The Flash
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december 2013 | rocklinhsflash.net
Photojournalists: Breanna Baptista, Destinee Czub, Michayla Decker, Alyx Stone, Brooke Sutton
Staff writers: Elias Alba, Shelby Boyajan, Kaleb Branderhorst, Toby Dyas, Courtney Harper, Adiranna Havey, Faith Holloway, Leilah Lockett, Sarah Lovejoy, Rachel MacMaster, Emily McCrary, Sawyer Milam, Katie Morgan, Matthew Morgan, Jasmine Passey, Caitlin Payne, Cassie Reilly, Melanie Seyfried, Megan Sunde, Lydia Tahraoui, Aubrey Wilson, Sabrina Wilson
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8-9 Hipsters or not?
Editor in Chief: Alina Holtsman Co-editors-in-Chief: Rhiannon Chuter-Davies & Liz Vasquez Blog & Coverage Editor : Julie Schwarzkopf Photo Editors: Halle Williams & Emma Foster Design Editor: Aubrey Butte
How Do you Use Netflix?
Rocklin High School Jouranlism
The Flash is a public forum produced by students for students in an attempt to inform and entertain its audience. Journalism students have the final authority for any content found in this publication. The Flash Staff encourages letters regarding content to constitute a constructive avenue for student opinion. Letters should be directed to the newspaper’s email, rhsflash@ gmail.com. Rocklin High School 5301 Victory Lane Rocklin, CA 95765 916-632-7498 rhsflash@gmail.com
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23 Review on Disney’s New Frozen
New Comers to Rocklin
4-5
Visit us at www. rocklinhsflash. net to keep up with the lastest news from the Home of the Thunder
23 Hunger Games’ Cathing Fire’s Review www.facebook.com/ rocklinhsflash
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Edwin’s Coffee And Tea: A Rocklin Treasure
@RocklinHSflash @RocklinHSsports
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Making the right move By Faith Holloway and Mindy Yan
RHS newcomers confront the challenge of transferring in the middle of their high school careers.
S
tarting a new school year is scary enough. Add the stress of moving from across the world, and it’s nearly impossible. RHS students Morgan Mills, Stephanie Bagwell, and Hannah Hall became a part of the Thunder family this school year. Each of them is in the process of overcoming the arduous transition period that accompanies changing schools.
Halfway Around the World Morgan Mills, who is a senior this year, moved from Wales with her parents and brother after living there for her entire life. The move wasn’t a welcomed change, she admits.
“I felt scared and frightened; I didn’t want to go.”
The school system is drastically different in Wales. Instead of having high school from grades 9 to 12, students go from grade 7 to grade 11 with the option of staying on for another two years. Before their schooling
is over, they must complete a series of exams before moving on. According to Morgan, RHS is much different than the schools she’s attended in Wales. The campus is much bigger, and there are more students than what she’s used to. Luckily, it wasn’t too difficult for her to transition to her new classes at RHS. In Wales, Morgan took A-levels, which are advanced level courses much harder than normal classes. The A-levels she chose were health, life science, and Welsh. “Classes here are similar to what I’ve done back home in grade level. It’s manageable,” she said. Morgan is currently taking Language Arts IV, General Chemistry, Government/ Economics, Geometry, Aerobic Walking, and Art I. Not only has Morgan had to deal with changes in school, there were also many cultural differences she has had to face. Morgan described how the fashion trends in America are noticeably different than the styles of clothing in Wales. “Clothing here is more relaxed and comfortable. It’s all very new and different.” Thankfully, there are also some positive experiences about moving to Rocklin. Morgan appreciates that she feels welcome here, and the majority of people are pleasant and accepting of her. “People are much nicer here compared to Wales; RHS students are very friendly,” Morgan explained. As for the future, Morgan hasn’t decided if she wants to stay in America or go back to Wales. “I don’t know where I want to go for university yet,” she reveals.
Morgan (left) holding the Welsh flag and Stephanie holding the Arizona state flag.
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A welcome return home Stephanie Bagwell, a sophomore now at RHS, moved back to Rocklin after an unpleasant move to Arizona during the summer. Stephanie had attended RHS as a freshman in the 2012-2013 school year and moved in order to accommodate her father’s job in Las Vegas. “We didn’t want to move to Vegas because it’s too busy and Arizona was close enough to my dad’s job,” Stephanie said. Stephanie had lived in Rocklin for four years before her move, making it difficult to restart at a new school away from everything familiar. In addition to facing an overwhelming transition period both socially and emotionally, Stephanie had to adjust to new academic standards.
“The school curriculum was terrible. There was very low standards compared to Rocklin, even in honors classes,” she said.
How many students transferred into RHS this year? 123 How many students transferred from within RUSD? 20 How many students transferred from elsewhere in CA? 75 How many students transferred from out of state? 20 How many students transferred from a foreign country? 8
The Arizona students’ personalities in particular, clashed with those of RHS students. “People there were very different and a little rude. The girls were mean and the guys were very disrespectful, especially towards other girls. It was really depressing, especially since I didn’t know anyone.” Because the move was extremely rough on them, the Bagwell family chose to move back to Rocklin. “The transition back into rigorous academics mid-year was hard at first, but it’s getting better,” Stephanie said after her return at the beginning of October. Despite a rough start to her sophomore year, Stephanie is ready to enjoy herself among familiar faces.
