Granite Bay Gazette Issue 6

A-hiking we will go

Time-travel in Placer

Lacrosse your heart

G12-13 B1

B1

C1

A history of our county and how it came to be

Tips and tricks before you hit the trails something

Section championship hopefuls gear up for season

The Granite Bay Gazette GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 16 w ISSUE 5 w FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Commentary

Whatever suits you

lena eyen

leyen.gazette@gmail.com

Why force an ill-fitted fate?

A

After the yearbook staff created a new policy, students may now wear either a tuxedo or a dress collar in their senior portraits.

Expressing gender identity at Granite Bay

BY HALEY MASSARA

S

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

enior Haleigh Keeney chose to wear a tux.

Personal fashion tastes aside, Granite Bay High School senior girls have traditionally been required to wear the standard photo-ready “drapes” for their yearbook portraits – that is, a dress-like collar. Boys wear the top half of a tuxedo.

But Keeney, who typically dresses comfortably in men’s clothing, said the feminine drape made her feel unlike herself.

“(It) made me feel uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to wear something girly,” she said.

She was initially worried about the GBHS administration’s response to her decision, she said, as she was the first female student to opt for a tux.

In response, yearbook coordinator Bernadette Cranmer, with input from the Ursus staff, drafted an official policy stating a student may wear a drape incongruous with their biological sex, so long as they are over 18 years old or have gotten parental permission.

“Our policy is more about the appearance of the section to make it uniform and attractive,” Cranmer said.

A boy’s choice to wear a drape – or a girl’s choice to wear a tux – would be irrelevant, so long as the portraits retained a cohesive look, she said.

Such a policy could prove important to other students like Keeney, who prefer a differently gendered style of dress, as well as those who identify as transgender, agender or genderqueer.

Genderqueer – sometimes abbreviated as simply “queer” – is a blanket term for individuals who don’t See GENDER, page A8

Gazette photo illustration/KRIstin taylor

s I sat in the restaurant overlooking Trier, Germany, Ricotta patiently translated the ingredients in the salad – and every other item on the menu – I pointed at.

During our meal, which took place during our visit to Europe over the summer, 17-year-old Ricotta and I spent numerous hours discussing the similarities and obvious differences between our lives.

While I prepared for my senior year – finishing off the SAT’s and completing college applications – Ricotta was preparing for her fulltime job at a nursing home, to pursue her passion of caring for others.

The obvious differences in our “daily planners” pushed me to thinking about what I would pursue if I were living in the type of culture where schooling is more centered around choosing a career.

I have always wanted to be a veterinarian who gets to comfort newborn puppies and coddle innocent baby kittens.

It only took one car ride to the doctor’s office for a blood test, and a Caribbean Passion smoothie spilled across my lap as I shook in nervous anticipation of it, to realize those dreams would never quite play out as I imagined.

Despite receiving the title of “adult” in five months, I still become woozy at the sight of a drop of blood.

I don’t fault my naive 7-year-old self for wishing for such an ill-fitted fate, but rather have come to the realization that I cannot predict the future, and thus should not try.

Some people are destined for certain careers. After spending my childhood with a best friend who could name every single type of plant in her garden, it is only fitting that she is attending California Polytechnic State University San Louis Obispo to major in agricultural and environmental plant sciences.

However, for those of us who cannot clearly see our days ahead of us, there is no need to rush the future.

I understand that it makes admissions easier when colleges know what major their freshmen anticipate choosing, however I laugh at the expectation for us to know exactly what it is that we want to do with our lives in four years.

Investing all of your time into one thing that could potentially be your “future” is beneficial, but can also slam shut doors of possible opportunities.

Sometimes, just knowing what you are working toward offers a sense of reassurance. And yet that feeling of supposed comfort is sometimes so encouraging that it pushes us away from throwing ourselves into new, unfamiliar situations.

I heard somewhere that a person has an average of seven careers in their lifetime.

While I doubt the accuracy of this number, there will undoubtedly be bumps in the road, and a shift in careers may be necessary. At that point, we can only hope to be prepared enough to take a leap in the opposite direction.

The catchphrase advice for comforting freshmen on their first day of high school is to be patient because they will “find their niche.”

While that advice undoubtedly served beneficial for me, it was breaking out of that mindset that provided the opportunities I am most thankful for.

The transition to college is months away for some, and years away for others. While those like Ricotta have their life partially sketched out for them, those of us who don’t need not fret.

Needless to say, giving my dog a bath is the closest I will ever get to being a veterinarian, and that’s just the way it is. *** Lena Eyen, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Del Oro High deals with grief after another tragedy strikes Community remembers fallen family and friends

BY MEGHAN CARLSEN

mcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

Over the past 2012-2013 school year, at least four families underwent something it seems no parent should have to go through – the death of a child.

Del Oro High School has lost four students just within the last three months.

On Dec. 20, Del Oro sophomore Lucas Armand passed away after an extremely challenging year attempting to recover from heart complications.

On Sept. 23, 2011, Armand suffered a cardiac arrest while with his friends at Scandia Family Fun Center. There are Facebook pages dating back to that day, when his family and other locals started to raise awareness, funds and prayers for Armand and his family.

According to the medical updates posted on the pages, the family had been hoping for a full recovery from his heart problems as were his friends from Del Oro, many of whom were from the cross country team.

Del Oro senior Kristen Grattan, a friend of Armand’s from the cross country team, recalled Armand’s situation before he passed away.

“He fell into a coma,” Grattan said. “Then he kind of woke up and he just basically was like a vegetable and just did not respond to anything.”

Grattan also remembered how her whole team, and all those around Del Oro who knew Armand, were struggling to stay positive when having to deal with such concern for their friend. “(His friends) struggled quite a bit … in

Depression’s outcomes can be painful, tragic Gazette writer describes struggles with malady

BY HAYLEY MCAVOY

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

For most freshmen, if they see their friend wear a bracelet, they think nothing of it. To them, the bracelet is simply a fashion statement, nothing more.

But for current seniors Meghan Carlsen and Kristin Taylor, that bracelet meant something much more.

That chunky, tribal bracelet was a cover-up, a disguise that

hid the secret that lay beneath it.

When they saw her wearing the bracelet, it meant she had cut herself and was attempting to hide the evidence of her moment of weakness.

The freshman girl who bore her deepest, darkest secret on her wrist, was me.

Soon after this, I was diagnosed as severely depressed with suicidal tendencies. *** Depression isn’t just being sad or having “the blues” – it’s much more complex than that.

It’s a mood disorder that can be expressed in a milder form, dysthmia, or as major depressive disorder.

Meghan Carlsen, a close friend

the beginning, when … he first had a cardiac arrest, a year ago,” Grattan said. “The whole cross country team was torn, and they did not know what to do … Then he died in December and everyone was just in shock.”

This, however, is not the only shock Del Oro has had to undergo recently. Within a month, another student was lost and, in this case, it was to suicide.

On Jan. 5, freshman Hannah Olson took her own life. Her obituary in the Auburn Journal described that “within her (there was) a place of sadness that no amount of loving family, friends, counseling help, or medication could reach.” However, it also described her as someone who brought “light into every room” and “truly loved and cared for every person she met.”

Less than two weeks later, Del Oro was also mourning a former senior named Christian See GRIEF, page A6 Natalie Elkin When not teaching AP psychology at GBHS, she is a marriage and family therapist.

of mine through my experience, described me as “just sad, in a deeper way than just a normal person’s mood.”

“I see a big difference, looking back on it now,” she said. “I see, just in your demeanor and attitude, (you were) a lot more depressed.”

Natalie Elkin, the AP psychology teacher at GBHS and a marriage and family See DEPRESSION, page A9

With permission from GUS THOMSON/Auburn Journal

Friends kneel at the crash site on Auburn Folsom Road where two teenagers were killed.

Unusual appearance voids job opportunities

Dyed hair, piercings, etc. problematic

BY HALEY BYAM

hbyam.gazette@gmail.com

In a perfect world, employers would consider people for a hired position based upon their qualifications and achievements, without using appearance or sexual orientation as an indication of competency. However, as many are now discovering, that may not be the case.

Bonnie McNeil, a 27-year-old massage therapist who works at Massage Envy in Roseville and sees clients privately, has experi-

enced discrimination because of her tattoos.

“There are certain places I can’t work for massage therapy, especially upscale spas,” McNeil said.

“You have to have a certain image.

They don’t want their clients to see that non-mainstream look.”

This is common in many conservative workplaces that require employees to interact face-to-face with customers, and although most businesses have no formal regulations, Geico Insurance, U.S. See DISCRIMINATION, page A8

inside this issue News

A2 – A10

Voices

A11 – A13

Second Look

A14

Features

B1 – B8

Sports

C1 – C8

Green Screen

G1 – G24

Flipped classrooms

Adderall for academics

A3

A5

Teachers try a new method for their curriculum.

Students abuse ADHD medication to cram for tests.

News

A2

NAMES IN THE NEWS

sydney kahmann skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Speech and debate students qualify for state competition

T

he Granite Bay High School speech and debate team recently had 10 students qualify for the state competition.

Seniors Neha Bavirisetty, Allyson McReynolds, Rani Ghosh, Tiffany Alunan, Allison Daly and Jeff Williams; juniors Reed Klaeser, Nick Ontiveros and Esha Lal and sophomore Sai Sumana Kaluvai will all be attending the state competition in April. *** The GBHS family welcomed another baby this month. Teacher Adam McLearan and his wife Ha-Mill McLearan had a baby girl on March 2.

Their daughter, named Cora Sun McLearan, is the third baby added to the GBHS family this school year. Lyla Grace Stedman, teacher Shayne Stedman’s daughter, and Leo Daniel Kirk, granddaughter of recently retired teacher Debbie Noyes, were both born in January. *** The Spring Blood Drive is on March 21, sign-up to donate with Linda Warfield in the nurse’s office.

The fall blood drive broke the school record for number of blood donors with 226. The fall participants donated a total of 197 pints of blood. The previous blood drive record was 219 donors.

Sign-up and help make a new record. *** GBHS is filming a school-wide Harlem Shake video in the quad, followed by a quad picnic day next Friday.

Students are encouraged to bring props for the video and blankets for their picnics on the quad grass.

Due to the video filming, Friday will be a one–lunch day (with lunch after second period). *** Interested in the United States Military Academy at West Point?

A third-year West Point cadet will be speaking at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the College and Career Center.

Those interested in attending West Point are encouraged to start applying in their junior year and preparing for the required candidate fitness assessment even earlier.

The sections of the fitness test include a one-armed basketball throw, pull-ups or a flexed arm hang, shuttle run, modified situps, pushups and a one-mile run. *** Eighth–grade registration night is Monday, and the eighth grade online course registration window is open.

The Math Placement Test – for students who want to test out of Algebra 1 – is scheduled for May 17 and May 18. ***

Sydney Kahmann, a junior, is a Gazette News editor.

CORRECTIONS wIn the robotics story, sophomore Ashley Alunan was identified as her sister, Tiffany Alunan. 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 Identification Statement Granite Bay Gazette Published eight times per academic year c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

Granite Bay Gazette

Access to birth control more limited Is contraceptive availability taking a hit?

BY ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS

azogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com

Every student at Granite Bay High School who has completed the freshman health and safety class has been educated about sex and the health risks it poses. Students are taught about the many contraceptive options that could keep them from contracting diseases and how to prevent pregnancy.

But although these students learn about safe-sex options, such as condoms and the birth control pill, how easily accessible are these items to teens in the area?

Some local pharmacies, such as CVS and Safeway, have decided to keep condoms off the shelves –and behind glass at the pharmacy counter.

“I think it depends on the area, and I think that the stores who have this policy are basing it on security,” said Victor Rabinov, a Raley’s pharmacist who has always seen contraceptives sold on shelves, rather than by pharmacists, at his store.

However, whether shoplifting is a major issue or not in any given area, many people say this is not a good enough reason to intimidate teens who may be trying to have protected sex.

“I think there is still a stigma with keeping these items readily available on shelves, as if doing so

A packet of birth control pills, a form of contraception that may be losing accessibility.

Gazette photo / KRISTIN TAYLOR

condones sexual deviancy among patrons of the store,” said Sam Holzer, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo freshman and GBHS graduate.

Holzer and many others said teens might feel embarrassed to ask a pharmacist for access to condoms, which could potentially lead to teens making far more dangerous choices about sex.

“If we’re not allowing them easy

access to those materials,” said Heidi McKeen, GBHS physiology teacher, “then, yes, I unfortunately think it’s possible that some teens will decide to have sex anyway and not be protected.”

Mckeen also said a store’s decision to make access to condoms only possible with consulting a pharmacist could also be influenced by the views and leanings of

the people in the area.

“I think it’s based on the general beliefs of the community and what members of the community deem acceptable,” McKeen said. “It’s dependent on what the pressures are.”

Kathie Sinor, GBHS health and safety teacher, agree that this policy could surely be daunting for teenagers, but she doesn’t think

a pharmacist would ever be condescending toward a teen if they asked for assistance.

“I don’t agree with it, but it’s their store policy and they have the option to do it for whatever reason they choose,” Sinor said “even though teens will certainly be scared to ask for help.”

See CONTRACEPTIVES, page A6

GBHS experiences shift in demographics Different ethnicities, cultural diversity more prevalent on campus

BY AKASH KHOSLA akhosla.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School is beginning to make progress in terms of its ethnic diversity.

Many students around the campus have been noticing a bit of an increase over the past few years, especially those who are in the minority. However, this is only apparent in the student body as the teaching staff still contains the same level of diversity it did for the past few years, according to the Los Angeles Times California School Guide.

Despite that, increased diversity in any populated environment, especially a school, does matter, according to several college professors.

For example, increased diversity prepares students to work in a globalized environment and these interactions with other ethnicities leads to a more open mind. In any profession, there will always be diversity among workers, and preparing students for it will lead to a more comfortable experience around the workplace and beyond.

Not only that, diversity also introduces students to different cultures which can help with respect of others.

“With diversity, students’ minds can be a bit more open to other cultures and races,”

said David Jin, a junior. “Otherwise, people tend to stay in a fantasy bubble thinking that everyone is the same. It allows people to be open up more to others and can allow more assimilation in our schools as well.”

According to the California School Guide on LATimes.com, 25.8 percent of California students are different from Caucasian ethnicity. However, many students have suggested that number has likely increased in terms of diversity.

“Granite Bay has considerably been becoming more diverse,” said Julius Ramos, a junior. “I think it’s great because we have more cultures in Granite Bay and people get to know more of the history and uniqueness of it.”

Even though some have been seeing a significant increase, others haven’t noticed much of a difference.

“I don’t really see much change in diversity,” said Umair Khan, a sophomore at GBHS. “It’s still mostly Caucasian.”

Even though Khan is Pakistani, an ethnic minority, he still feels welcomed at the school. But to others the changes are quite significant.

“I think that our school has come a long way in terms of diversity,” said Rani Ghosh, a senior.

“When I first started school, you could probably count the number of ethnic students at our school,” Rani Gosh said. “But it’s great to see that we’ve made progress in expanding the representations of different cultures.”

Diversity helps with representation of culture in an area that is dominated by one

Source: US Department of Education 2011/2012 data

ethnicity. California is said to skyrocket in diversity in the next few years. That means, students will have to get used to the diversity surrounding them later on in life, especially if they are to stay in California.

GBHS students have also suggested the IB program has assisted in bringing in more diverse students.

GBHS is still behind in terms of diversity,

Gazette graphic/ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS

compared to Roseville and Oakmont high school which report 60-70 percent Caucasian population within the student body.

“Things are changing, and in order to get even more diversity in, we need to continue to be more accepting of the cultures of others,” Khan said. “GBHS is becoming a more culturally diverse school progressively.”

Concerns over teacher tenure brought to light Teacher job security: Is this a source of concern?

BY NEHA KOMPELLA

nkompella.gazette@gmail.com

When an eighth grade student in Mount Vernon, Ohio, arrived home from school one afternoon, his parents were horrified to find the imprint of a cross burned onto his forearm.

When asked, the student stated that his biology teacher, John Freshwater, had burned the image onto his arm using a tesla coil, a commonly used piece of equipment found in many science classes.

Freshwater, who had been teaching for 21 years, had been accused of preaching creationism in his class, as well as degrading many scientific principles in lieu of teaching Christian beliefs.

However, when the school district attempted to dismiss Freshwater, he requested a public administrative hearing. The case he appealed there was the same that he later ap-

pealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio.

He lost the appeal on Feb. 27.

Although the Freshwater Case was eventually resolved, it brought to light a controversy that has been sparking for years: the principle of tenure for teachers.

“The tenure process … protects teachers from arbitrary dismissal,” said Chet Dickson, a biology teacher at Granite Bay High School, when asked about the Freshwater case, “and so that’s kind of what he’s relying on, he (claims) that they made up rules for his dismissal.”

Tenure is a form of job security for teachers across the nation. The basic system in California is that, after being hired to a school, a teacher will initially teach for a two–year probationary period, during which their teaching skills and fit in the school will be evaluated. After those two years, the teacher will be granted tenure, which gives them a certain measure of job security.

“The benefits of tenure really come

from what happened before,” said Brandon Dell’Orto, a history teacher at GBHS. “In the years before tenure, there would be times where a teacher might be let go not because they weren’t teaching correctly, but (because) they had angered the wrong person with the right connections.”

Tenure gives teachers the security of knowing that they can’t be fired because for arbitrary reasons or because of personal grudges. The probationary period of the first two years determines whether or not the district finds the teacher a good match for the school. If the school doesn’t find the teacher a good match, then they are legally entitled to non-reelect the teacher, without any cause.

Non-reelection is the term used to describe a teacher who is fired during their probationary period, meaning that the school district does not need to provide a reason.

“I think most commonly,” said

Dell’Orto, “(the reason why teachers are non-reelected is because) the person you thought you hired didn’t turn out to be the teacher you thought they would be. Their personality, their fit with their fellow workers, the way that they get along with the students, the way that they get along with the parents … that’s part of it.”

While non-reelection might be a problem at other schools, it is not one at Granite Bay High School.

“I’ve been at it (for) 37 years in education and I’ve never ever officially participated in the process,” principal Mike McGuire said. “Really, what you want to do is to try and fix whatever it is that is not OK. (To try and) give (the teacher) all the resources (they) need to fix whatever it is that needs to be fixed. It’s only after you have finally determined, it’s not going to get better because the teacher doesn’t want to get better, or is incapable of making it better, that you would actually take it to the next level.”

A common misconception in the

community however, is that a teacher that has tenure cannot be fired. A teacher who is still on their probationary period can be non-reelected with “no reason,” but a teacher who has tenure can also be fired.

The difference is that non-reelecting teachers during their probationary period does not require a reason, while firing a teacher who has tenure does requires both a reason and evidence of the accusation.

“There’s an impression out there that once a teacher has tenure, you can’t remove them for any reason,” Dell’Orto said. “They can just be a lazy (person) that does nothing.

That’s not true.”

The Freshwater case was a prime example of how tenure might provide job security for the teacher, but is certainly little to no protection in extreme cases.

“He’s (only) protected as long as he’s doing what he’s paid to do”, Dickson said. “He was being paid by the state of Ohio to (teach) a certain curriculum, and proselytizing is not part of that. That was the grounds for his (eventual) dismissal.”

Friday, March 15, 2013

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

A3

Cheap burgers clash with health concerns

McDonald’s offers a wide variety of foods at appealing prices, but the chain is blamed by some for causing obesity as a result of its efficiency in serving unhealthy food to billions.

Health food too costly, inconvenient for many students

BY MADI TOULOUKIAN mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

An empty stomach and a full wallet may be some of the most exciting things to Granite Bay High School teenagers. With the wide range of delicious restaurants located in the Granite Bay area, students are never at a loss for delicious choices.

When students go out to eat, they tend to prefer large portions without breaking their bank.

Choices from the McDonald’s dol-

lar menu and a Chick-Fil-A sandwich come much cheaper than a grilled chicken salad or a side of fruit.

This may be a factor in the high obesity rate in the United States.

The U.S. is one of the most obese nations in the world, with every one in four adults being obese, according to the United Health Foundation.

As America takes strides toward a healthier nation, it seems somewhat contradictory that the prices of healthier options can be triple the price of their more-fattening equivalent.

Kaylyn O’Donnell, a senior and Folsom McDonald’s employee, notices that customers at the fast-food joint are not eating there with health in mind.

“Most of the people that (eat) there are coming for quantity more

than quality,” O’Donnell said.

Consumers at McDonald’s can purchase a double cheeseburger, which includes two seasoned meat patties, two slices of American cheese, pickles, minced onions, ketchup and mustard for only $1.

A single double cheeseburger at McDonald’s contains 440 calories, while a premium bacon ranch salad contains a mere 190.

While the option might be healthier, many are apt to avoid it because of the hefty price tag of $4.99, nearly five times the amount of a burger.

Plainly put, you can purchase five burgers in lieu of one skimpy salad.

Athough senior Denisa Budean may not be eating five burgers in one sitting, she does admit that she notices the lower prices.

“I don’t really eat out much, but when I do I definitely look at the price

over the health of the food because I don’t really have an income,” she said.

This mindset is typical of students employed at minimum wage and those students who are not employed at all.

Budean said that her dining-out decisions may be swayed by who’s paying “When my parents are buying, I will look at health, but if not, I look at price,” Budean said.

Even at burger grills such as the Habit, the competition between burgers and healthier options can be biased based on price.

A “Charburger,” a standard burger with mayonnaise, pickle, tomato, lettuce and caramelized onions on a toasted bun, would cost a carnivore a mere $2.95 yet cost a vegetarian, who would go for a veggie patty instead of beef, $4.95.

Someone desiring a side gar-

den salad instead of French fries would pay $2.25 instead of $1.85.

And all this is occurring in a country trying to better the health of its citizens.

First Lady Michelle Obama has taken on the platform of preventing childhood obesity, and she has made it a major priority for restaurants to display healthier options for children.

Implemented in July 2012, food illustrations on the children’s menu will promote the healthy choices for meals and drinks and improve the nutritional content of the children’s menu.

This is all part of First Lady Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which aims to foster a national dialogue about the need for proper nutrition and exercise in the lives of children, and to create See HEALTH, page A8

Changes are made to valedictorian process Process proves tedious, grade point averages not only factor in decision

BY KIANA OHKOVAT

kohkovat.gazette@gmail.com

A valedictorian is selected every year. But most students don’t know how the process works.

The procedure behind deciding the valedictorian is quite complex, it’s more than just awarding the honor to the student with the highest GPA in the senior class.

And what about the other hardworking seniors who were neck and neck GPA-wise with the chosen valedictorian? What happens behind those closed doors, where those selected students are given that incredible honor, that recognition?

Assistant Principal Cathy Raycraft explained the beginning of the process.

The grades that are considered for valedictorian is the cumulative 9th12th grade GPA, which includes grades from students’ freshman year up until midterms in their spring term as seniors.

“After (midterms) we … look at

how close people are, (numerically), on their GPAs,” Raycraft said. “Then we … see whe(re) there’s a natural delineation, where it drops a couple hundredths … between those, and then we look at that entire group to be considered.”

In the past, the GPAs have gone as high as 4.45. There have also been instances where more than 15 people had a GPA of 4.2 or higher.

Raycraft goes through that group of students and analyzes their transcripts.

“I actually go through and annotate and highlight different courses, (like) all of their AP and honors and college prep courses,” Raycraft said. “(I highlight them) in three different colors so we can visually look at the transcript and see.”

Then Raycraft makes a large graph made up of their weighted GPAs, unweighted GPAs, number of AP or IB classes, number of honors courses, number of college courses, and their UC GPA. This graph, in addition to the

testing scores from students, is made available to a committee of three teachers.

Testing scores aren’t put on the graph, but may be considered in the selection of the co-valedictorians and co-salutatorians, a decision that is ultimately the committee’s.

“It’s strictly numerical,” Raycraft said. “Then it’s up to the committee to look at all those other dimensions and come together and agree on how many valedictorians we’re going to have. Because maybe the top three people had a 4.43 (GPA), and the next one is 4.42.”

And there have been instances like that, where there was no single valedictorian. Some have occurred as recently as last year, where twins Moosa and Haroon Zaidi, both now freshmen at Stanford University, shared the valedictorian title as covaledictorians.

Making those decisions is mainly centered around the rigor and strength of the students’ curriculum.

“By the time I get through and prepare this, it’s a big packet that I make up for everybody on the committee,” Raycraft said. “It’s probably the most fair (process), because everyone gets the chance

to weigh in.”

This process is where Granite Bay High School differs from other high schools. This extra time, effort, and deliberation the committee puts into the selection is a luxury that some other schools in the district don’t enjoy.

“If you were looking at the policy, the highest (GPA) is the valedictorian,” Raycraft said. “And the committee could say the next highest one is the salutatorian, and that’s it. And that’s what some other schools in our district do through this whole committee process. They just look and give a No. 1 and No. 2,” Raycraft said.

However, this process also makes the decision more difficult.

Having teachers, counselors, and administrators on the committee makes the decision more personal to the faculty, as they know the students.

Jarrod Westberg remembers a year where the committee strongly disliked the student who was going to be valedictorian.

The student had known behavior issues, attendance issues, and had many accusations of cheating.

“Many of us had had him in class”

ASB UPDATE Student Government representative talks about Powder Puff The Gazette talked to Spencer Palmer, Head Commissioner.

Gazette: What is your job for Powder Puff?

Palmer: I am in charge of putting all of the logistics for the game. I am supposed to organize everything when it comes to the referees or making sure that we have the team doctor, making sure that all the people are signed up for the right places.

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

He definitely had character issues, and was not the most quality of individuals, as students that we’ve had in the past,” Westberg said.

The committee’s concern made it to the district office, where it was ultimately overruled, since the valedictorian process only focuses on GPA. “It was very upsetting realizing he was (going to be valedictorian),” Westberg said. “(The district) said character and character issues, attitude, the type of person they are, did not matter, attendance did not matter.”

Westberg found it to be a very frustrating experience.

“It was a waste of time. If that doesn’t matter, what’s the point of a valedictorian? … It’s pointless if character doesn’t matter,” Westberg said.

Moosa and Haroon Zaidi said they were very happy to be last year’s co-valedictorians.

“It was pretty exciting that I would be speaking at graduation, addressing everyone,” Moosa said.

“I was honored, of course, but I think valedictorian is, to some degree, just a title,” Haroon said. “I feel really grateful that my teachers

Jarrod Westberg GBHS government teacher is a former member of the valedictorian committee. and the rest of the school chose to honor me that way, but I felt most of the hard work, most of the achievement, came before the award. It was great to receive that recognition. In the end, you have to remember to be self-driven.”

Colleges do not get notified of the valedictorians and salutatorians, nor do the valedictorians or salutatorians receive any special stamps or recognition on their high school diploma.

The honors those chosen students receive are the opportunity to speak to their class, recognition at the senior Academic Merit Awards, and, of course, a title that would nicely complement their résumé.

“Putting that down on a résumé when you’re out looking for a job looks huge,” Raycraft said. “It’s (something you) earned because (you’ve) worked really hard for 4 years.”

News Briefs

Gazette: How long have you been planning this?

Palmer: I started at the end of January, so I have been going for about a month and I will even have a few days past the actual event because I have bills to pay and (I have to) clean everything up.

Gazette: Will you be participating in Powder Puff?

Palmer: I actually won’t be able to this year, because there will be too much going on during the game and before, but next year I will be able to do it.

–compiled by Summer Haenny

Spencer Palmer, ASB Head Commissioner.

Gazette photo /Summer Haenny

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

 Eager Granite Bay High School students take notes from Jane Xepoleas at her Criminal Science Investigation booth.

Career fair huge success, to be made biannual Representatives from many different careers such as veterinary, fashion, law enforcement, dental, medical, political science and more shared their experience at the Granite Bay High School Education and Career fair on March 6 in both gymnasiums.

The first-ever event was intended to advise and introduce to students their potential career options after high school.

Experts present ranged from FBI

Special Agent Brian Alvarez to attorney Ryan Jones and Dr. Debra Ramirez from Sutter Roseville Hospital.

Students poured out of their firstand second-period classes with their teacher’s permission to view the displays.

Crowds formed around tables displaying photos or tools, asking questions that had been prepared beforehand. Many students had taken the Naviance career aptitude test

beforehand to take a look at careers the hadn’t previously consider.

Approximately 14 to 18 classes, hundreds of students, toured the Career and Education fair each period, to see the work of 41 community partners come together.

“We probably will be holding this every other year,” said Underwood, the college and career center coordinator who managed the event.

–compiled by Grace Moore

A4 News

Flipped Flipped Classes Classes

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Teachers use at-home videos instead of in-class lectures

BY NICOLAS ONTIVEROS nontiveros.gazette@gmail.com

In flipped classes, students watch videos for nightly homework and then ask teachers questions during class time.

As teachers across the nation are looking for innovative teaching methods to improve student learning, many instructors are transitioning to “classroom flipping.”

At Granite Bay High, Jason Rath has begun using classroom flipping for his government and economics classes.

At home, students watch videos of either their teacher or a professor lecturing. During

Gazette photo illustration/ GRACE MOORE

class, the teacher is available to answer questions and facilitate group work.

Jeff Williams, a GBHS senior, has mixed feelings about classroom flipping. “(Classroom flipping) should make time in class more efficient by maximizing the time a student can ask questions,” Williams said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t learn well like that, so I don’t particularly like it.”

However, many educators, including college professors, are debating the effectiveness of classroom flipping.

For his doctoral dissertation, Jeremy F. Strayer, a former graduate student at Ohio State University, published a study in 2007 that examined the effects of classroom flipping on the learning environment.

Comparing flipped classrooms to traditional classrooms, Strayer found that students were dissatisfied with how the flipped classroom taught them. Often, students felt “lost” in their learning experience.”

IB course offerings to expand in coming year New classes include IB World Religions and IB Physics SL

BY GOKUL ASOKAN

gasokan.gazette@gmail.com

The International Baccalaureate program has always sought to increase its presence on campus. The changes scheduled for next year, however, mark one of the greatest growth spurts the program has seen since its inception.

Next year, the program is adding two new traditional courses – IB World Religions SL and IB Physics SL as well as a higher-level online IB Economics HL OnLine course.

Anna von Wendorff, a junior, was the first person to take IB Economics HL. Von Wendorff wanted to take a high-level eco-

nomics class, and at the time she couldn’t find anything that fit with her schedule.

“I was looking for an econ class … so I talked to (Duane) Blomquist about an online econ class,” von Wendorff said, “and (we found) Pamoja education, which actually works with the actual IB developers of the courses (to create) online classes.”

Then von Wendorff had to work with Blomquist to get the course approved and available at Granite Bay. “He was really great about it – and attended training so I could take this class which I am taking for two years first period,” von Wendorff said. “I’m actually a member of the student council for Pamoja, which is really cool because we get to have a voice in what Pamoja does in the future.”

For von Wendorff, the online class format works well. “It’s a lot more freedom,” von Wendorff said. “I have to turn in all of my documents by the end of the week, but I can choose when I get to work on them,

and that gives me more freedom than other classes do.”

Such freedom does pose its own set of challenges, however.

“I procrastinate a lot,” von Wendorff said, “and so I end up having to do a lot in the last couple of days. It’s pushing yourself to do it yourself; teachers aren’t as insistent because there aren’t as many deadlines.”

Still, in many respects, von Wendorff sees the online program as a true extension of the international aspect of IB. “My teacher is in New York,” von Wendorff said, “and we have a couple of students in California, but most of the other students are in Europe and South America, so it’s a class of about 30 people from all over the world, which is really cool.”

The two new traditional classes also vary widely in scope, as one is a religions class and the other a hard science.

David Tastor, the GBHS teacher who is

going to be teaching the new IB World Religions class, is excited to teach a unique kind of course.

“It is just a study of each religion. It’s not a history or comparative religions class,” Tastor said. “It is to teach and treat each religion as an individual entity. The first part is to understand three key questions: ‘What is the human condition?,’ ‘Where are we going?,’ and ‘How do we get there?’ through the perspective of each of the five religions (chosen).”

Tastor also foresees challenges arising from the classes. “Kids are going to want to debate (things like) Christianity versus homosexuality, and it isn’t up for debate … it’s not even a point of discussion in class,” Tastor said Still, Tastor feels positively about the prospects for the class as a whole.

“Kids come in with insights that I have never thought of, and to have a student come into class who is Muslim to share

See FLIPPED, page A6

David Tastor IB World Religions teacher said the new course will be an in-depth study of five religions.

insights that we can read in the text, but now understand the subtleties of, would be pretty amazing.”

Although physics is a much different class, GBHS teacher Andrew Phillips, who will be teaching IB Physics SL, feels similarly about his class.

“With CP, AP, Honors Physics, you’re learning all of the classical Newtonian physics. In IB Physics, you’re going to learn all of the classic Newtonian stuff and go into how it applies to telecommunications, space exploration and global warming … it goes way deeper into being a real scientist.”

SPC robotics team wins regional championship

The South Placer County Robotics Team competes at the regional competition during the quarterfinals.

National competition will be held in St. Louis

BY NIKI RICHARDS

nrichards.gazette@gmail.com

A team of technological intelligence and creativity, consisting of students from all edges of our school, is taking the world by storm.

This group is also known as the South Placer County robotics team.

Robotics is not only an outlet where students display feats of technological skill and efficiency, but an incredible thrill.

Advised by GBHS science teacher Steve Miller, it is the realm of scientific young minds, while simultaneously being fun and exciting.

Courtesy photo/ STEPHANIE MAH

Two weeks ago the robotics team won the regional championship held in Madera against students from all across California.

After clearing these regional stages for the first time in 10 years, the robotics team is now moving on the world competition to be held in St. Louis.

“We have gone to nationals before, but never as regional champs, so this is the real deal,” Miller said.

While there, they will compete against teams from Israel, Spain and many other countries, including the United States. Some teams are sponsored by NASA, which put in close to $50,000 to support the competition.

See ROBOTICS, page A6

College living often includes hidden expenses and costs GBHS alumni offer advice regarding saving money and living frugally

BY NICOLE BALES

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

According to the University of California, yearly costs for in-state students living on-campus at UC Davis is $31,700, and if students decide to live off-campus, they estimate a price of $28,600.

The price that is promoted for certain schools is what most students take into

account when determining whether that school is in their price range.

It’s not until they enroll that they realize that number is skewed and only includes minimum costs.

“What I’ve learned is to live off campus at UC Davis is $10,000 a quarter,” said Michael Smith, a father of a UC Davis junior.

This is a higher number than what UC suggests, but that is because only necessary costs are included in the UC number.

“One of the things you have to be leery of is the cost of health insurance,” Smith said. “What UC schools like to do, like

Davis, is tag you $463 for health insurance.”

He is in favor of the UC system ensuring that all students have health insurance, but warns parents who already have their children covered to watch out for the extra fee that is automatically put on all of the students’ bills.

Smith had to contact the accounting department and sign a form to get the fee off the bill.

“There is also the cost of Wi-Fi,” Smith said. “Some apartment complexes have Wi-Fi built in and is apart of the rent, but it’s really slow … so you have to get your

own Wi-Fi.” Lisa Orchard is a freshman at UC Davis and has already noticed hidden costs starting to pile up.

“There are many expenses in college that many incoming students do not realize,” Orchard said.

“One expense that shocked me was the price of text books and class supplies.

Text books can be as expensive as $150 just for one course. Also, in classes with a lab, goggles and lab coats are required, which adds an additional cost to the course. When taking four courses at once, I was shocked at how quickly the (costs)

added up.”

Before she moved to Davis last September, Orchard said she didn’t realize how much the spending for entertainment would add up to, let alone the bare necessities.

“I was quite surprised at how much my grocery costs started adding up,” Orchard said. “Coffee, cereal and snacks add up quickly when you are the one paying.

Also, laundry at home is free, but in college it’s a $1 for every wash and 50 cents to dry … It doesn’t seem like See FINANCES, page A6

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

News

A5

Illegal use of Adderall as a study aid plagues test-takers “Students need to make educated choices about taking medications, especially ones like Adderall, which can be taken It’s 7 p.m. on a Friday night before the for the wrong reasons and potentially creSAT, and a junior student at Granite Bay ate serious health problems,” Gonzalez High School is taking 30 milligrams of said.

Another reason Adderall is so often Adderall to help him study thoroughly. abused by students is its convenient Adderall is a common medication used for people diagnosed with Attention Defi- availability.

“I can get it pretty much any day of the cit Disorder. Adderall is also a type of amphetamine and stimulates brain cells week whenever I want it, even though I only use it when I have a big test comin order to help diaging up,” said the GBHS nosed people focus. junior.

According to a study Adderall is also very published by the the I can get small and easy to conNational Institute of ceal, making Health, Adderall is one (Adderall) pretty ally impossible itto virtucatch of the most commonly much any day someone in the act of abused prescription dealing Adderall to andrugs amongst high of the week other student. school seniors. whenever I want Many students are One GBHS junior boy prone to being sold Adsaid he has used Adderit. derall, which, while not all to help him study.

– GBHS physically addicting, is “I only take it during anonymous junior psychologically addictmidterms and finals to ing. cram study so I can get a Another GBHS stuhigher grade,” the junior dent who asked that his boy said. “I have never name be withheld said taken it to try and get he sells Adderall. myself high.”

“I have a prescription (for) it and do not Taking Adderall without a proper ADHD diagnosis and prescription from a take all the pills, so I make some money physician can have severe negative medi- by selling it to students who need to have a little boost when they are studying,” the cal side effects. student said.

“When taken without a prescription, it Adderall is one of the most often abused has mental and psychological effects like drugs amongst high school students. Achallucinations, unusual behavior, confucording to rehabinfo.net, approximately sion, feeling restless and can (make the 6.5 percent of high school students are user) become very agitated and irritable,” currently abusing Adderall. The drug can said Daniel Gonzalez, a family practice be extremely dangerous when taken withphysician. out a prescription.

But many students believe it is a harm“Students are only allowed to take it less drug that has no negative side effects. when they have been properly diagnosed “I never thought it would have nega- with ADHD to help with school perfortive effects, so I always took it without mance,” Gonzalez said. remorse,” the GBHS junior said.

