VOLUME 11 • SPECIAL EDITION • FEBRUARY 2016
THE ROAR
LOVE LOSS
LAUGHTER
THE
STORIES WE TELL
A WHITNEY HIGH STUDENT MEDIA PUBLICATION whitneyupdate.com
@whitneyupdate
@whitneyupdate
@detailsyearbook
SPECIAL EDITION FEBRUARY 2016
6
@whitneyupdate
14
@detailsyearbook
A. JEUNG
@whitneyupdate
4
whitneyupdate.com WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL 701 WILDCAT BLVD. ROCKLIN, CALIF. 95765
R. MARQUARDT B. KIM
10
L. ALBERT
11
STORIES OF LOVE
INSTALOVE Students post their true loves on Instagram page 4 DATING APPS, HOT OR NOT Apps offer new, mobile methods to help find of romance page 5 LOVE IN RELATIONSHIPS A look at high school love from multiple perspectives page 6 ONE LOVE, ONE DREAM, ONE COLLEGE Cade Gimenez loves TCU football page 8
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OLIVIA GRAHL
STAFF HALEY BALLESTIN MISSIE CARACUT RYLEA GILLIS ONA IGBINEDION BELLA JACOBS BENJAMIN KIM LILY JONES RACHEL MARQUARDT SARAH MARTINEZ KRISTEN MCILVAIN KACIE NICHOLSON DANIEL SHARRAH BRENDEN SMITH SIERRA YOUNG
ADVISER SARAH NICHOLS, MJE
STORIES OF LOSS
ONE STEP BACK Two students share personal experiences with loss page 9 WHAT DO YOU LOSE THE MOST? Commonly lost items and how to limit loss page 10 FOREVER (NOT) YOUNG Responsibilities rob students of their youth page 11 LOSING BRAIN FUNCTION Mandy Lal’s recovery from encephalitis page 12
STORIES OF LAUGHTER
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Students share favorite YouTubers to up their laugh quota page 13 LEARNING TO MAKE LAUGHTER Jennifer Nakano learns improv at Blacktop Comedy page 14 LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE The science behind laughter page 15 SIX-WORD STORIES page 16
The Roar is a student publication produced by Whitney High Student Media. The newsmagazine is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Columns represent the viewpoints of individual writers and are not representative of the opinions of the student body, faculty or administration of Whitney High School or Rocklin Unified School District. Staff members of The Roar practice ethical student journalism by providing fair and balanced coverage as determined by community standards. Students working to publish each issue strive to achieve accuracy by checking sources, spelling and quotes as well as obtaining a variety of credible sources. The staff regrets any errors or omissions. Visit whitneyupdate.com for news, sports, opinion, entertainment and more.
The stories we tell
W
STAFF EDITORIAL
e grew up with stories. From a stack of Dr. Seuss books before bed when we were young to reliving our day in conversation at the dinner table, stories come in all shapes, sizes and formats. As we got older, stories started changing from picture books to phone screens. Snapchat stories, tweets and YouTube are the new norm, the storybooks of our generation. Some are heart-warming, others hilarious. Some go viral, and occasionally the best ones go unnoticed. That brings us to this special issue, with these stories and this particular format. We chose to produce a extra edition of The Roar during Scholastic Journalism Week, a national event we have been celebrating in our media program for years. This year’s theme is “The Stories We Tell.” In Whitney High Student Media, we tell stories everyday. We decided this may be a good time to make sure you know why. Everyone has a story about how they came to be, even if they don’t realize it themselves. From a simple interaction between yourself and a stranger to the loss of a family member, what happens can change us for the better or worse. We all have things that define us and stories to share. As a program, we strive to tell every
student’s story. Whether that story is on-campus or off, happy or sad, personal and complex or broad, each one matters. Each story represents a journey of how people got to where they are and what makes them, them. While we cover issues like suicide and depression as well as news like Principal Debra Hawkins’ upcoming retirement, updates on community construction, changes to the master schedule and live reporting from athletic events and academic activities, we know the stories we tell are all about people. And we wanted a chance to tell them in a different way, in ways we thought would be relatable. We broke this print issue into three sections: stories of love, stories of loss For 25 years, media and stories of laughter. Throughout programs have been celebrating the magazine we relied on the three Scholastic Journalism main emojis to bring a universal Week to raise understanding to each story. awareness and Throughout the week, we’ve also used new ways to tell your stories. From support for student journalists. To learn a six-word story project on Twitter to a more, explore the “Draw My Life” video and stories Twitter hashtag @whitneyupdate on Snapchat, we’ve #SJW2016. been telling as many stories online as possible. As Scholastic Journalism Week ends, we invite you to help us tell us stories. Add our class to your schedule for next year. Visit us at Showcase Night on March 7 to join the conversation. In our experience as reporters, we have found that sources are sometimes uncomfortable sharing their stories or nervous about the experience. In many countries, individuals fear for their safety when they speak out as part of a story. Storytelling is indeed a brave act, and we salute students who have shared personal, honest, accurate and raw details with us this year of the issues they face so we can help bring about a greater understanding of our school community and the world around us. Our storytelling doesn’t end with this issue or when the bell rings to start the weekend. We’re always on the lookout, and we’re waiting for your ideas and experiences to influence “The Stories We Tell.”
