A WHITNEY HIGH STUDENT MEDIA PUBLICATION VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2016
How SAFE are college campuses? an in-depth look at campus safety, reporting incidents and raising awareness
a mission
to serve
senior prepares for Chile to complete two-year mission
behind the
IMAGE
physical expectations heightened for summer as media portrays unrealistic body standards
whitneyupdate.com
@whitneyupdate
@whitneyupdate
@detailsyearbook
IN THIS ISSUE JUNE 2016
@whitneyupdate @detailsyearbook @whitneyupdate whitneyupdate.com M. CARACUT
WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL 701 WILDCAT BLVD. ROCKLIN, CALIF. 95765
EDITORS 6
MISSIE CARACUT RYLEA GILLIS LILY JONES RACHEL MARQUARDT SIERRA YOUNG
L. MOODI
10
5
OPINION WAGE WARS Is the new minimum wage increase a good idea? page 4
HEALTH BIKINI BODY BREAKDOWN A look at how body expectations affect teens during the summer page 5
OFF-CAMPUS
IN-DEPTH: COLLEGE SAFETY Safety becomes more of a concern as college rape cases are hidden or not taken seriously page 6+7 INDOOR SKYDIVING Indoor skydiving center opens in Roseville page 8
11
FEATURE
LOOK WHO MADE THE CUTTS Mr. Justin Cutts will take over the principal position next year page 9 JUST FOR KICKS Cameron Shaw and Josh Mack start a shoe company page 10 WE’RE NOT IN? Brian Sterri embarks on a mission to Chile
ADVISER SARAH NICHOLS, MJE
page 11
ON-CAMPUS
DOWN FOR THE COUNT Whitney enrollment declines as school boundaries change page 12 SHOOTING FOR THE STARS S.T.A.R.S. program helps students prepare for future careers page 13
SPORTS
WILDCAT STADIUM GETS A MAKEOVER Football field and track to be renovated this summer page 14+15
COMMITTING TO COMPETE 11 senior athletes commit to colleges 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.
M. HAWKINS
D. SHARRAH
J. OGANS
STAFF HALEY BALLESTIN OLIVIA GRAHL ONA IGBINEDION BELLA JACOBS BENJAMIN KIM SARAH MARTINEZ KRISTEN MCILVAIN KACIE NICHOLSON DANIEL SHARRAH BRENDEN SMITH
EDITORIAL
Actions speak louder than words
C
ollege websites list countless reports of sexual assault along with safety reports on how they are legally meant to be handled every time one is reported. However, when safety reports aren’t followed or students have a lack of education on sexual assault, the victims are afraid to speak out, leaving the perpetrator unpunished. As the issues escalate in numbers, the amount of unreported sexual assault crimes escalate as well. To combat this, students need to raise awareness as to what is considered sexual assault and not be afraid to take action in order to make sexual assault more of a priority on college campuses. If students do this, sexual assault will be taken more seriously by college students and seen as a critical issue on college campuses. In response to this issue, colleges such as UNR and even the President are taking steps to make schools safer. The Obama Administration has been tackling this issue and requested an ultimate of 71 investigations by the U.S. Department of Education. Campuses such as UNR, where 22 Whitney alumni attended last fall, and William Jessup, where five Whitney alumni attended last fall, have buttons that students can press during the night to request an escort back to the dorm areas. Even though these safety precautions being put in place are promoting safety, they are not, however, helping spread awareness in order to promote the justice of sexual assault on college campuses. One of the main reasons this issue is occurring is because of corruption within campus police who, rather than focusing on handling legal charges, are focused on keeping the sexual assault cases under the radar in order to decrease conflict, keep a good reputation, and of course, save money. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men on higher education campuses report of being sexually assaulted. Out of these men and women who have been assaulted, less than five percent of these attempted sexual assaults were reported to campus police and were handled accurately according to the safety reports, which are required legally from all
campuses. This is because students who have been sexually assaulted feel contained within the boundaries of campus police, due to campus officers handling the punishment rather than officers being called in to fully assess the situation and announce legal charges. Campus police handling the situation rather than the court pressing legal charges is what causes the astonishingly low amount of sexual offenders receiving the promised consequence according to safety reports: expulsion. According to the Huffington Post, only one-third of these offenders have received this consequence, meaning two-thirds of these offenders are still on campuses in the United States, including Ivy League Schools. If sexual offenders are still allowed on campus and hidden in the shadows waiting IN FAVOR to pounce, it is a direct violation of safety. This 10-0 issue becomes even more prominent during night classes, where everything is hidden in the dark, making another sexual assault even easier for them. Making students aware of these issues and promoting action to combat these causes would give victims of sexual assault the confidence to report more of these issues and direct the correct follow-through, keeping campuses safer. Campus police not following safety reports is not the only issue that keeps students who are victims of sexual assault from reporting their experience According to political writer Joachim Hagopian, “Another factor compounding the problem of rape victims failing to report the crime to the police is the result of lack of education and understanding on what constitutes criminal sexual assault.� This means that students are not educated well enough to understand what sexual assault really is classified as, and if students are not educated ILLUSTRATION BY R. MARQUARDT
on this issue, there is a low chance the student will be able to report the issue based on their knowledge. This especially is unfair, and this is where students need to do their research and spread the word in order to understand that sitting in silence is never a solution. Any student who feels like they have been sexually assaulted should not be afraid to take action and speak out, and other students should be understanding of the problems that correlate with victims of sexual assault. This awareness is what will lead to a true resolution; awareness of safety regulations concerning sexual assault. Although safety on campus has been affected by issues and lack of knowledge, the issue can be and should be resolved by spreading awareness concerning legal issues students have a high chance of facing mainly including sexual assault and not being afraid to speak up for sexual assault victims. If students have a better understanding of this issue, they will be more likely to report it and more likely to fight for a better resolution. This resolution would include mandatory classes as a college freshman over common issues such as sexual assault, including steps on how to handle reporting it and ways to ensure that the issue is being handled correctly. Another way to raise awareness is to have mandatory support groups that include legal support for students who were victims of sexual assault. Overall once awareness is raised, students and campuses overall will see sexual assault issues as critical and overall safety of students as a main priority.