It is imperative, according to doctors, Parents and local doctors are concerned that students not abuse Adderall without with the obscurity of this so called won- a diagnosis of the condition that warrants der-drug, and there is some push happen- a prescription for the drug. ing for schools to properly educate stuGonzalez said best fight against Adderdents on the effects of Adderall and other all is a proper education about the negacommonly abused prescription pills. tive effects of abusing prescription drugs.

BY AUSTIN ALCAINE

aalcaine.gazette@gmail.com

THE BIG

Adderall is an ADHD medication commonly abused for its concentration-boosting effects.

A Gazette photo illustration /GRACE MOORE

School rejoices Signing away the next four years Students make agreements for early college admissions without voices AUSTIN DOWNS

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

Annual Lip Sync takes the stage with student dance numbers DAN JOHNSON

djohnson.gazette@gmail.com

Even though the 6:30 p.m. crowd was small, everybody had a ball at Granite Bay High School’s Lip Sync Contest last Friday.

The show began with extra cheesy jokes from “Band Managers” Charlie Gunn and Megan Zabrowski. On a scale from a mild cheddar to a creamy brie, these jokes would be about a stiff Gouda.

To Zabrowski and Gunn’s credit, they kept the show rolling and the audience entertained the entire night.

Ron and the Anchor Ladies performed the opening act with a mix-match of songs called the “Anchorman Mash-Up.” Lauren Dodd, Lauren Kinloch, Hadley Rood and Kelsey Short came out on stage with an ode to the classic tune “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band, and in the words of Ron Burgundy, it was glorious!

The display of choreographical excellence left the audience speechless. The girls truly performed great, and their act represented the spirit of Ron Burgundy with grace and dignity.

Stay classy, Ron and the Anchorman Ladies!

After such a showing, I was still in a state of awe, but there was much, much more. The next entertainers were equally bedazzling.

A.Symantiks strutted up on stage with swagger much like heavy-weight boxers on the night of big fight, and boy, did they deliver a knockout blow.

With their boldly named “A. Symantiks Mix,” group members Loyce Chin, Deedra Dollesin, Sam Kim, James Kim, Paige Lee and Jeremy Lee threw a jab at the heart with a sweet and sensitive rendition of the Far East Movement’s “Rocketeer.”

They continued with a collection of songs. The crowd, including myself, was most satisfied though when they did the “Gangnam Style” dance. Whether it’s a bad “Gangnam Style” dance or a good “Gangnam Style” dance, “Gangnam Style” is “Gangnam Style,” and it’s always stylin’, if you know what I mean.

Chandler Dale came on next. It was creepy and traumatizing.

Just kidding, it was good.

Another group, Loco Ocho, looked like a bunch of frat boys singing and dancing to girly songs at a slumber party. It was shocking to say the least.

Although the male slumber party routine was risky, they pulled it off well with a combination of solid organization and heart-felt emotion.

Their can’t be a lip sync contest without the song “Single Ladies” by Beyonce Knowles, and Trent Brendel, Jenny Gilbert, and John Gilbert brought some serious girl power to the stage. If there was one concern with their performance, it would be that they didn’t have quite big enough booties to pull it off.

They made up for it though with energy and enthusiasm. Trent Brendel and John Gibert seemed especially excited proving that even men like to be single ladies.

The next two performances added to the diversity of the night with a rap song and a folk song.

D. R. T. did the song “Ice Ice Baby.” Lead man Max Benz

REVIEW

See LIP SYNC, page A10

As the flurry of college acceptance and rejection letters make their way toward Granite Bay High School seniors this spring, a select few students have already had their college acceptances for quite some time through their application known as early decision.

Via early decision, seniors have one of two options in the process.

Seniors can apply for what’s called “early action,” meaning that should they be admitted to the college they applied to, their agreement with that college is binding.

The other option, known as “early decision,” allows seniors to apply early and receive a decision sooner, but there is no binding commitment attached to the admission.

Senior Daniel Sedin applied through early action to attend California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo and was admitted

to that school.

Once he was admitted, Sedin said he couldn’t have been more ecstatic.

“After I visited the campus, I knew that this was where I wanted to go,” Sedin said.

Looking back, Sedin said the binding commitment required by early decision was not a concern, and he was eager to hear back a few months earlier than regular admissions.

“The binding portion didn’t matter (that) much to me since Cal Poly was my No. 1 (school),” Sedin said.

For counselor Tiffani Gieck, applying to a school through the earlyadmission process has its advantages and disadvantages.

“If you already know your topchoice school, (early admission) doesn’t hurt because you may know your future plans sooner,” Gieck said.

By doing so, Gieck said students can avoid the chaotic process of having to apply for on-campus housing

or financial aid along with everyone else and better prepare students who applied for early admission to be in more control of their college plans.

Still, Gieck warns that the early admission process for some colleges is quite competitive and the chances of being admitted through that process is difficult.

For many seniors in both the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs who applied for early admission into schools, the outcome was less than ideal.

Morgan Ziegenhorn, a senior, was eager to apply to Stanford University for early decision last October.

However, she only applied early to Stanford University for the purpose of trying to avoid having too much application work to do.

“Stanford was the only one I wanted to apply to because for the other schools I also applied for regular admission, such as Columbia (University) and the University of

Washington, there really wasn’t any reason to do the early admission process since Stanford had been a dream school of mine,” Ziegenhorn said.

Going into the process, she said she had some hopes of getting into the prestigious university, but as the status of her admission came closer and closer to being released she became that much more eager and nervous.

To Ziegenhorn’s dismay, she was denied admission to Stanford, but the rejection did not set her too far back.

“I’m still optimistic about hearing back from my other colleges,” Ziegenhorn says.

Looking back, Ziegenhorn admits she might have been better served if she’d applied to at least one more school for early admission instead of just applying to Stanford. “(Early decision) was really just a gamble,” Ziegenhorn says. “I took my chances with it and it didn’t work out, but I wasn’t too worried about it.”

Examining the balance of power at GBHS ‘Symbiotic’ relationship between administrators, parents and students

BY ASHCON MINOEFAR aminoefar.gazette@gmail.com

What makes up Granite Bay High School? Is it the students who learn here, the teachers who educate, the administration who keeps it all running, the parents who support it?

Each plays their role in creating the high school and the community that is GBHS. But which of these four is seen as the true power players and have the biggest say in what goes on?

The Gazette conducted a survey to understand the undercurrent of influence that students believe exists at GBHS. Two questions were asked of more than 200 GBHS students, a 10 percent sample of the student population.

The first question: “Who do you believe has the greatest influence on the running of GBHS? Teachers, administrators or Students?”

Twelve percent of those who responded to the survey said teachers held the most influence, while the rest of the respondents split equally between administrators and students at 44 percent each.

The second question: “Who do you believe hold the real authority at GBHS? Teachers, administrators or parents?” This question was similar to the first, but the intent of the question was to distinguish between influence and authority.

Only 15.2 percent of students think teachers hold “Administration and our department allow each the most authority, 42.1 percent of students said teacher to run the class and individually cater to administrators have the most authority, and 42.7 the students’ needs,” Stephens said. “How its depercent said it was parents. livered varies among classrooms.”

Students clearly see Even in regard to disciplinary acadministrators as the tion, Stephens perceives a give and power players at GBHS take relationship between students Administration while regarding themand administrators as well as teach... allow(s) selves and their parents ers. as highly influential in each teacher “In my class for instance (in regards the process. to tardy policy and trash duty),” Steto run (their) Assistant principal phens said, “I’ll have them do extra Brian McNulty agrees, class and clean up or something. That way I but he has a slightly difdon’t have to send them out to the individually ferent view of the situlunch service all the time.” ation. cater to the It’s a degree of understanding be“Teachers have astween the administration and teachstudents’ signed control from the ers that Stephens says works quite school district, through needs. well. me, to run a safe and “It is very much a symbiotic reeffective school envilationship and trust that the admin– Myron Stephens, ronment … that offers istration will not micro-manage the a great deal of latitude art teacher teacher’s classroom,” Stephens said. for schools to interpret “And they are very supportive. It that,” McNulty said. works well.” “(Students) and (their) It’s this sometimes gray perspective – as opfamilies are the ones who start this, what happens with our community that allows us either flexibili- posed to the black-and-white perspective that ty or the necessary rigidity to take care of business. students often have – that allows each player in There is a three-way thing, mom and dad, me and the school system to bring its part to the manage(the student). You can substitute me with a teacher, ment of the high school, even relinquishing some the teacher is my extension. They are literally my duties and trusting others to do what it right for the school. eyes and ears.”

Myron Stephens, the advanced art teacher at “We all bring something to this culture,” McGBHS, also recognizes this symbiotic relationship Nulty said. “All that’s put together is something of students, parents, teachers and administrators. to sit back and marvel at.”

A6 News

Friday, March 15, 2013

GRIEF: Del Oro High School students united by tragedy Continued from page A1 Cowan.

While Cowan was attending Effingham High School in Georgia at the time of his death on Jan. 16, he had attended Del Oro the past fall semester. When it was on the news that Cowan had died from a tragic car accident, it quickly spread around Del Oro and his former fellow students grieved over the loss of the young man.

Since the deaths, Grattan described that there have been plenty of resources at Del Oro for counseling help for students who are grieving.

After the most recent death of a Del Oro student on Feb. 3, even more need for the Del Oro staff and student body to come together to support each other in grief was sparked.

Junior Morgan Helman passed away in a car crash on the way back from a grocery store on Superbowl Sunday.

There were six teenagers in the car when a deer on Auburn Folsom Road caused the driver to swerve off the road and into the guardrail. Helman, along with 13-year-old Vivian Conner, who was an 8th grader at Newcastle Elementary School, were pronounced dead at the scene. The other four teenagers walked away with minor to moderate injuries.

The sudden death of another Del Oro student came as quite a shock to much of the student body.

However, the deaths of the teenagers reach beyond the walls of Del Oro and have impacted students at Granite Bay High School as well.

GBHS junior Lauren Crandall describes how she became good friends

with Helman after meeting her at a youth gathering at Bayside Church.

When she heard that Helman had died, her first reaction was a state of disbelief.

“I didn’t really believe it at first,” Crandall said. “So I called my other good friend, Michael Bower, who was her cousin and he …was crying and he (said) ‘Yes, it’s true,’ and I just lost it … It was horrible.”

Denial, according to GBHS school psychologist Shietel Chhana, can be one of the many forms in which grief is expressed. From Grattan’s point of view, denial was the first reaction for many who were dealing with Helman’s sudden death, which happened most recently.

Grattan describes that, on Twitter, people started to post things to defer the rumor that Helman had died, saying things like it has to be a joke and it couldn’t be possible. Grattan then said, after someone posted a news report video, it all became more real to Del Oro students that, in fact, Helman was gone.

After suffering so many losses in such a short period of time, many students, both at Del Oro and at other schools in the district, are left in a state of grief.

At GBHS, Chhana’s main job is dealing with students with learning disabilities who have an Individualized Education Plan. While she, like the other general education counselors are geared toward helping students with academics, Chhana knows she would have a role if something like what occurred at Del Oro were to occur at GBHS. “(The general education counselors have) the same training that I do

ROBOTICS: Team heads to global competition after months of work Continued from page A4 Although the task is daunting, these determined students are taking the challenge head on, excited and honored to be part of this thrilling process.

“I’m really happy,” senior and club president Hammad Bashir said. “This is the first time after a long dry spell the team (is) going to nationals, and to be at the helm of that is amazing.”

The team’s motivation stems from being the underdog, he said.

“Going in we are not going to aim to (have) necessarily the best robot out there, but we are going to try our hardest and, I feel, end up with a good shot of getting into the finals,” Bashir said.

Miller couldn’t be more proud of the team’s accomplishment.

“They are just rock stars,”Miller said, “Hammad and Daniel (Proudfoot) drive the robot, and they are just the quarterbacks of the team.”

The initial competition begins months prior to the actual competition date, where the team designs and builds their own competing robot that must accomplish a specific function.

After careful construction, the robot is taken to the competition, where they collaborate with two other robots as a trio to defeat other teams in the elimination rounds.

For this year’s event, the GBHS team had to have its robot climb levels and throw a Frisbee to a designated target.

During these actions, there is a 15-second period where the robot must be functioning completely on its own, without radio control or guidance.

The lead programming for this is done by senior Chandler Brown, with help from his teammates.

“There is a lot of stress, especially coming into the competition, where I have to make changes sometimes five minutes before we start,” Brown said.

After this much training and experience after regionals, these students are more than prepared for the challenges they face at nationals.

“The competition itself was extremely intense,” Brown said, “Beating each team in the elimination matches felt almost surreal, and I am incredibly excited to be going to compete at nationals.”

… as far as counseling students,” Chhana said. “If something like that were to happen (at GBHS), definitely the counselors would all be here, I would be here, and … not only counselors, the administrators here are really ready to step up and help in any way that they can.”

However, Chhana explained how impacted some of the local youth can be at seeing the death of a friend. “(Grief is) a strong emotion,” Chhana said. “At that time in (a teenager’s) life, your friends are some of the most important people in your life, and sometimes kind of more important than some of even your relatives.”

Because of this kind of relationship teenagers carry out with other peers, Chhana described that a death can be an “intense” experience to have to go through.

Crandall, and the people who are close to her, saw the powerful emotions Crandall had to go through when Helman died.

“The first week, it was kind of like a fog,” Crandall said. “I now have experienced (grief,) so I know kind of what to expect (and) I don’t want it to happen again.”

Chhana describes that grief is a process, and there is no wrong or right way to grieve. According to her, grief may present itself in many different ways for teenagers such as anger, impatience, withdrawal, guilt, overwhelming sadness, lack of focus and motivation or difficulty relating to peers.

Grief can also be based on maturity and whether or not teens have the appropriate coping skills or support in their lives.

As an outside observer, Chhana described that it can be important for friends who may or may not be grieving to make themselves available for a friend they see having a hard time coping. She explained that this does not necessarily mean coaxing them to talk about their emotions but simply being there as a source of human contact to hold their hand or sit quietly beside them.

It seems, according to Grattan, that Del Oro students have provided that type of support for each other over the past few months as everyone has started to recover.

“In the hallways, one person will be crying and then another person will come out of a classroom and they’d see each other,” Grattan said. “They wouldn’t even know each other (but) they’d just come up and give each other a hug.”

Grattan describes how she, a friend and a teacher had gathered around a student who was suffering and slowly a group of other students started to gather around them to join in the hug and comfort a fellow student, whether they knew them or not.

“I think we’re all just finally getting over the state of shock,” Grattan said.

“Everyone’s (been) really respectful and nobody said anything rude.

Everyone’s just here for each other.”

Each person who was touched by the deaths of one of the four teens has had to make a slow recovery.

For Crandall, her Christian faith and gathering with friends that knew Helman to reminisce has helped her mend. “(Those of us who were friends with Helman) were all together at her … memorial service,” Crandall said.

“We’ve just been praying with each other and talking to each other about good memories that we’ve had. She’s (in heaven) with God and that’s how I’ve been (dealing with) it – knowing that’s she’s in a better place.”

For the Del Oro administration and student body, there still may be a long road to recovery ahead, as grief doesn’t have a specific “time limit,” according to Chhana.

Since the circumstances of the recent deaths are so varied, it is difficult for the administration at Del Oro to take a specific precaution to prevent anything like this from happening in the future.

Grattan mentions that the administration has, however, taken to telling students to drive safe over the bulletin, due to the most recent death of Helman. Nevertheless, administration can only do so much to prevent a suicide or treat a student suffering from heart problems.

“I think (the administration is) trying to do as much as they can but what can (they) do, really?” Grattan said.

Grattan said the whole Del Oro student body and staff has really come together to care for each other in whatever that need may be.

Since teenage deaths are rare, their occurrence at Del Oro – especially this many – takes a toll on other youth. It can even wake them up, for the first time, to their own mortality. An experience like this has called both Grattan and Crandall to realize how short life can really be.

“It makes me just really know that life is so precious,” Crandall said.

“Every person that you encounter needs to be … a good experience, a positive encounter.”

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

Robotics club members program their robot at an after-school club meeting. Such programming is a time-intensive process which must be perfected before competitions.

The team will be going to a second regional competition in San Jose in the next coming months.

However, after already qualify-

ing for nationals, they do not need to worry about winning.

“We can iron out the kinks,” Miller said, “but (do) not need to

worry about winning, and instead focus on our robot and proving that this was not a fluke. We are the real deal.”

CONTRACEPTIVES: Abstinence-only sex education riskier for teens Continued from page A2 “I don’t think (pharmacists) would give them the third degree, they would just want to make sure they were using them correctly,” said Sinor.

Fortunately, GBHS students are educated on the dangers of unprotected sex. But this is not true in many high schools nationwide.

Teens taught abstinence-only instruction are much more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases, research shows.

“(Researchers) find that there is a greater percentage of teens who are given abstinence only education that don’t use any form of protection when they do have sex,” Sinor said, “although this form of education does tend to postpone the age of initial sexual activity.”

California public high schools teach students about contraception while still retaining the guidance of abstinence, but many other states have completely eliminated safe-sex education and have implemented a “no tolerance” teach-

ing policy. “(Abstinence-only education) leaves teenagers woefully unprepared to face the harsh realities of STDs and pregnancy,” Holzer said, “and statistics show that HIV among youth is growing in states with said education.”

Sinor is glad to teach in a district where comprehensive education, the teaching of all forms of contraception, is taught to high school students, along with knowledge about why using these items is so vital.

“It’s like coughing into your arm to prevent spreading a respiratory virus, you wear a condom to prevent the spread of STDs,” Sinor said, “and we want students to really understand that and know the health risks.”

But if teens are patronized and not allowed easy access to condoms, some people fear this will create a stronger urge for teens to go against the stigma, possibly putting them at risk.

“I think that most of the time when people are told they can’t

do something, it only makes them want to do it more,” McKeen said.

“It’s this sort of cycle.”

Most adults acknowledge the natural sense of rebellion in adolescence and are not trying to destroy it, but simply want teens to make informed decisions about sex and to have access to the items that will allow them to do so.

“We realize we’re dealing with a teenage brain, meaning they won’t always make good decisions,” Sinor said, “but accurate education is better than no education.”

FINANCES: Hidden school, living expenses sap college students’ savings Continued from page A4 much, but when you are on a college student’s budget, you can find many other ways in which you would prefer to spend that money.”

Rebecca Schmidt, a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, saw similar expenses adding up.

“Laundry got kind of tough when the cost started adding up,” Schmidt said. “I know some guys that would wear dirty clothes to avoid doing and paying for laundry.”

Schmidt also noticed expenses like coffee and gas adds up as well.

“I was very lucky that (I) could get Starbucks with campus dollars at school because that cost would’ve added up quick,” Schmidt said. “Coffee tends to be a daily thing. Gas adds up for trips to the beach, and transportation in general especially to and from home.

Most college students don’t plan to come home except for holidays but most that are still in state end up coming home at least once a term for the weekend.”

Most students decide not to take a car to school because of the hefty yearly fee that accompanies the privilege.

“For those who have cars, parking fees are the worst,” Schmidt said.

Depending on how good the dorm food is at their school, students might need to budget out a little more for off-campus food.

“Food (is costly) because campus food is terrible, and (so) any non-dorm food you can get tastes like heaven,” Schmidt said.

Aurora Gaumer, a freshman at UC San Diego, said the price of food is an expense that surprised her a lot.

“After going grocery shopping with (my) mom, I always watched how much we would

spend on food, Gaumer said. “And here on campus food is very expensive, since I can’t go grocery shopping and cook in my own kitchen.”

Perhaps one of the most expensive college entertainment costs is sorority and fraternity expenses.

Both Orchard and Gaumer pay approximately $2,000 a year in membership fees to be part of their sorority, which they say is slightly cheaper than most schools, especially where Greek Life dominates the social scene.

“I am not in a sorority partially because I can’t afford membership fees,” Schmidt said.

According to CNN Money, most students pay $1,000 to $3,500 a year in membership fees to participate in a fraternity or sorority, but students warn incoming students to bud-

get for the extra costs and take them into account when picking a school from a financial standpoint.

Although Gaumer doesn’t believe that extra costs make a definitive dent in the overall price of college, she said students must budget for them.

Orchard suggests taking advantage of the pre-paid meal plans many schools offer, which make it easier to budget food every month.

“Food can add up very quickly, so I found it very helpful to have meal swipes that are already paid for, because it is cheaper than going out to meals,” Orchard said.

Schmidt suggested that incoming students budget out for “entertainment.”

“Based on how expensive a college education is already, planning ahead on financial expenses and ... your budget is crucial,” Schmidt said.

w The Granite Bay Gazette

FLIPPED: Web and classroom resources combined Continued from page A4 Nevertheless, Clintondale High School, located in Detroit, had a very high failure rate for freshman English classes.

Despite the low income status of students at Clintondale, the school experienced a twothirds reduction in the failure rate for those English classes once classroom flipping began. Students listened to tapes at home and participated in group activities during class, a situation very similar to Rath’s classroom flipping.

Although instructors are still curious about the effects of classroom flipping, a wide range of technology resources to help schools flip their classrooms have become readily available.

Khan Academy offers a series of YouTube videos for students to view at no cost, a total of 4000 lectures spanning from Art History to Physics.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s OpenCourseWare lets anyone access both college and high school level classes, including the AP curriculums. College courses come with not only recorded lectures from MIT professors, but also previous test and exams issued to MIT students.

Steve Miller, a GBHS physics teacher and robotics advisor, aspires to employ classroom flipping for his physics classes.

“My main issue comes down to finding one good source for videos instead of a hodgepodge of videos,” Miller said.

“I see (classroom flipping) working well for Physics because physics is a lot about problem solving.”

Nonetheless, Miller’s sole doubt about classroom flipping focuses on student commitment to learning outside the classroom. “(Getting) students to read their (textbooks) is difficult,” Miller said. “Now we want them to be watching videos?”

After utilizing classroom flipping in his GBHS Algebra classes, Shayne Stedman concludes that looking only at classroom flipping or traditional lecturing is the wrong approach for maximizing student achievement.

“A mixture (between classroom flipping and traditional learning) is the best,” Stedman said. “Completely flipped is missing critical points, such as the how and the why (during learning).”

An important component of flipped learning is having contemporary technology available for teachers to use. “(School) computers need to be up to date because flipped classrooms are software intensive,” Stedman said. “Teachers need to be able to record and upload videos with ease.”

Yet, Stedman does not expect every student to learn better in a flipped classroom setting as each student learns differently.

“Some students struggle (when) learning (through videos),” Stedman said. “Students cannot ask questions on the spot.”

Although Williams has never taken a math or science class with a flipped classroom, his main reason for supporting traditional learning stems from the availability of the teacher.

“I enjoy traditional classes more because of the hands-on lecturing in which I can ask a question right as it comes to mind,” Williams said. “Having (homework) outside of the classroom seems to me a better idea because it allows the student to (...) (grasp) the concepts for themselves.”

Altogether, Williams still recognizes Rath’s innovation and the opportunity for students to learn in a different manner.

“I applaud teachers, like Mr. Rath, around the region for attempting this version of teaching,” Williams said. “As much as I feel that it wouldn’t work for me, I believe that it works for many students beyond myself.”

Friday, March 15, 2013

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News A7

A8 News

Friday, March 15, 2013

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The Granite Bay Gazette

DISCRIMINATION: Dyed hair, piercings and tattoos GENDER: GBHS students can affect job opportunities at certain retailers distinguish their gender identity Continued from page A1 Postal Service, Starwood Hotels and Denny’s are among those who will not hire candidates with tattoos.

“Before Massage Envy, you had to have your own private practice,” McNiel said. “They wouldn’t hire you if you didn’t have the look.”

For many companies, tattoos, unnatural hair colors and “edgy” piercings are a guaranteed way to land your application in the rejected pile. Yet, as many of the baby boomers begin to retire, employers are being forced to change their policies as they face an entirely new generation of potential workers, ink and all.

Some jobs, such as those at CVS Pharmacy, have listed with ModifiedMind.com to show their encouragement for “alternative” markers, along with a checklist that illustrates which modifications are acceptable.

“We can have any piercings, visible tattoos here, or hair color that you choose,” said Courtney Richardson, a senior, of her job at Amazing Tans.

Nordstrom, known for its chic clothing lines and incredibly attentive salespeople, has also changed the company stance on body art, now allowing visible tattoos on employees.

“Dyed hair and facial piercings are totally accepted at my work,” said Marisa Thias, a junior at Granite Bay who works at Strikes. “Tattoos are also OK. They don’t ask you to change your appearance or take out piercings or cover your tattoos as long as you follow their dress code.”

Several large corporations have gone in the opposite direction – and, some believe, too far – to preserve their prized “look.”

After being accused of discrimination, Abercrombie & Fitch settled for $40 million dollars in a class-action lawsuit brought against it in 2004.

“Their look is supposed to be really all-American, and that used to cause lots of controversy,” said an employee at Abercrombie in Roseville who asked that her name be withheld. “They only hired whites to work in sales and were putting Asians, Latinos and African-Americans in the stock rooms.”

Abercrombie quieted these claims by agreeing to recruit more Asian, Latino and African American employees and create an office of diversity.

Clothing brand American Apparel, following the alleged firing of “unattractive” workers, defended itself by stating that AA hires employees who “have good fashion sense … but this does not necessarily mean they have to be

physically attractive.”

However, with AA’s hiring policy, most find that difficult to believe. Job applicants are required to send in a full-body photograph of themselves with their resume to, as AA puts it, “consider their style” and approve them for employment.

“We definitely have a look policy at Abercrombie,” said the current Abercrombie employee.

“I can’t wear nail polish, I can’t have eyeliner on. Tattoos and piercings definitely aren’t allowed. You have to be really pretty and natural.”

Although both companies have made efforts to silence rumors of a continued bias toward beauty, several defenders of their practices have appeared.

After a Hooters settlement upheld the company’s right to hire employees who were attractive enough to fit their “business plan and customer demographic,” these supporters claimed that, if an employee’s physical appearance adds to a customer’s happiness or satisfaction, it should be valued as highly in the workforce as intelligence or skill.

Possibly more controversial than hiring someone for their looks is discriminating against a highly qualified person for their sexual orientation.

“They told me that I did my job faster and more efficiently than

people who had been working there for five years,” said McNiel, the Massage Envy massage therapist, of a previous job, “but somehow I ended up getting fired.

I had just cut my hair and I definitely looked gay, and I would try to joke around with them like I would with anyone, and they wouldn’t reciprocate. Something just wasn’t right.”

Several of McNiel’s clients complained to the manager after she mentioned she had a girlfriend, asking him to reprimand McNiel for talking about her “lifestyle.”

At her current job at Massage Envy, therapists are free to wear piercings, dye their hair whatever color they want and have visible tattoos. According to McNiel, they have completely changed the job industry by allowing people with unconventional styles to begin careers that they, until that time, wouldn’t have been able to.

Corporations and small businesses alike will continue to push the limit of what is “right” concerning hiring policies and discrimination, but constantly evolving societal norms and forward-thinking leaders are beginning to lessen that power.

“Who cares what you look like or who you are,” McNiel said. “If you are really good at your profession, nothing else should matter.”

HEALTH: Fast food a more convenient, affordable and accessible choice for cost-conscious students Continued from page A3

support for families.

However, lowering the prices of healthy foods is not as easy as some might think. The motive of profit outweighs the health concerns for many businesses.

This might be due to the fact that government money is spent toward the production of meat.

Federal grants and subsidies are used to pay for growing of animal feeds and the pumping of water supplied to animals that will eventually be butchered.

“I think healthy foods cost more because they cost more to obtain and keep fresh,” sophomore Kimberly Blackwell said.

Production costs, transportations costs and storage costs all contribute to the higher prices of healthier options.

According to research done by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, it is easier to keep ground beef fresh and edible for extended periods of time, by freezing it, in comparison to vegetables, for example.

Senior Jeff Lam agreed.

“I think that healthy foods are more expensive because it takes more to prepare them and to keep them fresh,” he said.

And price is not the only factor that influences decisions when eating out, noted Lauren McAvoy, a nutrition major at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Due to personal preferences, people will often choose the unhealthier option even if they know it’s bad for them,” McAvoy said.

Blackwell is a student who exemplifies this point.

“I just eat what tastes good, not what’s healthy,” she said.

While healthy foods might be more expensive, some are willing to sacrifice the cost in order to enjoy a more wholesome meal.

“I believe that eating healthier, even at a steeper cost, is worth it,” McAvoy said.

Sacrificing price does not always mean sacrificing satisfaction.

“If I want (to eat healthier),” senior Kristin Kurpershoek said, “a few dollars isn’t going to stop me.”

Continued from page A1 identify or refer to themselves as simply a girl or boy. The word, which has been gaining popularity in usage, especially online, is a more official designation of a concept that can be otherwise hard to define.

Katie “Bob” Heffner, a GBHS class of 2010 graduate, identifies as agender (meaning neither a girl nor a boy), which falls on the genderqueer spectrum.

“It’s really not all that different from being a boy or girl,” Heffner said in an email interview.

“Some days I feel like dressing girlier or more masculine than others, though. I sometimes wake up in either feminine or masculine moods, (but) all that really affects is how I dress and whether I call myself ‘handsome’ or ‘pretty’ in the mirror that day.”

Heffner used to be female-tomale transgender, which was difficult, but discovered the term “agender” online, and has been using it since.

“I come across as pretty normal, and my lack of gender just doesn’t come up in everyday conversation that much,” Heffner said. “(But) if someone calls me a girl, chances are I’ll correct them.”

“Andrew,” a GBHS female junior who identifies as genderqueer and asked that his last name be withheld, said he finds his identity confusing at times.

“You’re not really sure how you feel,” he said, “because the way society puts it, you’re either a girl or a boy. And when you’re genderqueer, you’re … just kind of left out of it.”

Although Andrew is considering coming out publicly with his genderqueer identity in the coming year, he is worried about his peers’ willingness to call him his preferred name and use correct pronouns – a problem often encountered by genderqueer individuals.

“Nobody (at GBHS) knows (about genderqueer people), if anything,” he said. “I’m not expecting them to understand at all.”

But Andrew was also careful to stress his gender’s fairly minimal impact on his daily life.

“It’s not really something to throw a party over,” he said.

“I’ll celebrate it if I (want) to, but otherwise, it’s just me. No big deal.”

Junior Colin Fitzgerald, Andrew’s best friend, said his knowledge of Andrew’s gender identity didn’t change his opinion of him at all.

“He’s still my best friend,” he said. “(But) now I get kind of upset when people still refer to him with (incorrect) pronouns.”

But Fitzgerald, Andrew and Heffner agreed that public awareness of genderqueer individuals is poor.

“The majority of people think the LGBTQ community is made up of solely gays and lesbians, and maybe a few transgenders, when we’re so much more than that,” Heffner said. “People need to teach kids that this is OK, you’re still normal, you’re not a freak, (and) there are so many other people just like you out there. And if it’s not targeted at questioning people, it should be targeted at everyone, just letting them know that hey, we exist!”

Fitzgerald agreed, saying he believes there should be a genderqueer/transgendered unit taught in health classes.

“I think it’s necessary in some form in the educational system,” he said.

Such reforms could be on the horizon, as online usage of genderqueer terminology spreads, but in the immediate short-term, policies like the yearbook’s stance on genderspecific drapes give queer students more options.

Though she identifies as a girl herself, Keeney said she wants her tuxedo-sporting portrait to empower others.

“I hope that later on,” she said, “if people (have) short hair and feel like they should dress more masculine than a girl, (they) should have the courage to dress however they want, and not be afraid of (being judged for it).”

Friday, March 15, 2013

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DEPRESSION: GBHS student shares experiences

don’t know how to go about it. paced lifestyle.

(But if they want to keep it a seJust because someone has a cret,) they will work really hard family history of depression therapist, describes depression as to hide it from everybody.” doesn’t mean they will be“feelings of hopelessness, help*** come depressed and, on the flip lessness and worthlessness.”

My depression came as a side, no trace of depression in “Then, cognitively, there is a surprise to many of the people I a family’s background doesn’t lot of negative self talk. A lot of told, because, on the outside, I inoculate someone. cognitive distortions, a lot of disseemed to be fine.

“It can happen to anyone, torted perceptions,” Elkin said.

I became really good at hidbecause it happened to someone Through Carlsen’s experience ing my feelings and painting that I would not expect at all,” dealing with family members a smile on my face because Taylor said. “Anyone is suscepwho have suffered from deprespretending I was OK was easier tible to it.” sion, she developed a sort of than admitting I had a problem.

Those individuals who seem understanding for their feelings.

When I was depressed, I had to have everything together and “(It’s) just that feeling like they a motto, “just keep smiling,” can do no wrong can still have … don’t belong, (that) feeling because if you’re smiling and underlying issues that just don’t that they’re worthless,” Carlsen giving the appearance of happishow. said. ness, no one will question it.

“Everyone’s got that terHealth and safety teacher John I would make up silly stories rible thing that they don’t want Macleane explains depression as to how certain marks would anybody knowing about, that to his freshman classes a little appear on my skin. These terrible secret or those terrible differently, in an attempt to help included me falling off my bike, feelings that they don’t think them understand it. my dog scratching me, turf anyone else has,” MacLeane “Depression is when you canburns from soccer and scratchsaid. “Everyone is fighting not find the joy in life anymore,” es from riding my bike through those quiet little battles.” he said. “The little things that bushes.

Taylor explains she didn’t nomake people happy, the little I would try desperately to tice anything different about me things that you look forward to keep up the apuntil she heard every day, when you no longer pearance of a my confession. find joy in those kinds of activihappy girl.

“I think ties, that is depression.”

I remained (that) because Taylor admits she had a differinvolved in a you’re such a ent view of depression as a freshKeeping this number of activipeppy person man, and only after watching a up wore on ties to try to keep and … you close friend struggle with it did this up. carried on that she understand what it truly was. me, but I would I played soccer, act,” she said.

“I used to think it was just never outwardly played water “But in your someone who was milking it admit that. I polo, swam, head and in and they were sad and wanted was in National your heart, people to feel bad for them,” she would still wear Charity League, things were said. “(I now realize) it is a real that smile. volunteered at not OK. issue and it’s detrimental in its the library, kept “I think that effects and it’s out of the person’s up As in all my you did such control.” classes, because a good job at Depression is different from there’s no way a disguising it, person to person and it is caused girl like this could have other that I didn’t pick up on it at all. by any number of different facissues.

Some of these “disguises” intors – no two situations are alike.

Keeping this up wore on me, cluded ridiculous lies about the *** but I would never outwardly mysterious scars on my wrists My depression was like a slipadmit that. I would still wear and ankles. pery slope. that smile.

“When you were like ,‘Oh There was no specific day Arguably, it made my depresyeah, I fell off my bike,’ I was where I woke up and suddenly sion worse and could have just like ‘Oh Hayley, you’re realized I was depressed or just in fact caused my downward so stupid,’ ” Taylor said with a out of the blue had thoughts of laugh. “That is something you suicide. spiral. would do.”

My depression and self-harm The pressure I felt to be that “I didn’t see the (signs) until came after a year’s worth of “perfect” girl bore down on me you told me,” Taylor said. stressful incidents that continconstantly – who I wanted to be Carlsen remembers seeing ued to sink me lower and lower and who I was didn’t line up. slight differences in my atinto a hole.

More than anything, it was a titude, but not thinking anything All of this bottled up emofeeling that I was alone. of it at the time. tion was released my freshman No one had the same thoughts “I mean, (you were) a little year, not in a healthy way, but I was having, no one cared, no bit more withdrawn and a little instead by cutting my wrists. one knew. bit more upset,” she said. “But Looking back, I can see It was just me, alone.

I never would’ve guessed that it exactly how distorted my At the time, it felt right and would’ve been that way.” thinking was. I was convinced logical. But now I can see how The three of us were at my what I was doing to myself was screwed-up my logic was. house late one night, and we normal.

And now I can see I wasn’t were going around telling our I thought that cutting was alone, I had people who cared “deepest darkest secrets.” the only way of escaping the about me and were willing to And that’s when I dropped the horrible feeling of hopelessness help me, even though I couldn’t bomb – I confessed all my inner I had. see it then. thoughts, feelings and actions.

It was like I was in a hole, But most importantly, I have I explained everything. and I could not see how to get now realized it wasn’t just me I even told them signs to look out of it. I was trapped in this who had those thoughts. for it case it ever returned, one state of hopelessness.

*** of them being I would be wearIt took a long time to climb As a family physician, Seban ing that bracelet. out of that hole and escape it, has many patients who are de“I don’t think it hit me until I and I am never falling back pressed but don’t know it. got home that you had actually down that slippery slope.

“They come in with sympcaused physical harm to your*** toms that are actually physical self,” Carlsen said. “I didn’t reThere are any number of symptoms, and sometimes it alize that it was that bad until I risk factors that could lead to means the diagnosis of depresgot home and realized that was depression. sion,” he said. a big confession, a big thing to Olivier Seban, a fam“People don’t say ‘I feel blue, share with your ily practice I’m depressed,’ (instead) people friends.” physician in say ‘I can’t sleep,’ ‘I’m irriEspecially when Woodland, table.’ They can’t concentrate those friends were explains that well at work or at home. They freshmen in high some of the lose interest in what they usuAt the time, it school, barely causes can ally like to do.” knowing anything be stress, Some of the physical sympfelt right and about depression, genetic toms can include fatigue, pain, logical. But now let alone how to predisposiheadaches and sleep, according I can see how deal with a friend tion, sleep to Seban. disturbances For the patients who come to screwed-up my who was experiencing it. and drugs Seban knowing they could be logic was.

“The fact that and alcohol. depressed, he works with them I was freshman “There is to try to get information on their when this was goa genetic family history and find some of ing on, like I was component, the causes for their depression. pretty immature, and people “There are things you can like I didn’t know with a famcontrol, things they can’t, things anything about ily history of they can fix and things you anything and so it was kind of a depression or anxiety or a disorcan’t,” he said. “So we try to lot to deal with,” Taylor said. der have a higher risk of having work on things to make them The signs are not always depression,” he said. “But there feel better, because that’s most grand gestures – more often are also life circumstances that important, just to empower they are little comments or can cause depression.” them for them to get better.” slight changes.

