The Granite Bay Gazette, Volume 15 Issue 6

traits

Tackling growth

Club rugby team negotiates for a new field

C1

Friday, March 23, 2012

G10-11

Social networking sites evoke different personality types

s n o i s s a p g n i Pursu

Gazette DANCING FEVER THE GRANITE BAY

eir Alumni turn th careers interests into

B1 THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 15 w ISSUE 6 Commentary

rachael vasquez rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

Rekindling my spirit at Outdoor Ed

A

few weeks ago, I found myself somewhere I thought I would never set foot in again – a yellow Eureka Union School District bus. Not only that, but I rode the bus with Excelsior Middle School sixth graders.

Our destination for the week?

Shady Creek Outdoor Education.

Boom-skaka-laka! (the unofficial camp chant.)

After years of academic hard work, Outdoor Ed taught me to enjoy the moment and cherish every little thing that makes me happy.

For four days, I was able to reconnect with my childhood spirit.

However, I can assure you that I did not return as a camper but as a mature role model.

Just kidding! I can honestly say I had a better time as a counselor than the campers I was looking after.

I tried my very best to set an example, but the only real example I set was how to look the most ridiculous while doing a freeze dance.

As for being mature, I was chugging the same chocolate milk that my cabin was drinking instead of counselor-exclusive coffee.

Just as I did as a camper six years ago, I attended daily nature classes.

This time, I assisted teachers in keeping track of their students.

On Day 2, I tagged along with a class while the students built survival shelters made of branches and dead leaves. As I watched them, I experienced flashbacks to the disastrous-excuse-for-a-shelter I pieced together with my fellow sixth graders.

I can still recall how we all laughed when the shelter collapsed within minutes of the last branch being put in place. It turned out to be one of the few times in life when failing was actually more fun than succeeding.

There were also parts of Outdoor Ed that I did not think I would enjoy.

But as much as I hate to admit it, I loved waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning. However, I realized this only after my counseling experience has come to an end, and I return to my well-rested first-period-off rituals.

Every day, I woke up excited that I was going to be chugging more chocolate milk and learning more songs. Songs such as “Dirt Made My Lunch” and “Gusano” (which means “worm” in Spanish) will forever be engraved in my brain.

When most seniors are looking forward to their after-high-school plans, I cannot help but be enthralled by the memories I made at Outdoor Ed that rekindled my childhood spirit. I believe a crazy week at Shady Creek was exactly what I needed after working my butt off academically since freshman year.

Who doesn’t love getting a little dirty while making survival shelters, getting a little excited for daily activities and getting a little loud in order to sing about worms and dirt?

And I mean very loud.

Between recalling old memories, created new ones and developing friendships between camp employees, fellow counselors and campers, Shady Creek was worth my own school absences.

Boom-skaka-laka! *** Rachael Vasquez, a senior, is the Gazette’s co-editor-in-chief.

Ernie Cooper Varsity football coach believes that baseline testing and an athletic trainer are necessities

Tackling head trauma

New bill aims to protect athletes

BY JESSICA REESE

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

Local resident expresses passion in plain sight as community looks on

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

or shine, Keys is out on the corner near stoplights with his headphones on and his Just missing a green light would be napkins in hands, smiling and dancing his frustrating for any driver. However, with heart out.

Clifford Keys, aka “Dancing Man,” on the Keys is no average street performer becorner of the street, a red light is never dull. cause he dances with a purpose. Diagnosed Keys has nonverbal communication with with chronic arthritis, he has found that the thousands who drive past him every being active is the best treatment. day. He has a voice in the community “I have pain even when I take medication, that is more captivating than but what happens is once I get in the zone, I words – he dances. don’t think about it,” Keys said. “I could Rain See DANCING, page A5 ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /kRISTIN tAYLOR

 Clifford Keys frequently dances at the corner of Douglas Blvd. and Eureka Rd. with his fast-food napkins and headphones.

Not all programs have legal protections

Cheat-checking website now in use

BY HALEY MASSARA

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

BY KELSEY KNORP

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

inside this issue

News

A2 – A6

Voices

A7 – A9

Second Look

A10

Features

B1 – B8

Sports

C1 – C8

Green Screen

G1 – G20

See CONCUSSIONS, page A5

First Amendment rights vary by class

Teachers fight back against plagiarism

By the time they reach high school, most students are aware that cheating in an academic environment is a serious offense.

But as online resources, many of which serve to aid such immoral purposes, continue to multiply, the temptation becomes difficult for some to resist.

This growing number of resources also hinders a teacher’s ability to track down those specific sources used by their students to unethically improve their work. For this reason,

The true impact of concussions in athletics has steadily gained media attention in recent years, as more and more former athletes begin to exhibit the long-term effects of concussions.

With the National Football League facing lawsuits from former players, it should come as no surprise that the wave of concern has trickled down to the high school level.

A recent bill, co-sponsored by the NFL, went into effect in California at the beginning AB 25 of the really just year. This reiterated bill, titled Assembly what the Bill 25, CIF had mandates concussion already education written on the high school level.

Under AB – Catherine 25, parents Broomand, must sign a physician concussionawareness form prior to their child participating in athletics. Athletes who have sustained a concussion also are required to obtain medical clearance before returning to play.

“AB 25 really just reiterated what the (California Interscholastic Federation) had already written in their procedures,” said Catherine Broomand, a physician who runs the Youth Sports Concussion program at Kaiser Permanente in Roseville.

Gazette photo /RACHAEl vASQUEZ

Junior Alex Chesebro writes an in-class essay with his fellow classmates during Ramona Drury’s Honors English 11 class.

Granite Bay High School teachers have recently begun utilizing a website called TurnItIn.com to check their students’ work, primarily essays, for authenticity.

English teacher Ramona Drury generally encounters plagiarism in some form in her classes a couple times each year. After recently

confronting a few students, she decided to begin using Turn It In, which had not been available at GBHS in previous years. “(When) you’re hearing essay after essay after essay, you start to hear what I call echoes,” Drury said.

See PLAGIARISM, page A5

Harris settlement After two years, RJUHSD agreed to pay close to $300,000 in legal fees and other costs

A4

For students who most vocally exercise their First Amendment rights, California is truly a golden state.

California Educational Code 48907 guarantees complete freedom of the press, allowing for administrative censorship only in circumstances of libel, slander, obscenity or material disruption of learning. In other words, student publications can’t be censored for content alone.

This law, and the equivalents to it in other states, allows for broad interpretation. But, while print publications like Granite Bay High

Zachary Weidkamp Advanced Media teacher checks the bulletins before classes can view them on YouTube School’s yearbook and journalism programs are completely covered by 48907, other student outlets have varying degrees of protection.

Advanced Media, responsible for producing and determining the See EXPRESSION, page A5

St. Baldrick’s Take a look at snapshots from Monday’s event

A10

News

A2

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w March 23, 2012

NAMES IN THE NEWS

GBHS registration creates difficulties High student-to-counselor ratios are a part of the problem

BY AMBER LES

Special to the Gazette

nicole bales

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

Speech and Debate team goes to state On Feb. 2, Congressman Tom McClintock introduced a bill to rename the United States Post Office in Granite Bay in honor of United States Marine Corp. Private First Class Victor Dew. Dew grew up in Granite Bay and always dreamed of joining the Marines. He was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 13, 2010. He was 20 years old. *** The Key Club will be holding its 32nd annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 31 from 8a.m- noon at Willma Cavitt Junior High School.

The event will start off with a pancake breakfast and then an Easter egg hunt for kindergarten through fourth grade students. The event will include face painting booths, coloring stations and basket-making lessons. Wells Fargo Bank will have a booth as well as other sponsors from around the area. The children will also receive a visit from the Easter Bunny. *** On Sat., March 3, Oakmont High School hosted “Springtime in Paris,” a fundraiser for the local non-profit organization, Zafia’s Family House.

Zafia’s Family House is raising funds to provide temporary housing at a location near Kaiser Pemanente Roseville Medical Center and Roseville Sutter, where it will house families of cancer patients. Families will be able to stay overnight while their infant or child is undergoing treatment.

The fundraising event was made possible by the generosity of local volunteers and donors. The event hosted a fashion show, authentic French hors d’oeuvres, live artists and local sponsors.

The culinary department at Roseville High School provided the food at the event.

Zafia’s Family House will host a similar event from 5- 10 p.m. on Friday, April 27 called “An Evening in Paris” at 4150 Auburn Folsom Road in Loomis.

In addition, the organization will be organizing a 5 kilometer Fun Run on Saturday, April 14, at Maidu Park in Roseville. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.

To find more information about these events, or to make a donation, please go to zafiasfamily.org. *** The GBHS Speech and Debate team brought home many qualifying spots for the state tournament from the end of the qualifying tournament, with 17 qualifiers out of 21 spots. Congratulations to the students who qualified to compete in the state tournament: Natalie Kreeger, Ishaan Gupta, Rani Ghosh, Neha Baririsetty, Esha Lal, Reed Klaeser, Tiffany Alunan, Gokul Asokan, Kritika Amanjee, Jibran Khan, Amrit Narwan, Allyson McReynolds, and Casey Stockel, Amrit Narwan, Elton Rego, Justin Habashi, Jeff Williams and Nick Ontiveros.

***

Nicole Bales, 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 *** In the February issue, the Gazette incorrectly identified John Cooley’s class. He is a junior. *** The name of the author was inadvertently left off the February story, “GBHS fans show up for more than the game.” It was written by Madison Touloukian.

Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

A high school’s operation could be compared to a complex machine, made up of many different parts. Each individual part, when working properly, keeps the contraption running smoothly. But if one section of the machine isn’t complete, it can negatively affect the whole system.

At Granite Bay High School, creating a schedule and getting schedules changed is a vital part of the “machine,” and it keeps the system working well. But many students and parents have begun to question this section of the structure.

“During my freshman year, it was really easy to deal with your schedule,” said Kris-

tin Kurpershoek, a junior at GBHS. “Now, with the whole Naviance system, it’s getting really complicated.”

The registration packet is three pages long, filled with numbered instructions that include visiting three different links in order to complete the process. Many students found that if they happened to click a wrong class, or decide to change later, the challenges build up quickly.

The impersonal way schedules are handled could be because of many factors, but the online method seems to come with pros and cons.

Rachel Johnson, a junior, said that when she completed the process, she didn’t seem to be “a priority to them.”

By “them,” Johnson is referring to the counseling staff at GBHS. One of the duties for counselors is to organize the schedules for all students.

Of the 20 students interviewed about their experiences with scheduling classes at GBHS, all 20 said they grew frustrated with a counselor, teacher or staff member they interacted with.

But their anger seems to be misplaced.

According to the American School Counselor Association, the recommended ratio for students to counselors in a public high school is 250 to 1.

At Granite Bay, this ratio is 550 to 1. By ASCA standards, the student body should have nine counselors at their disposal. GBHS has six, but that includes the two special services and intervention counselors. Looking at a state level, the California Department of Education recom-

mends a 364 to 1 ratio, a ratio GBHS still falls short of. So how does GBHS match up to other schools in the area?

The Palo Alto School District has two public high schools that are similar to GBHS socioeconomically. Palo Alto has approximately 1,500 students with four guidance counselors and Gunn has over 1,900 students with six.

When asked if the school is understaffed to handle the demands of schedule issues, assistant principal Brent Mattix expressed his confidence in his counselors, faculty and staff members.

“Granite Bay has great leaders and staff that work hard to make scheduling go smoothly,” he said. “But we are always in See COUNSELORS, page A6

How will the presidential elections ... affect Granite Bay?

Candidates focus more on winning than our future kokhavat.gazette@gmail.com

BY KIANA OKHAVAT

ANALYSIS

According to critics, the United States of America is steadily going downhill. Although there is no one to blame, there have been a lot of factors contributing to this fall. The housing market crash, the 9/11 attacks, the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, the horrendous debt that rises every day, the list goes on and on.

Obviously, it wasn’t always like this.

Many say that in the past 20 years, the golden time period was the second term of the Clinton presidency, and with good reason.

The economy was not just fantastic, but it was growing. Gas prices were reasonable. Americans were happy.

Soon after the turn of the century, matters changed. Many believe one of the major contributing factors to the downfall of the U.S. was simply a chain of consecutive bad presidencies and governmental decisions.

Yes, it is no shock that the government made mistakes, they always have. However this time their mistakes have been disastrous for Americans.

Politicians are more power hungry than usual, and the citizens of the Untied States are pawns in their power struggle, suffering the consequences of their decisions and policies, which may not always be in the best interests of the people.

With all this in mind the time has come again to elect a commanderin-chief who will give our country a fresh start. Hopefully, he or she will not make the same mistakes that have been made in past presidencies.

The republican race began in the See PRIMARIES, page A6

Gazette photo /Rachael Vasquez

FBLA offers students real-world business insight Largest U.S. student-led organization provides workplace experience in competitions.

Aside from the awards mentioned, a total of 16 students who competed at the event qualiTwenty students from the Future Busi- fied to go on to the State Competition April ness Leaders of America chapter at Granite 19-22 at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine.

Bay High School participated in the 2012 From here, the team hopes to do well enough FBLA Northern Section, and numerous at State in order to go on to Nationals. students received awards at the event.

“Making it to Nationals is a pretty big deal,” The competition took place on Saturday, said Michael Tom, a GBHS junior and FBLA March 10 at Sutter Union High School. member. “This is especially the case since In total, 522 student the California sections competitors from 21 are typically hyperdifferent high schools competitive. Still, we’re competed at the all hoping that we’ll Our main goal for the event. be able to qualify this project is to spread Gokul Asokan, Lisa year.”

Nguyen, Michael However, qualifying the word about Tom and Brian Wei for Nationals wouldn’t keeping the campus all won first place be a first for the team. clean, as well as in their individual Two years ago, jupromoting a positive events, which were nior and FBLA member Economics, Business Brian Wei qualified for attitude toward the Procedures, Sports Nationals in Intro to environment.

Marketing and TechTechnology Concepts.

– Michael Tom, FBLA nology Concepts, reLast year, Tom, along member, junior spectively. with current juniors Furthermore, Erika Gokul Asokan and Felix Chauvet, Mitchell von Wendorff, all qualiKhan and Moe Sharif fied in a team event for all won first place in Banking and Financial Marketing.

Systems.

The GBHS team also won fourth place Unfortunately, the team members were unin the Sweepstakes category for having the able to attend the competition due to a schedfourth largest number of members placing ule conflict.

BY CHRIS PEI

cpei.gazette@gmail.com

know is that FBLA is the largest studentled (business) organization in the nation,” However, according to Tom, FBLA isn’t all Raiyyani said. “It not only helps you build your interest in your future and possible about competitions.

“Besides participating in competitions, we careers, but also allows you to participate also work collaboratively to accomplish cer- in events and projects that you’re intertain projects along the course of the year,” ested in, so that you can gain experience in that specific field.”

Tom said.

Asokan, a junior “For example, there and the FBLA vice are also chapter projpresident of Financial ects that students can It not only helps you Literacy, said that get involved in, in build your interest in because of the larger order to make a difnumber of first-year your future and posference on the GBHS FBLA members this campus,” Tom said. sible careers, but year, the team seems “There are also also allows you to a lot more motivated achievement awards participate in events to do well. that students can earn and projects that Asokan added that for their efforts in once the seniors club along the course you’re interested in... graduate, it’ll be up of the year.”

– Rehan Raiyyani, FBLA to the underclassmen Tom is personmember, senior to continue both the ally involved in the chapter’s legacy and Go Green project its successes. of the GBHS chapIn regards to the ter, a project geared future of the GBHS toward local trash chapter, Raiyyani said that he wants to see cleanups.

“Our main goal for the project is to spread the chapter continue to grow, with each the word about keeping the campus clean, as year bringing in an influx of new, aspiring well as promoting a positive attitude toward members.

“My biggest hope is that the chapter will the environment,” Tom said.

According to senior and FBLA vice presi- expand and become more well-known,” dent Rehan Raiyyani, FBLA is a lot more Raiyyani said. “We’re passing on a legacy with this club, one that will hopefully significant than most students realize.

“The unique thing that a lot of people don’t make a big difference in students’ lives.”

Friday, March 23, 2012

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Online donations for St. Baldrick’s total $4,200

A3

Pledge money exceeds expectations

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

A total of 34 students and faculty members sacrificed their locks for the promotion of children’s cancer research during the third successful St. Baldrick’s Event at Granite Bay High School.

The greatest contribution was made by freshman Keenan Koukol who raised a total of $550 through pledge money.

This year was unique for GBHS in that several female participants took part in the event, held on Monday March 19.

“I made the decision (to shave my head) right after I heard about the St. Baldrick’s day event on the morning bulletin,” freshman Mattie Montoya said in an email.

Montoya knew immediately that shaving her head was something she had to do.

Montoya asked both her family members and the congregation at her church to donate, and ended up raising $185, exceeding her goal of $100.

“My inspiration was the thought of the girls who have (lost) their beautiful hair because of chemotherapy,” Montoya said. “I wanted to do it with them.”

Also moving Montoya to participate in the event was the fact that

cancer stole her grandmother from her three years ago.

“My friend, Grandmother, teacher, and many others have had cancer,” Montoya said.

Montoya ended up chopping off 18 inches of her hair.

She knows that being bald will possibly make others perceive her differently. However, she wants people to think of the cause when they see her bald head.

“It is not about me being bald. I don’t want the attention,” Montoya said. “It’s about the people who never got a say in the matter.”

Although it is characteristic of girls to be inseparably attached to their hair, committing half of their morning routine into making it look just right, Montoya feels the absence of hair on her shoulders will be nothing but liberating.

“I don’t really know if I’ll miss my hair, as it is a nuisance in the morning,” Montoya said.

President of the St. Baldrick’s club, junior Lauren Davis, also decided to shave her head.

“I was a little scared about what my head would look like bald, but I didn’t really care about what people thought about me,” Davis said.

She shaved her head at Eureka Junior High when she was in the eighth grade. The hair stylist put her hair into little ponytails to be cut off

Gazette photo /kristin taylor

and donated it to Locks of Love, while buzzing off the rest.

“I remember the feeling of having my head on my pillow (the next morning) because it was the weirdest thing,” Davis said.

Davis initially wore hats and beanies to school but eventually bolstered up the courage to go out without covering her head.

“I got some weird looks and people mistakenly called me a guy three times,” Davis said.

Although being bald made Davis uncomfortable at times, she has no regrets and wants to shave her head again at some point.

“I’ll probably do it again in college or after college,” Davis said.

Junior Jason Seminer, freshman Mattie Montoya and senior Ryan Atkins, above, shave their heads in order to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Science teacher Shane Dixon, left, participates in the St. Baldrick’s event for his fifth consecutive year.

See BALDRICK’S, page A6

Gazette photo /kristin taylor

Admissions misconceptions: Undeclared vs. declared majors Entering a university undeclared shown not to have any negative effects

BY NICOLE BALES nbales.gazette@gmail.com

With college just around the corner for Granite Bay High School seniors, and as juniors start to think of where they want to apply next year, the big question hits them: What am I going to major in?

According to a recent Gazette survey of 100 students, 65 percent of GBHS seniors are entering college declared, leaving 15 percent entering undeclared and 20 percent attending a community college.

Students always hear that they have a better chance of getting accepted to the schools they apply to if they declare a major, or even that colleges don’t want students to declare a major just in case they switch majors.

The bottom line is that it all depends on what college you apply to.

According to Christina Cross, a GBHS best interest of the student; whether they counselor, there is a difference between should declare a major on their application Ivy League schools, state schools and UCs or whether they should go in undeclared in terms of whether and take some time or not they prefer to figure out what Why would you students to declare a they want to do,” major as an incoming want to spend four Cross said. “I think freshman. that there are pros and years there pursuing She explained cons to both. I think something else that that, in general, state anytime a student has schools and UC’s a pretty solid underyou don’t really want don’t require stustanding of what they to major in? dents to declare a want to pursue, it is in major, excluding Cal their best interest to Poly, San Luis Obisdeclare that major, for – Christina Cross, GBHS po. They just want the simple reason that counselor students to make if you can’t get into a some distinction as school under the mato what they plan on jor that you want, why pursuing, even if it’s applying undeclared. would you want to spend four years there “There is a debate about what is in the pursuing something else that you don’t re-

News Briefs

ally want to major in?” to at least have an idea of what they want Cross said the risk students take by not to major in, because they want to take into declaring a major is poconsideration how much tentially not getting the space they have in each There’s always classes they need on program. time for the major they However, applying undethe risk that prodecide on pursuing. clared does not necessarily gram may not However, there is a lower one’s eligibility for have room for flip side to applying unacceptance. declared, according to Cross added that private you when you Cross. schools have varying poliwant to go in.

“Students have the opcies when it comes to deportunity to go in and claring a major. Some don’t take a variety of classes give students the option to – Christina Cross, GBHS to find out what interests declare, while others prefer counselor them,” Cross said. “So an idea of what students the only risk is when want to pursue. (students) do figure out Carmen S. Coleman, the what they want to major in. There’s always senior coordinator, for regional admissions the risk that program may not have room and recruitment at the University of Nefor you when you want to go in.” vada, She said that from a counselor’s point of view, colleges typically prefer students See MAJORS, page A6

Volunteer program to be held at Crocker Art Museum The Crocker Art Museum is hosting a Spring Break volunteer opportunity for high school students ages 15-18 from 12-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3.

The program will offer volunteers an opportunity to see what it is like to work at a museum. To sign up, visit crockerartmuseum.org.

Congratulations Granite Bay High School English teacher Bernadette Cranmer has been selected to be one of the 12 Northern California English/Drama teachers to participate in this year’s Globe Education/Mondavi Center Academy.

In addition, Cranmer will attend a two-week training period at the Globe Theatre in London, in order to learn strategies to engage her students in the study of Shakespeare.

Gazette photo /Rachael vasquez

The Crocker Art Museum is hosting a Spring Break volunteering opportunity that will allow students to experience what it’s like to work at a museum.

Date Correction The senior picnic date has been changed due to a scheduling conflict with the Transportation Department, as it

has difficulty doing day trips on Mondays, due to all other schools in the district being on a collaboration schedule. It is now scheduled for Thursday May 24.

Pink Ladies Members of the GBHS Pink Ladies club have placed Pennies for Patients boxes in every classroom. The fundraiser will run through March 30. All donations will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

-Compiled by Dorien Johnk

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

Deadline

Late

May 5

April 6

April 20

June 2

May 8

May 22

ASB UPDATE Lots of work went into preparation for tonight’s Powder Puff game The Gazette’s Sahil Khosla talked to Powder Puff commissioner Rachel King about tonight’s 7:30 p.m. Powder Puff game at the football field.

Gazette: What changes have you made since last year’s game?

The girls can no longer choose their numbers, since it added a lot of stress to the other commissioners. We’re also having new decorations, and more ways to get the (underclassmen) involved. Since it’s more of a junior and senior thing, we want to make sure the freshmen and sophomores (are able to be) a part of this, too.

Gazette: Can you elaborate on the changes for the underclassmen?

We’re still planning that, but we want to have a section in the audience where underclassmen can sit. (We’re also planning) to advertise that they (should) wear junior or senior colors so they (can) pick a side to support. That way, there’s more (than one way) for the whole school to be a part of (the event).

Gazette: Apart from posters, how are you advertising the big game?

The spirit week will build up to the Powder Puff game and there will be bulletins that air each day.

There’s also going to be a spirit booth in the morning where everyone (will) get decked out in their senior and junior colors, to get pumped up for the game that night. We’ll have beads and face paint in the morning that people can wear throughout the day to get excited about it. It will be for the whole school; we’ll have (the spirit booth) out in the entrance in the morning. Anyone can choose a team to cheer for.

Gazette: How are all of the commissioners coordinating the event?

We all meet right before we work on our projects, (where) we talk about what each of us is going to do. There are things we do together like the T-shirts, and we all go to the meetings. There are different things, as the date comes closer, that we do separately, but we’re still checking in with each other everyday and (helping) each other out.

Gazette: What do you feel most proud about working on the Powder Puff game?

Personally, I feel very proud to be able to complete this because it’s a big event. Looking back and seeing all the little things that I did, and to see it all come together is really exciting. (I’m) really glad that we could get a lot of (student) participation.

-Compiled by Sahil Khosla

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

Rachel King, Powder Puff commissioner, said this year’s coordinators are working on improving underclassmen involvement by advertising the event through daily bulletins.

A4 News

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

RJUHSD settles lawsuit with the Harris family District had to pay approximately $300,000 after failing to provide relevant documents emails, audio recordings or notes from meetings regarding his son.”

Harris tried multiple times to gain access to those documents.

When his efforts were unsuccessful, in Nearly two years after the Harris family of Granite Bay filed a lawsuit against the Roseville Joint Union January 2010 he filed a lawsuit and hired attorney High School District, a Placer County Superior Court Paul Nicholas Boylan.

“The lawsuit was specifijudge ruled in favor of the Harris cally ... to get anything relatfamily, costing the school district ed to my son, Erick Harris,” nearly $300,000.

Harris said in an interview.

(Erick) didn’t The case initially involved a “(I wanted) any records that video made by Granite Bay High break any school exist(ed) in a certain time School senior Erick Harris and rules or violate period relating to my reseveral of his GBHS friends. quest.”

In the summer of 2009, Harany law. They said The district hired the Truris and 12 of his friends posted a the video put the jillo and Vinson law firm of video called “Pill Poppin’ Princes Pleasant Hill. The case took of Thizz” on YouTube. Accordschool in a bad nearly two years to resolve ing to the lawsuit, it was “parolight. itself, which Harris said was dying rap/hip hop music videos part of the problem. and satirizing/ commenting upon “I didn’t want to get the aspects of the Granite Bay com– Mike Harris, father records two years in the fumunity’s underground youth drug of Erick Harris, in a ture, I wanted them (then),” culture.” statement to News 10 he said.

The video was brought to the Harris was concerned that, attention of school administrators during an extensive delay, before school began in August electronic emails could have 2009, and they brought it to the been more easily lost. attention of the parents of the GBHS students who In an effort to obtain all the files Harris requested, were involved.

Erick Harris’ father, Mike, received a call from the district hired an outside technology firm to do an electronic search. school officials.

According to Harris, who works in the software “(Erick) didn’t break any school rules or violate any law,” Harris later told News 10. “They said (the industry, the emails the district eventually produced were “not very helpful,” and he wondered why the video) put the school in a bad light.”

In November 2009, Harris demanded access to all district went to such trouble to avoid releasing them in the first place. documents relating to his son. “ “The question,” Harris said, “is why? Why According to a December 2011 article in the Roseville Press Tribune, Harris was granted “cumulative would they do that? There (are) a lot of ‘whys’ that and disciplinary files but wasn’t allowed access to are never going to be answered here.”

BY KIANA OKHOVAT

kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

One such question is why the district went to such different standards when they spend the taxpayer’s lengths to deny Harris access to all of his son’s files money.”

Harris emphasized that none of the money paid to in the first place. The California Public Records Act and the California state Education Code require that settle his lawsuit went to him. In an e-mail, he said: all student records must be turned over to the parent “I never received any money in this matter, nor was if the child is under 18 years old. If the student is over I ever interested in profiting from the school and district’s continued violation of my rights.”

18, he or she must give their consent.

Since this case was resolved last year, changes have The judge eventually ruled that Harris was entitled been made. In an e-mail, Boylan said: “The District to view all files related to his son, Erick.

In a May 2011 press release, Harris’ lawyer Boylan now claims it has reformed its public records policy said: “The district’s defense was vigorous. They did and practices.”

The original video was pulled from YouTube, but everything they could to prevent Mike from seeit was re-uploaded to ing records that any parent should YouTube in Novembe allowed to see. But, in the end, ber 2010. Harris and at the court decided to defend not just least two of the other The district’s Mike’s rights, but every parent’s students in the video right to see their children’s school defense was vigwere on the GBHS records.” boys’ varsity basketball orous.

They did As the winning party, Harris also team; the others were asked the district to pay his attoreverything they athletes in other sports. ney’s fees as well as their own.

Seniors Ty Thompson could to prevent The district hired a second law firm, and Brad Harris – ErMeyers and Nave of Sacramento, to Mike from seeing ick’s younger brother oppose this claim and force Harris to records...

– are the only current pay his own attorney’s costs. In the students who were in end, however, the district agreed to the video.

– Paul Boylan, pay.

In May, after the judge Trujillo and Vinson was paid lawyer for Mike ruled in the case, the $79,961. Meyers and Nave was Harris, in a May 2011 school district released paid $26,578, for a total of more a statement. “Based on press release than $106,000 in defense attorney’s this experience, new fees. In addition, Boylan received policies and procedures $139,250. are being put into place to ensure that all future reHarris estimated the district’s internal costs were quests for public records are handled appropriately,” at least $60,000. The bottom line? The district ended the statement noted. up paying roughly $300,000 to resolve the complaint, Principal Mike McGuire said he had very little inwhich Harris said was a “waste” and could have been formation about the case and declined to otherwise avoided. comment.

“The $300,000 should have been used to pay for Harris said that ideally, when he simply asked for teachers, books or other costs related to educating our information about his son, it should have been given students, not a misguided and irresponsible attempt to him. to deny me my rights as a parent,” Harris said. “It He described the two-year legal process as more of makes absolutely no sense to spend so much money a slow grind. that way. It would never happen if they had to spend “I felt from the beginning that I was going to win,” their own money, but apparently they operate using Harris said. “I just had to stick with it.”

Concerns increasing about district’s home and hospital program While important to many, others have abused it

BY CHRISTIAN ADAMS AND ERICA PETERSON Special to the Gazette

In the past month at Granite Bay High School, students have traveled the country, partied on the weekends, competed in school sports – and have not had to step foot in a classroom to meet their A-G requirements.

According to California Education Code Section 48206.3, the Home and Hospital Instruction Program “serves students who incur a temporary disability, which makes attendance in the regular day classes or alternative education program impossible or inadvisable.”

However, the code lacks precise rules, and delegates much of the authority to the local school district. The Roseville Joint Union High School District has mandated that students must be absent for two weeks before being placed on home and hospital.

There are increasing concerns, however, that home and hospital is not only unfair, but is possibly being abused.

This spring, a record number of students are on home hospital, according to GBHS officials.

“In the 10 years that I have been here,” assistant principal Cathy Raycraft said, “it is usually one or two (students) a term, but this term there are approximately 10 students currently on home hospital.”

A doctor does need to sign off on student requests to be put on home and hospital, which can be for a variety of reasons, ranging from sports injuries to mental disorders.

So are all the students on home and hospital this spring valid?

“They are all legitimate,” Raycraft said.

Because of the state education code requirements, the school has an obligation to provide the services for home and hospital. But it is often teachers who are most heavily affected. Not only are they teaching several classes, but they also have an extra student to create specialized work for.

“It’s just hard,” English teacher KC Wachs said, “because it is double coordination” for planning classes.

Furthermore, providing instruction to students on subjects they are not certified in can be a difficult task for the instructors who visit home and hospital students.

Science teacher Heidi Rounds, for one, found it frustrating to have to supervise non-science instruction.

“It’s difficult … (because the students) weren’t in need of home hospital for science classes, they needed it for subjects that were outside my area of expertise,” Rounds said.

For Rounds and others, the question is whether students who are on home and hospital are receiving the same quality of an education as students who attend school on a daily basis.

“I tried to keep (the home and hospital curriculum) as close to what is happening in class,” Rounds said, “(but) it can never be the same if you’re not in the class because ... there is so much class discussion” that positively affects learning.

Wachs agreed: “There is definitely something you miss” when students can’t participate in discussions.

The impression of home hospital being “abused” stems from the lack of clearly defined rules regarding participation in school-affiliated events, such as athletic teams and school dances – at least in part because home and hospital has no guidelines regarding when it must end.

