Tri-Color Times 2015-04

Granger high school

Tri-Color Times

An open forum for student opinion and expression

TRICOLORTIMES.COM

April 2015 LVII-7

Pi Day brings mathematicians incalculable joy

By Krista LeFevre THIS YEAR’s was no ordinary Pi Day. It was Super Pi Day and it had mathematicians going wild and letting their irrational side out.

It is a day when math teachers and math kids can kick back, relax, and enjoy a crazy fun holiday.

Mr. Clawson was excited for a fun-filled Pi Day. “Super Pi Day doesn’t happen very often. It is fun, and we can learn fun facts about pi and what it is used for,” Clawson said.

Even though he does not consider himself a mathematician, he was still ready to party for Pi Day. Pi(e) eating contests and reciting the digits of pi contest. The pie-eating contest was done in sets of four and the first round winner was Vianka Haro (11).

“It felt great because I beat two boys,” Haro said. She was up against two boys right after drill practice and she was ready for a fight.

“My throat was really dry because I had a hard time swallowing the pie, but it felt good because I was hungry,” Haro said.

The next winner was Mr. Clawson, but the runner-up was Christina Alofipo (12).

“I was nervous to see that I was going up against Mr. Clawson, and I got blueberry in my nose, but it was fun,” Alofipo said. She had tons of fun and she was excited to participate.

There was a great turnout for Super Pi Day. There were students, teachers, and even graduates from Granger High.

Robyn Keeling (’06), was able

to recite one hundred decimal points of pi, and she explained how she did it.

“When I was in fifth grade, my math teacher challenged us to memorize twenty digits of pi but I memorized one hundred,” Keeling said. She loves Pi Day. “It is my favorite holiday because it is such a cool number; it is beautiful. Plus you get to eat pie,” Keeling said. She was excited to celebrate Super Pi Day with the Granger High students.

We also had people come not only for the free pie but also because of their simple love for such a cool number.

“I am a super nerd and I love pi and Pi Day,” Olivia Liando (12) said. She came by after her drill team practice to celebrate such an awesome number with the rest of

the pi lovers.

Mahalia Lotz (12) also came by to express her love for the number. She even participated in the pi-reciting contest.

‘I like the number pi because it is such a genius solution that it took so long to come up with. My favorite kind of pie is chocolate pie because it has carbohydrates and chocolate, two of my favorite things,” Lotz said. She recited thirteen decimal points of pie and won a t-shirt.

There were many others who took part in the pie-eating contest, one of them was Adam Newton (11).

“It was good. It was really fun, and I almost got the hiccups five times,” Newton said.

A Pi Day that super will not be seen again for a long time.

As this Pi Day extravaganza pie train shows, it was a super celebration that no one should have missed. Saturday’s Super Pi Day rocked.

Gay Straight Alliance takes off at Granger High

By Noah Keener GRANGER High’s new club known as the Gay Straight Alliance welcomes students to join and feel accepted. GSA students love the activities set up in the club.

“I heard that other schools had one and that Granger had a big population of LGBT students and that I wanted to leave my mark on the school,” Izack Schnoor (12) said.

The Gay Straight Alliance is about people in the LGBT community and people that are straight to come together and have fun.

The Gay Straight Alliance activities include food, board games, discussion on recent news, and reading. The Gay Straight Alliance is also about students being who they are and having fun with others.

The Gay Straight Alliance gets

together every Friday after school in Mr. Johansson’s room (G211) “So far, the greatest thing I did in the Gay Straight Alliance was getting to know people in the Gay Straight Alliance it was a very refreshing perspective,” Angel Herrera (11) said.

The Gay Straight Alliance is planning future events like tiedye shirts and field trips to festivals and more.

Any student is welcome to join in on the fun and welcome to ask anyone else to join.

Gay Straight Alliance is for interested students and invites students to join to make all Granger students feel supported. Members will find new friends and find a space to be themselves for who they are.

“I joined Gay Straight Alliance because I felt alone, but now I don’t feel alone anymore because

of Gay Straight Alliance, and it’s easier to be myself there. It made Granger a better place for me because it makes me feel less alone and more accepted at Granger,” Jakob Fultz (9) said.

The Gay Straight Alliance is there for students to make everyone feel comfortable with themselves and to make Granger students be happy.

“I think that when I met them, I wanted them to know that their futures can be bright and that it can get better for them. We should have had the Gay Straight Alliance before, and I understand why we didn’t. We had a lot of situations at Granger,” Ms. Green said.

During recent activities, the Gay Straight Alliance gets great advice from guest speakers about students’ futures.

Members want more students to

join in the fun and excitement in the club and make new friends and find new ways to make Granger a better place for everyone.

“My favorite activity in the Gay Straight Alliance is when we talk about political problems going on in the current news. And I enjoyed the speakers that came because I felt that they were very informative. The next activity we have planned is that we will tiedye T-shirts,” Treasure Jereb (11) said.

One of The Gay Straight alliance’s favorite topics is politics and news. Recently speakers gave the GSA advice about their future and how things are.

With encouraging words from speakers, GSA students feel more comfortable and confident about their futures. The GSA is a great place for everyone, and it meets every Friday after school.

April Fool’s Day brings laughter to silly Lancers

By Samuel Su’a “I LOVE April Fool’s Day because when I wake up in the morning, I never forget to do a prank on my friends,” Joseph Levia (9) said.

“It just reminds me of all the fun and games I had as a kid growing up,” Caleb Sweeney (11) said.

Other students would rather disagree with the fun and games of April Fool’s Day. “April Fool’s Day is literally a sick joke, I hate it and I wish it were never a holiday,” Morgan Stiller (11) said.

“April Fool’s Day is a waste of time and our students at Granger High should be able to ignore this stupid holiday because we’re all in high school, so grow up,” Timothy Brown (12) said.

“You know, some people hate being pranked, and it just sucks because I’ve been in that position before, and I wouldn’t want other people to go through that experience as well,” Jonathan Recinos (12) said.

And even more students hate this prankster holiday. “I cried last year because my sister threw pie in my face in front of all my friends and I hated her that whole week for that,” Tiffany Redding (11) said.

This holiday is stupid because there are a lot of top pranksters out here in West Valley, Utah waiting to get you embarrassed in front of your friends,” Thomas Smith (12) said.

Many students would basically consider April Fool’s Day as just another day at the office.

“I really just ignore everything that April Fool’s Day has to offer because I know my friends aren’t that stupid enough to shoot confetti in my face, so I just simply ignore the whole entire day,” Tavon Lustrine (10) said.

“In my country of Japan, April Fool’s Day isn’t even spoken of so I guess in America, it’s just a holiday to joke around,” Erick Takenaka (9) said.

On the balanced side of things, students agree that April Fool’s Day is great day to just let go and just have a good laugh.

“It really is a joy to watch people in my class get pranked or lied to because it’s just a part of life to laugh every once in a while at other people or ourselves,” Landon Washington (12) said.

“People really need to relax because they don’t know what they’re talking about unless they’re like some robot who does not laugh at all,” Jaylen Brown (11) said.

“Surely enough, these sophomores and freshmen obviously don’t know how to take a joke, no matter how funny it is,” Zachary Swenson (12) said.

Want more Granger High School news? Check articles at tricolortimes.com or add us on twitter.com/tricolortimes.

VOL. LVII Issue7

April 2015, page 2, News

Ambitious Lancers have interesting plans for spring break

By Skye Rouse SPRING break is something that kids look forward to all year long.

By this time in the school year, kids are ready for the school year to be over, and it starts to really drain everyone’s enthusiasm.

“One of my favorite things is sleeping in, but this break I will be sleeping in the woods. I will be riding my all-terrain vehicles and fishing. I will also be playing Just Dance with my friends,” Rebecca Beckman (9) said.

Some students will be catching up on some sleep, and others will be getting up early to hit the gym to stay fit.