WHY OUR STORIES MATTER “The stories we tell are important because through them we get to share moments others aren’t able to experience, and we express unheard voices in our school.” ABIGAIL HAMMOND
“Our stories are important because they allow us to give people a voice when they aren’t brave enough or don’t know how to tell [the story] themselves.” DANIEL SHARRAH
“I like that we tell a broad variety of stories to cover all kinds of students at our school. It allows us to tell stories you wouldn’t normally get to hear and help make a difference.” RYLEA GILLIS
R. MARQUARDT
3 FEBRUARY 2016
STORIES
LOVE
OF
We feel the nervous butterflies of a first kiss, the thrill of a new relationship or time well spent with that special someone. We hold tight to our friends as they support us through thick and thin. We learn about ourselves as we explore romance or push it aside. We show passion for our pets, hobbies, family and obsessions. These are stories of LOVE.
Connor Gaspar with girlfriend Emily Sims
Sarah Martinez’s true love, Harry Potter World
WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
Hollie Lawler with boyfriend Anthony Leonti
instaLOVE
Students share their #truelove in social media posts
Jade Allen with friends Sarah Farias and Lily Jones
4
Jace Arnswald’s Mazda Speed 3
Midori Garman’s new puppy, Lincoln
Brittany Alexander with boyfriend, Jordan Goldman
STORY BY LILY JONES
ONE LOVE
SIX-WORD STORIES ON LOVE
ONE DREAM, ONE COLLEGE
“Love is always tough on everyone.” AARON HUMPHRIES
Cade Gimenez developed his passion for Texas Christian University at an early age “Love is affection for the other.” ANGELICA GMYR
“Love is something you search for.” HARSHITHA NAIDU
His peers are much more familiar with nearby UC schools because of the close and commonly known University of California system. However, whenever Gimenez does meet someone who likes the same college as him, they bond instantly. “As long as I have known Cade, which has been he campus is located 1,403 miles from since the beginning of freshman year, he has here, and he’s never been there. But always liked TCU. I don’t think that will change for Cade Gimenez is clear on his passion a very long time,” Zach Chaffin said. for Texas Christian University, and As his other friends agree, talking about the everyone in his life knows it. school and its athletic teams is a common bond. “We’re a pretty big Texas family, you can say, at “Both of us like the college, so we talk about it all least on my mom’s side. That is why I have loved the time. Cade knows more than I do, but it’s still the team for so long. I love watching TCU because it fun to talk to him about it,” Natalie Ham said. reminds me of my childhood,” Gimenez said. Gimenez supports the school in more ways than With his grandfather being from Texas, his just verbally. He owns various fan merchandise in support for the Horned Frogs started at a young the form of socks, hats, shorts, shirts, sweatshirts age. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and has and more with TCU’s logo. been a university since 1893. Their athletics are “My favorite is my hat from the Rose Bowl in part of what attracts Gimenez as a fan. 2011. I saw them play and bought it there at the “I want to go to TCU because I support the game,” Gimenez said. school’s athletics. I plan on playing baseball there He also keeps up with the baseball team. since I enjoy the sport,” Gimenez said. “I follow their athletics page on Instagram Along with his drive to play baseball in college, because it keeps me updated in a way that I enjoy, Gimenez also cares about their academic program, since I have social media,” Gimenez said. even though he is indecisive on what he wants to His first actual visit is on the horizon. He plans to major in. attend this summer with his family. Experiencing “Since I am just a freshman I haven’t really the college with his own eyes is an experience thought about it,” Gimenez said. Gimenez said he has been waiting for for years.
A. JEUNG
T
STORY BY AVA JEUNG & AVERY VAN DER LINDEN
“Love is acceptance rather than judgments.” MADISON DOGE
“Love is putting it before everything.” JEREMY POND
If you missed our #sixwordstory interactive earlier this week, scan here to see more than 50 students express themselves.
