Granite Bay Gazette, April 2017

Clinic provides more than just abortions

Earth Day

Crew-zing to college

Planned Parenthood B1

G10-11

C1

Rowers take advantage of scholarships

April 22 brings about appreciation for nature

The Granite Bay Gazette

S GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 21 w ISSUE 7 w FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017

COMMENTARY

cole kahmann

ckahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Gazett

e illustr

Teachers need to be held accountable

I

n Vergara v. California in 2012, the Supreme Court determined teacher tenure is constitutional.

However, I am seriously wondering – even if it’s constitutional – how it is beneficial to the future generations of our country.

In nearly every career, there is a way for employers to hold their employees accountable.

Personally, I have been threatened to be written up for starting to close too early at a local yogurt shop.

As annoying as that was for me, it is a reminder that people have a right to hire and fire whomever they want in order to meet their goals.

For the California education system, the goal should be to teach and inspire students to thrive in their academic careers and beyond.

Sadly, nowadays, we don’t I’ve always seem to expect much assessed out of the teachers people who have direct in two impact on different the future of areas: our country.

Students their everywhere knowledge are too often forced to and … deal with their care teachers who for the for their most part pupils. are burnt out or lack a passion for teaching.

I’ve always assessed teachers in two different areas – their knowledge and ability to teach their subject and their care for their pupils as individual difference-makers, not just students.

Both of those put together make for an outstanding teacher, one makes a sufficient teacher and zero make you wonder why they even bother teaching.

Fortunately for us at Granite Bay High School, I’d estimate only about 5 percent of teachers are neither knowledgeable nor passionate – most really are outstanding.

But when it comes to tenure, the problem is that a teacher only has to behave well for two years.

If we are honest, couldn’t nearly anyone act like a good teacher for two years?

Sadly, this makes it hard for administrators to determine who is worth keeping and not. After all, only .0007 percent of teachers in California are fired every year.

However, I’m talking about the teachers I have seen in their first two years that don’t even pretend to care about doing well in their chosen profession.

If they don’t care now, imagine what they could be 20 years down the road.

Being gifted with such a serious task – to educate and inspire the next generation of students – deserves some leeway, but tenure is not the answer.

Accountability is vital for performance, and teachers should be held to the same standard as everyone else. *** Cole Kahmann, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

ation/C

ARISS

A LEW

ecurity

IS

at

stake?

BY JAKE CRISCIONE

jcriscione.gazette@gmail.com

I

RJUHSD to introduce security cameras to campuses across district n schools across the country, technology has found itself more and more incorporated with education in various forms such as Google Drive, chromebooks and proboards.

The Roseville Joint Union High School District soon be adding to this technological list by equipping security camera systems on district campuses.

“Our sites’ safety teams and outside safety consultants have recommended cameras for years,” RJUHSD superintendent Ron Severson said via email. “We received onetime money last year, and set aside some funds for cameras.”

The RJUHSD board of trustees recently approved a surveillance camera pilot at Oakmont High and is planning to have

these security systems reach all district sites in the near future.

“The (purpose of the) pilot is to determine the value added and to work out any kinks,” Severson said.

Granite Bay High principal Jennifer Leighton said she is looking forward to the addition of security cameras around campus.

“Since we can’t supervise every area on campus 24/7, the cameras could help us with our investigations,” Leighton said.

The cameras will be placed in large pub-

Detention may not do its duty It’s easy to get and doesn’t cause a sweat

BY SURINA KHURANA

skhurana.gazette@gmail.com

Detention might have once been the common place where people like “The Breakfast Club’s” Bender, Claire, Allison, Brian and Andy would meet after being sent for far different reasons.

However, detention today – at least at Granite Bay High – is no such place. GBHS students are overwhelmingly assigned detention, not for a wide array of reasons, but for tardiness.

Each nine-week quarter of the year, a student is permitted two tardies without consequence.

“On your third one you get detention,” assistant principal Jessup McGregor said.

The purpose of detention, according to detention proctor and Advanced Placement government teacher Jarrod Westberg, is to have “something that could make (students) change their behaviors” or simply to “deter them” from engaging in a punishable offense another time.

Before 2013, the detention program at GBHS didn’t really exist. And while some argue that detention has the potential to change behaviors, several detention-goers say quite the opposite.

“I haven’t changed my behavior and definitely won’t,” senior

lic areas such as quads, parking lots and hallways on school grounds.

Both Severson and Leighton said it’s not unusual to have surveillance cameras in schools, and the RJUHSD is one of the only local districts that doesn’t currently have them.

Ultimately, Severson said, “safety and security” were the main motivators in deciding to implement cameras throughout the district.

When discussing possible negative reactions from students, staff and families, Severson said “the cameras will help us identify who is responsible for vehicle vandalism in the parking lot, who was involved in bullying or a fight or who grabbed your backpack at lunch,” and “most people are supportive of that.”

Still, not all students support the introduction of security cameras on RJUHSD campuses.

