The Flash
Rocklin High School Issue 3
FF ASH ASH
@rocklinhsflash
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Art on cover was done by McKenna Teigland
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I am More than just a 4.0
Consider this when choosing classes for next year...
Extracurricular Activities ≼ AP Classes
The pressure at Rocklin High to take as many APs as weekends? Created a new club? These are things you possible is high, which makes choosing classes incredibly
must consider when choosing your classes. How can you
difficult. Your parents want you to challenge yourself,
balance outside activities with school. The 4.0 looks nice,
but you want to take it easy so you have more time to
but not without ample participation in activities. The fact
do *insert extracurricular activity here.* But in the big
that colleges want that from students is not a bad thing
picture, what really matters is what colleges want. After either, most of us find solice in the time we spend doing all, that is most students ultimate goal. Colleges love to extracurricular activities. They can help you find your see you challenging yourself, but what you might overlook niche and make you happier. So to all you over-achieving
is the fact that they do not only look at your curriculum AP class takers, I challenge you to re-think what it means in school. They equally measure what you do in clubs,
to be a well-rounded student. It is too easy to just focus
sports, and volunteer work. If you treat the process of
on AP classes and go home and study every day. In the
high school as merely what goes on during school hours,
real world life is so much more than that, and colleges
you are missing the big picture. Yes, an A+ in AP Statistics understand that. Life is about learning, participating, and will look nice, but what about if you did a Varsity sport? creating. So when you start choosing your classes for Got a job? Volunteered regularly at a dog adoption on the
next year, think about what you will do outside of school.
How will you be more than just a GPA?
Editor in Chief: Alina Holtsman Co-editors-in-Chief: Rhiannon Chuter Davies Liz Vasquez Blog & Coverage Editor: Julie Schwarzkopf Photo Editors: Halle Williams Emma Foster Design Editors: Aubrey Butte, Lydia Tahraoui Art Designer: McKenna Teigland Staff writers: Elias Alba, Shelby Boyajan, Kaleb Branderhorst, Toby Dyas, Courtney Harper, Adiranna Havey, Faith Holloway, Leilah Lockett, Sarah Lovejoy, Rachel MacMaster, Emily McCrary, Sawyer Milam, Katie Morgan, Matthew Morgan, Jasmine Passey, Caitlin Payne, Cassie Reilly, Melanie Seyfried, Megan Sunde, Lydia Tahraoui, Aubrey Wilson, Sabrina Wilson Photojournalists: Breanna Baptista, Destinee Czub, Michayla Decker, Alyx Stone, Brooke Sutton, Rachel Polivka Adviser: Casey Nichols
By Alina Holtsman
Rocklin High School Journalism Visit us at www.rocklinhsflash.net to keep up with the lastest news from the Home of the Thunder The Flash is a public forum produced by students for students in an attempt to inform and entertain its audience. Journalism students have the final authority for any content found in this publication. The Flash Staff encourages letters regarding content to constitute a constructive avenue for student opinion. Letters should be directed to the newspaper’s email, rhsflash@gmail.com. Rocklin High School 5301 Victory Lane Rocklin, CA 95765 916-632-7498 rhsflash@gmail.com
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s n o o z e yo u l o s e ? I’m tired... is a usual term used by
students not just in the morning, but throughout the entire day. Students have experienced stress from high school in at least one class or course they have been in. And in all honesty, all of us have pulled an allnighter just to study or get that one assignment done. And even when it’s a regular day, students still find sleep a hard to come by. At Rocklin High 30.6 percent of students get seven hours of sleep a night which is considered average to students, but according to doctors, teenagers need to be getting nine or more hours. This amount of sleep ensures that the teenage body will grow to its peak. Teens know it is practically impossible to get nine hours of sleep except for on weekends, in which case they usually doze off until noon. But what about the crazy AP kids? Is it worse for them? “It is” says Geoffrey Leonhardt, a junior currently taking four AP’s and one Honors class. “I just need to make sure I’m focused when I get home.” The most time-consuming problems we have Art by McKenna Teigland
today almost always arise from school, 74.8% of students agreed that the most common reason they have lack of sleep is homework. Lack of sleep causes students to stress more about school work, which they stay up for hundreds of school nights out of the year to do. The cycle continues and never seems to stop!
“With the increase of obesity, the amount of mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, poor memory, all of those things stress related can be linked back to a significant amount of lack of sleep,” said RHS psychology teacher Mr. Eric Sturgeon.
But students have a simple solution to this: just assign less homework. I know what you are thinking, a lost war already just by saying it. However isn’t it better to acknowledge the problem and try and do something about it rather than let it go with four years of complaint? At least teachers or adults reading this may understand the seemingly lame excuses we give them when assignments are incomplete. But how do teachers feel about cutting slack about school work? “I have high expectations for my students,” Mr. Ryan O’Donnel says about AP World History. ”For many sophomores, it is the first heavy work they’ve done. The majority can handle it, but every year I get two or three saying it’s too much.” The solution? Lay off the homework pretty please with a cherry on top and perhaps we will learn and be awake and alert for our classes. That way kids will have more of a desire to learn like the desire we have to sleep..
