Granger high school
Tri-Color Times An open forum for student opinion and expression
TRICOLORTIMES.COM
October 2021 LXIV-1
It’s not high school without big dances By Elma Kadic SCHOOL dances have had a longstanding history in student life and culture in high schools across the country, and here at Granger High School, that is no exception. Students have so much going on in their lives between school, extra-curricular activities, college applications, and so much more. It’s important to have events such as school dances for students to get out of the classroom environment and make memories. This year, everyone at Granger is eagerly waiting to attend inperson dances. Last school year, many dances were cancelled or postponed. Granger High
School’s student government members have played a huge role in organizing and planning safe school dances for everyone to attend this year. “School dances play a huge part in your high school experience. So being able to bring back all in person school dances this year is super exciting,” SBO President Mel ‘Iongi (12) said. After COVID hit, students missed out on a lot which included not having dances. “We plan on making this year’s school dances extra special because as we all know last year, we didn’t get the school dances we all deserved as high school students,”
‘Iongi said. Student Body Officers expressed their hopes for upcoming school dances and plan to make sure everyone is having the time of their lives, but also staying safe. Having fun and staying safe is very important for the staff and students here at Granger High School. For dances to take place this year, some things must change. Senior Class Vice President Oliver Yeh (12) had some things to say about how the dances may be different this year. Yeh talked a bit about the mask rules and what that might look like at this year’s school dances. “The mask rules at
school dances will be the same as in school. You can choose to wear a mask, but it is not going to be mandatory. However, we do encourage it,” Yeh said. At school dances, students usually choose to take a date. Whether that be a date from the home school or a different school. Granger High School is allowing in person school dances, but the administration wants to keep students safe. “If a student chooses to take a date from another school, that student will have to get a permission slip from Granger and then have it signed off with their principal in order to attend any Granger dance,” Yeh said.
Homecoming 2021 represented a solid return to traditional high school experiences with a nod to safety that cleverly made use of Granger’s courtyard.
Hallways are more crowded than ever
By Natalie Pereira OVERPOPULATION at Granger affects everyone in the school. According to a public school review titled “Largest Utah Public Schools,” Granger is the largest high school in the entire state. However, the more students there are, the harder it becomes to learn, to reach classes on time, and to maintain social distancing during a pandemic. Individual schools deal with overpopulation differently. “How schools deal with this problem affects student learning since overpopulation can hinder learning, reduce the quality of instructional planning, and lower morale among students and teachers,” according to an article called “Overpopulation in Schools Affecting Test Scores.” This can be very true, especially this year with 3500 Lancers enrolled at Granger High. Students think that there are
challenges because of the crowded hallways. “It’s hard enough getting to my classes in the first place. I have some classes out in the relos, so going back and forth drives me crazy,” Kati Mackony (9) said. Mackony also said that if the school made one-way hallways, or at least opened up the courtyard, it would be a lot easier to get to classes, and there could be more control and discipline. Not only does overpopulation affect the students at Granger High, it also affects the teachers and administration. “The challenge is, of course, making sure every student has the seat and resources they deserve. That’s hard when you have too many people,” Mr. Sandrock said. He enjoys teaching and being able to work with the students in his classroom, but he expressed that this increased number of students is new to him. “There are more students here
than I’ve ever seen before. They want this. I just wish they would not hold back their questions. The school appreciates the effort and dedication that the teachers give. Having good communication with students is very important so that they can receive the best high school experience. But do we have room for even more students next year and the year after? I don’t know — we may be hitting our limit pretty soon,” Mr. Sandrock said. He worries that an increase in the student population may cause interference. There is no doubt that this school year is a challenge. As more students attend Granger High, both students and teachers will need to get used to changes. America Romero (9) is a freshman that arrived from Eisenhower Junior High. Students in Eisenhower usually attend Taylorsville High School. Romero willingly chose
Granger because there are better opportunities, and she wanted to be able to attend school with her cousins. While overwhelming at times, there are some advantages to larger schools after all. “Large schools have the capacity to offer more specialized programs for disadvantaged students and students with special needs. A wide variety of classes and activities make it possible for students to find their niche,” as stated on the greatschools.org website. A large population may also increase opportunities for students. Granger High School is one of a kind. Throughout the school year, it’s likely that the students and teachers will face more challenges. However, the Lancers are what bring life to Granger. Students can count on this school to continue supporting them, despite crowded hallways, or other obstacles they might face.