OPINION
Wage wars
A
LILY JONES
I’m AGAINST it
California’s governor may have signed a minimum wage increase into law this spring, but the debate is far from over
F
BENJAMIN KIM
I’m FOR it
s a teen, I work a minimum wage ifteen. The age for a quinceañera. A quarter of an hour. job that requires a minimum skill A Taylor Swift song. The smallest number that can be set. I’m employed at Studio Movie factorized using Shor’s quantum algorithm. As of April 4, add Grill down the street from my minimum wage to that list. house, where I work at the box When Governor Jerry Brown signed the minimum wage office distributing tickets to guests. I work law on April 4, minimum wage was increased to $10 at the start of part time and earn $10.25 an hour, averaging 2016, and will go all the way to $15 in 2022. New York has also passed 15 hours a week. My parents only require me a law to increase minimum wage to $15, which will be in effect as to pay for gas and luxuries like fast food and early as 2018. clothes, while they pay my insurance and bills. California has a much higher wage than most other states in the Recently, there have been requests from U.S. as of now, at $10.10. minimum wage workers to get a pay raise Although states like Georgia and Wyoming have a minimum to $15, so they could potentially live on their wage of $5.15, the federal minimum wage is $7.25. This means that own. Though this request seems like it could although workers are entitled to $7.25, in certain situations, such jumpstart people’s lives by being able to pay for as with full time students, the state is not forced to pay the federal their own bills and expenses, it is unreasonable. minimum wage to all workers. Minimum wage jobs weren’t Minimum wage is still something associated Minimum Wage in California made to raise families and pay all the with a number very small. After all, it does use The changes in minimum wage in California bills. They were made to provide a the word minimum. However, minimum wage from 1957 all the way to 2020. sufficient amount of income to help should be the minimum amount that someone pay for life necessities. Minimum needs to live, not a wage that is used for young wage jobs most of the time do not teens to have some spending money when they require any prerequisite schooling, need it. unlike other higher paying jobs. Most minimum wage workers are not Doctors earn on average $70 an teenagers. They are often the main supporters hour. In order to get such a high of their family. Workers often need government wage they went to eight to ten years assistance in order to feed themselves. Some of schooling, then three to seven companies even encourage their workers to use years of residency. To work at a fast public programs, forcing the rest of America to food restaurant does not require any pay for them. degree or schooling. Although some may say that minimum Also, the raise would cause wage would no longer be a living wage, as everything to become more it would cause inflation and lay off workers expensive. that companies could no longer afford to pay, Companies would have to pay it is actually untrue. In 1996, when the Labor their employees more money, Secretary decided to raise minimum wage and SOURCE: The Orange increasing the price of products. This would many jobs were predicted to be lost, there were more job County Register basically go against the point of raising wages gains in the next four years than in any comparable period in in the first place. This could also cause small American history. business to go bankrupt, affecting the economy Even worse, at this point in history, 95 percent of all economic negatively. gains all go to the top one percent of society. With the change to In all, raising the minimum wage rates to $15 minimum wage, it is great economically and politically, while also an hour goes against the original reason for helping the lower classes. creating minimum wage jobs. Pay raises should If minimum wage had increased proportionally to inflation in the be given to employees that prove themselves economy, it would already be more than $10. Workers are also shown deserving of one in the workplace. to be almost twice as productive as the people who worked minimum wage jobs during 1968. $15 is just enough for living wage if someone is working 40 hours a week and needs to support two children. The minimum wage increase is one of the best things America
4 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
OPINIONS BY LILY JONES & BENJAMIN KIM
HEALTH MY STORY: LIVING WITH ECZEMA BY MADELEINE WOODWARD
bikini body L. MODDI
BREAKDOWN
A look at how body expectations affect teens as summer approaches
W
ith summer around the corner, stores all over the Westfield Galleria at Roseville are beginning to show more advertisements for swimwear, replacing spring sweaters with bikinis on their mannequins. But these mannequins hardly look like the average American. According to Refinery29, the average American woman’s waist is 33 inches, whereas the average mannequin sports 24 inches. For men, the ratio is 39 inches to 33 inches. According to Heart of Leadership, more than 90 percent of girls 15 to 17 years old want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest. Teenage girls at this school seem to agree. “These unrealistic expectations can make anybody be ashamed of their body, because they can’t live up to these ridiculous expectations, causing them to fall into hating their body, contributing to depression,” Hannah Rafferty said. Women are not the only people affected by these body expectations. Heart of Leadership also states that 12 percent of teen boys are using unproven supplements and/or steroids. According to Breaking Muscle, 17 percent of men are on extreme diets, and 4 percent of men purge after eating. “I think body expectations honestly affect everybody, regardless of gender. I know there was a point in my life where I would look at myself in the mirror and not feel confident or comfortable or happy with myself. There are certain things you can help, but ultimately you can’t help what body type you have so just strut what you’ve got,” Josephine Douthat said. Teens can also remember times when they were young and struggling with body expectations even as children.