Elkin agrees, adding there is As for the patients who “Most of the time people do often an environmental trigger. don’t come in knowing of their drop hints,” Elkin said. “They’ll “If it runs in your family, depression, Seban performs a start out as really ambiguous so there is a likelihood that you medical exam and gets a good it takes someone to investigate will get it,” she said. “But it by family history of the patient. and say ‘What do you mean by no means guarantees it.

With this information, he that? Are you thinking of killing “Stress is often a trigger, can definitely determine the payourself?’ But the best thing is even bullying or social things. tient’s depression because it can to notice any changes in someLow self esteem can slide into present itself as depression but one, any drastic change can be depression. So for some people, actually be anemia or thyroid a sign of depression. I can be it’s all environmental, there is problems or vitamin levels. a significant change in mood, no predisposition for it.”

“Then we present them with in energy level, sleep, eating, According to Elkin, those ensome information, I tell them weight, etcetera. vironmental factors can include all the symptoms sounds like “Most of the time, they want a lack of social support, living depression and I tell them what help and are asking, they just in isolation and living a fastthey can do about it,” Seban

News A9

Continued from page A1

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

McAvoy used a chunky tribal bracelet to hide the evidence when she cut herself. She was later diagnosed as severely depressed with suicidal tendencies.

said.

MacLeane has encountered similar situations as a health teacher, usually after his discussion on depression and suicide.

“Someone comes up to me, just about every semester … and be like, ‘Mr. MacLeane, I have this issue or a friend has this issue.’ ” From there, MacLeane puts the individual in touch with the counselors, getting them and the family the support they need.

“If someone’s suffering with depression, this needs to be addressed not only at school, but with the family as well,” he said.

For Seban, after his diagnosis, he refers them to a psychiatrist or psychologist and, sometimes, prescribes medication as well, but very carefully.

“Depression is a spectrum,” he said. “There is mild, moderate and severe clinical depression. So the people with mild to moderate, we try to talk about all the other tools that can help with their depression.”

In addition to sometimes prescribing medication for his patients, Seban often has patients participate in therapy or counseling.

“If I prescribe medicine, I strongly advise counseling,” he said. “They need to get better on their own; they need to do things on their own.” *** I was prescribed Prozac, an anti-depressant, in December 2010 during my sophomore year. I continued to take it up until July 2011, right before my junior year.

I started seeing a therapist at the same I started medication.

It was at this point I was diagnosed as severely depressed

with suicidal tendencies.

After finishing with therapy, my pediatrician told me to wean myself off the medication so that I wouldn’t be dependent on a drug.

Prozac was a great tool to help me get out of my depression, but I knew I didn’t want to have to rely on a pill to make me happy.

It was hard at first, but afterward I was happier than I had ever been.

I think it was the fact that I had been in a depressed state for so long that I had forgotten what true happiness was.

And now that I have tasted pure happiness, after being in the dark for so long, I will never let it escape me again.

Each day was little brighter, I found so many little joys in everyday life, whereas before, I only saw the bad.

I savor the good moments, because for so long I didn’t have any. And in my darkest moments, I didn’t believe I would have one ever again.

*** For those who are deeply depressed and suicidal, Elkin said they believe there is no way of recovering from it, there is no way of getting out of it.

And although self-harm can be a part of depression, it doesn’t mean those who engage in self-harm are depressed or suicidal.

“Just because someone participates in self-harm doesn’t make them depressed,” Elkin said. “Self harm is essentially associated with being in extreme emotional distraught or pain, which can be brought on by depression.”

If someone is depressed and is cutting themselves, or participating in other acts of

self-harm, Elkin said they use it as a cutting mechanism. According to Elkin, these harmful acts cause the body to release endorphins and immediately work to heal the body.

“It’s easier for (the body) to heal than for the emotions to heal,” Elkin said. “(So) a parallel is drawn between the two.”

*** The scars left from my dark days remain, and perhaps they will always be there.

For me, the serve as a reminder of who I was and as a motivation to move forward and never let myself fall back into that state.

Battling my depression by no way defines who I am today, by it has led to the person I’ve become.

I am a high-achieving student, athlete and person who has dreams of bettering the world.

I hope to study psychology in college and later become a psychiatrist to work with others who are going through dark days, similar to mine, and help them overcome it.

This has taught me to savor the good moments and bear the bad, because no matter how bad it is – it can get better.

*** Depression isn’t just being sad, it is a legitimate psychological disorder, with real effects.

“This isn’t just something people lecture us about, and this isn’t just something people teach in classrooms, or counselors come and warn you about,” Carlsen said. “It’s more personal than that, and it affects a lot of people even if you don’t see that.

“I think it’s our responsibility as human beings just to be there, no matter how well you know the person.”

A10 News

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

LIP SYNC: Comical choreography and creative costumes delight audiences Continued from page A5 looked like a seasoned professional up on stage.

CC McSnazzy proved to the world with her performance of “Cups” that people can be captivated with just one girl and a beat

from a cup. Her display of coordination and rhythm was second to none.

The last LS act rocked the house especially with the ladies in the audience. Jackson Rodriguez and Tommy Thompson showed their stuff with a sensual exhibition.

Thompson and Rodriguez, both talented dancers, gyrated with dexterity and precision.

Personally, I would have preferred if they had showed a little less skin. It felt sometimes like they were about to violate my personal space. That aspect of it

was a little uncomfortable.

Luckily for them, the judges enjoyed them, and they ended up bringing home the hardware with a first-place finish.

The show ended with a sweet serenade flowing off the guitars of two young GBHS musicians, Reed

Bartlett and Drew Thacker. They played two songs.

Their original song most impressed me. With a combination of romantic lyrics, a steady vocal

by Bartlett and a shredadellic guitar solo by Thacker, the two men foreshadowed a possible

one-day Grammy performance. It was that good.

Overall, the night provided lots of laughs, a few tears and plenty of memories. As Andrew Thacker put it: “It was bomb-tastic. If I were to compare LS to a creek, it would run pure to the pond.”

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

A Section

Friday w March 15, 2013

Battling Bulimia The ongoing struggle with an eating disorder

GAZETTE The Granite Bay

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

Editor’s note: The Granite Bay High School Student who wrote this commentary asked that her name be withheld

Editors-in-Chief: Nicole Bales Lena Eyen Haley Massara Chris Pei

I

News Editors: Sydney Kahmann Grace Moore Voices Editors: Chase Evans Kiana Okhovat Lifestyle Editors: Meghan Carlsen Kristin Taylor Madison Touloukian Green Screen Editors: Tamren Johnk Hayley McAvoy Jonah Poczobutt Alexa Zogopoulos Sports Editors: Austin Downs Amber Les Brad Wong Online News Editors: Chase Evans Kate Hurley Ashcon Minoiefar Photo Editor: Kristin Taylor Illustrators: Austin Alcaine Chase Evans Lena Eyen Tamren Johnk Sydney Kahmann Hayley McAvoy Thomas Taylor Alexa Zogopoulos Photographers: Luke Chirbas Cleora Reber Staff Writers: Austin Alcaine Gokul Asokan Savitri Asokan Parker Burman Kevin Burns Haley Byam Meredith Dechert Brendan Gonzalez Summer Haenny Dan Johnson Kristine Khieu Akash Khosla Neha Kompella Nicolas Ontiveros Austin Pink Nicolette Richards Thomas Taylor Colleen Vivaldi Willow Wood Brian Zhuang Zack Zolmer

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.

Gazette photo illustration /Kristin Taylor

bounced my heels up and down as I waited for the doctor (is that what she is? Maybe a priest? Wizard? Voodoo witch?) and stared at my thighs with a vehemence, as if there was a secret message hidden in the folds of my pants.

You’re what got me in here, I told myself. You’re too weak to keep going and you went crying to your mom.

Don’t blame anyone but yourself.

My reprimands were interrupted by the opening of the door, and I looked up to meet the gaze of a tall, blonde woman in heels.

“Welcome,” she cooed in a voice that was probably supposed to comfort me. “Let’s begin.”

With her prompting, I told her my story while my mom sniffled and touched my arm every 30 seconds.

I threw up for the first time when I was 10. Not because of the flu, but because of a piece of cake handed out after a family dinner.

I remember thinking up the “magic cure” while twitching in my seat to stop the flow of calories into my veins, and casually excusing myself to the bathroom while the party continued outside the door.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

Bits of chocolate fell to the bottom of the porcelain bowl as my grandpa laughed at a joke I didn’t hear.

I kept going until my throat was raw and my entire body ached; until I tasted victory in pure stomach acid.

The toothbrush went back into its place in the cabinet, and I went back to mine at the table.

Fast forward to the summer after sixth grade. By then, I had learned that I did not, in fact, invent purging.

I’d actually unearthed a community of people just like me on the Internet.

I visited them in secret, behind closed doors and after midnight had come and gone. They taught me new techniques, easier binge/purge foods and, most importantly, how to not get caught.

By seventh grade, the weight I’d lost had begun creeping back onto my hips and sides as puberty hit me over the head with a hammer.

I twisted and turned in the mirror nightly, analyzing and calculating all of my errors.

You’ve been doing it wrong, I told myself. You were never thin at all.

I grew depressed as my habits did exactly the opposite of what they were meant to do, and I searched for a new and improved recluse.

Whispers of self-mutilation had crawled into my ears through books I shouldn’t have been reading and sites I shouldn’t have been visiting, and I broke into my shaver with a butter knife when I couldn’t stand to look at myself any longer.

Short, desperate red lines on my arms let the pain leak out and quieted my brain when everything turned into a whirlwind.

I did this for nearly a year until my mom turned my wrists over and called a doctor who gave me a bottle of pills and a weekly appointment with a specialist in screwed-up adolescents.

Therapy was a staring contest. I refused to let anyone into my head, especially because they hadn’t yet discovered my secret purging safety net, and I hoped to keep it that way.

I faked improvement while the marks everyone thought had disappeared simply migrated onto my thighs. Eighth and nineth grade passed while I counted calories, hid my blades in jewelry boxes and laughed along with the jokes my friends told about

GUEST COMMENTARY “emos” and eating disorders.

I flirted with the idea of a life outside of my current, frozen state of half-relapse/half-recovery, but never seriously enough to stop my behaviors for more than a of couple months.

The things that used to be my favorite painkillers had turned into a poison, and I hadn’t even noticed it happening. They crept into my brain while I was asleep and planted seeds that grew into thorn bushes that poked me when I needed a reminder as to why I was doing this.

You’re fat, you’re ugly, you’re a disgusting excuse for a human being, I told myself. You don’t deserve anything but this.

By November of 10th grade, I was in the zone, determined to follow every instruction that my brain gave me.

I kept a record of every bite of food that entered my mouth, and I threw it up if it was over 150 calories.

I didn’t care if I would be late to class or too tired after a long day of hating myself to do it; I spent as much time as necessary to get rid of every fat-ridden calorie that would later hitch a ride on my thighs. I went to bed most nights sore and exhausted, angry flames from my battered stomach licking up the inside of my chest while I chastised myself and set a plan for the next day.

Eventually, I began to consider the pills I’d been prescribed for so many years as something that could take me away from everything. I believed that my family and friends would be better off with me out of their lives.

No one’s ever going to love you, I told myself. You’d be doing everyone a huge favor if you’d just grow a pair and end it.

I complimented my brain on its excellent points and decided that after I had a good reason- something, anything to give me an extra push- I would take a full bottle of my antidepressants and as much aspirin as I could find in my drawers.

That trigger presented itself on a silver platter in early December during a fight with my parents.

I am so disappointed in you. You are everything I thought you weren’t, and now I’ll have to reassess my entire view of you as a person.

This time, the voices weren’t coming from my head. This was real, this was proof that my existence was more of a detrimental force in the world than something that could benefit it.

It was exactly what I needed.

I turned on the shower, locked the door and shoveled pills into my mouth until I could feel them sloshing in my stomach, hundreds of multicolored candies that tasted sweeter than food ever could.

Almost as soon as it had happened, absolute terror flooded my body.

When I searched for myself in the mirror, I didn’t recognize the girl I saw. She had scared eyes full of a million futures. Lawyer, mother, writer, therapist, engineer, partner of a man or woman who would love her, not in spite of her faults, but because of them.

I reached out for help because of that girl. I couldn’t kill her, the part of me choked out by late nights curled over the toilet bowl or blades flashing across my legs in school bathrooms.

I was lucky that night. I called a friend, who called my mom, who screamed and sent me to the emergency room with my dad, who blazed through red lights and carried me through the swinging doors of the hospital like something out of a fairy tale.

OK, maybe more like something

out of a dramatic fiction novel, but a heroic analogy nonetheless.

I spent several days in an adolescent psychiatric ward, which is about as fun as it sounds. A lot of it was a daze, but I do remember pieces. I drew pictures for the friends I made, who asked if they could take them home to remind them that it wasn’t all a dream.

I spent Winter Ball there, so the patients had a (closely supervised) dance party in the gymnasium where I twirled around a Robert Pattinson look-a-like and made bracelets with a short-haired girl who looked like a woodland fairy.

Eventually, life returned to normal and I went back to school. My friends didn’t talk about That Night, and I didn’t offer them any enlightening information.

January and February passed, and my fingers began itching for razors and scales. I gave in without much of a fight. My old thoughts felt warm and comforting, but it didn’t take long for my newly aware parents to notice that something wasn’t right.

I left school to attend a day program for depression and anxiety and, long story short, one of the therapists diagnosed me with bulimia.

So, that brings us back to the beginning of this story.

After filling out copious amounts of paperwork about my habits and several facility tours, I was admitted to the partial hospitalization program at Summit Eating Disorders & Outreach Program.

On my first day, I expected to be greeted by twiggy girls with sharp tongues , which was not at all what I got.

My first group consisted of an eager question and not-so-eager answer session between the patients and me “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?”

“Would you want to be a light-up tennis shoe or a regular one?”

During the next three months in this program, I grew to love these people.

We spent every waking hour together, coached each other through meals and persuaded the therapists to give us foot rubs.

We stalked the cool, older patients next-door and giggled when the cook’s hot son visited around 3 o’clock on Wednesdays.

We did yoga on the grass outside while waving at the confused drivers whizzing by and laughed and laughed and laughed.

I had a lot of really incredible days with some of the best people I’ve ever met and made memories that will stay with me forever, but I also did a lot of healing. Recovering was the hardest thing I’ve ever done (and continue to do). Some days I felt like giving up, but I talked and opened up and learned that life can be truly wonderful.

I have relapsed and been readmitted, and I still struggle and question everything sometimes. There wasn’t a chocolate cake moment when everything became clear and I knew I wanted a different life, but somewhere along the road, I saved myself. I replaced eternal winter with summer.

It’s been over a year since I attempted suicide, and it feels like something from another life.

I’m looking at colleges, I’m making new friends, I’m beginning to enjoy food and I’m learning how to live again.

One of my dreams is to work somewhere like Summit. I want to open people’s eyes like my therapists did for me and show them that recovery is a little like waking up after a deep sleep and stepping into the sun.

It’s startling, it feels unnatural at first, but it’s possible, and it feels amazing after your eyes adjust.

Increase in diversity is a step in the right direction

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

D

emographics are just a number. However, they are a number that represents something that is much more.

They are a glimpse into the school culture and the community surrounding this high school.

Granite Bay High School has reportedly a mid-80 percent Caucasian percentile. That is an incredibly high number, and even more frightening is that percentage is reportedly 5-7 percent lower than last year.

That large of a Caucasian

demographic We are known is stunning and as overshows a large privileged lack of diversity Caucasians who The voice of the in our school have been given and in our everything in Granite Bay community. life. However, Gazette A change as the change in of merely 5-7 demographics percent seems show, our small and insignificant, but it school diversity is showing points to a larger change in the change toward a wider variety of culture of GBHS. students.

Our school is known as a As GBHS ages, our predominantly white, mostly demographics are shifting toward upper-class school. a broader spectrum.

EDITORIAL

Diversity is important in a school for it to function properly.

As much as high school is about learning academically, it is even more-so about the societal lessons that we learn.

Diversity allows those societal lessons to be farther reaching than a school without a varied demographic because it teaches students different social interactions.

It allows us to learn how to interact with minority and majority races. It allows us to interact with the wealthy and

those who have grown up in a more difficult situation.

The demographics changing toward a larger minority population points to an increase in diversity on the campus.

These changes are showing the culture change that is occurring in our high school.

We are straying away from the stereotype placed upon us and turning into a campus with a larger minority population.

This change, however small, is a step in the right direction for Granite Bay High School.

A12 Voices

Friday, March 15, 2013

HEARD on the

BAY

What is your biggest pet peeve?

“When metal rubs against metal and makes that squeaky noise.”

freshman Neha Prakash When people chew really loud.

sophomore

w The Granite Bay Gazette

You are who you say you are Commentary

Be yourself – do not be afraid to take chances

S

ometimes I find myself looking at people frantically concerning themselves over their grades, their college acceptance letters, their athletic ability, their social competency, their physical appearance, scholarships of all sorts and their contributions to the world.

Sometimes I see them enjoy the challenge, but other times I see people living to reach expectations that society has given them. They just assume the expectations mean something without even examining what they mean to them as individuals.

For the longest time, I looked at the benefits of going to a prestigious school, getting the big scholarship and being the ideal person. Very early in my high school experience, I hit some roadblocks, and I came to the conclusion that these desires would have to wait until later. A couple years followed, and I increasingly distanced myself from the path of many, the path toward “success.”

Although since I was a young kid I had contemplated alternative forms of success, I had never tried to actively search for them with the sort of vigor and focus during those couple of years.

I looked all over to try and understand the different options there were in life. I saw the slacker route, and I became good at it, failing a couple of report cards in the process. I had already previously tried the high achiever route, taking AP classes and playing high-performance sports.

I looked at the repercussions of both life paths. On the one hand, slacking

dan johnson

djohnson.gazette@gmail.com

allowed me to focus on my friendships and caring for others. Ironically, by being a slacker, I was actually able to help other kids around me understand the material in class.

I saw that I was licensed to give others more compassion and kindness when I wasn’t so worried about reaching the standards provided for me. It used to make me laugh and still does when people associate hard work with morality.

For the average person, their hard work was driving them to a selfish goal, and yet I watched as people thought that by achieving this goal they were actually doing a service for society. It’s funny when you think about it.

I also saw that I didn’t want to sit around and do nothing. I actually loved performing and working hard. Even during that time, I couldn’t be stopped from working hard. I was still researching and writing, trying to find my way.

It was actually then that I worked harder than any other time in my life.

I realized that though that I didn’t love working and performing just for the sake of working and performing, I loved interacting with my peers and mentors.

I loved coming up with ideas with them

and being able to share commonalities in our lives.

I recognized taking a laid-back approach had its problems, and I at times lingered back toward my old lifestyle.

I just couldn’t go back to it, though. I didn’t mind the grind, but I couldn’t understand its purpose. The answer, “because you have to,” wasn’t cutting it for me. I didn’t want to be driven by only self-interest in my life. I wanted something more than that. I didn’t want any glory, acclaim or accolades.

I didn’t want to go back to where my main source of value came from the numbers that I could ascertain: my GPA, my SATs, ACTs, my batting average, my community service hours, my scoring average, and the list goes on and on. I didn’t want to give up my humanity just to be another piece of quantitative data.

I came to the conclusion that I needed to find a way to be part of the mainstream world without being held down by its rigid constraints. I needed to learn how to drift in and out of the box at will, a box that I saw imprisoning so many and keeping so many others at a distance.

Eventually I found the key to my freedom. I saw that the key wasn’t conforming or rebelling, alienating or worshipping, condemning or praising, but finding my role in the grand performance that is life.

I wasn’t going to let someone else tell me what that was. I wasn’t going to limit myself. I didn’t have to. I could be whoever I wanted to be. I could be a hard worker, laid-back, strong, sensitive, cautious, daring, a great athlete, a great artist, a free thinker, socially competent, a social activist, a gentlemen, fun, passionate, motivated, safe, secure, loving, tough creative, artistic, and normal.

You are who you say you are. Who

says that you need a medal to be a great athlete, or fame to be a great musician, neurotic to be hard working or lazy to be laid-back, skinny to be beautiful or rich to be successful?

By allowing yourself the freedom to be whoever you say you are, you actually get the opportunity to be content, balanced, and achieve in society.

For example, if I were to say that I am a great artist, I am not saying that I could paint the Mona Lisa. I’m just allowing myself to paint to the best of my ability.

I’m not staying away from doing something just because people say my art sucks or obsessing over my work just because somebody said that I had a great talent.

I am a great artist regardless of what I paint, what other people say about my artwork, or what it’s valued at.

I get to choose who I am, and choosing to be a great artist is much better than relying on some critic to tell me what kind of artist I am.

I get to be content about what I’ve done and where I am in my life. I get the freedom to try other things and I end up trying new activities and taking more risks than I otherwise would, making me achieve more.

It’s a paradox, but often when we try not to achieve but do things for the love of them, that’s when we actually perform the best.

Do not to limit yourself by letting others define you.

As a human being, there are certain physical, mental and emotional limitations, but who you are, your identity, is limitless.

The only question is, “Who do you say you are?” *** Dan Johnson, a senior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Individuality, effects of media’s filter

What I’ve learned from photos in Humans of New York

Commentary

school and the society they live in.

I wonder whether they didn’t feel forced into conformity by the fear of rejection.

If everyone was asked to design their personal ideal outfit without en donning sequined ever having been exposed to bodysuits and stilettos, clothing norms, what would the hand-holding couples who outfits look like? appear to have an entire rack of clothes I don’t think it’d be quite what we from the thrift store hanging on their usually see. (Heck, their ideal outfit bodies, and women with neon-colored might be no outfit at all.) contacts to match their hair are only a If you’re like me, however, clothes few of the subjects examined in street are more of a necessity than a form photographer Brandon Stanton’s now of expression. But the limitations famous photo portrait series, Humans mdechert.gazette@gmail.com on self-expression facilitated by the of New York. omnipresent “norm” extend to more I love these portraits. Not only are they fun to look than just the way we dress ourselves. through, but they represent to me an idea that New These limitations are modifying everything we say York City seems to have down pat, but that the rest of and how we say it, the views we hold, and what we the world has yet to realize. do in our lives.

The idea: There are an infinite number of ways to The media and pop culture play a big role in express oneself, so why not explore them? deciding the parameters for what is accepted and – New York City, through its street fashion and the new n-word – “normal.” vibrant culture, says, “No reason!”

Have you ever noticed how, in old movies, But usually the answer to that question is that out characters speak a lot more frankly or with more of infinity manners of expression, maybe 300 are specificity about what they mean? accepted by the society that a person lives in.

Watching them, you think, “Who actually says An illustration: Out of numerous patterns, colors things like that?” and styles of clothing that exist, a businessman has Maybe your grandma does. maybe one outfit choice (a suit). If he showed up to And going back even further – Jane Austen work in bright yellow overalls, the boss might ask to characters discuss things like philosophy in casual have a chat. conversation with the utmost clarity.

This limitation in the ways we express, dress and In today’s TV sitcoms, which to me sometimes present ourselves doesn’t just manifest itself in the seem interchangeable, characters usually use general workplace, however. It’s everywhere – at school, for language to discuss general topics. one.

I think these different manners of speaking, Haven’t you ever felt the urge to wear something edgy, something different to school? A headband with assuming that things like books and movies reflect a time period’s customs, indicate a trend toward a little houses on it (thanks, Tavi Gevinson), or a skirt sort of meaningless mode of conversation in today’s made of a quilt, or a Tibetan flag as a cape (I’m sure society. you have better ideas)? Doesn’t everyone secretly And media itself helps bring about that trend. envy the kid with the cajones to wear a kilt to school?

Among other things, sitcoms devoid of originality Yet, on a typical day at school, there are maybe 20 help condition people to speak and live without kids wearing something out of the norm. originality, too. People assume (maybe correctly, as I sincerely wonder whether the rest really wanted is the power of media) that what they see is socially to wear those jeans, that T-shirt, that pea-coat or those tennis shoes – or if in the morning, their fingers acceptable, and vice versa – what is portrayed as not socially acceptable they no longer feel comfortable passed longingly over the most outrageous piece of clothing hanging in their closet in favor of what they doing. know to be accepted, even expected, by their peers at Have you ever landed on the topic of weather in

M

Katia Landry “When people mak(e) little tapping noises during class repetitively.”

junior

Chloe Dobson “I hate when people take bites out of their string cheese without peeling it.”

senior

meredith dechert

conversation, and felt like you had to quickly change the subject because you had all those movie and TV lines about how weather-talk is the lowest form of smalltalk bouncing around in the back of your head?

I sometimes feel exhausted by the amount of “sortofs” and “I guesses” used to water down any kind of original, unconventional statement, and the speaker’s hesitancy in expressing her thought. But I understand the reason – often these days, if someone speaks explicitly of what they really mean (and therefore what is actually important), it’s thought of as weird or even unsettling.

And, of course, before you open your mouth or form an opinion, you subconsciously revert back to what your collective media experiences tell you is “normal” and “not normal.”

It’s hard for everyone, but please, try to be aware of this “media filter” and stop it in its tracks.

Don’t let the media do your thinking for you. Talk about the weather all the time if you want to.

Go ahead and cringe, but what Humans of New York taught me is that everyone is different and unique.

We all have our own personal thoughts, opinions and things to say, clothing aesthetics – everything.

That’s something to be celebrated. Diversity is to be cultivated. It’s a much more colorful world – literally – if everyone wears their favorite patterns.

And Darwin’s theory tells us variety is the key element in the evolution of a species. It’s the entrepreneurs and innovators – the individualists – behind the most important advancements.

Kafka said, “Don’t bend; don’t water it down....

Don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion.

Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”

I don’t think any of us want the world to become like that very meaningful episode of My Fairly Oddparents where everyone in Timmy’s world was turned into a gray blob when he wished for everyone to be the same.

So please, take Kafka’s advice and explore who you are, what you think, and what you want to do – as an individual. And for the infinite possibilities of who you might be, there are infinite ways of expressing that.

Explore those, too. Don’t be afraid. Don’t let society’s “norms” and the pressure to conform limit you – or zap you into a gray blob. *** Meredith Dechert, a junior, is Gazette staff writer.

Daniel Romero

staff

Thumbs Up Thumbs up: It’s almost spring break!

Thumbs Down

“When people write ‘your’ when it should be ‘you’re’ as a contraction.”

Thumbs down: Allergy season is approaching.

Thumbs down: AP testing is just around the corner.

Kay Bacharach –Compiled by Brian Zhuang

Thumbs up: The weather is getting warmer!

by Haley Byam, staff writer.

Gazette photo/LUKE CHIRBAS

Friday, March 15, 2013

Voices A13

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Appropriation is not so seemingly inspired Commentary

Adoption of other cultures kills original traditions

I

f you take a cross section of the Granite Bay High student body, one of the first things to be noticed is the lack of cultural diversity.

Upon closer scrutiny, however, small details emerge that hint at the opposite. Tiny things, like dreamcatchers on graphic Tees and beaded fringe on bags and feathered earrings.

While these are superficial examples of the social phenomenon known as cultural appropriation, they serve to highlight the ubiquity of the matter.

savitri asokan

sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of certain aspects of one culture by a different culture. Often, this results in the aspect - whether it be music, art, or religion - losing its original meaning and significance.

Cultural appropriation is a problem that happens every day.

Often, like in the examples above, it’s not something we realize we are doing.

Especially during adolescence, people like to experiment and dabble in different cultures. And because no one likes to feel like they are a poseur, we try to validate our experiences with diversity by publicly displaying symbols of different cultures.

Others might feel that the only way to escape the conformist nature of their environment is to expose themselves and their peers to minority cultures.

Yet these well-intentioned acts are often the cause of some of the worst acts of appropriation. While they can be perceived as socially acceptable by the dominant culture, minorities sometimes feel that something has been robbed from them.

This has happened again and again in popular culture. One of the worst offenders is Lady Gaga, who has performed wearing a burqa, which is an Islamic religious garment worn by women traditionally to prevent promiscuity.

Acts like these are just plainly ridiculous. Lady Gaga is not a Muslim, so she should not be pretending to be one. More importantly, she is definitely not a sexually repressed woman who has been forced to hide her body as a consequence of the dictatorial patriarchal paradigm. In fact, one could reasonably argue that she is the exact opposite. So why trivialize another’s struggle just to make herself seem more culturally aware?

To those detractors who would classify Gaga as an extreme case, appropriation occurs everywhere even in viral dance crazes like the Harlem shake. As everyone who has watched the dance knows, the modern “Harlem shake” consists of people performing the repeated move of something akin to dry humping air.

However, this is not anything close to what the real Harlem shake looks like. The original dance was started in 1981 and has since

become a staple of the community, a distinctive mark of the specific culture.

Recently, a Youtube video was posted of actual Harlem residents reacting to the dance videos. The overwhelming response was negative. One man bluntly stated, “This isn’t the real dance,” while others called it “disrespectful” and not accurate to what is considered a “lifestyle, not just a dance.”

When people, whether unwittingly or otherwise, participate in appropriation, important parts of cultures are cheapened and become a mockery of the actual tradition.

But I would be lying if I pretended that I am completely guiltless in this matter. Like most everyone else at GBHS, I don’t always consider the sociocultural ramifications of all my decisions.

I occasionally will don a pair of cross-adorned tights despite the fact that I am an atheist and don’t believe in the basic tenets of Christianity.

Even to myself, protesting that I am simply “appreciating the iconography” sounds weak and uninspired. Really, I just like the way they look, without wanting to consider the symbolic implications.

On a certain level, does this make me as terrible as Lady Gaga? I hope not, but I’m not sure.

Ideally, there needs to be a line somewhere delineating the “offensive” and “acceptable” sides of appropriation. But the best we can do is try to think about the effects of our choices before trivializing someone else’s traditions or beliefs.

I’m not saying that everyone should be mindful of everything all the time; all I want is for people to be a little more aware of how appropriation affects others, and a lot more open to the idea that their acts may have better intentions than results. *** Savitri Asokan, a freshman, is a Gazette staff writer.

Birthdays – how big of a deal are they really?

Over the years, ‘special day’ has new meaning

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t’s your birthday!

That phrase means a lot of different things to people. It can conjure images of balloons and cake and presents. It can also remind you of the feeling of being the center of attention that one day out of the entire year.

You might think of your friends bringing you gifts and embarrassing you by singing.

Or for a few, you might find your mind wandering to pure embarrassment, the looming feeling of unsolicited attention focused all on you for one day.

As one of those kids whose birthday rarely falls on a school day, I find myself a critic of those whose birthdays do.

Remember back in elementary school, when on your birthday, your parents would bring in some sweet treats for the whole class? And everyone would sing and you would just sit there, feeling embarrassment mixed with happiness at the same time?

That used to be what having your birthday on a school day was like. In high school big balloons tower over students in the quad and the birthday person carries bags with gifts from close friends. They are a walking party.

I am annoyed by the constant squealing of girls as their friends greet them with bags of goodies, balloons and whatever sugar-filled treat they concocted the evening before.

It is their birthday, so they have the right to celebrate as they choose. But please, don’t create such a commotion that it disrupts the ability to focus in class or merely walk through the quad.

I don’t need your balloons causing a clamor that means the teacher, now annoyed, has to ask you to move them to the back of the class so that the other students can actually see without their view being blocked by your giant “sweet 16” balloon.

I also don’t need to hear about how amazing everything is on your special day to the point that you can’t even hear the teacher shush you or feel the annoyed stares from the people who are trying to actually focus.

And don’t even get me started on how I have to watch my step around the birthday

Commentary

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wwood.gazette@gmail.com

person so as not to get whacked in the head by some helium-filled Mylar balloon.

I get the appeal of the announcement of your birthday to the entire campus, it’s your day, and in high school, birthdays are momentous. Turning 16 means you can get your license and if you’re lucky, a car, and turning 18 means becoming an adult and all the new opportunities that come with that.

These are big occasions, but the size of your balloons do not equate to the importance of your age.

I turned 16 this past November and I went through my day, trying my best not to make a fuss about it. But alas, it might have to do with the fact that I didn’t have much to announce, I didn’t get my license that day, which meant no shiny new car for me. My friends brought me gifts and thoroughly embarrassed me by getting people in class to sing happy birthday Still, I find myself questioning the motives behind birthday fuss.

For me, and for some others, birthdays, and holidays like New Years, are just a marker. A marker that another year of living has gone by, and on the optimistic occasion, a hope for the new year to come.

People generally crave attention and birthdays are a good day to satisfy that craving. Even I admit to liking having my friends acknowledge my birthday.

But there should be a line between what is and isn’t appropriate on a school day. And if it disrupts the school day, or ends up with someone getting hit in the head by a singing balloon, maybe where that line falls needs to be reconsidered.

Birthdays come with certain traditions, but at what point does tradition transform into a mere nuisance? *** Willow Wood, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Gazette illustration/SYDNEY KAHMANN

The 4x4 block system inhibits test scores Change in the system will benefit students

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s I begin reviewing for my AP examinations in May, I face an interesting dilemma. For AP physics, a one-term class I took in the fall, I need to relearn an entire college level curriculum in a matter of a couple of months. For AP statistics, a one term class I am taking in the spring, I have to be taught all of the material in three less weeks compared to students who took the same class in the fall.

AP students at Granite Bay High School must pick their poison between reviewing for an AP exam without having instruction for four months and learning the curriculum at a fast pace.

Should GBHS students who want to earn college credit be forced to choose? No. Instead, the scheduling system needs to be changed from the 4 x 4 system to traditional, year-long classes.

Across the board, studies reveal that traditional scheduling is the superior

Commentary

nicholas ontiveros nontiveros.gazette@gmail.com

option for student performance. In May of 1998, the College Board released a study that compared AP exam scores between students from either the traditional scheduling or 4 x 4 block scheduling.

After scrutinizing the data, researchers concluded that “students, on average, obtain higher AP grades when instruction is given over an entire year rather than in a semesterized block schedule format.”

Furthermore, in 2003, an ACT Research Report entitled “The Relationship Between Schedule Type and ACT Assessment Scores” found that average ACT scores dropped for schools who

switched from the traditional class schedules to block scheduling.

The results of both studies can be explained by the fast-moving curriculum. Teachers are forced to compress year-long courses into one semester classes, causing instructors to teach at an alarmingly fast rate.

Although teachers are given more time to lecture with the block scheduling, high school students become bored and uninterested when teachers lecture for long periods of time. Therefore, many teenagers stop paying attention during instruction, so learning becomes debilitated.

For higher-level classes, especially AP science classes, mastering difficult concepts cannot be achieved in one day.

Students need multiple days, time the 4 x 4 block schedule cannot provide for.

Nevertheless, traditional scheduling allocates less time per day for a given period. Teachers do not instruct for the same amount of time compared to teachers participating in block scheduling, but students can focus intensely during the 45-minute period of the traditional scheduling. These shorter periods create attentive teenagers unlike the monotonous 85 minute periods of the

4 x 4.

More importantly, students enrolled in college-level courses are given more time to comprehend their course material. A more thorough understanding of a curriculum leads to improved AP scores, including the possibility of a higher pass rate.

Also, GBHS students take standardized tests, especially those for college admissions, throughout the school year, yet the timing of finishing a class and taking the standardized test are disjointed. For example, if I were to enroll in a math class for the fall but I want to take the SAT in the spring, then I would have no math class to supplement my studying for the SAT during the spring.

A year-long math class would give me the flexibility to take the SAT whenever I desire, because there is no period of time when I am not taking a math class but still have to take a math test. Even better, I could take the SAT in May or June as my class comes to an end, the pinnacle of my math ability. Strategically speaking, I am more likely to earn a high score on the SAT when my school curriculum, providing excellent practice problems for the SAT, dovetails with my

personal SAT studying.

Often, I hear my teachers criticize the 4 x 4 block schedule as forcing them to rush through the planned curriculum.

Courses such as AP Biology and AP U.S. History have transformed into pseudo year-long classes that are blocked with physiology and AP English Language, respectively.

Teachers who manipulate block scheduling to accommodate year-long AP classes exemplify the demand for more time to let students digest information, which strengthens a student’s learning experience and overall improves their education.

Teaching 400 years of history well in one semester is a ridiculous feat that no history teacher should be forced to accomplish.

Granite Bay High still stands as one of the top high schools academically in California, but there is always room for improvement. Switching from 4 x 4 scheduling to the traditional, yearlong classes improves not only the AP curriculum, but also SAT, ACT, and standardized scores. *** Nicholas Ontiveros,a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

A14 Second Look

Second look

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lip Sync show returns to center stage

Performers move their mouths to the words and their bodies to the beat

wGazette photosw Kristin Taylor  Junior Jackson Rodriguez, left, pulls the strings on his puppet dance partner, junior Tommy Thompson. Junior Loyce Chin, below left, jumps on junior Sam Kim’s back and strikes a pose. Junior CJ Stone, below middle, stands behind junior Weston Holt as he drops his rose during the Loco Ocho performance.

Seniors Reed Bartlett and Andrew Thacker, below, perform an original song and a John Mayer cover. Recreating the popular scene from “Pitch Perfect,” junior C.C. Dickson, bottom left, performs the cup song. Seniors Trent Brendel and Jenny Gilbert, bottom, release their inner Beyonce, dancing to “Single Ladies.” Junior Chandler Dale, bottom right, downs his Coke beside his significant other on stage.

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Friday w March 15, 2013

Commentary

e m i t n i k c a b y e rn

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kristin taylor

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

as h y t n u o C r e c Life in Pla 800s 1 e t a l e h t e c n i evolved a lot s

Depression can be concealed

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n a place like Granite Bay, we like to present ourselves as our best, and we often choose to pretend everything is “OK” in order to uphold an image. We spare our problems from our family and friends so as not to burden them.

