Granite Bay Gazette December 2014

Tree decorations

Classroom creativity G8-9

Christmas winter festivities

Winter sports adventures

New elements of innovation in

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GBHS students hit the ski slopes

The Granite Bay Gazette GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 19 w ISSUE 4 w FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014

Commentary

neha kompella nkompella.gazette@gmail.com

Dangers of the group mentality

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verybody wants to be a part of a group.

I’ve got nothing against spending time with a group. After all, the more the merrier, right?

A group can be dangerous, however, because it encourages victimization: people bond through their shared insults of others.

Even just walking around campus, snippets of derogatory conversations can be overheard.

That group of people in the library thinks the girl at the table next to them has gross hair. That boy is referred to as “retarded” by the people in the breezeway. The students gossiping in Spanish class think that girl is provocative and a flirt.

All of us have been on both ends of the spectrum. We’ve all been hurt by someone’s comment, just as we’ve all likely said something about another person that we aren’t proud of.

But the group mentality also makes enablers out of people who may not necessarily agree with the victimization. They don’t initiate it, but they certainly participate, and their silence renders them complicit.

Another consequence is that it makes a mockery out of authentic emotion. In a world where children are conditioned to be polite, it is expected to subjugate one’s true emotions in order to live up to the societal pressure of bland insincerity.

But in all honesty, I’d rather you approach me with genuine emotion, whether good or bad, than treat me one way and then talk about me behind my back. In an effort to maintain a polite relationship, you’re just completely disregarding authentic communication.

It’s dishonest.

Moreover, the group mentality contributes to the turning of victimization into a casual pastime. People expect others to be fake – to be judging them in their minds even while carrying on a conversation. Society views it as the norm.

It results in a form of habitualized insults, where it is casual to talk and laugh about other people, to bring them up in conversations without thinking.

And people listen to these slurs with a laugh on their lips and affirmation on their mind, for no other reason than to remain part of the group.

In many cases, it is the victim that is forced to change themselves. They are the ones that are blamed, for not being strong enough to cope with reality.

They construct a shell around themselves in which they doubt everyone who talks to them, base friendships on putting down other people and continue the cycle.

Something needs to change.

There is a monumental lack of dignity in allowing the comfort of a close-knit group to warrant the insulting of others as an indifferent pastime. It’s not normal, it shouldn’t be casual and that mentality shouldn’t be justified or accepted.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the people in the group.

It’s not about that girl’s hair, or that boy’s intelligence or the way that person dresses.

In the grand scheme of things, your actions are nothing more than a reflection of you and the kind of person that you are. *** Neha Kompella, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Gazette photo /kat mcgrail

Every 15 Minutes

Junior Drew Kindelt, left, examines his junior girlfriend Savanna Thompson during the Every 15 Minutes simulation. Thompson “died” at the scene.

Senior Madison Blackburn, above, is secured on a gurney to be life-flighted to the hospital to complete the simulation that took place Tuesday on Wellington Way in front of Granite Bay High School. Blackburn later “died” in the hospital. Every 15 Minutes is a bi-annual program that re-enacts a drunk-driving accident to teach students the ramifications of driving while intoxicated.

Gazette photo /Colleen vivaldi

GBHS students participate in drunk- and distracted-driving awareness program

BY TAMREN JOHNK tjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

The Every 15 Minutes program this week gave students a new appreciation for just how significant the smallest of decisions can be.

“You don’t need to have fun by drinking (and driving),” junior Jordan Holt said.

“It’s just not worth it. Life is so precious.

(Every 15 Minutes) was all too surreal in itself.”

On Tuesday, the bi-annual Every 15 Minutes program took place at Granite Bay High School. Several students were

involved in the mock car accident including juniors Savanna Thompson and Drew Kindelt, and seniors Madison Blackburn, Lucas Baiocchi and Spencer Bluett. Along with the students involved in the car collision, 27 other juniors and seniors were pulled out of their classes throughout the day as “The Walking Dead.”

Junior Brooke Gonzalez, one of “The Walking Dead,” was excited to participate in the event because she looked forward to making a difference and creating a valuable impact among her peers.

“I think the hardest part is the car crash

Senior Steven Ponzo lost his older sister, Lindsay, to a drunk-driving accident nine years ago. See page A8. scene and seeing how my friends react in the crowd and seeing my obituary,” Gonzalez said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a drop (of alcohol) – don’t do it. There’s always a better answer.”

Thompson, who “died” instantly at the car scene, hopes students will become more cautious when they drink. Before the scene, Thompson said she was excited for

Laws allow confidential doctors’ appointments jgordon.gazette@gmail.com

“School authorities may excuse any pupil from the school for the purpose of obtaining confidential medical services without the consent of the pupil’s parent or guardian.”

This has been state law since California Education Code 46010.1 was introduced in 1986. A student in California may leave school at any time for medical appointments related to abortions, drug or alcohol issues and other medical issues.

“The reasons (for a student using this policy) may vary,” said Granite Bay High School nurse Jennifer Serrano in an email. “It usually surrounds an issue students are uncom-

fortable discussing with family.”

If a student chooses to leave school under this policy, their confidentiality is guaranteed according to Brad Basham, the Roseville Joint Union High School District’s executive director of personnel services, who oversees student programs throughout the district. The district does not keep comprehensive records of who has utilized the policy.

“It’s data we don’t track ... because it is confidential,” Basham said. “I would have to go through extensive research to figure out who has and who hasn’t, and my concern is that if I give a number and it’s a small number, you can identify a student who’s used it.”

Two students participated in and experienced election process

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

prompts them to cheat.

“I would say it’s more common at any high-performing

After experiencing the November midterm elections, some of the tensions of political races and campaign rivalries have drawn a few of Granite Bay High School’s students into the political arena.

Seniors Daniella Cassano and Sumana Kaluvai both donated their time to political campaigns this fall.

Cassano interned at the Capitol office of Assemblyman Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) over the summer and in the early fall. Kaluvai worked on the Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) campaign during his 7th Congressional District race against former Republican Congressman and Sacramento business owner Doug Ose. Nestande lost his race to Democratic opponent Raul Ruiz, also of Palm Desert; Bera won his race by less than 2,000 votes and will begin a second term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in January.

“I really enjoyed working with people on the campaign because they were all really nice, even though I was one of the youngest people in the office,” Kaluvai said. “Also, many staff members were recent (UC) Davis graduates, so it was really easy to connect with them.”

Kaluvai and Cassano said they interned because they were exploring career path options, they wanted to learn about political processes, and it allowed them to build connections for the future.

Both girls are in Jerrod Westberg’s Advanced Placement American government course at GBHS.

See CHEATING, page A8

See CAMPAIGNS, page A8

See APPOINTMENTS, page A8

Gazette photo illustration /kat mcgrail

GBHS students are able to leave campus for confidential doctors’ appointments, if they proceed through the correct district approval process.

Is cheating the new norm at GBHS? Academic dishonesty spikes at GBHS

BY JENNA MCCARTHY jmccarthy.gazette@gmail.com

It seems that stealing academic property – cheating – has become a norm at Granite Bay High School.

In socioeconomically successful Granite Bay, that might be a surprise – GBHS has high standardized test scores, suggesting that students are hard-working and driven. Or the scores could suggest there’s an immense amount of cheating that occurs on campus.

Assistant principal Sybil Healy said cheating is definitely

happening at GBHS. “It’s very common,” Healy said. “I would say a lot of students just assume everyone’s doing it (and it’s) a way to get by, especially when they’re stressed.”

The high academic standards at GBHS set the stage for the cheating that occurs, according to Healy, because students feel they must perform well.

Healy said students face a tremendous amount of pressure from parents, peers and themselves to score highly, which

inside the Gazette news Holiday controversies

Addressing gender norms

Christmas in the public educational arena

Students defy societal stereotypes with GSA club

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See 15 MINUTES, page A7

GBHS students join political campaigns

Students can release themselves for medical consultations

BY JACQUELINE GORDON

the impact of the event but also anxious to hear her boyfriend throughout the accident.

“Hearing Drew talk to me (won’t) be fun,” Thompson said.

From her experience of simulated death, Thompson said she expected to take away many life lessons.

“I think I will value life, my friends and my family more while everyone’s still together,” Thompson said. “I’ve already realized (drunk driving) is bad. But now it is much more realistic, and even being

voices

Respecting sacred aspects of holidays

Happy r Winte s! ay Holid

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Religious values of holidays should not be condemned, but respected

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News

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Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w December 12, 2014

NAMES IN THE NEWS

jacqueline gordon jgordon.gazette@gmail.com

Thanksgiving baskets assist families in need

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hile the rest of us were busy stuffing our faces and waiting in line at Best Buy over Thanksgiving, GBHS Learning Support Specialist Rumi Nozue was busy giving back to the community. She compiled a list of students in need of financial services at GBHS and had the idea of making “Thanksgiving Baskets” – baskets full of turkeys and other Thanksgiving items.

Despite the lack of response from students, staff, and parents, Nozue contacted a local church and they donated 10 baskets which she offered to students and their families in need. Thank you, Rumi, for supporting our community in need! *** The break is so close... I can almost taste it... Or maybe that’s just all the Christmas cookies I’ve been eating. *** A public service announcement for the texting-and-driving community of GBHS: you may want to take your eyes off your phone because Placer County is installing a new stop sign at the intersection of Wellington Way and Copperwood Drive over Christmas break. *** As though the Emerald Brigade doesn’t have enough trophies lining its walls already, on Nov. 15, they took first place in their class in the Union City competition, which advanced them to the state championships. Congratulations, band! *** Dear Santa: Except for all the procrastinating I’ve done, I’ve been good this year. All I want for Christmas this year is an A on my lit final. Is that really too much to ask? *** Get ready for the excitement of New York City life! After a debacle in which the drama department was denied the rights to West Side Story, Theatre At Granite Bay decided to put on Guys and Dolls for the spring musical...

Or spring musi-cal! (For those of you with no childhood, that’s from High School Musical.) *** Last chance tonight to see the GBHS Choir and Band Winter Concert! Come out at 7 p.m. and support! *** Congratulations to Key Club for wrapping up a successful canned food drive.

Dede Walker’s class emerged victorious in the contest of which class could donate the most. ***

Jacqueline Gordon, a senior, is a Gazette news editor.

CORRECTIONS Accuracy is perhaps the most important fundamental of good journalism. It's the policy of the Gazette to correct all factual errors that are brought to our attention. Email us at: gbgazette@yahoo.com Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

Christmas No More?

Public schools limited in their expressions of Christmas

Photo illustration special to the Gazette/AMANDA GORDON

Public schools are largely not allowed to express any explicitly religious reference to Christmas. Even the amount teachers can decorate their classrooms is limited.

BY TREASA MAIREAD HAYES thayes.gazette@gmail.com

At Granite Bay High School, Christmas has always seemed to be behind a curtain.

Whether students associate the holiday with a religious meaning or not, Christmas and its surrounding spiritual implications are a difficult subject for administration, students and teachers.

“I feel like in the public school system... people have really moved to calling it ‘winter break’ and talking about the winter holidays,” student government adviser Tamara Givens said. “We don’t really portray Christmas anymore; we do more holiday season (activities). We even talk about it, like if they do snowflakes….we try to make it as nondenominational and winter-y as possible.”

GBHS school events have always leaned toward an emphasis simply on the holiday season, according to Givens.

This year, the professional drama class

under teacher Kyle Holmes performed a Santa’s Helpers skit on Dec. 2 at Kingswood Elementary School.

The performance, suggested by social psychology and United States history teacher Liz McCuen, depicted an adventure involving three popular holiday characters: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, and also incorporated Santa Claus – a classic secular representation of Christmas.

“We’re supposed to stray away from just making it about the Christmas aspect, so we actually referred to it as our ‘non-denominational holiday performance,’” junior Erica Lucia said. “We kind of joked how it can’t be about just Christmas, even though it’s really hard because most holiday stories are...

Christmas-based.”

According to Lucia, Holmes instructed the drama students not to spiritualize the performance.

“Years ago, we would have Christmas trees … at Winter Ball, but they were really just

trees with lights on them – no ornaments, no religious affiliation to it,” Givens said. “Our Winter Ball has never been Christmas-oriented – we’ve never had a Christmas contest or anything like that. We’re doing an ugly sweater contest before break, but I don’t feel like that’s religiously affiliated at all.”

Whether students celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or no holiday at all, the GBHS campus is a place where the holidays are treated with no explicit suggestions to any faith, according to Givens As a practicing Jehovah’s Witness, senior Micky Frank is often questioned about her religious beliefs regarding the holiday.

“Mostly, I’ve been questioned out of curiosity and shock,” Frank said. “Not a lot of people are familiar with the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs, so I feel that plays in a lot with my peers’ curiosity.”

With student government receiving more criticism in recent years for playing to certain stigmas, such as last year’s controversy over the Battle of the Sexes, their responsi-

bility to plan and conduct events with no association to religion has heightened.

“I think these kids have always grown up in a society where we’re trying to be more politically correct,” Givens said. “In that sense, it’s a good thing. Everyone can celebrate what they want to, and we can all have ‘winter break.’”

Senior Kristen Hilburn, current ASB president, agrees.

“We try to generalize the holiday season because we really don’t want to offend anyone in the activities that we do,” Hilburn said.

“It kind of makes me sad how we have to act like Christmas isn’t happening – because it is, and so are other religious holidays, but I understand why some people might be uncomfortable with that.”

Arts programs have often come under fire for association with religion, particularly choir programs which often feature a substantial array of sacred music.

See CHRISTMAS, page A8

Drama adviser hosted acting workshop Kyle Holmes and theater colleagues met at GBHS

BY AKASH KHOSLA

akhosla.gazette@gmail.com

Kyle Holmes, adviser of the drama club, gathered several of his colleagues over Thanksgiving break to host a workshop at GBHS. The theater program at Granite Bay High hosted an ActorsStudio workshop on Nov. 29 to reach out to passionate students who have an interest in theatrical arts.

“Periodically, (some of my colleagues) stop in and guest teach my classes,” Holmes said.

“This time around, I have my friend Laura (Hall); she’s from New York on Broadway, and in the past two years she hasn’t been able to come back home here, and I wanted her to meet my students. Since it was over break, I thought about calling my other friends and doing a workshop here.”

Several professionals in the acting industry taught crash courses in Disney Channel auditions, advanced character analysis, commedia dell’arte, which is improvised comedy, and other subjects.

Hall, a professional actress on Broadway, was at the ActorsStudio workshop teaching song interpretation or, as she described it, a course on creating emotionally authentic performances while doing music justice.

“It’s a way for successful artists in El Dorado Hills to feel like we’re giving back,” Hall said.

Hall said her parents were very supportive of her pursuit of theater throughout her childhood.

“I started taking voice lessons in sixth grade, and kept doing lessons ... voraciously,” Hall said. “I trained really hard in high school, and recognized just because you’re

a big fish in a small pond, it doesn’t really mean anything, because the pond is actually a lot bigger.”

Not only is Hall accomplished in musicals, but she also feels comedy is her strong-suit.

“My niche is in comedy, and I’m being hired more and more to do comedy,” Hall said.

As a professional on Broadway, Hall had some advice for people who aspire to join the production industry.

“There’s equally rewarding work elsewhere to be found, but the community at Broadway is great,” Hall said. “You’ve often got the best of the best working on the production.”

Other people in the industry like Spencer Williams were also there, teaching the subject matter they’ve focused on for much of their careers.

“I’m a director and producer,” Williams said. “I go basically from gig to gig and look

Kyle Holmes Drama adviser Kyle Holmes hosted a workshop to help his students improve a variety of dramatic skills.

for jobs, and go and direct those shows.”

Williams grew up in Omaha and started performing at 10 years old with the Omaha Community Playhouse which is one of the largest community theaters in the United States with production budgets in the sixfigures.

“I did that throughout high school, and toured professionally with a theater company when I turned (17 years old),” Williams said. “I then studied theater in college= See DRAMA, page A6

Administration proposes more security New fences may be added to GBHS

BY AMANDA NIST

anist.gazette@gmail.com

In a recent student senate meeting, it was brought up that a new gate or fence may be added on the campus of Granite Bay High School for security purposes. The question then arose – does GBHS need more security?

“I don’t think (more fences) are necessary,” senior Olivia Huss said. “That’s also a waste of money and we don’t need it. Our school is already fenced in around basically the entire perimeter.”

The gates are meant to prevent students from leaving campus, but also protect them from potential outside threats.

“I think (the gates) are a little out of hand and it makes me feel unwelcomed and I don’t like it,” junior Michael Colosimo said. “I want to go to a school and feel like I’m welcomed there and not feel

like they are trying to trap me so we can’t escape.”

Though the gates and fences are working well at preventing students from leaving school, this could potentially be the problem.

In the event of an emergency in which students needed to leave campus, attempting to usher 2,000 students out of the same front gate would not be safe or organized.

“I understand where they’re coming from in that they don’t want students leaving campus,” junior Shannon McIntyre said, “but if we’re talking about safety, I feel most of our concerns in our area is not going to be about staying in, it’s going to be about fleeing the area because if we’re talking about something as serious as a bomb ... it makes us a target to stay clumped in an area.”

Sheriff Herrick explained that in a situation in which the students and staff needed to leave, all teachers,

both campus monitors, himself, the assistant principals and the the principal all have keys to the gates.

“Hopefully the teachers have their keys with them,” Herrick said. “Hopefully we would be able to open up the gates quickly, because we don’t want anyone to be stuck here.”

Although the staff is prepared for an emergency, the actual chaos of one could create unexpected problems.

“How can teachers get there in time when they also are responsible for a class of students?” Huss said. “That’s honestly so unorganized I’m shocked. ... For evacuations, we need to come up with a better plan than there is now.”

Herrick also explained that the school is better off than most campuses because it’s blocked off on three sides. There’s a gated community with a blocked wall that contains no access points and on the opposite side there’s another neighborhood with a big fence go-

A map of GBHS shows all of the current fences of GBHS. A new fence would run along the back of the baseball field. ing all the way along the school property line.

“You can jump the fence, of course, but as far as people coming and carrying heavy stuff like guns, it’s not very easy to do,” Herrick said.

There’s also a large chain linked fence across the back of the school,

and the tennis courts have a gate that is locked before school and after school. During the school day, all gates are locked.

“Our school has an entire gate around it and doesn’t need anything else,” Colosimo said. “The See SECURITY, page A6

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GSA event seeks to defy gender norms ‘No makeup’ challenge about more than just makeup

BY SAVITRI ASOKAN

Gazette photos /JENNA MCCARTHY

Top left, senior Alex Baldonado shows a slur said to him while wearing eyeliner for a project. Teachers Andrew Phillips and Damien During the week of Nov. 17-21, members of Granite Bay High Lawrence, top right and bottom, wear makeup to support the GSA. sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

School’s chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance promoted their club ideals of self-confidence and gender and sexuality awareness by holding a “No-Makeup Week.” Students were encouraged to challenge gender norms and societal expectations, fostering a culture of gender and sexuality awareness as well as self-confidence and individuality.

The event originated as an offshoot of GSA adviser Jill McKinney’s assignment for Social Psychology, where students were asked to defy a social norm for a day.

Physics and biology teacher Andrew Phillips, who stepped into the role of club adviser this year, said the event’s intent was “to make a statement to encourage students to feel comfortable in their own skin, and to let them know that they didn’t need to conform to what other people expected them to do in order to be happy with themselves.”

To accomplish this, participants set out to defy conventions in several ways. Girls who usually wore makeup on a daily basis came to school bare-faced; students who didn’t normally wear makeup – especially males – sported eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara or lipstick. Those who dressed in a way that identified with typical attributes of a binary gender instead wore apparel considered common for the other. Some teachers, such as IB Biology and chemistry teacher Damien Lawrence, also participated.

“Some days I wore makeup,” senior TJ Conway said, “and other days I decided to go out of my comfort zone and wear pants … because I have a problem with my legs and I thought I may as well get comfortable with it. One day I wore just leggings, which is more feminine.”

The event also allowed expression for those who considered themselves on a spectrum, rather than a dichotomy, of gender. Junior Elise Ramos, who identifies as “genderfluid” – switching between different genders on a day-to-day basis – said she used the opportunity to dress contrary to whatever gender she felt each day.

“If I felt like I wanted to dress like a guy, I dressed like a girl that day to create discomfort for me – the discomfort of dressing against what you want,” Ramos said. “I wanted people to have to ask me why I was dressed like that.”

For Ramos, the experience was personally enlightening as well as a chance to make suffocating gender conventions explicit on campus.

“Friday (Nov. 21) was also Transgender Awareness Day, so we were all supposed to wear skirts,” Ramos said. “I wanted to wear a pair of jeans that day, but I thought, ‘No, I have to be strong and do this.’ I felt that it was my responsibility as a GSA member. A lot of people have that discomfort of people constantly asking them why they dress or look a certain way. I wanted to reflect that … it was more about my own discomfort.”

Reactions to those who participated differed. Some were greeted with expressions of solidarity and admiration, while others faced derogatory slurs aimed at homosexuality and effeminacy. Sometimes, people were simply perplexed.

“I had a couple of teachers ask if I was OK, or why I was tired,” said McKinney. “Even my IB students were like ‘What’s going on?’ But I had some support, where people said, ‘You look good,’ or ‘I didn’t even

notice.’”

Students were more vulnerable to openly negative comments.

“One kid said that his friend told him “go kill yourself,” McKinney said. “I thought ‘that’s not funny. Why would you say something like that, what’s wrong with you?’ How terrible is that – when they’re supposed to be your friends.”

However, McKinney remains positive about the long-term effects of the event.

“It’s exciting that we still have a GSA chapter on this campus that try to make it a good experience for everyone on this campus,” McKinney said. “I hope it gives others a little bit of perspective on what it’s like to be different.”

Monthly Student Senate questioned by students Some doubt validity of GBHS leadership group

BY BLAKE PANTER

bpanter.gazette@gmail.com

Student Senate, a group of elected representatives who help make key decisions, gives Granite Bay High School students the opportunity to provide input and insight on how to better the high school experience of the student body.

However, some have said that intriguing incentives cause some students to be unmotivated about the decisions being made.

Meeting once every month during second period, Student Senate is run by ASB vice president Camilla Griggs. Student government provides incentive to attend

the meetings with free food and a rare chance to share proposals with those that have executive power.

“In Student Senate we describe the upcoming events and get ideas for (them),” Griggs said. “The purpose is to share with the student body what is happening on our campus … and to get input on what the students’ ideas are. We do our best to incorporate the input we receive.”

Griggs said she acknowledges that there are some students who do not participate, contribute or genuinely care and that some participate just to get out of class.

“I hope that people take it seriously,” Griggs said. “I know that

there are definitely a couple of kids who come in very prepared and ready to share their ideas. We really appreciate that. I hope everyone takes it seriously because it’s an opportunity for them to get involved so they should take advantage of it … Some people are very apathetic towards it while others genuinely care.”

Junior Philip Canete is a member of Student Senate this semester who said he questions the validity of the meetings. Canete said they primarily make “superficial and unimportant decisions.”

“No matter what we say, (our opinions won’t hold any weight),” Canete said. “In terms of dedica-

tion, I think most people are just make decisions and we don’t do that,” Canete said. “We’re basicalthere to get free food.” ly a feeling commitCanete estitee for student govmates that about ernment so they can 25 - 30 percent (Senators) are see how the student of people don’t body reacts. We just bother to vote supposed respond to their acon events and to make tions … There are instead just sit there idly, while decisions and we no benefits or incentives to participate. the rest are genudon’t do that.

It’s mostly just a inely engaged. formality to ‘inAlthough there volve the school’.” are many that – Philip Canete, While some are participate, there junior Student Senator unaffected and inis no accountdifferent, Junior ability that the Cameron Kerekes student senators appreciates student will share the decisions with their second period government’s effort to get a holistic involvement from the student class. “(Senators) are supposed to body, but also shared some im-

provements.

“I think we’re there for (student government) to get a (better idea of how the public would respond),” Kerekes said. “At the same time, I think it would be more useful for the entire student body to vote on an idea versus student government or Student Senate since it’s such a small population of the school.”

With two representatives coming from each second period class, student government attempts to gather an accurate representation of opinions coming from a range of grade levels with academic variety.

Junior Makenna Johnson says she is involved in Student Senate because she actually cares about school-wide decisions. She aspires

Long-time Grizzly football trainer passes away Chiropractor, coach and father of three had served GBHS program for more than 16 years

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI

cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

On Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, Granite Bay High School athletic trainer and devoted father, Paul Diemer, passed away after taking his life at the age of 49.

He is survived by his wife, Stacey Diemer, GBHS freshman sons Cole and Bailey Diemer and sixth-grade daughter, Summer Diemer.

Mr. Diemer worked as a local chiropractor at

Fairway Chiropractic in Roseville and had a positive impact on many GBHS athletes as the athletic trainer since 1997.

Many players, coaches and staff of the Grizzly football program have greatly appreciated his courageous and warm presence.

A part of the Granite Bay community, Mr. Diemer coached baseball for his sons and had an impact on young peoples’ lives.

Senior football player Ryan Arneson said he had a strong connection with Mr. Diemer and he will

NEWS BRIEFS

miss his medical assistance as well as his encouraging attitude toward all of the players.

“Dr. D gave 16-plus years to Granite Bay. He donated his time as well his medical equipment that the team has benefited from over the past years,” Arneson said. “Before every game he would tape me up and ask how I was doing. It was nice to see a familiar face before each game.”

Over the last 17 years as the GBHS athletic trainer, Mr. Diemer donated his time, energy and equipment to help create a healthy environment for the young, promising athletes who have gone through the GBHS athletic programs.

Similarly, junior Brad Fina had a close relationship with Mr. Diemer. After going through a few years of football at GBHS, Fina grew fond of

GBHS Winter Ball preparations are well underway

The National Honor Society is painting two pillars in the breezeway by the 600 building to enhance schoolwide culture. The design will be in alignment with this year’s Ripple Effect theme, “Make It Your Own”.

There was a contest running from Nov. 3 - 21 for the best pillar design incorporating the theme.

Chapter president Sumana Kaluvai gave more details about the contest and its purpose.

“It’s a school-wide art contest and students can submit designs that have to do with the school theme, ‘Make It Your Own’,” Kaluvai said. “The goal is to have a permanent reminder of the cultural activities we do at school.”

The National Honor Society is in the process of picking a design for the pillars in the breezeway. They will be painted before January 2015.

-Compiled by Jenna McCarthy

him and was deeply saddened and sorry to hear about the loss of a dedicated man.

“He was very caring (to) all the players, especially me because my family is close friends with the Diemer (family) and whenever I would see him, he asked how I was doing, which means a lot,” Fina said.

As Mr. Diemer’s family, friends and the Granite Bay community grieve for the loss of an important individual, his loving memory will continue to be prevalent among many.

“I was in complete shock when (coach) Cooper broke the news to the team and I feel very sorry for the Diemer family and I know that they will have a lot of support from the (Granite Bay) community,” Fina said.

Paul Diemer Granite Bay chiropractor passed away recently, but he leaves a legacy at GBHS.

ASB UPDATE

National Honor Society repaints pillars in quad

GBHS teachers jump-start mental health club Teachers Andrew Phillips, Naoko Eshbaugh and Kathie Sinor are bringing NAMI, a club designed to destigmatize mental health, to GBHS. NAMI is not a therapy group or counseling session, but rather a place to empower students and raise mental health awareness.

A full-day training took place on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Rocklin to equip students and teachers on how to handle the sensitive issue.

NAMI hopes to be up-and-running later this year. For more information or to join the group, contact Andrew Phillips.

See SENATE, page A6

The Gazette talked to junior Erica Lucia about the upcoming GBHS Winter Ball on Saturday.

Gazette: How is Winter Ball coming along?

Lucia: Well, so far, it’s been a great experience and we are getting really excited to put on an event that the school will love.

Gazette photo /JENNA McCARTHY

These pillars in the breezeway will be painted to reflect the 2014 Ripple Effect Theme

QA &

planning a Thanksgiving dinner for the custodial staff and such like that.

Gazette: What have you done organize organizing for Every 15 Minutes?

Lucia: I know that the Gazette: What is the commissioners started on theme for Winter Ball?

Lucia: Our theme this year this event a long time ago and have been coordinating is “S.S. Winter Ball: Come this for a while, but it’s very Sail the Night Away.” secretive. No one knows, besides who’s on it, about Gazette: What other the logistics of it. We’re not events are happening in allowed to know because it’s December this year? supposed to have this eleLucia: We (had) Every 15 ment of surprise, that way it’s Minutes and we are planmore impactful. ning some community service type things – we’ll -Compiled by Olivia Heppell be writing letters to troops,

Gazette photo/ JENNA MCCARTHY

Junior Erica Lucia is the student government commissioner for Winter Ball, which will be held on campus Saturday night.

Friday, December 12, 2014

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A5

Early Graduation Some students decide to depart now, pursue careers

Gazette photo /EMILY WAGNER

BY AMANDA PRATHER aprather.gazette@gmail.com

Few students at Granite Bay High School choose to graduate early to get a jump start in college athletics.

But there are a variety of reasons why students choose to leave high school.

Emma Costigan, a senior at GBHS, will be graduating next week.

“I was just ready to leave high school,” Costigan said.

“It gives me more opportunities to figure out what I want to do.”

Costigan said she is still planning to attend college next fall and has applied to several schools, and she is planning on using her time wisely by continuing her current job.

“I am working at the Little Bliss Cakery and interning with A Touch of Understanding,” Costigan said. “Since I’m (majoring in)communication disorders, it will give me time to think about what I want to do.”

Communication disorders is the study of disorders that impair language abilities, speaking, hearing or normal communication.

Costigan said she felt she was done with high school and all of the classes she needed to take.

“I am just ready to leave, said Costigan. “I would just be taking pointless classes, so why not just figure out what I want to do.”

Some students decide to graduate at the end of their junior year also. Sabrina Sabbaghian did so and said it was a great choice for her.

“I didn’t have the best high school experience, so I and she helped me immensely.” Sabbaghian said. was just ready to start a new chapter,” Sabbaghian said. “(The) counselors are the best. Mrs. (Christina) Cross Sabbaghian said she started college classes right away really helped me through every obstacle in graduating after she graduated and took no sumearly, and I could not have done it without mer or off-time. her.”

“I am currently attending classes at Sabbaghian said graduating early was I didn’t have the best decision she has made in her life. two colleges with hopes to transfer next fall semester,” Sabbaghian said.

“I am already so ahead of even my own the best Sabbaghian is currently taking agenda,” Sabbaghian said. “I plan on high school graduating (from college) by the time I classes at Folsom Lake College and Sierra College and wants to transfer experience, so am 20 years old, and I’ve become very to either the University of California with what I want I want my I was just ready familiar at Irvine or Hawaii Pacific University career to be.” next fall.

Sabbaghian is opening her own to start a new Sabbaghian said she was in a rush to e-commerce website to sell her own chapter. leave high school and didn’t want to clothes. She has also been working for her waste any more time. parents’ company, Lanset America Corpo“I was really eager to start (and ration, a leading provider in information – Sabrina figure out) what I was actually interSabbaghian, GBHS technology, consulting and other services. ested in,” Sabbaghian said. “I wanted As for senior activities including Senior Graduate to learn more about what my future Sunrise and several others, Sabbaghian consisted of, which didn’t include said she was not upset about missing ceramics or biology class, or the them because of all of the other things she Pythagorean theorem. It was definitely would get to do instead. time for me to start something I felt to be useful.”

Kathleen Orchard, a GBHS counselor, said graduatSabbaghian decided not to walk on graduation day be- ing early really depends on students and their personal cause she wasn’t really part of the class of 2014 – even situation. though that’s when she finished her courses.

“There are many reasons why a student might want Sabbaghian said the process of getting to graduate to graduate early,” Orchard said. “Graduating early can early isn’t as hard as it seems. enable them to take advantage of various postsecondary “I just spoke to my counselor and told her my plans, and career options sooner. However, there is a concern

Early decision, or early action?

that the student might have difficulty adjusting to the academic rigor of college-level courses if that is the path they plan on taking.”

Orchard said the negative side for students who are graduating early is missing out on senior activities and events.

“They need to let their counselor know they are interested in graduating early,” Orchard said. “This can be done during registration advising in February, or anytime during the spring they can let us know. We will then discuss it with them – pros and cons – so that they know what is required and what to expect.”

Orchard said the counselors like to make sure students and parents know the academic and social consequences of leaving early.

Orchard said there are multiple reasons students choose to graduate early.

“They are going to a community college and want to get started on their coursework (is one of them),” Orchard said.

Orchard said students who also want to start earning good money and work full time, are not particularly worried about missing activities or have run out of courses that they are interested in taking.

In order to graduate early, students must have completed all required credits. Students must complete all the A-G requirements in all subjects – history/social science, English, mathematics, laboratory sciences, world language, visual/performing arts and college-prep electives. In total, students must complete 260 credits in order to graduate.