“I used to be overweight, so when I was younger I remember going to Sunsplash, and I would be the kid with the swim shirt on. That was devastating in my young mind,” Nick Vaillancourt said. Reality TV, advertisements and social media also lead to a negative self body image. Dosomething.org states that approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Only 5 percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media. “Body expectations can also contribute to the perception of boys and men that their bodies are never satisfactory,” Bonnie Brennan, a certified eating disorder specialist and clinical director of the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program for the Eating Recovery Center based in Denver, Colorado said. Skin conditions that are not easily rid of such as eczema and acne can also affect body image and self esteem during summer time. “As someone who has acne and has been diagnosed with severe acne, I definitely understand. If I have a blemish on my face or shoulders or back, of course I’m not going wear a tank top, I’m going to try and cover it up with makeup, which ultimately makes the problem worse. So it does really suck,” Douthat said. Not all teens have expectations for themselves or others. “I don’t have expectations for other people, everyone’s pretty in their own way,” Vaillancourt said. Some teens also believe the perfect body is something that is comfortable. Ashley Marvin said, “A perfect summer body is something you are comfortable with. Yeah you may not have the thin thighs or the nicest six pack but if you are fine with your body then that’s a perfect summer body.”
STORY BY KACIE NICHOLSON, LINDA MOODI & MADELEINE WOODWARD
One of my most vibrant memories is of being five years old, wrinkling my nose as my mother rubs Cortisone onto the crooks of my elbows, where my skin is a raw, inflamed red color. The ointment stings almost as bad as the rash itself, and it leaves white residue in streaks. I spend the next few hours avoiding bending my arms; the sticky-scabby patch makes me want to tear my skin off. I’ve had eczema as long as I can remember. It’s a by-product of having super sensitive skin and can be aggravated by almost anything; sweat, wind, heat, scented lotion, makeup, scratchy clothes, certain dyes. Once it flares up, it sticks around. After a reprieve of a few years, I had a massive flare-up last summer, targeting the backs of my knees, my inner thighs, my neck, my hand and my elbows. Basically, all the places you don’t want a rash come summertime. It’s completely unfair. Fortunately, there are ways to control, though not cure, skin disorders. Keep your skin moisturized at all times, especially when swimming in a public pool or the beach, and avoid harsh soaps and beauty products with artificial dyes or scents. Try to stick to makeup labeled specifically for sensitive skin, and minimize the use of self-tanners or acne treatments around known problem areas. Cortisone and prescription ointments can work wonders on fully-formed rashes, but the best way to handle eczema is to prevent it from flaring up at all. My best advice to anybody else living with eczema is not to let it control your life. Yes, it’s gross and scabby and painful, but if you treat your skin with care, you don’t have to sacrifice your summer to the scaly red beast.
5 JUNE 2016
OFF-CAMPUS
THE
CAMPUS
becomes more CRISIS Safety of a concern as college
ON CAMPUS DANGERS Statistics on campus crime reports
97,000 80%
students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcoholrelated sexual assault
of college rape cases went unreported to the police in 2014
M. CARACUT
rape cases are hidden or not taken seriously
nine in ten victims of rape and sexual assault knew their offender
The most frequently detected drug in victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault is
alcohol
33.7%
of assaults were committed on campus
one in three women will be sexually assaulted in college
SOURCE: collegedrinking preventing.gov
6 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
U
3
C Davis, Harvard University and Stanford moving out, and you want to ensure you’re going [to a University are just some of the many campus] where you won’t be in harm’s way,” Tyler colleges students dream of attending. Kim said. What students might not know is that Kim will attend UC Davis in the fall, which ranks 25th these universities are ranked the highest in in the country for the most sexual assaults reported. sexual assaults reported in the country. IN 2014, UC David had 198 reported rape cases, and According to the National Sexual Violence Resource none were taken to the police. Tyler explains that Center, one in five women and one in 16 men on higher colleges have done a terrible job dealing with reports of education campuses have reported sexual assault. sexual assault and need better support systems to help However, less than five percent of these attempted encourage victims to come forward without shame and sexual assaults were reported. One major reason the get the help they need. Kim said that he hasn’t seen there is a low percentage in cases reported is due to other college campuses take the steps UC Davis has how college campuses tackle the issue. taken to prevent sexual assault. In 2013, a rape case at Florida State University went “The unfortunate truth is that the majority of college nation wide where Erica Kinsman was sexually rapes are unreported. At Davis, outside of all the assaulted and “roofied” at a bar by school football player dorms there are bulletins and huge banners promoting Jameis Winston at his apartment. The school failed to awareness for victims of sexual assault and they take in the case until after the football season, putting encourage students to come forward and get the help no consequences on the abuser. Citing the school’s lack they need,” Kim said. of concern on the case, Kinsman discontinued Students around the country such her education at Florida State University. “The unfortunate as University of California, Berkeley, “High sexual assault rates are a big Occidental, Northeastern University truth is that concern for me when I think about being and George Mason University have the majority of taken action to protest against school on my own, and I think there should be an established uniform way of dealing with college rapes are systems. Some of them have carried sexual assault reports instead of