The Roar | Volume 9 | Issue 2 | November 2013

THE STUDENT VOICE OF WHITNEY HIGH

how safe is your identity?

PAGE 14

online friends real-life STRANGERS PAGE 16

VOL. 9, ISSUE 2 NOVEMBER 2013

CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

5

NEWS

4 Teacher contracts

HEALTH 5 Asthma 6 E-cigs and vapor pens 8 Napping

12

SPORTS

16

10 Sports hobbies 12 Athletic study hall

FEATURE

14 Online identity

TECH

16 Online relationships

14

ENTERTAINMENT

18

18 “Catching Fire” preview

Cover photo illustration by KAVLEEN SINGH

THE ROAR

WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL

701 WILDCAT BLVD.

editors-in-chief

sports editor

THERESA KIM KAVLEEN SINGH

ARIELLA APPLEBY

adviser

copy editor HARMONY REILLY

SARAH NICHOLS, MJE

THE ROAR staff ABI BROOKS, SELENA CERVANTES, OLIVIA GRAHL, SAVANNAH HOUDEK, KOLETTE KING, KALEEN SINGH, DESIREE STONE, CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

ROCKLIN, CALIF. 95765

916-632-6500

The Roar is a student publication planned and produced by the journalism class at Whitney High School. The news magazine is an open forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Columns represent the viewpoints of individual writers and are not representative of the opinions of the student body, faculty or administration of Whitney High School or Rocklin Unified School District.

Staff members of The Roar practice ethical student journalism by providing fair and balanced coverage as determined by community standards.

Students working to publish each issue strive to achieve accuracy by checking sources, spelling and quotes as well as obtaining a variety of credible sources. The staff regrets any errors or omissions.

For information about advertising, contact The Roar at theroar@rocklin.k12.ca.us.

Visit www.whitneyupdate.com for news, sports, opinion, entertainment and more.

We’ll keep you posted.

WHITNEY HIGH STUDENT MEDIA Visit www.whitneyupdate.com for the latest in news, sports, entertainment, opinion and more

www.twitter.com/whitneyupdate

www.facebook.com/whitneyupdate THE ROAR

2

no compensation

they need more representation

W

e all know how bad the economy is. Turn on any news channel and we’re bound to hear the word “economy” mentioned at least several times in the span of a few minutes. But has there been much thought to how this dwindling economy affects teachers in our school district? Are they faring well? Do their salaries adjust to the increasing cost-of-living of our day?

The short answer is no. Our teachers aren’t being compensated as much as they should be for all the work they do. It’s not just teaching or grading or giving students detention if they come to class late; teachers are involved in every aspect of school besides “teaching.” In other words, just like how students are engaged in extracurricular activities, teachers are as well. They do more than they’ve ever done. In the eight years of this school, programs have expanded to more than 40 clubs, after-school tutoring, competitive co-curricular groups attending national conferences, weekend study sessions for advanced and AP classes and a variety of other time-consuming projects led by our teachers. This is all on top of the hours they work during regular school hours.

It’s all outlined in their contract. The Rocklin Professional Teachers Association has an agreement stating that high school teachers have 16 hours of extra-duty assignments, such as working the snack bar at a football game. However, teachers here also work harder and work extra because they care about students and strive to see the best results out of their teaching.

There comes a point where if our teachers work hard and see no pay increase, they might just call it quits. Student who work at In ‘N Out see pay raises every few months, but teachers in our district have worked hard for seven years with no change.

They have families to support, and many have kids who will want to attend college just as we do. There’s a strong potential for our teachers to move to a district with a higher salary — such as just a few miles away in Roseville — and students will suffer by losing quality teachers.

A recent article by “The Economist” discusses the importance

Illustration by KAVLEEN SINGH

EDITORIAL

of quality teachers on students, and students are more likely to go to college and work in higher paying jobs if their high school teachers were passionate about their job and cared enough to engage students creatively. Our teachers do this for us, but unfortunately, they have static incomes.

As it turns out, we can help with this matter. Attend a board meeting at the district office. It may sound as bad as On Campus Suspension, but sometimes the process to gain something beneficial can be boring. If it’s too much for you to go through, talk to your parents. They are the people who voted the board members in, after all; they have a powerful voice in their actions and decisions. There is power, and there is a solution.

Basically what happens at the board meetings is a negotiation, and the procedures for one are outlined in the Rocklin Professional Teachers Association contract agreement. The district says they want to do one thing, and the teachers, parents, or whoever is interested in the matter offer input or a solution. It’s like a debate: it goes back-and-forth until, hopefully, they all reach a compromise.

But what if you, the student, don’t care about what’s happening?

It’s expected for some, if not many, to feel this way. Especially if such students never liked school or don’t appreciate their teachers.

But personal grudges and opinions aside, our teachers are making a living just like everyone else and should be compensated for their duties justly. They provide an invaluable service by dedicating their lives to teaching us, and teaching us well. Just last month we learned that our school API score increased from last year, further proof that teachers are doing their best for us.

We often take the kind of education we get for granted. There are places in the world where teachers are not fully qualified or don’t know the material well enough to instruct the students. We are fortunate to have teachers who know what they are doing and understanding this plight may help prevent any loss of a valuable teacher. In fact, we hope you can begin to understand this issue even further by reading our story on page 4.

3

NOVEMBER 2013

NEWS

starting the conversation

Teacher union begins negotiations toward cost of living increase after seven-year freeze

B

“It’s really hard for one individual teacher to go and request the district ‘I’d like 5 percent’ versus a whole membership saying ‘We’d like the 5 percent,’” Ustaszewski said.

Students can also play a role by attending board meetings to address any of their concerns.

