Granite Bay Gazette February 2016

National Parks Take a peak at nature preserves

Winter sports preview

Sex education G10-11

GBHS does not fulfill all requirements

B1

C1

Wrestling and basketball begin

The Granite Bay Gazette GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 19 w ISSUE 5 w FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016

COMMENTARY

The Great Gun Debate

troy pawlak

tpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

Why is this age hyped so much?

F

or years, ranging from kindergarten through middle school, I wanted to be an adult. I hated being a kid, and saw 18 as a brilliant star in the sky to one day be reached.

Well now I’m there. I’m 18. Big whoop! Why was I so excited for this day for so many years?

Great, I’m an “adult”, but only because of the law. It sure doesn’t feel very different. I mean all those things that I can now “do” as an “adult” don’t amount to anything real.

The only real benefit from ‘adulthood’ is being able to see R-rated movies on my own. Oh wait ... you can do that at 17. So much for that.

Hey wait, I can vote! According to AP Government teacher Jarrod Westberg, this is an amazingly interesting year for politics. But as a first-time voter, I’m not so sure.

I don’t have any experience to compare this year’s front runners to past elections because I haven’t had much interest in previous elections. But I seem to be limited to a few main choices right about now – crazy man No. 1, crazy man No. 2 and crazy woman.

The first two need serious help from a hairdresser and a couple of foreign affairs experts and the third needs to understand the difference between deleting a topsecret email and forwarding it to her BFF’s.

Forget what I said before, I know exactly who I’m voting for – The Move To Canada party.

I mean, they are just America North, right?

You know what I can do? Invest in the stock market. Great. Just brilliant. I know I live in Granite Bay, but do you expect me to have enough money to actually invest on my own? I love the topic of investing, mutual funds in particular, but I doubt I will actually be able to acquire a sizeable investment for many years.

I guess the U.S. government understands the plight of having these options, but not the money to take advantage of them, so they gave the option to BUY A HOUSE. Seriously? Because that seems like something every 18-year-old just can’t wait to do.

I don’t have that kind of dough, but depending on the game, I might have enough to gamble.

Mom? Dad? I’m going to Thunder Valley and blowing my savings.

See you at dinner.

Not likely. And even if I did, most casinos have an entry age of 21 on account of serving alcohol.

So a fat lot of good that does me.

In order to balance out all these wonderful privileges I can totally take advantage of, I know the joy of being sued. Hopefully I don’t run into this problem at any point, but it is good to know the judicial system now sees me as a big enough threat to allow me to be sued.

Also, those same judges can now sentence me to jail time. So yeah, forget juvy, I’m going to Folsom State Prison. Al Capone and I are going to get along great.

Can’t wait to split a cozy cell with a 40-year-old murderer. Comforting.

Now I might be exaggerating (just a little bit), but in all reality, I don’t see any real benefit from becoming an “adult”. It’s just another number. One day I’m 17 and a minor, the next I’m 18 and given all these new options. Let’s celebrate. *** Troy Pawlak, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Gazette photoillustration/CAROLINE PALMER

Overall crime rates are decreasing while mass murder rates increase at a steady rate across the nation perhaps due to an increases in ownership of firearms.

Examining local views, attitudes toward firearms

BY HANNAH HOLZER hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

There might be no topic more controversial or contentious in the United States than gun control – to restrict or not to restrict, that is the divide.

America’s gun culture – that is, the beliefs and views about guns held by the American people – shifts standpoints from party to party. The Republican party views guns as untouchable items guarded by the Second Amendment, and the Democratic party believes that while the right to own is indisput-

able, guns are not immune to rational restrictions.

Differing views on guns might stem from what people perceive the purpose of gun usage to be. The ideas of guns used as a tool vs. a weapon has been disputed.

Both former GBHS student Reed Homen and College Preparatory Biology and Fish and Wildlife teacher Scott Braly expressed the idea of guns being tools, which can be used both appropriately and inappropriately. However, others disagree.

“Guns are weapons,” said junior Maryne Matthews. “They are used

Teachers get salary boost

RSEA negotiates a 4.5 percent bump for this year, more for next year

BY SURINA KHURANA skhurana.gazette@gmail.com

A recent victory occurred in December for the teachers of the Roseville Joint Union High School District when the local teacher’s association,the Roseville Secondary Education Association, reached an agreement with the district negotiating team.

For the 2016-17 school year, teacher pay will be increased by 6.5 percent – an amount that brings the highest teacher salary in the district above the $100,000 mark.

Teachers will be receiving 4.5 percent of the increase now, and the remaining amount will be saved for the next school year.

“The Board of Trustees finalized the 201516 contract with the (Roseville Secondary Ed-

to destroy whatever or whoever is being aimed at. Shattering disks, killing animals and murdering people. That’s what people use them for.”

In terms of guns used with a malicious intent, the degree to which gun violence occurs in the U.S. is higher than rates in other developed nations. According to retired Sacramento State Sociology Professor Tom Kando, who is an expert in crime statistics and popular culture, firearms are used in approximately three-fourths of all criminal homicides and suicides.

Gun culture and gun usage is

ucation Union) at the Jan. 12, 2016 board meeting,” said Steve Williams, the RJUHSD assistant superintendent for Personnel Services. “The ratified contract includes a 4.5 percent salary increase and $75 increase to the health benefit cap, along with some other items.”

Brandon Dell’Orto Next school year, there President of the will be two added proteachers’ associfessional development workdays. These work- ation, he helped days will be compensated lead salary with a near two percent negotiations on salary increase, generat- behalf of district ing an overall 6.5 percent faculty. bump.

“We get a retro check to make up for that 4.5 (percent) that we didn’t get paid all the way (from July) through January,” Advanced Placement European history teacher Mike Valentine said.

The salary schedule is set up so that there is a direct correlation between the amount of college education a teacher has – plus the length of time they have been teaching – and See RAISE, page A7

inside the Gazette news

also influenced by the media, cultural trends and political views.

“America is afflicted by a lethal combination: there is a diffused rage that is spreading like wildfire, and Americans are armed to the teeth with the most sophisticated weaponry imaginable,” Kando said. “This is a very combustible mix. The rage is fueled by those who peddle anger, angst and discontent to the population. The peddlers include political candidates and their media outlets.”

It is also true that while the U.S. See GUNS, page A8

The club has already won two awards so far

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U.S. crime statistics

wViolent crime and murder rates have decreased by 56 percent since 1980. wMass murder is the one category of criminal homicide which has increased. wU.S. gun crime is higher than that of other industralizied countries, but is not higher than that of some Third World countries.

SOURCE: Compiled by retired Sacramento State sociology professor Tom Kando

Alum seeks Assembly seat GBHS graduate pursues postition in government

BY SAVITRI ASOKAN sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

Editor’s note: The Gazette sat down with California deputy attorney general Kevin Kiley, a Republican candidate for the State Assembly. Kiley, who was the valedictorian of Granite Bay High School’s class of

2003 and later attended Harvard College, Yale Law School and Loyola Marymount University, is running to represent the Sixth District after Assemblywoman Beth Gaines’ term expires this year.

Q: Why did you decide to run for the State Assembly?

A: I was really fortunate to grow up in this area, and this community, to have a great See KILEY, page A7

Empty positions filled on campus Assistant principal, teachers hired for spring term

BY EPSA SHARMA and CAROLINE PALMER esharma.gazette@gmail.com

Intervention counselor Melanie Anvari has been named an interim assistant principal by Jennifer Leighton, the Granite Bay High School principal.

Anvari fills the spot that opened when Sybil Healy left GBHS at the end of December to take a position at Adelante High, one of the Roseville Joint Union High

Teachers with newborns take leave

Model United Nations just started

FAST FACTS

Instructors with babies can take only certain lengths of break

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voices

School District’s alternative school sites.

Healy is also trying to open a new charter high school, Century High, under the direction of the RJUHSD. Jennifer Leighton held most of the responsibility when it came to screening possible applicants for the vacant assistant principal job. The screening process started on Edjoin.org, and applicants have to upload their See STAFF, page A7

Talent vs. hard work Does natural ability outweigh dedication in sports?

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News

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Friday

NAMES IN THE NEWS

w February 5, 2016

surina khurana

Gazette photo/ SHIVANI BOBBOLA

skhurana.gazette@gmail.com

GBHS grad contributed to most recent ‘Star Wars’ film

2001 GBHS graduate Chris Doerhoff worked on “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” as a Digital Animation Compositor. He got his start in animation taking animation classes at GBHS. The force was with him. *** The winter play opening night was last night but you can still see it today, tomorrow, next Thursday, Friday or Saturday. It’s “12 Angry Jurors” and those jurors will probably be really angry if you don’t go. *** Random Acts of Kindness week is the week of Monday, Feb. 15. Be kind. *** Various seniors were hypnotized at Senior Fifth Quarter.

Some slept, others danced. *** The new SAT is being administered for the first time March 5. Mathematics teacher Scott Becker and English teacher David Tastor are offering a preparation course.

You should probably take it. *** Spring break is the week of March 21. Only six more weeks! *** Sophomore Rahul Bavirisetty, junior Afrah Tahir and senior Ryan Joy qualified to go to the National Catholic Forensic League national tournament in debate events.

There’s no debate about their qualifications. *** The Neon Dance was last Friday. Hopefully your night was very bright. *** The first quarter of the spring semester ended today. *** Seniors report senioritis is real. *** Sports-A-Rama is fast approaching. Look for updates and announcements to sign up.

My prediction is the freshmen will win. Sign ups are on a first come first serve basis. *** GBHS’s Empowerment Against Violence club will have a table at the showing of “The Hunting Ground” on Feb. 16 at Sierra College. *** Granite Bay Media has been developing a service based learning program for local businesses and clients in which they provide a customized video for the business in exchange for a donation for a classroom iMac. Way to go media. *** Surina Khurana, a junior, is a

Gazette photo/SHIVANI BOBBALA

Model U.N. members from left to right: Akshay Reddy, Matthew Luckenbihl, Rahul Bavirisetty, Stephenie Kang, Divya Shetty, Arthi Bobbala, Yasaman Mohammadi and advisor Elizabeth Henderson. Left, the members are holding name tags representing each country they spoke about; students are considered “delegates” for each country and their issues. Above, Arthi Bobbala gives a speech on international terrorism regarding Afghanistan, the country she specializes in.

Newly formed Model United Nations team competes in first tournament of the year

Students won two of the four awards possible

BY NASEEHA ISLAM

nislam.gazette@gmail.com

On Jan. 10, 2016, while most students were still suffering from post-winter break withdrawal, Granite Bay High School’s new Model United Nations team was already back in action at its first tournament at Mira Loma High School. Despite the fact that this is Granite Bay’s first year with an Model U.N. team, students are already on a roll and even earned two out of the four available awards.

The program allows students to get involved with both debate and current geopolitical issues by competing against other schools’ teams at tournaments such as the one that took place in January. “(Model U.N.) is a fun combination of speech and debate, mock trial and parliamentary procedure with a twist of diplomatic negotiation skills,” said team adviser and science teacher Elizabeth Henderson.

“Students with (a) passion for learning about geopolitical issues have a lot of fun researching their (country’s) position on issues, then representing that (country’s) interests and drafting a resolution to help solve problems and advance the interests of their country.”

Students interested in the topic were quick to join the team, and most had similar motivations for signing up.

“I think that current events and international events are very important, (and) I wanted to get better at thinking and debating,” said

at the MUN competitions, as students present their position on a current event issue, sophomore team member and vice president such as the Syrian refugee crisis, ISIS, climate change, international trade policies, Stephenie Kang. human rights abuses. If Other students were also inthe U.N. is working on it, trigued by the club’s focus on we!” foreign affairs, such as teammate I think that cur- soInareorder for the club to Rahul Bavirisetty, who earned rent events and be successful, commitan honorable mention while repted team members put in resenting the Republic of India at international many hours of work. At January’s tournament. events are very weekly team meetings “I had lots of friends who did Model U.N. from other schools important, (and) that take place in Henderson’s classroom, stuand said it sounded fun, so I I wanted to get dents discuss, learn and thought I should take a chance to do it,” Bavirisetty said. “The better at thinking research their topics so they’re ready to compete. main reason I joined at the end of and debating “We have to first give the day, though, was because of those, like me, who don’t my interest in current events and – UN Club vice have any debate experiwanting to fix the issues we have president Stephenie ence an overview of how in our society – which is someKang it works,” said sophothing Model U.N. simulates.” more Nayana Tiwari, Although Model U.N. focuses who serves as the club primarily on international issues, its structure is similar to that of the speech treasurer. “Then (the delegates) prepares and debate program. Many Model U.N. a position paper which gives a detailed demembers, including Bavirisetty and club scription on the view of their country regardpresident Arthi Bobbala – who earned the ing the specific issue.”

Even though students put lots of time and best researcher award at the tournament – are also members of the GBHS speech and effort into learning how to debate and show their knowledge and skills in Model U.N. debate team.

As adviser, Henderson recognizes the par- events, the team was still nervous going into its first tournament. However, the students allels between the two teams.

“We have a great skill set among the mem- were pleasantly surprised when they found bers who are also active with the GBHS out how prepared they really were.

“Since this was our first conference,” said speech and debate team,” Henderson said.

“These speech and debate skills really shine sophomore Elizabeth Gonzalez, “we simply

wanted to go in and get a feel for how everything worked. There were … three different schools there, and our team won two out of the four awards.”

Kang agreed that the team was quite successful.

“We are doing actually really well,” she said. “It’s our first conference, and it was a pretty small crowd, but we took half of the awards.”

The team won’t be slowing down for the rest of the year, however.

“We have another big conference held at American River College, and we hope to end our season with the final conference at UC Berkeley,” Henderson said.

The GBHS team currently has about 1012 consistent members. With the team still working hard toward upcoming events, it isn’t too late for new members to join in on the action.

“This is the best time to join because we are learning together and it would be the best to learn with us,” Bavirisetty said. “(If) you enjoy public speaking and current events, there (is) no better club for you than this. It’s really fun, and it brings out the best qualities in everyone.”

To get involved, all students have to do is show up at a regular Thursday after-school meeting in Henderson’s room.

“We have a good team that will teach any new members how things work and the procedures,” Gonzalez said. “All you need to join is a positive and hardworking attitude and a willingness to put in the research and work required to succeed.”

As the election nears, students explore the political frontiers Lots of young people share views with their parents

BY WHITNEY KNORP

wknorp.gazette@gmail.com

The 2016 presidential election and its unique candidates are stirring the nation and causing an outbreak of intensified student political views on the Granite Bay High School campus.

“I’ve been teaching at this school since 1999 and I’ve been through quite a few presidential elections,” says GBHS Advanced Placement Government and Law and Justice teacher Jarrod Westberg. “I have never seen students get into something as much as this year.”

The rise in political awareness of adolescents appears to have stemmed primarily from modern technology – specifically, social media. “(It’s because of) social media and stuff that you guys know more than ever because it’s actually hard not to have information hitting you,” Westberg said, “even if it’s political and things that students never really cared about.”

As far as the best way for students to acquire reliable information, Westberg says, “I tell my students to look at all the different types of articles from different types of writers:

liberal, conservative, moderate, make up your own mind from it. Just never look at one thing.”

Recent GBHS graduate Colleen Vivaldi says modern media and social media have helped her in being informed and developing personal views despite its downsides.

“On the upside, modern media has many more platforms for accessible information, which has helped me stay informed and develop my own views,” Vivaldi says. “On the other hand, modern media tends to be selective and politically biased, so sometimes it’s really hard to discern the actual story or situation.”

Though Vivaldi admits to using Twitter and other social media often for quick information from political and journalistic accounts, it is not her ideal system.

“I follow news anchors, news organizations, newspapers and politicians who all have Twitter handles or Facebook pages, where I get information from,” she says. “However, I would rather watch the news on TV or read articles directly from online news organizations or from a hard-copy newspaper.”

GBHS senior Ethan Quinn also uses technology to his advantage when it comes to staying informed

Gazette illustration/CARISSA LEWIS

Many parents have solid party affiliations, while students tend to be more fluid in belief.

“Media has definitely influenced my views,” Quinn says. “I have three media apps from three different political viewpoints that I get my facts from, so I feel media has made me much more aware.”

He is also willing to look to Twitter for information. “(If) it’s a reliable source tweeting the info, (it’s) a great way to expand your horizons and learn more about your peers,” Quinn said.

See POLITICS, page A8

Environment in a state of emergency

Gazette news editor.

Water wasting is a slippery slope

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

Granite Bay Gazette

BY SHIVANI BOBBALA

sbobbala.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /CARISSA LEWIS

A leaky hose on the football field is a small but constant contribution to water waste.

The weather has changed its status – it has transcended its previously important role as the instigator of small talk and is now discussed as perhaps California’s most pressing economic, political and environmental crisis.

After declaring a state of emergency last year in California Gov. Jerry Brown instituted the first ever water restrictions to alleviate the effects of the drought.

The governor’s executive order in April 2015, mandated that water districts across the state mandated to cut usage by 25 percent.

The Granite Bay community has been forced to cut down even more, as it generally uses more water than the average water district.

“San Juan has been tasked with a 36 percent reduction,” said Lisa Brown, the customer service manager at San Juan Water District, the water provider for Granite Bay. “The restrictions will continue through October 2016 if statewide water supply conditions do not improve. ” As of December 2015, wa-

ter usage in the San Juan Water District, which includes Granite Bay and some of the surrounding area, decreased a total of 36.1 percent over the previous six months.

So how are schools doing?

“The water cuts went into play last spring,” said Brian McNulty, the assistant principal at Granite Bay High who oversees facilities use on campus. “Take a look at the quad. Before the rains, it was pretty dry. The lack of watering has definitely impacted that.”

According to McNulty, the cuts have also affected the GBHS sports, such as the outfield for JV baseball and the softball and soccer fields.

“The soccer fields are bermuda grass – without water in the summer, it will die,” McNulty said.

“It is a pretty large investment for our school. It was specially put in. But because of the cutbacks, we have had to be cognizant of what we were doing.

We’ve had to change the height of the grass so that it could retain more water.”

In these ways, GBHS has tried to deal with the state’s water restrictions while still attempting to maintain its facilities.

However, Colette Curran, a GBHS senior who is the founder of the Go Green Club, said she See WATER, page A5

News A3

Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

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Maternity leave policies mandate instructors return promptly Teachers feel regulations are restrictive and compressed

BY GARBHITA SHAH

gshah.gazette@gmail.com

Holding back the seemingly endless tears, Granite Bay High School teacher Jillyan McKinney bid her newborn goodbye and drove herself to work with a heavy heart. That chilly, December morning three months after giving birth, McKinney’s maternity leave had terminated.

“Leaving behind a three-month old with somebody just hired was the absolute hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” the International Baccalaureate (IB) History of Americas and Social Psychology teacher said. “It’s painful … You are sleep deprived and missing your kids. Then you realize once you get here you have a job to do, and you want to be effective (because) kids are depending on you.”

Returning to work from maternity leave, McKinney described the difficulties of her transition.

“I feel like being gone for the semester gives you this weird feeling of displacement,” McKinney said.

“I feel like I’m still in transition and it’s one of the hardest things that you have to wrestle with as a working parent. You’re trying to be the best of both worlds and … that’s really difficult to do.”

According to employee guidelines within the Roseville Joint Union High School District, maternity leave is considered a leave of disability. Prior to the child’s due date, the mother is given a four-week-long disability leave.

The postpartum leave is a paid percentage of the employee’s regular salary and lasts from six to eight weeks depending upon whether the birth was natural or a cesarean section.

If the employee wishes to extend her leave beyond this time period, she neither acquires another year of service nor does she advance in her personal salary schedule.

“If (I) do not work 70 percent of the days in the year, (I) do not get a year of service,” McKinney said.

“Even though I’m here and I’m working, it’s still as if I’m not working enough.”

Another underlying policy is that during the paid

leave, the employee is required to use up the total number of sick days that she has accumulated over her time of service within the district. Therefore, once she returns to work, she has exhausted all of her sick time.

For McKinney this is a stressful scenario as she received a letter from the district stating that if she is absent at any point through the rest of the year and fails to present a doctor’s note within three days of her absence, disciplinary action will follow.

“When I started this year I had 17 days of sick time, and I don’t have any left coming back,” McKinney said. “(I) now have a child at home and two other kids, and most likely someone’s going to get sick in the next couple of months.”

This raises the issue of the righteousness of the policies, not only within the school district, but also at the national level. According to National Public Radio, the U.S. to this day stands as one of the few industrialized nations in the world to not guarantee an extended paid maternity leave to women.

“I think ... the U.S. is incredibly behind the times when it comes to paid maternity leave,” McKinney said. “It is extremely detrimental to women ... because it’s what increases a (gender-based) wage gap. It is also detrimental to the family structure. We want to show the rest of the world how progressive this nation is when really we’re not as progressive as we need to be.”

McKinney described how the term “working mother” itself is insulting because it scrutinizes the idea of motherhood and professional work overlapping with one another.

“You never hear anybody say working father so ... it’s almost (as if ) you’ve already lost the battle with society,” McKinney said. “You’re already feeling guilty enough that you have to leave your child because you need it financially or you just really love your job, (which I do), and you’re good at it. There’s always a stigma that’s attached to (being) a woman.”

McKinney also said the system currently in place fails to understand that the productivity level of workers cannot be at its optimum when placed with such social burdens along with pressure in the work environment and the obvious responsibilities that come with

Special to the Gazette /KELLY MCKINNEY

Teacher Jillyan McKinney with her three children, one of whom is only four months old.

caring for a newborn.

Advanced Placement Spanish teacher Jennifer Hill faced similar problems after returning from her maternity leave last October. “(My son) did not start sleeping through the night until (he was) about five months, so when I came back to work I was very sleep deprived,” Hill said. “You’re not going to get the best quality of work out of people

See LEAVE, page A8

Idea of nuclear weaponry blows some minds away

New passwords are welcomed

Students told to strengthen their previous login codes

People reflect on international arms race

BY CAROLINE PALMER

BY STEPHANIE KANG

cpalmer.gazette@gmail.com

skang.gazette@gmail.com

Students logging onto school computers on Jan. 5 were greeted with a surprise.

A little box informed them that their password had expired, and they needed to reset it.

Over the winter break, with a major overhaul of the previous security system, technology officials with the Roseville Joint Union High School District decided there would be a district-wide mandated password reset because of security concerns.

The problem? Passwords based on students’ six-digit ID make it too easy for hackers to steal passwords and access sensitive information through students’ Naviance and Homelink accounts.

“The old security was not secure at all,” said Marc Imrie, an Industrial Technology Education teacher at Granite Bay High.

“We’re implementing new security policies so that our network is more secure.”

Last semester, students used their ID number for almost everything involving school – Naviance, school dances, lunch, computer logins and checking out books, just to name a few. However, this year, things have changed – at least when students log into computers and access Naviance. The new policy will require that students change their passwords every six months.

Student reaction so far has ranged from neutral to skeptical.

“At first I thought it was kind of pointless

if they’re sleep deprived.”

Hill discussed how she faced physical postnatal problems which could have been reduced significantly if she had more time off.

“The best thing for babies is breast milk. I probably would have been able to breastfeed him longer if I hadn’t had to go back to work so early … I got

Gazette photo illustration /WHITNEY KNORP

New security measures will prevent people from obtaining passwords easily.

and annoying and I still kind of find it a bit annoying,” sophomore Elizabeth Gonzalez said.

Sophomore Joan Esquibel agreed: “I understand what their intentions are, but it’s like do people really know other people’s student IDs? Is there anybody who is really wanting to sabotage you that much?”

With only a student ID number and a student’s first and last name, people have endless possibilities to harm others, given the possible access – just on Naviance – to important information such as student grades, GPA, home addresses and even state ID numbers.

Despite the opportunities to cause damage to their peers’ lives, students at GBHS rarely steal each other’s passwords. However, it is the concern for what could happen that pressed district officials to improve their se-

NEWS BRIEFS

curity policies.

“I don’t know if it’s a big problem, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Imrie said.

When confronted with the risks involved with using student ID numbers as a password, students agreed with Imrie. “(It might have been) too easy for others to get into your accounts,” Gonzalez said.

“All you need to know is someone’s first and last name and ID, which is all easily attained. Overall, (however), I feel neutral to it in the end.”

Both teachers and students agree that others can learn ID numbers easily.

“You carry it around in your schedule (and) you use it to punch in,” Imrie said.

“When you’re tardy, you say it out loud – it’s easy to get someone’s ID number, so if See PASSWORDS, page A8

See NUCLEAR, page A6

ASB UPDATE

Drone policy enforced throughout district

Drones, flying cameras that can capture high quality pictures from an aerial view, are now prohibited on Roseville Joint Union High School District campuses.

Senior Jack Kennedy is a teacher intern for International Baccalaureate Film, is enrolled in advanced media and has taken 11 semesters of media altogether.

“We got the drone notices a long time before everyone else,” Kennedy said. “At first we kind of fought back when we were filming Homecoming. I tried to fight it by going through the district, but after a while they denied me, and we realized that the footage isn’t that crucial anyways.”

The original email sent to all Roseville Joint Union District staff members stated that those looking to use a drone needed to get two-weeks notice and approval.

However, a follow-up email said that all drone use is prohibited until further notice.

The banning of drones will also affect the Yearbook class on campus.

“The thing is we were always very, very careful with our drone – we never crashed or had a poor landing, we went out of our way not to cause problems,” yearbook advisor and English teacher Bernadette Cranmer said.

For the Yearbook class, some plans will have to change.

“We were going to do a quad shot for this years yearbook,” Cranmer said. “In the past we have used (the drone) for marching band, football games, rallies and then for shots of the quad.”

-By Caroline Palmer

Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt first received news from Albert Einstein and his colleague Leo Szilard that a new type of bomb was possible through nuclear fission and that Adolf Hitler might already be working on a nuclear bomb, the global arms race changed forever.

Although many aspects of our society have changed since events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War, nuclear weapons are still a subject of discussion in our current culture.

This phenomenon of power from nuclear weaponry was recently demonstrated by North Korea testing a possible hydrogen bomb.

Those alive in the ’50s and ’60s have varying opinions on the levels of tension brought from conflict with Cuba and Russia.

William Gengler, now age 80, enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 26 in 1959 after getting his masters in political science and psychology at American University. Gengler was a Navy Captain for 24 years and a media and community relations officer. He now resides in Rancho Murieta.

Gengler also worked in the Pentagon for eight years and considered the threat of nuclear weapons during these times to be high, but not too worrisome.

“Cuba was a threat to the United States,” Gengler said. “They were not that far away from the United States, obviously. They did have missiles but they were not a great threat because we were so much more powerful and had so many armed forces and ships.”

Virgnia Moore, also a former Pentagon worker from 1954-1959 and San Bernardino resident remembers conflict with Cuba as well.

“Russia sent missiles to Cuba and we retaliated by going in,” Moore said. “It was not a successful mission – it finally blew over but it was very serious and ... that was (as) close to war as we got.”

When concerning Russia and Cuba, both Gengler and Moore considered Russia to be the greater danger, however they differ on the degree of hazard Russia brought.

“Basically the Cold War was after World War II, from 1947-91, and I had only really started my first job in the Navy at that time,” Gengler said. “I didn’t feel that the Cold War was anything threatening to the United States at that time. We could call the Cold War a war of words.”

Gengler said he felt this way because of the power the United States had.

“I don’t really think the public was threatened to a certain degree,” Gengler said. “I think it was addressed that

ASB discusses the new, upcoming events at GBHS The Gazette talked to junior Katie Carson about a few upcoming activities for the spring

Gazette: What upcoming events do students have to look forward to this month?

Carson: In February, we have the Culture Shock Week and we also have RAK Week coming up.

Gazette: What are Culture Shock Week and RAK Week?

Special to the Gazette /SHAWN SHAH

Drones or unmanned aircraft of any kind are no longer allowed on RJUHSD campuses.

Carson: Culture Shock is kind of like Ripple Effect but it’s going to be more activities and lunchtime activities. RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) Week is the week after Valentine’s Day. It will just be

Q A &

doing nice things for people and stuff like that.

Gazette: How are you planning for these events?

Carson: We just started planning because we just got back from our retreat and finished our lessons.

We are going to start filming videos for both and start other little surprises.

Gazette: How do you plan on getting students more involved?

Carson: Culture Shock will be happening in the second period classroom, so

Gazette photo /Natalie Erickson

Spirit co-comissioner Katie

Carson describes two event weeks new to GBHS.

students don’t really have a choice. For RAK Week, they are going to have lunchtime activities and videos that they will show in second period also.

–Compiled by Savanna Thompson

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w The Granite Bay Gazette

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Mustering up money Rising tuition costs pressure local families

BY ARTHI BOBBALA

abobbala.gazette@gmail.com

As seniors anxiously wait for college decisions, the burden of paying extravagant college tuition costs also looms in the distance.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Class of 2015 holds the record for the most indebted class ever. The average graduate owes a little over $35,000.

“My parents have been saving since before I was born,” senior Tanvi Mehta said. “However, they never anticipated that it would cost this much.”

“I come from a middle-class family, like many of the students here at Granite Bay,” Mehta said.

“Although some of the students here are affluent enough to easily pay for college, many students are going to find it difficult to deal with these costs.”

Mehta said her family is “too poor to pay for college, but too rich to qualify for any need-based financial aid.”

Like Mehta, many of the families in Granite Bay fall under the middle- or upper-middle-class and expect little to no financial aid from schools.

The worry of paying exorbitant tuition costs has prompted students on campus to look for ways to lighten the financial strain on their parents.

Senior Robyn Pan, who has been playing the violin for 12 years, plans on auditioning for her school’s orchestra because some schools offer money to play in their ensemble.

“I’m also taking hard Advanced Placement classes during senior year in order to save money in college,” Pan said.

Many students are also seriously thinking about community college as a cheaper option to fulfill

the general education requirements.

“I think that community college is a really smart option for people because they will able to transfer to a University of California school in two years, and they would have saved a lot of money in the process,” Pan said.

Mehta has already started applying for some merit-based scholarships in an effort to alleviate the burden on her parents.

Like Mehta, many students at Granite Bay are looking toward merit-based scholarships to help pay for college, but many are unsure how much of help they will be.

“Usually merit-based scholarships are based on school ranking, which makes it very hard to qualify for these scholarships because of how competitive Granite Bay is,” Pan said. “It is unfair because a student’s ranking would be so much higher if they attended any of the surrounding schools.”

Although qualified, many middle-class students at Granite Bay will find it hard to find financial assistance of any kind to attend the school of their choice.

The immense cost of college has barred many students from applying or attending the school of their choice.

“I definitely thought about tuition costs when applying to colleges,” Mehta said.

“Even if I got into (University of Washington), I don’t think I would attend if I don’t receive any aid,” Pan said.

Despite these costs, many students said their college education will be worth the large amounts of money.

“I feel that at this point college is a necessity,” Mehta said. “There isn’t much that you can do without a college degree.”

“I think that my college education will be worth the money that I am paying,” Pan said.

Many students have come to accept that college tuition is just something they are going to have to deal with.

“I think that it is just the way it is,” Mehta said.

A5

WATER: Campuswide conservation Continued from page A2

Gazette photo illustration / AISHWARYA PATTNAIK

 Families grow increasingly anxious about gathering funds for college expenses.

believes there is more that could be done, especially in response to the recent water crisis.

“Instead of spending money to water the large amount of grass on campus, the money could be used to install dual-flush toilets or plant more drought-resistant plants on campus,” Curran said.

Senior Ethan Guttman echoed Curran’s worries about water waste from toilets at the school.

“The toilets flush a lot, because of the sensors,” Guttman said. “They’ll go for like 10 seconds. And I notice it every time because it just wastes so much water.”

Recently, the campus administration has experimented with a reward policy for students who pick up trash around campus. If administrators noticed someone picking up trash, they would hand out Pride tickets that could be used to enter a raffle for prices.

So how successful has this approach been?

“In some ways it is (helping), but in other ways it isn’t,” Lemay-Assh said. “I think it depends on the group. My group, for example, picks up trash all the time. We never get the cards, but we still do it.”

McNulty said the Pride tickets have helped the trash problem – but it comes down to personal responsibility.

“I think that the Pride campaign can extend into (environmental conservation) easily,” McNulty said.

“When I talk about personal responsibility, it extends to me to using water, picking up after myself, being careful when I’m driving, being aware of how I talk to people.

“To me, Pride is just a tool that we can use to understand where we’re trying to go. And if we’re trying to conserve water, electricity, (have a) superior education and accomplishments, all you have to do is to take a look at the Pride acronym and apply it.”

Some students said they think one possible solution is to try to promote more conversations on campus about environmental issues.

“It’s definitely not beyond the people on this campus to care about issues bigger than themselves,” senior Ibrahim Hajar said. “It’s not harder to pay attention to the environment like we do on social problems.”

Despite virtues, Common Core challenges some Some students struggle to adjust to national curriculum; grades suffer

BY ARTHI BOBBALA

abobbala.gazette@gmail.com

The recently implemented Common Core standards promise to fix the shortcomings of the failed “No Child Left Behind Act.” Because of its emphasis on standardized testing, the old program was scrutinized and criticized by many educators for fostering a “teach to the test” environment.