To be eligible for a school sports team, students must be currently enrolled at GBHS and have a 2.0 grade-point average. However, home and hospital students cannot be restricted from participating in on-campus activities if their illness or disability will allow.

“There is no CIF rule, nor is there a league

rule, stopping anyone from participating in athletics” if they’re on home and hospital, assistant principal Brian McNulty said.

As far as other on-campus activities are concerned – such as attending school dances – McNulty said the issue hasn’t come up.

So, are students abusing this program, or are they well within their rights?

When the Gazette tried to contact two students who are currently on home and hospital, they ultimately declined to be interviewed.

However, one of those students – a female junior – is regularly on social networking sites such as Twitter and Instagram. The student posts pictures ranging from trips to Colorado to weekend parties, and she has tweeted things such as: “Good thing I didn’t do any of the homework that my teacher is supposed to pick up today. #dontgiveashit.” And: “Is it bad to blow off all my school work to go shopping? Oh well.” And: “Good thing our flight keeps being delayed #f---thesystem.”

Rounds, for her part, is concerned that the program is not very well defined. Technically, because the way the codes are written, students are not abusing the program, just taking advantage of the lack of rules.

Rounds said “the system needs a lot of work so teachers don’t feel like people are abusing it.”

There is a silver lining though, because

some students really do need it.

One such student is GBHS junior Zara Bixby, who is currently on home and hospital for the second time. Despite horror stories that the life of a home and hospital student is devoid of any real work, Bixby argues that “home hospital isn’t easier than being in regular school,” only perhaps a bit “less stressful,” which is ideal for a student coping with panic and sleeping disorders.

Bixby also shatters the stereotype that home and hospital students indulge in hours of sleep.

Her daily routine involves “waking up around 7 and having her teacher come to her house around 8.”

Next, GBHS teacher Eric Oxford usually begins by instructing her in math and then continues to give her the rest of her assignments. Their sessions usually last between an hour and a half and two hours. Bixby typically spends the rest of the day working on her new assignments.

Previous home and hospital student Annina Hanlon, a freshman said, “For someone like me who was out of school for five weeks, (home and hospital) was imperative.” *** Christian Adams, a senior, and Erica Peterson, a junior, are editors with Grrronicle.com, the news website produced by the Journalism class.

A5 News

Friday, March 23, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette

DANCING: Keys surprised and pleased by community’s response Continued from page A1 just go lay down and take a lot of medication, (but) no. I come out here because I love life and I love people.”

When the adrenaline gets pumping through his veins, Keys is able to numb the pain his illness causes him. Keys’ ultimate goal in his dancing is to bring joy to people, and he loves that he can entertain others while having fun and making the most of life.

“People say when they see me out here, I make them smile,” Keys said. “They tell me to keep it up.”

Clearly seen from a distance, Keys has a passion for life and a spirit inside of him that is rare to come across.

Keys chooses to dance with white napkins because white is the symbol of peace.

He picks up a handful of napkins whenever he goes to McDonald’s and draws two from his backpack when he dances.

“I think (the napkins) have to move the way he wants them to move, and I don’t think he can pick just any material to com-

plement his movement,” said Mark Sheppard, Housing Program Manager of Project Go, which owns Keys’ apartment.

Keys listens to 101.1 “Old School” on his portable radio and rests only during commercial breaks. On his feet, Keys bounces and slides along the sidewalk to the beat, waving his napkins up and down.

“The dance is (a mix of) ballerina and funk,” Keys said.

Because he has never taken dance classes, he learned how to dance from an older friend of his when he was a child. Dancing became a hobby and is now a life passion.

Dancing is also a very personal thing for Keys, and a few months ago when some guys asked if they could dance beside him, Keys politely declined. “(Dancing) is something I do by myself, and I’d get distracted,” Keys said.

Keys lives in a senior home down the block from the corner of Douglas Blvd. and Eureka Rd., his favorite corner. He has only been living in Roseville six months and moved to be closer to his eldest son who

lives in Antelope.

“Clifford showed up one day with limited resources and asked if he could live here,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard was later informed that one of his tenants was out dancing on street corners and then connected the dots between Keys who lived in the building and Keys the dancing man.

“I would say most of society figures he’s pretty crazy,” Sheppard said. “I’ve had personal contact with him, and it turns out that he is a very humble man and may not have all the luck and income of others, but he’s a rather interesting and good guy.”

Although a fairly new Roseville resident, without a doubt Roseville is Keys’ favorite city.

“I love the people and I appreciate that they appreciate me,” Keys said. “I appreciate the people of Roseville.”

Keys is originally from Louisiana and has lived all over the country. He hasn’t always been so accepted into and encouraged by a community as he is today.

When he first started dancing, a man came up to him and told him he was making a shame of himself.

“It affected me for a minute and then I said, ‘Clifford, are you going to let this man control you?’” Keys said.

Keys didn’t let this man get to his head and continued to do what he loves best. In Roseville, however, he says reactions have been nothing but positive.

“Generally speaking, this is a rather unique community in which all people don’t have to be cookie cutters of other people,” Sheppard said. “We set a standard that says all people are fun, give them a chance and make it work.”

Granite Bay High School senior Chelsea Cameron, who often witnesses Keys’ dancing on her way to church, decided she would stop by and say hello.

“I thought he might be hungry so I brought him cornbread once and a Krispy Kreme donut another time,” Cameron said.

A woman who works in one of the buildings near Keys’ favorite corner gave him

an $80 gift card to Famous Footwear for Christmas because the soles of his shoes have gotten worn down from sliding on the concrete. Some men also came by and gave him some cloth handkerchiefs because they see him out dancing with napkins all the time.

Keys has a special trophy case in his room were he puts the “trophies,” as he calls them, that people give him. One of the items he most prizes in his collection is a copy of the article that the Roseville Press Tribune wrote about him. He has it hanging on his wall.

“No one has ever written about me in all the cities I’ve lived in,” Keys said.

Keys receives tremendous recognition in the Roseville area, but he stays humble.

“I don’t want it to get to my ego,” Keys said.

Keys has a passion for what he does and says he will never quit.

“As long as I have bread and enough strength to get out here,” Keys said, “I’ll be getting out here.”

CONCUSSIONS: Baseline testing aids physicians PLAGIARISM: Teachers’ Continued from page A1

“It didn’t really change the way high school athletics are being run.”

Under CIF Bylaw 313, high schools were already required to immediately remove any player they suspected of having a concussion from play.

The bylaw also required removed players to get clearance from a physician before returning to play.

Another bill, Assembly Bill 1451, was recently proposed to supplement AB 25. This bill would require coaches to undergo specific training on catastrophic injuries such as concussions. This would most likely supplement the one-hour online course the CIF requires for coaches.

Broomand said these bills are a good starting point for concussion education, something she is passionate about.

“The fact sheets are great, but I really find that having professionals come out to the school to speak with the parents, the athletes, the coaches, even the school staff, (is highly beneficial),” Broomand said.

In 2008, GBHS took part in an educational program known as HeadMinders. Costing around $2,000 a year, this program provided baseline testing “for every student who was in a sport that had a proclivity for having concussions,” according to athletic director Tim Healy.

GBHS also had a stipend for a full-time athletic trainer to oversee the program.

Two years after the program was adopted, trainer Jenny Mann and the HeadMinders program left the campus.

Since then, GBHS has not participated in any other baseline testing programs, nor has it hired a new trainer.

The reason for this, according to Healy, is a lack of funding districtwide.

“There are few high schools, none in our district, that fund (a high school trainer),” Healy said.

Ernie Cooper, the head football coach, does not believe that funding should be an issue when it comes to an athletic trainer.

Having a trainer on campus is, to him, an invaluable resource for coaches and athletes. He believes the funding for something so important can and should be found.

“The No. 1 thing we’re entrusted a concern, as the school would most with every day as teachers is our stu- likely have to foot the bill.

“We’re not going to go back to dents’ and athletes’ safety,” Cooper said. “So for us not to have a trainer the parents (and ask them to pay), because we’re already asking the (is absolutely) insane.”

Healy said an educational pro- parents left and right for things,” gram will one day return to GBHS, Healy said. “I’d like to get away but he is unsure where the funding from that.”

The second program Healy has will come from or how it will be considered is more appealing beimplemented.

Currently, there are two programs cause, unlike the Consortium, there on the market for concussion educa- is one flat rate for all athletes, no matter how many sports they play. tion and baseline testing.

Even if this cheaper program One is the Sacramento Valley Concussion Care Consortium, a collabo- could be funded, Healy still has his ration between Kaiser Permanente, concerns. The biggest among them Mercy, Sutter, the University of Cal- is how the athletic department would ifornia at Davis Medical Center and implement the program.

In football, for example, finding Wells Fargo Insurance. Broomand is a member of the Consortium and time for baseline testing and concusbelieves it is an invaluable program sion education would be difficult.

According to Healy, because of for high schools and teams.

In addition to providing concussion how early football starts, their entire education, the Consortium also pro- game schedule would have to be shifted back one vides athletes with week in order to baseline testing usaccommodate the ing the ImPACT The No. 1 thing program. program. we’re entrusted Equally chal“When I started lenging would be the program here, with every day as coordinating the I looked at a lot teachers is our baseline testing of different forms for 800 to 1,000 of computerized students’ and athathletes. tests that are used letes’ safety.

“We have a comfor managing puter lab, where concussions, and I you cross your finthink ImPACT is – Ernie Cooper, gers and hope 30 the best of what’s varsity football coach of them work, and available out I’ve got to test 800 there,” Broomand (students),” Healy said. said. “How many days is that going Granite Bay Rugby, which is to take?” separate from GBHS and does not For Cooper, who coaches a sport fall under the CIF or AB 25 rules, recently signed up for Consortium. where concussions are common“The Granite Bay Rugby board of place, the baseline testing is worth directors and myself unanimously the hassle.

Back when the HeadMinders proposted that we adopt that, so we’ve contacted Wells Fargo for the insur- gram was in place, Cooper would ance,” head coach John Kimble said. have all of his athletes take the test “Next season all players will have a on the very first day of the season, before they ever put pads on. baseline test done.”

“We had kids not meeting (the Despite the program’s positive reception in the area, Healy does baseline standards), who would go not know if it is the right program in every week until they matched up with that baseline,” Cooper for GBHS. Though relatively “inexpensive,” said. “Until then, they didn’t play. according to Broomand, the program I loved it.”

Having the testing gave Cooper would cost $5-10 per participant, per sport. So, for a three-sport athlete, peace of mind, because he knew his the program could cost anywhere players were safe.

Concussions are a particularly from $15 to $35.

For Healy, this increasing cost is large concern for Cooper, as well

as other coaches and physicians, because of how dangerous they can become later on in life.

“When an athlete has had multiple concussions over their lifetime, they’re at higher risk for long-term problems,” Broomand said.

Down the line, multiple concussions could result in anything from physical issues like chronic headaches and sleep issues to emotional instability and depression.

Another major concern of coaches and physicians is Second Impact Syndrome. Because of this fear, players are required to get medical clearance before returning to play. “(Concussions) are not like a broken leg. You may think you’re fine, but that might not be the case,” Peter Saco, the Sac-Joaquin Section commissioner, said.

If a player returns to play before his or her brain is fully healed and sustains another concussion, the result can be disastrous. “(Second Impact Syndrome is) when we lose kids,” Saco said.

“That’s when they die and suffer serious injuries.”

Because of the danger of Second Impact Syndrome, programs like the ImPACT testing that provide a baseline are important for physicians.

“When you’re doing any kind of cognitive testing with people, the results (vary from person to person),” Broomand said. “(ImPACT testing) allows us to know what that particular person’s usual abilities are, and then after a concussion we know whether or not there is a difference from where they were functioning before.”

These results can help a physician determine when a player is truly healed and ready to return to play.

“The benefit of the baseline testing is that it’s personal, it’s more definitive,” Healy said. “And I’d say if you’re in a sport where headon-head injuries are common, it’s probably worth doing it.”

Cooper was especially adamant about the importance of instituting a concussion program including baseline testing at GBHS. “If (I was) the superintendent, the assistant superintendent, a board member, (I would be) finding the money (for a trainer and baseline testing),” Cooper said. “That is just money well-spent.”

EXPRESSION: Media students careful to toe the line Continued from page A1

content of video bulletins, is one of the most visible examples of student free speech.

According to Zachary Weidkamp, the Advanced Media adviser, the bulletin’s content standards are determined with student input, and content is screened by him before being aired. The administration doesn’t review bulletins for content until after they are uploaded, but may censor them retroactively.

“We’re trying to please a large crowd,” Weidkamp said, “from students, to teachers, to parents who may be watching (the bulletin).”

Senior Taylor Ito, an anchor for Team Green’s bulletins, said that, while the students review their own work and try to ensure it meets school standards before submitting it, they are occasionally told to cut something they missed.

Despite small disputes regarding particular segments, such as a brief depiction of alcohol, Ito said he personally has not had any difficulties with the administration.

“It’s difficult sometimes to add humor or entertainment without crossing a line, but you adapt, and you get used to it,” he said. “It’s always upsetting when something gets cut because you spend a lot of time (on it), but it’s understandable.”

The legality of censoring video news bulletins,

like those produced by Advanced Media, is somewhat unclear. “(School administration would) be especially motivated to control student oral speech in situations where students are a captive audience – as is often the case when student(s) are asked as a class to watch a campus news broadcast,” said Paul Kandell, a journalism adviser at Palo Alto High School, in an email. “If it’s not optional, the excuse for control gets magnified.”

But 48907 only specifies that it covers “student publications,” and some, like Tracy Sena, a journalism adviser at Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco, believe this includes non-print forms of media as well as newspapers.

“It seems the authors of (48907) deliberately wanted to keep the definition of student free expression open-ended,” she said in an email interview. “I can’t believe the authors would have foreseen online journalism or social media.”

Whether or not GBHS’s policies are legal, Advanced Media students like senior Alex Nacht are not particularly upset by them.

“It’s a give-and-take,” he said. “We have to do our work, and (the administration) has certain guidelines that we have to meet. I respect that.”

Other school programs, which do not fall under the jurisdiction of 48907, are subject to the adviser or teacher’s discretion. In the case of

Myron Stephen’s art classes, that still means a large degree of creative freedom.

Aside from themes of suicide or child abuse, he said, he places no restrictions on the content of his students’ artwork, as long as it is of a professional quality. “(Students’ art) can be about anything they’re going through, (and) it’s a method of self-expression,” Stephens said.

He said also allows his students to paint nude figures, though he tends to avoid displaying them in prominent places on campus, such as in the administrative office.

The drama department, headed by Jim Prichard, does restrict the types of plays it stages, taking into consideration the tastes of the audience students will perform for.

“If we come up with a play that may be considered ‘PG’ for content or language, then we’d do it,” he said. “But I don’t think we’d be able to do an ‘R’-rated play. I don’t think it would be appropriate for the community.”

Actors have somewhat more freedom with student-directed plays, according to senior Hannah VanNoland, a drama student, because the director-writer can change the script at will.

She said she was happy with the department’s censorship policies.

“We don’t censor a lot, unless it’s totally weird, or racist or (something like that),” she said.

use of TurnItIn.com beneficial for students Continued from page A1

“And what I mean is, I hear the same phrases, or the same ideas, with the same quotes in the same order, and it is a clue that they’re getting help somewhere else.”

Drury believes that often students do not intend to plagiarize, but unwittingly do so by rewording ideas that are not their own and neglecting to cite their sources. She does not think the sites that provide these ideas should be completely off-limits, but that there is a better way to utilize them than simply taking them as truth at face value.

“What you do is you go to the site, read it, do not take notes, close it and walk away for at least an hour,” she said. “You can let those ideas simmer in your little brain, but… if you give yourself some time and you come back, you are far less likely to plagiarize ideas, organization or fullon words and phrases.”

While Drury has familiarized herself over the years with common student resources, such as Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, DirectEssay.com, and others, she said TurnItIn.com would be helpful in more efficiently filtering out those essays that had been written unethically.

Students are given a username for Turn It In and provided with a passcode that allows them access to the account for their specific class. They are then able to upload their typed assignments to the program, which calculates a percentage representing how much of the essay’s content matched up with content on the internet. Teachers are then able to view the specific sources located by Turn It In and verify for themselves whether or not a student’s work was plagiarized.

Julianna Hedstrom, the GBHS Teacher Librarian, is the campus liaison for the program. While it was originally purchased through the International Baccalaureate program, Turn It In provides a site license that allows access for the entire school.

“I think TurnItIn.com is an excellent resource for us to use as a teaching tool,” Hedstrom said in an email. “Knowing where to find good information and how to cite it is a skill that students can use their entire lives.”

One feature of Turn It In, called OrginialityCheck, is used to check authenticity. However, there are other helpful features such as GradeMark and PeerMark available to both teachers and students.

GradeMark performs grammar and syntax checks on any essay and allows teachers to post comments directly onto the uploaded document. PeerMark allows students to evaluate each other’s work online.

So far 13 GBHS teachers and 360 students have created accounts on Turn It In. The approximate cost per student is $1.50, which factors in the discount Turn It In provides for IB schools.

In addition to helping bring Turn It In to GBHS, Hedstrom has taken other measures such as implementing EasyBib School Edition to make sure students are capable of finding reliable information and citing their sources properly.

“I am also a resource for teaching the ethical use of information, which includes knowing what materials are protected under copyright law and which ones can be incorporated into your own work,” Hedstrom said.

English teacher Bernadette Cranmer, who teaches the English class for IB juniors, has been in close coordination with Hedstrom throughout the process of bringing Turn It In to GBHS. “We’ve been to a lot of trainings for IB, and they always talk about TurnItIn.com being essential to the program,” Cranmer said. “(Turn It In) is so big because not only high schools use it, but universities use it (as well as schools) all over the world, so they have a massive database.”

IB teachers upload certain internal assessments to Turn It In, as well as the rough and final drafts of the extended essays IB students are required to write. Though the program was implemented only a few months ago, Cranmer already sees a large degree of potential for its use.

“Students can upload things themselves and get checks back, (and) they can see when they’ve done something that they didn’t intend to do,” she said.

In this way Cranmer hopes to reduce accidental plagiarism, which often occurs when students inadvertently neglect to cite their sources.

Because of how the program is formatted, every student has access to Turn It In despite the fact that it is currently funded by the IB program.

“We couldn’t get it just for IB or just for English,” Cranmer said. “It really is for the entire school, so that means we pay for every single student to use it whether or not they happen to use it or not.”

Junior Ty Serna is in Drury’s Honors English 11 class and is among the first of her students to be required to upload his assignments to the site.

He feels Turn It In is a reliable source for discovering both discrete and blatant plagiarism in writing. “(After uploading my essay) I had like three percent because I was on one website and I got a little bit from it,” Serna said. “(Even though) I reworded it, it still kind of showed up, so I would say it’s pretty accurate.”

Assistant principal Cathy Raycraft also believes that once the site becomes a widely used resource at GBHS, it will play a big part in reducing the amount of plagiarism, unintended or otherwise, in the classes that utilize it.

“The sooner you learn (not to plagiarize), the better off you’re going to be,” Raycraft said. “Because if you do that in college, it’s an F, and they drop you from the class.”

Drury emphasizes that the goal of using Turn It In in her classes is not to incriminate her students, but to encourage them to think critically and independently.

“Grades are so important to this community, but what we’ve forgotten is grades are a reflection of knowledge and skills,” Drury said. “And when you lift someone else’s (work), you’re not growing. I would rather see somebody do less insightful work but have it of their own thinking, then see (how) they can parrot someone else’s.”

www.GraniteBayGazette.com

A6 News

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

COUNSELORS: Bussey’s absence complicates situation

Continued from page A2

been on campus, but principal Michael McGuire told faculty members at the most-recent staff meeting that Bussey’s absence was a “personnel issue.” The automatic response that has been set up for her email reply notes that her absence is “due to circumstances beyond my control.”

So has the scheduling process been hurt by Bussey’s absence or not?

“As far as (student) services is concerned, we have filled in those gaps,” said Mattix, who added that two staff members – retired counselor Walt Wild and special services counselor Kathleen Orchard – have been filling in for Bussey.

However, because Mattix agreed that the spring scheduling season is one of the toughest times of the year for counselors and other support staff, Bussey’s

need of extra support.”

The possible staff members who could be dealing with scheduling are the four assistant principals, six counselors, one registrar, one counselor’s secretary, all of the department coordinators and various other program coordinators.

But while the current counseling situation is not necessarily dire, it’s certainly more difficult for students to get their schedules and high school needs met.

Why? There are several reasons.

One of the four guidance counselors has been absent for the past three weeks during the exceedingly busy time for scheduling. The administration has offered no comment as to why Carey Bussey has not

550 students are potentially suffering.

“When a student has a working relationship with any counselor, their absence could make an impact,” Mattix agreed.

When he was asked whether GBHS is understaffed, however, Mattix explained that budget information could be found at the District Office.

So what does the budget have to do with scheduling and counseling problems?

“The quality of services we provide has a direct correlation to the funding we receive,” Mattix said.

The truth, in other words, is in the funding.

The district’s budget for counselors for their eight schools was cut by almost $192,000 for the 2010-11 school year. This could have prevented new counseling and support for the growing number of students

attending GBHS and the rest of the district’s schools.

According to the California Budget Project, California ranks 46th in the United States in K-12 spending per student. At privately funded St. Francis High School, students have access to nine guidance counselors, with just more than half the enrollment at GBHS. On the surface, GBHS is a well-run, efficient machine that has many great attributes. But for all the successes, students and parents have found faults in the counseling and scheduling routine.

“Overall, things are pretty good around here,” said Sami Perry, a junior, “but we could afford to polish a few things up.” *** Amber Les, a junior, is an editor with Grrronicle. com, the news website produced by the Journalism class.

PRIMARIES: Unified Congress, cooperation may lead to necessary changes Continued from page A2

summer of 2011, when there were many aspiring candidates. However, like Social Darwinism, by early 2012 the candidates narrowed down to: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

A good place to start would be how politicians are becoming more concerned with making each other look bad, playing mind games on the American citizens.

Brandon Dell’Orto, AP United States History teacher, said, “We are stuck in this kind of static, cut each other throat right now in politics (…) that lack of civility, compromise, is our single solitary biggest problem that we face as a nation.”

This power struggle where the politicians are more concerned with themselves than working together with the same goals is holding America back from recovery, especially the economy.

“The one thing that will really make (the economy) pick up,” Dell’Orto said, “would be if the Republicans win the presidency and the House and the Senate. And they can do their program, which will do

certain things to stimulate business.”

The fact that the United States rank 14th in the world in education is another problem that needs to be addressed.

Dell’Orto said there are simply not enough skilled people to fill the jobs that are available. Jobs can’t be filled because we don’t have enough people that know how to do the things that those jobs require.

This means that America needs to change its education system, especially the way it accesses knowledge. “(We have to get) away from just testing and testing and testing with scantrons,” Dell’Orto said. “Students really need to know something. You can’t just have them memorize something and spit it back on a test. There’s got (to) be some deeper understanding.”

And this makes sense. Students don’t necessarily have to know and comprehend the material when there are multiple choice tests, they just have to get the right answer.

This mentality won’t fill up jobs, or benefit the student in that matter, because they didn’t learn anything.

“We have to get away from the idea that assessing

with scantrons in STAR tests is going to save America,” Dell’Orto said. “It’s so easy to teach just that type of test, and the kids don’t know what they’re doing.”

With the five key candidates in the race, the question comes down to who is most capable of the job.

Mike Valentine, AP European History teacher, explained that presidents need to have a strong leadership quality. That means they should be consistent with their commitments.

Valentine explained that while they should be consistent in what they do, presidents also need to compromise as needed, which may not always be something the public will like Valentine said, that as a leader, they are “(going) to make some people mad sometimes,” It’s basically part of the job. What he says is crucial, in the end, is being flexible: “because everything’s about compromise.”

Lastly, another brainwashing attack politicians are using in their campaigns and speeches is the situation in Iran.

As Dell’Orto said, “All this hype is politically generated to cause in the minds of the American people

a distance between the primary guys running for the Republican party who are screaming and yelling that more needs to be done, and from the president who is saying that if we get into a war....it’s not going to be short and sweet.”

The talk about Iran is mainly used as a distraction from the real problems America is facing. The United States has already been in more than enough devastating wars recently, including the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq. A war with Iran is not the best decision.

Even the arguments about Iran’s nuclear program are vague.

Dell’Orto explained that the question is that, “Even if they had (weapons of mass destruction), would they use it? I’m not sure that that assumption is correct.”

In the end, the future of America firmly depends on how much politicians are willing to cooperate with each other and work together.

“If there is a united Congress, better or worse... things will get done,” Dell’Orto said, “It’s not so much the President, I think, as much as it’s (going to) be Congress.”

MAJORS: Career path has little effect on admission BALDRICK’S: Dixon asks students to sacrifice hair to fund cancer research Continued from page A3

Reno, said that applying to UNR has no bearing on acceptance into the school.

“If the students have a 3.0 or higher academic GPA, they are accepted automatically regardless of anything since we do not require essays or letters of recommendation,” Coleman said. “We also have a test waiver where students are accepted regardless of their GPA if they have a 22 ACT score or 1040 SAT (reading and math sections only).”

Coleman said student majors are the last thing college admissions officers look at and that GPA is the deciding factor.

Coleman said if students are unsure of their major, they should come in undeclared unless they are interested in engineering or nursing, as both require a strict plan students have to follow. However, she said students can switch out of those majors if they’re not happy. “(Undeclared students) will have a chance to take a one-credit, one-semester course to help them decide on other majors or careers available to them at our institution,” Coleman said.

She said students can even graduate with a degree in general studies if they don’t figure out what major they want to pursue.

Coleman added that California universities are the only schools in the country that prefer or require students to declare a major, just so

YOUR:

students don’t stay longer than six years.

Although schools in the California State University and University of California systems prefer students to declare a major, private California universities often prefer students to apply undeclared.

According to Jessie Rueter, a transfer counselor at the University of Southern California who specializes in transfers from Sierra College, students transferring as juniors are required to pick a major. However, students planning on attending USC right out of high school are not required to declare a major and are, in fact, discouraged from doing so unless they know what they want to do.

Rueter added that applying to USC as a senior in high school is just as competitive of a process as transferring from Sierra. Last year, both forms of entrance had a 23 percent acceptance rate.

Aaron Brown, another USC transfer counselor, said there’s been increasingly more students coming in as undecided each year. Brown said that coming in as an undecided freshman in college is OK, even if students graduate with a degree in general studies.

“It’s a great place to come (to) if applying undecided. It (has) definitely encouraged (the) flexibility of academic programs (and made) it easier for students to double major or pick up a major while they’re here,” Brown said.

Although the process of declaring a major for a CSU is different from that of a UC, Adriana Cervantes, the Admissions and Outreach counselor at California State University, Sacramento, said it’s not necessary for students to enter Sac State declared. Despite this, they must pick a major by the end of their sophomore year.

Sac State offers a career center, as well as academic advisers, to meet with students to provide guidance and assistance in finding the career they want to pursue.

“When students are completing our general education, they are taking a little bit of everything, and that’s how they decide what they want to do,” Cervantes said.

She noted herself as an example and said that she applied to Sac State undeclared. It wasn’t until she took a class in social studies that she discovered what she wanted to study.

Cindi Underwood, the director of the GBHS college and career center, said that if students are unsure of what to major in, it’s better that they enter college undeclared so they can study different areas in order to find out what they’re interested in.

“At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, you have to declare a major and (...) if you‘re not sure of your major, it’s very difficult to go in and choose a major then try to change it later,” Underwood said. “So if you’re not sure of your major, then that would definitely not be a college that you would want to apply to.”

NAMES, FACES, NEWSPAPER.

Continued from page A3 Davis has admiration for girls who shave their heads, especially girls who are willing to shave their heads in high school, an environment where everyone is trying to fit in.

“People might look at you funny, but people aren’t going to think of you in a bad way because you’re involved in such a good cause,” Davis said. “I never thought I would actually go through with it but I did. I’m proud of myself for doing it and I’m glad I did it.”

Davis raised $1,300 for children’s cancer research.

In total, St. Baldrick’s has raised almost $79 million in the seven years of its existence.

GBHS biology and chemistry teacher Shane Dixon participated in St. Baldrick’s for the fifth time

this year and has been advisor of the club for two years.

“I hadn’t heard about (the event) until (Chris) Roberts had Leukemia, and the next year he participated in the event,” Dixon said.

The following year, his daughter was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, causing him to gain a passion for the cause.

Although he wasn’t able to be advisor this year, he decided to get his students involved in Saint Baldrick’s.

Dickson made a deal with his students where if they donated to the cause and he reached his goal, he’d dye his hair whatever color they wanted before he was shaved.

“I think it’s a great event,” Dickson said. “All the money is going to support cancer research and all this research is making a difference.”

THE GAZETTE 2011-12 GR A NITE B AY HIGH

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w March 23, 2012

Commentary

GAZETTE The Granite Bay

A Section

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

Editors-in-Chief: Shannon Carroll Kyle Pawlak Jessica Reese Rachael Vasquez News/Web Editors: Nicole Bales Chris Pei Voices Editors: Lena Eyen Haley Massara Lifestyle Editors: Danielle Dieterich Kelsey Knorp ShinEui Park Green Screen Editors: Ari Black 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.

brooklyn klepl bklepl.gazette@gmail.com

Toilet troubles

School bathrooms are disgusting beyond reason

E

very once in a while, some bathrooms go a little too long without being cleaned.

And you would think that by high school, girls and boys alike would know how to take aim and fire; sadly this is not the case.

There are some bathrooms that have been so deprived of cleanliness that they will never really be clean again.

Some of the dirtiest bathrooms are the girls’ lavatories at Granite Bay High School. No matter how hard the janitors clean, we girls can be disgusting.

At least one of the toilets is clogged at all times and more often than not each bathroom has two unusable stalls and at least one sink full of hair and paper towels.

The very first lesson girls should learn when Mother Nature finally arrives is to dispose of the tampons in a garbage can, not the toilet. Do not flush your tampons, people!

I do not know what crazy obsession we have with throwing used tampons everywhere except the appointed places, but I think it should come to an end swiftly.

I do not know why the girls at this school (and probably throughout the country) feel the need to go, not flush the toilet, and then blame it all on the girl in the stall next to her.

I have seen and/or smelled this at least three times and it’s just vile.

No one wants to walk into that stall, and it just ends up making the line that much longer during passing period and for the first 10 minutes of lunch.

Speaking of passing period, the very slim 10 minutes flies by when waiting in the ominous bathroom line, unless your previous classroom is located directly adjacent to the bathroom.

Sometimes I have waited all 10 minutes to use the restroom. What do I get for my patience? A still-full bladder and a scolding from my teacher for being late and disrupting the class.

A few solutions to this horrendous nightmare would be to either extend the

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passing periods or produce more bathrooms. If we cannot do that, we had better find a good tree and make like we are camping.

One time, I was walking into the bathroom during first lunch just as some girls were finishing their puke-of-the-day.

The smell of stomach acid was so strong

that I could almost taste it. It was so disgusting!

What was even worse about the situation was that they did not flush the toilets. I was thoroughly grossed out.

The dirty bathroom crisis is unfortunately not confined to campus.

Party City, located in the Target parking lot, has restrooms that look like they haven’t been cleaned in years.

Wal-Mart also needs a dirty bathroom reality check.

Fortunately, there are some super clean, what I like to call “safe haven,” bathrooms

N

in

area.

One of the cleanest public bathrooms on the Roseville side I have seen is in Hobby Lobby.

It smells like a fancy restaurant bathroom would smell; kind of floral and pretty. They even have a chase lounge in there!

Another great bathroom is the Dollar Tree in the Raley’s shopping center on Douglas Blvd.

That bathroom is pretty basic, but very clean and tidy nonetheless.