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Fashion thrives at Granger High By Gigi Vera FASHION comes quick and dies fast. Typically, fashion doesn’t last long because people stop following old trends and start following something new. It also changes often because people have different views on fashion and different thoughts. Overall, fashion affects everyone differently. Many people get their sense of style from artists, influencers, social media, or celebrities. “I’ve liked fashion ever since I was little. I’ve got my sense of fashion from ASAP Rocky, Joji, and Boy Pablo. I think we should add more culture and people of the LGBT community into fashion,” Isabella Olmedo (10) said. There are all types of cultures and communities who share both similar and different clothing styles. People can get their sense of style from anyone or anything. Some feel that more culture should be added to the industry so people can feel welcome and safe. Shoes are one thing that have had a huge impact on trends. “I’m in love with shoes, personally I think shoes bring out more pop into what you are wearing. At the end of the day, you should wear whatever you feel comfortable and confident in,” Olmedo said. Shoes can really bring out more style in what the person is wearing. Some teens right now think they need to feel some type of way or look a certain way to fit in, and it can add a lot of pressure. “I started wearing things out of my comfort zone, which helped me a lot to be more confident with myself. I stopped caring about what other people thought and wore what made me comfortable. People feel as if only certain body types can dress a certain way, and the idea of there only being one way to dress to fit the beauty standards,” Paulina Hernandez (11) said. It’s important to still feel comfortable, confident, and like yourself no matter how you dress. With pressure to fit in comes confusion regarding what to wear. Many strive to wear what makes them happy. “If you’re having a hard time finding your style, that’s OK! Go for it, do whatever you want, it’s your body and you shouldn’t care about what others think. Do what makes you happy!” Hernandez said.
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October 2021, page 2 | Sports
Tri-Color Times VOL. LXIV Issue 1
Sports performance affected by air quality
Angeles spent many hours training indoors due to poor air quality.
By Kelly Ayala THE AIR quality this year has affected outdoor sports a lot. Many outdoor sports require running, which requires a lot of breathing. Poor air quality has caused many sports to make changes. Football and soccer have had problems with the air quality this year, so they made have had to make some modifications for the safety of the players. Even the Utah college football team was affected because of the smoke in the air. Utah had its worst air in a while on August 6th. “If the Utes did have a game scheduled, the game would’ve been canceled because of the AQI,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune. “If the AQI gets in the 150- 200 range, schools cannot play,” Mark Harlan, University of Utah Athletic Director, said. This means if the air quality gets over 150 in range, it is not safe to play sports outside. Due to the air quality, Granger’s football team could’ve cancelled practices. Many Granger sports teams
have been affected by the sudden change in air quality. “The football team had a very hard time with practice and games,” Garrett Cousins (11) said. Cousins said that last year, their practices were longer and easier. The games were more manageable. However, this year, Cousins reports that it’s harder to breathe. The players are getting tired faster. He says running is one of the hardest things this year. “It sucks, the air is affecting the sport,” Cousins said. He really didn’t like the air quality because it made the sport more difficult to play and handle. Granger’s Lady Lancers soccer team was also affected by the poor air quality. “A lot of practices were affected by the air quality. We had to do indoor practices for a few weeks because they couldn’t do much outdoor activities,” Angeles Marquez (12) said. Granger’s girls soccer team had to practice indoors for many days in August. The air never got better during the games. The quality of the air
remained the same, and on some occasions it would get worse. It was very difficult for people to do any sort of outdoor activity. “It doesn’t let us breathe good air,” Marquez said. Many of Granger’s athletes have been breathing bad air during their games and practices. Two soccer games were rescheduled due to poor air quality. Games were difficult to play outside and practices sometimes had to be canceled or moved indoors. There was also not much time to practice or good oxygen to breathe. They had horrible air inside their body and lungs. They had a harder time trying to get used to the air than practicing. Many athletes were disappointed with the changes made due to concerns over bad air quality. The current air situation could also be dangerous, especially for athletes that do outdoor sports. Indoor sports weren’t affected as much as outdoor sports. Overall, Utah’s poor air quality has made it much more difficult for some student athletes to practice.
