Thanksgiving myths The truth on after-dinner sleepiness, the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the first Turkey Day
G10
Preparing for Black Friday
Student coaches
B1
C1
Students scout for the best local deals and discounts
GBHS athletes lend a helping hand
The Granite Bay Gazette GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 16 w ISSUE 3 w FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012
Commentary
GBHS receives new tech funds
Zach Weidkamp GBHS teacher says new equipment will improve the IB Film student experience.
Media, IB Film acquire $50,000 in grants for film equipment BY NICOLE BALES
chris pei
cpei.gazette@gmail.com
A journey can be born from a single moment
W
hen totaled, I’ve spent less than a tenth of my 17-year-long life in
Taipei. Even so, my time there ended up fostering in me a deeply ingrained appreciation of the city. Taipei, located on the northern tip of Taiwan, is where my roots lie: it’s the home of my grandparents, and it’s where both my parents grew up. But above all, it’s the birthplace of an intensely personal and spiritual journey. I last visited Taipei two summers ago. As I arrived at the airport, I was struck with an indescribably cathartic feeling of familiarity. Looking out at the city skyline, I saw a metropolitan haven nestled in lush groves and rolling mountains. It was freedom from thought. It was a departure from my past. It was harmony. Each day flowed seamlessly to the next. I had no need of an itinerary or agenda. The city spoke, and I listened. Because of Taipei’s extensive public transportation network, there were no boundaries to where my feet could take me. With a swipe of a card, I was able travel the city. I was able to see and experience its vibrancy and eclectic beauty. Taipei was a cultural synthesis of both natural and man-made beauty. In my eyes, the landscapes somehow aligned perfectly, each detail creating sensation. I would wake up early to see the sun peek over the horizon, its crimson tails streaking across the tall, weathered buildings of the city. It was nighttime, however, when my personal journey began. I still recall the exact moment. My uncle had taken me to the outskirts of the city, high up on a vantage point that peered out across all of Taipei. Nighttime in Taipei was a spectacle to behold. As he lit a cigarette, I admired the city in its resplendence against the starry backdrop of the night sky. The cigarette smoke dissipated into the darkness, and suddenly, I felt it. A silent, implicit unity with the city. I imagined a panorama of individuals going about their separate lives, each life’s course eventually intersecting and becoming one. Yet, every encounter infinitely changed the trajectories of any given person’s course. The realm of each individual – past, present and future – intersected with everybody else’s in the endless cosmos of the city. It was assurance. It provided me with a distinct sense of human consciousness. I had lived in the suburbs for the larger part of my childhood. I chose when and where to reach out beyond my realm of existence. Rarely did my life intersect with those of others of its own accord. In that very moment though, the city was interconnected with its people, with me. I closed my eyes and sought solace in the spirit of the city. My thoughts were a prayer: one of inspiration and overwhelming awe. I prayed not to a god, but to Taipei, my city and home. I may not believe in a higher power, but I do believe that humans possess this silent unity: intrinsic and boundlessly profound, transcending the limits of individual experience. I was cleansed, purer than I had ever felt. This is where my journey began. *** Chris Pei, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.
nbales.gazette@gmail.com
When you walk into Zach Weidkamp’s classroom, you can’t help but be surprised by all the new state-of-the-art equipment, including a crane, a HD screen and an Apple television. The price tag, including the cost of a room full of new computers: $50,000, came from at least four
different sources of money including Carl Perkins grant funds (for careertech education), the budget for the media program, ASB fundraising money, boosters grants and site funds. The equipment was officially purchased for the new International Baccalaureate Film class, but Weidkamp said the equipment will not be limited to IB Film students. Every class that’s part of the Media
Communication Program of Study – which includes Beginning Media, IB Film and Advanced Media – will have access to the equipment. Weidkamp knew what equipment he wanted to make the class successful, so he applied for the Carl Perkins funds, and the district administrative review team, including a business community chairperson, approved the purchase of all the equipment. “So the stuff that’s in here is kind
of above and beyond a normal IB Film course, just because I need more tools to be able to push them to do the more advanced stuff,” Weidkamp said. “So I’m pushing them to the next level.” The IB Film class is designed to teach students the ins and outs of being a film director through reallife, hands-on experience. The goal is for students to eventually have the ability to produce and direct a
short film. “I speculate that I was allotted a little more than normal just because I’m starting a course,” Weidkamp said. “This year I might not get as much as I did just (last year)
See IB, page A5
Changing the stereotypes at Grant High Students, staff work to create culture at Sacramento school BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com
It’s 8:30 in the morning and senior Crystal Hernandez arrives early at Grant High School in Sacramento. The parking lot is mostly empty, aside from a few faculty vehicles, because most students do not have cars. After stepping off the bus, she heads to the cafeteria to pick up her breakfast before starting the school day. Walking through the halls of the “main campus,” she passes many students she knows and acknowledges them with a wave and a smile. As she walks through the indoor hallways, passing lockers and classrooms playing music, she addresses some students and they begin conversations in both Spanish and English. *** Hernandez’s friend and fellow senior Anabell Guerrero joins her in the hall, and they proceed to take a walk around the entire campus. Hernandez is one of the 626 Hispanics who make up the ethnically diverse study body at Grant, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Spanish is her first language and her parents are from Mexico. She, along with many other students at Grant, is a first-generation American who is seeking greater opportunities for her life. A unique aspect of Grant is the fact that it is made up of two different campuses, separated by a walk of about a quarter mile. “Main campus” is the original Grant campus that was built in 1932. It is an indoor school that houses mostly the upperclassmen, 394 juniors and 407 seniors. “West campus,” known as the rowdier of the two Grant campuses, is an outdoor school equipped with law enforcement officers who enforce school rules, patrol for drug use and prevent conflicts. “Main campus is a more enclosed environment, whereas over there (at West campus) it’s a wilder and freer environment,” said senior Noa Gonzales, who is on Grant’s varsity See GRANT, page A6
Grant football coach’s death shocks school, community BY KRISTIN TAYLOR
ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com
On Sunday morning, Sept. 17, police found Grant High School varsity football assistant coach Edward Coleman and his girlfriend Luv Land dead in their Natomas home. A firearm lay beside the two bodies. Sacramento police later acknowledged that Coleman fatally shot Land and then took his own life. Later that day, Grant football senior captain Marquise Carter-petit was scrolling through his news feed when he received a Facebook message from a teammate about Coleman’s death and assumed it was some sort of twisted joke. What he learned, however, when he called Grant head coach Mike Alberghini for verification, was the news was true. The reality hit that he wouldn’t see Coleman out in the football stadium any longer, and he was
A display board, above, showcases Grant Union High School’s culture and academics. Class photos, right, display the school’s past classes and sports teams. Gazette photos / KRISTIN TAYLOR
See COACH, page A6
Courses redefine role of personal beliefs in academics English, government and history classes incorporate religion in class discussions BY MEGHAN CARLSEN mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
At the dinner table, people are told to stay away from discussing two things – politics and religion. But in the classroom, it seems these discussion topics come up fairly often for students at Granite Bay High School. Many students are used to learning about the background of Protestantism or the Catholic Church when sitting in an Advanced Placement European history class or a World history class. Some students don’t bat an eye when the basis of the different denominations of Christianity are explained, or deep biblical
inside this issue
News
A2 – A6
Voices
A7 – A9
Second Look
A10
Features
B1 – B6
Sports
C1 – C6
Green Screen
G1 – G20
allusions are referenced in a piece of literature in an AP U.S. history class or AP literature class. There is always the possibility of students’ political opinions being verbalized when discussing events in history or discussing current events in a government class. Teachers handle these seemingly dangerous subjects with care on a daily basis in their classrooms, but with such deeply personal topics up for discussion, teaching without bias can be tricky. “This is a complex issue,” GBHS principal Mike McGuire said. “Teachers have a great deal of influence on students and should exercise great caution in discussing their personal beliefs and values when it comes to religion and politics.” It seems that these subjects come up more in history, government or English classes where religion is examined as a contributing influence in history and is referenced often in definitive literature. Current or historical
political beliefs in government or history classes are often used as subjects to study and analyze trends. Brandon Dell’Orto, who teaches both IB and AP U.S. history, openly identifies himself as a Christian but he said his religious beliefs don’t affect how he teaches. “I use my knowledge of Christianity in my teaching, especially when I talk about history and (religion’s) interplay and the foundational mindsets that it has,” Dell’Orto said. “But I don’t think that I let my personal religious beliefs bleed over into trying – in any way, shape or form – to get my (students) to believe the same things.” Dell’Orto, however, said he can understand it might be difficult for a student who did not identify with Christianity in any way to learn about its influence in U.S. history on a daily basis. “Regardless of the idea that we’re a JudeoChristian country, we have clearly said to the world (that we advocate) freedom of religion,”
New stores open locally
Granite Bay community sees recent spurt of retailers.
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Teachers have a great deal of influence on students and should exercise great caution in discussing their personal beliefs and values when it comes to religion and politics. – Mike McGuire, GBHS principal Dell’Orto said. “Yet it must be very hard for a non-Christian in a country that keeps saying that but doesn’t necessarily act in that way.” Dell’Orto has been faced with pushback See RELIGION, page A5
Graffiti at local campuses
School rivalries result in vandalism, arrest.
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News
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Granite Bay Gazette
Friday w November 9, 2012
NAMES IN THE NEWS
New stores open in Granite Bay
sydney kahmann skahmann.gazette@gmail.com
GBHS senior a semifinalist in science contest
T
Sydney Kahmann, a junior, is the Gazette News editor.
Safeway. Retailers come and“Any (grocery retailer) is competing (with us),” Weingard said. to community The Walmart has a pharmacy, a garden center and a photo center near high school that might also help to distinguish it from other local stores. BY GRACE MOORE
gmoore.gazette@gmail.com
Despite the recession, many new stores are opening in Granite Bay. Walmart Neighborhood Market, Starbucks and the spa and salon, Zimbali, have all opened recently. “Things have been going really well,” said Krystal Weingard, manager at the Walmart Neighborhood Market that opened on Douglas Boulevard. The grocery-minded Walmart Neighborhood Market competes with already-established grocery stores in the area such as Raley’s
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
in the evenings, and many students seem to appreciate the drivethrough service, according to another Starbucks cashier. But, some Starbucks workers find high school students to be annoying customers. “They can be pretty obnoxious about their drinks,” a cashier said. Regardless, Starbucks employs multiple high school students. “We don’t age discriminate,” the cashier said about Starbucks job opportunities and positions. Many GBHS students like the new Starbucks, even if they are not employed there. Andrew Thacker, a GBHS senior, enjoys the new Starbucks opening. “I do love drive-throughs,” Thacker said. “(They are) quite convenient.” Grace Borgesi, another GBHS senior, thinks drive-throughs are well-suited to her busy schedule.
fi f rmat a n o i ve s n a o
55% of teens in favor
CORRECTIONS In an October story about students from other countries at Granite Bay High School, Camille Mallet’s year in school was incorrectly reported. Mallet is a senior. The Gazette regrets the error. *** Because of a reporter’s error, a story in the October issue of the Gazette about children of Granite Bay High School faculty members failed to include the name of one of teacher Dale Mortensen’s sons. Parker Mortensen is a GBHS freshman. The Gazette regrets the error. *** 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
Now that Walmart has opened to the public, more employment opportunities have become available to high school students and others in the area. Starbucks was opened three months ago, and the chain’s new store has been thriving. Located on the corner of Cavitt Stallman Rd. and Douglas Blvd., Starbucks competes with local cafés such as Peet’s Coffee and Tea and La Bou. “A lot of people love the store and the location ... It’s really profitable,” a Starbucks cashier said. GBHS students make up a large amount of drink sales, especially
Op ini
***
Gazette photos /KAYLYN O’DONNELL
Zimbali, Starbucks and Walmart are some of the new stores that have opened their doors to the Granite Bay community this year, despite the economic downturn.
SOURCE: GALLUP
44% of teens not in favor
Gazette illustration / LENA EYEN
“It is so much more convenient and user friendly that (the new Starbucks) is a drive through,” Borgesi said. While Borgesi appreciates the Starbucks, she is unsure whether or not the new store truly adds something to the community considering the number of Starbucks already located in the area. Another new store near Starbucks, Zimbali, has a completely different history. The manager, Tina Lusk, made an ambitious move in purchasing Zimbali, the only salon of its name, one year ago. “This was a salon before we opened it, (also named) Zimbali,” Lusk said. “We chose to keep the name because it was already known in the community. (But) we (want) to let people know that it’s a different experience (now).” Based on the abundance of salons
in the area, business is competitive. “Sadly, there have been a lot of salons in the area that have closed,” Lusk said. “It’s been (competitively) rough.” But considering the relatively new ownership of Zimbali, the spa has been pretty successful. “A lot of people in the community seem to really want to support the small businesses,” Lusk said. Because of the wide range of services Zimbali offers – facials, waxes, eyelash extensions, spray tans, massages, manicures, makeup services, and all kinds of hair services – the store seems to be gaining popularity among GBHS girls. “It seems like (GBHS girls) are really into what’s going on,” Lusk said. “They want to have the ombre on their ends. They just really want to be on trend, which is great (for our business).”
Affirmative action changes coming?
ion ct
he Siemens Competition is a science, research-focused competition for high school students across the nation. For this year’s 2012 competition, our very own Brian Wei was named a semifinalist. Wei’s project addressed the toxic chemicals and carcinogens in PVC pipe, as he sought to replace them with materials that were less harmful to people’s health. *** The Strong Teens groups started meeting on Oct. 18, but it’s not too late to get involved. Every Thursday until Dec. 18, Strong Teens groups have been meeting during both lunches in the library conference room. These meetings are designed to teach students how to deal with stress, anxiety, anger and depression as well as helping increase problem-solving skills, understanding other people’s emotions and understanding your own emotions. *** The Granite Bay Gazette (this lovely newspaper you are reading) and AT THE BAY (the school magazine) both won multiple awards from the National Scholastic Press Association for last year’s publications. Announced last month were the list of names of students who won for each category. GBHS graduates Rachael Vasquez, Jessica Reese, Shannon Carrol, Danielle Dietrich, ShinEui Park and Kelsey Knorp; current students Chris Pei, Nicole Bales, Hayley Massara, Sydney Kahmann, Josh Wild, Mary Haney, Meghan Carlson, Austin Downs and CC Dickson; and both the Gazette and AT THE BAY staffs were recognized with awards ranging from page-designs/layouts to advertisement designs to story writing. Students won first place, second place, third place and certificate of merit awards. *** Sports-a-Rama will be on Thursday. The freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class teams have been practicing for weeks for their performances. Be sure to come out to this night rally and support your class for spirit points.
Court case renews past controversies BY SYDNEY KAHMANN
skahmann.gazette@gmail.com
The Supreme Court heard the oral arguments for Fisher v. University of Texas on Oct. 10, a case stemming from caucasian student Abigail Fisher’s denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. Upon rejection, Fisher claimed she was not admitted because of unfair affirmative-action policies. Affirmative action is used by some universities to offer more admissions opportunities to students from minority groups. Groups such as Hispanic Americans and African Americans are two of the most dominant minorities that benefit from affirmative action; those against affirmative action tend to be Caucasians and Asian Americans, both of whom are not considered minorities by the
college admissions system. While Americans anxiously await the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action, this divisive debate is no stranger to the national spotlight. In 1978, the Supreme Court judged the University of California at Davis’s affirmative action policies unconstitutional; in 2003 the Supreme Court came to a 5-4 decision that upheld the affirmative action policies at the University of Michigan’s Law School. With such a conflicted history, this year’s Supreme Court decision will be a turning point in terms of affirmative-action policies at public universities. This could radically alter college admissions for Granite Bay High School seniors who are applying to universities as minorities or as majorities. See COURT, page A5
Theater trash problem receives staff attention
Students face stricter lunch rules BY AUSTIN DOWNS
adowns.gazette@gmail.com
On the morning of Oct. 9, the students at Granite Bay High School watched as their principal, Mike McGuire, made an appearance on the bulletin. In that bulletin, McGuire laid out his frustration and dissatisfaction with the obscene amount of trash but, more importantly, the catastrophic amount of gum on the theater steps. Two days before the bulletin aired, McGuire, along with around 30 other volun-
teers, participated in Bayside Church’s first annual Serve Day, a day designed to help improve the community as a whole. Split up into two four-hour shifts, these volunteers spent a majority of their Sunday cleaning up the GBHS campus. “There were over 14,000 pieces of gum that were scraped off of the theater,” McGuire said. It was during this time that McGuire noticed the amount of trash that was on campus, particularly the amount located near the entrance to the theater. “I was part of the second shift,” McGuire said. “When I arrived at campus and checked in, the first shift had pressure-washed the library and it actually looked nice.” After noticing the effect of the pressure washer at the library, he hoped that the same technique could be effective in cleaning the
theater. “I volunteered to go work on the theater area,” McGuire said. “So when I got there it looked as gross as could be and smelled like a dumpster.” Over the next four hours, the group of volunteers worked vigorously, some of them scraping gum off of the cement while others pressure washed the windows, and the rest of the volunteers picking up the trash. After the day had finished, McGuire expressed gratitude toward all who had volunteered at GBHS but also told them what he was going to do next about this problem. “The following Monday I went to media and said, ‘Get a cameraman, I’m about to make a public service announcement!” McGuire said. With the bulletin on the air and the theater area closed indefinitely, McGuire is now at
a point where campaigns to help reduce the trash problem and promote awareness are no longer an option. Instead, restricting where students can eat is the path he chose to pursue. “That theater area has no reason to ever be available to eat lunch there,” McGuire said. “(If the trash problem continues,) I’m seriously considering just having the cafeteria the only place where students can be able to eat their lunches.” However, McGuire does realize the possibility that instead of providing a solidified solution to the trash problem, restricting areas would only shift the trash left by students to a new area. “To some degree, that’s probably going to happen,” McGuire said. “There are just See TRASH, page A5
Friday, November 9, 2012
News
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Oak Ridge High School students paint rocks instead of vandalizing school property. The rocks are located on El Dorado Hills Boulevard near Highway 50.
School graffiti vs. art rocks Campus vandalism prevented by outlets for artistic expression? BY NICOLETTE RICHARDS nrichards.gazette@gmail.com
School rivalries are everywhere and happen between any two schools. However, sometimes these rivalries are taken off the sporting fields and into the real world, and students begin turning rivalries and harmless pranks into vandalism. A few weeks ago, students from Folsom High School went to Oak Ridge High’s public “art” rocks before a football game, and painted them the FHS spirit colors – an entirely legal act because of the area’s open policies regarding artistic contributions to the rocks. “The entire public can access the rocks, we could have people paint ‘Happy birthday, Sally’ one day,
and it be gone the next,” explained Pam Bartlett, assistant principal at Oak Ridge. However, in retaliation, ORHS students went and vandalized the entire Folsom High campus, which resulted in the arrest of several students after the incident. Granite Bay High has also had a recent vandalism incident, where areas of the school were spray painted with gold and black spray paint. “We are like Disneyland,” assistant principal Brian McNulty said, “… in a sheltered world… so once this sort of thing happens, it makes it clear how much it affects everyone.” On the GBHS campus, many students and faculty were annoyed and angered by the defamation of the school grounds. “What people don’t realize is
Ripple Effect brings stories to light
Students share experiences as bullying victims BY KIANA OKHOVAT
kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com
Bullying is a serious issue in the school community. According to the Center for Disease Control, 20 percent of high school students report experiencing bullying. Countless organizations and films have been created to raise awareness on the effects of actions on others. Granite Bay High School’s Ripple Effect week is a program designed just for this purpose. Three GBHS students (in addition to the students interviewed for the Ripple Effect week bulletins) have come forward with their experiences as bullying victims.
Andrew Solhelm Last year, GBHS senior Andrew Solhelm was bullied for being gay. For a couple of months, his tormentors verbally abused him, damaging Solhelm’s self-esteem. “They were just calling me names ... hurtful things – they called me fag” Solhelm said. “It made me feel terrible, really angry and sad.” Solhelm found comfort through his friends, whom he said helped him through the bullying. However, after a while, Solhelm cracked and physically reacted towards his tormentors. “It got physical, then it just stopped,” Solhelm said. “They probably got bored with (bullying) me.” Solhelm said that there was one main tormentor, and the rest mimicked him. Solhelm said that although his bullying experience was not the worst
bullying story he has heard, it was still awful. “You should be aware of the things you say,” Solhelm said. “You don’t know how much it affects others ... (or) how they will react.” Reed Homen Freshman Reed Homen also endured bullying, but a positive outcome resulted. “My mom had me when she was 17, and my parents got divorced ... when I was (around) three,” Homen said, “and so ... I think I lost a lot of confidence, there, when that happened in the very beginning of my life.” Before settling in Granite Bay when Homen was in seventh grade, Homen and his mother moved around a lot. “Before we got here, we made two major moves, and then smaller moves in between ... (like) to dif-
ferent schools in the same district,” Homen said. Homen did not completely comprehend his parents’ divorce at the time, but began to understand it as he grew older. “It was a little demoralizing, and I was made fun of,” Homen said. Homen also heard insensitive comments regarding his separated parents. “Things like, ‘Dude you don’t have a mom and dad’ or ‘Your mom and dad don’t live in the same place? That’s weird,’” Homen said. Homen adds that he has also been made fun of for having a young mother. “(But) I don’t let that bother me ... because I have embraced it, and I enjoy having a younger mom,” Homen said. The bullying Homen endured mainly occurred when he was
See BULLY, page A5
News Briefs
Gazette photos/ Kaylyn o’donnell
that it’s like going into someone’s house and destroying their home,” McNulty said. Vandalism, while inexpensive for the perpetrator, can be quite costly for the victim. “This incident, even though it was one thing, cost about $300 in repairs,” McNulty said. “This is wasting resources that could be used for more important things.” The act of painting the public rocks at Oak Ridge was completely legal and safe, yet was still viewed as an act of school rivalries without involving any legal issues. This raises the query: should GBHS get an art rock, not only to influence school spirit, but to also prevent public vandalism on campus? “I personally feel that if kids don’t have a way to release… then it will come out in this extreme
Sports-a-Rama prep well under way The Gazette talked to Brandon Borjon, Sports-a-rama head commissioner. Gazette: When is Sportsa-Rama? Nov. 15 Gazette: How would you describe Sports-a-Rama? Sports-a-Rama is a night rally where all four classes compete against each other in games, activities, dances, skits, things like that. It’s very energetic, very energized, very spirited, and it’s just a great time to come out and support your class and have school spirit.
Gazette: What do you hope Sports-a-Rama will bring to the school? I hope that Sports-a-Rama brings class unity to the school. It’s a really great way to unite each class in the competition against each other. There’s a lot of bond-
Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR
GBHS blood drive breaks record for number of registered donors Last month’s blood drive had the largest number of donors in Granite Bay High School Blood Drive history. This year, there were 226 blood donors – composed of 25 members of the faculty, 197 students, and four people from the community – compared to last year’s total of 219 donors.
Surprisingly, last year’s spring blood drive and this year’s fall blood drive both ended up donating 197 pints of blood, even though the standard blood donation amount is a pint per donor. Before giving blood, donors are asked a series of questions, and undergo a series of
medical tests to determine whether or not the donor’s blood can be used. Thus, even though there were more donors, fewer donors were allowed to donate blood this year than last year. - Sydney Kahmann
kind of way,” McNulty said. “I feel they should make the bear available for school painting,” said junior Kelly Tarbell. “It may not prevent vandalism entirely, but it would be fun and possibly deter those things (from happening).” Although GBHS has not had many cases of vandalism – and vandalism prevention is not a huge issue – an artistic outlet for students might create a more positive expression of school spirit. “In the last four years…the incidents with graffiti have gone down (by) 80 percent,” McNulty said. “But when it happens, it’s so blatant.” Like the administration, students see vandalism becoming less and less of a problem. “I think,” Tarbell said, “that people are becoming more aware of the negative aspects of graffiti.”
ASB UPDATE
Gazette: How is Student Government preparing for Sports-a-Rama ? We plan (like we do) for any of our other events, there’s a long sort of official process of going about it. Every week we have a planning guide where we plan out our week and see what needs to get done … every day we sit down with our assistant commissioner and committee members.
Michael Geraghty, a junior, gives blood at the Blood Source blood drive on Oct. 25. Geraghty was one of 226 blood donors.
