The Roar | Volume 10 | Issue 5 | April 2015

ROAR

THE

Volume 10 | Issue 5 | April 2015

KEEPING THEM HERE OR LETTING THEM SLIP An in-depth breakdown of the school’s declining enrollment and how it affects budget and staffing decisions

PAGE 10

A WHITNEY HIGH STUDENT MEDIA PUBLICATION

whitneyupdate.com

@whitneyupdate

@detailsyearbook

ROAR

In this issue

THE

ON CAMPUS

editors-in-chief

Mr. cruz ordonez transitions from

Ariella appleby ABI BROOKS HARMONY REILLY carsen van der linden

teaching English classes in America to Scotland. page 4 the drive to thrive Advanced

staff

Placement classes make students question their value. page 5 preference vs. practicality makes journalism students from across the

5

country explore the differences between indoor and outdoor schools. page 9 Declining enrollment causes teachers to receive notices about not renewing their contracts. page 10

IN-DEPTH

haley ballestein Alexandra barrett andrei buado missie caracut Selena cervantes camelia coffman Paige Coveney kristen elsayegh rylea gillis olivia grahl genesee harmon

ona igbinedion amanda johnson lily jones RACHEL MARQUARDT Sarah martinez will murbach desiree stone joel timms miranda woolley SIERRA YOUNG

adviser

PRAISE OR PUNISHMENT: students react to

SARAH NICHOLS, MJE

positive or negative reinforcement. page 6

BODY

12

ADDERALL day everyday has negative

health effects on a teen’s body. page 13

MOVE aTHLETE DIETS change when it comes time to prepare for the season. page 14 Tessa harris shares her love for the sport of softball along with her participation at William Jessup. page 16

22

Uniform rotation a new system for purchasing sports uniforms. page 17

TECH who is in ctrl when it comes to teens and their everyday cell phone use. page 18 Laptops for college finding the best laptops to support your needs. page 19

OFF CAMPUS Foresthill bridge has been increasing security to prevent suicides. page 20 Blaze vs. blast staff reviews two new pizza spots. page 22

LIFESTYLE male fashion techniques help guys improve their style. page 24

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The Roar is a student publication produced

by Whitney High Student Media. The news magazine is a public 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.

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

Whitney High School 701 Wildcat Blvd. Rocklin, Calif. 95765 916-632-6500 Cover photo illustration by Carsen Van der Linden

TALK

pay attention or decline to comment

T

eenagers have this defense mechanism in place whenever someone tells them they don’t really know the situation. It’s the difference between misinformation and the desire to know coveted information. We’ve all been there, someone tells us we don’t know what we’re talking about, and we become super defensive about how we absolutely and actually do know what we’re talking about. In reality, the truth isn’t always so clear. It’s not a simple matter of right and wrong; oftentimes, situations are more in depth and involved than we see at first.

This happens often on campus, such as last month with rumors on nonrenewed contracts and a petition circulated by students. Rumors run rampant.

Now it’s happening as counselors build next year’s staff editorial master schedule and administrators make staffing decisions. Students claim to know the reasoning 17-0 VOTE YES behind these decisions, but most do not.

The fact of the matter is that Rocklin Unified School District needs to make adjustments due to a decline in student enrollment. Students seem to always jump to the wrong conclusions at the worst possible times. That’s why we strive to educate and inform our readers, to avoid the misinformation that leads to confusion and hurt feelings.

We are in the midst of a steep declining enrollment, and what that means is that less students are coming to Whitney every year. Fewer students means that some will instantly jump to the conclusion that teachers will be let go. Even though this is false, today’s age of the internet mobocracy will ensure that the wrong information is spread and that people will draw the wrong conclusions.

dare to drop?

HE SAID

drop out

It is far better to simply drop.

While that may sound like something a total slacker would say, allow me to break it down.

If you don’t have the aptitude for an AP class, why bother sticking with it through the whole year and expending time and frustration, all with the possibility of an unfavorable outcome? For example: If you’re great at language arts and history, but tend to do poorly in math and science classes, there isn’t a point to taking AP classes in those subjects. It’ll only bring frustration. If you didn’t know the class would be as difficult as it turned out to be, it’s better to drop the class and instead join one with a more comfortable pace, or in many cases, get the afternoon or morning off? It doesn’t make sense to stay.

Some would argue the experience will help build work ethic and valuable study skills, and that’s correct. But the experience is only valuable if the AP class is something you are

In actuality, the school will most likely not have to lay off a single teacher in the current situation. There may be a few less classes here in there as the schedule is moved around to adapt to a smaller student body, but the vast majority of student and teacher schedules will remain uneffected.

When students spread rumors, nobody benefits. Take the #SaveCoachBuck petition, for example. Before any news had even been released, students thought the reason was to make room for another head coach. In reality, Buck is being let go because Whitney is overstaffed and underpopulated. While the petition was a powerful example of a viral social media post, it didn’t change the district’s decision. Jumping to conclusions or mixing private personnel decisions with projections on district enrollment just confuses everyone.

Students need to realize that their voices are important, but there are so many things that go into making certain decisions that they just do not have any influence over. RUSD ignoring the petition was not about them not caring about the students’ wishes, it was a lot more than that. In order for students to enact meaningful change in the issues they care about, it is very important for them to understand the problem as a whole. Know the facts, know the figures and know what pulls the strings behind decisions.

Declining enrollment isn’t a small issue, it’s something that we need to understand as it affects our school now and in coming years. In this issue, we hope to educate readers on the topic, and attempt the show the causes of the problem, the extent of the problem for the district and how students will be affected.

Is it smarter to drop an AP or advanced-level class mid-year or stick it out until the end?

SHE SAID

BY CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

stick it out

It is better to stick it out. You will already have to go through intense courses in college and regular courses will not prepare you for college the same way an AP class does. Even if these high school AP courses are harder than your college courses. You will still have go through that intensity and known how to deal with the stress and how to manage it for the future.

There is also the AP test. With passing the test, you can be exempt from repeating difficult classes or from doing elective courses, saving you time and money in college — two things you will most likely be short on.

This also is a chance to better yourself through education. You can go through that difficult class with a C, and perhaps your score on the AP test itself is not what you wanted (or not accepted by your college), but you expand your ability to think creatively and divergently. You may not learn the standards all that well, but you

interested in. You may take every single AP and advanced class this school has to offer. But realistically, you’re going to work harder at and be more invested in the subjects you care about.

Everyone has heard their fellow classmates complain about how difficult precal or AP World can be, and how they wish they didn’t have all of that homework and extra studying to do. Many of the people saying those things probably don’t belong in that class and were either pressured into it be peers or family, or were disillusioned as to their abilities in that subject area. This isn’t helped by the fact that they stay and fail the class, and are rarely moved to a lower level class by a teacher.

If you are struggling and are in a high-level class not meant for you, just drop. There is no point to putting yourself through more stress than you need. You’ll find plenty of ways to spend that extra time.

3

BY ARIELLA APPLEBY

learn how to think in a deeper and more philosophical way instead of having facts shoved down your throat and forgetting them all after the test is over.

There are times where having an AP class can be extremely difficult to manage. You may have weeks where sleep is a luxury, but that is just a few times every semester and it does not have to be that way. With using a planner or a time management calendar and following it to the T, you can get everything done in time and find time to sleep.

Being able to talk to teachers who want their students to pass the AP test is amazing. There is so much more feedback; they challenge you to be the best.

I am not saying this path is easy at all, but sometimes the more difficult road will be better in the end because you gain experience, knowledge of the world and a chance to be better than you already are.

WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

ON CAMPUS

farewell California, hello Scotland Leaving Whitney for Scotland, language arts teacher discusses the life-altering decision

W

BY HARMONY REILLY

hen confronted with an opportunity to radically change our life, not all of us will take it. But for language arts teacher Mr. Cruz Ordonez, change is a welcome part of life. And this July, he’ll be trading in the warmth of California for the coastal climate of Aberdeen, Scotland to teach at the International School of Aberdeen, complete with new students and new rules — all while in a new country.

