Granger high school
Tri-Color Times An open forum for student opinion and expression
TRICOLORTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2018 LX-V
Mysterious damage repaired by SCUBA Bob By Karina Baez THERE was a rumor going around Granger that the swimming pool would be out of service due to it being a hazard to the student swimmers. Like many people around the school, nobody knew how or what happened to cause the pool to be closed off. “I don’t know what happened. When I came in on Wednesday they said that it was broken, but they fixed it the same day,” Coach Barlow said. Even the swimmers of the pool were completely clueless as to what or who broke the pool. One thing was clear: they were not allowed into the pool until the hazard was fixed. “We were playing on the opposite side of the broken pool
playing water polo and we were told to get out,” Anderson Sandoval (12) said. The part that broke cycled the water to keep the water clean. Now that its mouth was wide open, anyone could be susceptible to being sucked into it. It was an enigma for everyone, even the coaches. They did not allow their students to swim. “The grate was broken when we got to practice. It was not safe, it was sharp plastic, you could get cut on it,” Coach Young said. Just like nobody knows what happened to cause the pool to break, nobody knows the exact time when the incident happened. Some have theories as to what could have happened, but there is no proof to justify or debunk
these theories. “It probably happened in between Barlow’s fourth period and my morning’s first period,” Coach Jefferies said. “I have no clue what happened. When we came into class we saw the piece sitting out,” Jeffries said. There are also some people who pin the blame on another group of swimmers who was not a part of a swimming class— maybe an after-school group. “I’m not sure, but I think it may be the fitness for life class who might have broken the cage,” Kynzi Bott (12) said. The process to fix it was a fast and smooth process. There were some tiny setbacks such as getting someone with the right certification to fix the pool and finding
the proper gear to safely fix it. It was going to be expensive to call someone in to repair it, but thankfully there was someone here at the school who could fix it. There was only one Lancer who had a license to fix the pool. “I came in Wednesday morning looked down in the pool and saw the grate was broken,” Bob Pinkerton, a custodian, said. “They needed someone certified and I had a license to do it. I rented an air tank, went home, and grabbed my scuba gear. I had it fixed after 15 minutes. It looked like something fell and hit the grate,” Pinkerton said. The pool was fixed the same day it was noticed that it was broken. It is now safe to swim in and the pool is running as usual.
Bob stands with the gear he used to fix the intake grate in the pool. It only took him 15 minutes to repair it, and he helped Granger save money on the repair.
Many GHS Lancers resolve to succeed in their education By Ester Manriquez Marcia EVERY year, people tend to make new goals for the upcoming year. Most of the Granger Lancers like to put in their time and focus on getting better grades, better attendance, and fewer tardies in school. Most of the goals prioritize getting an overall better education. “Two New Year’s resolutions I have are getting good grades and getting better at dancing,” Rachelle Medina (10) said. Medina is a member of the dance company at Granger High. She wants to improve so she can try out for drill team next year. Many students tend to have the same resolution from the year before. They tend to do this year because last time, they didn’t keep it all year long. “I tried to get bet-
ter in school and be more kind to people, but I never ended up going through with it,” Myriam Valenzuela (9) said. Multiple Lancers end up never achieving their goals they had set for the year. “I didn’t complete last year’s [resolution] because I got distracted because of the technology there now is,” Medina said. But, also there are many different reasons for why students don’t keep their resolutions. “I couldn’t keep last year’s because it’s very hard for me to stay on track in school,” Valenzuela said. Others, like Medina, say that it is only because of the technology. Technology has now definitely influenced the way things are at school. Lancers now spend more time focused on their cell phones than any other priorities.
Although many others choose to focus more in school, this Lancer is very different and chooses to focus on something he is very passionate about. “One of my resolutions is to become state champion in wrestling,” Luis Vazquez (11) said. “I want to prove to myself that I can be the best in my weight class,” Vazquez said. Vazquez had an arm injury that stopped him from wrestling for a while. But, that isn’t going to stop him from working his way to the top of his class. “My other resolution is to drop down to 120 pounds for wrestling to lose some fat for the season,” Vazquez said. But he also thinks that he won’t be able to keep his resolution after his season ends. Many Lancers don’t believe in
themselves enough to keep their resolutions. There is another Lancer putting her focus elsewhere. “My new year’s resolution is to travel to Mexico more,” Destiny Linan (10) said. Many Lancers like to travel through winter to places that have warmer weather than here in Utah. “I like going to Mexico ‘cause I feel like myself, and I love being there with family. I think it’ll be hard to succeed with this goal because traveling costs so much money, and it’ll be hard to afford the way there and back home,” Linan said. Many students will now start to focus on their school work and education more. Therefore, school progress might improve if Lancers try their hardest.
Second term woes
By Lorena Garcia FIRST term may be one of the easiest terms of the year. At the beginning of the year students are excited for a new year, and they’re trying to change study habits and turning in work on time for a better year. Teachers do not pass out as much homework. For many students second term is harder than first term. “At the beginning of the year we did not do as much work as we do now,” Edgar Gonzalez (9) said. Not all students may be failing, but their grades are not like first term’s grades. “I am not failing any classes, but I’m just below on what I expected my grades would be, they dropped a little bit,” Alex Cervantes (10) said. Not all students think that second quarter is harder “I’m not failing any classes, but my lowest grade is a D-, and that is because I’ve been moving and I’m a bit lazy,” Iyanna Davison (10) said. The second term is broken up too much by the breaks that happen during the term for Thanksgiving and winter holidays. Many students head out of state to spend time with family. For many students, that leads to missed classes and lower grades Now is the time to improve grades. Anyone has a chance to grades by staying after school and doing extra work or turning in late assignments Not every teacher allows late work and some things may be possible to make up. Teachers are often willing to help. “I try to help but I don’t know if they are taking the help,” Mr. Carter said. Failing a core class may lead to doing packets, credit recovery, or going to summer school. Summer school is common for catching up or getting extra credits. The top reason why a student may fail is usually is because lack of motivation. Students may also be a little discouraged and stressed out during second term. Stress could increase as well. According to Mental Health America’s estimates, 20% of teens are clinically depressed because of school. For some students, it all about just passing and getting credits, and they’re OK with that. Others want straight A grades, and they can’t even stand to get a C. So students should stay strong, because it’s all on them whether they want to pass with a D or with an A, and hopefully an F is unacceptable for every student.
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Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
January 2018, page 2 | Student News
Ninth graders experience high school In order to succeed, freshmen have to discover self-motivation and organization
Kimberlynn Ramirez studies for her next English quiz.