5 FEBRUARY 2016
love is an open door Students share their experiences with love
MARK MACDONALD
F
or some people, recognizing their sexuality takes years, but for Mark MacDonald it was close to immediate. “I realized it in the first grade. Before that I don’t remember having attraction to anyone. I didn’t even know what attraction was really,” MacDonald said. MacDonald’s parents split up when he was very young and from that point he bounced between households until he was in the eighth grade, when he decided to live with his dad. Although he knew who he was from a young age, it wasn’t until a year ago that he came out to his father. “I was afraid to [come out] at first, but it seemed like he was showing signs that he would be accepting, so I went for it one night,” MacDonald said. His father continues to support him today. However, the rest of his family is unaware of his sexuality. “I’m pretty sure my mom is homophobic. My brother also uses phrases like ‘that’s so gay’ so I’m weary of him, too,” Macdonald said. MacDonald also finds other hardships of being gay that he feels straight people don’t have to face. “I’m always worrying about how people will react after I come out to them. Also, there’s not many [openly] gay guys in this area, so it’s difficult to find someone to fall in love with,” MacDonald said. Some students aren’t aware of the community of different sexualities on campus and MacDonald
ALEX JOHNSON
G
rowing up knowing something was different become a normal part of the day. Knowing everyone felt differently about who they were made Alex Johnson Johnson doesn't identify with a certain gender and prefers to go by the pronouns they and them. They also sexually identify as polysexual — they are attracted to some, but not all genders. “[Being polysexual] can complicate relationships, [but] it has helped me be more accepting to others and myself,” Johnson said. Throughout middle school, they realized that being stereotyped as feminine and that their sexuality was constantly fluctuating. “It can complicate things, my step-mom is a trans-phobic, making it unable to fully come out,” Johnson said.
6 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
hopes to inform others about them. “We have a club at school called GSA, which stands for Gay Straight Alliance. It only has a few members because people don’t know about it or people who are in the closet don’t join in fear of being outed. Gay and straight people both have challenges, but cisgendered straight people don’t have to come out and people don’t disown them for who they are. There’s also a ton of genders and sexualities that most people don’t even know about,” MacDonald said. Despite his struggles, MacDonald has been able to fully embrace who he is around those he’s comfortable with. “I’m completely fine with my sexuality. I prefer not to show it around family, but in public and at school when I’m away from family I feel free to express who I am,” MacDonald said. His advice to those questioning their sexuality is to come explore it with an understanding, trustworthy group of students. MacDonald said, “Come to a GSA meeting in J7 at lunch on Fridays because it’s even more than just gay and straight members. It’s a place where you are accepted as yourself and everyone there knows not to out you. Also, something I told myself is that if people at school don’t accept you for who you are, then that doesn’t matter because you won’t know most of them in a few years.”
The realization began in middle school. The realization that they didn’t feel quite right identifying as female and the realization that they were not straight. “I remember [realizing] back in middle school. I was like, ‘There is no way I am straight,’ and I actually didn’t figure out the whole gender thing until this year,” Johnson said. One day, while sitting in Mr. Robert Dorchak’s class they realized they were incredibly uncomfortable with how they were dressed. That day they had been wearing a skirt and heels and immediately felt the need to go home and change in baggier clothing to hide their naturally female physique. Ever since then, they’ve remained gender fluid. To read the rest of Johnson’s story, visit www.whitneyupdate.com.
MATT DAZEY & SYDNEY BRANDT
H
aving already spent more than a quarter of their lives together, Sydney Brandt and Matt Dazey’s relationship is not a typical one for high school students. The couple has been exclusively dating since they met in seventh grade, but it wasn’t until after middle school that their relationship truly developed. “We started dating really young, so we've both matured as people over the years and with that our relationship has become more mature and serious,” Dazey said. Getting to know each other’s families has been a big part of Brandt and Dazey’s growth as a couple. Brandt and her family regularly have dinner at the Dazey’s’ house, and their parents have become close friends. Dazey has also accompanied Brandt on her family vacations over the summer, an opportunity for him to build connections with Brandt’s
family as well. “Every year, I go to Los Angeles with my family and Matt. We spend the week at the beach and Magic Mountain and it’s always been one of my favorite times that we spend together,” Brandt said. Not only do they consider each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but Brandt and Dazey call each other their best friend. “We can tell each other anything, and I can trust her with it. It's really nice to have someone to go to with any problem,” Dazey said. However as they are graduating this June, Brandt and Dazey are prepared to face separation. Brandt said, “We are still working out our long-term plans. We probably won't go to the same college, but we won't be far apart. I think we both want to stay together, but we don't know for sure what will happen. Whatever does happen though, I'm positive we'll be close friends for a long time.”