“Personally, I would feel very uncom-

REASONS FOR DETENTION

fortable being videoed at school,” GBHS junior David Zagaynov said. “It would be an invasion of my privacy.”

Zagaynov said he believes the compromise of students’ privacy isn’t worth it in the big picture as it would “infringe on the integrity of (a) learning environment.”

Zagaynov said cameras might fail to solve any major issues because students can wear masks or cover their identity. Instead, he senses major blowback from the attitudes of students and families that don’t want to be filmed.

Leighton noted, however, that the pilot at Oakmont High School “will show that cameras are very helpful both as a preventative measure and as an investigative tool.”

Regardless of how some students or staff members will react, Severson emphasized that “the goal is to make our campuses safer.”

‘Necking’ takes on a new meaning in the 21st century

Students get slapped in friendly jest

BY CARISSA LEWIS

clewis.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustration/CARISSA LEWIS

Alexios Alexandrou Barcelo said. “I’ll just keep going to detention if I have to.”

Junior Chris Osby agreed that being assigned detention doesn’t change his behavior.

“For me it’s like a study hall,” Osby said. “I’m forced to be See DETENTION, page A6

If you grew up in the 1950s through the 1980s, you might have thought of “necking” as a sign of affection between romantic lovers.

In the 21st century, however, all it takes is two friends and some thick skin.

In contrast to the traditional definition of caressing another human, necking these days can refer to slapping someone on the back of the neck.

Senior Dylan Cole said the point of necking someone is to let that person know they “messed up” in some way.

inside This Section news

Contemporary necking is more common among boys than girls.

However, both groups are exposed to the action.

“I would never neck a girl or a teacher,” Cole said, “but just because they are around doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to a friend.”

While neck-slapping is generally a casual, joking gesture between friends, this simple strike can intensify into something a bit more serious.

On Thursday, March 16, a neck slap escalated into a more intense physical retaliation. According to an email See NECKING, page A6

voices

Is there accountability in adderall abuse?

The Extreme Dance Team creates debate

Hollywood gets credit for unoriginal ideas

Students use drugs to enhance academic performance

Administrators question the sexuality of the GBHS dance team

Foreign films don’t receive the amount of recognition they deserve

A2

A4

A10

News

A2

Friday

NAMES IN THE NEWS

connor hinson chinson.gazette@gmail.com

GBHS Media places third in LA festival

M

edia got third place in the news anchor category last weekend. Way to go, I see jobs at CNN in their future.

*** Lisa Kunst recently had her fourth child, Lillian Kunst. Congratulations to the Kunst family.

*** Seniors: Do your personal finance course by April 17 or you will not be able to attend Senior Ball. Alternatively, you could pay a friend to do it for you. Just get it done.

*** English teacher and yearbook advisor Bernadette Cranmer was recently in a car accident and cracked a few bones. Make sure to wish her well if you see her on campus.

*** Tonight and tomorrow are the last days to see the school musical, The Unfortunates. Be sure to check it out if you’re into giant hands, evil doctors and great music.

*** Smash Bros. tournament April 19-21 during both lunches. There is a $5 entry fee, and registration closes today. But please, no johns.

*** David Tastor wants you in his International Baccalaureate World Religion class next year.

*** SAT/ACT Prep Workshops begin on April 18. For information on registration, visit www.granitebaytestprep.com.

*** Students athletes enrolling in college for Fall 2017 can request their amateurism certification starting April 1.

This is requirement for DI and DII schools.

w April 7, 2017

The smart drug

Gazette photo /CONNOR HINSON

Adderall abuse perpetuated by intelligence-boosting stereotype

BY MAX SCHWARTZ

mschwartz.gazette@gmail.com

Finals week: students are cramming every last bit of knowledge they can in order to do well on exams that dictate their final grades.

Feeling unfocused and helpless, some resort to taking Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medication for which they have no prescription, creating a “smart drug” mentality.

The illegal selling of ADHD medication is something that resource officer Greg Hopping says is present on the Granite Bay High campus.

“I haven’t found (the distribution of ADHD medication) on a regular basis,” Hopping said. “In the last two years there have probably been four to five students I have caught distributing. The other day

we found a student who had five capsules of Adderall on them.”

Despite the low number of students caught, Hopping doesn’t doubt there are a number of students doing it.

“I’m probably only catching 10 percent of a much higher number – there are a lot more than I know,” Hopping said.

When caught distributing the medication, there are significant consequences for students. “(When students are caught), I prosecute, because distributing is a felony – it’s a scheduled narcotic that is highly addictive,” Hopping said.

The extent of the trouble you get into depends on what the district office does, and the age of student.

“Students that are over 18 could get booked into the men’s or women’s county jail and prosecuted as

an adult,” Hopping said. “If you are a juvenile, you could spend time at juvenile hall, if not you would most definitely be put on probation and their Fourth Amendment rights could be violated at any time with search and seizure, and (drug) testing.”

Hopping added that when students are prosecuted for distributing on campus, they aren’t immune from also being disciplined by the school as well.

“You would be suspended minimally and most likely expelled when charged,” Hopping said.