it being case mattresses they were assaulted on from unreported.” by case or varying by what schools, because class to class and others stood in front all assault reports should be taken seriously,” TYLER KIM of administration buildings with quotes Lexi Luboda said. from their abusers painted on Luboda will attend the University of their bodies. Nevada, Reno in the fall and said one of the factors Colleges have followed in the footsteps of campuses that helped her choose UNR was the safety on campus. such as UC Davis and have progressively moved Luboda visited Seattle University, Sacramento State forward to decrease the amount of sexual assaults on and UC Santa Cruz before she committed to UNR. She campuses. New tactics such as safety escorts have been decided that the college campuses she toured were available in many campuses including Sierra College more urban and seemed less safe compared to UNR. in Rocklin. “I view UNR as a very safe campus because the school Sierra College student, Brittany Hernandez has been has campus officers and blue emergency light posts attending the school since 2014. scattered throughout the whole campus that allow “I go to class from 8 [a.m.] to 3 [p.m.] and it being the students to contact 911 by touching a button,” day doesn’t make me feel at risk for rape. But I think Luboda said. metal detectors everywhere would really boost safety,” The Netflix documentary “The Hunting Ground” Hernandez said. tackles the sexual assault epidemic and shows various Larger campuses such as UC San Diego have a buddy cases of how men and women’s situations are not taken system and Community Service Officers or CSOs. CSOs seriously by colleges. The film they explains how if are students trained by the UCSD Police Department to colleges refuse to take rape cases to court, more than help students, staff and families throughout the campus 100,000 college students will be sexually assaulted if needed. Campuses across the country such as the during the upcoming school year. University of New Hampshire provide therapists and “I feel like safety should be the biggest concern in counseling groups for victims of sexual assault. regards to college since it’ll be most people’s first time
ways to stay safe
1. TELL others where you’re going and when you expect to return, but don’t post messages on your door broadcasting
your absence. 2. DON’T walk alone after dark. Use a buddy system. 3. DON’T get distracted by cellphone calls, texting or listening to music.
ON-CAMPUS CRIMES reported cases of 36% crime in robbery 2014
39% rape
10% assault
Scan to see a map of the 15 most dangerous college campuses.
Source: collegedrinking preventing.gov
STORY BY MISSIE OLIVIA CARACUT GRAHL & RACHEL & LILY JONES MARQUARDT
SOURCE: concealedcampus.org
7 JUNE 2016 JUNE 2016
R. GILLIS
OFF-CAMPUS
1
take FLIGHT E
3
R. GILLIS
R. GILLIS
2
1. Morgan Hawkins freefalls in the wind tunnel. 2. Before entering the chamber, Sierra Young straps on her safety goggles. 3. iFly employee Joel Aguirre changes the wind speed from the control panel outside the tunnel.
My Experience Flying RACHEL MARQUARDT
ven when I told the instructor I wasn’t scared, deep down I secretly was. After putting on the earplugs and the headgear, I felt as if I was preparing for some sort of battle. But before this battle, I had Indoor skydiving center to learn the proper technique and safety opens in Roseville procedures. My friends and I sat and waited patiently for our turn to receive instruction, then ow open in Roseville on we were finally escorted into a classroom. Harding Blvd., iFly is an After being warned about the cheesiness indoor skydiving arena of the upcoming video, that simulates freefall for willing we watched and were participants ages three to over informed about two main 100. The chain began in Orlando, things; the hand signals Fla. in 1998 and has spread to and proper form. The four the west coast with locations signals were simple and in San Francisco, San Jose and were basically common Hollywood. Find out more about sense. That was a huge the new facility and its employees relief for me. When I had on whitneyupdate.com. seen the instructors flipping and sliding around on nothing but air, I thought that Flight Facts: it was impossible for it to be so simple. But when I regretfully advocated for myself to go first, I realized what it really was about — $70 not thinking and just letting yourself go. people have I got two tries in the wind tunnel. On my for two skydived at iFly 60-second first go-around, it felt like I was suffocating, locations around flights because the helmet didn’t shield my whole the country face. While trying to breathe I was ultra the top concerned about my form. I wanted to get wind speed as high as possible, but as I floated I realized in the tunnel MPH that there wasn’t much to be concerned about. Chin, arms, legs, relax. That was it. The more I let my muscles relax, the less I the oldest SOURCE: felt gravity and the more the wind swept Cameron Cole, documented iFly Sacramento General Manager person to fly me upward. Becoming better was that
N
7 MILLION
160
108
8 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
simple and it made me love the experience even more. The instructor continued to fix my form and kept hold of me, making sure I didn’t go astray as I flew. After the first 30 seconds, I became aware of what was actually happening. I wasn’t being suffocated, it was just air. Then the lights flashed to signal the end of my flight and I was pulled to the door to sit back down and wait for my next turn. The second time, I knew I wanted to try the “high fly.” The instructor and I latched arms and flew together to the top of the wind tunnel. As he whisked me upward, it was almost surreal, knowing there was nothing under me and I was just spinning up from the tunnel. I was like a superhero, flying with nothing but the air from under me. It was just amazing, and it was literally like getting swept off of my feet. After I got back to the ground, I couldn’t stop laughing, and I didn’t want it to end. Even if it looked intense at first, I know now that there is nothing to worry about. Just like they say, age three or 103, anyone can do it. All I had to do was follow the instructor’s simple signals and relax, and I was able to experience a feeling I had never felt before — weightlessness without the pull of gravity. Scan to watch a video of Rachel’s high fly!