While Common Core still requires annual testing, many educators and students acknowledge the many benefits the new standards have to offer.

“Common Core standards are beneficial, especially in the long term,” Granite Bay High School principal Jennifer Leighton said. “The ability to figure out how to approach a problem, and persevere, is a life skill.”

Sophomore Nayana Tiwari, who is among a small group of students who are not part of the new Integrated math system, also speaks favorably about Common Core and said she believes it is a

significant improvement over the old curriculum.

“In geometry class, I was simply given a list of theorems while learning proofs,” Tiwari said. “My friends, on the other hand, had to get into groups and figure out how each theorem was derived.”

In this way, Common Core encourages students how to think more critically about what they are learning.

“It focuses less on the actual answer, and spends more time on how you got there,” freshman Stephanie Samson said.

Assistant principal Melanie Anvari said the Common Core is more active and sophisticated than previous curriculum strategies.

“Common Core is not about teaching to a test or memorizing a set of formulas or dates in history – it’s about critical thinking, in all subject areas,” Anvari said.

Under No Child Left Behind, states were able to dictate their own standards.

This variation from one state to another made it impossible to assess and evaluate

students within the United States, which was not conducive to consistent learning benchmarks.

“The purpose of Common Core is to make sure all students learn the same common standards,” said GBHS math teacher Debbie DeBacco-Weddle.

Under Common Core, standards stay consistent from one school to another, making it easy to tell if students are prepared for life after high school.

Many are worried this aspect of Common Core will infringe upon a teacher’s autonomy and flexibility in the classroom.

DeBacco put these concerns to rest and explained that Common Core standards simply provide a foundation for what students need to learn, and don’t force educators to teach in a specific way.

“I have a great deal of flexibility in how to teach a concept and how to assess those topics,” DeBacco said. “The standards we use are developed by the state of California and interpreted by the (Roseville Joint Union High School District Integrated math) lead teachers.”

Although many agree that Common Core has brought much needed reform to the education system, the transition has not been easy.

“Any time we change to a new curricu-

lum, new tests, assignments, projects and quizzes have to be developed,” DeBacco said. “It takes a great deal of time and energy to initially begin the process and then to continue the process, to fine-tune what has been developed.”

Akhil Shah, a freshman who first experienced Common Core math in eighth grade, recalled that adjusting to the new standards was not easy for him and his peers.

“Everything got harder all of a sudden,” Shah said. “Most of the students that always got straight A’s started getting B’s for the first time.”

Shah said he believes the new curriculum should have been phased in more slowly because students were finding it hard to adjust to the new standards.

DeBacco agreed that there are significant knowledge gaps among students. However, she does not attribute these gaps to the fact that standards are too high.

“Students who struggled before in math are still struggling, and others are doing great,” DeBacco said.

She said these gaps exist because current high school students didn’t take up the Common Core until they were in middle school. Younger students have transitioned to Common Core earlier, and

students now in kindergarten are learning math using Common Core strategies.

Like many other students on campus, special needs students have found it very difficult to adjust to the new standards.

“The Common Core has been a grind to implement and support for our special needs students,” said special education teacher Jeffrey Evans. “The new curriculum has been difficult.

“It has been a frustrating process for many students, not just mine.”

Although change has not come easily for Evans and his students, he does not view Common Core as all bad.

“The new curriculum allows us to support (students) by focusing on critical and abstract thinking,” Evans said. “This means we are not always necessarily helping our students find the right answer – we are helping them with the thinking and learning process.”

Evans said that in the long term, Common Core is going to benefit students.

“I believe that to ultimately improve at anything, there needs to be some struggle and adversity to overcome,” he said. “I believe in the long run, society will be positively affected by the change in the curriculum and the focus on thinking and problem-solving.”  Information about students’ computer use was gathered for corporate purposes, Google recently stated.

Gazette photo /BRIGID BELL

Chromebook usage raises questions Personal data may have been mined

BY TROY PAWLAK

tpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

With the explosion of technology and the Internet over the past decade and a half has come the constant threat of data gathering and attempts to maintain privacy. On the Granite Bay High School campus alone, there are several carts of Chromebooks – small, cheap laptop computers used in classrooms for ac-

cessing the Internet and writing reports.

Recently, Google, the company producing Chromebooks and the Internet browser Google Chrome, has been accused of gathering information on the students using their products on campuses across the nation. According to the Washington Post, the company has been reported selling targeted ads from data they gathered while students used the laptops.

Google admitted it gathers some data

from students, but that it comply with all laws and uses what it collects purely to improve their products.

“There are so many different apps and providers – and overwhelmingly, students are not getting the kind of security they deserve,” Khaliah Barnes said.

Barnes is an associate director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, and creator of the Student Privacy Bill of Rights. This document outlines a framework that companies and service providers should follow when gathering data on students.

Unlike other documents regarding the issue of student privacy, this piece is

enforceable and works with the President’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, which aimed to protect information and privacy in the digital world.

The bill contains six main points that aim to better student privacy according to EPIC’s website.Transparency (students should know what is being collects and how it is being used) Some students, however, do not seem very bothered by the idea of data mining.

“I have nothing to hide,” senior Collin Ryder said. “I don’t have a real problem with them collecting data.”

Ryder said he felt students should

FAST FACTS Student privacy points wAccess and Amendment wFocused Collection wRespect for Context wSecurity wTransparency wAccountability

Source: President’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

have some privacy while on campuses, but not more than anywhere else.

“You are still on a public school campus, what you do is not guaranteed secret,” Ryder said.

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A6

Plethora of emotions associated with decision to come out

GBHS students share their experiences, fears and worries

BY KATIE COLOGNA kcologna.gazette@gmail.

In today’s society, it has become more acceptable to be in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community.

However, when young people are in the position of coming out to their close friends and family, it might be difficult – especially for high school students who can have concerns about the possible results of their disclosure.

“It’s a very conflicting experience,” AP Psychology and Peer Helping teacher Natalie Elkin said.

“There’s a sense of relief because they’re not living a lie anymore. On the other hand, of course, there’s such fear of rejection.”

At Granite Bay High School, some students who are in the LGBT community have friends to talk to or might be in clubs with other LGBT students. However, the initial act of coming out to the people closest to someone can be a scary experience, leaving them subject to the opinions of others.

“It’s just really hard to feel like you (might not) be accepted, especially with so much judgment ... we are surrounded by,” said a sophomore female who asked to remain anonymous.

Ninety percent of LGBT students hear hateful comments in school, according to GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), a national organization that advocates for LGBT rights and issues.

“Every one of them has the fear because our society isn’t yet embracing all varieties of people,” Elkin said.

Religion can serve as an influence in the way a student comes out. If the student grew up religious, it is typically a “sin” to be gay.

“I was very, very afraid … once I found out because I was in a Christian school,” the sophomore said.

Many students disclose to their friends before their families because their family’s judgment holds greater significance to them. Approximately 34 per-

cent of LGBT youth are physically harassed by their parents, according to GLSEN. “Coming out to my friends, I have gained so much,” the sophomore said. “I have gained a safe place (and) people to talk about what I am.”

In terms of deciding when to come out, a lot of students wait quite a while.

“You’re afraid, because you’re just nearly discovering yourself, so you’re like, ‘I can’t tell anybody this until I figure it out, but I knew,’ ” said a sophomore boy who asked to remain anonymous.

In general, high school is a voyage of self discovery for most students. It’s a fouryear time period serving as a time of self-reflection and It’s ... really hard self-understanding. to tell because “During high school – because they don’t really it was already a understand what new start for me – I ... started telling it’s like. people because I just wanted to start – anonymous male right off the bat,” senior said an anonymous female senior.

Some who have come out share mutual experiences with how people have treated them since their disclosures.

“You let people know these things about you, and they kind of start catering to it,” she said. “Which is totally a weird experience.”

Schools all around the country have clubs similar to Granite Bay High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance club.

“To be able to have GSA as a club – I mean, that never even came close to existing when I was in high school,” Elkin said.

Clubs such as GSA help high school students by

creating safe social environments to talk about various problems.

“I’m a little more open ... with my friends,” the senior said.

“Since a lot of my friends are in GSA, we talk about it.”

Compared to how the Gazette photo illustration/WHITNEY KNORP LGBT community used Many students feel apprehension regarding their decision to disclose their identity. to be looked at, it has come a long way – but there is still lots of senior said. “They don’t really believe me.”

People in the LGBT community don’t just face the work that needs to be done. fears of judgment, they also fear what their closest “I do feel like every new generation of students that passes through here has a better tolerance that I family and friends will think of or do to them.

“I was scared of all of the stories I’ve heard of peosee, and they’re also developing a little bit more acple being disowned, and put on the streets and being ceptance,” Elkin said. homeless,” he said.

Even though the LGBT label is broad and includes Twenty-six percent of LGBT youth are forced out of a wide variety of different people, some of the inditheir home because of their family having a problem vidual groups within the label are still neglected by with their sexual orientation, according to Lambda Lethose outside the LGBT community. gal – a legal organization that focuses on LGBT issues.

“Even though we kind of group everybody toA sense of relief comes to a lot of students when comgether, they’re actually quite different experiences pleting the process of coming out, even if they because we are developing some comfort with gays lose people and things along the way. About 77 percent and lesbians,” Elkin said. “But we’re not really all of LGBT youth say they know things will get better, that comfortable with the transgender (community) according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT yet.” civil rights advocacy organization based in WashingOn the other hand, coming out to family members ton, D.C.. is daunting to many LGBT students, and it’s a key “If you lose people, those aren’t the people that you reason they hesitate to come out. want to be hanging out with (anyway),” the male se“It’s ... really hard to tell them because they don’t nior said. “The people that stick around, those are the really understand what it’s like,” an anonymous male people that are going to stick around you.”

Community locals share insight on recent stock market slump Most agree now is not the time to panic

BY JILL KURPERSHOEK

jkurpershoek.gazette@gmail.com

As 2016 is expected to be a pivotal year for American politics and policies with upcoming elections, the economy has already begun to suffer, not even two weeks into January, due to the failing stock market.

According to CNN, roughly one trillion dollars was lost from the stock market, characterizing the market as a “bear” market – insinuating falling prices and encouragement to sell.

Since China’s stock market is reaching record lows – causing the Chinese government to close their stock market temporarily – American stock markets have plummeted in response, leaving the United States to begin the new year with noteworthy losses.

As a part of Granite Bay High School’s Advanced Placement Economics course curriculum, each student enrolled in the class is required to make an account on the website Market Watch and participate in a mock-stock market, “investing” in an array of stocks that are programmed to mimic the rises and falls of the actual market.

Alex Gavia, a senior at GBHS, is currently ranked No 1. in the game on Market Watch, experiencing the most returns and highest net worth.

“I got lucky,” Gavia said. “My friend Philip (Canete and I) were talking, and

“If the market’s rising, then I’m going up. If it’s falling I’m going down, maybe he said he was buying (a certain) stock, not as much as it shows because I’m also so I bought it as well and was able to sell continuing to put money in every month,” (high).”

Grubaugh said. “That’s being in the marGavia is still in first place, but the game ket, but not having to be worried about the has reflected the losses. Only the top 10 performance of a particular stock.” “investors” are still expeRegardless of whether an riencing positive returns, individual chooses to invest and as for everyone else, in an individual stock or either no returns or negaInvest, and don’t mutual fund, Grubaugh’s tive returns have occurred piece of advice is to get freaked out main as a result. hold a share until the maron the highs and ket picks up again.

Although according to CNN many economists lows because the “Over the long haul, the are advising investors average rate of return is market is a great somewhere between eight to sell due to the prediction of a catastrophic and 10 percent (per year),” investment. year, Karl Grubaugh, the he said. “If you’re a longGBHS Advanced Placeterm investor, stay in.”

– Judi Gavia, local ment micro- and macroBeing the upper-middleeconomics teacher, adclass area it is, Granite Bay community investor vises differently. is home to many stock mar“I’m not a registered ket investors saving for an financial analyst, but my array of major investments, advice for the person who’s doing indi- such as retirement and college tuition payvidual stocks is to stop (investing) in in- ments. dividual stocks (completely) and switch to Judi Gavia, Alex Gavia’s mother, is also an index fund,” Grubaugh said. an investor in a variety of individual stocks Grubaugh himself does not invest in and stock funds. individual stocks, but he does hold index “We lost some money in our stock portmutual funds. These funds cover a broad folio, but when we lose money in stocks, section of the market by mimicking the we make money on bonds because they’re companies associated with each of the diversified,” Judi Gavia said in regards to funds, preventing the volatility individual the losses the market has experienced this stocks might experience. year.

Gazette photo illustration /CARISSA LEWIS

The recent stock market crash has affected not only those with investments, but also the students in the Advanced Placement Macro/Micro Economics class who are required to “buy” stocks on the website MarketWatch, which mirrors the market and its downfalls.

Judi Gavia has been an investor for 30 years, saving the funds gained from stock investments in preparation for retirement.

She plans to keep the stocks and advises others to do the same.

“Invest, and don’t get freaked out on the highs and lows because the market is a

great investment,” she said.

Although the market is currently suffering, most investors are optimistic.

“Downturns tend to last no more than nine to 15 months,” Grubaugh said. “The upswings (will return) and tend to last twice as long.”

NUCLEAR: Community offers opinions on weaponry, possible international threat

Continued from page A4

there was a country that was really negative in its relationships with the rest of the world but again they would not have used any nuclear weapons on us, because again, we could have destroyed them very quickly.”

Moore, too, said the United States had more nuclear power during the Cold War, but the possibility of Russia using its nuclear power felt a little different to her.

“I’ve always thought that the U.S. and at least each president that I’ve been alive for thought that Russia was a real threat,” Moore said. “That’s why in the ‘60s, when we had Kennedy as our president, we definitely were going to be in a war situation if we had pursued Russia for giving missiles to Cuba, (which is why) Kennedy did not do that.”

Both Gengler and Moore agree that U.S. spending on nuclear weapons is adequate and that spending should only go up if the United States is threatened on a much higher scale.

“I think we are much safer with nuclear (weapons) because if your enemies have it, you have to have it,” Moore said. “We must do what is necessary.”

GBHS junior Afrah Tahir, age 17, has a different perspective on nuclear weapons.

“The U.S. is infatuated with this need “I don’t really approve of our nuclear to be the most powerful, which we already budget because our mandatory spending are,” Tahir said. “Yet the general feeling has way too much focused on the miliof our culture is that we tary,” Ochi said. “The aren’t safe and that we majority is already goneed more. This perpetuing to military spending, ates the reckless spendI think around 51 percent ing and updating of our I think tensions are for 2015 and then scinuclear program even much higher now ence has like one perthough we can already cent, transportation is destroy the world in the because we are so like three percent (and) blink of an eye. It’s alall these other things are close to being hit most unhealthy for our just as important. But every day in a country.” we have enough nuclear Gengler and Moore power to blow up the terrorist attack. agree the country is safer world 14 times over, so with nuclear weapons, but what’s the point of hav– Virginia Moore, former Tahir disagrees because ing that type of power?

Pentagon worker from of the possibility of the I don’t think that we are weapons falling into the spending that money 1954-59 wrong hands. well.”

“I would feel safer withDuring the Cold War, out (nuclear weapons),” the Soviet Union was Tahir said. “With the contenders for presi- regarded as an enemy, although even for dent right now, it’s honestly terrifying to those who experienced the conflict, relathink someone like Cruz or Trump, who tions with Russia today are considered less are very xenophobic and oversimplify con- intense. flicts, to be in control of such weapons.”

“I regard Russia not as an enemy or an Calvin Ochi, an 18-year-old GBHS se- ally anymore but something in between,” nior, said he feels safer with nuclear weap- Gengler said. ons in the country but that our nuclear budOchi visited Russia over the summer and get should be reduced considerably. formed a few opinions about the country.

“Russia is a joke,” Ochi said, “Like when I was in Russia, all the stereotypes about how powerful Russia is were unconfirmed.

Putin is corrupt and definitely I can draw a correlation here to Kim Jong Un. “Putin and Kim Jong Un are both very aggressive, very childlike in that they are trying to display their authority too eagerly. I would say putting someone who has a trigger happy type of personality in control of nuclear power is a big risk, so … Russia is definitely a threat but hopefully Russia is paying more attention to their declining economy.”

Regarding North Korea, Moore said part of the reason tensions are higher today in the U.S. than they were in the Cold War is because of the North Korean risk factor.

“I think tensions are much higher now because we are so close to being hit every day in a terrorist attack,” Moore said. “And in my own town, I live near San Bernardino, we just had all those people killed by two ISIS terrorists and in the ‘50s and in my past life, that was never heard of. You never heard of anything like that, the war was overseas – so right now I think we are much more … paranoid, but we have much more to worry about now than we did at that time.”

Tahir, however, said the United States overall is less paranoid than it was during

the Cold War. “We used to have nuclear safety drills as a country and a bunch of fear mongering of communist Russia with (the House Unamerican Activities Committee) and everything, but right now it’s calmed down,” Tahir said. “In reference to ISIS, we haven’t gotten to the stage where we are in full defense mode yet.”

Gengler and Moore said if challenged, the United States should capitalize on its nuclear power, however Tahir and Ochi said it should never be used. Ochi said so for a more personal reason.

“I can’t really imagine being vaporized, but I lost family members in Japan in Hiroshima,” Ochi said. “My great grandfather came to America, (and) he served for the U.S. in Japan and gave his food rations to his sister’s family.

“I visited ground zero with my dad’s cousins who live in Hiroshima. People died slowly from radiation burns and starvation after the nuke.

“I don’t think that we should ever use nuclear (weapons) because it destroys the environment and it’s not going to kill just enemy soldiers, it’s going to kill civilians too. Doing it more often will make it seem like less of a big deal to other countries, and then it will just be done more and more.”

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RAISE: GBHS teachers receive a pay increase Continued from page A1 their salary.

In general, the pay scheme allows teachers to earn raises with step increases and lane increases. Lane increases are based on college education credits. Step increases are increases in pay based on years in the classroom.

RJUHSD is one of the few districts to recognize all the years that a teacher has been teaching upon entering the district. In other words, a teacher that has taught for eight years in another district would enter RJUHSD on step nine.

Districts like El Dorado Union High School District, however, grant only a maximum of five years of teaching credit.

That same teacher who taught for eight years would enter EDUHSD on step 6.

The only teachers who will be making $100,000 or more are the ones who have been both a teacher for 27 years or longer and have either a master’s degree and 75 additional units, or their bachelor’s degree and 90 additional units.

Though crossing the $100,000 threshold is monumental, the adjustment wasn’t necessarily unanticipated. For the past few years, RJUHSD teachers have seen raises in their salaries on an annual basis.

“Essentially, we’ve (received) a 15 percent increase in the last three years,” Valentine said.

Brandon Dell’Orto, the president of the local teachers union, Roseville Secondary Education Union (RSEA), and Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher, attributes the recent adjustments to the lack of them during the 2008 recession.

“From 2008 to about 2012 the economy was not doing well (and) the cost of living kept going up,” Dell’Orto said.

During this time, it was understood that teachers wouldn’t be seeing an increase in salaries, even though the cost of living was increasing.

“We knew we weren’t gonna be able (to get any raises),” Valentine said. “The state was in trouble, everyone was in trouble.

Teachers were being laid off (and) we were the only district that didn’t lay off anybody.”

According to Dell’Orto, from 2008 to 2012 California public school districts were receiving 22 percent less than what they were supposed to be receiving through Proposition 98.

“Over the last three years, slowly but surely the teachers have made back, bit by bit by bit, that 20 percent,” Dell’Orto said.

“We aren’t even really back to where we were. We fell into a hole and we’ve been climbing our way back out.”

In the 2013-14 school year, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was introduced, replacing the previous K-12 finance system.

“At this time, there is no COLA,” Williams said. “Districts have been using the new LCFF primarily to establish their three year projections, which gives a picture of the available funds for negotiations with respect to salary, benefits and new positions.”

RSEA has an executive board made up of site representatives from each school in the district and is headed by a president elect – essentially a vice president – and a president. The negotiating team is separate from the executive board, but several executive board members are also negotiators.

“In a normal year, each side brings what are called openers (to the first meeting),” said Scott Becker, who is the GBHS site representative and a negotiator, as well as an Advanced Placement Calculus and International Baccalaureate Mathematics teacher. “Each side can bring two openers to the table. We … might have monthly meetings, … (which) may be more frequent depending on how negotiations are going and what we’re working on.”

Every three years, however, the procedure is different.

“It’s a much longer process,” Becker said. “The entire (contract) is open. You go through it article by article and you’re wordsmithing and changing language. It’s a free for all.”

Currently, teachers who are union members pay the California Teachers Associa-

tion (CTA) and RSEA dues every month which amounts to about $100.

“We have … seven people right now who aren’t (union members),” Dell’Orto said.

“But they take out most of the same dues that they would take out of regular, (union) teachers. That’s what is called an agency fee.”

It was established in the 1977 Abood v.

Detroit Board of Education Supreme Court case that joining a union and paying union fees cannot be mandated, but an agency fee must be paid by non-union members.

“The reason why you would make people pay that agency fee is because they get the benefits of what is negotiated for them whether they (are part of the union) or not,” Advanced Placement Government teacher and RSEA grievance chair Jarrod Westberg said.

Being debated in the Supreme Court right now is Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which is challenging whether the Abood case should be overruled. Friedrichs is arguing that requiring public sector employees to support such institutions is a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Should the decision be ruled in favor of Friedrichs, RSEA and the unions across the nation would be affected.

“There’s … a lot of different speculation about what’s going to happen,” Westberg said. “(We may) have a large group of teachers that would have a set salary and then every other teacher would have to negotiate for themselves.”

It is likely to see union and non-union

STAFF: Assistant principal assignment goes to Anvari

Continued from page A1 credentials, write a letter of introduction, upload a resume and obtain three letters of rec from people they have worked with.

“I just go through and screen very carefully,” Leighton said. “I look at where they have been before, have they been at that job very long. I look at where they went to school, and I look at who I might know that worked with them at some point.

“Then I rate them on past experience, special skills they have, proper credentials, whether they speak another language and then at the end we just see who has the highest numbers.”

The standards for the interview process were set very high in order to find someone who was as versatile as Healy.

“We posted and we interviewed and we interviewed a lot,” Leighton said. “We had people from everywhere; we even had a couple of people fly in. We set up great questions and a great interview panel, and we had two students on there, but most of the applicants just didn’t connect.

“The panel had unanimously settled on one person, until I called their references and there were red flags everywhere. All of them either didn’t have the right experience or we just couldn’t see them fitting with the team.”

The panel for choosing a new assistant principal position typically consists of student government members, a few assistant principals, a few teachers from various subjects and a couple of union members. All members have a certain level of input, however the

union’s perspective is especially important.

“If the union doesn’t want to work with the person, then it’s not going to work out,” Leighton said.

Leighton sought out a few students to be represented on the panel, because the actions of the candidate towards the student representative is an important factor in the decision making process. Senior Brooke Gonzalez was invited by Leighton to partake in the day-long interview process.

“It was very interesting being on that side of the interview and observing the things we were all looking for, like character, credibility and personality,” Gonzalez said. “I was looking for someone that could easily connect with our students and was passionate about our school and supportive of all our events.”

Filling a position in the middle of the year as opposed to the start of the year or in the summer is considerably more difficult.

“It’s really this whole long, really trying process to find someone and there really wasn’t anyone in the middle of the year anyone decent to grab,” Leighton said. “Everyone is already placed and then you are creating a vacancy somewhere else and then that school has to go through the same process.”

Anvari was originally hired as an intervention counselor and was on the panel to decide who would fill the position, but after the search for an assistant principal turned up empty, she was considered for the position.

“When Anvari applied for the intervention counselor position, we talked about the fact that she wanted to be an assistant principal,” Leighton said, “but she was really intrigued by her particular job, and she was loyal.

She was going to stick with it, and then she had done

KILEY: In Q-and-A, GBHS graduate describes his goals Continued from page A1

family, to have to gone to a great school like GBHS – to grow up in a community that has really solid values. I know that I owe everything I’ve been able to do professionally to the opportunities I had here.

Unfortunately, I think that those sorts of opportunities are slipping away for more and more people in California. And I think that’s the result of failed policy, particularly at the state level. I’ve been fortunate enough to have some experiences in education, as a high school teacher, and in business, as an attorney representing companies, sometimes against government agencies, and in public safety, as a deputy attorney general and criminal prosecutor.

I think that these experiences have prepared me to give back to our community and hopefully get our state moving in the right direction.

Q: What are some key policy areas you are interested in?

A: I’m interested in, firstly, improving the tax and regulatory environment in California. California has the highest tax rate of any state in the country.

Not only that, we have an extremely unstable tax base – if the stock market has a good year, we get a lot of revenue, but if the stock market has a bad year, we don’t have much revenue. Because of the way our budget process works, we essentially get locked into the spending levels that occur in the good years, even during the not so good years.

So we have a tax system that is more burdensome than any other in the country, and is irrational in the way it’s set up, which makes it difficult for individuals and businesses to plan and to prosper.

The consequence is clear. Because of our tax system and regulatory system, which is the most burden-

some in the country, a lot of businesses aren’t staying in California or aren’t setting up here in the first place.

We’ve seen 9,000 companies leave California over the past seven years.

That’s about 25 per week. The consequence of that is fewer opportunities for people here who are trying to find a job, start a family and build a life in California.

A second area is education. I’m a former high school teacher, and I think there are a lot of things we can do to improve our public school system, to ensure that students are learning the skills they need to succeed in the modern workforce, because the economy has changed very much and there are a lot of ways in which the school system hasn’t caught up with it.

A third area is public safety. California is in the midst of rising crime rates right now, especially when it comes to property theft, and other quality of life offenses. Crime is on the rise all across the state, as well as more violent crimes, like homicide.

A lot of this can be traced to misguided changes in criminal law, particularly Proposition 47, which in 2014 downgraded a whole slew of felonies to misdemeanors. It has made it very difficult for law enforcement officials to do the things they need to do in order to keep our communities safe.

It used to be the case that for certain class A drug possession felonies, like possession of cocaine, you could get a felony conviction. Prosecutors were then able to use the leverage of a potential felony conviction in order to pressure offenders to get treatment for drug abuse, as an alternative.

Now, for drug offenses, that leverage no longer exists, because the worst the offender can get is a misdemeanor. So most drug offenders

such a fantastic job.

“She already has her credential, and she speaks Spanish like Mrs. Healy did. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I don’t want to disrupt another campus in our district and bring someone over, and then they have this huge hole, when I can move her easily from intervention counselor over to assistant principal.”

So the issue of not finding someone after the interview panel was quickly resolved with a few shifts in staff positions.

“I have this fantastic learning specialist, Holly Minor, who was a counselor for eight years in Colorado before she came,” Leighton said. “She just interviewed with us because she knew it would probably be a foot in the door somewhere in our district, and I could move her easily over to intervention counselor. I felt really good about that decision but I made it temporary, in case things change.”

With Anvari taking over Healy’s position, that left room for Minor to take on Anvari’s old job as intervention counselor.

“I served as a learning support specialist and it was my job to find out which kids were struggling, really track them down and see what’s going on – if it was something outside of the school or in the classroom setting,” Minor said. “The shift to intervention counselor has been different but the same, because now I have my own kids who I support and manage. I’m now getting them ready for college and addressing barriers that they’re running into as far as being successful in the classroom and outside of school.”

During the school year the counselors work closely

now choose the slap-on-the- has been going on in Sacramento wrist misdemeanor sentence for many, many years now. We have and are left without the treat- a pretty solidly Republican district, ment they need. This is largely yet a lot of the values we stand for responsible for an increase in have been absent from policymaking in Sacramento. drug abuse across the state.

I think folks in the area are lookAnother example is theft. You can only get a misdemeanor for any ing for a candidate who can help us theft of property that’s worth $950 make a comeback – who can make or less. And there’s also no ability, sure our values are heard, and listened to, in Sacramento. Someone if you do it again who’s not just going and again, to have to be a “no” vote on the consequences the crazy bills that escalate. So we Folks in this area all come out of Sacrahave these soare looking for mento, but who’s called “frequent flyer” thieves, a candidate ... actually going to roll up their sleeves and who just keep who’s going to proactively work for committing more and more crimes, proactively work the reforms our state needs. and there’s nothfor reforms. ing law enforceQ: How would you ment can really do about it.

– Assembly candidate specifically propose to disassemble the I think what hapKevin Kiley existing tax strucpened with Propture? osition 47 has A: The first thing is been very dangerthat we need to have ous in what it has done to our communities, and it is lower rates when it comes to having not compassionate, because it has income taxes, as well as a host of left our society without an ability to other taxes.

The second thing is that we need to get offenders the treatment and the stabilize our tax base, so that we’re rehabilitation they need in order to become productive members of our not relying on - for example, the top one percent of taxpayers account society again.

A final issue is dealing with the for 50 percent of income. We need a water crisis. The drought was pre- broader base of revenue there.

I’d be open to ideas about, for exdictable, yet we did very little to prepare for it – especially when it ample, which loopholes we should comes to building adequate stor- close in order to make sure we can age and infrastructure in order to create a stable tax base that gives us ensure that the water we get in the predictable revenue, while still givwet years can be stored for the dry ing us a stable tax base that we need in order to fund the most important years.

I would take a more forward- functions of government. looking approach there, and across Q: Why are you the most qualified the board, it’s time our state started thinking about the future and future candidate in this race?

A: I point to a couple of things. generations when it creates policy There are a few other candidates in because the path that we’re on right the race – they’re good folks, and now simply isn’t sustainable.

I’m running to represent our area, Q: Have you seen those issues re- not against any particular candidate.

That being said, I think you’ll find flected in this district particularly?

I’m the only candidate that has a A: I have. I think that a lot of folks background in public safety and law here, in this particular district, are enforcement, at a time when these just tired and frustrated with what

members distinguished in some way or another. Dell’Orto said that one possible outcome could be the creation of two different salaries dependent upon union membership.

“There is the possibility (someone would say), ‘Okay fine. Non-union teachers, this is your salary schedule over here. Union teachers, this is your salary schedule over here.’ And it could be two different salary schedules,” Dell’Orto said.

While Valentine, too, finds this to be a plausible outcome, Williams, among others, doesn’t see this situation as likely.

Another major concern that comes with overturning Abood is the likely drop in union membership. With no need to pay to receive the benefits the union achieves through collective bargaining, many may drop out of the union.

“Here’s my prediction: tons of teachers are gonna leave, especially the young ones,” Westberg said. “They’ll save themselves the $50, $60, $70 per month – or whatever it ends up being. Then they’ll negotiate on their own. (They’ll) realize that they are losing way more that $50, $60, $70 and then they’ll come right back in.”

The Friedrichs v. CTA case will likely have serious effects on unions across the nation.

The ability to negotiate salary raises such as the recent one may be diminished due to a loss of union revenue in the future.

“It does not look good for the unions,” Westberg said. “It looks like it’ll be a 5-4 decision … so it’ll be very interesting to see what happens.”

with the assistant principals, which in turn helped Anvari’s adjustment from her role as intervention counselor to an assistant principal.

“Healy gave me a lot of information,” Anvari said.

“The cool thing is I got to work with her for half of a year and counselors work really close with admin. So a lot of the things Healy was working on, I was working under.

“I got to see her in action. Healy has done a good job at documenting, so I’ve gone page by page, and I’ve sat down with Debbie Nordman and Leighton. I’m using my resources to help me along the way.”

The roles of the intervention counselor and assistant principal are designed in order to provide students the best high school experience possible.

Intervention counselors work with students on a smaller, more intimate scale, whereas the assistant principals work with students as a whole.

“As intervention counselor, I worked on the Grizzly pride stance,” Anvari said. “I started the afterschool test-taking workshops, which led to online workshops on Youtube as well. Working with the EL (English learners) program was a big part of my job; I found them support by getting them in the right programs they needed to be in.

“The cool thing with my old job was that Minor and I worked super close together and we had a smaller group of students to work with, so we were able to really connect with them and find out what they needed.”

Anvari has been in the education field for nine years and recently received her administrative credentials allowing her to be fully equipped for the job. “ I missed being on a school site and talking to school students and getting to know them and help them with day to day things,” Anvari said. “Healy was great during her time here, and filling her shoes would be an honor.”

issues are really pressing.

I’m the only candidate who’s been a teacher, who’s had direct hands-on experience in the classroom.

Also, as far as I’m aware, I’m the only one who has worked as an attorney representing businesses and defending them against the government overreach that threatens businesses in California. My experiences are directly related to the areas of highest concern for California citizens.

The second thing is that this campaign is offering new leadership and new energy, and potential for a new direction for our state, in a way that I think is different. We’ve been able to generate a lot of grassroots community support across this district.

We’ve had over a dozen events at this point, with hundreds of people coming and donating, volunteering, getting involved. We have a thriving high school internship program, college interns as well. This campaign is built to bring new leadership and energy to state government which can really make an impact.

