THE FLASH “HAVING SOMEONE COME AND SUPPORT YOU IS ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING.” - D1 TENNIS CHAMPION, NICA SOBREPENA (full story on page 2)
VOLUME 31 | ISSUE 1
(FULL STORY ON PAGE 5)
(FULL STORY ON PAGE 17)
CONT (FULL STORY ON PAGE 13)
TA BL E O F
03. Never Back Down
09. Across the Spider
15.Fast Times at Rocklin
Story by Olivia Ali and Sophia Love, Staff Reporters
Story by Shane Byron, Editor -in-Training
Reporter
(NEVER WHAT?!)
05. RHS Predicts the NFL
Story by Tristan Gurkin and Brady Kretzmer, Staff Reporters
07. Relive: Old Trends Making a Appearance
Story by Bailee Sexton, Staff Reporter
Verse Review
11. Can RHS Cook?
High Story by Lexi Booras, Staff
17. The Saudi League’s
Story by Cole Broumas and Sway over Soccer Carson May, Editors-in-Training Story by Sahil Ahmadi, Staff Reporter
13. Behind the Blue Dress 19. Rocklin High School’s Story by Olivia Cruz, Staff Reporter
Multicultural Club
Story by Cassiopeia Le, Editor-in-Chief
(FULL STORY ON PAGE 29)
TENTS (FULL STORY ON PAGE 27)
Penalty Story by Jasleen Grewal, Staff Reporter
23-25. Ken You Feel it?
Story by Micah Bielling, Staff Reporter, and Jason Cardanini, Editor-in-Training
27. True Love in Disney Story by Cole Mccoy, Editor-in-Training
29.Culture War
Story by Radian Hong, Editor-in-Chief and Saraswathi Murugan, Editor-in-Training
31. The Other Side
Story by Milana Kozlova, Editor-in-Training
33. Top Shots
All photos courtesy of PhotoJournalism Students
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THE FLASH
21.Debating The Dealth
(TOP SHOTS ON PAGE 33)
SO CK JA
S AS NB
VIOLET YANG
NEVER BACK DOWN (NEVER “Never give up”: a mindset shared by many coaches and athletes alike. But are certain sports requirments more promising in being able to stick to this mantra? Rockin High School (RHS) has a phenomenal athletics department. Our sports teams have won Section Championship titles, many athletes have competed at the State level, and teams have gone undefeated in their seasons. But, if you were asked to name a sport that had an undefeated season or got first in the Section, which sport comes to mind first? I’m guessing that you thought of football. Frankly, football should be the sport at the forefront of your mind. It has a massive cultural impact on RHS and the entire country. However, there are hundreds of athletes at RHS who play a sport other than football who wish their sport could experience some of this notoriety. Nica Sobrepena, a dedicated RHS senior, has a passion for tennis that often gets overshadowed by the prominence of football within the school. She believes that both sports should receive recognition and support from their fellow students, but unfortunately this is not currently the case. She understands that football holds a special place in the hearts of many students at RHS, but she hopes that their enthusiasm and support could be extended to other sports teams as well, like the tennis team. Sobrepena emphasizes that tennis is more than “just a game”; it’s a demanding sport that requires immense dedication and skill. “As a team, we value support and cheering as an upside of having such a large team,” she explains. “Cheering makes us better and can easily flip a match just [like] an energy switch.” She also hopes for the tennis team to receive more opportunities to showcase their talents and achievements to the entire school community. Creating these opportunities, however, requires financial support that many of the sports teams at RHS do not have. By sheer numbers, the discrepancies
The point is this: by comparison, less popular sports do not receive the same amount of funding that they need proportionally. Of course, a sport that requires more gear or equipment will require a higher budget. However, a problem arises when the basic needs of athletes in certain sports fail to be met.
Dr. Travis Miller, RHS Swim and Water Polo coach, describes how “...the deck is just a blatant hazard,” and it’s “going to have to be addressed sooner than later.” One would think that if an area where athletes trained was considered a “hazard”, then that problem would be addressed, right? Unfortunately, that would be wrong. Dr. Miller has “lived here for over 17 years, and [the Rocklin High School] field has been redone three times.” As for the pool deck? It hasn’t been redone since it was built in 1995. The current Swim and Dive budget is $29,175.00. That means that football’s projected budgeted income amounts to over 25 times that of swimming. Furthermore, football is one of 20 sports listed on this budget report, yet its funding accounts for just under 40% of the entire sum. This is a pretty dramatic discrepancy. Both the pool deck and field are used for multiple RHS sports, activities, and external programs, so it makes sense that they are maintained to the same standards. And yet, they aren’t. Dr. Miller has contacted the school board on multiple occasions in hopes of
addressing the issues that have impacted the RHS Aquatics program, but he seldom receives a satisfactory response. “It frustrates me,” he explained, claiming that even minor issues either take far too long to be resolved or are never resolved at all. “But really where I have to focus my energy,” he describes, “is to create the best opportunity for the athletes that are here.” It is admirable that even though there are a multitude of roadblocks, Dr. Miller doesn’t get deterred. “I can try to negotiate and work for changes. But day in and day out, I’m at the edge of the pool, coaching people how to do flip turns.” Not every sport can draw in immense crowds as football does – nor does anyone expect this to happen – but to receive more recognition would be tremendously impactful. “Being able to showcase what we do and what we have done as a team is something to always be proud of,” Nica says. She hopes that the girls’ hard work and accomplishments can receive all of the recognition they deserve on broadcasting networks like the Friday Show or the ever-popular Life and Times. For Nica, the spirit of unity and support among the students of Rocklin High should embrace all of the sports that are played on our campus. She encourages anyone who can come to a game or match should bring their absolute love for the sport and their best cheering voices. You can’t put a price tag on the sound of cheering fans. Athletes and coaches across all sports are ultimately focused on mastering their craft. As Dr. Miller states, “I’m going to focus on the athletes. I’m going to focus on the swimming. I’m going to focus on the experience.” This is athletics at its core - working toward being the best that one can be. Providing RHS athletic programs with the necessary support and resources will make them blossom beyond our school’s wildest dreams. Though it might take some time, this goal is absolutely feasible and one that the entire Rocklin community can share – just as long as we never give up. By: Sophia Love and Olivia Ali, Staff Reporters
THE FLASH
WHAT?)
between funding across sports are staggering. Based on a playoff budget report and projection for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section, football’s 2023-2024 “Budgeted Playoff Income” totals $757,000.00. That is more than the median cost of a house in Rocklin. By a rough estimate of the average costs of equipment, a complete uniform with required protective gear costs approximately $800 per player. This fact does not undermine the value of adequate funding for football; it is a full-contact sport requiring specialized equipment to prevent injuries.
03
PREDICTS “I think the Niners will play the Chiefs in a rematch and the Niners will win.”
