Granite Bay Gazette; Volume 14, Issue 6

Pretty palettes

G10-11

A dynasty continues

B3

Swimmers seek to extend league winning streak

Gazette

Gazette guide to spring makeup

Is GBHS math department really struggling?

BY PARKER EVANS

pevans.gazette@gmail.com

kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com

Pressure interferes with passion

THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 14 w ISSUE 6

Difference between AP, SAT and STAR scores is misleading katie zingheim

C1

THE GRANITE BAY

Friday, March 11, 2011 Commentary

Babies boom

For a math department with such high SAT and Advanced Placement test scores from its students, it was always something of a headscratcher.

Granite Bay High School’s STAR test scores, particularly in math, are well below the projected level.

Actually, the STAR scores are higher than the district average and well above the state average, but however advanced

GBHS’ students might be, the state expects more from them based on California’s Academic Performance Index.

Even given such great numbers, based on API, GBHS is stacked up against comparable, high-performing schools.

And even though the STAR scores at GBHS have steadily increased over the last three years, even though the scores dwarf the state average, threats of intervention still hang over the math department.

But despite such a discouraging assessment, the math program isn’t worried.

Up until recently, GBHS had diverted from the traditional math classes of geometry and algebra in favor of the more unorthodox Integrated system.

Although the comparatively unconventional system didn’t prepare students as well as the projections had hoped for the STAR tests, it was paying dividends for the students on the SAT and AP tests, as GBHS students consistently performed well above the district and state average.

The math department measured its success by these scores on the tests that directly helped students get into college.

GBHS math teacher Duane Blomquist is the head of the See SCORES, page A5

L

ike most teenagers, I’ve been thinking of what my college major might be for

years.

My passion is and always has been English and literature. I love reading, writing and connecting with others through the written word.

When I found out I was accepted to Stanford University, where I was recruited for track and field, I began to look up the course lists for different majors.

After drooling over various classes offered, I eventually wrote English with a minor in Creative Writing at the top of my mental list of possible majors. Philosophy and Classics also made the list.

A math or science major is pretty much out of the question.

I’m decent at math, and find life sciences really interesting, but nothing compares to the feeling I get when I read a book that reflects exactly what I’m feeling, or see the meaning in a poem unfurl before my eyes.

It’s language that gets me excited and engaged; the open interpretation that my mathminded friends hate is, for me, the door to the world.

So I was frustrated when I started to doubt my plans to major in a liberal arts, English-related field.

I couldn’t help but listen to the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I should major in something more practical.

What kind of job will I get with a major in English? Teaching? I’m not sure I want to do that. Writing?

That’s terribly unreliable.

I felt like if I went to Stanford I would be expected to major in something more substantial – as if going to Stanford and majoring in English would be a waste of an education. I don’t know if that’s at all logical, but I couldn’t help but wonder.

I tried to figure out where I got that idea in the first place – my parents and friends have always supported me in whatever I do.

I’ve never been flat-out told that majoring in English is a bad idea.

Instead, well-intentioned teachers have read articles to my class about the highest paying careers, and I’ve watched movies about the antics of some of the wealthiest people alive.

A survey by CBS MoneyWatch of the Top-20 Best Paying College Degrees in 2010 listed some variation of engineering as six of the top seven highest paying degrees.

Physics, economics, computer science, statistics and even government all make the top 20.

English, literature and anything related are no where in sight.

Technology is where the jobs are. I’ve been told. And told, and told.

As cliché as it sounds, our money driven culture made me briefly feel guilty about following my passion into a field quite unreliable.

I might change my mind five times between now and when I actually choose my major, but I plan on choosing the one that inspires me, not what’s the most “applicable” in the job market.

I’m sure you’ve heard, but I’ll tell you again – money isn’t everything. *** Katie Zingheim, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief

Expecting conflict National legislation could have local ramifications

BY ALISON SALE

L Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

 Don Whitney from Citrus Heights, Tom Jennings from Roseville and Bob Bradey from Florida, top, left to right, protest outside of the Roseville Planned Parenthood facility. Bradey was visiting the area and decided to participate, while some of the protesters gather at Planned Parenthood every Thursday. A supporter of Planned Parenthood named Ann, bottom, counter-protests.

asale.gazette@gmail.com

ast spring when 17-year-old Granite Bay High School junior Whitney Inocelda’s pregnancy test results from Planned Parenthood returned positive, her mother was the first to find out.

“I called my mother right away, and she (told me) ‘Well, you’re an adult now, so you have to figure things out,’” Inocelda said.

But this proved to be more difficult than expected – Inocelda lived with her father and stepmother, who found out about the pregnancy by tracking her text messaging online. Their response was drastically different:“get an abortion, or get out.”

“I couldn’t (go through with an abortion) because in my heart it just didn’t feel right,” Inocelda said. “I did get pregnant and I understand that (my parents) were angry with me because that’s not what they wanted for me, but I needed them to be parents and support me because it was my choice,” Inocelda said. “ All I can do now is be an example for (my father) and show him that I am a great parent and that I’m

trying my best – I got myself into this situation, and I’m going to do the best with what I have right now.”

Inocelda moved in with her boyfriend A.J. Inocelda – the father of the child – and his family. They married in June.

“I was willing to have (unprotected) sex and get pregnant, so I’m willing to be a mother and deal with it for the rest of my life,” Inocelda said.

Whitney gave birth to Anuhea Inocelda on Dec. 15, 2010. *** The House of Representatives voted on Feb. 18 to pass a bill that would cut federal funding from abortion-performing centers, such as Planned Parenthood.

If the bill passes through the Democratic majority Senate, and is signed by the President, it will amend one segment (Title X) of the Public Health Service Act, which provides family planning and preventative reproductive health services to low-income patients.

See TITLE X, page A5

Cyberbullying wreaks havoc Dealing with addiction Attacks plague GBHS, Olympus Junior High School

BY SHANNON CARROLL

I

scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

t was three o’clock in the morning, and Ashley was sick of all the derogatory text messages flooding her inbox. She felt alone. High on anti-depressants, she walked downstairs. Her eyes rested on a knife left out on a counter. She picked it up, closed her eyes and woke up in the hospital. *** Although California was one of the first states to enact a law dealing with cyberbullying, in 2009, the problem has hardly gone away.

A book published in 2008 by researchers

inside this issue

News

A1 – A6

Voices

A8 – A11

Second Look

A12

Features

B1 – B8

Sports

C1 – C6

Green Screen

G1 – G20

Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin said that cyberbullying is on the rise and that kids have to deal with it as early as middle school.

The researchers also found a high correlation between cyberbullying and thoughts of suicide – and even attempts – by victims.

A Stanford University master’s student, Debbie Heimowitz, worked with children in three different Northern California schools and found that more than 60 percent of students were victims of cyberbullying.

Although it’s impossible to know just how widespread cyberbullying is in the Granite See OLYMPUS, page A5

Parent of former GBHS student writes book about son’s struggle with illegal prescriptions

BY JESSICA REESE

W

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

hen you’re sitting in a car for hours, with a wire going up the back of your shirt and a headset in your head, waiting to be robbed by two drug dealers to keep your son from going to jail, you have a lot of time to think.” *** It was this thinking that led Granite Bay parent Brad DeHaven to write Defining

Registration The young online program for choosing classes works out flaws

A2

Moments.

Though the impetus for the book was his son’s addiction to OxyContin, Defining Moments also focuses on DeHaven’s previous experiences with his father and brother.

In 2004, DeHaven’s son Brandon graduated from Granite Bay High School.

Like most of his class, he dressed like a “baller” in colorful sweats and sideways See ADDICTION, page A5

Academic Decathlon Months of studying and preparation yield success for the team

A3

News

A2 NAMES IN THE NEWS

adrienne blevins ablevins.gazette@gmail.com

Friday w March 11, 2011

Registration: year two

Updated course selection system helps improve efficiency

BY MOOSA ZAIDI

mzaidi.gazette@gmail.com

Debate team finds success at tournament On Sat., Feb. 26, the Speech and Debate team, which is coached by Rita Prichard, participated in the State Qualifiers for Speech Tournament at St. Francis High School.

Eight students from the team qualified and are headed to the state tournament which will be held April 15-17 in San Diego.

Senior Stacey Wong qualified in Original Advocacy and International Extemporaneous. She also received the Orator’s Cup, which is an award given to the top seven participants in league for outstanding achievement in speech.

Senior Jessica Northam qualified in Original Oratory, Thematic Interpretation, International Extemporaneous and Oratorical Interpretation.

Other qualifiers include seniors Blake Delaplane in Original Oratory, Dalton King in National Extemporaneous, Gary Nielsen in Original Poetry and Prose, freshman Reed Klaeser in Expository and Adithi Reddy along with sophomore Neha Baviresetty in Duo Interpretation.

On Saturday, the team will be competing at the State Debate Qualifiers tournament at McClatchy High School. *** On Feb. 18, Roseville Joint Union High School District superintendent Tony Monetti announced who the new principal at Oakmont High School would be.

Oakmont’s current principal, Kathleen Sirovy, is retiring at the end of this school year and is being replaced

by Rob Hasty, an assistant principal at Antelope High School.

Both Sirovy and Hasty were previously employed at Granite Bay High School as assistant principals.

Hasty begins his duties as a principal on July 1. *** Health teacher Kathie Sinor is organizing a public forum on teenage drinking. Sinor is one of the founders of the Coalition for Placer Youth, which is the organization putting on the event.

The forum was held on March 3 at the Maidu Community Center in Roseville and was a success. The goal was to inform both parents and kids of the harmful effects of underage drinking.

Speakers who attended were Sheriff Ed Bonner, Dr. Michael Parr, and Debbie Allen. Allen is a local mom who lost her daughter due to acute alcohol poisoning.

There is also another forum with the same speaker panel that will be held March 14 at Placer High School. *** The annual Lip Sync event was held on Friday, Feb. 25. The winners were announced at the end of the second performance that night.

Third place and $100 went to seniors Mitchell Kobayashi, Derek McKeon and Zack Meyer who performed “Take it Off” by Ke$ha.

The “Flamboyant Five,” which consisted of seniors Jimmy Jack, John Holway, Grant Rigdon, Nicholas Yeaton and Tanner Holt, won second place. Their routine, “Hey Juliet,” won them $200.

The winner of the night was the performance of Glee’s “Heads Will Roll/Thriller” Mash-up. The group that performed it won $400 and consisted of Melly Geary, Gigi Grondona, Serena Hart, Noelle Haskell, McKenzie Healy, Joe McIntosh, Kylee Moran, Micheala Monaghan, Hank Montgomery, Alex Pink, Lizzy Schliessmann, Brie Shimada and Sean Sullivan.

Know something we should know?

Contact the Gazette’s Adrienne Blevins at: ablevins.gazette@gmail.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

Gazette photo /RACHael vasquez

From e-books to online shopping, more and more of the world seems to be online. Granite Bay High School has not been left behind.

Since last year, GBHS has supplemented paper registration with online registration. Students still fill out a paper course selection sheet and emergency card.

However now, instead of inputting choices into a bubble-in sheet, students input courses into the Aries Browser Interface.

Also, rather than having counselors come to their class to guide them through registration, students now view a short video and meet with their counselors in the cafeteria very briefly to finalize course selection.

The gradual switch from paper registration to online registration at GBHS has been spearheaded by assistant principal Brent Mattix.

While other schools in the district have already made use of online registration for several year, GBHS has pioneered the use of a tutorial program to guide students through the registration process.

According to Mattix, the transition from paper registration to online registration is three phased and meant to occur over three years. Last year was phase one; this year was phase two. By phase three, full implementation is expected.

So far, the road to full online registration has not been perfectly smooth.

An entirely new tutorial program had to be written this year.

“I programmed the registration application from scratch,” said Nick Badal, the GBiT member who was in charge of the tutorial program this year.

According to Badal,” last year’s application was written in php and html which created problems in certain internet browsers.

This year the program was rewritten in Java. “(Java is) more portable and it’s more user friendly, said Badal.

Rewriting the tutorial program created some issues with a specific type of Macintosh computer. However, this was the fault of Apple and not GBiT programming, and Mattix was able to help people with these specific computers.

The GBHS Learning Center was also open extended hours to help accommodate those without internet access or those with problematic computers Another problem that occurred in the process of online registration was a security flaw.

“I could easily obtain a list of every single student log on and password in about 10 minutes of effort,” said an anonymous high ranking GBiT member.

According to this student, the only requirement for stealing this information was “a reasonable level of technical competence.”

The vulnerability was first discovered by a student outside the GBiT program. Fortunately, according to this student, he did not use his discovery for malicious purposes and instead reported the vulnerability and it quickly was patched.

The registration program also faced confusion with IB classes.

“There were certain issues that came up with IB classes where we didn’t receive the correct information,” Badal said. “We found out after the fact that it was incorrect.”

Kellie Slingerland had an exceptional amount of difficulty. She was unable to register for Art 5, and her 3rd and 4th period yearlong Regional

Monica Sieber chooses her classes and waits for counselor Walt Wild to process her requests.

See REGISTRATION page A5

Two teachers cover for co-worker on leave Valentine and Dell’Orto teach an AP Euro class during prep

BY MATT VENEMAN

mveneman.gazette@gmail.com

Because of the large size of the sophomore class and the increasing number of students enrolled in AP European history, Granite Bay High School had to add another AP Euro teacher in addition to Euro veteran Mike Valentine.

This duty was given to social science teacher, Jillyan McKinney.

She, along with AP Euro teacher Mike Valentine has been teaching this year’s sophomores enrolled in the class. Valentine teaches three periods of Euro per day, while McKinney taught one.

A new addition came into McKinney’s life when she had a baby late last year, forcing her to put her teaching duties on hold starting Oct. 18.

This long-term absence created a

problem as to who would teach her students.

“In most cases like this where we have a teacher out on maternity leave, we would hire a long-term sub,” Valentine said.

And that is exactly what the school did for two of McKinney’s three classes. The third however, was her AP Euro class.

“We knew we could not use a sub for an AP class and I knew that I was going to have to step in and teach during my prep,” Valentine said.

The main reason behind the decision to not hire a long-term sub for AP Euro was that the school and department wanted the students to be prepared for the AP test. They felt that if a long-term sub was hired, those students would be at a disadvantage.

“Had we had a long-term sub,

unless it’s somebody that had a teaching on your prep because you background in AP Euro, the stu- don’t have time to answer e-mails dents would’ve been way behind,” or grade papers,” Dell’Orto said.

Valentine said.

By splitting the duties, neither Because Valentine is a football Dell’Orto nor Valentine bears all coach and sometimes helps with of the burdens of teaching on their track, he prep period. knew that McKinney he would is confident in not be able their ability to Their extensive to teach on teach her stuknowledge of the his prep full dents and pretime, so hispare them for subject...will amtory teacher, the test. ply prepare (the Brandon “Their exstudents) for the Dell’Orto tensive knowlvolunteered edge of the AP exam. to help. subject area Dell’Orto has kept the has taught students on – Jillyan McKinney, World Histrack and will AP European teacher tory and amply prepare AP U.S. them for the History for AP exam,” years so he McKinney decided he could help out and step said. into the roll of a temporary AP Euro McKinney was originally supteacher. posed to return on Feb. 15 but due “We decided to split it partly be- to health issues with her baby and cause it’s just a pain when you are older daughter, is now not returning

until a later date.

This extension has been somewhat disappointing to both Dell’Orto and Valentine, but since they are in a routine, they will just keep plugging away.

For Valentine, the extension won’t be much of a problem because he already teaches the same material three times per day.

For Dell’Orto, it will be a little harder, since he has to prepare for each day’s lecture.

The two teachers, however, do get some added benefit from taking on one more class.

“We do get paid for this, but it just takes a lot of time and it can also hurt (our) teaching because we use this time to prepare,” Valentine said.

McKinney will return on April 1.

“My transition back to the classroom will be difficult because of having to leave my girls at home,” McKinney said. “But professionally I will make sure that I am prepared and ready to step back in front of the students without missing a beat.”

have those cultural beliefs but we don’t actually say it out loud,” Smith said. “I admire (Chua) for her determination but I think her actions are too extreme.”

Like Chua, Smith has a list of activities she restricts her children from, including: no video games, no television during the week and no vacations during the school year.

Smith’s expectations for her two children were high, but she never had set goals or professions that they were required to reach.

“We never said, ‘You must go to Stanford or Harvard,’” Smith said. “We just told them that if they work hard and be the best they can be, they will succeed.”

Lisa Gregory, mother of Granite Bay High School junior Kyle Pawlak, has found success in her own style of parenting.

“I started when they’re really young giving them support on how to study and how to reach their

safety teacher, believes “tiger” moms are creating a tremendous amount of undue pressure.

“Different kids are going to handle that pressure differently,” Sinor said. “I don’t think they ever have any downtime and that’ll create a lot of unhealthy behavior.”

Sinor said that these types of parents are being selfish and seeing their kids as a reflection of themselves.

“They think ‘If you can do it, I can do it,’” Sinor said. “I think they are really losing a perspective on reality.”

The excessive stress that these “tiger” moms inflict on their children might even cause them to revolt, Sinor said.

“You need to acknowledge their stress and ask what’s bothering them,” she said. “It’s your business to know their business, but at the same time you must respect their privacy.”

Some parents add extra pressure to students Extensive stress may be placed on students with demanding elders

BY JUSTIN SHIIBA jshiiba.gazette@gmail.com

Chinese mothers are superior and raise genius children of intellect and talent – or at least that’s the stereotype.

Only recently, however, has the truth behind this stereotype been scrutinized due to the controversial new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua.

In an excerpt from the book, Chua writes, “The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable—even legally actionable—to Westerners.

Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, ‘Hey fatty—lose some weight. By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the is-

sue, talking in terms of “health” and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image.”

Chua then goes on to list every activity her two daughters were restricted from: attending a sleepover, getting any grade less than an A, choosing their own extracurricular activities, etc.

This has caused uproar and sparked a debate over what style of parenting is, in fact, “superior.”

“Susan Smith,” a Chinese mother who preferred to remain anonymous and who has a son currently attending an Ivy League university, believes that it is in the Chinese culture to strive for academic success.

“We Chinese moms actually do

goals,” Gregory said. “As they grow older, you have to let them find ways to do stuff on their own, instead of forcing them to do certain activities.”

Instead of restricting her children from TV, Gregory has raised them to enjoy different activities such as reading and outdoor sports.

“TV just wasn’t something that was used as entertainment for the kids,” Gregory said. “I just think there’s so much more interesting things to do in the world.”

Gregory doesn’t believe setting strict standards for her children is effective. She never required study or homework time for her son, but she did have high expectations when it came to performing well in school.

“I think Kyle has to learn to take care of his own work,” Gregory said. “He’s about to go out in the world and I’m not going to be there to hold his hand.

Kathy Sinor, GBHS health and

News A3

Friday, March 11, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Academic Decathlon

Senior Kristi Shinfuku, above, studies her notes at an after-school practice. Team members Katie Rose Lyons, Nick Jones and Shinfuku, right, have fun while learning the curriculum.

Team triumphs at county, looks ahead to state

BY KYLE PAWLAK

kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

On Sat, Feb. 5, the Granite Bay High School Academic Decathlon team competed on their home turf against other teams from around the county.

After hours of competition, including tests, interviews and speeches, the team emerged at the top and is now preparing for the state competition later this month.

The team will be up against stiffer competition next time around, especially since they will face teams from Los Angeles.

“I am a little bit apprehensive about the L.A. teams because they take two weeks off to study,” senior Katie Rose Lyons said.

In order to maximize their chances, the team began studying its subject, the Great Depression, early and has been working hard from the start.

“We prepared by reading and studying for months

and months, since before summer ended,” junior Nick Jones said.

The large volume of time spent together in preparation has only served to strengthen the bonds between the teammates.

“What I enjoyed most about this year was getting along with this team,” senior Chelsea Lee said.

“There are many eccentric personalities that everyone brings.”

“The people on our team are great…I love everyone,” Jones added.

However, senior team member Kristi Shinfuku raised possible negative affects that could result from the very same situation that creates such strong bonds.

“I have liked the close bond we have developed…but sometimes there are personality clashes, just because you spend so much time together,” she said.

Spending time together in practice is only one of the many memories the group has of Academic Decathlon

Gazette photos /John park

though.

“The county competition was really cool,” senior Cat Whitney said. “For me… it was almost a comfort knowing I’ve taken tests in these classrooms before.”

“I liked meeting the other teams,” Lyons said. “There were a lot of cool people on them (and) it was interesting to talk to them and see their different skills.”

As this is not her first time competing in Academic Decathlon, Lee had a unique perspective on the county competition.

“I feel like, compared to last year, there were not as many people there, but it’s still a fantastic experience,” she said.

Junior Moosa Zaidi said he liked the depth of the curriculum.

“I have also enjoyed how we are able to take a specific topic and learn everything about it. In a normal history class you only spend a week on a subject,” he said.= This aspect of Academic Decathlon appears to have helped several of the team members in their regular classes.

“It’s been a really fascinating theme, and it has also come in handy because I’m taking U.S. History, so sometimes I don’t have to read,” Jones said.

Arvind Reddy, a junior, cited similar effects of his See ACA DEC, page A6

No hair, all heart

St. Baldrick’s raises childhood cancer awareness by shaving volunteers’ heads

BY ADRIENNE BLEVINS ablevins.gazette@gmail.com

News Briefs Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

The small parking lot gate was knocked over by a student driver earlier this month. No one was injured.

Spring Musical tickets on sale now Purchase your reserved seating tickets for GBHS’s spring musical, Grease. Tickets are $12, and can be purchased through April 8. Shows will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on March 31, April 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9. To reserve your assigned-seat tickets, visit www.seatyourself.biz/granite.

Sober Grad Night “Early Bird” savings for Sober Grad Night tickets have been extended from Dec. 1 and are now available through the end of March, tickets can be purchased for the discounted price of $110. Interested students should visit the GBHS website, fill out the online form, and mail a

check to the listed address before March 31.

Emerald Brigade Crab Feed The GBHS Emerald Brigade Marching Band and Color Guard will hold its third annual crab feed from 6-10 p.m. on March 12. The event will be held at Faith Center Lutheran Church, 6365 Douglas Blvd.

All you can eat pasta, crab and salad, live entertainment, and a silent auction and raffle will be included. Tickets cost $40 per person. For more information, contact Keith at 797-2249 or email questions to kklmsburson@surewest.net.

Sierra College Information Nights Sierra College will be hosting student/ parent information nights from 6-7 p.m. on March 16 and 30 at its Rocklin Campus. There will also be one at 6-7 p.m. on April 12. Those who might be interested

in attending Sierra College in the fall of 2011 are encouraged to attend. Seats can be reserved by emailing outreach@sierracollege.edu and indicating what night attendees would like to come to. Sign up early– spots go fast!

– compiled by Shannon Wagner

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

Deadline

Late

May. 7

Apr. 8

Apr. 22

Jun. 4

May. 6

May. 20

St. Patrick’s Day will of course consist of a large number of students wearing green clothing, but this year there will be a few more sporting a very short hairstyle.

This is because Granite Bay High School will be hosting a St. Baldrick’s event, which is where people raise money and shave their heads in support of children who have cancer.

Senior Zachary Meyer is the president of the St. Baldrick’s Club, which is putting on the event as part of the larger, national organization’s efforts.

“What’s going to happen (is) it’s going to be a one lunch and there’s going to be music on the outdoor stage (where) we’re going to have people going up and shaving their heads. We’re going to have barbers from Nevaeh doing the shaving,” Meyer said.

People can register online to become a shavee at stbaldricks.org, or they can simply donate to an individual or the overall event.

The money, which goes to the St. Baldrick’s charity, is used for research cures for childhood cancer.

The St. Baldrick’s organization has been around since 2000, and GBHS has been involved with it for quite a few years. “(Chris) Roberts introduced us to the event; he’s a cancer survivor himself,” club advisor Shane Dixon said. “He started making a team from Granite Bay. There were between five and eight students and teachers participating in the Roseville Galleria event a few years in a row.”

What followed was the creation of the Students Against Cancer Club. They helped put on the first St. Baldrick’s event on the GBHS campus in 2009.

However, the event did not happen again the following year. One reason behind this was that the Cancer Club’s president graduated and the club no longer existed.

“I also heard that the school wanted to do it every other year so it makes it a little more special,” Meyer said.

Meyer was a shavee two years ago and was inspired to take initiative on bringing the event back this year. “(I got) to see everyone actually paying attention to what was going on, people getting excited about their friends shaving (their) heads (and) about raising money for such a good cause,” he said. “To know that my senior year nothing was being planned to have this again, I felt like I had to do something.”

Sophomore Lauren Davis, who is now a member of the St. Baldrick’s club, was also impacted by her participation as a previous shavee.

When she was in eighth grade, Davis had her hair shaved at an event held at Eureka School.

“I have a really close family friend that had a little girl with leukemia. I was really aware of childhood cancer and I wanted to do my part,” Davis said.

Davis received many surprised reactions from the people around her. The fact that she was a female shavee, and was doing it before graduation, increased the number of shocked reactions.

See BALDRICK’S, page A6

ASB UPDATE Senior Erin Bell anticipates Powder Puff and the new ‘Dog Pound’ The Gazette talked to Powder Puff Commissioner Erin Bell.

Gazette: What is the process like building up to Powder Puff?

It involves placing all the orders for the T-shirts and organizing T-shirts’ numbers nicknames. Also, we have to organize all the referees, announcers, male cheerleaders, staff coaches and male student coaches for the event.

Gazette: What changes have been made to the program this year?

Gazette photo /RACHaEL VASQUEZ

Senior Erin Bell, Powder Puff commissioner, talks about the process of getting the event up and running and rallying school spirit.

A: This year we created the “Dog Pound.” We discovered that many girls last year stayed on the sidelines, not actually wanting to play. The “Dog Pound” lets girls be a part of the experience and have a T-shirt without playing. It’s great for college-bound athletes that don’t want to risk becoming injured.

Gazette: How would the “Dog Pound” still promote

school spirit?

A: It allows more girls to be involved in Powder Puff, rather than being actual players. And, the “Dog Pound” will be on the field cheering on their classmates.

Gazette: How does Powder Puff differ from other school spirited events?

A: I think it’s unique because it blends a lot of elements in one event. I’m an athlete and it’s great to have an event focused on athletics. For girls that aren’t involved in athletics and school events, this is a great opportunity for them to become more involved. Guys are also a part of the experience as male cheerleaders.

Gazette: How big of an event is Powder Puff expected to be this year?

A: Usually, we fill the stadium. We’re hoping to have a bigger community audience attend and that the “Dog Pound” will help girls get involved more in their class.

– compiled by Rachael Vasquez

A4 News

Friday, March 11, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

The pressure for A’s means a shortage of Z’s Students sacrifice sleep, health for late-night study sessions

BY SAHIL KHOSLA

skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

For GBHS junior Rehan Raiyyani, sleep was a luxury – he was averaging approximately three hours of sleep per night.

“I couldn’t handle it because of the stress and the pressure (of the IB diploma program),” Raiyyani said. “I would have panic attacks and stay up making study guides, (which) didn’t take too long, (but I spent) a long time reviewing them.”

Raiyyani said he didn’t blame his lack of sleep on procrastination.

“I don’t handle stress very well on tests and other assessments and (I’m) not so

good at managing my time, so I don’t think the diploma was good choice (for me),” he said.

Raiyyani decided to swap his first and second period IB classes for CP English 11 and AP statistics, and ever since he has significantly increased his sleep.

But junior Eric Darragh has had a different experience.

On average, Darragh gets about six hours of sleep, but he often does assignments late at night.

“I’ve only pulled three all-nighters, (but) staying up late really inhibits my ability to perform, and I usually have to catch up on sleep on the weekend,” Darragh said.

Additionally, stress from being in the IB

program has had detrimental effects on his health.

“When I go through periods of a lot of stress I will lose about 10-15 pounds over a two-to-three-week period, (and) I am able to gain it back on a week I don’t apply stress on myself,” Darragh said.

These cycles of gaining and losing weight have been affecting Darragh since the beginning of the school year.

“The stress and expectations (of) students (places) a high standard on (them), which they are expected to achieve,” he said. “It’s a cycle that we go through every week.”

Junior Emily Santor appears to have developed a solution to prevent stressful all-

nighters.

“I sit down with my mother every Saturday morning and plan out which subject I have to do which day so that all my work gets done,” Santor said. “That actually leaves a lot less to do on each day and so much less stress.”

Her careful planning has given her several extra hours of sleep.

“The stress was so much that before this (time-management plan) I was getting physically ill, (but I love) this now,” Santor said. “I’m not drowning, and it’s lovely.”

Maria Babenkova, a junior enrolled in several AP classes including AP U.S history, AP chemistry and AP calculus, said she finds her workload to be in abundance, and she suffers from an irregular sleep schedule.

“I got in a habit now that I can’t even fall asleep before 12 A.M., so there is no point (in going) to bed at 10 P.M., because I (won’t) fall asleep anyway,” Babenkova said.

IB seniors Chris Nguyen and Alex Wagner have also suffered sleep deprivation and have been getting three and half to four hours per night for the past 18 months.

They attribute their poor sleeping habits to insomnia, senioritis, homework, procrastination, friends, Facebook and listening to music, they said.

“Procrastination happens because someone wants instant gratification, instead of working on what they should be working on,” Nguyen said.

Wagner had a similar sentiment. “(It’s better to follow the) idea of work hard, play later,” he said.

Epidemics prompt school-wide precautions GBHS students must get Tdap vaccine to enroll

BY KELSEY KNORP

kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /SARAH BERTIN

By washing their hands, students can lessen their chances of contracting an epidemic disease, such as whooping cough or drug-resistant Staph.

GBHS ROP opens doors for students Programs allow for on-site work

BY MOOSA ZAIDI

mzaidi.gazette@gmail.com

With jobs often a rare commodity, some Granite Bay High School students have to look far and wide to find some kind of work experience. But some students are able to start their search by looking to their school.

Two programs at GBHS offer work experience and employment opportunities to students. One of these is the 49er Regional Occupancy Program. The other program is employment through Granite Bay Informational Technology.

Currently only two students, seniors Lawrence Downs and Justin Toms, are offered employment through GBiT. The program used to employ about six students, but budget cuts have reduced this to two.

Both Toms and Downs describe the program as essentially an extension of their usual GBiT work with a larger time commitment.

According to Downs, while most GBiT students must log only 5 after-school hours the entire semester, he logged 30 hours just last month, including 9 hours on a single Saturday.

The pay is hardly above minimum wage, $8.20 per hour, but Downs still considers it a good deal.

“I feel it’s better than a job at, say for example, Togo’s, (where) you don’t get much real-world experience,” Downs said. “This is more of a real-world application job.”

The program offers a very flexible schedule. Downs and Toms can usually choose which days they work and how long.

“I love the schedule. I love the people I work with. It’s a lot of fun,” Downs said.

Until last year, a Computer Science ROP program gave many more students a chance to gain experience in the computer world. The computer science ROP was cut this year.

According to Zachary Weidkamp, who taught the class last year, the decision was a joint one. Weidkamp could not fit the course in his schedule, and the ROP program was trying to deal with budget cuts.

With the loss of the computer science ROP, only two ROP are still hosted at GBHS: Business and Construction Technology.

But these ROP have not been completely unaffected by the economy. “(The economy) doesn’t drive (ROP), but it’s definitely a big impact on it,” said Bill Patterson, the Business ROP

Bill Patterson The GBHS Business ROP teacher says that, while he can’t promise students jobs, he can offer opportunitues.

teacher.

Part of the problem, according to Patterson, is that more and more students need paid work.

But Patterson cannot guarantee his students a paid internship, or even an unpaid one.

“What I promise my students when they come in the door is interviews. I don’t promise them jobs; I don’t promise money; I don’t promise them internships, just opportunities,” Patterson said.

Students who need paid employment sometimes juggle a job with ROP. Other students have had to leave ROP. Finding internships can also be difficult when businesses are laying people off.

Nevertheless, for students who are able to continue ROP, the program is often a meaningful experience.

Parker Johnson, a GBHS Class of 2010 graduate, has found an unpaid internship at Bayside Church. He approached the church and asked if he could start a Community Lives program at the church; the church agreed.

As part of the program, he encourages kids to work in hospitals and teaches kids to pray. He also runs a prayer request program.

