show, the Del Oro parade and field show on Oct. 16, the band members brought home music sweepstakes and first place band in the parade category.

In the field category, they won marching, general effect, and overall sweepstakes. Because of all of these awards, they won the grand sweepstakes for combined parade and field.

The band’s third show, the Foothill Band review, was the most significant. It is one of the biggest competitions in the state, and the Emerald Brigade won overall grand sweepstakes for field and second place for parade.

Special recognition goes to drum major junior Mackenzie Sato, who along with her assistant drum majors senior Chelsea Schifferle and junior Alyssa Clark, took second place in their first competition as drum majors for the band at the Oakmont competition.

Also, at the Del Oro competition and the Foothills competition, Schifferle was further honored with a first place drum major for parade. *** Every 15 minutes will occur sometime in November, and to publicize it, a contest was held to design a T-shirt.

The winners of this contest were seniors Devon Lilley and Taylor Lilley, whose design features the letter that students who “die” read to their parents. The letter reads “Dear Mom and Dad, every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol related traffic collision, and today I died. I never had the chance to tell you...”

Underneath that, the words “Just don’t DUI it” will be printed. *** On Oct. 28, GBHS held its annual Blood Drive. The event was organized by school nurse Linda Warfield.

The drive was a definite success, with 210 people who showed up to register, and 181 pints of blood collected.

Many people were involved in making the drive run smoothly, including Assistant Principal Brian McNulty and sheriffs’ deputy Joe Herrick who helped with traffic.

Warfield also gave credit to the student government class, and the culinary class. The culinary class, under teacher Angela Ash, baked muffins for the drive. *** The GBHS drama program most recently put on the play Snow Angel. They performed Oct. 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30.

The play was described as a ‘funny and eerie tale of teen angst, discovery, and the power of believing.’

Know something we should know? Contact the Gazette’s Adrienne Blevins at: ablevins.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 /Maggie Louis

Seniors Drake Smalley and Brian Lam toss a ball while waiting for the games at Point Break, a program designed to break down barriers and prevent bullying.

Effects of such harassment often serious for those subjected to it

BY JAMIE COLOGNA

jcologna.gazette@gmail.com

A junior girl at Granite Bay High School has attempted suicide five times, primarily because of bullying about her sexuality. Of the five attempts, the last one was the most severe. During this effort a good friend and the friend’s parents brought her to the hospital where the victim begged her friend not to tell her real parents in order to spare their feelings. *** This junior is not alone, not at this school, in this state or in this country. It seems as if

more recently the number of gay bullying incidents has spiked to especially high levels, or maybe it is just because this problem is finally getting the attention it deserves.

According to the Josephson Institute of Ethics, 47 percent of students say they have been bullied or taunted in the last school year. Part of this comes from those who have fallen victim to bullying simply because of their sexual orientation.

“Since I came to this school I have been shocked by how many times a day I hear ‘that’s gay,’ ‘fag’ and a myriad of other slogans and verbal slurs,” GBHS teacher Katrina Wachs said. “I think it’s a real human

rights issue.”

The bullying ranges from verbal slurs to physical abuse.

“It’s gotten pretty overboard, I got hit in the face last year,” the anonymous junior girl said. “I have had people go on Myspace and post ‘Yes on Prop. 8’ on all of my pictures and I have gotten texts like, ‘Oh you’re a stupid lesbian you probably have AIDS’ and just stuff like that.”

Bullying has been a problem for every generation, but it is new for every young person who encounters it for the first time.

Everyone who has these unpleasant encounters handles it a different way.

“I have kind of just ignored (it) and hoped that people could see me for who I am and not as just the gay kid,” GBHS junior Christian Adams said.

The junior girl has a similar way of dealing with being victimized.

“When I am bullied I tend to ignore it,” she said. “When it gets to that point where I just can’t handle it anymore, I end up talking to friends about it because if you hold it in it can get worse.”

Friends are the frequent support group for people who are bullied. While there are plenty of bullies at GBHS, there are also a great number of people who are supportive.

“I have a lot of gay friends,” senior Austin Henderson said. “I am there for them whenever they need me and I am always willing to offer advice.”

According to some students, the bullying has increased over time.

“People asked a lot of questions when I first came out,” senior Jeff Fehr said. “They didn’t have so much hatred (initially).”

See BULLYING, page A6

Short fall term is trouble Winter Ball date Fewer semester days a problem for some classes

BY JON SETIAWAN

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

Beginning with the 2009 school semester, the school year at Granite Bay High School began earlier in August in order to push finals before winter break and graduation to May. This year, because of the schedule shift, the fall semester is shorter than the spring semester, primarily affecting fall singlesemester AP classes.

The fall semester has roughly 82 school days, with the program Every 15 Minutes included in those days, which takes Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS a day away from the juniors and seniors. The GBHS teacher Jarrod Westberg teaches a class affected by the short term spring semester has more than 90 days with AP they are constantly behind, as AP government takes tests, STAR testing, and IB tests taking up time.

The AP government/economics class taken by seniors up half of a semester, and after midterms, the rest of tis one term long, as opposed to the year-long blocked the time is spent on economics.

“I definitely feel behind and my students feel beAP classes. hind too because we’re going faster Because it is only one semester long than normal,” Westberg said. in the fall, the pace of the class is fastI haven’t had Not all single term AP classes are afer, which means students are given fected the same way, though. substantially less time to understand (any classes) reAP psychology, which is also taught the material. in the fall, does not This typically has not been a probmotely this short the shorter first term.have a conflict with lem for the AP government/economAP psychology teacher Natalie Elkin before. ics class. sees no problems in the length differHowever, this year, because the ence between the two terms. schedule has a smaller number of – Jarrod Westberg, Because the AP psychology test is days in the fall semester than students the first AP test offered (a week and a are used to, students in the AP govGBHS government day before the AP government test), the ernment/economics class have less teacher terms are balanced. This is also helped time to learn the class material and to by the fact that AP psychology is ofprepare for the AP test in the spring. fered in the spring term as well.

“I haven’t had anything remotely this short before,” AP Similarly, GBHS AP Language teacher Judi Dangovernment teacher Jarrod Westberg said. “It makes it really difficult for (students) in terms of having to slide iels said the terms are more balanced because of the through stuff, making things a little bit tougher this placement of the AP language test, and the IB tests in the spring. year.”

“I lose a week in the spring due to testing, so from Senior Austin Akre is one of the class’s many students having to adjust to a shorter term to prepare for the AP my point of view, (the schedule is) a good thing,” Daniels said. “The number of weeks in the fall I have test in May. “(It’s unfortunate) because I’m not used to AP classes. to prepare students is just right.”

So far, students who have an affected single-semes(AP government) was my first AP class at GBHS, and on top of that the semester is shorter so we got less time in ter AP class in the fall have seemed to do all right the class than normal,” Akre said. “This meant that I had despite the time loss.

“I (have) managed the class all right, but some to spend more time outside of school trying to understand nights came with extremely long hours of studying,” the material.”

Akre said.

The faster pace led many students to believe that

stirs discussion Date of dance conflicts with some school teams’ activities

BY ALLIE BURGER

aburger.gazette@gmail.com

Winter is approaching fast, along with all of the traditions that accompany the holiday season.

At Granite Bay High School, one of the biggest December traditions, Winter Ball, is threatened by lower attendance this year due to its conflicting date, Dec. 4, with multiple extracurricular activities.

On Winter Ball night there are currently conflicts for basketball and soccer players, as well as members of the speech and debate team. In addition, if the varsity football team makes it to section championship, both the football team and cheerleaders will be forced to miss the dance.

Students with conflicts recently took action to try to change the date of Winter Ball.

“We went and talked to Mrs. (Tamara) Givens and we had leaders from each team: soccer, football, speech and debate and basketball give her reasons why the date should be moved. She agreed to talk to the administration,” senior Nico Mamone said.

“But after football lost to Del Oro, it didn’t seem (like they) had as great a chance to make sections, so the administration (was unwilling to change the date).”

The administration and student government made the decision not to move the Winter Ball date from Dec. 4 to Dec. 11. Students with conflicts were disappointed by the outcome of the decision.

“I think that it is ridiculously unfair because as soon as we brought up the proposition to Mrs. Givens and mentioned that it conflicted with the section championship, she was completely (willing) to try to change the date,” senior Ashwin Subramanian said.

On the night of Dec. 4, four activities have conflicts with the

date of Winter Ball, while the only conflict on Dec. 11 is girls’ basketball.

“It is kind of a trade-off. On the 4th, three sports teams potentially have to miss Winter Ball, whereas on the 11th, only one team has to miss it,” Subramanian said.

The student government class has many reasons for not changing the date.

“We decided not to change the date because a lot of people already have boyfriends and girlfriends coming from out of town who have booked flights. Also, people have scheduled limos and other plans,” GBHS senior and Winter Ball commissioner Joe McIntosh said. “It would be unfair to change the date (just for some people who have conflicts), their conflicts were scheduled after we set the date for Winter Ball, so it wasn’t like we could do anything.”

When choosing the date for Winter Ball, Dec. 4 appeared to be a non-conflicting time.

“We actually tried to put it on this day because nothing else was on the calendar at that point. It (also gives) kids an extra weekend to study for (finals),” senior Katie Green said. “It is hard to see what events (could possibly conflict) when there isn’t anything on the calendar yet.”

However, despite some students’ inability to attend this year’s Winter Ball, the dance is currently being planned, and is expected to be one of the best yet at GBHS. “The dance lights are going to be a lot more fun and we are trying to incorporate a universal theme that both couples and stag individuals will like,” McIntosh said. “It’s going to be fun and open for everybody to have a great time. For seniors, it’s our last winter ball, so I want to make it awesome for our class.”

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

News A3

Are you smarter than a Granite Bay Grizzly?

Gazette photo /KELSEY KNORP

Boosters raise $23,000 from third-annual Q-and-A event

BY KELSEY KNORP kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

On Oct. 24, the parents and patrons of Granite Bay High School gathered at the Granite Bay Golf Club for the third annual “Are You Smarter Than a Granite Bay Grizzly?” benefit.

The event was held by the Granite Bay High Booster Association, whose profits go to all GBHS programs.

Participants in the game, which was inspired by the TV show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, were divided into 18 predetermined tables which competed against one another. Players were

allowed the opportunity to buy advantages during the game, such as a 50/50 answer, free answer, or a student expert to help them answer the questions.

Questions were divided into four levels of difficulty based on the four years of high school. They ranged from freshman, the easiest, to senior, the most challenging.

Craig Daniels was a volunteer at the fund-raiser, as were his wife Judi Daniels and her fellow English teacher Katrina Wachs.

“It’s to their advantage to get one of the student experts on their team,” (Craig) Daniels said. “It increases their chances of winning.”

Aside from the competition itself, other methods of raising money in-

Gazette photos /KELSEY KNORP

Brooke Holt above center talks with Roland DeMarco above left, while running answers back and forth in order for the smooth operation of the event. Parents left participate in the silent auction portion of the event, a key fund-raiser for the Booster Association. cluded the silent auction, as well as the sale of raffle tickets by student government students who mingled throughout the room, and the sale of DVDs of the game after the event.

GBHS freshman parent Pamela Infantino seemed to be impressed by the whole idea.

“They were really creative in coming up with ways to raise money,” she said.

The total guest count ended up coming to 122 people. Although this number is smaller than last year’s, the GBHBA made a gross

profit of $23,000, which is around the same as last year’s earnings.

There was a general sense of satisfaction amongst the guests as well. Of the 48 guests who took a survey rating the event, all but a couple gave it a 4 or 5 out of 5.

Blanche Yeaton, president of the GBHBA, was satisfied with the fund-raiser’s success.

“It ran really smoothly,” she said in an e-mail interview. “We surpassed many of our goals, (and) we achieved and exceeded our financial goal.”

Renitia Bertoluzzi, the chair-

man and coordinator of the event and vice president of the GBHBA, credits the guests at the event for the success of the night.

“It’s really all because of the community” she said.

The five “student experts,” who were auctioned off each round to individual tables, were seniors Will Hubbard, Dominic DeMarco, Alex Wagner, Alison Sale and Ashwin Subramanian.

Not only did this event serve as a financial benefactor to the high school, it also offered opportunities to these intelligent students.

“They wrote me a letter, and I needed community service hours for the IB program,” Hubbard said, “so I figured, why not?”

Subramanian also felt lucky to have had the opportunity to participate, and he was satisfied with his experience.

“It was interesting to be able to meet the influential of Granite Bay, and hear them talk about what they do for a living,” he said. “They are the people I aspire to be like someday, and I am grateful that they are investing in our education and futures.”

GBHS doesn’t fare well compared to similar schools STAR results lead to bottom 20 percent ranking

BY MATT VENEMAN

mveneman.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School has performed better than many other schools in the area over the last several years.

In terms of number of AP tests taken, AP tests passed and API scores, Granite Bay outperforms other schools in the district.

In 2008-09 GBHS students took 851 AP tests and 78 percent of students passed these tests.

This is a much higher pass rate than the national average of 58.7

percent.

Based on Academic Performance Index (API), GBHS ranks much higher than schools in the local area.

But there is another number which people seldom see. It is called the Similar Schools Rank.

For this number, GBHS is grouped with 99 other schools that break down similarly in terms of demographics.

GBHS ranks in the bottom 20 percent when compared with similar schools.

The reason for this is unknown.

It may be that the curriculum at these other schools is more geared toward the standardized tests.

“They certainly don’t have better teachers but they may be more prescriptive about how they prepare students for this test so they can have bragging rights,” GBHS principal Mike McGuire said.

This is not the main focus at GBHS. Teachers do not directly teach toward standardized tests, nor will they ever.

“I care that our API scores stay

News Briefs

above 800 so people will leave us alone and so the teachers can work on the other things that matter,” McGuire said.

The problem with these numbers is that they do not show growth.

The data show where a school is at a certain point but fails to show where the school started.

“You work with the tools you’re given and you work with the materials that you have,” McGuire said.

These tools and materials may start the school out on a very high level and even minimal growth will result in high test scores.

Some schools may start out very low but demonstrate phenomenal

growth. The only number that the state and other schools look at is the final result, a poor indicator of performance.

“Some of the schools around us that we outperform, we outperform because we started higher,” McGuire said.

Eureka prepares incoming students very well and as a result, GBHS performs well on tests.

Several factors have been known to influence schools’ performance.

According to recent studies, parent education level and parent incomes are the two biggest factors in a student’s performance.

In a high-income area like Granite Bay, it comes as no surprise

that GBHS would outperform other nearby schools since Granite Bay’s median income is much higher than that of nearby areas.

“More affluent parents can provide their children with more diverse experiences – which give them world knowledge that supports their school learning,” Stanford University education professor Debora Stipek said in an email interview.

GBHS sophomore Brad Wong recently participated in a speech and debate program at Stanford over the summer to broaden his See ACADEMICS, page A6

ASB UPDATE Senior class VP Alex Pink reflects on job well done The Gazette talked to Granite Bay High School senior class vice president Alex Pink.

Gazette: Did Homecoming go as expected?

It went really well. All of our commissions went as expected. It was really stressful but we all stayed calm and helped each other out so each commission was able to go smoothly.

We got a lot of comments that (it was) the best Homecoming. It was really fun.

Gazette: What were the themes for SportsA-Rama?

This year the class themes can only be a movie or TV show. The freshman theme is Elf. The sophomore theme is Monsters Inc. The juniors are Glee and the seniors are Star Wars.

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Senior Zoe Watson was one of many students who donated blood at the fall blood drive.

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER SAT I & II Deadlines: Test date

Deadline

Late

Dec. 4

Nov. 5

Nov. 19

Jan. 22

Dec. 23

Jan. 7

Mar. 12

Feb. 11

Feb. 25

Speakers: UCLA: 10 a.m. Nov. 9

Window for schedule changes is nearing

Gazette: Can you tell us what’s in store for Every 15 Minutes?

So that’s more of a secret of a commission. The commissioner, Katie Green, has it all on her.

No one else is allowed to know about it. It’ll be in November. She’s doing that and she needs to keep everything under her belt.

For students interested in altering their spring term course schedule, administrators will be available to make these changes on Dec. 6-9 during lunch breaks.

A meeting with an administrator is required to process any schedule change requests.

KidsKan The KCRA KidsKan food drive is being held through Nov. 19. Students may bring canned goods to their second period class, and participants are eligible to win a pizza party for bringing in the most cans.

The class that donates the second largest amount of cans will receive donuts.

– compiled by Shannon Wagner

Gazette: How did the blood drive go?

Gazette photo /RACHaEL VASQUEZ

GBHS senior class vice president Alex Pink talks about Homecoming, the blood drive, Sports-A-Rama and Every 15 Minutes.

The blood drive went well. We donated a lot of blood and we got a lot of participants. So, we saved a lot of lives. We gave out food and a really cool shirt.

– compiled by Franklin Zhuang

A4 News

Friday, November 5, 2010

Driving impaired by marijuana use

Driving

distracted

Students unaware of dangers

BY MICHAELA MONAGHAN

BY MICHAELA MONAGHAN mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /aRI bLACK

Texting and driving are becoming more prevalent phenomenon with 48 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 admitting to texting while driving. Distracted driving is the No. 1 killer of teenage drivers and texting is the No. 1 distraction.

Students still texting in the car, despite law

BY SOPHIA ZOGOPOULOS szogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com

Whether stuck in traffic or driving on a neverending road, there is one connection between drivers: the need to communicate. Often, this can put drivers in situations where others’ lives, or their own, are threatened.

Methods of communication have drastically changed in the last 20 years. Cell phones have now become the No. 1 way to communicate, and text messaging, otherwise known as “texting,” is the most-used feature of cell phones.

Since text messaging was invented, in the mid 1990s, it has become the easiest and quickest way to contact others. The majority of people have access to texting and view it as a fast way of interaction. People believe they can text anywhere without having the distractions of talking on the phone.

On Jan 1, 2009, a new law passed that bans texting and driving.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Wireless Communication Device Law states that it is “an infraction to write, send, or read text- based communication on an electronic wireless communications device, such as a cell phone, while driving a motor vehicle.”

This law goes along with the handheld wireless telephone laws put into effect July 1, 2008, which prohibit drivers from talking on their handheld

cell phones when driving.

Placer County Sheriff Garland Lew, who has seen accidents caused from cell phone usage, believes the texting law has been positive for our community.

“I usually see about three to five people a week texting while driving but it’s one of those things that is difficult to tell in a moving vehicle,” Lew said. “Overall, I think the law has been positive for this community and some people have reduced their texting.”

Although it is against the law, many young drivers have not stopped using their cell phone while driving.

Teenagers are accustomed to interacting via text messages and this prompts them to use cell phones more often while driving than older drivers.

“I think teens continue to text while driving because of our society. If you don’t reply back to someone’s text for a long time then it’s taken as being rude like as if you’re turning your back on someone when they want to talk to you in person,” senior Mandy Matsuhara said.

When surveying 50 GBHS seniors and juniors about what they think of texting and driving, many admitted to doing so but knew it was dangerous and against the law.

“I text at least once every time I get in my car even though I know I’m probably not paying as much attention as I should to the road,” senior Jen Rowland said.

The survey questions asked if students had ever texted while driving, and if so, how often; if it affected their driving; if they hide their phone so they don’t get caught, and if they think texting is the No. 1 distraction.

All but two students who received the survey said they had texted while driving and they hid their phone so they wouldn’t get caught. Also, many students said that changing the radio sta-

w The Granite Bay Gazette

tion or eating food was a bigger distraction than texting.

Since students do not want to be pulled over for texting, many are more concerned about hiding their phones than the road which takes away focus from driving. Because of these actions, many accidents have occurred that have left numerous individuals dead or injured.

“I think whenever someone tries to go around the law they tend to have more problems.” Lew said. “Why not stop these behaviors, pull over and do what the law says versus trying to hide it, then causing yourself more grief?”

What many teenagers don’t know is that the No. 1 killer of teenagers is distracted driving, and cell phones are the most common distraction.

Also, texting while driving is fifteen times more dangerous than talking while driving.

Although accidents caused by cell phone usage tend to involve teenage drivers, adults are at a high risk as well.

“I think adults texting while driving is the same level of danger as it is for teens,” Matsuhara said. “Adults have been driving for a long time but are still learning how to text as well as young adults, whereas teenagers have not been driving for that long, but we have a greater knowledge of texting.”

However, many adults seem to agree that teenagers are more likely to get in accidents involving texting while driving.

“More teenagers text than adults and teenagers seem to get in more crashes than adults. I think I got in five accidents before I was 20. If I was texting when I was a teen, I probably would have been in way more accidents,” GBHS teacher Myron Stephens said.

Even though there have been many tragic accidents, people of all ages still risk the chance of being in a fatal or a serious car accident just for a text message.

“You don’t think it would happen to you,”

mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

It’s 10:55 p.m.: only 5 more minutes to make it home by curfew. He begins frantically looking for his keys, preparing to drive home. Sure, he’s been smoking a little, but he knows he’s fine to drive. After all, he’s driven high before, and it was no big deal. It’s not like he’s drunk or something.

He finally finds his keys, hops in his car and speeds away. *** Young people have been taught that driving drunk is dangerous, stupid and deadly, and the majority of high school students avoid drinking and driving.

But the fact remains that 8,600 people were killed in 2005 due to drugged driving, while 580,000 were injured according to the Institute of Behavior and Health.

A junior at GBHS who asked to remain anonymous frequently drives after smoking marijuana.

“It worries me a little bit (when I drive high),” he said. “I think it is (dangerous) but in certain situations I don’t think it’s that bad. Usually I drive high because I have to get home to my parents.”

According to The Institute for Behavior and Health, 30 percent of seniors in high school have driven impaired or have been the passenger of an impaired driver.

When marijuana enters the body, the chemical THC is released, which distorts perceptions, impairs coordination, and causes difficulty thinking and problem solving, all of which are essential for safe driving.

“You can’t judge distance and that is what driving is all about, judging distance. If you can’t do that well, driving a vehicle is about the most dangerous thing you can do.” Placer County Sheriff Garland Lew said. “The most common errors made by marijuana drivers are drifting within their lanes and the way they react. Speed is also an issue. They sometimes drive at too slow of speeds, sometimes too fast.”

The problem with driving high is not only a failure to safely accelerate, steer or brake, but

also an inability to cope with distractions.

“Driving a car is a new task for all young drivers, meaning it is not done automatically like brushing your teeth or riding a bike,” said Kathie Sinor, a health teacher at GBHS. “Driving a car safely requires the driver to use multiple sensory pathways – hearing, seeing, scanning, perceiving, reacting and judging. Driving requires the brain to use the automatic information processing system as well as the conscious awareness portion of the brain.”

Teenagers often feel they can drive impaired even when confronted by distractions. This false sense of confidence can have deadly results.

“For example, if you take a 16-year-old GBHS student, have him smoke a joint and put him behind the wheel, it is a recipe for disaster,” Sinor said. “Processing is slowed and the driver is now having to react to multiple stimuli: driving at night, passenger conversations, signals, other cars, lane changes, speed of traffic, pacing and judging distance of car in front, radio on, windshield wipers, rain.”

DARE officers, public service announcements, commercials, and billboards: all emphasize the dangers of drinking and driving.

Yet according to druggeddriving.org, 35 percent of all injured drivers had drugs in their system.

Also, drugs were present more than seven times as frequently than alcohol among weekend nighttime drivers in the U.S., with 16 percent testing positive for drugs, compared to 2 percent testing at or above the legal limit for alcohol.

“I think that driving drunk is not ok. Ever. But I don’t think many people at our high school think it’s a big deal to drive high,” the anonymous GBHS junior said.

“I think driving drunk is worse.

I don’t know how to explain it.

It just seems different.”

Although the statistics and facts clearly show that driving and drugs should not mix, teenagers still don’t seem to be worried that a DUI means driving under the influence, and regardless of whether that influence is drugs or alcohol, it’s still a DUI. “(There are) consequences of driving high,” Sinor said. “You name it, it will happen.”

College applications: comparing requirements Differering school supplements causes stress for numerous seniors

BY ADRIENNE BLEVINS ablevins.gazette@gmail.com

Mention college applications to a senior and, more than likely, the reaction will be one of stress and reluctance. Around this time of year, between October and December, students become engrossed in the college application process.

The most common schools for Granite Bay High students to apply to are the ones in the California State University system, and the University of California system.

The deadline for both these applications is Nov 30.

Many students apply to more than just these schools, however. GBHS senior Allison Levine is applying to 15 schools which include two UCs, one CSU, the University of Oregon and the University of Washington.

“I’m doing a lot of public university schools,” Levine said. While working on all of these applications, she was exposed to the many differences between the applications.

USC Writing supplements Recommendation letters

One essay required, three available prompts.

Two to three short answers questions.

UC’s Two essays required, no alternate prompts.

Total word limit of 1000 words.

ONE

NONE

Deadlines

December 1 (with eligibility for scholarship.)

November 30

Accepted tests

ACT or SAT, ACT or SAT, SAT two SAT subject II’s are optional. tests.

AP/IB Credit Accepted?

Yes

Depends on School

“The UC’s (application) is a lot easier,” Levine said. In comparison to other schools, the UC’s application has a rather simple system of reporting academic record and activities/honors. It also has a very streamlined layout, with clear explanations of the different steps.

The University of Washington is one of the schools that makes reporting academic records a difficult process.

“University of Washington’s (application) is crazy, it’s so hard,” Levine said.

“They employ a somewhat complex academic coursework grid to report what courses have been completed and what grades were earned throughout high school and possibly middle school.”

Regarding the process of reporting class-

CSU’s No writing required.

NONE November 30

Stanford U. Wash.

Common App essay, plus 3 short essays that each have a 250 word maximum.

Two - from teachers who taught you in 2 different academic areas January 1

ACT or SAT Act or Sat Scores not requrTwo subject tests ied, but reconrecomended. mended for GPA’s above 3.0.

Depends on School

es, Cindi Underwood, who runs the GBHS College and Career Center, acknowledges that it can be a complicated process.

“One of the big questions that I think is confusing for students is the block schedule since there are so many various types of block schedules. Students need to select semester schedule,” Underwood said. “The easiest way to go through the application online is to print out your application and have it next to you.”

Another GBHS senior, Ethan Mendoza, is also applying to the University of Washington, along with other schools such as the University of Chicago, New York University and three UCs. The hardest applications for him were Chicago’s and NYU’s. “They were Com-

Yes

One essay required, 2 possible prompts, one short essay between 250 & 500 words, 2 prompts.

NONE

OSU No writing required.

NONE

December 15

February 1

ACT or Sat, no SAT II’s required.

ACT or SAT, subject tests not required.

Yes

Yes

mon (Application) schools so I also had to do individual supplements for each school,” Mendoza said.

The Common App is used for many private schools, including Stanford and the Claremont McKenna colleges. Their system for reporting courses, grades, tests, activities and awards is of fairly average difficulty, and the same for every college.

The school can choose to require a supplement, which can ask for all sorts of different information, and have additional writing prompts.

The easiest application for many students is the CSU application.

“The easiest was Cal Poly, because I didn’t See COLLEGE, page A6

U. Oregon One essay, one prompt, 500 word max.

Not required, but advised if GPA is below 3.00 January 15

ACT or SAT, subject tests not required.

Yes

Common Application One essay, five possible prompts, 250 word minimum. Other essays depend on the school.

Depends on School Depends on School

Depends on School, but mostly ACT or SAT Depends on School Gazette illustration /adrienne blevins

Comparing college application types shows the magnitude of requirments neccesary for filling out applications. Each school has its own system which can create a great amount of work for seniors.

Friday, November 5, 2010

News A5

w The Granite Bay Gazette

FIRE: Some GBHS students temporarily without jobs because of damage Continued from page A1 30 minutes later, they had everyone evacuate the stores,” M.A.C. Cosmetics employee Mai Vue said.

According to Fox 40 News, Piggee appeared to have a weapon and kerosene in his possession.

Barricading himself in an area outside of Gamestop, he was able to ignite several other fires before being arrested.

Unfortunately, firefighters were not able to go inside the mall because of a backpack Piggee left behind which was feared to contain an explosive device.

However, when interrogated by the police, Piggee did not make a bomb threat but told authorities his sister was kidnapped by aliens, and he was there to take care of business.

Currently, the suspect will face arson charges.

Many people have been affected by the fire. Parents and students have temporarily or permanently lost their jobs.

GBHS senior Anna Olcomendy worked at Justice for six m onths.

“They said The most they will be keeping in frustrating touch, but to thing is that expect to be I won’t be off for at least the next week paid at all or so and I will until they still have my reopen the job once the mall reopens,” store.

Olcomendy said. “The – Anna most frustratOlcomendy, ing thing is GBHS senior that I won’t be paid at all until they reopen the store, so I have no way to make money right now.”

GBHS senior Drake Smalley was about to start working at Abercrombie and Fitch on Sunday, Oct. 23, just two days after the fire started.

“My manager called me and told me that I still have the job and she will update me when the store will reopen. It’s frustrating that I was supposed to start working there two days after the mall burned down,” Smalley said.

GBHS senior Chelsea Lenck was also frustrated to suddenly find herself out of work.

Lenck worked at Shi by Journeys, and said she will have a difficult time making her car payments without her paycheck.

Twenty-five to 30 percent of the mall is said to be opening in the next few weeks with more reopenings to follow as restoration progresses. *** Gazette staff writers Allie Burger and Sophia Zogopoulos contributed to this report.

Gazette photos/MAGGIE LOUIS

Firefighters work frantically to put the fire out, top, which burned through the second floor between Macy’s and JC Penny’s. A Cheesecake Factory worker, bottom left, tries to get to his parked car, but he is blocked by police officers in order to keep people away from the fire.

Bystanders watch, bottom right, with concern as the mall burns.

A6 News

Friday, November 5, 2010 w The Granite Bay Gazette

SURVEY: Student bullying poll reveals issues at GBHS Continued from page A1 She also said she isn’t as concerned about her appearance as a senior as she was last year.

Still, she said, “I feel like there is pressure put on everyone to look cute.”

Freshman Gigi Grondona – one of many students who take more than an hour to get ready each morning – agreed.

“I feel like you have to be wearing a certain brand or people kind of look at you differently,” Grondona said. “Everyone at GBHS does their hair and make-up and cares about their appearance, so I feel like I have to too.”

Junior Natalie Hassna wasn’t surprised by how concerned GBHS students are with their appearance and said she understands why.

“If you look gross every day, people are going to think that you’re gross,” Hassna said.

“Our school tries way harder than other schools,” she said. “It would almost be easier to go to a school where people just wear boring sweatshirts and sweats.”

She added, though, that “I always get a spray tan for dances, and I always make sure I wear high skirts and cute tops.”

Students at other schools in the area don’t report the same pressure.

At St. Francis, an all-girls school in Sacramento where everyone has to wear a uniform, students say they rarely wear make-up to school or get up early to make their hair perfect.

“It takes me literally five minutes to get ready,” St. Francis senior Kendall Skreden said. “I don’t put on any make-up and only shower when I really have to.”

Student experiences effects of appearance on a personal level

T

o see just how appearance-based the culture at Granite Bay High School is, I performed an experiment.

For three days, I dressed up in very different ways to see how people responded.

Ordinarily it takes me no more than 20 minutes to get ready (I dress more for comfort than for style – typically, that mean jeans and a cute T-shirt). For Day 1 of the experiment I went with my hardest look: goth.

I wore a long black jacket, a black Tshirt, skinny black jeans and black studded boots. I straightened my hair, wore it long and stringy in front of my eyes, and wore heavy black make-up.

My eyeliner was so heavy I realized that if I wore it like this everyday, I would go through make-up extremely quickly. Just imagine how much I’d have to spend on eyeliner!

When I got to school, I seemed to get weird looks instantly. People purposely avoided me. Even my teachers seemed to react differently, albeit unknowingly.

One teacher even told me that my eye makeup looked heavier than usual, although she

Skreden also said that when she sees a girl who is wearing make-up and has her hair all done, she asks her whether she is going to Jesuit, an all-boy school nearby.

At Menlo-Atherton High in Atherton, one of the wealthiest towns in the country, senior Gillian Collom says she doesn’t get the feeling that students are overly concerned with their appearance.

“If you come to school and look perfect every day, people are going to think you’re a little weird

Commentary didn’t explain I looked “comfy,” whether it was GBHS code for telling good or bad. someone she doesn’t One guy who look good but without saw me and being seen as incredknows me teasibly rude. ingly told me One friend of mine I looked like I saw how I was dressed was going to and went off on a rant kill someone. wondering why we E ven my have to try so hard to friends weren’t look good at school. scarroll.gazette@gmail.com sure how to She said she wanted handle the outfit I was wearing. It seemed to go back in time and find the people who almost like they were uncomfortable be- invented make-up and hair tools like the ing seen with me, although they’d never straightener and stop them before they admit it. had a chance to make their inventions a On Day 2, I went with the all-natural reality. look.

Even though I felt naked without my I woke up five minutes before I had to usual light layer of foundation, I liked leave and wore what I slept in – leggings the speed with which I could get ready and a big, baggy T-shirt. I put on no make- and realized that if I’m comfortable with up. I did nothing with my hair except to myself, it really doesn’t matter what other put it in a high bun. people think.

One teacher asked me if I was OK. On the third day, I hit another extreme, a Friends told me I looked tired. look I dubbed “Granite Bay Barbie doll.”

