Granite Bay Gazette, Vol. 23. No. 7

GRANITE BAY HIGH w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 23 w ISSUE 7 w THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

Gazette THE GRANITE BAY

C

oping with oronavirus The class of 2020 loses milestone moments to a global pandemic FOCUS, pages 8-9

Gazette photo /MAYA SNOW

inside

A special 16-page Senior Edition, commemorating the Class of 2020’s incredible and unprecedented year.

Current 2 Lifestyle 6 A&E 10 Athletics 12 Voices 14

We’re online at GraniteBayToday.org

Follow us: @GraniteBayToday

Contents

Page 2

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

EDITOR’S NOTE

cori caplinger ccaplinger.gazette@gmail.com

Advice from a GBHS senior

W

alking through the front gates in August of 2016, I had no idea where high school would take me.

I had a lot of expectations, as I had watched all of the “High School Musical” movies and had seen all of the classics that defined my notions of high school.

Yet, it was unlike anything I had ever expected.

These four years in your life can define you, teaching you about the trials and successes of life. Showing that strength in times of hardships is necessary, love in the face of difficulties is essential, and hope in the wake of everything is imperative.

Finding interests, talents, friends, strengths, hobbies and much more is basically in the description of the high school experience.

I hadn’t felt like my experience was shaping up to be much until my junior year. I found the most amazing people to surround myself with, and found a passion that I truly cared about. And while my time is up at Granite Bay, here are some things I’ve learned: While it’s easy to get lost in the academics, constantly drowning yourself in work because you think you need to in order to be successful - that can only get you so far.

What you do with your time, what you can look back on when you graduate at the end of your four years, is the greatest part of the experience.

Spend your time considering the possibilities and chasing after them.

The more you challenge yourself to go out of your comfort zone, the more things you experience. Don’t let your inhibitions keep you from all that you are capable of.

Surround yourself with people who genuinely care about you, the more value you place on your relationships the more that value shows in other parts of your life.

Be. Kind. Always. Seriously, treat others with a sense of decency. Karma will come to you in some form or the other.

Treat your teachers with respect.

School is their livelihood, and they’re educators because they want to help you learn.

And most importantly, let yourself grow. It’s important to know that change isn’t always bad. Use your time to become the person you want to be.

High school may not be what everyone expects, and that’s okay. You control your experience, so make it into something you enjoy. *** Cori Caplinger, a senior, is a Gazette senior editor.

8&9 5

Gazette illustration/SHREYA DODBALLAPUR

14 13

CURRENT 2-7

2 Editor’s Note: The short four years of high school are an important time for personal growth and memories, so make the most of them.

FOCUS 8-9

cancellation of fundraising events impacted

by Covid-19.

8 2020 Graduation: GBHS administration updates graduation ceremony to meet social distancing standards.

13 Players of the Year: A feature of GBHS

up college plans for graduating seniors.

9 No Seniors in Europe: The traditional senior graduation trip to Europe is cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

VOICES 14-15

4 Country Plans on Reopening : Many

9 College Decisions: California colleges

Personal agendas interrupt the positive efforts of many in and out of quarantine.

3 College and Corona: Covid-19 switches

counties present conflicting strategies and procedures on opening up as Placer County gains permission to move ahead.

5 Board Meeting: As quarantine closes California schools, the district updates the community with public hearings.

6 Students Break Quarantine: Those who break the mandatory stay-at-home order underestimate the effect they might have on the communities around them.

6 Social Isolation and Mental Health:

Because of mandatory stay at home orders, those with underlying mental disorders struggle to maintain their normal lifestyle.

7 Staff Goodbyes: Teachers and their

students reminisce on their favorite moments as educators on the GBHS campus.

make decisions on how to effectively adapt to Covid-19 for the fall term.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT 10-11 10 Safe Celebration: People nationwide

find new ways to commemorate milestones amid Covid-19.

11 More Time for TikTok: While in isola-

tion, students have increased their usage of the social media app.

ATHLETICS 12-13

12 Athletes Struggle to Maintain Fitness:

With practices cancelled, players make use of their resources to prepare for next season.

12 NCAA Waiver: Colleges consider cutting

We are so grateful for all our advertisers this year – without you, the Gazette couldn’t do what we do. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you in 2020-21!

The Granite Bay Gazette staff

14 Protests Violate the Safety of Others: 15 Covid-19 Journals: Student journalists document their daily trials and tribulation among Covid-19.

15 Corona Ads Gone Wrong: Businesses release insincere commercials praising essential workers.

OUR ADVISER

16 On the Way Out the Door: Adviser Karl Grubaugh reflects on 20 years of advising the Gazette.

SENIOR EDITION

S1-S16 A commemorative pullout magazine highlighting the GBHS Class of 2020 and its unprecedented year.

sport programs nationwide due to the

Thank you, advertisers!

Sincerely,

star athletes and their phenomenal feats.

All-Stars School of Driving DNA Dance Collective Granite Bay Plumbing Gallery Bridget Gray, Realtor Landmark Builders Moss Hair Salon Nevaeh Salon New Leaf Senior Transitions

Non-Stop Boogie Productions Oriental Market Red Frog Sharon Scheidegger, Lyon Real Estate Sharif Jewelers Windsor, the Formal Shop

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

sophie criscione scriscione.gazette@gmail.com

Class of 2020 covaledictorians and salutatorian are announced

C

ongratulations to our class of 2020 co-valedictorians Tirth Surti and Dhilan Bansal and this year’s salutatorian, Faraaz Godil. All your hard work has finally paid off, and I hope you can celebrate these huge acheivements! *** Since students last left campus on March 13, there have been several new additions to the Grizzly family.

Welcome baby Slate Nicolodi, Shane Hood, and Cooper Holmes, and congrats to all three GBHS faculty members and their families! *** Virtual school elections for the following year have concluded, and winners were recently announced on class Instagram pages.

Congrats to Tyler Zavala, who will be the 2020-2021 ASB President! Former ASB president Avani Singh will be heading off to UC Berkeley next fall. Thank you for all your hard work, Zavala will be filling some big shoes!

Olivia Galvan is the Class of 2021 Senior Class President. A big thank you to Kara Kleinbach, Class of 2020 Senior Class President, for working hard to make our senior year the best it could be. Hopefully, Galvan and the Class of 2021 will make the most of their last year! *** This year’s Tribe leaders have officially passed down their roles to our 2020-2021 leaders, Bella Ternero, Beau Boyan, Blake Bentley, Aynsley Conner, Bo Hannum, and Christian Perry.

Congrats to these rising seniors, and thank you to the leaders that helped create this year’s amazing student section! *** And finally, I wanted to personally recognize the most important name of them all. Karl Grubaugh, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and all of your students.

This issue and this entire program wouldn’t be what it is without you.

Congrats on your retirement, you will be missed greatly Grubes!

*** Sophie Criscione, a senior, is a Gazette assistant editor.

Gazette photo illustration /SOPHIE CRISCIONE

San Diego State University was one of many universities in the CSU system to recently announce the continuation of online classes in Fall 2020.

COVID-19 switches up college plans for Class of 2020 seniors

The transition to online classes at California State Universities shines a light on the impact of socioeconomic status on education

BY ASHLEY LUCIA alucia.gazette@gmail.com

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n May 11, the California State University school system announced the extension of online education through the fall of 2020. Shortly after, the University of California system opted to explore a hybrid online and inperson approach for the fall.

As a result, many seniors around the country have been contemplating their original plans.

However, for a multitude of GBHS students, the prospect of online classes and still paying full tuition has not drastically affected their decisions.

Seniors Julia Enos and Kelsey Cole will both be attending Chico State in the fall and are moving forward with the online classes the CSU is offering.

“I’m still doing college classes online because it’s easier than switching to another school,” Cole said.

Many students also believe the temporary changes will ultimately be worth the missed time on-campus.

“I do think online classes are worth it because none of this is permanent and when things go back to normal I think people will want to go to the college they planned on,” Enos said.

Senior Emily Mayotte will be attending Long Beach State in the fall and also believes there is some value in an online education, but she thinks each student should make the decision that is best for themself.

“I think that the decision of doing online classes or perhaps going a different route with one’s education is completely situation-dependent,” Mayotte said. “Everyone has different priorities and capabilities when it comes to their education, so what may be a solid plan to one student isn’t completely feasible to another.”

In a national poll conducted by the Art and Science group, 63 percent of high school students expressed concern over being able to attend their first-choice school, primarily citing a recent financial toll on their family. Only 44 percent of students said they would enroll in their four-year university for online education.

An Instagram poll conducted by Granite Bay

Today generated about 60 responses in which Cruz next fall and is also disappointed in missing 78 percent of GBHS seniors said they were still out on the college experience, but understands the moving forward with online education through a rationale. variety of four-year universities.

“Although these measures seem overly cautious, The average household income for respondents they are necessary. The sooner everyone acts in the national study was $88,000 a year, while together, the sooner life can return to normal,” the median household income in Granite Bay Maney said. “I believe online learning is worth stacks up to be around $132,000 a year according it if enough effort is put in... online learning is to the U.S. Census Bureau. Perhaps, explaining predicated on the ability of the student to use all the disparities between polling results and of the resources available to them.” further exemplifying the significant role one’s Although many seniors have decided not to socio-economic status plays in their educational explore other post-secondary options in the wake opportunities. of a global crisis, GBHS college and career center A lack of financial strain has counselor Teri Keeney believes made the prospects of many this is a necessity.

GBHS students choosing their “It is definitely a original school more accessible conversation students should What may be a solid to them in comparison to the be having….create a backup rest of the country. plan,” Keeney said. “Think plan to one student Although a significant outside the box, and be open portion of GBHS seniors to new ideas, be creative and isn’t completely have decided not to consider think long-term.” feasible to another. other options, some have Keeney believes students still weighed the negatives of should be thinking about what – Emily Mayotte, college starting online. they can accomplish in the GBHS senior “I think online college is next year that can benefit them worth it only because you’re down the road. Whether that still earning credits,” said Kara be trade school, college classes, Kleinbach, a GBHS senior or employment for a year, she who plans to attend Drexel University in the fall. believes all students should be considering every “I definitely don’t think people should continue to option. be charged full tuition though, since it’s a totally “It does not matter where you start, but where different experience.” you end,” Keeney said. “Students should be Senior Grace Putman also believes online classes checking with the financial aid office at the school do not offer the same value as being on campus. they are attending. If there has been a change “For a majority of students, including myself, in their parent’s financial situation, they should online classes aren’t beneficial,” Putman said. “The appeal their financial aid package.” things we are taught don’t stick the same way they Many GBHS seniors are fortunate enough do when we are in person and there is hands on to avoid the challenges of deferring enrollment instruction.” or switching schools due to financial struggles.

Putman said she will defer her enrollment come However, all students, at GBHS and across the fall if Cal Poly SLO is online. nation, are facing the loss of a significant portion “If my school is online I will defer my of the end of their high school journey. acceptance and then get an internship in “These are very unique challenges we have to something related to my major,” Putman said. work through and I feel for the entire class of “It’s sad because I have been so excited for the 2020 everywhere, having lost a huge transitional freshmen experience of orientation and rushing time period,” Putman said. “These obstacles will since my older siblings went to college.” hopefully make us stronger and make for a great Senior Aidan Maney is attending UC Santa story to tell our kids and grandkids.”

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Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Regions differ on re-opening protocols Many counties present conflicting strategies and procedures on opening up as Placer County gains permission to move ahead

BY SEAN TURNER

as anti-lockdown protestors, have made the argument that remaining on a nationwide quarantine for too long would cause disastrous effects to the economy that might outweigh the public health crisis. any areas of the country have begun to open up from When searching online one can find countless opinions on their previously strict quarantine guidelines and allow why everything simply needs to return to normal and that the access to certain public areas.

However, there has still been heavy debate over whether or not virus is not a threat despite the inferences of medical professionals. beginning to open public areas is advisable and whether or not To many, however, the guidelines and restrictions the governit is an appropriate action to take at this time. ment has implemented during this outbreak have been neces“I see that golf courses are open and I know that some restausary, even if they are not anyone’s ideal way to live. rants are opening seated dining again,” said Granite Bay Junior “I feel like the reopening of many places Yewon Jang. stems less from us reaching a point of actual Students of Granite Bay are beginning safety and more from people wanting to get to see local areas open up as Placer County back to their regular lives,” said Granite Bay is allowed to transition toward a less strict I don’t think things are ever Junior Erin Basca. “But at the end of the day, quarantine system by the California state government. Though many are seeing this gonna be normal again. So many that course of action is selfish and risky.”

Many have even said that this return to a as a poor decision and believe it could people have lost loved ones normal way of life that so many desire is unreendanger public health. alistic, and not how people should be viewing “Places are definitely opening up too and this virus will never truly the issue. soon, even with the low cases in placer “I don’t think things are ever really gonna be county, people obviously travel and people disappear. ‘normal’ again,” said Jang. “So aren’t taking safety precautions seriously,” – Yewon Jang, junior many people have lost said Granite Bay senior Griffin Wetzel. loved ones and the “People won’t follow proper social distancvirus will never ing guidelines because they’re just sick of truly disappear... social distancing and will just stop caring, which would cause and there will another wave of the virus.” Many state and likely be a local governments, as second wave of well sturner.gazette@gmail.com

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Gazette photo /ASHLEY LUCIA

The Westfield Galleria Mall in Roseville partially re-opened on May 22 with new guidelines such as increased sanitation, mask policies, and delayed store openings. the virus during the winter.”

The virus and the nationwide quarantine have created an extremely difficult time for everyone emotionally, physically, and financially.

However, evidence and countless studies from medical professionals in institutions like the World Health Organization are suggesting that opening up too early is not the solution, rather it would only worsen the problem.

“As much as we all wish that things could be a return to normal,” said Basca, “opening up too early is most likely only going to make things worse. This is a worldwide pandemic and it isn’t something we can rush or end prematurely.”

Crisis prompts major changes to the class of 2021’s upcoming college applications Several universities have removed the standardized test requirement because of cancelled testing

BY J.J HILL

jhill.gazette@gmail.com

I

t’s no secret that educators are dedicated to the full development of distance learning as the prognosis for coronavirus seemingly stretches further and further ad infinitum.

However, as the number of days spent locked indoors steadily rises, so do the precautions necessary to carry out an effective education.

One of the biggest changes to come from distance learning, however, is neither towards how materials are taught nor the budget, but rather the selection process itself.

On Wednesday, April 1, the University of California system announced that all standardized scores and grades will not be considered for the Fall 2021 semester. Despite having been announced on April Fool’s Day, this is no joke.

“I think it’s a good decision,” says current junior Erin Basca. “Online schooling has been a rough transition for many classes (...) so it’s good that universities are keeping that in

mind.” Basca, like many other students who will be applying to these schools throughout the year for the 2021 school year, has already taken the SAT. However, she isn’t regretful for having taken the test despite its irrelevance.

“I know many people have been much more impacted by this than I have and it’s not fair to wish that my work still counted at their expense.,” Basca said.