The internship is about helping people that are in tough situations and bringing them to a better place, Johnson said.

According to Patterson, one of the advantages of ROP is that it gives students a chance to explore a career and decide if it is a career that they want to devote their life to.

Johnson said that, while he had already been considering a career in ministry, his internship has strengthened his choice, and ROP was essential to him pursuing the internship.

“I think I probably wouldn’t have started this if I didn’t have a teacher backing me up,” he said.

Alex Bensen, a senior, is part of the culinary ROP. She works at Crush-29 as a prep chef, a position in which she prepares ingredients and cooks appetizers.

“I have mixed emotions about it,” Bensen said. “It’s very tedious and it can get very repetitive, but it is good practice on just basic skills.”

Bensen said she is disappointed she is not paid for her work. Students are not offered paid work until they turn 18.

According to Bensen, it would have been difficult for her to work in a restaurant at all if it had not been for ROP. “It kind of gives you a jump start in just a particular career field you’re interested in,” she said. “It just gives you more experience and gets you ahead of the game.”

The only thing that spreads faster than gossip in a high school is disease. Around November and December, germs begin preying on stressed-out students and a once-energetic campus becomes a lethargic mass of run-down teenagers trudging from class to class.

Each year brings a new epidemic to be feared.

Last year, the H1N1 virus caused a panic in California and infected numerous Granite Bay High School students, who, according to school nurse Linda Warfield, were going home with fevers and flu symptoms.

The scare caused the County Health Department to respond by requiring flu shots for all students.

“Hopefully students went to their private physicians and received another flu shot for this year,” Warfield said.

This year, a new epidemic has struck. Warfield sees many students in her office with complaints of nasal congestion, headache and a cough that lasts as long as four weeks.

GBHS English teacher Ramona Drury has noticed the effect of this virus as well. She believes it is responsible for the recent rise in absences in her classes.

“Because I teach mostly AP classes, (my) students tend not to want to miss a lot of class,” Drury said. “I’ve actually had to send a couple people home because I really don’t care to get (their) virus.”

See SICKNESS, page A6

Fighting for enrollment

Teachers try to keep programs afloat, fill student seats

BY SONIA IYER

“We’ve got 2,200 students and I would think we can find at least 20 people,” Cranmer said.

The choir program at the school also relies on With already so many well-established programs student interest, and makes a great effort to adverat GBHS, creating a new program or class for the tise itself. school and maintaining it can be difficult.

To inform the current student body, choir memStarting up a class depends almost completely bers recently handed out candy and talked to stuon the student body – the students call the shots dents about joining choir. because their interest determines a course’s sucIn addition to this, they usually send out a letter cess. to students whom they recommend to join choir.

For the upcoming school year, IB teacher Berna- The choir manages to get a fairly large response dette Cranmer is hoping to bring an IB Film class in return. to the school, and is in the midst of all sorts of According to choir director Kristin Faulkner, preparations. other choir advisers in the area have proposed So far, she has talked to all of the sophomore phoning incoming eighth graders over the sumEnglish-history blocked classes – about 300 stu- mer to inform them about the opportunities. dents total – to get the word out, but Cranmer can’t “They’ve had a phone-a-thon in the past where know for sure whether or they just reach out and say, ‘This not enough students will is what the choir program has to offer; we hope your student will want to join.

We’ve got be interested,” Faulkner said.

“I did at one point look “It doesn’t hurt.” through the paperwork to 2,200 students For a more direct approach, see who had expressed and I would think the GBHS choir annually ininterest,” Cranmer said. vites both Cavitt and Olympus “At that point there were we can find at junior high schools to particilike 20 people. But I can’t least 20 people pate in ‘Choir Night’. say definitively because The junior high school stuI don’t know if they’ll (for the new IB dents listen to the choir peractually put (the class) form, sing along with them, Film class). down during online regand play games and interact istration.” with the choir members. Then Cranmer’s concern – Bernadette Cranmer, a couple of weeks later, GBHS about gaining enough students write letters to each IB teacher student sign ups stems participant, encouraging them from the fact that GBHS to join the program once enteralready offers many thriving high school. ing programs to compete “We usually have about 10 to 15 students come with IB Film. in from that night, so it’s successful,” Faulkner “Students have to make a lot of hard choices said. this year,” she said. “And if you’re a really comWhile the choir program is consistent in recruitmitted member of something like journalism or ing students, for the new magazine class at GBHS speech and debate, there are only so many things – started only this spring term – having too many you can do.” students might have actually been detrimental to Not only do several such programs already exist its success. at GBHS – musical theatre, student government, For the class to exist, adviser Linda Dickson and choir, just to name a few – but they have has to combine it with her Intro Journalism class grown immensely in reputation over the years. because of limited facility space. And with two According to Cranmer, it’s this reputation that different publications operating at the same time, often draws students in, making it harder for new attention to each student can’t be diluted.

“It’s not like English where everybody is classes to attract members.

But with such a large population of students, See PROGRAMS, page A6 she is optimistic the class will prevail. siyer.gazette@gmail.com

Friday, March 11, 2011

News A5

w The Granite Bay Gazette

ADDICTION: Student deals with drug abuse Continued from page A1 baseball caps. But unlike many of his classmates, he was addicted to prescription drugs. The addiction started innocently. When he was 15, Brandon broke his arm and the doctor prescribed Vicodin to ease the pain.

To DeHaven, it didn’t seem like a big deal.

But for Brandon – like his uncle and grandfather before him – it was a huge deal. He was hooked.

Before long Brandon moved on from Vicodin to OxyContin.

“As a parent, (you’d like to think) that at least he’s taking something that was made by a pharmaceutical company,” DeHaven said. “You don’t realize that they’re grinding it up, dissolving it, putting it into a needle and shoving it in their arm.”

Other ways the drug can be taken include snorting the crushed pills and smoking them. “(Despite) all the things I thought I knew,” he said, “I was just ignorant. I didn’t really know.”

He found himself facing the destructive force of addiction once again, bringing back memories of his experiences years before.

At 18, he and his mother had traveled to Texas to visit his older brother who was incarcerated for possession.

It was an experience that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

“When Brandon was going to prison, I couldn’t imagine my wife going through what my mother went through,” DeHaven said. “And I couldn’t imagine his younger brother going through what I went through.”

This led him to throw himself in the line of fire to earn his son’s freedom after he was caught in a drug bust.

“I essentially went undercover on his behalf and portrayed myself as an old guy with a prescription,” he said, “and that’s what (the dealer’s) look for.”

DeHaven turned in one of the biggest dealers in Sacramento in exchange for Brandon. Even then, it wasn’t over.

Brandon was still battling addiction.

In fact, while DeHaven was undercover, Brandon took the opportunity to get OxyContin into the house.

“As crushed as I was at the time,” DeHaven said, “I kind of get it now. I get that he was sick, just like my brother is sick and my father is sick.”

John, an anonymous sophomore, also struggled with an addictive personality.

When he entered his freshman year, John began using weed and alcohol. Angela Chanter, the clinical director at Full Circle, a local facility that specializes in treating adolescents, noted that marijuana is the drug of choice for many of the teens she sees.

Being a good student, he was able to maintain his grades for a bit.

“It (went) from being just a weekend thing, to every day I had to get my fix of something,” he said. “Whether it (was) smoking some weed or doing some Xanax in the bathroom at school.”

In his fourth and final semester of the year, his grades began to fall. He gave up on school and his dreams altogether, instead accepting a future as a drug addict.

“Whenever I was sober enough to really think about it, (which was very rarely), it made me depressed,” he said. “Deep down inside I did want to be something. I still wanted to go somewhere in life.”

Like his grades, his personal relationships began to crumble. His parents discovered his addiction early on, but chose to turn a cold shoulder to the problem.

Before long the rest of his relationships began to feel the strain. “(My brothers and sister) were begging me (to get help and admit I had a problem),” John said.

Soon he was using prescription drugs everyday.

Problems with his girlfriend compounded the other problems, driving him to the extreme.

One evening when his parents weren’t home he packed a bag, took all the money from his house – a sum of about $500-600 – and went to his friend’s house.

“I knew that, eventually, I would go back,” John said.

“I just wanted to escape for a little bit.”

His escape lasted two weeks, during which he survived by couch hopping and lived off the money he took.

After awhile he wore out his welcome. Strung out on the drugs he’d bought with the last of his money, John found himself sitting wide awake in the park.

“I was just all alone, (on a) really cold night, (wondering) what (was) going on,” he said. “I was totally broken.”

When he found a place to charge his phone, he saw that his brother was in town and John called him.

John was skin and bones, with his eyes bloodshot and clothes tattered. “(My brother) never brought it up,” he said. “He talked to me as if nothing had happened, as if it was just a regular lunch with his little brother.”

John returned home with the compromise of him entering rehab.

Now, six months later, John is proud of his progress.

“Ever since I’ve been sober, I carry it as a badge,” he said. “When my old friends come up to me and ask me (if I want to use), I (tell them), ‘No, I’ve got six months clean, man. I’m not like that anymore.’”

John has found renewed joy in education and music, two of his passions in life. He’s also begun to rebuild his relationship with his family.

“I feel like once I cleaned up that part of my life it (gave) me time to focus on the things that really matter,” John said.

Like John, Brandon entered into a rehabilitation program and has since begun to rebuild.

“I would say if he’s addicted to anything right now, it is exercise,” DeHaven said.

Though they are clean now, addiction is something the two boys will have to struggle with for the rest of their lives. Already, both have slipped up once or twice.

At Full Circle, any relapse is treated by a return to the intensive portion of treatment, in which the teen comes four days a week for three weeks. “(We try to) figure out what the triggers were (and) why they used again,” Chanter said.

This is important to furthering the understanding of one’s addiction and avoiding the pull in the future.

Chanter also stressed the importance of a one-year program, which research has shown is most effective.

For now, John is focusing on the future once again.

“I’m just keeping my options open,” he said, “but music is what makes me happy and I’d like to pursue it as a career.”

Gazette photo illustration /MAGGIE LOUIS

A new bill threatening Planned Parenthood’s funding has protestors on their toes as the debate over abortion heats up.

TITLE X: Loss of funding intensifies abortion debate Continued from page A1

Planned Parenthood which was originally established

by Margaret Sanger to provide contraception for poor women, uses Title X funds.

Now it provides prenatal and pediatric care; family planning, which includes contraception, pregnancy testing, cancer testing, sexually transmitted infection testing, among others; primary care, which includes breast exams, diabetes screening, physicals, and more; and child care.

The amendment excludes hospitals or those centers performing abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. This leads many to think that the bill was an attack on Planned Parenthood, one of the nation’s largest abortion services providers.

To put it in perspective locally, the Roseville Planned Parenthood Health Center served 19,545 patients in the fiscal year 2010. Of those nearly 20,000 patients served locally, 79 percent of the patients were seen for family planning.

Despite popular belief, only a minority of these were teenagers, according to Raquel Simental, the public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which includes 32 different health centers in Central California. “(Most of our clients) are between the ages of 20 and 34 – so we’re talking college students and young adults who are starting out their careers, that perhaps their first job not only pays them very little but also (offers) very little (or no) health care at all,” Simental said.

“Ninety-seven percent of the services (in all 32 centers included in the Mar Monte affiliate) are preventive health care; only three percent are abortion-related,” Simental said. “We are one of the largest abortion providers – that is a fact. But that’s (also) because there are very few abortion providers.”

Granite Bay High School health teacher Kathie Sinor received her master’s degree in behavioral science and researched sex education and prevention.

She supports Planned Parenthood and recognizes the potential negative effects that cutting funds could

have.

“What will happen is, ‘OK, we prohibit these women from having abortions because we’re not funding them,’ then those women are going to either end up having back-street abortions – and we’ve already seen the ugly effects of that as women died (from) infections – or they choose to have their child but don’t have a job because unemployment is so high right now, and it’s a vicious cycle,” Sinor said. *** At the Roseville Health Center, manager Worden has dealt with protestors every week for many years. They must stay on Sunrise Boulevard because the walkway directly surrounding the Planned Parenthood building is private property.

“We encounter it on a weekly basis and we’re used to it,” Worden said.

The protestors include several religious groups who rotate shifts. One group is from Adventure Christian Church in Roseville. According to church member Wayne Bigelow, their purpose is to save women from the regrets of having an abortion, and eventually reverse Roe vs. Wade.

Tom Jennings is part of the Knights of Columbus in Roseville and has protested every week on Thursday mornings for many years. His wife was infertile, and after he experienced the joy from adoption, he urges women to avoid abortion and put their children up for adoption.

“We had to go to see the psychiatrist because (my wife) was 34 years old, and (she) was so sad (because) she loves little children (but couldn’t have any.) When we finally did adopt, it was just such a miracle to see her whole countenance change – the smile came upon her face, and I knew that that baby was the reason,” Jennings said.

“The (biological) mother decided not to have an abortion, and that’s why I’m so strongly in favor of not funding Planned Parenthood – not funding people who take money and kill babies for just whim and convenience. I wish that doctors would take the Hippocratic Oath – they’re there to preserve life from the

moment of conception to natural death.”

He realizes that taking away Planned Parenthood would take away free healthcare from many uninsured women. He suggests these women receive help from privately funded clinics supported by the Knights of Columbus, such as the Sacramento Life Center on North Sunrise Avenue.

“We have free healthcare, free health screening, free ultrasound – free, free, free! Anything that a woman gets in this abortion mill, she gets free (at our clinics,)” Jennings said.. “We spent over $200,000 getting (a) Life Mobile – it drives around to five different places in the Sacramento Diocese and parks there. Girls come out of school, off the sidewalk and they’re able to find out if they are pregnant, if they have any diseases, and (learn about) the alternatives (to abortions.)

“Adoptive parents are one of the alternatives, and that’s why I love alternative pregnancy centers.”

Supporters at the Roseville Health Center are looking to fight back on the political side of the debate.

“We’re lucky here in California that we have two pro-choice, pro-Planned Parenthood senators, so we’re trying to help out other states whose senators (including female Republicans) can waiver on this issue by holding phone banks and connecting volunteers directly to the senator’s office,” Simental said. “We’re putting our grass-roots activists to work.”

One supporter, Ann, recognizes the political battle, but chose to take a different course of action.

“I think that when they are trying to de-fund Planned Parenthood, it’s totally political – it has nothing to do with a religious belief. Last week I said ‘enough, I’m going to do something that says this is wrong, these are lies, because it’s all political,’” said Ann, who would not give her last name.

Despite Ann’s convictions, religion does play a role for some. Inocelda was born and raised Christian and thus does not support abortions. Even so, she is standing with Planned Parenthood.

“The (politicians) need to look at all sides,” Inocelda said. “I like Planned Parenthood. They give me free birth control; if I need information, I go there.”

OLYMPUS: Online blog attacks students at Olympus Junior High School, administration unable to take it down Continued from page A1 Bay area – because not all instances are reported – there have been at least two recent cyber attacks that have devastated students.

The attack on Ashley, a pseudonym for a student at Granite Bay High School, began when someone she thought was her friend started sending her text messages telling her that no one liked her.

She tried to resist reacting to the messages, but she was already suffering from emotional issues and was vulnerable.

She eventually succumbed to the pressure. That’s when she grabbed the knife and stabbed herself once in the lower stomach area.

“My brother came home from a party and had to see me lying on the floor. (He) stood there speechless not knowing what to do,” Ashley said.

Ashley’s mom called 911, but the paramedics said it would be faster for Ashley’s mom to take her to the hospital.

“All I remember is my mom yelling at the doctors and nurses to get me better quicker,” Ashley said. “The doctors had to calm her down and tell her I was lucky it was a clean cut and missed major arteries.”

Ashley said she is now thankful she didn’t die and wants kids to know there are other people who have been cyberbullied.

“A lot of people go through the same

thing I went through,” Ashley said. “They should know that they’re not alone, and they should find someone to talk to, whether it’s a friend, family member, counselor or even a teacher.”

She added, though, that she understands that cyberbullying is hard to withstand.

“The delete button can’t get rid of everything,” she said.

Another recent instance of cyberbullying occurred in late January, when someone posted a blog titled “The REAL Spartan Spirit,” about numerous students at Olympus Junior High.

The person writing the blog, “Mystery Blogger,” named 16 students and called them “sluts,” “lesbians,” “fatties” and a host of other ugly names.

Catherine Webster, the mother of a student who was named in the blog, said she was sick to her stomach when she first found out about it.

“It’s very personal, and it doesn’t just affect the person you’re talking about,” she said. “It affects their friends and family. It bleeds into every aspect of any social network.”

Senior Sarah Webster, the sister of the student, couldn’t understand why someone would write such mean things about her younger brother.

“I was brought to tears by (the blog),” Sarah said. “I couldn’t understand why kids would say that about each other.

My only guess is they don’t understand the extent of the damage their words

can do.”

Sarah got involved with Campus Connections and has thought about getting a rally put on by GBHS students at Olympus to help the junior high school kids understand how much words can hurt.

“I got picked on in junior high…. kids need to know that it doesn’t last forever,” Sarah said.

Olympus principal Kelly Graham said a teacher notified him about the blog the same day it went up and that he tried everything he could think of to limit the damage, but with little success. He said he contacted Blogspot three times to ask them to take down the offensive blog, but he never got any response. Graham said he also talked to the police department, but they said their hands were tied.

Blogspot offers no way to contact them on its website.

“A lot of times kids are ready, fire, aim,” Graham said. “They don’t think through what the consequences of their actions are. They only think about ‘You said something mean, so I’m going to say something mean back.’”

Graham joked: “I didn’t make the Internet. Let’s blame Al Gore. He takes credit for it.”

Greg Hopping, the Cavitt and Olympus School Resource Officer, said the police department couldn’t interfere because of the First Amendment rights of the person who posted the blog.

“If there were threats, we could have

charged the person with a crime,” Hopping said.

Hopping sat down with most of the kids named in the blog, typically with a female counselor present, and talked to them about how they were handling the cyberbullying.

“A couple of girls were laughing about it. They told me, ‘I am popular now.

Everyone wants to talk to me,’” Hopping said.

As a result of the cyberbullying, every student will be given a 45-minute lecture on cyberbullying accountability.

“Kids don’t feel like they have to be responsible when they put things on cyberspace,” Hopping said. “People are comfortable saying mean and hurtful comments when they don’t have to put their name behind it.”

Cyberbullying isn’t just happening on the Olympus campus. It’s also happening at GBHS. Sophomore Noor Abasi decided to get involved with the Influence Initiative, an anti-bullying campaign led by Taylor Lilley, as a result of hearing people talk about how they had felt the impact of a person’s negative words over the internet or through a text.

“I feel like if someone’s bullied face to face, it’s difficult to remember everything that was said to you,” Abasi said.

“With cyberbullying, not only is there a scar there to remind you every day, other people can also look at it.”

REGISTRATION: GBiT still working to perfect online system Continued from page A2 Occupancy Program was counted only as two terms rather than four on the online program.

“I had to put classes I did not want and have extra appointments with my counselor. So overall it was just flat out frustrating for me,” Slingerland said.

However, according to Mattix, such problems are unusual.

“I would say the majority of the people that I have communicated with are very much in favor of the online tutorial,” he said.

Mattix also points out that many of the problems that students, such as Slingerland, had are unrelated to the process of online registration.

For example, Art 5 is not listed in the course planning guide. Any errors resulting from incorrectly listing the length of an IB or ROP course would

have created just as many problems on the bubble-in sheets of years past.

Overall, the program has improved, according to Mattix. This year less than 60 students needed technical assistance, a decrease from the 170 last year.

Eventually, the process will go paperless when it is entirely online. Some criticize the redundancy of paper and online registration but Mattix believes that in order for changes to be comfortable, they have to occur gradually.

Also by hopefully streamlining the process of registration, time will be saved.

“Instead of going out to just collect information, we wanted to reinvest the time so our counselors could spend time with students to better advise them and do a one on one with the students,” Mattix said.

“I’m happy with (online registration) this year, last year I wasn’t happy,” counselor Walt Wild said, “I

think it’s being dialed in pretty well.”

Finally the tutorial program is meant to be much more informative.

“We wanted to build a tutorial program that would better advise students on what courses to register for, and we wanted to open it up a little bit more so parents could get better involved,” Mattix said.

Even Slingerland is fairly optimistic.

“I don’t think it will be fixed for a while. It’s probably going to take at least two or three years for it to actually be perfect. But I think it will improve next year,” Slingerland said.

Mattix emphasizes that despite any bumps in the road, GBiT has carried through.

“They’ve done an outstanding job because corporations could pay thousands of dollars to have a website developed, and we don’t have those resource,” Mattix said

Friday, November 5, 2010 w The Granite Bay Gazette

A6 News

SCORES: GBHS among best Continued from page A1

ing.”

math department, and he was initially unconcerned about the relatively poor STAR test scores that aren’t really poor.

“We were taking the standardized tests knowing that the kids wouldn’t do as well,” Blomquist said, “but we also knew that our SAT scores were higher than any other school around.”

With that knowledge, Blomquist didn’t pressure his students to succeed on the STAR test.

“I told them not to worry about it,” Blomquist said. “But their SAT scores were great.”

Recently, threats of intervention by the state encouraged GBHS to revert to the more traditional math curriculum, even though Blomquist is confident the school’s STAR tests aren’t representative of the math department as a whole.

One of the problems the department ran into is that the STAR test doesn’t have any built-in incentive for students to perform well.

Moby Ahmed, a senior at GBHS, took the STAR test last year after completing AP Calculus. He has a GPA of 4.4 and hopes to attend UCLA or Stanford in the fall.

“I knew (the STAR test) didn’t have any effect on college acceptance, so I didn’t really care,” Ahmed said. “I just wanted to get it over with.”

Ahmed was one of many AP students who approached the STAR test with a nonchalance that unbalanced the school’s averages.

“I didn’t look at the questions,” Ahmed admitted. He received scores of “basic” or “below basic” across the board.

After filling in bubbles at random, Ahmed spent the rest of the test period “loung-

Blomquist acknowledges that a test in which the students have no personal investment can be a problem.

“For intelligent students, there was no reason for them to lose any sleep on the STAR test,” Blomquist said.

But this year, steps are being taken to ensure students make an honest effort this time around.

Students who perform poorly on the test this year will not be allowed to have an off-campus period or be teacher aides or teacher interns.

Additionally, students who might have their eyes set on college will have a much harder time finding a teacher to write them a letter of recommendation for their college applications.

Ahmed wishes there had been precautions set in place last year.

“I wasn’t thinking about how my scores would affect the school,” Ahmed said. “I didn’t want to put that much effort into it because I knew it wouldn’t hurt my transcripts.”

If given another chance, Ahmed said he would put more energy into the test.

“If we had known that our scores mattered so much, I think more people would have tried harder,” Ahmed said. “I know I would have.”

However, there are steps being taken to pair the penalties for minimal effort with incentives for strong scores.

“As far as incentives go,” Blomquist said, “we want to come up with some genuine ones.”

Although nothing has been finalized, Blomquist said there have been talks about giving grade bumps to students who receive scores of “advanced” on the STAR. Potentially, students in any class, AP

classes included, would be subject to a full letter-grade bump that would be applied

Gazette illustration/PARKER EVANS

Even though GBHS’ test scores have been steadily improving, the state still demands a higher rate of progression retroactively when the scores are received the following year.

Blomquist said the school is considering other incentives, including free dance tickets among other things. The school has looked at other schools in the area to see what incentives they have to encourage students to perform well on the STAR test.

“We’re asking the students what would make them gear up for a standardized test,” Blomquist said. “Our students aren’t dumb.

They want to know what’s in it for them.”

A whole new emphasis is going to be placed on the STAR test this year, as the math department in particular is attacking the test with a renewed effort.

There are plans for a new “Retro Day,” in which students who took their math classes in the fall semester return for a quick review before the test.

GBHS schedules the STAR test as late as possible to give the classes as much time as possible to cover their material. This year, that means that half of the testing dates are

before spring break, and the other half are after the students return.

“We have this whole new emphasis on the test,” Blomquist said, “and I think the kids are

going to blow us away.”

Blomquist is confident the previous STAR scores are artificially low, and that the SAT and AP scores are better examples of the math program’s performance.

“When we get the tests back this year, we’re going to know what changed,” he said. “It isn’t the teaching. It’s the emphasis.”

BALDRICK’S: Students and teachers to raise money on March 17 Continued from page A3

“Some people thought I was (kind of) crazy for doing it, but I honestly didn’t really care,” Davis said.

“It was a (great) experience...it was really cool being bald.”

Those head-turning reactions are exactly what help St. Baldrick’s have such an impact.

Aside from raising money for research, the organization is designed to raise awareness and show support for children who are dealing with cancer.

The treatments can take a harsh toll on patients’ bodies, and losing hair is often seen as demoralizing. “(A cancer patient is) already feeling horrible, you’re living life and death and then you walk out in public and people are...pointing at you. It doesn’t really help the situation,” Dixon said. “By shaving your head, you

reduce the stigma of not having hair for all the people that lose it to (chemotherapy).”

Meyer agreed.

“Shaving the heads is a sign of solidarity; it’s a sign of support...we support these people because your 15or 16-year-old may be a 5- or 6-year-old who is going through cancer,” he said.

One way that the event can really hit home is by sponsoring a child with cancer. Either children or their families can be brought to the shaving so they can see what the event is doing for them and cancer research in general.

“When we hosted the event last time, there was a young boy in the community that was very recently diagnosed and was about to lose his hair (and) go through treatment,” Dixon said. “He got to come watch everyone shave their head and it really helped him.”

For many people, the cause can personally reach their hearts.

Dixon and Meyer both were partially influenced to be a part of the club by knowing someone affected by childhood cancer.

“My daughter is a cancer survivor. She’s now five years out from her neuroblastoma, which has a really low survival rate. Usually it recurs within a high percentage in the first year, and we’re five years out,” Dixon said.

Meyer’s situation unfortunately did not have as happy of an ending.

“My cousin did actually pass away from cancer, he said. “Anyone who has to deal with childhood cancer...my heart goes out to you.”

Dixon and Meyer will both be shaving their heads in this year’s event to show their support of the cause.

Alongside them will be many students and staff from GBHS, including Deputy Joe Herrick and assistant principal Brian McNulty.

The goal for this year is to raise $15,000, which is $5,000 more than last event’s goal.

Although they currently are far away from their goal, the event is still lining up to be a success.

“It starts slow and then it kind of snowballs toward the end,” Dixon said, referencing the number of donations and shavees that sign up.

The club is planning to utilize things like posters, the morning bulletins and a donation box in the cafeteria at lunch to get the word out about the event.

“We just want as many people as we can get,” Davis said. “(We) really appreciate the support, anything (anyone) can do,” Dixon said.

SICKNESS: Hand-washing is important PROGRAMS: Survival of new classes Continued from page A4

Local pediatrician Maryann Ellis-Jammal says the primary culprit of this mass infection of students is pertussis, or “whooping cough.”

Pertussis first emerged in the 1900s as a deadly childhood disease that proved lethal for babies.

Today, babies are immunized, but that immunization wears off in a matter of years.

According to Jammal, there were 8,000 recorded cases in California last year. This is a big jump from one year ago, when whooping cough was merely a minor concern.

“I would say I see easily 30 (pertussis patients) per week,” Jammal said.

A potential solution to this increase is the AB 354 law that goes into effect this year. It requires all

students grades 7-12 to receive the Tdap vaccine before school begins in the fall. The vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.

“I think once the law goes into effect, there will be a lot more adherence to vaccine schedules, and the numbers should go down,” Jammal said.

If the risk of a potentially lethal cough isn’t enough to promote hand washing (a concept strongly promoted by Warfield) among students, perhaps they should also consider the highly contagious bacteria that cause staph infections.

The bacteria most commonly seen by Jammal is that of MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, an infection that is resistant to many types of common antibiotics such as amoxicillin and penicillin.

Jammal frequently sees the infection, which typically starts out looking like a spider bite, in perfectly healthy athletes.

“Sports equipment is a great vector for keeping these bacteria alive,” Jammal said, “because a lot of times (it) doesn’t get cleaned thoroughly.”

Warfield advises students to see their physicians if their seemingly innocent illnesses do not improve. Jammal agrees with this advice, and says often one of the biggest problems is that a student is unaware of how sick he or she actually is.

According to Warfield, the best preventive measures are the ones that seem simplest.

“Wash your hands with antibacterial soap frequently,” she said, “especially before you eat or after you use the restroom.”

depends on student interest Continued from page A4 writing the same paper on ‘Of Mice and Men’,” Dickson said. “Everyone’s working on a different story… and I just can’t help that many kids at once.”

The biggest issue has been not having enough computers. Students now have to work in the adjoining computer room, coming back and forth to communicate with their teacher.

And finally, because the magazine staff is made up of about 12 students, only six of whom are writers, the publication has had to reach out to other writers on campus in order to round out the magazine.

In terms of the actual magazine, a lot of development is being done to create a process for publishing it.

According to sophomore staff writer Stephanie Shaull, because it is brand new, the current staff has a lot of decisions to make.

“There’s not a real established process,” Shaull said. “We’re just trying to get all the basics done – who’s going to publish our magazine, what kind of paper we’re using, making (advertisement) deals and all that.”

As for the future of the course, Dickson hopes it can eventually grow in size and significance at the school.

“When the magazine comes out in May, I hope people say ‘I’d like to be a part of this’,” she said.

“And I hope that we figure out a way to accommodate people that want to be a part of it.”

Overall, student interest is key for all three of these GBHS programs.

“We have a lot of opportunity here at Granite Bay that other schools don’t necessarily have,” Cranmer said. “Our enrollment has been going up… and enrollment really does dictate whether we have these classes or not.”

ACA DEC: Team places first in county, still works towards state competition

Continued from page A3

AcaDec efforts on schoolwork.

“Learning about the Great Depression has helped me in IB, because we have been doing some history about the Great Depression,” Reddy said. “And it was nice to learn how it all relates to today, too.”

Despite their success at the county com-

petition, the members of the AcaDec team wants to utilize the time they have to improve before the state competition.

“There are a couple of areas that we could dramatically improve in fairly easily with some practice,” Jones said.

Jones said he personally struggles with alluvial fans, while other team members had difficulties with various sections, including

math, economics, music and literature.

The team’s members must keep up their strenuous practice regimen to accomplish their goals, and meet expectations set by years of AcaDec success at GBHS. “The perpetual trophy has quite a few Granite Bay High School names on it. It’s been a very successful program,” said advisor and coach Anthony Davis.

“We are trying to make the top score of 42,000 because it is something we have been hoping to beat all along,” Reddy said.

The top two scores in each division of the team are taken by category, and the scores add up to a total of 60,000 possible points.

According to Davis, the team has every reason to be optimistic. “(This year’s team) is looking to be the

school record holders at the state tournament. There is only one other team that has outscored them,” Davis said.

As the state competition approaches, the team is working hard in hopes to make Granite Bay High School AcaDec history.

“No Granite Bay team has made it to nationals before,” Zaidi said, “so it’s obviously hard, but we have our hopes.”

Friday, March 11, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

News A7

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

A Section

Friday w March 11, 2011

GAZETTE The Granite Bay

Commentary

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

Editors-in-Chief: Parker Evans Jessica Reese Alison Sale Katie Zingheim

ari black aublack.gazette@gmail.com

Clothing firms’ influence on youth is irreversible

News/Web Editors: Adrienne Blevins Haley Massara Matt Veneman Kyle Pawlak Voices Editors: Sarah Bertin Adam Tilford Features Editors: Katie Bostedt Shannon Carroll ShinEui Park Justin Shiiba Entertainment Editors: Jamie Cologna Brittany Hince Sonia Iyer Shannon Wagner Sports Editors: R. Slater McLaughlin Laura Preston Christine Zavesky Photo/Graphics Editor: Maggie Louis Illustrators: Justin Shiiba Alison Sale Adam Tilford Photographer: Rachael Vasquez John Park Allison Garvey Staff Writers: Ari Black Austin Downs Allison Garvey Sahil Khosla Kelsey Knorp Gary Nielsen John Park Kyle Pawlak Alex Pink Jon Setiawan Sam Spargo Rachael Vasquez Moosa Zaidi Advertising Manager: Nico Mamone

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

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

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

Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer.

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

P

We’re a generation in need of free thinkers

A

views?