“If you want a better education, if you want more teacher involvement, if you want teachers doing more for the student body, we are ready to do this based on the fact we are in this profession because we care. But there’s a point where [we] also need to eat and feed [our families]. That’s a greater care than where I’m at right now with not getting compensated for extra duties and extra hours. If the students were more aware of that, they can address the district, school board members or people in the community by saying, ‘We need to compensate these teachers for what they’ve done,’” Ustaszewski said.

Students can also encourage their parents to get involved as well, since it is the parents who vote the board members in and thus carry a significant voice in their decisions.

“Students aren’t able to vote, but they are able to go to the board meetings, and their parents, who have a very loud voice, are able to go to the board meetings as well or email the board members or the district personnel,” RTPA member Mr. Daniel Parker said.

“The board is an elected group of people, elected by parents. If the parents speak up, they’re gonna listen.”

Parker is not an official representative of the union, but he has attended recent board meetings, which occur twice a month at the district office, regarding this issue.

“Our whole department went in and sat in on a meeting. They were trying to explain all the different categories of expenses that the district has,” Parker said.

Compared to schools nearby such as the Roseville Joint Union High District, RUSD pays their teachers significantly less. With this in mind, teachers in this district could potentially move from this district to another one if they feel their compensation is inadequate.

According to an October 2013 article from “The Economist,” a strong correlation exists between exposure to better teachers and an increased probability of attending university. If quality teachers from the school district were to leave, it could damage students.

Parker said, “I love it here. All the teachers in this district, both Rocklin and Whitney, we love it here. We do wanna stay, but we just KAVLEEN SINGH want what’s fair.”

etween 6:45 and 7 a.m., Mr. Tim Farnan begins his day at school. He greets students who flock to his desk during break, asking about missing assignments or clarifying any concepts learned in class. The next two periods are time to teach, until intervention hits; again students come needing Farnan’s guidance in some way. Some days include a department meeting during lunch.

After his prep period, Farnan’s day continues after school with golf and football practices, his stay on campus extending until 7 p.m. On game days, Farnan works with students until 10:30 p.m.

His story is one of many among an active teaching staff.

Despite these activities required of teachers, and the extra time they choose to commit, teachers in this district have not gotten pay raises in seven years to accommodate the increasing cost of living.

“The cost-of-living adjustment, whether it be electricity or just groceries or things like that, goes up every year, and it goes up by a certain percent. But because of the economic issues in the last [seven] years, there has not been any money given to districts to compensate teachers,” Rocklin Professional Teachers Association representative Ms. Kari Ustaszewski said.

In order to address these issues, the district has options to cut back on programs and staff, increase class sizes, or incorporate more furlough days, in which teachers have certain days off without pay in the school year.

“In the past few years, we’ve opted to try to accommodate the district. It’s not good to have, say, 60 kids in a math class. We don’t want the classes to be that high, so teachers have taken furlough days. In some cases, teachers are actually making less than what their salary was six years ago,” Ustaszewski said.

Teacher unions play a major role in negotiations with the district in regards to teacher salaries. They look at the funds and budget and exist to protect employees’ rights. Representatives for that union, such as Ustaszewski, act as middlemen between union members and the union itself. If a member has a complaint or concern, it is the representative’s job to channel them to the union.

When money comes in from the state, the district determines where it goes. If, for example, the cost-of-living adjustment is 5 percent this year, and a teacher requests a 5 percent raise for that cost-of-living adjustment, the district is not obliged to adhere to that exact percentage. They can potentially offer a 1 percent raise instead, and that’s where the union would step in to negotiate further based on whether they consider that option to be appropriate.

$69,427 $64,627

future district board meetings

SOURCE: Sacramento Bee

All meetings start at 7 p.m. at 2615 Sierra Meadows Drive

average Roseville Joint Union High teacher salary

average Rocklin Unified School District teacher salary

THE ROAR

• Nov 20 • Dec 4 • Dec 18

• Jan 15 • Feb 5 • Feb 19

• March 5 • March 19 • April 2 4

• May 7 • May 21 • June 18

Nope, not this kind of cola.

what is

COLA?

COLA stands for cost-of-living adjustment, and is a change in salary based on how much it costs to live in a certain place.

HEALTH

taking a breath

Quetzal Garcia demonstrates how her asthma inhaler works. Photo by DESIREE STONE

Athletes with asthma experience difficulties, learn to manage condition

H

er chest was throbbing, her lungs tight. It was nearly impossible to breathe and she didn’t know what was happening. Her legs felt like Jello, and after she crossed the finish line, she collapsed.

Alana Vieira had experienced her first asthma attack.

“I didn’t know I had asthma, so I ran the 400-meter in a full-on sprint. When I finished I collapsed, and they had to drive me off of the track,” Vieira said.

Asthma is a chronic condition of the lungs that has two main components; constriction, the tightening of the muscles surrounding the airways, and inflammation, when they are swollen and irritated.

According to Health Care South, asthma affects 7 million kids and teens in the United States.

As for athletes here, having asthma and playing a sport can be difficult.

“When I’m doing [a physical activity] it makes my chest tight and it is super hard to breathe,” Vieira said.

Vieira was diagnosed just this past summer.

“I didn’t even know I had asthma, but my mom has it, so I wasn’t surprised,” Vieira said.

Asthma is commonly associated with a family history of the same illness, but scientists believe it can be acquired other ways as well. No one is sure of the exact cause, but there are several environmental factors that can play a role in the development of asthma including allergies, certain respiratory infections during childhood and even constantly being surrounded by air pollutants such as cigarette smoke.

“When allergy season comes around I have to have my inhaler handy because the pollen in the air is really bad for my asthma,” Jazmyne Harris said.

Certain toxins can also irritate the lungs and make it difficult to inhale and exhale.