By Jasmine Passey
Slow Responsiveness Obesity pimples memo ry loss ive or s s e r g g a avior h e b e t n a i o i srupt ppropr i a D n i c i t e Gen
Less sleep can lead to...
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Bringing the movies to life
High school students look forward to key events in their lives such as the typical prom, homecoming and getting their license. And with a newly aquired license comes a huge milestone for upperclassman: their first car. The stereotypical guy wants the Mustang, however, Skyler Osborn desired something different. He decided to turn his 1992 Jeep Wrangler into a Jurassic Park Jeep. Even though his car is not a Corvette, students are impressed by his unique car. His car has earned him recognition outside of Rocklin as well. He is a member of the Jurassic Park Car Pool, a group of people who recreate the cars from the first and second Jurassic Park movies. By Sawyer Milam
Why did you decide to have the car made into the Jurassic Park jeep? I had to do something to cover up the rust. Why did you want to have your car look like this? For as long as I can remember Jurassic Park has been my favorite movie, I always knew someday I would own a Jurassic Park Jeep. How did you get the logo? I found a guy who makes and sells them online. Did it cost a lot of money to have the car look this way? Well Jeep stands for “Just Empty Every Pocket.� What made you want to turn your car into the Jurassic Park Jeep? I tracked down a 1992 Jeep Wrangler Sahara to be movie-accurate knowing I would turn it into a Jurassic Jeep. Do you get a lot of comments about the car? I hear more T-Rex impersonations than comments. Do you find people taking pictures of the car? If I had a dollar for every picture taken of my Jeep, I could pay my college tuition.
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1 in 3 people at Rocklin High do not know the definition of feminism...
yet the majority of students are against it
Is Rocklin Feminist? Feminism is undoubtedly misunderstood by teenagers
* Out of 310 people surveyed on the Rocklin High School survey
Feminism, a 21st century term growing more meaningful and popular, is undoubtedly misunderstood by the majority of teenagers who come across it. Most people think feminists are aggressive men-haters, extremists, or just plain hippies. But when it comes down to it, feminists have a common belief that women are equal to men and deserve the respect and treatment that men do, which isn’t crazy at all. “Feminism is a movement for equality that I think most people have the wrong idea about. It does not encourage the superiority of women. I don’t think men suck and women should rule the world. I love men. And women. Both are needed to function in this world, and neither deserve to be patronized,” Lauren White said. Each person connects to the feminist movement differently and chooses how they will participate in it. Feminism is the broadest of ideas; you could be a stay-at-home mom, CEO of a company, or a man and still be a feminist. For instance, Cole Howard is a supporter of feminism even though he has experienced intrusive behavior from feminists in the past. “I’m all for equal rights, but I feel like a lot of feminists try to force their beliefs down your throat,” said Cole. “Feminism is one of the most important subjects in today’s society. I’ve heard so many teachers talk
Grammy award-winning Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has embraced a feminist role in a male dominated industry. Her work unapologetically features lyrics up front about gender issues thus inspiring women. Empowering hits such as “Run the World? (Girls)” grew popular in years past. Her most recent self-titled album boasts the song “Flawless,” which features an excerpt from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk on feminism. Chimamanda is a writer from Nigeria, and is celebrated as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World from 2012.
“We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.” -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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about how “women have it so great these days,” when in fact, they still dont. People need to educate themselves. Feminism isn’t about angry misandrists, it is about equality,” said Jason Goodwin. Women are still considered less than men and we are not equal in this world. Women don’t deserve to have greater advantages over men any more than men should get special treatment over women. It’s outrageous that in this day and age, women are still subordinate to men in the workforce. “Society today is a lot more accepting of women, but in the workforce a man could have the same job as a woman, but he gets paid more than the woman does,” said Jessie Sublette. Sexist issues are something we still face today, especially in school. The ideas of boy sports and girl sports, slut-shaming, and the “if you’re pretty it will all work out” perspective, are only a few degrading norms in high school. “Girls are called skanks because they choose how to dress and what to do with their bodies? That just doesn’t make sense to me,’’ said Sam Tapia. Those who grow up learning feminism is unacceptable will never know the importance of equality. Girls are taught to be successful in what they do, but not that successful. God forbid a woman were to emasculate a man. Pushing girls to follow their dreams in a male-dominated world is crucial. Feminism is freedom for a woman to act as an individual and realize she has a choice whether to be in the workforce, a housewife, or with no man at all. Until women are no longer subject to prejudices, unequal treatment/pay, and overall subordinates, the world needs feminism. by Ally Lent
usicf or Thought S
ometimes the issue of how loud people think we play music tends to create the issue on whether or not we can listen to it. French teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Arino said, “ I have had two kids. One can do homework while listening to music while the other can’t. It all depends on the person.” Some adults think we can’t focus because people play it too loud. While some choose to blast it, 25.3 percent of people say they listen to it kind of quietly while doing their homework. Math teacher Ms. Diane Cameron said, “I usually play music in classroom.” Out of the 80.9 percent of people who took the January survey that said they listen to music when they study or do homework, 69.9 percent of them say it helps them while doing so. Junior Melanie Seyfried said,“I almost always listen to music when doing math. Since there aren’t words in math problems, I can work and listen without getting distracted. I wish teachers would let us listen to music during class.” Arino said, “It can be calming and productive. The drawback is that some people look for songs one after the other instead of just letting a playlist play.” That is the upside of listening to music on the radio or on music websites like Pandora, 8tracks, SoundCloud, and Spotify. There is a wide variety of genres on all these websites.