As high school students, we’re the future of government. Some of us are already old enough to vote, and the rest of us will be before long. We have to make sure we don’t screw up, but that means we have to be informed and able to think for ourselves.

Besides, look at where our parents’ politics have taken the country. A popular book calls our grandparents “The Greatest Generation” because of the character they showed during World War II and because of the world they built in its aftermath. Our parents’ politics have taken us from the greatest generation to, what? A messed-up economy with few jobs, a federal government that may be about to shut down and people like Glenn Beck screaming that anyone who disagrees with him must be a closet Nazi.

Color me crazy, but I think we can do better.

It should be natural for us to question our parents. We listen to our own music—I mean, would you be caught dead listening to your dad’s? We wear our own style of clothing.

Yet it seems that almost everyone I know echoes their parents when it comes to politics.

A friend who is a very strong conservative once ranted to me about how President Obama has screwed up our country. I asked her how. She said he’s a socialist. I told her she was misusing the term.

“Can you be She complained that Obama’s healthcare plan a Christian and was socialized medicine. vote DemoI told her that many capitalist countries, cratic?” My dad including England, have laughed, and similar programs and that what she derided as then realized his Obamacare was partly friend was totally modeled on the program serious. that a Republican, Mitt Romney, installed in Massachusetts while he was governor there. I said that the plan surely wasn’t perfect but that there could be benefits.

She smirked. “There are no benefits from anything that’s run by the government,” she said. How did she know that? She dismissed my question, but I’m sure I know the answer. Her parents are very conservative; I’ve heard them talk the same way she does.

I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, a Republican or even a member of the Rent is Too Damn High party. I just want you to be able to tell me why.

To me, it’s crazy to be as partisan as the Democrats in Louisiana who reelected the party’s candidate, William Jefferson, to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. He was clearly on the take—a raid of his home had found $90,000 in marked bills in his freezer, and he was later sentenced to 13 years in prison.

But the Democrats couldn’t fathom electing a Republican; they preferred to elect a crook.

If you look at all closely, you can see that the stereotypes of the parties don’t hold—even though many, many people base their votes on those stereotypes.

That fiscal conservative Ronald Reagan? He ran a budget deficit every year he was president and tripled the national debt.

That budget-busting Democrat Bill Clinton? The government ran a budget deficit of $290 billion the year before he took office, and he steadily turned that into a $236 billion sur-

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

Gazette illustration/ADAM TILFORD

Commentary

shannon carroll scarroll.gazette@gmail.com

plus in his final year as president.

OK, but Democrats do toss benefits around like candy at Halloween, right? While Republicans believe in small government?

The biggest recent cuts in social programs came under Clinton, whose Welfare reform reduced those on its rolls by almost two-thirds. The biggest recent increase came under Republican President George W. Bush, whose prescription drug benefit program under Medicare has been projected to cost more than $100 billion a year.

A friend of my dad’s told him recently that he had an intriguing question: “Can you be a Christian and vote Democratic?”

My dad laughed, and then realized his friend was totally serious.

The man’s thinking had been hijacked by stereotypes. There is, in fact, a strain of Christianity in Latin America called liberation theology that is so far to the left and focuses so much on helping the poor that it could fairly be called Marxist. Even in the U.S., in some parts of the country you wouldn’t have to go back many decades to find people who thought their Christian values wouldn’t let them vote for a Republican.

I know it’s hard to handle opposing views. We all want to believe we’re right. A strong liberal won’t be able to watch Fox News for more than a couple of minutes. A strong conservative will have trouble reading things like the Daily Beast and the Huffington Post. But we, as future voters, can’t have all our ideas locked in as teenagers based on nothing more than what our parents think. We have to find some way to stretch ourselves.

Otherwise, we wind up like Echo, the nymph in Greek mythology whose curse was that she could only repeat back what was said to her, and nothing more. Echo was doomed to live a miserable life, never able to speak her own thoughts. Let’s not let that become the norm. Let’s speak for ourselves. *** Shannon Carroll, a junior, is a Gazette features editor.

Individuals have a responsibility to be respectful

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

s teenagers, we value our independence like nothing else. We try to get the latest curfews possible, and we tell our parents that they can’t tell us what to do. So, why are we teenagers parroting our parents’ political

hrases like “Blondes are adored.

Brunettes are ignored,” serve as the basis for the ever-flourished middleschool brand: Abercrombie.

Demeaning mottos belittle different groups of society and stereotype cultures, relationships and physical appearances.

As generations move from junior high to high school, Abercrombie will stay in style at elementary schools (it seems like) forever.

Not only does Abercrombie create an unhealthy standard for children, but it also causes youthful minds to be corrupted starting at a young age.

Little girls with close-to-anorexic bodies and teenage-muscled boys who look like they just walked out of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta flood the walls with photographs.

Children’s innocent eyes squint upon the large canvases hanging in the dark, fragrance-drenched store of Abercrombie, and they begin to believe they are not good enough to live up to this false standard.

Self-image issues flourish in the high school environment. Although this occurs through high school, insecurities begin because of the expectations media sets for teenagers.

Eating disorders and depression result in suicide cases often. According to the National Adolescent Health Information Center, “suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults.”

As if the stress from school and maintaining a healthy social life isn’t enough weight on students’ shoulders, the continuous pressure of looking like their idol just adds the difficulty of remaining sane.

Abercrombie has erased the level of morality and acceptance for young people.

The company sparks an idea that if you aren’t skinny or buff, then you will be rejected from society.

These beliefs, encouraged by the biased company, correlate with the philosophy of Charles Darwin and his “survival of the fittest” methods he applies to mankind.

The individuals who are the most athletic and beautiful will be the ones who prosper.

Has society stooped down to the level of rejecting those who come off as “unattractive” just because of their physical appearance? Abercrombie is certainly not helping this belief.

Until young people begin to be taught to appreciate others for their personality and intelligence, future generations will continue to judge and demand to live as the stereotype.

Rather than setting immature minds up to be judgmental and crude, it is vital for children to instead understand that the clichés really are true: it really is what’s on the inside that matters.

Whether someone’s hair is blonde, brunette, blue or pink, everyone should be adored.

It is crucial that brands like Abercrombie stop setting up the mindset that being beautiful is the only way to succeed in life. *** Ari Black, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

here are so many different types of respect – respect for others, respect for oneself, respect for the rules, and many others. Often it can be difficult to remain respectful in all of these aspects of life, but it is imperative to try.

Respecting others is an idea that’s been thrown at most people since their days in elementary school – only back then it just meant being quiet while the teacher was talking.

But as time progresses, respecting others takes on a whole new meaning. These days, respecting others means being a good friend, being nice to teachers and parents, and – most importantly – not

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

bullying.

This is one of the most important things to consider when it comes to respecting others. Bullying is a very big problem on high school campuses, and its effects can be seen in the victims and through programs like Point Break at Granite Bay High School.

In an age where someone’s feelings can

be hurt from miles away behind a computer screen, it is extremely important to watch what one says.

When it comes to respecting oneself, it is important to view any insults from bullying from the right angle. The horrible things that people write are not true, and are only shallow attempts to put others down – often just to make the bully feel better about him or herself.

One must remember to accept and love oneself, and prevent what anyone says from ruining your self-confidence.

To respect oneself, one must also foster healthy habits.

Eating junk food isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but gorging on it is. Being the legal

age to smoke cigarettes doesn’t equal being obligated to do it. Many people are bad at sports, but no one’s bad at exercise.

One must never underestimate the value he or she holds.

Respecting the rules can be a difficult thing for teenagers, as this age seems the perfect time for rebellion.

However, despite what many may say, Big Brother is not out to get everyone – rules exist for a reason.

Just try to imagine the madness of a football game without any rules, and the necessity for them becomes apparent.

So in the words of third-grade teachers everywhere: Be respectful.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Voices A9

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Celebrities use vows as a fashion statement instead of a commitment

Commentary

maggie louis

Commentary

mlouis.gazette@gmail.com

Many teens are not alone in their suffering

E

ven though this was my second time experiencing Point Break, I was still surprised by how alike we all are (we don’t realize it in day-to-day interactions).

Teenagers are faced with so many challenges: social pressure, expectations, responsibilities, insecurities. Somehow, on top of all of that, there is the idea that no one is allowed to know how much we, as teenagers, hurt or the struggles we face. For some reason we succumb to this idea and it hurts us even more.

We distance ourselves from talking about the things that matter with the people that matter, and as a result we feel alone. All of those challenges weigh on us while we are trying to figure who we are and who we want to be. It’s not easy, and it’s even harder when you feel like you’re alone.

Sometimes I feel alone because it seems no one else understands what I’m going through, and other times I feel alone because it seems I have no friends to surround myself with. Point Break showed me there are other people struggling just as much – and sometimes even in the same way – as I am.

I found there were other kids who battle depression and it confirmed that people have the capability to exactly understand what I’m going through because they’re experiencing it, too.

At Point Break, we did an activity where students could step forward and cross the line to show (without words) they have been subjected to a variety of things including serious financial struggles, family dysfunction and internal, personal struggles like mine.

Whenever people were on the line with me, I had this feeling they understood. The people who did not cross the line got to know a part of my story, and facing them allowed me to free a little bit of my pain: the kind of pain that comes from others’ ignorance. Point Break showed me how similar I am to my peers; I now realize I am not so alone.

To see how many kids crossed the line when asked if they had been bullied or put down was astonishing. But to see the same number of kids cross the line when When someone asked if they had “jokes” around bullied with put-downs or someone else derogatory comshocked me ments a victim the most. can’t help but Particular phrases or wonder if there’s a jeers have little truth behind become a stereotypitheir words. cal punch line in our high school community, but I have yet to see how calling a friend a bitch is funny or light-hearted in any way.

When someone “jokes” around with putdowns or derogatory comments, a victim can’t help but wonder if there’s a little truth behind their words.

I like how Point Break used bodies and faces to show there is a problem, rather than just a statistic. It is one thing to see a number; it is another thing for those victims to look you straight in the eye.

One of my biggest stressors is uncertainty, especially while I battle this depression and anxiety: not knowing if I’ll turn out alright, not knowing if this depression will end, not knowing if I’ll become the person I want to be. Hearing the Point Break adults talk about their own obstacles gave me a little bit of hope because I can relate to their stories and the emotions they talked about. It makes me think – even though I still can’t predict my future – that maybe things might turn out alright in the end, but it’s going to take some work and bravery.

I, like my peers, am usually afraid and too uncomfortable to make a connection sometimes. That fear, that barrier, between all of us students weakened by the end of the day; it might not have been broken completely, but there was a lot of progress.

Granite Bay High School has issues; bullying is only one of them, but Point Break is the best attempt I’ve ever witnessed as a student.

It targets everyone, not just the bullies, to inform and expose the injustice on our campus.

Although it only affects those 100 students who participate, I think Point Break will be able to break down the barriers one group at a time. *** Maggie Louis, a senior, is a Gazette Photo editor.

tte

ze

Ga

A

n/S

tio

tra

s illu

PA

AS

TH

N MA

O RG

jamie cologna jcologna.gazette@gmail.com

S

ure The Jonas Brothers and Selena Gomez might be pure, but it’s hard to believe that Miley Cyrus, the girl who danced on a pole at the Teen Choice Awards, took provocative pictures that leaked onto the internet and dated a couple of 20-something year olds could possibly be saving herself for marriage. She has made it pretty clear that she “Can’t Be Tamed.”

So it makes me wonder, why is this teen super star still wearing a purity ring?

Purity Rings have graced the fingers of many Christians since they first appeared in the early ’90s.

However in recent pop culture they have begun to appear on the left hands of stars like The Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Jordin Sparks, Demi Lovato and even Miley Cyrus.

Prior to their marriages, both Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears wore them, even though Spears admitted to breaking her promise before she tied the knot.

I have nothing but respect for those who practice abstinence until marriage. What’s obnoxious is the fact that so many girls are clearly not standing by the promise that their rings symbolize.

Teen stars are turning these promise rings into more of a fashion statement than a moral statement.

While it is uplifting to see young stars setting good examples for their fans, abstinence and the

purity rings that symbolize its practice shouldn’t be turned into just a fashion statement.

Waiting until marriage is an important decision that should be left to the individual. It shouldn’t be a decision that is made based on pop culture.

Celebrities who are taking part in this growing trend need to realize they are setting an example,

Celebrities that are taking part in this growing trend need to realize that they are setting an example, and they have fans that will follow suit. and they have fans who will follow suit.

If young fans will imitate their good actions, then as soon as they do something bad, those same fans will imitate the immoral behavior as well.

These stars and their fans need to realize the com-

mitment a purity ring stands for prior to slipping it on.

Speaking of waiting until marriage, matrimony is another promise that society is beginning to take far too lightly.

People in general need to realize the commitment that rings stand for. They don’t have to be just purity rings– a promise is also made when one slips on a wedding band.

A ring should be forever. Husband and wife make a promise to stand by one another “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” These vows are symbolic of a long life together, but this sacred promise is turning into just another short-term commitment.

Fifty percent of Americans’ first marriages end in divorce, and the percentage rises with each marriage. This statistic just proves my point that people are becoming less and less reliable. They are becoming less likely to stand by their commitments.

With every ring comes a vow. Whether it is a vow to practice abstinence with a promise ring or a vow to stay faithful with an engagement or wedding ring, society needs to remember how to keep their commitments. *** Jamie Cologna, a senior, is a Gazette Green Screen editor.

Teens foster inventive vernacular

R

Slang words are in wide use among youth in the community

emember when things were rad, groovy and far out? You probably don’t, if you’re a student at Granite Bay High School today. It amazes me how quickly speaking trends change, even in the short period of time since I started junior high.

There’s something about the experimental, creative nature of teens that allows words to develop completely different definitions from those listed in a classroom dictionary. It tends to be a quiet evolution, but it leads to each generation’s adoption of its own unique slang vocabulary.

We receive puzzled looks from our parents at what is, to us, a perfectly articulated sentence. We expect them to understand that when we say “that game was sick,” we do not, in fact, mean that the latest high school basketball game has been “affected by disease or ill health,” as the word is defined in Webster’s Dictionary.

Our poor elders are forced to accept, as their parents must have before them, our convoluted vocabulary or else be lost in translation.

Admittedly, assigning the word “sick” to something impressive seems a little backwards. If I were to encounter a victim of the bubonic plague, I would certainly be shocked.

However, the sight of a body covered in boils would most likely leave me feeling more horrified than impressed.

A slang word that would be more appropriate to describe a mass epidemic could be “sketch.” Parents, you may be raising your eyebrows at this, but the attribution of this adjective makes perfect sense to students.

“Sketch,” in the minds of GBHS students, applies to situations where there is potential risk. However, lovers of the dictionary know that it is formally defined as a rough drawing – a noun, not an adjective.

Technically, describing a police car sighting as “sketch” doesn’t even make grammatical sense, so associating the event with the creation of a rough drawing is fundamentally daunting for someone who isn’t slang savvy.

In this generation’s slang dictionary, the

It tends to be a quiet evolution, but leads to each generation’s adoption of its own unique slang vocabulary. corresponding antonym for “sketch” would most likely be “chill.” Am I referring to that spontaneous shiver one sometimes gets up one’s spine? No, chill is another adjective, one with a positive connotation that describes something deemed acceptable. For example, it would be “chill” if the aforementioned cop pulled you over to give you a speeding ticket but instead let you off with a warning.

Even as an active member of the current high school generation, I was perplexed when I was first greeted by the question “what’s good?” I was tempted to inform them that the sun was out, I got an A on my math test, and I ate a delicious cookie, all of which were good things about that particular day. I have since learned that askers of “what’s good?” are either politely asking what I’ve been up to or, when they present it as more of a statement, celebrating a recent success of their own.

Since Granite Bay is hardly a farm town, people outside the high school age group are probably perplexed by the term “yoked.” Isn’t a yoke that thing old-school farmers used to make oxen pull their wagons? Why, then, is it used

Commentary

kelsey knorp kknorp.gazette@gmail.com

to describe a muscularly defined individual?

If the correlation stems from the idea that oxen become strong from pulling a wagon, why aren’t gym fiends (or steroid users) described as “oxed”?

Lastly, we have the strangest term of all – and, in my opinion, the term most unique to GBHS – “true.” “True” has a pretty straightforward definition: a piece of information that is factual, verifiable, not false. How “true” turned into yet another synonym for “good” is beyond me. I mean, honesty is a valuable virtue and all, but… really?

I am not in any way saying I’m not guilty of using these terms. I’m not even denying that I use them on a daily basis. I am merely pointing out the strange, not quite explicable speaking trends that have emerged from this generation, and from our particular school’s culture.

Eventually, however, these trends will fade, and before long the members of our own generation will be shaking their heads at whatever crazy thing the youngsters of the future are saying. *** Kelsey Knorp, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

te

zet

Ga

/AD

tion

tra

s illu

D

OR

ILF

T AM

A10 Voices

Friday, March 11, 2011

HEARD on the

BAY

Military’s monetary hold in America Relationship between government and defense is costing our nation

I

am confused and growing a little furious about our national priorities.

America has a debt of $14 trillion and both political parties are proposing slashing social programs, cutting the social safety net for the neediest and reducing the amount of money spent on education. Yet the military budget continues its never ending climb.

Last year our nation spent $685 billion on defense spending. That is 10 times more than all other nations combined. This total does not even reflect the off-the-books cost of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Next year our military spending will approach $1 trillion. Yeah, trillion with a ‘T.’ Politicians (both Democrats and Republicans) are afraid to slash military spending fearing they will be labeled soft on defense and putting our country at risk or our troops in harm’s way. Just as in many events of the past, fear is a horrendous factor used to sway the masses and their government to pass doctrines wouldn’t otherwise be done, and now we have the added fear of being labeled the “weak” America.

But I strongly disagree. Those who do not challenge and fully exercise their voice against something passed out of fear are not true Americans – they are merely an empty shell brainwashed by Fox News and CNN. I believe it is time to reduce our national debt, and every government program including defense must be reduced. We must scrutinize our bloated military budget for fraud, waste and wasteful spending.

First, we need to eliminate many of our foreign military bases. The United States has bases in more than 100 countries. We should start by closing bases in stable countries

What is the best way you’ve asked/been asked to Sadie’s? “(For my first year), I’m expecting at least a five-minute fireworks show and a cake, or I’m saying no.”

F r e s h m a n

Myles Slattery “Last year, Madi Layo asked me. Different people handed me baseballs throughout the day.

Each one had a letter, and they spelled out ‘Sadies.’”

Gazette illustration/ALLISON SALE

J u n i o r

Jessica Harter “I asked Nate Esposito last year by bringing him chocolate-covered strawberries and balloons... with a note that said ‘I’d be berry happy if you went to Sadies with me.’”

austin downs adowns.gazette@gmail.com

that are able to provide their own defense. It is ridiculous to still have bases in Germany, Japan, Australia, Italy, England, Brazil and South Korea. These countries are getting a free defense, compliments of the American taxpayer.

Many programs continue only as pork-barrel spending for a particular politician and his specific district. For example, our nation has 11 aircraft carriers, more than any other nation and more than military leaders have requested. This is an ancient weapon of the 20th century that serves no purpose in the wars of the 21st century and will not protect our nation.

Third, I believe it is time to break the military-industrial complex that strangles our government.

Many companies make excessive profits by producing items for the military. These obscene profits are then funneled into lobbying in Washington, D.C., and into political campaigns to keep the money flowing.

In a time of fiscal restraint and responsibility, I say we need to look carefully at our military budget. It is the time to refocus our national goals and purpose. *** Austin Downs, a sophomore, is a Gazette staff writer.

Procrastinators Anonymous

Jake Peterson “Adam Angulo had to find puzzle pieces in places we both know.

I had the last one, and when he put them together they spelled ‘Sadies.’”

Commentary

Who said that putting off work until the last minute is a bad thing?

W

ho was the first person to decide that procrastination was a bad thing? Who labeled it as a problem – as a flaw?

Because I’m a very strong believer in procrastination, yet society makes this out to be a disease-like quality.

I feel like I should be standing up among a large circle of my peers saying, “My name is Adam, and I’m a procrastinator.” Then I’d sit down to applause for being able to admit such a horrible thing.

But that’s just it – I don’t see procrastination as a flaw.

Rather, I see it as a beneficial quality. After all, procrastination has done some wonderful things for me.

Despite lacking productivity at working when I’m procrastinating, I’m extremely productive in aspects of my life that I would never have the motivation to do otherwise.

I would gladly wash my car, clean my garage, mow my lawn, go for a

Commentary

adam tilford atilford.gazette@gmail.com

run, and even floss my teeth before I sit down to do just an hour of homework.

Where else would I get the motivation to do these things so efficiently?

Additionally, I’ve realized I’m a much better son when I’m procrastinating.

How, you ask?

Well, let’s say it’s a Tuesday night and I have a big project due the next day that, obviously, I still haven’t fin-

ished. In the back of my mind, I know that as soon as I finish dinner I should get working on it – but that’s not what happens.

Instead, when I finish my delicious meal, I’ll volunteer to do the dishes.

Then, I’ll take out the trash, fold the laundry that just finished drying, and offer up my services for anything else my parents want me to do.

So, do you see my point?

When else would I willingly offer to take off every key on my family’s computer to clean it thoroughly before reassembly?

Never. That’s when.

You see, no one ever chooses to talk about the positive aspects of procrastination, but I think they’re all just scared to speak the truth.

And the truth is that not only does procrastination increase productivity in other areas, but also it makes school life a lot more exciting.

Yes, exciting– not stressful. At least,

it’s not too stressful for a practiced procrastinator like myself.

There’s just something magical about staying up all night working on a project you’ve had three weeks to do.

The race against daylight turns mundane busywork into an epic scene, and upon completion the procrastinator feels a much truer sense of accomplishment.

They say that in order to be successful in life you have to be a self-motivator. Thankfully, when I choose to procrastinate, I’m creating a motivation unequalled by any other method.

So, the next time you want to get a head-start on your work, thing long and hard about everything you’ll be giving up.

My name is Adam, and I’m a procrastinator. *** Adam Tilford, a senior, is a Gazette voices editor.

Thumbs Up

S e n i o r Natalie De La Torre “My senior year... we went for a walk in the quad, and we stopped and sat down on this little bench. She grabbed my hand and just said, “Do you want to go Sadies with me?” It was fun, very innocent.”

S t a f f

Duane Blomquist Compiled by Kelsey Knorp

Thumbs Down

S o p h o m o r e

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Thumbs up: The day before Sadies is the much-anticipated Powder Puff game. Class competition levels are high.

Girls get cute nicknames and Tshirts, and guys get to witness the broad spectrum of female athleticism.

Thumbs down: Girls, time to bring out your inner chivalry.

It’s our turn to feel the pressure that comes with finding the perfect way to ask a date.

Thumbs up: Sadies is coming up! Those who love themes, dressing up and coordinating with a person of the opposite sex get a chance to express their creativity. Don’t be discouraged, theme-enthusiasts who aren’t going to Sadies, you can still wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

Thumbs down: Each girl is a fish in a pond of about 400. Expect to enter an overcrowded battlefield and return beaten, bruised and lacking a few chunks of hair.

by Kelsey Knorp, a staff writer.

Gazette photos /SARAH BERTIN

Granite Bay Gazette

Forum

A Section

Friday w March 11, 2011

g n ? i t e s c e n f i e l n o a i v n i

Gazette staffers debate whether or not violent video games lead to violence in real life

Commentary

haley massara

H: For me, and for legions of nerds around the world, video games are an escape from reality. From the safety of my couch, I can destroy alien civilizations, survive onslaughts of zombies, and track down heinous serial killers. But as gaming systems grow more and more high-tech, and graphics become more realistic, those in a vocal minority, like the activist Jack Thompson, have begun persuading parents that violence in video games equates to violence in the real world. It’s a ridiculous, insulting claim, and it seeks to blame horrific crimes like the Columbine shooting on a harmless hobby.

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

Commentary

G: In no way shape or form would I ever advocate banning video games, or even discourage people from playing them for that matter. What I will say without doubt, however, is that video games directly affect those that play them. Jack Thompson simply pointed out a trend of increased violence and cites violent media as one of the plausible contributing factors – and his claim is absolutely warranted.

When young children are exposed to excessive amounts of violence at impressionable ages, it can most definitely affect the way they interact with their environment. Video games may not create violence directly, but they act as outlets to enforce violent behavior, thus encouraging future aggression.

gary nielsen gnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

haley massara

H: First of all, whoever said that young children should be playing violent games? It’s one thing for a 16 or 17-year-old to play Call of Duty, but to allow a child to play such a game would be simply negligent parenting, and those two scenarios shouldn’t be lumped together. As to the idea that games are an outlet for a gamer’s aggression, perhaps that is true, to the extent that the act of playing the game is relaxing and relieves stress. But what happens in a virtual reality - a book, movie or video game - can’t be likened to the real world; a rational person, even a teen, can easily distinguish the two.

G: To say that negligent parenting cannot be accounted for when we are talking about real world scenarios is ignorant. We all know that children play games that are too mature for them, but where the fault lies for this isn’t the question at hand. Rather we can see that this gaming absolutely causes violence in the real world. We are talking real world scenarios, aren’t we? Yes, distinguishing between virtual reality and real life is something that “rational” people should be able to do, but video games draw gamers in. I’ve seen many a level-headed person blow up at a frustrating game. In the end the standing point is that video games can and do cause violence. You can argue to what extent they do, but to say that violent media such as video games doesn’t cause and reinforce violence is simply wrong.

haley massara

gary nielsen

H: Frustration isn’t the same as violent intent. I’m frustrated with Katy Perry’s awful music, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to murder her. Maybe, for a moment, I’ll think about slapping her in the face or something, but ultimately, I’ll shrug it off. The same goes with video games; just because a player gets fed up with an annoying level doesn’t mean they are predestined to act on that moment of anger. A crazy person is a crazy person, no matter what they choose to use as a scapegoat for their actions. For the average gamer, violent video games are entirely harmless. But, as with even the most seemingly benign media (remember Charles Manson?), there will always be a few unstable people who will use the games they play as an excuse to commit atrocities – and, if I may be so bold, ruin fun games for the rest of us.

G: You’re deviating from your original point. Now you are making it seem as if people are blaming video games for serial killers, but that isn’t the point we were discussing. The question at hand is whether video game violence can cause real world violence. At the Indiana University School of Medicine they actually found that kids that played violent video games “showed an increase in emotional arousal – and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention.” What scientists are finding is that we actually have less of a discretionary filter than we may have thought. By using video games as an outlet for violence the behavior is reinforced and affects the portions of our brains that make us prone to aggression. Hating Katy Perry’s music may make you want to slap her, but willingly engaging in hours upon hours of violence is bound to impact perception and cognition in a greater way. In no way shape or form am I saying that people playing Call of Duty will all become mass murderers, but rather that violent video games cause aggression and by extension open the gateways to violence in the real world.

gary nielsen

Forum is a section reserved specifically for the opinions of the Granite Bay community.

Students, alumni, parents and friends are welcome to submit work of any length. Stay posted for future topics. E-mail all submissions to gbgazette@yahoo.com

Second look

A12 Second Look

‘Hip’-nosis

Friday, March 11, 2011

GBHS seniors get hypnotized at the annual senior fifth quarter.

Lizzy Schliessmann, right, Bri Shimada, left, and Joe McIntosh (partially obscured) shout in celebration after being told by the hypnotist that their bet in the horse race just won them $10,000, top. Moby Ahmed, middle right, sprints down the theater isle as he hears the cue for the battle scene. Joe McIntosh, bottom right, slumps over onto his fellow classmates in a hypnotic state. Some students in the audience became hypnotized during the course of the show. One of them was Marin Peterson, right. Peterson stands up in disgust as she demands the hypnotist to stop talking.

This, of course, was just another suggestion from the hypnotist. Russ Peak, the guest hypnotist, top, had all the seniors going in and out of “sleep” between simple suggestions. Nick Yeaton, middle left, screams in pain as he attempts to push out his “baby”. After Peak requests the hypnotized to act like their five and playing with they’re favorite toy. Viraj Telang, center, lies on his stomach playing with his toy car.

wGazette photosw Maggie Louis

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Friday w March 11, 2011

Commentary

e s u o h e r i f a n i e Lif

shineui park

spark.gazette@gmail.com

Do you want to complain?

Go get a diary.

I

’m a big user of social networking and blogging web sites such as Facebook and Tumblr.

Whether I’m studying or eating, I’ll probably be on Facebook commenting on people’s profiles, or on Tumblr writing a short blurb about my day.

Since I’m on these web sites so often, I know about the latest updates and changes. I also observe the behavior of others who go on these web sites as well.

What I see most often are users who complain about their lives.

From “Everything in my life literally sucks,” to “Why am I still single because I really want a boy/ girlfriend,” there are these certain types of people who believe they’ll get some sort of emotional relief out of complaining on the internet.

Maybe these sort of people are complaining just for the attention.

Sure, the open public might give her/him the attention they want, but there’s also a likelihood that the people talk behind his/her backs.

It’s open to the public – for everyone to see. These people aren’t always going to be supporting and pitying those complaining.

There’s even requests by bloggers that say, “Can you please not talk about these things outside of my Tumblr?”

What? Do you think that people are really going to ignore fresh new drama and gossip? Of course they’ll talk about it outside of your Tumblr. If you don’t want people to talk about your posts in the first place, why even post them? Gossip, at this point, is inevitable.

I have an idea that would be a lot more helpful.

If there’s a problem about your parents, go confide in a close friend. If the problem’s about your friend, go confide in your parents.

This way, not only will you get the relief of venting out problems, but you will also get feedback on how you could possibly fix the situation.

But if there are no people to actually talk to, go buy a diary. That will also help because it gives you a moment to self-reflect as you’re handwriting things down. Complaining on the internet is too fastpaced. All it does is make you feel and look worse from the aftermath.

Not to be harsh, but a majority of the time, the people reading about how much “your life sucks” are usually the people that just can’t wait to attack you. Really close friends will probably read it, but who else? It’s not like regular people would want to know how depressed another person is or anything.

Another thing to know is that there’s a line between personal information and really personal information.

How could one be so comfortable releasing out this sort of information in which basically anyone with a computer can get a hold of? Even if you purposely want everyone to know, there’s still a thing called self-respect. Is there really no more decency left?

Everyone has a different way of voicing out their problems, but it just worries me to what point they will go. Their problems will never be solved if they continue to be like this. Do they really think we’ll have the time to listen to them complain about their lives when we have our own to live? *** ShinEui Park, a junior, is the Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

inside lifestyle

Top Ten

B2

How To

B3

SAT Tip

B5

Random Student

B6

w GBHS’s next door neighbor protects the community

BY KATIE ZINGHEIM and BRITTANY HINCE

D

Courtesy photo /Jason shearer Gazette photos /Maggie Louis

kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com

w bhince.gazette@gmail.com

onavon Gray is just the guy next door – you might not have met him, but he’s been in the neighborhood for about three years now.

For about two days a week, Gray lives in what might be the safest house in Granite Bay – the firehouse, to be exact.

Station 15 of the South Placer Fire District is located on the corner of East Roseville Parkway and Grizzly Way and is unique in its close proximity to Granite Bay High School.

The Gazette paid a visit to the station and had a chance to meet Gray, a paramedic and engineer, as well as Captain Matt Feeley.

Seated at the kitchen table in a warmly lit room, Gray gave the insand-outs of life as a firefighter.

Station 15 runs on a 48/96 system – on for two days and off for four, working in pairs.

According to Gray, a third firefighter used to work with them at the station, but due to the recent state budget crisis, fire departments have been stripping down to the bare minimum.

At Station 15, daily life can be complicated by issues less pressing than the financial crisis.

It turns out, GBHS students aren’t the only ones perturbed by morning traffic.

A firetruck from South Placer Fire District, top, waits outside the fire station for a call. A structural fire, bottom, occurs in Quail Oaks in Roseville, California on July 8, 2006.

See FIRE STATION, page B7

Getting involved outside of the classroom GBHS teachers spend time to pursue passions

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

S

ome Granite Bay High School teachers are taking their passions outside of the classroom and into the community.

Myron Stephens Art teacher Myron Stephens is an accredited artist. Once his daughter goes to bed each night, he stays up into the late hours working which is his most current paintings, in itself a career aside from his teaching.