Q: How will your perspective as

a millennial benefit the legislature?

A: I think millennials are underrepresented in government. I’ll bring an understanding of the modern economy that will be valuable, as well as an understanding of the predicament of a lot of millennials in California.

Oftentimes, they are confronting an economy that demands skills they didn’t receive training for, or who face an inordinate cost of living. Even if you manage to get a job here, you’re hit with the highest tax rates in the country. A lot of recent college graduates, even not-so-recent college graduates, have massive student loans to pay off.

And then you face the highest housing costs in the country here in California, the highest energy costs.

It really is threatening the ability for a lot of people my age to be able to settle in California. *** Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length. To read the full interview, visit granitebaytoday. org.

A

Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

POLITICS: Students discuss political views and preparedness for 2016 election Continued from page A2 GBHS junior Brad Jones is less trusting of modern forms of media for reliable information. Jones says he doesn’t turn to social media for political updates. And so regarding the idea of peers sharing their thoughts on Twitter, Jones does not approve “Ninety-nine percent of them have zero idea what they’re talking about,” Jones said.

Jones is wary of biased sources and therefore says he believes the media tends to be more harmful in influencing people’s

views. “(The majority of the media is) quite liberal,” Jones said. “(Media sources can be helpful) assuming you know how to interpret it in an unbiased way.”

Jones, Vivaldi and Quinn all mention their families as some of their main influences on their personal views, and that communication with parents has helped provide some insight and clarity – so they typically agree with one or both of their parents’ views, Jones says his parents have helped him in developing opinions when it comes to

politics. “(We) went through a phase of disagreeing” Jones said. “We talked about why what we believed was right, is right.”

Vivaldi is also inspired by her family to be informed and develop political opinions.

“My family discusses politics fairly often,” she says. “We always have the news on, and we collectively believe that being informed and having healthy discussions is important.”

As far as the validity of teenage political views, Westberg finds that the average

GUNS: Local and national views on firearms differ Continued from page A1 gun death rate has decreased by 31 percent since 1993 – according to the Pew Research Center – a Harvard study found that the number of mass shootings since 2011 has tripled.

While many U.S. residents favor an increase in gun restrictions – approximately 55 percent, according to a Gallup poll – others stand strong beside the right to bear arms, guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

“This is America – land of the free and home of the Second Amendment,” GBHS 2014 graduate Chandler Dale said.

“There’s not many other places in the world that promise citizens the right to bear arms (without any) infringe(ment) on those rights. So why would we want to forfeit certain liberties that our Founding Fathers specifically left for future generations to protect themselves, their country and their freedom?”

Second Amendment dispute The Second Amendment is seen as the Constitutional protector of firearms against the placement of restrictions. However, some argue that the amendment’s relevance in the late 1700s is irrational for the 21st century.

“I don’t believe that other comparable countries have anything similar to our Second Amendment,” Kando said. “Surely the founding fathers did not mean to protect individual citizens to possess automatic assault weapons of mass murder, which can spray a room full of people with hundreds of bullets and kill dozens of people within minutes. And what happened to the word ‘militia’ in the Second Amendment?”

Supposed gun problem With a slim majority of Americans supporting stronger gun regulations while guns themselves remain protected in the eyes of the Constitution, the debate seems to remain gridlocked. But does this necessarily mean America has a gun problem?

“Do I think America has a gun problem?

Definitely not,” Spanish teacher Ben Soper said. “I think we have an irresponsibility problem (which) doesn’t necessarily pertain to guns. I’m way more nervous of getting killed in the parking lot every day than I am about getting shot. I ask people who are really scared of guns ‘When is the last time you were shot at? Or when is the last time you saw someone get shot?’ There’s millions and millions of guns owned in this country, and those millions and millions of guns don’t just kill people.”

The commonly used clichés “guns kill people” versus “people kill people” are heard often in reference to the gun debate – the former placing blame for violent crimes on guns, the latter on the individual.

Because of the number and rate of gunrelated deaths and crimes in the U.S. compared to other countries, junior Faith Atkins said, there is a definite gun problem in America.

“Same as anything else – cars, airplanes,

bicycles, etcetera – the more guns there are in circulation, the more people will die from guns,” Kando said. “All categories of gun deaths – murders, suicides and accidents, especially among young children – go up with increased availability of guns.”

As reported in a 2012 Congressional Research Service report, in 2013 the number of guns in the U.S. was expected to exceed the total population – 357 million guns compared to 317 million people.

“The presence of hundreds of millions of firearms among the population, including ever-more sophisticated automatic assault weapons, is the only reason why mass murder has become so common and why America differs so much from other comparable countries in this regard,” Kando said. “It is not the main reason, it is the only reason. Anger, political strife, fighting, tribal feuds, mental illness – none of these things are new. What is unprecedented is the insane volume of sophisticated weaponry in the hands of the populace, and the ease of obtaining it.”

Gun Control debate Still, the resolution over the growing number of mass murders remains static.

However, some, including gun owners, see certain types of gun control such as background checks as necessary, while certain more restrictive forms of gun control are seen as excessive.

Many gun owners, including Chandler Dale and Scott Braly, said they believe background checks are reasonable and aid in the process to spot red flags and filter gun distribution away from those who might possibly mishandle their gun.

“We should have background checks … gun ownership is a right, it’s not a privilege,” Braly said. “I think it’s reasonable that anytime a gun is sold, from person A to person B, there should be a background check. But they should be quick, there’s no good reason for a 10 day background check like we have in California. (Some) say ‘It’s a cooling off period so they can’t buy a gun when they’re mad and then shoot somebody with it.’ But a day or two should be (sufficient).”

Gun control discussed Some, like Braly, agree with background checks but not other, more excessive, forms of gun control. Others, like Atkins, are more supportive of gun regulations than background checks.

Others do not support more intensive versions of gun control because they see those regulations as infringements upon their guaranteed rights and may not believe that restricting guns will reduce crime – future imposed restrictions will not have an effect on criminals who bear firearms.

“The population has been brainwashed into believing that gun control ‘doesn’t work,’” Kando says, “That’s nonsense.

Consider ‘car control’ – today, the number of deaths per-mile-driven is 25 times lower than it was three generations ago because the nation developed a coherent, mandatory and universally enforced set of regula-

tions. The same could be done with guns, if a majority of Americans didn’t view guncrime as inevitable.”

However, those who stand against gun control remain strongly opposed. These adversaries include Congressman Tom McClintock, who represents California’s fourth district which includes parts of Placer County.

“The best defense against an armed terrorist is an armed American,” read McClintock’s official statement on gun control, sent electronically by his press secretary. “That’s what the Second Amendment is all about. It is an absolutely essential pillar of our security.”

Executive Action This opposition to gun control is not shared by all elected officials, including President Barack Obama, who recently committed to reduce gun violence by using a series of Executive Orders. These Executive Orders plan to prevent gun crime by requiring those who sell firearms – whether in person or online – to have a license to do so and conduct background checks.

Also, by funding personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to enforce the new gun laws, by increasing investments in mental health care and by asking specific departments, such as the Department of Justice, to conduct investigations into gun safety technology.

Junior Katie Misik said she believes the President is overstepping his boundaries by implementing excessive policies. Braly also said the Executive Order may be an overuse of power, but that it is a better response than parties in Congress sitting in gridlock, refusing to compromise.

“If Congress is not able to do (anything) at all, even really have a rational discussion over things that could be done, then maybe the president does need to do it,” Braly said. “I think (the government) needs to respond. A responsible government tries to make its country safer for its people. And anybody that buys a gun, period, should have a background check.”

California’s gun laws The President’s Executive Action will affect other states more than it will California – which is known for having stricter gun laws than most other states. Among other restrictions, California bans certain assault weapons, restricts gun shows, requires a 10-day waiting period before individuals can receive the gun they bought and requires that gun sellers have a license and issue background checks – a requirement also in the Executive Action.

In some cases, in terms of the banning of assault weapons, California’s currently implemented restrictions exceed the level of restrictions in the President’s Executive Order. Because of this, the restrictions might not affect Californians to a great extent.

“It comes back to what we’re used to in California,” Braly said. “California has much more restrictive regulations than

LEAVE: Teachers, students struggle with limited maternity leave policies

Continued from page A4

a breast infection called mastitis,” Hill said. “It was the first week of school. I was in pain. I had fevers and it was all because I had to go back too early.”

Senior Tanvi Mehta’s IB Biology class last year was left in a muddled state of affairs after the teacher, Heidi McKeen, left for maternity leave and ended up resigning from the position to spend more time with her child.

“It was very difficult for the IB Bio kids to adjust to (the long-term substitute) because (the substitute) did not have the experience required to teach the class,” Mehta said.

However, Mehta continued to describe how the blame cannot be placed upon the teacher for simply extending her time of leave.

“Honestly, I think a woman while pregnant should have as much time as needed to deal with her pregnancy and after (as) it’s really important that she does get time with her child because it’s a main milestone of life,” Mehta said. “If we are pushing these women to come back to work right away, I think that’s unfair.”

Hill recognized how such circumstances directly affected her performance when teaching.

“I think it was disruptive to the students as well that I wasn’t able to be here the whole time… if I had been able to come back … in January … and just start fresh with a new class, I would have been better rested and a better teacher,” Hill said. “I just felt like a bad teacher because when I’m at work I want to be able to give my 110 percent. I love my job. I don’t want to give anything less than 110 percent.”

PASSWORDS: New policy should increase safety Continued from page A4

you know their first and last name and ID number, it’s easy to get in.”

Students will still use their student ID number to check in when they’re tardy, to or-

der food at lunch, to check out books and to verify their ID at dances.

However, their new passwords will be used to access more sensitive information and to log in on school computers.

student’s political understanding is “pretty minimal at the beginning. I think your average young person doesn’t know a whole lot.”

Much of the youth not only lacks in political knowledge, but they lack in political participation, too. According to the United States Census Bureau, only 45 percent of 18-29 year-olds voted in the 2012 presidential election.

However, that’s not to say youth opinions can’t be influential.

“They could be an incredibly important group if they came out in big numbers and (voted).” Westberg adds. “I think it could

News

A8

(Youth) could be an incredibly important group if they ... (voted).

– Jarrod Westberg, Advanced Placement Government teacher

change the entire political system.”

anything (President Obama) is proposing.

Some of the states are much less regulated, so some of the things that we’re used to in this state, people in other states are not (used to). So it’s a big change for them, potentially.”

In certain states, such as Texas, residents can open carry. Reed Homen, a former GBHS student who recently moved to Texas, said that it isn’t surprising or shocking to see people carrying guns, and, unlike Californians, Texans have more of a respect rather than a fear of guns.

Will Lambert, a resident of Australia, said that if people own firearms in Australia, which are already hard to buy, they must have a gun license, they are required to lock them in a special safe, and even then the police “periodically come and inspect them.”

Localized perspective Granite Bay itself may have an attitude towards guns different than most cities in California, and even the state of California.

Placer County is one of the more Republican-dominant counties in all of California, with 45.95 percent of registered Republican residents. Because Republicans are generally more opposed to gun regulations, some speculate that Granite Bay is more open to guns and resistant of restrictions.

“Granite Bay, being a heavily conservative area, seems to have a very positive attitude towards guns and gun culture,” graduate Chandler Dale said. “I have no idea about the amount of actual gun ownership, but when the high school trap team met with many local businesses for sponsorship, the community welcomed the idea of high school kids competing in a sport with guns. Many were surprised to find out a high school in California lets you get varsity letters in shooting sports.”

The GBHS trap team is advised by assistant coach and faculty adviser Scott Braly and head coach Ron Dale. Braly said the main benefit for members of the trap team is to learn about responsibility, as well as learning about properly handling a gun and safety.

Arming teachers Because guns are more welcome in the Granite Bay community than they might be in other, more liberal, communities, the idea of arming teachers is still debated, but considered by some. Arming teachers has been a suggested response to school shootings. Supporters believe that trained and armed teachers could adequately protect students in case of danger.

“I have plenty of experience to be armed safely, and responsibly, but I go back and forth about whether it is something I would want to do, personally,” Braly said. “We can’t afford to have more law enforcement, (although) that would reduce the chance of (shootings) happening. So one option is to arm teachers. It’s not like we have a faculty meeting and say, ‘OK here’s a gun for everybody.’ It would be very closely controlled, the people that would (carry) would be vetted, and then the guns would certainly be secure at the school. There would be a lockbox and a safe where it (would) only be opened by that person.

If we explored that possibility someday,

I would certainly be open to considering it. Because the goal is to keep people safe.

That’s one of our primary goals and that might be a way to do that.”

However, not everyone agrees that an increase in arms would increase safety – again, increased arms has been seen to cause increased accidents. But the call for arms is not unusual.

“After every new mass murder, Americans go in two opposite directions: many run to gun stores and buy additional firearms, while some support stronger gun control,” Kando said. “We increasingly hear calls to permit college students to come to class armed with both concealed as well as visible firearms. I taught at (a) university for over 40 years. I can’t imagine how I would have felt, knowing that I was facing dozens or hundreds of armed individuals in my classrooms, but ‘feeling safer’ would certainly not have been it.”

Ultimate solution In a time of increased mass murders and fear, what is the ultimate solution to what many perceive as a gun problem?

Take, for example, Australia, which has had huge success in lowering gun crime after it responded with a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons and a buyback of automatic shotguns and rifles after the Port Arthur Massacre which killed 35 – almost the equivalent of the Virginia Tech shooting, in which 32 were killed. Lambert, the Australian resident, said the country’s gun crime is relatively nonexistent.

Some think a step as drastic as a complete ban on guns is plausible.

“Although many view it as drastic, the complete banning of guns is the most obvious and avoided answer,” junior Maryne Matthews said. “How many children, teens (and) people have to die before we realize how dangerous guns are? In Australia, it only took one horrible tragedy for them to realize this. It’s not even a shock anymore when news of yet another shooting comes on the news. Stories of children killing or maiming themselves or other children rarely even make the news. Without access to guns, (this) type of crime will without a doubt drop dramatically.”

Ultimately, if this rate of mass murder continues or increases, a regulatory response is expected. Even without regulating legislation, there is hope for the future.

“The good news is that (gun) violence has already declined tremendously over the past three decades,” Kando said. “Regardless of what happens on the ‘gun front,’ the American people are becoming more mature: both literally, the population is aging, and psychologically, we are becoming more ‘civilized.’ So crime declines. Many, including President Obama, have noted that ‘we may never be able to eradicate gun violence fully, but we can certainly reduce it a great deal, and save thousands of lives each year.’ This is absolutely true and it is the bottom line.”

“There will be some progress on the legislative front, but progress will happen regardless of what the federal government does. In time, I see less panic (and) less frantic gun buying, especially … of automatic weapons of mass murder.”

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propaganda is deceptive GAZETTE War America’s aggressive society The Granite Bay

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Editors-in-Chief: Savitri Asokan Hannah Holzer Troy Pawlak News Editors: Surina Khurana Caroline Palmer Voices Editors: Connor Hinson Amanda Nist Anjali Shrivastava Lifestyle Editors: Natasha Chanda Garbhita Shah Hannah Xu Green Screen Editors: Olivia Heppell Blake Panter Amanda Prather Epsa Sharma Sports Editors: Cole Kahmann Matthew Ontiveros Jacqueline Romero Online Editors: Clair Kasel Rawan Khalili Jill Kurpershoek Ali Lemos Isabella Tkachuk Illustrators: Natasha Chanda Carissa Lewis Troy Pawlak Photo Editor: Carissa Lewis Staff Writers/ Photographers: Bridgid Bell Arthi Bobbala Shivani Bobbala Katie Cologna Sonia Garcha Naseeha Islam Brayden Johnk Stephanie Kang Whitney Knorp Aishwarya Pattnaik Meagan Tallman Savanna Thompson 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.

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easily succumbs to pro-war fear mongering

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ver since I COMMENTARY became conscientious of my own environment and the idea that people live vastly different lives depending on their residency, I have noticed a certain recurring culture that seems to keep the masses on the offensive.

Disclaimer: I respect and commend the cpalmer.gazette@gmail.com people who defend and fight for our country, and nothing I say against war is directed against our military, but is instead it’s aimed precisely at the officials and reporters who propagandize in pro-war ways.

It is not right to make people die for their country if the fight was not necessary to begin with.

The Vietnam War is an excellent example because it illustrates how Americans often assume every country wants to be a democratic, capitalist society, which is just not true.

Mass hysteria exploded in the country after the U.S. government peddled the communist vs. capitalist dynamic as propaganda. Even though Soviet-style communism was detrimental in many ways, the government fallaciously pushed fear into the hearts and minds of the public.

Why does it matter if other countries endorse communism?

Is America really so insecure in its policies that the spread of communism, the sharing of all wealth equally, is directly threatening to the wellbeing of itself?

Oh, but if only it was that simple.

In reality, the war in Vietnam was never about communism destroying the tenets of America, but instead about insuring the deep-rooted idea that we, Americans, are indeed the chosen ones, and anyone who has not pledged allegiance to America or American ideals is in need of assistance.

The U.S. politicians – and therefore the U.S. soldiers – did not realize that the Vietnamese viewed them as oppressors, not liberators.

The war was a drastic waste of resources and a tragic loss of lives, resulting in more than 30 wasted years and no real progress created as a result. This futility can be pinned to communist war propaganda.

caroline palmer

In the case of the Iraq war, the media’s distortions and the Bush administration’s lies were a greatly more documented, but after America had already gone to war, of course.

After 9/11, tensions were understandably high in the country. This tension resulted in Bush seemingly starting a war based on false information. There were never any weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was never closely colluding with Al-Qaeda and the world did not approve of the war.

Yet, when the Program on International Policy Attitudes, along with the firm Knowledge Networks, conducted a study of U.S. understandings of foreign policy concerning the Iraq war, the results were more than upsetting.

According to the study and the 3,335 people polled: “49 percent believe that the United States had found evidence that Iraq was working closely with Al-Qaeda; 22 percent believed that actual weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq; 23 percent believed that world public opinion favored the United States going to war with Iraq.”

All of these ideas were false. The question is: why are Americans in some cases so incredibly misinformed?

Many news networks, like MSNBC, CNN and BBC, have a bias and deliver news tailored for the demographic who watches – however, no news network does propaganda better than Fox News.

Fox is really good at making Americans panic from seemingly negative news. The network does this through ad hominems, othering, selective framing of language, repetition and tailored news to the us vs. them mentality.

When Fox invites someone of an opposing opinion onto their network, the anchors act like they are giving the opposition a fair chance to respond, but in reality, they are furthering their biased, propagandized news.

For instance, through the use of ad hominems, Fox reduces people to vast generalizations. Once Fox invited an AfricanAmerican professor on a show to talk about drug use. Bill O’Reilly, in good ol’ Bill fashion, interrupted the Columbia professor and told him he looks like a coke dealer. Yes, this actually happened.

By making that statement, O’Reilly undermined the professor and played into a stereotype of black men. Even though

Gazette illustration/TROY PAWLAK

the professor denied ever doing or selling cocaine, the question, which was very unnecessary, played to a bigoted agenda.

If the people don’t pay attention, “the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing,” as Malcolm X said.

Watch an hour of Fox and tally how many times they use phrases like “Radical Islam” or “show of power” instead of “act of repression.” That phrasing is why violence has become synonymous with power in American culture.

If Fox can make war a sporting event, why wouldn’t they?

The idea that power is violence makes people feel a false sense of confidence by through futile, violent acts. *** Caroline Palmer, a senior, is a Gazette news editor.

We need to be more active in politics Young people must speak up about their desires to bring about change

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lthough public policy affects almost every aspect of our lives, only half of the American population consistently votes in general elections, with only about a third of this population voting during midterm elections.

For a country that prides itself on upholding democratic ideals, we kind of suck at being a democracy.

Our declining voter turnout threatens the legitimacy of our democracy and increases the likelihood that we are representing the minority instead of the majority.

Ironically, those that exert the least influence in public affairs are the very people who are in desperate need of representation in our government.

The majority of non-voters typically belong to a racial minority, are low on the socioeconomic scale, are young adults or all of the above.

They are dissatisfied with the state of our government because they believe money rules politics and candidates will never follow through on their promises.

While this is largely true, many don’t realize that we can only change the status quo by engaging in the political process and taking matters into our own hands.

COMMENTARY

arthi bobbala abobbala.gazette@gmail.com

By abstaining, all we are doing is perpetuating an environment of complacency in our government.

Our Congress has an approval rating that sometimes hits single digits, yet the incumbency rate for our Congress members is 90 percent. It doesn’t make any logical sense that we keep re-electing our representatives when we are so blatantly dissatisfied with our government.

If we want our representatives to stop catering to special interest groups and start listening to the people, we must stop allowing the top one percent decide who is going to represent us.

The most prominent social and eco-

nomic issues of today pertain to those who abstain from voting. With the worst income inequality in the developed world, America is not going to change anytime soon unless the people take action.

There is no incentive for politicians to listen to the concerns of those who

The most prominent social and economic issues of today pertain to those who abstain from voting. do not vote. If we want to see a better America, we should all be involved in public affairs.

Political change is a prerequisite for any social or economic change we wish to achieve.

I urge everyone no matter how old to start getting involved in the political process because I believe that it is never too early to get involved in the political process. You don’t have to be 18 years old to be an educated and engaged

citizen.

As only a 16-year-old last summer, I started interning for the “Kiley for Assembly” campaign. Working in a real political setting gave me the opportunity to learn more about the political process and instilled in me a passion to promote civic engagement in my community.

But being involved in the political process does not mean that you have to vote or volunteer for a campaign. Reading the news and expanding your knowledge about public affairs is another way to stay engaged in the political process.

I think being a misinformed voter is worse than not voting at all. A recent poll from alternate.com found that only 20 percent of the American population knew that there are 100 senators.

In the information age, we have knowledge at the tip of our fingers and there is absolutely no excuse for ignorance.

I think that simply being aware about the issues that affect us goes a long way.

Knowledge empowers us to change the status quo and come closer to finding a solution to the problems that have plagued our nation for too long.

*** Arthi Bobbala, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Here’s an immodest proposal: Let’s all carry guns

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onsidering the frequency of gunrelated deaths in America, it seems imperative that a solution be brought forth and universally agreed upon, lest another mass shooting shock people into deeper submission.

To find a solution, however, we must first find the root cause of the issue.

Clearly, the issue cannot be with guns themselves. We, the people of the United States of America, were given the right to bear arms by our forefathers, and arguably, by God himself.

After all, the Second Amendment was written to last forever, and therefore cannot become outdated.

As the old National Rifle Association saying goes, “the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.” With this in mind, we will now propose a solution to this neverending debate, as well as enumerate its many benefits.

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

At birth, all children will be issued their own personal firearm.

On the surface, legislation such as this would lead to a overtly safer America.

Every man, woman and now child will protect themselves when faced with gun violence.

But its effects would not be ankledeep. Arming every American would also reduce taxes and the need for public safety.

The government believes that police are more fit to protect you than you. We argue that an American has the right, nay, the responsibility to defend them-

selves and their family.

Currently, two percent of the national tax budget goes to law enforcement.

If you were your own police, that two percent could go toward something more productive and less restrictive on American liberties.

These benefits would also extend to gun manufacturers. Every birth would mean one more firearm produced. As the children grow, so will their trigger fingers, meaning that a new gun will need to be purchased nearly biannually to fit properly in the hand of every little boy or little girl.

Guns could also be marketed to children with their favorite cartoon characters. This kind of cross advertisement could prove to be very lucrative for television networks and gun manufacturers alike.

One of the many hurdles to adulthood is becoming responsible. What better

way to teach children this virtue than by endowing them with the universal symbol of responsibility, the gun?

Gun safety courses would be taught in school along with the regular health and wellness classes, as to assure no accidents occur.

At recess, instead of going on the slide or money bars to let out excess energy, children could get off a few rounds at the in-park firing range. They could then bond over their handguns, trading different attachments with one another.

So there you have it – we’ve laid out a simple plan that is effective and efficient. Given the current state of America, and given the inability to do anything at all to reduce the carnage that takes away hundreds of innocent lives a year, it’s clear to us that arming every citizen isn’t just the smart thing to do, it’s the American thing to do.

Friday, February 5, 2016

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The Granite Bay Gazette

Voices A10

Effort is not always as important as skill HEARD Often, hard work does on the

BAY

Do you think teachers should be earning more, less or the same as they earn now?

“They are definitely underpaid.”

freshman

Gregory Gallegos “I don’t know ... pro-raising the wages.”

sophomore

not equate to naturalborn talent

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ard work beats talCOMMENTARY ent when talent doesn’t work hard – right?

We grow up with the constant reiteration of these clichés until we are sufficiently inspired to work our hardest, attaching ourselves to the promise of whitney knorp trying our best. wknorp.gazette@gmail.com There is definitely power in hard work, however, I think it is more finite than we are typically taught to believe.

“You can be anything you want to be if you want it enough” is an inspiring thought, but in many ways not the truth.

You can do everything in your power to improve yourself. But, even if you are motivated, most of the time it will still not be enough when there are others who are naturally talented.

There is such an attraction to talent because talented people can only grow from the level they’re at, which could potentially take others years to attain, let alone pass.

The simple promise of dedication is uncomfortable unless it’s coming from someone who can show how easily that certain skill or intelligence already comes to them. It’s a guarantee of quality, not a hope of quality.

It’s easy to judge people with innate talents as the lucky ones. Having natural intelligence and making

talents.

David Z. Hambrick and Elizabeth J. Meinz have conducted statistical studies that highlight basic inbred ability versus deliberate practice. They concluded natural ability is a very significant factor in a person’s success in the world, but hard work is important as well.

Ultimately, the study made it clear that hard work isn’t powerful enough to make talent irrelevant.

The more competitive your interest, the harder it becomes to rise above someone’s natural talent.

Luckily for those of us more genetically challenged, this generation has become enormously distracted and has developed into a procrastination nation; there is an arguably heightened chance of achieving the upper hand by becoming dedicated to hard work.

Essentially, you must create your own opportunities if you naturally are not the most talented because there is a good chance that numerous opportunities won’t easily Gazette illustration/CARISSA LEWIS come knocking on your door. educated guesses are what get high scores on SATs. That’s perfectly okay – but it’s essential to accept Naturally talented people will typically beat out oththat if you don’t excel in your area of interest, you ers in scores and jobs. may have an uphill battle coming your way.

The effects of talent versus hard work are even A crucial aspect is to be mentally strong enough more blatant in the dance world. to not get caught up over something that you cannot You can stretch for hours every night but you control. won’t be as flexible as that girl or boy born with Going through the struggle of keeping up with absurdly loose hips or hamstrings, and your leaps people who have it easy gives the hard-worker more won’t become as astounding as those with genetistrength than the naturally gifted might ever get to cally hyperextended legs. have. Some of the most important lessons come from Dancers whose bodies were predestined for dance fighting through inferiority. are almost always the ones who receive dance scholarships or get jobs through auditions, despite *** sometimes being the laziest. There are people who Whitney Knorp, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer. are simply predetermined to be superior in certain

Dear Donald Trump An open letter to the loud-mouthed, knuckle-headed Republican candidate

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Emily Talmi “Increase the wages of the teachers who do the best job.”

junior

Rami Mostafa “I definitely think they should be making more”

senior

ou know those really long jokes that you keep hearing with no end? The ones you laugh at, then tell a few times yourself, all while secretly hoping that it will soon be over. That it was just a phase, soon to end. But there comes a time where you stop and wonder-why the hell America hasn’t gotten over the joke yet.

Ladies and Gentlemen if you haven’t already figured out the metaphor, the joke is referring to the one and only: Donald Trump. Since Trump announced his intent to run in June of 2015, America has sat in a state of transfixed confusion, watching “the Donald” cross the line repeatedly. It may have started off as a comment on a woman’s time of the month, making it’s way over to Mexico, and his latest victim – Syrian refugees.

Hearing Trump’s racist remarks on a group of hardworking innocent individuals rightly pissed many people off. His solution however was to cover it up with more insanity, this time targeting a whole religion – Muslims.

Now lucky for him, us Muslims are used to the hate and outrageous fallacies. And with that, have managed to live our lives with our heads held high through the backlash that ignited after 9/11, Charlie Hebdo, and the San Bernardino shootings. Because we, unlike Trump, understand the facts and the truth.

COMMENTARY

rawan khalili rkhalili.gazette@gmail.com

Radicals don’t define entire populations. This goes for all racial groups.

Our fellow Mexican Americans and African American communities do not deserve the humiliation and degradation that they have been enduring for the past decades if not centuries.

About a month ago, a peaceful Muslim protester was kicked out of a Donald Trump Rally in North Carolina. The irony, however, is that she didn’t say a word, she simply came to represent American Muslims. Yet she was greeted with hatred, and escorted out by security. For being tranquil, humble, and respectful.

When asked by a reporter about her reaction to the way “those people” in the pro Trump Rally reacted, it really changed my perspective of the phrase.

If we as a nation want to overcome

the bursts of hatred and negativity, then we must start looking at each other as one; one unified nation.

I will not and do not presume that all white Americans are evil because a small number may have prejudices towards me. I understand that the majority of people in this country are kind and compassionate. We as a nation can’t be divided by a voice who claims his intentions are to better America, when the reality is that he is only trying to tear us apart as a nation.

If Trump really knew the history of this great country, he would know that 1/3 of African slaves brought into America were in fact Muslim. These people are the very individuals who helped build the country that we live in. During the peak of the Industrial Revolution, who did Ford Motors hire to work long hours in the difficult conditions of the factories? Muslim/ Non Muslim immigrants and African Americans.

Also, if Donald Trump is so inclined to express his hostilities towards refugees, then I suggest he return any Apple Device that he may own. I mean they were developed by Steve Jobs – the son of a Syrian Refugee.

Likewise, forget anything that has to do with Physics, the field derived from the works of Albert Einstein, one of the greatest thinkers in history, who also was a German-Jewish refugee. The majority of refugees are people like you and me trying to make a living. Granted, there will always be a small group that causes trouble, but that shouldn’t determine the fate of the rest of the population.

Clearly the facts don’t matter to his campaign or his supporters. How do I know, you ask? In a recent poll, Trump supporters were asked if they would bomb the city of Agrabah; an overwhelming 41 percent answered

yes. Only one problem – Agrabah is the city from the Disney movie, Aladdin. That says a lot, doesn’t it?

Trump will never understand how the Palestinians lost their country in 1948, and came to America to start a new life. He will never understand how they came to seek greater economic opportunity, for themselves and their families, fleeing the oppres-

Radicals don’t define entire populations.

This goes for all racial groups. sion of the State of Israel.

But wait, does that ring a bell Mr. Trump? It should, because your ancestors like mine, came to America with the same intentions. To create a living, to embrace the American dream. A dream that does not have restrictions based on your race, background, or religion.

I like many others in America refuse to neglect this part of our nation’s history. It’s these very details that contribute to our success as a world power. So when you rally to make America great again, I’ll simply tell you: Sir, America is Great Already.

The way it is. It’s my home just as it is your home. *** Rawan Khalili, a senior, is a Gazette online editor.

Fanfiction is not only tasteless smut

Skylar Beasley “Our school district just became the highest paid school district in the region ... so I think that we’re paid right where we should be.”

staff

Mike Valentine Compiled by Naseeha Islam

Writing stories about your favorite characters can be more than entertainment

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has an entire area of study deanfiction has a bad reputavoted to it called Redology, weren’t tion. On the whole, it’s perceived to be a smorwritten by the original author, as gasbord of badly written smut revealed by three Chinese research(Fifty Shades of Grey times ten ers after applying data analysis on for the uninitiated) and a side it in 2014. effect of giving your life up to Despite this, devoting your The Fandom – an extension of creative life to The Fandom can be the Brony phenomenon to the a socially unacceptable thing … rest of the fandom world. when it totally shouldn’t be.

But here I am, a huge fan of Fanfiction can be smut, but it can fanfiction for the fandom, and also be incredibly well-written I am going to go out on a limb literature that wouldn’t have found and say the phenomenon of success in other venues. fanfiction is a lot more nuanced While your local library and/ than you’d think. or bookstore may be a plethora of Creative expressions of “the popular heterosexual romances set skang.gazette@gmail.com feels inside” have actually been in various settings with generic around for a very long time. characters and plots, the most popWe could look back at historical examples of ular fanfictions of a fandom are often homosexual people going all out “shipping” (fictionally putting romances with an occasional foray into genius. Look two characters in a relationship) Napoleon and Tsar up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crossover-ed Alexander I. with NCIS if you’re bored.

After the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon These stories can be the best, most original ones wrote home to his wife saying that “If Alexander that you’ve ever read. The most beautiful piece of were a woman, I would make him my mistress,” literature I’ve read in my entire reading career was which while his letters weren’t probably accessible to a fanfiction. The most touching work I’ve read was the public, only adds historical fuel to historical fire. also a fanfiction (and yes, I read The Fault in Our If we really want to stretch it, the last 40 chapters Stars, and I didn’t shed a single tear). of Dreams of the Red Room, a Chinese novel that On top of that, I think fanfiction is probably the

COMMENTARY

stephenie kang

bluntest recognition of the fact that something can be heavily inspired by something else, and yet still not be the same exact thing.