I think GBHS students and staff should all make an effort to clean up after ourselves for a better, more sanitary public bathroom experience. *** Brooklyn Klepl, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

I’m an accidental shoplifter – are you?

Automated checkout and poor organization makes stealing too easy

L

et me start this off by saying I’m a good person.

I get straight A’s, I volunteer at the hospital every week and am a part of a charity organization.

But I have accidentally come to the realization of exactly how easy it is to steal things from stores.

It started last November, on the night of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 midnight premiere at the movie theater in Vacaville.

After waiting in line for hours on end, a dilemma arose. I was pretty dang hungry. So, to solve this, I went to Mongolian Barbeque, which was right next door.

Now, for those unfamiliar with Mongolian Barbeque, you enter

from the left, pay first then get the bowl and to fill it with food.

Unfortunately for me, I was one of the unfamiliar. I entered from the right, filled a bowl up with food, and then I was stuck.

Being a scared sophomore, I froze. I was alone with food I hadn’t paid for, and I didn’t know what to do.

I sat for a few minutes, weighing my options, until I decided to leave and put the money I had in the tip jar, so at least I paid in some way.

Now, after thinking about this, I began to wonder that if I was able to accomplish this by accident, how many other people had done this on purpose? And I have a feeling they wouldn’t be leaving a sizeable tip

Commentary

hayley mcavoy

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

like I did, if they did chose to steal.

Accidental thefts are unusual, and normally someone would’ve that noticed that I hadn’t paid and done something about it. And that night was just an unusual coincidence.

Then it happened again.

This time it was just down the street at Safeway.

I was there getting food to make dinner for my brother and I, specifi-

cally garlic, marshmallows, soy milk and a sausage pizza.

I’ll admit I was a bit preoccupied going through self checkout. But I did manage to scan all my items and enter my phone number into the pin pad in order to receive discounts.

And that’s about all I did.

I scanned all my items, entered in my home phone number, picked up my bags and left.

I would like to say I realized right away that I hadn’t yet paid for my items, but in actuality I didn’t come to that realization for another hour or so.

I ended up calling the store and explaining to them what happened.

They were very understanding about it and let me go back and pay for my groceries.

When I went back to pay, I was talking to the cashier and she said that these kinds of things have hap-

pened before and it wasn’t that bad.

She also explained that someone had seen me walk out and told them about it, yet no one did anything about it.

When I was driving home, I thought about this. If someone noticed, why hadn’t someone come after me? Why didn’t someone look at the checkout screen with all my information and call me? I had made it pretty easy for them to find me, but nothing was done.

What about all the others that had done exactly what I had done, but never went back to pay, or the people who actually steal on purpose instead of accidentally?

I’m not a bad person, so I made sure I had paid for what I “stole,” but what about those who aren’t as good and didn’t go back to pay? *** Hayley McAvoy, a junior, is a Gazette Green Screen editor.

Cheating on an essay means cheating yourself

C

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

Gaz

TRL+C and CTRL+V: two simple key commands, but the bane of English teachers across the nation.

With the advent of literary sites like Sparknotes, cheating has become seductively simple, turning once-faithful students into shifty-eyed copy-pasters.

Why, it’s easy to wonder, should you slave over an essay for four hours when a better one is floating out there on the Net? Naturally, teachers have developed a weapon with which to combat this plague of plagiarism. Tools like TurnItIn.com – recently adopted by some of Granite Bay High School’s English teachers – crosscheck a paper’s contents with the internet, and alert the user if a student’s essay bears any suspicious similarity.

The question is, why is that kind of software even necessary? Have we lost so much faith in ourselves that we’d rather

trust a random stranger robbing yourself of any on the Internet with joy or accomplishment you our grade than our might have felt? What will own imperfect brains? you be able to take credit The voice of the Are we just too lazy to for, while keeping your Granite Bay work, or are we willing conscience clean? to do something we Then, of course, there are Gazette know is wrong? consequences for getting You’ve heard a caught. And rest assured, hundred speeches you will eventually be pleading you not to plagiarize, but it’s caught, if not by your high school teacher, more important now than ever. It’s not just then by a college professor. Adults can use a question of having pride in your work the Internet, too.

– cheating represents a major breech of There will be ways to get around the ethics, one you cannot afford to make in anti-cheat software, to be sure; no program your adult life. is without its flaws. But what’s the point of If you’re willing to copy someone else’s expending so much effort to cheat, when work and claim it as your own, will you writing your own paper would be so much be the kind of person who lies on your easier? resume?

Besides, what kind of existence is that, Will you fake your way through college, worrying with every assignment that you’ll

EDITORIAL

get caught?

Every time you plagiarize, you risk consequences ranging from an academic slap on the wrist to expulsion, and colleges will almost certainly choose the latter.

How would you break the news to your parents?

Not only that, but what if you’re unfortunate enough to plagiarize something bad? What if you stumble upon an incorrect analysis, a questionable Yahoo! Answer, or a grammatical trainwreck of an essay? “Your” work will be worse than your work; the irony will be almost as painful as your grade.

Ultimately, cheating in high school doesn’t make sense. It’s a pointless, highstakes risk for virtually no reward, and it robs you of your sense of worth.

Just write your own essay like the rest of us. What have you got to lose?

A8 Voices

Friday, March 23, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette

HEARD on the

BAY

If you could choose one season for it to be year-round, which would it be and why?

“Summer because I could swim all of the time.”

freshman Madi Marzinzik “It would probably be spring because the rain and the weather are very nice.”

sophomore Amy Warren “Summer! Just because it is warm and sunny all the time and everyone is in a good mood because we are not in school.”

Piano is a sport

Commentary

My commitment to playing rivals that of any athlete kiana okhovat

I

kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

’ve been playing piano ever since I was 6 years old. At first it was a hobby, simply something to keep me busy after school. However, around 5th and 6th grade, I became competitive.

My daily practice time went from 45 minutes or an hour to nearly two or three hours.

I got very involved in music, music theory and was constantly preparing for recitals and competitions, participating in summer workshops and joined a quintet – we are accurately called the Vivace Quintet. I was fairly successful.

In addition to piano, I also ski. I’ve been skiing since I was 6, and I am part of the Northstar Ski Race Team. Skiing and piano are my two sports.

Yes, piano is a sport. To many, this seems like a joke. Piano? A sport? You must be kidding. Pianists just sit and play.

This ignorance wasn’t bothersome to me in middle school, since I didn’t expect much of kids at that age, but when I entered high school, matters changed.

Sports, I found, were a huge deal.

And not only that, but there was a major stereotype as to what a sport was.

If you look up the definition of a sport, it’s this: an athletic ability or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, etc.

That “etc.” is an understatement.

Playing piano is wonderful exercise.

I usually refer to piano as the “ballet for arms and hands.” It elongates your fingers, and gives your arms an elegant stretch.

Piano is fantastic for your upperbody strength. Pieces by masters like Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Chopin ruthlessly force you to work your biceps and triceps immensely.

Endurance is a major part of piano playing.

Like

the burning that develops in your legs when skiing down a mountain, pianists’ muscles work hard without stopping One particular piece that required much endurance was a contemporary piece called Gargoyles. The composer who created this nightmare (in the best sense) must have had iron arms and hands. For six pages straight, both hands were playing fast, loud drills, jumping up and down the keyboard, crossing over each other and finally finishing with a grand finale that leaves the arms and fingers screaming for relief.

A sport is not limited to the poster sports – football, soccer, tennis.

And I am confident in this because I ski. The basic tactics of skiing and piano are the same. You practice, you compete and you do it again and again.

Yes, practicing piano is not, as I have heard so many times, just sitting there and moving your hands. I’d like to see the people who make that statement pull of a piece like Gargoyles successfully. It gets intense, you sweat and it requires an

senior Sydney Lorek “Fall. The air usually is a little cleaner and fresher to me.

Growing up in the Northeast, the fall was always the most colorful time of the year ”

staff

Shane Dixon –Compiled by Brooklyn Klepl

W

hen I decided that I was going to write a piece about self-centeredness, I made a decision to count the amount of times I thought of myself in a given day. But it’s nearly impossible.

I couldn’t even comprehend all the times that I whined about my homework, considered what I needed to do to get an A in a class or what I had to do to become a better athlete.

Our society is one in which each people value their interests over everyone else’s. Now, you can go ahead and blame it on Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. We can all argue that human nature is selfish because millions of years ago mankind was hunting and gathering in the middle of the wilderness.

Some say being selfish is merely a mechanism of our survival.

But we’re not running around naked anymore. Our society needs to turn away from the age-old belief that we’re all out for ourselves and begin to show compassion for others.

Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone sell all their possessions, donate their money to the poor and travel the world serving third-world countries for the rest of their lives.

But by showing a bit more benevolence toward our society, imagine the sort of world we’d live in – a

madison touloukian

Thumbs Up Thumbs up: The Hunger Games movie comes out today!

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

community in which people would something for our own benefit.

Commentary feel accepted and cared for.

We give tax breaks to those that It seems that everything we do is donate to charity. We’ve turned to please ourselves and further our charitable actions into a profit for own lives. Students pay thousands ourselves. Why can’t we simply of dollars for college coaches and be content with the action of tutors so that they can get into a giving itself? good college, so that they can have I’ve noticed that students a good job one day, a big house always argue about being the and a nice car. worst off. “I have the most Now I can understand the desire homework tonight – and look at to be successful. And I don’t have all the AP classes I’m taking.” mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com a problem with that. But why If you’re going to take AP don’t we take a moment to realize classes, then don’t complain why exactly we’re doing the things about spending five hours a night on we do. homework. Be grateful for the wonderful educational Are we impacting anyone’s lives besides our own, opportunity that you’ve been given. in a good way? Are we leaving a trace of ourselves in I understand that being a high school student is this world? stressful, and I’m 100 percent guilty of complaining.

What would you think of your life, if you stepped But there are so many amazing opportunities that back and looked at it from a third-person perspective? are available to us as students. We need to embrace I hope that someone would see me as a kind and the wonderful things in our lives, not dwell on the loving person who impacts those around me in a negatives. positive way. I want to live my life for a greater If we could create a society of love and generosity, purpose and leave a lasting impression on others. imagine the world we’d live in.

What’s the point of going through your life simply Instead of initiating a conversation with words for yourself? Where’s the gratification? When you of complaint and the struggles of our lives, ask leave this earth, is there anything that will be left of questions about the other person. Start off your day your life? Let’s make a difference in someone’s life in thinking of how you can help someone else. a genuine way.

Just try it – you’ll find that by giving something, I know that sounds like something out of a Disney you’ll be getting something too. movie – making a difference and all that. But life *** should really be about that.

Madison Touloukian, a junior, is a Gazette staff Our government has made even helping others into writer.

Thumbs Down

“I would choose to have it be fall; I love when the leaves change into the red, orange and yellow.”

short, I encourage society to be more open to what a sport is. Saying piano is not a sport is as ignorant as claiming men are better than women. It is prejudice. *** Kiana Okhovat, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer.

Empathy, not negativity

Learn to think of others, not just your own problems

junior Jaci Willing

enormous amount of dedication. It’s especially hard mentally because there is no coach telling you every day what you do badly and what you do well.

You get that once a week at a lesson and then you are on your own. You have to be able to sit down and play the same measure or line hundreds of times for hours on end until it is perfect.

You can’t just play. You have to be mentally connected to the music you are producing. It’s not easy sitting down in front of the piano for hours, focusing on tiny, minuscule details and drilling.

Long story

Thumbs down: Got to get those SATs done.

Thumbs up: Powder Puff is today!

by Brooklyn Klepl, staff writer.

Gazette photo illustration/LENA EYEN

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Thumbs down: April Fools’ Day is coming soon.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Voices A9

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A social network addict gets clean

Commentary

Sites like Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook shouldn’t control your life Commentary

sam holzer

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

Freedom of religion – or lack thereof?

haley byam

I

T

hbyam.gazette@gmail.com

t’s always a bit disappointing to realize you’re not the center of the universe.

I clicked “deactivate” and no one died, Kate and Will were still married, gravity was still functioning properly and it still takes roughly 365 days for the Earth to orbit the Sun. It was not catastrophic or mindblowing, it was just simplification.

Before February, I was a member of virtually every popular social networking site on the Internet. You name it, I checked it on a daily basis: Reddit, Ffffound!, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram, Last.fm, Stumbleupon. ing.

The Internet had slowly become my The life. I checked Tumblr, my biggest group of friends vice, within seconds after waking up I had made on Tumblr each morning and probably every 10 took priority over my school minutes throughout the rest of the day. friends, and the people I met I responded to someone saying my on Reddit or Ffffound! seemed URL as easily as to my own name. infinitely cooler than anyone I knew I scrolled through Facebook, Flickr offline. and Twitter, the second-most heinous It was time to take a step back. offenders, every hour.

I deleted my memberships, acThe remaining sites, though not as counts and pages slowly but steadily big a part of my cyber life, nonetheless throughout January. First went the took up monstrous amounts of time ones of lesser importance, like Last. when combined. The real world, real fm, Stumbleupon, people and Instagram, Ffffound! real events and Reddit. began to feel The real world, Second came Twitsecondary to ter, which went with meeting a new real people and surprising ease. I did Internet friend real events began not miss the constant or hitting my narcissistic updates of to feel secondary next thousand every mundane aspect followers. to meeting a new of people’s lives. “So A text post I Internet friend or #hungry!” made on TumFacebook was the hitting my next blr got 70,000 third step. It took notes, and I thousand followseveral weeks to stop felt equally constantly reactivaters. happy as I had ing my account, but it when my little was a breath of fresh brother was air once I permanently born. Fifty detached myself.

Who really needs likes on a Facebook picture? Instant to know your political and religious self-esteem boost. stances, your birth date and what you It felt like these sites determined did on Friday, all in one click? my happiness, and if my favorite blog After stalling for nearly a month, responded to my message but neglected enduring hate from countless anonyto follow me, or my status got under mous users, spending hours finding 10 likes, they also seemed to determine the perfect combination of photos to my unhappiness.

When, on Tumblr, my follower count post and stressing myself out to get to was at 7,900, I stayed up all night wait- 10,000 followers, I pressed “Delete” on my Tumblr account. ing for it to hit 8K, even though it was What is that, the Sun? Is that a bird a school night and I had a test the next chirping? Finally, I had cut off all my day. My grades began to suffer, and so strings and was no longer the faithdid my friendships.

I was thrilled when plans with friends ful marionette of Mark Zuckerberg or David Karp. I was free to take a nap were cancelled, because that meant an without worrying that it would lose folextra few hours of blogging or tweet-

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

lowers or cause me to miss an important update.

I ended up keeping Flickr, because I post any photography or art I do there, but that’s it.

Disconnecting from the Internet was a rash decision, but I’m glad I decided to do it. I’ve had so much more time to do things I love since I severed the cyber umbilical cord. I don’t worry about fine-tuning my blog to please my followers, or strategically staggering the pictures I post to Facebook so people think I have a life.

I’m not discrediting the convenience of social networking, but it’s not such

a good thing when used in excess.

Of course I miss my constantly supportive band of followers, stalking – I mean checking up on people from school and meeting new friends, but I feel much better now. Sometimes it can be more of a distraction than an asset.

If you recognize yourself in any of my descriptions, are an admitted Tumblr addict or suffer from Internetinduced stress, why wait it out? Take control and press delete; I promise the world will go on. *** Haley Byam, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer.

Teens only think in black and white High school has taught us that only extreme opinions can be right

Y

ou have two choices in high school: to be cynical or ignorant.

High school brings out the first time in a young person’s life that they are given a statement or fact and asked to determine its legitimacy.

Students in my Advanced Placemet United States History class ask my teacher, “Why do the politicians not help out politicians from another party?”

That is ignorance.

Other students in my APUSH class tell my teacher, “The whole government system is wrong and corrupt and Congress is wrong and corrupt” until they eventually run out of things that are supposedly “wrong” or “corrupt.”

That is cynicism.

The truth is that high school has a black and a white with no grey to be seen. You have to choose a side and choose it hard.

Weak-minded vegetarians will be coerced or persuaded into consuming meat unless they have a vehement passion for consuming vegetables.

You are forced to choose to believe either that your teacher doesn’t care about grading your paper or that they spend their whole life focused on grading papers.

The reality is probably that the teacher cares about you yet also has a personal life.

As a high school student, your voice is not heard unless it is loud on one side or the other of the spectrum. We are forced to choose a side with only black and while.

Real life is not as segregated between the absolute truth and complete fallacy, yet high school has turned

Commentary

between two stagnant ideas, you choose between logic or emotion; joy or bitterness; bliss or pessimism.

In high school, without a black-and-white opinion, you are stuck in the grey area that nobody cares about.

For example, opinions are so intense that you are almost forced to choose between completely prochoice or completely pro-life, with little room to see a grey area.

No matter which spectrum you choose on any topic, there are views that one side is ignorant and one side is correct. cevans.gazette@gmail.com While people on each side believe they are not the all of us into “cynics” or “uninformed people.” ignorant side, they are cynical toward the other point of view.

I’m not advocating for either skepticism or ignoHigh school society pushes the idea that there is rance, but there is a place for the balance between knowledge of the truth, and being happy and OK with only one right answer.

It stresses the idea that truth is finite and that you the world. know the absolute truth and any High school is a bitter and dissenting opinion is uninformed resentful place. and wrong.

Students passionately judge High school sociThe cynics are ignorant of some everything from their biolissues, and the ignorant become ety pushes the idea ogy teachers to the chicken skeptical toward other opinions. sandwich provided by the that there is only The truth is that every high lunch lady. school student thinks they make one right answer.

Because of the judging a black-and-white choice and that nature that all of us have, their choice is right just because we are forced to induce our they are louder. sometimes ill-informed opinHigh school students are ions on whoever listens, whether they are based on unknowingly ignorant and cynical simultaneously fact or our personal beliefs. because we just want to be heard. *** These opinions lead to the showing of ignorance or Chase Evans, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer. skepticism because, when you are forced to choose

chase evans

his past week I updated my profile information on Facebook.

No, I am not “In a relationship” with my high school sweetheart, and I haven’t switched out my profile picture for a brand new shot of myself shirtless in the bathroom.

Instead I changed my religious beliefs from Jewish to Atheist.

My decision to do this wasn’t motivated out of protest against my cultural heritage, my parents or the Granite Bay community at large.

Instead, I had decided that it was about time to have my profile actually express my beliefs, or rather lack thereof.

I was raised in a Jewish household, the greatgrandson of immigrants who were brutally oppressed during the Russian pogroms, and the nephew of two rabbis.

But my years of going to temple had not brought me any closer to a higher power, and eventually I just stopped going and believing in the religious side of Judaism.

At heart I still considered myself culturally Jewish, as I still celebrated the traditions, customs and holidays with my friends and family.

But I no longer could Aren’t we a naconsider tion that allows myself fully a for the freedom part of a of religious bereligion when I lief? The freedidn’t dom to speak believe in half of it. about what A few we believe in, days after whether we’ll be I changed my accepted by our profile, family or not? my mother – one of my Facebook friends – confronted me over my decision to, as she put it, “abandon the generations that came before you.”

The words of my own parents never stung so much as those did. But why did she have any right to make me feel ashamed? And why should I feel ashamed about my beliefs in the first place?

Aren’t we a nation that allows for the freedom of religious belief? The freedom to speak about what we believe in, whether we’ll be accepted by our family or not?

However, those freedoms of expression that most Americans consider vital for our democracy don’t extend to atheists. According to a poll taken by the Graduate University of New York in 2001, approximately 81 percent of Americans who considered themselves believers in a specific religion were “unwilling to extend elementary freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly to this group of Americans.”

How could a nation that prides itself on its liberties carry the general consensus that a group of its citizens are so untrustworthy that they could be denied basic civil rights as Americans?

I thought this fact was too far-fetched, too incredulous to believe. But last summer, in all of its ugly ignorance, that astounding distrust of atheism was shoved in my face.

My friends and I had been boating all day, stopping by the docks for a picnic later that day.

We returned to one of my friend’s homes, singing along to her iPod in the car the whole way.

We were sharing some nostalgic moments over the Backstreet Boys and the Baha Men when a Taylor Swift song came up on shuffle. An outcry came from one of my friends. “She’s an atheist!

I don’t want to listen to her music if she doesn’t believe in God.” I was shocked. So what if she was an atheist?

Did that change how sweet a person she was or the quality of her musical talent? Whether or not she is an atheist, she shouldn’t have been anymore judged for this more than any other American is for their religion.

Sadly, acceptance, or even acknowledgement, doesn’t extend out to those who claim a lack of religious beliefs.

The latest uproar from religious groups in our country is that contraceptives should not be offered through religiously affiliated companies’ insurance plans. These groups claim that new laws force such companies to provide a service they consider to be against their religious beliefs.

But when atheists across our country are pressured to say the Pledge of Allegiance or face social shame, they don’t bat an eye at the words “one nation, under God.” We don’t complain about the motto inscribed on all of our nation’s currency, or the blessings from God we receive every time we sneeze.

My parents have come to terms with my decision to not be a part of my family’s religious traditions anymore.

Maybe next time I make a major life decision, however, I won’t announce it on Facebook. *** Sam Holzer, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Second look

A10 Second Look

Friday, March 23, 2012

Shaving for the cancer cause

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS students and staff participate in the third annual St. Baldrick’s charity event

Gazette photo /Rachael vasquez

Freshman Mattie Montoya, right, laughs while looking out at the crowd as she holds her cut of hair. Far above, junior Paul Zajac looks down as his hairdresser is about to shave off the hair near his neck. Far right, juniors Chanelle Canfield and Lauren Davis encourage the crowd to donate money to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Assistant principal, Brian McNulty, below, tilts his head back in laughter as the top of his head is being shaved. Below right, teacher Darrin Pagel’s shaved hair flies off his head and onto his smock.

Mattie Montoya, bottom right, smiles in astonishment after her ponytail is cut off and what is left of her hair is about to be shaved.

Gazette photo /Kristin taylor

Gazette photo /Kristin taylor

Gazette photo /Kristin taylor

Gazette photo /Rachael vasquez

Gazette photo /Kristin taylor

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette Commentary

B Section

Friday w March 23, 2012

GBHS students pursue their passions

danielle dieterich ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

Why you should seek to be a geek

I

am a geek. A Star Wars-quoting, Harry Potter-reference-making, Doctor Who-watching, Greek mythology-reading nerd. And do you know what else? I love it.

Being a nerd is fun. I am able to show my interest in unconventional and “uncool” topics without fear of social rejection.

Being openly geeky is incredibly freeing. No longer do I worry about whether my interests will be met with ridicule if made public. Now, I am open about the things I find interesting and have no shame in admitting that I still watch cartoons.

Maybe 17 is a bit too old to be watching Tom and Jerry episodes, but what could make you feel better when you’re sick than some classic cat and mouse shenanigans?

You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Now, maybe you are reading this thinking to yourself “what a loser,” but let’s face it, everyone has an inner geek waiting to emerge; the only thing that separates me from the average teenager is that I am a loud and proud geek.

I am even putting my own admission of geekiness into writing.

Reread the first sentence.

I have always found myself under a lot of pressure as a high school student to act a certain way, dress a certain way and like certain things.

Perhaps the most wonderful thing about being a self-professed nerd is that these pressures have been alleviated.

In this time of hipsters, individuality and uniqueness are flourishing.

Suddenly, wearing super hero backpacks, knowing all the words to Disney songs and playing Pokemon on a regular basis are all socially acceptable acts.

Admittedly, hipsters have the tendency to like things ironically or merely for the sake of standing out.

However, these intentions do not effect the end result: an appreciation for the unique and an acceptance of the outlandish.

Suddenly, this strange behavior leads to a common bond and formation of new relationships with peers rather than alienation and social persecution. For instance, last week I had a conversation that ended up being a debate over whether Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace was up to par with the rest of the franchise. (The answer is no.)

Conversations like these may seem insignificant and ridiculous, but in the midst of the stresses and high expectations of being a high school student, these little moments of silliness can make all the difference.

The last thing I need in times of struggle is the nagging worry of fitting in socially. If laughing about some YouTube clip of a cat jumping into a wall makes me stress less about my homework, then I’m going to watch it.

If I need to watch The Princess Bride for the millionth time to make myself laugh when I have a cold and feel horrible, then I am going to do just that.

For me, this geekiness is a safety blanket that shelters me from the pressures of everyday life, that helps me form bonds and maintain relationships, that helps me maintain my self-esteem and that gives me the confidence to be who I am.

So be proud of your inner nerd.

Geek is the new chic. *** Danielle Dieterich, a senior, is the Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

Jimmy Jack

Bryant Hom

Kelly Slingerland

2011 grad Jimmy Jack, top left, making a video project. Senior Kellie Slingerland, middle, at work in the kitchen at Crush 29. 2010 grad Bryant Hom, top right, in a selftaken photograph. A row of TOMS by Hom, bottom right, decorated by Bryant Hom. Culinary creation of Slingerland, bottom middle. Jack, bottom left, posing.

Unconventional career paths based on interests

BY SAHIL KHOSLA

skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

S

everal Granite Bay High School students and graduates have defied the norm and are actively pursuing a career in the field of their passion.

Former GBHS student Jimmy Jack aspires to become a motion picture director or editor. To accomplish this, Jack plans to attend film school at Loyola Marymount University, and afterwards try to impact the world of film.

He hopes to leave his mark on the world as a filmmaker either by making people laugh or by leaving his audience with a memorable quote to share with friends.

But, contrary to popular opinion, this isn’t an impossible dream. In fact, one of Jack’s most recent videos, “S--- Baseball Players Say”, went viral and amassed over 700,000 views since being uploaded in January.

“My baseball video is one of my biggest accomplishments

in film. It’s been an amazing experience having my video seen all over the world and (to have it trending) around the country,” Jack said. “It really showed me how powerful film can be (and) has encouraged me to pursue my passion.”

However, his career wasn’t always so illustrious. Jack really became interested in film after he received a camera for his 10th birthday and then began making YouTube videos in the eighth grade. He started out by making short music videos and other parodies, but he really grew as film maker after working on the GBHS daily bulletins.

“I really took pride in what I (created on the bulletins), and all the positive feedback really encouraged me to keep doing what I loved,” Jack said. “I really enjoyed making people happy every Friday.”

His passion is present in every step, from the initial scripting to final cuts while editing. Jack strives to share his passion through his YouTube videos and providing entertainment to his subscribers.

But he didn’t do it alone; Jack’s parents supported him every step of the way.

“My parents have always encouraged me to pursue (film) because they knew I loved it, and they’ve never said anything negative (or suggested) going after another career.

They encourage me because they want to see me happy,” Jack said.

The positive encouragement really allowed Jack to continue chasing what he loves most, but Jack’s parents aren’t the only ones who’ve supported their child’s passion.

Bryant Hom, another graduate, received immense encouragement from his family to pursue his passion in art.

“I love my parents, they have always supported me 100 percent with what I do,” Hom said.

Hom currently studies at UCLA as a student in a highly selective avant-garde art program. Within this program, Hom has pushed the boundaries on what artists do in this post modern society.

“Being here at UCLA, I’ve had the opportunity to really reevaluate my own perception of what art is... what it means to produce art, and whether or not (art is) benefiting anyone or anything,” Hom said.

But before attending at UCLA, Hom was painting custom designs on TOMS shoes, which he called “TOMS by Hom.” The catchy name and devout passion for his work boosted his popularity throughout Granite Bay. He was even See PASSION, page B6

Teachers become students themselves GBHS faculty members pursue master’s degrees

BY DANIELLE DIETERICH ddieterich.gazette@gmail.com

A

ccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average public school teacher spends 36.5 hours per week working. Yet, several Granite Bay High School teachers spend considerably more time than that as students themselves as they pursue a master’s degree.

English teacher Tino Guzman is currently attending Sacramento State University to get his master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. “(The program) gives you an administration credential, so you can become a vice principal or principal sometime, and it’s always good to have opportunities open to you for later,” Guzman said.

Although he appreciates the opportunities made available by this degree, Guzman also understands that he may never make the shift from his current teaching position to an administrative career.

“The sad thing is that I don’t know if I could ever (take an administrative job) because I absolutely love teaching in the classroom,” Guzman said. “The further you move away from the classroom, in some respects, the further you move away from

the students.” has not been easy.

Despite these drawbacks, Guzman re“It’s very time consuming because I have mains eager to receive his degree because a new child, Savannah, I’m married, I’m a having a master’s degree leads to a pay raise teacher, and I’m getting my degree,” Guzfor teachers. man said.

Also, the prospect of an administrative In addition to teaching two periods a day, position remains a distinct possibility for Guzman also has classes at Sac State every Guzman.

Wednesday night and “I absolutely love every other Saturday. teaching… though if Guzman hopes to I love school ... you get into educationgraduate by the fall of al leadership, in some next year, but, in order I guess I’m what venues, you can … to do so, he must comcause more sweeping plete either a thesis or a you call a lifelong change rather than just project. learner. I like in the classroom, and “I am going to do I’m really interested in a project because you being in class as that,” Guzman said. have to create something a student.

Regardless of what at school that impacts direction he chooses student learning from an to go with his degree, educational leadership – Tino Guzman, Guzman says he has standpoint,” Guzman already made use said.

English teacher of the things he has This appealed to Guzlearned since beginman for its practical ning the program in application as opposed to August of 2011. the written thesis.

Even his teaching One of Guzman’s style has been changed favorite aspects of being through observing what he likes and dislikes a graduate student is the bonding that takes in his professors’ teaching styles. place between himself and his classmates.

“I have a lot more empathy, (and) I think “The classes are great, but the best part I also have a lot more credibility … since is the cohort,” Guzman said. “I’m with a I’m actually in the midst of writing five, 10, bunch of other teachers, and I actually think 15 page papers every two weeks,” Guzman I learn more just (through) my discussions said. “I think I bring more of an understand- with them.” ing to the class.”

Overall, Guzman genuinely enjoys the Getting his degree, although rewarding, process of getting his degree.

Tino Guzman English teacher is taking classes at Sacramento State University to get master’s in Education and Leadership

“I love school… I guess I’m what you call a lifelong learner,” Guzman said. “I like being in class as a student.”

English teacher Kyle Holmes cited similar reasons for getting his master’s.

“I just wanted to further my education, and there is obviously a pay raise involved with it but, honestly, I am a lifelong learner.

I love learning,” Holmes said.

As of March 12, Holmes has completed his master’s in education at the University of California at Davis.

“The whole program was based on research… in classroom inquiry (and) looking at students’ work and how we can analyze the student work to improve our teaching,” Holmes said.

Unlike Guzman, Holmes began working on his master’s while simultaneously pursuing his teaching credential, which made the process considerably faster. He was able to complete the program in approximately a

inside lifestyle Top Ten

B2

How to

B3

Student spotlight B3 Random student B6 Random facts

B6 TCID:BW

Spring Break Mission Trips Giving aid to foreign nations

Outdoor Education GBHS students become camp counselors

Ideal College Tour Student experiences with college hunts

B2

B5

B8

See DEGREE, page B7

B2 Lifestyle

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

top JUNIOR POWDER PUFF NICKNAMES

Spring fever infects student body

Mckenzie Healy: Head Over Healy

Granite Bay High campus quickly becoming overrun by lovestruck teens

BY SAM HOLZER

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

T Jenny Gilbert: Jennerator

Megan Zabrowski: Scrambled Megs

here is something in the air at Granite Bay High School, and it’s not the rotten fish smell from the blooming Bradford Pear trees.

Yes, young love and spring romance are blossoming alongside their stinky floral counterparts. But are these new relationships built to last, or are they doomed to wilt at season’s end?

Although high school is a common place for young relationships to emerge any time of the year, more little hearts signifying a changed relationship status tend to appear on Facebook during spring than at any other time in the year.