“I’m represented by galleries full time so it’s more than just a

Bachelors and Bachelorettes Fresh, single and ready to mingle

B2

hobby - it’s literally a full time job,” Stephens said. “I did 25 paintings last year and 25 paintings the year before.”

Teaching is Stephen’s first love.

He didn’t discover his passion for art until after taking the art classes required to earn his teaching credential.

Though Stephen’s passion for art came after his love of teaching, both are equally valuable in his life.

“I love painting and the whole experience of being able to create whatever you want,” Stephens said. “It’s like your own world.

You have an idea or a vision to what you want and then in two weeks, there it is right in front

of you; it’s kind of a powerful thing.”

His work is shown in galleries from San Francisco to Santa Monica, and even overseas in the Miva Gallery in Sweden.

Stephens makes a pretty penny from his masterpieces, ranging from $1,800 to $5,000 and up.

“The work that I have right now that is selling in Los Angeles is more or less contemporary work, and I’m starting to do sort of a combination of vintage figures with contemporary themes,” Stephens said.

Stephens spends countless hours every day painting both his

Famous Family Trees Students who are blood-related to famous people

B4

See OUTSIDE, page B7

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Art teacher Myron Stephens paints in his home studio in which he’ll soon display in well-known art galleries

Evolution throughout the years Transformations from freshmen to senior year

B8

B2 Lifestyle

Friday, March 11, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Ways to get a pot o’ gold

Look at the end of the rainbow. But trust me, everyone’s already been there, done that.

Build a lemonade stand outside Bill Gates’ house.

Charge $1,000,000 per cup.

Granite Bay’s Bachel r(ette)s

Pick up a leftover Halloween cauldron at Party City. Grab your dad’s old coins and spray paint them gold. Voila!

Go to a tanning salon, break into their supply of bronzer and pour it all into a pot.

Become a Gold Digger and forget the bank; use a pot.

Hire a retired FBI agent to spy on the leprechauns and find their secret stash.

Take a road trip to Visa’s headquarters in San Francisco. Why not steal the money they make off your money?

Lure a leprechaun into a pub where he’ll be mesmerized by the free beverages you offer.

When he’s intoxicated, question him until you learn the location of the pot o’ gold.

Scale a bank. But to rob it, you’ll need a plan that’s even better than the Joker’s.

Find King Midas’ kitchen.

By Alison Sale

Gazette photos /JOHN PARK

Granite Bay High School bachelors and bachelorettes, clockwise from top, freshmen Gigi Grondona and Joey Puhala ,sophomores Mariam Bereket-Ab and Tanner Thompson, juniors Hailey Israel and Austin Vincenzini and seniors Brooke Holt and Colin Veneables.

BY ALEX PINK

W

apink.gazette@gmail.com

ith springtime in the air, novel relationships are starting to bloom. At Granite Bay High School, an eligible crowd of bachelors and bachelorettes are ready mingle.

Gigi Grondona Freshman Gigi Grondona is a member of the GBHS track team, where her main event is pole vaulting. In her free time, she also enjoys running and hanging out with her friends.

When asked her dream date was, she answered with delight.

“My dream date would be in Tahiti, and we’d have a picnic on the beach,” Grondona said.

She also has a very clear idea of the person who would be her ideal date.

“I’d like (my date to be with) someone who has humor, is loyal….and has eyes that glow,” Grondona said Although Grondona admits she does not mind not having a boyfriend, she says she wouldn’t mind a relationship either.

“I like to mingle…but I am always up for anything.”

Joey Puhala Joey Puhala, a freshman, joined the GBHS track team and enjoys pole vaulting. His ideal isn’t the type shown in movies like Mean Girls.

“I like someone who is just nice and not controlling at all, Puhala said. “She just can’t be mean.”

Puhala added, “She has to be pretty.”

Mariam Bereket-Ab Sophomore Miriam Bereket-Ab, enjoys shopping and hanging out with friends.

She has a pretty clear idea of her dream man.

“I want someone who is tall, African American, with short hair, is active…and (has) pierced ears,” BereketAb said.

“My dream would be someone who dresses like Trey Songz and can sing like Trey Songz,” Bereket-Ab said with a laugh. “Basically anyone like Trey Songz.”

Tanner Thompson Sophomore Tanner Thompson is a dedicated soccer player who enjoys playing the video game NCAA Football 11 with his friends. He is looking for a girl who has a sense of humor, is nice and attractive.

“My dream date would be Megan Fox,” Thompson

Family Ties Two Granite Bay High School students call a United States congressman ‘Grandpa’

BY GARY NIELSEN

gnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

S

enior Derek and freshman Rylee McKeon are proud to say that their grandfather is none other than United States Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon who has been serving as a Representative for 18 years in the 25th district of California.

“I’ve gotten to see some

pretty cool stuff that no one else has been able to see,” Derek said.

The list stretches from a personal tour of the Supreme Court to a flight over the Capitol for receiving his Eagle Scout award.

Derek has also found having a grandfather in Congress helps out with school.

“During our committee research,” Derek said, “I (asked)

admitted.

Thompson said he enjoys being single but is open to a relationship if one comes his way.

“I like being single (because) you have more freedom,” Thompson said. “But if the right girl came around then a relationship would be worthwhile.”

Hailey Israel For anyone who loves going to the gym, tanning and doing laundry (GTL), junior Hailey Israel is the perfect match.

Israel was blunt and had no issue describing what she would want in a date or a potential man.

“I am so desperate that he (just) has to be breathing and talking,” she joked. “He just has to show up on a date and then I am good.”

“He also has to be funny and have a good smile,” she added.

Austin Vincenzini Junior Austin Vincenzini is an athlete who plays soccer, wakeboards and snowboards. Basically, he just loves being active.

In the girl of his dreams, he’s looking for a variety of qualities.

“I like a girl who is funny, confident, outgoing and See BACHELORS, page B6

him about the Armed Services on said that being the chairman Committee, and he gave me all of this vital committee is one of the ins and outs of his favorite it. I was just like, parts of ‘Hey Grandpa, being in I love the what are you guys Congress. people (who working on?’”

“I love Rep. McKeon the people are) willing to currently sits as (who are) put their life the chairman of the willing to Armed Services on the line for put their Committee, meanlife on the us. ing he has responline for – Howard McKeon, sibility over almost us,” he U.S. Congressman half of the de said. “I spending budget – appreciate about $700 billion their sacrithis year. fice, and to In an interview be able to with The Gazette, Rep. McKework with them and help them

and their effort – that’s a great opportunity.”

Rep. McKeon also manages to squeeze in his 30 grandchildren and other family into his schedule.

Family has always been a strong value of Rep. McKeon.

“It’s not easy, because they’re spread out all over the country,” he said. But he and his wife attend all the major events in their grandchildren’s lives, such as religious milestones like baptism, high school graduations and marriages.

“We see him at least twice a year,” Rylee said.

“When I ran for congress,” Rep. McKeon said, “our See MCKEON, page B6

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lifestyle B3

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Teachers learn to balance work with young children

Student

Spotlight

Soon-to-be moms prepare to juggle kids and school

BY SAMANTHA SPARGO sspargo.gazette@gmail.com

M

otherhood and full-time employment are very difficult roles to juggle: talk to any working mom and she will willingly share the joys and sorrows of the task.

Three Granite Bay High School teachers are or have been pregnant this year, staged to enter this new chapter in their lives as working mothers.

History teacher Liz McCuen’s baby girl, who will be named Cassidy, is due in mid-April.

Other than some first term crankiness of which she said her students can attest, McCuen has been happy all of the time.

“When you have wanted something for so long and then you get it, you’re really appreciative of it,” McCuen said.

McCuen and her husband are currently moving, a telling symbol of their readiness for their lifestyle change. For McCuen, setting up the baby’s nursery has been the most exciting aspect of preparing for the addition of her new family member.

“She already has a closet full of clothes and probably 15 pairs of shoes,” McCuen said. “I’m excited to dress her and make her cute.”

McCuen plans on balancing the care of her infant by only teaching part-time next year, and enlisting the help of her mother, mother-in-law and a few trusted sitters.

“I just think being part-time is such a great thing,” McCuen said. “You can be a mom and you can also do (work) that you completely love – you don’t have to give up that side.”

Teacher Jennifer Hill is still somewhat unsure of how she is going to balance her time between her twins, due in late June, and her teaching. Unlike McCuen, she will be continuing to teach full-time.

“I will probably have to take more work home,” Hill

Ashley Hilton

Balancing cheer, Aca-Dec and musical theatre

The Gazette: How was your experience with the Academic Decathlon?

Hilton: It was amazing. I’ve learned so many different things and I’ve made a lot of friends through the program.

G: How has what you’ve learned affected you outside Academic Decathlon?

H: I can use all the information that I have learned through my every day life. For instance, on the SAT, so much of the information came up. While writing essays, I can refer back on information that I’ve learned about.

G: Since you’re also in Musical Theater, what’s your position in the upcoming musical Grease?

H: I co-star as Sandy Dowbrosky.

G: How has production been?

H: It’s been pretty good. We’ve been moving slow but it’s now getting rushed because it’s out in a month.

G: What other activities are you involved in?

H: I also do cheer. Actually, this year I joined competitive squad but it’s currently ended.

Now game squad is back up and we’ve been performing at basketball games.

G: How do you balance three various activities when they are taking place around the same time?

H: I have a really big calendar that I write my schedules into. Also, everyone is aware of the other activities that I’m involved in so they are understanding with my commitments and where my time is being spent.

-Compiled by Rachael Vasquez

How to:

Be obsessed with Disney movies

Gazette illustration/ALISON SALE

1. Buy the classics – don’t rent them (sorry Blockbuster, but you’re already failing so it won’t make a difference.) These include the older classics, like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Peter Pan, Cinderella and the other princess classics. The newer movies are also a must, especially Finding Nemo, Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Enchanted, and Tangled.

2. Set a weekly schedule, and repeat movies once you exhaust the list.

3. Make a mental note of important characters and their memorable quotes. Repeat these in public often, even if they don’t fit in the conversation.

4. Memorize the songs next; this includes the lyrics, melodies and counter-melodies, and dancing motions to accompany the song.

5. Sew a costume modeled after your favorite Disney character and wear it in public to pair with your excessive quotations.

6. Caution! For dedicated fans only: Sew costumes for all of the other Disney characters, and throw away your other clothes so your entire wardrobe consists of Disney-related costumes.

Wear them in public, and when you’re alone in your house – a dedicated Disney fan never resorts to their original, non-Disney persona.

-Compiled by Alison Sale

said. “When the bell rings at 2:35 I will have to work quickly to finish and leave at 3 or 3:15, whereas in the past I used to stay (at the school) until 5 p.m..”

Hill’s doctor has warned her that twins are usually delivered around four weeks early – which would put their arrival sometime around finals week – but Hill is crossing her fingers that she will be able to finish out the year with her students.

Hill highlighted a unique problem that faces educators, like she and McCuen, who are becoming mothers for the first time.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to work out with teaching because all of the sudden, my student aren’t going to be the most important thing in my life anymore–it will be my own kids,” Hill said. “I’m not sure how I will balance it.”

Only a few weeks ago teacher Jill McKinney gave birth to a girl.

“I already have a two and a half year old daughter, and I have learned that I have to be very organized in order to balance motherhood and teaching,” McKinney said in an e-mail. “I have to work extremely hard during the school hours in order to make sure that I am not bringing home too much work. And if I do have grading or planning to do I do it after my girls and husband go to bed.”

GBHS teacher Suchi Krishnaraj, the mother of two middle school students, said that her life as a working mom is a constant struggle.

“I’m barely managing,” Krishnaraj said. “I feel like a hamster in a wheel, running but going nowhere.”

Krishnaraj chose to stay home during her pregnancies and for her children’s formative years.

“We made a conscious decision to be poor,” Krishnaraj said. “It was selfish, but I just wanted to enjoy (my kids).”

Selfish or unselfish, it seems that sacrifices have to be made under all conditions when working women welcome their bundle of joy.

Gazette photo /SARAH BERTIN

Sibling dynamics impact high school

Birth order can affect education and achievement

BY JON SETIAWAN

A

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

lfred Alder, an Austrian psychiatrist, was one of the first people to suggest that the order of birth affected personality.

One’s birth order also seems to be affecting students and their study habits, whether they are good or bad.

Dr. Sophia Wang, a practicing clinical psychologist, told Gazette that there have been multiple studies on the subject and there is still research taking place, as not everything has been discovered about the topic yet.

In fact, it’s still somewhat uncertain.

However, some findings have come out about it.

“Generally speaking, one often associates the oldest child as being a high achiever, the one most motivated to achieve,” Wang said. “However, there is also an underlying parental factor involved with that perception. Parents also tend to have higher expectation of

the first born than later born.” may actually be stronger and originate Some students, such as senior Kristi from having to live up to the expectaShinfuku agree. tions set by the first born child.

“My (younger) brother always gets “I actually feel more pressured beto have fun and not really focus on ing the youngest because (my older anything school sister) Tianna was a related while I straight–A student and have to stay in my brother got a full and study all of scholarship playing I feel that I the time,” Shinfootball,” sophomore have to excel in fuku said. “It Chanelle Canfield sucks because said. “I feel that I have sports, do well in he gets to go to excel in sports, do extra curriculars out and do fun well in extra–curricthings while I ulars as well as get as well as get get stuck doing straight A’s.” straight A’s.

Physics or AP Extra pressure can – Chanelle Canfield, Government be beneficial at times reading or AP too. sophomore Economics or “Having an older whatever I have sister helps me do to do that night.” better because my Last–born parents are always children, unlike first–borns have been telling me how my sister got an A in known to have less pressure put on a certain class and how I should too” them from parents. senior Sarah Boulette said.

“Youngest borns have been associBy being pressured to do as well as ated with lower academic achievean older sibling, younger siblings may ment,” Wang said. “However, that is also benefit because they do not have also subject to argument and one must to make the same mistakes the firstnot generalize this without scrutiny of born made. research to support this assertion.”

“Having an older brother has allowed The pressure for the youngest student me to see what kind of obstacles have

AP as a freshman

New students consider advantages of taking tough courses right away

BY JON SETIAWAN

F

jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

or a majority of freshmen, transitioning into high school is difficult enough, with new classes, new teachers, and a whole new campus and culture.

However, for a few freshmen, another challenge was added on: Advanced Placement and honors classes.

Although rare, freshman and sophomores have been taking difficult classes that usually upperclassmen take.

“It’s pretty rare for students to be in an honors class as a freshman, because that would mean they would need to have the math or the science to get into the honors pre–calc level or honors chemistry,” counselor Walt Wild said.

Wild also added that this is more common with honors classes than AP due to the fact that a majority of the AP classes are offered by grade, with the exception of elective AP classes.

However, with foreign languages, the circumstances are slightly different. Some students already speak one of the three foreign languages required for graduation, and are placed in higher classes as

Chiyoh Arai Fluent in Japanese, Arai took AP Japanese as a freshman last year.

freshmen.

Sophomore Chiyoh Arai, who spoke Japanese fluently prior to coming to Granite Bay High School took AP Japanese as a freshman. “(AP Japanese) was super easy just because my parents speak Japanese–it was my first language and I knew what I was doing,” Arai said. “I got an A in the class and a 5 on the AP test.”

However, some of the advantages came from extra–curricular activities that involved the foreign language.

“Up until freshman year I went to Japanese school every Saturday, which definitely helped with the class,” Arai said.

Freshman Xochitl Olson is currently enrolled in honors Spanish 4, after switching out of Spanish 1, which was too easy.

“My family is fluent in Spanish on my mom’s side. I’m half Mexican, so I can already speak it clearly, and I can understand how to say things,” Olson said. “Reading is really easy for me, but writing is a whole other story. It’s way more difficult for me.”

Although Olson could have slept through Spanish 1 for an A, she opted for a more challenging course.

been laid by the school system and how I can avoid them,” senior Kevin Kong said.

But that advantage can come at a price.

“Although my older brother was in the top 4% of his class, his work habits didn’t really reflect it, so my parents are pretty lenient when it comes to the time I spend on school,” Kong said.

“It really depends on if my grades are okay–if they’re fine, then they don’t bother me, if they’re not then I get nagged.”

Lastly are middle born children, who don’t necessarily have to live up to the oldest child.

“Some middle–born children will find ways to discover alternative areas of interests so that they don’t have to compete with the eldest,” Wang said.

Senior Brittany Vu invests her time in her younger autistic brother, so the circumstances are a little different, and she feels no pressure to live up to the expectations of her older sibling.

“I never felt like a middle child, I felt more like the older child because I’ve been taking care of my siblings,” Vu said. “It hasn’t really affected how I study, a lot of time goes into studying and taking care of my brother.”

Xochitl Olson Olson speaks Spanish with family and is enrolled in honors Spanish 4.

“I soon realized that taking Spanish 1 would be a huge waste of time,” Olson said. “I moved to honors Spanish 4 because it’s at a level where I’m learning a lot of things.”

Although most common, foreign language is not the only honor/AP class an underclassman can take.

To register for an advanced class, it’s important to make sure students are ready for it by looking at their academic background.

As well as foreign language classes, other classes, with the appropriate prerequisites fulfilled, are taken with a completely different intention, though this is even more rare Wild said.

“I signed up for honors pre-calculus this year because I really want to get my math done early,” Arai said.

Even with the harder work ethic required to succeed in an advanced class, the reward seems to definitely be worth the work.

“I feel really good about myself for taking an honor class as a freshman knowing I can work to that level and that I’m that experienced,” Olson said. “I’m proud of myself and I know that I can do better and push to AP and a lot of other classes as well.”

B4 Lifestyle

Friday, March, 11 2011

Teacher

expectations What to expect from different teachers and their curriculum

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

W

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

ith registeration for next year’s classes completed, many students are wondering what to expect and how they can prepare for the classes they chose.

“People think that because AP U.S. History and Honors English 11 is a block, my class is time consuming.

That’s not necessarily true,” Honors English 11 teacher Ramona Drury said. “I try to balance my course to best suit (the history curriculum).”

The Honors English block is like any other English class; you build off of the basics and expand from there.

“Students will be exposed to a wide variety of excellent literature all while developing college level reading skills and analysis,” Drury said.

For the AP U.S. History block, students can expect to be assigned at least 30-40 pages of reading for every two days. As for U.S. history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto, things that impress him are humbleness in the learning sense, along with never giving up.

“Too many students give up far too easily because they don’t have an A in the class,” Dell’Orto said. “(But) no one expects you to be an expert right out of the gate.

That’s what learning is.”

Dell’Orto also added that students shouldn’t get too angry over a grade that isn’t what they exAn excellent pected.

Honor Prething to do in my Calculus teacher class would be to Duane Blomquist broaden Spanish also has certain expectations for to the real world his students.

– Amram Ditman, “The most Spanish teach important thing to have in my class is time,” Blomquist said.

“Most students in previous math classes follow a ‘monkey see monkey do’ routine.”

In Blomquist’s math class, students will have to start studying math and better apply what they learned.

“The latest and greatest thing (that frustrates me) is the cell phone. My students can be doing that in my class, and than something changes on the board and they have no idea where they are,” says Blomquist.

As for advice, Blomquist said that students should stay within their level of skill development.

“It’s stupid for a kid to not meet the prerequisite but then say ‘I’m ready for this class!’” Blomquist said.

The Honors Spanish 4/AP Spanish block starts off with a quick review, but then greatly expands Spanish to a more global aspect.

“An excellent thing to do in my class would be to broaden your Spanish to the real world,” Spanish teacher Abram Ditman said. “(Go) to a Spanish-speaking restaurant, watch a Spanish TV show, or listen to a Spanish radio.”

Ditman said that the best way to impress him is to interact and respond in Spanish to the best of one’s ability.

On the contrary, Ditman becomes frustrated when his students complain, especially in English.

“Students can expect to do high-level work,” Ditman said. “But they also need to spend a little time studying their current Spanish and also review their previous Spanish.”

As for electives, many students can be indecisive as to what elective they should take.

For Scott Braly, the Fish and Wildlife teacher, the best way to know about the class is to talk to students who already took the class and to get their opinion on it. “(It’s all about) having a genuine interest. If you have a passion for an elective, take it,” Braly said, “don’t just take an elective to fill up your schedule.”

If you really knew me,

you would know...

My doctor said that I would die in 5 months – that was 5 years ago. I was misdiagnosed with leukemia and then they actually found out that I had a blood disorder like leukemia. I didn’t have to go through chemotherapy, but I still had to go to all of the cancer and blood disorder doctors. This was in 6th grade. My parents didn’t Sophia Zogopoulos actually tell me, I overheard them arguing about it.

I was on Teen Vogue’s website for their Snapshot Blog photo of the day. I emailed a picture of myself to Teen Vogue and then I got an email back telling me what day it would be on Teen Vogue’s website.

Chandler Awalt

- Compiled by Samantha Spargo

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Is graffiti vandalism or a form of art?

Principals consider it a violation at school

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

T

disrespectful,” Stevens said.

He thinks different cases of vandalism deserve different levels of punishment.

“Senior pranks where students bring in a bunch of snow isn’t the kind of vandalism that should be punished,” Stevens said. “It’s the cases where the walls are spray painted when students should be (punished by) doing community service and expelled.”

Rather than illegal graffiti, Stevens promotes taking up art and turning the crimes into healthy works of ingenuity. He believes that graffiti is a form of art that is better conformed rather than used to abuse others’ property.

“It’s all about adrenaline to kids. They think they’re getting their name out and making it their territory. It was originally started with gangs with their different zones. In Granite Bay, they are just idiots. They do it for the reaction of others and for the cheap thrill,” Stevens said.

For one anonymous student at GBHS, “John Smith,” his personal experience with graffiti was anything but pleasant.

When Smith and some of his friends took a late night stroll into an abandoned office building, the

he term “self-expression” is defined by the individual. No boundaries stand against this word, for it remains an idea that can be molded to whatever the beholder decides to make it.

For some students on the Granite Bay High School campus, their self expression is art that can leave them expelled with strikes on their permanent record – this art is called graffiti.

Graffiti is everywhere: bright- colored vulgar language whizzing by on the doors of trains, gossip written on restroom stalls, even doodles on the school desks.

Opinions on graffiti vary to each individual.

Many artists view it as another form of creativity; however, the school administration views it as a crime.

Assistant principal Brian McNulty is forced to deal with the graffiti situations that occur on the campus.

He notices a reoccurring issue of the use of black Sharpie markers and paint on the back of bathroom stalls.

“It’s considered defacing school and vandalism,” McNulty said. “Also, it can be charged as defiance of authority or disruption of school activities. Vandalism carries a possible fine of up to $15,000.”

Suspension or expulsion can also result from creating graffiti.

McNulty has many beliefs as to why students have reasons to draw graffiti.

“Sometimes I think it’s a statement of what they’re feeling at the time,” McNulty said. “I’m not sure if people ever truly think it through or how it’s going to affect other people. If it’s negative, it’s usually that they just want to be seen.”

Thankfully, he says that serious graffiti is not seen too often on campus.

Art teacher Myron Stevens views graffiti as a broad term.

He believes if graffiti is used in a formal sense (being sold or professionally done) then it can be considered art.

“When graffiti goes on to an unsanctioned area, such as a building or architecture, then it Gazette photo illustration/JUSTIN SHIIBA becomes vandalism and it is just

evening became a nightmare.

After finding cans of spray paint inside the building, he and his two friends began to spray random drawings and words on the wall.

As they finished and began to walk out, a cop pulled around the corner and the boys began to run. They were in eighth grade at the time.

“Administration came in and got me the next day at school because one of my friends had ratted me out. After, I was taken to juvenile hall for the next three days.”

Although juvenile hall was a learning experience, once Smith was let out, all the charges were dropped.

The cops had not stated his rights and told him that if he wrote a letter stating what he had done, then they would let him go that night. Instead, they used it against him.

“After I got out, they told me I would be on probation for the next six months and that I would have to do community service,” Smith said. “I began the community service, but after about three hours they told me I could stop. The charges had been dropped.”

Busting high school myths Debunking the most infamous GBHS mysteries for freshmen

BY SAHIL KHOSLA and MOOSA ZAIDI skholsa.gazette@gmail.com

M

yth # 1: Seniors make life difficult for freshmen.

Whether it’s seniors throwing freshmen into trashcans p or simply harassing the incoming freshmen, this myth has become a staple of the school and many incoming freshmen are aware of its existence.

Freshmen such as Megan Colester have confirmed the myth’s existence as word of mouth carries on year by year. “(Seniors) want to beat you up,” Colester said “You’re a freshmen and they hate you.”

However, the reality is simply that there is discrepancy in the ages of seniors and freshmen, which accounts for part of the ill feelings.

Senior Dalton Kings provides his own account of why the differences exist.

“I believe part of the gap that exists between the youngest and the oldest at our high school is just the fact that many seniors already have a plan for their life and know where they want to go for college, whereas the freshmen are just starting and still don’t have any sort of plan or structure for their later life,” King said.

Freshman James Booth has a different opinion on the rationale behind this myth.

“I think that seniors are tired of having incoming freshmen being pests,” Booth said. “(They are the) most energetic and annoying people at the school.”

Additionally, most seniors on campus stated they’ve had no such incidents with freshmen.

In fact several juniors and seniors often help incoming freshmen in their arrival to GBHS, during the annual summer Grizzly Retreat.

These upperclassmen play a vital role in the orientation for incoming students and give them an initial tour

of the campus.

Status: Busted.

requirement has never been an issue at GBHS because the student body is more fit than other schools and several alternate tests are available for each fitness test.

“I guess they’re a lot of high schools that don’t have kids already active,” Dickson said. “I think fitness, and healthy nutrition, and wellness are important (enough) in this community that parents raise their kids to (be healthy)” Status: Busted

Myth # 2: Freshman must take P.E. all four years Every student seems to remember being told at some point that either the current or incoming freshmen have to take Physical Education all four years.

However, school counselor Walt Wild confirms P.E. is still only a two year requirement and will continue to be only a two year requirement According to Wild, four years of Myth #3: There is only one college P.E. were required once but that was meant for you about 15 years ago.

According to GBHS alumnus LauP.E. teacher Linda Dickson ren Grubaugh this myth is another similarly asserts that there is no four false conception in the minds of year P.E. requirement and no such many high school students. requirement has been discussed for Grubaugh, who is currently attendthe future. ing University of California Los “(The myth has) never been true, it Angeles, had once set her hopes has never even on attending been a item Pepperdine on any agenda University. “(I anywhere, as was) struck by I think fitness, and far as I’ve ever the passion that healthy nutrition, been involved,” students had,” Dickson said.

Grubaugh said. and wellness are Dickson is “(And) part of important (enough) unsure how it was location in this community such a myth (being close to) has been perthe beach.” that parents raise petuated. She At Pepperdine, their kids to be suggests that she was also perhaps upperinterested in healthy classmen have majoring in in– Linda Dickson, always scared ternational comP.E. teacher underclassmen munications, in an ongoing where she could cycle. study social Linda Dickstudies and learn son’s daughculture while doter, Christine ing journalism.

Dickson suggests that perhaps this However, she experienced a change myth has been strengthened by the of heart after carefully analyzing, new requirement for underclassmen from a pragmatic and fiscal perspecto log their physical activity every tive of attending her “dream” school, week, both years. with the ramifications of taking out According to Christine Dickson loans or choosing plan B –a much sophomores unable to pass all but larger school that she hadn’t visited. one fitness test have to repeat P.E. Grubaugh chose to attend UCLA, However, Dickson said that such a and when she arrived for orientation

she fell in love with the campus.

“All this stuff I had been hearing … that there is an ideal school (for) you have (but the reality is, that you have) to find a school that fits you.

Grubaugh said. “I can’t (even) imagine going to school anywhere else” said Grubaugh.

Her personal story depicts the overcoming of a myth that many students when applying to schools believe that if they don’t get accepted into their dream school that things will not work out.

Status: Busted Myth 4: Granite Bay High School is a haven for drugs.

According to popular myth, Granite Bay High School is full of drugs. However, further investigation suggests this fact may not be so well established.

“A couple times a year we bring in the drug dogs from the Sheriff’s department, (and) go through the parking lot,” GBHS resource officer Joe Herrick said. “We’ve gone through the P.E locker rooms in the past and we just don’t find anything.”

However, it is uncertain to be sure just what the degree of drug activity is at GBHS. Herrick acknowledges that if drugs are not being found, it is possible that students are hiding these drugs or doing them outside of school.

Also it is difficult to obtain specific information on drug arrests because juvenile criminal reports are not available to the public.

Herrick believes that the myth originates with the students and then parents simply listen to what their kids say.

Assistant principal Dave Vujovich believes that Granite Bay’s drug problem is no worse than most schools.

“I’ve heard that (myth) but I’ve also heard it at every other place where I have ever worked,” Dave Vujovich said.

Status: Unsure

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lifestyle B5

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Famous family trees

wBY KATIE BOSTEDTw Lifestyle co-editor

Students share their stories about historical ancestors

Olivia Wilson A junior, is a descendent of former President Abraham Lincoln.

Many families discover famous relatives through family trees, but not all can say they’re related to significant historical figures. These are a few Granite Bay High School students who have discovered connections to people of the past.

T

he Wilson family also learned of relations to a former President through researching their family tree.

Junior Olivia Wilson was in fourth grade when her parents told her that Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, was her eighth cousin.

“I don’t care as much now, but when I found out I was really excited,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s family was able to successfully count the generations back to learn which relatives of Lincoln they were.

“My great–something was Abraham Lincoln’s uncle,” Wilson said.

Haley Jantzen A senior, is related to former Queen Mary I of England

Melissa Miller A junior, is related to the second President of the United States, John Adams.

W

hen discussing her ancestry with her family over lunch, senior Haley Jantzen learned from her grandmother that they are decedents of Queen Mary I of England, also known as Bloody Mary.

Bloody Mary earned her nickname after burning 300 religious rebels at the stake.

Although they are related, there are many generations between them.

“She is my grandma’s great–times (about) fifteen–aunt. So I am probably .000013% related to her,” Jantzen said.

When telling people her famous ancestor, they’re surprised because she’s a historical figure, not a celebrity.

“I’m related to a lady who killed people for fun, so it’s kind of strange but very interesting,” Jantzen said.

J

Gazette illustration/KATIE BOSTEDT

unior Melissa Miller was in fourth grade when she found out about her famous relative – John Adams, second President of the United States.

The Miller family realized this after curiosity sprung from Miller’s grandmother’s maiden name–Adams.

She began to research more about Adams and other founding fathers, and discovered a foundation for women related to certain historical figures.

“She was in this foundation called the Daughters of Revolution, and in order to be a member of that you have to prove bloodline through someone like (John Adams),” Miller said.

Although Miller was curious, she didn’t feel as if it was something unique about her.

“I was just indifferent, to be honest,” Miller said. “That history is so old that a lot of people are probably related to him.”

Non-native students adjust to U.S. schools Learning to adapt to a new education system

BY ALLISON GARVEY

I

agarvey.gazette@gmail.com

n any given class at Granite Bay High School, you’ll see a room full of students, most of them born and raised in the surrounding areas. However, with a closer look there are a few of those students who have come from all over the world, learning right alongside their United States native peers.

These students overcome barriers from learning the language of a new country to melding two different cultures together.

“I was born in France, and then I moved (to the United States) when I was in seventh grade,” junior Aurora Gaumer said. For these students, moving to a new country meant learning in a new language, and overcoming boundaries in learning styles.

“I took an English proficiency test and they said that I was (at) the third grade (level),” Gaumer said.

Non-native students typically relied on unconventional ways to supplement a traditional education in the classroom after first moving to the United States.

“After I moved from Venezuela, I learned English by watching TV and listening to music,” senior Daniela Garcia said. “Eventually I just got used to it,”

The

Garcia said.

While academically these students can experience barriers, their unique circumstances sometimes serve to their benefit.

“I’m taking Spanish (and) it’s my easiest class because once you learn one language, it’s easier to learn another,” Gaumer said.

Students exposed to other languages are frequently able to pick up another language much easier.

“There are words in Italian and French that are similar with conjugations, which is easier to learn,” Garcia said.

In spite of the challenges, there are few students who are unhappy with their education in the States.

Many agree that the “well-rounded” student of other countries is not a product of balance between exams and social events, but of challenging academically centered experiences.

“Unlike the SAT, where people can take the test as many times as they want, high school students only have that option once a year. If they fail (the test) their senior year, which is when all students take it, they have to take a year off,” senior Kristi Shinfuku said, who lived in Japan and Scotland until she was 9.