STORY BY RYLEA GILLIS & RACHEL MARQUARDT
FEATURE
look who made the
CUTTS
Mr. Justin Cutts to begin new role as next year’s principal
M
r. Justin Cutts was supervising a baseball game when he got the call from Superintendent Roger Stock. He couldn’t tell anyone until the announcement, but his career was about to change. Cutts was announced as the 2016-2017 school year principal at the Rocklin Unified School District board of trustees meeting April 20. “It was kind of surreal. I made the decision last spring that I wanted to seek a principal position. However, I really wanted to be picky about the school. If I was going to move to a different place it would have to be one that was very similar. Whitney was one that I really felt was a good fit. From the outside it has a reputation of excellent academics, athletics and activities. All of these things were confirmed when talking with parents, students and faculty about the school,” Cutts said. Cutts attended CSU Sacramento as a social science major. He also earned his California teaching credential and master’s degree in educational technology at National University. “I never had any thoughts of being an administrator when I started teaching, but as I took on more and more responsibility I saw ways that I could help teachers, and that made me want to make the jump,” Cutts said. Cutts has been the assistant principal at Del Oro since 2012 but has held numerous titles such as dean of students, assistant principal at Placer School for Adults, social studies teacher and technology coordinator. He is currently pursuing an Ed.D through the University of New England with an emphasis on Educational Leadership. He currently lives in Penryn with his wife and son. “My son and I like to raise pigs and a steer yearly as well as grow our own vegetables. This year we also have a large pumpkin patch that we will be working on as a way to raise money for his Lego habit,” Cutts said. Cutts was chosen out of a pool of 39 applicants, and the school board approved his recommendation with a unanimous vote. The hiring process for a new principal involves reviewing resumes, a panel interviews and on-
STORY BY OLIVIA GRAHL
site visits of the top candidates. Language Arts Department Chair Mrs. Amanda Bannister was part of this process. “Mr. Cutts knows WHS has great programs in place and he has the desire to build upon them to make WHS awesome. A new principal will bring a new perspective and fresh ideas so we can continue to improve all programs,” Bannister said. The school culture is what really drove Cutts to apply. “There were other schools that had openings and not to say that they would have wanted me, but Whitney was the one school that I wanted to be at. I am a little nervous because it is a new school, culture and district. While there are many similarities, there are also a lot of differences that I don’t know about and am going to have to learn,” Cutts said. Cutts is the brother to dance teacher Mrs. Halley Crandell. The two will be the first sibling-pair to work together in this school’s 11 years. “Justin is the oldest sibling of four and has always been known for being an excellent listener, problem solver and leader by example. It is without a doubt that the qualities I have greatly benefited from growing up as the younger sibling will also benefit the Whitney High staff and students. Working under his leadership will be a wonderful experience for all of the WHS staff,” Crandell said. Cutts said he is excited to begin working as principal. “I really see my job the first year at Whitney as taking time to learn and understand the culture at the school. There are changes in progress that I am excited to be part of. CTE classes are in the middle of a major overhaul, and I’m excited to see where that goes. Also, it’s been discussed that intervention needs some further discussion, and I’m interested to see where that takes us,” Cutts said. His official job title as principal goes into effect July 1, but he has already started preparing for the position. Cutts said, “I’ve already started meeting with the staff at Whitney and that will probably kick into a higher gear after I finish the school year and the bulk of my assistant principal responsibilities.”
FUN FACTS FAVORITE BAND “I am a fan of pretty much everything from Eric Church and the Zac Brown Band.” FIRST JOB “I grew up on a farm so my first job was picking strawberries in the summer for my dad.” FIRST CAR “I’ve tried really hard to forget about it, but it was a brown Chevy Citation II.” FAVORITE SPORT “I’ve played or coached basketball for most of my life, so that is by far my favorite sport. I love college basketball and I am an avid Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan.” FAVORITE VACATION “I enjoy traveling with my wife and son throughout the year. We like to camp, and I enjoy fishing as well. We also we like to visit Cabo San Lucas once a year to be lazy on the beach.”
