Granger high school
Tri-Color Times An open forum for student opinion and expression
TRICOLORTIMES.COM
November 2016 LIX-III
Surprise assembly features Utah Jazz, dunk team, and Bear By Gabriela Thompson IN THE hallways and classrooms of Granger High School, ideas were stirring about the surprise assembly that would be taking place on Friday, September 30. The teachers told the students when it was, but not what it was about, for they themselves had no idea. “I heard that it was going to be a motivational assembly, like someone was going to come and talk to us,” Damion Robertson (11) said. However, Granger students received an even better surprise than a motivational speaker. As the students walked into the gymnasium, what greeted them was the Utah’s own Jazz Dunk team. The dunk team began jumping on little trampolines, while attempting intricate moves to dunk on Granger High School’s hoops. When the spirit started to wane,
the Jazz’s own mascot “Bear” pumped Granger students up by spraying silly string and starting chants. Some students thought the surprise was simply the dunk team performing, but the day wasn’t done with surprises for Granger High School. After the dunk team’s mind blowing performance, the actual Jazz team walked onto the court surprising all of the student body. “It was really awesome. It was cool to see that an NBA team would come to our school and play a scrimmage. Just coming to Granger was enough,” Cole Olsen (12) said. With the wan of welcoming cries from Granger Lancers, students were asked to stand if they were or used to be a Junior Jazz player. As a handful of students stood, and two were selected to be honorary Junior Jazz coaches. These two kids were Ian Alexan-
der (10) and Kate Tanner (12), who received some Jazz gear and a seat on the bench with the players. Soon after, the Jazz team conducted the highly anticipated scrimmage, dividing up into a blue team and white team. The game was divided into four quarters, each eight minutes long. With the players sweating up the court, news anchors and photographers were recording students’ reactions. Some students, including Olsen, Mitch Lindsey (12), and Peyton Lindsey (10) were interviewed by KUTV. At half-time, Granger students began the wave to boost both theirs and the team’s spirit. During the halftime, Jazz items such as china dolls and t-shirts were given out to students in the crowd. As the halftime period ended, players began getting hyped up to continue their scrim-
mage. At the end of the game, the blue team defeated the white team with a close score of 42-38. Although the Jazz’s visit was coming to a close, the team had one more surprise for Granger High. The team and a selective group of students stood in the middle of the gymnasium holding a basketball signed by all the Jazz and a $1,000 check. Gratitude and shock filled the over-packed gymnasium. “My reaction was like ‘Wow these people are at my school’....it makes me think that this doesn’t happen often, like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity... the money and the game,” Morgan Varney (11) said. Another student felt the same way. “It was nice of the Jazz to care for the community. This experience will be memorable, some of my friends are jealous,” Lindsey said.
As the Jazz departed, the media was welcoming to the players when interviewing them. When asked about coming to Granger, Dante Exum said, “They said keep it a secret all week and that’s what we did. I never been to a high school out here, it was a cool experience. It fit my vision of an American high school.” In the midst of the secret keeping, Dr. Dunn was the head of it. “They called me three weeks ago asking to play here. About a couple weeks ago they came and checked out the gym and we coordinated it to make it happen. I was amazed it was kept such a secret…it was a temptation to tell, but I wanted it to be special for the students,” he said. At the end of the day, Granger High felt connected and honored to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to the NBA and Utah Jazz.
Students, staff, reporters, and athletes filled the gym for a surprise assembly that included the Jazz Bear, the dunk team, and a blue vs. white Utah Jazz scrimmage -- and a $1000 check for Granger!
Students look to recruiters for inspiration about college selection By Ramon Martinez III COLLEGE day ended on September 27; however, for seniors thinking of their future careers, it was just the beginning. It was a wake-up call that told students that after high school there is still more school that could help them go into getting better jobs. This would also lead up to colleges that will help them with their career goals. College presenters were not the only ones giving out info for students’ futures because there were also counselors giving out information on other colleges that couldn’t attend college day. College is still the word around
school, and it is not going to fade throughout the school year. In fact, it’s not even the Granger High staff, it is the students who are going to the counselors and asking them for information that will help them go to the right college. “There was a positive increase of students who wanted information,” Ms. Takashima said. The information was mainly on scholarships or what colleges had the program that the interested students wanted. Saying that having college day improves how many students go to college is highly possible, but it is those who know who want to go college and apply
are the ones to go to college earlier and raise those statistics. Some students took it as an understanding that this might be important to their future, and they took it that way, students such as Anthony Rivas (12). He spoke about how college day influenced him in the present and the future. “It pushed me to do better and reach my potential and make it rise, Rivas said. He also learned that college is an important factor for getting a higher rating on landing a job than rather applying without college experience. Rivas also included his info on thoughts of a college he would
be willing to commit more to and he shared that he did not commit more than he now to Granger High School. Many students are falling into the senioritis stage early so they go to imaginary land to forget that they can’t go on to college without getting a high school diploma. More with thoughts on college day, it was a bummer that students couldn’t go to other college lectures rather than just the three colleges they picked -- there were so many options that this could have been for juniors, too. That thought does not sound as bad, but anything below is unnecessary to other grades to be
involved in college day “Juniors should be involved to this event to give them a head start to know what is coming and pick a different college from last year,” Rivas said. Some colleges were picked to do this on the same day with seniors so the juniors should do it a different day and maybe in smaller groups, because it wouldn’t hurt if they could not go to a college that year they can go the lecture next year when they are seniors and less groups means less noise and disruption to the presenters of the college. Granger High will make difficult decisions this fall.
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Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
November 2016, page 2
Cheerleaders strive to defeat common stereotypes Opinion by Kiana Dalpiaz BEING a part of any sports team is always fun and interesting. When you are involved in sports or clubs, it allows you to have a better high school experience. The reason for that is because you are more involved, which allows you to meet new people. Another reason is that if you are struggling with becoming more outgoing you have a better chance of breaking out of your shell. I have been cheering since I was seven years old, and I have always enjoyed it. Although I had been in all-star for a while, transitioning into high school was a completely new and different experience. For me of course, I ar-
gue cheer is a sport because we can work just as hard as any sport. We can get injuries like any other sports team. All of the injuries that I have had in my life were because of cheer. I have broken my left arm, sprained my right arm, broken my finger, and the worst injury was getting a concussion. After I got my concussion I felt like I had completely different thoughts toward things, and I was not the same person as before the concussion. Now moving on to stereotypes, high school cheer is nothing like the movies. First off not all cheerleaders are blonde and perky. We all have different personalities that make us way different from
each other, but I think that it is a good thing: to have a group of people that are all diverse. Another stereotype is that all cheerleaders are snobs. This is completely false. You cannot automatically assume that cheerleaders are rude, especially if you do not know them personally. We are all humans that have emotions and feelings. Obviously we are not happy all the time, just like anybody else. One big stereotype as well is that cheerleaders are not smart, which is not the case at all. In order to stay on the team, we have to keep our grades up which makes us all try harder in classes and influences us to do better. These are
just a few of the stereotypes that cheerleaders deal with, especially high school cheerleaders. Overall, we work just as hard as any other student who wants to try for good grades especially for sports. Injuries do happen in cheer even though you might think, ‘The worst thing they can do is break a nail.’ That is obviously not always the case. High school cheer is nothing like movies and you should never expect it to be. Cheer has always been torn between “cheer is a sport” and “cheer is not a sport”. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and are allowed to think however they want. High school cheer
is not like the movies and you should never expect it to be. You probably won’t see any characteristics like this in any cheerleaders anyway. Never judge a person before you get to know them, cheerleaders work just as hard as any other athlete. Allowing people to judge you with these stereotypes should never be an answer. To all the cheerleaders: defend yourself and do not allow people to put you in these groups of stereotypes. And to everyone else, there are lots of teams and sports and clubs at Granger, and they’re all worth a look if you’re interested in joining. The students you meet just might surprise you.
