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FLASH BEHIND THE SCENES
Rocklin High School | Vol No. 24 Issue 3 | April 2017
Spring 2016 | Rocklin High School | Volume 24
WETELLYOURSTORIES ROCKLIN HIGH STUDENT MEDIA JOIN US NEXT YEAR: FLASH MAGAZINE/WEB TONITRUS YEARBOOK PHOTOJOURNALISM FOLLOW US: @ROCKLINYEARBOOK ON INSTRAGRAM @RHSFLASH & @RHSSPORTS ON TWITTER Cover Photos By: Taylor Ruiz
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Express . Connect . Discover Rocklin High’s student led Journalism program encompassing school culture and lifestyle
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Assistant Editors Ka'iulani Kawamoto Samuel Michael Photographers Alyssa Goyhenetche Mikaela Noble Kohana Ramirez Taylor Ruiz Avery Arneson Staff Writers Justin Angellar Shane Atkins Riley Baldwin Marley Bauer Nikki Bhatia Connor Bolli Caitlin Caffrey Megan Campbell Lauren Cole
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Design Director Sofia Fernando Abbey Connell Miranda DaVoulas Ricky Freeman Isaiah Garcia Grace Gaumer Ashley Hay Maria Hudson Courtney Langstrom Raymond Matthews Audrey Mayer James Murphy Naeirika Neev Ashley Pfaff Josue Sanchez Hannah Shows Katelyn Suggs
Media Editors Logan Bik
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Editors In Chief Jessie Valverde Allison Gerber
PC: Noah Reynolds
The Staff
NEW BEGINNINGS
PC: Taylor Ruiz
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NOAH REYNOLDS
PC: Noah Reynolds
By Isaiah Garcia
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his simple metaphoric phrase emphasizes much meaning to the world we live in. Junior Noah Reynolds experienced this important life lesson when his family underwent a huge change in their life. About 12 years ago, Noah’s family adopted an autistic girl from a family friend. Throughout Noah’s early childhood, he struggled accepting his new sister into his family, mainly because she was not bloodrelated to him.
also play in the pool,” Noah commented. Noah also has many favorite physical traits and character traits about his sister. One of them is her smile.Noah said, “A lot of people think she is weird because she always smiles at everything, but that’s the thing I like most about her. Even if something sad happens, she always finds a way to be positive about it.” On another note, Noah’s thoughts of adopting a child of his own are similar to his parent’s situation with their family friend.
“Knowing that she wasn’t apart of my biological family was the hardest thing for me to accept because I didn’t understand what it entailed at that time,” said Noah.
“I think I would [adopt a child] if one of my friends couldn’t take care of the baby. Helping a friend out is important to me because they would do the same for me,” added Noah.
Although there was a new addition to Noah’s family, his maturity over the years made him eventually realize that he needs to be compassionate toward his sister.
Even though Noah’s interaction with his sister was poor when she first came into his family, the bond between them has become stronger and stronger. He finds that his sister is a joyful person and accepts her into his family. His life has definitely changed, but it has shown him one of the most important life lessons of all: don’t judge a book by its cover. Noah has grown and matured from this life-changing experience and is making the most of his life, with his outgoing sister.
“I was kind of rude and mean to her when I was younger but then I just started thinking that I shouldn’t do that and I need to love my sister,” Noah explained. Noah loves having his little sister around because they make many memories together. He loves spending time with her, especially during their yearly family camping trips and other activities. “Me and my sister play basketball when we hangout. We play outside or on this little hoop we have inside. In the summer, we
“Always accept people no matter who they are because you might not know what is going on in someone’s lives. So you shouldn’t be rude to people and always love [your family] no matter what,” Noah added.
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PC: Taylor Ruiz
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e’ve all had those days where everything is going wrong, but a simple smile from a stranger makes your whole day brighter. Hannah Malmberg is a junior here at Rocklin High School, and she has a great habit of spreading happiness everywhere she goes. What influences her to make the conscious decision to be so kind all the time is that “there’s always that one person who really, really needs it that day.” Why Hannah’s cheerfulness is so fascinating is because for many it is very hard to make that constant effort of being so nice to everyone, but Hannah manages to keep up her lively attitude and as a result she makes peoples’ day everyday. As high school students, many of us are going through lots of stress with AP classes, extracurricular activities, sports and the pressure of college. That’s why small things in life can make a big difference. A nice conversation or a compliment from a stranger can make all the difference when you’re having a bad day. Which is why it is important to Hannah to give the positive vibes we all need once in awhile. She disclosed that, “By going out and being nice it kind of inspires yourself and you just feel like a better person.” Furthermore, Hannah revealed that it is also hard sometimes to keep up the happy persona.
HANNAH Hannah Malmberg and her bright personality
Her biggest challenge in being as welcoming as she is, “being taken advantage of. And it’s really hard to get that in between where you can be assertive and sweet at the same time.” She stated that keeping up such a positive persona is at times challenging because “People see me as superficial sometimes... because I’m always excited and [enthusiastic], I think that people see that as kind of an act, but it’s not an act.” Another thing that gives Hannah the bright personality that she has is her unique style. Her inspiration comes from all kinds of people that she sees around campus and just out on the streets that are weird and unique. -Naeirika Neev
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PC: Kohana Ramirez
FLASH Profiles
PC: Kohana Ramirez
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ne characteristic that doesn’t meet the eye about sophomore Kamelia Varasteh is that she speaks four different languages: German, Polish, Persian and English, and is currently learning French. “My dad is from Iran, my mom is Polish, so they kind of raised us in those two languages. I was born in Germany and we learned English in school.” It all came easy to her, as she started learning these languages from a young age. “I first learned Polish, Persian and English at the same time, which was from birth, and then German starting from kindergarten. German and English are quite similar because they have the same Latin origin, and Persian is an Arabic language that has some similar words to French. Polish and Persian are almost polar opposites though,” stated Kamelia. Kamelia’s dad is someone she looks up to a lot. “He has been through a lot of stuff in life. He escaped the Persian Revolution,” she jokingly adds. “[It] really motivates me, because my problems are not as hard as his.”