8tracks is especially great because you can type the word “study” into the search bar and a variety of mixes that people have made will pop up that have the tag “study” in them. These tracks are great to listen to because people made them for background music while you study. Since the music people listen to ranges from pop to country to hard rock to everything under the sun, these are great places to listen to the genre of music you like while doing homework. Out of all the genres of music, the majority at 41.9 percent say they listen to a mix of all genres while doing homework. Also, in the New York Times article by Amisha Padnani it is shown how music can improve people’s work. In the article, it states that “people’s minds tend to wander” and that music can bring us back to the present moment and refocus us. “I agree 100 percent with the article. Music sets the mood,” said Arino. The article also references a study done by Dr. Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami, who did a study on how music affects workplace performance. She found that, “those who listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and came up with better ideas than those who didn’t, because the music improved their mood.” So if listening to music helps us, why are we told to turn it off? Don’t adults want us to do well in school and if music helps us, then give us music. Assistant principal Mr. Mark Douglas said, “Electronic devices are allowed in classrooms under direct teacher supervision. I have regularly been in Mrs. Haze’s class and there is music in there. They readily allow music in class. In Spanish, they sometimes have Spanish music playing in class while they are working. Science classes usually have music playing while people are working at lab stations. Music can be distracting or not conducive to learning. Although having that kind of music can help one student, it’s not necessarily helpful during class. If it fits into the curriculum, the teacher can allow it.” By Taylor Schoultz
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noitatcepxE Reality By Rachel MacMaster
The line between under and upperclassman
Not everything is what it seems. Does the reality of becoming an upperclassman really reach the expectations? Rocklin High students hold their heads high with pride and the juniors and seniors lead the way.
When I am an upperclassman, I think I will have a lot more friends. I will probably be friends with people from different grades since my brother is a sophomore this year and I can get to know people in lower grades, too. -Ryan Guinn, Freshman Even before freshman and sophomore year of high school, students look forward to the day when they become the upperclassman of the school. The idea of being the seniors on campus is packaged with getting out early, winning rallies plus senior trips and activities. Most underclassman expect that junior year is the hardest and senior year is the most enjoyable but they cannot know for themselves until they experience carrying the school on their shoulders.
Seeing movies gave me high expectations for being an upperclassman. They made it seem like something amazing but it’s not that special. -Shannon Nelson, Junior The typical junior year is stressful because of deciding colleges and classes. Junior year is when students strart to realize that they need to pick up the slack and prepare for their future. However, for a junior, becoming an upperclassman is not much of a change from the years before. Yet there still is the rush of being some of the oldest students on campus. Senior year, on the other hand, is like the last couple yards before the finish line in a race. It is that last push before the student is at the end and can start to relax because the prize is so close. Seniors have the stresses of becoming an adult but they also have the privleges that ease them through the transistion. In the end most graduates will atest that senior year was a special part of their acedemic lives.
Art by McKenna Teigland
I would tell underclassman to keep pushing through high school because Senior year is something to look forward to. -Stacy Shoaf, Senior
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Travels from Tehran
Tehran
Native Iranian Parastoo Hamedaninia adjusts to her new life in America . . . while leaving a piece of herself in Iran
T
he water is coming to a boil. The room is filling with the smell of an unfamiliar meal. But what? Beef, chicken, turkey? Nope. Sheep’s head. Not too common in America, but Persian native Parastoo Hamedaninia says it reminds her of home. “You can eat the whole inside of the head, but I only eat the brain and the tongue. It’s delicious. Everyone should try it out sometime!” she said. Parastoo (Pair-as-too), a senior at Rocklin, knows the feeling of having to leave a place she’s called home all her life. Over the summer, she picked up her belongings and traveled from her hometown of Tehran, Iran to live with her sister, leaving her childhood, her friends, her parents, and even her dog behind. Parastoo, who now goes by the name Paris, still thinks that the hardest part of her transition was her very first month in America. Her father couldn’t find work in the US and her mother moved back to Iran after three months. The Iranian Rial is worth less than the US dollar, so the family was losing money in America as well. Because of all this, she stayed here with her sister instead, who became her legal guardian. Despite beginning to learn English at age nine, the native Farsi speaker was very uncomfortable around English speakers for the first few months. And her worst experience here?
“It was the first day of school... I got lost around five times. I didn’t know what plus was and I didn’t know anyone. It was the worst thing that happened in my life. I was just crying and crying for the first month. Now everything is cool.”