I also got a lot of people telling me I wore a high-waisted, tight black skirt,

and that you lack self-confidence,” Collom said.

To shed light on what’s going on at GBHS, English teacher Judi Daniels had her current English 12 class try to determine what aspects of appearance most concerned students.

The class did a survey that drew 306 responses and found that 29 percent of students felt they were treated differently because of body type or size; 26 percent said the reason was style of clothing.

shannon carroll

“I was not at all surprised by the number of students who put down clothing as a main reason for being judged,” Daniels said. “You look around campus and you see there is a certain style that is accepted.”

“What’s ‘in’ changes,” Daniels said, “but the fact that you have to look a certain way to fit in always stays the same.”

Some students said they didn’t understand the fuss about appearance.

“I don’t really pay attention to

black boots, and a shirt which was rather revealing. I put fake tan on my legs and spent close to two hours just on my hair and make-up.

I wore my hair in what has become known as the Snooki poof – a beehive-like style where the higher the hair, the better – after curling it (something I rarely do). I wore a headband with a huge flower.

The moment I saw my friends, they all commented on how cute I looked.

Even though I felt the need to pull my skirt down with every step, to keep from flashing the school, and I kept trying to cover my chest, everyone seemed to feel I fit in.

At lunch, I saw four girls wearing exactly the same thing I was, although they weren’t doing it for the same satirical reasons.

A “hipster” did once give me a once-over and turned away in disgust.

My best friend and I agreed that my goth look was too harsh, my natural look was fine – though I felt uncomfortable – and my Barbie Doll look was too fake.

I decided I like my everyday 20-minute look best.

what a girl is wearing,” junior Andrew Murch said.

He added that he doesn’t know why girls work so hard to keep up with the latest trends or put on so much makeup when they have to spend minutes scrubbing it off.

“I just wear whatever I want, whatever’s comfortable. It shouldn’t matter to other people what I wear,” sophomore Katrina Reeves said. “I just don’t really get why a lot of girls are obsessed with looking perfect.

If someone doesn’t like your outfit,

who cares?”

Assistant principal Cathy Raycraft said, however, that the pressure is real.

“There is some pressure to do things to the nines,” Raycraft said.

“It’s hard on some girls because they feel like they can’t be themselves, and that’s very sad.”

She added: “Some days we just hope for chillier weather, because (then everyone wears) sweatshirts and jeans, and you can’t go wrong with that.”

COLLEGE: Stress over application process reaches boiling point Continued from page A4

have to write an essay,” Mendoza said.

In addition to not requiring a personal statement, no letters of recommendation are needed, and transcripts do not need to be sent until the student has been accepted.

Overall, it seems that the writing process is where most students find difficulties.

“You have to look into your past and look at who you are; that’s never fun,” Levine said.

Many students are looking to get help from others.

“I’m getting a lot of students coming in (for essay help),” Underwood said.

“Have their relatives pass it to someone they don’t

really know,” Underwood said for advice. It helps make sure that the content of the essay does what it is supposed to – tell about the student.

GBHS English teacher, Judi Daniels, offers a 20minute writing lab for students who need it.

“At this time of the year, most of the kids coming in are coming in to work on college essays,” Daniels said.

The main focus is content.

“Are they answering the question in a way that says want they want to have said about themselves? … I think that the colleges are interested in finding out, are you somebody who will make it through and still be there next year?” Daniels said.

Daniels also stressed the importance of using your

ACADEMICS: GBHS unique in its students’ drive and future goals

Continued from page A4

academic horizons.

“I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to participate in a program like this because most kids would never have an opportunity like that,” Wong said.

“From this program I’ve realized that this outside knowledge can be applied in so many areas of school and later in life,” Wong said.

Only a few students are ever given these kinds of opportunities, and these opportunities are exactly the ones that Stipek refers to. Students in a well-off area like Granite Bay

are more likely to have access to programs like this.

“Middle- and upper-income children are more likely to have parents and other relatives who have college degrees, so they aspire to that and exert effort in school for that purpose,” Stipek said.

This kind of aspiration is what makes GBHS unique.

“I’ve taught at Woodcreek and Oakmont, and I think the one thing that is different here is the global expectation that (students) will go on to college,” history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto said.

“Across the board students are

own voice. “You’re really trying to find this college where you’ll fit,” she said.

Writing essays can occasionally be entertaining.

Mendoza said he found the NYU prompt “If you could bring any person – past, present, fictional, or non-fictional – to a place special to you, who would you bring and why?” to be interesting.

Letters of recommendation are another thing to worry about. Daniels’ advice is to start early.

“Get your act together early, make requests of your teachers early,” Daniels said.

With all of the different applications and their components, things can become pretty stressful.

“On a scale of 1 to 10… 9.8,” Levine said.

Mendoza also agreed with this sentiment. “My stress

level is pretty high right now because I’m having to balance doing the apps with multiple AP classes, football and getting ready for (Mr. Grizzly),” he said.

There are many resources for students who need help with their applications. There is an online tour for the UC application at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/apptour, and the phone number for the PATHWAYS Application Help Desk is (800)-523-2048.

For the CSU app, there are a lot of helpful links and articles online at www.csumentor.edu.

Although the application process is often complicated and stressful, once everything is finished, things will be much easier.

“The thing that keeps me going is the thought of next term when...I’ll be stress free,” Mendoza said.

expected to go to college and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Dell’Orto said.

This desire for a college education and the push students receive from their parents may be a big reason why GBHS scores high on tests, both AP tests and standardized. In addition to students’ desires to succeed and go on to college, GBHS was created as an AP type school.

“Granite Bay was born as the state was beginning to do standardized testing,” Dell’Orto said.

“So we’ve come in to the belief that testing is important.”

BULLYING: Communication key to acceptance Continued from page A2 Bullies are often unaware of the impact their actions can have.

“There will always be those ignorant people that think it’s funny to make jokes,” Fehr said.

Those who support their gay friends view bullying as disgusting.

“Bullies in general are rude and stupid people,” Henderson said. “Those who target people who are attracted to the same sex are disgusting and self-conscious.”

Point Break, which is organized by Wachs and her fellow English teacher Judi Daniels, is a program that has the goal of stopping this behavior and to break down barriers between high school students.

“Point Break is a day when we learn other peoples’ stories. We learn how to break down the barriers that surround high school life and see people for who they

are,” Wachs said. “It’s about understanding that everybody has a story and that everybody is entitled to respect and, at the very least, to be left alone. (Others should try to) actually reach out and understand them.”

Point Break couldn’t come at a better time, as some gay students at GBHS have attempted suicide.

“I have actually tried five times,” the junior girl said.

The severity of this situation proves that GBHS is in need of a program to help raise awareness of this growing problem.

“I think the school needs to focus on it more. I think it should be talked about in classes instead of just at home,” the junior girl said. “I feel like maybe if it was talked about more in class, then maybe it would be less of a problem.”

Your names, your faces...

The Gazette

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

News A7

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

A Section

Friday w November 5, 2010

Happily Never After?

GAZETTE The Granite Bay

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

Editors-in-Chief: Parker Evans Jessica Reese Alison Sale Katie Zingheim News/Web Editors: Adrienne Blevens Matt Palkowski Alexandria Valdrighi Matt Veneman Voices Editors: Haley Massara Adam Tilford Features Editors: Katie Bostedt Shannon Carroll ShinEui Park Justin Shiiba Entertainment Editors: Jamie Cologna Brittany Hince Sonia Iyer Shannon Wagner

“A

Optimistic fairy tales set us up for disappointment

nd they all lived happily ever after.”

As kids growing up, we heard that sugary-sweet phrase all the time.

At the end of every Disney movie and fairy tale, the princess triumphed despite the best attempts of the villain in all her evil glory (and red lipstick).

In these stories, the prince wouldn’t get eaten up by the fire-breathing dragon. The princess wouldn’t be locked in the tower forever. The little kids made it back from the forest OK. The unnaturally gorgeous princess would then marry the handsome Prince Charming who saved her life and live in the beautiful palace, where nothing would ever go wrong.

I’ve since learned that Disney often took liberties to find those happy endings.

Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story, The Little Mermaid, ends tragically, when the mermaid must see her prince marry someone else.

Yet, in the Disney version, the mer-

Sports Editors: R. Slater McLaughlin Laura Preston Christine Zavesky Photo/Graphics Editor: Maggie Louis Illustrators: Justin Shiiba Alison Sale Adam Tilford Matt Palkowski

Staff Writers: Ari Black Allie Burger Mathew Fukuhara Kelsey Knorp Michaela Monaghan Kevin Nielsen Kyle Pawlak Jon Setiawan Stephanie Shaull Samantha Spargo Rachael Vasquez Franklin Zhuang Sophia Zogopoulos

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.

Gazette illustration/ALISON SALE

Photographer: Franklin Zhuang Daniel Fleischman

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

shannon carroll

College essays difficult, but insightful

College application essays provide an unusual opportunity for introspection

C

ollege applications are painful.

Corrections pile into a labyrinth of Commentary Yeah, there’s probably a more prepositions, punctuations and adjeceloquent way to say that. But, after tives until you feel as though you can attempting to write essay after essay, each barely stand to look at the work you portraying my true character, my philowere once proud of. sophical beliefs and distinguishing my Ultimately, the essay becomes unique persona from the millions of other nothing more than another painful qualified applicants, all in less than 1,000 homework assignment, on top of an words, my eloquence is a bit drained. already difficult course load, another Initially, the essay process begins with burden to be shed as quickly as posfeelings of anticipation. After all, this is sible. one of the first chances students are given Colleges expect to judge us on to write an essay on a topic other than the this? avaldrighi.gazette@gmail.com symbolic aspects of a mentally disturbed Of course, the essays do have benShakespeare character. efits. They offer us the chance to be We are finally allowed to use words such as “you,” “our” more than just another test score.

I do appreciate that colleges attempt to see us as people, and even “I.” Maybe it’s just me, but it was nice telling others how I felt for a change instead of analyzing authors’ not just numbers, but I think the sheer volume of essays is overwhelming. beliefs.

Many schools have their own supplements that can grow But, as the weeks drag on, the excitement seems to grow into an impenetrable stack. into an endless procession of cheesy clichés, dead-end But then again, what can colleges do instead? There statements and edit after painful edit. Each mark of the are very few alternative methods colleges can use to see red pen no longer seems like a helpful improvement, but students as actual people. I’d rather be forced to write esa cruel torture device forcing you to spend another hour at says than have my application tossed into a pile of similar the computer.

ali valdrighi

scores, none of them unique.

Besides, there is something exciting about uncovering different facets of your personality. Before I started writing my essay, I wasn’t entirely sure about what I believed or who I truly was as a person.

But now, months later, I feel as though I am beginning to achieve a better understanding of who I am. I am able to understand my thoughts and emotions better.

Maybe that is the true purpose of college essays. Not to torture students with hours of work. Not even to distinguish us from other applicants. Instead, they offer us the chance to see ourselves from a new perspective. They push us a step closer to adulthood. They prepare us for college.

Although college essays can often seem to be the enemy, in truth, they do have their benefits. I’m sure in February, when all the applications are finally complete, I’ll be happy I worked through them.

But for now, I guess all we can do is commiserate and get them done. Sorry I don’t have any more encouraging words than that. I’ve already used all my motivational conclusions in my college essays.

I’m a bit clichéd out. *** Ali Valdrighi, a senior, is a Gazette news editor.

Bullying: Tact and forethought the only answer

T

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

maid becomes human, marries her prince and moves into that palace.

Commentary That’s fine for kids. No child wants to see a movie where people die and the princess doesn’t get her Prince Charming.

My problem is that happily-ever-after isn’t just peddled to kids. In the opera called P. D. Q. Bach’s Half-Act Opera: The Stoned Guest – actually the work of Peter Schickele – the ending has the cast all lying dead on the floor, their bodies strewn about à la Hamlet.

Then the cast all jump back onto their feet, alive again, and start singing a piece titled scarrol.gazette@gmail.com “Happy Ending!”

Truman Capote’s famed novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s ends with the main character, Holly Golightly, going off to Brazil and leaving the man who loves her. In the movie by the same name, Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly has the taxi driver stop on the way to the airport. She accepts a kiss in the pouring rain from the man she has finally decided she is in love with.

I admit I love that movie. But, as we grow up, we understand that things aren’t always perfect. People die – good people. Seemingly perfect couples break up.

Movies, TV and Broadway should reflect that reality.

We should have more movies like 500 Days of Summer, which made clear at the outset that the boy and the girl wouldn’t stay together. The movie had all the charm, energy and quirkiness of a great film, just without the patented happy ending.

We should have more musicals like Into the Woods, whose first act ended happily – but in its second act, Prince Charming has an affair and justifies himself by saying, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”

This isn’t just about Hollywood and Broadway – this insistence on happy endings stilts our thinking about relationships. Girls pine to marry Prince Charming, but there aren’t a whole lot of those out there. I’m not saying guys are toads rather than princes, just that even princes can have warts.

It’s important to understand that we need to work at every relationship, especially a marriage, and not just believe that we’re going to be swept off our feet and carried off to the palace.

The romantic notions seem to infuse our thinking about politics, too. While it’s perfectly obvious that our government is a mess, no politician will acknowledge that we need to raise taxes or cut programs – because voters won’t stand for that kind of talk. We don’t want problems and hard work. We want that happy ending.

If you look a bit at fairy tales, you can find problems. After all, Prince Charming married Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

But we shouldn’t have to look so hard for the warts. Hollywood, Broadway and books all ought to make sure we confront a little more reality. *** Shannon Carroll, a junior, is a Gazette Lifestyle editor.

here is bullying on the Granite Bay High School campus. That is fact, and obstinately denying it won’t change the reality.

It’s a problem that’s been talked about a lot more openly in recent years, from Point Break last year to the anti-bullying assembly earlier this year. Granite Bay High School is, slowly but surely, getting better.

But with the recent wave of bullying-related suicides around the country, maybe it’s time we, as a student body, take a more brutally honest look at the way we treat each other.

Maybe it’s time to re-read that sharptongued, spiteful text before you send it.

Maybe it’s time to care more about a

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

person’s beliefs than the size of their jeans.

Maybe race should just be something you bubble in on government forms, not something that defines the way people treat you.

Maybe you shouldn’t presume that “gay” or “faggot” just means “stupid” to everyone who hears it.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to

question the labels you wear – both on your clothes and in GBHS cliques.

You’ve probably heard a spiel like this a hundred times and, in a perfect world, everyone would listen.

But teenagers kill themselves over this kind of basic, Golden Rule-type stuff.

And we, as students, have no right to ridicule our own – particularly if it’s for something they have no control over.

There is an aspect of human nature that is inherently cruel; we all understand that.

And, though we certainly advocate kindness and compassion between students, we realize that people just aren’t, generally speaking, overtly nice.

We’re not demanding a utopia, just an absence of cruelty. Think about it. If you

just stopped insulting other people – and that’s all you changed about yourself – chances are people would respond better to you. On a school-wide level, that could save lives.

GBHS never needs to – or should – have its reputation scarred by a student suicide. No one should lose their child, or friend, or sibling so painfully. It’s preventable.

If we change now, we can make bullying a rare, shocking occurrence, not a day-to-day nuisance. We will never be able to completely eradicate it – and we have to accept that fact – but certainly, if we can reduce its frequency, we can make life a lot easier on those of us who suffer most.

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Avian ‘rain’ of terror plagues GBHS Seagull invasion caused inadvertently by littering students

T

he misty weather, the texture of the sand, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. All typical of a beach.

But there seems to be one key creature left out of this mental picture: seagulls.

Instead of being near the coast, they have decided to settle down at Granite Bay High School.

Since day one of attending GBHS, I have spotted the insane number of these white, trash-collecting animals, and wondered why they would ever want to be here instead of kicking it on the shore.

Every day I see the almost militaristic clan of seagulls perched along the roofs around our school’s quad.

They all seem to be positioned a certain distance away from each other and at different directions.

Sadly, I feel as if they have discovered our biggest fear and have used their “weapon” far too many times on GBHS students.

It’s almost as if when the bell rings, GBHS becomes a “war zone” between faculty and students and the small but powerful monsters in the sky. Every day you can see students and teachers ducking for cover from our “friends” on campus, in fear of being the victim of the day.

I must admit it’s entertaining watching everyone scramble around campus in hopes of not getting pooped on. But, when it’s your turn to go across campus and face the seagulls, it’s not always a pleasant experience.

One day a few friends and I decided to experiment with these beach birds. I wanted to see how long it took the birds to realize there was food left out for them. I hoped they wouldn’t retrieve the food if it was near a large group of people.

I placed a hamburger about two feet away from where my group of friends was sitting and almost immediately, four of the clan of

Commentary

sophia zogopoulos szogopolous.gazette@gmail.com

seagulls had arrived.

Within seconds they were swooping right over our heads and viciously fighting over the hamburger even though my friends and I were still only about two feet away.

Although one flew away with the patty, it surprisingly broke into two halves allowing one of the other seagulls to retrieve the rest.

After that lovely lunch that day, I realized the only reason why they are at GBHS and how we are responsible.

The only reason the seagulls seem to be here is because a ridiculous number of students leave their food all over the campus – and then later complain about having to dodge the seagulls. The majority of GBHS students have, at some point, left their trash or food on the ground, which is the start of the problem. Maybe if we all got better about picking up our food and trash, the seagulls would get the picture and leave us alone for good.

But since that doesn’t look like it will occur, we can at least appreciate them for taking care of trash that we would have to pick up anyway.

In all honesty, I don’t think trash pickup should even be necessary for human classes – each day it should just be left to the seagulls. *** Sophia Zogopoulos, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette illustration/ADAM TILFORD

3D movies become a gimmick

A

Voices A9

Studios use 3-D for more money, not a better experience

vatar is an incredible movie.

There’s no denying it.

No matter what anyone says about the box office drama with Gone With the Wind or plot similarities to Pocahontas, James Cameron’s Avatar is an experience unlike any other.

One of the most defining characteristics that makes the movie great is the 3-D. When I first saw it I felt like my eyes were opened to an entirely new world of potential for amazing movies.

James Cameron saw that 3-D movies were the future, but I don’t think he saw how quickly movie studios would take advantage of it as merely a gimmick in order to turn a few extra dollars.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what has happened.

Suddenly 3-D went from incredible to forgettable – from new and exciting to uninviting.

Here’s what happened: James Cameron’s movie was designed from the ground up with 3–D in mind– it was made to be viewed that way, and it turned out incredible.

Then, when people paid more money to see that movie in 3-D, some business people in Hollywood had an idea – make almost every movie in 3-D. So, they decided to make some other movies that were already in post-production into 3-D movies.

These are movies that were

Commentary

adam tilford atilford.gazette@gmail.com

planned for 2-D, filmed for 2-D, and were being edited for 2-D. These are movies that were not supposed to be in 3-D. Yet, somehow, I ended up paying $3 more to see The Last Airbender in 3-D, when I barely even noticed that extra dimension. Honestly, setting aside what a horrible movie it was in the first place, I took off my 3-D glasses when it was over and had to ask myself, “Why was I wearing these again?”

Speaking of the glasses, I know plenty of people get nauseous and get headaches from wearing them, and that is a serious turn-off for them to go see a 3-D movie, obviously.

In order for 3–D to reach its full potential, three things need to happen: First, get rid of the glasses. We can send a man to the moon and a robot to Mars, so I’m pretty sure we can make a movie be 3–D with-

out glasses. sis.

Second, design movies for 3-D, OK, I’ll admit it’s not really that don’t convert them. Avatar was bad. great in 3-D because it was meant Please don’t misunderstand me to be. I’m not so – I love 3-D movsure the new Cats ies. The glasses and Dogs movie These are movies don’t give me a had that kind of and that were planned headache, thing in mind when a movie is for 2-D, filmed for made with 3-D from the start.

Last, make in mind from 2-D, and were prices the same beginning, it being edited for the as 2-D movies. turns out to be an 2-D. These are Some businessincredible experimen in Holmovies that were ence. lywood will I’m just tired not supposed to complain it of movie compabe in 3-D. won’t make them nies stealing my enough money. money by turning Now, I’m not an every 2-D movie expert in economics, but I’m pretty into a poor-quality 3-D movie so sure demand will rise and they’d they can get a little more income end up making more money anyfrom viewers. way. Everyone benefits.

It’s just overused.

Until all this happens, James *** Cameron is going to continue cryAdam Tilford, a senior, is a Gaing himself to sleep thinking of the zette Voices editor. horrible trend his amazing movie created, and the wreck of 3-D movies that are being released on a daily ba-

Gazette illustration/MATT PALKOWSKI

Guest Commentary Recently, I have noticed a problem at Granite Bay High School. This has plagued us for years, yet nobody seems to care. Nobody tries to change it. I want to stand out from the rest and make a difference; I want to voice my opinion and rid us of this infestation.

I am, of course, referring to the musicians who feel the need to produce a guitar at lunch and strum away.

Hear me out; I enjoy music from people who know how to play an instrument. But the two chords they teach in basic guitar do not count as real music.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the guitar program, nor any other music program, here at GBHS. I think it’s awesome that the school promotes the individuality and fun of playing music. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with the students who, required to bring their guitars to school, feel the need to bust them out at lunch and start playing. Listen, they might think they’re going to be the next John Mayer or Jack Johnson, but they’re not.

And playing the same song again and again does not impress anybody, so please stop.

So my question is, why? Why do these students feel the need to play in their free time? To practice, maybe? OK, I understand that, but practice in the band room or in the guitar room, not in places where your “music” annoys and disrupts others. Do these people feel the need to try to be cool? Because here’s a little hint for them: You’re not. I know you want to try to create some sort of awesome identity for yourself, but it’s irritating.

I can remember one time specifically, sitting down at lunch with my friends when, minutes later, some underclassmen come and sit down not too far from us. That was no big deal. The problem is, one of them was carrying around a guitar case looking super cool.

I can remember just thinking to myself, “Please don’t take out the guitar, please don’t take out the guitar,” and sure enough, out comes that beautiful music machine. And then he starts playing. Same three chords; same three chords; same three chords. It was horrible.

It wasn’t just the fact that he was playing, nor was it just the poor quality of his music. No, it was the fact that he didn’t care about anybody around him, and he just kept going. Yes, I’m sure we could have moved, but this was kind of our spot. But Mr. “I’m So Cool And Really Need to Play My Guitar At Lunch” thought it better to sit there and just keep playing.

Luckily for us, Taylor Swift over there eventually decided to pack up and leave.

The incessant need to be the next rock star – the next big thing – is like nails on a chalk board to me.

So this is my plea to the students who can’t refrain from playing: PLEASE STOP. I don’t know if I am the only one who feels this way, but I don’t believe I am. I just thought that, for those of you who haven’t experienced this, you should at least know about it. You should know what we endure. And for those of you who do play guitar at lunch, if you feel as though you can’t reach into your hearts and find the generosity to stop, then at least go somewhere else. Go somewhere where all of you can play together at one time and all be friends.

Oh wait, I forgot – we have a guitar class.

So just please stop. Thank you.

–Tucker Johns, senior

A10 Voices

Friday, November 5, 2010

Teens smoke away their future

HEARD on the

BAY

In the attempt to be cool, teen cigarette use only harms health

A

cluster of pre-teens passing around a cigarette is a sight I never anticipated witnessing. It’s a regular habit among adults, but seeing a group of kids lighting up stopped me in my tracks.

They do it to seem glamorous, to appear mature and to be like the adults they see smoking on a daily basis.

They are only capable of understanding the outward appearance of smoking, not the fact that with every puff of a cigarette, they inhale more than 4,000 chemicals which are released into the bloodstream. More than 40 of those chemicals are known carcinogens.

People hear the word chemicals and it is taken so lightly. However, maybe if the public knew and understood what these chemicals did it would urge them to stop.

A better word for these chemicals is poisons. Cigarettes not only contain the addicting poison, nicotine, but they are also made up of arsenic. Arsenic is commonly used in rat poison and long-term exposure to this chemical can cause cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder and kidneys.

Ammonia, which is often in floor cleaners, is also present in cigarettes, along with poisons such as methane, cadmium and butane.

As shocked as I was to see these kids smoking, I also knew that the amount of teen smokers is very high.

Every day about 3,000 kids smoke a cigarette for the first time.

About 1,000 of those kids will eventually die as a result.

Despite continuous health warnings, teens continue to light up and eventually end up hooked on tobacco products – even though they know they are unhealthy.

It is a fact that has been drilled into us for years by our parents, teachers, commercials and ads: tobacco is bad.

Unfortunately, that little fact that we

To what extent do you care about your appearance?

Would you rather look nice or feel comfortable?

“When it’s rainy, I don’t care as much, but on summer days I care about what I wear; I’d rather feel comfortable than look nice.”

Julie Bauer

F r e s h m a n

“I care about my appearance but it’s not everything to me. I want to look good but I don’t want to be too uncomfortable.”

Carson Dangberg “I get up earlier to do my hair and make-up but (what I wear) depends on my mood and how I feel that day. For the most part, I care about my appearance. ”

J u n i o r

Katelyn Dobson “As long as... I look good, that’s all that matters. I’d rather look great than feel comfortable: a tux is uncomfortable but you look like a boss, so it’s worth it.”

S e n i o r

Mike Coker “I used to care a lot as an art teacher, but all my clothes get ruined so I just stopped.”

S t a f f

Brad Cordell Compiled by Maggie Louis

Commentary

jamie cologna jcologna.gazette@gmail.com

all know so well isn’t enough to stop kids from smoking.

Maybe it’s because young people have this sense of immortality; they don’t care enough about their lives and live in the moment rather than looking at the longterm effects.

There are more reasons to stop smoking, besides the fact that it can eventually lead to cancer and death.

Smokers are also destined to a life of bad breath, terrible odor, wrinkles and yellow teeth. Cigarettes also cause cavities, lower hormone levels and weaken the heart and the immune system.

Smoking cigarettes doesn’t make people look cool – it makes them look gross. By smoking, people are asking to be avoided.

Nobody wants to be surrounded by clouds of cigarette smoke, whose smell will cling to their clothes and stick in their hair. Nobody wants to inhale the second-hand smoke.

Cigarettes won’t make you skinny and they won’t calm you down. All that these cancer sticks are good for is wasting money and killing your lungs.

The longer people smoke, the harder it is to stop. Addiction happens quickly, and that leads to a short life of wheezing, coughing, cancer and, ultimately, death. *** Jamie Cologna, a senior, is a Gazette Green Screen editor.

Flowers are for gardens, not wrists S

Tradition of corsages is just an annoyance and a waste of money

ometimes when I’m dancing, I think to myself: “Dang, I wish I had a flower on my wrist.”

Am I right or am I right?

When Winter Ball comes around, I could care less about the dress, the shoes, the hair, the makeup or even the date – I just want that corsage.

The deep-rooted tradition of the corsage exchange is of such immense importance that no one can remember either where the tradition came from or why it is important.

Each and every year we continue the dogmatic tradition for some unknown reason – unknown, yet undoubtedly, indisputably significant in some way or other.

The corsage is the one item on the long list of Winter Ball necessities that never seems to go out of style –in part because no one seems to care enough to change the style.

The corsage itself was evidently developed by experts in female fashion.

It’s a matter of logical thinking.

1. Girls love to accessorize.

2. Girls also love flowers.

3. Therefore, girls love to accessorize with flowers.

Descartes clearly foresaw this application of deductive reasoning.

Who needs a flower that you can put in a vase and admire from afar, when you can have a conveniently portable flower to take with you everywhere you go:

Commentary

brittany hince bhince.gazette@gmail.com

to your friend’s house, to dinner, to pictures and even to the bathroom.

One of the greatest Winter Ball moments that I can attest to is the moment when I hit the dance floor with that nifty flower-bracelet; the flower petals fly away one by one, flickering in the strobe lights; a rosebud falls off and flattens beneath the foot of someone being taught how to jerk; the corsage begins to weigh down my wrist as I fist-pump the night away.

But I don’t mind – I have the esteemed privilege of wearing a pretty little flower from Raley’s.

The average corsage costs $15, and dies the next day. But fellas, if you really want to make a statement, buy one of those fancy corsages for your date.

It will set you back 40 bucks, and the flowers will still die the next day, but man, will she be impressed.

Thousands of dollars will be netted by flower shops during the season of date-dances, all thanks to a tradition that is as stubborn to remove as a spaghetti stain on a Betsey Johnson dress.

It’s as if high I believe that schools within the it is entirely district and across the possible to nation are caught in a scene from Fiddler on enjoy Winter the Roof; everybody Ball without secretly wants to abandon the custom, a wearable, but everywhere you portable, exturn there are people pensive, undancing and singing about tradition! necessary, OK, maybe it’s not disposable quite like Fiddler on the Roof. But you get flower. the picture.

In conclusion, (and if the Corsage Loyalists could please excuse me for sounding rash,) I believe that it is entirely possible to enjoy Winter Ball without a wearable, portable, expensive, unnecessary, disposable flower. *** Brittany Hince, a senior, is a Gazette Green Screen editor.

Thumbs Up

Thumbs Down

S o p h o m o r e

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Thumbs Up: Thanksgiving break is almost here: Freedom!

Thumbs Down: It’ll only be a week until we’re back to school again.

by Maggie Louis, Gazette photo editor

Thumbs Up: Winter is here, which means sweaters are finally enjoyable.

Thumbs Down: With winter comes rain – good luck trying to avoid getting wet in between classes.

Gazette photos /maggie louis

Granite Bay Gazette

Forum

A Section

Friday w November 5, 2010

“Not really, because people here are really nice and they don’t really make criticisms about me.”

Angela Kerbow, freshman

“Yeah, all the time. Everybody here judges whether they like somebody by the way they look and not by their personality or anything.”

Mandy Netherby, senior

Do you feel

JUDGED

on your appearance?

“No, not really, (but) I feel that the style at Granite Bay is poser. So, if you’re not poser, then you’re not stylish.”

Clarke Stevenson, senior

“(Pressure) is everywhere, you know, to fit in and dress the right way... I don’t think that it’s really any different (at GBHS) than it is anywhere else.”

Natalya Buyar, freshman

Forum is a section reserved specifically for the opinions of the Granite Bay community.

Students, alumni, parents and friends are welcome to submit work of any length. Stay posted for future topics. E-mail all submissions to gbgazette@yahoo.com

Second look

Marine will be missed

A12 Second Look

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

 Members of a U.S. Marine Corps honor guard, right, remove the casket of Pfc. Victor Dew from a hearse at East Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento.

Dew’s mother Patty Schumacher, middle right, is embraced by a friend immediately after her son’s funeral service at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Roseville. After being presented with a folded America flag, middle left, Dew’s fiancée Courtney Gold lowers her head in grief. Members of the Marine Corps honor guard, bottom, fold the flag during the graveside service.

wGazette photosw Maggie Louis

MARINE: GBHS alum killed in combat was known for unique, kind personality Continued from page A1 he was really shy – like painfully shy,” Schmidley said. “Even though he was quiet, he had a tremendous inner strength – he was very loving, very sweet, very kind-hearted.”

It was at OJHS where Dew met his best friend, GBHS 2007 alum Arash Mottaghian.

The two met in leadership class and soon after discovered they were neighbors.

Dew and Mottaghian remained close during their years at GBHS – they ate lunch together, walked home from school together, spent time after school together and hung out on the weekends.

One of Mottaghian’s favorite memories from their friendship was riding their bikes or skateboards around town. “(Once), close to Halloween, we were biking around and we went over to Party City.

They had those toy M16 rifles that make that really annoying clicking sound when you pull the trigger,” Mottaghian said with a laugh. “(We each grabbed one) and ran through the aisles, hiding behind walls and

using them as guards, pretending to shoot at each other. I don’t know how long we (lasted) before we were kicked out.”

Dew also left an impact on GBHS staff, including science teacher Shane Dixon.

“I remember he had very characteristic handwriting. As I recall, it was a fancy type of script – artistically unique,” Dixon said.

GBHS 2010 graduate Lauren Paulson met Dew in Mimi Hafeman’s Spanish 2 class. Paulson remembers Dew’s unique personality quirks.

“His Spanish name was Ignacio, like Ignacio Libre (from the movie Nacho Libre),” Paulson said. “Whenever he was (called on in class, and) in a good mood, he would yell ‘Ignaaaaciooo!’ He liked that movie a lot.”

Paulson and Dew kept in touch even after he graduated; they would often watch zombie movies, play Wii and cook together.

“He liked to make people feel comfortable and happy – he really cared about you,” Paulson said.

McCuen recalls Dew’s distinct presence in the classroom.

“(I can still picture him) coming in with his headphones on and his long hair, sitting down and throwing his feet up (on a chair),” McCuen said.

She said Dew’s personality was evident when he would enthusiastically raise his hand in a way that no one else does: hand straight up, even though his whole body was relaxed.

One of Dew’s personal achievements was earning his second-degree black belt in jujitsu. Despite his talent in the sport, many who knew him were impressed by how humble he was – McCuen said she didn’t even know Dew participated in jujitsu.

“He never bragged about himself in class.

(And jujitsu was) something that (in) our many conversations (he) could’ve brought up,” she said.

After graduating, Dew briefly attended Sierra College before enlisting in the Marines in March of 2009. The 20-year-old departed for Afghanistan in September 2010. “(Victor) had been talking about joining for God knows how long – all eight years that I had known him,” Mottaghian said.