Cultural HABITS
with KAMELIA
One event that has certainly altered Kamelia’s life in a very large way was her move from Germany to the United States about three years ago. “It changed my whole life. I was struggling so much in school. Then we moved, and I was an A-student all of a sudden, and I was motivated to actually do work, because in Germany we had twelve classes. We had school on Mondays until 5pm which was terrible. The move changed me.” The reason behind the family move was because of her dad’s work. He is a part of a family business, and when Kamelia first found out they had to move, she was very unhappy about it. “I was angry...I was extremely angry, because I didn’t want to leave, but on the other hand that change made my life so much better.” Her dad had always loved living in the U.S., as he had spent some time here about twenty years ago. However, he did have some doubts on whether or not the move would be successful in the future. In the end, it all worked out. Her dad is happy to live near family, and Kamelia is thrilled to have made this move to America. -Nikki Bhatia
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“I was self-taught,” explained Gabe. Gabe first became involved in piano on Rocklin High’s campus during his freshman year when he enrolled in piano lab. This was when Mr. Shawn Spiess, the school’s choir director, took an interest in his ability. “I just knew that he was special, in a good way. And I just wanted to start using him some more [for choir accompaniments]...and I just realized, ‘Y’know, I think he can do it,’ said Mr. Spiess. And special indeed. Gabe not only has the ability to sight read music, but to memorize it almost instantaneously. In his time as an accompanist, Gabe has never brought up sheet music with him to play. His incredible music is from sheer memory. But his abilities go even further. According to cmuse. org, one in 10,000 people have perfect pitch. And here in Rocklin, Gabe is that one.
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PC: James Lamb
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ehind every great choir stands a great accompanist. And for Men’s Ensemble, that great piano accompanist is none other than sophomore Gabe Murphy. Gabe began his venture in piano playing when he was in eighth grade. However, he never actually had any formal lessons.
“You can play a note, and he knows exactly what it is. Doesn’t have to look at the keyboard--he just knows it,” noted Mr. Spiess. Many others have recognized this unique skillset, and even as a sophomore Gabe has already been scouted by multiple colleges for his rare abilities. Because not only can Gabe perfectly hear, sight read, memorize and perform music, but he can even write his own. According to Mr. Spiess, “He’s really good at writing music. He writes things for a full orchestra...He’ll come in [to the choir office], take a full conductor’s score and then he’ll go back and write something for those instruments.” Gabe’s natural ability for music is clearly one in a million, or at least one in 10,000. However, you don’t have to be in a million, or even one in 10,000 to be talented. Natural talent isn’t just rooted in intellectual ability, musical prowess or athleticism; everyone has something they’re great at. Whether you dance, debate, golf or flip water bottles, it’s virtually guaranteed that you have a talent not many others possess. -Megan Campbell and Raymond Matthews
PC: Taylor Ruiz
ONE in 10,000... Choir Composes a Great Talent 6 | The Flash
PC: James Lamb
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nternational erspective
JAMES GLOBETROTTER
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e all experience instances in life which completely alter our perspective of the world we live in. However, for many of us, such “world changing” experiences may not span much further than the small town of Rocklin, California. Few of us can really consider just how big the world we are living in actually is.
PC: Taylor Ruiz
As for James Lamb though, a senior at Rocklin High, the world is quite big, and he has seen a lot of it. “I’ve been moving around really my entire life. My dad is in the air force, so I don’t really have a place where I’m from,” he said. James was born in Texas, and has lived in Nebraska, Virginia, California and then Doha, Qatar. After leaving RHS his freshman year to go to Qatar, he has been back since junior year. In that time, James has come to realize that our perceptions of people are often much different from that of the truth. “People are very three-dimensional, and your first judgements of them are kind of sweeping, and not seeing them as full people,” he explained.
“Even though they don’t talk a lot, they do have stuff to say if you will just sit down and talk with them,” he said. James believes that these unknown differences between us are actually vitally essential in forming healthy relationships. “You become more curious and you want to know more about people, so you ask more questions and that makes them feel more listened to,” he said. Often, we tend to associate ourselves only with those who share our own opinions, and due to Rocklin’s provinciality, the majority of students do not possess the mindset to look beyond, making it easy to forget that we share our planet with a lot of other people. This broad worldview has led James into a passion for environmental science. “One of the main reasons I want to get involved in policy making is to help fix [the environment] because I feel like that’s one of the biggest problems that our generation faces and needs to be fixed.” James experiences are a striking example that we can define our world by the individuals we know, but only by glimpsing a bigger picture of the world that we can really understand an individual. -James Murphy
James became further aware of this when, for a school project in Qatar, he was able to interview some expatriates also living in Qatar to send money back to their family.
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COFFEE FOR THE
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t’s the start of the second semester, some of you seniors out there may be scrambling to finish your community service hours in order to graduate. In order to graduate from Rocklin High School you must complete a minimum of 25 community service hours.That’s not the case for Rocklin senior Alex McKinley.