Students seek advantages through early admittance plans

BY BRIAN ZHUANG

bzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

While many seniors cram for their final college application due dates, some already finished early and are anxious to leave.

Usually, there are different application deadlines for certain college admission conditions. One of them includes early decision, in which once someone applies and is accepted, they are required to attend that college.

This is different from early action since early decision is binding while early action is not. It is a way for students to find out their acceptance status earlier and to possibly show greater interest for a certain college.

However, deadlines for these applications are, as named, earlier, so students have to make decisions whether they are willing to dedicate their next few years there, regardless of other school opportunities.

Many students at Granite Bay High School have made the choice and have chosen to take the early decision and action route.

GBHS senior Cole Pautsch was accepted into the Air Force Academy at the end of October, as his parents woke him up in the morning reading his awaited acceptance letter to him.

Pautsch has always been interested in the United States military, and here was a chance he couldn’t pass up.

“I’ve had the desire to serve my country for my whole life, but I’ve been set on the Air Force since April,” Pautsch said. “That’s

when I realized that my dream of flying fighter jets could really come to fruition.”

Chances to achieve life-long goals, like this, are hard to come by, so Pautsch made his decision and took the next step into becoming a part of the Air Force.

Other students, including GBHS senior Tyler Soares, have not yet received their anticipated letters of acceptance, because many come out in mid-December.

Soares just recently added Cornell University to his college radar and after his midSeptember visit, he made it a serious prospect.

“When I visited Cornell, I immediately knew it was the right place for me,” Soares said. “The campus was very open and rural compared to some other colleges I toured.”

He also had some conversations with attending students and said they all had similar values and attitudes that made him feel welcomed and right at home.

“I was fortunate enough to meet a few current students, and they were all extremely passionate and easy-going,” Soares said.

After that visit, he applied early decision to Cornell and said he is hoping for good news.

However, he is still unprepared for the New York weather.

“I’m definitely ready to leave the west coast. I’m just not sure about the 2-degree weather Ithaca had about two weeks ago,” Soares said.

GBHS senior Oliver Whitters, who is also applying to Ivy League schools, is also nervous about the frigid weather in the East.

“I don’t know if I am ready or not.” Whitters said. “We’ll just have to find out.”

Whitters also applied early decision, but to the University of Pennsylvania for its top-tier business program.

“I am dead-set on being a business major and Penn is the best school for doing so,” Whitters said. “I could picture myself spending four years there, and in addition, their core curriculum really cemented my decision.”

Not only is Whitters focused on the academic aspect of UPenn, but also its entirety.

“The community-based efforts Penn requires from everybody means a lot to me because I pride myself in doing right in the community,” Whitters said.

GBHS College and Career counselor Cindi Underwood said early decision is a great way to apply for students who already know their top college.

“If you’re a really strong student and it’s your No. 1 school, I strongly recommend early decision since it eliminates all other applications,” Underwood said.

Students often say that if they get into their early decision college, they will be effusive with happiness. However, senior Soares said after he screams with joy, he is mostly excited to top it all off with college clothes.

“I’m going to be more than ecstatic if I get into Cornell,” Soares said. “But let’s be honest, I’m going straight to its student store and ordering tons of Cornell gear, because who doesn’t love college clothes?”

New face joins faculty at Granite Bay High Bergcollins replaces Heidi McKeen as substitute in IB Biology, physiology

BY NEHA KOMPELLA

nkompella.gazette@gmail.com

In October, IB Biology and physiology teacher Heidi McKeen left the school on maternity leave, and the teacher who replaced her was long-term substitute Kimberly Bergcollins.

“I was a nurse at the UC Davis Medical Center,” Bergcollins said, “and then I worked as a nurse for about 10 years down in Monterey, at the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.”

In addition to working as a nurse,

Bergcollins also has prior experience as a teacher at Salinas High School.

“I used to teach in a community down in Salinas,” Bergcollins said.

When asked about the differences between teaching at Granite Bay High School and the previous school she worked at, Bergcollins said there was a different atmosphere to teaching in this area.

“Down there, a lot of (kids) are in the gangs already, and there’s pot-smoking at the school, or there’s people get shot at,”

Bergcollins said. “So it’s definitely a nice change to be working here.”

She also said students at GBHS have been very welcoming and seem to have the right kind of attitude when it comes to academics.

“I think that the kids here are great – they seem pretty studious and interested in the topic,” Bergcollins said. “It’s been a pleasant experience so far.”

Bergcollins is currently teaching an IB Biology and a physiology class. Although the students did undergo a change in teacher midway through the semester, Bergcollins said there wasn’t too big of a challenge to adapt.

“The curriculum hasn’t changed, as I’m

Gazette photo /EMILY WAGNER

A student examines a letter showing their acceptance into an early action program for undergraduate school.

just using the previous teacher’s material,” she said. “I think the change may have been slightly difficult because the students had a substitute teacher in between me and (McKeen), because she had to leave earlier than expected. But I think on the whole, they’re transitioning well.”

GBHS junior Ivy Liu, a student in Bergcollin’s IB Biology course, says the different teaching styles between McKeen and Bergcollins was the most difficult part of the transition from one teacher to another .

“The teaching style is definitely different because (Bergcollins) uses different teaching methods,” Liu said. “For example, we use the board more now rather

Kimberly Bergcollins The long-term substitute worked as a nurse at UC Davis Medical Center and taught at Salinas High. Now she teaches IB Biology and physiology at GBHS. than powerpoints.”

While the teaching style may vary from teacher to teacher, Liu said she wasn’t particularly worried that her learning experience in IB biology would be impacted.

“I’m not really worried about (myself) not learning,” Liu said. “It’s just a different way of learning.”

Your names. Your faces.

The Gazette

Friday, December 12, 2014

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

DRAMA: Program was inexpensive, valuable Continued from page A2

and got out of school (and) was lucky enough to get a job on a TV show.”

Williams now specializes in directing dynamic plays in which audiences get more of an interactive experience in the live production.

“The last two plays I’ve directed are more than just sitting in a seat,” Williams said. “(People) go to an experience where the audiences are on their feet, they don’t know what’s going to happen.

It could happen in front or behind them.

I give my audiences choice, so they get to interact with the play.”

Along with many drama students, a few alumni returned to visit some of the people who had previously taught in Holmes’ drama course.

“I started doing drama in fourth grade and acted at different theaters around the area,” GBHS graduate Perry Vargas said. “I know half of the people here, and they’re really good teachers.”

Vargas said he is proud to be a perform-

er and finds the program to be great for people who aren’t planning on pursuing a career in theater.

There were seven workshops available for a price of $50. Holmes said this was a steal for many reasons, and given the quality of the teachers, they could have easily charged hundreds of dollars to instruct the variety of workshops they taught.

“We’ve got a crash course in everything,” Holmes said. “They get seven 50-minute workshops for really cheap

– these guys could charge $120 per person in reality.”

Although the participants were mostly drama students, Holmes and Williams said the workshops are a great experience, even if students aren’t considering theater as a career.

“I would hope to inspire students here to look at something that is stuffy and bold and uninteresting,” Williams said, “and see how it can come alive in new and unexpected ways.”

SECURITY: Some students say emphasis is overdone Continued from page A2

whole vibe of our school from when I was a freshman is totally different. I used to like to come here, and now I feel like it’s a prison and I don’t want to come anymore.”

If officials decide to put more gates and fences in, they are set to go in the back by the baseball fields and by the gym to prevent people from driving out behind the school.

“I think the protections from things like school shootings aren’t really a huge concern for us,” McIntyre said. “As the prestigious area of Granite Bay, I feel like we don’t have that many threats from outside, and the threats we do have from outside are taken care of by police.

“I feel like, if anything, we should be spending time and money on the behaviors of different students and the things that actually happen in Granite

Bay High School.”

With the locked gates and an abundance of fences, security is tight at GBHS, but Herrick said it still can be improved.

“Instead of having one officer here, we could have multiple officers here,” Herrick said. “We could have video cameras everywhere. ... But the problem with video cameras is we have to monitor those cameras and I don’t have the time to sit and watch cameras all day long.”

Video cameras would add to the already increased security at GBHS, but Huss said she doesn’t feel it’s necessary.

“Our school needs to stop acting like the kids here are so bad,” Huss said. “Increased security is honestly a waste of money and is just going to make students more aggravated. We already don’t like the new administration, and that is what is causing us to act out.”

Security has been an issue at

GBHS this year, but it’s still not the only issue, according to McIntyre.

“As a student at Granite Bay, I think the security at this school isn’t an issue, but I do think we ignore a lot of things that happen inside the school,” McIntyre said. “I feel like we should be more worried about protecting our students and what happens between students inside than what happens outside the school.”

A6

SENATE: Critics say some attend for wrong reasons Continued from page A4 to be in student government and of providing quality input.

Even though she participates heavily, Johnson said she realizes some students attend for the wrong reasons.

“There are people who go for the food and to get out of second period,” Johnson said.

“You can tell it’s mainly people who don’t really care … Obviously, (an Advanced Placement class) is going to have driven and serious kids going there.”

Disregarding the apparent variety and validity of student participants, Student Senate’s goal is to hear the student body’s opinions on matters. However, it may prove to captivate the wrong group of students, so some question its ability to make crucial decisions.

“We just tell them how we feel about (some) things, but are we actually an accurate representation of how the school feels?”

Canete said. “We’re just two people from each class. We don’t even talk to our class about events.”

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Friday, December 12, 2014w The Granite Bay Gazette

A7 News Senior Lucas Baiocchi, left, gets taken away on a gurney to the hospital in an ambulance. Senior Madison Blackburn, top right, lays in the CHP helicopter to be life-flighted to the hospital.

Senior Spencer Bluett, middle, is arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Junior Savanna Thompson, bottom, lies on the hood of a car after being ejected through the windshield.

Members of “The Walking Dead,” far bottom, watch the crash scene unfold.

15 MINUTES: Significant planning helps create a successful program for GBHS involved has made it seem so much more real that teenagers aren’t immune to the consequences of drunk driving.”

According to David Martinez, the California Highway Patrol officer who oversees the program, the car crash simulation went very smoothly and the timing worked out well. All the agencies showed up when they were supposed to, and the students involved in the car accident played a huge role in the event.

Before the accident simulation, Bluett, the drunk driver, was extremely excited for the simulation but also nervous because of the significance of his role involving “improv” acting. Because of this, he said he hopes people will be appropriately affected during the event.

“I will take away a lot,” Bluett said. “It’s going to impact me forever and show just how serious drunk driving is and how much one decision can change a person’s life. Hopefully (the students) will also have an impact from the scene, and hopefully it will change their lives because it only takes just one moment, one decision.”

Because Holt is good friends with the “victims” in Kindelt’s car, she said she sees this event as an eye opener to the negative consequences of drunk driving and how it affects others around you.

“I had a big meltdown right there – I don’t think I could imagine if that was real,” Holt said. “I think students should really take it to heart and listen to the message, because it can happen at any time.”

Without the Every 15 Minutes program, GBHS students wouldn’t experience such a realistic carcrash simulation that opened their eyes to the horrific consequences of these dangerous actions.

Adviser dreads event After several years of directing the program, student government teacher and adviser Tamara Givens actually dreads the reenactment of a driving-under-the-influence accident because the event is emotionally and physically exhausting, but she acknowledges there are rewards in the end.

“My favorite part is watching the kids get reunited with their friends and their family after the service and then we all go and have lunch together,” Givens said.

“Just looking around knowing that they are all alive and everybody is OK, that is the best part.”

In order to make the event successful for GBHS students and the other agencies involved, preparation starts early.

“We started about six weeks ago – it takes a long time,” Givens said. “So we have meetings, starting out monthly, then meetings every couple of weeks to talk about what we’re doing to get ready.”

To plan for the event, countless people and organizations have key roles. This includes agencies such as the California Highway Patrol, the Placer County Fire Department, the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, ground and air ambulance firms, the county coroner, local hospitals and the county’s chaplaincy program.

Martinez said he focuses on coordinating all the agencies in order for the event to run smoothly.

“I am in constant contact with all mentioned agencies and their personnel to make sure everyone is on board and knows their responsibilities,” Martinez said.

“Because this is a staged event, timing is very important.”

Placer County sheriff and GBHS school resource officer Joe Herrick also helps work with these law enforcement agencies to put the program on. Finding donations for food and working with the chaplains and doing death notifications for the families are just some of the many things that need to happen ahead of time. “(Preparation involves) setting aside hospital rooms ... demanding the closure of the road, having the sign crew come drop off roadclosure signs, delivering pamphlets to the neighbors regarding the road closures,” Herrick said.

“It’s a real big deal that involves a lot of people, so we have been having multiple meetings.”

Because Every 15 Minutes is a staged event, all of the agencies prepare like it’s an actual accident.

CHP officers respond to investigate the accident, and they do a mock evaluation of a DUI driver, who is arrested and transported to the county jail – where that individual goes through the actual booking process.

“That part is simple,” Martinez said. “The other departments – the coroner, the hospital – all handle this program as if it were the real thing. That’s what makes the program unique. Everyone responds and handles their responsibilities as if it were the real thing.”

The student commissioner of Every 15 Minutes, senior Alex Baldonado, and his two assistant commissioners, seniors Natalie Rhodes and Austin Brown, are in charge of the more school-oriented activities, such as picking the students who will be participating in the event and making T-shirts.

Because students only experience this event once during their GBHS career, the program will be similar to the one in 2012 at GBHS, however, there will be a new added concept to the accident simulation.

“One thing we are adding to this year’s event is texting and driving, and that will be another cause of the crash because we think this idea is a lot more prevalent now with our generation, so we felt like it would be a big thing to miss,” Baldonado said.

Gazette photo /Colleen vivaldi

Gazette photo /kat mcgrail

Givens also said she believes there is a much larger percentage of GBHS students who text and drive vs. drinking and driving. By incorporating this new concept into the program, organizers hope to increase the impact on GBHS students.

“We want that to be in the forefront because I know that this year, more of our kids do (text and drive),” Givens said. “It is hugely significant.”

Teacher prepares for filming Media coordinator and teacher Zachary Weidkamp has also been preparing approximately 30 students who will help shoot this year’s Every 15 Minutes event by demonstrating various filming and editing methods for the simulation.

A media team created a plan for who will film each specific event within the program, such as the jail scene or the car crash.

They do this based on what media students want to record, what they are capable of and if whether can afford to miss some class periods during the two days.

“I’m trying to be as much as a hands-off teacher as I can be and have the students do as much of the work as they can,” Weidkamp said. “Ultimately it’s their creativity and their project, I’m just scaffolding the structure in which it needs to fall and reside in.”

Also new this year will be a news company coming all the way from France to film the event.

“They’ve heard about the program and want to see first hand what the program looks like,” Martinez said. “Possibly, they may have a problem with young drivers in their country and may want to have a program like Every 15 Minutes.”

Weidkamp sees this as an opportunity to help in any way possible and to hopefully show what an amazing program Every 15 Minutes is.

“I think it’s really neat to show what Granite Bay does, because there are some schools that don’t have a film department or media department,” Weidkamp said. “So they either don’t do it or they have to pay someone else to do it, so I think its a really cool thing.”

Students plan for selection Another key aspect of Every 15 Minutes is the people who are chosen to participate in the program. This year, Baldonado, Rhodes and Brown selected a wide variety of students to take part in the event.

“Usually the commissioners pick with administrator help and with Officer Herrick who make the final decisions,” Givens said. “Except for this year Mrs. (Sybil) Healy emailed all the staff and asked for input of students that would be influential and would benefit from the experience.”

The goal is to pick students from

a large variety of school cliques and groups, so that during the event, all students will feel a direct impact from whoever is chosen from their group.

“For example, like the kids in band will have someone die in the program and they will be affected,” Baldonado said. “Then we will have a kid on the football team die so their teammates will be affected. And then there will be a kid from drama and the IB program. So we try to get an equal representation from every clique or posse on campus.”

Most of the students involved with the program are more than willing to help because, according to Martinez, Every 15 Minutes is very well known around the country and does save young lives. It helps students appreciate what happens when someone makes a bad decision and how many peoples’ lives are affected by that one poor choice.

During the program, the participants will take a tour of the jail and of the county morgue, and they also participate in a student retreat where they get to share their thoughts about what they have seen and what they have witnessed, “So it goes beyond just those 30 kids involved, because they are going to share with their friends the impact they had with them saying, ‘Wow, this is what a jail looks like and this is what a morgue looks like,’ ” Herrick said. “So hopefully, they are going to share that with their friends and they are going to make good decisions and not drink and drive.”

After several years of experiencing Every 15 Minutes, Givens keeps supporting the program because she said she thinks it has an impact on GBHS. After experiencing the loss of a student at another high school, it angers her when students don’t take Every 15 Minutes seriously because they don’t realize how their lives would be vastly different if someone is killed in an accident.

“The kids who don’t get anything out of it, that’s their choice because the program is so good

Gazette photo /Colleen vivaldi

Gazette photo /Jenna Mccarthy

Gazette photo /Jenna Mccarthy

and so powerful and done so well from all these people that help put it on,” Givens said. “So the kids that take it seriously and get something out of it, hopefully it will change their lives.”

Baldonado has also already seen how the last Every 15 Minutes has helped the community with fewer students drinking and driving and more becoming increasingly cautious of their actions at parties.

“The program has made everyone realize that drunk driving hurts not only yourself, but also other people,” Baldonado said.

“Like now, before you drink and drive, people will take your keys

because you’re not cool for doing that. So it’s kind of like a whole culture now that drinking and driving is not something that’s cool to do, so we really think it does affect everyone.”

Because of all of the agencies and people involved who put time and effort into the preparation for event, the program is consistently successful at GBHS. “The program is all about good choices, and the students will see that their peers in the program now have a second chance,” said Martinez, the CHP officer.

“In reality, we don’t get second chances.”

Friday, December 12, 2014

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A8

Every 15 Minutes is very real for some students Senior shares story of his sister’s death in drunk driving crash

BY TAMREN JOHNK

tjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

For some students at Granite Bay High School, Every 15 Minutes is all too real.

Senior Steven Ponzo is one student who has experienced, firsthand, the tragedy of a drunk driving accident.

At age 20, his sister Lindsay died in a drunk-driving accident, after colliding with another car.

“She was out late at night drinking and driving, and she dropped her phone and went to grab it and

swerved into oncoming traffic,” Steven said. “She was ejected out of the vehicle because she was not wearing a seat belt, and she died instantly.”

Ponzo said his whole family has been affected tremendously by the loss of their sister and daughter. Even though it has been nine years since the accident, Ponzo said his family is still recovering and doesn’t think they ever will completely.

“My mom went into depression for five years,” Ponzo said.

“There’s a gap of my childhood

where I don’t even remember my mom because she did not leave her bedroom. The doctor labeled her as ‘depressed’ for five years, and finally one day my mom just snapped out of it, and she said, ‘I need to be there for my (other children’s) lives.’ On the fifth year, she said she needed to get her life back together, and she did.”

During GBHS’s Every 15 Minutes in 2008, Ponzo’s sister Marcie actually spoke in front of the juniors and seniors and talked about her experience with the death of Lindsay. Since then, Ponzo said he

has been looking forward to sharing his experiences, just as his sister did, with the juniors and seniors this year. He said he sees this as his opportunity to help prevent drunkdriving accidents from happening and to help save some lives. “(Every 15 Minutes) is an event that means the world to me,” he said. “It is something that can make an impact, even if it’s one person out of the entire junior and senior class, because then that means it’s one more person that I know I can save. It’s something that’s scary because you’re mess-

ing with something that can ruin the rest of your family’s lives.”

Because of Lindsay’s death, Ponzo said he has learned many valuable life lessons that he will remember forever. He said Lindsay’s death has made his family become closer and has made him mature at a young age by showing him the consequences of alcohol and drugs, and the significance of drinking and driving.

“Don’t drink and drive – it’s not worth it,” he said. “Just envision yourself not there. Envision your parents crying themselves to sleep.

Envision your sister, your brother, your cousins, your aunts, your uncles. Picture all of them crying

themselves to sleep for years because you made a stupid mistake when … (you could) give someone a phone call and say, ‘Hey I need a ride.’

“It’s so easy, and yet people just make it so hard.” Basham said if a student is in need of serious medical services, the school first encourages that student to seek help from their parents or trusted adult.

Serrano said she agrees that students should seek help from their parents or other adults they trust.

“As a healthcare professional and parent, I strongly encourage students to talk with parents or a trusted adult if a situation arises,” Serrano said.

APPOINTMENTS: Policy allows students to leave campus for medical reasons Continued from page A1

According to Basham, students have not left for confidential medical appointments frequently.

“I don’t have a definite number, other than that I don’t believe it happens very often,” Basham said.

“I was a site principal for eight years (at Roseville High), and I’m only aware of a handful of situations at the high school I was at.”

Basham said once a student is excused from school, the student is responsible for him or herself.

“If they ... leave, at that point, we don’t have that responsibility,” Basham said. “They’ve been released ... for an excused reason based on California Ed Code. The liability wouldn’t fall back on the school.”

If parents discover their son or daughter has left school, according to Basham, the school still cannot disclose that the student left for a confidential medical appointment.

“That’s where we have to say, ‘You’re going to have to ask your son or daughter why they were out of school,’ ” Basham said. “But we hope that it doesn’t get to that point.”

The California Education Code is clear that students may leave school for confidential medical appointments, but the law has not been implemented without controversy. Several years ago, a situation arose in which several GBHS parents urged the school district not to enforce the policy.

“Our school district ... was basically being asked to violate state law,” Advanced Placement Government teacher Jarrod Westberg said. “The controversy was if ... our nurse (who would permit a student to leave) ... goes with state law, then the nurse could be insubordinate to the school district. But if they go against the state, they could lose their nursing license.”

According to Westberg, many of the parents involved in pressuring the school district believed girls were frequently utilizing the policy to get abortions.

“From the data ... it was barely happening,” Westberg said. “I don’t even think a lot of people knew about it at the time.”

The focus of the dispute, Westberg said, was not on the policy allowing students to leave campus, but instead about why the students might be leaving campus.

“I mean as a parent, I understand the concern with there being some loophole where their kid could possibly leave (school), it just appeared that ... it was really getting to be a very political thing on why people were leaving,” Westberg said. “There’s a lot of things (the policy) could be for, but the politics behind this were appearing very one-sided as to why they were pushing the district to go against the state.”

The school district ultimately was not able to contradict the state law.

According to Basham, many parents oppose the policy because they want the right to know if their

child is seeking medical attention for any reason.

“As a parent myself, you hope that your children feel confident and comfortable and safe enough to come to you when there’s these major types of issues, whether it’s if they’re not sure if they’re pregnant or (they have contracted a) communicable disease or if they have a drug or alcohol problem and they’re looking for counseling,” Basham said.

“When they leave (school) in the middle of the day and you don’t know about that, it’s disturbing. And when they leave because they don’t want to tell you why they’re leaving, that is even more disturbing.”

Basham said if a student is in need of serious medical services, the school first encourages that student to seek help from their parents or trusted adult.

Serrano said she agrees that students should seek help from their parents or other adults they trust.

“As a healthcare professional and parent, I strongly encourage students to talk with parents or a trusted adult if a situation arises,” Serrano said.

CHRISTMAS: The holiday CAMPAIGNS: Students enjoy the opportunity to garners much controversy work with the members of political campaigns Continued from page A2

Continued from page A1

“I was looking on the National Association for Music Education page,” GBHS choir director Megan Cooper said. “There have been lawsuits in the past where people have said, ‘Hey, why are you making my student sing a Christmas song?’ or any sort of religious text,” These lawsuits claim that requiring students to learn religious music violates the First Amendment, but the courts have upheld that school choirs are not infringing on students’ rights by teaching sacred music.

“The First Amendment protects from the advancement of religion,” Cooper said, “but when a sacred piece is used in an educational manner to teach about history or music form...it is OK as long as it’s not advancing: ‘You must believe what this music says.’”

In the upcoming holiday choir performance this December, students will be singing numerous secular texts as well as a few traditionally religious pieces, including a Gregorian chant originating from the Roman Catholic Church.

“I had one kid say when we started the Gregorian chant, ‘this is really Christian music,’ but I explained to them … the history of doing this kind of music in choirs,” Cooper said, “(My students) are all pretty laid back about that … They know that I’m not trying to push anything on them. I’m just trying to expose them to good music and teach them.”

Despite the diversity of religious beliefs at GBHS, the culture tends to “focus mainly on Christmas traditions than anything else,” according to Frank.

“I do think that public schools have improved a little on acceptance of other religions,” Frank said, “but not enough to make every student’s faith feel recognized and known.”

“I interned at … Nestande’s Capitol office over the summer and earlier this year,” Cassano said. “He ran for the Congressional district (that includes) his assembly district and unfortunately, lost. I worked in the Capitol office, where it is illegal to discuss or work on anything campaign related,” Cassano said. “But on my own time, I would help draft emails, letters and flyers.”

Bera ended up winning the 7th District Congressional race and Kaluvai made the discovery that she might want to pursue a career revolving around politics and policy.

“I am really interested in getting involved with policy making from a science perspective or maybe even pursue law to represent research and/or pharmaceutical companies,” Kaluvai said. “I haven’t decided anything for sure, but this internship made me appreciate and learn more about how politics can affect business.”

Similarly, Cassano was inspired by the whole process of campaigning and is planning to major in political science in college.

“I’m going to major in political science and minor in business,” Cassano said. “This experience confirmed for me that’s what I want to do. I want to help write legislation, and I learned that because of my experience.”

Westberg, the AP government teacher, said these opportunities for students are beneficial and a great way to become educated on such an essential part of American culture.

“I think it’s great for them to get the experience and see what it is like behind the scenes,” he said. “Selfishly for me, I love it because I get cool information from them from what they see, especially stuff

that’s really interesting or really strange.

“I think it’s such an eye opener for them, especially if they are planning on majoring in political science or go into law.”

Through their internships, Cassano and Kulivai both increased their knowledge of the political world and enjoyed working with intelligent individuals.

“The people working on his campaign were so passionate and truly believed in Nestande and the moderate Republican that he is,” Cassano said. “It was nice experiencing that. He really treated me like an equal and not an intern, which was an amazing experience.”

Building a network of contacts was a prominent lesson that both girls came to appreciate.

“The main thing I learned from the campaign is the importance (of) how to build a network,” Kaluvai said. “I got to attend many events where my bosses taught me how to gain contacts and create a network in case I am looking for similar opportunities in the future.

“The best part was getting to meet famous politicians like (former president) Bill Clinton and (California lieutenant governor) Gavin Newsom.”

Westberg said having young people serve as interns is beneficial to not only the young individuals themselves, but also to the political parties.

“It is fantastic (for them) to see how the system works,” Westberg said of how students benefit. “I think it’s cool how (political parties) are reaching out to high school kids because both those parties need so much help with the younger population. … They never talk to the younger population, so when they come and try to recruit younger people, I think it’s great.”

CHEATING: Students and teachers share opinions on cheating at GBHS Continued from page A1

high school,” Healy said.

But is cheating ever justified? Does extreme academic pressure grant students the right to steal the work of others?

Advanced Placement American government teacher Jarrod Westberg doesn’t think so.

“It’s the sense of not putting in the normal effort or learning it for yourself,” Westberg said.

“There’s just so much pressure, so they cheat, but it’s not sending a good message (to the student).”

Westberg said he draws a firm boundary when it comes to cheating. He explained that cheating doesn’t only hurt the student being cheated off of, but the cheater as well.

“My fear with cheating and not getting severe punishments ... is that it goes into (the cheater’s) personality and later (into their) lives,” Westberg said.

Westberg also said he thinks honest students experience a monumental injustice because the students who cheat are more likely to get admitted to top colleges, because they have better grades.

“The person who cheats beats the person ... who

did it on their own,” Westberg said. “The honest people get burned by the dishonest people.”

AP European History teacher Michael Valentine said he attributes the large amount of cheating at GBHS to the tremendous amount of parent pressure on students to be admitted to top-tier colleges.

Last year, Valentine experienced a cheating scandal on one of his AP European History tests. He said a student took a photograph of an exam and was suspended for it. Many students own a smartphone and have it with them during class, enabling them to cheat by taking photos, sending text messages during the test or quiz and even posting on social media about the content.

Healy said using a smartphone to cheat has become more and more common at GBHS. “(Taking pictures of tests) is frequent … and it’s happened … four times this year just with my students,” Healy said. “Most phones are … within five feet of everyone all day long.”

Although cheating with electronics is prevalent, many students are still cheating “traditionally” by glancing at another student’s test.

An GBHS senior girl who asked not to be identified admitted to cheating in her junior year.

“The only time I have cheated was in (AP Statistics) junior year on a test,” the senior girl said. “I did it because I honestly had no idea (how to solve) a problem and I knew that if I (cheated, I) would be able to do the problem. I don’t think it significantly changed (my grade) but it did earn me eight points on an FRQ I wouldn’t haven’t gotten otherwise.”

The senior said she believes cheating is prevalent at GBHS. “I do think cheating is the norm,” she said.

There is a policy in place at GBHS that aims to inhibit academic dishonesty, but it leaves almost all discretion to the teacher.

Healy said cheaters experience virtually no consequences from the administration because teachers have a majority of the deciding power. The only consequence from the administration is that the student is flagged in the school’s student database, Aeries, and their names are added to the Academic Dishonesty List, available to all teachers, of students who have been caught cheating.

“Right now the teacher has a lot of latitude, so you get your consequences in class – which usually means (no credit) for that assignment or project,” Healy said. “Usually there’s not a discipline

consequence (from the administration) other than that it’s noted in Aeries as an academic ... integrity violation.”

Senior Ashna Shah was on the opposite end of the situation in her freshman year when another student cheated off her on a written assignment.

Shah said that, at first, the teacher thought she gave her paper away willingly to the other student, so she was going to be punished for cheating. Eventually, the teacher realized Shah hadn’t cheated. Because she was almost punished for an infraction she didn’t commit, Shah said she wishes the GBHS policy could be altered to assure innocent students aren’t punished.

“There is no warning system,” Shah said. “I could have easily gotten (on) the Academic Dishonesty List for … cheating, so one warning would be a nice way of leaving the innocent kids off the list.”

Healy, however, said she disagrees – she said there should be a stricter policy in place to stop cheating at GBHS entirely.

“I think it should be (more strict) just because … it’s easy to copy and send things on to other students,” Healy said. “I think we need to catch up with technology.”

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GAZETTE PSA: Christmas is actually a religious day The Granite Bay

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

Editors-in-Chief: Tamren Johnk Akash Khosla Neha Kompella Colleen Vivaldi News Editors: Jacqueline Gordon Jenna McCarthy Voices Editors: Savitri Asokan Treasa Mairead Hayes Lifestyle Editors: Troy Pawlak Garbhita Shah Emily Wagner Green Screen Editors: Epsa Sharma Harrison Tucker Brian Zhuang

Freedom of religion regarding holidays needs respect

D

ISCLAIMER: This article will discuss Christmas in the context of what it actually is – a religious holiday. It will discuss my irritation at how the general population attempts to ignore this, and it will discuss the ever-more-taboo subject of religion.

If you find that the opinions of a single writer who you don’t know are somehow just too much for you to handle, then stop reading. No one is forcing you to read such an “offensive” article. Happy Whatever Holiday Doesn’t Offend You. This year, I’m going to celebrate Passover. And no, I’m not Jewish.

Now, I know this is a sacred holiday and everything. And I know that in celebrating it, I won’t understand any of its true meaning. And I certainly won’t be respecting those to whom it bears significance.

But the bottom line is that holidays usually mean more food, more fun and, most

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jacqueline gordon jgordon.gazette@gmail.com

importantly, less work and school. And maybe somewhere along the way, I’ll even find some reason to make people feel obligated to buy me things that I will ultimately waste.

Now that I have established my own, secular version of Passover, I expect that everyone else kindly not discuss the religious aspect of Passover. Celebrating Passover as a religious holiday, at least in a public forum, is offensive to me and therefore violates my freedom to not be offended, which is vastly more important than everyone else’s freedom to practice their religion.

For those of you who didn’t catch the mild satire: No, I am not going to celebrate Passover this year. Passover is a religious holiday. Without belonging to that particular religion, it would be inappropriate for me to observe that holiday, because I would never degrade and disrespect Judaism so much as to use its sacred holiday for personal gain.

Christmas began because a little child was born: a baby that I believe was the son

Sports Editors: Maggie Bell Steven Gerisch Caroline Palmer Online Editor: Akash Khosla Illustrators: Akash Khosla Troy Pawlak Brian Zhuang Photo Editor: Katherine McGrail Staff Writers/ Photographers: Natalie Erickson Olivia Heppell Hannah Holzer Kelsey Ito Lauren Jackson Carissa Lewis Amanda Nist Blake Panter Amanda Prather Jacqueline Romero Anjali Shrivastava Hannah Xu Adviser: Karl Grubaugh

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

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

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

Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer.