While this is great news for current juniors, it places incoming freshmen for the Fall 2020 school year in somewhat of an awkward position. While next year’s batch of students will no longer be assessed with scores in mind, those same numbers are responsible for the rejection of many who applied to their dream schools.

“I understand why they can’t really use SAT scores in the admission process,” says senior Sienne Le, “but just think it kind of sucks for all the people in my class this year who didn’t get in because of their SAT score.”

Le, similarly to many students graduating in May, is frustrated with the backhanded nature of dropping all requirements mere weeks after

the completion of the admission process for many UC schools.

However, despite minor frustration with the process, she and many more understand the importance of the changes. Many are unable to leave their homes due to lack of nowdetrimental protection like masks and gloves, and the idea of testing a large group of students together all in one room is a social distancing nightmare.

“They can’t discriminate and prevent huge swaths of applicants just because testing opportunities were canceled for a global pandemic,” says Rathip Rajakumar, current senior. “It would be unfair to the hundreds of thousands of kids who thought they’d have another chance.”

While the news comes as a shock to many, it’s just one piece of a flood of new rules and regulations that will soon come as a result of social distancing orders. As long as the world works to embrace them, the sooner it can return back to normal.

Gazette Photo/SEAN TURNER

Class of 2021 will no longer need to invest in test prep resources to prepare.

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

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Students’ reactions to board meetings As quarantine closes California schools, the district updates the community with public hearings

BY SEAN TURNER

sturner.gazette@gmail.com

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ommunication has become more important than ever in schooling as the nation suffers through this pandemic.

As schools transition toward distance learning for the foreseeable future, they have had to find ways to stay in touch with their students in order to maintain the level of education needed from before the nationwide quarantine.

Granite Bay High School and The Roseville Joint Union High School District have done much of the communication of their decisions through online meetings open to the public, which are frequently attended by students and parents.

“The meetings generally are a very large zoom call,” said senior Rathip Rajakumar, a frequent attendee. “(There are) a few presenters and board members on the first page, with all general veinées on following grids.”

District meeting calls can grow extremely large, with attendance sometimes reaching as many as 100 concurrent attendees.

For many students, these meetings have been a good way to stay updated and on top of the current learning situation in the midst of nationwide chaos.

“I see the meetings as something worth attending as they give a lot more context to the materials emailed out to students that could seem confusing otherwise,” said senior Keaton Brasse who has also attended many of the aforementioned meetings.

To students like Brasse, the meetings have been essential to understanding events and schedules, and the reasoning behind them.

Many share a similar sentiment, but see it as a point of minor criticism.

Rajan Patel, a senior attendee, said, “I think it’s important that students understand what’s going on and what the future has in store for them through live video calls from administration and not just emails.”

Gazette photo /SEAN TURNER This was in reference to the emails that have been sent to students in order to communicate While the agenda is shown on the right, many participants can log onto these virtual meetinformation to those unable to attend the online ings to express their ideas about future inquiries like graduation, the grading system, and more. meetings.

Patel and Brasse, among others, have said they “I do not recommend attending unless you’re tions aren’t often responded to immediately so felt that without attending the meetings, the bored or really enjoy painstaking bureaucracy,” by the time they are, it’s left fairly vague.” emails out of context can be overly confusing to advised Rajakumar about attending future online Though there are differing opinions on both those who are not able to be present. meetings. sides of whether or not these meetings are necesThough this isn’t a unanimous opinion, some Rajakumar also said that he feels opportunities sary or helpful, most have been able to agree like Rajakumar share an opposite sentiment, given for questions or input are unsatisfactory. that both the school board and the students are feeling the meetings are unnecessary for several ”By and large it is all theater, and they decide doing the best they can while in a very difficult reasons. independently,” said Rajakumar. “Also, the quessituation.

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Lifestyle

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Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Students break quarantine Those who break the mandatory stay-at-home order underestimate the effect they may have on the communities around them

BY JJ HILL

jjhill.gazette@gmail.com

“I

f I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying.”

This now infamous quote, spoken by 22-year-old spring breaker Brady Sluder on a crowded beach in Miami, Florida in late March, served as a jumping-off point through which virologists and medical professionals could warn the general population about the dangers of ignoring social distancing guidelines.

For weeks, news publications tore into those who attended beaches with COVID-19 looming overhead, even more so once attendees started becoming ill.

However, over a month after the Miami spring break helped illustrate the dangers of failing to follow social distancing guidelines, some students are starting to crack.

It seems that, as stay-at-home orders are extended and CDC guidelines become stricter and stricter, a number of high school and college students have resumed meeting up with friends, despite the warnings.

“Seniors who break the social distancing guidelines to go out and party because they think they’re on vacation are endangering

others,” said senior Hunter Josephson. He, like many others, has been adhering to the strict rules and regulations placed in effect by the state of California.

“It doesn’t help that some of them are the same people upset that we won’t be having the special senior events,” Josephson said.

“They’re part of the problem.”

Due to the nature of how the novel coronavirus spreads, detection in the early stages of infection is difficult as symptoms may not show while a host is still contagious. Because of this, wearing a mask and avoiding close contact with members of other households.

Despite the warnings, however, young adults continue to post pictures drinking and partying without masks on. “(Even) if they don’t get sick, they could still carry it to someone who will. They create danger for anyone they come into contact with,” said Mado Ghufran, a current senior with an underlying condition. As a type 1 diabetic, she is in a much higher risk group than many of the peers she sees meeting up with friends.

“They’re being selfish and irresponsible,” Ghufran said. “It does suck not being able to see your friends, but we as young adults should be able to do what’s best for our community.”

The community surrounding those staying at home, however, seemingly gets more and more hostile. As time progresses and money becomes tighter with record-high unemployment rates, Sacramento has seen multiple stay-at-home order protests grace the visage of its white stone walls.

The economic challenges introduced by the global health crisis will only compound as the days go by. It is a culmination of this financial instability and social isolation which have proven a tipping point for many families and, as seen more recently, young adults.

“They’re encouraging others to break the guidelines by not setting an example,” Ghufran said.

As summer approaches, families & friends will feel more and more inclined towards hitting the beaches and spending time together.

However, due to the fluidity of the epidemic at hand, it isn’t crazy to say that things may not return back to normal for a while.

“The more we social distance and quarantine, the safer we’ll be athe less this virus will spread,” says Jack Dugoni, another senior who’s seen many of his peers on Snapchat boasting selfies with others. “Please stop going out in big groups. Your parties and your friends can wait.”

Gazette photo illustration /DYLAN ROWE

While these students enjoyed being together before the COVID-19 crisis hit, many students are now violating the stay-at-home order.

Social isolation greatly diminishes mental health

Due to mandatory stay-at-home orders, those with underlying mental disorders struggle to maintain their normal lifestyle

BY MAREESA ISLAM mislam.gazette@gmail.com

S

ocial distancing has introduced many complications to millions around the world, such as a decrease in employment rates and other financial crises.

However, in addition to these stressors, there seems to be more to it, under the surface.

Physical connection crafts many health benefits and often acts as a natural stress reliever.

“We know that physical touch increases levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain which help fight off feelings of stress and anxiety,” said Emily Belgarde, Granite Bay High’s mental health associate.

Without the daily contact with those we love most, social distancing has a tremendous effect on individuals’ mental health.

With a decrease, and in some cases a complete cutoff, of physical interaction, the consequences of the shelter in place mandate are significant.

“Humans are built for social connection and ‘social distancing’ can be very isolating and provoke anxiety and fear in most people,” said Lisa Federico, a Wellness Center intern at Granite Bay High School.

Junior Kat Tianpothong described how staying at home has affected her lifestyle.

“I end up spending a ton of time in my own head overthinking and just stressing myself out,” Tianpothong said. “The stuff that made me a little anxious or sad before just seems kind of amplified because I have nothing to distract myself with.”

With this, some students have found it helpful to distract themselves as a coping mechanism to maintain their mental wellbeing.

“I distract myself with busywork or even just asking my mom

for more chores because it really helps me,” junior Megan Panicker said.

Additionally, a decrease in social contact can also affect students’ ability to perform well, academically.

Belgarde discussed the importance of beneficial hormones that are currently on the decline as a result of stressors brought upon by the pandemic.

“There is a reason that dopamine is referred to as the ‘feel good’ hormone. Dopamine brings feelings of pleasure, happiness, and motivation,” Belgarde said.

In turn, without the needed production of dopamine, social distancing has caused many students to feel unmotivated when it comes to keeping up with their academic workload.

“For me, my motivation to do anything related to school has become very small,” junior Lauren Thomas said. “The thing is (is) that we have to get ourselves to do both classwork and homework, and we have to make our own schedules, which is something neither myself nor anyone else was really prepared to do.”

However, despite the lack of physical connection, there are many ways in which people can still feel present and a part of their communities.

“Exercise, eating well, meditation, and intentional social interaction are all paramount to feel healthy mentally, physically and spiritually,” Federico said.

Tianpothong described ways in which she is coping and caring for her mental health.

“I’ve tried to set more realistic expectations and goals for myself. Also, whenever my mental health really starts to deteriorate and is struggling, I take a bit of time for myself to

Gazette illustration /DYLAN ROWE

think about what went wrong and how I can do better,” Tianpothong said.

Arguably, the most important coping mechanism, however, is knowing that one can reach out to others for support as a way to maintain their mental health.

“Just know that you’re not alone,” Megan Panicker said. “You have people right at your fingertips that you can contact.”

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Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

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GBHS says goodbye to several staff members as they begin a new chapter

Teachers and their students reminisce on their favorite moments as educators on this campus

BY RIA DHAMEJANI

A

rdhamejani.gazette@gmail.com

s the school year comes to an end, some of our teachers have decided to move onto a new chapter in their life: retirement or teaching at a different school.

With five teachers retiring at the end of this school year — Karl Grubaugh, John MacLeane, Amelie Rider, Thomas Farmer, and Melanie Rieben — students and teachers reminisce on the greatest moments that made their teaching career so special.

Along with the five teachers heading towards retirement, math teacher Darrin Pagel & Assistant Principal Jessup McGregor will be moving towards a new teaching career at West Park High School.

“I find it very important to continually learn, grow, and challenge myself. I love GBHS and have loved the last 5 years,” McGregor said.

“However, the opportunity to start a new high school from the ground up is a rare opportunity, and a challenge I feel led to take on.”

With so many fun moments like Grizzly Retreat, Link Crew, Bonfire Rallies and more, McGregor was happy to be able to watch his students at Granite Bay grow in a short 4 years.

“I think my favorite memory of (McGregor) was during spirit week because I remember at lunch we would both seek each other out because both of us would go all out. That’s the thing I liked about McGregor. He was always having fun & he made everyone want to make the most of

their high school experience and it really showed,” senior Jordan Greenfelder said.

As many of these seniors had to close their last year of high school on an unprecedented note, their memories of their teachers will continue to last them a lifetime.

Karl Grubaugh, Advanced Placement Micro/Macro Economics and Journalism teacher, is amongst the five teachers leaving GBHS to head onto retirement and is also one who has changed students lives for the better.

“Grooby has a saying that he always says ‘Grooby takes care of his people’ and it really shows.

He loves his students and you can definitely tell,” Greenfelder said about Grubaugh.

“The part of teaching I always loved the most was when students could connect something they learned with their own lives,” Health teacher John MacLeane said.

After 24 years of teaching, MacLeane also decided to move into retirement and pursue the next component of his life.

“Mr. MacLeane would always tell very interesting and funny stories that always made everyone laugh and made his class super fun,” sophomore Adam Dell’Orto said.

In each their own way, the teachers who have spent their time at Granite Bay have played a key role in each student’s successful high school years. “(Teachers) try to create a supportive and fun environment for students to learn in,” Dell’Orto said. “A lot of teachers also try to make a personal connection with their students that make classes a place where we can be ourselves and have fun while we are learning.”

Pictured left to right: Karl Grubaugh, John MacLeane, Amelie Rider, Thomas Farmer, and Melanie Rieben retire, while assistant principal Jessup McGregor and Darrin Pagel move to West Park.

Pets neglected in pandemic COVID-19 has left the SPCA severely understaffed, inspiring some Granite Bay families to help the situation by fostering animals

BY PIPER BACON

I

pbacon.gazette@gmail.com

solation has provided new opportunities for many to get closer with their pets. There seems to be infinitely more time to go on walks with dogs, take a nap with a cat, but what’s happened to animals who might not have a home during this time?

Luckily, there’s nothing to worry about.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, more commonly known as the SPCA, has been working as hard as they can to care for shelter animals who have yet to find a

Gazette illustration /SHREYA DODBALLAPUR

home, and may be lonelier than ever. “(The SPCA is) still staffed and operational for intake of strays and care of a few animals, but more of their volunteers are unable to come in and help,” senior Daven Kashyap said.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the SPCA is severely understaffed.

Due to this change in setting, they’ve been reaching out to as many families as possible to help foster the animals that have come to their care.

Daven and his family in particular have been fostering kittens since before the quarantine, and have been fostering cats and kittens with disabilities since before the quarantine, and were more than happy to step in and help.

“When it goes from Chinchilla, our first foster cat with a lip injury, or our current foster cat Shelly, they’re all adorable and I will forever have them in my heart,” Cavitt Junior High Student Meera Kashyap explained.

According to Meera, though the SPCA shelters aren’t open, they’ve been making sure to send all of the animals in their shelter to homes for the time being.

“Placer SPCA always needs help,” Granite Bay resident Nina Snow said. “I’m sure they could use volunteers and donations, though either way, I would contact them to find out what they need.”

Snow and her family have been involved with helping the SPCA since well before the quarantine.

They’ve adopted one of their cats out of the foster system, Phoebe, and Snow encourages families to help out as well through these rough times.

According to Snow, foster families are going to be needed until the order is lifted-- and there are a lot of animals who need homes.

“Even though it always hurts to let (our foster pets) go, I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” Meera said.

Focus

Pages 8 & 9

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

COVID-19 kills class of 2020’s senior year Granite Bay High School administration updates graduation ceremony to meet social distancing standards

BY ASHLEY YUNG

ayung2.gazette@gmail.com

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his year, seniors won’t be able to have a traditional graduation due to the nature of COVID-19 and the safety restrictions in place preventing large gatherings.

However, seniors feel graduation marks an important time in one’s life and feel like any graduation, even a virtual one, would be meaningful.

“I think graduation is significant in that it is the end to a chapter of our lives,” said senior class vice president Becca Nelson. “It is a celebration of all of our accomplishments and it is a wonderful time for families to come together to see what their children have done.”

To find a solution to graduation, the school held a series of Zoom town hall meetings to gather input and reach a final decision. “(As senior VP), I sit through meetings and discuss ideas,” Nelson said. “We had to work to come up with an alternative solution to graduation, a virtual graduation. Our amazing administration and staff are working really hard to make it similar, so it will have all the elements of our traditional graduation.”

In an email to the senior class, principal Jennifer Leighton detailed what this virtual graduation would entail.

“This ceremony will look almost identical to the live/in-person one we usually do, except we are recording it all ahead of time and adding some other special elements,” Leighton said.

Seniors will be doing a drive-by where they will still get to walk across the stage.