“In some way, on a basic level, it’s just the change. It’s something entirely different than what I’m used to. I’m always pushing students to try new things and put themselves into new environments. I’m really looking forward to just shaking up my routine. When you start thinking about Scotland specifically, “It’s one of the things I think gets lost it’s really a beautiful place to be and being an because it happens so often — just international teacher as how great all the programs are here opposed to an American on campus. From broadcasting and teacher, I’ll get paid more journalism winning national awards proportionately. Our standard of life will change every single year. That doesn’t happen and it will change in an everywhere. I will miss that population, astoundingly beautiful part because this doesn’t exist anywhere else of the world,” Ordonez said.

A once-in-a-lifetime in the world.” opportunity like this doesn’t ­ — MR. CRUZ ORDONEZ come without its drawbacks, however. While Ordonez will be immersed in an entirely new culture, he’ll also have to say goodbye to family, friends and colleagues. “[I’m going to miss] the people. All of the teachers here are actually really inspiring. It’s one of the things I think gets lost because it happens so often — just how great all the programs are here on campus. From broadcasting and journalism winning national awards every single year.

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

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That doesn’t happen everywhere. Our sports teams do phenomenally well. The dedication of — I don’t even know that I can call them my peers, because what they do is far greater — but I’m going to miss the inspiration that comes from teachers doing great things. Students are always great here, and I will miss that population, because this doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” Ordonez said.

What makes Whitney unlike any other is the connection students cultivate with each and every teacher that walks through the gates.

And when Ordonez walks out of Whitney’s for the last time, it won’t be a goodbye to his teaching career. He’ll be teaching at an international school, with new students and new rules. “[The school I’m relocating to is an] international school, so they follow the international baccalaureate program, which is a more involved AP style program. It’s kind of like AP’s big brother. The classes are more inclusive and more cross-curricular; there’s more of a bridge between subjects built into the program,” Ordonez said.

Ordonez has plans to keep family and friends in the loop about his new life. With Ordonez on the other side of the globe with a different time zone, he said a blog wouldn’t become as outdated as quickly as a Facebook post would.

“My wife and I have talked about starting a blog, something of that nature. That way it’s not the constant inundation of Facebook, which can get really old, but then if people do want to check in without the push notification, we’re thinking a blog would serve that purpose. I would let people know if it happens,” Ordonez said.

Mr. Ordonez’s relocation to Scotland was not a decision that was made easily; it did require weighing the pros and cons.

Ordonez said, “In some ways [making the decision to move to Scotland was hard] and in some ways no. Where it was an easy decision has to do with the American education system. But once you start talking about leaving family and leaving friends, and leaving the really great school of Whitney, that’s what makes it difficult.”

the drive to thrive

S

BY KRISTEN EL SAYEGH & RACHEL MARQUARDT

ON CAMPUS

Students and teachers discuss the motives to take AP classes and are willing to put into them

he glanced down at the lines of homework written in the time the students her planner. Jade McVay knew that if she was going to complete it all, it was going to be a long night.

However, McVay pushed through for the college credit.

There are 864 students in similar positions, and every student has an opinion about the rigor and the advantages of taking an AP class.

The options for AP students are wide and varied. A total of 17 AP classes are offered, in conjunction with those offered at RHS. Although there isn’t a particular limit, students are advised to balance their course load with extra-curricular activities as well.

Counselor Mrs. Emily Greene provides insight on how AP classes actually affect college acceptances.

“On a transcript, colleges are looking at the overall course load and rigor. They are looking to see if the student has challenged him/herself. [Colleges] also look at GPA, test scores, community service, and anything else the student does outside of school,” Greene said.

Many students believe that AP classes are advantageous to their education, and are a great way to earn college credit and prepare themselves for college. Some students think otherwise, and believe the pressure is just not worth it.

Jade McVay is taking four AP classes and two honors classes.

She believes if a student is willing to put in the effort and time, AP classes are worth it. “[The workload] is very beneficial because it prepares you for the work that you will have to do in a few years. I feel that high schoolers have just as much potential as a college student,” McVay said.

Whether the pressure settles in or not, these benefits are irrelevant to other students, and are weighed down by the thought of AP classes.

Ren Blanding, who is taking three AP classes, believes that there is a huge problem with the motives for AP classes. This is due to the fact that some colleges, including Harvard and California School of Technology, do not accept the college credit received in high school.

“There isn’t anything that could [hurt more] than putting a year of your time and effort into a college-level class, only to get a letter from your college of choice saying they won’t accept a passing score,” Blanding said.

After high school, it becomes clear whether these AP classes really have a positive or negative effect. Alumni Ilaf Esuf who now attends UC Berkeley as a sophomore believes that AP classes were meagerly helpful, but did have a major influence on her application.

“Now that I’m in college, the rigor is nearly twice as much.

But, along with outside school activities, AP classes were a gold star on my transcript,” Esuf said.

Many students in AP classes end up in the same situation each year, needing grants. So students choose to attend a junior college prior to applying to a UC or CSU. However, a different case was transpired for Kavleen Singh, an alumni who now attends Sierra College as a freshman. Initially, she had plans to attend UCSC, however this was not the case.

“I didn’t end up passing AP Statistics by one essential skill. My admission was revoked and I didn’t have a choice but to attend Sierra. I took plenty of AP’s and I do believe they saved us a lot of money. Classes here compared to AP’s are a little more difficult, but the preparation was worth it,” Singh said.

It all comes down to one thing: the goals each student has Photo illustration of Ren Blanding and the time that they are willing to put forward to achieve it. and Brittney Berns studying.

5

“On a transcript, colleges are looking at the overall course load and rigor.

They are looking to see if the student has challenged him/herself.” ­ — MRS. EMILY GREENE WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

IN DEPTH

praise OR Punishment In the classroom, locker room and at home affects performance

BY ARIELLA APPLEBY & ABI BROOKS

W

hether being hugged and high-fived or screamed at from top volume, students’ respond to positive and negative reinforcement. Different methods can help them improve or make problems worse. The way coaches, teachers and parents treat students affects their development and how well they perform. team who tried their best.

“If you made a great play, you would get an orange. It was funny how this since he acquired his job. orange was so impactful for all of us.

“Two and half years into this job, I We would run through walls to earn an guess if you use that whole span, we’ve orange. So I would carry that over to my had all kinds of coaches. So [I’ve seen] practices for all of the good things the from very negative, very few positive words, very little coaching, to people who kids would do, and it just means that it was a great hustle play or something. are involved and coaching every little component. I think we really covered the Baseball is a really mental game, so you would reward them for things like that,” whole spectrum,” Feuerbach said.

Floyd said.

Feuerbach, who previously was Players admit to getting yelled at in part of the varsity football coaching the locker room or on the field during staff, believes yelling is only okay if it is games when they play poorly. positive.

Feuerbach “I am a loud person. I am an “If you’re yelling at a player said he wishes his coaches intense person, to do well there’s going to would learn from but if there is a be a lot more pressure on 49ers coach Bill fight at lunch and I am screaming [him]. They are more likely Walsh and Giants manager Bruce because we are to screw up in the final Bochy. trying to break it up, points of the game.”

“Both of that is one thing. ­ those guys are If you’re excited because someone — CAVAN STEWART intense. But the reason why won a game and they’re successful is because they hold you’re yelling, that is different. I think it depends on what are you yelling, are you their players accountable and they’re positive. They are passionate, they are attacking, is it aggressive or is it excited dedicated to their cause and they’re and you are trying to get a play in and both very intelligent. If you talk to their your players can’t hear you. I think players they love playing for them. [The yelling can be beneficial but it can also fact] they love their coaches tells me it be very harmful,” Feuerbach said.

Floyd, who has been a baseball player wasn’t a negative experience for them,” and coach, recalled when an orange was Feuerbach said.

He believes that the less negativity awarded to the players on his baseball

IN THE LOCKER ROOM

How students learn is a vital aspect of their personal, physical and emotional development as an athlete. Whether a coach is teaching athletes through positive or negative methods, it will have an affect each the athlete and his/her growth as a person.

Varsity volleyball player Cavan Stewart feels that the more negative a coach is, the less athletes will achieve.

“I would say I learn better through positive reinforcement. I think a coach is better when they help you out with technical things and they give you tips and hints instead of yelling or being negative because it doesn’t give you any incentive to play better. It makes you play worse,” Stewart said.

Forty-five percent of students involved in athletics admitted to have been insulted or called names by a coach before, according to a 2013 survey by Statistic Brain.