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

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of God. If you don’t believe that, I respect that entirely.

What I don’t respect is stripping all the meaning out of what is, whether you like it or not, a religious holiday.

Today, Christmas is little more than Christmas trees, Hallmark movies, and, in the words of the great Charlie Brown, “a big commercial racket.”

Now, it seems that associating Christmas with Christianity in a public setting is somehow offensive to those who aren’t of the Christian faith.

But I find a culture stripping away the significance of a religion’s sacred holiday and utilizing it as a means to give and receive presents far more offensive.

Perhaps I’m a hypocrite. After all, I am the first in line to watch Christmas Vacation, put up Christmas lights and generally participate in traditions that, today, have little connection to the religious nature of Christmas.

However, ultimately, Christmas is still a religious holiday, and that’s what it truly means to me – not presents or Christmas lights or even friends and family, though I’m grateful for all of those things.

I understand the commercial side of Christmas has become an established part of our culture, and I don’t individually criticize any person for not being Christian and still celebrating Christmas.

But it’s wrong and disrespectful to ask others not to practice the religious nature of their holiday publicly for the sake of “not offending.”

I believe in the radical idea of freedom of religion. This, in my opinion, does not mean people have the freedom to practice only in their homes. They have every right to take their religion or specific set of beliefs anywhere they please so long as it does not harm anyone.

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, atheism – all these belief structures have just as much right as any other to celebrate what they see as worth celebrating, and all should have the right to preach their beliefs as much as any other.

As a collective culture, we need to spend less time worrying about “offending” and more time having intelligent, respectful conversations about religion. *** Jacqueline Gordon, a senior, is a Gazette News editor.

Gazette illustration /TROY PAWLAK

The Tribe’s ‘Rich-Out’ proves plain ignorance

GBHS spirit section crosses line of rude insensitivity

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playful high school rivalry can easily be taken a bit too far.

On Nov. 7, the Granite Bay High School football team played Del Oro High School.

The game took place at GBHS, so the Tribe, the student-led spirit group of GBHS, was in attendance. And believe me, it was ever-so-present.

The Tribe and the Black Hole, the Del Oro student section, have a long history of rivalry.

In recent years, the rivalry has become quite brutal with the painting of the stone grizzly in front of GBHS, and the inscription of insulting profanity on the Del Oro football field.

But nothing compares with the most recent acts of rivalry.

On Nov. 7 the Tribe held a “rich-out.” It represented itself by dressing “rich,” personifying the wealthy Granite Bay stereotype and mocking Del Oro’s rural loca-

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jenna mccarthy jmccarthy.gazette@gmail.com

tion and farm-like persona.Girls wore dresses and fur, while boys wore suits and ties.

The Del Oro spirit group responded by representing their hillbilly-esque, farmer stereotype.

They were seen wearing cargo and camouflage, playing right into their negative image as well.

As a student here, I am unbelievably disappointed by the actions of

my peers.

I can’t deny that Granite Bay is a wealthy and affluent community.

It’s a demographically proven fact.

However, I can say that Granite Bay is not its stereotype.

Well, I used to be able to say that.

The recent actions of the Tribe are causing doubts.

Almost everyone I encounter at GBHS and in the Granite Bay community is friendly and cordial.

Yes, they’re wealthy, but they don’t tend to flaunt it.

Occasionally, I come across someone unfriendly or those who proudly display their wealth, but that’s typically an anomaly.

I transferred here during my sophomore year, and it was a smooth transition because the students were incredibly friendly.

Granite Bay, overall, is a friendly community that doesn’t play into its stereotype. I guess its high school students didn’t get the memo.

Granite Bay, unfortunately, has a negative stereotype of being rich and nasty. But – news flash – you can rise above it. A stereotype doesn’t define you, and it never should.

If stereotypes provided definition, Joan of Arc would’ve been a peasant; Abraham Lincoln would’ve been uneducated.

Stereotypes don’t set the precedent – though they demand to be proven, you can rise above them.

That’s exactly why I’m so embarrassed by the “rich-out.” The Tribe was presented with the opportunity to rise above the Granite Bay stereotype, but it chose to give in.

There was an opportunity to show Del Oro that GBHS is so much more than its stereotype.

The Tribe could’ve shown that GBHS is an incredible school with an abundance of integrity. They could’ve shown GBHS for what it truly is. Now, that opportunity is gone.

Not only did we fulfill our stereotype, I was incredibly ashamed of the rudeness of the “rich-out.”

Holding up signs that read, “My dad bought this sign” and “The most expensive car at Del Oro is a John Deere tractor,” is incredibly offensive.

I don’t think my peers realized that actual Del Oro students and parents would read their signage and, naturally, be taken aback.

Hanging money off your clothes isn’t any better either. By putting hundred-dollar bills on your clothes, are you insinuating that Del Oro and the Loomis communities don’t have money? Because that’s completely false.

I’m bothered by how trivial the “rich-out” was for the Tribe. It had no problem blatantly degrading Del Oro and the surrounding communities.

Sorry, Tribe, but I’ve been told you looked more like the Flintstones than rich Granite Bay residents. *** Jenna McCarthy, a senior, is a Gazette News editor.

Distracted driving remains a major issue I EDITORIAL

n 1995, a report on drunk driving deaths found a statistic that would strike thousands with its poignant resonance: every 15 minutes, someone in America will die of a drunk driving accident.

In recent years, the statistic has declined – from 15 down to between 30-40 minutes – but the urgency of the statement has remained. Several programs targeting distracted driving, which has expanded to include smoking, drugs and texting as well as alcohol, have become a mainstay of hundreds of schools across the nation.

The unspeakable grief that all too often comes with a distracted driving death has been, through these kinds of programs, etched indelibly into the post-millenial American consciousness. We are all certain of one thing – this cannot keep

The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

happening.

And this is the rationale behind programs such as Granite Bay High School’s own “Every 15 Minutes,” a biannual two day long event that stages the death of a student due to irresponsible drunk driving. Every two years, juniors and seniors watch as an intoxicated peer hits and kills another, is subsequently arrested and confronted with the magnitude of their crime, represented by the array of “dead” students gathered nearby.

Clearly, this display evokes ardent emo-

tions in onlookers. able to scrutinize the deeper issues of But like so many other events put on society, such as the unnecessary, wasteby student government for the benefit of ful involvement of local officials like the general population, what was conthe police. According to these people, ceived as a potentially it doesn’t matter if the thought-provoking exposure to the dangers of event has drawn distracted driving saves even We are all certain a single life. almost as much ire as admiration. of one thing – this The kind of persnickety Despite the gravity mindset that causes these cannot keep of the issue which it criticisms are precisely the happening. seeks to address, there reason that Every 15 Minare those who believe utes continues to be relevant. that criticism is more Distracted driving is a important; that despite chronic problem that needs the potential to save to be addressed directly, and lives, it’s somehow better to ridicule it as can only be fixed if people afford it the manipulative melodrama and an unneces- proper consequence. sary waste of taxpayers’ money.

Maybe then, the statistic will cease to These skeptics pride themselves as be as dire and compelling as it is now. having a greater clarity of perspective,

Friday, December 12, 2014

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The Granite Bay Gazette

Voices A10

Hanukkah disregarded during holidays

Heard Ignorance of other religions causes exclusion on the BAY I What’s your favorite Netflix series to watch over break?

“Breaking Bad because it has really good character development.”

freshman

Will Anderson “Gossip Girl because I love all the dynamic characters.”

t’s the most wonderful time of the year, but not for everyone. For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, because of religious or personal choices, the winter season can feel exclusive and even annoying.

Growing up in a community where 99.99 percent of people celebrate Christmas, as a Jew celebrating only Hanukkah, I know the feeling of exclusion.

During the holiday season it’s impossible to walk into a store, even our neighborhood grocery store, without being bombarded by Christmas ornaments, decor and music.

This feeling of isolation fostered by Christmas popularity should seemingly create a resentment toward the holiday, but in fact the issue is a lot more problematic. Being the only person in the Hanukkah section surrounded by sparkling and glittering ornaments is like being a kid in a candy store given vegetables instead.

And believe me, I don’t dislike celebrating Hanukkah. In fact, I love celebrating for eight days, the story behind the holiday, the food and being one of the only ones that does in our school.

However, it’s not always fun to scavenge the entire Target superstore and find only a small aisle endcap of leftover items for your holiday while the Christ-

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hannah holzer hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

mas decorations have an entire section of the store reserved. In fact, it makes me feel less than those who do celebrate Christmas.

By shoving the Christmas holiday down the throats of all Americans, it’s not surprising the people on the outskirts of the season feel compelled to celebrate and sing along with carols. Any fad popularized by the media will eventually cause those on the outskirts to feel left out and unaccepted.

Exclusion isn’t the only problem during the holidays – ignorance seems to be in abundance during the winter season as well. It seems to have become the

Christmas. While some Jews have parents that do celebrate Christmas, my family solely celebrates Hanukkah, popular idea that Christmas is the only but everyone I encountered simply asholiday worth mentioning, therefore any sumed I “had” to celebrate both. Or at holiday greeting must only consist of least incorporate Christmas in some “Merry Christmas.” way, shape or form into my winter celFor those of us who ebrations. don’t celebrate the seemIt doesn’t distress or ingly worldwide phebother me that the manomenon, we resent bejority of people living ing an afterthought, a All I’m asking is in the Granite Bay “Happy Hanukkah” or community have no just more “Kwanzaa” or “Happy idea about the reasonconsideration for ing or story of HanukHolidays” after the allimportant “Merry Christpeople who don’t kah. All I’m asking mas.” is just more considcelebrate These thoughtless and eration for people automatic remarks may Christmas. who don’t celebrate be careless but are in fact Christmas. exclusive. I understand it The holiday season is an arduous task to audishould feel the most bly change your go-to rewelcoming, the most mark from the two-word warm and the most loving.

It’s a time “Merry Christmas” to the more inclusive for us to reflect on the good things in two-word statement “Happy Holidays,” our lives and especially a time to keep but it is doable.

From an early age, I have learned that friends and family near.

Exclusion and ignorance shouldn’t be the holiday I celebrate is not as worthy characteristics involved in the holiday or special as Christmas. In first grade, a season, so this winter, remember to be crossword puzzle we were given asked about our whereabouts on Christmas Eve inclusive in both your state of mind and with the correct answer being “church.” comments. *** Early on I have also learned that the Hannah Holzer, a junior, is a general assumption is that everyone, in some way or another, must celebrate Gazette staff writer.

There’s no excuse for making offensive jokes

Stereotypes and victimization are serious, not humorous

sophomore

I

Haylee Miller “The Office because it’s funny and I relate to every character.”

junior

Kassidy Henson “House of Cards because I’m always on the edge of my seat.”

get that we do not always want to think about the social injustices of the world. They are never-ending, and getting involved in just one issue usually entails a significant, emotional contribution on one’s part.

Is it even possible as an individual to fix all the world’s problems? No. But me, being the proudly idealistic adolescent I am, I think we should at least try.

People seem to hold the false notion that in order to be funny, they have to mock others. This misconception has led to an abundance of jokes targeted at specific groups of people which in turn downplays the severity of very real issues of discrimination.

In my opinion, the keys to comedy are one, timing, and two, relating to who you’re speaking to.

When you joke about serious topics such as race, number two is crucial.

For example, if a black person were to stand in front of a black audience and point out the humor that can be found in existing in a society saturated with institutionalized racism, that would be OK. In that situation, everyone can laugh and find the silver lining in the inequity they

deal with every day. Although the humor might be crass, the person performing it understands the pain beneath it because they are subjected to it every day. It’s an exchange between the comedian and the people.

When someone who hasn’t been through those same experiences says the same thing, it’s not an exchange. That person has not been there and does not get what he or she is making fun of.

That person can have 1,000 black friends, can marry a black person, have half-black kids, but will never be black.

However, the fact that the comic isn’t black and is joking about it isn’t what angers me. What angers me is that this person probably has no interest in learning about the lives and history of African Americans.

If they did, would they be ridiculing those old, apish stereotypes?

I don’t care if you think you haven’t done something wrong. I will give you the benefit of believing you if you do.

But, making no effort to learn what it is you did and why it was so hurtful – especially making no effort to amend it – is boorish and ignorant.

If you don’t want to be considered

N Tyler Soares Gazette photos/KELSEY ITO

“The Office, because ... you see the different personalities come out of people.”

staff

Brandon Dell’orto Compiled by Kelsey Ito

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anjali shrivastava

‘No homo’ actually means ‘No sensitivity’ Homosexuality should not be a prerequisite for showing affection

senior

oblivious, put some thought into how ed by these “harmless” quips and people you can treat that group with respect and will say things like,“It’s not a big deal,” still be funny. It’s going to be harder than or, “That’s just the way things are,” or making stupid, uninformed remarks, but my personal favorite, “You’re being too you won’t be sustaining stereotypes and sensitive.”

Maybe I am being too sensitive, but discrimination that make entire commuI would rather live in a society that is nities feel bad about themselves. conscious of others’ quandaries I understand rather than an indifferent one. that making Nothing good can come from a racist joke saying, “That’s just the way does not authings are.” Often, we’ll tell tomatically ourselves that society needs make you a to change, but unless you are racist. I don’t actively changing yourself or think you’re changing the way you affect otha racist if you ers, you are part of the problem. make a racist But if we educate ourselves joke.

Howand listen to others, we have a ever, I will shot at becoming more aware as think you have a society. a disinterest in We have to think about social the things that ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com constructions and the way they exist outside negatively affect our lives in of yourself and order to think of ways to make society a the bubble of your life.

It is important to address and discuss better place for all of us. Listen to what sociopolitical issues even if you believe others have to say and hopefully, sympathize with what they’re saying. they don’t directly pertain to you.

Society should be more like my teeth You totally have a right to feel offended by someone else’s actions or words. after eagerly devouring an ice cream bar – sensitive.

Likewise, so does everyone else. *** Not everyone is the same and not everyone has the same problems or privileges Anjali Shrivastava, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer. that you may have.

A lot of the time, I will be quite offend-

o homo” – a phrase so incredibly ridiculous it makes me want to pour hydrochloric acid down my ears.

A guy says to his other guy friend “You look really good today!” but of course it’s followed by a “Oh, but no homo dude!”

When did it become so taboo to show affection for one another? When did sending a compliment to a friend become a bad thing? And when exactly did we have to start saying that we aren’t actually homosexual every single time that we said something nice to each other?

I understand. This is a trend. A fad. However, ever stop and think about how a short-term fad affects others? Because it does.

With two short words, an onslaught of negative thoughts and feelings are thrown about.

With two short words, you say that showing affection is a bad thing because “Looky here, I’m too straight to possibly show that I care about someone who happens to be the same gender as me!”

With two short, measly words, you convey that by

Your names.

tions ought to be coming out of you, sir! complimenting a friend, you must definitely mean So, now this trend gives them an excuse to care you’re gay. about another guy. But there shouldn’t be a need to And by having to say that you’re not gay, you’re have an excuse! If you’re a guy and you want to telling those that are in fact homosexual that it’s say, “Dude! I think your hair looks spot on today!” not normal, and that we should all be sticking to then go right ahead. No lame excuses of “no homo” normality. needed.

Just yesterday I was talking to Commentary Straight people, and those who someone who didn’t believe in gay are comfortable with the gender rights. I asked him what he thought they are given and accept it, have about the whole “no homo” trend. it easiest – they aren’t criticized He approved of it because he about their sexuality or ridiculed said that we shouldn’t be wanting for being straight. people to think that we were gay And yet, people who are hetsince, of course, being gay is a sin. erosexual are so … not confident But what I don’t understand is with their “straightness” that they why on earth is showing that we can’t say something affectionate care a “homosexual only” thing? without thinking that it’s gay. And Are people so out of touch with that’s a problem pushed by socitheir cisgender heterosexuality etal norms and stereotypes that that they can’t embrace the fact desperately needs to be fixed. that saying that you love somehxu.gazette@gmail.com Not only is the saying degrading one doesn’t always have to be a to those who are actually homoromantic thing? I say that I love sexual, it’s hard to imagine the roles being reversed. my friends all the time; never have I had to say that But if they were, think of how many straight people “I ain’t lesbian!” would be insulted.

Which kind of leads me to this next point: this “No hetero man!” See how ridiculous that trend seems to be an only-boys kind of thing.

Girls are taught from the start that it’s OK to take sounds? control of that emotional side to them, which makes *** them human. But right from the start, boys were Hannah Xu, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer. taught to only embrace the masculine side. No emo-

hannah xu

Your faces.

The Gazette.

Friday, December 12, 2014

w

The Granite Bay Gazette

Voices A11

Positivity doesn’t have to entail unrealistic oblivion Whether it’s half empty or half full, it’s still just a glass

P

essimism is known as many things – cynicism, negativism, doubtfulness – and not all of these are entirely inaccurate. But when people refer to pessimism as realism, they are no longer describing it accurately.

People act as though optimists are ignorant souls fantasizing the world as they want it to be, rather than viewing it for what it is. That’s called overly optimistic. Being overly pessimistic is really not all that different. Instead of dreaming about an ideal world, an extreme pessimist sees only a world of nightmares.

Optimism is not about being oblivious to or even ignoring the negatives. It’s about choosing to focus on the positives despite the unsatisfactory situations that may occur.

An optimist, who would say the glass is half full, is

no less accurate than the pessimist who says it is half empty. Neither is the pessimist less accurate than the optimist. So why, then, do people consider pessimists to be realists?

Children are raised in a society in which their parents are constantly warning them of the dangers that lurk about. They are raised with the idea that the world is filled with evil and are rarely given a more positive perspective. Although a parent’s intention is only to prepare their children for the “real world,” they end up giving them a one-sided viewpoint.

While being aware is not a bad thing, over-concern can be. To be so guarded that you never allow the opportunity to explore and to take reasonable risks for fear that something bad will come out of it – that limits your ability to expand your capacity of happiness and the potential that optimists focus on.

Look at it this way. Two people have lived in the same place all their life and have had limited opportunity to go anywhere else. The pessimist looks at the situation and says, “Year after year, I keep hoping that I will go someplace new, but I am never able to.”

And the optimist says, “There are still so many places that I have yet to experience!” Both statements are true, but, rather than focusing on the setback, the optimist focuses on the potential and is therefore more

likely to be ambitious and to fulfill Galbraith meant was that somethese ambitions. times optimists struggle with this Despite what John Kenneth Galand that it is better to be a pessimist braith, an economist and author, said with an accurate realization of the about how “we all agree that pessiworld than to be a blind optimist. mism is a mark of superior intellect,” Yet despite this view, pessimists I will whole-heartedly disagree. are just as likely to be deceived Optimists, who can simultaneas optimists are, and it is nearly ously be realists, reveal a mark of impossible to be merely a realgreater intelligence. They are the ist. Realism is nothing more than ones who have managed to successperceiving the world as accurately fully prioritize their time. And I don’t as possible. It is nothing more than mean that they organize everything a subconscious, intuitive state of into carefully numbered lists, I mean mind. that optimists are able to utilize what The terms pessimism and realism time they have and use it to its full are virtually incomparable. They clewis.gazette@gmail.com potential of enjoyment and producare in two completely different tivity. realms of the mind. While one is This is not to say that becoming an optimist autosubconscious, the other is a chosen perspective. matically makes you a genius nor, on the other hand, Optimism versus pessimism is like choosing bethat being pessimistic makes you ignorant. Because tween a white sock and a black sock. But when you neither of these are true. But if thrown into a situatry bringing realism into the equation, the analogy is tion, which undoubtedly will happen at one point or dead. another, being optimistic is generally more beneficial. *** Now I’m not denying that being able to see faults is Carissa Lewis, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer. a respectable – if not necessary – quality. Perhaps all

Commentary

carissa lewis

Victims of rape deserve justice and closure Higher-level educational institutions must punish rapists for the severity of their crime

L

iz Seccuro was 17 years old when she was drugged at a fraternity party and gang raped by three male members.

“Do you think it was just regrettable sex?” the dean of the University of Virginia asked her when she came broken and bruised to his office the morning after.

Twenty-eight years later, another UVA student, Jackie, was also drugged and gang-raped by seven fraternity boys, evidently of the same frat. When her rape was eventually reported, even after several friends tried to talk her out of it, the new dean admitted that most rapes at UVA are not reported to the police because “nobody wants to send their daughter to the rape school.”

Even though some of Jackie’s story was questioned last weekend by Rolling Stone magazine, which originally reported it, the elephant in the room is still this: UVA would apparently rather be known as the school that becomes an accessory to rape, instead of one that could potentially be an advocate for reducing, if not eliminating, sexual assault.

Another UVA student was shocked and disappointed when her attacker, though pronounced guilty, was only sentenced to a one-year suspension from the school. Even when the rapes were reported, justice was not fully given to the victims.

I don’t believe that colleges are equipped to handle rape properly.

They’re too worried about their image and keeping a good name for the school.

Rather than give victims safety and closure, they try to cover up the violent assaults and play them off as not a big deal – which is completely wrong.

Rape is a huge deal. Sexual assault is a tremendous problem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in a study of undergraduate women, 19 percent experienced attempted or completed sexual assault

Commentary

amanda nist anist.gazette@gmail.com

they could.

I will never understand why these UVA rapists did what they did.

Were they really that insecure about themselves that they didn’t think they could have consensual sex?

Regardless, I don’t want to go into college knowing that either I or one of my four closest friends will be sexually assaulted and that this is a proven fact.

I don’t want to be scared that someone might drug my drink while I’m not looking or they’ll hurt me until I am unable to defend myself only

since entering college.

I honestly cannot imagine what the victims of sexual assault go through on a daily basis, and they deserve so much more than their attackers being sentenced to a one-year suspension from school, being kicked off the football team or not being punished at all.

When rapes go unpunished and unreported, it just teaches the rapists that they can do it again. Without consequences, they will continue to do the same things over and over again.

Rape and sexual assault shouldn’t be crimes handled by colleges. They need to be reported to the police as violent assaults, and rape victims need to get the justice they deserve.

According to a 2000 study done by the Department of Justice, fewer than five percent of college rapes or attempted rapes were reported to the police because the victims didn’t want to be treated with hostility and they didn’t think the police would take it seriously enough.

It makes me so upset that girls are covering up what happened to them because they don’t want to have a tainted reputation and they don’t want people to think of them differently.

The victims of sexual assault are not blame.

It was not Seccuro’s or Jackie’s fault that these frat boys drugged and raped them for no reason other than

because they are lonely and horny.

And I don’t want to live with the fear that if I or a friend is raped or sexually assaulted, justice will not be properly served.

Rape needs to be handled properly in college and when reported to the police. Victims need justice and closure, and they need to be able to live knowing their rapist will never be able to hurt them or anyone else again.

Ultimately, rape needs to be taken more seriously because it is just as detrimental and damaging as any other violent crime. *** Amanda Nist, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette illustration /TROY PAWLAK

Various forms of art demand recognition Public school system should reform its curriculum to reflect an emphasis on arts

classes; however, I believe some of these classes teach you formulas and only certain ways of how to solve something – getting from Point A to Point B, essentially.

Obviously, math and science challenge you to think for yourself, but more often than not I find myself ast week, I was in an SAT over, too quickly it invariably seemed. repeating formulas to myself and meticulously prep class and my teacher This time was my favorite. I could memorizing information until my brain hurts, not told us how several coljust sit there and focus on whatever to mention that these two classes are conclusively leges will not accept an SAT was flowing out of my mind; I didn’t objective. essay score under a certain have to worry about it being wrong English brings more room for imagination: things number. He pointed out that or right. like annotating books and essays allow for more the essay is crucial because it As I went through the opinions to be formed, but a shows how students can think grade system and grew teacher can still tell you that for themselves and is a good older, I noticed the imyour thoughts and ideas are indication of whether they can portance of this creation wrong, inept or intelligible. keep up in a college class. distancing itself. LuckIn art, there is no History is imperative for huFor every student who has ily, art docents stayed in mans to understand the societies attended public school at any my school district until right and wrong, around us. You can’t fabricate time, it is evident that academic eighth grade, but as I grew history; you simply have to just one’s attributes like logical thinking older, the days where we know all the facts. interpretation. and book smarts are valued got to spend an hour or In art, there is no right or wrong cpalmer.gazette@gmail.com higher than things like several more making whatever we – just one’s interpretation. Good different forms of art. wanted grew further and or bad is likewise subjective.

Subjects like math, science, English and history further apart.

High school students nowahave always seemed to hold much more importance When I got to high school it was days have way higher stress in learning. From the very beginning of school, I explained to me – all students must take levels than their parents or any became aware of this obvious distinction. two semesters of science, four semesters of English, generations before them. These individuals need In kindergarten, children learn “solid” subjects, two semesters of history but just a single semester time to reflect on what is going on in their minds in a then there are usually breaks in the day where they of visual and performing arts (VAPA) to graduate. healthy way without being condemned to judgment. can have “playtime.” This time usually consisted Not only was only one year of VAPA required, these Whether you’re interested in photography, drawof little 5-year-olds getting to draw on big sheets of visual or performing arts classes didn’t count for as ing or playing an instrument, creation always depicts paper, the use of Play-Doh and a plethora of washmany credits as other “solid” classes. what the brain feels – expression makes your feelable paint.

This kind of stumped me. Don’t get me wrong, ings concrete and valid.

I can remember each child would create something I see the extreme relevance of “solid” classes. I *** entirely different than the other, relishing in their understand that to be successful, a student should Caroline Palmer, a junior, is a Gazette Sports ediown masterpiece of creation; but then playtime was understand and excel in some of, if not all, of those tor.

L

Commentary

caroline palmer

Commentary

alex baldonado abaldonado.gazette@gmail.com

Four-year universities aren’t for everybody

S

ince it is November, and many, if not all, seniors are either starting, in the process or finished with their college applications, I have noticed a pattern among the Granite Bay High School student body. On the topic of which colleges students are attending or applying to, it is a majority of four-year universities – which is an aspiration every student in America should have. However, this aspiration may not be the best option for every student.

I may sound hypocritical in that I, too, am applying to many four-year universities, but the option of community or junior college isn’t an impossibility to me. The reality of going to a junior college is economically rational.

People refer to this plan as the “two-plus-two plan.” Two years at a junior college and two years at a four-year institution can cut students’ overall expenses on college by about half of what would’ve been spent on all four years at a particular university.

Because of rising costs of colleges and financial aid, this option seems to make more and more sense. So why do GBHS students have it so ingrained in their heads that they must attend four-year universities?

There are a couple reasons.

One of them is the community we have grown up in. Granite Bay being on the wealthier side of the tax bracket spectrum gives students the support and possibility of going to a four-year institution. Students with wealthy families have that option to go to the University of Southern California, Pepperdine University and other private schools with high tuition fees.

The other effect this community has on students’ college options is the high school we attend and the people we have grown up with.

Students here have a sense of pride when they come through this school – that they contributed to the GBHS tradition of an outstanding public education and its accompanying programs.

The competition at GBHS is tough, let alone when applying to colleges. Students at GBHS have special talents in so many programs and sports that attribute to the feeling that you have to be good at something at GBHS. Their parents are also factors that continue to push kids to achieve certain goals.

With all that competition and desire to be the best, GBHS produces motivated, elitist attitudes in their students.

But is the best even necessary? When freshmen at Sierra College and freshmen at University of California at Los Angeles are taking the same general education classes, it doesn’t seem like it.

Another benefit of going to a junior college is being able to get into the classes that students are required to take. At some of the largest universities in the nation, students are forced, in essence, to transfer schools because they couldn’t get into certain over-capacity classes.

Students wait months to get into their necessary classes when they could be spending that time actually taking those classes and graduating sooner.

So although students feel the need to get away from home and immediately transition to either an in-state or out-of-state university, I suggest the junior college route.

The students not going to a junior college, in my opinion, should be a little more respectful of students’ decisions to go to a junior college and save themselves money and in some cases, time. *** Alex Baldonado, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

A12 News

Second look

Friday, December 12, 2014

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Spread the holiday cheer Students participate in Santa’s Helpers

Gazette photos /KAT MCGRAIL

A young student named Vanessa, top, does a craft with her high school buddy.

Senior Greg Fina, middle right, sits with his elementary school companion. Senior Corban Anderson and junior Charlie Tooley, middle left, sit with a group of children.

Ariana Martin, above, bonds with a young girl who participated in Santa’s Helpers.

Junior Claire Norris, bottom right, plays with her young buddy. Theatre At Granite Bay, bottom right, performs a skit at Santa’s Helpers.

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

Friday w

Commentary

emily wagner ewagner.gazette@gmail.com

Is material Christmas fever upon us once again?

B Section

December 12, 2014

How are you Involved on campus?

I

t seems to me that as the years go by and I grow older, the magic I once found in the holiday season is steadily fading.

Christmas has become overly commercialized; rather than the holiday season being a time of family, love and generosity, our society is consumed by the desperate desire to buy, buy, buy.

We wait in line on Thanksgiving because Black Friday is no longer enough to satisfy our hunger to purchase, and buying more material items seems to be more important than spending time with the ones we love.

And as soon as the weather gets a bit colder, every department store is decked in red, green and gold, ready to sell you the best holiday gifts at the best prices.

We fall into the hypnotizing, enticing trap of believing that we have to purchase everything, because material items are, of course, the best way to achieve true happiness and love.

But even though I’ve become a little bit disenchanted with the Christmas season in our society, I can’t help but see that there is so much good that happens during this time of year as well.

The self centered, material desires that seem to consume the masses mean absolutely nothing compared to the generosity and selflessness that so many others live out.

From Christmas basket collections to donations of food, blankets, clothes, toys and time, so many people give back this time of year, and that’s what this season is truly about.

Even though when I was younger it was the presents that I looked forward to most during Christmastime, now it is the time I spend at my church putting together Christmas baskets and spending time with the homeless in our community that makes my holiday season truly satisfying and worthwhile.

I have been blessed to have a loving family, a home and a great education, and that is so much more than the majority of people in the world are fortunate enough to have.

Therefore, before we start worrying about buying the best presents for our family and friends this season - and before we worry about what presents we will be recieving - we should all take a moment to think about everything that we already have.

Although our society has a tendency to emphasize the importance of the latest and greatest everything, it’s important that we remember all of our blessings and retain the roots of family, friends, and memories during the holiday season.

*** Emily Wagner, a senior, is a Lifestyle editor.

Creativity repressed?

I

Gazette photo illustration/TROY PAWLAk

Original Art/ANNIE WRIGHT

Creativity in class has become a rare occurrence that some cherish and others find a waste of time. The question of originality’s place in the classroom is ongoing.

Some GBHS students believe they should be allowed to have more originality

BY HANNAH XU

hxu.gazette@gmail.com

t’s the lifelong question: is it better for schools to stimulate creativity in the classroom, or the memorization of information?

For some, creativity is the key. Many learn from using visual aids and other unique ways like artistic projects.

“I feel like learning from creativity helps remembering (information) in a long term sense,” Granite Bay Hish School sophomore Megan Le said. “I can learn stuff through memorization, but it won’t stick permanently.”

There are some students that strongly disagree, stating that school is for retaining information, and that if someone wants to have a creative route, they should do it elsewhere.

However, Le said that Granite Bay High does a good job encouraging going towards all careers.

“If students want to go to an artistic field, they can choose classes that fit their career,” Le said.

Many would say that the “impracticality” of an art-based career isn’t the most positive direction a student should go.

Freshman Neel Lal said that even though schools do some-

times encourage having a math or science based career, there is a good mix of classes that incorporates both art and science or some math.

A common complaint among both students and parents is there aren’t enough projects or activities that make students think outside the box.

But for teachers, there’s a different way of looking at it.

For certain teachers, getting the students to be creative or to

“use their imaginations” simply doesn’t pertain to the lesson or subject they teach. “(Creative activities) can be time consuming and you have to make sure it’s relevant,” Katie Angelone, AP European History and World History teacher, said. “I think that’s the biggest challenge. You want the students to be engaged and be creative, but...you also want to make sure it’s meaningful, not just fun,” Students don’t see eye to eye with the teachers’ point of view, as many students believe that there is almost little to no creative practices in classrooms.

“Teachers don’t do a very good job implementing creativity into classrooms,” Le said.

“All teachers want you to do is memorize and pass the midterm or pass the test and increase the class average.”

But there are also those that disagree.

Keaton Dougherty, a sophomore, said he believes that depending on the teacher, they do a very good job making sure that students enhance their creative sides to what they’re learning.

But for certain classes, it might be hard to implement creative practices depending on what the curriculum requires.

“Unfortunately in AP (classes) there’s not a whole lot of time (to be creative) because there’s such a crunch,” Angelone said.

“I think that’s what the Common Core is trying to do – allow more creativity and critical thinking to go hand in hand.”

There’s a lot of speculation on whether or not creativity will ever be a natural part of the education system.