Social distancing will still be maintained, as only graduates will be allowed out of the car and students will be arriving at a different time based alphabetically.

“On Saturday, May 23rd, we are hosting an organized parking lot collection that will include Chromebook and textbook returns, a stop at a small portable stage where each student’s name will be called as they walk across and grab their diploma cover, a capturing of the moment by Bill Smith, and video footage of each graduate walking the stage,” Leighton said.

These videos will be used to make the virtual graduation video, which will be streamed on YouTube at 3 p.m. on March 28th.

Senior class valedictorian, Tirth Surti, is happy with the consensus reached and

lzabell.gazette@gmail.com

A

fter having our PSAT scores canceled sophomore year, followed by no parking lot access as juniors, to having to take the personal finance course test in person for the first time ever as seniors, it’s safe to say the class of 2020 has been dealt a few bad cards during our time as Granite Bay Grizzlies.

When you think of the words “senior year” you think of walking down through the rose garden at the Capitol in senior ball gowns, opening your freshman letter to yourself at senior sunset and throwing your cap in the air when you are finally announced as a graduate of the class of 2020 after four years of hard work.

You don’t think of seeing your favorite teachers for possibly the last time ever from a six foot distance and graduating through a computer screen.

Despite this, it’s clear that seniors have made the most of what we have left.

Since leaving campus for the very last time on March 13, seniors have found new ways to stay connected and do everything possible to make the most of what’s left of their last year.

Just days after hearing that we would not return to our high school campus, seniors came together to make a video, showing appreciation for the staff members and the memories that made high school so great.

“I think the video that was made by members of the class was a great representation of the positivity and resilience of this class,” said Assistant Principal Jessup McGregor.

The senior class has made a lasting impression on others as well.

“I’m very impressed with how this class has shown resilience throughout the last few months,” said Principal Jennifer Leighton. “Although I know seniors have been very sad about the sudden “shutdown” of their school year, I believe they’ve moved through that a bit and worked with us in a very positive way to create all of our alternative plans.”

Leighton is confident that the senior class will go on to make the world a better place after graduating high school.

“I really couldn’t be prouder, and I know they are going to be stronger than ever as they move on to help create the ‘new normal’ in a post COVID-19

BY BRENT EVANS

bevans.gazette@gmail.com

E

urope Trip. Revered. Fun. Exciting. Canceled.

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, all California school activities have been shut down indefinitely, including the 2020 senior trip.

While it is not officially “canceled,” 65% of seniors who signed up for the trip opted to cancel and get a full refund. The organizing body, Education First, has stated that they are open to postponing the trip until late July, but that seems increasingly unlikely as time goes on.

EF is offering vouchers for a similar trip good until 2022, but most students and families are opting for a refund.

It’s no secret the class of 2020 has more or less gotten the shaft. Senior Wyatt Sherretts says he was, “...most looking forward to the Greek cruise,” and, “...getting to visit (different countries) with (his) buddies,” a sentiment many other seniors share.

However, Sherretts is optimistic; he recognizes that, “...later on (he’ll) get to see those sights on (his) own accord.”

GBHS teacher and Europe Trip advisor Brandon Dell’Orto sent an email to students and parents regarding the status of the trip.

“It’s realistically looking like our EF Europe trip won’t be able to happen on schedule. ...EF is following industry-wide protocols,” Dell’Orto wrote in the email.

Many GBHS families were dismayed to hear that EF won’t be able to offer a full refund. According to Dell’Orto, families will get a full refund, “...minus $1000 or something close to that.” He explained that “... the trip insurance isn’t an umbrella policy that covers all potential reasons a trip might be canceled, but (instead) more specific reasons.”

However, EF is offering options for families who don’t want to cancel. The first option is a refund minus roughly $1000. The sec-

excited to still have a graduation at all.

“Listening to the school meetings on Zoom, I feel like some people are asking for too much in comparison to what our restrictions allow,” Surti said. “Some are unappreciative of how much work the staff has done to compensate for all the lost activities and celebrations and follow the guidelines at the same time.”

Along with these walk-the-stage videos, there will also be recordings of senior messages and teacher messages to emulate the speeches normally given during graduation.

“I will be recording a video (for my graduation speech),” Surti said. “For me it seems pretty intimidating to try and incorporate aspects of the current situation of COVID into the speech just because of how much it has impacted our lives, but it will likely be mentioned. Hopefully it’s not a big part as focusing on the positives is more important.”

Nelson will also be delivering a message in the virtual graduation, along with the senior class president, Kara Kleinbach.

“This year Kara and I are continuing the Granite Bay tradition of the class history speech,” Nelson said. “The Class of 2020 has a very interesting story. I hope that from Kara and I’s speech people remember the amazing memories our class has had the past four years.”

Like Surti, her message will be a positive one.

“Although the end to our senior year was not what we expected,” Nelson said, “we are lucky to have spent time at Granite Bay with the amazing class of 2020.”

Class of 2020 shows resiliency despite having faced multiple setbacks

BY LINDSEY ZABELL

Traditional senior graduation trip to Europe canceled due to coronavirus pandemic

Gazette illustration/SHREYA DODBALLAPUR

ond option is rescheduling the trip for late July or early August. Option three is a shorter winter trip to Australia or New Zealand. Option four is a reunion trip along with the class of 2021 next summer. And lastly, the fifth option is a separate, private trip that the student takes on their own.

While there is no definite timetable for when travel will resume, experts estimate it will be about 18 to 24 months until all is back to the way it was.

The truth is, no one really knows how long it will be until any of these options become possible. “Experts” will speculate as they always do, Democrats and Republicans will turn it into something political, and life will go on, with or without the 2020 senior trip.

California colleges make decisions on how to effectively adapt to COVID-19

CDC/Image Library

BY ANGELINA KOLOSEY

akolosey.gazette@gmail.com

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world,” Leighton said.

The class of 2020 will go down as the class that changed the nature of Granite Bay High School.

The class that won both freshman and sophomore floats for the first time in history. The class with the first ever female Tribe Leader. The class that made the GBHS campus more inclusive than it’s ever been.

“I think my favorite memory is from last fall when the seniors actually cheered for the freshmen during the rally. I knew it was going to be a special senior class who would teach the younger students how to treat each other,” said Leighton.

We achieved the goal of our ASB President Avani Singh, to make GBHS a more inclusive atmosphere.

“I think something our class did that will change GB for the better is just in general our charisma and ability to involve others,” Singh said. “We weren’t the mean senior class that was exclusive, we included everyone, even trying to make freshmen feel supported.”

Seniors – we have a lot to be proud of. We may not have gotten the perfect ending that we expected, but what we did do was change Granite Bay High School history.

“I continuously remind my seniors to stay focused on what is ahead,” said senior class advisor Steve Dolan. “Yes, the last year of HS was cut short, and they’ve missed out of some pretty important memories. But the life of a Granite Bay graduate has so much potential and so much excitement ahead.”

Our story isn’t over yet.

“The new experiences, the new friends, the new memories to be made as they move on to the next chapter in their lives,” Dolan said. “Seniors will look back on the Spring of 2020 and say ‘that was terrible, we got through it, and NOW look at what cool stuff we’re getting to experience post-high school’.”

And hey, it’ll be an interesting story to tell our kids, right?

Gazette Illustration/SHREYA DODBALLAPUR

he COVID-19 pandemic has so far intervened in the majority of future plans for individuals all over the world. Leaving home for college for the fall 2020 term in California is just one of these.

California schools are currently on the verge of deciding what to do about the fall 2020 term.

On May 14th California State University chancellor Timothy White announced that CSU campuses will hold virtual instruction with in person instruction available for necessary courses on campus.

“All they said was that they were planning on doing virtual instruction for the first semester with some classes held in person for people who have to participate in things like labs,” Granite Bay High School senior Kelsey Cole, who plans to attend CSU Chico, said.

Timothy White’s address included concerns for the health and safety of students and faculty in case of a second wave of COVID-19 that may hit later on in the year.

California Community colleges are also currently considering virtual instruction. As of now, nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College have announced virtual instruction for the fall term.

Sierra College has also announced a virtual fall 2020 term.

GBHS Senior Kaiya Lang plans to attend Santa Barbara City College after she graduates.

“They have not reached out,” Lang said. “And I don’t know any community (colleges) that have reached out yet.”

As some colleges announce virtual instruction, others have reached out to students about the possibility of in-person learning.

GBHS Senior Shereen Golkar plans to attend University of California Santa Barbara “My college has only reached out and said they will do everything they can to try and have in person learning,” Golkar said.

University of California Los Angeles is also planning on virtual instruction with some classes offering in person instruction.

The situation many colleges are currently facing is how to prepare for courses that require hands on work.

Chancellor Carol Christ of UC Berkeley sent a message to admitted students with three possible scenarios they may face for the fall 2020 term, the scenarios include virtual instruction, in person instruction with limits or full in person instruction.

If virtual instruction is used many colleges are undecided on whether or not dorms will be available. However many students plan to travel to and live in the area they will be attending school at.

“I’m going to get a job and plan to live on my own in an apartment where I’m going to school, or I may continue to stay home and do online courses,” Lang said.

Others plan to participate in the virtual instruction from home and then set off to the actual campus once full on in person instruction is announced.

“If there is virtual learning I think I will probably stay home, because there would be no point in moving away and wasting money on an apartment near my school, especially if dorms are closed,” Golkar said.

There are many out of state schools who have not mentioned COVID-19 affecting the fall term.

“As of right now Arizona State University still plans on having classes on campus for the fall term and I am hoping that it stays that way,” GBHS Senior Ean Mayhew said.

Some out of state schools have announced a full in person term this fall.

“My college (The University of Mississippi) has publicly stated that they will have an in person fall semester this year. They also announced that they are still planning on playing football,” GBHS Senior Cade Scribner said.

With the last few months of high school having to be completed online graduating seniors will now most likely face more virtual learning.

“The virtual situation makes me feel kind of nervous because I’m not really sure what is going to happen or how my future will be affected,” Golkar said.

“I’m just sad of all that is going on in our world, and also of the horrible effects coronavirus has already had on people.”

The current COVID-19 situation has many in disbelief about what their future plans look like, however universities are prioritizing health and safety.

“I would be pretty disappointed because I’ve been ready to start a new life,” Cole said. “But I would understand as these decisions are very difficult to make.”

Arts&Entertainment

Page 10

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Quarantined Self Care Guide A go-to guide for staying healthy while in self-isolation

BY ALI JUELL

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Gazette photo /LINDSEY ZABELL

While in quarantine, students are beginning to appreciate things much more than before, such as the beautiful outdoors.

ajuell.gazette@gmail.com

his spring was different than many springs before.

It brought death, despair and uncertainty into many households.

As the flowers bloomed, fear and worries about what would come next also bloomed in hearts all around the world.

Despite this, such a force of sorrow has also been able to bring some rays of light.

While people have been forced to retreat into their houses for the past few months, such a change has made many people grow and learn and enjoy life in ways that they never would have otherwise.

“I’ve learned that I should take mental and social breaks like this more often,” said sophomore Areanne Dy. “I’ve realized that I kind of like having all this time to myself. (...) I feel like by being in quarantine I’m forcing myself to digest and process.”

Students can only reflect on what they used to take for granted and grow a much larger appreciation for what was once normal and unextraordinary.

“I definitely think I’m gonna come out of (quarantine) with a refreshed perspective because I appreciate being able to go places and spend time with friends a lot more than I did before,” said junior Leland O’Neal. “I (have) also become a lot more grateful for school because before I just couldn’t wait to be out of it and now I miss it.”

“I’ve learned that although school is boring, life without a structured environment to distract me is even worse.” said junior Kay Cosper.

“I’ve also learned to appreciate the privileges I have through online school and a stable home life.”

At a moment in time where the many, many leisurely hours can’t be filled with trips to the movies or shopping at the mall, people are finding new ways to make the most of this time..

“I have become more interested in cooking and making (...) forts with my amazing sister!” said junior Tyler Zavala. “These activities (have) definitely (helped) me improve my mental health by (...) allowing (me) to enjoy the moment and find new ways to be creative.”

Everyone has had activities they hoped to check off their bucket list or get back to, and quarantine has

provided the perfect opportunity for those hopes to come true.

“I’ve been trying to learn Arabic but it’s kind of hard by myself, I’ve made some minor improvements,” O’Neal said.

“I’ve been working on getting back into guitar and piano,” Dy said. “I haven’t been playing acoustic for the past three years so I’m trying to learn some songs when I’m free. As for piano, I’m trying to get myself to read sheet music again so I can play more complex pieces.”

Restrictions have begun to ease across the country, and as Americans slowly return to their normal lives, many will come back with a greater amount of empathy for not just their loved ones, but those within the local community “I think that a lot of people have learned to appreciate (their) families and community more than ever (...),” Zavala said. “I’ve learned that it’s important to check up on your family members who live far away and to reach out to friends you haven’t talked to in a while.

Everyone (has struggled) during this time period and it’s important that we care for one another, even if it’s through Zoom.”

Separation? More like CELEBRATION In a Covid-19-stricken world, people nationwide find new ways to commemorate milestones

BY ALI JUELL

B

ajuell.gazette@gmail.com

irthdays are an integral part of American culture.

They represent more than just the change of a number, they represent important milestones and mark the transition to different stages of life.

Birthdays are celebrations of who a person is becoming and of the path they have already walked.

But it’s much more difficult to celebrate those things from behind a screen.

As people have been forced to stay home and be away from many of their loved ones, birthdays seem not as important next to the threat of a pandemic.

Despite this, many families and friends continue to try and make the birthdays of those close to them (in terms of emotion, not proximity) a celebration outside of the traditional sense.

There cannot be birthday parties or celebratory trips or shared slices of cake, so the only choice available is to improvise.

When it came time to celebrate the 17th birthday of Maggie Delaney, a GBHS junior, her family did just that.

“We just wanted to do a little something so she’d remember her seventeenth birthday,” said Tara Delaney, Maggie’s mother, when discussing why they decided to throw a birthday “drive

through” for their daughter.

Being able to see her loved ones on such a special day was the greatest gift that she could have gotten.

“When the line of people showed up I was shocked,” said Maggie Delaney. “I was overjoyed to actually see (my friends’ and family’s) faces instead of (through a screen).”

When the opportunity arose to recognize her birthday through not just a text or a call, her friends jumped at the opportunity.

“Maggie is such an amazing person, and we all wanted to celebrate (her).” said Paloma Garcia, a junior. “Knowing Maggie and her supportive family, they made it work so that we all could at least see her on her special day. (...) We were all there for Maggie’s birthday because we care about her and we wouldn’t let social distancing get in the way.”

As restrictions have begun to loosen within Placer County, uncertainty about future celebrations isn’t preventing people from looking forward to their birthdays.

“I think anybody can attest that it feels good to be celebrated, and birthdays represent the one special day of the year to celebrate

the life of that (...) individual,” said Sophia Harimoto, a junior who has a birthday in late May. “I think birthdays are always something to look forward to.”

Despite the confusion and adjustment that many are being forced to experience right now, it’s important to stay level-headed and try to find the positive in this situation.