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Gazette photo / KRISTIN TAYLOR
Brandon Borjon, Sportsa-rama head commissioner, said Sports-a-rama is becoming more popular.
ing that goes on in the team. I think that it will bring great positive spirit to each class, to sort of unify themselves. Gazette: Has anything about Sports-a-Rama changed since last year? Yeah, a little bit. I’d say the biggest change is just its popularity. I mean, just four years ago, it was so hard to get people to sign up … we were begging kids to sign up. The first day, the sign-up line was ridiculously crazy. People were coming three minutes before just to rush as soon as they could to the little booth we had set up. The way we set it up currently was for lower-level popularity. Now that it’s so popular, we are considering next year having it … before school on a (collaboration morning), now we have an audience who would come out to something like that. The popularity is dramatically increased. That’s probably the biggest change. —Sydney Kahmann
A4 News
Friday, November 9, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Cal Poly’s admissions secret not so secret Some students think Ag. Business major allows easier admission BY SUMMER HAENNY adowns.gazette@gmail.com
There’s a little secret among many Granite Bay High School seniors who apply every year to California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. What’s the secret? Applying as an Agriculture Business major is an easy route to being accepted. The problem with the secret, however, is that it might not be true. Many colleges in the California State University system – including Cal Poly – require students to declare a major when they apply, “We require students to declare a major because the structure of our curriculum is different,” said Melissa Pierce, a recruitment officer at Cal Poly. “Students start taking
classes in their major from day one. “It’s an upside-down curriculum. Students take a combination of (their) major, (their) support and (their) general education courses just about every single quarter that (they) are here.” Cal Poly is an incredibly popular destination for Granite Bay High School graduates. At the end of the 2011-12 school year, the graduating seniors were asked to report all of their college acceptances. Among the members of the 2012 graduating class, 49 people were accepted to Cal Poly, and 30 ended up attending. Wesley Finkemeier was one of those 30. Although many people – including recruitment officers like Pierce – said there is no easy way to get
Naviance system to be phased out soon Program will be used exclusively for organizational purposes, not college apps BY CHRIS PEI
other 19 percent of students are reported to have completed the career interest inventory. Starting this school year, GranAnother feature available to ite Bay High School will no longer students is Naviance’s college utilize the Naviance program to research database, which is didirectly submit applications to sturectly linked to the academic dents’ colleges of choice. records of every student. This feature, called E-docs, preThe database includes a scatviously allowed students to send ter gram function that plots a letters of recommendation, school particular student’s GPA and forms and transcripts exclusively test scores and compares them through the Naviance program into those of previous students stead of the common application. who applied to the same colAccording to GBHS guidance lege. This feature, Cross said, counselor Christina Cross, who provides a school-specific escoordinates the school’s use of timate of college acceptance Naviance, the program is currentrates. ly undergoing changes in order to Since its introduction to the make it more comparable to the school in 2009, Cross said, Nacommon application. viance has substantially grown “Right now, (the) common appliin its scope and its ability to cation makes it very easy for teachhelp students. ers and for counselors to submit She added that while only a all of their documents electronifraction of students currently cally,” Cross said. “Naviance isn’t take advantage of what the quite there, and they recognize program has to offer, she sees that. When they get there, it will be Naviance continuing to grow in equal if not better, and as easy, for the future. us to utilize that function.” Apart from Naviance, GBHS Despite the school’s decision also offers not to utilize the Ea variety docs function, Cross of internet said, Naviance will databases remain an important such as resource for stuNaviance isn’t the Gale dents. quite there, and virtual The Naviance proreference they recognize gram offers a wide library and range of college that. ABCand career research CLIO, first tools, including an introduced – Christina Cross, academic plannerin 2006, an electronic verGBHS guidance that stusion of a four-year counselor dents can plan. access for According to the use in their Naviance database, classes. 94 percent of all Acstudents at GBHS cording have started or are to GBHS currently utilizing this academic librarian Juliana Hedstrom, planner. Although Naviance is primarily these databases receive more used during class sign-ups, its fea- than 2,000 hits per month. Hedstrom also said the tures also include tools that aid in school has plans to subscribe college research. “One of the places where we like to EasyBib school edition by to send students is the SuperMatch next school year. The school edition will offeature, where students can input fer personalized tools to aid in a variety of criteria they’re looking for and be matched with an writing research essays, along appropriate college,” Cross said. with new note-taking and or“Naviance will then generate a ganizational features. comprehensive list of colleges that Also made available to stufit the criteria you’re looking for. dents is the learning center’s Its database encompasses not only extensive library of e-booksfour-year institutions, but also two- a collection that Hedstrom year community colleges, trade hopes will continue to expand. and tech schools, art schools and “My chief goal is to maxiso on.” mize usage of these resourcThe program also includes fea- es,” Hedstrom said. “Not only tures that aid students in exploring does it help students with their possible career options based on schoolwork, but it prepares each individual’s personality and them for the research they’ll interests. In fact, 44 percent of GBHS stu- need to do in college. I’m redents are reported to have com- ally excited about what we’ll pleted Naviance’s “Do What You be able to offer in the future Are” personality profile, while an- to our students and teachers.” cpei.gazette@gmail.com
into Cal Poly, students like Finkemeier disagree. When he applied, he decided to choose Agriculture Business as his major. “I chose Agriculture Business, frankly, because it was the easiest major to get into,” Finkemeier said. When Finkemeier applied to Cal Poly, he said he did not expect to be accepted. Finkmeier is not alone in his effort to find an easier path into Cal Poly. Other students have the same idea, and teachers are starting to notice. Jarrod Westberg, a government teacher at GBHS, has heard of more and more students choosing specific majors like Agriculture Business when they apply to Cal Poly. “(Agriculture Business) must be the easy way in, because there (are) probably so few students who go for that major,” Westberg said.
Part of the problem, and it’s true every major.” Shannon Menard, a senior at across the CSU system, is that GBHS, has already applied to Cal many majors are impacted – more Poly under the Parks, Recreation people are attending the school and Tourism mathan there are jor with hopes seats for those of becoming an students. That One out of every event planner in means admisfour students at Cal the future. sions for new it’s students are Poly is an engineer- trueWhether or not, Meincreasingly nard is among ing major. competitive, the students who especially in believe Agriculpopular majors. – Melissa Pierce, recruitture Business is Pierce, a backdoor route ment officer at Cal Poly the Cal Poly into Cal Poly. recruiter, said “I think that she’s unaware a lot of people of Agriculture (apply under Ag Business being an easy route to Business) to get in because Cal Poly admission. is a hard (school) and Ag Business “We don’t really have unpopuis really easy to get into as a major,” lar majors,” Pierce said. “We are Menard said. over-subscribed in all of our Cal Poly is unlike many other programs, so we get more applicolleges in that they don’t let peocations than spaces available in ple change their major very eas-
ily. Once you apply for a major, it is very hard to change it once you arrive. It can add a year or more to a student’s graduation plan if they successfully change majors. “Changing (a student’s) majors at Cal Poly is not a guaranteed process, (and) it is done on a case-bycase basis,” Pierce said. “It really depends on space availability in the majors that (they) want to switch over to and (if the students have met) the (preliminary) requirements for the major.” Regardless of the availability of a particular student’s intended major, Cal Poly is known across California and the country for its renowned academics and its incredible programs. “One out of every four students at Cal Poly is an engineering major,” Pierce said. “We have one of the top agriculture programs in the country and (in) architecture, one out of five architects in California is from Cal Poly.”
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RELIGION: Balancing curriculum and ideology Continued from page A1
from students about understanding different sides of all aspects of history – and not just the role of religion. Dell’Orto explained that parents’ tendency to get upset over a subject he’s taught in class has decreased over the years he has been teaching at GBHS. He thinks this is because he has become more well-known among families – older siblings or friends have had him for a teacher, and younger students and their families have come to realize he is just trying to present all sides of a subject, not push students toward his own values or beliefs. “One of things I’m trying to have kids do is question authority,” Dell’Orto said. “Not in a rebellious … kind of way, but just (to not) assume that anything coming from anybody … is 100 percent the truth.” David Tastor, IB English and AP literature teacher, in examining
different texts with his students, has to go through many references to outside religion of all kinds, not just Christianity. Even though Tastor identifies himself as Catholic, he said his religious beliefs don’t affect how he explains and teaches religious allusions and religious history in literature. “I had my students read the play Doubt, which is about the Catholic Church scandals,” Tastor said. “If I wanted to hide that (I wouldn’t have had them read that), but its literary value is far more important than the religious stuff underneath it.” Tastor has experienced students’ slight pushback at various instances when he asks them to know, or look up, biblical references in order to understand a piece of literature, but he has to enforce this with all other works of literature, such as when the Muslim or Jewish faith is referenced in a portion of the text.
“We have to understand some basic tenets and some basic stories of religion in order to understand the author’s perspective,” Tastor said. “Do we proselytize and teach that religion and say this is the way our students should believe? Absolutely not.” Part of understanding the literature, is understanding the things that influenced it, according to Tastor, and that in-depth analysis is what it takes to be in an AP Literature class. “You can choose not to (look up those allusions),” Tastor said. “But, when we discuss that, just understand that you’re going to be lost, which then may influence the way you write or the way you think.” This kind of critical thinking and analysis is what McGuire advocates for all teachers to promote on campus with their students. Jarrod Westberg, who teaches AP government, encourages the same
COURT: Affirmative action bolsters minority students
Continued from page A2 Over the years, Gallup, a research group, has released to the public the results of numerous polls concerning affirmative action. A Gallup poll from 2005 found that 72 percent of African Americans favor affirmative action programs while only 44 percent of Caucasians favor affirmative action programs. A Gallup poll from 2003 reported that 55 percent of teenagers favor affirmative action policies, while 44 percent of teenagers do not favor affirmative action policies. Sydney Stansberry, a GBHS senior of multiple minorities, favors affirmative action. “I think (affirmative action) is more centered towards people
who come from lower-income (families),” Stansberry said, “(not) just the stereotypical person who doesn’t go to college.” Stansberry thinks that if affirmative action can help less-privileged minorities, they might as well use their heritage as an advantage. “(Affirmative action) really gives them a chance to get accepted and start a different cycle for their family,” Stansberry said. Those who are not a minority have to do more to stand out to colleges, according to Stansberry. Neha Bavirisetty, a GBHS senior, will not be applying to college as a minority, but she still favors affirmative action. “I think it really can make a difference for those who need it,” Bavirisetty said.
thing in his students. He explained that kids come into his class, most often, without fully formed ideas or views about politics. “They’ve heard the topics,” Westberg said, “but don’t really understand the depth of them, or why they matter, or how they’re influential in a campaign or in their own lives.” Westberg sees some students with their own emotional attachment to a political view they’ve established, and they often have a hard time challenging that position when he presents a different side of an issue. While Westberg and his students discuss current political tendencies and events in their class, he said he keeps his own bias out as much as he can. “I just want them to be able to see both sides,” Westberg said. “If they can see both sides, and make a decision based on both sides, I feel like I did my job. I never want to push (a belief) on them. I don’t
have an agenda.” Westberg said it’s difficult for him to keep all of his emotions and personal ideology out of discussions in his classroom, but it’s his goal, and every teacher’s goal, to do that as completely as possible. Teachers in subjects like these have to deal with this delicate balancing act all the time, but most agree that their profession in no way should be a soapbox for them to voice their own beliefs onto an attentive audience of students. “There is a slippery slope when you think you are aligned with the right,” Dell’Orto said. “It then gives you the power to not listen to other people and to pass judgment on them.” Dell’Orto referenced a portion of the biblical passage Luke 10:27: “Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul … and your neighbor as yourself,” Dell’Orto said when explaining what his
I just want them to be able to see both sides ... I never want to push (a belief) on them. I don’t have an agenda. – Jarrod Westberg, government teacher
religion means in his daily life, “(which means to me) be a good person, try hard and know you’re going to fail but keep trying to get better. “I think that part of my religion is the focus of what I try to do teaching-wise – love my kids and do what I think is best for them.”
Other seniors, including Tiffany Alunan, see both the good and the bad in affirmative action. Alunan will be applying to college as a minority. “In general, I think (affirmative action) has good intentions,” Alunan said, “but the effects of it tend to hurt people more than they benefit people.” While minorities might be helped by affirmative action, it can be harder, in some cases, for nonminorities to get into college. “It’s not a black-and-white situation where you can clearly make changes to it,” Alunan said. “In some situations, it would be necessary to help underprivileged minorities, but in places like Granite Bay, we are minorities, but we are still pretty privileged.”
RIPPLE EFFECT: Bullied GBHS students share stories Continued from page A3
The bullying Homen endured mainly occurred when he was younger, and he said he feels bullying has made him stronger. “(I) dealt with things that were more important than school,” Homen said. “It helped me get through that, it made me get stronger.” Having to go through his parents’ divorce at such a young age taught Homen to be independent, and also contributed to his character. “I had to learn know how to hold my own,” Homen said, “I (have) more (of an) of an outward personality ... I’m not the kind of person to suffer silently.” Through his experiences, Homen said he better understands the ‘You can’t hate someone whose story you know’ theme of this year’s
Ripple Effect. “My story’s definitely not the only one, and my story’s definitely not the worst,” Homen said. “(People) should realize that when a person is … doing something weird to you, maybe they can’t help that – maybe the reason that they are doing that is because there’s something bad in their home life or school life.” Thanks to Homen’s experiences as a victim, he tries to make a positive influence on others through his involvement in student government and the football team. Kiah Drogenson Senior Kiah Drogenson also went through bullying, beginning in elementary school. Drogenson moved to Granite Bay from Southern California two
weeks before third grade began. Her classmates began to pick on her when she would receive bad grades on her spelling tests. “Everybody thought I was stupid,” Drogenson said. “They didn’t know that I had dyslexia.” Her classmates would make fun of her and call her names. Drogenson tried explaining to them what dyslexia was, but some of her classmates continued the taunting anyway. Every night, Drogenson had to spend an extra hour reading to overcome her problems with dyslexia. As time passed, her symptoms began to decrease, and both the dyslexia and bullying died down. “Being the new kid was (already) hard, and having to explain myself to everyone,” Drogenson said,
IB: Funding spent on IB film trickles down to all media classes Continued from page A1 because I already got the initial set of equipment. It’s just about keeping up and maintaining it.” GBHS senior Felix Von Windorff said the class is very interesting – and the best part, he said, is working with all the new equipment. “We got some unbelievable camera equipment like we have a crane which I think only one other school in all of California has,” Von Windorff said. “It’s really awesome to be able to use this sort of equipment in high school because apparently you’d have to wait until graduate school if you go to film school to be able to use this kind of equipment.” He said the class is a simulation of a major production using very simple techniques, but very good camera equipment. IB and IB Career Certificate coordinator Duane Blomquist said that IB Film requires students to have access to certain materials and gear – and technology doesn’t come cheap. “I personally didn’t want it to destroy my IB budget because I have to represent everyone on campus,”
Blomquist He said school officials agreed they said. “So they went to the want to expand IB This was like (other) funds, now that GBHS is one of the first which I thought free money was really schools in the world that came t o o ff e r t h e I B appropriate. Blomquist Career Certificate. in and lucky said he didn’t “Because of us, we got to the IBCC being know if an IB Film class embraced by the spend it. It school district, we required all didn’t affect the equipment have added four anyone’s We i d k a m p IB elective courses this year,” McNulty managed to budget. purchase, said. “IB Business is – Duane coming on next year. but he’s glad Blomquist, IB That’s yet another that IB Film students have investment in the IB coordinator program.” the opportunity He said all the to get and equipment that went use new to IB Film was an equipment. “This was like free money that investment in IB that trickles down came in and, lucky us, we got to to the rest of the media department. “The learning and the style (of spend it,” Blomquist said. “It didn’t IBCC) is going to be really good affect anyone’s budget.” Assistant principal Brian McNulty for a lot of people, and I think it agreed that all the new equipment might just catch on,” McNulty might not have been required for said. “It seems to be the population the IB Film class, but he said he of students who have joined CTE hopes it will pay off by helping to classes has grown, and we’re happy with what we’re having happen.” expand the IB program.
Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL
The large amount of litter on campus has forced the GBHS administration to ban eating in front of the theater. The rule seeks to curb students’ tendency to leave lunchtime trash behind.
TRASH: After day-long cleanup event, new lunchtime regulations imposed Continued from page A2 some students here who, for whatever reason, will not abide by the rules in place. I just don’t ever want to see our beautiful theater look like the way it did that one Sunday.” The organizer of this year’s Serve Day, Rick Bell, reflected the dissatisfaction McGuire had regarding the trash and gum problem. While he did not spend a lot of time cleaning up gum specifically, the amount of time spent scraping gum piqued his interest. “I probably had a total of 30 people working to scrape gum and pick up trash for a total of eight hours,” Bell said. He took a humorous approach to promoting a gumfree environment. “Perhaps signs that say, ‘Throw away your trash, don’t be a gumball,’” Bell said jokingly.
Aside from the humorous side of the problem, Bell says that the amount of gum does a disservice to the overall appearance of the theater. “It saddens me to see such a nice campus be (riddled) with trash,” Bell said. Senior Phil Canete used to eat at the theater, and he said closing down the area will not fully resolve the trash problem. “Trash is always going to be seen on campus, regardless of its quantity,” Canete said. During the first week of the theater’s closing, Canete said that people generally seemed responsive to the presence of administrators. However, he still noticed some trash leftover despite the tougher sanctions imposed. “The only thing that people can do is take it upon themselves to throw away their trash,” Canete said. “That’s the only way our campus would become cleaner.”
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GRANT: Diverse school culture and programs inspire students Continued from A1
Grant is home to three other academies and a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. boys’ soccer team. Craig Murray has been principal of According to older students at Grant, West campus – made up of the 781 fresh- Grant for eight years and is adamant that men and 605 sophomores – is what gives students have a class where they can exGrant its reputation as a rowdy school in plore their interests. “We want to get to a place where we which students are not very focused on know where everyone is,” Murray said, academics. “The lowerclassmen think coming to “(We have) 2,000 students and want evhigh school is a game at first,” Guerrero ery student to be connected to a group on campus.” said. *** As a senior, Hernandez agreed that stuAfter exploring the garden, Hernandez dents gain focus as they begin to realize the importance of high school graduation. and Guerrero head to the Criminal Jus“We all have changed from when we tice Academy. When they arrive at the were freshmen,” Hernandez said. “As classroom, the class of about 40 students stands to their feet and calls out a loud you get older, you mature.” “Good morning, ma’am” *** to their female visitors. Hernandez and *** Guerrero continue to Students in this class walk, and they pass When (people) participate in many teamthe football stadium. think of Grant, building and leadership In 2008, the varsity learn about the Pacer football team they think of the activities, criminal justice system and won the state Divifootball team. are even given assistance sion 1 championship, in the college application one of the most-excitprocess. They also engage ing moments ever for –Senior Noa Gonzales in physical activity, and are Grant students, facrequired to do push-ups as ulty and alumni. a punishment for being late *** or talking out of turn. While football might “You learn how to speak be the most wellknown sport at Grant, it’s not the school’s up for yourself and others,” senior Mindy Lao said. “We have to believe in what we only talented team. This year the boy’s varsity soccer team believe in, not what other people believe in and following the crowd.” is undefeated. Lao plans to attend a junior college for “When (people) think of Grant, they two years before transferring to a state think of the football team,” Gonzales said. “(But) we have an awesome soccer university. She will be the first person in her family to go to college, and she is the team and other sports.” The soccer team is so successful partly youngest of nine children. “My main reason for going to college is because it is made up of a group of boys that spend a majority of their time togeth- to help out my family,” Lao said. “I want to try to attain more (for them).” er, on and off the field. This idea of pursuing a college educa“All of my soccer teammates (are) more like a family than a team,” Gonzales said. tion in order to help family members is common at Grant. *** Gonzales hopes to attend Sacramento Hernandez and Guerrero leisurely walk through West campus to enjoy the garden State University to pursue a career in located there. This vast area filled with physical therapy. Neither of his parents flowers, benches and a variety of crops attended college. “It pushes me to work hard and to do is home to the Environmental Science Academy at Grant. Locally grown toma- better than they did,” Gonzales said. In 2011, 320 Grant seniors were already toes and herbs are raised here to make the famous salsa many purchase for use enrolled in either a four-year university, two-year junior college or the military, at home. out of a class of 348 students. *** This academy is another unique part of Grant teachers and staff members take Grant. Students participating in the Envi- every opportunity to make sure their sturonmental Science Academy are prepared dents are prepared for their next phase in for college majors such as Environmental life. During senior English classes, stuDesign and Community Nutrition. dents write and edit their college essays. They take field trips to places that will They are taught how to write them and further enrich their understanding of the how to submit an application. environment, such as the California PolyThe school counselors devote their time technic Institute of Landscape Architec- to getting to know students, and they ture and Engineering. make sure they know what is going on in They also cater to the appetites of fel- their lives. low students, creating a variety of eating And they’re not the only ones. Teachers opportunities with options such as veggie make it a priority to know their students quesadillas and garden fried rice. on a personal level.
Gazette photo /kristin taylor
Grant High School students roam the halls, above, at the end of the school day. The student population at Grant represents an amalgam of cultures, attitudes and interests. Two Grant students, left, work on a physiology project. “Some people don’t have a support system in their family… (so) they have (the teachers),” Hernandez said. As principal Murray took a walk through the halls, he said he overheard a conversation between two underclassmen, one of whom was being accused of missing the PSAT. “They’re doing it to each other,” said Murray, who believes the encouragement from others makes students accountable to pursue more academically. “That was authentic between them,” Murray said. *** After the fifth-period bell rings, hordes of people flock to the school lunch line. Hernandez and Guerrero weave through the crowd, eager for a break in the school day. The two lines wrap around the cafeteria, and students rarely bring a lunch from home. *** At Grant, 86 percent of students are eligible for a free lunch due to the income of their families, and 13 percent are eligible for a reduced price lunch, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But lunchtime isn’t really any different than it is at any high school full of teenagers. It’s a time for socializing with friends and catching up between classes. Observers can actually feel the vibe of students change from stressed to relaxed and playful, and the cafeteria is filled with lunchtime chatter, domino games and even the occasional break-dancing routine. “Grant has a lot of cool people… (and you can) meet a lot of different people (too),” senior Kevon Brandon said. As people from many different ethnic backgrounds come together in one place, some would expect conflict between the groups. At Grant, however, these groups come together to share cultures and ideas. Anatomy teacher Jolie Martin has been teaching at Grant for seven years and is thrilled to see how well students get along. (They) share cultural things,” Martin said. “It’s really fun and it’s educational for me, too.” In fact, many Grant students, faculty and alumni feel that they are part of the Pacer family, something that will be with them for the rest of their lives. “When I first (came to high school), I was really scared that people would look down on me, but it’s actually the opposite,” Guerrero said. Guerrero said the supportive and wel-
COACH: Football ‘keeps Grant being Grant’ in students’ time of mourning Continued from A1 overwhelmed with emotion. “He was more than just a coach,” Carter-petit said. “He was like the big brother I never had.” Football is central to the culture of Grant, achieving much success over the years, including a state championship in 2008. Craig Murray “We’ve had people in the Grant High NFL for the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, School Principal ’80s and now,” Grant principal devastated by Craig Murray said. “Football is loss of co-workthe thing that gets your spirit in er and friend. school up.” The tragedy reached all parts of the campus as many students attended Friday night games and observed Coleman coaching along the sideline. Even without a personal connection to him, the impact of his loss has been felt by the entire student body.
“For the school, (football) is not just a game – it’s life,” Carter-petit said. “It’s what keeps Grant being Grant.” The football team had a limited amount of time to recover from the loss of a dear coach as the Pacers had to play a game on Friday of the same week. The players and fans witnessed something of a miracle that night, which brought some closure to the confusion and hurt surrounding the tragedy. In the last few seconds of the game, Grant was losing to Del Oro and, in a last ,desperate push, kicked a field goal that gave them a 31-30 come-from-behind victory. “It kind of brought us all back together, and everybody just looked up into the sky after it went through,” Murray said. “We have more things to play for (now),” senior captain Trayvon Henderson said. “He’s still here (on the football field).” Coleman, a 1992 Grant graduate, was a running back on the football team in high school. He stayed in the community after graduation and remained a Pacer, deciding to coach running backs on the varsity
coming atmosphere at Grant has allowed times as much. The obvious socioeconomic differences her to thrive in her high school setting. When asked about this family environ- between Grant and other communities in the Sacramento region such as Granite ment, Murray was quick to respond. “(We’re a) Pacer family. (You’re a) Pac- Bay leads some to assume that Grant is er for life,” he said, “You can feel it when a troubled school in a troubled neighboryou’re here (and) it’s a sense of ‘we’ and hood. But that judgment is simplistic, many Grant students said. ‘us.’ ” “(We’re considered a) ghetto school The school’s diversity is reflected in the numbers – 26 percent of Grant students because of where we’re located and how are African-American, and another 30 some of the people are,” Lao said. “But percent are Asian. But students agree that there aren’t any other gangs running despite outward appearances that might around shooting each other. We’re just suggest ethnic tension, the Grant student like any other high school.” Still, there’s no arguing that Grant is body remains free from judgment. “(I) want to go to school (because) we in a lower-income area, and the school don’t judge people (here),” Hernandez is in the middle of the community, so it said. “(The best part of Grant) is that serves as a kind of community center for the neighborhood. And we’re a family.” the perception across *** the region is that Grant As the final lunch bell is a school with a very rings, students begin to file out of the lunch room. (We’re) a place specific socioeconomic makeup. The large flow of traffic that’s proud, that and racial And there’s some continues down the hall has spirit and truth to the stereotypes, as students head off to Murray contheir different classes. history and re- principal ceded. As she passes through wards excellence. “No matter what hapthe hallway, Hernandez pens, we’re in a very notices a sign advertischallenging area and ing the next Poly Club –Principal Craig Murray things happen,” Murmeeting. ray said. “We’re proud *** to be the center of this The Poly Club is dedicommunity but we’re cated to the Polynesian students at Grant. It was created to give also going to get the blame from things students an outlet without feeling tempted that happen (outside the school).” However, because it is the center of the to join other, more dangerous groups off community, Grant has a sense of pride campus. “People (are in gangs) to put themselves that’s palpable. During the graduation out there,” Hernandez said. “That’s what ceremony for high school seniors, the Pacer stadium is packed with proud parclubs are for – they’re alternatives.” While there is not a gang problem at ents, siblings and members of the comGrant, students are known to affiliate munity. “(On this day you can see) the resiliency with gangs outside of school. That is of our students and the pride of the blue something Grant is trying to stop. “Clubs allow students to speak out and and gold,” Murray said. “We do things like this for our country and for our fuget involved,” Guerrero said. She personally is involved in the Fri- ture.” Pride is the most prominent characterisday Night Live club, which is focused on reducing alcohol use, gang affiliation and tic of a Pacer. “I’ve never had this much pride as a bullying. Upperclassmen are also given the chance to mentor younger students, person,” Hernandez said. As for their school’s reputation, Grant motivating them to focus on their studies and staying involved in positive activi- students know that assumptions about Grant are the result of people never takties. According to the University of Michi- ing to time to step foot on the campus. “We just have to deal with that and keep gan’s Institute for Social Research, the median household income for families educating people … and telling them who in the zip code that includes Grant is just we really are,” Murray said. “(We’re) a over $40,000 per year. In the Granite Bay place that’s proud, that has spirit and hiscommunity, the median household in- tory and rewards excellence. “And we are a family. It’s we.” come almost $130,000, more than three
team. He coached for 10 football seasons and became a role model to a multitude of players passing through Grant’s halls. “I felt like I’d know him forever because we’ve got this great bond,” Carter-petit said. Having dedicated numerous hours of his life to the happenings in the Grant Stadium, Coleman came into contact with a large number of students and faculty members. He was known for devoting much of his energy to players and the community. For this reason, his team is still deeply grieving the loss of Coleman. “I think about him all the time,” Carter-petit said. “Every day at practice when he was here, I liked to see him come out there smile … because he’d make me have a great day of practice. When he’s not out there, I just think of him and think of that smile and (play my hardest).” Athletic director and assistant coach Reggie Harris equally admired Coleman’s interactions on the football field. According to Harris, he was a friend to all. “He would volunteer his last amount of energy he had to assist you with anything,” Harris said. “He was an astounding man, period.” Because Coleman demonstrated such positive qualities in his relationships, it is difficult for Harris to believe he could have committed a homicide. “It’s still a mystery, because not all (the pieces of
the puzzle) have been put together yet,” Harris said. “I wouldn’t say they have it wrong, but I think they need some more supportive evidence to uphold their findings. It’s not a matter of faith in him; I just know him. And for something like this to happen, the pieces just don’t match.” Carter-petit, Henderson and Murray agreed. “What we know for sure is what is being investigated, and what we know for sure is two beautiful people are gone,” Murray said. “So anything above that is conjecture.” No matter the logistics of what happened between Coleman and Land, Murray said the tragedy has ultimately bred unity within the school. “This was a personal event that happened away from school on a weekend, and so it affected the school in the fact that we lost somebody who was a positive influence in the lives of students and staff,” Murray said. “We came together, and we’re going to move forward. It affected us, but it didn’t keep us from moving forward. The football team has Coleman’s passing with a similar mindset. The players plan to approach their final games this season with determination stemming from their pain. “We try to keep it in the back of our mind,” Carterpetit said. “We want to keep it in the back (to) make us push stronger and harder. We don’t want it to get in (the) way of what we’re trying to do.”