“Some of my favorite hobbies are skating and playing basketball. This break I will be at the gym playing basketball with my team. I will also will be at Taylorsville Skate Park working on a new trick called a trey flip,” Dallon Anderson (9) said.

While some people enjoy just staying at home and relaxing, other people always travel for spring

break.

“I usually travel for spring break. I have been to many different places that include Montana, Idaho, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Ireland, and Mexico. This time I will be going to Las Vegas for four days to go see all the tourist attractions,” Mikala Gehlen (10) said.

Some people don’t plan on traveling very far, maybe only an hour or two away.

“I will be in the wilderness hiking. It’s one of my favorite things to do; I love being outdoors. I love seeing the view and how fresh the air is. I love playing other sports like football, I actually play for Granger my number is sixty-one,” Thomas Bowles (11) said.

Many sports are played at Granger High, but they are also played all over the world, some Lancers will go to different states for sports.

“I will be playing with my soccer club in California. I am origi-

nally from Los Angeles, and I will be visiting family and friends,” Manny Machao (12) said.

Lancers have places all over the U.S. that they plan to go, too.

“I’ll be in Alabama for half of my vacation to go visit my brother. My brother and I do a lot of fun activities together, we will be going shooting and a lot of other things. I will be sailing BMX bikes when I get back, my dad is the one who actually got me into BMX,” Mustafu Muskic (9) said.

Anything with wheels and an engine -- this kid can fix it.

“Lately I’ve been working on my ‘83 Chevy that I am trying to sell. I will also be kicking it with my friends and lying back with my family. I will be going to some bonfires and playing on my Xbox,” Nick Wendt (11) said.

For some kids they don’t even get a break because what comes with hard work comes with a big reward.

“I am trying to reach my goal of

graduating early, so I’ll be looking for online schooling, I want to graduate early so I can start having a bigger success,” Daniela Rodriguez (10) said.

Some students just can’t get enough of school; they keep going even through spring break.

“I will be hanging out with my baby nephew, sister, and with my besties. We will be having a movie night with pizza and a lot of junk food,” Jannela Anchondo (9) said.

As for some students, staying home with friends and family is their ticket to having a good spring break.

“I will be in my bed watching movies on Netflix and sleeping in. I will be working on my swim technique and try to beat my record. I will also be spending time with my best friend. She doesn’t go here, but me and her are really close. I consider her my sister. I mean we practically are,” Megan Peterson (10) said.

Some Lancers are working to-

wards future goals over spring break.

“I will be working on my kicks, jumps, and tumbling for cheer tryouts. I am excited because I think it will help me build relationships with people, and I will also be supporting the school which I think is awesome,” Nhi Ngo (9) said.

And some Lancers are working towards future goals that don’t really have to do with school.

“I will be working on my dancing. I will be with my friends trying to work on my routine and see what I can make better. I will be in a competition or two which is really fun for me, it gets my adrenaline going, and I love it,” David Nguyen (9) said.

Obviously spring break has been something that Lancers have been waiting for all year. It’s a time where everyone at Granger can have a break from this long year so far and prepare themselves for the rest of the year they have to conquer.

When it comes to electronic distractions, students face a choice

By Sendi Torres ELECTRONIC devices have become a big part of life. They’re advancing throughout the years.

It seems like people cannot live without them. When an upgrade of a device comes out, people wait in line overnight to make sure they can get their hands on

tronics to get on social media; she also uses them for school purposes. If by any chance she misses a day of school, she can log into Canvas on her device and check what she’s missed. Most of the time she can print out the assignment.

Even though electronics can be a distraction, they are also used for school purposes. Students can use their phones to check their grades so they can be up to date with their assignments. Everything that is done in school now usually involves the use of electronic devices.

“I like electronics because without them I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my family in Mexico,” Barbara Serrato (12) said.

Electronics also help Serrato with school. “Whenever I have to find information I go on my computer and look it up. It’s easier than using a book to find research and it saves up a lot of time,” she said. When she’s using her electronic device she doesn’t pay attention to anything else but the device.

Electronic devises are a great way to keep in touch with loved ones. Not only can someone talk

or text someone, they can also video chat with them. Video chatting is a great way to communicate with people because you can see them as you talk.

“Electronic devices are so addicting and distracting. My cell phone becomes a big distraction when I’m dong my homework. I just put it away or I give it to my sister so I won’t be tempted to use it,” Brendavv Morales (10) said.

She uses her phone to keep in touch with her brother in Mexico.

She also uses it to play games when she’s bored. “Electronics haven’t just affected teens, but also little kids. Most kids have advanced technology for example an iPad or computer. I never had anything like that when I was small. Instead I would go to the park and play soccer,” Morales said.

Kids would rather be on their electronic devices instead of going outside. Instead of running outside and playing with their friends, they would rather play with friends online.

With the fast pace of technological change, there are young kids that can work electronic devices better then their parents or siblings.

were still a young adolescent. In expect them to be more respon- up, then they ought to make deciaddition, my parents have nothing sible with things like doing their sions like a grown up along with to expect from me,” Daisy Tovar chores without being told, doing taking responsibility for their (10) said. their homework on their own, and actions. Especially considering Countless 16-year-olds have had working hard for what they want. that they think they can handle these advantages so it’s nothing Parents think that if their teen whatever hits them. Responsibilnew to some. Although they’ve is going to be acting like a grown ity is accepting the fact that as a had these advantaghuman, they are the es before, doesn’t cause, the solution, mean they’ve had and the matter. permission for Humans may bethose privileges. lieve that they are “A few expectaonly responsible for tions that sixteen what they cause, but year olds have are not for what they parents expect you think. The truth is to do better and be that they are also remore responsible sponsible for what and get things done. they think, as things Besides that, I enjoy go only at this level being 16,” Jennifer they have no choice Lopez (10) said. but to accept that Furthermore, parwhat they do comes ents of teenagers Jennifer Lopez is ready for added responsibilities and expectations. from what they

think.

“I guess it’s amusing to be 16.

You also have to be responsible for everything,” Lizbeth Zavala (10) said. “To some extent, from being a kid and then moving on to being 16 can be a little shocking because 16-year-olds start to become more of a young adult.”

That is why parents and other adults start to expect more from of their young adults. Along with letting them have more advantages as young adults, they should explore their young lives and be thrilled that they’re ready to experience this age.

Being 16 comes with many superb opportunities along with a few dreadful ones. Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the spectacle that is forgotten by going too fast, it is also the sensibility of where it’s going.

the device before anyone else.

Some people even preorder their devices. It doesn’t matter where someone goes there will always be people using their devices.

“Electronics are a distraction,” Karina Gonzalez (10) said. She doesn’t spend as much time with her family anymore nor does she

go out as much. “When I’m with my family or friends we’re usually always on our phones, so it doesn’t seem like we’re spending time together. I don’t think I can survive without any electronics, because I can’t live without my social life,” Gonzalez said.

She just doesn’t use her elec-

For today’s students, there’s no real hope of ending electronic distractions. It’s time to learn how to manage them.

Being 16: Lancers give their opinions about growing up

By Judit Zaragoza TURNING sixteen comes with many advantages like getting a driver license, getting out more, and maybe finding a job. On the other hand society will start expecting more from those particular people, the reason being that the older people get, the more responsibilities they have.

Sixteen-year-olds think being sixteen is amusing, which it is.

It’s an incredible age because it’s an age where teens start to unfold themselves. Teenagers assume that as soon as they’re 15 or 16, they can do all kinds of activities.

However, in reality, those activities are mostly available at age 18.

“Many 16-year-olds now have the advantages of driving, hanging out more. I’ve always had these advantages, but I wish I

April 2015, page 3, Opinion

VOL. LVII Issue 7

After Romeo combines music with anti-bullying message

Opinion by Hailey Piper AFTER Romeo is a rising band from Los Angeles, California.

They are currently on a tour called The Bullyproof Tour.