In fact, with new implementations in schools, creative classrooms might be on their way sooner than students ex-

Republicans influence GBHS campus Popular Young Republicans club is partly a function of party’s regional power

BY ANJALI SHRIVASTAVA ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

Within Granite Bay, it is not difficult to recognize the elephant in the room.

Since 1980, Placer County has repeatedly voted for the Republican presidential candidate, which demonstrates the political imbalance our community has.

“I think Granite Bay has a lot of Republicans in it,” said Spencer Bluett, treasurer of the Young Republicans Club. “It’s very conservative compared to the rest of California, which tends to be more liberal.”

In a state that is predominantly Democratic, some find it perplexing as to why our county is so Republican. Most places in California with high amounts of registered Republicans have incomes above the state average, which holds true for our county as well. The median income for a family in Granite Bay was estimated to be $119,874

which is more than twice the amount of the overall median income of California, $58,328.

“People worked hard for their money (and) they don’t want to give it away,” said co-founder of the Young Democrats Club Oliver Whitters. “It’s completely understandable” Most of Granite Bay residents consider themselves Republicans. Because of this, it can be argued that those who identify as Democrats are subjected to a much harsher reception to their political views.

“Sometimes it’ll feel like people are against them politically, (or) like they don’t have much say,” said Michael Grace, cofounder of the Young Republicans Club. “If they talk politics, they’re always going to be defending themselves against a bunch of other people, so maybe they are quiet about what they believe.”

The reluctance to discuss political beliefs may stem from the anticipated backlash to unpopular opinions,” Bluett said. “This is due to the “close-minded” nature of Granite Bay residents and how they blindly stand behind their particular party and “don’t even try and understand what they’re trying to get across.”

However, senior Jose Luna, who identifies as a Democrat, is very open about his political beliefs. Despite what others say, he doesn’t feel as if he is constantly being put down by the opposite party.

“I don’t feel silenced or oppressed,” Luna said. “More like grudgingly tolerated.”

Similarly, Whitters makes sure that his voice is known and promulgated rather than suppressed.

“I get a pretty hard time from a lot of the kids here, but my opinions are well voiced,” Whitters said.

Spencer Bluett Spencer Bluett, a Senior, is the Treasurer of the Young Republicans Club on the GBHS campus

The few liberals at Granite Bay are not always faced with opposition though.

While the majority of GBHS is Republican, not all of them identify with everything the party stands for and often sympathize with Democratic ideals.

“I’m not a die-hard, right, crazy nut-job (and) it’s not like I disagree with the liberals intentionally,” Grace said. “There’s stuff I agree with them on and stuff that I don’t See POLITICS, page B5

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Top Ten How To College Random Stuff

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Every Glance GBHS students share stories of distracted driving

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Santa’s Helpers Students provide gifts to Underprivileged Children

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Dance Show Students’ hard work pays off in Performance

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Friday, December 12, 2014

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When driving, every glance is a chance

top

Negligence behind the wheel can cause fatal injuries and even death

Best Christmas Carols “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”

“Deck the Halls”

Gazette photo /BLAKE PANTER

Texting while Driving is a dangerous distraction as it keeps one’s eyes and attention off of the road.

BY BLAKE PANTER bpanter.gazette@gmail.com

“Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas”

“The 12 Days of Christmas”

According to the US Government Website for Distracted Driving, 10 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal car crashes were driving while distracted at the time of the crash.

Distracted driving is a serious problem amongst teens, and hard statistics affect Granite Bay High School students.

“It’s a common thing (amongst GBHS students),” junior Parker Matheson said. “I believe kids underestimate how dangerous it is. They need to have the willpower to not (text and drive).”

Matheson said in general, other people including himself were more cautious drivers when they were new to driving, and once they get more comfortable, they feel more confident in their ability to text while driving.

The GBHS Sports Marketing course is raising awareness to prevent accidents and possible fatalities caused

Holiday season calls for community service Students engage in volunteering events

BY KELSEY ITO

“My Grown Up Christmas List”

“Frosty the Snowman”

“Must be Santa”

by distracted driving.

The Sports Marketing class put on the Every Glance is a Chance campaign. According to junior Alex Smith, their goal as a class was to raise awareness through advertising the possible results of distracted driving. They had a driving simulator that had drunk and distracted driving so that GBHS students were able to see the possible results of driving without full capacity.

“Our overall goal was to get awareness out there and let kids know that it happens,” Smith said. “There are pretty bad consequences that could result (from distracted driving). If you drink and drive, you’re probably going to kill somebody or kill yourself. There’s a good chance of you screwing things up if you do distracted driving or if you drink and drive.”

Smith said Every Glance is a Chance was helpful in letting students know how dangerous distracted driving can be. However, Smith also recognizes that students may not be capable of actually making the conscious

decision to not drive distractedly.

“Obviously, (distracted driving) is bad and you shouldn’t do it,” Smith said. “ Everybody has done it I’m sure. Yeah it happens, but you probably shouldn’t do it … It’s good that we’re doing (Every Glance is a Chance), but at the same time, it still happens.”

An estimated one in four car crashes involve cell phone use, according to the National Safety Council.

Junior Lulu Mansour learned her lesson about texting and driving when she unintentionally caused an accident while on her phone.

“Basically I was on my phone trying to change the song and I accidentally rear ended someone,” Mansour said. “I learned that being on my phone was a huge mistake and that I should never be using it while driving.

Literally it takes a blink of an eye to cause an accident.”

Mansour expressed the importance of putting down your phone while driving, ignoring texts, calls and music.

On the other hand, junior Narges Kazerounian shared her experience when she and her mom were victims of a distracted driver.

“Me and my mom were in the car and my mom was driving,” Kazerounian said. “The light was green and it was turning yellow so my mom slowed down to stop.

The car behind us thought that we were going to go, but we didn’t. He was texting at the same time and then he crashed into us and totalled our car.

We got full compensation because it was completely his fault since he was texting and driving. My mom hurt her back really bad and had to go in an ambulance.”

Kazerounian said she now recognizes the importance of not being a distracted driver. She said that sometimes, her friends drive while distracted, but offers a solution of texting for her friends when they are driving, taking away their temptation.

“I think texting and driving is almost on the same level as drunk driving,” Kazerounian said. “Even though you’re sober, you’re distracted, and that’s even worse.

You have the full capacity to pay attention and prevent accidents.”

Distracted driving has the potential to injure or kill, and a quick glance at a phone results in a chance for affliction.

“Seeing my mom getting put into an ambulance (made me realize) that you may think that it’s just a simple text, but that one text could take someone’s life,” Kazerounian said.

kito.gazette@gmail.com

As the holiday season is fast approaching, many are becoming spirited through community service opportunities.

Whether it is volunteering at a local food kitchen or a food distribution event, helping celebrate at a festive party, or aiding at a holiday toy drive, there are numerous ways to give back this winter.

Loaves and Fishes offers a great way to help out the community by serving food to the homeless, and even handing out a special Christmas dinner.

Not only can students get involved by serving meals, but also by collecting and distributing toys for children.

The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is also putting together a philanthropy in which volunteers can help bring joy to families in need by sorting and wrapping donated toys. The event is on Dec. 20 and students wanting to participate can sign up on the food bank’s website.

Another organization to do this was started by one of Granite Bay High School’s very own. In 2012, Senior Bailey Snow founded his own charity called BrickDreams, which collects, cleans, and

redistributes LEGO bricks to children in need.

“I like to do community service because I enjoy knowing that I made a difference in another person’s life, and that it may help others,” Snow said. “One persons actions can positively affect so many others.”

Even though he started his own organization, Snow’s favorite experience was volunteering on USA Today’s Make A Difference Day. “ (I like it) because for a day people of all walks of life come together to help others,” Snow said.

Junior Bryan Baumgarten, who is a part of Boys Team Charity, volunteers his time at holiday parties for impoverished areas.

“It makes me realize how fortunate I am and it makes me feel good that I can help someone out and provide someone with things that I take for granted,” Baumgarten said.

Another popular volunteer opportunity during the holiday season is Dovewood Court - Food For Families. During the annual Dovewood Court Holiday Lights event, people help collect canned food and monetary donations, while enjoying the scenic Christmas themed lights and

Gazette illustration/TROY PAWLAK

decorations.

Junior Mira Pexa, who belongs to National Charity League, likes to work at Dovewood Court during the holidays because she enjoys giving back to the community.

“Everyone is super nice and you get a chance to look at all of the holiday decorations and it’s a super good environment,” Pexa said.

She also volunteers at holiday festivity events for organizations such as KidsFirst and Roseville Home Start, where she serves food for everyone.

ROP courses offered to students Students have the opportunity to explore vocations “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer”

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

“Jingle Bells”

- Compiled by Garbhita Shah

BY TROY PAWLAK tpowlak.gazette@gmail.com

In current competitive society, everything is seen as an asset to rise above the rest. Regional Occupation Programs, or ROP courses, are used

by Granite Bay High School students to get a step up on the competition.

In the 49er ROP system there are 26 courses available to GBHS students, some with internships guaranteed. “(ROP) courses don’t always fall nicely into the students schedule” Counselor Paul Stordahl said.

Registration for ROP begins with course selection on naviance. The students are then sent to Carrie Underwood in the College and Career Center.

The process of registering for ROP is very simple, but impacted course make a position is desired courses not a guarantee Underwood said.

They are then given information as to how to register online at the 49ers website Underwood said.

When registering for ROP, students registering for the entire 49er system, not just on campus. This is because some ROP courses are not on GBHS campus.

“It’s pretty simple to sign up(for ROP courses),” Junior Will Duckhorn said. “All you have to do is fill out a

bunch of forms,” Duckhorn is taking the ROP Computer Technology course at Rocklin High School.

“The Sports Medicine class is at Lincoln High school,...but there are also students coming from other sites to attend that class, so (ROP) has to make sure that the class does not overfill,” Underwood said.

Students must provide their own transportation to other campuses and their potential intern sites.

ROP enrollment has been increasing over recent years due in part to more courses said Underwood. “...and I think part of the reason it’s increasing (is due to increased) awareness...but also the USs CSUs applications never allowed students to put (ROP courses) on their applications, now there are places for those courses,”Underwood said, “ (and) colleges are recognizing these as internship based courses.”

Underwood said the students in medical-related courses receive internships at high–level locations such as Sutter Hospital .

Trouble sometimes arises due to issues scheduling ROP courses in students course load. “(ROP courses) don’ t always fall nicely into the student’s schedule because ROP sometimes is

only offered in morning hours or afternoon,”Stordahl said. “It really depends on the other courses that the student is wanting to take.”

Some specialized courses are limited to certain periods and may conflict with ROP courses Stordahl said.

The student must choose what is more valuable to them and work around that.

“You can run into those kinds of issues,and those are just issues we have to talk through”Stordahl said.

Some ROP courses take two periods, one of which for transportation to other schools. The student must provide their own transportation.

The two period courses offered this year are Automotive Services, Engineering and Manufacturing, Computer Science, Medical Front Office, Sports Medicine and Video Production. “(The benefit of a two period ROP) really depends on the student and what they are trying to accomplish,”Stordahl said.

A student looking at a more academic college may want to focus on academics and avoid two period ROP’s, while students looking at a more hands–on college may benefit more from the course Stordahl said.

“I would recommend (taking an ROP course),” Duckhorn said.

Freshman Audrey Wagner is also a member of National Charity League and highly encourages other students to join in on community service opportunities, especially during the holidays.

“It’s really mind opening to see all the things you can do to help and it makes you appreciate what you have,” Wagner said. “I think others should get involved, especially here, because I don’t feel like everyone realizes what other people have to deal with.”

Your names.

Your faces.

The Gazette.

Friday, December 12, 2014

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle B3

Students give back to charities Student

Spotlight

Gazette photo /KAT MCGRAIL

Katie Densham, junior, reads the book she gave as a present to her young buddy at the 2014 Santa’s Helpers event.

Other local organizations that GBHS volunteers participate conversation. volunteers can participate in this holiday season include the in Santa’s Helpers event Salvation Army, Prison FellowBY CARISSA LEWIS clewis.gazette@gmail.com

As the fall season wraps up, winter holidays begin to unravel. Many different organizations have taken initiative and decided to broaden the range of festivity.

Santa’s Helpers is an annual event at Granite Bay High School in which students deliver gifts to elementary school children. This year it was at Kingswood Elementary School and was held on Tuesday, Dec 2.

“There (are) many kids living in poverty so close to our homes,” said senior Lauren Markle, who organized this year’s event.

Despite the need, there were few GBHS students in compar-

ison to the students at Kingswood Elementary this year.

Students who signed up to go were given a slip of paper with information including their assigned partner’s name and what their partner had requested for Christmas.

Sophomore Alyssa Quinonez said that although students were only told to buy a gift for one buddy, some GBHS students ended up being paired with multiple kids.

“There weren’t any more buddies,” Quinonez said, “so they just had some people come in and bring extra presents.”

After the gift distribution, partners spent time together by participating in crafts, playing with the younger buddy’s new toys or simply striking up a

ship and Samaritan’s Purse.

Salvation Army is a program that has projects going all throughout the year, but its main holiday projects are Red Kettle and the Angel Tree.

Red Kettle is a project designed to help families with low income. Red kettles are set up in several locations, often outside of stores or businesses, for anyone to come and donate money to these families.

“We help all the families in Southern Placer County who want help with food or toys,” said Lieutenant John Morrow, the Salvation Army officer for South Placer County.

Families are invited to contact the Salvation Army and request a “wish list.” They are checked to ensure their situation matches up with the

Whitney Knorp

aspirations of the Salvation Army. If valid, they will be put on a list with the other families who are aided by this program.

Along with contributing through donations, anyone is welcome to volunteer. Volunteers can sign up online to manage a Red Kettle stand, host a food drive, or donate toys.

Another project the Salvation Army sponsors is putting up an “angel tree”. This tree, located in the Galleria mall, is decorated with tags, each with a child’s name written on it.

Morrow said that by claiming a tag, you are promising to buy a toy for the child.

The angel tree gifts will be officially collected up until December 20th.

This project is not to be confused with the organization Prison Fellowship, which also has a program called Angel

Sophomore finds an interest in dancing Gazette: How long have you been dancing?

Knorp: I have been dancing for 11 years, since I was four Gazette: Why do you like dancing?

Knorp: It’s a really safe place for me, and it’s my family. You can express yourself in a way that you can’t when you’re not dancing.

Gazette: How are you involved in dance on campus?

Knorp: I was in the class last year, I will be taking advanced in the future and I might (be a teacher assistant) for the class.

Gazette: How often do you dance per week?

Knorp: I dance about 12 to 13 hours a week.

-Compiled by Amanda Prather

See GIVING, page B5

Cycles 4 Hope donates bicycles to homeless Local nonprofit creates a virtuous cycle of giving back in the community

BY JACQUELINE ROMERO jromero.gazette@gmail.com

Created to assist people in need in the Sacramento area, Cycles 4 Hope is a nonprofit organization that is works to achieve the mission “Providing Hope One Bicycle at a Time.”

Founder of the organization, Shawn Holiday, said the goal he hopes to achieve is to provide as many bicycles as possible to homeless people in communities not only so they can work toward a better life, but also to make them happy.

“The best thing we can achieve as an organization is to provide hope and restore joy in the lives of the people we serve,” Holiday said. “I measure this by the smiles we see as people ride off with their bicycle.”

Holiday originally started the organization after seeing the large amount of homeless men, women and children all over the Sacramento area and the harsh conditions they were living in. Providing them with a bike can provide them with transportation to get food, medical help, water or even a job.

“A bike can help bring back the hope and the joy that so many of our homeless neighbors have lost.” Holiday said, “Its amazing to think that something many of us take for granted can be so incredibly valuable to another.”

Freshman at Granite Bay High School and son of Shawn Holiday, Luke Holiday, has been volunteering with Cycles 4 Hope for six years. He volunteers every Wednesday and Thursday, and every other Saturday he does an outreach in down-

The organization is always very inviting town Sacramento. to people who want to volunteer and there Luke Holiday said his favorite part are many opportunities for people who are about volunteering with Cycles 4 Hope is interested. High school students can repair being able to work on the bikes knowing bicycles at the shop, hold that it is going toward a bike drives and help with good cause and people who campaigns. are in need of the support.

The best thing fundraising “Students who want to He said one of his favorwe can achieve volunteer should go to ite memories was when a homeless man named Bry... is to provide our website and shoot us an email or stop by our an showed interest spendhope and restore shop on Wednesday or ing time volunteering with the organization and ended joy in the lives Thursday,” Luke Holiday up making an impact on the of the people we said. “(On Wednesday and Thursday) we have lives of the other volunteers serve. ‘wrench nights’ where at Cycles 4 Hope.

– Shawn Holiday , we fix up bikes and get “As the years went on we really got to know (Bryan) Cycles 4 Hope founder them ready for the outreach.” and really spent a lot of Right now, Cycles 4 time with Cycles 4 Hope,” Hope is working on a Luke Holiday said. “He’s special project called actually not homeless any“Christmas Bike” to provide bikes for more, and the reason for that is we prochildren in need. vided a bike so he could get to and from “We are fixing up hundreds of little kids work, and through that he was able to get bikes for families in need who can’t afford a job and make a living for his family.”

a bike for their kids for Christmas,” Luke Holiday said.

GBHS junior Claire Raney has participated in many other charity events and said she loves the purpose of Cycles 4 Hope. She is a member of National Charity League and spent time over the summer making 75 blankets to donate to homeless people in the Sacramento area.

“It was very rewarding donating the blankets to the homeless, and I am really looking forward to participating in similar events in the future,” Raney said.

Raney said she encourages people to participate in community outreach charity events because it is very heartwarming to see all of your hard work pay off when it benefits someone in need.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how fortunate they are, and it is really eyeopening to experience the reactions of the people in need when you give them something most of us take for granted,” Raney said. “That’s why organizations like See BIKES, page B5

If you really knew me,

How to... create a blog

you would know...

1. Decide what you want to write about Figure out a topic that you are interested in or know a lot about. This will make your blog easier to write.

2. Decide what blogging platform to use There are several different blogging sites that are easy to start up on.

Some of these include Webs.com, Blog.com, Blogger.com and WordPress.com.

Another option is to start your own blogging site.

3. Create a name for you blog When choosing a name, it is best to choose something short and catchy.

You want people to understand what you are writing about.

-Compiled by Carissa Lewis

Gazette illustration/TROY PAWLAK

Crystal Yabes

You would know I am missing a knuckle, so I have abnormally short pinkies.

Marshall Brusca

If you really knew me, you would know that I am really into mountain biking.

Brennan Holt

If you really knew me, you would know that I can dislocate my shoulder.

- Compiled by Kelsey Ito

B4 Lifestyle

Friday, December 12, 2014

GBHS Speech and debate team progresses in abilities Students display phenomenal speaking skills and bring home rewarding prizes

BY HANNAH HOLZER hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

While surprisingly not one of the more audibly spoken about teams on the Granite Bay campus, GBHS’ Speech and Debate team proves their worth in each and every one of their competitions. Well into their 2015 season, the Speech and Debate team has already displayed their excellency and craftsmanship with novice members already claiming trophies for first place.

The Speech and Debate season is unique in that it does not have a specific start and end date. Their season starts in September and ends around April. During the first semester, the students mainly focus on preparation and learning the ropes of both the Speech and Debate aspects.

“After December we focus on the qualifying tournaments,” third year Speech and Debate teacher Bob Prichard said.

“Everything up to that point has been preliminarily, its been practice. In February we have our first qualifying tournaments and that goes through March and April, and in April we have the State tournaSpecial to the Gazette /Patty ONTIveros ment and National tournament.” Selective members of 2013 Speech and Debate Team pose after an event with team director Bob Prichard.

This year the Speech and Debate team Rishi Somanchi. Somanchi participates in I’ve gone to, have and Debate team Sonia Garcha said. has acquired more novice members than place.” first won debate of form a debate, Lincoln-Douglas “They all have their own strengths and usually join. This also means that the While Somanchi is new to the Speech which focuses on a central topic. This when you put them together they are like team is growing. and Debate team, his brother, Vinny Soyear the topic is organ procurement, or a dream team.”

“We have over 20 first-year competihelp who captains four of one is manchi, donation. organ Prichard also said that each captain tors, our team is about 44 competitors who seniors are four All team. the coach the continue we Lincoln-Douglas “For talents in their own right and are inhibits so almost half of our team is very new.” include Sumana Kaluvai, Maadhav Shah, so far doing a fantastic job of running the same topic (for the whole) Speech and Prichard said. “We’re having a really Ashna Shah and Vinny Somanchi.

Debate year, and we get really knowlteam. good year where we’re teaching a lot of own their in phenomenal all are “They Somanchi topic.” the about edgeable “I honestly feel so fortunate to be the new people a lot of new stuff.”

Speech the of member and junior ways,” tournaments three the in far so “I, said. senior and Speech and Debate captain,” One such novice members is freshman

captain Vinny Somanchi said. “Reaching the level of captainship … symbolizes the culmination of a lot of work and it feels good to be behind the scenes of work when our team and my friends are succeeding.”

This is the third year teaching the Speech and Debate class for Mr. Prichard, who took over the position from his mother, Mrs. Prichard, after her retirement. What made the change a smooth transition was Prichard’s level of commitment equal to his predecessor’s.

“What really helped is that I was willing to keep the same schedule (and) have the same level of commitment.”

Prichard said. “It’s really challenging, it’s probably the hardest class I teach and I enjoy it very much but it takes a certain amount of temperament and a certain amount of commitment.”

Although Mr. Prichard is still a fairly new teacher, his students have taken a liking to him and his teaching style.

According to Vinny Somanchi, Mr. Prichard is a great help to their success because of his combined previous and his own previous debate experience.

Because the fall semester is meant solely for practice, competitors who engage in Speech and Debate year-round are able to compete for trophies and titles during their spring semester and have the ability to qualify for both the State and National tournament. Granite Bay High School’s biggest competition is Woodcreek and Mira Loma, Prichard said.

“The one thing I’m looking forward to is improving a lot of my speech and debate,” Sonia Garcha said. “I’m looking forward to this season because we’ve seen a lot of people who’ve done really well. I’m looking forward to getting more trophies and becoming more intelligent.”

Special to the Gazette /Aishwarya Pattnaik

Speech and Debate students (from left) Carmen Lyon, Elise Ramos, Rishi Somanchi, Arthi Bobbala and Akshay Reddy present their respectively earned trophies after a tournament.

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Special to the Gazette /Matt Javier

Speech and Debate students (from left) Marisa Wong, Sonia Garcha, Arthi Bobbala and Aishwarya Pattnaik work diligently on their speeches, preparing for an upcoming competition.

Ballet ‘pointes’ students in direction of dance College of the Month: GBHS students find passion in extracurricular, committing for years

BY EMILY WAGNER ewagner.gazette@gmail.com

From hours of taxing classes and rehearsals to challenging performances on stage, dance is keeping several Granite Bay High School students on their toes.

Senior Rachel Huntington has been dancing since she was five years old.

Although she focuses mostly on ballet en pointe, she also has experience doing jazz, contemporary and modern dance.

“My mom used to dance, so she put me in a class to see if I liked it,” Huntington said. “I’ve been in love with it ever since.”

Huntington currently takes classes at the Theodore Constant Dance Academy and performs with the Placer Theatre Ballet.

Senior Kaitlyn Prather is also involved in dance, and has been dancing for more than fourteen years.

She dances at Hawkins School of Performing Acts in the Hawkins Contemporary Jazz Company Elite, and dances jazz, modern, and

contemporary dance.

Both Huntington and Prather have winter dance performances coming up.

Huntington is performing in the Placer Theatre Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker. Her roles include being one of Clara’s friends in the party scene, a part of the Snowflake Corps and a part of the Flower Waltz Corps.

“I am very excited (for the performance) because I love the people that I dance with, and being on stage allows me to be myself and another person at the same time,” Huntington said. “I do get nervous, though, right before I’m about to go onstage.”

Prather was featured in the Hawkins Holiday show in early December. She will also be going to competitions with her dance group in the spring, and will have a company wide production in April.

“The April production is based off the concept of growth,” Prather said.

See DANCE, page B5

The Gazette

Your Names Your Faces Your Newspaper

Boston College

Who: 14,100 total students

Athletics

School Colors:

• 29 varsity teams

• NCAA Division I softball, men’s Where: Chestnut and women’s Hill, MA swimming, men’s and women’s tenTuition: $47,436 nis, men’s and women’s volleyball and men’s U.S. News Rank- and women’s waing: No. 31 ter polo Maroon and Gold

Mascot: Eagle Academics: • Student faculty ratio: 13:1 • Most popular majors: Finance, Economics, Biology, Speech Communication and Rhetoric, and Psychology

Fun Facts • Average freshman retention rate: 95 percent • Four-year graduation rate: 89 percent • Motto: “Ever to Excel” • SAT average: 2039 -Compiled by Blake Panter

Friday, December 12, 2014

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle

B5

FBLA teaches students about business careers Aspiring businessmen and -women try to get a step up on their future competition

BY AMANDA PRATHER aprather.gazette@gmail.com

Future Business Leaders of America is a club on campus that trains students who are interested in potentially pursuing a career in business. FBLA is often overlooked and their accomplishments go unnoticed.

The members attend competitions and conferences.

The club trains for local, State, and National level competitions.

Sophomore Kevin Yang is a member of FBLA and said that the club helps his business and leadership skills.

“I want to put my participat(ion) in the club on my college applications and learn some business skills for my future.” Yang said. “I am really interested in business and I think this will help me in my career.”

Yang said.

Senior Sona Jeswani is also a member of FBLA and says that she enjoys the projects and competitions of the club.

“I get to learn a lot more about the business world.”

Jeswani said.

The club attends Section, State and National competitions. Members choose two events to compete in at sections, and to compete in at State and hopefully qualify for Nationals.

“Before competitions we usually engage in different projects and we work on individual business achievement awards.” Jeswani said.

Jeswani also said that the Granite Bay chapter is

currently working on the Gold Seal award, which the GBHS chapter has tried for but not received for the last 2-3 years. “(FBLA) gives me a good exposure to the business world, before FBLA i didn’t really know what business was, it gave me a background on the business world.” Jeswani said.

Jeswani said she gets to learn about business language and business events that will help her in her future career. .

“I would encourage more students to join FBLA,” said Jeswani, “It is a club for people who are interested in business or not interested in business. There are different events for everyone, you don’t have to be interested in business specifically.”

Mitch Khan is a Freshman at Arizona State University studying at the W.P. Carey School of Business, and was a member of FBLA for three years at Granite Bay High school.

“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting students from all over the state at the Northern section and State competition.” Khan said.

Khan said that being a member of FBLA definitely has helped him in college and out of High School.

“FBLA has helped kickstart my knowledge of business in the vernacular, explore my interests in various fields of business, and most of all decide my major for college. I’ve also been more successful in my basic business courses due to the information I learned while preparing for FBLA competitions.” Khan said.

Khan said he participated in FBLA competitions

FBLA Club poses with their awards from Sections competition. twice in a school year, met with the high school chapter bimonthly, and participated in fundraisers twice an academic year.

The club plans events, prepares for competitions

and discuss what needs to be done in order to participate in upcoming competitions and confer-

Random Club Facts 2.The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

What is the purpose of your club?

The main goal of this club is to do community service and to get involved. We want to get more people to want to volunteer on their own not just because Government classes require it.

When are your gatherings and how often?

We meet with Mr. Dell’Orto, in room 151, every other Thursday to talk about the best ways to give back and to make a difference in our town.

3.Charlie Brown’s father was a barber.

4.The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.

How does this club effect and help our GBHS students?

It helps people to get their community service hours for their government class. Also we try to get some people to do the right thing out of the goodness of their heart and to see that their help actually does make a difference.

5.The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

Source : http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~bingbin/

Why did you want to become President of this club?

- Compiled by Troy Pawlak

Community service is a passion of mine. I’ve been a part of this club for three years and i put a lot of work and effort into the club.

If students want to join now, can they? If so, how?

Student

Yes! Contact Nick at nick.wohlman@live.com and he will give you the information about the club.

- Compiled by Lauren Jackson

Peter Spafford

ences.

“The most important thing I learned while participating in FBLA was how to conduct myself in a manner that demands respect by my peers,” Khan said,”and also my superiors through my involvement in the various business conferences.”

POLITICS: Influential party helps to shape Granite Bay

Club Name: Interact Club President: Nick Wohlman Continued from page B1

1.A skunk’s smell can be detected by a human a mile away.

Special to the Gazette/geanne simpson

but it’s not like if they believe one thing then I have to believe the opposite.”

Bluett has a similar outlook on the differing views of the parties. He tries to be open-minded regarding politics because “times are changing” and there’s no need to be “extremely conservative.”

“I sympathize with (Democrats) a good amount of times,” Bluett said. “I think both parties are right in some cases and wrong other times.”

This moderate view is not exclusive to the Republicans of our school.

While Luna is a liberal, he does not strictly adhere to the Democratic

party.

“Especially being in Westberg’s class and talking to people lately I’ve realized I’m not too far from Republican views,” Luna said. “I see the validity in a lot of Republican views and I agree with some of them.”

Classes like Advanced Placement Government and Advanced Placement United States History help to educate GBHS students regarding politics. While the average student before taking these classes may be poorly educated in the field of politics, one does not need to be educated to hold an opinion.

“At this age there’s a lot of people who just go with what their parents believe,” Bluett said. “It’s

good to voice your opinion but I think you should have a lot of reasons to back it up before you really talk as if you were an expert on the subject.”

In fact, many have the perception that most students just “go with whatever their parents believe” and don’t hold their own opinions. But, it’s important to respect others’ political opinions regardless of how they arrived there, and to not be close-minded towards differing political views because of party affiliations.

“America is the land of the free,” Whitters said.

“Short of taking away someone else’s liberty or well being, we should be free to make whatever decisions we want.”

GIVING: Providing helpful services for our community

Where do you want to go to college? Why? University of Miami because they have good academic programs and I like the area.

What is your perfect Winter Ball theme? Why?

Gatsby because its super classy.

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

35

Do you whiten your teeth?

No

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

An hour.

If you could be any teacher who would you be and why?

Mr. Westberg because he doesn’t like Obamacare.

Gazette photo /tamren johnk

- Compiled by Tamren Johnk

DANCE: Student dancers find some success performing outside the school scene Continued from page B4 “For about two hours, the 20 of us will be dancing almost nonstop.”

Dancing is a huge time commitment for both Huntington and Prather.

“I take technique classes five days a week and have rehearsal Saturdays and Sundays, so I’m dancing seven days a week,” Huntington said. “I’m also part of the dance program at GBHS.” Prather, similarly, puts 15 to 18 hours a week into dance.

However, despite the large time commitment, they both plan on continuing with it throughout their lives.

“Eventually I would like to join a ballet company or become a dance teacher,” Huntington said. “I can’t imagine my life without dance.”

Prather aims to be an engineer, and plans to incorporate dance into her future career.

“In college I will not be majoring in dance, but I will stay involved, take classes and perform,” Prather said. “I plan on integrating a degree in Biomedical Engineering with dance (to help) those who become injured and are unable to dance,” Prather said.

Dance has had a large impact on Huntington and Prather, and they both say they enjoy the activity.

“My favorite part of dancing is the feeling (I get) coming off stage after we had just given it our all, and really performed the piece, not only for the audience, but also for ourselves,” Prather said.

Huntington shared a similar opinion about dance.

“My favorite part of ballet (is) the struc-

ture and discipline, performing and the people,” Huntington said. “Although it’s a difficult (activity), all of these make ballet enjoyable Rachel Huntington’s mom, Theresa Huntington, also says she is very happy Rachel is involved in ballet.

“Ballet has shaped Rachel in many ways, from discipline, commitment, awareness of emotions, to dedication for something she truly believes in,” Theresa Huntington said.

“I am most proud of (her) never giving up, and staying true to her passion.”

Both Huntington and Prather also say they are very proud of their dedication to dance.

“Ballet has taught me respect and self-control,” Huntington said. “I’ve also learned to never give up on anything that is difficult.”

Continued from page B3 Tree. Angel Tree is a program that serves children who have parents in prison.

According to the Angel Tree website, the goal is to bring “hope and joy back into the lives of prisoners’ children.”

Volunteers can help by purchasing, wrapping, and/or donating gifts.

Samaritan’s Purse is another organization that sponsors a program that anyone is invited to participate in. It is called Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child supplies gifts for children all around the world.

Volunteers are invited to fill a shoebox with gifts such toys, school supplies and accessories. Because the boxes are shipped, there are certain restrictions as to what can go inside.

Volunteers are able to decide what gender and age group (ages 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14) their gift best fits. They then mark the box with a boy/girl label that

can be found on Samaritan’s Purse’s website.

A seven dollar donation is requested to cover the shipping fee. Checks are made out to Samaritan’s Purse with a note in the margin that the payment is for Operation Christmas Child.