- RHS Sophomore, Mateo Nunez
RHS’s bold predictions for an unforseen year In the Superbowl thirty-two teams hope to win,16 make the playoffs, and only one wins it all. Out of 1,696 total players, only one can be the most valuable. The Superbowl is the annual championship game of the NFL, where 2 teams compete against each other to win it all. Teams are separated by conferences, the National Football Conference and American Football Conference, with 16 teams in both. The MVP, Most Valuable Player, is an award given out to a specific player in reward of playing lights out throughout the season. We asked Rocklin High School (RHS) to decide who wins the Superbowl, and MVP award. This is who they picked. World History teacher Mr. Spears said this in regards to the Superbowl. “Okay, here’s my prediction: I’m going with the Niners, Awesome. In the AFC I’m gonna go with… even though they lost week 1, I’m going with the Buffalo Bills.” Last
THE NFL VS
23%
AFC RHS Votes Which Confrence Wins The Super Bowl year, both of these teams came just short of a Superbowl appearance. The 49ers lost the NFC championship, the game before the Superbowl, to the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Bills lost in the divisional playoff game, 2 games before the Superbowl, to the Cincinnati Bengals. For the past few years both teams have been strong competitors, yet neither have won the Superbowl recently. Sophomore and Seattle Seahawks fan, Caden Vance says, “The 49ers and Bengals is my choice… The Bengals last season got to the AFC Championship and the 49ers have an unstoppable defense.” For many years the 49ers ability to stop other offenses from scoring has been their biggest strength. Now, with a combination of a dominating offense, and
77% an unstoppable defense many RHS students chose the San Francisco 49ers to win the Superbowl. In fact, from 22 answers from students and staff around RHS, the 49ers earned a 40 percent chance of winning the Superbowl, out-scoring any other team by 36 percent. Living in Rocklin, the 49ers are a common team to be a fan of. Did bias get the best of Rocklin, or is it finally the 49ers year? These Super Bowl teams are so good, due to their players. Every year, professional analysts all vote on one player to be considered the most valuable of all. For the past 10 NFL seasons, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award has been given to only Quarterbacks (QB), the player who directs the offense’s play. Out
While both sides have valid arguments, this award will likely always be QB biased. Although, when sophomore and JV football player Mateo Nunez was asked about his MVP winner, he answered with a rather surprising answer. “I think Jake Moody will win it.” Jake Moody is a kicker for the 49ers which is why this answer is surprising since history shows that kickers are one of the most replaceable and expendable positions in the NFL. A kicker has won the award only one time in NFL history. In 1982 kicker Mark Moseley won the award, however the 1982 season was filled with disruption. A 57 day break occurred in the middle of the season, and strikes were being held constantly. Moseley didn’t even receive a trophy or official letter to show off his MVP award. The only thing Moseley received was his face on the cover of The Washington Post. Currently, Jake Moody has had a great start to his season, and only time will tell if he can make history by winning the award. At the end of the day, bias, injury, and any given Sunday, make predicting the NFL one of the hardest things a human can do correctly. By: Brady Kretzmer and Tristan Gurkin, Staff Reporters
THE FLASH
NFC
23%
of the 65 MVPs in NFL history, a QB has won the award 70 percent of the time. Former Packers QB Brett Farve won the award back-to-back-to-back times from 1995-97. While many people may think a favor towards Quarterbacks makes the award unfair, former NFL player J.J Watt argued, “The honest truth is that it’s physically impossible for any one player to be more “valuable” than the quarterback. They touch the ball every single play. A QB should always win MVP.”
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REL I V E OUR MELODY OUR
When you reminisce about the distant past, what is the first unforgettable trend that comes to mind? During a recent interview, four individuals were asked this question and interestingly enough, they all agreed that music stands out the most. Although various genres of music were prominent during the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, the ones most mentioned were rock and rap. Tatum Borneman, a sophomore attending Rocklin High School, shares her feelings of appreciation for the music. “I love the music from the ‘90s. My favorite bands are Beastie Boys and Guns and Roses.” People are exposed to music and artists in different ways, and in Borneman’s case, it was more personal. She explained, “My favorite song is Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns and Roses. I have an emotional connection to it since my dad introduced it to me.” Shelby Goode, another student, conveys a deep appreciation for rock music as well. She has a profound love for the music made by David Bowie and believes him to be her all-time favorite musician from this decade. She was introduced to this kind of music by her father, and she did not like it in the beginning. But as time went on, her love for the genre blossomed and now it’s the music she listens to most on Spotify. With the right influences, anything could affect your music taste. Whether it’s one
song someone plays for you, a recommendation from Spotify, or even just a song playing in the grocery store “You can go back to listen to the stuff in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and you have all the music now,” stated sophomore Sydney Ferguson. She says that although she likes the music today, she’d be interested in knowing more about old music. These songs have the ability to leave an indelible mark on our hearts, and will always affect us.
A TIMELESS COLLECTION....
YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND...
LIKE A RECORD BABY...
Records have been around since 1887, but throughout time, the fad has come and gone. Although many people have switched to digital music, there seems to be a growing appreciation for the warmth and depth of sound that records provide. However, a commonly asked question is: What is the real reason records are returning? After some research and interviewing, the answer lies in the aesthetic. It may seem like people are overpaying for just a feeling or an appearance when owning record players, but they think it’s worth it. Shelby Goode expresses, “I miss what it used to cost like cheap back in older days. It’s expensive because now that it’s back all of a sudden everybody wants them.” The average price per new record is about $20-30 each. Stores have bumped their prices tremendously because of the rise in popularity of record players. Although many fans of the record player are upset about the price increase, they are still looking for new vinyls whenever they get the chance. Tatum Borneman says, “The cost isn’t really worth it, I guess it’s cool for decor, but they’re also high mainte-
nance.”Although record players are aesthetically pleasing, Borneman says, “I feel like at the end of the day when you get the record player and the records, it’ll be more than just a subscription to a streaming service.” Although this opinion may be controversial, there is some truth to it. It is expensive and there are many ways you could easily harm your vinyls. To prevent damage, it’s crucial to store vinyl records in a cool place. When handling the needle, it’s important to exercise extreme caution to avoid scratching the surface and to prevent warping over time, it’s best not to stack your records. Records are very fragile items, and they’re really, “Just another way to listen to music…Like a boombox,” says Borneman. In an era of digital convenience, the return of records is driven not only by their unique aesthetic allure but also by the profound connection and experience they offer to music enthusiasts, despite the challenges they may pose.
ITS BACK... Vintage clothing has become a popular fashion choice for many individuals. You may be surprised to learn that some of the most eye-catching outfits on campus are actually vintage. These unique and timeless pieces are often overlooked but can really make a statement and add a touch of personality to any wardrobe. The most notable and popular clothing choices are band tees. These shirts could express who you are and what music you prefer, or just give you a ‘grunge’ vibe. The aesthetic of these is rapidly growing day by day, highlighting rock bands such as AC/DC, Metallica, Nirvana, and the Rolling Stones. While quite a few wearers know and love the bands they represent, a good number don’t. Shelby Goode loves how they look and is involved with the music, but “hates how Nirvana is monopolized now.” Many high school campuses have seen a surge in the popularity of pink Nirvana sweatshirts lately, and that is an example of bands becoming monopolized like this. Sydney Ferguson agrees, and says, “You should know who the band is before you wear the shirts.” It is worth noting that numerous sources agree with this fact, highlighting the potential benefits of exposure even for lesser-known bands. Low-rise jeans are also making a comeback among teenagers, but not everyone is a fan. Tatum Borneman, for instance, finds them uncomfortable, often feeling like they might fall down. It’s a reminder that fashion is highly subjective. Vintage clothing offers a unique way to express personal style and individuality, while giving a vintage feel..
By: Bailee Sexton, Staff Reporter
53% 36% 12%
I love fashion! I don’t care for fashion
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THE FLASH
I care about fashion a little
“there are too many of them, what are we going to do?!”
“Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse” Review-Spider-Man? Another one? How many Spider-People are there? “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” directed by Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Joaquin Dos Santos, was released on June 2, 2023 and is the second movie in an ambitious animated trilogy. It follows Miles Morales who is the Spider-Man of Earth-1610 in the infinite “spider-verse.” Miles, voice acted by Shameik Moore, is the leader of a group of various other Spider-People that are joined together to keep the spider-verse intact against the evil scientist, The Spot. This movie follows what was widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (ITSV), and had very high expectations with promises of hundreds of Spider-People including some fan favorites from the comic books such as Spider-Man 2099, Jessica Drew, and also Ben Reilly’s Spider-Man. Not only was
this movie highly anticipated because of cameos but also because of how innovative the first film was. The first film took a previously used animation technique and revamped it, having characters move at different frame rates and it was masterfully executed. The technique has characters like Miles Morales and Hobie Hogan (Spider-Punk) move at different speeds than every other Spider-Person to showcase their unique universe or experience. Hobie moves on threes which means that his character changes every three frames, and Miles moves on twos. ITSV started this with Miles and ATSV followed this and kept continuity within the universe. The film was very successful with viewers; many online reviewers say ATSV surpassed or was equal to ITSV. This is evident with ATSV being at a 96% and ITSV being at a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes (as of September 21, 2023) putting both films in the top 20 animated films of all time according to their website. There are various reasons for the love this movie is receiving ranging from the six different animation styles used, the virtu-
ally unlimited amount of Spider-People, the beautiful story with a cliffhanger that leave theaters speechless, to the soundtrack which hit the top five on the Billboard Charts. The dynamics of all of these combined made the film one-of-akind but was amplified by the emotion and range that all the voice actors were able to express. Actors like Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Oscar Issac as the incredible Spider-Man 2099, and also Hailee Steinfield who plays Spider-Gwen escalate the beauty and intensity of the film by having performances that im-
merses the viewers into the world. Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfield improve immensely from the first installment of the trilogy while Oscar Issac displays another great performance solidifying his extreme range. This movie is revolutionary in many aspects, but the story is what drove so many people to fall in love with this world. As a whole, Spider-Man has always been a grounded character and that is why people love him. Spider-Man is relatable even in a universe where he fights many villains and swings around New York, but in a universe where so many versions of a loved character are represented, the story exemplifies the message of the character by saying anyone can be behind the mask. Many people are used to the CGI fest, team up films that would rather be an awesome spectacle than a beautiful story. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” does both. It isn’t afraid to try new things and shows many beautiful handmade creations that you can talk about and get lost in for hours. This movie might
be a sequel but it does not fall into the stereotypes and rather surpasses the first film in its own ways. For example, seeing the same film isn’t guaranteed with this movie because there is a possibility you are watching another version of the film. As previously mentioned, this film is extremely ambitious and was released with multiple versions of the film in theaters. Fans started to figure this out and went to social media where several animators confirmed that there were at least three different versions of the film released. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was expected to be a success at the box office although the first installment of the movie trilogy was not, having made the lowest out of any Spider-Man film --$375.5 million globally. Thankfully, ATSV made $1.21 billion globally which makes it one of the highest grossing animated films of all time and for good reason. ATSV helped save the cinema market in the revitalization that happened this summer along with “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” after the depletion of movie
theaters due to COVID-19. Finally, the animators were willing to push back the release date of the film multiple times showing that they cared more about the project than the profit. The movie was delayed a total of three times because they wanted a perfect film, but it was worth the wait. Viewers are sharing that they are willing to wait again for the final installment of this trilogy “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” which has already been delayed once. This movie franchise continues to stay revolutionary for the animation industry and fans cannot wait for the last installment of the trilogy. All these reasons lead me to give “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” an official RHS rating of 4.75/5 stars By: Shane Byron, Editor-in-Training
The Spider-man timeline Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilley) --
Cartoon version voiced by Paul Soles
Cartoon and Comics Version
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)-New Adaptation in FIlm
Spider-Man India (Pavitr Prabhakar)--
Spectactular Spider-Man (2008)
Lego Spider-Man (2013)
New Adaptation in Film
Cartoon version voiced by Josh Keaton
First On Screen Apperance
Insomniac’s Spider-Man (2018)-Main Character of new “Spider-Man 2” Game on PS5
All leading to many cameos in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” THE FLASH
Spider-Man (1967) --
09
LET RHS COOK Looking inside Rocklin High and seeing who can cook.
The sizzle of the meat hitting a hot pan, the scent of searing onions, and the bubbles of boiling water all sounds and smells like cooking. Rocklin High School (RHS) students were asked the question if they could cook, and were tested on their cooking abilities. Josh Cooke, a senior at RHS, has been experimenting and mastering his craft of cooking since he was younger saying, “I am able to cook. I’ve been actively cooking since the beginning of middle school but I think I really got serious with it. When sophomore year started for me…” Cooke says. Cooking and family go a long way with Cooke, with helping with his grandma’s church’s chili cook-offs, cooking for his brother when he visits from the military, and putting his spin on family recipes. When asked what one of his family recipes is, he said, “…a gumbo that we make because a lot of my family is from Louisiana. I think that’s a really fun thing to do. But what I kind of do to add my own spin on it is I’ll add these gnocchi balls which is like a pasta made with potato and starch”. Cooke’s expertise in
WHO CAN COOK? 100 RHS Students Were asked If They Can Cook
30 % 70 %
Yes No
MRS. PARRATTO
cooking is rare for a high school student. He can make different high-quality dishes ranging from handmade pasta and a variety of steak dishes. Cooke expressed what his absolute favorite dish to cook he responded with, “A good pasta-- just because there’s a lot you can do with it. It’s very versatile. You know, there’s a lot of stuff you can put it like you can add a lot of meats, vegetables. There’s just a lot you can do with it that make it better.” Since Cooke was young he wanted to pursue a career in cooking, saying, “For a really long time when I was young, I really wanted to pursue a culinary school like a really famous one. Like in France’.” Now from a teacher’s perspective, Mrs. Paratto is the child development teacher here at RHS. Mrs. Paratto believes that students should pursue cooking but also that cooking is a very hard career to get into, saying, “I don’t want to dissuade anybody from going into cooking because if it’s your passion, you should absolutely go for it. But it’s a hard life. Being in the culinary world is rough…”. Mrs. Paratto expressed that her and her husband wanted to open a coffee shop but didn’t pursue it because she wanted security, she said,
“I need retirement. I need insurance. I need a paycheck. Do you know most chefs don’t get a paycheck for the first four years until their business is up and running? I can’t live like that.” Now Mrs. Paratto settled down and cooks for her family whether it be normal day-to-day dinners or the big holiday feasts. When Mrs. Paratto was teaching near Anaheim she did a high-end catering job with her students, where they served over 450 people. Mr. Paratto felt that “It was amazing. So that’s the cool thing about cooking and doing events like that is it’s a complete adrenaline rush. It is like there is a complete system to it. And when it pulls off, it’s amazing.” Mrs. Paratto believes that most students nowadays aren’t interested in knowing how to cook, saying , “…I think in today’s world, most people aren’t interested in wanting to know how to cook…and so I would I would say people are probably more aware of cooking and interested in cooking and looking at it more as a profession and not just something they know how to do.” Aidan Drury is a junior at RHS and plays for the JV football team, so most of his
MRS. PARRATTO
You get to make your final product, and it’s very enriching to me.” - Josh Cooke
time and energy goes into football. Drury is not the best of cooks but also not the worst. When asked what the worst thing he has ever cooked he said, “I stuck mac and cheese to the bottom of the pan once because I forgot to stir it so it was literally non-edible”. Though he ruined the mac and cheese, Drury can make a delicious meatball sandwich. Drury said, “I got home from practice. I cook meatballs, put the sauce and simmer them for about 30 to 20 minutes and then serve them on French bread.” Since Drury is away from home due to football his cooking skills are lacking and his parents want him to learn and get better at cooking in order to be more independent, Drury expressed “Since then my mom has been trying to get me to cook more stuff because she says I need to be more independent. Except football practice takes up like all of my life at this point. So I don’t cook that much.”