Some authors absolutely despise fanfiction, claiming that it’s a violation of the characters and world they have created for themselves; but once you put your story out in the universe, it is no longer your story.

You can’t control the way that readers read or imagine your story, and you can’t control the fact that endless amounts of people will heavily borrow elements of your stories in their own stories if your stories are any good. And that’s what you want, right?

This “revelation” isn’t anything new: most stories throughout history will allude to other bits of literature and history, sometimes even centering entire premises around these sorts of things. And how this ancient tradition goes, so goes fanfiction .

It’s only natural that fanfiction would arise from that essential part of literature, the only difference being that fanfiction is more honest about its origins – as opposed to more traditional forms – which hide behind changed names and settings, hinting here and there at its conception. *** Stephenie Kang, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer.

Friday, February 5, 2016 wThe Granite Bay Gazette

Voices A11

JOE BURBANK/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

OLIVIER DOULIERY/Abaca Press/TNS

CAROLYN COLE/Los Angeles Times/TNS

RODGER MALLISON/Ft. Worth Star Telegram/TNS

JOYCE MARSHALL/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

JOHN FITZHUGH/Biloxi Herald Sun/TNS

Jeb Bush, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, clockwise from top left, are all presidential candidates in the 2016 presidential election.

2016 presidential election will bring no legitimate winners Candidates receive different amount of air time based on ratings

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t this point in the election, political analysts sitting in Washington, D.C., are most likely scratching their heads, knowing little more than both the rest of us about the direction the election is going.

Although one of the most entertaining elections to watch, the 2016 presidential election has also been one of the most unpredictable. Money in politics, the media’s obsession with Donald Trump and ignorance among the American public have all culminated to give rise to an election driven by fear, mudslinging and unprecedented xenophobia and intolerance.

Although picking a stick from a jar might more accurately tell you who will win this election, I can still predict one thing for sure: as a nation, we’re screwed.

An issue already resulting from Trump’s unabashed racism and blatant factual inconsistencies has been the empowerment of some of the most dangerous ideological groups in the country. Even if these groups only represent a small minority of the American population, the damage that they are capable of is already apparent.

According to a police report cited by The Boston Globe, police in Boston

COMMENTARY

shivani bobbala sbobbala.gazette@gmail.com

say a man who allegedly beat a homeless Hispanic man cited Trump’s message on immigration (all illegal immigrants need to be deported) as a motivation for their attack.

Not to mention, Trump has sparked the increase of prejudice against Muslims in the country as well. Even if Trump doesn’t win, the sentiments and hate he has aroused in the people will not easily go away.

In fact, Donald Trump is so dangerous to this nation’s security and this world’s security that the British Parliament actually spent hours debating whether or not the UK should ban him

from the country. the name of “terrorism” have been The rise of Donald Trump can be counterproductive for America and the attributed to the media’s ridiculous world. The media’s obsession with fear obsession with him. He’s gotten signifi- tactics is not new, and unfortunately cantly more air time than any other it doesn’t look like things will change candidate, even Hillary Clinton. CNN under new leadership. says that as of Dec. The sad thing is that 6, Trump’s campaign other politicians, in a got 234 minutes of air desperate attempt to Attacking other time, while Clinton’s gain a lead before the campaign got 113 min- candidates in Iowa caucuses, have utes – less than half of unprofessional followed close behind Trump’s total.

Trump. Attacking other and often According to The candidates in unprofesNation, Trump gets 23 condescending sional (and often contimes the news coverdescending) ways has age of Bernie Sanders. ways has now now become the norm The media pays atten- become the norm in the GOP field. tion to Trump because in the GOP field.

The mudslinging has he is ultimately a never been so prevabusiness that is subject lent or bold. to higher ratings. And The Democratic conbecause Trump sells, tenders might have been more successthe media pays way too much attention ful in staying calm, but they have also to him. gotten the lowest ratings. A disappointThis isn’t much different from what ing 8.5 million people watched the happened after 9/11. The media over CBS Democratic Debate in November, exaggerated the threat of terrorism, be- while more than 20 million people cause fear sold and led to high ratings. watched the first two Republican DeIt created a problem, when one wasn’t bates. necessarily there before.

Like I said, fear and hate sells. On America’s many interventions in the subject of fear, it seems as if presi-

dential debates now come down to who is the hardest on ISIS, regardless of the liberties they curtail in the process.

All candidates, Republican or Democratic, have felt pressure from the media to appear to be hard on terrorism.

Sanders was criticized after the CBS Democratic Debate for seeming to be too dovish or pacifist when it came to international terrorism. This simply goes to show that the fear campaign is working.

Paranoia at this critical time for our nation will do nothing to help our situation. A deceived and terrified public can only mean more unjustified interventions in the future.

Now, I don’t disagree that terrorism is a threat to the United States. It is, especially after our failed interventions have radicalized key areas in the Middle East and brought to power militant groups like ISIS. However, the American public has deluded itself into thinking we are ISIS or Al Qaeda’s top priority. It is this delusion that will ultimately lead to our downfall. *** Shivani Bobbala, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Teachers encourage diligence, but prevent greatness

Too often, average work lauded over excellence

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behind it, that causes strict adherecently, a teacher of mine mentioned to our class he ence to such policies. Because the COMMENTARY admired the late policies primary assumption behind rules which award little to no credit like this, which reward timeliness for students who don’t turn in and completion with no regard for work perfectly on time. “It’s actual intellectual effort, is that so logical,” he marveled. “Why it’s better to not think too much or should a student who completes care too deeply about any subject. work on time get the same grade It’s better to just get it done. as one who does it the night For anyone who’s genuinely inafterwards?” terested in learning, International And it is logical; I fully unBaccalaureate is the ideal acaderstand why teachers like this demic program. It encompasses (however difficult it may be for socially responsible standards, me personally to fulfill such deacademic excellence and truly sasokan.gazette@gmail.com valuable teachers. In this manner, mands.) It fosters work ethic, it it drew me in, with subtly elitist prepares you for college, it trains promises of real critical thought and innovative you to be a responsible citizen – I’ve heard these justifications and internalized them from years of interdisciplinary projects.

That’s what I tried so desperately to fulfill last education. year.

But it’s a blind kind of logic, the logic of I only annotate if I can do it thoroughly, and it people who firmly refuse to question the rationale

savitri asokan

usually takes several of an anxiety attack. “Don’t hours for me to be rekill yourself over your work,” our teachers caution ally satisfied with my If teachers are truly so against us, again and again. work. But gradually, But isn’t there something the pages and pages the idea of ‘jumping through to be said for killing yourof small-print notes hoops,’ why do they still I’d taken for Pride self for your art? and Prejudice reduced Perverse as it sounds, that create and reinforce these to occasional sidebar kind of tireless dedication hoops, year after year? notes for A Doll’s to pushing intellectual and House and eventually creative boundaries has disappeared altogethbeen the motivation for all the great things in history, society and art. er.

It’s not that we’re expected to do too much. It’s Meanwhile, I watched as my friends resorted to that we’re expected to and rewarded for doing a slew of tricks – scribbling, ripping out pages, too little. creasing certain parts so the book naturally There’s a reason why Granite Bay students go opened up to the page – and received commendaon to be successful, not groundbreaking. As pestions for their regular efforts.

If teachers are truly so against the idea of simistic as it sounds – I’ve tried to be optimistic “jumping through hoops,” why do they still crefor the last year, but it’s just not worked. Our ambitions were neutered, sacrificed on the altar ate and reinforce these hoops, year after year? of rote mediocrity.

They’ve become apologists for a system they * * * don’t care enough to fix.

Savitri Asokan, a senior, is a Gazette A huge mythos has festered around the IB student – overly stressed, constantly on the verge co-editor-in-chief.

A12 News

Second look

Friday, February 5, 2016 w

The Granite Bay Gazette

Senior Fifth Quarter  “Senior Fifth Quarter” contestants, center, begin the process of hypnosis. Hunter Loomis, bottom left, goes into labor. Contestants, bottom right, fall asleep under the hypnosis. Kassidy Henson, below, follows an invisible point dart across the room. Michael Colosimo, upper right, breaks out into the “YMCA.” Milani Lee and Tyler Short, upper left, debate over the mysterious numbers “2” and “7.”

Gazette photos by Carissa Lewis and Whitney Knorp

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Condom Confusion Friday w February 5, 2016

COMMENTARY

garbhita shah

Not all 16 sex-ed topics suggested by the CDC are taught at GBHS

gshah.gazette@gmail.com

Sadness is a necessary emotion “It’s raining, and the clouds are crying with me”. Such are the words I am often heard saying on a rainy day.

In an attempt to express my grievances, I draw upon the ambience of my environment and romanticize them. Sometimes, I do so with an air of optimism, while other times, I make exasperated exclamations to vocalize myself.

More often than not, I receive negative responses from my surroundings as I’m told to cheer up and snap out of my supposedly moody and sullen verbal rhetoric.

Much to my surprise, what I perceive to be a clever, poetic statement of expression is deemed too pessimistic to be publicized.

From feelings of absolute content to fervent excitement, human emotions vary. Sadness is but one of many of these assorted states of mind.

Nevertheless, a prevalent issue is that sadness is not tolerated in society. In fact, its mere recognition is rejected and shunned away.

We live in a society where individuals are constantly reproached for expressing sadness. We fail to realize that sadness is just as important an emotion as happiness.

Because of this very reason, we are told to bottle up our emotions and put a smile on our face. No matter how fake it may be, this smile is acknowledged and even encouraged.

Yes, I cannot deny that laughter is the best remedy to heal our sorrows.

But neither can I help but question the idea of having to immediately “heal” sadness, as if it’s an incurable, everlasting malady.

Sadness is not forever; it is just as erratic, just as spontaneous as every other emotion.

So, instead of faking an act of glee, or falsely encouraging another person’s staged happiness, why not embrace sadness while it lasts? Why not accept its challenges and in turn challenge its own enduring?

In reality, happiness cannot be understood in its entirety or even valued if we’ve never allowed ourselves to experience a contrasting emotion.

Even more, it surprises me how we fail to realize that sadness provides an invaluable contribution to humankind: One of the most vital, cherishable experiences throughout humanity is to be able to understand another human’s grief and support them through their difficult time.

I romanticize my grievances, for if they are to make me a stronger individual, I must allow them to have their fair share of time in my life.

In order to be able to fully enjoy those warm, delightful sunlit days, I need my dismal, melancholy rainy days with the clouds crying with me.

After those grey overcasts burst, the freshly cleansed universe radiates with a celestial beauty of its own. Better yet said by one of my favorite authors, Rabindranath Tagore,“Dark clouds become heaven’s flowers when kissed by light”.

***

Garbhita Shah, a senior, is a Lifestyle editor.

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The Gazette conducted a voluntary, anonymous survey that was given to two classes per grade, in which roughly 10 percent of the population at GBHS was polled. Left, 61.35 percent of females surveyed knew how to properly use a condom. Right, 80.47 percent of males knew how to properly use a condom.

BY ANJALI SHRIVASTAVA

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ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

new study conducted by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals alarming data concerning America’s sexual education programs.

Fewer than half of all high schools in the U.S. teach all 16 topics determined essential by the CDC – ranging from sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy prevention to how to obtain condoms.

Granite Bay High School’s health and safety program, while more thorough than most, still does not fully teach all 16 topics. There is one that does not get comprehensive treatment – how to correctly use a condom.

With the exception of health and safety teacher Kathie Sinor, GBHS teachers do not provide a physical demonstration of how to put on a condom in their classrooms.

And while a demonstration isn’t necessarily required, Sinor thinks it helps add to the understanding of students.

“Visuals are always good,” Sinor said.

“You can talk about something, but isn’t it more effective when you actually see it?”

GBHS seems to be following national trends. Only 54 percent of American high schools teach students how to correctly

use condoms.

For health and safety teacher John MacLeane, the demonstration is not a part of the curriculum – and a demonstration can cause more trouble than it’s worth.

“We verbally go over condom use, but we don’t demonstrate how to use condoms,” MacLeane said. “We live in a pretty conservative area, and a lot of the parents (would object to it). If you’re going to pull a student out of my class for two weeks – (during the sex education portion of the course) – because I’m going to do a condom demonstration, … I’ll give (it) up ... to keep them in my class.”

MacLeane also said he’s hesitant to include condom demonstrations because the sex education portion of the heath course curriculum can be tense for freshmen – and as far as he’s concerned, verbal

instruction is sufficient. “(Including a visual demonstration is) not something I’m comfortable with doing,” MacLeane said. “To quote one of my friends, ‘it ain’t rocket science.’ As long as you know the precautions ... it’s really not difficult.”

Junior Kendall Smith disagrees. Smith was in MacLeane’s class as a freshman, and she’s not sure she learned what she needed to know.

“Freshman year, if someone gave me a condom and said ‘put this on,’ … I’d probably put it on wrong,” she said. “I had never done anything like that when I was a freshman, but I feel like I wouldn’t have known (because) the curriculum never taught me that.”

In fact, the demonstration itself can be “normal,” as Avisha Shah, a freshman who just completed Sinor’s class, described it. “(Mrs. Sinor) didn’t really make it that awkward,” Shah said. “A few (kids) definitely slumped down in their chairs and a couple looked away, but I think the majority of us just sat there and watched.”

Although it might be uncomfortable for students, according to Sinor it can lead to a more candid view of sex in the future.

“Are people going to be uncomfortable?” Sinor asked. “Well, (the condom is) only on (my) fingers. It’s not like I’m doing it on a banana or … a model of a penis ... But I think it’s effective (and) kids will respect (me) for it because they know that (I’m) comfortable with it” But the comfort level of the teacher is not necessarily the reason why most teachers do not include a condom demonstration for their classes.

“I don’t know that it’s my place to demonstrate condom use to students,” MacLeane said. “There’s that fine line between what should be taught in class and what should be taught by the parents (or) somewhere else.

“I certainly had that demonstration and chat with my two sons. I don’t feel uncomfortable talking about it with my children, that’s my job as a parent. I don’t want to step on the toes of parents who feel like that is their priority on the topic.”

However, according to Smith, by avoiding the demonstration, teachers can close themselves off from possible student questions.

“I’d rather (students) come to someSee SEX ED, page B5

Breaking Down the Walls evokes compassion Biennial event still emotional experience

BY RAWAN KHALILI

rkhalili.gazette@gmail.com

G

ranite Bay High school students were recently given the opportunity to participate in a well renowned program.

Breaking Down the Walls takes place at high schools all across the nation and helps to create a positive school culture while giving students an opportunity to connect with others on campus. Students were given the option of attending the Jan. 21 or Jan. 22 workshops, but space was limited to 150 students per day.

This isn’t the first time an event like this has taken place on campus.

However, BDTW and Every 15 Minutes alternate years.

“We had (BDTW) two years ago,” activities director Tamara Givens said. “They have different purposes but they impact class times, so that was my reasoning for not wanting to do them in the same year.”

Senior Emily Gallegos, a group leader this year, attended BDTW her sophomore year and enjoyed it.

“I was so motivated and inspired by the event,” Gallegos said. “It reminds us to be good people, espe-

cially on campus.”

Leaders were in charge of running the group activities and were required to attend training in advance.

They also helped the speaker when needed.

The event encompasses the student government theme of empathy by “Walking a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes.”

For junior BDTW participant Selena De La Torre, it was impactful and eye opening.

“I felt comforted and not alone. It was a great environment to be in,” De La Torre said.

BDTW consisted of both big See WALLS, page B5

Gazette photo /EMMA MCCANN

Students participating in Breaking Down the Walls await activities, hoping to increase positivity on campus.

inside lifestyle Top 10 B2 SAT tips

B3

Random club

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TCID:BW

Leap Year Student reflects on how having a birthday one day earlier could’ve changed his life

SAT and PSAT Changes made on national standardized testing starting March

B2

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Math XL The pros and cons of online math program used in Honors Precalculus

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Friday, February 5, 2016

B2 Lifestyle

TOP

Cereals Lucky Charms

Pops

Rice Krispies

Frosted Flakes

One birthday every four years?

Leap year is a different reality for each individual student

BY ISABELLA TKACHUK itkachuk.gazette@gmail.com

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he unique occurrence of an extra day happens every four years in February, making the year contain 366 days instead of the normal 365.

Since Leap Year only adds an extra day every four years, what would being born on a leap-day mean?

Chase Mannsfeld, a sophomore at Granite Bay, was just hours away from being born on February 29th, the Leap Year day.

Lucky for him, he was born on March 1st.

“If I were born on a Leap Year day I probably wouldn’t feel very different, but it would be cool to be able to say, every four years, that I was born on a Leap Year,” Mannsfeld said.

He thinks that it would’ve been cool to be able to celebrate his birthday on either February 28th or March 1st.

“My birthday celebration would change between February 28th and March 1st, depending on which day came on a weekend,” Mannsfeld said.

His mother, Beth McManus feels that her son wouldn’t have liked being born on a leap year.

“I wouldn’t have minded either way.” McManus stated, “ but (Chase) may not have liked it in the long run.”

Mannsfeld said that he would’ve been fine with being born on a leap day, but also made a point that he was happy being born on March 1st.

“Not very many people are born on a leap year,

Attending a junior college remains an option disapproved of by many

Wheaties (with Bananas)

Frosted Mini Wheats

T

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he Granite Bay community is acclaimed for high achievers and standards, which has created a definite stigma for attending community college in Granite Bay. The pressure to achieve and be the “perfect” teenager is present in students in our community and takes a huge toll on students and their ability to succeed and remain happy.

In Granite Bay it is essentially expected of a student to attend and graduate a four year University, become of an utmost success in their field, and live a happy and successful life.

Community college is not exactly the most frequently praised accomplishment in Granite Bay. Ali Knorp, Granite Bay High School alumni and current Sierra college student, said that people's vision of community college students are completely inaccurate.

“The stereotype is a community college student is lazy, didn’t try hard enough in high school, has no direction in life, and loves to party and smoke while playing video games in their parents basement,” Knorp said.

Knorp added that this stereotype, though it may rein true for few community college students, is associated with them as a group and the other reasons for attending a community college are

normal routines and not really acknowledge that it’s leap day.”

Even though she may not take into account the importance of the extra day or see it having as much use as her brother does, Mannsfeld does realize that her brother was close to being born on a leap day.

“I think he and anyone would feel special because not many people are born on a leap day.” Mannsfeld said.

She said that people probably change their birthdays for the convenience and to be able to celebrate it on a real date every year rather than every four years.

“If I was born on a leap day I wouldn’t legally change my birthday,” Mannsfeld said. “I would celebrate it around what would be February 29th every year.”

Gazette illustration/HANNAH XU

Social stigma of community college

BY AMANDA PRATHER

Cocoa puffs

and it only happens every four years, so that is the cool part.”

Knowing that a Leap Year provides an extra day in the year in which some people recognize and some may not, Mannsfeld would do one of his favorite activities on that extra day.

“With the extra day I would probably snowboard.”

Mannsfeld said.

Mannsfeld’s sister, a GBHS junior, Autumn Mannsfeld, said she does not consider the extra day to be valuable.

“I don’t really think of leap year as having an extra day,” Mannsfeld said. “Everyone will still do their

w The Granite Bay Gazette

overlooked.

Tuition cost may be a factor some consider when choosing to attend a community college, as well as potential scholarship money, student loans, the ability to work within the region, or just taking some time to figure out about what one may want to pursue in life.

“It was embarrassing to tell other faculty, students, or parents that I was planning on attending a community college because of the rigorous courses placed on you at GBHS,” Knorp said, “there is a lot of internal as well as external pressure put on you not only to strive in your GPA and test scores, but to attend an excellent four year university.”

Knorp said reactions to her attending a community college were surprising, she said people were showing unnecessary sympathy for her, and that Mr. Davis was the teacher that made her feel the most comfortable and secure with her decision.

Rachael Bohnhoff, another GBHS alumni and student at Sierra College had a similar outlook on her community college experience thus far.

“It stems from people believing in the hierarchy, if you go to a big prestigious school you are better than someone who went to a community college starting out,” Bohnhoff said.

Bohnhoff said that a common belief of community college is that they lack

in a quality education, which she stated to be completely untrue.

She said it can be related to some thinking that students who go to Granite Bay High School get a better education than those who attend places like Roseville or Del Oro High School.

The education is the same, it’s the bias and negative stigma that affects these opinions people develop.

“The issue with the (negative) thoughts on community college are widespread, but are most relevant in Granite Bay because we live in such an affluent area,” Bohnhoff said.

Bohnhoff said that people will unknowingly strive towards a university that has a name of meaning to some, because of the pressure that Granite Bay High School and the Granite Bay community puts on students to achieve.

Bohnhoff and Knorp agreed that the low tuition cost is convenient, as well as not having to pay for food or housing. She shared that the class sizes tend to be quite small so you can have a better relationship with a professor and have the opportunity to get more help than at a four year university.

Ms. Elkin, Advanced Placement Psychology and peer counseling teacher, agreed that this stigma affects every aspect of students lives.

“With community college, the stigma means you don’t have a lot of money, so you can't afford to go away to school, (which is) a vulnerability for some kids on this campus because it's in such a wealthy neighborhood,” said Elkin. “It means you possibly didn't get into that college, which means there's a vulnerability in terms of your intelligence.”

Elkin said she sees that there is so much pressure to excel in every aspect of life, and that it is not enough in our community to be great in one specific area.

“It’s the pursuit of perfection on this campus, there is a lot of pressure to be

academically exceptional, athletically exceptional, to look a certain way, and part of that is going to a certain college.” Elkin said.

This pressure in our community puts a great deal of stress and anxiety on students, causing students to feel they aren’t good enough.

“We pretend like we're not (weak and vulnerable and flawed) and we work really hard to show everybody else that it’s great and everything is fine, and we have to pretend like everything is fine even if we're stressed out,” Elkin said, “we have to mask it, instead of getting the help and support that we need.”

In order for this negative stigma to no longer exist in our community, Elkin said that we must communicate with others and feel safe telling our parents and peers how we feel.

“Kids are afraid to tell their parents how stressed out they are, or how insecure they feel,” Elkin said.

This feeling of not being good enough is only elevated in students with the pressure to succeed at a prestigious university.

Elkin stated that our community limits success to one of these prestigious universities.

“We don't allow people to pursue a wide range of routes to their future,” Elkin said, “and we don't ask ourselves, what's the best university or the best educational experience for me?”

Elkin said that community college is not something to be looked down upon, and that she has had better professors in a Sierra College class than when she was an undergrad.

The education is not limited, nor should it be treated any lesser than that of a four year university.

“It's a shame that we worry so much about what everybody else thinks that we don't ask those critical questions,” Elkin said, “which is what's actually best for me?”

Substituting quality education for neglect?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Administration lacks hiring oversight

BY SHIVANI BOBBALA

Honey Bunches of Oats

Honeynut Cheerios

- Compiled by Blake Panter

S

sbobbala.gazette@gmail.com

tudents at Granite Bay High School are high achieving, and extremely competitive, so it makes sense that they expect an environment conducive to their success. With the recent frequency of long term substitutes in the science department, however, many students are concerned that the quality of education they are receiving at Granite Bay is suffering.

One of the long-term substitute teachers took the place of International Baccalaureate Biology teacher Heidi McKeen who left for maternity leave.

“My overall experience (was not) a pleasant one,” IB senior Kayomi Kayoshi said. “It’s not that she was a bad teacher. It was just that she didn’t have the proper (experience) to take on that position.”

The administration believed that this particular substitute would be a good replacement for the IB Biology class, because she had previous nursing experience. Kayoshi said, however, that she did not have the necessary training to teach a high level IB class.

“Many teachers who have been teaching IB for years still go to conferences to learn more about the curriculum. So, she was very unprepared to take on the class,” Kayoshi said.

Grace Lyu, another IB senior who was part of the same IB Biology class, agreed with Kayoshi.

“In the IB Program, we have distinct things that we have to learn and also like different ways to analyze

things, and it’s just very complicated I guess,” Lyu “As a senior right now, I am already worrying about said. “Like, we’re new to the program itself and we my IB tests,” Lyu said. “Currently, we’re taking have a teacher that’s new to the program too, and tests in IB Bio (Higher Level 2) now, and sometimes she’s only here for like a year. And she’s supposed to the tests that we have, some of the stuff is based on somehow understand everything about IB.” the core or what we learned last year, but we didn’t Lexi Harrington, a junior at Granite Bay High School, had a different substitute in her CP Chemistry understand most of what we learned last year. It’s causing our grades to plummet.” class. Although the class was lower level, and didn’t Lyu described the consequences require special training like of not performing at the expected an IB or AP class would, A simple hiring level.

Harrington faced similar “Not getting an IB Diploma is mistake could problems. serious for IB kids. (...) What if this “Sometimes you can get drastically alter a leads us to fail the IB Biology test? substitutes that maybe don’t student’s college specialize in that subject (That) is solid ground for revoking of teaching, and it can be a prospects and life after college acceptances. A simple hirlittle bit difficult to coming mistake could drastically alter a that. municate concepts, which student’s college prospects and life – Grace Lyu, is especially important in a after that.” class like Chemistry where Senior IB Student Luckily, the IB Biology class concepts are so huge,” Harrington said. seems to be doing well now, despite Surprisingly, many of the the chaos of the last year. Although students said they didn’t it took a year for the administration blame the substitutes. They to respond to the complaints of the said they understood that IB Biology students, they respondsubstitutes were unprepared to teach actual classes ed successfully. and were limited by their lack of experience.

“You know that that person is trying their best, “I think that hiring Mrs. Henderson was a good but they’re limited to what their past experience is,” idea,” said Grace Lyu. “ She used to be an IB Bio stuHarrington said. “He was intelligent enough…The dent, and an IB student as well… she used to teach problem really came down to the communication of IB at a different school, so she knows the curriculum ideas. It’s not like they just put some random person well enough, and it’s definitely more beneficial to us in. He did know what he was talking about.”

The issue of long term substitutes is a serious one, this year.”

See HIRING, page B5 as it can alter one’s college prospects and future.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Lifestyle B3

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Are grade bump policies fair district-wide?

Students from various schools share grading system benefits

BY AISHWARYA PATTNAIK apattnaik.gazette@gmail.com

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Gazette illustration/CARISSA LEWIS

any students have a lovehate relationship with May. Though it is the last month of school, May is filled with the longdreaded Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

The pressure to pass these standardized tests increases because of the grade-bump policies of these difficult classes.

However, grade-bump policies differ from school to school. Some students rely heavily on the AP test in order to amend their previously poor grades, while other students do not rely on them at all.

At Vista Del Lago High School, many AP teachers do not change the grades of students based on whether they pass their AP tests.

“The grade you get in the class and the AP score you get are two separate things,” said Prakruthi Sreenivasamurthy, a senior from Vista Del Lago High School.

Due to the lack of grade-bump policies in Sreenivasamurthy’s classes, there seems to a slight change in her work ethic.

“I am more detail-oriented, worried whether or not … one point can make the difference between an A and a B,” Sreenivasamurthy says.

These grading policies are more dependent on the teacher rather than the class itself. Although the general bump-up policy at Vista is “at least .5 (percent) away from the next letter grade,” said Sreenivasamurthy, in one of her classes, she didn’t get the bump. “I had an 89.8 percent, and the teacher refused to round me up.”

The fairness of these varying policies is somewhat controversial

among students. Some teachers at Roseville High School, who teach advanced courses, even have a double bump policy where a 75 percent in a class can result in a B on a student’s transcript – and then the B is weighted, so it’s the equivalent of an A. “It’s definitely not fair because it shows you were not putting in the effort,” said Grace Lyu, a senior at Granite Bay High. “It isn’t fair to the people who actually worked hard, but still got (the C) just because their teacher didn’t have the double-bump policy.”

She personally benefited from a grade bump for her AP Government test from teacher Jarrod Westberg.

Lyu, who is an IB student, took AP Government last year as a junior.

“My B was bumped up to an A after I received a five on my test,” Lyu said.

Grace said she believes grade bumps can be useful especially because “everyone is so competitive and everyone wants to get into a good college.” These policies can act as a safety net for students’

Vocational training through school ROP offers students first experience with real-world jobs

BY CARISSA LEWIS

clewis.gazette@gmail.com

F

rom those who have no idea what direction in life they want to go to those who have been dreaming about a career since early childhood, students vary in how much of their future is already planned out. For those who are set on working in a specific field, the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) offers early opportunities.

When first starting out in ROP, students go through several weeks of training.

“For the first 10 weeks of ROP, we were at class each day,” said senior Melissa Cook, who is taking health careers classes through ROP, “We learned lots of medical terminology (and) abbreviations, became CPR and BLS

First Aid Certified, went to field trips … and learned how to handle various situations that occur at the hospital.”

ROP resembles a class in that it assigns homework, classwork and projects, but unlike most classrooms, ROP students receive experience in a more career-oriented atmosphere.

“Some ROP classes offer internships or paid internships,” junior Ally Cova said, “which could later lead to job opportunities.”

ROP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. The program connects with schools in Placer County, including Granite Bay High School, to teach students about a specialized subject. Classes include computer science, automotive services, health careers, engineering and graphic art, amongst other subjects.

Not all ROP courses provide internships, but most of the classes offer college credit.

“ROP is a great thing to put on resumes,” Cook said, “and because I am a student at Sierra College, I will be getting seven college credits for taking ROP.” Many ROP students are looking beyond the college benefits and seeking out professional experience. ROP allows students who are aware of what career path they want to take to delve into the field.

“I knew before that I really wanted to be a nurse, but ROP kind of solidified that,” senior Katelyn Malixi said. “It really showed me whether or not I could handle the environment in a hospital.”

Students are able not only to see what the work environment is like but also to partake in it themselves.

ROP students are assigned a team, which may consist of two or three other students.

They are then assigned specific tasks to get them active in the specialized field.

Cook, who works at the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, spends four mornings a week on the medical floor.

“I take each patient’s vital signs,” Cook said. “Then I get them all ready to eat breakfast … help bathe them and (do) a variety of other things.”

To get connected with ROP, students can discuss the program with their school counselors and determine whether or not ROP fits into their course plan. Information can also be found in the College and Career center.

“I am hoping to get into veterinary science,” Cova said, “and the college and career counselor pointed out that there was a ROP class that matched exactly what I wanted to do.”

The un-

Students come from across the globe Exchange program brings cultural diversity to campus, from Australia to Germany

BY KATIE COLOGNA

kcologna.gazette@gmail.com

A

cross the world, foreign exchange students attend different parts of the world in hopes of learning about different cultures and language. At Granite Bay High School, there are a number of foreign exchange students that are adapting to their new surroundings.

Often times the process to be in the foreign exchange program, is long and not easy to get into.

“You just have to fill out a lot of paperwork and all of your details and go to the doctors and get all your vaccinations,” sophomore Victoria Shepard from Australia said.

Every exchange student has a reason as to why they want to got to a new country for school. “ I just wanted to make an

exchange because I wanted to learn another language and i like english,” sophomore Teresa Spang from Germany said.

Everyone has different reasons for going doing the exchange program. Shepard’s reason was different.

“I wanted to come to the us because it was an english speaking country so I kind of cheated,” Shepard said.

With the territory of leaving home, there are things that the exchange students will miss. In an instance Shepard missed a holiday from her culture.

“I missed out on Australia Day which is sad, I love Australia Day,” Shepard said.

Aside from holidays and culture, there is a more important thing on some of the exchange students mind, which is food.

“I miss Tim tams,” Shepard said. “Their like chocolate biscuits.”

When it comes to food in America, there are places that

other countries don't have, that foreigners love. “ “We don't have (Carl’s Junior) in Australia, even though In and Out is better,” Shepard said.

Language slang is a major adjustment for foreigners.

“You guys don't say pardon,” Shepard said. “Like if you don't hear what someone says I usually say pardon, and nobody says that here.”

When it come to the contrast of the countries, there are many dissimilarities such as the education.

“It's so different like we have five periods a day but we have eight classes in total so we have different classes each day,” Shepard said. “You have the block system.We have another schedule for every day, so on Monday we have school off at two, and Tuesday at four and we have very different classes.”

Also, there are some school differences when it comes to rules. “Well we have to wear uniforms, that definitely is a big one. Wer’e not allowed phones out in school at all,” Shepard said.

When traveling anywhere it is hard to get used to the time difference, especially coming from as far as the foreign exchange students came from. “ Jet lag wasn't too bad. It was fine I just stayed awake for like 30 hours before I went to sleep,” Shepard said.

When it comes to the social aspect of a new country, state and school, it can be hard to find your place, but the exchange students felt like they were very welcomed.

“It was good,” Spang said. “I found friends on the first day I was here so I have a lot of friends here.”

Being a school that has a foreign exchange program, it seems like it isn't just beneficial to the exchange student, but also to the school's existing students because they often times learn about the exchange students culture and gain new friendships.

grades because they think, “At least I have an AP test to rely on,” Lyu said.