Voices
Granite Bay Gazette
A Section
Friday w November 9, 2012
GAZETTE The Granite Bay
GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL 1 GRIZZLY WAY GRANITE BAY, CA 95746
Editors-in-Chief: Nicole Bales Lena Eyen Haley Massara Chris Pei News Editor: Sydney Kahmann Voices Editors: Emma Gracyk Kiana Okhovat Lifestyle Editors: Meghan Carlsen Kristin Taylor Madison Touloukian Green Screen Editors: Hayley McAvoy Jonah Poczobutt Joseph Puhala Alexa Zogopoulos Online News Editors: Chase Evans Mary Haney Kate Hurley Ashcon Minoiefar Sports Editors: Austin Downs Amber Les Brad Wong Illustrators: Chase Evans Lena Eyen Hayley McAvoy Emma Gracyk Photographers: Kaylyn O’Donnell Luke Chirbas Kristin Taylor Staff Writers: Austin Alcaine Kevin Burns Tamren Johnk Summer Haenny Nicolette Richards Myles Slattery Thomas Taylor Advertising Manager: Megan Hansen
Adviser: Karl Grubaugh
The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the advanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School. Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Granite Bay High School’s faculty, administration, adviser or student body. Students are protected in their exercise of press freedom by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and California Education Code 48907. Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer. Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a caseby-case basis. The editorial board reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.
Send Letters to the Editor to: 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
The magical benefits of coffee Caffeine provides boost in mood and performance
I
’m 5-foot, 4½-inches tall. That’s not exactly short and not exactly tall, I only look like a midget when standing next to my 5’11” friends. This wouldn’t be weird for me, except I have the same shoe size as my tall friends. My shoe size is 10. These measurements don’t exactly add up. Most would expect me to be taller based on my shoe size. For years, many have jokingly blamed my imbalanced height on my prolonged obsession with coffee, because coffee, supposedly, stunts growth. This statement is entirely false. Coffee does not stunt growth. However, caffeine does impact your health, just in some ways that might be surprising to many. Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. A stimulant in its purest form is meant to temporarily arouse physiological activity. This is not a bad thing; in fact, in many instances it is very good. It has been known that caffeine improves performance in endurance sports such as cycling or long distance running. In fact, caffeine was used by two-thirds of the athletes in the Olympics this past summer in London. A study at Coventry University in England observed individuals in weight training and compared their performance with caffeine and without it. They found that exhaustion comes faster when they don’t consume caffeine compared to when they do. In a study published by The British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that when given caffeine, soccer players are more accurate in dribbling, headers and kicking than without caffeine. To sum it all up, coffee can
Commentary
hayley mcavoy
hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com
not only increase endurance temporarily but can also elevate mood and increase alertness and fine-motor coordination. I’ve written before about how I have observed a change in behavior and mood on the days I have coffee and those I don’t. This is not only my opinion. But it is also proven. Not only is coffee vital to my daily life to help me function, according to study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee can lengthen your life. The death rate for coffee drinkers is roughly 10-15 percent less than for those who don’t drink it. Other studies have found that coffee can reduce the risk for high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. There is also some evidence that coffee can lower risk of dementia, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. The reason for all this is not known but highly speculated. It could be because of some antioxidants and polypeptides found in coffee. I believe it is because coffee is just straight magic in liquid form. Having coffee instantly changes my mood. It makes me excited to do normal daily things. It gives me energy to approach
my day, regardless of how much sleep I managed to get the night before. Plus, just the taste of it is heavenly to me. On a cold, winter day when it’s dark as I wake up, I take a sip of my black coffee with a splash of milk and a dash of sugar and am instantly transported to my own personal heaven. Just imagining this one sip is motivation enough for me to wake up in the morning. This is why I used to drink a cup of coffee in the morning. However, after learning about all the benefits that I can get from drinking coffee every day, I won’t mind if I drink two. *** Hayley McAvoy, a senior, is a Gazette green screen editor.
Gazette illustration/EMMA GRACYK
All work and no play makes a dull boy
Grades are a poor judgment of intelligence
T
hroughout my high school life, I’ve noticed that grades are one of the poorest ways to judge a person’s intelligence. Grades are a reflection of the effort a student puts into a class, not the student’s capacity to learn or reason. Some of the brightest people I know tend to not do very well in school. I’m talking about the kids who don’t work to their full potential at school and are clearly capable of achieving better grades than they do. These kids often speak intelligently and articulately, yet they achieve only average grades in school. Many people would simply classify this type of behavior as lazy and irresponsible – and
Commentary
joseph puhala
jpuhala.gazette@gmail.com
with good reason. These kids will, in theory, graduate with less impressive grades, in turn limiting college options, career paths, and ultimately their future prosperity. While this behavior radiates academic disadvantage, there appears to be something to gain socially from this approach to school. I know a lot of kids who fit this profile. Many of them, I’ve noticed, seem to have developed leadership qualities and academic confidence in social
situations that just aren’t present in other peers. They’ve become the group leaders, the ones who seem to be able to “work the system” and manipulate other kids into doing what they want. This trend led me to wonder why this would be the case. I wondered how a “lazy” mindset could appear to yield such sought-after social skills. I wondered why it wasn’t those who try their best who naturally seem to take command. Perhaps taking classes being surrounded by less-capable peers helps develop a character that is more confident and capable of leading others. Maybe the general shift toward separating the smartest kids into honors and AP classes isn’t as beneficial to the students as many seem to think. It also seems these intelligent but seemingly underachieving kids are the ones who have the spare time to develop deep passions and master various skill sets such as sports, musical
instruments and all-around positive relationships. Not to discount the value of AP and honors classes as worthless–the educating power of them is undeniably important. The student who lazily passes his way through school is in no way more prepared for success than one who puts forth discipline and hard work for four years. I just mean to provide a social “yin” to the academic “yang” of creating an all around happy and successful person. There is something to be gained from a balanced schedule of hard and easy classes, as opposed to all rigorous or all easy–regardless of how capable you are. I must admit, I myself feel to have fallen victim to a schedule full of AP and honors classes. Because I was capable of taking difficult classes in the past, I figured it would be the best for myself and my future to put as much emphasis on schoolwork as I could.
Although, academically speaking, I am smarter and more prepared for college than many of my friends, I feel as though it has led me to become a less well-rounded person. I must admit, I feel somewhat “robbed” of my childhood experience. In a time so crucial to the development of my character, is it really wise to invest such vast amounts of time and effort into schoolwork? When I should feel accomplished for having challenged myself, I feel like I am missing out on a lot of necessary developmental skills others get through having the free time to simply explore what they’re interested in. The key to overall success is not solely dependent upon efforts in school. It is dependent on efforts of development in as well as out of the classroom. *** Joseph Pahala, a junior, is a Gazette green screen editor.
The Ripple Effect should not be taken lightly
B
etween school, sports and various other activities, it is easy for us to get wrapped up in our own lives. We say things automatically, not thinking how our words can hurt someone else. In fact, we may not even realize sometimes how that person in your English class who laughs at everything might have spent all of last afternoon crying because somebody made fun of how she talks. We might not understand that the boy who shows up late to class every day is dealing with a rough divorce at home. A week is devoted to making students aware of the bullying that goes on here at Granite Bay High School. One of the goals of the week was to make students aware that people have a story that is not exactly known when looking at them. Activities such as “Step Up to the Line” were provided by student government to show students that they are
make people question not alone. what is wrong with During the “Step Up them, making them feel to the Line” game, a worthless. majority the students The voice of the in one class stepped up A lot of the time we make fun of students when the question came Granite Bay indirectly. We say mean up about ever being Gazette things behind their backs, bullied. Almost half the not thinking of how it class also stepped up to the question about have could get back to that person. you ever bullied someone else. Many Talking behind someone’s back can lead other classes had similar results. to rumors and gossip. Even if that student Many of us have been called a mean never finds out what is being said, that name or have been teased. We know it hurts. So why do we continue to make person might be viewed differently by peers depending on the gossip. Whether fun of other students? we think about it or not, making fun of While many of us have been made fun someone indirectly is a form of bullying of in one way or the other, what students that can seriously affect a student. may think of as “teasing” can go too far. Sometimes students are afraid to say The Ripple Effect mainly focused on a mean comment to a person’s face, so what you say can hurt someone. Yet sometimes the indirect or unsaid words they turn to the internet or phone as their hurt the most. tool to hurt someone. Students feel safe Intentionally ignoring a student can behind their keyboard and will start
EDITORIAL
typing away any thought that pops into their head. Yet words read from a computer screen or phone can be just as harmful, if not more so, as when said face-to-face. Words on a screen can be read over and over, rubbing in the hurt to the person the words are directed at. Students should be more careful of what they say. People have adopted the words “gay” and “retarded” into their vocabulary to mean something negative. We have all seen those public service announcements where they substitute gay for the person’s name. How would you feel if people went around using your name as an insult? Think before speaking. It’s that easy. Before forgetting the stories shared and lessons taught during the week, think of a habit you can change. Rememeber the effect your words can have. Wear those Ripple Effect bracelets with pride.
A8 Voices
Friday, November 9, 2012
HEARD on the
BAY
How do you feel the Ripple Effect impacted the GBHS community?
“I want the student body overall to be affected by it. I want them to stop using slurs toward sexes, toward who you are, toward your race. I want to create a more welcoming, open community.”
freshman
Reed Homen “I think it … really helps to raise awareness as to how other people might feel and helps people understand what other people might be going through and helped to see certain situations through their own eyes.”
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The anti-intellectual generation Our interests have gradually gone downhill
A
Commentary
s the years roll by, it seems as though our society is becoming less and less intellectual. From Nicki Minaj to the Twilight Saga, mind-numbing stimulation through mediocre talent appears to be the only thing Americans see significance in. One might inquire why we no longer value modern-day philosophers and great minds the way we value John Locke or Sir Isaac Newton. Surely, these great people haven’t just disappeared. For example, Justin Bieber’s Twitter account has 29.3 million followers compared to both Barack Obama’s Twitter account, which only has 21.3 million followers, and Mitt Romney’s Twitter account, which only has 1.5 million followers. Therefore, we have fundamentally lost all interest in the true meaning of learning. Most students no longer value self enrichment, they only wish to get an A in the
myles slattery
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
class in order to receive a higher GPA. Getting into college is probably the most prominent reason some students disregard the actual value of education. For students to get into these colleges, the only thing that
matters is how they look on paper, therefore one-dimensional things like their transcripts are the only thing that is of importance to them, not the actual learning. This is undeniably paradoxical because long ago, college meant enrichment and gaining of knowledge, but now it seems to solely be a necessity for credentials. It might be impossible to explain why this depreciation of education seems to be so popular. The crowd that seems to be most subject to this development is teenagers. Influenced by rap music, reality TV shows and our peers, the teen population is surrounded by ideas of economic prosperity through corner cutting, and social success due to immorality. Look at Paris Hilton. She hasn’t
worked a day of her life, yet she has ended up richer than many of us. An eminent example of our antiintellectualism is Jersey Shore. Jersey Shore produces minimal to no significant content, but contains only bad-mannered dialogue from uneducated New Jerseyans. Usually, the main reason you should ever watch this demeaning TV series is because of its dubious entertainment value. Most teenagers are more enthusiastic to watch shows like Jersey Shore rather than seeking knowledge in their free time. Another contributing factor toward our society’s intellectual demise is the Internet. Perhaps society has always been this way, but in hindsight we recognize the things that truly matter, like intellectualism. I leave to blame not only the media’s influence, but also us individuals, for we have a choice, yet most of us are simply sheep among a herd being led to our antiintellectual slaughter. *** Myles Slattery, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.
Gazette Illustration /CHASE EVANS
I think it helps support the demise of cyber bullying through texting, Facebook and Twitter. Our student government does a good job of making the activities very effective and personal.”
junior
Christine Dickson “I think it has had a positive effect. I believe that the class activities help me personally understand what is going on with everybody around me and I am more aware of my actions toward people.”
senior
Nicki Kenning “What we hope the effect will be is a change in the way people treat each other. We want this to be a place where people can be themselves and be accepted for who they are, and it’s sort of our answer to antibullying but we try to focus the week on prevention.”
staff
Commentary
I
t’s no secret that I, along with many down to the last few seconds other students at Granite Bay High when Seattle’s quarterback, School, am completely obsessed with Russell Wilson, threw a last fantasy football. second “Hail Mary,” a lastFor those who are unfamiliar with ditch attempt, down the fantasy football, it is basically where field to Golden Tate, the you hold a “draft” and select real Seattle receiver. National Football League players. After a blatant offensive Your team’s outcome is based on how pass interference by well the players on your team Tate, and then a clear play in real life. interception by GreenBay aalcaine.gazette@gmail.com For example, if Aaron Rogers is cornerback M.D. Jennings, the your quarterback and he throws for 300 yards and replacement referees ruled it a touchdown. two touchdowns, he will get about 30 points for The Seattle touchdown took a few points away your team’s combined score. from my defense, causing me to lose my match up. Every week you will be matched up against I absolutely lost it. I had never been so infuriated another player in your fantasy league. In order to in my life. I couldn’t handle myself and began win your match, you need to outscore the person taking my anger out on my parents. you are matched against. After I had cooled myself down ,I realized I Every week, many team “owners” have their couldn’t let fantasy football control my emotions own Sunday morning tradition. As for me, I wake anymore. As fun as fantasy football is, I can’t let it up, check my line-up for any last-minute changes, make me so mad. make myself breakfast and sit down on my couch Fortunately, my team did incredibly well the next for the rest of the day to enjoy some good football. week and set a record for the league. As much as I love fantasy football with all my I was ecstatic and gloated in front of all heart, I have to admit that it has brought out the my friends for the rest of the week, especially dark side in me a few times. During Week Three considering the unfair loss that the replacement of the football season, there was a close match up referees gave me the week before. which was going to come down to the Monday One of my friends in the league is now 0-6, and Night game The Seattle Seahawks versus the everyone else in the league is making fun of him Green Bay Packers. for his failure of a team. During the reign of the replacement referees, I Although no one in our league will admit it, we have all been there and have the teams that just had Green Bay’s defense starting for my fantasy can’t win a game. team the week of the Packers vs. Seahawks game. I’ve found that when you feel like giving up and The Seahawks vs. Packers game was coming
austin alcaine
Thumbs Up Thumbs up: Fall Sports had a very good run this year! Good luck, winter sports!
Thumbs Down
sophomore Maddy Harlow
TheA player’s world of fantasy football love for the imaginative game is limitless
Thumbs down: The football league season is officially over! What will The Tribe now do with their Fridays?
by Summer Haenny, staff writer.
Tamara Givens –Compiled by Summer Haenny
ena
L are Eyen to / o h losing te p zet Ga all hope in your team, luck, or whatever you’d like to call it, finally comes around and you get your first victory. On my first experience with fantasy football three years ago, I was an inexperienced rookie and made some costly trades that caused my team to have a rough 0-5 start. Through trial and error, however, I was able to fix my team – I ended up taking third place in the league that year. Last year I finished in third place as well. However, this year will be my year; I will take first place and earn bragging rights until next year’s NFL season. Through my fantasy football experiences, I have learned that tI will undoubtedly feel the joy of winning and the crushing dejection of defeat. I have a love-hate relationship with fantasy football, but in the end I will always love it. *** Austin Alcaine, a junior, is Gazette staff writer.
Thumbs down: Why don’t GBHS students focus on this all year?
Thumbs up: Ripple Effect tip: You never know what others are going through! Make sure that you are always kind to others. You never know, they might be your boss one day!
Gazette photo/KRISTIN TAYLOR
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Friday, November 9, 2012
Voices A9
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Rethinking dinner Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN and CHASE EVANS
I
The environmental and health reasons behind why some choose to stay away from meat
have my reasons for not eating the corpse of a turkey my relatives will attempt to cram down my gullet this Thanksgiving. I respect other beliefs, and I hope this explanation respectfully fosters more consideration for my own beliefs. The consumption of meat results in a massive waste of resources, damage to the human body, severe damage to the planet’s biodiversity and more pollution of our waterways than any other industry in the U.S. combined, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The United Nations reports that a shocking 30 percent of Earth’s land mass is being used to raise animals for food. Of that, we have the lion’s share of 260 million acres of American forests lost to create more room for farmed animals. American land has suffered the tragic loss of countless species of plants and animals that were cleared with the forests. Greenpeace reports that all wild animals and trees in more than 2.9 million acres of the Amazon rain forest in the 2004-2005 crop season were destroyed in order to provide room for animals in factory farms. While some would respond by becoming pescatarians, commercial fishing leaves ecological
Commentary
grace moore
gmoore.gazette@gmail.com
devastation in its wake. Greedy corporations will take advantage of limited legislation to rape our oceans for money as long as there are fish to be caught. The consumption of animal products also results in an enormous waste of natural resources. Remember the energy pyramid from Biology class? According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, it takes up to 16 pounds of grain and 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. The same amount of wheat requires only 25 gallons of water. It is ridiculous that Americans are asked to take shorter showers when the average person can save more water by not eating a pound of meat than by not showering for two years, according to the celebrated Dr. David Pimentel of
Cornell University. contains with tens of millions of pounds Can you imagine what we could do to of disease-carrying particulate matter solve the problem of famine and clean produced by these factories. The pollution doesn’t stop at water for the underprivileged? environment, though – meat-eaters Not only that – reduction of meat ingest these pollutants. There are consumption would result in massive significant dangers inherent in the savings on energy spending as well. Our consumption of the meat sold today. country is torn apart by the energy crisis When you eat it faces. That it factory-processed takes 11 times corpses, the as much fossil drugs, pesticides, fuel to produce growth hormones, one calorie It takes up to 16 antibiotics and from animal pounds of grain and neurotoxic protein as it 2400 gallons of water to compounds inside does from plant the slaughtered protein is a produce one pound of animal are now in fascinating fact meat. The same amount your body. This that escapes the does not include minds of many of wheat requires only the horrors found debaters. 25 gallons of water. in the average hot The chemical dog! by-products Dr. William of meat Castelli claims factories poison plant-based Americans. diets reduce an Perhaps due individual’s risk of heart attack by 85 to negative stereotypes of vegetarians percent. Vegetarians are also three times like me, or rather the deep wallets more likely not to be obese than meatof those who stand to profit from the eaters. destruction of our planet, America The Center for Disease Control and lacks legislation that protects us from Prevention reports that the leading cause this pollution. The very air we breathe
of death in America is heart disease. Vegetarianism is a simple step that can easily reduce one’s risk or control some of America’s leading causes of death – cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The mental effects of animal cruelty are serious as well. If you cringe at the idea of your dog being hit by a car, you will be appalled at the atrocities slaughterhouses commit. The cruelty of slaughter is extremely difficult to convey in words. Picture the calculating cruelty of the Holocaust, but with more disease and excrement and deformity, and the millions of humans are instead billions of animals. Before you laugh at me, watch a video of what goes on in a slaughterhouse sometime – it’s enlightening in an eye-opening way. I do not expect people to stop eating meat cold-turkey after this article. I simply want to share some of the environmental, health, and mental reasons that have made me rethink the icon of the turkey corpse that many Americans worship. Perhaps the next time you find yourself in front of a sacrificed turkey you will put more thought into your choice of a meal. *** Grace Moore, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a guest commentary to gbgazette@yahoo.com!
A10 Second Look Ripple Effect week took place Oct. 22-26; during which Granite Bay High School students were encouraged to become more aware of the lives of their classmates. The focus of the week was “What’s your story,” illustrating the
Second look concept that “you can’t hate somebody whose story you know.” The Gazette asked five GBHS 2nd period classes to share their individual stories on a square piece of paper. The question they responded to was “If you really, knew
Friday, November 9, 2012
me, you would know that...” They were asked to share a personal struggle they wish people were more accepting of or explain a personal crisis they are currently dealing with. A majority of students participated and their answers
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may come as a bit of a surprise as they are all “ordinary GBHS students.” Answers are anonymous and remain in the handwriting they were originally written. Below is a collection of their answers.
Lifestyle
Granite Bay Gazette
B Section
Friday w November 9, 2011
Commentary
i r a e G
y a d i r F k c a l B r o f ng up
kristin taylor
ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com
We can’t make assumptions about others
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s my mom pulled up to the front entrance of Grant High School, my stomach began flipping over itself, and I felt glued to the passenger seat. All at once, the feedback I’d been receiving from friends about my decision to visit this high school rushed into my head and implanted there for me to dwell on. Comments like “you’re going to get shot” and looks of disbelief accompanied by versions of “you’re the whitest person I know” took over my brain as I timidly walked through the double door entrance, terrified watching the car pull away. What I came to find five minutes after my minor panic episode, and increasingly throughout my school day, was that these expectations were entirely false. I witnessed an environment where students say “hi” to one another in the halls and know each other’s names and stories. I had conversations with people that sounded identical to discussions I would have with my ordinary friend group. I even learned that the students hold each other reliable for each other’s successes and that there is a feel of something similar to that of a family in classrooms and in teacherstudent relationships. This student body felt much like that of GBHS, and I may even have liked it better. My entire schema for what “ghetto” entails was entirely altered, and I am now completely confused as to how Grant High School was given this stereotype. I was received with nothing but warmth and welcoming feelings by everyone I came into contact with. Obviously there were things that were blatantly different, such as the security guards on campus as well as the condition of the buildings in comparison to the decades-newer GBHS, but the people themselves expressed no behavior deserving of the degrading comments people had shared with me. These comments must have stemmed from ignorance, which I equally participated in prior to my visit experience. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to overcome judgment by being proven otherwise. Seniors Anabell Guerrero and Crystal Hernandez were our tour guides for the day, and my co-writer, senior Madison Touloukian and I were heartbroken to leave when the final bell rang. Although they didn’t look like us and had backgrounds much different from our own, neither of these things mattered. We were able to laugh together and share some memories I will never forget despite where we come from and what neighborhood we belong to. The simple lesson I took home with me, and one I’ve been taught several times but still often forget, is that I can’t understand a person before I take the time to get a feel for who they truly are. Neither can I form a judgment on an entire school population before immersing myself into its culture. No, I did not get shot. I did not get stabbed. And I did not experience anything worthy of my extreme anxiety when my mom dropped me off. When asked what they thought about us, the Grant students didn’t have much to say largely due to their never having been in our positions, and we shouldn’t have much to say about them either. *** Kristin Taylor, a senior, is the Gazette’s photo editor and Lifestyle co-editor.
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Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOY
A store not worth waiting in lines for Shoppers prepare for chaos and savings hours this year is the Apple store. A writer BY MADDY HARRIS
mharris.gazette@gmail.com
As fall approaches, and Thanksgiving draws nearer, the anticipation for Black Friday commences. People begin to become excited about the festivities and especially the annual bargains. In the United States, nearly 152 million people shop the day after Thanksgiving until Sunday, according to the Washington Post. The day after Thanksgiving could possibly be one of the most extreme shopping days of the year, besides Christmas shopping that is. The time to start saving for this eventful day is as soon as possible.