After Romeo is made up of five members: Drew Ryan Scott born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Blake English born in Athens, Georgia, Devin Fox born in Maumee, Ohio, TC Carter born in Naples, Florida and Jayk Purdy born in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The band came together in early 2013, in a town that they’ve learned to call home, Los Angeles.

While on tour, After Romeo also visits middle schools and high schools in the cities on their tour.

At the schools, the band talks to students about bullying and their

personal experiences. They work hard each and every day, performing up to five times a day.

After Romeo try their best to make connections to their fans and get to know them as much as they can. They care about their fans very much.

I’ve been to two of their concerts. One was on October 26, 2013 and the other was on September 6, 2014. Both were very enjoyable. Their concerts are really fun, they interact with their fans a lot. Often, at some point during the show, they pull some of their fans up on stage and they sing ‘Song About You’ to them.

Sometimes, they will hold their hands and make them feel special, which sometimes the fans need. A lot of them break down

crying of happiness.

After the concerts, they have the meet and greet, where the fans get photo ops and a lot of hugs. After the meet and greet, there is a chance for a VIP meet and greet.

VIP meet and greet is where the fans have a chance to talk to the guys and get to know them more and where the guys get a chance to fully meet their fans and learn more about their stories.

On tour, After Romeo meets many people every day. They seem to somehow remember a lot of the people they meet; they usually can remember people’s names. It’s amazing, yet crazy to me.

While on stage, you can tell that the band members have fun and love what they are doing. No mat-

Game Review: Let It Goat kills time

By Skarlett Gregorio Garcia Let It Goat is a game that starts a player out as a white goat with purple antlers named Mounty.

Players must navigate Mounty through all sorts of terrain and obstacles, including pesky zombie arms that poke out of the ground.

When you are about to jump, one spike is placed next to a stepdown. Avoiding it will help you stay in a better rhythm along the course.

Now that the game has been updated, you can play any character. You can pick a boy goat, a girl goat, and other kinds of goats, but you need to buy them with the gems you have.

You can get Jack J and Jack G, but you need to buy them with the

gems you earn. To get the gems, you collect them while you are playing the game. But you have to be careful while getting the gems, because gems usually spawn at the edge of holes.

While you are playing, there are gems, and you just get them with the goat as you play. You can pick which level you want to play by paying with the gems you earn: choose from levels like frozen, pandawall, paradise, wildlife, and others. The classic level is free.

In the game, you play a goat.

You run sideways and have to jump over obstacles. If you miss, you die and have to start all over, but your high score remains the same. It has great sounds and plenty of splatter effects when

you impale your goat on a spike.

Like Flappy Bird, it’s not as easy as it looks and can be very frustrating.

It’s hard at first, but as you get the hang of it, you get much better. It’s hard because of the obstacles such as spikes and zombies.

It gets harder and harder as you keep going. I haven’t gotten that far, but my highest score is 69.

Not everyone can play games well, and I don’t play Let It Goat anymore. Other people have different opinions on the game, so find out how you feel about it.

This game comes from the same developers who created the Battle Bears series of games and the Jack and Jack Vines Puzzle game.

Let It Goat is only six weeks old.

After Romeo performs at Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City.

ter how many times they perform in a day, they always put off positive vibes and are always smiling.

It is wonderful because the band’s positive vibes are put out to the crowd.

It really does affect the crowd; the crowd is more pumped up and is more energized when those positive vibes are sent out. By the time they leave, the crowd is sent off feeling great, even into the next day.

This tour sends a great message, and I feel it really is helping people not feel alone. It makes others know that it’s not OK to bully, and they teach that it really shouldn’t be happening as often as it does.

The members of After Romeo are great role models; many people look up to them.

Personally, they are my role models. I look up to them because they saw a problem, decided that something needed to be done, and did something about it.

Now they are on The Bullyproof Tour. This band has changed my life. They showed me how to stand up for what I be-

lieve in and for stuff that I think needs a change.

I admire them because of the good example that they set for many people and everything that they’ve done. I am proud of them.

After Romeo’s whole fan base is very sweet and cares so much about each other. There is limited drama between them.

Reason one is that they’re good people, and reason two is that they are against bullying, because they take in what After Romeo says and they do good things with that message. The fans help encourage one another with everything they do.

Ever since hearing about After Romeo, I have been amazed of the great things they have done and all of the great people I have met along the way.

After Romeo is a band with five amazing guys who came together naturally. They created an amazing and life-changing message that they deliver with their usic.

And after seeing what they’ve done, I am excited to see what’s next.

Tri-Color Times Staff

Stress in high school: things that might help Opinion by Sam McClure SOMETIMES in high school it can feel like the entire world is crashing down on you. You might get stressed. You might think you’re the only one, but you’re not.

Everyone is stressed. You may be more stressed than a friend, or your friend might be more stressed. The only thing you can do it be there for one another.

My best friend is always there for me. She’s always just one phone call away. Even if it’s four in the morning, I know she’ll answer the phone.

In my opinion the best thing to do is just let your feelings out to someone, your mom, dad, sister, brother, someone you trust.

Holding it in will just lead you to breaking down.

Some people who don’t have someone for venting might want to try writing problems down, that way it’s not bottled in.

There are a few friends I know that write their problems anony-

mously online. That way no one knows who they are but it’s not weighing on their shoulders anymore.

Some of my friends meditate to get their problems out. It takes their minds out of this world.

One of my good friends says music helps him calm down. It takes his mind off things. When he’s catching up on schoolwork, he puts in his headphones and blocks out the world.

I’ve heard of people eating their stress, which isn’t bad, but just watch what you’re eating. Eat healthy things, like apples or salads because too much junk food is really bad for you.

Some people don’t eat, and that’s really bad for you. I think that might be worse than eating your stress. If you don’t eat, it can lead to anorexia. That’s never a good thing. It’s better to find someone to help you.

Talking to therapists might help, too. They don’t know you personally right away, but the more you

talk to them, the more they get to know you. As you talk, therapists will learn to teach you how to handle your problems in a healthier way.

Granger High counselors will also listen and try to help. They just let you talk.

Maybe you’ve tried all of these things, and none of them are working. Keep searching. There’s something out there. You don’t have to be stressed all the time.

Being stressed all the time is a lot of weight on your shoulders.

It’s definitely not healthy for your body, or your health. It can tear you apart.

Find activities that take your mind off of things, such as going to the gym. Try a new instrument, or maybe try just going out and making new friends. They may be strangers today, but one day soon they could be close friends.

Even the littlest things can help you. Go try something new. Don’t just sit around and let stress bother you. Take charge. Help yourself.

Editor in Chief Kaitlin Cluff Online Editor Robbie Devenish

Copy Editor Tina Huynh Photo Editor Kayla Isom

Reporters Amy Alcantara Nebras Alhamdani Raquel Bishop Cody Black Felicia Cervantez Alisha Chief Hillary Daoheuang Angel Figueroa Maria Garcia Zayra Gonzalez Scarlett Gregorio Danny Hernandez Quetzii Hernandez Lesieli Iongi Claudia Islas Isabel Jackson Noah Keener Arriya Khopha Krista Lefevre

Reporters Andrea Lomeli Antonio Loredo Samantha McClure Christopher Mejia Kylee Nielson Hailey Piper Edith Pizana Briana Puga John Quezada Naticha Retamar Katherine Rivas Skye Rouse Ada Stott Angelina Salazar Isabella Sparacino Ada Stott Sendi Torres Pedro Vargas Judit Zaragoza

The Tri-Color Times serves as a student forum for student opinion and student expression.

The views expressed herein reflect neither the opinions of Adviser John Carlisle and Granger High School, nor those of Granite School District. The Tri-Color Times invites and publishes letters to its editorial board; all letters will be edited for taste, length and legality.

Granger High School 3580 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 (385) 646-5320

April 2015, page 4, Special Feature

VOL. LVII Issue 7

Morals and temptations interact in fascinating ways

By Ada Stott MORALS are a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do in a group or society. Some moral violations that hold true to the general population of society include stealing, lying, cheating, and killing are actions from which moral citizens should refrain.