Cheer is a sport, and cheerleaders are athletes By Whitnie Larsen WHEN STUDENTS think about Granger’s football team, they may or may not think about the athletes cheering for the team from the sidelines. Not the fans— the cheerleaders. They have been there every game, yet everyone seems to leave them out or forget that they exist. There’s hope that something will change soon and the cheerleaders will get the recognition they feel they deserve. Carlie Durland (12) is the cheer captain for the 2021-22 school year. “When you look at all the movies, you see how big cheerleaders are. Then you look at us and no one even knows who we are,” Durland said. Many of the cheerleaders agree with their captain; they would like to start getting recognition for all of the hard work they put into the sport. “We aren’t the same as we were four years ago, we just want a chance to show them that we are better than we used to be,” Durland said. “They make us look so big and
like we are the face of the school, yet the students hardly support us,” Lialyn Tolentino (11) said. Tolentino wants the administration to give them a chance and let them compete this year. “It’s the administration’s choice if we get to compete, not ours,” Tolentino said. Cheer’s showcase in the Lhallway has also been taken away from them this year, since they have no trophies. “We aren’t seen as a sport in their eyes,” Maria Arrioja (12) shared. Arrioja expressed that the team works hard on the sidelines, and they risk serious injuries. They condition just like any other sport, yet they feel as though they still aren’t seen. “We have more support than we did last year, but we still are fighting for recognition and support.” However, Dr. Dunn expressed that he is very proud of the cheerleaders. “They bring in great, great school spirit. They look professional and increase school spirit,” Dr. Dunn said. He also shared that they haven’t been
competing because of COVID, and the administration is looking into the possibility for the cheerleaders to compete this year. “It is the first year that cheer has been sanctioned to compete,” he said. Dr. Dunn communicated that administrators are trying to support cheer in whatever way that they can. “We love our cheerleaders, they make our school look good,” Dr. Dunn said. Cheerleaders feel as though they have been overlooked for years, and they are pushing for the support from peers and even the district board. To support the cheerleaders, they would like it if students came to their fund raisers and followed their instagram handle: @granger_cheer to see what events they have coming up. The cheerleaders would like to be treated the same way all other Granger sports teams are—with respect. They work hard every game to make sure that the school spirit is through the roof. They feel that they deserve to be more appreciated and supported.
Cheerleaders feel as though they have been overlooked for years, and they are pushing for support.
Kieshawn knows that “without grades, you can’t play.”
Sports & school tricky to balance By Belma Kadic BALANCING sports and staying on top of school may not be hard if the sport is truly important to the student. Some students will be willing to push themselves harder than others just so they can play the sport they love. The fear of being benched at games motivates students to complete their assignments and get good grades. It’s critical for students to have a reason for what they’re doing. Kieshawn Johnson (12) is a receiver for the Granger High School football team. He’s been playing football since he was seven years old, and it’s something he would like to continue to do in college. His practice goes through Monday-Wednesday and starts at 5:30 p.m. and finishes at 8:00 p.m. “We usually have study hall for football after school at 3:00 p.m., so we do homework and worry about football after, it’s kinda easy to stay on top of both,” Johnson said. Geraldine Sanchez (12), a dancer for the Granger High School dance company team, feels that it can be challenging at times if students are not communicating their struggles with their teachers. A big aspect of trying to balance school and sports is communication, and many athletes quickly learn how to hold themselves accountable. This is Sanchez’s first year on Granger’s dance company team, and her practices are everyday after school. Her 4th period on B-days
is also dance company, and that goes until 3:30 p.m. We asked Sanchez for some advice for other student athletes. “Try and get things done when they are given to you. If you are assigned an assignment try to finish as much as you can in that class period and not slack off, so you don’t have to do it at home and worry about it,” Sanchez said. Many students try to figure out how to make sure they are getting everything done on time. Melissa Zavala (12) plays right wing for the Granger High School soccer team. Melissa’s practices are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Game days are Tuesday and Thursday, and they usually run from 3:00-7:00 p.m. “It’s not really hard to balance sports and school, that’s only because I have a set schedule from the time we get to school, and the time we get out and the time practice starts and gets done,” Zavala said. School can be challenging as is, and adding a sport on top of it can make things even harder. It’s important for athletes to find a balance in order to continue doing both school and sports. It can be anything as simple as writing down a list of things that need to be done, or simply communicating with teachers. Students need to find the reason they are doing what they are, so they can continue to push themselves in order to continue to play the sport they love.