“Having asthma is really scary sometimes. People commonly think of asthma as just not being able to run for a super long time or something but it’s a lot more than that. If you’re surrounded by anything that irritates your lungs, you can’t breathe, and breathing is essential,” Quetzal Garcia said.

Being diagnosed with asthma can be hard at first but can also be a relief.

“I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 8 and it was a big weight lifted off of my parents shoulders because they were very worried about my inability to breathe. I now can live with my asthma because of all of the different treatment options and my inhaler,” Garcia said.

In regard to safety, some athletes think coaches should be more informed about their health issues.

“The first time it happened I didn’t know what was going on. I was at a track meet, so my coach was nowhere around. I felt very unsafe because i couldn’t control my body and i didn’t know what was happening. I definitely think coaches should be more informed about asthma because in the experiences I’ve had, my coaches don’t know how to help me or what to do. Just by knowing little things could be helpful. I think having someone talk to you and keep you calm is the best thing someone can do to try and help since you’re the only one who can control your breathing,” Alana Vieira said.

JV football coach Mr. Jesus Armas agrees, but said the football coaches are well-equipped to handle their athletes and any possible medical issues.

Armas said, “I would say that we come across an athlete with asthma one out of 15 athletes. I actually don’t have their medical information memorized but it is not difficult to remember who has it and needs a break from drills from time to time. We talk about asthma in our first aid classes that need to be renewed every couple of years but very quickly and briefly. There is not much to do other than carry an inhaler and provide for breaks if needed. I nor any of the coaches on our staff treat these players differently.

We actually have a couple of our better athletes with asthma issues and we deal with them accordingly.”

KOLETTE KING & DESIREE STONE

5

ALL ABOUT

ASTHMA

13

million kids miss school each year due to asthma

1 11

out of kids have asthma

asthma cost the US

$56

billion in medical costs, lost school and work days, & early deaths in 2007 in 2008, only

48%

of adults who were taught how to avoid triggers did not follow this advice

SOURCE: Center for Disease Control

NOVEMBER 2013

HEALTH

E-cigs and vapor pens are a growing trend for teens, but so are the health concerns

going up in

SMOKE O

paque white smoke flows out of the mouth then the smoke shape shifts into rings, filling up a wine glass and later clouding up the screen making it impossible to see the figure. Vaping has become popular with the older generation and younger generation alike.

With vaping trick videos popping up all over YouTube teaching people how to try out new tricks with their e-cigs and vapor pens.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, are a form of rechargeable cigarette that looks similar to the traditional cigarette.

With an LED light tip that lights up whenever someone inhales the tip of the e-cig. The cigarette is made up into three parts, the rechargeable battery, the atomizer and the cartridge. The cartridge is filled with either a nicotine liquid that will be used to create smoke later when it is exhaled.

A vapor pen much like an e-cig contains a battery, an atomizer and tank, but does not include a LED light tip.

E-cigs, and vapor pens have become a growing trend in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the use of e-cigs among middle school and high school students have doubled from 2011-2012.

With e-cig usage rising from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10.0 percent in 2012. The e-cig craze started a couple years ago, but the product first appeared in the market in the 1960s.

When Herbert A. Gilbert invented the first documented e-cigarette in 1963 when he invented a smokeless non tobacco cigarette. “We started to notice the e-cigs and vapor pens last spring. When we noticed them we went online and shared photos and information about them to the staff. We wanted to make everyone aware,� assistant principal Mrs. Jennifer Hanks said.

According to the American Lung Association, e-cigs and vapor pens have become popular among the younger generation, especially when the vapor is flavored with flavors such as Cherry Crush and bubble gum that would attract younger people. So why the concern? The CDC states that a teen that has tried an e-cig would most likely try a traditional cigarette within 30 days, this could lead to a possible addiction to nicotine later on.

Photo illustration by ARIELLA APPLEBY

HEALTH

2012

$500 million in e-cig sales

TEEN TOBACCO USE LEADS TO: • use of alcohol

switch, increasing the e-cig and vapor pen market.

“I have never really stopped to think about the health risks of e-cigs, I would guess that they are healthier than e-cigs but I really don’t know,” a student who smokes e-cigs said.

The attraction that the younger generation has toward e-cigs and vapor pens is rising. The CDC reports that in 2012, 1.78 million middle school and high school students had tried e-cigs before. According to a recent article by the Washington Post, anti-smoking activists feel that the popularity of the products has increased due to the lack of government regulation and the alternative to traditional cigarettes.

“Vapor pens are just vapor; you are just inhaling vapor. Some pens have tobacco, some don’t,” Achanzar said.

An employee from the Smoke Shaq, a local smoke shop, did not want an interview. Blue Oaks Smoke Shop has a sign on the door of the store that doesn’t let any minors enter the store without adult supervision. Certain e-cig websites such as BluCigs, a large e-cig company, do not allow minors to enter their website.

The debate over the regulation over vapor pens and e-cigs is still on going. Some cities like Boston have banned e-cigs and vapor pens in public places and treat the products just like the traditional cigarette. Many medical professionals are questioning whether the new alternative is safe to use and the health risks that follow. It’s all up in the clouds.

THERESA KIM

QUIZ: WHICH IS THE E-CIG? 1 2 3 ANSWERS: 1. Real, 2. E-cig, 3. Fake cigarette

The biggest debate over e-cigs and vapor pens is whether to have them follow the rules of traditional cigarettes or not. E-cigs and vapor pens are currently not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. There are no known health risks to e-cigs and vapor pens, however when the FDA conducted an experiment there were one or two dangerous chemicals found such as antifreeze. Propylene glycol the main ingredient in the e-liquid is recognized as a safe product by the FDA and is used as a preservative and as a solvent as well. With no government regulation of e-cigs and vapor pens, no one really knows what is in the e-cigs and vapor pens. E-cigs and vapor pens can also be smoked in public places because it is an odorless vapor that does not affect anyone unlike the traditional cigarette.