Tommy Ngu (9) agrees with society’s expectations. “Doing these things hurts other peoples feelings. Everything is just negative, you lose friends, aren’t trustworthy, and you’ll just be a bad person,” Ngu said.

Jaiden Griffiths (9) doesn’t think it makes you a bad person.

“It makes you less of a person.

You can’t do those things and stay true to yourself or honest to others,” Griffiths said. “They are wrong if they think that doing those things makes them cool.”

Jordan Greene (9) thinks these things are wrong, but because of peer pressure. “If I don’t behave, people won’t like me. If I don’t follow their standards or believe what they believe, they will hate me,” Greene said.

For some, living by these morals is just a sacrifice in order to live in a free place. “To be free, we need certain laws or guidelines,” Theo Liando (10) said.

For others, they live by these morals because it feels wrong not to. “It’s just dumb, if you steal or kill or cheat, you have to hide it, and really that comes back and hurts you,” Jacob Pearson (10) said.

For Melina Smith (11), it’s as simple as: “It is against the law.”

It is said that one’s morals are influenced greatly by the society’s moral beliefs. If the morals of a society were different, would Lancers personal morals be different too?

“If we lived in a place where killing was normal, I think I’d still be against it. When we all live on this earth, there’s no excuse for killing,” Ngu said.

Greene disagrees. “I probably

wouldn’t think killing was wrong because we are really impressionable while we’re young. If all I saw was death while I was growing up, my mind would be set to thinking that way was normal,” Greene said.

never never kill,” Smith said.

Ngu disagrees. “If someone is trying to attack me, and I think my life is in danger, I should be able to protect myself. Killing in the name of self defense isn’t as bad, and if I’m hungry, it’s OK

them, in the end their personal morals differ. Circumstances alter cases. Morals come from different sources for everyone.

Griffiths’s main lessons have come from her own life: “My perspective on society is really what

Melina Smith double thinks when she is tempted.

Liando concurs with Greene.

“People’s experiences are molded by their environment. If you grow up in a place where cannibalism is a natural thing, and then you went to a place where it wasn’t OK, you would think [noncannibals] were the weird ones,” Liando said.

Peterson thinks that how he was raised wouldn’t matter. “I’m a nice person. If I were to kill someone, I would feel like I’m just killing myself,” Pearson said.

Some think that there are certain times in which it is OK to lie, steal, or kill. For example if a woman stole bread to feed her starving children, it might be considered OK. Smith believes strongly against killing, and thinks it’s never OK. “If someone is trying to kill you, kick and punch and all that, but

for me to go steal some Taco Bell,” Ngu said.

Griffiths thinks you should only do these things for good. “If there is any bad outcome, don’t do it,” Griffiths said.

Greene thinks that there is a time for it all. “There’s a time to kill, there’s a time to steal, and there’s a time to lie,” Greene said, “Obviously there’s a time to kill if the military goes out to kill every day on the orders of the government. There’s a time to steal food if I’m starving and have no money. And then the time to lie is when they catch you stealing that food,” Greene said.

Peterson takes a different stance: “Do you really wanna live with yourself anyway after you’ve done those things? All you can live with is the guilt.”

Although societies influence

influences me. But also my dad.”

Liando’s life lessons also come from himself: “I grew up around of bad people, so one day I said, ‘I’m gonna be their exact opposites.’ ” Ngu was taught by his parents to not be lazy. “They always told me to work hard and do my best.

Often we are tempted to act without thinking of the consequences.

Here are some things you can do to break these temptations.

“Being yourself is the best thing you can be. Sometimes when I’m tempted to look at someone else’s paper, I stop and think about it first. Maybe when you’re tempted to cheat, just remember how hard it was so that next time you will study and prepare yourself,” Griffiths said.

“I’m always tempted to steal,” Greene said, “When I’m over at

A-Fresh and all my friends have money and I don’t, I’m tempted to just grab a drink. I figure that if the risk is higher than the benefit, I don’t do it. Just common sense.”

Liando said: “If you want something, earn it yourself. In the long run it’s better, you appreciate it more.”

Peterson gets tempted to lie when he is in trouble. “I think about how it will affect the people around me. When you lie, it hurts you and the person you are lying to,” he said.

Smith said: “Remember, always, always listen to that little voice in the back of your head screaming ‘Don’t do it!’ ” *** For me, morals go hand-in-hand with ethics, because ethics can be argued about in the hand of morals. Look at the hand. From the thumb, we have morals, what’s right and wrong, they help us grasp things.

Then we have the first finger, pointing us in the right direction, our consciousness. We are educated with our first finger. Therefore with more knowledge, our direction may change.

Our second finger holds our anger; although it is always there we sometimes let it get ahold of us, provoking others by raising it.

Often our anger is carried away.

Our third finger is love. Like in marriage the ring may be a symbol of love. Love is like passion, and may also be dangerous.

To love something so much you would die for it can be good, but it can also be bad.

Our pinkie is our promises. In life these are promises to ourselves, although our promises often limit us. We have locked in or promised some mid set of ourselves, accepting little other than we think. This also can be dangerous.

But within, love, passion, direction, anger, grasp, and promise, we have what can change the world. We have the chance to hold the world in the palm of our hands.

The more intense and thunderous a concert is, the better

By Tina Huynh THE POUNDING of the loud music off the walls, the screams of everyone in the entire arena, and being serenaded by a musician the whole night is what paying hundreds of dollars to go to concerts is all about.

Dance floors replace the seats, the lights are blinding, and everyone is singing way too off key to really care.

Concerts are energy-packed places with no space that drive people wild.

“The concerts I’ve been to are OneRepublic, Boyz II Men, Austin Mahone, Summer Jam and Andy Grammer. There’s so much energy. The people there made it feel like I was high on Cloud 9 and I didn’t want to come down. I was also in Andy Grammer’s music video at The Festival of Colors, so that was really cool! My favorite one was OneRepublic, though because The Script and American Authors performed and they’re one of my favorite bands ever. I would love to go Drake, Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran,

Sam Smith, and Jhené Aiko. I’m Jhené’s number one fan!” Kuei Makol (11) said.

The experiences of going to concerts are ones that are hard to forget, and not ones to be forgotten.

Finally hearing a favorite artist or band live and not just through headphones is paradise.

“I’ve been to Justin Bieber, Austin Mahone, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, DigiTour, and I’m going to see Kalin and Myles soon. I’ve been to more than just that, but would still love to see Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, and The Weekend. I love it so much; I’ve seen them all. The rush, the magic, their voices, going to them with my bestie, the power all of them put in their performances, it’s all so great. They perform my favorite songs, and it captures my heart and soul,” Margarita Garcia (11) said.

The rush felt is pretty indescribable.

Everything can be left behind, and fans just focus on all of the good music running through their

ears.

“I went to Van’s Warped Tour 2013 and 2014, Twister, One Direction, and Mötley Crüe. I went with my boyfriend to all of them and whenever I looked back, I was never alone. It’s nice to know that he never flaked out on me. He even went to see One Direction with me when he didn’t want to.

I always love going to concerts, I can just let myself go. I really want to go to Mumford & Sons.

I wish I had seen Nirvana. My mom saw them, which is pretty cool,” Nizhoni Yazzie (11) said.

The roar of the music and excitement of the whole crowd doesn’t subside, but no one would want it to. It’s a high that’s never been touched.

“I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but to be more specific, Sammy J, Banda, DigiTour, Bridgit Mendler, Austin Mahone, and Shawn Mendes. During Shawn’s entire performance, I cried like a baby! I love his music. He’s bae for life. I also loved when Sammy J sung ‘Mr. Sun.’ It’s my personal favorite, and since it’s not a well-

known song, I wasn’t expecting it. I just love, love, love the feeling of live music. I value music so much. I love being with other people in a crowd who like the same genre as me. It’s so awesome and you get so hyped! You don’t care about what other people think about you because you know they like the same thing, so you don’t get embarrassed dancing in the crowd. It’s just such an amazing experience, I live for live music,” Samantha Gonzalez (11) said.