For students who want to participate in something more local, GBHS’s Key Club is hosting a canned food drive.

“Anybody can donate, but we have a box in every classroom,” Key Club president Jonathan Chu said. “We’re doing a second period competition type of thing for a pizza party.”

Key Club will then be gathering these boxes and meeting at Eureka School to organize them into Christmas baskets.

This will happen on Dec12.

On Dec 13, Key Club members and other volunteers will meet at Eureka School to prepare for delivery. Chu said the baskets are carried and then transported to an assigned family.

“You don’t have to travel the world,” Markle said, “to help people in need.”

BIKE: Free cycles provided to poorer local residents Continued from page B3

Cycles 4 Hope are so impactful because giving back to the community is one of the most rewarding things ever.”

Junior Nikki Tafoya helped Raney make the blankets along with other friends. She said that she also has heard of Cycles 4 Hope and thinks that volunteering with them would be a really great experience.

“Making blankets was such a simple thing and it was still really great knowing that because of us a few more people would be a little warmer

on a cold night,” Tafoya said. “Providing bikes for the homeless would make an even greater impact on their lives which is why I think it sounds like a really great organization.”

Tafoya also said she hopes to some day have the opportunity to volunteer with Cycles 4 Hope and contribute to the impact of the organization.

“I hope that more and more organizations are made that are as influential as Cycles 4 Hope,” Tafoya said.

“It is really easy to forget that there are so many people in our community that need our help and we need more people like Shawn Holiday to really make a difference.”

Friday, December 12, 2014 w The Granite Bay Gazette

B6 Lifestyle -

Senior Emily Baker, left, dances backstage with her classmates before the dance show.

Senior Rachel Huntington, below left, warms up with the splits.

Madeline Williams and Kat McGrail, below right, relax together before the show.

Special to the Gazette /autumn luna

It takes

class to tango GBHS dance students have a chance to take what they learn in studio and put it on the stage

Special to the Gazette /AUTUMN LUNA

BY CAROLINE PALMER cpalmer.gazette@gmail.com

T

here are many electives at Granite Bay High School. However, before a student graduates they must taking a performing art. A student could choose to take dance to fulfill that requirement.

Dance is known at GBHS for being a fun, high energy class.

“I’ve been in the dance program for three years and I’m a TI for the advanced class and a TI for the beginning class,” senior Molly Graves said.“I like to have a break in the middle of my day to just release some stress and I also just really enjoy dancing.”

The three levels of dance students can take are beginning, intermediate and advanced.

Most students usually start in beginning dance and work their way up, but if a person already dances or has talent in dance, they can skip beginning through a tryout. This can allow them to move onto either the intermediate or advanced classes.

Even if a person has no dance background, the dance class could still be something fun to try if they are interested.

“My goal is (to) never let you go up on stage looking bad,” said GBHS dance teacher Deserie Milburn. “I will work extra hard to make you look good, and I cater to people’s abilities, so even if you’re the most beginner, it’s okay. We will make it so you look good.”

Milburn has been teaching dance here for 17 years. She started teaching in studios at the age of 16 and has been dancing since she was five years old. She was also a Sacramento Kings Dancer for

eight years. After the first three years dancing for the kings, she started teaching at GBHS. The atmosphere of the class is something a lot of dancers enjoy.

“The class is really fun and the people are all very nice,” senior Kate Duprel said. “My experience has been great. I feel like I’m always learning new things and meeting new people. As a (teacher intern) I try to help everyone as much as I can with whatever they need help with and I try to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to grow as a dancer.”

Dance teacher aids and interns have the opportunity to choreograph dances throughout the semester. If Milburn likes the dance, it will usually make it into the show. Even students can attempt to make their own dances for the show.

The dance show at the end of the semester is considered to be student exhibition of everything the class has learned. A lot of strenuous work is put into dance leading up to the show.

“A typical day in dance, we will warm up, we will do abs and push ups. Kids always come into dance and they’ll be like, ‘I didn’t think I was going to sweating’,” Milburn said. “Advanced (dance) goes pretty hard right away. It’s nice because they already know and they just build on it. (In) Beginning (dance) it’s like here’s how you count, here are the different kinds of counts and then they start learning different styles.”

Even though dance has serious components, there is always room for some joking around.

“I have had a great experience,” senior Chase Galmeister said. “It’s my favorite class. I am a TI in beginning dance, and a funny moment is when all of my boys in beginning dressed up in their flower tutu’s and ran around the track.”

Some critics have said that some of the dances in the dance show can be slightly “sexual” or “risque,” and Milburn agrees that this perception exists.

“It’s hard just because people look at costumes,

Special to the Gazette /Emily schofield

or not even the costumes,” Milburn said. “I’ve put girls in frumpy stuff, and people are like, ‘It’s not even the costume, it’s the way the girl moves.’ I can’t help that she’s like, rolling her body a certain way or such. You shouldn’t think that way.”

“It’s hard because we associate the body, the way we move, with sex, so it’s just (that) sometimes with jazz and hip hop,they definitely incorporate more hip movement, upper-body contractions,” Milburn said.

However, despite these perceptions, Milburn tries to strike a balance to please all types of people.

“I might push the envelope sometimes because I feel like you’re teenagers,” Milburn said. “We don’t need to be Disney, G-rated all the time, but I am – I love Disney, and I’m more G-rated, and the kids always make fun of me. I just try to have the whole variety, and so my goal always is when people leave, there are a couple of dances that stick in their head and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I liked that.’”

Pre-preformance preparations take place as Cierra Barker, right, braids Crystal Yabes’s hair before the show. Corban Anderson, far right, spins his dance partner onstage during the show.

Special to the Gazette /AUtumn luna

Gazette photo /kat mcgrail

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

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Friday w December 12, 2014

Commentary

maggie bell mbell.gazette@gmail.com

Eating is more than just a meal – it’s an event

S

uper Bowl Sunday, the World Series, the World Cup– all highly anticipated sporting events throughout the nation. However, how many times have you heard the crowds buzzing about the upcoming Major League Eating contests?

The correct answer is never, because Major League Eating goes as one of the most overlooked sports we have today.

Though perhaps not taken as seriously as game 7 of the world series or a world cup final, an MLE eating contest does have intense moments and qualities of true competition. If not for the pure competition itself, competitive eating holds at least equal entertainment to that of a “true sport.”

From The World Twinkie Eating Championship held in Tunika Tennessee, to Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest held on Coney Island, New York, there are a range of events with competing athletes of all shapes and sizes.

Men and women alike train for these events in their spare time in order to achieve a highly coveted top world rank among the greats.

The number one ranked eater in the world, Joey Chestnut, has won countless eating contests with his most famous being the annual 4th of July hot dog eating contest. Currently holding a streak of nine consecutive wins, Chestnut also holds the world record with 69 dogs consumed in one ten minute sitting.

For any non-avid spectators, this contest is a grueling 10 minute period in which contestants must eat both the dog, and the bun of as many hot dogs as possible with the aid of liquids.

Not only must athletes train their bodies to consume food at extreme speeds, they are then faced with the task of keeping down their immense meal. In the case of a “reversal of fortune” in which food is regurgitated, the contestant is disqualified and all of their hard work goes to waste.

The Hot Dog eating contest is considered the king of all MLE contests, annually drawing crowds of over 35,000. These fans gather to spectate approximately 20 contestants all competing for the prize purse of $10,000 and the Mustard Belt.

Although the purse adds up to a large sum, the real prize is in the pride of winning the contest. If you win the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, you can officially say you have “made it” in the world of competitive eating.

Compared to other sports, competitive eating is unique in that certain physical measurements are not required. Successful competitor eaters vary in a range of different body types.

Five in the nation, Sonya Thomas, stage named Black Widow, is a mere 105 pounds, often competing against other eaters weighing in at three times her size.

Currently ranked 22 in the nation, Eric Booker lies on the other side of the scale from Thomas weighing in at 400 pounds.

Although there is a variety of competitors, who fall in this scale the most successful tend to be in the best shape, appearing no different than ordinary people.

Furthering their normality, most MLE athletes have regular jobs to support themselves and make a living. Even world champion, Joey Chestnut holds a job as a project engineer for a construction business.

So next time you find yourself waiting for 4th of July festivities to begin, tune into the Nathan’s National Hot Dog Eating Contest and support your fellow Americans exercising their right to eat as many hot dogs humanly possible in 10 minutes– and calling it a sport.

*** Maggie Bell, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.

Concussion Awareness Rise of head injuries results in more focus on athlete health

Gazette photo/illustration /KAT MCGRAIL

Senior Davis Pae poses as a recent concussion victim illustrating the effects of a tramuatizing head injury

BY AMANDA NIST anist.gazette@gmail.com

I

n the past month, several athletes at Granite Bay High School have undergone baseline concussion tests.

Baseline testing is an exam that athletes take before the season starts in order to see how their brain functions, so if they get a head injury they can retest and compare the results.

“Athletes submit to an electrical test of their brainwaves. It is a simple and quick process,” varsity girls soccer coach Mark Broers said. “In my experience with high school athletes, the coach should recommend the test after witnessing a head injury.”

Without the initial test, doctors would not be able to accurately examine how severe the concussion or head injury is.

“We’re finding more and more students are getting concussions and in order to treat them the best way possible, we need to have a pre and post test of brain activity because we’re finding there

are a lot more delayed effects and long term effect.” So, the focus has shifted to pay more attention to it preventatively,” GBHS nurse Jenny Serrano said. “Our goal is to test mainly athletes in high risk sports first before their season starts, so they can have that baseline test and then if for some reason they do get injured there can be a comparison between the two tests. Sports like tennis and cross country are not going to be tested because they’re pretty low risk.”

The test itself is not very hard, and is similar to getting your hearing or sight checked.

“In the test they made us remember a lot of colors and numbers and words and they kept showing us them one after another,” junior wrestler Jordan Jensen said.

The exam tests memorization skills so if an athlete were to get a concussion during the season they can retest and see how the injury has affected their brain.

“Our coach had us do it to prevent

Costly playoff games ward off student suppport at GBHS

Increase in CIF prices results in lower attendance

BY ALEX BALDONADO abaldonado.gazette@gmail.com

Looking back on this past season’s football season, the Granite Bay Grizzlies got much further than most people anticipated, finishing only one game short before the section championship.

High school football playoff games prove to be some of the most memorable experiences students have after high school. For many, the cold and rainy games with electric, yet nervous, atmosphere for the anticipated close matchup between two deserving schools are unforgettable.

This playoff season, however, that electric atmosphere wasn’t as vibrant as a home playoff game should be.

A determining factor for this lack of enthusiasm was the rise in prices for playoff football games.

This year it cost $7 for a student to attend a playoff football game, and $10 for adults.

Many students, including Granite Bay High School senior Nick Wohlman, believe the prices are too high for student admission into the game.

“I thought the fees were overpriced,” Wohlman said.

Nick Wohlman Senior sports fan enjoys attending the Not only are the fees majority of upsetting, students are GBHS sporting also frustrated that the California Interscholas- events tic Federation are the only recipients of the money made from ticket sales.

“It upsets me that the CIF takes all of (the money),” Wohlman said.

The CIF gives each school hosting a playoff football game $1,700 for the first two rounds, and $2,000 for semi-final and championship games to pay for the costs of the ambulance, ticket salesmen, pressbox workers and the like.

GBHS athletic director Tim Healy said he also believes that the price should be lowered for students.

Healy thinks the prices should be lowered for students, but that the section isn’t trying to rip students off.

“The money goes towards running the (San Joaquin Section) office,” Healy said.

“An office that gets pretty overlooked.”

The money affects students because most of the students that regularly attended the regular season football games have the school athletics pass. Healy said that 90 to 95 percent of students that attend GBHS football events have the athletics See PLAYOFFS, page C5

injuries because sometimes people get concussions and they don’t even know it, and that can turn pretty severe pretty fast,” junior wrestler Parker Mortensen said. “During the test they ask you to remember a lot of things. They showed us numbers and then had us play a game, and then asked us to remember the numbers.”

For the past few years, athletes haven’t taken the baseline test. During the four years Broers has been a soccer coach at GBHS he hasn’t had access to the tests.

“I am working with the school nurse and athletic director to see that it is enacted again this year. Last year we had a few bad head to head collisions and players were under a doctor’s care before they were released and allowed to play again. This would have been helpful information for the medical staff and families,” Broers said.

The testing has been done on the GBHS campus, but it can also be done at a doctor’s office. Serrano said that the

tests have been done here because it’s just the initial baseline test. The boys and girls basketball and wrestling teams have already gone through the process.

“I have been the one to administer the tests but it’s something that the coaches will be able to do as well. It’s all online and it’s very easy and you can do it on a chromebook. Then if a student gets injured, they can either get their retest at their doctor’s or they can come here and take their re-test. And then its the doctor who is doing the actual evaluation and comparing the results,” Serrano said, Concussion tests are set to be taken every other year, however tests can be administered whenever a coach, doctor or player think it’s needed. Broers said he thinks the re-test is a good idea if the athlete has had a head injury, is sensitive to light or sound, is unable to focus or has a chronic headache.

“I think [athletes] should get tested once before the season starts and then if See CONCUSSION, page C3

Cheerful chants prove to be controversial

Football team punished for its postgame celebration in locker room

BY STEVEN GERISCH sgerisch.gazette@gmail.com

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines tradition as a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time. While Granite Bay High School has many longstanding traditions that have engrained their ways into GBHS culture, one tradition was recently stripped away from the football team.

After a monumental comeback against the Rocklin Thunder, winning 28-21 after being down 21-0 at the half, the Grizzly football team stormed the locker room and began celebrating what was considered one of the greatest wins in Granite Bay football history.

Ever since the middle of the 2012 season, the year the Grizzlies won a state title, the song One and One by the group 2 Live Crew has been blared in the locker room after every win. While not as longstanding a tradition compared to some others that GBHS has, it has become a favorite past time of the football team.

As jubilation filled the locker room, the Grizzlies began every other team win like they had before, One and One was put on full volume. While the team was off celebrating, one member of the officiat-

ing crew was off scheming. Senior guard Steven Ponzo said that the officiating crewmember didn’t appreciate the lyrics of the song because he felt they were “demonizing to women.” “He wrote down the lyrics to the song and reported them to administration.”

However, the sexist nature of the song wasn’t the deciding factor to the ref’s decision to report. “The ref said that because of his religious views he had to do something,” Ponzo said.

This isn’t the first time this particular referee has created controversy for GBHS. During the 2008 playoffs, Granite Bay drew eventual state champion during the first round. While the game was tightly contested throughout, controversial penalties and calls stalled a late gamewinning drive with the contest ending 22-19 in favor of Grant.

One common theme from the two incidents remains however; the same ref that called the highly controversial penalties is the same one that reported the lyrics.

Whether it’s a coincidence or not remains to be determined.

Senior cornerback Cedric Johnson already has his mind made up on the situation though. “I think the ref had it out for us,” Johnson said. “(He) wanted us to receive punishment, if (he) would’ve See CHANTS, page C4

inside sports November Signing

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All American

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Boys’ Basketball

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November Signing GBHS student athletes sign letters of intent to play sports collegiately

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All American Senior athlete recieves honorable call into nationally recognized soccer game

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Boys’ Basketball The Grizzlies start their search for another successful season

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Friday, December 12, 2014

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The Granite Bay Gazette

10 athletes sign letters of intent in November

Signing day brings a pursuit of excellence for students

BY MAGGIE BELL mbell.gazette@gmail.com

For many, high school marks the end of one’s athletic career, excluding the casual pickup game or intramural competition.

For a select few, however, the transition from high school into college is just the beginning.

The college athletic process doesn’t start merely in college, but long before in hours of training throughout players’ youth, honing the skills necessary to compete at the next level.

Combined with the time and effort required to develop into a prospective collegiate athlete, natural talent is required to compete at the top level.

Rare as this combination may be, Granite Bay High School is notorious for consistently sending anywhere from 15 to 25 student athletes to compete at this next level.

GBHS holds two signing days per year for students to sign their national letters of intent, officially binding them to their school of choice.

Wednesday, Nov.12 marked the first signing day of the year, with ten GBHS seniors signing their national letters of intent.

The signees were athletes from a range of different sports including golf, soccer, crew, football, swimming and lacrosse.

Senior Riley Brown committed to the University of California Berkeley on scholarship as a crew coxon.

“I was nervous (to sign) because I have waited for this for a really long time, but I

was very excited,” Brown said.

Brown said that mixed with her excitement was a feeling of relief to have finally picked a school and know it was official.

Not uncommon among recruited athletes is the process of having to narrow down one’s choices from a pool of schools interested in committing them to their program.

In Brown’s case, multiple other prestigious schools including Duke and Columbia offered her spots into their programs, leaving her with the task of selecting the school that would fit her the best.

“I’m really a west coast girl and as cliche as it sounds, I really love California and Berkeley is so me,” Brown said, explaining her choice.

Though Brown is choosing to stay in California, there was a diversity of schools picked by the recent signees with universities located all around the country.

Senior lacrosse player Will Stabbert is committed to attend Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“It was very relieving to finally sign on signing day,” Stabbert said. “But at the same time, it was kind of anticlimactic because I had built it up so much in my head since I was little and all you do is sign a piece of paper.”

This is not uncommon in college-level athletes - having worked for their goal for a number of years, sacrificing activities of a “normal kid” to pursue their sport.

“A ton of work went into (the process),” Stabbert said. “I have sent hundreds

of emails to college coaches since sophomore year and have been traveling around the country playing travel ball and going to showcases every summer since seventh grade.”

Athletic Director Tim Healy has had the opportunity to watch GBHS athletes such as Brown and Stabbert commit to their college of choice, and sign their official document sealing their future.

Healy said that GBHS is special in the sheer amount of student-athletes that have come through the school’s programs and are collegiately bound.

“Some of your private schools might be closer to six to 10 (athletes sign per year) that have programs that are more in line with where ours are, but I don’t know any other school in our area that regularly gets (anywhere close to our multitude),” Healy said.

In turn, GBHS athletes who sign national letters of intent are not only solidifying their own athletic accolades but also honoring the school by adding to its list of athletes and continuing its prestigious history as an athletic powerhouse.

“To be a scholarship athlete, you don’t just exist as an athlete; you have to really be an athlete,” Healy said. “Your intensity is different than a casual athlete and I don’t think - unless you are at the top of that pyramid - you really (....) get it.”

Though some will argue that other schools outrank GBHS in terms of athletic achievement, none can argue that GBHS does not produce total athletes.

Gazette photos /MAGGIE BELL

 Shown on top left and bottom, Riley Brown, Jeffery Innouye-Wong, Will Stabbert, Ryan Arenson, Corban Anderson, Summer Spradley, Julienne Tadena, Jordan Anderson, Cameron Smith and Emily Torris sign letters, second right Riley Brown shakes teacher Duane Blomquist’s hand.

Sophomore says that golf is her new passion

Keegan Hoslett looks forward to a bright future in girls’ golf

BY AMANDA PRATHER aprather.gazette@gmail.com

Keegan Hoslett, a sophomore at Granite Bay High School, is new to the golf world but has been enjoying every minute of her new passion.

She said that even though she hasn’t been playing for a very long time, she loves the sport already.

Hoslett said she enjoys her teammates the most and the friendships she has made along the way.

“I like playing golf because you can have fun and talk with your friends and have fun with your teammates while walking to the next hole,” Hoslett said.

She said she loves the environment and the spirit of the sport.

Hoslett said the most important part of the sport is to stay positive through anything, which for her, has never been hard because she is a very happy person.

“It’s a total mental game and staying positive and cheery is really important,” Hoslett said.

Hoslett said that it is a difficult sport and requires a lot of focus and concentration from the entire team.

“It’s a challenge trying to make the right decision on how to hit the ball and where you want it to go.”

Hoslett said.

With the help of her teammates she is able to stay positive and motivating throughout tournaments and matches.

Hoslett said she has loved getting to know all of the girls on the team this season and is really looking forward to working with them next year.

“My favorite part about golf is my teammates,” Hoslett said Keegan and the girls’ varsity team finished with an impressive record this season, earning the league champions title.

The golf team also placed third out of eight teams at the San-Joaquin Section division I championships.

After finishing in the section championships, they also placed fourth out of fourteen teams at the SanJoaquin Section Masters tournament.

“Next year we hope to do even better, (advancing to) Norcals or hopefully even the State Championship,” Hoslett said.

Gazette photo/ AMANDA PRATHER

Sophomore Keegan Hoslett: Is newer to golf and hopes to go to states next year with her team.

GBHS girls team has yet to win the state championship in previous seasons, but hopes to get that missing banner next season.

“Were so excited to get this close this year, but next year we will come back stronger than before.”

Hoslett said.

In the offseason of high school, Keegan likes to keep up her game by playing at least 18 holes a week.

“I need to improve my game no matter the season,” Hoslett said.

Students look forward to the slopes over break

Skiing and snowboarding continue to be popular

BY HARRISON TUCKER htucker.gazette@gmail.com

Northern California is a very desirable locations around for both winter and summer. Granite Bay in particular is just a couple of hours away from the beautiful beaches, as well as the snowcapped mountains of Tahoe. With these several locations available at two or less hours away, skiing and snowboarding are some of the most popular activities among GBHS students during the winter.

Senior Cole Pautsch agrees that Northern California contains an array of possibilities to explore the great outdoors.

“I like to snowboard at Sugar Bowl because it has a wide range of terrain,” senior Cole Pautsch said. “I love to board on the terrain parks and moguls, which are some of the best in California.”

Similarly, senior Crystal Yabes shares the passion for snow sports and enjoys traveling up north to ski and snowboard at the different ski resorts.

“Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are the best mountains to ski or snowboard,” Yabes said. “Although they charge the most for lift tickets, having tons of runs and good snow is worth the forty dollar difference between Boreal, etc., compared to Squaw and Alpine.”

People can go ski or snowboard for speed, relaxation and trade tricks for compatibility. For this reason, it is important to choose which one would be

more suitable for the interests a person has when deciding whether they want to ski or snowboard.

“While skiing is significantly more common, it is also the more difficult type to perfect,” senior Ryan Harris said. “A lot of people can get away with bad form.”

The initial learning curve of skiing is quick. Independent and separate leg movement is the most natural transport humans are trained to perform.

Snowboarding is not quite the same story. For skaters and surfers, it is natural, sharing many of the same attributes except the surface speed.

“I grew up skiing with my brother, so to me, snowboarding hasn’t really been much of an option,” senior Riley Brown said. “I have always loved the speed and versatility of all-mountain skiing which snowboards do not offer.”

Several different types of skis and snowboards are made to thrive in different types of snow and terrain, whether it be moguls, flat and fast or terrain parks with jumps.

The three popular types of skiequipment made are Camber, Rocker and Flat. Camber is considered the most difficult to ride curve, offering superior speed but also difficult turn initiation, and is not recommended for beginners. Rocker is a very maneuverable ski, made to handle powder well, and is harder to catch an edge. The last is Flat, which is less commonly made in skis, but the most common snow-

YOUR NAMES. YOUR ATHLETES. THE GAZETTE.

board shape on the market, offering easy turn transitions and better edge grip, serving as the in between for Camber and Rocker.

“I personally prefer rocker skis,” Harris said. “I love slashing the powpow (powder) during good years of snow in Tahoe. There is nothing like that floating feeling when you glide over fresh snow with ease.”

Many consider the convenience of snowboarding as a good reason to pick it over skiing. Snowboarding boots are incredibly comfortable and offering flexibility while ski boots are extremely stiff, hard to walk in and hard to break in.

But once on the mountain, skiing is much more accessible. Snowboarders have to bind and unbind their back foot every time they get on or off the lift, as well as if they have to push themselves up hills or runs with no slope, something that skiers don’t have to deal with because they have poles.

Even health risks are something to consider. While knee injuries and ACL issues are major in skiing, snowboarders are very prone to ankle and upper body injuries, but snowboarding is typically easier on your body in the long run especially when snowboarders reach their fifties or so.

All in all, both sports offer a high variety of pros as well as cons, and before researching purchases or vacations, consider the listed factors as well as the terrain it offers when deciding where and what to ride.

Special to the Gazette /Cole pautsch

Cole Pautsch and Kevin Baranowski sitting on the ski lift at Boreal, getting ready for their next snowboard run.

Friday, December 12, 2014 w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS senior midfielder named an All-American Corban Anderson named one of best in the nation

BY KAT MCGRAIL kmcgrail2.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /KAT MCGRAIL

Senior Corban Anderson is the first Grizzly to ever be named an All-American. He will now play in the All-American game held in Raleigh, North Carolina before graduating early to go on to the University of Washington with a soccer scholarship.

The varsity boys high school soccer season ended with a tragic loss in the semi-final round of playoffs, but the game lives on for senior captain Corban Anderson.

Anderson plays midfield for the Granite Bay High School boys’ varsity soccer team, as well as for his club team at Placer United, committed to the University of Washington earlier in the fall and was also named a Sierra Foothill League All-League team member by coaches in the surrounding area last month.

He was recently commissioned to participate in the All-American soccer game, which will take place on December 13 of this year in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Anderson, along with club teammates Luc Barbe, who attends Jesuit High School in Sacramento, and Kristian Heptner, who attends Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, along with two other California players were all accepted into the selection process and then chosen to play with the best of the best in all of high school.

Hundreds of players were nominated by a council of highly respected soccer figures and coaches all over the country, and after the many rounds of selections, two teams of approximately 25 players are specially constructed to represent the east and west coasts.

“My teammate from Jesuit saw our names on a list,

Sports C3

and then I received an email about the game,” Anderson said. “We sent in a form with our information and all kinds of accolades about us.”

Boys varsity soccer coach Steve Fischer said that some of the high school coaches are in contact with the selection committee, who had asked him about a number of local players, including Anderson.

“Most of the boys, including the west team have players from back east, so it is quite an honor to be selected for this team that has a very east-coast leaning,” Fischer said. “I think Corban is a very good representative...not just of Granite Bay, but of California soccer.”

The Division I-bound soccer commit said he is very excited to represent the west-coast squad with his fellow teammates, and is looking forward to meeting some of the most highly regarded players and getting the chance to play with them.

High school and club soccer teammate Zach Vane expressed his excitement and pride in Anderson’s All-American nomination.

“I first started playing with Corban five years ago on our club team at Placer, and I’ve played with him every year for Granite Bay,” Vane said. “There is no other player I can think of that has a drive that matches his.”

Vane said despite a few nominations in the past, Granite Bay High School has never before produced an All-American player, which is not only an accomplishment for Anderson, but for the Granite Bay soccer program as a whole.

Despite all of his successes on the field, Anderson is anything but a show-off.

“Corban is so humble even though he is obviously aware that he has earned it,” Vane said. “He is a role model to many people, and I think that is what being an All American is all about.”

CONCUSSION TESTING: New district protocols made for athlete safety Continued from page C1

they get a concussion or other injury,” Jensen said.

If an athlete is injured, the post concussion test can also be conducted on the GBHS campus. The company GBHS gets the tests from also has so much data that an athlete can be matched with someone

else’s injury as long as they play the same sport, and are the same gender and age.

“It’s still nice to have your own testing before and after. The protocols they have now for returning to play and returning to school are very good. They’re really looking out for the students to make sure they’re actually healing and not just rushing back into playing,” Serrano said.

Sophomore strives to make varsity

BY JAQUELINE ROMERO jromero.gazette@gmail.com

Sophomore Surina Khurana has been playing volleyball since sixth grade and loves taking part in the volleyball program at Granite Bay High School. She has played on both the freshman and junior varsity teams at GBHS and is looking forward to having the opportunity to try out for the varsity team next year. Khurana also participates in club volleyball which takes place after the high school season.

Khurana is a versatile player, mostly plays outside hitter and defensive specialist. Up until seventh grade, she also played tennis and soccer but ultimately decided to focus on volleyball because it was by far her favorite.

“Even though I liked playing other sports when I was younger, I always had the most fun playing volleyball,” Khurana said. “I have always felt the most competitive and motivated to improve in volleyball.”

Khurana said not only did she choose to pursue volleyball because she thought the game was the most fun, but she also loved the social aspect of the game.

“My favorite part about playing volleyball is being part of a team,” Khurana said. “It makes playing the games and going to practice a lot more fun.”

She said that during the high school season, it is always more motivating for her and her teammates to win when they are playing girls that they know from past teams. “It is always fun during the high school season to play against people that I know from my past club teams, I love being able to meet so many people through volleyball that I normally wouldn’t have an opportunity to meet.”

Because the varsity volleyball team this year is only losing five of their players, Khurana said tryouts next year will be tough for all of the current JV players.

“It is pretty nerve wracking knowing that there are only going to be a few spots to fill on the varsity team next year,” Khurana said. “Tryouts are going to be very competitive because most of us from the JV team are planning on trying to fill those spots next year.”

Even though it is going to be very tough next year for the upcoming varsity players, Khurana said she is still looking forward to the season.

“I am really excited for the opportunity to try out for volleyball and hopefully things work out for me,” Khurana said. “The main thing I am excited for is just for the opportunity to make more memories with all my volleyball friends and hopefully make new friendships with the girls I have never played with.”

Someone who suffers a head injury needs to be fully healed before they continue to play their sport. The concussion tests help by making sure their brain functions the same as it did before the injury.

“I think it’s really beneficial because if you don’t know you have a concussion your injury can get really bad really fast.

If someone were to have a concussion,

Your names.

Your faces.

Your newspaper.

The Gazette.

they would have to sit out during the wrestling season until they were fully recovered from the concussion,” Mortensen said.

As to why GBHS hasn’t been administering baseline concussion tests in the past few years, Serrano said it’s because of the fact that it’s her first year as the school nurse.

“I know that the other schools in the district have been doing the testing. There is a cost; you pay for this packet and you only get so many tests and I think for certain sports their boosters were able to pay for it , but definitely not schoolwide,” Serrano said. “But as far as I know the concussion tests are now district wide, and I don’t see them going away.

Friday, December 12, 2014

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C4

Boys’ basketball: looking for a successful season Team looks to improve on last year’s record

BY KELSEY ITO kito.gazette@gmail.com

As the basketball season is coming up, the boys varsity team is working hard to prepare for their upcoming games. Every day they have about two and half hours of practice as they get ready to face other teams, especially their toughest competitor Folsom High School.

Senior Colin Mchale is excited to meet and play with his new teammates who were on JV last year.

“I’m looking forward all the Although he will miss the seniors, he is confident in the team’s ability to perform great with the new players.

“It always sucks losing the seniors because we lose a lot of experience, but we have a lot of returning players, so I think we will be fine in that area,” Mchale said.

As a goal for the team Mchale hopes to get second or third in league and continue on to win sections this year, while his goal for himself is to be a leader for the team.

“I’m looking forward all the new players that came up from JV,” Mchale said. “I’ve never played with them before and it’s going to be fun becoming friends with them.”

Junior Charlie Tooley wants to make it to playoffs and then even-

tually to Sleep Train Arena, so the basketball team is training even more intensely this year.

“This season we are preparing by lots of practice, conditioning and running,” Tooley said.

“Last year we didn’t do as much conditioning as we are doing this year, so we are going to be in a lot better shape.”

Tooley can’t wait to start playing and spend time with his teammates, and is working hard.

“I’m looking forward to being around some of my best friends and hopefully winning league,” Tooley said.

Senior Christian Yeargin realizes the impact the loss of the seniors will have on the team, but hopes to have the players bond to help enhance their team dynamic.

“There will be some missing slots that we will definitely need to fill skill-wise and leadership wise,” Yeargin said. “So our goal as a team is that we need to get closer and play together better, not for ourselves.”

As far as key players go, Yeargin says that two junior boys stand out as athletes to watch as the season progresses.

“I’d watch Charlie and Darren throughout the season as they start playing more,” Yeargin said.

Junior Sean Boyle, who played JV last year, is excited to be on the varsity team this year and perform in front of the Tribe, as well as get the chance to connect with his

teammates.

“The goal for the team is to just have fun, bond and make friendships,” Boyle said. “For myself, I’m going to work on getting better for next season.”

Boyle is confident that the team can exceed last years record because of the tight knit bond that all of the players have with one another.

“I think we are much closer this season as a team and we are definitely going to win more games too,” Boyle said.

Jason Sitterud, who has been the boys varsity basketball coach for many years, is looking forward to the season with the new addition of players and is excited to see how the team performs together as a whole.

“I think you always enjoy every senior class that comes through, but the next class brings different attributes and different traits that make the team strong and they all grow together,” Sitterud said.

Additionally, Sitterud aims to lead the team to get 20 wins, intensely compete in league and eventually advance to the playoffs. In order to accomplish this, the boys have been training much harder in the hopes that their fitness will give them an edge against their competitors.

“The kids have worked hard.”

Sitterud said. “We’re investing more time lifting weights and trying to get stronger as a team,”

Gazette photos /LAUREN JACKSON

Top, Colin McHale handling the ball with teammates Christian Yeargin (25), Sean Boyle (20) and Scotty Henrichs ( 41), bottom left Darren Nelson shoots a basket against Oakmont, bottom right Colin Mchale jumps up.