For senior Josh Achanzar, vapor pens are more of a toy rather than a habitual action.

“I only used it twice before, I just play with the smoke blowing O’s and doing tricks and stuff like that,” Achanzar said.

Achanzar uses the nicotine free vapor pens that have flavor to it. Vapor pen liquids can either be with nicotine or nicotine free.

The level of nicotine can be controlled with e-cigarettes and vapor pens, according to Monster Vapors their liquids can range from 0-24 mg of nicotine. High levels, 18-24 mg, of nicotine would equal to that of a regular cigarette and lower levels,6-8 mg, would equal that of a lighter cigarette.

In California, the sale of e-cigs and vapor pens to minors is illegal. However it is easy to have access to e-cigs and vapor pens through online sellers and websites. Education code 48901 states that “no school shall permit the smoking or use of tobacco, or any product containing tobacco or nicotine products, by pupils of the school while the pupils are on campus, or while attending schoolsponsored activities or while under the supervision and control of school district employees.” E-cigs and vapor pens follow the same rules and consequences as a tobacco related product. “(If a student is caught on campus) it is a suspension, but the length of the suspension would depend on whether the student was caught smoking it or not,” Hanks said.

Currently there are no known health risks of e-cigs and vapor pens. Many older people are using e-cigs and vapor pens as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. With a tobacco flavor, smokers who are looking for a safer alternative is making the

1in10

high school students smoke e-cigs or vapor pens

• high-risk sexual behavior • use of marijuana and other drugs SOURCE: Statistic Brain, CDC

HEALTH

64

the art of

NAPPING

PERCENT:

students who nap at least once per week SOURCE: 204 responses to an online survey from The Roar, October 2013

Napping on the regular can be beneficial by increasing productivity

D

reading going to class because of that afternoon tired feeling in the middle of the day is something many experience at some point or another. A National Sleep Foundation study reported that 29 percent of adults have fallen asleep at work, and a similar pattern occurs in the high school setting as students don’t get enough sleep.

“Since I’m so exhausted from school, I take a nap before starting my homework. I tell myself, ‘OK, a 30-minute power nap should do, then I’ll get to work,’ when in reality, it ends up being 3-4 hours. I wake up around 7 or 8, do my homework and finish by midnight or 1 a.m. with breaks in between. But the nap leaves me more awake; therefore I stay up even later afterward,” Kyla Baldovino said.

Dr. John Cline estimates that about 40 percent of American teenagers are sleep deprived, whether it’s because of sports, advanced courses, stress, staying up late texting or on the computer. Lack of sleep causes lack of motivation and can cause unplanned naps in the classroom, or it may make afternoon tasks like homework nearly impossible to complete.

“I’ll take a nap for about an hour or an hour and a half when I get home from school, which is around 3. My parents hate it when I take naps; they say I shouldn’t take naps during the day, but when I wake up it’s usually time for dinner, so I’ll eat and then start my homework,” Jillian Semple said.

Napping has been has been proven to be beneficial for the brain if done in moderation. Athletes admit to needing a good nap when they get home from daily practices in order to be functional for the rest of the evening.

THE ROAR

To prevent throwing off regular sleep patterns, napping should be done early in the day. According sleep expert Sara C. Mednick, the best conditions to take a nap are in a dark room or using an eye mask, staying warm using a thin blanket because of the drop in body temperature when sleeping and being consistent with napping patterns.

“When I go to sleep early and take a nap I always feel more refreshed throughout the day and can concentrate better, allowing me to get more things done,” Lauren McCarty said.

Research has also proven that only a limited amount of people can actually function off of eight hours or less of sleep. In fact, only one in a thousand people can truly function with six hours or less of sleep. This makes the afternoon nap seem inevitable.

“I don’t get the eight hours they recommend, which is why I take naps after school, because I’m so sleep deprived. My schedule repeats every day,” Baldovino said.

In her book “Take a Nap! Change your Life” Sara C Mednick, Ph.D., lists 20 worthwhile reasons for napping supported by research, such as how napping increases alertness as much as 100 percent and speeds up motor performance.

For those who nap, doctors recommend a 20 minute power nap. This can provide a boost in alertness and motor learning skills such as writing. It is also suggested that napping for 30-60 minutes helps decision making skills like memorization. A nap that last anywhere from 60-90 minutes plays an important role in solving creative problems and making new connections in the human brain, although many who go over the 30 minute mark wake up feeling groggy.

SELENA CERVANTES

8

what’s your sleep style?

HEALTH

3

position

“Most of the time I like to sleep in the fetal position.” — ITALY OVERTON

TYPES OF NAPS

props “I like to cuddle with my covers.”

— AMAN SINGH “As long as I have a pillow I’m good to go.”

— LAUREN McCARTY “Considering I’m usually napping in class, my best prop is my desk.”

— JONATHAN GRANT

EMERGENCY NAPPING occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to help if you are drowsy while driving and need to pull over for your own safety.

location “I love sleeping in cold rooms; it’s more cozy when you’re warm in the blankets.”

— ETHENNA GARRIDO

time of day

Photo illustration

by SELENA CERVANTES

PLANNED NAPPING (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy. Use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time due to a special event or late-night study session, or as a way to prevent getting tired earlier.

“On Mondays I nap around 2, but on normal days I nap as soon as I get home from school.”

— CHELSEY ENGLAND

HABITUAL NAPPING is when a person takes a nap at the same time each day, like taking a short nap after school.

SOURCE: National Sleep Foundation

#whitneynaps

@Brr_eye_lee

@kamrynleighh

The Roar staff invited students to share napping photos using Instagram and Twitter using the #whitneynaps tag.