“When I transferred into RHS, I felt very welcomed. I have close friends here and everyone was warm, inviting, kind, and willing to help.”
- Hannah Hall, sophomore transfer from WHS
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Getting into the
S w ing
of things
H
Delanie in her uniform for RHS Softball
Delanie said. Delanie has had a lot of experience with both ends of the spectrum. She plays for Rocklin High’s softball team in the spring, which is more relaxed than her competitive team. During the fall, she plays for Michele Granger’s Silverstreaks. Coached by Michele Granger, 1996 Olympic goldmedalist and ASA and ISF Hall of Famer, the Silverstreaks are a competitive team based in Granite Bay. Delanie enjoys both high school and competitive level softball, although she prefers her high school season. “I like high school because it’s not really about showcasing your talent and trying to get picked up by colleges. It’s really about working with your teammates and creating that bond,” Delanie said. Delanie loves the bond that she has with her high school team. As she said, high school softball is more about having fun and making friends than competitive softball is. Her team is like a second family to her. She knows that collegiate softball will be a much different experience than high school, but she still hopes that she can be a starting freshman and break through the lineup.
igh school seniors nationwide are beginning to feel the pressure of essays, applications, deadlines and decisions. With some application deadlines drawing closer and with others already passed, the stress is setting in. Delanie Chrisman, however, has found that college admission may be easier than she originally thought. A three-year varsity softball player, Delanie signed with San Francisco State University mid-November. Playing college softball is a dream come true for Delanie. “I made a decision that I wanted to play college softball in middle school or freshman year, so it’s always been a process of trying to find a 4-year college that I can pursue in education and athletics,” Delanie said. Apart from fulfilling her dream of collegiate softball, she is also pleased with her decision due to the alleviation of stress during her second semester of senior year. Unlike the majority of college-bound seniors, she will not have to worry about getting into her dream college. She is already in. “It’s actually really nice. SFSU was the one app I filled out; I don’t need to worry about filling out apps. I’m completely happy with my decision. It’s just a relief knowing where I’m going and that I’ll be happy,” said Delanie. SFSU turned out to be the perfect match. Not only is it Delanie’s first choice for college regardless of the recruitment offers, it is also a Division Two school for athletics. Bases loaded pinch-hitting became a highlight for “It’s not the most competitive--it’s not D1--but it is Delanie Christman. competitive enough to where I’ll have to push myself,”
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Maddie “in the moment” playing for the RHS team With an acceptance rate of 7.9 percetn, Yale University is the seventh hardest U.S. university to get in to. Coupled with the financial obligations and the geographic distance, it’s easy to understand why not very many RHS graduates have attended Yale in years past. Maddie Wuelfing, a third-year varsity senior, is getting ready to continue her softball career in college and add to the number of RHS graduates who are Ivy League-bound. “I play for a year-round travel team called the Roseville Heat,” Maddie says. She plays pitcher and middle infielder, although she is being recruited as a utility player. This means that she will play a variety of different positions. Maddie’s travel team is more competitive than high school softball, and her favorite aspect of the sport is the competition. High school softball has a much more relaxed atmosphere than competitive, and the teams that they play are not as good. “It's just as much, if not more, of a mental game as a physical game.” Maddie says. The mental aspect adds to the competition. Not only is she competing against other teams, but she is also pushing and competing with herself mentally. Maddie’s travel team plays all year except during the high school season, and she spends a considerable amount of time with her travel team. The competition, in addition to the time they spend together, has brought her travel team together. “My travel team is really close, so that makes it more fun,” Maddie says. She has been playing softball since she was five, and after twelve years she is ready to travel farther than ever before.
This fall Maddie will be attending Yale University. Although she always planned on attending a four-year college, she would have never considered Yale before she was recruited. “Academics come first for me, and with or without softball, I would be going to college.” Maddie says. Recruitment opened her eyes however. Before, she would have only seriously considered west coast schools. Although Ivy League schools do not offer scholarships, Maddie will be given financial aid and grants. Yale is a Division One school in athletics, so it is very competitive. It is Maddie’s goal to get playtime as a freshman, but in the mean time, Maddie is just happy knowing where she is going next fall . “It makes everything much less stressful. It gives me the chance to focus mainly on my schoolwork and softball and not have to worry about applications. Also, it gives me time to plan out my future a little bit more!”
Sidebar Stats • 55.5% of high school students play a sport • Only about 2% of high school graduates will play collegiate sports • 1 in 16,000 high school athletes attains a professional career in sports.