Both Mottaghian and Paulson remember anxious, proud, happy – just every single the big Marines flag that was hanging on the emotion you can imagine going through her wall in Dew’s room. and her husband.”

“I thought he was completely meant Among the family and friends Dew left for (the Marines),” behind was his fianPaulson said. “He cée Courtney Gold, “(I can still picture had that military whom he proposed him) coming in with mindset; he wanted to at Disneyland to protect his friends weeks before he his headphones on and protect his peodeparted for Afand his long hair, sitple.” ghanistan.

Even though Dew’s Mottaghian said ting down and throwfamily and friends Dew and Gold’s ing his feet up (on a supported his deengagement epitocision, they went mized what Dew chair).” through a myriad believed: “Live life – Liz McCuen, of emotions in rethe way you want to GBHS teacher sponse to his enlistand don’t be afraid ment, according to to take chances.”

Mottaghian.

To those knew “I remember his him, Dew was funmom always talkloving, caring and ing about how nervous she was. I would always full of life. always try to calm her down, saying ‘Hey, “There are few genuine, honest, good men everything is going to be good – he’s a tough in the world,” Seidman said. “Victor was kid’,” Mottaghian said. “She was worried, one of them.”

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Drumming n into t h e Friday w November 5, 2010

Commentary

katie bostedt kbostedt.gazette@gmail.com

Learning to look on the bright side

g i

h t

T

here it was, in all of its beige glory. I pretended to smile as I learned the car in front of me was soon to be mine.

The car was a Buick Park Avenue. And to make matters worse, it was a rather unattractive shade of tan.

Just before I received my driver’s permit, I found out that my grandpa had been saving his old car for me. I was glad to have a car, but at the time I would have picked any other car but that.

While I had my permit, I began planning ways to save enough money for a new car, hoping to persuade my mom to pay for half, which was completely unrealistic for a fifteenyear-old who already had a car.

To this day my Buick is really hard to find spaces to park. It really is a big car, and to keep it from sticking out in the road, I have to pull up past the line when parking it at school.

When I realized the sad truth that it would take me forever to save up for a car, let alone pay for my gas, I gave up.

I knew that eventually I would be driving a Buick, the car that defined old people, to and from school and wherever else I went.

Needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to that moment.

If you have ever seen a Buick, you would envision an elderly person driving it. It’s like peanut butter and jelly. Old people and Buicks go hand and hand.

I was determined that I wasn’t going to follow the Buick stereotype of driving slow while listening to Elvis.

Now that I have my license, I think I’ve shown Granite Bay a couple things about Buicks. Yes, they do go faster than 45 mph, and rap music does play on the stereo.

It’s still the same ridiculous tan color, and my older brother lovingly contributed to my embarrassment by giving me a steering wheel cover with pink hearts all over it for my sixteenth birthday.

Once I got my license, my car didn’t change, but my attitude did.

I like how unique my car is; it’s not just another Prius. I know of one other student that drives a Buick. He also happens to be my friend, and like mine, his Buick is tan.

After I got over the color, I actually realized how nice my car is. The inside is leather, and it’s really comfortable for road trips.

And according to my brother, it drives like a sports car, although I doubt he’s ever driven one.

I love how unique my car is.

It may not be the coolest car I’ve seen, but it’s different from everyone else’s cars.

My Buick has taught me to be happy with what I have, and I’m so grateful to have a car. As for now, I wouldn’t change my car for anything. Except the color. *** Katie Bostedt, a junior, is the Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

Gazette photo /maggie louis

Granite Bay High School drumline practices during a Monday night rehearsal for their upcoming performance on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Folsom High School.

Emerald Brigade’s percussion brotherhood leads to success

BY JUSTIN SHIIBA

jshiiba.gazette@gmail.com

T

he undefeated drumline has continued its flawless record this year, placing first in all three competitions so far.

The drumline’s reputation is well-respected – known around school for its high-energy during football games and its drum solo performances during the Emerald Brigade’s field show.

But its prestige and uniqueness is often overshadowed and lumped into the same category as the marching band.

The drumline is very different.

“We’re a smaller unit compared to the rest of the band,” Granite Bay High School senior and section leader Albert Garrido said. “It gives us time to focus on things directly, be nit picky and at the same time have a lot more fun.”

The Emerald Brigade’s percussion section is split into two groups-the drumline and the pit. The drumline

consists of two snares, two tenors, five bass drums, and one cymbal, while the pit is all auxiliary instruments such as the vibes, bells and tympani.

The pit stays stationary in the front of the ensemble during the field show, while the drumline members carry their drums and march with the band What separates the drumline from the entire band is each player’s intimacy with each other and their persistent dedication.

“We’re really close,” Garrido said. “It’s an all guy drumline this year so we’re like a family.”

During band competitions there is an area designated exclusively for the drumline, where they all socialize and practice rhythms on their drum pads. They also huddle up before each show and get mentally prepared together.

For juniors Bradford Smith and Adam Holmes, their interest in drumline was sparked in junior high school when the band and drumline toured during the See DRUMLINE, page B7

Noisy for neighbors Nearby homes deal with music

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

O

n weekday morning and evenings, as well as on the weekends, the Emerald Brigade, the decorated Granite Bay High School band, practices at the school.

Although the noise usually doesn’t affect students, as they are already up getting ready for school during the week, it is a different story for the inhabitants of neighboring communities who hear the music in the morning, whether they like it or not.

Dia Layo, whose home backs up to GBHS, hears the band playing every morning.

When the Layos moved here, they didn’t have any warning about the

Student Spotlight

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Teacher Trinket

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SAT tip of the Month B4 Random Student

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TCID:BW

See NOISE, page B7

Teachers join together after school to cycle Riding relieves the stress of school for faculty members

BY MAT FUKUHARA

mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

A

fter the bell rings at 2:35 p.m., Granite Bay High School becomes silent as all the students make their way home, but what isn’t realized is that the same bell that signifies the end also marks the beginning.

For teachers at GBHS, 2:35 signifies the start of the second half of their work day, involving grading papers and preparing lesson plans. It can often last long into the night leaving them little time to pursue their own interests.

In August, math teacher and avid cyclist Duane Blomquist came up with the idea of “TAR” which stands for Tuesday Afternoon Ride, and sent out an email to staff members asking them if they were interested in riding with him.

Blomquist has a long history of cycling participating in a number of races and managing the cycling program at Roseville High School making cycling his second nature.

“Riding gets into your blood. I go with or

without people,” Blomquist said. “Time is usually the limiting factor.”

Blomquist soon found another reason for TAR. He, like other teachers, needed an escape from grading assignments and preparing lesson plans.

“It’s a stress release to go out there and a time to clear your mind,” Blomquist said.

Another reason was to have the comradely of other colleagues.

“It’s sad to say that most teachers are so busy, they don’t know what others do, at all (in their free time),” said Blomquist.

The distance the group rides depends on the ability of the cyclists.

“Levels of riding vary on the group riding. Rides go from moderate to fast,”

Blomquist said.

So far the rides have been relatively long and varying in inclines, specifically when riding in the Auburn direction.

TAR isn’t taken lightly by Blomquist, who uses it both as a time to relax and a time to challenge himself.

“Typically, every ride is a training ride. It’s hard for me to ride slowly. Each ride gets a little more intense, usually,” Blomquist said.

Art teacher Myron Stephens, also has a history of cycling, riding in competitions and racing on the veledrome in high school, but he says what Blomquist is doing isn’t what he is used to.

See CYCLING, page B6

inside lifestyle

noise the band made.

“All they told us was about the football games, and that would only be on Friday nights, not 7:00 in the morning, every morning Monday through Friday.”

During the week, the noise created by the band is not a problem for Layo.

“It’s the time we get up in the morning Monday through Friday” Layo said, “It’s kind of like an alarm clock for us.”

The weekends are a different matter altogether.

“We are sometimes woken up on the weekends,” Layo said. “On the weekends it’s kind of a hassle sometimes, but Monday through Friday, it’s not a problem.”

“I object to it once in a while on the weekends… and I wish there was a designated time slot for them to practice at so we would know when they would be practicing, and obviously not early in the morning,” Layo said.

Dave Cusano, another nearby resident, expressed opinions similar to Layo’s.

Thanksgiving Oppurtunities to serve the local area during break

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Sacramento Youth Symphony Veteran’s Day concert is coming up next week

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Hayden Parker is a connoisseur of chemistry, technology, and percussion

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Friday, November 5, 2010

B2 Lifestyle

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Mr. Grizzly: a fight to the finish Mr. Grizzly contestants John Holway, Lucas Schorer, Ryan Ramirez, Chris Denham, Jimmy Jack and Grant Rigdon, left to right, top row, Kendall Modiste, Grant Gunderson, Bobby Stuckey, Ethan Mendoza and Collin Venables Gazette photos /Maggie louis

Granite Bay High School seniors get ready to compete for the title of Mr. Grizzly and plan on raising money in the process

BY MAT FUKUHARA mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

F

un and philanthropy are combining again this year at the Granite Bay High School Mr. Grizzly event, a rollicking pageant that has 11 senior boys competing against each other and that directs its proceeds to addressing a societal problem.

The event is being held November 10 in the GBHS Theater.

Proceeds will go to Agape International Missions, a group based in Rocklin that combats sex trafficking around the world, whose victims include many girls who are sold by their families when they are as young as eight or nine years old.

While the problem is very serious – deadly serious, because many of the girls die in slavery – those who participate and who attend are encouraged to have a good time while serving the good cause.

“Sometimes we have too much fun,” said senior John Holway, a contestant. “It’s hard-core trying to get 11 guys to all do what you want, but we do get the job done in the end.”

Holway, who said he’s been

looking forward to Mr. Grizzly since it started three years ago, said that “there’s some trash talking [at practices] but nothing more than that because we’re actually all friends.”

Senior Collin Venables said he signed up because “one of my friends said she didn’t believe I could get in,” and he wanted to prove her wrong.

“A lot of my friends are coming (and) I want to give them a great show,” Venables said. “I don’t want them to think it’s just another GBHS event.”

Jimmy Jack, another contestant, said the audience is in for a show they won’t forget.

“They got a little bit of a taste [on the morning bulletin], but that was nothing compared to what they’re going to get at the show,” Jack said. “I’m the very first act, so I’m going to start the show off with a bang.”

The boys appear in numerous events, including a formal-wear competition and a group dance.

There is also a talent competition, where, in the past boys have sung, danced, rapped or just lipsynched. One once played a song on water glasses.

In addition to Holway, Venables and Jack, the other con-

Student Spotlight

Gazette photo /Rachael vasquez

wGranite Bay High School senior Jennifer Ohlson is a part of National Charity League (NCL) and volunteers her time at many different organizations

GBHS senior helps out in the community

testants are: Bobby Stuckey, Kendall Modiste, Lucas Schorer, Ryan Ramirez, Ethan Mendoza, Chris Denham, Grant Rigdon and Grant Gunderson.

The contestants are judged by three teachers, Katrina Wachs, Mimi Hafeman and Jason Rath, who pick the top three boys, then the winner.

Tickets go for $7 each, and the event is expected to be a sellout.

There is also a raffle intended to raise money for Agape International and the sex-trafficking victims. Pillows and bracelets made by the victims as part of a program to teach them employable skills will be sold at the event. It’s not clear just how large the donation will be to Agape International.

“We have a wide range of contestants from athletes to guys from the drama department,” said Jenna Reese, the elected leader of a group of six members of the Community Outreach Club who are donating their time and dedicating their energy to organizing the pageant.

“We are trying this year to focus on the fact that this is a nonprofit organization event,” Reese said, “because the stories you hear are heartbreaking.”

Renee Burkhalter, the director of Development and U.S. Administrations for Agape International, said, “Foreigners pay a high price to rape them of their virginity, which is really torture. Some even die from the experience.”

Burkhalter said UNICEF estimates there are 35,000 girls underage (less than 16 years old) in bondage in the sex trade in Cambodia alone.

“Our mission is to prevent child sex trafficking and restore hope to its victims by providing holistic aftercare to rescued victims,” Burkhalter said. “We are equipping and mobilizing the church community to take action and building church sponsored centers in sex trafficking hot spots.”

The group, which has a partnership with Bayside Church, has been allotted five minutes in the program for a victim of the sex trade to speak. The name of the individual isn’t being released ahead of time, in case she doesn’t feel comfortable.

As Reese said, “We are trying to reach out to the community and make a difference in the world.”

Q: When and why did you join NCL? I joined in sixth grade because I wanted to do charity work and be able to help out local charities with whatever they needed and because it encourages strong bonds between mothers and daughters.

Q: What duties do you perform for the program?

I was president of my class last year and held monthly meetings to address important league issues and obligations to our community. I also help out by donating my (time) to Special Olympics, the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen, and the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Q: Does NCL take up a lot of time?

No, the meetings are only once a month and you sign up to volunteer whenever you’re available. When it comes to events, they’re only a few hours long and are really fun and enjoyable.

Q: What do your senior requirements for NCL include?

We have a certain amount of hours that need to be completed. Seniors have fewer hours required than the other classes do. We also get senior presents which are when all the seniors give speeches and look back on our experiences in the program.

Q: What other extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I have been playing volleyball at Granite Bay High School since freshman year and have been on the varsity volleyball team since sophomore year.

– Compiled by Stephanie Shaull

The contestants work hard together in practice to perfect their routine for the group performance

How to:

Have a movie marathon

Gazette illustration/ADAM TILFORD

1. Choose a good, cloudy weekend for your movie marathon. No one wants to sit in the dark on a gorgeous, sunny day.

2. Remember to invite friends over. Marathons are really only fun if there are other people to enjoy them with.

3. Decide on what kind movies you want to watch. Setting a theme for your marathon will make picking movies easier and help you avoid hours of debate with friends over what to get.

4. Raid Blockbuster and pick up tons of movies. Mocking bad movies is an important part of any marathon, so make sure you have at least one mockworthy movie in the bunch.

5. Head over to Safeway and load up on junk food. Be sure to stock up on staples like individual slices of birthday cake, popcorn and Redvines.

6. Set up a viewing room. Spread out the movies, junk food and drinks for easy access throughout the day. You’ll also want to throw in some blankets and pillows to keep everyone comfortable.

7. Dim the lights, turn on the movies and enjoy!

– Compiled by Jessica Reese

Friday, November 5 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle B3

TOP TEN Showing the true meaning of giving WAYS TO RUIN YOUR TURKEY

10

Forget to defrost the bird

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Overcook the gobbler until it’s bone dry

Helping the community in different ways this Thanksgiving holiday

BY ALLIE BURGER

aburger.gazette@gmail.com

T

hanksgiving is approaching quickly. It is time to start planning the menu for the feast, the guest list and any special traditions one might want to incorporate into their holiday.

However, this holiday is about giving thanks and there are many ways to

show it in the Sacramento area by volunteering in the community over Thanksgiving break.

Starting off the Thanksgiving festivities early, volunteers have the opportunity to provide a Thanksgiving meal to the less fortunate on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento.

“Students may give out personal items, lunch tickets, prep food, clean tables or sweep floors, or clean up after lunch,”

8

Get creative and microwave the turkey

7

Under cook to maintain the slimy texture

6

Start a grease fire while attempting to deep fry the bird

5

Char the turkey to a nice crisp

Gazette illustration/MATT PALKOWSKI

THE RUN TO FEED THE HUNGRY is one way people can give back to their community this Thanksgiving

volunteer coordinator of Loaves and Fishes who goes by “Doc,” said.

To serve the Thanksgiving meal at Loaves and Fishes, call and reserve your spot beginning on Nov. 1. There are only about thirty five spots available and they are filled on a first come first serve basis.

In addition to serving the Thanksgiving meal, Loaves and Fishes serves meals to Sacramento families in need daily and are constantly searching for new volunteers. Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for students to help prepare food, and the service requires no training.

For more information about volunteering with Loaves and Fishes, there is more information available at their website.

If Thanksgiving Tuesday is too difficult to help out, there are plenty of other opportunities to work with Loaves and Fishes.

“Students would be doing something for their fellow man, which is simplistic but important,” Doc said. “It is important to help those less fortunate.”

If you like

The GBHS choir sings its way to the top note Starting from a new year, the choir makes adjustments

4

Wait too long and be forced to use lunch meat

3

Create a substitute tofurkey

2

Forget to rinse off the salty brine

BY KATIE BOSTEDT

kbostedt.gazette@gmail.com

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nyone who loves music can appreciate a good choir that’s perfectly in sync, hitting each note like clockwork. That describes the Granite Bay High School Choir. All three choirs, to be exact.

GBHS has the Treble Concert Choir (beginning girls), Treble Chamber Choir (advanced girls), and the Baritone Concert Choir (all boys), each as a distinct group that occasionally collaborates for shows.

It may seem difficult to begin singing in a high school choir without any experience, but everything that is needed to know is taught. From music theory to intervals, students feel more secure in their knowledge of singing, and music by the end of the class.

GBHS junior Danielle Menard has been a part of the choir all three years she’s been here. “Ever since I was little I loved singing...so I decided that choir was something I should give a try, and I love it,” Menard said.

Although there aren’t auditions to be a part of GBHS’ choir, many students have been singing for years prior to high school.

GBHS sophomore Neil Martin has

been singing for seven years, but didn’t start singing simply because he loved it.

“One of my friends told me about (choir) and told me to just come out and try it,” Martin said. “He said it was fun, and you get to meet a lot of new people.”

Once a friend sparked Martin’s interest, it wasn’t long before he was fully interested.

“I didn’t think I was a great singer, but I went in, and low and behold, this is my seventh year (in choir),” Martin said.

After joining choir, singing became a passion for both Menard and Martin.

“When I walk into choir, I can feel accepted and forget about everything else and just do what I love to do, sing,” Menard said.

The group’s non judgmental atmosphere is a common theme mentioned by all choir students.

“Everybody is so accepting of everyone else, and I love the people in (choir),” Martin said.

This year in particular, choir has had some significant changes.

“This year we had to adjust our sections a little bit because we have less guys than we normally would have, and part of that is because last year we didn’t get in as much recruiting at the junior highs as we would have liked

to,” Martin said.

The mens’ choir had to make some adjustments this year, but they haven’t brought the group down as a whole.

“There are a lot of new freshmen who all have great talent that (will) help us build together as a choir off of the more experienced upperclassmen,” Menard said.

As for the future of the GBHS choir, director Kristin Faulkner is turning to modern television.

“We are thinking of starting a show choir that would perform music and dance, that similar to what you see on the hit T.V. show Glee,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner came to GBHS two years ago, and has adjusted well to the singers at school. “(GBHS) students really enjoy challenging music and consistently strive to become better singers individually and as a choir,” Faulkner said.

Now that Faulkner has settled into her position, she has come to love teaching her students.

Faulkner said, “I love standing on stage in a performance with the final product which has taken us hours of rehearsal to get to, and being reminded why I love being a music educator, for this one moment of beautiful music and glorious sound.”

1

Find a surprise tumor in the center

By Jessica Reese

Gazette photo /aRI bLACK

The GBHS choir practices during their fourth period choir class to prepare for future performances and concerts

exercise and helping a cause at the same time, there are several opportunities to give back to the community on Thanksgiving morning.

The Run to Feed the Hungry, a 5k or 10k run/walk held every year has become a popular event for many individuals in the community.

For the last sixteen years, Run to Feed the Hungry has become the most popular Thanksgiving volunteer opportunity in the Sacramento area. Participants, either individually or with their team, sign up for the event online, with the proceeds of their payment and any donations made donated entirely to Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

“Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services helps those in need and they have a very low overhead which means that it doesn’t cost them very much to put this event on,” Jennifer King, coordinator of the race, said.

“Because of that, the money that is raised from this event goes directly to the people we are trying to help rather than all of the cost to put the event on.”

Beginning around 9 AM, participants run a course through East Sacramento and typically leave the race by noon.

“Run to Feed the Hungry is a nice thing that my family and I do together almost every year. I do it because I feel good about helping provide food for families in need,” Granite Bay High School senior Paige Dolan said. “Plus, it makes me feel more fortunate for the Thanksgiving meal.”

If you are interested in participating in Run to Feed the Hungry, you can go online to sign up for the race and find any more information at www.runtofeedthehungry.com.

See THANKSGIVING, page B6

B4 Lifestyle

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Youth symphony gives back to war veterans on the music that they will Sac teens show diligently be performing.

Some pieces they will exhibit will include songs such as the “1812 their appreciation Overture” by Tchaikovsky, “Victory at Sea” by Richard Rodgers and more. Composition Competiin Veterans’ Day many tion winner, Isaac Smith, will be conducting a piece he composed himself, performance called “The Power of Freedom.”

BY SHINEUI PARK

spark.gazette@gmail.com

E

very year, the United States of America reserves one special day to honor the war veterans that have sacrificed their lives for the country. That particular day is November 11.

Back in 1918, World War I ended with a cease fire by Germany on this day.

Because of this, Veterans Day was previously called “Armistice Day” until people wanted this day to recognize all war and is veterans, not just from WWI. , S Y S f mber o oncert. This respected federal holinew me o for her first c a is o K ell day represents the appreciaYoujin racticing her c tion for the bravery these p n w sho veterans had.

To show even more recognition, the local Sacramento Youth Symphony (SYS) will be holding a “Patriotism and Peace” concert on Veterans Day at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.

This Premiere-level orchestra consists of about 85 musicians.

Michael Neumann has been the Premiere orchestra’s conIsaac Sm it h c ductor for the last o n du dom,” tha t he entere cts his original pie 32 years.

“We, the c d in symp e hony’s Co “The Power of Fre Sacramento Youth mposition eCompetiti Symphony, want on. to do something for our community and honor veterans and the people of the military that stand up so we can be free today,” Neumann said.

Every Tuesday evening from 6 Alyssa Clark to 9 p.m., pe Neumann direct rforms with the rest of the sy the SYS mphony while s the students Mic in rehearsal for practices their upcoming hael concert.

for Americans.

May 2, 1945.

As a solution, Phillip Johnston, Their motto was “go for broke,” a civilian living in California had which meant to risk everything one the idea of introducing the Native has in an effort to win big. That is American language of the Navajo exactly what this army achieved by tribe. Johnston grew up on the Navajo the end of the war. reservation and was one of less than This regiment was one of the most 30 outsiders fluent in their difficult decorated units for size and length language. of service in United States military Since the language has no alphabet history.

The orchestra will also be perand is impossible to master without By the time the war concluded, forming some pieces alongside the early exposure, it was indecipherable 14,000 men served in this army, Sacramento Mandarins Drum and to any enemy forces. with 9,489 earning Purple Hearts, 21 Bugle Corps.

An elite unit of Navajo Code Talkearning Medals of Honor and eight The concert itself will have Sharon ers was formed in early 1942. Over Presidential Unit Citations Ito, who works 600 terms by *** for News 10, the war’s end as the Master were develHonoring these groups of brave We want to do someof Ceremonies oped and efmen, the SYS consists of young thing for our community and showcase fectively commusicians all over the country from the Tuskegee municative in various schools – including Granite and honor veterans and Airmen, 20 seconds.

Bay High School. the people of the miliNavajo Code Once the The members from GBHS are: seTalkers and the Navajo Code nior Alison Sale, junior Alyssa Clark, tary that stand up so we 442nd RegiTalkers were junior Mackenzie Sato, sophomore can be free today. mental Combat trained, they Kimberly Sinclair and sophomore Team. were sent out Youjin Ko. Each special with armies Clark has been playing clarinet for – Michael Neumann, Premiere guest has their and marines to the last seven years and has been part orchestra director own special code transmis- of the SYS for the last two years. history from sions.

“The Veterans Day Concert is going past wars.

After the to be awesome and we’ll be playing *** war, they did so much fun music. The concert’s not get recoggoing to be phenomenal,” Clark said.

The Tuskegee Airmen nition because the code was consid“Getting to play with the orchestra ered a military secret too important to is fun and I love playing with Mr. The Tuskegee Airmen became expose to the public.

Neumann, our conductor.”

America’s first black military airEven though they achieved a code Neumann said, “Wherever these men, coming from every area in the that was impossible to decipher for young musicians are from, if they’re country. outside forces, they did not receive qualified to get in, we’re happy to The first aviation cadet class began recognition until 2001, receiving Con- have them as a part of this orchestra.” in July 1941 and completed training gressional Medals of Honor.

Ko has been playing the cello ever nine months later in March 1942. *** since she was young, but has just Starting in 1941 and lasting to 1946, recently joined the SYS this year. more than nine hundred and ninety 442nd Regimental Combat Team “I’m excited to perform for an pilots graduated at the Tuskegee amazing audience and I hope all goes Army Air Field (TAAF) in Tuskegee, Composed mainly of American citi- well for this concert.”

Alabama. zens of Japanese descent and culture, They’re expecting 2,500 to 3,000 These airmen not only fought the 442nd Regimental Combat Team people to attend, but have a goal of a through WWII, but through racism was formed on Mar ch23, 1943 in 3,500 attendance. and prejudice because of their color. response to WWII. Neumann said, “We’re in a free The TAAF trained new airmen Numerous amounts of volunteers country where we can voice our until 1946, with women entering the flooded from Hawaii and American opinions and that is due to the fact program as well. concentration camps. They assembled that these people are willing to die for Back then, many Caucasian units at Camp Shelby, Mississippi to start their country. This is a way where I, needed experienced and qualified military training in April 1943. along with our organization, can say airmen, but because of the segregaThroughout WWII, the 442nd ‘Thank You.’” tion policy of that time, these African- fought in countries such as France American soldiers were not allowed and Italy against Hitler’s Nazi Gerto integrate into their units. many.

After President Harry Truman alNear lowed equality of treatment in the the end United States Armed Forces by enact- of the ing Executive Order Number 9981, war, the segregation in these military forces regiended. ment After WWII, these airmen were one broke of the factors in which racial equality through was accepted in America. the Ger*** many’s defenses Navajo Code Talkers at Mount Folgorito, In order for the US military to give which out classified information during lead to the WWII effectively, they used the meth- retreat of od of secret codes. But every code the Gerthe US forces devised, the Japanese man army infiltrated its meaning and deciphered north to the codes.

Po Valley, Military leaders were alarmed by Italy. This the fact the Japanese intelligence was the knew of their plans, and to counter area the their deciphering, the military leadGerman’s RK /SHINEUI PA Gazette photo ers created complex codes that were finally surphony will be increasingly harder to decode - even rendered on to Youth Sym ember 11, 2010. en m ra ac S e h T on Nov their concert performing at

Random Car: Allison Haworth’s 2006 Pontiac Solstice

your names. your faces.

Gazette photo /Maggie louis

BY KEVIN NIELSEN

kjnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

Why did you get your car?

I researched 2-seater cars; it was kind of like a birthday present.

What’s your dream car?

1967 Stingray convertible canary yellow Corvette.

What do you like the most about your car?

I would say the speaker system and the convertible part.

What is your least favorite part?

My least favorite thing about is that it is a two seater because I can only take one other person.

Where is the farthest you have driven in it?

I have only driven to Sacramento in it.

Do your parents share your car?

No it’s just my car, but they would like to use it.

What’s your fondest memory of your car?

My fondest memory is driving to cross country practice at 7 in the morning with Allison Daly while listening to loud music trying to wake up, specifically “G6”.

the gazette.

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle B5

Strong community spirit in GBHS clubs

Volunteers find innovative ways to help out

BY ADAM TILFORD

atilford.gazette@gmail.com

L

Gazette photo /Maggie louis

Clubs like the Pink Ladies Club contribute to the community by helping at functions all over such as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, above, which took place last May

ast year, a student without a lot of friends was sitting alone at a Campus Connections meeting, when club advisor Judi Daniels saw three other students walk up to him and ask him to come join their table.

“I think that moment kind of captured for me what we’re all about,” Daniels said.

Inspiring events such as this are the goal of more than 15 clubs at Granite Bay High School that serve the community.

With a total of just over 50 clubs at GBHS, these service clubs make up almost one-third of all clubs and they help out in many different ways.

The school is home to clubs that visit the elderly, feed the hungry, help students make new friends, send gift packages to soldiers, offer peer tutoring and much more.

Tamara Givens, the coordinator for all the clubs at GBHS and the student government advisor, says she’s heard from educators and other professionals that the generation of kids in high school right now is more service-minded than previous generations.

“I feel like (the serviceclubs) are sort of a representation of what kids care about,” Givens said.

For instance, the Pink Ladies Club, raises aware-

GBHS fight song fights on GBHS student and staff share their views on the school anthem

BY ALI VALDRIGHI

avaldrighi.gazette@gmail.com

I

t’s Friday night, and the Granite Bay High School stadium is packed with eager spectators, cheering the football team on to another victory. As the team scores a touchdown, the band breaks into a rendition of “Hail Varsity,” the GBHS fight song, prompting the crowd to scream even louder.

“The (fight song) helps a lot with school spirit and the energy at football games,” said Lynn Kulikowski, the GBHS band director. “It’s loud, and everybody likes it.”

She said the fight song was first instituted around the time the school opened in 1996. The band director at the time, Paul Everts, decided to create a fight song as a matter of procedure.

“Every (school) has to have a fight song,” Kulikowski said. “Just like a school has to have school colors and an alma matter.”

The fight song is actually borrowed from the University of Nebraska. It is rare for a high school to have a fight song written specifically for it.

“It’s really aggressive and has cool words to it,” Kulikowski said. “It’s probably one of the cooler fight songs.”

According to band student and senior Chelsea Shifferele, most band kids like

the song.

“I think it’s fun to play during football games,” Shifferele said. “It’s just kind of a celebration thing.”

Recently, Kulikowski adapted the lyrics from the University of Nebraska’s fight song to fit GBHS. They read: “Hail to the team As everyone sings, The silver and the green Cheer for a victory.

So, on mighty Grizzlies, We’re looking to you.

Fight on for victory, Go, Granite Bay!” Last year, student government tried to teach GBHS students the words to the song, however many students still remain unaware that GBHS has a fight song.

Senior and student government member Lizzie Schliessmann said the plan was to teach it to the cheerleaders and then have them teach it to the school at a rally while holding the words on a big poster.

“It didn’t quite work,” Schliessmann said. “It’s hard starting a new tradition when it’s supposed to be implemented at the beginning of the school’s origin.”

Jenn Goishi, a senior, said she was unaware the school had a fight song and is still unsure what it sounds like.

“Usually (the song) is written on the wall of the gym or something like that,”

The

Goishi said. “I feel like it’s (too) late, at least for the seniors, to get to know it.”

Kulikowski said that even if students don’t know the words, “they know to get excited and yell when they hear it.”

However, Goishi disagrees.

“At some schools (the fight song) brings everyone together (when) they sing it, but I don’t think it would at our school,” Goishi said. “No one really cares.”

Psychology teacher Natalie Elkin said she thinks a fight song is a great way to foster school harmony and spirit.

“It provides a common label or category that so many people get to fit into,” Elkin said. “Instead of being part of a clique, all of a sudden everyone is a GBHS student. It pulls people together.”

Elkin also said the fight song, and cheering in general, is a self-esteem boost for the athletes themselves.

“We all have a strong need to feel good about who we are and feel supported and validated,” Elkin said. “When people are singing a fight song and cheering you on, you feel really good and really supported, and that’s an important feeling.”

Elkin said she traveled to Europe last summer, and, “being in London, I was so surprised about how much singing goes on. When someone’s soccer team would win, (the people) would wrap their arms around each other and sing at the top of their lungs. We just don’t do that here.”

“There’s something so celebratory about song,” Elkin said. “It levels the playing field, and it can really foster bonds and harmony within a larger group.”

CollegeBoard SAT

ness about breast cancer to contribute money to Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

“We want to be a source of inspiration and hope and help (patients) and their families get through a difficult time,” said Allison Garvey, a senior and vice-president of the Pink Ladies Club.

Similarly, the St. Baldrick’s Club’s goal is to run

Christian Sako, president of the club. “We spend time with them, play them music, bake them food and last time we brought some make-up and nail polish and painted the ladies’ nails.”

The Key Club creates food baskets during Christmas time for less fortunate people, helps Bayside Church with feeding the homeless and many other volunteer opportunities.

Not all clubs We just want at GBHS are service-based. to be a source of A new club at inspiration and GBHS hopes to serve the hope and help community in (patients) and a very different and ambitious thier families way. Radio.

“The goal right now is – Allison Garvey, to get (radio) Pink Ladies around the vice-president campus, but eventually we want it all around the an effective St. Baldrick’s whole community of Granevent in the spring to raise ite Bay, so everybody can money and awareness to listen to it,” said Malique support childhood cancer Elder, co-president of GB research.

Radio club and a sopho“(Surviving) various more. childhood cancers is much According to sophohigher today than it was more Neil Martin, “Right ever before thanks to the now we need a following, investment in research,” money, (and) equipment.” said St. Baldrick’s advisor “We have a location, and teacher Shane Dixon. our studio, and we have Not all clubs focus on a whole lot of sound fund-raising. One such club equipment already,” Zach is the Love Club.

Weidkamp, the media advi“It’s an elderly appresor and the club advisor ciation club,” said senior for GB Radio said. “What

we need is a dedicated computer and the broadcast equipment.”

Until all this can be attained, the club is able to offer sports commentary over the internet.