By Michael Gil Ceballos ATTENDING a new school can be hard sometimes. Things like having new teachers, making new friends and not knowing where the classrooms are can make the first part of the school year very hard. Ninth graders are the number one class who experiences this a lot. Freshmen were used to the procedures of junior high and the size of it. They also understood how the teachers would react with their schoolwork. High school comes with a lot of homework and hard work, and the clever students have learned how to organize all of their school work and have managed to get all of it done. Other students, though, haven’t really been able to handle the stress and have stopped trying. It is ultimately up to the student to decide how they’ll handle it. One strategy that many ninth graders are still using is carrying around a binder. Many stop using binders once they start attending high school while others still use them to keep all of their work organized. “I have used binders since junior high, they have helped me
Theatre searches for King Joseph By Eric A. Antonio EVERYONE knows what a musical is, but not everyone knows how the process of an audition works. Here at Granger High, auditions just took place for Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which will be performed during the spring. Auditions for the show took place the first week of December, and a large cast was needed. This is a very active show about the book of Genesis from the Bible with an added dash of Broadway magic. Students auditioning had to perform 30 seconds of a popular song. A good number of Lancers auditioning were involved with theatre years before, but for others, it was their first year in theatre. This being said, some students had not been in a musical for a while or even a play, although this was not a barrier for them. “I feel like I am definitely rusty, but I am prepared, and I can definitely always learn more,” Melanie Dutton (11) said. The process of an audition depends on the type of show. For plays, the auditionee is required
to perform two contrasting monologues, each being one minute long. However, for a musical, the auditionee is required to perform 30 seconds of a Disney or Broadway song. Almost all of the students auditioning were nervous. Some were nervous because of the high number of auditionees, or performance anxiety. Being nervous is normal with auditions. “I am not nervous right now, but you can be prepared and as soon as you walk in the room all the fear will hit you, because it’s always scary to audition,” Jonathan Harr (12) said. Auditions are great because it can be a way to discover new features and techniques. The director of the play has a goal, which is to fill every role—but this does not guarantee a place in the musical. Most auditions are not based only on talent. “Auditions are not solely talent-based, they just mean you’re the right person for the show and cast, so you can’t let an audition dictate your personal value,” Ms. Anderson, a drama teacher, said. The director makes the final
choice, and it is strictly prohibited to cast someone just because they’re good friends with the director. The director makes decisions based on what the script requires—simply being in theatre for a long time does not guarantee a spot. Callbacks are additional auditions for specific roles that are decided by the director in order for an auditionee to perform a specific passage from the script or a song from the show. Callbacks do not mean an earned spot either, it means the director needs more from an auditionee to make a final decision. Not everyone is called back, and that also does not mean anything, it could mean being cut or the director already has an idea of what roles certain auditionees will be placed in. For most auditionees, what the director thinks is a stress and usually it is over-thought. “I feel like this might be selfish, but what I do is just not care what anyone thinks, and I just do what I have to do. I only care about my audition and no one else’s,” Alton Phonepraseuth (12) said.
Auditions for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat required Lancers to sing Disney or Broadway songs.
keep all my school work organized,” Giselle Perez (9) said. In its first years as a 9-12 school, Granger High gave a binder to all freshman students, and taught them how to organize. Monze Rodriguez (9) has enjoyed attending Granger this year, “My experience at Granger has been really good so far, I am doing good in my classes, thanks to my teachers,” Rodriguez said. She recently moved from California this year and has been trying to get used to the change. “I have really liked being at Granger this year. Especially for my English class, which has always been my favorite,” Fernando Alatorre (9) said. Many students have not found high school to be a big challenge, and they even think that it is actually easy. “The homework is not as bad as I thought it would be,” Kimberlynn Ramirez (9) said. “My teachers have been really nice to me and they show me that they care about my grade.” Ramirez has also used binders as a way to stay organized and keep her life stress-free. “Binders have really helped me throughout the year,” she said. She has enjoyed attending Granger because
of how welcoming the other students are. “Everyone is really nice,” Ramirez said. Other Lancers have not really had the best experience this year, though. “Something that has annoyed me this year is that some teachers have lost my papers for their class and have made me re-do them...it has really made this year harder for me,” Perez said. Teachers have played a big role in ninth graders’ first high school year. “My favorite teacher this year would have to be Mr. Mundt because he’s understanding and he’s so chill,” Maria Rendon (9) said. She has Mr. Mundt for her Skills for Life class. Some Lancers have created strategies to get themselves to do their schoolwork, “I let myself play video games only after I finish my schoolwork. It has really helped me at the times when I feel lazy, and I don’t want to do my schoolwork,” Mo Hamdan (9) said. Most freshmen believe that this year has been really good. Granger students and teachers should work together to keep Granger a welcoming school for everyone.
Juniors prep for ACT test
By Molirae Afemata ON FEBRUARY 27, Juniors will have the opportunity to take a test that will help determine their futures. The score on this test determines scholarship eligibility or which colleges students can get into. All juniors have to take the ACT test. On February 27, all other classes are excused except for the junior class. As the ACT test approaches for the juniors, they may tend to feel overwhelmed or stressed out. A good tip is to take practice tests and to time them. “They’re just testing you on what you know. If you don’t know the answer to a question, skip it, and go back to it later for time’s sake. Pace yourself,” Ms. Green said. While taking the ACT test it’s better to answer the easiest questions first. Some students get overwhelmed and end up choosing the wrong answer. Keep it simple and go with the first instinct. “Don’t stress, if you don’t know the answer come back to it,” Don Nuusila (12) said. Every junior will have the opportunity to retake the ACT test if he or she is not satisfied with the score from this first attempt. “Taking the test for the second time was easier for me. I felt like it was easier for me because my first time I felt a lot of pressure, and I was new to the feeling of the test,” Diego Garcia Lopez (12) said. The ACT tests students in math, reading, writing, science, and English. They will be given a time limit on each test. The ACT will sometimes have more than one correct answer to a problem. The purpose of having
more than one correct answer is to see if a student can pick out the best answer. “One thing that’ll make the test a little easier on you is to make sure you go to sleep at a decent time, eat a good breakfast, and try to prepare yourself for the test” Ms. Czapala said. Before taking the ACT test, get eight hours of sleep every night for a week. Sleep is very important. It helps maintain appetite and memory. Studies show that sleeping after learning something helps one’s memory with retention. When students eat a good breakfast before a test, it helps with concentration, performance, and it helps boost alertness as stated on the healthline.com website. For students who were dedicated to studies during the last ten years, the test should feel like a review and a be a little easier. Most juniors freak out because of the time limit on each given test section. Never leave a question unanswered because students never know the chances guessing an answer and getting it right— especially compared to not answering it all and automatically getting wrong. “Don’t focus too much on how much time you have left while you’re taking the test because if you worry about the time too much, you’ll really lose focus on the main purpose of the test,” Daniel Campos (12) said. The main purpose of the ACT test is for colleges to make admission decisions. It’s really up to students whether they want to do well or not. It is also very important to focus and take the test seriously, because it can be a ticket into college.