However, although they are standardized, “AP tests seem to vary in difficulty, so classes should have grade-bump policies based on the difficulty of the AP test,” Lyu said.

Grade bump policies in “the courses of the math department (are) uniform,” said Scott Becker, an AP Calculus and IB math teacher at GBHS. The AP Calculus and IB math classes at GBHS “bump only one grade out of the four (quarter grades),” Becker said.

Tanvi Mehta, a GBHS senior, utilized this opportunity in both her math classes with Becker.

“I got a five percent bump,” Mehta said, “so my grade went from a B to an A after I passed my tests.”

For Becker, this kind of grade adjustment is perfectly appropriate. “(It shows) that you have mastered the material to a particular level,” Becker said, “even if your actual grade was a little below that.”

CollegeBoard SAT

practice

Official SAT tip This Issue’s Expert:

Gazette photo /JILL KURPERSHOEK

Natalie Colosimo is a senior at Granite Bay High.

Night before: Get a good night’s sleep so you’re well-rested and energized for hours of testing.

Before test: Eat a healthy, filling meal before because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you don’t want to go into testing hungry or thinking about food, you want to be focused.

Plan well: Study and go over subjects you’re weak in so you remember the basics and your brain recalls.

- Compiled by Jill Kurpershoek

If you really knew me,

you would know...

- Compiled by Clair Kasel

Elizabeth Sciascia

If you really knew me, you would know that I love milk.

Olivia Epperson

If you really knew me, you would know that I have been in peer counseling all year.

Flannery Trexler

If you really knew me, you would know that I want to be a foster parent for dogs.

Lifestyle B4

Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Do teachers utilize teacher aids as intended?

Students uncover the true purpose of TA periods

G

BY SONIA GARCHA

sgarcha.gazette@gmail.com

ranite Bay High School has many courses to offer, both academic and elective, but four classes with eighty-five minute periods can often be too much to handle.

A lot of students, however, decide to become a Teacher’s Aid, or TA, in order to lessen the load of four academic classes.

TA periods are often used as a free period which students use to finish homework, use their phones or even leave campus.

“I think if you really like the teacher, you’ll like to spend time with them,” junior Julia Huss said. “Maybe some students just don’t want another class and use a TA period just to lay low and do their own thing.”

Tamara Givens, GBHS’ Activities Director, says that although TA periods provide a break for stressful students, they still remain active while helping teachers.

¨They are super helpful!,” Givens said. “They do so many things for us — copying everything every (student government) needs for their commission, typing things and helping with thank you notes. They really help provide support for our class.”

Givens also mentioned that she doesn’t have too many TA’s, fearing that she won’t have much for them to do.

Many students typically don’t have much responsibility and use it as a way to get caught up with academics or take a break from a rather stressful day.

Junior Emily Franklin says that she had almost no work to do and would just walk around campus or go work on projects in the art room in order to pass the time. ¨I think many people TA because they either like the teacher or they just want to take an easy class,¨ Franklin said.

There are several requirements for becoming a TA,

including a GPA of 2.5 or better, UC/CSU eligibility, no outstanding fines and more.

A student also cannot TA for a class more than once a year. Huss has taken one TA period, as well as three classes of Library Science.

“When I TA’d for a teacher, I never did anything and when I TA’d for the library, I did have work, but it was never crazy or invasive,” Huss said.

Huss says that she did use her TA period to leave campus so she could have lunch with her sister, but she always came back.

Students also have the option to become a TI, or Teacher’s Intern, if they’re interested in a particular course.

Junior Alec McAlistar says that some students may have been asked to be TI’s from former teachers due to their involvement and enjoyment in the class.

His TI position for Japanese teacher Naoko Eshbaugh requires him to not only handle the normal responsibilities of a TA, but also teach the class new concepts when the teacher is either busy or not present.

TI’s have more responsibilities, as they must participate in class lessons as a stand-in teacher.

The TI application states that, “Students will take an active, involved role in developing course material and delivering or assisting with the delivery of course material as per the teacher’s direct supervision and guidance.”

Junior Benjamen Gould is also a TI for Advanced Placement Psychology with Linda Dickson and says that his job includes running errands, grading papers and helping the students if it’s necessary.

“My main goal in this class is to help Mrs. Dickson out.” Gould said. “She’s done a lot to help me out and I just want to try and give back to her and help her as a TI.” Gould says that deciding to become either a TA or TI depends on how much interest you have in the subject and how much you know about the subject area as well.

“With a TI position, you might need to pull a little more from your knowledge in comparison to becoming a TA.” TA and TI applications for the 2016-17 school year are available in the front office and are due by Feb. 12.

“I think many students who sign up to TA are asking teachers they have liked and connected with and so they really do want to help that person,” Givens said.

“Kids like to be useful and helpful.”

Approaching March SAT calls attention to changes The class of 2017 as well as younger students prepare for the first administration of revised test

BY NATASHA CHANDA

T

nchanda.gazette@gmail.com

he SAT is something almost every high school student experiences during their educational career. Along with Adavanced Placement classes and Honors courses, it is just as important of a factor in the admissions process for colleges.

Up until 2005, the SAT had been scored on a 1600 point scale, consisting of one 800 point math section and one 800 point verbal section.

However, a separate writing section was then added, making the test out of a possible 2400 points. For the past few years, the SAT has been scored on this scale, with a possible 800 points in three categories – math, reading, and writing.

In 2015, The College Board decided to revert to the original format of one math section and a combined reading and writing section, which brought it back to a total of 1600 points.

A numerous amount of structural changes have been made, including reducing the amount of answer choices from five to four, adding a non-calculator portion to the test and assigning fewer sections with longer time limits.

Additionally, the SAT essay portion has become optional and has gone from a general argument essay, where students stated their position and provided examples, to a rhetorical analysis.

David Tastor, an English teacher at Granite Bay High School, as well as an instructor for the English portion of the SAT, believes the essay is definitely more challenging for those students who have not taken AP Language and Composition in their school career.

“I would encourage students who want to do well on the SAT– even if they’re not AP English type students – that they at least take AP Lang,” Tastor said. “Rhetorical analysis is such a core foundation piece of writing in AP Lang, so the students will have that opportunity to see that and practice it and hopefully be successful with it.”

Of the three types of essays AP Lang covers, rhetorical analysis is one of them, allowing students who take the course a deeper insight of what will be presented on the new SAT. Aside from the essay, the remaining portion for the English section of the test has only changed in terms of the way questions are asked.

“Now you have more reading,” Tastor said. “The old exam went in chronological order, but the new exam doesn’t, so now you actually have to read the material.

It’s more strategy based – in the old exam, you didn’t have to deal with the content so much. You can’t do that anymore because the chronology is gone.”

The new SAT workshop offered at Granite Bay High School will focus on the application of content, which the test emphasizes.

The number of possible points isn’t the only thing that is changing. There seems to be a noteworthy shift in content, especially in the math section.

Previously, math scores were statistically higher than critical reading scores, but it seems like the new test might turn that statistic around.

While talking to students about their PSAT scores, many were surprised that their reading scores went up, but disappointed that their math scores went down.

Scott Becker, the instructor for the math portion of the SAT workshop offered at GBHS, as well as a Calculus teacher here on campus, believes the most significant change in the SAT is the increase in reading, especially for the math section.

“The biggest thing is almost everything is presented in context now, which means that there is just a ton of reading in the math part,” he said.

Along with a new way of presenting the questions, new concepts are also being introduced.

“They added some actual mathematical content, so they have things like trig … they have nonlinear systems, and they have more statistics stuff, like standard deviation,” Becker said. “There’s also a huge focus on linear functions.”

Since the new SAT is yet to be administered in March for the first time, study materials are limited.

Khan Academy and The College Board have teamed up and provided 4 practice tests along with free test prep for those who are preparing for the March test and onwards.

It is well known that practice definitely does make perfect, especially for the SAT. “It has to become habit, and not just a one time thing,” Tastor said.

Regardless, the lack of practice tests available can be concerning.

“In order to do well on the test, you have to under stand the material,” Becker said. “The best way to study has always been to take the actual tests that The College Board publishes.”

But how are students expected to practice when only

Student

Spotlight Ivy Liu

Gazette photo /ISABELLA TKACHUK

The College Board released its first practice book for the redesigned SAT, containing 4 new tests. four tests are available?

Becker emphasizes that finding materials as similar as possible to those presented by The College Board will be the best course of action for those looking to score well on the new tests.

With the new content, structural change, and lack of study materials, deciding which test to take – the old version or the new – has proven to be quite the struggle for the class of 2017.

Some have even decided not to focus on the new SAT at all, due to the change, and instead focus on the ACT. Junior Alex Dillabaugh chose this course of action to avoid the shift in SATs. “I wanted to study the whole year for one test and not have to switch what I’m studying from the old SAT to the new SAT,” Dillabaugh said.

Some of the students have found it difficult to switch from studying for the old SAT to studying for the new SAT. To them the shift seems awkward in the middle of the year.

“You have to prepare for two tests if you plan on taking both of them, so it’s a lot of preparation,” junior Autumn Mannsfeld said.

Regardless of the challenges, many students still plan to take the new SAT along with the old in order to have both for their college applications.

This raises confusion with how colleges will interpret two separate scores from different versions of the test.

“With colleges, I think it will be confusing having both scores,” Mannsfeld adds.

The change is inevitable for the new SAT. The faster people get used to it, the easier it will be for them to master the new form of the test just as efficiently as the old.

“I don’t know that the test is harder than it was,” Tastor said. “I think it will be more manageable for the students.”

Mannsfeld agrees.

“After taking the current version of the SAT, I think I will be more prepared,” she said.

SEX ED: Some CDC required lessons are neglected in favor of comfort Continued from page B1

body who knows what they’re talking about rather than someone who doesn’t,” Smith said. “(Teachers) should have their students feel comfortable to come to them about that sort of thing.”

Still, there are certain things health teachers cannot discuss with their students.

“There’s a movie called ‘Teachers,’ where a teacher actually gives a student a ride to (an abortion clinic),” MacLeane said. “And of course, gets fired for that, as they should.

“I’ve had one student ask me to take them to a doctor … They thought they had testicular cancer and there was no dad, just a mom.

Instead, I phoned his mom and gave her this information, and she made an appointment. I will connect (students) with the information that they need.”

Terry Stafford, who also teaches health and safety at GBHS, attributes the discrepancies in instruction to different teaching styles.

“Whether it’s our sex-ed unit, or our decision-making unit, everyone teaches it a little bit differently,” Stafford said.

FAST FACTS Percentages of high schools that teach CDC topics w85.5 teach the importance of using condoms consistently and correctly. w79.4 teach how condoms can be obtained. w81.3 teach how to correctly use a condom. w89 underscore the importance of limiting the number of sexual partners.

Gazette photo /AISHWARYA PATTNAIK

Gazette: What has been your best high school experience?

Liu: I really liked Powderpuff because it’s an opportunity to show how tough girls are. Also, it’s a fun time to bond with your class.

Gazette: What are you excited for in the future?

Liu:I look forward to living in new places and meeting new people.

Gazette: What do you do in your free time?

Liu: During my free time, I like to craft and DIY. I like to see my ideas turn into creations.

Gazette: How do you feel about IB? Liu: IB is a lot of work. I’m still waiting to see how it will benefit me in the future.

-Compiled by Aishwarya Pattnaik

Drumming our way to success.

The Gazette.

Source: CDC

Friday, February 5, 2016

Lifestyle B5

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Foreign languages overlooked on campus Students recognize lack of variety offered at GBHS

BY NASEEHA ISLAM

nislam.gazette@gmail.com

Calendars have always been dotted with miscellaneous holidays that most people don’t pay attention to. One of these is International Mother Language Day, which takes place each year on Feb. 21.

While Granite Bay High School prides itself--and rightfully so-- on its foreign language program, other languages represented on campus often go under the radar.

Though only three languages – Spanish, French and Japanese – are taught at GBHS, these are definitely not the only ones on campus or nationwide.

English and Spanish are the predominant languages in the U.S., but there are nearly three million people in the country who speak Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, and other dialects included), and millions more who speak others such as Hindi, Arabic or Russian.

Vincent Cheung, a GBHS senior bilingual in Chinese and English, realizes the importance of these quickly growing languages.

“I was born here (in the U.S.), but then moved to China,” Cheung said. “But knowing that I will go back (to China), I think (knowing Chinese) is very necessary.”

Despite the fact that only three languages are offered at GBHS, students still have the opportunity to take various foreign language exams offered by the College Board.

The College Board has Advanced Placement and SAT II Subject Tests available for foreign languages such as Chinese, German and Italian, among others.

How To:

Some other popular languages, while not having a standardized test or class, are still native tongues to some GBHS students.

Freshman Navya Kompella speaks Telugu, a language from southern India.

“It’s not a very well known language and I still speak it a lot at home,” Kompella said. “I take Spanish at school ... because it has a lot of utility value in the United States.”

Kompella, however, would be interested to see GBHS incorporate some other languages into its curriculum.

“Before, Spanish, French and Japanese were the most prominent languages, but I think Chinese and Hindi would also be really cool if those were school languages,” Kompella said. “I would definitely take Hindi.”

Although they are not offered on campus, GBHS administration does recognize the wide array of languages spoken by students.

Even if people would like to see more languages offered, the process is easier said than done.

“At most schools, it’s a matter of what’s the most (useful) language for the most kids,” Assistant Principal Jessup McGregor said. “In California, it’s Spanish obviously.”

More than anything, the school simply reflects what the community would like to see taught.

“I think if the community were to say ‘Hey, could you offer Arabic?” and we could find an Arabic teacher, I think that we could probably do it,” Spanish teacher Jennifer Hill said.

GBHS used to have other foreign language opportunities which have since been replaced.

“I know in the past we used to also offer German,” Hill said. “But the interest for it died down, so the German teacher left and a Japanese (teacher) came in.”

Inevitably, the school budget also comes into play in regards to adding or changing foreign language classes.

“We only get so many sections that we’re allowed to

Random...

Facts

BY NATASHA CHANDA

nchanda.gazette@gmail.com

1) The French call leapfrog “saute-mouton,” which translates literally as “leap sheep.”

2) People born on Feb. 29 are called “leaplings” or “leapers.”

3) It is against Michigan state law to tie a crocodile to a fire hydrant.

4) If you were driving 60 mph in a car, it would take 271 years and 221 days to get to Mars from Earth.

5) If the sun were the size of a white blood cell, then the Milky Way Galaxy would be the size of the United States.

Live in the moment 1) Take it easy 2) Don’t think about the future too much 3) Put down the iPhone - Compiled by Ali Lemos offer on campus, because each section essentially costs a piece of the budget,” McGregor said. “So if we were to add a Chinese class, we’re going to take away some other class. That again would be removing an opportunity from another kid. It’s just a tough balance because no matter what you do, you’re going to make somebody happy and somebody upset.”

Even though GBHS may not be able to add new classes easily, there are still opportunities for bilingual students.

The State Seal of Biliteracy allows students to apply for official recognition for mastery of their non-English language, disregarding whether they took a class on it or not.

“If you go to the registrar (at the GBHS office), there is a form for how to apply for the seal of biliteracy,” Hill said. “So if you do speak another language at home, often times, you just have to prove it.”

The “proof” part of the process may be where students run into obstacles. Luckily, there are multiple options available.

“There are different ways to verify that you’ve taken (the course). Obviously if you’ve taken courses...at a

college or university, you can transfer (the credits) here and show that as proof,” Hill said. “Some people, if they’ve grown up speaking the language, (are offered) exams.”

Though students can obtain the Seal in their senior year, some are already planning ahead.

“I’d take it if they had it at the school … so I can be certified and show it to colleges,” said sophomore and Russian-speaker David Zagaynov.

Despite these options, however, many feel that the language they speak at home is often overlooked at school among other students.

“No one’s aware of it really, but I don’t know how it could be incorporated,” Zagaynov says. “It’s just the culture here ... Russian is just not a part of it.”

Cheung agrees with Zagaynov in regard to language recognition.

“I do feel ... that (Chinese) is excluded and I think that it is too hard to incorporate,” Cheung said. “One may not be able to learn both how to speak and how to apply (the language) at the same time. Doing so is a very big challenge and requires time.”

Club

Club

Club Name: Go Green Club President: Colette Curran

Student

What is the purpose of your club?

The purpose of the club is to establish a more environmentally-sound school and community.

Chloe Miller Gazette photo /ALI LEMOS

When do you meet?

Our club meets every Thursday for club meetings and every Friday for paper recycling. We also occasionally have weekend events.

Gazette: Do you go to a lot of school events?

How was the club created?

My friend Christina and I both saw a great need for more sustainability at our school and in the community. At the beginning of my junior year, Christina and I met to discuss how we would launch the Go Green Club

Chloe: I wish I could go to more dances and games and the dance shows.

What do you do in your club?

Our club participates in school and community events.

- Compiled by Carissa Lewis

Uber drivers on campus

- Compiled by Anjali Shrivastava

Chloe: I sometimes go to dances and sometimes go to football and basketball games.

Gazette: Are there any events you wish you could go to?

Gazette: Which event is your favorite?

Chloe: My favorite was the homecoming dance this year.

Gazette: What stops you from going to these events?

Chloe: Swim and swim and swim. .

- Compiled by Ali Lemos

WALLS: Two day on-campus program

Spanish teacher Mike Trout explains his second job affects many to see campus in different light

BY MEAGAN TALLMAN

mtallman.gazette@gmail.com

Uber, the transportation trend sweeping the nation, has attracted both riders and drivers to partake in the company. In both big cities like Los Angeles and small suburbs like our very own Granite Bay, Uber is on the scene ready to fulfill its mission statement of making transportation “as reliable as running water, everywhere, for everyone.”

Odds are that you or someone you know has ridden in an Uber, but what about driven one? Granite Bay High School’s very own Michael Trout is on the staff of reliable Uber drivers, and sat down to give an inside scoop to his entertaining side job.

Early in this past fall semester, Trout caught wind that a buddy of his had been driving for Uber to earn a little extra cash, being that he was retired. Trout himself figured some extra spending money never hurts, and thought the job seemed simple enough, so in October of 2015 Trout was an official member of the Uber team.

“The process was easy,” Trout said about the barriers of getting the job. “I just bought a brand new Toyota Corolla and I went. They make you get a vehicle check and submit a background check, which they take care of in a couple of days.

After that I was driving within the week.”

The only rules are to “have a newer car in working and clean condition and (a clean) driving ... and

criminal record need to be clean,” he explained.

Simple as that. Trout was quickly on his way transporting passengers from here to there and earning some side money. Though many passengers are friendly and make his job pretty easy, Trout had one gentleman that took him on a wild goose chase throughout the night. “(The) rider got into my car and (asked if I would buy) meth and marijuana (from him),” Trout said.

Not a promising start, but the saga continued.

“I ended up driving him to several destinations and my fear was that he was using me to get him around to make deals ... I don’t know how he kept getting me as a driver, but every time he requested a ride – three times – I ended up being the driver that got his ping. And I didn’t know it was him because he used a different name for each pick up,” Trout said.

“On the last trip he was yelling at gang members and threatening people out of my window as I drove by,” Trout said. “He kept referring to me as his brother and promised that if he could, he would take me to Mexico with him and we would get to be with all of the women in the world there.”

This was not an invitation Trout felt any inclination to accept, however he had to continue his duty in driving him and the fella wasn’t quite ready to call it a night.

“He insisted at the end of the night that we go to Del Taco and that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He

made me order the most expensive things on the menu and as I drove him home he stated that he thought he had dropped a ‘blunt’ in my car.

I tried to find it, but couldn’t,” Trout said. “Finally, the next day, a self described ‘pot head’ (who happened to be a nurse at a local hospital) got into my car, and smelled the “blunt”. She asked that if she found it, could she keep it? I told her that I had already looked everywhere and that I could not find it. After she got out, I looked around once more, found it, and threw it in the nearest trash container as fast as I could.”

So the moral of the story – while the more subdued rider makes a drivers job easy as can be, Ubers also run the risk of encountering more, interesting riders like this man.

Equally entertaining for Trout – though quite a bit less risky than the man offering drugs and getaways to Mexico – was the time he picked up a group of GBHS students.

“One time I had a group of students who were saying some very embarrassing things about themselves in front of me and then it wasn’t revealed until the very end of the trip that I was a teacher and that they happened to be students at GBHS. It was very awkward … more for them than myself,” he explained.

These experiences haven’t left Trout fazed though. So, Granite Bay, next time you call up an Uber, there’s a chance it could be your Spanish teacher!

Continued from page B1 group activities and small group activities, giving students a wide range of options to express their emotions.

“My favorite part was the small group activities,” senior Nicole Zenzola said. “(They) was personal, (but) fun.”

However, for some students opening up doesn’t come naturally.

Luckily they were not required to.

“The cool thing about this program is that ... you were able to match the level of engagement with your comfort level,” assistant principal Melanie Anvari said.

Some participants believe that people will push the lessons they

acquired to the back of their minds.

“If we did this stuff more regularly, not necessarily a big event, but to remind student that there are people who are going through things, it would help,” De La Torre said.

De La Torre said she hopes GBHS will include reminders in the bulletins more frequently to keep the spark alive.

While the outcome was satisfactory, students and teachers felt that more people would have participated if they didn’t have to miss class.

“If (more) people had taken the time to attend, BDTW could have really changed the school for the better,” De La Torre said. “I don’t

regret missing class, and (I) recommend it to everyone.”

While it is understandable that students are concerned with academics, feeling comfortable in the classroom environment is more important for many.

“Yes, we’re a school and academics are important but how could you learn if you don’t feel comfortable or safe or feel that someone understands you,” Anvari said.

Overall, the response to BDTW has been positive.

“It is such a blessing to have this opportunity to learn about other people and make more friends on campus,” Gallegos said.

HIRING: Teachers leave, students suffer Continued from page B2

Lyu said she believes that the administration needs to reflect upon its hiring hiccups.

“The lesson our administration has to learn from this mistake is that we have to be vigilant about this from the get go,” Lyu said. “We need to plan well enough that this isn’t an issue we have to deal with.”

The problems that long term substitutes present are obvious. But are they avoidable?

Principal Jennifer Leighton explained that the school is often limited in being able to employ qualified teachers for temporary positions.

“You have to understand that in a lot of cases, veterans aren’t going to apply for a temporary position because they are already in a tenured position,” Leighton said. “And they’re not willing to give that up for a temporary position.”

Leighton explained that the temporary nature of the contracts is the biggest reason that the hiring pool from which we can choose long term substitutes can be so small, or nonexistent in our case.

“It does not count towards the probationary (years that) the (teachers have to complete before they can get tenure),” Leighton said. “So, for instance, say that you start at the middle of the year, and you turn out to be really great. That half a year does not count towards your two years towards getting your tenure.

Those don’t count towards permanent status, so if you do get hired after that, you’re starting at ground zero. So, that’s why (temporary contracts are less appealing).”

While Leighton said that she understands where the students are coming from, she said she believes that the administration is doing the best that they can with the limited resources that they have.

“It’s just education,” Leighton said. “Everyday, I worry about who’s going to be out, because every day is an important day of instruction. There are great subs, and there’s some people subbing who frankly just couldn’t get a full time job. But without that help, we wouldn’t be able to do what we needed to do to run the school.”

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Gazette illustrations/HANNAH XU

0

1 r

Confusion arises regarding Math XL

Students find frustration but also benefits through online homework

BY HANNAH XU

M

hxu.gazette@gmail.com

having such quizzes infuriating. ath XL, an online homework system, has been used in the Honors Precalculus “It’s (upsetting that quizzes) are graded by a classes at Granite Bay High School. The computer,” Shaharova said. “(I) could have gotten program is designed so students are able to go over the answer right but because (I write the answer) math problems, see solutions, and the step-by-step differently it doesn’t count.” process to solving a problem.

However, Shaharova appreciates the option to see Both David Laughrea and Darrin Pagel use Math how to solve the problem should the answer be inXL in their Honor Precalculus class, and have correct. There are also unlimited tries on replaced traditional homework in the homework, allowing for a fuller grasp 2014-15 school year. on any one concept.

Math XL is a Since having transferred to online This asset is one of many qualities homework, many students have comgood concept, about Math XL that students find benplained about the sometimes confuseficial. but it can be ing transition.

“I like that you have more time to (incredibly) For some, it was a matter of simply complete (your homework),” junior not understanding the functions of frustrating.

Madelin Mitchell said. the site. For others, having to type in The proper utilization of Math XL answers and graph functions on some– junior Madelin should provide a comprehensive and thing other than paper was a novel detailed understanding of each concept Mitchell experience that took a few weeks of taught in Honors Precalculus. getting used to.

However, many students still prefer Junior Kamelia Shaharova was one paper homework over online homeof those who found getting used to the work. system difficult.

“At least on paper homework, as long as you “It (got) really frustrating putting in the correct show the work and show that you grasp what answer but ... forgetting something like a comma you’re learning then you can at least get credit for (and getting the problem wrong),” Shaharova said. you work,” junior Megan Le said. “On Math XL, As more and more students began to complain you’re automatically marked incorrect and it’s about the use of online homework, the idea of traredundant to have to go through the whole process ditional homework was reconsidered. However, the again.” option was vetoed as it seemed more efficient and Math XL will always be a subject of mathematiconvenient to use Math XL. cal controversy, especially as it battles against the An asset of Math XL is that there are chapter traditional paper homework students are used to. quizzes once a student completes all assignments.

“Math XL is a good concept,” Mitchell said, “but These quizzes are timed, and count towards the it can be (incredibly) frustrating.” grade, and because of this many have considered

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C1

Friday w February 5, 2016

COMMENTARY

cole kahmann ckahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Fans should be considered before teams relocate

R

ecently a National Football League team, the Rams, moved from St. Louis, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California.

The move was possible because Los Angeles, a city with a huge sports market, was lacking a football team.

In fact, the league is so eager for a team in LA, the option was open for two other NFL teams alongside the Rams and is still open for the San Diego Chargers.

Obviously, moving to LA would be an opportunity the majority of franchises and owners would jump at because they are expected to see a major increase in profits.

However, changing cities with the motivation of making more money isn’t beneficial to the league or its fanbase.

California is already the home of three franchises, the San Diego Chargers, San Fransisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.

Adding the Rams makes four total NFL teams in California. That means nearly 12.5 percent of all NFL teams are in this state, a number unproportional for the overall By moving amount of states. This locations, you could statistic lose a massive could even amount of loyal grow more fans of all ages unproportional with the that have come addition of together and the Chargers. supported the On the other team during years hand, Misof winning and souri has a losing seasons. grand total of zero NFL teams along with 28 other states.

This incident brings up a problem about what the sport stands for.

By moving locations, you lose a massive amount of loyal fans of all ages that have come together and supported the team during years of winning and losing seasons.

If our city lost one of our local teams, like the Sacramento Kings, our community would be furious as they are the only professional team for any sport near us. Despite their lack of winning seasons recently, the community takes a lot of pride being their fans.

Leaving the state sends a message that St. Louis did not support the franchise sufficiently and the team wants to find a new home.

Moving teams for economic reasons is unfair to large populations of people, moving to a state that has three other NFL teams with established fanbases is even more useless.

I’m sure the rams will largely increase their profit, but I’m also confident that they will let down a lot of people and the new people they will reach already have plenty of teams to root for.

Its simply a matter of putting money before the state of the sport as a whole, and it has its repercussions.

When it comes to professional teams, it’s about bringing pride to a city and state: moving teams to make more money is harmful to fanbases and national interest in professional sports. *** Cole Kahmann, a junior, is a Gazette sports editor.

Gazette Photo/CARISSA LEWIS

The Tribe cheers on the boys’ varsity basketball team during a home game against Oak Ridge on January 22.

GBHS winter sports season begins

Boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball and wrestling hope for success during the 2016 winter season

W

BY COLE KAHMANN

crossed.”

ckahmann.gazette@gmail.com

There’s a lot of things we can still improve on, but by the end of the season we should be pretty strong.

resting: While the mens’ wresting team has only participated in two major matches this year, the team has high expectations for the future.

“As a team we really want to win the league tournament,” varsity wrestler Jack Ramalia said.

The team has started the season strong beating a competitive Woodcreek program, but they suffered a loss to Del Oro High School in their second meet.

With their loss to DOHS, who Ramalia said he feels is the biggest challenge in the league, he understands the importance of their next big match against Folsom High School for their spot in the standings.

“We’re doing pretty well, not great,” Ramalia said. “There’s a lot of things we can still improve on, but by the end of the season we should be pretty strong.”

Womens’ Basketball: As the Lady Grizzlies approach the middle of their season, they have looked back at some great games and have some goals ahead.

“My favorite memory was when we went to Concord for the preseason because it was great team bonding,” varsity girls player Gabrielle Curran said. “We all got really close over the weekend and it was a lot of fun.”

This team chemistry is leading to some growth on the court.

GBHS athletes participate in different pregame rituals Sports teams have superstitions that they believe will have a positive impact on their performance Likewise, Cristiano Ronaldo does his hair at halftime so that he does not play both halves of his soccer game with the same hairstyle.

Pregame rituals provide familiarity to athletes, making them more comfortable and relaxed before

Wallace prayed over a gatorade bottle labeled sthompson.gazette@gmail.com “holy water” before each game and would proceed Bad luck looms over to squirt each teammate in any sporting event, and the face with the water. athletes pray or perform “Some (team members) bizarre rituals to avoid were a little shocked when such misfortune. Varyit was coming, but they ing from eating particular ended up getting used to foods on game days to it,” said Wallace. “Toputting your right shoe on ward the end of the year, before the left to listening they were just happy and to specific warm up music, Toward the end of the laughed when they were athletes give themselves blessed because it became confidence and an illuyear, they were just a team joke.” sion of control over their The “holy water” tradiupcoming sporting events. happy and laughed tion started one day when A superstition is said to when they were Wallace let teammate be an unjustified belief blessed because it Brigid Bell drink some of in supernatural causation leading to certain consebecame a team joke. her water before a game.

“The next game she was quences of an action or an on fire and played the best event. There may be no – Carly Wallace, game I’ve ever seen her way to predict the future or change the course of varsity volleyball team play with kills left and right.” Wallace said. its events, but athletes can She then decided the water increase their own self was lucky, proceeding to efficacy because there is “bless each person with no cost of doing a ritual, if a sporting event. the water so they would anything, it could help.

For the girls’ volleyball play well in the next game.

Few sports are immune As a group, the GBHS to ritual. Basketball legend team, “holy water” blessed each player before every varsity swim team engages Michael Jordan, would game, potentially resulting in huge group cheers and wear his North Carolina team warm up and warm baby blue basketball shorts in the DII section title this past season. downs. under his Bulls uniform See SUPERSTITION , page C3 Junior Carly because they were lucky.

BY SAVANNA THOMPSON

– Jack Ramalia, varsity wrestler “We’ve come close to beating some teams that we went into the game thinking we didn’t have a chance,” Curran said. “We almost win but we fall behind in the third or fourth quarter.”

Despite their injury plagued season, the girls are looking to move onto the playoffs if they win the rest of their regular season games.

“We are hoping to make it to the playoffs,” Curran said. “Our fingers are

Boys’ basketball: The men’s basketball team is approaching the end of their season and they have a lot to build off.

The team is 16-4 thus far putting them very high in the league standings.

Senior varsity player Kovey Palmaer attributes their success to the personality of the team and they way they have come together.

“The fact that nobody on our team is selfish has been key,” Palmaer said. “As well as knowing each other pretty well.”

The team is looking forward to their big rematch against Folsom High School.

“We badly want to beat (Folsom) and it would be a great win for us.” Palmaer said.

The team is hoping to carry their success throughout the season and into the playoffs.

“We want to get to the 20 win mark and go further in playoffs than we have in the last few years.” Palmaer said.

Beach volleyball rises in popularity NCAA adds the game as an official sport for this season

BY BRIGID BELL

bbell.gazette@gmail.com

As soon as Kerri Walsh and Misty May won their second gold medal in a row at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and simultaneously became household names, beach volleyball experienced a significant increase in popularity.

No longer was it a sport for just Southern California supermodels, but people all over the country began to play.

Fast forward eight years, and beach volleyball is entering its inaugural season as the 90th NCAA Championship sport. Just under 60 teams are competing in both Division I and Division II this year and as Sacramento State coach Ed Jackson said,

Special to the Gazette/PAM KASEL

Seniors Ashley Waid and Clair Kasel prepare to return a serve during a beach volleyball game at Livermore Park.

“the number of athletes As much as a player’s looking to play beach volversatility is valued right leyball is going to continue now, both Jackson and to increase exponentially.” Wallace said they see the Jackson, who also sport progressing so that helped to start the program it’s much more than a at the San Francisco Art supplement to indoor volInstitute, is in his second leyball. year with the Sac State “It’s going to become beach program. less of an activity and “Beach volleyball is more of an actual competireally exploding,” Jackson tion and game,” Wallace said. “It’s becoming the said. norm from a recruiting “We don’t have the standpoint to find and resources in place yet recruit athletes that want to to have a beach-only do both – that want to play program” Jackson said. beach in the spring and “Right now, we just also want to play indoor in wanted to get the program the fall.” off the ground”.