Not only that, but find appreciation for the small things that would otherwise be overlooked.

“Taking every possible moment to be happy about something during this scary time will help push you through,” said Maggie Delaney. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to appreciate the value of a simple conversation (...) and that to me is more important than gifts or an extravagant party.”

Gazette illustration/ LINDSEY ZABELL

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Page 11

Arts&Entertainment

Summer Activities Guide

Gazette illustration /MAYA SNOW

Self Care - Now you that you finally have time to sit back and relax, pull out those face masks, moisturizers, and whatever else you might need to treat yourself. Its important to take care of yourself during times like these.

COVID-19 TikToks While in isolation, many students have been watching and posting videos on social media - some being in poor taste

Special to the Gazette photo /CREATIVE COMMONS

BY BELLA KHOR

bkhor.gazette@gmail.com

S

ince COVID-19 has kept students in their houses with little to do other than homework or go on social media, it’s not a surprise that many teenagers have been spending time watching or making content on an app called TikTok about the current pandemic.

“I’ve seen a lot of pandemic related TikToks telling me ways to be cautious, information on healthcare providers, and then just jokes about being in quarantine,” senior Esther Foksha said.

She added that “the more serious ones” that give you updates on current events are always nice to see.

However, the TikToks with jokes in them make up a majority of many student’s Tik Tok feeds and feel more relatable to her and other students.

“The jokes made are all pretty accurate with how our mental state is slowly deteriorating,” Foksha said.

“The most relatable thing would probably just be the memes about the struggles of the online AP tests (and) online classes,” she added.

These memes are enjoyable to watch and seeing content about the pandemic is “comforting in a way, according to Foksha.

“It shows that I’m not the only person struggling with my classes or finding ways to do more stuff now that we have all the time in the world to try new things,” Foksha said.

Junior Megan Panicker has a similar viewpoint on these COVID-19 TikToks.

Much of the content she sees on TikTok is about social distancing activities and the effect that they’ve had on fellow teenage minds.

“I think they accurately represent the teenage psyche in regards to quarantine and the coronavirus,” Panicker said. “It’s obvious (...) people have grown tired of being stuck at home,” Panicker said.

She also has seen some recipes that people have been sharing on Tik Tok as “Things to do during Quarantine”.

Panicker’s favorite recipe is the dalgona coffee, a whipped instant coffee mixture on top of some milk.

Though amidst these recipes and activities, there are some TikTok jokes that some students think were made in poor taste.

Junior Nariaki Fujita mentioned that many of the jokes he had seen on the app were “pretty funny” but some were “kind of offensive.”

With the pandemic having a start in China, there were some creators who made content making fun of Asian people.

“There were just a couple that were more racist, but those were pretty rare,” Fujita said.

He doesn’t think that the level of xenophobia he saw in these TikToks is too concerning, though.

“Most TikToks are just kids being kids and the (xenophobic crimes across the world against Asians) are like adults being racist,” Fujita said.

When seeing comical social media content on COVID-19, most students know it’s important to remember that this is a pandemic.

“I’ve seen the ones about ‘It’s corona time’ and it makes me feel really sad because there are people suffering and many deaths in the world,” Panicker said.

“Making fun of it and taking advantage of these tragic times is not very acceptable or respectful to families suffering from this pandemic.”

Go to the Lake - Bring your dog, a picnic blanket, and your swimsuit. Relaxing by the water is a perfect way to spend your summer.

Special to the Gazette photo /CREATIVE COMMONS

Staying in Shape - working out is a great way to spend your summer. Exercise is a great way to clear your mind and be productive at the same time!

Special to the Gazette photo /CREATIVE COMMONS

BY MAYA SNOW

msnow.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustration /MAYA SNOW

Athletics

Page 12

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Athletes struggle to maintain their fitness

With practices cancelled, players make use of the resources around them to prepare for next season

Gazette photo illustration /MAY LIN

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Gazette photo illustration /MAY LIN

Women’s Soccer team. “I am a little nervous about going into a whole new environment…

My coaches had a zoom call with all of the incoming freshmen on the team and talked to us ince the coronavirus outbreak, domestic about what to expect and... they gave us a little sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and the MLB have halted their seasons indefinitely quarantine workout packet for us if we wanted.”

The struggle on land is the same in the until the quarantine orders have been lifted. water as each sport requires different This goes the same for Division I, II, and techniques and certain standards specific III sports as NCAA cancels the remaining athletes have to build on. winter and spring championships.

“It’s hard to replicate how many hours Unfortunately, high schools nationI was spending in the pool with dry wide have met the same fate of their land workouts. I’m not a runner, so I’m practices and games being cancelled and just worried about staying in shape and Granite Bay’s no exception. Athletes trying to run,” said junior Natalie since then have been motivated to Wilcox, who’s on the GBHS’s keep their physique up Varsity Women’s Water Polo in many creative ways, team. not allowing this pause Players aren’t the only ones to their season affect making sure they’re in top-notch their lifestyle. shape by the end of quarantine for “Every day I do a 25-45 their team, but coaches are as well minute erg (indoor rowing ensuring the best possible result at machine) workout in addition the start of their season. to another outdoor activity. The “Two of our coaches have created Inoutdoor workouts I switch off stagram accounts specifically designed between include, biking, hiking, to give athletes in our club ideas for running, grass volleyball and workouts. We also post links on our beach volleyball.... so I use difclub’s website so athletes can easily ferent muscle groups,” said senior find other resources,” said Tyson Jessica Varakuta who’s planning Frenn, head coach of the water polo to join Columbia’s Women’s Rowing team. “I’m definitely worried about team in the fall. how this quarantine will affect our Athletes like Varakuta who are performance next season. Not all taking the next step in their sport’s athletes are motivated and inspired career find it challenging yet doable in the same ways… Not all athletes to keep up with their athletic comhave access to the same resources position, and for a purpose. either, which makes learning more “I’m just going to go and work challenging those individuals.” as hard as I can and get as No matter how much playing time as I can”, Natalie Wilcox incorporates dumbbells you see it, it’s inevisaid senior Marli Bannai who’s in her daily routine to stay in shape. table to realize and committed to UC San Diego’s

BY MAY LIN

m.lin.gazette@gmail.com

an opportunity to give their 100% more than feel the downsides of this whole situation where they ever have, and it gives people a new sense not only practices are cancelled, but games as of determination,’’ said senior Ashlyn Hemphill, well. And for some athletes, it means the last of who’s committed to the Swim and Dive team events they’ll never be able to experience. at San Diego State University.

“Sadly we’re no longer able to have NaThe best way to shape this experience tional Jr. Olympic tournament, is to realize the down-turns and make and the qualifying tournament something out of it, and as Coach too. Jr. The Olympics is the Frenn perfectly puts it, “The team largest water polo tournament that adapts the best to this new in the entire world! As of situation will have a significant now, the plan is to reschedule advantage when we start in-person the tournament to fall season training again…Make sure you (Nov/Dec), but there are still develop a routine that you stick several questions left to be anto and yourself accountable to. swered,” said Frenn.

Routine can make certain unAs the months drag on, the same enjoyable tasks easier to manage feeling could be felt by John Sherman, with time.” head coach of the swim team.

As many would agree, the “Swim season getting cancelled end goal is to appreciate and has really robbed me of my paswork with what you have. sion. I do this because I love Take it from Coach Sherman working with young adults and himself, their energy keeps me motivat“There is so much negatived and I miss all of it and all of ity out there with people them so much. I try to keep a whining about what has bigger picture point of view and been “taken” from them. know that we are so blessed if our This all points to an entitled families, friends culture of self and it’s contaand comgious… Look at the other side of munity are the situation: healthy,” said Sherman. w Find the benefits of this Despite the season we are in (free time? negatives, it’s sleeping in? schedule flexibilno surprise that ity? additional family time?) these passionate and w Use this time to imself-disciplined indiprove (get something done viduals are mentally off your to do list, invest trained to focus on in a relationship, learn to do reaching the light at something new, help someone the end of the tunnel. who needs it) “A positive about this w Focus on the blessings you quarantine, especially for the have and be grateful for everyathletes, is it makes you more thing. If you, your family, hungry than ever Marli Bannai always keeps a ball nearby and friends are healthy..... about your sport… then you have everything Athletes are itching for so she can maintan and enhance her skills. you need!”

NCAA waiver decides possible changes Colleges are considering cutting sport programs nationwide due to fundraising events being affected by the coronavirus pandemic

BY BRENT EVANS

A

bevans.gazette@gmail.com

midst the current pandemic, many institutions and businesses have been forced to alter the way they conduct themselves. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is no different and their organization made the decision to cancel one of their most profitable events of the year: March Madness, along with all other spring sports. While this may seem rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things, the cancellation and other contributing factors causes a rippling effect that influences beyond the 2020 spring season. The $933 million generated during March Madness helps fund other sports and provide scholarships- the cancellation means that there will be less money for sports and more cuts, which will impact future and current college athletes.

In an interview with the LA Times, executive director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association stated that there could be cuts made to budgets of lower-income sports without the need to cut the programs entirely. Cuts could include shortening coaching staffs and elimination of non-essential personnel and services. Obviously, the NCAA wants to avoid as many of these cuts as possible, but it’s becoming more and more inevitable as the situation progresses.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has lingered for longer than initially anticipated, and it’s beginning to look as though some, if not all fall sports, will be postponed indefinitely, including football,

one of the NCAA’s most profitable programs.

Many colleges have begun exploring alternative fitness and training programs to keep its athletes in shape for the upcoming season.

GBHS Senior Summer Holt is committed to play soccer at TCU next year and is receiving “fitness packets containing different tests and workouts to help … stay physically prepared.”

“They also have held Zoom meetings where we can connect with other commits in our class and our teammates next year,” Holt said. “The coaches have been awesome… checking in with us as well, and it’s making us all excited for our next chapter.”

As for when the season will start, Holt is hopeful.

“I think the season will start on time, just with regulations in support of social distancing (regarding) crowds. Some leagues have already announced they won’t be having a fall season, but I’m hopeful for TCU and the Big 12,” Holt said.

Dillon Hamilton will be attending Heidelberg University for football this fall and is optimistic about next year as well.

“Our college isn’t as affected…Our season has been pushed back a couple of weeks or even months though due to COVID-19, but I believe we’ll just end later than usual this year to make up for it,” Hamilton said.

Amidst the uncertainty, the NCAA in conjunction with the Department of Education are working to find a safe way to hold sporting events in the wake of a global pandemic.

Gazette illustration /MAY LIN

Athletics

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Home exercise routines are on the rise

Page 13

Students get creative with original workouts when it comes to staying busy and in shape

BY BECCA NOLAN

bnolan.gazette@gmail.com

A

lthough the results of COVID-19 have prevented people from going to their local gyms, going to sport practices, or working out with friends, many are still using this as an opportunity to exercise and stay fit.

“I do a lot of exercise soccer zoom calls with my teammates so we can stay active during quarantine,” sophomore Trista Hartman said.

Hartman also mentioned that these calls are something to look forward to in quarantine, and a good way to keep in touch with people when not being able to see teammates.

Many athletes, especially club sports, find it important to keep improving and staying active, therefore, A large number of home exercise videos and popular at-home gym equipment are emerging, as people are desperate to stay productive.

Many people are doing their best to get outside, even if it’s walking their dog.

“I try to go for runs with my dog to stay in shape, and get fresh air,” sophomore Natalia Smith said.

Smith also mentioned how much more fun it

is to workout and run with another person because it helps with motivation.

Some of the creative home exercise workouts include popular Youtube channels like ‘Chloe Ting workout challenges’, ‘Blogilates’, and ‘Pamela Reifs workouts.’

A majority of these workouts are intense short bursts of a range of exercises. Similarly, the workouts don’t include any necessary gym equipment which makes it easy for viewers to get in shape without fussing about the absence of special gear. Most workouts that catch the viewer’s attention, and not-coincidentally receive the most clicks, include toning the abs, inner thighs and arm.

There are many ways people are trying to stay healthy, but these online exercise videos specifically do an efficient job at a friendly cost - they’re free. Especially since facilities like gyms are closed at the moment and most needing memberships, these workouts couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

“Having something so small to keep you motivated, especially with your friends,” said a freshman girl who would like to remain anonymous.

“Having a home exercise guide helps keep me organized, and something to stay busy with.”

Gazette illustration /MAY LIN

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR | ALL GRIZZLY Star individuals featured for achieving phenomenal feat

Special to the Gazette /LENIE’S PICTURES

BY DARYN CONNER

dconner.gazette@gmail.com

A

mong the many talented students at GBHS, having outstanding athletes is something the school never lacked. However, there are always some who stand out amongst their peers, whether it’s their dedication and gruesome training or skill and passion, they have still achieved to be the best of the best.

With these attributes in mind, the Granite Bay Gazette would like to congratulate the following individuals for making Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, and the All Grizzly team for the 2019-2020 term.

Brianna Lambey | Female Athlete of the Year As a four year varsity player, Brianna has excelled in the GBHS’s basketball program throughout high school.

Special to the Gazette /CANNON HARMER

During her last season of high school, Brianna led her team to the playoffs as a captain on the Varsity team.

“This year was fun and successful because we went further than expected,” said Lambey Despite her heightened success, the recognition didn’t come without grueling hours of hard work and having to face many challenges.

Lambey describes one difficulty as having “to keep working despite the adversity.” This persistence and determination Brianna holds stands unique as it not only has gotten her to where she is now, but has also inspired others. It’s no secret that Brianna’s impact will have a lasting effect on the girl’s basketball program and the future she’s currently focusing on will be bright no matter where she goes.

Summer Holt Soccer

Ty Peterson Football

Kiana Perez Lacrosse

Anthony Gross Water Polo

Amber Myers Swim

Yaqub Mir Basketball

Marli Bannai Soccer

Jack Gillespie Swim

Ellie Bushnell Golf

Christian Perry Football

Special to the Gazette /EMMA BROERS

Cannon Harmer | Male Athlete of the Year Jonathon Harmer is a multi-talented individual with involvements amongst many sports.

He was one of four captains on the Varsity football team this last year and Harmer had helped lead his team to playoffs during his last season. He describes the sport as the best times of his life.

“Being with the boys every day for football practices,” Harmers said. “I will miss playing under the lights Friday nights.”

In addition to football, Jonathon also excels in another sport. He has been on the GBHS rugby team all 4 years as well and plans to attend Brigham Young University this upcoming year to play rugby.

Even though he missed out on his last season, Harmer was truly honored

and appreciative to his school and his friends.

As a great leader and a great athlete, Jonathon will be missed by both the school and GB’s sports programs, and many are thankful for his part in it.

Coach Mark Broers | Coach of the Year As if being the girl’s varsity soccer coach for the last 10 years didn’t already speak volumes, Mark Broers has done a tremendous job leading the team to many victories through tactics strategically and mentally. In this last season, his team made it to the semifinals of section playoffs.

“Coaching at GB has helped me continue to strive to build the best team culture my staff and I can… for each and every season,” Broers said.