He warned that no matter what the circumstances are, self medicating is not OK. “Self-medicating must have serious consequences because sometimes the consequence could be addiction or death,” Hopping said.

“Addicts don’t become addicts because they want to, it can come from a self-medicating situation that went bad.”

Jeffrey Applebaum, a psychiatrist and family therapist in Folsom,

Many students chose to opt-out of last years test, while other didn’t show up.

*** Connor Hinson, a senior, is a news editor.

While juniors are busy preparing for SATs, ACTs and AP testing, another set of standardized exams for 11th graders took place earlier this week.

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress incorporates significant data to evaluate if students are ready for college.

“It will just show that most of our students actually do try in school, against other schools..” senior David Shvayn said.

Not only do the exams help signify if students are ready for college-based education, the results can also help the school qualify for honors such as the National Blue Ribbon Award – because of low CAASPP scores last year, GBHS was disqualified from the Blue Ribbon competition.

“There’s accolades and titles we can earn based on certain test scores, and I think that’s fine if we apply for those things – they’re not just handed to us, we have to go for them,” GBHS science teacher Lisa Goldsmith said.

Administrators have attributed last year’s low scores to the fact that many juniors decided to skip the exam or not give their very best attempt at the English- and math-based

Identification Statement GRANITE BAY GAZETTE PUBLISHED EIGHT TIMES PER ACADEMIC YEAR c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

CAASPP test administered differently after last year’s junior class failed to perform

BY SANJNA SAINI

ssaini.gazette@gmail.com

questions.

“It felt like (some juniors) were being lazy and dramatic about the tests as a whole,” senior Quincey MacMillan said. “It was never completely explained what the scores go towards, and teachers always told us that it ‘wasn’t a big deal’ and that it ‘didn’t affect our grades.’ ” MacMillan added: “Having to come early to school while everyone sleeps in doesn’t exactly motivate kids to study for tests that we’ve been told are worth nothing. … (But) .you might as well give a decent amount of effort, a test is still a test.”

Junior Pavlina Clem, on the other hand, said she doesn’t think the junior testing is important.

“I don’t see a point in me coming to school super early to take a test that affects on how great we are … since that’s a super late day, I can just get up at 9,” Clem said.

Goldsmith noted that standardized inschool exams are only one component of school rankings.

“We are (not) ranked as a school based on one test, if you’re talking about how public schools are ranked in California and in the United States,” Goldsmith said. “We are See CAASPP, page A6

are different uses for ADHD medication, depending on whether the patient actually suffers from ADHD or not.

“Think of a gas pedal and brake of a car,” Applebaum said. “When you have ADHD, you have trouble controlling the brake. What the medication does is help people control the brake to be able to focus and stay on task more.”

A GBHS senior drop-out, who requested to remain anonymous, said he sold Adderall on campus.

“I sold at least 500 tablets of Adderall when I was selling,” the anonymous senior said. “Fifteen to 20 students at Granite Bay High were my usual clients – about 150 tablets were put into Granite Bay from me.

“It was a breeze to not get caught.

Honestly, you would be surprised how many kids at GBHS sell drugs like cocaine, weed, Molly and Adderall.”

See DRUGS, page A6

Cal Poly rejects more than usual

Rumors spread as fewer GBHS students get accepted into CSU’s most prestigious campus

sometimes mean they’re not graduating existing students at the rate they’re expected, so there are fewer spots open to new stuRecently, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s dents,” Fischer said. “It could also mean lowered acceptance rates have been sub- they just have less capacity than anticipatject of much discussion on the Granite Bay ed, due to staffing limitations, classroom High campus. The impact on the class of space, et cetera.”

2018 and future classes, however, is yet to These factors may or may not have afbe determined. fected the class of 2017, however.

GBHS is notorious for the “To be honest, it seemed large number of students who like almost everyone who apply to Cal Poly. In 2015, applied to Cal Poly got I believe 98 GBHS students applied in,” said Gemma Rizzuto, students will still to Cal Poly and 54 students senior who was among continue to seek athose got accepted. In 2017 only 28 accepted to Cal students applied and four got admittance at this Poly. “I don’t think the accepted. Naviance has yet to great and highly lowered acceptance rate include 2018’s applicants and really affected our class. competitive acceptances.

I’ve heard of less people So why the lowered accepinstitution. getting into San Diego tance rates?

State than Cal Poly.”

“It may just be a natural result Rizzuto said she believes – Cindi Underwood, of the available spaces,” said the number of applicants college and career Cindi Underwood, the GBHS to Cal Poly almost equals center adviser college and career center diout to the number of sturector. “This is not uncommon dents accepted. However, for highly competitive schools, this could just be because and it can fluctuate from year so many people from the to year.” class of 2017 applied, affecting the number Elite colleges like Cal Poly often have of acceptances. This might be likened to the lower acceptance rates compared to non- 2015 and 2016 GBHS graduating classes, competitive colleges because they have a where nearly 100 students applied – and a limited number of slots for students. greater number were accepted.