Nicholas Arguedas a sophomore at RHS has many troubles with cooking mostly because he has little to no experience in cooking. But that doesn’t mean Arguedas doesn’t want to learn. When asked what his favorite food was to cook he said, “Favorite foods? Well, I would have to say eggs because that’s the only thing I know how to cook”. Even though Arguedas doesn’t know how to cook, he wants to learn and be more proficient with cooking. When asked if he would ever try to make fresh pasta without hesitation said, “Oh yeah, I would try to make fresh pasta. I don’t know that seems kind of hard, but it’d be interesting to learn how to do it” . Aruedas wants to learn and get better at cooking regardless of his culinary abilities. We asked 100 students if they could cook, 70% students said yes they can cook and 30% students said no they can’t cook.
MRS. PARRATTO
Those who have trouble with cooking show an eagerness to learn and to be more independent. Those who know how to cook work on their craft and expand on their knowledge of cooking. By: Cole Broumas and Carson May, Editors-in-Training
11
THE FLASH
“
Garrett Peard a freshman on the RHS cross country team, who like Drury has most of his time taken up due to sports. Since Peard gets home late from practice or meets he has to be self-sufficient when it comes to cooking, Peard said, “I feel like I could but I might need to look up recipes on how to cook stuff. But I probably could operate a kitchen on my own”. Peard shared that , “I just cook to stay alive. Like making breakfast in the morning. lunches for school. And then if I get home too late, sometimes I’ll make dinner for the family”.
BEHIND THE BLUE DRESS Get a sneak peak into the world of the Rocklin dance team
Stereotypes are inescapable in our society today, but they are everywhere, especially ones that revolve around the Rocklin High School Dance Team. The dance team performs at every football game, rally, and basketball game which makes it easy for people to create false assumptions based on what they see from a two-minute routine. Some common ideas that people get are that everyone on the dance team has to look a certain way, the dance team can be very clicky, or that they only do it for the title. None of these judgments have any truth behind them. Taitem Allen, one of the dance team captains, denounces that you have to look a certain way to be on the team, “as long as you’re a good dancer, good spirited, team mind centered, like to dance, have fun, and be friends with everyone, then you can make the team super easily.” In response to the stereotype that the dance team is one big clique Avery Peaslee, a junior on the dance team, says, “I think that the team in general has such a close bond and connection with one another.” The relationships built through the dance team can be easily misunderstood from the outside perspective, Alyssa Bond, a junior on the dance team says, “we get to know each and every person on the team and we really just hang out even when we don’t have practice like free time, we’re always with each other.” Bond also comments on the idea that dance team members only do it for the title, “it’s just an environment where all of us really love to dance. And it’s a really important place for us, it’s more than a title.” As much as the dance team is extremely fun, it can also be extremely stressful. “Dance is a very committed and dedicated team sport. We practice for many hours a week doing our morning practices, [at] six or seven AM, and our afternoon practices after school,” says Avery Peaslee. Trying to balance dance team practice, studio dance, homework, and having multiple performances a week is when the stress can become a lot to handle. “Our coaches really make sure that we
have enough resources to keep growing academically,” says Avery Peaslee. Some things that the coaches have come up with to help the Dance team members include a study hall where they do homework together after practice and journaling as a team. Taitem Allen says, “Journaling helps us connect our inner thoughts to dance and just be more organized with our schedule.” Taking on the role as one of the three dance team captains has been a lot of responsibility for Taitem Allen. Things are a lot different from the previous years, she now has to be, “responsible for really knowing the team and where [they] sit like on game days.” Not only that but also, “knowing what’s going on in school and home lives and stuff like that. So really, we have a lot of responsibility to make sure we understand our team.” Everyone’s experience differs from person to person, but regarding the dance team, Bond had a much different experience than the rest of the girls. During her freshman year she would stand on the sides to watch the team perform, desperately wanting so badly to be out there with them. She says, “ I definitely see the value in it a little bit more from standing on the sides…and so now that I’m on it, it’s so much easier for me to not take it for granted and to be grateful for every single second of it.” Bondalso states that, “it is something that [she] always wanted to be out there and doing what [she] always wanted, helped [her] realize that [she] met [her] goal.” There are many reasons for “why” all these girls are on the dance team. To Avery Peaslee, the best thing about the dance team is, “the opportunities within it to participate in our school, our community, and overall just building new connections with new people.” SImilarly
toPeaslee, Allensays, “What makes it worth it for me is the experience of it, the bonds you make with your teammates, and being able to represent the school in such a positive way. Just being known in the community and having a connection to the school is the best.” Bond’s Favorite part of being on the dance team is, “the feeling of performing with the crowd going crazy and like the nostalgic feeling of just being in high school. It’s just so worth it because I know when I look back it’s going to be remembered as such a meaningful experience.” By: Olivia Cruz, Staff Reporter
AVERY P E
ASLEE
DAN VALENTINI
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THE FLASH
“I love g perform etting to , doing w love wit hat I h the pe ople tha I love, a t nd getti ng to become a spirit l eader on the cam pus.”
Fast times at rocklin high
“Senior year is a glimpse of time in your life, so why not live it to the fullest?”
JUILA AARON
taking seniors to Disneyland and Universal Studios for their senior trip. Nick says “I’m looking forward to the annual Disneyland and Universal Studio trip at the end of the year. I love Disneyland so much. My family and I will go to Disney World during the summer for a whole two weeks.” It’s no secret that this is one of the best perks about being an upperclassman. Who doesn’t like Disneyland?
Three years ago, three freshmen set out for their first day at Rocklin High School (RHS), all being terrified by the new experiences to come. Fast forward to the present day, three Quarry Bowls and 540 lengthy school days later, these different, yet alike students are finally seniors. Senior year should be a special year where you push yourself to experience new things that you may have not have wanted to do before. First year RHS varsity dance team member, Grace Sloan says, “ This might sound like a cliche answer but I am so excited for football games.” Despite being scared, Sloan, an inexperienced dancer compared to her teammates, decided to try out for the dance team her senior year and she made it. Grace says, “Since this is my first year as a RHS dancer it’s definitely different being on the field than in the student section. I am really happy that I made some good connections with the girls and it feels like a big family.” Grace concludes, “If I was to tell my past high school self it would be to go and try things that you are scared or uncomfortable to do. You might surprise yourself with the outcome. Senior year is a glimpse of time in your life, so why not live it to the fullest.”
GIGI KIRTCHNER
RHS senior, Nick Ryan has been on the boys golf team here at Rocklin since his freshman year. It is one of the activities he looks forward to most every year. Ryan adds, “one of my goals for my senior year would be to make Varsity Golf. I’ve always had a club in my hand since I was little and being on the varsity team would make my senior year feel complete.” For the past several years RHS has been
By: Lexi Booras, Staff Reporter
MARK KOON
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MIKE WAGNER
RHS senior Angeline Basle, who moved here her freshman year from France, expresses her excitement for college admissions day during senior year. “I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s plan after high school and knowing if one of my friends got into their dream school!” Basle is looking forward to her AP Bio class the most her senior year. She says that, “Ms. Demaria is the best!. This is a pathway I am interested in since I want to become a veterinarian so I know this will make my senior year enjoyable.” Angeline reveals that, “I really love the medical field. Last year I actually met a French veterinary professor at UC Davis, Catherine Renaudin and was able to shadow her for a couple of days.” High school, especially your last year, is filled with lots of emotions, and you start to change into the person you want to be. Basle says “I feel like you don’t mentally mature until your senior year. I’ve missed out on so many activities in high school because I just simply didn’t want to go. If I were to go back and do it all again, I would. I mean it’s high school, it’s a one time experience.”
