Senior Slump
Students grow lethargic as final semester begins
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Adventure time
Tough C1 Times
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G10-11 THE GRANITE BAY
Gazette
Girls’ basketball looks to rebound THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL
GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 15 w ISSUE 5
Commentary
Media program diversifies project focuses
Students also make silent movies, capture athletic events BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com
kyle pawlak
kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com
Learning how not to move on too quickly
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s I begin the final semester of my high school experience, I can’t deny that I’m excited. Like many seniors, I have posthigh school plans that I can’t wait to see take off. And in some ways, I can’t wait to get out of here. But I’m not at the point where I just want to fast forward to the end of my time at Granite Bay High School. Not just yet. I have spent almost the entirety of the last few years working my butt off, balancing sports, academics, paid work and extracurricular involvements. It hasn’t been easy, and I definitely haven’t enjoyed every moment of it, but I think it has made me a stronger person. Senior year, especially the final semester, is stereotyped as the time to blow off everything because we are so done with high school, so ready to move on to whatever comes next, which we think will be more satisfying than what we have now. I in no way intend to do that. Rather than fast-forwarding through these last few months, I am going to do something I have never done: slow down and enjoy the moment. Instead of rushing off to the next opportunity, the next challenge, I want to enjoy what I have for now. People who constantly look ahead, dreaming and working toward the future miss out on what they already have. I have been that person my whole life – always thinking about what I can get and where I can go, if I work hard now. But I have to ask myself, when does that mindset end? When do I have enough that I can actually be happy with my lot in life? Not every person in the world can relate to my position, obviously, but I think there is one thing that everyone can learn from my mistakes if they haven’t figured it out yet. There is nothing wrong with looking forward to your future, but learn to appreciate what you have, or no matter what you achieve, you will never be satisfied, nothing will ever be enough. We may think to ourselves that we just want to have a nice house or a decent car, but it is human tendency to never be satisfied, so once we have those we will still crave more. So, let’s start now to teach ourselves to be satisfied, to enjoy the moment. Let’s not, in an effort to make our escape to college or other career paths, treat these last few months as worthless. Instead of trying to get to college as fast as possible, I want to enjoy the moment. I will get to college eventually, maybe I will get the big house and the fancy car, but it won’t matter much if I never enjoyed myself and have no fun memories to look back on. I have a lot to look forward to after finishing high school (I hope), and although these last four years have been less than perfect, I think that once it’s gone, I will find that I miss some part of it. And if I don’t, then I probably did it all wrong. *** Kyle Pawlak, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor in chief.
After the first semester of watching the new video bulletin staff, many Granite Bay High School students and faculty have established their opinions about the new media changes. While some responses have been positive, others have nearly discouraged the media program. What people fail to recognize is that, although video bulletins are a large part of the media program, other media projects that the students produce are another part of it. On Feb. 1, media teacher Zachary Weidkamp had a serious discussion during the third-period advanced media class. In his speech, he reminded the students that, from “immature freshmen” to “well-seasoned teachers and professionals,” not everyone
will enjoy their work and to only worry about being proud of themselves. Brent Mattix, the assistant principal who oversees activities, sees a problem with how people react to the video bulletins and says he only wishes the best as students continue to exercise their talents through elective courses. “In any place in our society, you’re going to have such a wide spectrum of what people like and what they don’t like,” Mattix said. “(Despite some negative feelings toward video bulletins), I want students to have a voice and I encourage all students to use their voice in a constructive manner.” Although the intention of the video bulletin is to inform the school while also being entertaining, the goals of the advanced media elective is not to please the audience, but to enrich the lives of the students interested
in media productions. Mattix believes all the programs and electives that the school offers are to prepare students to be successful in post-secondary opportunities. “Any elective allows students to go into an area where they might have a strong interest or developing interest in,” Mattix said. “(What’s great) about our programs is that they really give students real-world experiences before they have to make life-long decisions.” The limelight shines typically on students who produce the video bulletins. However, the hidden media elective interests lie with the students who conduct video projects outside the traditional realm of just video bulletins. See MEDIA, page A5
LEAVING a legacy
Jeffrey Fehr’s death impacts competitive cheer world BY JESSICA REESE
jreese.gazette@gmail.com
Hand in hand, the Power Level Five Medium Coed team steps out onto the mat. They cross the blue expanse somberly, holding onto one another for support. When they reach the front of the mat, the cheerleaders set down small black rocks and remove their Power shirts, laying the two side by side. On the rock is one simple word: “Believe.” On the shirt are two more words, hovering just beneath the Power Cheer logo: “Jeffrey Fehr.” It has been a mere 15 days since they lost their teammate. For the first time, they take the stage without him. Before the music begins, they gather in the center of the mat,
Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR
Seniors Justin Remy and Laura Rogers anchor the Feb. 10 morning bulletin.
chanting. As they step away, ready to take their places on the mat, they point to the sky, acknowledging their missing teammate. Then the music begins and they spring into motion, flipping and flying through the air. As the routine winds to a close, the team points to the sky once again. Almost immediately they form a circle in the center of the mat, embracing one another, shoulders shaking with sobs. One by one, the coaches rush onto the mat to join the circle, wrapping their arms around the tearful team. *** In the early hours of Jan. 1, Jeff See FEHR, page A5
Suicide rates among U.S. teens rise as awareness efforts decrease BY HALEY BYAM
hbyam.gazette@gmail.com
Perhaps you are among the 50 percent of adolescents experts say have, at some point in their lives, considered it. Your heart is racing, your mind is numb and you can’t help but think, What if I just ended it? It’s no secret that suicide has become a serious problem in the U.S., with approximately 1 million attempts annually – and with nearly 50,000 of those attempts being successful. It is the thirdleading cause of death for teens aged 15-24, the highest the number has climbed in over a decade. However, these statistics become far more than just numbers once it hits close to home. In the past several years, Granite Bay
High School has lost two students to suicide – Adam Johns last year when he was a senior, and 2011 graduate Jeff Fehr on New Year’s Day – and GBHS isn’t alone. High schools all over the nation are experiencing similar situations, leaving the student body, the faculty and the entire community grieving and confused. Because of their uncertainty of how to handle the subject with care, many schools have stayed quiet, including GBHS. Whether school officials fear copycat suicides, legal problems or simply don’t know what to do, experts say silence is far more dangerous than the possibility of copycatting – which accounts for approximately 5 percent of all suicides.
Courtesy photo/Portia berger
The late Jeff Fehr, center, was a top performer with competitive cheer squad Power Cheer. He See SUICIDE, page A5 and teammates Jeff Woo, Devin Allen and Tristen Palmer, left to right, hold up Brandi Mello.
Youth coach sought in sex abuse case
Former soccer mentor disappears after being questioned BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com
In mid-November, local youth soccer trainer Arturo Cabrera Hernandez was arrested by the Roseville Police Department after allegations that he had maintained an unlawful sexual relationship with a girl under the age of 18. He was released a few days later and given
inside this issue News
A1 – A6
Voices
A7 – A9
Second Look
A10
Features
B1 – B8
Sports
C1 – C6
Green Screen
G1 – G20
a date for his arraignment. However, on the day of his arraignment, Nov. 30, Hernandez was nowhere to be found, and a warrant was issued for his arrest by the Placer County Court. Now, a couple of months later, Hernandez is still nowhere to be found, despite the best attempts of the Roseville Police Department. “The Roseville Police Department has attempted to locate him at his previous ad-
dresses in Roseville, and, thus far, has not been able to locate him,” said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. He is now one of 20 people on the Placer County Most Wanted website. Under a picture of the 40-year-old Hispanic male, the statement reads “Wanted for: Sexual penetration with a foreign object victim under 18 years.” Before his arrest, Hernandez worked as a
Senior Trip Students looking forward to another adventure in Europe.
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youth soccer trainer for Granite Bay’s Eureka Youth Soccer Club, as well as other clubs in the surrounding area. Junior Marissa Hayes played select soccer as a child, and Hernandez trained her team for many years. She said she was shocked and slightly disgusted when her father told her about the warrant for Hernandez’s arrest. She admits, though, that during the years she trained with Hernandez, he never made See SOCCER, page A5
Fifth Quarter A photo essay focuses on the fun and funky outcomes of group hypnosis.
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News
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Granite Bay Gazette
Friday w February 17, 2012
NAMES IN THE NEWS
chris pei
cpei.gazette@gmail.com
Acadec team wins first place at county
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n Sat., Feb 4, the Granite Bay High School Academic Decathlon team, led by coach Brad Cordell, won first place at the Placer County competition. Each individual team member won three or more medals, a remarkable feat for the team as a whole. Moosa Zaidi, a senior and member of the team, was the highest Overall scorer out of the team all the conwas able tenders at the competito score a tion. Nicole total of 43 Carter also medals at scored a gold medal in the the comscholastic dipetition. vision. Be sure to also congratulate Karmtej Cheema, Meg Lyons, Aurora Gaumer, Nick Jones, Molly Petersen, Hayley Porter and Haroon Zaidi on their victory. Overall, the team was able to score a total of 43 medals at the competition. Having won at county, the team now plans to move on to the state competition, which will take place March 18-19 at Sacramento State University. *** After weeks of intense rehearsals, the GBHS Choir performed in concert with the Capitol Section Honor Choir at Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento on Sunday, Jan. 29. GBHS students Sharon Vaupen, Emily Santor, Jessica Sheeketski, Tori Masoe, Morgan Ziegenhorn, Alanna Wilson, Logan Sutton, Johnson Khor, Chad Williams, Kevin Thomte, Derek Frank, Zac Harvill and Eddie Schubert, were all chosen to represent the GBHS choir at the event. The concert hosted a choir comprised of 140 students from 17 different area schools, several of which were from different counties. Great job and best regards to the GBHS choir! *** Approximately 1:30 p.m on Tues., Feb. 7, a shelter-in-place was issued by the school. Students were told that a nearby bank robbery had just taken place, and that the procedure was to ensure their safety. However, according to local reports, the bank robbery, which took place at Wells Fargo on Sierra College Boulevard, actually happened at 10:13 a.m. that day, more than three hours before the shelterin-place was issued. Regardless, it seems the schools’s alert system isn’t the only thing that’s slow. The robbery suspect had apparently placed a phony 911 call shortly before the robbery, claiming that there was an emergency in another part of the city. In trying to lure the police away from his crime, he actually gave them just what they needed; his location via cell phone signal. He was later apprehended at 6 p.m., in Folsom, where he was staying at a relative’s house. *** Chris Pei, a junior, is a Gazette news editor
CORRECTIONS Accuracy is perhaps the most important fundamental of good journalism. It's the policy of the Gazette to correct all factual errors that are brought to our attention. Email us at: gbgazette@yahoo.com Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year
Changes planned for AP U.S. History AP Language and Composition will take the place of Honors English 11
GBHS English teacher, Tino Guzman, left, teaches while having students participate in an interactive activity. Brandon Dell’Orto, GBHS U.S. History teacher, below, shakes junior, Ada Shaw’s hand at the end of class.
BY NATALIE KREEGER
nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com
Traditionally, Advanced Placement Language and Composition is considered a junior-level class. However, Granite Bay High School has offered Honors English and English 11 to juniors, leaving AP Language and AP Literature as options for senior year. The majority of high schools not only in California, but in the entire nation offer AP Language as a junior-level class. Next year, GBHS is following this trend. The conventional Honors English 11 class blocked with AP U.S. History will now be Language Composition. This change will go into effect in August, providing all juniors with the opportunity to take AP English Language and AP US History blocked together, or just take the AP Language class alone. Honors English 11 will no longer be offered. Usually, AP Language classes are offered to seniors; however, this upcoming year the class will be open to juniors and seniors. In fact, juniors will be encouraged to take this class. Ramona Drury, who has taught Honors English blocked with AP U.S. History, said that this change “allows students to take more AP classes...most other schools offer AP Language as a juniorlevel class.” Given that this blocked class will now involve two AP classes, the blocked class will overall be much more rigorous. Drury and Brandon Dell’Orto, the AP U.S. teacher, agree that the change will result in a “more rigorous class.” However, even though this change might be more academically challenging, the long-term benefits outweigh the increased rigor. The skills learned in AP Language can directly apply over to that of AP U.S. History, Dell’Orto claimed. Dell’Orto is confident this can yield “higher scores on the AP tests.” Many students are ready to take the challenging new class. “I am looking forward to AP Lang next year with APUSH because it’ll give me a chance to take AP Literature my senior year with some background in high level English,” said sophomore Adithi Reddy. This new change allows students to
Gazette photo /Riley mac millan
take AP Language their junior year and AP Literature their senior year. This is just another benefit of this new change. Many seniors are wishing they had the opportunity to take AP Language blocked with AP US History. “I would have liked the opportunity to take this blocked class,” senior Kate Wilmarth said. Despite the increased rigor with having to prepare for two AP tests, many seniors would have been willing to take the risk. “Although it would have been stressful preparing for two AP tests, I still would have liked to take this blocked class,” Wilmarth said. Many seniors this year aren’t able to take both AP Language and AP Literature because they simply do not have enough room in their schedule. “When I was registering for classes, I could only take either AP Language or AP Literature” senior Aurora Gaumer said. By offering this blocked class and the AP Language class alone to juniors, it enables them to take both AP Language and AP Literature. However, other students are content with the current status quo. “I think it will be extremely stressful preparing for two AP classes, I like having the option of just taking AP Language alone,” said senior Chris Beck about the new changes for incoming junios. Dell’Orto insists that the change is for the better.
Gazette photo /kristen taylor
Replacement dance planned to fill last year’s gap ASB to introduce a new Spring dance in place of two dances canceled last year BY SAM HOLZER
sholzer.gazette@gmail.com
The question is: Will Granite Bay High School students put their money where their mouths are? Last year’s Junior Prom lost the class of 2012 a significant amount of money, and the Sadie Hawkins dance suffered from declining attendance as well. This reinforced the fact to Tamara Givens, school Activities Director, that GBHS wasn’t interested in these dances anymore. “People weren’t going,” Givens said. “There was a lack of student interest.” As a result, students in the leadership program eliminated the Junior Prom and suspended Sadie Hawkins – but saved a date for a spring dance this year.
The support for a new dance, especially one replacing such a popular dance as Sadies, is a risk Givens understands. While she acknowledges the school hasn’t introduced an entirely new dance since Bogus Ball nearly 12 years ago, Givens still remains hopeful about the prospects for this new dance. “Our kids generally like dances,” Givens said, “and dances so far this year have been well attended.” But although dances have been well attended and popular this year, that doesn’t ease the apprehension Hannah Peskin, GBHS junior and commissioner of the Spring Dance, is feeling. Said Peskin: “It’s the most stressful thing I’ve ever done,” she said. The nervousness affecting Peskin does
However, Peskin’s plans for the dance income with very real consequences, for both the Associated Student Body’s bank account clude something far more grandiose; an idea that has never been atand for the future of tempted in the history this fledgling dance. of events on the GBHS “The dance could go campus. really well, and minor It’s not just the deciIn a spark of creativtweaks may need to be ity originally proposed sion that matters, it’s added to create a sucafter the cancellation cessful event or it will the commitment from of Junior Prom and tank,” Peskin said. suspension of Sadies, the students (to buy In order to create Student Government more excitement for tickets). members came up with the dance and draw in the idea of having the a large number of studance take place on the – Hannah Peskin, GBHS dents, Peskin utilized football field. junior both an online poll While this might be and the Student Sena daring idea, Peskin ate to gauge student is all for pushing the opinion. boundary to attract stuThe Student Senadents to the dance. tors voted 33-6 to bring back the Sadie “It’s not just the decision that matters, it’s Hawkins dance – an option which is still very popular, according to Peskin. See DANCE, page A6
Class changes prove more difficult with new process Many GBHS students struggle with their schedules BY HALEY MASSARA
hmassara.gazette@gmail.com
Jaci Willings, a junior, was one of the unlucky few this spring. She waited for two days to swap her fourth-period class with Social Psychology, and managed to snag the last spot after being initially told the class was full. “It was very confusing,” she said, “because I took all the precautions to get (my schedule) changed before break, and it didn’t get changed.” Sophomore Nasear Mohandessi had similar difficulties. He was mistakenly put in a College Prep Pre-Calculus class when he had requested its Honors equivalent, and, by the time his schedule was re-issued, he had missed a week of his desired class. But both students were sympa-
thetic to Granite Bay High School’s administrative staff. It took a while, but I “It took a while, but I understand, because understand, because they have a lot of kids they have a lot of kids to go through,” Moto go through. handessi said. Changing a student’s schedule is indeed a – Nasear Mohandessi, GBHS formidable process, sophomore according to assistant principal Brent Mattix. Before each term, all spring term, Mattix said, and it 2,115 GBHS students are fitted onto a master schedule. managed to process almost all of “Singletons” and “doubletons” – them in two days. He was pleased with this year’s classes only offered once or twice a year, and locked into certain pe- efficiency. “We feel that this year we’ve done riods – further complicate the proa much better job coming up with a cess. The administration received 400 process that will give flexibility to schedule change requests for the students that need to change their
schedule,” he said. Receptionist Helen Guzenski also said she noticed crowd-control and organization had improved from prior years. “I didn’t have a huge crowd of kids that all wanted to see their counselors at once,” she added. This year, further changes were made to the class selection process, as part of an effort to further smooth registration. Naviance – a site which acts as a timeline of students’ four-year high school plan – was introduced as a pre-registration program for the 2012-13 school year in lieu of paperwork or last year’s Homelink system. Beta testing of Naviance registration went well, Mattix said, and overall the changes have been well-received. But student reception of the new system has been somewhat critical, due in part to the frequency of ap-
For some parents(...) it might have been a little overwhelming, but all in all, we’ve had a lot of positive support. – Brent Mattix, GBHS assistant principal
parent technical problems with the site. Junior Jessica Taylor, an IB student, was unable to enroll in both her required history and govern-
See CHANGES, page A5
Friday, February 17, 2011
News
w The Granite Bay Gazette
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Seniors anticipate upcoming Europe trip Dell’Orto to take position of trip leader BY LENA EYEN
leyen.gazette@gmail.com
Despite a sluggish economy that isn’t anywhere near a full recovery, for many Granite Bay High School students, the opportunity to see the world is irresistible. And Greg Holmes, a math teacher who retired from GBHS last June, has been the guide for many of those students for the last 17 years. Holmes has led hundreds of students on trips-of-a-lifetime to Europe – first at Oakmont, and since 1999 at GBHS. The trip he’s leading this summer will be his last, however – he’s passing the reins to GBHS history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto. “I am sure the economy has affected some (people), but our numbers have remained solid throughout (these several years),” Holmes said in an email. The trip is hosted by Education First tours, the company Holmes has worked with for 17 years. The trip for the class of 2012 takes place June 6-25. “It is a 20-day trip that starts in London and goes to Paris; Lucerne, (Switzerland); Florence, (Italy); Rome; Sorrento on the Amalfi coast (in Italy) then by overnight ferry to Greece,” Holmes said. “In Greece we will visit Meteora and Delphi before going to Athens for a couple days.” After the two days in Greece, Holmes said the students will cruise the Greek islands, including stops in Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Santorini and Kusadasi, Turkey. Students will fly home from Athens. Following this year’s trip, Holmes is stepping down as the trip’s leader, and Dell’Orto will take over. Holmes said he picked Dell’Orto for the job because of his combination of being both responsible and an excellent teacher. Dell’Orto plans to carry on the past traditions and patterns of the program. “It has been a huge success in the past,” Dell’Orto said. “We have par-
Photo courtesy of ZOE GIDDINGS
ents who will proactively – because they want to make sure they get their kid a seat – contact Mr. Holmes years in advance.” Dell’Orto’s trip planned for the class of 2013 is already scheduled, with 44 students currently signed up. The trip does not come cheap, with a total price tag of around $3,500 – but the number of students already signed up proves students are anything but hesitant. Francesca Schorer, a junior, looks forward to her chance to be a part of the trip, and she has found ways to help pay the hefty price. “I have to pay for half of it,” Schorer said. “I (will) need to get a job over the summer, but that is not that big of a deal.” Schorer, like others, is taking advantage of some of the opportunities, from the travel company EF, to
reduce the price. “There are various benefits,” Dell’Orto said. “If you sign up by a certain time, they will take $200 off, and $115 down the line, and that is always subject to going up and down.” Most of the flexibility in price is based on EF’s ability to get somewhat cheaper prices on airline tickets. Zoe Giddings, a GBHS 2011 graduate who went on the trip last summer, said the price was well worth it. “It was an awesome trip, and I think it is one of the best deals anyone is going to get if they are trying to go to Europe for an extended amount of time,” Giddings said. The trip for 2013 will begin in Britain, continue to Paris, Switzerland and Florence, and end in Rome. Kayla Bensen, a junior, looks forward to the trip as being a great way
ASB UPDATE Junior Kelsey Santos said this year’s Lip Sync will take place on one night instead of being spread over two.
Lip Sync to be at 6:30 and 9 p.m. on Feb. 24 The Gazette talked to junior Kelsey Santos about the upcoming Lip Sync. Gazette: Has the act setup for the Lip Sync been already organized? No, we might have a problem with one of the groups… because one person is in two (acts), but we have a pretty good idea of how everyone is going to go. Gazette: What will make this year’s Lip Sync different from last? This year we have it on one night instead of two. Also, we have a World Tour theme to try to make it fun. (The program will be announced) like band names and have more interaction with the audience.
Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ
Gazette: Can you expand on the World Tour part a little bit more?
They just have to be (on) one time and it makes set and clean up easier as well.
So every group has… a concert or a group name and the (announcers) will introduce them as if it were a concert (and) we’ll have decorations. It’ll be really fun and they’ll be a lot of prizes at the door so we’ve got a good show for people to come to.
Gazette: Is there a lack of performers like there was last year?
Gazette: Why is it now one night instead of two nights? It makes it easier for the shows and the performers as well.
We almost had to cut people, whereas last year they had to really ask people to go because (we) didn’t have as much, so that’s great. But luckily, we didn’t have to cut anyone. We have 10 acts and then an act from drama and perhaps a staff act is in the works, but that’s not completely confirmed yet.
-compiled by Rachael Vasquez
News Briefs
to end her senior year. “It is the last chance to go with your class and do something fun,” Bensen said. “You are going out of the country, and it is the last opportunity to see anybody before everybody splits up.” Like everything else, there have been bumps in the road. However, Holmes said most logistical problems have been eliminated or can be easily fixed. “One year the Brazilian soccer fans trashed our hotel the night before we were to arrive,” Holmes said. “By the time we got there, we were set up in another hotel and never missed a beat.” Holmes said disciplinary problems with students on the trip are few and far between. “When you take 50 seniors on a
The Louvre, above and left, was but one of the famous attractions that the students of the class of 2011 had the opportunity to visit.
See EUROPE, page A6
Photo courtesy of ZOE GIDDINGS
Burglaries alarm locals Increasing rate of property crimes raises concern among community BY SAM HOLZER
sholzer.gazette@gmail.com
A sudden crash sounds throughout the house. You and your family race to the door, only to find it hanging off of its hinges, with no one else in sight. This terrifying sight was all too familiar to many families in the area over the holiday season this year. Between the months of August and December last year, 33 home invasions took place, with the criminals in many cases kicking in doors in the middle of the day according to Lt. Mark Reed of the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. According to Reed, there are an increasing number of property crimes in the greater Roseville area, however the sheer number of the crimes themselves makes this case not only shocking but very unusual. “They are simply stealing people’s properties,” Reed said.
In order to effectively combat these break-ins, Reed has worked in conjunction with local Neighborhood Watch programs in GranThe random aspect of the whole ite Bay. “We want as many eyes and ears situation has struck fear into many as we can get,” Reed said. Granite Bay residents. The Placer County Sheriff’s According to the website City aren’t looking for the standard Data, in the four-month period between September and January, the burglar-with-a-mask robber many city of Rocklin experienced a 25 people often picture when they hear of this level of property percent jump in home invasions. The Placer County Sheriff’s De- crime. Instead Reed and the Sheriff’s partment suspects the same crimiDepartment are asking citizens to nal or group look out for one another of criminals report any suspicious to be behind We want as and vehicles or persons in these crimes many eyes their neighborhood. and other Reed believes the burbreak-ins and ears as glars may have left the around the we can get. area due to the increase greater Rosin patrols and other detereville area. rents given to local HomeWhile these – Lt. Mark Reed, owners’ Associations. burglaries Placer County “Maybe some of these have blind Sheriff’s Departpeople have moved on,” sided many Reed said, “because peoment Granite Bay ple are now starting to pay homeownattention.” ers, the burOn Monday Feb. 13 two men glars themselves have not been known to resort to violence. Ac- were arrested on suspicion of burcording to Reed, they often give See BURGLARY, page A6 up on a home if the family is there.
GBHS students selected to be part of the Northern California Honor Band Seventeen Granite Bay High School band students were selected to be a part of the California Music Educators Capitol Section Honor Band. Six other band students have also been selected to participate in the Northern California Honor Band. Emerald Brigade Theft The band’s flatbed trailer is missing from the school. All band families in charge of the trailers have no idea where it is. If found, please contact Lynn Kulikowski.
Gazette photo /rACHAEL VASQUEZ
Seventeen GBHS band students were chosen to be a part of the California Music Educators Capitol Section Honor Band.
Speech and Debate On Jan. 22, the first round of Speech and Debate ended. Natalie Kreeger and Ishaan Gupta won the Congressional Debate and the title of Presiding Officer. The next round of debate will take place in February.
Assault on Linda Dickson On Tuesday, Feb. 7, a freshman girl allegedly stole multiple cell phones from the girls’ locker room. The student was identified and questioned by the physical education teachers. During the questioning, she tried to flee and assaulted teacher Linda Dickson. Dickson defended herself until colleague Andrea Rothman pulled the student off of her. Officer Joe Herrick and assistant principal Dave Vujovich settled the situation. No charges are being pressed against the student, but principal Mike McGuire has her recommended for expulsion. The cell phones that were stolen still have not been found. -compiled by Dorien Johnk
COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER SAT I & II Deadlines: Test date
Deadline
Late
Mar. 10
Feb. 10
Feb. 24
May 5
Apr. 6
Apr. 20
June 2
May 8
May 22
Speakers: Wed.
University of Alabama
Thurs.
Oregon Institute of Technology
A4 News
Friday, February, 17 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Gluten-free students need wheat substitutions Students diagnosed with celiac disease have learned to adapt to the difficulty BY DORIEN JOHNK
djohnk.gazette@gmail.com
Typically, food allergies have been associated with nuts, diary and eggs. More rare food allergies include shellfish, soy and gluten. On the rise is gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease. Celiac disease, according to celiac.com, affects one in every 133 people. Yourlife. usatoday.com states that nearly five times as many people have celiac disease today than people did in the ’50s, according to a recent study. The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, but people who have the disease cannot use products or eat foods that contain gluten. Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, barley, rye and various oats. Its presence prevents the stomach and small intestine lining from absorbing parts of food that are critical for staying healthy. The awareness of this allergy has steadily increased at Granite Bay High School, as more and more students either learn they have the allergy or know a friend who is diagnosed with it. Junior Hannah Peskin was genetically passed the allergy by her mother. “There are two types of celiac disease,” Peskin said. “You can be just allergic to gluten or wheat, but with celiac disease, you have an actual reaction to eating gluten or wheat.” Today, more and more people are having more negative reactions to gluten. A reason for this might be because, according to yourlife.usatoday.com, people today eat grains more rich in gluten than did people 70 or 80 years ago. Peskin believes celiac disease is defined by serious reactions to the protein, while
just being allergic to gluten leads to more uncomfortable symptoms. “Gluten is actually an altered grain, so most people are allergic to it without realizing it,” Peskin said. Christine Craig is a registered dietitian in the Sacramento area. Through her years of study, she has become an expert on gluten and how it affects people. “In celiac disease, the immune system attacks cells of the intestine leading to changes in the integrity of the guts-wall lining and a decreased ability to properly absorb nutrients,” Craig said by email. She said if the patient isn’t treated properly that deficiencies from the allergy can lead to bone and teeth demineralization, infertility and anemia. “It is important if you think you may have celiac disease that you are tested before starting a gluten-free diet to allow for proper diagnosis,” Craig said. Being gluten intolerant has caused Peskin’s life to change. She now has more concern over what she eats and has to plan out her day accordingly. “It has made things a lot more difficult, that’s for sure,” Peskin said. “Like going to friends’ houses, I usually take my own food, and when there’s some sort of school event going on, I do the same.” Being in student government, Peskin skips out on the snacks that are offered to the students and instead eats her own. Despite this, Peskin still has a good attitude. “It’s definitely made things more challenging, because I always have to know where I’m going to be going and if I’m going to need (food) for myself,” Peskin said. Another student with a intolerance for gluten is sophomore Hailey Lederer. Lederer was diagnosed a year and a half
Gazette photo /Riley Mac Millan
At increasing rates, more families are grocery shopping at Whole Foods, in order to eat gluten-free. Many wheatcontaining foods, such as pretzels, have been specially made for people who are gluten intolerant.
ago and developed the disease when she was sick and had a weak immune system. “The hardest thing about (being allergic to gluten) is going out to dinner and not being to eat the bread that comes with my food,” Lederer said. Although she is unable to eat foods that she once could eat, Lederer is excited about the advances in gluten-free products over the past years. “There’s actually a lot of products that are coming out that are gluten-free, and
Midyear, English course title switched to honors
it’s not that hard now to start eating gluten free,” Lederer said. The Internet allows people allergic to gluten to have thousands of resources to discover more information about their allergy. Sites like celiac.com and celiac.org offer full lists of recipes, updates on studies or research and contact information for support groups and organizations. These websites also give detailed information about restaurants that are gluten free. Most of these places offer a
separate menu. “BJ’s has gluten-free pizza, and the Yard House has a gluten-free menu,” Lederer said. “P. F. Changs also has a really good gluten free menu.” Although sophomore Zach Zolmer has the allergy, he says he feels healthier eating gluten free. “Even if you have a gluten-free allergy, you can still do a lot and eat a lot of the same kinds of foods,” Zolmer said. “You just have to use different ingredients.”