One possibility, according to assistant Acceptance rates for any college can flucprincipal Mike Fischer is more elite schools tuate from time to time. Cal Poly might be are “getting many more applicants, so the harder to get in compared to previous years, finite number of spots open to incoming stu- but GBHS will most likely maintain the dents means a lower percentage of students same number of applicants in the future. are getting accepted.”

“I believe students will still continue to However, there might be reasons for Cal seek admittance at this great and highly Poly’s shift other than fewer available spac- competitive institution,” Underwood said. es.

“However, students should still continue “If they’ve actually reduced the number to seek other options and possible back-up of seats open to incoming freshmen, it can plans.”

BY EMILY TALMI

JASON STITT / FOOTOLIA

Junior testing changes

Accuracy is perhaps the most important fundamental of good journalism. It's the policy of the Gazette to correct all factual errors that are brought to our attention. Email us at: staff.granitebaytoday@gmail. com

prescribes ADHD medication frequently. He said there have been patients of his that had taken the medication before they had a prescription.

“There have been patients of mine that were diagnosed, but their parents were against medication, and the students had resorted to buying from friends to help them, which helped them tremendously,” Applebaum said.

Applebaum said he doesn’t see why a patient of his would sell their medication.

“The kids I see do so good on the medication that they had been prescribed to, so they aren’t going to go and sell those for a few dollars,” Applebaum said.

Despite his confidence in his patients, he still has the parents of his patients monitor the medication.

“I always tell the parents that I want them to be involved in dispensing the medication, so the kids don’t just go and sell the medication,” Applebaum said.

Applebaum explained that there

Cindi Underwood

College and career center director says that college acceptance is subject to regular fluctuation.

*** Please donate to the Mustard Seed foundation, they helped put on the staff basketball game.

*** Cheer Tryouts start on April 28 from 5-7 p.m. in the cafeteria. There will be a parent meeting from 6-7 p.m. on April 20.

CORRECTIONS

Granite Bay Gazette

etalmi.gazette@gmail.com

Friday, April 7, 2017

News A3

Folsom Location 341 Iron Point Road (916) 353-1982

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Sacramento Location 1338 Howe Ave. (916) 927-0542

Sharif Jewelers is an Award-Winning, full service jewelry store & showroom. All work is done the on the premises. We are authorized dealers of tacori, simon G, parade, caro 74, pandora, raymond weil watches & more...

Services we Provide:

Layaway Financing Gift Certificates Diamond Inspections Appraisal

WWW.SHARIFJEWELERS.COM

Friday, April 7, 2017

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

New bill could lower voting age to 17

If ACA-10 passes, more high school students will have a voice in elections

BY KATIE COLOGNA

kcologna.gazette@gmail.com

California Democrats are pushing to lower the voting age from 18 to 17. Assembly member Evan Low proposed the bill that would do the trick, ACA-10, in early March.

California would be the first state to allow 17-yearolds to vote. Twenty two other states and the District of Columbia permit 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and caucuses, as long as they will be 18 by the date of the general election.

“Young voters (ages 18 to 24) in California have the lowest turnout rate of any age demographic, leaving them drastically underrepresented,” said Marly Young, the California Assembly’s communications director.

“In the 2014 general election, for instance, only 8.2 percent of California’s eligible youth voted.”

However, Young said lowering the age will promote

cause a lot of students were pissed that they couldn’t voting participation.

“Lowering the voting age to 17 will catch youth at vote, they would have loved to in this election.”

The controversy is whether 17-year-olds are mature a time when they are still connected to their school, enough to vote. their home and their community,” “The younger generation is Young said. very supportive of the proposJarrod Westberg, AP GovernThe younger al, and the reaction from older ment and Law and Justice teacher generation is very generations can be mixed, of at Granite Bay High, believes supportive of the course,” Young said. quite the opposite.

As for the maturity level of “It’s going to barely nudge voter proposal and the 17-year-olds, Westberg said the turnout,” Westberg said. “To me, reaction from older level of maturity from a 17-yearvoter turnout is so low already old is not much different from a in 18- to 25-year-olds. Making generations can be 19- or 20-year-old. (the voting age) lower doesn’t mixed.

He also said it would be benautomatically make more people – Marly Young, Office of Assembly eficial for seniors who are takcare. Could (lowering the age) afing a government course to vote fect high school seniors? Sure. …

Communications Director because that is when they are Like this election year, it would forming their own opinions and have mattered, you would have learning about the system. gotten crazy voter turnout be-

A4

For many students, the required government class is the first taste of real-world government and its history.

But is that enough information to guide them to their own values?

“Assembly member Low has introduced a bill to require high school students to take a service learning course,” Young said. “That bill is Assembly Bill 189.

We see both bills as working together to cultivate an engaged and informed young electorate.”

Timothy Tsverov, a GBHS junior, said students’ judgment is often clouded by the opinions from social media and celebrities.

“I think we should educate 17-year-olds not to go with the majority,” Tsverov said. “Be your own person ... and figure out really who you are. Know your stance and what you believe in. If we don’t know what our morals are, we are just going to go with what everybody else is saying.”