Although this is one of the weathier districts in the nation, we all have our issues, no matter how well off our families are or what our Grade Point Average is.

I came to realize this my freshman year after witnessing a life changing event with a friend that opened my eyes to see past generic conversations and forced smiles I didn’t initially pick up on.

Hayley was the girl who did it all and had it all. She had a wonderful family, who I was close with, and her father was the assistant coach of our soccer team. She was constantly a busy person, running from practices and games to National Charity League events.

She has always loved cooking, backpacking and watching “CSI Miami.”

She was one of my first friends after moving here the summer before fifth grade and we acted like goons with each other – dressing up in wigs and going to the movies pretending to be from Britain and making murder mystery videos in my backyard.

She was always a light in my life and someone I went to when I was in need of a laugh.

That is why I was shocked when Hayley confessed to me and a friend one fall night that she was suffering from feelings of depression.

“Depression? Hayley? This couldn’t be possible,” I thought.

None of my friends could possibly be depressed. It didn’t make any sense at the time.

Looking back, I was completely oblivious to the multiple warning signs, the most obvious being the cuts on her wrists she said she’d acquired from falling off of her bike.

I believed every word and even teased her for being a hopeless klutz. Her cuts would sometimes “spontaneously” reopen and I thought nothing of them.

Also, I did not comprehend the reason why she wore such a large bracelet, which I commented on as being “adorable” but was really a way of hiding the damage she’d done.

I was so angry with myself for not recognizing that one of my best and oldest friends was in dire need.

I didn’t see what was so evident because depression didn’t fit into my perfect world.

We have roofs over our heads, loving families and food in our stomachs. We should all be happy, and yet, we’re not. We all face trials and we are often hesitant to admit that we are struggling.

I’m overjoyed that Hayley fully recovered and received the help she needed before her depression spiraled further downhill. Our relationship grew much stronger following her struggle and we pushed through together; we now share our feelings and struggles with one another rather than simply fun memories.

From this experience, I’ve come to see people in a new way: people mask their emotions to hide their internal state.

Even the most “perfect” of people can have underlying issues we may never be aware of until it’s too late.

ago the sound of p the glow of acking fruit onto trains, the oil lamp,

BY GRACE M the excitemen of gold minin OORE t g gmoore.gazet te@gmail.com church funct and the pianos at quain t ions and occ asio Our modern The life that internships w nal dances. te en s le in le ere paralth d e b years ago was y the ap area led 150 dra and printing prenticeships to smiths Parents were matically different. pre colder, hard dream big w sses of the past. To higher rates as to dream of childhood ened by of having a business, ho mortality, and work was use nearby one’s and family somewhere tion was not more physical. Educab as almost never irthplace. Education was and chores w useful as a strong back a priority, unle er from a very married and e endless. Girls often wealthy fam ss one came were workin ily.

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“You ,” Granite B High School ay so d ’ve got a lot of people th h riven to have at Dell’Orto sa istory teacher Brandon a better life,” were id Ann Fenn, d sa once you star . “It was pretty much that id oce te Museum. “(T nt at the Placer County on your face d getting curves and hai hey cam r able to an started being d things like that, you have unlimit e out here) to be ed oppo treated like an that they did The activitie adult.” n’t have in th rtunities s an d e ea fr Immigrants ee tim enjoy these d escaped prim st.” ays rarely ca e students an ogeniture d found new me for the kids who cam e valuable as th liberties in America as ral farmland before us. This was rue , an times seekin gold they were somecleaning hou d when families weren g .

Califo ’t comm se odations for rnia made acor doing oth s, doing laundry, ironin g er chores, th massive Chinese imm eh few and sim igrants pouri numbers of ple: fishing, obbies were ng in hoping for gold – th hu ing and spen ou ding time wit nting, readthese immig gh most commonly, h friends.

The sound o rants ending f up working railroads. of a smartph a car’s engine, the glow for one, excitem C o ent of action ntrary to po movies and pular belief, loud parties were 150 yea the gold rs See PAST, p age B7

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE Gazette illustration/SYDNEY KAHMANN

Investigating the lies junior high students hear Students confirm and reject rampant gossip circulating about GBHS

BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

The transition from middle school to high school can be intimidating and daunting. With so many sources for information about what the high school experience is like, ranging from television shows to older siblings, it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

In order to get into the minds of soon-tobe freshmen, a sample of 7th and 8th graders at Olympus Junior High School was asked what they had heard about Granite Bay High School.

A lot of the feedback was similar and in these conversations, three statements were given repeatedly: If you choose to be in the International Baccalaureate program, you won’t have a life; freshman year is easier than 8th grade; and all of the senior boys go after the freshman girls.

These generalizations were investigated and tested for how accurate they are on the

inside lifestyle Top Ten

B2

How to

B4

Student Spotlight

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*** Random Student Kristin Taylor, a senior, is the Gazette’s photo editor and a Life- College of the Month style co-editor.

B6 B7

Spring break missions Students travel to Mexico with youth groups.

B2

GBHS campus.

IB will ruin your social life The IB program at GBHS is renowned for its vigorous courses and bright students.

The belief is that signing up for IB is a voluntary death sentence and that the course load is so heavy that extracurriculars and friends are out of question.

Students who choose IB are choosing to surrender themselves to their books for two years.

However, insight from current IB students proves that this is not the case.

“IB is one of the greatest things I’ve ever decided to do,” senior Hammad Bashir said.

He hasn’t found balancing his schedule too much of a challenge and doesn’t feel he is working much harder than other driven students on campus not in IB. “If you took seven AP classes or six AP classes, you’d be just as hammered,” Bashir said.

Bashir is the current president of the robotics club and has been involved in the club since his freshman year. He was also on the speech and debate team his freshman and sophomore years and decided to stop not because of the onset of the IB program, but because he became bored with the class. Robotics is now what he pours most of his time into.

“When I have robotics it’s more stressful than my actual classes,” Bashir said.

Another IB student who can testify that IB is not the “living hell” that middle schoolers have heard about is senior Lily Forlini.

“I still have a social life and it’s possible. You just have to manage your time,” Forlini said.

Forlini admits that she has quite a bit of after-school homework, which is understandable and expected due to the fact that the classes are so vigorous, however, she gets it done and still manages to be involved in other after school activities.

Chet Hubbard An IB senior enjoys being a part of the program.

“I have a boyfriend, I play tennis, I work out everyday (and) maintain above a 4.0 GPA. It’s definitely doable,” Forlini said.

Senior Chet Hubbard also commented on his positive experience as an IB student at GBHS. “You actually do end up having a life in IB because a lot of the people you meet in there end up being really good friends with you,” Hubbard said. “I wouldn’t say that you don’t have a life, but you’re definitely going to be a lot busier.”

Hubbard played two varsity sports his See RUMORS, page B7

Outdoor education Seniors plan to be camp counselors.

Students in ROP Participants learn specialty job skills.

B4

B5

B2 Lifestyle

Friday, March 15, 2013

top Names and Genres of Bands that never existed

Adventuring in Mexico Aligning with churches to serve other communities

BY THOMAS TAYLOR

ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

British Thor (Rock)

Hospital Lottery (Acoustic Indie)

Maverick and the Geese (Ska)

Sweep the Knee (Punk)

Redneck Welfare (Country)

Handsome Squidward (Techno)

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Wake up super early. Drive 12 hours to Mexico. Sleep in tents.

Toil to build houses. Work with deprived Mexican children. Be in a foreign country. Miss out on traditional Spring break.

These are some of the differences that Granite Bay High School students experience while helping less fortunate families in Mexico.

Two church groups in particular, Bayside Church and Valley Springs Presbyterian Church, inspire their high-school-aged congregations to go to Mexico and serve over spring break.

Families are now preparing to send their kids to be part of this voyage south despite the fact that some people consider Mexico to be a very dangerous place currently.

“But it’s really not that bad.

Occasionally you’ll see trucks with guns in them but you soon realize you are in a totally different culture than what we are used to in Granite Bay.” senior Paige Finkemeier said.

The standard of living is very different in Mexicali and down the coast of Mexico than it is in Granite Bay. “Everywhere is just dirt and poverty, and the houses they live in are more like sheds,” Finkemeier said, “It’s really sad.”

Finkemeier is a veteran of these trips – she has gone to Mexico every spring break for the last three years.

Another student, junior Brandt Misik, will be going for his second time over spring break with Bayside Church.

“We go down to different Mexican churches and play with the kids and share our sto-

ries,” Misik said. “Basically, we do what ever we can to help out.”

Brandt’s church, Bayside, takes its constituents down to the Mexicali area. This part of Mexico is just over the border from San Diego and is incredibly destitute.

“I’ve never been scared going down there really.”

Misik said.

It is incredibly rewarding to go to Mexico over the coveted one-week break. While these missionary trips take up the whole week, they can help build lasting relationships.”

“The pastor and I of one of the churches we work with have become really good friends.” Finkemeier said, “he came up to Granite Bay and remembered who I was so I thought that was really cool.”

Many of the students who are going down to Mexico claim that working with the little children is the best part. Junior Hailey Lederer says that her favorite memory of the whole trip is when the kids got a trampoline.

“The kids had never seen (a trampoline) Courtesy photo /MELVIN GRAHAM before and it was really Bonding with Mexican children is a major highlight of the high school trip to Mexican communities. cute being able to see them experience something like ing houses or playing with the the kids. every minute of working. Enjoy that,” Lederer said. “Even a kids, Cade is ready to help.

“Helping the kids is fun but an incredibly rewarding spring five-foot round trampoline can “It feels good to give back to it lets them know that there is break. have such a major impact on others who are less fortunate,” someone else out there who “Being able to give up time these kids. Being a part of that Cade said. cares about them also,” Christo make a change, even when is awesome.”

Cade confesses that his tensen said. you are tired, that is what going Another veteran of these favorite part of going down to Wake up knowing you have down to Mexico is all about.” service trips is junior Cade Mexico has to be learning a helped a little kid.

Drive twelve Lederer said. “You come home Christensen. Cade really enjoys thing or two about soccer from hours home, satisfied.

Cherish really satisfied.” working in Mexico. Be it build-

Sneezing up a storm

Smile Empty Sloth (Punk)

The season changes bring continuous sniffles

BY NEHA KOMPELLA

nkompella.gazette@gmail.com

Gas Station Sandwich (Bar Rock)

The Midget and His Carrier (Death Metal)

Thug Life Tramp Stamp (Classical) - Compiled by Chase Evans

Gazette illustration/THOMAS TAYLOR

Karthika Saravanavijayan stepped outside her front door dressed in a floral skirt, a silky tank-top and her favorite sandals, looking forward to enjoying the beautiful weather.

The sky was blue, the sun was shining across her neighborhood and a gusty breeze was blowing through the trees, carrying leaves with them.

However, as she set out towards the park, she found her nose tickling, her throat itching and her eyes beginning to water.

Five minutes later, she began to cough uncontrollably and was forced to go back indoors.

Saravanavijayan’s predicament is not unique – many people around the world face the same situation with allergies, especially around spring time.

In the Central Valley, allergies

are even more predominant, due to the high density of pollen circulating the air. Sacramento is considered the seventh worst city for allergies in the US, according to Quest Diagnostics.

“An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from all types of allergies, including indoor/ outdoor, food and drug, latex, insect, skin and eye allergies,”, said Dr. Garapati, a physician from Folsom. “That’s one in five Americans.”

Allergies affect someone when their immune system is hypersensitive. For the most part, our immune system does a wonderful job of keeping away bacteria and viruses. But sometimes, they tend to overreact to something that may not be harmful at all, such as pollen or dust.

This overreaction can result in symptoms, such as coughing, a runny nose or the tearing up of the eyes. All these reactions

are caused merely by the release of histamine and other chemicals by the immune system to prevent invasion of the body by a foreign substance.

“No one really knows why some people have allergies and some do not, but we know that the sensitivity to have allergies or not runs in families,” Dr. Pasco, a physician at Kaiser Permanente, said. “Usually allergy season starts when things start to bloom, so we’ll see what the next few months have in store.”

Sometimes, this reaction, or allergy, may be life-threatening, but for the most part, it’s just annoying.

Konrad Sheperd, a sophomore at Granite Bay High School, finds seasonal allergies to be something that are more of an inconvenience than a danger.

“Thankfully, I have not had See ALLERGY, page B6

Students adjust to financial disadvantages

Families who struggle with lower incomes are very present on the GBHS school campus

BY MEREDITH DECHERT mdechert.gazette@gmail.com

Housing bubble, increased unemployment and economic downfall. In the past five years these terms have become household vocabulary among any family that owns a television and doesn’t boycott the news.

GBHS students have experienced first-hand the very tangible effects of the economic downfall that the United States began to experience in 2008 and that has since then touched every corner of the world.

Since the recession began, lay-offs, resulting unemployment, foreclosure, eviction and financial struggles have plagued increasing numbers of GBHS students’ lives.

“We have seen … an increase in the number of families here with foreclosed homes,” assistant Principal Brent Mattix said.

Mattix attributes the increase in financially struggling families to the general economic situation in the country as a result of the 2008 burst of the artificiallyinflated housing market.

“I think that most of the issues that we’re facing are what we’re seeing nationwide,” Mattix said. “Specifically, I think the majority of our challenges are tied to the housing market,” Assistant Principal Brian McNulty agrees, but also feels that the trend is especially prevalent in the Sacramento area.

“Take a look at the downturn … of industry within (the) Sacramento region.”

McNulty said.

Debbie Nordman, who is the secretary for the assistant principals at GBHS, has also noticed an increase in the number of families in the area who can no longer afford what they could previously.

Nordman thinks parents may be inclined to try to hide the reality of their financial situation from their high-school-age

children for as long as possible in order to protect them from the trauma and stress that might result.

“They either stay status quo, business as usual, but they’re going into debt to do so,” Nordman said.

Luckily, this anonymous junior girl from GBHS agreed to share her story with the Gazette was able to speak openly with her mom about their situation.

The girl’s family first started experiencing financial difficulty when she was in 8th grade.

Her father was laid off after the economy crashed and moved out of state to follow a job opportunity.

Following her parents’ divorce, the girl and her mother lived alone in Roseville as her mother worked several jobs.

When they were unable to continue to pay for their house, the girl and her mother moved to Sacramento, where prices of homes aren’t as high.

The girl’s mother continues to work sev-

eral jobs, never sure of how many hours she will get.

Because her mother, who graduated from college, is currently going back to school to get even further credentials, the girl rarely is able to spend time with her mom.

“It’s mostly just sleeping (when we’re together),” she said.

The girl explained that each month a tremendous amount of effort goes into formulating a budget and a plan to make sure necessities will be paid for.

“We have to make sure there’s enough money to get us through the month,” said the girl, who takes the 20-minute drive from their home in Sacramento to and from school each day.

Luckily, the girl has been able to handle the situation well with responsibility and calm, despite a few somewhat frightening occurrences in the very first week of her residence in Sacramento, where there was a gun pulled at a local McDonald’s.

Brent Mattix Assistant principals take care to provide students with equal opportunities.

“It feels a little less safe,” the girl says. “It’s a more urban area.”

The responsibility and success of the girl and her mother in the meticulous planning that goes into managing a low income effectively is very important.

It may have been quite literally life-saving, when, last year, the girl experienced an unexpected heart problem.

Her family had had to work hard to get the girl health insurance, filling out huge amounts of paperwork to take the necessary

See FINANCE, page B6

Friday, March 15, 2013

Lifestyle

w The Granite Bay Gazette

B3

Athletes and family travel for sporting events Players compete in different sports around the world

BY BRIAN ZHUANG

bzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

She walked out onto the stage, nervous and anxious, waiting for her song to start. There was an audience filled with unfamiliar faces, unlike the usual viewers – her family. Lights, cameras and cheering engulfed her in the moment.

Her hands were soaked with sweat, causing her to constantly wipe it off on her uniform; this was the biggest stage junior Mackensi Emory had competed on.

She was being broadcasted on ESPN2 for the International Sport Karate Association World Championship.

Every year, Emory travels all over the world for major competitions in martial arts and tricking. She has had over 300 wins throughout her career.

She has been to Australia, Guatemala and Canada for a variety of things.

Emory says that it is very exciting traveling the world, seeing new places and meeting new people.

“It’s really cool to compete outside the country,” Emory said. “The people are really nice and polite too.”

Similar to Emory, sophomore Hannah Davis’s brother, Devin, skis in New Zealand and Canada quite often.

As a sister, Davis travels and watches her brother compete in new countries.

She and her family usually will take a couple weeks off to support Devin.

While in New Zealand, Devin intensely trains to prepare for these competitions. He is usually gone for about

two months, and during this time he also competes.

He skis from 7-12 a.m. every day and then works out from 2-4 p.m. to become the best he can.

“I am very proud of my brother when he races,” Hannah said. “Win-or-lose, I am still very proud.”

Sophomore Jordan Anderson’s sister, Haley, competed in the 2012 London Olympics. She swam for the USA team and won a silver medal in the openwater swim event.

Before this honor, Anderson’s sister had to go to Tennessee for training camp for about a week and then go to Paris for about two weeks.

She started swimming when she was six years old, and over the years of hard work and dedication, her dreams had finally come true.

Likewise, Emory trains every day when she gets home for different amounts of time each day depending on how she feels.

Jordan’s sister had trained in Beijing, Guam and many more places before competing.

Both Davis and Emory say that life in other countries is generally the same as life in the United States.

Emory also likes to travel because the food is very different and delicious.

The variety of foods around the world is countless and this produces new tastes and exposure of other cultures.

“In Australia, everything is barbeque,” Emory said. “It’s just different, but it’s really good.”

When Anderson traveled and cheered

her sister on, she saw new and different stores and people in each city.

“I really liked seeing new stores I had never heard of,” Anderson said.

Because Emory travels so much, she usually misses some school and this causes her to make up several assignments and mainly complete her studies on plane rides or in hotels.

While in these foreign countries, Emory does more than just compete. She also teaches students and performs in front of crowds.

Emory has gotten the opportunity to perform in Guatemala, and this experience humbled her because of the lifestyle and circumstances of the part of Guatemala she was in.

“Teaching in Australia and performing in Guatemala were some of the most memorable things I’ve ever done,” Emory said.

Traveling for sports can be a huge hassle that has its upsand-downs throughout. Though it requires the work ethic and determination to reach that level in which you travel the world, the experiences and moments in these great places can be priceless to these athletes and their families.

“Going around the world,” Emory said, “has been an amazing experience.”

Gazette illustration/AUSTIN ALCAINE

Program helps teens

Photos capture senior year

Real Talk organization brings counseling to struggling youth at GBHS

BY MEREDITH DECHERT

Local photographer options depict student individuality

BY DAN JOHNSON

djohnson.gazette@gmail.com

The senior year is filled with many memorable experiences, one of which is having a senior picture or a portfolio of pictures taken.

Fortunately, there are professionals in the area who offer an array of services at price levels that match every budget.

For those looking for value, all Granite Bay High School seniors receive a free “formal” sitting at Bill Smith Photography. The formal sitting is the tuxedo pose for boys and formal dress pose for girls used for the yearbook and it can be purchased for personal use.

For seniors wanting something other than the formal sitting, Smith also offers other poses and styles. Whichever pose you choose, Bill Smith Photography has a range of prices.

For seniors desiring a more elaborate portfolio, there are other local photographers who offer a variety of backdrops, settings and styles that are unique to them. Although these photographers are usually more expensive, many offer promotional pricing to defray the cost.

One of Granite Bay’s most notable senior photographers is Trenton Bahr Fine Portraiture. Having opened his studio in Granite Bay in 1991, Bahr is well known for taking more senior portfolio pictures of GBHS seniors than any other local photographer.

Much of Bahr’s success has to do with his approach to his clients.

“I like the (connection) with the people; building the relationship with the clients,” Bahr said. “That is my favorite part; the people come first.”

Bahr’s point of view on his work has given him a reputation in the community as having optimal service with a great amount of attention given to detail. His services start with a comprehensive “Design Session” and ends with an artistically retouched photo that has complementary likeness to his client.

When Bahr was asked what he believes sets him apart from other senior portrait photographers, he talked about how he attempts to

Gazette illustration/AUSTIN ALCAINE

make people feel comfortable through the process and about his technical training at the Brooks Institute with a focus on “corrective portraiture.”

“How to make somebody look their very best was the focus of the training,” Bahr said. “(I work on) recognizing what their worst features (are) and how to hide them so that they (look) their best.”

Bahr went on to say how finding a well-trained photographer can be difficult because of the lack of available training out there for people looking to enter the career.

Every year, Trenton Bahr Photography offers seniors promotional pricing on his senior photography packages.

Another notable photography company used by many GBHS seniors is Lynn Greene Studios. Although her studio is now located in El Dorado Hills, she is no stranger to taking photographs of GBHS students, as her previous studio was also located in Granite Bay. Greene prides herself in her ability to capture the essence of a See PICTURES, page B7

The

CollegeBoard SAT

un- Official SATpractice guide

Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalkboard is its own separate game. Answers can be found B6.

2. Aesthetic 3. Brusque 4. Opulent 5. Intrepid

a. Lacking in wit or imagination b. Rich and superior in quality c. Habitually complaining d. Concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste e. Plausible but false

Since October, the multitude of green fliers posted around campus bearing the title “Strong Teens Group” has been hard to miss. The number of posters is slightly overwhelming, but the in-your-face style of advertising is has a purpose.

The number of posters is based on the belief that for every poster insisting “you are not alone (in feeling) stressed, anxious, depressed, helpless or overly emotional,” there is a Granite Bay High School student that suffers from one or more of the listed feelings.

Strong Teens – recently renamed Real Talk – is a support group open to all GBHS students that meets every Tuesday during first and second lunch. It is designed to help students work through any social or emotional problems by talking about their experiences in a group environment.

“I had really wanted to put together a group where students can talk about the struggles they have in high school, whether it’s your friends, being bullied, stress, anxiety or depression, and that’s where Strong Teens came from,” said GBHS intervention counselor Kathleen Orchard, who directs the Real Talk program.

The counseling department at GBHS originally launched the pilot program in last October and ran it through November. Under Orchard’s direction, the group began meetings again at the start of the new semester and is scheduled to extend into mid-

Intervention counselor works on the Real Talk program to provide help to upset students.

May. Real Talk meetings are planned and guided by two counselor interns, Sheila Walker and Sherri Franklin, who offer information and suggestions on positive coping mechanisms.

However, their main role, Orchard said, is simply to make sure the conversation during meetings flows.

“This is not necessarily a counseling group,” Walker said. “I will share experience and any techniques that I need to share … but this is really to get a chance to talk about the things that are going on in your life and for us to offer support.”

It is the sharing of experiences that is most beneficial, Orchard said. The approach taken is similar to that of the annual Point Break program that many GBHS students attend.

“We want to take what a lot of the students experienced in Point Break and bring it into the classroom for students to (see) ‘I’m not the only one who’s going through this, there are other people who have experienced this’,” Orchard said.

Based on the curriculum of the See TALK, page B6

If you really knew me, you would know...

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 1 1. Varia

Kathleen Orchard

mdechert.gazette@gmail.com

6. Prosaic 7. Fortuitous 8. Deleterious 9. Querulous 10. Spurious

f. Miscellaneous items, especially a miscellany of literary work g. Marked by rude or peremptory shortness h. Invulnerable to fear and intimidation i. Occurring by happy chance j. Harmful to living things

- Compiled by Meghan Carlsen

Joey Carlsen

I do plays and sing. (I’m in) “13,” (a musical) that goes up in March. I’m playing Malcolm, who’s a popular kid, and he’s part of the jock (crowd).

Clare Moore

I want to become an (Emergency Room) doctor. Next summer, I’m going to intern at Stanford ER ...

I can also make apple pie from memory.

Ayesha Godil

I’m not actually Indian. My parents are from Pakistan. Also, I love Bollywood. It kind of keeps me connected to my culture (with) the dancing and the music.

- Compiled by Kristine Khieu

B4 Lifestyle

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Attaining a liberal-arts college education

Examining the positives and negatives of the lesser-known private schools in the United States WILLIAMS COLLEGE • Total Number of

Undergraduate Students: 2,128 •Location: Williamstown, MA •Most popular major: Economics •Tuition: $44,660 •Mascot: Ephelia, the purple cow Source: http://www.williams. edu/

BY SAVITRI ASOKAN

sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

The stereotypical college is a place of learning, where leafy trees stand and spectacle-clad students walk in small groups with the sole purpose of doing one thing, furthering their education.

This archetype is essentially what liberal arts colleges are.

Liberal arts colleges are defined by their principal stress on humanities-related subjects.

There are over 500 liberal arts colleges in the U.S., most of which are undergraduate colleges.

“Students usually apply to

liberal arts colleges if they are interested in pursuing a degree in English, liberal studies, or journalism,” Cindi Underwood, who manages the College and Career Center said.

However, liberal arts colleges aren’t as popular as others among Granite Bay High School students.

“Some of the liberal arts colleges are not as large as colleges that have all the majors as well, therefore they tend to be a bit smaller,” Underwood said.

One reason for this is the fact that there are not many liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Every year, more and more

liberal arts colleges are losing their accreditation, and with them, their student body count.

The main problem for this is the growing financial duress on the colleges. With budget cuts, colleges have stopped keeping up with maintenance and often stop offering classes which are essential to their “liberal arts”-type curriculum.

Liberal arts colleges have been particularly affected due to their small size and specialized subject matter. Because small colleges don’t carry much weight, they are often easily taken down or replaced.

Other than financial problems, the other significant

issue with the popularity of liberal arts colleges is the simple fact that students often choose to go to larger universities instead.

However, the idea that liberal arts colleges don’t have much to offer to someone seeking a comprehensive education is a misconception.

“I searched for liberal arts schools because I’m interested in a wide variety of media – painting, film, music and animation,” senior Taylor Reynolds said.

Reynolds has been accepted into Chapman University, a See LIBERAL ARTS, page B6

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY •Total Number of Undergraduate Students: 5,300 •Location: Orange, California •Most popular major: Business •Tuition: $42,084 Mascot: Pete the Panther Source: http://colleges. usnews.rankingsandreviews. com/best-colleges/chapmanuniversity-1164 Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOY

Master artist at GBHS

Brandon Borjon displays work in local galleries

BY WILLOW WOOD

wwood.gazette@gmail.com

On Feb. 6th of this year, senior Brandon Borjon found himself inside District 30, a nightclub in Sacramento. But Borjon wasn’t there to party – he was there showing his artwork.

This show was Borjon’s first show. He was presenting his art through a program called RAW, an acronym for natural born artists.

“They’re an independent arts organization focused on giving independent artists representation in local communities so they can gauge traction in the local art scenes,” Borjon said.

RAW offers representation for many up and coming artists, and it’s not just for painting. RAW offers opportunities to people involved in fashion, music, film, hair, makeup, photography and performing arts as well.

The application process is fairly simple. Borjon simply contacted a representative online and sent them a portfolio of his work, an artist statement and a little bit about himself.

Three months later he got a call letting him know they loved his work and he had his first show booked.

“There’s actually a separate branch in the organization that is for people under 18 and I didn’t

know about this,” Borjon said.

This caused an issue when Borjon was told where his showing would be. Seeing as how he isn’t over 21, he technically wouldn’t have been allowed in to his own showing, seeing as it was held in a night club.

But the manager made an exception for him because he stayed over by his art and didn’t go up to the bar.

Borjon started off like many others at Granite Bay High School, taking Art 1 with Mr. Stephens, and now as a senior he is completing his high school art career in AP Studio Art with Stephens.

“His style is totally unique of any other student in art currently at GBHS,” said Emma Gracyk, another student in AP Studio Art. “His paintings are always so different and interesting and I love seeing what he will paint next. In fact, he has inspired me to incorporate abstract elements into my own paintings.”

Borjon describes himself as a contemporary pop surrealist. He said inspiration can come from everything from personal experiences and dreams to contemporary writers, musicians and artists.

Also he is heavily influenced by the L.A. Pop Surrealism movement.

More specifically he finds inspiration from Gajin Fujita who

does a combination of graffiti low brow art and highly stylized wood carvings.

Borjon is recognized on campus like most art students, carrying a canvas around with him all day.

But now he is being recognized outside of campus, and he loves the experience.

“It’s one thing for your mom or your art teacher to say they like your work,” Borjon said. “It’s another for a bunch of random people to say ‘Wow I really like your painting,’” Borjon said.

The RAW program also offers another something to their artists, a second showing without reapplication. The only catch is the showing has to be out of state.

This happens to work out perfectly for Borjon because he will attending college up in Portland come next fall and in September he has another showing already planned in Portland.

While he loves art and would never give it up, he doesn’t see himself full time pursuing it.

“In terms of college I’ve considered doing an art minor,” Borjon said. “I don’t see it as being my career but definitely as a part-time thing” Borjon is being featured in Pop! Goes the Art, a pop art inspired show at the Blue Line Gallery.

The show runs from Feb. 16th to April 13th with a Saturday Reception on March 16th.

how to...

Brandon Borjon stands proudly by his work created in his AP Studio Art class that will soon be featured in a pop art show at the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville.

Students adventure in Outdoor Education

High school counselors lead younger children

Clean your cell phone screen

BY WILLOW WOOD

wwood.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOY

1. Obtain a microfiber cloth or anything lint-free, such as a coffee filter or the thickest paper towel you can find.

2. Take out your phone.

3. Make sure your display is turned off.

4. Apply a few drops of isopropyl alcohol solution (higher percentage the better) onto the surface of the screen or cloth.

5. Wipe in a circular motion until residue-free.

-Compiled by Akash Khosla

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

Gazette illustration/THOMAS TAYLOR

A lot of students at Granite Bay High School remember going to Outdoor Education, whether it was Woodleaf or Shady Creek. And now some GBHS students plan to return, but this time as counselors.

“I think that a good counselor is one who is natural leader, someone who can relate to kids, and can react to situations quickly and effectively,” said Chris Anderson, a senior who is going to have his first experience as a counselor.

Shady Creek Outdoor Education, formerly known as Woodleaf, is a week long camp that 6th graders at schools in the area attend.

The week is filled with activities that are designed for educating students on wildlife and nature outside the classroom.

Counselors will be responsible for approximately eight through 10 students of the same gender.

“My Outdoor Ed counselor was a friends parent and I thought they did well but weren’t as relatable as a teen counselor should be,” Anderson said.

And this is a trait that is necessary to being a counselor. The counselors should be mature, responsible, and energetic as well.

Having a pleasant personality, being able to take direction well and being able to connect with younger students is also valuable.

Excelsior specifically is looking for student counselors who are

well-rounded, responsible and role model and helping kids” enthusiastic students who would Most students who went to Outenjoy being role models to 6th door Ed. Camp remember all the graders. fun that they had as sixth graders “Therefore, it is important to be and so they’re looking forward to outgoing and interested in every going back and getting to experikid while also being responsible ence it all over again. and caring about “I’m most looking each kid,” said Kim forward to leading Sinclair, a senior cabin group on I am excited to my who has already hikes through the been approved to be bond with my wilderness,” Andera counselor. said. kids and get to sonAnd While the responfor other know them each high schoolers the sibility and duties of being a counselor of getting to be individually.” idea are more complex, the counselor and the entire applicahelping the younger – Kim Sinclair, GBHS students enjoy it as tion process is quite simple. much as they did is senior “There’s just one an exciting thought. application packet “I am excited to with some questions bond with my kids about why you want and get to know to do it, what expethem each individurience you’ve had with kids and ally while doing the fun activities such,” said Holly Rodeo, a senior involved in the program,” Sinclair applying to be a counselor. “Then said. a few weeks later they have some The counselors are responsible group interviews of about four to for keeping track of the students as six kids at once, and that’s it.” well as making sure each student The application also has an has a great experience and for optional teacher recommendamost, this can be a daunting task. tion in which the teacher rates the “I am concerned, I suppose as students from one through five on most fellow counselors are, if I categories such as responsibility will be able to make the experiand creativity. ence equally fun for every kid,” “I decided to sign up this year Sinclair said. “I am hoping that I because I thought that reliving an can inspire everyone to be positive experience of my childhood would and put their interest into everybe pretty great,” Anderson said. thing we do so everyone can get “Also I like the idea of being a the most out of it.”

Friday, March 15, 2013

Lifestyle

w The Granite Bay Gazette

B5

Living Greek life

Graduates join fraternity system

BY BRAD WONG

brwong.gazette@gmail.com

It’s an exciting time for seniors at Granite Bay High School. Students receive official letters of admission and anticipate more from their dream colleges.

But after the notification frenzy is over, it can be a time of panic for individuals. Some may be indecisive on their school of choice; others may have no idea what they want to do in college.

A significant facet of this decisionmaking process is something invariably important for those seeking higher education: “the college experience.”

Many say that these four years can be the best years of anyone’s life, but how can one ensure that they will share such a positive experience?

What some GBHS alumni have found is that entering the Greek life opens all sorts of doors to getting a true college experience.

Abhi Prakash, who graduated from GBHS in 2011, currently attends the University of Arizona as a sophomore and is a member of the fraternity Pi

Kappa Alpha.

Prospective college students may entirely dismiss the idea of joining a fraternity or sorority because of their negative stigmas, but Prakash has found his involvement to be only beneficial.

“I have made some great friends in my fraternity as well as been exposed to opportunities on- and off-campus that may not have been available if I hadn’t joined,” Prakash said.

A common concern shared among high school graduates is that they will be lost among a multitude of other students at large universities, but joining a fraternity eased Prakash into the social scene of University of Arizona’s populous student body.

“College is a big place,” Prakash said. “Joining a fraternity reduces your environment from a 40,000 person sea to a 150 person pond.”

But, while the Greek life can provide its positive aspects, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

“Becoming a full-on member in a fraternity or sorority is quite a time commitment, but as the saying goes, ‘if it’s easy, it isn’t worth it’,” Prakash said.

Student

Spotlight Gazette illustration/MEGHAN CARLSEN

Kelsey Green Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

For Hannah Hughes, GBHS graduate of 2010 and junior at the California State University: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, being a sorority sister in Gamma Phi Beta has been more than just a time to enjoy the Greek life.

“Joining a sorority has allowed me to meet so many people and get involved

not only within my house, but also on campus and within the San Luis Obispo community,” Hughes said.

According to Hughes, the Greek life is not solely for partying, but an avenue for rewarding experiences.

See GREEK, page B7

Senior balances athletics, academics and being a club president \

College students change their minds Young adults experiencing buyer’s remorse over their university of choice

BY AUSTIN PINK

apink.gazette@gmail.com

As March approaches, many of Granite Bay High School’s seniors eagerly await their college admission results. Although many seem dazed by the intensity of the “college race”, there always seems to be some students who have a dream school in the back of their mind and what seems like a solid four-year game plan.

Many of these students discover that this game plan often requires an unexpected alteration.

A recent culmination of studies released by classesandcareers.com, revealed alarming trends in the enrollment in higher education.

Although three million students will enroll in some form of higher education this year, an astounding 33 percent will drop out before the end of the academic year.

This number doesn’t even include the large number of students who attempt to transfer or defer.

The study cited that most dropouts occur due to financial and academic performance issues. In a financially and academically sound area like Granite Bay, these factors are rarely issues for GBHS students.

But over 34 percent of cases were

the result of a “bad-fitting” college or a “burn-out” where the student leaves due to personal gripes with the school and academic experience.

College application specialist, Scott Hamilton, has extensive experience with these cases. His company, Future Stars, specializes in the application process and assists students in the college search.

“We often deal with cases of college transfers and dropouts,” Hamilton said, “sometimes it is because the student did not reach their potential in high school and ended up at a school that does not match their academic abilities.”

Sometimes students are worried about whether they are meeting their college potential, especially when the admissions process is so competitive.

“Even though I’m not a senior, I’m still worried about the whole college search,” junior Jake Mackall said. “It’s just so competitive that I’m not sure where I’ll go.”

Despite the anxiety and planning leading up to committing to a college, it is possible for a student to end up at a school that isn’t the best fit for them.

“However,” Hamilton said, “other times, students get to a college and it is not what they expected; either because they did not do their homework or they

thought they wanted one thing in a college but then later realize that they want something different.”

Connor Puhala, a former GBHS student represents one such case.

Puhala graduated from GBHS in the class of 2011 and chose to attend UCLA. Despite an original goal to be an engineering major, Puhala decided to defer for a semester and try to enroll to Berklee Music School in Boston.

“In my case, I wasn’t disappointed I went to UCLA,” Puhala said, “It was a great experience, but my interests are to somehow be involved in the music industry.”

Another notable aspect of Puhala’s experience was his choice to defer rather than dropout.

“I chose to defer in order to keep my options open,” Puhala said, “Deferring means I can choose to return next semester, but I believe will still attempt a career in music.”

Puhala just recently had his audition for Berklee Music School and is awaiting the results.

Although a student should always follow his or her passion, Hamilton believes that avoiding the “buyer’s remorse” with the college search will save students time and money.

Visit campuses, and take official tours,” Hamilton said, “Mix it up so

Connor Puhala GBHS graduate changes schools to follow passion for music.

you are visiting different types of schools. Sit in on a class, and talk to current students about what they like and what they would change about their school. Really think about what environment is best for your success and overall happiness before getting caught up in the brand name of a school.”

There are also resources like guidebooks and websites that can describe the different aspects of different colleges, but Hamilton believes that nothing beats a campus visit.

“Finally, work with an education consultant who has spent a considerable amount of time visiting and researching colleges and is adept at helping students uncover good matches,” Hamilton said. “A college education is one of the biggest investments you will ever make, so be an educated consumer.”

Gazette: What does the Make-A-Wish club do?

Kelsey Green: the Make-A-Wish club works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Make-A-Wish club actually adopts a wish of a wish child and we raise the necessary funds for that child’s wish to come true.

Gazette: You are taking pretty rigorous classes this year. How do you balance your course load and a club?

Green: I have to stay really organized. It has been really hard because I have six AP classes and last semester I only had AP classes, so balancing it is really hard but I think that’s what makes it fun. Stress and being challenged is what I thrive off of.

Gazette: How are you managing your extracurricular activities?