For a spooky treat: Interview with the Vampire By April Hendriksen INTERVIEW with the Vampire by Anne Rice is a haunting tale of a vampire who was once an ordinary man. Beautifully written, the novel tells the tale of young Louis as he journeys through the highs and lows of his decisions through life and death. Anne Rice tells of his heartbreak and loss, as well as his friends and enemies. He begins his journey as an ordinary man living in New Orleans during the times of the French Colonies, who is tormented by loss and the taste of liquor, when he is attacked by a mysterious vampire named Lestat. While Louis is lying ill and wishing to die in bed, Lestat comes back to make Louis into a fellow vampire. Throughout the novel, he struggles to know the truth of why his kind exists, what his purpose is, and where he should go next. He explores the questions of God, superiority, and love. The themes in this novel are not adult, however there are a few moments
where the author hints heavily at sex and sexuality. Along the way, Louis becomes acquainted with others like him, but not all have his same opinions, wants, and needs, and he finds himself being tugged from one corner of the world to the next, all the while wondering what will be next for him. Some questions are answered clearly, some are vague, and some are never answered. Readers find themselves engrossed in this novel, stolen away by the search for answers and the need for the next adventure. Anne Rice is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and has published 40 books in her time as a writer. Her intense background with death, religion, and philosophy make the experiences with Louis that much more real and heart-wrenching. Throughout this novel readers, are taught lessons like ‘no one has all the answers’ and ‘the past will always come back to affect you.’ The novel is written in a clear manner, in a way that makes it
easy for the reader to understand. However, it also creates a poetic lullaby that lulls readers into a trance and prevents them from closing the covers until the end. The plot of the story leads readers from twist to twist to twist as the characters begin to make decisions that become continually more brash and hurried. Each decision’s consequences are cataclysmic and bring to light a new question in need of yet another answer. Students who are interested in philosophy, vampire lore, and/ or mystery novels would deeply enjoy this alluring work of literature. Interview with the Vampire is filled with old legends, deep questions, and tricky puzzles that need more pieces. Reading it is like being in a dream where one foot is in the world, but the other is outside of the world, planted in the unknown. If you enjoyed reading The Lord of the Rings, ‘Salem’s Lot, or The Unicorn Chronicles, then Interview with the Vampire is a book you’ll surely enjoy.
Prepare for the sound of Tesseract Review by Diego Serrato IF YOU really like a band or an artist, and you think their music is good on your headphones, it’s a different feeling when you go to see that band in person. That band for me was Tesseract, and recently I had the chance to go and watch this band live, and give a review on this band and their live performance. Although formed in 2003, this UK band was not signed to a major label but had released a four-song demo in 2007 and later had parts used in their debut album One in 2009 under Century Media. Their style revolves around the progressive metal genre with the lead vocalist Daniel Tompkins it gives you an atmospheric sound and with founding member Acle Kahney (Lead Guitar), Jay Postones (Drums), James Monteith (Rhythm Guitar) and Amos Williams (Bass and Backing Vocals) it all comes together as a createand-destroy sound. They are also considered as one of the pioneers of the djent movement, “with polyrhythmic riffs, odd time signatures, and several atmospheric layers,” as stated on the tesseractband.co.uk website. Djent is a hard-hitting
guitar, palm-muted and distorted. Djent was started as a term that musicians at home dawned upon a band called Meshuggah. Although not a real genre, it identifies a sound specifically produced when palm muting your guitar. To play this type of music, they use a seven- or more string guitar. Djent is an associated play style to Tesseract mainly in their Altered State album (2013) with their hit single on the album the hard hitting riffs of the djent play style, it was launched to the top of the leader boards because it was a new sound. Their main play style, which is identified as the progressive metal genre, is heavy-metal infused with hard rock, also known as technical metal. There are many successful bands in this genre such as Dream Theatre and Tool, both also influence Tesseract’s writing and play style. Although their play style is said to be progressive metal, there are many associated bands who play this genre also such as Periphery and Skyharbor. No one sticks to certain genre restrictions; they all play the music the band likes to play. If a band member doesn’t like the play style, they change it up.
Tesseract is also the first band to play in the Jägermeister Ice Cold Gig in Lapland, Finland. Basically they were the first band to play in a giant igloo; they spent 75 minutes in -4º Fahrenheit weather -- brutally cold, but they went around to local places to announce that they had a show going on in a giant igloo and people wanted to go watch. It would be very exciting to watch a band in the icy cold with all the lights reflecting off the snow, and the sounds tearing through the frozen air surrounded by trees, ice and snow. Getting lost in the music would be too easy, with their energetic play style and head-banging riffs. When listening to Tesseract live, you get chills from the sudden start of playing music and the bright lights that flash with the strum of a guitar or the beat of the drums. The composure of each one of them on the stage is amazing, and it looks like they are each in their own world -- no breaks in their attention -- perfectly played songs every time. Watching them live is definitely an experience to look forward to. Take a look into Tesseract, and surely you wouldn’t be disappointed.
Publik provides a welcome break from standardized, corporate coffee shops.
Publik service announcement Review by Madison McCurdy PUBLIK Coffee Roasters is an industrialized coffee joint in Downtown Salt Lake City. The atmosphere is inviting, relaxing, and calming with an industrial and rustic feel to it. I ordered their famous vanilla latte along with the infamous avocado toast that hipster vegans love. Though the toast was hard and crunchy, it was not what you would expect. The quality of the coffee was amazing and not as expensive as Starbucks or your local Beans and Brews. The pricing of Publik Coffee is in the $3-7 range including all of their coffees, teas and their food. Publik Coffee Roasters had a wide variety of toasts, coffees, teas, and treats. They have anything any coffee lover would like from warm lattes, to iced coffees. All of the food and drink can be ordered to suit anyone’s taste. This coffee shop is very unique from its selection of food to the way they decorate. Publik Coffee is perfect for students who need to get their homework done and need a quiet environment to concentrate. Finding this industrial-style coffee shop can be somewhat difficult for those who aren’t very familiar with the Salt Lake area. Located on 975 South and West Temple, it is right off the I-15 in the blossoming part of town around 900 South. Publik Coffee Roasters is open from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. It’s a great spot to get all of your homework or any other work done, as
well as hanging out with friends. This coffee shop was definitely not built primarily for Publik, this transitioned coffee roaster was at one point named Jensen Production. Though there is no known record of that being built, we are thankful it was built, or Publik might not have the same feel it does now. Built with a second story, and plenty of business and meeting rooms, this place has a large, spacious feel to it. To enter the second floor of this industrialized coffee shop, there is a set of stairs near the north entrance that you take to enter the upper loft. On the second floor, you will find that there is a large opening in the floor, where you can get a better look at what happens down below where you can see people hard at work to make the amazing coffee served at Publik. It is my opinion, that any coffee lover will fall in love with the amazing coffee offered at Publik. The types of people you will find during your stay at Publik are hipsters, business owners, and maybe even a few students. Each person that enters Publik will leave with a smile on his or her face and a warm coffee to energize them throughout their day. The experience I had at Publik Coffee Roasters will be an unforgettable memory, I very strongly suggest that coffee-loving Lancers go check out this hip spot. Bring a friend, your homework, or both. Grab a seat and enjoy the fresh coffee and amazing food that Publik Coffee has to offer.