In order for this bill to be placed on the ballot, it will need a two-thirds vote from the legislature.

Young said that legislators are working to get support before the bill is heard on the Assembly floor by supporting youth groups and reaching out to the press.

“Young people are our future,” said Assembly member Evan Low in a press release in early March. “Lowering the voting age will help give them a voice in the democratic process and instill a lifelong habit of voting.”

Extreme Dance Team keeps admin on its toes Debate sparks over hints of sexual content

BY AVANTHIKA PANCHAPAKESAN apanchapakesan.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /CARISSA LEWIS

Destiny Valencia, center, performs during half-time at a GBHS home football game.

There is no doubt that Granite Bay High School is known to excel within the field of visual and performing arts.

Just by looking at the variety of courses offered in this field, students are able to acknowledge the emphasis GBHS puts on arts.

Not only are various courses offered, after-school activities, including clubs and teams, are available for students to partake in.

One of these activities is the Extreme Dance team, an award-winning dance team that is open to GBHS students.

Despite winning numerous awards and performing at various venues, the team recently received a warning from the administration, which criticized the team for being “too sexual.”

“It can be intimidating to object, especially when a group of dancers is involved, but it’s my job as a ‘parent’ to put the brakes on,” principal Jennifer Leighton said.

While dance can be considered a mere reflection of modern-day pop culture, the message delivered to younger children is something the administration

wants the coach and dancers to conAssistant principal Jessup McGregor sider. was firm when he addressed how the Administrators said the dance team’s Extreme Dance team is a reflection of provocative moves can be considered a the community as a whole. reflection of GBHS as a whole, and so When the Granite Bay community they want the dancers to consider the has a poor image, it can be destructive bigger picture in their performances. to the school’s image.

There is, however, another side to the “When it comes to morals and values, story, and some dancers believe the ad- it’s appropriate for (administrators and ministrative oversight is excessive. students) to speak up,” McGregor said.

“The sensual and McGregor said the team’s sexual style which choreography can have an is seen in many impact on the vision of the I’ve seen some school. music videos are what kids want “When we want students stuff at dance to see,” Extreme to come to GBHS, we must competitions always remember to have Dance member Charlotte Grawhere all that a positive impact,” Mchame, a freshman, Gregor said. “When that’s was missing not something that can be said. “That’s reality now. Classical, done, we have to make was a pole traditional training sure to fix it.” is like dead, which Dancer Ipsha Pandey – Ipsha Pandey, a is really sad.” agreed it’s time for both dancer Grahame said the dance community and the dance team the school to address this hasn’t fully masissue of sexualized danctered a wide range ing. of moves, so the solution is to “add a “I’ve seen some stuff at dance comlittle sass and flash” to get noticed in petitions where all that was missing competitions. was a pole,” Pandey said.

“The audience gets pumped,” GraLeighton said it is important for hame said. “The performers like see- young girls to be taught properly, and ing that, and the choreographers want they need positive role models encourto choreograph more like that. It’s the aging them. ‘wow’ factor.”

“We have to have some integrity,” Administrators at GBHS consistently Leighton said. “We are supposed to be emphasize how students must always teaching dance – so have them dancremember to speak up when the school ing, instead of strutting across the stage is presenting itself inappropriately. sexually.”

Personal finance course: information or irritation?

Seniors voice their opinions regarding the online program

BY NATASHA CHANDA

nchanda.gazette@gmail.com

When it was formally announced that an online personal finance course would become a graduation requirement for the class of 2016 and onwards, a virtual groan could be heard from the students at Granite Bay High.

Parents, however, believed that the course was much needed and would provide their children with the necessary knowledge to manage their finances in the future.

The course was first implemented in the

fall of 2015 for the seniors in the class of 2016 to complete by the end of their senior year.

Now, the course is made available to students at the beginning of their junior year and is required to be completed by midApril of their senior year, giving students roughly a year and a half to fulfill the requirement.

If students do not finish the course, they risk not being able to graduate and missing numerous senior events, such as Senior Ball and the senior picnic.

Although 18 months seems like plenty of

NEWS BRIEFS

time, many students still find themselves in the spring of their senior year without having completed the requirement.

“I haven’t started because I’ve been trying to be more social my senior year since I have been a hard-working student all of my high school career,” senior Diana Garcia said. “I’m also really lazy since it’s online. I have no motivation whatsoever and always make up an excuse not to start it.”

Others, like senior Jay Kumar, decided to keep their last semester of high school more relaxed. Kumar finished the course the summer after his junior year.

and showed us that our efforts paid off,” said Surina Khurana, one of the 2016-17 co-editors-in-chief.

“There were some really fantastic newspapers that were named Gold Crown winners, so being categorized with them certainly made me feel proud.”

This marks the ninth Gold Crown that Gazette and GBT.org staffs have received. However, the recognition is still sweet for student staffers, and for adviser Karl Grubaugh.

“This is a huge accomplishment, the scholastic journalism equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize,” Grubaugh said. “It’s a testament to the commitment of student journalists at Granite Bay High to always go out and do good journalism.”