October 2021, page 3 | Student Life
Tri-Color Times VOL. LXIV Issue 1
Summer is great for hobbies
Yoselin plans to enter the field of cosmetology to gain work experience faster and at a younger age.
Many Lancers plan to graduate early
By Melissa Pérez THERE are many reasons to graduate early, but the most common reason among students usually has to do with college. A lot of students either want to start college early or take some extra time off to work for money to put towards college. Christy Nguyen (11) is currently taking college courses and plans to graduate early. “I’m born on the deadline, so I am held back a whole year because of that,” Nguyen said. She feels her current grade is too easy and wants something more challenging. Taking college courses in high school is helping her get done with general education classes so that she can spend her time in college focusing on her career goals of becoming a pediatrician. Other students like Analy Sandoval (12) want to take the extra time after graduating early to work and save money for college. A lot of students in our school depend on the money they earn to continue their education. Graduating early allows those students to work full time and be
able to pay for school. Mr. Babcock thinks that students who are graduating early to work should stay in school and take advantage of the cheap college classes. “As soon as you graduate, you’re no longer eligible for concurrent enrollment costs, so by graduating early you have to pay full price for everything,” Babcock said. However, some students don’t want to attend college, so staying in school for concurrent enrollment classes may not be a motivator for them. “I feel like college is not for me. I don’t want to waste money on college; I’d rather enter beauty school,” Yoselin Rosales (11) said. She wants to graduate early because she wants to be more experienced in her field at a young age. “I’m already ahead on all my credits, so I might as well be done with school,” Rosales said. Most kids that are planning to graduate early recommend others to do the same if they have a plan. However, if a student is still unsure about their future, Ms. Fortune recommends that they stay the extra semester or year to take
CE or GTI classes to explore different options and be more prepared for college. Mr. Babcock doesn’t encourage early graduation and prefers for students to stay in school. “Every single student that is attending here, in my opinion, has the right to be a kid,” Mr. Babcock said. Mr. Babcock believes that teenage lives should be fun and that the high school experience is more important than trying to get out of school faster. From a student’s point of view, Rosales said that the high school experience is important but, COVID has made things different. Early graduation seems to have caught the eyes of many students who currently feel that COVID has “taken away” their high school years. Whether it be graduating early to get a head start on their future or taking it slow and enjoying the high school years, students should be aware that they have options. If students are ahead on credits or want to start preparing for early graduation, they can talk to their counselors about options.
By Leyla Ilyazova ONE OF the most stressing questions to pose to a high school student might be, “What are your plans for after graduation?” And then, the heart stopper for the college bound, “What would you like to major in?” It’s OK to not know where to go after high school, but those questions can really loom. But there are many students who may have ideas in motion—and those ideas frequently circle around entrepreneurship. In 2020, with cancelled sports seasons, no in-person school, and relatively no social events, teens had what felt like unlimited time during the pandemic. While many students had invested their abundant energy sitting in bed looking through Netflix, some began to search for ways to utilize their abilities and time to earn some cash in their neighborhoods. “I wanted to express the love I have for art, doing nails was a great way to do so, it’s now been six months and I’ve met amazing
clients,” Briseyde Urquiza (12) said. Using social media to assist with publicizing products has proven to be incredibly successful for young entrepreneurs. Younger generations know the worth of their dynamic, active followers to assist with growing their businesses. Throughout the summer, social feeds and stories were filled with friends and family showcasing advertisements for teens, exhibiting everything from custom bracelets to baked sweets. “I’d promote my desserts on Instagram and Snapchat, my friends would repost my work, I would sell at truck meets and my mom told all her friends. I grew very quickly,” Marinthia Mendoza (12) said. Besides marketing, using time productively and organizational abilities are important to be mindful of when beginning a business. Between the stock, costs, materials, and advertising, cleanly managing time and staying on top of
orders is critical. While doing all of this, a working student must also stay caught up in school. “I have a job aside from selling bracelets, mainly to just cover bills. All the profit from my business goes towards funds for school. I’m good at managing school and work, but if I wanted to join extracurricular clubs, I know I wouldn’t have the time,” Elizabeth Aldana (12) said. As a teen entrepreneur, a person will gain experience like no other. One might learn the ability to solve problems, think critically, and be inventive and imaginative. Young entrepreneurs may also learn how to pursue future goals that may be overwhelming to others but will come more easily to young businesspeople. “The idea that keeps me motivated is that starting little can become something so big in no time,” Aldana said. This pandemic has uncovered a rush of youthful entrepreneurs and has given us a brief look at the future for our economy.