November 2016, page 3
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
Lancers are thoughtful, empowered, and connected By Amanda MacKay THOUGHTFUL AS THE first quarter hype is winding down, students may not be as motivated to be thoughtful, empowered, or connected as they previously were. But teachers are still handing out G-Cards every day, and therefore, students should still be eager to earn them. There are various different clubs and teams at Granger High, and some are focused primarily on service. Lancers who are passionate about serving the community are considered very thoughtful. There are groups such as Lancer Action Team, Hope Squad, and Latinos in Action within Granger’s walls that are committed to serving the school and the West Valley City community. There appears to be a stigma that teenagers only care about themselves and therefore only spend their free time serving themselves. But, when high school students get involved in service, they break those negative stereotypes. When students show that they care about things within the community, it proves that Lancers are not like other teenagers. Any Lancer can get involved in service whether it’s through a club or on their own time. When Granger students decide to spend their free time serving others, it shines a very positive light on themselves as well as the reputation of Granger High School as a whole. If Lancers show the community that they care, the community will care more about them. It is a very valuable thing for Lancers to know that what they put into their community will be what they get out of it.
EMPOWERED Service can also make Granger students feel very empowered. Lancers who participate in service projects may have opportunities to meet people within the community surrounding Granger High School who are in need. Quite a lot can be learned from serving those people and connecting with them. It can be a very comforting feeling when one has participated in service and knows that they put a smile on someone else’s face because of it. It is very easy to take things for granted until one sees what it is like to have next to nothing first hand. Providing aid and listening to the stories of those people can really change a Lancer’s perspective on their own life. Service can be very empowering because of the change it inspires within individuals. The feeling of knowing that an impact was made because of the service done can be a very comforting and empowering feeling. Students who feel as though they are unimportant or unwanted can have their whole perspective shifted, because service can make one feel very needed and valued. It is very strongly encouraged to put in service hours throughout high school, as high school students are frequently reminded that it “looks good” on college and job applications. Though this may be true, the real benefit of service is the immediate heart-warming feeling that it brings. Empowered Lancers understand the importance of serving the community and how it may affect themselves and well as the people around them.
CONNECTED Joining a club at Granger High School can make Lancers feel more connected to the school, but joining service-oriented clubs has added benefits. In addition to being more connected to the school community, there are opportunities to connect to the West Valley City community as well. Some students may be under the impression that service is difficult to get involved in. Though some service clubs at Granger are more selective, others are much easier to join. To be a part of the Lancer Action team, there is a required application and selections are made at the end of each school year. On the other hand, Hope Squad is a group that will likely accept any new members at any point in the year who are passionate about providing emotional support to Lancers who may need it. There are also multiple opportunities to serve the community outside of a school-sponsored group. It may take a little clicking around, but there are always community groups and organizations looking for teenage volunteers. Students can get involved with the Youth City Council, help at an animal shelter, participate in park clean-ups, or even shovel snow or rake leaves for their neighbors. Any type of service, big or small, is important and enriching. It can make Lancers feel more connected to the community and show that Granger students care. The time Lancers commit to service does not have to be large, but a couple of hours per week can go a very long way and make a difference -- no matter the magnitude.
Students earn the True Lancer title By Amanda MacKay LAST YEAR, the Lancer Action Team brought back a previous Granger tradition called the True Lancer. This year’s Lancer Action Team wanted to carry on the tradition and find new ways to make it even better and more fun than it was before. Granger students were given a list of tasks to complete, each task assigned a different point value. Lancers were asked to do many different tasks and participate in a wide range of different activities. After completing each task, students vying to become a True Lancer were required to get a signature from certain advisors or student leaders as proof that they completed the task. Becoming a True Lancer is no easy feat, but it is not awfully difficult for Lancers who are already sufficiently involved in school activities. Lancer Action Team members wanted the challenge to take place during homecoming week so that it would encourage more Lancers to participate in homecoming related activities. Students could earn points by dressing up for spirit days, go-
ing to the carnival, going to the football game, and going to the dance. The challenge also went on the week following homecoming, challenging students to donate blood or attend the drama club social. Last year, a t-shirt was given to all Lancers who completed the challenge by earning a certain amount of points. This year, LAT wanted to offer more of an incentive and also give out different prizes depending on the amount of points earned. If Lancers earned a minimum of six hundred points, they were awarded four G-Cards. When they reached one-thousand two hundred, they earned a pin along with their G-Cards. Then, when they earned two-thousand fivehundred points, they were officially a “True Lancer” and earned a t-shirt, a pin, and four G-Cards. This way, students were still able to earn prizes for participating, even if they did not earn the title. This year, a lot of Lancers picked up a True Lancer card at lunch or in the main office, but only forty-eight students became True Lancers. A large portion of
those who participated are either involved in Lancer Action Team or student government. Though the amount of students who participated this year was greater than last year, LAT still did not reach their goal of getting more students involved who are not usually involved in school activities. Students who did not earn enough points to become a True Lancer or just did not participate still have a chance. Lancer Action Team will be sponsoring the True Lancer challenge again in the winter and will introduce new elements to it to make it even more fun than it has been before. For the next True Lancer challenge, students may be asked to participate in winter spirit week activities or attend winter sporting events such as basketball, wrestling, and swim. Students should take advantage of this opportunity, though, because even though it will be a second chance, it will be the last chance of the school year. Lancer Action Team members strongly encourage all students to participate in the winter challenge.
Tri-Color Times Staff Editor in Chief Amanda MacKay Managing Editor Skye Rouse Reporters Doris Ah Ching Samantha Barman Ryan Beckstead Dailyn Brinas Lexee Buckner Oswaldo Cabrera Valencia Kayla Carter Kiana Dalpiaz Stephanie Dorantes Britney Evans Ashley Garcia Kristy Garcia Suiry Gregorio Flavianna Hawley April Hendriksen Lupita Hernandez Tina Huskic Katherynne Jaco
Online Editor Hayley Rigby Photo+Social Editor Vanessa Holt Sports Editor Taylor Wolfley Reporters Jonathan Jordan Chuck Manzanares Ramon Martinez III Maria Martinez Madison McCurdy Ana Montelongo Andalynne Moore Jessica Nateras Stephanie Perez Megan Peterson Jasmine Raya Ariana Rojas Mireya Ruiz Anna Sayasith Diego Serrato Gabriela Thompson Arei Turner Alexandra Valdez
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 liability.