The rush and energy of the whole room is intensely infectious.

“If Biggie, Tupac, and Mac Dre were still alive and Bone Thugs-

n-Harmony were still together, I’d go to their concert. I would want to see Ed Sheeran, Mayday Parade, Kolohe Kai, Common Kings, and Bastille. They’re some of my favorite groups. I have a really diverse taste in music,” Gonzalez added.

The concert experience is truly remarkable for these Lancers.

Those long nights of pre-ordering tickets, anticipating the moment to finally hear that first note, seeing good musicians live, and watching the performer live are long-lived thrills. It’s an experience to be repeated not two times or not three times, but as many times as possible.

Another perk of going to concerts: the amazing merch.

April 2015, page 5, Special Feature

VOL. LVII Issue 7

As students do better in high school, they prepare for their futures

By Arriya Khopha SCHOOL is one of the most important things in a teen’s everyday life.

Although it may be stressful, it does impact the future.

People find different ways to improve, not just academically, but also physically and socially.

There are many things a person can do to improve.

There are things like learning a new language, or picking up a new hobby.

“I’m doing great in school, but I think that class sizes should be smaller and there should be more one-on-one time to interact with the teachers,” Braxton Crosby (11) said. “I think it would help a lot more to be able to talk to a teacher and be comfortable asking questions in class. I think if you put in an effort and at least try, you will see progress.”

Teachers also have a huge impact on how a student learns. If students don’t have teachers who show passion for their profession, then how do they expect students to learn? It also requires the students to show compliance, respect, and interest to help keep the teachers passionate: it’s a 50/50 proposition.

The only way to become a bet-

ter learner is to become a better student, and that takes time. Students must be willing to give up free time to improve.

They need to learn how to prioritize their time wisely. They also need to set time apart for themselves to relax and do the things they enjoy.

It takes balance, students should not only do homework, but they should not only be playing, either.

If students want to do better in school, they need to show that they care and that they are willing to make the changes needed to succeed.

School is very important because it impacts students’ futures.

If they don’t succeed to their capabilities in school, it can have a bad effect on their futures.

School can be really stressful, but in the end, it all pays off.

If students respect themselves throughout high school, others will respect them in their futures.

They can make the world a better place, and they can turn their dreams into reality.

They learn how to be themselves and stop depending on others.

High school is a time to find one’s true shape character.

Students need to get more opportunities and chances to im-

prove in the future so they don’t discourage themselves. They’ll have a chance to have fun and really enjoy life and do the things

they really want to do, with no limitations. School can sometimes create a feeling of oppression, and students can feel the

weight on their shoulders. If they push through, they’ll find that their life is better and filled with amazing experiences.

Braxton is a successful student who knows that he’ll get better results from his school experiences if he works hard.

Comfort zones are for the uncomfortable -- break free

By Felicia Cervantez AS SCARY as it can be to come out of your comfort zone, it is something that can help you improve who you are.

We all have dreams, aspirations, but for some reason most of us have difficulties taking that leap of faith to do something about it, to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.

But when you take the time for yourself to go and conquer those goals, there comes this feeling of not only accomplishment, but also of liberation.

There are times also in your life where you need to take the time to figure out who you are and focus on you. There might not be a better way to figure out who you are than by figuring out what scares you, and conquering those fears.

Get into your uncomfortable zone, and you’ll find that there’s a lot about yourself you’ve never known.

We all have our fears. Some are larger than others, but all are significant to us.

“My biggest fear is making the right decisions for the future to obtain the things I need for the life I want to live.” David Tyler Young (11) said. “No, I’m not at all afraid of others’ judgments. I don’t care what other people think of me at all. I do what I want, and others can suck it up.”

He also believes that when you leave your comfort zone it makes you better, “When you get out of your comfort zone, you can find out amazing things about yourself and you start caring for yourself.

If those around you accept you, you know that those are your true friends.”

Young gave great reasons why getting out of your comfort zones is for your own benefit.

Of course there are those who are also have their troubles getting out of their comfort zones,

like Tyra Perkes (10). “Yes it is hard for me to come out of my comfort zone. And part of the reason is because I feel like others will judge me to harshly for who I am,” she said.

However, she is willing to try new things and put herself out there, “I like trying new things, depending on what it is, I like meeting and talking to new peo-

“Once someone gets comfortable with a situation, then they’re scared to leave that zone, because people might not accept them,” he said. *** Now you’re probably wondering what my point is.

I agree that people get too comfortable in their situations and don’t want to change due to the

what matters.

When I decided that it was time for me to make changes in my life, a lot of the changes I wanted to make dealt with me getting out of my comfort zone, and I was willing to do it because I wanted to try new things.

At first it was simple things like, trying a new class that challenged me, then it became talking to a

David Young is ready to break free from his comfort zone and take a chance on the unexpected.

ple.”

There are many like Perkes who are scared of getting out of their comfort zones because of what others might think of them.

“I believe that confidence has something to do with coming out of your comfort zone, I think if you’re confident, you can come out of your shell. I think it mostly comes down to desire. You have to want to socialize, you have to be willing to come out of your comfort zone,” Parker Hughes (11) said.

fear of judgment by others.

The first step to getting over that fear is to start small and do things that you’re willing to do without caring about the judgment of others. Just put yourself in an uncomfortable position, because I know when I’ve done it, like when I tell people how I really feel about something, it was uncomfortable.

In the end, it was worth it because I learned things about myself I’ve never known, and ultimately I was happy and that’s

group I once never saw myself associating with.

Then I decided to change my appearance to something that made me finally feel like I looked like myself, like the ‘me’ I knew I wanted to see. I wasn’t hiding behind my clothes or hair, but I did something new that I never saw myself doing, and others never saw me doing either.

And the cool thing is that everything I decided to do and the things I’m still working on are helping with the one big goal I set

for myself: conquering the fear that comes from vulnerability.

The things I choose to do help me overcome this fear, and I know that it will take me a long time, but it will be worth it. Ultimately I will become the most open, vulnerable person I can be – someone who wouldn’t be afraid to let anyone in.

My point is that this life is full of mysteries and full of fun adventures, and if you’re not willing to take that leap of faith to try a new haircut or do a simple thing like wearing that daring dress you bought and swore you’d wear someday.

If you’re not willing to try new things, then you’re not going to move forward. If it weren’t for me trying these new things like getting a new haircut or meeting new people, I wouldn’t have created all these amazing memories I now have.

So do it. Change your life. Go out there and talk to that boy or girl you’ve always wanted to talk to, see a new band, get a different haircut, talk to a stranger, tell that one person how you feel.

In the long run it will be worth it, because you’ll know you took the chance to do something you never expected to do, and it will make a difference in your life.

In the future, you’ll think back to that time you asked someone you hardly knew to a dance, or sang a song you loved in front of a crowd, or wrote exactly what you thought for the whole school to read.

It’s uncomfortable at first, but it’s better than wondering what could have happened if you’d only taken a risk.

By no means am I completely out of my shell, but it’s progress for me. It could be progress for you, too. Dare to see your life through crazy, unexpected, and adventurous experiences.

April 2015, page 6, Sports

VOL. LVII Issue 7

Soccer boys praise their coach as they strive for playoff slot

By Quetzii Hernandez AS A TEAM, the players need to make sure they play their roles and are expected to always try their hardest. In soccer, the players need to trust every single player on the team. Trust is necessary in the field because the players need to trust each other to pass the ball.

“I’ve been playing soccer since second grade,” Trevor Cobb (12) said.

He has made the team four years in row. Cobb likes soccer because it’s a team sport and it’s played as a team. As a defender, he has to stop the opponents from scoring in Granger’s goal if his other

teammates have failed to do so.