KAILEY JOHNSON
F
or many people romantic relationships are heavily prioritized, but for others they have no appeal. This is the case with Kailey Johnson. “I identify as grey-aromantic and kind of asexual. Grey-aromantic means that I almost never experience romantic attraction, and in the case that I do feel romantic attraction I don’t actually want to be in a relationship with that person,” Johnson said. What initially started as a regular trip to the computer lab in eighth grade began Johnson’s deeper understanding of herself. “I met this girl named Bri and we started talking and immediately connected. I still identified as straight at the time, so I didn’t think she was acting as any more than a friend. We ended up flirting quite a bit and I realized I had a thing for her, so I broke up with my boyfriend so I could date her,” Johnson said. The two dated for about eight months as Johnson began to realize who she was and accept herself more. They eventually broke up and Johnson began to experience
STORY BY RYLEA GILLIS & LINDSAY LUCAS
a new side to her sexuality she hadn’t felt before. She would develop crushes for girls but wouldn’t have the desire to pursue them romantically. However, having a lack of romantic attraction to others doesn’t come without societal pressures. “Every so often I worry that something is wrong with me because of how focused society is on romantic relationships and marriage as an end goal in life, which isn’t what I picture for myself,” Johnson said. Despite the occasional uncertainty, with time she has become more accepting of who she is and is able to offer advice to those going through experiences similar to hers. Johnson said, “Don’t be afraid to question your sexuality; it’s okay to not be heterosexual. It’s going to take a bit of time to figure out what fits, so don’t try to rush into any one thing because it sounds right. Eventually you’ll find a category that describes exactly how you feel, and that’s honestly the best feeling in my opinion.”
7 FEBRUARY 2016
DATING APPS: hot or not?
“One in four teens have dated or hooked up with someone they initially encountered online.” PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Back when Match.com launched in 1995, only 14 percent of American adults were Internet users, and teens didn’t have smartphones or apps. Fast forward to 2016, and one-in-five teens have tried an app or website for online dating, according to Pew Research Center. A simple search to the App Store or site like Google Play reveals hundreds of apps for dating or finding romance and relationships, and students admit to checking out many of them, even if they don’t use them personally. Students share opinions on mobile dating
O. GRAHL
“I feel like [dating apps] are a bit weird because you don’t get to see them in person. It is not as social as meeting someone in person and talking to them and seeing how they are really like. You can fake it if it is online.” JACOB GOODING
SWIPE LEFT OR SWIPE RIGHT FOUR MORE DATING APPS TO FIND LOVE 1. Grouper 2. How About We 3. OKCupid 4. Plenty Of Fish SOURCE: Digital Trend
One-third of the people who have used online dating have never actually gone on a date with someone they met on these sites. SOURCE: Pew Research Center
8 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
2
people tend to be inches shorter in real life
30
percent of relationships start online
Tinder users spend an average minutes a day on the app
77 2,500 online dating websites in the United States SOURCE: Huffington Post, The New York Times
“I think [dating apps are] a new way to meet someone and get a wider perspective on different cultures and different areas of the world.” SHEILA LOZA “I think they can be useful in certain situations, for [example] people who are out of high school or college and don’t necessarily have another way of being social, or don’t see a lot of people, but I don’t think in that high school necessarily, they are useful because we’re seeing everyone every single day and we are able to meet with people and talk to them and have really meaningful conversations at school, instead of having to have them over an app. I think that they can be useful in certain situations, but in high school, I don’t think that they are all that useful.” RYAN MOFFITT “I have mixed feelings about [dating apps]. I think if you are super lonely and there is no other way that you can find someone, then use a dating app. But if you are very social I think that you should go out and actually try to find someone instead of doing it through a screen.” EVA MEEKS
STORY BY ONA IGBINEDION & BELLA JACOBS
a step back
We suffer the heartache of a bad breakup. We endure the empty feeling from a friend who moved out of state, the relative who passed away unexpectedly. We shake our heads in frustration at missing items, searching again for our mostused objects, not sure how we lost them ... again. We reflect on missed opportunities, broken dreams or the absence of something that once was. These are stories of LOSS.