Owen McNiff and Jaci Willing, both juniors, have seen more students around campus holding hands since the start of the second semester.

“I notice that during Winter Ball and February, near Valentine’s Day, there are more relationships and breakups,”

Willing said. “There is just more pressure to be in one.”

McNiff has also noticed this rise in young love, which seems to him to be very prevalent during this time of the year.

“I believe I see more (couples) start talking and showing interest in each other… (and) more people meet and start dating,” McNiff said Willing has observed that directly after finals and especially during the spring after midterms, when there is less of a focus on schoolwork, many students at GBHS tend to pair up.

Harrison Furmidge, another junior, finds that through his own relationship experience he has picked up on the trend of couples getting together at the beginning of the second semester.

“I think that it takes time to get to know the person,” Furmidge said. “So many relationships don’t start at the beginning of the year and wait until about halfway through (to start dating).”

McNiff echoes Furmidge’s theory of potential couples needing time to get to know one another.

“I definitely think that’s applicable to a lot of people’s situations at school that could potentially date, and there are a lot of them who are planning on dating in the future,” McNiff said. “They just want to get to know each other first.”

And while McNiff concedes that it does matter whether or not a couple just met or if they met at the beginning of the year, he believes that “spring flings,” in anticipation of summer and social events at the end of the school year, are mainly due to peer pressure.

“It’s the idea of being in relationship more than the actual responsibilities of being in one. It’s always romanticized and more about the idea than the reality,” McNiff said.

Willing has also noticed that public pressure is a large factor in couples “making up and breaking up,” as she put it.

However, Furmidge’s longest lasting relationship began at the end of the first semester, which he believes, on some level, disproves the theory that relationships are brought on by this mysterious “spring fever.”

“I feel that the reality is that a decent relationship can be started at anytime,” said Furmidge. “All they need is commitment.”

English teacher Ramona Drury has noticed that during the spring season, there is a markedly higher number of couples.

She believes that while this idea about “spring flings” may be purely speculation, she does think that there is probability of this theory holding some truth.

Drury also spoke about how these relationships are not inherently doomed to fail if they start during the spring.

“It truly depends and there are some couples that can stay together. You just have to measure it on a case by case basis,” Drury said.

Brittany Roe: BROE

Shannon Barker: Shan-Woww

Shannon Dover: It’s D-Over

Gazette illustrations/DANIELLE DIETERICH

A chance to give back

Students volunteer on various mission trips Caroleana Kvaterachuk: The Insane Ukraine

Kelsey Veith: Darth Veither

BY DORIEN JOHNK

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

W

hen the bell rings at 2:35 on Friday, Mar. 30, the countless hours students have put into their studies will finally be rewarded with leisure time.

While many students will spend their free days sleeping in and trying to forget about school-related stress, others have made commitments to travel to different countries on mission trips for their church.

Senior Jori Bachman’s spring break plans involve visiting Mexicali with Bayside Church. Bachman has been attending Bayside since she was five years old and is excited to embark on her first mission trip with the church.

“This is my first year going on a mission trip, since I never was able to get around to it

(in the past),” Bachman said.

Bachman decided to be involved with the Impact Team, one of the many different groups a person can choose to be in during the mission trip. Each group has its own agenda to follow.

“Being on the Impact Team means that we go to one specific church in Mexicali...and we stay at that church all week,” Bachman said.

“We play with the little kids and get to know them and just have fun.”

Overall, Bachman is excited to visit Mexicali and anticipates having a fun and memorable trip.

“It (will) just be an experience for me to see… how blessed we are here in the United States,” Bachman said.

Due to this trip, she also hopes that branching out of her comfort zone in Mexico will See MISSION, page B6

If you really knew me,

you would know...

Sarah Kaplan

I burnt down two acres in Washington, D.C.

Rani Ghosh: GHOSH BUSTA

Thomas Von Knebel

I am an exchange student from Germany.

I almost burned my friend’s house down... we were roasting marshmallows on the stove.

Megan Hansen: Megan

Jaiden Patterson Courtesy photo /CHANELLE CANFIELD

- Compiled by Chase Evans

The crew from Valley Presbyterian Church works on one of five houses they build in Ensenada, Mexico each year for families to someday live in.

- Compiled by Riley Mac Millan

Friday, March 23, 2012

Lifestyle

w The Granite Bay Gazette

B3

Teenagers’ faith in the famous does not easily waver

Student

Spotlight

Stars such as Chris Brown exempt from blame

BY SAM HOLZER

W

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

hen I was five, my little sister took one of my action figures to get back at me for cutting off her Barbie’s hair.

In my frustration, I shoved her and rescued my beloved plastic action hero from her. But my parents didn’t see my actions so much as a rescue mission as an act of revenge. They immediately disciplined me, telling me that it was never, under any circumstances, okay to hit a woman.

It would seem that Chris Brown never received that same talk. In Feb. 2009, while Brown and his girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, were traveling to the Grammy Awards, he physically attacked her, leaving her with several injuries.

Brown did not make a public apology until nine days after the attack, and he was sighted out drinking with his friends several times before doing so.

While details from the police report are very formulaic and full of medical terminology, they do give a sense of the attack, describing how “Brown…began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock and…began applying pressure to (Rihanna’s) carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe, and she began to lose consciousness.”

However, instead of serving jail time for this vicious assault Brown was only sentenced to five years of proba-

Sydney Lorek

Yearbook editor-in-chief Gazette: How do you balance your time between dance, your AP classes and yearbook?

A: With my involvement in yearbook, the dance team, AP classes and the many hospital departments that I volunteer in, I struggle to find free time. But, with the many memories that I have made and achievements I have conquered, I can justify my lack of sleep.

Gazette: What can people expect for the 20112012 yearbook?

A: The school can expect a yearbook unlike anything they have ever seen. With a greater emphasis on pictures ... (and) through photo effects and titles, we have truly created something special.

Gazette: What have you learned from being part of the yearbook staff?

tion and 1,400 hours of community service.

Soon after, some of Brown’s fans responded by forming “Team Breezy,” a group that continued to support Brown and accused Rihanna of starting the altercation. This caused an outpour from entertainers around the world, decrying Brown’s actions.

Since the event occurred, tensions from both sides have cooled. Yet, recently, they were sparked again after Brown performed at the Grammys on Feb. 12 of this year.

Criticism began to surround the fact that the Grammys invited Brown back to perform at the awards show despite the incident.

On Twitter, his followers came out in droves, supporting his decision to perform despite criticism as well as professing their undying support for him and their willingness to date him despite his record of domestic violence.

This support was followed by a large amount of criticism from thousands online and many notable figures in the entertainment community such as actor Seth Rogen and professional wrestler CM Punk.

However, senior Jessica Knedel doesn’t believe that we should even be discussing the issue.

A: I have learned to trust others with responsibility and that a supportive environment creates the best results within a production (even after I sometimes have to play “bad cop.”)

See CELEBRITY, page B7

-Compiled by ShinEui Park Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

Juniors be warned: Senior year will sneak up quickly Younger students should begin researching colleges early to aviod later stress

BY SHINEUI PARK

S

spark.gazette@gmail.com

enior year grades don’t count. Senior year doesn’t matter.

These are major misconceptions about the rigor of the last year of high school that students often believe. Like it or not, for many seniors, this final year ends up being more stressful than any other year of high school.

Granite Bay High School guidance counselor Paul Stordahl believes that seniors dedicate more time to the process of getting into significant colleges than to anything else. “(They are) typically really stressed during that fall term: dealing with the hustle-and-bustle of school, paperwork, the process to make selections for colleges, filling out applications, writing essays for colleges and tracking down teachers and counselors to get recommendations,” Stordahl said. “It’s almost like having an extra class.”

To avoid working through this pile of tasks during senior year, there are more than a few ways for juniors to start preparing prior to the beginning of their

next and final year of high school. college even earlier.

However, what happens most often is that juniors “I think eighth grade is a good time to start thinkdon’t know where and how to start researching and ing,” Stordahl said. “We’ve been working with eighth graders and are trying to get them through regispreparing. This was the problem senior Gabby Cho tration for high school, so… we try is to get them faced during her junior year. to think beyond high school (as Cho had specific colleges in well).” mind as a junior, but her inWith possible colleges and depth researching did not begin Seniors are majors in mind, eighth graders can until the beginning of her senior typically really plan their high school schedules year. more efficiently, so they know they “During junior year, I didn’t stressed during are on the right track to accomplish really research because I told that fall term... It’s what they need to. myself I could just start when I almost like having Realistically, however, interest actually began applying,” Cho said. in researching majors and colleges an extra class.

She had also listened to begins to peak during junior and conversations between her older senior year.

- Paul Stordahl, friends about the college apJunior Neha Bavirisetty considers herself to be a student who always plication process, but she never counselor plans accordingly, so she has alfully grasped the magnitude of ready begun researching a specific it until she started the process herself. field in various colleges.

With the Naviance system “I’ve looked into University GBHS recently started providing, students can use of California at Davis, University of California at the Supermatch program, which basically fine-tunes Berkeley, UCLA, and most recently (California college matchups better than other college search Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo),” tools. Other college match-up programs, such those Bavirisetty said. “I’ll probably be researching more provided by Princeton Review and College Board, and deciding what my options are during the summer, are useful as well. because I kind of know I want to go to an engineering Although Cho submitted her applications on time, school.”

With some schools and a major in mind, BaviriStordahl recommends students to start thinking about

how to...

Gabby Cho Senior cautions underclassmen against putting college research off

setty’s future is beginning to fall into place with Stordahl’s advised summer “to-do” list.

Over the summer, juniors should start looking at specific applications for colleges that they are planning to pursue, and go through the process of starting to fill them out. Although the application cannot be submitted at that moment, soon-to-be seniors can at least start looking at them and know what is required ahead of time.

“If there are essays that are required for the applications, start crafting and editing those essays over the summer so that everything’s not a time crunch during senior year,” Stordahl said.

Even though the application process seems difficult enough, it is still highly recommended for juniors to sign up for a tough senior year schedule.

College representatives have told school counselors like Stordahl to insist that seniors enroll in rigorous See JUNIORS, page B6

The

CollegeBoard SAT

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

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 1

Use a QR code 1. In order to scan a QR code, you will need a smartphone equipped with a camera and a barcode scanner app, which can be downloaded in the App Store or Android Marketplace.

2. Locate a QR code.

3. Open the barcode scanner app on your smartphone. This will activate your phone’s camera.

4. Line up the QR code in the box in the center of the screen. Once the code is aligned correctly, the phone will scan the code.

f. Extremely destructive or harmful

1. Abrogate

a. Intellectually convincing

6. Diffident

2. Cogent

b. Flowery, ornate

7. Buttress

3. Salient

c. Shy, quiet, modest

8. Pernicious

4. Zenith

d. Abundant

9. Rife

5. Florid

e. The highest point, culminating point

g. To abolish h. To support, hold up i. Significant, conspicuous

5. After the code has been scanned, the app will either automatically open the URL contained in the code or give you the option to open or share the URL. 6. Enjoy the media provided by the QR code!

-Compiled by Jessica Reese

- Compiled by Shannon Carroll

121922 B4 Lifestyle

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w The Granite Bay Gazette

The to-do list in Beth Hoyme’s purse will never get done because a drunk driver convinced his friends he’d be fine.

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Students and teachers fooled on the 1st

Lifestyle B5

April Fools’ Day encourages many participants to prank LAN MIL il.com C A ma

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ith April Fools’ Day just around the corner, many pranksters are out on the prowl.

Granite Bay High School senior Hunter Christian has had multiple successful pranks throughout the past years.

“In eighth grade, (senior) Ty Thompson (and I) glued quarters to the ground and watched kids try to pick them up,” Christian said.

Another experience Christian had with pranking was when he persuaded his friend that Christian’s mother was pregnant.

“I told my friend that I was in my mom’s bathroom and I saw a pregnancy test, and she was pregnant,” Christian said. “I called him freaking out, telling him that …I didn’t know what to do. He was freaking out (as well) and he (said), ‘Well it’s cool that you’ll have a younger brother now.’”

Christian not only plays pranks on students and friends, but he also pranks his parents as well. “(When I went to) Olympus Junior High, I took home a fake referral to my parents and told them I got in trouble and I was getting suspended,” Christian said. “They were so mad at me and (said), ‘You’re grounded,’ but I (told them), ‘I’m totally kidding,’ ” Christian said.

Junior Dalton France shares his birthday with April Fools’ Day but does not participate in pranking others.

“I’ve never really tried pranking anyone on my birthday just because it was my birthday, and I didn’t want to get in trouble,” France said.

Students are not the only people on campus who prank each other. Teachers on campus also regularly prank one another for fun.

AP Economics teacher, Karl Grubaugh, was the victim of a teacher’s prank a few years ago.

“It’s April Fools Day, which I don’t really pay attention to…

We’re 10, 11 weeks into the spring (semester) and a (student) comes into my class transferring in,” Grubaugh said.

Treating this as a usual transfer student, Grubaugh asked the student to stay after class to collect the supplies and textbooks needed for the class.

“Fifteen minutes later, another person shows up with legitimate forms,” Grubaugh said.

After multiple students entered the class as transfer students, Grubaugh took the hint that something wasn’t right.

“I figured it out on number three or four,” Grubaugh admits.

Grubaugh became suspicious when he noticed that his other students recognized these “new” transfer students.

“They were students here, but I See PRANK, page B6

Gazette illustrations /HAYLEY MCAVOY

Outdoor ed camp was ‘in-tents’ Shady Creek Outdoor Education program allows both sixth graders and counselors to make many memories

BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN

I

mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

t’s 6:30 in the morning and Granite Bay High School junior Cassidy Sissung reluctantly awakens, resisting the temptation to hit the snooze button again and again.

It’s her responsibility to wake seven sixth grade girls up for another day at Shady Creek Outdoor Education Camp.

After cleaning the cabin, Sissung and the seven girls she is responsible for head to breakfast.

These were just the start of Sissung’s daily responsibilities as a volunteer counselor at the sixth grade outdoor education camp for the students of local Excelsior Elementary School from Feb. 13 - 17.

“We were there to make the kids experience as much as possible,” Sissung said.

Her role as a counselor involved kitchen duty, leading the kids from meals to activities, participating in recreational games, helping during nature classes and attending meetings to debrief about the days events.

Although the days were long and exhausting, the counselors took their jobs seriously in order to ensure a positive experience for their campers.

“I would basically keep them positive and cheery all week (and) … make sure they (got) to meals and classes on time,” senior Juliana Rowe said.

Rowe has volunteered to be a counselor for three years in a row, and is an exception to the explicitly junior and senior volunteer rule so that she could be with her younger sister.

“My first year, (I jumped) in between my sister and her boyfriend when they started dancing too close together,” Rowe said in reference to one of her favorite counselor memories.

The Shady Creek counselors provide the fun, energetic camp energy that is necessary to entertain a bunch of sixth graders.

“The greatest advantage to high school counselors is their enthusiasm … and that the students look up to them as role models from high school,” Shady Creek Camp Director George Stratman said.

Shady Creek typically works with 16 and 17 year old juniors and seniors but have had some parent volunteers in the past.

“We generally prefer the high school students,” Stratman said. “They bring a dynamic that helps focus the kids.”

There were a total of twelve student volunteers from GBHS who attended the camp.

“The group from Granite Bay always brings a high level of enthusiasm,” Stratman said. “They can be more independent and self motivated than some of the other schools we work with.”

The high school students bond immensely with their children, and friendships emerge that will last for much longer than simply the five day camp.

“One of my girls at the end of the trip said to me, ‘You’re like a big sister to me now!’ and it was so sweet,” Sissung said.

Many campers still keep in contact with their counselors through Facebook and email, and have established connections that will help them transition into high school. The high school volunteers will be able to give advice and share stories of their personal experiences that will ease the transition for their newly made younger friends.

“I didn’t realize I impacted them so much, and it was so hard to see (one of my kids) cry ... I started to cry too,” Rowe said in reference to the last day of camp.

Within that short week, they establish great relationships.

“My favorite part…was hanging with my guys during cabin time,” senior Drew Beiler said.

Overall, the GBHS counselors received high praise for their positive influence on the Shady Creek Camp.

“The Granite Bay students tend to be mature, focused, positive and coachable,” Stratman said. “They also seem to genuinely enjoy working with the students.”

It was unanimous that volunteering at Shady Creek Camp Gazette illustrations /sHINEUI PARK was an immensely memorable experience that will stick Drew Beiler photographs with both the campers and the counselors for years to come.

“If I can be in charge of seven sixth graders for a week, I Senior Drew Beiler (top) and senior Juliana Rowe (bottom) participate in ropes course activities along with sixth graders as a part of their daily counselor activities. can do anything,” Rowe said.

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, March 23, 2012

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

Gazette: Why did you start the club?

“I wanted to start a club with a different sport than normal. It is just something fun to do after school, since no one has started (a badminton club) yet.”

Only pregnant mosquitoes bite humans because they need the high protein blood for their eggs.

What is the purpose of the club?

“To play badminton.”

Abraham Lincoln hated being called “Abe.”

How often do you meet?

“We meet every Wednesday after school.”

An 11-month old pup (Tibetan mastiff) named Big Splash sold in the Chinese city of Qingdao for 10 million yuan ($1.5 million).

What do you do during the meetings?

“We normally play games at Feist Park. We bring nets and set them up on the field.”

Friggatriskaidekaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky...after the Sun and the Moon.

Amber Les, junior

Would you rather live in the Gobi Desert or Antarctica?

Antarctica for sure. Penguins are cool, and I don’t really like the heat.

The shark in “Jaws” was named Bruce after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer.

Source: http://www.allrandomfacts.com

–Compiled by Danielle Dieterich

Laughs abound on April 1 Continued from page B5 didn’t know them, they weren’t my students, so I just thought they were new or there was something weird or they moved,” Grubaugh said.

Grubaugh asked the “new” students what class they really were in at the moment. They all answered that they were from government teacher Tim Healy’s class.

“I threw them all out and sent them back to Healy,” Grubaugh said. “I haven’t paid him back yet.”

Another teacher who pranks people on campus is history teacher Brandon Dell‘Orto.

Dell‘Orto caught a teacher leaving school early on a minimum day, even though teachers are supposed to stay at school until the end. Knowing this was against school policy, Dell‘Orto tried to give the teacher a hard time for this as a joke.

“Three other teachers (and I) put together a letter that was in official school stationary…(I) forged the principal’s signature on the bottom that basically said, ‘I need to see you at earliest convenience concerning contracted hours,’” Dell‘Orto said.

This caused the teacher (who Dell‘Orto had pranked) to be concerned, and go to the principal to get matters figured out.

The principal, unaware of the prank, eventually came back to Dell‘Orto, asking if he had any idea about what was going on.

Dell‘Orto explained the situation and the principal replied jokingly, “Hey don’t do it again, but nice job on the forging.”

With prank season around the corner, many may partake in this event.

“It’s just a fun day for people to goof off and make some funny jokes,” France said.

Badminton Club President: senior Annie Liu

There is no word you can type with only the bottom row of the keyboard.

PRANK:

w The Granite Bay Gazette

What would your rapper name be?

Slamber

Gazette photo /Rachael Vasquez

Who do you think you were in a past life?

A bank robber

What color would the sky be if it wasn’t blue?

I think the sky would be really pretty if it was pink.

Who is your celebrity crush?

I love Channing Tatum!

He’s so hot.

Would you rather be Batman or the Joker?

The Joker. I love Heath Ledger.

How many members?

“Usually about six to eight members show up to play.”

Any future plans?

“We might have a tournament sometime in April.”

–Compiled by Dorien Johnk

–Compiled by Shannon Carroll

MISSION: Students spend break doing volunteer work Continued from page B2

help her grow as a person and become more well rounded.

Quillian Perez, a freshman, is also counting down the days until his Bayside mission trip to Mexicali. He is part of the Festival Group, another important part of the Mexicali staff.

“Basically, we go to Mexicali and set up bounce houses and let the kids down there have fun,” Perez said. “I chose to be in that group because it seems like a fun group...and my goal is to impact the kids (as much as possible).”

Sophomore Christina Sabin, another volunteer on the trip, became involved with Bayside Church at a young age and has had several rewarding experiences since.

“This is my first time ever going on this mission trip to Mexicali, so I am really excited,” Sabin said.

Also part of the Impact Group, Sabin is looking forward to spending quality time with the kids at the churches.

Sabin hopes to learn valuable lessons from her interactions with the kids through activities and Bible studies.

“I’m really hoping to get a better feel for how other people live around the world,” Sabin said. “We’re very lucky to live in (an) environment where we can have such luxuries, so it’s fun to be able to give (the less fortunate) a chance to have fun for awhile.”

The Mexicali trip isn’t the only mission trip attracting students. Junior Chanelle Canfield is traveling to Ensenada, Mexico during spring break with her church, Valley Springs Presbyterian.

Canfield was introduced to Valley Springs Presbyterian by her friends and has been involved with the church ever since. This upcoming mission trip will be her second one, as she ventured to Ensenada on last year’s mission trip as well.

“This year we have three different teams,” Canfield said.

“We have a team that does construction and builds five

single-family houses...a food team that puts together food baskets for the families that we build houses for...and a Vacation Bible School Ministry team that takes the kids in during the day and teaches them lessons, does crafts and plays game with them.”

Canfield decided to participate a second time because she feels she needs to help the people in Mexico.

“I think it’s really cool that we are able to come together and actually change peoples’ lives that don’t have as much as we do,” Canfield said.

After her first experience in Mexico, she learned that the culture shock changes the lives of the students on the trip just as much as the lives of the locals.

“They love on us as much as we love on them,” Canfield said. “This year I’m hoping for the same experience, where they teach us something about what it is like to have less and how appreciative they are of what they do have.”

PASSION: Bright futures are awaiting JUNIORS: Make plans for students pursuing their interests now for senior year Continued from page B1

career choice.

Her experience working at Shiloh’s catering and later at Crush 29 gave Slingerland valuable insight on commissioned to paint a mural for GETTA CLUE, an the life of a chef, but her true passion lies in creating urban boutique in Sacramento. decadent pastries.

Hom also became an avid photographer and displays “I like sweets a lot, (and) I found that you can be his work on his website, bryanthomart.yolasite.com, more artistic with pastries,” Slingerwhich ranges from weddings to land said. “You can be more artsy with casual photo shoots. (pastries, and,) when you’re plan“I fell in love with this concept ning, you can be more whimsical and of capturing emotions, memories creative.” and experiences,” Hom said. “I I didn’t need Her creative inspiration is often love taking pictures of people for something to derived from a combination of sources, the very reason of capturing their but she admires pastry chef James fallback on, expression.”

Russell for his elegant and extravagant Hom’s modern photography because this work. style is epitomized by the phrase is what I really Slingerland plans to attend the Culi“real, raw, candid, emotional”. nary Institute of America (CIA), which There is never an idle moment wanted to do. is not to be confused with the Central in Hom’s career. He soon plans to Intelligence Agency. And, afterwards, paint a 60x100 square foot mural she plans to open her own bakery or and continue to embellish TOMS – Kelly Slingerland, restaurant. She even spoke of havshoes. senior ing a bakery with a gallery to display Hom’s unwavering passion artwork, so customers can enjoy a shines through these various delectable treat and take in the artwork. projects.

Despite her ambition and passion, Much like Hom, senior Kelly Slingerland didn’t always have the backing of her Slingerland, plans to make a career of her passion. parents to puruse her dreams.

Slingerland aims to take her passion for the culinary “At first, my parents said it was an unreliable career, arts, which has gradually grown over the years, and but over the past couple years, I’ve proved myself, and become a chef. now my parents support me going to culinary school,” In the fourth grade, Slingerland began searching for Slingerland said. “I (didn’t) need something to fallback her passion, and, after watching numerous hours of on, because this is what I really wanted do to.”

Food Network shows, cooking seemed like a logical

Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. G, 2. A, 3. I, 4. E, 5. B, 6. C, 7. H, 8. F, 9. D

Continued from page B3

classes, because admissions officers don’t like to see that an applicant has a weak senior year schedule.

Although having a difficult schedule may be critical for some colleges, Stordahl believes that they say this mainly so the seniors will not adopt lazy study techniques, and they prepare themselves for tough

courses in college.

Therefore, it is difficult to argue that senior year is worthless in educational value. Cho, a current senior, would know.

“Juniors should start brainstorming possible college options and keep their minds open,” Cho said. “I was set on going to certain schools… before senior year started, but now it’s completely different.

Don’t procrastinate!”

Friday, March 23, 2012

Lifestyle B7

w The Granite Bay Gazette

College of the Month: Santa Clara University

CELEBRITY: Respect for stars is unconditional Continued from page B3 issue.

“That’s (Brown’s) personal life. That’s his own issue,” Knedel said.

Knedel believes that while Brown’s actions in the situation were reprehensible, he has paid his dues to society and felt the punishment of the crime. She also feels that often the media is to blame in a celebrity’s depiction in front of the camera.

“The news and the media try to portray good people as a negative influence because of the problems in their past,” Knedel said.

Maddy Harris, a junior, echoes Knedel’s sentiments, describing how the national entertainment media often is too critical of celebrities that make mistakes.

“Society tries to remember (a celebrity’s) good actions, (and) the press… tries to remember what they did wrong. They should remember them for what they gave back to the world,” Harris said.

Both Knedel and Harris consider themselves fans of Brown even after the assault charges.

Katrina Wachs, who teaches both English and Peer Helping, believes differently. She feels that Brown has not atoned for his behavior towards Rihanna.

“We all make mistakes, that is one of the foibles of humanity. It’s not the mistake, however; it’s taking responsibility and modeling that responsibility for society,” Wachs said.

She feels that Brown never owned up to his past crimes and allegations because he constantly had people coming to his defense.

Wachs thinks a sense of cultural amnesia is to blame for the acceptance of celebrities with questionable pasts back into the limelight.

“We, as a society, welcomed back Michael Vick with open arms after his dog fighting,” Wachs said. “Even Angelina Jolie, who is (now) considered a saint and humanitarian, used to make out with her brother and carry around vials of blood.”

Whitney Houston seems to be becoming the next example of this cultural amnesia. Although her soul wrenching ballads and danceable pop songs were considered the music of a generation, she was also in an abusive, volatile relationship

with her husband Bobby Brown and abused drugs for much of her adult life.

Both Knedel and Harris agreed that Houston should be remembered for her positive contributions to musical culture. But Wachs feels that although we should recognize and acknowledge what she was famous for, we must also remember that she battled and struggled with her addiction nearly her entire professional life.

This opinion significantly differs from those of both Knedel and Harris, who believe the media is more at fault for casting a negative light on celebrities.

“The difference is... that when you step into the public light, you just can’t do stupid things,” Wachs said. “People who aren’t being responsible shouldn’t be there.”

Wachs, however, finds that the underlying issue is the culture of enabling and justifying that celebrities often use to guard their actions.

“We as humans just have to learn to take responsibility,” she said.

DEGREE: Teachers enrich own educations Continued from page B1

topics from different angles having Roseville. learned what I learned in my mas“At the time (I got the first master’s program,” Soper said. ter’s), I was just after moving along During the pursuit of his degree, on the pay scale,” Sinor said. “It Soper enjoyed certain classes but was the most economical way, but found others tedious.

I also liked the interaction with the “I really enjoyed my linguistics instructors.” classes because we focused on the This first degree took five seorigins of the language … where it mesters (two and a half years) to came from and how it evolved into complete. The second, which Sinor what it is now,” Soper said. “Literabegan working on approximately ture classes were my least favorite four years after her first master’s, because we had to read 15 to 20 was an administration master’s. novels a semester, so that was …

“I had an interest in going into very time consuming.” school administration,” Sinor said.

Overall, the “The program program beneout here at fited Soper not Brandman only through was close, and I... sometimes will a broadened (I could) get have w to sacrifice...

Friday September 10, 2010 knowledge of it done fairly the Spanish quickly.” things that I enjoy, language but Although she because my masalso finanlater decided ter’s is important to cially, and it not to pursue an was generadministrative me. ally a pleasant career, Sinor experience. does not regret Soper, who her decision.

- Jason Rath, taught full“I think the government teacher time and was research and a full-time stuthe classes that dent simultaI had definitely neously, found broadened my the scheduling knowledge as to be mildly challenging but also far as … human behavior,” Sinor entirely manageable. said.

“It wasn’t really hard squeezing Government and economics (everything) in. I just had to give up teacher Jason Rath is also currently some free time,” Soper said. working on his master’s at Sac State Health and Safety teacher Kathie in a program called iMET. Sinor also found the time crunch of “It’s in educational technology. going to graduate school to be chalIt’s about infusing technology in lenging but doable. what we do as teachers beyond Sinor actually has two master’s PowerPoint,” Rath said. “It’s about degrees. The first is a Behavioral trying to get students … to achieve Science degree at Sac State, which higher learning through using tools Sinor completed while teaching full of technology.” time.

The program includes a stress on “I was also coaching the swim technological tools like Voicethread, team, and then I had, at the time, Jing, C-map and, of course, Blacktwo kids at home … so there was board. Rath uses all of these tools in not a free moment,” Sinor said. his own classroom.

Yet, Sinor managed to complete “The hardest part of all of these this degree and even returned to (tools) is having the time to really school to get a second master’s learn how to implement (them) degree from Brandman University, in classes,” Rath said.

process considerably faster. He was able to complete the program in approximately a year and two months.

“The program at UC Davis (has) you get your credential and (then) roll right into your masters,” Who: 5,229 (undergraduates) Holmes said. “You already do some of your master’s work when you’re Where: Santa Clara, California getting your credential, so it doesn’t make any sense not to (finish the process).”

Tuition and Fee Cost: $39,048 This accelerated program also meant a more strenuous course load, Acceptance Rate: 59% however.

“It was definitely frustrating when U.S. News Ranking: #2 (regional universities I would have to go home and grade Granite Bay Gazette papers some nights, but I would west) have an assignment of my own that was due at midnight,” Holmes said.

Mascot: Broncos Nonetheless, the subject matCommentary ter has proved useful in Holmes’ Athletics: teaching career, and he utilizes skills learned from the program within his -The Santa Clara Broncos field 19 Division I own classroom. athletic teams and are known for their successful “I think it absolutely improved soccer and volleyball programs. what I do in the classroom on a dai- The Ruff Riders, the official student booster club ly basis,” Holmes said. “The inquiry of SCU athletics, is the largest of more than 100 work that I do… helps me go home and reflect on what are they getting, student organizations on campus. what are they not getting (and) what can I change or do better tomorrow Academics: when I teach.” scarroll.gazette@gmail.com -Santa Clara offers more than 45 undergraduate Although Holmes looked into majors in arts, sciences, business and engineerother master’s programs, including ing, plus interdisciplinary majors, minors and a degree in leadership, which would give him an administration credenspecial programs. tial, he chose a degree in educa-Undergraduate graduation rate (85%) is the third tion because he felt it would best highest in the country among master’s universiimprove his teaching skills. ties.

“My whole degree is essen-SCU has the highest average freshman retention tially in looking at student work and ’ve always believed things happen learning from it and then improving rate (93%) of any master’s university in the for a reason, thatWest. every cloud has a I do as an instructor,” Holmes what -SCU’s School of Engineeringsilver is ranked No. 17 lining. However, with things said. going on in my life that I can’t quite among the engineering schools in the nation.

Spanish teacher Ben Soper also understand, thisthe rings more true than -SCU’s School of Law is ranked among top finds himself using what he learned ever.

100 law schools in the country. in graduate school to benefit his When I was 10 years old, I got seri-SCU is named one of the ous nation’s best instituenough about horseback riding classroom. that my parents me a pony, Raven.Soper got his master’s in Spanish tions for undergraduate education in bought the 2012 Language at Sac State three years I loved that pony to“The death. He wasn’t edition of the annually produced guidebook, the easiest guy in the world, but he ago, yet he still values the knowlBest 376 Colleges.” helped me become a better rider. I edge he gained of the language as he learned to work hard to get Raven toteaches today. “(I have) more insight into the do a good job, while other kids just sat Spanish language and history, and on their ponies and looked pretty.