Similar to The Grace Network, Courage Worldwide is a non-profit organization aiding victims of sex trafficking, giving them a safe and comfortable environment to recover from their past and build a bright future. Volunteering at Courage Worldwide allows you build a connection with those you help, and have huge impacts on bettering their lives.
Alex McKinley has over 800 community service hours, the most at RHS.
In terms of sex trafficking, Sacramento was ranked as the second highest out of any city in America.
“I’ve been working at Origin Coffee every week since I was 14 or 15… Origin is a non profit that donates all of its profits to two charities whose purposes are to end sex trafficking and rehabilitate victims of it,” Alex said.
“I knew colleges liked to see a lot of hours so I thought I would get a head start on them and when I started volunteering I realized I really enjoyed it so I just continued and signed up for more and more volunteer opportunities,” Alex said.
If a student completes over 150 community service hours they become eligible for distinguished community service awards. By her sophomore year, McKinley had already completed over 150 hours and earned one of these awards.
Alex continues to volunteer at Origin coffee shop every Saturday. Alex is looking into incorporating community service into her future lifestyle, and does not plan to stop volunteering any time soon.
“I’ve gotten really passionate about the cause and I’ve started volunteering for the two charities that Origin supports (the grace network and courage worldwide) so I can help more directly,” Alex said.
“It’s really influencing the decision I’m facing regarding what I want to do with my life and what I want to major in,” Alex said.
The Grace Network is a non-profit organization that strengthens the fight against human trafficking and allows the volunteers to have a more direct experience and immediately view their contributions.
8 | The Flash
Alex believes that working for Origin has changed her life, inspiring her to remain connected to her community for years to come.
-Shane Atkins
Lights, ...Camera
ACTION
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very day at Rocklin High begins with nearly every class on campus tuning into the morning announcements. To many students, this is simply a camera and some anchors placed in front of them daily, telling the school what is happening on any given day. However, the announcements really are far more than they may seem on the surface. The morning broadcasts begin long before the 7:40 bell rings, sending everyone off to their classes. The process begins with writing the script for the announcements, without which there couldn’t be a broadcast at all. “We usually start working on the script the night before,” said senior broadcasting student and anchor Bryson Jones. “Some of us can get a bit lazy about it.” Writing the script can be a challenging
task; the anchors must work quickly to assemble a day’s emails, requesting announcement shoutouts into a coherent and digestible broadcast. They also have to deal with sudden, unexpected technical issues that pop up while the show is live. Issues commonly arise with the microphones, which have a tendency to pop and crackle if brushed or moved in the wrong way. “If we notice before we go on air the issue is usually fixed. However, some things we can’t fix before we start because we might not know an issue exists,” said Darwin Pluta, another senior member of the broadcasting staff. The broadcast department also faces the challenge of reinventing the announcements and making them engaging. One attempt that has been made to do this is the social media segment, which airs Mondays and Fridays.
PC: Taylor Ruiz
“It has helped us improve the show, in a way. There’s a saying about there being ‘a thousand ways not to make a lightbulb,’ and I think that applies to the announcements as well,” added Darwin. Anchors also rotate, with several anchors attending to backstage duties as well as reading the announcements on air. This increases their activities in connection with the announcements twofold, as they must not only prepare and read their broadcast script, but on other days must run the technological aspect backstage. The next time the announcements are turned on in your classroom, keep this all in mind. The students of broadcasting pour hours of time into the daily broadcast. Despite juggling other classes, the effort that the students manage to give to their work is certainly commendable.
-Connor Bolli and Marley Bauer
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Helping Hands PC: RUSD
How Rocklin High School teachers make classes helpful and fun
play games like tag outside in order to help keep the subject fun and playful. “I feel that the extra work that I put into the class makes the class exciting, playful, safe and fun to learn a new language, which in my opinion is the key to learning a language,” explains Arino. By planning these activities, Arino helps her classes learn the subject and go more in depth than a regular class. However, other teachers make their classes better by educating themselves more. Ms. Colleen Crowe, who teaches both AP Government and Government/ Economics on campus, notes the importance of professional development opportunities in helping improve class quality. While she has attended many district-sponsored events, she has also attended countless others on her own. “In the past I have done things like AP workshops, taking classes, participating in a Supreme Court Institute in D.C., and teaching Econ conferences in San Francisco,” says Crowe. “Those professional development opportunities can be helpful in getting new ideas for classes or getting more experience in curriculum.” Crowe also makes sure to stay up-to-date with current events, as this can help her create discussions for class. Since her classes are focused on what is happening in the world, reading the newspaper and watching the news is important for keeping students involved. “I think when you can connect real life to the curriculum, students value the information,” comments Crowe. “They hear it in class and then may see it in interest rates for their student loans or car loans, the job market and unemployment, the election, the passage of legislation, the benefits and consequences of executive orders, the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice, the rights they have that can be trampled if they ‘don’t know’, and most importantly the value of voting.” In order to keep their classes effective, teachers have to put in countless hours work. However, some teachers have more than just class to worry about. The 49 teachers on campus who advise a club have to help manage their club as well as teaching. Some teachers on campus get very involved in their club and help them plan a variety of activities.
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very student knows how much work it takes to get through school. They have to study for tests, do homework and take notes every day in order to get good grades. In some ways, the life of a teacher seems much easier: reading papers and talking to the class, then going home and relaxing with no homework. However, teachers have homework too. In order to keep Rocklin High School the best school in the area, teachers have to put in work behind the scenes. For some teachers, their priority in working outside of class is to help their subject come alive to students. One of these teachers is Ms. Stephanie Arino, who teaches French I-IV here at RHS. Her class is famous for being one of the most fun classes on campus, but her activities have a reason behind them.