“I do commentary on all the big games and all the big sporting events for the school,” Martin said.

“Then they do live streaming audio and sometimes even video for the football games over the school web site.”

According to Martin, the club will need students from many different focuses. They’ll need tech students, commentating students, promotional students and others to join the club in order for it to be successful.

“Part of the reason I started (GB Radio) is that I feel that this club offers a very broad variety of… chances for different people from different groups to come in and really relate to each other,” Martin said. “If this is going to be the big part of the GBHS culture that we ultimately want it to be, we really need to have a lot of different people to keep us connected to all the different parts of the school.”

If all goes well, Martin hopes their first broadcast will happen next year.

Whether creating a radio station, helping the homeless, supporting the troops, raising awareness or helping students make friends, a large amount of clubs at GBHS are dedicated to serving the community.

College of the Month: New York University Who: 21,638 undergraduate students Where: Urban New York City, New York, in the Greenwich Village part of Manhattan Tuition and Fee Cost: $40,082 Acceptance Rate: 38% U.S. News Ranking: 33rd Athletics: The New York University Violets wThe athletes are known as the “NYU violets” because of their trademark purple school color. wThere are 19 varsity teams. Most compete in Division 3 in the University Athletic Association conference, while mens volleyball and the coed fencing team compete at the Division 1 level. wMany NYU students compete in “club” or intramural sports including lacrosse, equestrian, ice hockey and softball.

Mascot: The NYU Bobcat Academics: wNYU offers undergraduate education internships on Broadway and Wall Street. wNYU has opportunities to study abroad in

London, Paris, Florence, Prague, Madrid, Berlin, Accra, Shanghai, Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv. wAll of NYU’s academic programs include a strong liberal arts foundation as well as many areas of pre-professional specialization.

Fun Facts: wThe university has 33 Nobel Prize winners, 3 Abel Prize winners, 16 Pulitzer Prize winners, 19 Academy Award winners, and Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winners. wNYU has been portrayed in many movies and TV shows and has been the backdrop for many others. wSince 1885, the most spiritied undergraduate class has recieved “The Bun,” an award consisting of a long, casketlike enclosure made of silver that has been taken three times.

–compiled by ShinEui Park

Your hard-hitting newspaper

un- Official SAT ) of the month tip(s

BY ALLIE BURGER

aburger.gazette@gmail.com

One day left until test day – time for cramming!

Although it’s generally not a good idea, here are some last minute tips.

If you have an understanding of the recycled paper booklet they throw at you on test day, odds are that you will probably do better.

card,” basically, that the test writers throw in there to test for future use)

the longer passages will contain one of each type of question.

wFor most students, one of the most difficult parts of the test is the critical reading section.

This section contains five types of questions.

wMath:

wThe SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes. It has 10 sections: - One 25-minute essay - Two 25-minute and one 20-minute math sections (multiple choice and a few free response questions) - Two 25-minute and one 20-minute critical reading sections (what I call ‘fill-in-the-sentences’ and reading comprehension) - One 25-minute and one 10-minute writing section (editing for grammatical and structural errors) - One 25-minute experimental section (a “wild

1. Detail questions ask about specifics from the passage(s).

2. Vocabulary in text questions ask about the meanings of words through the context of the sentences they are in.

3. Global questions ask about the big picture of the passage, such as the meaning or purpose.

4. Inference questions ask about the facts that can be assumed from the passage.

5. Function questions refer to the way that sentences in the passage are structured.

As you are reading the passages, make sure to look for the answers to these criteria. Most likely,

r

c

b

h

a Pythagorean Theorem: a²+b²=c²

Volume of a cylinder: V= π r² h

The Gazette

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, November 5, 2010

Random facts

A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Random club of the month

Random student of the month

One of 2,100 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue

Disky Business

Ciara Helland, freshman

President, Ashby Danielle Vose

Vultures can fly for six hours without flapping their wings.

What is the purpose of the club?

The purpose of this club is to share music and to discover new friends through exchanging bandtastic CDs. How often do you meet?

We meet once a month, usually Tuesday, and each time we bring a CD that we created.

In the game Monopoly, the properties are named after streets in Atlantic City.

How did you find the idea to make the club?

I always make CDs for my friends, and they always make CDs for me, and we’re always sharing music. It’s just so fun to receive new tunes that you never would’ve found before!

One in six doctors in America was trained in Philadelphia.

To make a zipper slide up and down more smoothly, rub a bar of soap over the teeth.

How many people show up to meetings?

About 20 people; with all different musical tastes. There’s something for everyone.

Place a slice of bread in the storage container to keep cookies soft when storing.

Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.

What do you do during the meetings?

Everyone prints out a track list and burns their CD. People look at each other’s track lists and decide whether or not they want to exchange CDs. This trade can happen multiple times.

A sneeze travels out of your nose at 100 miles per hour.

Only male turkeys gobble.

Elephants only sleep two hours a day.

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.

The tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.

Gazette: What is your favorite color and why?

I like the color blue because it is very calming and is the color of the sky.

To remove crayon marks from walls, use a hair dryer to heat the wax.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

I recently saw Happy Gilmore, and that was pretty funny.

The longest one syllable word is “screeched.”

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

Compiled by Katie Bostedt

If you could have a conversation with anyone living or dead, who would you talk to and why?

Freddy Mercury, the singer for Queen, because he’s amazing.

Do you have a favorite athlete or athletic team?

Michael Phelps.

What colleges are you interested in?

UC Davis and UCLA Is there any live show or concert you want to attend?

I would like to see a Muse concert, because I heard they’re really cool and I like Muse.

What is your favorite car?

I like old cars, but I don’t know what kind.

THANKSGIVING: New year, new choir, new goals to be achieved continued from page B3 Although Run to Feed the Hungry is a wonderful, successful event, it is often difficult for people to travel all the way to Sacramento on Thanksgiving.

About four years ago, the Folsom Turkey Trot was created to make it easier for people to run to help the hungry and make a local impact on the community.

“I had a lot of friends saying that they didn’t want to do Run to Feed the Hungry because it takes up your whole morning and cuts into the afternoon. So, we were thinking about doing a smaller community event to help the local food bank rather than the Sacramento food bank,” Todd Drybread, Turkey Trot Coordinator, said.

The Folsom Turkey Trot, a 5k or 10k walk/run is

Any other cool tidbits about the club?

I have expanded my musical horizons all because of this club. I’ve gotten music that I probably would have never found on my own.

Compiled by Kyle Pawlak

Who would be drawn to this club?

Anyone with some rockin’ tunes and a pair of ears for listening should meet up with us next Tuesday (11.9.10) in room 804.

Compiled by Jon Setiawan

Cycling: Teachers take time outside of the classroom

held around nine o’clock on Thanksgiving morning and over by eleven. The proceeds of the event go to both the Twin Lakes Food Bank and a youth scholarship fund.

“It is a true family-oriented event. It’s really to get families and friends out there together on Thanksgiving,” Drybread said.

Even if you don’t like to run, the event is always looking for volunteers to help out on race day.

To sign up to either run at or volunteer for the Folsom Turkey Trot, you can sign up at www.folsomturkeytrot.com.

If you like cooking, running, or helping organize, there is something for you to do to help out the community this Thanksgiving season.

Many people enjoy cycling for exercise including this couple who participated in the Iron Man cycling race held in Florida MCT Campus wire service

continued from page B1 “I only ride flat, and so this thing was all just kind of uphill and hellish,” Stephens said. “So it took me maybe 5 blocks, maybe a couple of miles to know that I was in trouble, because even though they might be a little older, they pretty much kicked my (butt) and so it was a humbling experience.”

During the same ride, Blomquist said he had to “tow” Stephens in, meaning reducing the wind draft by riding directly in front of Stephens to make the ride easier.

“He was like my taxi. In cycling you have drafting, where you follow someone’s wheel, get behind the slipstream and tow in so that’s what I was doing,” Stephens said.

The group wanted to go further, but Stephens didn’t know if he could make it back to GBHS. “They wanted to go further. I said dude, I want the old man route. I want to get my ass back to school, so I cut it around a little shorter, but I think they wanted to go all the way up to Auburn or something and I’m like uhhh… NO,” Stephens said.

After Stephen’s first TAR, he decided he needed to be in better shape before he took on another.

“When I got back I was pretty much done for the day, I wanted to retire, but I will be back,” Stephens said.

He also agrees with Blomquist that TAR is a chance to clear one’s mind when overwhelmed by school.

“It gets things into perspective and it releases all the mental stress like when you’re being asked a million questions,” Stephens said. “You get out there and you dumb it down and you’re just following one wheel and very little conversation. It’s good.”

Spanish teacher Abram Ditman, has been to TAR with Blomquist and Stephens and agrees that TAR was pretty tough.

“When Stephens says it was tough it really was. It was hot, we were running out of water and for some

reason we just went fast, but he survived so he was kind of on ‘the initiation’- the hazing ride, but it was our first ride for everyone,” Ditman said jokingly.

As of now, the group is all men, but the teachers are encouraging that to change.

“I hope we continue riding and continue bringing people out. It doesn’t have to be just guys,” Ditman said.

Ditman also says he would like to see a GBHS cycling/ mountain bike team.

“I would like to see some competitive cycling. I know there is some students on this campus that ride competitively,” Ditman said. “There’s a mountain bike conference and GBHS is the only high school in this district that doesn’t have a team.”

Science teacher, Steve Miller, hasn’t gone to a TAR yet, but hopes to start later this year.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike and getting out there and doing some fun runs,” said Miller.

Miller says participating in an activity with his colleagues is what he looks forward to most about TAR. “For us (teachers) TAR is mostly for the camaraderie. Just getting out there, talking, sharing stories, and pushing each other to be better,” Miller said. “I think we also build that closeness which pushes us to be better teachers.”

The reason he says he isn’t out there right now is partly medical related.

“This summer I rode until I found out I have plantar fasciitis, I think it’s because of old age,” Miller said.

Medical ailments aside, Miller says he is a driven to continue cycling.

“I don’t mind going out when it’s 103 degrees outside and finding a hill and pushing myself to see how much my body can take,” Miller said. “Of course now I have to be a little more careful because of my age now, but I love the challenge and the reward of going downhill on the other side.”

B7 Lifestyle

Friday, November 5, 2010 w The Granite Bay Gazette

DRUMLINE: Clean beats are crucial

Continued from page B1

Halloween parades.

“I saw that they play more than simple cadences; they actually play a really cool show,” Smith said. “I thought that was awesome and decided to join drumline.”

Garrido’s favorite part of band is pumping up the football team before each game and playing cadences along with the band.

But the drumline’s successes and respect weren’t gained overnight.

In addition to the three hour Monday night rehearsals with the band and early morning zero periods, the drumline has extra practices Wednesday nights and collaboration day mornings.

“We practice three more hours a week and try to maintain a higher level of discipline,” Smith said. “As a result we’re playing really good music, and the competition scores show it.”

To most people, the rhythms and beats of the drummers may seem like a loud, unorganized cacophony of noise, but to the drummers it’s a different story.

Flams, rolls, drags, paradiddles – the techniques and rudimentary skills that are requirements of drummers take Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS Schifferle, Garrido, Holmes and Smith practice their field show during Monday night rehearsal with their drum instructor Paul Marr years of practice to master.

To the drumline, these rhythms must Aside from the music, the drumline members also karate enthusiast and a GBIT computer whiz.

Many aspiring drumline members join Winter Perbe very precise. must focus on keeping their feet in time with the beat With two practices a week, zero periods and comcussion to get a taste for what drumline is like.

“Cleanliness,” Holmes said. “It’s all about whether and staying together as a unit. petitions every weekend, the drummer’s schedules “A big way to get involved (with drumline) is join we are playing the same thing at the same time, and For many of the members, drumline’s strenuous are tight. winter percussion and from there you learn a lot,” whether we all look the same.” practices do not stop them from joining other extra“Time management (isn’t) too much of a problem Garrido said. “It’s a lot lower techniques but it gives Holmes says the difference between a good drumcurricular activities. for me,” Holmes said.

“I just have no free time.” you the basics.” line and a great drumline is also determined by their “I play varsity baseball, fall ball and about two But the rigorous practices and competitions don’t No matter how much time drumline takes the professionalism and whether they look like they years ago I was really involved with Boy Scouts,” end when the marching season concludes before privilege of being on the line and a part of the family know what they’re doing.

Garrido said. “Between school and sports and any Thanksgiving break. Immediately following is Winter is always worth it.

The drumline is judged in competitions on their other outside activities you have to do, it’s all about Percussion, an entirely different drumline-only show “There’s nothing better than when the drumline is clarity of rhythms, balance between them and the time management.” with competitions throughout the first few months of kicking some beats,” Garrido said. “I love the feelband, and communication with the pit.

Drumline members include a speech and debater, a the new year. ing.”

PARKER: Mixes chemistry reactions to upload onto his Youtube channel

NOISE: Local homeowners were not aware of noise when purchasing

which is made specifically for hacking.

“Looks sketchy, doesn’t it?” Parker asks as he connects his computer to an antenna attatched to the top of his car.

“There are two types of hackers in the world- white hat hackers and black hat hackers,” he explains while typing commands into his laptop.

“We,” he says, “are white hat hackers. We hack to learn; to teach people.”

Today, Parker and his partner in crime will be hacking into someone’s wi-fi internet. They don’t know whose. It doesn’t matter. They don’t know what they’ll do if they get in. Probably nothing.

Parker reads the commands to his friend, GBHS senior Jesse Raposa who inputs them into the computer.

In fact, listening to a conversation between Parker and Raposa can be confusing. Among friends, Parker speaks in a combination of Internet memes, tech speak and inside jokes born from webcomics.

Still, he remains entirely approachable. When he uses an incomprehensible computer term, or obscure chemical terminology, he doesn’t expect you to understand, yet he doesn’t seem condescending. He hopes in vain the listener will recognize it, and share his love of the subject.

In the end, the hack doesn’t work. Most of the time, it doesn’t. “There are a lot of problems,” Parker says cheerfully.

His first love, more than music or computers, is chemistry.

He’s no mad scientist, though. Parker is quick to identify himself as a home chemist.

Like the Layos, the Cusanos, were not warned about the band before they moved here.

“But you kind of assume there’s probably stuff like that,” Cusano said, “If you buy a house next to a school, you know there are going to be certain things that happen that are going to affect you.”

Cusano finds little to complain about when it comes to the band practices.

“I kind of like it, because it starts at seven o’clock, and to me it’s not a big deal, because I’m already up anyway. Now if it was Sunday morning at seven, I would be bummed,” Cusano said. “It’s at an appropriate time…so I don’t think it’s a problem.”

However, Cusano did bring up another noise issue created by the school.

“The water polo team starts before six o’clock in the morning, and everything is so quiet then, that you here them, and they’re so loud,” Cusano said.

Lori Prioste, a third Granite Bay resident whose house neighbors GBHS, has a more affectionate outlook on the band noise.

“I like it, my kids don’t because it wakes them up,” Prioste said, “but it’s happy music.”

For Prioste, the noise truly causes no problems.

Dave Smith, another member of the Granite Bay

Continued from page B8

Parker has quite the setup at his house. He has taken over the barbeque island outside for his experiments. The two mini-fridges now contain bottles of chemicals and glass tubes of various shapes and sizes. The barbeque itself houses propylene tanks and beakers.

Here, Parker performs his laboratories, uploading many of them to Youtube where he is in contact with chemists from around the world.

Online, Parker’s age doesn’t matter. Working entirely from home, his Youtube channel has more than 15,000 views and almost 500 subscribers.

“They range from professional organic chemists to 16-year-olds who have no idea what they’re doing,” Parker says of his online peers. As to where Parker falls on that spectrum, he says he is “a 17-year-old who has a pretty good idea what he’s doing.”

He has synthesized compounds and chemicals, including recently cinnamaldehyde, the chief chemical that produces the scent and smell of cinnamon.

Aside from GBiT and AP chemistry, Parker has never cared for school.

“I don’t learn anything applicable,” he says. “I got an A in AP chemistry because I like AP chemistry because I can use AP chemistry.”

After graduation Hayden has it all planned out. Although curiously he aspires to go to a private Oregon liberal arts school for a “well-rounded education,” he has no doubts that he will have a major in chemistry.

There are certainly plenty of doors open for him.

There aren’t too many amateur chemists who happen to be tech-savvy and accomplished percussionists.

Hayden Parker has that market cornered.

Continued from page B1

community, holds a similar opinion about the band practicing in the morning.

Smith is already up by the time the band starts playing, so it causes him no problems either.

“I love when they play, rather than (starting and stopping) when the band director tells them what they did wrong,” Smith said.

“We love living there…I think a lot of the people who bought houses on the other side of the street wish they would have bought it on our side (for sake of convenience),” Smith said.

Jim Stalker, who resides near GBHS as well, has a different opinion about the band.

While it does wake them up, Stalker said, his main problem is song selection.

“The band plays music that doesn’t connect with the audience,” Stalker said.

The only time the band practicing causes problems for Stalker is when the band plays at night, when the Stalkers are trying to watch TV. However, Stalkers biggest complaint about the practices is simple.

“I like music; I’m just not sure I like that music,” Stalker said.

T e a c h e r r i n k e t

BY MATT FUKUHARA

mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Hayden Parker uploads videos of his homemade chemical reactions to his Youtube Channel where he shares them with subscribers and collaborates with other amateur chemists around the world

Traditionally, teacher trinkets are symbols of a teacher’s accomplishments, gifts given to them by students, or a casual reminder of what they believe.

For three years Tino Guzman has taken this idea one step further by giving away his trinkets, donuts.

Instead of keeping a number of dust collectors scattered about his desk, each one is made fresh every Friday by The Pink Box, a donut shop in Lincoln.

He gives a number of them away every Friday as door prizes to his diligent students.

Guzman started the tradition the first year he started teaching at Granite Bay. “I used to run a Friday morning Bible study, so I saved some of those donuts for my classes to give as door prizes” Guzman said.

He got the idea from his college literacy class where his professor gave away door prizes.

Gazette photo /DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

“Every Thursday I would look forward to the door prize. I love to win,” Guzman said.

Winning a donut isn’t hard, but there is some motivation to be on time to class throughout the week.

“It might motivate (students) to come to class on time,” Guzman said. “Sometimes I will ask a question in class or ask for a volunteer and promise a donut on Friday.”

Guzman guarantees there’s always the two most popular flavors, glaze and maple, in the box, but the most unusual came a few weeks ago.

“I promised one to a student and I had it filled with three different flavors. I thought it would be gross, but the student actually liked it,” Guzman said.

There have been a number of good times that have come from the donuts, but the best came from the first year of the growing tradition.

“My first year here, I taught seniors 3rd period and I had a donut eating contest with a student. I won!” Guzman said.

B8 Lifestyle

Friday, November 5, 2010 w The Granite Bay Gazette

reative

hemistry

Hayden Parker is passionate about chemistry, computers and unconventional Japanese music synthesized symphonies to Tom Waits.

“My favorite genre of music,” Parker says, “is quality.”

His favorite artist is a Japanese musician who writes When Hayden Parker asks if you want to see most of his material on the computer. “He doesn’t something cool, you can be sure you’re going to see show his name or face,” Parker explains, “because he something cool. believes that the music does not belong to him, but He might direct you to his Youtube channel, where another world.” his amateur chemistry experiments have been distrib Parker is careful who he represents as well. Since uted to the masses. his sophomore year, he has worn almost exclusively He might bust out his phone, plug it into an audio simple white T-shirts. jack, and play computerized Japa “I got sick of wearing brands,” nese pop as he drums out the comParker says of his fashion sense. “I I’m a 17-yearplex beat with his hands. don’t like representing things.”

Or he might whip out his laptop old who has a More important to Parker than and a sketchy-looking antenna. With pretty good idea music or fashion is his laptop. a blur of keystrokes, it quickly be “This thing here can rule the comes apparent that this machine has what he’s doing. world,” he says half-jokingly, tapnext to no stock parts left.

– Hayden Parker ping his laptop. “Yeah, I got a lot of It doesn’t take a long time with stuff on here.”

Parker to recognize his three pas Parker wasn’t born a technology sions- Chemistry, computers and geek. He claims he wasn’t very good with computers rhythm. until he discovered the computer operating system, Percussion is in his blood. Regularly, he will unconLinux, whose content is largely user-created. sciously drum to an inaudible soundtrack, beating his “I got into Linux and I just loved the idea of it,” hands in a complex pattern against whatever surface is Parker says. “I loved the open-source. Everything.” nearby. Music is second nature to him.

Since then, Parker has joined the GBHS Granite Bay Parker played French horn and trumpet in his junior Information Technology program, GBiT, where he met high school bands before switching to full-time perdistrict technology representative, Matt Cox. cussion freshman year. Today, he is a member of the “Matt’s taught me more in a minute than anyone else Granite Bay High School band and drumline. could in an hour,” Parker says.

Musical taste can say a lot about a person. In Park Parker’s little laptop contains a lot more than meets er’s car, the stereo might switch from Led Zeppelin to the eye. He has a See Parker, page B7

BY PARKER EVANS

pevans.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

Hayden Parker conducts a complicated chemistry experiment in his makeshift backyard lab

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

C Section

Friday w November 5, 2010

Playoff prospects prove plentiful

Commentary

christine zavesky czavesky.gazette@gmail.com

It’s about the act, not outcome

G

enerally speaking, the news that we watch on a regular basis doesn’t deliver the happiest stories. Fatal car accidents, bank robberies and homicide investigations steal the media’s attention away from some of the feel-good stories that are happening all over the country.

Although it was nearly five years ago, the story of high school senior Jason McElwain of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York still resonates deeply with many Americans.

Diagnosed with autism at a young age, McElwain struggled socially but found a passion in basketball. In high school, he lacked the skill set to play for the school’s team, so he was appointed as team manager.

McElwain stayed in his position throughout high school, committed as any player on the team. In February 2006, McElwain’s senior year, on Greece Athena’s senior night in a game against Spencerport High School, they found themselves with a large lead and a team manager who deserved an opportunity to play.

With four minutes left in the game, Greece Athena coach Jim Johnson decided to put McElwain into the game. After missing a three-point shot and a follow-up layup, McElwain caught fire, sinking six three-pointers and a two-pointer for 20 points in just four minutes.

His story captured the country’s heart, and earned him nationwide recognition. His performance earned him the 2006 ESPY Award for Best Moment in Sports, topping an 81-point performance by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and a dream run to the NCAA Final Four

by George Mason University.

Although a story like McElwain’s doesn’t happen every day, a smaller but equally touching occurrence took place on Wednesday, October 27 at Roseville High School. The Granite Bay High School boys’ soccer team, dominant this season in all of its games, wanted to show its team manager its gratitude for his work.

Senior Kevin Harkin, brother of GBHS junior and varsity soccer player Will Harkin, has been the dedicated manager for the team’s undefeated season. Kevin has Down syndrome and has faced many obstacles as a result of his disability.

However, all of these hardships were forgotten as Kevin put on a Grizzly uniform and played for his team for the last five minutes of the game.

His teammates tried to draw fouls and get the ball to him.

Cheers from the crowd were inspiring, and there was nothing the GBHS fans wanted to see more than Kevin scoring a goal.

Although he didn’t get that goal, those five gratifying minutes meant more to the crowd than GBHS’ 6-0 slaughter of RHS. The sportsmanship displayed on the field by the GBHS players was more rewarding than the sweet taste of victory.

It may not be mentioned in national headlines or even the local newspaper, but Kevin Harkin’s story shows that the Granite Bay community has an enormous heart, full of compassion that is ready to be shared *** Christine Zavesky, a senior, is a Gazette sports co-editor.

Grizzly sports triumphed throughout fall, on pace for strong finish to season

BY JON SETIAWAN and KEVIN NIELSEN

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com w knielsen.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School fall sports are beginning to wrap up their seasons within the next few weeks.

Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

Above, GBHS junior quarterback Brendan Keeney prepares to throw. Right, senior water polo player Alison Hamby looks to pass.

Wrestling anew Longtime head coach Lynch steps down, Dixon replaces

BY LAURA PRESTON

lpreston.gazette@gmail.com

After a successful 15-year career as the head coach of the Granite Bay High School wrestling team Mike Lynch retired at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season.

Lynch has been a member of the wrestling community for 46 years and has held many positions in the wrestling world including being an athlete, coach, referee and even teaching a seminar on coaching wrestling at the University of Idaho.

While Lynch still has a passion and love for the sport of wrestling, he found that being a coach for both football and wrestling was becoming too much.

“Now football players go into December... (and) as a head coach it becomes very stressful during that transition time, mid-October through November,” Lynch said. “All the different things you need to do (for wrestling) is just becoming more and more difficult… and at the same time you’re in the heart of your football season.”

Taking his place this year will be GBHS science teacher Shane Dixon who has been working at the school as an assistant wrestling coach since 2002.

Tennis The girls’ tennis team has been having a great season and they are undefeated so far.

“I feel like our team has kept up a really good work ethic and our team spirit is just as strong as Shane Dixon The assistant wrestling coach since 2002, Dixon steps up as head coach this year in place of Mike Lynch

Dixon has been involved in wrestling much of his life and although he did not wrestle in high school, it was an important part of his childhood.

“I started wrestling at a young age,” Dixon said. “I grew up in New York where you need to find inside activities for much of the year. Wrestling was a big part of the culture of my town.”

Inspired by the coaches he had when he was young, as well as his own passion for the sport, Dixon began to coach. His first coaching job was at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino and then at GBHS. Once he began coaching at Granite Bay, Dixon was placed under the wing of Lynch, who coached the team since the school’s debut in 1996. It was this sort of mentoring that led to a natural changing of the guard when the time came for Lynch to step down. “(Dixon) had a strong recommendation from me and great support from the wrestlers and the parents,” Lynch said. “He’s been here, he knows the kids, he knows what’s been done, and how the program is run so it makes for a nice, smooth transition.”

While the task of taking the helm from a successful See WRESTLING, page C5

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See POSTSEASON, page C5

UC money woes force sport cuts Former GBHS athletes affected by the shocking announcement

BY CHRISTINE ZAVESKY czavesky.gazette@gmail.com

On Sept. 28, 163 student-athletes and 15 full-time coaches from five intercollegiate teams at the University of California Berkeley had a metaphorical curveball thrown their way because of a life-changing press conference.

Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour announced that men’s and women’s gymnastics, baseball and women’s lacrosse would be dropped from the athletic agenda, and men’s rugby would be demoted to a club sport. All of these cuts are to take effect in the 2011-2012 school year.

The announcement was met with shock and sadness from the athletic community as the economy

has forced UC schools to reevaluate their budgets and eliminate programs.

In April of this year, UC Davis announced they were going to cut women’s rowing, men’s swimming and diving, men’s wrestling and men’s indoor track and field.

Granite Bay High School alumni Alicia Asturias and Andrew Knapp, the 2009-10 Gazette Athletes of the Year, are currently freshmen at Cal, competing in women’s gymnastics and baseball, respectively. However, with the way things stand, this will be their first and only year competing in a Golden Bears uniform.

Asturias said she knew about the cuts, but had no idea that they could affect gymnastics until just three days before the conference.

See BERKELEY, page C5

League rivals pose challenge

SFL often one of the toughest leagues in section for all sports

BY R. SLATER MCLAUGHLIN rmclaughlin.gazette@gmail.com

The story of Sierra Foothill League athletics is the story of cutthroat competition and excellence in the Sac-Joaquin Section.

By the numbers, the SFL has dominated many marquee sports.

In baseball, seven out of the last 10 teams to participate in the Division II Sac-Joaquin Section championship have been from the SFL. Three of these championship games have featured a face-off between two SFL teams.

The story is the same across the board – boys’ soccer also had seven SFL teams in the section final out of 10 total participants, with two all SFL match-ups.

In boys’ basketball, boys’ volleyball, football and girls’ tennis the

story is similar, with the section tennis final having six SFL teams out of the last eight participants.

Granite Bay High School sports have perennially top flight programs in both the SFL and the section, highlighted by the success of the boys’ volleyball team.

“The SFL is considered the top league in the area, and the only section championship participants have come from the SFL,” varsity boys’ volleyball coach Bruce Honberger said.

The GBHS boys’ varsity team has a perfect 2-0 record in the first two section championship games in Sac-Joaquin section boys’ volleyball history.

According to Honberger, the top teams in the area come from SFL, and the recent introduction

of playoffs to their calendar has increased the quality and passion of the competition.

“Having something to play for makes the league games that much stronger because not only is our team trying to get better, (but) the other teams are fighting to get in the playoffs (as well),” Honberger said. “It makes everything so much more entertaining and the games are much more competitive.”

While boys’ volleyball has thrived in the SFL, other very successful GBHS programs have had less dominance, emphasizing the strength of the league.

Boys’ basketball annually faces a challenging schedule including defending Div. II section champion Woodcreek and Rocklin, who

inside sports Grizz Quiz

it was when we first started,” GBHS senior Stacey Wong said.

Despite losing many strong players from their starting line-up, the team has been able to defeat many team rivals this year, including the Del Oro High School Golden Eagles.

“I feel like everybody worked really hard to try and win, so beat(ing) Del Oro was a huge victory,” Wong said.

The girls hope to finish strong by winning a

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Senior flyback Danny Thomas sidesteps to avoid Del Oro defensive players during the teams’ rivalry game on Oct. 22. took back-to-back titles the two In the section championship games of the last three years, four years before Woodcreek. out of the six teams have been “We had to adapt our game-play from the SFL, and last season, for each team we came across,” three out of the four teams in GBHS senior and varsity basketthe section semi-finals were SFL ball player Jon Davis said. “(We teams. knew) every team in our league Having to play against SFL would be a battle.”

See COMPETITION, page C5

JV Girls’ Water Polo GBHS teacher Linda Dickson stepped up to coach the team this season

Winter Sports Resorts With the changing weather, winter resorts are growing

Winter Athletes GBHS winter sport athletes rise to the top of their games

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Friday, November 5, 2010

Girls’ JV water polo returns

w The Granite Bay Gazette The JV girls’ team takes shots during practice, left. Linda Dickson, bottom, meets with her team poolside during practice.

GBHS teacher Linda Dickson coaches first year of water polo as one of many new faces for a rebuilt girls’ program

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

After a year off, the Granite Bay High School junior varsity girls’ water polo team has returned.

GBHS freshman Christine Dickson had never played water polo prior to her freshman year, and was interested in trying it out, but was disappointed when she learned that GBHS did not have a junior varsity team.

She expressed this disappointment to her mother, GBHS teacher Linda Dickson, who was immediately eager to help.

A junior varsity team did not exist mainly because there was not a sufficient amount of interested players, so Dickson began recruiting.

“What some girls don’t realize is (that) water polo really is fun. It’s more fun than doing laps up and down the pool come spring,” Dickson said.

When Dickson had garnered enough interested players to make up a team, there was still one problem – there was no one willing to be the coach.

Dickson took on the task, though she had no coaching experience with water polo and knew next to nothing about the sport.

Dickson has coached other sports teams for GBHS in the past, but never a sport in the water.

Most of the girls that signed up for the team started out with as little experience as Dickson. Those that had played before had no choice but to play on the varsity team.

“Last year… some of the girls had to play at the varsity level, and it was hard for them because it’s a little more intense,” senior varsity girls’ water polo player Jessica Hamby said.

What the junior varsity team lacks in skill and experience, they make up for with their winning attitude.

“They aren’t the strongest swimmers and they aren’t the most skilled water polo players,” Dickson said. “(But) they have character. They’re the type of kids you’d want to hire for a job.”

Varsity girls’ water polo coach Sara Norton agrees.

“In the end they are just learning the sport and getting to know all the aspects of it,” senior and varsity water polo player Jessica Hamby said.

Overall the team has triumphed despite their initial lack of experience.

They recently received their first win, and Dickson said that she has seen huge improvements in play from the beginning of the season.

“We’re a new team and for our record, I think we’ve done really well,” GBHS sophomore Natalie Sekigawa said.

Dickson admits that she could not have coached the team without the help of Hamby, Norton, and swim team coach John Sherman.

Hamby is a seasoned water polo player who coaches a recreational water polo team for youth during the winter. She also happened to be Dickson’s third period Teacher Intern for the fall semester.

Every day during third period, Hamby went over the rules and strategies of the game with Dickson.

“I like change. I like learning stuff all the time,” Dickson said. “It keeps me fresh it keeps me fired up, engaged, enthusiastic.”

Teaching Dickson about the game will help Hamby coach youth in the winter.

“Its kind of like teaching another junior varsity player because I had to show her myself how everything worked,” Hamby said.

Norton also took a hands-on teaching approach. “(Norton) has been really supportive,” Dickson said. “She comes to practices, teaches them, and gets in the water with them.”

GBHS freshman Megan Klingler and sophomores Sarah Northam, Hannah LeBarron and Hayley McAvoy being moved up from the JV team to play with the varsity team during the section playoffs.

The promotion of the junior varsity players proves the team is already developing valuable talent for the already accomplished varsity team.

Gazette photos / Rachael vasquez

Winter Grizzly sports hit court, mat with high hopes

GBHS girls’, boys’ basketball and wrestling start new season with hopes for success in SFL and beyond

BY FRANKLIN ZHUANG fzhaung.gazette@gmail.com

Boy’s Basketball As a new season approaches, the Granite Bay boys’ basketball team is working hard in preparation. The team faces a new challenge, as they have moved into Div. I for playoffs.