For this season in particular, Broers always worked to create a healthy

Gazette illustration / LINDSEY ZABELL

team environment which inevitably contributed to the success. With that in mind, this year’s team came together as a great group of friends and shared some unforgettable memories.

“Our team trip to Southern California (was) a fantastic team bonding experience,” said Broers. “(We also) won an exciting 3-2 game over University HS in Irvine.”

In all ten years, Mark Broers has always excelled in coaching on and off the field. As he continues to improve our soccer program now, players and families alike can’t thank him enough for what he has done. It’s no surprise that Broers has promising plans for the future and can’t wait to go back and work hard on the fields again. “(I plan to) continue to run the... teams and improve our soccer facility into a first class venue,” said Broers.

“And most importantly... to have fun.”

Voices

Page 14

GAZETTE Granite Bay

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

Senior Editors: Cori Caplinger Bella Khor Angelina Kolosey May Lin Dylan Rowe Ashley Yung Lindsey Zabell Assistant Editors: Piper Bacon Heba Bounar Sophie Criscione Shreya Dodballapur Kate Fernandez Emerson Ford JJ Hill Mareesa Islam Ashley Lucia Maya Snow Illustrations Editor: Julietta Golovey

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Protests violate safety of others

Personal agendas interrupt the positive efforts of many in and out of quarantine

O

ver the past month or so, I’ve watched the world through my television. News these days is mostly the same, COVID-19 this, Coronavirus that. Most recently, I’ve seen something that, for me, was almost comical.

Protesters. Participating in something called ‘Operation Gridlock.’ All throughout the country, ignorantly demanding that their states be reopened.

Some holding signs that read “all businesses are essential,” “faith not fear,” and my personal favorite, “my body my choice.” Most participants were waving American flags as if that is what the United States stands for.

These people are not people who have advocated for universal human rights before, because they haven’t ever had to. The people in these crowds, without masks, without six feet of space in between them, who stereotypically have

never advocated for any minority rights When they are finally stripped of their in the past, are now advocating for “freedom” they get a taste of what these themselves. My point is these protestors minority groups have felt all along, and who are demanding they don’t like it. for freedom have To be clear, it’s openly refused to unfair to categorize give others the same all of the protesters treatment. in this negative light.

These protesters However, I find it are the same people hard to believe those who have preached who champion the over and over about massive spread of a listening to authordeadly virus would ity, the ones who tell also support the immigrants in cages rights of anyone to listen, the ones besides themselves. who tell people of This unfortunate time color to stay quiet, in everyone’s lives has the ones who tell revealed the hypocrisy drowe.gazette@gmail.com the LGBTQIA+ that our entire councommunity that try lives and breathes. they cannot love, and told women that Creating a divide during a time they couldn’t control their own bodies. that would usually bring our nation

COMMENTARY

dylan rowe

together is terrifying to me; we should all be working together in order to beat the virus quicker.

I’m disappointed in how we have chosen to react to such a serious event, but it wouldn’t be the first time. I hope that when this is all over, humankind will come out of this stronger and more united.

Rallies and protests will not make this virus go away. Our government is taking the necessary precautions to maintain COVID-19. To keep those in the medical field from drowning in cases, to keep people safe, and to stop it from spreading.

The mandatory stay at home order isn’t something to be taken lightly. We can get experiences back, but we can’t bring back those who lost their lives. *** Dylan Rowe, a senior, is a senior editor.

Staff Writers: Daryn Conner Ria Dhamejani Brent Evans Ali Juell Becca Nolan Sean Turner Administrative Assistant: Andrew Martinez Adviser: Karl Grubaugh -30The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the advanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School.

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

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

Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer.

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

The editorial board reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.

Send Letters to the Editor to staff.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

Biden has to change The past can repeat itself in the upcoming election

T

he 2020 presidential election has been highly anticipated for many democrats as an opportunity to take President Trump out of

office.

Uncertainty has been abound as people have imagined what November will bring, but no one could predict that a pandemic would be affecting the 2020 campaign for president.

With rallies cancelled and physical town halls out of the question, Joe Biden, the assumed Democratic candidate, has been left with only digital campaigning to try and convince many Americans to vote blue in the upcoming election.

The formula for a successful campaign has had to be adjusted as a result, certainly bringing discomfort and curve balls to the Biden campaign.

Despite this, Biden has been given an opportunity that has not been commonly brought to presidential candidates.

He has been given the opportunity to truly connect with his supporters and provide a more relaxed, yet well-spoken, version of his political persona.

He has no option but to communicate through the internet, which could allow him to answer questions and communicate with the public unlike he ever could in a physical setting.

So when I was given the opportunity to tune into one of his virtual town halls as a member of the press, I expected Biden to take advantage of this occasion and improve his image to the general public.

In the town hall that I watched, which was centered around the topic of how COVID-19

Gazette illustration /CORI CAPLINGER

The job of the politician is to project a feeling of sincerity and passion to their audience in order to make such formulaic words seem organic, and the conversation between Biden and Clinton was never is affecting women, Biden and his guest Hillary able to reach that goal.

Clinton’s back and forth instead made obvious his Where Biden has been given an opportunity lack of eloquence. to bring himself down from Joe Biden to Joe, to Where Clinton was articulate, Biden consistently make himself not just a political figure but a warm had trouble finding words. character that Americans can relate to, he has only This criticism is not new, his mental capacity missed that mark. has been questioned throughout the whole of his Many people have been able to master the skill of current presidential campaign due to consistently exuding openness to viewers online, and Biden has being tongue-tied. simply not yet gained that skill.

His lack of words is notable, but Clinton’s ability Viewers have become increasingly skilled at realizto express with poignancy (which can not be denied ing when online figures are not being genuine, and despite one’s political opinions) caused him to look so it becomes more important than ever to project like a buffoon on his own broadcast. passion and honesty for digital audiences.

At times it felt as if Clinton was elaborating on One of the mistakes made by the Clinton camBiden’s points how a teacher paign during the 2016 presidential may elaborate on a second election was not humanizing Clinton grade student’s book report. enough to the general public.

In addition, the “banter” To those that believed Clinton between the two appeared to be “robotic”, her passion for the unquestionably forced.

American people was put under seriIt seemed as if the mention ous question. of their Tuesday breakfasts As Biden is battling an incumbent while under the Obama candidate, he does not have room for administration and their trip such an error. to Scranton, Pennsylvania He must reassure both the Demotogether were flat, scripted atcratic party and swing voters that he tempts at making the viewers will successfully be able to hold the feel like they were watching presidential office through relating two old friends have a casual to his public and demonstrating an conversation. eloquence not previously seen. ajuell.gazette@gmail.com Moments such as those Near the end of the broadcast, made me question if the Biden mentioned that he will be event was even live, simply due to the fact that going to Clinton consistently for advice for the rest their conversation just seemed to flow as if it was of his campaign. outlined or rehearsed.

Democrats can only hope that Clinton will make This, of course, is typical of many political events. Biden learn from her campaign’s mistakes.

Candidates are coached on what to say, guided on Otherwise, history is bound only to repeat itself. their speeches and advised on what anecdote will *** catch the attention of voters.

Ali Juell, a junior, is a staff writer.

COMMENTARY

ali juell

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Appreciate the little things Enjoy every moment while you can

T

he little things in life have always passed me by with such speed, and now that they are gone I feel like I have gained a new sense of appreciation.

These “little things” go unnoticed by us, as our society constantly maintains a busy and preoccupied default setting: we pride ourselves on consistently being busy and having much to do.

Yet, we have become numb to the things life has to offer us, we have grown accustomed to this sense of privilege - believing that we have a right to happiness, fulfillment, and belonging. This belief makes us immune to the appreciation of what we do have.

It’s taken me nearly two months of quarantine to realize that I was missing out on so much when I believed myself to be experiencing much.

Perhaps that doesn’t make sense, but I have realized that I never appreciated what I had to the fullest and deserving extent.

To put it simply… I miss life.

I did not appreciate my friends’ amazing smiles, the way we laughed over the food we bought reluctantly at Whole Foods (if you’re scrounging for funds you understand what I mean). I never knew how lucky I was to spend every available minute adventuring around, spending time with the people that have become like my second family.

to try and slow I didn’t down and apunderstand preciate them, the value we might be Granite more grateful Bay High for what we gave to me. have.

I may have I wish I had had a deep spent more appreciatime taking in tion for my my surroundinstrucings, appreciattors but I ing what laid never fully before me. I understood have long lastthe power ing memories my educaccaplinger.gazette@gmail.com that I will now tion and hold onto experience dearly. had over These may just be little me at GBHS. things, but they are oh so The times I had with the extraordinary. people around me, whether *** in school or outside, represent Cori Caplinger, a senior, is a the very little things we miss senior editor. everyday. If we took some time

COMMENTARY

cori caplinger

Covid-19 ads can be shallow Businesses release insincere commercials praising essential workers O

ver the course of this pandemic, I ments is that for many of these workers, it have been bombarded with comisn’t a choice they make. These jobs are the mercials that only sources of income for endlessly praise the millions nationally, and it essential workers that should not be celebrated keep necessary busithat they aren’t given the nesses running. choice to stay at home for And though I agree the safety of themselves or that essential workers their family. are doing a service that Seeing global corporahelps me greatly, I cantions like these advertise not help but be skeptihow much they seemingly cal when those creating care about the welfare of these commercials are their employees sickens me corporations notorious because of how much it for worker mistreatdirectly contrasts with the ment. actions of their past and sturner.gazette@gmail.com Companies like present.

Walmart and Amazon Historically these compraise their workers as panies have taken harsh heroes and speak of how we all need to be stances against worker unions and have so grateful for these amazing sacrifices they gone to great lengths to suppress any kind have chosen to take. of strike in the name of not having to give However my issue with these advertiseworkers benefits.

COMMENTARY

sean turner

During this pandemic, companies like these have also not provided workers with necessary safety equipment or adequately paid sick leave, which means that many workers have gone to work while sick with the Covid-19 virus because they can’t afford not to.

Instead of making these commercials, that money could be spent to increase wages during this extremely stressful time for their workers, offering more paid sick leave for any workers who might feel ill from the virus, or quite literally anything else that would actually provide these workers with some kind of benefit.

These corporations are offering hollow, meaningless gestures to the working masses and expecting to sway the hearts of gullible viewers, and I can only hope that those privileged enough to be able to stay home and watch them are able to see through the facade. *** Sean Turner, a senior, is a staff member.

Seniors possess strength

T

he class of 2020 has certainly had a less than perfect senior year. In other words, everything that could’ve gone wrong this year, went wrong.

What started as a small outbreak in a foreign country has evolved into a global pandemic, and no one has been spared. In one way or another, everyone has been affected by this pandemic, and its effects will remain long after it has died down.

Thanks to Covid-19, the world has stopped in its tracks, and seniors have not been exempt from this event.

While other high school students of different ages have certainly suffered due to this fiasco, for seniors it’s different.

When they left school on that fateful day in March, they

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

had no way of knowing what their future would hold, that they would never return to their favorite classes in person, or that they wouldn’t get the chance to bid farewell to their beloved teachers.

At first, people insisted that this would simply be an inconvenience for a short period of time and that students would soon return to school.

Yet, it soon became clear that this disturbance to the regular flow of life would not be so

short-lived as people once claimed, and would alternatively become something more considerable in stature.

Whether it was the cancellation of senior events like senior ball and graduation or the switch to entirely online school, nothing happened according to plan. Everything that seniors have been looking forward to for so long has changed, and not for the better.

It is easy to be saddened by this situation. To pity those poor teenagers, who had everything taken from them right when they were at the finish line. To a certain extent, this pity is warranted.

However, the class of 2020 deserves more than pity, because in spite of everything that’s happened, they have

not given up. Rather than the sorrowful glances they receive from the people around them, they deserve a certain amount of praise. Praise for their resilience, and praise for their ability to bring light to their somber situation.

Seniors haven’t yet buckled beneath the weight of the world. Despite all odds, they stand strong, united against a world that is seemingly doing anything to bring them down.

Certainly, they are more than their misfortunes.

The class of 2020’s potential remains unblemished, and a world of opportunity awaits them. This pandemic is surely intimidating, but not allpowerful.

The class of 2020 will prevail, despite the challenges they face.

Page 15

COVID-19

JOURNALS Granite Bay High students document trials and tribulations of Covid-19

Week 2

jj hill

“It hadn’t started until today, but it feels like everything is blending together. I suppose it isn’t too dissimilar to a normal school week where I forgot what happened which day, but I can at least differentiate the dates. Stuck in my house constantly, I’m losing track of time and the date. It doesn’t feel right that my birthday was only two days ago, but here I am. I hope that this doesn’t turn into some form of dissociation for myself, as that would be the last thing I want.”

Week 3 mareesa islam “Today, I went out in public for the first time in two full weeks. It was just a short trip to Safeway, but it was a trip nonetheless. Going in, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, but I was surprised by the large number of people shopping as well. One thing that especially caught my attention was the fact that no one seemed to be talking. Everyone seemed to have a purpose and wanted to get out as soon as possible. As I was walking through the aisles, I noticed that some were completely empty, including the frozen vegetables and cleaning aisle.

It doesn’t seem that Covid-19 tensions have died down, people are still stocking up on ‘essentials’ in preparation for the worst that may yet come.”

Week 4

kate fernandez

“Although we haven’t graduated yet, our senior year is basically over. And while many people seem to be despairing over this fact, I can’t help but feel hopeful. To me, high school was just a stepping stone, a method of preparing me for what I would encounter in the real world. Although it didn’t exactly end how I thought it would, I’m glad senior year is over. I get to move on to something new and exciting, and get to leave behind the trivial drama of high school.”

Week 6

shreya dodballapur

“Today was fun. I listened to new music, made a new playlist, talked to some friends, had a little FaceTime dance party, and got a little bit of work done. I read MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail for a gov assignment, and I remembered why it’s one of my favorite pieces ever written. When the world is bad, you don’t stop fighting; you fight harder.

While the problems of today’s world are different from the 1960s, I hope that people understand how serious the situation is and how much needs to change. I think it’s more important than ever to fight for what’s right. In this situation, that means not encouraging people who aren’t quarantining, staying at home, and voting in November for a president that will take care of us in dire times. I think Coronavirus has pointed out major flaws in American society, from health-care coverage to wealth inequality to simple selfishness. It’s absurd to see how old American flaws that MLK pointed out 60 years ago are still applicable today. He reminded me how important it is to push for change.

He reminded me that the good eventually do win, but only if they stick it out.”

Page 16

Gazette

ADVISER’S NOTE

karl grubaugh kgrubaugh.gazette@gmail.com

D

uring my 20 years of teaching and advising journalism at Granite Bay High, more than 800 students have produced more than 165 regular and special editions of the Gazette student newspaper, consisting of more than 4,000 pages of student-generated content.

Assuming an average of 2,000 words per page (I looked that up on Google), Gazette staffers have published approximately eight million words during my tenure.

This issue of the Gazette, and the accompanying senior edition, is the last one that will have my name on the masthead as the adviser. While that’s bittersweet, it’s also amazing that this issue came together at all – that in the middle of a pandemic, a bunch of student journalists produced this edition using laptops and cellphones and the internet from their bedrooms.