Granite Bay High The Hornets seem to be sophomore Carly Wallace succeeding. is a rising beach volleyball Although beach is in player, and she shares the its first official year as an same perspective.

NCAA sport, unofficial “Coaches like to have a teams have been around diverse player (who plays) since as early as 2009, both indoor and beach,” when the plans for the she said.

See VOLLEYBALL, page C3

inside sports Fan of the month

C2

Grizz Quiz

C3

For the record

C5

Wrestling Athletes on the GBHS wrestling team hold state rankings going into this season

C2

Signing Day GBHS students sign their letters of intent to continue to play their sport at the college level

C4

Snow Sports GBHS students react to the increase in snow and how that influences snow sports

C4

Friday, February 5, 2016

Sports C2

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS wrestlers look to place at the top of state duels A few competitors are eyeing the top tournament

tournament.

“Out of every weight class they choose one wrestler from the lower (weights), one wrestler from the As winter begins to end, the GBHS wrestling team middle and one … from the upper weights,” Ramalia is getting ready for the postseason and the climb to said. “For the middle weights I won the outstanding the state tournament. wrestler.”

Since January 14th, the Grizzlies have been facThe GBHS wrestling room accompanies many ing off against league teams different skill levels however. Several in specific dual meets. More freshmen who had never participated in importantly however, wrestlers the sport before began this year. have been traveling almost every Max Shwartz, a GBHS freshman, is The Tim Brown weekend to compete at top level one of those wrestlers. tournaments. (tournament) went “I kinda did (wrestling) to get better Jack Ramalia, a GBHS junior, at football ... but I actually started to well, I beat the No. 4 really recently won one of these like it,” Shwartz said. tournaments. His 1st place finguy in the state, the Being in the same practice room as ish at the Tim Brown Memorial No. 5 guy in the state the more experienced competitors has tournament not only marked an influence on how some freshmen view and finally pieced achievement, but a transition in the sport. his season.

“It definitely makes me want to do everything together to “(The) season is going well, really well so I can eventually be as Special to the Gazette/JOHN SACHS get the job done. it started off a little slow for me successful as them,” Shwartz said. personally, but I’ve kinda been “We have some great wrestlers on our Junior Jack Ramalia performs a take down in the Tim Brown Memorial Tournament where he won the tournaments most impressive wrestler title two weeks ago. turning it up the past couple – Jack Ramalia, varsity wrestler team.” weeks,” Ramalia said.

The Grizzlies have also been gaining Ramalia said.

Losses to Folsom, Del Oro and Oakridge in dual GBHS wrestlers have been experience with transfer student Israel The road to state is a long one that begins this Febmeets have left GBHS out of the team league title. competing for about 3 months Saavedra. ruary 13th. Wrestlers who place at league will continCameron Young, a GBHS alumni and now assistant now - all preparation for the next Saavedra, a two time state champ from Modesto, ue to Divisions. The top wrestlers there will compete wrestling coach, has experienced different viewpoints coming weeks. was made eligible to wrestle this past month. at Masters, and only a handful in each weight class of the sport.

“The Tim Brown (tournament) went well, I beat According to CIF rules, transfer students can not will qualify to compete in the state tournament.

Ever since the addition of Oakridge and Folsom to the No. 4 guy in the state, the No. 5 guy in the state typically compete in a varsity sport for a few months At this point, the postseason will especially be the Sierra Foothill League, wrestling competition has and I finally pieced everything together to get the job in order to discourage and prevent students from about individual success for the Grizzlies. increased dramatically. done,” Ramalia said. transferring schools for athletics. “(As a team) we are kinda out of the league title “We are put in a pretty difficult spot in our league,” Tim Brown, a competition with about 70-80 teams, Saavedra will be in the hunt for another state title running, so the best we can hope for is to have every- Young said. “We aren’t the best team, but we have meant more for him though as he was awarded one of this March. He will not be the only one however. one compete to the best of their (individual) ability,” individuals that will go much farther than (the majorthree “most outstanding wrestlers” at the end of the “(My) one and only goal … is to win a state title,” Ramalia said. ity) of wrestlers from other teams.”

BY MATTHEW ONTIVEROS montiveros.gazette@gmail.com

Fan of the Month

GBHS senior shows off her school spirit in the Tribe

BY COLE KAHMANN

ckahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School senior Kassidy Henson is bringing fresh energy and ideas to the school student section, “the Tribe”.

Henson attends many sporting events, however, her favorite season is basketball season which is currently going on.

“Varsity basketball games are my favorite because they’re usually pretty close games which is exciting,” Henson said.

She loves the atmosphere the games create as the area for the fans and players isn’t that big, but it creates a space where the energy is

tightly packed in.

“I love sitting in the front row and cheering everyone on,” Henson said.

She also contributes more than the average Tribe member as she sometimes helps lead the Tribe alongside the other main leaders.

“Sometimes I try to be an assistant tribe leader and (the leaders) dig it, especially with Charlie out for basketball,” Henson said.

In agreement with many Tribe members, Henson feels that knowing the players and having relationships with them outside of the sport is what makes supporting the team so enjoyable.

“I think it’s more exciting when you have friends because you’re very excited when they do well,” Henson said. “You have a personal connection with them. You can hang out with them after the game and congratulate them on the win which is very cool.”

Henson is excited for the upcoming basketball games and the playoffs.

Henson is seeking to improve the Tribe by suggesting a new major change the Tribe has never seen.

“I think the Tribe should have a lady Tribe leader one day,” Henson said.

Whether or not the Tribe makes the change, Kassidy Henson is bringing qualities to the Tribe that it has never seen before.

Kassidy Henson

Henson enjoys attending basketball games as she can to cheer on the team and step into leadership roles for “the Tribe”.

GBHS student-athletes sign for colleges across the nation With the second and final signing day finished up, players decide where they will take their talents next year

BY JACQUELINE ROMERO jromero.gazette@gmail.com

For many Granite Bay High School students-athletes looking to continue their athletic career in college, signing day is one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Senior Savanna Thompson committed to play soccer at the University of San Diego during her sophomore year and said that ever since she has been anxiously waiting for the day she could officially be part of the team at her dream school.

“I am most excited to live in my favorite place and play the sport I love,” Thompson said. “I can’t wait to make new friends and compete against colleges from all over the west coast. I’m super competitive so I’m excited to tackle a new challenge.”

Along with many positive aspects to being an athlete at the collegiate level, there are also various challenges and difficulties that come with transitioning from a high school sport to a college sport.

“I’m most nervous for the summer fitness program and getting into shape for a college sport,” Thompson said. “It’s really difficult to get into that kind of shape.”

In addition to adjusting to life as a college athlete, GBHS signees are also

FAST FACTS

November and February Signing Dates Zac Anderson, Soccer, Brown University Jared Baer, LAX, Stevenson Justin Baer, LAX, Stevenson Bryan Baumgarten, Golf, University of Illinois Brandon Beland, LAX, University of Massachusetts, Lowell Emily DeMure, Volleyball, Penn State Will Duval, LAX, Manhattanville College Kassidy Henson, Swim, San Diego State University Carlin Isaacson, LAX, Villanova Sydney Larson, Swim, University of Houston Hunter Loomis, Soccer, United States Military Academy Ethan Quinn, LAX, Seton Hill Heaven Quintana, Swim, UC Santa Barbara

preparing to start a much anticipated beginning of the next part of their lives.

“I am most nervous about moving away from home and not having my family close by whenever I need them,” said Laura Perjanik, University of California, Riverside soccer commit. “But I am also super excited to start a new chapter of my life which will include me being independent and self sufficient.”

Senior Sammi Tafoya, a University of Redlands volleyball commit, said that she thinks the biggest difference between playing volleyball in high school compared to college will be the level of play.

“In high school there are girls who you play against who don’t really take the game seriously,” Tafoya said. “I think that in college people don’t really have a choice but to try and be the best they can be.”

In addition to the level of play changing, athletes will also have to adjust to the length of the season.

“Instead of playing a 27 game season, we will be playing close to a 60 game season,” said Michael Birch, Sacramento

Victoria Unger, Swim, Whittier College Alaigra Usher, LAX, Central Connecticut Gianni Cannon, LAX, University of Colorado Springs Kennedy Christie, Soccer, Azusa Pacific University Emma Darragh, Soccer, Illinois Wesleyan University Laura Perjanik, Soccer, UC Riverside Sammi Tafoya, Volleyball, University of Redlands Savanna Thompson, Soccer, University of San Diego Michael Birch, Baseball, Sacramento State University Early Graduates Maggie Bell, Soccer, University of California, Berkeley Jordan Holt, Soccer, University of Kentucky Compiled by/MATTHEW ONTIVEROS AND JACQUELINE ROMERO

State University baseball commit. “I’m going to need to balance the rigorous offseason and regular season with a tough academic schedule.”

When considering where to continue playing their sport, athletes have a lot to take into account before they give their verbal commitment.

“I picked University of Redlands because I wanted to go to a small school with good academics,” Tafoya said. “I also loved the campus and all the girls.

The coach was super kind and supportive.

I felt like I just fit in with the school.”

Thompson said that USD already had everything she wanted in a school, so

Get hypnotized by the Gazette.

when they offered her a spot on the team, it was an opportunity that she couldn’t turn down.

“USD has been my dream school since freshman year and I thought it would be a stretch for me to play there,” Thompson said. “The school has a reputation for excellent academics and is absolutely beautiful.”

Senior Emma Darragh has been committed to play soccer at Illinois Wesleyan University for about 5 months and she knew it was a perfect fit after visiting the school.

“I went to a soccer tournament over the summer and they approached me because

they were interested in me,” Darragh said.

“I went out and visited it. I felt like I fit in and the girls (on the team) were super nice.”

According to Tafoya, signing day, a day she has been looking forward to ever since she decided she wanted to play collegiate volleyball, is a special day because it makes something that was once a goal official.

“Signing day is something that all committed athletes look forward to,” Tafoya said. “It makes everything seem more real and it’s nice that the athletes get to sign at school alongside classmates with the same aspirations.”

Friday, February 5, 2016

Grizz Quiz

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Compiled by Isabella Tkachuk

Sports C3

Daeja Black Basketball

Darren Nelson Basketball

Jordan Riggs Lacrosse

Ribs

Fruit

Steak quesadilla from Taco Bell

Sushi

Pasta because it has a lot of carbs

How do you and your teammates get pumped before the game?

We just have a good time

We listen to pregame music

Staying loose and going over techniques

Talk each other up and loosen up

Listening to my pump up jams

What do you gain from playing the sport?

Work ethic and playing hard

I made a lot of friends and have a lot of fun playing

Work ethic applicable to anything

I learned values and who I am

I gain leadership

I probably would have played football

That would never happen #laxlife

Focus on academics and probably golf

Soccer

I would sit at home and watch television

Beating Jesuit

Playing against my Oakridge friends last year and beating them

Going to Florida for nationals

Traveling with my team and sharing experiences

Going to the Dallas Cup

What is your favorite pregame meal?

What would you do if you didn’t play the sport?

What is your best memory from playing the sport?

Jack Ramalia Wrestling

Zac Anderson Soccer

GBHS student-athlete succeeds in rugby and football

BY SONIA GARCHA

sgarcha.gazette@gmail.com

The Winter season is now in full effect which marks the return of Grizzlies in Winter sports.

Sophomore Kaipono Kayoshi is making his transition from football to rugby. He played on the JV team for football and will continue to play JV for rugby.

Introduced to the sport during his freshman year, Kayoshi soon after was awarded the Most Improved Player award.

“I was kind of scared at first because there were no pads and it was all full contact, but the coaches and players made it comfortable for me,

Kayoshi said. “I enjoy rugby because you don’t feel singled out and everyone gets to touch the ball and we have to get along to become a great team.”

Kayoshi said that the two sports are very different and it can be a lot of work to transition from the fall to winter season.

“The conditioning is way different. For football, we get a tackle, a huddle and a water break.

But for rugby, it’s nonstop,” Kaipono Kayoshi said. “There’s no pads so you just get out there, get low, tackle and don’t reach or you’ll get hurt.

There aren’t as many injuries (in rugby) so if you make it to the pros, your career span is much

longer than football.”

Kayoshi said he plans on getting an athletic scholarship for either football or rugby, however, after participating in both sports for two years, he prefers rugby.

“You know you always have your teammates right behind you,” Kayoshi said. “That’s the most comfortable feeling for me when it comes to sports.”

According to Kayoshi, Coach Steven Peart, also known as ‘Scuba’, can be lenient while also making sure the team is focused and can play at their best.

The team hopes to make it to playoffs in

April as they came up short in the previous year.

“I’m looking forward to winning a championship this year,” Kayoshi said.

Granite Bay is scheduled to play against Riordan High School in their next match which is on February 6th.

“I can’t wait for this amazing team to accomplish our goal and win a championship.” Kayoshi said.

VOLLEYBALL: High school participation is expected to rise Continued from page C1 sport were first announced.

Sacramento State’s team finished with an overall record of 6-8 last year, but the Hornets competed against some of beach volleyball’s most accomplished teams, including Stanford University.

Special to the Gazette /PAM KASEL Seniors Clair Kasel and Ashley Waid participated in a beach volleyball tournament over the summer to prepare for the fall season.

This year, the Hornets will compete in the Big community,” Jackson said.

The young beach volleyball community is volleyball movement is definitely going to the individual programs.

West Conference, But it might mean an uncertain future looking to expand into scholastic compegrow in the Northern portion of the state – The Hornets’ first home which, according for the local beach community. tition. and many GBHS players hope the school match will be against UC Coaches like to have Berkeley at the team’s to Jackson, means Avid beach volleyball player and GBHS The GBHS beach volleyball club has rides the wave. relatively little. been around off and on for the past four The addition of collegiate and ultimatea diverse player (who newest facility, Livermore senior Elizabeth Sciascia had more “A conference concern regarding the availability of the years. Other schools in the Sacramento ly high school beach volleyball programs Park in Folsom, on Saturplays) both indoor championship courts to the community. region that have club beach programs could eventually turn those scholastic and day, March 12. tournament …

“I’m sure it will alter our plans to pracinclude Oak Ridge, Ponderosa and Casa collegiate programs into a feeder system Sac State is switching and beach. is really the only tice there,” said Sciascia, who often plays Robles. for U.S. Olympic beach volleyball. venues to Folsom after event that we with friends at the Folsom facility.

But Northern California high school “We’ll probably see more of a standard playing previously at have slated for the Wallace’s reaction was different. players are having to catch up. progression from high school through colthe Watt Avenue softball – Carly Wallace, varsity volseason through “I think that they will inspire us to “It’s already started in SoCal,” said lege to the international levels,” Jackson complex. Jackson and the leyball player the conference,” become better players and rise to the ocWallace, who explained that high schools said. “It will probably become a feeder Sacramento State coachJackson said. casion,” Wallace said. in Southern California have established into our national pipeline.” ing staff were excited to The rest of the Both GBHS players agree on one thing competitive beach volleyball teams that What this means for high school volannounce their new match schedule is esthough – the addition of beach volleyball compete in leagues. leyball players is still uncertain, but one venue for this year. sentially separate at the collegiate level means more compeAccording to Mike Yates, a local club thing is clear, as Jackson put it: “The sport “We have a nice relamatches set up by tition, and ultimately, more opportunities. volleyball coach, the high school beach is just getting started.” tionship with the Folsom

SUPERSTITION: Athletes of all levels take part in rituals to prepare for their game Continued from page C1

“Before each meet starts, we either make up a new team cheer or use one of our classic ones,” said senior swimmer Macayla Thomas. “It’s really one of the most fun parts of a swim meet.”

The swim team must have found its mojo because they have been undefeated in Sierra Foothills League for the past 19 years for the boys’ programs and the past 20 years for the girls’ program.

“At big meets like SFL champs or sections, we all dress up in granite bay colors and grizzly clothes and then get into a giant group or split off into two groups and yell across the pool,” Thomas said.

In addition to the team’s cheers before meets to bring good luck, swimmer Kassidy Henson has superstitions of her own.

“When I’m behind the blocks, I don’t really talk to people. I go up (to the pool) and splash myself six times and then do this certain stretch.

Once the people who are swimming before me have about 50 meters left, I ask for God’s blessing on my swim, say that I honor the gift that he has given me, and thank him for giving me this opportunity. When I get on the blocks I clap five times, every time,” said Henson who repeats this same process before every meet in which she competes.

After watching her sister and her sister’s friends do those same stretches and claps as a kid, Henson has adopted these rituals.

“I’ve been praying before meets since I was old enough to determine what I believe to be true in regards to my relationship with God,” Henson said.

In the band program, a group of about fifteen students gathers before competitions to pray. This prayer circle is completely voluntary and led

by students.

Senior Trey Armstrong has participated in the band prayer since his freshman year, and he has led the group prayer for the last three competition seasons.

He said that he hopes the tradition will continue on past this year as the Emerald Brigade was the Class 4a Champion at the Western Band Association Championships this past November.

Such student led prayers are legal during any high school event or competition as long as a coach does not lead it or force the students to participate.

Not all athletes pray before their events. Superstitions account for a variety of curious behaviors.

“I see butterflies all the time, especially before soccer games,” said junior Gemma Rizzuto who plays for the girls’ soccer team. “If I see a black one, it means that we will win. If I see a white one, it means we will tie, and if I see a yellow one, it means we will lose. They are always right.”

After years of seeing butterflies, Rizzuto connected the result of a game with the corresponding color of a butterfly she saw that day. Her superstition has been prevalent since she was young.

“My grandma died when I was little, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve associated butterflies with her.” Rizzuto said.

While there is no proof that superstitions or rituals can alter the future or change an athlete’s performance, the comfort of knowing they have done all they could to prepare may put athletes’ minds at ease before they compete.

Prayers and other pregame traditions prevail on gymnasium floors, baseball fields, and the deck of swimming pools among the various locations to host a high school sporting event.

Gazette illustration/TROY PAWLAK

Sports C4

Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS Tribe remains fierce despite losing one leader

As Charlie Tooley leads the boys’ basketball team on the court as team captain, student section looks to keep spirit strong

BY ALI LEMOS

alemos.gazette@gmail.com

“I believe that we will win!”

This chant is a crowd favorite at many Granite Bay High School sporting events, especially basketball and football games.

The GBHS student section, commonly referred to as the “Tribe,” is lead by three or four appointed leaders who are in charge of beginning cheers and rallying students.

Leading the cheers this year are three GBHS seniors – Jack Willing, Joey Scotti and Charlie Tooley.

During football season, the leaders can be seen dressing up and leading chants for games However, during basketball season, one leader isn’t seen in the stands – he’s seen on the court.

Tooley, who has played varsity and served as captain for three years is an essential part of the Grizzlies’ basketball team.

But this does not mean that he doesn’t miss the excitement of directing the students.

“Leading the tribe is so fun and such a great experience,” Tooley said. “I miss Gazette photo/CARISSA LEWIS it a lot.”

While Tooley does miss leading the Tribe leader Jack Willing pumps up the crowd at the GBHS vs. Oakridge Boys’ basketball game, which the Grizzlies won 61-60. tribe, he has been able to gain some insight on how important the student secThe two other leaders, Willing and learned that it is just as important to listen to help lead. tion truly is, along with the inspiration that as it is to talk,” Tooley said.

Scotti, support Tooley decision to play Before the season begun, the leaders it gives players. basketball, although they did have to He is inspired by the very same chants discussed adding a “Tribe” leader just to “I’ve gained a new perspective about discuss how to proceed without him there that he leads at other sporting events. fill in for the basketball season. leadership after being on the court. I

~ snow hits the slopes El Nino GBHS skiers and snowboarders take advantage of the weather

BY BRAYDEN JOHNK

bjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

El Niño hasn’t disappointed this season. By providing the snowstarved Sierra Nevada Mountains with much needed snow, it is bringing many eager winter athletes out to the slopes.

The sought-after snow is providing a boon for winter sports and proving to be an off-the-chart comparison to the past few years where snowfall has been scarce due to California’s ongoing drought.

This season, early snowfall allowed some ski resorts to open as soon as Halloween weekend.

They have continued to benefit from consistent snowfall, with the Squaw Valley website reporting 113 inches of snow depth as of the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend.

With many avid Granite Bay High School skiers and snowboarders dreaming of a winter like this one, they are finally getting the opportunity to take advantage of these superior conditions.

One such GBHS student is Junior Isaac Alvi.

“I have been snowboarding about four or five times this season,” Alvi said. “I usually go to Boreal because I like the park but, sometimes I go to Squaw.”

Alvi just began snowboarding last year when friends urged him to try it.

“I wanted to try it and … I just went on top of the mountain, came down, and loved it,” Alvi said.

The frequent storms have brought quality snow that skiers and snowboarders are enjoying.

“The snow conditions are

great,” Alvi said. “I mean there’s so much powder up there; it’s just day and night difference from last year.”

GBHS sophomore Savannah Martin, who started snowboarding at age eight, has boarded at Sierra-at-Tahoe three times so far this season.

She agrees that the snow conditions are great this season.

Don’t be afraid to go on the hard (runs) because... this is the best time to learn.

– Savannah Martin, GBHS sophomore

“(The snow is) very powdery, and when you fall it doesn’t hurt,” Martin said.

Instead of snowboarding like Alvi and Martin, freshman Thomas Freeman prefers skiing.

“There’s really no rules to it and you can just go out there and do whatever you want and try new tricks,” Freeman said.

Freeman has been skiing numerous times this season.

“I’ve gone to Sierra and Northstar this year about 20 times,” said Freeman. “I went a little before Thanksgiving to Boreal because they opened first.”

Freeman also sees the difference

in snow conditions compared to last year.

“It’s a lot better. We’ve been getting storms pretty much every week, thanks to El Niño,” Freeman said.

The optimal snow conditions allow skiers and boarders to attempt new and sometime daring moves on the slopes.

“I was doing tight toe-side turns down this steep hill and …fell, and it was a pretty cool fall,” said Martin. “I almost…back flipped.”

While seemingly dangerous, these winter athletes aren’t afraid of anything.

“My friends…dared me to huck a back flip, and I hucked one off a 40-inch kicker,” Alvi said. “It was pretty dope.”

Freeman, who has been skiing since he was seven years old, has a unique perspective to his sport.

“It’s mostly just mental and a lot of stuff … scares you at first, but then once you do it, it’s fine,” Freeman said.

Martin agrees and urges others to get out and try it.

“Don’t be afraid to go on the hard [runs] because, especially since it’s nice snow, this is the best time to learn,” she said.

Snow sports offer something for everyone.

“Everybody should try to go up there and give it a try, it’s awesome,” Alvi said. “You won’t regret it, it’s so much fun.”

The abundant, fresh snow this season will keep the skiers and snowboarders coming back for more and more fun, likely through this spring.

“Yeah, I got a bunch of plans to go more this season,” Alvi said.

“I’m a big-time boarder.”

Sophomore gears up for another Varsity season Russell strives to succeed while maintaining valuable friendships

“We had originally talked about having an interim tribe leader for the basketball game, but the three of us decided that Jack and I could get the job done,” Scotti said.

GBHS Senior Brad Fina, who can be found in the student section at basketball games, agrees that the two leaders are executing their jobs well without Tooley.

The chants that the leaders use get not only the players but also the crowd excited to be in the gym.

“I like going to the basketball games a lot,” Fina said. “It’s fun to cheer on our team in the tribe when you know the players on both sides can hear you. You feel like you can make a little difference in the game.”

Cheering as one group raises the spirit of all involved, and during basketball season a new chant emerges because Tooley is on the court and not in the stands.

“My favorite chant is ‘Charlie Tooley’ because that usually means Charlie has just made a great play and we’re winning,” Fina said.

But that appears to be the only change in the student section.

“Besides yelling his name when he drains 3’s, nothing really changes with our chants,” Willing said. “Besides not having him out there (and) having a good time with (him), I don’t think there is a huge difference.”

While the student section wishes it could have Tooley, he is dedicated to the team.

“Roll out to the game this Friday,” Scotti said.

Adrienne Russell Sophomore has been playing on the Girls’ Varsity team since she was a freshman

BY KATIE COLOGNA

kcologna.gazette@gmail.com

Being on the Granite Bay High School’s Varsity Girl’s Basketball team since she was a freshman, sophomore Adrienne Russell is ready to shoot for her upcoming varsity years.

Russell’s basketball passion can be contributed to her dad’s love for the game.

“My dad loves basketball and played (it) growing up, so he taught us basketball,” Russell said.

11 years later, she is still playing the game and bringing all of her passion and skill on the court.

“I play a mix of point guard and shooting guard on the GBHS team,” Russell said.

With the length of time that she has played, there was definitely room for improvement.

“My skill has increased throughout my years of playing,” she said. “I have had different focuses of skills to learn as I have progressed in playing basketball, and right now I am working on rebounding and finishing.”

However, Russell doesn’t just play for GBHS exclusively.

“I have played for multiple teams outside of GBHS,” she said. “I am currently playing for an Amateur Athletic Union club team called Just Believe Sports.”

The GBHS varsity team is doing extremely well this season.

“We have improved since the end of last season and we work better together as a team,” she said.

Last year, Russell was a freshman on a varsity team, which she said was a big adjustment – but for the good.

“My favorite thing about playing for GBHS is being able to get to know upperclassmen, especially when I was a freshman playing on Varsity,” Russell said.

“I am friends with my teammates on and off the court,” she said. “We have really gotten to know each other from basketball camps, such as Chico which we do in the summer, and traveling tournaments.”

Russell doesn’t just have hopes for playing basketball in high school, she is also planning to continue her athletic career post graduation.

“I would love to (play) basketball in college, and I want to go to BYU,” she said.

Russell still has a long road ahead of her, but she is driven and willing to do whatever to accomplish her athletic career in the future.

Cheer for the winning team

Read the Gazette

Friday, February 5, 2016

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The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

Play to your own tune

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Friday, February 5, 2016

w The Granite Bay Gazette

SECOND LOOK

For the Record Boys’ Basketball wDec 10: GBHS 59, Plsnt. Grove 42 wDec 11: GBHS 53, Freedom 40 wDec. 12: GBHS 71, Mont.Trail 63 wDec 19: GBHS 67, Hawthorne 32 wDec. 28: GBHS 61, Davis 52 wJan. 2: GBHS 61, Franklin 36 wJan. 8: Folsom 62, GBHS 39 wJan. 12: GBHS 80, Rocklin 76 wJan. 15: GBHS 57, Del Oro 47 wJan. 19: Woodcreek 62, GBHS 57 wJan. 22: GBHS 61, Oak Ridge 60 wJan. 29: Folsom 74, GBHS 68 wFeb. 3: Nevada Union wFeb. 5: Rocklin wFeb. 8: @ Nevada Union wFeb. 10: Del Oro wFeb. 12: @ Woodcreek wFeb. 16: @ Oak Ridge Girls’ Basketball wJan. 8: Folsom 64, GBHS 48 wJan. 9: GBHS 71, Nev. Union 57 wJan. 13: Rocklin 55, GBHS 44 wJan. 15: Del Oro 52, GBHS 41 wJan. 20: Woodcreek 55, GBHS 50 wJan. 22: Oak Ridge 87, GBHS 44 wJan. 29: Folsom 65, GBHS 46 wFeb. 2: @ Nevada Union wJan. 5: vs Rocklin wFeb. 9: vs Del Oro wFeb. 12: @ Woocreek wFeb. 16: @ Oak Ridge Wrestling wJan. 14: @ Woodcreek wJan. 19: @ Del Oro wJan. 21: @ Oak Ridge wJan. 26: vs Folsom wJan. 28: @ Nevada Union wFeb. 3: vs Rocklin -As of February 2, 2016

Gazette photos /CARISSA LEWIS

wSenior Scott Henricks, top left, looks to drive the ball down the court. GBHS cheer flyers, top right, perform during the Boys’ basketball game. The Tribe, big middle, jumps up in celebration as Granite Bay defeats Oakridge by one point. Junior Darren Nelson, bottom right, concentrates to make a free throw. Nelson, middle left, pushes against defenders to make a basket. Chris Hurley, bottom left, throws the basketball up after being fouled. The GBHS cheer team, bottom middle, inspires basketball fans during the game.

GS The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide.

February 2016

GREEN SCREEN Take a look inside the National Parks of America

PAGES 10&11 Special to the Gazette /JENNAH QUNELL

Page 2

February 2016

sneak peek.

Gazette file photo/ KAT MCGRAIL

wSee page 8 for a peek at how students are spending Valentine’s Day

Special to the Gazette/JENNAH QUNELL

wSee pages 10 & 11 for a look at the best national parks

Special to the Gazette/ TREASA HAYES

wSee page 20 to see some of the best coffee shops

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question

T

Social media deviates from the norm

witter is arguably a great platform for voicing opinions, documenting it in some way. Everything you tweet, post and share being informed on recent political issues and retweeting will always be linked to your account, so it’s crucial to watch what relatable tweets that soothe our angsty teen souls. you tweet. The “savage” post may seem funny now and all those More often than not, Twitter serves as an outlet of pure enjoyretweets and favorites have probably filled your ego to the absoment aside from the occasional people who tweet about how often lute top. But just wait until that post comes back to haunt you, so I they work out, random song quotes or constant “like for a truth is,” hope you enjoy your 15 minutes of fame. (the trick is to mute all of them.)

Aside from the savage Twitter users that Yes Twitter is where you can express your cross the line by publicly shaming others, the opinions, but there’s a reason it has a 140 chartwittersphere also consists of those who think acter tweet limit. Some things you should just their everyday activities are worthy of being keep to yourself, and not share with the whole shared.

Twittersphere.

Hashtag no one cares that you got black Especially when it comes to voicing your beans instead of pinto. opinions in a negative and degrading way It’s amazing that think people actually care towards an individual or a group of people. about miniscule things that are only affiliPessimistic and cynical tweets just shows ated with the person tweeting it. I’m sure your audience that you love nothing more than the over-tweeter thinks everyone’s living putting on a show for your followers and pickfor their tweets, when in fact half of their ing apart a situation online instead of owning followers have either blocked or muted that up to it in person. user. The Twitter world consists of subtweetesharma.gazette@gmail.com There’s nothing I hate more than irrelevant ers, bullies and the user who thinks the world Twitter drama clogging up my Twitter feed, revolves around them. and honestly, if you really have beef with someone can’t you just But aside from the dark that is part of the Twitter world, there talk to them in person? It really shows your maturity level if you are users that shed light onto our feed. People that retweet funny live for causing fights and publicly harassing people online.

Youtube videos, Vines and the classic relatable tweet, are the true And once you tweet something of a certain extremity level, you heros of the social media platform. better believe half your followers screenshotted it and sent it in They are the rainbows at the end of the tunnel and their hilarious their group message. You can’t get away with “okay I deleted it, online actions overrides the negativity that taints Twitter. If I could it’s gone” – wrong. A social media footprint is almost impossible slide into the DM’s of every funny video retweeter and express my to erase due to the plethora of people that are capable of gratitude, I totally would.

COMMENTARY

epsa sharma

Guide to Green Screen

Page 3 Underrated movies Page 4 Play preview

Page 8 Valentines break ups Page 9 Galentines day

Page 5 Anti-V day movies

Page 10/11 National parks

Page 6/7 Food reviews

Page 12 Artist of the month

Page 13

Harry Potter

Page 14 Go gazette Page 15 Music reviews Page 16 Top tweets

Upcoming GBHS Events for February and march February 4 12 Angry Jurors play February 8 No school

March 5 SAT at GBHS Page 17 Coachella Page 18/19 Movie reviews Page 20 Coffee shop trend

February 2016

Page 3

underdog.

Top 10 Underrated Movies of 2015

The Granite Bay Gazette Presents: In no particular order...

BY AMANDA NIST

BY CONNOR HINSON

anist.gazette@gmail.com

chinson.gazette@gmail.com

Ex Machina: If a machine exhibits qualities which make it indistinguishable from a human, it is considered to be true artificial intelligence. This idea is at the core of Ex Machina: a smart, seductive sci-fi thriller which will leave you questioning your own origin. It stars only three actors – Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander – and takes place nearly entirely in one house, leading to a claustrophobic tone held for its entire 110 minute runtime. Ex Machina delivers on both a cinematic and intellectual level, posing mentally stimulating questions through the filmmaking itself. It is plodding without being boring, clever without being condescending and the best robot romance film you’ve never seen.

Advantageous: If heady, provocative, near-future science fiction is your thing (don’t kid yourself, it’s everyone’s thing), then chances are Advantageous is a film you will enjoy. Directed by Jennifer Phang, Advantageous tells a surprisingly modern story of ever-widening wage gaps and how they affect family life. Simultaneously, it brings up issues of family values and self- identity which are undeniably relatable. This film is also one of the few cases in which a child actor has given a believable and emotional performance.