English 10 block doesn’t receive weighted-grade bump despite change
differentiates between the regular English 10 class.” Hansen said there wasn’t a lot of support from sophomores to make the change, it was mainly a small group of students and parents. “Some people (said) we should stop trying (because) it’s not going to do anything, and then there were people, like me, who thought it was worth a try,” Hansen said. BY NICOLE BALES “The worst that (could have) happened (was that) they nbales.gazette@gmail.com wouldn’t make the change.” Although students were excited that the change was After years of persistence, Granite Bay High School sophomores taking the College Prep English 10 class finally made, there was a delayed knowledge of it because block with Advanced Placement European History only some of the students were informed. Hansen said are finally being recognized for taking a more difficult she and many other students didn’t know until it was posted on Facebook by a student. course. Principal Mike McGuire announced the change to the CP English 10 is now called Honors English 10 on students’ transcripts – however, they don’t receive the English department and assumed the teachers would announce it. He also arranged to go tell the students weighed-grade bump. Many sophomores and teachers are ecstatic about the himself on the day of finals – and did – but he forgot the classes were blocked. Therefore, the news only reached change. “I was really happy (administration) finally (made the half the students. “It would have been nice to know that they care about change) because the students really work hard, every single day, challenging themselves, and I was so happy the input from students,” Hansen said. Sophomore Haley Byam is another student who became that (their efforts) could be honored in some way,” said involved in the change, as did her father. Rita Prichard, a CP English 10 teacher. “I tried to collect other students Although she said students deserve to help us out with the email to be recognized on their transcripts, process (to the administration), she doesn’t think the class is quite at but not that many people were the honors level of rigor. Even if we eager to help out (and they) didn’t “It is more rigorous than students didn’t get the even want to try,” Byam said. “So are used to because of the style of I tried to get other parents to help (material) that they are reading,” grade bump, at my dad out and email.” Prichard said. “(However, the materials least it differenByam and the other students have) been condensed (and) edited and parents were pushing for the quite heavily. The vocabulary (has tiaties between grade bump, but they are content been) downsized, and I gave footnotes the regular with the compromise. so students wouldn’t have to look “I don’t know if we’re going to (confusing parts) up.” English 10 class. keep pushing, because we don’t Prichard said that, if the class ever know how far (the administration received the grade bump, students – Shayna Hansen, is) willing to go,” Byam said. would have to read non-condensed “They’re still sort of stubborn versions of literature. sophomore about it because it’s been the same A group of very articulate students way for such a long time.” and parents came forward and worked Byam’s father was a key parent who got involved. toward getting the grade bump for the students. One of “I started with an email to principal McGuire pointing the students involved was sophomore Shayna Hansen. “My mom was the one who inquired changing it to an out that the school’s own documents made it explicitly honors class,” Hansen said. “I believe that she talked to clear that this English course was more demanding and some other schools who had the same program and they rigorous than the standard CP English 10 course,” David Byam said. have a grade bump.” Byam did some research and he found out that all Although she was hoping for a grade bump, Hansen is four schools in the Roseville Joint Union High content with just the name change. “I think it would be nice to have the grade bump, School District offer an AP European History and obviously, but when you bring your transcripts to a English 10 block. GBHS is the only one of the four college, they can see that it says honors,” Hansen See HONORS, page A6 said. “Even if we didn’t get a grade bump, at least it
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Friday, February 17, 2012
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FEHR: Cheer world supports Power team in wake of death Continued from page A1
Fehr, who graduated from Granite Bay High School last June, took his own life. Within hours of hearing the news, former classmates and acquaintances gathered en masse at GBHS, mourning the loss of the young life. Fehr’s death not only rocked the local community, but also the larger community that had been his home for the past three years: the cheerleading community. After joining the GBHS cheer squad his junior year, Fehr threw himself into cheerleading. Throughout his remaining two years at GBHS, cheerleading provided him with an activity in which he grounded himself. “He started to blossom (during) his junior year of high school, and I think that (cheerleading) gave him a little self-confidence, and with that, he was able to grow and become (the) strong-minded, dedicated cheerleader that he was,” said his coach, Bri Larson. To the rest of the student body, Fehr became one of the fixtures of the cheer team. Many remember him smiling brightly as he stood on the track with the rest of his squad, cheering on the Grizzly football team. This past fall, Fehr began classes at Sierra College, a transition Larson said seemed to be was difficult on him. “I feel that he was comfortable in his skin at (GBHS), and I think it was maybe difficult for him to go off to Sierra College and (reestablish) himself,” Larson said. It was around this time that Fehr joined the local competitive cheer gym, Power Cheer, where Larson also coaches. There, he joined the Level 5 Medium Coed team and once again immersed himself in the world of cheerleading. “He was the voice, the heart and the soul of our team,” Larson said. Once on the team, Fehr quickly established himself as a leader. Larson described him as a motivator, someone who always wanted the team to be the best it could be. “The team is recognized around the world, and we can dedicate our drive and motivation to become the best we could be this year to him, and that was even before he passed,” Larson said. Fehr developed his leadership skills in high school, while on the GBHS team. Junior Megan Hurley met Fehr her freshman year when Fehr, a junior, was assigned to be to her cheer “big brother.” Though he was only a junior, Hurley said he always
acted like a captain. “Whenever we would have a bad practice, he would tell us to keep going,” Hurley said. “If we were tired, he would always be the one to tell us, ‘Keep pushing, you’ve got it.’ He was our encouragement.” His senior year, Fehr became the varsity captain of the GBHS team, a role that Larson said he fully embraced. Fehr’s first concern was always the team, and he was committed to their success. “He was always pushing everybody to be better and stay on task,” Larson said. “He almost pushed me in a way to make sure I was on my A-game as a coach and making sure they could be the best they could be.” Fehr held himself to the same high standards, according to Larson. He led by example, always putting everything he had into cheering. “He loved (cheering),” Hurley said. “He would get bruises occasionally (but) didn’t care. He put so much sweat and hard work into it.” Junior Carly Flajole, who cheered with Fehr on the GBHS squad, believes cheerleading had a strong positive influence on his life. “He loved it, especially when he was on his most recent Power team,” Flajole said. “It was like an escape for him.” Since joining Power in the fall, Larson said Fehr made the gym his home away from home. He would leave school in the evenings and drive straight over to the gym. In addition to being on the Level 5 Medium Coed team, Fehr was also a paid staff member, teaching tumbling classes at every level – from the youngest team to the special-needs team. “(He) had an impact on every single kid that walked into that gym,” Larson said. Fehr also had a large impact in the broader cheer world. In the wake of Fehr’s death, Power has received an outpouring of support from the rest of the cheer world. “Jeff was kind of a contagious person in the cheer world, people loved him,” Larson said. Numerous gyms across the nation have sent cards and flowers to Power, as well as photos of their teams dressed in Power’s blue and red. Locally, Antelope High’s cheer squad wore yellow ribbons at a recent competition to show their support for Fehr. Beyond these small shows of support, many have made monetary contributions in Fehr’s honor. The United States All Star Federation, the governing
body of cheerleading, made a special donation to the Trevor Project in Fehr’s honor. This charity, selected by Fehr’s parents, is devoted to the prevention of suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Another donation in Fehr’s name was made by Sparks All Stars, a cheer gymnasium in Avon, Mass. On Jan. 21, Sparks held a special tumbling session in Fehr’s honor, with all of the proceeds going to the Trevor Project. “We have to think bigger than the rivalries and the competitions between gyms,” said Derek Johnson, a Sparks coach. “We all need to be in it together to help each other and to help fight this discrimination that a lot of our kids go through every day.” The response to the fundraiser was very positive, according to Johnson. Though there were some setbacks with the weather, the turnout was still significant. “It was the largest open tumble that we’ve hosted in our gym,” Johnson said, “and it was in the middle of a really nasty storm.” In addition to the collection at the event, the gym also received numerous contributions from other programs in the area that were unable to attend because of the storm. For Johnson, the financial side of the fundraiser was only one element of the effort. More important was sharing Fehr’s story and raising awareness about bullying. “It may have happened in cheerleading, but it could have easily happened in anything else,” Johnson said. “Bullying in any way, shape or form, no matter what the kid is being bullied for, is a very dangerous game to play. The more awareness that is brought to it, the more likely we are to save a teenager’s life.” For the teammates Fehr left behind, these generous demonstrations of support from the cheer world have provided comfort and given them strength. Even the smallest action can help brighten their spirits. At their most recent competition in Palm Springs, for example, the team passed a person wearing a shirt with Fehr’s picture on the front with “RIP Jeff” beneath it. “It brings a smile to the kids’ faces because they knew that (Fehr) was loved and affected so many other people,” Larson said. “I think it just gives them strength (to know) he’s never going to be forgotten.” The team paid its own homage to Fehr at the first competition after his death, when members performed a memorial routine dedicated to him.
A5 News
This first competition was incredibly difficult for the team, according to Larson. “The warm-up room has been a struggle for us because it’s been quiet,” Larson said. “His voice is not there.” With Fehr’s loss still so fresh, many were concerned about the safety of the cheerleaders during their performance. Emotionally and mentally, they were all over the place, Larson said, and their skills were suffering as a result. In spite of all of this, the team’s members still insisted they move forward and do the routine. “They wanted to finish and get through it and do it for him,” Larson said. Because of this mindset, Fehr has continued to be the team’s driving force even though he is no longer here. “They’re all still working hard every day for him,” Larson said. At the beginning of the season, when Fehr was still alive, the team’s goal was to win a paid bid to Worlds, which would cover all of their travel and lodging costs. These bids are given only to the best teams in the country. On Dec. 12, Fehr and his teammates received one of these bids. Now, after Fehr’s death, the team’s goal is to rebuild and have a positive, successful season. To a person, they hope to make it to finals and place in the top 10 at Worlds. *** The colored lights move across the stage hypnotically, as the announcer yells, “Here comes ... Power!” Immediately the crowd burst into a flurry of cheers. The Medium Level 5 Coed team bursts through the curtain. They skip across the mat, pep in their steps and smiles on their faces. It has been five weeks now since they lost Fehr, the heart and soul of their team. But still they move forward in his memory. As the crowd cheers and the cheerleaders take their places on the mat, they pause for a moment and look at one another, pointing to the sky. A moment later, the music begins and they burst into their routine, a rush of synchronized bodies and motion. *** “We’re moving forward,” Larson said. “We’re not moving on. We’re moving forward in remembrance of him.”
SUICIDE: Schools urged to discuss tragedies SOCCER: Parental
Continued from page A1
When suicide in young adults nearly tripled in the early ’90s, the National Psychological Association teamed up with the educational system and made it their mission to raise awareness about the issue. “It became a national movement,” said Silvia Shirikian, a psychologist with Linder Psychiatry in Roseville. “We had more educational programs in schools, we had peer counseling programs that were created, we had made-forTV movies, we had after-school specials, we had suicide hotlines – all these different things. And it worked.” Since 2003, the rates have begun to rise again, even more dramatically and steadily than before. Why, though? Why, after almost 15 years of a downward slide in suicides in the U.S., have the numbers begun a steady rise to new heights, leaving psychologists everywhere stumped? “I honestly don’t know (why the rates have risen),” said William Hughes, a psychiatrist with his own practice in Sacramento. Shirikian, however, said there are some notable reasons for the increase, although they’re subtle. One theory is that the parents of current students just didn’t have the same amount of stress on them as young people do today, according to
Shirikian. The pressures of getting into college are at an all-time high, so if students aren’t accepted to their top choice, it can feel like the end of the world. “There’s some speculation that it’s tied to social media,” Shirikian said. With almost everyone from school, work and family in one place, it’s easy to get caught up in the cyber world. It’s not real, but for many young people, it certainly feels like it is. What makes this time so much more dangerous, Shirikian said, is the lack of attention it has received. America is preoccupied with problems that didn’t exist 15 years ago, Shirikian said, so this extremely important issue, no matter how frightening, has been pushed aside to make room for others. According to Shirikian, Hughes and other experts, high schools need to stop treating suicide as a four-letter word and start talking about it. That is what’s going to help anyone who is considering it or grieving over a lost loved one. “It’s really important to give people a safe place to talk about suicide. Obviously it’s a traumatic event,” Shirikian said. “If you’ve got this kid who committed suicide, and you go back to school the next day and no one’s talking about how they feel or what happened, we call that avoidance. It’s teaching kids to avoid their problems, and that’s not OK.”
“Sometimes, students will think that no one is talking about it because no one cares,” Shirikian said. “That leads them to believe that no one would care if they took their own life, either.” “Adults need to be models of appropriate psychological response when difficult situations arise,” Shirikian said, because they are the ones who teens look to when times are hard. Experts say that the notion of “out of place, out of mind” does not apply at all in situations where suicide is concerned. “Bringing it up will not put the idea in their minds, and if they were already considering it, ignoring the problem won’t make it disappear,” John Powell, a psychologist with Linder, said. According to Powell, silence isn’t “protecting” students, because they already know it’s been happening. “When I was in first grade, my teacher jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge,” Hughes said. “The principal came in, explained what happened, and encouraged us to talk about our feelings.” What students need are assemblies or bulletins or peer counseling groups, Shirikian said. “When traumatic things happen in life, we go in and talk about them right away, so that it doesn’t turn into something big,” Shirikian said. “Not dealing with teen suicide could turn into something big. If schools attempt to reach out to their students, they might be surprised at how many lives they could save.”
MEDIA: Program more than just morning bulletins Continued from page A1
For example, on Nov. 16, the media program, in coordination with faculty, students and other school organizations, filmed GBHS’s first ever Lip Dub. However, it was not produced without difficulty. “We did as much research as we could, we watched as many lip dubs as we could to get ideas, and we got a packet that was only produced in the UK about how to organize and how to produce a lip dub,” Weidkamp said. “However, lip dubs are a huge controversy in the media and with music companies right now.” After the Lip Dub video editing was complete, viewers could go onto YouTube and watch what the school created together. However, within days of its upload onto YouTube, one particular music company had it removed for using copyrighted music. Media had tried to contact the company, but received no response. For now, the Lip Dub is available to watch on vimeo.com, under the UCSD Triton Television account. For future lip dubs, Weidkamp intends to create a committee that is run by media and Student Government. It would also involve other groups on campus in the planning. Another media element hidden behind the production curtains is Team X, which captures school athletics live with high definition cameras. Viewers, whether students, parents or community members, can watch the videos online. This year, while varsity football was in post-season play, Team X made broadcasts for KBC Sports. Because the California Interscho-
lastic Federation controls all postseason media and broadcasts, Team X had to capture the game in cooperation with the CIF. In addition to Team X, Weidkamp has made other changes to the program since becoming the media teacher a year and a half ago. Weidkamp allows his students who are uninterested in making the video bulletin to enter film contests for silent films, short films and surreal films. “As I began to hear what students are interested (in after a year of observation), it was apparent to me that not everyone wanted to do bulletins,” Weidkamp said. “I created these groups to give them the ability and the creative framework to do what they want to do. Instead of me telling the student, ‘This is what I want you to do, keep it within these parameters,’ I tell them to come to me with the idea and I will structure it and help you plan it so that you can succeed.” While Weidkamp may allow students to be creative outside of video bulletins, the bulletins are what the rest of the school views most often. Some people might not find it entertaining, but Weidkamp said the information announced on the video bulletin is just as important as students expressing their humor and thoughts. “No other teacher puts their students’ work out there three times a week. Math teachers don’t hold up their kids’ tests and say, ‘Look what my kids can do,’ but I do,” Weidkamp said. “These are students. They’re learning. Some are extremely good, some are trying their best. It’s just a give-and-take situation.”
Senior Connor Riggan appreciates the written and video bulletin. Even if there are teachers who do not play it due to their negative opinions of it, Riggan said the video bulletin is made for a reason, despite glitches in humor. “Teachers are given 10 extra minutes a day to show the bulletin (for a reason),” Riggan said. “The media kids put a lot of time and effort into the bulletin, (and I think that) they’re entertaining.” While the video bulletins leave this impression on Riggan, junior Kyle Roberts is on the fence about his opinion toward media. Roberts prefers more natural humor and at the end of the day, the bulletins’ humor does not leave a memorable mark on him, “Some bulletins are funny and some try too hard because they’re too scripted, which doesn’t make bulletins funny.” Roberts said. Greatly involved in the image that media portrays is the director of Team Silver, senior Alex Nacht. Since freshman year, Nacht has been involved in media, and last year he was the co-director for Team Black. Through his experi-
ences, Nacht has studied how to capture the audience’s attention. “You have to have popular segments, popular anchors and the biggest characteristic is that you have to be recognizable to the school,” Nacht said. “I think we definitely have a unique sense of humor, but we really do put a lot of time and effort into it. So, it’s great when people watch it.” A new media change, made by Nacht’s current team, is the TeamSilver2012 Twitter account, which was encouraged by Weidkamp. It was created so that people feel more connected to and are able to interact with Team Silver. Each week, Team Silver picks out the best Tweet and senior Justin Remy responds to it on the bulletin. Although Tweeting allows for media staff and viewer interaction, Nacht has already cited it as a vulnerable venture that could cause a more negative stir about media. “Last week, Justin mentioned that Gandhi said ‘I have a dream,’ and we got a lot of backlash on that (on) Twitter,” Nacht said. “I guess what’s left is (finding out) what will happen next.”
communication key for preventing sexual abuse Continued from page A1
her feel uncomfortable or uneasy. “He was a good trainer,” Hayes said. “He trained with girls for a long time, so he got what we were doing. If we complained about something, he would be patient with us.” Soccer trainer Simon Sheppard, a father himself, worked with Hernandez and couldn’t believe there was a warrant out for his arrest, calling Hernandez a “very likeable guy.” “You always have to be on your guard, especially in this day and age,” Sheppard said. “When you are working with kids of all ages, boys and girls, you’ve got to be extra careful.” Eureka Youth Soccer Club President Nick Perjenick said the EYSC is very cautious when choosing coaches and trainers. Every person on the field with players who is not a parent has had an extensive background check through the Department of Justice’s Live Scan program. It was that program that alerted Perjenick when Hernandez was arrested. Perjenick then immediately suspended Hernandez from all league activity. But the program did not, and could not, foresee that Hernandez, with no record of sexual deviance in the past, would engage in a sexual relationship with a minor. “I think any time that these situations arise, it is a great opportunity for parents to have a conversation with their children to make sure that the children are aware that these types of situations can occur,” Perjenick said. Because the police report hasn’t been released, it’s impossible to say exactly what happened between Hernandez and the minor. However, it’s important for people to be aware that those close to children, like trainers, coaches and other mentors, are most likely to be the perpetrators of sexual crimes against them. Stories involving situations similar to Hernandez’s are sadly not hard to find.
In March of last year, an Elk Grove youth soccer coach was charged with sexual assault of a minor after he was found engaging in sexual acts with a 16-year-old girl. And in December, a Vacaville soccer coach was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy for whom he was a coach and mentor. Granite Bay High School psychologist Angela Sanchez advises every parent to check in with their child when they have left him or her in someone else’s care, even if that person is a family member. “A lot of pedophiles or sexual deviants typically will try to get the child to trust them,” Sanchez said. “Often it’s someone they know, like a coach or an uncle.” This allows these criminals access to the child and better assures that the child will not speak out about the abuse. Often, the abuser will threaten physical harm to the child, or even themselves, in order to keep the child quiet. Because victims often choose to remain silent about incidents out of fear, guilt or shame, 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, causing crime rates to be deceivingly lower than they actual are. Sanchez said the first step in preventing sexual abuse is teaching children about what an appropriate touch is at a young age and suggests using dolls or educational videos to teach these lessons about privacy. Communication is the best tool that parents and educators have for prevention and remedy. If an incident has already occurred, Sanchez warns parents not to put too much pressure on their children to share details but to give them some time to grapple with the event. “Try to stay calm and be the strong person for (your child). Let them know that they didn’t do anything wrong, that no matter what you’re there for them to listen to them,” Sanchez said. “You want to talk to your child in a way so that they don’t feel guilty.”
A6 News
Friday, February 17, 2011
w The Granite Bay Gazette
BURGLARY: Many houses on block were robbed Continued from page A3
-glaries in the area. Daniel Richard Emard, 28, of Roseville, was arrested after a neighbor reported that they witnessed a man improperly parking a sport utility vehicle and then attempting to enter a home in the neighborhood. The arrest took place at a residence near Secret Ravine Parkway and Sierra College Boulevard. The police arrived at the residency and proceeded to take Emard into custody on suspicion of burglary. That same morning, a resident in a nearby neighborhood, Stone Canyon Drive, was
DANCE: Many sad Sadies and prom killed Continued from page A2 the commitment from the students (to buy tickets),” Peskin said. Her concern is that while many juniors as well as other students bemoaned the loss of Junior Prom and Sadies, they still might not choose to attend a “replacement” dance. Givens understands these concerns, but she said if the dance is not going to be a date dance or a formal, it will be in no immediate danger. The party buses and reduced ticket sales that sunk Junior Prom are not serious concerns to her in this case. “I think really the party buses are only a factor at formals because it was never really an issue at Sadies,” Givens said. Peskin and her committee have been working tirelessly to make this a school dance that will enter into the legion of classic dances at the school such as Winter Ball and Decades. “It’s rare that a brand new school dance that we’re introducing in the middle of a school’s generation will be successful,” Peskin said. Student leaders in ASB aren’t the only ones watching the development of this dance with interest. Andrew Carr-Hall, a GBHS junior, had planned on going to Junior Prom this year and is saddened by the fact it was cancelled. “I was really disappointed that the actions of the previous class are reflected onto ours,” Carr-Hall said. Carr-Hall said he wasn’t surprised by the decision to cancel the dance after hearing how low the attendance was last spring. However, Carr-Hall had never heard of the Spring Dance. He says he would like to attend a semiformal dance but has no plans for voting in the online poll. Colleen Deyager, also a junior, was equally disappointed in the decision to cancel the dance. “I was very surprised,” Deyager said. “I knew it was a popular dance.” However, while Deyager had heard of the replacement Spring dance, she was also unaware of the online poll. One of the key concerns Peskin has about the new dance is that students at GBHS won’t feel committed to it. While Peskin does want to have a dance that will be considered a classic, she doesn’t want to force a dance to happen that students will not be passionate about or will not attend. “Students should go to the dance, because they won’t have any idea what to expect,” Peskin said “I hope they’ll be surprised by the results.”
Your names. Your faces. The Gazette
shocked to find an unknown man attempting to rob her of her jewelry box. She tried to grab the jewelry box back, but the burglar fled before she was able to. A search by officers for the missing property led to a home in Rocklin where the stolen property was recovered and Alexander Michael Souron, 21, of Rocklin, was arrested on suspicion of the robbery. Senior Ishaan Gupta said because of the wealth in the Granite Bay community, the area was considered to be an easy target. However Gupta, who lives in a wealthy gated community, did not take any added precautions other than locking his doors.
“I felt safe in my home,” Gupta said. “I didn’t feel threatened.” According to Gupta, neither he nor his parents have ever felt the need to report suspicious activity in their neighborhood, despite their community being one of the many affected by the break-ins. Fellow GBHS junior Justin Habashi’s house is the only one on his block which was not broken into. He has called the police and notified Neighborhood Watch multiple times to report suspicious persons. Despite his community’s recent history, Habashi said that he never felt threatened
over the holidays when the majority of burglaries took place. “I locked and double checked my doors, but that was the only extra precaution I took,” Habashi said. Habashi said Granite Bay was unprepared for this type of crime because breakins during daylight hours are so rare. Nic Ontiveros, a sophomore at GBHS, agreed with Habashi and added that he was surprised such an easy target wasn’t taken advantage of by crimes of this nature sooner. Ontiveros said he was informed and aware of the burglaries while they were go-
ing on and took safety measures to protect himself and his family. “Both my parents and I have reported suspicious vehicles in our neighborhood,” said Ontiveros, referring to the Neighborhood Watch programs the Sheriff’s Department set up. “Every night we would lock our doors and activate our security alarm, just to make sure,” Ontiveros said. Reed said it’s important to be prepared and take the necessary steps to prevent this type of crime in the future. “We need to look out for each other,” Reed said.
CHANGES: Selection process still not perfect Continued from page A2
-ment/economics courses, and the site displayed only half the credits she had earned in prior years. “My mom was freaking out over that,” she said. Junior Chad Pickering dealt with a similar glitch. “When I was in 9th grade we just had the paperwork, in 10th grade they started to do more (computer-based) online (registration), and this year was just more extensive than (ever),” he said. Mattix acknowledged the process wasn’t flawless, but he said the administration expected some startup difficulties, and plans to fix them in the future. “For some parents that hadn’t been part of (Naviance), it might have been a little overwhelming, but all in all, we’ve had a lot of positive support,” he said.
Additionally, if students are concerned about whether or not their enrollment was processed correctly, they can ask for clarification from their counselor. Class time will be allotted for counselor meetings beginning Feb. 14. Junior Julia Doyle, after being mistakenly unable to register for both AP Literature and AP Language, said she preferred last year’s Homelink-hosted registration. “I just wish they wouldn’t change it every single year,” she said. “You have to learn a new system every year, and it’s frustrating.” Mattix said the administration plans to use Naviance for class registration from now on, and will not be returning to prior methods. “We think that this is our tool now,” he said. But whatever the method of registration might be, administrators ultimately hope to reduce the need for last-minute
changes. As mentioned in the video filmed for the GBHS bulletin, Mattix said the administration will be stressing the importance of choosing classes wisely, and the difficulty of getting a schedule change once a master schedule has been set. He advocates that students do their homework – that is, that they research classes before signing up, and talk to teachers and peers about their experiences. “(Students shouldn’t be) taking a class on a whim, but really investing and knowing what they’ve signed up for, and that it meets their four-year plan,” Mattix said. Willings expressed a similar sentiment. “I think if (the administration) had stressed the fact that it was going to be hard to change,” she said, “people would have really chosen what they wanted.”
HONORS: Class name changed after much discussion
Continued from page A4
schools that didn’t classify the English class as an honors class. Byam forwarded the information he found to McGuire, who committed to researching the issue himself. “Based on past attempts by other parents, there was clearly some resistance to designating the course as an honors class,” Byam said. “Mr. McGuire deserves credit for
objectively weighing the merits, performing due diligence and, at the end of the day, proposing the honors classification.” The class name change has been brought up many times in the past, but it’s been denied by the administration and English department every time. “Teachers that had taught honorslevel courses before said, while these demands are greater on these
kids, (the block English class) is nothing like how an honors class really is,” McGuire said. Another reason for not changing the name of the class is that the state of California doesn’t recognize honors or weighted courses for classes specified for students below the 11th grade. After the most recent emails, McGuire decided to see for himself
EUROPE: Trip opens students’ eyes Continued from page A3
senior trip, there are bound to be a few that try to stretch their freedoms and do not necessarily make the best decisions,” Holmes said. “(But) I would have to say traveling with Granite Bay seniors has been a highlight of my career. I’m always proud to be with them, and, more often than not, amazed at their insight and maturity.” In the end, the minor and sometimes inevitable difficulties that come along with traveling are easily overlooked, leaving behind an unforgettable experience. Holmes said the main goal is to provide a safe and educational way for students to exercise their independence and spread their wings. “Going away to college is not very daunting after
you have negotiated the Paris Metro and worked your way through Rome to find something you really want to visit,” Holmes said. “Students come home changed human beings – their world is a lot bigger than it was before the trip.” For the 2013 trip, Dell’Orto said there is no set deadline. However, in order to get the best price, it is best to sign up as early as possible. “I think the personal and civic growth of going out and seeing other parts of the world ... is a great step of broadening someone’s horizons as to what the rest of the world is really all about,” Dell’Orto said. “My big (senior) present was an electric typewriter,” Dell’Orto said. “I would have much rather seen the world.”
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what other schools were doing. He found that Oakmont High and Mira Loma High both call the class Honors English 10, but students don’t receive weighted credit. “I was more than willing at that point to just change the name of the
course to Honors English 10 and to denote that it is different than the CP English class,” McGuire said. “But, it’s not getting weighted to denote that it’s not at the honors level that you would see at the junior or senior level.”
Have you purchased Facebook Credits on Facebook for games like Farmville or for any other reason? *** Cutter & Ratinoff is The law firm Kershaw, investigating the legal implications of how Facebook conducts business with minors, including possible claims against Facebook. *** Please consult your parents and have them call J.R Parker at (916) 448-9800 if you would like to assist our investigation.
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Voices
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f l e s , Gra n u i o te B y k a Friday w February 17, 2012
GAZETTE The Granite Bay
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Voices Editors: Lena Eyen Haley Massara Lifestyle Editors: Danielle Dieterich Kelsey Knorp ShinEui Park Green Screen Editors: Ari Black Sahil Khosla Hayley McAvoy Samantha Spargo Sports Editors: Meghan Carlsen Austin Downs Mat Fukuhara Illustrators: Lena Eyen Chase Evans Hayley McAvoy Jessica Reese Samantha Spargo Photographers: Dorien Johnk Riley Mac Millan Rachael Vasquez Kristin Taylor Staff Writers: Haley Byam Chase Evans Sam Holzer Dorien Johnk Brooklyn Klepl Natalie Kreeger Riley Mac Millan Kiana Okhovat Joey Puhala Myles Slattery Kristin Taylor Brad Wong Advertising Manager: Mary Haney
Adviser: Karl Grubaugh The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the advanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School. Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Granite Bay High School’s faculty, administration, adviser or student body. Students are protected in their exercise of press freedom by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and California Education Code 48907. Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer. Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a caseby-case basis. The editorial board reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.
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Poor parking-lot etiquette worsens an already stressful situation Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN
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hen the clock turns to 2:35 and I rush out that door, by the time I get halfway across the quad, I’m struck with that dreading feeling for what awaits me; the parking lot. Now I don’t know if this is just me but the idea of a high school parking lot seems like some horribly twisted social experiment. Hundreds of inexperienced teenage drivers, all thinking they want to get away from school the most, jammed into tight quarters just doesn’t seem like that great of an idea. However it is not the waiting in a line of cars that causes my dreading feeling. I can wait for my half-an-hour break of TV and junk food before homework. The thing I dread is the drivers. Trying to even get out of my space becomes a struggle when cars keep speeding up the aisle (in the wrong direction no less), pretending not to notice the cars on either side of them trying to back up. But once I get out of that spot and am on my way, trying to get in one of the various lines exiting the parking lot is where the true social experiment begins.
Commentary
meghan carlsen mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
Common courtesy is to merge together into one line, with one car from the main lane after one car from the side lane and so on. The worst thing is when someone sees you pulling into the line and then speeds up to block you out, breaking that rule. Because it would be way too hard to wait behind just one more car, right? Usually when this occurs, it is some person you don’t even know but when it really gets interesting is when it is someone you do know and maybe even talk to on a
regular basis. My philosophy is if they’re a jerk behind the wheel, most likely there is that same impatient selfishness pent up inside them somewhere. We are supposed to be good enough drivers to have our license, and the first thing my driving instructor told me was that the best way to be safe is to be courteous. The way you drive does carry over into how you interact with people. We aren’t entirely protected by those metal boxes, and frankly, I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents in that parking lot. I understand we all want to get home, trust me. And some of us might even have siblings to pick up or jobs to get to. But the world doesn’t need any more aggressive drivers. The parking lot has even turned several of my friends into “honkers.” These are the people that use their horns in order to carry out some kind of justice they feel they deserve. When these “honkers” see that “line-cutter,” with a carload of people, pull in front
of them and laugh, reveling in the “coolness” they just exhibited, it just seems too much for them to handle. They feel that the loud blare from their car, drawing attention (and humiliation) to both them and the car who has “wronged” them, will make up for the rudeness. But in my opinion, it just makes things worse. I haven’t reached the point of becoming a “honker” yet. However, if I have to force myself into your line and you roll your eyes at me, I will let every single car pass in front of me and come into the line. Wouldn’t you want them to let you in? I can’t tell you how much it lights up my whole day when just one person courteously waits their turn. And to all you people who do wait your turn and are considerate drivers, I will try always to send you a thank you wave and a smile when you let me in. We learned waiting our turn in kindergarten, guys, don’t forget it now. *** Meghan Carlsen, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.
The repulsive rise of the ‘r-word’
Misuse of ‘retarded’ hurts more than just the disabled
‘T
hat’s so retarded.” Have you ever said that? Chances are that, at one time or another, that word has slipped into your vocabulary. The word “retarded” is offensive. It’s derogatory. It’s hate speech. By using the word, you’re acting as though anyone with a disability is useless, whether or not you meant to. “Dude, that test was so retarded.” Or, “Did you see the way Johnny was acting? What a retard.” See, when you say “retarded” you’re not saying something is stupid. You’re not saying something is dumb. You’re comparing someone who, by no fault of their own, is handicapped to something you dislike. That’s not OK. By comparing them, you’re basically insinuating that all who are intellectually disabled are stupid, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. When you say something is “retarded,” you’re saying that something is slow or limited in intellectual understanding and
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awareness, emotional development, and academic progress.” You’re basically saying that your test and Johnny are intellectually disabled. Is that what you meant to say? So while people who use the word “retard” in their everyday vocabularies may just be trying to sound cool, they’re actually hurling a disparaging comment at those who actually are intellectually disabled. In 2003, the Black Eyed Peas dropped their new single “Let’s Get Retarded.” Showing absolutely no self-awareness, the Black Eyed Peas released a song that essentially poked fun at the mentally challenged community and made it seem cool to use the word “retarded.” When most radio stations wouldn’t play the song because of its slur against the mentally handicapped community, the Black Eyed Peas were forced to change the name of the song to the more family-friendly “Let’s Get it Started.” However, you still hear “the r-word” thrown around in movies
Commentary
shannon carroll scarroll.gazette@gmail.com
and on TV. In the movie The Change-Up, Ryan Reynolds’ character asks Jason Bateman’s character if his kids are “retarded or something” because they can’t talk yet. Reynolds’ character then follows up by saying that one of the twins looks a little “downsy.” Saying “retarded” doesn’t just hurt people who are intellectually disabled; it also hurts their friends and families. When I hear someone drop the word “retarded” like it’s no big deal, I feel like someone has just punched me in the gut. I admit that this topic is a very personal one to me; I have a cousin who has cerebral palsy and, as a result, has both a mental and physical disability. She is “retarded” in the clinical sense that she learns some things slowly, but that doesn’t
mean she likes to hear the word. She hates it. Calling her a “retard” is really just the same as hurling a slur at someone because of their race or gender. A couple of years ago, “That’s so gay” was the old version of “That’s so retarded.” After some education, people began to realize that saying “That’s so gay” as an insult was hurtful to those who actually were gay. It’s no different with “retarded.” Luckily, people have started to realize this, and important legislation has been passed. In October 2010, President Obama officially signed bill S. 2781, “Rosa’s Law,” which replaces “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” with “individual with an intellectual disability” and “intellectual disability” in all federal health, education and labor policy. The terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” began being used innocuously as clinical terms in the medical profession. The term “retard” literally just means slow or late—as in, “I was tardy at school.” Over time, though, “retard” and “retarded” became pejorative terms. They became staples in many people’s (limited) vocabularies and are thrown around in jest, without
people stopping to realize how hurtful the terms actually are. We need to understand the offensiveness and drop the terms, just as people have learned not to use the many ugly terms that used to be applied to Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, Jews, and others. Look, I’m not trying to tell people what they can and can’t say and go all politically correct on everyone, but some words are simply hurtful. I just want people to think about what they’re saying before they say it. If you hear someone throwing the word “retarded” around lightly, ask them politely to stop using the word around you because you find the connotation offensive. Using another word in place of “retard” is a step closer to making those with intellectual disabilities feel more respected and valued by our society. “Dude, that test was so stupid.” Or, “Did you see the way Johnny was acting? What a dork.” It’s not hard to replace an offensive word with another word. We’re all high schoolers, and we have a pretty vast vernacular. *** Shannon Carroll, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.