One of these teachers is Ms. Pilar Padilla, who is the club advisor for NAMI and Girl Up, among many others. Aside from putting in work to teach her English classes, Padilla spends time with her clubs, helping them make an impact on campus. “The clubs I advise represent minority groups or people who don’t necessarily fit in,” says Padilla, “I like people to feel like they belong here on campus.” In order to raise awareness for these groups, Padilla and her clubs lead a variety of activities throughout the year, such as movie nights and awareness days. Behind the scenes of these events is Padilla, helping plan and publicize. “I like to think that they are doing something, creating a better environment on campus,” explains Padilla.
“Outside of class, sometimes I cook French foods to bring to class,” explains Arino. “In class, the activities that we do that help students learn are skits, video clips, motivational speeches, French food samples, lots of games and real life experiences.”
Overall, teachers’ work on campus have helped make Rocklin High School the school we know and love: one with strong academics and an accepting atmosphere. Next time you get tutored on a subject, earn an A on a test or take part in a club activity, remember the work that your teachers put in behind the scenes in order to get you there.
For example, French IV Honors is reading “The Little Prince” in French, which helps them learn French through a real life book. Her classes also
-Kate Suggs
10 | The Flash
PC: Caitlin Caffrey
,
DISCIPLINARY TECHS
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Inside the job of a Rocklin High School’s disciplinary technician
ocklin High School is well known for its safe and welcoming community. This positive feel definitely does not come naturally; there are two important figures that have dedicated their careers to making Rocklin a better place. After moving here from Utah, Mrs. Karen Cox researched local jobs. There was an opening for campus monitor at Rocklin High School that caught her eye, and having a desire to work where her children were attending school, she took the job. Mrs. Cox is in charge of all the freshman and seniors and stays with those classes until they graduate. She also helps students if they have a detention or tardy slip that they need to clear to keep them on track. Dress code is also a daily thing that needs to be taken care of and she handles any behavior problems that occur on campus. Mrs. Cox admitted that her favorite part of the job is “definitely the interaction with [students].” The disciplinary aides are not out to get you. Their job is to support you and make sure that you are making the right and safe decisions at school. With every positive there is also a negative. Mrs. Cox revealed that her least favorite part of her job is when kids are getting bullied and hates when the situation is out of the kid’s control; whether they have a terrible home life or they are sad because they are getting picked on. She feels that “if it is out of their control, [she] is not able to help them.” Mr. Paul Reynoso is also dedicated to making Rocklin a safer and more welcoming environment for students. After facing an unexpected family tragedy, Mr. Reynoso struggled to return to his normal self. “I had a breakdown and I didn’t want to return to my old job. I found myself out of place at that job so I applied to a bunch of jobs that would allow me to be by myself. I even returned to construction at 55 years old which just isn’t okay at that age because you can’t keep up,” Reynoso explained. With the support of his friends and family, Reynoso was finally able to
pull through and find a career that would work with his situation. When asked how his career in the discipline office came to be, Reynoso said, “I was recruited by one of the current coaches, Coach Murray, to work here because he believed it would be a good position for me. I was on the board of directors for the little league here and I reffed high school sports so I was already involved in the community before I started working here.” Mr. Reynoso oversees the safety of the kids in the morning when they are coming onto the campus. He also breaks down who or what activities need to be supported - either the vice principal or other staff, or if a student is going through a problem with other students. “There’s no part of this job that I don’t enjoy. That is why I have so much sick leave - I have so much sick leave it’s ridiculous,” Reynoso stated. In the past ten years that Reynoso has been a part of the Rocklin High school family, he has had the opportunity to form bonds with many students as well as the Rocklin community. “Every time we go out, I see Rocklin High alumni or current students that I have worked with and they always come up to me and say hi; it makes me feel good when the students remember me. My sister, who moved here after our parents passed away, sees how close our community is. I think the support and love we all give each other is a continuous reward situation, which is not measurable.” Mr. Reynoso has been able to slowly overcome the problems he has faced throughout his life with the support of the Rocklin community. “Every day is a hard day when you’ve lost someone. But I get kudos which sort of stabilized me.” We should all be more thankful for the work that these two incredible people do on a daily basis to make our school as great as possible. -Grace Gaumer and Caitlin Caffrey
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PC:Taylor Ruiz
Although their warm smiles and happy faces are always an enjoyable experience, we most likely do not appreciate how hard they work to prepare our food while we are in class.
PC: Taylor Olivas
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f there is one group of people that RHS should practice showing more appreciation towards it is definitely our lunch staff. Since of course, lunch would not be possible without the ladies that run the show.
“I would say the Calzone definitely takes the most time to make, we have to roll out the dough and fill them,” stated Diana Gamboa. It can sometimes be very easy to take for granted the exertion that is put into the food we eat when they make it so easy to just grab it and go. “Although the Calzones take the longest, we spend time on every meal we make. I do not think the kids realize that our meals are not just warmed up from the freezer,” Diana continued. One person who got to experience what a typical day in the kitchen is like was senior Alyssa Raleigh. The opportunity was beneficial for her because she was able to serve all her detention hours in less time. One thing she did not expect was the relationships that formed by spending time with these wonderful ladies. “I had so much fun, it was a really great experience to be able to get to know what they spend their day doing. You would not believe how much fun these ladies have. On some days they would listen to their favorite oldies and just sing along,” Alyssa explained.