For years Iran and America have been at war with each other. Between the nuclear weapons threats and assisting Syria in their civil war, we haven’t exactly been Iran’s biggest fans. However, thanks to new president Hassan Rouhani’s focus on foreign relations, peace talks have started, with hope of working something out in between our differences. “Well, when they chose the new president, we moved here, so I have no idea what is going on there. I think it is a little bit better, but I’m not sure though. My friends feel more free now,
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though,” said Parastoo about her former government. Everyone knows that America is a melting pot of unusual customs and celebrities (twerking, anyone?), but out of all of them, Parastoo thinks that the strangest thing she’s seen so far is the popularity of smoking weed. In Iran, hookah is much more popular than marijuana. A hookah is a pipe-like instrument in which tobacco is put in water and the vapor is smoked.
“People don’t smoke pot as much where I live, so it’s really strange to see everyone here smoking it here in America, it is much easier to get here.” America is quite different from Iran, especially in terms of culture. Iran doesn’t have American restaurants like McDonald’s and Starbucks. Instead, they have the popular coffee shop Raees, which is the Persian copy of Starbucks. Some restaurant chains in Iran are look-alikes of American fast food, such as Super Star, a spin on Carl’s Jr. The predominantly Muslim city is largely alcoholfree (prohibited for Islam) and America’s traffic situation is much less crazy than Iran’s. Even the cityscapes look different. However, between all these differentiating characteristics, she says that her favorite part of America is “how clean it is and how nice the weather is.” Despite the excitement of her new surroundings, she still longs for her old hometown of Tehran, and, with it, her parents. Even though the time in Tehran is 12 hours ahead of our own, “I call my parents every day with Skype,” Hamedaninia says. “It’s how I keep myself close to the things I love and miss when I’m here.” And how would her life have been if she had stayed? “No one can get a job in my country; it’s not very easy. I would have had to study for at least five hours per day to get into a good college. I would probably get married and have kids, though.” Despite the common desire to shy away from change, it usually leads to wonderful things, like new friends, new traditions, and some amazing memories. Just ask Parastoo she’s acquired plenty of all three.
by Katie Morgan
A LITTLE PARTY tommy moore & lindsay carrier
Tommy: How did you ask your date to prom? I made shirts spelling out “Prom?” for the ILS kids to wear, and with one of the girls, Shayenne, was holding the flowers. Then, Lindsay walked in and her favorite song “Hey There Delilah” was playing. How was it unique to her? I haven’t seen anyone ask that way before, and it was personalized just for Lindsay. Lindsay: Were you surprised? Ya, I was, I almost cried.
tori adame & kyle schnapp
Tori: How were you asked? We went to the Hot Shots game. He walked me up to the door, and there were three people standing there in pink boxers with “Prom?” spelled out on their stomachs. Were you surprised? Ya, I was, I wasn’t expecting it. Why do you think he asked you this way? Well, we went to a ton of Hot Shots games, and those guys always wore spandex, so I thought it was funny. by Adrianna Havey
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the
cupcake
out with the old, in with the new
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ith the closing of Icing on the Cupcake on January 19, Rocklin was left with a void in vendors for delicious, gourmet cupcakes. Anyone searching for a new place to purchase tasty treats need not look any further: The Flash staff has sampled fourteen delicious flavors from two cupcake stores in the area. We’ve weighed the flavors, consistencies, and overall tastiness of cupcakes from Smallcakes Cupcakery and Cupcake A La Mode to help you find a delectably delightful source that satisfies all of your cupcake cravings.
best vanilla
Cupcake A La Mode’s vanilla takes the cake in this category. Our tasters loved the decadent, thick cake coupled with fluffy frosting. “The vanilla is so good! My favorite part of it is the fact that it has a gumball on top of the icing and I am addicted to gumballs.” said Aubrey Butte. “It is very fluffy and soft, like a cloud in your mouth,” said Courtney Harper.
best chocolate Cupcake A La Mode emerges victorious in this category as well. The rich chocolate cake was not overpowering, striking a perfect balance as far as consistency and flavor. “It is absoloutely amazing! I’ve never tasted anything that comes so close to the taste of homemade frosting. The chocolate frosting is extremely rich and seems to have a hint of coffee flavor in it. For all chocolate lovers like me, nothing is more satisfying,” said Faith Holloway.
best presentation Campfire s’mores’ adorable aesthics helped it win best presentation. “Best replication of a s’mores compared to the other stores marshmallow. The frosting was light and the cake was very flavorful. It reminded me of a summer night,” said Caitlin Payne. “I liked the flavor combinations and it was very adorable, like a campfire in a cupcake,” said Melanie Seyfried.
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design by Lydia Tahraoui
wars best frosting
The unique flavor and perfect consistency make Cupcake A La Mode’s salted caramel the winner. “The frosting wasn’t too overwhelming, and it had a very interesting taste. It looks very simple and overall it was very good,” said Mindy Yan. “I liked the consistency and a it had a good aftertaste. It was presented well and just had a good overall taste,” said Alyx Stone. “I took one bite and knew this was a piece of heaven!” said Jasmine Passey.
most unique
Smallcakes’s drumstick was unlike anything anyone on our staff had ever tasted. At first, we thought it meant drumstick like the chicken, but soon realized it was supposed to taste like the drumstick ice cream. “I like it because it was a different take on a traditonal classic ice cream treat,” said Rachel Polivka. “I never heard of a drumstick cupcake and I got really excited to try it because not many cupcake places have unique flavors like Smallcakes does,” said Courtney Harper.