No honor in Honors: Our GPA fixation
e are desperate. As if getting a 4.3 wasn’t enough, now we are beginning to reach into the non-Advanced Placement/ Honors classes, and attempting to make them eligible for the similar kind of credit. The College Preparatory English 10 class that is blocked with Advanced Placement European History is now changing the title of the course to Honors English 10; however the students are not receiving any sort of grade bump. Anyone who has taken the CP English 10 class that is blocked with AP European History would most likely agree that it could very well be an Honors English class. The hefty workload, depth of literature, and preparation for the writing portion of the AP Euro test make CP English 10 a challenging course when blocked with AP Euro. However, because the particular curriculum that is being taught in the classroom is
not quite AP-appropriwe are supposed to be learning ate, GBHS is currently instead? unable to give honors Believe it or not, the curcredit (an extra GPA riculum that is embedded into The voice of the point) to the students the courses during high school Granite Bay enrolled in that class. is supposed to prepare us for Instead they are addcollege. And yet we seem to Gazette ing the word “Honors” be living in a society that can to the name, to prove only see in black or white – to colleges that they A+ or C-. took a near-honors-level English class. Recently at a public school in southern But is it really that important? It seems California, 3 high school students were as though we have gotten so caught up in arrested for breaking into classrooms late at the game of GPA’s that we have resorted night and hacking into their teacher’s comto finding make ourselves stand out to colputers to change their grades. They had also leges. repeatedly broken into classrooms to steal Unfortunately, adding the word “Honors” hard copies of tests from teacher’s desks, to a transcript will not be the deciding facand sold them to classmates. tor between Sierra College and Stanford. According to the principal, “They were Instead of focusing so much on the credit very bright kids.” that we are getting for what we are learnThis is a sad example of how the expecing, why don’t we focus on what it is that tations and standards that we have imple-
EDITORIAL
mented are reaching unachievable heights. Instead of trying to absorb the material that they are being taught, students are flooded with the pressures of parents, teachers, and colleges telling them that the only way to succeed is through an A+. It is not to say that falling behind in a class by not doing homework and instead hanging with friends will get somebody to Berkeley. Sure, when comparing an A student to a B- student, the A student will most likely be seen as the higher achiever. But if that “A” student sat and memorized the answers to every problem while the “B-” student attempted to dig deeper and understand the curriculum, who is the real winner? We need to do a better job remembering that the reason we are at school is to learn, not to boost our self esteem or make us think a B- student will not survive past age 16.
A8 Voices
Friday, February 17, 2012
Commentary
HEARD on the
BAY
If you could have dinner with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be, and why? “It would probably be my Grandpa. He was always cool, fun, (and) always had a story to tell. He was a hunter, artist, taxidermist and surfer.”
freshman Kyle Ammatuna “Jake Gyllenhall because I love him and because he’s cool and quite attractive and funny.”
sophomore Kennedy Mac Millan “It would be cool to meet Jesus Christ because he’s an awesome person who died for our sins and loved everyone.”
Duck lips and close hips
riley mac millan
I
Obnoxious Facebook picture poses cry out for attention, ruin good memories
rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com
t’s an evening filled with good friends, food and laughter. Someone grabs a camera to capture the beautiful moment. Automatically, guys strike their pose-chins to the sky, and girls put their hands on their hip and stick their butt and chest out. Granite Bay pose all the way. These poses grace social media networks all over the Granite Bay area. Seems to be the typical position people take when a camera comes into view. My question is, why? I don’t particularly find chins all that appealing to look upon. I have no desire for boys to lift their chins where all of their three chin hairs exist and show them ever so proudly to the public. In fact, chins gross me out. I hate seeing them unshaven in pictures on Facebook. I hate those chins pointed to the sky, to the angle where I can no longer tell who I am looking at. Guys are more attractive to me when I can actually see their face. Not their chin. Personally, I don’t see how any guy thinks this is attractive. Honestly, throats are not something that girls think are hot. To all the men out there who strike the “tough guy” pose, please stop. Nothing is appealing to girls when you do this. It doesn’t make you look tough. It doesn’t make you look strong. It makes you look ridiculous. Here is some advice, men and women alike have pretty smiles. Why not show them off? Duck lips, thug face and sticking your tongue out is not all that appealing. Also, how did duck lips even start?
Who said that sticking your lips out makes you look good? I just don’t understand people sometimes. I, myself, will confess to the “Granite Bay girl” pose. Just as the word “like” is overused language, this pose is overused in pictures. To me, sticking out your butt, pushing out your chest, sucking in your gut and placing a gentle hand on your hip just screams, “Look at me! Do you see how hot my body is? Do you notice me?” I wish that when people take pictures, they would capture the happiness or the emotion in a moment, not how attractive they appear at the time. When I look at pictures I’ve taken of my friends, I see the silly faces we make, the crazy things we did and the thrilling memories we made. I’m sure when I am old and wrinkly it won’t matter to me how good I look in my pictures (alright, maybe a few pictures).What will matter, however,
are the people I’m with and the good times I had with them. The poses that make me laugh most are the hip-to-hip pose. In this pose girls put their hips together, turn their upper body to the camera, give each other a low hug and lean outwards. Seriously, does this even look normal? To me, it looks strange. It’s like awkward children trying to pose for pictures. I know it makes me feel uncomfortable. Hugging pictures in general can be cute, I admit it. But when overdone, it isn’t as impacting as the occasional hugging picture. When I take a hugging picture with my friends, they’re usually few and far between. I don’t take them all the time and not with people I don’t spend a lot
senior Connor Guzman “Anne Boleyn. I read a couple of books and she seemed like a plotter and a political manipulator... I wonder, if she was in today’s society, what would she be up to. ”
that shirks our every responsibility
natalie kreeger
Thumbs Up Thumbs up: We
have six weeks until Spring starts!
Thumbs down: We
staff
Amelie Rider Compiled by Brooklyn Klepl
of time with. It is usually with some of my closest friends. One pose that is timeless for pictures is the peace sign. To me, this never gets old, and is always fun to do no matter who does it. I never get tired of seeing this. Except if it’s in every picture. Moderation is key, and I encourage people to use unique poses. New, fun ways to make a picture interesting will create for a more memorable picture and moment. You don’t need to pose for every picture you take. *** Riley Mac Millan, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.
was assigned to serve on jury duty individual and societal level, it Commentary but didn’t want to. He told the seems these days there’s a lot judge, “So you want me to serve more “me” in America. on the jury. Fine. You see this coin We can see this through our here? Heads is guilty as charged, own Congress. According to Real tails the defendant is free. Let’s Clear Politics, we have a Conflip it.” gressional approval rating that is ury duty. Ah, yes, these two words elicit such Classy, right? below polygamy, pornography a strong sense of patriotism and pride for our It’s quite ironic that Americans and the British Petroleum oil country. When the summons arrives, American expect a trial by jury, yet many are spill. citizens are more than happy to spend an entire day, constantly scrambling to find exAnd to make matters even or even a week, going to jury duty. cuses as to why they cannot serve worse, less than 20 percent of But, let’s be real, that’s when the excuses come nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com as a juror. our country actually trusts our pouring out. “Due to my emotional problems (given But if we expect something, government to “get the job done.” that it is that time of month), your honor, I don’t think shouldn’t we be wiling to do the Sixty-three percent of Americans I’m an appropriate juror at this time.” same in return? Or are we forever going to have believe that Congress doesn’t act with the citizens’ “Well, your honor, I would love to serve on the jury, double standards about this best interests in mind; rather, they act in a way that because I can spot guilty people particular issue? instantly. I’m a professional will benefit them politically. We’re becoming moochers, psychic.” Sadly, our Congressional members are not the We constantly ladies and gentlemen. “Sir, well, I have a bladder only ones who are guilty. We too aren’t willing to do We expect the community hear people cry out problem and I need to go every 10 things unless they directly benefit us in some way. to dole out protection and minutes. Do you think we could Our first impulses are “me first” or “what’s in it for their rights, but safety, yet we aren’t willing to stop the hearing so I can pee?” for me.” Perhaps this is the reason as to why more compromise and think about we never hear peoYes, these stories are quite comthan 60 percent Americans don’t want to participate the greater good, nor are we ical. Although quite amusing, all in political organizations and less than 35 percent of ple cry out for their willing to give back to the of these excuses have been used Americans want to carry out basic civic duties. community. responsibilities. by thousands of Americans. These Today, Americans just aren’t willing to go the extra What has happened to stories highlight a fundamental mile. We take advantage of the rights, privileges and America? Is this the America mentality that is quite prevalent responsibilities we have today in America. We have that our founding fathers envithroughout our society. forgotten about those citizens who came before us sioned? Is this the America that Martin Luther King Our very own President Obama had to pull out his and made this country great, not by shirking their Jr., died for? excuse cards when he was called to jury duty during responsibilities, but by going the extra mile. We constantly hear people cry out for their rights, the same week as the State of the Union. As time progresses, apathy ingrains itself deeper but we never hear people cry out for their responsiTo be fair, at least these individuals showed up to bilities. and deeper into our society. We’ve become indifjury duty despite their excuses. Many people don’t Let’s be honest, everyone. Who talks about the 16th ferent, an America that no longer cares about our even bother to show up. Amendment, which states that individuals have a duty neighbors or community. Some simply throw away the summons and act like to pay income tax? Who talks about wanting to serve America needs to remember the ideals set forward they never got it. Just like Republican presidential on jury duty? by our founding fathers, ideals that helped to shape us candidate Rick Santorum, who claimed he never even Perhaps John F. Kennedy said it best when he said, into the power we are today. If we don’t begin to take got a summons after being fined for not appearing in “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what responsibility soon, we may lose forever the thread of court. you can do for your country.” community that keeps society from unraveling. And some individuals take an even classier road. Sadly, America no longer has that sense of com*** Take, for example, a man from South Carolina who munity. It seems as if we no longer care. Both at an Natalie Kreeger, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.
Thumbs Down
Ronnie Coleman ‘cause he’s huge.
Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN
America, the unaccountable We are a generation
J junior Shannon Kiley
w The Granite Bay Gazette
have 15 weeks until summer break begins.
Thumbs down: It’s
wet and nasty outside.
by Brooklyn Klepl, staff writer. Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN
Thumbs up: Everyone still
has the post-Valentine’s Day happiness!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Voices A9
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Let my people play
/LE NA on str ati illu
more time in my life for video games? Because when I say that, I mean I want to do something I really enjoy, without being ridiculed or scorned for it. It’s optimistic, I know, but I think that sentiment is just universal enough to change people’s minds about us, the button-mashing masses. *** Haley Massara, a junior, is a Gazette Voices editor. tte
your pent-up prejudices into your headset. How can we ever hope to be taken seriously if all we ever do is troll and mock each other? How can we complain about the lack of women in gaming if we objectify and demean them at every turn? How can we claim to be enlightened, sympathetic outcasts if we are hostile to every new player we meet? Gaming is a massive industry now, and franchises like Madden, Halo and Call of Duty have proven that, time and time again. Maybe bringing ourselves into the mainstream will destroy the nerdish camaraderie we once had, but if we don’t clean up our act, developers will do it for us, and we’ll like that even less. Besides, I’m not saying we need to completely censor ourselves, but come on, we’ve gotten away with using slurs so offensive they get bleeped on HBO – and sometimes we use them as terms of affection. We don’t need to be Puritans, but we can’t keep the racist-sexist garbage up. It’s not the ‘90s anymore, and the worst stereotypes about gamers are, by and large, outdated and irrelevant. All we have to do is try not to live up to them, and we will be not-so-lovable outcasts no longer. Come on, wouldn’t you rather live in a world where I can proudly say that this year, I want to make
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haley massara
the outside world. So they did the only sensible thing, and tried to shield innocent little me from the wretched world of gaming. (And you can guess how that worked out.) But something funny happened, something that rings true for nearly every major technological development in modern history, from the steam engine to the TV: People got used to them. The gamer I just described, once deemed a hopeless sociopath, would now be considered merely a member of a proud subculture of nerds. So then I ask you, why stop there? Why are gamers content with being an internet-propagated subspecies, rather than just normal people with a normal hobby? What makes them so special – or so unworthy – as to be denied a place in the (real) world? Let me put this another way. What is there to distinguish gaming from, let’s say, fishing? Fishing isn’t exactly aerobic, but it’s still unquestionably a sport. It requires skill, luck and special equipment, and it’s a way for people to bond in a fun, controlled environment. You wouldn’t mock someone for saying that they wished they had more time for fishing, or that they really looked forward to fishing trips. You wouldn’t assume that someone who fishes is unhealthily obsessed with their hobby, or that fishing has somehow impaired their ability to be a thoughtful, considerate, productive member of society. So what makes gamers any different? Nothing, really – aside from the restrictions and outdated social mores we, the gamers, force on ourselves. Speaking to my fellow geeks now, it’s time for us to stop acting like we’re this underground society nobody has heard of. Gaming has lost its exclusivity, and whether you mourn that loss or not, we need you to stop venting
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Commentary y New Year’s resolution this year is to play more video games. Scoff if you like, but I’m dead serious. Now, I’m not an IB-saddled hmassara.gazette@gmail.com masochist or anything, but I don’t think I’m a burnout. I have four solids, three of which are honors or AP. I’m planning to do the same thing as a senior, too. So why not resolve to do something less selfdestructive? Why not, say, pledge to get a 4.0 GPA, or liberate a small despotically run island nation, or some other pleasant hypothetical? Because – get ready, this might just blow your mind – I like video games. I love the feeling of booting up a game for the first time, controller perched in my lap, and watching the title screen load with childish anticipation. I love the music, the visuals, the characters, the plots. I love the searing rage at being killed by a boss over and over, and, in turn, the religious ecstasy of finally beating them. Video games, to me, are not a guilty pleasure. They are not a timekiller, or an addiction, or a waste. They are something I do when I find the time, and they make me happy. Nothing more, nothing less. So why isn’t gaming thought of in the same light as a more legitimate, “normal” hobby? I’ll answer that with a teensy history lesson. In the mid-’90s, when 64-bit consoles were the musthave Christmas gift and Pokemon Red and Blue commercials were airing on TV – that is, when most kids were at least acquainted with video games, if not yet addicted – there was a societal pushback against them. As a kid, you were told that they’d “rot your brain,” right? I know my own parents bought it. They lived in fear of their child becoming a degenerate freak who stayed indoors all day, playing for hours and scorning
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Gaming is a legitimate hobby
Totalitarianism and cruelty runs in the family
The death of North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il means an uncertain future for the communist nation
‘H
e’s dead? He’s finally dead? What great news! Ha!” Now, don’t be surprised when I say that my 80-year-old grandma said that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my grandma laugh so hard and smile so wide in my life. And don’t think “Wow, that seems like such a cruel thing to say,” because let me mention exactly who I’m talking about. I thought 2011 was about to end like any other year, but sudden news swept across the world like wildfire. The “eternal leader” of North Korea (also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) died of a suspected heart attack on Dec. 17. Unlike everyone else, the citizens of North Korea appeared to be torn apart by their leader’s death, mourning and shedding tears for weeks on
end. Whether this was staged or not (YouTube search “North Koreans mourn Kim Jong-Il” and see for yourself), the influence of North Korean propaganda and government seemed all too real. Also according to CNN, Huffington Post and any other major news sites, word got out that anyone who was not found weeping and shouting hysterically over this death was most likely sentenced to jail or a labor camp for six months. Just saying. These people who have been starved, abused and deprived of societal wants are required to stick to their leader until the very end. What has he even done for North Korea anyway? Absolutely nothing. The only thing this man liked to do was watch elaborate musicals and performances by strictly trained boys and girls, while
having issues like poverty roam somewhere in the back of his mind. And shall I even dare to say that if these boys and girls made a mistake on stage, they would be sent to jail as well? These are exactly the reasons why a person like my own fragile grandmother would be absolutely ecstatic about someone’s death. But I don’t think she understands what kind of consequences will result in the future because of this table-turning event. I know Kim Jong-Il was bound to die eventually. He was an aging man with health issues, just like a normal human being. Even though his country viewed him as some sort of deity, being dictator wasn’t going to give him supernatural powers to live forever. The thought that really scares me, however, is his succeeding son. Kim Jong-Un is the youngest
Commentary
shineui park
spark.gazette@gmail.com
of three – a power-hungry 28-yearold with barely any governing experience. Kim Jung-Nam, the eldest son of Kim Jung-Il, was supposed to be the successor, but Kim Jung-Nam was ruled out after being caught with a fake passport to go to Japan to visit Tokyo Disneyland. The second eldest was ignored by his father because he was apparently too feminine. Government workers of North Korea say Kim Jong-Un is “exactly like his father” and “strong-willed.” Everyone else around the world is assuming he’s
even crazier than his father and will abuse his power even more. How are we supposed to know whether or not Kim Jong-Un will one day spontaneously press the nuke button and demolish North Korea’s neighboring countries? Outside sources know barely anything about him, besides the fact that he really, really likes NBA basketball. Even Kim Jong-Nam (the Disneyland escapee) wrote in his new book, “My Father, Kim Jong-Il, and Me,” about how he feels as if the North Korean government and economy will fall. He even wrote: “I have my doubts about whether a person (referring to his younger brother) with only two years of grooming as a leader can govern.” Scary, right? Two years of learning how to govern over a nation full of 24 million people — a nation that is currently stripped to the bone of its basic freedoms. As a kid, my peers always came up to me and asked, “Are you North or South Korean?”
Christian faith brings comfort, hope
Then I would bitterly answer, “If I was North Korean, I wouldn’t even be here. They’re communist. Think for once,” and proceeded talking about how much I disliked North Koreans and how it was so great coming from a country like South Korea. As I grew older, I began to watch what I say. Previously, I blaemd North Koreans for their country being communist, but it’s not the citizens I should blame. They have no choice, power or will to make change. It was their dictator who was the problem. He gave them a chance to even have a voice. And now that he’s dead, the thought of just having this crazier successor whom barely anyone knows about makes me believe that North Korea is headed toward a grim, dark future. It sort of seems as if the idea of the world ending in 2012 is a lot more plausible now. *** ShinEui Park, a senior, is a Gazette Lifestyle editor.
Commentary
I am proud of my beliefs, and wish others could share in the happiness they give me
‘O
h, so you’re one of those.” That’s the remark I received after sharing with a classmate that I was religious. Not exactly the most compassionate reply, but at least he was honest. After asking my peer if he also was religious, and hearing a reply of “no,” I told him that I understood where he was coming from. His relief was evident when I did not proceed to preach him the word of God and attempt to have him accept Jesus as his savior right then and
Gazette illustration/ LENA EYEN
Christ in their lives to realize the immense there. way He changes everything about you. But that should have been my response. My day-to-day life has changed immensely Granted, this was one of those brief since I began reading my Bible, attending conversations in class that lasted all of two church and praying regularly. Every morning minutes, but the act of sharing what I truly I wake up inspired to be an overall better believe should have been more enticing. person – to judge less and love more. I did proceed to tell him that of course I I was raised in a somewhat Christian want him to be saved – an idea he did not home, but some people assume that I never seem to quite understand. And of course the personally chose to be teacher began to teach a Christian, that it was again, thus ending our something I was forced short conversation. Every morning I into. This brief encounter, wake up inspired I was in a family that which my classmate has believed in God and probably long forgotten, to be an overall celebrated Christmas, stuck with me. better person – to but that was the As I thought about this extent of our religious incident more and more, judge less and endeavors. something hit me. love more. I can honestly say If I sincerely and that I felt an immense wholeheartedly believe desire to know God that being a Christian and to have a personal − accepting Jesus as relationship with Him. It didn’t take my the son of God and my savior − is the only mom dropping me off at Sunday school way to be saved and go to heaven, then every morning to make me believe what I why should I ever be afraid to share it with do. people? In fact, I always envied those kids, the kids It’s my duty as a Christian to show others that learned new Bible verses every week the way that I believe is the way to live. Many may reject Christianity because they and played games to learn about Jesus. The beginning of my junior year, view religion as some sort of crazy cult. I officially began attending a church In my experience, they just need to find
madison touloukian mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com
regularly. I met amazing Christian people and grew immensely in my faith. I decided that I wanted to live my life for Jesus, which prompted me to be baptized in December. The moment was emotional, inspiring and something that I will never forget. Being a Christian makes me feel incredibly happy, like my life has meaning beyond myself. I only long that others could experience the comfort of Christianity. Through my church, I will always have loving and accepting people around me. And when it all comes down to it, God’s love is never ending – that’s the greatest feeling of all. In the Bible (Luke 5:10), Jesus tells his disciples “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” So I’ll be waiting here, with my nets submerged in the water, hoping that others will soon join me. I promise to those who do, it will be completely worth it. *** Madison Touloukian, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.
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Second look
Friday, February 17, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette
Spellbound seniors
Class of 2012 participates in the senior-exclusive hypnotic Fifth Quarter event on Feb. 10
wGazette photosw Rachael Vasquez Calvin Born, above, tries to push his imaginary baby out onto the stage during Senior Fifth Quarter on Feb. 10. Andrew Neiman and Calvin Born, right, battle for the spotlight as they compete in a Mr. Universe beauty pageant. Asleep below a chair, Ashlin Crawley, far right, does not respond to the hypnotist’s commands until later in the event. Corinne Rhodes and Michael Austin, below right, yell excitedly after their horse wins an imaginary horse race. John Milburn, below, falls asleep on Paige Snell’s lap. Corinne Rhodes, far below right, gets mad as Ashlin Crawley doesn’t realize she should have nine fingers.
Lifestyle
Granite Bay Gazette
Friday w February 17, 2012
Graduation FEVER steadily rises
Commentary
kelsey knorp kknorp.gazette@gmail.com
Seniors become eager to begin next phase of their lives
Commitment is crucial for success in life
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am an anxiety magnet, a notorious stress case. The most mundane issues keep me up at night as my restless brain works to balance and prioritize, to formulate a plan that is efficient, organized and most importantly, least disappointing to those to whom I have unfulfilled obligations. My mind is somewhat eased by my trusty planner. Something about listing and prioritizing my obligations and objectives on paper makes me feel as if anything is achievable. For this reason, if someone were to ask me right this second what I will be doing on May 17, I could tell that person that after I take two AP tests during the school day, I will return to school to work on my pages for the latest issue of the Gazette, then head over to the theater at six to perform in that night’s dance show. Unfortunately, this means I must sacrifice the ballet and jazz classes I attend at my studio at five and six o’clock each Thursday. A couple of weekly dance classes seems to be an insignificant sacrifice; in actuality, by abandoning these classes, I am being unfaithful to not only the contract I signed binding me to my dance company, but to my fellow company members whose progress as dancers will be furthered while I fall unhelpfully behind. A few weeks ago, I as well as the rest of my dance company was caught off guard by the sudden disappearance of one of our members. While incredibly talented, the girl was known for skipping class and disregarding the standard of commitment that the rest of us hold each other to. Nonetheless, she was an essential part of all of our work as a company. Without warning, she uprooted herself and moved to a new town, away from her family, to start over. She packed her bags, transferred schools, and left town without saying a single word to any of her fellow company members or our artistic director. We’d have had no idea she’d even relocated had she not posted evidence on Twitter. I was in disbelief. How, I wondered, could someone who had remorselessly let so many people down so many times before, simply disappear without any kind of acknowledgement that she was completely abandoning an unfulfilled commitment? We see it all the time in politics. A political candidate will found his or her platform upon all kinds of values and ideas for reform in order to appease voters. But time and time again, these candidates fail to follow through with their grand plans, and the level of general faith in American government cannot help but decline. Without personal accountability, a person is guaranteed to struggle through life. The necessity of doing one’s best to follow through with every commitment one makes goes without saying; every individual is responsible for deciding how to efficiently prioritize his or her life. But if for some reason you fall short, if you’ve over-committed yourself, if you simply can’t balance it all, have the decency to recognize the mistake you made in trying to juggle those tasks which proved impossible. Because ultimate failure occurs when a person can no longer be trusted not only to fulfill an obligation, but to recognize a mistake for what it is. If you can’t be trusted to account for your mistakes, how can you be trusted to make up for them and thereby progress as a functioning member of society? If we lived in a world of unaccountable people, of selfish individuals whose go-to solution was to walk away from those they disappointed, there would be no trust left. We’d be left with a universal every-man-for-himself strategy, and history is enough to prove that this type of society would inevitably self-destruct.
*** Kelsey Knorp, a senior, is the Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.
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Southern California, but he has yet to receive decisions from his other top schools, the University of California at Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. This spring, he intends to either begin his third pole vaulting season or get a job to make up for his decreased academic focus. “If I have an assigned reading or something, I just think, ‘Oh, no homework,’ ” he said. “As long as I grasp the information, I’m not as worried about the grade.” Senior Brian Pocock is somewhat in the same boat as the rest of his class; however, his senioritis can be more accurately defined by his obsession with being admitted to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. At the start of his senior year, his plans to apply for early decision to Cal Poly drove him to be more academically efficient than would normally be expected. “First semester was the hardest I’ve ever tried (in school), because I thought that if those grades were counted, I could get a last GPA bump before I applied to college,” Pocock said. After being denied early decision for English, a more competitive major at the school, Pocock changed his major to Agricultural Business to be considered for regular decision. He then proceeded to sit back and obsess compulsively. “I send my friends pictures of Cal Poly and talk to them about it all the time,” Pocock said. “I check my web portal (for an admission decision) about every hour. My background on my phone is a picture of Cal Poly, and I stalk the Facebook (pages) of people that go there.” It seems that in the wake of this obsession, Pockock’s academic motivation was sacrificed to some extent. Pocock admits that while he once aimed for A’s, B’s and C’s have become equally satisfactory. Some seniors, including senior Hailey Israel, have found that since the time has passed to build up a respectable academic reputation, their time is now better spent building fiscal stability to prepare for the next phase of their lives. Although it is rare for students to have two off-campus periods in their
BY KELSEY KNORP
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even semesters down, one to go. No matter what circumstances students find themselves in the last months before graduation, there is no denying that every senior is in the midst of a major transition period. A common thread with these seniors seems to be the infamous phenomenon, the infectious plague, the downfall of many a successful student … “senioritis.” Senioritis has numerous definitions and symptoms, most of which depend on the afflicted individual. While most Granite Bay High School seniors are anxiously awaiting March for decisions from colleges, senior Ty Thompson has known since last summer which university he will be attending in the fall. In July, he committed to Stanford University after being
Calculus Psychology
Government
BARRON’S recruited for the school’s soccer team. Although he has taken on a full course load without any off-campus periods, Thompson admits his academic motivation has suffered since officially committing to Stanford. “(In previous years) I would try and go above and beyond,” Thompson said. “Now it’s just more to get by, to get the grade, and I just want to get to the next step.” The Stanford coach prefers that Thompson get A’s and B’s in his classes for the duration of his senior year, a standard that Thompson has so far easily met. Even if he began to drop into the B and C range, his contract would most likely not be in trouble. Thompson’s senior year outside of school has consisted mostly of playing for his club soccer team, to condition for his future collegiate career. “I’m trying to ramp it up a little bit because (there’s) a new Stanford soccer coach, so I really want to show him I have what it takes,” Thompson said. “I’d say more focus (goes to) soccer now that I’m committed, and there’s not too much stress about school (anymore).” Senior Kyle Jaynes is currently taking what many might consider a typical senior’s schedule. He has one “solid” class, AP Psychology, and three electives – Advanced Photography, Art 5 and a teacher assistant period with art teacher Myron Stephens. “I was actually signed up for AP (Statistics) instead of TA, and then (the semester) started and I guess I got senioritis,” Jaynes said. “I’m definitely more lazy.” Jaynes has been accepted to Azusa Pacific University in
See SENIORITIS, page B7
Teachers move on with the class of 2012 Faculty to lose members who will retire at the end of spring term BY KYLE PAWLAK
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kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com
s students and staff look forward to the end of the school year, they know that a quarter of Granite Bay High School’s student body will not be returning, that this is their senior year, and lots of effort is put into making that last semester worthwhile. However an entirely different group of graduating seniors can slip under the radar, for whom this semester is as final as it is for the class of 2012: retiring teachers. This year six teachers have already announced their departure from GBHS, while one more deliberates. These include Rita and Jim Prichard, Cristianne and Craig Takagishi, Diane Contos and Debbie Noyes. Each teacher has reflected positively upon their teaching experience, and has specific goals for their final semester. “I have loved every minute of it. I think teaching is not a job, it’s a calling,” English teacher and Speech and Debate coach Rita Prichard said. “Every year is different. I
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have a certain amount of sadness that it’s coming to an end, but also excitement for what comes next.” Prichard also noted that one of the most enjoyable aspects of working at GBHS was the positive relationships between teachers, students and parents. “I’m in a culture of caring here,” Prichard said. “The teachers here are… like sisters or brothers… and parents here care enough to advocate for their children and are willing to put things on the line for them.” While she has always worked to be an effective teacher, Prichard has made it her main goal to have her final semester to be the best teaching of her career. She is also continuing to focus on the Speech and Debate Program, which she was brought to GBHS to build. Her husband, drama teacher Jim Prichard, will also be retiring, and has similar views on the supportive GBHS community. “I love how the Granite Bay community, teachers, parents and students, come together to support the staff in tough times,” Prichard said in an email. “We will always
appreciate the kind words and support for us when life threw us a few curve balls.” Above and beyond these connections, Prichard said the most memorable facets of being a teacher were the moments when a light bulb went off in a student’s head and he was able to watch that student grow. “I love the moment when students come to understand something new about a concept, life or most importantly, themselves,” Prichard said. “And I love seeing the personal growth from freshman to senior.” The last few years have been very difficult for the Prichard family, as multiple members have been stricken with illnesses. Once they retire, both Prichards intend to make use of their reduced commitments by making family a priority. Another retiree is English teacher Diane Contos, who agreed with both Prichards’ assessments of the culture among the GBHS staff members. “I have really enjoyed the camaraderie between the teachers, planning things together,” Contos said. “I really like the fun things the administration has done for us.”
Rita Prichard English teacher and her husband, drama teacher Jim Prichard, will depart after this term
In her final semester as a teacher, Contos is committed to fighting her own version of senioritis. “I’m just hoping I don’t get as crazy as the seniors,” Contos said. “I’m graduating too, so I’m hoping I don’t slack off… there is that pull to just play and throw caution to the winds, so…my main objective is to stay focused.” After the year is over, Contos has several plans for her retirement. Among them are taking classes she enjoys such as history and archaeology, as well as volunteering with kids.
Gazette does it Staffers take on AP Studio Art
Foreign education Schooling varies across the globe
Grads struggle Class of 2011 adjusts to change
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See RETIREES, page B7
B2 Lifestyle
Friday, February 17, 2011
w The Granite Bay Gazette
top things to do after finishing a test early
Wrap a rubber band around your finger and watch it turn blue.
OCD grade checkers in constant worry Students have misconceptions that the received grade is all that matters
Take apart your pen and lose the little spring on accident, rendering the pen useless.
Gazette photo illustration/SHINEUI PARK
Envision yourself doing an interpretive dance of the sunrise.
Listen to “happy” music to distract yourself.
Draw hand turkeys doing different things.
BY MYLES SLATTERY
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mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
nfortunately, high school for many students has merely turned into a game of college accep-
tance. “I’m concerned about my grades, because, if I have a good GPA, I go to a good college,” sophomore Blaise Nasri said. Because of this, many students at Granite Bay High School check their grades an excessive number of times throughout the day. For sophomore Michael Geraghty and many other GBHS students, “checking grades is usually an every-day activity.” When asked, most students say they care about getting an A in the class far more than the actual knowledge of the subject. “We come to school with the intent of getting the A, and the learning part may happen incidentally,” sophomore Austin Pink said. For some students, however, grades are not the be-all and end-all of their time in a classroom. “The grade is just a material thing,”
in class. senior Nayab Sultan said. “Knowledge “Most students can learn the same is what you will take from your cradle content,” reporter Clifford Morris to your grave.” said based off studies, “but, content is Schools in the South Placer County received and deceived differently based area are generally considered to be of on different learning excellent quality. styles.” But too often for the “I don’t rememtaste of some stuI don’t ber anything I dents, the pressure remember have learned, I just from parents and remember the grade teachers becomes a anything I that I got,” sopholittle too intense. have learned, more Nick Palmer “The teachers said. scare us into wantI just rememIn the successful ing to get the A, and ber the grade Granite Bay commuwe just cram all of nity, teenagers think our knowledge into that I got. that, if they don’t a test,” Pink said. constantly check “It’s just the worst – Nick Palmer, their grades and type of retention take all Advanced there is.” sophomore Placement classes, All of this knowlthey will end up less edge people expect successful and not developing teenas happy as their age brains to retain parents. simply flows in and out like the flowing Young people in Granite Bay are often water at Folsom Dam. Studies show that a variety of learning so pressured into being successful, they sometimes “check their grades three styles is the way to get involved and thoroughly obtain the information given times a day,” Nasri said.