Sicario: I had no doubt that Sicario would be excellent. It’s directed by Denis Villeneuve, one of the most talented directors working today, and stars Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, all of whom I would consider to be among my favorite actors. On the outside, Sicario appears to be an atypical thriller, following an FBI agent and her struggle in the drug war against Mexico. However, it cleverly subverts the genre leading to some of the most thrilling (and often revolting) sequences in recent memory. Sicario is not underrated because no one saw it or because it got poor reviews, Sicario is underrated because it is leagues more important than many reviews have given it credit for.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

It Follows: Due to the lack of memorable and exciting horror films of the 21st century, I had low expectations for It Follows. As seen in The Cabin In the Woods, all modern-day scary movies seemingly have the same plot, relying on jump scares and evil children to frighten viewers. “It” is a sexually-transmitted creature which is passed from person to person in the hopes of killing the person it follows. If “It” succeeds in the killing, it defaults back to the previous person. It Follows relies on vulnerability and uncertainty for its horror. It plays on the seemingly taboo topic of sex and creates a constant unsettling atmosphere. It’s a refreshing addition to the horror genre.

Goodnight Mommy: Not unlike It Follows, Goodnight Mommy gives hope that not all present day horror movies have the same plot, with the same typical scare tactics. Goodnight Mommy is an Austrian horror film directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. The film’s two main characters, twin brothers Lukas and Elias, believe that after returning home from a facial reconstruction surgery, their mother is not actually their mother, and as an audience, it’s hard to tell whether or not Lukas and Elias are crazy, deranged kids, or if their mother truly has been replaced by something evil. This movie gets pretty graphic and intense, so if you don’t have a strong stomach, or beetles and magnifying glasses give you the creeps, I suggest closing your eyes in certain parts. And, for those who aren’t extreme movie watchers or just don’t analyze frames and scenes hard enough, there is a surprise plot twist at the end which will leave your mind spinning.

American Ultra: As an avid fan of both Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, when I found out they were doing another movie together, I was ecstatic. Ever since I saw Adventureland, I fell in love with the on-screen chemistry between the two. American Ultra follows Eisenberg as he unknowingly becomes the target of a CIA mission.

As an anxiety-ridden stoner, he is completely terrified and confused, and he and Stewart, his girlfriend, have to continue to fight off agents, although they are unaware of who the people are and why they have been targeted.

Eisenberg and Stewart aren’t the typical badass crimefighters, but they do defend themselves in interesting ways, such as with a pan and a spoon. With a touch of romance, it’s not a typical action nor romantic movie, but has both elements and is an extremely fun watch.

RADIUS TWC AND NORTHERN LIGHTS FILMS

BY HANNAH HOLZER

hholzer.gazette@gmail.com

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: So often, young adult coming-of-age films blend together in a hodgepodge of unremarkableness – teemed with the same recurring sappy romance and eye-rollable drama-filled plot lines.

I am happy to report, however, that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is uniquely its own. Its story line and characters are unlike many other films of a similar nature – Thomas Mann, a high school senior, grows closer to a classmate diagnosed with cancer. Also including a large amount of nerdiness, references to notable filmography, drug mishaps, teacher friendships and, of course, selfrealization.

When Marnie Was There: Two words: Studio Ghibli.

But for those unfortunate souls unfamiliar with the Japanese animation studio’s incredibly beautiful and moving cinematography, When Marnie Was There is as good a movie as any they’ve produced. Both mysterious and heartwarming, the movie is a haunting tale of a young introvert’s familial discovery resulting and self-discovery.

The Last Five Years: My mother and I were listening to NPR one day when we heard a review of a new movie musical starring Anna Kendrick. Movie Musical? Anna Kendrick? How could we not have heard of it? By the end of that night, we had tracked it down on OnDemand and watched it. The Last Five Years is an unraveled telling of a relationship turned sour, enhanced by the melodic voice of Anna Kendrick.

The Hunting Ground: The Hunting Ground isn’t a feelgood movie, but it is extremely important. Detailing sexual assaults on college campuses and the cover-ups that ensue, this documentary unsettles viewers, and encourages them to act upon injustice.

RADIUS TWC

Page 4

February 2016

order in the theatre.

12 ANGRY JURORS Ga

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Student–directed play slammed into action yesterday

BY CARISSA LEWIS

clewis.gazette@gmail.com

S

trolling into the theatre for the production of Twelve Angry Jurors, students and families have the opportunity to be courted right up to the stage.

Granite Bay High School’s student-directed play is designed as a black box theater, allowing the audience to hover right over the actors and witness the performance up close.

Originally written by playwright Reginald Rose as Twelve Angry Men, the adapted production centers around a 19-year-old boy who is tried for the murder of his father. While 11 of the 12 jurors accuse the boy of the crime, one stands firm in arguing there is no evidence against him.

“The whole show is a sort of psychological analysis,” student-director Cameron Erickson said.

In addition to Erickson, seniors Taylor Wilson and Alee Yap are coordinating the play. This includes budgeting, organizing costume design and directing the actors, amongst other tasks.

Unlike some of the GBHS theatre’s past productions, Twelve Angry Men features little comedy. Instead, the play places a heavy emphasis on powerful dialogue.

“It’s a very different appreciation,” said junior Madeline Clark, who is playing juror number four, “and I think you definitely have to be a little older to appreciate it. I think any of the high school students that came would be fine with it.”

None of the 12 jurors are named in the play. To differentiate them, each juror is given a distinct identity. While many of the jurors develop strong and forthright opinions, Clark’s character helps to ease the tension. “(Juror number four) is a wealthy business woman, and she’s very successful,” Clark said. “She’s very logical and she (doesn’t vote) based on her emotions.”

Because of the black box design, which openly exposes all the actors at once, the audience can inspect any character at any point in time. There are also very few scene changes, which normally allow the actors to hide behind the curtain

separating them from their audience and prepare for their upcoming parts. This challenges the performers to remain in character all throughout the play.

Junior Anika Maney, who is acting as juror number two, said the roles are often given to people who either have a personality that resembles the character they are playing or have past experience in playing similar roles.

“The actors bring so much of themselves into it,” Maney said. “Everyone in the cast does a phenomenal job at portraying their characters.”

Performing in the play requires a large commitment of time. Not only do the directors invest time into the coordination of the play, but the actors also make room in their schedules in order to ensure the overall fluidity of the production.

“We’ve been rehearsing about four days a week after school for the past two months,” said junior Sophie Brubaker, who is playing the foreman. “We all spend time out of school memorizing our lines and developing our characters.”

At the end of the practice, the participants are finally able to watch as the result plays out. According to Clark, although there is still nervous energy prior to each performance, it is more so a result of excitement than of stage fright. Everyone, including the directors, seems to become affected by it.

“Being the director, I’ve seen the cast do this show countless times,” Erickson said, “yet I still get goose bumps. This show is, needless to say, intense and personal.”

While this play centers around a jury, the script’s underlying themes pertain to everybody.

The range of backgrounds and personalities amongst the 12 jurors demonstrates the differing perceptions of the situation.

“The play … encourages people to look at situations in life from multiple perspectives before making absolute decisions,” Brubaker said.

Twelve Angry Jurors is showing in the GBHS theatre on Feb. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13.

Tickets can be purchased online at theatreatgranitebay.org or at the theatre on the day of the event.

“I hope everyone who comes to see it,” Brubaker said, “will love it as much as I do.”

February 2016

happily never after...

Roses are red, violets are blue ... our love is through

Page 5

Anti-Valentine’s day movies for the non-romantic souls

E K A F

Gazette illustrations/AMANDA PRATHER

BY SONIA GARCHA

A

sgarcha.gazette@gmail.com

s Valentine’s Day approaches, we can’t help but feel that there is love in the air. How repulsive.

Here our some movie suggestions to remind you why you’re single and better off.

1. American Beauty Sam Mendes directs a classic as the film portrays the push and pull in a marriage.

Lester Burnham tried to live a liberating life while testing the boundaries of infidelity with his daughter’s friend. This movie shows nothing but betrayal which is what we’re avoiding.

2. 500 Days of Summer Isn’t it much better to cry over someone else’s relationship rather than your own?

Tom and Summer’s relationship is tested when she makes it clear that she doesn’t believe in love. That doesn’t stop them from falling in love and making it to the end.

Or do they?

3. Blue Valentine Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams evaluate their relationship as it’s put to the test in this romantic drama film. Gosling struggles to maintain his marriage with Williams while raising the daughter of Williams and her ex. It’s not only filled with pure, raw emotion, but also Ryan Gosling. So this movie should definitely be put higher on the list.

4. Fatal Attraction This film focuses on infatuation and how it can get the best of us. Dan Gallagher remains happy while living an ordinary life with his wife and daughter. One affair with Alex Forrest turns his world around. He is continuously stalked and victimized.

Forrest is persistent as she claims that she’s pregnant and will not hesitate to commit suicide. Dan and his family go through numerous situations that ultimately leads to someone’s death.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Spoiler: The ending of this movie is actually happy. But that doesn’t mean the

movie itself is necessarily pro-love. Joel and Clementine start a relationship that doesn’t end on the best of terms and forces them to forget one another. They slowly begin to erase memories of their relationship and move on. Despite having no memory of each other, they are drawn to each other once again. Will it last?

6. Heathers Winona Ryder and Christian Slater slay these roles (literally!) as they play two love interests who kill multiple students and attempt to pin them as suicides. It’s dark, cynical and makes you question how far you would go for the love of your life. This 80s film continues to be a cult classic for many.

7. Requiem For a Dream Darren Aronofsky directs a film that reflects on many themes including, addiction, extreme weight loss and prostitution. Three friends try to live out their dream by selling heroin and make a fortune for their futures. They go through success and failure, only to end up with either outcome. The film tests the relationships between families, lovers and friends.

8. The Virgin Suicides If this movie doesn’t make you think twice about falling in love, you’re a lost cause. Five men reflect back on the story of the five Lisbon sisters and how they are confined by their parents after their younger sister’s suicide. They manage to sneak around their rules and become promiscuous, getting involved with the five boys.

This ultimately leads to their demise in this heartbreaking drama.

9. Closer The film surrounds two couples that become involved with one another as they can’t decide on who they love. Their love for infidelity overshadows their love for one another in this romantic drama and portrays the humanistic nature for always wanting what you can’t have.

10. Revolutionary Road Titanic fans, rejoice! Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet join forces once again to bring us this heartbreaking film (aka Titanic 2). DiCaprio and Winslet play a married couple in the 50s that are unable to find full satisfaction in their lives. They are unhappy with their jobs, kids, acquaintances and even, themselves. They continue to try and make their relationship work only to once again, become distraught.

Page 6

February 2016

food.

Let the sushi roll...

The Gazette staff sashimis on over to find the most satisfying sushi rolls.

Hazumi Sushi

BY SHIVANI BOBBALA

sbobbala.gazette@gmail.com

Mikuni

ESPN and the bamboo plants scattered throughout the restaurant serve the same purpose.

Despite the fact that the restaurant was moderately busy, we didn’t have to wait longer than 15 to 20 minutes for our food to arrive.

The presentation of the food was nice, so, of course, my sister and I absolutely had to pull out our phones and snap a pic as the rest of the people in the restaurant hardcore judged us.

The food was delicious. As an avid sushi lover, it was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. The portion sizes were decent, and the food was filling. My sister and I were very satisfied with our meal.

The only complaint that I had was that the food was a bit on the expensive side, which could be a concern for students like me who only get a certain amount of money every month to spend on food and other expenses. Other than that, however, the food was delicious and worth every penny.

Because the sushi is pricey, I’d recommend trying it out during Happy Hour every Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m. It’s the best of both worlds as you get high quality food, without having to spend all of your money on food.

If you’re used to getting your Dutch Bros off of Auburn Folsom, you may have noticed the small sushi place right across from it. Hazumi Sushi, one of the less popular sushi restaurants in the area, definitely deserves a lot more attention.

The food is high quality and so is the experience. When my sister and I entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly waitress who seated us immediately, with no wait time at all.

This didn’t mean, however, that the restaurant was empty. Service was great, and our waiter was very nice. I ordered a Fuji roll and my sister got a bento box.

There are vegetarian options available. While we waited, we observed the friendly and laid back ambience of the restaurant.

It isn’t a fancy restaurant that you would take your first date to, however it isn’t a cheap fast food place where you drop in to satisfy your late night cravings either. It falls somewhere in the middle, which makes it the ideal place to share a meal with your closest friends on a casual night out.

At the front of the restaurant, surrounding the waiting area, is a medium sized aquarium. I assume it’s placed there to entertain you while waiting (if you aren’t thinking about what you are about to eat). Nevertheless, it creates a pleasant environment.

The large TV in the middle of the bar area was playing Gazette photo /SHIVANI BOBBALA

Hazumi Sushi is a little expensive, but offers high quality rolls with decent portion sizes.

BY SAVANNA THOMPSON sthompson.gazette@gmail.com

Mikuni: the epitome of sushi excellence. The restaurant, as they have trademarked, have mastered the art of sushiology. In combination with the fresh fish, the enticing ambiance makes Mikuni the perfect spot for a night out or dinner with friends.

Unlike most sushi places that are dimly lit with close quartered tables, Mikuni’s interior is characterized by bright walls and colorful artwork. The aura is extremely inviting: always bustling with people as the restaurant is popular any night of the week.

Because I was short on time, I opted for sitting at a booth outside of the bar, but it did not make my experience any less enjoyable. Maybe it was because I was spending time with my dad, or maybe it was because the fish was so dam delicious. Pun intended.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I love sushi.

Raw fish is right up my alley, but I know not everyone is so gung ho about it.

For those who prefer their meat cooked, Mikuni offers an array of nonraw options of fish, chicken, beef and steak in dishes and rolls alike.

My favorite roll is the Pimp My Roll. I substituted the white rice on the exterior of the roll for brown rice. This substitution makes the roll lighter and better for you as brown rice is more nutritious and in my opinion, more delicious.

Atop the roll lie macadamia nuts, the critical aspect of the roll’s success as they add a perfect crunch to an otherwise

soft dish. The mysterious “sauce” compliments the roll perfectly.

My secret is that you can’t go wrong when choosing a roll if it has avocado.

I’m a sucker for avocado.

Other great options are the Incredible, 49er Jack, and Trainwreck rolls. As you can tell, I like rolls that consist of many different ingredients. To me, simple is boring.

Besides rolls, my favorite dish is the BBQ White Tuna with red sauce. The fish was fresh, and the tuna was seared to perfection. It does have a slight kick to it so have water handy.

While Mikuni is a more high end sushi restaurant, you pay for the quality and freshness of the fish. The prices may seem high, but the dishes are worth the expensive dollar figure.

As I mentioned, I was pressed for time and the service was a little slow. The food took longer than usual to be served, but my waiter was on top of things, bringing out water and fetching forks and knives upon my request.

Regardless of the long wait, the meal was more than worth my while. There is no reason not to go to Mikuni if you have a free night and some money to splurge on the freshest sushi in the Granite Bay area. Mikuni offers the freshest fish in town and rarely disappoints.

Gazette photo /SAVANNA THOMPSON

Wasabi Asia Bistro and Sushi Bar

BY NATASHA CHANDA

nchanda.gazette@gmail.com

Though sushi comes in many forms and flavors, its quality is the deciding factor in its taste.

Wasabi Asia Bistro and Sushi Bar located on Eureka is one of the sushi restaurants that goes relatively unnoticed, likely due to the lack of “50 percent off house rolls” on its menu.

Upon entering, the noise level was pleasant, allowing for an evening that was neither overwhelmed with commotion nor awkwardly quiet.

The ambiance was similar to a sports bar, with a number of TVs showing the game and a group of coworkers chatting loudly with drinks in hand, easing into the weekend after a long week of work.

A couple more families sat on the restaurant side, away from the bar, having more reserved conversations.

Our server, who happened to be the owner, seated us promptly and took our order without delay.

In terms of the food, the freshness was one of its best aspects.

My family and I decided to order one of their sushi

boats so we could try a variety of their different types of sushi.

With the sushi boat, the chef ultimately decides what is served, which can be easier, but also a disadvantage for those who tend to be picky eaters.

On the boat came an order of BBQ albacore tuna, four different types of nigiri and five different rolls.

One of the rolls, the Lion King, which happened to be fully baked, was the richest in flavor. For those who are not a fan of sushi because of the raw fish, this roll would be an ideal choice.

Another significant roll on the boat was the Peter #2.

This particular roll catered to my taste buds since it had the most amount of nigiri on it, which tends to be my favorite part. I would definitely not recommend this particular roll if you are not a fan of raw fish.

In terms of flavor and freshness, the rolls receive five well deserved stars, however the execution makes my overall rating fall just short of full marks.

Picking up some of the rolls with chopsticks was difficult since the rolls were not tightly rolled. Many times the rolls did not stay together and I had to reassemble them each time.

Aside from the rolls, the BBQ tuna was the highlight of the meal. I enjoyed the richness of the sauce and lightly seared outside.

Though many other sushi restaurants also feature the tuna on their menu, I would recommend Wasabi’s version of it.

Overall, for not being one of the typical sushi spots among Granite Bay students, Wasabi presented itself nicely.

If people can look past the small bit of difficulty that comes with eating the roll, and simply focus on the taste, it is definitely worth trying in place of the usual Blue Nami and Mikuni. Wasabi Asia Bistro and Sushi Bar has good deals on rolls and an authentic, enjoyable atmosphere.

Gazette photo /NATASHA CHANDA

February 2016

Page 7

food.

California Roll

BY BRIGID BELL

bbell.gazette@gmail.com

No, it’s not just a roll. It’s actually a small, locally owned restaurant tucked away behind Dimple Records off of Santa Clara Ave. in Roseville.

Let me start by saying that I’m a bit of a sushi snob.

Blue Nami actually makes me nauseous and, like most broke high school students, the only way that I get to Mikuni’s is if someone over the age of twenty five is picking up the bill. So, I was determined to find a place that provided me with reasonably priced and relatively fresh sushi.

I figured that California rolls are the perfect mix of traditional sushi and California cuisine, so this place earned bonus points before I had even stepped through the threshold.

When I did roll through the door, I was struck by the abundance of natural light and relaxed atmosphere.

Low hanging lanterns line the tables with white walls and dark wash wood give it a clean feel and a Japanese mural in the back accents the place with an authentic touch.

It was empty except for myself and a couple in the back corner, which is never a promising sign, but not to worry. Soon after, I was met by a friendly waitress who encouraged me to take a seat wherever I wanted.

Quickly after I took a seat, I was brought a complimentary piping hot bowl of miso soup, which on a rainy

January afternoon, was not only delicious but just the thing to warm me up to the core.

The menu was varied but not overwhelmingly large and included a page dedicated to bento boxes for those less adventurous. There was also a large selection of sake for those who are of age (I, the uncultured person I am, forgot it was alcoholic and tried to order hot saki thinking it was hot tea…awkward).

After much humming and hawing, I chose to order a Hurricane Roll with spicy tuna, and of course, I felt inclined to try the namesake roll.

My order was taken almost the second that I closed my menu and the waitress asked me again if she could get me anything else.

A cherry blossom tree, called a sakura tree in Japan, can be found in the back, a symbol in the Japanese culture of hope and simplicity.

The music was incredible, fitting with the location across from Dimple Records. Everything from John Mayer to Adele came on as I awaited my food.

As Maroon 5 was halfway through their serenade to me, I spotted my plate coming from the kitchen.

I began to salivate before she could even set my plate down and when she finally did, I was not disappointed.

Both rolls were bigger than I expected (I had to take a box home). One was drenched in a crisscross of sauces and the California Roll was arranged in a stepping stone pattern as if the pieces of sushi were going to hop across one another and into my mouth.

Tokyo Dori

BY ARTHI BOBBALA

abobbala.gazette@gmail.com

The Hurricane Roll was awesome. The spicy tuna was fresh and hot enough to make me grab for my water, but not overwhelming enough to cover the flavor of the ahi or shrimp or make me wish for a glass of milk.

I also managed to figure out the reason the name of the restaurant is California Roll. It’s because they’ve mastered it.

I’d always imagined that all California Rolls tasted relatively the same; that is, until I’d tasted this one. The fresh crab mixture worked in perfect harmony with the avocado to recreate the light taste that makes California cuisine famous.

Even with soy sauce, the rolls stayed together unlike most other sushi that falls apart at the first attempt to pick it up.

The reasonable prices, good music and fantastic food, as well as a quiet, intimate setting, topped off with friendly, quick service will definitely have me back in the future, hopefully with eager friends in tow. California Roll is more than just a roll, it’s a restaurant.

Gazette photo /BRIGID BELL

Blue Nami Our waitress was very attentive to us and our water glasses were always full.

When it was time to pay, once again the process was very quick and easy.

As a less than proficient mathematician, I was pleased to find that the tax was already calculated for me on the receipt.

The food was definitely on the pricey side, costing around $33 for two people.

This was the biggest turn off for me, and probably the only reason that I wouldn’t go back. While the prices were similar to those at Mikuni’s, I would say the quality was not.

Although the service was great, and the portion sizes were very big, I would probably just go to Mikuni’s because of the price. The ambiance was very nice and my sister and I were satisfied with the quality of our food, but it was by no means exceptional.

The only plus side of eating at Tokyo Dori instead of Mikuni’s would be the wait times. Because Mikuni’s can get really busy, if you are looking for a place with relatively good quality sushi and short wait times, Tokyo Dori is the place to go

As someone who is not very keen on eating raw fish, I was rather satisfied with my dining experience at Tokyo Dori, a Japanese cuisine located across from Sierra College.

Upon entering the restaurant, my sister and I were warmly greeted at the door by a friendly waitress who led us to a table.

I sat across from my sister and browsed the menu, finding a wide variety of appetizers, soups and rolls to choose from. My sister, who is a sushi fanatic, chose to try their MJ roll while I opted for some dumplings and sesame chicken.

While waiting for our food, I noticed the elaborate oversized hand fans and the intricate paintings that decorated the bright yellow walls of the restaurant.

The ambiance in the restaurant was very pleasant with dim lighting and soft music playing overhead.

After only nine minutes, the waitress came out with my appetizer and a few moments later delivered the rest of our meal. As an amateur chopstick user, I was relieved to find that forks came with our meals.

Every so often during our meal, the waitress would come and ask us how we were doing. Gazette photo /ARTHI BOBBALA

Tokyo Dori exceeds expectations and provides great service at an expense.

BY OLIVIA HEPPELL

oheppell.gazette@gmail.com

Blue Nami has become the go-to destination for sushi in Granite Bay. Thanks to its affordability and convenience, it offers sushi that is both cheap but still decent.

When I went to Blue Nami, it was 3 p.m. and comparatively empty, unlike the dinner and lunchtime rushes.

The lack of customers made the experience much more enjoyable than it usually is.

Typically, the waiters are short and rush away and the sushi takes a long time to come, but because we avoided peak times, the marginal benefit was far greater than the marginal cost.

I do not consider myself a sushi expert – until a few years ago, I didn’t even like sushi.

Despite my lack of expertise, I firmly believe that Blue Nami regularly delivers a decent plate of sushi.

This time around, I decided to go for roll titled “Jack Special.” I had never had it before, but I had been informed that it was one of the tastiest dishes there.

The roll, on the half-off menu, of course, contained spicy tuna, crab mix and deep fried shrimp.

While it was tasty, I felt that it was lacking in the spicy tuna department and that the deep fried shrimp was a little bit

overwhelming.

However, the roll was still delicious and although I was full, I still wanted more.

Our service was exceptional, which enhanced the experience. Our waiter was amiable and patient which made our meal that much better.

One of my few complaints with Blue Nami is their half off menu.

Why have an entire page of sushi with prices that aren’t true and a giant watermarked 50 percent off?

While this may be their attempt to trick customers into buying more because they think they’re getting a deal, I find it irritating as a regular customer.

It’s not really 50 percent off if that’s the permanent price, so why advertise it as such.

Although I was slightly miffed by the menu’s presentation, the decorations and ambience of Blue Nami is ideal for eating sushi.

The plethora of decorations and carefully selected color scheme really put one in a sushi eating mood.

All in all, it was a very nice experience and I would recommend 10/10.

Gazette photo /OLIVIA HEPPELL

Blue Nami has tasty food despite the confusing half-off sushi roll menu.

It's not me

Page 8

February 2016

breakups.

it’s you

When a relationship takes a tumble, there are always two sides to every breakup

BY AMANDA NIST

anist.gazette@gmail.com

T

here are two sides to every story – and two sides to every break up.

Skylar Beasley and Zach Gorsen are both seniors at Granite Bay High School. They were both involved in a romantic relationship with each other until they decided to part ways.

*** Skylar Beasley: How long were you dating Zach?

“Like, a month.” *** Why did you guys break up?

“We broke up because I just wasn’t feeling it. I just didn’t really see it going anywhere, and so I didn’t want to continue.” *** How do you think he felt about it?

“He seemed pretty taken aback. He like wouldn’t let me break up with him. He kept saying we were going to talk about it later even though I had already made up my mind. Then he showed up, uninvited, at my home when I wasn’t home, and my sister had to talk to him, so that was interesting.” *** How did you feel about it?

“It was my decision so I felt bad that he took it so badly but

Zach Gorsen: How long were you dating Skylar?

“Two and a half or three months.” *** Why did you guys break up?

“I can’t say for certain because she broke up with me. I don’t really know; it was a surprise to me. One day we were, and the next day she was like ‘no, we’re not,’ and I was like ‘why?’ and she was like ‘I’m not talking to you now.’” *** How did you feel about it?

“It was totally her decision and she doesn’t have to tell me (why), I’m not owed that, but I would have enjoyed more closure.” *** How do you think she felt?

“It’s hard to say because she didn’t talk to me afterwards, but when she did it, she seemed kind of sad. I think she got over it pretty quickly.” *** Although their relationship might have been short-lived, they’ll both have memories from it that will last a lifetime.

They were both willing to share their experience about their relationship, digging deep intophoto the/OLIVIA details.

Gazette HEPPELL As a relationship comes to close around this time of year, there are many ways to remedy the breakup. The first step could be reminising on the past like Gorsen and Beasley.

Gazette photo illlustration /EPSA SHARMA

February 2016

Page 9

XOXO, gg.

Be Mine

Students plan on spending Valentine’s Day with friends and significant others

BY CLAIR KASEL

ckasel.gazette@gmail.com

BY CLAIR KASEL

c.kasel.gazette@gmail.com

V

alentine’s Day is around the corner and people are purchasing heart shaped candies and red roses to show their love and appreciation for others.

The “traditional” way of celebrating Valentine’s Day is with the person you are in a relationship with. That is how the young couple, Elizabeth Sciascia and Daniel Smith will be celebrating.

While the exact details of what they have planned for their holiday is undetermined, but they are planning and spending it together.

“I like that I get to spend the evening with my boyfriend and celebrate our relationship,” Sciascia said.

Most likely going to dinner someplace that is more delicious than showy, they understand that it is more important to be together than spending an abundance of money for one night.

Even though Sciascia now has a boyfriend and will be celebrating with him, she has been single on Valentine’s Day and has always been

able to find something to do. And she embraces the day no matter the circumstances of her relationship status.

“My ideal Valentine’s Day would be spending it with the people that I love the most so I’m pretty lucky I get to do that,” Sciascia said.

During this time of the year, there is a lot of pressure for people to be in relationships. But luckily, there is a new popular trend within the community - Galentine’s and Palentine’s day.

For those who do not know, Galentine’s is when girls, or “gals” get together to celebrate and Palentine’s is the same thing except for guys, “pals.”

Some of the most common Galentine’s day activities include, going to restaurants, watching chick-flicks or going shopping.

“Me and my single friends do participate in galentine’s Day,” senior Gianna Lagorio said.

It allows friends to enjoy a night out or in with something special to celebrate. Depending on the friends that decide to celebrate it, they have different ideas of what having fun is. “(My friends and I) just get together and use it as an excuse to eat chocolate and watch our

favorite chick flicks,” Lagorio said.

She normally spends the morning with her family enjoying the love shared with her family.

“Every Valentine’s Day my dad makes me and my mom flower arrangements and gives us chocolates,” Lagorio said.

But girls are not the only ones who celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends.

Guys have also been known to go and enjoy the day together.

Senior Adam Kahan however was not aware that there was a name for guys celebrating Valentine’s Day together.

“I have never participated in Palentine’s Day before but might this year, it sounds like fun,” Kahan said.

Having this trend of celebrating with not only your significant other but with your friends takes the pressure off of people and allow them to enjoy it more.

“I like Valentine’s Day because it is when you can be with your loved ones,” Lagorio said.

“I like Galentine’s Day more because you can spend that day how you want with who you want to show that you love them.”

Gazette file photo / KAT MCGRAIL

Pages 10 & 11

February 2016

neature.

National Parks The National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary of providing conservation and enjoyment

Fast Facts There are a total of 59 national parks in the United States. California, with nine national parks, leads among the states with highest number of national parks.

The National Park Service reports an estimated 284 million people visited the national parks in 2014. The most visited national park in 2014 was Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

The first national park was Yellowstone, founded in 1872. The newest national park is Pinnacles National Park, founded in 2013 and located in California’s Salinas Valley.

President Obama proposed the National Park Centennial Act in 2015 to provide additional funding for critical infrastructure projects and to expand volunteer and job opportunities in national parks across the country.

Compiled by Brayden Johnk

Gazette photo /BLAKE PANTER

Gazette photo /BRAYDEN JOHNK

National Parks, from left to right, include Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Valley, Tongass National Forest in Alaska and Yellowstone in Montana.

BY BRAYDEN JOHNK

bjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

This year is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, but for many park lovers, a visit today is just as fresh as it was when they first visited.

Granite Bay High School biology teacher Scott Braly is an avid supporter of national parks and has visited several of them, including Yosemite and Redwood in California, Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest in Arizona and Yellowstone, which is mostly in Wyoming.

Braly doesn’t want to stop there. Glacier National Park in Montana is on his bucket-list, as well as southwestern parks such as Bryce Canyon in Utah.

“That southwest is beautiful – just incredibly striking landscapes,” Braly said.

The NPS centennial allows it to both celebrate and revitalize its purpose of preserving America’s spectacular nature and wildlife by sharing it with the public and increasing awareness.

Junior Alina Poczobutt has visited a number of national parks including Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon.

“I went to Yosemite when I was probably seven, and I go (back) every year with my family,” said Poczobutt, who enjoys hiking in Yosemite during summer visits and ice-skating during winter visits.

Sophomore Spencer Richard also is a frequent visitor to Yosemite and has ventured into the park’s backcountry areas where many others haven’t.

“I’ve been to Yosemite a couple times now, and every time I’ve gone backpacking with my friends. We just hiked around and spent a couple days in there – it was a lot of fun,” Richard said.

While national parks are a leisure or activity destination for most, there is a deeper meaning to them for GBHS librarian Julia Hedstrom, who is a seasoned national park-goer and has visited 10 national parks.

“I actually consider a national park my home, my real home,” Hedstrom said.

Growing up, Hedstrom said she spent two weeks every year in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, swimming, biking and running into a lot of wildlife.

“So that’s my true home,” she said.

The individual uniqueness of each national park brings memorable experiences along with them for their visitors.

Richard, the GBHS sophomore who has also been to Grand Canyon, favorably recalls his trip there.

“You’d never really realize the actual size and how vast it is until you actually see it for yourself,” Richard said. “One morning, we woke up early and saw the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, and I just realized how big it was – it was cool.”

Gazette photo /BLAKE PANTER

Braly recalls his time spent with his family at the Grand Canyon as also being remarkable, not only for the canyon’s beauty, but also because of bird sightings of California condors, a critically endangered species.

“I look up and see these three condors flying over about 50 yards up, just huge and beautiful – it was pretty cool,” Braly said.

Hedstrom has also experienced some quite memorable things during her time in the Grand Tetons.

She was canoeing with her mom, and the river was too shallow, so they had to carry their supplies past the low point. When they came back for their canoes, they saw something unexpected.

“We noticed next to our canoe was a big black bear,” Hedstrom said. “Someone else had left their lunch there, and he had discovered it.”

“The bear started coming up the steps… (and) was about 13 feet away from us,” Hedstrom said. “That (experience) was most memorable because my heart was pounding.”

Spectacular views, amazing wildlife, and unforgettable experiences keep both American and foreign visitors alike coming back for more.

With more and more people taking advantage of America’s national parks, the role the NPS plays in protecting the country’s beauty has never been more important.

“It is very special that our forefathers, our early leaders in this county, had the foresight

Special to the Gazette /JENNAH QUNELL

to do that,” Braly said. “Preserving them for all time and preserving them for the people.

“It’s an amazing legacy for the people, it belongs to the American public … and (national parks) should be preserved forever.”

Braly is not alone.

“I actually think we should have more national parks,” Richard said. “It’s one of the few areas in the United States where there’s limited construction – they prevent people from destroying wildlife.”

To continue to raise more awareness for those who have yet to personally enjoy a national park, the NPS has started another new program, Find Your Park. This campaign, with First Lady Michelle Obama and former First Lady Laura Bush serving as honorary co-chairs, highlights the diversity offered through the park system, urging everyone to find a national park they personally connect with and to go out and explore.

The centennial year of the National Park Service continues to try to inspire an ongoing appreciation for the national legacy of natural wonders in the United States.