best overall The marshmellow cupcake at Cupcake A La Mode took first prize. “Hands down best in the group. The cake was very moist and had a great chocolate cake taste. The frosting was super thick and tasted like marshmallow, chocolate sauce and a bit of peanut butter.” said Matt Morgan. “The marshmallow had a beautiful presentation with sprinkles of crumbs on top. The frosting was rich, but not overwhelming. Just enough gooeyness and it wasn’t dry,” said Liz Vasquez.
the bottom line
Fans of classic flavors will find their cupcake cravings fully sastisfied by Cupcake A La Mode’s delicious variations of chocolate and vanilla flavors. However, individuals who like to be a little more varied in their treats will delight at the vast array of cupcake flavors available at Smallcakes. The dozens of fantastic flavors are sure to please any cupcake lover who likes to try out new things. Both stores prove to be great cupcakeries, so why not try out both?
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Before I graduate... Buy a college sweatshirt from the school I want to go to Get my drivers
Plan an epic license promposal
Win a rally
As Mr. Hurrianko would say, “Stand up to authority�
Go to a home football game
Go to a dance show
Fail something and learn from it Participate in Register to vote
senior sunrise and sunset
Have an amazing, movie-worthy kiss
Join a club by Alina Holtsman
designed by Aubrey Butte
Make an unexpected Be part of a prank friend Sit with a new Get a hundred group of people Percent on a at lunch one daytest Dress up insanely for a spirit day See a band or choir concert Go to a concert
Do something incredibly stupid just for the memory
Make a sincere apology to someone I hurt during high school
Go to prom or an alternative prom
Tell my favorite teacher how much they mean to me
Watch “The Breakfast Club� Wear something bold to school just because I love it
Movie Reviews
THE MONUMENTS MEN by Liz Vasquez
Our history classes have ingrained the horrific event that took place, the lives lost, and the locations destroyed in World War 2 into our brain - but we’ve never gotten the story about what happened to the artifacts, to the art and the culture that belonged to those who died. What happened to the paintings, sculptures and monuments made by man, defining the era’s throughout the generations? Thanks to The Monuments Men, we are taken on a journey through war with seven museum curators on a suicide mission to take back the art that Hitler is stealing to put into his main museum. With quick-wit, subtle humor, and a true heart-warming message, this movie kept the emphasis on the word based in the phrase “based on a true story” as it only kept the basic plot points and distorted some of the facts, which is what some book-to-screen films do, right? Overall, as far as the movie goes, it wasn’t half bad, but it could have been better.
ENDLESS LOVE by Shelby Boyajan
This film is a classic drama and romance movie starring Magic Mikes’ Alex Pettyfer and The Three Musketeers’ Gabriella Wilde in a story of a rich, but outgoing girl and a charming boy who have an love for each other that they are willing to fight for no matter what the costs. I have to be honest and say that I expected the worst out of this movie, and although it was a bit cliché, I could not predict how the movie would progress, to which I was very surprised to find out. This movie is a smidge slow in the beginning of the movie and it seemed to drag on for a while, but as the love affair between Pettyfer and Wilde sparked, my interest grew like wild fire. All in all, I definately give it a pat on the back for being more than what I originally intended it to turn out, but I would have appreciated a different spin on the film so that it wasn’t related to a sappy teenage love story that always has a happy fairy tale ending. In terms of recommending the movie, I would say that if you happen to love romance movies, go for it and see Endless Love for yourself.
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Got Ink? AUBREY BUTTE $2.3 billion Annual revenue of the tattoo industry 15,000 Tattoo parlors in America 21 Percent of Americans have a tattoo
DUSTIN HOWENSTINE 36 Percent of 18-to-25-year-olds have a tattoo 38 Percent of 30-to-39-year-olds have a tattoo
AJ LEAGUE 50 Percent of people who think having a tattoo is rebellious $80 to $100 Average per hour cost of a tattoo $200 Cost of a laser removal session
MADISON STIVERS 10-15 Sessions needed to remove tattoo 32 Percentage increase in tattoo removals over the last year Sources: Harris Interactive, Mental Floss, The Motley Fool, NBC News, Pew Research Center, Tattoo Info, The Wall Street Journal (2)
Tattoos have been becoming more and more popular, but because of the increasing variety and creativity, they can be very expensive. It’s common to see tattoos when you’re just walking around the supermarket or the mall; but with the job market starting to become picky about where tattoos are, you may not know someone close to you even has one. written by aubrey wilson Q: When did you get your tattoo? A: “I got it New Year’s day.” Q: Was it painful? Scale 1-10? A: “It felt weird at first, it wasn’t a piercing pain but more just sore. On a scale of 1-10, I would say it was a seven.” Q: Does it have any meaning to you? If so what? A: “Yeah, it was my first tattoo and my family has a tradition that when a family member turns 18 we get the same tattoo as your parents. So me, my mom and stepdad got matching ones.” Q: How long did it take? A: “It only took like half an hour.” Q: When did you get your tattoo? A: “I got it on January 20th.” Q: Was it painful? Scale 1-10? A: “It was pretty painful because of where I got it. When they got closer to my armpit, it would say it was about an eight, and a six when they got further away.” Q: Does it have any meaning to you? If so what? A: “Yes, it is a four-line Irish blessing that has been in my family for a while. My brother got the first two lines on his left and I got the rest on my right arm.” Q: How long did it take? A: “It took about an hour and 15 minutes.” Q:When did you get your tattoo? A: “I have two. The first [on] December of 2012 and the second January 19, 2014.” Q: Was it painful? Scale 1-10? A: “The first tattoo didn’t hurt as bad, but the second was about a seven.” Q: Does it have any meaning to you? If so what? A: “They both have meaning. Mixwell is my dad’s company which has been a big part of my life since I was born, and the second is a lighthouse which represents my family guiding me through life.” Q: How long did it take? A:”The first took about an hour and the second about three.” Q: When did you get your tattoo? A: “I got it the last week of January on a Wednesday.” Q: Was it painful? Scale 1-10? A: “Only parts of the tattoo were painful, but overall I would rate it a six.” Q: Does it have any meaning to you? If so what? A: “Yes it does have meaning. It is my last name and one day when I get married it will change so I always want to remember my roots and where I came from.” Q: How long did it take? A: “It took an overall of about 30 minutes.”