Often, students end up checking their grades for a longer period of time than they actually spend working on the learning needed to earn the grade in the first place. “I go home, take a shower, eat and check my grades,” Geraghty said. Checking grades often puts too much stress on many students, causing them to panic and rely on unhealthy habits to ensure an A. “I have noticed I honestly do not benefit from checking my grades excessively at all,” Palmer said. Along with the personal stress and parental push, students are exceptionally competitive among their peers. “I like to look at that A and say I beat that person,” Pink said. This competitive nature can be a benefit, but it also often turns to an obsessive grade checking disorder. Too many students have turned checking on grades for an update on their progress, to an obsessive, everyday necessity. “Teachers expect us to enjoy learning,” Geraghty said, “while we puke out tests and essays during this block schedule.”
GAZETTE vs.
If you are a freshman, then draw inappropriate pictures on your test and get caught.
AP Studio Art Art-savvy students are crowned victorious after a game of Pictionary
Make tattoos on your body with pen.
BY KRISTIN TAYLOR
Courtesy photo /KANOKO KAWANO
Junior Kanoko Kawano pose with her past classmates back in Japan.
Rock back and forth on your chair until you fall over.
Education in a foreign country
There are many differences when comparing GBHS to overseas schools
Pinch your arm. Pain is better than boredom.
Pinch the person next to you. Other people’s pain is better than both your pain and boredom. - Compiled by Chase Evans
BY DANIELLE DIETERICH ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com
I
magine having 15 class courses a week, no school sports and only about 300 students attending the entire school. Then consider the culture shock of transitioning from this to Granite Bay High School. Senior Maria Babenkova did just that when she moved to Granite Bay from Moscow, Russia on July 13, 2008. She and several other GBHS students have had the opportunity to have attended school in two very different countries with very different methods of schooling. In Russia, even the scheduling of students in classes differs.
“Here everyone has their own little schedule that they go by the whole semester…there, you only have three classes because the high school is a lot smaller,” Babenkova said. Babenkova and her past classmates were assigned to a certain class and all would take the same set of courses. Senior Aurora Gaumer experienced a similar situation in Culin, France, where she lived prior to moving to Granite Bay. “Here each teacher has their own classroom, in France teachers switch classrooms so … we did not have any decorations, it was really boring,” Gaumer said. Gaumer is well acquainted with the See INTERNATIONAL , page B5
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Gazette illustration/SHINEUI PARK
n Monday, Feb. 6, the Gazette competed in its third showdown, this time challenging Myron Stephens’s AP studio art students to a game of old school Pictionary. Although the Gazette demonstrates artistic ability with Illustrator and InDesign, they weren’t able to translate their talents from computer to paper. In the end, they found that an actual pen wasn’t as useful to them as their pen tool on Illustrator. Gazette staffers Mary Haney and Sam Holzer competed against artists Tyler Vilfer and Jake Samson. Pictionary is basically the equivalent of charades, but instead of acting a word out and having teammates guess, the word is depicted in a drawing. For the sake of keeping things simple, a kid’s Pictionary game board was used so that neither team would have the advantage of a wider vocabulary and all words would be equally simple. They would have to rely solely on their drawing abilities. The category of the word was kept secret to make interpreting the drawing a little bit more challenging. The Gazette and art students took turns and if either landed on an “allplay,” a partner from both teams would draw and whoever guessed the correct word first would get the points. If
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they landed on “single-play” the team would compete against the timer. As the Gazette staffers and the artists prepared themselves for the game, both appeared confident. Squares of whiteboard were cleared off for drawing space and the opponents chose their desired game pieces. Gazette went with a fiery red pawn and AP studio art a vibrant green. The first turn was an “all-play”. Holzer had to draw a feather and Vilfer had to draw shampoo. AP studio art’s Samson was quick to correctly guess what the man holding a bottle over his head was meant to be, and AP studio art took a lead that they would hold onto throughout the duration of the game. Partners then passed the whiteboard marker and Samson and Haney were up to draw. Samson’s accurate picture of a truck gave AP studio art a comfortable seven-space lead over the Gazette. This is when the Gazette was able to use the “single-play” to their advantage, landing on this square on their next two turns. Exempt from the pressure of competing against the artists, their only opponent was the little blue hourglass, which turned out to be highly unnecessary. See PICTIONARY, page B6
Lifestyle
Friday, February 17, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette
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GBHS grads face struggles of first college term
College life presents new challenges
you do, don’t take that many classes your first quarter. It’s the worst possible idea.” For Helland, high school experiences and stories soon became just that – ext’s what many have been preparing for periences and stories. College has been most of your school-aged life. It’s why completely different from her four years at they have stayed up late cramming for a test. It’s why their nails are bitten beyond GBHS. Juan Ayala, another graduate who moved repair and why they’ve gained five pounds away, has felt the change. solely from chocolate. It’s college. “I miss high school a lot sometimes,” Transitioning into college is probably said Ayala, who is attending University one of the most terrifying experiences of California Los Angeles. “Your life most teens will ever have to endure, but was pretty much dictated without much also one of the most exciting. For many, variation, but in college, you have to do it is a permanent departure from home literally everything for and the first time they yourself: find classes, have ever been comliving arrangements, pletely independent. Whatever you travel arrangements, No matter how much jobs, internships, social a person organizes do, don’t take that clubs – sometimes it’s and plans, there will many classes a lot.” always be something Helland has a much that he has not anticiyour first lesser degree of nostalpated. quarter. It’s the gia for GBHS. “There is no single “I miss my teachers, worst possible favorite part about seeing my best friends my first quarter. idea. every day and not havIt was absolutely ing to work all that hard ridiculous in the best to get good grades. But way possible,” said – Amelia Helland that’s it,” said Hel2011 graduate Amelia GBHS grad land. “It’s scary having Helland, a student at a fresh start, but it’s University of Califorcompletely invigorating nia Davis. “From day one, I have found myself constantly amazed with the number at the same time.” Homesickness is very common with of genuine, kind, intelligent, intriguing and new college students. No matter how far talented people that I’ve met and grown it is from home, being at college can feel incredibly close to.” foreign and can be intimidating. Helland has flourished at Davis both “Freshmen tend to get excited about socially and academically. She said with leaving home only to find out a bit later so many options for tutoring, it is virtually that they miss their families,” said Cindi impossible to avoid help with any question Underwood, who runs the GBHS College one might have. and Career Center. “I can ask any of my brilliant friends “Get out and meet new friends, don’t for help, I can go to my living area’s free stay in your dorm room. Get involved with tutoring sessions, I can go to my professor a club. Make sure not to give up too soon or T.A.’s office hours or I can go to any and stick it out; this too shall pass.” of 10 other places for assistance, advice – After the homesickness passes and stuanything,” Helland said. “My school has dents are eager to get out, it can be hard to an amazing support system.” say “no” to social opportunities, especially However, taking on too much work can because there are no longer parents to keep prove problematic, even if the school does an eye on everything. have incredible resources. “If students haven’t been good at bud“I took 18 units (five classes), so with geting their time or have relied on their that on top of living on my own for the parents to do it for them, they better figure first time, when week three rolled around, I suddenly became inundated with literally See COLLEGE, page B5 non-stop testing,” Helland said. “Whatever BY HALEY BYAM
hbyam.gazette@gmail.com
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Courtesy photo /Amelia Helland
2011 GBHS graduate Amelia Helland poses with graduate Phillip Vogeley and two friends from University of California Davis. Helland took 18 units her first semester and found it difficult to keep up with so many classes.
Pulling teeth
GBHS teachers use online resources in classroom
Students talk wisdom teeth procedures
BY KIANA OKHOVAT
I
BY AUSTIN DOWNS
O
operation only lasted 30 minutes, but the after effect of the operation was more problematic for him. “I was completely out of it (at first),” Dalton said. “But I was back to normal quickly.” Dalton said that he was glad that his face didn’t look as badly swollen as his sister’s face did. “My face was swollen (to an insane size),” Gia said, demonstrating on her face the amount of swelling that occurred. Since she had her entire set of wisdom teeth removed, she says that the amount of pain she was in following the operation was unbearable. Gia’s pain medication lasted for a week, and she could not have been more grateful for the medicine. Going into the operation, she was frightened. “It was probably the most terrifying feeling,” Gia said. “But once I (went unconscious) it got better.” Junior Paige Finkemeier also had all of her wisdom teeth removed on the same day, but unlike Gia, she was awake for the operation. “I didn’t go under (during) the operation because it saved (my family) around $1,000,” Finkemeier said.
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nternet-based text messaging – in other words, Twitter – has found some new users: teachers. Before the emergence of teachers on socialnetworking sites like Twitter and Facebook, average teenagers might have logged onto their Twitter accounts to see what their friends were up to, check out the latest gossip or even tweet themselves. Twitter has been gradually gaining recognition among teenagers – becoming almost as popular as its main competitor, Facebook. On a daily basis, 460,000 accounts are created and 140 billion tweets are composed. For many students, the last group of people they would think of as consistent users of social media are their teachers – especially when the social media connection might result in a painful reminder of school and homework. “I spend time on the computer a lot,” sophomore
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ne of the more dreaded events of becoming an adult is the removal of a person’s final set of molar teeth, more commonly known as wisdom teeth. These teeth usually begin to surface in people’s late teens and the surgical removal can be painful. For many at Granite Bay High School, needing to get their wisdom teeth removed is no surprise, but the events before and after the removal can sometimes be a surprise. Junior Greg Smith showed little anxiety going into his operation, during which he had all four of his wisdom teeth removed. “I knew that I was going to be out of it, so I knew what to expect,” Smith said. The entire surgical operation lasted only 30 minutes for Smith, followed by a week of pain medications. Generally after the removal, patients experience bleeding and constant pain for a week, but the recovery varies. “I was a bit sore after, but (there was not) as much pain as I thought there would be,” Smith said. Sometimes patients experience a short or long period of confusion and disorder after the operation. More than not, this period is over quickly. “I don’t think I said nor did anything too weird,” Smith said. “I just couldn’t think straight for the first couple of days.” Juniors Dalton and Gia France remember their healing process vividly. Dalton France only had one wisdom tooth removed while his sister Gia France had all four of her wisdom teeth removed. Just like Smith, Dalton’s
weeting
eachers
Amirsaleh Khosrowkabi said. “I was scrolling down … and I just saw a reminder from Mr. (Kyle) Holmes about homework ... it’s there in front of you … it makes you more encouraged about the class.” Holmes, who is Khosrowkabi’s CP English 10 teacher, is one of the GBHS teachers who uses Facebook and Twitter for his classroom. Holmes created his account last fall when he was teaching English 11. “It actually started when one of my students … made a Facebook account ... of me. That obviously causes problems, because it’s not me, it’s someone impersonating me,” Holmes said. Matters got more awkward when Holmes said he got a friend request – from himself. He quickly took action and messaged the person. “If you want to interact with me, I’ll set up a fan page, but you need to take this down, I need to have control,” Holmes said. See TWITTER, page B7
Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS
Since Finkemeiers was not unconscious, they instead gave her a total of 12 numbing shots. “All of my other friends (who had the operation done) went under, so not (being unconscious) made me nervous,” Finkemeier said. After the operation, her mouth was incredibly swollen, as her brother’s was, who also had the same operation. “Wes’ mouth (was swollen) for around three days,” Finkemeier said. “But mine was swollen for around two weeks.” Both were on pain medications for a week following the operation, but were only on Vicodin for a day. “After our parents took us off the Vicodin, (Wes and I) were a little out of it,” Finkemeier said laughing. “Wes had some friends over that I didn’t know but I would talk to them like I knew them forever.” As for the swelling, Finkemeier had trouble speaking and eating for a few days, but nothing was worse than the bleeding. “I was very glad to get it over with,” Finkemeier said.
The
CollegeBoard SAT
un-Official SATpractice guide
Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalkboard is its own separate game. Answers can be found on B7.
Chalkboard 2
Chalkboard 1 1. Erinaceous 2. Lamprophony 3. Depone 4. Balderdash 5. Cantankerous
a. Senseless, no-nonsense b. To testify under oath c. To bewilder, confound, or confuse d. Loudness and clarity of voice
e. A low grade wool from felted rags or waste
6. Mungo 7. Pronk
f. To laugh noisily
8. Flummoxed 9. Cachinnate
g. Disagreeable to deal with h. Like a hedgehog i. To jump straight up
- Compiled by Kiana Okhovat
B4 Lifestyle
Friday, February 17 2011
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Parents living through their child
Some students are pressured to redeem their parents’ past
Student
Spotlight
BY KIANA OKHOVAT
M
kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com
any have said that parenting is the hardest job in the world. The emotional ups and downs, the tantrums, the screaming, the fighting, the yelling — all, of course, balanced out by love and those “special moments that make everything worth it.” Fundamentally, all parents want their children to be the best and they achieve this through various ways. However, some parents can take it too far in their zeal to make sure their child is number one. This would include living through their kids. Physical Education teacher Mike Lynch explained this could either happen because the parents have had an experience that they wish to share with their own children or the parents did not have a rich experience. If the latter, they will then make sure their children have the experiences that they were never able to have. “(It can be) part of (the parents) growing up, (or them) living through it again, to have it happen again,” Lynch said. He pointed out that none of these reasons are necessarily bad, unless the children involved are having pressure put on them that is not healthy. This could cause unhealthy relationships between the children and their parents. “Some kids are successful, (and) some kids rebel against that pressure,” Lynch said. “And they’re not successful. And more over, they are unhappy. And then their parents are frustrated ... and then nobody is happy.” This pressure that parents may put on children can be completely unintentional. “They want them to have that activity, they don’t mean to put the heat on them,” Lynch said. However, in the end, there is pressure on the child. In this situation, moderate parenting may be the best approach: allowing child to grow and explore for themselves with a focus on hard work and dedication. “And they are choosing to participate in that activity,” Lynch said. “For growth, fulfillment, for setting goals, for accomplishing things ... there’s a wide variety of reasons for people participating in activities. And they should be allowed to do those.” Paul Arden, author of It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be, stated: “Failure (is) a major contributor to success.” Which is also why, as Lynch says, “When (children) fail, or
Kylee Moran
2012 senior Powder Puff commissioner Gazette: What does being Powder Puff commissioner entail for you? A: I have to organize the senior girls’ shirt order forms and order everything and get a house for team dinner and talk to … Mr. Guzman about practice times and make a decoration plan for the rally, so I have to do everything involving the senior team. Gazette: Is it difficult balancing homework with all of your responsibilities for student government and putting on Powder Puff? A: I don’t have a lot to do right now but I feel like once it gets closer to Powder Puff- because we are pretty far away from it now- I will have a lot to do so I think that it might be kind of challenging. Gazette: What are your goals for Powder Puff this year? A: We have to make commission goals in Student Government. I don’t really have a team goal, I more have like a personal goal and that’s just to stay organized and to have practices run smoothly and not have any drama.
See PARENTS, page B6
Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS
-Compiled by Danielle Dieterich
how to...
Early applicants run ahead of the pack Knowing where to attend, students begin preparing for college BY SHINEUI PARK
C
Gazette illustration/SHINEUI PARK
Pierce your own ear
1. Before you proceed think carefully about piercing your own ear. It is always safer to go to a professional. 2. Numb your ear with a tooth numbing gel and clean it with a 70% alcohol solution. 3. Use a piercing needle that can be ordered online. If not available, a sewing needle would also do the job. 4. Be sure to sterilize the needle before piercing. Wipe it clean with a 10% or greater rubbing alcohol. 5. Wash your hands with soap and water and put on gloves. 6. Put something sturdy behind your ear, such as a potato or a cork.
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ollege is about moving on to the next phase in life--for students to both continue learning what they love and have a fresh start. Certain applicants may feel sure enough that they want to attend a certain school to apply to that school early. Instead of applying under the “regular decision” plan, these students have two options in applying early to a college: early action and early decision. Many believe that early decision is a riskier path to take, because it is “binding” while early action is “nonbinding.” A “binding” decision means that if the early applicant is accepted to the college, they have no choice but to attend that institution. Only students who truly have their hearts set on one particular college take the early decision route as a result. With about 450 colleges across the country offering early decision, action or both, a few of the 496 seniors at Granite Bay High School chose to apply under these plans. Senior Kevin Staniszewski was one such student, and will be joining the Class of 2016 at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.
If you really knew me,
you would know...
7. Stick the piercing needle all the way through the ear. Wiggle the needle, and then keep it bent at an angle. 8. If you used a hollow piercing needle then thread the earring through. If you used a sewing needle then you must push the piece of earring through the ear as you take the needle out. 9. Leave the earring in for six weeks, cleaning it daily with a warm salt water solution. Only use earrings made of 100% surgical steel, titanium or niobium. -Compiled by Maddie Touloukian
He was accepted in early December by weather and tuition there was a quarter applying under “early decision,” while of University of Washington’s tuition.” any other applicant who applied under Staniszewski plans to major in busi“regular decision” must wait until ness administration and in the future, spring. become a businessman. Cal Poly’s “Cal Poly always seemed like it was business school is known for being one the right fit for me,” Staniszewski said. of the best in the state, so he feels he is “Ever since I was a well on his way. freshman, I’ve reCal Poly is also infaally been interested mous for its resistance in going there, and in letting students as the years went on transfer majors. Appliand I started looking cants are strongly adCal Poly more and more into vised to think carefully always seemed colleges… it just about which major like it was the seemed right.” they wish to declare, After further since all majors at Cal right fit for me. research, there were Poly are impacted. some other colleges “Obviously many that caught his interpeople see the fact – Kevin Staniszewski, est, such as Univerthat it’s really difficult senior sity of Washington, to change majors as a a public school negative (aspect), but located in Seattle, I’ve always wanted Wash. If Staniszeto be a businessman wski had been (so) I’ve always been rejected from Cal interested in business,” Poly, he would have strongly considStaniszewski said. ered UW. Whether it’s through early or regular “I thought it was a really pretty decision, Cal Poly has been a top campus and I like the big ‘ra-ra’ school choice college for GBHS students for atmosphere there,” Staniszewski said, many years. But if a large percentage “but… I applied early decision (to of these students ended up attending Cal Poly) instead because it has better Cal Poly, wouldn’t that be like high
Morgan Hong
When I was one year old, I fell out of a two story window and was legally dead for ten minutes, and then I went into a coma and woke up two weeks later
Laurel Teague
I hike mountains and rock climb.
Clay Donaldson
I taught myself Photoshop in seventh grade and I now have every shortcut on that program memorized.
- Compiled by Haley Byam
Kevin Staniszewski GBHS senior applied early decision to Cal Poly and will be attending there this fall. school all over again? “People don’t want to go to Cal Poly because they feel like they’re just going to go to (GBHS) again and they want that whole ‘fresh start’ college experience,” Staniszewski said. “I don’t really mind it because if you look at it from a pretty broad perspective, the school has about 15,000 students per class… you’d rarely be seeing those kids around, and when you did, it would be cool because it’d just remind you of your high school years.” When asked if he has any doubts about going to Cal Poly, Staniszewski immediately replied: “I don’t think I have any doubts about going there, but of course I’m going to have those ‘What if?’ questions. At the end of the day, I really think Cal Poly is the right fit for me.” Senior Amrit Narwan, another early decision applicant, is still waiting for See EARLY, page B7
Visit the Gazette online www.granitebaygazette.com
Friday, February 17,2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Lifestyle B5
INTERNATIONAL: Foreign students notice major change after moving
Continued from page B2
struggles and rewards of living in a foreign country. “I was born in France and when I was nine months we moved to Rocklin and then when I was five years old … I moved back to France and I spent my whole childhood in France,” Gaumer said. “Then in 2006, when I was 12 years old, we moved here and I have been here ever since.” As a result, Gaumer is currently fluent in both English and French and has been able to master English enough to excel in classes such as Honors English 11 and AP Language and Composition. This fluency did not come easily, however. Gaumer struggled initially with the language barrier. “Ultimately, the hardest part was learning everything in a different language because first you have to … listen to what they are saying and try to understand it and then once you understand it you have to translate it and
try to put it your own way so you then can put it on paper,” Gaumer said. “But then (teachers) ask you questions and you have to do the opposite process yourself: think about what you want to say and then translate it and then try to speak without a thick accent.” Babenkova agreed that learning in English was the most challenging aspect of her move to GBHS. “I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t know how to speak English and I didn’t know how the whole social structure worked,” Babenkova said. She went on to say that although this proved frustrating at first, she grew to enjoy the challenge and her English improved greatly with practice. Babenkova is now the only member of her family without a thick Russian accent. She accounts this to her dedication to submerging herself in the language over the past four years of attending GBHS. Junior Kanoko Kawano, who more recently arrived at GBHS from her
hometown of Kyoto, Japan, also struggled with the language. “Speaking (English) is very hard for me,” Kawano said. English and United States History have been particularly difficult for Kawano because of the language barrier. She also expressed excitement for all the options for classes, including the wider variety of electives compared to her previously attended school. “Granite Bay High School has many fun classes like guitar… and art. In Japan, they only have (classes) like math, Japanese and English,” Kawano said. Kawano was also fairly surprised by the increased use of technology in the GBHS classrooms. “Teachers here use the computer (and) PowerPoint, but in Japan they don’t,” Kawano said. Along with the use of technology, GBHS is unusual in regards to its more hands-on approach to learning. “(In Russia) the teachers really push
you to make sure you have the best grades,” Babenkova said. “Here thy care that you have good grades but they are not going to stand over you,” Gaumer was similarly surprised by this more involved style of teaching available at GBHS. “Mostly in France they teach facts… People weren’t as engaged as (they are) here, I see (students here) a lot more engaged and talking more,” Gaumer said. Senior Thomas Von Knebel, a foreign exchange student from Germany, said he was most impressed by the school spirit and high level of student involvement at GBHS. “Everything is connected with the school,” Von Knebel said. His school in Germany did not have school sports or as many school sponsored events, such as Powder Puff or Lip Sync. Like the former schools of Gaumer, Kawano and Babenkova, his was smaller with an indoor campus. Gaumer’s school in France was par-
ticularly small, with only a few hundred students. The school was a four story building protecting the students from harsh winters with up to five feet of snow. “My campus was (almost) all inside… there was only one big bathroom for the whole campus so that was not fun because it was gross most of the time,” Gaumer said. Babenkova also came from an indoor campus and was thrilled by the warm weather and open campus of GBHS. “There (are) a lot more people here, it is more spread out, there is more outside, more in nature… it’s kind of cool,” Babenkova said. Babenkova, Kawano, Gaumer and Von Knebel all expressed their surprise with the overall spirited nature of GBHS. “Here there is a lot of spirit, a lot of pride for the school,” Gaumer said. “It’s not just a school, it’s like a community.
COLLEGE: GBHS graduates find difficulties with adjustment to college Continued from page B3
out a plan before they leave for college,” said Underwood. “There is no one who will tell them when and how long to study.” Freedom, no matter how good it feels, can make it difficult for students to prioritize. “I don’t think I was prepared for how social (the college experience) is. You are constantly surrounded by people, so sometimes it’s hard to get some ‘me time’,” Ayala said. Helland has had trouble with roommates, es-
pecially when she’s asleep and they’re returning loudly from a party, or when she is attempting to study and they don’t seem to know what headphones are. “No one could prepare me for my terrible roommate situation,” Helland said. “I have definitely learned to deal with terrible situations and make the best of the cards I was dealt. I’m still trying my best to share space with these two girls, but it continues to test my understanding, patience, and communication skills every day.” Having a roommate can be difficult to get used
to, especially when most students have spent their entire lives with their parents. “Learning to live with a complete stranger definitely takes some adjustments and compromises,” said Underwood. For many students learning to manage their own money for the first time, credit cards aren’t the best idea. “Sometimes schools have opportunities to apply for credit cards on campus,” said Underwood. “That can pile up debt that students will have to face at the end of their schooling.”
SMART IS THE NEW
Going to college, whether it’s five miles away or 5,000, can be nerve-racking, especially when it feels like your entire future depends on your decisions. “For this year’s seniors, and really anyone else who has yet to graduate high school, I recommend that when college acceptance/rejection letters start coming out, do not freak out,” Helland said. “Have 137740 faith that you will end up where you are meant to be. You are put everywhere for a reason, and it’s up to you to make the best of what opportunities you are given.”
SEXY.
Be able to find Iran on a map. Know what the city council is up to behind c l o s e d d o o rs . Fi n d o u t h ow t o m a ke a n i c e b ox p e a n u t b u t t e r p i e f ro m s c ra t c h . G e t i t a l l i n t h e n ew s p a p e r, p r i n t o r d i g i t a l , b e c a u s e a l i t t l e d e p t h l o o k s g re a t o n yo u .
P R I N T
D I G I T A L
T O D A Y
T O M O R R O W
THE
NEWSPAPER GET IT
B6 Lifestyle
Friday, February 17, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette
Random facts
Random club of the month
A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting
One of 2,100 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue
President: senior Harrison Reagan
Shakespeare invented the word “assassination” and “bump.”
Gazette: When and where does your club meet? We normally play games at 11:30 on Saturdays at Hillsborough Park.
The Lollipop was named after one of the most famous racehorses in the early 1900s: Lolly Pop.
How many people show up? Normally 12 to 14, which is actually perfect for a game because normally you want seven on a team.
An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.
Why should people join your club? Ultimate Frisbee is really fun and it’s a great way to connect with our fellow Granite Bay community. And it’s really good exercise and it’s great.
Brain waves can power an electric train.
Fresh apples float in water because 25% of their volume is air.
The number “1” or the word “one” appears on the dollar bill 16 times.
Chloe Forlini, junior
Gazette photo /Kristin taylor
When thirsty, a camel can drink 25 gallons of water in less than three minutes. India has a Bill of Rights for cows.
Sources: http://www.snapple.com/#/real-facts
–Compiled by ShinEui Park
Ultimate Frisbee
What would you do with a billion dollars? I’d keep some for myself, donate some to charity, go shopping, have fun with my family and go on a cruise. What are your favorite places in the world to travel to? Hawaii and the Caribbean
What about Hawaii appeals to you? It looks so pretty and the atmosphere is so nice. I bet there (are) a ton of nice people. And to relax and be carefree for a whole week would be nice. What are your favorite frozen yogurt toppings? Cookie dough and gummy bears
PICTIONARY: The Gazette staff trails behind AP art students
Continued from page B2
Haney and Holzer correctly guessed each other’s drawings in less than ten seconds, eliminating the need for the 30-second time limit. As the game proceeded, some of the most challenging words drawn from the deck were “father,” “Barney” and “siren.” The least challenging word of the game was “said,” which went to Gazette. Haney drew a quick face with a frown while Samson started drawing a car, struggling to get Vilfer to say “headlights.” When AP studio art was four spaces from the end mark, they rolled a five and played the final round for the win. This round was the most evenly matched of the game, with Vilfer drawing Tweety Bird for AP studio art and Holzer drawing long underwear for the Gazette. While other rounds had lasted an average of fifteen seconds, these took longer. Haney and Samson were puzzled by their teammate’s drawings. Holzer attempted to use hand motions, which he was scolded for and Haney interpreted his picture as being pants. After a few minutes of babbling words, Samson
recognized Vilfer’s bird in a cage and Warner Brother’s sign and associated it with Tweety Bird, winning his team the game. In the battle of the two respected programs, art defeated the Gazette. The Gazette was previously undefeated until its confrontation with the artists. The Gazette went into the game expecting to be overrun, however its representatives were surprised by their ability to keep up with AP studio art throughout most of the game. Although it would be predicted that AP studio art would have a much greater advantage in a drawing competition with journalists, this was not so. The time constraint allowed for all pictures to be almost equally messy and kindergarten-like. Vilfer and Samson were working under seconds with a whiteboard marker and under pressure; this environment differed from Stephens’s room with its blasting music and weeks spent painting a canvas. Although AP studio art had the upper hand in technique, the Gazette is heavily exposed to an environment of stress, in the form of deadline nights. The artwork was nothing gallery worthy, but sufficient for a good game of Pictionary.
What’s the most bold/courageous thing you’ve done? Asking someone to Sadie’s takes a lot of courage! I’ve also gone on Roar at Six Flags and I hate roller coasters. What’s your favorite drink? Arizona Iced Tea
What is something you want people to know about your club? We’re very passionate about Frisbee and it’s more than just a game for us. And that we play on Saturdays at 11:30 and they should come out and play with us and invite their friends. What is the goal of your club? To improve the life of the average high school student and further a sport that hasn’t been in the public eye. I think it’d be cool for it to eventually be a school sport and give it the credit it deserves.
–Compiled by Kristin Taylor
–Compiled by Sahil Khosla
PARENTS: Certain over-bearing parents stress children to be better Continued from page B4 have short comings, those are the best opportunities for personal growth. Instead of raving them for failing … move on from there.” Health and safety teacher Kathie Sinor said her only real encounter in seeing such pressure was in sports. “A dad was putting a tremendous amount of pressure on his student/athlete to be very successful,” Sinor said. “It was really tough because there was a lot of pressure on the kid to do well. He was good, the pressure was for him to succeed, but you could see ‘Dad’ almost reliving it, because ‘Dad’ was also an athlete in high school and in college. So he was convincing himself that he was either living through it (again) or he wants (his son) to succeed like he did.” Knowing parents have the best interests of the children in mind, Sinor doesn’t think parents realize the amount of pressure they are putting on their children. “(Parents) want the best for their kid, but they are not always doing what’s best for them,” Sinor said. The tremendous amount of stress on children could lead to an outbreak in the form of a collapse. “It’s going to create a lot of tension, possibly, and many times the kids just backfire… total rebellion,” Sinor said. Much of the pressure that is generated on children has to do with the generation today, especially in getting into college. “There is a lot more competition to get in, because a lot more people are going to college (today),” Sinor said. Recent studies have shown that the gap between pu-
berty and reaching adulthood has gotten considerably larger. Children tend to not “grow-up.” “We are raising (kids) to where they don’t have the skills to manage with this stress, to communicate,” Sinor said. “(It also comes from) the coping skills and all the psychology in the ways that we are raising them. We are not allowing them the experiences … to develop a good foundation to manage adulthood successfully.” When parents put pressure on children, especially the younger ones, the children sometimes let out the stress in the form of bullying. “Bullying really stems a lot from them trying to build (themselves) up by knocking someone else down,” Sinor said. “A lot of bullying (comes) from little kids dealing with stress ... kids are kids and they don’t have coping skills to manage stress like adults do, so they are going to let it out in someway.” Putting pressure on children to make them successful also gives parents bragging rights, assuming that the child was successful. “Especially in this demographic out here, it’s very competitive,” Sinor said. “Parents are successful for a reason, (because) they are competitive... We see this all the time when (children) get accepted in colleges. What a lot of parents don’t realize is the number of kids that come back from college after their freshmen year, because they couldn’t handle it for one reason or another.” In order for students to truly succeed, they must be able to put in passion and determination. “The key is to be willing to allow the kids to do it naturally,” Lynch said.