Granite Bay High School senior Jon Davis is excited for this change because they will play a lot of talented teams.

“When we come into the playoffs we’ll be facing really tough teams since we moved up to Division I and we play the top teams in the area,” Davis said.

Head coach Jason Sitterud is ready for the new changes but is also happy that they can still play the local teams.

“Every game in league is fun because they are all our rivals,” Sitterud said. “Del Oro is always a big game.”

But Davis says that the team will have to solve some problems to be successful. “(Our biggest challenge) is not having height,” Davis said.

With depth and talent at the guard position, Sitterud is confident about the guards’ level of play.

“I think (we have the) ability to shoot the ball from the outside, finish at the rim, and just take care of the

Grizz Quiz

ball. Our guards don’t turn the ball over so it gives us a chance every time down the court to score,” Sitterud said.

However, the team’s main goal this season is to win league and make far enough into the playoffs to play in Arco Arena.

“We’ve only won league once in Granite Bay’s history and we’ve never made it to Arco, and I think we have a good chance this year,” Davis said.

New assistant coach Morgan Ragan is also excited to start off the new season.

“These guys have put so much hard work in the pre-season that I’m just excited to see the outcome and see them play hard,” Ragan said.

Boys’ Basketball plays Kennedy High School on Nov. 27.

Wrestling With reigning national champion Gavin Andrews and many returning wrestlers, the GBHS wrestling program is geared up to finish on top.

“I think the season will go really well. I think we have a chance to win the SFL for the first time in wrestling,” GBHS senior and captain Ryan Williams said.

However, the SFL offers tough competition.

“Del Oro is always tough. We almost beat them last year. Hopefully we’ll beat them this year,” Williams

Emily Harris Girls’ Water Polo

Brady Nations Boys’ Soccer

said.

New head coach Shane Dixon is also anxious about their match against Del Oro. “Del Oro has been SFL league champions more times than they haven’t. They pretty much own the SFL,” Dixon said.

However, Dixon is positive that the team will finish highly, even though the league is very strong.

“Our league is really tough. We lost to Woodcreek, Nevada Union, and Del Oro and all by less than six points, which is less than one match,” Dixon said.

In all of those, we essentially either forfeited weight classes or we had underclassmen that (were) bumping up weight classes just to try and get someone in there.

This year, we’re going in with full guns blazing.”

Many GBHS sports are changing division and wrestling may change in the near future. But, GBHS senior captain Will Anderson is not concerned about the new competition.

“What are divisions? I just wrestle,” Anderson said.

The wrestling season begins on Jan. 5 against Nevada Union High School.

Girl’s Basketball Having lost several strong seniors, the girl’s basketball team is coming into this winter with a new look.

“It’s a completely different team from last year,” GBHS senior and captain Cayley McDowell said.

Max Wilson Football

Head coach Melissa Triebwasser agrees that the team will look different, but will still play well.

“With Sarah (Sciascia) graduated, we lost a lot of offense and one thing she did well was getting to the free throw line. We’ll have to find a way to score in different ways,” Triebwasser said.

But Triebwasser thinks that the new class can fill in some gaps that last year’s seniors left.

“We lost some girls who could hit a three point shot but at the same time, we have some players coming up who can do that too,” Triebwasser said.

One challenge that the girl’s team faces this year is the lack of height.

“We don’t have a lot of height, (but) I think we’ll do really well if we just stay positive,” GBHS sophomore Katrina Reeves said.

But GBHS senior Maria Dela Cruz thinks that the lack of height can be an advantage.

“Even though we’re small, we’re fast,” Dela Cruz said.

With these new changes, Triebwasser thinks that the girls can compete in every game.

“I think we have a really strong and competitive team. I think we’ll be in a battle in every game,” Triebwasser said.

The GBHS girls’ basketball team tips off their season on Nov. 29, against Kennedy High School at home.

Jenny Gilbert Girls’ Golf

Mitchell Kobayashi Boys’ Water Polo

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

Halloween

What is your favorite song?

“The World at Large”

by Modest Mouse

“I Do My Own Thing” by Kid Cudi

“Right Above It” by Lil’ Wayne

“Secrets” by One Republic

“Closer to the Sun” by Slightly Stoopid

Bread

Pizza

Pot Stickers

Dos Coyotes’ Chicken Border Burrito

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your Peanut Butter life what would it be?

Who is your favorite actor/actress?

Zooey Deschanel

Megan Fox

Jessica Alba

Robert Downey Jr.

Taylor Swift

Where would you like to live if you could live anywhere?

Hawaii

The Caribbean

Barbados

Tahiti

Seattle Compiled by Stephanie Shaull

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Friday, November 5, 2010

Sports C3

Riding into winter with style Convenient winter sports resorts are just a few hours

BY ARI BLACK

ablack.gazette@gmail.com

It’s the season of cuddling up by the fireplace with a hot cup of tea and for having an excuse to buy a whole new “warm and cozy” wardrobe. It’s the season of water soaking up the back of your jeans as you run through the rainy sidewalk.

But most importantly, it is the season that opens the gates to some of the favorite activities of students at Granite Bay High School: snowboarding and skiing.

In recent years, snowboarding and skiing have become more and more popular for residents of the Granite Bay area. With Lake Tahoe just a of couple hours away, cabins and season passes are common during the winter season.

Each individual has different preferences on resorts, whether it concerns the advantage of better restaurants, better terrain park features, or shorter lift lines.

Northstar-at-Tahoe The favorite of many riders is the Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. With a village packed with restaurants of all different varieties of food, the limitations are endless – not to mention their Starbucks and Mikuni two local favorite of Granite Bay residents.

Their snowboard shop, Butterbox, carries everything from Nikita and Airblaster apparel to Burton bindings, and is a favorite to many resort-goers.

The terrain park, Pinball, is loved by snowboarders and skiers of all levels. The park features everything from street rails to boxes, along with tabletops, step-downs, hips and rollers according to the Northstar website.

The resort also provides progression parks for individuals still trying to perfect their snow riding skills, such as the Burton Progression Park, which is an introduction to freestyle terrain. Moonshine is another option, containing small table tops and smaller rider features.

Squaw Valley Squaw Valley is another favorite for more advanced skiers and snowboarders.

Although Squaw Valley is known to be a resort with a majority of skiers, Transworld Snowboarding Magazine voted Squaw Valley second in lifts, fourth in challenging terrain and ninth in overall ski resort.

In renovations for this upcoming season, the resort has added new features, such as new lighting for keeping the terrain park open at night.

Ski Magazine had only wonderful things to say about Squaw Valley.

“Best Resort in Tahoe. Snow, sun and fun.”

Squaw is expanding their resort to accommodate families, adding a kids’ fun zone and trail map.

The resort includes a village with stores and snowboard/ski shops, varying from Tait’s Boardshop and Granite Chief, a local favorite of Truckee residents.

Even off of the slopes, stores such as Waxen Moon, a make your own candles studio, and All Fired Up a pottery painting studio, will make the day enjoyable for individuals who do not prefer to ride on the slopes.

Boreal One of the smaller resorts of the greater Tahoe area, Boreal offers special features including Night Riding and speakers blasting music down the hills.

With the advantage of a small hill and snowmakers, Boreal is usually the first resort to open and did so this year on Oct. 29.

Boreal also has some of the cheapest season passes out of all the resorts.

Though open to all skiers and snowboarders, this resort is more of a local option for riders with cabins close to the resort. Long journeys to reach Boreal would probably not be worth the drive.

Night riding is open from 3:30 to 9 p.m., and offers the availability of a full scale terrain park.

Their only shop is Underground Sports at Boreal, which offers apparel and any other equipment that may be needed.

Boreal Inn also offers a place to spend a relaxing weekend or night on the outskirts of Truckee. Lodging at the Inn also gives riders the opportunity to receive exclusive

discounts on lift tickets.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort Last but not least is the Sierra-atTahoe Resort in South Lake Tahoe.

Transworld Snowboarding’s 2010 Resort Guide ranked it in the top ten for overall resort, pipes and parks.

Northstar and Sierra partnered up for a Double Whammy Season Pass, which is a dual mountain pass that enables riders to ride at either park for one price.

The only downside to the pass are the blackouts that come with it.

Sierra has South Lake Tahoe’s only Super Pipe, and five other terrain parks that range from Burton Progression to Smokey Park for more of a challenge.

This resort also features tubing and snowshoeing for those who do not prefer to snowboard or ski.

Sierra prepares riders for any need that they might have, including eight food outlets, a Burton Learn to Ride Center and a tuning and repair shop.

rideboreal.com

squaw.com/CHRIS BECK

A snowboarder, top, performs a trick on the halfpipe at Boreal Mountain Resort. The resort village in Squaw Valley, above, is one of the many reasons resort goers enjoy spending a weekend in the mountains.

A step up to higher competition Upcoming game Four GBHS teams are moving into Division I this season of the month

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

On Saturday, Nov. 13, the Granite Bay High School boys’ and girls’ cross country teams will be aiming for a Sac-Joaquin section championship.

Given the fact that they have not lost to anybody from California, and the only team to outscore them in a meet is ranked seven in the nation, the girls’ team is in excellent position to make it through SJS subsections on Nov. 6 unscathed.

In subsections, the field will be narrowed down to eight teams from roughly 20 teams, who will go on to the Sectional meet. Advancing to subsections appears to be a tradition at GBHS, as the girls’ cross country team has not been knocked out before sections in recent history.

In addition, 15 individuals will advance to sections without their team.

In both sections and subsections,

GBHS will compete against fierce competition from all over the area, including Oak Ridge, St. Francis, Jesuit and Davis High Schools.

The girls’ cross country team has not won a section title since 2003 and since the team this year is regarded to be the best GBHS has ever had, the team has high hopes for the postseason.

The boys’ team, although not as strong as the girls’ side, is very young and has high hopes for sophomore Trent Brendel, who hopes to earn a spot at state meet as one of the five individual qualifiers who advance from sections to state.

The top two teams from the section meet, in addition to the five individuals, will earn a berth to the California Cross Country State Meet in Fresno, and there is a strong possibility that GBHS athletes will be among them.

Due to their histories of success in Div. II, four Granite Bay High School teams will be moving to Div. I for the playoffs this year. These teams include girls’ volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball and cross country.

Division placement is traditionally based on school population, and this year’s increase in student population has pushed our school above the Div. I threshold. GBHS teams are now eligible to compete against Div. I teams.

Cross country coach Carla Kehoe is exited about the change in competition.

“I love it. It’s tougher, better (competition),” Kehoe said.

She also feels the change could have a positive impact upon this years’ strong cross country team.

“In the long run, it will benefit the team, because of the extra competition,” Kehoe said.

In addition, Kehoe is excited to contend with certain teams outside of the Sierra Foothill League, such as St. Francis, Oakridge, and Jesuit High School.

Kehoe was able to sum up the essence of the effect the move to Div. I will cause for the team.

“It’s just going to (force) us to run a little faster,” Kehoe said.

Varsity girls’ volleyball coach Jamie Ingram is not intimidated by the competition.

“We have a strong conference, and it kind of makes what you see in Div. I and Div. II (playoffs)… the same as (what) we see every Tuesday and Thursday night,” Ingram said.

However, Ingram does expect a certain added level of difficulty. Since Div. I schools have large populations, they also have large pools from which to draw athletes.

“It’s a struggle. It’s definitely going to be difficult…we have a lot more students, because of the strong academics…(but) our athlete base isn’t getting bigger,” Ingram said.

However, Ingram does feel that the varsity girls’ volleyball

team is strong at GBHS, and they are ready for the challenge.

“We have a very solid group, and we’ve had a couple of freshman step up,” Ingram said, “But whenever you play against tougher competition, you have to work harder.”

Melissa Triebwasser, the girls’ basketball head coach, is excited for the division change as well.

“I think we’ll be competitive because…we have a very resilient group, and we’re a very feisty team,” said Triebwasser. “I think those girls are going to surprise a lot of people.”

Triebwasser is also well aware of the steep competition her team will be facing “The biggest thing for us is that it’s a tough move, it makes things more challenging,” Triebwasser said. “All we can do is go out and play and if we do well in the SFL…we’ll make the playoffs.”

Triebwasser echoed Ingram’s comments about the increased student base, but having the same athlete base as before moving to Div. I. “We have the enrollment of a Division I school here, but we don’t have the numbers of a basketball program that matches up with our enrollment,” Triebwasser said.

Despite everything, Triebwasser is optimistic for the season Jason Sitterud, who coaches boys’ basketball at GBHS, foresees a challenging and interesting season for his team.

“Its new challenges – we’ll play different teams in the playoffs,” Sitterud said. “We’re excited, we enjoy playing those teams, we’re competitive with those teams, but I think this year will be harder.”

“Usually (Division II) is pretty strong in basketball, but this year (Division I) is the strongest,” added Sitterud.

In their possible playoff future, the team is looking forward to playing teams like Sheldon, Pleasant Grove and Oakridge High Schools.

Sitterud is confident that in the long run, this move will have a positive effect on the team.

“I think we’ll benefit by playing against stronger competition, but our league stays the same,” Sitterud said.

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Sheralyn Johnson

BY FRANKLIN ZHUANG fzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

GBHS senior Sheralyn Johnson hits the ball over the net during the girls’ volleyball match against Del Oro High School.

Granite Bay High School senior Sheralyn Johnson is co-captain of the varsity girls’ volleyball team.

Playing at outside hitter, Johnson is having a terrific season while leading the team to a 1710 record overall.

“I’ve been playing for six years,” Johnson said. “My favorite part (of volleyball) is when we play super intense games and when we just have fun while playing.”

Head Coach Jamie Ingram agrees that Johnson is proving herself on the court.

“(Johnson) has impacted the team with her strong work ethic, her strong competitive spirit and her hunger to win. This combined with her athleticism has helped contribute to a lot of our team’s success,” Ingram said.

However, Johnson’s impact on the team started during the 2009 season, when she was introduced into the rotation as a junior.

“Both Sher’s junior and senior year, she has been a strong yet silent leader. She continues to put the team first. When the team was plagued with injuries her junior year, she learned and mastered a new position earning her multiple league nominations,” Ingram said. “(She) continues to lead practice and matches by working

hard and (with) her fierce competitive nature.

One player who admires Johnson’s work is her teammate and fellow captain senior Jen Ohlson.

“She’s super positive (and) she keeps the team upbeat,” Ohlson said.

“She’s a really good athlete and pumps the team up,” Ohlson said.

While Johnson’s future plans are not set in stone. Ingram thinks that she would be well suited to play in college if she wanted to.

“Sher is still undecided on her volleyball future, (but) when it comes to skill, ability and work ethic, many college coaches would be lucky to get her,” Ingram said.

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Friday, November 5, 2010

Outstanding athletes prepare for new season

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Three GBHS players are ready for success “I think Robert’s athletic ability helps him. He can do a lot of things other guys can’t do,” Sitterud said.

After moving from Tennessee That athletic ability attributes and having a debut season at Gran- to Duncan’s play style, which is ite Bay High School, senior Robert highlighted by his ability to get to Duncan is on the basket. his way to lead And with the boys’ varsity this strength I think Robert’s basketball team Duncan also to success. added that athletic ability Duncan he has a little helps him. He started playwork to do on ing basketball defense. But can do a lot of when he was in overall, Dunthings other guys fourth grade and can has high success has folexpectations can’t do. lowed him ever for himself since. and his team – Jason Sitterud, boys’ Duncan said for his senior that the success year. basketball head coach comes from “I expect hard work. (to make) first “(I put) probteam all league ably 20 plus (and) possibly hours a week,” MVP of the Duncan said. league,” Duncan said.

Boys’ basketball coach Jason SitDuncan has the ability and work terud thinks that Duncan uses his ethic to receive these honors. athletic ability to his advantage.

Duncan expects the team to do

BY FRANKLIN ZHUANG fzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

quite well with his help and a strong senior class. “(We hope to) win league and hopefully a chance to play for sections and make it to the state tournament,” Duncan said.

While he has a few scholarship offers, Duncan is hopeful for a scholarship to play on a Division I basketball team.

“It’s all on his shoulders. If keeps on working hard he’ll do some amazing things,” Sitterud said. ***

Gazette photo /ARI BLACK

Senior Robert Duncan, above, is hoping to help lead his team to the playoffs this season. Junior Adam Wagner, below, is expecting to continue his success and reach the state tournament this year. a match away from state.”

One strong supporter of Wagner is senior captain Will Anderson.

“Adam is a very strong athlete. He works really hard (during the) off season,” Anderson said. “He work’s with his dad in his garage and other people work with him to teach him different moves. He goes to camps throughout summer and has a great work ethic.”

One factor that Wagner will face is the new coach Shane Dixon. But he is confident that See ATHLETES, page C5

Gazette file photo /KATIE ZINGHEIM

dull aches that pain medication cannot touch,” said Thomas. “It can cause muscle spasms that make it very difficult to move.”

Since there is not blood supply to the affected area, disks are very slow to heal, and this is why continued motion is so important.

“Motion allows the disk to (take in) water and nutrients that surround it,” Thomas said. “If left untreated for long enough the disk will dry up and close the hole where nerves exit.”

The body forms bone spurs preserving space, but can fuse joints together. Once the vertebrae are fused, not much can be done to treat the pain.

Since disc injuries are commonly caused by overwhelming or unnatural body movements, they are a common sports related injury.

Granite Bay High School senior and varsity boys’ basketball player Jon Davis recently learned he has bulging disks, causing him to be unable to fully participate because of the pain it causes.

“It progressively got worse, but treatments I have gotten are core training exercises and a cortisone shot,” Davis said. “Everything is pretty hard to do but I am feeling better.”

Mary Clark, a senior at St. Mary’s High School, recently found out that she has a herniated disk.

Clark was given a full ride scholarship to the University of California, Santa Barbara for volleyball but she lost it because of her injury.

“I can pretty much do everything now except play volleyball,” Clark

said. “I go to physical therapy and do a lot of core training.”

Long term affects of bulging and herniated disks include pain, numbness, tingling and weakness.

Whenever nerves are affected, which is always the case in spine injuries, there is a risk damaging organs that the nerves connect to.

Lots of athletes and other people are affected by these types of back trouble, but there are many ways to treat the pain.

Doctors treat disk injuries by use of physical therapy, corticosteroid injections which help decrease the pain, traction, anti-inflammatory medication and surgery.

Chiropractic treatment is an alternative and effective way to treat herniated or bulging disks. The adjustments made by a chiropractor help to create motion at the level of the disk. Without motion, a disk never gets the nutrients needed to heal.

While he understands that surgery may seem like the best solution to the pain, Thomas does not immediately recommend it.

“Physical therapy can be effective if the therapist is good at creating the proper motion and the disk herniation is not severe,” he said. “Surgery should be the last resort if the disk herniation is too extreme to resolve, the patient is displaying neurological signs like severe numbness and tingling, loss of muscle mass, weakness, and more.”

With new head coach teacher Shane Dixon stepping in for Mike Lynch, the successful wrestling program hopes to continue its excellence.

One contributor to the success of the team is junior Adam Wagner.

Wagner started to wrestle in sixth grade with the Cavitt wrestling team and he has only gotten better. “(Last year) I got second in league and third in sections,” Wagner said. “I went top 12 in masters and the top seven go on. So I was

Constant athletic movement causes spinal discomfort Bulging disks cause severe back pain

BY STEPHANIE SHAULL sshaull.gazette@gmail.com

Spinal disks are a crucial part of the spine made of an elastic cartilage exterior called annulus. This thick gooey substance with a hard cartilage nucleus is used to help stabilize the spinal column.

“As people bend or twist, the disks will change shape and flatten out as well as bulge,” said Dr. Jared Thomas, a chiropractor at Thomas Chiropractic. “As we bend forward, the anterior of front part of the disk flattens and the nucleus moves posteriorly so the disk bulges backward.”

Injuries happen when the nucleus gets stuck in one place called a general or non-focal disk bulge, or when tearing occurs in the outer tissue, called herniation.

“The disk herniates because it cannot take the load placed upon it,” said Thomas. “This can happen as a result of a one time event of too much force, from repetitive overload or because the disk is asked to move in a way it cannot tolerate, like twisting,”said Thomas Disk injuries are to blame for approximately 75 percent of all back pain. “(The pain) can range from annoying to disabling. It can cause deep,

Pushing the boundaries Despite health conditions, athletes continue to play

BY KEVIN NIELSEN

kjnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

Ashley Sweeting

BY MATT PALKOWSKI

mpalkowski.gazette@gmail.com Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Participating on the varsity girls’ golf team for two years and playing club soccer, Granite Bay High School junior Ashley Sweeting is constantly physically active when not focusing on her academic schoolwork.

Similar to many great sports athletes, Sweeting was introduced to golf when she was younger than she can remember.

Growing up with a father who began playing golf when he was in high school, Sweeting always felt that the game of golf was a part of her nature. While others needed private instructions to learn the correct form and posture, Sweeting was able to be taught from her father’s great experiences.

“I started playing when I was really young, but I started to play competitively during my freshman year,” Sweeting said. “This year is definitely the most competitive team I have ever played on.”

Golf has a ranking system of all of the team golfers and the top golfer is the one who can hit the lowest score. Sweeting has been playing at the number two and three

spot on the golf team.

Having improved a lot since being on the varsity girls’ golf team during her freshman year, Sweeting credits much of her success to her favorite and most advanced shot: the drive.

“My strongest part of my game is definitely my driver,” Sweeting said. “It is my strongest point since I can hit my drive farther than most people I go up against. I usually hit my drive about 200 yards.”

In order to improve her golfing skills, Sweeting is very dedicated and practices three hours a day, five days a week at the Granite Bay Golf Club.

With having many talented stars on the team this year, including number one ranked sophomore Paige Lee, the GBHS girls’ golf team is having one of its most successful seasons in school history.

“This last Monday, we placed second in a tournament and we finally made it into Sections, which hasn’t been done in seven years,” Sweeting said.

Jason Sitterud has coached the team over the last few years and is

highly revered by Sweeting.

“I love (him) as a coach,” said Sweeting. “He is laid back. He will play with us, help us and is encouraging. During matches he tries to tell us that it is about individual scores, but in the end, you have to add up the total of everyone’s score.”

While many spectators of the game may feel that the game of golf is solely skill-based, many of these people are mistaken.

Sweeting personally feels that what separates good players from the great players is the mental game.

“I definitely believe keeping your emotions in control is the most important thing. Once you get frustrated your game can go downhill quickly, said Sweeting. “I try to always think positive and forget about my past mistakes. I always try to think about what’s to come and try to change my state of mind.”

Though having great success in her career at GBHS, in the future, Sweeting is not planning to pursue a career in golf or get into college by becoming a great golfer.

Student athletes face the problem of balancing academic issues along with extra curricular activities, but some athletes face extra problems along with these.

Many students face health issues that interfere with their athletic endeavors.

Granite Bay High School athletes face problems such as asthma, diabetes, heart murmurs and even anemia.

“You mostly see asthma – generally you don’t see much else” football and track coach Mike Valentine said.

Asthma is a chronic disease that restricts the airway which causes shortness of breath and chest restriction.

Athletes that suffer from asthma have supplements that prevent asthmatic symptoms. Generally, asthmatic athletes have an inhaler which prevents the airway from restricting, thus assisting them in breathing.

“I had one guy that had five different inhalers at Woodcreek (High School),” Valentine said.

Senior cross country runner Brooke Holt is one of many GBHS athletes who suffer with asthma, as well as a few other conditions.

“I have exercised-induced asthma and I had anemia for a little bit, which is low iron (levels)” Senior Brooke Holt said.

Anemia is common in female runners because they do not eat enough red meat or other food with iron. Iron is vital in transporting oxygen into the blood, so it is a very serious illness.

Many runners must take iron supplements so they do not get sick.

Even with these health issues, however, Holt continues to race competitively, but is conscious about her health.

“I go to the doctor quite a bit because I’m very cautious,” Holt said. “I have to keep up with all my different prescriptions and just have to keep track of every thing.”

Athletes who suffer from chronic illnesses are at a disadvantage, but are still able to compete in a competitive setting.

Students with heart murmurs also have to be careful with their heart and make sure it does not become too serous.

A heart murmur is an irregular heart beat – a vessel in the heart doesn’t close completely, which causes an irregular sound due to blood flow through it.

Heart murmurs are also a pretty common disease and can become a serous problem.

There is a large range on how bad heart murmurs can be, but as long as athletes get their physicals done, doctors are able to monitor the murmur and make sure it does not get worse.

Another illness that some athletes have is diabetes. Diabetes is a disease which affects the way food is processed into the energy the body uses.

Junior Jonathon Chang plays football and rugby for GBHS and suffers from Type one diabetes.

“With diabetes I have to be on a pump and it constantly pumps insulin into my stomach,” Chang said.

Chang has a pump on his hip that goes directly to his stomach, so that his blood sugar level doesn’t drop too low.

Chang hasn’t had any major accidents but has fainted a few times during practice.

People who are diabetic can have secures, which means that their blood sugar level is dangerously low.

Most of the time athletes are able to prevent the symptoms that are involved with the illness, See HEALTH, page C5

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

POSTSEASON: Myriad of GBHS spring athletics in hunt for section titles Continued from page C1 league title and moving on to sections.

“I’m predicting that we’ll win a section title (again),” Wong said. “We have to beat Del Oro one more time to do it.”

Wong hopes to continue playing tennis through college next year, either on a club or an intramural team.

Football The GBHS Grizzlies have had a rough season with many close games.

One of these close games was Oct. 15 against the Woodcreek High School Timberwolves.

GBHS had a close game, scoring as time expired with a game-winning field goal after being tied 2828.

However, the Grizzlies were not as lucky at their home game against rival Del Oro on Oct. 22.

GBHS was ahead 21-7 at halftime until the Eagles intercepted and scored a touchdown, tying the game, and kicked a field goal to win.

Despite the setbacks, junior Koki Arai said the team should win a few more games.

“I need to work on protecting the quarterback so he has more time to throw,” Arai said.

The team’s goal of this season is to make the playoffs and finish strong, and they appear poised to do so.

Golf The GBHS girls’ golf team has had an impressive season, finishing second place in the Sierra Foothill League standings and advancing to section play.

This has definitely been an improvement from previous seasons, and sophomore Chiyoh Arai foresees a top three finish for the team.

They have made great strides from last year and made the divisional tournament.

“I’m definitely playing better than last year,” Arai said. “(But) If I practiced more over the summer in-

stead of traveling, I could have probably done better this season.”

Arai hopes to get a scholarship and continue playing in college.

Girls’ Volleyball Volleyball has a 19-8 record as of Oct. 29 and hope to continue playing strong to make the playoffs.

Although the team lost many valuable players to graduation last year, the team has been working hard to push through.

“We’re working hard. It’s a younger team, so it’s a lot different from last year, when we had more upperclassmen,” senior Sheralyn Johnson said. “Last year we had all juniors and seniors, and this year we have freshmen and sophomores on the varsity team. We’ve done a really good job of coming together as a team because a lot of us haven’t played together before.”

Some of the highlights of the season include beating Del Oro in October, which was a huge victory for the team.

Johnson believes everyone has improved throughout the season, contributing to many wins.

“I’ve improved a lot. This is my last season playing volleyball so I’ve enjoyed it,” Johnson said.

a team when it comes to scoring points and taking away opportunities for other teams to move up in placing during a race.

Cross country meets are scored by the top five runners and the place they have obtained. The team with the lowest amount of points wins, with a perfect score being 15. Points are equivalent to the place in which a runner finishes.

The girls’ team placed second at the prestigious Stanford invitational where they lost by 12 points to the previously fourth ranked team in the nation.

The boys’ varsity team has not been as successful as the girls’, but has had some individual success.

The team has not won any league meets yet, but sophomore Trent Brendel has had an outstanding season, placing first in several races. Right behind him, senior Sean Woulfe and junior Caleb Stordahl have also had great seasons.

“The season hasn’t been going as well as last season. The varsity boys were better (last year) because there were many great senior runners (who graduated),” senior and varsity runner Dan Liu said.

Despite not having a deep varsity boys’ team, many runners have improved their times by significant amounts.

Cross Country The cross country team has been very successful this season in their league meets.

The girls’ varsity team is undefeated despite moving up to Division I, and are currently ranked 21 in the nation.

This year, the girls’ cross country team obtained many new runners which has increased its depth. “(Senior) Brooke Holt, (freshman) Claire Carroll and (senior) Christine Zavesky are our top three runners, and the team depth consists of me, (freshman) Katie Mersereau, (sophomore) Allison Daly and (junior) Natalie Hassna,” senior runner Allison Haworth said.

According to Haworth, depth makes or breaks

Boys’ and Girls’ Water Polo The boys’ water polo team has had an outstanding year. They are undefeated in league and have won several tournaments, improving greatly from last year.

They have a strong senior lineup with many experienced athletes.

“I believe that we will be able to go undefeated in league and sections like last year,” senior goalie Zach Meyers said.

Meyers also attributes some of the success to each individuals’ devotion to the sport.

“A large part of our team played in the Junior Olympics over the summer and some who didn’t go still got to practice with the team, so we have gained

COMPETITION: Grizzly fight in best league for basketball, football, others Continued from page C1 competition has a profound impact on the approach of the GBHS team.

“We want to come out strong and end the game strong. In the SFL if you let off for a minute then you are going to have to fight back for the rest of the game,” Davis said.

Another important factor to playing in such a strong league is mental toughness and controlling emotions.

“You can only hold on to that high or that low for so long because you know the next night is going to be just as big of a battle,” Davis said when asked about

staying steady after an emotional victory or defeat.

GBHS baseball also has a difficult league schedule. Despite this, they have advanced to the section final two years in a row, but both times have fallen to league rival Rocklin High School.

“We can’t check any team off of our schedule…every game is tough – there are no easy opponents (in the SFL),” GBHS senior and varsity baseball player Andrew Wilson said.

GBHS football faces a league just as tough, but the nature of football creates a unique set of problems. “(Playing in the SFL) is always difficult because you never know

what the teams are going to do,” GBHS senior and varsity football captain Tyler Gedstad said. “(The other schools) change up their game plan for each specific team.”

The football team faces strong league foes across the league but specifically in Del Oro and Rocklin.

Del Oro is the defending section runners-up and Rocklin is the defending section champion and Div. II state championship runners-up.

The often intimidating records and year to year difficulty of playing in the SFL has little effect on the athletes themselves.

“They don’t intimidate anyone; they are just rivals we want to (beat),” Gedstad said.

HEALTH: Conditions don’t stop athletes

Continued from page C4

however, sometimes accidents happen.

“I had one athlete that went to the locker room and had a major asthma attack (during practice),” Valentine said.

The athlete had to be taken away in an ambulance. According to Valentine, coaches have to call

the paramedics every year due to medical reasons.

It is important for coaches to know about their athletes’ medical issues and for coaches to them encourage their athletes to take care of their bodies. “(Coaches) have to understand that if (athletes) are on medication, then they need to be taking it all the time,” Valentine said.

WRESTLING: New coach at the helm Continued from page C1 wrestling coach may seem daunting, Dixon is eager and ready for the new position “I am really excited because we have a great returning core of wrestlers and I hope to have many more athletes join the team,” said Dixon. “The wrestling team represents a great group of athletes, coaches, and parents so I know we will have a great season.”

Not only is Dixon filled with anticipation for the upcoming season, which starts at the beginning of November, but his athletes are excited for the potential that a strong returning squad and a new coach bring to the team.

According to Lynch the team was filled with many young wrestlers last season and this year they are coming back with more experience than they have had in past years.

Senior Will Anderson, who has been wrestling for six years, is one of the many members of the team who feels comfortable around Dixon because he has been in the wrestling environment with him before.

“He’s been under Lynch’s wing for (some time) so he knows everything that Lynch has done,” Anderson said. “He’s really good at getting us to do what we need to but it’ll be fun. It’ll be a good experience with him.”

Junior Gavin Andrews, who is coming off a very successful sophomore season, including a national title from a tournament in Virginia Beach, also feels that Dixon taking over is a positive change.

“He’s going to make me excel at everything I do and he’s going to push me to the limit and just make me a better athlete,” Andrews said.

But Dixon’s highest praise comes from his mentor and colleague former head coach Lynch.

“He doesn’t need many words of wisdom from me because he’s a bright guy and has some great idea,” Lynch said. “He’s here to work hard with his guys and encourage them to be their best both on the mat and off the mat and he’s (going to) be just great.”

(plenty of) experience since last year,” Meyers said.

With intense practicing and strong team unity, the boys’ water polo players are confident in their fastpaced playing style, which has helped them to have a high scoring season.

The GBHS girls’ water polo team has had an impressive season as well.

Their only loss was to Del Oro in the first game of the season but have gone undefeated since then.

“I think we have done really well and have improved a lot over the season. We have united as a team and beat Del Oro (the second time they played them),” senior Alison Hamby said.

The girls’ team consists mainly of seniors this year, and many of them hope to compete in college.

Senior twins and captains Alison and Jessica Hamby both hope to continue playing water polo at the next level.

The girls plan to finish the season strong and make the section final.

Boys’ Soccer The GBHS boys’ soccer has had an extraordinary season, going undefeated in league and tournaments, making it the most successful in GBHS history.

“We have a great team and are on track to give up the least amount of goals in a season (in team history),” senior right defender Kyle Howarth said.