In the yearbook category, 68 yearbooks were named finalists; 13 received Gold Crowns.

“It’s talking about real estate (at the beginning of the course),” Kumar said. “Why would we need to know that at this age?”

Senior Emily Franklin said she could have learned the information in the future and did not need to take the course at all.

“I’m sure I would have (learned the information) at some point in my life,” Franklin said. “I feel like they would make me take something like that in college.”

The personal finance course is required to be completed in order for seniors to attend senior ball in May. If they do not finish by the mid-April deadline, they will not be permitted to purchase tickets for the event.

See FINANCE, page A6

ASB UPDATE

GBHS publications win Gold and Silver Crown The Granite Bay Gazette and its online counterpart GraniteBayToday.org, won a Gold Crown awarded at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Convention on March 17 in New York City.

The Granite Bay High School yearbook, Ursus, won a Silver Crown.

Along with The Gazette/GraniteBayToday.org, 56 other publications were named finalists in the hybrid print-online category. Just 11 of the finalists received Gold Crowns. More than 1,000 publications across all categories entered the Crown competition.

The Gold Crown was awarded for the 2015-16 Gazette staff’s print issues, and this year’s GraniteBayToday.org online work.

“It really affirmed all the work we did last year as a whole staff

Although procrastination is a common occurrence among teenagers, many students have put off finishing the course simply because they do not have enough time in their busy schedules.

Although the course takes extra time outside of school, Kumar said he believes some of the information is valuable enough for students to invest their time in it.

“It’s not stuff that most of us generally know,” Kumar said. “A lot of it was about debt and credit and some of us don’t even have (debit or credit cards) yet. We’re all going to college now, so it’s even more important to … know how to use them.”

The remaining information, Kumar argues, is not relevant to students.

ASB plans for new Student Government members.

The Gazette talked to Olivia Thompson about ASB activities.

Gazette photo /CARISSA LEWIS

The Gazette won a Gold Crown award at the CSPA Spring Convention.

Other publications within the Roseville Joint Union High School District were also recognized. Antelope High School’s The Titan Times won a Gold Crown in the print magazine category, and the Antelope yearbook, Titanium, won a Silver Crown.

–Compiled by Anjali Shrivastava, co-editor-in-chief

Q A &

Thompson: We had Make a Splash Week, and we all saw the staff basketball game against Del Oro.

Thompson: I think just meeting new people and making connections in the class. The program is filled with really awesome people and working with them to make events happen around the school makes the experience ten times better.

Gazette: What has been your favorite part of Student Government?

Gazette: Would you recommend student government to anyone else? Why so?

Gazette: What were some of the recent ASB events?

Gazette photo /Natalie Erickson Gazette photo /AVANTHIKA PANCHAPAKESAN

Olivia Thompson, a freshman, discusses ASB events.

Thompson: I would totally recommend it to anyone because it’s a fun way to get involved with the school and you make good friends.

–Compiled by Avanthika Panchapakesan

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

News A5

Should schools view social media accounts?

Instagram has become home to a large number of fake accounts.

Speculation of who is running these accounts has spiked after the account “deerobins63” began to follow over 1000 GBHS students.

Students question the value of their privacy

BY SAMREEN SIDDIQUI ssiddiqui.gazette@gmail.com

According to a survey done by The Huffington Post, 92 percent of teenagers go online at least once a day.

Social media is a growing phenomenon, with its main audience being young adults.

High schools nationwide have added limitations to their students’ social media posts, whether the rules are written or not.

Bishop Lynch High School, located in Dallas, Texas, has a portion of its website dedicated to social media policies.

A total of 18 rules are listed, including separate student and faculty policies.

Granite Bay High School’s written guidelines include a cyberbullying section in the student handbook.

As far as expanding the rules is concerned, Jessup McGregor, one of the assistant principals at GBHS, said the general principles and boundaries are clear, even if all the particulars are not written down.

“There are cases in which online activities end up impacting the school’s ability to educate students,” McGregor said. “In these cases, the school has a duty to intervene.”

He then went on to give examples of the realms stu-

use of social media. “(If the social media) post is showing the school’s students in a bad light,” Berthelsen said, “it’s an indents shouldn’t cross.

“These cases usually take the form of bullying, defa- vasion of the relationship between the school and the mation or threats,” McGregor said. “(Emotional re- students.”

While barriers are to be expected, some students are percussions include) fear, anxiety, et speculating whether or not the GBHS cetera.” administration is actively looking at stuAlex Wiese, a senior at GBHS, dents’ social media accounts. said she thinks student use of social I think McGregor, in order to clarify, exmedia should be mostly something (observing plained how the administration does not that’s none of the school’s business. monitor social media accounts There are, however, exceptions. social media) actively because that would be an invasion of “I think (observing of social media) should be left privacy. should be left alone,” Wiese said.