Granger High School 3580 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 (385) 646-5320
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
November 2016, page 4
ACT Prep. provides students with test-taking skills By Flavianna Hawley EVERY year, the junior class prepares for and takes the ACT in the spring. The ACT, which is offered nationally six times a year, is an exam used by colleges to determine who will be admitted into the school and who is worthy of various merit-based scholarships. While this may seem daunting to
even the most prepared of students, there are many ways to get ready for the test. One of these is the class known as ACT Preparation. Offered by many high schools throughout the country, including Granger, ACT Prep. gives students the opportunity to study math, reading, English, and science, and partici-
pate in several activities that give them a feel for the exam and show them what to expect. Because the ACT is three hours and forty minutes long, test strategies and stamina are two of the most crucial steps in preparing for the test. In order to improve test taking skills and help students improve their endurance
Ms. Taylor teaches ACT Prep. to many of the juniors who are expected to take that test later this year.
Credit recovery bridges the graduation gap By Katherynne Jaco CREDIT recovery is a class with a high class size of about 40 students for each period. For those who don’t know, credit recovery is a class taught by Mr. Hopkins in E203, upstairs. Credit recovery helps students make up credits, pass classes, and eventually graduate. Credit recovery works with packets in math, English, science, social studies, art, P.E., and computer tech. In this class, Mr. Hopkins gives students packets to work on for the whole class period. He also checks grades and makes sure students are on track and where they’re supposed to be. He says it definitely helps students stay on track and even graduate. Hopkins claims his credit recovery class has helped about thirty or more seniors graduate. This class may be attended by all grades here at Granger High School. There are currently no freshman students in credit recovery, because freshman just arrived and do not have any credits they need to make up. Students are required to do a
pretest. if they receive an 80% or higher, they automatically earn the credit, but if they get under an eighty percent, they have to do the packet and take the posttest. “It’s boring. Especially if you don’t have work to do,” Julian Perez (10) said. He is doing a math and an English packet. He feels this class has helped him keep his grades up as well as earn the required credits for the classes he needs. On a scale from one to five with one being easier and five being harder, Perez says his packet is a five and says it’s really hard. Some students may say the packet is not that hard though. For example, student Nathan Hernandez (11) said the class has helped him graduate by collecting the essential credits and giving him more knowledge than he already had. Hernandez is only doing an English packet and on a scale from one to five he claims his packet to only be a three. He described the class to be quiet and strict. “There’s no messing around,” he said.
Walking into the class for the first time, it’s easy to feel a change of environment because the class is very quiet. All students are focused on what they’re doing and they all know exactly what their assignment is. Every student in the class was doing work individually. The students work very hard and are very respectful of Hopkins. Hopkins helps keep his students focused and check on their grades to assure they are on track and doing what they’re supposed to. Students who are struggling or missing credits may talk to their counselors and switch into a credit recovery class for second semester. Counselors will help change schedules in order to get students into a credit recovery class to do a packet, take a pretest, and make up credits to graduate. This class has most definitely helped students graduate. Anyone who needs help with credits and keeping up grades should consider credit recovery. Teachers are more than happy to help the students.
Students work on individual ‘packets’ as they make up missing credits in Mr. Hopkins’s room.
when taking this standardized test, students enrolled in ACT Prep. frequently take practice exams. “I think the practice tests are the most difficult thing about the class. They do show you which steps to take, though,” Mariabel Heu (11) said. However strenuous these tests may be, they help students get used to the format and conditions of the actual exam. Ms. Taylor, the ACT Prep. teacher and greatest advisor to students preparing for the exam, emphasized this. “The biggest benefit to taking the class, in my opinion, is the familiarity with the test students gain, so that by March they’ve seen it four or five times and know exactly what it looks like.” Practice tests give students the opportunity to do exactly that. While Ms. Taylor was very straightforward with her suggestions for students taking the ACT in the spring and mentioned her goal of seeing all of her pupils hit the state average of eighteen, her biggest advice was to practice the strategies at home and, above all, to not stress. “Don’t stress about it. Stress is your worst enemy
with the ACT,” she said. Students are inclined to agree. “It’s hard not to be stressed out, because the test is so important, but I’m just going to try my best and leave it at that,” Angela Montejo (11) said. The class, with all its practice and run-throughs, relieves stress on students and helps them prepare in a comfortable environment. While test preparation is a key component of this class, students also work on planning for college. They research different schools, both in-state and out, and apply for various scholarships. Essay writing is an important aspect of both of these. These activities not only prepare students for a higher education and life after high school, but improve their writing skills and endurance, which aids them on the ACT. Overall, this class is one of the most useful ways to prepare for Granger’s ACT in March. While tackling the test can seem overwhelming at the best of times, ACT Preparation provides students with the correct strategies and techniques to do well on the exam.
Baylee would prefer to get done with school as early as possible.
Change the start time
By Lexee Buckner WAKING up early never gets easier. Students have been in school for a couple months now, and they still dread waking up the next morning. They continue to hit the snooze button on their alarm clocks in the morning. Many Lancers wish school started later, but that might be all that helpful. Sure, they’d get an extra hour or two of sleep, but that would get them home that much later in the afternoon. Students with after-school jobs or who are involved in extracurricular activities would end even later than they already do. “I work for three hours every single day. I don’t have a particular start and end time, so I just have to be clocked in for three hours. The later we get out of school, the later I would get to work and the later I would be able to go home. I’d rather start school earlier and get out earlier,” Baylee Hensley (12) said. Teenagers need around nine hours of sleep each night, but the average amount they get is around seven hours. Students spend seven hours at school, a few more at work, sports, activities, and countless hours doing homework. Sleep is always the easiest thing to sacrifice, so most of them do not get the needed amount. “By the time I get home and settled to do homework, the sun has already set and my motivation is nearly gone. I always get it done, but sometimes it’s not my best work. I just keep noticing the time pass, so I rush to get it done so I can get
some sleep. If school started even an hour later each day, I would be able to stay up later and have better quality work,” Rose Nguyen (9) said. It is not a surprise that the more sleep anyone gets, the better their moods will be. It definitely has the domino effect because the better our mood is the better quality our work will be. An extra hour or two every morning would go a long way, even an extra ten minutes is helpful. “Getting up early has never been easy for me. I never get enough sleep and I end up being ornery all day and saving my work to do it after school. By the time I get to doing it, I have forgotten the entire lesson and I have no idea how to do the assignment,” Sharol Brand (12) said. In the future most students’ jobs will begin at 8:00 a.m. After waking up at 6:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. in the morning for four years, they should all be in the habit of waking up early, and it will not seem as difficult. Now going to college will be a different story for every student depending on what classes they take and what school they attend. Changing the time school started would require many other changes, and people have to think about what starting later will effect. We would have to change the bus schedule, GTI start and end times, and so much more. Sure, waking up before the sun is difficult but at least we are out of class before the sun goes down so that way we can still do things.
November 2016, page 5
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
Mr. Schmeling motivates his students to succeed By Tina Huskic EACH YEAR, teachers have a high bar set for them to meet their own goals and also teach their students in a new way that will be fun. Many teachers keep the same
teaching way year after year, and it is very boring for the students. However, some teachers like the challenge and it keeps them organized. Students tend to favor those
teachers that make learning more enjoyable. It makes students actually want to come to class and just be in that type of environment. From personal experience, having at least one favorite teacher makes dealing with those not-so-great teachers easier. The number one teacher that I shadowed for the day was Mr. Schmeling, and I picked his classes which are Freshman Academy and AVID, because he is a very constructive teacher. From day one, he has made his students his number one priority. Even when Schmeling is having an off day, Mr. Schmeling’s checks the grades of each of his students, and he helps them succeed. he puts his differences
aside and helps any student who needs him. Schmeling has changed his teaching ways each year to improve the learning of his students. “I typically have Mondays and Tuesdays set for students, and I call them back and talk about their grades,” Schmeling said. He gets on students for their grades each week. The beginning of each week starts with a reality check on grades. I have noticed that he is easy on them, but also has a tone of influence over them. The amount he pushes them is marvelous. Every time he says something to his students it is always motivational. Most of his students have a game plan set up, and he makes sure they stick to it, and if they don’t, they figure out a new plan together.