Read the Gazette online: www.granitebaygazette.com Gazette photo /riley mac millan
Seniors Sam Holzer and Tyler Vilfer draw their words in a speedy Pictionary face-off.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Lifestyle B7
w The Granite Bay Gazette
College of the Month: Loyola Marymount University
SENIORITIS: Restlessness starts to set in during spring Continued from page B1 schedules, Israel, a member of the Regional Occupational Program for Business at GBHS, has found a way to end her academic day after second period. Her loophole? One of her off periods is considered a PE class, but she’s been declared “exempt” from PE – as are all seniors. “I take third off PE exempt so I can work more hours because there isn’t a third period ROP Business (class),” Israel said of her shortened day. Tuesday through Thursday Israel goes straight from school to Linked Circles, Inc. for her 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift creating powerpoints and web content for continuing education courses for business professionals. Three days a week, sometimes after already completing a
just kind of did homework and whatever shift at Linked Circles, Israel works the was necessary,” she said. “And then I 4-9:30 p.m. shift at Cookie Connection, a come to find out I have to specialty cookie store. send in my grades to a college “I guess I don’t need to that I didn’t think I was going be making as much money ...I’m not as to have to send my grades to.” as I am,” Israel said. “I’m worried about This reality check came in kind of just saving it for the grade. the form of a supplement from college so that when I get a college that requested inthere and everyone’s going formation such as a mid-year out to dinner, I don’t have – Kyle grade report, to factor into its to be that poor kid who’s Jaynes, decision regarding Israel’s like, ‘Oh sorry, I’m just acceptance. going to have my Top Rasenior “I was so close to getting men.’ ” an A in AP Lang(uage and Israel does concede that Compostion) that I could have her classes have somewhat tried and gotten one, but I taken a backseat to her didn’t,” Israel said, “and now it’s kind of busy work schedule since the start of her coming back to bite me.” senior year. English teacher Diane Contos teaches “I didn’t think grades mattered at all. I
EARLY: Students are certain of futures early in senior year Continued from page B4
Gazette illustration/BROOKLYN KLEPL
Who: 5,950 undergraduate students Where: Los Angles, California Tuition and Fee Cost: $37,605 Acceptance Rate: 53.9% U.S. News Ranking: #4 (regional universities west) Mascot: Ignatius (Iggy) the Lion Athletics: The Lions - LMU athletes compete in the NCAA Division 1 athletics program and are part of the West Coast Conference. - LMU offers 18 Division 1 sports: 10 for women and 8 for men. - The Athletic training room at LMU is available to all athletes. It features a 1,000-square foot sports medicine complex equipped with whirlpools, paraffin baths and muscle stimulation and hydrocalators. - There are also many club sports including surfing, skiing, snowboarding and rugby. Academics: - 1:1 student faculty ratio - The average undergraduate class size is 21 - LMU is comprised of 7 schools and colleges. - LMU offers 56 major and 57 minor undergraduate degrees and programs. - The Graduate division of LMU offers 38 masters degrees, one doctoral degree and 13 credential programs. - There are over 140 active clubs and organizations and a Greek community with 15 chapters. - LMU offers study abroad programs to England, France, Germany, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Africa, China and Japan. Fun Facts: - LMU’s campus is in close proximity to all of the major Hollywood studios. - It is the largest Catholic university on the west coast. - More than 500 students study abroad each year through various LMU programs. - Of the students at LMU, 78% have cars on campus. - In 2006, LMU created the “Iggy Awards” to formally recognize and honor student athletes. - In the fall of 2011, the DejaView Movie Lounge was completed and opened to the students, showing classic and newly released movies. - Compiled by Dorien Johnk
primarily English 12 classes, and so she is privy to much of the onset of senioritis. She notes that springtime is when she begins to see signs such as rowdier classrooms, attendance problems and less completion of assignments. “I just try to do fun activities, use a lot of humor,” Contos said. “It doesn’t do any good to get mean.” Although she worries about her students’ restlessness leading them not to fulfill their graduation requirements, she has come to be more sympathetic, as she will retire this year and is somewhat of a graduating senior herself. “It gets really hard to get out of bed in the morning,” Contos said. “You start imagining all the things you could be doing and will be doing (later). I can definitely relate (to the students) now.”
her reply from Pomona College in Claremont, California. She’ll have to wait until mid-February, which is still earlier than other colleges under regular decision. She visited the campus last year during Spring Break, and fell in love with the overall campus, the dorms and the kind students she had met. “Pomona College has a 98% acceptance rate into medical school after studying there, and I want to be a doctor, so it just sounded really nice to me,” Narwan said. She plans to major in biology and participate in the school’s mentorship program which allows her to take courses relating to her major and aids students in staying on the right track in terms of what they study. Pomona College is a small, private liberal arts college, but Narwan feels comfortable in this sort of atmosphere. “I’ve always wanted to be in Southern California, but I think I would get lost in a big school,” Narwan said. “I wanted to focus specifically on biology, so I decided Pomona would be a good fit for me, especially since it has so much prestige.” Applicants believe a benefit about early decision is that
it shows a student’s dedication to attending the school. But even though Narwan applied to Pomona College through early decision, there isn’t any certainty she will be accepted. “If I don’t get into Pomona, I’ll probably want to go to University of California at Davis, especially since I want to be a doctor and they have a good program as well,” Narwan said. Instead of thinking about being rejected, Narwan is anxiously awaiting her reply. The main reason she applied early decision there instead of to other schools with a pre-med program was because she believed she wouldn’t have a chance of getting into them. “I have a very slim chance of getting into Pomona as it is,” Narwan said. “It’s very competitive.” If she does get accepted, there would be no doubt in her mind about attending. The only possible problem she sees is how to afford their expensive tuition, but Narwan hopes for scholarships. Applying through this early decision route may be risky for some, but assuring for others like Staniszewski and Narwan. Senior Autrin Naderi decided she wouldn’t risk being
binded to a school, and instead applied early action to three colleges: University of Oregon, University of Colorado Boulder and University of Kansas. Out of these three, Naderi would most like to attend University of Kansas, but she’d like to first see all of her available options at the end and make her own decision by April. “I want to be able to go to a college I want to go to, instead of attending some other college that I’d have to attend, while thinking about how much I want to go to a UC or something,” Naderi said. In the end, whether the applicant applied through early decision, early action or regular decision, the choice comes down to where a student feels he or she will be comfortable and ultimately find success. With the class of 2012 soon departing, the class of 2013 has cost likely begun considering where they will apply in the fall. “I would say do your research,” Staniszewski said. “Make sure that you get an idea of what colleges you’re really interested in, and get the chance to visit them whenever you can. Also, make sure you keep on studying.”
RETIREES: Teachers are ready for careers to come to a close Continued from page B1 “There are so many things I want to do,” Contos said. “I just hope I get the time to do them.” Another pair of retiring educators is married couple Craig and Christiane Takagishi. According to Craig Takagishi, one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching in the same district for 37 years is the opportunity to see multiple generations of the same family in his classroom. “I have been here so long, I have had sons and daughters of previous students, which is fun, because I get to see how the parents have grown up,” Takagishi said. While many of the impending retirees had similar reasons for retiring, Takagishi had one specific issue that he felt had worn him out. “I’m tired with some of the politics that go along with the teaching career,” Takagishi said, “such as asking us to do more with less time.” Like other teachers, Takagishi is intent upon maintaining his standard of teaching in his final semester, especially given the lapse he has witnessed in past teachers’
final semesters. “I’ve seen a lot of teachers retire a semester before they are actually retired, (by) just kind of let(ting) the classes go,” Takagishi said. “So I am going to try to make this the best teaching of my career, to put in extra time and make sure my students are really learning, and do my best job now.” Also like other teachers, Takagishi intends to travel with his wife and spend time with family once the year is over. Science teacher Debbie Noyes is the sixth teacher who has made her final decision to retire, and says that wrapping up her career in 2012 has been her plan for years. Unlike some staff members, becoming a high school teacher was not Noyes’ initial career path. “I thought about nursing, but it was hard to get into a program,” Noyes said. “I had been a camp counselor, and I was looking for something worthwhile to do…so I got into the teaching credential program at (University of California, Davis).” After a few years of teaching junior high, Noyes became a high school teacher, and after many years at the same school,
transferred to GBHS, where she has been ever since. In her last semester of teaching, Noyes has experienced changes in her classroom priorities. “I haven’t given any phone violations,” Noyes said. “I have been letting things go. It’s easy because all my students this semester are juniors and seniors, so they have been very enjoyable. I am glad this is my last semester.” While many of the future retirees have indicated interest in general travel, Noyes has one specific destination in mind. “I am saving up to go on a trip to the Galapagos,” Noyes said. “I like to hike, so I will do that a lot, and play golf and not worry about things for a while.” In addition to these six teachers, Physical Education teacher Mike Lynch, who has also coached football and wrestling in his time at GBHS, is considering retirement. Lynch is considering retirement in order to have time to travel and pursue personal interests such as running half-marathons in different parts of the world. “But several things keep me engaged in
teaching; first, I have passion for it,” Lynch said. “Also, as a coach, I still feel the passion for those Friday night lights and for spending time working with athletes leading up to those Friday Mike Lynch night lights.” PE teacher Among Lynch’s plans to retire in favorite memothe near future ries at GBHS are winning the first football Section Championship and coaching Ryan Loder and Gavin Andrews in wrestling, as well as seeing individual students come to understand a concept that previously was beyond their grasp. “This is my 40th year of being a teacher,” Lynch said. “It seems like a nice juncture to pause, look around, and see what life has to offer. So whatever the next phase of life brings, it is going to be an adventure, and I plan on embracing it.”
TWITTER: Social networking used in classroom setting Continued from page B3
“And (the student) did, by Monday.” Seeing that his students wanted to interact with him someway outside of the classroom, that Monday Holmes created a fan page for his class. He considered it to be a fairly successful decision when he realized he could “use it as a teaching tool,” reminding his students about upcoming assignments, homework and tests. However, he emphasized the clear boundary between students and teachers online. “Teachers need to be able to have their private lives, students need to be able to have their lives,” he said. “Teachers don’t need to know what students are doing on weekends, students don’t need to know what teachers are doing on weekends. But, that being said, my students … were still reaching out and they still wanted to interact with me, some way outside of the classroom.” He also said that, after he started it, his students’ grades began to improve. “It’s effective because they are willingly accepting classroom reminders at home,” Holmes said. “They are flipping through their news feed, and they see a note from Mr. Holmes saying
they have a quiz tomorrow.” However, Holmes emphasized that the fan page is not a place to post homework answers, notes that others didn’t take and other kinds of course-specific materials. “Our classroom rules still apply online,” he said. “Whatever you type needs to be appropriate.” Holmes said that another benefit of the fan page is students can support and help each other out by posting and answering each other’s questions. “60 to 70 percent (of the posts) are classroom updates, (and) the other 30 to 40 percent is just me being able to interact with my students,” Holmes said. He hasn’t experienced any downsides from the usage of Facebook and Twitter for the classroom, like cyber bullying. “We live in a world … where the education field itself is intimidated by social media, because there are risks, there are dangers, you can’t regulate it,” Holmes said. “From an administrative standpoint, that’s scary – that kids can say whatever they want, and there’s no regulation.” Holmes finds a way around this possibility by making his expectations clear. “Because … it’s a privilege, interacting with me outside of class, being reminded on homework updates,” Holmes
sure the class is aware of said. “If you don’t lay down consequences for inappropriate the ground rules up front really behavior online. clearly, there can easily be “If they write something problems.” inappropriate I can block their Another teacher who has been accounts so they become a reader using social networking as a only, and they can’t interact with branch for their classroom is the class.” Spanish teacher Jennifer Hill. Like Facebook and Twitter, Hill recently began using edmodo is very user-friendly a website called ‘edmodo,’ and efficient. which is Students can similar to Our classroom decide how Facebook they want in the rules still apply to receive sense that online. Whatever notifications: students they can have interact you type needs it set up to their online. to be cellphones and “It’s a also subscribe lot like appropriate. for email Facebook, notifications. but it’s – Kyle Holmes, English The same safer, in applies to Hill. my opinion teacher “When they ... for one message me, thing, I it pops up on have the my phone as students a text message, so I know that create, on the first day of school, someone’s trying to get a hold a username and password. Their of me,” Hill said. “I can respond username is their Spanish name and period number ... I am trying through the app …there’s an app for the iPhone too, and the to protect their identity in case Android.” ‘edmodo’ did get hacked into,” This helps communication she said. “(Students) can only between teacher and student. message me, directly, and they can message the whole class. But Earth Science teacher John Thomas has also utilized the they can’t message each other (which) I am hoping will prevent Internet for his classroom purposes. cyberbullying.” Instead of forming a page Like Mr. Holmes, she makes
for his class, however, he uses YouTube videos that are incorporated in his class lectures. “I use YouTube video clips in my presentations. Usually at the beginning of the PowerPoint notes,” Thomas said. “I teach Earth Science, and there (are) a lot of things that are much easier to understand if there is a visual that goes with the text.” An advantage of these YouTube clips is the length. They are generally short, making them clear and straight to the point and do not take up too much class time. Thomas can also look over them before class to make sure they are what he’s looking for. “(Each video is) two or three minutes, (and) you can get to exactly what you want.” Thomas said. The video clips also benefit the students. “(In) my classes, I have lots of visual learners, and I think it adds interest and it makes things easier to understand, especially for space, which is sometimes more theoretical, ” he said, “It’s not just words on a powerpoint.” Thomas believes that the clips help add another dimension to the class, and also encourages his students about the subject. “It’s really helpful… I would like to see this happen in every class,” Khosrowkabi said.
Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. H, 2. D, 3. B, 4. A, 5. G, 6. E, 7. I, 8. C, 9. F
B8 Lifestyle
Friday, February 17, 2012
ers talk h c a e t d n a s t n e d u t S isses m d n a s it h ic t n a m ro
HAPPY-is
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Valentine’s Day
artin Junior Paige M campus.
ax Vige
and boyfriend M
bers one of the first Valentine’s Days now that spent with his girlfriend, who is djohnk.gazette@gmail.com his wife, when he was in his senior year of college at University of California, big ns mea Day e’s ntin Irvine. or most, Vale “Before we got married, my wife set . heart shaped balloons and chocolate said the n whe s pen hap t wha up a scavenger hunt for me,” Broers on candies, but ding buil ? to plan “I had to go from building holiday doesn’t go according to to campus and visit different professors Whether it is spending time with a on off get the clues.” boyfriend or girlfriend, or going ds, Broers remembers this hunt being rean anti-Valentine’s Day rant with frien t mos by ally embarrassing, as he had to receive this special day is acknowledged of ool. Sch h Hig Bay clues in front of classes of hundreds everyone at Granite and s look own rd her students. Despite the wei Junior Paige Martin has had e’s glares, he kept on finding the clues that interesting experiences with Valentin es. were left for him. iviti fest Day nt He eventually ended up in Newport “One time my friend’s boyfriend mea Day Beach, which is not far from UC Irvine. e’s ntin Vale cute a d) frien (my text to tin “I met her at a cute little Italian restautext, but he sent it to me instead,” Mar ,” rant and she was waiting there (for me) said. “It freaked me out.” on it e mak ’t didn and d ost fuse alm con “I . her said Broers The mix up left time because I’m not very good at solv nervous that he liked her instead of his and him ed text tin .” Mar zles ing puz actual girlfriend. d the Though he was put in some awkwar cleared up the confusion learning that the of one was it s t. feel den acci still he by ns, her situatio text was sent to more enjoyable Valentine’s Days that Another GBHS student had a more past a ng duri nce they had spent together. memorable experie . Day “Afterwards we went down (to the e’s ntin Vale rely inct dist s zale Gon beach) and walked on the sand and Junior Natalie ion brat cele Day e’s ntin Vale her watched the sunset together,” Broers bers mem s. clas e said. in her third grad to Science teacher Shane Dixon spends She remembers when her class used each and ies part Day his Valentine’s Day’s with his family. er have Valentine’s colto box little a te crea ld “[My daughter’s] school offers a fath wou ent stud al r othe the from s card e and daughter or mother and son form“So lect their valentin . said on Dix ,” dance for the students students. ures like at a “I remember I liked this one guy andput we go there and we take pict ert table dess he a e’s that formal dance, and ther he had Sponge Bob valentines the for all of the guests.” into everyone’s boxes and balloons in zaThe elementary school is called Ruh , corner that he wrote ‘love’ on,” Gon I year ry Eve . use klin beca Roc in ted ry, exci enta ly kala Elem les said. “I got real Dixon’s daughter gets excited by her thought he liked me.” as e ntin vale the t kep she only elementary school dance and time Gonzales said day. ting exci the of e to spend with her father. ranc emb rem and few a ies, stor ent “She anticipates the dance all week Aside from stud up y hurr to me fun before, she always tells GBHS teachers have also had . and get ready for the it,” Dixon said Valentine’s Day experiences. Social emscience teacher Mark Broers rem BY DORIEN JOHNK
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Gazette photo /Riley Mac Milla
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Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE
Sports
Granite Bay Gazette
C Section
Friday w February 17, 2012
Two-sport athlete fighting past injury
Commentary
John Cooley’s wrestling career suffers BY MAT FUKUHARA
mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com
meghan carlsen mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
Professional athleticism: not such easy money
A
s soon as Forty Niners’ wide receiver Kyle Williams fumbled the ball during over time in the NFC championship game, blogs all over the internet lit up with death threats against his life. There were rumors of him needing an escort just to get home safely that night. Can you imagine the feeling Williams had when he realized that the ball wasn’t safely tucked in his arms any more? I could never handle the stress of being a professional athlete. The cons, in my opinion, just simply outweigh the pros. Most people when they are younger aspire to be professional athletes thinking, “Hey wouldn’t it be fun to just play my favorite sport for tons of money?” But how often do we see that glamorous profession for the other things it includes: constant injury, a life consumed in working out and protein shakes, and a career that can end as early as your mid-20s. It would be amazing to be able to do something you love and are good at every single day, not to mention being paid millions of dollars. But in all sports, especially football, it takes a physical toll on someone’s body to be pushed into other people and other objects that often, sometimes the damage is irreversible. Just this season, Johnny Knox, the wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, suffered a broken back and was forced to be secured in a neck stabilizer and carted off ...it the field on a back-board. must just He could feel like move his fingers, but your life the prognosis is over of his health was uncertain and your until they dreams established that he wasn’t are paralyzed. finished. It was a really close call for Knox but he will make a full recovery. However, there have been players that aren’t that lucky. These players suffer from concussions in multiple games per season, many going unnoticed or unrecognized, leaving permanent brain damage once the season ends. Then after you turn 30 (if they keep you until then) what happens? What do you do with your life? I’m sure most have a back-up or don’t even need to work any more but it’s still a rather short career. If they have enough money they just might stop and live off that but we, as humans, thrive to mean something and have a reason to get up in the morning. For all those retired athletes, it must just feel like your life is over and your dreams have finished. Then there are those times when we, as humans, make mistakes like Williams. Even though plenty of mistakes were made during that game, all the anger and disappointment from that game is pinned on him. In the Super Bowl, when Rob Gronkowski, tight-end for the Patriots, realized he couldn’t reach that ball in the end-zone, I can’t imagine the disappointment he felt. And you couldn’t pay me enough money to be standing in his shoes when that happened.
*** Meghan Carlsen, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.
They knew participating in the wrestling season would not be an easy feat, but maybe they could fight through their weakness like their teammate John Cooley did during football season. Cooley, who is also a wrestler at Granite Bay High School, was injured last summer during wrestling camp while facing off with a friend. “We were going through moves and he trapped my arm so I couldn’t protect my fall and I landed on my arm,” Cooley said.
At the time Cooley, didn’t think anything drastic had happened to his shoulder and continued to fight through the pain. But after what he estimates to be a 6 month period of time, he started to feel as though something needed to be done. “The whole time I realized there was a weird clicking every time I rotated (my shoulder) and that’s when I knew something was wrong,” Cooley said. As football season approached, he was examined by his doctor, who said everything was fine, but Cooley wasn’t convinced. “We got it checked out by another doctor and he gave me an MRI, an X-ray and a CT
scan, all in one day,” Cooley said. “(The doctor) said there was a crack in my rotator cuff and I shouldn’t play football.” However, Cooley was determined to play football this last fall and nothing could get in his way of achieving that goal, despite the possibility of not having the opportunity to wrestle in the winter. “I didn’t listen to him and decided to play football and (my shoulder) was getting worse and worse,” Cooley said. Senior wrestler and football player Ian Mook recognized Cooley’s determination to play in the fall football season and also saw the toll it took on him as the season progressed. “I remember going to practice and seeing him holding his shoulder...Going into play-
John Cooley Senior football player and wrestler is fighting through a shoulder injury to be able to play. offs it was really bothering him and after one of the semi-final games, where he made a number of tackles, he was See COOLEY, page C5
Trying to rise above
Girls’ team keeps pushing BY MEGHAN CARLSEN
mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
As junior and Granite Bay High School girls’ basketball player Ashley Boyer looks up at the scoreboard, she sees that her team has just reached 14 points while the other team has reached 70 and she can’t help but hang her head a little. At the game versus Sheldon High School on Jan. 5, Boyer admits the atmosphere was less than ideal for her struggling team. “Our team started falling apart, everyone was getting mad at each other and that’s just kind of embarrassing to have your ‘family’ be angry with you on the court where you’re supposed to support and cheer each other on,” Boyer said. The girls’ basketball program at GBHS is one of the obvious lack-luster parts in a reasonably successful athletic program. “(GBHS) traditionally has not been a girls’ basketball program,” Varsity Coach Angel Delgadillo said. “We have a lot of good athletes...that play other sports yearround and then can’t concentrate on basketball during basketball season.” In a school with many different athletic outlets, basketball seems to fall last on the spectrum for girls.
Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ
Sophomore Jennifer Manduca shoots the ball up for a free-throw, hoping for some extra points at the Woodcreek game on Feb.9, “If basketball is not your first sport and it’s your second or third sport then there’s not as much of you being fully committed to it, because you have other priorities (and) that really plays into it,” junior Grace Borgesi said.
Because some other high schools in this league have a program where girls play basketball year-around together, they are able to learn and grow together. This strengthens them up for the start of the season and leaves the
GBHS girls’ team looking less than prepared. “When you’re in the league that we are, (we are) going against programs where entire teams are playing together year-around; off-season, summer season,
pre-season, spring leagues, (and) winter leagues,” Delgadillo said. “If really puts us at a disadvantage because we don’t have those types of players here.” See BASKETBALL, page C6
College athletics proves rewarding Snow lovers lack an Graduated athletes adjust to athletic outlet at GBHS college life and sports teams
No school ski team offered
BY AUSTIN DOWNS
adowns.gazette@gmail.com
BY HAYLEY MACAVOY
hmacavoy.gazette@gmail.com
Over the last few years, Granite Bay High School has seen the departure of many talented athletes bound for sports at the collegiate level all across the nation. MICHELLE SLAGLE Slagle graduated from GBHS in 2009 and currently plays girls’ water polo at Colorado State University. “It is fun being in the college athlete atmosphere,” Slagle said. “But it’s also a huge time commitment.” College athletics is no easy task. Slagle practices for four hours a day six days a week for a grand total of 24 hours a week. But the hard work that she puts in pays off, especially when the team travels to other colleges to compete in matches. “We travel all over California, to Princeton and the University of Michigan,” Slagle said. One of the benefits that Slagle really enjoyed was the quick connection she had with her fellow teammates. “We always hang out together, have study sessions together and have training sessions together,” Slagle said. But she hasn’t always been a student at CSU. “I was at Loyola Marymount University,” Slagle See COLLEGE, page C5
Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ
Senior Gavin Andrews has recently signed with Oregon State University, following in the footsteps of the athletes who carry on their athletic career at the collegiate level.
Granite Bay High School is renowned for its excellence in sports. But there is one thing that GBHS lacks, that other schools don’t: a ski team. Schools like Placer High School and Jesuit High School both have ski teams that compete on a regular basis. As a school in Granite Bay, California, most students at least know how to ski or snowboard, because of the proxity to Lake Tahoe. Of that majority, about half of those students are avid skiers who make the drive up the hill almost every weekend to ski or snowboard. One of those skiing fanatics is senior Tyler Cannon, who, in addition to being a ski-aholic, also works for Alpine Ski Resort as a ski instructor and does private lessons for various clients. But even with all this involvement in the sport, Cannon admits that he doesn’t actually know who skis and who doesn’t at this
school. “Getting a ski team would help all the skiers at school learn who each other are and make us come together,” Cannon said. He also believes that the formation of a ski team at GBHS will encourage those who don’t know how to ski or snowboard to come out, try it and learn in a fun environment. Junior Joey Long enjoys the snow like Cannon, but prefers to go down the slope on one board instead of two. That being said, Cannon and Long both agree on the prospects of a ski team at GBHS. “(Snowboarding) is a completely unique sport where you can be creative and have your own style,” Long said. “If there was a team at school I would join in a heartbeat.” Both Long and Cannon are firm believers in the formation of a GBHS ski team, but even so they can spot some obvious dilemmas See SNOW, page C5
inside sports Grizz Quiz
C2
Rising Star
C3
Fan of the Month
C3
Athlete of the Month
C5
Sports Briefs
C5
Athletes experience crew outside of GBHS athletics Rowing grows in popularity at Granite Bay High School.
C2
Athletic enthusiasts or fake fans? Social attractions gather crowds at sporting events.
C3
Spring Sports Preview Coaches and players of spring athletics teams share their expectations for the coming season
C4
C2 Sports
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Athletic ability overshadowed by social stereotypes GBHS students assume generalizations about sports and players BY MADI TOULOUKIAN
mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com
When “volleyball” comes to mind, most immediately think of girls in bikinis playing on the beach. Students at Granite Bay High School experience stereotypes in every aspect of life. From cheerleaders to softball players, the athletic department holds no exception. Members of the GBHS boys’ volleyball team see themselves as strong and hardworking athletes, however they feel others’ perceptions of them do not reflect this. “People see it as not a very athletic sport, at least for a guy,” Senior Travis Vincenzini said. Although volleyball, as a sport, has conventionally been thought of as a “girls sport,” GBHS boys are proving that volleyball is an intense sport for both boys and girls. “It’s emerging as a competitive sport for guys and it’s getting to be taken more
seriously,” Vincenzini said. been known to be stereotyped as well. Because of the lack of contact, many While the typical television show or view volleyball as less demanding. blockbuster movie portrays cheerleaders “Even though it’s as conceited, self-abnot a contact sport, it’s sorbed and unintelligent, Even though still really difficult. the GBHS cheerleaders It’s more mental and don’t feel that’s the case. it’s not a contact involves a lot of tech“People think we’re sport, it’s still renique,” Vincenzini said. not (well) educated (and In the 2010-2011 that we) don’t care about ally difficult. It’s boys’ volleyball season, anyone but (our) selves,” more mental and GBHS went 9-1 in the junior Tiana Teunissen Sierra Foothill League. said. involves a lot of Vincenzini hopes the Yet she disagrees. technique. records give his sport Teunissen, among other some credibility. cheerleaders, has chosen “Oh that’s gay” is a a strenuous schedule, – Travis Vincenzini, remark that Vincenzini including the AP US hissenior volleyball player has heard numerous tory block. times, simply because he is a volleyball player. Yet he longs for a better reputation for his team. “I wish that people thought of us as athletes,” Vincenzini said. The GBHS cheerleading team has
“Personally, cheerleaders are (just as) smart and have good grades,” Teunissen said. “We try really hard even if it’s not seen.” Cheerleaders must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in order to participate in the
GBHS Cheer Team. Teunissen admits that she was stereotyped by her closest friends and even her family. “(They) first stereotyped cheerleaders until they saw how hard I worked,” Teunissen said. It’s common knowledge that cheerleaders attend every football and basketball game. However some students don’t appreciate the cheerleaders support. “They don’t even do anything; they stand there and block the game,” is a common remark amongst anti-cheer students. “We’re trying to support the team,” Teunissen said. Softball players also endure a similar fate of being under-appreciated and being the butt end of homosexual jokes. “People think we are all lesbians and it pisses me off,” junior Gianetta France said. Although the GBHS varsity softball team went 3-7 during the last varsity season, they are working hard to improve for this season.
Travis Vincenzini
A senior volleyball player has felt stereotyping at GBHS for his sport.
France admits that the stereotype has some truth, but argues that nothing should distract from the fact that softball players are 100% committed athletes. “Once people actually see us play (they will think) ‘Wow, I wish I could do that’,” France said. This year they are working even harder with their new coach, Michele Granger, a former Olympic player. Softball players like France know how much work athletes have to put into their sport and they don’t let the stereotypes keep them away from the sport. “An athlete is an athlete,” France said. “You can’t take that away from anyone.”
GBHS fans show up for more than the game Students find athletic events intriguing for social aspects
so I think it’s a good opportunity to hang out with them,” junior cevans.gazette@gmail.com David Zavesky said. Many students see games as a Hordes of fans in their “whiteway to pass the time while still out” gear pack the bleachers. connecting with the school. Members of the Tribe are cheer“Sports games bring people ing at the top of their lungs while together in a nice, social environplayers are giving it their all, ment, plus it’s a great reason and but not all fans are there for the place to hang with friends,” junior action. Reilly Pleau said. During basketball and football The appeal of a game is not games, Granite Bay High School always about keeping track of students can always be counted statistical trends, or otherwise on to pack the stands. measuring the performance of From freshathletes. Some atmen enjoying tend the games as their first game a place to let their At games, I as high school wild side out. always am havstudents to se“Because niors who seem there’s so much ing a good time, to have forgotenergy around because I am ten their shirts you, that makes at home, the with fun people you get pumped crowd is always and have a good when supporting rambunctious. time,” Sinclair Over the past my school. said year game atten“You get to be dance has greatly crazier with your – Riley Pleau, junior at increased and entire school instudents have GBHS stead of just a few bonded with the friends,” junior athletics departBrigid Lummis ment, a legacy of added. “Also, you the 2011 graduating class. feed off the energy of the people Interest in GBHS athletics has around you, so if everyone is continued to increase, although cheering and being loud, you are the motivation behind Tribe going to be more part of the crowd involvement has not always been and more energetic.” because students are immensely The atmosphere at sports games engrossed in high school athletics. allows students to express their “I go to games typically to school spirit while still hanging hang out with friends, support my with their friends. Those who go to school and have a fun time while games feel socially connected both increasing my school spirit,” with the school and with peers. junior Kimberly Sinclair said. “At games, I always am having Spending time with friends is a good time, because I am with a common reason for student atfun people when supporting my tendance at games. school,” Pleau said “My friends just hang out there, Although spending time with BY CHASE EVANS
Grizz Quiz
Ashley Boyer Girls’ Basketball
Gazette photo /Riley Mac Millan
Cameron Smith, Kendall Talley, Katelyn Duprel and Kylee Benner show they are more interested in conversation than the game
friends is a major appeal for game attendance, some go to watch their friends actually participating in the game, not because they have personal interest in the sport. “In the previous years, I have gone to the football games to hang out with my friends,” Lummis said “During this season, I was interested in the game more than the social aspect of it because my boyfriend JR Calton (was) on the team.” Most girls feel a sense of pride
and unique school spirit while sporting their significant other’s jerseys. Students can always spot those loyal girlfriends cheering in the stands. Others go to support those in the band, the cheerleaders or the drill team. “One of my best friends is on the cheer team, and I love seeing her perform,” Pleau said Spending time with friends at a game is a unique experience in which students can interact with
peers while feeling connected with high school athletics. “At games I feel energetic for (our) team and have confidence in my school, as well as connected with my friends and the student body,” Sinclair said. Some might argue that to socialize with your friends, spending time at someone’s house would be an easier way to interact. However, the games tend to be more appealing. “My friends and I can hang out
Kyle Osterstock Boys’ Basketball
Johannes Carpenter Wrestling
Nate Brilington Boys’ Basketball
at someone’s house whenever we want, but it’s better when we actually have something to do,” Pleau said “Whatever sports game we attend, we always seem to have a good time. It’s better than sitting on someone’s couch for hours doing nothing,” For many students, GBHS athletic events are the place to be on a Friday night. “I think it is just the great atmosphere at games,” Lummis said, “That makes such a difference.”
Jennifer Manduca Girls’ Basketball
If you were to live abroad for a year, where would you live?
Somewhere in Europe
Germany
England
Romania
Italy
If you could go back in time what era would you visit?
‘80s
‘90s
‘90s
‘90s
‘50s
Strawberry Poptarts
Hot Cheetos
Gummy Worms
Sun Chips
S’mores Pop Tarts
The chicken
The egg
The chicken
The chicken
The egg
British
British
British
American
American
What is your favorite item in the vending machine? Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Do spell “theater” the British or American way?
Gazette photo /Kristin Taylor
-Compiled by Jessica Reese
Friday, February 17, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Sports C3
Losses leave us with more than just a reason to mourn T he month of January left three major losses in the sporting world: a coach who inspired a nation, a team that finally rose to its potential and a young man who had yet to realize the impact he could have. Nationwide, people mourned each of these losses in their own individual way. Whether it was leaving flowers and candles by a statue, drowning their sorrows in a pint or wearing the colors and name of the loved one they lost, each sought to recover from the loss they never expected.
GUEST Commentary
laura preston
lpreston.gazette@gmail.com
How could this man that stood at the head of a football team and a university be gone after 46 years at the helm?
Why couldn’t Kyle Williams step out of the way and secure an apparent NFC championship for the team that nobody expected to be there? What led a bright, beautiful and talented cheer captain to take his own life when he had so much love surrounding him and so much to look forward to? These are all questions that will go unanswered, as is natural in the sporting world. There are freak accidents, trick plays and huge upsets, almost to the point where sports fans should learn to expect the unexpected. But how do we bounce back from this
magnitude of loss that occurred all within one month? The simple truth is that we don’t, because as humans we can’t. These losses will be carried around by loved ones and loyal fans for years to come, and there will be a hole left behind that should be filled by a coach, a ring or a beaming smile. But we do not only have to mourn. Ceremonies have been held to celebrate the lives of Joseph Vincent Paterno and Jeffrey Patrick Fehr. Hundreds, thousands from around the world have written on Facebook with memories and
well wishes for their families. These two men unified countless numbers of people through their sports, both by showing their passion and love for what they did. And while nothing substitutes for them being here with us, the lasting memories and lessons that they left can live on for years to come. Do not only mourn their loss, but celebrate what they left behind and cherish the moments and memories that made these two men great, because to do otherwise would be to tarnish two great souls. And as long as the memory remains, neither Jeff nor
Joe will be forgotten. And as for that team that lost, the San Francisco 49er’s, do not mourn their loss at all, because unlike the others this loss is not permanent. Cherish the best season in a decade, have hope for the future and don’t let a second pass you by. Because there are still many more to come. *** Former Gazette sports editor Laura Preston is a freshman at the University of Oregon.