@faithgottenberg

@hannahlunsfordd

@Kamrynleighhh via Twitter

@onlyaalittlecrazy

9

@kjohnsrud

@kenZieberliN NOVEMBER 2013

SPORTS

JADE MCVAY BATON

SEAN NADEAU ICE HOCKEY

FENCING KALLI TURNER

HORSEBACK RIDING

BRETT SNOW

a different approach

Athletes choose different routes for following ambitions beyond typical school sports teams OLIVIA GRAHL & CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

AS TOLD BY KALLI TURNER “My mom and dad actually got me and my sister a horse for Christmas. We weren’t expecting it at all. My Dad told us to go out and help bring in the groceries, and we just see a horse standing in our driveway. We got it to be just a fun thing, but after a while we got into showing them, competing against other people, and we’ve been doing it ever since.

It’s harder during the week to be out with (the horses), because I also play volleyball.

During the week we don’t spend as much time as we probably should. Probably an hour or two. But during the summer, me and my sister will THE ROAR

be out with them every day for four or five hours a day, just hanging out with them and riding.

During competitions we typically do what’s called English flatwork.

You’re basically in a ring with your horse being tested on what you can do, you riding, how it looks and what you’re wearing.

We also do Western, which is the same thing but a different style of riding.

A lot of people think that there’s that one weird girl in their class that’s obsessed with horses, and it’s really not like that.

People think that you have

to be a cowgirl to like this stuff, but just looking at me, you wouldn’t know that I’m involved in this. It can come

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY AFRAID OF HORSES, BUT THAT’S CRAZY. ONCE YOU BOND WITH THEM, THEY’RE LIKE A BEST FRIEND TO YOU.” from anywhere. You have to have a love for animals. I know that my horse will mess with

10

me a lot; when I’d clean out his hooves, he’d bite at the buttons on my pants, and it’s really fun to be with them. Anyone can do it.

I would always take my second horse, a fat little horse named Shadow, jumping at the barn just for fun because he really loved to jump despite his size. When we were at a show together, I decided to enter in a jumping class just for fun, and we ended up getting first out of all of these different jumping horses. When I talked to the judge afterward, she said that she could tell that he loved to jump and was having fun, and that we had bonded really well together.

SPORTS

AS TOLD BY SEAN NADEAU

After watching the San Jose Sharks play on TV for years, I decided to sign up for hockey lessons in fifth grade. I’ve been playing for six years now, and I’ve gotten to the Midget 16 A level.

One thing that not everybody knows about ice hockey is that it’s not just MMA on ice. It has rules. It’s a test of mental and physical strength.

Some of the qualities that I believe are necessary for competing at any level in [ice hockey] are intense concentration, extreme endurance, toughness and physical fitness. You also

have to have good hand-eye coordination. But above all, you have to have a passion for the game.

My favorite memory playing ice hockey was last year at NorCal playoffs. Our team won in the championship game against our season-long rivals.

I am hoping to carry my hockey career into college and possibly even to professional hockey if that ever becomes an option for me.

If anyone is interested in watching a game, feel free to come and support Capital Thunder at Skatetown in Roseville.

AS TOLD BY JADE MCVAY

When I was 5, there was an after-school program that had just wave a metal stick in the air,’ but it’s so much more than that. baton twirling, so I decided to go join. I A few months ago I went to Holland for attended an open house where I could see International Cup. That’s where a bunch of competitive twirlers twirl, and I thought that it different countries went and competed. I got to was really cool. From there I started on a more compete with the Japanese, French, Italians and competitive team, and then I started doing Canadians and all these other countries so that IT’S GYMNASTICS, individual events. A couple years back I went was really cool. I actually came in seventh for DANCE, HAND-EYEto a really competitive team, and I’ve been two-baton and seventh for team. It was a really COORDINATION AND twirling with them ever since until this year. great feeling. They have IC every two years, so SPINNING. IT’S SO During the fall, I normally spend a few I’m hoping that next time I go I can score higher MUCH MORE THAN hours a week practicing. During the first than I did this year.

WAVING A METAL couple months of the year, I go to a lot of I also twirl for the band at school so I’m STICK AROUND.” camps. They’re over the weekend, usually, and hoping that will help me with college. It would we spend about 6-10 hours a day twirling. The be cool if I can twirl there, too. summer is the biggest season for practice. It’s At Regionals, I came in first for two-baton and usually 6-8 hours a day, a couple days a week. solo for my age division. At Nationals, I came in second for the Baton is a sport. Sometimes people think, ‘Oh, it’s baton. You freestyle category.

AS TOLD BY BRETT SNOW

“I wanted to try something different. I had played on 12 different baseball teams since I was really young. I tried running, and that’s all I did, so I decided to do something different. I looked around the Rocklin community and my mom saw a fencing class on the City of Rocklin website.

I started at the beginning class and really liked it, so I decided to keep doing it. I’ve been doing it for about a year now.

The [practice] sessions are an hour and a half long. We work on advancing techniques and parrying techniques for about half the time, and the rest of the time we’re mock fencing with the other students.

There are many different types of grips for the handle. I

know of more than ten that different people use, and each grip is associated with its own country. There is a Belgian grip, French grip, American grip (which is illegal), and a whole lot more. I use the French grip; very basic and easy to control. Most professionals, like in the Olympics, will use the Belgian grip because of its versatility.

Fencers have to be very disciplined and also very agile.

You spend most of your time fencing on the balls of your feet and squatting down, and it requires a lot of leg power to move around quickly. But it’s not all about power. It’s all in the technique. Practice, practice, practice.”

four more who pursue non-school sports “Finishing a performance and being satisfied with what you did is the best part of ballet on pointe.”