“The way I see it for the students, the habits they set now affect how they will be successful in their future,” Schmeling said. His main focus is to make sure that he can make school more welcoming and more lively for everyone. When Schmeling talks about the real world he is realistic and honest. He does not beat around the bush, because he sees no point in lying about the real world. He is the number one teacher that will be beyond honest. “I love having one-on-ones with my students, because it helps them talk to me and be themselves so I can get a better understanding of who they are as individuals,” Schmeling said. The most important thing for a student is to find that one teacher that really does believe in his or her potential.
Freshmen prepare for high school experience with Success 101
By Mireya Ruiz UP IN THE freshmen hall, there is a class called skills for life, also known as Success 101. It started at Granger when the freshmen were added four years ago in 2012-13 school year. Everyone in the ninth grade is required to take it, because it’s a class to help prepare for the entire high school experience. When the transitioning students from junior highs got their schedules this summer, they were somewhat confused. Their schedule showed the skills for life class. No one remembered signing up for that class. When the counselors came to register the junior high students, that are now high school students, they didn’t mention that ninth graders were going to take the class.
They mentioned the required classes that the incoming freshmen should do in their first year, however not many recall the counselors explaining skills for life. They mentioned the computer technology class and they suggested that they should take the health class; however, they didn’t discuss this class. So, some ninth graders think that it is required, and others think that it’s an elective. “I didn’t remember signing up for this class, but it’s actually pretty fun. I don’t mind it,” Milagros Cuevas (9) said. Once school started, the skills for life teachers explained what the class is about. “It’s a class that helps the incoming high school students transition from junior high into high school,” Mr. Timothy said.
So far in that class, students think that they teach about setting goals and how to stay on track. However, there is so much more to that class than goal setting and helping get grades up. “This class is about finding out who you are, what you want, and how to get what you want,” Mr. Timothy said. They help guide freshmen through their first year of high school. During high school, it can be difficult keeping on track. So with the help of this class, it can really take steps towards being successful. “I have had students that are now juniors and seniors come back and tell me how much this class has helped them throughout their whole entire time here at Granger,” Mr. Timothy said. While some students come
back and thank the Success 101 teachers, others wish they had had the opportunity to take that class. “If I would have had this class when I was in ninth grade, then I’m almost positive that I’d be on track. I see how much it has influenced other people; I feel like I missed out,” Jose Saavedra (11) said. Right now, there are three skills for life teachers. There is Mr. Timothy, Mr. Schmeling, and Ms. Neibaur. They teach the same curriculum, but they teach it in a way that’s also personally unique. At least once a week, they review ‘energy + vision = success.’ For some who haven’t taken the class yet, the saying can be confusing. Energy stands for that the goal. The vision stands for knowing how to get it. Once energy
and vision are put together, then success follows. “So, I was in class reviewing the energy + vision = success. Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Schmeling’s class yelled the equation out loud. Mr. Timothy got this look on his face. He was like ‘it’s on’. Then, he had us yell it back, louder,” Jonathan Salas (9) said. Even though it’s an academic class that stresses how things are going on at school and life overall, it still manages to be fun and exciting. “The teacher aid, Pedro, stresses on not having phones out and staying on task. He gives us privileges once we get all of the work done,” Salas said. This class helps throughout students’ entire high school experience.
Granger’s SAGE test F-rating frustrates students and teachers By Dailyn Brinas A MEASUREMENT of intelligence, the SAGE testing system has been a form used by the Utah district for many years. However, this form has been recently debated of its true importance. Recently, Granger has been graded as an ‘F’ school. To elaborate, “Based on SAGE, the school has received a 38.1% average, ranking in the lowest 3% of performance in Utah schools,” Dr. Dunn, the principal of Granger High, said. However, these test do not measure the full potential and complete measurement of student intelligence. “I don’t like it. The ‘F’ does give us a grade, but many factors are not included like different demographic results,” Dr. Dunn said. These results then lead to questioning the effort of students and staff. “We need to persist on improvement for staff and students academically. Students need to come to school on time with a prepared mindset,” Dr. Dunn said. The curriculum is not, however, the conflict. “The curriculum needs to be better understood by the students and their effort to comprehend,” Dr. Dunn said. The academic subjects are not in need of modification, but rather the students’ effort to strive needs
attention. “I feel that students don’t put effort on academics, and they put more attention towards their social life.” Diana Ruiz (9) said. Kids at Granger are not as appalled by this rating as expected. “I’m surprised, yet, I’m not that surprised. Most people that I know don’t strive for all A’s. And since C’s are considered an academically passing grade, most think that receiving C’s is successful. If that is permanently implanted in their mindset, they won’t put in the extra effort for testing either,” Ruiz said. Improvement-wise, she believes the staff and the students both need to put an effort on the curriculum. “Coming from my old school, I saw that the teachers didn’t have high expectations for students to succeed. I believe that if the students are having a difficult time learning the curriculum, the staff needs to attend to this conflict, and consider modifying said program of study,” Ruiz said. Tension regarding the role of SAGE tests in schools has existed for years. Take the 2014 results, for example. “For the 129 high schools in the state, 5% received an A-grade, 45% received a B-grade, 30% received a C-grade, 11% received a D-grade, and 9% received an Fgrade,” as stated in a 2014 study
conducted on school grades as reported by the Deseret News. In that Deseret News article, Liz Zentner, president of the Utah Parent Teacher Association, is quoted as saying, “The grades just aren’t fair. One grade just isn’t fair. It doesn’t tell the whole story of all the great things that are going on in schools,” Zentner said. “I don’t pay any attention to these school grades. I don’t think they’re valid.” Zentner’s opinion continues to resonate with today’s students. “It puts a negative light for other schools to look at,” Leilani Zamora (10) said. “Who likes common core tests? SAGE testing does not address the intelligence of Granger High students. The Granger High debate team is exceptional, and there are many students with passing grades in A.P. classes. An ‘F’ rating is not a representation for each individual student,” Dr. Tuckness said. “There are those who are academically oriented and those who are not.” “I don’t teach a class that has a SAGE test, however, I do know teachers that do. SAGE only represents how well students can take tests. Standardized testing often has some bias, such as the format can cause students with certain ethnic backgrounds to score higher,” Ms. Neibaur, a Skills
for Life teacher and the leader of student government, said. “I believe the system should use benchmarks as the main form of testing. I would prefer they would only have one. I’m just not a big fan of standardized tests,” Neibaur said. The majority of the staff believes that the curriculum needs modification in the criteria of the tests. “Tutoring and mentors within classes can benefit those students who are in need of help.
Some need that extra help. We as well need more engagement, it’s not only the curriculum that needs modification, but also the teaching style, classroom sizes, and the demographics with the class sizes,” Neibaur said. Regardless of the shortcomings of standardized tests, Granger Lancers will continue to be evaluated based on SAGE tests, so students and staff should work together to improve their performance to achieve goals.