By Sarah Lovejoy and Kaleb Branderhorst
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Lauren White
Breanna Baptista
t o n m a I ipster h a
“I don’t think I’m a hipster, and it’s offensive to say I’m a hipster because it implies that I do the things I do to follow trends, when in reality everything I do is subconsious because I don’t intentionally not conform to society, it just happens.” Lauren White
r
“I dress the way I do because I like how it looks. And I definitely do not consider myself a hipster I don’t like that word.” Kayla Dahla
Paulina Timokhin
Kayla Dahla
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or most fall athletes, winter brings a time of relaxation and recuperation. By Thanksgiving break, most sports have ended or are wrapping up their post season competitions. After months of daily practice and grueling competition, fall sports have come to a close, instigating both relief and bittersweet emotions amongst athletes now entering their off season. But for some, there is no off season. Dozens of athletes at Rocklin High School enter straight into their next season, leaving no time to regroup. The never-ending cycle of sports is a reality for Kelsey Summers, a junior at Rocklin High School. Summers competes on the water water polo, basketball, and swim teams for Rocklin, all with back-to-back seasons Water polo had an extremely successful season, finishing league undefeated and taking the Sierra Foothill League championship title for the first time since 2005. This taste of victory is bound to help Kelsey become extra motivated this basketball season. She has already been attending pre-season basketball training and keeping her morale strong. Since before she can remember, Kelsey has been on the basketball court, fueling her love and dedication for the sport. Beginning at age six, she began to swim and later decided to play water polo to follow in her sister’s footsteps.Kelsey has always looked up to her older sister, Rocklin Alum Lydia Summers, and has considered her a role model. Lydia was also a three sport
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Ball Summers leads All water polo Fall by Sabrina Wilson and Matt Morgan
athlete at Rocklin, playing water polo, basketball, and soccer. Both sisters have made huge impacts in the Rocklin girls’ sports programs. Balancing time between all three sports proves to be somewhat of a
“I think time management is the most important thing, and also keeping your priorities in line. To inspire me, I use goals for myself and my team that motivate us to get better everyday” Kelsey Summers challenge. Along with school, little time is left for herself. Water polo has both morning and afternoon practices and basketball has been training since summer. In order to get everything done, Kelsey has a lot of late nights and utilizes plus frequently. With little time left for a social life, Kelsey’s weekends are frequently filled with tournaments
and games. Basketball does take a bit of a priority over other sports for Kelsey. The higher competition lends it to be more intense and requires a higher level of dedication and time. The difference in intensity level provides a heightened motivation to play harder. Girl’s Basketball kicked off their season against Oak Ridge on December 2 and continue to have tournaments through winter break including the Costa Mesa Tournament. Maintaining a work ethic that requires months of never ending practices and games is rare amongst high schoolers. The ability to stay focused in all aspects of not only each sport, but in school as well is highly commendable. Kelsey’s contributions to the water polo team will live on in their championship flag soon to be hanging on the wall, hopefully to be joined by another for the girl’s basketball 2013 season.
What’s in your Food? Now at UC Berkeley, RHS Alum Marina Kosturos writes for the Flash
When deciding where to go out to dinner, what types of food do you consider? Chinese food? Mexican food? Fast food? How about genetically modified food? Many consumers are unaware of genetically altered ingredients (GMOs) that are present in an alarmingly large percentage of food worldwide. Take Chipotle for example, when stepping into one of the 900 locations, one does not fail to see the words “hormone and antibiotic-free meats” or “locally grown organic produce,” but where is the disclaimer that informs consumers that the feed for their livestock and corn in their tortillas contain GMOs? It is simply nonexistent. Genetically modified food is made from organisms (ingredients) that have undergone DNA changes through the practice of genetic engineering. We should be informed if our foods are tampered with seeming as 6070% of processed food contains laboratory-grown genetically modified ingredients. The best and most effective way to solve to get GM food labeled is to get more people aware of this issue and contact local legislators to voice our opinions. It seems like common sense that it is simply our right to know what we are putting into our bodies and giving our families, yet this is not the case. It should be the right of the consumer to buy orange juice from concentrate or not from concentrate, or fish that were raised in a fish farm versus caught in the wild. According to The Huffington post, the state’s most recent data on the cost of GMO food labeling verified it would only cost about $1 million total, which comes out to less than 3 cents per person in California. Simply put, it would cost virtually nothing to keep the consumers in the know. A similar but improved version of Prop 37, I-522, requires foods containing genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled starting in 2015. The citizens of the state of Washington voted on this prop on Tuesday November 5th; unfortunately it only received 45% of the votes. This initiative needed to be passed because it would have not only informed the public of what is contained in their food, but could have saved people from possible health risks related to GMOs.
Many doctors are now being advised to encourage and prescribe non-genetically modified food diets. Human studies have showed that the DNA of GM foods can actually transfer to the human intestinal bacteria and still continue to grow and thrive, which can potentially cause long-term effects. These problems may include and are not limited to: food allergies to many soy products, as well as disorders such as autism, reproductive disorders, and digestive problems. Studies in animals have shown cases of damage to organs, sterility, immune and GI disorders, and accelerated aging according to The Institute for Responsible Technology. It is imperative that we become educated on the health risks GMOs pose before the number of people affected skyrocket. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has always held the power to require food manufacturers to label genetically engineered foods, but they believe that these modified crops are substantially equivalent to non-modified ones. To back up this claim, a study performed by the National Academy of Sciences showed that genetically modified foods are just as safe as non-genetically modified foods. Opponents of GMO labeling argue that putting labels on these products could lead to a negative effect on shoppers. The label might serve as a warning that says, “Watch out consumers, something is different in this product,” leading consumers to stray away. This in turn decreases demand for the items and hurts the food manufacturers (monetarily) as well. Companies like Hershey and Mars spent over a million dollar combined to oppose GMO labeling in the 2012 election so the demand would not plummet for their sugary products. As far as Chipotle goes, the CEO and founder announced prices will go up 3-5% in 2014 in effort to remove all GMOs from their ingredients due to the protests of health activists. This fast-food chain exemplifies the power of people who take a stand for a good cause. If you support GMO labeling and would like to see more restaurants and food manufacturers disclosing GMO information, then call your local legislator. If enough of us take the initiative to raise our voice on this issue, the government will be left with no choice but to serve the unhappy citizens of this country.