ROBERTA ROMANS

1

“My dad got me into mini-sprints, they’re like racecars. Every race is a new memory.”

HUNTER KINNEY

2

11

“[Rugby] is extremely tough because you’re tackling without any padding, just jerseys.”

VANNESSA CROFT

3

“Lacrosse requires stamina, speed, agility, fitness and being able to be a team player.”

CADE RALSTON

4

NOVEMBER 2013

SPORTS

As freshmen athletes, Wyatt Eby and Jordan Hernadez attend mandatory study hall Sept. 24 in the theater. Photo by TISHA DEGAMO

Study hall on early release Mondays gives athletes a chance to put school first

making Mondays matter A

flood of athletes gathers in the theater each Monday. They find their assigned row with one empty seat separating each player. They take out their homework and use their laps as desks. Two hours of study hall begins.

Athletic Director Mr. Jason Feuerbach passes around a roll sheet. If there seems to be a discrepancy, Feuerbach counts heads and checks the names signed in. If they don’t match, he calls roll.

All freshman athletes and any athlete in grades 10-12 who have a GPA of 2.5 or lower are required to attend.

“The goal is for freshmen to develop good habits to use for the future. For freshmen this is more of a positive thing; [for grades 10-12] it is a negative consequence because they didn’t put that effort into their school,” Feuerbach said.

Students can use their cellphones as long as it’s productive.

They can use electronic devices to read a book, as a calculator or for music but they cannot text or browse social media sites.

If athletes need help, tutors are on hand in the lobby. Talking is not allowed inside the theater except for that tutoring area.

For Tristan Carder, study hall is just what he needed to get his homework done on time.

“I like the study hall because it gives athletes some extra time to do homework and to get caught up on work you need to get done,” Carder said.

Coach Tim Farnan said study hall is beneficial to all athletes because it is another chance for them to get their work done.

“Athletes don’t have a lot of time. They go to long practices, they come home and don’t want to do homework. They go to bed.

I rarely did my homework after practice,” Farnan said.

Alannah Frankel said the mandatory study hall has some problems that need to be resolved.

“I dislike the fact that we cannot talk or eat. I understand that Feuerbach doesn’t want it to be a socializing time, but most students have to get help from their friends because the tutors are not helpful. They [don’t] remember what I was studying, so they couldn’t teach me,” Frankel said.

THE ROAR

Taylor Choisser dislikes the fact that she has to go to study hall, feeling it’s a waste of time for her.

“I do not have practice after school on Monday. I have practice before school, so I think it’s a waste of time. I just want to go home on those days. [Also] I don’t bring more homework to school that is due the next day because I don’t have those classes, so I usually just sit there,” Choisser said.

Not everyone can attend each Monday, either because of a doctor’s appointment or due to illness. The Student Athletic Committee came up with solutions for those athletes so they don’t lose that time if they can’t make it to study hall.

“They have four days to make it up. They do it before school or at lunch in the front office. If they don’t make it up, they sit out their next game,” Feuerbach said.

The program seems to be working, as the number of ineligible athletes has declined.

At the end of the first grading period in 2012, 40 athletes were ineligible. This year that number was 27.

ARIELLA APPLEBY

Varsity soccer player Zach Monroe demonstrates the balance between athletics and academics.

Photo illustration by ARIELLA APPLEBY

12

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Girls’ varsity volleyball player Macie Hayden hits Oct. 24 in a home game win against Mira Loma. Photo by LEXIE HANKINS

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13

NOVEMBER 2013

how safe is your identity?

J

ustin Conti has five different passwords, each for a different online account.

“Using just one is insecure. If someone gets that one password, they will have everything,” he said.

Not everyone is as careful with online protection, and incidents of hacking and identity theft continue to increase.

According to new data from Pew Research Center, 21 percent of Internet users have had an email or social networking account compromised or hijacked.

“My email was hacked a few months ago and whoever hacked it was sending out emails to all my contacts, including teachers, with an article that led to a site with viruses, which really sucked.

I changed my password, but eventually I just made a new email account,” Meg Sanders said.

The same study reported that 11 percent of respondents had personal information stolen from the Internet such as Social Security number, credit card or bank information.

ABI BROOKS

THE ROAR

14

how private are your social media settings?

TECH

locked tight

A

ll of my social media is overly protected, mostly due to my parents.

Just two years ago I finally got Facebook, which is clearly out of date, but it’s better than nothing! It took my dad more than three hours to put my Facebook page together because he went through every privacy setting possible.

I get it, because my dad is in the military. If someone got hold of my private [information] it could lead to my dad, which would be a huge problem.

I’ve recently been trying to convince my parents to let me get an Instagram account, but they are kind of tentative because they see it as another privacy issue.

I care about my identity and I understand the risks out there, but I don’t think it’s a big deal if I’m careful about what I post or who I follow and friend.” — MEGAN AARON

nothing major

R

egarding privacy settings, I use some, but nothing major. I don’t care what people see online because I rarely post anything that I wouldn’t want on there, and I don’t care what people think about it.

My thoughts are my own.” — EDWIN TRAN

pictures, but not information

F

or the longest time, I honestly didn’t know how to change it. I know that’s so bad, but I really didn’t. One of my friends showed me how to change all of my Facebook settings. I finally changed the settings because I didn’t want creepers to know my information if they looked at my pictures online.” — MACIE SVEUM

68 percent of Internet users believe

current laws are not good enough in protecting people’s privacy online SOURCE: Pew Research Center

my story Photo illustration and screen shots by ABI BROOKS and KAVLEEN SINGH

we asked, you answered “I feel pretty safe about giving my credit card information to well-known companies, but if I haven’t heard of it before, it seems kinda sketchy.”