Diana Ruiz wants teachers to raise their expectations for students.
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
November 2016, page 6
GTV requires commitment from talent and crew
By Jessica Nateras EVERY day whether it is an Aday or a B-day, Lancers rise up for the pledge said by our fellow Lancer family on GTV. Every day Lancers choose whether to watch GTV or to just have a friendly conversation with their peers. The choice is up to them, GTV is such a wonderful thing for our school.
[disclosure: this reporter works as talent for GTV] Mr. Clapier does an amazing job in producing GTV. Whether it is teleprompter operator or onscreen talent, he does a good job of informing the students what to do and what not to do. “I appreciate everything Clapier has done with GTV.” Mr. Cousins said.
There’s a lot of work that goes into a GTV broadcast, and it’s done in a hour.
Clapier has been producing good content ever since my freshman year of high school. “I love doing GTV,” Clapier said. Some Lancers may think that doing GTV is a piece of cake, but guess what -- it’s way harder than it looks. TV production students have to get the announcements ready in just one class period, it’s even harder on Mondays. Students may think it’s easy to stand in front of a camera and read the words being produced from the teleprompter, but it’s not. The talent has that thought in his or her head like, “Wow the whole school’s going to see this.” and talent wants more than anything to not mess up in front of the whole school. Some students want some of the GTV talent to have more fun with it. “They should make the talent look more interested in GTV,” Derrick Rosas (9) said. The thing students don’t understand is that the talent is defi-
nitely interested in being on GTV and producing the announcements for Lancers, but sometimes nerves get to them. Talent can’t be fun all the time, especially if it’s their first time on GTV. Sometimes they have a limited amount of time and can’t waste time by dabbing on GTV and doing other fun stuff every single day. But, teachers have a different opinion than students when it comes to GTV’s on-screen talent being more entertaining. “GTV is a wonderful thing but I don’t think the students on it take it seriously,” Mr. Cousins said. What Cousins says is true. Many GTV reporters start with the attitude that it’s a joke. Every time they record GTV, it goes up on YouTube after Granger sees it. That means students from Hunter or Kearns or even people who work at KSL can view it. It may seem like one big joke, but it’s serious work. GTV reporters can use GTV broadcasts as audi-
tion footage for the actual news jobs. So can anyone else who works on GTV. “It’s not a joke when you guys go up there.” Cousins said. And, he’s definitely right. It’s not a joke at all. “It’s a program where students get to learn from students,” Mr. Beck said. Lancers don’t take advantage of having GTV. Don’t think teachers just put it on so Lancers could use their phones the whole time. Mr. Clapier has done an amazing job producing this broadcast product. He doesn’t produce it just so Lancers can ignore the fact that he and his GTV staff have added a ton of graphics and new things for students’ enjoyment. The talent leads the pledge every day and they inform Lancers about events that are happening around Granger. In addition, there are sports and literacy special features.
Improv team ready to perform By Jonathan Jordan THE IMPROV Team at Granger High School is off to a good start. They have just barely finished tryouts so they could get a team together. After going through tryouts, eleven students were chosen to be on the Improv Team. Some students who made the team include: Bailey Beacham, Jett Larson, Tyler Wagstaff, and others. Members of the Improv Team feel that this year will be a great year. Improv is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a game, scene or story are made up in the moment. Adam Nehring (12) wants to get involved with school activities this year. “I’ve always have found it easy to make up things off the top of my head,” Nehring said. He was excited to meet the new team that he will be getting to know as friends. On his first shift of improv, which is at the end of the week during lunches, he was amazed by the turnout of students who wanted to participate. Nehring said this will always be a memory he will have.
The captain of the Improv Team this year is Bailey Beacham (11). He felt very strongly about this Improv Team this year. “I think that they all have potential if we all work together,” He said. They will be having one competition this year that they know of. Beacham was part of the Improv Team as a sophomore. He wanted to join improv because a great friend of his recommended him to the team. Ever since, he has been a part of improv and has loved it. They practice twice a week and they are always focused. They do improv at all lunches at the end of the week. Usually there is a giant crowd of people who want to participate based on which lunch it is. The Improv Team is hoping that they can get more people to want to participate and join Improv Team. Jacob Lewis (12) is new to improv. This year is the first year he tried out and got interested. “Improv helps you in pop quizzes. When they happen, you have to think off the top of your head like improv,” Lewis said. He had
a couple of friends who suggested to him that he would be great at improv, so he joined the team. Jett Larson (11) is the co-captain for this year’s Improv Team. He feels that they are going to do great. “We all work together and send off this teamwork vibe, so I feel like we will do very well at competitions, and we will impress people at our shows,” Larson said. He feels that improv shouldn’t be looked at like acting, but looked as a game. The Improv Council and representatives feel like this is a great group of people. Most of the students on the team are already very familiar with their teammates, as they have all been a part of the drama program together previously, and it is showing in their performances. Improv Team can be either serious or funny, and it is usually just playing games. The whole Improv Team is confident and ready to go. The Improv Team here at Granger High School seems to be very optimistic about how they will perform as a team this school year.
Jett Larson is ready for another playful season of lunchtime improv performances.
Federal policies affect school cafeteria decisions and offerings.
Lunch policy is complicated By Andalynne Moore STUDENTS have varying opinions on school lunch; this makes sense when the fact that most students eat it is taken into consideration. In the U.S., 30.5 million lunches are served each day. It is so commonplace; people often do not contemplate it much. However, because sustenance has such a tremendous impact on a person’s ability to function and concentrate, it’s a big deal. “Yeah, I eat school lunch every day. I think they could do better, but it fills your tummy,” said Veronica Gonzalez (10) said. The opinion that school lunch could be better is shared by many. “It’s good, but it’s not the healthiest food out there. I don’t eat home lunch ‘cause I forget to pack it, but home lunch is healthier,” Aizy Kate Olsen (11) said. Health is a big concern among students and parents alike. It was such a big concern that the way school lunch is organized changed in 2010, with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, or HHFKA. This law, proposed by Sen. Blanch Lincoln (D-AR) and supported by Michelle Obama, changed portion sizes for certain food groups, while limiting the amount of caloric intake. This change, reportedly, caused a great impact on the quality of food by increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables that are consumed. “I think that’s good. Every day, people eat pizza with a lot of grease. If people eat healthier, they will be able to do better in school,” said Gonzalez. Others are not so convinced of this change. “I haven’t eaten school lunch regularly since sixth
grade. I just skip lunch. I don’t eat it because it’s not the greatest. No matter what you get, there’s always something wrong that makes it disgusting and gets you sick,” Jessica Depriest (12) said. In fear of these adverse effects, many students think the restrictions need to go further. “They put more things that are claimed to be healthy in our schools. For example, the vending machines are full of diet sodas packed with fake sugars and unneeded sodium, which can be very bad for us.” Sure, they are healthier calorie and sugar wise, but it’s not going to benefit us in the long run,” Olsen said. In contrast, others think that it has already gone too far. “I think we should be able to eat whatever we want to eat, no matter the consequence. We may become obese or fat, but that’s not going to stop us from eating junk food when we get home. We should be able to make our own choices,” said Samantha Haddenham (12). Other students feel similarly. “I think Michelle has gone too far with it. I understand that she wants to make people healthy, but in a couple years, they’ll have to choose what they want to eat, and they won’t make the right choices. I don’t think taking away options is the best way to do it,” Depriest said. Lots of students have strong opinions on school lunch. No matter the opinion on school lunch, it needs to be expressed because it’s something that has to be confronted every day. Discussing a view on something is the only way to make any real change.