The Saudi League’s
A Game Changer or ... a Game Ruiner? Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reported Contract Breakdown 1 Year
$200M 1 Month
$16.6M 1 Day
$548,000 1 Hour
$22,833
In the ever-evolving world of soccer, a recent surge of top-tier players making their way to the Saudi Arabian League has sparked intense debates among fans. Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, and Karim Benzema got offered hundreds of millions of dollars to come and play in Saudi Arabia. Some moved, while others like Kylian Mbappe, offered 332 million dollars, refused.
something I would want to see,” he said. “I believe Europe is where the top competition is, and that is where the top players should be, not in some Saudi League, especially in their prime.” Reshad Ahmadi, on the other hand, embraces change in the soccer hierarchy. “There is definitely some change happening in the soccer world. In a way … I support it.”
As a fan of the sport, Luke Georgeson, a junior at Rocklin High School (RHS) said, “I don’t know how to feel, to be honest. Personally, the Champions League (a European competition) is one of the most exciting competitions I watch, and some of my favorite players are not in it anymore.” Taking a more skeptical stance, senior Farhad Sultan strongly opposed this migration. “Seeing this in live action isn’t
But why are these stars making this shift? Is it truly about believing in the “Saudi Project,” as some claim, or are there other motives at play? Georgeson is skeptical of players’ claims regarding the “Saudi Project.” He
1 Minute
$380 1 Second
$6.34
Sway Over Soccer
Ahmadi, however, entertains the possibility that there’s more to the story. “I don’t know what’s true, to be honest,” he said. “But I think they could be telling the truth even though they are earning a lot of money just by going there. There could be something behind the scenes … like an amazing upcoming project.” The soul of soccer, often described as the beautiful game, is at stake. Is this mass migration potentially ruining it? Georgeson believes that players are more interested in the money than the game itself. “In a way, it is, since they are not going there to play the game just to play the game,” he said. Likewise, Sultan is firm in his belief that the game is being badly harmed. “Yes, most definitely ruining the game. I always had a thought in the back of my head about how or what if someday the love for the game goes away for the players I love watching, and guess what happened,” he said.
Ahmadi takes a more measured stance.”I wouldn’t say it is ruining the game,” he said. “That is pretty harsh to say, but it is not something that I wanted to see.” Georgeson does see potential for the league’s rise. “From what I see and from what is happening recently, it definitely has the potential to become a top five league,” he said. Sultan also recognizes this as a possibility. “In today’s world or even in today’s sports world, money matters a lot. Money could be something that attracts youth to go to Saudi, and if all the top potential young players go there, I don’t see why it doesn’t become a top five,” he said. Ahmadi firmly believes in the league’s potential ascent. “Yeah, I truly believe that it will become a top 5 league … They are even offering big money to young players, 15-16 years of age, in their lower division. If they do that, they will definitely become top five in no time.” As the soccer world grapples with these shifts, it remains to be seen whether the Saudi League will emerge as a force to be reckoned with or just another league in the sport’s history. Only one thing is certain — the debate is far from over. By: Sahil Ahmadi, Staff Reporter
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said, “Looking at the amount of money they are receiving, it makes me question that … the belief in the ‘Saudi Project’ is the only reason they are going.” Sultan dismissed the “Saudi Project.” Laughing, he said, “The Saudi Project … What about the European projects that are going on? They are at the top of the game and they decide to go to the bottom and risk it all for the belief in the project ...”
“From what I’ve heard, we have some really big shoes to fill.” What was once a figment of the past is now back and on its way with soaring popularity. The renewed club has potential to become one of the biggest clubs on campus: offering food, creating community, and a step further into one’s identity. On Sept 6th, Rocklin High School’s refreshed Multicultural Club made its return after diminishing back when COVID had begun. The Multicultural club was a huge success the years prior to COVID with a strong
student leadership that led the club for years. They held large events, such as a Culture Week that “included movies, dancing, food, and informational events on particular countries,” said Adrienne Tacla, language arts teacher. It was celebrated by the entire school, each student being allowed to bring a part of their own identity. Taking inspiration from the past, the students working to bring back the club are working in similar fashion to how it was run in the past but with their own flair. “I feel like I’m trying to recreate that [the club], but also because it’s a new journey [and] new people, it’s a new era,” said Alana Weichers, publicity manager. Similar to what was done years ago, the club focuses on different cultures each week. The board encourages its club members to show off their cultures and bring something to help connect other students to different backgrounds. A common item that they bring that brings
unity is food, something everyone can enjoy and experience. The club has been promoting a diverse array of food, their first meeting to kickstart the club had a variety of foods: lumpia, starbread, and different types of candy. Using food to advertise the club is a “really big way to bring people in because I feel like there’s a lot of commitment issues,” said Arabella Felise Flores, Multicultural Club President. With free food on the line, there’s sure to have students pouring in. Every meeting is different, with the board “planning to hit a culture form a certain country every meeting,” said Srivarshini Manojkumar, the Vice President. With every meeting, students from different areas of the world are able to have an entire meeting that helps celebrate their identity and be able to showcase their culture with pride. “We really want the students at RHS to recognize and appreciate cultures. We have clubs that celebrate specific heritage/cultures which is amaz-
ing,” She explains, “but Rocklin is such a diverse community and I’m sure people want their cultures to be seen and heard too.” Their purpose in every meeting they do is to get one step closer to creating a safe environment for students to feel proud of their heritage. So what’s the club’s next step? Arabella hopes to start fundraising in the near future for different crises around the world. Not only wanting to be able to share everyone’s differences, she wants to create awareness for people around the world. “We can help people around the world with their different problems…As long as I’d like to get to know each other and our unique stories.” By: Cassiopeia Le, Editor-in-Chief
First Meeting! At their first meeting, the board members introduce themselves with a side of variety of different foods for new club members to eat.
Club’s Second Meeting!
Club’s Fresh Start!
SARASWATHI MURUGAN
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Multicultural’s second club meeting highlighted the culture of Italy with a presentation of Italian cusine, making pasta, and sharing food!
During Club Rush, Multicultural’s new president, Arabella Felise Flores, promotes the club that makes its great comeback with a refreshed start.
A Controversial Issue: Of the many hot–button issues in this day and age, the death penalty remains a relevant and controversial topic in modern society. The death penalty is given to offenders of serious crimes, most commonly issuing a lethal injection. Advocates of the death penalty argue that it can decrease crime rates and provide justice for victims and closure for their families. On the other end of the spectrum, opposers argue that the penalty only perpetuates a cycle of violence fails to address the true problem. RHS Junior Hasmitha Kanugula believes that the death penalty is situational, claiming that, “What might be considered punishable here might not be punishable in another country. So in the end, it depends on the country’s consensus and what their morals and ethics are.” However, Kanugula’s opinion might be considered generous to some. In Singapore, more than half of the population supports the idea of the death penalty, firmly believing that it is an effective policy to reduce drug trafficking. Singapore takes the death penalty very seriously, resuming state executions in March of last year. They have since hanged sixteen low to mid level drug offenders. In contrast, these offenders in the US and UK would receive relatively small punishments. Nevertheless, Kanugula adds a compelling perspective that, “at the end of the day, every human makes mistakes. And no matter how extreme they are, it shouldn’t always result in death.” According to Kanugula, since the offenders in Singapore hadn’t committed a heinous or “extreme” crime they shouldn’t have received the death penalty. This prompts reflection on whether capital punishment should be reserved for only the most heinous crimes or if it is appropriate in cases like drug trafficking, where the severity of the punishment may be disproportionate to the offense. When asked if death penalty serves as a form of closure for the victims’ families Kanugula emphasizes that “in the end, death penalty will only serve us closure only if context and the situation is analyzed from all perspectives”. ensuring that
debating the
DEATH PENALTY “Frankly speaking, I think the death penalty is very inhumane and cruel to society. I think it is a very extreme form of punishing someone for a crime, society is full of mistakes, crimes, and many other penalties. But at the end of the day, every human makes mistakes. And no matter how extreme they are, it shouldn’t always result in death.”