“They are all under so much stress.”

CollegeBoard SAT

un- Official SAT practice guide

Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalkboard is its own separate game. Answers can be found on B7.

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 1 1. Adversity 2. Enervate 3. Fraught 4. Brusque 5. Brazen 6. Extenuate

a. Shameless or impudent b. Filled or laden with

7. Prudent

g. Lucky; fortunate

8. Mundane

c. To make less serious d. Misfortune; unfortunate circumstance e. Blunt; abrupt in manner f. Weaken; deprive of strength

9. Fortuitous

h. Worthy of respect due to age or status i. Wise in practical affairs; discreet j. Causing difference in opinion k. Pertaining to this world l. Showing goodwill; friendly

- Compiled by Katie Bostedt

10. Amicable 11. Venerable 12. Divergent

Source: http://www.vocabulary.com/lists/23400

The emphasis put on test scores in foreign educaschool just for that field,” said Gaumer. However, tion systems accounts for one of the main differences with a more open education system, students are not in native and non-native students. restricted to learning about one specific career field. “(In Japan) students go to this While non-native students expericlass called juku, which is like ence difficulties academically, some SAT prep on steroids,” Shinof their adjustments come from fuku said. social situations. ...My school (in Coming from other countries, Small distinctions in culture are France) was all these students gain a different magnified for students who have about learning, appreciation for the nuances of had to adapt to another culture while the American education system. keeping hold of their own traditions. not making For some, the idea of spirit Sophomore Marissa Huang learning fun. rallies and school dances were noticed subtle differences in culture literally foreign concepts. which resulted from being a non“It took me a while to go to native student.

– Aurora Gaumer, events because I’m not used to “I’ve had a couple friends listen going to events at school...my (to Korean music), they like the beat junior school (in France) was all about but since they don’t understand they learning, not making learning don’t appreciate it,” Huang said. fun,” Gaumer said.

Even events as simple as family Non-native students also dinner take on another level of comexperience a broader education, plications in another culture. with more control over where they want to end up.

“I (played) basketball freshman year and practices “In France they put you in certain categories for the were from 7 to 9p.m.,” Gaumer said. “I eat dinner skills you’re good at...two of my best friends want to at 8:30 p.m., so it was difficult to adjust to another be special needs teachers, so they’re in a special high culture’s ways.”

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lifestyle B6

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Random facts

A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting

Random club of the month

One of 2,100 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue

One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches

President: Riley MacMillan What is the purpose of your club?

We want to find the avocado-loving group of students at Granite Bay High School, get them together and make new friends.

A bee has five eyes.

Forty percent of America’s population lives within a one-day drive to Philadelphia

What are some things your club does?

We make fresh guacamole and starter avocado trees. We also have guacoffs and make things such as posters for future events.

How many members are in your club?

On the Avocado Club Facebook page, there are about 26 members. Typically, eight or nine of these people come to the meetings.

Cold water weighs less than hot water Apples, peaches and raspberries are all members of the rose family The last letter to be added to our alphabet was J No only child has been a U.S. President

What’s the best thing about the club?

It’s fun to be a part of a silly thing involving avocados. It’s nice to be with people who like to talk about avocados, just like me. Every meeting, I feel happy and excited because it’s great to be a part of such a fun experience.

The world’s biggest pyramid is not in Egypt, but in Mexico Cats can hear ultrasound Mosquitoes have 47 teeth There are 336 dimples on a regulation American golf ball Candles will burn longer and drip less if they are placed in the freezer a few hours before using The blue whale’s heart is the size of a small car Each year, the average American eats about 15 pounds of apples Source: http://www.snapple.com/retired-facts/

–compiled by Shannon Carroll

Avocado Admirers Association

William Schue, sophomore Gazette photo /Rachael VaSQUEZ

The Gazette: If you had to eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

The good stuff like bread.

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

A cheetah but I wouldn’t cheat. Just kidding.

If the Roseville Galleria was to burn down again, what store would you save?

The Apple Store because they would give me whatever I want because I saved the store.

If you were a seagull in the quad, who would you poop on?

Lizzy Schliessmann because she always asks everyone that question.

Of all the famous people in the world, whose life would you want to live?

James Horner because we share the same ambition in music and his compositions captivate millions.

If you owned an island, what would you name it?

Freedom Island

–compiled by Alex Pink

Why should students get involved with the club?

It’s a fun group to be involved in. We have an avocado treat at every meeting. Avocado club is the place to be if you like avocados and enjoy a great group of people. Even if people don’t want to be involved in the club, they can still buy club T-shirts.

How often does the club meet?

We meet once every two weeks on Mondays in Room _____.

–compiled by Jon Setiawan

MCKEON: California Representative Howard McKeon shares stories Continued from page B2

youngest daughter was in her senior year of high school. I was able to come home for her graduation. I missed a bunch of votes that day, but I came home.”

With his position, Rep. McKeon travels all over the world. In fact he recently returned from the Middle East.

Along the way he has accumulated some cool stories. One of Derek’s personal favorites is the story of when “Grandpa Buck” met some Navy SEALs. After observing one of their rigorous training exercises, Rep. McKeon became acquainted with two of the SEALs that defused

BACHELORS: Students share their ultimate dream dates Continued from page B2

smart. Oh, and voluptuous,” Vincenzini said with a laugh.

“I don’t look for much of a relationship which is why I am single…but if I had to, (the girl) just has to be stellar,” Vincenzini said.

Brooke Holt Brooke Holt, a senior, is a competitive runner who participates in cross country and track. She enjoys cooking, skiing and throwing parties for her friends.

Holt is looking for someone who is the typical attractive, dream guy.

“I’d like someone who is confident, ambitious, and hardworking,” Holt said. “Someone like David Beckham.”

Holt, who is both determined and eager to be an event planner, is looking for someone who can keep up with her fast-paced lifestyle.

Colin Venables Colin Venables, a senior bachelor whose love of music and piano has led to him being a musical theater member, admits to being just like any other boy who plays video games like Halo and Call of Duty.

However, he also has a more sensitive side to him, one that showed when he decided who his dream girl would be.

“I don’t focus on body or face of (girls)…I focus on who they are as a person, and I am happy as long as they like me for who I am,” Venables said.

Venables hopes to one day have a relationship based on the virtues of friendship.

“I believe a relationship should be with someone like a friend but means more,” Venables said. “A relationship should be more than just a label.”

As relationships begin to bloom, be sure to pick one before they wither away or are picked by a fortunate someone else.

the Somalian pirate hostage situation earlier last year in which U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three pirates holding an American cargoship captain hostage.

The SEALs introduced themselves to Rep. McKeon, saying “It’s very nice to meet you.” Rep. McKeon then responded, “And you are?”

Without hesitation, one of the men answered, “Well, sir, technically we don’t exist.”

Rylee’s favorite story is the time when she and her cousins all got to attend a get-together at their grandparents’ house in D.C., where many well-known politicians were in attendance.

All of the family lined up to shake visitors hands at the conclusion of the evening. While doing so, their “little cousin (Max) slapped a guy on the butt and said goodbye,” Rylee said.

That “guy” was one of the congressman’s fundraisers, scaring Rep. McKeon a little.

Rylee and Derek thought this was hilarious, but their grandfather quickly apologized to the man, who also found the situation funny.

Derek’s grandfather has been an influential example to him.

“I will eventually want to go into politics because of him,” he said.

“He (has) a major influence on what I want to do.”

On the road to success: Part Two

also had to sing “Happy Birthday.”

“I didn’t know the person’s name so I stopped awkwardly at ‘Happy Birthday dear—

BY SHANNON CARROLL and ALISON SALE dear—’ and then scarroll.gazette@gmail.com w asale.gazette@gmail.com the (instructor) thought I didn’t n Issue Four of the Gazette, know the rest of we talked to six seniors about the song and sang back the (rest,)” the process after applying to Huang said. colleges. This issue, we asked them At New England Conservatory about the acceptance process. In in Boston, Huang played for 15 Issue 8, we will be talking to them minutes in front of a five-member about whether they feel prepared, faculty. and in Issue Two of 2011 we will “I felt this audition went better,” talk to them about where they are Huang said. now and whether they feel they At Juilliard in New York, Huang made the right choice. played for about 15 minutes for a near 10-member faculty.

Jade Huang Six pianists were called back for Jade Huang has been accepted consideration, and those who were to Stanford and the University of not called back should “reasonably California at Davis. conclude that they are not being Huang will receive the rest of her considered for admission,” accordletters at the end of this month or ing to Juilliard. the beginning of April.

Huang was one of the six. She She traveled to several differwas asked questions about the ent conservatories for auditions, in pieces she performed, including which she prepared about an hour’s specific musical analysis quesworth of music to play for a 10-15 tions and general questions about minute audition specific to each her career goals. The process also school. included a music theory test.

For Peabody, she was given 10 “Unfortunately I said something minutes in front of a 6-member about not being partial to impropiano faculty. She felt that the audivising and the teacher ended up tion was “alright.” lecturing me on the importance of Afterwards she had to take a short, improvising in the music industry,” rudimentary music theory assessHuang said. ment and an ear-training test. She

Following six seniors through the college application process

I

Amy Jahr Amy Jahr has been accepted to Oregon State University and their University Honors College, California Polytechnic State University, and University of California at Irvine and Riverside.

“I am pretty certain that I will be going to Oregon State (because of their Honors Program,)” Jahr said.

Honors classes at OSU are taught by tenured or tenure-track professors with a small class size.

“Compared with the potential for 400 students in lower division classes taught by teaching assistants at (UC) Davis, that looks pretty good,” Jahr said.

Oregon State is offering Jahr enough scholarship money so she could attend for just under $10,000 a year, and she doesn’t expect UC Davis, her previous top choice, to offer such generous scholarship.

This is a “powerful incentive” for Jahr, especially because she will be paying for part of her education.

“I went to one of their Spring Visits, which was absolutely amazing,” Jahr said. “They did a really good job of making me feel comfortable, and as cliche as it (sounds), at home.”

Jimmy Jack Jimmy Jack has received acceptance letters from Willamette, Saint Mary’s and Long Beach and hasn’t heard back from anywhere else.

His top choice remains Chapman for film school and is waiting to hear from them.

“I’m nervous but I’m enjoying not having to worry about the decision

Read the Gazette, Granite Bay’s award-winning newspaper: www.granitebaygazette.com

right now,” Jack said.

Lucas Schorer Lucas Schorer just heard back from Cal Poly and will hear back from the UCs later this month.

“I’m definitely excited to see which of those I get into,” Schorer said. “It’s scary to see how close to the end everything is.”

While Schorer is still thinking about playing soccer in college – he wants to see if he gets accepted to Georgetown – he’s leaning more towards a college experience without it.

“I really want to major in engineering and I know that’s going to take up most of my time,” Schorer said.

Chelsea Schifferle Chelsea Schifferle received her Official Letter of Appointment from the US Naval Academy in February, cementing her dreams of serving as an officer in the medical corps.

She went back to get a feel for the campus that’s located in Annapolis, Maryland and got to experience what life will be like when she’s a freshman. “ It was intense,” Schifferle said.

“We woke up at 5 to run more than three miles, did push-ups and situps. It was kind of a shock to my system but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Dalton King Dalton King has not heard back from any of the schools he applied to, which include University of California Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside and Santa Cruz.

Friday, March 11, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle B7

FIRE STATION: Taking a behind-the-scenes look into a local firestation Continued from page B1

When Gray was asked how school traffic affects the station, a laugh came from the back office and Captain Feeley walked into the kitchen.

“Let me tell you about traffic,” Feeley laughed. “Traffic sucks.

From the corner of Sierra College to (the station), you can probably walk that in what, maybe five minutes? It’s at least a fifteen minute drive.”

Students and parents know the congested roads very well, but things are a little different when you’re driving a 30-foot-long fire engine.

Gray said the situation can be precarious when they must respond to a call during traffic hours.

“You just take your time (driving), especially because kids are walking to school,” Gray said.

“The more people there are, the more confusion, especially for other drivers. Then all of the sudden you throw in a big engine coming behind them with lights and sirens.”

In addition to the traffic, fire alarms at GBHS, Oakhills and Ridgeview elementary schools can interfere with the station’s ability to respond to significant calls.

Gray said that the schools usually notify the station when a fire drill is planned, but sometimes they must respond to false alarms caused by faulty wiring and sometimes miscommunication.

“The only irritating part… is the possibility that we have to go to a false alarm and at the same time a secondary call goes out,” Gray said. “We just had (a false alarm) a couple of weeks ago… at the elementary school. We were halfway there and dispatch (called and) told us ‘nope.’”

Being located so closely to the school also has its benefits, however. One thing Gray said the department looks forward to is participating in Every Fifteen Minutes.

The simulation is meaningful to the firefighters, who often respond to crashes caused by driving under the influence.

Not only are they able to communicate a positive message through the program, but the simu-

lation also gives firefighters the opportunity to practice responding to specific emergencies.

“We don’t get to do every little skill all the time,” Gray said. “If that emergency doesn’t happen for a while, we start losing those little skills.”

However, car accidents and fires are actually among the least common calls Station 15 receives.

Gray estimated that 80 to 85 percent of all calls are in response to medical emergencies.

Gray said that the calls themselves sometimes follow peculiar patterns. He also mentioned that certain firefighters tend to attract certain types of emergencies.

“Some shifts will have a lot of fires in one year, other shifts will have a lot of vehicle accidents.

Certain guys will attract crazy people (who) call in. It’s kind of interesting,” Gray said. “For me, it’s suicide, for some reason I attract those (calls) when I’m on-duty.”

Station 15 is a relatively quiet station compared to other locations.

Senior Kevin Nielsen participated in the Fire Science Regional Occupation Program during his junior year. He apprenticed at both Station 15 and the station located in Auburn.

“I didn’t know there was going to be such a big difference in how many calls one station gets compared to another,” Nielsen said. “I just figured they’ll either be pretty busy or not busy (depending on) the day, but some stations just get no calls.”

During downtime at Station 15, Nielsen would listen to the firefighters tell stories or get help with training.

Nielsen remembers responding to a small car accident and a medical emergency involving an infant. The station also received a few false alarms during his nine weeks there.

Station 15 has been a part of the community for 21 years, and has coexisted with GBHS for 15 of them.

Nielsen can’t help but agree that firefighters make great neighbors.

“We’re lucky to have these guys protecting our lives,” he said.

Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

A fireman, top, clears the firetruck for checkup in preparation for any emergency calls. Two firemen, bottom left, stand in front of a fallen electrical wire in which the fire station was notified by. A firewoman, bottom right checks the aid kit in preparation for emergencies inside of the firetruck.

OUTSIDE: Teachers find inspiration without being inside a classroom w Continued from page B1 designs and commissioned creations in his at-home studio, and often has to put in late nights before a gallery show.

Scott Becker and David Tastor Around six years ago, a parent asked GBHS math teacher Scott Becker and English teacher David Tastor to tutor her daughter for the SAT. “You see some of these other SAT prep classes and they are $800 to $1200, and we didn’t necessarily feel that they always did the right thing,” Becker said.

The pair found that the community did not provide a test prep service, so they decided to institute their own..

“We wanted to make something that people could afford and that was contentfocused, as opposed to trying to beat the system by teaching kids different tricks for testing,” Becker said.

Now the two teachers get to use their knowledge in math and English, and partner it with their love of teaching, to help students tackle the SAT test and they make money in the process.

Though they are technically working on campus, the Becker-Tastor team is an

important part of the community, preparing hundreds of GBHS students to take the SAT every year.

Karl Grubaugh Teacher Karl Grubaugh is the advisor of the GBHS newspaper, the Gazette, and an economics and government teacher.

On the side, he is an on-call copy editor for the Sacramento Bee, writing headlines, fact-checking and grading proofs when the Bee needs someone to fill in for an editor, because he likes to remain involved in the journalism world.

College of the Month: University of San Diego Who: 7800 students, 5,111 Undergraduate, 2,689 Graduate and professional students Where: Alcala Park, San Diego, 15 minutes outside the city Tuition and Fee Cost: $37,378 Acceptance Rate: 49.4% U.S. News Ranking: 94 Athletics: The Santa Clara Broncos wUSD has 17 NCAA Division I sports teams, as well as 19 sports clubs and intramural sports teams. wTheir football team competes in the NCAA Division I-AA Pioneer Football League, however they place more focus on other less traditional sports, with rankings from both men’s and women’s rowing teams.

Mascot: w “Diego Torero,” a costumed bullfighter.

Academics: wUSD offers 39 different undergraduate majors, 48 minors and 33 master’s degrees as well as three different doctorate

degrees. wTheir most popular majors include Business/Marketing, Social Sciences, Communications/Journalism, Biology, Psychology and English. wThe school is most commonly attended for liberal arts degrees, which is the school’s strong suit over math and sciences.

Fun Facts: wThe University of San Diego is a quick 25 minutes away from Tijuana, a Mexican border town popular for missions trips and authentic cuisine. wIn order to differentiate between the University of Southern California and the University of Santa Clara, the university changed its name to Santa Clara University in 1985. wUSD is a private catholic school which is accepting of all religions, but asks students to attend Mass services and take religion classes.

–compiled by Allison Garvey

Continued from page B5: The un-Official SAT practice guide answers; Chalkboard 1: 1. d, 2. f, 3. b, 4. e, 5. a, 6. c Chalkboard 2: 7. i, 8. k, 9. g, 10. l, 11. h, 12. j

Natalie Elkin Psychology teacher Natalie Elkin has taken her enthusiasm for her subject offcampus as a counselor in the community.

Elkin majored in psychology in college, but wasn’t really sure if she could get a job solely as a teacher. She started out teaching English, and then was able to segue into teaching first social psychology, then AP psychology - a new class for which she wrote the curriculum.

A few years later, Elkin felt that it was the right time to go back to school and further specialize, earning her master’s degree in marriage and family counseling

Upcoming Events in March: 11/11 - Minimum Day/ Finals 14/11 - Powder Puff Practice 16/11 - Elective Showcase Night/ 8th Grade Parent Night/ Powder Puff Practice 17/11 - St. Baldricks/ One Lunch 21/11 - Powder Puff

practice 23/11 - Powder Puff Practice 24/11 - One Lunch/ Sadie’s Picnic 25/11 - Powder Puff Rally/ Powder Puff Game 26/11 - Sadie’s Dance 30/11 - Student Senate 31/11 - School Musical

–compiled by Samantha Spargo

in 2009.

Now she is an intern in private practice as a counselor, where she sees clients four days a week after school hours.

Counseling fills a certain emotional need for Elkin that teaching cannot give her, but she has no desire to give up her day job any time soon. Next year, though, she will be going part time so that she can more equally divide her time between her two passions.

“I feel so fulfilled, and it just makes me so happy to be able to go to work every day and then go see my clients in the afternoon and evening,” Elkin said.

Friday, March 11, 2011

B8 Lifestyle

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Evolution of a Senior Seniors reflect on their growth and experience over their past four years

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ

T

rvasquez.gazette@gmail.com

he journey from freshman to senior is a long and stressful one.

But after the piles of homework and endless college applications, those scrawny little kids from four years ago have grown in more ways than one.

Phillip Vogeley Senior Phillip Vogeley has been one of the most talented wrestlers that varsity wrestler coach Shane Dixon has ever taught. This year, Vogeley was one of 10 varsity wrestlers that have advanced on to the post-season.

However, Vogeley did not become the shining star that Dixon knows today until his last year of wrestling at Granite Bay High School.

Vogeley was a late bloomer.

He entered his freshman year of wrestling in the weight class of 103 pounds, and since then has progressed to wresGazette courtesy photo /Howarth Family (three) Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ tling in the 140 pounds. weight class.

Only recently has he dropped down into the 135 poundss. weight class in order to compete beyond post-season.

Though his progression may have gotten off on a rough start, Vogeley isn’t ashamed of the physical progress he has made since his smaller freshman year.

“It’s just the normal development of my body,” Vogeley said. “I can’t complain especially since I’ve seen an improvement in myself in wrestling and outside wrestling.”

Since his freshman year, Vogeley has grown over 9 inches. Not only has his height and build changed since then, but also Vogeley now has the confidence in himself that he lacked before.

“Growing taller and growing up in general is such a social, emotional and physical change,” Vogeley said. “You become more confident when you’re older and bigger built.”

Shane Dixon has been able to work with Vogeley over the past four years as Gazette courtesy photo /VogeleY Family (three) Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ an assistant varsity wrestling coach. This Kyle Howarth (top) and Phillip Vogeley (bottom) have evolved from freshmen to seniors over the past four years at GBHS. past year, when Dixon stepped up to be good when hard work pays off and you reach your “Being tall is such an advantage when you’re playthe head varsity wresting coach, he was But Kyle has regular day advantages that most of his goals.” ing sports at competitive levels,” Howarth said. easily impressed achievements. fellow classmates don’t have.

Though being tall gives Howarth an advantage over “Phil has always been technically sound,” Dixon “I’m fine with people mistaking me for being older Kyle Howarth his opponents, Howarth knows that he can’t only rely if it only benefits me,” Howarth said. said. “However, just this year alone he has just blosSenior Kyle Howarth is not the typical senior and on height to compete. According to Howarth, sports somed with an incredible athletic year.”

For GBHS sports fan and coaches, Howarth’s require a wider ability range.

Overall, Vogeley has grown into the strong wrestler that’s because he wasn’t a typical freshman either. height adds greatly to his athletic contributions.

Coming into high school, Howarth was a few inches “I’ve personally focused on developing skills rather he is today.

“Kyle has embraced the skills like being a great shy of six feet tall. than trying to perform by only brutal strength and “It just goes to show that if you stick with somedefender, moving without the ball and rebounding,” Due to his height, Howarth has been able to excel height,” Howarth said. “With basketball and rebound- varsity basketball coach Jason Sitterud said. “He does thing you love and you’re not the most fearfully big in sports year round, including soccer, basketball and ing in particular, it’s mainly about determination and opponent, one day your work will pay off and your all the dirty work that no one wants to do for us and volleyball. technique.” body will catch up,” Vogeley said. “Trust me, it feels because of that he’s our team’s best rebounder.”

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Adapting to the change

A peek into the lives of two growing up freshmen

BY RACHAEL VASQUEZ rvasquez.gazette@gmail.

W

hile seniors are looking ahead towards college, freshmen still have another three years of high school to experience new activities and find themselves.

Kim (bottom) and Fitzgerald (top) are freshmen

Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ

Sam Kim Most freshmen at GBHS are average teenagers finding their way through high school by their own means and pace. Freshman Samuel Kim is a perfect example.

Though Kim has many junior and senior friends, he admits that most of his high school social life involves many of his freshmen friends. Together they break dance, and even participated in the lip sync together.

Since he was very young, Kim loved dancing and was amused by the sight of it.

His first inspiration was America’s Best Dance Crew and from there his friends guided him to his passion.

“I found the confidence to dance on my own but ABDC and my friends gave me my motivation to pursue dancing,” Kim said.

Through dancing, Kim has developed an active build.

“If you think about break dancing in a sports’ perspective, it requires a lot of athleticism,” Kim said. “At first, a break dancer may start out with underdeveloped muscles but after you progress, you’ll eventually develop the

muscles needed to become advanced.” has been able to grow facial hair that Despite the fact that Kim isn’t the gives him the allusion of being older. typical athlete, he’s just a normal ac“I first really noticed that people tive freshman making the most of his thought that I was older when I went teenage years among the upperclassto the Sacramento Anime convenmen. tion,” Fitzgerald said. “I didn’t know “At first you think that high school is that they would be shocked that much going to be harsh because there are so when they learned I was only 14.” many upperclassmen,” Kim said. “But The benefit of having a beard to apafter thinking that and experiencing the pear older is understandable, but that’s first part of high not the reason Fitzgerschool, I just feel ald keeps his beard.

I just feel like a like a normal kid “I admit that I don’t who will be a sewant to always look normal kid who nior like everyone older but I am actuwill be a senior else one day.” ally just (too) lazy to shave,” Fitzgerald said. like everyone Colin Fitzgerald “Also, facial hair keeps else one day.

Around campus, the wind from penetratupperclassmen ing your skin and I’ve can usually be now come to think of – Sam Kim, Freshman identified by their my beard as a blanket taller height and on my face.” grown beards. By Due to his laziness, upon closer examFitzgerald can be seen ination, one student with those features around campus displaying his beard isn’t actually an upperclassman. with pride. Countless times classFreshman Colin Fitzgerald entered mates have approached Fitzgerald and high school at 5 foot 10 inches tall commonly touched his facial hair like with facial hair like his junior brother, they’ve known him their whole life.

Ian Fitzgerald.

“After people touch my beard, they Colin and Ian are the only males in can then come to conclusions about their immediate family that have the my age or my appearance,” Fitzgerald capability of growing beards. Their said. “Some people say comments that appearance may be similar, but Colin are humorous like ‘are you a werewolf differs from Ian by having straighter or Hugh Jackman?’ while others can be facial hair.

Since the end of seventh grade, Colin quite inappropriate.”

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

C Section

Friday w March 11, 2011

Commentary

Can they keep their

laura preston

streak alive?

BY CHRISTINE ZAVESKY czavesky.gazette@gmail.com

lpreston.gazette@gmail.com

A contract is binding, even for top athletes

“L

ive a chaste and virtuous life.”

This clause of the Honor Code at Brigham Young University may have cost sophomore forward Brandon Davies his basketball career.

Davies, for those of you who don’t follow college basketball, averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, some pretty solid statistics for a sophomore.

Oh, and he had premarital sex with his girlfriend, breaking his school’s Honor Code.

Since coming forward, Davies has been suspended from the team, unable to represent his Cougars in any way, and may have hampered the hopes of many who were looking forward to seeing BYU in the Final Four this year.

His suspension has caused an uproar, a clash between those who think the Honor Code is archaic and old-fashioned and those who still believe that sex should be saved until marriage.

But that shouldn’t even be the focus of the argument.

The story is this: Brandon Davies signed the Honor Code under his own free will, a contract stating that he would abide by the personal behavior rules of BYU, and then broke that contract.

If Davies wanted to have sex that badly, he could have gone to Gonzaga University, the University of California at Berkeley or

U

nbeaten and untied. Under the direction of several different coaches. Involving hundreds of different athletes.

For 14 years … and counting.

The Granite Bay High School swimming programs – girls and boys – have had as much success as any athletic program on campus. But their string of victories in the Sierra Foothill League is nothing short of amazing – if they run the table this year, the streak for the girls will crack the 100 barrier and settle at an astonishing 101 consecutive dual-meet victories; for the boys, it will be 100.

But the Grizzlies are anything but complacent.

Coach John Sherman has led the way since 2003, and he’s excited about yet another Grizzly swim season that started in early February.

“The tradition is that this is a phenomenal team and sport to be a part of, and we really try to get the upperclassmen to give back to the underclassmen,” Sherman said.

“That way we keep this kind

The powerhouse GBHS boys’ and girls’ swim teams could both extend their records for consecutive league dual-meet victories to an astonishing 100 this season

See STREAK, page C5

See PRESTON, page C5 Joe Eyen Senior Joe Eyen’s father is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.

Student’s father a coach for the Kings Jim Eyen has been coaching for 31 years

Austin Akre and the rest of the athletes on the GBHS boys’ and girls’ swim teams will be trying to extend their undefeated dual-meet runs in the Sierra Foothill League this season.

Gazette photo/MAGGIE LOUIS

BY KATIE ZINGHEIM

kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com

With the recent debate over the fate of the Sacramento Kings, it’s hard not to notice how much the team permeates the region. And Granite Bay is certainly no exception.

Jim Eyen is one of five assistant coaches for the Kings. He has two children attending Granite Bay High School– Joe, a senior, and Lena, a sophomore.

Eyen has been coaching basketball for 31 years. He played both basketball and baseball for the University of California Santa Barbara, and after graduating coached for high school and college teams for 10 years before entering the NBA as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since then, Eyen has coached for the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trailblazers and of course, Sacramento Kings, where he has been for two years.

While being a professional coach can be an exciting career, See EYEN, page C5

Grizzlies take deep, successful run into postseason Boys make it to section semifinals; wrestling wins SFL, section titles

BY LAURA PRESTON

lpreston.gazette@gmail.com

The goal was to get to Power Balance Pavillion, and that’s where the Granite Bay High School boys’ basketball team ended up.

Before that, the Grizzlies secured a share of the Sierra Foothill League title Feb. 4 with a tense 57-56 home victory against Woodcreek, arguably one of the best games of their season.

“Honestly, it was one of the best sports moments, high school moments of my life,” senior Kyle Howarth said. “It was just awesome. I mean, Nate (Brilingtton) hits the (three-point) shot, I grab the rebound, game over, the crowd storms on the floor, it was awe-

some.”

The Grizzlies swept the last four SFL games on their schedule to share the league title with Woodcreek.

The team had eight seniors on its roster this season, which offered GBHS a combination of skill and experience.

“I think there was just a comfort level in that I’ve been with a lot of (the guys) for two or three or four years, and so we kind of knew what to expect and what each other wanted,” boys’ varsity coach Jason Sitterud said. “It was easy to always be on the same page and there was a comfort level in expectations.

After securing the league title, the boys progressed into the Sac-

Joaquin Section tournament in an attempt to claim their first ever section title.

The Grizzlies beat Kennedy 6852 in the first round, and McNair of Stockton 77-60 in the second round. In the semifinal against top-seeded Sheldon of Elk Grove, the Grizzlies were on the way to a huge upset against the top-seeded Huskies in the first-ever appearance at the newly christened Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento – they led by 13 points at the end of the third quarter. But with two key GBHS players – Jon Davis and Robert Duncan – having fouled out and with the Grizzlies struggling at the free-throw line, the Huskies came roaring back, sent the game to overtime and won 67-66 on a last-second tip-in by Sheldon’s Darius Nelson.

Despite the loss, the Grizzlies See POSTSEASON, page C5

Shooting guard Robert Duncan goes up for two of his team-leading 21 points in the Grizzlies’ heartbreaking loss to Sheldon in the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals March 1 at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento.

Gazette photo/ MAGGIE LOUIS

inside sports Grizz Quiz

Athlete of the Month Rising Star

C2

C3 C5

Bump, Set ... Dominate Grizzlies hope to make a run toward what would be an unprecedented third Section championship

C2

Take a Hike!

Check out these local jaunts that won’t break the bank – and will refresh your spirit

C3

Rec and Roll!

Students get a chance to participate in sports without the pressure of varsity expectations

C4

C2 Sports

Friday, March 11, 2011 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Boys’ volleyball dominates

New challenges as the Grizzlies seek a third Sac-Joaquin title

BY AUSTIN DOWNS

leyball, it’s no easy task.

For Holway, going from a defensive player on his club team and being used to passing the ball to going to an offensive player ith the boys’ varsity volleyball season about to kick off, on the varsity team and having the mindset to attack the ball is a many are wondering if the team can bring home Grandifficult change. ite Bay High School a third consecutive section title.

Many of the players on the team have been playing not only The varsity team last year was heavily senior stacked, but this high school volleyball together, but club volleyball for the last year the team has only four senior players. This year’s team is couple years, so the team chemistry this year is fantastic. also a much shorter team than last year’s The advantage of doing club volleyball team, which could prove to be a disadvanalong with high school is that high school tage. players get an early preview of what new “(This year’s team) has more defense, We have a very competition exists in their league. and better defense,” said senior and team young team and Many club teams are a mix of high captain Anthony Giannotti. schools and any player on that team can get Giannotti is this year’s starting libero, a that will present us a sense of other schools’ players play style, defensive specialist. He has been playing challenges very volleyball at GBHS since his freshman along with their advantages and disadvanyear and hopes that this year will be his tages. So when the varsity team gets ready early on, but we best year yet. for the upcoming season, most of the playhave a very high“We’ve done it before. We’ve got experiers already have an inside look at the year’s ence. But the competition is harder than it’s quality team competition and what they can expect. ever been,” said senior and team captain As for preseason, the team kicked off Kyle Howarth. Howarth is currently wrap– Coach Bruce Honberger their 2011 season with a tough 3-0 loss to ping up his high school career in basketball one of the best teams in the state, Bellarmwith a strong senior season and he will ine College Prep. begin to transition from varsity basketball With the league being incredibly competito varsity volleyball. tive, many are expecting the section title The team is very confident in their hopes game this year to be a repeat of last year’s to win the section title, but also quite aware of the competition, RHS vs. GBHS. especially Rocklin High School’s team. RHS and GBHS faced “We expect to be competing for it every year. That’s our off in last year’s section title championship game, and GBHS goal.” said Bruce Honberger, the boy’s volleyball varsity coach. took home the title in a 3-1 victory.