Senior Megan Rutlen saved $200 for the clothing store sales. According to theblackfriday.com, last year Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Kohl’s and Toys-R-Us produced the most popular ads for Black Friday shopping. Just at the Galleria mall, the most shopped at stores on the day after Thanksgiving were American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch and Macy’s. “Nordstrom’s had the best deals last year,” Rutlen said. In the mall, clothing stores average a reduction in price of 15 to 35 percent off original prices. Senior Erica Peterson said that Macy’s has some of the best deals and makes sure to shop there specifically for fall women’s boots.
from Channel 5 news reported to not expect big discounts for Apple products. Just last year, customers only received five to ten percent discounts buying Apple products sold in the store, according to Caroline Fairchild, writer for the Huffington Post. However, deals on Apple products may be found elsewhere Black Friday morning. Other sources say that stores such as Fry’s and Best Buy may have deals on the new iPhone 5. Dealnews predicts that the biggest deals this year are to come from Express, DKNY, Lucky Brand Jeans and Aeropostale, as far as clothing stores. The bargains are tempting and some people go to the extreme as soon as the annual Thanksgiving meal is served. They will skip dessert and begin their quest for
the best deals. Last year, the stores that opened at midnight were: Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target. Following suit, JCPenny, Sears and Sport’s Authority opened at 4 a.m. ready for sleep-deprived customers. Along with the craziness of the coupons and the deals comes the occasional crazy scenario. Last year at a local Walmart in New York City, several people were pushed to the ground. The deputy officer said there were a few people sent to the hospital for minor injuries. It’s not only the famous “crowded cities” that have this violent behavior. According to ABC news, in a small North Carolina town, an off-duty police officer pepper sprayed at least 20 customers at the local Walmart. See SHOPPING, page B5
Swimmer faces life-changing accident Community fundraises for Ponderosa High School junior BY HAYLEY MCAVOY hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com
On Aug. 5, Ponderosa junior Zach Pickett’s life became permanently altered. After diving into the lake at Cameron Park, where he worked as a life guard, he hit an unknown sandbar— damaging his spinal cord and crushing his seventh vertebra. Pickett then recalls losing feeling in his legs. Pickett was paralyzed. In addition to being a lifeguard, Pickett was also an extraordinary swimmer, competing with some of Granite Bay High School’s top swimmers, as well as swimming
with the summer league team, the Granite Bay Gators. GBHS junior Kevin Wylder recalls swimming alongside Pickett in almost every race for the championship meet in his summer swim league. The only difference between the two was that Wylder swam for the Granite Bay Gators and Pickett swam for the Sierra Sharks. “I beat him by a little bit in every race. He’s really fast,” Wylder said. “Swimming against him really made the meet interesting, and it was really close in the breaststroke.” Another close competitor of Pickett’s was GBHS junior Braeden Spencer, who swam
against him in both summer and high school swim. At the championship meet in summer league, Spencer and Pickett tied for High Point in the 15-16 boys category. Being a good sport, Spencer let Pickett take home the trophy. “I felt pretty good about myself,” Spencer said. “Especially now, after his accident.” After Granite Bay Gators’ head coach and GBHS JV boys’ head coach Brad Dawson heard of Pickett’s accident, he felt the need to act. “The JV boys felt that they wanted to give back and be a part of something bigger than water polo,” Dawson said.
So with this in mind, Dawson organized a fundraiser with the team in order to raise money to give to Pickett and his family. “Basically the kid is paralyzed so he needs to renovate his whole house to accommodate for his situation,” Dawson said. The JV boys’ fundraiser was entitled the ‘Save your Lunch Money Campaign.’ The idea behind the cause was that each player of the team, consisting of roughly 20 underclassmen, would pack a lunch instead of buying lunch every day for a week and save money they would normally spend on food to donate. Each day, the boys would donate $5 a person, totalling $25
Brad Dawson GBHS JV boys’ water polo coach organized fundraiser for Zach Pickett.
dollars each. Every boy participated and La-Z-Boy also made a contribution, making the total donation $1,200. “We feel like there’s more than just our team, (because) this is an aquatics community,” Dawson said. “We’re kind of just this group of swimming and water polo nerds.”
GBHS student meets country star Senior talks with Taylor Swift on Ellen show
Broken Families Students deal with divorce in different ways
Managing Stress Coping with stress by various methods
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See PICKETT, page B5
B2 Lifestyle
Friday, November 9, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
GBHS students meets Taylor Swift
Career goals when we were first graders
Local radio contest gives once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sisters BY KRISTIN KUPERSHOEK kkupershoek.gazette@gmail.com
Teacher: What’s a better job than hanging out with a bunch of first graders?
Singer: Everyone hoped to be the next Avril Lavigne or Nelly, and many actually believed they could achieve that goal.
“I
t was enchanting to meet you.” These are lyrics to Granite Bay High School senior Ali Futrell’s favorite Taylor Swift song. Ali and her sister, GBHS sophomore Emma Futrell, could not help thinking of this song when they received a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the famous country-pop singer Taylor Swift. The Futrell sisters entered and won a contest put on by 101.9 The Wolf radio station. All contest entrants made a 30 second music video to their favorite Taylor Swift song and upload-
ed their finished product onto The Wolf’s Facebook page. The winner was chosen based on whoever earned the most “likes” on their video. At first, the Futrells entered on a whim, submitting their video only one day before it was due after hearing about it from another GBHS student. They were die-hard Taylor Swift fans, but had no idea how far in the contest their video would make it. “We just made (a video) and thought if it was meant to be it would happen,” Ali said. “Then when we saw that it made it to the top 10, we actually had hope of winning.” The public was only able to view the videos once
Courtesy Photo/ALI FUTRELL
Senior Ali Futrell and her sister Emma pose with country-pop singer Taylor Swift after a concert.
they were narrowed down to the top 10, and they were diverse in content and creativity. One featured a boy sitting alone in his room playing his guitar and
singing an original song. Another featured two girls running around a grocery store singing and dancing. The Futrell’s video starred Ali
Family life for GBHS students
Designer: Nobody can wear and create clothes like first graders.
Struggles at home make life less than picture-perfect at school
Scientist: For the nerdier of us, being a scientist was all about mixing chemicals until there’d be a green explosion of gas. (i
BY ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS
azogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com
It is widely known that students of Granite Bay High School have a stigma to them. There is a preconceived notion in the region that Granite Bay kids generally come from wealthy, all-American families, where the children have both a mom and a dad to rely on. But in reality, the nuclear family is not as prominent in Granite Bay as the stereotype makes it out to be. There are many students who have had to deal with the effects of living in what could be considered a broken family, and the stresses it adds to their lives can leak into both their social and academic lives. “It’s definitely a frequent occurrence to see students who are struggling with some kind of home challenge,” school counselor Christina Cross said. GBHS senior Tomasina Tallerico is one who has recently experienced traumatic changes in her family life
Video-game tester: With the release of Xbox and Gameboy Advanced, everyone was waiting to grow up and play video games all day.
Actor: Whether or not they want to admit it, everyone thought Nicolas Cage was cool and wanted to be a treasure hunter
Gazette illustration/EMMA GRACYK
Athlete: Tony Hawk, Barry Bonds and Lisa Leslie, all great athletes, were heroes to kids all around the world who wanted to play their sports.
Princess: To be a princess and have a white pony was the goal of every girl in the first grade, and even some of the boys.
Astronaut: There was nothing cooler than being an astronaut. Nothing. You can you float around in space and walk on the moon.
- Compiled by Kevin Burns
that have altered her performance in school and overall outlook on many aspects of life. “Having my dad die this past May… threw a wrench in the works for my family and really changed everything for me,” Tallerico said. “I live by myself now because it was my dad who lived (with me) and my mom and sisters live in San Francisco.” Tallerico’s loss changed her entire perspective on others around her. This also happened to junior Christie Burrows after major issues with her parents. “My dad had to go to rehab for drug addiction…it was pretty disappointing, and I lost a lot of trust in him,” Burrows said. “Also, my mom is mentally crazy and refuses to get help, so I had to move out of my house because I couldn’t handle it, and my parents are getting divorced on top of that.” The dramatic happenings in Burrows’s life have collectively disheartened her views on others around her. “It made me very pessimistic,” See FAMILY LIFE, page B4
Modern day libraries are changing With the immense popularity of Internet searches, old traditions fade the library offers, because they are free and valuable tools. He also likes the library’s atmosphere. “The library is a good place to study, because it’s When students are assigned research papers, where usually pretty quiet,” Ross-Flanagan said. “There’s do they usually turn to for their information? also computer and printing access, and you can of Most people don’t even give a second thought when course check out books to read instead of buying turning straight to the Internet. But what they don’t them.” realize is that they have comparable, and in some cases, Ross-Flanagan also enjoys the fact that the learning better resources available to them right at their own center provides tutoring, which is a very accommodatschool. ing tool for any students who are having a difficult time Where? The library. with their classes. The library is full of advanced informational “It also might be easier for kids to go home rather resources that most Granite Bay High to stay after school and go to the library,” School students don’t even know exist. Ross-Flanagan said. While some people actually use the English 12 and IB English teacher My role is to Bernadette school library for its helpful resources, Cranmer believes that our others use the Internet instead, which help students find library has terrific electronic sources. sometimes isn’t as reliable as one might she brings her students into the the best informa- When think. library for class work, they actually sign tion, and informa- up to use the computers and in doing so, Senior Jenneatte Ilyev is a student who prefers using the Internet over the a lot of the database sources that tion that is accu- access school library. are available to the library. rate. “I have used the library for my ex“It is a computer but it’s not necessartended essay in my (International Bacily a World Wide Web,” Cranmer said. calaureate) class, but I don’t really like “We aren’t going to Google some topic – Juila Hedstrom, using books,” Ilyev said. “It’s more rigand just find anything; we’re actually GBHS librarian orous to find your information, whereas going through some educational resources when you type it in on the Internet, it’s a that are available to the library.” lot easier to access.” A challenge for internet use is that At home, Ilyev admits that she uses students must filter through numerous the Internet more. In her classes, instead of using the sites to find the ones that are the most reputable and dictionary, she prefers using the online Webster Dicapplicable. tionary because it’s a lot simpler to use and to compre“There are a lot of sources out there that are from hend. sixth grade history projects,” Cranmer said. “Those In the future, Ilyev sees herself partaking in what aren’t sources that we should be using for research the library offers more frequently than she does now. projects so we have to be discerning about it.” “I probably will use the library more, because there In some ways, Cranmer thinks the library is a lot are times where it’s more resourceful and reliable than faster and trustworthy. the Internet,” Ilyev said. “When holding the book in your hands...you can Junior Bryce Ross-Flanagan is a student who takes see who the publisher is and you know where it came advantage of the useful resources and information that from (so) you know it (is) a reputable source,” CranBY TAMREN JOHNK
tjohnk.gazette@gmail.com
President: Whether or not they knew who the president was, everyone wanted to grow up and “rule the world,” just like George W. Bush.
and her boyfriend Michael Geraghty and was set to Swift’s song “Enchanted.” “(Swift) has a commercial See CONTEST, page B4
mer said. Julia As we Hedstromww evolve into a Hedstrom works more technological in the Learnera, some of ing Center at the library’s GBHS. sources that used to be only in print are now online. This provides excellent new access to extremely beneficial resources. Cranmer also believes that students should use more encyclopedias, magazines and newspapers rather than the World Wide Web because they are also more dependable sources. “I think the main issue is that a lot of times students will type in their topic into Google, and they will just click on the first thing that comes up,” Cranmer said. “They don’t pay attention to where that came from, who put it up or how old it is.” The librarian at GBHS, Julia Hedstrom, believes that libraries will always offer essential resources to GBHS and to our society overall. “A real great thing that libraries do is that they provide additional information to the public,” Hedstrom said. “In times of recession, libraries are used more than ever because they are a free resource.” Hedstrom always has a responsibility towards students at GBHS. “My role is to help students find the best information, and information that is accurate,” Hedstrom said. Hedstrom works diligently to offer as many resources to students at GBHS as possible. She shows students how to use a variety of online databases and collections that include electronic books, mp3 files, images and videos, which are not available on the free web. See LIBRARIES, page B4
Friday, November 9, 2012
Lifestyle B3
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New senior students
Student
Spotlight
SAT Preparation
Students plan to take college entrance exam BY KEVIN BURNS
kburns.gazette@gmail.com
Students prepare for tests on a daily basis, but how do they prepare for one of the most important tests of their life, the SAT? The SAT, a three hour and forty-five minute test, is a very significant exam which many colleges use as a guide to see student performance. Over the years, the way that students have prepared has changed considerably. In past decades, the way students would prepare for the SAT would be a few days of review for the seniors right before the test. Now, there are thousands of books, websites and classes that can help kids get ready to apply their knowledge. “I know there are lots of books, like Barron’s, and websites, like Collegeboard,” said junior Nicolas Ontiveros, who plans to take the SAT this upcoming winter. From its starting year of 1901 to as recently as the 1990s, students were just assumed to have known everything that would be on the test, but after Collegeboard made the test marginally harder in 2005, many new resources have been made to aid students for preparation. “I think there are more resources available,” Ontiveros said. “But I think the test is really just the same.”
Gia France
Student-athlete balances activities during senior year Gazette: What are you involved in at school? France: (I play) basketball and softball. Gazette: What is your class load like? Do you take any AP classes? France: I have three AP classes, one honors class, two athletic P.E. classes and two electives. It’s hard work. Gazette: What takes up most of your time? France: Softball (takes up most of our time) because I’m really committed to it and I just love it. I want to go to college and play softball. I play travel softball all year round.
In reality, the SAT has been changed numerous times in the past couple decades, and has been made harder because of the spike of student competition for colleges around the country, especially California colleges in the University of California System. Junior David Zech said he knows he will have to do all it takes to do his best, and he plans to take advantage of all the resources he can. “I plan to prepare for the SAT by taking GBHS SAT test prep classes, studying the official Collegeboard prep book and (using) freerice.com,” Zech said. Freerice, a website devoted to helping kids in Africa, has taken studying to a whole new level. For every definition correctly answered on the website, ten grains of rice are donated to kids in Africa. Though it may not seem like much, since its creation in Oct. 2007, Freerice has garnered enough rice to feed nearly five million people two meals for a day – that’s almost 100 billion grains of rice. Even with so many online resources, classes are offered at most high schools and junior colleges to help prepare for taking the SAT. “Today, SAT Prep instructors seem more interested in teaching you strategies on how to actually take the test,” Zech said, “rather than ensuring you know the See SAT, page B5
Gazette: How do you balance school and all your other activities? Have you had to make any sacrifices? France: I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. I barely get to hang out with my friends. Whenever I can, I just make time for homework, whether it’s in the car or just sitting somewhere. Gazette: What do you hope to get out of these activities? France: Softball, I hope to go to college for. Basketball is just conditioning for softball. Gazette: Where do you hope to go in the future, after you graduate? France: I hope to go to St. Mary’s University. It’s a Division 1 school and yes, (I hope to get a scholarship). Gazette: Has it been worth it to be so busy all of the time? France: Absolutely. Overall, it makes me happy, keeps me involved and I’ve developed so many friendships from it. It teaches me life lessons like working hard, being a leader, time management and being accountable.
-Compiled by Meghan Carlsen
She’s currently very busy applying to a total of 22 colleges. She’s declared as a music major for many, which means auditions to practice for. “Preparing for audition takes the fun out of (cello),” Ko said. “3:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. is spent on cello.” This leaves little time to study for her rigorous courses. While many like to call junior year the hardest, Ko feels that senior year is the hardest. This stress impacts her in a variety of ways. Ko said she has been eating and sleeping more than usual lately to cope with the stress. At the same time though, she feels high school is incredibly valuable. “This is the only time I will have this kind of opportunity,” Ko said. “For now, I can make mistakes.”
BY GRACE MOORE
gmoore.gazette@gmail.com
All Granite Bay High School students are forced to find ways to cope with the stress in their lives. There are a variety of activities putting pressure on the students to manage their time. Senior Youjin Ko barely has enough time to begin her homework because of her cello-filled life. “My life right now is pretty crazy,” Ko said. While she has other hobbies like cooking and reading to destress, it seems life is getting in the way. For Ko, it has been that way for some time, having played the cello since age five. “I’m glad (playing) cello is what takes up most of my time,” Ko said. “My entire life is based around cello.”
This thought helps Ko manage her stress and continue applying more to herself. Ko said the only thing in her life that relieves stress is doing homework. Crossing things out on her planner is “a heavenly moment.” Despite the burdens she faces every day, Ko encourages all the stressed students at GBHS to keep up the pressure. “Frontload everything, even if it seems (hard) right now; you would rather suffer now than later,” Ko said. “Take all the AP classes now; don’t be lazy; get your work done. This is easier said than done (but) just do your best.” GBHS junior Reed Klaeser feels the same way. Crew, competitive forensics and a tough course load are just a few of the See STRESS, page B5
CollegeBoard SAT
5. Innocuous
a. A person who is skilled in relating anecdotes interestingly b. A lover of an art of science c. A liar d. Someone who steals, esp. in small quantities e. To take the place of (another) as through force, scheming or strategy
Gazette illustration/ CHASE EVANS
If you really knew me, you would know...
Chalkboard 2
Chalkboard 1
4. Raconteur
See SENIORS, page B5
Balancing school and activities at GBHS
Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalkboard is its own separate game. Answers can be found on B5.
3. Supplant
Moving to a new school has made it difficult for some students to adjust to the new settings. Moving to a new school as a senior can be especially challenging. This school year, there are many new seniors at Granite Bay High School that have just moved to Granite Bay. “It was very different coming to (GBHS). There are a lot more people here than my last school,” said Guillermo Lada Bibao, a new senior who transferred to Granite Bay from Spain. Many new seniors have been impressed with GBHS’s spirit and how friendly many of the students have been to them. “I knew my neighbor who already goes to (GBHS), and that really helped me meet a lot of new people who were all really nice,” Bibao said. GBHS had just finished Ripple Effect week, which was all about reaching out to others. “I think that Ripple effect week was a really cool idea and I had never heard of a week like this,” Bibao said. “I think it really makes a difference on the campus.” Other seniors have found that Granite Bay students have been really kind to them, especially in reaching out to meet new people. “I was kind of nervous at first because I didn’t really know a lot of people and what to expect,” said Amanda Pizzo, a new senior at GBHS. “But I’m really happy here. Everyone has been really welcoming and the teachers are awesome.” Most of the new seniors thought it would be difficult to adjust to a new school coming into their final year in high school. “I was at a private school before, so there were a lot less people and it was very different,” Pizzo said. “But I like that there are a lot more classes offered, so that was definitely cool.” Many students at GBHS are very appreciative of the fact that they have the freedom to choose a class that interests them, instead of being placed in a class. “It actually was not that hard to make friends. I knew some people, but a lot of (other) people were also very welcoming and nice.” Pizzo said. Some of the new seniors were also very impressed
Stress overwhelms many students
un- Official SATpractice guide
2. Prevaricator
BY AUSTIN ALCAINE
aalcaine.gazette@gmail.com
Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN
The
1. Incite
Coming to GBHS for final year of high school
6. Dilettante 7. Finagle 8. Pilferer 9. Conspire 10. Collude
f. To achieve something through trickery or manipulation g. To plot; usually something wrong or illegal h. To act together through a secret understanding esp. with harmful intent i. To stimulate or prompt to action j. Harmless
- Compiled by Kristin Kurpershoek
Will George
Julia Cerro
If you really knew me, you would know that I hate the Harry Potter books.
If you really knew me, you would know that I’m obsessed with Harry Styles (from One Direction).
Franny Schorer
If you really knew me, you would know that I wish I was Emma Watson.
- Compiled by Lena Eyen
B4 Lifestyle
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Random facts
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Random club of the month
A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting
Pink Ladies
One of 2,128 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue
President: Junior, Lorena Garcia Gazette: Who is eligible to join your club? Lorena: Anyone who wants to join our club is welcome.
Dean Karnazes, an American long distance runner, ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days.
Gazette: Why should people join your club? Lorena: It’s a great way for people to make friends, have fun and (to raise) national breast cancer awareness.
A lemon contains more sugar than a strawberry.
The Manchineel tree is so poisonous that any contact with the tree or its fruits can cause serious injury or death.
Gazette: What is the goal of your club? Lorena: Our goal is to spread the word that breast cancer is out there…we just want to help all the ladies that have it. We also do a lot of things such as the Yoplait lid (fund raiser) which is a great way to raise money and… Pennies for Cure, which is for Leukemia but it doesn’t matter because it’s still another cancer.
Chinese judges in the 15th century used glasses with darkened lenses to hide their facial expressions in court.
Until coffee gained popularity, beer was the beverage of choice for breakfast in most urban areas of the United States.
Rachel Lyon, senior
Gazette photo / KAYLYN O’DONNELL
A duel between three people is called a “truel.”
The longest continuous sidewalk in the world is along Bay Shore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida. Sources: http://www.allrandomfacts.com
What is your favorite restaurant to eat at? Mikuni’s.
What is your favorite TV show? Grey’s Anatomy.
–Compiled by Madison Touloukian
What are you most excited about for senior year? Graduating and all the fun senior events.
If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would you pick? My grandpa.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? –Compiled Cherry Garcia.
by Kristin Kurpershoek
Gazette: Do you have any favorite memory from Pink Ladies? Lorena: This year, when we decorated the whole school in pink, it was a lot of fun. We all got together and painted some posters and put them up and tried to get everyone to know that October is the breast cancer awareness month. Gazette: When and where does your club meet? Lorena: We meet in room 821 once a month, every first Wednesday of the month, from 2:45 to 3:30.
–Compiled byTamren Johnk
CONTEST: A big dream comes true for sisters Ali and Emma Futrell Continued from page B2 for her fragrance Wonderstruck and the song is Enchanted, and she’s in a dress in the forest, and a guy is in it,” Ali said. “So that’s where I got my inspiration.” According to Emma, who acted as videographer, their backyard provided the perfect backdrop for the video with a forest and many trails. But making the video was not the hardest part. Once in the top 10, the Futrell sisters did everything they could to have people “like” their video. During the time between finding out they made it to the top 10 and when the winners were announced, the amount of likes for all videos were constantly fluctuating. There was one other contestant in particular who always seemed to be a little ahead of the Futrells, or right on their heels in terms of likes, so the Futrells began to do some campaigning for their video.
“We made fliers and handed them out to everyone and then we went up to people and talked to them, and if they liked (the video) in front of us, we would give them candy or something that we had,” Emma said. They also asked their parents’ coworkers, created Facebook events and talked to friends in order to gain more votes. “We created events on Facebook (that) would have 3,000 people invited to them and it actually got us a lot of votes,” Ali said. “We even got people in New York voting, so we could get more votes the morning (that the contest was ending).” Having a mom who works at Trader Joe’s was helpful because she was able to pass along the information to all of the other Trader Joe’s stores and tell the employees to go online and vote for the video. Another avenue that garnered many likes was
having friends Shannon and Cait Barker announce it on YouTube. The sisters regularly do videos and are YouTube-famous, so they were able to get the word out to thousands of their followers. Teachers and students alike did as much as they could do help the Futrells win. The sisters were so thankful for everyone who voted for them and excited that so many people in the Granite Bay community spread the word about their video. Deserie Milburn, dance teacher at GBHS, knows Ali and Emma because they participate in the dance program. Milburn believes it is important for teachers to help support their students and sent an email out to all of the students and parents in the dance program explaining the video. She included details such as where they should go to vote for it and encouraged everyone to help them out by voting. “It’s always good to help your students whether it’s (in) sports or (when) they’re trying to fund raise for something, and I think all teachers here try to do that as much as we can,” Milburn said. Milburn did not know how many likes were added after the email, but in the next day or two it was announced that the Futrells did win. “I hope I had an impact in helping them win,”
Milburn said. Finally, after about a week of not knowing and doing everything in their power to stay in the lead, the Futrell sisters found out that they won and were going down to the Ellen Degeneres show in Los Angeles to meet Taylor Swift. The radio station provided a hotel and transportation, and the Futrells flew down to L.A. on Oct. 17. On the morning of Oct. 18, their wildest dreams came to fruition as they were shuttled to the Warner Brothers studio where Swift performed an intimate concert for about 300 people and then personally met with Ali and Emma. Ali came prepared and even brought gifts that she made for Swift. “I drew her a picture of herself and wrote a whole letter because I knew I wouldn’t have a long time and I couldn’t say everything I wanted (…) and then I also gave her a bracelet,” Ali said. Both sisters were so impressed with Swift and think that meeting her has caused them to become even bigger fans. The Futrells both agree that it was a surreal experience that they will never forget. “It was pretty much a dream come true,” Ali said, “it still feels unreal.”
FAMILY LIFE: Unexpected events bring difficult trials to the lives of students LIBRARIES: GBHS library offers different resources than expected
Continued from page B2
Burrows said. “I’m not the happiest person (and I am) often very angry. I also don’t trust anybody.” Tallerico’s situation also affected her social life and led her to seek complete isolation from anyone outside her family. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone for a long time,” Tallerico said. “I was a shut in the entire summer.” Academics, which are often the main source of stress and pressure for many GBHS students, end up becoming a last focus when students are dealing with home issues that cannot be ignored. “There definitely can be dramatic effects (on grades for these students)…some of us have stronger coping mechanisms than others, but some struggle a little more and don’t have as good of support systems and struggle across the board,” Cross said. “I think my transcripts show that going through that stuff really takes a toll on you,” Tallerico said. Similarly, senior Abby Schmalz, who through the majority of her life has had an abnormal family situation, has noticed negative changes in her grades in times of significant family stress.