OLIVIA GRAHL
MY STORY
On the morning of April 18, 2015, I found out my mother had died. I was in Denver, Colo. at a journalism convention, packing up to fly home for junior prom, which was later that same night. My dad called. I’d never heard him sound so broken. Hearing his voice in that moment you never would’ve known he hated the woman. I don’t remember much of what happened next. We couldn’t miss our flight, so my friend shoved me in the back of an Uber and we took off, a blur of tears, stress and confusion. It took awhile for everything to sink in. I never had a close relationship with her, but she was still my mom. Everyone always told me, “Oh, you’ll understand when you’re older. You’ll want to build a relationship. You’ll want to be close with your mom.” I just never got that chance. Every teenager gets into arguments with their parents. But I’m not talking about the movie scene where kids get mad, yell, and run into their room
Editor reflects on mom’s death slamming the door behind them. With us, it was very different. My mom had a prescription drug addiction dating back to high school, and an alcohol problem even before that. Her addictions led to both physical and verbal abuse. I saw her about once a month, and every phone call ended in a fight with one of us hanging up. I remember our last conversation. She called while I was in Denver, asking if I wanted to go on a hike with my brother and her on Saturday. I told her I couldn’t because I was out of town, and she blew up. She hadn’t known I was going and was furious I didn’t mention it to her. I reminded her that I had told her, but she was probably too drunk to remember. The next day I got that phone call from my dad. [She died from] a heart attack induced by years of alcoholism. She was 47. I miss her every once in awhile. Halloween was our favorite holiday, but she wasn’t here for it.
Thanksgiving passed, her birthday passed, Christmas passed. We’re almost coming up on one year. It’s funny the things you remember in death. I don’t remember all the fights and abuse. I remember that her favorite season was fall, and that she loved cooking and scary movies. She had gray eyes that changed
L. ALBERT
LOSS
OF
“My patellar was in half, my ACL was in half and all of my meniscus was ripped off the bone. For the meniscus they had to cut everything off and then drill holes in my bone to let the blood out for it to create new cartilage. For the patellar they had to pull it down and just tie it down to the rest of it, while the ACL they have to take two out of the three cords [in my] hamstring and they are just going to pull them over and over again,” Perkins said. From the injury, he lost not only the ability to play football, but also time with his friends, which he considered to be an incredible bonding experience with his teammates. A. PERKINS
STORIES
ANDREW PERKINS tore three ligaments in his right knee playing football against Del Campo, ending his career. His first reaction was disappointment, as Perkins had spent the past seven years dedicated to football. “I already knew [my career was over] when I was laying there out on the field,” Perkins said. He underwent surgery last semester and has another one this spring. The surgery is for his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament); earlier doctors fixed his patellar tendon and his meniscus.
Football injury leads to painful surgeries, loss of playing time
depending on her mood. She could strike up a conversation with anyone. There’s a saying, “Never go to bed angry.” I now live by that. You never know when someone will be taken from you, so I do everything I can to remind those around me that I love them, even after an argument or fight. I may still be mad, but I want them to know I still care. The last thing I said to my mom was “I hate you.”
9 FEBRUARY 2016
what do YOU lose?
In a Twitter poll, we asked what you lose most often. Here are the results. featured tweets
24%
47%
said they lose their keys
said they lose their
phone
said other
10% lose their
planner
SOLUTIONS: •Find My iPhone app • Android Device Manager • Lookout app
SOLUTION: $5 replacement at the student store
“wallet” @ConnerJKGaspar
TECH TIP Worried about LOSING followers? Twitter users can check using Who Unfollowed Me or fllwrs to see which followers they lost.
DID YOU KNOW?
The average person loses up to nine objects every day.