Justice will be dished.
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BEST CLASS ON CAMPUS W
ith the multitude of classes that are available at Rocklin High, it’s impossible to take every one that interests you. With so many choices you have to consider all the different aspects of a class; the teacher, the subject, the difficulty, the people around you, and of course what people say about the class. Certain aspects can completely ruin your experience in a class, so careful consideration is necessary in order for a good school year. After being faced with this problem for a few years now, I began to wonder if I was making the right choices. I thought about what the best class would be like. It would be fairly easy work, a great teacher, a great group of people, and a subject that I am totally interested in. While a class like “Superhero Science” taught by Robert Downey Jr. would fit the bill, it’s not exactly offered here at RHS. So instead, I decided that I must figure out which classes had these desirable traits. After narrowing down the survey to just four questions, it was posted with all of our other surveys on the RHS homepage. These are the questions and the answers you gave. The perfect class would not be too stressful, so we asked “what’s the easiest class you’ve taken?” and the response was wide ranging, but unsurprising. Freshman Geography took third place with 5.75% of the votes, and in second place was Photo 1 with 7% of the votes. And the easiest class on campus? At 10.25% of the votes, Driver’s Education/Health tops the charts with its ease! For me, each class is made or broken by the teacher. Our second question was “Who is your favorite teacher?” and the response was easily the most widespread. With 83 faculty members, choosing favorites was difficult for everyone. In third place was Mr. Underwood with 5.75% of the votes. Barely edged out of first, Mr. Nichols takes second with 6.25%. But the title goes to the teacher who took 7% of the total vote: Mr. Wagner. Right after a good teacher on my list of necessary aspects of a class is a good subject. Everyone wants to take classes whose subjects they’re passionate about, that will prepare them for the future, and keep them interested and focused on excelling in that class.
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Our next question was “What class do you most want to take?” and the results were surprisingly clear, the most definitive of all four questions. In third with 5% of the votes is Psychology. With 7.25% of votes and second place is Theater 4. However the most desired class, as voted by the students, took 13% of votes, and it’s AP Psychology. That’s right, the subject dominated the results with a combined total of 18%. Nearly one fifth of students said Ap or regular Psych was the class they most looked forward to taking. The final question we posed was “What’s your favorite class?” and the results were also quite definitive. With 4% of the votes was Photo 2 at third place. Second in the results was Publications at 5%. According to the students here at RHS, the highest favored class is Photo 1 with 9%. Another subject domination, Photo took 13% of the votes and is Rocklin students’ favorite class. Now that the data is compiled, my original quest for the best class on campus seems to have come to an interesting split in the road - or more accurately, many different splits leading down paths that are nearly equal. While we can use this data to determine the best class for most students, the options that our school presents us usual result in a custom-made fit. Based on my analysis, Drivers Ed. Health with Wags is the best class on campus for most students here at RHS. Photo is close behind, well-loved and relaxingly easy. Publications with Mr. Nichols also did well, a widely loved teacher, a subject that many enjoy, and while it didn’t place in the top three easiest classes, it was close behind. Another quiet contender was Theater. Close behind the leaders in three out of four questions, the Theater classes are a great option for many students. In the end, the only thing that’s clear is the quality of our school. Results on all these questions were spread widely, and it seemed that there were more 2% and 3% answers than there were obvious winners. With so many perfectly suited options it’s no surprise we are a gold medal school. By Elias Alba
1. AP PSYCH “AP Psychology is interesting because you learn a lot about how people think and why they think the way they do.” Muhammed Fusenig
2. WAGS
“All we did was watch videos, and the tests were easy because they were group tests.” Megan Sunde
3. Driver’s Ed “You never really know what he’s going to do.” Jacob Thibeault
4. Photo 1 “We had a really fun class, near the end it was just all taking pictures; and I really like the smell of the dark room!” Ellie Doyen
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blessing or curse?