Winter athletes adjust to snow level La Niña weather front forces skiers and snowboarders to change form BY JOEY PUHALA
jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com
Tahoe is a Mecca for skiers and snowboarders from around the world during the winter season, but this year’s minimal snowfall has greatly affected the region, forcing athletes and businesses to adapt to a shortage of snow and travelers. Last season, Alpine Ski Resort recorded 852 inches of snowfall. That’s nearly 190% of their seasonal average, which was nothing short of great news for skiers and snow aficionados alike. This season, there is roughly a 6 inch snow base, which is far below the average, and too little to sufficiently cover the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This is incredibly disappointing to skiers and snowboarders like sophomore Michael Geraghty. “It’s just rough going from last season, which is the best I’ve ever experienced,
to this one, which is the worst I’ve ever experienced,” Geraghty said. This is especially disappointing because the La Niña weather front, which is taking place this year, is notorious for bringing excess precipitation. The problem is, the snow is falling north of California, and landing mostly in Canada. Snowboarder Austin Pink’s season has also been affected by the unusual weather. “La Niña has essentially just been a disappointment,” Pink said, “With such high hopes I think this season has got the entire snowboard community dissatisfied.” Those like Pink, disappointed by the lack of snowfall, have had to change their riding style from all-mountain to terrainpark riding. “The general style of riding has definitely shifted from last season to this season,” Pink said. “It’s because people would take advantage of the good snow when it was
there. Now that it isn’t here any longer, the people just ride what’s available, and that’s mostly terrain-park.” All-mountain skiers and snowboarders ride the natural features of the mountain, but this style is less popular this year due to the limited snowfall. The alternate style involves snow park employees setting up artificial features, such as rails and jumps. This doesn’t require nearly as much snow, which is created by artificial snow makers. The down side to snow machines is that the snow produced isn’t quite the same as naturally occurring snow. “Mother Nature does it best,” Geraghty said. “Man-made snow works just fine, but when it comes down to it, real snow is far better to the riders.” Even though this artificial snow leaves many riders annoyed, a small minority of riders are satisfied. “Personally, I think the fake snow is working out fairly well,” Pink said. “It still isn’t as good as the real stuff, but given the circumstances, I think they’re doing exceptional work.”
The amount of snow also greatly determines how well Tahoe’s snow industry can do. This is because a lot of Tahoe’s economy, and tourist base, depends on the amount of snow that that the region gets. “I think that the resorts themselves won’t suffer too badly, if anything they’ll just have to raise prices,” Pink said. “I think most of the damage would be done to the local snowboard shops.” In fact, the retail snowboard business is greatly suffering from the lack of snow. “It’s so warm, a lot of people choose not to go up to the snow,” said Ryan, an employee at a snowboard shop in Tahoe who declined to state his last name. “It’s causing a lot of locals to not have work.” While Tahoe does have a lot of activities that don’t involve snow, like hiking or mountain biking, snow sports are probably the most prevalent and generate the most revenue for Tahoe’s economy. “I’m sure it will get better,” Pink said. “It’s only a matter of time before we get a dump of snow that will inspire more people to go up.”
Rowers pursue passion outside GBHS Crew team becomes popular among athletes BY CHASE EVANS
cevans.gazette@gmail.com
Five days a week, and for three hours each day, Granite Bay High School students train with Capital Crew to work at rowing boats as fast as possible. “Rowing is a competition with your team and your boat against everyone else,” senior rower Alex Reyes said. The team has about 30 varsity rowers spread out through 3-4 boats. “(Reyes and I) are both on the varsity crew team and we train with the rest of the varsity squad.” Sophomore rower Ben Snedecor said. The practices are rigorous for the crew athletes. “We start of with a run from anywhere between 2-8 miles and then either lift weights or row,” Snedecor said. While Reyes and Snedecor are two current rowers for Capital Crew, other GBHS students have been competing in the newly popular sport. Former crew rower, Michel Niehans was unable to continue the long hours required to be on the team this season. “They practice every day after school for 3-4 hours,” Niehans said. “It was so much work when combined with the hard classes I am taking this year.” The Capital City crew team is comprised of students from varying schools throughout the area. “There are kids on our team from Jesuit, Del Oro, and other schools around,” Reyes said. The main competition that Capital Crew has is a team from Marin. “The Marin team is always extremely good and they were close to Nationals last year,” Snedecor said. “They are our toughest competition.” They practice and race mainly at Lake Natoma in Folsom and despite all of the time and hard work put in, the rowers all love the sport. “The competition is the best part of it. You are always trying to get better as a team to win as many races as possible,” Reyes said. Crew offers a different athletic experience than any
Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN
GBHS crew members stand on the dock waiting for the command to lower the boat into the water other sport. “It was a great workout and a really fun sport,” Niehans said. “Being on the water feels absolutely phenomenal.” While crew is a relatively unknown sport, the rowers are optimistic that it will become more popular in the future. “It is not at all a weak sport. I think it is just as challenging as waterpolo or rugby and people will start to see that as it becomes more popular,” Snedecor said. There are over a hundred total rowers in both the male and female teams in the Capital Crew program. There are many scholarships for crew rowers which motivate some of the rowers to improve to be able to race at the college level. “One of the reasons why I decided to do crew was to
help get into the Naval Academy,” Snedecor said. “They have a great rowing team and it would be an honor to be able to be a part of it.” People who are not in crew have some misconceptions of the sport and underestimate the vigor required. “Rowing is an extremely demanding sport and you use your legs much more than your arms,” Niehans said. Crew involves a full body workout, so players work on strength as well as endurance. “We run to build up our endurance to go all out the whole race,” Reyes said. “Doing an entire race is exhausting.” The rowers work incredibly hard at their sport and are glad they have an outlet for this athletic interest. “Rowing is one of the best sports out there for a workout and a great competition,” Snedecor said.
Senior Jack Deyager is still a basketball player at heart BY SAM HOLZER
sholzer.gazette@gmail.com
Standing proudly in the front row of the hardwood benches that make up Granite Bay High School’s gymnasium, with Tribe members surrounding him, senior Jack Deyager can’t help but feel a rush of energy. A die-hard Tribe member, Deyager has been waiting to go and support the basketball team ever since football season ended. But his decision to cheer on his fellow teammates instead of being out on the court playing alongside them was a tough one. After contracting a case of mononucleosis his sophomore year, Jack was sidelined and unable to continue on as a member of both the baseball and basketball teams at GBHS. However,
instead of letting his illness prevent him from being active, he joined the Tribe and continues to show school spirit at nearly every sporting event. “I try to go and support the sports teams whenever I can,” Deyager said. Having been with the Tribe since its creation two years ago, Deyager has a unique perspective on its impact on campus. “Having the Tribe makes the games more fun and a lot of people want to be a
part of it,” Deyager said Often before games Deyager will go grab Mongolian Barbeque with his friends. Then, he will head over to the game in a group to get motivated for a night of chanting and cheering. He believes that having the Tribe has created a notable difference in the school’s athletic success, motivating the teams to make them play harder and giving them momentum in the game. One of Deyager’s favorite memories as a sports fan at GBHS was watching the football team win the Section Championships this year. “That (win) was a huge accomplishment for the team,” Deyager said. While he may have had a rough start finding his place in the sports programs, Deyager feels at home in the Tribe and encourages other students to join.
Jack Deyager Senior watches his team in the fourth quarter of a home game.
“We should try to get a bigger Tribe than last year’s,” Deyager said. As one of the few original members left of the Tribe, Deyager is always optimistic about the growth and potential of the Tribe on campus. “I feel like the juniors who will be seniors next year will continue with the Tribe and try to get a lot of people to go and support the teams,” Deyager said.
Courtesy photo
Freshman Natalie Rhodes steals the ball from her opponent
Versatility drives success in soccer BY HALEY BYAM
hbyam.gazette@gmail.com
Natalie Rhodes, a freshman soccer and volleyball player, has recently made a name for herself at GBHS for her willingness to try new sports. A natural athlete, Rhodes’ parents signed her up for a recreational soccer team, which she was apart of for 6 years. “I grew up playing sports,” Rhodes said. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve been involved in many sports, such as swimming, softball, soccer and volleyball.” Rhodes admits that at first she wasn’t motivated to play sports. “I think it was more of my parents deciding to sign me up,” Rhodes said. Even though it was not her decision to start, Rhodes stuck with it and became a part of her team’s 4-0 win in the District Cup. Her success can be directly related to her athletic drive and connection to the team. “I’m a competitive person and soccer is a competitive sport, so I really enjoy playing because of that,” Rhodes said. “Also, you learn to work with other people and keep a positive, motivational attitude.” Her main positions are center midfielder and forward, but her natural athleticism and willingness to play has allowed her to be more versitile when the team needs her to be. “I’m a very flexible player and was put wherever I was needed on the field,” said Rhodes. Her experience with soccer has also helped open her eyes GBHS volleyball. “I took up volleyball because one of my friends played it, and it seemed really fun,” Rhodes said. “I also wanted to try another sport, because soccer was the only sport I was playing at the time.” Despite her success in both sports, Rhodes favors soccer over volleyball. “I like soccer more because I am better at it and I can control the game more than in volleyball,” Rhodes said. “I enjoy volleyball, but because I’m not that tall, I probably won’t continue playing for that much longer, but I hope to play soccer for a while.” Rhodes recently attended the GBHS soccer tryouts and is waiting to hear back. “I always try to go out and have fun and play as hard as I can and not sweat it when I make mistakes,” Rhodes said. “The coaches are obviously looking for skill and soccer talent, but also girls with good attitudes and girls who try really hard and don’t give up.”
C4 Sports
Friday, February 17, 2012
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Girls’ soccer hopes to defend its title
Spring athletic teams hope to rise above and beyond last year’s achievements Girls’ soccer “We hope to make the playoffs again and have a chance to defend our section title which is seldom done in the SFL for girl’s soccer. I’m confident that our returning and new players will step in and make a difference.” Coach Mark Broers
Boys’ volleyball “We expect to be one of the best teams in Northern California and compete for the section championship. We are returning five starters from last season so we have a ton of experience and we also have a ton of depth. We lost in an upset (during playoffs), so we have revenge on our mind.” Coach Bruce Honberger
Boys’ tennis “We are again shooting to become Division II Section Champs - a great goal to aim for and to keep the lads motivated throughout the season. We have a very comparable team as last year in terms of strength. We have some pretty good freshman which will give us a little more depth.” Coach Rory Wood
Track and field “We will have many new faces out there and a lot of potential. Many of our runners were on the cross country team and they had a very successful season. We have outstanding captains this season who will lead not only by example but also motivate this team with their drive to succeed through hard work and contagious enthusiasm.” Coach Jackie Nasca
Boys’ golf “We have all our top golfers back from last season, plus some strong additions. We are very balanced with one senior, Alex Gibbs leading as captain. This group made it all the way to Nor Cals, and is hoping to make it to the state tournament this season.” Coach Terry Stafford
Boys’ lacrosse “We will be a younger team with a lot of juniors, but it will be my most athletic team to date. I think we will have a very strong of defense and will have more weapons on offense than last year. However, a more challenging schedule means that we will have to play more consistently at a higher level than in the past.” Coach Scott Pink
Girls’ lacrosse “With a lot of returning players, we’ll have a very strong team. Like last year, we will have a chance to compete for the league championships.” Coach Stu Brokowski
Swimming “Time will tell how are season’s going to be. We always go into the season with the same expectations which are to win our league and compete for a section title. Our teams are always capable of it.” Coach John Sherman
Baseball “We have a lot of returning players and we are going to be pretty good. Our pitching will be better than it was last year. As a team compared to last year we are expecting to do better and compete for an SFL title.” Coach Pat Esposito
Softball “My expectations for our upcoming season are that we win every game. This year’s team will be better than last years team because we have a core group of players that are returning and who are learning how to depend on each other and themselves to work together towards a common goal.” Coach Michelle Grainger
“I think this season will go very well, especially with our new coach, Mr. Broers. The upcoming team looks good so far and there are many athletic returning players. Our ultimate goal is to win league and sections.” GBHS sophomore Makenzie Brito
“We’re one of if not the best team. We’re confident of winning league and have a good chance of being Section Champions.” GBHS junior Dennis Mathew
“This year will certainly be much different than last year. We lost some solid seniors last year and now our team is full of underclassmen, unlike past years. We’ll still be one of the best teams in the league, but it will be a different season experience.” GBHS senior Jake Keester
“This year’s more of a rebuilding year as we have a lot of young kids and freshmen. The team lost a lot of talented seniors that moved on to BYU, Stanford and Davis. We have a new sprint coach, pole vault coach and jumps. It may not be like last year but we’ll still have some very strong individuals.” GBHS junior Colin Brown
“I know as a team we’re going to be really good. (I’m) expecting a lot of my teammates know we can go really far to state because we made it far last year, all of our teammates are capable of doing big things this year. I’m looking forward to repeating as D II Section Champions.” GBHS senior Alex Gibbs
“We’ll definitely win sections, we have a lot of new young talent that will make up for the many seniors we lost last year, and I’m looking forward to the season. There may be somewhat of a learning curve but it won’t be a problem as all of our new players are smart and love the game.” GBHS junior Zach Burger
“(We) tied for 2nd in league (last year and we have) twice as many girls as last year. (We’ve been) training hard for the season since September. We are expected to do really well. Our goal is to be first in league. GBHS senior Page Kastner
“It’s going to be good. We have a strong team this year. We’re going to have fast relays, all of our kids are fast. We have good depth throughout the whole team so it’s going to be a good year.” GBHS senior Kyle Koukol
“We had a disappointing season last year but we’re hoping to bounce back this season. We’ll have to take it one game at a time, but our ultimate goal is to win (a section title).” GBHS junior Aaron Knapp
“We are going to be competitive and sustain our drive to win. We are shooting to get to playoffs.” GBHS junior Gia France
Compiled by Brad Wong Gazette photos /John Park, Rachael vasquez , KRISTIN TAYLOR and Brad wong
Friday, February 17, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Sports C5
COLLEGE: Grads thrive in sports Continued from page C1
said. “I (then) got a full ride to come to (CSU) and I love it here now.” She considers herself lucky that she signed on with LMU in November of her senior year because she got to avoid the stress of college applications and acceptance letters. However, her relaxed senior year didn’t clear away all the nervousness Slagle had. “I was honestly a little scared because you have such great competition,” Slagle said. “I was scared but I was ready for the opportunities.” Once she began college, she noticed that time management was a little bit more difficult than she expected. “Getting my schedule going was difficult at first,” Slagle said. “But once (I got) it down it was easy.” After college, she plans on going to nursing school or going straight into the medical field. CHRISTINE ZAVESKY Currently a freshman at University of California Berkley, collegiate athletic life could not be any better for Zavesky, despite having a potential career-ending injury that has persisted all through her beginnings as a cross country and track athlete. “Injuries (have become) such a huge issue compared to high school,” Zavesky said. She experienced the injury to her right leg while on her second week at Berkley and it lasted until the middle of October. “I was able to run again after a month,” she said. “But I might have started working out too soon and ended up injuring my left leg.” Zavesky believes that the transition from high school training to college training is what makes college freshmen very vulnerable to injury. “It’s hard on your body (and) your emotions,” Zavesky said. “There are just so many new things to deal with.” The correct diet is especially important to her and her college budget and accessibility to healthy food makes things difficult for her. She looks forward to being able to move out and be on her own next year. Zavesky found herself swamped with everything in her first semester at college. “I was overwhelmed with homework, classes and other stuff,” Zavesky said. “It just felt like a lot.” However, things brightened up for Zavesky in her second semester. She advises that if anyone would like to pursue college athletics, the reward and the amount of effort is great. “If that’s what you really want, then go for it. You will meet some great people,” Zavesky said. As for her, she has had the dream of playing in the Pacific 12 since the age of four. “If tomorrow I was to stop running for Cal forever, I could handle that. I love it here,” Zavesky said.
ALICIA ASTURIAS Asturias is a gymnast for UC Berkley and a 2010 GBHS graduate and is having a very successful season so far. At the end of her junior year at GBHS, Asturias had already known that she would be attending UC Berkley on a gymnastic scholarship. “By my senior year I was so ready to be a Cal athlete,” Asturias said. So far this season, Asturias and the rest of her team have competed in five matches. “Last year we went to Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania,” Asturias said. “This year (the team) is going to Utah (and) we usually have a lot of conference meets.” Although she has traveled extensively across the United States for college meets, it still isn’t as much traveling as when she was in high school. “I love traveling and (it) just goes with the sport,” Asturias said. In the two years that Asturias has been competing for Berkley, nothing is more important than the amount of work she has put into gymnastics. “Getting to show what I have worked for my whole life (and college gymnastics) is the icing on the cake to all the hard work (earlier) in my life,” Asturias said. On an average week, Asturias finds herself putting in around five hours of gymnastic-related activities for five days a week. With such a gymnastic focused week, Asturias is thankful that her last major injury was when she tore her Achilles heel back at GBHS. “Last year I was miraculously able to compete,” Asturias said. “Even I don’t know how I pulled that off.” She is especially grateful for the opportunities that arise to meet new people while attending Berkley. “You’re in this awesome community of athletes, whether it be your teams or any other sports’,” Asturias said. But like Zavesky, Asturias could live without the overwhelming feeling of being busy all the time. ALYSSA ANDERSON Anderson was one of the GBHS graduates of 2008 who migrated out of California, and currently swims for the University of Arizona. During her senior year at GBHS, she took recruiting trips and visited the University of Southern California, Auburn University, Georgia University and University of Arizona. “I couldn’t get over the amazing coaching staff (at Arizona),” Anderson said. “The weather, the college, it just had everything I was looking for.” When she was about to begin her freshman year at college, Anderson was expecting a rigorous year for swimming but more importantly, she was ready for
QUINCY CHRISTIAN As Christian enters finishes up her second swim season at Rice University, the college life has been a great experience for her. After touring many colleges in Nevada, Texas, and California, she came to the decision to commit to Rice University. “I really liked the high ranking of (Rice),” Christian said. “I also really liked (the) tradition we have here.” Just as the other college swimmers do, Christian puts in 20 hours a week to swimming. However, time management is not a major issue for her. “I swam a lot in high school, so I got really good at time management,” Christian said. “(College) is now just the same schedule.” For Christian, the difficult aspect of college is waking up to go to morning swim practices. “Four days a week I have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning,” Christian said. “I now love Wednesdays; it’s my only day off.” Last year, as a freshman at Rice, the girls’ swim team ended up winning their conference, an achievement she is extremely proud of. “We ended up getting conference champion rings (and) they are really nice,” Christian said proudly. This year’s conference final is approaching within the next month, and she hopes to repeat last year’s tremendous success. ANDREW KNAPP Another 2010 graduate of GBHS, Knapp currently plays baseball for UC Berkley and is preparing for the start of their season. “I’m pretty excited for it to start,” Knapp said. Knapp first committed to UC Berkley during his junior year and officially signed
to UC Berkley in November of his senior year. During last year’s season, his team went to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Knapp said. “But I ended up having one of the greatest times of my life.” Knapp’s time spent training is no different than other college sports, spending four to five hours a day on baseball. Heading into UC Berkley, Knapp didn’t know what to expect. “It was a new ‘everything’ for me,” Knapp said. “It was a new school, a new place.” Once settled in, Knapp says that he really enjoyed the freedom of living on his own. “Other than making your own meals, (living on your own) is pretty easy,” Knapp said. For the upcoming season, the team will be traveling to Texas along with the other Pacific-12 matches. “When we won the Super-Regional and knew that we were going to (the College World Series), that was just an amazing feeling,” Knapp said. SHANNON ADKINS Adkins graduated from GBHS in 2009 and is a junior at Pepperdine University and says she is having the time of her life there. “The whole swimming experience has just been great,” Adkins said. But what throws off many people when asked about why she chose to swim in college is that she wanted an easier experience. “I had been swimming pretty intensely all through high school on a competitive swim team,” Adkins said. “I just wanted something more laid back.” As for traveling, she says that the team has mostly stayed in California. Back in her freshman year, Adkins received some horrifying news. “(The team) was told that the girls’ swimming program was going to be cut as we were on our way to a meet,” Adkins said. Despite this devestating news, her team showed no signs of giving up. “The very last meet (of our conference finals) was the 400 meter relay,” Adkins said. “(We ended up) breaking a school record and it was a really touching moment for the team.” While returning from that same meet, Adkins received news that the swim program was not going to be cut and that the team would still be present the following year. Adkins along with other GBHS athletes currently at college highly suggest following a path in college athletics. “You have to work really hard,” Adkins said. “Just put yourself out there and see where it takes you.”
COOLEY: Athlete looks to recover Continued from page C1
just holding his shoulder and I thought he wasn’t going to come back,” Mook said. “That’s how bad it was.” Robert Cooley, John Cooley’s father and co-head coach of the wrestling team remembers the day when John was first faced with the decision to get surgery. “When he found out how severe his injury was, his choices were: get the surgery now and probably not play football and probably not wrestle, or to play football and make it as long as he could,” Robert Cooley said. After the football season, John Cooley felt confident he could make it through wrestling season, but the repercussions of his earlier decision to play football had finally got the better of his shoulder. “A week after the season ended his surgeon said ‘It’s time’ and we’re thinking ‘No it’s not’ because…he made it through football,” Cooley said. “But the reality was we were fooling ourselves.” Cooley remembers the day they scheduled the surgery, a day he knew was coming but hoped would stay far off passed the end of wrestling season. “We left the doctor’s office when he said this is the day you’re getting surgery,” Robert said. “We both went out into the car and just sat there looking at each other, and he said ‘Dad, I think I can probably wrestle. I think I should try’ and I said ‘Well, we can try, but I don’t think that’s a good idea’.” Cooley decided to move forward with the surgery, but the temptation to take the risk and play in the coming wrestling season followed them all the way up until the day of surgery. The consequences of his earlier decision to play while injured were physically apparent, leaving Cooley with an estimated recovery time of six months without any sports, including six weeks in a sling and the remaining time spent rehabilitating his shoulder. This year’s wrestling co-head coach Mike Trout understood Cooley’s decision to play through the pain during the fall and doesn’t feel Cooley made the wrong decision given the circumstances. “He made the decision to miss only one sport,” Trout said. “Having the opportunity to play for the section championship and play on the team is huge and a once in a lifetime deal. I really think he made the best decision by waiting until after the football season was over.” As a result, the wrestling team this year is without Cooley’s talent on the mats, but he continues to be a central role model to the team. “If I was in his shoes, I would be sad as heck with his shoulder, but he’s been to most of the practices and most of our duals and tournaments, so it’s nice to see him there,” Senior Adam Wagner said. “It’s kind of a morale boost to see him there and know he supports us.” Robert Cooley sees the potential as a coach and father for his son. “I have a huge love for my son,” Cooley said. “He’s everything to me and he’ll be back next year, he’ll be bigger and stronger.”
SNOW: Lack of a team raises questions
SPORTS BRIEFS • A total of eight senior athletes signed to compete in collegiate athletics next fall and spring • Andrew Murch will be attending Pacific University in Oregon and will be swimming and playing water polo, a difficult feat to compete in two different sports at college • Dorien Johnk will be attending Loyola Marymount University on a soccer scholarship • Avery Hutchinson plans to attend William Jessup University to play soccer and basketball, another GBHS two-sport athlete
a change. “I was ready to be on my own,” Anderson said. During her first year there, she says that she struggled with time management. “It was all about prioritizing and learning how to do that better,” Anderson said. Like almost any other college athlete, Anderson puts in over 20 hours a week swimming. But during her summer break, she has competed for a USA junior international swim team and hopes to go back to the same program this summer. “I have been fortunate to travel around the country; the world for that matter,” Anderson said. For the national team, she was in Japan in the summer of 2007 and Rome the following year. Her last international event she competed in was China last summer. “The most amazing experience I have been a part of would have to be Rome,” Anderson said. “It’s the (experience) I will always remember.”
Christine Zavesky 2011 GBHS graduate and freshman at UC Berkley competes for their track and field team but suffers from a leg injury.
• Gavin Andrews signed on to play football for Oregon State University as an outside lineman next season • Kayla Karlsson will be attending the University of Cincinnati to play soccer in the fall • Christy Cooper will be playing soccer for the Air Force Academy • Cody Giddings will be playing soccer for the Army (West Point Academy) • Ty Thompson signed to play soccer for Stanford next fall -Compiled by Austin Downs
Continued from page C1 in the process, the main one being the price. “Gas prices, alone, would be outrageous for a big van (to take everyone up in),” Cannon said. Long agrees and adds that the price for food and passes to the resort would add up, and would possibly be too much for most people to join. Another necessity for a school sport would be chaperones. Snowboarding and skiing are both very injury prone sports, and therefore a liability to the school. Chaperones would have to go up to the resort in Tahoe so they’re at every practice in order to ensure that everyone is safe and unharmed. Finally there’s the issue of practices. With most sports, the athletes have to miss school to attend some games, matches or meets. But, for a ski team, they would have to miss full school days in order to practice or go to competitions.
2009 Placer High School graduate Steven Swisely snowboarded for his high school for 3 years. He had practice every other Friday for the duration of the ski season. This amount of lost school time could take a toll on the athletes’ academics, which makes it less appealing to prospective athletes. However, senior Connor Soares attended Jesuit High School for the first year and a half of his high school career and was on the ski team there. Soares didn’t find many major setbacks with being on the team. They would practice on the weekends by going up, as a team, and staying at the teacher-advisor’s cabin. The only costs that came up were for gas, equipment (which most already had), team gear and a season pass to the resort. Soares felt that since most of the people on the team would be skiing
anyway, most of the cost they would already be paying in order to ski or snowboard, only now they would be able to do it together, as a team. “I think a ski team would allow kids to go and blow off steam and improve their riding skills,” Long said. “Snowboarding is a creative sport that is combined with an adrenaline rush, so it’s something that everyone should get a chance to try.” Long compares the thrill of getting on a ski lift to the excitement a child has on Christmas morning, and he wishes that other people can experience the same feeling and come together through team bonding in the snow. “A ski team would help those who want to be a part of a team to be on a team and get to know others they normally wouldn’t know,” said Cannon. “A ski team would create a community of skiers (and snowboarders), here, at (GBHS).”
Junior Jacob King gives maximum effort and intensity at the varsity level. Junior Jacob King hustles to guard a Nevada Union High School forward during a home game on Feb. 8. The Grizzlies lost the game 44-39. Gazette photo/ RILEY MAC MILLAN
BY CHASE EVANS
cevnas.gazette@gmail.com
Jacob King, a junior at Granite Bay High School, is guard on the varsity boys’ basketball team and has been playing basketball for many years. “I started playing basketball in 4th grade and I have loved it ever since,” King said. Fast forward to this year and he is one of the few juniors who are part of the starting six. “It’s really fun to be playing with all of these seniors,” King said. The varsity team is composed of juniors and seniors. Seniors get the majority of playing time while juniors work to improve and receive playing time. “The hardest thing in the transition was learning to keep up with the speed of (the varsity level),”
King said. King practices regularly to be able to keep up with the playing level. “I shoot hoops either at my house or with friends at Johnson Ranch,” King said. King’s teammates respect him even though he is a junior. “He works hard all the time, both in practices and games,” senior point guard Nate Brillington said. King focuses on building rela-
tions with the other players to help their team play basketball. “Team chemistry is really important. Now that I know all of the seniors, it’s easier to play basketball,” King said. King plays basketball year round which includes tournaments over the summer. “My favorite basketball moment was playing in the tournament in Las Vegas last summer,” King said. He focuses on basketball rather than multiple sports. “I stopped playing other sports a couple years ago. I like basketball the most,” King said. King looks forward to the future with Granite Bay High School basketball. “I am excited to play next year as a varsity senior and help lead the team to a big championship,” King said.
Brillington sees a lot of potential in King and hopes that his skills will continue to improve. “(King) gets a lot of minutes and experience for a junior”, Brillington said. “He is already one of the best shooters on our team”. King stresses the importance of The Tribe on both his and the team’s performance. “We really play better when The Tribe is at the game and into the game,” King said. “It motivates us and makes the game more fun to be in.” King’s goal is to win a championship and anything else is less than what he knows they can achieve. “We have the ability to win a championship and I think we will come together and get back to (the state championships),” King said.
C6 Sports
Friday, February 17, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
AT A GLANCE
Gazette photos /RACHAEL VASQUEZ
Sophomore Jennifer Manduca, above, goes up for a shot during the Feb. 9 varsity girls’ basketball game. Senior Daniel Flinders, top right, wrestles in the last remaining seconds of his match on Feb. 1. Senior Koki Arai, far right, shoots against Roseville on Feb. 10. Senior Michael Bertolino, near right, shoots a jump shot after receiving a pass against Roseville.
BASKETBALL: Girls try to rebound after two unsuccessful seasons at GBHS Continued from page C1
Most of the players on varsity girls’ basketball come into the season wanting to play because it’s between the seasons of their main athletic interests and it will keep them in shape. However, with a minority of players on the team playing basketball year-round as their main priority, the program suffers when put against other programs with a high commitment level. “(These other teams) probably have about 40 or 50 games together that they’ve already played and we’re coming in, putting our team together for the first time and the results sometimes can be obvious when we go against those types of programs, “ Delgadillo said. Many of the players agree that with their lack of experience together, the season has a rough start and team chemistry becomes a problem. “It all goes back to fundamentals,”
junior Katrina Reeves said. “You can see the difference between us and other teams. They’re not so much better than us (and) their best player is probably as good as our best player (but) we just still have to develop our team chemistry.” Delgadillo, the JV girls’ basketball coach at GBHS last year, said that after having only six girls try out, they had to pull up girls from the freshman team. “Sometimes (those freshmen) are ready to come up, sometimes they aren’t but just to make sure we have a team (we have to pull them up),” Delgadillo said. In the world of boys’ athletics, most coaches require a full-time commitment without other sports or teams involved. “You either come and play basketball or you’re not on the team (for boys’ basketball),” Delgadillo said. “If I had enforced that policy we wouldn’t have a team.” The lack of players and lack of inter-
est in the sport has affected the team and has taken a personal toll on the players “Because you’ve got the (GBHS) jersey on (and) you’re representing your school, then to lose by that much, it’s embarrassing because we’re supposed to have that good reputation (as a school) and for us not to be able to live up to it (is hard),” Boyer said. The players have struggled with the pressures of the competitive atmosphere of GBHS athletics but despite this, the coaches and the players hold a high level of optimism. “(These struggles are) nothing we didn’t know coming in, and we’re trying to change that,” Delgadillo said. “We’re still looking at the positive and the girls, I think, are having fun and they’re growing. Their efforts are there and they’re not hanging their heads, they’re not giving up, they play hard.” Coaches have started to put an emphasis on building up the team from a young age by pulling up a freshman and
three sophomores to this years’ varsity team. They also have been reaching out to junior high players by encouraging them to practice and commit to girls’ basketball. The team, despite the scoreboard, knows that they have been improving over the course of the season and expect to get even better. “Other teams…don’t take us seriously but multiple times this season we’ve come out and really surprised some teams,” Reeves said. “People underestimate us, I think, and slowly people are taking us more seriously.” With the lack of GBHS athletes interested in basketball there has also been a lack of GBHS fans interested in basketball and the players notice and hope to change that. “(GBHS students) probably think we are just another team that no one really cares about,” Borgesi said. “I feel like if the whole school supported us like they
do with the boys’ sports or other girls’ sports…it would affect us as players.” While there are multiple problems that the GBHS girls’ basketball program has had to deal with over this season and past seasons , the coaches and players all seem to agree that the scoreboard doesn’t show what’s really going on with their team. “I love my team,” Reeves said. “I love going to practice. We work hard and we work together.” While acknowledging their program isn’t top notch quite yet, coaches and players keep up their enthusiasm and are growing closer together even if they have to suffer through some tough games while other GBHS athletics shine at the top of their program. “You don’t have to win to truly enjoy it,” Reeves said. “Obviously we all want to win, we’re all really competitive… but at the end of the day, knowing that you tried hard for your teammates (is what counts).”
green screen.
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The Gazette’s art and entertainment guide February 2012
waiting dventure
Explore a variety of activities and places to entertain in our area
2012 INNOVATIONS High School MusiciaNS Risky business Ring in the new year with new technology
Student band Roses for Lions explores the world of music
lllegal downloading leads to trouble
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In this Issue
SUNDAY
Page 10&11 Adventure guide
Page 13
Dangers of downloading music
Page 14
Embarrassing trends
Page 16
Hunger Games preview/ The Office play review
Page 17
Video games review
Page 18&19 Movie reviews
light
ay
Savin
be g i
Prezzi
VERB DAY
gs
Page 9
march fourth
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2012 innovations
26
ns
Page 8
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
23
NO SCHOOL
Page 4
Food reviews: burger joints
TUESDAY
Presidents’ Day
Music reviews
Page 6&7
MONDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
fe b r u a r y 17
Page 3
Roses for Lions
February 2012
Calendar.
12
6
29 march 3rd
leap year
th
Lip Sync
FINALS
S.A.T.