Fun Facts: (I am) able to address some of our For four years, he was a crucial part -There are more than 6,000 high-tech companies of my life. I leaned on his neck and in the Silicon Valley, located in closemy driving whispered secretsdisto him. I loved tance, where students canhis potentially find internquirky personality.

(His favorite food was Sour Skittles.) ships. took me 2½ - SCU offers more than 100 Itlocations for years studyof losing, but I finally figured Raven out. I started winabroad programs. ning or at least finishing near the top.

- Of all of the students at SCU, 25% of He dumped mestudents on the ground somewhere near 50 times, gave me a conhave cars on campus. cussion andeach once year cost me 40 stitches in - Almost 600 students study aboard my chin, but he was still a part of me. through various SCU programs.

We were a team.

But after a year and a half of success, my parents and trainer told me - Compiled

by Natalie they thought it wasKreeger time to sell him.

They told me I had outgrown Raven and needed to sell him if I was serious about progressing. I hated the idea – but they were right.

Raven couldn’t give me what I needed; he just couldn’t jump high enough. And I couldn’t give him what he needed; a place where he could be spoiled and showered with the love and affection I once showed him.

And so I found a new horse, Tango.

When my trainer first had me ride Tango to see if I liked him, I thought she was absolutely crazy. He took so much energy to ride because he was so bouncy. I could barely stay on over the

BY SHANNON CARROLL top of a jump. scarroll.gazette@gmail.com But, over long hours (almost two hours a day, four days a week), Tango hile many were off hanging out at Sunsplash taught me how to ride. or the Safeway parking lot over the summer, At my first horse show with Tango, I a few Granite Bay High School students and started out jumping 2-feet, 6-inches in faculty traveled all over the world. a division where the horse is judged, These special few braved the jet lag and became bona meaning I could pose and make him do fide globe trotters, all learning something new about the the work.

By the end of the week, I was jumpcountries they visited and having experiences they will ing 3-foot-3 in classes where there was never forget. no subjectivity – everything depended GBHS sophomore and his brother, GBHS freshman on not knocking over rails and going brothers Tanner and Tommy Thompson headed to Engfast – and I was winning at one of the land and Scotland at the invitation of soccer coaches. most competitive shows in the West.

In England, the Thompsons took part in the Premier Sure, I sometimes feel like killing Academy League, playing for the prestigious Newhim when he decides to pull a Hi-Hocastle United and West Ham United teams.

Silver and go up on his hind legs so “We were there for about a month and played soccer high I think he’s going to fall over on

Finding time is definitely something of a challenge for Rath who is a full-time teacher, golf coach, Powder Puff junior class coach and now full-time student.

“I don’t make excuses,” Rath said.

“I will do my best to get the work done, and I … sometimes will have to sacrifice sleep … or other things that I enjoy, because my master’s is important to me.”

This dedication to his degree does not, however, stand in the way of Rath’s teaching.

“I never want my teaching to suffer because of my master’s,” Rath said. “It is important to me, but (my students) are my first priority.”

Yearbook and Academic Literacy teacher Jenny Padgett returned to school after 10 years of teaching to get her credential and a master’s in literacy.

“I knew I wanted to pursue a master’s,” Padgett said. “I thought it was going to be in English Literature, and I may still do that someday. But I realized… I didn’t know how to teach reading (for the Academic Literacy class), and I’ve learned a lot about how to do that (in my master’s program).”

The program she is in is specifically designed to help teachers working with students who read below grade level or for whom English is not their first language.

This will particularly help with Padgett’s work with the Academic Literacy class at GBHS. “I’ve gotten something out of every class,” Padgett said.

This positive experience has led Padgett to believe wholeheartedly in the value of getting a master’s degree.

“I’ve come to think that every teacher should pursue a higher degree in his or her discipline, whether in education or discipline specific,” Padgett said. “I’m a better teacher than I was after 10 years because I went back to school and really focused … on being able to apply what I’ve learned as a classroom teacher and what I learned with my master’s in my classroom.”

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“It was really cool that we got to go see the city on our off day,” Tommy said. “Everything was a lot smaller than I expected. The streets, the cars, the grocery stores, it was just different than here in the United States.”

Both brothers have great memories of the soccer.

“In our first game for Newcastle against Wallsend, the coaches didn’t put Tanner and me in until the last 20 minutes because we are kind of small, and the coaches might not have thought that much of us. But once they put us in, I scored two really important goals, which was really cool,” Tommy said.

A different game stood out for Tanner. “In a game against Hartlepool, when I was playing for Newcastle, I scored a goal, and my team ended up winning 3-2,” Tanner said. “It was cool to know that my goal was really important in the end.”

GBHS senior Brittany Ragan spent a large chunk of

w w w. r e a d . g o v

GBHS early and plans to work in her teaching school in Guilin, a city reno unique scenery.

“I just wanted to go over there to m like working with the kids and see if fit for me,” Ragan said. “I fell in love can’t wait to go back.”

France was the main destination fo Katie O’Brien, who spent ten days th mediate family and grandparents.

While O’Brien had been there befo her from experiencing Paris in a who time around, they spent more time in admiring monuments such as the Eiff “I loved all the history there,” O’Br and the French food, especially the b O’Brien truly got to see Paris at its took a boat ride on the Seine at night

B8 Lifestyle

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While there are many websites like College Board ith the end of the school year within arm’s and College Confidential to supply information and reach, the anxiety and pressure for Granite opinions about each school, being able to visit a campus Bay High School upperclassmen is rising. allows a student to see the college in a unique light that The nerve-racking question of “Where am I going to is crucial in finding out the school’s true feeling. go to college?” is approaching more quickly than most “Physically being on a campus and experiencing the thought it would be, so the clock is ticking on the decilife you would have as a student there is really helpful sion making process. in decision making,” Wagner said. “You are able to see For most, Spring Break is a valuable opportunity to take college tours and visit prospective campuses across whether or not you like the campus life, the people, the environment and other aspects of the college that you the country. Whether deciding which schools to apply to or which school to say yes to, college tours are a vital wouldn’t be able to understand by reading a brochure or researching on the internet.” part of the monumental process.

Wagner also warned that when doing research online, Megan Hansen, a junior, said that visiting campuses many schools can put on a false face. really helps gain a better understanding of a school.

“Schools are going to show off all of the great things “I think you definitely have to visit (a college) to know what you like,” Hansen said. “I went to (one school) and about their program and leave out some key things that might completely turn you off to I thought that I would love it, but it that school,” Wagner said. “Look just didn’t feel right.” for input of current students on On the other hand, Hansen said that Physically beblogs or websites where they can somebody may love a school that tell you the inside scoop on the pros wasn’t originally on their radar by ing on campus and cons of their school.” keeping an open mind. and experiencing Senior Ashley Sweeting said the Cindi Underwood, the administrathe life you would best resource is to simply talk to tor in the College and Career Center, students. said that GBHS offers many tools have as a student “It was helpful just meeting stuand resources to aid students in their there is really dents that are actually at the college college search. and talking to them about what they One of these resources includes helpful in decision like about it,” Sweeting said. the website “Naviance,” which is making.

For some students, finding a provided by GBHS, and is accessible school that offers a specific course through the GBHS website. or major is an important factor.

“Naviance is a great tool to go on – Shannon Wagner, Underwood said that meeting with and do Supermatch,” Underwood Class of 2011 graduate specific administrators at the college said. “Supermatch is a great resource could help a student get an in-depth in that students can search (colleges) look at what the school could offer. by location, size, cost and based on “If (a student) is looking at liberal studies, they can, their grade-point average, as well as any kind of testing ahead of time, set up an appointment with somebody scores.” from that department,” Underwood said. “Whether it (is) Underwood said that Supermatch allows students to a professor or the department head, if they can set up an get an idea of what they are looking for in a college. appointment to sit down and talk with that person, it is “Naviance would be a good place for a student to always good.” start,” Underwood said.

Underwood also said that when it comes to trying to Class of 2011 graduate Shannon Wagner said in an get a feel for a school, it is sometimes best to let stuemail that one of her main struggles from the beginning dents explore without parental supervision and support. was narrowing down her search.

“It is always good to have mom and dad with you, but “I was completely unsure of where I wanted to go and I think it is also kind of neat to branch off and get a feel what I wanted to do after high school,” Wagner said. for it by yourself,” Underwood said.

“I applied to 24 schools across the country—state and Wagner said that if she has any regrets, it is not having private schools—on the west and east coast.” started the process earlier.

Wagner said she found the college-provided tours of“I think that visiting schools before you are accepted fered insight into things that would have otherwise been can be a great motivation to work harder in high school ignored. so you can get into the school of your dreams,” Wagner “The tour guides are usually students that are really said. interested in answering all of your questions and are As far as getting the most out of a college visit, Wagvery informative,” Wagner said. ner said to keep the conversations flowing.

Many colleges offer prospective-student tours that al“Don’t be afraid to ask about everything,” Wagner low students to meet current attendees of the college and said. “The more you know, the easier your ultimate deciask one on one questions, as well as get an inside look sion will be.” into dorm rooms, classrooms and general living areas.

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Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w March 23, 2012

Tournament could foreshadow season Varsity volleyball focuses on improvement

Commentary

BY MAT FUKUHARA

mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

mat fukuhara mfukuhara.gazette@gmail.com

Seasonal athletes continue to play despite obstacles As year-round high school athletes transition into spring sports with ease, seasonal athletes begin to see the writing on the wall: maybe the sport they’ve played for years isn’t “their” sport anymore. For those who don’t make the team, especially their senior year, this truth may be devastating.

In the past, for seasonal players who didn’t make the Granite Bay High School lacrosse team, not seeing their name on the season’s roster didn’t discourage them from continuing to play, and most of them signed up for surrounding club teams.

Last year however, a junior varsity club lacrosse team was formed so passionate players who didn’t make the high school team would be able to continue playing.

It was the perfect solution for players who still wanted to play with their old teammates and work on their skills to make the high school team the next year.

Some of those players, includThese ing myself, were seamoments sonal athwere what letes who enjoyed mattered the game, leaving us most, not at a slight the amount disadvanof goals tage to year-round made each players. practice or This game. year, the club team was reformed with the same purpose, but the attitudes of current seniors had changed.

We weren’t playing for the golden spot on the high school varsity team or trying to impress any of the high school coaches for next season because there isn’t one.

Seniors don’t get another faceoff, ground ball or fast break.

Senior year or not making the cut signifies the end of some athletic careers.

That end was what each of us was trying to defy.

We continued playing at the club level because, to us, playing lacrosse wasn’t about playing for the high school team. Getting gear together and heading out to practice at Cavitt Junior High brings back memories prior to high school. Rain or shine, there was always a practice or game.

These moments were what mattered most, not the amount of goals made each practice or game.

This is the reality seasonal athletes face: a decision. Some have to make the decision coming into high school whether they continue to play or move on to another focus.

However, there are times when the decision is not up to the athlete and force us to move on.

Since the start of the 2012 Granite Bay varsity club lacrosse team’s practices, players devoted their days playing the sport they still love with friends who share their same passion for the game.

But unfortunately, the team was much like the seasonal athlete and didn’t make the cut but not for lack of trying. *** Mat Fukuhara, a senior, is a Gazette sports co-editor

Last year’s Granite Bay High School boys’ varsity volleyball team was primarily made up of juniors who managed to pull off a 9-1 league record, but they didn’t make it to the section finals.

This year, the same juniors are now seniors with another year of experience and show potential as they begin their season learning from last season’s mistakes.

“This is a good group of guys

that get along and all generally like each other which is one of our strengths this year,” varsity coach Bruce Honberger said.

Honberger sees this year’s team as deep and experienced, having also coached them last year when the team lost the crucial game that would have led the team into the section finals.

Nine seniors now make up a large portion of the team and seven of them start, adding to the elevated level of skills seen this year compared to last year when

Jake Neptune Senior sets the team up for winning season

C Section

No consequence for ‘dead period’ breach Potential CIF violation by girls’ soccer

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ

rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

there were primarily juniors.

This early in the season, Honberger bases the team’s potential on the recent tournament it attended in San Diego where GBHS competed against some of the top 30 teams in the country, including Dos Pueblos High School, which was ranked 21 in the nation last year.

See VOLLEYBALL, page C7

Throughout California, high school athletics are subject to the Constitution set by the California Interscholastic Federation and must adhere to the rules and regulations. Although it does not occur often, one Granite Bay High School athletic program possibly did not adhere to one of the rules.

The girls’ soccer program nearly violated the “dead period” Bylaw.

As stated in the CIF Constitu-

We are all going to move on from here and not worry too much about it.

– Peter Saco, SacJoaquin Section

tion, Bylaw 511.6, “during a Sac-Joaquin Section dead period (preseason and end of season), no See SOCCER page C6

Rugby gains momentum

Gazette photo /RACHAEL vASQUEZ

Junior Justin Ramirez, a member of the Granite Bay varsity club rubgy team, breaks away from Jesuit Marauders players in a game Granite Bay won 57-6.

Club team runs towards future expectations and battles for new field

BY DORIEN JOHNK

F

djohnk.gazette@gmail.com

or a program on its fourth year, the Granite Bay Rugby Club has found a way to maul its competition.

After its 57-6 defeat against Jesuit High School on Feb. 24, the defending national champions, the program continues to grow in numbers. Head varsity coach John Kimble and assistant coaches Steve Delaney and Steven Pert have put in countless hours to its development.

“John Kimble was interested in starting a rugby club, and I was interested in one as well,” Delaney said. “All we had the first year was a junior high team full of seventh through

tenth graders.”

After two years of development, the JV team competed and took the Northern California Championship last year.

Now, in its fourth year as a program, those JV players make up the varsity team.

“So, looking at what the program did in three years, it won two JV championships, and those kids now are playing varsity…they have grown to be very good rugby players because we have not lost very many athletes,” Delaney said.

A pioneer athlete on the rugby team and a Granite Bay High School, senior John Kimble junior is the captain of the varsity squad.

“I think the program has gotten big mostly by word of mouth, because I started out playing with my friends and friends of my friends,” Kimble said. “It also spread because a lot of parents got involved in the sport because of their kids.”

Kimble feels that the close camaraderie on the team makes it a stronger team. The Jesuit game this year, he believes, was the high point of the season, and it really demonstrated how the team has grown and become more successful.

To further help the club’s growth, four new coaches were also hired to enhance the players’ experience.

Girls’ lacrosse gets stronger Team transforms over four years and reaches success

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Senior ShinEui Park rides a University High School player.

See RUGBY, page C6

Over the last few years at Granite Bay High School, the girls’ lacrosse team and program has grown and succeeded in various ways.

Last year, the varsity team had a successful season with an overall record of 10-5. But the record does not necessarily best reflect the success that the girls’ lacrosse program had last year and how that success is carried over to this year’s season.

Two years ago, the varsity team came under the coaching expertise of Stu Brokowsky, who had

previously been the coach for Foothill High School in the Bay Area.

After coaching at various high schools throughout California for girls’ lacrosse, Brokowsky thought he had retired for good. That is, until two years ago he received an email announcing that GBHS was in the process of looking for a new head coach after conflicts with the previous coach had become too much to function.

“I remember getting the email, and I thought it would be a good fit for me, and it’s been going well ever since,” Brokowsky said.

However, the girls’ team has had its fair share of struggles in the past. During last year’s season, a total of eight girls on the varsity team were

See LACROSSE, page C7

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Athletic P.E. Increase in commitment projected to improve the girls’ varsity softball record

Powder Puff Upperclassmen girls prepare for another intense flag football matchup

CrossFit Swim team incorporates outside training to enhance athleticism

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Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A home run for girls’ varsity softball team

Athletic P.E. offers more time to practice

BY CHASE EVANS

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

While students at Granite Bay High School are busy in their fourth period classes, the varsity softball team is out practicing on the field.

For the first year, softball has become a sport that offers athletic P.E. as a fourth period class.

While the class isn’t technically “required,” every athlete on the team is enrolled in the class, and the majority of the practice happens during the school day.

“I really felt like (athletic P.E.) was essential to start trying to be competitive,” varsity softball coach Michelle Granger said.

The team has been devoting the entire semester to maximizing the opportunities that athletic P.E. can provide.

“We are trying to work for a shorter amount of time over a longer amount of time,” Granger said.

The practices run for a similar amount of time compared to the length of practice before athletic P.E., yet because it starts at 1:10 p.m., the athletes are done with practice much earlier.

Student athletes struggle with the balance between schoolwork and their sport, yet the athletic P.E. allows more time for the students to spend on their homework.

“We have more time after practice to focus on school,” junior Gia France said.

The fact that there are more practices before the season allows the practices to be flexible in time.

“We can afford to have practices be just fourth period on days where there are finals or something to give them more time to study,” Granger said.

Athletes can see how athletic P.E. has changed the program already.

“We are winning games this year that we would have lost without the extra

practice time,” junior Kristin Kurpershoek said.

The practice time allows Granger the advantage of coaching her team the skills that require more time.

“We are trying to stop the gaps that come when you have a lot of things to teach in a short amount of time,” Granger said.

Skills such as sliding and hitting take a lot of repetition and time to aquire those skills and those skills can now be better practiced with the help of the added time.

“We have the time to practice the things we couldn’t last year,” Kurpershoek said.

However, there are drawbacks to having athletic P.E. Some classes are only offered fourth period, and those classes are off-limits for the athletes to take.

“I really wanted to take journalism in the spring, but I wasn’t able to do that because of athletic P.E.,” Kurpershoek said.

Granger believes it’s okay to have them take athletic P.E. fourth period because she views varsity sports as a program rather than an activity.

The sport is typically viewed as a less competitive sport by the school because of its frequent losing seasons at GBHS. “The biggest thing we have is the tradition of (our softball teams) not being very good,” Granger said. “You have to change the environment (…) and create it into something that is successful and competitive.”

The team is doing much better this year and the athletes can see the cause of this improvement.

“The wins are a result of the work we did in athletic P.E.,” France said.

Two teams, Bella Vista High School and Mesa Verde High School, are softball opponents of GBHS and have traditionally beat GBHS each year.

This year, however, with the addition of

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

wWith the availability of athletic P.E., the girls’ varsity softball team can now focus more on skills like hitting and sliding. athletic P.E., GBHS has beaten both of those teams by a large margin.

“The fact is that athletic P.E. is helping us win games,” Granger said.

The extra amount of time also brings the team closer together.

“I feel like the team is much closer because of all of the time we have spent together,” France said. “It has helped our team chemistry a lot.”

Granger has wanted to implement athletic P.E. since she decided to coach high school softball.

“I looked at the successful programs, and all of the successful programs use athletic P.E. in their system,” Granger said.

Granger said that her team’s main strength is the athletic ability her softball players possess.

Much of the softball team plays mul-

tiple sports for GBHS which shows how athletic the team is.

“Athletic P.E. allows me to transform the potential that the team has into technique that they were lacking before,” Granger said.

However, the main achievement that athletic P.E. has supplied is very simple.

“Our wins are a direct result of having athletic P.E.,” Granger said.

Boys’ varsity basketball team suffered its share of struggles Injuries took their toll on playoff possibilities

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

Many Granite Bay High School students can remember following the electrifying varsity boys’ basketball season last year all the way to Balance Power Pavilion.

In fact, the team last year saw its ranks quickly rise to 26 in the state and 284 in the nation.

The success of last season was certainly due to such a strong team.

“It was kind of a fluke we had so many seniors last year,” senior Jerry Hansen said. “You have to get lucky each year to play to your absolute best, and that year we were especially lucky.”

Unfortunately, the team this year was not as lucky and it was evident by the rankings.

This year’s team had a .500 winning percentage and dropped to 263 in state and 3409 in the country.

“We would have liked to have won (the league

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What is your favorite movie?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Do you prefer pancakes or waffles?

title) and a playoff game, but the guys worked hard everyday and put forth their best efforts,” head coach Jason Sitterud said.

Especially compared to the historical run of last year, this year’s team had a tough season.

“The season was very fun, but it probably could have gone a little better,” junior Jacob King said.

“We had a few close games, and we just couldn’t get over the hump to pull them out.”

A lot of players felt a big obstacle to their success was a combination of a loss of seniors and injuries.

This lack of seniors also meant new fresh faces getting used to playing on the varsity level.

“No one was used to playing in front of a crowd, which is actually a big deal,” junior Marcus McPhaul said. “We only had one guy who played a lot in front of a crowd, which was (senior) Nate (Brilingtton), so it was hard not having that experience.”

The team was greatly affected by the amount of injuries the team suffered throughout the season.

“Personally and as a team, injuries really affected the end result of the season,” Hansen said. “I believe we could have gone farther in playoffs if we had all our players, but we couldn’t play to our full potential

Jacob Neptune Boys’ volleyball

Makenzie Brito Girls’ soccer

without them.”

Sitterud felt that it was hard to keep momentum during the season, and that the team was unable to put a run together.

“We were plagued by injury, and it always hindered us during the season,” McPhaul said. “We just couldn’t get over it.”

King felt that during a lot of the playoff games, injured players, such as juniors Sherron Bradford and Daniel Romero, could have really helped them out during crucial times.

Despite these hardships, the team fought hard during the year and maintained unfaltering sense of team chemistry and a positive outlook.

Even so, King felt that even with just four seniors, the team bonded well and everyone became friends and meshed well together.

“We really came together as a team, and at the Fresno tournament, at the beginning of the season, everyone became friends,” Hansen said. “I wouldn’t really have called it a rebuilding year, especially since we made it to playoffs for the second year in a row.”

McPhaul felt that while the team was hindered by

Sam Reichenberger Girls’ lacrosse

Jason Sitterud Boys’ varsity coach says the team managed to fight through obstacles, and he has high hopes for the team next season.

injuries, they competed hard and played to the best of its ability.

“We never looked at the year as rebuilding. We were about moving forward and trying to get better each day,” Sitterud said.

At the end of the day, the team went from second in its section to losing in the first round of playoffs.

However, it definitely seems the team is ready to move on to the next year.

“We’ll be stronger, faster and we’ll have more returning seniors used to the crowd atmosphere,” McPhaul said. “We’re heading back to Power Balance Pavilion.”

Max Vigeant Swimming

Shaleen Duhra Track and field

Penguin

Dolphin

Shark

Spoon

Spoon

I don’t eat Mac & Cheese Fork

Fork

Forest Gump

The Hangover

The Notebook

Surf’s Up

Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl

To get to the other side

To get to the other side

To get to the other side

To get to the other side

He wanted to touch the other side

Waffles

Waffles

Waffles

Waffles

Pancakes

Penguin

Dolphin

– Compiled by Brooklyn Klepl

Visit www.granitebaygazette.com. Your source for all things happening in the community and how it impacts you.

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C3

C4 Sports

Friday, March 23, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS girls look foward to Powder Puff match

Seniors and juniors anticipate the anual battle of the classes

BY BROOKLYN KLEPL

on the offensive.

She is playing on the offensive line position and is a little intimiFor one night every year, dated about going up against the Granite Bay High School comes other girls. together under the stadium lights “I like that it is cool because for a show of upperclassmen girl you don’t have to run a lot, and power. you can take people down,” said That night is March 23 and the Bay. girls will take to the football field She is a little intimidated about at 7 p.m.

In the reversal of standard foot- the fact that she has to “tackle” the other girls, but her coach juball, junior and senior boys will nior Kevin Blank told her that her now be on the sidelines rooting concern will soon pass once she is for their fellow class girls. on the field.

There are some different rules This turned out to be a great and regulations with Powder Puff.

For example, the girls do not wear position for Bay because she has bad knees and offensive line is any protective gear or helmets – one of the few positions in footthey only wear mouth guards. ball that does not The Student involve running Government that much.

Commissioner for I think “With this exPowder Puff is (Powder Puff) perience, I am exsophomore Rachel pecting to make a King, and and her is one of our lot more friends… assistant commisbest events I kind of want to sioner is freshman because we take people down Daniella Cassano. too,” said Bay. In order to play, have so many Powder Puff the girls had to people who football is a great voluntarily signcome. school spirit up, and attend a booster and a great mandatory meeting – Tamara Givens, way to make new and pay a fee of ASB adviser friends. $30 to participate.

Senior Sydney The fee included Lorek who is a pair of tube participating in socks, a shirt with the Dog Pound this year, said that the girls’ nicknames on the back, Powder Puff is a great way for a hair ribbon, the tags, the team classes to bond over a unique and dinner and a mouth guard.

In total, both the juniors and the exhilarating experience.

The Dog Pound, which was seniors had a total of five practicintroduced last year because es before the game tonight along students want to participate in with two mandatory decorating everything except the contact that parties in the weeks before. the sport involves, is a fan group.

Junior Jule Bay, a foreign . The paricipants are all considexchange student from Germany, ered to be a part of the teams, but is very excited to be a part of this they do not go to practices or play GBHS tradition. in the game.

In Germany, there is nothing “I have done Dog Pound before, like American style football, so but not been a player. I think Dog Bay is appreciative that she only Pound is a good place for me to has to learn one specific position bklepl.gazette@gmail.com

be; I like it.” said Lorek.

For many people, the Dog Pound is a great option for someone who is not quite geared up for on the field action.

Tamara Givens, the Associated Student Body adviser said that the Dog Pound is also a good place for major athletes who are going into college sports because there have been cases of torn ACLs and broken noses due to Powder Puff.

“We also try to discourage the athletes that are going on to play sports for college teams from playing in the game, but (the)

Gazette photos /RILEY MAC MILLAN

Dog Pound is a great place for them,” said Givens. “(The people in the Dog Pound) are the only ones besides the players that are allowed on the sidelines during the game too.”

For Givens, the importance of Powder Puff couldn’t be greater.

“We didn’t have Powder Puff at my school when I was a kid…I think (Powder Puff) is one of our best events because we have so many people who come. Our stands are full. It involves a… very large number of the junior and senior class, Givens said.

Seniors Drew Fisher and Nicole Carter, above, collide during a scrimage. Senior Juliana Rowe, right, assists in the developing play.

Freshman P.E. undergoes dramatic course changes Upperclassmen irritated by new curriculum

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

“Are we running today?”

Granite Bay High School P.E. teachers Dede Walker and Linda Dickson grew tired of hearing that whine everyday.

Walker and Dickson have taken it upon themselves this year to impose changes on the P.E. curriculum for freshman P.E. “We don’t want them to dread it, we want them to enjoy it,” Walker said.

Both Walker and Dickson have now taken steps to implement what they feel is more fun in their fitness.

Dickson attended a personal trainer last year while Walker has a part-time job at California Family Fitness and, because of this, both of them returned to P.E. this year with many new ideas about how to workout with their classes.

Using fitness grant money they had left over after purchasing the stationary X-Bikes, Walker and Dickson set out to buy fitness equipment for their students.

“So we bought mats…weights... mini trampolines to jump on…medicine balls (and) we bought bands,” Dickson said.

“It’s like toys to play with rather than just push-ups and sit-ups.”

Walker and Dickson have made “Fun Fridays” a new custom this spring semes-

ter in their freshman classes, giving the students a choice to play any sport they choose on these specific Fridays.

“If you don’t feel like playing basketball and someone tells you ‘Go play basketball’, you’re not going to put your heart into it,” Walker said.

Changes such as these haven’t caused much difference in which sports the freshmen learn and how they participate in them. However, other changes to cardio activities have caused a reduction in running that seems to be widely approved by the freshman P.E. students, but cause some upperclassmen disapproval.

“Last year (Walker and I) said ‘Let’s change the way we do cardio here’,” Dickson said. “We said… ‘let’s mix it up’.”

Whereas before students ran twice a week, a mile on one day and a mile and a half on the other, this is not the case anymore.

Dickson and Walker now put a larger focus on not only running but biking and swimming as well and end up alternating between these activities when they practice cardio.

Instead of just doing swimming as one of the sports units, students are using it as a cardio workout in place of running.

Dickson explained that sometimes they

even give the students a choice to either run or swim when the weather is hot.

With these changes, Dickson and Walker feel that they are actually getting cardio three times a week in a way that students enjoy instead of a monotonous two times a week of strained running.

“We need to bring fun back into P.E. and not force them to run,” Walker said. “If we only run half the amount of time, we’ll do other things like, swim and bike, (and) they won’t dread running as much.”

When the freshmen actually do spend time running, Walker and Dickson usually do not record their times as they did before in most of the P.E. classes the upperclassmen experienced.

“We don’t grade P.E. on how well you shoot a basketball or dribble,” Dickson said. “It’s not a grade based on skill; it’s based on that you actively participated with a positive attitude so the same (should be) for fitness (such as running).”

While grading on effort for sports units, in testing running, P.E. teachers graded on a specific scale, such as a 10 out of 10 for a time under nine minutes.

“We don’t want to dock those kids that try and just aren’t physically capable of running an eight minute mile,” Walker said.

All of these changes to the running program culminate into a new midterm and final program for testing freshman P.E.

students; a midterm biathlon of biking and running and a final triathlon of biking, running and swimming.

This new program has been generally approved of by the freshman in P.E. classes mainly due to the reduction of running time forced onto their weekly schedules.

“I think running’s good but it’s better to do other stuff besides just running,” freshman Jordan Ahlberg said.

Many students who aren’t freshmen reaping the benefits of this program have complained that the students in this program are doing less work then they had to.

“I’m so mad about it just because we had to run so much,” said junior Natalie Gonzales, a teacher assistant for Walker.

“I think they should run because it keeps you in condition.”

Most sophomores have gotten the opportunity to use at least some of the new fitness equipment, such as weights and mats. However, the sophomores haven’t been completely brought over to the different running aspect of the new program. “(The freshmen) run less,” sophomore Sierra Alejandrez said. “Every time we’re out there, (they aren’t).”

Dickson and Walker have occasionally heard complaints in the locker room from the sophomores, but they try to assure them that this was a trial program for the freshmen.

“We’re trying it on the freshmen first

The most important thing is to get them to have a positive attitude about working out.

– Linda Dickson, P.E. teacher

and, if it works well, we’ll bring it up to the sophomores next year,” Walker said.

Even though this won’t affect this year’s current sophomores, Walker and Dickson are focused on a bigger picture program for their new P.E. program.

In response to the decrease of strenuous running and whether this program is the healthiest choice to make the freshmen more fit, Dickson seems to feel that due to the age of high schoolers, P.E. programs should have a different focus. . “The most important thing is to get them to have a positive attitude about working out,” Dickson said.

Freshman Natalie Caraway’s future in long jumping looks promising this year and in the years to come

BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN

The long jumper has opened up her track and field season with impressive results and she hopes to keep up her results for the remainder of the season.

mtouloukain.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Flying is no problem for freshman Natalie Caraway. As a high and long jumper for the Granite Bay High School track team, Caraway soars through practices striving for excellence.

After excelling on the Cavitt Junior High School track circuit, Caraway is now standing out in the high school circuit.

She’s currently competing in the high and long jump events, leaping 5 feet in the air in the high jump and soaring 15 feet, 6 inches across the ground.

Track is time consuming, with practices two hours a day, five days a week plus Saturday track meets.

“It cuts into my free time that I would regularly spend with friends,” Caraway said.

However, she acknowledges that the commitment is completely worth it.

Although Caraway has played select soccer for many years and participates in the rigorous band program at GBHS, she admits that track is her favorite sport to be involved in. Faced with the decision to play either GBHS soccer or participate in track, Caraway essentially decided track was more important to her.

“Track is one of my favorite (activities to do) because of all the different events you can participate in,” Caraway said.

Caraway has high hopes for tivation that she and her family her track career as a high school possess. student. “(I want to be) the best at “My goal this year in track is to what I do – a lot of that mojump (5-6) for high jump and to tivation comes from my dad, be competing who wants at the varsity me to achieve level either this excellence,” I believe the year or next,” Caraway said.