January 2018, page 3 | Opinion
Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
Depression is scary, and it happens to people you know
Opinion by Alexus Gillette DEPRESSION. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, is something that affects many of us. We would all like to either sweep it under the rug or just fix it entirely. The fact of the matter is that most people don’t take depression or anxiety seriously. It is something that is very discouraging to realize that someone you love may be suffering from something like this. Something that makes this problem even worse is that when you realize someone is suffering from this mental illness, you may not know how to help or react. “More than 50 percent believe major depression might result from people ‘expecting too much from life,’ and more than 40 percent believe it is the re-
sult of a lack of willpower. More than 60 percent said an effective treatment for major depression is to ‘pull yourself together,’ ” as stated on the everydayhealth.com website. Being personally affected by this issue gives you a whole new perspective on the subject. It is an issue that everyone gets uncomfortable talking about, so it’s is not something that is brought up lightly. It is important to understand the way depression and anxiety affect the school and the people around it. Many feel that the way to help these issues is to go straight to medication when in reality, people suffering with these issues just want someone to talk to and confide in. “Forcing yourself to ‘just be
happy’ when you are depressed is mentally and emotionally impossible. That’s like asking someone to get out of a cage without a key and then blaming them when they inevitably fail,” as stated on the themighty.com website. Another thing no one realizes about depression is that you don’t need a reason to be depressed. Trauma may initially cause the depression to surface, but it’s the chemicals in your brain that sort of malfunction in a way. Something like a loved one passing away, losing a friend, or even just stress can trigger depression. Something else that comes with depression is a host of many side effects. The list of effects is long, but the most common symptoms are: insomnia, sleep deprivation, anxiety, weight fluc-
tuation, and suicidal thoughts or actions. Anxiety is one of these symptoms that many people with depression can list. It keeps you up at night, and your small decisions all of a sudden become things that are seemingly too stressful to handle. Anxiety and depression are like the ring leaders, and they decide when you can have a good day or a day where all you want to do is curl up and be forgotten. These issues can affect how a person functions entirely. Without sleep, you don’t run as smoothly during the day. With too much sleep, you will still wake up tired. These issues can lead to an eating disorder, because when you’re tired, your immune system either works too fast or not fast enough. This just creates a new problem
to add on top of the others. This is not something to take lightly— especially when it is affecting your life. If people don’t start understanding the early signs or that this is a serious mental disease then by the time it actually matters, it might be too late. It’s all about helping anyone you can and not deciding that your friend with depression is more important than the kid sitting alone at lunch who is also suffering. In reality you don’t know everyone’s problems, and at first that kid may seem like they want nothing to do with you. You have to persevere, because in reality that kid may feel lost and wonder why no one can help. Be the light to show them otherwise.
Opinion By Andrew Tippetts NET NEUTRALITY is freedom in and on the internet. Our freedom on the internet has always been taken for granted by people of all ages, sizes, and shapes. Net neutrality is the concept that keeps that free flow of information on the net alive. Right now, we can watch movies and TV, YouTube videos, look up any question in the book, write essays, read books, and all that data is treated equally. There are so many possibilities on the internet, and net neutrality is the concept that keeps that protected. Net neutrality is threatened. In early November, an idea was
being discussed by President Trump’s FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai. This idea of killing today’s internet was talked about and put into motion with meetings, voting, and many other things. Net neutrality is not necessarily about the internet, but it is about the path that has been paved. This path is free and open to anybody and everybody. If this path is limited, huge companies like AT&T or Comcast will call all the shots, making certain companies succeed and others crumble. If you already don’t like paying for your Netflix, Apple Music, Spotify Premium, or any other subscription, net neutrality
being taken away will not make you happy either. New laws for the internet means less freedom, and speculations have been made that packages will be added to this. Big companies will sell these packaged bundles to give you access to certain websites or applications. This is not OK. The world today runs on the internet, and to have that freedom taken away would make the world crumble. The FCC has been rejected twice before this when trying to create net neutrality rules. For over a decade, rules were trying to be placed or taken away and being rejected. After the fighting
and voting, legislation came out with Title II. Title II makes big companies like Comcast or AT&T common carriers. Title II is the best possible set of net neutrality rules the FCC could give us. Now, they are trying to get rid of that. Getting rid of Title II will mean that big companies will not treat us equally. We might have to pay for faster internet, or to stream videos and music faster and in better quality. Net Neutrality is good for small businesses, entrepreneurs, kids, teens, adults- anyone that uses the internet. In particular, small businesses and entrepreneurs would have a very tough
time. If net neutrality is lost, making websites for yourself or for others will now be much harder. Emailing people photos or pitching an idea is going to be difficult and slow. Net neutrality is something we as a community, country, and world in general take for granted. We are a world that needs internet. Now, we might be losing open access to the internet, and it needs to be known. Voting, talking to others about the problems, and getting the information out there helps tremendously. Let’s keep the internet neutral and keep this freedom safe.
The free flow of all data on the internet is in jeopardy
AP kids struggle more than you think Opinion by Taea Edwards THERE are lots of different AP classes that kids can take here at Granger. Lots of kids think that it’s just a waste of time, while others see it as an opportunity. I’m in Mr. Cousins’s AP World Civilizations class, and I love it. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and I’m learning a lot. I’m not going to lie though, it is extremely difficult. I have an average of two hours of homework for every class period, I have to read collegelevel textbooks, and I have to learn how to write in a whole different way. I am a very English-based student—I love writing essays, writing opinions, and doing things with creativity. With AP, I have learned how to write logically, think critically, and cut the creativity. It has to be factual and to the point. I still love it, but it is definitely a harder curriculum. I love challenge and I love opportunity, but I feel like us AP students need more opportunities with classes that we actually want to take, and with the help we need in those classes. With the new challenge such as lots of homework and studying that comes with AP classes, I also have to arrange my after-school schedule. I have homework from other classes, ballet three days a week, and I am dealing with things at home. I took a look at other students that may not be in AP classes.
Everyone has struggles and problems. They might not be able to get a grade up because things at home may be weighing on them or many different things could build up that no one can avoid. This obviously weighs on the students. For failing kids, there are so many different options to help them stay above ground. There is after-school recovery that just started back up, which
“With AP, I have learned how to write logically, think critically, and cut the creativity.” helps in a multitude of ways. They have packets to make up for lost credits, and there is summer school to help kids start fresh for the next year. I understand that we AP students may not be failing our classes, but we feel like we have limited options. There is independent study, but I have not once seen that option on my class sign-up sheet. Not to mention that many of my teachers specifically say not to take those classes, because they look bad for college applications. When this problem became a discussion in my class, everyone agreed with Mr. Cousins about the fact that AP kids need some more help. I personally have re-
ally been struggling with all of my homework and with getting everything in on time, but it’s not possible for me to stretch time for myself. The only option I have at this point is staying up really late trying to get it all finished—but then I am completely out of it for the next day. Most of the kids in my class loved the thought of having an independent study class be an immediate option for AP students. If you sign up for an AP class, you should be offered an extra study period for that class, but if you don’t want it you don’t have to take it. But it should still be an easily accessible option for kids who just need a little extra time. Another idea is testing out of unreasonable classes. Financial literacy, health, and computer technology are some classes where some people get an A on the pre-test. It seems unreasonable that these people are being made to take an entire semester of a class in which they’ll learn nothing new. These class periods could be used for something that could actually be useful to them. It would simply be for kids who want to learn more and not simply review stuff they already know. I love my AP class, and I am planning on taking more, but I do think we could use a bit more help. We can get the work done, and we can do it well. I know that for a fact. But to give us some more options so we aren’t drowning in our homework.