So sorry, “Danielle Robbins” believ“But by monitoring their students, alone. ers, the rumors that an Instagram ac(administrators) are trying to create count for Danielle Robbins was a ruse, a better environment.” a fake account created to allow the adGBHS junior Laura Berthelsen – Alex Wiese, ministration to monitor student online said student’s private lives should be GBHS senior activity are just that – rumors. just that – private.

When the administration does get in“If the problem was at school, then volved with students and their social I can see where there would be an media posts, McGregor said he and his issue,” Berthelsen said. “But (social colleagues work hard to achieve positive media) is a part of students’ private outcomes for all the students involved. lives, and unless it is interfering with “We hope students will be able to understand why the their school life, don’t bring it up.”

Berthelsen said, however, that she understands it can post was wrong, take necessary steps to repair harm be necessary for school officials to intervene in student done and move forward positively,” McGregor said.

Administration finds faculty posers online Impersonators’ accounts deleted on Instagram

I feel like we should not make a big deal.”

On the other hand, freshman Sandra Dous talked about how others needs to stay safe on the internet.

“I did not accept the follow request because I knew the account was fake and I could even get hackers posBY AVANTHIKA PANCHAPAKESAN sibly, because no one knows who’s even behind this,” apanchapakesan.gazette@gmail.com Dous said. “The person who created the account is simply stupid. All they even want is attention.”

Whether it be in the dating world, online or even at The imposter has not been caught, and the intentions school, imposters can pose a serious threat to some- behind the fake account are far from coherent. one’s image.

“The student who perpetrated this whole account While most celebrities tend to ignore these impos- was never caught,” Fischer said. “However, the acters, when it comes to the educational system, the im- count was reported multiple times and was soon taken ages posted online can be demeaning to students and down.” faculty alike.

The creation of fake online social media identities Mike Fischer, an assistant principal at Granite Bay by students is consistently forcing schools to tolerate High, recently had a fake Instagram such behavior, which raises both safety account created under his name. and legal concerns.

School officials said they believe the Sophomore Kavana Gonur said the account was created by a student posI was told about derogatory posts on the account were ing as Fischer. The account featured the account by clearly not a representation of the staff at images that included derogatory capstudents and GBHS. tions directed toward other staff mem“I rejected the request the minute I actufellow staff ally saw the profile picture,” Gonur said. bers and administrators.

“I was told about the account by members. I saw “There were so many derogatory posts students and fellow staff members,” the account about the staff and I knew Mr. Fischer Fischer said. “I saw the account and I never do something like this.” and I was like would was like ‘Woah!’”

The incident can at least serve as a re‘Woah!’

The imposter went so far as to reminder for teenagers to stay safe on the quest follows from other GBHS stuinternet, even if the situation might not dents.

– Mike Fischer, be immediately relevant to many.

When senior Ryan Fang got a folUnder state law, some of these kinds assistant principal of potential threats can be considered low request from fake Mike Fischer, it didn’t take long for him to decide cyberstalking, cyber-harassment or even what to do. identity theft.

“I got the follow request, however, Online impersonation is the most comI rejected it because I don’t accept people that I don’t mon form of bullying for many students. know,” Fang said.

The clear policies GBHS has against cyberbullyFang suggested that perhaps the administration ing and fake-social networking profiles sets a strong should not take the few accounts made in their names guideline for students. too seriously.

“Students should take this incident as a precaution to “Most people at our school do not have an impos- always remain safe online,” Fischer said. “Make sure ter and same with most people. But when you look at your information is private and if something like this celebrities, they have an innumerable amount,” Fang happens to you, report it to the administration as soon said. “I’m not trying to say we should ignore this, but as possible.”

Gazette illustration/HANNAH XU

Friday, April 7, 2017

News

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Students miss school for field trips, sporting events

Communication key to avoid misunderstanding

BY JACK KEHOE

jkehoe.gazette@gmail.com

The privilege of having many extracurricular activities does come with some boundaries when it comes to off-campus field trips.

At Granite Bay High School, many groups such as band or choir take students out of as much as a day of

school or more in order to go to a new environment for a better learning experience in the class.

Since groups only take students out a few times a year if at all, there is less of a problem. But practically all sports teams require students to miss school, and sometimes quite often.

During the season of any sport, students can be missing fourth period twice a week, or even more.

“Athletes are very good in all sports (and) have been super responsible in letting a teacher know if they are missing,” said Angie Pozzi, who is one of the cross country and track coaches at GBHS, and a physical

CAASPP: Administration makes changes after last year’s low scores

education teacher. “The athletes are as much academic as athletic.”

There are certain school and district rules for being able to compete in practices and sporting events. The Roseville Joint Union High School District Athletic Handbook states: “Students must attend at least half of the school day in order to participate in either practice or competition on that day.”

In other words, athletes can’t just use sports as an excuse to miss a whole day of school.

Often, students will try to make sure their fourth period is a class that is not as rigorous as their other periods to ensure they are not missing as much. Missing a class such as math or English really takes a toll on athletes, especially because of the fact that they can get home late from their sport, too, and still have school work to get finished.