Grizz Quiz Compiled by Amanda Nist

What is your favorite holiday?

Alex Gavia Soccer

Macayla Thomas Swimming

Spencer Carlson Lacrosse

Natalie Barron Volleyball

Rahul Bavirisetty Tennis

Christmas

Fourth of July

Country

No preference

Christmas

Halloween

Christmas

Who is your favorite type of music?

40s

Alternative

Rap

Skiing or snowboarding?

Snowboarding

Snowboarding

Snowboarding

Skiing

Tamales

Apple pie

Apple pie

Birthday cake

Doesn’t have one

Leo

Aquarius

Pisces

Cancer

Cancer

What is your favorite holiday food?

What’s your zodiac sign?

Skiing

CHANT: Football team reaps the consequences of traditional victory song Continued from page C1 actually cared about it they would’ve told our coach.”

While the football team had little difference on their opinions, GBHS administration wasn’t so quick to draw the same accusations.

GBHS assistant principal Brian

McNulty said “I can’t make judgments for another person.” “I wouldn’t know what another ref is thinking.”

Naturally, the administration banned the playing of that song after games. However, besides taking away the tradition that was so coveted by the football team, they also banned the team from practic-

ing on the following Monday, the beginning of rivalry week.

Rivalry week when we face Del Oro has always had a different feel in the air. Pride, determination, and anxiety fill the campus. The football team treats rivalry week like none other, practice and staying focused on their routine is a key part of preparation; Missing a

Your teams.

Your sports coverage.

The Gazette.

day of practice, or being caught up in controversy, is something that can truly make a difference come Friday night.

“Not playing a song doesn’t’ seem like it should impede their level of play” McNulty said.

Sadly for the Grizzlies, the day missed showed how much of an effect it truly had on the team,

losing 20-7 at home on their senior night.

“I truly don’t think the admin understand how much that meant to us seniors,” Ponzo said. “We made it our goal to beat D.O. and Rocklin and come runner up in the league. Coach Cooper called it ‘our own championship’.”

Both Ponzo and Johnson feel

cheated. This was supposed to be their season. They had been waiting and preparing for this game their entire football careers.

“Del Oro is our biggest rivalry, we played four years to get a chance at those guys our senior year,” Ponzo said. “It’s definitely something that will not settle in my gut for the rest of my life.”

Friday, December 12, 2014

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

Graduating athletes leave roster spots to fill How do GBHS teams replace senior leaders

BY JAQUELINE ROMERO jromero.gazette@gmail.com

Even though the majority of sports teams at Granite Bay High School have seniors on their teams every year, losing seniors can effect some teams more than others.

Junior Nicole Zenzola, captain on the cross country team, said that on the boys’ varsity cross country team four out of the top seven players are seniors. She said that even though they will lose players that play a key role in their success, they will be able to recover in time for next year.

“I think the boys can still be successful despite that because they are a deep team and have strong underclassmen,” Zenzola said. “Losing the seniors will definitely make a difference, and we will have to work hard to fill the gaps that they leave.”

Zenzola said that luckily for them, they have talented underclassmen and current juniors who will help the team succeed even after the seniors leave.

Sophomore Jordan Poczobutt said that success wise, the girls’ team should do fine next year because they are only losing one senior, while losing the senior boys will affect the boys’ cross country team’s ability to qualify for state again.

“I think the (girl) underclassmen do a pretty good job of filling in for seniors,” Poczobutt said. “Our two top girls are both sophomores who always finish in the front of the pack in races.”

Because the girls’ team consists of mostly underclassmen, Poczobutt said she is confident that they will all greatly improve by the time they are seniors, making the girls’ cross country team hard to beat.

“Right now all of the underclassmen from other schools are beating us but when we are seniors, the girls’ varsity team will be extremely strong.” Poczobutt said.

As for the girls’ volleyball team, they currently have five seniors on the team, two of them being starters.

Junior Sammi Tafoya said that even though they are losing a big chunk of their team, some being very key players, they have some upcoming players who will do a good job filling in for them next year.

“People like Carly Wallace and Ali Lemos will definitely be able to help us out next year,” Tafoya said.

“We still have four out of our six starters from this year so hopefully the new players will make us better

PLAYOFFS: Too much money Continued from page C1 pass, granting students free admission into the games.

Since students cannot use the athletics pass to gain admission into playoff games, many decide not to spend $7 on high school football games at all. Not only does the CIF charge for football games, students must pay for admission for every playoff game held on campus. Earlier this year, soccer playoffs cost $4 and girl’s volleyball games cost $7, along with the other sports falling in that price range.

The issue of higher prices is much more noticeable at GBHS compared to other schools, Healy said.

Because of GBHS’ continuous athletic excellence, many teams qualify for playoffs. This last fall, seven out of eight GBHS varsity sports teams qualified for playoffs.

This athletic excellence is typically supported with an enthusiastic student section that comes to the majority of the playoff games. Students like Wohlman that come to playoff games notice the high prices more than students at other schools whose teams typically don’t reach playoffs.

Due to that reason, GBHS receives an especially hard blow.

GBHS is also charged to play in the SFL because it is such a competitive league and section.

At the beginning of the year, GBHS annually pays $2,500 to the Sierra Foothill League and roughly another $2,000 to the section.

With all that money coming from more than 160 schools in the section, it is questioned if the section really needs to charge a student $7 to attend playoff games and support their schoolmates.

But that is not the case. Many students suffer from this exorbitant amount of money for a high school playoff football game that should be a memorable experience for students, but not for its cost.

and contribute big things to the team next season.”

The girls volleyball team came in first in league this year and Tafoya said she hopes that they will still be as successful next year.

“I think that losing Brooke Hershberger and Libby Deters will have the biggest impact, but I think that we have other players that will hopefully be able to pull us through,” Tafoya said. “We know that other schools like St. Francis and Oak Ridge are also losing key players so hopefully next year we can still be as successful.”

Tafoya also said that she thinks the team has a strong chance of winning league next year because even though they are losing a lot of good players, as they still have many juniors and sophomores that played this year, some of whom even garnered starting time.

Sophomore Ali Lemos said that even though the seniors on the team this year had a great impact on the success of the team, the junior varsity volleyball team has a lot of great talent that will be coming up to the varsity team next year. “(The seniors) have a great legacy and it will be hard to fill that but I am confident in our future,” Lemos said. “I think that we will be able to bring new character to the team and have our own success.”

According to Tafoya, the seniors not only brought great talent to the games, but they also had a big impact on how close the team became throughout the season. Lemos said that recreating the camaraderie that they brought to the team will be one of the hardest things to replace. “(The hardest thing when the seniors leave) will be bringing back the unity that the seniors had after playing together for so many years,” Lemos said.

Tafoya said that the most difficult thing for her that comes with losing the seniors is also losing friends on the team. She said that because she is friends with all the seniors on the team seeing them leave will be more difficult than losing their skill for next season.

“Obviously it is hard knowing that we are going to be losing some great players for next season, but it will be harder adjusting to not having them on the team,” Tafoya said. “We all bonded a lot this season and the memories we made with them will always be more important to me than remembering how well we did during the season.”

The Gazette.

We have you covered.

The GBHS girls’ varsity volleyball team looks to rebuild after losing the remaining seniors who helped the Grizzlies win the state title last December Special to the Gazette/ Brett Pinkney

C6

Friday, December 12, 2014

w The Granite Bay Gazette

SECOND LOOK

Stats at a Glance

Charlie Tooley, left, shoots a free throw in a recent pre-season game against Oakmont. The GBHS cheer team, below, gathers to hear a preroutine talk before going on the field for a halftime show. Joey Scotti, middle, controls the ball out of the air and starts an attack for the GBHS soccer team.

Corban Anderson, bottom left, attacks the endline to create an opportunity for his team, beating two defenders on his way. Colin McHale, bottom right, goes up for a layup despite the presence of four Oakmont defenders.

Football Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs wGBHS 63, Chavez 14 wGBHS 28, Napa 13 wTracy 27, GBHS 21 wLeague finish: Fourth in the Sierra Foothill League wSection finish: lost in 3rd round of playoffs

Record Overall: 9-4

Girls’ Water Polo Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Tournament wGBHS 11, Bear Creek 2 wVintage 7, GBHS 2 wLeague Finish: Second in SFL wSections finish: lost in semifinals

Record Overall: 8-8

Boys’ Water Polo Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Tournament wGBHS 14, Bear Creek 6 wDavis 13, GBHS 6 wLeague Finish: Cochampions of SFL wSection finish: lost in quarterfinals

Gazette photo/ LAUREN JACKSON

Gazette photo /LAUREN JACKSON

Gazette photo /KAT MCGRAIL

Record Overall: 20-7

Boys’ Soccer Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs

wGBHS 4, Gregori 0 wGBHS 3, Franklin 1 wDavis 2, GBHS 1 wLeague finish: First in SFL wSection finish: lost in semifinals

Gazette photo /BLAKE PANTER

Record Overall: 19-2

Girls’ Volleyball Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs

wGBHS 3, Franklin 0 wSt. Francis 3, GBHS 0 wLeague finish: Co-champions in SFL wSection finish: lost in second round Record Overall: 25-13

Cross-Country

wGirls’ Varsity 5th at SFL wBoys’ Varsity 1st at SFL wBoys’ Varsity 2nd at Sections wGirls’ Varsity 9th at Sections wBoys’ Varsity 15th at State

Boys’ Basketball Recent Results: wGBHS 55, Oakmont 38 wFranklin 55, GBHS 54 wGBHS 71, Bella Vista 48 wGBHS 72, Chico 52

Gazette photo /KAT MCGRAIL

Upcoming Games: wDec. 16 @ Bella Vista wDec. 18 @ Franklin Record as of 12/8/14: 3-1

Girls’ Basketball

Recent Results: wGBHS 67, Roseville 57 wBella Vista 57, GBHS 39 wAntelope 72, GBHS 61

Upcoming Games: wTonight vs. Foothill wDec. 16 vs. Vista Del Lago

Gazette photo /KAT MCGRAIL

Record as of 12/8/14: 2-2

Wrestling

wHighlight: Aaron Weise won the championship in his weight class in the Granite Bay Invitational at GBHS on Dec. 6.

-As of December 8, 2014

Gazette photo / KAT MCGRAIL

Gazette photo /lLAUREN JACKSON

GS

The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide.

December 2014

GREEN SCREEN Guide to selecting the best Christmas trees.

PAGES

8&9

Page 2

December 2014

sneak peek.

x

Special to the Gazette /jim landis

Special to the Gazette /Kelsey ito

wSee pages 10 for the Winter Ball askings this year.

wSee pages 8&9 for the Gazette’s Christmas tree guide.

Gazette photo/ EPSA SHARMA

wSee page 13 for DIY gift and holiday shopping idecas.

Technology takeover within youth Excessive technological usage hinders imagination

T

ime is of the essence. In this day an age of fast lifestyles, nature of technology, cost consideration and overall training it seems as though everyone is entangled in the glitz and needed for students and teachers in order to successfully grasp glam of society, but not all that glitters is gold. the full potential of technological implementation.

It’s crazy how kids in elementary schools are of the possesion Administrators at all schools especially elementary schools of iPhones and iPads and are completley capable of handling it need to take in all aspects of technology and how difficult it is to wisely. maintain the durability of iPads or any technological device with I came home last week to find out that my second graders. sisters elementary school was granted acAlso any one in general can easily crack or cess to iPads during their math time during damage gadgets and schools are at a higher class. risk of paying for damage when dealing I was pretty impressed that an elementary with younger children. school was granting iPads to second gradSociety today is vividly engrossed in ers. technology, impeding our perspective and Although I was skeptical at how they outlook of true knowledge that is attainable would utilize them, I mean c’mon they are from the real world. seven year olds just now learning how to School administrators must acknowledge read. the fact that technology can detach students I’ve realized in order to keep up with the from obtaining knowledge through hands on progression of society, schools are pressured experience me is of the essence. into inhibiting the “oh so dazzling” usage of I have personally withnessed my sister fintechnology. ish her math work at school on the iPad and esharma.gazette@gmail.com Although technology has educational come straight home and go on the family benefits, by allowing students the ability to iPad or engross herself in any technological conduct research and analysis, it also hinders the flow of imagidevice. It’s not healthy for schools to inhibit the use of technolnation and creativity in their daily life. ogy at that young of an age. Students in grades below fifth grade Usage of technology cannot be avoided for the need of adare still developing reading, writing and thinking skills. vanced analytical output ; but school administrators shouldn’t Excessive technology usage will impede on their growth of undermine students, and their need to master certain skills that those cherisable traits. they would have otherwise been dependant on technology for .

Along with those traits it will cause their imagination to windle Which leads to the fact that the negatives of technological down and their creativity will be mundane and replicate everydevices in schools outweighs the positives. thing they see online.

So, before completely adapting the curriculum of the school to In all honesty young children should be given an allotted time coincide with the fast pace movement of technological advancefor technology, and then be requested to do as their heart pleases ments; school administrators must consider the unpredictability and let their mind roam free.

Commentary

epsa sharma

Guide to Green Screen

Page 3 Music reviews Page 4 Follow friday Page 5 Preview of the Harvey play

Page 11 Page 6/7 Winter hang-outs Food reviews Page 12 Page 8/9 Top Spirited Christmas tree Tweets guide Page 13 Page 10 Popular fall Winterball askings favorites

Upcoming GBHS Events for December/ January Dec. 13 Winter Ball Dec. 18-19

Finals scheduled at GBHS

Dec. 21-Jan. 4 Winter Break

Page 14 Holiday movie guide Page 15 Movie reviews Page 16 Healthy Christmas treats

December 2014

Page 3

tune in.

One Direction Four

BY OLIVIA HEPPELL oheppell.gazette@gmail.com

O

ne Direction has once again delivered a number one album. The album, titled Four, climbed the charts to number one in 67 countries.

They are one of the few bands to ever have all of their albums debut at number one.

After four years of success, the band is breaking boy band stereotypes of lasting only a few years.

Four, much like their other albums, has a strong pop and rock sound. The upbeat songs are catchy and easy to sing along to.

This new album has a more mature, developed sound compared to their other albums, Up All Night, Take Me Home and Midnight Memories.

One Directions vocals are solid throughout,

although Zayn Malik’s voice shines past the others. His ability to reach higher notes greatly enhances the band’s sound.

Like their other three albums, One Direction do not having any collaborations on this album, but did work with artists like The 1975.

The first single released was “Steal My Girl,” which I thought was good, but overall not the strongest song on the album.

Four generally alternates between love ballads and pop songs with heavy rock undertones.

Some of the best ballads on the album were “Fool’s Gold” and “Night Changes.”

“Girl Almighty” is purely pop and one of the best songs on the album.

While lacking in lyrical significance, “Girl Almighty” is easy to sing along to is extremely catchy.

While there are many unique songs on the

album, some of One Direction’s ballads fall short. “Spaces,” for example, quickly becomes boring and repetitive, and I will often times find myself skipping past it when it comes on shuffle.

The purchase of the deluxe version of the album is not worth it. While the songs are decent, none of them stand out.

“Change Your Ticket,” a deluxe song, sounds too much like The 1975’s “Girls” to be ignored.

It is lacking creatively and I’m not a fan.

While “Act My Age” is a catchy pop song, it’s obviously less mature than the rest of the album, making it stand out negatively.

The deluxe version decreased the value of Four as a whole.

In conclusion“Stockholm Syndrome” and “Clouds” are easily the best songs on the album. “Clouds” slides further towards the rock side of album. which makes it enjoyable to

Republic Records

 Four was released on Nov. 17 2014.

B+

Skip to: Stockholm Syndrome

Hunter Hayes Storyline Nico & Vinz Black Star Elephant

BY NATALIE ERICKSON nerickson.gazette@gmail.com

R Republic Record

Black Star Elephant came out Oct.14 2014.

ASkip to : Runnin

eleased in the United States on Oct. 14, 2014, Black Star Elephant has already become popular among American music-listeners. The album, recorded by the Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz, is the second they have released.

Among the 13 songs on the CD are the very popular “Am I Wrong,” which basically jump started their fame, as well as the up and coming “In Your Arms.

“I was excited when I heard about the release of this album because their top hit.

“Am I Wrong,” had a very catchy tune, even though it was overplayed on the radio.

But mainly, I was tired of hearing the same songs and same artists played over and over again, so it was nice to be able to listen to a fresh set of singers that have a different style

than the average Hollywood star.

Though their recorded songs sound fantastic, digital technology works like magic.

When I saw them opening live for Bruno Mars, they were off key most of the time and out of breath from all of the dancing.

However, they didn’t lack a stage presence, and were able to fire up the crowd with their feel-good music and charisma.

“In Your Arms,” not surprisingly, is about wanting to lie back down in somebody’s arms.

Though the lyrics are cheesy to me, it has a very catchy tone that hooks the listeners.

“Runnin’” also has a very unique approach to it. The instruments in the background flow well with the accent of their voices and the overall mood of the song. I often caught this song getting stuck in my head.

While many albums contain songs that sound the same, that was not true for Black Star Elephant. This album includes a variety

of different sounding songs. One unique song in particular was “Imagine.”

“Imagine” easily catches the ear with its background melody. The softer voices of the singers makes this song one of the most relaxing on the whole album.

The producers did a great job with conveying both a positive mood as well as showing off the singing voices of Nico & Vinz.

And though there were few upbeat, energetic songs on the album, that was perfectly okay to me. Overall, I thought that most of the songs were easy to listen to, and a handful of them were very memorable.

Kahouly Nicolay (Nico) and Vincent Dery (Vinz) have brought a new style of pop to the U.S. with their unique melodies and singing voices. They are a very strong singing duo that I believe will continue to succeed in the music industry.

Logic Under Pressure

BY STEVEN GERISCH sgerisch.gazette@gmail.com

W

hile Under Pressure may be the debut album of Maryland emcee Logic, don’t call him a newcomer. Having steadily built a loyal following with his clever lyrics and catchy beats, he portyrays deep meaning into each song he produces.

Logic’s meteoric rise to fame has been well documented by many. On the verge of releasing his fourth mixtape, Young Sinatra.

Logic was named a XXL Freshman of the Year and was signed by Def Jam Recordings, cementing his place among the best up and coming rappers.

Now that Logic released his debut album, there is nothing stopping his ascension.Some of the most clever and meaningful lyrics I have ever heard, coupled with catchy beats adds up to complete one of the best complete albums I have ever heard.

While most artists open up with an instrumental, Logic dives straight in, using his intro to show his true love for music.

Instead of rapping about all the money, cars and women like most stereotypical “artists,” he raps about his passion for music, his wish to more recognized, his bouts with drug addiction, his family’s battle with drug addiction and all of the other chronicles of hardship that have shaped who he is.

This is a style that’s refreshing to see, and one that he doesn’t stray from, showing his versatility as an artist.

The time and effort put into each verse, each line and each rhyme is so meticulous and it shows.

After he released his last mixtape, Logic announced his partnership with No I.D., a prominent producer who has notably worked with J. Cole.

The partnership has shown it’s flourished by the quality of the beats throughout the album.

My personal favorite among all the beats on the album happens to occur on my favorite song in Under Pressure, the title track on the album.

The first three minutes of this song may be some of the most clever raps and rhymes I have ever listened too.

The latter six minutes of the song are all responses and apologies to his family and friends, creating a touching inner look into some of the tribulations he’s faced throughout his life.

Another personal favorite of mine is Till The End, his ending track on Under Pressure. This is a type of beat that’s different from most in the tracks in terms of tone.

Logic uses the song to show his appreciation for his fans, but also he also uses it summarize all the inner workings to his life, which he reveals intricately throughout the course of the album.

All in all the entire album is solid top to bottom.

It has everything you could want: catchy meaningful lyrics, great beats and a backstory behind every song.

This is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year, hands down, and this won’t be the last time you hear from Logic either, he’s too hungry for more success to quit now that he’s about to blowup.

Big MachineRecords

Under Pressure by Logic was released on Oct.21 2014.

A Skip to: Under Pressure

Page 4

current.

Mixtape - Music from Movies

December 2014

Artist of the Month Senior Maddy Harlow What impact do you feel art has had on your life?

BY HANNAH HOLZER hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

1. The Way I Feel Inside- The Zombies Quirky and interesting – great for the regular indie listener.

2. Almost Like Being In Love- Nat King Cole A classic. Makes you wanna raise a fist into the air and walk off triumphantly.

3. Cry Me A River- Julie London A song that makes you want to simultaneously rock out and fall in love.

4. No One Else Like You- Adam Levine Catchy and fun to dance to, with a mix of old-timey saxophone.

A very serious impact on life. Both of my parents were art majors, so they taught me a lot about art theory growing up. I think that learning to draw and how to paint taught me how to look at things and see them the way they are, not the way that you perceive them.

Do you see yourself going into art as a profession?

I’m thinking about it. Although I don’t know what I want to do yet, I am thinking about going into something within the art field.

When did you first start to get into art?

I started drawing when I was three, beginning with stick figures, and gradually progressing through the stages.

What are you working on right now?

5. Danke Schoen- Wayne Newton Melancholic and soothing. Perfect when you need something to relax to.

Follow Friday

I am working on a painting of a girl with a frog on her head, which includes a lot of work on her skin tone, as well as her dress coloring, etc.

Student to follow: Senior Natalie Rhodes – @natrho2 For artistic photos and artwork

Compiled by Harrison Tucker Compiled by Colleen Vivaldi

December 2014

Page 5

fun stuff.

Hopping with

Gazette illustration/BRIAN ZHUANG

GBHS theater brings Broadway classics to the high school

BY OLIVIA HEPPELL oheppell.gazette@gmail.com

T

he start of winter brings with it the only student directed play Granite Bay High School will have this year.

Jack Fish, Micky Frank and Kelli McTague, all seniors, are the three directors for the play Harvey, written

by Mary Chase in 1940. This differs from the fall play and spring musical, in which Kyle Holmes serves as both director and producer.

“We get to direct it and so that means for blocking, which is like moving on the stage and acting direction, that’s all our direction. (Holmes) can put his input in but it’s basically up to us and we do costuming and public relations and all the lights and tech stuff like that. It’s a lot of work but so far it’s been going really, really well,” said McTague, who assistant directed this year’s fall play The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

The winter plays each year are directed by seniors who have participated in the drama program at GBHS. After two or more groups of seniors propose a play to GBHS teachers and administrators, a final choice is selected from the proposed ideas.

Student directed plays usually have smaller casts, a result of needing to be able to handle all the actors said McTague. She said things have been going better than she hoped for.

“They give me more respect than I really thought I was going to get,” said Fish, who had also anticipated having difficulties directing.

Harvey is about a middle aged man, Elwood, who has an imaginary friend named Harvey – a six foot tall white rabbit.

“I would say the play, in some areas, is over the top

and funny. Holistically, it’s very comedic and it does have more solemn and dramatic moments but overall, it’s just very funny and it’s family-friendly,” Fish said.

Fish is currently in pro drama and has participated in several GBHS productions.

While on the surface Harvey may seem like a lighthearted play, it can take on deeper meanings, said McTague.

“You can take this play two ways. Either take it that this is a play about mental illness and he has a mental illness which is why he sees Harvey, or take it as Harvey is real.

The main theme of the play is basically be accepting because in the 1940’s. It shows that you should accept people for who they are and don’t try to change them,” said McTague.

Harvey, identical to last year’s winter play The Laramie Project, will place the audience on the stage with the actors. The actors will have three sides exposed to the audience.

“The audience will be onstage and surrounding the stage three quarters of the way. It’s a more modern interpretation to theater, especially because it’s an older play. It’s bringing new life to it. You’ll really connect with the actors because there’s a special connection when you’re that close and all the actors are extremely talented,” said McTague.

Fish said he agreed with McTague.

“I think it’s more fun because when the audience is very close to the actors, you feel like you’re in (the play) more,” Fish said. “It makes it more intimate.”

The lead roles for Harvey have been taken on by underclassmen, which is generally uncommon.

“We have a very young cast but that is just because they’re awesome and I’m very excited about it,” said

McTague.

Fish said he agreed. He said that they tried to cast the parts as best they could, and were happy to give underclass experience.

Elwood, the main character, is being played by Evan McGuire, a GBHS sophomore.

McGuire said he was both surprised and happy when he found out he had gotten the lead, his first major role in a GBHS production. He was in Shrek the Musical and has also acted at community theaters.

“I’m nervous about getting my lines down. I’ve never really been good at that. If I can get my lines down I’ll be confident,” said McGuire.

Sophie Brubaker, also a sophomore, also received a major role.

“I play Veta Louise Simmons. Her character is Elwood’s sister. She is an old lady who is very proper and dramatic and theatrical,” said Brubaker.

This is her first acting role at GBHS. “I’m looking forward to working with everybody and the dress rehearsals and the actual shows and the excitement of all of it,” said Brubaker.

She said she is also excited to be acting in the student directed play and hopes to learn a lot from this experience.

Harvey will start on January 29, 2015, with its last showing February 7, 2015.

The cast and crew said they were all excited for the play to begin and cannot wait to perform after all the planning and hard work they have put into perfecting their performance.

“Every day of working on this production, we gain more confidence in our characters and the show itself,” Brubaker said. “I am so honored to be a part of the cast.”

Winter activities that GBHS students enjoy From skiing to coffee shops, the Gazette uncovers winter’s hidden treasures

BY HANNAH HOLZER hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

During Winter Break most students look forward to enjoying the holidays they celebrate and catching up on precious sleep. However, exciting activities, especially ones coinciding to the holiday season, become available during this time.

These activities can range from braving the harsh California chill for the outdoor ice rinks and winter sports opening up, to huddling inside with a nice cup of cocoa or coffee.

Bloom, a popular coffee shop located off of Eureka, serves both food items, such as baked goods, as well as the coffee drinks they are most known for.

“I like going to Bloom during the holiday season because it has a very cozy feel and I like their coffee.” junior Arianna Jones said. “My favorite drink is a vanilla latte (and they) have great

pastries.”

Their hot cocoa is a great warm distraction from the rainy outdoors during the month of December. Bloom also displays art for sale and features live music.

“Sometimes they’ll have guest singers,” Jones said. “I would recommend this place to other Granite Bay High School students because it’s very welcoming and has great drinks.”

Winter sports are an enjoyable activity for GBHS students. However, more popular spots such as Northstar or Squaw Valley can be wallet-emptying with prices as high as $80.

“I go to Homewood because it’s close to our cabin,” senior Alex Baldonado said. “It’s a cheaper mountain to ski.”

Baldonado said he prefers snowboarding rather than skiing because he learned the tricks of the sport first and therefore it comes more natural to him.

“I think it’s therapeutic going through the trees and back country trails rather

than going down the face of the mountain,” Baldonado said. “I like snowboarding because it’s relaxing going down the mountain by yourself.”

While snowboarding proves enjoyable for some Granite Bay High School students, others prefer skiing as their winter sport of choice during the chilly months. Junior Claire Raney skis at Bear Valley which also caters to sledding and snowboarding among other things.

“I’ve been skiing since I was four and I used to be on a ski team,” Raney said. “ I’ve made friends at Bear Valley through that so now I just like to ski with them on my free time.”

Because Raney has been visiting Bear Valley for many years she has formed relationships with the families.

“It’s a smaller resort,” Raney said. “(But) they have good snow.”

However, for students who don’t enjoy a trip down a mountainside but still like to engage in athletic winter activities,

skating is the perfect option. Ice rinks open outside of Skatetown, The Galleria, Folsom and Downtown Sacramento and cater to skaters of all ages.

“It’s a seasonal favorite, and everyone likes going ice skating.” junior Naseeha Islam said.

While skating can be stressful for some because of the tricky balance required to skate successfully, most of the aforementioned destinations provide walkers for balance.

“I think (it’s) more than the ice skating part,” Islam said. “It’s just something to do with friends during the holiday season.”

During Winter break students have an opportunity to take advantage of their two weeks off of school and the removal of responsibilities of high school.

“Winter break is the time when you don’t have school work to worry about,” Islam said. “So you have that time to be free.”

Page 6

December 2014

guac rocks.

The Gazette staff is on the hunt for the best Mexican food in town.

The next best mex.

Bernardo’s

BY CAROLINE PALMER cpalmer.gazette@gmail.com

There are few things I appreciate more than authentic Mexican food, this is primarily the reason I find myself going back to Bernardos.

Bernardos is a Mexican food restaurant on Auburn Folsom road in Granite Bay between a trophy shop and a post office. The establishment is on the smaller side but makes up for it with its quirky appearance.

Once you enter you will see a sign allowing you to seat yourself, and more often than not there is a hostess or worker standing at the register to greet you. There are a plethora of about 12 green booths waiting for your seating pleasure.

There is two sides to the restaurant, one side with the green booths and another with more green booths and then sit down tables if you aren’t feeling in the modd for a booth.

There are many decorations on the walls, some are just posters displaying beer, others have themes of the Mexican culture which adds to the vibe of the restaurant.

Within two minutes of sitting down our waitress was at our side asking what we wanted to drink and presented us with chips and both a mild and hot salsa.

The prices at Bernardos are reasonable, most dishes with a few exceptions aren’t more than $10.00.

I got the tortilla soup with a cheese

B enchilada, which comes with rice and beans. My mom got the same thing except a chicken instead of cheese enchilada.

Something I like about Bernardos is how fast the service is. Around five minutes after I ordered a steaming bowl of tortilla soup was brought out to my mom and me.

The cheese enchilada dish is $7.95 and comes with rice, beans and salad. You can substitute the salad for tortilla soup for an extra $1.95, but rest assured it is more than worth it.

The soup consists of shredded chicken, diced tomatoes and bell peppers, cilantro, rice tortilla strips, cheese and fresh avocado.

My favorite part of the soup is the cilantro. Some Mexican restaurants either overuse cilantro or don’t recognize the importance of the herb in dishes, however Bernardos uses the perfect amount.

Even though my main dish hadn’t come out yet, the soup had exceeded all my expectations.

My cheese enchilada was respectable, however some places I have been to have made an enchilada better than Bernardos. Even with that, I really enjoyed the sauce that they put on the enchilada, which was neither too spicy nor bland.

What the enchilada could improve on, though, is its tortilla quality; it was mediocre at best.

Overall I would say my meal was satisfactory and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant, I will definitely be visiting Bernardos again.

Cabos

C

BY HARRISON TUCKER htucker.gazette@gmail.com

Cabos. Your average Mexican restaurant and nothing much more than that. In fact, it was rather disappointing. While I am a huge fan of quality Mexican food, there was no wow factor which appealed to me like many other Tex-Mex restaurants have done previously.

Upon entering, I was quickly greeted and seated to a table for a large amount of people. While it was a Sunday night, it was awfully quiet, which was very relaxing. Even if the restaurant was busy, I have a hard time imagining it being even close to full. The dining area was huge, and possibly even big enough to accommodate a second restaurant if they really wanted to.

I attended Cabos with a rather large group, but since there wasn’t more than three groups in the rest of the restaurant, I am not awarding any redemption points for poor food quality because of a busy night.

On top of that, I am not accepting of the poor service which was also evident.

The waiter was serving a large group but there wasn’t anybody else in Cabos!

Asking for a refill was one of the most irritating things I had to do, especially when I was paying extra money and tip to sit down and have table service.

One good part about attending with a large group is the ability to try several different things.

To start, I ordered shredded beef ta-

quitos, served with sour cream, guacamole, chips and salsa. The taquitos were very good, but they came absolutely drenched in sour cream and guacamole.

Although I love both items, it drew away from the flavor of the taquitos.

In addition to the taquitos, I ordered street tacos, one of my personal favorites. The wonderful combination of fresh carnitas with fresh onions and a little squeeze of lime is one of my favorite Mexican dishes.

There are out of the ballpark tacos, and then their are the bad or average tacos. Cabos’ street tacos were far from out-of-the ballpark, and if I had to compare it to out-of-the ballpark, it would be an infield single. They were average at best. The carnitas are supposed to be dry in texture but full of flavor, which was highly lacking.

One thing that impressed me, though, was the chips and salsa. One thing that people tend to overlook is the flavor of tortilla chips. I grew up with a lot of Hispanic cooking, and know good tortilla chips when I have them. These chips were fresh, and had just a hint of lime, which made for a good chip you didn’t need to cover in salsa like most other Mexican restaurants.

While the chips were good, certain items just cannot compensate a poor showing by the main dishes of the meal.

I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to anybody and I would much rather go to El Sombrero Taqueria or Dos Coyotes, where there are tons of dishes which stand out besides chips.

Zócalo

BY AKASH KHOSLA akhosla.gazette@gmail.com

There’s something interesting about the vibe at Zocalo: a modern atmosphere, with Mexican cuisine that isn’t necessarily true to its roots, but doesn’t go as far away as Taco Bell. Walking in, it gives a refreshing sense against all of the non-traditional Mexican chains that Granite Bay knows and loves.