Honberger has been the varsity coach at GBHS for the last few Rocklin has a strong senior class, and Giannotti says that they years. Honberger says that he doesn’t aim to win the section title are very athletic and are this year’s biggest opponent. every year, but to merely train his players to be the best vol“The level right now (compared to last year’s team) is about leyball players they can be, and as a result of their hard work is the same, but I definitely think we can be better than last year’s team,” says senior and team captain John Holway. Holway plays winning the section title.

“We have a very young team, and that will present us chalin the back row for his club volleyball team, but for the varsity lenges very early on, but we have a very high quality team,” says team this year he plans on being an outside hitter.

Honberger, “It’s all a matter of putting it all together.”

When it comes to changing the mindset of positions in vol-

W

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

The Grizzly volleyball team, left, begins the trek for another title. In between play, junior Matt Austin, bottom, calls out the opposing players.

Gazette photos/ RaCHAEL VASQUEZ

Club and high school sports create cross-pitch conflict

GBHS athletes juggle demanding obligations of multiple programs

BY ALEX PINK

“I

apink.gazette@gmail.com

go to school, then high school practice, then eat, then off to club practice, then homework, then sleep. And repeat.” Maria Dela Cruz said, a girls’ soccer player.

This can be seen as the typical day for a dedicated girl athlete, who chooses to participate in both a club and sport.

During spring sports season here at Granite Bay High School, some students have to work to balance their life between club and high school team sports, girls’ soccer in particular.

Unlike many other sports, soccer, at the highest competitive level is considered a year around sport.

Tryouts are in the spring, training and conditioning is through the summer, league starts in fall, and major tournaments, including State Cup, take place in winter and spring, and then right back to tryouts in spring and the seemingly neverending cycle starts again.

The difference of between high school and club soccer was perfectly distinguished by Ron Benjamin, who is a coach of the Del Oro girls’ soccer team as well as a coach and coaching director of the prestigious Placer United Soccer Club.

“High school soccer is fun. The players get to experience playing with friends

Grizz Quiz Where did you go on your last vacation?

What would be the first thing you would buy if you had $1 million?

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be?

from school…and (it) really builds school pride. The goal of the club is to develop the players throughout the year and … (to get the players) prepared to play at the collegiate level.” Benjamin said.

Some players wish to experience both of these soccer levels.

During the spring, however, high school soccer begins for the girls and the stress of balancing the two becomes tricky and demanding.

“It’s hard having to go to both practices…Its pretty tiring and sometimes my club coach will make his practice seem more important than high school games,” Morgan Geiger, a member of GBHS girls’ varsity soccer team and a placer united player said.

“It is definitely not easy,” added Dela Cruz, who is in the same predicament as her teammate, Geiger.

There appears to be an evident struggle.

Attempting to balance daily high school practices after school, club night practices a few days a week and loads of homework seems to be a huge burden of stress.

The individual players are not the only ones who seem to struggle between the high school and club difficulties.

Chris Roberts, the GBHS varsity girls’ soccer coach and JV boys’ soccer coach, has experienced conflicts between the two soccer arenas and finally found ways to alleviate the battle.

“I have had players leave high school

Andrew Wilson Baseball

participate in the fun ambiance of the high school team.

Benjamin also works out his club soccer games for club practices and their club practices to be compatible with the high coaches have had them sit out (of high school schedule. school games) to have them get rest for “We at Placer United try our best to a club tournament...(club coaches) have work with the (high school) coaches … expectations that are unrealistic,” Roberts (and) send them the club schedule in the said. spring so we can avoid any conflicts.”

“Placer United has definitely eased it The coaching direcout on the girls tors of both Placer though,” he added.

United’s and Granite Ron Benjamin Bay’s coaching staff has contributed I want (club and have convened in to this ease by order to diminish some high school soccer) becoming more problems that were ocflexible about club to coexist... and curring between the two players participatplayers should do soccer levels, however, ing in high school one club seems to have both to excel... and soccer. not.

As a high school more importantly, San Juan Soccer and club soccer have fun.

Club is another Sacracoach, Benjamento area prestigious min has proven – Coach Chris Roberts competitive soccer to be a qualified club that has a differand knowledgeent perspective on girls’ able coach, who high school soccer and understands the challenges and a differing commitment struggles the players may face. level expected from the players during the “In the spring, (Placer United) lightens school season. the load on the players and trains once Brigid Lummis and Paris Loomis, both during the week and once on the weekplayers on San Juan and GBHS girls’ ends if we don’t have games,” Benjamin varsity team, have agreed to share the San said.

Juan outlook of high school soccer.

This tactic appears to ease out the stress “They don’t really like (high school socon the players who are eager to play at the cer),” Lummis said, about her San Juan high, intense competitive level, as well as coaches.

Daniel Graham Track and Field

Zach Burger Boys’ Lacrosse

Sara Wagner Girls’ Soccer

Chris Roberts GBHS teacher and varsity girls’ soccer coach has experience with dual-team athletes

But there seems to big a reason to why the San Juan club has different outlooks on high school soccer. “(San Juan) is in the ECNL, which is the Elite Club National League…and we’ve been training for college showcases, which are a huge deal…and they don’t want us hurt for it,” said Loomis.

Both of these players are aware of the challenges they face in accommodating the two levels of soccer, however, Loomis admitted it is manageable.

“It is hard…I go from (high school) practice to practice in Sacramento…but if you want to do it, you can,” said Loomis.

With all the differences among the competitive clubs and the challenges the participating girls players face, the management of both may be difficult. However, with severe dedicated, many players seem to find a way to play in both and enjoy the best of both soccer worlds.

Coach Roberts has even gained an appreciation for both of these soccer arenas.

“I want (club and high school soccer) to coexist...and players should do both to excel…and more importantly, have fun.”

Page Kastner Girls’ Lacrosse

My cabin

Monterey Bay Aquarium

New York, New York

San Diego

Tahoe

A brand new car

A nice house

An organization in Africa

A giant mansion

A space ship

The egg

The egg

The chicken

The chicken

The egg

Brian Wilson

Samuel L. Jackson

Trey Songz

Oprah

The Dali Lama

Nike or Adidas?

\

Nike

Nike

Nike

Nike

Nike Compiled by Laura Preston

Friday, March 11, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C3

TAKE A HIKE Local jaunts that won’t break the bank

BY ADAM TILFORD

atilford.gazette@gmail.com

Quarry Road Trail at American River Confluence

The Auburn foothills are a perfect place to go hiking, considering the short drive and the beautiful canyons and mountains. However, the real decision comes down to which trail to take. But no matter what choice you make you can’t lose.

However, a good one is located at the American River Confluence, off of Highway 49. Right after you cross the bridge over the American River, there is a dirt road on the left as you head uphill that leads to a small parking lot. Park here, and then the trailhead is at the green gate.

There is a small parking fee, but to avoid it you can park on the side of the road about 100 yards downhill to avoid any costs.

The trail is open to hikers, bikes, and horseback, but it’s never too crowded.

The first mile of this trail is extremely easygoing, as it is basically a flat dirt road cut into the side of the can-

yon, following the path of the river. There are some nice views of the water below, as well as a few creeks that run down into the river.

After about a mile, the trail opens up into a very nice picnic area with tables and shade structures. It’s a nice area for a snack, with the sound of the river running just below.

The main attractions of the trail, however, are located on the trail that runs up the hill to the right.

Along this trail, there are remnants of large limestone structures that used to be used in mining. The reason for these becomes evident as you reach the midway point of the hill and come upon the large cave entrance to the quarry. It’s gated off, but is still a very cool site to peer down into the darkness through the bars.

If you continue up the unmarked hill on the right- a kind of difficult hike- you access even more amazing views. When you reach the top, you can see beautiful scenes of both the American River and the quarry. The mountain air is soothing and the views are breathtaking, and they are well worth the hike up.

Lake Natomas

What turns a good hike into a great hike often isn’t just the scenery – sometimes it’s the fun stuff you can do along the way.

At Lake Natomas in Folsom, the biggest appeal is the collection of rope swings and jump spots all along the eastern shoreline. In the winter the water is far too cold for a swim, but when spring and summer roll around these swings become the perfect group activity for a sunny day.

Afraid of heights? Don’t worry, there are small rope swings that can still be a lot of fun for beginners. Then, for the more hardcore people out there, there are rope swings that can really launch you in the air – perfect for flips or just a huge rush as you soar. So, there’s something for everyone along the way.

Access to these swings is very easy – there’s a paved biking/walking trail parallel to the lake only about 50 yards inland, and dirt rails veer off towards the shore and the rope swings.

Also, it might be a good idea to ride bikes there if you don’t have a lot of time to spend.

A good way to get down to this trail is to take Auburn-Folsom all the way to the new bridge that crosses Natomas, and then take the exit in the middle of that bridge that leads up to old Folsom. Take a left and find a parking lot along the left side (it’s usually pretty empty) across the street from a parking garage.

From there, just unload and head towards the lake – there are plenty of ways down from that parking lot, so it won’t be hard to find one. Once you’re on the paved trail, head in the direction of the fish hatchery (south), and you’ll start running into rope swings after about a mile when you take the side trails.

Then, enjoy your day! Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen.

Ga zet te p

ho t os /A

DA

M

LF

TI

O RD

Consumnes River Preserve

Most of the time, when people imagine a great hike, they think of mountains, canyons, or lakes, but there’s one environment that doesn’t usually jump to mind – wetlands.

The Consumnes River Preserve is one such place where the marshland scenery is incredibly unique and beautiful.

The reserve is located off of the Elk Grove Blvd. exit on I-5: take a left when you first exit onto Elk Grove Blvd. and then a right onto Franklin Blvd. after a mile or two. Then, just continue on this road for a couple of minutes and the visitor’s center and entrance will be on your left – you can’t miss it.

There are a couple of different trails you can take, each leading to slightly different types of scenery. The most popular trail leads out into a large, open wetland area through a series of wood bridges.

Here, you can spot flocks of birds all around and see the reflection of the sky and reeds in the still water, which comes right up to the walkway you stand on. The sight is breathtaking near sunset, but it can get pretty cold pretty fast once the sun goes down in winter.

Another trail takes you around a couple miles of marshy terrain on a dirt trail. The mess of trees, water, plants, and mud (not on the trail, thankfully) create some beautiful sights that are completely unique to that environment, and they often feel like they could be straight out of an Indiana Jones movie.

Also, large amounts of rain don’t flood the area beyond usability – even after a couple days of pouring, the trails are considerably clear and traversable.

All this makes for an incredible hike that doesn’t require a trip up to the mountains.

Senior Kevin Nielsen excels in ten different track and field events

BY JOHN PARK

jpark.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /JOHN PARK

Senior Kevin Nielsen pole vaults over the bar while practicing one of his ten different events for the track and field decathalon

Granite Bay High School senior Kevin Nielsen has long been known in the Sierra Foothill League track and field scene, and for good reason.

Nielsen enters his third season as a varsity athlete with a substantial amount of accomplishments under his belt.

Nielsen placed second in the SFL and third in Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II competition in the open 400 meter race and fifth in the nation in the decathlon at the Junior Olympics over the summer.

The decathlon consists of ten different events which are designed to test a competitor’s overall athleticism. They are the 100 meter, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meter, 110 meter hurdles, discus throw,

pole vault, javelin throw and 1500 meter. Such a wide range of events are extremely difficult to master and the Olympic gold-medalist of the decathlon is given the title of “world’s greatest athlete.”

“Kevin is one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached,” GBHS sprints coach Roosevelt Kent said. “He is nowhere near his full potential either…I’m excited for what he can do.”

Nielsen enjoys the variety track offers and feels that if he ever becomes bored he can go throw or jump or practice other events.

However, it is not as easy as Nielsen makes it sound to switch events on a whim.

Typically, track athletes defer to picking one type of event,

because each kind of event requires consistent and extensive training and time.

Nielsen is one of the few that breaks this norm however.

“The younger kids on the team look up to him a lot. His marks have just commanded respect from the new people on the team” said senior captain Maddie Lummis.

Despite his success, Nielsen hopes to keep improving.

“I have a lot of goals for myself, I really [want to] see myself improve so I can be a top competitor on the college level” said Nielsen.

These include reaching 23 feet in long jump, 6’ 10” in high jump, and running a high 14 second 110 meter hurdle.

These marks would all put

him in the ranks of the elite in the state of California, which is known as being one of the most competitive states in the nation.

Nielsen has received many offers to run track in college, and is currently deciding between University of California at Berkeley and Brigham Young University.

“It’s a long season, so I’m expecting some more offers as I go to some of the bigger meets” says Nielsen.

Wherever track takes Nielsen however, he is sure to find success.

“I don’t really know why I do all these events,” Nielsen said. “It’s just really fun and I’m pretty good at them so I enjoy it.”

C4 Sports

Friday, March 11, 2011

Recreational sports on the rise

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Top athletes have taken to playing low key sports for fun

BY R. SLATER MCLAUGHLIN rmclaughlin.gazette@gmail.com

In a fiercely competitive athletic environment such as Granite Bay High School’s, where championship pennants adorn the walls and college recruits are often abundant in varsity sports, the average athlete who wishes to play a team sport is often out of luck.

Many GBHS students have turned to recreational sports such as local rec soccer leagues or the Hotshots basketball league to either stand-in for or supplement their high school careers.

Recreational sports offer students a chance to enjoy a lot of the fun of high school sports without the stress, skill requirements and commitment.

Senior Sam Freitas found that the nature of rec soccer fit him perfectly. “(Playing on a rec team causes) a lot less stress,” Freitas said. “There’s a little bit more leeway when it comes to making practices or not. It was especially good with my schedule at school.”

Freitas enjoyed the fact that because he played recreationally he could work soccer into his life instead of working his life around soccer.

Beyond the more laid back nature of rec sports, Freitas also enjoyed the talent level.

“It’s interesting to be able to play (organized) soccer and not be as good as you need to be to play at another level such as a varsity team,” Freitas said. “Its especially interesting because in the Valley, kids don’t necessarily have bleed off teams so it’s either varsity or rec (for those players).”

The ability to play high quality teams and not have a high school level of commitment was also appealing to Freitas.

“You are getting to play kids that just

(barely) didn’t make the varsity cut so you a second round upset in the playoffs despite play harder (teams),” Freitas said. “It’s fun being the top seed. to get that experience you wouldn’t have any White’s team is in the championship game, other way.” despite losing to Mendoza’s team in the Rec sports are also pursued by many fullregular season, and he attributed much of his time varsity athletes such as senior football team’s success to the fact that they were playplayer Ethan ing many freshmen Mendoza and and sophomore aged senior baseball teams. players Thomas Despite the fact that Taylor and James the Hotshots league It’s interesting to be White. has a full blown able to play Mendoza played playoff tournament Hotshots basketdetermined by regular (organized) soccer ball in the same season play, both and not be as good as league as White White and Mendoza and they both believe that the emoyou need to be to play enjoyed the sport tion of playing for a at another level such due to its laid varsity team outstrips back atmosphere, their Hotshots team. as a varsity team. especially when “Football is sweeter compared to their because you put a lot -Sam Freitas, GBHS senior and varsity countermore time and effort parts. into it, so it’s a lot recreational soccer player “Playing footmore intense when ball at the school you have that level of is a lot more dedication in someserious. (We are) thing.” Mendoza said. practicing every “A big win in baseday (and there is) a lot more on the line.” ball is definitely a big deal.” White said. “In Mendoza said. “Rec basketball is more just Hotshots it’s exciting for that night but after for fun, (it’s) for having a good time playing a that it doesn’t really mean anything. (Baseball sport that you love with your friends.” is) something bigger, its more competitive.”

While all three lauded the laid-back, funTaylor however, has a different point of loving atmosphere that rec basketball and rec view. soccer created, their varsity competitiveness “Honestly, I don’t think (winning in rec vs still spilled over into the less serious competivarsity competition) feels that much differtions. ent.” Taylor said. “You care more in a more “We definitely want to win.” Mendoza said. competitive situation (such as baseball) but “After we lost we were definitely devastated.” once you get into a game you are going to do Mendoza’s Hotshots team went undefeated the best you can to win and anything short of throughout the regular season, but suffered that isn’t going to feel good.”

Gazette photo /JOHN PARK

Junior Michael Bertolino, normally a football player at GBHS, looks to pass to a teammate during his championship Hotshots game.

March brings madness to the college basketball scene GBHS teachers weigh in on the annual NCAA tourney

BY LAURA PRESTON

lpreston.gazette@gmail.com

Madness is what takes place every year in college basketball when the month of March rolls around.

Each year on Selection Sunday, which this year falls on March 13, 64 teams are chosen to participate in the NCAA Div. I men’s basketball tournament. These teams are then divided into four different brackets, ranked from 1-16 and go head to head in a single game elimination contest; if they win they move on to the next round, if they lose they go home.

The most common way that people show their passion and involvement in the tournament process, besides watching the games, is to fill out brackets and participate in office pools to try to predict who will win the whole thing.

At Granite Bay High School, students and staff alike

take part in choosing their picks and working to beat the odds. Math teacher Scott Becker even tries to integrate it into his lessons.

“I’ve done (brackets) in class with my kids, because there’s all kinds of probability stuff,” Becker said. “It’s easy to pull the stats of how many times in history a 12 has beat a 5 so you can do probability things.”

Probability is a huge part of choosing tournament picks because there is always the chance for an upset, but nowadays most people don’t have the time to analyze teams and their records, so they simply rely on gut instinct.

For some, though, the tournament is about staying loyal to their school and rooting for them until the bitter end.

Biology teacher and wrestling coach Shane Dixon is from central New York, the home of the Syracuse

Orange, and he has stayed true to his team no matter what its record. He often picks the Orange men to win the big dance even if it hurts his chances of winning the faculty pool.

In addition to his loyalty for his team, Dixon has even put his dignity on the line in a few friendly wagers.

“A few years ago, Syracuse was playing (Brigham Young University) in the first round and (boys’ varsity basketball coach Jason) Sitterud had to buy me a Beach Hut Deli sandwich on that one,” Dixon said. “This year BYU is ranked pretty high and Syracuse has a great team, but they’re a little up and down so I don’t know if he’ll call me back up if they meet each other in the bracket.”

In addition to the competition among staff members, the March Madness season brings back memories from their collegiate years.

Assistant principal Cathy Raycraft was lucky enough to attend UCLA during the John Wooden era. The

Gazette illustration/JUSTIN SHIIBA

Wooden–led teams won a national championship each year that Raycraft was a student, and she had the personal benefit of being able to sit on the sidelines for each game as a song girl.

“It was really electric, the school spirit and everything,” Raycraft said. “When you walk into Pauley Pavilion it (was) so spirited, I mean, you see it on TV now, it was even better back then.”

She is no longer on the sidelines, she plans to follow the tournament through her NCAA Live app for her iPhone rather than taking part in the faculty pool.

Like Dixon, Raycraft also has her favorites and will primarily be rooting for UCLA, but she would really be happy with any team from the Pac-10 Conference winning the title.

When March roles around, college basketball becomes the focus of most of the sporting world, but when it’s over, many are left wondering: what comes next?

“It’s really fun and it’s like I go through withdrawal when it’s over,” Raycraft said. “I just want to watch constant basketball, and that’s all I want on the TV.”

Friday, March 11, 2011

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sports C5

EYEN: Professional coaching has pros and cons

PRESTON: Respect code

Eyen said the difficulty and stress of the position are often underestimated.

“The hours of film watching, game preparation, practice time and travel are often overlooked when describing my job,” Eyen said in an email. “The most challenging part of the job is the game preparation. Defensively, trying to stop or neutralize the best players in the world.”

“From a personal standpoint, it is the travel; it demands a lot of time away from ones family and that can be a hardship.”

Lena also said the time demand of her father’s job has its ups and downs.

“It’s exciting because (my father’s) schedule can sometimes be more flexible than other peoples, he has some time in the summer,” Lena said. “Then he can be gone for weeks at a time, so that can be a downside.”

Being a professional coach has given Eyen and his family the opportunity to travel around

Utah State, three other schools that gave him offers to play, but he chose BYU. He knew the rules and he broke them and he was man enough to admit to his mistakes, something many athletes probably wouldn’t do today if they were facing allegations that might end their career (yeah, I’m talking to you Barry Bonds, Ben Roethlisberger and Cameron Newton).

So leave the kid and BYU alone. Davies is already suffering enough for his actions by having to sit on the bench and watch his teammates play; he doesn’t need more publicity and negativity to surround him.

And as for BYU, if you don’t agree with its Honor Code or its practices, then don’t attend the school.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its principles and has had them for longer than you or I have been alive, so don’t judge its members or BYU for what you might think are old school rules.

At the very least, respect BYU for showing that nobody, not even a student athlete, is exempt to the policy.

And hey, a few morals never hurt anybody. *** Laura Preston, a senior, is a Gazette sports co-editor.

Continued from page C1

the world. Eyen has worked as a consultant for basketball teams in Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. He also went to Russia with the Clippers and France with the Lakers.

The Eyen’s have been able to utilize some of Jim’s business trips as family vacations, one of the aspects Joe said he enjoys about his father’s career.

“I’ve been exposed to some interesting things (through my father’s job),” Joe said. “And because I like basketball, it’s been influential in my interest in (it). I’ve been able to do some neat things.”

Joe has inherited his father’s love of basketball, and recently helped the varsity boys’ basketball team to a Sierra Foothill League co–championship. He’s uncertain of whether he will continue to play in college or pursue a career in coaching, but his father’s job has definitely contributed to his consideration. “(A positive of my father’s position has been) being able to meet players and coaches that

have been successful in what they do,” Joe said. “It’s an interest of mine, so it’s neat to be able to talk to them.”

The inherent mobility of the job has made Joe and Lena’s school experience a bit different than most students.

The Eyen’s have moved four times, coming to Granite Bay High School at the beginning of Joe’s junior year and Lena’s freshman year.

Both said that despite the potential difficulties of moving, they have enjoyed being able to experience several different places and environments.

Overall, professional coaching is both challenging and rewarding.

“What I enjoy most about coaching is the teaching aspect– watching a player progress and discovering how to best develop and utilize an individual’s specific talent and skills,” Jim said. “Often a player’s specific talent is not utilized; it is important to tap into that talent and bring it into the team concept.”

POSTSEASON: Lady Grizzlies made the best of a difficult rebuilding season Continued from page C1

solidified their spot as one of the most popular sports at GBHS with the continuing support of The Tribe. Four bus loads of students attended the game at Power Balance Pavilion, and that kind of support made a difference for the Grizzlies all season long.

“For home games, it (was) such an advantage,” Howarth said of the Tribe’s cheering. “It just (pumped) me up and (made) me want to play better. To (compare it to) last year, to see the growth of the popularity of Granite Bay basketball and how everyone came out to support us, it was just awesome to see your friends cheering for you.”

With the loss to Sheldon, the Grizzlies’ overall record was 26-4, but they rallied back in the first round of the NorCal regional tournament to beat McClymonds High School of Oakland, 56-55. As the Gazette went to press, the Grizzlies were scheduled to play De La Salle High School in Concord on Thursday in the second round of the tournament.

“It’s been a great season,” Sitterud said. “We did a lot of cool things, there’s been a lot of firsts, and it’s been a good season. I can’t complain.”

Wrestling This season, GBHS wrestlers accomplished more than they ever have before.

The Grizzlies began the season with a number of tournament victories including the Sheldon Invitational, the Casa Roble Invitational and a third-place finish out of 72 teams at the Big Valley Classic, but this was just the beginning of their success.

Under the new leadership of coach Shane Dixon, the Grizzlies went undefeated in Sierra Foothill

League dual matches and claimed the first SFL wrestling title for the school.

“It felt great knowing that it’s something that we’ve brought to this school that it’s never really had before, success in wrestling,” senior wrestler Phil Vogeley said.

The Grizzly success extended far into the postseason as 13 wrestlers qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section meet. Four of the wrestlers made it to the finals and two won the section title in their weight division – senior Will Anderson (189-pound weight class) and junior Gavin Andrews (285) each won individual SFL and section titles. The Grizzlies earlier finished second in the Div. II section team dual championships, and, as a team, they won the Div. II section individual championship.

The Grizzlies were fortunate – because they qualified a large portion of their roster to move on to the postseason, they were able to keep things “normal” in their workouts.

“Since we qualified so many, we were able to keep doing our traditional practice right here in the room with all our guys,” Dixon said. “So we kept all our qualifiers but all our younger guys (too) ... so a lot of our guys have still been practicing.”

The extra practice and intense work ethic continued to prove successful for the wrestlers as 12 pushed their way through to the Masters tournament.

“Going into the postseason, we had some expectations of doing well – but we did a lot better than we thought we would,” Vogeley said. “We went into the postseason thinking we’d do well, but we just exceeded our own expectations by working hard.”

The wrestlers managed to place fourth out of 150 teams at the Masters tournament and qualified

five wrestlers – Andrews, Anderson, Adam Wagner (152), Andrew Broadland (125) and Johnny Cooley (145) – for the state tournament. Despite his second-place finish at Masters, Andrews did not wrestle in the state meet because of an injury.

At the state meet, Wagner was the only one to move on to day two of the tournament. He finished in the top 12.

All-in-all the GBHS wrestling exceeded all expectations, including their own.

“We’ve had a lot of improvements from previous years because we didn’t lose a lot of seniors last year and we had a lot of growth and development on the team this year,” Vogeley said.

“We’ve been really improving and doing stuff that we could have never imagined at the beginning of the year.”

Girls’ basketball Sometimes a team’s record doesn’t reflect its heart and perseverance, which was certainly the case with the GBHS girls’ basketball team this season.

The girls struggled to a 2-24 record, but they never failed to give their best efforts on the court.

“We didn’t want to give up because our record didn’t reflect the talent our team really had,” senior captain Cayley McDowell said.

“We all came together and finished the season as a family. We didn’t want to let each other down.”

The girls attended tournaments in Sacramento and Livermore and took each game as a learning experience.

“The season was very up and down – we didn’t accomplish what we wanted record-wise, but ultimately we improved a lot from our first game to our last,” varsity girls’ basketball coach Melissa Triebwasser said. “We

Sophomore excels on the pitch

BY KATIE ZINGHEIM

kzingheim.gazette@gmail.com

Those familiar with soccer know that passion for the game tends to run in the family.

Sisters Maddie and Brigid Lummis are no exception.

Both girls began playing when they were four years old, progressing through the youth soccer programs which are hallmarks of so many childhoods.

“I kind of followed in (my sister’s) footsteps,” Brigid said.

Both Lummis’ excelled at the sport, and played for competitive traveling teams as they got older.

Maddie, a senior, traded her soccer cleats for a pair of track spikes Gazette photo /RACHAEL VASQUEZ her sophomore year, but Brigid car- Brigid Lummis has translated her soccer skills ried on her enthusiasm for the sport. into a spot on the varsity team as a sophomore A sophomore, Brigid recently made the GBHS varsity girls’ soccer develops on the team while they’re on the team, and plays center midfielder for both road to success. the school and San Juan United Soccer “(On the varsity team,) I’m with a lot club. of my friends who I was with on JV last Brigid, who’s been playing for 11 years, year,” Brigid said. “It was really fun, said that soccer hadn’t always been her so hopefully this year will be even more focus in athletics. fun.”

“I tried to play as many sports as I could The team already won their first tournaand experience them and see which one I ment, and being a part of the varsity squad was good at,” she said. as an underclassman is an experience She eventually chose soccer, which is Brigid describes as “pretty exciting.” the only sport she trains for now.

Brigid plans on continuing her soccer Brigid’s experience playing for the career in college, although for now she’s focusing on enjoying her time as a GrizGBHS team has been a good one– she zly. especially enjoys the camaraderie that

Continued from page C1

Gazette photos /MAGGIE LOUIS

 Junior Koki Arai, left, controls the ball while looking for an open teammate during the SacJoaquin Section semifinal game against Sheldon at Power Balance Pavillion. Senior William Anderson, bottom, wrestles an opponent during the Section tournament at Hiram Johnson High School. Senior Jacob Keys, below, looks to drive to the basket while being fouled by a Sheldon Husky.

really battled our second half of league and gave great efforts, and hopefully it’s an experience that the players will remember for the positives that they all had and not for our record.”

One of the Grizzlies’ two victories against Roseville, an SFL

rival, and it became one of the high points for the season.

Despite their record, the girls continued to push through adversity. Triebwasser said the contribution of six seniors helped to keep everybody motivated.

“They cared about each other,

and I think they played like they didn’t want to let each other down,” she said. “We saw improvement and that helped as well.

Also because we’ve talked about family so much the last two years, I think they wanted to play like one no matter what the score.”

STREAK: Swimming dominance won’t end soon Continued from page C1 of perpetual motion of the team going.”

While athletes are aware of the team’s long SFL winning streak, it’s not really something Sherman emphasizes.

“We don’t really focus on it,” Sherman said of the winning streak. “It’s definitely something in their minds and it’s something the swimmers can look forward to continuing, but it’s not something that we apply pressure on them for.

“I never want to make assumptions that our streak will continue. I know that this team, based on what we have going, will always be good. But being able to always win, all the time, is not anything that anybody can promise.

Sicknesses happen, injuries happen. I’m just grateful to be part of a great program with hard-working athletes.”

It’s not like the Grizzlies have never lost. Granite Bay has come up on the short end of non-league meets to Davis, Jesuit and St. Francis in the past, and the girls tied Oak Ridge in a non-league dual meet in 1999.

But in the SFL, it’s been all Grizzlies for a decade and a half.

The Grizzlies won varsity boys’ and girls’ Sac-Joaquin Section titles two years ago, and last year both teams finished second at the section meet. A point of pride for Sherman is that GBHS has won the mythical overall section title – adding together the points scored by the boys and girls – for five years running.

This year, the boys will be led by junior Andrew Murch and senior diver Elliott Abram, and the girls will count on the twosome of junior Sophie Weber and sophomore Hannah Calton. All four were section finalists last year.

Murch finished second in the 100-yard backstroke in the section meet last season in a very fast 50.58 seconds, and he was third in the 200 freestyle in 1:40.95.

Abram was second in the 1-meter diving event with 453.75 points. On the girls’ side at last year’s section meet, Weber was third in the 100 backstroke (56.89) and the 200 individual medley (2:04.27); Calton was fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:54.06) and the 100 butterfly (58.00).

Other returning Grizzly swimmers who scored individual points at the section meet and will be significant contributors this season include sophomore Lauren Fitzgerald (500 freestyle, 100 backstroke), senior Melissa Callaghan (100 breaststroke), senior Kelsey Waltrip (200 free) and senior Jerra Hagans (100 backstroke, 200 IM) for the girls; on the boys’ side, senior Brandon Sanders (50 freestyle), senior Luke Keffer (100 freestyle), senior Austin Akre (200 freestyle) and senior Nick Boliard (100 breaststroke) all scored at the section meet in 2010.

Another accomplishment for the Grizzlies over the years is the number of swimmers who have gone on to compete at the collegiate Division I level – 41 over the last eight years, according to Sherman.

While both teams focus on excellence, the culture of the boys’ and girls’ squads is definitely different, Sherman said.

“Our boys have a lot of fun out here,” he said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie, a lot of team. They cheer each other on in practice, and they really push each other vocally to achieve.

“Our girls team is a lot quieter. But it doesn’t mean they don’t work as hard or compete as hard. They just do it differently. It’s two very different groups.

Our girls sit at practice and stare at our guys and say, ‘Wow, they are weird.’

But we have a lot of fun with them.”

Sanders, a sprinter, thinks the boys have a shot to win a section title ... if everything works out just right.

“We’ve definitely got a good team

this year,” Sanders said. “Last year we only had two seniors and still got second place at sections. This year we’re looking really solid.

“Freestyle is definitely our strong point. We have a lot of depth. We always do. That’s what helps us win the meets. … We’ve got a lot of fast relays and swimmers this year, and a lot of the other teams that were close to us in sections last year lost almost all of their best swimmers. We’re looking really good, especially compared to other teams.”