“My parents got divorced when I was five…and my mom got almost full custody of me and brought me to California, but my dad still lives in Oregon,” Schmalz said. Schmalz’s parents were originally given equal custody, but after experiencing bouts of depression from not being around family, Schmalz’s mom was given full custody. “It was very stressful when I knew my dad started dating again…I don’t act well under stress, so that can really affect people and did for me.” Contrarily, Burrows was able to maintain her grades when everything else seemed so out of control. “It made it harder to concentrate,” Burrows said, “but it didn’t make me have bad grades because that would make me just more disappointed.” Other seemingly insignificant parts of high school life were made difficult as a result of not having the ideal family situation—things that seem small, are taken for granted. “It (is) difficult at times to get things done, like, signatures or getting things for school,” Tallerico said. “My dad doesn’t get to help me with homework or art,” Schmalz said. “I never really get to see him.” As extremely unfortunate as some of these family situations are, there
have been some positive experiences that have come out of these situations for the students. “Without the divorce, I never would’ve made my friends or been here,” Schmalz said, “I’m totally grateful for it.” Having no parents to lean on, as upsetting as it can be, prepared Burrows for what she expects to be the real world and how to manage herself. “It has made me more independent, which will be good in the long run,” Burrows said. Classmates must recognize that the person they see at school may be joyous and carefree but are suffering in their home lives. “Now my eyes are open, and I look at other people and think about what’s going on in their lives more without jumping to conclusions,” Tallerico said. Students often seek teachers, counselors and administrators who deal with these sorts of issues, though not all students even know that they are available to talk to on non-academic subjects. “Our doors are always open,” Cross said. “We are here to help and talk to students, whether it be about social issues, issues in the home or academic issues.”
Continued from page B2 “We are able to provide our students online databases . . . we have a virtual reference library, and we have resources aligned to the curriculum,” Hedstrom explains. “We are also just starting our collection of electronic books.” GBHS is looking forward to experimenting with new technology. “One school in our district has an iPad cart that they are checking out through the library,” Hedstrom said.
As seen recently by the library’s adaption of technology, the library has opened its future towards further adapting and being available for new technology. The library has also introduced new internet sites such as Turnitin, Edmodo and EasyBib, all which are available to any students and teachers. Overall, the library is ready for change. “We are going to see how (it goes),” Hedstrom said. “Maybe one day we will have some.”
Your names. Your faces. The Gazette.
Friday, November 9, 2012
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Lifestyle B5
The Granite Bay Gazette
College of the Month:
how to...
University of Arizona Who: 30,655 students
• Full time faculty teaching undergraduate classes are 1,530 teachers. • Average class size is about 29 students.
Where: Tucson, Arizona Tuition and Fee Cost: $25,310 Acceptance Rate: 75.4 percent U.S. News Ranking: #120 School Colors: Navy blue and cardinal Mascot: Wilbur Athletics: • University of Arizona has 500 student athletes • They have won 18 National Championship titles • They’ve had 37 Pac-10 conference team championships.
Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS
•University of Arizona offers a variety of different intramural sports with different levels for players with varying skill sets. Academics: • Students can choose from 300 undergraduate degrees.
Campus Life: • Zona Zoo is known as their spirit section. • Being in the Zona Zoo, guarantees admittance to all University of Arizona sporting events. • Spring Fling is the largest college carnival in the nation.
Gazette photo /KAYLyn O’donnell Modeled by Summer Haenny
1. Cut the toe off of a tube sock.
Fun Facts: • Sage green and silver were the colors of the University of Arizona’s first football team. • 387 acres in Tucson are the oldest maintained green space in Arizona. - Compiled by Maddy Harris
Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. I, 2. C, 3. E, 4. A, 5. J, 6. B, 7. F, 8. D, 9. G, 10. H.
Make a sock bun
2. Roll the sock into a bagel shape. 3. Tie your hair into a pony tail at the top of your head. 4. Pull your hair through the sock about a quarter of the way. 5. Roll the sock down your pony tail (toward your head) and wrap your hair under the sock. 6. When you reach your scalp, tuck in any stray hairs that you might have missed. If they don’t stay in the bun, secure them with a hair tie or a bobby pin. -Compiled by Summer Haenny
SENIORS: Students have to adjust to a new environment during senior year Continued from page B3
with the amount of spirit GBHS shows toward its sporting events. Most of the new seniors have had the same reaction, that GBHS has been incredibly welcoming and grateful to have a new student at the school.
“I thought it was surprisingly welcoming,” said Drake Thomas, another new senior at GBHS. “People were nice enough to let me into their groups, and I also joined a couple of clubs.” GBHS also has a lot to offer for students who need to meet new people with the large number of clubs available to choose from.
“Everybody academically challenges themselves (more) here compared to other schools,” Thomas said. “I can tell with my short time being here that (it’s an) academically high-standard school.” Many new seniors are shocked to see that GBHS, being a public school, has so many students
STRESS: Teens find ways to cope with pressures of daily commitments Continued from page B3 of the things stressing him out. Klaeser usually doesn’t finish his work until 9 p.m. and he feels his performance in school suffers. While Klaeser loves to spend time with friends and pursuing other hobbies, his days have little time for that kind of stress relief. “I never hang out with my friends,” Klaeser said. “You don’t get to socialize as much (when you take AP classes).” Klaeser’s stressful days also leave little time for sleep. “I come into English five minutes late, and just am not able to be awake,” Klaeser said. “You stay up until 3 (a.m.) … doing homework … that you didn’t get done because you were doing something else. Then you come the next day and you just can’t sleep. I haven’t gotten to bed earlier than 10:30 (p.m.) for three months. Luckily, he has crew to relieve stress, though according to Klaeser, it itself causes stress. Klaeser’s supportive family helps him manage his stress as well, and his motivation keeps the effects of stress from getting to him. As advice to fellow stressed students, Klaeser advises students to do what they love. “Everyone should do something
they love because it relieves stress,” Klaeser said. “Everyone should have fun.” Junior Adithi Reddy, another member of the GBHS debate team and of many extracurricular activities, has similar experience to share on the subject. Partially because she is going for the IB Diploma, her life is crazy. “Since day one, this year has been very stressful,” Reddy said. She puts her spare energy into her love of dance, reading, cycling, photography and television. Part of her energy to try so hard in life comes from her positive attitude. She’s also motivated to push through the stress by thinking about her plans for her future. Reddy encourages everyone to reach out and find others to discuss stressors with, because she has seen the difference it makes in her life. “My friends and family just try to be understanding and help me through it,” Reddy said. Of course, when tensions get too high for words to resolve, Reddy always has a couple emergency-backup stress relievers. “I eat chocolate,” Reddy said. “I make time for my favorite shows, even though I probably don’t have time for them. I always make time, just because it takes my mind off of school and life in general.”
challenging themselves more than other schools that they had attended. “At first I thought it was a little difficult to meet friends here,” Thomas said. “But it is exponential, you meet one friend then they introduce you to two and then three and so on.” The welcoming personalities
Guillermo Lada Bibao
New senior from Spain alters life as a GBHS student.
SHOPPING: Buyers’ preparation for Black Friday Continued from page B1 This year’s Black Friday shopping is expected to be just as crazy as past years. Senior Kelsey Veith is a sales associate at American Eagle and will be working on Black Friday. “I was a shopper last year, and this year I’m working it, so it should be interesting,” Veith said. Some tips for this upcoming Black Friday are to map out your assault on the mall or popular stores. But first, ask yourself, is waking up at the crack of dawn worth it? Sometimes it depends on what kinds of items you’re looking for. This is why a deliberate, preconceived plan is a necessity to ensure the most savings. For example, if you’re trying to get a sweet deal on a new flat screen TV, then it could be worth your time to go to Best Buy at midnight. Many stores open at different times so make sure you are aware of which open when and can plan accordingly. Go to the stores you know are opening earlier and then move on to the later opening stores. Another way to make Black Friday shopping more enjoyable is to go with a group of friends. One thing that is absolutely necessary for shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is patience.
There is a good likelihood that parents will bring their cranky, tired children. Along with this, will be people who have been waiting in line hours before you have, making them also a tad irritable. This may not be the friendliest environment, so be prepared for a competitive atmosphere. If you are choosing to head out to the stores right after Thanksgiving dinner, bringing a chair and food to sustain yourself would be a good choice. This way you can wait in comfort until the store opens. It becomes survival of the fittest when waiting outside of stores, as whoever stays the longest or gets there first gets first pick. Despite enticing deals, some products may be best to hold off on, as Black Friday may not be the time of maximum savings. The Washington Post suggests waiting for purchases on home furnishings because usually the best deals come after Christmas. Some people go a little crazy when it comes to spending limits for Black Friday shopping. Make sure you know your budget for the day, and this will ensure that you do not go overboard. Black Friday shopping is not the ideal setting for a shopping outing, as it seems as though the best deals go at midnight or in the middle of the morning.
However, despite the early hour time crunch, some families choose to take part in Black Friday not for the midnight deals and the chaos, but for the experience. “My family makes a day out of it and we go because it’s a tradition,” Peterson said. This day of extreme shopping is usually targeted toward women, especially if searching for early Christmas presents. However, for men, last year there were a lot of video game systems and accessories that were a packaged deal making Black Friday shopping beneficial for them as well. This upcoming Black Friday, if any boys wanted to venture out and take on the risk of middle of the morning shopping, there are many stores worth going to. The stores that appear to have the biggest discounts for video game consoles and games are the local Walmart and Best Buy. In the end, the big question is whether or not going to Black Friday shopping is worth it. Ultimately, it depends on the person, and to what extent they are able to deal long lines and huge crowds. If you are a first-time Black Friday shopper, realize that this is one of the busiest shopping days ever, and be prepared for the disorder of sleepy shoppers with nothing but deals on their minds.
PICKETT: Local teen suffers spinal chord damage Continued from page B1 For this reason, Dawson is wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause to reaching out to Pickett in his time of need as a member of this community. “We roll together – we ride
SAT: College bound prepare for crucial test Continued from page B3 material.” Zech said he knows how hard it is to get into a good college and is happy there are so many ways to get ready. Juniors and some seniors at GBHS will be studying as much as they can to prepare, yet those who have already taken this test have let out a breath of relief and can tell their secrets to all who stress about it. “I took a review course at Kaplan College which had online videos and quizzes,” said senior Hamza Khan, who took the SAT last year as a junior. He said that he loved the online methods to study, and it was a lot easier to stay in his pajamas at his house than go to a class with a bunch of people he doesn’t know and be uncomfortable. With all of the new information and methods to study, Ontiveros and Zech will be competing, with the rest of the American high schoolers, for a spot at their dream college. “Depending on how well I do on previous tests, I will probably retake (it) at least once,” Zech said. “I want to get at least a 2100.”
of many GBHS students have allowed the new seniors to feel like they have been going here for four years already. “The school spirit is intense,” Thomas said. “I had no idea that a school would be this passionate about their sports. I felt like I was in college when I went to one of the rallies.”
Your names. Your faces. The Gazette.
together – we die together, and so when one guy goes down, especially in a situation like this, where one kid is paralyzed, he is no longer on the opposite team,” Dawson said. “We feel he’s a part of us and we want to reach out and show
him support, and this is how Granite Bay does it.” As far as next swim season goes, Spencer and Wylder both admit they will be missing their friendly competition. “We would talk before and after races wishing each other
luck and talking about how our races went,” Spencer said. “He had good sportsmanship ... Ponderosa lost a strong player, I lost a strong competitor.” For information on donating to Zach Pickett and his family, go to www.thepickettfence.org.
Friday, November 9, 20112
B6 Lifestyle
w The Granite Bay Gazette
The best places to go when you’re in need of winter fun BY JONAH POCZOBUTT jpoczobutt.gazette@gmail.com
M
any Granite Bay High School students are highly anticipating the upcoming ski season. Many snow forecast services have predicted above average precipitation levels sure to trump last year’s dismal drizzle of snow. Almost everyone has a favorite ski resort, and these major ski resorts are competing to sell the most lift tickets possible.
GBHS junior Kyle Chickering has been skiing at Sugar Bowl for about 14 years, and it has always been his resort of choice. “I like Sugar Bowl because there aren’t a lot of people there,” Chickering said. Sugar Bowl’s 1,500 acres of groomed runs and large, un-groomed backcountry area make for plenty of space, and its 13 lifts ensure a low wait time for getting up the mountain. “There aren’t really any lift lines,” Chickering said. The resort also maintains an ideal balance of
Junior Reed Klaeser’s ski resort of choice is Alpine Meadows, where he has participated on the ski team in addition to skiing recreationally. “Alpine meadows is an open ski resort, so you can go into the backcountry and they won’t take your ticket away.” Klaeser said. This is a rare feature among ski resorts because of liability issues. Alpine Meadows has not released lift ticket prices for this year, but has a reputation for affordable lift tickets. This year, Alpine Meadows has partnered with Squaw Valley ski resort to offer the Tahoe Super Pass
beginner runs, expert skiing runs and terrain parks. For this reason, Sugar Bowl is a good resort for skiers of all levels or for skiing with friends. Sugar Bowl grooms their runs exceptionally well and is also the closest major resort to Granite Bay, but these amenities do come with a steep price. A lift ticket at Sugar Bowl goes for $70 for GBHS students and a restricted season pass (one with several blackout dates) is $379. Bottom line: Go to Sugar Bowl if you want to spend less time in the car and more time skiing.
Northstar offers lift tickets for GBHS students for only $51 at the start of the season, but these prices increase sharply to as much as $85 in the middle of the season. Junior Megan Kilingler is one of many GBHS students who prefer Northstar over other ski resorts. “Northstar has the best terrain park in the Tahoe area,” Kilingler said. The Northstar village is another benefit of
for as low as $319 with blackout dates. This pass allows its owners to ski both resorts all season long and even offers a free shuttle to transport users between the two resorts for same day skiing. It is the only pass of its kind for Tahoe ski resorts. Both resorts combined offer more than 6,000 square acres of groomed trails, 43 lifts, and 10 terrain parks as well as unrestricted backcountry skiing. Bottom line: If you are serious about skiing or snowboarding, pick up a Tahoe Super Pass and enjoy the best deal that Tahoe has to offer.
Northstar. The village features several shops and restaurants as well as an ice skating rink. Northstar also has a reputation for maintaining one of the best terrain parks in Tahoe and has even been nationally recognized as one of the best park ski resorts in the country by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. Bottom line: Go to Northstar if you are interested in skiing park and are not afraid to frivolously spend money.
Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN
Sports
Granite Bay Gazette
C Section
Friday w November 9, 2012
Commentary
Senior Cevin Meador (left) coaches a young Olympus player during a basketball game.
amber les
ales.gazette@gmail.com
Everyone likes to play the blame game
T
hroughout my life, I’ve seen a whole lot of sports-oriented movies. Coach Carter, Remember the Titans, We are Marshall ... just to name a few. These movies in particular left me walking out of the theater with a feel-good feeling about any human being who has ever coached a sport. The plots surround the idea that, without certain coaches, particular teams would have crumbled if it weren’t for the efforts of their Coach with a capital C. I get it. Coaches can lead teams to victory in more than just games. Throughout my life, various coaches have had a positive impact on me as a player and person. But, as many other athletes will relate to, I’ve had some coaches who didn’t seem to do much for me in the category of ‘coaching’. So which is it? College coaches throughout almost all sports, for example, have the opportunity to pick their players through the handouts of scholarships. In my opinion, any college team’s success is directly related to the coaching staff. Phenomenal players are put together with other exceptional athletes to create a team that will win games. Recruiting is a science that these coaches are paid to excel at. So why in high school is there such a debate about where fault should lie in a team’s success? For one thing, high school coaches can’t recruit. Their team is made up of the best athletes at that particular school who happened to try out for that sport. But, in their defense, high school coaches have the ability to improve athletes’ skills through practices and conditioning. On the players’ side, particular coaches may differ in their coaching techniques, and may not require enough practices or workouts for significant team improvement. Players complain about coaching styles, and coaches scoff at players’ effort and attitudes. I’ve heard coaches who feel unappreciated, and I’ve heard players who feel that they ‘coach themselves’. Either way, the argument can go on and on. It’s easy to see that there are multiple athletics programs at GBHS that pull out winning seasons year after year. It seems doubtful that the reason is because a small community with a fantastic gene pool has consistently produced great athletes. It also seems unlikely that the reason is only because a small number of coaches have been able to morph hundreds of mediocre players into exceptional athletes every single season. Should this debate even be relevant? As a fan of talented athletes who have to put up with bad coaches, and a supporter of great coaches who have to deal with unreasonable athletes, I don’t see a way to resolve it. Hopefully arguing about it won’t distract from what truly matters in GBHS athletics right now—all nine of our fall sports teams made playoffs. And last I checked, all of those teams are made up of coaches and athletes. *** Amber Les is a senior sports editor for the Gazette.
helping hand
Gazette photo /
LUKE CHIRBAS
Lending a
Students ‘give back’ to community and help younger athletes improve skills BY BRAD WONG
brwong.gazette@gmail.com
Students who have had an enriching experience through involvement in Granite Bay High School athletics have found a way to give back. Many sacrifice time and effort to their sport as players, but don’t let their dedication stop there. Four athletes have taken their love of the sport to the next level and now coach younger athletes in order to develop their skills as a person both on and off the field. Senior Cevin Meador, an assistant coach for the 8th grade boys’ basketball team at Olympus junior high, is one such
individual. In the two practices and games Meador attends weekly, he acts as the team’s technician, studying the kids’ technique and the small things to make them better. Coaching has provided Meador with a fresh perspective on basketball and he now has a newfound appreciation for the game. “I wasn’t having fun playing basketball in high school,” Meador said, “but I’m really having a blast coaching these kids and it has inspired me to keep on helping.” Through the experience, Meador hopes to use what he’s learned in the immediate and far-off future.
“The varsity coach at GBHS has asked me to help out in the community.” Meador said. “After high school, I hope to be a student assistant coach in college and hopefully land an internship in the NBA and see where that takes me.” Meador says being a coach gives him different responsibilities than as a player; one has to allocate players to be as successful as possible to form a cohesive team unit. “I make sure the kids learn right stuff not just on the court, but off as well.” Meador said. “I’m older and try to act as a good example and role model because I know the kids look up to me as an older person.”
Senior JC Nichols is another athlete who has developed an intense passion for his favorite sport –soccer- and has transferred this energy into coaching. Nichols works with the head coach of the U 10 boys’ soccer team for the Eureka Youth Soccer League. “I end up running most of the practices and, during games I can make, I coach from the sideline and give input on what (they should) work on and set up who plays,” Nichols said. Although coaching takes weekdays and weekends from Nichols, he finds the sacrifice well worth it. See HELPING, page C5
Home games now a social venue for students Football fans also come out to socialize BY KEVIN BURNS
kburns.gazette@gmail.com
Why go to a football game and not watch football? Students at Granite Bay High School have been posing this question about the culture of their sport throughout the years. They ask because, at many GBHS home football games,
there are about a hundred kids, most younger than fifteen years old, running around the soccer field playing, yelling and hanging around with friends. Before the 2011-12 school year, kids and students were allowed to stand and talk in the quad area next to the bleachers, but last year the school changed the rule so that no one was able to stand in the quad and had to either go sit in the bleachers or go onto the soccer field. Senior Lucas Carlson said how he never went to games as an eighth grader or younger, but he knew of many people who would go to try and hang out with the
Athletes decide to become ex-athletes
Making the decision to quit the team BY KRISTIN KURPERSHOEK kkupershoek.gazette@gmail.com
“I quit.” Society tends to classify people who utter that phrase as lazy, unreliable or irresponsible. However, many students quit sports at Granite Bay High School, not because they are bad people, but because they feel it is the best option for them at a certain point in their lives. GBHS senior Cevin Meador
is a former basketball player. Meador had played basketball since the third grade, but ultimately decided that sophomore year would be the last basketball season he would play competitively. “Basketball got to that point where you really had to make a commitment and you had to play all year-round and you had to give up basically everything else for it,” Meador said. “So I decided it wasn’t really worth
Younger kids enjoying themselves at a recent GBHS football game.
freshmen. Since they’ve changed the rule, many middle schoolers have chosen to swarm the soccer field and play sports with their friends. Despite the cost of getting into the venue, parents and their kids alike have returned game after game, always lively and excited, and many students at GBHS are happy that other can come and help contribute to the team and school. Although some younger fans prove to not pay attention to the actual game they paid to watch, players prove to be happy about
Gazette photo / KRISTEN TAYLOR
See GAMES, page C5
Basketball got to that point where you really had to make a commitment. – Senior Cevin Meador
that (…) so I decided to have fun and do other things.” Ironically, Meador still spends the majority of his free time at basketball practice. He really See EX-ATHLETES, page C5
Freshmen transition to high school athletics
Younger athletes see new challenges BY EMMA GRACYK
egracyk.gazette@gmail.com
Running, kicking, spiking, breathing. Two hours every day after school, five to six days a week. Various sports at Granite Bay High School consume a majority of time for athletes who choose to be involved in competitive high school athletics. But, as some have noticed, sports were not always this time consuming. Back in junior high
school, sports were more of a way for students’ to try out a new activity and make friends. “Cavitt practice was just fun time with your friends,” Varsity volleyball player Chandler Awalt said. “I remember there was a lot of laughing, but we still wanted to win. We were competitive, but not serious about it.” Practices also tend to run longer in high school and require more out of a student. Boys’ basketball in junior high is See TRANSITION, page C5
inside sports Grizz Quiz
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Rising Star Athlete of the Month
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Referees’ Impacts How trained officials affect players, coaches and games.
Newcomer Nina Jones JV goalie hopes to familiarize herself with her new sport.
Fall Sports Wrap-Up Every fall sport at GBHS had successful seasons.
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C2 Sports
Friday, November 9, 2012
Officials have a huge influence
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Players, fans voice their frustration over bad calls BY MYLES SLATTERY
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
Although referees are often overlooked in sports, the selection of officials plays a large part in the overall justice of the game. Throughout all of Granite Bay High School sports, players have experienced the impact that refs have. “Good refereeing is key because if you have a bunch of bad calls the team that deserves to win may not always win,” senior football player Joey Blackwell said. Refs are carefully monitored by athletic director, Tim Healy, in order to ensure that the best possible officiating is present. “I am allowed to block an official if they haven’t done a good job here at Granite Bay High School,” Healy said. Although these refs have been trained and are prepared for in game action, there is still a margin for error. “The refs are usually pretty decent, but you will get a few terrible calls here and there,” senior football player Spencer Castonguay said. Even though most of the calls the officials make are accurate, a few bad calls
can ruin their reputation forever. “Against Rocklin the referees missed like six calls,” Blackwell said, “and then they blew a call at the end which luckily ended up playing in our favor.” Unfortunately there will always be cases of bias and unfairness with officiating in sports. “One ref told me that he especially disliked our school,” Blackwell said. GBHS takes good officiating very seriously and dedicates time and moreover fiscal resources. “Our school spends roughly eighty to ninety thousand dollars a year on officials,” Healy said, “but, most of those who [referee] do it because they love the sport.” Quality of officiating varies in different sports, although referees for football tend to be fairly decent, senior baseball player, Brett Bautista cannot say the same for the SFL umpires. “On a scale of one to ten I would give the umps a four,” Bautista said, “they aren’t terrible, but they have a large amount of room for improvement.” On the soccer field, a common point for officiating controversy is the ref’s ability to deal a red card. Senior soccer captain Mat Fisher has
SPORTS BRIEFS Girls’ Volleyball w The varsity team concluded their regular season going undefeated in league play, defeating Rocklin High School 3-0 w Juniors Nicolette Pinkney and Maddy Deters led the team with a total of 244 and 243 kills, respectively Football w The varsity team won comfortably against Nevada Union High School last Friday w Senior Johnny Cooley led the offense with a total of 93 rushing yards Boys’ Soccer w The team won their first playoff game against West High School by a score of 2-1
Grizz Quiz
Composed by Nicole Bales
Girls’ Water Polo w Last Saturday the team was defeated against Lodi High School in the first match of the post-season by a score of 9-8 Boys’ Tennis w GBHS alumnus Max Vogt was named the Northeast Conference Rookie and Player of the Month Boys’ Water Polo w Last Friday the varsity team demolished Beyer High School by a score of 20-3 w Sophomore Alek Dendall scored seven goals and was successful in two steals -Compiled by Austin Downs
Mat Thompson Boys’ Tennis
Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR
wOfficials collaborate on a decision under the Friday night lights. While they aren’t the star players of the game, they still have a prfound impact during games and the final result, positive and negative.
received two questionable red cards in the last few months. “I think it’s a little bit ridiculous,” junior Dominic Scotti said, “the referees are giving red cards when players don’t actually deserve them.” However, these downfalls to officiating are often felt by both parties. “Usually if a bad official is there, they are bad for both sides,” Healy said. Probably the most important facet in sports officiating is consistency. Without consistency, there cannot
be any justified rhythm throughout the game. “I think the high school umpires are inconsistent, it seems like umps are against Granite Bay,” Bautista said. Many GBHS’ supporters share a similar view to Bautista and have become frustrated with this trend. Avid GBHS sports fan, Nick Palmer is one such individual. “I feel like the officials don’t like Granite Bay and they often call things that they know are wrong on purpose,”
Future plans for The Tribe
Grayson Walker Senior Tribe leader hopes to bolster particpation as the basketball season approaches
GBHS students hope to involve spirit group at more competitions BY AUSTIN ALCAINE
aalcaine.gazette@gmail.com
The Tribe is the student cheering section for all sporting events for Granite Bay High School and has become a GBHS’ sports scene. The Tribe was created in 2011 by the graduating senior class as a fun way for students to get more involved in student sports at the school, and for students who actually want to watch and cheer for the Grizzlies. What many students do not know is that The Tribe has an even greater impact on the sports teams at GBHS than most members are aware of. “It has an enormous effect that I don’t think The Tribe truly understands.” Grant Teunissen said. “Walking into our stadium for a home game and hearing The Tribe go crazy really sets a good vibe for the team.” The Tribe has a huge impact on the Granite Bay teams, and has even pushed them towards a victory before. “When we played Lincoln of Stockton, the vibe is so powerful that it urges our players to push
Deedra Dollesin Girls’ Golf
been showing a lot of spirit and it has been turning out great,” Grayson Walker said. The Tribe had lost a lot of the attendance that was present during the Westlake and Jesuit soccer themselves to play harder in the games earlier this year. game,” Teunissen said. But in the recent games, there The football team ended up winning against Lincoln of Stock- has been a significant increase in the amount of tribe members ton who had one of the highest showing up to ranking quarter sporting events backs in the naat Granite Bay tion. again. “However, dur“The Tribe ing the Pittsburg will definitely game, where it The Tribe will be there for seemed like even definitely be the basketball the parents were season too.” louder than The there for the Walker said. Tribe, which most basketball “The Tribe of us forgot exis more loud season. isted, we lost the and everyone vibe,” Teunissen participates a said. – Grayson Walker, lot more.” The football senior With the team lost to Pittsfootball season burg in a crushing coming to a overtime defeat close The Tribe after a successful will be moving two point converits location into the gym to cheer sion by Pittsburg. on the Grizzly basketball team. Senior Tribe leader Grayson “I think The Tribe could do a lot Walker also had similar thoughts better job,” junior Devin Lehman that the spirit of The Tribe had said, “we have been having weak improved in recent games. showings at our football games.” “There were a couple games Some frequent Tribe members where there were not that many are upset that the Tribe is not people that showed, but towards showing the amount of spirit and the end of the season we have
Allison Daly Cross Country
Kirk McKeon Football
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving day food?