“There’s a time and a place for certain types of intensity. But an overall constant weighing down on athletes or constantly berating them, constantly yelling at them, and never reinforcing the positive side of what they’re doing [is not okay]. If a lot of your coaching tactics are negative reinforcement then the kids will eventually break down,” Counselor Mr. Pat Floyd said.

Athletic Director Mr. Jason Feuerbach said he has seen all types of coaches

My favorite coach is...

BY MIRANDA WOOLLEY

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

“Coach Charlie Bennermen is my favorite because of his good coaching style and he makes sure the team is actually a team.”

— NICOLE WELLINGTON

6

is involved in a coach’s coaching style, the better.

Feuerbach said, “I think that’s how you get more out of the kids. However I guess there’s a time or place for maybe a little negative but you’ve got to be careful if you use any negativity at all. You better be very positive on the flipside.”

AT HOME

Away froms school, students face a variety of reactions from their parents.

Kayla Howie’s parents do not use either positive or negative reinforcement with her report card.

“When I get a bad report card I try to work on how I can make it a better grade. I don’t really get punished. I just work to make sure it is getting fixed,” Howie said.

For Sydney Mendoza, her parents do not reward her for good grades.

“I usually do pretty well in school, so my parents kind of expect it. But they are proud of me,” Mendoza said.

Honors student Ben Sherriff is never rewarded for a good report card.

But for a bad report card, there are consequences.

“I like Coach Nick French because he is intense on the court but is cool and easy to talk to off the court.”

— JUSTIN KRAFT

OFF CAMPUS

choosing between praise & punishment 20%

25%

all equal

school

where students say 10% they experience extra the most negative curricular feedback

19%

sports

26% home

76%

of students prefer positive reinforcement over negative

24% ofstopstudents slacking to avoid being being yelled at

51%

67%

of students believe that praise should be private

16%

15%

push harder

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIELLA APPLEBY

“When I get a bad report card I’ll be grounded and have phone and computer restrictions. I can’t hang out with friends and get badgered about grades,” Sherriff said.

AT SCHOOL

In the classroom, teachers and students are caught in a balancing act. If a student fails to meet the standards and a parent needs to be involved, it can cause pressure in both relationships. Teachers learn certain methods in order to bring negative information about students but still have positive mixed in.

As a counselor, Floyd believes the positive is the most important part.

“Teachers are taught the sandwich effect when they have parent-teacher meetings, to layer it with the positive and put the criticism there inside the sandwich, and then finish it with another piece of bread, which is another positive statement. They need to make sure they are going through and making sure they are finding these positive

things,” Floyd said.

Sometimes removing the negative completely can work. A March article by The Sacramento Bee reported that removing negative reinforcement reduced suspensions and expulsions, and adding positive reinforcement improved the behavior of students at Elk Grove schools.

The experiment done by the Elk Grove schools gave students a chance to build better bonds with the people around them, making the outcome positive. “[Teachers] should use positive reinforcement instead of negative because it doesn’t get you anywhere it just seems to break the kid down, and the negative effects just continue from there,” Floyd said.

Aside from offering praise or criticism, teachers also can have very different policies, which sometimes affects the effort that students put in.

In most advanced classes, students do not get any credit for late work.

“I usually do my homework anyways, but it definitely makes me

have to manage my homework in all my classes to make sure it gets done on time so I don’t have any late work,” Mendoza said.

Styles of teaching can make a teacher very popular or hated.

“My favorite teacher is Mrs. [Laura] Brun because she is really hands-on, and she interacts with you a lot. She will give you one-onone tips to help you and explain in front of a class and is really approachable,” Payton Mitchell said.

When students start to get stressed — for whatever reason — it can play a factor in how much effort they put into the class.

“I stress out about my AP physics class just because it’s harder than all my other classes. I have to go in a lot more a get help,” Mendoza said.

Mitchell said a little generosity from teachers goes a long way. ”Personally, I appreciate [if a teacher is] being lenient. If they do their part to help me get a good grade in the class, I should do my part to do my best.”

11% has no effect

of students say being yelled at should be private

quit

the effect a coach or teacher that is too mean:

58% causes stress athletes who had a poor performace want to see their coach react with:

48%

9%

gentle suggestions yelling

34%

55% 77%

consequences (like extra workouts)

say they slack off or have bad performance if their coach or teacher is too easy

of students’ favorite teachers are more positive than negative

65%

say their parents are more positive than negative

SOURCE: 257 responses to a poll conducted from March 16-26 via Survey Monkey

“Coach Jon Gruden is my favorite because he has a really good coaching style and he is really intelligent in what he coaches.”

— MARCUS TEJEDA

“My favorite coach is Coach Tony Ortez because he’s always there for me when I need him or if I mess up and even though I’m not on his team anymore he is still helping me get into college.”

— BRE EASTLICK

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WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

3

D. FELION

2

4

M. KAMAUOHA

A. BEDRIN

1

C. O’BRIEN

j. morales

ON CAMPUS

5

#SadiesGames highlights Annual ‘battle of the sexes’ tradition continues for Sadie’s with ‘Hunger Games’ theme

1. Jenna Delaney and Ellie Suchomel 2. Tacky Tourist Day to “Tour the Districts” 3. Daniel Jones leads a lunch time activity in the amphitheater 4. During a lunch game, Mr. Joel Williams competes in an eating contest with Mrs. Navi Riar to earn spirit points.

5. MC Lexi Luboda predicts a girls’ victory as Andrew Gruber and Lauren Votava face off.

6. Rally competitors play a version of Hungry Hungry Hippos.

M. KAMAUHA

To see complete coverage of the #SadiesGames spirit week, scan here:

6 THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

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Check out a photo slideshow from the #SadiesGames rally:

ON CAMPUS

#WHS2WHS The Roar staff compares campus life to an ‘indoor’ school in Omaha, Nebraska

BY HALEY BALLESTIN

A

s students sniffle between classes due snow day Feb. 5, something students here will to spring allergies, walking through likely never experience. pollen and blooming flowers, they step The layout of Westside also differs from what around trash but have a breeze of fresh students consider “normal” here. The school has air and plenty of space to pass from four levels, including the basement. one building to the next because of the outdoor “The school is surrounded by one big center layout. A few states away at another WHS of called The Landing,” Connor Flairty said. the same size, the scene differs dramatically as All the hallways lead into The Landing, so Westside students in Omaha, Neb. experience an during passing period, students scurry to their indoor campus. next class in a giant mob, trying their best to get Which is better? It is not a battle of which there on time. reigns supreme, but more a matter of preference “Imagine a concert, like the standing room and practicality. Outdoor schools, such as the at a concert. That’s what it’s like [during] every campus here, typically have single passing period,” separate buildings with more “Imagine a concert, like the Flairty said. than one classroom in each, a standing room at a concert.

While students detached gym, theater, and so there may react to That’s what it’s like every single crowded hallways, forth. The open, outdoor style passing period.” is also what students here students find fault

— CONNOR FLAIRTY, encountered in elementary here as well. and middle school.

“Classes [here] WESTSIDE H.S. On the other end of the are far apart, so I feel spectrum, at Westside students learn in one rushed,” Deanna Storck said. large, enclosed building with multiple classrooms.

Another major difference between the two Students have personal lockers for their sites is at lunch. Many students gather in the belongings and more than one level. courtroom, where they can get lunch or buy food Drake Speed attended an indoor school before at the cafe. Students also may spend lunch in a high school and said the choice of which is better specific set of rooms called an IMC. depends on the weather.

“An IMC is a place where you can to go study “I went to an indoor school in North Carolina. and get help from teachers. An IMC is organized It was better because the weather was harsh, and by class, so each teacher from each subject is in we didn’t have to be out in it during the day. I like one IMC,” Flairty said.

Whitney’s layout because the weather isn’t as Comparing the campus atmosphere is just harsh in California,” Speed said. the first step in a new feature called #whs2whs, Westside students don’t have to battle cold a collaboration between Whitney High Student temperatures between classes, but they had a Media and the Westside Media Group.

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Their WHS has

What’s it like to walk down the hallway or up and down the stairs between classes each day? Scan here to watch a time lapse from a passing period indoors AT WESTSIDE, sent by the Westside Wired staff.

• “The Landing” • four floors • homeroom • snow days • 5 mins. passing • 14 periods per day (up to 10 classes), 35 mins. for a “regular mod” and 25 for a “half mod”

Our WHS has • “The Amphitheater” • 12 buildings • intervention • outdoor lunch • 5 mins. passing, excluding break • four blocks per day, approx. 85 min. long

Here’s what you see each day during lunch AT WHITNEY. Scan to view a time lapse produced by Carsen Van der Linden.

WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

ON CAMPUS

School projected to decline in enrollment for first time in 10 years

BY CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

R

students, assuming the attendance rate is somewhere around 95 percent, because we earn dollars based on students’ actual attendance, is a loss of $310,000 just from those 43 students. That’s almost two million in two years purely because of enrollment. So there is a very big impact,” Stock said.

The money lost from the overall decline in the district influences where the school board can spend money and where it will be forced to cut back. Stock’s goal is to try to meet some of the pressing needs of Rocklin schools, including more financial compensation for staff, updated technology and teaching materials.

“We anticipate getting more revenue from the state as the economy gets better, so overall we’ll have more dollars. But we have to subtract this loss before we can then decide what to do with the new dollars,” Stock said. “The average computer in use here at Whitney is about 10 years old. That’s when the school opened. That’s a huge need, and we have to figure out how much of that we can do. We also have to buy new instruction materials because of the new standards. A lot of the books that [students] use are books that folks used over 12 years ago. We won’t need to cut [funding], but it means we can’t do as much of what we’d like to do.”

Another consequence of having fewer students is felt when the school and the district come together to formulate the staffing allowed in next year’s budget. Leading up to a report published in January, Stock, Principal Mrs. Debra Hawkins and other administrators met to discuss the staffing needs for the 2015-2016 school year. The result of the formula, taking into account the projected loss in students next year while maintaining a 34:1 student to teacher ratio for each class, was a net reduction of 1.34 staff members. This does not necessarily mean that any staff will be laid off, and Hawkins said the problem is solvable.

“That’s not that big of a difference in the number. What it probably will boil down to is that right now we have eight teachers on campus that teach one more class than a full load,” Hawkins said. “Instead of teaching six classes like everybody else is, they’re teaching seven. So they only have one prep period. If the first thing I do is take all eight of those sections and I remove them, those teachers will still be teaching full-time, but they won’t be teacher full-time plus that one section. That’s what I’m hoping will end up happening.”

Hawkins also recognizes that this solution results in fewer classes being available to students in the coming school year.

“Unfortunately it would leave the number of sections offered to kids affected. [It] reduces the number of sections I have to offer all of the students. That affects whether we have one less science class, one less math class, one less graphics class and so on. Somewhere on the big master schedule, when I start putting names up there for teachers’ sections, it will require me to reduce something,” Hawkins said.

There are several issues linked to this decline in enrollment, stemming from many unique factors. One of the biggest causes for a steep decline in next year’s enrollment is a policy decision previously decided on by the school board.

When the school first opened 10 years ago, most of the housing development that currently exists in the area was not

ocklin Unified School District, due to several factors concerning the community, has projected a marked decline in enrollment for Whitney High School next school year. Superintendent Roger Stock is at the forefront of this issue. He is currently working with his staff at the district office and administrators to find solutions and alleviate concerns surrounding the declining enrollment.

Stock’s position as the top executive in the Rocklin Unified School District is to make day-to-day decisions that best carry out the vision of the school board involving staffing, spending and educational programs. Stock also works closely with the central staff at each school [such as principals and other administrators] in order to work out problems like these through cooperation.

“I used to be a high school principal. We don’t say to schools, ‘You have to have five math teachers, five Spanish teachers,’ and so on,” Stock said. “We tell them to work with what students’ needs are, how to best match that, look at the essential areas, and then find out what exactly they need.”

The projected decline in the amount of students next year has been cause for concern for the district since it was brought the attention of school board members at the beginning of last semester. The current data, collected by district officials and consultants, shows they are losing many students in the district

to inter-district transfers, resulting in big financial losses. A Declining Enrollment Analysis done in January shows that this school is expected to lose a total of 43 students next year, from 1926 students to 1883. In addition, the total district losses of 197 students this year and the projected loss of another 113 students in the coming year start to add up.

“The impact for the

school district next year will be us losing a million dollars in revenue because of the students that we lost this year. We’re seeing that if we lose the projected number of students next year, we would lose an additional 700,000 on top of that. The impact of Whitney’s 43 THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

10

ON CAMPUS

built yet. To supplement the lack in transitional kindergarten programs and normal kindergarten classes in the district to dip significantly. Next year, there are projected to be more high school seniors of residents in close proximity graduating out of the school system than new kindergarteners coming in, which does to the school, the district not bode well for future enrollment. The school board also notices that a combination decided that Rocklin Elementary’s of all mentioned factors have caused a strange demographic switch for Whitney. students would supply Whitney High School with new students instead “Typically senior classes are smaller than freshman classes. In a sense, we start of Rocklin High School until 2015 when the housing in the area was expected to out with everyone coming in from the eighth grade, and we end lose a few students. be finished and populated by families. That way, the district assumed, the student Maybe the drop out, go to Victory or RICA, or wherever they need to go to continue. numbers would even out between the schools.

The demographic flips upside down for the first time next year. What the trending However, when the housing market collapsed in 2007, building throughout the would probably foretell is that there is going to be an even smaller class as they move area stopped while the Great Recession dragged on. Building has only recently begun up,” Stock said. to pick up with the recent economic recovery, but is yielding lukewarm results.

The current decrease in the amount of students transferring into the district is still “A lot of folks drive around, see new homes being built and say, ‘How can you be more than students that are transferring out. However, the growth of new transfers in declining enrollment? That makes no sense,’” Stock said. “We project that we’ll see 122 new students due to growth. We all agree that this is occurring. Houses are being have started to slow over time. The board’s policy for accepting new transfers is not expected to change based on this fact. built, kids are going to school. But when you start to divide “This school is expected to lose “If a student is under a current expulsion order from that out to where we think they are going to go, it’s only a a total of 43 students next year another district, we tend to honor that and not take them in, gain of 12 high school kids next year. So we account for from 1926 students to 1883. for example. If a student was not making academic progress, growth, it just isn’t enough as it ramps in.”

In addition, the total district or if they had a severe behavior history, we may not look to Stock informed Hawkins of several trends concerning losses of 197 students this honor that request. But if a student has a unique program that the housing around Whitney, who sees the effects the year and the projected loss of they want to take advantage of at our school, we’re happy to housing crash brought to Whitney. another 113 students in the have them,” Stock said. “We are not highly restrictive as it is, “The district realizes that the only building that you’re so I don’t anticipate that to change.” seeing right now is in the area around the campus, but what coming year start to add up.”

One of the more noticeable difficulties students will see — ROGER STOCK I’m being told is that the district is saying that there are ‘soft as a result of the decline in enrollment will be less stability sales’, meaning that the houses are not selling very fast (RUSD Superintendent) with new schedules at the start of next school year. Hawkins around here. They’re selling slowly. So therefore the district and other administrators will have to adapt based on the can’t predict that we’re going to get as many kids out of the information they get from who shows up on the first day. new housing that we would want to have in order to keep the enrollment stable and “The declining enrollment makes making the master schedule more difficult growing,” Hawkins said. to predict. I would love to have that now rather than when the fall comes, because But the declining enrollment is due to more dynamic problems that just the students will have to get their schedules changed once they’ve already come to housing market. The district is also working to combat rising charter school school and like their schedules. That’s the part we’re a little concerned about, which enrollment, which is currently taking 788 students from the district. Twenty-nine is the disruption,” Hawkins said. percent of Western Sierra Collegiate Academy’s students live within Rocklin Unified Despite the difficulties that face the district with a decline in enrollment, Stock boundaries, equating to 210 students lost. Other existing charters, combined with a firmly believes that Whitney High School, as the number one attractor for inter-district charter school opening in Rocklin next year and a charter school recently approved by transfers, brings a lot of hope for the future. the city of Lincoln, have put more pressure on the Rocklin Unified School District to Stock said, “We are extremely proud of Whitney High School. We know that the become more competitive in the fight to attract students. school attracts a large number of students that wouldn’t normally go here, and “We just need to do a better job of branding and marketing what we have. We the data shows that. That’s because of the strong academic foundation, the strong have phenomenal educational opportunities, so I think we need to build on that and activities and athletics, school culture and the dedication of our teachers and staff. make sure people know that. We need to make sure people know what distinguishes We are extremely proud of that. It is unfortunate that there is a decline in enrollment, us,” Stock said. “For example, if you want to engage in broadcasting or journalism, and it’s something we’re working very hard to look at. We are making sure that we there is no place better to do that than here. We need to tell people that. We don’t develop a full length of options that we can give to families and students. We want need to say anything negative about anybody, we just have to talk about ourselves.” everyone to know that as a district we are as incredible as we know we are inside.”