He also has to communicate with the team.

“I like the feeling of scoring goals,” Uriel Herrida (12) said.

Scoring is always a stress reliever. If the team is losing, a goal can definitely help. If the team is winning, it boosts their self-esteem.

Herrida plays attacking midfield. His job is to play both offense and defense, but play more towards the defensive position and still play a small amount of offense. He can go up with the other middies, but he hangs back a little, too. He anticipates where and when the ball will come to his side of the field, and he plays

defense.

Herrida played soccer since he was four years old. He has played for Granger since freshman year.

Tryouts haven’t been easy, but he still manages to capture Coach Okeson’s attention. Tryouts haven’t changed much, but it just has been more intense.

When he tried out, he felt confident he was going to make the team.

“I think Opie is a good coach because he motives us and pushes us to our limits,” Herrida said.

And he’s not the only player who appreciates Granger’s soccer coach.

“Opie is a great coach. He

knows what he has and makes the best of it. Opie has provided skills on and off the field. He’s helping me get through high school,” Brandon Blanco (12) said.

Soccer is a really competitive game and that’s what Blanco likes about soccer. He has played since his freshman year for Granger and started playing varsity when he tried out his sophomore year as an outside midfield.

“As an outside midfielder, I have to make sure the opposite team doesn’t past. I need to give Uriel the ball,” Blanco said.

Coach “Opie” Okeson makes sure that everybody in the team feels comfortable with each oth-

er. He’s been coaching girls for eight years and boys for eleven.

When he started coaching girls soccer again last year, he lead the team to play-offs for the first time in six years.

“It was nice to accomplish that goal,” Okeson said. He led the previous boys team to play-offs for the first time in four years.

And his plan for this season isn’t much different from previous seasons. He plans on taking the team to playoffs once again, and he’ll make it happen by having more intense practices.

“I’ll set higher goals. My team is exciting to watch,” Okeson said.

The first ever hip-hop show for Granger’s Dance Company

By Krista LeFevre FRIDAY the 13th was the senior night for the boy’s basketball team. It was also the first hip- hop show that Granger High’s Dance Company ever performed in.

“Dance Co.’s first half-time was well choreographed,” Briana Lefler (9) said. She was proud to show her support for them. She thought that it was very good for being their first hip-hop show

said. He saw the team better as one, rather than many people separately.

Many saw the first performance as a good one. However, they still saw it as a performance that still needed work.

“It kind of went well. It was boring. There was no energy, I felt like they were over thinking,” said Holloway-Brown. He was hoping it was better. Not terrible but not as good as it could have been.

“It was OK. They could have been better,” Vanessa Holt (10) said. She was hoping for more from the team. She wished she could have seen something great, not just good.

Other Lancers were impressed.

“It was very good. It drew me in and captured my attention,” Mason Maughan (10) said. He was glad to see such hard work and dedication from the Dance Company.

For it being the first hip-hop show for Dance Company, it was an overall success. It looked like they had fun. It was a blast for the audience.

This show was what determined whether they would watch again or not. This was the game changer

for Dance Company, and everyone had something to say.

“Yeah. They are entertaining and just something I would like to watch again,” Marcelle LeFevre (9) said. She thought that they did a great job dancing. It was a fun time for her and her friends. She said she would definitely watch again.

“Yes. It gave me good vibes,” Luis Celis (10) said. He said he would tune in again to watch another round. It was just what he was hoping for.

While he liked the performance, Maughan isn’t ready for more half-time shows. “I would only watch it again if it was to support the people I know,” Maughan said. He was not the biggest fan of this performance, but he did not all together hate it.

“Yes. Some of the dances are interesting and I like to judge the techniques,” Holt said. She likes to learn from the dance teams how to grow and explore what she does not already know.

The first ever hip-hop performance was an amazing night. It was loads of fun. Plus it also impressed many of the basketball fans.

tinue on his dream to college after self, it stabilizes my mind, and it about two years now. I love track high school. conditions me to help stay fit. My because of the bond everyone has “The events I do are long jump, goal for this year’s season is to go together, and we’re all just best high jump, hurdles, 100 meter, to state,” Tukumoeatu said. friends. For this year’s season, and 200 meter. I’ve been doing Farrah Call (12) is determined we will place in state finals,” Call track for about two years. I love to place in the state finals this sea- said. track because Sydney Bell you get to meet (10) is one of the new people youngest girls whenever we on the team, but go out to meets. her determination My goal for on taking region this year’s seachampionship, son is to get a as well as state, scholarship for knows that one track, and go on can stop her. to state,” Ngor “The events I said. do are all of the Suli Tukusprinting events moeatu (12) is and hurdles. This a hard, dedicated is my third year fitness student doing track. I love who has been track because of doing track to the passion evhelp him stay in eryone has for it shape for footand the competiball. tiveness in the Sydney Bell is one of the youngest girls on the track team.

“The events events. This year I do are 100 meter, 200 meter, son, and that means no if’s, and’s, I plan for us to go to state and take 4 x 400 meter relay, and javelin or but’s. region,” Bell said. throw. I have been doing track Daniel Martinez (12) plans “The events I do are hurdles, all for about two years. I like track the sprinting events, and javelin on leaving his senior year with because it helps me improve my- throw. I have been doing track for a great impression on himself as

well as Granger High School.

“The events I do are the 400 meter, 200 meter, and 100 meter.

This year I plan to get better than last year and make it to state. I have been doing track since ninth grade, so four years. I like track because how fun it is and all the new people you meet, not only at this school, but other schools as well and how competitive it gets,” Martinez said.

Being her first year doing competition meets, Ma Deni Arns (12) is extremely excited to give it her all for her first and last season.

“The events I do are the twomile and one-mile. This year I plan on making a new record for myself and to attend invitational.

I have been doing track for two years, but this is my first season competing. I like track because you just get the best feeling after running, like you feel weightlessness. It’s the best thing ever,” Arns said.

After the many long and hard hours of training, conditioning, and practices, it is all worth it for the Granger Lancer’s track and field team.

ever.

There were tons of people there to support the dancers, and they had fun.

“It was pretty good. Them outfits were on point,” David Hamilton (11) said. He thought the outfits with the song worked very nicely.

It caught people’s attention. Got them excited. It also brought attention to the dancers individu-

Dance Company gets into the groove.

ally.

“I think they did well individually, but they need to work on as a whole,” Hamilton said. The overall dance was not what was expected, but he could feel the hard work from the team.

Others saw the dance in a different view.

“Some were better than others, but they work well as a team,” Jayde Holloway-Brown (10)

Track and field athletes participate in diverse events

By Nebras Alhamdani GRANGER High School’s track and field stars are training harder than ever to achieve their one main goal this year: state championships.

Many of Granger High School track and field team members have been training for more than a year to be where they are today, just like Shantel Martinez (12).

After being injured during her junior year of soccer and track and field, she is back in action and is extremely motivated to make her comeback.

“I do hurdles, javelin throw, relay 4 x 1 and medley. I have been doing track since the seventh grade in junior high, at Valley, so about six years now. This year, I plan to recover from my injuries last year and get better in my events. I tore my calf, tibias, and pulled my hamstring.

I like track because it’s very diverse and it’s an individual sport, so all I have to really worry about is myself and not others bringing me down,” Martinez said.

Thiap Ngor (12) has been training for his one goal this season: to get a scholarship for track to con-

April 2015, page 7, Academics

VOL. LVII Issue 7

Granger High death toll reaches thirty-two and counting Letter from Mr. Scott Lewis GRANGER High’s new building might look like paradise from the outside with its décor, lighting and design but something hidden within its bowels has proven deadly.

The water, yes, the water supply is toxic!

In the two years since the new building has been finished 32 occupants lay silent and the body count continues to climb.

According to Mr. Lewis it is all about the water. He has taken several water quality samples to a lab here in West Valley City.

Each sample tested positive to extremely high levels of metallic compounds as well as toxic levels of acid.