Teens are building big businesses
By Angie Ramirez DURING lockdown and over the summer, students had the chance to try new things. Some people learned new skills; some of which could be just a hobby, while others can be made into a career. Some may choose to become a hair tech, nail tech, or maybe even a photographer. Hair and nail techs can take classes and learn how to become a professional. “One new hobby I started over the summer is that I went to Mexico and enrolled into nail classes. After a month and a half, I finished the first course and I was able to go to the more advanced class and finish it after a month. I also took some swimming classes for about two months but soon got tired of it,” Amisadai Escobedo (9) said. Another possible hobby would be trying photography. Students can take pictures with a phone to find out if it’s something they enjoy. If it is, then they can opt to get a professional camera. New hobbies could also include gaming. New games that came out in 2020 were Resident Evil 3, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Animal Crossing: New Horizon. These examples show that hobbies can
take many different forms. Some sports that have been tried by students over the summer are basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and more. “Last summer I tried volleyball and made it to the lady lancers. I also tried gaming. I would like to try for the cheer team and maybe be captain,” Daniella Duran (9) said. Trying out for sports can be a great way to spend your free time. Another hobby that you can do is arts and crafts. One example of this could be improving and upcycling clothes or making your own clothes. “Some new hobbies I’ve done over the summer would be drawing on pants and making jewelry,” Shareth Perez (9) said. Creating things from scratch is a great way to spend your time as well. With COVID making it so many were at home for so long, it made people want to try new things with all the extra time. Lancer students were particularly interested in beauty classes, photography, gaming, sports, and arts. Any of these extra-curricular activities can be turned into future careers. Many feel that it is important to have something you enjoy doing in your free time.
Shareth’s summer hobbies include drawing on pants and making jewelry.
Tri-Color Times Staff Editor in Chief Jocelyn Roberts Managing Editor Haidee Smith Copy Editor Abby Shepherd Social Media Editor Angie Ramirez
Student News Editor Elma Kadic Student Life Editor Melissa Perez Sports Editor Whitnie Larsen
Reporters Jose Acevedo Adrian Aguirre Andres Anaya-Lopez Kelly Ayala Kenyon Barnes Althia Emijwa Mapu Fuatogi Arius Hardman Callie Heath Emma Hernandez Rylee Hiss Leyla Ilyazova Jenny Jimenez Karmela Johnson
Reporters Annika Jones Belma Kadic Mia Mariche Irae Mautoatasi Japoro Musafira Pilar Olvera Natalie Pereira Rachana Rin Katie Roboledo Belen Suazo Maryann Tumanuvao Penelope Vann Amired Vargas Gigi Vera
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.