Many problems are forming for the district even before new students start their education. Declining birth rates have caused the amount of new students enrolling 11

WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

TECH

watching

market

watch

AP U.S. history students dive into Market Watch game based on the New York Stock Exchange

BY SELENA CERVANTES

T

he stock market: most have heard about it one way or another, yet many teenagers are unaware of the dynamics involved in it.

AP U.S. history students are given $30,000 and a one month time period to invest any company they would like on Market Watch. Market Watch is a website which allows students to participate in a game based on the New York Stock Exchange with fake money. Although the money is not actually real, the game is based on real time changes in the stock market.

Students are able to trade and buy stocks between 6 a.m. EDT and 1 p.m. PDT. “Market Watch is made from a free personal account. I found the site through some of the other Gov/Econ teachers that have used it in the past with their seniors,” AP U.S. history teacher Tony Bannister said.

The game lasts a month and allows students to get use to the stock market and be more prepared if they take economy next year as seniors.

“The game is meant to introduce students to things they’ll need to know for economy next year. The teachers have set rules for us to follow that the website enforces, such as if you buy a stock you can’t trade it the same day, and we can’t buy penny stocks,” Ozora Cheek said.

Learning to navigate the stock market may sound hard to do for some, but teachers chose Market Watch because it’s user friendly and easy to navigate.

However there are some feel it does not accurately help students get a feel for the stock market.

“It’s easy to use in a website sense, but I feel like it doesn’t truly give us a

chance to feel how the real stock market would be because it doesn’t offer all of the companies I’ve found to invest in on different websites,” Nikki Tucker said.

Although the game is meant to prepare and expose students to the stock market world, not all students feel they were fully prepared for the game.

“I wasn’t prepared at all. [Teachers] could have told us how intensely the stock market fluctuates by playing the game themselves prior to the actual game and allowing us to see their trial and errors,” Terry Pham said.

In order to figure out which companies to invest in, there were many who had to learn how to conduct background research on different companies and watch the stock patterns.

“I used a lot of resources from Yahoo that told me what the highest stocks of the day were. It was really hard the first few days, but the more I did it, the easier it got,” Tucker said.

At the end of the given time period the students who are in the top five for each class period will receive extra credit but those in the top five change daily.

“It’s crazy because one day you will be doing really good and are ranked in the top five and then the next thing you know you’re in 18th place,” Cheek said.

Even though the chances of being in the top five can seem pretty slim, students feel the game has been beneficial.

Tucker said, “I still may not understand the stock market as well as I would like, but at least I know it better and having a healthy competition among students is a really good thing.”

I’ve always wanted to ...

Students finish this phrase with something interesting that they have always wanted to do

BY ESTELLA BASQUEZ & MADDY LYMAN

“... Travel the world on a camel.”

— VALERIE VAN DER LINDEN

“... Win a section championship.”

— DANIEL JONES

“... See the Northern Lights.”

— GABRIEL WORTHINGTON

“... Help younger people get better at volleyball.”

— COLE AIDNIK

“... Go scuba-diving with Kate Upton.”

— COLBY SMITH

“... Go to Greece because I have never been out of the country.”

— FAITH ABERCROMBIE

“... Go to Antarctica to see polar bears.”

— GREGORY WRIGHT

“... Go cliff jumping in a squirrel suit in a gorgeous place.”

— COLE CHAMBERS

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

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Let us know what you’ve always wanted to do by tweeting using the hashtag #alwayswanted

HEALTH

adderALL DAY,

EVERYDAY

The recreational use of Adderall is a rising trend among teens

BY LILY JONES

T

he “legal meth” and “the it was a type of stimulant made official study drug” is what specifically for me. This stuff is bad it goes by. Adderall is a for people who don’t need it,” Tipton prescribed medication to said. relieve hyperactivity disorder It is also especially common in (ADHD), attention deficit disorder college students to take Adderall as (ADD) and narcolepsy. Adderall a diet pill. Adderall can cause weight is meant to treat these senses of loss because it speeds up the body’s calmness and relaxation. When metabolism and lowers appetite. someone without ADHD or narcolepsy Meanwhile, it speeds up the heart, consumes Adderall they become can cause irregular heartbeat and more hungry, cranky and restless even cardiac arrest. Weight loss due “I became friends with this guy last year at a concert. “­It’s now to the point where He was completely sober and I’ve never talked to him when he awesome to be around. It’s wasn’t high.” now to the point where I’ve never talked to him when he — Danielle Blakenship wasn’t high or drunk,” Danielle Blakenship said.

Taking Adderall without being to Adderall would likely be temporary diagnosed with ADHD or narcolepsy and gaining weight could occur after can lead to life-threatening symptoms stopping consumption. or chronic abuse. Chronic abuse, “When he started doing it he the constant act over-using a drug, became agitated all the time and is marked by severe rash, insomnia, didn’t look the same. He got more irritability and personality changes. frail, he was more sad and his eyes The most severe symptoms of werent as bright as they were,” Dani abuse is psychosis, which is a form Blakenship said. schizophrenia. There are currently 1.2 Since the early 2000s, million Americans 12 and older using prescriptions for Adderall have tripled.

Adderall non-medically, according It has been named “America’s to the Substance Abuse and Mental Favorite Amphetamine” by High Health Services Administration.

Times Magazine because of its Ryan Tipton was diagnosed with availability, price and effect. It’s often ADHD when he was 10 years old sold from people who are prescribed and has been taking a specialized to the drug for a cheap price. But it medication to help treat is still dangerous to use. According to the effects. the Daily Beast, between 2005 and “I don’t think anyone should use 2010, emergency room visits related it if it isn’t for a medical purpose, to ADHD stimulant medications used and I don’t think it’s smart because it non-medically tripled from 5,000 to can have have bad long term effects 15,000 visits. Half of these visits were on the mind and body. I have been due to mixing ADHD drugs with other taking [Adderall] for six years, and at drugs or alcohol. first I had side effects even though

13

2 out of every 10 teens use Adderal/ stimulents for solely medical uses.

In 2013, Adderall and other ADHD medications sent 5,600 people to the emergency room.

47% of high schoolers said it would be easy to obtain Adderall for non-medical uses.

After high school, 90% of teens who recreationally used Adderall tend to become bringe alcohol drinkers.

24% of students used Adderall recreationally, 8% used it for medical uses and 67% never used it.

Sources: Survey of over 250 Whitney students Sources: pbs.org and drugs.com WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

HEALTH

fueling up N for

BY RYLEA GILLIS & AMANDA JOHNSON

early 8 million high school students in America participate in school sports. Three to seven percent of them will advance to play in an NCAA program, and less than three percent of these college athletes will ever make it big. So what does it take to be one of these lucky few? . According to the Nutrition Working Group of the International Olympic Committee, many factors contribute to success in sports, including talent, training, motivation and resistance to injury. However, nutrition is the key element of a serious athlete’s preparation for competition. . The committee’s Nutrition for Athletes guide states that athletes should be encouraged to develop good nutritional habits at an early age. The growth spurts that children and adolescents experience require they receive adequate intake of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.

While all athletes should follow the same basic nutritional guidelines, each sport requires a different body type and puts emphasis on different aspects of the player. The manual differentiates meal plans between strength, power, endurance, aesthetic, weight class and team sports.

fast play JORDAN SIENKIEWICZ n TRACK

“During track season, I definitely eat more, but I don’t change my eating habits as much as boost or increase them. On a daily basis, I make sure to have a larger intake of proteins, water—80 ounces a day— and healthy fats. Many athletes have become scared of the word “fats,” when in fact, I find this the best thing to eat during my track season. From almonds to avocados, getting healthy fats can help your cardiovascular system, as well as boost the absorption of nutrients. I also make sure to eat a small snack before races, because I find myself needing it in the longer distance events. It’s important to properly balance my grains, proteins, fruits and veggies. Each group is helping out in multiple different ways, and depriving myself of one is going to make a huge impact during competitions.