Thursday: 1,2 Friday: 3,4
pie day
3.14 sam’s bday
16
St. Patrick’s Day
Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY
Don’t hate what you can’t replicate Fashion trends that are criticized for their individuality
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ime and time again, I consistently hear complaints about current trends. It seems as though the insult always begins with a question (of course accompanied by an underlying statement of judgment or critiquing of your apparel). Well, ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to clear those questions up for those of you who don’t understand. Issue number one: combat boots. To answer your passive-aggressive line of questioning, no, we are not in a military training camp. Neither are we thinking about joining the army anytime soon. Combat boots are simply a pair of boots used by military personnel in addition to the millions of people all over the world who also wear them. As much as we care about your opinion, no matter how many times you ask the attempted humorous question, we probably won’t stop wearing them, or at least I won’t. Issue number two: high-rise Levi shorts. This could possibly be the most criticized clothing item of the year. No boys, these are not ‘grandma pants’ and no, we didn’t steal them from the hippies. The trend is back and probably here to stay. Not only is criticism disrespectful and annoying, it also causes some victims to feel upset, embarrassed or discouraged. It takes courage to show up to school and risk being shot down or bullied, all because of what we wear. Although most fashion risk takers don’t mind judgment, it still remains to be simply unnecessary. Issue number three: the sun-kissed hair fades. No, gentlemen, we are not intentionally trying to resemble a skunk. It’s the top hair style of current Hollywood celebrities and offers a convenient strategy which helps on to avoid the need to keep up with highlighted or died hair. Whether it’s intentional or unintentional, no one is going to thank you for commenting on their grown out hair roots.
Commentary
ari black
ablack.gazette@gmail.com
On a side note to this trend (since boys are usually the ones to find this hair style appalling), let’s not forget when you young men would bleach the top half of your heads, leaving the bottom half brown. Consider yourself a contributing inspiration. Lastly, issue number four: nose rings. Although it’s true buffaloes in Thailand do wear nose rings, this joke is only funny the first or second time. This body jewelry is often despised by older generations such as teachers and parents. I find this slightly hypocritical in the sense that they were the ones who sparked this trend back in the ’60s. So, no, we’re not going to a rock concert or considering joining Hell’s Angels, but thank you for the lovely complements, . Individualism should be promoted; not shot down. Until we all promote the traits of being unique and daring, we will continue to be a community where we’re stereotyped to be close minded and judgmental of others.
February 2012
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Music.
Celtic Woman Believe BY MYLES SLATTERY
E
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
very once in a while, people may like to enjoy a harmonious, ear-soothing Irish extravaganza. The album Believe by Celtic Woman has shown me that listening to music outside of the ordinary pop/hip-hop bubble is quite enjoyable. Along side the angelic voices of these women are gleeful lyrics that will simply project the image of a young boy frolicking in a grass field. “Awakening” by Celtic Woman is an inspirational song that portrays an underdog overcoming and crossing boundaries that have been left uncrossed. The Irish song, “Téir bhaile riú,” which when translated into English means “love at home,” is essentially a song that delineates the meaning of the cliché “home is were the heart is.” “Nocturne” is a heart warming song of
inspiration and encouragement to work towards goals. “Never cry, never sigh… always be, always see,” causes an inspiring and spiritual feeling to listeners. This album is slightly more traditional than the type of genres most high schoolers listen to, yet keeping an open mind could offer a new found love for this choir. Celtic Woman makes my ears tingle with giddiness and joy! Unfortunately, there are some downfalls to the album. Celtic Woman’s rendition of “A Spaceman Came Traveling” is quite simply horrible with overwhelming high pitched voices that could possibly could break a glass with ease. Also, when I hear “A Woman’s Heart” the vibe it thrusts upon me is that of an old, cranky lady named Gertrude. Back on a positive note, if people are interested in a hefty dosage of bagpipe (like any
one in their right mind is) the song “Sailing” is the perfect fit. “The Water is Wide” is a soothing, pop motivated song that again is marinated in the melodies of bagpipe, with harmonic lyrics that slither off the tongues of these Irish females. To someone that believes in the power of friendship and love, I encourage you to let your ears bask in the tranquil waters of the song “Follow on.” This song is filled with acoustic harmony and violin playing that has descended from heaven. Quite simply, this entrée of musical beauty satisfied my hunger for a superior Irish-adult contemporary musical piece. I highly suggest people to listen to this album if they ever decide to either ride a horse through a country side, take a long bubble bath or are interested in spellbinding Irish ladies serenading sensual songs.
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MANHATTAN RECORDS
Believe was released on Jan. 24
Skip to: The Water is Wide
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Of Montreal Paraliytic Stalks BY JOEY PUHALA
jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com
POLYVINYL RECORD CO.
Paralytic Stalks was released on Feb. 7
Skip to: Winter Debts
Of Montreal is a 15 year old psychedelic pop band. Paralytic Stalks which released on Feb. 7 is its eleventh full album release. Over the course of the band’s history, it has progressively gotten more and more abstract, though not necessarily in a good way. The opening track “Gelid Ascent” starts off the album with some distant yodeling and humming, leading to a drop to a funky mush of lyrics. The whole vibe of the song is very depressing and slightly repetitive, but also strangely enjoyable to listen to. The next track, “Spiteful Intervention,” is a little more upbeat. Despite the happy musical vibe of the song, the lyrics take you right back down to depressed-ville.
“Dour Percentage” follows after that with a happy and upbeat sound. I am sure the lyrics would be depressing, that is, if you could decipher them. The vocals of this song are far too hard to understand. Regardless, this track is moderately pleasing to listen to and, has not one, but two very catchy melodies that are played throughout the song. Next, I endured eight minutes of “Ye, Renew the Plaintiff.” Well, let’s just say the title certainly speaks for itself. The song is essentially the lead singer cursing to his “haters” over a drawn out mash up of sounds. “Winter Debts” is next and is the only track on this album that abides by the laws of the traditional musical world. In fact, it’s pretty good.
Enter Shikari A Flash Flood of Colour BY SAM HOLZER
E
sholzer.gazette@gmail.com
nter Shikari offers contagious and addicting lyrics on the intro track of A Flash Flood of Colour, the band’s fourth and most recent album. Punctuated by strikingly forceful violins, a sound often missed in modern hardcore music, serves to introduce the listener to one of the most dynamic bands in the genre today. Yet by any metal heads traditionalist perspective, Shikari would fall far outside of the standard type of metal music. Hailing from England, the band heavily incorporates elements of the drum and bass as well as dubstep. These two genres have their origin in British electronica, as the heavy bass wobbles sound more like traditional dubstep than most Skrillex fans are used to. This is not an entirely unique concept to modern metal music as other bands such as The Devil Wears Prada, who they toured with last year. What really sets Shikari apart is its lyrical
content. Rooted not on the classic motifs of brutality or broken bones, as most hard core music often is, Shikari instead opts to channel other subjects such as the Occupy Wall Street’s generation cries of oppression and corruption. It captures the anger and frustration of today’s youth, who have staged massive demonstrations all across the globe in protest of their governments. Shikari uses their outcries as inspiration, lamenting the use of “a long outdated system that produces war, poverty, collusion, corruption, ruins our environment and threatens every aspect of our health and does nothing but divide and segregate us.” The written content of the album could be considered a galvanizing political manifesto in and of itself, urging a revolution of politics and society today. This is balanced with a tight musical package utilizing thick bass lines and exhilarating guitar parts as well as equally haunting and uplifting electro loops. What makes the delivery of this aural assault so much more passionate is the sheer ferocity and zeal with which the lyrics are shouted,
The whole song is slightly mellower than other tracks and, aside from a three minute solo of foreign sounds, it is actually pretty catchy. Eventually the album returns into the eerily demented sounds with “Exorcism Breeding Knife.” The only exorcism that occurred was done to my soul. That is all I have to say about that track. The last track, “Authentic Pyrrhic Remission,” is over 13 minutes long. It feels more like a theatrical performance than a song. My overall thoughts on this album are that it was pretty hard to listen to. In my opinion, a band can only be so abstract to a point until its lyrics start sounding like a churned compilation of big, eerie, words. Unfortunately, that’s where Of Montreal stands right now.
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screamed and sung, in an all encompassing vocal range by lead singer Rou Reynolds. The opening track, “System…”, builds up a story of childhood hopes and dreams crushed by society, only to drop into one of the most exhilarating songs on the album “… Meltdown.” Following this one is “Sssnakepit” which weaves in a pattern of bass wobbles and lyrics pledging to push back at the societal weight crushing our generation. The album isn’t entirely composed of doom and gloom however. “Stalemate” utilizes an acoustic guitar build to lament the money hoarding of the wealthy, while the closing track “Constellations” is a beautiful purpose statement about advancing and progressing society forward. This album is a defining career point for Enter Shikari, capturing its sound and message, while continuing its unique take on the hardcore genre. Metal heads should start embracing their English roots before they’re caught off guard by this new British invasion.
HOPELESS RECORDS
A Flash Flood of Colour was released on Jan. 17
Skip to: Arguing
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February 2012
local music.
ROses FOR Lions Students form a band and play local shows
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BY CHRIS PEI
cpei.gazette@gmail.com
he local studentformed band, Roses for Lions, played at Club Retro in Roseville on Thursday, Feb. 16, opening for From Indian Lakes, whose band members are currently on a North American tour. Senior Nick Jones, vocalist and guitarist for Roses for Lions, said that he was extremely excited to play with them. “From Indian Lakes is one of my favorite bands,” Jones said. “I’ve actually played with them once before , but that was over a year ago.” According to Jones, Roses for Lions was originally formed in April of last year and has mainly been playing at nearby venues, such as Club Retro. The band members define its genre as alternative grunge, with influences ranging far and wide.
Jones notes Death Cab for Cutie and The Foals as inspirations for his musical style, but said that overall his influences are rather mixed, also accompanying musical components of grunge. Senior Nick Badal, the band’s drummer, who started playing drums when he was only eight years old, said that his influences are primarily rock and jazz. Junior Zach Lilley, the band’s bassist, who started playing the bass when he was in the seventh grade, also noted similar influences. According to Jones, their related musical backgrounds may have contributed to the overall success as a band. However, Roses for Lions has not always been a three-person band. Jones originally started the band with senior Carson Johnson. He later recruited Badal, Lilley and Cody Sleight, a junior at Bella Vista High School, through school connections. However, due to conflicts in the members’ musical styles, the band eventually became the trio that it is today, consisting of Jones, Badal and Lilley. Currently, the band has somewhere around 15 completed songs, although, according to the band members, not all of them have concrete names. “We’re constantly working on new things,” Jones said. “We always have these ideas just floating around, and we often come up with ideas on the spot while we’re practicing.” The band performed some of its newer songs at its latest gig at Club Retro, a venue that it regularly performs at. On average, according to Jones, they are able to sell
around 35 tickets as a band. However, for a gig in December, the band was only able to sell 12 tickets, due to the location of the venue. “We played at the Firehouse for our last gig,” Jones said. “The turnout was pretty bad since no one really wanted to drive out all the way to Sacramento.” The band is continuing to ask for support from the school and the community and encouraging more people to come out and see its shows. As for the band’s future, Jones said that he’d like to continue playing together for as long as they are able to. “I’d love to keep the band together, but where I end up going to college and where Nick ends up going to college is going to make a huge difference,” Jones said. According to Jones, the closest college where he could be attending is in San Francisco, and for Badal, in Davis. “Things aren’t looking good, that is, unless we become famous,” Jones added jokingly. As for Lilley, he plans to continue playing bass in his spare time after the other members head off to college. “On the off chance that I find some other guys that want to get together and maybe start something, then I’d be all for it,” Lilley said. Regardless, both Jones and Badal said that the one thing that they plan to take away from their experiences as a band is their love for music and performance. “Our one priority as a band now is to show off our music as much as we can,” Badal said. “We’ll keep performing and playing music up until we have to go to college and go our separate ways.”
Gazette photo /ALEX KIMBLE
February 2012
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green screen.
KELLIE SLINGERLAND
When did you first begin to paint? I started painting at the end of my sophomore year and I’ve had five semesters of art.
What is your favorite aspect of painting? Probably the end when the painting is finally done, because the process isn’t very fun to go through, but once it’s done and your showing everyone and everyone says ‘oh my god that’s so good,’ that’s my favorite part.
Has your work been accepted in any galleries? It was actually just recently accepted into the Barton Gallery in Sacramento, and my show will be in March. What style of painting do you use the most? I like really realistic and clean cut, real tight backgrounds with emotional figures. Basically, everything I paint has some type of female girl in it. Right now I’m kind of into doing vintage 50s pin-up girls.
Are you planning on pursuing art in the future? I want to be a wedding cake decorator, but I want to be a real artistic, structural wedding cake decorator, so yes, l will continue on with art in my life. Compiled by Nicole Bales
Teacher Playlist
Suchi Krishnaraj shares her eclectic music style I like the following songs because they make me want to dance like a fool (which I occasionally do): “Sexy Chick” – David Guetta “Mr. Saxobeat” – Alexandra Stan “Stayin Alive” – The Bee Gees I also like the following because they take me back to my high school days: “Anything” – Bon Jovi “Take on me” – A-ha When I am working I usually listen to: “Moonlight Sonata” – Beethoven “Put the Top Down” – Dave Koz
Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN
Kellie Slingerland holds her painting about letting go of anxiety and embracing happiness
We the Kings- Ace of Spades (Feb. 19) Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Pacific Dub, Official Response, Element of Soul & Street Urchinz- Ace of Spades (Feb. 21) Jolie Holland and Sea of Bees- Davis Live Music Collective (Feb. 21) Andy McKee- Center for Spiritual Awareness (Feb. 22) The Nibblers- Torch Club (Feb. 24) The Growlers- Harlow’s (Feb. 28) Island of Black and White- Torch Club (Feb. 28) Drake- UC Davis (March 7) Blake Shelton- Power Balance Pavilion (March 15)
Suchi Krishnaraj S-Curve Records
Drake|October’s Very Own
Jolie Holland
Andy Mckee
Warner Music Nashville
The Growlers
“Nagada Nagada”- Jab We Met “Chamak Chalo”- AKON “Why this Kolaveri”- Di Compiled by Samantha Spargo
When I’m at an Indian party I listen to:
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February 2012
eat.
R E G R BU A Z N A N BO
Gazette staffers sample local American food restaurants
Smash Burger BY AUSTIN DOWNS
adowns.gazette@gmail.com
When I visited Smash Burger, I got a simple cheeseburger and fries for around $6. A unique thing about Smash Burger’s hamburgers is that, instead of a traditional bun, its bun is an egg bun, which I must say tastes better than a normal bun. The meat quality and taste is above any burger I have ever had. Although it was slightly too crunchy, it was satisfying nonetheless.
However, I had a hard time tasting the cheese on my burger. I suppose that the cheese just blended in with the overall taste and I couldn’t distinguish it. The fries were nothing special. I felt that the fries brought down the overall quality of the meal. In all honesty, the fries were worse than those of McDonald’s. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect temperature: the restaurant was a comfortable 71 degrees. While eating my food, I couldn’t help but notice how many employees were currently on staff. Now, I’m no businessman, but I don’t think I would
Jack’s Urban Eats at just how meaty they were. Normally, when I hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com think of salad, I picture a small bowl filled with a few lettuce leaves covered in a random sugary American dining has been characterized as dressing, hardly a meal to say the least. But at unhealthy thanks to the fine reputation of fast Jack’s, salads are hearty enough to constitute an food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger entire, well-rounded meal. King. When it came to order, I went for Jack’s classic Jack’s Urban Eats, sandwich, with extra barbeque however, defies this sauce on the side. stereotype. Jack’s staff were willing to The service Instead of greasy accommodate any order. My hamburgers, Jack’s has was efficient, friend asked for three avocadoes fresh sandwiches, with on her sandwich and, even the food was non-processed, non-deep though the request sounds odd, fried meat. And their salads delectable and the staff gladly obliged. are made with real leafy My food arrived in a pretty the environment romaine or spinach greens; standard amount of time, not was simple yet no lifeless iceberg lettuce particularly fast or slow. to be found! My only complaint about it was interesting. Jack’s opened earlier this how sad my lonely sandwich year, filling the space that looked on the plate by itself, was once Applebee’s, and – Hayley McAvoy with nothing to accompany it has revamped this long but a single sad pickle (which I deserted dining destination. didn’t even touch). On this occasion, I chose Besides that, it was, in a to go there at approximately word, amazing. Words just two o’clock on a Thursday afternoon, so suffice can’t describe how much I enjoyed that simple to say, I didn’t have to wait in line very long. sandwich. When I went at noon on an earlier Saturday, I My experience at Jack’s Urban Eats was a had to wait for 20 minutes just to order, then great one. The service was efficient, the food another 20-30 to receive my food. So, for this was delectable and the environment itself was popular eatery, be sure to go at an obscure time. simple yet interesting. As soon as I walked in, I picked up the menu The only thing that would stop me from going and was surprised to see all the different options back every single day is the price. My total meal all based around meats, salads and sandwiches. was around $12, which isn’t terrible but isn’t Jack’s offers sandwiches with everything from exactly a bargain meal. spicy buffalo chicken to Hawaiian chicken and Overall, I loved my dining experience at Jack’s also includes a vegetarian option. and would definitely recommend it to everyone. When I looked at the salads, I was surprised BY HAYLEY MCAVOY
last long in the restaurant business by constantly overstaffing. While the decor wasn’t over the top colorful or simply plain and dull, it had a slight artistic feel that made me like it. My visit to Smash Burger met my expectations, but failed to exceed them. I would most definitely recommend trying Smash Burger at least once.
Islands Fine Burgers BY MARY HANEY
mhaney.gazette@gmail.com
Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks located right off of Taylor Road near Sunsplash and the Marriot, was a crowded family friendly burger joint with friendly service and even better burgers. I had never been to the inviting island-style restaurant and its dim lights and friendly atmosphere was very inviting. My mom and I were seated immediately and greeted by our friendly waitress that helped us through our visit. The menu’s main burgers ranged in a price from about nine to fourteen dollars and all came with sweet potato fries or an unlimited supply of basket refills of their classic French fries. Although some may seem pricey, each burger on the menu was definitely large enough to split, which we noted before placing our order and decided to follow suit. We decided on ordering Island’s Rincon burger which was filled with guacamole, bacon, Swiss cheese and fresh produce and unlimited classic fries. Our food arrived and to our surprise, the Rincon burger
came with a generous amount of delicious guacamole that was smothered in all of the other goodness that came with our burger. We ate right away without hesitation and were so busy eating that I didn’t realize we hadn’t been speaking. The noise of the other customers seemed to drone out with every bite of our delicious burgers. As our burgers came to an end, we commented on the great service and quality of the food we’d just been served. We had decided on asking for one more refill of fries while we digested and slowly munched on them as we talked and listened to the football game. After finishing off the last of our drinks and fries, it was time to leave, full and content. Because we had split a burger instead of ordering two, I managed to walk of out Island’s with a mere $15 bill, including tip. Although seemingly pricey, Islands Burgers large portions made it a perfect place to split a burger in order to keep your cost low and enjoy a great meal.
February 2012
Squeeze Inn
Five Guys BY BRAD WONG
brwong.gazette@gmail.com
The hamburger is certainly one of America’s favorite gastronomical indulgences. However, fast food restaurants have managed to mass produce and ruin the quintessential tastiness of the burger. Finding a decent burger joint besides a regular In-N-Out, McDonald’s or Carl’s Jr. can be a challenge. So, the opening of Five Guys in the Safeway shopping center provided hope for a different spin on the American classic. The restaurant’s décor resembles a traditional American diner. The open kitchen full of grilling burgers, retro red-painted walls and complementary bags of peanuts all add to the feel. The only thing that bothered me was the heat of the restaurant. Because of the open kitchen, the heat of several grills hovered over the entire restaurant and created a cloud of heat. The hot food didn’t help make the high temperature any more bearable. It seemed that there wasn’t any air conditioning at all, which made eating quite uncomfortable. The food, though, turned out to be quite satisfying. There is a plethora of toppings, from mayo to dill pickles and everything in between. Moreover, there are plenty of different types of burgers: cheese, plain or bacon, all single or double stacked. After a few minutes, I sat down with the double bacon cheeseburger I had ordered. Five Guys sells cheese, plain or bacon burgers, all single or double stacked. I also bought a small order of fries, which turned out to be larger than I expected. Then, I looked in the paper bag that contained my meal and saw another overflowing cup of fries. I was excited to
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eat.
indulge in more of these crispy delights. When I finally finished my mountain of fries, I turned to open my aluminum foil wrapped burger. While the burger was tasty and filling, I was a little disappointed by the quality. One of my favorite parts of a hamburger is the bun, toasted on the grill and crisped to a delightful golden brown. However, the buns on the Five Guys’ burger were not crispy at all, almost soggy as if they had been steamed, not grilled. Most of the burgers flavor came from the ketchup, onion and pickles that I piled on top. Overall, Five Guys packs an extremely filling meal, all for around $9. If you are looking for a change from the ubiquitous fast food joints, Five Guys is worth a try.
Gazette photo /BRAD WONG
Five Guys is located near Jack’s Urban Eats off Sierra College and Douglas
BY JOEY PUHALA
jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com
As an aficionado of American cuisine, I often find myself lodged at one of many local burger joints to satisfy my cravings. Among one of the more unique options is Squeeze Inn, just off of Douglas Blvd. Roseville’s Squeeze Inn is one of five locations around the greater Sacramento area. Upon arriving, one of the first things I noticed was the restaurant’s morbid lack of original atmosphere. Although it has a few pieces of gimmicky décor, the restaurant seems to lack character and felt a bit too much like a fast food restaurant than a bona fide burger joint. This is probably because the Roseville location of Squeeze Inn is relatively new. This lack of character takes away from the eating experience. After taking in the ambiance, I stepped into the extensive line leading to the register. The menu, filled with classic American diner dishes, features the “Squeeze burger” at the top, so I decided to order one. I then sat in a booth and waited for my meal. About 10 minutes later, a waiter walked over to me and served me my food, which is a nice feature that makes the restaurant less like fast food and more like a restaurant. The burger was incredibly visually appealing.
With a blanket of cheddar cheese grilled on and around the patty and a thick sesame seed bun covering juicy toppings, with steam pouring out from under the bun. The fries and milkshake I ordered were along side the burger and, although they did not look quite as spectacular, they appeared delicious nonetheless. I immediately sunk my teeth onto a corner of the ridiculously cheesy burger, and I could instantly tell that was going to be a very enjoyable meal. The cooked cheese that sticks out from the edge of the burger adds another layer to the traditional hamburger. But, once you get past the “cheese skirt,” the burger itself is nothing more than standard; in fact, it falls short when compared to other local burger joints. Not long after starting the burger, I began my endeavor on the fries and milkshake. Expecting them to be slightly sub-par, I was blown away with their quality as compared to my burger, specifically the milkshake. The folks at Squeeze Inn seem to have nailed the chocolate milkshake recipe with a just right amount of richness. The fries were also wonderful. Thinly cut and shining in an oily coating, they tasted spectacular. Overall, the burger wasn’t quite satisfactory, but the fries and the shake blew me away and compensated for the burger.
The Counter BY NATALIE KREEGER nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com
Especially when it comes to American food, the classics are becoming increasingly mundane. Pointing to a menu has become one of American’s finest talents; yet, many American restaurants and burger joints have taken a different approach, directly contrasting this pre-set menu mentality: letting the customers build their own burgers. One of such restaurants is The Counter in the Fountains shopping center. The restaurant had a family-style, diner feeling. Greeted by a smiling staff, I was quickly seated at a table. A waiter provided me with both a menu and a colorful clipboard. The clipboard has a “Market Selection” sheet, which allows customers to build their own burger. Simply put a check mark next to a burger element, and the chef will dish it up. There are four sections on the “Market Selection” sheet that allow a customer to personalize a meal: burger, cheese, toppings, sauce and bun. The system is
essentially mix and match. The options are nearly infinite. For example, there are four types of burgers offered, such as beef, chicken, turkey or veggie. For starters, I turned to the pre-set menu to order something. I chose to order a plate called “Fifty-Fifty,” which allows customers to choose between two types of fries. I was really content with this plate because I was able to order both fries and onion rings. Next, for my main dish, I ordered a grilled chicken burger, with imported Swiss, lettuce blend, grilled pineapple and carrot strings. Within 15 minutes, I was happily eating my unique burger, while also enjoying my mixed order of fries. Because The Counter provides customers with the option of building their own burger, while also providing the standards on the menu, you really can’t go wrong. Any route you may choose, you will be satisfied. An adequately priced burger place, The Counter offers a distinguished way to build your own burger, while also providing a menu.
The Counter not only accommodates to the masses, but also provides an alternative to the typical standards.
Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO
The Counter is located in the Fountains shopping center across from the Westfield Galleria Mall in Roseville
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February 2012
tech.
The next big things for 2012
What to look out for this year Near Field Communication
W
NFC FORUM
NFC’s are slowly gaining momentum and will change the retail experience
hile many people have never heard of Near Field Communications (NFC), three initials have the potential to revolutionize the shopping experience. NFC’s are small chips that are becoming more common in new smartphones and allow smartphones to make secure and intuitive transactions. They’ll also be complemented by “smart posters,” which the NFC’s can scan and give users a discount while shopping. These smart posters can be hung in retailers from apparel to coffeehouses.
But that’s not the even the boldest change. NFC’s will make the traditional leather-stitched wallet a thing of the past. “NFC’s allow the user to create a virtual wallet that will replace their physical one. It will also significantly change the retail experience as we know it,” IT specialist Shisir Gupta said. Luckily, NFC’s offer a quick and secure method of payment that only works within a few centimeters, giving users a sense of security when making their transactions.
Besides improving the security of transactions and replacing the conventional wallet, NFC’s will also make purchases far more convenient for consumers. “(The transactions) can be passive, (which means that) the consumer would not even have to think about it (as) an enforceable measure on the transaction,” Gupta said. “(That way) they don’t have to modify (their) behavior, which is always easiest.”
iBooks
T
APPLE
iBooks offer a creative approach to textbooks since they provide vivid images and videos to enhance the learning experience.
he future of education is also going to see many significant changes within the next year. Using iBooks, educators and students will be able to further enrich the classroom. Apple recently partnered with textbook publishers, including McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Pearson, to create material for iBooks and decrease the price of textbooks. These online textbooks will push the boundaries of a conventional textbook and make learning a more interactive experience. “Allowing a college professor or high school teacher to publish their own books and (incorporate) links, video and 3D-animations makes learning a whole lot better,” Weid-
kamp said. The addition of multimedia can revamp the way students learn and help simplify concepts through visual stimulus. Videos of experiments in an AP biology textbook could enrich the class with vivid and interactive graphics. iBooks make content more accessible to students and surpass the confines of a traditional classroom. They have the potential to drastically alter the way people view education. This tool is centered on what’s more convenient for students and educators. Plus, online textbooks make it much easier to receive up-to-date information and can provide a cost-effective solution to problem of updating old textbooks.
Using iBooks, students can also create note cards for quick review and will have lighter backpacks, since there is no need for multiple, heavy binders. The ability to have access to educational material around the clock, the ability to take notes in virtual textbooks and share this information across many different platforms provides hope for the future of education. Assistant principal Dave Vujovich also believes that iBooks will help high school students. “(You can easily) push information (across devices) and be up to date whether it’s for calculus or U.S history,” Vujovich said.
iCloud
I
APPLE
The Cloud allows users a safe way to back up what matters to them most and share files across their various gadgets.
t appears that almost everything these days is available on a digital platform, from textbooks and class lectures to entertainment and social media outlets. While it may not be puffy or white, Cloud computing embraces this concept of secure storage and allows users to easily share their content between multiple devices. Cloud computing isn’t that new to businesses, but it has made significant leaps to reach the hands of everyday users through their smartphones. And companies like Amazon, Apple and Google have all developed their own Clouds to pave the way for this growing market. The Cloud makes it easier to access documents and files. It’s also a secure solution that won’t let a hard drive crash ruin the day. Convenience is, after all, the key. Several Information Technology (IT) professionals use the phrase
“Convenience, accessibility and security” to define the characteristics of a good Cloud solution. Carl Eberling, Chief Technical Officer of Quest Software, explains how Cloud computing will change. “The phrase epitomizes what Cloud computing should be,” Eberling said. “I think (that), beyond the hardware, it also will profoundly impact infrastructure software as well, (so that) the way we think of computing will change.” Apple’s iCloud is one of the more popular Cloud sharing programs and allows users to seamlessly transfer content from their iPhones, iPads and Macbooks. The iCloud stores apps, music, photos, calendar reminders, documents and more in a virtual database and gives each user the standard 5GB virtual storage with the option to upgrade to larger levels of storage. Upgrades such as an additional 10GB, 20GB
and 40GB of storage are available from $20 a year. “It will have a big impact because, like TIVO, it has educated the masses about the Cloud,” Eberling said. “So something like iCloud, for example, has had already a huge impact and has moved the efforts forward. People are already asking how they can protect their photos, or music, or videos by moving them to the Cloud.” The Cloud significantly changes the way people can access their files. It also solves the problem of having to juggle documents between different devices. Granite Bay High School advanced media teacher Zachary Weidkamp said, “(It’s no longer a problem that) you don’t have your iPhone or you don’t have your iPad. That’s all gone out the window.”
February 2012
Page 9
green screen.
New online presentation tool used in GBHS classrooms Steve Madden
Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO
“It provides an alternative to PowerPoint, it’s neat, and it’s visually appealing,” librarian Julia Hedstrom said. While most of Prezi’s qualities are positive, a few A new technological sensation is sweeping the negative qualities have surfaced. nation. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Prezi! Prezi is an internet program similar to Pow“Some students have said it makes them dizzy. erPoint that is used to create presentations. The One student told me they get motion sickness if program is completely free and doesn’t require any they go too fast through a Prezi presentation,” obnoxious downloads. Hedstrom said. Granite Bay High School government teacher Many students are beginning to make the transiJason Rath first used Prezi in one of his Master’s tion from PowerPoint to Prezi. The easy to use classes and has since begun to use it in his classformat makes the switch a no-brainer for senior room. He cites convenience for Tyler White. students as the main reason for “As I went through the tutointroducing the program. It provides rial, it explained how to do it, “I want to give students the tools and it was straight forward from an alternative I think can help them achieve there,” Tyler White said. higher learning,” Rath said. to PowerPoint, The Prezi program’s many feaSimilar to a Google document, tures, like the concept mapping it’s neat, and Prezi saves presentations online, “zoom” effect, make the final it’’s visually allowing multiple students to acproduct more attractive than any cess the file at once from different appealing. PowerPoint presentation. locations. “The program has really This collaborative feature is cool animations and it follows what makes Prezi slightly better – Julia Hedstrom, whatever plan you make for it,” and more unique than PowerPoint. GBHS librarian White said. The program also organizes Fun clip art, background information in a revolutionary new textures and color patterns are format called concept mapping. all also available for further The final project looks like a large customization. collage, and the user is moved through the presen“Anytime I need to make a presentation I now tation by digital “paths.” use Prezi,” White said. “It’s a lot more impressive “I think it’s a valid tool for the classroom,” Rath than PowerPoint because of all the zooming animasaid. “Concept mapping is the future of higher tions and cool transitions.” education.” Prezi’s supporters all agree that this revolutionary More and more teachers at GBHS are learning to new tool puts PowerPoint to shame. love Prezi as well. BY RILEY MAC MILLAN
rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com
Target
Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO
Fashion
on the BAY
Urban Outfitters
Payless Shoe Source
Your names. Your faces. Your news.
Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO
Gazette photo /HAYLEY MCAVOY
1005 Galleria Boulevard Suite 150 Roseville CA 95678
OPEN DAILY Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm Sunday 11am-9pm
The Gazette
Pages 10 and 11
February 2012
adventure.
Your Adventure Awaits...
Explore various locations and destinations for fun with friends and family BY ARI BLACK
aublack.gazette@gmail.com
om s l o F t a e Bike Rid Lake
Davis Farmers' Market On Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., the town of Davis holds a Farmers’ Market that offers fresh produce, pastries and handmade pieces of clothing and art. Because it’s only about forty five minutes from the Granite Bay area, this can either be a quick trip or an all-day adventure. Two rows of bins of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables line both sides of the main walkway. Knitted headbands and scarves stretch across tables next to handpainted postcards and canvases. While many people are bargaining and buying, others are watching a special show that is put on every week by a different group. Cultural dancing groups and bands fill the market air with excitement and unique music. The environment of the farmers’ market is diverse and entertaining and makes for a great trip.
Downtow n Sacramen to Not only does Downtown Sacramento offer a variety of activities to do, it also only takes about 25 minutes to get there from the Granite Bay and Roseville area. Downtown, the buildings are mostly vintage, and the environment is relaxing with horse-drawn carriages and families strolling along the streets. Several candy shops line the streets, and salt water taffy and colorful candy can be seen in barrels inside the shops. Many restaurants line the Sacramento River, which borders the main stretch of the center of the town. Downtown is also home to the California State Railroad Museum, which contains multiple attractions such as old train models and interesting exhibits of old engines and wheels. Overall, Downtown Sacramento is a good location for a family adventure on a laid back Sunday evening.
‘Heaven’ View Spot Though typically considered a “secret” spot by Granite Bay High School students, “Heaven” has now become a major attraction for several high schools in the area. Located in El Dorado Hills, “Heaven” only takes about 20 minutes to get to from the Granite Bay area. Part of what makes this such a popular spot is the lights that can be seen for miles once darkness falls over the greater Sacramento area. To get to “Heaven,” travel to the top of Sophia Parkway in El Dorado Hills. There will be a gate with a dirt trail leading to the spot. After only a few feet of walking down the trail at night, a full spectrum of color can be seen stretching across the sky. There are several rocks and additional hills that, if climbed, can lead to an even better image. “Heaven” offers an adventure and a beautiful sight. Whether you’re going with a group of friends or with someone special for a date night, “Heaven” lives up to its name.