Green: Last semester when I was taking all AP classes and had varsity volleyball and that was really hard. It’s basically just time management and you have to prioritize.

Gazette: Do you regret taking all AP classes and having no free time?

Green: I have thought about that before because it definitely has taken away a lot of my time with friends but I don’t because I am really proud of everything that I have accomplished and I think that it is really going to help with college.

-Compiled by Summer Haenny

ROP opens up multiple doors for students School program provides career experience

BY SYDNEY KAHMANN

skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

to go online and … start doing the online lesson. Then he answers any questions that we have.”

Contrary to many ROP classes, students are not inserted into an internship or other work environment.

“AP Computer Science A is (mostly) Java programming,” Brown said.

The Granite Bay High School 2013-2014 Course Catalog lists 28 different 49er Regional Occupation Program courses with subjects ranging from architecture to video production.

While GBHS does not have students I got to handin every ROP class available, those feed some foxes Brett Kimble, ROP Sports enrolled find the ... hold a prairie Medicine skills they learn to be dog and be in the Another ROP invaluable expericlass with no ence for their future cage with these internship is ROP majors and careers. huge golden Sports Medicine, offered from 2-3 Chandler Brown, eagles. p.m. Monday ROP AP Computer through Friday Science A – Senior Mattie Salinas at Lincoln High Meeting from 6-8 School. p.m. on Mondays While not havat Roseville High ing an internship School and learning may seem like a downside, the the rest of the material online and through weekly homework assign- class instructor is a former athments, students prepare for the AP letic trainer for the San Francisco Computer Science A exam offered 49ers.

With credentials like these, in the spring. senior Brett Kimble is happy he “AP Computer Science (A) is entered the program. an actual, formal lecture,” said Kimble wants to be a physical senior Chandler Brown, who plans therapist, an occupation related to to major in computer engineering. “the anatomy of the body, bones, “(The teacher) starts off and he some kinesiology (and) how the basically goes over a brief review body moves,” a few of the topics of what the lessons are going to students learn through ROP Sports be for the week and then we have Medicine, according to Kimble.

But studying is not the only aspect of sports medicine, so students frequently practice taping wrists and ankles properly along with other hands-on activities.

“If you’re interested in the medical field or just athletics in general, (sports medicine) is a good (program) to get into,” Kimble said.

Mattie Salinas, ROP Integrated Animal Science On a typical day in ROP Integrated Animal Science, senior Mattie Salinas goes to the zoo.

Thanks to ROP, Salinas interns from 12-3 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary.

In the beginning of the year, however, Salinas spent a month learning about animal sciences and the zoo before starting her internship.

Now working in the zoo’s section for birds and small carnivores, Salinas has had some great handson experiences with the animals. “(Usually I) take care of reptiles and I also get to care for the foxes and coyotes,” Salinas said.

In the beginning of her internship, Salinas was doing small things, like learning about the different nutritional needs of the animals.

“During my first two weeks I did spend a lot of time in the kitchens, just to learn about their diets, but

Gazette photo /SUMMER HAENNY

Senior Mattie Salinas leans down to feed a peacock at Folsom City Zoo during her ROP class. toward the very end of my training, I got to hand-feed some foxes … hold a prairie dog and be in the cage with these huge golden eagles,” Salinas said.

Salinas, who has always loved animals and wants to be an animal behaviorist, almost did not take ROP. “At first I thought (ROP Integrated Animal Science) was

actually for veterinary students, but then I learned that (there were) other things that (I) could do,” Salinas said.

If Salinas did not get the zoo internship, she would have hoped for an internship in an animal rehabilitation center near Auburn instead of one of the internships in local veterinary practices.

Either way, Salinas’ experiences

in ROP have solidified her career path.

“I know some of my friends (who) have just been taking the veterinary part, and (they) have found that they either loved it or want to move away from it,” Salinas said. “But (from) being at the zoo, I can already tell that animal behavior is definitely what I want to do in the future.”

Your names. Your faces. The Gazette.

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, March 15, 2013

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

One of 2,128 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue

Gay-Straight Alliance Club President: Senior Eddie Schubert

It is impossible to spell a word only using the bottom row of the keyboard.

Gazette: What do you think is the purpose of the GSA on campus?

To support the equal treatment of Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer students and to raise awareness of the difficulties they face.

If you run in the rain, you will get about 50 percent wetter than if you stood still.

When and where does the club meet?

Every other Friday after school in Mr. Cunningham’s room.

Monster trucks generate around 2,000 horsepower, equal in power to eight cars or 300 lawn mowers.

A Japanese superstition is that if you lay down after a meal, you’ll turn into a cow.

What events or activities are currently being planned by GSA? We are currently organizing informational ads to promote an understanding of the Day of Silence.

Income tax was unconstitutional in the United States until one year before the US joined WWI (1913).

Gazette photo /SUMMER HAeNnY

Shivani Bobbala, freshman

Butter was the first food product allowed by law to have artificial coloring. It is completely white in its natural state.

Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school.

Source: http://www.allrandomfacts.com/

–Compiled by Madison Touloukian

If happiness were the national currency, what would your job be?

The CEO of a really big company, like Apple.

What do you like so far about Granite Bay High School?

I like how there are a lot of clubs to

get involved in.

What is your pet peeve?

When people are really rude to someone, because it really hurts the other person.

What is your favorite color?

Blue, because I love to swim.

What is the value you incorporate most in your life?

Perseverance

What is the Day of Silence?

It’s a demonstration to show how members of the LGBTQ community are afraid to express themselves in this oppressive society.

How would you encourage anyone who’s considering joining GSA? I’d tell them that we are an openminded and accepting group, and we’d love to have anyone help support our cause.

–Compiled by Neha Kompella –Compiled by Alexa Zogopoulos

ALLERGIES: Students refuse to let their symptoms bring them down

TALK: Students receive help and counseling

Continued from page B2

University of Oregon’s Strong Teens program, the group emphasizes the power of positive thinking to overcome emotional and day-to-day challenges.

In a meeting focused on “Common Thinking Errors,” participants discussed negative thinking traps that many – if not all – people are victim to. “Black-andwhite thinking” and “binocular vision” (looking at things in a way that makes them seem bigger or smaller than they really are) were a few of the bad habits addressed. A handout from the Strong Teens curriculum summarizing the habits accompanied the discussion.

“A lot of people could really relate to it,” said Alix Futrell, a GBHS senior who attended the meeting as a Peer Helper.

“So it’s kind of nice to be a part of it and learn new things. I don’t even realize that I do those things.”

Peer Helpers – students who are enrolled in the Peer Helping class and exercise leadership skills – have been instructed to attend the Real Talk meetings at least once to assist the counselor interns and are encouraged to offer their own insight or experiences in discussion.

Many may realize, like Futrell, that the meetings are helpful for themselves, too.

Futrell, like Orchard, sees the benefits for students who are encountering difficult obstacles to feel that they are not alone.

any life-threatening episode with my allergy,” he said. “On a scale of one to 10, my seasonal allergies are probably a five, and only then because it screws up my appearance”.

Sheperd is affected by seasonal allergies, the most common type of allergies in the US. The symptoms he is affected by include a runny nose and irritation of the eyes.

“Supposedly, honey from local bees should dull the pollen allergies but I use Benadryl myself,” Sheperd said when asked how he dealt with his allergies.

But although many students choose to take allergy medications prescribed to them by a doctor, there are some who prefer a more natural route.

“One particular allergy suppressant that works really well is sniffing a saline solution into your nose,” Saravanavijayan said.

This remedy is more commonly known for sore throats, but it works for allergies as well. Mixing a teaspoon of salt into warm distilled water and then sniffing it up your nose can help to remove irritants in the nose and relieve symptoms.

Another natural solution to allergies is simple, avoid dairy. Studies have shown that dairy is clinically proven

to thicken mucus, which may lead to a thicker block-up in the throat or in the nose. This oftentimes leads to increased discomfort and worsens the allergy symptoms.

Foods that can relieve allergy symptoms are foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Seafood, flaxseed oil, walnuts, veal and sunflower seeds are all food items that contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.

For girls, long and loose hair can be a major proponent of allergies. Microscopic pollen and dust particles in the air can get caught up in hair and then continue to invade the mouth and nose throughout the day, even when the person is indoors.

To avoid this, washing hair frequently, or pulling it away from the face in a bun or ponytail, may be the best option for those with seasonal allergies.

GBHS students are determined to not let allergies affect their lives, whether through allergy medications or more natural solutions.

Saravanavijayan finds that she is definitely unwilling to let allergies keep her from enjoying the outdoors.

“I love the wind and being outdoors in the spring time,” Saravanavijayan said. “I would hate to let something as inconsequential and preventable as allergies keep me from enjoying the weather outside.”

LIBERAL ARTS: Students find solace in smaller schools Continued from page B4 a liberal arts college located in southern California.

“I want to go somewhere where I can explore my interests and hone in on an educated passion because the arts offer so many different careers,” Reynolds said.

Keelia Willison is a student at Williams College, one of the largest and most popular liberal arts colleges.

She believes that going to a smaller college has many benefits, including a closer relationship with teachers.

“Williams is representative of most liberal arts colleges in that it is a small school with a high faculty-to-student ratio,” Willison said in an email. “That means class sizes are small, and relationships with professors are close. It is not an option to get to know your professor here, it is an inevitability.”

Willison said that she finds the smaller size the most attractive feature of her college.

“Aside from the community benefits of having a school with small class sizes and extremely accessible professors, these characteristics also provide students with very intense, involved academic experiences,” Willison said.

“Most classes are seminar-style and very discussion-based.”

This type of class promotes a higher level of engagement.

According to Willison, liberal arts colleges’ most important feature is the deep bond formed with fellow students, which can last for a long time.

“It’s a huge part of your support network once you get here,” Willison said.

“They will be attending your sports games and a cappella concerts, they’ll be staying up with until 2 a.m. having deep discussions over hot chocolate and they’ll probably become some of your best friends.”

Willison believes liberal arts colleges are well worth the large price tag. “(I’m) a huge fan of a liberal arts education,” Willison said.

Continued from B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide answers: 1. F, 2. D, 3. G, 4. B, 5. H, 6. A, 7. I, 8. J, 9. C, 10. E

Continued from page B3

“A group like that could help a lot because it’s nice to know that there are other people that are right there with you …

There’s adults to help you,” Futrell said.

“But more than that, there’s students that can help you. I feel like it’s nice to have that instead of just teachers all the time.”

The meetings, which take place in the College and Career Center in a privately partitioned-off conference room, have an air of safety in them – especially with the knowledge that everything that occurs is confidential.

“No one’s going to tell your parents anything in this group, so you can say anything, so it’s nice to have that,” Futrell said.

Addressing the need for students to have a safe place in which to express problems in their lives, as Real Talk does, is part of a relatively recent movement by GBHS toward taking a more proactive stance in helping students, Orchard says.

Though the programs are separate, Real Talk falls under the umbrella of the Guided Assistance Program (GAP), which was started at GBHS this year following its success at Oakmont High School, where intervention counselor Marlon Morgan created the program.

GAP is targeted at academically struggling students and aims to address problems holistically, taking into account that additional issues may be affecting academic performance.

This is also Orchard’s first year as GBHS’s full-time intervention counselor. The change has been extremely important in giving her the opportunity to expand the types of help offered to students.

“There’s a lot of excitement with me being here full-time, because we can start to address some of these issues more seriously,” Orchard said.

“We haven’t really had a really good support system for our students in place just because of budget restrictions,” Orchard said.

As a full-time intervention counselor, Orchard is now available to the entire student body at all times – a significant improvement to GBHS’s system of assisting students.

“I don’t have a caseload (of students I am assigned to), so I consider my caseload (to be the over) 2100 … students we have here,” she said. “I am available to see the students anytime they need someone to talk to, so that’s been nice.”

GBHS and other schools in the area are taking steps to better address and care for the needs of their students.

“The district has realized we need to be here for our students and we need to have people available to see them if they’re struggling or in crisis,” Orchard said. “It’s just been really exciting to have more options available for our students.”

FINANCE: GBHS stereotype of excess wealth is not accurate in every student’s home life Continued from page B2 steps.

Had they not, the state of the girl’s health insurance would have been devastating.

“We’re not sure what would have happened,” the girl said.

The girl feels there is a stereotype of Granite Bay that nearly all students are wealthy or at least not financially struggling.

It is frustrating for her when many students assume that everyone at Granite Bay is in a comfortable financial situation and do not consider the struggles that other students may be facing.

She might be more comfortable being open about her financial situation, the girl said, if she went to a high school that wasn’t quite so affluent.

Mattix, who spent several years homeless as a young teacher, understands this sentiment.

“I do think that students that are in a home that struggles financially probably feel a larger gap between their peers”, Mattix said.

Mattix also noted that there are usually about ten students at GBHS who are categorized as homeless, though the administration feels it is an under-reported

circumstance.

Kyli Oleson, a junior at GBHS, is one of those students. Having a friend who is a foster child, she notices more than some others the economic disparity on campus.

“A lot of kids – they don’t really understand how hard it is for some of the families,” Oleson said.

A poll by the Gazette revealed that a majority of students believe that the stereotype that, “almost all students at Granite Bay are wealthy” is accurate.

The stereotype is often prevalent outside the community as well.

“I usually hear (that GBHS is) a rich kid school,” said Jacqui Ray, a sophomore at GBHS. Ray is also understanding that the stereotype doesn’t always hold true.

“A lot of people come here for the education, not all people are from Granite Bay,” said Ray, though she does think that in large part it is true that a relatively high proportion of students are of higher economic means.

It is true, as reflected by the questionnaire conducted by the Gazette, that one in many students will be homeless or living with relatives, have unemployed parents or have experienced foreclosure.

Many students have lost their homes and have had a parent laid off from their

work in the past four years, mirroring the nation’s unemployment rates.

Sometimes, financial stressors like the unemployment of a parent can take a toll on a student’s academic performance, especially if they have to keep a part-time job to increase the family’s income.

“If a kid has to work, if they have a rigorous schedule, then they have to give up something,” said Nordman.

GBHS does everything in its power to help students in need, Mattix said, despite its limited budget.

The Free and Reduced Lunch Plan, offers free breakfast and lunch to students that qualify. It also enables students to get fee waivers for tests like the SAT, a help to students like the anonymous girl.

The school will also connect and refer students to external sources of aid, like community or church-related programs.

“We just want to help students in whatever way we can help students,” said Mattix, “and finances is just one of them.

(We do) whatever we can do.”

Regardless of actual monetary aid, many feel the financial challenges of students on campus are some things that could be addressed more openly by students and the community.

Nordman said: “I think there’s more financial diversity here than people think.”

Friday, February 15, 2013

Lifestyle B7

w The Granite Bay Gazette

College of the Month: University of California, Davis

Who: 32,653 students Where: Davis, California

• There are currently 94 graduate programs of study offered.

Campus Life:

Tuition and Fee Cost: $13,877 Acceptance Rate: 46.27% U.S. News Ranking: #38 School Colors: Blue and Gold Mascot: Gunrock the Mustang Nickname: Aggies

Gazette illustration/ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS

Athletics: •NCAA Division I •UC Davis belongs to the Big West Conference.

•There are over 11 facilities at UC Davis.

•There are 700 student-athletes in 23 intercollegiate teams.

Academics: • UC Davis offers 101 undergraduate majors.

• There are 8.7 million items the University Library patrons have access to.

tered clubs.

• UC Davis has the Aggie Pride which is a studentrun group that raises money to provide emergency funding for other Aggie students.

• Ten percent of UC Davis students choose to participate in the timehonored tradition of Greek Life.

• There are more than 450 regis-

Fun Facts: • Davis was named a Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclist in 2011. • Davis was the first place in the nation to build a citywide system of bike paths.

•UC Davis is one of the top ten happiest college campuses in the United States according to Newsweek and The Daily Best College Rankings in 2011.

•UC Davis is the largest UC campus.

- Compiled by Tamren Johnk

PICTURES: Seniors memorialize new phase in life with a photoshoot Continued from page B3 senior’s personality by providing numerous options as to where they want their photo taken.

“Whether a senior wants a studio session or an outdoor session, we can give them the option of either,” Greene said.

“We don’t just go to one location; we have multiple different locations that the senior goes to based on who they are and what their style is.”

For this reason, Greene has an extensive senior picture clientele.

Currently, Greene is on the search for four high school junior girls and four high school junior guys who, if chosen, are the studio’s 2014-15 senior model representatives. As a representative, they receive a variety of benefits, including a complimentary senior session and family session and a chance to win some big prizes.

For seniors who have yet to have their pictures taken, Greene is offering $50 off session fees for those who call be March 31. “(I get) to photograph different seniors every single day and every single one of them has a different personality,” Greene said. “Every single one of them has a dif-

RUMORS: Students dispel myths circulating throughout middle schools about GBHS Continued from page B1 junior year and was still able to do IB, counter to the rumors.

Freshman year is a breeze This rumor didn’t receive a unanimous response from all sources and seemed to be more a matter of personal experience and opinion.

Freshman Kayomi Kayoshi said this rumor is mistaken.

“We have so much more homework,” Kayoshi said. “(In middle school) three of the seven classes were core and that was easy because (teachers) felt bad when they gave you homework, so they’d give you one worksheet and that’s it.”

Kayoshi was surprised to hear that seventh and eighth graders thought classes would be easier in high school and offered an explanation for how they must have been fed this idea.

“Maybe when upperclassmen reflect back on (freshman year), and they compare it to other years, (they remember it to be easy),” Kayoshi said.

Biology teacher Chet Dickson agreed that freshman year is more rigorous than middle school years.

“There may be some classes that for whatever reason have been easier than similar type classes in eighth grade, but I think that’s one of the things that freshmen need to get past and really make sure that they’re not buying into that myth because it’s not easier,” Dickson said. “Part of the harder (aspect) is just the pace at which we go and that kind of thing. A day in here is a day and a half anywhere else.”

The four by four block schedule certainly takes some adjusting to, as middle schoolers are used to taking a math class over the course of almost 10 months, and it is then reduced to less than five. Despite the fact that there are fewer classes to juggle, the classes are more demanding.

Freshmen English teacher David Tastor sits on the other side of the fence in regards to the idea that freshman year is easier than eighth grade due to required classes for freshmen which require little time outside of class.

“I could see how the perception is true (surrounding the

rumor) because if a student has English and health and safety as the two core classes, and physical education and culinary (the statement would be valid),” Tastor said.

It seems that the difficulty of freshman year may depend on the student and how their solids are grouped. This rumor isn’t necessarily unfounded.

Senior boys are on the prowl The rumor that senior boys are interested in freshmen girls was alarming to many students at GBHS as the age gap is so severe.

“It’s completely untrue. I don’t know any senior guy that would go for a freshman,” senior Brian McCauley said.

McCauley has witnessed no romantic relationships between seniors and freshmen and thinks the rumor is absurd.

“It may have been started by freshmen (girls) who wanted to say that the seniors were going after them,” McCauley said.

Senior Jeff Poindexter holds a similar view on the subject and also thinks the rumor is completely unsupported.

“I know quite a few people, and the youngest I’ve seen (a senior) date someone is at least a sophomore, never a freshman,” Poindexter said.

“Kids in junior high always start up these preposterous rumors and everything, so they just over exaggerate the truth all the time.”

The senior boys say they are innocent of this “prowling” they have been accused of, and freshman Kiley Spurlock agrees.

“Freshmen are too immature for (seniors),” Spurlock said.

“Have you ever seen a hot senior guy go for a freshman? No, they go for the hot senior girls.”

This rumor is also a bust. Senior boys at GBHS appear to date people closer to their own age. *** It’s safe to say that middle schoolers should be skeptical in regards to the gossip that circulates about GBHS. “People buy into rumors because you don’t know what the reality is,” Dickson said. “Everyone is scared of the unknown, so that’s how that happens.”

PAST: History unveiled about Placer County Continued from page B1

ferent style so when I get to photograph, I get to photograph who they really are, not who they want to be, so for me it’s a blast.”

rush wasn’t the biggest source of opportunity California held back then – the real opportunity was found in its fertile soil, perfect for growing peaches, rice and pears. Our county’s culture was shaped more by the fruit of its land than by the gold in its rivers.

“Our biggest gold rush was agriculture.

Agriculture was king,” said Ralph Gibson, program manager of the Placer County Museums. “More people were made millionaires in the agriculture run than in the gold run.”

The completion of the 1969 Transcontinental Railroad and the development of refrigerated train carts meant that the ritziest hotels and restaurants on the east coast demanded fruit from California’s central valley. This translated into bigger markets and cheaper transportation than farmers had ever seen before.

According to Fenn, the fruit sold in our produce sections today would never have qualified to be sold by Placer County farmers 150 years ago. Fruit was picked when ripe and given time to allow the sugar content to naturally rise.

When harvest time came around, schools would delay being started and entire families would visit packing sheds to work at shipping the fruit in time.

“They would delay the start of school if the pear crop was really big that year,” Fenn said. “All high-schoolers were working the packing. Men, women, boys.

Babies were crawling around on the floor.

Apparently, the timing was so critical.

They didn’t get green fruit then, and when it was prime, everyone sort of dropped everything,” Fenn said.

The remnants of these packing sheds that were once the beating heart of valley towns can still be seen in Newcastle and Loomis, among other towns.

Compared to other counties, Placer County has done an excellent job of preserving its history, but even so, many artifacts and sites can fall through the cracks.

New historic buildings are constantly being added to the local preservation registry.

The Victorian houses, characterized by countless tiny rooms and brightly-painted wood trim, have a charm. Dell’Orto calls these houses one of California’s many attempts to become more like England, the Hollywood of the time period. Queen Victoria’s influence left local women 150 years ago sweating in stuffy hoop skirts, corsets and decorated hats outdoors on picnics during California’s summers.

These antiquated outfits are still carefully preserved and even worn by volunteers at the Bernhard living-history museum as

can even open up the door after college for potential jobs,” Hughes said.

This Cal Poly student receives daily job postings emails across the United States as part of “Gamma Phi Beta” group on LinkedIn. “I always recommend others to go through the rush process because being in a sorority or fraternity is an experience you will never be able to have later in life,” Hughes said.

Matt Veneman, who graduated GBHS with the class of 2011, can represent

most GBHS students’ opinions regarding Greek life: unsure.

“I didn’t originally think it was for me,” Veneman said, “but after being at school for several months, I realized that being in a fraternity was more than the stereotypes make it out to be.”

Veneman, now a University of California: Los Angeles sophomore and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, has replaced his initial doubts with warm reflections.

“Much of being in a fraternity is being

apart of the brotherhood and having that camaraderie within the organization,” Veneman said.

He is grateful for all the new friends and relationships he has garnered and feels his fraternity is one major niche he has discovered in college.

“The experience has been great for me,” Veneman said. “It has pushed me out of my comfort zone at times, which hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing, as I have grown as an individual and learned a lot about myself in the process.”

FAST FACTS: Contact information for local photographers •Bill Smith Photography www.billsmithphoto.com

•Trenton Bahr Fine Portraiture www.trentonbahr.com •Lynn Greene Photography -

www.lynngreenephotography.com

•Teri Fode Photography www.terifode.com •Enchanted Images -

www.enchantedseniors.com

•Grey Horse Photography -

www.greyhorsephotography.net

well as mannequins displayed throughout Placer County’s many museums.

Third graders of the Roseville Joint Union High School District visit Bernhard on field trips yearly to discover what their lives would have been like if they had lived in this time period.

Many veterans of the experience have returned decades later and have shared their memories of churning butter and doing laundry with Gibson.

Because of programs like Bernhard’s and professors who bring history alive, Gibson isn’t concerned for the futures of the museums that continue to bring the past alive.

Though teens are the group he sees least frequently as visitors to Placer County museums, he is confident that the rich history will eventually draw back future preservationists, as it always has.

Thrilling stories like the Auburn bank robbery of 1904, where as many as eight local business owners charged out of their shops with their guns and began shooting at the culprit fleeing on a cart, or the mystery of the headless corpse found in downtown Sacramento still intrigue listeners to this day.

“The time was a little different.” Gibson said. “It wasn’t all secure and safe.

(California) was still the ‘Wild West’, even then.”

GREEK: College students enjoy the perks of being involved in Greek life Continued from page B5

“(On Mar. 2), a group of my sorority sisters and I volunteered for a program called ‘Feed My Starving Children’ where we packed bags of food for children in Africa,” Hughes said.

She admits that meeting people would be more difficult without her 200-plus fellow sorority sisters and is thankful for being part of such a big group.

“Being in a sorority really opens you up to making a lot of friendships and

Just like any other organization or activity, Veneman realizes joining a fraternity isn’t for everyone, believing that it depends on the person and that ultimately he or she will not miss out severely.

But for those who do join, there’s an apparent enhancement to the whole “college experience.”

“I felt that my social life would expand greatly by being in a fraternity, which it did,” Veneman said. “I have never regretted my decision.”

B8 Lifestyle

Friday, March 15, 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

GBHS is doing the

Harlem Shake

BY KRISTINE KHEIU

kkheiu.gazette@gmail.com

Just like perms were the fad of the 80s, viral videos take an eminent part in modern day culture.

YouTube serves as an outlet for entertainment, attracting teens and adults alike.

Viral videos, popularly seen on YouTube, have been the talk of the decade. With videos like Rebecca Black’s “Friday” and PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” it is impossible to miss the massive amounts of atten-

tion that these internet fads have In fact, what attracted. is seen today The Harlem Shake has reon YouTube cently spread across the nation, strays far from earning its spot as the latest the original dance internet phenomenon. that was first created Gaining momentum in Februin 1981. And, instead ary of 2013, this internet meme of the random chaos has gone viral, drawing people that occurs with the curfrom all across the nation to post rent version, the original their own versions onto social dance was synchronized media sites. with specific steps.

The Harlem Shake is essenEven though millions tially a video of people dancing of people know about the to the song “Harlem Shake” by modern day Harlem Shake, its the American DJ Baauer. hidden history is unknown to The video usually most. begins with a person As the title implies, this dancing alone; then, internet sensation originated in halfway through Harlem which reached its peak the video, the in 2001 when rapper G. Dep song announces was seen doing the dance in “Do the Harlem one of his music videos.

Shake” which However, what is seen cuts to a crowd commonly today requires typically dressed absolutely no dance experiin absurd outfits ence. and dancing to the “You don’t need to music. know any moves, which The video, lasting is key for me,” Brandon for only 30 seconds, Dell’Orto said in response is such a simple conto his experience with the cept. Yet, these videos staff’s Harlem Shake. can attract millions of GBHS’s media recentviews. ly announced a contest In fact, the song “Harwhere students can lem Shake” has topped submit their versions Billboard’s Hot 100 chart which, if picked, will as of late February and have play on the bulletin. been the most watched videos So far, several featuring dance talent classes and clubs have produced on YouTube. their own verSeveral students at Granite sions that can Bay High School have jumped now be seen on on the bandwagon to produce GBHS’s online their own versions. Even site, Granite GBHS’s staff made their Bay Today. own video which was According recently featured on the to sophomore bulletin.

Ashley Alunan, “I think it’s hilarious,” the Harlem Shake junior David Jin said. can actually be help“It’s like ‘Gangnam ful to promote a group or Style,’ just really weird organization. and interesting.”

“I was (recently) at Jin has been danc(the Power of Know) ing for several years Conference with 200 and sees the Harlem people,” Alunan said, Shake ‘dance’ as “and when they told us that we were doing a Harsomewhat of a lem Shake, I was really excited joke. From a because I’ve watched a lot of videos dance perspecof it on YouTube.” tive, he said that “I think people just enjoy watchthis video is more ing other(s) dancing really crazy for fun that for and bizarre,” Alunan said. “It’s actually showing nothing that complicated… dance talent. it’s just a lot of fun.”

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

C1 Section

Friday w March 15, 2013

Commentary

Lacrosse battles for winning season

amber les ales.gazette@gmail.com

Ex-athletes: Can they really let it all go?

S

pring is scholarship season.

Students are smelling the flowers, while athletes would rather enjoy their letters of intent.

For some, this time during senior year marks the accumulation of their hard work and accomplishments. They are finally, positively, 100 percent, no doubt playing a sport in college.

But no one wonders about the ones who don’t get that opportunity.

I believe there are two types of athletes. Athletes who play the game and true athletes who play the game they love.

My older brother is what I would consider a true athlete.

Before I was even born, Tyler was already getting tips on his jump-shot as a two-year old.

As I grew, I watched his talent grow. He was enthralled with the game of basketball, just like our father.

He ran his body and sanity into the ground and is still, in my eyes, the hardest working athlete I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

He earned his Division 1 college scholarship because of all that work, and he is still my biggest inspiration.

But my family and I knew, when a college scholarship seemed to be out of reach during his senior year, that he might not be able to function without basketball.

What would he do –mentally and physically—without the familiarity of the game he played almost every day?

As a true athlete, he had dedicated himself to the one thing that he loved, and sometimes hated, more than anything else.

He is now a successful point guard at the University of California Davis, earning his spot among great talent.

But the majority of these rare, true athletes never move on to the next level.

I’ve heard of numerous cases of ex-athletes trying to keep their ties to the sport -- the sport they just can’t let go.

Some try to coach the sport at a low level, for even lower income.

Others become obsessed with playing the game any way they can.

At 40, these ex-high school stars are still willing to play on 18-andover recreational leagues (and take it just as seriously.)

Why not stop while they are in their prime?

For the most part, sports are synonymous with masculinity. As early as toddlers, boys are usually thrown into almost every sport ending with ‘ball’. It’s accepted in our culture.

If the boys stick through the sport in high school (and actually end up being good at it), they morph into an athlete. A jock. The one who might have a shot at playing in college.

And, watching my peers get the scholarships they’ve worked so hard for, I feel for the athletes who aren’t as lucky.

There aren’t any studies or statistics entitled ‘How To Move On After Basing Your Life On A Game’.

To all the ex-athletes out there— try to avoid being the 40 year old playing at open gyms with teenagers.

Life can be more than just a game. *** Amber Les,a senior, is a Gazette sports editor.

inside sports

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Sports Briefs

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Grizz Quiz

Spring Sports Preview

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Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

Junior Nick Palmer (left) and freshman Ethan Smith (right) fight for the ball in a recent freshman and varsity scrimmage. The varsity team is starting their season off with high expectations and an ultimate goal-- to win a North Coast Section Championship.

Boys’ varsity team led by senior group of captains hoping for successful year

BY BRENDAN GONZALEZ bgonzalez.gazette@gmail.

Coming off a 10-7 record and a Sacramento Valley League title, the Granite Bay High School Boys’ lacrosse team is preparing for another potentially successful season.

After a month-long off-season training program, which included conditioning and various ‘stick’ skill drills, the team started practice on Feb. 11.

“Right now, we are going over offensive plays and tuning the machine,” senior Zach Burger said. “We have also played in a few pre-season tournaments to get some field time together.”

The returning varsity players are determined to work harder than ever.

Last season, the varsity team had seven losses, many of which were closelymatched games .

“No one is ever satisfied with losses and there were multiple games that we lost (because of how we played) in the fourth quarter,” senior Spencer Castonguay said.

“Our record did not do our team justice.

We lead most games until the final minutes, before the other teams made comebacks. But this year, we are not going to let that happen,” Burger said.

Head coach Scott Pink shares the feeling that last season was a slight letdown given the team’s potential.

“We were pleased to have won the league title for the fourth time in five years, but we were disappointed that we did not have a better record,” Pink said.

“We had a lot of injuries last year that affected our continuity and team chemistry.”

Injuries may be a factor in this year’s season as well.

Four varsity players, Nathan Wiley, Michael Geraghty, Matthew Postell and Nick Gainer, are all out with various injuries.

This season, the Grizzlies have and will face good competition.

The SVL has been known to be extremely competitive, but the Grizzlies’ schedule also includes elite non-conference teams.

On Mar. 2, the varsity team lost to a nationally ranked Monte Vista team 6-5 when an opposing attacker scored with 43 seconds left in the game.

Although considered a loss on the statistics sheet, this Grizzly team was a tough match for Monte Vista.

The game shows the improvements this Varsity team has made since last season.

And since winning the Sac-Valley League title last year, the team’s goals are even higher for the ongoing season.

Castonguay said that the goal for now is to “win league and make it to playoffs.”

Burger agreed, adding that the “ultimate See LAX, page C7

The Tribe increases its attendance since fall Spirit leaders encourage all ages to join

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

This year at Granite Bay High School, the student body has risen above some original expectations and provided GBHS athletics with a top-notch support system.

Junior Myles Slattery seems to have taken on some of the responsibility of organizing and maintaining the success of the tribe.

The teams now have a spirit section, filled with students of all ages.

The Tribe (fairly new to GBHS)

has grown from just a handful of rival schools),” he said. “We are fans to an entire campus effort by more innovative and take time to the entire student create our own body. chants.”

“I wanted to be The Tribe’s a big part of it,” main focus this Slattery said. “I school year is The Tribe has enjoy going to help students become a staple to games and I wantgrow together for our home ed to make games within the school more enjoyable for and provide games (...) everyone else.” optimal support Being a Tribe to the ath– Jason Sitterud, leader, Slattery letic teams, like aims to diversify basketball and Varsity basketball school efforts and football. coach to have GBHS go Senior basketabove and beyond ball player Scott rival schools’ Romuk also spirit sections. strongly believes Slattery believes that our school in a heavily supportive student isn’t like any other school. section.

“We are way better (than other “Seeing and hearing your close

Fans prepare for March’s Madness NCAA tournament will bring victory and defeat to college basketball teams

BY ZACK ZOLMER

zzolmer.gazette@gmail.com

With the beginning of March comes the start of what could be considered one of the most epic and thrilling tournaments in all of sports history: March Madness.

Sports fans of all ages and from all walks of life will be sure to consume themselves with unhealthy overloads of the college basketball madness.

In 2011, 176 million people tuned in to watch the University of Connecticut Huskies defeat the Butler University Blue 53-41 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. This March, millions will do the same.

Not only will sports fans be able to watch the college basketball action on channels like CBS, TBS and True TV, games will also be streamed live across the internet on computers, lap-

Brandt Misik Avid NCAA tournament fan who will be keeping track of the upcoming games.

tops, iPads, iPhones and Android devices.

“I am going to watch as much as possible, whether at school, at home, or just out and about,” said Brandt Misik, an avid college sports fan and March Madness junkie. “I’ll always be checking the scores and watching the games.”

And not only will fans like Misik See MADNESS, page C7

friends cheering for you is unreal,” atmosphere for as many games as Romuk said. “It really (makes) possible. me want to play my “I definitely think best and perform at the tribe is unique a high level so they and other schools I definitely have something to don’t have as good cheer for.” think the Tribe of an overall set up Varsity basketball as we do,” freshis unique (...) man Mira Pexa coach Jason Sitterud agrees with Romuk. compared to said. “I was not “The Tribe has it to be other schools expecting become a staple for as spirited as it is our home games when first arriving over the last several – Myles Slattery, at GBHS.” years. Opposing The Tribe may be junior teams love to come considered more (and) play at our than just a simple place because of the fan section. atmosphere the tribe “I think, for bascreates.” ketball and for footRecently, the Tribe has made an ball, (the Tribe is) the (extra) man effort to reach out to every student See TRIBE, page C7 possible in order to create an great

Golf coaches make cuts

Large number of athletes at the varsity tryout creates a competitive environment

BY PARKER BURMAN

pburman.gazette@gmail.com

Every year, the Granite Bay Boys’ golf team is forced to make cuts in order to put their best eight players on the course.

This helps put the team in a better position to win, but due to this process, many good players are sent home.

While cuts are common to anyone familiar to sports, there were much more this year than in recent seasons.

“A lot of incoming freshmen have tried out this year,” junior

Sophomore Rock Climber GBHS student competes in national tournaments.

Inter-Sports Tension Competition between sports can become heated within teams.

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golfer Zack Kwan said.

Kwan added that with only two spots available, this led to tough competition for the team.

Wildly successful last season, the team only lost one player on their varsity roster this year, and so there were less opening spots on varsity than usual.

With all of the stiff competition, some players were cut or moved down to junior varsity.

Sophomore Alex Baldonado was one of the players that got cut during varsity tryouts.

See GOLFING, page C7

Athlete of the Month Two-sport athlete Konner Christie excels through basketball and track seasons.

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Sophomore achieves new heights in career Joseph Diaz excels at rock climbing career and looks toward the future

BY KRISTINE KHIEU

kkhieu.gazette@gmail.com

It’s the summer of 2003 and Joseph Diaz, at the young age of six, is nowhere to be found.

Perched on the highest branch of the family’s redwood tree, Diaz was found sitting idly watching from above.

According to his father, James Diaz, this was one of the first moments that he knew his son was a climber.

After going to several birthday parties at Granite Arch Climbing Center, it was apparent that Diaz had a knack for climbing. But, the deciding factor was when he climbed a wall that no one else had done.

“I started rock climbing when I was about 10 years old,” Diaz said, “and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Diaz is currently a sophomore at Granite Bay High School and has already accumulated many awards.

He has gone to a national tournament twice for the USA Sport Climbing Series Competition where his best was 13th place. In addition, this year was his first year making it to nationals in the American Bouldering Series Competition where he finished in 12th place.

The sport of rock climbing features three distinct styles: bouldering, lead climbing, and top rope; all of which are styles that Diaz has learned to do to compete in these competitions.

Bouldering is the type of competition where a rope is not used to assist the climber; therefore, the climber is much more prone to serious injuries.

Diaz has fallen many times before and

says that it has always a scary place to be in.

Lead climbing is where the climber brings the rope with them as they climb, and lastly top rope is where there is a rope at the top of the wall.

Diaz has been working hard to train and condition for his upcoming competitions.

Practicing four times a week, Diaz has been busy with rigorous training. Hoping to rise above the ranks, he has been working hard to maintain his status in the climbing community.

His coach, Cami Cesaretti, is a dedicated rock climbing instructor who has been climbing since the age of three and has been coaching Diaz since 2010.

“My main goal is to not only make (Joe) a better climber but also a better person,” Cesaretti said. “He’s grown so much every year since I’ve been coaching him.”