The biggest struggle about eating this way is having the willpower to make the right eating decision after practices. It could be so easy to reach for something sweet after a hard workout, but I train my body and mind to respond negatively to these temptations. My diet affects how I run tremendously, so I use it to boost my physical and mental being throughout the day. It is so important for athletes to balance their diets and eat the correct foods because what they put in their bodies now will positively or negatively affect their futures. By drinking more water or eating a larger intake of super foods, athletes can limit their chances of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cholesterol problems and so much more.”

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

BRANDON STERRI n SOCCER

“During soccer season, I eat healthier because I want to stay in good shape to be able to compete to the best of my ability.

Part of that is taking in more calories each day because I burn a lot at practices and games. On the night before a game, I will usually eat pasta with meat sauce because it gives me the carbs and protein that I need to do well in the game. For breakfast that morning, I eat eggs and bacon for some more protein. Throughout the day, I snack on protein bars, smoothies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I drink six bottles of water each day to make sure I am properly hydrated. My diet affects my performance in the way that if I eat properly, then I have more energy to play and my performance is much better.

All athletes should do this to improve their bodies and their games.”

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HEALTH MOHAMMED SERRIEH n WRESTLING

“During wrestling season, I try not to change my diet too drastically. I’m at a weight that is not in danger of bumping me up a weight class, so if I gain a few pounds it isn’t a big deal. I usually eat cereal in the morning, lunch from the cafeteria, and meat and rice for dinner. Even though my weight isn’t of concern, I still try to stay away from unhealthy foods to keep my body functioning properly. I try to drink a lot of water because it keeps me full so I’ll eat less. Some of my teammates have to work out in three sweatshirts with a garbage bag over to sweat off three or four pounds before a match so they’ll be able to stay in their weight class. I don’t think it’s healthy to push yourself that far, and I’d rather just have to wrestle heavier people than go to these extreme measures. I focus on staying hydrated before tournaments because I have to be able to wrestle throughout the whole day without getting tired. If athletes eat properly, then their bodies will move properly.”

KATIE JAMES n SWIM

“During swim season, my diet is very important to get me through the day at school and at practice. I can’t eat a lot before practice, because sometimes it makes me sick, and I’m not hungry at 4 a.m., which is the time I get up for morning practices.

After practice, I’ll come home and eat a bowl of cereal and a banana with a glass of milk. Throughout the day, I make sure to have snacks with lots of protein. By the time lunch comes, I’ll usually have a peanut butter sandwich with an orange, protein bar, and either chocolate milk or a Capri Sun. When I get home from school, I have another protein bar and then head to the pool. I usually don’t eat again until after practice, so around 7:30 p.m. I definitely focus on getting enough protein, because it’s really tough on my muscles to swim for three hours and not have anything in my body to help repair them. The most challenging part of my diet is making sure that I don’t overeat. Diet plays an important role in my performance in the pool, because if I don’t eat well or have enough protein, fruits and veggies, my body doesn’t function correctly. I need all of the healthy foods to make sure my muscles repair correctly and I have enough energy to come back and swim faster the next day.”

EHIZOGIE IGBINEDION n BASKETBALL

“During basketball season, I focus on eating carbs because they’re a source of energy. I also eat a lot of vegetables.

Right before a game, I try to limit my sugar and sodium intake because I’ll cramp up and it slows me down on the court. On game day, I usually start off the morning by eating egg whites, because they are loaded with protein, and toast because it is made of complex carbs, which is the best form of long-term energy.

Then I eat healthy snacks all day, like apples, strawberries and energy bars, because they are light and settle well in my stomach. A salad for lunch will usually keep me satisfied until after my game. I mostly drink water throughout the day, and sometimes Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes.

Eating healthfully before a game will help focus me and give me a burst of energy. Diet really does affect athletes’ performance, so they should always pay attention to the kinds of food they are eating and how much of it they are taking in.”

15

the athlete’s plates based on models created by the U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Dietitians and the University of Colorado Sport Nutrition Graduate Program

25% Whole Grains 25% Lean Protein

50% Fruits & Vegetables

easy training 25% Grains 50% Vegetables Vegetables

25% Lean Protein

moderate training day

50% Grains

25%

Lean Protein

25% Vegetables

hard training/game Day WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

MOVE

tessa

Harris

from the CALIFORNIA BREEZE

to the WARRIORS

BY OLIVIA GRAHL

“I’ve been playing softball since I was probably 4 or 5. My parents had put me in T-Ball. I had to choose between soccer and softball.

Softball was way more fun and I liked it. It was a more interactive sport. The first travel team I played for was the California Breeze.”

AS A

YOUTH

“Being a freshman on varsity was intimidating. It was very scary because the girls that year were very loud and strong. But it was a lot of learning experience, and it was really cool to be able to play with girls four years older than me and to learn from them.

I don’t really plan to play after college, other than slow league.

Our assistant coach Mike always tells us that we’ll call him one day and tell him ‘I’m playing slow pitch with my husband or my boyfriend.’”

“I’m a small group leader for junior highers at Bayside in Granite Bay. It’s really important to me because I know that I’m making a difference in their life.

It means a lot because they tell you their problems and they know they can go to you when stuff at home isn’t great or there’s problems with their parents.”

OFF THE

FIELD

AS A

WILDCAT

“There were other schools that were interested in me, that were out of state but it wasn’t really something that I was interested in. I didn’t want a big school or a super in-your-face kind of thing. I just liked the small environment and community with that.

I like that I’m not [going to] be far from home because I know my parents can go to the games and be part of the experience with me. And I know I won’t have to change what I do personally just to go to school. It’s nice that I already know the area. It’s more of the opportunity to be around family longer.

[Practicing with Jessup] gives you a lot of confidence which is really good. They reassure you.

And it’s good to see how college practices go and how they’re run by different people. The people there are really great so it’s super fun.”

AS A

WARRIOR

AROUND THE BASES RBI’S 24 43 RUNS 50 HITS

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

20

BATTING AVERAGE

.355

HOME TO FIRST

2.8 secs

Accumulated varsity stats according to Max Preps as of the 2014 high school season

MOVE Sean Sullivan dives for a ball at practice. Photo by PAIGE COVENEY

varsity spring standings

reaching for stability ALLY BARRETT & PAIGE COVENEY

T

he process for buying sports equipment has constantly been changing in order to make it more efficient.

Athletic Director Mr. Jason Feuerbach explains the new system, which replaces a system from the past he described as “proven to work” but was not stable or efficent. Part of the system requires each team to reuse its jerseys for multiple seasons.

Girls’ varsity soccer player Robyn Rosenfeld said, “The uniforms get grass stains on the white jerseys that don’t always come out, and sometimes people put them in the dryer, which causes the numbers to get messed up.”

This year, teams on Rotation A got new uniforms.

“We decided to set up a system where every third year, a sport would get a new set of uniforms, so we put them in a rotation of a, b and c,” Feuerbach said.

“We got new uniforms for varsity [soccer], so we passed the old ones down to JV and the freshman team,” Rosenfeld said.

Feuerbach is working through the preliminary stages of creating a more efficient system with parents and coaches involved.

“We are organizing a booster club that all of

this is going to get handed over to. Then they will fundraise the money for it, and they will help us pay for the uniforms,” Feuerbach said.

The goal of the booster club is to help with the facilities, uniforms and fundraising.

According to Feuerbach, reports show that the school is always about $100,000 short in the cost for athletic uniforms and equipment.

“I feel like most of the money goes to football, but I believe it should be distributed evenly throughout the sports,” JV softball player Kenzi Palmer said.

Although the system is still in the early stages, the athletic community is working together to start fundraising early.

“Overall I think our uniforms could be improved and fundraising will work for the future,” baseball player Justin Hanlin said.

One step was a dinner fundraiser hosted in March, coordinated by not only athletic staff but students and their parents.

Feuerbach said athletes’ participation in this process will help it run more efficiently and hopefully will benefit them in the long run with uniforms, as well as for costs like sending athletes to state tournaments and building new facilities.

17

For sports updates, follow on Twitter @Whitney Update.

girls’ soccer: 2-3-2 softball: 1-5 baseball: 2-0 diving: 0-4 girls’ swim: 6-0 boys’ tennis: 7-0 track & field: 1-0 boys’ volleyball: 4-2

New uniforms, in turn Rotation A:

• basketball

• soccer

• volleyball Rotaion B:

• cheer

• football

• softball

• cross country

• golf Rotation C:

• baseball

• dance

• swimming

• tennis

• track - • water polo

• wrestling

Scan here to see coverage of spring athletes on Steller WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

TECH

DO U CTRL UR PHONE OR DOES UR PHONE CTRL U?