Tri-Color Times c/o Granger High 3580 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 (385) 646-5320
October 2021, page 4 | Student News
Tri-Color Times VOL. LXIV Issue 1
COVID rules keep changing By Pilar Olvera COVID rules are constantly and dramatically changing. The whole world seems to change in a second these days. Lives are often permanently altered. As COVID cases decrease, students now have the option not to wear a mask. The president encourages everyone to get vaccinated according to the cnn.com website. COVID has changed everyone’s lives to the extent where humans don’t seem to be surprised by much anymore. Recently, people seem to not be following COVID guidelines, wearing masks, staying six feet apart, and staying home if they are sick. Although COVID has changed the world’s perspective of living a good life, there are certain rules to still be followed and many feel it is important not to break them. “I personally think that since COVID has become a super big impact on our lives, it will probably never go away,” Rose De Lacy (11) said. People are starting to believe that COVID is like clouds; it is always there even when they aren’t visible to see. COVID cases are still being reported every day. Thousands of COVID cases are still reported by the media every day. “It’s a scary thing to think about, you never expect what comes after agreeing to break down some of these rules, if people don’t want to follow
rules, it’s their fault but I can encourage them to,” Norally Perez (11) said. Encouraging students to follow rules is something administration struggles with, especially rules that involve COVID since we are such a big school. COVID impacts all our lives in many ways. COVID crushes the hearts of people who can’t hug or see a person’s loved ones. “Quarantine made me bored all the time, I couldn’t hang out with my friends or even see my girlfriend, it was just awful” Cameron Hernandez (12) said. Relationships during the time where COVID guidelines were super strict made relationships drift and made it difficult to spend quality time together. This created a sense that they were missing out. Lancers really miss seeing their loved ones. “When I got to see my girlfriend, I never felt more connected with her than ever before and it was so special,” Hernandez said. The virus has made it difficult for us all to fully love and cherish the ones around us. What all people can do right now is wait and believe the good in the world can return by bringing families together and enjoying every moment of everyday life with no worries. Right now, it is important to take the time to enjoy the little things and keep heads up in hopes that normal life may resume soon.
jostensyearbooks.com Jobs can have a negative effect on teenagers By Belen Suazo MANY TEENAGERS are currently exploring the idea of being involved in the workplace. There are a lot of pros and cons that come with students working. Being able to manage school and work takes a lot of effort on the student’s part, so there is a lot one must consider before getting a job. Cindy Sepulveda (12) has had a lot of experience in housekeeping, the food industry, and being a sales associate at Walmart. Sepulveda didn’t expect to have any problems at Walmart; however, she faced some difficulties when it came to interacting with coworkers. “I was kind of annoyed when my coworkers would bring problems into work,” Sepulveda said. She felt unsatisfied when working at Walmart because her coworkers had made the experience unbearable. “Overall, I rate the job a four out of ten because of the coworkers,” Sepulveda said. She has left her job at Walmart and is now taking a break from working full time. She has been helping her sister with housekeeping when she has the time. “It’s hard work. In a lot of res-
taurants, it’s greasy. If you’re a server, you can bust your buns all night with an obnoxious and demanding table and get a 5% tip,” according to the EvilHRLady.org website. If teenagers do choose to have a job, it seems common to pick a job in the food industry. Israel Hernandez (11) believes that working at a fast-food restaurant is a lot of fun. Israel first started working at Cafe Rio, a Mexican grill. He said he enjoyed working there because of the environment he was in. Later, Hernandez switched to working at Freddy’s Frozen Custards and Steakburgers. “I really wanted to start working so I could feel independent,’’ Hernandez said. Some teenagers say they start working so they can earn money. Some students, like Hernandez, want to start working at a young age to develop skills such as responsibility and independence. Working as a teenager gives students an opportunity to understand how the real world works. “Working during high school can also negatively affect students’ social lives. Students who work in high school are less likely
to be involved in extracurricular activities,” says an article on The Classroom. Many people believe that having a job affects your ability to join any extracurricular activities, and Ahmed Mohamed (11) said that this statement is somewhat true. Mohamed has had a job while also maintaining a spot on Granger’s football team. Two of the jobs Mohamed worked at were the grocery store Lucky’s and the restaurant Whole Life. While managing a job, school, and a sport, Mohamed was faced with many difficulties in his personal life and school life. Although he was faced with obstacles along the way, he had family and friends that helped him manage a job and school. Overall, working as a student can be tedious and overwhelming. However, students can gain a lot of important life skills while working. Depending on the job and the environment, students can also find working a bit fun. If students have good time management skills, they can successfully work and succeed in school. Support from the people in their lives also makes it a lot easier to handle.