— HANNAH ARNOLD “I have a spam email [account] and a normal one.

A lot of websites for online accounts, like Facebook, often will send you email ads and other things. So, to avoid it cluttering an actual inbox, I divert it to a spam email.”

— ADITYA SRINIVASAN “I never give out my account passwords unless I have to.”

— SARAH MARTINEZ “I went on vacation down to L.A. and I went onto my Facebook account. It asked me if I had logged on from Tennessee. Obviously I hadn’t, and I had to change my password immediately.”

— BRENNA GITTINS

Hack prank turned good deed

Antonio Diaz

“I was messing around on a site for a video game that was in beta [mode], and I wanted to try to get a key code to use it, so I started messing around with their API. That’s the code thing that accesses information and gives out keys. I found a way to spoof that I was an administrator by sending a modified request to it using something called CURL, and I generated myself a beta key. After that, I used Chrome to edit my login cookie and used my spoofed admin cookie to access the admin control panel and change the news post on the front page of the website to prove to the owner that I had full admin access. Then I also could ban users and reset their passwords as well as see all their information online. It was fun and hilarious to see how bad their online security was. But I’m not evil, so I contacted the owners of the site to tell them what was wrong and how to fix it. They added me on Skype and thanked me and sent me a reward.”

15

NOVEMBER 2013

TECH

online friends real-life STRANGERS Forming relationships online sparks questions about whether the people students meet on the Internet are trustworthy

W

ith a few clicks and waiting for a couple of seconds to sign into a social network site, or online video game or pull up a YouTube page, some people make themselves available to interact with another person that they’ve never met in real life by just going online.

When teens spend more time online, it is easier for them to make friendships or relationships with someone they’ve met through the Internet, whether it’s because they’re into the same stuff or play the same online video game. But are teens comfortable talking to almost complete strangers?

For some students, hanging out with people they originally met online is completely okay and they love the experience.

As Kayla Poole waited to see a One Direction concert from their tour Take me Home she met her online Southern California friend in person for the first time after a month of having an online friendship.

“Me and this girl became friends because we found out we were going to the same concert in LA from Twitter. We ended up getting each others contact information and we met up at the concert,” Poole said.

After the concert, she described her thoughts about the situation with her online friend.

“I thought it was cool to have a friend that was from another place, especially someone who has the same interests as me,” Poole said.

Poole said online friendships are perfectly fine as long as [people] are smart about the information they provide.

According to Match.com, a tip to be safe is to protect finances and guard personal and online access information. Don’t give financial information, such as social security number, credit card number or bank information to people not met in person.

Disregard any request to send money. But the must critical thing is to keep personal information personal.

Poole explains that her friendship remains safe.

“We still talk, but not as much. Whenever we hear a CD or

THE ROAR

16

something is coming out from One Direction we’ll text each other and talk about how excited we are,” Poole said.

Sophomore Abby Romano, who meets new online through Tumblr, said meeting friends online is easier than face-to-face because they can’t judge someone by their appearance.

“I don’t have to worry about my first impression with them or looking dumb. I have time to think about what I would say or type,” Romano said.

She says that online, people are able to see an unfiltered version of others that they hide in real life. But she does admit to staying withdrawn from dating sites.

“I wouldn’t date someone online unless I became very close with the person in real life after becoming friends with them online. I think it would be too weird,” Romano said.

Alyssa Mann, who meets numerous people across the world through Skype, explained why she isn’t afraid to bond with these people she acquainted with over the Internet.

“I always get a pretty good idea about who I’m talking to. I can tell the difference between a creep and someone legit. When you realize that you have a pretty good chance of talking to someone that’s no different than you, just in a different place, you feel more comfortable opening yourself up and making friends and relationships with others,” Mann said.

However, a few students claim that having a relationship with someone you haven’t physically interacted with is strange and can lead to putting themselves in danger for online predators.

“The Internet is a heaven for all the pedophiles of the world.

I just can’t see how going on sites like Chatoulette or Omegle to chat with random dudes who could be 40-year-old creeps is fine,” Manny Ramos said.

Online relationships can happen in a variety of different ways.

Some people go to dating sites such as Match.com or Zoosk.com, where people can search for others signed up on the website looking for a significant other. Dating sites are for people who are completely seeking a relationship, using the Internet as a tool.

TECH

my story

by Kaleen Singh

five TIPS to stay SAFE 1. Verify that the person you’re meeting is legit. Do your homework using search skills.

2. Leave personal information out of your profile (phone number, address).

3. Do not include your real name on usernames, because usually anyone can it.

4. Set social media profiles such as Facebook to private, and deny any friend request from someone you have not interacted with.

Chatting through Facebook is a common way to meet new friends virtually. Photo by KALEEN SINGH

5. Treat an online relationship like a real one — be smart about it. If who you’re dating is the type of person you couldn’t take home to your parents, that’s not being smart.

Sites such as Chatroulette or Omegle allow users to webcam and chat with complete strangers around the globe. Some people just talk briefly, while others could find a relationship from someone that they met and found them to be attractive.

Typically, online entertainment is for gaming and not a dating tool. But in very popular games, groups of people may use voice systems such as Skype or Ventrilo to talk to one another, which can eventually turn into friendships from hours of talking. In many games, like “World of Warcraft” or “Rift,” there are multiple chat logs including an IM system built into the game to help manage friends. So, dating someone is possible simply by playing the game together and forming friendship from chatting that eventually turns into dating.

There are a few cautions about Internet dates.

“Catfishing” is one of the risks of making an online relationship. A catfish is someone who creates a fake online identity to meet others through social networks such as Facebook or Twitter.