“I think (in) America… we have some of the most beautiful country in the world,” Hedstrom said. “There’s nothing like sleeping under the stars and having real experiences with nature.

“Those kinds of experiences sustain your soul – they make you realize you’re part of nature and something bigger.”

Page 12

platform 9 4 .

3

February 2016

Harry potter ‘Boy who lived’ has cast a spell on GBHS students

BY OLIVIA HEPPELL

oheppell.gazette@gmail.com

The final chapter of Harry Potter was unveiled to the world in Nov. 2011 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released.

However, 18 years after the very first book was released, Granite Bay High School students still share a passion for Harry Potter, a series that promises a reawakening.

Emily Schofield, a junior at GBHS, said she has held a passion for the Harry Potter series since elementary school.

“I started reading Harry Potter because my mom would read the books to all my older siblings and I started reading them myself when I was seven,” Schofield said.

She also said Harry Potter makes such an impact on her and others because of the series’s relatability.

GBHS senior Nicole Infantino said she also finds connections between the series and her life.

“It’s relatable because it follows kids growing up, just like we were,” Infantino said.

Schofield said that the book also made such an impact on her because they covered issues that many people must deal with and overcome.

“Stuff like dementors, which symbolize depression, hits close to home because a lot of people have to go through painful things that are discussed in the books,” Schofield said.

While Harry Potter covers topics that are very real, the series stands out in the complex fantasy world that J.K. Rowling created.

“There’s always something whimsical about a magic tale,” Infantino said.

She also said the element of magic is what makes Harry Potter so appealing to many people.

Schofield said that she agrees, and likes the books better than the movies because they allow the reader to fully immerse themselves in the world of Harry Potter.

“It’s a whole world just inside your head and you can have it any way you want and nothing gets left out,” Schofield said.

Although years have passed since the last movie was released, a new movie is set to be release in November 2016, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which will possibly revitalize the Harry Potter franchise.

The new movie will be a prequel, and features completely new characters living in New York.

“I know that the book the movie is based on was written by J.K. Rowling, so it’s still going to have the same integrity,” Infantino said. “I feel like the movie won’t hurt the Harry Potter series because it’s not the same characters.”

Schofield said she thinks the new movie won’t be as good as its predecessors, but is still excited for it to come out.

Harry Potter, despite its aging audience, has remained close to the hearts of GBHS students and those around the world.

“Harry Potter has touched the hearts of so many people, literally around the world,” said Schofield. “I know it’s very important to millions and millions of people.”

February 2016

slytherin to room 514.

Page 13

Siriusly, read the gazette.

Or there’s something ron with you.

Special to the Gazette /SHREYA KHADKA

Page 14

February 2016

current.

Mixtape - Tribute to David Bowie

Artist of the Month Madelyn Ackler 1. What do you enjoy most about painting?

I think the most enjoyable thing about painting is just being able to have fun with the paint and even if you break a few rules that the teacher has set in place, it’s still fun to mess around and express yourself through art instead of having to say it.

BY SONIA GARCHA

sgarcha.gazette@gmail.com

1. As the World Falls Down – David Bowie This song debuted in Bowie’s film Labyrinth and still remains a classic to this day. The lyrics are so deep and hide so much meaning behind them. The song and the film have been a major attribute to Bowie’s career.

2. Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie Whereas the last song was quite slow and melodious, Queen and David Bowie teamed up together to bring us this catchy and upbeat tune that will have you press ‘repeat’ all day long.

3. Heroes – David Bowie Bowie is known for his magical, tear-jerking voice and the way he can draw you into one of his songs. Released in late 70’s, this song was known to be a sleeper-hit. Following his death this past month, the song has reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart.

4. Fame – David Bowie Even if you aren’t a fan of Bowie, there is no doubt that you have heard this song at least once in your lifetime. The song quickly reached Billboard’s Hot 100 and was even known as one of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.

Follow Friday

Instagram

Follow @jen_marie_13 for an urban touch to your feed.

Compiled by Meagan Tallman

Gazette photo /BRAYDEN JOHNK

2. When did you first get into art?

Freshman year actually – so I had Art 1 with Mrs. Rider and then Art 2 and up with Mr. Stephens.

3. What are you working on right now?

I’m working on another painting. I’ve only used acrylics and graphite for my more professional artwork.

4. Are you planning on pursuing art in the future?

Yes, I would like to either pursue art as a major or minor in college.

5. What impact do you feel art has had on your life?

Being able to express what I can’t say to people face to face.

Compiled by Brayden Johnk

FRESHMAN 2019 vs .

2 VS. SENIOR 016 If you could see any event happen in history, what would you most like to witness?

Maddy Moeller, GBHS freshman

Melissa Cook, GBHS senior

Gazette photo /WHITNEY KNORP

Gazette photo /WHITNEY KNORP

Maddy: “When the first Americans went into space and landed on the moon because I’m really interested in space and time, and I think it would be really cool to witness.”

Melissa: “I think it’d be cool to see the Roaring 20’s for all the costumes and the fun extravagant parties.”

Compiled by Whitney Knorp

February 2016

Page 15

tune in.

Sia This is Acting

BY HANNAH XU

S

hxu.gazette@gmail.com

inger and pop songwriting mastermind, Sia released her seventh album This Is Acting on Jan. 29. A compilation of 12 tracks, This Is Acting is a collection of songs that Sia wrote for other singers, but were rejected.

Her first single off the album, “Alive,” was a heartstopping power ballad that struck unimaginable chords.

Originally written for Adele, “Alive” captures the feeling of victory after persevering through hardship.

The first single is catchy and grabs your attention, but unfortunately the album goes slightly downhill from there.

While the album is versatile, as it can be fun but also melancholy, it lacks the same essence that Sia had on her last album 1000 Forms of

Fear. Perhaps it is a result of being entirely of songs that were written for other singers, but This Is Acting, lacks the same connection that listeners can form on 1000 Forms of Fear.

The lyrics – centered around the personalities of pop icons such as Rihanna and Katy Perry – are shallow and aren’t nearly as personal as works like “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart,” the two biggest releases from Sia in 2014.

However, despite the lackluster song lyrics, a few tunes stand out.

“Cheap Thrills” utilizes a unique production quality in which many of the background sounds used are morphed versions of the lyrics.

The song itself is one of the best off the album, as it isn’t so boring it’s set as white noise, but isn’t too electronically chaotic.

In total, the production of the album and the vocals of the album are incredible.

Sia is known for having a raspy voice and

her lengthy vocal range, and this album does a good job conveying that.

Especially on songs like “Reaper” and “Broken Glass,” Sia shows off her full potential in not only vocal power, but also her songwriting.

The two songs are able to perfectly execute a sad song in a not-sad way.

On the flip side, “Move Your Body,” this album’s “Free the Animal” from 1000 Forms of Fear, is messy and chopped up.

The song, a complete contrast to others on the album, is the one to skip – the lyrics aren’t noteworthy, the music is disorderly.

Musically, the album is fantastic. Lyrically, it can do better, especially after the beauty that was 1000 Forms of Fear.

The album as a whole isn’t terrible. It isn’t great, but it has a handful of songs that makes it worth your money (or worth your time illegally downloading. )

RCA Records

 This is Acting was released on Jan. 29, 2016.

B-

Skip to: “Cheap Thrills”

Hunter Hayes Storyline Chris Brown Royalty

BY AISHWARYA PATTNAIK

C RCA Records

Royalty was released on Dec. 18, 2015.

B

Skip to : “Back to Sleep”

apattnaik.gazette@gmail.com

hris Brown is an artist that consistently provides catchy and upbeat tracks.

This successful 26 year-old released his seventh album, Royalty International EP in Dec 2015. His album art pulls at heartstrings as it showcases a picture of him holding his daughter. Adorable, I know.

Aside from the aesthetic appeal and inspiration of his new album, the question is: has Chris Brown been keeping up with the quality of his previous music?

Personally, I think that Chris Brown’s old songs are better than his more current ones, with the exception of the songs in album X. Since I prefer more chill R&B music, Brown’s album X really appealed to me.

It is completely different from his other music because it is filled with unique songs with distinctive beats, such as “Autumn Leaves” featuring Kendrick Lamar.

Unlike his previous album, X released in 2014, most of the 19 songs in Royalty are upbeat and catchy, not a deviation from the rest of his music.

Interestingly enough, the four songs that he released early were the best songs on the album.

I have always appreciated Chris Brown’s melodic voice, however in songs such as “Proof,” the odd, almost futuristic beat of the song distracts the listener from his voice. I was more concentrated on trying to figure out this complicated beat instead of listening to the lyrics. I always believe that the background of the song should complement the main singer’s voice, so this song was definitely a miss for me.

Even though the inspiration for Chris Brown’s new album was his daughter and his album art suggested a change in his character, the songs say otherwise.

Brown has not been shed positive light from the media due to his numerous conflicts with other artists such as Rihanna.

However, this album provided hope that he became more mature and was planning to change.

Unfortunately, most of the songs on his new album do not make his new personality evident.

Only one song is about his daughter, “Little More (Royalty)” while the other songs are about sex, drugs and relationships.

Overall, I have to say that it wasn’t his best album, musically.

Compared to all his other albums, this one did not stand out. It was mediocre, with a couple good songs that I would not mind listening to.

Jamming out to a couple of the catchy tunes such as “Fine by Me” with a couple of your friends while driving sounds like the perfect time to me.

However, I think this album is the first step in changing Brown’s image to the music industry, as he is becoming more responsible and mature.

Panic! At the Disco Death Of A Bachelor STEPHANIE KANG

E

skang.gazette@gmail.com

mos, rejoice. Panic! at the Disco has released another album, and it’s everything that you would expect, to your overwhelming delight and/or to the despair of your bleeding ears.

For all those not in the know, the first single Death of a Bachelor was dropped almost half a year in advance, all the way back in Sept 2015.

With skittering trap beats at the fringes of Brandon Urie’s best Frank Sinatra impression (applaudable for effort alone, lukewarm on overall success), the single was an interesting juxtaposition and a promising teaser to what was expected to be a fresh sound from the long-running band.

Brandon Urie himself commented on the difference in sound, stating that the new album was an It’s A Wonderful Life esque look into a possibly different future”.

But despite the enthusiastic endorsement on part of the lead singer and songwriter, this was, Frank-ly, an exaggeration.

There are exactly three songs in the album

(Crazy=Genius, Impossible Year and Death of a Bachelor) that had notable influences from that particular era, and none of them succeeded in emulating or significantly improving upon that kind of music, because that’s not where Urie’s strengths lie.

Let’s get some facts straight: Urie’s ability to move your with his songs alone is practically godlike. Whether or not your heart is the dried up husk we all know it is, it will be touched, and regardless of genre preference, his songs are admittedly sing-along worthy.

At the highest points of the album, it truly feels like Urie is a musical genius.

Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between. Urie appears to be only be capable of that singing style emo bands are so well-known for, relapsing into it whenever able, and the rest of the album falls in line accordingly. Panic! at the Disco never truly wanders far from their emo roots or evolves.

In a sense, it was yet another rehashing of the same old feelings, desires, and music quality as expressed almost two decades ago during the brief mainstream reign of Avril Lavigne. After a while the entire album

began to sound like one extremely long song in which Urie won’t stop screaming in my ear.

Minor note, yes, there are songs about love here. And yes, it did affect my review. Why write about love if you don’t bring anything new to the game?

However, at this point, I do have to acknowledge the fan base that Panic! at the Disco caters to. Much revered as one-third of the Holy Emo Trinity, they have to write for a specific audience in mind when they come out with their music.

And it is understandable that after a while they will have what is essentially the same material regurgitated only to a different beat and melody.

To that end, they have done exceptionally well, and keeping that in mind, it is only with slight annoyance that I tolerate Urie’s mouth noises.

Regardless, in the end, my overall opinion remains unchanged.

Panic! at the Disco is a lazy band who needs to look ahead instead of behind. But for their fans, their noise-making may be exactly what they need.

Fueled by Ramen

Death of a Bachelor was released on Jan. 15, 2016.

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Skip to: “ Death of a Bachelor”

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current.

February 2016

Top Tweets

Spirited tweets by Granite Bay High School students

BY AMANDA PRATHER aprather.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustration/AMANDA PRATHER

Twitter

Who’s Hiring

BY MEAGAN TALLMAN

mtallman.gazette@gmail.com

i cant even begin to imagine what del oro is going through.

RIP #JoeyDavis #Ronny56 prayers to all the family and friends

Katie Hartmier @katie_hartmier

25 Favorites

Senior Fifth Quarter was def worth this massive headache I have right now

Jack’s Urban Eats 8620 Sierra College Blvd Ste. 110 Jack’s is looking for motivated individuals who are able to work in a fast pace environment. Applicants do not need previous experience. Must be at least 16 years old.

Neha Prakash @shanehneh10

Jamba Juice 8690 Sierra College Blvd, Suite 170 Looking for happy, enthusiastic, hard-working team members to join their strong and committed team. Part time, all shifts available.

natch @nataliehatchh

2 Retweets

28 Favorites

junioritis: catching senioritis a year too early but having to overcome it so you can actually get into college & enjoy the disease next year.

6 Retweets

23 Favorites

Im a perpetual procrastinater like you could give me 3 days notice to meet you and I’d still show up 10 minutes late w/ wet hair & only 1 shoe on

maggie bell

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt 1164 Galleria Blvd Menchie’s is searching for outgoing individuals with a flexible schedule. Applicants should submit resume and availability in person Monday to Friday.

5 Retweets

@maggiebell07

2 Retweets

25 Favorites

today I thought I saw a kid texting & biking but turns out he was reading the gazette & biking. w/ his helmet on his handlebars. & no hands.

surina khurana @surina_k

2 Favorites

32 Favorites

Sugar-Free Recipe of the Month: Walnut-Date Shortbread Cookies

BY SONIA GARCHA

sgarcha.gazette@gmail.com

Ingredients:

1. One cup chopped dates 2. ¼ tsp baking soda 3. ¾ cup softened butter 4. One Tbsp vanilla extract 5. One egg yolk 6. ¼ tsp salt 7. One and ½ cups all-purpose flour 8. ¼ cup cornstarch 9. One cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

BY BRAYDEN JOHNK

itkachuk.gazette@gmail.com

1. Cover dates and baking soda with hot water.

Soak for ten minutes and then drain.

2. Combine dates and butter in bowl. Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about ten minutes. Beat in vanilla, egg yolk, and salt until combined. Add flour and cornstarch until blended. Stir in walnuts.

3. Make rounded one inch balls and place on greased baking sheet. Flatten balls to about ½ inch thick.

4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until pale golden brown and baked through.

Gazette photo/ BRAYDEN JOHNK

February 2016

Page 17

let’s get festival...

coachella

Music festival in Indio allows students to experience a variety of music styles

Special to the Gazette /MADELINE WRIGHT

Coachella, a popular music festival in Indio, CA, attracts many GBHS students to its exciting atmosphere and musical experience.

BY MEAGAN TALLMAN

A

mtallman.gazette@gmail.com

s spring semester begins, we are reminded that music festival season is just around the corner, with Coachella tickets going on sale early this past January starting at the price of $375.

However this steep price has never seemed to stop avid music festival lovers. Coachella may be the most popular festival in America.

With its massive popularity, it expanded from one to two weekends a few years back. These two weekends usually occur in April, and each year Coachella delivers an experience of great musicians, art and good vibes.

This year, a large group of Granite Bay High School students have secured tickets to get a taste of the sweet euphoria that is Coachella.

But attending this event isn’t as simple as just buying a ticket a heading down for some music.

These students have begun planning their adventure months in advance- putting forth large efforts of time, money, and even some research to assure themselves the best time possible.

Senior Sydney Ladrech will be attending Coachella this year for the first time alongside her best friend, senior Melina Sneesby.

“I bought tickets right when they went on sale January 6th at 11 a.m.” she said. Since the tickets sell out so fast, it required Ladrech to be ready to buy the tickets promptly at 11 when they went on sale, so even though school was in session, she made sure to find away to secure a ticket for herself.

“The process was super frustrating because it put me on a standby screen for 45 minutes before I could even add my tickets to cart to buy them.” said Ladrech.

And she is not alone in this frustration–the entire festival was in such high demand that tickets sold out in those 45 minutes for both weekends.

After the tickets comes lodging. Being that Coachella is located in Indio, California, it was necessary for these GBHS students to find a place to stay during their trip.

“We are staying at a Marriott hotel really close to the venue.” Sneesby said.

“At first we weren’t sure where we were going to stay but someone else in our group already had a room booked there so we quickly booked another to have room for everyone.” added Ladrech.

And smart they were to get their rooms booked quick and early. Last year, the festival sold 198,000 tickets, and since many of the attendees are making a special trip to Indio just for the event, places to stay go almost as fast as the tickets and don’t come cheap.

When looking at the Marriott website, if you compare prices for the weekends of April 22-24 (weekend two of Coachella) with the costs just two weeks earlier, there’s a $200-400 price difference in the rooms, and that price will only rise the closer the time comes to the event.

Melina Sneesby has been well aware of this daunting cost of attendance.

“I’m paying for the trip unfortunately. Basically all my money from work goes to paying for this trip,” Sneesby said.

To save some cash, the girls said they and a group of friends are road tripping down to Indio in a large group. Though it’s an eight hour drive, all will be worth it when they arrive in the palm tree–lined desert.

“I can’t wait!” said Sneesby. “I’m really excited to get to hear so many musicians, and I’ve even started

planning my outfits.”

Though the planning and costs are extensive, it all will be worth it for these two GBHS students when they arrive in what is known as Coachella Valley.

They’ll get to ride the famous Coachella ferris wheel, spot celebrities, and of course have three days full of some of the great concerts. Getting all that makes everything all worth it in the end.

“The music, the setting, and all-around experience looks insane,” Ladrech said, “I have always wanted to go at some point and this year (Melina) and I talked about it a few days before tickets went on sale and just decided why not and did it!”

While Ladrech and Melina made a last minute decision to attend Coachella, senior Jenny Tarbell has had her heart set on going ever since last year. “[My group and I] started planning a month or so in advance...booking hotels, figuring out rides and beginning to budget,” said Tarbell.

Tarbell– who will be attending Pratt University next fall to study fashion design– is most excited to see the creative ensembles Coachella goers come up with and to partake in making her own.

“I started planning my outfits a month or so ago,” she said.

“I think I’m going to go with a more grunge twist on the classic bohemian Coachella style since Guns n Roses are headlining one day.” Tarbell said.

Overall, Tarbell simply can’t wait to participate in the iconic festival.

Coachella is without a doubt one of the most popular music extravaganzas on the west coast, so GBHS students are taking the time now to prepare for three days they will never forget.

“I’m really excited to listen to good music and spend time with friends,” Tarbell said. “I think it’s going to be a really awesome event.”

Gazette illustration/BLAKE PANTER

Special to the Gazette /CAITLYN HURLEY

February 2016

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film.

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

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PARAMOUNT PICTURES

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THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Rated: R

Rated: R

Rated: R

By: Amanda Nist anist.gazette@gmail.com

By: Katie Cologna kcologna.gazette@gmail.com

By: Savitri Asokan sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

carol: B

ased on Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Price of Salt” and set in 1950’s Manhattan, Carol depicts the rise and fall of the relationship between two women, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) and Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett).

Therese, the shop girl protagonist, meets Carol when she is purchasing a Christmas gift for her daughter. She is immediately conscious of an intense attraction towards her. Over the next few weeks, Therese reexamines her beliefs about herself as she develops a relationship with Carol.

Carol is married, composed and decidedly more sophisticated than the young, Hepburn-esque Therese, who is prone to pink cheeks and talking through mouthfuls of food. While the movie traces the sapphic intersection of the two women’s lives, it also charts the collision of opposites: experience and innocence, certainty and anxiety, age and youth.

Plagued by anxiety about her future and her identity, Therese is diffident and reserved, responsible for most of the pauses in conversation. She spends her time indulging in Carol’s minutiae, and the camera, entrenched in Therese’s perspective, lingers over the older woman’s lush mink furs or the curve of her smile. On the other hand, Carol is talkative and somewhat blase, having had experiences with women before.

The scenes of Therese alone are the best and most naturalistic, with a clear quality of light and an absence of the glossy sheen Carol seems to bring with her. When the film lingers over Therese brushing her teeth, vomiting by the side of the road or wiping her running nose, her melancholy is sympathetic and humanizing. Alone, she is unglamorous, unsure of herself and endearingly honest.

No one in the film ever explicitly describes the girls’ behavior as “homosexual” or “lesbian.” Instead, they approach the matter with delicacy, probing a mutual attraction which they are fully aware is clandestine yet isn’t crushed under the weight of societal disapproval. For Therese, this is the first time she’s felt this way about anyone, and her burgeoning feels are independent of denigrating labels.

Carol does not rely on tropes of lesbian media, and this is the primary reason why the film succeeds. In the ending, Therese, spurred on by some unknowable urge, frantically searches for Carol in a crowded dining room. Finally she finds her, and they hold each other’s gaze for a long moment. In Carol’s upturned face are the hints of a smile and perhaps the answers to all Therese’s questions.

13 hours: A-

n the past few years, many military movies have come out. Although I didn’t expect anything new or original from 13 Hours, it differed from past movies I have seen. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you feel honored to be part of your country, this is it.

13 Hours is a movie based on the true story of six members from the Annex Security Team that battled with Islamic militants who were attacking the U.S. Consulate. After being told numerous times to “wait” and “stand down” by the station chief, the six contractors disobeyed his order so they could try and save the ambassador. The CIA contractors eventually returned to their CIA base where there was an attempted attack on them by Islamic militants for several hours until the Libyan forces came to rescue them.

Even though this movie is filled with action, thrill and even gore, it has a deeper underlying meaning.

It showed that the six contractors wanted to protect others, valued the brotherhood they had with each other and, just like normal people, felt vulnerable and frightened in extreme situations.

There has been a lot of controversy on the actual truth of the movie. Discrepancies arose when the station chief claimed that he didn’t tell the contractors to “wait” and “stand down,” yet the men say he gave them those orders multiple times. The contractors also say that they would have been able to save the ambassador if they would have left when they wanted to.

When I realized that Michael Bay directed this movie, I was surprised. He is known for directing the Transformers movies, which are science fiction movies. It was unexpected for him to take on a true story with such a sensitive topic.

If you don’t know much about Benghazi, the movie may be a little confusing. For about the first 45 minutes of the movie, it introduces the characters and lays out the plot of the movie, but it doesn’t give much information about the corruption that was occurring in Libya.

What military movies typically don’t do is humanize the enemy. At the end of the movie, when the Islamic militants were on the ground dead, all of their families were trying to find them. I liked how it showed that it wasn’t the families who did this, but it was the families who had to suffer and go through all the sadness of the choices a family member made.

Even if you are not into action packed movies, this movie will not feel like the typical meaningless thriller movie. Its deep meaning that showcases brotherhood and the pride in our country is what really makes the movie.

the hateful eight: B

he first time I fell in love with a movie, with a cast, with the cinematography – it was with Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Volume 1.

Something about it intrigued me, and I’ve watched movies differently since then.

It’s not like Kill Bill is the best movie I have ever seen, or even my favorite movie. But, because of it, I discovered a new appreciation for all things film: the costumes, the score, the cast and especially the directors – in this case, Quentin Tarantino.

Tarantino has written and directed some of my favorite films: Kill Bill, Inglorious Bastards, Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained and True Romance. I always enjoy his films – his style is enthralling.

His most recent film, The Hateful Eight, is just another addition to his plethora of outstanding films. Although it’s definitely not his best nor his most powerful film, it’s still quirky and well-written – typical of a Tarantino movie.

Featuring Kurt Russel and, of course, Samuel L. Jackson, a handful of travelers get caught in a blizzard and are forced to take shelter in “Minnie’s Haberdashery,” a stagecoach stopping area. Russel is accompanied by Daisy Domergue, a fugitive from a Mexican gang he is taking into town to hang for reward.

After a few off-putting signs, Russel and Jackson are convinced someone is plotting against them in hopes of rescuing Domergue. They investigate the people and surroundings and even threaten that if they find out any of them are trying to stop Domergue from being hanged, they will find out and kill them.

Almost the entirety of the movie took place in one setting, the haberdashery, which is similar to Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs, where most of the movie takes place in an empty warehouse. It is also similar in the fact the main characters are trying to figure out which one of them has betrayed and/or is crossing them. Although it had the same premise, it was done well and wasn’t a complete copy of Reservoir Dogs.

The Hateful Eight was also similar to Django Unchained with the fact it was set during sometime after the Civil War. Honestly, I would watch a three hour movie of a Samuel L. Jackson monologue written by Tarantino. The way his characters speak and are spoken to is one of my favorite Tarantino aesthetics.

Tarantino has his own style, which prevails through all of his films. Although he put some of the same aspects into The Hateful Eight as some of his other films, it was still unique and it was still worth watching.

February 2016

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film.

LUCAS FILM

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PARAMOUNT PICTURES

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SONY PICTURES

Rated: PG-13

Rated: R

Rated: PG-13

By: Connor Hinson chinson.gazette@gmail.com

By: Brigid Bell bbell.gazette@gmail.com

By: Naseeha Islam nislam.gazette@gmail.com

concussion: B

brilliant scientist. A terrifying medical phenomenon. An all-powerful corporation conspiring against earlier mentioned brilliant scientist for profitability. Sounds like an intriguing story for those who like a good sports drama, right?

Think again.

Concussion follows the story of renowned pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) and his showdown with the NFL. After the mysterious death of a former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, Omalu begins discovering strange similarities in the autopsies between Webster and other NFL stars who died in equally mysterious and shocking ways, eventually concluding that they all suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) due to repetitive head trauma on the field.

Just the scientific discovery of the disease took about an hour of the entire movie.

Much of this time is spent in the autopsy room, or with Will Smith looking at slides under a microscope which wasn’t exactly what I was looking forward to seeing in what was supposed to be an intense drama.

Even when Omalu finally had a name for his disease and was ready to tackle the NFL, the conflict was relatively lackluster. Except for one angry conversation between Omalu and an NFL representative, the rest of the movie was constituted by sneers and empty threats from nameless NFL officials.

Aside from a rather subdued conflict, the film also included an unnecessary romantic aspect that incorporated Omalu’s wife and family. While providing a softer side to the movie, the romantic sub-plot seemed to be more distracting than enhancing.

There were also a few hints of racial tension and the issue of Omalu’s acceptance as a true American – because we all know you aren’t a real American until you learn to love football.

Will Smith, however, did a phenomenal job acting as Omalu. His impressive Nigerian accent alongside his portrayal of an equally driven and emotional character kept the movie going even when the plot seemed to be at a standstill.

While the soundtrack of Concussion gave off an action-thriller vibe, the entirety of the story was rather anti-climactic and unfulfilling.

The film, aside from the outstanding acting, did not truly live up to my expectations of an exciting sports drama. With its mild conflict and trivial subplots, Concussion did not reach its full potential, but instead fell quite a few yard lines short of a touchdown.

the big short: A-

know we’re all supposed to know what happened to the economy in 2009, but honestly I knew the bare minimum.

So as a senior in the midst of my stock project, I was intrigued by the premise of The Big Short.

Basically, a couple of really smart people figured out that the U.S. housing market was built on fraudulent loans, creating a bubble that was a ticking time bomb. These really smart people proceeded to bet against the market and make millions doing it.

Happy story, right? Not exactly, because the rest of the country plunged into the biggest recession since the Great Depression and dragged the rest of the world with it. The movie did a good job of getting that point across.

But at the time, I, like the average 12-year-old, was in a bubble of my own. I really had no idea of the magnitude or scope that the economic downfall had on the world.

So, walking into the theater, I had an expectation of something similar American Hustle, Argo or maybe The Wolf of Wall Street – a healthy helping of talented cast members, a sprinkle of action and a dash of corruption.

The Big Short was almost all of that, plus a couple of things I didn’t expect.

The cast, as anticipated, was phenomenal. Steve Carell still has enough versatility to play the middle aged cynic, Ryan Gosling looks better than ever in expensive suits, and Selena Gomez can explain complicated economic concepts.

My appetite for corruption was eagerly satisfied by the fraudulent deals top Wall Street executives were making.

Although stocks, mortgages and loans are not normally anything to rave about, director Adam McKay kept thing light and interesting, whether it be Margot Robbie explaining subprime mortgages between sips of champagne in a bathtub, or Selena Gomez drawing metaphoric parallels between Synthetic CDOs and Blackjack.

The complicated concepts that normally take a college degree in economics were explained in a comprehensive, simple way, while avoiding the point of being condescending.

I walked away from the theater feeling like I had just listened to a two hour college lecture on economics without the boredom that normally accompanies something like that.

However, if you’re looking for a more action-forward movie, you may want to skip this one.

Don’t get me wrong, The Big Short was a movie education. Not only was it informative, but it made me chuckle, tear up and shake my fist in anger.

star wars: the force awakens: A

long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Those few words were unknowingly the beginning of a cultural phenomenon. In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, a film which has grown into something much larger than itself.

With sequels spanning nearly four decades, it’s incredible to see how each new generation is just as enamored with this series as the last. Even The Phantom Menace, the first of three “prequel” films, which is generally considered to be the worst in the series, managed to keep the Star Wars name alive well into the 2000’s.

However, due to the retroactive disapproval for the prequel trilogy, people were rightfully wary of the in-development third in the Star Wars trilogy and the possibility for it to further taint the already damaged legacy.

Except it totally didn’t, because Star Wars: The Force Awakens kicks ass.

For the uninformed, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars Daisey Ridley and John Boyega on their epic quest to do space things. And there is also a baddie, played by Adam Driver, who is sort of like Darth Vader but with some serious daddy issues.

Honestly, the plot of every Star Wars film is essentially the same, and The Force Awakens is not the one to change the formula. There are still Lightsabers and force powers and laser-shooting planets, but that’s what this series is all about.

To put it simply, Abrams made Star Wars feel like Star Wars again. From the opening crawl of iconic yellow text, to the sounds of lightsabers clashing and blasters firing away, all backed by John William’s timeless score, The Force Awakens is the closest thing to a cinematic experience that I have seen in a long time.

The Force Awakens is a quicker, more action packed product than its predecessors, with the most stylish editing in the entire franchise. With the quicker pace also comes a quicker wit, as I found the humor in this film to be genuinely hilarious at parts.

Simply on the merit of being a new Star Wars movie, I most likely would have enjoyed The Force Awakens regardless of quality. What I didn’t expect, however, was to be totally and completely enamored by it, not out of love for Star Wars, but out of love for good cinema.

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February 2016

love you a latte.

Temple Coffee House in Downtown Sacramento offers a variety of coffee and tea with latte art, allowing you to experience the full coffee shop ambiance.

Cannot espresso the obsession

Students explore and compare the aesthetics of local coffee shops Gazette photo illustrations /EPSA SHARMA

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BY BLAKE PANTER

bpanter.gazette@gmail.com

good coffee shop is not solely defined by the quality of the coffee, but by the entire experience itself.

Coffee shops have started to become a trend for Granite Bay High School students, whether to just sit and talk with friends or to work on homework and study.

GBHS senior Claire Raney has noticed that coffee shops have started to become busier in the past year.

Going on a coffee date has become something her and her friends do often.

“It’s definitely been more crowded now,” Raney said. “When we go, we usually think we are going to do homework, but usually don’t end up doing it and just talk instead.”

Robyn Pan, a senior, also enjoys going to coffee shops to enjoy her friends’ company.

“It’s always been a thing,” Pan said. “I think that as soon as you get your license, you just want to go places. Coffee can be one of those places. You don’t have to order food.

There’s no commitment you have to make. I like how relaxed it is.”

The three most notable coffee shops for GBHS students are Shady Coffee and Tea, Bloom and Origin.

According to Pan, the coffee is more important than the aesthetic. In her opinion, Bloom has the best vanilla lattes, Shady has the best lavender lattes and Origin’s ambiance is the most pleasing.

“Origin has the best furniture to lounge on, the best decorations and is very spacious with open windows,” Pan said.

Pan also praises Shady Coffee and Tea’s open mic nights where anyone can sign up to sing for those in the crowd.

Senior Emily Lavrador regularly sings and plays guitar during the open mic nights.

“I would go there to get coffee all the time and then I just heard about open mic night on Friday nights,” Lavrador said. “So I would go with friends and they would play for a couple of years. Just recently this year I started playing there. You start to get to know

faces and get to know people. It is its own sort of community.”

Pan attends open mic night about once a month and is continually impressed with the quality of the talent.

Pan and Raney agree that the music the coffee shop plays is integral to their overall experience and noted that Bloom’s music playlists are the best “When I was there two days ago, they were playing Michael Jackson and Night Fever and ‘September’- by Earth Wind and Fire,” Pan said. “I was really feeling it. There’s a good variety. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Raney said that the ambiance of the place is more important than the coffee.

To her the true appeal of coffee shops is sitting and talking with friends, and a coffee shop that is small and crowded makes that difficult.

“Even if you don’t drink coffee you can still go and enjoy the ambiance and sit and talk,” Raney said.

Special to the Gazette /TIFFANIE NGUYEN