In addition to training at Granite Arch, Diaz and his father will occasionally do some outdoor climbing.

According to his father, he tries to get Diaz outside as much as possible, including one of their favorite places to climb, Lever’s Leap in Strawberry, California.

As for the future, Diaz will continue to climb to new heights in the hopes that he will one day make the national team.

However, he doesn’t see himself making a professional career out of his hobby.

With growing titles and many accolades from his teammates and coach, Diaz is on his path for another year of success.

In fact, he recently returned from an ABS competition last month in which he finished in second place. “(Competitors) came from Alaska,

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

During a practice at the Granite Arch Climbing Center, sophomore rockclimber Joe Diaz scales his way up the side of the arena during a top rope practice. Diaz recently competed at a national tournament in Oregon where he finished 12th.

Oregon, Nevada, and even Hawaii,” Diaz said. “(Getting) second for ABS was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

Currently, he and other members on his

competitive team have been rigorously training to keep their momentum.

Pressure is mounting as a new season of rock climbing is on the horizon. But, Diaz

says that the most important part of climbing is just having fun. “(Diaz) has been dedicated and his success has reflected that,” Cesaretti said.

Winter sports reflect back on past season Your names. the culture of girls’ basketball at cess. We hope to have more guys GBHS,” Delgadillo said. “Next out next season so we can fair season we anticipate continual better in team duals” improvements with the basketball Wrestling in high school is program. We hope to recruit the largely about individual success best athletes at Granite Bay and on the postseason level. The team blend them with our current playSitterud said, “They had a great had numerous wrestlers compete year that was capped of by winning ers to form a competitive team.” in the playoffs at different levels.

A notable player was freshman a league title.”

11 athletes made it to the post Daeja Black, who had a successful season and senior Sean Brown For the underclassmen on the rookie season team, the loss was bitter-sweet. won numerous and averaged “Our seniors really stepped up accolades includ16.6 points per this year and played great,” said ing SFL League The only game. varsity basketball player Tony ElChampion, Section disapointment I-AA Champion, “Daeja had a lison. “But it was really disappointing that we didn’t perform better in phenomenal first was that it ended Masters 4th place, playoffs. I think we’ll have a good year at Granite and became a state Bay,” Delgadilseason next year.” tournament quali– Jason Sitterud, boy’s fier. lo said. “In the Sitterud expressed similar opti(Sierra Foothill mism about the season.

With the most basketball coach League), Daeja “The only disappointment was successful wrestler was at the top that it ended,” Sitterud said. “This graduating, some in numerous was a special group of guys who may wonder how performance loved playing and hanging out the team will comcategories resulting in her selectogether.” pete next year.

Sitterud assured that the team will tion to the SFL All League team.”

“I think we should have a great Other top contributors included move on and try to have another team next year,” coach Dixon said. sophomore Annie Wright and successful season next year.

“We will need to add some guys at junior Jennifer Manduca.

In recent years, GBHS’s girls’ the upper weight classes to comWrestling is another winter basketball has struggled despite pete well as a team though.” some progression down the stretch. sport that GBHS athletes have Overall, most coaches agreed made tremendous strides in.

The team finished with an 11-16 that their teams made substantial “The guys that competed this record with a 2-8 finish in league. progress. season did a great job,” coach DixHowever, coach Angel Delgadillo “We had some highs and some on said. “They worked very hard seems to remain positive. lows this year,” Ellison said, “but and everyone grew as wrestlers, “This year’s varsity team made we’ll just have to work hard and try and we had a lot of individual suc- to have a better season next year.” great strides toward changing

Wrestling has successful run; basketball loses playoff game

BY AUSTIN PINK

apink.gazette@gmail.com

With the sound of the buzzer on Feb 20, the boys’ basketball’s postseason was over with a loss to Bethel High School.

The loss signaled the end of winter sports as Granite Bay High School’s athletes and fans look ahead to the spring activities.

Although the winter season contains the fewest sports, all of the programs had lively seasons with active support from student fans and the community.

The three sports, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, and wrestling, saw various ranges of success with tough opposition throughout the season.

Our boys basketball was very successful this year finishing with a record of 19-9 overall.

According to coach Sitterud, this success was largely due to strong leadership from senior captains Anthony Peterson and Jacob King, and junior captain Aidan Naughton.

“I was really proud of the team,”

Grizz Quiz

Composed by Hayley McAvoy

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

Who is your sport idol?

What is your dream school?

Who is your favorite teacher at GBHS? Do you prefer Nike or Adidas?

Owen McNiff Boys’ lacrosse

In-N-Out

Matt Oglesby

University of San Francisco

Kevin Mugno Boys’ baseball

McKenzie Fairbanks Girls’ softball

Chipotle

Dustin Pedroia

UCLA

Taco Bell

Mickey Mantle

UCSB

Mr. Braly

Mr. Westberg

Mr. Dell’Orto

Adidas

Nike

Nike

Your faces.

Your Gazette.

Shelby McPhail Girls’ swim

Dante Weeks Track and Field

Chipotle

Mcdonald’s

Missy Franklin

Kevin Durant

Texas Christian University

University of Oregon

Mr. Sherman

Nike

Mr. Cunningham

Nike

Friday, March 15, 2013

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Quidditch emerges as new college sport Teams compete locally in Harry Potter game

BY CHASE EVANS

cevans.gazette@gmail.com

Quidditch is a fictional sport from the Harry Potter series.

However, it has been transferred to real life and played at Maidu Park locally.

According to the Harry Potter series, Quidditch is played on magical flying broomsticks in a huge outdoor stadium.

Fanatics of the books have taken the premise of the game and turned it into a playable game.

Maidu park holds the California Collegiate Regional Tournament for Quidditch each year.

Maidu is the choice destination because of its central proximity in California and the fact that it has six soccer fields next to each other.

This year there were 17 teams from colleges across California that traveled to play in the tournament.

The teams that participated included University of California Berkeley, UCLA and Stanford University.

“Teams come from all over California and compete to play in the ‘World Cup’ in Orlando,”

said Stanford captain and chaser Natalie Stottler.

Stottler plays chaser for Stanford, the main scoring player on the field. The chaser takes the “quaffle” (a partially deflated volleyball) and throws it through the opponents’ three goals.

“I like playing chaser because it allows me to utilize my speed,” Stottler said.

An attendant of the tournament, Oakmont High School sophomore Jon Jansen enjoyed watching his first Quidditch match.

“I heard about the tournament from a friend of mine who lives next to Maidu Park,” Jansen said.

“He called us and we got a bunch of guys together and watched the tournament for the day.”

There were over 100 people in the crowd at the tournament according to Jansen’s approximation.

“Everyone was really into it,” Jansen said. “It allows for a better experience watching than soccer or football.”

Aside from the obvious challenge of replicating the idea of flying broomsticks, Quidditch had many other issues for the creators to replicate in the real world.

A Quidditch match ends only when the “snitch” is caught. The “snitch” is a self-aware ball that moves by itself.

Obviously it is impossible to make one with modern technology, but the creators decided to give a ball to a cross-country runner or wrestler and have them be representative of the “snitch”.

“The snitch was the coolest part of the match because it was a big game of tag being played on the same field as all of the action,” Jansen said.

The “snitch” is worth 150 points and each goal is worth between 10-30 points.

The “snitch” ended up being the downfall for Stanford as the tournament resulted in UCLA beating out Stanford by a very small margin.

“We tried our best but we will come back strong next year,” Stottler said.

UCLA will go to the World Cup in Orlando, Florida to face teams from across the nation.

While mainly a college sport, Quidditch is working its way into the high school club system.

“A girl on our team had played

Courtesy photo / Jon Jansen

Quidditch teams play games locally at Maidu Park, representing such universities as University of California at Berkeley, UCLA and Stanford University.

Quidditch in high school for the first time,” Stottler said. “That is really exciting to see.”

Despite its relative popularity with college students, it remains mostly unknown in high school.

“I didn’t even know it was a

sport,” said Harry Potter fanatic and GBHS senior Jenny Gilbert.

However, those who know about it and have seen it are excited to see it grow as a sport.

“I would totally play it if it became a club,” Jansen said. “It

seems like a really fun sport.”

Even Gilbert was interested after learning that it was a real sport.

“It seems like a great fan bonding sport,” Gilbert said. “I just wish that we could have magic broomsticks to ride.”

Dedicated Tribe member anticipates GBHS fanship Junior Blaise Nasri fueled by pride in his school to continue the legacy

BY THOMAS TAYLOR

ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Being in The Tribe can sometimes be intimidating for some underclassmen, they are not sure whether they belong in Granite Bay High School’s prolific cheering section. However, junior Blaise Nasri has risen to the forefront of The Tribe.

Nasri has risen quickly through the ranks due to his confident personality.

He has been a key supporter of our Grizzlies’ athletics since he came to this school.

Nasri’s first encounter with The Tribe was interesting to say the least.

“Freshman year I came to my first basketball game and I wore a cow costume. The game was against Del Oro,” Nasri said.“I was a pretty shy guy Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS freshman year.

A senior at the time, Lucas Shore, pulled me up to dance with him at halftime as the halftime show because he was dressed as a farmer.”

Nasri eventually got over his shyness at school. He quickly made friends and now

all about being a part of something bigger they love going than you. to the games “Being in The Tribe is great and chanting for (and) the vibe is super strong Granite Bay’s we really care about various athletic The vibe is super because our sports teams,” Nasri said. team. strong because “The feeling everyone gets “Any chant that because we really combine as Jackson (Rowe really care one group.” driguez) creates about our sports Despite his enthusiasm, he is my favorite is currently doing Hotshots for sure,” Nasri teams. recreational basketball which said, referencing has left him unable to go to as his fellow Tribe – Junior Blaise Nasri many of the basketball games member. as he would have liked.

Nasri has “I prefer chanting in The enjoyed being a Tribe during basketball games member of the because we can really interact cheering section with the other schools cheering since freshman section, the black hole of Del Oro High year because of how being in The Tribe School for instance,” Nasri said. makes him feel. Nasri says that being a Nasri thinks that the future of The Tribe part of The Tribe is so great because it is desperately depends on underclassmen.

Blaise Nasri This fan began his support early on, and hasn’t stopped showing his dedication to GBHS athletics.

“Most of our fans right now are seniors in our cheering section and I really hope that freshman and sophomores can really get into The Tribe,”Nasri said, “they have to sit in the back though.”

“Everyone should join The Tribe next year and come and support our school as much as you possibly can, because being in The Tribe is awesome and the best experience in (high school),” Nasri said.

Olympic committee eliminates wrestling

Shocking decision sparks outrage, leaves wrestlers without an elite platform to compete on

BY NICOLAS ONTIVEROS nontiveros.gazette@gmail.com

As junior Alex Cooney finished his season on a high note by attending the San Joaquin Section Masters wrestling tournament, the international wrestling community was appalled by a recent decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

On Feb. 12, 2013, the IOC voted that wrestling would be eliminated as a core sport from the Olympics, starting with the 2020 games.

“Originally, I didn’t believe it,” Cooney said. “I couldn’t believe (the IOC) would take away one of the original sports.”

Although no official decision was made by the IOC, many reporters believe that declining global participation, ticket sales, and television ratings have contributed to wrestling’s decline. Simply, there is little money to be made by keeping wrestling in the Olympics.

Wrestling has been a popular sport for almost every civilization since the beginning of Ancient Greece. In fact, the Ancient Olympic Games premiered wrestling in 708 BC. “Some countries such as Iran have a long tradition of wrestling,” said GBHS wrestling coach Shane Dixon. “They really have no other sports.”

Iran and Eastern European nations have wrestling heavily rooted in not only their history, but also their culture.

Taking away wrestling from Iran would be equivaof the International Federation of Associated Wreslent to getting rid of football in the United States. tling Styles. “Over a decade or two, the impact will During the 2012 summer games, Iran totaled 12 be significant.” medals, six of which were However, for the select few that earn for wrestling. Downgrading wrestling scholarships for college, the wrestling to a non core sport Olympics represent the pinnacle of their disproportionably hurts nations athletic career. such as Iran that specialize in Currently, there are zero professional wrestling. wrestling organizations, which cause (The decision) Unlike the United States, Iran collegiate wrestlers to turn to the Olymcan not lean on swimming or pics for fame. takes away glory gymnastics to showcase Olym“(The decision) takes away glory pic dominance. from the sport,” said Eric Oxford, coach from the sport.

Furthermore, many high for the Grizzly Kids Wrestling Club at school wrestlers depend on athGBHS. – Eric Oxford, coach for letic scholarships from colleges Oxford said that other core Olympic to pay for higher education, but sports have other championships that Grizzly Kids Wrestling programs have been cut due to athletes are inclined to win for presClub rising costs. tige. A very lucrative sport, golf, for “Title Nine requires colleges example, has the PGA Tour, so winning to provide equal opportunity the Olympics is not key to a golfer’s (for wrestling) to males and fesuccess. males,” Dixon said, “(wrestling) Wrestling, on the other hand, has no programs have lost (funding) private organization or league to give because of Title Nine.” collegiate wrestlers either stardom or a The IOC’s decision delivers another blow to wresjob after college. Instead, many wrestlers are turning tling’s survival on the collegiate level. “(The vote) to Mixed Martial Arts for income. will give athletic directors with tight budgets a new “Wrestling has shown resurgence due to the Ultiexcuse (to cut wrestling teams),” said Jim Scherr, a mate Fighting Championship,” Dixon said. former Olympic wrestler and current board member Many fighters in the UFC have strong wrestling

backgrounds, which give fighters the skill set needed to take down and grapple opponents with ease.

Oxford does not approve of more and more wrestlers turning to the “octagon” the eight-sided ring where fighters combat each other.

“Wrestling is more of a pure sport,” Oxford said.

“Mixed martial arts is a free-for-all that hurts the sport of wrestling.”

According to a study published in April 2012 by the American Academy of Neurology, repeated head trauma from sports such as mixed martial arts or boxing cause memory loss and degraded thinking skills for veteran fighters.

If wrestlers can not turn to the Olympics, then mixed martial arts becomes a more appealing alternative, but health concerns must be evaluated before a wrestler decides to become a fighter.

Luckily, wrestling will have more opportunities in the future to become a core sport again. The Olympic Committee will meet again in May and September to discuss the issue.

“We need to raise awareness about the decision,” Dixon said.

Nevertheless, the likelihood of the committee reversing its previous decision is unlikely.

“This decision will be fought to the day of the Olympics,” Cooney said. “I don’t understand how they could keep dancing with ribbons (as an Olympic sport).”

SPORTS BRIEFS Boys’ volleyball

Girls’ lacrosse

The team has opened up their 2013 season with a 2-0 record, winning preseason games against Whitney High School and Ponderosa High School by a score of 3-2 and 3-1, respectively.

The team opened up their season with a devastating 11-10 loss against California High School but bounced back by defeating Novato High School by a score of 12-8.

Last weekend, the team competed at the Best of the West Invitational hosted

by Poway High School, where they finished second in bronze with an overall record of 2-4, competing against teams from Southern California and Hawaii

Girls’ soccer

Boys’ lacrosse The lacrosse team has suffered two narrow defeats to Monte Vista High School and Las Lomas High School in their first two games, losing by a score of 6-5 and 10-8, respectively.

The girls’ have opened up their season with a 1-3 record, their only win coming from a 6-0 victory against River Valley High School.

-Compiled by Austin Downs

Delivering the hard news of Granite Bay..

Friday, March 15, 2013 w The Granite Bay Gazette

C4 Sports

Boys’ golf strives for repeat state title Spring sports begin their seasons with confidence and are ready to work Boys’ golf “We want to make it back to the State Championship tournament. From our area, our biggest competition will be Jesuit High School, Christian Brothers, Oak Ridge and Del Oro. We have a team with three seniors, four juniors and two sophomores.”

Coach Terry Stafford

Girls’ soccer “The team will do great, it’s a very youngteam with six sophomores and three freshmen. We lost half of our team to graduation or other ventures but it’s a great team in terms of talent, but lacks experience so every game is going to be a battle this year.”

Coach Mark Broers

Boys’ tennis “I would anticipate that we win the conference. That’s our goal and I think we’ll be able to do it. We’re a young team but that’s to our advantage because other teams have older, less energetic players.”

Coach Greg Anderson

Track and field “I think the season is going to go very well. The junior varsity team is giong to be strong again and we have 39 returning seniors who are all itching to go to state and perform better and push one another.”

Coach Jackie Nasca

Boys’ volleyball “We are a very young team this year. We graduated a lot of seniors last year so we have a lot of juniors this year that have never played at a varsity level.

We’ve done a lot to train for this season.”

Coach Bruce Honberger

Boys’ lacrosse “Our hope is to win our league again and compete in the North Coast Section Playoffs. This is the first year that Sacramento area teams are allowed to compete in these playoffs. This year we have a strong group of seniors that I think will lead us to victory.”

Coach Scott Pink

Girls’ lacrosse “It’s hard to tell how we’ll do this early in the season.

We lost seven starters last year but there was a lot of improvement between the first and second game so we will have to see if that continues.”

Coach Stu Brokowski

Swimming “I’m sure that we will fight and compete really well.

As far as what our win loss record will be or what we place at sections I can’t say. We will see as the season goes but we always aim to compete for a section title and stay undefeated in league.”

Coach John Sherman

Baseball “We have a lot of returning players that are experienced. We had a young team the last couple years in various spots, our pitching is strong and experienced from the year before and we have some really good seniors and some juniors that are going to contribute on the mound.”

Coach Pat Esposito

Softball “We will do better than the last two years. I’m looking forward to starting off stronger than previous seasons and making sure that we are making all the pplays we need. We are a little older and I’ve had some kids for three years so we are moving in the right direction.”

Coach Michelle Granger

“Since we have seven returning players we are going to do pretty well and everybody is improving. We will try to do the same things as last year, because we did a lot of things right. ” GBHS sophomore Jeffrey Inouye-Wong

“We had a slow start to the season but I know that we are going to get better and start playing as a team instead of individuals. Del Oro High School is always the biggest competition because of the rivalry and they also have a good program.”

GBHS senior Brigid Lummis

“We are going to do fine but it’s going to be difference with a new coach. All of our seniors are gone so our team is mostly freshmen and sophomores.

There are only two seniors and two juniors so it’s very different, but we’ll still try our hardest. ” GBHS junior Matt Iwahiro

“I think that we are going to do pretty well this season. We have a lot of really good freshmen that just joined the teams owe moved a lot of people up for varsity. Our relays our doing really well and we just have some really good talent come onto the team.”

GBHS senior Allyson McReynolds

“We hope to make it to section championships like last year and hopefully we can win it for the second year in a row. Right now it’s bascially just us and Nevada Union High School that are contending for the no. 1 spot.”

GBHS senior Greg Smith

“This season I think that we’re going to do very well because we played our toughest opponent, Monte Vista High School, and ended up losing 5-6. it was a tough game and it was probably the hardest competition we will face so we don’t have any fear of any team this season.”

GBHS senior Zach Burger

“I think that we are going to have a pretty good season but it’s going to be a lot harder than last year. The hardest thing about this year is that Davis High School is in our league now so we play them twice and that will be the toughest competition for us.”

GBHS senior Katrina Reeves

“We have a very young but very talented. We have a fast team and everybody is going to do really well. The older guys are going to step it up this year as well. Overall there is a high possibility that we will win sections this year.”

GBHS senior Max Vigeant

“I think our season is going to go well, we have good hitting, ptiching and defense. Last year we made it all the way to sections and I think taht we’re going to do the same this year and hopefully go a little further.”

GBHS senior Ryan Rosa

“The season looks pretty promising this year because we are a lot more competitive and we will be able to compete because we have grown as a team these past few years. I think it will be a lot better this year.”

GBHS senior Gia France

Compiled by Summer Haenny Gazette photos /Summer Haenny

Friday, March 15, 2013

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GBHS sports share harmless competition Minor tension among teams leads to success in the end

BY PARKER BURMAN

pburman.gazette@gmail.com

Granite Bay High School’s athletes are extremely competitive.

With many GBHS teams having successful seasons this year, and many others hoping to do so, it is hard to deny that fact.

For this reason, these athletes crave and, on some occasions, seek out rivalries with other schools, players or teams.

These rivalries provide competition for the players, and make them strive to get better.

On other occasions, these rivalries are simply bickering or trash talking between two different teams, caused by arrogance or other pointless reasons.

Either way, these rivalries can inspire athletes to back up their talk with their play and improve their game.

“Sometimes the soccer and football players exchange insults with each other,” junior soccer player Armin Anderson said. “I’ve been called a grass fairy on several occasions.”

These rather successful teams aren’t afraid to poke fun at each other, and their friendly rivalry helps keep things interesting.

Some team rivalries are just disputes between two teams.

“A lot of girls’ lacrosse players don’t like the way we use the field,” junior track and field athlete Will Greenwood said.

During practice after school, track and field has the field, while the girls’ lacrosse team is forced to practice later.

“It doesn’t affect us,” Greenwood said. “But the girls have less time to practice, and boys’ lacrosse forces them off the field when their practice begins.”

This fighting over the field can cause some tension between the two teams.

“The track team doesn’t like it when we try to start practicing before they are done with their practice,” junior girls’ lacrosse player Christi Trovato said. “But on the other hand we find it annoying when they leave their equipment on the field.”

Trovato says that these complaints aren’t a big deal, and don’t negatively effect the team’s play on the field.

“There’s always going to be complaints when two teams have to share a field or equipment,” Greenwood said.

Not all contact between the teams is negative, however.

“Seeing (the school’s) other teams

play well, really made me want to play my best and improve my play” said junior football player Luke Bussey.

Successful fall sports like boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis, and girls’ volleyball inspired Bussey to add to the success at GBHS and keep playing at a high level.

Junior cheerleader Marisa Thias said that for the cheerleading team, the idea is the same.

“Even though we get some talk from other teams about not being a sport, we just try to use that as inspiration and prove them wrong,” Thias said. “Our job is to help get the crowd involved and support the teams, so I think we’ve done well considering their success.”

Like the other teams at GBHS, the cheerleaders use adversity to their advantage and try to prove their doubters wrong.

While some teams dislike their competition and others try to outdo them, the many sports teams at GBHS play off each other to improve as a whole.

The main goal is to do well as a school, and a little friendly competition can help that happen.

GBHS has achieved so much over the last year, and continues to strive for greatness.

“We don’t always get along,” Anderson said, “but the trash talking and competition helps the school as a whole.”

Sports C5

Gazette illustration /CLEORA REBER

For many teams at GBHS, harmless teases and a strong sense of competition may cause a few minor scufs, but ultimately contributes to the array of teams succeeding in the end of the season.

Wrestler has his best year yet

Senior Sean Brown has hopes of competing at the college level

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI

cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI

Senior cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com Sean Brown has been the star of Granite Bay High School’s wrestling team for the past four years. Brown has individually won the league championship title, division championship title, finished fourth place in section playoffs and is currently ranked seventh in the state for high school boys wrestling.

“I’ve been wrestling (for six years) and I have gotten to the point where I am addicted to it and would not know what to do if I couldn’t wrestle,” Brown said.

Brown’s father, Richard Brown, saw his potential in wrestling at a young age.

However, Brown says that he

actually didn’t like wrestling at first but began enjoying as it as he grew better.

Wrestling is a different kind of sport that requires a strict diet because of the different categories depending on weight.

“For my diet, I cut out all junk food and stick to lots of fish, chicken, and vegetables,” Brown said.

The positive attitude and spirited mind set that Brown brings to the wrestling mat has served him well as he continues to succeed in his wresting career.

Brown’s coach, Robert Cooley, couldn’t have been more pleased with Brown’s performance and believes that Brown has a bright future ahead of him.

“Sean is always doing what he

can to improve his athletic ability and challenge himself,” Cooley said.

“I’m always thinking about what I have to do to win the next match,” Brown said.

As for wrestling beyond high school, Brown says he hopes and plans to wrestle in college.

Over the years, Cooley has seen the growth in Brown.

“The way he has learned to stay

focused on the things that mean the most to him has always been his number one priority. I know that Sean would love to go on and wrestle in college and I think that he can make that happen,” Cooley said.

Out of his entire wrestling career, Brown says that this year has been without a doubt his best year yet.

As seventh in the state, Brown recently wrestled in the State Championship in Bakersfield, California.

Although he did not make the top ten for that competition, Brown still finished out a highly successful season as a senior this year, while exemplifying his high levels of leadership and willingness to help fellow wrestlers within the wrestling community.

Granitebaytoday.org

Courtesy photo / LESLIE BROADLAND

In a recent wresting meet, senior Sean Brown extends inward striving to pin his oppponent down onto the mat.

Friday, March 15, 2013 w The Granite Bay Gazette

C6 Sports

Konnor Christie excels as two-sport athlete Sophomore driven to transform his skills to the next level

BY BRENDAN GONZALES bgonzales.gazette@gmail.com

Konner Christie joined the Granite Bay High School track team during his freshman year so that he could have a way to stay in shape during the basketball offseason.

After joining the team, Christie started running the 100 and 200 meter sprints. While he ran these sprints very well, 13.2 and 16.5 seconds respectively, he found that he had a true knack for the long jump.

Christie’s personal record of 18 feet gave him the 2nd longest jump on the junior varsity team.

This year, as a sophomore, Christie hopes

to further improve his jump.

“My goal is to reach 19 feet by the end of this year and by my senior year, 22 feet,” Christie said.

To reach these goals, Christie frequently does an assortment of gym and home workouts, along with playing basketball on the JV team.

“Basketball has helped my endurance and vertical jump tremendously,” Christie said.

Christie also looks to improve his own jump by watching some of the varsity long jumpers.

“I gain valuable experience from watching Ty Serna and Jason Kahan’s long jump techniques,” Christie said.

Christie hopes that his skills will eventually lead to opportunities at the next level.

“If I could get a scholarship for track that would be great, but if not, I might try to

walk-on at whatever college I decide to attend,” Christie said.

If Christie does not end up running track at the next level, he hopes to attend a college with a great sports team to watch.

Between basketball and track, Christie enjoys the individuality of track, but at the same time loves the team feeling of basketball.

“As much as I love my basketball team, it’s also nice to be able to take pride in something that’s all mine,” Christie said.

Christie claims that when it comes to choosing a favorite sport, he is unable to single out one, because he enjoys playing a variety of sports.

However, Christie is unsure whether he will continue on to basketball at the varsity level, but he most definitely plans on being part of the track team throughout high school.

“Konner has a natural talent for track, especially the long jump,” said varsity track runner Will Greenwood. “It will be fun to see how he does at the varsity level the next two years.”

Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS

Konnor Christie, above, warms up before practicing his long jumps

Breaking the stereotype of the football ‘dumb jock’

Players are some of the best in the state and brightest in the classroom

BY BRENDAN GONZALES

quarterback for the state-champion Grizzlies football team, throwing for 1,878 yards and 27 touchdowns (and rushing for Turn on any television show that takes another two). place in a high school setting. Most of the So you would assume Caraway is one of time, the football players are portrayed as these “dumb jocks”, right? the dumb jocks in letterman jackets, who Wrong. Caraway has a weighted 10-12 catch breaks academically based on their Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.56, and athletic ability. is currently talking to Yale University However, many athletes have been about playing for the school’s football disproving these stereotypes, such as NFL team. quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and NBA Caraway has also been pursued by point guard Jeremy Lin, both who were California Polytechnic State University Harvard graduates.

(Cal-Poly), Cal-Lutheran University, WilThis stereotype is also being challenged lamette University, and the University of by high school athletes.

San Diego.

Senior Grant Caraway plays football “There have been a few instances when and lacrosse for Granite Bay High School. people have assumed that I am a ‘typical’ Caraway was a captain and the starting jock,” Caraway said. bgonzales.gazette@gmail.com

He thinks that having daily practice has actually helped his academic performance.

“I am more productive because with minimal time for homework, I am forced to manage my time and I don’t get distracted,” Caraway said. “As a result, I work more efficiently.”

Many other GBHS athletes are shaking the “dumb jock” label as well.

Senior Andrew Towery, flyback for the Grizzlies football team, has a 4.8 GPA, putting him at the very top of the class.

He hopes to attend either UC Berkeley or Northwestern University.

Senior Nick Grace, starting cornerback and captain for the football team, also has a 4.56 GPA and hopes to attend either USC or Colorado.

Senior Mason Conen, the second leading tackler and a captain for the football team who also plays rugby, has maintained a 4.4 GPA. Senior Aaron Knapp, a captain of the football team who led the team in

interceptions (seven), will be attending UC Berkeley on a baseball scholarship.

Knapp was also recruited by UC Santa Barbara, University of Washington, and Boston College, among others.

Seniors Jacob King and Anthony Pedersen are both captains of the GBHS basketball team, while also having GPAs of 4.4 and 4.1, respectively.

These are just a few examples of athletes who are excelling not only in their sports, but also in the classroom.

“It definitely keeps you busy trying to excel in both,” Grace said. “I had little to no free time, but it was definitely worth it.”

The “dumb jock” stereotype is becoming more and more irrelevant to today’s sports. However, many athletes are often still labeled with this unfair assumption.

“I don’t think people assume that I am stupid,” Towery said, “but rather they think that I don’t worry about school, don’t study, and just play sports.”

This trend of athletes performing well

Grant Caraway The starting quarterback, Caraway is looking to attend Yale University, made realistic through his academic succes

academically often translates to the next level as well.

With athletes grades being higher, highly-touted academic schools are now able to recruit top notch players.

This has led to college football teams such as Stanford University and the University Norte Dame- prestigious educational institutes- also becoming national football powerhouses.

Perhaps we really are witnessing the death of the “dumb jock” cliché.

Your names.

Your faces.

The Gazette.

Friday, March 15, 2013

w

The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C7

MADNESS: Projections for winning teams Continued from page C1

tune in to watch the game along with millions of others, most of these followers will also be sure to fill out brackets that include all 68 teams playing in the tournament. Fans can either fill out these brackets just for fun, or compete amongst their friends in leagues on sports websites like ESPN.com.

“I’m probably going to fill out around five (brackets)” said Misik. “I’m going to (play) against my friends and probably against my dad and some of his fellow work friends (as well).”

There are several different factors to consider when guessing how each team

will perform in the tournament.

As a rule of thumb, many college basketball experts advise picking with your brain rather than your heart--meaning to pick the teams you think will win, rather than the ones you personally cheer for.

“My favorite team is Santa Clara,” Misik said, “but they may not even make the tournament.”

Part of picking with your brain also means weighing the strengths and weaknesses of both the top universities in the nation, along with smaller schools that have the potential to make a surprising run through the rest of the field.

An underdog school that wins more

match ups than expected and is able to play its way deep into the tournament is often referred to as the “Cinderella story” of March Madness.

Among the teams that are projected to fit this mold are University of Minnesota and Butler.

“Butler (can definitely be) a Cinderella story team,” said basketball enthusiast and March Madness fan Corey Handa.

“They’re going to be a team to watch out for when the tournament starts. They have done it before and will do it again.”

“Don’t overlook Minnesota,” Misik said, “they have nine losses which is more than many top teams, but they had

the #1 rated strength of schedule and have beaten many top teams including the Univesrity of Indiana, a tournament favorite.”

Not only are the Indiana Hoosiers a perennial favorite, their standout shooting guard, junior Victor Oladipo, is a prime example of the type of player who can rise up for their team and be the driving force that sends their school deep into the March Madness tournament.

“Oladipo is one of the most complete players in all of college basketball,” said Misik. “He seems to always make big plays.”

Of course, others are influenced by the

LAX: Goal is to win TRIBE: Unity of fan group section championship is a positive for the school

Continued from page C1

goal is to win the North Coast Section Championship.”

After losing great all-around player and top goal-scorer Nate Gruen, the Grizzlies may need to find a new offensive spark to keep up the success.

“We will have a very strong defense this year, but I think we need to have a few new offensive stars emerge for us to reach our goals,” Pink said.

Some of these offensive leaders may include senior Steven Graber and senior captain Zach Burger.

Senior captains Burger and Castonguay, along with Tyler Arneson and Grant Caraway, are looking to lead their team and continue the tradition of winning.

“Tyler, Spencer and Grant were part of the state-champion football team and (as captains) know what it takes to win,” Pink said. “All of them have to set the tone that we must work hard to accomplish our goals.”

What may add to the team’s success are the future college athletes that fill its roster.

Seniors Burger and Castonguay have signed letters of intent to play college lacrosse at the University of Nevada Reno and Sonoma State University.

As for the team, the season can only get better.

“We are playing with a chip on our shoulder and are not letting up for a minute,” Burger said.

Continued from page C1 man on the field or court.” Slattery said.

“I really think that the support behind (the players) really helps (them) and gets (them) going.”

The Tribe seems to provide an overall positive effect to the athletes.

“The Tribe makes me feel energized and excited. The noise and presence really gets me going.” Romuk said.

With the signature chants and the plan for everyone in the Tribe to wear white, the Granite Bay student body pulls off and completes an overall unique atmosphere for the athletes to play for their peers.

Slattery’s main objective is to help the sports teams succeed and generate a large

following amongst the student population. “(We) invite everyone and (include) others rather than just our friend group,” Slattery said. “That way we have a diverse group of people, making us louder and bigger as a whole.”

They have done so through reminders about the games on Twitter and announcements through the GBHS bulletins run by the media program.

Over the last few years at GBHS, spirit seems to have increased an enormous amount, based on the efforts from the Tribe.

The tribe has improved the “togetherness” of GBHS and brought many people together to give support to fellow peers.

First increasing size for the football

universities they cheer for.

“I think the best player could be Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft,” said Allen Zheng, an admitted Ohio State fan, “but I’m biased.”

There is little doubt that this year’s March Madness will disappoint. The inescapable upsets and incredible drama will have all fanatics who participate in the madness of March on the absolute edge of their seats from the first contest on Mar. 19 to the last on April 8.

“You never know which team will move on (when) each game has the potential to end a team’s season,” Misik said. “They’re all going to be more motivated than ever.”

Myles Slattery Junior Tribe member advocates diverse attendance to sporting events.

team in the fall, the Tribe has kept growing in size and spirit since then to support the basketball team this winter.

Currently, spring sports don’t seem to be a large venue for Tribe activities.

Members of the Tribe hope for better overall attendance, especially for the spring sports The Tribe also aims to continue to have success for many years to come.

“I want to carry over all the energy at the end of the year for next year.” Slattery said.

GOLFING: Good talent in roster

gives team positive outlook on season Continued from page C1

“There were more players by far that tried out this year than last year,” Baldonado said. “This made the competition much more challenging.”

While the underclassmen had to work hard to make it on to the varsity team, no returning varsity players were cut preceding this golf season.

“The coach didn’t cut anyone from last year, but the competition for the (underclassmen) was tough,” Kwan said.

These cuts were not anything unusual as compared to previous years.

“There are only eight spots on the Varsity golf team,” Coach Terry Stafford said. “Those with the lowest scoring averages make the team.”

Having too many good players may be considered a good problem to have, and the competition seems to have brought out the best in many of the players who fought for a spot on the team.

“We do have a lot more kids trying out here at GBHS than most schools,” Stafford said.

Fortunately, most of the younger players found spots on the Junior varsity squad.

Others that were cut will have to wait until next year for a chance to better the team, which is already looking ahead to hopefully win their league.

“I’d say the JV ‘A’ team is a great JV team and should have a good shot at being league champions,” Baldonado said.

The varsity team is also confident about a repeat as league champs.

Kwan said that the team will look to improve from last year.

“A lot of players have gotten better since last year, and we’ve only lost one player from last year’s team,” Kwan said.

While the large amount of returning players was bad news for the opportunistic underclassmen that tried out for

the team, the experience that the reigning champions have will serve them well during close matches.

If they wish to continue their success, and make a team that has a good chance of winning, coach Stafford has had to make tough decisions to maximize the talent on his varsity squad.

Meanwhile, those that were cut from the team must wait until next year to prove their worth, and will most likely be seen practicing on the courses.

For those that remain on any of the three teams, however, will continue to showcase their talent during the year and help bring home a trophy to GBHS. The team’s success last season will hopefully translate to the present.

Ever the optimist, Baldonado likes the talent that can be seen throughout the team.

“If they played like they were capable of playing,” said Baldonado, “(anyone) on the team could have made a run at varsity.”

Gazette photo /Cleora reber

Senior golfer Chase Pedone putts the ball during a recent practice. Pedone was part of the Granite Bay golf team that won State last summer.

C8 Sports

Friday, March 15 2013

w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Gazette photo /HAYLEY MCAVOY

Stats at a Glance

Boys’ volleyball

Upcoming Games: w3/19 @ Jesuit w3/20 vs. Roseville w3/21 vs. Bellarmine

Girls’ soccer Upcoming Games: w4/4 @ Woodcreek w4/9 vs. Del Oro w4/18 @ Nevada Union

Boys’ lacrosse Upcoming games: w3/19 vs. Amador Valley w3/22 vs. Lincoln w4/2 vs. Bella Vista

Softball Upcoming games: w3/15 @ Woodcreek w3/19 vs. Bella Vista w3/20 vs. Del Oro

Baseball

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Upcoming games: w3/15 @ Pleasant Grove w3/21 vs. Bella Vista w3/23 vs. Campolindo

Girls’ lacrosse Upcoming games: w3/15 vs. Menlo-Atheron w3/19 @ St. Francis w3/22 @ Stevenson

Track and Field Upcoming games: w4/3 vs. Roseville w4/10 @ Nevada Union

Swimming Upcoming games: w3/15 vs. Roseville w3/21 @ Nevada Union w4/5 @ Woodcreek

Boys’ Golf Upcoming games: w3/19 vs. Nevada Union w3/21 vs. Woodcreek w4/10 vs. Roseville

Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS

Gazette photo /Kristin TAYLOR

Gazette photo /GRACE MOORE

Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS

Gazette photo /Cleora REBER

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

 Far above, junior Kevin Wylder gasps for breathe while swimming butterfly during practice on March 6. Below Wylder, senior Max Vigeant works on his freestyle stroke during a practice on March 4. Freshman Maggie Bell, above left, fights for possesion of the ball during the game against Oakmont on March 26. Sophomore Emily Torris runs up the sideline cradling the ball during a practice on March 7, above. Concentrated on the ball, Junior Nick Palmer and freshman Ethan Smith, directly above, face off during a practice on Feb. 7. Far left, sophomore Mason Troike putts the golf ball into the hole during a match against Placer on March 7. Senior Zach Wilson, left top, tries to block sophomore Trevor Brake’s spike during a practice on March 7. Senior Anthony Pederson, left bottom, takes on the Bethel defender during the game on Feb. 20.

green screen.