9 JUNE 2016
FEATURE
just for kicks
S
treet Wear is growing as a brand and getting its name out on and off campus. As close friends and teammates on the freshman basketball team, Josh Mack and Cameron Shaw developed a love of shoes at a young age. “I wanted to start this company because the merchandise we sell is in high demand. I also like the act of giving, since everyone wants [the merchandise] I’ll be able to supply,” Shaw said What started off as a couple of close sales to friends then became an official company. Teaming up, they launched Street Wear on April 1, 2016. They developed the idea of starting the shoe company at school and became serious once they found out they both have the same passion for fashion. They plan to keep the company running for as long as they can and hope to get big one day. They also created a website themselves, stwrco.com, where they sell different shoes and clothing from Nike, Jordan, Supreme clothing and many more. “I love the culture and love the shoes. It’s also a great opportunity to make some money,” Mack said. With basketball and school, Mack makes sure to get his homework finished before spending time on the company. “Homework will always be a first, I get my homework done ahead of time then I focus on the company,” Mack said. They use their profits for reinvesting the company like upgrading the website and buy new merchandise. “It’s not illegal to sell their stuff
10 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
J. OGANS
Best friends go into the shoe business together
because we sell it without using our company’s name,” Mack said Shaw says their company is easier to buy things from rather than the other big brands. “Our website is straightforward and everything is at a fair price. Other companies have different types of the same shoe and make it confusing,” Shaw said. Not only do they sell other companies’ shoes and clothing, but they make their own hoodies and shirts. However, they plan to make more in the future when their company begins to grow. Street Wear also offers a consignment deal where they get 13 percent of the final price for the product. Customers can contact their company to put out clothing or shoes on their website and have an increased chance of selling the product. This benefits the customer and the company, where the company makes some money and the customer can publicize a product and sell. Justin Hunkler is a friend of Mack and Shaw who has purchased from the website and thinks positively towards their progress. “Their website is good from not having much money to start with and have improved greatly since the beginning,” Hunkler said. They also use social media to their advantage to pull in more customers and promote their name. They use Instagram to show what products they have and keep customers updated when new merchandise is coming out. Shaw shares their strategies to get
their name out on social media platforms. “We are consistent on posting and make sure the quality of the post is good. It takes time for our name to get out, but all we can do is wait,” Shaw said. Mack designed the company logo and Shaw designed the website from scratch. The boys’ efforts have been geared towards their dream to be a mass-market shoe company. Next Nike? Maybe. Adidas? Only the future knows. “I plan to keep the company running as long as we can. It’s my dream,” Shaw said. They plan to keep their company running until they get recognized because all they want is to just give what the people want. As long they have the supply and demand, they want to keep their company forever because money is not a problem for them. “We have the inventory and we’ll make our money back no matter what as long as we sell our merchandise,” Shaw said.
Scan here to visit their website.
@Stwrco, 2,661 Followers @Stwrco
STORY BY JAMAL OGANS, BRENDEN SMITH & KENICHI WATANABE
FEATURE
two years in Chile, a lifetime in the church Brian Sterri to depart for mission to Chile
W
hile 65.9 percent of people go to college or pursue a career after high school, Brian Sterri will embark on a new adventure. Sterri is going on a two-year mission to Chile as part of his Mormon community. “A mission is two years of service in a different environment and teaching the Mormon religion. A mission is a good opportunity to learn and grow in my faith,” Sterri said. Sterri will be acting as “He’s a really good a missionary on behalf of the Church of Latter Day example to me because I Saints, going around the want to do the same thing community spreading when I am 18, but I am his beliefs or doing really going to miss him.” humanitarian work for those in need. BRANDON STERRI Missions are expected when they turn the age of 18 to 19 among the Mormon community and can be taken around the world. “It is highly recommended for young men at the age of 18 or 19 to go on a mission for two years. For women it is not as strongly recommended but it is still good to go,” Brett Lindsay said. Even though it is recommended to go, there is a process to partake in this journey. Some applicants can be rejected even if they want to go. “You need to fill out a long list of specific questions about the experience and what you are willing to do, like learn a new language,” Sterri said.
STORY BY DANIEL SHARRAH
One of the situation he is not excited about is being alone and away from his family. According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, missionaries are only allowed one email a week to family or friends. “I think living alone, experiencing a new language and home will a transition from my life here and I will be sad being all by myself,” Sterri said. Sterri is also leaving an impression for his younger brother Brandon to follow in his footsteps and become a missionary. “He’s a really good example to me because I want to do the same thing when I am 18 but I am really going to miss him,” Brandon Sterri said. Sterri has been on the golf team for all four years of high school and has gotten a Division I scholarship to play at Utah State University. Sterri said, “This trip will not affect my athletic career. They will hold my scholarship while I’m gone since they have encountered this situation before.”
Mormon Mission Facts SOURCE: Church of Latter Day Saints
The first Mormon mission was in
1830
162 countries have had a
missionary in them
Samuel H. Smith
was the first missionary of the Mormon church Missions can last up to years
3
11 JUNE 2016
ON-CAMPUS
DOWN FOR THE
school year
Whitney students
Enrolled students
Rocklin students
Estimated enrollment
S. MARTINEZ
students
COUNT
WHITNEY AND ROCKLIN ENROLLMENT TRENDS
SOURCE: SARC reports, Mrs.. Leslie Simpson
Enrollment declines as school boundaries change
W
hen the bell rings, the floodgates open, allowing hundreds of students to come rushing out of the school gates. The problem is that fewer freshmen are coming through those gates at the start of the school year. “Enrollment determines how many sections of all classes we offer at Whitney High School. Because we have fewer freshmen here next year, we have fewer of nearly all freshman classes. If the school has fewer sections, the school will also have fewer staff,” Principal Debra Hawkins said. According to Registrar Mrs. Leslie Simpson and Secretary Mrs. Jennifer Teames, the upcoming freshmen class is projected to have 432 students compared to this year’s 464 and last year’s 498 students. While the school will have fewer incoming freshmen, Rocklin High School faces the opposite situation. Rocklin is estimated to have 100 more students in next year’s freshman class. The uneven distribution of students may be due to school boundary changes. “There have been some boundary changes and that could affect the
12 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
difference in enrollment,” Hawkins said. The neighborhoods immediately surrounding Whitney, near Century Blue Oaks Theater and near Sierra College are Whitney territory. These territories all border the edge of Rocklin, while the rest of town is considered Rocklin High territory. The unusual boundaries mean that some students have a lengthy commute. Lindsey Immers is a resident near Sierra College and commutes about 20 minutes to school everyday. “Technically Del Oro is closer to us and Rocklin High is a couple minutes closer, but neither of them are for kids in my neighborhood. It takes me about 20 minutes to get to school with no traffic, almost 30 minutes if there is any delay,” Immers said. Projecting ahead that growth would continue within the WHS boundaries. The class of 2020 families were not notified back then about the change. The intent was to balance the schools, but the growth hasn’t been as projected, making for a large gap size in between the two high schools as those students become freshman in August. Despite having less expected incoming freshmen than Rocklin, there
will be no staff cuts. Hawkins said, “WHS is fortunate that with various staff shifts and leaves, we will not lose any staff members due to enrollment. From the students’ perspective, everything will be the great school we always have.”