Tri-Color Times Staff Editor in Chief Skye Rouse
Photo+Online Editor Hey, Lee Rigby
News Editor Gabriela Thompson Opinion Editor Taea Edwards Social Media Editor Calissa Loomis Junior Editor Alexus Gillette
Copy+Lifestyle Editor Madison McCurdy Sports Editor Bryon Brinley Photographer Kaylynn Gonzalez Scorekeeper Stephanie Gutierrez
Reporters Molirae Afemata Natalie Aiono Sanah Alkaswan Eric A. Antonio Kalesita Apele Karina Baez Edward Carrasco Allen Carrillo Aimal Esa Fine Finau Emily Francis Lorena Garcia Michael Gil Ceballos
Reporters Bryndi Harper Jr. Heimuli Braxton Henrie Nathan Hernandez Yecenia Leon-Melendez Gwen Loloma Nyibol Makol Jonathan Manriquez Ester Manriquez Marcia Tiffany Nguy Ariana Rojas Andrew Tippetts Hannah Wall
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.
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Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
January 2018, page 4 | Student Life
Granger is 50x bigger than a student’s old school Music helps Lancers focus By Tiffany Nguy NEW STUDENTS that are going to attend Granger High School usually come from a school that is similar in some aspect. Anniece Evans (11), however, came from Cedar Ridge High, which is a much smaller school than Granger. Each classroom at Cedar Ridge contains about fifteen students, and in the entire school there are only seven or eight teachers. Compare that amount of teachers and students to how many students and teachers Evans has seen around Granger High School, and it’s clear that Granger is very different from what she’s used to. Granger has more than three thousand students, and according to U.S. News, Cedar Ridge has under fifteen hundred students. That’s a big difference from Granger having packed lunches and hallways, it’s a bit bizarre to imagine how school would be like walking through the halls with only about 62 students walking all over school. Evans had five classes, and each class was seventy five minutes. “Granger’s interesting and different, it’s a big school, and I usually get lost,” Evans said. It’s no surprise that she’d get lost, as most students that are new to any school usually don’t know their way around and how things work. One thing that is different between Granger and Cedar Ridge is that math is an every-day class and is the only class that was re-
It’s a big change for Anniece as she switches from Cedar Ridge to Granger.
quired to be an every-day class. Evans doesn’t like to get involved with drama and likes to keep her friend group small, and she still keeps in touch with her friends from her old school. Her favorite things to do in her free time are reading and watching anime. Evans can connect with many students here at Granger High School because of the amount of students that have the same interests as her. Evans really didn’t have an idea of why she had to move to West Valley City, and she is now trying to get used to her new home since she came from such a small town. Cedar Ridge’s mascot is the Jaguars, and they have a time
after school that is called ‘Jag Time,’ which is a time where students can do their work that they haven’t finished in class. “After school I usually hang out with my cousins,” Evans said. “Most students go home and go straight to media, sleep, etc.” Evans has a different mentality than most because she likes hanging out with family, reading, and going out once in a while. When she’s not in school, Evans usually hangs out with her cousins that are all under 7 years old. It’s good that she spends time with her family because in this generation, it really seems like teens don’t really spend much time with family but more with their friends on their phones.
By Fineone Finau MUSIC is popular—almost everyone listens to music. Whether it be country, jazz, pop, or any other style, there are different types being played worldwide. Listening to music helps people relax, focus, and so much more. It is a stress reliever to most, but can be distraction to some. Walking around Granger halls, 90 percent of the students are listening to music with headphones. “I am always walking to class listening to music. Walking to class with no music just feels weird,” Alex Cervantes (10) said. Music can be background noise for some students. “It’s there when I need it to ignore the people I don’t want to conversate with, but that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you whenever my headphones are in,” Oseola Pauni (11) said. Most think of it as just a nice way of letting others know that a conversation isn’t needed. Students are always asking to listen to music while doing class work. Lancers say it helps them focus on the work needing to be done. There are types of music that helps students focus. Listening to violin instrumentals would not be the type of music most students want to listen to. Although it is soft, relaxing, and calm, it is sometimes considered to be boring. Most of the time, students are playing music while they are doing chores. The majority of the time they are playing music is
when they are doing homework. Music helps them focus and get things done without distractions. “Listening to music gets me going. It helps me focus on what I have to get done,” Angelica Vasquez (10) said. Listening to music that has a good beat or tune to it is better for most students than something that is just an instrumental. Many students listen to rap or slow jams that don’t really have a purpose to it. Not only is music jazz or pop, it can also be heard culturally. It’s something people dance to, sing to, or just listen to. “I love listening to my culture’s music. It’s slow and steady, and I could listen to it without worrying about cursing coming out,” Emyni Tupou (9) said. “No music and a quiet environment can make me sleepy fast,” Cervantes said. Not everyone can concentrate in the same learning environment. Most people can’t focus while there is a lot of noise going on. Many people need a quiet environment to be focused. Many students could agree that they are more focused on work when they are listening to music. Most teachers say it’s a distraction to students, though, because they worry more about the choice of music then the work in front of them, and some students agree. “If I am listening to music I like, I would focus more on the song than the work,” Aaliyah Christian (10) said.