Stuffing
Mash potatoes and gravy
Pumpkin pie
Corn dip
Would you ever see a fortune-teller?
Yeah, I’ve always wanted to
Probably
No
No
Which actor/actress would you never go out with?
Megan Fox
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Squirrel
Tripe
Octopus
Definitely go visit my family on the east coast
I would spend as much time with my family and friends as possible
I would drop out of school and make the most of everyday
What would you do if the world was for sure going to end in 2012?
Palmer said. Whether or not the officials are biased or not, they will never avoid high levels of scrutiny. “A single ref can destroy a game,” Palmer said. So, even though they aren’t the most revered individuals in sports, they still have a significant influence all athletics. “Being a high school ref is hard, whatever call you make no matter if it’s right or wrong, one side is always going to be mad at you,” Castonguay said.
Charlie Sheen
Zach Galifanakis
cheering enough for the team. Many other members are also upset at the fact that many of the students who go sit in the Tribe are going to hang out and take pictures rather than support the Grizzlies. “Every sport at Granite Bay High School wants to have the Tribe out there, it just makes the games a lot more exciting for them,” Lehman said. The Tribe has primarily been cheering on the football and basketball teams in this fall season. But some want The Tribe to support other sports whether it is water polo, cross country, or baseball, and the student athletes want to be cheered on by their fellow peers. The Tribe is going to be cheering for Granite Bay student sports year long and many student athletes hope The Tribe will be out there for their sport. “Last year our rugby team had a great season, but I think if we could get The Tribe out there cheering for us we could do even better this upcoming season,” player Eddie Leskaskaus said.
Austin Ketchersid Boys’ Soccer
Turkey
Only to be hypnotized
Sandra Bullock
Kristen Stewart
Raw rainbow trout
Kangaroo jerky
I would go hunt a polar bear
I would go on a lot of vacations
Friday, November 9, 2012
w The Granite Bay Gazette
Sports C3
Many GBHS athletes pursue scholarships
Programs help prepare for collegiate athletics BY AMBER LES
ales.gazette@gmail.com
The approximate number of athletic scholarships that are awarded each year in the NCAA’s Division I and II college sports is 138,000. To put that in perspective, the approximate number of high school football players in the country is a little over one million. Track comes in second with about 600,000 participants, along with 200,000 in soccer and 500,000 in high school basketball. All of these sports, along with many others, share those 138,000 scholarship spots. According to a study done by Michigan State in 2012, about one high school football player in 6,000 will make it to college on a full-ride athletic scholarship. Over the years, Granite Bay High School has seen many of its alumni go on to college with the help of some form of an athletic scholarship, beating those unlucky odds. Taylor Nelson, a junior volleyball player at GBHS, will be one of those athletes. “I verbally committed to (California Polytechnic University) my sophomore year,” she said. “They offered me a full scholarship.” Nelson, still only an underclassman at the time, also received full
scholarship offers from Davis, University of California Santa Barbara and Boise State. “Cal Poly has always been my dream school,” Nelson said. “Having the opportunity to play (volleyball) there will be amazing.” Nelson is filling one of the only 5,500 scholarship spots for all of the NCAA women’s volleyball programs. “I’ve wanted to play in college my whole life,” she said. “I’m really lucky.” Her hard work as a volleyball player for seven years brought her to be the college-level setter she will be when she graduates. Others at GBHS are working hard to get offers of their own. “I’ve wanted to play college football almost all of my life,” senior Johnny Cooley said. Cooley is one of the captains on the varsity football team, and has played the sport since he was eight years old. “I remember walking past a (football) practice at Treelake when I was little,” he said. “I told my dad ‘I want to do that.’” Since then, Cooley has dedicated a majority of his time to improving his game, most notably in high school. “I worked hard in the offseason,” he said. “I was invited to the Nike Football training camp, and I
went to the (University of California Berkeley) and UC Davis football camps.” Cooley has yet to receive any official offers, but he has been recently getting some attention from college coaches. “My dream school would definitely be the University of Oregon,” he said. “But it would be nice to go (to college) anywhere out of state.” According to NCAA requirements, high school athletes must have more than just overall talent in their sport. To receive an athletic scholarship, a potential student athlete must have completed sixteen hours of core course work, with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and a qualifying SAT or ACT score based on their grade point average. John Sherman, the Varsity swim and dive coach at GBHS, says that “partnering athletics and academics” can make student athletes successful. Sherman, who has coached swimming since 1998, has seen approximately 50 of his athletes receive athletic scholarships. “As opposed to other sports, swimming is something an athlete can do year-round,” he said. According to Sherman, the club teams for swimming are in “strong” shape around the Granite
Gazette photo /Kaylyn o’donnell
Junior Taylor Nelson sets the outside during a varsity volleyball game. Nelson, who has already verbally committed to California Polytechnic State University, knows the stress that come with recruiting.
Bay area. “Probably 99% of (swimmers) who get scholarships played on a club team,” he said. Along with all other sports programs at GBHS, producing excep-
tional athletes takes an inordinate amount of time. “Making (swimming) a yearround sport has helped build our program,” Sherman said. As the year progresses, many are
still hopeful for a college scholarship opportunity. “When it comes down to it, I love the game,” Cooley said. “I feel prepared to play college football.”
Senior Wyatt Nagler hopes to reclaim Tribe’s energy Enthusiastic fan strives to revive the cheering sections spirt and chants BY SUMMER HAENY
shaeny.gazette@gmail.com
When The Tribe first formed, Wyatt Nagler jumped at the chance to become a more spirited fan. Since then, Nagler has stayed spirited throughout his high school years and is currently one of The Tribe’s leaders. Nagler has been to all of the home football games this year and has noticed the waning participation of students, especially in the past two years. “The Tribe used to be really crazy with all the drums,” Nagler said, “but now it has slowed down and I’m hoping to get it rolling again.” Already a sports fan, it was no question
for Nagler to join something that involved supporting his school’s athletics. “The Tribe is always a lot of fun, cheering with friends and being in such a high-energy environment,” Nagler said. Nagler acknowledges that The Tribe has social aspects to it, but wants it to return to what is what meant to be: a cheering section. “A lot of people have turned being in
The Tribe to taking and exciting atmosphere. pictures for social me“People should be open dia, rather than cheerto come and talk to Tribe I have no doubt ing louder and louder members or leaders so with more spirit,” a lot of spirited they can realize what Nagler said. they’re missing out juniors will keep Nagler said, “maybeon,” Nagler knows he’ll keep supporting Granthe tradition (of they’ll become leaders ite Bay High School sports and has turned The Tribe) going themselves.” Despite a decrease in his vision to the future overall involvement, Naof The Tribe. gler stays optimistic and – Senior and Tribe “Rooting on your fakeeps in mind the great vorite teams is a great member Wyatt Nagler times he has already had. activity at the school to “I have no doubt a lot of be involved in and an spirited juniors will keep easy way to be in high the tradition going, espespirits with friends cially because this special and make new ones,” tradition is so established Nagler said. already,” Nagler said. Nagler feels people The Granite Bay varsity soccer game have nothing to lose when joining someagainst Jesuit High School had one of the thing like The Tribe, it offers a way to highest turnouts of student fans in a while interact with people and be in a friendly and the Granite Bay varsity football game
Sophomore Nina Jones starts her GBHS water polo career BY AUSTIN DOWNS
adowns.gazette@gmail.com
For sophomore Nina Jones, coming into the sport of water polo without any prior experience made her quite nervous. Up until the start of this year, Jones had been playing and putting her athletic attention towards swimming in the spring and basketball during the winter.
However, she decided to venture out into a sport that she saw as a combination of her two previous sports and try out for the girls’ JV water polo team. “I’d say that water polo is in some ways like basketball and swimming. I was definitely nervous when I became the team goalie. I definitely got hit in the face many times before I got the hang of it,” Jones said. She said that because of her
long arms and torso and formality with water, she was placed as a goalie. “Being able to be a lean goalkeeper is definitely a plus,” Jones said. So far this season, Jones has shown substantial progress as her role as a goalie. “While although we haven’t won that many games, we’re a new team and I feel as though
Wyatt Nagler The senior smiles as he is about to attend the varsity football’s final home game. against Del Oro High School had a similar result of high camaraderie. “The Tribe has provided a way for students to truly support their friends and school for a positive impact,” Nagler said. Nagler believes more people should be part of Granite Bay High School’s student section to improve the performance of football and basketball and increase the chances of winning. “Looking back on my years in the Tribe,” Nagler said, “I’m so glad I did it and will have memories of a lifetime.”
I’m making solid improvement (on my skills),” Jones said. With a strong desire to improve, Jones has taken the initiative in her sport and hopes to continue playing water polo in the spring along with swimming for the school. “In the spring and summer I’m (hopefully) going to be playing at (the Sacramento Water Polo Club) and improve my game there,” Jones said. As for next season, the current varsity goalkeeper, senior Sara Northam, will be graduating, and Jones hopes to step in next year as the varsity goalie. “I think if I put in the effort at (the Sacramento Water Polo Club), I’ll be on the right course towards being the starting goalkeeper,” Jones said.
JV girls’ goalkeeper Nina Jones looks to pass to an open teammate after making a save.
Gazette photo /kaylynn o’donnell
5550 D ouglas Blvd. S Granit uite 20 e Bay, 0 C a 9 5746 (916) 7 91-411 1
and lounge
A visit here will be a delightful journey into original Thai cuisine and will surely be very pleasing to all that share in this wonderful culinary experience.
C4 Sports
Friday, November 9, 2012
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All nine fall sports qualify for section playoffs Boys’ soccer “Boy’s Soccer has done tremendously well. We have won the Sierra Foothill League for the sixth consecutive year.
“Some of the high points would defiantly be (against) Jesuit (High School). As a team it was a good experience playing them because we will probably see them in the section finals so it was a good preparation for that.” Junior Jeff Gabler
Coach Steve Fischer
Girls’ water polo “I feel that the girl’s preformed great. I thought that the expectations were high for them coming in. They met the expectations and I thought that they improved tremendously.
“I think we improved more than any other team in our league. We got third in our league so we made it to Sections which is good because we are such a young team. We have expeierence but not a lot compared to other teams. Junior Grace Reego
Coach Mike Saldana
Boys’ water polo “We lost some close games that we would liked to have one. We are 12-0 in league and we did win the SFl championship undefeated and that’s good. We are a number one seat going into the playoffs and a number two seat in Sections right now.”
“I think the season went pretty well. I hope we have a great season next year like we did this year. Junior Samuel Copaciu
Coach John MacLeane
Girls’ golf “The girls did a great job...they finished second in league (despite our loss to Rocklin High School). We have a strong group coming back (for next season).”
“I feel like we did pretty well. We are no longer undefeated but overall I think we have grown and become a much better team. Making it to D1 masters was the highlight because we are usually in D2.” Junior Deedra Dollesin
Coach Jason Sitterud
Boys’ and Girls’Cross country “We still have 4 more weeks to our season. We have Sub Sections this week and Sections the following week.” Coach Carla Kehoe
Girls’ volleyball “We finished 10-0. We won our league. Undefeated. We are currently undefeated at home. Our record is 35-5. We have not lost at home yet. We have not lost in league.” Coach Jamie Ingram
Girls’ tennis “So far we have done very well winning the SFL 10-0 and Kammy Kecki winning the SFL Singles Playoffs & Chloe & Lily Forlini winning the SFL Doubles Playoffs.” Coach Rory Wood
Football “We have a chance to win our league title but it will depend on how we do in these last two games. We are still stinging from our overtime loss to Pittsburg and hopefully that memory will keep us working hard towards our goals.” Coach Ernie Cooper
“All the teams had a really great season and we set a lot of personal records. We preformed up to our expectations and the training that we put in really showed throught at all our races. Senior Felix Von Wendorff
“We all worked together good as a team. We get together on and off the court. We worked hard all season.” Junior Taylor Nelson
“We did really well this season. We won league undefeated again. Our last game against Rocklin was tough because we were missing some of our top players, but we ended up winning anyways.” Junior Erika Kartz
“Beating Del Oro (High School) was a big accomplishment. Beating Del Oro was what we were looking forward to all summer and we finally did it!” Senior Johnny Cooley
-Compiled by Summer Haenny
Friday, November 9, 2012
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HELPING: Players find value, fun in coaching Continued from page C1
“I want to help the kids who love the sport and encourage them to keep on playing,” Nichols said. Nichols also has aspirations to become a coach in college and sees this as a perfect opportunity to gather experience. For Nichols, the chance to interact with the kids not only as a coach, but friend and mentor, is most important. “It’s more than just coaching,” Nichols said, “it’s about establishing sportsmanship and a team
mentality, never letting anything getting in the way of that.” Junior Tony Ellison has found that coaching his brother’s Junior Grizzly football team is a great way to pass on the skills he has gained in high school. Ellison, who coaches the sixth grade PeeWee team, teaches kids how to tackle effectively and helps running backs with foot speed and moving with perceptive vision. With Ellison’s busy academic schedule, he misses practices, but makes it to every game. “When I get to games I love the
kids, to watch their talent develop, and the interaction between me, as a coach, (and) the players,” Ellison said. Ellison began helping out during the summer and helped both the offense and defense learn new skills and tried to instill in the kids work ethic. Because of his brother, Ellison has unlimited motivation to keep on coaching and has found the job rewarding. “I love to coach because of my brother and he reminds me of myself when I was in the junior
GAMES: Athletes
Grizzly program,” Ellison said. “He plays through injuries and gives 100 percent in everything he does.” Ellison believes others should give coaching a shot because it gives them a chance to share their knowledge of the game and give it to younger athletes. Coaching the junior Grizzlies gives Ellison a chance to bond with his brother and the other players. “I want my brother to have the experience I am having as a football player at GBHS.” Ellison said.
Zack Kwan Says kids who go to games are preparing to be good fans when they’re older.
appreciate support, attendance for games
“Parents should definitely keep an socialized, but he said he also wanted eye on their kids and not allow them to cheer for the Grizzlies and get ready to be a good fan for when he was in the their attendance. to run around,” Nasri said. high school. “I like (that they come)” junior Zack Many students Even with the Kwan said. “They fill the stands and agree with Nasri successful and show more support for our athletes.” and hope that the It’s become a social loud Tribe, stuAnd the athletes agree, and are glad that faculty can crack event...and everydents like Nasri, their families can come to support them. down on the maywho is a member “I think it’s cool that kids can go and one, especially the hem of constant of the Tribe, are have a fun time playing football,” said traffic. 8th graders, just excited for more varsity cornerback and junior Luke “It’s become a sosocialize. fans, regardless if Bussey. cial event,” Carlson they do not even Every home game, Bussey can count said, “and everygo to the school. on his parents, his sisters and his brother one, especially the – Senior Lucas Carlson With all of the to be cheering him on as he covers the eighth graders, just fun it seems the opposing wide receivers. socialize.” kids are having Bussey also added that it is great that so Some students running around many kids can go to the games and have think that it would and playing football, students at GBHS a good time while being in a safe envibe better for the kids to cheer on the are forced to smile, knowing the kids ronment, although not everyone agrees. Grizzlies, but are just fine with havwill soon be freshmen, standing alongJunior Blaise Nasri said he thinks it is ing many people at the games. side them in the bleachers. great that so many students from “(The) little kids really don’t care “I like that they get good exercise,” Olympus and Cavitt want to go support that much about the football game,” Kwan said, “and it gives them somethe team, but they should be limited on Kwan said. what they do at the games. Kwan went when he was little and thing to do on Friday nights.” Continued from page C1
“Coaching is a really great experience and I definitely see myself as a coach in the future.” Senior and varsity quarterback Grant Caraway has found a similar reward in the time he has spent coaching seventh graders in junior Grizzlies. Caraway looks forward to practices where he can hone the players’ abilities. During practices, Caraway teaches drills he does at the high school level and gives them small, detailed pointers. “I love what I do and I remember
Sports C5
my student coaches when I was a junior Grizzly,” Caraway said, “I want to give the same positive impact to the kids in games and practices, whether that’s being a coach or just hanging out.” Through his experience, Caraway has made lots of friends with the players and believes the team really appreciates the time he spends with them. “It’s definitely an added bonus that I get to develop and help out the players who will be eventually carrying on the great GBHS football tradition.”
TRANSITION: Various sports programs reach out Continued from page C1 three months long, compared to a yearround commitment in high school. In addition, junior high cross country is only four days a week, whereas GBHS cross country athletes run six days a week. “You have to commit a lot more of your time if you want to play high school sports,” ex-basketball player Cevin Meader said. “(Boys basketball is) your whole summer, plus 2-3 times a week all year long. You can only play one sport if you want to excel.” The pace of practice is also proving to be a lot more strenuous. “I think the furthest I ever ran in middle school was a five or six mile run (...) now I run double that plus some,” cross country senior Trent Brendel said. As practice gets tougher, so does game pace. “Game speed is way faster. Every year in high school it’s faster and faster. To go back and watch a junior high game now is like slow motion,” Meader said. “Everybody is getting stronger and bigger and faster.” High school athletic programs are making an effort to reach out to middle school players to encourage them to continue on
with their sport in high school. The girls’ volleyball team invites the middle school team to their summer camp, in order to work with the younger athletes on their skills, along with cheering them on throughout the season as well as inviting them to a volleyball Junior High night. “We’re just trying to make it so that they know some people and when they come to Granite Bay, they can feel welcome already,” said Varsity volleyball coach Jamie Ingram. GBHS Cross Country and Track also connect with the middle school teams. “Generally in the spring we’ll go to the middle school and talk to them about why they should do cross country and track,” Brendel said. “We get them to think about possibly competing on the high school team.” While junior high sports could possibly be considered more “low-key,” they can be a great way to build up basic skills and get to know teammates. “Some people are really competitive in junior high, but the coaches don’t advocate for extreme competitiveness,” Brendel said. “It’s like a rec sport versus a competitive sport. It’s more just about the fun.”
EX-ATHLETES: Adjusting to life without sports Continued from page C1
enjoys coaching and is an assistant to head Coach Paul Shafto at Olympus Junior High School, which means he attends most of the practices and games for the boys’ eighth grade team. Since he wants to continue coaching in the future, Meador believes this is a much more valuable use of his time, as he is able to obtain experience and pursue a passion of his. “With the coaching, I still get to be a large part of basketball (…) I still can enjoy it, it’s just not as I still can enjoy it, it’s just not as serious anymore,” Meador said. Although quitting basketball has had its benefits, Meador still misses some aspects of the sport, like the team bonding element. “With the guys you got to travel and bond, when not playing sports you don’t really get that,” Meador said. “Maybe the basketball part wasn’t always fun, but always hanging out with the guys definitely was,” he said.
GBHS seniors Stephanie Shaull and Madison Wallace quit playing high school volleyball and have mixed feelings about their decision, but agreed one main factor for quitting was that the sport became more work than play. “It was more like I was playing because it was work instead of because I really loved it, and I was just burned out (…) I just needed a break,” Shaull said. Wallace also decided that the negatives about the sport began to outweigh the positives. “It just wasn’t that enjoyable for me anymore because the coach didn’t make it as fun, and I just didn’t love it as much as I used to,” Wallace said. The two girls were able to find different activities that they enjoy to fill their time once they did not have the rigorous volleyball schedule to follow. “I got really involved with church, and that kind of took up most of my time,” Shaull said. “And then of course, I had a really tough schedule last year, and so I was able to focus a
lot more on my classes.” Wallace also was able to pursue new interests by becoming really involved in the Student Government program at GBHS. “I have a lot more time that I can do other activities for the school that I normally wouldn’t be able to do because volleyball was so time-consuming,” Wallace said. On the other hand, there are times when both Shaull and Wallace regret quitting volleyball and miss all the sport had to offer. Like Meador, Shaull missed her teammates and the team bonding the most. “You miss the community you build with your team, and I think that’s what I kind of miss the most, because I just had such an awesome team,” Shaull said. Jaci Willing is also a senior who has tried many of the sports offered at GBHS throughout her high school career including volleyball, softball, golf and track. Willing has always been used to a sportcentered lifestyle, being a three sport athlete since the sixth grade and having a family who is very into sports.
However, Willing was always the athlete who played for the fun rather than the competition. “High school is where people really start thinking if they want to do it in college, and I never really was one of those people (…) so I stopped doing sports, which was hard, but I don’t really regret it,” Willing said. Although they are big sports fans, Willing’s parents supported her decision to quit because she was able to fill her time with other meaningful activities such as Student Government, National Charity League and a job at Cookie Connection. Willing attributes many of the friends she made, her people skills and teamwork abilities to playing sports growing up. She would never consider all those years playing sports a waste, but with her job she is able to learn different aspects of social skills that she could not get in a sports environment. “Working with other people, managing my time better and […] instead of
working with others on a team, it’s more like I’m working with customers and I’m learning different relationship skills,” Willing said. She knew what it was like having to always follow a strict schedule while in season, and found that the structure actually benefited her in terms of school and grades. “It’s ironic to where people think that when they are in sports, they don’t have time for homework, but really when you’re in season you do have better grades because you learn to manage your time better,” Willing said. Managing her time and carving out a daily routine is a skill that Willing has had to become more aware of so that she is able to get her schoolwork done on time. Overall, Willing and other former athletes are confident in their choice. “Playing sports, I just wasn’t one of those people who could take out the fun and just do it for the competition,” Willing said, “which is what high school is in the end, so I don’t regret it.”
Junior athlete playing on two GBHS rosters Contributing to two teams that are ‘doing very well’ BY NIKI RICHARDS
nrichards.gazette@gmail.com
At Granite Bay High School, athletic talent is everywhere, from the football field to the basketball court and all around campus. So, it is not surprising that a star player excels on two of these teams at the same time. Junior Zachary Boyle is one of the few who is able to play both varsity basketball and varsity soccer for GBHS. In order to keep up with both sports, Boyle has had to work hard both on and off the field. Both Boyle and his soccer coach, Steve Fischer, agree that he has a wide range of
skills. Boyle excels in cardio, crossing, shooting, offense, and, according to his coach, he does well at “covering the entire right side (of the field) and getting back on defense.” “Zach brings out a lot of different elements to our team. He listens well (…) is very coachable (…) and tries to implement the game plan.” This season, the team has had overall success, with Boyle contributing four goals and several more assists that have helped the team gain attempts at goal. “As a team we have secured top seed for the D1 section playoffs, and are first in league,” Boyle said. “Our team is doing very well,” Fischer agreed. “We have won our sixth consecu-
tive Sierra Foothill League championship and are honored to be in this year’s Division 1 playoffs.” Along with soccer, Zach plays basketball, and although it doesn’t start until spring, expectations for the future season are very high. “(My team is) very supportive,” Boyle said. Boyle said his team has his back on and off the court, which helps with the team’s overall chemistry during the game. As point guard and shooting guard, Boyle has to work hard and have various skills in agility and ball handling. When it comes to playing two very strenuous sports, one would wonder how Boyle keeps up with his sports and academics. “It’s not hard, my coaches are very lenient. They respect their team and other teams,” Boyle said. “What motivates me to be better and do Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS well are my coaches, my team mates, and my family.” Zachary Boyle, left, takes the field in one of the two sports he participates in at GBHS. Boyle also plays basketball for the Grizzlies.