SCHOOL BOUNDARIES Whitney boundaries
Rocklin boundaries
Whitney
Rocklin
SOURCE: School Works, Inc.
STORY BY 0NA IGBINEDION, SARAH MARTINEZ & LOGAN WATKINS
SPORTS
WILDCAT STADIUM
MAKEOVER
GETS A
Track, field to be renovated this summer with new design
O
n Friday nights during the fall, thousands of students and spectators fill the Wildcat stadium to watch three hours of maroon jerseys running up and down the gridiron. However, the 2016 season will introduce a new look for everyone who takes part in these games. Over the summer, the football field and track will undergo $950,000 of renovations to improve the condition of the surfaces as well as redesign the logos and change the color schemes. Following the May 20 board approval, funding for the renovation is to be provided by the RUSD Maintenance and Facilities Department. “A turf field is made to last 10 to 12 years, and with us being at 11 years, it’s time for us to replace it. There’s tears in the seams and it’s a little unleveled, and since we were going to have to replace it we figured we would choose a new design as well. And since the track is a little worn down anyway, we’re gonna redo it so it’s on the same life cycle as the field,” Athletic Director Mr. Jason Feuerbach said. With the plan in place, Feuerbach went to the Graphic Communications class to seek their help with a design for the field. Secondyear graphics student Noah Lewis was chosen to lead the project. “I was in charge of making sure that everyone’s designs met the basic requirements and then once they were done, I got them together and presented them to Mr. Feuerbach so he could make the decision,” Lewis said. Graphics teacher Ms. Whitney Lum coordinated the communications between Lewis and Feuerbach. “Compared to the current field, the new design we pitched will have more presence and impact when you walk into the stadium or see it on the live broadcast feed because of the bolder graphics and use of color,” Lum said. Ultimately, Feuerbach opted for a logo that was easier to read and maroon turf in the end zones. “By adding things to the field, like maroon end zones, it makes it a little more special for the athletes that play on it. I think it’ll boost their
14 WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
Current field is due for a redesign after opening eleven years ago
pride to be able to use state-of-the-art facilities that portray the Wildcat spirit,” Feuerbach said. Football players, gearing up for the fall season already, display the same excitement Feuerbach was hoping for. Robert Jones said, “From what I’ve heard, I think the new field is going to be really nice. The added colors should make it look cooler than the plain green we have now and other teams are going to be excited when they come into play us.”
NOAH LEWIS WAS IN CHARGE OF WORKING WITH OTHER GRAPHICS STUDENTS TO CREATE A DESIGN THAT MET THE REQUIREMENTS GIVEN
ON-CAMPUS shooting for the
Q: What prompted you to take over the STARS program? A: My background was actually in elementary school education as I originally had wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Working with Mrs. [Melanie] Patterson for the past three years, she knew my background and when given the opportunity to take over the program when Patterson moved on to the district office, there was no question I would love to!
Garrett McGuire helps students in with arts and crafts in Mrs. Neff’s class at Rock Creek.
F
or students with a love of teaching, a love of children or even students looking for leadership credit, the STARS program provides an opportunity for students to gain teaching experience and learn what it takes to be a teacher. Juniors and seniors can apply to be a part of STARS, a program in which high school students are trained to become peer teachers for students that range from kindergarteners to high school
seniors. In this program, the juniors and seniors gain first-hand experience in helping other students by working with them in the classroom, and adding to their knowledge of the different learning styles. Every other week the students in the program meet with their STARS teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Armas, during lunch and intervention to go over what they’ve learned and their strengths and weaknesses.