Through 24 games, they have only given up ten goals, but have scored 142. The team was ranked fifth in the nation and first in the state earlier in the season.

The Grizzlies’ final SFL record is 9-0-1. The tie was to Rocklin High School, but the team feels like it could have been avoided.

“We weren’t focused that game and I feel that if we were more focused we could have pulled it off.”

Howarth said.

The style of play has evolved and improved from last season.

“We have more of an attack. We score more goals and really posses the ball a lot.” Howarth said.

SPORTS BRIEFS GBHS football offensive coordinator quits

wAfter an alleged argument between head coach Ernie Cooper and offensive coordinator Bill Neil at a football game in late September, Neil resigned from his post on the team.

While the position was filled, players and coaches denied to comment to The Gazette on the issue.

Varsity football takes down Rocklin High School on their senior night wGranite Bay held on to a 42-41 victory over Rocklin on Oct. 29 in the final seconds of the game after a failed two-point conversion.

GBHS girls’ cross country takes first in the Sierra Foothill League

wAnother impressive showing by the GBHS varsity girls’ cross country team led them to an SFL championship on Friday Oct. 29.

The girls once again finished in the top three positions as well as eighth, ninth, 13 and 16.

Sophomore Trent Brendel, who is a member of the boys’ varsity squad finished second overall.

GBHS girls’ volleyball takes down rival Del Oro High School in five games

wThe GBHS varsity girls’ volleyball team beat their rival Del Oro in five games on Tuesday Oct. 26. This was the second time the Lady Grizzlies triumphed over the Golden Eagles this season.

GBHS boys’ soccer wins the SFL title

w On Wednesday Oct. 27 the varsity boys’ soccer team clinched the SFL title with a 7-0 win against Roseville High School. The Grizzles finished with a final league record of 9-0-1. The boys will now pursue a SacJoaquin Section title.

Forlini twins double SFL doubles title

w On Thursday Oct. 28 GBHS twin sophomore tennis players Chloe and Lily Forlini defeated members of the Del Oro High School tennis squad to add another doubles title to their record.

-compiled by Laura Preston

ATHLETES: Winter excellence at GBHS Continued from page C4

he will continue to thrive under Dixon’s coaching.

“He helped out last year with Lynch and he’s really good. He runs the freestyle program and he’s coached me personally a lot,” Wagner said. “He (might) run practice differently. But overall, it will be the same.”

This work ethic, paired with a hunger to win, has Wagner knocking on the doors of the state tournament.

“I expect to go to state. It is really hard to get there and I will have to work hard,” Wagner said. “(But) it’s kinda been my goal, especially (after) last year,” Anderson agrees that Wagner will do very well and ultimately be a contender for the state title.

“I think he’ll go to state as a junior. I’m not sure if he’ll place (this year), but in his senior year,

he’ll definitely place,” Anderson said. ***

As a sophomore, Katrina Reeves is getting her first taste of varsity basketball as a member of the varsity girls’ basketball team.

Reeves started playing in her backyard with her two brothers and her dad.

Varsity head coach Melissa Triebwasser says that Reeves is definitely ready for the bigger stage.

“I like Katrina a ton. I am definitely aware of what she can bring to the varsity level,” Triebwasser said.

Reeves is definitely comfortable with the team and hopes to be a great addition.

“Hopefully I can just contribute something, whether it is positive energy or (points),” Reeves said.

Triebwasser is amazed by the young players’ motivation and

drive.

“I think she’s an incredible competitor and does a lot of things well,” Triebwasser said. “She’s just a battler and (going to) hopefully (be) a big addition for us.”

Aside from the constant motor in Reeves, Triebwasser is amazed by the amount of skill the sophomore possess.

“She’s not afraid to get in (the game) and get to the basket, (but) she has got a good outside shot so that makes her hard to stop,” Triebwasser said. “If you try to take away the outside shot, she’s (going to drive) on you. If you try to take away the drive, she can shoot the three.”

Triewasser is optimistic about the sophomore’s success and believes that she will be very successful.

“She’s going to be a great player this year and the next few years,” Triebwasser said.

BERKELEY: Budget woes cause for calling it quits for once-great Cal programs Continued from page C1 “(Our coach) had a meeting with Barbour and told us immediately after that our program was being cut and that there is a meeting being called with four other sports so Barbour herself can tell us,” Asturias said.”

The unexpected announcement sent Asturias on an emotional roller coaster. “(I asked myself) how am I supposed to deal with the fact that someone has told me I can’t do the sport I’ve been doing since I was three years old?” Asturias said. “It was an identity crisis at that moment.”

Fifteen female gymnasts, including Asturias, will be affected by the cuts next year. The premature end to a promising collegiate career was a devastating reality for her.

“Women’s gymnastics, at the collegiate

level, ends senior year,” Asturias said.

“Our demise happened way too soon, especially (for me) as a freshman, and it’s just something that’s hard to deal with.”

Asturias said she has been recovering for the past eight months from an Achilles’ tendon tear and is still not fully recovered.

As a result, she feels a lot of pressure to make this final season a strong one.

Because the athletes had no control over the decision that their sport was to be dropped, student-athletes are allowed by the NCAA to transfer without eligibility punishment. However, Asturias, like many of her teammates, has decided not to pursue this route because of what Cal offers beyond gymnastics.

“I chose Cal for so many reasons other than gymnastics, so it’s hard to ignore that,” Asturias said. “The other aspect of my life that Berkeley adheres to intellectually, creatively, and personality-wise

match who I am. Even though they didn’t appreciate a major aspect of my life, there are other qualities of the school that I just can’t ignore.”

The athletic dream for Asturias isn’t quite over yet. She and her teammates are fighting to get gymnastics to remain a sport by raising funds for commercials and other advertising. Her concerns lie not only with the future effects of these cuts at Cal, but at universities across the country.

“The biggest problem is creating a domino effect across the nation in which cutting sports programs (at universities) is the best way to solve financial issues,” Asturias said. “Gymnastics is the number one sport watched in the Summer Olympics, and for a major university to discount that as a reason for keeping a sport is kind of embarrassing.”

If their attempt to save the program does not succeed, Asturias is determined not

to give up athletics completely and has expressed in trying a different sport: pole vaulting.

“I’ve been involved in sports since I was three years old, and in the gym 30 hours a week since I was ten, so (sports is) something that I can’t let go,” Asturias said.

Knapp, like Asturias, learned that baseball was to be cut from his coaches before the press conference with Barbour. He also was unaware that his sport was on the table to possibly be dropped.

“My initial reaction, quite frankly, was pretty pissed off, but then I became pretty disappointed in how this could happen,” Knapp said. “I felt that baseball was almost (certainly) safe, but I guess that wasn’t the case.”

Unlike Asturias, Knapp and many of his 34 teammates have started looking at other universities to continue their col-

legiate career. “(After this year), I need to find somewhere else to play, but I have always wanted to play at Cal and get a degree here,” Knapp said.

If he chooses to remain at Cal, the university will continue to honor his athletic scholarship along with the other studentathletes, including Asturias. But even the monetary benefits cannot ease the sour feelings Knapp currently has towards the school.

“I think that the university has lost a lot of respect from their actions on this matter,” Knapp said. “If I stay at Cal, I will not be a student-athlete anymore, and that’s the ultimate loss for me.”

As much as he wants to stay at Cal, his baseball dream has not faltered and is determined to keep pursuing it.

“I feel that I have a future in baseball and I don’t want to give it up yet,” Knapp said.

C6 Sports

Friday, November 5, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Stats at a Glance Football Upcoming Games: w11/5 vs. Roseville w11/12 Round 1 Playoffs w11/19 Round 2 Playoffs w11/26 Round 3 Playoffs Record as of 10/29/10: 6-3

Girls’ Water Polo Upcoming Games: wAll games @ Woodcreek w11/6 vs. El Dorado w11/9 Round 2 Playoffs w11/11 Round 3 Playoffs w11/13 Section Championship

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Record as of 10/29/10: 11-1 Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Boys’ Water Polo Upcoming Games: wAll games @ Woodcreek w11/5 vs. Ceres w11/9 Round 2 Playoffs w11/11 Round 3 Playoffs w11/13 Section Championship Record as of 10/29/10: 122-1

Boys’ Soccer Upcoming Games: w11/9 vs. Rio Linda or Kennedy w11/11 Round 3 Playoffs w11/13 Section Championship @ Cosumnes Oaks High School

Gazette photo /ARI BLACK

Gazette photo /ARI BLACK

Record as of 10/29/10: 220-2

Girls’ Volleyball Upcoming Games: w11/9 Round 1 Playoffs w11/11 Round 2 Playoffs w11/16 Round 3 Playoffs w11/18 Section Championship Record as of 10/29/10: 21-12

Girls’ Tennis

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Upcoming Matches: w11/2 vs. Sierra or Whitney w11/8 Round 3 Playoffs w11/10 Round 4 Playoffs w11/12 Section Championship Record as of 10/29/10: Undefeated

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Top left, members of the girls’ varsity volleyball team react after a great play against their rivals, the Del Oro High School Golden Eagles. Top right, huddle of GBHS varsity football players congratulate each other on a job well done. Second from top, three GBHS varsity soccer players sit on the bench and watch the action during their game against Rocklin High School. Third from top, senior Jerra Hagans races a Del Oro water polo player to the ball. Below right, junior Scott Gaebler saves a goal. Below left, juniors Elizabeth Porter, Rachel Pae and sophomore Chiyoh Arai swing their golf clubs in unison at golf practice. At left, sophomore Kristin Kupershoek serves the ball against Del Oro. Above left, sophomore Tanner Thompson dribbles past a Rocklin defender and looks to score on goal.

Cross Country Upcoming Meets: w11/6 Subsection Meet @ Frogtown, Angels Camp w11/13 Section Finals @ Willow Hills, Folsom

Girls’ Golf Upcoming Matches: w11/8 NorCal Championships @ Stockton Country Club w11/16 State Championships @ Red Hill Country Club

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Green Screen

The Gazette’s entertainment guide November 2010

The righ for y t call Wint our e Plann r Ba ing pr ll om w ith sty l e in m

ind

Harry Potter hype

Rally restores sanity

Video game vitality

Fans talk about release of the seventh feature film

National demonstration brings students to D.C.

Retro games survive the test of time

Page 7

Page 21

Page 18

Page 2

November 2010

Contents.

In this

ISSUE...

Page

7

A close look at the release and hype of the 7th movie

Page

14

Page

8

Coffee Shops – Find out which local cafés are best

Apple Hill – Hot spots in the Sierra foothills

Page

20

National Novel Writing Month tips and tricks from veterans

Gazette photos /ARI BLACK/RACHAEL VASQUEZ Gazette illustrations /JESSICA REESE/JUSTIN SHIIBA

November 2010

SUNDAY

Page 3

Calendar.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

November

SATURDAY

SAT @ GB

5 11

James Taylor @ Arco Arena

16

Kelly Clarkson @ Memorial Auditorium

FRIDAY

World Peace Day

GBHS Dance Show

20

Thanksgiving Break

29

December 6

4

Novels vs Film Adaptations

E

Gazette illustrations/ALISON SALE/KATIE ZINGHEIM

Movie adaptations of novels can strip the depth of the message from the story

very time a book is turned into a movie, the comparison is inevitable: which one is better?

In my opinion, comparing a book’s storyline with its later Hollywood-glamorized, big-screen version is like comparing a celebrity with its Barbiedoll.

The latter often puts out an incorrect and substantially altered portrayal of the former.

The book, in every case, is written well enough that it makes its way on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Then, Hollywood comes in and makes a pitiful attempt at matching the depth of the characters’ emotion and storyline in the book.

Let’s take Eat, Pray, Love as an example. The memoir was a phenomenon in 2006 and was an indepth, personal reflection by a normal, middle-aged woman.

The movie, however, did little justice to the depth of emotion portrayed in the book.

A fundamental part of novels is being able to read between the lines and interpret the story as readers.

But in this movie and a lot of others, all we can

Commentary

sonia iyer

siyer.gazette@gmail.com

see is the subjective interpretation of the director and actors.

If a movie is going to attempt to portray all of the emotions and interpretations that lie in a book, it has to do it well.

On top of that, it’s difficult to really understand the feelings of an average, struggling woman when

you’re staring at the face of Julia Roberts, one of the most globally well-known celebrities.

I’ve seen Julia Roberts in so many movies that it’s nearly impossible for me to pretend she’s anyone but herself.

Maybe movie producers should cast a less famous leading actor when dealing with novel-based movies, simply because it loses the reality of the characters in the book otherwise.

While I think it’s great that so many books get more publicity when a film version comes out, it’s not so good that viewers are sometimes left with an inaccurate impression of the book.

I am by no means saying that movie producers should one hundred percent back away from turning books into movies. If that was the case, we’d have no Harry Potter movies – and half of the movies that exist today, for that matter.

I’m only suggesting that they maintain the genuineness and integrity of the book by making sure the movie matches the depth of a book in every way.

So I say: out with film-adaptations, in with filmreplications.

Page 4

Music.

November 2010

Kings of Leon Come Around Sundown

BY SOPHIA ZOGOPOULOS

T

szogopoulos.gazette@gmail.

he successful release of Only by the Night in 2008 set a high standard for Kings of Leon. In the weeks preceding the release of their sophomore album, Come Around Sundown, there was speculation as to whether or not Kings of Leon could reach the bar they had set for themselves.

In my opinion, they did.

The first track on the album “The End” was losing my interest at the beginning, but after listening from the chorus to the end of the song my initial impression changed. With simple lyrics in the chorus like “This could be the end” being accompanied by a great blend of instruments, this song is sure to leave you thinking, while the song fades out to the sound of the faint but calming piano.

The second track, “Radioactive” was the first release off of this album and suc-

ceeded in showing the more alternative/indie side of the band, rather than just their usual rock sound.

From the moment the fourth track “Mary” begins, I am overwhelmed by the powerful guitar chords, drums and of course, the exceptional voice of the lead singer, Caleb Followill. The few beginning guitar chords setting off the retro 50’s vibe of the song confirms how diverse the tracks on this album are.

“Back Down South” and “Beach Side” are perfectly placed back-to-back on the album – both songs with their relaxing, enjoyable melodies left me with thoughts of summertime.

Following the calming beach mood is the song “No Money.” The song’s rebellious rock vibe brings back Kings of Leon’s old sound “Birthday” and “Mi Amigo” switch the focus back to the new, experimental sound the band is now taking up, including more soothing lyrics and feel-good rhythms.

Surprisingly, the album ends on a weak

note with the song “Pickup Truck,” which didn’t spark my interest as much as the other tracks. It sounds like it was put together in about five minutes and contained little meaning and barely any soul.

The previous twelve tracks were at least up to par, but “Pickup Truck” should have just been left off of the album. There always is that one song that doesn’t blow your mind on an album, but to have that song be the final track is disappointing.

I was not the greatest Kings of Leon fan, but after listening to Come Around Sundown, I gained a new level of respect for the band members and their music.

Although I do believe this album should have been released at the peak of summer, it is the perfect mix of melodies and lyrics for long car rides and long nights of procrastination.

Besides the final track, Come Around Sundown comes out strong and full of diversity with meaningful lyrics that are sure to please old fans and attract many new ones.

RCA RECORDS

Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon was released on Oct. 19.

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Belle and Sebastian Write About Love

BY JUSTIN SHIIBA

B MATADOR RECORDS

Write About Love by Belle and Sebastian was released on Oct. 12.

A-

Skip to: Write About Love

jshiiba.gazette@gmail.com

elle and Sebastian is at it again with another indie-filled, pop album that exceeds the expectations set by their last album, The Life Pursuit.

Write About Love is Belle and Sebastian’s eighth studio album and has their usual joyful, rock groove that the band is famous for.

Although it is a great album, it is too similar to past albums and lacks a certain uniqueness to it.

The first song, “I Didn’t See It Coming,” captures the typical indie sound – full of catchy lyrics, steady beats, and layered vocals. The combination of male and female vocals creates a beautiful harmony that definitely “makes me dance.”

The next tune, “Come on Sister,” is upbeat and rocking, with an electric guitar

and synthesizer jamming in the background that will get your head bobbing in seconds. This song is the stereotypical Belle and Sebastian song with energetic and romantic choruses that are similar to those in the single “The Blues Are Still Blue” from their past album.

The album slows down with the next two songs, “Calculating Bimbo” and “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” containing smooth guitar licks and soft lyrics.

Their first single, “Write About Love,” is the catchiest and best song on the album, featuring Carey Mulligan. The song has an almost surfing ring to it that adds to the chorus.

Following up is the most fast-paced song on the album, “I’m Not Living in the Real World.” Beautiful harmonizing vocals and a cacophony of musical

instruments create a great tune to jam to.

“Ghost of Rockschool” is a good, relaxed song with soft trumpets and flutes blending in the background. The lyrics can get a little repetitive but overall it’s a good filler song.

Belle and Sebastian lose their peppiness with “Read the Blessed Pages.” The band’s attempt at a slow pretty ballad loses the effect and seems unnecessary to the album as a whole. The vocals and guitar are boring and have little excitement.

The album returns to its happiness with “I Can See Your Future.” The blaring trumpets and violins add a nice effect to the song.

The last song, “Sunday’s Pretty Icons,” includes laid-back vocals that bring a good conclusion to the album.

Apache Beat Last Chants

BY ARI BLACK

A

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

pache Beat could be considered just another, typical indie band.

Its attempt at being unique sounds similar to a mix of the echo effect of Oasis vocals with Animal Collective backgrounds.

Although bands such as Oasis, Animal Collective, Florence and the Machine and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are favorites among the indie-music crowd, Apache Beat’s new album, Last Chants, comes nowhere close to other artists of their similar genre.

“It Will Be” fulfills the stereotypical description of a song being blasted through the speakers of an Urban Outfitters that no one knows the words to, but everyone thinks they might have heard before.

Although the music is decent, it is not necessarily music that you can listen to

and sing along with in the car.

The music video for their single “Another Day” on the new album is trippy and interesting to an extent, but it starts to give off a poser-like effect when the band begins to use imagery that looks similar to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover – a band that no others should even attempt to live up to.

The similarities accentuate the fact that Apache Beat does not stand for anything particularly unique in the music they play.

On the other hand, I have to admit that Apache Beat knows how to make its music sound chaotic, yet clean in the song “Tropics.”

In “Crashin’,” the vocals aren’t strong, and yet they unfortunately manage to overpower the impressive musical back-

ground.

A stand-out element in the song “Knives” is the mix of indie style with classical rock sounds from the ’70s and ’80s.

Apache Beat can also be respected for the fact that they have not resorted to demeaning their musical authenticity by trying to be a “Top 40” kind of a band – no cheap or corny lyrics repeated twenty times throughout the song for the sole purpose of earning money and popularity.

Apache Beat’s presence and positive energy is fantastic. The band has the potential to be one of the best bands of their genre.

However, their attempt at being unique fails in Last Chants.

With less vocals and better articulated background music, Last Chants could have stood a chance.

BABYLON/BEVERLY MARTEL RECORDS

Last Chants by Apache Beat was released on Oct. 5.

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November 2010

Page 5

Music.

Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz

S

BY PARKER EVANS

pevans.gazette@gmail.com

ufjan Stevens is not a man who rests on his laurels.

After Stevens’ first album Enjoy Your Rabbit in 2001, he set electronica aside for minimalist folk and sweeping symphonies.

Whereas 2005’s critically acclaimed Illinois was a masterpiece of multi-intstrumental folk and the All Delighted People EP, released in August, can be best described as freak folk, Stevens returns to his roots for the electronicafueled Age of Adz. In fact, the opener for Age of Adz, “Futile Devices,” belies the theme of the rest of the album. Mandolin picking, simple piano melodies and relaxed vocals are Stevens’ weapons of choice before the storm hits with the second track.

The ironically titled “Too Much” is jarring, to say the least. Opting for staccato percussion balancing with beeps, boops and his signature backing choir, it’s obvious that Stevens is enjoying himself.

In fact, it’s hard to listen to Age of Adz without envisioning Stevens as a kind of mad scientist on the soundboard, mixing synthesizers and flutes, drum machines with strings.

That said, much of the album is quite experimental. Listeners hoping for the beautiful simplicity of the melodies on Illinois will certainly be disappointed. Age of Adz is a weird, buzzing, druggy trip.

When some of that electronic dissonance turns to a more recognizable melody, the album really picks up.

Age of Adz is a marathon. Stevens has never been one to keep it short and sweet; his last EP, All Delighted People is almost a full album, clocking in at just under an hour.

As it stands, Age of Adz is an hour and fifteen minutes (about average for a Sufjan album) and it certainly drags in the middle parts. The songs strike a strange balance

between blending together and standing out. Tracks like “I Walked” and “Bad Communication” are entirely forgettable.

The last few tracks are where Stevens really steps it up.

“Vesuvius,” the best track on the album, is a powerful mix of new and old Sufjan. In the second verse the eponymous volcano hauntingly addresses Stevens by name and sings directly to him.

Towards the end of the album, Stevens begins playing around with vocal distortion. The last few tracks have all kinds of effects, including Stevens risking his indie cred by using the Auto-Tune so demonized by his hipster fans.

“I Want to Be Well” is a beautiful blend of woodwinds and the prevailing electronica with a dramatic shift halfway through. The tone grows very serious and Stevens drops his first recorded f-bomb as the chorus shifts to his warning that he’s definitely not messing around.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Sufjan Stevens album without one ridiculous track. The closer, “Impossible Soul,” is a stupendous twenty five minutes long, and it’s no extended jam session.

The song goes through several movements which include various melodies, keys, and an unbelievable range of instruments. The irony is not lost on Stevens as he sings, “Don’t be distracted” while he bombards the listener with dozens of distracting instruments and electronic beats.

For the better part of a half hour, “Impossible Soul” is worth every second, featuring guest vocals from Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. The song is quite the journey, but the payoff at the end is the crowning jewel of the album.

Age of Adz is a departure from the formula that made Stevens popular on the indie music circuit. Fans of his other works are just as likely to be engaged as alienated, but the Illinois is there if you listen for it, buried underneath the electronic wall of sound.

ASTHMATIC KITTY

Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens was released on Oct. 12.

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Skip to: Vesuvius

Taylor Swift Speak Now

T

BIG MACHINE RECORDS

Speak Now by Taylor Swift was released on October 25.

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Skip to: Sparks Fly

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

aylor Swift does it again – she manages to produce another hit album. The singer-songwriter has a knack for drawing in listeners, like me, who don’t normally listen to country music.

On her third album, Speak Now, her songs have more of a catchy, pop air to them rather than a stereotypical country twang. Her pop sound is the reason that she appeals to such a large audience.

The album’s opening song, “Mine,” was accidentally leaked on the internet two weeks prior to the single’s initial release on Aug. 16. This caused her record label to rush the release and surprisingly benefit from the incident.

Despite its rough release, the single still managed to become a hit single on iTunes as well as Billboard Hot 100 and U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Country Songs.

“Mine” was the perfect pop song to begin a highly anticipated album. The vocals range from her uncommon low pitch to her usual high pitch. It’s probably one of the more commercial appealing songs on the album because it describes another optimistic relationship that Swift envisions.

Unfortunately, Swift uses her typical relationship stories throughout Speak Now, which can get a bit old after her two previous albums. We get it Swift – every relationship is unique compared to the next.

Just when I begin to find a fault in the core of her songwriting, I can’t help but admit that the melody and flow of her love stories overpower the monotony of the subject.

“Sparks Fly” specifically changed my pessimistic attitude. The snappy guitar lead-in creates an emotional yet youthful tone while the chorus causes you to imagine her situation and sing along, once you fully know the lyrics.

Despite the fact that the album was named after the song, “Speak Now,” I wasn’t a fan of it. As odd as it sounds, the

intensity from her previous songs about lies, cheating and betrayal are the songs I find most entertaining.

The third song, “Speak Now” was a little too slow for my taste but lyrically intriguing. You can almost imagine Taylor Swift interrupting a wedding, but then again, she’s not that kind of girl.

Towards the middle of the album, Swift begins to lose her cool.

While listening to “Mean,” the emotion impacted me to the point where I began to hate the critics along with her.

The fiddler’s music brings a country flare to support the vocals and I finally discovered the attitude that country expresses.

Although it is another commercial pop song, “The Story of Us” is relatable to many teenage dramatic relationships.

It captures the anxiety and hatred for a lack of communication.

The drums can’t be dismissed. They provided a powerful backbone to the song and connect the other musical elements together.

After listening to the song “Never Grow Up,” I was persuaded to admire the slow emotion-filled music. The simplicity of the guitar creates a tone of sadness while the mother longs for her child to remain in adolescence. Only through the descriptions of family relationships do I finally enjoy a more relaxed and calming Swift song.

The chorus in “Better Than Revenge” was hysterically blunt. Swift doesn’t hold up her negativity when states her hatred for the promiscuous actress (Camilla Belle) who stole her guy (otherwise know as Joe Jonas).

The progression of the album caused me to admire the slower and the more country-sounding songs that at first didn’t catch my attention over the pop songs. Speak Now forced me to step out of my musical comfort zone and to understand Swifts’ variety of songs.

Page 6

Rock Your Weekend

Mixtape

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ

MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH: Chase Lokke

rvasquez.gazette@gmail.

1. “Your Touch” by The Black Keys Recognizable from the movie, Zombieland, “Your Touch” is the perfect song to kick off any weekend with its bluesy-rock guitar rifts and its simple yet effective drum beats.

2. “Hold Music” by Architecture in Helsinki At first, the introduction may seem out of this world unusual, but the chorus entices listeners in. The vocals and lyrics replace the instrumental elements of the song in terms of stand-out aspects.

3. “Dawn Of The Dead” by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Melody is key to the greatness of this catchy song with its variety of notes and lyric lengths. Of course, the British accents are admirable as well.

4. “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit The high pitched vocals of lead singer Michael Angelakos are supported by the background vocals of happy children, making one powerful and enthusiastic chorus.

5. “White Knuckles” by OK GO The snappy mood of “White Knuckles” is evident in its high pitched vocals that will be sure to pump up a listener for the weekend.

6. “Good (All In Your Head)” by Mates of State Husband and wife duo, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, compose a harmonious song with their distinctive electrical organs and pianos, creating a lighthearted yet lyrically meaningful song.

7. “One Week Of Danger” by The Virgins Although the 2007 EP album version is rawer than the later versions, “One Week Of Danger” in any form provides an air of liveliness and spontaneity.

8. “Something Good Can Work” by Two Door Cinema Club With a rapid and reputed guitar rift, the introduction sets the stage for a refreshing and at ease tunes – perfect for a joyous weekend experience.

9. “Float On” by Modest Mouse For years, Modest Mouse has produced music that never fails to better a mood. Its lively use of instruments and vocal harmonies demonstrates true talent.

10. “Love No (Delorean Remix)” by The Teenagers The disillusionment of the French synthpop band’s lyrics provides for the perfect ending to a mixtape. The intricate use of keyboards and synthesizers sets up an impacting song conclusion.

BY ALISON SALE

asale.gazette@gmail.com

F

or Granite Bay High School senior Chase Lokke, happiness is a pair of drum sticks – and preferably a drum set, although Lokke does play snare in the Emerald Brigade marching band.

“My favorite part about playing drum set is blending (my) sound with other musicians (to) make something that sounds good,” Lokke said.

Last year, Lokke blended his sound with alum Matt Sazima and his “Matt Sazima Quintet.”

There, Lokke played with junior Gazette photo /DANIEL fLEISCHMAN Harrison Reagan, sophomore Senior Chase Lokke plans to continue drumTaylor Reynolds and alum Colby set in college. He has played with the SacraAbbott in addition to Sazima. mento Traditional Jazz Society and Matt Sazima They played one of Lokke’s three Quintet favorite music styles: Avanteand the volume that the audience hears in garde. Sazima composed origirelation to the ensemble. nal pieces for the quintet to perform that “Acoustics totally matter because there are classified as Avante-garde, a style of are performances where people modern music that pushes the traditional will tell me ‘Dude you sound way too loud!’ boundaries. and I’ll think ‘what are you talking about? I Lokke’s other favorite styles include was playing totally chill,’” Lokke said. the more traditional bebop and Latin jazz The easiest part of playing drum set varies styles. according to the musician – for Lokke, it’s “Bebop is pretty traditional (because it’s) playing at fast tempos. from the (40’s) – pretty old school-type “It’s one of my better traits,” Lokke said. jazz,” Lokke said.

“I just need to work on musicality now.”

This year, Lokke is playing his favorites In the future, Lokke plans to drum his and other traditional styles with the Sacraway through college and the work force. mento Traditional Jazz Society.

“I want to (keep) drumming forever,” As far as specifics of drum set playing, Lokke said. “I’m looking at everything Lokke thinks that acoustics and balance from state schools to, hell, I’ll shoot for are the toughest challenge that any drummer faces – he often runs into discrepancies conservatories. I’m just keeping my options between the volume he thinks he is playing, open.”

Teacher Playlist

1. “Bust A Move” by Young MC The reason I like it is because it has a great beat and I can karaoke very well to it. 2. “It Was A Good  Tino Guzman

November 2010

More Music.

Day” by Ice Cube It came out in the 90’s when I was in high school, and it kind of met me where I was at, even though I wasn’t in a gang.

But it flowed well. 3. “Life Is… Too Short” by Too Short (This song came out) when rap was really coming about in terms of more hardcore rap. I just like the beat. It was fun. 4. “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC It’s an entertaining song and it kind of pumps you up. I used to listen to it before I had a football game. 5. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica It came out when I was in sixth grade. I first heard it when I was at a roller skating ring and it just caught (my attention). 6. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leopard I’m not quite sure what the

Compiled

by Rachael Vasquez

message is on this one, but the beat is really good. They play it at a lot of weddings. 7. “Best Days Of Your Life” by Kellie Pickler I

saw her with Rascal Flats in Tahoe and I was initially enamored by her beauty. Then I realized she had a really good voice so I bought her CD at Target. She is one of my favorite artists right now. It’s hard to admit that but I will. 8. “The River” by Garth Brooks It’s a metaphor for life and that’s why I like it. It’s kind of more slow than fast. 9. “Re-

stored” by Jeremy Camp It kind of connects me to my faith so I like

the idea of restoration. 10. “This Test Is Your Storm” by Women of Faith My wife doesn’t believe I like this, but I like some Gospel music.

It talks about how everyone has storms in life and if you have a solid foundation you can buffer the storms.

November 2010

Premiere.

and the

midnight premiere

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ

W

rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

hether you have read the series or watched the films – or in many cases both – by now everyone should be aware of the Harry Potter phenomena.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the fastest selling book in history. It’s no wonder Granite Bay High School enthusiasts are incredibly passionate about the premiere of its movie adaptation.

With the highly anticipated part one release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows drawing near, students around campus have been anxiously preparing themselves – some more so than others.

During the homecoming royalty rally, senior and homecoming king nominee Joe McIntosh announced to the student body his love of Harry Potter.

McIntosh’s passion has grown stronger in response to the upcoming premiere.

“To get ready for the premiere I put a feather on my pen to write (with) like a quill, and I (already have) my costume ready,” McIntosh said. “I am (also) rereading the seventh book to prepare for the seventh movie.”

His fellow students have witnessed his fanaticism firsthand.

“McIntosh sent a page of Harry Potter spells to his own email so he could remember them and print them out,” senior Briana Whitney said.

When asked who the biggest Harry Potter fan is to her knowledge, senior Lizzy Schliessmann said that when she thinks about Harry Potter, McIntosh comes to mind.

However, McIntosh isn’t the only one making preparations for the premiere. He and Whitney are making tedious plans to go to the midnight showing for a friend’s birthday.

“I bought a lot of extra (movie) tickets for myself and others…just in case,” McIntosh said.

Many students at GBHS share McIntosh’s same anxiety.

“I’m actually going to a 7:30 premiere that’s before the midnight premiere,” senior Paige Schofield said. “It’s in Sacramento…my friend has a connection (through) Girls Scouts.”

While it is a privilege to be invited to an earlier showing of the movie, students agree that what is most important is not when but with whom they attend.

Some students, like sophomore Madeline Salinas, prefer to be accompanied by the same friends or family members they saw previous Harry Potter midnight premieres with.

Another important aspect of premiere night is wearing the right outfit, which means dressing up as Harry Potter characters.

McIntosh plans to dress up as antagonist Draco Malfoy.

Schliessmann is deter-

Page 7

A cl hyp oser l ook e su Dea rroun at the thl y Ho ding th llow e s

mined to dress like Harry Potter’s friend, Luna Lovegood, as she did to the Border’s book release of the seventh novel.

One student in particular is choosing to dress up as a less conventional character – one that doesn’t necessarily appear in the Harry Potter series.

“I’m probably going to dress up as Edward Cullen from (the Twilight saga) and Cedric Diggory, since they’re (played by) the same actor,” junior Sam Holzer said. “I’m wearing a Hufflepuff sweater and vampire teeth and sparkles.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One is the beginning of the end of the movie adaptation series. So naturally, expectations are above the norm.

“I think (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) is going to be the most detail oriented (movie),” Whitney said. “The trailer looks really good and the book was (also) really good.”

Other students simply hope that the movie does justice to the book.

“I’m hoping that (the movie) is near the book’s storyline and that it is slow enough to give (the audience) more information like the book did,” Salinas said.