“I guess I never thought about the work that went into making the lunches.” When further looking into what other students had to say about the lunches it was clear that Alyssa did not stand alone. “I think it’s easy to assume that some of the food is frozen because nobody really thinks about it. But finding out how some of the food is actually made doesn’t really surprize me because the food taste good,” said junior Oscar Garcia When talking to the ladies themselves it was clear that having the students helping them out was a positive experience for them as well. “It was cool, it’s like having another worker. They help sweep and clean the counters.” One thing that can be said with certainty is that the Lunch Ladies here at RHS go above and beyond for our school to make fabulous lunches.
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#LADY SQUAD By Ashley Pfaff A closeup with the ladies behind the windows
PC: Alyssa Goyhenetche
She went on to explain how eye opening the whole experience was.
PC: Taylor Olivas
Though we have come a long way, what with the implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, there’s still a huge misunderstanding of this population. “I think a common misconception is that they’re not smart,” said sophomore Spencer Kelly. “A lot of the students [in PE Leadership] are perfectly bright. They just have their own issues. It’s a range of things, they’re not all mentally impaired. They just have some issues that [requires] them to need extra assistance.” This particular misconception goes hand - in - hand with autism jokes, such as when one calls another “retarded” over a silly mishap. These jokes don’t reach beyond comedy; there’s no malicious intent behind them, but what people don’t understand is that this humor reinforces the negative connotations we hold over those who have mental disabilities.
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t’s probable that on the way to English or math you’ve passed by, or at least have seen the little section of R buildings for the Special Education Department. We all know the department exists, but it’s doubtful that many of us know what they actually do and what that entails. For example, teachers from other departments do not have to change their curriculum with every school year, nor is the material geared specifically to each pupil. Curriculum, according to Mrs. Allison Kappmeyer, is the most considerable difference between her job and that of other teachers on campus. “We really just work at the student’s level,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. “We have some students that are working on letter recognition and number recognition. There are some working on fractions, budgeting, but we also have students working on adding and subtracting.” A student’s academic plan for the year is determined by an annual IEP (Individualized Education Program). A teacher meets with the student, parents and any services the student utilizes, such as occupational therapy or speech and language. Discussions of where the student is academically and what the student’s intended objective for a school year is, establishes their IEP goal. “I try to base the academics off of those meetings,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. So, in terms of academics, it’s understandable why a lot of us don’t know much about this little nook of our school; we don’t share classes or teachers with ILS students (with the exception of PE Leadership). However,
PC: Alyssa Goyhenetche
PC:Taylor Ruiz
reaching beyond that, there’s another reason for our lack of knowledge. The stigma surrounding autism is quite firmly entrenched within society worldwide. A prime example of this would be the eugenics movement in the U.S., during which over 60,000 mentally disabled citizens were sterilized from 1935 - 1945 with the intention of “purifying” the gene pool.
The Invisible Department on Campus
“It’s very frustrating because these kids are so awesome,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. “They all have different likes, they all have different personalities, and it’s frustrating to hear [those jokes], it’s so archaic.” There is little opportunity for ILS students to interact with the majority of the student body, the reason being pretty straightforward what with the difference in academic material and any necessities the students might require. However, it appears that, overall, this department is quite segregated from the rest of the school. We often see people from the administration pop into classes and converse with teachers, but this is not the case with the Special Education Department. “Even with the other teachers on campus, too, they don’t come by,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. “I’m sure everyone’s busy, but it would be nice to be a familiar face, especially regarding administration.” Although this is the general habit of the administrators, Ms. Meshwort drops by often according to Mrs. Kappmeyer, and the others “not so much.” “She talks to the kiddos, she knows their names,” she said. Altogether as a school, we are quite out of touch with this department, but it’s not just a problem on campus; it’s a problem that extends to the school district, as well. “My thoughts are that the majority of them do not realize the needs of the students,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. “We’ve had to do a lot of communication regarding what the students need and how that should be presented, and what needs to be in place so that the students are safe and can gain academic skills.” Much of the struggle to acquire what the department needs stems from the fact that the directors and program specialists that represent special education in the school district, often change every year. “Some people want to implement certain ideologies, certain theories to educate, but don’t realize the students drive what we do,” said Mrs. Kappmeyer. Disparity with the higher echelons of the school district has led to an over taxation on the Special Education Department. As of now, there is no limit to how many students the department can take, and despite having low resources, more students continue to be placed in classes. In order to create a more balanced ratio between aids and the growing number of students, Mrs. Kappmeyer attempted to request for more support a few years back. However, months passed before this necessity was met. Through education and integration, the complications presented can recede, and a more cohesive school district can be formed. “There’s a saying that [goes] ‘If you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism’, because they’re all different.” -Ka’iulani Kawamoto
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FLASH Activities PC: Veda Lelchook
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-Abbey Connell
hat is the first thing you think of when you think of Rocklin High School? Maybe it’s the crowded parking lot traffic or the hype of the student section, but you have to admit, a huge part of the school’s character comes from the infamous rallies and spirit weeks. But where do those events come from? Run by ASB, Rocklin High’s spirit weeks are categorized into: Homecoming, Runaway and Sadies, with added rallies throughout the year. Many people don’t realize all of the hard work, dedication and planning that goes into a great spirit week, when in the end, all we care about is winning chicken… The coordination of a spirit week is mainly split up into three different committees in ASB: Spirit, Publications and Posters. Although, in coordination with the rallies, the Activities committee takes the lead in making the perfect dance. Each group of students have particular tasks that have to be checked off the list in order to make it a successful week.