A popular example involved Notre Dame’s star linebacker Manti Te’o, who was a victim. The football player had been in a long-distance relationship with a girl named Lennay who couldn’t meet in person due to having cancer. Te’o found out that the girl did not exist. Her social media profiles were created by an acquaintance who also was later accused of impersonating Lennay’s voice.

The important message is that teens aren’t the only targets of online predators and hoaxes.

Match.com outlines the bottom line when it comes to online dating. People are in control of their online dating experience at all times, so they should remain anonymous until they feel ready.

ABI BROOKS & KALEEN SINGH

Because I spend so much time online, I end up making way more friendships on the Internet than I do in the real world. I’ve met some of the people I play with at national gaming conventions and they’re just normal people. However, I did meet my significant other through the game after four years of playing and talking We did have a lot in common besides our love for games. Like me, he is a huge metalhead, loves a lot of the bands I listen to. We’re almost on the same page in terms of philosophy and values. We really liked each other, so that’s how we started realizing maybe we should be more than just online friends.

Having a relationship with him was one of the best decisions in my life. Andrew is one of the greatest things in my life, despite the fact of the overwhelming distance between us. He is honest and trustworthy, so he’s someone I can turn to talk about anything. I could tell him I was going to kill somebody and he’d help me hide the body. The best thing about him is he tries to make me the happiest I can be and he does a great job for being overseas.

After three years of dating, he finally saved up enough money to come and visit me from Australia. We spent two and a half weeks together, went to Aftershock, which was a heavy metal concert, and he even met my mother, who knew about the whole situation.

This all happened through an online relationship and I think that’s completely fine in today’s society. Our generation is growing more on technology and exposed to the Internet where it is common to interact with someone you have never met before. Truth is, all of us are human beings and as long as you don’t open yourself up to predators, such as going to online dating sites and giving out your information publicly, you’re safer than you realize.

what INTERNET users say

25%

54%

use Internet/email to maintain a long-distance relationship

felt someone seriously misrepresented themselves in their dating profile

59%

17%

agree “online dating is a good way to meet people”

of online daters have broken up with someone by text message, email or sending a message online

SOURCE: Pew Research Center, October 2013

17

NOVEMBER 2013

Up in Flames As fans anticipate this month’s release of “Catching Fire,” take a look at what makes the series so popular

Photo illustration by HARMONY REILLY

ENTERTAINMENT

FOUR FANS WHO CAN’T WAIT UNTIL NOV. 22 “It’s been over a year since “The Hunger Games,” so of course, everyone’s excited.”

Caeleigh Ulep

1

“My girlfriend is going to dress up for the premiere, so I’ll be taking her to see it when it comes out.”

Michael Binford

2

W

hat exactly is it about the future dystopian novelsmade-movies that has everyone on fire? “Catching Fire,” the hotly anticipated movie adaptation of the second novel in the Young Adult Hunger Games series, is due for release Nov. 22. Mention Katniss Everdeen or District 12 to any well-read Hunger Games fanatic, and chances are, they’ll be sure to mention just what makes The Hunger Games series tick for so many people.

“The Hunger Games is so popular because it was a beautifully written book series first, and then the movie turned out to be a visual experience like no other — from the Capitol’s fashion and futuristic technology to the districts and the arena.

It has multiple lovable characters and villains that keep the audience captivated and wanting more,” Allison Hassler said.

“Catching Fire” has already dominated advanced ticket sales, with many die-hard fans aching to get their hands on tickets to a midnight screening.

Norris Eldridge, manager at Blue Oaks Cinema, has an inside look towards the sales and showings of “Catching Fire.”

“Close to 500 tickets [for “Catching Fire”] have been sold so far,” Eldridge said.

There are going to be multiple early showings at 8 and 9 pm as well as a few midnight showings.

“I’m going at midnight, of course!” Hassler said. “I’ve only had this planned for the last four years. My friends and I are going at midnight and this year I’m debating whether to show up in a cool costume or just go in some sweatpants and pajamas, since last year I was jealous of everyone who wore comfy clothes. We’re going to be waiting at that theater for a long time, and it might help to be comfy while waiting.”

From the day “The Hunger Games” first appeared in theaters, fans of the trilogy had to wait 609 days for the next installment in “Catching Fire.” One reason for the delay

19

“It’s my favorite book in the series, so I’m hoping the movie will be as good as the book.”

Lauren Hall

3

“I can’t wait to see the part where [one of the characters] sacrifices herself.

It’s crazy.”

Terry Pham

4

between films is because producers didn’t know if “The Hunger Games” was going to make enough at the box office to merit the making of the sequel.

According to Fandango, last year, “The Hunger Games” made $152.5 million during its opening weekends. The Hunger Games trilogy has sold over 50 millions copies to date, outselling even the hugely popular Harry Potter books. Akin to the Twilight phase most teenage girls went through, The Hunger Games mania is not something entirely new. Unlike Twilight’s Bella Swan, however, some girls find themselves relating to the main character, Katniss Everdeen, a bit more.

“In a way, everyone wishes they could be like Katniss and stand up for something they truly love. And leading a revolution is pretty cool, too. The romance and action and the characters, like in the Capitol, are very different from anything we have seen. It’s a different world and story that’s still possible and not a complete ‘that would never happen’ thing,” Valeria Rodriguez said.

Fans of the book version have their reservations about how well the movie will do.

“I think ‘Catching Fire’ will triumph, mostly because the franchise is so huge and the fans are so loyal. I’m also not sure at the same time, because when I saw ‘The Hunger Games,’ the cinematography bothered my eyes,” Angie Reed said.

The second installment of the Hunger Games movie franchise, “Catching Fire,” was voted Fandango’s “Most Anticipated Movie of 2013” as was “The Hunger Games” last year in 2012.

SAVANNAH HOUDEK & HARMONY REILLY

NOVEMBER 2013

20