C6 Sports
Friday November, 9 2012
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AT A GLANCE
Stats at a Glance Football Upcoming Games: w11/16 section quarterfinals w11/23 section semifinals wTBD Division I championship
Girls’ Water Polo Upcoming Games: w11/10 Division I section championship
Boys’ Water Polo Upcoming Games: w11/10 Division I section championship
Boys’ Soccer Gazette photo /Kristin Taylor
Upcoming Games: w11/10 Division I section championship
Girls’ Volleyball Upcoming Games: w11/10 Division I section championship
Girls’ Tennis
Gazette photo /Luke Chirbas
Gazette photo /kristin taylor
Upcoming Matches: w11/16-11/17 NorCal tournament
Far above, senior Alexa Lara cheers on the football team after a grizzly touchdown against Del Oro on Oct. 19. Sophomore Madisyn Donnels digs a hard hit from the opposing Rocklin team on Oct. 30, above left. Senior Nick Grace tries to calm head coach Ernie Cooper down after an offensive penalty against Granite Bay is called in the game against Del Oro Oct. 19, above right. Far left, junior Chase Cooper passes the ball back and forth with a teammate during a practice on Oct. 24. Trying to keep possession, junior Dominic Scotti fights to get the ball down the field in the boys’ soccer game against Rocklin on Oct. 23, left.
Cross Country Upcoming Meets: w11/10 sections w11/24 state
Girls’ Golf Upcoming Match: w11/13 state championships
Gazette photo /kristin taylor
Gazette photo /luke chirbas
green screen.
The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide November 2012
Killing Thanksgiving Myths
p.10-11
Is winter weight gain true? Page 14
Thanksgiving Meal Alternatives Page 12&13
Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL
Page 2
In this Issue
SUNDAY
Page 4&5
Fashion Gender Perspectives
Page 10&11
Turkey Obituary
Page 12&13
Meal Alternatives
Page 14
Winter Weight Gain
Page 15
Thanksgiving Break Plans
Page 17
Video Game Preview
Page 18&19 Movie reviews
Page 20
Ripple Effect
WEDNESDAY
Veterans Day!
20
Winter Beverages
Page 8&9
TUESDAY
12
Music reviews
Food reviews: Bakeries
MONDAY
november
Page 3
Page 6&7
November 2012
calendar. THURSDAY
FRIDAY
10
8 Mr Grizzly
15
17
22
27 december 5
SATURDAY
24 30
Winter Dance Show
Gazette illustrations/EMMA GRACYK
Dear Golden Age thinkers... The world has always been terrible
I
can’t help but cringe every time I hear someone say that any particular past time period was “the Golden Age.” Yes, I am aware that the 1960s had The Beatles, the Summer of Love and Woodstock, and I know the ‘90s had Nirvana and Leonardo DiCaprio at his high point. But none of those facts necessarily make either or any time period of the past “better” than the present. Let’s not forget that every decade has had its fair share of atrocities. The Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassination, police brutality and many more events may not seem so appealing to the kids who are absolutely positive they were “meant to be a hippie in the ‘60s.” Similarly, the Gulf War, bombings and school shootings don’t exactly sound too fun either. And, of course, there was that terribly slow Internet connection in the ‘90s. Could you really have lived without constant entertainment from your iPhone? The point I’m trying to make is that, sure, some time periods had neat fashion and good music, but that doesn’t automatically make the 2000s terrible. No, I don’t love the fact that many teens of “this generation” live for watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians or Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, and they would rather listen to Skrillex than the Ramones. But that’s not because I’m superior to any of those people—it’s just my preference. Nothing more. And living in this day and age, I know that I can find music or read literature from any past generation at an instant, which I believe the kids suffering from severe cases of historical nostalgia really do take for granted. Though 2012 is nowhere near perfect, I don’t doubt for a second that some of our children or grandchildren will look back on this time and envy us for getting to experience it. We’re living through the first African-American presidency, huge steps towards marriage equality, and we just landed a robot
Commentary
alexa zogopoulos azogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com
on Mars. But we did also just experience the worst economic downfall since the Great Depression—and I assume the Golden Age-thinkers of the future won’t consider that factor. If you only enjoy listening to classic rock, then by all means, fill your iPod with only classic rock. Nobody’s stopping you. You can even get a fancy record player so you can really get the feel of your desired time period. But I believe that after some time, the records will begin to sound scratchy, and you’ll think back to how awesome it was when you could listen to any song from any artist on one small device—and the quality was so much better! As stated in the movie Midnight in Paris—where a man who yearns to live in the 1920s gets to visit his dream time but finds out that even people then weren’t happy with the time they lived in—nostalgia is all bliss. The world has never really been that great, and it probably never will be. It will always seem like the world is falling apart, but we need to learn how to deal with our pathetic lives of the new technology era. That is, unless someone creates a time machine any time soon.
November 2012
Page 3
music.
Taylor Swift Red BY THOMAS TAYLOR
T
ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com
aylor Swift is back with her own brand of pop-country songs for the masses. Red continues Swift’s domination of the pop-country genre by sticking to her tried and true method of songs about love and growing up. Many people who are already infatuated with Taylor Swift have no cause for alarm. Taylor delivers perfectly harmless, young love songs that relate easily to her captured audience. If you already like Swift’s music, go out and buy this album. You won’t regret it. Swift’s young, effervescent energy is present in every song. She sings with intense conviction and pours her heart into her work. She sings of heartbreak and deadbeat guys, but always with a certainty that gives her songs some form of substance. Occasionally she sings about positive
topics like going out, partying and being young. But she quickly gets back to her normal, heartbreaking self within a few tracks. Swift continues to define herself as a singer by straying farther and farther away from the country half of her pop-country style. Her songs are always sung with such force that is often lacking from the current music scene. Musician’s who believe in their music and enjoy what they are doing can only improve the trash that frequents popular radio stations such as 107.9 The End. The only real fear that Taylor Swift fans should consider is possible musical stagnation. Swift burst onto the music scene in 2006 and was received well by critics and fans. However, six years later, she is still writing the same music and singing the same heartfelt but depressing songs. Swift is perfecting her musical style, but if she is not careful, her albums will continue to sound increasingly similar until someone
realizes she is not the musical sensation many fans think she is. On that note, Swift does not do a single thing to encourage people like me to pick up her album, including those who love rock songs and some catchy pop songs, which should be an easy market for the talented Swift. Her song “22” is about as pop-sounding as the album got, with the rest of the tracklist being filled with melancholy songs accompanied by an unimaginative guitar pattern. For those who don’t care at all about Taylor • Swift because her music does not appeal to them, then they should avoid this album. It does nothing to change anyone’s mind about Swift—it is straightforward and kind of depressing at times. For those who have loved Swift since 2006, buy the album. She sings with such intensity and feeling that her energy may rub off on her contemporaries in the popular music area.
BIG MACHINE RECORDS
Red by Taylor Swift was released on Oct. 21.
B
Skip to: 22
Jason Aldean Night Train BY NICOLETTE RICHARDS
J
nrichards.gazette@gmail.com
ason Aldean, popular country heartthrob, released his latest album, Night Train, on October 16. Unfortunately, it failed to meet the level of quality that other popular country artists have been reaching. Not being a religious fan of country myself, I can still identify whether or not the BROKEN BOW music in general has real substance through Night Train by Jason Aldean lyrics, musicality or message, and this was released on Oct.16. album lacks such substance. The one hit song trending currently is “Take a Little Ride.” This song, with its typical “hook up” message and catchy beat, is understandably the favorite amongst the Skip to: country-loving community. Take a But then the appeal ends there. Little Ride “Night Train,” the song after which the
C
album is named, consists of an awkward beat-lyric ratio, where each beat seems to have as many words and syllables crammed in as musically possible, which is unpleasant to the ear. The song “Black Tears” was a tragedy, basically spelling out the process of prostitution and stripping, where the subject of the song takes “ones” to make a living. Surprisingly, the beat and musical accompaniment was actually very beautiful, and—if it hadn’t been paired with lyrics that gave one visions of a sparkly, sweaty stripper—it could have made for a quality song. “Wheels Rollin’” picks up the pace, with a good beat and good guitar accompaniment, yet fails again to have real substance in the lyrics. Continuing on, songs “Talk” and “That Only Way I Know” are just annoying and
don’t make any sense. In “Talk,” the confusing lyrics go from, “I love when we talk, let’s keep talking,” to “don’t talk.” The confusing lyrics muddle the real purpose of what Aldean is trying to say in the piece. Then, just when you are hoping for one good original song to come along, it doesn’t. Instead, you get “I Don’t Do Lonely Well,” where the melody sounds identical to David Archuleta’s “Crush,” just with country lyrics and vocals rather than pop. At this point, my music-loving heart could take no more, and I had to shove through the last five songs with strenuous effort. I would say the album was disappointing, yet I did not have high expectations for it to begin with, so no such fabrication necessary. All I can say is, Aldean, I wouldn’t “take a ride with you” if you paid me to. (Hey, that sounds like better lyrics already.)
Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city BY MYLES SLATTERY
K
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
endrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city is a fresh breath of air in the polluted atmosphere that is modern day rap music. Lamar approaches this album with a reminiscent tone, looking back at his life and his decisions along the way. His life is projected throughout the album as a young kid influenced by his surroundings, chasing girls and doing things doesn’t necessarily want to do yet he does out of peer pressure. The first song, “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter,” is arguably the best song on the album. The only problem with the song is that it leaves listeners with high standards that are hardly met in the following songs.
Although the next few songs have entertainment value, Lamar does not accomplish the level of excellence achieved in his first song until track number five, “Money Trees ft. Jay Rock.” This song questions the importance of materialistic possessions in comparison to religious and spiritual facets that, to Kendrick, are of real importance. “Halle Berry or Hallelujah?” Lamar asks. The one thing the song is lacking is a unique chorus, but the rap delivery is enough to make up for it. “Poetic Justice feat. Drake,” is another one of my favorite tracks off the album. I am not a huge fan of Drake, so I was skeptical about this song, but was pleasantly surprised. Drake and Kendrick meshed astonishingly well. The smooth R&B chorus is a nice touch by Lamar and is the reason this song is so enjoyable.
“m.A.A.d City Feat. MC Eiht,” definitely has the hardest hitting beat on the album and makes you want to become reckless and rebellious. Lamar talks about the stupidity of gang violence and the impact it has on the young, African-American inner-city population. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” the most morally powerful song, talks about the death of his brother due to gang violence and questions what his future has in store. He wonders how he will be remembered when death takes him. The whole album must be listened to in its arrangement in order to receive the full affect of Kendrick’s story. Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city is one of the most noteworthy hip-hop albums this year and should be listened to by all those whom enjoy rap music—and even those who don’t enjoy this genre.
AFTERMATH
good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar was released on Oct. 22.
A
Skip to:
Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter
Page 4
warm.
and other winter beverages
November 2012
Cuddle up near a fireplace with these drinks By JOEY PUHALA Gazette staff writer
November 2012
Page 5
and cozy.
ed c i p S White ffee 3 cup(s) whole milk o 1 cup(s) coffee beans C 1 1/2 sticks (3 inches long) cinnamon sticks 4 whole(s) green cardamom pods 1/4 cup(s) honey
If you hate black coffee, than its alternative, white coffee, might just be a perfect match. White coffee is not just black coffee sweetened with milk or sugar; it actually involves crushing up and roasting the coffee beans in margarine prior to brewing, and then serving the drink with sweetened condensed milk. This drink has more of a “nutty” taste and is found enjoyable by many who might not take pleasure in drinking coffee.
Caramel Apple Cider
Pumpkin Spice Latte 1/2 teaspoon canned pumpkin pie mix 2 cups milk 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin pie spice 1 cup strongly brewed coffee or espresso Starbuck’s seasonal pumpkin spice latte is customer favorite. A deliciously sweet fusion of pumpkin and spices, this drink literally tastes like a piping hot liquid pumpkin pie. Although there is coffee in it, the overpowering sugary pumpkin flavors make it completely unnoticeable. And since this drink is only available at Starbucks during the fall, you only have a limited time to purchase this classic drink; that is, if you’re not up to make it yourself.
3 Tablespoons of Cinnamon Dolce Syrup 12oz of Treetop premium apple juice Caramel syrup Whipped cream Caramel apple cider is just as mouth-watering as it sounds. The tangy, wonderful taste of apple cider combined with the sweet and distinct flavor of caramel. It’s a perfect drink to serve at a party, yet also perfect for a quality evening of alone time.
Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate 1 cup milk 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (chunky or smooth) 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract When the cold of winter starts hitting hard and you need some relief, consider whipping up a pot of peanut butter hot chocolate. This heavy drink is perfect for a chilly night, and the chocolate and peanut butter flavors work well together. For an added touch of perfection, top it with a mountain of whipped cream and crushed peanuts.
C Sp inn ic am ed on 3/4 cup ground coffee L 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon at 3 cups cold water te 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk Whipped cream, as desired Additional ground cinnamon
This is a seasonal beverage served at Starbucks. This drink is incredibly rich tasting. It’s full of cinnamon and sugar. The flavor of coffee is much more apparent in this beverage, which can be either a good or bad thing depending on whether or not you enjoy coffee.
Gazette photo /Kaylyn ODonnell
Page 6
November 2012
food.
Get Baked
The Gazette staff has a sweet tooth for bakeries
Boudin
BY GRACE MOORE
gmoore.gazette@gmail.com
Boudin is located in the fountains shopping center in Roseville. The cozy restaurant has an inviting storefront, and is the perfect place to be during a storm. While I was in line with a menu in hand, I appreciated the quintessential large window that allowed me to pass the time watching a baker prepare some dough. There were various other goods, such as specially shaped loaves of bread, to keep me entertained while in line. Not to mention the smells of sourdough bread that filled the air. I’m not sure whether or not the bread was made from scratch, but it sure seemed like it. Boudin is decorated with splashes of red décor, ranging from a neon clock to red bags of chips, all of
which make the setting comfortable and homey. The cozy atmosphere, stains in the booths and scratches on the tables make Boudin a casual and relatively inexpensive place for a night out. Boudin’s bakers prominently display their many sourdough creations, and I have known the bakery to occasionally give away free turtle-shaped pieces of bread around the holidays. I highly recommend ordering their Rustic Tomato Soup in a sourdough bread bowl. The soup’s creamy deliciousness is served in a massive bread bowl that perfectly compliments the soup. There was so much bread, I ended up taking the lid of the bread bowl home with me. The tomato soup was just the right consistency, and the parmesan cheese on the top added just the right something to the hearty and creamy soup.
Cookie Connection BY MEGHAN CARLSEN mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
To be honest, I don’t have a big sweet tooth. I would choose french fries over cake any day. But I have found my vice at Cookie Connection. Cookie Connection, a bakery solely devoted to cookies, as stated in their slogan, “It’s all about the cookie,” is conveniently located for most Granite Bay High School students in the Safeway shopping center on Sierra College Blvd and Douglas Blvd. Going there, you are immediately greeted with a display case of wonderfully creative kinds of cookies. I’ve found a special soft spot for their chocolate chip cookies, which seem to be always cooked to perfection with the perfect chocolate chip ratio (if you’re a chocolate chip lover like me). The fact that they are larger than the average cookie makes it worth the trip and the $1.75 per cookie. Other classics for customers include the Crackle cookie, which is chocolate with powdered sugar on top, and the Caramello cookie, which is like a chocolate chip cookie but with caramel. However, one cookie that is always a treat for me is their frosted sugar cookie. Something that is so special about these cookies is that they are made into different shapes with different colored frosting depending on what time of year it is. For example, around this time, Cookie Connection is selling turkey-shaped cookies, while before they were selling pumpkinshaped cookies. It’s a simple delight to go in and see their creative shapes and colors to go with the
season I’m in. The frosting is a delicious touch on a great cookie. Even for people who are not too fond of frosting, I’ve seen many of them change their mind for Cookie Connection’s frosted sugar cookies. While these special treats cost $2.00 instead of $1.75, I would argue to say they are worth the extra quarter. Whether they are selling classic chocolate chip cookies, giant Cookie Cakes or specially made frosted sugar cookies for a customer’s special occasion, Cookie Connection’s creativity and great recipes are what has made it a thriving bakery in the area for customers to purchase treats for others or a treat for themselves.
Reviewer’s Grade: A-
Gazette photo /MEGhan Carlsen
Croutons were also added to the soup, giving the tomato a delightfully salty crunch. With such a wonderful soup, the veggie sandwich had trouble maintaining the same standard of excellence even though I will give Boudin some credit for their vegetarian-friendly options. Of course, this is by no means a deal-breaker – Boudin has a versatile menu that is sure to leave your hunger satisfied, no matter what food you are in the mood for. There are tons of options. Hungry Boudin-goers could have cookies and salads, along with their numerous, well-known sandwiches and soups. You’ll have trouble ordering something you won’t like from their menu.
Reviewer’s Grade: B-
Little Bliss Cakery BY MADISON TOULOUKIAN mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com
Little Bliss Cakery is an ideal place for anyone with a craving for sweet cupcakes and an inviting atmosphere. Located at 8789 Auburn Folsom Road in Granite Bay, the bakery is tucked between a Subway and a bank. Despite its strip mall location, Little Bliss does an excellent job of creating a cheerful and inviting atmosphere. Upon my arrival at Little Bliss Cakery, I was warmly welcomed by a young woman and the smell of sweet chocolate. The small kitchen was behind a counter of cupcakes and ice cream flavors, and I could see another woman making an array of cupcakes fresh before my eyes. My stomach grumbled as I gazed at the vast array of cupcakes sitting behind the glass counter, with flavors ranging from cheesecake to red velvet. My friend and I stood at the counter pondering our decision for a good five minutes, but due to the lack of customers, no one seemed to mind. Finally, my friend decided on a mini confetti cake cupcake and I decided on a mini mint chocolate cupcake. Each cost $1.25, which we decided was a bit expensive compared the satisfaction we got out of each cupcake, since they were a bit larger than bite size. A full size cupcake cost $2.75 and was a much greater portion
than the mini one, and we decided that this would have been a wiser purchase than the mini. However, due to the small size, I felt compelled to buy another mini, this time in the peanut butter crunch flavor. We decided to sit outside the restaurant and enjoying the sunshine. A small fountain provided an added calming affect. The moment I bit into my mint cupcake, I was instantly impressed. The mint was a great sweet treat, but the flavor was not as bold as I was expecting. My favorite was the peanut butter flavor, mostly due to its rich peanut butter icing and chocolate cake. My friend also enjoyed her confetti cake cupcake, and gave it an eight out of a scale of ten. With its amazing cupcake flavors, cheerful ambiance and friendly costumer service, Little Bliss Cakery is the perfect bakery.
Reviewer’s Grade: B+
Gazette photo /kristin taylor
November 2012
Page 7
eat.
Karen’s Bakery BY EMMA GRACYK
emmagracyk.gazette@gmail.
I found out about Karen’s Bakery because it was a meeting place for a Saturday cross country practice. Right by the bakery are beautiful trails that run along Lake Natoma, serving as a great location for a morning run or bike ride. As I entered, I was surprised by how many bikers and joggers gathered at Karen’s. Karen’s Bakery seems to be the hot gathering place for athletes, most likely because of the gorgeous trials nearby. The first thing one notices about Karen’s on a Saturday morning is the line is out the door. This set high expectations for me before I ordered. I figured the place must be well to have a line that long so early in the morning. I fell in love with the atmosphere at Karen’s. When I wasn’t sure what to order, I had customers smile at me and give me suggestions. Not only were the customers friendly, but so were the employees. The lady at the counter who greeted me served me with a smile and enthusiastically gave me suggestions since I was stuck on what to order. I do not get the same personalized feeling when I walk through the doors of a Starbucks. Karen’s seems special. As one first walks in, they will notice the many freshly baked pastries and bread. In the glass case to the right of the cash register, one notices the beautifully baked cakes. All of the baked goods looked delicious. It was difficult picking out which
This Month’s Picks
one I wanted to try. I also had difficulty selecting my beverage. Originally, I planned to order coffee, but the long list of teas stopped me. Karen’s offers twenty different flavors of tea, many of which I’ve never tried before (Moroccan Mint, Belgian Chocolate, Green Strawberry). The one problem I had with Karen’s was the price. As I paid the lady at the counter, I felt a little guilty for eating such an expensive meal. The price came out to be $28.50. Yet the atmosphere seemed pleasant and the food looked tasty I didn’t mind as much. When my food came I was not disappointed. The three salads I ordered were all tasty. The ingredients were fresh and healthy, and each salad was so different. The best part was the bread pudding. It was warm when I got it, drizzled with custard sauce and topped with fresh berries. The pudding was fluffy and delicious. While it was very good, it was expensive at $8. I enjoyed Karen’s. Though the food was quite expensive, I enjoyed the friendly environment of the bakery. The food is very good, but I wouldn’t suggest Karen’s if someone wants a cheaper meal.
The Gazette Ranking Panel samples dishes from each of the five restaurants this month and ranks them accordingly.
#4 Karen’s Bakery-
Expensive prices but good ambience put Karen’s in a tie for fourth.
#4 Boudin- Quality baked goods and sandwiches make Boudin worth visiting.
#3 Little Bliss Cakery- Little Bliss has enough flavors to suit every customer’s taste
#2 Cookie Connection-
Cookie Connection makes exceptional cookies but the large price tag keeps this bakery from being number one.
Reviewer’s Grade: B Karen’s Bakery is located in old town Folsom
#1 Manley’s Doughnuts- Manley’s
Doughnuts is cheap and delicious, making it the number one bakery this issue.
Manley’s Doughnuts BY CHASE EVANS
cevans.gazette@gmail.com
I like doughnuts a lot. The warm, sweet bread with frosting and sometimes jelly is incomparable to other treats. I do not go to Dunkin Doughnuts or Krispy Kreme to get doughnuts because I believe in the small doughnut shops and their higher quality doughnuts. There’s more to a doughnut than just a machine, a fryer, and some dough. A good doughnut is made by a human who cares. Run by a local family, and located just off of Sunrise Boulevard, Manley’s Doughnuts is everything I look for in a doughnut shop. Constantly playing old westerns on a 10-inch television in the corner of the store, Manley’s has the classic doughnut shop feel to it. With friendly cashiers, Manley’s Doughnuts passes the first test of any local doughnut shop: a homey and friendly feel. They always make one feel welcome and are ready
My personal favorite doughnut at Manley’s is the sugar covered doughnut
– Junior Chase Evans and willing to provide whatever they can. Manley’s excels at making all types of doughnuts as well. I have been going to Manley’s every month or so during the last few years and have eaten many different kinds of doughnuts there. Manley’s was the first place that I ate a jelly-filled doughnut. It is still the best jelly-filled doughnut I have ever had.
I always prefer flavored doughnuts over traditional glazed, so naturally I have tried each type of frosting. My favorite topping at Manley’s is vanilla frosting with sprinkles. However the chocolate frosting is nearly as good. My personal favorite doughnut at Manley’s is the sugar covered doughnut. The texture of the doughnut is better than any doughnut I have had. Light and airy, the doughnut is as close to food heaven as I come. The only reason I haven’t tried all of the other pastries that Manley’s offers is because the sugar covered doughnut is just that good. It tastes so good that it keeps me from ordering anything else. Manley’s doughnuts is the perfect small doughnut shop. Manley’s has a great environment and the doughnuts are equally good, making it a great place to stop by for a quick snack.
Reviewer’s Grade: A
Page 8
November 2012
gender.
He said Opinions on trends of the opposite sex
BY TAMREN JOHNK
gfinn.gazette@gmail.com
High-waisted shorts
“Girls, if you are going to wear makeup, it shouldn’t be an art show,” Walker said. “You should definitely not wear fake eyelashes or have fake eyebrows. Girls just overall shouldn’t cake it on.”
Excessive make-up “High-waisted shorts, look like you have converted jeans into a diaper,” senior Alex Chesebro said. “They don’t look very becoming and fashionable to the young ladies of this age and era.” Sophomore Garrett Walker, agrees with this. “High-waisted shorts are a little mom-ish and that girls should keep them in their mom’s closet,” he said. Walker also dislikes the extremely short shorts. “If I can see your butt hanging out, then there’s a problem,” Walker said. “When you see that, then you know those shorts have got to go.”
“I'm not a great fan, I think you can show some skin but I think that skin should not be right around your stomach,” Chesebro said. Walker also doesn’t prefer this particular fashion. “Guys don’t come to school with holes in our shirts,” Walker said. “If we can see your whole stomach, it’s like us going to school with our shirts up to our chests showing off our abs.”
h g i h e dg els e High- heels are another fashW he ion trend that is disliked by many GBHS male students. “The high-heeled cork shoes and sandals look like you have been walking on wine corks that have been screwed together,” Chesebro said. “So in other words, you look like the top of a wine bottle.” Walker sees no reason for high heels and believes that they are inappropriate for school. “No one really cares if you are a couple inches taller,” he said.
See-through shirts
Gazette model / Jenny gilbert
Bikini shirts
November 2012
Page 9
perspectives.
Stickers on snapbacks
“I really hate when guys wear the t-shirts of women in bikinis because I think its distracting to people in class,” Howarth said. “It’s just a really stupid thing to have on your shirt, it’s not necessary, and guys look like idiots when they wear them.” Talmi also believes that these shirts are very inappropriate and unattractive. “We all know that Granite Bay guys want a girl like that, so there’s no need to advertise it even more,” Talmi said.
“I think it’s really stupid and dumb when guys keep the stickers on their snapbacks,” senior Sara Howarth said. “They should just take the sticker off as soon as they buy the hat because there’s no purpose for them. It just makes them look like they just bought the hat and put it on.” Sophomore Sydney Talmi also believes that snapbacks only work if you have tattoos. If not, they will never work for anyone.