The pH level is off the scale!

Copper and lead concentrations might be high enough to successfully mine according to Kennecott’s standards.

I have purchased a 4-stage canister filter, power heads, under gravel and UV filtration systems, and although the mortality rate has dropped, one species survival rate is still zero.

Where the proof? My tropical fish are the proof. In the first year, the death toll was at approximately 50%. The smaller the species, the higher the death rate. Smaller organisms on average are more affected by toxins in the environment.

A historical example is the canary, a small bird that miners would take into the mines as a poison gas detector. If the atmo-

sphere in the mine became toxic the bird would die before any humans died. That way the miners would know to evacuate the mine.

The same principle applies to small tropical fish. The moderate toxin levels of tap water can be chemically treated to allow the fish to survive. But Granger High School’s toxicity levels are too high to treat for tropical fish.

The reason is simple. All new homes and buildings have new plumbing. The pipes, made of copper, are cut to length and soldered together. The solder is made of lead and tin. An acid flux is used to etch, clean, the copper to allow the solder to bind the cooper together.

The result is extremely high

levels of metal, copper, lead and tin. Along with this is a toxic level of acid from the flux. New pipes need to be flushed for long periods of time to clean out these impurities.

As filtration systems were implemented the in the aquariums, the survival rate reached 90%. But still one species still can’t survive at all. It is the Plecostumus, an algae eater. It is considered one of the most hearty of fish.

Plecostumus is a bottom feeder that can live in some of the poorest quality water. Its job is to clean the algae and scum off the glass and rocks in the aquarium.

Twenty-two algae eaters have died in the line of duty. Not one has survived.

The Plecostumus mortality rate

is 100% at Granger High. How could the water kill these bottom feeders? The toxins and metals in the water are concentrated in the algae as it filters the water. When the algae eater consumes the slime in the aquarium, it is overdosing on these toxins.

Until hearty algae eaters can survive in Granger High School’s tap water, it is certainly not suitable for most tropical fish without extensive filtration and chemical treatment.

The metal and acidity levels of Granger High School’s water are still toxic to small tropical fish.

But according to Granger Hunter water district, the water quality still falls within the EPA levels of potable water for humans. Or does it?

GSD CTE awards ceremony held at GHS

Mesa and Aubrie enjoyed the sweethearts-themed CTE photo contest.

Reading skills crucial to success

By Alisha Chief READING isn’t the best thing to do, especially if you don’t enjoy reading or you can’t read fast but most people can learn to read easily and quickly.

“Yes, of course I read. I’m reading a few books like ‘Gone With The Wind’ and ‘In The Time Of Butterflies’. That year I read 35 books. Usually every year I read about at least 30 or more. Reading is the most important thing because your whole life, you’re going to read. If you read a book you like, you will learn more and end up reading the whole thing.

If you were to read a book you have to read and don’t like it, you won’t pay attention,” Mr. Johansson, an English teacher, said.

Reading is a fundamental skill in today’s society. Not being able to read can make it really hard to feel comfortable in society.

Fifty percent of the students at Granger read at an elementary level. Reading out loud improves better comprehension, language and expressions.

It’s also a vital skill in finding a job. Almost every job that pays well actually requires reading as a job performance skill. For example, some memos need to be read and responded to.

A person is limited in what they can accomplish without good reading and comprehension skills.

Reading develops the mind. The mind is a muscle and it needs to be exercised. Just understanding written words is one of the ways

the mind grows.

Teaching kids to read helps them develop their language skills. Reading helps children and adults focus on things better.

Reading requires continuous practice, development, and refinement.

Readers use many different reading strategies to help with translating symbols into sounds or visual representations of speech.

It can be from reading books, magazines, and even the Internet that are great learning tools.

Reading is how we discover new things.

Someone who knows how to read can educate themselves in areas of life they are interested in.

Just by reading, a person can come across words that they’ve never seen and can learn what the word means in the sentence it is used in. Another option is to look up the word and learn more about it whether they will be familiar with that word if they come across it again.

Reading develops the imagination. With this skill, a person can go anywhere in the world or even out of it. They can be a king, a princess, or an adventurer, etc.

However, known readers never experience it. Reading develops the creative side of people.

Reading is important because words are spoken and written.

They are the building blocks of life. It’s a language of communication and sharing information and ideas.

By Amy Alcantara THIS YEAR Granger High hosted the Granite District CTE Awards.

It was there to acknowledge the great work the Granite District students have made this year. The categories included photography, auto, graphics, advertising, welding, and woodshop.

Eight Lancers got an award for their hard work this year.

The schools that competed and got an award were Olympus, Skyline, Hunter, and Granger. In the auto category, Cottonwood’s boys got first place.

“I’ve been in auto for two and a half years. The reason I love it so much is because I get a better knowledge on cars, and it helps me get college and career ready,” Austin McCutchan from Cottonwood said.

In the auto category, Cottonwood got first place, Skyline got second, and last but certainly not least, Olympus got third. Olym-

pus students Hayden Howard and Nicholas Crosland have been in auto for three years.

“We came out here to compete and hopefully win,” Crosland said.

Granger Lancer Jesus Martinez (12) got third place in automotive refinishing.

In photography, Granger High was the only Granite District school to enter in the competition. The theme was high school sweethearts and their task was to portray that in a picture. Jessica Huynh (12) got first place.

“I personally don’t believe in high school sweethearts, but it felt good to get first place. I didn’t take the picture to win, I took the picture because I like photography,” Huynh said.

Mesa Fullmer (9) took second place.

“I felt accomplished and proud of myself. Next year I will enter the competition again so I

can compete at the next level,” Fullmer said.

Aubrie Bohman (11) got third place in the photography category.

“It was cool to win; I didn’t think I would. I just took the picture for fun,” Bohman said.

One Lancer had to prepare a great deal for this competition.

Tyson Isom (12) got first place in welding. “It felt like a big relief for all the preparation I put in it,” he said.

Graphics and advertising design were also categories in the CTE competition. James Mordue (12) got second place in advertising design. Hunter student Kyle Nadauld took first place in graphic communication.

In woodshop, Granger Lancer Drake Trane (12) took first place.

He also was the only Lancer who placed in that category.

“It was surprising to win,” Trane said.

Lancer alumni return as Granger teachers

By Angel G. Figueroa GRANGER High School has seen many students come and go, but some of these students come back. Some of these students have become some of our teachers and administrators, and they came back to help the Granger community.

They came back to Granger because of what they’ve experienced in their high school years.

Mr. Hopkins went to Granger in the early ‘70s. “Yeah, I went to Granger, and my experience with going there was both good and bad for me,” he said.

When Mr. Hopkins was in high school, things where very different than they are now.

“When I was here, it’s not what you see today. There was not a lot mixed people. There was a lot of racial tension back then,” he said.

Before he came to high school Mr. Hopkins heard some rumors about it.

“Junior High students going to a high school, you start hearing rumors about it. What I found out is that it’s not true. The bad rumors are just a small couple of people and that’s about it,” he said.

As he graduated and went to college, he found an opening and he took the job.

“Well, I wanted to work here and I saw the opportunity and I

didn’t hesitate and got the job.

First as a teacher and then as administration, but I came here to make a difference for the students of Granger,” he said.

Ms. Funk also came to Granger about 12 years ago and she’s liking the school ever since. “I started high school in 2003, and I didn’t really expect much, but I guess it was bigger,” she said.

When Ms. Rappleye, a math teacher, came here as a student, she joined many student activities. “I did a ton of school sports like soccer, track, and cross country as well as some clubs like Key Club, the honor society and I was the pianist for the Madrigals,” she said.

“My thoughts about my years here are that it was fun over all,” she said. As her last year began, Ms. Rappleye didn’t mess around.

“My last year, I didn’t just want to hang out, so I worked hard all year and prepared for college,” she said.