After trailers were revealed, fans were ecstatic to learn that the upcoming film would be in 3-D – a first for Harry Potter.

“I don’t really like 3-D movies but I hope you can see all the magic in 3-D,” McIntosh said. “I’m pushing for the 3-D (experience) when I see the movie with my friends.”

However, it was made known in early October that part one would not be released in 3-D. According to a statement released by Warner Bros., the studio was unable to convert the film to 3-D without losing significant visual quality.

Fortunately, 3-D magical stunts were not the main draw for Harry Potter fans.

“I can connect with the characters because they go through the exact same experiences that I do,” Holzer said. “Not the magic or search for (He-Who-Must-Not-BeNamed), but the same kinds of emotional experiences like heartbreak, family and loss.”

Schliessmann agreed, saying the world of Harry Potter is simple on some level – it’s the world of teenage angst.

The Harry Potter world has a magical way of drawing in teenagers, including overenthusiastic muggles at GBHS. In 2009, the Harry Potter Club was founded by alum Kecia Sako. Although the club did not continue this year, the love for the series lives on in the student body.

“The club doesn’t exist anymore but I originally started it because I was obsessed,” Sako said. “I just knew that it was a mutual obsession at GBHS.”

Gazette illustration/JUSTIN SHIIBA

Page 8

Caffeinate.

November 2010

Coffee shop craze The Gazette’s Parker Evans critiques local coffee shops in search of the best

Jericho is a family-owned, family friendly Christian coffee shop; Even the drink sizes are formatted like Bible verses and the frozen blended drinks are named after biblical mountains.

The service is friendly and helpful while making serious attempts to integrate itself into the community, including offers of Bible study hosting and a special room available for reservation.

The shop occasionally has live music performed by local artists, which are advertised

by Jericho’s Facebook fan page.

The coffee is great and varied, but the shop itself can feel a little cluttered with cards, coffee, books and pastries.

With the cold weather, birds migrate south in search of warmth and people migrate to coffee shops in search of atmosphere.

The Granite Bay and Roseville area is full of cafés and each appeals to a different crowd.

From coffee connoisseurs to tea-drinking hipsters, there’s always a safe haven from the cold fall weather.

Who it’s for: Anybody looking for an uplifting atmosphere with their coffee Be sure to try: Jericho Dark Mocha

Perfect Blend

Shady Coffee and Tea

Sometimes the best things are right underneath our noses. Perfect Blend is well within walking distance of GBHS at the corner of Sierra College and East Roseville Parkway.

The café doubles as a deli, serving breakfast and lunch, including sandwiches, soups and calzones.

Even placing an order, it immediately becomes apparent that Perfect Blend is a place that takes its coffee seriously. It has a wide variety of different blends as well as an assortment of blended drinks and non-coffee drinks such as cider and hot chocolate.

On the walls, there are plaques chronicling the history of coffee, from its origins in Central America to modern blends.

During the summer, Perfect Blend has an arsenal of cold drinks It may not have the youngest crowd, but it maintains a laid-back café feel.

Located near Old Roseville, Shady is a new addition to Roseville’s café scene.

The actual café building is tiny. Shady encourages customers to go outside and enjoy their drink of choice on the patio.

The patio area is adorned with couches, tables, fans, overhangs and heaters for all seasons.

It creates a remarkably relaxing experience and encourages enjoyable conversation.

The menu, while a little on the small side, is fantastic, especially the chai latte.

Any orders for water are served in old tea containers, giving each water a distinct and unique taste.

Who it’s for: All coffee drinkers with a taste for the European Be sure to try: Mocha shake

Jericho Coffee - 8711 Sierra College Blvd #1, Roseville. Drive: 3 minutes from GBHS

Jericho Coffee Jericho gives the traditional coffee shop an encouraging twist.

Uplifting cards, books and devotionals can be found throughout the shop, each with its own positive message.

Perfect Blend Café - 9260 Sierra College Blvd #600, Roseville. Drive: 3 minutes from GBHS

Bloom Coffee and Tea Bloom has become synonymous with hipsters.

If you don’t recognize the music of Fleet Foxes, Explosions in the Sky or Bon Iver playing in the background, you might feel out of place or judged by Bloom’s patrons.

Owned by Granite Bay alumni, the coffee shop has a very modern feel.

The place is never very loud, and customers order their drinks in hushed tones.

Tea lovers have found a home in Bloom, and any tea aficionado will find a flavor they enjoy.

Art from local artists adorns the walls, and the whole café has a subdued, muted vibe.

Espresso blends have beautiful patterns in the foam, contributing to the original charm of Bloom.

Who it’s for: Anyone who owns a Macbook and wears flannel Be sure to try: Shakerato

Bloom Coffee & Tea - 1485 Eureka Rd, Roseville. Drive: 8 minutes from GBHS Gazette photos /ARI BLACK

Page 9

Fall.

November 2010

Fall Food Frenzy Make Thanksgiving break all about the cuisine with these fun activities.

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO

W

sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

Whole Foods Market Feast

ith the changing leaves and frigid weather of the fall season comes a much-needed relief from the monotonous school day: Thanksgiving break.

As we all know, Thanksgiving break is all about food. There’s buying food, making feasts for others and of course, eating delicious meals.

Trekking to Apple Hill, running in Sacramento’s Run to the Feed the Hungry and purchasing an alternative, take-out Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods Market are just a few great ways to spend this break.

Apple Hill Apple Hill, an association of apple, pine tree and grape growers in Placerville, is known for their apple orchards, and has become a yearly staple for many Granite Bay families.

Apple Hill trips are a tradition for Granite Bay High School sophomore Madison Harris, junior Emily Harris and their family.

Each farm at Apple Hill has its own unique characteristics.

Some have vendors that sell everything from incense to purses, while others have orchards where you can pick your own apples right off of the tree.

And still others have caramel apples, apple pies and other apple-related treats for sale that satisfy cravings for something warm and sweet on a brisk fall day.

“It’s very family oriented, but it’s (also) fun for teenagers because you can go with your friends,” Emily Harris said.

Run to Feed the Hungry Participating in the Run to Feed the Hungry, a yearly fundraising event for the Sacramento Food Bank, is the ideal activity balance to an Apple Hill visit.

This event is perfect for both those who overindulged on their trip through Apple Hill and those who just want to make a difference this autumn.

Run to Feed the Hungry is a 5 or 10 kilometer run — depending on the runners’ preferences — through downtown Sacramento on Thanksgiving morning.

The proceeds from the participation fee benefit the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Service organization that helps feed the needy families of the Sacramento area.

Last year the race raised almost $850,000 for SFBFS. Early registration will cost $35, and will rise to $40 for those who register on the day of the race.

For those who do not excel in athleticism, walking is perfectly acceptable.

Another option is to volunteer with other areas of the event.

These spots fill fast, so it is suggested that those interested sign up as soon as possible.

For families that find themselves too busy with Apple Hill and the charity run to cook the yearly feast, there’s always the option of getting a Thanksgiving dinner to-go.

A take-away Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods Market gives families a home-baked, mouth watering meal, that doesn’t require hours of slaving away in the kitchen.

“People would like a convenient way to have an awesome meal, and be able to have the time to spend with their family versus in the kitchen,” Marketing Team Manager of the Roseville Whole Foods Jill Miller said.

This year, Whole Foods is offering a Thanksgiving dinner with a choice of three different meals.

“We cater to the traditional dinner, but we also offer gluten free and vegan options,” Miller said.

One choice has a classic turkey and Thanksgiving essentials, like mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, rolls and a pumpkin apple pie.

A second option is Whole Foods’ gourmet spin on a classic Thanksgiving dinner, with a honey and rosemary brined turkey, sweet potatoes, cheese and cranberry muffins, two types of gratin and a pear and cranberry tart.

For the vegetarian, they provide an option that includes a vegetable pie with yams, a salad, mashed potatoes and vegan pumpkin pie.

Clients can also choose to buy only specific parts of any of the meals, instead of the whole package.

For item prices and more details, visit Whole Foods’ online store or a local location.

Gazette photos/SAMantha SPARGO/rachael vasquez

Page 10

November 2010

Eat.

Ruen Thai

Old Spaghetti Factory

BY MATT VENEMAN

mveneman.gazette@gmail.com

T

he Old Spaghetti Factory is located off Sunrise Avenue in Roseville, very accessible from nearly everywhere in the local area.

The Old Spaghetti Factory is a classic Italian restaurant providing great food at a quality price.

My mom, my girlfriend and I were instantly seated in the “train” in the middle of the restaurant.

To me, it felt a little claustrophobic — we were literally inside a small train car.

We saw a booth nearby outside of the train and asked to be moved. The staff graciously allowed us to move to the booth of our choice.

Upon being seated, we were greeted by our friendly waitress who quickly took our drink orders and brought us freshly made bread.

As I sipped on my Shirley Temple, I looked around the restaurant and admired the building.

The centrally located train was surrounded by booths and tables.

There was also a second floor with even more seating.

Within a few minutes the waitress brought our fresh green salads.

Minutes later my girlfriend spilled some lettuce on the floor.

Without us ever saying a word, it was cleaned up awkwardly next to us

by a bus boy.

After we got that ordeal past us, our food arrived.

The food was all piping hot and delicious.

Being that we were eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory, naturally I ordered spaghetti.

The spaghetti came in a huge portion and it was fresh, hot and topped with their homemade marinara sauce.

My mom ordered the lasagna, and was presented with layers of meat and cheese topped, once again, with the marinara sauce.

My girlfriend ordered spinach and cheese raviolis.

A large portion of raviolis stuffed with three different cheeses and spinach were served under their marinara sauce.

All three of us ordered classic Italian dishes and none of them disappointed.

The portions were all huge. I barely finished mine and my mom had enough left to make another meal the next day.

I had to make room in my stomach for a complimentary desert after my meal. All meals come with your choice of vanilla ice cream or spumoni.

All of this food and great service came at a reasonable price. Expect to pay around $10 for most entrées.

I enjoyed every last bite of my meal down to the last drop of ice cream and I found myself stuffed but very satisfied.

BY SONIA IYER

I

siyer.gazette@gmail.com

’ve never really liked Thai food. When I visited Thailand, I convinced my family to eat mostly at the Italian restaurant near the hotel.

Ruen Thai made me like Thai food.

This restaurant is located in Roseville in the complex with Crush 29 and Granito’s Italian Fusion, giving it some serious restaurant competition.

However, I feel that Ruen Thai easily outshines them.

There were only a few people dining when I went, which originally made me think it just another mediocre small business.

But with the fantastic food quality, the friendly service, and number of vegetarian options, my mind was easily changed.

Immediately upon entering, my party and I were greeted and guided to a seat.

I saw that there is nothing fancy about the atmosphere. It’s calm and simple — just the way I like it. There is a little bit of wall décor that makes it look authentic.

After ordering drinks, a waitress brought them out within a couple of minutes.

My party then proceeded to order.

Because we were unfamiliar with some of the Thai food terminology,

BY DANIEL FLEISCHMAN dfleischman.gazette@gmail.com

F

or those looking for a cheap place to get some Mexican food, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill is a great choice, especially on Tuesdays.

The first noticeable thing about this restaurant is that it is not quick a fast food place, but not a real sit-down experience either.

There is a front counter with three cash registers on it where customers place their orders and pay for them. Next to it, there’s a place to pick up the food.

I took a look at the menu to see a vast array of different types of foods, for relatively cheap prices.

The cool thing about Rubio’s is that, every Tuesday, they do a special event called Dollar Fish Taco Tuesdays.

The name pretty much gives it away: customers can get fish tacos on Tuesdays for only a dollar.

I decided to take advantage of their sale and ordered two fish tacos with a side of rice and beans.

After I placed my order at the front, I took a look around for a seat.

There were plenty of booths, with the occasional table spaced throughout.

I took my seat in a booth, and had a look around the rest of the place.

The bathrooms were near the front, by the entrance, and were surprisingly clean.

There was a salsa bar right next to the soda machine, with all sorts of salsas and little cups right by it.

My name was called very quickly – after what seemed like only five minutes – and I walked to the front to pick up my food.

I got back to my seat and took a look at my food.

The tacos were wrapped in paper, and the rice and beans were in small cups off to the side.

Each wrapped taco had a lime inside for the customer to squeeze into it, which was a nice addition.

As I took my first bite, I noticed that the fish wasn’t the freshest it could have been.

That could be because they have to make a lot of them, but it still wasn’t bad.

The rice on the other hand, was some of the best Mexican rice I’ve ever had.

The seasonings on it seemed to blend perfectly together, and it had a really authentic taste. I was tempted to ask for the recipe, but decided against it and kept on enjoying my food.

we spent a while asking our server to explain certain menu items.

She was more than open to helping us out and made the experience all the better.

During the short, 10-minute wait for the food, I ranted about how my party and I should have just gone to our favorite Chinese restaurant rather than risking a bad dinner.

When the food came out and I had my first taste, however, I couldn’t have been more surprised.

The delicious flavors of the soup, vegetables, and noodles all challenged my previous, stubborn opinion of Thai food.

The Ruen Thai Rolls I ordered were rich with fresh, crisp vegetables and came with a sweet peanut sauce — probably my favorite sauce to date.

Each dish combined impeccable quality with quantity, (I enjoyed all of this the next day, too.)

With a price of eight to nine dollars per entrée, it was an incredible deal.

During my visit, I saw several people come in, order meals to-go, and leave in less than 15 minutes.

I was glad to know that I could bring this great food home if I so choose as well.

Ruen Thai managed to completely change my opinion about Thai food and left me wishing all restaurants matched its standards.

I highly recommend it.

Rubio’s My whole experience there was a nice one, except I felt that I was eating mass-produced food.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who is stuck for something cheap to eat on a Tuesday afternoon or night.

Gazette photo /DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

Rubio’s is the perfect restaurant for an inexpensive meal, especially on Dollar Fish Taco Tuesdays.

November 2010

Page 11

Eat.

Mongolian Barbeque

BY JON SETIAWAN

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

W

hen I was younger, I remember always enjoying my food at the Great Wall Grill off of Douglas Boulevard.

Having not dined there in many years, I decided to grab a couple of friends and head back to see if the food was as I remembered.

I was there on a Wednesday evening, which is why I was a little surprised at the number of people dining there, especially so early in the evening — people definitely enjoy this food.

As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were greeted warmly and we immediately got a table.

The nice thing about the Great Wall is the buffet style which makes for a very shortened wait time.

To get my food, I began with an empty bowl at the end of a counter filled with assorted, frozen meats and raw vegetables.

Then I worked my way across to add sauces and spices and then get my food grilled on a large, flat grill by one of their chefs.

Being a vegetarian, I skipped the selection of thinly sliced, frozen chicken, beef, lamb and pork, and went straight to the vegetables.

The vegetables I chose included lettuce, corn, broccoli and carrots. They were very fresh and crisp, and would soon be joined by a scoop of noodles.

With all of my ingredients in my bowl, I moved on to the sauces. There was a large assortment of various sauces, so it was hard to pick which ones to scoop into my meal.

Luckily there were a few recipes posted above to help guide me in what sauces make good combinations.

In the end, I chose the teriyaki sauce combination, which included scoops of teriyaki sauce, sugar water and cooking oil.

The cooking did not take very long, which was good because there were two people in front of me.

Each bowl took roughly three to five minutes.

After my food was done cooking, I grabbed my bowl, topped it with some fried noodles and headed back to our booth.

Once there, we began with some extra appetizers, which included fried won tons, pot stickers and a

Sumo Sushi

BY KELSEY KNORP

I

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

t’s a well known fact that Granite Bay and Roseville residents are crazy for Mikuni.

It’s another well known fact that even those wealthier sushi enthusiasts would be broke in a matter of weeks if they made a habit of frequenting this high-priced establishment.

Sumo Sushi, located two doors down from Chipotle on Douglas Boulevard, recently opened in hopes of having more success than its predecessor, Little Madfish, and Little Madfish’s Chinese predecessor, Pick Up Stix. There seems to be a businessdestroying curse upon this office space that Sumo hopes to break through bargain-priced sushi.

And indeed a bargain it is. Though the restaurant appears fairly classy with sleek leather booths, leatherbound menus and wall-mounted flatscreen televisions, the rolls are offered at only $6-$12, and that’s without adding the various fifty percent discounts.

During my visit, I sampled two rolls named Crunch California and Roseville. Crunch California was an interesting take on the generic California Roll and has deep-fried crunchy pieces on top of the roll to add a little something extra. Roseville is a good choice for anyone who enjoys a little spice in their meal.

While I was impressed by Crunch California’s originality and enjoyed an overall satisfying meal, Sumo Sushi did not leave me feeling especially

choice of a salad or soup.

After working through those it was time to begin my delicious smelling bowl of noodles.

The hot, sweet noodles went really well with the selection of vegetables I chose and the teriyaki recipe I used was very good.

The cooler weather on top of all of that made it all the more enjoyable.

Throughout the meal, I noticed the interesting décor of the restaurant. The back wall is lined with booths, and the wall above is filled with photos of previous patrons enjoying their meal.

This was very interesting and puzzling at the same time. My friends and I all wondered how those people got to be on the wall in the first place.

Overall I found the food to be great, especially at the cost it came to be. The bill ended up being around $10 a person with appetizers and drinks included.

For all you can eat, I’d say that’s an incredible deal.

When really hungry and looking for a place to eat, the Great Wall Grill is a good choice, offering all you can eat for such a low price.

The Counter impressed.

By no means am I asking it to live up to Mikuni, because it isn’t often that a sushi restaurant inspires a godlike following. But I felt that Sumo Sushi matched a grocery store sushi bar in quality.

I do enjoy Safeway’s sushi for a quick bite to eat. But for a nice, reasonably priced sit-down meal, I would enjoy something more along the lines of, say, Blue Nami.

Though it is more conveniently located for most Granite Bay High School students, Sumo Sushi just can’t compete with Blue Nami’s creative, well-priced and tasty rolls.

I will say, however, that it has the capability of adequately satisfying one’s sushi craving in a pinch.

It remains to be seen whether Sumo Sushi will be the first restaurant in several years to inhabit this specific office space with some degree of permanence.

I wish them the best of luck.

Gazette photo /DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

Sumo Sushi, while satisfying and low-priced, doesn’t seem to compare with the quality of other sushi restaurants, such as Blue Nami.

BY STEPHANIE SHAULL

I

sshaull.gazette@gmail.com

t was a breezy evening with a calm atmosphere and an uncomfortably cold seat.

The Counter restaurant in the Fountains provided an unappealing setting and overpriced meal.

When first entering the restaurant, a strong stench of freshly cut cucumbers invaded my nose. This smell forced me to ask for a seat outdoors.

To my dismay, it only got worse when I sat down in an ice cold seat.

Things seemed to be looking up as I looked at the menu to choose my dinner. The wide variety of choices surprised me.

The menu offers beef, chicken, veggie and turkey burgers topped with whatever one wants for additional costs.

I ordered a chicken sandwich with pineapples, bacon and barbeque sauce.

For an appetizer, my family ordered the trio platter which included French fries, sweet potato fries and onion straws.

However, things once again went downhill from there.

The long wait for my food became unbearable since I had just had a volleyball game and my stomach was empty.

Once it finally came, I took a bite into a dry piece of chicken and under-toasted bun.

I had to keep reapplying barbeque sauce to my meal just to be able to

Gazette photo / DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

Like its price tag, the atmosphere at The Counter is unappealing.

swallow.

The only good part of the meal was the appetizers, which were not at all nutritious, but very delicious.

They created at least a bit of fulfillment that night.

For dessert I was hoping to be satisfied with a coffee shake.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed again by a bland shake that I couldn’t finish.

Overall, the meal was bland, the service was fine and the seating was uncomfortable.

I would not advise getting a chicken sandwich or sitting outside.

The Counter was overpriced and unsatisfactory, leaving me wishing I had picked a better restaurant.

Pages 12 and 13

November 2010

Groove.

c i r t n e ecc

To put it bluntly, you are different. You don’t like to go along with the crowd, but you still want to dance around and have a good time. “Normal” is boring. So throw your own spin on things - take what already is and make it your own. In short, this is for all of the oddballs out there.

Planning the Ball... Do-ity o u r self so you can have one

Apparel On Winter Ball, every girl wants to look as pretty as a princess – but what about dressing up as an actual princess? Go to the dance as Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty or your other favorite princess. It is the perfect balance of eccentricity and formal attire – keeping it just within the dance’s formal dress code. Your date could have the honor of dressing up as Prince Charming. Arrive at the ball and make heads turn.

Design a dance night that suits your style

Transportation So we have the dress and tuxedo taken care of, but how to make an entrance? There is always the motorcycle, for those of you biker gang members who own one. But if you do not have a motorbike, you can always ride a regular bike. Gentlemen, ride your bike over to your date’s house to pick her up for dinner (ladies, dress accordingly.) After dinner, get ready to hop back on that two-wheeler and bike on over to the dance. Be sure to wear your helmets and reflectors.

Corsage Flowers are perfect for every occasion – but so is candy. For those of you who are looking to spice up the usual corsage and boutonnière exchange, try replacing them with a candy bracelet and a lollipop. Not only will these accessories be drastically less expensive, they will also be edible. If at any point you do not wish to continue wearing them, eat them!

Dinner Dinner? Not this year. Ditch the traditional dinner, and get a group together to make a breakfast meal at home. Whip up some pancakes or Eggo waffles alongside sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs or whatever suites your fancy. The possibilities are endless when you’re having breakfast for dinner.

nti-prom

Apparel Why dress up when you don’t have to? Whether you stay in or go out on the town, dress for comfort rather than glamour. Have a pajama day (for those of you who don’t already), and set up a movie night with some friends in order to maximize relaxation.

Transportation Go-karts. Head over to Sunsplash for a night of go-karting madness. If you are in the middle of recuperating from your Junk-Food Feast and aren’t exactly in the mood to leave the house (or much less nauseate yourself by driving in circles), then enjoy the race from the comfort of your sofa. Whip out the ol’ Mario Kart, whether it be the Nintendo 64, Gamecube or Wii edition, and prepare yourself for the grandest of all videogame Grand Prixs.

Classic

BY SHANNON WAGNER and BRITTANY HINCE swagner.gazette@gmail.com; bhince.gazette@gmail.com

G

ranite Bay High School’s annual Winter Ball is fast approaching, with preparations already underway. On December 4, hundreds of couples and groups of friends dressed in gowns and tuxes will descend on the campus, each expressing their own unique styles. Some extravagant, others traditional and classy, while still others wacky and eccentric. Some students choose to ditch the school function, but yield to the occasion with a counter-event: antiprom. So what’s your style? Check out these suggestions to help incorporate your personality into your special night.

You are anti-establishment. Just because “the man” says you have to dress up in unnecessarily sparkly and uncomfortable clothes to dance to annoying-yet-catchy pop songs for three hours doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t conform – spend a night with your friends doing whatever it is you actually enjoy.

Corsage This pitiful flower arrangement is irrelevant to all you anti-promers.

Dinner No need for hour-long waits at overpriced restaurants. Instead, make a run out to Safeway to load up on candy, soda and anything else you desire a for a gargantuan Junk-Food Feast. You could even make it a five course meal:

1. A bag of Lays topped with canned Easy Cheese.

2. A bowl of Top Ramen sprinkled with Cheez-its.

3. Pancake-wrapped hotdogs with peanut-butter.

4. Carrots – why not.

5. Cookie-dough ice cream topped with sprinkles and

chocolate syrup alongside a box of powdered donuts.

You love things that are timeless and traditional. Your perfect prom is one worthy of the big screen. You like to keep it classy with simplicity, elegance and sophistication.

Apparel Shop at Macy’s or Nordstrom at the Arden Fair or Sunrise malls to find the perfect dress that fulfills every prom daydream from your childhood. Keep it sweet and simple to accentuate your personality.

Transportation Rent a limousine for you and your group of friends – ride from

dinner to the dance in style. Keep it fun, while adding a formal air.

Corsage Stick to red, pink or white corsages to embellish your attire.

These can be purchased at Safeway, Raley’s or Granite Bay Floral.

Dinner Plan to eat out at your favorite local sit down restaurant.

Options include Buca di Beppo, The Cheesecake Factory and Macaroni Grill. Place your reservations in advance – they tend to fill up quickly, especially during prom season.

Spending a fortuneand-a-half on Winter Ball isn’t something you had in mind this prom season. You avoid paying the retail price for anything, so why should special occasions be any different? Take a look at these do-ityourself suggestions to help cut the costs of the night, but still enjoy all the splendor.

Apparel Unless you or a close relative is an expert seamstress, making your own dress may prove a little difficult – but you can still rest easy when looking for a prom dress with a budget in mind. Stores in the greater Roseville area like Alexandra’s Formal Gown Rental provide reduced prices for onenight rentals, while other boutiques sell once-worn gowns at discounted prices.

Transportation Be your own chauffeur for the night and drive yourself to the dance. You are free to go where you want, when you want and aren’t dependent on a group to make decisions. Having the ability to come and go as you choose makes for a drama-free evening in regards to transportation.

Corsage To skip out on the extra cost of buying a store-made corsage, consider making your own. It may sound like a daunting task, but in fact it can be very simple and even more special because you can better match the elements of your dress in your arrangement. Corsage wrist-bands can be purchased at craft stores such as Michael’s, or online – they cost as little as 50 cents per band. When designing your corsage, consider adding seasonal flowers that best compliment your dress, jewelry colors and patterns. Add a touch of winter to your look by adorning your wrist with a sprig of pine right off of the Christmas tree. Get creative!

Extravagant

Dinner Avoid $40 meal bills, a bitter waitress who couldn’t get a prom date and the potential awkwardness involved with splitting the bill by staying home. Dining in provides a more romantic and personal alternative to the hectic, rushed atmospheres that often accompanies eating out. An intimate place setting, a few candles and a homemade meal start off any date-night in the right mood.

You are the life of the party, and your prom night must reflect right ways, perfectly planning every component of this ity influence your choices in apparel, transportation and over-the-top as you.

that. To make sure all eyes are on you in all the special occasion is a must. Let your colorful personalother aspects of Winter Ball so that all of your night is as

Apparel Your biggest nightmare is showing up to the dance in a gorgeous ball gown and noticing that the girl across the room is wearing the same dress. Your dress. This tragedy must not happen – so take extra precautions to avoid this disaster. Take a day off and head to the city – San Francisco is known for its abundance of beautiful, unique dresses that would surely satisfy your lavish taste. And besides, who doesn’t love a shopping spree? Accessories are a girl’s best friend, and a pair of sparkling earrings or a dramatic necklace can be a great addition to the overall look, especially if they correlate with the adornments on your dress.

Transportation Limousines are often the mode of transportation for events like formal dances, but the commonality of these vehicles during prom season might move you to seek an upgrade. Try a stretch Hummer limo – it will not only fit your entire entourage, but also make your party the spectacle of the school as you pull up in sports-utility style.

Corsage Custom order this essential accessory so that it matches your ensemble to a tee, and adds yet another dash of color and character to your look.

Dinner Fine dining is a mandatory component to start the night off with. Forget about the typical pizza-and-pasta style restaurants most people choose to dine at. Look for a steak house like Ruth’s Chris to satisfy your sophisticated palate.

Gazette illustrations /KATIE ZINGHEIM and alison sale

Page 14

November 2010

Festive.

Apple Hill

S

lowly picking my way through a field, searching for that flawlessly orange, round pumpkin somehow perfectly captures the essence of fall. At Apple Hill, there are dozens of places to find pumpkins, but the best is Cardanini’s Pumpkin Patch. Cardanini’s has a large selection of pumpkins, gourds and ornamental corn.

mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch

Cardanini’s Pumpkins

I

t’s that time of year again; the time for putting away shorts and tank tops and pulling out scarves, jeans, and cozy sweaters. The time when curling up on the couch on a rainy day seems like absolute bliss. Finally its the time when pumpkins, corn mazes and beautiful trees are everywhere. The best place for experiencing the fun of fall: Apple Hill.

Located in Bishop, a little less than an hour from Granite Bay, Apple Hill is a popular spot for families. Not only is the pie delicious, but there is always something to do, whether one prefers searching for that perfectly shaped pumpkin, picking deliciously ripe apples straight from the tree, shopping for unique, handmade items or indulging in all sorts of delectable fall treats.

BY MICHAELA MONAGHAN

W

hen one goes to Apple Hill, it is practically a crime to pass up the opportunity to pick apples at a pick-your-own orchard. At Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch, one is unleashed on the orchard with only a fruit-picker and a bucket.

They have multiple varieties, including Golden Delicious and Fuji.

Gazette photos /Rachael Vasquez/ MICHAELA MONAGHAN

High Hill Ranch

Abel’s Apple Acres

T

he day isn’t complete without a taste of fresh apple pie. At Abel’s Apple Acres, they sell dozens of types of fresh and frozen pies, including old fashioned apple, apple crumb, cherry apple, buttermilk apple berry, strawberry rhubarb apple and pumpkin apple. They also have other treats, such as caramel apples, fudge, apple fritters and garlic fries. Abel’s has a beautiful deck with a gorgeous view to enjoy your meal. They also offer pony rides, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and shopping.

A

t High Hill Ranch, they sell everything imaginable, from one-of-a-kind handmade crafts to delicious foods. One can watch apple cider being freshly pressed, snack on donuts, fritters and hot dogs, or walk among the stands, watching vendors work on their crafts. High Hill Ranch features a gorgeous pond overlooking the valley with a backdrop of the rolling hills, complete with ducks and picnic tables.

November 2010

Page 15

Enjoy.

Video of the Month:

Blast from the Past: That’s So Raven

BY MICHAELA MONAGHAN

BY DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

mmonaghan.gazette@gmail.com

dfleischman.gazette@gmail.com

T

he days of long, lazy afternoons spent on the couch free of homework and responsibilities seem centuries ago.

Now, we barely have time to breathe, let alone crash in front of the TV for hours at a time, needing only Disney Channel and a snack to satisfy us.

As children, there were an abundance of shows available on Disney Channel, everything from Recess to Even Stevens to Sister Sister, As we got older, new shows developed, including That’s So Raven, Phil of the Future and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

With so many shows to choose from, it was hard to pick a favorite, but the one show I found myself returning to over and over was “That’s So Raven.” Not only is the show hilarious, but it also has a catchy theme song that every teenager still seems to remember.

Set in San Francisco, “That’s So Raven” aired from 2003 to 2007. The show is about a

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

T

YOUTUBE

psychic teenager, played by Raven Symoné, whose power tends to be troublesome rather than helpful.

Viewers of “That’s So Raven” admired her sass, sarcasm and original fashion sense.

Raven used to entertain for hours with the ridiculous situations she manages to get herself into because of her psychic visions.

She and her friends Eddie (Orlando Brown) and Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol) then

try to save the day with illogical but hilarious schemes, usually involving spying and outrageous disguises.

Other characters on the show include Cory Baxter (Kyle Massey), Raven’s pesky younger brother and Victor Baxter (Rondell Sheridan), Raven’s overbearing dad who has an over heightened belief in his own sense of humor.

“That’s So Raven” is not simply another television show from Disney Channel, but a part of my childhood.

his is no ordinary wedding video. It is the wedding of two people who want to do something different than the everyday mundane routine. They don’t just walk down the aisle, they dance down it.

The video starts off looking just like a regular wedding.

However, as soon as the doors close for the ceremony to begin, Chris Brown’s song, Forever, is played throughout the church.

When the song really gets going, the people standing at the door break out into dance.

They dance their way up the aisle to the front, as two of the bride’s maids come out in matching dresses, also dancing up the aisle.

This dancing continues on for a while with men and women enjoying themselves and breaking away from the average walk up the aisle.

After the last few people head up the

aisle, they make a quick turn and run back to the rest of the group waiting at the back. The group then starts dancing their way up the aisle.

Halfway there, they break apart in the middle, and the groom comes running out into a somersault.

Just as the music seems like it is going to cut out, it starts up again, and the bride comes dancing her way through the doors with a huge smile on her face. The groom rushes back to meet her, and walks the rest of way to the priest with her.

A wedding is a special experience, and these two have really made it a one of a kind experience.

All of the people there will most likely remember that day for the rest of their lives, especially the bride and groom.

YOUTUBE

iPhone App of the Month: Soosiz

BY DANIEL FLEISCHMAN

I

dfleischman.gazette@gmail.com

t was a dawn like any other. A very ordinary day with marvelous, sparkling clouds hanging above the trees. A large family of strange little creatures was having an early lunch in the ancient magical woods. There was nothing disturbing the peace.

Touch Foo’s newest game for the iPhone, Soosiz, is one of the top 25 selling games in the App Store. The actual game is available for only $1.99, but there is also a free version for those who either don’t want to pay or want to test out the game before they buy it.

The game starts off in a tutorial, where you control a small little character, called a Soosiz, and guide it through many levels.

These levels start out simple, but get more and more intricate as the game goes on.

Some of the most noticeable features are small little rocks, or planets, spaced around a big map, and the Soosiz has a gravitational pull to the closest one.

When the player jumps, the Soosiz will stick to other planets if it is close enough. The planets are also rounded, so you can run all around the planets without falling off.

There are seven regular levels in each stage, three secret levels, and a boss level. As you beat each level,

you unlock the next one, until you reach the boss stage. After the boss, you unlock a whole new stage with another set of levels.