#sixwordstory on loss “I lost three of my grandmas.” BROOKE MUNROE
“I’ve lost a friend of mine.” SAMANTHA HALL
“I lost my pen in history.” KAILA LUERAS
“I lost all my friends once.” TAYLOR SCHAR
“I have lost my Nintendo DS.” SYLAR FERDOSI
“I lost my fish six times.” KATELYN CHIAPPONE
“Recently, my family lost our grandma.” SHANE LEONE
“I lost my Toy Story toy.” GABE ZUMPANO
WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
“hydroflask” @achaqueso
“I lose my chill often.” @NaivivM
19%
10
“I always lose my headphones. They’ve gotten washed multiple times, sat in my car for days, and lost in the bottom of my bag.” @Danimal1124
Objects are usually found within 18 inches of their original location. SOURCE: Sumathi Reddi, Wall Street Journal
HOW TO PREVENT LOSS
1. Have a home for everything 2. Establish daily rituals 3. Look for a pattern and visualize how to prevent it SOURCE: Psych Central
STORY BY SIERRA YOUNG
forever
(NOT)
B. KIM
young
Andrew Franco studies in the library
Students share their loss of youth growing up
A
lthough many students look forward to being able to drive and do things on their own, there is also loss of childhood as growing up. Students just cannot do the same things that they used to be able to. “I feel like as I’m maturing, things are more challenging because I’m taking on more responsibilities and am obligated to do more on my own. As a child I was catered to, but now I’m older and mature enough to do my own tasks,” Andrew Duffey said. However, in high school, students are expected to do much more than they were as a child not just in school, but in their homes and community. “I definitely have a lot of new responsibilities, but I think as long as you get your work done and properly manage your time, you can still have a social life,” Andrew Franco said. Franco is rank one for the sophomore class. As well as being in cross country and track, he tries to balance his advanced and AP classes with sports and friends. Even throughout high
STORY BY BENJAMIN KIM
school, the responsibilities given change from grade to grade and increase as students grow older. “Having my license and being able to drive to classes off campus is a big responsibility, and it will be a big difference for this year, but it’s nice to have more control over everything I do,” Franco said. Students are also expected to handle these changes more by themselves and depend less on their parents to guide them from day to day life on their schedules. Although they have the ability to help, many teachers rely on the students themselves to be able to talk to them about their grade and finishing their work on their own time. “With my siblings I have to be a role model whereas with my friends, I can be myself and not have to worry about influencing them in a bad way because we’re all the same age,” Kayla Duffey said. Despite these differences in opinion, all students agree that the growth into high school causes students to have to mature and accept their responsibilities as adolescents.
Students reflect on loss of youth “I feel like I’m losing innocence, and life isn’t simple and easy anymore. You start experiencing the real world. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out on social life because I have to babysit my sister when she comes home from school.” DRUMI SHAH
“When you’re taking on a responsible role, it definitely builds your character.” ANDREW DUFFEY
“It’s horrible. You have to become self-reliant and learn to grow by yourself and be the person you want to be. It seems like everything’s your fault.” PERRI NGUYEN
11 FEBRUARY 2016
losing BRAIN
FUNCTION
Mandy Lal was diagnosed with encephalitis after more than two weeks in a coma. She is slowly recovering through therapy and medication.
M
12 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
Lal lies asleep still in a coma at Sutter Children’s Hospital
V. LAL
Lal makes up her work from the weeks that she missed school
V. LAL
death situation. “Over winter break, I had a headache. It was so bad that I was crying and then around 2 p.m. my eyes became dilated and I went into a coma,” Mandy Lal said. At the time, she didn’t understand her condition, but the doctors diagnosed her with encephalitis. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain that can be developed after infection with many several viral illnesses such as chickenpox. In Lal’s case however, the doctors still have no clear reason for what caused her to develop encephalitis. “The doctors don’t even know what triggered this. It still remains a mystery to me and to my doctors,” Lal said. After Lal went into a coma she was taken to Urgent Care then later sent to the Emergency Room at Sutter Roseville. During this time, Lal was capable of hearing everything around her but being unable to wake up or respond to anyone around her. In the ER, Lal went into a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) where she was diagnosed with encephalitis. Sutter Roseville does not have a neurological team and Lal had to be transported to Sutter Children’s Hospital in downtown Sacramento where she was admitted to intensive care and was immediately intubated. Being intubated is a medical procedure that involves the insertion of a tube into the body. “Throughout this whole time I was still in a coma. I was still able to hear everything around me but there was no way I was able to talk to the people around me,” Lal said. At Sutter, Lal continued to do several more MRI’s where the doctors stated Lal had potential brain damage. The doctors told Lal’s family she was in risk of not waking up for a long time or there was even a chance of death. After 15 days, however, Lal woke from her coma on New Years’ day. “When I woke up completely, I felt very weak and hungry, and I had no idea of what was going on. My family had to explain to me what happened to me and it scared me,” Lal said. Before she woke from her coma, Lal had to go through five different treatments and started to slowly wake during her fourth treatment before completely waking up during her fifth treatment, which was a blood cleansing or plasma freeze cleaning. This treatment is when white blood cells are extracted from the body, cleaned and then placed back into the body.