Another math teacher that came back is Ms. Peterson and she was expecting many things about the school. “When I started school here that was around 1992-1993; that was about 23 years ago,” she said.

“To come from a small school like Valley Junior High, you ex-

pect it to be hard, big and a bit scary and plus lot of my friends moved to Taylorsville High,” she said.

Being here she made a mark on the chess club. “ I was the chess champion back in the day. I beat everybody in the class. We made a chess club, but I wasn’t popular so they didn’t make me president, although they made me vice-president,” she said.

When she was going to school she met some teaches that still work here. “The cool thing is that some of the people that I work with were my teachers, like Mr. Clawson and Mr. Van Tassell,” she said.

Ms. Peterson was also in the Argo club. “It was fun. We got to experience different or new cultural events,” she said.

In her last year of school, like Ms. Rappleye, she didn’t mess around. “I took tough classes my last year, plus I had a part-time job. I was really busy, but it made my first year in college super easy,” she said.

Ms. Peterson actually had another career before working here but she got an interview from Granger to work here. “I was excited to come and work here, and oddly enough when I came back to the old building it smelled the same way as when I left it.”

VOL. LVII Issue 7

April 2015, page 8, Entertainment

Movie Reviews: Fast and Furious 7, Ex Machina, and more Reviews by Danny Hernandez FELLOW Lancers, if you’re looking for some new great movies to watch then April is going to be your month to go to the movie theater.

This months movie reviews feature movies filled with action, adventures, thrillers and some romance, from high-speed chases, to lovey-dovey stories, to movies that will leave you on the edge of your seat waiting for what comes next.

On Friday, April 3rd, the longawaited Fast and Furious 7 will be released in theaters. This movie, if you didn’t know, is all about cars, cars and more cars that all

our beloved characters know and love almost more than family.

Welcome the seventh addition to the fast and furious movie franchise. In this addition to the series, events and actions from previous movies come back to bite them in the butt.

But like the fearless family they are, they fight back even if it takes them halfway around the world and back. This is definitely a must-see movie, so make sure not to miss it.

Also on Friday, April 3rd, The Last Knight, a movie that takes you back in time to the days of kings and queens.

This movie follows a knight

who is out looking to avenge his master by stirring up a rebellion and staging a coup in order to overthrow the corrupt empire that has been oppressing the people, and with a lot of sword fighting and fast moving scenes this movie is going to be good.

On Friday, April 10th, Ex Machina. When a lucky programmer working at an Internet search corporation gets chosen to be a houseguest of one of the smartest persons in the world and spend time with him.

But when his house turns out to be more then just his home, Caleb, the contest winner is used to interact with a robot with artifi-

cial intelligence.

This experiment starts out with a pretty simple test drive, and then it takes a drastic turn for the worse when trust and loyalty become scarce among themselves.

Also on Friday, April 10th, The Longest Ride opens in theaters.

A story about a young couple and an old couple and how their two similar love experiences help each other and what the great and endless possibilities are of enduring love.

In this movie a young art major and professional bull rider fall for each other, but when previous injuries keep the bull rider from riding while his family ranch needs

saving, putting his life in danger just might keep him from the love of his life.

On Friday, April 17th, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 opens; it’s a sequel to Paul Blart Mall Cop. This comedy will keep the people in the theater laughing throughout the whole movie.

This movie is a sequel, and as such it can make or break the series. But it does seem to hold some promise.

Like the first movie, Paul Blart is pinned against the wall with an almost impossible task, especially for a simple mall cop. But with the help of some friends, anything is possible.

Top five YouTube channels to watch Opinion by Antonio Loredo THESE crazy, radical, yoked, A+ yummer YouTubers are so good that they’ll make you question your YouTube channel choices.

What’s something you watch on YouTube? Is it a cooking tutorial, a gaming channel? Well these YouTube channels are exactly the same, except they are on steroids.

This list is a short one so I will try to have a broad spectrum in my top five picks. First up on the list is ‘Vsauce’ definitely a must see for the scientific community and strangely curious. His videos are on topics such as “Why Are Things Creepy?” “What Is Cool?” and his series of DONGs (things to Do Online Now Guys).

His show has a unique style of intros and topic discussions that really make you think and blow your mind. It’s something that would definitely rekindle your childlike curiosity. He will talk about a certain topic, but you

would learn a lot more facts related to that topic.

Number two on the list is ‘Epic Meal Time,’ which is an over-exaggeration of food hence “epic.”

They teach you how to cook crazy and delicious amounts of foods it is a ridiculous but hilarious take on cooking shows.

Not only is it just the making of huge portions but they also have a smaller version for the less adventurous but tasteful cook called ‘Handle It.’ Number three is an amazingly cool drawing channel called ‘Peter Draws’ that teaches you how to draw intricate and crazy things.

It is helpful and is a great way to connect to your inner Picasso.

Even if you do not draw, I still recommend checking it out just to see the amazing designs he does himself.

Number four is one of the greatest “top ten lists” producing YouTube channels. They make lists

for anything you really can think of “Top Ten Overlooked Video Games”, “Top Ten Greatest Novels of All Time”, and “Top Ten Worst Horror Movie Remakes”.

They definitely separate themselves from the normal YouTube channel their presentation is good and make very strong cases on their top tens. If you don’t agree with them, it’s OK, they still leave the decision up you.

Last but not least ‘College Humor’ -- don’t be mislead by the title; it has nothing to do with college. It is more of an adult-type humor channel with witty jokes with a childish twist.

Which makes it great for us. It is definitely a very funny channel that will keep you laughing forever. They have parodies and spoofs of movies or in-the-know videos.

Again, definitely something you should check out.

Each one of these has amazing videos that need to be seen.

Want a yearbook? Buy a 2015 Granger High School yearbook online at:

jostensyearbooks.com Ask Mr. Carlisle in J102 if you have questions.

Adulfo Bernabe (11) looking at what these YouTube channels have to offer.

Spring break plans

By Pedro Vargas A LOT OF Granger students are very excited for this upcoming spring break. Some will spend time with the family or some will spend it with friends. “Can’t wait for spring break; it feels good to have a week off school and relax.

I hope it’s during good weather because I planned to go to the lake and kick it with some peeps,” Diego Zamora (11) said.

It’s always a good time hanging out with some good friends.

“Usually during spring break, my family and I go visit my grandma in Las Vegas and hang out with my family over there. I always spend a good time with my cousins over there. It’s the best,” Raul Rodriguez (11) said.

Family is important, and it’s good to spend time with them instead of being just with friends.

“Honestly I can’t wait for spring break I have so many plans with my friends and my girlfriend. I just hope there is good weather.

Just can’t wait to have a break from school. I need time to lean back and chill,” Javier Ochoa (11) said.

“The only thing I’m looking forward to about spring break is sleeping all day. I need a break from school, and a week is good enough. I’ll just play some video games and maybe go out a couple of times, but mainly stay in and chill,” Joseph Gutierrez (11) said.

“What I do on spring break is I go to Los Angeles and go to Venus Beach with my family.

It’s a lot of fun going there, and we just go cruise with my family and my cousins. I always have a good time with them no matter what. I just can’t wait for spring break I’m too excited,” Gustavo Zamora (12) said.

“In spring break, I only think about the lake and getting a nice tan. And playing soccer with my dad’s soccer team. I can’t wait for spring break. I really get to spend time with my dad and sleep in, too. I don’t have to worry about school and waking up early,” Jose Lazalde (11) said.

Most students just want to forget about school and go out and have fun with their friends and family but some students think quite different for their plans on spring break.

“Spring break is really not a big deal for me. The only thing good about it is not going to school and sleeping in, but I’m just focused on one thing and one thing only, and that is soccer,” Uriel Heredia (12) said. “I need to keep myself fit and focused for the Granger soccer team and its upcoming season games, because I try my hardest on the field. It means a lot to me, and it keeps me happy. I’d just rather be focused on soccer for now and how to get better. All the fun and other things can definitely wait until summer.”