Caraway said.

Caraway is key to my With her aman inspired success is always bitious goals, athlete with wanting to be Caraway has big dreams and a lot of hard goals. The next better. work and dedifour years will – Natalie Caraway, cation ahead be a challenge freshman of her. Yet, her for her, but she mindset is in is ready for the the right place journey. to succeed.

“By senior “I believe the key to my success year, I hope to be going to the is always wanting to be better and state meet and achieving top trying to beat your own goals,” three in…high jump,” Caraway Caraway said. said. “I would love to break a Her goals are fueled by the morecord one of these days.”

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Gymnastic-aerobic cross makes players fit CrossFit becomes mandatory for GBHS swim program

continued her training as it is a requirement for the swimming team.

The team was first introduced With competition constantly to this training when her swim rising among athletes in high school sports, an upcoming type coach, who had been previously a part of a CrossFit gym, decided of exercise has increasingly emerged into high school athlet- to incorporate the training to their normal exercising routines. ics - CrossFit training.

“We are in our CrossFit gym Though the training is offered three times a week for around to a variety of ages, several of 45 minutes, and our own the actual main Granite Bay workout can be less High School My overall than 10 or more the students are 30 minutes; it just experience with currently Weber involved in this CrossFit training depends,” said. program in orhas been good; Through these der to improve work outs, her their athletic even though it is exercises vary from performance. rough, I enjoy the lifting weights to In this trainrunning. The work ing, individuworkout. outs are aggressive als go through – Sophie Weber, senior to say the least. about an hour “My overall of workout, experience with exercise about 5 to 15 minutes. The majority of CrossFit training has been the training is based on gymnas- good,” Weber said. “Even though it is rough, I enjoy the tics exercises and workout.” “monostructural” activity, such Aside from the difficult workas running, rowing and jumping outs, Weber also finds the afterrope. math of the workouts leaving her A specific sport that this training is commonly associated with and her teammates sore for the rest of the week. on the campus is swimming.

Though there are tolls to take, Senior Sophie Weber started Weber appreciates the workouts training in the fall of her sophoas they better the team. more year. Since then, she has

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

“I think CrossFit is effective use for swimming,” Taylor said, in every athletic aspect,” Weber “so I have seen an improvement said. in my swimming after starting Senior Ashley Taylor is also CrossFit.” enrolled in CrossFit through her John Planow, owner and involvement on the swim team. founder of CrossFit Genesis “We do a general in Roseville, warm up when we opened this gym get there, which three and a half It helps me is about six easy years ago, makkeep in shape exercises: pull-ups, ing it one of the push-ups, crunches, first gyms dediand it’s much lunges, squats and cated to CrossFit more intense pass-overs,” Taylor in the Sacramensaid. “Then, we to area. than doing a move into a more Planow exregular work out plained the variactive warm up, either using TRX ety of individuals at a gym. bands or just runthat are involved – Ashley Taylor, senior ning, bear crawls, in this training. technical push-ups, Though the athinch worms, etc.” letes at his gym Taylor enjoys the extremity of range from the ages from 16 to the workout.

60 years old, he has also had ex“I do CrossFit because it perience working with children helps me keep in shape, and it’s as young as five years old. much more intense than doing “We think everyone is an a regular workout at a gym or athlete or has an athlete within something else,” Taylor said. them,” Planow said. “We coach “It really gets you moving and everyone from stay-at-home tired.” moms and business executives Swim practices and CrossFit that have little athletic backserve as the two main sources of ground and haven’t worked out exercise for Taylor as an athlete. in years, to professional athletes Taylor participates in CrossFit training for a big event.” training in the morning, then Along with the variety of ages, swim practices at night. During various motives have enabled the summer, the team usually this training to increase in popuhas CrossFit practices before its larity in the past two years. practices in the afternoon.

“It’s being used locally in high “CrossFit really has helped school physical education and me with swimming because we sports programs like swimming, work specifically with workouts wrestling and football, as well that help improve muscles we as by students doing it on their

Sports C5

Gazette photo /Kristin Taylor

Senior Sophie Weber swings from the pull-up bar, part of a rigorous workout designed to improve her swimming performance

Senior Will Harkin says the Tribe’s fate lies with current juniors

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

Active Tribe member and senior Will Harkin has been involved with Tribe since its inception.

“I was one of the three originators of the tribe with alumni Grant Deckert and Bobby Stuckey last year,” Harkin said. “It was summer before my junior year that we came up with the idea.”

Their inclination to start the spirited student cheering section was inspired, unsurprisingly, from watching other motivated spectators.

“We had been watching a lot of college sports and saw how crazy their student sections got,” Harkin said. “We just wanted to make a student section that cheers as hard as them.”

While the two students that Harkin started the Tribe with have graduated, Harkin continues to lead the cheering section.

“A few of my friends and I are the ones who try to start chants,” Harkin said. “We are always looking for ideas for new chants, so if anyone has ideas, they should come to us.”

While Harkin tries to use a variety of chants, his personal attachment to one causes him to make use of it often.

“My favorite chant is the ‘I believe’ chant: ‘I believe that we will win.’ I like to do that one before the games to get everyone fired up.”

Harkin believes that his passion for the Tribe stems from his early involvement in sports.

“Growing up I played basketball, soccer, lacrosse flag football… I played a bunch of sports,” Harkin said, “so I really like being at all the games, which is why I love getting a lot of people there.”

While he enjoys cheering for all sports, Harkin favors two particular ones for the support they draw from the students.

“Football and basketball (are my favorite) just because there is the most energy in the building or stadium during those two sports,” Harkin said.

Given this fact, it is not surprising that Harkin’s greatest hope for the Tribe is that the average member will be more enthusiastic.

“The enthusiasm level was not up to par this year,” Harkin said. “Sometimes people were there, but they

Will Harkin Senior has been a member of the Tribe since the beginning and encourages lower classmen to participate weren’t cheering, so we just need to get more energy.”

While there are a few months left before Harkin will graduate, he is mainly looking to younger students to take up his mantle.

“There is not a lot of stuff we can do for the spring sports,” Harkin said. “So it’s really up to the juniors to carry on the tradition.”

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C6 Sports

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

RUGBY: Club team achieves success and expansion Continued from page C1

contacting college coaches to help players get into college rugby programs.”

Recently, the club hired two coaches His main goal for his varsity team this from Fiji, one of them with coaching year is to compete and win a National experience on the Fijian Junior National Championship.

Team. Two other professional coaches As for the players and their own personal were also brought into the club to condevelopment, the coaches also hope the tribute to the programs success. In addiprogram provides a group of great young tion, the two junior varsity coaches, Dean men.

Talley and Tyler Harrison, who have had “When they’re done, we hope they learn experience coaching internationally in teamwork and how to work through all of New Zealand. these issues that you have to “We want to deal with on a rugby field,” The community’s achieve a program Delaney said. “Hopefully, knowledge about that is nationthey can then take those ally recognized, rugby has grown, basic attributes and move and through that, those over into their workand we, as playthe ultimate goal ing career and be able to eventually is to put overcome obstacles and ers, have a lot every kid into a solve problems.” more experience college rugby proWhen asked about incorgram on a scholarporating the program into on the field. ship,” Delaney Granite Bay High School, said.

Coach Delaney sided – Taylor Honnette, Junior Mason against the idea.

Conen is in his “Once you get into the senior third year on the school (sports programs), team and has there are many regulations found the overall coaching staff to be one under the CIF system that would need to of the highlights of the program. be followed that we don’t have right now,” “I really like the coaches,” Conen said.

Delaney said.

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ “The opportunities they present to help The increased amount of regulation us get better in our (skills) are great,” would cause problems within the club, as Junior Kyle Rogers runs down the field with the ball during a game verse Jesuit High School, which the team won, 57-6.

Conen said. “All of the people within the it wouldn’t be able to attend tournaments program make it worthwhile to play.” and playoffs that it normally would be able next to Bayside Church on Sierra College watch the games and showing a greater Senior Taylor Honnette, a varsity coHead varsity coach John Kimble to participate in. In addition, the season Boulevard and Olympus Drive. interest in the sport.” captain and four year player, has seen Sr. hopes to continue the growth and would be cut in half, as it would have to “We negotiated with Bayside and Other than the team’s goal of paying the progression of the club from the very development that is prospering within start in the spring to avoid conflicts with worked out where (it has) provided the in a National Championship, the team beginning until now and notices a positive the program. Just this season alone, the the winter sports season. also wants to see the program continue to land and we’re going to raise the half a effect on the community. program has increased from 28 players to Staying separate from GBHS allows stumillion dollars it takes to build the field,” grow.

“The community’s knowledge about 79 players. dents from other schools to participate in Delaney said. “It is planned to break To further increase awareness of the rugby has grown, and we, as players, have “We do a lot for our players now, the program as well, boosting the competi- a lot more experience on the field,” Honrugby club in the community, the program ground in April, so next year we are hopmentorship and accountability for starttion and making the surrounding commuing to construct the only international is in the process of planning to build an nette said. “We get a lot more community ers,” Coach Kimble said. “I am actively nity more aware of the club. international rugby pitch in the open area rugby pitch in Northern California.” involvement as more people are going to

SPORTS BRIEFS

SOCCER: Season starts off shaky with CIF rule discrepancy

GBHS alumnus headed to the National Football League wMiles Burris graduate of the class of 2006, played as a linebacker for San Diego State and is now entering the NFL draft for the 2012 season. wDevon Wylie also graduated in 2006 from GBHS. He played as a wide receiver for Fresno State and is also entering the NFL draft for the 2012 season.

GBHS boys’ varsity volleyball wThe team opened up its 2012 season with a 3-0 win over Oakmont High School on Feb. 28. wLast weekend, the team finished second in the bronze division in the Best of the West volleyball tournament in San Diego, California.

GBHS girls’ varsity lacrosse wThe girls took a monumental victory over Piedmont High School on March 13 by a score of 6-4.

GBHS swim team wBoys’ JV and varsity teams won the Roseville High School tournament.

GBHS varsity girls’ softball wThe team opened up its season with two huge victories over Folsom High School and Mesa Verde High School with scores of 11-3 and 20-3, respectively.

— Compiled by Austin Downs

Gazette photo /Kristin taylor

Senior Jodie Higgins lines up for the kick during a preseason game on March 8 verse Whitney High School where the varsity team won 3-0.

Continued from page C1 member of the coaching staff (paid or volunteer) may have any contact with his/ her athletes and use the sports equipment for their given sport. Weight training and conditioning are the only activities that will be allowed during these time periods.

Coaches may be present during weight training and conditioning.”

This year’s spring “dead period” started Jan. 16 and ended Feb. 5. During this time, the girls’ soccer program might have violated the Bylaw twice unintentionally. However, GBHS administration self-reported the violation to the SacJoaquin Section office.

The office did not believe that the possible violations were a major concern and did not penalize the girls’ soccer program. GBHS administration did not penalize the program either.

First year varsity girls’ head soccer coach Mark Broers, who was the assistant coach last year to the division II girls’ varsity team, is aware of the Bylaw and the possible violations, yet he believes that the situation was handled promptly and properly.

“To be safe, we let the (Sac-Joaquin

1005 Galleria Boulevard Suite 150 Roseville CA 95678

section office) know what was going on to make sure that there wasn’t any problems,” Broers said. “They were satisfied that there wasn’t.”

In a forward email sent to the soccer players and their parents by Broers and written by Athletic Director Tim Healy, one of the possible “dead period” violations included a family who was independently practicing when one of the JV coaches who lived close by saw them and joined as he has done on countless occasions.

The second possible violation instance included a JV coach training a potential goalie for approximately one hour. The student has been working with the coach on a non-paid basis for over two years.

One other problem within the soccer program is that the new assistant varsity coach, Katie Vivaldi, has a daughter, freshman Colleen, who plays for the program.

Now that time has passed since the violations, Broers sees no reason to be concerned about them since the preseason has already began, and the situation was taken care of.

“I assisted last year and didn’t see any problems. This year, it’s my first year in

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charge, so I don’t know what has haption. Normally speaking, we’ll take pened in the distant past,” Broers said. practice days away from the team, if the “But, I think it’s a good idea to be honest whole team (violated it),” Saco said. and open. Whatever information that I “The school can also impose another came into, I tried to share it with the adconsequence if (it didn’t involve the ministration and they took it from there.” whole team). We’re not going to make is Although there was concern about possi- so severe that it hurts a team’s play off bly violating the “dead period” Bylaw, in chances, unless it becomes a continuing the end, the girls’ soccer program did not violation every year.” face any major consequences.

It may not be common for GBHS In fact, Sac-Joaquin Section comathletics or other high schools under the missioner Peter Saco was satisfied that supervision of the Sac-Joaquin Section GBHS self-reported, and he found that office to violate the Bylaw repetitively there was no reason to penalize the proand intentionally. gram unless the administration wanted to Typically, schools impose their own take action. penalties, but the office can interfere “Granite Bay does a great job. This is at any time and punish a program far just an unfortunate situbeyond the normal ation,” Saco said. “But punishment of the first Granite Bay Granite Bay follows the violation.

CIF rules very well. We “There really hasn’t does a great job. are all going to move on been a case where a This is just an from here and not worry certain team has viotoo much about it, but unfortunate situa- lated the ‘dead period’ Granite Bay is an excepmore than once,” tion. tional school.” said Will DeBoard, An official penalizaSac-Joaquin Section tion may have not been director of commis– Peter Saco,CIF Sacperformed; however, acsioner, through an Joaquin Section comcording to Peter Saco, that email. “Although, missioner does not mean that there if that happened I is no severity for obstructwould guess the secing the “dead period.” tion office would get The purpose of the “dead period” helps involved and the penalty would probably not only high school teams in general, but be worse than what the school imposed individual players and coaches. Saco said for the first violation.” that there needs to be a designated time DeBoard understands that minor posframe in which practicing for a club team sible violations like the girls’ soccer is distinguishable from practicing for a program can occur. high school team.

However, the CIF Constitution and “Leave the athletes alone. If you want Bylaws are easily accessible, and coaches to weight train and condition, that’s fine,” are notified of the “dead periods.” Even if Saco said. “If you’re an athlete and want accidental violations are made, programs to play (on your own), we don’t care, but can learn from their mistakes and stay if I’m your high school coach, I have to informed of the rules and regulations. leave you alone for a few weeks. I’ll be “All the ‘dead period’ dates are listed with you for four months.” on (the CIF state and Sac-Joaquin SecNone of the athletic programs have ever tion) website(s), and the athletic direcreported to have violated “dead periods” tors are notified of it, but violations still repetitively. If a program ever does so, happen,” DeBoard said. “Generally, they the consequences would be severe, espehappen because coaches weren’t exactly cially if the violation was intentional. sure what they are and are not allowed to “(The consequences of violating the do. You can still weight-train and condi‘dead period’) depends on the severity tion with your coach during the ‘dead and the number of times of the violaperiod’, but nothing else.”

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C7

LACROSSE: Girls’ lacrosse achieves the next level of success Continued from page C1

Gazette photo /Kristin Taylor

Senior Andrew Murch takes a breath as he swims his way to victory at GBHS.

Senior Andrew Murch thrives in the water

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

Senior Andrew Murch has swam his way to the top and is now regarded by his varsity coach John Sherman and many of the other members of the swim program as one of the best, if not the best, male swimmer at Granite Bay High School.

“Andrew is definitely one of the most gifted talents that we’ve ever had come through our aquatics program,” Sherman said. “He has partnered that with a lot of hard work, but there’s no doubt he just has an unreal knack as an athlete.”

Although his current record is an outstanding 50.58 seconds on the 100-yard backstroke and while Murch likes to keep a modest attitude about his achievements in swimming, the fact is he’s been a dominant performer his entire high school career.

“I don’t get second a lot,” Murch said.

Murch started swimming when he was around six years old, but he claims he wasn’t always been at the top of the ranks.

“When I was little, I always used to compete against (current senior) Hunter Christian… and he would always beat me,” Murch said. “I wasn’t super good until I was around 12 or so (because) that’s when I started getting a lot taller than everyone else, and that helps.”

Murch swam at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club growing up and with California Capital Aquatics during his sophomore year.

Murch became interested in swimming because he enjoyed swimming non-competitively and then found the competitive side interesting as well.

“I always just kept up my training and it just got me where I am,” Murch said.

“You just have to be able to feel good in the water.”

Murch swims sprint-freestyle and backstroke for the varsity swim team.

He feels his strongest stroke is backstroke but there is room for improvement in other areas of his swim.

“I want to improve my butterfly (stroke) mostly,” Murch said.

During the swim season, he finds being with his friends on the team to be a rewarding aspect of the sport, and he spends a lot of time with them because of the amount of time he commits to swim practices.

“It used to take up a lot more when I swam with a club team, but I stopped doing that because it was boring,” Murch said.

“Right now I probably swim 15 hours a week. I used to (swim) around 30.”

Most of the team’s training takes place in the pool, but the varsity team also spends some time weightlifting during the week.

Being committed to both GBHS water polo and varsity swim team creates an even bigger time commitment, and Murch spends much of his time in the water.

“Winter swim starts about a week and a half after water polo ends, so it’s not too much time (in between),” Murch said.

In all his swim experience, Murch’s favorite memory is winning sections his freshman year.

“It was really fun because I was a freshman, and I was kind of new to everything, (so) coming in like that was pretty awesome,” Murch said.

As Murch moves on to swim and play water polo at University of the Pacific in Stockton, he can’t wait to make more victorious memories.

“I’m clumsy on land,” Murch said. “But as soon as I get in the water, I’m good.”

freshmen, and there was no JV team.

“We sent out an invitation to girls saying that the program would take any (girl) who came out to play,” Brokowsky said. “We didn’t get a single one.”

With this team, Brokowsky did the best that he could and found himself proud that the team was able to take second in league last year.

As for this year, Brokowsky firmly believes that the team has the ability to win league.

He contributes last year’s success to the girls’ ability to be coached.

“They just wanted to learn the tricks to the sport and would come out each day with the same attitude at practices and games,” Brokowsky said.

As with any sport, he hopes to improve on the team’s defensive abilities.

One of the few seniors who have been with the program all four years is senior Kenzie Gainer, and the growth in the program in the time she has been here has been tremendous.

During her freshman year, girls’ lacrosse had just been made an official CIF sport for GBHS. “(The program) at the beginning wasn’t very organized or well-run,” Gainer said. “But it has definitely gotten better.”

When she first got into lacrosse at GBHS, she and many others were beginners to the sport.

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

The girls’ varsity lacrosse team gathers on the field during halftime on its March 2 game verse University High School.

“There were many of us who struggled with learning (about lacrosse),” Gainer said.

One of the aspects about the lacrosse program that Gainer likes is the increase in commitment level and the number of girls playing the sport.

“It was good that we have a JV team this season,” Gainer said. “We even have a U11 (club) girls’ lacrosse team.”

With this, Gainer expects the future of the program at GBHS

to be a bright one.

Along with Gainer, senior Page Kastner has been with the program for four years.

“I played on the JV team my freshman year,” Kastner said.

“I made varsity the following year and was even team captain for that year.”

Like Gainer, she agrees that the program during her first year was lacking.

Momentum began to pick up when Kastner played for the

team last year, and she noticed that the coaching staff was topnotch, and the level of commitment was on the rise.

“I hope that the level of commitment increases in the following years,” Kastner said.

“Maybe even have a freshman team soon.”

A younger member of the team, sophomore Lauren Molina, was on the varsity team last year as a freshman and enjoyed the atmosphere it brought.

“It wasn’t too hard of a transition (into the varsity level),” Molina said. “Except for a few different rules it wasn’t too hard to adapt.”

Since Molina is such a young athlete on the team, she hopes to continue playing for GBHS and to see the popularity of girls’ lacrosse increase.

“It would be awesome if at one point (girls’) lacrosse was as popular here as girls’ soccer,” Molina said.

VOLLEYBALL: Boys’ team attempts to outdo last season Continued from page C1 “We didn’t do as well as we hoped to, but we learned a lot,” Honberger said.

“We were very close, but we lost some very close games, so hopefully we’ll learn from that, and that will bode well for us later in the season.”

Overall, the team came away from the San Diego tournament with a tournament record of 2-4, but the score doesn’t reflect the difficulty of play associated with the Southern California teams and one team that came from Hawaii.

“We play teams from Fresno and San Jose, so we can play the best competition we can find, and usually that helps us become better at the end of the day,” Honberger said.

Senior Alex Naki was one of the greatest threats to the highly competitive teams.

“We run a very fast offense and we run some plays that other teams don’t do,” Honberger said. “Particularly, the one hitter, Alex Naki, jumps off of one foot and comes faster than what other teams are usually expecting.”

Naki, who joined the team last year for the first time as a junior, acknowledges his unique talent as one of the key components of the team’s offense.

“For some reason, me jumping off of

one foot meant I was six inches higher,” Naki said. “So we based some plays off me kind of like a sweep where I run in, jump off one foot and spike the ball from really high.”

In the San Diego tournament, plays involving Naki were used a number of times, but Honberger pointed out that the reason why jumping off one foot is rare is because the amount of stress put on one leg could greatly impact the player’s ability to stay in the game.

At a practice the following week Naki wore a knee brace.

“It’s bothering me a bit,” Naki said.

“It really hasn’t bothered me before but I tweaked it a little bit before during the Clovis West tournament. But it’s fine, just needs a little support.”

With Naki’s talent contributing to power plays, other seniors also play a major role in producing kills like returning player Matt Austin, who believes a fundamental focus is what makes the team stronger, especially toward the end of the season.

“The number one thing we need to worry about is playing our game and focusing every single night, because last year we lost focus and got caught up with ourselves,” Austin said. “We thought we were better than we were and ended up losing in the first round of playoffs.”

He also sees a difference in personJake Neptune,” Austin said. “He’s hands alities on the team from last year and down the best setter in Sacramento; believes this element will better the questionably I think the best in Northern season focus.

California. He gets “Last year there was us perfect balls to hit We’ve gone a little bit of tension and makes our jobs a on the team because lot easier.” through a lot over there were four Neptune contributes the past year seniors and two were his success to what he active on the court,” sees as more efficient from (losing in the Austin said. “So the hitters compared to playoffs) to now rest were juniors seen last season when, in by the seniors as takhis opinion, the team as volleyball playing up playing time.” had more risk takers, ers. I think we’re However, this but there’s still a season Austin and the codependence upon a lot more conteam of seniors don’t each other as a team. nected. see playing time as “It goes both an issue because all ways,” Neptune of them are mostly said. “Sometimes I – Matt Austin, senior friends. have some bad sets, “A lot of my close and my hitters have friends are on this to back me up, and team, and we’ve gone through a lot sometimes I’ll have some good sets, and over the past year from (losing in the my hitters have to put it away.” playoffs) to now as volleyball players,” While the season seems to be headed Austin said. “I think we’re a lot more in the right direction, based on last connected, and the camaraderie is a lot year’s final record the playoffs are still greater this year.” unpredictable. The only factor the team This team support can be closely seen has control over is depending on each

by Austin’s respect for senior setter Jake other’s strengths.

Neptune.

“You always have to do your job “What contributes to any number of while others do their’s,” Neptune said. kills we get on this team is our setter “You have to trust in that.”

C8 Sports

Friday, March 23, 2012

w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Stats at a Glance Boys’ Baseball Upcoming Games: w3/27 vs. Franklin w3/29 vs. Oakridge w4/10 @ Nevada Union Record as of 3/16/12: 3-0

Boys’ Golf Upcoming Games: w3/28 vs. Roseville w4/12 vs. Woodcreek w4/19 vs. Del Oro Record as of 10/7/11: 3-5**

Boys’ Lacrosse Upcoming Games: w3/24 @ Palo Alto w3/27 vs. St. Mary’s w3/29 @ Lincoln Record as of 3/16/12: 1-2

Boys’ Tennis

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Upcoming Games: w3/29 @ Nevada Union w4/10 @ Woodcreek w4/12 vs. Del Oro Record as of 3/16/12: 1-2

Boys’ Volleyball Upcoming Games: w3/23 vs. Clovis w3/24 Brian Nolan Tournament @ GBHS w4/17 @ Roseville

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Senior Christy Cooper, left, kicks the ball up the field during a game against Whitney High School on March 8. Above, senior Jake Neptune sets the ball to senior teammate Bryan Berry during a game against Oak Ridge High School on March 14. Senior Arik Bird, below, runs with the ball up field before being tackled by a Jesuit player on Feb. 24.

Jake Neptune takes a break before Oak Ridge High School serves to Granite Bay High school, below left. Junior Paris Loomis, far bellow left, dribbles the ball up the middle of the field. Bottom left, sophomore Maricela Garza practices her swing during fourth period varsity softball practice. Senior John Kimble, bottom right, is the flanker during a scrum.

Record as of 3/16/12: 2-0

Girls’ Soccer Upcoming Games: w3/23 vs. Woodcreek w3/28 @ Del Oro w3/29 vs. Juneau Record as of 3/16/12: 2-1-1

Girls’ Softball

Gazette photo /rACHAEL VASQUEZ

Upcoming Meets: w3/27 @ Roseville w3/29 vs. Nevada Union w4/10 @ Woodcreek Record as of 3/16/12: 4-0

Swimming Upcoming Meets: w3/29 @ Del Oro w4/13 vs. Rocklin

Track and Field

Gazette photo /kRISTIN tAYLOR

Gazette photo /rACHAEL VASQUEZ

Upcoming Meets:

w3/28 vs. Nevada Union w4/6 Stanford Invite w4/11 vs. Woodcreek

Girls’ Lacrosse Upcoming Games:

w3/23 @ San Marin w3/24 @ Lick-Wilmerding w3/28 @ Ygnacio Valley Record as of 3/16/12: 1-1

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Gazette photo /rILEY MAC mILLAN

green screen.

The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide March 2012

I

nternet dentities Pages 10 & 11

Nail Art Guide.

Page 20

What thin-spires you?

Page 12

Discover local activities to do during your spring break.

Page 4

Page 2

In this Issue Page 3

Music reviews

Page 4

Spring break

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Page 8

Easter Day

Page 9

15

1

Live games

Page 12

YouTube trends

Page 13

Men’s fashion

Page 15-16 Thinspiration

Page 17

Theater alternatives

Page 18&19 Movie reviews

Page 20

Nail art guide

THURSDAY

Spring

17

International Jugglers’ Day

P

ff

u rP

e

d ow

SATURDAY

24

National Doctor’s Day

Break

11

9

FRIDAY

Elections

Spring Musical

ACT

20 Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY AND CHASE EVANS

Page 10&11 Internet identities

WEDNESDAY

Student Senate

AprilstFools

Free legal music Pandora vs.

Spotify

TUESDAY

april 26

Page 6&7

Food reviews: bakeries

March 2012

calendar.

The downside of fame When the world is watching, no mistakes are private

O

ur culture is celebrity obsessed.

People magazine prints recipes from stars so we can cook like them. InStyle posts outfit guides so we can dress like them. The famous even produce their own perfume so we can smell like them.

Wildly popular TV stations like E! bring us celebrity news 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In 2008, a Scarlett Johansson fan astonishingly paid over $2,000 for a tissue used by the star.

But Whitney Houston’s recent suicide has caused me to consider, is being a celebrity all that its cracked up to be?

We love to hear about the glamorous parties and extravagant vacations, but we rarely get a glimpse of fame’s ugly side, namely pressure and almost total loss of privacy.

I realized the great expectations we place on the famous after watching the Oscars this year and feeling let down by the mediocre fashion on the red carpet. We put impossible pressure on our celebrities to look, dress and act perfectly all of the time, and, because they’re human, they don’t always get it “right.”

Though our expectations of say Steven Tyler are much different than those of President Obama, expectations are expectations, and the famous aren’t immune to them.

In the life of a celebrity, everything, every drunken escapade, every flat tire, every stint in rehab, every trip to Starbucks sans makeup, is open season for tabloids and paparazzi.

Just imagine what it would feel like for your private moment to be featured on the cover of a national publication: no wonder so many stars fall off the deep end.

Like Whitney Houston, some of America’s most iconic performers have lost their lives to suicide.

Infamous actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe and the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson both took their own lives by overdosing on prescription drugs. And these are only the most famous in a long list of celebrity suicides, topped most recently by singer Whitney Houston.

Commentary

samantha spargo sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

Another list, that looms just as large and dark as that of celebrity suicides, is the list of celebrities who have attempted, but never been successful, at taking their own life. Among those who have attempted suicide are pop stars like Britney Spears and movie stars like Halle Berry, rock legends like Elton John and public figures like Princess Diana.

The length and breadth of these long lists is, I think, a telling symbol that the pressures of fame are real and enormous.

Personally, I’d never survive, let alone thrive, under the sort of extreme scrutiny to which the famous are subjected.

I like my anonymity. I like being able to go out to dinner without being swarmed by the paparazzi, and I like being able to wear sweat pants to the grocery store. But most importantly, I like having the ability to make mistakes, without them being amplified to a national level.

So don’t look for me among the throngs auditioning for American Idol, or competing to become the Celebrity Apprentice, because in my opinion, fame just isn’t worth it.

March 2012

C

music.

Bow Wow Underrated

BY BRAD WONG

A

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

s a six-year-old, Lil Bow Wow had some serious flow as a rapper; he seemed promising and talented. Suddenly, he got involved in the movies and seemed to disappear from the music radar.

Before, I had never respected his music, especially after his duo song “Marco Polo” with Soulja Boy. As a result, I was mildly surprised by Bow Wow’s recently released album, Underrated, perhaps due to my rock bottom expectations.

Still, Bow Wow’s album contained a mix of successful and catchy songs, but also some laughable and downright awkward ones.

One of the early songs in the album, “Where My Dogs At?,” is actually a track from Bow Wow’s youthful times.

While it is Bow Wow as a youngster, it shows his capability to mesh his rhythmic vocals with a complementary beat.

Bow Wow also shows variety among his songs, a nice break from him trying to appear

hardcore gangster and hood.

In the song “Boy or Girl” Bow Wow talks about his appreciation for life and what he aspires to do as a dad.

Devoid of heavy bass and constant profanity, an underlying and relaxing beat with sentimental lyrics shows that Bow Wow is more than one dimensional artist.

“Boy or Girl” is a song one can fall asleep to or just relax to. Unfortunately, while Bow Wow did have good songs, his bad songs were horrific to the point where one could question his musical sanity.

For example, the song “Sweat” was a rather uncomfortable experience. That level of uncomfortable feeling can be revealed after only hearing the first line, “Girl, I want to make you sweat.”

First of all, I am not a girl, and I don’t want to sweat, especially after I just showered and am nice and clean. The song seemed inappropriately provocative and directed toward women in a rather demeaning way.

However, I do give props to Bow Wow and

Page 3

Lil Wayne for being able to pack seemingly hundreds of blatant sexual innuendos in mere minutes.

Of course, along with a rap album, Bow Wow felt the need to emphasize how he is gangster and is on his “grind”.

The song “We Going Hard” is just one of those songs that makes me understand why people stereotype rap to not be musical: in this instance, they would have been right.

One of the biggest disappointments of the album was how Bow Wow ruined his newly acquired resources.

Recently, Bow Wow joined Young Money & Cash Money Billionaires Entertainment, which has top notch rappers and producers.

Because of this, a lot of the songs actually had exceptional beats, but Bow Wow couldn’t stray away from trying to overpower the beat, rather than using it to help form the song.

This disconnect made a majority of Bow Wow’s songs on Underrated a pain in the ear to listen to.

Bow Wow, you’re not underrated, you’re rated appropriately: towards the bottom.