November 2016, page 7
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
Thanksgiving is more than just a turkey dinner for many Lancers
By Ashley Garcia STUDENTS look forward to many holidays coming up in this school year. Halloween has passed and it was filled with trick or treats. Now what is coming up is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude. It is an opportunity to show some appreciation and to be happy with the way things are
in life. “Thanksgiving is a time to come together with your family members and have fun,” Luis Tobar (11) said. “It is a time for bonding and being asked weird questions by your aunts.” Thanksgiving is a time where Lancers can meet up with long time no see family members. “It is a moment to appreciate
Litzi Torres’s Thangsgiving dinner includes posole, menudo, and tamales.
everyone and everything in your life because no matter how hard your life may seem, you actually have it easier than others,” Tobar said. There are many things to do during Thanksgiving. A great idea to do is to write thank you letters to each family member. A creative way to do this is to tape a white or any color blank piece of paper on the back. Everyone can walk around and each write something that is appreciated of one another. Once the dinner is served, read what was wrote out loud to each other. It’s a great way to be more connected. Thanksgiving is normally filled with lots of food like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy. “Whenever Thanksgiving comes around my family and I always love to cook with each other. We make posole and menudo because one side of my
family likes posole and the other side likes menudo. We also make tamales because there’s a couple who don’t like either,” Litzi Torres (10) said. During Thanksgiving all different kinds of foods are served and that’s what makes it a special holiday. “Thanksgiving to me is family time and getting to eat food you don’t normally eat,” Tiana Tran (11) said. “You sit down with your family and no matter what is going on, we will all still try to make the most out of it.” Sometimes what it is hard to understand is that everyone goes through struggles, and no matter what is going on during that period of time, take a moment and be thankful for every second of the day. Another great thing to do during Thanksgiving is to give away or donate some belongings that is not needed. “My family and I always do-
nate some clothes that either don’t fit us or that we don’t wear anymore,” Jenni Raya (11) said. It’s always good to give to others who are in need or just simply for kindness. Another great way to give is to donate some food to Granger’s food pantry. There are many Lancers whose families will not have enough food for thanksgiving, and are too embarrassed to say anything about it. By simply donating food will help these families, and grabbing some food for those Lancers who are too embarrassed to step foot into the food pantry for them is even better. There are many things to do to keep busy during the holiday; help feed the homeless, help decorate around the house, help cook for the family, etc. Thanksgiving only comes once every year, so make the best of it.
Earning a driver license includes organ donor decision By Kristy Garcia Getting a driver license is the number one thing students look forward to in high school, but what students usually do not ever know is there is an important question they need to answer when filling out their form to get a license. That important question is, “Are you planning to be a donor?” It is the simplest question ever on the form. It just simply asks “Are you a donor?” and that is when you decide will you be or will you not be. Then you just check yes or no after you have decided. Students do not realize what a donor really is or what being a donor really is all about. Some just check yes or no without even thinking about it because it is something that isn’t really talked about in school.
Being a donor is being a life saver. People usually do not want to be an organ donor because they worry about their bodies after they die and the myths they hear about being an organ donor. The first myth is people think they are not able to have an open casket funeral, but someone still can have an open casket when you are an organ donor. Organ and tissue donation does not interfere with having an open casket funeral. The second myth is people usually think their families will have to pay for their organ donation, which is not true. Family members will not need to pay anything for organ donation. All costs are incurred by the organ procurement organization. The third myth is people think if they are an organ donor, doctors
will not try as hard to save their lives because they want those organs for patients on the donor list. That is totally not true: a doctor’s goal is to always save the patient. Just because someone is an organ donor doesn’t make him or her any less of a human being. His or her life is important, just like everyone else is. The fourth myth is that people think they aren’t “healthy” enough to be an organ donor, but health doesn’t disqualify someone from being an organ donor and donating organs and tissue. The fifth myth is doctors will take all of your organs when you only wanted to donate one organ. That is not true the doctors will follow your wishes. If someone only wants to donate one, then only organ will be harvested. Being an organ donor is always a good idea “I’m a donor
By Arei Turner SOME STUDENTS work while they are still in school. Most companies would prefer to have people over the age of sixteen working for them, although some companies allow people to work for them starting at the age of fourteen; this is the prime age for high school students. Working while in school can be very difficult, but if it is pulled off, an after-school job can have many great rewards. However, work can be time-consuming, so working students’ grades may suffer. Gabriella Garcia (11) works about 20 hours a week at Little Caesars. “Working is good, it’s not that hard. Working 20 hours a week gets really tiring.” Garcia said. “It’s not usually hard to keep up with my grades; I only work on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and on the weekend.” Garcia enjoys working because she can get money to buy things that she wants. On the other hand, Mr. Beck thinks that students should have good grades in order to have a job. “School needs to be the top priority. Students are thinking,
‘I need to pay.’ You know some have to pay their own insurance, they need to pay for their own gas, they need to pay rent,” he said. But Mr. Beck said that the top priority for students is to “get an education.” “What if… to hold a job, you had to pass all of your classes?” Mr. Beck said. “Would that motivate them to get better grades?” It seems as though a lot of the time students are better workers than students. “Students are more loyal to their bosses, they will do anything to get the job done, we need to get students to have that kind of loyalty here,” Mr. Beck said. Mr. Beck said that students may act like that because they don’t see that education pays later in life. Working Lancers are just thinking about today, they want the money now. “If you go to college for four years, you will have a job waiting for you; If you don’t graduate from high school, you can’t even work at McDonald’s.” he said Some students didn’t even go to school the whole week, Shai Gunnuscio (‘11), who was studying in college to be a nurse, only
went to school on Tuesdays and too expensive, even though I was depends on what we are working Thursdays because she worked working so much.” on,” Pearson said. thirty hours at Ebay and twentyMany students are being left It can be tough to work while four hours at Five Guys. The only in school. An example of this is, behind in school because of work. day that she had off from work Jacob Pearson (12) who is cur- They start to put their work first and school was Sundays. rently failing three classes. He instead of their education. Money “It was very hard to keep up works around 45 hours a week may give them what they want with my schoolwork; the school working for his dad’s company. now, but if they are successful kept telling me that I shouldn’t “I usually stay until about mid- in school now and go to college, work because they wanted us night or sometimes even longer they will have a career instead of to do forty hours of homework working.” Working is pretty con- a job, and they will be paid more and studying.” Gunnuscio said. tingent with him. “Working has later -- not only in money, but “The hours that I was working, its ups and downs, it really just also in knowledge. I could’ve spent studying.” Although she enjoyed working, she wished that she didn’t have to. “The hardest thing about doing this was the stress. When I was at work, I’d worry about school. When I was at school, I’d worry about work. It’s a lot of responsibility.” she said. “It’s ironic: the reason why I quit going to college was because it was Gabriella works at Little Caesars and stays on top of her school work, too.
because I want to be able to save lives, and either way I’m already dead,” Mr. Hopkins said. It is free to register and donate your organs. More than 120,000 people are currently waiting for a
life-saving organ transplant. Eighteen people end up dying each day while waiting for an organ when they could have had a second chance in life. Be an organ donor. Be someone’s hero.