SPIRIT
It all starts out with a brainstorm, led by the Spirit girls, when all of ASB gets together and starts writing out ideas on a whiteboard and voting to see what the overall theme should be, and use process of elimination through voting to get to the conclusion. Once the theme is decided, then they will do the same type of brainstorm for the dress up days, they try their best to come up with creative coordinating dress up days, aside from traditionally having Friday as the “Thunder Spirit” day. After everything is planned out, they then begin the long process of prepping for the actual week, but this is started eight weeks in advance… Lexi Marcillac sums it up perfectly, “We put people on point for skits, games, props, costumes, schedule, rally duty (to figure out who will help us during the rally), dress up days, shopping lists
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and rally judges. Then about 4 weeks before the actual week, we find a morning to meet with Thompson to discuss our ideas for games and the rally skit. The Thursday before the rally we all meet in the gym at around 5 p.m. and we stay till 10p.m, running through the whole rally multiple times, and the actors run through the skit in their costumes.” Even with all of that preparation, the spirit committee still misses their classes on the rally day, and continues to run the rally over and over until all of the student’s file in and it becomes “showtime”.
PUBLICATIONS
For the Publications committee, their main role is reaching the students by informing them on all of the details. They make the flyers that list the dress up days and the coordinating colors as well as descriptions of each days. They also help in the publicity of dances too. It is their responsibility to inform the school on the price of the ticket, when ticket sales happen, when the dance is, what the theme for the dance is and for some dances they prepare a VIP room. If it wasn’t for the Publications committee, nobody would be informed on when anything was happening, and the spirit week wouldn’t be able to reach the students.
POSTERS
For this final, but important committee, their job is to give the school a visual reminder of the important details. They hand make and hang their posters on the outdoor walls of the school to catch the crowd’s attention. Their main strategies are to use bright colors and block letters, while also hanging them in key places like, around the library and the R buildings. Behind closed doors, a spirit week takes tons of effort and preparation, Rocklin High School is just lucky to have such great students that can take charge and make the end result perfect for everyone to enjoy.
Behind the curtains with TECH THEATER
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ehind every play and theater performance is the creative force of the Tech Theater class. All the elements onstage are made by multiple classes dedicated to making props and backdrops for the school plays.
show. The students plan, paint and place sets in this time.
The students spend each day working to create the backdrops for the school productions. They work the entire class, sometimes together and sometimes in separate groups doing specific jobs all based around the goal of making quality set pieces.
Tech Theater had started working on the Footloose set a month and a half before it’s debut night. This is Emily's favorite set she's worked on.
Junior Emily Johnson is a student in Tech Theater, and she enjoys the creative environment of producing the school’s theater performances. “The average day in Tech Theater is basically just building the set and decorating the stage. But it’s also a very relaxed class,” Emily says. “It is a very social class.” The class begins the construction of a new set long before the
“We start a month or two before, there is a lot of work to do in that time,” says Emily.
“I had a lot of fun working on that one. There are different groups that worked on it and I was on the painting group,” says Emily. Tech Theater is a crucial part of every school production. Whether they are painting a backdrop or creating a prop, Tech Theater helps ensure that Rocklin theater performances are high quality events. -Justin Angellar and Ricky Freeman
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FLASH School
Home of the Thunder
PC: Taylor Ruiz
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ocklin High School has for over 20 years stood as a beacon of positivity for high schoolers in the city of Rocklin. With consistently proficient academic success and a wide array of schoolrun activities, there is no doubt that RHS is a special and successful school. With the school being in the top 10% of California based on SAT scores, it is clear that academically RHS has excelled in recent years. This may be due to the incredible programs on campus that feature project-based learning and 20 college level courses available to students. With such innovative and cutting edge courses, it is easy for students to commit to their education and enjoy their time at Rocklin High. “I do better in the classes that I think are more exciting. This year I’m really interested in the classes I got so the year has been good so far,” said sophomore Jaclynn Pineiro.
Top 10% of California based on SAT scores
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Outside of class, Rocklin High offers a surplus of activities to participate in, from visual and performing arts to athletics. Here students can join musicals and sports teams that go above and beyond the average high school experience. An abundance of electives are available that allow students to explore any interests they have such as culinary, photojournalism, dance, psychology and piano lab. High school experiences at RHS are made even more special from the dances, rallies, clubs and student based activities offered. Despite all that RHS features for its students, what truly makes this high school notable and special is the unique and kind students and staff that make up the Rocklin community. A strong sense of positivity is always spread throughout the entire campus thanks to programs like breaking down the walls, friends club and ILS thunder squad. With a strict no bullying policy in place, every student can feel at home attending Rocklin High School.