Sagging
Basketball shoes
“If some guy’s pants are tighter than mine, then we have a serious issue,” Talmi said. “We all know guys want to see our butts, but when it comes to sagging pants, we don’t want to see theirs.” Most girls at GBHS think these exposing pants are a “total turnoff,” said Howarth. Gazette model / Dalton france
“I really do not like when guys have the humongous, clunky, basketball shoes because they look dumb and out of place with the rest of what they are wearing,” Howarth said. “If they aren’t at basketball practice and not playing a sport, then there is no point to wear them.”
sHe said Gazette photo /Luke chirbis Gazette photo /Hayley mcavoy
Pages 10 and 11
November 2012
eat it up.
Killing Thanksgiving Myths Putting an end to common misconceptions about Turkey Day BY MEGHAN CARLSEN mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com
1. Pilgrims ate turkey
2. Turkey makes you sleepy
No one really knows what the Pilgrims could have eaten in the celebration of 1621, and it likely was not turkey. It could have just as easily been any other bird or animal native to the area at the time. What is known is that they didn’t have potatoes or cranberries
Turkey contains tryptophan, a protein that is known to act as a sedative, but this protein can only be effective when consumed in much higher quantities than a serving or two at Thanksgiving dinner. Dr. Lou Aronne, director of Comprehensive Weight Control Program at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York said in a report for ABC News that the more likely cause of this drowsiness is the huge consumption of calories from all the other goodies and treats, which releases a natural sedative in the form of intestinal hormones.
to go with their feast.
Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS
3. Pilgrims only wore black, white and buckles Actually, only those wealthy enough could afford black. Others would wear various colors like blue, brown or green. The buckle fashion was a misrepresentation from the 18th century that has been passed down until now. Children in elementary schools still make their own buckles for their hats to reenact the Pilgrims.
Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS
Page 12
November 2012
eat more.
Roas ted P otato Carro es, ts, Pa and r Bruss snips el Sp routs
Ingredients 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles 1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts (about 1/2 pound), halved 4 cups red bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices 3 medium parsnips (about1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices 1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Grease an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry 3. Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Thanksgiving Meal
Cornbread
Different Dinner Options BY MADDY HARRIS
mharris.gazette@gmail.com
Ingredients
Directions
1 1/4 cup Polenta (cornmeal) 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 tbsp butter 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup milk 1 cup fresh corn
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease baking pan. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 2. Stir together milk,egg and butter until blended, then add the wet ingredients and fresh corn, mix well 3. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 25-30 min until the sides get brown and a skrewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle, let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
November 2012
s e o t a t hed Po
s a M d erbe
H
Page 13
chicken.
Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces Coarse salt 1 3/4 cups half-and-half 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
Directions 1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain; return potatoes to pot. 2. Stir potatoes over medium heat until dry (a film of starch will form on bottom of pot), about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. In a small saucepan, combine half-and-half and butter; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour half of hot liquid over potatoes. Mash just until smooth, adding more liquid to reach desired consistency. Stir in parsley and chives; season with salt. Garnish with more herbs.
Ingredients 4 ounces grated cheddar 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small, yellow onion, chopped 6 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 3 cups low-fat or fat-free milk 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced tarragon leaves or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces dried whole-wheat pasta shells (not the large ones for stuffing), cooked and drained according to the package instructions 4 cups small broccoli florets, cooked in boiling water for 1 minute
Skillet Macaroni and Broccoli, Mushrooms and Cheese
Directions
1. Mix the cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a medium bowl. Set aside. 2. Melt the butter in a large, high-sided, oven-safe skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. 3. Add the mushrooms and cook until they come to a simmer, then reduce by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes. 4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables in the skillet. Stir well. 5. Whisk milk in a steady, thin stream until creamy. Then whisk in the mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to bubble and the liquid thickens, about 3 minutes. 6. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in most of the mixed cheeses until smooth and then cooked pasta and broccoli. 7. Preheat the broiler after setting the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Meanwhile, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the ingredients in the skillet. Set the skillet on the rack and broil until light browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes. 8. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Gazette photos /HAYLEY MCAVOY Gazette photos /MADDY HARRIS
Page 14
winter
November 2012
Winter Weight Gain
GBHS students try to avoid gaining weight during the winter months BY NICOLETTE RICHARDS nrichards.gazette@gmail.
W
inter brings cozy rainy days, plenty of three day weekends, and unfortunately, unwanted pounds. It’s not just because we are wearing more layers when stepping on a scale-wintertime actually causes an annual increase in weight gain for the average person every year. Whether it’s due to stress, lack of exercise or an increase intake of hot cocoa, weight gain during the winter months is a phenomenon that some teens dread every upcoming season. However, what they may not know is that even the smallest of changes particular to the winter months contribute to an increase in weight. Some people like to curl up under a warm blanket while they sleep during the winter, but this can negatively affect weight. When the human body is too warm, it has a hard time of getting to sleep, considering that the optimal temperature for sleeping is approximately 68 degrees. Columbia University researchers have found that those who get less than 5 hours of sleep are 50 percent more likely to be obese than those who get 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Along with the cold temperature come the common winter colds. Some wintertime sicknesses increase the amount of glucose receptors on fat cells, which in turn causes them to bulge. Another result of the dark, wintery months for some individuals is seasonal effective disorder, where victims have depression symptoms during the winter months, which can cause emotional eating. Carbs, when consumed in mass amounts, release
Gazette photo /kristen taylor
Seasonal weight gain is a problem that many GBHS students face because of problems related to temperature, diet and activity during the holiday season, leading to self consciousness during winter. However, student Bryce Mantel begged to differ. bursts of serotonin, the “happy feeling” chemical in “Winter is when I lose the most weight,” he said, our body, which humans tend to seek out when they “I work out all the time, and the cold are feeling sad during the bluest of doesn’t make me gain weight at all,” seasons. Mantel said. A simple and rather universal Due to inactivity for this footballer, influence to weight gain during I might actually winter brings loss of muscle mass, wintertime is also the mass increase of sweets we eat. get more sleep which may not exactly apply to the average hormone raging teen. “It’s because of the holidays!” now. Sneaky things like drafts, our too student Megan Faszer stated. many layers when sleeping, add up, However, she added that “we are all – Junior Megan making it so that winter weight gain young teens with fast metabolisms so isn’t an occurrence we can ignore. it shouldn’t really matter.” Faszer Simple changes can affect whether We may be young and springy, or not this will happen to you, all you but once we start getting those filled have to do is kick off those blankets, stockings and homemade pies for close the windows, and cut back on candy canes! dessert, stretchy pants will begin flying off the “I might actually get more sleep now,” Faszer said shelves. after learning of the sleep deprivation affects on A poll of Granite Bay High students shows that weight gain. an average of 77 percent of students agree that the Whether it’s from the cold weather, colossal weight seems to be most persistently packing on amounts of chocolate, or the lack of spirit to exercise, during these cold months. winter isn’t just going to be bringing Santa to your “It’s because no one is doing anything (active) in door, but Captain Calorie as well. winter,” senior Beau Hershberger said.
Your Names, Your Faces, the Gazette
November 2012
travel.
Page 15
Granite Bay families make Thanksgiving break plans to travel near and far BY MYLES SLATTERY
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and not only does that mean turkey, gravy and falling leaves, but also the sacred Thanksgiving Break — cherished by the Granite Bay High School student body. Even though many GBHS families are feeling the effects of the tough economic times, some have found inexpensive alternatives for their Thanksgiving trips. “I plan on going to look at some colleges this Thanksgiving Break,” Junior Alexandra Karalash said. “It’s fun and you have to do it to get a good sense of the college.” In the state of California alone, GBHS students and families are able to visit beautiful cities like Santa Barbara or San Diego while looking at colleges. The most common reason for traveling during the Thanksgiving season seems to visit family. “I’m going to see my grandparents this Thanksgiving Break because during Winter Break there is too much stuff going on,” Junior Grant Powers said. “During Thanksgiving, I have dinner with all my family and friends; its nice to have the whole family together,” Karalash said. Going to San Francisco also tends to be one of the most popular traveling ventures of many GBHS families, as it is a relatively inexpensive and enjoyable traveling option. “I love going to San Francisco during Thanksgiving time because there is always something to do like go to a 49ers game, go shopping or visit Fisherman’s Wharf.” Junior Nick Palmer said. Attending a Sacramento Kings game is also a popular attraction for GBHS students. With the NBA regular season just starting, the excitement of the new basketball year makes GBHS students eager to go to Kings games. “I am looking forward to going to a few Kings games during the break,” junior Jackson Rodriguez said. “Let’s go Kings!” Another popular attraction for students during the Thanksgiving break is lake Tahoe. With skiing and snowboarding season having just started, students are ready to put on their winter jackets and make the trek up to the mountains. “I am so excited for skiing during Thanksgiving break,” senior Joe Ellis said. “Skiing will hopefully take up most of my break.” Those who don’t necessarily have traveling plans for the thanksgiving season can find a way to go on vacation without leaving Granite Bay. “This break I am going to travel to my friends’ houses and make the best out of my week off,” junior Vinny Esposito said. Pumpkin patches can also be a pleasurable venture if one isn’t able to leave the Placer County area. A popular and more expensive trip is Disneyland. During Thanksgiving, Disneyland decorates rides and the Main Street with autumn ornaments, and supplies a Thanksgiving feast equipped with turkey and all of the Thanksgiving food cravings. Juniors Hailey Lederer, Danielle Scribner and Jessica Lenck are a few students who will get to enjoy these Disney features. “I can’t wait to party with Mickey Mouse,” Lederer said. Whether or not traveling is within a family’s budget, Thanksgiving break can be enjoyed by all GBHS students. “I can’t wait until Nov. 16 when we get a week off.” Rodriguez said. “This break is much needed!” Gazette photo /luke chirbas
culture.
Page 16
Art ist of t he mont h
November 2012
Teri Ni t ler
Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN
COMPILED BY LENA EYEN leyen.gazette@gmail.com
When did you first begin to paint? “I first started painting … when I was little. I was always doing something. I took art classes, just doodled and that kind of stuff.” Has your work been accepted in any galleries? “I had a piece in the high school self portrait show at the Crocker Art Museum last year, and I also had a painting in the high school show at the Blue Line Gallery.” What style of painting do you use the most? “I like to do realism mostly, maybe a little surrealism thrown in.” What is your favorite aspect of painting? “Just seeing the finished piece how I imagined it, and then sharing that with others and then (letting them) see what I did.” Are you planning on pursuing art in the future? “Yes, I want to major in art in college.” Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS
Trend of the month tight-fitting. Students enjoy the convenience of being able to put them on quickly and are comfortable throughout the day. cross the Granite Bay High “(Leggings are) so warm and School campus, girls have comfy,” said sophomore Kat been participating in a McGrail, “they make you feel like particular trend that allows them you’re wearing pajamas.” to stay warm and comfortable in To compliment the leggings, girls the fall weather. like to wear large sweatshirts. Last year, yoga pants were a “Sweatshirts and leggings add to major fashion hit at GBHS. the laid-back look,” said McGrail. And as the temperature begins “I wear them all the time rather than wearing jeans; they make to drop this year, yoga pants are me feel comfortable and warm appearing everywhere. throughout the day.” “(They’re) really comfortable Because of the colder weather, and are easy to wear any day many girls also like to wear Uggs, you don’t want to dress up,” said boots or slippers with leggings. sophomore Lauren Jackson. “I have so many boots,” said When dressing up seems too McGrail. “They are (more exhausting, yoga pants are a cute, comfortable) than sandals and simple way to wear sweats— actually don’t give (you) blisters Gazette photo /LUKE b.f. chirbas without looking like you are or hurt your feet.” girls at GBHS in a variety of wearing pajamas. From yoga pants to leggings, colors like black, grey and brown. If interested, stores such as these new fashion trends will Some prefer leggings over yoga Pink, Kohl’s and Target have a stay with GBHS students through pants because they don’t flare large selection of yoga pants in winter. at the bottom and instead are BY TAMREN JOHNK
tjohnk.gazette@gmail.com
A
several different designs and colors. Similar to yoga pants, regular leggings are also appearing on
Upcoming Concerts COMPILED BY MADDY HARRIS mharris.gazette@gmail.com
Wiz Khalifa will be performing on Nov. 11 at Sleep Train Arena. He sings reggae-type music, and his guest stars include Juicy J, Chevy Woods and more.
Rick Ross, Meek Mill and Wale will be performing at the Sleep Train Arena on Dec.1. All three of these artists sing Rap/Hip-Hop type music. Lady Gaga, a popular media icon, will be having a concert at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. This event will take place shortly after New Years, on Jan. 17.
P!NK’s “Truth About Love” tour is in progress and will be coming to San Jose at the HP Pavilion on Feb. 18.
November 2012
Page 17
culture.
Halo Franchise
Making a comeback with the release of Halo 4
Bungee Studios
Master Chief gears up for the newest installment of the Halo franchise.
BY THOMAS TAYLOR ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com
Master Chief will return to save the universe this Nov. 6. The Halo franchise has undergone a complete overhaul, including a character redesign and a new take on the classic Halo multiplayer design. The game’s new developer, 343 Industries has instituted these changes. Will these overhauls breathe new life into the franchise, or does Halo face stagnation? The classic first person shooter (Fps) mechanics have been used continuously since the first first-person-shooter game, Wolfenstein 3D, was released in 1992 by Id software. When Halo: combat evolved came out on the original Xbox , included several innovations that have improved FPS gaming to this very day. The game also improved and introduced several key gaming mechanics. “Halo: Combat Evolved was a seminal title in the history of video games.” David Radd said in an article for the game website IndustryGamer. As the first Halo game came out in 2001, many Halo fans wonder if the franchise can stay fresh and remain the dominant and insanely addictive multiplayer FPS that it has been in the past. “I am a little worried about the game being made by a new developer, but I think it will easily top the last installment,” junior Parker Burman said. 343 Industries has considered all these points and has decided to introduce several new changes.
One of these changes is a revolutionary new multiplayer mode. The mode is so revolutionary because it is the first time in this console generation that a big-name franchise has decided to introduce some semblance of a story to the multiplayer campaign. “The hub of the Halo 4 multiplayer mode is the ship UNSC Infinity, the largest starship in the UNSC fleet that serves as the center of the gamer’s Spartan career.” Ryan Clements said in a piece for IGN.com. “Here you’ll build your custom Spartan-IV super soldier, and progress your multiplayer career across all Halo 4 competitive and cooperative game modes,” Clements said. This multiplayer suite is constantly connected and will give experience points to players for any act they make. It also provides a reason for why the red and blue Spartans are always fighting each other. Another new addition to the franchise is the addition of a new enemy: the Forerunners. Those who are addicted to the Halo storyline enough to have read the books would know that the Forerunners built the Halo rings. 343 Industries have handled this new enemy type with aplomb. These enemies’ weapons have been included in the multiplayer experience to shake things up from the basic “grab the shotgun and kill people,” formula. These changes have hopefully been enough to keep the gameplay fresh and keep GBHS students interested in Master Chief’s adventures. “They’ve built up the games so well,” senior Navin Tagore-Erwin said, “And they left you wondering in Halo 3, so it is going to be cool to see what comes next.” Many students have been playing Halo since
2001 and are heavily invested in the franchise. Call of Duty comes out every year, but Halo remains in the background, taking two or three years to develop a quality project. “I am super excited because I played all of the past games in the series,” Junior Kevin Burns said. Fortunately for Halo 4 fans, 343 Industries appears to be carrying the torch lit by Bungie in 2001 by creating a solid game that should spring Master Chief into another trilogy.
Bungee Studios
Elites are now allies with the Spartans against the forerunners in Halo 4.
Open road films
Rated: PG-13 By: Haley Massara adowns.gazette@gmail.com
silent hill revelation: D+
aming enthusiasts tend to view bigscreen adaptations of their favorite games with a healthy dose of skepticism. With good reason, too – often, the original concept of the game is butchered for the sake of visual impact, the plot is manipulated and compacted to fit a 90-minute run time, and horrible acting and a cringeworthy script shatter any hope of comparable immersion. That said, I am a Silent Hill freak. When I heard another Hollywood version of the Japanese horror game franchise was in the works, I knew I had to see it. For those not familiar with the video games, Silent Hill’s story revolves around an abandoned, fog-filled town inhabited by a bloodthirsty cult. Silent Hill exists in two parallel dimensions – one in the “normal” world, and one in the “otherworld” populated with monsters (referred to as “the darkness” in the film). The protagonist – in the case of Silent Hill Revelation (and the game that inspired it, Silent Hill 3), Heather Mason – is summoned to the titular town, and must fight hordes of horrific monsters. All the elements of the basic plot, along with character design, aesthetics, and music, were pretty faithful to the original game – rare for game-to-movie adaptations. And my inner Silent Hill nerd appreciated that. But that faithfulness was, sadly, Revelation’s only real redeeming quality. It was not a great movie. The direction was miserable. The actors, while virtual doppelgangers of their CGI counterparts, couldn’t act to save their lives. The script was as cringe-worthy and awkward as Silent Hill 3’s – but that’s a lot less charming in an Englishlanguage film than in a Japanese-language game. The plot, while technically still based on the game’s, was a departure. Ultimately, if you’re not into the games, Silent Hill Revelation probably isn’t for you. It doesn’t hold up well as a movie on its own; how anyone would understand it, much less enjoy it, without having played the games is beyond me.
W
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
reck-It Ralph may not quite be the stereotypical animated movie one might expect. With its mild adult humor and hilarious voice acting, it made for a great movie regardless of the viewer’s age. Being a Disney movie, the main underlying theme is to treat others the way you wish to be treated. But don’t let it fool you, the movie is filled with comical scenes and hints of adult humor for its older viewers. The idea of the movie is that all video games, after having been turned off, are full of life on their own. Once the local arcade closes, the games within themselves are their own small communities that live and think on their own. After hours, the main character Wreck-It Ralph voiced by John C. Reilly is a troubled soul who desperately wants to win a medal – to be a good guy. However within his game, he is trapped with the label of a “bad guy” and ultimately decides to leave in search of the medals, and the honor, the “good guys” receive. Through a series of game hopping, Ralph finds himself searching for his prized medal in a game called Sugar Rush where he runs into an annoying girl named Venelope voiced by Sarah Silverman. As the two plots intertwine, Ralph and Venelope bond through their longing of approval in their own games. Seeing as it was a Disney movie, the plot was surprisingly complicated, which made for an interesting outcome for it’s older viewers while still appealing to it’s main children audience. One of the most entertaining aspects of Wreck-It Ralph was seeing John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman as children’s characters. Their two personalities were very evident throughout the movie. Overall, Wreck-It Ralph was definitely a success, and is worth watching in theatres for the added 3-D experience. It made for a great afternoon out for all ages, ranging from my 17 year old self, my four year old cousin and my 48 year old mom. Rated: PG By: Mary Haney mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
wreck-it ralph: A
G
Page 18
film.
C
20th Century Fox Distribution
hasing Mavericks was a fantastic film. For once, my suspicions were not confirmed. I assumed that the film would simply be a nonanimated version of the much loved film Surf’s Up — the two stories were nearly identical: the underdog wants to be an amazing surfer and enlists the help of another surfer to train and guide him, both physically and spiritually. As the film began, I was still grumbling about what of waste of time seeing the film was going to be. Five minutes into the film, I proved myself very, very wrong. The film is set in 1980’s Santa Cruz, and the audience is introduced to the main characters — Jay Moriarity (Jonny Weston), and Frosty Hesson (Gerald Butler). As a child, Jay’s favorite thing to do was to time the crashing of waves. Once, while doing so, a wave pulled him into the ocean. He almost drowned, but a surfer, Frosty, saved him. As time passes, Jay gets interested in surfing and quickly becomes one of the best in Santa Cruz, winning many competitions. Soon, it becomes his dream to surf the mythical Mavericks surf break. Lucky for him, it existed, just a few miles from his home. He asks Frosty to train him. At the tender age of 16, Moriarity wanted to surf waves that normally surfers with 20+ years of experience would even consider tackling. What made the film endearing was what a broad audience it was able to reach out to. The film included situations and feelings that nearly everybody could relate to: bullying, death, divorce, love and hardships. What was even more impressive about the film was that it was based on a true story, and the filmmakers included clips of the real Jay Moriarity at the end of the film. I would highly recommend this film to anyone, it is truly worth watching.
Rated: PG By: Kiana Okhovat kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com
chasing mavericks: A
November 2012
November 2012
Warner Bros Pictures distribution
By: Thomas Taylor ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com
T
P
henry joost/ariel schulman
he new action film Alex Cross, based off of the epic saga written by James Patterson, did not live up to the hype of Tyler Perry’s first big-ticket action film. In the movie, detective Dr. Alex Cross (Tyler Perry), a psychologist and chief detective, tries to chase a sadistic, mental serial killer nicknamed Picasso (Matthew Fox). After the gruesome torture of a young woman, Cross and his two partners, Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) and Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols) play cat-and-mouse with Picasso as he goes on a killing spree. After the deaths of Ashe, and Cross’ wife Maria Cross (Carmen Ejogo), Cross changes his mindset – going after him by hauling shotguns and AK-47s. Perry showed just how one-dimensional he is as an actor. He did not seem comfortable in the lead role as a hero and was awkward in some circumstances meant to display emotion. The award-winning books described Cross as a smart investigative thinker who could outsmart the villain and catch them in the act, without having to use guns or the entire police force and SWAT team, as they did in the film. In 1997 and 2001, Morgan Freeman played Cross in a duo of movies and displayed the character more similar to the one Patterson had written about in the award-winning books. But director Rob Cohen decided to try a different take on the hero by having Cross be an aggressive, angry cop looking for revenge. This change really took away from the role and made Cross look childish and stupid, unlike the mature and intelligent detective that Patterson described when he wrote the book. As for the villain, Fox does a great job displaying a lunatic whose interest for pain and gore drives his career as an assassin. His performance was memorable which was the only bright spot in the movie. An aspect of the movie that was not so well done, however, was the screenplay. The audience had to endure through numerous clichés as well as cheap, predictable lines and scenes. An example was the captain of the police force who, like every captain ever in a low-budget crime movie, didn’t know better than his detectives and put both his own and his team’s lives in danger. Overall, low-quality acting and even worse screenplay will cause Alex Cross to disappoint most who go to see it. Rated: PG-13
aranormal Activity 4 followed the same blueprint as all of its predecessors; an hour of nothing, followed by 15 fleeting minutes of action. I had previously been disappointed by the series, but unfortunately, Paranormal Activity 4 is the worst yet. The movie follows a suburban family through the haunting of a young boy who has recently moved into the family’s neighborhood. From there, it is essentially the same as all the other movies. Doors ominously open and close by themselves, the little kids talk to the ghost, and some stuff falls from the ceiling. This movie fell short of the rest of the series because of its unimaginative kill scenes. I was really hoping that the directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, would be able to add some creativity to the series, but nothing in this movie caught me off guard. It was incredibly slow moving and predictable. It was almost a mirror image of the other Paranormal Activity movies. Another major factor that contributed to my disappointing experience was the terrible acting. I know that the Paranormal Activity series has a very low production budget, but the acting in this film was even worse than I expected. The vast majority of actors in this movie were unbelievable and boring. The only positive aspect of this movie was the humorous back and forth between the two teenage leads Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively. While the acting of these two was certainly not Golden Globe worthy, they put the rest of the cast to shame. Ultimately, Paranormal Activity 4 provided more laughs than scares and was unimaginative. Perhaps the worst news of all is that Paranormal Activity 5 is already in the works, and as long as the producers of this series continue to get a 500% return on their investment, you will be seeing Paranormal Activity for a very long time.
By: Kevin Burns kburns.gazette@gmail.com
By: Jonah Poczcobutt jpoczcobutt.gazette@gmail.com
Rated: R
paranomal activity 4: C-
Rated: R
cloud atlas: C
loud Atlas displayed so much potential. Elaborate set design, awesome special effects and great acting should have added up to an incredible movie. Unfortunately, Cloud Atlas proceeded to be a mess, with no clear binding themes or a strong ending, despite stellar acting. The movie is made up of several different view points from various time periods. The events range from a Pacific crossing in the 1800s to a fantasy dystopian future. My main problem with the movie is that it is confusing. The theme attempts to tie the separate stories together, but fails miserably. The theme in the movie is that every life is reflected in the future and the past, suggesting that they echo throughout eternity. Cloud Atlas suggests these themes, but does not follow through with them. The sub-plots are pulled in many different directions, but with no clear meaning to bind them together. The star-studded cast, including Halle Berry and Tom Hanks, did their best to carry out the confusing story but, their skills were not enough to save this mess of a narrative. Some of the stories felt a little rushed, which made me not care about the characters or the perils they faced. The only section I somewhat cared about was the Neo-Seoul section, was a revolution against class discrimination. Throughout the film, there was a piece of music that was heard throughout these different time periods, which might have been used to tie them all together. This was ambitious and intriguing, but just like every other aspect of the movie, it fell flat. On movie which managed to pull constant changes in time periods and scenery off well was Inception, but Cloud Atlas did it too quickly and was incredibly difficult to understand. There were a few bright spots, but otherwise, it was a cloudy movie. Excellent acting carried the generally poorly-written movie. In summary, a interesting and convoluted story that could have been very impressive was destroyed by sub-par themes and a lack of an all-encompassing conclusion.
summit entertainment, LLc
alex cross: D-
C
Page 19
film.
Page 20
November 2012
Ripple Effect:
STEREOTYPES
ripple effect.
Gazette photo /HAYLEY MCAVOY
Cloud Atlas
C
Paranormal Activity 4
C-
Wreck-it Ralph
In Theat ers D+
Silent Hill: Revelation
A
Chasing Mavericks
Gazette photos /Kristin TAylor
A
SeeDark pages 18 and 19 for reviews
Shadows Alex D- Cross