Anxiety while driving is a common experience for motor-minded Lancers By Adrian Aguirre DRIVING is something that most everyone does at some point in their lives. It helps us get to work, school, go out with friends, and so much more. Some people find it therapeutic, while others don’t. Imagine getting into a car, everything is going good, then “BOOM!” — it hits something. Every single thing that could go wrong comes to mind. Many drivers experience anxiety. Driving can be nerve-racking. According to healthline.com website, about 12.5% of Americans have had experiences with specific phobias. These phobias include driving phobia or driver’s anxiety. Some Granger students admit to feeling anxious about driving. “I definitely get driver’s anxiety,” Amy Terrazas (11) said. “I just think of messing up or hitting another car, and also other people’s reckless ways of driving,” Terrazas said. Usually when
that happens, she usually tries to calm herself before going on the road. Once she’s on the road, she focuses on her vehicle and what she’s doing. When it comes to giving advice to people with driving anxiety, “I would say don’t rush anything. When driving, try to stay on familiar roads,” Terrazas said. Young drivers are encouraged to stay safe, and not push themselves too hard. Driver’s anxiety is very hard on people, especially teens who are starting to drive. Teens are sometimes pressured by their parents to start learning how to drive, which could also cause them to get anxious while driving. “This could create such an overwhelm that the driver experiences a panic attack while on the road, which is not only frightening, but unsafe,” according to Erica Curtis, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Other Granger students mention that driving can be helpful to them. “I guess the speed just helps me focus on the road and not my problems. It helps me feel like all of my problems are behind me,” Candelaria Lopez (11) explained. Lopez says that she doesn’t experience driver’s anxiety. Lopez expressed that she loves driving, and she loves speeding. “I am a chill driver, unless I’m in a bad mood,” Lopez said. “I think I usually just lane switch a lot, because I like to go fast to get rid of those feelings,” Lopez said. She also says, before she started driving, she wished she knew how many slow drivers there are. Lopez shared her advice for new or anxious drivers. “Yeah, don’t worry about how fast or slow you are going. If it is really bothering the person behind you, they will go around,” Lopez said. Driver’s Anxiety shouldn’t be
the reason that stops people from driving at all. People should find
out what is making them anxious and try to get past it.
Candelaria says that she doesn’t experience driver’s anxiety.
Bullying can have a major impact on a person’s life By Emma Hernandez Bullying happens everywhere, but often goes unnoticed. “I feel like bullying is something that happens a lot more than you think. Sadly, I’ve probably seen it in a way that people try to play off as jokingly, like playing around but totally bullying and taking it too far,” Evelyn Barrera (11) said. She feels that bullying isn’t taken seriously. Barrera mentioned that she tries to speak up whenever she sees bullying happen. Many other Granger students mention witnessing bullying in the past. Azul Rivera (12) agrees with
Barrera and has expressed that people take it too far. “I’ve witnessed it before, bullies just think it’s a joke and playing around, and to me it’s not OK and not cool because you can see the person who’s being bullied,” Rivera said. She thinks that bullying is unfair and mean. Rivera remembers a group of girls back in elementary school who were bullies. They targeted one girl, but she did not participate. She was friends with them only because the group of girls felt like the only people she had. Rivera has expressed that she always does what is necessary to
stop bullying. Good people like Rivera help make Granger a better school Rivera has interfered with bullying before, “I actually stopped them a bunch of times for bullying that girl since first grade, and they finally stopped in third grade,” she said. She felt bad, but tried her best and later stopped being friends with that group. “Bullying is taunting someone or hurting someone’s feelings on purpose, if I was to see a bully get bullied I wouldn’t do anything,” Rivera said. Some may believe that bullying may come back to bite the bully later on.
Rivera says that she has never seen bullying happen at Granger High School. To Rivera, bullying is someone using their power to control or take advantage of someone’s personal feelings. Rivera encourages students to try their best to ignore it or get help. Many students feel it gets worse in high school. “Bullying is different now because when we were younger we didn’t have the technology to go and harass people on social media,” Yanira Mendoza (12) said. She feels uncomfortable and disgusted thinking about the fact that people still do it these days.
Mendoza mentioned how students did not always have phones and social media to cyberbully, which is why it happens more often today. It may be why people don’t see bullying as often in person now. Mendoza says if she sees someone getting bullied, she usually tries to get help. “If I was the one getting bullied I would probably go home to tell my parents, especially my mom, because she would take charge,” Mendoza said. Whether it’s a parent, teacher, or administration, there’s always someone who can, and will, provide help.