the decision to apply the death penalty underscores the importance of taking into account the full range of factors that may influence a case. She also claimed that the death penalty offenders’ families “opinion should not be considered due to their biases. I understand you want representation but no matter how bad the crime is, if the criminal is someone’s loved one, no matter what that they’re doing, the majority chances are, they won’t want that person [to be sentenced to the] death penalty, even if they are a psychopath or someone who might have done extremely terrible things to society.” This raises the question of how to balance the interests of victims’ families seeking closure with the need for justice. Ultimately, her perspective highlights the complexity of navigating the emotional and ethical dimensions of
capital punishment. While Singapore’s resolute support for the death penalty is evident, a counter-argument from Hasmitha Kanugula suggests that the severity of capital punishment, even for non-violent offenses like drug trafficking, may be disproportionate and prompts deeper reflection on whether the penalty should be reserved exclusively for the most heinous crimes. In the end, the death penalty remains a deeply divisive topic, with diverse and often conflicting viewpoints. The ongoing debate highlights the complexity of balancing the demands for justice, closure, and the preservation of human rights. By: Jasleen Grewal, Staff Reporter
Kenneth Smith was supposed to be executed by lethal injection for the hired murder of a preacher’s wife in 1988. However, two minutes before Smith was taken into the death chamber, one
of the country’s highest courts ordered a stop to his execution. They had assessed that the lethal injections would have difficulty accessing his veins, resulting in extreme pain. Despite this order, the execution team carried on. This resulted in hours of jabbing to find a vein until they finally admitted defeat and Smith became one of the few people to survive an execution procedure in the U.S. Due to Alabama’s protocol, many condemned prisoners spend their final hours in agonizing pain and distress.
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ABOUT THIS IMAGE:
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PPENHEIMER
MOVIEBLOC
Ken You Feel It?!
The summer blast people couldn’t get kenough of
Sometime around April 2023, the cultural phenomenon that we now know as Barbenheimer began to rapidly grow in popularity. Up until the movies’ release across theaters, a seemingly endless amount of memes, fanart, social media posts and merchandise about the movies spread. As the movies’ release date approached, the more content and excitement was pumped out.
“
...It feels so real almost
“
“Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” crushed the box office. Even the actors of both movies acknowledged this phenomenon by seeing each other’s films. “Barbie” made $155 million on its opening weekend. Its release day sister “Oppenheimer” made $80.4 million on its opening weekend. This began the box office race to see which movie would earn more money. As of Sept. 20, 2023, “Barbie” has made about $1.3 billion whereas “Oppenheimer” has made about $913 million. The Barben-
heimer hype since has died down, but the memories of the craze won’t be forgotten by Rocklin High School students. What did they have to say about these movies? Let’s get the Kenergy going by beginning with what students said about Barbie.
the song is good. It’s not just because it’s a banger song but because the message of the song is who you are is good enough.” But humor isn’t the only thing that keeps people watching and talking about Barbie, but also the movie’s message.
One of the main appeals of “Barbie” is its humor. A humorous example from the movie is the contrast between Barbie Land and the real world. Barbie Land follows toy logic, where many of life’s mundane tasks are ignored. For example, when Barbie leaves her house, she floats down from her roof instead of taking the stairs. Also, since the food in Barbie Land isn’t real, the Barbies and Kens don’t eat in it. Inedible food in Barbie Land is a running joke throughout the movie and it becomes especially apparent during Barbie and Ken’s trip to the real world. But the real humor of “Barbie” has yet to be spoken about–the Ken dolls.
“Barbie” has a positive message about self worth and understanding. We see multiple characters learn to accept hard emotions and work hard to improve themselves. An example of this is when Ken is able to find his own self worth and become enough. This self discovery is best represented in “I’m Just Ken.” He begins the song by saying he would be more important in anywhere but Barbie Land. Through the course of the song, he starts to feel that he is good enough, saying, “I’m just Ken (and I’m enough).” Another example of self improvement in the movie is when Barbie displays maturity of her emotions by allowing herself
Movie Mania:
A couple of Rocklin students just couldn’t get Kenough of the Ken dolls.. “You should see it for the Kens. They were so funny…[they] were the saving grace of the movie,” senior Sebastian “Baz” Meier said. The Kens are light hearted and dense, which is their humorous appeal. This is represented in the musical number “I’m Just Ken.” Two students at Rocklin High School really enjoyed the song. Meier said, “The ‘I’m Just Ken’ song was fire. That’s all I got to say.” Sophomore Shiva Padmanabhan added, “There’s a reason why
What do student’s prefer?
BARBIE
85 Votes
71% OPPENHEIMER
31 Votes
29% (Heels from iStock)
THE FLASH
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uly 21, 2023. The much-anticipated date. Set to be released on this date were both Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”, a biopic about the man who made the atomic bomb, and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”; a humor packed journey of discovery.
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into the “...Empowerment of women. That was a very clear message they were trying to put across…and it was greatly portrayed,” Meier added. The movie also plays a part in showing how women are treated in society, and the harmful impacts of the patriarchy on men. “Barbie” portrayed the reality of what it is like to be a woman in contemporary society. There are several scenes that display what it’s like to be on the receiving end of inappropriate remarks and unwanted advancements. The film also goes into depth about what it’s like to be held up to certain standards as a woman that are impossible to meet. When the mother character, Gloria, delivers a lengthy speech connecting many people, including Sophomore Leah Williams who claimed the movie shows the struggles of what it’s like to be a woman in the modern age.
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UNIVERSAL PICTURES
to cry. Padmanabhan said, ”I have one favorite scene… she’s taking in the real world for the first time and she cries for the first time because the whole point of Barbie is that ‘she’s always happy.’ ” Those aren’t the only messages though, women empowerment is one of, if not the most important, message of the movie. The empowerment of women in “Barbie’’ is represented in multiple ways. When Barbie sees how women hold less power in the real world, dominated by a patriarchy instead. She then returns to Barbie Land to find it controlled by Kens who have renamed it Kendom. This change was a result of the Kens discovering the patriarchy of the real world, which caused them to feel like they should have more power in Barbie Land. The Barbies eventually remove the Kens from their patriarchal roles. The Barbies’ removal of Kens’ patriarchal roles didn’t take away all of the Kens’ power, though. Instead, the Barbies decided to give more power and equality to the Kens. This all ties
Oppenheimer also resonated for people, but in a different way. It connected people with the memories of emotional trauma from the bombing of Japan. This is a big part of the story of Oppenheimer. What else is in its story? How do students feel about the film? “Oppenheimer” goes through the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, and what led to the invention of the atomic bomb. “... I know Christopher Nolan as a really good director and a lot of people were hyping this up as his best movie ever made,” Padmanabhan said. The creative direction Nolan took with the bomb is something all three interviewed students
loved. Leah Williams said, “The movie did a really good illustration of how destructive the bomb could be.” Padmanbhan agreed by crediting this scene an “audiovisual masterpiece.” Asked what his favorite scene was, Meier said, “they’re all so cinematically perfect.” The after effects of the bomb being dropped on Japan filled Oppenheimer with guilt and regret. The way Murphy displayed these emotions resonated with two interviewees. Padmanabhan said, “My second favorite scene is … when Oppenheimer is giving a speech talking to a bunch of people about the bomb and he blanks out of it, realizing and trying to come to terms with just exactly what it is that he created.” Although the directing was a major part in what made “Oppenheimer” successful, props should be given to the actors for helping make the films so acclaimed. The acting in the movie really helped solidify that these were real people with real emotions. “They did all of the production stuff so well,” Meier said. He also felt strongly about the performances. “...all of the actors they put in, like every part, were so perfectly cast,” he said. There were two casting choices he specifically talked about. The star of the show, Cillian Murphy, was complimented for his overall career. But Murphy wasn’t the only one who had a stellar performance in the movie. “ Emily Blunt did a great job. She portrayed his wife so well,” Meier said. He held Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in even higher regard. “Robert Downey Jr.’s an amazing actor. He portrayed Strauss’s jealousy of Oppenheimer so well.” He wasn’t the only student who felt this way
AUDIOVISUAL MASTERPIECE
about this specific casting choice. Padmanabhan had a more in-depth analysis of Strauss’ character in the movie. “The idea that they went for with the nonlinear storytelling, right? I think it worked really well to their advantage in this case because it makes you think that Lewis Strauss is trying to help Oppenheimer because it starts at the very end of the film where Oppenheimer is talking to Einstein about setting the world on fire,” said Padmanabhan. A few moments later, he said, ” It just really makes you think about how Strauss became like that because it’s not just sudden. There are many many events that add up to this against Oppenheimer [attitude]...” Adding to his analysis so far, he said, “The movie’s direction was really good at making you against him (Strauss) but it was also genius because you could understand why he was angry. He got ridiculed in front of hundreds if not thousands of people.”