Because of the kindness spread through the school, a strong sense of community is able to form year after year to bring each class and individual student together. Rocklin High is a noteworthy and exceptional high school for not only the success of it’s activities and academics, but also the safety and camaraderie that can be seen all over the school. -Miranda DaVoulas
ROLL
THUNDER
“ Above and beyond the average high school experience”
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“There’s not a lot of typical days,” he ponders, over a desk covered in files and stacks of printed papers. He describes his job as being very positive and very fulfilling. “It’s even positive to be around young people who are struggling. You feel like you’re making a difference,” explains Mr. Wirth. Depending on the time of year, the office gets a fluctuation of people filtering in and out for an all manner of issues or needs. During the beginning of the year it is all about scheduling, and making sure Rocklin High students are all where they need to be. That is when the office can go through 50to 70 kids a day. As the year progresses, kids with behavioral issues, misconduct, personal struggles and grades come in to speak with the counselors. There is less stress when there are fewer kids to focus energy on.
that will hopefully prompt kids to vocalize their hardships. . The ultimate goal is for the student to be consoled and helped so that they may thrive more at school and feel more supported. “It’s a team effort for sure,” Mr. Wirth confirms. As an ex-power plant worker, Wirth comes from a male dominated workplace where the dynamic differed greatlythan the workplace he is in now. The office staff is female dominated, which was new for him, but together they are a “really great group of people.”. Everyone is on top of their game, working both inside and outside of the office to ensure everyone here at Rocklin High feels supported as opposed to attacked and misunderstood. Teachers and counselors alike work closely together to keep tabs on their kids to make sure everyone is doing as well as they can. When a student is not down at the office for help, time is spent going through transcripts, filing paperwork, reading and answering emails. Even when it seems like less is going on in the office, there is still a great deal of work to be done to ensure the student body is being taken care of so that we may experience success while going to school here.
“I do not directly discipline students,” Wirth clarifies. “I and the other counselors work with the vice principal to deal with kids who are lashing out.”
Wirth emphasizes that on the counselor’s end of things, students are top priority, and that “[they] make time for as many students as possible.”
It is a counselor’s job, instead, is to build connections. Positive relationships with students help establish feelings of trust and safety
-Maria Hudson
What Goes Down when Students Aren’t The Secret Life of the Around? Rocklin High’s Counselors
PC: Lauren Cole
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hat goes down in the office all day? When students don’t need any help, what is the school staff up to? What is it like when there ARE many students to attend to? Rocklin High School counselors are just one of the many busy branches that make up our administrative branch here on campus, Mr. Tim Wirth being one of them. He had a great deal to say on the matter of his job.
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PC: Avery Arneson
Opportunities Outside of RHS F inding your dream job is a very difficult task, but there are many opportunities to discover your true talents. Rocklin High School has given this opportunity to countless students in the past, and to this day students are blessed to receive this possibility.
One student taking advantage of this gift is junior Justin Bednorz. He is preparing for a college level class by taking ROP Engineering. Justin was recommended this class by Mr. Dan Frank, the Engineering Support Technologies instructor. The goal of this class is to be prepared for instructions and safety, and to keep an open mind for the opportunities that lie ahead. ¨If you are not used to making something from scratch,¨ says Justin, ¨just follow the instructions and stay creative.¨ What motivated Justin to join an ROP class is to be prepared for the college atmosphere, and to realize that one has to be safe when working with machines. “This class, of course, allows you to make whatever you want, but you also have to realize that safety is crucial and necessary for this class. Safety is good,” said Justin. What Justin enjoys most of this class is the teacher, Mr. Frank, because he allows freedom to express oneself in any way. He also supplies the classroom environment with positivity and humor. Junior Nicholas Sherrill is also taking ROP Engineering. He has been involved with engineering as a freshman, and really appreciates that they are given the liberty to create anything they desire. “This is a hands on environment,” says Nicholas, “and you are free to make whatever you want.” An activity the ROP Engineering students perform is utilize a computer program that designs the structure you wish to build, it analyzes the measurements for the structure, and you build with certainty. Engineering is one of Nicholas’s favorite hobbies, which allows him to enjoy this class even more. This class also awards students with the gifts of confidence, perseverance and an amazing educational experience with Mr. Frank.
“I really enjoy this class because of the feeling of openness. There’s nothing you can’t do as long as you do something,” said Nicholas. Another student taking an ROP class is senior Mindy Fink. She is taking CTE Baking and Pastry with one of her friends. Mindy took a baking class because she was exceptionally interested in taking a baking class since she was young. She discovered this class by looking down a list of ROP classes and the first class that came to her mind was baking and pastry. She immediately grabbed and friend, and they were on their way in creating eclairs and crepes. “Sign up with a friend,” said Mindy,” just so you and your friend can be with each other while having fun!” Mindy was intrigued that this class has not only improved her abilities to stay focused with the task provided, but she is also memorizing recipes with ease. The techniques taught in this class allow one to absorb information in the classroom, and to present to families, friends and associates the talents one has learned from CTE Baking and Pastry. “I enjoy working with all my classmates, and really am happy that I can take home treats from class!” said Mindy. This class is an entire different aspect for Mindy. She never realized that she would make new friends from different schools, such as Whitney, Lincoln and Clovis High School students. Mindy would definitely recommend this class. Not only because you learn how to create something from scratch, but also because it allows one to be given the opportunity to apply these teachings to other careers, and to master the ability to become a presentable educator. Overall, ROP classes are highly recommended to take because of the life fulling memories and teachings applied. Not only do these classes diffuse contentment and enjoyment from both student and teacher, but it also allows students to discover their true talents. -Josue Sanchez
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PC: Taylor Ruiz
Team Work
MAKES THE
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he old adage “more hands make lighter work” rings true as teachers extol the benefits of group work. Group work (the cornerstone of the recent educational evolution) supposedly promotes collaboration and responsibility, encouraging students to think critically and problem solve. “In the 21st century there is a lot more collaboration, presenting, speaking and critical thinking that we’re trying to build,” argues Mr. Paul Werner. As more corporations forgo traditional cubicles in favor of communal working spaces, many students develop these critical workplace collaboration skills in high school. To aid in this transition, Mr. Werner espouses project-based learning to creatively tackle challenges, encouraging student connection with the material. Similarly, Mrs. Stephanie Arino affirms, “[Group work] is good for brain power… because it motivates [students] to do it if there’s accountability from other students.” Working in a team forces students to share responsibility in planning and executing a final project. According to the University of Sydney, group work encourages students to become “active rather than passive learners by developing collaborative and cooperative skills.” Through promoting “lifelong learning skills” group work enables students to teach one another, frequently assuming the role of instructor or pupil. Further, Dr. Anuradha Gokhale argues “cooperative teams achieve at higher levels of thought and retain information longer than students who work quietly as individuals.” When working productively in groups, the gap between students’ potential performance level and their actual performance shrinks as peer expectation motivates group members to achieve at a higher level. While Rocklin High School students generally appear to recognize the benefits of group work, they don’t always find it enjoyable.