This issue – every issue, really – is a month-long miracle in which more than 30 blank pages turn into a creative package of words, photos, illustrations and graphics to be enjoyed by hundreds, even thousands, of readers.

But the resourcefulness of Gazette students has never surprised me, because it turns out – for two decades – they’ve had a lot to say.

There have been some challenging and hard-to-report stories over the years. A feature about a student courageously overcoming a serious illness. A story reported from the home of a family that lost their son to a car accident the previous evening. An in-depth look at homelessness in old Roseville.

A campus monitor who was arrested for stealing school and private property. An off-campus coach who was prosecuted for the statutory rape of a girl on the basketball team.

A student who had a baby out of wedlock just weeks after graduating and decided to live with her parents and raise her child on her own.

We’ve made our share of mistakes along the way – from

Granite Bay Gazette wThursday, May 28, 2020

Reflections after 20 years in the trenches embarrassing spelling and grammar errors, to confusing factual errors, to a fortunately small number of more serious incidents involving plagiarism or other forms of misrepresentation.

I’ve even had a few lawsuit threats come my way because of my work as the Gazette adviser – more than a dozen at last count, although only one was ever actually filed and I was removed from the case just before it went to trial.

At the end of every school year, when I hand out a few awards to my Gazette crew, I tell them that teaching and advising journalism is the best thing I do. I get to coach up talented students about the basics, and then they learn journalism by going out and doing it.

Oh, I tell them, I could turn this into a lecture class, and then you’d all be writing for an audience of one – me. There wouldn’t be any public errors to correct. There wouldn’t be any embarrassing grammar and spelling glitches. There wouldn’t be any lawsuit threats.

But it wouldn’t be journalism.

So instead, I’ve had students go out and do good journalism – the very best they’re capable of doing – and being part of that process has been the most satisfying experience of my nearly four decades in K-12 and college classrooms.

I have lots of people to thank for the Gazette’s successes along the way: Three different principals – Ron Severson, Mike McGuire and Jennifer Leighton – who didn’t always

like what my students produced but who never made any effort to quash their First Amendment right to produce it. A huge number of faculty and staff members who were patiently willing to be interviewed for stories by young journalists who weren’t always as prepared or as skilled as they could have been. The many readers who offered praise when they enjoyed something and constructive criticism when they were pointing out mistakes.

But mostly, I want to thank the hundreds of talented young journalists who’ve come through the doors of Room 514, done great work as reporters, writers, editors, photographers and designers, and then gone on to college and to amazing lives and careers as doctors, lawyers, professors, entrepreneurs, teachers, pastors, elected officials … and yes, even a few journalists.

People have asked me, as my retirement has loomed, what I’m proudest of in my teaching career.

At the top of the list?

Twenty years of helping young journalists tell stories that matter to students, faculty, parents and the community.

Twenty years of advising an ambitious student newspaper – 165 issues, 4,000 pages, eight million words – produced by some of the finest young men and women in America.

Twenty years of Gazette students going out and doing good journalism.

Twenty great years.

Special to the Gazette / ETHAN CASE

T

o say that you have genuinely touched the lives of your students in such a way that your lasting impact changes lives, would be an understatement for you, Mr. Grubaugh. After being an instructor at Granite Bay High for over twenty years, you remain one of the greatest teachers in our school’s history.

As the adviser for the Granite Bay Gazette, you have built up the program to a standard almost unheard of at a high school level, gaining hundreds of awards nationally.

Your dedication to journalism and teaching is one that many should strive for. Your acceptance and caring attitude towards your students remains some of your best qualities. Your talent and constant strive for greatness and the betterment of your instruction and advisement is nothing less than admirable.

For over twenty years, you have given your journalism students an unprecedented amount of freedom, guiding them to make their own decisions. You encourage us to formulate our own skills, skills we will use for the rest of our lives. You believe in us and never fail to show us what we are capable of.

You have never failed to help us in our times of need, showing us great strength and courage in the face of negativity. There is no problem too difficult, you always help in any way you can.

You do not treat us as students or just as your equals, but like we are your family. You have built a reputation as someone who puts your students before yourself. Your sympathy and empathy inspires us to continue on with your same message, making the world a better place student by student.

Your leading example of faithful loyalty and kindness is something that will never be forgotten.

While your last few months at Granite Bay have been cut short, we wish the absolute best for you.

From all of us at the Gazette, we will miss you more than words can describe. Thank you for teaching us to be the people we are now. Thank you for caring for us. Your presence in our lives as students has changed us for the better.

More than anything, thank you for always taking care of your people.

To: Mr. Grubaugh From: The Gazette Staff

Gazette illustration / LINDSEY ZABELL

SENIOR EDITION / 1

The Class of 2020...

Senior Edition Gazette photo /CORI CAPLINGER

2 / SENIOR EDITION

SENIOR EDITION THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS LEIGHTON’S LETTER

A GOODBYE FROM THE SENIOR EDITORS COLLEGE FRIENDSHIPS COLLEGE MAP SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

3 4-6

7

8-9

10-13

CLASS OF 2020 RECAP

14

DORM DECOR GUIDE

15

SENIOR SCRAPBOOK

16

THANK YOU

TO OUR DONORS The Granite Bay Gazette would like to thank each and every one of the donors who helped fund this issue. Because of your overwhelming support, we were able to not only create this issue, but also send it to every GBHS student’s household.

Tanya Barot, Karl Grubaugh, Ashley Hines, Kevin Kiley, Meagan Tallman, Molly Scholes, Julie Francesconi, Wendi Ross, Colin Wood, Yusuke Harada, AnnMarie Mullen, Allison Cagley, David Baptist, Mark Murray, Dana Wills, Scott Huber, Elizabeth Broers, Hayley McAvoy ,Sidney Stipanovich, Chris Baltzley, Udayan Chanda, Darya Evans, Nancy Bredin, Paula Turek, Christy Honeycutt, Joe Hackman, Katie Farias, Lisa Kunst, Carl Finer, Jessie Rubin, Rayna Frayji, Kathy Hill, Epsa Sharma, Jillyan McKinney, Marc Moser, Laura Dugan, Alonzo Cannon, Scott & Sarah Modeste, Jessica Scotten, Elle Vance, Ray Westbrook, Michael Reeves, Ali Gott, Bradley Wilson, Kellie Criscione, Paige Xu, Lainie Johnson, Kristine Khieu, Staci Zabell, Brian Wong, Sue Oliviera, Sherry Caplinger, Elizabeth Tapia, Jessica Northam, Austin Downs, Surina Khurana, Katie Cologna, Josh duLac, Renee Nash, Jessica Reese, Michelle Mosnier, Lori Talbot, Mitch Ziegler, Stephen Miller, Cole Phillips, Hannah Xu, Emily Walgenbach, Jenny Arnez, Kathy Morrison, Judi Daniels, Caroline Anderson, Stephanie Vatz, Kate Calder, Brittany Taylor, Ali Habashi, Alison Sale, Bernadette Cranmer, Jennifer Wilford, Colin Anderson, Ashna & Avisha Shah, Spencer Cova, Sunny & Anu Khurana, Grant Adams, Keren Kama, Mindy Siemers, Debbie Noyes, Joseph Mullen, Stephanie Raley, Laura Preston, Matty Randolph, Kelly Mendez-O’Connor, Christine Zavesky, Cynthia Mendez, Dinesh & Shanu Kotak, Shria Narayanan, Ammer Mockus, Lisa Vaughan, Kurt Chirbas, Leanna Preston, Katie Hartmeier, Shelley Olson, Debbie Nordman, Arshia Islam, Ashwin Subramanian, Julie Owens, Donna Bonne, Kevin Shiiba, Jon Bryant

Gazette photo / LINDSEY ZABELL

SENIOR EDITION / 3

Dear Class of 2020 Grizzlies, It’s been a struggle to compose this letter to you, because I know there’s no way to fully capture and appreciate the way you had to end what should have been the best part of your high school career. I am truly sorry you didn’t get to experience many of the traditional rites of passage that we all have come to expect, and cherish.

Whether you feel it now or not, you will always be a part of Granite Bay High School’s legacy. Your final two months will be noted in history, and you will always know exactly where you were standing when you learned you’d be sheltered indoors for the remainder of your senior year. In fact, you are part of an elite group whose membership is limited to those who graduated during a pandemic, and you now have a great life story that you can tell your children and grandchildren all about. It is much better than the, “...I walked a mile barefoot through snow, uphill both ways, to school each day…” story that many of your parents use!

There’s a children’s book by Nancy Tillman that I can’t get out of my mind. It speaks to the greater purpose of your being right here, right now: You’re here for a reason.

It’s totally true.

You’re part of a world that is counting on you...

But life works together, the good and the bad, The silly and awful, and happy and sad, To paint a big picture we can’t always see…

A picture that needs you, most definitely.

Remember that next time a day goes all wrong…

To somebody else, you will always be strong.

You’re here for a reason. If you think you’re not, I would just say that perhaps you forgot--A piece of the world that is precious and dear would surely be missing if you weren’t here.

Thank goodness you’re here! Thank goodness times two!

I just can’t imagine a world without you.

Right now is the perfect time to renew your purpose, and your place in this world. Spring 2020 will be forever etched in our minds, and it will demonstrate a triumphant transition into a new way of life. And you, Class of 2020, will lead the change!

I hope you felt honored these past few weeks, even though it looked different than what you expected. I hope we communicated that we cared, that we valued you, and that we were working hard to find new ways to celebrate you. And, while everything didn’t roll out perfectly, it was absolutely our privilege to walk beside you during this challenging time.

I can’t wait to see the world you create as you scatter and find your places!

I’ve loved being your principal,

4 / SENIOR EDITION

A goodbye from your Senior G

Editors

Lindsey Zabell

rowing up, I never really felt like I had a place where I belonged. I was never good at sports, and certainly never musically inclined.

I tried everything, eager to find a place, but years went by, and I continued feeling like an outcast.

When junior year came around, I had to change my schedule, and I had room for an elective. I sat at the dinner table, talking to my family about my dilemma, and my sister, a Gazette editor at the time, said, “Call me crazy, but you should join Journalism.” And so I did. Needless to say, this choice changed my life and my high school experience in ways indescribable.

During my past two years on the Granite Bay Gazette staff, I’ve learned valuable lessons and had experiences that I know will last a lifetime. Between the exhausting deadline nights and stressful PDF days, were irreplaceable memories and friendships.

None of this could’ve been possible without our adviser. There are teachers in life who are inspirational and motivating, but then there are teachers like Karl Grubaugh. Teachers that make the world a better place. Without a doubt, you are the most dedicated, caring teacher I have ever had in my life.

You are not only passionate about what you do, but eager to pass down your knowledge to generations of students. Your stories are unmatched. It’s hard to believe we’ll never hear your pudding cup story at the beginning of each semester, or have that classroom wide laugh when you say “I should do this for a living! Oh wait, I already do!” Thank you for inspiring us to be better people, better creators, and better journalists. And of course, thank you for pretending not to notice when we snuck out the door a few

D

Dylan Rowe

uring the four years of my highschool career I made countless memories with my friends, teammates, and teachers. However one defining memory I’ll never forget was seeing my name printed on a piece of paper sitting above my very own article for the first time. That was the moment when I fell in love with the journalism program.

I had finally found a place where I could have a voice and peop could listen to, and that place was on the Granite Bay Gazette staff.

That was just the start. Soon I was able to do much more than write, I gradually learned to make illustrations, became an editor, and finally earned the title of Senior Editor.

One of the best things about our journalism program is that it gives every student the opportunity to learn something totally new, which was really special. Even better, the people in class would never hesitate to help out when someone else was struggling, whether it be journalism related or not someone would always be there.

That was another reason I enjoyed Journalism from the get-go, it was so easy to fit into the family like environment that was in the lab.

Everyone has their favorite class, and from sophomore year on for me was Journalism. Room 514 was my second home for three years, without it I would have grown to be a completely different person.

Of course journalism wouldn’t be the same without Mr. Grubaugh, or as he calls himself, “the old fart.”

With full confidence I can say that he was my all time favorite teacher, not only because of his unique laid back teaching style, but also because of his funny and unforgettable loud personality.

I’ll never forget his seemingly year long anecdotes every time someone pitched a story he liked during our brainstorms, or the infamous random shouting fits he would have in the middle of class because that’s just how Grubaugh was.

From the very beginning I always loved him, and you could tell he loved each and every one of his students right back, by how proud he would get when one of us had won an award, or even just thought of a good story idea.

The Gazette brings people from all different groups together to make an amazing publication year after year. I met some of my best friends because of this class, and made even more memories.

To my fellow editors, who re-lived all of my pointless highschool drama with me every fourth period, watched tv with me instead of doing our work (sorry Grubes), and stayed after school once a month until eight o’clock, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Although we won’t get to say our proper good-byes as we hoped to this year, I am still proud to say that I was a part of such an esteemed publication as the Granite Bay Gazette. I wish it never had to end, but we all have to grow up and move on at some point and ‘do good journalism’ on our own.

minutes early at the end of fourth period every day. I hope it’s okay to say that now that you’re retiring.

While designing some pages for Issue 3, I remember Grubaugh checking over my pages and saying, “Wow Zabell, you’ve got some real skills!” This was something I never really heard anyone say before. I had finally felt like I was good at something. It gave me the courage I needed to keep going, and pushed me to make every new page design better than my last.

Saying this year didn’t go as planned would be an understatement. Never in a million years did I think my senior year would be cut a quarter short, leaving us with limited communication. As journalists, this was hard for us. Stuck inside our houses, feeling trapped when all we wanted to do was get out there and find new story ideas and take compelling photos.

But as we adjusted to the new reality of Zoom meetings and messages through Remind, our staff grew stronger. We persevered through, and worked harder than ever to create our very last issue of the Gazette.

So, as I sit here writing this, counting down the days until I graduate and I’m off into the world, I want to say thank you. Thank you to my fellow editors, who dealt with my nitpicky personality, needing to make sure every page was error free. Thank you to the rookie writers, who were the butt of my jokes sometimes. Thank you to Grubaugh, for trusting us to do good journalism, believing in us, and giving us a platform to speak our minds.

Thank you, Journalism. Thank you for allowing me to find my place.

SENIOR EDITION / 5

COri caplinger I

don’t know where I would be without room 514.

Honestly - I don’t know who I would be. What I would be doing. Who I would be around.

I didn’t know purpose could have such an impact on how much I valued my life.

At the end of my sophomore year I needed a class to fill my schedule for the following year, so based on the recommendation of my good friend May Lin, I introduced myself to Mr. Grubaugh and signed up for Advanced Journalism.

The following semester I was made an assistant editor alongside May and Ashley Yung. I made friends with many people I never thought I would be friends with, learning about the whims and demands of journalism and editing. I was encouraged and patiently led by the talented Co-Editors-In-Chief. I was even pushed and slightly threatened (in good fun) by my new found friends to pursue a Senior Editor position for the following year, as I had fallen in love with journalism.