The Gazette’s art and entertainment guide March 2013

Follow the Gazette to local hiking spots Page 12&13

Page 2

In this Issue Page 4&5

Music reviews

Page 7

SUNDAY

Saint Patrick’s Day

Page 8&9 Page 10

Easter Day

Luck of the Irish

Page 11

St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment

Page 16

Free education

Page 18&19 Scars Stories

Page 20

Binge-watching

Page 21

Documentary film guide

Page 22&23 Movie reviews

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

16

18 21 Spring Break April 4 Fools Student Senate

Powder

Return puff to practices start School

april Elections one lunch

e

d ow

ff

u rP

P

13

A world of complainers

Page 14

Local running spots

WEDNESDAY

Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY

Local hikes

Page 15

TUESDAY

spirit week

Page 12&13 Sneaker guide

MONDAY

march

Local Spring Break Food Reviews: pizzerias

March 2013

calendar.

T

A culture of social media breeds a society of whiners

here is a new plague.

It’s running rampant across our country, across our world and I believe to be one of the few who are not yet affected by this epidemic.

This horrific occurrence is complaining.

Complaining is now such a big part of the culture of today’s society.

Its growth, in my opinion, is mainly catalyzed by the expanding world of social media.

The rise of the computer age has given all those who normally wouldn’t have a voice the ability to tell the world exactly what they’re thinking.

With all these outlets now to express your opinion, whether or not it’s desired, the amount of complaints is at an all-time high.

Just think about it for a minute. There’s all these networking sites- Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.- and for the most part, all people do on them is complain.

My personal Twitter feed is filled with people’s random rants driven solely by passion with an unknown intended target.

These people make me laugh.

Looking at how supposedly ‘difficult’ their lives are because they have to go to school on a Monday.

Commentary

hayley mcavoy hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

Or when people go on political rants and call out all others who might slightly disagree with them.

This is all just comical to me.

But comes a point where all this negative energy wears down on you.

Now I’m not just talking about socialmedia, but life in general. In school, in sports, in extracurriculars, all I ever hear is people complaining.

If you really do hate the situation you are in, instead of talking about how much you hate it, do something to make it better.

Talking about how awful a certain activity is isn’t going to make it any better

or end any sooner; it will do the exact opposite. Complaining will only make it go by much slower and more painfully.

Maybe I’m just a hopeless optimist, but I believe that if you are in a bad situation, the best way to make it better is not to talk about exactly how horrible it is.

Instead, it’s healthier and more productive to try to improve upon your situation. And if that’s not possible, at least try to think positive. It’s for the benefit of your own well-being and for well-being of those around you, who have to listen to your silly, frivolous rants day-in and dayout.

If someone says they eat too much and are overweight, there’s the sarcastic rebuttal that there are starving children in Africa who wish they could eat food and be fat. And for those who way they wish they didn’t have to go to school, there are children in third world countries who wish they could be educated.

In the big scheme of things, we don’t have much to complain about.

And yes, I do understand the irony of writing a column, complaining about how other people are complaining, but I’m an American teenager, I can do what I want.

current.

March 2013

Trend of the month: Classic

Annabelle Landry

BY NEHA KOMPELLA nkompella.gazette@gmail.com

BY NICOLE BALES

nbales.gazette@gmail.com

Why are you interested in art?

It’s a type of expression through different things.

I like learning about the different textures with the different brushes you can use. I like how you can capture moments that you could take with a camera and can transform them into art.

You really learn about a person, you see lines in their face and with different landscapes you discover more about them than you would in a photograph.

What draws you to art?

I like the freedom that you get, but then also the strictness that comes with being in an art class because you still have to learn certain things.

Learning about the different techniques you have to use is really fun.

Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS What do enjoy drawing the most?

I like a lot of graffiti, and unique things, not really Artist of the Month Annabelle self-potraits. I like drawing other people. It’s Landry stands with her newest self-portrait. different when you’re drawing yourself because you feel that nothing ever looks like you, but when you draw other people, you can bring out different things that they don’t even see in themselves, but that you can see and other people can see.

What is your current project and how is it coming along?

We’re doing a graphite self-portrait with backgrounds. It’s coming along ok, but it’s hard to draw yourself. We’ll see how it comes out!

YouTube Video and of the Month

BY BRIAN ZHUANG

bzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

The Harlem Shake (Original Army Edition) is a video where an army of Norwegian soldiers dance crazily, with no sense of rhythm or technique, to a song, Harlem Shake, by Baauer.

This Harlem Shake dance is not the original dance originating from Harlem, New York, but rather something that has recently blown up partially because of its simplicity and chaos.

The video starts out with all the soldiers in a square formation doing some drills, and, once the song starts, one soldier starts to dance.

He continues to dance until finally the beat drops and all the soldiers start dancing, wearing or doing something strange, but amusing.

Some soldiers spaz out while lying in sleeping-bags. Others just randomly shake their body in an unusual way, and one even falls out a window and continues to intensely shake.

Kenneth Hakonsen/YouTube

This video has over 45 million views with almost 300,000 likes in about 3 weeks.

It is ironic that an army would do such a thing, because of its strict and disciplinary atmosphere. This may add to the spontaneity and why this video became viral.

Page 3

BY NICOLE BALES nbales.gazette@gmail.com

As temperatures rise and spring rolls around, fashion allows for fewer layers and more bold pieces.

This spring, there’s something for everyone because classics from the 1950s all the way to the ‘90s are back.

This gives you a large variety of vintage, bohemian, and business-casual looks since this season will be covering all of the previous century’s best trends.

This spring, you’ll notice some more recycled trends making a comeback with pieces like floral and crocheted tops.

You can pair a floral or crochet top with an edgy and bold necklace and add a denim jacket on chilly days.

It’s an easy look, but still looks thoughtful and put together.

Another trend that will be following us into the spring that is currently popular for males and females are lace-up ankle boots.

These short boots are a perfect transitional shoe from

winter to spring and polish even the comfiest outfits.

“I love them,” said senior Jessie Myers. “I’m wearing a pair right now.”

While bohemian styles are increasing in popularity again, you will also notice retrostyled clothing becoming a common trend.

To add a touch of retro to your style you can top off an outfit with some retro sunglasses like a cat eye or round style.

“I have a pair of circular ‘60s glasses, I love them, but I get nervous to wear them in public because I’m afraid people might make fun of me,” Myers said. “I wear them on the weekends, but not at school.”

If you’re brave enough to wear them, retro glasses will go great with your crochet top or edgy jewelry.

Stores like Urban Outfitters and H & M are stocking up on plenty of edgy jewelry like spike necklaces and earrings.

“They’re not my style, but they’re defiantly edgy and cool and if I could pull them off, I’d wear them,” Myers said.

iPhone App of the Month

4 Pics 1 Word is a thinking game by LOTUM GmbH that stays true to its name, it involves four pictures and one word.

The objective of the game is to look at the four pictures and find one thing in common about them. A bank of letters is provided for you, which limits the infinite possibilities of words.

There are a countless number of levels, some easy and some tricky. The difficult levels force players to pass their devices around hoping that someone can help.

If one is stuck on a level, there are bombs that help beat a level. Each bomb aids you in a different way. One removes letters from the bank and another automatically puts a letter into the word.

As expected, each bomb costs a different amount of coins, which is gained through completing levels.

4 Pics 1 Word is a very addictive game that can be used to pass time while

waiting for something, or just something to do on your own free time.

This game has over 8,000 ratings since the recent update on Feb. 26, 2013 and almost 27,000 ratings with an average of four and a half stars on all versions.

LOTUM GmbH

Page 4

March 2013

music.

Johnny Marr The Messenger

BY NICOLAS ONTIVEROS

A

nontiveros.gazette@gmail.com

fter singing and playing guitar for many alternative rock bands, including The Smiths and The Cribs, English musician Johnny Marr has released his debut solo album, The Messenger.

Overall, the album delivers a diverse range of progressive rock melodies similar to Marr’s beginning works.

Ever since the start of his music career, Marr has written and recorded most of his music by himself, showcasing a talent rarely found in modern musicians.

The Messenger begins with “The Right Thing Right,” a track that accentuates Marr’s lyrical guitar riffs. Many of these six-string melodies featured in the album are very powerful.

However, “European Me” and

“Lockdown” exemplify the underlying blemish throughout the entire record: the vocals.

Marr is only a decent singer in terms of pure talent, but he has a limited vocal range.

As a member of the Smiths, Marr was always the backup singer for vocalist Steven Morrissey. Marr’s lack of experience as a front man only aggravates the somewhat plain vocals.

Yet, “Say Demesne” ties up the loose ends from the other tracks. “Say Demesne” opens with a slow, driving rhythm that builds up to Marr’s calm singing.

The couple of flaws in the album do not outweigh the overall musical quality. The vocals and lyrics may not be perfect, but Marr’s voice fits the mood his songs evoke.

“New Town Velocity” has a moderately slow beat, but the rhythm guitars

accompany the vocals very well.

More importantly, Marr describes a personal story of devoting his life to poetry.

The internal struggle described in the lyrics underscores Marr’s intellectual musings common in the album.

Nevertheless, the phrasing of words is never elegant.

In “Generate! Generate!,” Marr repeats the word “calculate” several times during the entire song. The lyrics do have depth, but the expressions Marr utilizes are never quite graceful.

Many tracks on The Messenger are reminiscent of early recordings by the Smiths. Although outdated, the Smiths produced quality work, much like The Messenger.

Altogether, Marr produced an enjoyable album to listen to despite the monotonous vocals.

WARNER BROS.

The Messenger

by Johnny Marr was released on Feb.25.

B+

Skip to: Say Demense

Son Volt Honky Tonk

F NEW ROUNDER RECORDS

Honky Tonk by Son Volt was released on March 2.

A-

Skip to: Hearts and Minds

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI

cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

or country bands and singers, the soul and meaning behind the lyrics are the key to expressing how the singer feels and how to reach out to people who can relate to the message.

Son Volt does just that with their brand new vintage-sounding album, Honkey Tonk.

Honky Tonk gives an overall “classic” country feel with its thorough use of the fiddle and its simple, yet meaningful messages sung with experience.

The album is diversified but creates an overall sense of togetherness that makes for a soothing listening experience.

Son Volt cleverly uses the effect of sounds that could’ve been heard a century ago in a

modern way that uniquely add to the overall old-school repertoire.

For example, in track three, “Wild Side,” Son Volt stresses the use of the mellow guitar riffs and exemplifies the concept of accepting the past and moving forward, which hit home pretty strongly.

The mid-tempos of some of the songs also stuck out because they made it possible to really hear and understand the meaningful lyrics behind each of the songs.

This album creates a completely relaxed state of mind, making it enjoyable to listen to the quality of the music and focus in on the lessons that each song tries to teach.

“Hearts and Minds,” easily the major standout song of this album, picks up a bit and uses the fiddle superbly.

Jay Farrar, the lead singer, sings with such

passion as the fiddle plays in cohesion with guitars and banjos, allowing the lyrics to shine through.

The sentimental and wistful tune of “Down the Highway” makes for a eloquent song that teaches the concept of “lessons lost, lessons learned.” It channels the reflective ideas of “breaking away from the past,” and moving forward with forgiveness and love.

The album encompasses the prominent idea of facing future and moving forward, all while being knowledgeable of the past.

Although some may be skeptical to giving such an obscure country band some credit, Son Volt’s Honky Tonk does more than just sing quality country music; they add their own experiences in the core lyrics for other people to learn from, setting them apart from other country bands.

Autechre Exai

BY SAVITRI ASOKAN

T

sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

hese days, electronic music has grown so vastly different from its original form that the two most common versions are diametrically opposed: either oversimplified, hypersaccharine dance-pop or deeply complex, “intelligent dance music,” IDM. Autechre fall sharply into the latter category. If one spends any time at all listening to their recent releases, it’s obvious that their brand of electronic is constructed from wandering explorations into experimental territory and the hazy realms of ambient music.

Exai marks Autechre’s 11th album (“exai” meaning the Roman numeral XI). And by now, the novelty of their sound is wearing thin. Being the band known for programming computers to improvise songs is no longer enough to make them sound good.

On opener “FLeure,” spastic sonic jets ricochet off walls while small metal buttons

are pressed at random. Synths and bass grow menacingly before fading into silence, replaced by bubbles of sound which foam and crash. Autechre’s uncanny ability to evoke vivid images by underlying sonic textures is exhibited well here. However, the excessive length of the song proves detrimental to its quality. “jatevee C,” the second song, is easily the best song on the album.

Shimmering, cinematic synth sweeps seem to glow and dull, accentuating a soft silence.

The beats pop strikingly like minuscule erupting stars contained within their explosion. “jatevee C” is the album’s shortest song, clocking in at just over four minutes, and this a significant error on Autechre’s part.

At its conclusion, I found myself wanting to hear more, which turned out to be my singular complaint of the song (every other piece would have benefited from trimming down). While “jatevee C” is excellent, it feels somewhat unfinished.

But the key flaw of the album isn’t vapidity

or unoriginality, it’s the two hour length.

Exai would have improved immensely if only Autechre had edited and cut down a bit.

Instead, songs which have strong foundations become overwrought and tedious with unnecessary minutes.

Exai is mostly a disappointment because I rightfully expect better of Autechre. For people who spend the majority of their time in the studio, one would have thought they would have learned to use the “delete” function by now.

Ultimately, Exai’s best strength is its vital imagery. Each song conjures deeply scientific or mathematical images. When the album is played through its entire two hours, it feels as though listeners are on the tip of some important epiphany, just about to completely comprehend the eternal darkness of space, the rolling waves of a sine graph and the kaleidoscopic beauty of infinite fractals, among others.

While Autechre has not produced an album that revolutionizes their sound, Exai is still a solid album, and certainly worthy of a listen.

WARP RECORDS

Exai by Autechre was released on March 5.

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March 2013

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music.

Luke Bryan Spring Break...Here to Party “I’m In Love with the Girl” and “Buzzkill” are entertaining and moving, thereby achieving a musician’s goal of producing significant music.

I truly enjoyed the song “Buzzkill.” It played on real emotions with its theme of relationship recovery, and I definitely would’ve wanted to hear more songs like it.

Nothing was incredibly fancy or intricate about the song. It simply wove a story that was filled with sorrow and awkwardness, two real and constant emotions.

These songs definitely exemplify how Bryan could embrace his country roots once more and, in my eyes, become a more respected artist. I suspect that making featherweight songs about partying is far more lucrative, unfortunately.

It seemed as though Bryan was trying to sound like all the other successful pop-

BY THOMAS TAYLOR ttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

H

andsome country star Luke Bryan has released his newest album, Spring Break(…)Here To Party.

And, yes, it is just as awful as the title is.

The songs lack substance, with trivial themes and messages such as partying all night, watching girls on the beach, drinking beer and sleeping with college students.

These songs are obvious attempts to quickly cash in on the stupendous success that other country stars, such as Taylor Swift, have garnered.

Bryan’s lyrics are boring, tacky and very repetitive. This is a shame, because Bryan’s guitar playing is a very pleasant, classic country style.

However, there were two songs of actual quality.

country artists, when he could be so much more than that.

The common theme between the two types of songs, the deep and the meaningless, is that they share common lyrical organization. These songs all operate on the same layout: one verse to set the scene, one more verse to begin the chorus and then seventeen repetitions of the chorus.

This creates a choppy sound that is harsh on the ears.

However, Bryan clearly has talent. He simply needs to remember that making true music is not all about catchy tunes and repetitive verses. True music is about making the listener feel something.

Bryan made me feel sorrow and raw emotion at some points—but most of the time, the handsome country star’s work made me want to press the “skip” button.

CAPITOL RECORDS

Spring Break...Here to Party by Luke Bryan was released on March 5.

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David Bowie The Next Day

BY DAN JOHNSON

S COLUMBIA RECORDS

The Next Day by David Bowie was released on March 15.

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Skip to: Paddle Forward

djohnson.gazette@gmail.com

ome rock ‘n roll legends never die out, and David Bowie is certainly one of those legends. Wanting his music heard and always the bon vivant, Bowie was one of the first to use flair in personifying a space alien, a drugged-out cartoon and a machine-obsessed private detective for the purpose of getting the public’s attention.

Now, after a 10 year hiatus, David Bowie, at the age of 66, has just released The Next Day. Overall, the album reflects Bowie’s versatility as a musician, resulting in an album that has songs on it for everyone.

The album’s notoriety began with the release in January of the single “Where Are We Now?”

In England, it was an immediate success.

Other songs include “Boss of Me,” “The Stars,” “Valentine’s Day,” “Dirty Boys,” “I’d Rather Be High,” and “The Next Day.” “Boss of Me” presents the album with a classic gospel basis. It includes the traditional Bowie-way of sounding entirely serious yet light-hearted.

“The Stars” is an ode to life. It’s reminiscent of the scene in a movie where the main characters look to the stars for inspiration. Although the song appears to be consistent with Bowie’s past songs, it still shows new facets of creativity with its cold, outer-space like premise and thoughtful bits of heartfelt humanity.

If there was one song that I would suggest skipping to, I would pick “The New Day.” It is truly fine work.

Overall, the album is a token of true authenticity and exploration. At times, the album has a weird, otherworldly aura that may turn off the average listener, but Bowie’s ability to change the rules of sociability allows for transportation into a surreal world.

The album is fresh, although David Bowie is an older guy. An older rocker making a current album has been shown to be an impressive achievement. I recommend the album for those who want to enjoy something new and interesting, and for those who just enjoy David Bowie.

Whether or not people like Bowie, his constant growth and discovery is commendable and worth noting. It might not be his best work ever, but it’s still David Bowie. There is no other quite like him.

Chelsea Light Moving Chelsea Light Moving

M

BY GOKUL ASOKAN

gasokan.gazette@gmail.com

y first introduction to the genre of noise-rock was Nirvana’s In Utero. Although definitively a grunge album, In Utero took a variety of elements from the noise rock scene. As a seventh-grader who had just listened to Nevermind, the experience of In Utero drastically altered my understanding of music.

Later, I would find out that the pinnacle of this noise rock movement was Sonic Youth. When I first listened to a Sonic Youth album, I instantly was reminded of In Utero—but the album I listened to was released six years earlier. For an entire generation, Sonic Youth’s embracing of dissonance and alternative tunings made them kings of alternative rock.

Although Sonic Youth has been on hiatus since 2011, Thurston Moore’s latest musical project, Chelsea Light Moving, brings back

stirrings of both Sonic Youth and In Utero, and at the same time reflects the evolution of the noise rock genre over the decades since it was created.

The first track, “Heavenmetal,” starts off innocently enough. The track uses simplistic drum beats, mellow vocals and a guitar/bass contrasts that iterates over the same melodic riff.

It’s in the track “Sleeping Where I Fall” that I begin to be reminded of the decades of musical history that Thurston Moore has behind him, and the comparisons to In Utero arises.

The song begins with the same tone as the previous track, although the change in structure is immediately obvious.

Over the course of the song, the over driven chug of power chords combined with dissonant riffs and industrial sounds climaxes at the solo and quickly transforms what could have been a standard indie pop album into trademark Thurston Moore.

The rest of the album continues to use dissonant chord progressions, short chromatic riffs and white noise to impose a rawer sense of noise rock, while popping in cleaner sections of guitar playing for musical contrast.

At times, though, it goes a bit too far; one can almost feel the inner conflict of a 54-year-old man desperately trying to be the young rocker he once was in the overbearing “Alighted.”

At the other end of the spectrum, we have “Mohawk,” an exercise in beat poetry that screams avant-garde.

The best track of the album, “Empires of Time,” is one where the mix of melody, harmony and raw power is most balanced.

Although the sparse vocals highlight the inherent repetition of the song, the song remains as a well balanced work of art that shows that Thurston Moore can still pull off the masterful song writing that has characterized much of his career.

RCA

Chelsea Light Moving

by Chelsea Light Moving was released on March 5.

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Empires of Time

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look at us.

March 2013

Your names.

Your faces.

The Gazette.

March 2013

Page 7

spring.

Spring into action What to do if you are bored over spring break

L

BY TAMREN JOHNK

tjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

ocated in Rocklin, Laser Craze offers an exhilarating high-tech experience of laser tag that combines the games of hide and seek, tag and capture the flag The game is played in a multi-level futuristic arena, filled with glowing red and blue pillars, arches, passageways and swirling fog.

Players use their lasers to try to score as many points as possible by shooting the opposing team’s vests or by attempting to overtake their base station. Individual scores are kept, and the team with the

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

S

ky Zone, an indoor trampoline park in Rocklin, is another activity you can do that involves upbeat and active fun.

Jamie Whitfield, the General Manager at Sky Zone, describes it as a place for all ages, but also a place suitable for highschoolers where they can get away from all their studying and come out and play.

“Saturday nights from 9-11pm we have an event called Sky Jam for ages 16 and up,” Whitfield said. “It’s the perfect time to come hang out with friends and socialize without having to be around the young

children.”

Sky Jam is also is extremely affordable, costing you only $15 for 90 minutes of jumping time and two slices of Round Table pizza with soda. You also have access to all the three courts: the main court, dodge ball court and their Foam Zone that has a Sky Slam Dunk basketball hoop on it.

Sky Zone also offers the Dodge ball Power Hour, where they have several highschoolers and college students join them every Wednesday night from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for only $8.

T

he new Speed Factory in Roseville allows highschoolers to experience a thrilling kart racing experience over spring break.

Speed Factory is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and offers a Grid Café and Sports Bar. Prices vary with different tracks and courses, but Mondays offer the special deal of two lap races for $20.

One of the road courses consists of 11 challenging corners and several high speed straight-aways where your kart can go up

highest amount of points wins.

Freshman Savanna Thompson looks forward to playing laser tag over spring break because it’s something exciting and fun to do with friends and family.

“I’m not going anywhere for spring break,” Thompson said, “Therefore, laser tag is definitely at the top of my list for fun activities to do.”

Thompson enjoys going at night because it makes the game more dramatic and intense.

“It’s really cool because everything is neon and glows up because it’s so dark,” Thompson said. “It is also really competitive which makes it more fun.”

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

to 45 miles per hour. The other track is a large circle that contains a slick surface, causing your kart to slip and slide across the floor.

An Employee Supervisor of Speed Factory, Tyler Thomas, encourages all ages to come out, bring some friends and race some laps.

“It’s fun, exciting, and creates great competition between you and your friends,” Thomas said. “It’s an activity that puts a smile on your face and fills you up with adrenaline for the rest of your day.”

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

G

low bowling is also another entertaining night activity to do over spring break that involves bright neon colors, loud music and plenty of food.

Strikes Unlimited Half Time Bar and Grill in Rocklin offers fun-filled glow bowling activities from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Individual shoes cost $3 per person and each game costs $6.

Sophomore Rachel Bohnhoff, who is also staying home over spring break, enjoys participating in night-time glow bowling because she sees it as a fun time to be with friends.

“I’m not really that good at bowling but

it doesn’t matter because it is still so much fun,” Bohnhoff said.

Even if you aren’t the best at glow bowling, you can always ask the staff to put the bumpers up on your lane, which also glow up in bright neon colors just like everything else.

“For me, another fun part is dressing up in all neon because you can get as creative as you want,” Bohnhoff said. “It’s fun, its competitive, it’s cheap, and it’s something way better to do than just sit at home.”

Bohnhoff hopes to go glow bowling over spring break with a large group of friends, as well as dress to match.

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

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March 2013

eat.

Rollin’ In the Dough

The Gazette staff gets cheesy for local pizza

Dominick’s

BY AUSTIN ALCAINE

aalcaine.gazette@gmail.com

One of the signs of a great restaurant is when you walk in and you are instantly bombarded with the scent of authentic cuisine.

When I walked into Dominick’s Italian Market and Deli the first thing I noticed was the deli-style layout with all of their delicious food on display along with an assortment of Italian recipes and trinkets for sale.

Immediately when I walked, in I was greeted by very friendly staff who guided me through the menu with all the various pizzas they offer.

Dominick’s feels very authentic, almost like a little slice of Italy. The restaurant smells like real Italian cuisine and is decorated with Italian posters and other art.

Also the deli is not just for buying pizza. There are many other Italian dishes for sale but the Deli specializes in pizza. Directly to the right of the store there is a rack with famous Italian dishes and other specialty food items like cannolis and Italian truffles.

When I finally stepped up to order my food after surveying the deli, I went the classic route and ordered their famous five-cheese pizza.

After a short 10-minute wait I received my pizza.

Upon inspection of my meal I noticed the cheese was perfectly melted on my pizza, making for an enticing appearance.

My first bite into the melted cheese pizza was incredible.

The pizza had the perfect ratio of cheese to crust.

The crust alone was incredible with a hint of garlic and cheesy bread to make it an excellent combination with

Z Pizza

BY AUSTIN PINK

apink.gazette@gmail.com

It’s often said that pizza is a lot like sex. When it’s good, it’s really good, and when it’s bad…it’s still pretty good.

When I learned I was going to review ZPizza for the Gazette, I was particularly excited because, like most people, I absolutely love pizza.

After my experiences with ZPizza, my love is still strong and I can confirm that their products are of high quality, but they are not for everyone.

I arrived at ZPizza on a Wednesday night and had a hankering for pizza that whole day. I excitedly entered a very relaxing atmosphere with some pleasant music and friendly staff.

Before I ordered, the cashier explained their biweekly deal that occurs on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The deal consists of each slice costing only $1.25 if you buy a fountain drink.

As someone who always scrounges for a good deal, I began to salivate when I heard the word “discount.”

Needless to say, it’s an awesome bargain.

ZPizza has a set amount of pizza cooking at each interval, and if they don’t have a variety you like, then you’re out of luck.

Luckily for me they did have two types of pizza I enjoy. I had a slice of traditional pepperoni and a combo, which consists of a variety of meats and toppings like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and other veggies.

the perfectly blended cheeses.

The only downside would be the size of the meal which was a little small for my liking for a personal pizza, but for the 10 inch size for a $7 price is pretty reasonable.

Dominick’s also offers a large variety of other pizzas with prices that range up to $27 for a larger family style serving.

One negative aspect to the restaurant was it seemed to be lacking in business. I was the only customer in the restaurant during my stay, so it felt a little dead and lifeless.

I would definitely recommend Dominick’s to anyone looking for a casual, quick and delicious meal.

Dominick’s, authentic ambience, friendly staff, and incredible pizza make it a must go pizza joint in Granite Bay.

Chicago Fire Their pizza is a variety that they call “California Fusion.” It includes a pretty thin crust with various fresh toppings. As for me, I am big fan of the thin crust style, so their pizza was just right for me. For those who like a heavier, thicker crust laden with tons of toppings, this might not be your place.

I was satisfied with my selection and found the pizza to be fresh, flavorful, and not too heavy. However, I decided that ordering one thing would not give me a fair consensus on their quality.

A few days later, I returned to the same welcome staff and atmosphere, but with different items to try. I ordered a calzone and a side salad.

The calzone had a crisp crust with a really tasty variety of meats and cheeses inside.

Zpizza has quality menu items with something for all occasions. Their style of food is not for everyone and some of their sides are subpar, but they easily make up for it with their friendly staff and affordable prices

Gazette photo /Austin pin k

Z Pizza is located in the Safeway Parking Lot next to Chipotle.

BY PARKER BURMAN

pburman.gazette@gmail.com

Like most Americans, pizza makes up a large portion of my diet; however, unlike most Americans I’m very picky about what pizza I enjoy.

Luckily, with its delicious food, lively ambiance and excellent service, Chicago Fire did not disappoint.

While the outside of the restaurant is nothing special, the inner décor is nice, and has a rustic feel to it. I particularly enjoyed the potted plants and oldfashioned brick walls.

Due to its popularity, however, Chicago Fire is often crowded, and it may take a while to be seated.

On the particular night that I went, I was seated in a timely manner.

The menu at Chicago Fire offers many pizza selections. The deep-dish and stuffed pizzas are the most popular dishes but can take some time to cook.

Thankfully, Chicago Fire provides many delicious appetizers to keep customers satisfied until the main course arrives.

The garlic fries are delicious, but the hot wings provide an even tastier option for those customers who don’t mind the heat.

Deep dish pizzas are where Chicago Fire shines.

Cooked over a 35 minute period, these pizzas are well worth the long wait. Thicker than the common pizza, deep dish pizzas are filled with tasty toppings and served with a flaky, golden crust.

Another amazing item on the

Gazette photo /Parker BUrman

Chicago Fire is located by United Artist Movie Theaters menu is the “Pizookie”. This delicious cookie baked in a pizza pan and topped with ice cream is a gourmet take on the classic ice cream sandwich, and tastes better with every bite.

To top it all off, the service at Chicago Fire was exceptional.

The waiters know that you may have a long wait, and will have refills waiting as soon as you finish off your glass.

Even though the restaurant may be busy, the waiters will answer your requests in little time. My waiter was polite and I was very pleased with his service.

High prices prevent Chicago Fire from being the perfect pizza joint, as you can easily find other delicious pizzas for less money.

It’s not viable to visit every time you get a craving for pizza, but Chicago Fire can provide a fitting backdrop for a nice, gourmet pizza meal.

March 2013

Pete’s

BY AMBER LES

alesgazette@gmail.com

There is never a bad time to sit down and enjoy a nice marinara-and-cheese-covered slice of baked dough. But for me, pizza just can’t be that simple.

As one of the many delicious items that have come out of Italy’s kitchen, pizza can be more complex than just a $5 pie from the usual fast food chain.

My search for that authentic pizza taste led me to a restaurant with a not-so-Italian name.

Pete’s Restaurant and Brewery is tucked between a Thai restaurant and a jewelry store in the Quarry Ponds shopping center on Douglas Boulevard.

Having never ventured further than the coffee shop in Quarry Ponds, I found the location of Pete’s to be a little hidden (many rows of parking blocks the entrance from a distance), but it is nonetheless surrounded by a well-kept seating area and walkway.

Pete’s atmosphere was inviting and smelled like fresh pizza dough from the moment I ventured in.

Adding to my favorite smell, the dark brick walls and large seating space were appealing to me and would be to anyone having a big group outing.

The menu did not disappoint, and ranged from traditional appetizers to salads, soups, sandwiches and pasta.

The pizza selection is relatively small, but they do not exclude any flavors.

If a customer doesn’t like the specialty pizza selections, they have the ability to create their own from a list of 32 toppings and six sauces.

Although I am an all-around pizza lover, I decided to test Pete’s ability to serve the basics.

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eat.

This Month’s Picks I ordered a “Purist” pizza, topped with fresh tomatoes (instead of sauce), olive oil and garlic with mozzarella, feta and parmesan cheeses.

While waiting for my food, I enjoyed being able to watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen space.

I could see the large brick oven where they make the pizzas, and was very entertained with the chef who flipped the dough into the air.

The pizza turned out good, and had the right balance of olive oil and seasoning.

Although it wasn’t the greatest pizza I had ever had, Pete’s Restaurant and Brewery sold me in other ways.

The service was quick and efficient, with cheery waiters and easygoing atmosphere.

It’s also easy to convince parents to go, their beer, wine, and cocktail menus are elaborate and will appeal to some parents’ tastes.

The prices are a little high for the teenage budget (around $12 for a personal pizza), so I think it’s a more suitable place for infrequent pizza cravings.

Overall, Pete’s deserves an A- in my book. Not the greatest pizza in the world, but a great place to eat it in.

The Gazette Ranking Panel samples dishes from each of the five restaurants this month and ranks them accordingly.

#5 Pete’s- Pete’s is a decent restaurant but is lacking in options for pizza and does not deliver an exceptional product.

#4 ZPizza- ZPizza’s low prices and close proximity to GBHS make it a viable option for GBHS students.

#3 Chicago Fire- Chicago fire serves

delicious pizza but is expensive and typically has a long wait time for being seated and the pizza itself.

#2 Celestino’s- Celestino’s has character that most other pizza joints don’t, and offers exceptionally low every day prices

Gazette photo /amber les

Pete’s is located off of Douglas Blvd. in the Quarry ponds shopping center

#1 Dominick’s- Dominick’s offers the best quality pizza of these five restaurants and is very resonably priced for the quality of the food.

Celestino’s

BY ASHCON MINOEIFAR amineofar.gazette@gmail.com

I arrived at Celestino’s New York Pizza, located on Stanford Ranch Rd, Rocklin just over Highway 65, right after school with a friend. We entered the empty pizza joint and, much to my pleasure, noticed the furnishing to be reminiscent of an Italian, New York pizza joint.

Green, red and white covered the floor tiles and pictures of the New York Skyline adorned the walls, not too cheesy (no pun intended) but definitely not boring.

The friendly woman at the register greeted us as we browsed the simple lunch menu, while the very relaxed “chef” lounged behind the counter texting.

I’m no stickler for overly enthusiastic employees and I felt comfortable in a place where employees were so relaxed; it gave the restaurant a homey feel.

The greatest relief was the awesome pricing. I paid $4.50 for a huge slice of pizza and a large soda, a very good deal in my book. Once we ordered, the chef began to warm up the pizza, I was a tad skeptical of a warmed-up piece of pizza, but I waited till I tasted it

Gazette photo /Ashcon minoiefar

Celestino’s is located off of Stanford Ranch Road in Rocklin before passing any judgment.

It was a good thing too, because when I bit into that thin crust pizza (loaded with parmesan and red chili flakes) I fell in love. It had the perfect amount of sauce and cheese, not overloaded like the majority of pizzas these days. But what made it for me was the crust. It was heavenly. Not too thin, not too thick and perfectly crunchy.

Usually, when I eat a piece of pizza I loathe reaching the end to only have some sub-par, dry piece of crust

to munch on. For the first time, I couldn’t wait to reach that last bit of crust which stood on its own with no need for sauces.

My friend enjoyed his pizza as much as I did, despite having just eaten and without much of an appetite. We sat outside on their closed off patio and enjoyed a pretty good view of the Sacramento area, regrettably reaching the last few bites.

Upon finishing our food, we went back inside to put our plates away, as a sign of respect, and asked who cooked the pizza. The man responsible gladly came up and we praised his pizza-making abilities, which he appreciated.

On leaving the pizza joint I noticed the Cool River Pizza just a few stores down and couldn’t help thinking, “How many people go there and don’t even realize that this amazing place is waiting for them?”

Don’t get me wrong, I like Cool River Pizza, but I think that Celestino’s does just as good as a job or even better. I urge readers to give Celestino’s a chance and be blown away at the great quality of pizza and the genuine employees, not the over-smiling and annoying employee I see much too often.

March 2013

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spring.

Saint Patrick’s Day traditions and their origins GBHS students celebrate Saint Paddy’s Day

BY NIKI RICHARDS

nrichards.gazette@gmail.com

T

he scent of clovers is in the air, and the traditions of wearing green and pinching indicate that Saint Patrick’s day is here.

Students at Granite Bay high school enjoy having an excuse to dress up and pinch their friends, but many do not know the history and cultural significance of these traditions.

Originally, St. Patrick’s Day is the day the Irish feast and commemorate the death of Saint Patrick on March 17.

Once a religious holiday celebrated for over 1000 years, people designate this day to guzzle as much alcohol as humanly consumable, and remain connected with Irish heritage.

Other GBHS students celebrate the holiday with homemade Irish cooking.

Colleen Deyager, a GBHS senior of Irish decent, personally enjoys these traditions with her family.

“I love celebrating it,” Deyager said, “We have corned beef and

cabbage, my mom decorates the house and it’s really nice to keep up old traditions.”

But the average student doesn’t associate cabbage with this holiday.

Students simply think of green and leperachaun gold.

Senior Brittany Roe agrees, “All I ever really think about is wearing green,” Roe said, “but the day is always really fun, and you can do silly things with your friends.”

The original reason many wear green is because the tri colors of the Irish flag are green, white, and orange.

Protestants are “Orangeman,” and the green is associated with the Catholic inhabitants.

People in Ireland actually don’t identify green with the holiday, which is an American stereotype.

“It’s not like Easter where everyone does big things for it,” said senior Renee Merchant, “but I still enjoy dressing up in green and pinching people who don’t!”

Despite all this, the most important symbol of the holiday is the leprechaun.

These mysterious creatures historically dress in traditional garb, with two leather pouches, one for their silver shilling and another for their gold coin.

GBHS students hold fond

memories of fantasizing about ,the idea of leprechauns existing, laying out traps and finding treasures.

“I remember we would lay out traps at school, then our teachers would leave chocolates on our desks saying the leprechauns had come,” Merchant said| “I like to think they exist,” Deyager said, “it adds mystery and fun to the holiday, and I love thinking there is magic still around.”

Are there leprechauns that walk among us with giant pots of gold?

And if so, how can we get our hands on them?

Nowadays the go-to method is a cardboard box and gold chocolate coins for bait.

Many people believe rainbows reveal where the pots of gold are hidden, so don’t bother with capturing leprechauns, and simply go hunting for the treasure in question.

Whether you are hunting pots of gold, or wearing a little green, everyone can enjoy this day.

Other traditions can make this holiday fun, like dying milk with green food coloring or leaving chocolates around the house for your family to find.

If all else fails, just ensure you wear a little green to avoid receiving a painful pinch.

February 2013

pinch me.

Page 11

Guide to maximizing your luck Local activities to celebrate the holiday

S

aint Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday typically associated with Shamrocks, heavy drinking and the color green.

Many Granite Bay High School students associate Saint Patrick’s Day with a green T-shirt, pinches and little fanfare.

However, Saint Patrick’s Day can be a great opportunity for joining in family activities, helping out a good cause, or experiencing some Irish culture.

There are some noteworthy local events worth visiting.