M. CARACUT
andy Lal woke up Dec. 20 feeling tired with a mild headache thinking it was nothing significant. Little did she know, that the next day, her headache would intensify and later led to a life or
Lal wakes up to her family after 15 days
Lal went through extreme physical and emotional trauma during her coma and had to start recovering shortly after. “Throughout my whole coma and recovery, my family was constantly supporting me day and night waiting for me to wake up and after my coma they told me everything that had happened to me,” Lal said. Lal was also visited by Mrs. Deborah Lane who went to go visit her at Sutter as soon as visitors were permitted. “When I went to visit her she was awake but she couldn’t use her right hand all the way, had difficulty seeing out of her right eye and [she] PREVENT VIRAL couldn’t speak well,” Lane said. ENCEPHALITIS After waking up, Lal had to take 1) Practice good hygiene steroids and other medications. For 2) Get Vaccinations a while, Lal could only eat from a 3) Avoid other viruses feeding tube and had to keep an IV, a such as herpes thin bendable tube that can transport 4) Protect yourself fluids, medicine or blood into her body. against mosquito and Lal was not able to walk or go to the tick bites bathroom because she was not strong SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, WebMD enough to support her body. However, in a week, Lal was transferred to normal care and started therapy to get back to normal, everyday life. Lal has physical, occupational and speech therapy everyday. One day at a time, Lal must take medicine and slowly start to move back to her life before being diagnosed with encephalitis.
STORY BY CHRYSTEN BURLEIGH & MISSIE CARACUT
BEST MEDICINE
D. SHARRAH
LAUGHTER IS THE The science behind laughter shows biophysical, biochemical and emotional significance
NOT A LAUGHING MATTER
on a treadmill increase of blood is equal to supply to the face, gives skin a BENEFITS SOURCE: WebMD, Long Island University healthy glow of laughing laughing raises disease fighting minutes of anti-bodies by laughter a day laughter burns 50 calories women laugh triggers
10-15
minutes
10
minutes
We laugh at knockknock jokes, YouTubers and comedians. We go to friends to cheer us up when we’re feeling down. We learn about ourselves and our sense of humor as we grow older. We share the happiest memories of our family and friends. These are stories of LAUGHTER.
10-20%
increase in energy level and heart rate
STORY BY DANIEL SHARRAH
60
minutes
LAUGHTER
OF
body manufactures chemicals based on certain needs and then distributes them throughout the body. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers. Laughter may also break the pain-spasm cycle common to some muscle disorders. “[Laughter] increases the serotonin level, which is the neurotransmitter that makes us happy,”Anatomy teacher Mrs. Penelope Shelton said. On the emotional level, laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and make you feel happier. Even though laughter has science behind it, laughter helps everybody in different ways. Since everyone has different types of personalities, everyone has different senses of humor. “Someone told me this awesome knock-knock joke the other day and my day was really bad since I failed my chemistry test and this joke just really brightened my day,” Zane Groat said. Although everyone finds different things funny, laughter still offers benefits to all who experience it.
40%
STORIES
W
hether people are attending a comedy show or just hear a good joke from their friend, laughter is inevitable. Even if they are in a terrible mood, a good joke can brighten someone’s day. Laughter can help people grieve loved ones, forget fights they are having or family trouble. “I come to school sometimes when I had problems at home and wasn’t happy, so someone will say something funny and it will break the ice and relieves everything,” Spencer Bennett said. According to Natural News, laughter operates on at least three different levels: biophysical, biochemical and emotional. On the biophysical level, laughter moves lymph fluids around the body caused by convulsions from laughter. It boosts immune system functions and helps clear out old and dead waste products from organs and tissues. Also, laughter increase oxygenation at both the cellular and organ level. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and make you feel happier. Whereas on the biochemical level, the
126% more than men
release of endorphins
13 FEBRUARY 2016
PAUL BURKE: Co-owner of Blacktop Comedy
Q: WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR STARTING BLACKTOP COMEDY? A: Betsaida and I opened Blacktop Comedy with the dream of creating an exciting comedy club and school. We love teaching and performing, and wanted to share our passion for improv comedy.