ent, they both generated strong emotions for many people, including students at Rocklin High. These movies helped link
people together through those emotions, truly cementing Barbieheimer as one of the biggest cultural phenomena of 2023. By: Jason Cardanini, Editor-in-Training, and Micah Bielling, Staff Reporter
THE FLASH
Due to the success and timing of these two movies, Barbenheimer became a cultural force in the summer of 2023. The themes of self discovery and female empowerment resonated for Barbie fans, while the acting, cinematography and emotional commitment resonated for Oppenheimer fans. While these movies are thematically so differ-
DISCOVER MAGAZINE
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THE MAGIC OF DISNEY A look into the love stories in the older and newer Disney movies
Released in 2010, “Tangled” follows Rapunzel, a kidnapped princess with magic hair that glows and heals when she sings. Flynn Ryder, the thief who stole the lost princess of Corona’s crown, the tower where Rapunzal resides and they make a deal to go and explore the kingdom. Rapunzal and Flynn encounter obstacles on their journey and fall in love through struggling together, unlike older Disney movies that rely on love at first sight. The chemistry portrayed in this movie is amazing. If Tangled wasn’t a love story, it might not have gone down as a classic. Their true love ties the plot together and makes the movie what it is today. “... it wouldn’t be as magical without that part of the storyline,” said Disney fan Sofia Gutierrez. Enchanted, released in 2007, is about a girl named Giselle who’s destined to become a princess but instead gets taken out of her magical cartoon world. She falls into NYC where she falls in love with a man named Robert as he tries to help her find her prince. Robert and Giselle eventually realize they have been engaged with the wrong people and should instead be with each other. She fell in love with an ordinary man in NYC and she was just as happy with him as she would be with a prince. If the plot of the movie was different and Giselle wasn’t in love with Robert, it would feel empty. Their love positively impacts them both by changing both of their perspectives
on the world. Junior Sofia Gutierrez said, “The reason why I don’t like the sequel as much as the original is because it doesn’t have that relationship aspect between the two characters that I got to know throughout the movie.” Their love was unique and without it, people would turn away from this movie. Lastly we go into a favorite of everyones, “The Princess and the Frog.” This movie was released in 2009 and is about a woman named Tiana who has many jobs so she can work to eventually open her own restaurant. But she finds herself trapped as a frog, due to a spell cast by a shadow man and is now trying to find ways to become human again with the help of Prince Naveen. They slowly fall in love and go on an adventure through the Bayou and eventually have true love, kiss, and become human again. This true love that is shown is beautiful and romantic. Tiana is hardworking and determined while Prince Naveen is humorous and witty. The two are polar opposites but they set aside their differences and choose to work together. Sophomore Tatum Borneman said “I liked the newer love stories mainly because they’re more modern … like in princess in the frog. She’s like trying to start her own business and stuff.” Overall, it seems that the newer Disney movies have triumphed over the older ones. The newer movies have a more modern take on them, making them more appealing to the audiences. Lev Rubinstein said, “I like them better, honestly. They’re more detailed …” People prefer this modern take on the movies because of how outdated and different the older movies are. People have thought of these older movies being outdated because in the older movies the characters would fall in love at first sight, but in the newer movies they show how they fell in love through their adventure and how they really grew to love each other. By: Cole Mccoy, Editor-in-Training
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The Walt Disney Company has been around since 1923. Love has played a big part in Disney and has for many stories. Classic movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White are all about princesses and princes falling in love. The older movies stories are so outdated and old but the newer ones create a new and improved outlook in these stories. The newer movies like Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Enchanted, are all amazing films that many people love. These movies do not start off as a love story at first but over time the main characters grow to love each other through their adventure in the movie.
SCHOOL BOARD BATTLE: As the role of religion in society is constantly redefined, students are caught between rival forces competing for influence over their lives.
T
he crowd erupts into a mixture of cheers and boos. Heavy cameras line the back wall, zooming in to catch the action. The room is divided into two rival teams. But this is not a sporting event. This is a school board meeting.
media post made on an official Rocklin USD account calling for “as many Christ-centered, family-focused parents as we can get” on district advisory committees, including one for a proposed science curriculum. In early September, Hupp introduced her strategy for insulating local districts from the influence of the California Teachers Association. In doing so, the strategy will strip teachers of CTA protection against parent objections to curriculum. These events have divided the community, contributing to an increasingly polarized environment in schools throughout the district.
This isn’t how it always was — indeed, the political polarization of school boards is a relatively new phenomenon. According to the California Constitution, school board elections are non-partisan. However, in recent years, partisan politics have increasingly found their way into the public education system. According to a UCLA survey, 45 percent of school principals reported an increase in “community level conflict” in the 2021-2022 school year compared to before the pandemic.
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or the 2022 school board election, three of the five of the current Rocklin school board members received campaign money and support from The American Council for Evangelicals Political Action Committee (PAC). That year, Rocklin school board candidates were the largest individual beneficiaries of the PAC, and the PAC made three-fourths of all its contributions towards boards of education in California.
The policy is the culmination of a series of political controversies in RUSD that began with the district’s defiance of statewide mask mandates in 2021. In late August of this year, board president Julie Hupp came under fire for a social
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In Rocklin, a new policy passed by the school board on Sept. 7 is the latest development in the local culture wars. Teachers and staff are now required to notify parents if their child requests to be identified as a gender that does not align with the sex assigned to them at birth. If credible evidence suggests immediate notification may jeopardize the child’s safety, notification may be delayed for up to 48 hours.
It is stated on the American Council’s website that separation of church and state “does not prevent religious influence on society, but encourages it. We reject the Separation Doctrine how it is currently interpreted today.” The American Council hopes to promote the influence of religious values in the sphere of education through its financial support of RUSD board members. Tanner DiBella, president of the American Council, told The Flash that four of the five current board members
RUSD'S CULTURE WAR
Protesters outside the Rocklin Unified School District office on Sept. 6
country into political battlegrounds to combat what Moms for Liberty calls “woke indoctrination.” With RUSD engaged in a tug-of-war across the line between church and state, the future remains uncertain. Will ideological hegemony smother dissenting voices, or will pluralism prevail?