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#twinning
Rocklin High School
Alison and Andrea Meagher have more in common than their genetics. They both love to dance.
Q: What is it like having your twin sister on the dance team with you? Alison: I love it. We are really close and being on the dance team together has made us even closer. I love seeing her dance. She is an inspiration to me and makes me want to do better. Andrea: I couldn’t be happier to spend our senior year together on the dance team. For so many years I have been watching her work so hard and it gives me so much joy to know that her work paid off. Alison is my best friend and it Andrea: I have learned time management skills and have makes me so happy that she was able to experience a year become dedicated in everything I do. In dance, I know that if on the dance team. Q: What inspired you to create the dance team prep club? I don’t practice full out I will never be able to perform my best. It’s the same thing in life. I have learned not to take shortcuts Alison: I really wanted to help other girls make the team. I know what it is like to audition, and wanted to pass on what and to always give my best effort for everything I do. I have learned to the girls. I hope that they can achieve their Q: What other activities do you enjoy doing with your sister? goals of making the team, just like I did. Alison: We like to ski together a lot, both snow skiing and Andrea: After watching my sister finally get a spot on the water skiing. We also like to play with our puppy Sasha and dance team, I realized that if one puts enough effort into this just laugh together. goal, it is achievable. Alison and I wanted to give aspiring Andrea: We go skiing whenever we have time in the winter. dancers the opportunity to work all year towards their goal of making the team. The dancers are so appreciative of our help In the summer we love camping, boating, and waterskiing. We work together as lifeguards too. We basically spend all of and we love doing anything we can to make a difference. Q: How has being on the dance team changed your life? our time together because we are so close, but we plan to go to different colleges in the fall so we will miss each other a lot. Alison: Being on the dance team made me feel really proud of myself. I was so excited that I had reached my goals. Q: What cool things does the dance team do that a lot of students may not know about? It really changed me as a person because it taught me how Alison: We do a lot of bonding and service as a team. hard work and determination really pay off. Recently, we volunteered at the local animal shelter and it was Andrea: Dance is my passion and I love it more than anything. I love performing and spreading school spirit. The a lot of fun. I actually led a service project where we made blankets for children in need. We did it through the Linus dance team in particular has given me confidence. I have Blanket Project, which donates the blankets to kids all over the become more outgoing through high school and I just feel like I have a place where I belong. Dance has improved my world. In addition, a lot of people don’t know that we don’t just leadership skills and creativity through student directing and perform at football and basketball games. We also perform at choreographing. Coach Huber has inspired me to be strong wrestling, volleyball, and even girls sports games. Andrea: We have “sisters” on the team. Even though my and follow my dreams. Q: How has being a dancer helped you in everyday life? real sister is on the team, my little sister is Serene Tarazi. We Alison: Dance has taught me to have a good work ethic. It get really close to our sisters and give tips to each other about helps me to stay focused and determined and it inspires me our dancing. Knowing that my little sister is watching me at practice motivates me to work even harder and be a good to be passionate in all that I do. It also keeps me in shape, example. which is really nice. By Emily McCrary
Andrea
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Alison
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R O C K L I N H I G H S C H O O L’ S A D V I C E G U R U
I’m a really big fan of this famous boyband but my friends HATE them, they always make fun of me for
liking them. How do I stand up for myself? The beauty of friendships is that your friends accept you for who
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you are, tacky boy band interests and all. They should be able to look past something as small as you liking a band. Let your friends know that they’re being rude to you, and honestly if they aren’t going to like you just because of a boyband, then they aren’t true friends. How do I pass my AP class when I lack the drive to do so? If you signed up for an AP class, you had to have had some ambi-
I am really stressed out for the SAT and the ACT. What should I do to get prepared? Being overly stressed won’t help at all. Re-
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alize this is different than any test you’ve ever taken, and if you can become familiar with the test format and types of questions, your anxiety levels will decrease. Sign up for the SAT question-of-the-day. For the essay, make sure your writing is neat. The
tion to challenge yourself, but I understand where you’re coming
graders only read your essays for a minute,
from. Taking AP classes in high school rather than in college is way
so you want to make a good first impres-
easier, and significantly cheaper! You’ve just got to find some kind of
sion. Rocklin is offering plenty of work-
motivation that works for you. Think about how proud you will be at
shops that you can sign up for through the
the end of the semester once you have passed this rigorous course!