Why STARS? “I love kids and I’ve been babysitting since I was 11. I’m looking forward to being around the kids and helping them learn.” BROOKE HANSEN
“After college I want to become a teacher so I can watch kids grow and know I’m making a difference.” ELIZABETH WHITE
S. MARTINEZ
STARS
Q&A with Mrs. Jennifer Armas:
Students Teaching and Reaching Standards program helps students prepare for future careers
“My mom is an elementary school teacher, so I am hoping I can work in her classroom next year.” JARED LEVITT
“I’m interested in teaching, so getting experience now would be beneficial to me later down the road.” MAKENA HIGA
See your business’ advertisement here in next year’s publications! email: whitneyupdate@gmail.com website: whitneyupdate.com Phone: 916.632.6500 x6624
STORY BY AVA JEUNG, LINDSAY LUCAS & AVERY VAN DER LINDEN
Q: What is the application process like? How do students apply and how are they chosen? A: The application process is open to all current sophomores and juniors (next year’s juniors and seniors) and involves questions regarding student’s interests in the program. There is no actual number of students that can be in the program - it is based on application, attendance, discipline and an interview. This school year there are 42 STARS students and next year, there are 48 STARS students who were selected. Q: What’s the objective behind the STARS program? A: Students Teaching and Reaching Standards (STARS) is a cross-age tutoring class in which students are trained to be peer teachers in a classroom within the district, elementary through high school. Students will gain invaluable experience in the classroom and learn what it is like to be a teacher. Q: How do you think this will benefit students? A: Not only do students receive leadership credit by enrolling in the STARS program, but it is a one-ofa-kind program offered at WHS that does not just appeal to those students thinking about a career in education, but students who are thinking about any career involving children.
13 JUNE 2016
ATHLETES SHARE THEIR OPINIONS ON THE FIELD REDESIGN
“I think it’s really cool that they’re putting in a new field and I’m excited to see how it turns out.” MEGAN SOARES
“I like the maroon color the track has now, but it might be a nice change for us.” KELANI LEARSON
“The field change is really cool, especially since I’ll be playing on the varsity football team next year for the first time.” MARK CLARK
M. HAWKINS
“The football players work really hard. They put in a lot of work for fundraising. A new field would be a nice reward for all the work that they put in.” MALACHI TURNER
N. LEWIS
WHS FOOTBALL FIELD REDESIGN
Noah Lewis // Version 4.2.3 // 2.9.2016
STORY BY RYLEA GILLIS, DANIEL SHARRAH & SIERRA YOUNG
“It’s nice that we’re finally getting something new. We got new football jerseys last year, but it’s going to be nicer to play on a new field.” DAGNE BUCK
“I think since the turf will be cooler it will help our players play better and want to play.” NATHAN SANCHEZ
15 JUNE 2016
SPORTS
Committing to Compete 11 senior athletes sign to colleges ALEX MUIR
SOCCER CORBAN UNIVERSITY
JOSHUA DANIELS
MEGHAN HUNT
SOFTBALL WILLISTON STATE
FOOTBALL SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
AIDAN MALM
BASEBALL SAN JOSE STATE
ASHLEY HUNTER
SOCCER MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDIE MITCHELL
SOFTBALL SAINT LAWRENCE
BRIAN STERRI
GOLF UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
SHELBY MILLER
VALERIE VAN DER LINDEN VOLLEYBALL WHITTIER COLLEGE
ZACK SCHALL
WATER POLO CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY IRVINE
SOFTBALL RIDER UNIVERSITY
JORDAN SIENKIEWICZ
CROSS COUNTRY POINT LOMA UNIVERSITY
“At the time, I didn’t think I wanted to go to Point Loma that much, but then I went down there and it was a really cool campus, and the coach was really cool too. The college is a Christian based school, which is what I wanted, and the cross country team is amazing.” JORDAN SIENKIEWICZ “I was really excited when I first got the offer to Rider University in New Jersey to play softball.” SHELBY MILLER
“It was exciting but pretty nerve wracking because I didn’t know if I wanted to go far away to Williston State in North Dakota to play softball.” MEGHAN HUNT “I wasn’t excited at first when I got accepted into Minot but now as time closes in to when I leave, I’m really excited to go to Minot for soccer.” ASHLEY HUNTER
PAYING to PLAY
“I’m super excited, with that feeling that all that hard work payed off. The Utah Valley campus is a really nice campus, with great city life. I’m a little nervous to be going, but I’m super excited to be playing golf.” BRIAN STERRI SOURCE: NCAA.org
DIVISION I
53%
of all student-athletes receive some type of financial aid. This division provides the most athletic scholarships.
DIVISION II
56%
of all student-athletes receive some type of financial aid. Many participants are first-generation college students.
DIVISION III
75% 16
of all student-athletes receive some type of academic grant or need-based scholarship. Institutional gift aid totals $13,500 on average.
WHITNEYUPDATE.COM
“When I got in to Southern Oregon University it felt great seeing things fall into place for me to play football. Go Red Raiders!” JOSHUA DANIELS “I was in shock because I wasn’t expecting it and I didn’t know if that was the school for me. But after I got the offer I was sure that Concordia was the place for me to play water polo.” ZACK SCHALL “I started playing baseball for Tri City League when I was 11, and it became a passion of mine. I plan to play for San Jose State University next year.” AIDAN MALM
“It was such a great accomplishment of getting into Saint Lawrence to play softball. I’ve dreamed about it since I was little.” MADDIE MITCHELL “At first I was shocked when I found out I got in to Whittier College and then it turned into excitement, it felt like the right place for me to play volleyball.” VALERIE VAN DER LINDEN “I felt like Corban was the best place for me spiritually, financially and soccer-wise. It was a place that was going to push me on and off the field. Not to mention the people at the school are so friendly.” ALEX MUIR
STORY BY ISABELLA JACOBS & KRISTEN MCILVAIN