T
umblr, Instagram, and Twitter -- all websites that have slowly integrated themselves into student life throughout the nation. With an increasing reliance on the internet, students have countless avenues for information, entertainment, and procrastination. One site in particular holds the potential to provide students with all of the above: Netflix. It is clear the site is prevalent among the student body, with 68.6% of 370 students surveyed having Netflix. Of those, 26.4% use it more than ten times per week. It isn’t hard to see why it is so popular. Netflix reports that they “have thousands of movies & TV episodes available to watch instantly right on your TV via a PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 or any other device that streams from Netflix, or to watch instantly on your computer.” The selection is plentiful, and the options endless. From procrastination to education, Netflix fills various roles in the lives of students. “On Halloween night my friends and I watched three horror movies straight on Netflix.” said, senior Briana Meeks. What happens when Netflix becomes detrimental? Sometimes, the plethora of options serve as an excuse to put off various tasks. “I procrastinate on my homework by using Netflix
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because my best work is done within the last few minutes.” said Lauren White However, Netflix can be equally beneficial when utilized correctly. Its large selection of various documentaries, educational television and other programming allow access to unquantifiable amounts of information literally at the fingertips of students. Unfortunately, the majority of Rocklin students ignore this opportunity. A mere 1.5% of students use Netflix either for studying or learning new things. Nevertheless, Netflix is slowly becoming more and more of an educational resource. The technology throughout schools is ever changing and Netflix revolutionizes classrooms by combining pleasure with education. AP Psychology and Health teacher Mr. Eric Sturgeon has begun to integrate the website into his curriculum. “I feel like using Netflix is beneficial because it enhances the curriculum by the variety of different biographies and documentaries that the book doesn’t cover.” said Sturgeon. The student response to Netflix is overwhelmingly positive, and its popularity will only continue to grow as the site continues to add greater selections of movies and television. This innovative new way to stream media is revolutionary, and has altered the way individuals watch television. Indeed, according to sophomore Erica McNeill, “Netflix is the best invention since sliced bread!”
by Lydia Tahraoui and Caitlin Payne
innumbers 68% of students have Netflix
topshows: walkingdead (86 votes) gossipgirl (66 votes) theoffice (62 votes) the majority of girls use Netflix 10+ times a week the majority of boys use Netflix 1 time a week how students use netflix: studying/classwork (4 votes) learning new things (3 votes) entertainment (217 votes) procrastination (48 votes) designed by Lydia Tahraoui
*of 272 students surveyed
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a not so relaxing break If you are an athlete, Winter Break just means a different time to practice
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ine a.m. and the first day of winter break means only one thing: sleep. Or so the basketball players thought. Having only three of the days off, Rocklin athletes spend the rest of the time at tournaments and practice. Even though the girls basketball team gets to travel outside of Rocklin, they still have to deal with the daily practices with the exception to Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve. Leaving on the 26th of December, the 15 varsity players along with the three coaches will fly to Southern California for practice and two tournaments that are held at the same location. The boys, despite traveling with the girls, attend a different tournament near Marin. Trips such as these are a bonding experience. This is more so the case this year because the girls have the chance to go to Disneyland before heading back to Rocklin. On the other hand, the junior varsity basketball players stay in Rocklin to attend the same practice schedule and attend a few tournaments over break, one of which is held at Rocklin High School. However, the tournaments collide with family time,
leaving these athletes to choose one or the other. “Sometimes when [my siblings] come back, I have to go to practice or a tournament instead of spending time with them,” said sophomore Heather McGoldrick. “It does suck a little bit, but I love basketball so much.” Along with basketball, the wrestlers also continue to practice over break. “Every year, there’s less than half the team practicing,” said Steven Ramos, a former wrestler. The wrestlers will practice the same days as basketball and have tournaments as well. On the other hand, some athletes train on their own schedules. Senior varsity volleyball player Alex Maney will do daily solo conditioning, focusing on abs and calf work. His initiative for early conditioning is by looking all over the country for scholarships, specifically for volleyball. On top of his training, Alex will coach senior Wen Hao, who isn’t on the team, but wants to learn. The two will go over the basics four days a week until February, when the season starts. “I’m here to teach because I’m a friend,” said Alex. And continuing his daily runs, senior George Miao doesn’t stop for the cold weather and rain. “I remember last year, Christmas day, it was raining really hard and I still had to get my run in,” said George. “Its just a part of my routine now.” Some of the other runners from both Rocklin and Whitney teams also participate in these runs, Communicating through texts, they go on easy runs or even use the track here. Even though the reactions for practicing over break result in being called “crazy ridiculous” George and fellow athletes show their dedication to their sports, even if it means spending their two weeks off of school in the gym, at a tournament, or on the Rocklin wrestler Shane Kumararatne competes against a Whitney opponent on December 4th track.
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By Juli Schwarzkopf
thec evidence in y b e r s p a c e Opinion by Cassie Reilly
A
We also forget that words can be more painful
person these days does not need to
than any physical abuse and can last a lifetime.
commit physical violence or steal a
students’s lunch money in order to be labeled as
Everything posted on the internet is permanent.
a bully. Bullies today are much more transparent
Posting something hurtful to someone else can
as they torment their peers behind their computer
potentially weaken the chances of a future job or
screens on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Keek and
career.
Instagram. Despite the evidence in cyberspace, parents and teachers are ignorant of the types of relationships their child or student has with others. The internet makes it easy for other students to cave to peer pressure and go along with the bully in question; only feeding the fire. A parent or teacher can punish those who cause problems, but students and peers are the only
“
I joined the Anti-Bullying Club to help promote awareness of the mental damages that bullying can cause.” -Amir Grimmit (Senior)
ones who can truly make a stand.