This year I was made Senior Editor of the Voices section, working alongside my best friend Kate Fernandez. Throughout our stressful times, the challenges, and the dead ends, they were the best times I had throughout my high school career.

Seeing the leadership from my fellow Senior Editors, the raw and endless talent of Lindsey Zabell, the spectacular drive of May Lin, the endless imagination of Ashley Yung, the flowing creativity and passion of Dylan Rowe, the boundless laughter and caring attitude of Angelina Kolosey and the patience and skill of Bella Khor taught me what journalism was about.

Room 514 was a melting pot of creativity and talent, showcasing the ideals of bright students that

Ashley Yung W

hen I first started journalism my freshman year, I had no plans of continuing journalism for the rest of high school and no intentions of perhaps dedicating my lifetime to writing, or at least, to storytelling.

Throughout my four years at the Granite Bay Gazette, I’ve grown as a person in ways I really needed to grow. Above all, I’ve learned how to be more courageous.

I remember how timid my voice used to sound freshman year, interviewing Principal Leighton or talking on the phone with formal working professionals.

However, journalism has forced me to be bold, to engage directly with my community and take on stories that are tough yet necessary to write.

Especially this past year as the senior editor specializing in the News section, I had to write and edit increasingly political and mentally draining stories on topics like abortion, sexual assault reports, complaints of racial and religious discrimination and the list unfortunately goes on.

Many times I was at a loss at what to do and how to tell a story correctly. What happens if this story could hurt a student or teacher? Would it hurt them more if it wasn’t told at all? Is it right to censor aggressive language or is a water-down version of a stark story the worst injustice of all?

Of course it’s just high school journalism, but it sometimes felt more weighted, more consequential.

Truthfully, I can still be quite timid. But I know now that there is a purpose that calls me to move beyond

this, to forget fear and remember how important it is to hear stories and tell them.

Sadly, I’m not sure if I’ll ever do journalistic work again. Maybe for my college newspaper or maybe not.

Yet no matter what my future holds, there are tenants of journalism that will last me a lifetime. In the world today, there is so much Fake News and an increasingly Orwellian approach to how news is written, distributed, and consumed.

Despite how dismal I find it to read anything during this pandemic, I am reminded that the best news is real and honest, thoroughly researched and approached with extreme integrity and care.

For me, these principles apply far and beyond just journalistic work and give me a sense of duty and purpose as I leave for college.

But most importantly, I am grateful.

I have loved collaborating with my peers over the past few years, peers who have become close friends and have contributed to many of my favorite high school moments.

I’m tremendously thankful for all of the staff writers and editors, but most importantly, I’m thankful for Mr. Grubaugh.

He has shown extreme dedication to his students and the Granite Bay Gazette and has blessed us with incredible opportunities, memories, and of course, Chipotle burritos.

I am so sad the time has come where Grubaugh and the editors will be graduating, but at least we graduated together.

worked within its walls under the instruction of Mr. Grubaugh. It was a place of love, passion and the journey for purpose.

I wish I could put into words everything that comes to mind when I talk about room 514, but this “goodbye” would turn into more of a never ending essay.

I never had a “thing” before I became a part of Advanced Journalism. I never had a group, a place on campus that felt like home. I never knew where my talents lied, and what I was capable of.

In my life I have experienced many things, but few have had the lasting impact that journalism has on me. I grew into the person I am today, and I watched others grow around me.

Mr. Grubaugh is the epitome of what every teacher should aspire to be. I can’t thank him enough for what he has given me, because if I were I’d have to thank him for the life I have now.

I have found my passion and plan on continuing it for the rest of my life. And I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for journalism and Mr. Grubaugh.

As I sit and cry tears of joy thinking about the times I had these past two years, I thank all who have made my experience so amazing. I will never forget the love I had for everyone, the sense of belonging that filled me with hope in room 514.

Thank you to everyone on the Gazette. Thank you to my home on campus, room 514. And especially thank you to the greatest adviser I could ever ask for, Karl Grubaugh.

Room 514 gave me purpose, it wasn’t just a place it was a feeling. I will always have love for you all.

6 / SENIOR EDITION

Angelina kolosey A

s a graduating senior of the Class of 2020, it is safe for me to say this year has been a true whirlwind.

I never pictured my final days of high school taking place online and never thought I wouldn’t have the chance to experience another school day when we stepped off campus in March.

However, aside from all the negatives that the COVID-19 outbreak flung upon Seniors and everyone else, due to quarantine I have had a lot of time to think and reflect upon my high school experience.

As an individual, through my four years of high school, I have grown and changed so much.

There were so many aspects of high school that have affected my life, the people I met were the greatest of these.

To my friends, teachers, and all the staff at Granite Bay, thank you.

Thank you for all of your love, hard work, and dedication. Although I may have often taken the little things for granted, the individuals who make up Granite Bay High gave me the most memorable 3.75 years.

I would like to give a special thank you to Mr. Grubaugh. Grubaugh you are a teacher I will never

forget. I will always remember your positivity, kindness, and the massive amount of hard work and dedication that you poured into the GBHS Journalism program. I wish you the best of retirement and despite how the school year ended just remember there are so many former students who will always be appreciative of you.

I would also like to say thank you and goodbye to all of the Journalism staff this year. You were all so much fun to work with, Advanced Journalism was a class in which creativity certainly did thrive and it was also a class I looked forward to every single day.

To all my former and current friends, thank you for the best of times and memories, you all played an important part in elevating my high school experience and impacted me in ways you may never know.

No one thought it would end this way but it is important to try to look on the bright side, for there are more experiences for us seniors in our next four years of college.

I couldn’t have wished for a better Alma Mater, I am so thankful for everything that the campus of Granite Bay had to offer. Goodbye.

I

M AY L I N

initially signed up for Advanced Journalism because I had just quit Speech and Debate and needed another elective that wasn’t an ‘elective’. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if this class’s writing style fitted mine. There were many restrictions on how we could write, what the format should be, and the perspective the story should be told from, which completely conflicted with my comfort in creative writing. But, it wasn’t until when I became a senior editor that I’ve pieced my experiences and realized what the class has given me - the opportunity to still tell stories.

Recently, I published an article relating to religion and how fraught the topic can be when teaching or making analogies to it in front of students. The research for this story not only involved talking to students on campus who’ve experienced the sensitivity of this issue, but also reaching out to teachers on how they’d encounter this topic professionally all while delivering the most effective, comfortable and educational environment for their class. Being able to see their expressions, their small movements, and empathize with their experiences made me realize how impactful interviews were to the significance of a story. It was my job to not only type their quotes word for word but to also place their anecdotes in the right places and use the right diction so it effectively conveyed their perspective. While writing this piece, it was one of the more rare moments where I didn’t feel like another teenager dreaming about an idealistic world; I felt like I was doing something meaningful through my writing. I didn’t feel like I was writing another food-review that some

would half-heartedly read or an exercise guide that didn’t speak as much volume.

However, after all of that and knowing the fragility of the piece, I still managed to mess it up.

Even after writing multiple drafts, asking for feedback, and rereading the story many times, I’ve still proceeded to upset people without any means to and the fact that some of those people were my sources was what hurt the most. I expected the most deserving and maximum lashback for my mistakes but instead, my freshman naive self would’ve never imagined me crying four years later for the humbleness and gracefulness I’ve received. Through this whole experience, it has made me realize that journalism isn’t just about typing words on a page and fitting the guidelines; no, that isn’t reporting. If the media was created on a solid platform with a sole idea, it would cease to exist. Instead, from the differing opinions, debates are sparked, controversies are made and movements are held in order to progress society - you can’t expect your piece to be perfect. I took the feedback as a learning opportunity to be more careful and knowledgeable of how my stories could be interpreted in the future.

It’s the people, the collaboration, and the hard-work from each individual that makes up the class. So, thank you to Grubaugh, the staff, and the alumnis for enlightening me that creativity does not solely revolve around one’s imagination, but instead, to trust the process.

Thank you for helping me discover a joy in writing even in a style I wasn’t familiar with and letting me grow in areas I didn’t even know I could.

Thank you for letting us tell your stories.

SENIOR EDITION / 7

Tip 1: How to make new friends in college

Gazette illustration /KATE FERNANDEZ

Try going to some social events put on by your school. Club days, sporting events and Greek life are all great ways to gauge the community and interact with people with the same interests. In some first-year dorms, there are even opportunities to socialize at events put on by the community like movie and game nights.

Tip 2:

While it’s a great way to keep in contact with friends from high school, social media is a great way to meet new people. There are a bunch of dedicated services to finding new people like Bumble BFF and Tinder Social, and plenty of student-run Instagram accounts exist intended for incoming freshmen to meet new friends and roommates by posting bios and pictures they submit themselves.

Gazette illustration /KATE FERNANDEZ

Leaving the nest doesn’t have to be so lonely

BY JJ HILL

jhill.gazette@gmail.com

I

t’s no secret that one of the hardest steps needed to prepare yourself for the future is eventually flying the coop and moving out. You’ve spent a significant portion of your life here, and now, you’re packing your bags to leave it all behind and move towards your future.

However, the hardest transition is yet to come. Once it’s August, the boxes will be packed and the U-Haul will be loaded, but the people you leave in the rearview must stay.

Leaving your family & friends behind, even in pursuit of a higher education, is one of the hardest things someone can do. These are the people who helped make you into the adult you are now, and you’re going find yourself not wanting to let go.

Luckily, in the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly easier to stay connected to one another. Leaving the nest is no longer the gargantuan expedition it once was, with platforms like Facetime and Instagram aiming to ease some of the friction huge changes can bring.

One of the best things you can do for yourself in any new setting is find others to help you through it. Remember that every freshman in your school is going through the exact same transition as you, and having someone by your side can be mutually beneficial.

As scary as putting yourself out there can be in a new setting, the friends you’ll make and the people you’ll meet over the next four years will make up for it. Once you begin to make connections on campus, the proverbial doors swing wide open for a plethora of activities and social events that’ll deepen your connection to your new environment. Once you foster a community for yourself that you can look forward to returning to after each summer, it’ll turn from temporary housing into a home.

Searching for the ideal college roomate

Choosing someone to live with in college can be stressful, but there’s a certain method to the madness

BY ASHLEY LUCIA

A

alucia.gazette@gmail.com

s the fall semester of college rapidly approaches for class of 2020 graduates, the process of screening potential roommates has kicked into gear. For most the task can be overwhelming, but is also crucial to a successful freshman year.

“I joined my facebook group for grade level and posted a short bio about me,” said senior Nicole Bersinger who will attend San Diego State this fall. “Then I started reaching out to girls on instagram and snapchat who shared similar interests.”

Social media has become a convenient tool for many graduates to get to know their future peers. GBHS senior Hathamee Bensalem has made connecting with her fellow students a priority before attending UC Berkeley this fall.

“I think being active on social media is very important and getting to know them and their hobbies and passions before you commit,” she said. “Nothing is worse than trying to get to know someone and they don’t respond for forty-eight hours.”

Finding a roommate can be both scary and overwhelming, but many students have found that communication and expectations are key.

“I think it’s important for roommates to be really good at communicating and to be on the same page about messiness, chores, and responsibilities,” Bersinger said.

“I also look for people who are academically driven, but also down to go out and have fun,” Benslam said. “It’s important to make sure you set expectations ahead of time and you both can agree.”

Although there may be a sense of awkwardness in communicating living preferences to a stranger, many students are finding that it’s vital to ensuring a comfortable situation.

“I think it’s all about being honest and truthful to yourself and

your potential roommate,” said senior Stephanie Siau who will be attending the University of Colorado Boulder. “You know what you want in a roommate, so just be yourself and ask the questions you want to ask.”

Finding commonalities in living expectations may be difficult, but many students would rather be upfront then waiting until faced with these dilemmas.

“It’s important for us to be on the same page about partying, drinking drugs, boyfriends, and being ok with setting boundaries on what would be allowed in the room.” Bersinger said.

Although the thought of choosing a stranger to live with can be super

intimidating, it’s important to not be afraid to reach out and talk to a multitude of students.

“Be open to getting out of your comfort zone,” Bensalem said.

“Reach out to dozens of people because you can’t really expect others to initiate the conversation.”

“I think we all have huge expectations of what we want people to be, but just be open-minded to the whole process,” Siau said.

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Gazette illustration /KATE FERNANDEZ

8&9 / SENIOR EDITION

American River College

California Northstate University

Arizona State University

Carnegie Mellon University

Andrew Velasquez Brenna Halloran Cameron Hunter Derek Wong Deven Karmakar Payton Long Roxana Taheri

Liya Shaji

Andrea Wan

Chapman University Clare Thompson

Chico State University

Mabel Oei Reagan Dolan

Cameron Hall Jessica Grech Julia Enos Josh Day Kelsey Cole Luca Maggio Samantha Hutchison Taylor Donahue

Boise State University

Colorado Mesa University

Azusa Pacific University Miriam Jolly Reagan Dolan

Bodenseehof Bible School

Ava Flier Clayton Wiley Coleby Phillips Emily Dedo Haley Gotchall Jordan Greenfelder Morgan Corah Wyatt Sherrets

BYU Idaho Eva Shaw

BYU Provo

Cannon Harmer

Cal Poly

Andrew Martinez Bradley Blakemore Casey Stanford Ellie Scholes Grace Putman Jeremy Kozlowski Jonathan Romeo Joshua Zabaneh Lily Rafanan Mikayla Nicols Seika Streets Shaina Duhra Zack Haug

Cal Poly Pomona Cameron Buck Ryan Penkala

Cal Baptist University Sela Thomas

CalTech

Kate Thompson Tirth Surti

Oliver Jacobsen

Columbia University Ashley Yung Jessica Varakuta Trenton Schmitt

Cornell University Dhilan Bansal

CSU Channel Islands Ashlee Godtland Tiaira Chaney

CSU Long Beach Emily Mayotte

Oh, the places we’ll go !