Mr. Hopkins is an organ donor because he wants to save lives if he can.
Students juggle education and after-school jobs
Tri-Color Times VOL. LIX Issue 3
November 2016, page 8
Granger’s baseball team gears up for another great season
By Hayley Rigby THE BASEBALL team is working hard again this year to hopefully make this an even better year than last year. The baseball players are excited to start the new season and meet the new players. All the players on the baseball team love this game just as much as they love this school. “I am most excited about starting varsity because this is what I have been working towards since freshman year,” Patrick Rigby (11) said. “So far the fall season has been amazing, I love being able to do the live reps in the scrimmages we do with the other schools in our region,” Rigby said. The baseball team has been working towards this season all summer and the players are excited to see what this season will bring. In the summer, it is easier to balance life and baseball but when school starts it is a different story. “It does get a little hard sometimes to balance school and baseball, but for the most part, I seem to do pretty good with it. I love the game so much, but I also would
not let the game affect my grades and school life,” Alex Maravilla (10) said. Although this is only the fall season, some feel it has an outlook on the new season. This could be good or bad. The fall season not only shows players what to look forward to, but the coaches as well, This is the time of year when the players have to prove themselves and show that they are ready to be a part of the team. “I love this time of year, although it may get stressful, it is way fun. I love how much adrenaline the game brings and how exciting it always is. My favorite thing is being with some close friends while playing the game I love,” Maravilla said. This is also a time for the coaches to be making some hard decisions on what is best for the team this year. This is a stressful time for players and coaches, because the decision-making part is one of the hardest things for the coaches. “It is always hard to choose between talent and experience. I have been working with them
all year, and I spend a lot of time getting to know them on a personal level,” Mr. Felion said. “It is pretty hard to be a teacher and a coach, but I know it is also hard for the players, considering that they are student athletes. I think it definitely goes hand in hand,” coach Felion said. Being a part of a team is hard work, but it also brings great accomplishments. These student athletes take their schooling and their sports very seriously. Most of them know how to balance their school life with their sports. “One of the things I am most excited about would probably be having fun with my teammates and also competing for a spot at state this year,” Connor Casaday (11) said. “It is really hard sometimes to balance school and baseball, especially when we get home super late. Every time that happens, I seem to have a lot of homework,” Casaday said. It is always hard to balance school and sports, but these Granger High athletes would not change it for the world; these students love the game and they work hard to be a part of the team.
try is being a part of a team and we all enjoy some of the same things,” Mohamud Sheikah (12) said. “There are some struggles about being on a team, like getting up and finding your determination to go to practice,” he said. Some athletes at Granger say their favorite part about playing a sport is being a part of a team because they end up becoming a family and having that bonding experience with their peers. The cross country teammates are as close as every other team -- they Brayden runs to improve his endurance for wrestling.
even have team dinners, and they say that it’s great bonding experience. “The main reason I started to run competitively is because I love it and it relieves a lot of stress,” Sarah Reynolds (10) said. “The most challenging thing for me is when I finish one race, and then they tell me I have to go run another one, but I’m already worn out and tired,” Reynolds said. “My favorite part is the competition and the banquets,” she said. Being a student athlete is hard work. They go from school, to practice, and some even go to a job. There’s more to running than improved fitness. It is also proven to help relieve stress and help runners mentally and physically, as stated on the well.blogs. nytimes.com website. “I joined because my wrestling
Alex and Connor can’t wait to knock ‘em out of the park.
Take a lap: one sport’s reason to exist is a punishment for others By Skye Rouse SOME PEOPLE believe that running long distances is hard. Well, for Granger High’s cross country team, distance running is an amazing experience and very enjoyable. “I have been running for as long as I can remember, but my favorite thing about cross coun-
coach told us he wanted us to join a fall sport to help our endurance, and it turned out to be really fun,” Brayden Knowlden (12) said. “I have been running for two years, and the best part about being a part of the cross country team is definitely the bus rides because of the bonding and excitement on the way to the meets,” Knowlden said. “The hardest part is the stress before you race, because you get nervous, but as long as you have fun it doesn’t matter,” he said. Having fun is one of the key aspects that coaches want players to experience when playing a sport, but winning is also another big plus. Some athletes say that winning is the best part about competition. “My best winning moment was when I beat this girl who always used to beat me by a couple
seconds, and I finally beat her. When I did I just felt really accomplished and proud of myself,” Karla Arteaga (12) said. “The best advice I could give anyone who runs distance is to keep a good pace,” she said. “Knowing that there is always gonna be someone better than me is probably the most challenging thing for myself, because I’m so competitive,” Arteaga said. There are some struggles with being on a team and one of them is practice, not the working out part, but actually having the motivation to do it. When students do get up and set their minds to something, the hard work and dedication really pays off. Student athletes make new friends on the team and, as studies show, they get a daily dose of exercise that improves mental health and physical fitness.
Football’s Tak Pak brotherhood is stronger than ever
By Vanessa Holt SET…HIKE! The phrase many Granger Lancers hear the most on Friday nights. They all crowd onto the cold metal bleachers bundled up in jackets and blankets ready to watch and cheer on the biggest brotherhood in the school, Granger’s football team, the Tak Pak. They sacrifice a few hours that could have been spent on homework to enjoy a good night taking pictures, getting faces painted, and watching the game with friends. On a daily, the players spend hours training and practicing for all the upcoming games. They have only one goal in mind when practicing and training out on the field: to win. They want to earn a place in the state championship. “We set a goal from the beginning to be state champs, and we hold ourselves accountable to that,” Amata Tavai (12) said. The boys this year have had a better year. With the season coming to a close, they have won five games and lost three. This winning record has had the whole
school raving and shouting with every new game that approaches. It wouldn’t be a proper game without the loud and proud Crimson Crowd out on the stands. The crowd is even louder after the start of Granger’s Pep Team. “It has been a slow process but, we are getting there. Our vision is going to be reached,” Alexis Topacio (12) said. She’s one of Pep Team’s leaders. Mr. Anderson, a vice principal, has been to most of the games and has come to love the crowd and the football team. “The crowd is absolutely fantastic, and the football boys… I love them. They represent our school well, and they make us all proud.” Anderson said. Throughout the season the team has had their struggles, from those injured to those players not having faith in themselves. “We push each other when negativity arises and try to get rid of those negative thoughts and replace them with the positive,” Sione Houma (12) said. Houma suffered an injury during the Syracuse game. Houma is working his
hardest on improving his ankle beat themselves up, but it only touchdown short of a state chamand getting back in the game as fuels them to do better with the pionship ticket in a frustrating soon as possible. next time. Slowly they are learn- tie-breaker half played against With so much work being put ing that it is OK to lose as long as Hunter. Players and fans alike are in, the boys have tried hard for they improve after studying their ready to shout louder and prouder one reason. “This year everyone performance. as they prepare for the 2017 seacame together as a brotherhood, In the end, the Tak Pak fell one son. we trust each other more,” Sidney Alofipo (12) said. Mr. Kaluhikaua worked part-time during the two previous seasons, but he became a full-time coach this year. He saw more of this change than anyone else. “The boys have always been good. This year, they just bought into the program and expectations, and they were willing to make the sacrifices,” coach Kaluhikaua said. A loss isn’t easy, the players tend to Granger’s football players impressed Lancers and fans alike as they delivered a winning season.