January 2018, page 5 | Student Life
Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
David Simon plans to make big time future investments in cryptocurrency By Nathan Hernandez BITCOIN is the fastest cryptocurrency rising in value and is number one of the cryptocurrencies. Granger’s one and only David Simon (12) has been studying the values and the works of cryptocurrencies ever since Bitcoin first came into the picture. “Ever since I was younger, something about the dark web and Bitcoin caught my eye,” Simon said. Simon is 18 years old, and he played for the soccer team, but he is not an ordinary student considering this interest in cryptocurrencies. “Most students waste their time on social media; buying cars, shoes, and jewelry when they could invest their money to make even more money,” Simon said. He sees students lack of interest and awareness on cryptocurrencies as an advantage. “Almost no one of our age is paying attention to advancements in future technology of buying cryptocurrency which is untrackable, unregulated by any banks or government that keeps its price fluctuating when they drop price he plans to buy many and watch the price skyrocket up,” Simon
said. Simon explains the ways of getting rich off this electronic money. “Say that you find a currency that has been going moving up in chart that each coin is worth as little as twenty-five cents, but you were to buy ten thousand dollars’ worth of them which you end up with forty thousand coins if the price of one coin were to go up to even five dollars you would end up with two hundred thousand dollars,” Simon said. There is a chance at failing at this as well. “If you do not pay attention to the supply and how many coins are in circulation, you could pay a lot for a coin that will not even increase in value, reason being why Bitcoin has zoomed up the charts for one coin to be worth sixteen-thousand dollars as of now for the limited supply in them and how high in demand they are in a lot of people have become millionaires off Bitcoin,” Simon said. Simon’s high interest came from the fact that they first started using Bitcoin on the dark web to steal people’s identities and buy weapons without it tracking to personal buyers. Considering this, it is crazy how it can end up going towards something as sim-
ple as buying things on the amazon.com website. Besides that, Simon has high hopes and goals. He wants to get rich, eventually having his own business and be his own boss. Simon says he will continue to pay attention to the stocks. As of right now, Simon is indecisive about
By Hannah Wall INSPIRATIONAL people are everywhere, and each one is different. Danielle Pirillo (12) has had over twenty back surgeries and has been challenged with hearing loss over the course of her life. All of this has resulted in making her the strong person that she is today. At the beginning of Pirillo’s junior year, she was faced with yet another back surgery. This time, they were going to try and get rid of her pain. Yet it still required her to get through a long and strenuous recovery. “For the first month of school, I wasn’t allowed to come. I had to work with my counselor to be able to leave five minutes early from class or make it so I had the same teacher twice a day,” Pirillo said. It was the beginning of the year, and most of the things she was missing weren’t too hard, but that still meant that she was quickly falling behind. She also noticed that the majority of her friends seemed to forget about her. Thankfully though, she was a able to reconnect with one person in particular who was able to help
her. Pirillo and Nora Gallagher (12) became close friends in kindergarten. They remained a close pair until sixth grade when Gallagher changed schools and the two lost touch. It wasn’t until their sophomore year of high school that they reconnected. “Reconnecting with DeeDee was really great,” Gallagher said. They quickly became just as close as they had been years before. They began to inspire and push each other to do their best in every way possible. These two have a bond that will never be broken. One of the most important things to Pirillo, besides friendship, is her family. She is especially close to her grandparents. She shares a very special bond with both of her grandparents and loves spending as much time as possible at their house. She has always been able to go to her grandfather before her surgeries with any fear or worry, knowing that he will be able to calm her down. Over the years, her grandmother has become one of her best friends as well. “My favorite thing to do with DeeDee is first of all, is just be-
ing with her. To go places and get things when we go shopping. We like to do our shopping while grandma does her own shopping, she doesn’t know about it. I like that we have our secrets,” Hans Olsen, Pirillo’s grandfather, said. “I enjoy discussing books with her, and we have fun going shopping together and trying to lose grandpa. And she doesn’t let me go to five-dollar movie nights because there are too many old people there,” Marion Olsen, Pirillo’s grandmother, said. There are so many fun times among the three that have become some of Pirillo’s most treasured memories. They both cherish her and are thankful for the blessings she brings to them. They both have such great hopes for Pirillo, but most of all they want her to be happy. As a child, Pirillo spent most of her time in hospitals and doctors’ offices. She had a very unique experience, but it is one that has made her stronger as a human being. “I had to go for surgery twice a year and that was usually during the summer. So during those times it was just recovering. When I wasn’t doing that I was going to check-ups, but other than that I had a pretty normal childhood,” Pirillo said. Her childhood wasn’t completely abnormal thanks to a brother and a sister who were always willing to torture her, but she was always ready to torture them back. She has such an amazing family support system at home, and the backbone of that support system is her mother Becky Pirillo. “As a child, DeeDee was adventurous and fun-loving. She was always happy. And now she is just as fun-loving plus being kind-hearted, happy, and caring,” Becky Pirillo said.
going to college. “If college is in your path of getting the life and dream career you have always wanted, then go ahead—just don’t go to impress people around you if you could just skip it,” Simon said. He first wants to get his real estate license and buy an apart-
ment complex and rent out each to make stable money. “I did not have much growing up, and I hope I can provide more for my future children and get them things I could not get,” Simon said. Many students doubt Simon, but with the right investment, he might come out on top.
David Simon taking time out of lunch to study the current values of cryptocurrencies
Danielle refuses to stay down
Danielle loves to spend time with her close friends.
Lancers work hard at school and home By Jr. Heimuli SOME STUDENTS of Granger High work hard in school, work jobs, and play sports. Lancers continue to stay consistent and motivated to do more and more every day. “It’s an everyday thing for me, trying to stay consistent with school and wrestling and out of school work is difficult, but keeping motivated and focused makes me wanna keep going,” Luis Rivera (11) said. Rivera hopes to take his talents and skill to Brigham Young University and wants to take his legacy to the Olympics, as he wants to represent his country. Training, work, and school is not only hard in itself, but coming back from training and going straight to work can easily exhaust students. “Most of my days consist of straight work. If I’m not doing homework, I’m practicing basketball, and if I’m not doing basketball, I’m doing homework. Working with my uncles after practice is difficult because I’m tired from my sport, but I always tell myself to keep grinding and striving for a better future,” Junior Falemaka (10) said. Staying focused can not only be hard but frustrating by blocking out the distractions and people who want to doubt and bring Lancers down. “It’s not easy, people will tear you down and bring you to tears, but it’s about the process of going through the doubters and people who say I can’t. When I hit that
track, all I am is mentally focused and physically focused—the track is like home, and it takes all the pain away and makes me just want to run all my problems off. Trying to keep a full-time job after school with your dad is very difficult, but staying focused and motivated helps me every day,” Carlos Seofrata (11) said. Lancers have different struggles and obstacles they run into but being in a sport can take students places if they work hard enough. “I go to school and then I train for football with my uncle, and then I go straight to work, and I come back home and take care of my siblings, it’s very hard at times just being tired and wanting to go to bed but knowing you can’t is very difficult, just being able to remember what will be given after hard work always keeps me moving,” Tee Tonga (12) said. Granger High is very blessed with diversity, and that’s what makes Lancers different. “I am Cambodian, and I play basketball, and just being able to bond with my teammates is definitely a blessing and it makes me work hard. I work here and after school by taking care of my family and grandparents and siblings. They are my everyday inspiration to keep pushing myself to my limits,” Vuthy Rinn (10) said. Granger High’s Lancers are hard workers in the classroom and hard workers in the sports they do and as well as the after school work they do to support their families.
Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
January 2018, page 6 | Sports
Early conditioning may improve Granger’s soccer team for years to come By Bryon Brinley STAYING active is an essential part of most athlete’s success, and Coach Bewar has implemented early fitness into the agenda for the boys soccer team this year. It should come as no surprise that many of Granger’s sports teams this year want to beat the classic rivals of Granger High School. Teams tend to take any advantage they can find, and Bewar has decided that starting conditioning early would be a great benefit for the boys looking to try out for the soccer team this year. “When I coached at previous schools, we started early because we knew it would really help the team. Most kids here don’t have the motivation to work out by themselves, so having an adult figure there to help push them can really get them on the right track. It is a game that requires a lot of work and the kids will realize that they have to be ready to compete.” Coach Bewar said. Apart from being a great way to become fit for the upcoming season, many of the participants are seeing vast fitness improvements because of the early start, and the athletes think it will put them up top with some of the best teams in the region. “Many players are getting into the form that is expected, and that is something that I have not seen so far. I think with the hard work and the great coach we
have, Granger will take region. We want to change what Granger is known for and winning region would definitely change that,” Martin Cruz (10) said. Other players seem to think that although the early start to conditioning can be beneficial for most players, others need to be pushed harder than what they have become accustomed to. That way, they can keep a competitive edge. “Yeah conditioning helps a little, but kids have to do a lot more at home to become better. We really just have to push ourselves to improve. I don’t really think that doing conditioning is going to help us that much or at least as much as it should,” Jorge Gonzalez (12) said. Some of the younger players also seem to be enjoying the cohesion the team is starting to develop because of conditioning. It isn’t just friendships, it is creating a better team spirit and a more welcoming environment for new players. “I think that it is great of course. It creates friendships outside of the field and conditioning that allows us to play better. And this year, with the talent we have, we have to be above the rest of the region, so I think this will help us,” Luis Arevallo (10) said. Despite some criticism from some participants, the majority of players agree that the early start
this year has been very advantageous. Some wonder to what extent can this benefit the players participating in the years to come. “I think it is helping out a lot and I think it is helping some of the players to not be shy. I think that it will also really help out
later because we won’t have to be playing catch up with the other schools because we will be ready. I trust the process and hope it can keep going next year too.” Cesar Colorado (10) said. Perhaps this is a turn in the right direction for Granger’s boys
soccer team, a team that has endured some difficult years in the past. The players seem to believe that this year will be their year, and if that turns out to be true, then it can be almost assured they will credit this early start for years to come.