The girls, too, are feeling confident as the season moves into the dual-meet phase over the next few weeks.

“We had a lot of seniors leave last year and we lost Quincy Christian and some other really good people,” senior Ali Valdrighi said. “But, honestly, I think we’re going to be fine this year because we have a lot of good sophomores and some new freshmen. All around, I think we have enough people in each event that … it seems that we’re spread pretty evenly. We have people who are good in every event, and we can put them in anything.”

For Sherman, it ultimately all comes down to continuing the GBHS tradition of swimming excellence – and with outstanding JV programs, a communitybased up-and-coming swimmers program and excellent summer recreational teams at Johnson Ranch and the high school (the Granite Bay Gators), things look good for the future.

“All the other teams – every year – see who we graduate, and they think they can beat Granite Bay next year,” Sherman said. “But really, we don’t have a re-building year, we just re-load. We have new bullets that come up into the chamber.”

In other words, look out SFL – the streak is likely to continue for years to come.

C6 Sports

Friday, March 11, 2010

w The Granite Bay Gazette

AT A GLANCE

Stats at a Glance Boys’ Volleyball Upcoming Games: w3/12 Frosh/JV @ UC Davis JV Tourney w3/12 @ Poway HS (San Diego) w3/18 vs. St. Francis

Girls’ Soccer Upcoming Games: w3/12 @ Sierra HS Tourney w3/16 @ Davis w3/18 vs. St. Francis

Track and Field Upcoming Meets: w3/12 King Gilbert Meet w3/26 Stanford Invite w3/30 SFL Meet #1

Baseball Upcoming Games: w3/15 vs. Sheldon w3/19 vs. Tracy w3/25 vs. Bella Vista

Boys’ Tennis Upcoming Matches: w3/17 @ Woodcreek w3/22 vs. Del Oro w3/24 @ Rocklin

Boys’ Golf Upcoming Matches: w3/22 @ Nevada Union w3/24 @ Woodcreek w3/28 @ Thunder Invite

Boys’ Lacrosse Upcoming Games: w3/15 vs. Davis w3/18 @ Bishop w3/19 @ Piedmont

Girls’ Lacrosse Upcoming Games: w3/12 @ Redwood w3/15 @ Dublin w3/18 @ Bella Vista

Swimming Upcoming Meets: w3/12 @ Roseville Invite w3/18 @ De La Salle Invite w4/1 vs. Del Oro

Softball Upcoming Matches: w3/15 vs. Folsom w3/17 vs. Ponderosa w3/23 vs. Whitney

GBHS junior Ian Mook, top, works to gain an advantage during the section tournament. Driving to the hoop, senior Jon Davis, middle left, dribbles around Sheldon High School senior Ramon Eaton during the section semifinal at Power Balance Pavilion, a 67-66 overtime loss. With the referee watching, junior Andrew Broadland, middle right, fights his way to a state berth at the section tournament. During a timeout, Coach Jason Sitterud, above, rallies the Grizzlies at their game against Sheldon.

At Power Balance, senior Tribe member Josh Calton, left, cheers during the basketball with his face-painted compatriots. With his biggest crowd of the season watching, senior Ryan Ramirez, bottom left, attempts a layup against Sheldon. A Del Oro High School wrestler goes legs up, bottom right, as senior Phil Vogeley brings him down.

wGazette photosw Maggie Louis

The Gazette’s entertainment guide March 2011

Saint Patrick’s Day G6

Fashion Feature G14 & G15

Hair Trends G16

The perfect make up for any occasion

Page 2

March 2011

Contents.

In this issue...

Saint Patrick’s Day Page G6

Fashion Feature Pages G14 & G15

Sadie Hawkin’s Page G8

Music Trends Page G13

Pokemon Page G17

Gazette front cover photo illustration/ SARAH BERTIN Gazette illustrations /JESSICA REESE AND KATIE ZINGHEIM

March 2011

SUNDAY

Page 3

Calendar.

Y

MONDA

Y

TUESDA

DAY

WEDNES

AY

FRIDAY

THURSD

AY

SATURD

11 Powder Puff Practice Begins

15

20

Saint Patrick’s Day

17

23 28

National Quilting Day

Powder Puff Game

One Lunch: Sadie’s Picnic

L I R

AP

Sacramento International Film Festival

April Fool’s Day

6

Sadie’s Dance

Blood Drive

1

One Lunch: Elections

9 Gazette illustrations/KATIE ZINGHEIM

Stop the Bop: Kidz Bop continues to exist

T

here’s always that song you skip-over, that album or genre you’re not too fond of, that artist whose voice you can’t stand.

Imagine all of those components united together in one, disharmonious compilation of music – otherwise known as a tone-lacking rendition of talent-lacking songs.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Kidz Bop. Now, Kidz Bop has been around for a good 10 years (as the incessant commercials have made innocent television viewers painfully aware of) and the fact that there are now 19 Kidz Bop albums currently in circulation is, quite frankly, a bit alarming.

The whole concept of children recording the squeaky, cleaned-up versions of overplayed pop songs was probably not the most musically attractive idea to begin with.

But aside from the obvious fingernails-on-a-chalkboard effect, there is the whole problem of the relevance of the songs to the audience they are geared toward.

Kidz Bop – the title suggests, or at least hints at the idea, that the intended audience is, in fact, kids. (Or, pardon me, “kidz.”)

[Why?]

Commentary

brittany hince bhince.gazette@gmail.com

But how can a seven year old possibly relate to the lyricism of Flo Rida? Can the club not even handle him right now (Kidz Bop 19)? Or how about Shop Boyz: can he party like a rockstar (Kidz Bop 13)?

I hope not.

Kidz Bop has the ultimate power to brutally murder just about any song it remakes. It doesn’t even have to be a good or likable song to begin

with it. But if the kidz get a hold of it, the song doesn’t stand a chance.

Take “If Today Was Your Last Day” by Nickelback for example, making its grand (re) appearance on Kidz Bop 16.

It’s not exactly a song that I would buy on iTunes for $1.29 to say the least.

Now – assuming that most of my readers have not sat down and listened to Kidz Bop 16 all the way through – I’d like you to imagine the rasping, manpowered voice of Nickelback replaced by the voice of your nine year old cousin, who still has three of his baby teeth and enjoys making farting noises with his armpit.

I’ll cut Kidz Bop some slack – the idea was at least worth a try.

But 19 whole Kidz Bop albums?

Even if the latest Kidz Bop did hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100, there is a time to call it quits, a time to stop while you’re ahead.

This is not just a rant – it’s a call to action: stop the bop!

Page 4

March 2011

Eat.

Claim Jumper

Red Robin

BY JON SETIAWAN jsetiawan.gazette@gmail.com

I

t’s been a while since I last dined at Red Robin, by the Roseville Galleria mall, and I decided that it was time to take another trip to see if anything has changed from the classic American diner that I remember.

Walking in, I was warmly greeted by an employee who kindly opened the door for me.

For a late Wednesday afternoon, I was surprised at the number of people dining there for lunch.

After being immediately seated, I began looking through the menu.

There was quite the selection, with various burgers, wraps and salads available. It was actually pretty hard to decide what to eat.

I finally decided on getting the guacamole bacon burger accompanied by freckled lemonade despite all the other great looking choices.

After I placed my order, I had a great opportunity to look around and observe some of the restaurant’s décor. Most of it was all-American decorations, ranging from baseballs to random old photos, with warm subtle lighting throughout.

The music they played added to the overall experience. It fit the classic American theme of the restaurant but was not loud enough to become a distraction to my meal or the conversations I was having with my friends.

First, my freckled lemonade came out. To my surprise, it was a perfect combination of strawberries and lemonade, with actual strawberries in the glass.

I thought it was a great and refreshing combination, especially since the weather was really starting to heat up.

My burger came out fairly quickly, and looked delicious. It tasted as great as it looked, with the guacamole sandwiched in, adding a unique twist to the classic burger.

The burger came out in a basket along with just a few fries. When paired with some of their special seasoning sprinkled on top, they were very good.

My only complaint with this is that although the fries were bottomless, it felt a little tedious to consistently have to ask for more. By putting more in the basket the first time, this could be avoided.

After I finished my burger, it was time to pay.

The price was fairly reasonable for a lunch meal, with the exception of the freckled lemonade, which was $3.99.

Four bucks for a drink is a little steep in my opinion – even if it comes with refills.

Aside from that, the meal was good, the food came out quickly and the staff was warm and friendly.

I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to get a great gourmet burger or wrap around the Galleria mall.

BY MATT VENEMAN

mveneman.gazette@gmail.com

L

arge portions and relatively cheap prices are becoming harder and harder to come by these days. There is one restaurant that stands out in this area: Claim Jumper.

Claim Jumper is located off of Harding Boulevard, just a few minutes drive from anywhere in Roseville.

I went to Claim Jumper on Valentine’s Day because it was the only restaurant I could find that had openings for a reservation, possibly due to the large size and seating capacity of the building.

My girlfriend and I were instantly seated, and the wait for those without reservations seemed pretty much nonexistent.

As I walked in, I noticed the “log cabin” style and architecture of the interior of the restaurant.

We were shown to our booth and were enclosed by the large backs, giving us a feeling that we were nearly separated from the rest of the restaurant.

We were greeted by our amiable waitress who took our drink orders: a sprite and a fresh strawberry lemonade.

I then found myself overwhelmed as I opened the menu.

The choices were never-ending as I flipped through seemingly infinite

menu.

After a few minutes of deliberation my girlfriend and I were ready to order.

Although all the food being served around me looked delicious and adventurous I decided to play it safe and order my favorite, a pepperoni pizza.

My girlfriend ordered the potato cheddar soup and a Caesar salad.

As we waited for our food we sipped on our large drinks, preparing ourselves for the huge portions that were soon to come.

Not long after we ordered, our food arrived in large quantities and piping hot.

My pizza was flawless: melted cheese topped with fresh pepperoni slices, all served on a warm and delicious bread crust that made for an excellent meal.

The soup and salad, while not technically an entrée, was just as filling and delicious.

The cheddar potato soup consisted of fresh baked potatoes chopped and simmered with cheddar cheese and topped with potato crisps.

The Caesar salad was made with crisp romaine lettuce tossed with parmesan, croutons and creamy Caesar dressing.

The meal in its entirety was exceptional and I enjoyed every bite.

Claim Jumper is a great place for someone looking for a large portion of food that doesn’t come at a high cost.

Il Fornaio

BY SAHIL KHOSLA skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

I

l Fornaio follows in the spirit of traditional Italian eateries in bringing together a comfortable, modern atmosphere and appetizing food.

It combines Italian architectural styling with a modern touch, to provide diners with an upscale venue to sit and enjoy a selected assortment of Italian fare.

As the melodic notes of classical Italian music entered my ears, my group was quickly seated in the back of the restaurant, in close proximity to the fireplace and a view of the exterior Galleria strip on an overcast day.

Once we had been seated and had selected a main course, I proceeded to try the freshly baked bread.

The crunch of the warm, soft bread was truly delightful. But when paired with the extra virgin olive oil drizzled with a layer of tart balsamic vinegar, the bread became a blissful experience to my taste buds.

Its crisp crust matched the sharp flavor of the balsamic vinegar and the subtle notes of the olive oil.

The breads came in several varieties but my

favorites were the rosemary and olive breads, which were simply delicious, and constantly tempted me to take another bite.

For the main course I ordered the Specialita’ Della Casa (specialty of the house), which was the Cannelloni al Forno.

The dish consisted of oven-baked pasta tubes filled with tender rotisserie chicken, sundried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms under strong cheeses like ricotta, pecorino and smoked mozzarella.

It was nicely executed and was quite filling, but it wasn’t something extremely unique or something I would order again.

I also tried a portion of the Ravioli alla Lucan, which in English means fresh, organic spinach ravioli filled with Italian sausage, ricotta, parmesan and fennel.

The ravioli was embellished with a spicy tomato sauce featuring peppers as well as an Italian cheese, and was garnished with fresh basil, making it a savory item.

Where Il Fornaio really shines is on its presentation of food; the food is neatly displayed with some alluring qualities, reminiscent of a colorful Italian fresco, but not as tasty.

My table’s server was amicable and attentive,

regularly returning to check in on us.

However, Il Fornaio doesn’t quite exhibit the charm of smaller family owned Italian eateries, but it does provide diners with a different approach to Italian cuisine.

If you’re around the Galleria, and want a break from your shopping spree, stop by Il Fornaio for a bite of Italian cuisine.

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Il Fornaio has clean presentation and atmosphere, but the quality of food is nothing special.

March 2011

Page 5

Eat.

Squeeze Inn

BY JOHN PARK jpark.gazette@gmail.com

A

h, the cheeseburger. Few can resist the temptations of this classic example of American gluttony.

However, those who seek the comforts of this fast food staple may soon become bored with the lack of variety in this area. With so few known options, McChickens and Double-Doubles can get old.

Fortunately, the Squeeze Inn offers a fresh, albeit somewhat bizarre, take on the classic hamburger.

The original Squeeze Inn, located on Power Inn Road, has won Best Dive in Sacramento for five straight years, and has even been featured on the popular Food Network Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

The Squeeze Inn pairs a 1/3 pound all-beef patty with 1/3 pound of cheese. This may not sound significant now, but picture this: a burger the size of a Big Mac with a skirt of cheese. The cheese is melted onto the patty when it is cooked, creating an 8-inch disk of cheese.

I had only heard of this behemoth burger from a friend, and had no idea what to actually expect.

When I stepped into the building, I was a little

weirded out by the tacky orange color scheme. The fluorescent lighting and white walls reminded me of a bleached, scrubbed-down hospital.

A random assortment of Sacramento Kings and San Francisco novelties lined the area surrounding the counter, though these items were far and few between. It seemed like an awkward, half-hearted attempt at decoration.

However, many were unperturbed by the environment as every booth and table was full when I arrived, and it was already eight o’clock.

A very cheerful, polite employee, who kindly explained almost half the menu to me, took my order: a squeeze burger with cheese, bacon and jalapeno, a large order of fries, and a soda – a total of about $14.

I was a little stunned at the large price as I wandered over to the soda dispensers and then to the table that had just opened up.

It took over 20 minutes for my food to come out, even though they had not taken another order in probably 30 minutes.

When it did come out, however, the cheese was hot and bubbling, exactly what I pictured it to be.

This cheeseburger was especially difficult to eat, simply due to the sheer bulk of it. Nonetheless, I

Pho Bac Hoa

BY SONIA IYER siyer.gazette@gmail.com

H

aving enjoyed my experience at Vietnamese restaurants before, I decided to test out a local one.

So, I happened upon Pho Bac Hoa, hidden away next to the Grocery Outlet in the complex across from the Safeway Parking Lot. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was that there weren’t many people – we were one of the three parties there.

Considering that it was a Saturday night dinner, it was obvious that this place isn’t too popular.

I also took notice of the cultural décor – there was giant statue of a four-legged animal in the very front that probably had some significant culture-related purpose, but was just pretty to me.

There were also some paintings on the wall and the seats and dishes had an ethnic pattern on them.

All of this was very nice, but the Nickelodeon cartoons playing on the back wall TV were a little offputting.

As the sound of annoyingly childish voices singing a terrible song titled “I’m So Sorry” infested my ears, I began to wonder if it was a joke.

But the waiters gave no sign that it was.

It then came time to order food, and the waiter was friendly,

answering any question about the menu items.

It didn’t take very long for the appetizer to come out: four tofu spring rolls.

I was disappointed at how bland they were, but when paired with the peanut sauce provided, they weren’t so bad.

They held me and my friend over until the main dishes came.

My friend, who ordered the Wonton Egg Noodle soup with Bok Choy, was brought an enormous bowl. (Be warned, if you’re not specific about which size soup you want, they will simply default to a large).

While she seemed to enjoy her meal, my soup – a small Vegetable Rice Noodle soup – unfortunately didn’t taste much better than the appetizer.

The vegetables were fresh and the broth had a nice flavor to it, but the noodles tasted a little too much like a two-minute microwaveable cup of noodles.

Even the small sized soup was more than enough to make a person full, but the food itself wasn’t that great, especially in comparison to other Vietnamese food I’ve had before.

Overall, I found that Pho Bac Hoa is probably not the best choice for a quality experience.

But, it may be worth a try if you have a toddler who’s into watching strangely deformed cartoons while he eats.

managed to struggle through it, and it was certainly delicious. The excess cheese was fun to eat and the fries were cut large and cooked perfectly.

While the price tag may have been a bit excessive, the Squeeze Inn offers a unique take on the American cheeseburger. Anyone seeking a new, family-friendly burger joint should definitely stop by the Squeeze Inn.

Gazette photo /MAGGIE LOUIS

Though somewhat pricey, Squeeze Inn serves a cheeseburger well worth the money.

Recipe of the Month

BY JESSICA REESE

jreese.gazette@gmail.com

F

rom Cupcake Wars on Food Network to the local chain, Icing on the Cupcake, cupcakes have become the latest food fad.

Despite the popularity and creativity of cupcakes, many have begun to predict that the cupcake will soon be handing its crown to pie.

With this recipe, the rivals reconcile their differences in the pursuit of a delectable treat: key lime pie cupcakes.

Ingredients: Cake: 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 3 eggs, room temperature 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. salt Filling: 1/3 plus 1 tbsp cup key lime juice 14 oz. can condensed milk

ers in a food processor or smash in a plastic bag until reduced to a powder.

Sift together the crumbs with the flour, baking soda, baking power and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture 1/4 at a time. Mix after each addition and alternate with 1/3 of the milk. Be sure to end with the last of the dry mixture.

Scoop the batter into prepared tins and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350ºF. Once a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, remove them from the oven and cool.

Combine the condensed milk and key lime juice to create the filling.

With a knife, cut out a portion of the center of each cupcake and fill with a generous scoop of the mixture.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat for one minute. Repeat this until all of the sugar has been added.

Finally, spoon a large dollop of meringue onto each cupcake. Bake for five minutes at 450ºF or until the meringue is golden.

Note: Due to the meringue, these will only last 24 hours.

Meringue topping: 3 egg whites 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1/3 cup sugar Making the cupcakes: Begin by creaming the butter, then add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. At which point, add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions. Place graham crack-

Gazette photo/JENNA REESE

Page 6

Celebrate.

March 2011

St. Patrick’s Day foray Traditions, opinions and stories about the upcoming holiday

BY ALLISON GARVEY agarvey.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustrations/JESSICA REESE

S

t. Patrick’s Day: the elusive non-holiday holiday. For some, it’s nothing more than a thought in the back of one’s head to wear green or pinch those who don’t, remembering stories about little leprechauns chasing pots of gold, but for others the day holds a little bit more significance than green eggs and ham.

While many enjoy the whimsy traditions,

some simply see the day like any other, Patrick’s Day feast,” McConnen said. without the hype of a traditional holiday.

St. Patrick’s Day is known for its “Is April Fool’s Day a holiday? I somewhat unconventional traditions, mean, it’s marked on the calendar but with pinching those who don’t wear that’s not the mark of a holiday,” senior green topping the list.

Amy Jahr said. “It seems like a juvenile “It’s the only holiday where you tradition.” actually get physically punished if So, is there more to St. Patrick’s you don’t participate. Then everyone Day than just green food and four leaf pulls the ‘well my underwear’s green’ clovers? to get out of that punishment, which, St. Patrick’s Day, originally a religious obviously, no one’s ever going to day honoring the patron Saint Patrick, check,” Jahr said. who journeyed across Ireland building For some, the punishment of being schools and churches baptizing the Irish pinched for not wearing green is people, is most commonly celebrated motivation enough. with green foods, beverages and “I always wear something green to limericks about leprechauns and pots of school on St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t gold. want to get With its journey pinched!” across the pond from senior Ali Ireland to the U.S., Adam said.

People think it’s St. Patrick’s Day has Although all about wearing changed to a simpler some students type of celebration, simply comply green and don’t more accessible than with the the all day feast expectations to know about all characterized wear green as the traditions by the a way to avoid holiday’s unpleasant behind it. homeland. repercussions, For others Granite Bay celebrate – Senior Connor High School the day as a students, the reminder of Peak holiday is the holiday’s generally a original lighthearted history. outlet for “It needs to spending time with friends be a bigger deal. People should be more and family. aware of the story,” senior Connor Peak “(My family) makes green said. “People think it’s all about wearing pancakes and waffles for green and don’t know about all the breakfast. My parents (also) traditions behind it.” hide chocolate coins around Peak is one of the few students who the house and we have to are determined to represent the story of find them, and we usually St. Patrick in its original form. get presents or something,” As a teacher assistant for Ireland senior Allie Krebs said. native and chemistry teacher James Although the majority of Cunningham, Peak plans on educating students find small ways his class in St. Patrick’s Day history. to recognize the holiday, “I plan to dress up as St. Patrick and there are a select few whose have some other kids in the class dress spirit is consistent with the up as snakes. I’m going to come in (to holiday’s homeland. the class) and drive all the snakes out of Senior Casey McConnen ‘Ireland,’” Peak said. is one such student.

Regardless of opinion, there is much “About a week or two discussion over whether St. Patrick’s before, my family begins to Day has a place or not as a legitimate construct a leprechaun out celebration. of paper mâché newspapers.

“St. Patrick’s Day is great because it’s On St. Patrick’s Day we something unique, the holiday is what break it open and have a St. you make of it,” Adam said.

March 2011

Page 7

Watch.

Asdfmovie3

Leaf Ring at Forever 21 --- $7.50

“W

elcome to stupid,” is gnielsen.gazette@gmail.com the motto of the asdfmovies, but never have the boundaries of stupidity been pushed so far as asdfmovie3 pushes them.

Asdfmovie3 is quite possibly the most sensationally idiotic minute and a half video on Youtube.

The format of asdfmovie3 is identical to that of its predecessors— sporadic clips and scenes of tastefully animated stick figures interacting with one another in absurd ways.

Each clip leaves you thinking, “why did that just happen?” to which there is no question, all we know is that we’re glad it did.

Take for example the opening scene. One man says to the other, “hey man look at my new dog,” to which the man responds, “aw man that’s pretty cool.”

To his surprise there “is no dog.” The two men proceed to yell gruffly in each other’s faces.

What makes this installment particularly brilliant is

BY GARY NIELSEN

Butterfly Ring at Forever 21 --- $10.00

Rings

On the Bay

Asdfmovie3 combines random scenes of animation to create this YouTube video of the month.

Circle Ring at White House Black Market --- $45.00

Double Pearl Ring at Macy’s--- $20.00

Compiled by Jamie Cologna Gazette photos /Jamie Cologna

the sheer fluidity between each random scene.

There is no reason why any of these clips should fit together into one video, but they do harmoniously.

With clips as simple as, “Joey did you eat my sandwich,” followed by “Joey” nonchalantly stating, “I am your sandwich,” anybody can enjoy the humor of asdfmovie3.

A particularly funny scene is one in which a man yells to his friends to check out his new camera, only to raise a handgun and shoot his friend. That alone was funny in a dark way, but what really killed was the man’s reaction.

Upon shooting his friend in the head he looks down at his gun and says, “oh wait, this isn’t a camera.”

It all happens so quickly.

The video debuted right before the New Year and is rightly racked up over four and a half million views.

Asdfmovie and asdfmovie2 have ten million views and nine million views, respectively, which just goes to show the quality of asdfmovie3.

It has managed to rake in views twice as fast as asdfmovie2 did and more than four times faster than asdfmovie according to Youtube’s statistics.

With that kind of viewer base its safe to say that Tomska, the creator of the animations, has the power to make videos viral.

This fact is most noticeably warranted by the advertisements Youtube has tacked onto his videos.

If there is any criticism of asdfmovie3 its that there is not enough time in the static between scenes to get over what happened the scene before.

It was this barrier that forced me to watch the video repeatedly. It’s one of those videos that gets better and better the more times one watches it, and it rivals Charlie the Unicorn in its sheer volume of quotable lines.

Asdfmovie3 is refreshing, random and stupid– well worthy of March’s Youtube Video of the Month.

iPhone App of the Month: tiny wings T

BY GARY NIELSEN

gnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

here is something about cartoon birds in apps that Had the game ended on that note, it would be another “I make them undeniable successes. played it for three days then got a life” game– but no. It First it was Angry Birds– now it’s Tiny Wings. gets better.

With bright colors and entertaining animation, this game If the bird hits the hill in the perfect spot a small is very aesthetically appealing. swoopy arrow appears at the bottom of the screen It’s called Tiny Wings because the indicating the success and the bird shoots bird under the user’s control cannot higher and faster into the air. seem to stay in the air.

The bird picks up more and more speed The poor thing has to beat its tiny and height as it slides consecutive hills wings vigorously to stay shortly perfectly. airborne, only to inevitably come After getting three hills in a row the bird crashing back to the ground. goes into “fever mode,” causing stars to By pressing down on the screen, shoot out from behind the bird’s frantic tiny the bird is put into a dive, and upon wings. impacting the hills, the bird either picks This is where the game gets its up speed by sliding or is reduced to a Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE complexity. steady crawl.

Upon entering fever mode, a multiplier The goal of the game to travel as much ground as is added to the points received for touching clouds (from possible before the sun goes down. flying high) and for hitting slopes perfectly.

At the end of each terrain, there is a ramp that launches Therefore, the more slopes landed well equates to more the little bird to the next “island” and pushes the sun back points, which means faster flying, which leads to the a little. So, in order to score high, picking up speed and completion of islands faster, that in turn saves the bird hitting the hills right are essential. from nightfall and a game over.

This fun little game is more complex than it looks at It’s quirks like this that make Tiny Birds an addictively first glance. fun app.

Page 8

March 2011

Ask.

Spicing up the creativity Be unique asking to Sadies

BY SHANNON WAGNER swagner.gazette@gmail.com

BY SHANNON WAGNER swagner.gazette@gmail.com

U

nlike every other dance, the Sadie Hawkins dance gives the ladies an opportunity to ask their dates – and hopefully in a creative, cute or exciting way.

“This year, we’re doing the traditional Sadies,” said student government member and senior Lizzy Schliessmann, “which is western-themed. Wild Wild West is going to be Granite Bay High School’s 2011 Sadies theme.”

So if you’re thinking about asking someone to Sadies, regardless of it’s your first year or your fourth year in a row, just remember to have fun with it!

Make it edible Want to get to his heart?

Go through his stomach!

Food is always an appropriate element to incorporate in asking – plus, it’s a win-win, because he gets something delicious and you get an answer (and potentially a date)! Write “Sadies?” and his name on individual cupcakes or a cake and have it waiting before a class starts. “My friend made me cookies with one decorated like me and one like her,” senior Sam Bruckman said. “Hers had a cookie shaped like a speech bubble that said ‘Sadies?’ on it, and above my cookie were two others that said ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ I picked the one that said yes.” ` Make it personal Does he play a sport or have an interesting hobby? Show some support for his activities by using them as an (element) in popping the question. “One year during dive practice, a girl put a laminated piece of paper at the bottom of the pool that read ‘Sadies with me?’ on it,” said senior Micaela Saqui. “So when the person dove in, that was the first thing he saw.”

Not a swimmer? No problem. Take paraphernalia from whatever sport he does play and use it to help. Fill up his baseball bag with baseballs that say “Sadies?” on them.

If he runs track, see if someone can announce the proposal over the loudspeaker. Get

n/ ratio lust tte il REESE e z A Ga SIC JES

creative!

Make it punny It may sound cheesy, but playing on word puns is a cute and simple way to get the point across.

Fill two containers with candies– one with Smarties and one with Dum-dum suckers– with a card attached saying “Don’t be a dum-dum, be a smarty and go with me to Sadies!” Senior Roxanne Reese played on puns her junior year when asking someone to the dance. “I decorated (his) entire car with caution tape and outlined bodies on the ground in chalk like a crime scene and wrote ‘I’m dying to go to Sadies with you!’ next to it,” Reese said.

“I hid half under the car to be a part of the crime scene when he came out to see.”

Make it a group effort Get his friends involved! Make the suspense last a whole day by giving him one little token– like a balloon, or flower, etc. – during each period delivered via a friend. Write one letter on each item, and by the end of the day he’ll have a collection of balloons, flowers or candy spelling out “S-A-D-I-E” and you can give him the last one, “S,” and await the answer.

Have a class together? Work it out with the teacher ahead of time to see if they are willing to show a homemade video or nonchalantly flash an overhead projection transparency sometime during class peddling your inquiry. The class will love it too!

March 2011

Page 9

Enjoy.

BY MOOSA ZAIDI

mzaidi.gazette@gmail.com

Ama

nda

S

Wirt

h

enior Amanda Wirth just wanted an easier class. Instead she got an While experience that has been so much more. her initial enthusiasm toward Wirth, an International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate, took the her piece was limited, she was drawn to it by the great enthusiasm of IB chemistry-biology block all of her junior year. Then, at the beginning of others and the background that she added. this school year she saw many juniors taking IB Visuals Arts instead of IB So far she has not really considered selling art, partly because she is new to it, Chemistry and she decided to do the same. and partly because she needs to submit her portfolio for evaluation at the end of Her decision to switch was a risky one. She is the only IB student in her class the year. taking IB Visuals Arts and she would be Because of this portfolio requirement, switching half-way into a 2-year every her supposedly easier class has not been other day class. so easy.

“I’m very much like a guinea pig in this “I don’t know if it has made (my whole IB art thing,” Wirth said. schedule) easier, it might have actually Also, unlike so many of her fellow added a different (kind) of hardness,” artists, Wirth had almost no art Wirth said. experience.

Wirth recalls that at the beginning of the According to Wirth, teacher Myron year she would often spend hours at home Stephens was kind enough to allow her working on her artwork each day. Wirth into his class but was initially uncertain has only half of the usual class time to of her ability since she had little to no create her portfolio. experience.

This term she has fourth period off so “He was like ‘I don’t know, hopefully she is able to spend additional time on her you can pass,’” Wirth said. work at school and less time at home.

Fortunately, this risky decision seems Despite the unexpected workload, Wirth to have been the right one. enjoys her new experience.

Stephens says Wirth is able to learn “I really love (having) Mr. Stephens, amazingly fast and displays incredible and I love the class,” Wirth said. artistic ability.

She plans to continue art in college and Wirth has chosen to base her work is considering it as a minor. upon the theme of body language.

“It’s definitely a new way to express She was inspired for this theme by the myself because I’ve never done anything Gazette photo /JOHN PARK bullying prevention program Point Break. like it,” Wirth said. “I just thought of it as Wirth’s favorite piece has been a figure Amanda Wirth joined the art program through a last-minute another class, but it turned out (to be) my created by pieces of mirror. schedule change and discovered a knack for art. favorite class.”

WALL BALL

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

I

t was a race: who could get to the back of the classroom first to reach the ball bin? The “slow poke” was always doomed to end up with the ball that had popped the week before. Wall ball was simply intense.

The rules were closely followed. One mistake and you were out of there. Up to twenty keen eyes of students lined up on the side of the court to watch the player’s every move.

Hitting the ball with too much force or tapping it with no effort could result in getting kicked out of the game, ending up in the back of the line.

It was the game of intense emotion. One could cry in defeat while the other stood with a smile of victory spread across his or her face. Winning left the individual accomplished throughout the rest of the cursive-writing day.

Each rule had a slang name. “Onesies” and “doubles” were the names of the possible serves, and signified how many time the ball would be hit before the game would officially begin.

“Bullets” were the forceful hits that made the ball hit the wall without it bouncing on the ground first.

Asphalt would leave tread on the red rubber balls

as they hit the ground, eventually rubbing off on the hands of every player. Throughout the day, dusty grime would travel from the hands of the athletes onto their clean t-shirts, eventually ending up on their faces and class assignments.

Winters would not stop the athletes from playing the courts. Rain could splash in girls’ faces, but they wouldn’t care. This was the pre-makeup stage of elementary school.

It could be 50 degrees outside, and every player still came back into class with red cheeks and dirty hands.

A one-on-one wall ball game was equivalent to both players obviously having crushes on each other. It was a flirtatious subject that would leave the two arguing about who won for the remainder of the school year.

Once the bell rang, the yard duty would automatically head towards the courts to disperse the crowds of eager students at the front of the line that had waited their whole recess for playing time.

Actually playing in the game was not a guarantee, so hurrying out to the courts was vital for the serious players.

Overtime, recess evolved and took on different activities. Wall ball was eventually forgotten and replaced with monkey bars and basketballs.