Going here gives me less of a reason to visit a taqueria, because Zocalo makes the experience far better than the typical taqueria. I’d say the pleasantly presented plates of simple dishes, the high quality ingredients and a modern, Californian take on Mexican works very well.

Surely, one could visit a taqueria or Chipotle and get the cheaper price, but where are they going to find highquality mole and properly cooked meat?

Most taquerias will give you decent, basic mexican cuisine. But if you’re looking for something more exciting, Zocalo might have everything you need. They also give you free chips and salsa at the beginning, and the

B warm black bean sauce has a deep, smoky flavor that makes you ignore how much you’re eating.

I’m not a first timer at Zocalo since I’ve been several times to the Sacramento location, which is more elegant and refined. But the enchiladas in mole from my previous trips was actually worth suffering the minor peanut allergy, until I ate too much of it.

For my most recent Roseville experience, I ended up getting the fish tacos. They’re fried in beer batter, topped with crisp cabbage and a delectable aioli sauce.

They’re simple, and seem to be the safest and most consistent of all the dishes from my experience. Moreover, I can’t seem to find any better ones locally.

I highly recommend any of the carnitas dishes, enchiladas served with mole sauce, and any of the tacos. The ceviche is also excellent, but might not be for everyone.

It’s more of a ceviche cocktail since it is served in a sauce, and it’s essentially a taco-building experience, or stew for soup fans.

Like any restaurant in an outdoor mall, it usually has it’s downsides. The Roseville Zocalo seems to have consistency issues; last time my family had dry and

stale tortillas and cold dishes, instead of the warm, comforting experience that Zocalo is known for.

I also wish the menu had a warning of mole containing peanuts. My allergy isn’t deadly, so I was didn’t have any major issues with their enchiladas served in a mole.

I’ll come back to Zocalo if I am ever in the area.

Otherwise, I’ll be sticking with Chipotle, as it a very convenient way to get high-quality semi-Mexican food.

You can expect gourmet quality food, at a decent price, along with good service and ambiance at Zocalo.

Zocalo is words in bold and a decent restaurant that takes on a modern rendition of Mexican food.

Gazette photo /RYAN ROSE

December 2014

Page 7

guac rocks.

El Sombrero Taqueria

BY BLAKE PANTER

bpanter.gazette@gmail.com

With a slogan of “Cocina Mexicana,” or “Mexican Cuisine,” El Sombrero Taqueria lives true to its name. El Sombrero Taqueria is a Granite Bay landmark, whether you are going with your Spanish class or to get a spicy taste of Mexico.

Upon arriving, I was rapidly immersed into Mexican culture. To my right, I saw a wall full of traditional Mexican decor, including a large map of Mexico. To my left was a huge menu full of lists of Mexican food. The menu offers no shortage of options for you to enjoy.

The tables were decorated with Mexican bingo games to practice your Spanish and displayed letters from Granite Bay High School thanking them for contributions. It is clear that the owners of El Sombrero Taqueria do their part in supporting the community.

With great service, this casual restaurant has a friendly and family oriented environment on top of their excep-

Taco Loco

BY LAUREN JACKSON

ltjackson.gazette@gmail.com

Taco Loco is a good restaurant for families or to go out at night with friends. The service is efficient and the atmosphere is appropriate.

When I first walked in, I noticed a bar with TV’s, so it is more of an adult restaurant once happy hour on the weekend comes around, but it’s never out of hand so any family could there comfortably.

My waiter was very quick and always made sure my drink was filled.

They never forgot about my table and she was very friendly.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxed and welcoming plus there were exciting Christmas decorations up. I ordered the carne asada burrito which came with beans and rice, and as we waited, we got chips and salsa.

Something to watch out for at Taco Loco is the Habanero sauce. It is very spicy so only use a little amount on chips and food because it goes a long way. My food was made fairly fast and it came out hot and was very tasty.

The meat was amazing and the ingredients were very fresh and sensational.

In my burrito, I had pork, salsa, rice and beans, guacamole, corn and green sauce. The sides of rice and beans reminded me of a homemade recipe and were perfectly paired with my main dish.

A

tional food.

El Sombrero Taqueria provides a wide variety of options to order from, from simple chicken tacos to menudo. Although a little bit expensive, I decided to order the chile verde, diced pork cooked with chiles and tomatillo sauce.

All entrees come with unlimited access to the chip bar. Before my entree arrived, I took a visit to the self serve chip bar that had a wide variety of salsas as well as jalapenos and lemons. As a convenience for the togo orders, there were pre packaged chips and salsa in containers ready to be taken. All of the salsas were spicy and had their own unique twist.

Surprisingly, the food came quickly, and upon my first bite, I was immediately satisfied with the perfect combination of spice and flavor. My entree of the chile verde came with corn and flour tortillas, beans, rice and lettuce. The chile verde was among the best I’ve had, and overall was the star of the meal. The sauce and the pork made the perfect combination, easy to enjoy in a

tortilla. If you can handle a little bit of spice, I highly recommend the chile verde or posole soup.

I could tell that this place had real Mexican food. It was much more authentic than any other Mexican restaurants, who merely try to imitate the Mexican flavors.

As for the price, most entrees are around 12 dollars, a little too expensive for high school students looking for a quick bite to eat. However, they offer smaller options like tacos for less money.

Overall, El Sombrero Taqueria is the perfect place when you are craving a quick taste of Mexico. I have nothing bad to say about this place and would recommend it to anyone. El Sombrero Taqueria is located in the busy plaza with Chic Fil-a and The Habit.

B+ This Month’s Picks Their menu has lots of options to choose from such as salads, burritos, enchiladas and tacos plus many more.

Most everything on the menu comes with rice and beans or other sides that you can choose from.

Also, the kids menu is bigger than most places and has more options to pick from. You can also do a plate with only one item, a la carte, which is nice if the main plates are too big.

Something interesting about this menu is that there is an option for party trays for big events. So you could order a big tray and take it home to use for a football night or birthday.

Also, they provide a breakfast menu which is available only on weekends and holidays.

It’s a huge amount of food, but all of the flavors together create a mouth watering taste that leaves you wanting more.

The other breakfast items are fairly common such as eggs with sausage and cheese. If you just want a small snack they have a section on the menu called “tacos y minis” specifically for smaller options.

The pricing is reasonable for the amount of food they give. It is more expensive than Chipotle and about the same as El Taqueria Sombrero.

This wonderful restaurant is fantastic for any meal of the day. Though located in Folsom, I would still recommend Taco Loco for its unique flare

The Gazette food reviewers sample dishes from each restaurant and ranks them

#5 Cabos- Mediocre dishes with better restaurants out there.

#4 Bernardo’s- Laid-back restaurant with reasonable pricesgood value.

#3 Zocalo- Friendly service and decent portions for great value

#2 Taco Loco- Good food and and reasonable prices, with a lively atmosphere

#1 El Sombrero TaqueriaTraditional decorations create a very authentic dining experience

Page 8 and 9

treeish.

December 2014

CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE

Selecting the best tree for the season

BY LAUREN JACKSON ljackson.gazette@gmail.com

C

hristmas season is here and there are some guidelines to help find a tree. There are many places to go get a Christmas tree during the holiday season. Some are local and convenient and others are more remote and in the woods.

Freshman Nolan Stabbert said that his family goes to the local lot Mikey’s by Quarry Ponds in Granite Bay. “Generally my family goes in early December,” Stabbert said. “My family used to go cut down trees at Little Bear Farms because it reminded us of how it used to be when we lived in Pennsylvania.”

One tip Stabbert said was that the good trees are usually in the back.

Senior Ryan Harris said he doesn’t like getting fake trees because it’s fun to cut real ones down.

“I go to Placerville with my sisters and parents to find my Christmas tree. It’s called Hook and Ladder and you hike up a valley and pick your own tree,” Harris said.

Something to be careful about is to be cautious when sawing down your tree so you don’t have an accident according to Harris.

Sophomore Dylan Cole said that he goes with his mom and sister to get their tree the weekend after Thanksgiving at Apple Hill.

“It’s really cool because we get to spend quality time together and we have lots of fun,” Cole said.

Cole said that if your family doesn’t get a real tree you should because it is worth it to have that fun memory of chopping down the tree together.

Senior Jessica Miller also goes Apple Hill with her family during the first week of December to get their tree.

“We all find a tree that everyone agrees on and whoever found that tree first gets to hang the first ornament on it the next day.” Miller said.

One rule Miller always follows while looking for the perfect tree is making sure that the trunk doesn’t curve because then it will lean to

one side once it’s placed in your home.

Junior Nikki Tafoya and her family use the Mikey’s lot located on Douglas Blvd. because its easy to pick the one they like.

“My family has been going to Mikey’s for as long as it’s been open.

After we find the perfect tree we always go into Pete’s coffee and drink hot chocolate together.” Tafoya said.

A tip from Tafoya is to make sure that there isn’t any sort of nest or trace of animal life in the tree before you take it home.

Senior Greg Fina goes to Smart’s Christmas Tree Farm in a town called Camino.

“My family and I like this tree farm because its not local and its cool to find one in the mountains.” Fina said.

Fina’s family gets two christmas trees because they like to have one in the family room and in their bonus room. A word of advice would be to get a high quality one that doesn’t die quickly and to stay away from store bought trees.

Special to the Gazette /JIM PIAZZA

Smart’s Christmas Tree Farm is in Camino, CA near Apple Hill.

Christmas tree shopping is a common tradition for families every holiday season.

Special to the Gazette /JIM LANDIS

Page 10

WB? solstice.

December 2014

How are you asking your ideal date to Winter Ball?

BY EPSA SHARMA

esharma.gazette@gmail.

W

Special to the Gazette /MAYA MURPHY

Special to the Gazette /ERIKA BISHOP

inter Ball season is approaching the halls of Granite Bay High School.

Tis’ the season for asking, but this year we had some pre-season proposals.

Winter Ball seemed to arrive early this year because the askings started the first week of November.

Around this time of the year, scrolling through Instagram and Twitter you are bound to come across a few if not many Winter Ball proposals.

Nick Wohlman, senior at GBHS was one of the first of many to ask that special someone to Winter Ball.

“I started planning on asking her about two weeks before I did it but I had been thinking about it for longer than that,” Wohlman said. “ I felt a little pressure to ask early because last year I waited too long to ask and didn’t end up going and I was worried that someone was going to ask her before me.”

According to many students the most stressful part of Winter Ball is thinking of a creative way to ask that lucky friend, as well as asking on time because no one wants to put a task this grand on hold.

Senior, Greg Fina was well aware of the last minute stress that piles on during Winter Ball season, so to help prevent stress he planned ahead and asked his date early.

“I started planning about a week before, because it’s the thinking that takes the longest,” Fina said. “It just takes some time because random things spark your memory for good ideas, and I personally think posters with markers are overused, unless you have an inside joke with them, but it’s best to be creative as possible.”

Winter Ball is stressful for everyone and can also be a nerve-wracking experience during proposal time. You’re never too sure of how well things will follow through.

Junior Ethan Quinn, felt pressure to ask as soon as possible. He had to gather people to

Special to the Gazette /RILEY BROWN

Top to bottom junior Madeline Williams gets a surprise order of a Winter Ball date from senior Keenan Koukol. Sophomore Allison Bishop will go to Winter Ball with sophomore Darren Nelson from his Disney themed poster. Senior Emma Futrell will “Fina” go to Winter Ball with senior Greg Fina.

help him in order for things to go as planned.

“I was pretty nervous at first but I knew things would work out,” Quinn said. “I had people verify my idea valid and entertaining.”

For junior Zach Fukuhara his pressure for Winter Ball decreased because of his preplanning and early asking.

“I didn’t feel very much pressure, but I think that was mostly because I didn’t wait until the last minute,” Fukuhara said. “I also wasn’t very nervous because the girl I asked is a good friend of mine.”

The biggest obstacle students face every year for Winter Ball is keeping it a secret.

Making sure everything is hush hush can be a hassle when involving people for assistance.

“The only obstacle I had was keeping it a secret,” Fukuhara said. “The girl I asked actually ended up finding out I was asking her before I had done it.”

Winter Ball askings is not a one man job, it takes assistance and guidance from friends and even family members.

Family members also play a key role in making sure Winter Ball proposals are successful.

Junior Hailey Dredge was asked on Thanksgiving and was completely caught off guard because of how well it was planned out.

“One of my friends knew about it but he came up with the idea himself which made it even better, it was a very clever and a cute idea I loved it,” Dredge said. “And I didn’t really know how to react with a chicken standing at my door other than laugh and say yes.”

Many girls seem to have their suspicions but then end up feeling pretty off guard by the immense creativity put into the proposals. Junior Madeline Williams was asked at Starbucks and completely didn’t see any of it coming.

Special to the Gazette /ALLISON COOPER

Special to the Gazette /ASHELY NEWLAND

“My friend and I were going to buy Starbucks and when I pulled up to the drive through and I saw him dressed up as a worker and he handed me flowers and asked me there,” Williams said.

“I was really impressed with the creativity because it was something different from what you typically see.”

Special to the Gazette /KELSEY ITO

Top to bottom junior Abby Rowe will float up to Winter Ball with junior Zack Fukuhara. Junior Ethan Quinn asks junior Jordan Holt from his High School Musical theme. Senior Kat McGrail will go to Winter Ball with senior Nick Wohlman from her ticket to Hogwarts.

Gazette illustration /AKASH KHOLSA & BLAKE PANTER

December 2014

Page 11

christmas time.

Opening the wrapping of holiday traditions Students of GBHS are celebrating their cultural traditions

BY CARISSA LEWIS

clewis.gazette@gmail.com

As students exit the school for winter break, they begin to deck the halls as the old year (or rather, the old semester) passes.

The winter holidays are celebrated differently for everyone. Christmas is traditionally a Christian holiday celebrated by going to church, decorating the house and exchanging gifts. Kwanzaa is a celebration of African heritage and history. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is generally celebrated by lighting a menorah of eight candles and giving gifts to one another.

Besides these customary rituals, individuals have their own annual traditions. Often times, these traditions involve immediate or extended family.

“My whole entire extended family comes over to my house for Christmas dinner,” sophomore Megan Marty said. “And that’s probably my favorite because I just love having them around.”

Like Marty, sophomore Emma Brown spends the holidays with her extended family. Every year, Brown and her family meet at a grandparent’s house. There, she is accustomed to the tradition of plays and performances.

“All the little kids go into this room and they get in these costumes,” Brown said. “And then we come out and my grandma reads the nativity story.”

The children perform in front of parents, aunts and uncles. No matter how many of them go off to college, there are always enough to act out the play.

Along with her parents, grandparents, and cousins, Brown has welcomed into her family the man with the big red suit. Every year, her cousin comes

Gazette illustration/BRIAN ZHUANG

dressed as Santa Claus to deliver Christmas gifts.

As always, Christmas falls on December 25. Although the eight days of Hanukkah differ from year to year, this year they fall shortly before Christmas on December 16 through December 24.

Junior Sara Fassler spends the holiday with traditional Jewish customs. Each day the shamash is used to light one more candle than the previous day until all of the candles are lit.

“My family normally gets together and we sit or we go around the kitchen with a menorah,” Fassler said.

“We talk about what Hanukkah is and then we put one candle on for the first night and then we go from youngest to oldest.”

This year, however, Fassler is trying something different. She is sharing her traditions with others so they can better understand and appreciate her culture by hosting massive celebrations in honor of their family’s cultural traditions.

“All my friends can come celebrate Hanukkah with us for a day because everyone’s kind of curious what you do,” Fassler said. “We’re going to show them how you light the menorah using the shamash and then saying prayers and sitting on the couch and getting gifts and eating latkes.”

Besides religious celebrations, holidays differ in how they are celebrated globally. In Israel, gifts are generally not given during Hanukkah. In Germany, Advent calendars- calendars that are used to count down until Heiligabend (December 24)- are traditionally used, much like those we use in America, filled with chocolate for each day. In Japan, the Christmas meal is made with a trip out to a fast-food restaurant.

“I think having an annual tradition makes it more special,” Marty said. “It adds a lot of excitement.”

Winter Ball is on the way Revealing Winter Ball plans of GBHS student attendees

BY LAUREN JACKSON ljackson.gazette@gmail.com

Winter Ball 2014 is almost here, and the theme is S.S. Winter Ball. This event takes place on December 13 right on campus from 8 to 11 p.m. For those who have never been or are going for the first time this is a school-wide formal winter dance that offers professional pictures for a fee.

Junior Emily Allison has been asked to Winter Ball for the third time and is very excited for this years dance. Allison advises to make sure you go every year even if you don’t have a date, because it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.

“We are going to my friends house for pictures, then going to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner,” Allison said.

She will be getting dressed up with all her girlfriends and renting a party bus until 11p.m., then going to another friend’s house with a big group of people to end the night.

Sophomore Kiley Gray is ready for S.S. Winter Ball as well. She is going to Macaroni Grill for dinner after she takes pictures.

“I’m going with a large group of friends to the dance, and after that ends, we are going to a friend’s

house,” Gray said. something you get to do every weekend.

Freshman Jack McGrail will be attending Winter “We are taking pictures at Carson’s and Summer’s Ball for his first time and is eager to find out what it is house. Before we will be going to BJ’s for dinner.” like to go to his first formal dance.

Miller said.

“We aren’t going out to eat. Instead After the dance Miller and her group of we are having dinner at my friends friends will be going back to a friend’s house then going to the dance with house to relax after the night has ended. everyone,” McGrail said. said to not stress out and make You’re only in Miller McGrail is most looking forward to the dinner and limo reservations early so making memories and having a good high school once when the dance approaches everything is time. He also said that he has always done. don’t miss out on already heard that this dance is really fun Freshman Sarah Breilh is going for her the high school first time and is doing something a little because everyone is dressed up.

Senior Zach Vane has gone every different. activities. year of high school and has never “We are having a potluck at my friends regretted going. house then going to the dance.”

– Senior, “We are meeting at a friend’s house Breilh’s group isn’t renting a limo or Zach Vane for pictures then we will head off to party bus for the night. They are carpoolMikuni’s for dinner,” Vane said. “We ing to the dance then driving back to a are leaving the dance early to go on friend’s house to hang out afterwards. the party bus for four hours.”

Winter Ball includes themed decoraVane also advises to go every year tions every year along with optional because you’re only in high school once and to not pictures that are offered in the small gym. You must miss out on the high school activities while you still sign up with the photographer before hand online. have the chance to attend them.

Afterwards, you will receive a time window to get in Senior Jessica Miller has also gone every year and line at school. For further instructions and additional is most excited for the dressing up part because its not details, visit the Granite Bay website’s link.

Page 12

December 2014

current.

Top Tweets Spirited tweets by Granite Bay High School students

BY BLAKE PANTER bpanter.gazette@gmail.com

Twitter Girl your hotter than a Peruvian Puff Pepper

Who’s Hiring

BY BRIAN ZHUANG bzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

Benjamin Smith @bendrewsmith27

@BradFina

Safeway is looking for sociable baggers to help bag items during checkout.

8640 Sierra College Blvd Roseville, CA (916) 783-2225 Taco Bell is hiring hard-working people to be cashiers in a fastpaced environment.

8433 Sierra College Blvd Granite Bay, CA (916) 791-9223

JC Penney

JC Penney is ready to hire energetic individuals to be cashiers in the mall.

1125 Galleria Blvd Roseville, CA (916) 772-8800

5 Retweets

32 Favorites

I love it. If you take something away from gb students we will just do it anyways and put “Non-” in front of it.

Ryan Arneson @ryanarneson15

Taco Bell

15 Favorites

No matter if the teacher gives me a day a week or a year I’m still gonna get it done the night before

Brad 12

Safeway

1 Retweet

6 Retweets

53 Favorites

I twerked really hard in art class then I kept twerking and now I’m in the nurses office

ryan

2 Favorites

@ryandasloth If only gas stations had Black Friday sales

karim Sharif @KarimTheJeweler

1 Retweet

10 Favorites

Recipe of the Month: Peppermint Chocolate Mousse

BY HANNAH XU

1. 1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding 2. 1 1/2 c. milk 3. 1 tsp peppermint extract 4. 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip 5. 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Ingredients:

hxu.gazette@gmail.com

1. Whisk package of instant pudding and milk together in a large bowl for one to two minutes until it thickens.

2. Refrigerate for five minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, mix whipped cream with peppermint extract.

4. Fold whipped cream and chocolate chips into pudding.

5. Cover and chill until serving time.

6. Add garnishing with extra whipped cream.

Gazette photo/ HANNAH XU

wrap it up.

December 2014

Page 13

Holiday Shopping & DIY Gift GUIDE How to take advantage of DIY gift ideas this season.

BY OLIVIA HEPPELL oheppell.gazette@gmail.

The holidays seasons approach, the pressure to find the perfect gifts for loved ones builds.

While buying store bought gifts can be pricey and impersonal, creating your own gifts can be a way to create a heartfelt gift while keeping a budget.

One of the easiest gifts to make during the holiday season is homemade jewelry. Earrings can be easily made with some wire and beads, which one can find at places like The Bead Shoppe.

Necklaces and bracelets require only string and beads as well.

“I have made earrings for my sisters and my mom,” Mark Zagaynov said, Granite Bay High School junior.

Another simple gift to create for loved ones this holiday season is painting pottery. With places like Petroglyph and Color Me Mine, it’s extremely easy to create personalized pottery.

Although it can be pricey, the gifts are high quality and will last a long time.

“I painted a mug for my dad once,” Rachel Huntington, a senior at GBHS said.

Scrapbooks are the perfect gift for people who are sentimental.

Anyone who enjoys reminiscing on the past will be grateful for a collection of pictures and memories.

I made a scrapbook for my mom one time,” LJ Matias said, a freshman at GBHS. Personalized phone cases are a great gift for everyone because of the utility and wear one can get out of them.

While one can choose to purchase a blank phone case and use arts and crafts to decorate it, it is also possible to design phone cases online and personalize them with pictures and words.

“Last Christmas my friend painted me a phone case because she’s a super good artist so that was cool,” Matias said.

Junior Sierra Redfern makes DIY gifts every year for her friends on christmas and even on their birthdays.

“I really like (DIY gifts) because they’re really and heartfelt versus when someone just goes to the store and buys somethinge.” Redfern said.

Gazette file illustration/THOMAS TAYLOR

Creative places to shop this holiday season

BY NATALIE ERICKSON nerickson.gazette@gmail.

W

Gazette illustrations/BLAKE PANTER

ith leaves falling off the trees, winter is right around the corner. And for many students at Granite Bay High School, that means an excuse to shop for new clothes.

At this time of the year, with the holidays approaching, many stores offer good prices on clothing. Even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, there are still good deals, depending on the store.

Ever since its opening in 2009, Forever 21 has been very popular among students, particularly females.

And this winter, they are offering great deals on winter clothing.

With a variety of scarves, all under fifteen dollars, Forever 21 is definitely a great place to shop this season.

I normally shop at Forever 21 in the winter because they have a lot of good looking winter clothes like sweaters and

long-sleeve shirts,” senior Megan Guay said. “Also it’s not very expensive so you can get a lot for your money.”

Also popular during the winter is Victoria’s Secret Pink, though it is more pricy than Forever 21.

“I love shopping at pink because they always have new clothes that you can wear really any season,” sophomore Paige Erickson said.”

The Boyfriend Half-zip sweaters not only come in different colors, but are also available online with the imprint of a variety of college names and mascots.Pink also attracts many teens because of its feel-good colors, which are rare in clothes during the wintertime.

“Pink is very laid back and warm, but cute at the same time,” sophomore Selena De La Torre said. “I tend to wear very dark and neutral colors in the winter but Pink has bright colored clothes that I also like to wear when I want to be bright.”

For male students, fashionable winter outfits are available at stores like H&M

and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

H&M is selling jeans for as low as fifteen dollars, as well as hoodies and sweatshirts.

“I like H&M because it’s always pretty cheap,” senior Jamie Mazure said. “They always change their style of clothes so I don’t feel like I’m going to the same store over again.”

For guys, H&M is selling cashmere sweaters, jacquard-knit sweaters, woolblend sweaters, hooded cardigans, and sweatshirt cardigans.

“H&M is cool in the winter because they sell the type of clothes that I like, but the clothes sometimes aren’t warm depending on what I buy,” De La Torre said.

“But as long as it’s cute and I’m not dying from the coldness I’ll wear it.”

Nordstrom provides boots such as Uggs, which can be pricy, but also other shoes of both leather and waterproof material.

“I’m really excited for the winter,” Guay said. “Even though it’s cold, I love wearing new clothes that keep me warm.”

Page 14

December 2014

watch it.

Ho-Ho Holiday Movies Festive and classic films to watch over the winter season

BY ANJALI SHRIVASTAVA ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

The holidays, often dubbed the most wonderful time of the year, is not just about sales and hot chocolate. For some avid moviewatchers, it is a time to revisit the films they know and love to get into the holiday season.

“I really like the old, classic movies like Frosty the Snowman, Elf, and The Christmas Carol,” sophomore Kendall Smith said. “I grew up watching them and they help me get into the Christmas spirit.”

Movies like Elf and Frosty the Snowman are well-known by the general people, but sophomore Sophia Reinero has a much larger repertoire.

“Everyone’s heard of Frosty the Snowman,” Reinero said, “but we watch all of the Frosty movies like Frosty Returns (and) Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.”

In fact, during this time of the year, one of Reinero’s favorite movies to watch is Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.

“Frosty has returned from the North Pole and realizes that the kids can’t stay out with him all the time,” Reinero said. “He’s (lonely) so the kids (try to build Frosty a

wife but) the first time they try, it doesn’t work and then through an act of love she comes to life. Everyone’s happy and it’s just a really cute one.”

Another one of Reinero’s favorite movies includes ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

“It’s a good take on the Night Before Christmas,” Reinero said. “(The message is) that believing is the most powerful thing in the world, and when you take away that belief, that hope, you take away everything. It’s just showing people that you’re never too old to believe and you never have to grow up and think that you’re too old to believe in Santa Claus or those special things in life.”

While underrated, one favorite movie of Reinero is The Little Drummer Boy. “I love its message,” Reinero said. “It’s this boy who goes through life. His parents were murdered and he has so much strife and he hates people (…) and in the end Jesus provides him the gift of bringing his friend back to life.

It’s a touching story showing that mankind is redeemable even in the darkest of times.”

Junior Karthika Saravanavijayan also has a favorite festive movie

that is unknown.

“We always watch (An All Dogs Christmas Carol) when we’re driving on long trips,” Saravanavijayan said. “It’s the same characters from All Dogs go to Heaven and I like that movie.”

Saravanavijayan has a few reasons as to why the movie is unpopular.

“It’s a sequel of a movie that came out in the 80s,” she said.

“This movie was made in the 2000s so of course no one’s going to really know about it, (…) it is super underrated.”

Though there are many movies that aren’t heard of, many students still enjoy the characteristic movies of this season.

“White Christmas (is one of my favorite movies),” sophomore Gemma Goebel said. “I love the music from it and it’s a really great story.”

Whether classic or covert, watching holiday movies remains a tradition for many.

“It’s just a time for my family to come together during the year and sit and enjoy something that we’ve loved for ages,” Reinero said. “It brings out the true meaning of Christmas, gathering with family and enjoying our time together on this Earth.”

Gazette illustrations/ file/BRIAN ZHUANG & ALEXA ZOGOPOLOUS

Page 15

film.

WARNER BROS

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT

A

B

By: Anjali Shrivastava ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

By: Natalie Erickson nerickson.gazette@gmail.com

By: Anjali Shrivastava ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

interstellar: A

lthough it was very long, almost three hours to be exact, I was very fascinated

by Interstellar. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie featured many familiar faces, including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon.

I am not one who is able to sit through a whole movie without getting bored, so I expected to be bored. But, I can honestly say that Interstellar kept me entertained, and even fascinated with the special effects of the galaxy.

At the beginning, it felt like it would be more of a feel-good family movie. Little did I know that it was just the background story, and it would prove to be a major part of the movie.

The movie starts with a man named Cooper, who is a farmer in reality but an astronaut by heart. He lived on a farm with his two kids and his dad. After finding a pattern of dust on his daughter’s bedroom floor, they somehow find coordinates that lead them to a secret NASA space station.

The people at NASA, including Cooper’s former professor, informed him of their previous mission in which they sent astronauts to space in order to learn more about a wormhole that had been placed there.

They eventually convinced him to lead another mission into outer space to find a place where later generations would be able to live to escape the future famine and drought on Earth. And when he told his daughter of his departure, she was understandably furious with him, since he had no idea how long he would be gone for.

As soon as the spaceship took off, I knew I would like the movie. I have always been intrigued by photos of outer space, so to see a film primarily taking place there was very fascinating to me.

Though I got lost a couple times about why the characters were going on the missions they went on, the eventual ending of the movie was very cool, and tied up all of the loose ends.

And the creativity of the writers made the movie unpredictable, which was another plus for me.

Overall, I think the scenes in the movie are definitely worth seeing. Even though it was lengthy, I was impressed with both the effects as well as the unique storyline. It is definitely worth seeing.

Rated: PG-13

mockingjay - part 1: B+

I

WALT DISNEY PICTURES

ig Hero 6 is Disney’s first adaptation of a Marvel property. And though it may have started as a Marvel comic book, the movie is something that embodies the essence of Disney.

While technically an adaptation, this movie definitely branches off into its own thing. A young kid named Hiro is extremely smart, and when a tragedy happens, he takes responsibility for this robot named Baymax, an inflatable robot meant to care for you in any way he can.

Baymax is so incredibly likable. He’s not stupid, but unfamiliar with “normal” human behavior, which provides many opportunities for some really funny jokes.

I was honestly sad that Baymax doesn’t actually exist because it is high on my wish list to hug that thing. He is probably one of the most entertaining characters of the year for me.

Everything that came out of his mouth in that semi-robot voice was pure gold.

Baymax completely outdoes the other, mediocre characters. In fact, the other characters, except Hiro, were pretty forgettable because there wasn’t much focus put on them.

It’s a superhero movie, but it’s a different type of superhero movie. It emphasizes more of the science behind it all, rather than the traditional strength, which I liked.

San Fransokyo, a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo, is a really fun concept.

This unique setting makes for some really cool scenes and interesting animation.

This movie has everything – funny jokes, emotional connection, even a little action.

It also had some very adult themes on dealing with death. The moral of this movie is not an overdone or cheesy one but one that the whole family can learn from.

The one thing I have to criticize this movie for, is how predictable it is. It follows a very formulaic narrative that I’ve seen before. The protagonist is stubborn, then the protagonist experiences tragedy, then the protagonist has a change of heart, end of story. While some aspects of the story are unique, the story itself is very bland.

This is a movie that will appeal to all ages and is truly the best kind of family film. The entire family can watch it and feel entertained and also learn a valuable moral from it that didn’t feel forced in any way.

Rated: PG

n The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the people have been waiting for someone to represent their revolution – to be a figure of hope. Now, Katniss has arrived and is ready to be that figure.

The Capitol is promoting propaganda against the rebels of District 13 and in retaliation, District 13 uses Katniss as a spearhead for the revolution.

I liked this movie because it was a huge deviation from the last two. The Hunger Games was essentially violence and action, and Catching Fire, while having darker themes, still held the action as one of its main selling points.

In this movie, there’s no Hunger Games at all.

But because of this lack of action, a common complaint I’ve heard about this movie is that it is too “boring” and “slow.”

I was personally very excited to see the propaganda and manipulation of their society – much more than seeing the superficiality of the overdone “love triangle.”

However, the fact that they are splitting up the finale into two parts does have one downside. It feels like a solid build-up to what looks like a great finale but it’s still a build-up.

Walking out of the theater, you will be left wanting more. I get that that’s the point of having two movies, but as Part 1 stands on it’s own, it feels like they are building up to something great, but we don’t actually get to see what that great thing is.

Of course Jennifer Lawrence’s acting was amazing. There’s a reason she is considered “America’s newest sweetheart,” and if not for her attractiveness, it is definitely due to her superb ability to emote and get one invested into her character.

I might be a bit biased when I say this because of recent events, but I did love Philip Seymour Hoffman in this movie. He seemed laid-back but knew what was going on.

One of the things I liked about Catching Fire was how gorgeously directed it was. The overly cinematic feel in that movie was a trend that director Francis Lawrence decided to continue in this movie.

Mockingjay - Part 1 was a beautiful, albeit slow-paced, movie that is leading up to something great but by itself, is nothing extremely impressive. It may not be spectacular, but it is entertaining and time well spent.

Rated: PG-13

big hero 6: A-

December 2014

Page 16

healthy eats.