Cesar credits conditioning for his soccer tryout preparedness.
Isaiah Ventura wrestles his way to victory for Granger High School’s team By Braxton Henrie WHEN IT comes to wrestling, Isaiah Ventura (12) may not be the best, but that doesn’t matter. It’s his willingness to strive toward perfection that keeps him going. “When wrestling, the best thing is the sense of achievement when you win knowing you put in the hard work in to win,” said Ventura. The reason for his joining wrestling was because his friend asked him to join to stay in shape, and he has been in it ever since his sophomore year. “He doesn’t hate anybody, and all he wants to do is have fun and make jokes, which is fun to be around,” Millen Madsen (12) said. This year will be his first year on varsity, and he is very excited to see what happens. In December, his record stood at 7-5. Ventura plays other sports during the off-season like football and track and field to stay in
shape. “He is one of the fastest and most talented athletes I’ve ever seen and had the pleasure to play. He is one of the funniest guys to be around,” Angel Malepeai (12) said. His fastest pin time was recorded at 30 seconds during his junior season. He and his team expect to make playoffs and go to state this season. “He has the potential to go far in sports if he changes his mindset, because he has this mindset were he knows that there are people out there that are more talented, which hinders his performance on the matt,” Madsen said. Solid self-esteem and confidence are crucial because wrestling requires mental strength, too. “My cousin is my biggest role model because he is so kind, respectful and polite and he earns everybody’s respect right when they meet him,” Ventura said. His
biggest regret in his wrestling career is not starting sooner because he realized how fun it is much too late. “Nobody realizes this, but it is hard to be a student athlete. The athlete part is easy—show up to practices and meets and perform, but the student part is where it hits you especially when you don’t have enough time after practices or when you have to leave during a class to go to a meet. It gets even harder if you also have a job,” Ventura said. “I am a self-motivated person and player because I am not going to get anything done if I wait until everybody tells me too, I have to believe in myself to be able to succeed,” he said. “He is a genuine guy he is really nice and always helps out his friends whenever they have problems, and he always makes you smile,” Carlos Serrato (12) said. In his free time, he enjoys
sleeping to get fully rested and playing Xbox with his friends to take the edge off of his day. One of the meets that he is
most looking forward to this season is the Hunter match because it will be his last time going against Granger’s rival Hunter.
Isaiah Ventura’s attitude is respected by his teammates.
Students enjoy competition on Granger High Swim Team By Nyibol Makol THE SWIM team is currently splashing away the season and leading Granger toward victory. Swim is a sport that isn’t well recognized by everyone. However, the effort that each swimmer puts in is like every other sport. Unlike other sports, the swim team consider teams from other schools to be family. This includes our rival, Hunter High. “It’s about finishing the race, not the competition,” Bran Hester (12) said. Though it may sometimes be about competing, the swim team members think it all about being able to finish while continuing to have smiles
on their faces. Finding the correct sport may take more than months. “I tried every other sport, and I found swim and I liked it the most,” KayLynne Grant (10) said. Every sport has its own unique challenges. As for swim, it is not breathing while swimming in water and being able to learn new techniques that have to be done a certain way. Everyone has his or her own challenges that help a swimmer learn and move forward. “Learning new stuff has to be done in a specific way,” Grant said. Swim is a sport a lot of students don’t recognize as a sport and rather see it as just something
that is done for fun. Like football and basketball, swim is a competitive sport. Involvement in sport is great for making new friends and trying out new experiences, students never know what they’ll hate or like until they try it out. “Do it! You’ll make a lot of friends,” Grant said. Students should play a sport they love and want to always want to do and talk about. “I can talk about swim for days,” Hester said. There is always one or two things everyone loves about the sport they play. “What I like most is the physical effort of it,” Hester
said. Swim is a sport a lot of students would not be a interested in, but trying won’t hurt. Taking a class is a good way to test if it is something worth pursuing. “ I fell in love with swim while taking the class in the ninth grade,” Hester said. Swimmers have goals and they race against other athletes, but also against themselves for what are called personal bests. Other times, it’s all about perseverance. “It is all about finishing the race,” Hester said. Love and support comes with sport, you’re not winning for yourself, but rather for your team
and to reward the hard work all the swimmers put in during practice. “The swim team is like one big family,” Hester said. The swim team as a whole is a great team, because the support they give each other is great. The swim team is not really recognized by students and is not really talked about in the halls. Not that many students try out at all. The team would be happier if other people tried out to be on the team and enjoyed the sport. The swimmers on the team are all around good swimmers and hard workers, and like athletes in any other sport, they compete to win.
January 2018, page 7 | Sports
Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
Jaydon Semeli makes the leap into Granger’s varsity basketball team By Edward Carrasco SHOOTING hoops isn’t as simple as it may seem. Athletes have to make split second decisions, they have to figure out what’s around them, see where their teammates are, and decide whether to pass the ball or attempt a shot.