B

BY GENESEE HARMON & ONA IGBINEDION zzz Bzzz. Bzzz Bzzz. She tries to ignore the noise as a table full of homework awaits. Bzzz Bzzz. Bzzz Bzzz. Ignore.

Ignore. Ignore. Again the noise returns.

Bzzz Bzzz. The pull of the sound forces a look. Five new notifications.

Students are on their phones constantly.

Looking around at break or lunch reveals at least one person on a smartphone, if not more. Teens were born in an era where technology is constant, with surveys revealing 85 percent of teens have their own phones.

A new study released April 1 by Pew Internet Reserach in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reports 15 percent of Americans ages 18-29 are “heavily dependent” on a smartphone for online access.

Students describe the perks of having a phone as convenient and helpful. “[With a phone] it’s a lot easier to communicate with people, and it’s a good way to pass time when you’re bored,” Britney Flint said.

Students agreed that the phone is a useful tool in their day-to-day life. “[Having a phone enables me] to plan certain things, including ROTC jobs, which are very important,” Blake Butts said.

According to Pe Hub, at least 87 percent of teens sleep with their phones either near or right next to them.

While the Pew study showed only 28 percent of respondents consider their phone “distracting,” WHS students said their phones distract them when doing work at home or during school.

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”The second it lights up, I find myself on it for more than 10-15 minutes,” Hailey Lacoste said.

Julien Hale said that he gets distracted by his phone in class.

“I get really carried away [on my phone] in class when we’re taking notes, but I usually know when to focus,” Hale said.

Opinions varied regarding whether the world would be better without smartphones.

“The modern world needs cell phones for communication or else people wouldn’t know what to do because we are on them all the time,” Eghosa Igbinedion said.

Sharing continues to be among the biggest uses. According to Pew Research Center, 67 percent use their phone to share pictures, videos, or commentary about events happening in their community, “[Your phone is] not with 35 percent distracting unless you doing so let it distract you.” frequently. ­ — Blake Butts In a related American Trends Panel survey, 46 percent of respondents say their phone is something they “cannot live without.” Not everyone on campus likes the effects.

Katia Buisson said, “The use of phones is ridiculous. People use their phones like it is an article of clothing. [They] need to put their phones down and look up for once.”

18

OPINION: The tech problem

BY JOEL TIMMS Consider this; 20 years ago, the technology that students’ lives are so dependent on did not exist. No iPhone, no Android, not even a phone without a cord leading to a volt. It’s fair enough to say that we are “e-addicted”.

So what is it about technology that is so easily controlling so many lives in this generation? The problem resides in the foundation of human society itself; face-to-face, human-to-human interactions. Sure, sometimes talking to someone in real life can be awkward, but today we take it to the extreme. Hiding behind a screen those people on the other side of the phone remain anonymous, and so do their emotions.

Technology is taking away some of our basic interactions that make us who we are, and then we end up more dependent on those texts and Snapchats. It’s a vicious cycle,one that once your are a part of the only way to break out is by shutting down.

Another major dependency on technology by people today is born out of that I call the “wonder factor,” and say, ”how wonderful! We could use that to better ourselves.” The truth of the matter is that by trying to utilize technology to better every aspect of a company or every facet of a school, more and more people get sucked into using technology. Tech is no longer used for the “wow,” but because they’re forced to. Technology has become such an integral part of our lives that to not use it would mean the sacrifice of being part of the group.

And so as the cycle of electronics repeats everyday. What can we do then, to fight the control tech has over our daily lives? It may seem impossible, but completely setting it aside for a while may help open some eyes and help people realize that technology isn’t all good.

Technology is taking away what life is about, being human.

TECH

the laptop decision As students grow older, the demand for a personal laptop grows.

Take this quiz to find which laptop will work best for you.

BY SARAH MARTINEZ

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH BEING iPHONE-LESS?

DO YOU PREFER A MAC OR PC?

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT: PORTABILITY OR PERFORMANCE?

MACBOOK AIR

PRICE: $999 WEIGHT: 2.96 lbs.

SCREEN SIZE: 13 in.

BATTERY LIFE: 12 hrs.

BLUETOOTH ENABLED

HP ENVY 17T

PRICE: $899 WEIGHT: 6.33 lbs.

SCREEN SIZE: 17.3 in.

BATTERY LIFE: 6 hrs.

BEATS AUDIO

HP STREAM NOTEBOOK

PRICE: $299 WEIGHT: 3.86 lbs.

SCREEN SIZE: 14 in.

ONE DRIVE STORAGE BEATS AUDIO

WOULD YOU CONSIDER A CHROMEBOOK? ACER CHROMEBOOK 14

ASUS TRANSFORMER

PRICE: $259 WEIGHT: 2.4 lbs.

SCREEN SIZE: 10.1 in.

BATTERY LIFE: 9 hrs.

DETACHABLE SCREEN

PRICE: $299 WEIGHT: 3.31 lbs.

SCREEN SIZE: 13.3 in.

BATTERY LIFE: 11 hrs.

100 GB OF GOOGLE DRIVE CLOUD STORAGE

“I fell behind in the technology world because my phone doesn’t take very good pictures and freezes.”

— CONNOR BART “Sometimes apps aren’t available in the Google Play store and I can’t use emojis which is sad.”

— MIDORI GARMAN “My phone doesn’t get group messages like iPhones, so it’s more complicated to reply.”

— ASHLEY SHIRHALL

“I can’t get iMessage group messages, but that’s also a plus.”

— LUIS HIGUERA “It’s really irritating when my friends start a group message and the messages come out of order.”

— RACHEL MESKIMEN Percentage of smartphone users in the United States 2.8%

51.7% 43.4%

Android iPhone 19

1.2% .9%

Windows Blackberry

Others SOURCE: Nielsen

WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

OFF CAMPUS

on the

long

way

DOWN

BY ARIELLA APPLEBY, CAMELIA COFFMAN & OLIVIA GRAHL

Looking out over the side of the ‘this person died of a suicide.’ Once we steep cliff next to the Foresthill Bridge, determine it then we contact people who all that can be seen is a 730 foot drop might have known this person. There’s down to the river below. This bridge, the a hundred different variables we can go tallest in California, stands out of the through. If we don’t know who the person rugged landscape as a massive feat of is, generally a coroner is going to do some engineeering. But this source of pride for more investigation,” Ruffcorn said. the state comes with several of its own Once the body is identified, the family problems relating to suicidal actions. is informed of the death.

Since Auburn’s Foresthill Bridge’s “A natural death is one thing. If you construction in 1973, an estimated 65 die of old age, you are kind of expecting it. suicides from jumping have occured. The Generally suicides no one saw coming. It’s most recent suicide was Feb. 13.

It’s horrible whenever a young life is lost and it’s “It is a tragic sadder when you know that they felt like there situation, there’s not an easy way to was no other answer in their life other than to deal with it whether end it. They feel such great sadness that they you have to notify can’t see any other option. Students can always the family or the come to us to grieve.” family members are already

— COUNSELOR MRS. ROISON LEROY there,” Auburn’s Interim Director of Emergency Services John Ruffcorn said. just tragic in nature. Dealing with having The small community, compared with to inform the next of family members of the amount of tragic suicides, leads to a this tragic situation, that is very difficult,” large issue.

Ruffcorn said.

“I have never come across a suicide Ruffcorn believes that changes where I actually knew the individual, but as in awareness and suicide prevention you do the investigation, you get glimmers programs would reduce the suicide rate. of who this person was. It’s never an easy Counselors can be found on campus for situation and it is always tragic in nature,” any situation.

Ruffcorn said.

“If a student is talking about suicide In death investigations the Auburn or hurting themselves or they are acting Police Department treats it as a homicide really depressed or low or not themselves. until cause of death can be determined.