In other words, what goes around, comes around. Besides, ruining a person’s life on a social media website will not makes yours any better; so what’s the point? Ms. Pilar Padilla, adviser of Rocklin High School’s AntiBullying Club became involved because she is strongly against the mindless cruelty that constantly surrounds us. The club plans to hold an assembly to raise awareness
They can remain aware of their sarcasm and how
of the hate emphasized in overused sarcasm,
others feel, and show some responsibility on the
discrimination against gays/lesbians and,
web. Students can also respect their fellow peers
especially, cyberbullying. They also intend to
and accept the flaws that everyone possesses.
spread the word of internet harm that thoughtless
All students should attempt to focus more on
cyberbullying can cause.
themselves than on the flaws of others.
immaturity on instagram On Friday, December 6, Rocklin High School witnessed an act of cyber abuse firsthand. The Rocklin High School Instagram was appropriated, and a misleading photograph of a staff member was posted. Within six hours, the photograph had been removed, although it was already advanced over social media. “The graduate who used our Instagram thought of it as a prank. However, they not only compromised our identity, but they also cast a staff member in a false light, which is not only unethical but probably illegal,” said yearbook adviser Mr. Casey Nichols.
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Genius in Disguise By Rhiannon Chuter-Davies
R
ocklin High School’s Academic Decath- teams were studying seriously at the breaks, lon team is not a well-known team on and we were … looking up funny twitter feeds.” During the breaks between the tests, it’s incampus despite the awards won in the past two years. In spring 2012, the team placed teresting to talk with competitors from other third, and in 2013, the team improved with sec- schools. There was one girl who was competond place overall. Other schools involved in- ing for Roseville in the Varsity category with her clude Lincoln, Roseville, Woodcreek, and An- boyfriend, and according to Kaitlyn, “This one couple was really clingy the entire day, and it telope. In Academic Decathlon there are three cate- was kind of weird!” The testing day, which is at a local high school, gories: Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity. Honors is for 4.0 students, Scholastic is for 3.0 and Varsity includes an essay, tests on history, economics, is for 2.0, all unweighted. There are three open science, math, etc, along with a team competispots for students in each category, but the RHS tion that includes questions from the history topteam is underrepresented in Varsity, with few ic. The testing in 2012 was at Woodcreek High students eligible for that category in previous School, and at Roseville High School in 2013. The school years. Rocklin High School still “Academic Decathlon is really challenging, butfor 2014 has not beat other teams weirdly fun because the team becomes so close been anhowever. Each round of testing,and we all just joke around and support each other”n o u n c e d yet. the scores are Once the initial full day of testing is complete, presented, and the RHS team received less points for Varsity every round than the other there is a banquet at the Rocklin Sunset Censchools competing. The students in RHS’ Hon- ter where the individual and team medals are ors and Scholastic teams compensate for the awarded. lack of Varsity students, showing just how successful the students in those categories are. Medals are awarded both for team and individual scores. Students like Beth Knight and Kaitlyn Clark have been extremely successful individually. Every year, there is a book that should be read by the entire team, but, with the limited time the RHS team has had to prepare in past years, Kaitlyn has read the book, and taught the rest of the team about it. There is typically an essay prompt about the book, and the past two years, she has placed in the essay category due her knowledge of the book. “Academic Decathlon is really challenging, but weirdly fun because the team becomes so close and we all just joke around and support each other,” says Kaitlyn Clark. “The rest of the
The 2011-2012 Academic Decathlon Study Guide
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By Melanie Seyfried and Toby Dyas
T
his doctor isn’t your everyday doctor, but instead the one known as Dr.Seuss. This year, the theater program will be showing Seussical the Musical as the Winter Musical. This year, the musical has encountered some challenges before rehearsals even started such as depleted funds and a lack of male actors giving Seussical a shaky start. Early on, the musical faced the issue of being cancelled. “Our program faced issues of funding with the district” explains theater instructor Mrs. Cinny Toepke. “The district cut stipends, and while this issue didn’t affect our choice for the musical, it will impact our fundraising plans.” The production, however, still has enough funding to continue full speed ahead, with choreography, costumes, and sets. Yes, the winter musical might not have happened. Now, however, enthusiasm is as high as ever as students begin rehearsals. “I’m very excited for Seussical,” says Marlise Dizon, a sophomore playing the role of Mayzie La Bird. “I love doing theater with my friends, and love that our
high school can put on such a play. I love Seussical already,” she adds. “My favorite part of the winter musical is like living in a world where you are someone else,” says sophomore Jake Young, a theater enthusiast playing the role of Horton in the musical. “Boys have always been scarce in musical theater,” Toepke says. “This year, only seven male actors are in the play. So, some roles, like the Cat in the Hat, we cast as female.” Young adds “We’ve always made it work with the guys we’ve had. We just go for it” Some students with older siblings or perhaps an extreme devotion to Rocklin High theater remember when Seussical played about ten years ago. “Because I already have experience with the musical, it should run more smoothly, and we can be more daring,” Toepke adds. The musical has gone through quite a bit of turmoil even before it had auditions, but as they say in show business, “The show must go on.”
“Our program faced issues of funding with the district” Photo by: Brianna Baptista
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honorguard 2015 brendahuang
CSF, NHS, Do Something, Keeping Hope, Multicultural, Thunder Galleria Board of Directors, Peer Tutor, MASH tutor “Through will and determination, we strive unhindered toward all we wish to achieve.”
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Volleyball, Junior Class President, CSF, Link Leader, Yearbook Editor “Some people are old at eighteen and some are young at ninety. Time is a concept humans created.”
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Academic Decathalon, Science Olympiad, NHS, CSF, GSA, Interact, Earth, Charity: Water Club, Do Something “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”
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CSF, National Honor Society, Multicultural, Hip Hop, Blue Crew, Catholic Social Justice, Science Olympiad “Carpe diem.”