To make the basketball team in general is hard, to make the varsity team as a sophomore is even harder. But for Jaydon Semeli (10), it seemed to be no problem for him as basketball is one of his main hobbies. He also follows the NBA and the players as many
young athletes do. “My favorite basketball team is the Washington Wizards. My favorite player is John Wall, he is an all-around player, he can dunk, shoot, and has high IQ,” he said. A sport or an activity can be easy for some people especially,
Jaydon Semeli is prepared for what is coming this season.
when they start at such a young age. “I played since I was 3 years old, it’s easy. I play with my brother and cousin, it’s fun. At 7 years old, I joined the Junior Jazz,” Semeli said. The off-season is the time to prepare for the regular season. It’s the time to work on technique, prepare physically and mentally, and work on rhythm and footwork. Semeli takes full advantage of the offseason in order to prepare himself to have a great season. “My dad takes us to VASA, we wake up at 5 A.M., we workout legs and arms, we shoot 100 shots, we go home, eat, and then go back,” Semeli said. For many athletes, idoling their game like another professional athlete is common. For example football players such as running backs want to play the game like first-team, all-pro, twotime, pro-bowler running back Le’veon Bell. Soccer players may want to play like soccer living legend Cristiano Ronaldo. Even baseball pitchers may want to be like seven-time all-star and MVP Clayton Kershaw. “I idol my game like Kyrie Irving, because he can cross people up and make layups,” Semeli said. It takes hard work and determination to become an NBA finals champion superstar like Kyrie Irving himself, but it seems like Semeli has the drive and will
to become a superstar himself on the basketball court just like his decorated idol. Semeli’s hard work and dedication can be seen by his teammates as well. “He does his best, he’s a hard worker,” Fayad Batal (12) said. Certain personality characteristics are also a big reason Semeli stands out. “He’s humble, likes to play around, and he’s childish, loud, and talkative,” Batal said. Having a father as a motivation is a big thing. He is a person that has been there through it all, he is the person to look up to when in need. This seems to be the case for Semeli and his father. “My dad is my motivator because he works until night time, wakes up to workout with us, and goes back to work—he is always busy,” Semeli said. As an athlete, there is always that one game that to really look forward to playing. Reasons can be from rivalry to just tough competition. For Semeli, there is one game he has in mind that he can’t wait to play. “My expectation is to go undefeated and make the playoffs, because we have bench players that can play, we have no weaknesses, and if you’re tired, you don’t need to worry—we have good bench players,” Semeli said. Confidence is key as an athlete, and it is the reason Semeli has high expectations for the basketball team.
Cierra Olsen grows into a confident player on the court By Emily Francis THERE are more differences that the girls and boys basketball teams have other than their gender. The connection with the team, how they practice, and what
motivates them are just a few examples. It just takes a little more than a glance to discover their uniqueness. One player in particular is just one example of someone that helps the girls basketball
Cierra and Aspen on Granger’s team keep their focus on the basketball.
team show their differences. Here at Granger, one of the many ways to join a sports team is to go to open gym and participate. This is the way Cierra Olsen (12) found her encouragement to be on a team. “I went to open gym and the environment was just fun,” Olsen said. This happened during her sophomore year, where she also made some friends from both the softball and basketball teams. Joining a team can make you gain friends in an instant. “I actually met her my sophomore year through softball,” Aspen Earnshaw (12) said. Earnshaw shared that she loves how caring Olsen is and what a great friend she is. Her teammates agree. “I met Cierra my sophomore year when I tried out for the team. I love that she can always make you laugh or smile,” Nyibol Makol (12) said. After successfully making
it onto the team, Olsen became busier than usual. However, it has made a positive impact on her personal life. “Even though I am busy, it has also helped me come out of my shell and become more open,” Olsen said. Being on a team comes with the package of communication and trust. Athletes have to know how their team is doing for them to play the game all together. It can seem like a competition when there’s two basketball teams and one team is the opposite gender. In reality, it’s nothing like that. “I feel like the girls team is more open and talkative, but both teams are really good and are really cool,” Olsen said. “We need to remember that whether on the same team, club, or extra-curricular activity, we are all Granger Lancers,” Coach Smith said. When a team player meets her coach and team for the first time, it can seem a bit scary, so she
doesn’t show her full personality. “My first impression of Cierra would have to be that she was very shy and doesn’t like being in the spotlight,” Coach Smith said. Now, Olsen’s coach knows her as the coachable, positive player she really is. Olsen always brings a 100 percent effort to the classroom and the court. While Olsen is juggling the regular high school life and the sports team, it’s good to know she’s still the same person to her friends. “She is crazy and funny but a good person to vibe with,” Makol said. “She just acts like Cierra,” Earnshaw said. Olsen is surrounded by supportive friends, teammates, and a supportive coach. Which means it’s good vibes all around. Some will say that positive attitude is the biggest key to success in sports. If that is the case, then Olsen is sure to succeed on the court and beyond.
Ms. Lago loves dancing with the stars of the Excaliburs
By Bryndi Harper DRILL is a team sport. Take it from Ms. Lago who has 50 years of dancing experience including 28 years of teaching drill at Granger High. She knows all about teamwork and what it takes. “Drill team is a team sport, and there is no room for individuality,” Ms. Lago said. “The best part of my job is watching how [dancers] change. It is amazing how they change. It is incredible how they change.” “Drill is a lot of work, but I think it’s really rewarding,” Lago said. These dancers wake up every morning at 6:00 A.M. Except four weeks of the summer,
they’ve been at Granger all year since April dancing for twenty hours a week. Talk about dedication: these girls do it all for their love of dance. One of these dedicated dancers, Stormy Stevens (10), has been dancing for ten years. “Dance is a passion. I don’t know where I’d be without it,” Stevens said. “I love drill, and being a part of the team, I love the girls, and my coach is the best.” She says drill has changed her, and made her feel more confident. “Drill is an everyday thing, it’s just what I do. It is a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day it’s worth it,” she said.
Also on the drill team, Leslie Jara (10) has been dancing since freshman year. She tried out her freshman year, and made the team with only one year of dancing experience. “I was scared to start drill, there was so much for me to learn, but with the help of my team and coach, I have improved so much thanks to them,” Jara said. “Drill is a lifestyle. People say it’s dance or it’s practice, but it’s my life. It takes so much time, dedication, and commitment. We are going places as a team, and drill is something huge. It is my life. I am very proud of my team, I am very proud to be a Granger Excalibur.”
Leslie and Stormy are sophomores on drill, and they’re ready for more.
Tri-Color Times VOL. LX Issue 5
January 2018, page 8 | Reviews
Dragon Ball FighterZ is the best of the franchise
Review by Allen Carrillo DRAGON Ball FighterZ, which is set to release January 26, is a game that Dragon Ball Fans have been waiting for. It’ll come with all new arenas, new combos, and some amazing characters from the Namekian saga to the TOP arc (Tournament of Power). It is going to be available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and on Steam. Therefore, anyone can buy it and play it—so there is no excuse. So far there about 20 confirmed characters including Androids 17 and 18, Super Saiyan Blue Goku/Vegeta, and regular Super Saiyan. They are also adding Super Saiyan three Gotenks, and for the first time ever, they are finally adding Kid Buu. In the character trailer, he seems a bit overpowered for a form that does not really care about anything, but he still seems pretty fun. Even though it is set to release on January 26, you can pre-order the game just like anything else these days. The pre-order
includes early access to Super Saiyan Blue Goku/Vegeta instead of waiting for a while to unlock them in the game. In my opinion, that’s the lazy way to get them, which is for players with no skill at all. Whatever makes the player happy, I guess. Not much has been revealed about the storyline yet. However, we do know that it is set in Dragon Ball Super around the Future Trunks Ark. It will include a new villain by the name of Android 21. Much is still unknown about how the storyline will play out, but it is expected to be quite interesting and filled with challenges and matches to make you go full-on tryhard. This should be pretty interesting and fun. The game will go back to 2D fighting style, but with 3D character models. Looking at the fights in the trailer, it seems kind of weird to have 3D character models fighting in that form at first, but I hope it works out later when the game actually releases.