Gazette photo /JOHN PARK

Wall Ball was a popular and intense activity for recess and breaks in elementary school.

Pages 10 and 11

March 2011

Cosmetics.

Fresh Faced

cheeks

How to get a spring look that is perfect for both day and night

eyes Suck in your cheeks to find your cheek bones.

Just beneath the cheek bone sweep a dark bronzer upwards towards the hair line.

Try: Baked Bronzer by Urban Decay $24.00 Directly on the cheekbone sweep on a light and shimmery bronzer to highlight the cheeks.

Try Snow Bunny by Too Faced $28.00

Prep the lid: First put concealer on the eyelid in order to prevent it from smudging through out the day. Any concealer is fine.

Try: Covergirl smoothers concealer in

whatever shade matches your skin tone.

Following the concealer, use a round brush to apply a dark brown or gray tone from the base of the eyelid until about halfway to the eyebrows.

Try: Club by M.A.C. Cosmetics $14.50 or

Charcoal Brown by NYX $5.50

Apply any dark black eye liner around the entire eye, thicker on the top than on the bottom.

lips

On the apples of the cheeks sweep a small amount of peach colored blush.

Try Catalina by Cargo $24.00

Apply black eye shadow from the base to the crease just on the outside corner of the lid. Use an angle brush to do this. Then, with a blending brush, blend the black and brown.

Try: Carbon Black by M.A.C. Cosmetics $14.50 or Black by NYX $5.50 Using a soft round brush, sweep a lighter color directly under the brow to highlight and open up the eye.

Try: Mylar by M.A.C. Cosmetics $14.50 or Toffee Shimmer by NYX $5.50 To make the eye pop, use a liquid liner to make a thin line on the top lid.

Try Black Chanel Liquid Eye Liner $34 Lastly top off the look by using multiple coats of your favorite mascara on both the top and bottom lashes.

BY JAMIE COLOGNA

jcologna.gazette@gmail.com

Use light pink stain and follow with a shimmery pink lip gloss.

Try: Lip Injection by Too Faced $28.00 Gazette model /Andrea Obradovic

Gazette photos /SARAH BERTIN

Page 12

Music.

C

Radiohead The King of Limbs

BY JUSTIN SHIIBA

R

jshiiba.gazette@gmail.com

adiohead, one of the world’s most influential alternative rock bands of the past few decades, released their eighth studio album, The King of Limbs, on their website Feb. 18.

The album was released as MP3’s on their website before the physical CD is released on March 28.

Four years after their release of In Rainbows, Radiohead returns with the classic flows and rhythmic grooves that the band is so famous for.

Thom Yorke’s lead vocals take the backseat as the band focuses heavily on a mysterious atmosphere of electronic synthesizers.

The album’s glitchy electronic pulse drives throughout the songs, and a juxtaposi-

B

SADDLE CREEK

The People’s Key

by Bright Eyes was released on Feb. 15.

Skip to: Shell Games

A

tion of guitars and electronic computerized synths creates a tone of mystery and adventure, yet at the same time melancholy regret.

But despite its rainy day mood and wondrous feel, the album doesn’t stray far from Radiohead’s typical sound.

Starting off the album, “Bloom” takes the listener on a hypnotic march through the haunting tones of Yorke’s humming, grunting and moaning – basically the style of every song Radiohead has ever produced.

In fact, the song variety is as diverse as an Oompa Loompa in a Willy Wonka factory.

Listening to the entire album beginning to end results in a 30 minute sleep session that may lead to depression.

Throughout the album there are no great singles that stand out such as the classic “Paranoid Android,” but one song, “Lotus Flower” does seem to create a more upbeat rhythm that adds some excitement to the collection of

RADIOHEAD

The King of Limbs

by Radiohead was released on Feb. 18.

Skip to: Lotus Flower

Bright Eyes The People’s Key

BY PARKER EVANS

pevans.gazette@gmail.com

pparently Conor Oberst is tired of writing sad songs with an acoustic guitar.

Oberst’s band, Bright Eyes, released their swan-song album The People’s Key on Feb. 15, which marks a sharp departure from the band’s previous catalogue.

Where before, Bright Eyes focused on raw emotion captured in a folky minimalist style, The People’s Key is their most approachable album thus far, with songs that might even be considered (gasp) radio-friendly.

Melancholy guitars and strings are replaced with synthesizers and heavier instrumentation in a shift that seems like the logical next step for the band.

Fortunately, Oberst’s brilliant heart-on-sleeve lyrics that have been his calling card stay right where they are.

Oberst has a real gift for placement. All of his lyrics are meaningful, but the real killer lines are strategically placed for maximum effect and make the listener stop and think.

In fact, where many bands make the vocals an accompaniment to the music, the lyrics themselves have always taken center stage for Bright Eyes, and The People’s Key is no different.

The album contains more than a few references to Rastafarianism, strangely enough. One of the tracks is titled “Haile Selassie,” which is the name of the man believed to be the Messiah

by Rastafarians.

But the biggest trip of the album comes in the first few minutes.

The opening track, “Firewall,” begins with the soothing narration of Denny Brewer, a member of a band called Refried Ice Cream, who generally sounds like a Scientologist on acid.

Brewer takes the opportunity to expound on his dubious ideas about creation, which include aliens and the fourth dimension before moving on to address Hitler and the possibility that our ancestors mated with raptors.

It’s all quite entertaining, and the following song covers a range of spacey, cinematic, military and old western tones in a way that only

Adele 21

BY ALEX PINK

apink.gazette@gmail.com

S

gloomy sound.

But then again, that is exactly what Radiohead is so famous for –unintelligible singing and sleepy sounds.

Though Radiohead doesn’t venture into a more diverse style, it is successful in its genre of music and will definitely please those loyal to the band.

The album may be best listened to while crying, as the music brings forth questions as to how such depressing music has become so popular.

March 2011

he is young. She is British. And yes, she has talent.

Adele is still considered a new singer-songwriter in the music industry. She started off her career young at the age of nineteen, when she released her first album called 19. Her new, exquisite sophomore album, 21, features twelve new songs written when she was – you guessed it – twenty-one years old.

However, her young age gives no reason to undermine her remarkably unique music.

Adele’s pop beats, mixed with a feel of gospel and soul, are what really create the radiant originality that sparks her talent.

The hit single “Rolling in the Deep” definitely sets the jazzy, blues-like tone for the rest of the album. Adele has transcended to a more soulful, mature musical style through her outspoken lyrics: “Don’t underestimate the things that I will do/ There’s a fire starting in my heart/ Reaching a fever pitch/ and it’s bringing me out the dark.”

“Rumour Has It” greatly illuminates Adele’s British roots through the funky, unique rhythm. During the energetic chorus, she maintains her tessitura, which is her

most comfortable vocal range yet the song is still beyond exceptional.

“Turning Tables” took a dramatic turn from the first two upbeat, disco-like songs. It reveals Adele’s great ability to produce slow, jazz music without giving me the urge to change it to the next song, which I never even knew was possible. Kudos to Adele.

“Don’t You Remember” is yet another soulful, remarkable song that Adele presents with pure bliss. This song is about a lover who she hopes will remember her. This may seem unoriginal and overdone in the music world.

However, Adele does not just sing it, she preaches. Alleluia.

“He Won’t Go” was by far my favorite song on the whole album. It has a tremendous kick of soul, pop, gospel, jazz and R&B. Listen to it once, and Adele will have touched your heart.

“Take It All” is another great track that once again portrays Adele’s shift toward maturity. She transposes from some of the most extreme high notes to unexpected low notes which struck me with awe.

“I’ll Be Waiting” features not only Adele’s soultouching voice, but also piano. It’s not the most noteworthy song, but it is definitely does not disappoint.

“One and Only” began to highlight the repetitiveness of her jazz vocal sound. The gospel tone she produces

Bright Eyes can do.

The next track, “Shell Games,” is the best on the album. The song feels like Lifted-era Bright Eyes fused with a light ’80s dance-pop.

It’s a testament to Oberst that he can make the switch from the previous acoustic folk rock to the more modern feel perfectly captured in “Shell Games” while retaining the heart-onsleeve lyrics that made Bright Eyes a hit in the first place.

The album’s musical base diversifies throughout the album, drawing from heavy rock on “Jejune Stars,”spacey trip rock on “Triple Spiral” and even R&B on “Approximate Sunlight.”

Sadly, Oberst has said that The People’s Key will be the final album for Bright Eyes, although he will continue making music in his other bands, including supergroup Monsters of Folk.

Fortunately, Bright Eyes doesn’t go out as a band so stuck to their old formula that it is unwilling to grow.

Instead, listeners get one last installment from a band that was still evolving.

A

through her music is what creates the power felt through her album, this song included.

“Lovesong” is the only song I would recommend skipping over. It is nothCOLUMBIA ing exceptional or unique (hence the title.) 21 by Adele was re“Someone Like You” is leased on Feb. 22. yet another gloomy, slow love song. However, the lyrics are better than I expected: Skip to: He “Never mind I’ll find Won’t Go someone like you/ I wish nothing but the best for you, too.”

21 is only Adele’s second career album, and it greatly illuminates her ability to enrich and touch the soul with her voice and music.

I, without a doubt, would hope she continues writing and producing more albums for many years to come.

I hope to find myself buying an Adele album titled 99, for my soul is forever touched and appreciative of her music.

March 2011

Page 13

More Music.

What’cha listenin’ to?

A closer look at three of the prevailing poplular music genres at GBHS

Rap

BY ARI BLACK

aublack.gazette@gmail.com

It’s the genre of the generation. High school students love the rebellious aspect of it, while adults despise the vulgar language and violently graphic images it offers to younger children.

From Lil’ Wayne to Atmosphere, rap offers everything from intelligent rhyming of personal stories to inappropriate rambling of corrupting lyrics.

The genre is an umbrella that covers multiple styles of sound under its one title.

Of all Senior Moby Ahmed listens to rap often and believes that rap is not limited to a genres, reggae is the one that has escaped genre for the youth. the confined stereotype it had once been con“I think everyone has at least one sidered, and evolved into a genre that everyone rap song they like, so I wouldn’t say rap fans are stereotyped,” Ahmed said. can listen to.

Although rap music-listeners are abundant throughout the Granite Bay, rap conThe classic Rastafarian music of Bob Marley has certs by famous artists are rare in the Sacramento area. transformed into a variety of pop-reggae bands that “In this area, the only good rap group I can think of is Blackalicious from Sacranow tour all over the United States. The new bands add a mento. Better rappers originate and play in the bay area, such as Living Legends, rock twist, such as The Expendables and Rebelution.

Zion I, and E-40,” Ahmed said.

GBHS senior Larry Lynch feels that Sublime also provides Although the genre has always been notorious for its mix of classic and modern a gateway for the expansion on the genre. styles, Ahmed believes it continues to push even further with artists such as Asher Although reggae music has expanded to a greater crowd, Lynch Roth who bring a new, easy-listening sound to rap. still believes the group of listeners is stereotyped today.

Ahmed recognizes the evolving nature of rap and sees the potential growth of “Sometimes, people that like music that flows and isn’t too hardthe genre. core are considered stoners.”

“I think rap musicians are always trying to come up with someLynch observes that bands such as Iration and Pepper are becoming thing new and different, so whenever someone creates a more popular in the Reggae genre. new sound that people like, other artists start With so many reggae bands touring implementing that style in their own around the Granite Bay area in locations music and it becomes its such as Reno, Sacramento and Chico, popown sound.” reggae has continued to expand, becoming an increasingly popular genre in the Northern California region.

Reggae

Dubstep

It came from the underground European scene then leaked into the bay area – a genre filled with penetrating bass lines assisted with chopped up lyrics from classic and modern songs of every genre, remixed to fit the mold of the beats it builds upon.

Lately, many have been finding dubstep to be a popular alternative to electronic music.

One of dubstep’s avid fans is GBHS senior Kelsey Baughman, who listens to dubstep on a regular basis and considers it her favorite genre of music.

Baughman began listening to dubstep in the spring of her junior year, and then all throughout last summer she noticed the genre bursting throughout Granite Bay. She believes dubstep is a genre for listeners searching for a unique sound.

“The types of people that listen to it are people that like their music with a twist of techno… really open minded people. But, you never know, because I have friends I would expect to be into it that can’t stand it.”

There are many notable DJs gaining support as the genre gains popularity.

“Skrillex is getting really popular and Bassnectar. Also, Caspa and Rusko, but I tend to like Emalkay and Slof Man and other randoms,” Baughman said.

Bassnectar is one of the top dubstep bands of the day, touring all over the country from Albany, New York to Reno, Nevada.

Dubstep is off to a good start, and will continue to flourish as more DJs join the genre.

Gazette illustrations/JESSICA REESE

Page 14

March 2011

Fashion.

Flirty, Floral & Feminine Fashion updates for this spring season.

T

BY SARAH BERTIN

sbertin.gazette@gmail.com

he flourishing flowers and greener grasses bring sweetness to this season’s spring attire.

As rain gives way to brighter days, heavy coats and umbrellas are exchanged for soft pastels and loose-fitting blouses. In order to top off any spring look add a short boot, textured top or throw on an over-sized slouchy bag.

Gazette models/MAKINSEY LAXO/JORDAN RADAKOVITZ

Gazette photo /SARAH BERTIN

March 2011

Page 15

Fashion.

Leaf patterns offer a natural look to accessories.

Try to incorporate leaves into rings, headbands, necklaces or earrings.

Leather cuffs and bracelets, paired with an assortment of rings adds an edgy flare to a soft spring look.

Short boots of all styles can be worn with an array of ensembles. Combat boots have been a popular alternative to the classic slouchy boot.

T

his spring, update your closets with crochets and laces. It could be on a dress, skirt or shirt. The laces pattern pops when wearing a darker color underneath and adds a textural element to any outfit. Lace also boosts the outfits sophistication by incorporating something that is both soft and classic.

Bare shoulders and halter dresses are sure to be eye catching this season, but in order to keep things classy try not to bare too much skin.

Flow and movement are an addition to this springs fashion. Designers are moving away from the winter style of skin tight mini skirts and replacing them with a youthful floral or denim skirt.

Most importantly, designers are featuring long and loose shirts over lace bandeaus. In order to keep ones figure under these baggy silhouettes, try adding a 70’s style cigarette pant that will tie up the look.

Gazette photos /SARAH BERTIN

Page 16

Trends.

March 2011

High School Hair Habits The Gazette’s Kelsey Knorp investigates the most popular hair trends on campus

F

rom a scientific perspective, hair is just a collection of dead cells on a person’s head. From a societal perspective, though, hair plays a vital role in how a person is perceived. Perhaps this is why high school students so often experiment with hairstyles or adopt certain hair trends.

For boys, the options are limited to either long or short. Many have tried both and have come to lament the hair of their past.

Granite Bay High School sophomore Ty Serna sported a long-haired look at the start of his junior high school education and insists he was the first to be brave enough to shed the lengthy locks in favor of a shorter cut during his seventh grade year.

He is certain that after choosing the short look, he will never let his tresses return to their former length.

“Short hair is more fashion forward,” Serna said. “People with short hair look more presentable.”

Freshman Jackson Rodriguez had a different, less resentful motivation for abandoning his curly, almost shoulder-length hairstyle.

He made a deal with his fellow junior varsity soccer teammates that if the team won a specific tournament for the first time, he would cut off his hair. The team’s subsequent win led to Rodriguez’s new look.

Rodriguez’s famously long hair had been his signature since third grade, and his classmates reacted with much surprise at the drastic change.

“My whole Facebook wall consisted of commentary on my short hair,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez wore a hood for two weeks while adjusting to the change, but his embarrassment did not come entirely from his shorter hair.

“I had the worst neck tan,” Rodriguez said. “My neck was so pale it cast a glow.”

According to Rodriguez, his hair was such a trademark that it was hard for him to let go. He may let it grow out again for lacrosse season so spectators can see it flow from beneath his helmet.

Sophomore Wyatt Nagler, however, has stood by his long hair throughout his

high school experience thus far.

Like Rodriguez, Nagler considers his long hair to be a signature look, and keeps it long out of conviction that it is a better look for him, although he resents having to wash it each day.

“I don’t think people would even recognize me with short hair,” Nagler said.

Despite this acknowledgement, he tentatively plans to cut his hair over summer because maintenance is a hassle.

Faced with even more hair-related turmoil are the females of Granite Bay High School. For girls, hair trends are always changing, and these trends aren’t always compatible with every girl’s appearance.

Sophomore Gabby Romero decided to try a recent daring trend that has become increasingly more popular in the past couple of months.

Her colored feathers attach to the roots of her hair and act as accents placed strategically in parts of her hair.

“I’m trying to bring out my inner Ke$ha,” Romero said.

When Romero first had the feathers put in her hair, she considered them unique, but she thinks once they grow out she’ll try something new.

A true explorer of uncharted hair territory is junior Grace Montgomery. In the past year alone, she estimates she has sported about ten different hairstyles.

She has tried a plethora of colors, including blonde, black, pink, red, and combinations of more than one of these. She has had long hair, short hair, extensions, a partially shaved head and currently a very short cut that reaches just to the top of her neck.

“I get really bored,” Montgomery said. “When I’m doing (my friends’) hair, I get ideas, so I do something new to mine.”

Hair can be a symbol of individuality or a source of conformity, a nuisance or a means of artistic expression. However they choose to style it, students choose their hairdo in order to have themselves represented a certain way.

“My brother said my long hair was the only reason people liked me,” Rodriguez joked.

GBHS students sport various hair trends around campus - Top, Gabby Romero shows off her feather hair accessories, a colorful and unique addition for hair.

Bottom left, Jackson Rodriguez believes short hair is more presentable, while Wyatt Nagler, middle, keeps long hair as his signature look. Ty Serna, right, wears a buzzed cut, after cutting off his trademark shoulder-length hair.

Gazette photos/RACHAEL VASQUEZ and MAGGIE LOUIS

March 2011

Page 17

Play.

POKEMON PREVAILS Avid fans have not lost their drive to catch ‘em all

BY SHINEUI PARK

spark.gazette@gmail.com

T

he Pokémon culture swept North America off its feet with the video games and television show releasing in Sept. 1998. Even though it’s been more than a decade, fandom is still raging to this day.

When first introduced, the ideas of being “the very best” and becoming the “Pokémon master” were enticing to both children and adults around the world. Starting off with originally 151 Pokémon back from the first generation, it led its way up to the new fifth generation with 649 different kinds.

GBHS junior Brad Smith became interested in the series once it came out in America.

“I got into Pokémon with the very first game right when it came out, which was Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue version,” Smith said. “My neighbors also introduced me to the show and I started watching it regularly as I became a little older.”

Every child hooked onto the series dreamed of achieving the same goals, whether that meant beating the ten year old protagonist of the television show, Ash Ketchum, or just following his footsteps.

Gamers tend to put hours of dedication into the handheld games, training and capturing all of the Pokémon in order to complete the “Pokédex.”

One of the best memories Smith recalls is back when the second generation Pokémon game, Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, was released in 2001. Even though he pre-ordered the games with his own money, his parents did not allow him to play it until he finished all his chores and homework.

“I rushed and did everything as fast I could and ended staying up all night playing the game,” Smith said. “I don’t know why that’s my best memory but it shows how Pokémon motivated me and how obsessed I was with it since I love it so much.”

Although Smith became interested at a fairly young age, there are still older students who have just discovered their love for Pokémon.

Freshman Stacy Miller just began playing the Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS in the November of 2010.

There are students on campus who still have growing passion for Pokémon. However, students often outgrow their passion as they grow up.

Sophomore Chris Reeves became a dedicated fan right when the television series debuted in America, and played the handheld games until the third generation came out in 2002.

“I just ended up being too busy for it, while I was growing up,” Reeves said. “I didn’t care about whether or not it was embarrassing.”

Even though some do not have the time, committed fans like senior Uriah Volinksy attend official Pokémon tournaments and events as well.

Last year, Volinksy traveled down to San Francisco in order to participate in the Pokémon Video Game Championship series.

“I’m super average, and when I go to these tournaments, I’ll at least get past the first round,” Volinksy said. “I know it may not be a very good goal, but I just try not to lose the first time I battle.”

Credit must be given where it’s due, because in these tournaments, every trainer is experienced.

Even though fans have enough generations of Pokémon to enjoy (there are four total), a new game was released on Mar. 6, 2011: Pokémon Black and Pokémon White.

There has been much hype about this game ever since the news was announced in early 2010.

“I am very excited for the new fifth generation from what I can tell,” Smith said. “I’ve been counting down the days to be able to buy Pokémon Black and Pokémon White...I have them both pre-ordered.”

Volinksy’s view of the game contrasts sharply with Smith’s enthusiasm.

“The Pokémon kind of look like Digimon now and the evolutions aren’t nearly as complex and interesting as earlier generations. It seems like they’re getting desperate,” Volinksy said. “I’m definitely not the one to back off of Pokémon and I’ll eventually buy it when I save up the money because some changes do look awesome, but for now, I’m starting to get drawn away because it’s so time consuming.”

With the fifth generation released, when will the Pokémon Company ever stop creating new generations and Pokémon?

Smith recalls that the point of the game is to “catch ‘em all,” and if there are too many Pokémon to catch, the basic meaning of the game is lost and the quest nearly becomes impossible.

No one knows when the phenomenon will ever stop, or if there is still more Pokémon in the far future.

Volinksy will stay a dedicated fan until the end.

“Pokémon is like ice cream,” Volinsky said. “Everyone loves ice cream. Adults argue politics and religion all the time. Why not let us young fans enjoy what we love?”

Gazette illustrations/JESSICA REESE

J

March 2011

Film.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

I

TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

Rated: PG

Rated: PG-13

By: R. Slater McLaughlin rsmclaughlin.gazette@gmail.com

By: Kyle Pawlak kpawlak.gazette@gmail.com

i am number four: B+

am Number Four was an interesting movie that balanced many aspects of film that Hollywood has a tendency to overuse.

The movie is about a teenage boy who is really from another planet. He and eight other teens from this planet, and their guardians, were the only members of their race who survived an attack by another planet.

These nine children have special gifts and were sent to Earth to be protected, and must be killed in a specific order if the other planet’s species– Mogadarians– are to take over Earth.

The movie opens with a brief action scene where number three is killed, setting the main character as next in the line of fire.

Throughout the movie there was excellent balance and moderation of different aspects that many movies tend to overdose on.

The action sequences were well spaced out, didn’t drag on for too long, had good special effects, and each was innovative in showcasing the main characters developing powers.

As well as a healthy dose of action, the movie dabbled in romance, school situations and humor– all without smothering the audience with too much of any of them.

Seemingly geared towards a teenage audience, the movie touched on some issues that face everyday teens, despite the supernatural powers of the main character.

Although it was obvious that it was coming, the final battle was still interesting and unique from those before it, which kept me engaged to the end.

And although, as predicted, everything turns out alright by the conclusion– the ending is open to interpretation, leaving me hoping for a sequel.

My hopes are high, as the movie is based upon a book, and its sequel is being released this year.

rango: B+

ohnny Depp voices an adventurous chameleon in dire need of chiropractic treatment in the animal-filled animated Western Rango.

Depp plays the eponymous Rango, a domesticated chameleon with a flair for the dramatic who is thrown out of his terrarium and into the wild-west themed town of Dirt.

Rango is immediately greeted by Beans (Isla Fisher), who is the archetypal western tough girl in need of a hero, struggling to keep her family ranch alive.

As Rango makes his way into town he meets an ethnically diverse cast of animals that include a Mexican school-girl mouse named Priscilla, (Abigail Breslin,) Wounded Bird a Native American crow (get it?) voiced by Gil Birmingham, and a later introduced villainous snake voiced by Bill Nighy.

The endearing, slightly morbid charm of Rango is immediately established by a very unlucky armadillo and a group of pessimistic, mariachiplaying owls that keep the action moving along with their smooth Latino voices.

Before any of the characters can catch on, the animation style of Rango jumps out immediately.

The colors are slightly desaturated and follow a pastille pallet which keeps the charm but manages to capture a bit of the gloom of the Wild West it recreates.

Much of Rango’s charm is rooted in the setting, and its depiction of stereotypical Western style film is equal parts emulation and respectful parody.

What separates Rango from other attractively animated and star-filled animated flicks is the nature of the humor.

Whereas many movies rely on potty humor and other immature jokes to keep little kids laughing, Rango was surprisingly mature.

A surprising amount of the jokes were aimed at a mature audience while either being appropriate for little kids or going over their heads completely.

This is not to say that the movie doesn’t appeal to a younger audience– there is an abundance of slap-stick humor and the plot is fairly simple and approachable.

Ultimately, Rango is one of the best animated films in a long time and combines copious amounts of charm with a surprising amount of wit to create a very enjoyable experience for child and adult alike.

I

CBS FILMS

f you’re the type to enjoy reasonable, thought out, and most of all cute love stories, this is not the movie for you.

Beastly was an accurate description of the film.

The idea was promising– a modern interpretation of the classic Beauty and the Beast– but the delivery will leave you confused and disoriented.

Kyle Kingston, played by Alex Pettyfer, is an arrogant, degrading, pretty boy that loves himself immensely and gets turned into a scarred-tattooedboil-face by a witch.

The only way to break the curse is if he can get a girl to say the words “I love you” within the next year.

Upon realizing a year is a long time for things to happen, creators wisely wasted a few months (you know, just to raise the stakes) by having Kyle’s heartless father move him from their city apartment to the outskirts of town.

With his ugly safely contained, the father exits the picture, leaving him to the care of his Jamaican maid and a blind tutor – that doesn’t tutor.

If the consequence free environment wasn’t classic enough, fate happens to introduce Lindy Taylor, played by Venessa Hudgens, into Kyle’s home.

And by fate, I mean after Kyle obsessively stocks Lindy for weeks upon end.

Not even in the cute “distant admiration” cliché. He full on stares at her threw her windows and sleeps out in the front of her house. There is even a scene where he follows her to a convenience store and basically presses his face to the window while watching her buy candy.

But, no, that isn’t sufficient. Kyle doesn’t want Lindy, who went to his old school, to know who he is (you know, because Kyle is such a unique name) so he takes on the façade of “Hunter”.

Neither of these two actors are able to deliver a line without sounding like they were confused as to the emotion they were supposed to portray.

The only reason this movie did not get an F is because it was literally so bad, I was reduced to tears from laughing on two separate occasions by unintentionally genius one-liners.

I couldn’t give this movie a passing grade and sleep soundly at night, but it earns a solid D only because in an effort to be cute, a horribly disturbing, unpredictable (yet reliant on every teen cliché), monstrous comedy was created – against all intentions of the film’s producers.

May I be the first to bid farewell to any and all of these actors’ and actresses’ dreams of legitimacy and respect.

R.I.P

Rated: PG-13 By: Gary Nielsen gnielsen.gazette@gmail.com

beastly: D

Page 18

March 2011

I

Page 19

Film.

universal PICTURES

W

NEW LINE CINEMA

U

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Rated: PG-13

Rated: R

Rated: PG-13

By: Allison Garvey agarvey.gazette@gmail.com

By: Austin Downs adowns.gazette@gmail.com

By: Sahil Khosla skhosla.gazette@gmail.com

unknown: B

nknown features Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, who arrives in Berlin with his wife Liz Harris, (January Jones,) for a biotechnology conference.

Early in the movie, tragedy strikes when Harris gets into an accident with Gina, (Diane Kruger,) a cab driver, who saves his life.

Harris wakes up from comatose with severe amnesia and sets off in search of his wife.

But when he finds her at the hotel she fails to recognize him and acts as if she doesn’t know him. As a viewer, this was perplexing; their encounter is not one typical of a couple who have been married for several years.

To make matters worse, Harris meets another man who claims to be the real Dr. Martin Harris, and Liz’s husband.

This main premise of the movie examines the complicated question of whether Martin Harris is truly the researcher he claims to be or someone else. As the plot progresses, the answer becomes convoluted– almost to the point where I began to question the reasonability of its events.

After escaping from a mysterious assassin, Harris realizes there is something surreptitious happening and begins to confront reality.

Neeson gives a compelling performance and the bond between Harris and Gina becomes a well-developed element, but some of the other characters are not as fleshed out. This is especially obvious in the limited development of the primary antagonists beyond a surface level.

The premise of movie is almost like the Bourne Identity and Taken blended together, but a well-timed twist will prove the viewer’s speculations false while simultaneously building the suspense and intriguing viewers.

However the movie cannot replicate the same unique thrill from Taken, as several plot holes regarding the Harris’s true identity limit Unknown’s ability to reach its maximum potential as a unique thriller.

Unknown has its own distinctive appeal to it, and the concept makes for an engaging film that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats for its intense climax featuring an exuberant explosion, a culminating fight and answers to many of the questions created during the film.

hall pass: B-

hat I thought was going to be another average slapstick comedy movie turned out to be much more than a comedy.

Hall Pass is a slightly above average comedy but with a much more touching human aspect to the film. Main stars Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are two great friends who have been happily married for several years, yet always fanaticize over their glorious single days.

When both of them push their wives over the edge, they are both granted a “hall pass”– the freedom of an entire week to do whatever they want without any of their wives aware of their actions.

Rick’s wife, Maggie (Jenna Fischer), takes their kids as well as Fred’s wife, Grace (Christina Applegate,) to spend a week with Maggie’s grandparents.

With their freedom granted and their wives gone, Fred and Rick try to relive their single days. As expected, their first choice with their friends to go pick up women is an Applebee’s (typical comedy…). As also expected, their first choice to meet and pick up women fails drastically.

The two than spend the next two days in dismay, realizing the difficultly of their fantasies and slowly coming to reality.

But their confidence is uplifted when Rick befriends an attractive coffee shop worker named Leigh who he gradually flirts with.

By the fifth day of their hall pass, Rick and Fred began to wonder if this is what they truly wanted. If they have what they wanted, shouldn’t they be happy?

Throughout this film, I really enjoyed the main characters’ developments. Rick and Fred weren’t the typical comedy characters I was expecting, as they stood for a great example of human morals.

Rick’s ultimate test occurs when on their final night, Leigh and Rick are about to have sex– but Rick’s consciousness is too overpowering and to my surprise he does not have sex with the beautiful Leigh.

While I loved the main characters development, many of the other characters came across as not needed, but merely there to spread the diversity in the film.

Overall, this film was above my expectations, and if you are not easily offended by some topics (It’s rated R for a reason…), I would recommend going to it.

the adjustment bureau: A

t’s a rarity in movies nowadays, that an action movie can meet romantic storyline without playing into the cliché actionromantic-drama cookie cutter film which Hollywood has invariably produced time and time again.

This mix, however, reached a perfect balance in the form of Matt Damon’s newest action film, The Adjustment Bureau.

The movie is centered on the life of ambitious and charismatic New York Congressman David Norris, who is on his way to a bright future as a political powerhouse to fill an emotional void resulting from a broken family and difficult childhood.

This void is filled in the form of Elise Sellas, a free-spirited contemporary dancer who, at their first meeting turned fleeting rendezvous, inspires Norris to deliver a ground-breaking speech that rockets him to the position of political golden boy.

The plotline deepens as the “agents” of The Bureau come into play, carrying out the plans for each person as identified by the “chairman,” who is the ultimate controller of humanity’s destiny.

In a slip up by one of the agents to delay David’s arrival at work, his character walks in on the bureau during a “readjustment”–subtle changes in the way society reasons.

The bureau is forced to out themselves to David, with the condition that he must never reveal their existence or be “reset” and every trace of his personality and memory erased.

The movie delicately balances David’s internal conflict of pursuing his relationship with Elise, or following life according to plan and allowing Elise and himself to reach the goals which they were predetermined to accomplish.

Both Emily Blunt, who plays Elise, and Damon embody their characters wholly, convincingly delivering lines and playing into the conflict which unfolds before them as the agents of the bureau race to separate them before they stray too far from the “chairman’s” plan for them.

If you’re looking for an action thriller which can both balance a romantic plotline and keep the viewer intrigued and on their toes, The Adjustment Bureau is the film for you.

Page 20

March 2011

Movies.

Paramount pictures

Rango

B+

CBS films

TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

I Am Number Four

B+

Beastly

In Theat ers A

The

Adjustment Bureau

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

B-

Hall Pass

NEW LINE STUDIOS

B

D

Unknown

WARNER BROS. PICTURES