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CSF, Peer Tutoring, NHS, Thunder Mentoring, Keeping Hope, ASB, Kicking it Old School “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” brought to you by your Associated Student Body and its student recognition committee
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Edwins: Bitter or Sweet?
The skeptic . . .
$4.75 for a venti, $2 and up for a dessert or baked good, and crowded room filled with “young adults” swearing left and right about nonsense...or $4.25 for a large, a halfpriced $1.50 muffin. Oh, the choices. I first heard of Edwin’s when my friends Megan Sunde and Mckenna Teigland told me about this place. They raved about how they went there just to try something new and fell in love with it immediately. Having my skepticism, I didn’t even want to try it since I found my little non-caffeinated drink at Starbucks. But with a little bit of stubbornness and promises that I would like it, I reluctantly went with a preformed idea of how my experience would go. I must admit that I hate coffee. I hate the smell of it, the taste of it, and I just can’t drink it. I also don’t like chocolate. I usually can have it once in a while and then I’m done
The optimist . . . So I have this small obsession
with finding unique coffee shops. I decided to try Edwin’s because of the ASB Card discount (Buy one drink get the second free).Small and friendly, the environment screams “coffee shop.” To Edwin and his employees, it is not just about selling drinks; they really take pride in their coffee drinks. Edwin is an awardwinning barista, It is not simply a coffee shop. It is a place to relax and enjoy some time talking with friends. I love that it is never busy, I can also easily get homework done without being distracted. When I first went, I tried the Chai Tea Latte. It did not reach my high standards. I expected a much stronger spice flavor but with not enough chai powder was used causing it to taste more milky than chai. The hot version was okay, when you add the espresso shot (for fifty cents) it makes all the difference I get it from time to time when I am not in a chocolate mood.
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Photo credit: Megan Sunde
By Julie Schwarzkopf and Megan Sunde
and over it with just a small taste. So when Megan ordered a fudge frap for me, I could feel my soul cringe. However, there’s just something with Edwin’s that gets me every time. From the very first time I tried it, I
could not seem to stray away from the fudge frap. It’s intoxicating. Sinful? More or less. Recently, I’ve been trying some other coffee-free drinks, but the fudge frap has been a top contender for me.
If you are a tea lover, this is definitely great place. There is over fifty options of teas. All the teas can be served hot or iced. I have not tried
all the teas on the wall but I have tried the green tea variety and can not decide which one is my favorite. The mochachino is basically a fudge frappuccino with espresso in it. This is probably one of my absolute favorite drinks. It is a blended
There’s an Oreo frappe that’s a little bit too sweet for me, which is weird because I have a really high tolerance for sweet things. Maybe it’s missing just a little something that could totally change my mind. Although, I do have to admit I’ve only had it once, so maybe I need to try it again and compare. A Milky Way frap is delicious as well. It has some caramel drizzled on the side and on top of the whipped cream and it’s delightful. If you are not feeling up to the whole chocolate scene, this is the alternative I’d recommend. It’s also not super sweet, despite it’s name. This has to be my up-and-coming favorite. I’ve also tried two of the muffins that he features there. In reality though, the cherry on top? There’s really no other teenagers. Rather, no middle schoolers that distastefully throw out a cuss word that doesn’t even make sense in their conversation! Starbucks. Definitely. Not. Worth. It.
mix of ice, chocolate syrup, espresso, and milk (of your choosing). Mochas, iced or hot, this is a very safe bet. It is a typical mocha, but never underestimate its tastiness, especially from Edwin’s. Edwin and his employees are very well-trained baristas and the shots are perfection. What makes the coffee so tasty is that Edwin grinds the coffee in the shop with his roaster named Edna.This is the only coffee shop in the area that hand roasts there coffee beans. The fact that they roast the coffee there means the coffee is fresher and has richer flavoring . The pastries are very moist and relatively cheap. There is always a variety of three to four muffin options, quiches, croissants, and variety of dessert bars. Trying different and new drinks and pastries are always an option Edwins, one day he will have cheesecake, and the next be selling cake pops. Every visit something has changed, keeping things fresh and interesting.
Movie Reviews FROZEN
by Liz Vasquez
Visually stunning, the breath-taking animation takes Disney to a whole new level in it’s new movie which provides a new twist on the phrase “True Love” and emphasizes the value of family with loveable characters, humor, and catchy songs, plus a visit from another known disney princess. This movie begins with young Anna and Elsa, revealing Elsa’s magic with snow as well as the accident that causes Elsa and Anna to live a seclusive life. But all that changes when, after years of being afraid, Elsa becomes Queen - and thus, opens the gates for the coronation and the ball. At last, the relationship between Elsa and Anna are reconnected until Anna meets Hans, her true love. Seems kind of sudden, right? Elsa sure thinks so, since she doesn’t give them her blessing, causing Anna to get angry and start a fight. Elsa’s magic becomes too much for her to handle and in fear, Elsa runs away, leaving Arendelle in an eternal winter. Knowing that Elsa would never hurt her, Anna goes after her, leaving Hans in charge. Along the way, Anna befriends a man named Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and a a more-than-friendly snowman name Olaf, who has an unnatural want of summer to be back, who help her get to the North Mountain where Elsa’s magical gift has built her her own ice castle. But when Anna confronts Elsa, Elsa tells her to go back home because Elsa doesn’t want to hurt her. Anna tells her Elsa needs to bring back summer and accidently sets Elsa off into her own magical flurry - which ends up injuring Anna. And if Anna can’t be healed in time with an act of True Love, she will be frozen forever. With the assumption that true love’s kiss will save the day, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf race Anna back to Arendelle, back to Hans. Will she get there in time to be thawed? Will Hans love for her save the day? Can Elsa bring back summer? And who is this princess giving a surprise visit? Go see it and find out! I knew that I would love this film, being a Disney fan. What I didn’t expect is loving it more than I do now. This heart-warming film will definitely thaw any frozen heart.
HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE by Melanie Seyfried
Catching Fire, the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy, was spectacular. It shared the same setting of the first Hunger Games movie, but took it one step further. As almost everyone knows, Catching Fire continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. The two live in District 12, an impoverished area on the outskirts of their country, Panam. During the first Hunger Games, the two were chosen to fight to the death in a televised arena. They fell in love for the cameras, and became the first duo ever to survive together. Catching Fire takes off with a tour of all the districts and the Capital, honoring their victory. Soon after, the pair are shockingly entered into their second hunger games, the third “quarter quell” of Panam. Many new characters were introduced, including unique new tributes, especially the famous Finnick Odair. Every tribute competing in the games are past victors, which only serves to raise the stakes even higher. During the entire movie, emotions are running high in the districts. Despite cruelty and harshness from the Capital, talk of rebellion has never been louder. Katniss’s Mockingjay pin has become a simbol the whole country. I thought the special effects were awesome and believable. This year’s Arena was much more complex and diverse, and covered with a giant dome of mostly invisible force field. Very cool. Despite the obvious violence (duh), I did not think it overwhelmed the spirit of the movie. The movie did not end in a cliffhanger, but definitely did not tie off the loose ends. It was a clear “pause button,” and the stage is perfectly set for the next movie. Mockingjay, the final book, will be split into two movies. Part one will be released in November of 2014, and part two in November of 2015. To the novel enthusiasts, the film was a little different. However, there were no major plot changes, only small details that irked a few fans. The movie was quite long, about two and a half hours. It was budgeted at over $130 million dollars, but has already made that much back and more after a hugely successful few weeks. I thought it was as wonderful or even better than the first movie. I loved the second “arena” where the games were played, and thought the setting and character development was unique, despite the overlying theme of trying to kill everybody. Really. For the small number of you who haven’t seen it, Catching Fire needs to be on your list.
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beginning of the end Overview
May 1st is the day when you will know what your next step in life will be. It is college declaration day, when you have to submit your letter of intent to the college you have chosen to attend. The path getting to this point can be long and confusing if you do not know the dates and different application processes. Below is a chart with different paths and a checklist of dates so you can see if you are on the right track to be college bound.
Regular Decision
Regular Decision is the typical path that the majority of students take. This option is non-binding and has no restrictions on how many colleges you can apply to. It consists of submitting your application and test scores later in the first half of your senior year. The University of California system has their own application process that falls under the regular decision timeline. *there are colleges that do not use the Common App or the UC system. They have the same general list and guidelines, but vary from school to school.
Checklist
• Take the ACT/SAT junior and senior year (late junior year to mid senior year) • Common app opens (Aug. 1) The Common Application is the application system used for the majority of private universities and a few public universities. Here, you can apply to as many colleges as you want and the system will keep you up to date with future deadlines and changes. • University of California App. opens (Oct. 1-Oct. 31) • Submit UC App (Nov. 1 -Nov. 30) Starting November 1st, you can submit your UC Application if you have completed it. Do not wait until the 30th to submit your application because generally, there are technological difficulties from the mass amount of students submitting their applications last minute. • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application (Jan. 1- June 30) - If you want financial aid for college, you need to fill out this application. Although the deadline is June 30, you want to ap-
ply as early as possible so you do not miss out on available financial aid. • Common app deadline (Dec.-Feb.) *Dates vary within these months. • Notification dates for the Common App and UC App - For University of California schools: between March (1-31) Private universities using the Common App.: between March- early April, with April 1 being the most common notification date
Early Decision
Early Decision is the least Common Application process used by freshman applicants. If you have your heart set on one school, this is the path for you. When you apply for Early Decision, you will have to withdraw other applications and have to attend the college if you are accepted. The only way you could decline is if the college does not provide you with sufficient financial aid. *The UC system does NOT use any early application processes ALTERNATIVE: If you want to apply to the college of your dreams early without being bound to it, you can apply for Early Action. This is pretty my the same as Early Decision, except you do not have to withdraw any applications and do not have to attend the school if you are accepted.
Checklist
• SAT and ACT - junior and senior year (mid junior year/early senior year) • Opening and Submission Date (Common App and other apps) - The submission dates for all colleges generally fall within the same time range, the submission dates for common app being Nov. 8 this year. • FAFSA Application - This is the same as regular decision. • Notification Date - The notification dates for colleges are generally the same, the most common being December 15. By Leilah Lockett Photo by: Annie Sisler