The fights still look pretty sick, especially the finishers or ultimate attacks—and you can tell they put a lot of time into design. So far, most of the attacks and combos are still sort of unknown to most characters, but the character trailers introduce the better ones. I am personally looking forward to the story mode, and I really wish that they would release more information about the plot or at least what it is about. The story is really important for those of us who just want to play alone every once in a while. All in all, Dragon Ball FighterZ seems like a game worth waiting for unless we are just over-hyping it like we did with No Man’s Sky, which ended up being an utter disappointment. So as long as the fan base does not expect too much from the game, I really do believe that it will be a pretty awesome fighting game. Especially with the classic 2D fighter aspect even though they are still 3D characters.
Marc E. Bassy’s storytelling makes his star rise
By Sanah Alkaswan MANY OF you know him for some of his previous albums like ; “East Hollywood’, But many were introduced / reintroduced to Marc E. Bassy in 2016 when he dropped his second EP “ Groovy People” or maybe you know him by his platinum breakthrough single, “ You and Me” featuring G-eazy. Sound familiar? If you know how good that song is then you know that the anticipation was high prior to his release of his debut album, Gossip Columns. Featuring Artists just as talented like the already familiar voice G-Eazy, YG, Kehlani, Kyle, and Bobby Brackins. When asked where his inspiration for the album and its name came from, he said, “I chose this album title [Gossip Columns] because these tracks are essentially sensationalized stories from my personal life, experience and observation,” as stated in an interview by Bianca Alysse on the
billboard.com website. Can you say deep?! Although Bassy points out the personal and emotional side of this album, he wants his fans to know prior to the release of this groovy, storytelling R&B album, “We put the same amount of effort and care into all the music. The rest is up to the people,” as stated on the billboard.com website. Love is a lot of things, but one thing for sure is it’s complicated, “Plot twist’ is the perfect song to describe it. When asked where the inspiration for the song came from and what it meant specifically to Bassy he said, “It’s about when a situation with a love interest turns into something more serious than you thought. [You] thought it was just gonna be like a one night stand, a casual sexual encounter, and then it turns into something more real, and something that lasts longer. And it kinda happened to me. So that’s where the song came from,” as
stated on the iheart.com website. Relatable? Personally, yes. My favorite song? Hard choice, but it’s “Made Love First” featuring Kehlani, an artist already added to my playlist. The song is about their relationship getting complicated by hooking up first before connecting emotionally. The theme is a relatable one. This whole album was a relatable one, It was the perfect closure to my feelings and 2017. What’s next for Bassy? Another album? A tour? The eagerness is real. When asked by Billboard’s Alysse what he had planned, Bassy said, “We are going to do this U.S. tour. And then my team is going to visit Europe, in December. We will be in 11 different European cities, for the first time. My band will be playing in small, intimate venues. It is really Gossip Columns season. We will be pushing the album everywhere,” as stated on the billboard.com website.
12 Strong based on real events Review by Jonathan Manriquez
THE MOVIE 12 Strong is about twelve soldiers that volunteered to go to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Their mission was to take down the Taliban and Al Qaeda with the help they were forced to use by the Northern Alliance. This movie looks like it will be really good to watch when it comes out on January 19. I plan to watch the movie because it has a lot of action. I am a big fan of action movies and I like watching movies that are based on real events that happened in the past. The movie combines four genres: action, drama, history, and war. Action and drama are there for the gun actions and all the intense moments between the soldiers. The drama can also be about how the families handle the situation. War and history go very well together because history is what happened in the past and wars have a lot of history that we don’t know about. There are some events that we do not know because government officials kept it classified from the people. The last movie that I watched that involved history and war was Zero Dark Thirty. That movie was about Navy Seals finding and killing Osama Bin Laden. There was also the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi that I am still trying to watch in my free time. This movie is about Islamic militants attacking the U.S. Consulate and killing Ambassador J. Christopher Ste-
vens and Sean Smith (an officer for the Foreign Services). There are also some other war movies that I watched, such as Pearl Harbor and Hacksaw Ridge. The movie 12 Strong will hopefully be worth watching in movie theatres. I really like these kinds of movies, but the trailers for any movie always make it appear hyped up. Then, sometimes the movie turns out to be bad. For example, the Transformers movies (except the first and second ones) and Stars Wars: Force Awakens are the only ones that I can think of off the top of my head. If 12 Strong turns out to be like that, I expect feel super disappointed. What would probably make me not like it if they change too much of the facts in the movie or take some out that would shorten the movie’s length. Sometimes the director takes out too much and can sometimes confuse the viewers because they don’t know what probably happened like two seconds ago. It better be good, because I would rather read and research about what had happened than watch bad movies. That is why I do not like watching history movies very much—the screenwriters and director remove some important facts or change how it happened. If they don’t do anything wrong and it turns out to be good, it will be on my list to recommend to everybody to watch in their free time. I just hope that the movie turns out to be great.
Dua Lipa’s self-titled album is rising on the charts Review by Gwenda Loloma DUA LIPA has become one of many successful singers in the music industry and has definitely boosted her career when it comes to the long run. There was one song in particular that caught my attention compared to all her other songs. The song “New Rules,” and it’s been viewed more than 850 million times on YouTube. The clip was very entertaining to watch because it was about a breakup, and it showed how all the girls in the clip were taking charge. With her YouTube clip being
viewed more than 850 million times, it made it to #13 on Billboard’s US chart as stated on the billboard.com website. It hit #1 on Billboard’s UK chart as stated on the genious.com website. Due to all the attention being generated by her popular new song, I think this would make a huge impact on her and her music career in the future. I’ve noticed that people in my generation are more likely to be interested in trap music and pop. This increases the benefits for those artists producing songs in this genre. Another favorite song of mine
from Dua Lipa’s latest album is “Blow Your Mind (Mwah).” This song is about a relationship being formed and being proud of who you are as an individual. This song is also considered another fan favorite peaking at #72 on Billboard’s chart with more than 130 million views on YouTube. I like the idea in the video of here where she and her friends empower other people and their relationships in the clip and throughout the song and where she was singing, “Tell me I’m too crazy, you can’t tame me, tell me I have changed, but I’m the same
me, old same me.” “I wanted to write a happy song, which doesn’t happen often because I always want to write something sad and dark,” Dua Lipa stated on the genius.com website. This statement from her was intriguing to me because she wanted to try something a little different from what she usually likes to sing about. Out of all of Dua Lipa’s songs, my favorite to listen to is “Genesis.” This song refers to biblical references as metaphors for passionate love as stated on the website genius.com.
I loved how the first verse stood out to me because it included some of the written statements stated in the bible, and for me that’s intriguing because I come from a religious background, myself. Overall I think that Dua Lipa’s album consists of very entertaining, soul-touching songs, and it will continue to astonish her fans worldwide. I recommend Dua Lipa’s self-titled album to anyone who is willing to listen to something new and listen to the lyrics carefully to understand the stories behind the songs.