CASH MONEY RECORDS

Underrated was released on March 13

Skip to: Boy or Girl

Say Anything Anarchy, My Dear

BY JOEY PUHALA

S EQUAL VISION RECORDS

Anarchy, My Dear was released on March 13

Skip to: Peace Out

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

ay Anything released their ninth album, Anarchy, My Dear, on March 13, three years after their last release.

This album starts off with the song “Burn a Miracle,” a four minute track featuring unorthodox instrumentals and aggressive vocals.

The back beat is a collaboration done with a symphony of clapping hands.

The next self-titled track, “Say Anything,” is slightly more melodic and relaxed, and the drastic contrast reveals the depth to come in this album.

“Night Song” comes next. This track is even mellower than the previous one and features an interesting guitar solo that interrupts the relaxed flow of the song.

The whole chorus sounds almost more like a poem with music set to it as opposed to a song, and it takes a full musical shift towards the end

of the song.

This is followed by “Admit It Again,” which is essentially five minutes of cursing the world.

Needless to say, it is not one of the strongest songs on the album.

At this point in the album there have been extremely aggressive tracks as well as mellow tunes, and Anarchy, My Dear is proving to be quite a dynamic release.

“So Good” is another example of their musical diversity, showcasing a more mainstream sound. A similar style is present in the next track, as well.

“Peace Out” is similar to “Night Song” with a very poetic feel to it, accompanied by a melodic harp solo of some sort.

It’s a very musically unique song and flows surprisingly well, causing it to be one of my favorites on the album.

One distinctive trait of this album is that the songs are not easily labeled; as soon as

Grimes Visions

BY MYLES SLATTERY

F

mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

irst, I would like to say that the album Visions by Grimes is absolutely the worst album I have ever let my nolonger innocent ears listen to.

Visions is the type of music that would be played in a 1980’s teenage dance club.

The song “Eight” is similar to a harmony of chipmunks from Alvin and the Chipmunks, aged about 5 years.

The song contains both awkward rhythm and high pitch squealing.

“Circumambient” makes me wonder how this noise can become popular, or even considered music.

It sounds similar to the music a mixture of a wanna be Madonna music and 1980’s elevator music.

This sound is rather annoying and seems to

be more of random drumming mixed with a mellow melody all together, making the song seem awkward.

Once again, in “Vowels=Space and Time,” Grimes’ effort to be unique has simply turned into an irritating and flat out terrible track.

The sound is similar to a corny Lady Gaga song: both lyrically repetitive and deprived of any apparent talent.

The song “Visiting Statue” sounded like a mixture of a babbling baby and a preset Garage Band beat thrown together and called a song.

“Be a Body” is definitely the most acceptable track on the album, but that’s not saying much.

This track, which is over four minutes long, is actually kind of a relief on my ears from the rest of the excruciating blare.

As expected, the next song “Colour of The

B

you think you know the direction a track is going in, it takes a radical musical shift into something totally different.

“Overbiter” is another mainstream popsounding track with a distinctive chorus and backup vocals.

The track “Anarchy, My Dear!” is rather disappointing considering the bland nature of the song. It lacks many of the distinct qualities that the other songs have.

The final track, “The Stephen Hawking,” ends the album with a large seven minute track.

Although the lyrics remain consistent through this track, the music changes dramatically and could have just as easily been three different tracks.

Overall, the album was incredibly dynamic and had songs that would fit in a plethora of genres.

D+

Moonlight,” featuring Doldrums, was hard to listen to, to say the least.

As the album progressed, I felt as if I was listening to the same song over and over again.

“Infinite Love Without Fulfillment” is another song with a mediocre beat, no real lyrics and nothing that even pertains to music at all. This trend continues throughout the album.

The song “Skin” contains a girl moaning to a beat for 6 minutes.

“Genesis” is a song full of psychedelic, Mario-sounding musical scores thrown into a more up-tempo beat.

Four more songs roll on, each and every one no better than the last, but insufferably more and more painstaking.

This album is unquestionably the worst album I have ever listened to in my 15 years of life.

ARBUTUS RECORDS

Visions was released on March 12

Skip to: Be a Body

Page 4

March 2012

break.

Hanging Around?

What to do if you’re in town during spring break

BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

Volunteer

S Loaves & Fish

es

Homeless Surv ival Services Since 1983

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

ome Granite Bay High School students are packing their bags with passports and old t-shirts, while others are packing their shelves with chips and soda.

Over spring break, a group of Granite Bay High School students will be departing for Mexico on a Christian mission trip. However, even for those that are not on a mission trip, there are still many ways to reach out and help the local community.

The homeless shelter and soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes, is always searching for volunteers

of all ages.

Located about twenty minutes from GBHS in Sacramento, Loaves and Fishes offers students a great opportunity to positively impact the community without going too far from home. Their main goal of is to feed and provide shelter for the homeless in the Sacramento region.

Volunteers usually work in the dining room as servers, and also interact with the guests. But other volunteer options include assisting at the Mustard Seed School, working on the Thank You Letter Committee or helping at the ser-

vice desk in Friendship Park.

Every Thursday at 10 a.m., Loaves and Fishes offers a volunteer orientation for students interested in learning more about the organization. However, the orientation isn’t a prequisite, and student volunteers can easily sign up to volunteer by sending an email to volunteer@sacloaves. org.

“We have many opportunities for (students) to volunteer, at our kitchens, (students can) help prepare or serve food, set-up and clean-up (after the service),” volunteer coordinator Vina Nguyen said.

Online College Tours

A

s the senior class begins to narrow down their college choices, the junior and sophomore classes begin their search for their dream schools. Many colleges will be packed with visitors during the 2012 Spring Break. For those who aren’t able to attend tours at the actual colleges, options are still wide open.

“College week live is a website that students can go to, (and has)…a lot of web based col-

lege tours,” Cindi Underwood, director of the College and Career Center, said.

Collegeweeklive.com is a website that offers text chats with students and administrators from thousands of colleges all over the United States. It also contains live workshops on topics ranging from “Thinking Your Way to a Great ACT/SAT Score” to “Conquering the College Admissions Essay.”

Another Internet resource for college tours is youniveristytv.

com, which also offers live college tours and career videos as well as student profiles.

Through youniversitytv.com, GBHS students can create their own profiles and interact with current college students, which is a great way to get a real feel for their prospective colleges.

Both College Week Live and youniversitytv.com offer resources that all students can use to learn more about their dream college from the comfort of their own home.

Since their extra time is not being taken up by school, students are able to do things out of the ordinary.

While typically limited to local eateries around the Safeway parking lot, the week of free time allows students to expand their eating horizons and possibly visit new restaurants that may take more time to drive to.

Or, another way to fill up free time during Spring Break is to catch up on classic movies and have marathons ranging from the Disney to the Star Wars genre.

But, if watching a screen all day

doesn’t sound appealing, losing oneself in a book can be another option.

With all the reading students must endure throughout the school year, picking up a book during off time can sound like a turn off. However, picking up a book simply for entertainment purposes can be a great way to escape into another world.

All in all, Spring Break is the perfect time to either relax and slow down, or get ahead. “(The main thing I want to do) is hang out with friends,” Schifferle said.

UCLA/Reed Hutchinson

Relaxing

S

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN AND SAMANTHA SPARGO

pring Break can also be an ideal time to relax, catch up on recorded television shows and forget about being a high school student for a week.

Staying home doesn’t mean that students can’t find wonderful ways to do something out of the ordinary.

As older friends return from college, GBHS students can reunite with people who they haven’t seen in months.

“I usually try to stay home on breaks so that I can see Hayden and Matt (my college friends),” senior Jon Schifferle said.

March 2012

Teacher Playlist

BY MARY HANEY

mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

Algebra 1 teacher Tom Farmer shares his musical style that varies from classic to modern rock.

1.“Rock and Roll All Night”- Kiss That was our carefree attitude when I was younger. Plus, I love Kiss.

2. “Second Chance”- Shinedown My daughter recently went away to college, and the song reminds me of her. I cry when I hear it, though.

3. “Never Again”- Nickleback I once knew a student with this story.

Plus, it rocks.

MELISSA SCRIVNER

This band is the best unknown band of the 70’s and I love to play this song on my guitar.

7. “You Make Loving Fun” Fleetwood Mac This is my feel-good song about my wonderful wife of 25 years.

8. “Down with the Sickness” Disturbed OK, there’s a little grunge in me.

9. “Rock and Roll Band” - Boston This is a great 70’s band with a great story.

10. “TNT” - ACDC I love to play this song.

Gazette Photo/KRISTIN TAYLOR

How long have you been painting?

I’ve painted since I was a kid, but about a year at GBHS. My mom would give me old pieces of cut-up cardboard that she would let me paint after school and on the weekends.

What mediums do you mostly use?

I’ve always used acrylic.

4. “Dogs”- Pink Floyd This song reminds me of seeing the band in concert a long time ago.

5. “Wherever I May Roam”Metallica I travel every summer in my motor home, and this is my anthem.

6. “Stage Fright”- Legs Diamond

Page 5

green screen.

Gazette Photo/RACHEL VASQUEZ

What are your inspirations for your work?

I used to really like (painting) political and world issues and stuff that you hear about on the news, as well as stuff you don’t hear about on the news. Recently, I’ve been putting my own personal emotions and feelings into my work, and I

like it a lot better because I feel more connected to my work.

What is the current theme of your work?

Right now, my series is about transitioning from high school to college, and I really like the concept.

Do you see pursuing painting in your future?

I can’t really imagine doing something else that I love as much. Even though I’m not the best artist in the world, I don’t feel like I could do anything else and be just as happy about doing it every day.

Compiled by Lena Eyen

Fashion On The Bay: Stripes  Look for multi-colored stripes for a spring look

 Wear a striped Vneck for a laid back yet sophisticated look

Stripes can be formal or just for fun

 Try different widths of stripes for a different look

Layer stripes under solids to make them pop

Gazette photos/RILEY MAC MILLAN

Page 6

March 2012

eat.

SWEET TREATS

We sample tasty delicacies in the Granite Bay area

Icing on the Cupcake

BY SAHIL KHOSLA

skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

A

s I entered Icing on the Cupcake’s charming pink store, I was warmly welcomed by two staff members. They both were friendly and their insightful recommendations helped me choose between a plethora of appetizing cupcakes.

The options ranged from chocolate mint and confetti cake to more peculiar flavors like Maple Bacon.

After reviewing the many choices, I decided to order the shop’s most popular cupcake, the Red Velvet, and its signature cupcake, the “Pinkdelicious.”

Both cupcakes were packaged in Icing on the Cupcake’s trademark pink box.

As I bit into the Red Velvet cupcake, I was immediately struck by the silky texture of the moist cake and the rich cream cheese frosting.

Then, I tried the “Pinkdelicious” flavor and was equally enchanted by the decadent chocolate cake, which was moist and topped with bright pink frosting.

Though, I’m usually not a big fan of frosting, I enjoyed Icing on the Cupcake’s frosting because it wasn’t too sweet and or thick.

I also appreciated that the cupcakes were kept at an ideal temperature, ensuring that the icing remained

perfectly preserved and did not ooze over the wrapper’s edges.

The prices of this shop, though, are relatively high, with everyday cupcakes priced at $2.75 and premium cupcakes priced at $3.00.

Additionally, the bakery’s location in Rocklin is a bit out of the way.

Despite these downsides, though, I’ll definitely be going back to satisfy my future cupcake cravings. I look forward to sampling more of Icing on the Cupcake’s unique flavors.

Bill’s Donuts

Rick’s Dessert Diner

BY SAM HOLZER

sholzer.gazette@gmail.com

R

ick’s Dessert Diner, with its pink paint and glowing neon signs, stands out from the drab grey houses and stores that surround this downtown Sacramento dessert eatery.

Recently I took a trip down to Sacramento to visit Rick’s and indulge in their variety of cakes, pies, cookies and many other delicious pastries.

The inviting pink exterior welcomes customers into a 1950’s diner style establishment, complete with checkerboard floors and gently humming neon lights that line the ceiling.

Numerous awards from the Reader’s Digest of Sacramento and posters of 50’s icons like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe surround the cozy interior of the restaurant.

Massive display cases full of multi-layer cakes and frosted cookies line the interior, sparking a craving for the shop’s monstrous sweets.

Immediately after walking through the door I was greeted by a friendly and personable waitress who helped me pick out a slice of Turtle Chocolate Cake.

Looking over the rest of the menu, I noticed the prices were relatively steep compared to those

of the bakery sections of Safeway or Raleys.

But after the first bite, I realized how the shop can afford to charge that much.

The cake had delicious buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache, topped with vanilla frosting and a decadent caramel swirl.

The cake itself was light and airy, which surprised me, as it had to support three thick layers of frosting. The sky-high slice completely satisfied my empty stomach.

While I sat in a food coma, I took the time to further examine the décor, and noticed that the checkerboard tiles were scuffed and the booths appeared too small to hold two people on each side.

But these minor annoyances couldn’t take away from the overall experience of the diner.

Rick’s also boasts an expansive drink menu in a¬¬ddition to its desserts, They carry espresso, iced coffee and Italian soda, as well as standard beverages such as hot chocolate and milk.

If you have a sweet tooth and the time to head down to Sacramento, or simply a craving for retro décor and massive cakes, then Rick’s is the place to go.

Reviewer’s Grade: A-

Reviewer’s Grade: A-

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

One of Granite Bay’s classic favorites, Bill’s Donuts, has been around before most of Granite Bay High School’s student body was even born.

The shop’s record for supplying tasty treats to the community has made it a favorite in the GB community.

Bill’s Donuts opens at 6 a.m., allowing students to grab a delicious donut or a cup of coffee before they head to school. The shop is definitely made to be a breakfast destination, as it closes daily at 12 p.m.

Every donut at Bill’s is worth trying.

Whether it’s a colorful sprinkle donut or a glazed apple fritter, each is mouthwatering, even from behind the glass case.

My favorite donut, though, has always been the shop’s cinnamon twist.

The dough, which is fluffy like a cotton ball from heaven, and the sweet cinnamon-sugar topping make it stand out from the rest. Plus, ripping apart the twisted strands of this donut make eating it fun.

Aside from the cinnamon twist, another one of Bill’s top donuts is the apple fritter. It contains chunks of apple intertwined with a light bread and cinnamon, and is covered in glaze.

The moist center and crunchy crust make this donut melt-in-your-mouth good.

Another favorite of mine are the shop’s glazed donut holes.

Store-bought donut holes taste cheap, but Bill’s takes the donut hole to a new level. Donut holes are a less messy alternative to the regular donut.

A rather unique and equally delicious donut would be Bill’s old-fashion glazed donut. It tastes similar to a regular glazed donut but is slightly heavier, like a sponge cake covered in a light glaze. This treat is also offered with a chocolate glaze or no glaze at all.

Aside from the cinnamon twist, the best possible donut to order from Bill’s is its apple fritter.

The donut contains chunks of apple intertwined with a light bread and cinnamon, drizzled with glaze, resulting in a donut that is both filling and wonderful.

Any donut from Bill’s is the perfect way to start off any morning.

Reviewer’s Grade: A-

Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO

Bill’s Donuts is located in the Granite Bay Village Shopping Center near Gold’s Gym, Ace Hardware and Subway

March 2012

Page 7

eat.

Five Guys Cookie Connection

BY KELSEY KNORP

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

Doesn’t everyone have those days when nothing sounds better than a freshly baked cookie? If you don’t have these experiences normally, you will after trying one of Cookie Connection’s delectable morsels.

The specialty cookie store, located conveniently near Granite Bay High School in the popular Safeway parking lot, operates on a smaller scale than household brands such as Mrs. Fields, but produces a much higherquality product.

The atmosphere of the shop is quaint and clean, with its products displayed all too prominently before its glass windows, so that passersby cannot help but be enticed enough to grab a treat. Upon entry, each customer is greeted with a smile served in a friendly and efficient manner.

The various types of cookies offered by the bakery on a daily basis stretch far beyond the typical chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter.

While a customer may initially feel skeptical about sampling a “S’mores” cookie, upon consumption he or she will discover that the incorporation of the classic campfire treat is actually ingenious. A graham cracker is baked into the bottom of a chocolate chip cookie to create the base, and then marshmallows are baked into the middle, which results in an unexpectedly heavenly fusion of two historically delicious treats.

Bakers at Cookie Connection have revolutionized the peanut butter cookie as well. By fusing peanut butter cookie dough with chocolate dough, they create a swirled concoction of two tantalizing flavors. This creation has been dubbed the “Rascal,” perhaps a reflection of its rebellious flavor synthesis.

Another popular purchase is the store’s

Smallcakes/Freshberry

famous Crackle cookie. With the taste and consistency of a brownie, the Crackle melts in one’s mouth and is perfectly accented by the powdered sugar that coats its surface.

Each of these delights, as well as the tens of other confections offered daily, is worth every cent of the $1.65 charged per cookie, or $15 per dozen. The cookies are baked fresh daily, which gives them a soft, spongy texture that is impossible to resist. For a discounted price, one can even purchase a bag of assorted dayold cookies, whose quality is hardly discernible from that of their freshly baked counterparts.

The next time you find yourself reaching for a tube of Nestle cookie dough at the supermarket, instead treat yourself to a local dessert that will quickly incur a lasting infatuation.

Reviewers Grade: A

Gazette photo /KELSEY KNORP

Cookie Connection is located near Chipotle, off Sierra College and Douglas

BY NATALIE KREEGER nkreeger.gazette@gmail.com

While the classics are quite satisfying, sometimes venturing out of the norm can yield great results.

Especially when it comes to cupcakes, the classics – such as vanilla or chocolate - are quite frankly extremely predictable.

Smallcakes/Freshberry, a cupcake and ice cream store, offers a wide array of unique cupcakes flavors, as well as different types of soft serve ice cream.

The unique cupcake flavors that Smallcakes offers are quite exclusive, for these flavors are hard to find anywhere else around town.

Although Smallcakes has a pre-set menu, Smallcakes also offers seasonal and special cupcakes.

Customers have a plethora of cupcakes to choose from, and they also have the option of purchasing soft serve ice cream.

When I first entered SmallCakes, a smiling staff immediately greeted me.

Because of all the unique cupcakes offered – Red Velvet, Snicker doodle, Hot Fudge Sundae, Pink Chocolate, Cookies-n-Cream, Peanut Butter Cup, Carmel Crunch, Lemon – I had an extremely

hard time choosing what to order.

The plethora of different cupcakes can appeal to a wide array of individuals; Smallcakes’s wide range menu can satisfy anyone’s needs.

Because there is such a wide range of cupcakes offered, many customers choose to order between two to three cupcakes at a time.

In order to appeal to a wide range of appetites, Smallcakes offers standard size and mini cupcakes.

I ultimately chose to order the Birthday Cupcake and Red Velvet cupcakes. The Birthday Cupcake is vanilla cake with butter cream frosting topped with sprinkles, while the other hand, the Red Velvet cupcake is a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

Personally, I really liked both the cupcakes because of the fresh taste. SmallCakes bakes cupcakes daily; consequently, the cupcakes tasted as if they had just come out of the oven.

The frosting on my cupcakes was extremely thick, and was the best part of the entire cupcake. The quality of the cake in both cupcakes was supreme as well.

Overall, Smallcakes is an adequately priced cupcake store with extraordinary products.

Reviewer’s Grade: B+

Nothing Bundt Cake

BY JOEY PUHALA

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

The Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery sits in the far corner of a large plaza in Roseville near the Westfield Galleria.

The décor of the restaurant is vibrant, and the atmosphere feels care free.

Upon arriving, I was promptly offered a free sample of the bakery’s red velvet cake, and I was definitely impressed.

While eating my tasty sample, I glanced over the bakery’s many flavors of cakes, ranging from Pecan Praline to White Chocolate Raspberry.

After spending a few minutes pondering which flavors to order, I decided on the Chocolate Chocolate Chip, the White Chocolate Raspberry and the Cinnamon Swirl.

I took the cakes back to my car, and immediately dove into the Chocolate Chocolate Chip cake.

The thick, rich flavors of the chocolate cake were

quite delicious, and the occasional chocolate chip added a burst of flavor.

I noticed that the cream cheese frosting on the Red Velvet cake was the same frosting that topped the Chocolate Chocolate Chip, the Cinnamon Swirl, and the White Chocolate Raspberry cakes. In fact, Nothing Bundt Cakes uses this same cream cheese frosting on all of its cakes.

After finishing the Chocolate Chocolate Chip cake, I moved on to the Cinnamon Swirl cake, which was by far my favorite of the three cakes.

The warm, sweet flavor was exceptionally delicious and made me think of the holidays.

My least favorite of the three was the White Chocolate Raspberry. Its fruity flavor isn’t nearly as indulgent as the chocolate or cinnamon.

Although it may not sound like the cream cheese and white chocolate raspberry flavors would mix well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they did.

Nothing Bundt Cake makes a perfect gourmet treat

for almost any occasion. And, even better, the prices are reasonable. At $3 a cake, you just cant go wrong.

Reviewer’s Grade: A

Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO

Nothing Bundt Cake is a relatively new bakery that sells, as the name suggests, nothing but bundt cakes

March 2012

music.

Page 8

Pandora vs. Spotify

Two main music providers battle to the top

M

BY BRAD WONG

brwomg.gazette@gmail.com

usic has changed radically over the years: CD’s have been rendered obsolete, iTunes has taken over the music industry as the biggest music distributor, and now, more advancement is being made, most noticeably in streaming online music.

Two of the most popular of these sites are Pandora and Spotify, which are similar, yet have slight differences that appeal to different tastes.

For instance, both provide streaming music but also have visual and radio-style advertising.

But what exactly is Spotify?

“Spotify is a way to listen to music on your computer and share what your friends are listening to on Facebook,” junior Shannon Barker said.

This ability to share and see what people are listening to is unique of Spotify, yet it also holds many other appealing characteristics.

“I like that you can make a playlist, see what friends are listening to and that you can listen to your music from iTunes on it, as well,” Barker said.

Senior Torrey Headley also finds Spotify great for its social aspect.

“You can see what other people listen to so you can widen your musical playlist and share music with others,” Headley said.

While the ads on Spotify can get annoying, the overall website is very useful.

“I use it almost every day, when I don’t want to pay for music, or when I don’t already have the songs on

people use it to listen to music.”

The point of Pandora is to find music one already likes, and then Pandora tries to find songs similar to that song.

“Jack Johnson has a really good station because I like his music, but I get sick of it eventually so I will switch it up,” Chauvet said.

Because these stations are the main feature of Pandora, there is almost a station for every artist, song or even emotion.

“I like how when you type something in, it’s not random and it knows what you want,” Chauvet said. “For instance, if I’m in a sad mood I’ll type in Coldplay and it will give me other sad songs that are from different artists.”

Pandora has its problems, as it is radio and tries to Gazette photo illustration/CHASE EVANS guess what one likes, which isn’t always accurate. iTunes” Barker said.

“I dislike how you have a limited amount of times While it may sound similar to Pandora, it has a differto dislike something, and the ads get annoying after a ent approach to listening to music. while,” Chauvet said.

“Spotify is better than Pandora because you can make Overall, Pandora provides a new way to listen to playlists and pick specific songs you want to listen music. to rather than random songs that sound like what you “I like the option of disliking or liking songs so might want to hear,” Barker said.

Pandora can play or not play music like that again,” Headley loves discovering new music and only has Chauvet said. “Pandora provides a lot of variety”. one dislike of Spotify.

Junior Charlie Gunn likes Pandora due to its custom“I don’t like that not all of my friends have Spotify ization. yet,” Headley said.

“I can use Pandora all the time: when I’m in the showOn the other hand, Pandora is similar to what Genius er, in the car or hanging out with friends,” Gunn said. is on iTunes: it tries to guess what one’s musical tastes Gunn likes how Pandora selects new songs that are are through various stations. still to his musical tastes.

“Pandora is a good source to find new music,” junior “Pandora is like the radio, but without the same repetiErika Chauvet said. “That’s what I use it for, but some tive songs,” Gunn said. “It’s more my style.”

Free music galore

With the music industry expanding, so is its sharing

BY JOEY PUHALA

A

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

s the laws against media piracy become tighter and tighter, free methods of legally attaining music are skyrocketing in popularity.

Many students at Granite Bay High School use these methods for various reasons.

“I try to download my music legally when I can,” sophomore Nick Palmer said. “It’s nice not having to worry about being fined or breaking the law.”

So what makes some music legal while other music remains illegal?

The answer depends on the copy writing of a specific piece. If the artist who owns the music allows for it to be shared on the internet, then sharing is legal.

On the contrary, if an artist does not allow it to be shared on the internet then sharing it becomes illegal.

“It’s really disappointing when I’m forced to either illegally download a song, or have to pay full price for it,” Palmer said.

Some of these methods include the use of various programs such as Spotify and Pandora, but there is also a vast number

of websites that provide free downloads available to the general public.

One website specifically is Last.fm, a site typically known for their online radio station.

But, what most listeners are unaware of is that they have much of the music they play on their radios available for free downloads.

“I use Last.fm radio all the time,” former GBHS student Austin Hudson said.

“When I hear a song I like, I can usually find it available for download there too.

The best part is, it’s completely legal.”

Another popular site one can visit to legally amplify their music library is Amazon.com.

Although most MP3 downloads from here do cost money, they also have one of the largest legal free music databases with over 1,500 free songs available for download.

Similarly, MP3.com also provides a large selection of music both available for purchase as well as free downloads.

Amiestreet.com is a site similar to most music databases, only the songs here all start off free. As popularity and download rates increase, so does the price.

This makes a great source of music if the songs one is trying to download are not as popular.

Another reputable site for free music is In.com. This site offers free legal tracks of popular songs. Also, unlike most sites, In.com offers millions of international tracks available to listen to.

The only negative is that In.com does not allow you the option to download the tracks; only listen to them via the website.

Many sites also create a community of legal file-sharing.

Legaltorrents.com, as the name implies, is one of them.

This site allows users to share openlicensed files and digital media with other users, creating an archive of downloadable music.

One loophole in the copyright system is that live songs void copyright infringement.

Companies such as Live Music Archive and etree.org take advantage of this and make it their goal to provide high quality live music downloads, which makes this a great source for all types of music.

Although some feel strongly that legal-

ity is impor- Gazette photo illustration/ DANIELLE DIETERICH tant, many people are still unaware that such means of legally attaining music exist.

“I think that if more people knew all of the legal options out there, there would be a lot less illegal activity,” said Hudson.

“It’s just a matter of letting people know.

Unfortunately, however, to some people the ease of illegal downloading outweighs the pros of legally attaining music.

“It’s just so much cheaper and easier,” sophomore Jackson Rodriguez said. “It’s quick, convenient, hard to get caught, and requires a lot less searching than trying to find a legal version.”

March 2012

live games.

Page 9

Fugitive: Fun on the Run

Students twist classic cops-and-robbers game

BY JOEY PUHALA

jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

S

ome Granite Bay High School students have begun popularizing “Fugitive”, which is essentially a large-scale version of the classic cops–and–robbers” game.

These live games are a refreshing adventure to escape from monotony.

In “Fugitive”, participants meet in the GBHS parking lot and divide themselves into two teams: cops and robbers.

The robbers’ mission is simple: get to Maidu Elementary School by foot without being tagged by any of the cops.

But to make the game more challenging, the robbers must complete the threemile trek within a time limit, which varies depending on who organizes the event.

On the other hand, the cops travel by car, and keep watch for the passing robbers.

Once they have spotted a robber, the cops jump out of the vehicle and chase after them.

“Personally, (I) think that being a robber is more fun than being a cop,” sophomore Jackson Rodriguez said, “It’s much more (exciting to sneak around than (it is to) sit in a car.”

But, before the game begins, a few ground rules have to be established. The players must also divide themselves into teams and this usually depends on who has a car available for the cop’s team.

“The best part is meeting up in the beginning before the game itself, and seeing who you’re up against,” senior Jordan Long said.

Fugitive is also a physically engaging game that challenges players stamina and speed.

The game encourages both cops and robbers to be quick and swift in their movements. The active aspect is one of the game’s more unique attributes.

“I think it’s important that (the game) involves running around,” sophomore Marc Ellis said, “(Running around) makes it way better than playing video games.”

But despite the game’s fun nature, players have gotten several injuries from the intense rounds.

The injuries range in severity from concussions to fractured ankles.

However, another issue of fugitive is that players sometimes illegally pass through private property on their way to the destination.

“We were running through someone’s backyard, and (the owner) saw us and called the cops,” junior Ty Serna said, “then, three cop cars surrounded us, and arrested us.”

The behavior of some players causes the game to adopt a negative reputation.

This problem has also raised issues with some Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

of the game’s players, who don’t agree with the decisions of other players to cut through private property.

“It makes people think we are a bunch of delinquents robbing houses,” Ellis said, “That’s just bad for the kids who play.”

However, some variations of the game have also raised concerns among bystanders. Especially, the version that includes the use of “Air Soft” guns, which are fake guns that fire small plastic BBs. At a first glance, some players thought it would be a fun feature, but the use of these fake guns negatively impacted bystanders, who felt threatened by teenagers using mock weapons. This misunderstanding caused several players to land in trouble with the local authorities.

Regardless of these issues, the kids who play fugitive typically have a lot of fun and usually find themselves playing more.

The next game will most likely be held sometime toward the end of the month or in April. “(Fugitive) is fun for everyone who plays,” Rodriguez said, “It’s definitely better than sitting (at home) and playing video games.”

Pages 10 and 11

March 2012

tweets, pins and posts OH MY! name:

instagram

positive attributes:

INTERNET IDENTITIES Take a closer look at the person behind the screen

BY HAYLEY MCAVOY

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

name:

twitter

positive attributes: negative attributes:

Harris agrees. When something funny happens, she tweets about it right as it happens on her smart phone. “(Other social networking sites) have more restrictions, people judge you if you post certain pictures, but on Twitter people don’t really care,” Harris said.

This freedom to write exactly what comes to mind, without worrying what others think is, in Harris’ opinion the best part of Twitter.

This freedom often lowers people’s inhibitions, according to Keester.

“Twitter gets a little more personal (than other social-networking sites,)” Keester said. “People post kind of mean stuff that I don’t think they should post, but they do.

He often sees harsh tweets that he feels the person would never say on another social network or in person.

“There’s so much more freedom on Twitter, so people don’t worry about saying the wrong thing,” said Keester.

While on Twitter, people’s true characters are revealed. Users release their uncensored thoughts to the vast internet with nothing holding them back.

“Because you can see what everybody is thinking all the time, every second of every day, you can see which people are crazy and stuff,” Keester said.

Since joining Twitter, Keester has discovered a lot of seemingly sane people, turn out to be secretly insane on Twitter.

Twitter reveals the true character of its users, making it a vast, mysterious prospect of social networking.

Twitter is for those who have internet readily available and yearn to free their opinions of the social restrictions that usually appear on other sites.

freedom to speak too much freedom

Twitter first gained popularity when celebrities would post about their daily lives and then be “followed” by their adoring fans.

Now Twitter is more widely used by regular teens and adults, especially by students at Granite Bay High School.

Senior Jake Keester originally set up his Twitter account to see why everyone liked it so much. Junior Maddy Harris also joined, but did so simply because she was bored with her Facebook.

Both Keester and Harris ended up becoming Twitter addicts, constantly checking it on their phones.

“For me, checking Twitter is the same as checking my email, or my text messages,” Keester said.

Harris admits to being on Twitter nearly every day, however only tweeting when the funny, “tweet-worthy” incidents occur.

The fact that Keester and Harris both have smart phones has helped to feed their addiction.

According to Senior Juliana Rowe, Twitter is more readily available to those with internet accessibility on their phones. “(Tweeting is) so much easier if you have an iPhone because on my little, old Samsaung slide phone, I can’t access the internet so I have to do ‘text tweets,’” Rowe said. “It’s really difficult to follow people (using my phone) and (I) can’t see if people re-tweet my stuff so it’s just easier to use a computer.”