It’s easy to groan or complain when group work is announced. It slows some down, it forces others to speed up, and there’s always that one student who feels (whether it’s true or not) that they did the most work. But, as Werner and Arino stated, the goal of group work is not necessarily to learn more but instead is to develop those “21st century skills.” However, Genesis has a good point. Sometimes group work isn’t beneficial when the classroom environment or the project itself isn’t conducive to the learning that’s supposed to take place. So is there anything we can do to make group work more effective and enjoyable? After all, there’s no reason to disregard its benefits despite some of its problems. Author Diana Senechal, in an article with “The Guardian,” says that group work is often overused or misused in classrooms around America. She argues that teachers sometimes disregard the benefits of solitary contemplation and teacher-led exercises. “To make group work successful,” she says, “teachers have to give pupils a very specific activity to complete, otherwise things get too chaotic.” Additionally, in 1997, three researchers at the University of Oklahoma found that although group work is, on the whole, beneficial, one type of project - the group paper - ought to be avoided. Their reasoning was that writing is a solitary, not social, activity. While there are benefits to utilizing group work in classrooms, the pitfalls should be avoided to promote equality among group members and to foster a deeper connection with the curriculum. Although group work isn’t perfect, Rocklin teachers should continue to integrate collaboration in classrooms as it teaches students valuable skills for the modern century. -Ashley Hay and Hannah Shows
Sophomore Thomas Gonzalez likes it “because you can rely on people.” But, as he points out, “if there’s a concept [someone doesn’t] get, it can be hard when others want to move on.” Senior Genesis Navarro has a slightly different take. “It depends,” she says, “on the type of group work and the atmosphere and behavior of other students.”
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PC: Sam Michael
The Yummy Cookie
As the shop is still new, there aren’t sizes under the standard to try yet. However, once they do bring back the bigger and smaller cookies, I would recommend you get the standard size. It’s just the right size to fill you up, and make you feel good inside for hours after.
There’s one thing that Rocklin has been lacking: an amazing cookie place with fantastic cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies and more. Luckily for the patrons of this town, The Yummy Cookie is now open for all. This cute new shop is located on Fairway Drive, by Krispy Kreme and In-N-Out, and had its grand opening in January of this year.
The shop itself was very inviting; the pictures of cookies on one of the walls were photographed beautifully and, on the adjacent wall, there is a grayscale picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, with the logo for the company and the shop. The atmosphere of the whole place was outstanding, and the customer service was fantastic. All of the employees were incredibly kind, and it really made it an enjoyable place to be.
While I was there, I tried their classic chocolate chip cookie, as well as their walnut brownie. I was blown away by how amazing they were. The cookie was baked perfectly: crisp on the outside, but soft in the center. One might say that there were too many chocolate chips, as there are about five chocolate chips in one bite, but I think that it was just right. The flavor is so unique, unlike most cookies I’ve had. It was simply outstanding.
So, if you are ever going to work on a group project with friends or just want a fun hang out place, I would recommend going to The Yummy Cookie: it’s the perfect mix of sweets, coziness and is fun for everyone.
The brownie was soft and made with just the right amount of walnuts. The taste lingers, as well, leaving the taste in your mouth for hours afterwards, making you crave more. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and it was perfect.
-Sam Michael
Beauty and the Beast
The Belle of the Movie Ball On Nov. 22, 1991 Walt Disney Pictures released “Beauty and the Beast” and it filled the screen with magic and life. It is critically acclaimed, and it even was the first animated movie to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Now, after rusting for 25 years, Disney invites you to “be their guest” and enjoy a new, and dare I say, improved tale as old as time. The film doesn’t try to perfectly mirror the original animated film, but instead provides fresh new scenes and songs that elevate it to the next level. To be tasked with recreating an iconic film like “Beauty and the Beast” doesn’t seem easy, but Bill Cordon does it almost flawlessly and even smoothly imbes a few new, and incredibly good, songs to give it his own creative twist. The full assemble wonderfully mimics the look of the original and use their incredible acting skills to bring them back to life. To name a few, Emma Watson as Belle, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as LeFou and Ian McKellen as Cogsworth all fit perfectly in their roles
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No film is fully perfect though, I found Watson’s voice to be slightly auto-tuned which mainly bugged me in the opening number “Belle”. Also in the opening number it seemed the people in the village were having a bad day and not too excited to sing. After the opening it was an easy uphill climb to one of my favorite live-action Disney films. I feel, and maybe this is because it is a live-action remake, the film really became like a live musical performance and that is what really won me over. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to have a couple of hours filled with goofy humor, relatable themes and a bit of magic. -Courtney Langstom
A. Mrs. Arino B. Mrs. Kenitzer C. Mr. Bergemann D. Mr. Kaylor E. Mrs. Gillette F. Mr. Shields
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Guess the Teacher