Old Sacramento is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day parade for the seventeenth year in a row on Saturday March 16 that will feature Celtic music, Irish costumes, decorated floats and school bands. The parade begins at 1 pm and proceeds throughout Old Sacramento.

However, activities and food sales extend throughout the day so come early and enjoy.

After the parade is over, you can visit a number of downtown Sacramento Irish pubs such as The Fox and Goose, De Vere’s, Gallagher’s and O’Mally’s.

The Fox and Goose Pub is hosting an under-21-friendly Irish music night on Saint Patrick’s Day. A host of acts will be performing from 4 PM until midnight and you can feel free to purchase various ethnic dishes from the British Isles.

Both of these options make great family activities if you are not busy on Saint Patrick’s Day, but do require a drive to downtown Sacramento.

If a trip to downtown

BY JONAH POCZOBUTT

Sacramento doesn’t fit your schedule, consider participating in Saint Baldrick’s as a local option.

The Saint Baldrick’s Foundation has been raising money for children’s cancer research since 2000 through their Saint Patrick’s Day donation campaign, it is one of the more popular Saint Patrick’s Day traditions among GBHS students.

Freshman Ryder Sanders has been a participant in the Saint Baldrick’s program for many years and thinks it is an important Saint Patrick’s Day tradition.

“All of the money we raise is donated to kids with cancer, so it is a good cause,” Sanders said.

GBHS even had its own Saint Baldrick’s giving campaign at school this year.

GBHS science teacher Shane Dixon has also been involved in the Saint Baldrick’s community at Granite Bay for several years.

“I organized a shaving event at Granite Bay High School for a couple of years.” Dixon said.

The Granite Bay Saint Baldrick’s program has had an impact in raising awareness as well as raising funds for the organization.

“As a result of Saint Baldrick’s and programs like it, child cancers have been researched much more than adult cancers,” Dixon said.

jpoczobutt.gazette@gmail.com

Even though GBHS did not host its own shaving event this year, Dixon still believes that the club and foundation are still a large part of Granite Bay’s Saint Patrick’s Day festivities.

“No one stepped forward to organize an event this year, but there were still students here that collected money for the Roseville event,” Dixon said.

It is easy for students to get involved with the Saint Baldrick’s festivities through donating to the foundation online, through collections done by other students, or even by donating at one of the many shaving events being held in Roseville on Saint Patrick’s Day. Along with these options, many students will be celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in the simplest way possible.

“I will be wearing green and pinching people who aren’t wearing green,” Junior Christi Trovato said.

Pages 12 and 13

March 2013

go outside.

Miner’s Ravine

Local Hiking Spots Students experience the great outdoors

Granite Beach

Gazette photo /luke chirbas

Gazette photo /luke chirbas

BY ZACK ZOLMER

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zzolmer.gazette@gmail.com

iving in Granite Bay means being a resident of one of the most beautiful regions in the greater Sacramento area.

The numerous nature preserves located in and around Granite Bay are prime examples of the immaculate beauty that the local wilderness has to offer.

And not only are these pristine venues easy on the eyes, their unique terrains also serve as serene, local hiking spots and trails to be enjoyed by those in their surrounding communities.

Hiking seems to have risen in popularity among local residents in recent years-Granite Bay High School students included. These hiking enthusiasts flock regularly to local nature areas to enjoy the nice weather and incredible environment, getting exercise all the while.

Jeff Ritter, an avid hiker and junior at GBHS, enjoys spending

some of his time away from school, hiking through the local trails.

“I go hiking about once a week,” Ritter said. “It’s warm, great exercise, and I get to spend time with my family while enjoying the beautiful scenery.”

Hikers like Ritter often find beautiful scenery in local spots around Folsom Lake.

The Pioneer Express Trail, for example, is a 9.5 mile trail located near Folsom Lake, consisting of several shorter trail segments.

Free from mountain bikes, the compacted soil pathway is accessible year-round and is frequented mainly by hikers and occasionally a few individuals on horseback. The trail passes both along the edge of the lake and deep into the surrounding wilderness, and is considered one of the most beautiful hiking spots in the area.

“I like to hike (at Folsom Lake) because of the scenery and typically it is pretty quiet,” hiking enthusiast Casey Ransdell said.

“Probably the best part is being able to go swimming after hiking because the lake is right there.”

Ransdell said that it’s also a good idea to bring a backpack containing a few simple items along with you when traversing the trails.

“A cell phone, some water,” Ransdell said, “a snack such as trail mix or an energy bar, and some band aids just in case.”

There are inherent risks some face while hiking. Generally, however, the potential dangers a hiker may come across are manageable.

“Look out for bears,” joked Connor Ryan, a cross country and track athlete who goes hiking about once a week. “But seriously, there’s poison oak around Folsom Lake so watch out for that.”

Though Folsom Lake is the most well-known hiking venue around, Roseville’s Miner’s Ravine provides a less populated, yet just as organic venue for those looking to immerse themselves in the local

environment.

The Miner’s Ravine Trail extends seven and a half miles in all, winding its way through the wooded forests and suburban neighborhoods of Roseville.

The asphalt path oftentimes runs alongside the actual Miner’s Ravine nature preserve, a vegetated wetland stream and seasonal salmon habitat.

“Not only is it close and easily accessible, you really are one with nature there,” Ryan said. “It’s much more interesting.”

It’s not the activity itself that makes hiking so great, it’s all that comes along with it. The exercise and relaxation, the incredible landscape and the ability to get away from all the work and chaos are only a few of the reasons why those who hike simply don’t regret it.

“While hiking,” Ritter said, “you get to observe beautiful scenery, you get a good workout, and you get some family time. All at once.”

Folsom Lake Bike Trail

Gazette photo /luke chirbas

Map Courtesy of Openstreetmaps.com

Page 14

March 2013

run.

Shoe Personality Guide Different footwear to adapt to different trails

BY COLLEEN VIVALDI

cvivaldi.gazette@gmail.com

Gel Kayano 19

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ake Natoma Loop, a running and hiking trail along the boundaries of Lake Natoma, requires a shoe that will provide some grip and strength.

An ideal shoe to best fit this situation is made by Asics, called the Gel Kayano 19, offered in men’s and women’s styles and colors.

The Gel Kayano is a running shoe that is heavier, providing non-slip grip and is durable for runs of any length.

While heavier than the Free Run by Nike, Asics’s Kayano is just as flexible as any light-weight shoe. The flexibility allows the foot to be unrestricted, giving

the preferred support for vigorous runs through trails with dips and turns, like the Lake Natoma Loop.

The shoe is constructed to be comfortable and heavily cushioned for longer endurance runs, while still being firm and supportive for the arches.

An avid runner and dedicated soccer player Jordan Holt wears Asics and said, “Asics are very comfortable and I especially like them for trail runs around the lake.”

With the “Dynamic Duomax” gel and shock absorbent support system, the Gel Kayano is a very suitable shoe for any sort of runner and their various running venues.

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

La Sportiva Fireblade

T

Nike Free Run

LA SPORTIVA

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

ough inclines, large boulders, and rocky paths come into play when running on the Pioneer Express trail in Folsom. A long and endurance demanding path, the Pioneer Express, requires a running shoe that can grip the ground and surrounding debris.

La Sportiva offers a running shoe that is perfectly outfitted for such a task, called the Fireblade.

The Fireblade is basically a lightweight hiking shoe with all the perks of a wellbuilt running shoe. It is an extremely stable trail shoe, specifically designed to meander along the rough inclines of the hidden trails.

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oad routes like the Olive Ranch loop in Granite Bay offer great opportunities to get high-quality use of the Nike Free Run sneaker.

The Nike Free Run offers different shapes, sizes, and colors to suit any runner.

Nike has different series of this shoe, including the 3.0, 5.0, 7.0 and Free Run+, which offer a variety of weights and arch support.

Freshman Maggie Bell participates in both cross country and soccer and utilizes the Free Run for her workouts.

“I really enjoy running in Nike Free Runs because of the overall lightness of the shoe and the quality support they give while running on the road,” Bell said.

Paul Zeiss, a cross country and track enthusiast, said the shoe provides optimal support for longer trail runs.

With the specially designed grip on the bottom of the shoe, the traction is impeccable and works well with most, if not all, trail conditions.

The Fireblade is constructed with strong and sustainable support throughout the bulk of the shoe, giving very sturdy support for the ankles.

For those considering running on heavyduty trails such as the Pioneer Express, La Sportiva’s Fireblade will provide effective support.

Nike’s most prominent running shoe weighs a mere nine oz. on average, making runners feel like they are barefoot.

The light weight design is optimal for running on surfaces like cement roads Other perks about the sneaker include the custom sole with flex grooves, giving the foot no restricted space and movement, while supporting the arch.

In addition, the shoe is flexible and cushioned, providing prevention of shin splits and blisters.

Runners who prefer routes such as those around their neighborhood should consider Nike Free Runs for their next purchase.

March 2013

Page 15

just keep running.

Running ’Round Roseville Local routes for runners ranging from beginner to expert

BY BRIAN ZHAUNG

bzhuang.gazette@gmail.com

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nother trail with a little less scenery but longer paths is the American River Bike Trail.

It is about 13 miles long consisting of hills and paved, flat paths which are shared with bike riders.

The trail goes from Old Sacramento to the historic main street in Folsom, with a loop around Lake Natoma.

This quiet, safe trail is great for building your endurance or just having a peaceful run.

There is little wildlife, which decreases the chance of potential hazards. The main hazard, however, is the overabundance of visitors on the weekends.

For Walker Knauss, a student at GBHS, it is his main running spot. While he enjoys the trail, he says that the bike riders sometimes find difficulty in sharing the road with runners.

The trail is very smooth when it connects with the

P

ioneer Express Trail is the perfect route for the runner who is looking for beautiful scenery and exercise.

Sam Neptune, a cross country runner, enjoys the trail because of its peacefulness.

“I love running here,” said Neptune. “It is so beautiful and it takes my mind off of everything.”

The trail has a bit of every type of terrain, with just enough hills to break the repetitive boredom, often found on other trails.

Fortunately the wildlife, including small turtles and deer, don’t seem to mind visitors.

However, there are some hazards to be aware of before deciding to run through the trail, including high water levels, fallen trees and scarce, but present, poison ivy.

It is about 10 miles long starting from the Granite

A

more local and accessible trail is an Olive Ranch loop, which was made by a local Granite Bay citizen.

Its starts on Stirling Street, located in the beautiful neighborhood of Douglas Ranch, and it conveniently ends on the same street.

It goes north, reaching Olive Ranch Road, east all the way to Cavitt Stallman Road, south to Douglas Blvd, west until you reach Douglas Ranch, and then back up north towards Stirling Street.

The trail is more urban than the other two trails, as you run past local restaurants and buildings.

The course is completely paved, and the only major hazard is the cars racing by.

This course stretches out for about 3 miles, excellent for inexperienced runners looking for a good workout.

American River Bike Trail

Lake Natoma Loop. Like the Pioneer Express Trail, many other trails connect with the main trail that leads to places in Auburn, Loomis and Eldorado Hills.

Knauss prefers the main trail because of its

openness and length. As a cross country runner, he focusses on longer courses, and the American Bike Trail fits his criteria perfectly.

This trail is generally suited for the more experienced runners that can handle its length.

Pioneer Express Trail

Bay staging area to the Rattlesnake Bar staging area.

There is also several little side trails that those

feeling extra ambitious can try.

Pioneer Express Trail is best suited for those willing to do more strenuous running.

Olive Ranch Loop

Michael Grace, a GBHS student, finds the route convenient, considering he lives in Douglas Ranch.

“This course is really great,” Grace said. “It helps me stay in shape in the off season of football.”

The Olive Ranch trail is very convenient and local for those who want a good exercise.

Don’t be surprised to “run” into a friend at these wonderful trails.

Gazette photos (3) /LUKE CHIRBAS

Page 16

he best things in life are free.

As clichéd as it may be, free things are often be beneficial.

A simple Google search can offer some help, but when students are stuck and in need of a tutor, they can access Khan Academy.

It’s not the same as getting a live tutor or but it can helpful in the direst times.

Khan Academy I don’t always use Khan Academy,” said Bhagat Cheema, a senior at Granite Bay High School. “But when I do, it reinforces lectures and helps give me a new angle on the concept I’m trying to learn.”

“Khan Academy ranges from topics including differential calculus to computer science and economics lectures. But when it comes to the internet, the amount one is able to learn from it is infinite.

Wolfram Alpha Another option is Wolfram Alpha, which is a computational engine or calculating encyclopedia that can do any math problem that has a formula. It offers a 14-day Pro trial, which allows for step by step solving, and interactions with the graphing software. The trial is worthwhile for those who are stuck on complicated math problems and need assistance.

students at GBHS can access free of charge for educational purposes. Autodesk, a company that makes programs such as AutoCAD and Maya, has free software on their site for students attending an educational facility such as GBHS. AutoCAD is used for engineering and architectural purposes whereas Maya is a 3D modeling and animation software, which is the industry standard for many of the animated films in theaters.

“I use the (free) student version of Autodesk Maya (which is free) to model and animate various projects,” said James Brown, a sophomore.

Dropbox Dropbox is a cloud storage host where one can upload their files and access them anywhere they have internet.

The service is useful for storing homework, photos, music and many other types of data.

Wordperss Wordpress is a site that allows one to host a website free of charge under a Wordpress address.

It’s as simple as creating an account, and then selecting the layout of the site. It allows the user to post blogs, images and create a professional looking website.

“Wordpress is some of the best free software I’ve used,” said Javier. “It’s hands down the best for creating a website.”

Getting Educated

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akhosla.gazette@gmail.com

Vsauce Vsauce on YouTube isn’t like an average school lecture. The questions talk about philosophy and scientific proofs. Which captivates the viewer.

Unlike Khan Academy and Wolfram Alpha it focuses on a different type of knowledge. It’s a greater site for the people who are fascinated seeing the science behind all the questions that there aren’t good answers to.

OpenOffice Beyond education, there’s also some great free applications and software students can get access too at home and on their phones.

Similar to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice and OpenOffice are great, free alternatives to the basic word processing, presentation and spreadsheet tasks that are in the computers at GBHS. “I’ve used OpenOffice a few times when I was younger,” said Matt Javier, a sophomore at GBHS. “However, I would much rather spend hundreds on Microsoft Office than use OpenOffice. It was not my type at all.”

Photoshop also has some great alternatives, including Microsoft Paint, however, it’s limited in features compared to the alternatives like GIMP, which can edit and create images.

GIMP can do anything Photoshop can do, but it’s not as simple.

Autodesk There’s also some paid software that

Learning tools that are free of monetary cost

BY AKASH KHOSLA

March 2012

learn.

current.

March 2013

Page 17

Recipe of the Month: Snickerdoodles

BY WILLOW WOOD

wwood.gazette@gmail.com

Ingredients: For the topping: 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon For the cookie dough: 3 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions: 1. For the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

2. To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

3. In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter.

Add the sugar and

continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

5. Chill the dough for one hour, if it’s sticky or difficult to handle.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 7. Roll balls of

dough about the size of a walnut, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat them. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart.

8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Gazette photo /Willow Wood

Snickerdoodle cookies provide the perfect mixture of cinnamon, sugar and warm delight.

Sweet Dreams Mixtape Tunes to make you snooze

BY JONAH POCZOBUTT jpoczobutt.gazette@gmail.com

Rebelution, a southern California reggae band, will be playing at Ace of Spades on March 19 and 20 ,with fellow reggae artists JBoog and Hot Rain.

Hill Kid

BY MEGAN HANSEN

Modest Mouse, an alternative rock band, will be playing in Oakland at the fox theater on April 10.

mhansen.gazette@gmail.com

Epic The Alabama Shakes will be playing at the Mondavi center in Davis on March 6 along with Michael Kiwanuka and Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds ATO

1. “Bloom” by The Paper Kites This song has beautiful and peaceful imagery of ethereal nature.

6.“Flowers in Your Hair” by The Lumineers After a long and stressful day, listening to this song will lift your spirits and relax you.

2. “Country Roads” by John Denver (Pretty Lights Remix) The dreamy qualities of this remix are sure to help you fall asleep.

7.“Falling” by Iration This is one of my favorite love songs ever composed.

3. “I’ve Got This Friend” by The Civil Wars This duet is sweet with an uplifting theme of hope.

4. “Despite What You’ve Been Told” by Two Gallants The metaphors in this song create a vivid scene of streetlights and bitterness.

Jeff Bridges will be performing various acoustic country songs at the Three Stages Theater in Folsom, California Blue Note/EMI

This is a more soulful version of Drake’s original that contains a powerful mix of emotions.

5. “Marvin’s Room (Can’t Do Better)” by JoJo

8.“When She Shuts Her Eyes (Angels)” by Mac Miller A change from Mac Miller’s typical style, this song is very calming and reassuring.

9.“Small Hands” by Keaton Henson The lyrics of this song juxtapose nostalgia with the importance of moving on.

10.“Hawaii Song” by Stick Figure This song is perfect for dreaming that you are somewhere else.

Page 18

our scars remind us.

Stories of how some Granite Bay High School students received their identifying marks

BY AMBER LES

ales.gazette@gmail.com

March 2013

March 2013

that the past is real.

Page 19

Far left, senior Scott Romuk shows the scar on the back on his neck. Above, senior Blake Allen displays the damage a spoon can do. Left, you can barely tell senior Julia Periolat has a metal plate in her hand. Below, senior Sami Perry models the marks of an escalator ride gone wrong.

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ife.

It batters, burns, scrapes, slices and marks up your body with little reminders about a particularly nasty fall or an embarrassing accident.

Whether you grow to love them or hate them, scars riddle almost everyone’s body.

Some of them even have hilarious back stories.

“The scar above my eye happened when I was a toddler,” junior Blake Allen said.

“It’s always a funny story to tell.”

As a two-year old, Allen got into a fight with his older sister. He had stolen her Baskin Robbins plastic spoon (snapping it in half in the process), and ran away as she chased him.

“My sister had been coloring, and her papers and things fell on the floor,” Allen said. “I slipped on them and jammed the sharpened part of the broken spoon into my forehead.”

The self-inflicted stab wound required a trip to the emergency room and twenty stitches.

Megan Zabrowski had a childhood accident as well, although hers was friend-inflicted.

“When I was in seventh grade, I was playing in my neighborhood park with my friend (current senior) Dane Kelley,” Zabrowski said.

The two friends were playing a game entitled “Indians” and chased each other around the park. Kelley got a hold of a 4

foot metal PVC pipe.

“He meant to throw it like a javelin,” Zabrowski said. “I turned around and it hit me between my eyes.”

The unintentional battle wound left her with thirteen stitches.

“The doctor said the cut was 3/4 of an inch deep in my skin,” she said.

Although some injuries can now be seen as a funny story or joke, other scars originate from more serious situations.

Senior Sami Perry was just a fouryear old when her most infamous injury occurred.

“My family and I were at the mall,” she said. “Obviously there’s escalators at the mall, but at the time there weren’t any ‘Emergency Stop’ buttons.”

Perry’s finger got stuck in the moving escalator. Since there wasn’t a ‘Stop’ button, her father had to yank it free.

“My parents rushed me to the emergency room,” Perry said. “I ended up having to go to a plastic surgeon.”

Nowadays, Perry doesn’t mind her scarred finger, or the ‘Emergency Stop’ buttons that are now required on every mall escalator.

Hands seem to be an easy place to find a scar.

Senior cheerleader Julia Periolat injured herself while tumbling last year.

“I jammed my finger into the ground and broke two bones,” she said. “I had to get surgery and now have metal plates and

screws in my hand.”

Although the incident was a setback, Periolat doesn’t mind the scar it left.

More serious and near-permanent injuries can impact someone’s life in more ways than just a scar on their skin.

Senior Scott Romuk was swimming on the beach in New Jersey in 2009 with his friend, now senior, Chase Pedone when his accident occurred.

“Chase came up with the idea to do an elephant run,” Romuk said.

‘Elephant run’ is a game where you try to run as fast as you can into the water, and then dive in.

“I was a little ahead of Chase as a wave was coming,” he said. “I figured I should dive over it and clear it.”

Romuk wasn’t aware that the spot where he would soon dive head-first shallowed out to water only two feet deep on a sand bank.

“I dove at full speed into the sand bank and hit my forehead, which hyperextended my head backwards,” he said.

Immediately, Romuk’s neck began to numb, and any movement shot pain down his neck and shoulders.

“I knew it was bad,” he said. “So (Pedone’s) parents took me to the ER and the doctor ended up taking x-rays and diagnosing me with a neck sprain.”

The doctors told Romuk that he could be back playing football in about two weeks. But those weeks went by and his

Gazette photos (5) /Kate hurley

neck and the pain weren’t getting any better.

“I went to see a neck specialist, who had me get an MRI,” he said. “After a month of figuring everything out, the specialist scheduled an emergency surgery for me.”

The dive into the sand bar had done more than just sprain his neck. Romuk had torn all of his posterior neck ligaments, which couldn’t have been diagnosed with just an x-ray.

“At any moment, my vertebras could have shifted and hit my spinal cord,” he said. “Luckily, the (swelling) inside my neck held everything together.”

Romuk now has a long scar down his neck from the surgery that saved him from possible paralysis.

Scars don’t just mark your skin; they have the ability to show evidence of an incident that could either be a funny memory or a traumatic injury.

Page 20

March 2013

on screen.

Binge Watching The new online trend that keeps its victims up all night

BY KATE HURLEY

“N

churley.gazette@gmail.com

etflix, my laptop and Sex in the City are my best friends,” junior Alexandra Karalash said.

Karalash is one of the many Granite Bay High students who has become a “binge watcher,” the new phenomena that is gaining popularity amongst teenagers.

Binge watching is the act of watching numerous episodes or even entire seasons of television shows in one sitting.

“I’m addicted,” Karalash said. “I can sit down and watch seven episodes of Sex and the City in a row.”

She went on to explain how easy it is to watch a countless number of shows on weekdays, instead of doing her homework.

The creation and rise of binge watching could be blamed on the newfound accessibility of television shows and movies online.

Popular websites like Amazon and Netflix allow you to purchase whole seasons of shows or movies at one time. Just five years ago, many had to wait for each new weekly episode to come out on cable or wait for re-runs of episodes they missed.

Netflix has decided to meet these new binge watchers’ demands by updating their inventory constantly. They will reportedly release 14 new episodes of the popular TV show Arrested Development in May. Binge watching may have become a trend because viewers are able to keep the story lines fresh in their minds without disruption.

Karalash relates binge watching to reading a good book.

“You can’t stop after one chapter,” Karalash said. “You want to get into (the story) and savor it.”

Although the online television sources are giving in to the addicts’ needs, major broadcasting networks continue to release new episodes weekly.

Sophomore Natalie Rhodes explains how she can relate to the binge watchers’ need for their shows.

“Some school nights I’m up until one in the morning watching Vampire Diaries,” Rhodes said. “Homework comes second.”

Online viewing sources not only allow you to watch multiple series of television shows repetitively, but movies as well.

“I have a few movies I’ll just watch over and over again,” senior Joe Ellis said.

Ellis isn’t the only one who watches the same movie or episodes again and again. Karalash

Some nights I’m up until one in the morning watching Vampire Diaries...homework comes second – Natalie Rhodes, sophomore

“There is no need for me to get up, why would I?” Karalash explained how she doesn’t feel the need to leave her bed on those sad, lonely, Netflix-worthy days.

“When I’m sad, I don’t want to get out of bed (...) Sex and the City just keeps me company.”

Karalash said. “It’s true; I don’t need anyone besides Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte, and Carrie.”

recalled the time where she finished every episode of the early 2000’s hit, The OC. Once finished with the entire series, she went back and watched it all again.

Binge watching may be the latest fad, but some people worry that laying in bed for hours upon hours staring at a laptop could lead to some forms of depression.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, environmental factors such as constant inactivity can play a role in one’s risk for depression.

“I spend hours in bed,” Rhodes said.

Gazette illustration/ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS

March 2013

on screen.

Page 21

Documentary Film Guide The underground film genre that displays real life

Gazette illustration/ALEXA ZOGOPOULOS

BY SAVITRI ASOKAN

W

sasokan.gazette@gmail.com

hen planning a short trip to the theater or a movie marathon, not many people designate documentaries as their genre

of choice.

“I never really think, ‘Yeah, I’ll watch a documentary,’” freshman Sarah Garcia said. “I honestly just have better things to do.”

Garcia is not the only one who believes in the firm unpopularity of the genre.

“I think (documentaries) are underrated,” said David Tastor, an English teacher at Granite Bay High School.

However, documentaries have been an important part of cinematography for a long time and have informed the public of many hidden, yet significant issues.

Films such as Bowling for Columbine and An Inconvenient Truth have pushed the documentary genre into the side stream, where it has been languishing for years.

“Good documentaries influence the way you think,” said Kelly Bohren, an Emmy award winner who teaches IB Film at Oakmont High School.

“If done right,” Bohren said, “you will not even know they are influencing you.”

According to Tastor, the best documentaries are those directed by critically acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns.

The best quality of a documentary, Tastor said, is the ability to incorporate many aspects of history while focusing on a central theme.

“When Ken Burns made his film about baseball, he didn’t just capture the spirit of the sport,” Tastor said, “he also captured history.”

Although Burns’ documentaries are engaging and though-provoking, they mostly appeal to the intellectual type. This is a key feature of the genre.

“I watch documentaries to increase my knowledge,” Bohren said. “They are non-fictional genres, but cover a number of limitless subjects.

They can be propaganda, instruction, biographies or historical perspectives.”

As a whole, documentaries seem to have a restricted audience of those seeking education.

The stereotypical documentary tends to only get attention from independently-owned theaters and history teachers.

“Most traditional documentaries do not gain the (same) success as entertainment films,” Bohren said, “mainly because documentaries are aimed at a small audience with a personal interest in the subject area.”

I watch documentaries to increase my knowledge... they can be propaganda, instruction, biographies or historical perspectives.

– Kelly Bohren, emmy-award winning filmmaker

Sophomore Derek Chan refutes this popular myth.

“I’ll watch any documentary on YouTube,” Chan said. “Just because I’m bored, and I have Internet connection.”

The abundance of documentaries on the Internet has contributed to the genre’s widening exposure.

Films which would have stayed unknown to popular culture have gained access to the mainstream through the web.

One such documentary, Paris is Burning, focuses on the underground culture of people who identify as LGBTQ or participate in gender-changing. “Ball culture”, the focus of the film, has flourished in the underground for years.

This was an important part of the lives of hundreds. However, it did not get attention from the mainstream until the documentary gained popularity.

Another documentary which has gained fame is Supersize Me. Most GBHS students would recognize the film as an essential part of the Health and Safety curriculum.

“Supersize Me showed people that we American are eating ourselves to death, creating a change in diets,” Bohren said.

According to Tastor, GBHS students should widen their cinematic perspective by watching more documentaries.

“It’s amazing, the creativity and dedication of the filmmaking put into these pieces,” Bohren said.

“I see these people as movie makers with true passion for the art and the subject.”

film.

strike entertainment

Rated: R By: Haley Byam hbyam.gazette@gmail.com

the last exorcism part II: F

t 10 minutes past the scheduled start time of The Last Exorcism Part II, the theater had, to put it nicely, a very large selection of available seats.

When the lights finally dimmed, the train wreck began with flashes from its horribly mediocre (and falsely named) predecessor The Last Exorcism.

The story follows the actress, played by Nell Sweetzer, suffering a severe bout of amnesia that causes her to forget everything from the past several months, which causes her to end up in a transitional home for women.

Once there, she makes friends with the other girls, gets a job and engages in innocent, nonsatanic activities before the creepiness begins.

Nell decides to visit a church for help after being stared down by strangers in masks and visited by the ghost of her dead father, but to no avail.

Instead of telling her to repeat 10 hail Marys or sprinkling her with holy water, the priest commands Nell to accept the demon while an onslaught of apparently suicidal birds fly into the windows.

A mysterious woman in a turban whisks Nell away to her home where she calls in her devil backup team, two men accompanied by a chicken, to get rid of the demon once and for all.

Desperate and exhausted from a long day of voodoo exorcisms, they inject Nell with a lethal dose of morphine. Her heart monitor flat lines for several seconds until she miraculously comes back to life, rips off her bindings, kills everyone in the house and rides off in a stolen car while everything around her bursts into flames.

Birds and possessed priests aside, the preamble to the last, last exorcism was monotonous and dull. The only thing that would have made this movie worse was if Nell had turned on “Highway to Hell” on her joyride into the horizon, which was clearly a bridge for part three.

The Last Exorcism Part II was a colossal letdown. It swore to be a powerful, goose bump-inducing sequel reminiscent of slow burn classics like The Blair Witch Project, but it disappointed me with its false promise of a demonic chicken and sleepy wind-up.

D

Original Film

ead Man Down sticks to a simple formula involving revenge as a solution, love as a cure and redemption as a happy

ending.

As Danish director Niels Arden Oplev’s (director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) North American theatrical debut, the film boasts a different style and composition from your run-ofthe-mill action thriller.

Set in the Albanian mobster empire based in New York City, the plot follows a rising rookie named Victor (Colin Farrell) on his path for vengeance.

Victor’s past is slowly unraveled to the audience upon the introduction of the film’s love interest, Victor’s neighbor Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who is revealed to have several dark secrets of her own.

While first driven by violence, anger and the promise of revenge, the two characters soon realize that mending a damaged heart is not something that can be done alone.

While entertaining enough to watch, the film often suffers from a heavy seriousness that clashes with the supposedly romantic, but mostly awkward, scenes between the two main characters.

This was not the fault of the actors, as evidenced by Noomi Capace’s widely applauded performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but rather, because of the character roles they were asked to portray.

The cast was filled with capable, talented actors, who unfortunately had to fill roles that were – for the most part – rigid and devoid of personality.

Sadly, the only character whose portrayal was anything beyond stale was Beatrice’s hard-ofhearing, first-generation French mother, played

by Isabelle Huppert.

Given the nature of the film’s plot, however, the neo-noir, crime thriller feel of the cinematography is understandable.

Dead Man Down, while definitely thrilling, is often slow and awkward outside of scenes that lack any action, as the drama of the love story suffers from incredibly bland dialogue.

It’s palatable enough, but only by a margin.

Rated: R By: Chris Pei cpei.gazette@gmail.com

dead man down: C-

A

March 2013

T

Virgin Produced

his is a story of a college student’s struggle to avoid medical school under traditional Asian parents, with the growing tension between best-friends, caused by separation after high school and a night full of booze, evading the cops, and, of course, outrageous partying.

21 & Over includes rising stars such as Miles Teller (Project X, Rabbit Hole), Justin Chon (Twilight Saga), and Skylar Austin (Pitch Perfect, Wreck-It Ralph).

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and got many fits of laughter from several hilarious scenes.

But after checking many movie-rating sites, I saw they did not agree with my personal opinion, averaging a rating around 5/10.

The reason being that this movie is not for everyone, because not everyone wants to see college kids doing things for a night that are gross, illogical, and outright stupid.

21 & Over has a similar plot to the Hangover movies, a straightforward plot that becomes horribly twisted by drunken adventures.

In this case, Jeff Chang (Chon) is surprised at college by his two best friends from high school, Miller (Teller) and Casey (Austin) to celebrate his 21st birthday.

However, Chang has an all-important interview to enter medical school, which his stereotypical Asian dad landed for him through multiple favors.

In other words, he can’t screw it up.

However, Miller, a community college student, convinces his friends to just have a few beers.

And a casual hangout at the bars turns into a wild goose chase of Miller and Casey trying to find the address of Chang, currently passed out and intoxicated.

What makes this particular movie stand out, besides the uniquely outrageous events they participate in and the subsequent treacherous consequences they face, is an element that I found extremely relatable.

The trio in 21 & Over realizes how much each other has changed since their high school days, and learns how to deal with their differences, mainly through conflict.

At the surface, this film is another drunken-filled night of college parties that proved to hold many laugh-out-loud moments.

While this movie isn’t for all audiences, it was successful at adding a twist to this genre of comedy.

Rated: R By: Brad Wong brwong.gazette@gmail.com

21 and over: A-

Page 22

Lakeshore Entertainment

Rated: PG 13 By: Zack Zolmer zzolmer.gazette@gmail.com

bless me, ultima: D

less Me, Ultima is a drama centered around the relationship between a young boy named Antonio (Luke Ganalon), and a religious medicine woman, Ultima (Miriam Colon), and their fight against evil in their small village.

The story opens with Antonio and his family living together in a small house in New Mexico during World War II. Shortly after the movie begins, Ultima comes to live with the family to be partially taken care of due to her old age. While Ultima is welcomed by the rest of the family with open arms, Antonio is, at first, unsure of her presence.

Upon her arrival, an intimidated Antonio first notices an owl hanging around the family’s house. Ultima tells him that the owl was given to her at a young age, and that they share a special connection.

After an extremely slow first twenty minutes to the movie, the plot picks up when Antonio’s uncle Pedro (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), comes to the house to tell Ultima that Uncle Lucas (Reko Moreno) has gotten sick after walking under an evil tree under which local businessman Tenorio’s (Castulo Guerra) daughters are performing an evil sacrifice.

The relationship between the two of them now starts to develop. The two of them bond over their nursing of the sick man, but this is where the movie starts to get strange.

Ultima insists that Uncle Lucas must, quite literally, purge the evil from his body, and that only then will Lucas’ stolen soul return.

Ultima wraps up a small black sea urchin and the creature explains that the evil being must be burned, and they do just that.

With nearly half the movie being spoken in Spanish without subtitles, the plot and what is being discussed throughout the movie can be extremely difficult to follow and understand. It often feels as if director and screenplay writer Carl Franklin assumes the audience is aware of the context of the situation, rather than attempting to explain necessary background information during the picture.

Bless Me, Ultima feels like a series of random, grotesque and unfortunate clashes between an almighty good and ever-present evil.

O

Wunderkind Pictures

z the great and powerful, ironically as a cinematic experience turned out to be rather weak.

The over all concept was a nice thought, having the back story of a beloved classic, but it ended up failing in quality, story line and then some.

Starting out the movie had the cute concept of being black and white, in tribute to the beginning of Dorothy’s original version, and I can genuinely say the little perks here and there that referred to the old film were nice to encounter. The small things such as the soldiers and the wizards ‘magic’ were all very well incorporated into a new idea, yet he over all experience made these perks be the only enjoyable things I found.

The writing was atrocious, and failed at the most crucial parts to be either interesting or captivating. I found myself waiting on edge for the grand, crescendo moment line, and then it fizzled out completely.

The acting was interesting, yet uncomfortable, Mila Kunis played Theodora, the witch of the south, and her floaty, innocent character was not very suiting to her usual comedic self. It was awkward to see her act in such a facade, it seemed awkward and unnatural.

Rachel Weiz was much more believable in her reformable the older sister witch, Evanora, yet there was only so much she could do with a part that was so badly written and cliche dependent.

The animation was interesting, yet seemingly over zealous in color and magnificence, making the settings very cheesy and unrealistic.

The main character, Oz, played by James Franco, was so brusque and fake and in genuine, that it made it very hard to be supportive of him in he end when his ‘changed man’ reformation occurred.

Despite all this, I still found myself smiling at the end, when the conclusion was sweet and the characters happy, although that’s not enough to compensate for the rest of the film. If you want an experience in the land of Oz, stick to the original film.

Rated: PG 13 By: Niki Richards nrichards.gazette@gmail.com

oz the great and powerful: B

B

Page 23

film.

A

New line cinema

t first, when I head they were making a remake of Jack and the Beanstalk, I was excited to see it. The film industry has been recently re-making lots of fairy tale films: Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, and, not one, but two remakes of Snow White that came out in 2012.

I had actually enjoyed those remakes, and was hoping to have a similar experience with Jack the Giant Slayer. However, the trailer had ruined every ounce of hope I had of this vision. It was awful.

I thought if the trailer was already so awful, I can’t imagine how horrid the film must be. In this instance, however, the film was clearly preferable to the trailer.

Ultimately, the plot of the film goes like this: sad princess doesn›t want to go through with an arranged marriage, she runs away, stumbles upon a farmer boy named Jack (who accidentally and unknowingly planted beans underneath his house), the beanstalk erupts, they get caught in it, and the kingdom goes on the quest to save the princess.

Several things saved Jack and the Giant Slayer from my movie blacklist: the unexpected, unforeseen plot twists; the gruesome, disgusting, nauseating giants; and Stanley Tucci. After viewing the film, I realized how much time and work the filmmakers had put into its incredible special effects.

Also, the range of characters and personalities in the film was satisfactory. Stanley Tucci gave a very surprising performance as the princess’ fiancé. He was truly a pleasure to watch.

However, the princess in the film, played by Eleanor Tomlinson, was annoying throughout the whole film, devoid of expression and always looking apologetic.

Overall though, the movie did a very good job of keeping me on my toes. Just when I thought the film was going to end, there was another plot twist. And as I said before, the special effects were great (and gruesome). I cringed quite a few times.

It definitely wasn’t pathetic and corny.

I would recommend this film to all group ages - maybe not for very young children, though, for some sections of the film were shocking with the special effects.

Rated: PG 13 By: Kiana Okhovat kokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

jack the giant slayer: B+

March 2013

Page 24

March 2013

from the readers.

In the words of the Gazette’s fans...

What s

ection of the Gaz e do you loo tte k most forwa the rd to?

“My favorite section is the food reviews. I like to read about people’s opinions and know which restaurants I should try.”

-Reed Klaeser

What has been your favorite issue of Green Screen so far this year?

“Probably the October issue because I loved the fall fashion spread.”

-Alexandra Karalash

Gazette photo /CLEORA REBER

Which Green Screen cover photo did you like the most?

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

“I loved the cover for the February issue. It made me really want to buy some combat boots.”

-Kat McGrail Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

21 and Over

A-

Oz the Great and Powerful

B

Jack the Giant Slayer

In Theat ers C-

Dead Man Down

F

The Last Exorcism: Part II

D

B+

See pages Dark22-23 for reviews

Bless Me, Ultima