Rowe, however, feels using Twitter on a computer defeats the purpose of having an account at all. To her, tweeting is all about talking about what just happened in that exact moment which can’t happened if the user is chained to a computer at home.

photo filters name:

tumblr

positive attributes: negative attributes:

negative attributes:

express yourself limited

Tumblr is still a relatively unknown addition to social networking.

The main attraction of Tumblr for many, is it’s focus on photos.

“Tumblr is just a website that is purely devoted to pictures and blogging,” junior Malique Elder said.

He, along with his friends, post pictures together on Tumblr.

Junior Rachael Beishline goes on Tumblr on a daily basis, because of her love of posting pictures.

“I like Tumblr, because it gives you space to express yourself,” Beishline said.

Since Beishline enjoys expressing herself through photographs, she uses Tumblr as a platform to show her photography as well as browse through other

name:

people’s photographs as inspiration for her next photographic venture.

Both Elder and Beishline find it entertaining to just scroll through the various pictures posted by other users.

Tumblr also allows for individuality on each and every blog. A user can do this by selecting the different colors, themes, fonts, pictures and other features on their blog. This can express the true blogger beyond just plain words.

Beishline loves this feature of it because it shows a true representation of the person behind the monitor, instead of the inflated person that is usually represented on other social-networking sites.

pinterest

positive attributes: negative attributes:

only for iphone Instagram is a social-networking app available on iPhones and iTouches.

“It’s like Twitter by with pictures,” said junior Maddy Harris.

Users can take their photos, edit them then post them, but the main goal of it, according to Harris, isn’t to post pictures with the intent of appealing to others.

“You’re not trying to please other people, you just post them to edit them,” Harris said.

Instagram offers different, more artistic effects beyond the normal ‘black and white’ or ‘sepia.’ Some filters include Nashville, Earlybird, Lord Kelvin and Poprocket.

Besides its unique filters, Instagram also appeals to Harris because it’s the happy-medium between Facebook and Twitter.

“Facebook gets boring after a while. The same statuses and pictures are posted and I just get really annoyed with it,” Harris said. “Twitters fine, but you have to check it too much because people post too often. I like Instagram because you don’t have to check it all the time to get caught up on all the stuff you missed.”

Instagram is a catalyst that promotes creativity among its users, while maintaining the balance between boring and hyperactive.

promotes creativity addictive

Pinterest is a relatively new social-network that has quickly gained popularity among internet users, social network addicts and GBHS students.

The namePinterest is a clever combination of the words “pin” and “interest” because it allows users to “pin” things of interest to themon virtual pin boards.

“I can find whatever I want on the internet and pin it so it’ll be on my boards, which lets me make (the website) whatever I want it to be,” senior Juliana Rowe said.

The collections of interests make each board as unique as the person creating them. Pinterest is a creative release for those who need to express themselves.

For Rowe that includes publicly showing her love for Tim Tebow, food, cute children, music and inspiring quotes.

Junior Francesca Shorer is also an avid Pinterest user, and she uses it to explore her varied passions.

“I like that it has so many different interests and subjects that I like,” Schorer said. “I can choose to look through

whatever appeals to me.”

Not only does it allow users to seek out their respective interest, they can also inspire users with the ideas brainstormed in the site.

“It has fun and super cute ideas that are different and creative,” junior Alison Feldman said.

Pinterest, although a social network, is more about the user’s passions and not communicating with others. Pinners simply express what interests them instead of trying to please other users.

“It’s different (than other social-networking sites) because it’s not about your personal life, its just pictures of things,” Rowe said. “It’s not about people, it’s just about your interests.”

Pinterest’s ability to feed the addictions of its users is Rowe’s favorite attribute of it.

As she likes to put it, “pinning is winning.”

Page 12

trending.

March 2012

in real life

BY MYLES SLATTERY

mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

One of the most avidly used sites on the internet is Youtube. Many Granite Bay High School students watch Youtube videos on a weekly basis and some students even post videos of themselves. Youtube provides a way for people with different personalities and interests to watch videos of their liking.

Pranking

l a n o i t a Inform

Vloggi

ng

Pranking is currently one of the biggest trends on Youtube.

“I love to watch videos with pranks on them, because they are hilarious,” sophomore Owen Mcniff said.

One of the most infamous YouTuber prankster is known by his viewers as, Stevensalki.

His videos range from grabbing ice cream cones from the top instead of the bottom at McDonalds drive thru’s, to randomly falling in crowded grocery stores, which causes great bewilderment to those who witness.

One student who has contributed to this trend of “falling” is junior Grayson Walker.

“I enjoy making falling videos because it is a way to entertain GBHS viewers,” Walker said.

Some of the most popular falling videos receive over one million views, “I try to get viewers so I can entertain as many people as I can,” Walker said.

Other GBHS students have also begun to threy their hand at creating Youtube videos.

“I often look to film (pranks) when I’m bored, because if it is funny, I may decide to put it on Youtube,” sophomore Jackson Rodriguez said.

Most YouTube videos are for entertainment purposes only, but YouTube can also be used for informational purposes, as many have discovered.

It has been used as a political and educational outlet.

Mr. Stedman, an Algebra II teacher at GBHS, often uses Youtube to post videos to help his students with math.

“I like when my teachers use YouTube for school, so if I have a problem at home, I can easily fix it,” Mcniff said.

One YouTube video hasbeen particulary impactful. The video called “KONY 2012,” educates the public on the problems in Uganda with Joseph Kony. After its release, the video inspired a local outbreak of compassion and personal support for the campaign to eliminate Kony.

“YouTube has definitely helped with the goal of making Joseph Kony famous,” junior Ryan Corah said.

With over 80 million views, this video is an example of how YouTube can affect the lives of many people, including those half way across the world.

Another common theme for videos is vlogging, a video form of blogging.

“I enjoy putting (video logs) on YouTube because I can communicate with my viewers through vlogging,” senior Eric Urmanita said.

Many video-makers see vlogging as a good way to express themselves to their audience.

“I also enjoy watching videos on YouTube because it gives me ideas for my videos and they are very entertaining” Urmanita said.

Vlogs can be anything ranging from comedy to reviews to stories. All these different options give vloggers the ability to gain an audiences with commonalities.

Although to the many, YouTube seems to be just a popular website, it can create social trends, an entertainment center and can an informational database for anybody who has a couple of minutes to spare.

March 2012

swag.

Page 13

e l a M Springtime Fashion

BY MYLES SLATTERY

W

mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

hat to wear? What not to wear?

Those are the questions that often lurk in the average male high school student’s mind.

“Watches,” said freshman Matt McCord “say, I got style yet am still able to party with the ability to check time leisurely.”

Watches’ popularity has steadily returned, and they have became a new craze at Granite Bay High School.

According to sophomore Grant Powers, the most popular watch brand is Nixon.

This is due to the reasonable pricing, the durability and, above all, the overall “swag” it produces.

Yet another returning trend is that of snapback baseball caps.

This trend was a full fledged style tsunami of 90s hip hop culture, and has recently returned to the GBHS campus “If you wear a Neff or Volcom or any other name brand, you are a tool,” said senior Jordan Long. “But other snapbacks, such as sport related hats are ok.”

Many students not only wear these caps for style, but also because of the comfortability and the fact that one size fits all.

Tall shirts have also gained popularity in GBHS. “I enjoy wearing a taller shirt, as long as it is not down to (my) knees.” sophomore Jackson Rodriguez said.

Another trend that has spread throughout the GBHS male student body is high Nike socks.

“During the summer, you will often see a Granite Bay guy wearing a Diamond or LRG shirt, tan shorts, high Nike socks and a snapback,” Long said.

All three of these are staples in the wardrobe of the average student at GBHS. Another long living trend in the GBHS male community is Vans. These leisure shoes are very popular among many members of the male poulation.

“Everybody owns a pair, they are stylish and easy to slip-on and off,” Powers said.

Their practical, simplistic style make them appealing to GBHS males.

Flannel shirts have also gained momentum in the world of male fashion.

“Wearing a flannel has two benefits, in that they are warm and fashionable,” Rodriguez said.

Although once worn only by lumberjacks and country folk, flannels have evolved into a common clothing article.

As for pants, male students here moved away from the baggier 90s style to a more slimmer fit.

“I wear (slim cut) jeans because super baggy pants are really unnecessary and I think skinnier jeans look better as well,” McCord said.

Other trends at GBHS include shoelace belts and polo shirts.

“Wearing a polo makes you feel like you have class and they also look nice,” Powers said.

Gazette photos /KRISTIN TAYLOR Gazette model /JACKSON RODRIGUEZ

Page 14

March 2012

trendy.

iPhone App of the Month Draw Something

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

Many iPhone applications that have become popular among Granite Bay High School students are multiplayer games that allow users to compete with their friends.

Games like Words with Friends, Scramble and Gravity Runner have become hot items for iPhone users because of their fun and competitive qualities.

Draw Something combines both the social and the competitive elements of other popular iPhone games, but adds its own artistic twist.

Despite being relatively new, the game has hooked many GBHS students and over 100 million drawings were created on the first day of its release.

The game’s objective is rather straightforward: the first player chooses a word from a list, which range in difficulty, length and overall payout in coins. Then, the player draws the selected word and submits it to the other player. After receiving the drawing, the second player attempts to guess the word using a word bank consisting of scrambled letters.

If the second person guesses correctly, both players earn coins and can purchase new things to upgrade their drawing arsenal, like additional color packs.

One can also buy “bomb powerups,” which help the player guess words by removing a few letters from the word bank.

But, if one feels the need to have

the most elaborate and improved drawing tools from the start, they can purchase additional coins for a few dollars through an in-app purchase.

Draw Something is very reminiscent of Pictionary, and one of the highlights of this app is the way the drawing interface is shared between two players.

When one person finishes drawing, the other person can view, in real time, every brush stroke and eraser mark of the first player’s attempt to draw their object.

It’s even more entertaining when the second person tries to guess what the drawing represents, since often feelings of frustration and confusion manifest.

The fun from watching one’s friends struggle at drawing a cow or caveman and the ability to have multiple games with friends makes Draw Something a game that will provide users with an experience to enjoy for a long time.

Video of the Month: Facebook Parenting

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

With the explosion of Facebook’s popularity, some parents have searched for ways to monitor their children’s online activity, much to the distress of teenagers.

There have been several stories of parents constantly accessing their child’s account to check what their teens post. This may seem excessive, but it pales in comparison to the Youtube video “Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen.”

Since it was uploaded on Feb. 8, the video has amassed over 30 million views. The video is a response from a disgruntled parent, who saw his daughter’s complaint about how difficult her life can be with her parents bossing her around.

But instead of talking directly to his daughter, the father reacts in a rather unique way. The father records himself reading his daughter’s post verbatim. It seems both weird and awkward, but according to the father, it’s part of the role of a parent.

Once he finishes reading the note, he begins a very entertaining eight-minute diatribe about how spoiled and stupid his daughter is. I found it rather ironic that the father is upset is due to his daughter’s whining, when he himself whines for a solid eight and a half minutes–it must run in the family.

The irked father goes on to tell the viewers everything he has done for his daughter, and how he spent “a whole day” downloading new software for his

YOUTUBE

daughter’s laptop. He said it took six hours and $130 to update it.

He also rants about how hard his own life was, working two jobs, serving as a volunteer fireman and going to college and high school at the same time. He then calls his daughter lazy since she won’t even bother looking for a job to pay for a new camera, iPod and the other items she wants.

To be honest, I give the man props for being able to rant like an eleven-yearold schoolgirl about elementary drama.

It’s not too surprising that a teenager got upset with her parents and then ranted about it.

For the grand finale, the father “fixes” the problem with a few bullets from his .45, thus rendering his daughter’s laptop useless. Now that is some effective Facebook parenting.

For some paranoid parents, this man might inspire them to find creative and weird solutions to their children’s Facebook addiction. But, for everyone else, this unique video provides some lighthearted laughs, and teenagers can truly appreciate that this man is not their parent.

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

Columbia/143/Syco/Sony Classical

Capitol Nashville

Fueled by Ramen

Universal Republic

Jagjaguwar

Island

Jackie Evancho - Sac Community Center Theatre (March 28) Lady Antebellum - Power Balance Pavilion (March 29) Fun. - Sac State Univ. Union (March 29) Mat Kearney - The Colonial Theatre (April 10) Bon Iver - Freeborn Hall UC Davis (April 17) Florence and the Machine - UC Davis Mondavi Center (April 18)

Page 15

March 2012

the skinny.

Social media fuels unhealthy teen obsession with body weight

BY HALEY BYAM

hbyam.gazette@gmail.com

W

Thinn o t a spir

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

ith the dramatic upsurge in the popularity of microblogging platform sites like Tumblr, a darker side of social networking has been uncovered.

Girls suffering from eating disorders often band together in search of validation and emotional support. Anorexics, bulimics or EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) may collectively normalize their condition, defending it not as a disease but as an exercise in self-control or a lifestyle choice, using internet tools like social media.

Pro-ana (pro-anorexia), pro-mia (pro-bulimia) and proED (pro-eating disorder) sites display photos of women who range from slim to clearly emaciated. This thin-spiration, also known as thinspo, is meant to further encourage weight loss and food restriction, often to unhealthy extremes.

Members of the ED community, like 14 year old Julianna, who asked that her last name be withheld, prove their dedication by posting their highest weight (“HW: 105”), lowest weight (“LW: 80”), current weight (“CW: 80”) and goal weight (“GW: Doesn’t exist.”).

“Young people with eating disorders are generally plagued with insecurity and feel very isolated,” said Claire Mysko, an advisor to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

“This world of pro-ana provides a community and a sense of belonging and validates their experiences. But unfortunately, it does so in a way that promotes incredibly unhealthy and dangerous behavior.”

The anorexic, pill-popping Cassie Ainsworth of the British television show Skins is a massively popular thinspo. GIFs and quotes from Ainsworth such as, “I didn’t eat for three days so I could be lovely” and “I stop eating until they take me to the hospital” are motivational pieces for these struggling young women.

Frequently, the authors of these sites recognize that their work is dangerous, and label their blogs with a cautionary disclaimer, “Trigger Warning” meant to stave off those prone to disordered eating.

“Tumblr was a huge contributor to my ED,” said Chelsea, a 16 year old whose name has been withheld to protect her privacy. “I came across the ‘thinspo community’ when I first started out on Tumblr. It started as a diet and swiftly morphed into days upon days of restriction of food intake. Within a year, this developed into anorexia nervosa, accompanied by feeding tubes, hospitalizations and all. I’ve been a diagnosed anorexic for two years.”

However, the Internet isn’t always a toxic place for struggling girls, according to Chelsea.

For many, it can also be an emotional outlet and inspire recovery, like it did for 16 year old Lauren, whose last name has been withheld.

“At first, it was my way for tips and help to starve, but slowly I started finding recovery blogs,” Lauren said. “The community I found fuels my recovery in the best way possible. I still struggle and starve sometimes, but I haven’t purged in over three months and haven’t cut in over two months.”

Many girls with EDs enjoy Tumblr simply because there are others who understand. Some are socially-isolated in real life, so it becomes a place where they can truly express themselves and meet others who are dealing with similar situations.

“Apart from the pro-ED community on Tumblr, people are very supportive and cheer on those who try to recover,” said Olivia, who also asked that her name be withheld.

See page G16

March 2012 Continued from page G15 “Personally, Tumblr has made me feel less alone, and that can be very motivating to just try a bit harder to fight your demons.”

Despite the positive side of this close-knit sisterhood, not all bloggers are so supportive. In the case of pro-anas, the negative ramifications of their “encouragements” outshine any others.

“I don’t think that people understand the dark, sick reality of dealing with a full-fledged eating disorder,” said 16 year old Emily, who has asked that her last name not be included. “I lose my hair, my teeth are in horrible condition, I’m always freezing, my skin is really dry and I’ve nearly died from gastroparesis.”

“The mental aspects of an ED are the most masochistic, sickening thoughts I have come across. My mind shouts at me to stop eating, that I’m too disgusting, I’m too fat, and that no one will ever love me if I eat that apple.”

The distortion in body image, also known as body dysmorphic disorder, can go hand-in-hand with an eating disorder. Affected people have varying ideas of an unreachable “ideal” image.

“I’ve struggled with bulimia for 5 years, and I’m one of those who wants to be so disgustingly skeletal that no boy would ever want to touch me,” said a 17 year old who asked to remain anonymous. “When I think about perfect, I think about not being touched or looked at. Just bones.”

Generally, pro-ana sites mislead readers to believe that they can stay in control of their disease. They project a sugar-coated, glamorized view of eating disorders, a frighteningly far-off depiction of life with an ED. “It’s very dangerous to market EDs as something good, something that’ll give you your dream body – because it won’t,” Olivia said. “I’m 18 and I look like I did when my ED first started. I’m an adult in a child’s body.”

Although many thinspo bloggers are not proED, the effects of looking at “thinspiring” photos can be the same, no matter the personal view of the blog owner. According to a 2009 Leuven survey, girls who viewed thinspo websites were more likely to have a negative body image and be dissatisfied with their body shape.

A study of people without eating disorders reported that 84% of participants decreased caloric intake by an average of 2,470 calories per week after viewing pro-ED websites. Three weeks after the experiment, 24% of participants reported continuing weight control strategies from these websites, even after they stopped visiting them.

“I’ve definitely struggled with the Tumblr aspect of my eating disorder,” Chelsea said.

“I feel obligated to keep up my ED for my followers. Like if I don’t, I’ve let them down.

However, the majority of the ‘thinspo/weight loss’ community does not encourage my eating disorder.

They encourage everyone to find recovery, happiness, and health. But at the same time, we tend to fuel each other’s eating disorders by posting ‘thinspiring’ pictures.”

Tumblr, in an effort to reduce the unprecedented number of pro-ED blogs, has recently established a “no selfharm” policy. The staff has set out to take down blogs that glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders, as well as those that promote self-mutilation or suicide.

“This prohibition is intended to reach only those blogs that cross the line into active promotion or glorification,” a post on the Tumblr staff page said. “For example, joking that you need to starve yourself after Thanksgiving or that you wanted to kill yourself after a humiliating date is fine, but recommending techniques for self-starvation or self-mutilation is not.”

In addition, if a user attempts to search for tags that typically go along with a pro-ED blog, a Public Service Announcement with the name and number of a help organization would appear.

“I hope (the change) helps,” said 15 year old Halle, whose last name has been withheld to protect her privacy. “Girls don’t see the dangers of what they are doing to themselves until they’re knee-deep and it’s too late.

It won’t make you beautiful, it won’t make you happy.

Get help, please. There’s no shame in reaching out.”

the skinny.

Page 16

Gazette photo /RILEY MAC MILLAN

Page 17

watch.

March 2012

Movie Thea tre Alternative s IMAX Theatres

wWhat: IMAX Esquire Theater wWhere: 1211 K Street Sacramento, CA 95814 wPrice: -Adult average price: $17.50 with a $2.00 fee -Children/ Senior average price: $14.50 with a $2.00 fee -Matinee Special- Monday through Friday before 5pm, Saturday and Sunday before 2 pm, feature film: $13, traditional IMAX tickets $8 wDetails: -Enhances images and dimensions for viewers with some of the world’s largest 3D screens -12,000 watts of digital surround sound for better sound

Amazon Instant Video wWhat: Thousands of movies and TV shows available for online rental wPrice: Ranges from $1 to $5, $79 per year for a full year membership wDetails:-Offers about 6,000 movies -Offers week’s newest movie releases, TV shows and classic favorites -Option to stream or download

Netflix

wWhat: Includes TV episodes and movies -Can watch immediately off of a computer, or can also order in the mail wPrice: $7.99 per month wDetails: Unlimited amount of watching. What: Crest Independent Theatre -Offers a one month free trial Where: 1013 K Street Sacramento, CA 95814 -High quality video -In Downtown Sacramento -Streamed over internet When: Monday-Thursday 4:30 pm- 11pm, Friday-Can watch on a PS3, Wii, Xbox, PC, Sunday 12:30 pm- 11pm Mac, iPad, Apple TV, etc. Price: General Admission: $9.50, Senior, children, -Categorized movies, making choosing a Matinee price: $6.00 movie or finding a specific TV show Details: This theatre also hosts music, comedy simple and easy to find and private events -Can cancel membership any time of the day

Independent Movie Theatres

Drive-In Movies

What: Sacramento Drive-In Where: 9616 Oates Drive Sacramento, CA 95827 When: Every night of the week, rain or shine Gates open one hour prior to the start of the first film Price: -Admission: $6.95 -Special Tuesday Price: $4.95 -Child Price (Ages 5-11): $1.00 Details: All movies are double features.

-Sound from movie projected through car stereo -Safe, family fun -Shows movies that are also playing in theatres and older ones that have been out of theatres for years

Redbox Movie Rentals What: Redbox Movie Rentals

Where: In supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores and department stores Details: Automatic kiosk that offers cheap movie rentals at convenient locations -Video games are also available to rent in these kiosks -Renters can go online and find specific location where desired movies are availble –Compiled by Editor Ari Black

Gazette photo/RACHAEL VASQUEZ

pantelion Films

Rated: R By: Mary Haney mhaney.gazette@gmail.com

casa de mi padre: D-

ill Ferrell has been a part of many hilarious films such as Step Brothers, Anchorman, Talladega Nights and numerous others.

Perhaps this is the reason that the film Casa de mi Padre, which was seemingly a very low budget, poorly scripted movie may have sat better as a short-film.

Directed by Matt Piedmont, former SNL and “Funny or Die” writer, the film portays a poor family in Mexico that becomes trapped in a drug war with one of Mexico’s leading drug traffickers, La Onza.

When Armando (Will Ferrell) arrives, he claims to be able to save the ranch his father is losing with help from his new fiancé Sonia and unrevealed source of income.

The plot begins spilling out as Armando falls in love with his big brother Raul’s new fiancé, who happens to be the neice of the most feared drug lord in Mexico, La Onza.

To add to this, Raul has also secretly been trafficking drugs and is one of La Onza’s main competitors.

As a child, Sonia was sent to live with her uncle, La Onza, after her parents died. He planned on marrying her the second she turned 18, but she ran away before that day came.

It was after this that she ended up with Raul, thinking her past would not catch up to her.

As the story progresses, Sonia falls for Armando. But after La Onza captures her, it becomes Armando’s responsibility to save her, despite Raul’s wishes to do the same.

As funny as Will Ferrell typically is, Casa de mi Padre was very much a let down. It featured painted backdrops and few puppet animals, which were intended to add to the humor, but failed to do so.

Although there were a few scenes that got a chuckle out of me, after about 45 minutes I was ready to leave the theatre due to the lack of plot and poor acting.

Overall, although Casa de mi Padre failed to meet my expectations, if one really does feel the need to see the movie, I would suggest waiting for either a $5 Tuesday or a $1.29 Redbox rental.

W

atching Project X was probably the most fun I have ever had in a movie theater.

Project X had a healthy amount of female nudity and illegal paraphernalia, which personally I enjoyed.

It’s music selection and youthful lingo really hits home to the high school viewers such as myself.

This movie is the definition of most high school students’ dreams.

What made this movie great was the cast. The actors in this film weren’t widely known, which made it feel real.

The main characters in this movie, Costa (the outgoing hilarious one), Thomas (the shy, yet surprisingly fun-loving one) and JB (the weird, quiet one that is unintentionally entertaining), created a good balance of absurdity.

Throughout the film, there is a dense amount of insanity, including ecstasy filled gnomes, tasing an anal neighbor, midgets in ovens, driving a Mercedes into a pool and lighting trees on fire with a flame thrower.

Although this movie didn’t really have a plot, other than throwing a party, I think I speak for everyone when I say that no one really cares that this movie isn’t totally cinematically correct.

Project X definitely targets a specific audience that breing young males, and that’s about it.

Generally, parents oppose this film because of its vulgarity and suggestive sexuality and drug use.

After watching this movie I find myself particularly sad because I came to the realization that no friendly get together that I will ever attend will rage nearly as hard as the one in Project X. Unlike movies such as Superbad or The Hangover, this movie rarely had me laughing hysterically, but smiling and giggling throughout.

Do not wait to watch this on DVD or On Demand, but instead role on down to Century Movie Theater with a group of buds and enjoy this film.

I would also suggest that you go into the movie with a positive attitude and not expect a well-directed movie.Just sit back, relax and enjoy some cheap, irresponsible humor.

Rated: R By: Myles Slattery mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

LUCAS FILMS

warner bros pictures

project x: A-

W

March 2012

film.

I

t felt great to get back to the Star Wars craze that I had as a young child.

Seeing young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) really did put a smile on my face.

Now, according to various Star Wars websites, all six films are being planned to be rereleased in 3-D starting with this one (insert fan cheers here). Now, let me be clear, the 3-D for this movie is not the Disney theme park 3-D you may be thinking of. Instead of having images pop out at you, this 3-D makes the movie look much more clear and precise.

In other words, the action happening on the screen appears to stand out and gives you the feeling of actually being a part of the scene.

The movie itself was, for the most part, better than I remembered.

I really liked the whole idea of the Jedi characters. They always appear to be wise and considerate all while being ready to use necessary action, and main protagonist Qui-Gon Jinn is my favorite Jedi of all time (except for Master Yoda of course).

But, Mr. Spielberg, casting crew and writing crew of the movie, I have two important things to say to you.

First, if the goal of Jar Jar Binks was to completely annoy Star Wars’ older crowd, you succeeded. I mean I know that Binks is a comic relief character for young children, but couldn’t you have gone with a creature not an annoying voice or broken English?

Secondly, why? Why did you create the most awesome, kick-butt Sith apprentice ever, just to have him die in the first movie? I mean, really, was it that hard to just keep him alive?

If I remember correctly, I was so obsessed with Darth Maul for probably a month or two that the first Lightsaber I purchased was Darth Maul’s dual Lightsaber.

With those two issues put aside, the movie as a whole had me interested. And surprisingly, my favorite scene of the whole movie was not the final fight scene between Darth Maul, ObiWan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn but rather the podracing scene starring the very young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd).

I would say that overall I’m glad that this movie got released in 3-D and I’m looking forward to seeing (and hopefully being able to review) the next 3-D episode in this amazing set of films.

Rated: PG

By Austin Downs adowns.gazette@gmail.com

star wars 3D: A-

Page 18

universal studios

the lorax: D+

By: Chris Pei cpei.gazette@gmail.com

I

walked into the movie theatre to watch 21 Jump Street expecting to be mildly amused, yet still leave unimpressed.

However the movie exceeded my expectations, and if you can live with the constant swearing and the relatively unsophisticated type of humor, you might enjoy this movie about undercover cops.

The premise of the movie is based upon an old television show with the same name, and in both the show and the newly released movie, young looking officers pose as high school students, in order to case to find drug suppliers.

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play partners were enemies in high school, however when they return as undercover cops, things have changed drastically. The two are now best friends, a relationship that sprung up when they worked together to pass police tests. (Also, Tatum, who was one of the cool kids in high school is no longer, while Hill, a complete academic, is now the cool one) To add to the confusion of returning to high school, the two (who are posing as brothers) accidentally switch schedules and fake aliases, and the academic (Hill) is put into elective classes while the jock (Tatum) is out of his league in AP Chemistry.

Throughout the course of the movie, Hill and Tatum are forced to break every rule set by their boss, who is comically portrayed as a constantly angry African-American man.

Not only do they ingest the drugs they are looking for in order to win the dealer’s trust, but also host a party to get close to the right people.

Of course, the party gets out of control, and the two are staying at Hill’s parents house. When his parents return home, panic ensues.

At the same time the two, who became best friends during officer training, begin to drift apart. However the final break comes when fired for their actions, and they at first go their separate ways.

Of course, everything works out fine in the end, and while this story seems a little random at times, it made me laugh consistently enough that I would recommend seeing it, even though it won’t be winning any awards.

Rated: R By: Kyle Pawlak kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

DREAMWORKS

COlumbia pictures

21 jump street: B+

T

he film adaptation of The Lorax adds a new spin on Dr. Seuss’s original work of the same name, which was a story centered around the harmful effects of industry on the natural environment.

For its big screen debut, however, the film producers decided on a few new additions, which, in my opinion, detracted from the central themes of the original work.

Among the additions was a new cast of characters that included a love interest, a corporate villain and several supporting minor characters.

What the changes ultimately resulted in was a modernized version of the original.

The film adaptation revolves around a 12 year-old boy named Ted (Zac Efron), who lives in a polluted, completely industrialized world with not a single tree in sight.

His crush, a high school girl named Audrey (Taylor Swift) reveals to him that her biggest desire is to see a real, living tree.

From there, Ted seeks out the legendary “Once-ler” (Ed Helms) in order to discover how trees eventually succumbed to the uncaring whim of industrialization.

Personally, I thought that the film was short and entertaining, but failed to effectively deliver the overarching message that the book was so memorable for: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.

It’s not.”

For me, these simple yet powerful aphorisms are where the innate magic of Dr. Suess lies.

His colorful, imaginative worlds coupled with his silly, yet witty, rhymes are what kept me hooked.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that the film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s, The Lorax, had the same effect on me.

In fact, it left me quite disappointed, especially due to the fact that the book had a special place in my childhood.

However, I will consider the fact that this film was obviously created to be marketed toward children.

That being said, there were still far too many musical numbers for my taste, which further added to the film’s distracting arsenal of bells and whistles.

In my opinion, these shiny new additions betray the themes of Dr. Seuss’s original work, which was a great fable in its own right.

Rated: PG

Page 19

film.

B

efore seeing 1000 Words, I thought Twilight was bad. When I left the movie theater three years ago after enduring dry, annoying and awkward exchanges between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, I thought, “Well, they can’t make them worse than that!”

Boy was I wrong.

Twilight now seems like an Oscar worthy film in comparison The ordeal and cruelty that I suffered through because of this movie single handedly destroyed my Sunday morning–which was supposed to be a happy day filled with a matinee, a trip to the bookstore and lunch with friends.

This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I never felt so angry walking out of a movie theater.

It just wasted one hour and 31 minutes of my life.

The movie was so bad, so awful, so indescribably loathsome, I counted seven people walking out about thirty minutes into the film, which I find flat out embarrassing.

I would have been the eighth, if it weren’t for my obligation to write this review. I’m happy I suffered through it, because now I have the opportunity to write this review about how rotten the film was.

I would note that the film started out agreeable and hopeful.

The audience was introduced Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy), a book agent who uses his talent for chattering quickly, and stretching the truth to make deals.

McCall’s wife, Caroline (Kerry Washington) is worried about her husband not being enough of a “family man,” or involved enough in raising their son.

Somewhere along the way, all of McCall’s smooth talk gets the best of him, and he is cursed with a spiritual tree of sorts. For every word he says, one leaf falls. And once all the leaves fall, McCall dies. End of story.

After that, it all went downhill. I was literally squirming in my seat and checking my watch every five minutes. I could not believe such a film was allowed to be released to the public.

I actually felt embarrassed for Eddie Murphy, his failed attempts at making the audience laugh were an insult to his comedic past.

Don’t watch the film. Go watch something better, like Dr. Suess’ The Lorax or The Artist or A Separation. I doubt the film will be out for long anyway.

Rated: PG-13 By: Kiana Okhovat kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

a thousand words: F

March 2012

March 2012

Page 20

green screen.

A work of art at your fingertips

I love how creative people get when they paint their nails!

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

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– Christie Mann, senior

I follow nail polish blog sites on Tumblr to get new nail art ideas.

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– Chiyoh Arai, junior

Nail Artist/CHRISTIE MANN

Gazette photo illustration/SAMANTHA SPARGO

Casa de mi Padre

D-

Project X

A-

Star Wars 3D

In Theat ers D+

The Lorax

B+

21 Jump Street

F

A-

See pages 18 and 19 for reviews

A Thousand Words