College and Career Center. Happy study-
There’s only three months of school left, you can do it!
ing!
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How do I find a way to balance school work, social media, and trying to find a job? You need to have your priorities straight. Is social media really important to you? Or a plain distraction? If school work is the most important thing to you, get that done first. In your spare time look for a job, and leave the twittersphere for leisure.
How do I get a guy to ask me out even if he is considered one of the football people? It shouldn’t matter whether he is a jock, a theater kid, or a nerd. Don’t be shy, get to know him, and let him get to know you. How do you even know if you’ll like him after you talk to him? If it’s meant to be, it will happen.
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League Change Timeline
Population of students in SFL
1993
Rocklin Opens
1994
No Varsity Just juniors on Varsity
1995
1996
Rocklin is the second smallest school in the league Photo Credits: Taylor Sims
1997
1998
Roseville first joins our league Roseville first joins our league
1999
2000
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Original league: Folsom, Ponderosa, El Dorado, Del Oro, Placer, Rocklin, Oakridge Oakridge vs. Rocklin 14-7 Folsom vs. Rocklin 8-32 Folsom vs. Rocklin 24-3 Oakridge vs. Rocklin 6-12 First League Change All of original schools left New league includes BearRiver, Mesa, Roseville, Woodcreek Non-leagueOakridge vs. Rocklin 28-56 Folsom and Oakridge return Granite Bay enters Non-leagueOakridge vs. Rocklin 15-17 Non-league Oakridge vs. Rocklin 0-56 Non-league Oakridge vs. Rocklin 10-49
SIERRA FOOTHILL
League Change
If you are looking for a competitive environment, Rocklin High is the place to be. In classes, we compete to get the highest grade in the class. During spirit weeks, we get all dressed up and try to win rallies. In sports, we want to take home the league championship. Next year, however, is going to shake up the Sierra Foothill League with the addition of Oakridge and Folsom high schools and the exit of Roseville. This will make the league a seven team league, which will affect the school in numerous ways. “It creates a super league,” said RHS athletic director Davis Stewart. “And that’s what CIF wanted to create.” Three diffeent criteria affect the realignment of the league. The first criteria is competitive equity, which evaluates how well a school does within its division. CIF next looks at enrollment - grouping schools together of the same student body size. Finally, the scope of programs, which is the number of programs offered, plays a big role in determining the different leagues. For example, Folsom and Oakridge have freshman sport programs, while other teams in their current league do not. The 2012-2013 year had its own realignment, which moved the SFL from Division II to Division I. This affected the playoff situation, as some sports play in playoffs based off of their league (in Rocklin’s case, DI) or the division (Rocklin in DII). This, along with the realignment for next year, will make the Sierra Foothill League one of the most competitive leagues in the section. The realignment encompasses more than just the SFL - the CIF has altered leagues in all divisions. This realignment will last for school years 2014-2018, and then CIF will meet again to reevaluate the section after the next four years. Both Folsom and Oakridge will be adding great sport programs into the SFL. Folsom is known for being a football powerhouse, making it to NorCal Championship the past two years, and they have not lost a football game in the San Joaquin section in those two years. Oakridge is also known as being a great football program, but also having well rounded programs in all of their sports.
Oakridge and Folsom rejoin the Sierra Foothill League
Football coach Greg Benzel weighed in on the realignment...
“Everybody likes intense competition. Our league has already been competitive, but the realignment will definitely turn up the volume. If we as a league weren’t already the best in NorCal, we will be now.”
How will the realignment affect RHS sports directly? The obvious seems to be the playoff situation, partly because of the division realignment from last year, and partly because there will be an seventh team now in league. The CIF has given an extra playoff spot - for a total of four - to the SFL league, in most sports. In some sports, there may even be 5 teams going into playoffs from our league. “League championships are going to be a really big deal,” Stewart said. “And you would think that you are going to get a lot of section champions from our league.” Not only will playoffs be affected, but also scheduling. Softball coach Marissa Hardy explained how the league realignment will affect league play. “We might be dropping to a two round-robin [playing teams twice] instead of a three round-robin [playing teams three times]. It might allow more preseason games, which will be nice,” she said. “Competition wise, we are losing Roseville, but I know we’re gaining two strong programs, so that will be something that adds to our competitiveness and the variety of teams that we play.” The times may be changed, but there is also a travel factor coming into play with the addition of these new teams. Teams will have to travel a little further to get to Folsom and Oakridge. In all, most people are expecting great things out of the SFL league. The CIF has made an already tough league that much tougher, but the increased competition will add to Rocklin. Especially with such a competitive nature already, RHS sports are going to rise to the occasion over the next four years and take on the challenge of the ambitious SFL league.