As you progress through the game, you find many enemies which you defeat by stomping on their heads: a little bit like Super Mario.

There are also some of Soosiz’s friends scattered around each level. If you collect each one of those and finish the level, you earn a gold coin which allows you to unlock secret levels in each stage.

You also collect coins that are placed throughout each level. Collect 100 coins, and you have the option to activate your star power, which turns you invincible, boosts up your speed and allows you to jump higher.

While star power is activated, the amount of coins you have is drained at a very fast rate until you have none left.

The most important part of the game is to stay alive.

You start out each level with three hearts, and every time you jump too far off of a platform or take a hit from an enemy you lose a heart. Lose all three and you have to start that level over again.

It is especially challenging to stay alive on boss levels. The boss is some sort of bigger enemy that carries a weapon and takes a few hits to die, usually three.

What makes these bosses challenging is that you

GOOGLE

have to go through a full level, trying to save your hearts and then try to defeat the boss using only the hearts you have left.

Soosiz is a very fun game to play on your iPhone or iPod touch. If you have some time to waste, or are looking for a fun way to get away from the stresses of school, Touch Foo’s Soosiz is a perfect game.

Page 16

November 2010

Enjoy.

Artist of the Month: Page Kastner

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO

sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

G Ivory bag at SWAK --- $90.00

Tan bag at T.J.Maxx---$30.00

Bags

On the Bay

Gazette photo /Samantha spargo

ranite Bay High School junior Page Kastner has been interested in art since childhood.

Recently she rediscovered her love of art in Myron Stephen’s advanced art class.

“Art is definitely an escape for me,” Kastner said. “It is probably the thing I am most passionate about.”

Kastner enjoys the emotional freedom that art provides.

“It’s a really good way to express your emotions,” she said. “You’re opening up to the whole world.”

Kastner likes to feature deep themes in her work that sometimes err on the “creepier” side.

Kastner enjoys painting on themes that highlight society’s dark side.

“I like to use the conflicts

within society and the dominance of men over women,” she said. “That’s what my series is about this year.”

The best painting technique she has learned from Stephens is the creation of skin tone.

“I really like doing realistic skin tones, I think it makes paintings look like they were more challenging to create,” Kastner said.

Her favorite artist is Lucian Freud, a German painter who is known for his work with surrealism and the human form.

“He paints naked people, but he paints them in a cool way,” Kastner said.

Kastner has gained newfound perspective from her art experiences.

“I think art makes you view (the world) in a much more analytical way,” she said. “It allows me to put more creativity into the way I live.”

Kastner hopes to continue taking art with Stephens in her senior year, and will most likely major in an art related field when she heads off to college.

Recipe of the Month Drink of the Month Cyclops Cookies What you will need: 1 stick of butter ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp. milk

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

Easy Mocha Coffee Mix

1 tsp. vanilla 1 ¾ cups all purpose flower 1 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. baking soda Sugar to sprinkle on top Milk chocolate kisses Gazette photo /Ari black

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

A

Brown leopard bag at Macy’s---$170.00

BY JON SETIAWAN

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

T

hese cookies were inspired by the Cyclops.

They hold this name because of their chocolate centers that resemble the single eye of the mystical creature.

Instructions:

Corduroy bag at Urban Outfitters---$70.00

Compiled by Jamie Cologna Gazette photos /Jamie Cologna

Gazette photo /Ari black

*First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. *Beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Then, add the ½ cup sugar and brown sugar. Beat until Fluffy. *Slowly add in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well. *In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Take the mixture and gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, blending well. *Tip: cover and chill about 1 hour for easier handling. *Shape dough into on inch balls and roll into the additional sugar. *Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are firm on ungreased cookie sheets. *Immediately after they are taken out, press a chocolate kiss or other candy of your selection in the middle.

s it starts to get chilly outside, warm drinks come to the rescue for the cold mornings of walking to your car and from class to class.

This easy recipe is quick and can be mixed the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning, giving you a few extra minutes to sleep in.

What you will need:

1 1/4 cups instant coffee granules 7 cups dry milk powder 5 3/4 powdered chocolate milk mix 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

Instructions:

*First, mix together instant coffee, milk powder, chocolate milk mix, confectioners’ sugar, and the powdered creamer. *Keep stored in an airtight container. *To serve, mix four tablespoons of mixture into a mug, or to go cup. *Stir in one cup boiling water, and you have your mocha ready to go. *If you want to put an even sweeter touch on the drink, throw a couple of marshmallows into the mocha. *This recipe is simple and perfect for someone that is often in a rush in the morning and needs an extra energy boost for the long day ahead.

November 2010

Art.

Page 17

Crocker Art museum n o i s n Expa

BY SONIA IYER

F

siyer.gazette@gmail.com

or over a century, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento has entertained the public with its array of art exhibitions.

In 1885, the museum was created with the hope of promoting a widespread enthusiasm for art among Sacramento citizens.

About a decade ago, a large-scale expansion was planned in order to fulfill this hope. In October, the Crocker Art Museum expansion was finally unveiled.

The extension involves tripling the museum’s size, which allows for several benefits – the most significant being a larger display of art. The permanent art collection display has increased by over 16 percent, and several other types of art collections have been added onto as well.

Granite Bay High School senior and member of the Crocker Art Museum, Anne Barton, attended the Member Preview on Oct. 9 to check out the new art exhibitions.

“I really liked it because they added (a lot) more modern art, and that’s my favorite type,” Barton said.

In “They also (now) addition have more to the exrecent and panded visual art symbolic display, the Crocker (art).”

Art Museum has built a new auditorium for the performing arts.

At the member preview and on grand opening day, various styles of dances were performed in the auditorium.

“There were performances going on all day,” Barton said. “When I was there, they had interpretive dance, (which) was cool.”

Performances at the grand opening included modern dance, hip hop, and several cultural dance forms. The variety of shows was meant to expose the public to many different ideas and interests, which is what the museum wants to achieve with its art as well.

Cindy Chih, Manager of Facility Use at the Crocker Art Museum, explained that the auditorium was built to attract the community with its lectures and small performances.

“We’ve never had an auditorium created acoustically for small performances and shows,” Chih said. “It’s another space that people can enjoy.”

Another unique feature of the Crocker Art Museum’s expansion is the design of the new construction.

In sharp contrast to the historical, Victorian style of the original building, the new construction features 21st century architecture.

The architects wanted to morph the old with the new, without losing the historic feel of the original building.

“They really took into consideration the angles and windows during construction,” Chih said. “Anywhere

you look from the new building, you can see the old, historic building through a window.”

The museum expansion also features an education center to make art more approachable to the public.

“We (wanted) an area where students, children, and adults could learn about and take part in the arts,” Chih said. “We’re always trying to broaden peoples’ minds in any way.”

The classes offered in the new fourstudio classrooms are for all age groups, ranging from toddler lessons to adult lessons and from beginning art to master art.

To improve the experience for museum visitors, there is also additional space in and around the buildings, and a new café.

“The first floor is completely open to the public,” Chih said. “You get to sit at the café, have free Wi-Fi, and relax. We want people to feel welcome here.”

Overall, the expansion of the Crocker Art Museum has proven to be successful and exciting.

“The reaction from the public has been overwhelming,” Chih said. “We had 18,000 people come through the museum on opening day and it was amazing to see everybody’s enthusiasm.”

Most of all, the staff takes pride in how well the expansion opening brought together the community as a whole.

“We had so many cultures and types of people come in and it showcased the community of Sacramento very well,” Chih said.

“The fact that all these different people came made our work that much more important.”

After seeing the results of the Grand Opening, staff of the Crocker Art Museum hopes that the expansion will continue to incite enthusiasm for art in the Sacramento area.

“The second people walk in here,” Chih said, “we want them to expand their knowledge, surprise themselves and take an unexpected interest in art.”

The newly expanded Crocker Art Museum, above, now displays a broader array of visual art, including an outdoor statue, center.

Gazette photos /maggie Louis

Page 18

Video Game Review.

November 2010

Retro Gaming Prevails

BY HALEY MASSARA

W

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

hat is a video game? Slick, modern titles like Halo and Call of Duty spring to mind, with cutting-edge graphics and intense, lifelike control systems. For the casual player, such complexity is the epitome of gaming.

But for some Granite Bay High School purists, the beauty of a game lies in its simplicity.

Old-school gaming (a term which can encompass anything from 1972’s Pong to the early 2000’s Dance Dance Revolution games) has become a major trend within the industry, and gamer geeks everywhere have been raiding their closets for their now-obsolete consoles.

The most popular of these dinosaurs are the 8-bit-era Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which hosted such iconic titles like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda; the Nintendo 64, whose accessibility and range of exclusive games like Mario Party and Pokémon Snap! won favor with young gamers; and the now-defunct Sega Genesis, a 16-bit system responsible for console versions of series like Doom and Mortal Kombat.

GBHS 2010 graduate Alex Van Noland remembered playing his first video game, Sonic the Hedgehog, on

his babysitter’s Sega Genesis.

“It was my introduction to video gaming,” he said. “It was my first impression. I was like, wow, I’m interacting with the TV, this is so cool.”

Games of the 8 and 16-bit era were drawn stylistically, sometimes 2-D, as consoles lacked the processing capacity of today’s HD game systems. They made use of very simple controls (one button for jumping, arrows for running, a button for items, etc.) The older the game, the more basic the gameplay.

This simplicity, said Roseville Gamestop employee Kira Thorne, was part of the appeal.

“Anyone can play them,” she said. “They’re really universal. Even 5-year-olds can play (games like) Space Invaders.”

The generation that grew up with retro video games are now starting to have families of their own, prompting new sequels to familiar series. For instance, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, released on the Wii console this year, will be the first Kirby game since 2000. Some developers, according to gamers, are better at this than others.

“When Nintendo (remakes a game), they base them off of the same controls, so they play virtually identically) to the original,” said Jason Mitchell, a senior game advisor also working at Gamestop.

“On the skeptical side, it’s Nintendo liking to bank on

old games,” he added.

Other retro games are being “rebooted” by developers, or remade with updated controls and graphics, like this year’s Castlevania remake. These reboots spark mixed feelings from fans of the originals.

“They can never obtain their (former) greatness,” Van Noland said. “They try to (add) new features, (and) it seems gimmicky. It’s just a let-down.”

Retro gamers have formed their own subculture online, and reminiscent fans can download emulators with which to play their favorite games.

There is even a subgenre of music, called chiptune or 8-bit, which sounds akin to the digitized soundtracks of retro games.

The reason gamers prefer pixilated graphics to HD, and chiptune soundtracks to surround sound?

“Nostalgia,” Mitchell said, “and accessibility for families, so mom and dad can play with the kids (and) younger kids can play. It’s stuff that everybody’s familiar with.”

Retro games were really only great if you hadn’t been exposed to anything else beforehand, Van Noland said.

“It’s your first impression of gaming,” he said. “It’s going to have a place (in your heart).”

Gazette illustration/Alison Sale

November 2010

Page 19

Hang Out.

Happenin’ Hot Spots When in need of a quick fix for boredom or hunger, many Granite Bay hangouts are just a quick drive or walk away.

Gazette photo /MAGGIE Louis

Places like Starbucks, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Safeway are just a few of the most popular places to hang out, grab a bite to eat and relax with friends.

BY KELSEY KNORP

E

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

very Granite Bay High School student has their favorite places to hang out with their friends, and some places are visited more frequently than others. There are several factors that contribute to an establishment’s popularity.

Location is everything. Many students who want to get a bite to eat after school will stop somewhere in the Safeway parking lot, often lovingly referred to as the SPL. Senior Briana Whitney, junior Mackenzie Williams, and freshman Haley Byam agree that despite the opening of several locally owned coffee shops over the past few years, Starbucks is still the best choice for coffee beverages.

“If you’re working on homework, it can be a peaceful work environment,” Whitney said.

Also, Starbucks makes it convenient to get a coffee fix no matter what time of day. Not only is it located twice in the SPL but on every street corner within a mile of each other.

“It’s guaranteed that no matter where you are, a Starbucks will be nearby,” Byam said.

This is convenient for Byam, as she is a freshman without a driver’s license and has limited transportation available to her.

Along with that, one can get Starbucks at any time of the year. With the choice of iced and hot drinks, there is never any excuse to not get a frappuccino or latte.

Junior Brian Pocock and freshman Myles Slattery agree that the food quality and location of the SPL’s Chipotle make it a worthwhile place to drop a few dollars on food. “(Chipotle) is convenient and the food tastes pretty good,” Slattery said.

Chipotle is great for students with a big appetite and small budget; one can get a large meal for a decent price.

There is a distinct similarity between most students’ favorite places to eat, and that is convenience. One of those places is McDonald’s.

Not only is McDonald’s cheap and located in the SPL, but it offers the ever-popular drive-thru.

“Number 9 super-sized is amazing with a super-size fry and a strawberrybanana smoothie,” Williams said in regard to her frequent visits to the Granite Bay outlet of the multinational corporation.

“I go there daily,” Williams said.

“Either there or Wendy’s for a large chili with cheese and a large fry.”

In-N-Out, though not as close to the high school, is a classic fast-food choice as well.

“It’s really upbeat there,” Whitney said. “It’s open late and it’s a classic

after-event (game, dance, etc.) place to eat.”

Although one might spend more money on gas than desired, the burgers are always top notch and never fail to satisfy a greasy and salty craving.

GBHS students interested in music tend to flock to the Orangevale music venues The Boardwalk and Club Retro.

“There are a lot of local bands (at The Boardwalk), and more well known bands too,” Whitney said, “so there’s a lot of cool shows.”

Williams agrees. “There’s usually a variety of bands that are known but not overplayed on the radio,” she said.

Most GBHS students also enjoy going to the movies with their friends, and Whitney enjoys the availability of two Roseville theaters.

“I like that the movies are split between the theaters,” she said.

“It’s like two different movie going experiences depending on what movie you’re seeing.”

People often complain about the lack of things to do in Granite Bay, but a lot of places are close and convenient and offer a quick fix to boredom.

Gazette photo /Jamie cologna

Chipotle is perfect for a quick meal after school or before a football game.

Gazette photo /Jamie cologna

Gazette photo /Jamie cologna

Page 20

November 2010

NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month

BY JESSICA REESE

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

Writing the great American novel has long been a goal of aspiring writers. Yet, one of the most difficult challenges can be that first step: getting the words onto the page.

National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, was founded in 1999.

Since its start, NaNoWriMo has grown increasingly popular, with 167,150 participants in 2009. This is a huge leap from the original 21 writers that began the writing marathon ten years prior.

This year once again, writers from around the world will take on the challenge of writing 50,000 words in just 30 days.

In order to achieve this goal, participants must write approximately 1,667 words a day for the entire month of November. Because of this, it is important for participants to find a balance between their NaNoWriMo writing and everyday life.

As a two-time NaNoWriMo participant and Roseville resident, Rachelle Ashman recommends cutting back on or completely cutting out superfluous activities, such as checking Facebook or watching the latest reality TV show.

“You might be surprised how much more time you have for writing,” Ashman said in an email.

A veteran of NaNoWriMo, Sacramento’s municipal liaison Richard Crawford stresses that writers need to understand that the challenge does not have to be all-consuming. “(NaNoWriMo) is supposed to be fun, after all,” Crawford said in an email, “and while it’s intense it shouldn’t ruin your life.”

In order to combat isolation, Crawford and other Sacramento writers have set up multiple events throughout the month. These events allow participants to connect with other

writers in the area, creating a sense of community during their mad dash to 50,000 words.

Some of these events include the Kick Off Party – hosted at Crawford’s home on Oct. 31 – and the Thank God It’s Over Party at the end of November.

Locally, Roseville writers will be gathering at Panera Bread on Pleasant Grove for write-ins every Saturday in November.

Another way to approach the challenge, as recommended by GBHS sophomore and NaNoWriMo participant Samuel Goldberg, is to not put too much stress on word count. “(Writers shouldn’t) think (they) have to hit 50,000 words immediately,” Goldberg said. “(They should) go slow, do as much as (they) can and at the end look back and think about how (they) can do better next year.”

After two years of falling short of 50,000 words, Ashman also believes that this strategy can be successful.

“This year I’m less worried about winning and getting those 50,000 words,” Ashman said. “I’m simply going to concentrate on writing as much as I can every day, and I believe I’m more likely to actually reach (my goal) that way.”

Another hindrance to writing can be the compulsive need to edit every sentence as it is written. With only thirty days to write 50,000 words, such a habit can be catastrophic.

“You’re only job during November is to write the thing,” Ashman said. “Deal with the mess of it in December.”

With tips such as these and many others, those that join the challenge will spend the month of November madly writing. While not all will make it to the end, those who do will have a completed novel.

As Crawford said, “When it’s over, (writers) get to tell everyone that they wrote a novel, which not a whole lot of people can do.”

Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE

November 2010

React.

Page 21

Two perspectives on comics leading political rallies

BY SHANNON CARROLL scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

C

orrect me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure there was only one Hitler and that the creep died in 1945. Yet when I watch political coverage on TV, people sure call others “Hitler” a lot.

With the appalling name-calling coming from both sides, I convinced my parents and got them to let me go to Washington, D.C., for Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

This was my first protest of any kind and I didn’t know what to expect, especially because it was being put on by two comedians.

On the plane, it was amazing to see how many people were also going. Everywhere I turned, people were talking about the rally.

The morning of the rally, my dad and I left hours early so we could get a good spot. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with that idea. The Metro was so jammed that not a single person could get on at our stop. An elderly couple said the trains would only get worse, so we worked together to find a cab.

The cab could only get us as close as the Washington Monument, maybe a mile from the stage. The rally was more than an hour and a half from starting, but people were already singing and chanting. Signs were everywhere. Some of them were pretty funny: “Legalize whatever Christine O’Donnell is on.”

“How is it that Charlie Sheen’s parties are less crazy than our political parties?”

My favorite had large Arabic characters at the top. Underneath were the words, “Relax, it says McDonald’s.”

We were way back from the stage, and so we decided to push forward through the crowd. I found a group of aggressive people and tucked in behind them. They got the

evil looks, and I reaped the benefits.

I got to move forward enough to actually see a TV monitor. I was still far enough back that some people around me were contemplating moving forward by crowd-surfing.

A junior from Claremont McKenna College offered to switch spots with me so I could see better or give me a boost if I wanted to get a good picture.

When the rally finally started, the crowd went wild. The noise was unbelievable. We all sang along to the hip-hop beat of the welcome band, the Roots. Then John Legend came out, and the female population went wild. People starting climbing trees and traffic lights to get a better view. One girl almost fell off a branch 20 feet above the ground – a man next to me said, “Now that’s not sanity!”

The MythBusters came out and decided to test how long “the wave” would take to get from one end of the rally to the other. It never did. Everything was too disorganized, and everyone was having too much fun.

Of course, being put on by two comedians, there were some funny moments. Law and Order’s Sam Waterson came out and read a crazy poem written by Stephen Colbert.

Another great moment came when Jon Stewart decided to give a second chance to people who had crazy

A second take on the Rally for Fear/Sanity

BY HALEY MASSARA

I

hmassara.gazette@gmail.

really didn’t know what to expect.

I had dreamed it would be the politically-moderate Woodstock of my generation, a last-minute en mass pilgrimage of politically unified young people simply for the purpose of proving their own existence. It would be something I’d remember for the rest of my life, something they’d write books and make documentaries about for generations to come.

But really, I just hoped the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear would be worth missing a day and a half of school.

It was a crisp, DC morning, just the right mix of cool and temperate. As my parents and I made our way towards the National Mall, we noticed the pedestrian crowds beginning to swell. People with ironic protest signs began to walk alongside us.

Before long, we had entered a swarm of hipsters, middle-aged activists and 30-something-year-olds, all migrating toward the Capitol. I felt as though I were part of some sort of comedic religious pilgrimage, united with thousands of total strangers by a common belief (and sense of humor).

We wanted sanity. Or fear.

By the time I’d reached the Mall, I was part of a human sea. People were wedged in as far as I could see – which wasn’t very far at all. Jumbo-Trons had been set up sparsely throughout the Mall, but it was clear from their positions that no one had anticipated a crowd so massive.

I struggled to fight my way to a clear view of a screen,

breakdowns and instead let them deal with things in a sane way.

There were videos from Stephen Slater, the Jet Blue attendant who went crazy on the flight and slid down the plane’s slide and Teresa Guidice, a star on the reality show Real Housewives of New Jersey.

All in all, I took away the idea that we need to fix our government. We need to be able to differentiate between what we really need to be afraid of and what doesn’t matter.

As Stewart said: “If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.”

While Colbert was complaining about the Muslims killing all of us, Stewart brought out Kareem Abdul Jabbar, one of Colbert’s idols and a Muslim.

Colbert had to admit there are exceptions to every stereotype. In his words, “your reason is poisoning my fear.”

The bottom line? We need to realize that even if we don’t agree we are all entitled to our own opinions.

much less the main stage of the rally itself.

People began climbing trees to get a better view, and the mob wildly applauded the first few who MCT Campus wire service succeeded. The Comedians, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart come together to sing a song about hip-hop group patriotism. the Roots played a pre-show set, crowd. (The “fear” part of the rally.) A montage of some and Jamie and of the most horrifically partisan news clips played over Adam, hosts of the show Mythbusters, helped organize the Jumbo-Trons – scary indeed. the wave and a few chants.

Such insanity “killed” Stewart, and the crowd had to And, suddenly, on came Jon Stewart, followed by revive him via chanting. It felt a little ridiculous, sure, Stephen Colbert after he confirmed people had, in fact, reminiscent of the viral video The Yes Dance. But I attended. The crowd went ballistic – in a polite, moderjoined in anyway. ate, reasonable way.

With the Colbert puppet safely overwhelmed, Stewart The Rally itself was a quickly-paced event. After a gave his keynote. In all seriousness, it was a gorgeous, brief, appropriately satirical benediction, Ozzy Ozbourne powerful speech, one of the most moving I’ve ever heard. and Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) had a quick battle “If we amplify everything, we hear nothing,” Stewart of the bands (“Crazy Train” versus “Peace Train, respecsaid, the joking tone in his voice now eerily absent. The tively). Both were eventually silenced by the O’Jays, who crowd had gone completely silent; you could have heard played “Love Train.” a pin drop.

Stewart and Colbert then proceeded to give out awards Stewart summed up the rally’s purpose – which, until for exceptional rationality or cowardice, which somehow then, had remained abstract – with the last lines of his lead into a patriotic duet/sing-a-long. speech. His words echoed my sentiment perfectly.

After a couple songs by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crowe, “Sanity will always be, and has always been, in the and cameos by R2D2 and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, a huge eye of the beholder,” he said. “To see you here today has paper-mache puppet of Colbert attempted to terrorize the restored mine.”

Page 22

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November 2010

Film.

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

I

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

H

paramount PICTURES

Rated: R

Rated: PG-13

Rated: R

By: R. Slater McLaughlin rmclaughlin.gazette@gmail.com

By: Mathew Fukuhara mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

By: Matthew Palkowski mpalkowski.gazette@gmail.com

paranormal activity 2: C-

aving heard commercials and advertisements claim that the original Paranormal Activity was one of the scariest horror films ever created, my expectations were for its sequel to be just as good– and scarier. Being easily frightened by the simplest of movies like the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was really nervous walking into the theater.

I had expected college kids and teenagers to come to this movie to become terrorized, and was quite surprised to see that the majority of people who showed up were elderly.

I wondered how they were able to get inside the theater without a medical team on hand and ready at the first startling yelp, as they were probably at risk of having a heart attack during a suspenseful scene.

30 minutes into the supposed-thriller, I suddenly heard an abrupt, unexpected sound.

I then realized it was my mom yawning as she began to drift to sleep.

Although I am a huge fan of slowly expanding the plot of a movie before adding the main conflicts, the build-up felt way too long and almost seemed irrelevant.

During many parts of the film I felt as if I was simply watching a random family’s home videos. Often, they seemed irrelevant.

Overall, the main flaw I found with Paranormal Activity 2 was the lack of character depth and reasoning behind the actions they committed.

Even though the husband in the movie paid for an advanced spy system after supposed break-ins, with cameras lining the entire house and backyard, he never wanted to watch the tapes after all of the strange incidences.

It was continually frustrating to watch this film unfold when so many obvious solutions to the problem presented themselves.

For example, if the husband had footage of his wife being dragged down a staircase by an unseen force with bruises present on her body, why did it never occur to him to call the police or leave his haunted house behind?

Although the movie succeeded in its ability to build suspense through the use of many camera angles, choppiness of film, Paranormal Activity 2 was overall a letdown.

red: B

n a theatre packed with less people than expected for an opening weekend box office, RED– Retired and Extremely Dangerous– brought together an award-winning cast and managed to keep everyone wanting more for almost 2 hours.

The movie premise surrounds the United States government attempting to cover up a top-secret mission that occurred many years before, and in order do so, the government has endorsed the ‘necessary’ murders of ex-CIA agents who were a part of the mission.

A hit list of those involved with the incident surfaces, and those still left alive must stop the assassins before their names are crossed off the list as well.

Four ex-CIA agents with targets on their heads are Frank Moses, Joe Matheson, Victoria, and Boggs.

Bruce Willis, who plays Frank, hasn’t lost any of his Die Hard stunts. He performed a number of dangerous scenes throughout the film, and turned them into just another casual standoff.

Frank possesses the hardness to play the bureaucratic and political games of the CIA and government, but admittedly struggles for connection when it comes to love and relationships.

Mary Louise Parker plays Sarah Ross, Frank’s love interest who leads a normal yet boring life working a tedious desk job and reading romance novels for entertainment, until she unexpectedly becomes a part of the political cover-up.

Sarah added a sense of emotion to what would otherwise be a tough characterization of Moses, and made his fight for survival more meaningful.

The characters of Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich contribute amazing character development and intrigue the audience.

The cast members complement each other very well, and there isn’t a feeling of competing egos amongst the big-name actors.

Overall, Red provided an interesting plot that captivated the audience until the end, with talented acting and unique cinematography.

nowhere boy: A-

he most difficult aspect of making a biopic about someone as famous as John Lennon is making the story interesting without telling everybody what they already know. The BritishCanadian developed Nowhere Boy does a fantastic job in that department.

Director Sam Taylor-Wood’s debut film Nowhere Boy tells the story of the teenage and pre-Beatles John Lennon as he deals with family issues, comes to grasp with adulthood and establishes a musical and emotional relationship with Paul McCartney.

Aaron Johnson does a charismatic and impeccable job of bringing Lennon to life as his relationship with Mimi Smith, his aunt/stand-in-mother deteriorates while he rebuilds a relationship with his neglectful biological mother Julia Lennon.

Anne-Marie Duff portrays the loving, but both emotionally and physically erratic Julia with a haunting amount of realism. Her character is a polar opposite of Mimi, John’s other maternal figure, who Kristin Scott Thomas brings to the screen in a fashion equally as genuine.

Nowhere Boy has strength on every level – cinematography, plot, pacing and dialogue.

The atmosphere of the film is created by a sharp, but moody light filter, with every shot and camera angle purposeful.

In addition, the dialogue is cohesive and always feels relevant, with an overall engaging pace.

But as good as the other elements of this film are, the quality of acting forces all of them into the backseat.

Johnson captures every aspect of Lennon and conveys them with perfection to the audience.

We feel his frustration, his anger, his lust and his elations – I was as happy as he was when he received his first guitar.

As Lennon’s story begins to darken later in the film, the emotional weight is carried equally by other cast members, particularly Thomas Sangster as a young Paul McCartney, who helps develop Lennon as a musician and deal with his misplaced anger.

Nowhere Boy is an impressive film and shows a new side to one of the most influential people of the last century.

If you have no interest in John Lennon, or, if by no small miracle, have never heard of him, this film is still worth seeing for its incredible acting and perfect production. If you are a Beatles fan, these factors combined with the plot are sure to be enthralling.

November 2010

A

Page 23

Film.

PARAMOUNT Pictures

E

overture films

A

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Rated: R

Rated: R

Rated: PG-13

By: R. Slater McLaughlin rmclaughlin.gazette@gmail.com

By: Shannon Wagner swagner.gazette@gmail.com

By: Adam Tilford atilford.gazette@gmail.com

hereafter: C+

n ex-psychic, a French journalist, and a young boy in London who are all touched by death and connected by their experiences make up the premise of the film Hereafter.

Unfortunately, this movie is just about as riveting as its subject matter– it’s practically dead.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon, this movie quickly caught my attention and I had high hopes for it.

Walking into the theater, I knew I wasn’t about to go see a Matt Damon movie along the lines of The Bourne Ultimatum or The Departed, but rather a thought-provoking, insightful movie.

But I walked out baffled by a lack of, well... everything.

The plot focused separately on the three main characters, jumping back and forth every now and then. It spent about an hour and a half developing each of their stories– none of which were very compelling– and then their lives collided.

Actually, it was less of a collision and more like a light tap.

Still, I was thankful for this slight rise in action, because I’d been craving interest or meaning for an hour and a half.

And then, all of a sudden there was a resolution, and the end credits.

Um... what? What happened to...? And why is this...?

Feeling very confused, I thought long and hard about a reason for this lack of a real ending, and came up with this theory: The movie was being shot for six weeks, but on the fourth week the studio executives come in and said it was getting way too long, and that only Lord of the Rings can pull off a successful three-hour movie.

So, they stopped filming two-thirds of the way through the plot, slapped a resolution on it, and said, “Hey, who needs a climax any ways, right?”

Well, I need a climax.

I need a plot that goes somewhere, that has things happen, that holds at least some meaning, and that can keep my attention instead of putting me to sleep.

I’ve been a big Matt Damon fan for all of my life.

Good Will Hunting, The Legend of Baggar Vance, Saving Private Ryan, the Bourne series and Ocean’s Eleven will forever hold a special place in both my movie collection and my heart.

But I will not be adding Hereafter to that list.

stone: C-

dward Norton has psychological thrillers in the bag. With movies like Fight Club and Primal Fear to his credit, it wasn’t a stretch that I expected his newest film Stone to be equally engaging and thought-provoking.

But as the credits began to scroll across the theater screen, and I rubbed the glassy stare of indifference from my eyes, I realized that my expectations were far from being met.

The previews implied an intense and dramatic storyline, however the actual movie turned out to be more of an account of four people’s emotional developments.

Robert De Niro plays Jack Mabry, an aboutto-retire parole officer who is assigned the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson, (Norton,) a convicted arson who will soon be eligible for parole.

Desperate to get out of prison, Stone commissions his wife Lucetta, (Milla Jovovich) to seduce Jack and persuade him to recommend Stone’s release.

Usually very separated from his job and his clients, Jack falls for the cunning Lucetta and the two begin an affair together. But Jack is unaware as to this plot, and the mind games go back and forth as Lucetta and Stone attempt to manipulate Jack’s and each others’ thoughts and actions for their own purposes.

Jack however, is hardly a victim.

The audience is introduced to Jack’s wife of 40 years who has been trapped under his threatening dominance their entire marriage, finding solace only in religion.

Along with Jack’s wife, Jack as well as Stone contemplate throughout the film if religion can bring them sanctuary and answers to life’s mysteries.

But as the director and/or screenwriters continually, tirelessly and obnoxiously made the effort to point out, religion is simply an institution, and only through ones self can true understanding of the world be experienced.

Hardly the intriguing and entertaining feature film I had expected, Stone was more of an emotional development of characters than of plot, with an execution that put me to sleep before it engaged me to keep watching.

jackass 3D: C

fter three television seasons and three theatrical releases, one would think that the slapstick, gross-out appeal of Jackass would have finally lost its appeal – but, for whatever reason, it hasn’t.

The 3D rehash of the series sees Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and company participate in foolish stunts that almost always include dangerous heights, genitals, animals and feces.

The only additions to the usual Jackass formula are the use of 3D and the copious amounts of high-speed camera shots to achieve super slow-motion, both of which are used for little positive effect.

Right now I would usually talk about the plot, quality of the acting, character development or directorial skill but all of these are, for obvious reasons, somewhat different in Jackass 3D. The cinematography is in the style of many reality TV shows, which is effective because anything different would defeat the genuine, real world feel of the stunts.

As for the plot – well can you call a random assortment of stunts a plot?

Anyway, the ‘plot’ included encounters with buffalo, rams, jet-skis, jet-engines, attack dogs, a Rocky parody and many, many bodily fluids.

A large amount of the stunts are simply gross, many are hilariously violent and a unique few are brilliant, but, despite the simplicity, almost all are funny.

The one lasting achievement of the whole Jackass series may be that of director Jeff Tremaine.

Tremaine was key in finding all of the ‘talent’ in Jackass and was a huge factor in keeping them together through ten years of TV and movies, which – given the nature of the cast – is no small feat.

The only two members who did not return for Jackass 3D are Brandon Dicamillo and Raab Himself.

Credit should also be given for the rest of the cast members who have stayed together – and alive – for a seemingly impossible amount of time.

Overall, Jackass 3D is pretty typical of the series, and any fans of simple, physical humor and other pranks should be satisfied.

Page 24

November 2010

Movies.

Summit entertainment

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Nowhere Boy

A-

Red

B

paramount pictures

Paranormal Activity 2

In Theat ers

C

Jackass 3D

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

C-

C+

Stone

overture films

C-

Hereafter

Warner bros. pictures