Gazett
e photo
s /ARI
BLAC
K
Because bike trails intertwine all throughout Folsom Lake, a bike riding adventure is both a beautiful and perfect adventure for spring afternoon. A bike ride at Folsom lake is a perfect form of exercise for all ages, whether you want to go with a group of friends or with your family. One of the most popular bike trails runs up to the Folsom Lake levees. It’s a beautiful spot that offers a full view of the lake. For a more intense work out, you can park at Cavitt Junior High School and bike ride out to Beal’s Point, a trail that lets you access the American River bicycle trail. After a 32-mile bike ride from Beal’s point, bikers reach a scenic view of the American River in Old Sacramento. Even without being set on a destination, bikers can drive out to Folsom to simply ride around and enjoy the nature and beauty of the environment.
February 2012
Page 12
romance.
In love with love movies Movies for the perfect night with your loved one
BY MYLES SLATTERY
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
W
ith love lingering in the air this February, a heart-warming romantic comedy may be just the right thing to really get in the loving
mood. Among the large selection of romantic comedies are three popular films: The Notebook, Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached. “The Notebook really touched my heart,” sophomore Aidan Naughton said. The Notebook begins with an old man reading a story to an old woman in a nursing home. He reads a story of two young lovers, Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun who care for each other greatly, but are separated by the young woman’s judgmental parents. This story of forbidden love is not only a tear jerker but also reveals a beautiful message of finding a soulmate for life. The two worlds of a rich young woman and less for-
tunate boy displays the idea of true love prevailing. “I would highly recommend you see this work of art with your boyfriend, girlfriend, or with a group of guy friends like me,” Naughton said. The Notebook is great for a romantic Valentines night of staying in because of its audience-grasping plot and illustration of a real-life fairytale love story. Next, “Friends with Benefits really wasn’t just like any other romantic comedy,” said sophomore Sami Hanson. “It was a great mix between comedy and romance and wasn’t terribly cheesy like a lot of romantic comedies these days.” Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis’ connection shines through the natural chemistry they share among the dialogue and comedic conflicts they experience in the film. “Friends with Benefits definitely could get me in the romantic mood!” said Hanson. Also hilarious and touching, No Strings Attached is another movie that offers bittersweet emotions when two individuals fight their natural desire to love each
other. “This movie really gets my passionate juices flowing!” junior Ty Serna said. “Watching movies of the romantic comedy nature makes me excited for a romantic night in,” said Serna. “Regardless of my dating status, I will always love a good movie full of romance and comedy!” No Strings Attached pulls the viewer in with a mystifying romance of two beautifully stunning actors. Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman struggle to try to keep their relationship un-emotional but soon find out that they were meant to be all along. Charismatic leads and suspenseful scenes keep the viewer enticed throughout the whole film. So, if searching for ideas is on the list of things to do, search no longer, sit down and bask in the ability to achieve joy through one of these romantic movies. “I gave romantic movies a chance,” Serna said. “Now I am that much happier to be able to take a break from all the stress and just sit down and watch a movie that can totally change my mood.”
Your names. Your faces. Your destinations.
THE
G A Z E T T E
February 2012
listen up.
Page 13
DOWNLOADING ARGO ANTHA SP
stration/SAM
Gazette illu
Anti-piracy legislation would crack down on users and providers of internet content
anonymous. In essence, these two bills would force internet This is the biggest obstacle to the entertainment entities such as Wikipedia, Google, Facebook, Twitter, industries – getting customers to pay for their products. Reddit and Tumblr to be online police, holding them In order to combat pirated music and movies, lobbyists responsible if users of their sites link to pirated content. So let’s be honest: plenty of teenagers – maybe even from entertainment companies These bills could require Internet most – have illegally downloaded music. providers to block websites that are These days, a song on iTunes is more than a pack of have encouraged members of Congress to pass specific legislation involved in digital file sharing. And gum and a McDonald’s hamburger. I don’t think search engines such as Google, Yahoo To put it simply, for many students, iTunes is just too regarding pirated content. Most recently, two bills are currently and Bing could be stopped from that (SOPA and pricey. Thus, the simple, cheap solution is to look for linking to them. alternative ways to obtain music. For many, that means pending in both the U.S. House of PIPA) should pass Representatives and the Senate. According to Senate Majority breaking the law. The bills – the Stop Online Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), both because then Although illegally downloading music might seem like of these bills have been postponed in a harmless feat, the penalties associated with illegally Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect the whole point Internet Protocols Act (PIPA) – Congress. downloading music are quite serious. “It’s good that these bills have been of the internet – First-time offenders can receive up to five years in would give the Justice Department the ability to shut down almost any postponed,” senior Maria Babenkova prison and $250,000 in fines. quick access to blog or website. said. “I don’t think that it should Still, the probability of getting caught information – would pass because then the whole point The intention of is extremely low. both bills is to stop of the internet – quick access In the past decade, the entertainment Why would be destroyed. the illegal copying to information – would be industry has suffered heavily because I pay $1.29 of movies or destroyed.” of the ever increasing amount of music, something – Maria Babenkova, per song on pirated content. Hollywood studios, The entertainment sector that has GBHS senior iTunes, if I could music publishers been most greatly affected is the and many get it for free music industry. others believe is In 1999, US music sales topped somewhere threatening their $14.6 billion. According to Forrester else? businesses. Research, music sales have plummeted These huge music corporations are to $6.3 billion in 2010. Forrester fans of the proposed bill, but the public Research concludes that the fall in – anonymous isn’t happy. sales is due to the amount of pirated The endless protests over the content. bills that happened across These days, free music is relatively the country at the end accessible. Websites like 4shared, Frostwire, Pirate Bay and Torrent allow Americans to of January only illuminates this fact – Wikipedia shut down evade the pricey cost of iTunes and CDs. While many students and teachers at Granite Bay High its entire site for a day School take advantage of the abundance of free music, to protest PIPA and some, like senior Chris Beck, aren’t willing to take the SOPA. risk. Beck, however, is apparently in the minority. Many individuals are more than willing to take advantage of the plethora of sites that offer free music and movies. “Why would I pay $1.29 per song on iTunes, if I could get it for free somewhere else?” a student, who asked to remain anonymous, said. Many illegal downloaders say, it’s a little like paying for re-fill drinks. Why would you GO AR pay for a SP A TH re-fill when AN AM S /” you simply on ati str can walk up to li lu to ho the counter and ep t t ze re-fill your drink Ga without a store employee knowing? Even GBHS teachers download illegal music. “It’s easily accessible and free,” said a teacher, who asked to remain BY NATALIE KREEGER
nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com
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green screen.
February 2012
Embarrassing Trends BY JOEY PUHALA
jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com
Fedoras
Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson are the only men on the planet with a license to rep a man fedora. Everyone else looks incredibly lame, especially if he or she is bald. Fedoras were created in the 1880s, and that is where they should have stayed. There is a reason that few other articles of clothing have lasted into the 21st century. The functional aspects of the hat don’t even exist. The brim is too short to provide shade from sunlight, and the material is too thin to provide warmth. They just don’t work.
Wife Beaters There is no excuse for this one. If you wear a wife beater, please stop: it’s just embarrassing. Try going shirtless to avoid all of the obnoxious tan lines and soak in some extra vitamin D. It wasn’t okay for Larry the Cable Guy, and it isn’t okay for the average Joe, either. After all, the shirt is named after people who beat their wives. Take that as a hint that its time to pack your precious tanks away.
Double High Socks I don’t care how cold it is outside; double high socks serve no purpose. It may seem like the extra sock is helping keep your toes toasty, but actually, that second pair is no help at all. The moisture that is absorbed by the first pair of socks just soaks into the second pair, completely eliminating any extra warmth that the second pair does provide. Besides, think about all of the detergent, water and other resources that are being wasted to wash that extra, unnecessary pair. For the Earth – and for the rest of us – take a pair off.
Sunglasses Inside If you’re not driving, and it’s not summer, please don’t wear sunglasses. Here’s a novel idea: save sunglasses for the sun and not the glowing fluorescents of the classroom. Don’t be that kid who is too cool to take off your shades during English class. It’s common courtesy to remove your hat, so why are sunglasses any different? We want to see your beautiful eyes, not a pair of neon Ray Banz knockoffs. So please do everyone a favor and take them off.
Sagging Sagging was a great way to show your appreciation of the hip-hop movement in the ‘90s. Unfortunately, however, the 1990s were over ten years ago. Anyone who still “sags” their pants deserves a punch to the mouth. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re tired of staring at dirty underwear all day. Wearing a belt while sagging should be considered a double offense, and wearing a shoelace as a belt should be considered a triple offense. Sagging makes walking harder, too. Not only does the wearer look like a fool, he, or she, is making their life far more difficult. There’s no excuse for pants on the verge of falling to the ankles.
riter w f f a t s e t t e z Ga Joey Puhala n comments o ds fa e l a m t n e r r u c Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR Model: MICHAEL GERAGHTY
February 2012
Page 15
trendy.
iPhone App of the Month: Pinterest BY MAT FUKUHARA
mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com
Think of it as a place where technologists and naturalists go for inspiration, or anyone else for that matter. The app “Pinterest” isn’t centered on any one particular idea but encompasses many ideas and tastes into a single application everyone can enjoy. If it’s a Friday night and a date is coming over for dinner and a movie, for most guys, the word “plan” doesn’t come up until it’s too late. Luckily, dinner ideas aren’t too hard to come by on Pinterest and can be found under the “food and drinks” category; finding a recipe that she will like should be within a few scrolls down the page. Or, maybe it’s a couple of hours before the final rough sketch is due in advanced art and no inspiration is coming to mind, leaving little choice but to hunt for creative wisdom elsewhere. Under the “art” or “photography” categories lie endless images from abstract paintings to simple modern designs. Anyone can find what they need and often discover ideas they’ve never imagined. Under the “geek” category, hidden far below the pictures of Xbox and PlayStation shaped birthday cakes lay pictures of an “iPallet Table,” essentially a high-end wooden coffee table where between the glass and the wood
surfaces rests an iPad. The app itself is relatively new, but the concept is similar to social networking sites that allow users to upload and comment on ideas. This aspect of the site makes ideas easily accessible with a simplified format featuring pictures as dominant art, rather than simply tabs that create order in a whirl of ideas. Most of the time the showroom-like format doesn’t distract from the overall content of the site, but from time to time the links to ideas can become overwhelming to those who aren’t using the site for a purpose. This experience is much like walking into a grocery store without a list and picking from the shelves while walking the aisles. Without the simplified format, the site would be nothing more than a vision waiting to be found among the millions of interests people share.
Cold Brew Labs
Video of the Month: Epic Meal Time BY MAT FUKUHARA
mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com
A banana split without the banana is nothing unusual for Epic Meal Time, a show completely dedicated to culinary creativity and bacon. Every episode begins with a grocery run where the Sauce Boss and crew buy as much meat as they can get their hands on – mostly bacon – in order to make their monstrosities. This time, it’s a meat ice cream party with special guest Kyle Myers, a renowned YouTube gun enthusiast from the YouTube channel FPSRussia. The madness begins by laying out bacon strips, bacon strips and more bacon strips to form the letters “EMT,” which stand for Epic Meal Time. Then, the team begins to candy the bacon in brown sugar and syrup and calls it “smart” to do so. Next, they move onto the ground beef, which will later take the form of what would traditionally be the ice cream on the ice cream cone. To cook all the meat, the team uses a commercial oven with more than 10 burners, all fired up at once, in order to satisfy their impatience and need to always make things bigger than what is expected. As they wait, “Muscles-Glasses,” one of the team members, chugs a drink centered on raw meat and bacon grease to prove that the show isn’t for the weak stomached or health conscious. Once the meat is done, it’s drizzled with caramel, chocolate, marshmallows and
YOUTUBE
finished off with half a gallon of vanilla ice cream. Then it’s layered with whipped cream, an extra layer of meat and topped with sprinkles. At this point, the total fat for the meal is equivalent to 1,677 grams, and the calories are climbing at 24,500, but the construction continues. The banana split is the first all-meat dish to be constructed with a base layer of marshmallows and bacon forming the foundation for the three meat ice cream balls and sausages. The sausages are substituted for bananas because the bananas have no business at a meat ice cream party. The last step is placing the remaining meat ice cream balls on top of the ice cream cones, thus completing the meal at a grand total of 3,155 grams of fat and 43,830 calories. However, the party is not over. Someone has to take on the food challenge. The Russian special guest chooses his most natural eating utensil, a gun, to consume the meatballs and sausages. Everyone else digs in with their bare hands, creating a scene of savagery.
TRENDING
These rain boots are made for walking
BY KRISTIN TAYLOR
ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com
“It’s raining. It’s pouring. The old man is snoring.” The clouds have finally given in, and Granite Bay has experienced the first rainfall of the year. Rain boots have become a necessity. Rain boots are a unisex shoe, but they have become trendy among Granite Bay High School girls. Rain boots were a hit back in elementary school, and they’re making a comeback at GBHS. But instead of splashing in puddles, they’re very useful when it comes to getting all the way to 4th period with dry socks. Unlike friends who have to roll their pants up and walk on the tips of their toes to avoid sitting in class with uncomfortably wet ankles, rain boot wearers have perfectly warm ankles, tucked away in jeans.
And unlike fellow Ugg wearers who have to strategically map out routes to class to avoid confrontation with puddles, owners of rain boots can take a direct path without fear of ruining their shoes. Rain boot wearers can even choose to take the grassy route across the quad and are not confined to the clustered sidewalk strips. Aside from being extremely practical, rain boots are cute and relatively inexpensive. They come in many different patterns and colors and don’t have to be from an expensive brand name to be fashionable. Walmart sells printed rain boots for as low as $24, but they have limited selection and styles. Target sells the greatest variety of rain boots for the best deal. Their online store has patterns ranging from floral to zebra and classic bright yellow. These boots sell for
$32.99. Just like with all other boots, jeans that have been outgrown won’t show their true length. The secret is kept between the owner and the boots. In addition to outgrown pants, if snow boots have been outgrown an investment in an expensive new pair isn’t an option, rain boots are a handy solution. They’re just as waterproof and usually extend higher up the leg to prevent snow from getting down your shoes. A gloomy, overcast day doesn’t have to be a drag, and the casual sweatshirt and jeans of a typical rainy day can be spiced up with fun boots. A few pairs of layered, warm socks and voila, you’re ready for all weather conditions. And for the best day ever, pair rain boots with a cute umbrella.
Gazette Photo/Kristin Taylor
Rain boots make a fashionable comeback and are a necessity during the rainy weather.
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February 2012
watch.
The Office is a Hit BY BROOKYLN KLEPL
T
Gazette Photo/Riley MacMillan
Working hard or hardly working? The Office combines charismatic personas and humorous scenes for a great play.
bklepl.gazette@gmail.com
he Office was a wonderful performance written and directed by Granite Bay High School senior Sara Beil. She has been working on the script for about three years on-and-off and has really enjoyed completing the final version with the cast. After watching the student-directed school play her freshman year, Beil was inspired to start on her own script that later became The Office. Beil’s inspiration also came from the television show The Office, but the play was not based in it. “It turned out to be such a blessing because (the cast) really helped me come up with ideas for (the show),” Beil said. “We ended up changing the ending, (and the) cast helped me (a lot).” Beil chose actors that suited their respective roles and sought to bring out their best. “After I had (selected the cast), I was able to tailor their parts specifically to them and their strengths.” Beil said. Each character brought a unique and quirky quality that enhanced the overall performance. Ian Fitzgerald, who played the unloved and unappreciated janitor, had a charismatic Broadway dance number that brought the performance to life and made the crowd laugh. He also provided the comedic relief during the few heated moments scattered throughout the play. Hannah Van Noland played Sheila, a promiscuous young woman bent on suing Bleekman Inc. for sexual harassment. Her character planned on living off the fortune she won. Vicky was another memorable and funny character.
Tomasina Tallerico played the role of this woman who suffers from multiple-personality disorder and has difficulty coming to terms with her disorder. Tallerico constantly threw punches, kicks and wrestled with herself because her two personalities fell in love with the same guy. She also used a different accent and changed her body language for both of her personalities. Calvin Born and Calvin Cartano played two police officers. Their costumes emphasized their humorous appearances. They were both dressed in shiny blue, tightfitting shirts and short black spandex. They essentially looked like exotic dancers straight out of the TV series Reno 911. The epilogue was a crowd favorite because Bleekman Inc. ended up going bankrupt, and all of the characters came out to tell the audience where their lives were after Bleekman Inc. went under. The Calvins’ comical cops provided a great final laugh. They had acted like normal cops until the epilogue, but after Bleekman Inc went under, they finally fulfilled their dreams of becoming full-time male strippers. Sheila, Van Noland’s character, eventually married a rich old man with a terminal illness, but, unfortunately for Sheila, he recovered. She told the audience that the doctor said he will go on to live many happy years. “It’s not often that you turn over a main stage production to students, and Sara has done a fabulous job with this show (and so has) the cast,” Jim Prichard, the producer, said. “It has really been a collaborative effort, and the hard work paid off with a very fine show.”
The Hunger Games Preview BY BROOKLYN KLEPL
O
Let the games begin
Courtesy Photo Google Images
bklepl.gazette@gmail.com
n March 23, the highly anticipated Hunger Games book series will appear on movie screens across the country. The series’ author, Suzanne Collins, grew up loving Greek mythology and, one day, decided to take one of her favorite myths and reinvent it as a story of her own design. The Hunger Games, according to Collins, was roughly based on a Greek myth where 24 mortals were put into an arena to fight to the death for the entertainment of the gods. The first and titular book of the series will be released as a movie next month and is expected to be a big hit at the box office, with several critics comparing it to the Twilight phenomenon. Katniss Everdeen, the heroine and main character of all three books in the series, will be played by Jennifer Lawrence, who starred in the motion picture Winter’s Bone in 2010, played Raven in X-Men: First Class and Sam in Like Crazy. Granite Bay High School Student Government advisor Tamara Givens is an avid fan of the book series. Givens is excited for the release of the first movie and offered her insight on the main character. “(Katniss) is a good female role. She is interesting and (a) strong (lead),” Givens said. However, Lenny Kravitz, who plays the role of Katniss’s head costume designer, Cinna, in The Hunger
Games has been receiving a lot of press lately. Junior Kaylyn O’Donnell, a dedicated Hunger Games fan, has a problem with the casting of Kravitz as Cinna. “He’s been getting some bad press lately. I think it’s because the fans can’t see him as being Cinna,” O’Donnell said. Country star Taylor Swift, another big fan of The Hunger Games, contributed a song called “Safe and Sound” for the movie’s soundtrack. With almost 3,000 likes and only 24 dislikes on YouTube, fans appear to be very pleased with how Swift represented the book series in this slow and haunting melody, and some fans are already attempting to predict what scene Swift’s song will be in. The Hunger Games is set in a future country, Panem, which lies in the remains of North America. This fictional country is divided up into twelve districts controlled by the tyrannical Capital, which demands tributes of 24 players for the Hunger Games from each of the districts it rules over. Each year, two contestants are selected from each district – but not the Capital – to fight in a long, gladiator style competition to please the Capital’s audiences, all of which is punishment for a rebellion by their ancestors against the Capital. To make the world of Panem more realistic to the fans, a personality quiz was created and is available online so fans can see which character they are.
Fans get the opportunity to immerse themselves in the franchise and discover which district they would represent if they were part of the Hunger Games world. Since the midnight premiere and Powder Puff are on the same day, Powder Puff might have some competition regarding attendance. Junior Kelsey Santo said she wouldn’t miss the premiere. “There’s nothing like the midnight premiere of a movie,” Santos said. “I’m going to dress up as Katniss, boots and braid included.”
February 2012
Page 17
Gamer.
Video Games Review A review of some of the most popular video games of 2011 BY BRAD WONG
Skyrim
Skyrim has a great variety of characters that you can choose from. With character types from an ubermage, to a Redgaurd, to a talking cat, there’s a character for everyone. bwong.gazette@gmail.com However, Lynch wasn’t initially bedazzled by the game as a whole. “At first I was a little disappointed with Skyrim, ” Lynch said. Quests are the most essential part of Skyrim. The large number of quests is what keeps Skyrim so enticing. However, just like everything else, Skyrim isn’t perfect. “My main dislike is the tedious loading process, which takes 10 seconds for every door in Skyrim,” Lynch said. “I need to be places in Skyrim, and I’d much rather be slaying frost trolls than waiting for my Xbox to load”. Overall, the graphics are phenomenal, and the high-quality pixels enhance the uniqueness of each character and make everything more life-like. Skyrim suits the ultimate first person RPG gamer who is into the strategy and patience behind conquering an expansive new world. “Skyrim is one of those games you can play until three in the morning while chatting with your bros and slaying the giants at Bleakwood camp,” Lynch said. bethesda softwares Skyrim is full of endless possibilities, different quests and variety of characters. Anything can The game that was rumored to rival the Call of happen in the world of Skyrim. Duty giant, was released Oct. 25 of last year. That game “Ever since I’ve seen the Harry was Battlefield Bad Company 3, or, BF 3. I bought Battlefield Potter series, I’ve always dreamt 2 due to the funny commercials of a bunch of guys riding a golf of changing into a bloodthirsty car and dodging a tank in the story mode. werewolf and, with the help Maybe it’s because I’m more of a Call of Duty guy, but I could never of my fellow Skyrim warm up to BF 2. I mainly played the story mode and tried out the multi companions, my wish player occasionally, but I just could never get into it. is made possible,” So, when the new BF was rumored to rival what, in my opinion, was the best Lynch said. FPS of all time, I was looking forward to a great video game. When the beta (demo) came out for BF 3, it was almost laughable because it was full of glitches and terrible spawn systems. I played the game solely for my amusement. Consequently, when the actual game came out, I had fairly low expectations. What I did glean from the few games of BF 3 I did play, were the terrible graphics and the bad game effects, such as plastic sounding gunshots, cheesy text effects and enormous maps that activision made for slow and boring game play. With all this said, I remember how exciting it was waiting for the newest Call of BF 3 was not my Duty. I watched all the leaked footage of the newest game play and cup of tea. highly anticipated Nov. 8 of last year. So, with such extremely high expectations, I suppose it was no surprise that I was initially extremely disappointed with the outcome. The first time I played it, I was angry that I paid $60 for a Modern Warfare 2.5. Everything was the same as Modern Warfare 2: the guns, kill streaks and perks. I was done with the game after my first try. The weirdest part about my experience with it was that after a few days of pure frustration with the game, I began to love it. As I got used to the idiosyncrasies of the game, I realized how different and more innovative this Call of Duty is from all the rest of other first person shooters. With the three types of kill streak packages, fast-paced maps and the return of quickscoping, Modern Warfare 3 still keeps me entertained for hours. Even a few months after, there are still so many new features regarding customization, new maps and combinations of how one plays the game. Overall, the online multi player is the complete package with a nice balance of graphics, guns and game types. With all this diversity, Modern Warfare 3 is the best first- person shooter so far.
Battlefield 3
Modern Warfare 3
electronic arts sega
universal pictures
big miracle: B-
By: Kiana Okhovat kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com
20th century fox
M
any superpower movies have been reproduced, overdone and are distastefully corny. Chronicle, released Feb. 3, centered on teenagers with superpowers. But still was able to film with its own unique style and plot. The movie intoduced the interesting concept of what three teenagers would do with newfound superpowers. Chronicle didn’t focus solely on what each person could do but how the powers affected the characters’ lives and how human nature can take the power for better, or, in this case, for the worse. The plot begins by introducing the three main characters, all of whom are extremely different. First is Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), who recently bought a video camera to record the events of his life. Outside the movie, the producers wanted to get a home-footage effect that made the audience feel like they were right in the movie. While this did create somewhat of the desired effect, Detmer’s motivation to record his life was left unexplained. Nonetheless, Detmer’s lifestyle was convincingly characterized as the ideal worst. With an alcoholic step-dad and ill mother who is bedridden, Detmer is constantly abused, neglected and is the school geek who has no friends. Then, there’s Detmer’s cousin, Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), who’s a too-cool-for-school, easy-going and laid back guy. The third protagonist, Steve Montgomery, is Mr. Popular of the school. Montgomery is the quarterback for the varsity football team, is loved by the entire school and is the complete opposite of Detmer. From there, the plot is all about what each person does with their powers as they become stronger and stronger. The overall special effects of the movie were flawless and made scenes, like flying, seem all too real. While Chronicle was just another superpower movie and lacked some explanations of events, it was unique in its cinematic approach. With good special effects, fast-plot plot and action-packed scenes, Chronicle is a worthwhile chapter in superpower cinema.
Rated: PG-13 By: Brad Wong brwong.gazette@gmail.com
chronicle: B
F
or those who are looking for a warm, family friendly, slightly humorous and educational film, this would be it. I walked into the movie theater with no real expectations. The trailer wasn’t really inviting, and although it was screening in the biggest room available in the cinema, there were maybe 20 people present – at most. Seeing that barely anyone showed up for the film made me think that the movie was not going to be good. But, I was proven wrong. The audience was introduced to Adam Carlson (John Karasinski), a news reporter in Alaska who discovered a family of three whales trapped beneath six-inches of ice – causing the whales to not be able to migrate toward the ocean like they annually do. Carlson sent out word about his discovery, and, soon, all of the United States headed toward Point Barrow, which turned from a quiet, peaceful town to a target for the explosion of popularity, reeling in people ranging from the National Guard to media and journalists as the ‘whale story’ gained popularity. The movie centered on Adam Carlson (John Karasinski) and his ex-girlfriend and Greenpeace activist, Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore), who provided the fuel and willpower to get help for the whales. After the 107 minutes were over, my expectations were exceeded. However, I wasn’t completely satisfied. Although the film was certainly not boring, at times it felt monotonous. Of course, there were touching and humorous moments, but those moments cannot support a full film. Overall, after viewing the film, I felt it had a lot of potential to be a much better movie, especially since it was based on true story. There was an incredible amount of work that could have been done in the film regarding the political side of the story. There were slightly too many subplots for my taste, which I could tell were there to give a more dynamic feel and angle to the film, but even those weren’t fully matured to truly impact the big plot line. All criticism aside it was fundamentally an enjoyable movie, which, although was of average quality, can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences. Rated: PG
February 2012
Film.
WARNER BROS PICTURES
O
n Jan. 27, I went to Century 14 for the opening night of One for the Money. The theater was filled with mostly, middle-aged adults, there weren’t many teenagers occupying seats. The cast included Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Luguizamo and Sherri Shephard. The movie starts in a small, Jersey town. Stephanie Plumb (played by Katherine Heigl) is currently living by herself in a small apartment with a hamster who eats better dinners than she does. Against her mother’s wishes, she is single and unemployed. The main plot of the movie is that Plumb desperately needs money, so she takes on an unusual job of bounty hunting her ex boyfriend. In this she finds revenge, joy and an exciting, new life. Plumb doesn’t have any previous police work experience, has never held a gun, but she still embraces wearing heels to go catch her guys. One for the Money is an action comedy. At points, I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. At other times, I was gripping my seat, feeling anxious from intense action in the movie. One of the interesting characters in this movie is the protagonist, Jersey girl Stephanie Plumb. She is a grown woman, who is unable to let go of a high school boyfriend. Joe Morelli, the ex boyfriend, is an en excop, who is running from the police. He has the typical bad boy attitude that is still so tempting for Plumb to fall for. Ranger, played by Daniel Sunjata, is Plumb’s police-man friend. He is in the story to help move Plumb forward in her career of bounty hunting. He helped her with shooting, buying her first gun and chasing down bad guys. The interesting characters and the hilarious, yet intense action in this movie make for a memorable experience.
Rated: PG-13 By Riley MacMillan rmacmillan.gazette@gmail.com
one for the money: B+
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February 2012
the vow: C
By: Mary Haney mhaney.gazette@gmail.com
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CBS FILMS
A
he Grey is a thrilling, action packed adventure that will keep anyone on the edge of their seat. Liam Neeson plays Ottway, a hired wolf killer for an on-shore Alaskan oil rig. Early in the story, Ottway experiences the tragic loss of his wife. He then loses sight of his meaning in life and finds himself at rock bottom with a gun barrel in his mouth. Seconds from pulling the trigger, one of the beasts he ironically kills for a living, interrupts his suicidal thoughts leaving him in a query of dismay. Ottway and his coworkers get on a plane ride home from the frozen abyss that is Alaska, when suddenly, The Grey spins out of control, literally and figuratively. Its realistic sound and special effects makes for one of the most intense plane crashes in movie history. Ottway and a depleted number of coworkers get stranded in the barren snow plains of British Columbia. Struggling to stay calm and survive, they also find that they are located within the territorial lines of a pack of vicious wolves. At this point in the movie, I was thinking to myself, how in the heck are they going to survive one more day? And right about now anyone over the age of five, is going to realize how unrealistic it was that a pack of seven to ten full-grown wolves would decide to simply lay off a group of 5 sleeping men. Without Liam Neeson, this movie would be bearable at best; the rest of the actors seem inexperienced and overzealous. Toward the end, characters start to drop like flies, through gruesome and realistic deaths that had me saying “wowzers.” As the film rolls on, the final three characters form a strong bond. This is a movie I could see again as there is probably a few things I missed and because the action was absolutely breathtaking. The cons of this movie were the inexperienced actors and the few unrealistic scenes. But, luckily, the pros greatly outweigh the cons with the action, special effects and camera work. Overall, this movie was a pleasure to see, and I would recommend for anyone to spend their hard earned 10 dollars on this two-hour thriller.
s a horror film, The Woman in Black’s largest downfall is that it’s a one-trick pony. The scare scheme follows a repetitive, easily predictable pattern; a strange noise is heard in the background, ominous music starts playing then suddenly a cloaked apparition appears out of nowhere. Take that, rinse and repeat, and you will have the basic structure of the film. Needless to say, I was less than impressed by the film’s scare factor. I believe that all of the promising trailers and theatrical posters attributed to the hype and attention that this film has received. I was expecting something much more bone-chilling than what I saw. The story follows the journey of a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) as he travels to the village of a recently deceased woman whose spirit seems to be causing inexplicable, horrific occurrences within the village. The anguish and spite she harbors, caused by the premature death of her son, possesses the children in the village. It is rumored that if a person sees her ghost, the woman in black, a child dies soon after. From there, Kipps continues to investigate the implications surrounding her death and the reasons behind her desire for revenge. Despite the disturbing lore behind the story, the film’s attempts at portraying a dark, unsettling atmosphere were sadly of little to no avail. Staying true to the tradition of the occult classic, most scenes occur in a haunted house setting that is full of chandeliers, rustic paintings and winding staircases. It became obvious from the get-go that the film producers were keen on recreating what seemed like a very typical ghost story. Unfortunately, the film’s relatively lackluster story and characters make it a rather unmemorable experience, and it likely won’t fall into the ranks of modern cult classics. That being said, The Woman in Black isn’t necessarily a bad film. It is, however, a rather cliché one.
Rated: R
Rated: PG-13
By: Myles Slattery mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
By Chris Pei cpei.gazette@gmail.com
the woman in black: C-
Y
oung starlet Rachel McAdams, who starred in Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers and Morning Glory, strikes again, this time, with Channing Tatum in this 2012 romance film based on real events. The film begins with Leo (Channing Tatum) giving a monologue of his life theory that every being is the product of every moment that has ever been experienced by that person. Young and in love, his theory becomes very real to him when he and his wife, Paige, survive a car crash, which causes Paige to lose her memory of all of her previous years with Leo. Unfortunately, Paige’s last remaining memory becomes that of her previous fiancé, whom she left years before she fell in love with her currently forgotten husband Leo. To her parent’s pleasant surprise, Paige has also forgotten why she left them years ago and with this they plan on rewriting the future of their own daughter to better their own life. As the story unwinds Leo struggles to make ends meet at work, at home and with trying to help his lost wife remember the life they once shared. For Paige, this all proves to be too much. Being unable to rediscover herself and Leo’s growing frustration, forces her to file for divorce and obtaining a “fresh start” with her parents help. Although Paige never recovers her memories, she once again sees her parents for who they really are and removes herself from them, for a second time. Even without her memories, over time, Paige is able to relearn the years that she forgotten and find her love again with Leo. The story ends with a brief description of the true events the movie was based. The real woman who lost her memory in a car crash was never able to regain her memory but is still happily married with two children. Although I did not particularly enjoy the poor acting of Tatum and the overall movie, it was very interesting learning about the unfortunate realism of the situation.
open road films
the grey: A-
sony entertainment
Rated: PG -13
Page 19
Film.
Page 20
February 2012
Movies.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Big Miracle
B-
20TH CENTURY FOX
Chronicle
B
WARNER BROS PICTURES
One for the Money
In Theat ers
C
The Vow
SONY ENTERTAINMENT
A-
The Grey
OPEN ROADS FILMS
C-
B+
The Woman in Black
CBS FILMS