learning laughter
R. MARQUARDT
to make
Jennifer Nakano learns the art of improv at Blacktop Comedy
F
or Jennifer Nakano, performing in front “We would play games and [our teacher] of a live audience came naturally after would feed us lines and we would have to create hearing the sounds of uncontrollable a story. We would all make each other laugh,” laughter from the audience. This is a Nakano said. feeling she finds unique to Blacktop The games chosen by Betsaida Lebron Comedy, a comedy club in Rocklin that’s goal and Paul Burke, owners of Blacktop Comedy, is to “deliver a healthy dose of laughter to all are designed to help performers feel more the residents of Placer and comfortable onstage as well Sacramento,” according to as create hilarious situations “[Teen Improv Project] their website blacktopcomedy. that will make an audience com. Nakano helped to achieve laugh. Not only were a lot of was such a fun and this goal and deliver this these games introduced to the relaxed [experience], laughter to the people of her Teen Improv Project team to and it definitely made community. She also learned a help them to become more me laugh.” lot acting skills that would help comfortable with improv, her to become a better actress. but some of the games were JENNIFER NAKANO “The performances and the able to be used in the Friday games helped me a lot with my performances that Nakano acting skills,” Nakano said. participated in. Nakano was a part of Nakano believed the Blacktop Comedy’s Teen Improv Project. In performances were a success and helped her to this project, the selected five to seven students become a better actress overall and see the fun experience a season-long class of learning in everything. the ropes of improv, staging and scripting and “It helped me adapt to different situations. It then run their own performance in which they was such a fun and relaxed [experience], and it develop the improv games, scripts and acts as a definitely made me laugh,” Nakano said. team in order to make the audience laugh. Nakano believes that the laughing she hears The performance is treated and publicized from the audience that she and her team create like a real Blacktop performance with lighting during the performances helped her confidence and staging and even introduction music. as an actress and as a performer. Nakano, being an alumni to this project, had Nakano said, “Before, all of my performances participated for two years and developed I would get nervous. Now, I just walk on. And as specific acting techniques from her times soon as I hear the audience laugh, it goes away.” participating.
14 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
Q: HOW FAR HAVE YOU COME IN THE TIME SINCE OPENING BLACKTOP COMEDY? A: Blacktop Comedy has been offering shows and classes for over four years, and it’s stronger than ever. We’ve created an incredible community of actors, comedians and improvisers. People tell us they feel like they’re home when they’re at Blacktop, and that means a lot to us. Q: WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BLACKTOP COMEDY? A: The best thing about Blacktop Comedy is the community, and the work. We are creating award-winning comedy, and that keeps us going. Making people laugh is so rewarding. Working with your friends every day, and helping people reach their potential as comedians and performers is exciting. Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN THE SHOWS MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH? A: There’s nothing else like making people laugh. It’s addictive. It’s a healthy addiction. Knowing I can make people smile is my job, and that’s a great job to have.
STORY BY RACHEL MARQUARDT & LINDA MOODI
anything for a laugh The average 4-year-old laughs 300 times a day, according to Psychology Today. But the typical teen laughs only 15-20 times daily. Here are a few ways students try to up their laugh quota through YouTube, movies and more.
Which YouTuber makes you laugh the most?
Which teacher makes you laugh the most?
What movie makes you laugh the most?
“Smithplays is my favorite YouTuber because he makes me laugh and he has funny videos.” J.T. SCOTT
“I think Mrs. [Kimberly] Karver because she brings comedy into class and is not boring and doesn’t stick to lectures.” ORION HUNTER
“‘Poolboy Drowning’ out the Fury. It’s extremely vulgar, horribly violent and hilarious.” WILL MURBACH
ILLUSTRATION BY KANIN ABHIROMSAWAT
“Markiplier because he really makes me laugh a lot and his videos are very entertaining and I love his hair.” TOMMY GOUVEIA
“I think Mr. [Marc] Rubalcaba because he is quick to make jokes and have fun with the kids.” ELIZABETH MILLER
“‘Dumb and Dumber’ because of the way they act through out the whole movie and how they humiliate themselves.” TAYLOR SKILJ
STORY BY KACIE NICHOLSON & LOGAN WATKINS
“I like the YouTube company Rooster Teeth because they create great animation shows and live action shows that [are] humorous.” CHANLER CORMAIE
“Coach [Paul] Doherty is the most comedic because his personality is super sarcastic and he is not trying to be funny but comes off as funny.” TAYLOR CHOISSER
”I laugh at really corny jokes. One of my favorite comedies is probably ‘Grown Ups’.” SIENA FLORES
“I would either say MagikarpUsedFly or SunnySplosion because they’re both really funny and light hearted.” COBY BOUSMAN
“Mr. [Joel] Williams because he is very goofy and you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth and really tries to make students relax.” SARAH PULSIPHER
“‘Deadpool’ because it is an inspiration to me.” ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ
15 FEBRUARY 2016
#sixwordstory on laughter
“Matt Sanchez makes me laugh constantly.” JOSH OHARA
“When I get my grades back.” MIGUEL JIMENEZ
“I usually just laugh at myself.” NIKKI MORGAN
“When people spill food on themselves.” JORDAN GOLDMAN
“Brenden Smith is the funniest man.” ASHLEY CERAGIOLI
“When people make jokes, I laugh.” CHRIS HERNANDEZ
“When I tell your mom jokes.” ALEXIS LUBODA
“Humans who do really stupid things.” KYLE SAUER
“Things on Twitter make me laugh.” CASEY BORGHESI
16 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
STORY BY HALEY BALLESTIN