You definitely want the friends or family to The sheriff’s coroner is involved in the come in and talk to us and tell us. Let us know so we can check in on them. We always want investigation, aiding with expertise. to make sure that the kids are taken care of,” “We have to investigate it as a counselor Mrs. Emily Greene said. homicide from the beginning until we get to a point where we find out and say THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

20

OFF CAMPUS

Hosting

A

French

culture

R. GILLIS

BY SIERRA YOUNG

Adventures in

missions

Teens travel to week long missionary trips scattered across the globe seeking religious faith or for the adventure of meeting new people, experiencing different cultures

BY MISSIE CARACUT

TYLER GONZALEZ “For the past two years I’ve been traveling to Mexico over the summer for a week with my church for a missionary trip. When I went on the trip the biggest thing I learned was to take thanks for what I have because in other countries they don’t really have as much as we do and we don’t really realize how lucky we are. Now that I’ve experienced [this trip] I want to continue to keep doing it because I’m now more appreciative of what I have and the people that I have in my life. The special thing about the Mexico trip specifically is that you get to meet a lot of new people and you get to see how different cultures work.”

MORGAN JONES

Jemima Degamo stands with native children near the mission site

“One of the benefits of being part of a religious community is getting the chance to go on missionary trips. This will be my fourth year going on missionary trips and although I’ve only been to Mexico for a missionary trip, I’m planning on going to Honduras as soon as I turn 18. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that the impact you make is not from the things you are doing them for, but is more about the relationships you build with the people around you. The trip made me realize that my life honestly could be much worse, and that even when things are hard I can always find something small to be optimistic about.”

21

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEMIMA DEGAMO

the

foreign country, a foreign language, and and Sunsplash. foreign people. Those who host French “On our own time, we went bowling and to Six students are responsible for making Flags and we saw movies,” said Collins. the adjustment into a foreign home feel French students are chosen by their school to comfortable. participate based on their grades, citizenship and Every summer for three weeks, French high whether they can afford the $3000 trip. school students are invited to live with students and Leane Mauvoisin from Nantes, France was their families to experience American culture and hosted last summer by Lily Jones. practice their English.

“I wanted French 1 teacher Mrs. Kimberly to come to “ The program broadens students’ Karver has run the French foreign California exchange program for six years through horizons, both American and French, because my and introduces them to a new culture.” school was CCI Greenheart, whose mission is “to promote cultural understanding, offering the trip, ­ — MRS. KIMBERLY KARVER academic development, environmental and I am very consciousness and world peace.” good at English, “The program broadens students’ so I wanted horizons and introduces them to a new culture,” to practice. My parents said my grades were good Karver said. enough to go as well,” Mauvoisin said.

Hosts volunteer and are given a background French students and their hosts often stay in check, then can view French students’ profiles and touch over social media. choose who they would most like to host. Host ”I talk to Lily, my host, multiple times a week families are responsible for providing a bed and food and I sometimes talk to Aubrey, my host mom, on for their French students and welcoming them as Facebook,” Mauvoisin said. part of their own family.

Many host students are invited to stay in France Mitchell Collins was one of 27 hosts last with the French student the next summer. summer.

“I just booked my flight to France for this “I was really interested in getting involved with summer,” Collins said. the French culture and learning more about the Those interested may sign up to host with Mrs. language as well,” Collins said.

Karver in room E-2 beforethe end of April. This As a group, the host students and French summer’s program will be from July 11 to Aug. 1. students went on trips to San Francisco, Sacramento

JEMIMA DEGAMO “Last summer I went to the Philippines for my first missionary trip. When I was there, the biggest thing I learned about was selflessness; because when I witnessed children running around in their destroyed school finding joy in playing tag with volunteers from the mission, it was really humbling. I want to continue doing these mission trips for as long as I can and after college I want to be part of the program “doctors without borders,” where nurses or doctors provide medical care for third world countries who can’t afford good health care. I value my life much more now because I never realize how bad it is in other places, the trip was truly life-changing.”

WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

OFF CAMPUS

is it

BLAZE, UNIQUE FACTORS

ATMOSPHERE

PIZZA

“The s’mores pie tasted really good. I think it’s really cool that they offered such a unique desert for a pizza place.”

— ABI BROOKS

“The pizza at Blaze was definitely a lot thinner and easier to eat. It was a little greasier but tasted better.”

— CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

“The first thing I noticed walking in was the lit up sign in the back corner. It read ‘Non-Conformists,’ and I loved it.”

— OLIVIA GRAHL

“It was just like any s’more: gooey sweet goodness. It was an interesting compliment to the rest of the food.”

— kacie NICHOLSON

“ I’m usually not a fan of thin crust pizza, but I ended up really liking it.”

— SARAH MARTINEZ

“Not only were the people at Blaze friendly, but it was so open and inviting. An exciting atmosphere.”

— J.T. SCOTT

TIME & TEMP: THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

BLAZE: 180 seconds at 701 degrees BLAST: 180 seconds at 825 degrees 22

WHERE:

10325 Fairway Dr Roseville, CA 95678 www.blazepizza.com

OFF CAMPUS

BLAST ?

or is it

ATMOSPHERE

Check out a video of Blaza and Blast resterants

PIZZA

UNIQUE FACTORS

“Way smaller. The music was louder, and “Lots of random toppings, like ones you there were less people but [it was] brighter.” wouldn’t even think to put on a pizza.”

— SIERRA YOUNG — DESIREE STONE

“Lots of different kinds of lemonade. The blood orange was particularly good.”

— LILY JONES

“Bright and open and more familyfriendly, it was more of a place to go with family, not friends.”

— SARAH MARTINEZ

“Blast’s gluten-free pizza was really good.

There are many bad tasting gluten-free pizzas. Blast made it taste like a regular pizza.”

— ARIELLA APPLEBY

“The crust was particularly good, really fluffy. The larger toppings made for a pizza that felt more filling.”

— CARSEN VAN DER LINDEN

BLAZE: $8.55 (unlimited toppings) PRICE of a PEPPERONI: BLAST: $6.25 (1 topping) 23

WHERE:

1132 Galleria Blvd Roseville, CA 95678 www.blast825pizza.com WHITNEYUPDATE.COM

LIFESTYLE

What do you think of men’s fashion?

Using color “My favorite spring colors to wear are navy blue, tan and all white.”

— ATIR MIZRA “Black and grey are two great colors you could wear, because it doesn’t distract from everything else.”

— MICHELLE DUTTON “Tan shorts are good for any outfit. You should wear a watch or accessories.”

— Caleb Vu

Advice

in search of male FASHION

BY ANDREI BUADO & WILLIAM MURBACH

Ray-Ban Wayfarers $155 www.rayban.com

AE short sleeve button down $30 www.ae.com

Bulova Marine Star $350 www.macys.com

khaki shorts $24 www.oldnavy.gap.com

JCrew socks $15 www.jcrew.com Scan here to see our Pinterest board for ideas on male fashion.

THE ROAR | ISSUE 5

“The way you dress influences the way people think about you. You could be the most awkward person but if you dress nice people will respect you.”

— Carl Illustrisimo “Don’t try to copy anyone elses style, be yourself. If some else says your style is stupid its their opinion.”

— Katelyn Chiappone

OPINION: Dressing to impress

BY ADRIANA PENA

When it comes to finding that perfect dress for an important dance it can be one of the most stressful, irritating and emotional situations to be in. For me, after each formal dance the dress shopping for the next one is harder.

You are always worried about what color will make you look good, the length, the hairstyle that will look better with the dress and if some other girl will show up in the same dress. You spend hours searching and trying on so many that eventually you just feel frustrated. Not to mention getting it to fit just right. We as girls all have different types of bodies and sometimes dresses are made for just one specific type of body.

This can lead to us feeling bad about the way we look. It becomes more difficult when your school has specific rules about the dress but nothing compares to feeling the pressure of having a dress that’s beautiful and will stand out. You want to impress and be original.

You want to remember that special night, but you also want to be remembered.

At some points I would even put myself down for not being able to find a perfect dress, either for the size or the color. This is where the emotions come in. You just start feeling horrible about how you look after trying so many dresses that were not right for you. However, the best way to deal with the struggles of not wanting to have the same dress as other girls, I usually go shopping in another city. Dress shopping is a difficult task but at the end of the night all that matters is how that specific dress makes you feel beautiful and confident. It will all be worth it.

Top three places to get a prom dress Top photos (left to right) Atir Mirza, Caleb Vu and Carl Illustrisimo. Big photo featuring Andrei Buado.

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1. www.promgirl.com/ 2. www1.macys.com 3. www.nordstrom.com