O
n Sept. 6, a San Bernardino Superior DiBella is also a member of the executive Court judge blocked the enforcement leadership team at Destiny Church, which of a Chino Valley Unified School District has come under fire for its defiance of policy similar to the one passed by RUSD. pandemic mask mandates, distribution of The same day, California Attorney Genreligious exemptions for eral Rob Bonta issued a vaccine requirements, statement condemning and homophobic ser- This is a fight we will take, the board’s approval of mons by lead pastor and it’s a fight we want, what he called a dangerGreg Farrington. In ous and discriminatory 2020, Farrington and his and we will take it to the “forced outing policy.” wife each contributed Supreme Court. $17,500 in support of the California AssemblyAmerican Council. That year, the Ameri- man Bill Essayli, author of the failed statecan Council made its largest contribution wide bill after which the Rocklin and Chito the Republican Party and a smaller no Valley USD policies are modeled, spoke one to board member Tiffany Saathoff, at the meeting to encourage the board to who is also a preacher at Destiny Church. stay the course regardless of the legal consequences. “This is a fight we will take, and Saathoff was endorsed by Moms for Lib- it’s a fight we want, and we will take it to erty, a nationwide organization dedicated the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that to “unifying, educating and empowering he is confident that the result will “reafparents to defend their parental rights at firm parental rights in the United States.” all levels of government.” The parental Trustee Tiffany Saathoff said that the rights movement gained force during the board “received very clear legal counsel pandemic in opposition to mask man- that the policy … does not break state or dates in school and pushed for schools federal law.” She said that parents’ rights to reopen amidst shutdowns. This move- supersede state guidance, at least until ment has turned school boards across the the matter is decided in court.
A
fter midnight on Sept. 7, the board passed the proposed policy to applause. Of the five board members, only Michelle Sutherland voted against it. She told The Flash, “... if we're expecting students to come and learn, and you know, have good social, emotional wellness … this policy was contradictory to that in my mind.” She cautioned that students will no longer be free to express themselves at school. A transgender Rocklin High School student, whose anonymous letter to the board was read aloud at the meeting, told The Flash that he has “considered coming out at school many times” but wants to wait until he is financially independent before doing so at home because he fears his parents may react negatively. “It’s definitely easier to be out at school because you’re going to leave the school behind. Eventually, you’re going to graduate and go to college and probably never meet these people ever again. But these are the parents who you’ll have for the rest of your life. And many of the people I know that are out at school are not out at home to their parents because they don’t yet feel comfortable.” Whether he still chooses to come out “will depend on whether or not legal action is taken, and what the environment at school is like.” By: Radian Hong, Editor-in-Chief, and Saraswathi Murugan, Editor-in-Training
THE FLASH
“align with our values.” He said, “I believe that they 100 percent have the right to use their own moral convictions, whether it's religious or not, to enact policy and statues within a school district. And by doing that, it's not forcing students or members of the community to adhere to their religion or believe in their God.”
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The Other Side: An Opinion Piece The Soviet Union consisted of 15 republics, one of those being my home country Latvia. A country so irrelevant to our society every time I meet somebody new it’s the same, “oh is that in Russia?” or “Where even is that?” This summer I was able to visit my home country for the first time in seven years. Even after all those years, nothing has changed, at least in my opinion. The same old city, filled with bright hues of maroon which teal roofs were once a prominent copper maybe a few hundred years ago. The rich architecture lasted only a glance, and the rest of the view consisted of the remaining Soviet ruins. Many are familiar with the brutalist architecture I suppose, the tall and block structured flats. I’m guessing maybe a few of you have stumbled across a video with the “Eastern European aesthetic” or maybe some of you love shooter games and have played Call of Duty which features many Eastern European cities. The photos, videos, and depictions of countries like these are accurate from my experience. Of course you have a few exceptions, mainly major cities that have more modern architecture and old historical architecture. Riga for example, has maintained its history quite well, and architecture dating back to the 12th century and prior remains. But the moment you leave the capital and enter a regular so-called “suburban” neighborhood, you will find that the majority of people live a life different than ours. I asked my dad to take me to my old neighborhood, Purvciems, which is actually said to be one of the nicer neighborhoods in Latvia. That day I took a bus to my neighborhood with my father and walked the rest of the way (public transport is actually a thing here). I took a step across the uneven concrete and then noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was the playground I used to play on back when I lived here. If you’re imagining a playground with a big swing set and multiple plastic slides and a sandbox, you’re mistaken. My playground was a few monkey bars and a wooden swing set that has been rotting for years. Despite
Finally I made it to my old flat and entered the code on the door to enter. The exterior was run-down and old, nobody really made an effort to make them look nice, because they weren’t. The inside is no better than the outside, perhaps even worse. The moment you enter you’re greeted with the smell of cigarettes and old paint, yet for some reason it was comforting for me (I think this is something many immigrants experience too). The flats came in traditionally two designs, five story flats and nine story flats. I lived in a 5 story flat and only had to climb up 3 flights of stairs. There was an elevator, but it’s so old the doors barely work and it jumps as you go up. Since I didn’t live there anymore, I spent a few moments
inside and momentarily left. Weeks later I visited my great grandma who happened to live in a not-so-nice neighborhood called Bolderaja. It was a densely Russian populated area and she has been living there ever since the Soviet Union built it. My babulya (grandma) is 91 years old with Parkinson’s disease, but she still exercises as much as she can everyday and makes the most beautiful artwork. The moment I entered I was overcome with nostalgia and, for some reason, a sense of comfort although the old and depressing flats were unescapable. The interior was not very spacious, the bathroom was connected to the kitchen and the shower was next to the stove. She had one living room which was also her bedroom filled with her artwork and family photos. Retirement homes don’t really exist there, and many elderly rely on their families to take care of them or they have to take care of themselves. I came back to the states with a sense of relief, and with a new perspective of our modern American society. The lifestyle we have, especially as residents in Rocklin, is extremely different from the living conditions back in Latvia. The food,
water, money, and things that we have in a regular house in America is something the average person in Latvia could only dream of. Many other developing countries share those same characteristics, and imagine life in America as fruitful and dreamy. It surprises me that so many people in America complain about how terrible their lives are and how they don’t have a certain materialistic thing, even though the majority of Latvian citizens, “In accordance with current legislation, have a monthly salary of EUR 620 for a standard working time of 40 hours per week” (LiveRiga). This is about 655 Dollars a month, which as you can guess is probably not enough to live a comfortable life. Many citizens live paycheck to paycheck, and that is true to many other countries such as Lithuania, Moldova, and Belarus just to name a few. A noticeable trend is that most of the poor countries in Europe are in the Eastern part of Europe, or were previously under Soviet rule. Many of these countries were left in a terrible social and economic state after the fall of the USSR and are still recovering over 30 years later. By: Milana Kozlova, Editor-in-Chief
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THE FLASH
the looks of the playground, I still loved it and it was my favorite place to pass time after school. I continued to reminisce about the past as I walked through the old uneven pathways to find out my school was actually closed down. On the steps of the abandoned school was a group of boys no older than 12, and to no surprise they were smoking cigarettes with bottles of beer alongside them. They called out to me a few times but I ignored them and continued on my way.
TOP SHOTS
All photos captured by the amazing Rocklin Media students in Photojournalism. If you love taking photography and interested in being a future Photojournalism student, you can contact: jrubinstein@rocklinusd.org
DIEGO NUNEZ
BENJAMIN SACKINSKY
EMMA BINGHAM
ANDERSON WANG
CAROLINE WUELFING
DIEGO NUNEZ
SIMONE OBERG
THE FLASH
SIMI SOOD
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VOLUME
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