Loyola Marymount University Cole D’Souza Graham Olson Jack McGarty Meryl Isaacson Ryan Cochran Tasia Thorsteinson

Folsom Lake College

Ashlynn Millstine-Hultman Isael McCall Peter Gand

Grand Canyon University Josef Saba

Heidelberg University

Moody Bible Institute

Sienne Le

Northern Arizona University David Hall Lindsay Konieczny Samuel Davis Sofia Velazquez

Northwestern University Hunter Hsu

Ohio State University Kiana Perez

Oregon State University

Trey Miller

Penn State University Cassandra Cantemir

Point Loma Nazarene University Savanna Cuthbert

Pomona College

Alexandra Nash Ali Hashim Ashlyn Hemphill Devin Anderson Drake MacDonald Lisa LeBel Muaz Hadi Nick Parker Nicole Bersinger Olivia Thompson

San Francisco State University Elizabeth Loya Kendyl Kring

San Joaquin Delta College Oscar Nervarez

San Jose State University Hunter Josephson Stephanie Camilleri

Santa Barbara City College Kai Singleton Madison Grable Sofia Arias

Santa Clara University

May Lin

Connor Sweeney Sophie Criscione

Portland State University

Scripps College

Julia Tastor

Princeton University

Dillon Hamilton

Faraaz Godil

Lindenwood University

Purdue University

Collin Murer

Sacramento State

San Diego State University

Nick Sanchez

Drexel University

Hailey Montgomery Riley McMahon

Dylan Samuel

Northeastern University

Michigan State University

Palomar College

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

Roseville Adult School

Annalie Toplean

Elon Harmon

Maya Snow

Kara Kleinbach

Mason Wolfe

Aiden Isola Andrew Boley Emma Broers Ina Reburiano Juliann Pennington Keaton Brasse Kevin Haynes Michelle Carmichael

Menlo College

Julie Markham Maryssa Schulz Spencer Jackson

CSU Monterey

Reed College

Calvin Frey Rachel Nimtz

Jessica Yim

Seattle Pacific University Josh Anderson

Seton Hall University Solange Conley

Sierra College

Emily Engelhart Adil Qureshi Alecsis Dela Cruz Alexander Morgan Ammar Ajaz Angela Pease Angelo Penalosa Annie Myette-Doan Annika Vaatveit Anthony Perez Ashley Flinn Ashley Kindrick Ashlyn Lavaud Blayke Wilkerson Brent Evans Carson Rae Christian Rowberry Cobe Hayter David Vasilchuk Dillon Cole Dominic Jason dela Cruz Dylan Rowe Emma Becker Emily Engelhart Erik Gibson Esther Foksha Eury Jas Carganilla Hanah Batarseh Hasan Mahammedmakay Idris Newsome Isabella Garcia Ivy Fralix Jada Harper Jake Cochran Jana Helal Jordan Lawrence Jonas Lee Joshua Budean Junior Kyubwa Kaylee Watson Leanna Neal Luke Randolph Luke Robillard Madelyn Earhart Maddy Welden Mae Bissell Makena Gulino Marian Beltran Gonzalez Max van der Veen Maya McCarty Mikaela Oliva Natalie Head Nicholas Crook Nick Finch Noah Bernard Rosemary-Paige Williams Rusty Tran Sarah Becker Savio Nanoo Thomas Collison Vanessa Yoder

Sonoma State University Emily Nash

St Mary’s College Ashley Lucia Bettina Manalo

Texas Christian University Summer Holt

Trinity University Mado Ghufran

UC Berkeley

Alejandro Alvarez Anthony Pentrack Avani Singh Colin Wills Feras Elsherif Hathamee Bensalem Ipsha Pandey Ishna Pandey Kyle Miller Megan Ellis Michael Tu Shrina Pandey Troy Keslinke

UC Davis

UCLA Avanthika Panchapakesan Becca Nelson Cole Fowler Emerson Ford Matthew Wilson Nathan Wong Nicole Criscione Rathip Rajakumar Shreya Dodballapur

University of the Pacific

University Nevada, Reno

USC

Alex Totty Ellen Taylor JJ Hill Kellen Cook Lani Sturdevant Li Dominic Camay Nolan Wilson Tyler Hopper Tyler Plank

University of Alabama

Aidan Rich Ashlyn Bell Bella Gennuso Chris McCarron Shereen Golkar Hannah Delvalle Kate Fernandez Shannon Selvaratnam

UC Santa Cruz

Angelina Kolosey Cody Thomas Lauren Gaughan Renee Rainsbury Sophie Densham

Charlotte Grahame Ashley Altmann Daven Kashyap Jack Dugoni

Utah Valley University Katelynne Wade

Vanderbilt University Nick Van den Bogaerde

Washington State University

Molly McEvoy Troy Hubiak

University of Chicago

UC Riverside

UC Santa Barbara

Ursinus College

University of Arizona

Susan Nash

UC San Diego

Derek Schwarze Sean Turner Stephanie Shi

Vanguard University

Jane Candy

Anurag Jadhav Brandon Hilton Elise Bushnell Marli Bannai Nam de Porceri Riley Stalker Trinity Lee

University of Washington

Emily Goozen Matthew Soran Quincy Sanderson

Amanda Batiste Theo Tran Rahul Patel Sahiti Bobbola Zaid Alzanoon Katharine Strong

Rajan Patel

Samantha Jones Sandra Dous Emma Gordon

Westmont College Abigail Monk

University of Colorado Boulder Yuba College Stephanie Siau

Brian Lambey

University of Glasgow

MILITARY

University of Manchester

U.S. Air Force

University of Maryland

Caitlin Crook Mason Wilcox Matthew Crook Cat Tak

University of Michigan

U.S. Army

Max Ernst

Braden Coombs

University of Mississippi

U.S. Marines

University of Oregon

U.S. Navy

Tanya Barot

Swayam Saraiya

Cade Scribner Katherine Sutch Cori Caplinger Isabelle Chew Lindsey Zabell Robert Brown

University of San Diego Juliet Arizcuren

University of Tennessee Isabelle Lux Jack Gillespie

Brett Schouten Hannah Thrash Eli Leach

*Note: All information taken from the College and Career Center survey as of May 25, 2020*

10 / SENIOR EDITION

S

Class of 2020

Best Laugh

Ryan Cochran

Ava Flier

Most Likely to become TikTok Famous

Zack Haug

Greta Gunell

es

e

p e u r S l a r tiv o i n

Life of the Party

Addison Hempstead

Jaiya Takhar

Class Clown

Ezdean Sharif

Morgan Corah

Special to the Gazette /BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY photo illustrations/MAYA SNOW

SENIOR EDITION / 11

Best Hair

Alonzo Cannon

Shereen Golkar

Future President

Nathan Wong

Avani Singh

High School Sweethearts

Everybody had a Crush On Them

Noah Riggs

Maddy Grable

Future Olympian

Jack Gillespie

Catherine Candy Special to the Gazette /BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY photo illustrations/MAYA SNOW

12 / SENIOR EDITION

Best Smile

Scott Trythall

Summer Holt

Future Broadway Stars

Jack Dugoni

Tasia Thorsteinson

Most Likely to Cure Cancer

Faraaz Godil

Becca Nelson

Future Millionare

Rathip Rajakumar

Kate Thompson

Best Dancer

Cole Phillips

Brenna Halloran

Future Frat Boy and Sorority Girl

Kai Singleton

Sam Hutchison Special to the Gazette /BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY photo illustrations/MAYA SNOW

SENIOR EDITION / 13

Best Dressed

Trey Miller

Cameron Hunter

Future NY Times Best Seller

Josh Anderson

Ashley Yung

Most Likely to Talk Their Way to a Win

Jeremiah Onyango

Liv Thompson

Future GB Parents

Derek Schwarze

Payton Long

Worst Case of Senioritis

Thomas Rodgers

Scaasi Guidera

Most Likely to be Late to Graduation

Ramzi Sadek

Taylor Donahue Special to the Gazette /BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY photo illustrations/MAYA SNOW

14 / SENIOR EDITION

Our four-year recap Gazette assistant editors discuss the most memorable ups and downs for their class

BY SOPHIE CRISCIONE and SHREYA DODBALLAPUR scriscione.gazette@gmail.com

Shreya: “Hey Sophie, how’s your senior year going? I, personally, have loved sleeping through all my Zoom calls.”

Sophie: “Oh I’ve never slept through a Zoom, I go back to sleep once I’m on the call of course. Anyways, my senior year has been alright. I could be at school celebrating my graduation with friends and teachers right now, but watching Obama’s commencement speech in my living room works too.”

Shreya: “Yeah, I feel, girly. Kinda cute that our president was Trump all four years of high school, but Obama is the one giving us away. Even though we don’t get to finish off the way wanted, like by having a senior spring, at least we started strong by winning homecoming floats freshman year. Not to mention the fact that we placed first sophomore year as well.”

member our PSAT sophomore year? I know I was proud of my 670, until I realized the grading scale was wrong and that we all had to take a second test. Just another tiny mistake for our class to deal with!”

Sophie: “Yeah, we are by far the luckiest class because we got our own parking spots senior year, unlike the class of 2019! It almost makes up for the fact that we couldn’t use them for the last quarter of the year.”

Shreya: “I’m sure you killed the spring PSAT, a super fun onetime event for GBHS! Our class really did get some special new traditions, like the on-campus Personal Finance Course final.

I’m just happy we were all able to get that over with in February.”

Shreya: “So many new changes this year! Some were actually positive though, like how our class had the first female tribe leader, Summer Holt, and she killed it! The future is female for sure.”

Sophie: “Ah yes, the Personal Finance Course that ended up not even being a requirement for our class. I’m glad I wasted my time after school trying to read the grammatically incorrect questions on that final. I think we can all agree that coronavirus switching up requirements, along with cancelling all of our trips, sports, and events, was the cherry on top to this great senior year!”

Shreya: “Yeah I used to love cancel culture, but it definitely went a little too far when school got cancelled this year. At least we had the majority of our senior year, and a super fun last musicthemed homecoming!”

Sophie: “Yes, it was super fun watching my sister fall on her face off of our Pirates of the Caribbean float sophomore year!

A memory I will never forget, just like the fact that we made history winning floats freshman year, which will definitely be mentioned at our virtual graduation at least twice.”

Shreya: “It is our only personality trait, besides the fact that our class is crazy smart. We grinded so hard that some of the most competitive students in our grade literally inspired Ranked: The Musical. I honestly feel like we have some students smart enough that they could be mistaken for CollegeBoard. Those kids are also probably the reason our state testing score averages went up by so much since 2017.”

Shreya: “Hey at least we were able to prevent a wildfire, but PG&E is cancelled for turning off all our power in the fall.

Good thing our school is now super environmentally friendly with solar panels that gave our painted senior parking spots some shade.”

Shreya: “I know right? This doesn’t feel like real life. At least quarantine has given us the time to learn so many tik tok dances that I, for one, now feel extremely hopeful for our generation’s future.”

Sophie: “For sure, there’s so much potential for success ahead once you know how to renegade. Well it’s been a good 3.75 years, and, in all honesty, I’m grateful that our administration planned the best graduation celebration they could, even if it’s not what we expected.”

Shreya: “Yeah, you know what they say: Zoom is always the move.”

Sophie: “I’m pretty sure no one says that, Shreya. See you on that YouTube live and good luck in college aka Zoom University! I’ll really miss you next year, oh wait… we probably aren’t leaving anyways. Well, we can only hope for the best and I’m sure everything will work out in the end!”

“My fa becau vorite mem senior se of the ex ory is senio cit rs year.” Ryan C ement goin unrise g into ochra n

“My favorite high school memory was taking pictures for the 2019 - 2020 Tribe with Jess and being in the end zone!” - Steph Siau

GONI CK DU azett e /J A the G

“My favorite memory of high school is when my friends and I did a spontaneous photoshoot.” - Alonzo Cannon

“I’ll spe never fo for s nt in th rget a Live hows o e dram ll the lit skits r rec a roo tle m r m .” - J ack eating getti oments Dug Satu ng r oni rday eady Nigh t

Speci al to

“One o ries w f my favorit a got to s when my e high scho home escort me a brother, Br ol memoe comin g rally t the freshm nnan, !” - Sum an mer H year olt

Special to the Gazette /ALONZO CANNON

Special

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/KARA KLE

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the Gazette

ore sophom inning fun expew is y r ally emo orite m s able was a re “My fav ts because it everyone wa a w o h o fl c h r a a d b e ye nd I lov ara Klein rience a together!” - K e to com

Special to the Gazette /JESSICA GONG

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Special

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RYAN C

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Sophie: “Good thing we did well on state testing because re-

Sophie: “Can’t forget about the best last bonfire ever! They should just play that YouTube video loop of fire every year, I think it gave off the perfect ambiance. Never thought our virtual bonfire would foreshadow what was in store for the rest of the year, though.”

Sophie: “How did GBHS go this long without one? She, and all of this year’s Tribe leaders, definitely saved the Tribe. Can’t believe all those football and basketball games were this year, before our lives seemed to turn into a dystopian movie.”

Gazette illustration /SOPHIE CRISCIONE

SENIOR EDITION / 15

Dorm room decoration Essentials

BY DYLAN ROWE

drowe.gazette@gmail.com

A

s the class of 2020 starts their journeys into adulthood, most students will begin to move on to their own colleges away from home. Almost all colleges offer housing on campus, allowing incoming freshmen to live on their own for the first time. While dorms may seem foreign there are many ways to make these small rooms feel like home. Becoming comfortable in a dorm is crucial to success during college, it’s important for students to feel comfortable in their new living space.

Bed set

Photos Source | ZOE LAZ

Source | URBAN OUTFITTERS.COM

What’s one way to make a room feel more like home? Filling it with photographs of friends and family. Using pictures as decor can easily make a space feel more inviting and lived in. Putting pictures up in a room is also a way to cover up ugly dorm walls.

Most dorms require that you don’t damage the room while living in it, so hanging things can be a difficult task. Using Blu Tack allows light weight items like photos to be held onto a wall without ruining the wall behind it. This task can be easily reused, since it’s like a putty.

While it may seem obvious to bring a cute comforter, it’s not so obvious to get matching throw pillows and sheets. Having a nice bed setup can totally change the environment of a dorm, especially since usually the bed is the main focal point in a room. Using pillows and blankets that match the theme of your room makes it look more put together rather than uninviting and empty. Mattresses in the dorms are notoriously uncomfortable, so investing in a mattress topper can be a great investment.

Hanging lights Source | WENLIGHTING.COM

Storage Baskets Source | URBAN OUTFITTERS.COM

Hanging lights are both cheap and trendy, making them perfect for decorating a broke college students dorm. Not only do they look cool but they also are functional, creating a nice ambiance in a stuffy and small room. LED lights also have the function to change colors, making it easier to enhance the theme of a room.

A small throw rug or carpet may sound useless at first, but this decor piece adds a touch of home-y feeling in a dorm room. It’s also a great way to separate one side of a room from the other, giving each roommate a set area for their belongings

Rugs

Plants

This item can be both cute and practical, giving the dorm room more storage, and filling up the space so it doesn’t look as empty.

These bins are often stackable, so they won’t take up any valuable space. Bins can come in many shapes and sizes, making it easy to customize a space while dually storing important items.

Source | URBAN OUTFITTERS.COM

Source | URBAN OUTFITTERS.COM

Whether it’s real or fake, a plant can bring life into a small and unknown space. Plants also add color and fill space. For a college student, succulents would be easiest to take care of since they don’t need as much water and attention as regular house plants, but if you have a green thumb you can probably handle a few house plants.

Hanging plants can add dimension to a dorm, and can easily be done at home with macrame rope.

16 / SENIOR EDITION

Gazette Photo /PIPE

Gazette Photo

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on by her dad d te r o c s e is mecoming o h Alex Nash 0 2 0 2 f class o the senior court.

Senior Lindsay Konieczny and the class of 2020 ar e hypnotized d uring Senior 5th Quar ter.

Special to the Gazette /STEPHANIE SIAU

The Tribe threw chalk at the October football game in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. /STEP the Gazette Special to

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ys’ arsity bo v e h t n do ambey e cheere The Trib team as Brian L all basketb e 3-pointer. th goes for

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The clas so with a m f 2020 kicked off emorab le senior the year sunrise.

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