By Maddie Wuelfing
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F O O D I S
T H E
E N E M Y By Courtney Harper
In high school a girl thinks a lot about what she can do to be prettier, skinnier, and more attractive to the male eye, even when she knows it is ridiculous to do so. Guys do not understand the impact they have on a teenage girl and are oblivious to the fact that one rude comment can ruin a girl’s day and can even push her over the edge. Eating disorders take over lives, destroy mental states, and can result in death from heart failure, organ failure, malnutrition and suicide. They have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and 95 percent of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12-25. Media is also a big factor in why girls feel they need to either purge or starve to look beautiful. Girls are surrounded by women made out to be “perfect” and “uncomparable” so often it gets tiring. Celebrities pose as role models and unfortunately, motivation to be a size 0. Girls find it difficult to embrace their bodies and will do anything to look like Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Anniston. The media emphasizes body size as an important factor of being beautiful, a size 5 normally being the cutoff before being considered “plus size.” If the media could recognize that every size is beautiful, then maybe so would every other young woman. Sadly, 50 percent of girls between the ages of 11-13 see themselves as overweight and 80 percent of 13-yearolds have admitted to trying to lose weight. Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents, and those who try to get help are often sent home weeks before their
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recommended stay for treatment. A few anonymous Rocklin high students revealed what its like to battle this disease. “You can’t tell them simply to stop, that’s not how it works. These things seize your mind.” Women are much more likely to develop an eating disorder than men, with the statistics of one in 200 women that suffer from anorexia and two to three in 100 women who suffer from bulimia. Why?
“I was called fat every day of my life by a group of girls when I was a freshman so that still affects me today.”
Teenage girls are known for their Starbucks, their Uggs, and also for their insecurity. Not many girls have pride in their bodies, which hurts their confidence and inhibits them from letting go of their insecurities. “I was constantly heaving over my toilet, and I know its gross. But I was so amazed that I was losing pounds effortlessly, I kept doing it.” The bright side is, there is help. It’s not always treatment, some girls have received help from leaning on close friends and family and have never felt better. “It wasn’t until 11th grade where I met my best friend… he helped me realize for myself that that’s not what’s important in life.” While the percentage is high for girls who have eating disorders, there is a small percent of women who overcome
their addiction and get back on track of being healthy. Some steps, according to physicians, include listening to your body and feelings, trusting, accepting, and most importantly, loving yourself. Finding someone to confide in is extremely helpful in realizing that turning towards avoiding food is not the answer, yet neither is constantly working out with no breaks for food or water. Eating disorders are extremely dangerous and while it seems easy to just skip a few meals or binge then purge, it damages your body and mentality. An anonymous Rocklin High male said, “Looking like a supermodel is not really attractive, if you’re curvy just be proud of it, its much more beautiful than trying to be tiny.”
Nick Eittreim
ASB, Multicultural Club, Keeping Hope Club, Keeping It Old School Club, stage crew, CSF, Math Lab tutor, Link Leader, Thunder Galleria Board of Directors, Photojournalim “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Evan Gustafson Blue Crew, volleyball, basketball “Until you start believing in yourself, you ain’t gonna have a life.”
Sneha Mehta Science Olympiad, Multicultural Club, CSF, orchestra, tutor, peer tutor, Varsity Swim “Hakuna Matata. It means no worries!”
Lydia Tahraoui
Political Youth League, French Club, Thunder Galleria Board of Directors, Mock Trial, Journalism Design co-Editor, LINK Leader, Thunder Mentor, Peer Tutor “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
HONOR GUARD 2015 Jacob Douglas
Football, Assistant ASB Commissioner for Campus Recognition
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”
Austin Tran
Science Olympiad, Amnesty International, Model UN, Mock Trial, Speech and Debate, AVID, National Honor Society “Take care, don’t fight, and remember: if you do not choose to lead, you will forever be led by others. Find what scares you, and do it. And you can make a difference, if you choose to do so.”
Kaitlyn Solomon
Basketball, CSF, National Honor Society, FCA, One Club “Success is knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
Maeve O’Brien ASB, Thunder Galleria,CSF, Alex’s Lemonade Club, Earth Club, Keeping Hope Club, Kicking it Old School Club “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
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#firstworld probs
There are so many YouTubers I want to watch but I just don’t have the time for all of them When my mom won’t take me to Starbucks When I buy too many groceries and have to make multiple trips to the car When you take apart an oreo and the icing doesn’t come off on one side This one time I was camping and I asked the ranger what their wi-fi password was and he was like “we don’t have wi-fi.” I literally cried the rest of the trip Having to drive back to school (less than a mile) for an after-school activity My phone charger cable is too short In the morning when your car takes an hour to heat up so you blast it and you’re freezing My earbuds being tangled all the time When you’re in bed, then you realized you didn’t brush your teeth, so you sit there, wondering if it’s worth it to go and have squeaky-clean teeth When I order chicken strips, I don’t know whether to get BBQ, honey mustard, or ranch I have too many bills and change in my wallet that it won’t close correctly I don’t have enough data on my phone When I paint my nails before I get ready, and then I have to try and pull on my skinny jeans with wet nails My 49 inch TV isn’t 50 inches