December 2014

Gazette illustration/BLAKE PANTER

Gazette photo /HANNAH HOLZER

Gazette photo /EPSA SAHRMA

ONE BITE WONDERS

Gazette photo /EPSA SHARMA

Gazette photo /HANNAH HOLZER

Gazette photo /HANNAH HOLZER

Top to bottom powdered dark chocolate cake, along with a healthy popcorn mix and a traditional Jewish dessert, challah.

BY HANNAH XU hxu.gazette@gmail.com

The holidays are notorious for all the delicious, but unhealthy and sugary, treats. However, there are plenty of healthy treats that can be substituted that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth.

However, sophomore Megan Marty and her family finds a new twist on banana bread that doesn’t even use sugar.

“My mom and I usually make sugar free banana bread,” Marty said. “We substitute the sugar with agave, which is (from) a plant.” Emma Brown, sophomore, has a twist on pumpkin pie that her along with her parents make during the holidays.

“My mom is vegan so she often makes healthy treats,” Brown said.

“She’ll make this pumpkin pie but with no crust. It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie.”

Brown said that her mom will take pumpkin paste along with other spices and bake it in a bowl until the outer

Gazette model /Abby segale

edge turns crispy.

Her family also has a traditional apple dessert.

“My mom will also bake apples with cinnamon and a little bit of sugar to make a pseudo apple crisp,” Brown said.

Junior Alexandra Ahmad finds ways to personalize her treats to be gluten free.

“I … like dark chocolate peppermint bark because it’s a holiday classic, just without the white chocolate,” junior Lexi Ahmad said. “Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and … is with small crumbles of candy cane, it makes the perfect holiday treat.”

She also finds way to revamp her snacks to fit all cravings, while making sure to not use too many “junky” ingredients.

“My favorite (healthy holiday snack) is the a popcorn mix because it’s super simple and you can personalize it to what you like best,” Ahmad said. “I love to add candy cane crumbles and

small dark chocolate chips. It’s awesome because it’s gluten free.”

The amazing thing about constantly being around technology is that recipes can be easily found online.

On www.sarahbakesgfree.com, baker Sarah introduces frosted peppermint chocolate cookies.

However, these cookies are vegan and gluten free.

Another favorite during the holiday season especially amongst those who celebrate Hanukkah is challah.

A nice way to make it special during the holiday season is to add fresh fruit into the recipe creating an apple-raisin challah.

The recipe uses less than a half cup of sugar for each loaf and incorporates fresh apples for a nice, tart finish.

This can be found at www.epicurious.com.

This holiday season, you can easily find easy substitutes for all those sweet treats that you love, while still maintaining that great taste.

Gazette photo /HANNAH HOLZER

Top to bottom dark chocolate peppermint bark, along with a non crust pumpkin pie, finished off with a star-studded healthy apple pie.

GII Fall 2014

Gazette II “Cub Edition” A Journalism 1 Print Media Production

News

Page 2

Grizzly Chats Seeking student input on school activities

T

by Taylor Stiern

he Granite Bay High School, Student Government elective, has created a Grizzly Chat program to incorporate the student body’s ideas into upcoming events and seek feedback for the success of past events.

The Grizzly Chat program consists of one SG student and one Leadership student, both assigned to a visit a class to share information and “chat” with students. “We used to do them at the beginning of GBHS and we just lost track of them. We have had troubles in the past with communication between the SG students and the student body, so we wanted to do a more personal way of talking to the classes face to face.” senior Daniela Briuolo said.

The representatives chat with the student body on upcoming events and seek input and ideas that will help the SG students plan as well as make sure there is no miscommunication. During previous chats, the students have reflected on how Homecoming went and were informed about important things to know about Penny Wars and Winter Ball.

Grizzly Chats take place in second period classes although not all classes are participating. An email was sent out asking teachers whether they wanted to participate and some chose to deciline.

“I am hoping that they are going to be effective, but I have only done one so far.” freshman Madeline Tastor says, Tastor is part of the SG class and is hoping to continue taking in all the input and making it effective.

Freshman Paige Berglund, has experienced two Grizzly Chats second period in Braly’s CP Biology class. “It has informed me on some events that I hadn’t heard of and also recapped on the event I have already heard about.” Berglund says.

Fall 2014

Winter Ball is back

News Briefs Auditions for Guys and Dolls were held December 11-13 and the cast list was posted December 15. Make sure your schedule does not conflict, so that you can participate in the class.

GBHS students prepare for first formal dance of the year

Ms. Rumi Nozue, the Granite Bay High School Learning Support Specialist (LSS) has set up a donation box for families in need of household basics. Located in the College and Career Center students and staff can donate hygiene products and school supplies to Granite Bay students and families in need.

Start studying because the fall semester is coming to an end.

Third and fourth period finals will be given on Thursday, December 18 and first and second period finals will be on Friday, December 19.

by Mark Stephens

W

inter Ball a popular formal dance at Granite Bay High School will be held Saturday December 13 at 8 p.m.

Many GBHS students go to great lengths to prepare for the first formal dance of the school year.

Granite Bay students started asking their dates weeks in advance of the day of the dance, as there is a great deal of preparation that goes into getting ready for the event. Most times the gentlemen ask the girl, coordinate outfits with one another to match, rent or buy a suit, pick out shoes, dress and accessories, make hair and makeup appointments, make dinner plans or reservations, purchase flowers or a corsage, and make travel arrangements to get to and from the dance.

In previous years, people went to great lengths when asking someone to Winter Ball. For example, one individual two years ago asked a girl using an ice sculpture. Traditionally the guys ask the girls, but this practice differs from couple to couple. Kyle Diodati asked Sarah Arfsten by using a poster that said “I’m bananas for you!!

WB?” while holding up bananas.

Brook Robbins asked her date to Winter Ball with balloons, a milkshake and a poster that said “This is our last Winter Ball, will you shake it with me at Winter Ball?”

Winter Ball is a popular dance

On Wednesday, December 17 students will get an opportunity to participate in the ugly sweater contest during lunch.

Photo/EMILY SMITH

Every 15 Minutes is a program that gives students the opportunity to have a real-life experience of the consequences of drinking or texting while driving. Tuesday, December 9, GBHS held their crash simulation on Wellington way right outside of the school campus. An assembly followed on Wednesday, December 10.

Kyle Diodati asks Sarah Arfsten to Winter Ball with a poster and bananas.

What is your reason for going to Winter Ball?

1. Going with friends 38% 2. To have fun 30% 3. Going with a date 24%

8% 38%

24% 30%

Winter sports are starting.

Get ready for boys’ and girls’ basketball and boys’ wrestling.

4. To dress up 8% *Fifty students polled*

Poll/PAIGE BERGLUND and HANNAH BONFILS

due to it not only being the first formal dance of the year but also the only formal dance that all students freshmen through seniors can attend. Whether it’s freshmen looking forward to their first formal dance at GBHS, or the seniors looking forward to one of their last memorable events with their friends before graduation Winter Ball has a draw for all who attend.

However, Winter Ball does not appeal to everyone. “I am not going because I am not willing to pay the ticket, waste my time listening to the obnoxious popular music, or dance at all” freshman Juan Flores says.

To many though Winter Ball is a “Fun high school experience and its fun to be with with my friends” senior Lia Patrinellis says.

Winter Break begins December 22. Students return Tuesday, January 6 for the first day of the Spring Semester.

The neon dance will be held on January 9, the Friday students return from Winter Break.

News Briefs compiled by PAIGE ERICKSON, DELANIE FAHERTY, GILLIAN GEORGE and JULIA SEGUINE

Page 2 News Page 3 Sports Page 4-5 Features Page 6 Opinion

Table of Contents/ Contributors

News Team Sydney Esposito Emma Scholes Sports Team Lauren McCormick Jack Zolmer

Features Team Stephanie Kang Claudia Moore Mark Stephens

Opinion Team Jacob Elliott Katie Hunter Reviews Team Olivia Appel Juan Flores

Page 7 Reviews

Photo Editor Michaelan George Journalism 1 Adviser Adam McLearan

SPORTS

Page 3

Not all sports created equal Some sports in the spotlight while others off the radar

by Sabina Mahavni

W

inter sports at Granite Bay High School are just getting underway and the perennial issues regarding the popularity of each sport and its players are as prominent as ever.

Every sports may or may not always receive the same value and attention as others. The sport with the most support and publicity at Granite Bay and around the country is football. In a recent Journalism 1 poll listing every sport played at Granite Bay 30 out of 32 students marked football as the most watched and most popular Granite Bay sport. The sports voted least popular include diving, golf and boys’ tennis.

Why some sports hold a higher rank in popularity than others is a more fuzzy topic. In an interview with freshman football player Justice Wattree, he revealed his thoughts on why football receives the majority of the school’s attention. “It’s just an American tradition. It’s an exciting sport as well as a social event for the fans. In Granite Bay, this all-American sport is just what we are known for,” Wattree says. Football is a celebrated sport nationwide that tends to attract massive crowds for games all over the country.

Football may seem like one of the most emphasized sports at Granite Bay, but that is definitely not the idea Varsity Football Coach Ernie Cooper and 19 year GBHS coaching veteran puts in his players’ heads. “Whenever one of my guys thinks he’s some big shot athlete, I make him go stare at all the awards the swim team has won. We are in no way above or better than any other team here,” Cooper says.

In terms of money and support, Coach Cooper explains that football receives more money than other extracurriculars because there are significantly more people on the football teams than on most other sports. Also, the amount of support for football at Granite Bay High School are individual factors in themselves. Cooper describes football games as social events too, where people come to socialize, watch the halftime show and have fun. If football is viewed as a superior sport at this school, it is definitely not because of the coach, who has only worked to enforce his beliefs on equality between all sports.

There may be other reasons people attend Granite Bay Football games that have nothing to do

“Whenever one of my guys thinks he’s some big shot athlete, I make him go stare at all the awards the swim team has won. We are in no way above or better than any other team here.”

-Coach Cooper

Photo Montage/LIA PATRINelLIS

with the game itself. “People often come to the football games just to watch the band because they have such high quality and are really accomplished by themselves,” GBHS senior Anika Mahavni says One outside factor that does seem to push football into the spotlight is location. Because we live in the U.S. American football has a special spot in this nation’s heart. “Football is just an American tradition. No one can prevent Americans from loving a sport that is so popular,” Wattree says.

A member of the Granite Bay High School Golf Team, Bella Matthews, say she feels the girls’ golf team is valued less than sports

like football. “On the Granite Bay High School website, football has its own page with lots of information about games and stuff, but our golf team doesn’t even have a full page, which makes us feel sort of invisible,” Matthews says.

Matthews also feels like an unfair amount of money is put into fancy football equipment and field decorations, and the golf team has to fundraise a lot of the money they need just for basic equipment.

Also, because golf is a difficult sport to watch since spectators move around to different parts of the field with every round, only parents and coaches come to the tournaments. With football, any-

one can come sit in the bleachers and support the team without having to constantly move around.

Before moving to Granite Bay, Wattree lived in the Central Valley and attended a school with fewer sports in their athletic department than Granite Bay and doesn’t automatically think of football when he thinks of Granite Bay sports. “ I think of the exotic ones like water polo and golf. We didn’t have these sports at my old school, so GBHS was new and diverse to me when I moved here,” Wattree says.

On the opposite perspective, Matthews describes how all the three football teams’ members’ egos may have grown bigger by joining the football team. “They all walk around like they’re the kings of campus,” Matthews says, “They have beaten other teams pretty hard, but other sports have even stronger winning streaks than the football team.”

To students at Granite Bay High School, there is a definite sports hierarchy. To the coaches, the lines socially and physically dividing the sports is less prominent.

Despite the hierarchy and popularity of one sport over another, what is common is a strong love, support and winning tradition of Granite Bay High School sports.

Fall 2014

Fall Sports Girls’ Volleyball Record Varsity 25-13 National Rank 64 State Rank 322 JV 8-3 Freshman 10-4 Boys’ Soccer Record Varsity 19-2-0 National Rank 29 State Rank 3 JV 14-1-3 Freshman 16-2-1 Football Record Varsity 9-4 National Rank 724 State Rank 62 JV 5-5-0 Freshman 4-6 Boys’ Water Polo Record Varsity 20-7 JV 24-8 Girls’ Water Polo Record Varsity 8-8 JV 5-5 Girls’ Tennis Record Varsity 5-6 Girls’ Golf Varsity 10-2 Second in League Third in Division Fourth in Section

FEATURES

Page 4 and 5

Photo /Michaelan George

O

by Michaelan George

delaney CRABTREE

ne year ago Granite Bay High School senior Delaney Crabtree was a volunteer camp counselor at Camp Sacramento. She was working the whole week with lots of young kids taking part in many nature oriented activities.

During one of the dance nights, Crabtree came across a girl feeling sick because she had eaten one of the Rice Krispies Treats from the dance hall. Due to the dance hall being dark, the young girl couldn't see that there was peanut butter on the food.

That is when the night took a turn for the worse as the 13-year-old girl had a severe reaction to her peanut allergy. Crabtree and one other person were the first to find and comfort the young girl. They were able to get the camper’s mom and the girl seemed to be doing fine, but over the course of ten minutes it became harder and harder for the young girl to breathe.

Delaney Crabtree was in a first responder situation and with the help of Crabtree’s mother, she called 911 and due to being in the Tahoe area helped flag down a rescue helicopter. The remote location made it difficult for the medical team to arrive quickly. The girl was also given an EpiPen but it was too late, she passed away within minutes. “Something so small could create something so tragic,” Crabtree said.

That night Crabtree broke the stereotype of being too young to make a difference during a traumatic experience. “No one really knew what to do around [me] and with the help of my mom I started delegating things [to try to save the girl],” Crabtree said. She surprised parents with her maturity and initiative in the situation, but Crabtree asserts that she couldn’t have done the rescue process without her mother.

Even though Crabtree is able to easily talk about her experience now, it was much

more difficult a year ago. “I went to her memorial and it helped, but therapy was what helped me most,” Crabtree said. She had to think of the good the young girl lived through. Even though she died, the 13 year old girl still had a happy life.

“I learned that life is very short. It can end just like that when you least expect it,” Crabtree said. Living and appreciating life became a priority to Crabtree.

The fragility of life is not the only thing Crabtree learned from this experience.

She also realized that “People don’t really understand [the severity of allergies] until they have experienced something like this,” Crabtree said. She is working towards spreading the word that if a person has an allergy everyone around them should respect it their condition and work towards a safer environment for them. “ I have a necklace [that has] a light bulb [with] a dandelion in it. To me it is a piece of nature that I can sort of hold inside that necklace [it is] like a protection for me. Helping me realize that I have a living thing I’m wearing and that I need to treasure something as simple as a dandelion seed, it’s kinda like a wish I need to treasure it and reminds me that even though things seem bad it could be worse,” Crabtree said. Every day she tells her friends and family how much she cares about them because a person never knows how or when something could happen to them or their family.

“I will always remember this girl for the courage and the smiles she had even at death,” Crabtree said, “and the last thing I was able to do was make her laugh before she died. That is something I can hold onto even though none of us were able to save her.”

Parts of the Granite Bay Puzzle Photo /Michaelan George

annina HANLON

by Alina Poczobutt

L

ooking at Granite Bay High School senior Annina Hanlon, one might never suspect that she is a cancer survivor.

Hanlon was diagnosed five years ago on June 30, 2009, the summer after her sixth grade year.

Her treatment lasted about eight months. She was in the hospital for most of her time and she was not able to participate in many things that a seventh grader would. Those eight and following months effected Hanlon’s life drastically and made her see of life from a whole new perspective.

Home and school life were greatly affected when it came down to chemotherapy. Hanlon didn’t go to almost all of seventh grade had to be home hospital schooled. Being home-hospital schooled was also a challenging task Hanlon had to face. She only met with her teachers every few weeks and since she was on a large amount of prescription medication, was not able to complete most of her school work.

Hanlon’s daily life had changed in a huge way, because now not only

was she not able to go to school but she was also not able to walk very well. “I was really dependent on other people, which greatly affected my daily life because I couldn’t get up and move by myself,” Hanlon says. Hanlon also shared that for most of the time, she felt sick which prevented her from eating very much.

Hanlon would like to think that she has used her experience to help others. She and her mom founded a non-profit organization to raise money for children with cancer. In her freshman year she produced a video that won $25,000 which was donated to a childhood cancer camp that she attended and now volunteers at. She also ran St.Baldrick’s last year at GBHS. After dealing with cancer, Hanlon looks differently at life because when she was so young she had to deal with the fear of dying. She also considers herself lucky because she has not had any severe side effects that have affected many of her friends that she had met through treatment.

Fall 2014

Photo /Michaelan George

A

by McKenna Aram

anna SCHOLZ

nna Scholz is a 16 year old foreign exchange student from War Halle, Germany who chose to spend her junior year 5,600 miles away from home attending Granite Bay High School. After the conclusion of the school year, Scholz will her return to her hometown in Germany.

The exchange student program Scholz is registered in consists of many other students also originally from Germany. Students involved in the program are selected by a single host family in the United States and are flown to that area to attend school for an academic term. “I decided to enter the program to experience the differences between mine and the American culture and to get the sense of what a new school system would be like,” Scholz said.

“Overall I would have to say despite the differences between the United States and Germany, our countries are more similar than different,” Scholz said. According to Scholz, in Germany, school systems can have up to 15 subjects as opposed to just the four offered per semester at Granite Bay. “The 15 classes are all taught in the same classroom by one teacher, and each student is given one grade for the class opposed to four separate grades for each class like at Granite Bay High School. What’s even more unique about Germany’s school system is the students in the classroom consist of all ages, ranging from kindergarten to seniors in high school,” Scholz says.

Scholz is currently enrolled in US History, Art, Biology, and mathematics at Granite Bay

and claims she’s savoring her time spent on campus. “As much as I like the school system here in America, I prefer Germany’s because all of the students are much closer friends because we’re all in one class, despite the age differences. Here, everyone is spread apart, as it is a huge school.”

When asked if she was nervous about going to a new school on the other side of the globe, Scholz answered, “Well of course. I was scared and I didn’t know anybody at all coming to this area. There was one girl I talked to enrolled in the same program as me who was being sent over to a school near Granite Bay, but we both knew we would never see each other. It did make it easier coming to the U.S. knowing English though, since we were taught it as our secondary language in grade school.”

In Germany there are some athletics and activities students can participate in at school.

However, they do not host football games, rallies, dances or big social events like American schools typically do, which is one of the many differences Scholz claims to like about American schools. “The main cultural difference I would have to say is the food. America eats so much fast food, it is absurd, and a bit gross. Another significant difference between our countries is we do not celebrate holidays like America does. We don’t have Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. We have our own types of holidays, and our own traditions,” Schloz said. Scholz is making new friends, forming new bonds, and becoming more adapted at Granite Bay each day.

Opinion

Page 6

S.(o) S.(ad) Winter Ball

Mermaids The Final Frontier

By Claudia Moore

Vampires and werewolves and zombies oh my! From books to television and everything in-between these wonderful monsters have taken over our lives. They’ve come as terrifying nightmares and our favorite love interests. But what will be the new “monster of the year”?

Let me take you back in time, a long forgotten time when we were but tots. October 5, 2005 marks the day the world was changed. Stephanie Meyer released her debut book “Twilight”; the first in a series of four books, “Twilight” began the new romantic era of dashingly handsome creatures of the night. It was a nationwide epidemic; the love triangle between vampire, human, and werewolf made everyone want to watch. Fast forward a couple years and you can find zombies stumbling into everything.

Movies depicting the slowwalking villains have becoming increasingly popular. “The Walking Dead” has become one of the most popular shows on television. “Warm Bodies”

by Isaac Marion depicts one girl’s timeless romance with the undead. Slowly zombies have been taking the world by inches.

I propose Mermaid novels are the next thing coming. And what will this future novel entail you ask? Lots of intense eye contact while main characters touch the glass tank separating our love interest trapped by evil marine biologists! It would also fulfill the ultimate unrequited love scenario. Unless we’re working with some impossible “Little Mermaid” magic the two could never be “together”.

And by some miracle (which will happen by the third book after three “almost-deaths”, two supernatural attacks and a strange miscommunication between our leads) they stay together forever despite the rising divorce rate and that only 2% of high school relationships last.

Its bound to be a thrilling tail. I mean tale.

Fall 2014

Girls’ tears drown entire school

By Katie Hunter

T

ears splattering the floor. Wails escaping the mouths of hundreds of girls. Hearts breaking left and right. What has caused this misery? What has caused all this pain and grief ? Winter Ball and “no love December.”

Winter Ball is tomorrow, and although not getting asked to the dance can be a pitiable thing, for some girls being asked shouldn’t dictate whether or not you go. Speaking for the girls of Granite Bay, the reason most of us are going is to the dance is to be with friends and have fun, so why should any girl let a boy not asking her stop her from going to this special event?

Now granted, we girls have come a long way from letting the boys decide everything for us to doing things themselves

Photo Future Cat Lady /Michaelan George

A Future Cat Lady is crying about being alone forever as students ask eachother to WB.

and showing who’s boss, but why can’t we take it one step further to showing that we don’t need a boy to have a great time? Yes, it may be a little sad when slow songs come on, but what about all the other songs that you dance to with a group of friends?

I’m not saying that you can’t be sad about not having a date, but you definitely shouldn’t let not having a guy on your arm stop you from enjoying a fun night. Winter Ball has the potential to create memories that will last for a lifetime, and you

definitely don’t want to tell your kids all the fun stories about how you didn’t go to your high school’s formal dances.

Also ladies, if you do feel a bit down and out about not getting asked, do not panic, it is not the end of the world, you will survive this. My ears will start bleeding if I hear one more girl moan and cry about how single they are and how they’ll never find love. If you’re really that upset about it, ask a guy yourself and don’t make the people around you suffer just because you’re not being

In defense of Comic Sans

By Jacob Elliott

“A

ll fonts are not created equal!”

That’s what many teachers and adults conscious of fonts preach to students.

Time after time teachers will specify what font they want work to be typed in and have very particular feelings about certain fonts. But why must we be restricted? Why can we type in some fonts and not others?

Why is Arial font so popular? I mean, we already have the little mermaid, and there’s only room for one Ariel in our lives and I’d prefer it be a girl with a seashell bra and a fishtail any day over a uniform, uninteresting, uncreative sans

serif font.

And then there’s Times New Roman. Okay, don’t get me started on this one. The ancient Romans lived long ago, loved tyrants and died out once they fell to the Byzantine empire. Why do we need to celebrate them every time we open up a new word document? Adding the words “Times” and “New” doesn’t fool us. Times New Roman is tired and old fashioned. I think it’s time for out with the

old and in with the new.

And what is new you may ask? Jokes! People love jokes, they love funny people and funny things and laughter. When we’re 3000 words into an essay and our souls are ready to die, we just need a little laugh, and Comic Sans could be that pickme-up. So why can’t we use a font that is named after comedy? Comic Sans is the perfect font for the job.

Need a font that will make you laugh, lighten the mood

held at night. Take matters into your own hands. Nobody cares if you’re single, because news flash there are tons of other people that are single as well.

Single people that you could probably date yourself. So get over your “mopey dopey” self and just embrace the single life and have fun anyway.

If you are a girl who is crying over not having a Winter Ball date, my solution is to wipe those tears away, put some heels on, and strut into that dance showing all those boys what they could have had. and bring your word documents to the next level? Enter Comic Sans- here to save the day . . . and your word documents from absolute typographical boredom.

Many teachers cringe just at the sight of Comic Sans used in one of their student’s papers. But why do they hate it so much? Why must we use boring fonts instead of the one that we truly believe to be the best?

It’s not like we’re going to write a book in Comic Sans, or use only that font for the rest of our lives. We’re teenagers, we understand that not all fonts are fitting to use at all times, but the hate needs to stop. The judgement needs to be put to an end! With a world of homophobia, racism, and hate crimes committed every day, even our fonts are no longer safe!

First we lose our fonts, then our freedom! This is America, we deserve to be free . . . and use Comic Sans.

LOCAL REVIEWS

Page 7

“No Safety in Numbers”

by Olivia Appel

T

he story “No Safety in N u m b e r s,”

by Dayna Lorentz, first of a a trilogy of genocide, biological warfare, and panic, is Penguin BOOKS told through the eyes of four confused and worried teens and gives the reader a whole different view of modern diseases, the power of mass-panic, and the occasional corruption of people in positions of power.

Things get interesting for the reader when a mall is quarantined due to a potentially deadly virus, and people start acting like wild, caged animals. The characters that Lorentz created are unique, with each of them having their own backstory. It was interesting to read of their reactions as they experienced the different stages of quarantine. When there was little action, I was entertained instead by the thoughts and actions of Marco, Shaila, Ryan and Lexi.

Something I also loved about this book almost as much as I loved the characters was how relevant it is to current life. Many issues were brought to mind that I was not aware of before. One of them was biological warfare, the use of viruses and other biohazards as weapons of war in order to infect, incapacitate or kill enemies. This book made me realize that things not unlike the use of bio-weapons at Stonecliff Mall in the book could easily happen today.

The story’s ending had a disappointing absence of elaboration. as it was meant to lead into the sequel. The wait until I was able to get the second book was torture. However, the sequel, “No Easy Way Out,” made up for the abrupt stopping of the story. This book shows the pure randomness of human emotion and its influence on people’s reactions, and the tragedy of loss, whether it be loss of health, loss of trust, or loss of life.

Favorite Christmas Carols in School Modern & Traditional 60 Students Surveyed

Fall 2014

Coming Soon: More Marvel Films

I

by Delaney Faherty

n October, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the company’s plan for upcoming movies up through 2019., some predictable and others newer, more obscure movies.

Some of these ideas are intriguing, while others carry the danger of falling on their faces.

The first, “Captain America 3: Civil War”, is most likely based off the comic storyline where Iron Man and Captain America clash over an act that requires heroes to register with the government.

The film will take a much darker turn, with a possible harrowing end for Captain America. As a viewer, this will have a high appeal since the darker, more political “Captain America 2:The Winter Soldier” was such a success. The final installment, playing on April 29, 2016, provides a highly exciting story that will capture the attention of an audience and answer many questions left unanswered.

photo/MARVEL STUDIOS

Debuting on October 26, 2016, “Doctor Strange” is a neurosurgeon who loses his ability to perform operations after damaging his hands in an accident. In order to find a cure, he studies the mystical artsand deals with more magical villains than other movies, but this may be overshadowed by the more ambitious projects. “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a funny, endearing film by Marvel standards, with good humor and incredible action. The sequel coming on April 27, 2017 is a welcome addition to the Marvel cinematic universe, and it will be great to see the further adventures of the ragtag team of defenders in sequels.

“Black Panther”, the first African American superhero and “Captain Marvel”, a new female hero, are definitely characters to look out for.

“Avengers: Infinity Wars”, coming in 2018 and 2019 has Thanos, hinted as villain since the first “Avengers”, even making small appearances in other Marvel movies. The final “Avengers” will be an epic finale to the franchise, as people have been waiting for this battle with baited breath. The fates of characters we have grown to love will always garner concern, but dividing the movie into two parts may prove harmful.

Overall, Marvel has a lineup of interesting movies coming to the big screen. They have become more ambitious with the success of “Avengers”, and are definitely more comfortable releasing new projects and giving us new stories to enjoy.

A Day At Apple Hill

by Emma Scholes

Apple Hill, full of fun activities ranging from picking delicious apples to enjoying a picnic with family under the bright fall leaves. With over fifty farms and ranches, there is an activity for all to love.

Apple Hill, a family destination since 1964, is located less than an hour away from Granite Bay andl is a perfect family day trip. Over the years, I’ve been to numerous farms in the area. They all have a little something special that makes them unique. Some of the farms have dozens of activities to enjoy while others fall short of par.

Off the freeway, High Hill Ranch. is a family farm filled with hay rides, fishing, and pony rides. It is the largest of all the orchards and is often really crowded, but I can assure you that the delicious apples and baked goods are worth the wait. If it is a hot day, be sure to get an apple cider milkshakes or a jug of their cold apple cider.

Rainbow Orchards, home of the famous hot apple cider donuts is full of delicious fresh cider, as well as pies, cobblers, crisps, tarts, jams, syrups and vinegar all make from scratch.. The donuts are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and covered in sugar, as the perfect treat. You can also buy their fresh picked seasonal fruits. For lunch, you can enjoy a tri tip barbecue sandwich or a homemade corn dog

while sitting at one of the dozens of clean picnic tables all while listening to bluegrass music as children play on the nearby hay bails.

At Denver Dan’s Apple Patch, you can pick apples straight from the tree, avor their delicious pies, jellies, pies, cider and jams, make wreaths, take cooking classes, and pet farm animals.

In Larsen Apple Barn, walk through an array of over twenty different kinds of apples as well as dozens of varieties of other fruit products After you are done eating a wonderfully juicy apple, you can walk through the Larsen Family Museum. There you can learn about the history of the Apple Hill growers and find out how they farmed there fruit. The museums includes antique original farming equipment and artifacts. You can also grab a bite to eat in the bake shop or the deli.

Abel’s Apples Acres offers great fun for all ages. You can walk around the craft fair and enjoy delicious homemade baked goods, such as cobblers and pies. Abel’s also has numerous activities fun for everyone including pony rides, a maze, and a bungee trampoline.

They have outstanding pies and delicious fudge that anyone would enjoy.

Apple Hill is that it can be crowded, specially in October and on

1.“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” 2.“Little Drummer Boy” 3.“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

4.“Frosty the Snowman” 5.“Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” 6.“Hark!The Herald Angels Sing”

photo/Scott Schrantz VIA FLICKR

weekends. Go in early November if you would prefer a more quiet and secluded experience. In December, holiday activities begin and the Christmas tree farms open.

However, no matter when or where you go, you will have an unforgettable experience at Apple Hill. I highly recommend going because I always enjoy it and have a lot fun.

7.“Jingle Bells” 8.“Winter Wonderland” 9.“Silver Bells” 10.“Silent Night”

photo/JALISCOGRILL.COM

Dining at “Jalisco”

J

by Hannah Bonfils

alisco Fresh Grill is a Mexican restaurant with outstanding low prices for the delicious food served.

The waiters delivered food in under two minutes after ordering neatly wrapped in tin foil ready to be eaten. The prices were surprisingly reasonable for a sit down restaurant. More than half of the prices were under ten dollars. The burritos and tacos range from seven to eight dollars with bigger plates such as the enchiladas or tamales around $10. Not only are there exquisite lunch and dinner options, they serve breakfast too.

For breakfast, they serve eggs with ham and sausage called Huevos Rancheros, or “rancher’s eggs”, a dish with fried eggs served on corn tortillas topped with a tasty tomato-chili sauce. Refried beans, rice, and a side of guacamole is often on the side.

One of the delicious meals on the menu is the Super Burrito which has rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, meat, guacamole and salsa.

This burrito is distinct from the others. It isn’t quite as spicy as the Jalisco Burrito, which has extra salsa and pepper. The guacamole had a little bit of a kick, but that made a distinction between the two. The tomatoes, little pepper and salt, bits of onion and cilantro really made each bite delectable. If you’re not into lots of spice, the Super Burrito is your best bet. The decor includes sombreros, colorful lights, and beige wallpaper surrounding the room. In addition, the restaurant has three televisions which have the latest sports on.

They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner,are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, and on Fridays, the restaurant’s open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Every weekend, they’re open at 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Currently, the restaurant is located next to a drugstore and other small shops that aren’t very noticeable. Perhaps it should move to the Granite Bay Pavillions near Nuyo where it can receive more customers and fit right in.

Overall, this restaurant lived up to my expectations. The food was wonderful and equitable, the atmosphere was comforting and the employees were flexible. Jalisco Fresh Grill deserves 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this to everyone who enjoys Mexican food.

It has made me realize what I want to be when I grow up. -H. Bonfils

Jack Zolmer

Hannah Bonfils

Juan Flores

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Emma Scholes

Colton Schaffert

Alina Poczobutt

Evan Andreae

Gillian George

Jacob Elliott

How has Journalism 1 impacted you?

Katie Hunter

Lia Patrinellis

It has u n horizon locked new s and li mitless possibi lities. -J . Elliott

Julia Seguine

lauren McCormick

Mark Stevens

It h as Paige Erickson imp showTaylor Stiern n r -M ove m me h . St eve y art ow to icle ns s.

Michaelan George

Paige Berglund

Meagan Guay

Sabina Mahavni

McKenna Aram

Stephanie Kang

Journalism has made me a better writer and has taught me more things about writing.

-P. Berglund

It has made me realize that I would love to be part of the Gazzette.

-M. Aram

Claudia Moore

Journalism has taken me down a new avenue of writing.

-D. Faherty

Journalism encourages me. -J.Zolmer

Delaney Faherty

It has allowed me to meet really nice people. I also had a really fun experience.

-K. Hunter

e or and m me ool rt n e e tt e sch haff o g h c as in t -C. S h It sted dy. o ere nt b t in ude st

Olivia Appel

me d te ents c e Sydney Esposito v n on nt e l. c as urre hoo h It he c e sc ito h t os to of t . Esp -S