When it comes to the performance and production kinds of classes, though, the trips can be longer than for a single sports competition. The dance classes, for example, were in Anaheim last week for two school

days. And many journalism and yearbook students missed three and a half days of school to attend a convention in New York City in mid-March. trips than a simple sporting event.

“The teachers that I have were fair in making up all the work that I missed,” said junior David Goni, one of the yearbook students who went to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Convention in New York City during the week of midterms. “I was gone during midterms, so my teachers were able to let me take the midterms the week that I arrived back from my New York trip.”

Effective communication with teachers can help significantly with staying on the same page and not falling behind.

Most teachers appreciate knowing about student absences in advance, rather than having to accommodate students after the fact.

“These students don’t fall behind,” Pozzi said. “I really feel (sport teams) are an extension of (physical education).” A GBHS student is “necked” by another student.

Necking has made a prevalent impact on the GBHS campus, causing a suspension of a student.

Continued from page A2

whether or not kids show up for things.”

Last year’s poor results not only affect how ranked on many factors that go into ranking others see GBHS, they could be part of the equaschools.” tion for seniors being admitted or denied to colTests don’t help the school earn honors, they lege. can also “show the aptitude “Some of the reasons why we of our students and how are starting to see kids probthey’ve grown over years, ably not getting accepted into When our (which) then reflects on certain colleges is because we students basically teachers and how we are took a hit last year, statewide, doing in the classroom,” as to the way the state sees say ‘screw it,’ and Goldsmith said. “It’s called us,” said Brandon Dell’Orto, just don’t try, it data-driven, so then we a GBHS social studies teacher can drive our instruction only ends up and the school’s testing coorand change our instruction dinator. “When our students hurting them when based on how our students basically say ‘screw it’ and just they’re seniors, are doing on these tests.” don’t try, it only ends up hurtThe discomfort and distrying to get into ing them when they’re seniors, agreement some students trying to get into college.” college. have with the testing proDell’Orto and administragram has led administra– Brandon Dell’Orto, tors also changed the system tors to change some of the AP U.S. History teacher by “(getting) rid of the little school’s testing guidelines lesson that (teachers adminisand procedures. tering the tests) had to do that Assistant principal Jessup really ended up having nothing McGregor said one key variation was “dramatito do with any of the testing,” Dell’Orto said. cally (changing) the footprint of the time that it Also, students used to be distributed to testing takes.”

“It’s really two days instead of fours days over rooms alphabetically. Not this year.

“We are trying to have people test with their two weeks,” McGregor said. “We’ve also tried junior teachers so there’s a little bit more of to make it (the) least impactful to your school a feeling like, we are all doing this together,” day, so realistically for each class you miss one Dell’Orto said. day,” McGregor said. “The block day got split The timing of the testing also takes into acinto two – I think that’s also helpful since everybody is stressed right now, especially if you’re count the political pressures of the April testing.

“The fact that it’s not an election year and in (Advanced Placement and International Bac(having) people screaming and yelling about calaureate) classes.”

Parents are also being notified of the impor- Common Core, to get people to vote for (President Donald) Trump, or to get people not voting tance of this statewide testing.

“We’ve been sending out a few things to parents for Trump, will help it become less of an issue as well, to make sure they understand the values and more of just a … take your test, do your of the CAASPP tests,” McGregor said. “I think best, give it the shot you can,” Dell’Orto said. a lot of times the parents are the drivers of ... “Just for two days, that’s all we’re asking.”

A6

Gazette photo illustration / SURINA KHURANA

NECKING: GBHS responds to new physical trend and its potential dangers Continued from page A1

from assistant principal Melanie Pando sent to Granite Bay High staff members a day after the conflict, this event, which took place on campus during a second-period class, led to suspensions.

In Pando’s email to faculty members, teachers were advised to look for necking in their classrooms and around campus and to take advantage of the “teachable moment to explain to students why this isn’t appropriate behavior.”

In an email interview, Pando said the best outcome would be for teachers to help prevent such circumstances from ever happening.

“In terms of consequences and how to handle the situation, as with most misbehaviors that we see on campus, each one is unique and individual,” Pando said. “Our goal is always to stop misbehaviors with the least invasive intervention possible.”

According to Bill Lauretti, associate professor at New York Chiropractic College and media spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), a slap to the neck will not generally cause physical harm, but in extreme cases, the damage can be severe.

“A ‘friendly’ open-handed slap, although rude and ob-

noxious, is unlikely to cause a major injury,” Lauretti said, “but a very strong slap, especially if – purposely or not – (it) strikes the neck with the edge of the hand (“karate chop” style), can potentially cause a fairly serious injury, particularly if the victim is unprepared for the blow.”

Although necking does not often reach the point of serious impairment, minor neck pain can also lead to interference with day-to-day activities.

“For students who spend much of their time reading and studying, a sore neck can make those activities painful and much more difficult,” Lauretti said. “Neck pain can also make participation in almost every sport difficult and can affect the performance of a player enough to hurt your school team’s success.”

Lauretti said common symptoms of neck injury include dizziness, numbness and headaches. The most likely headache to stem from a neck slap is a “cervicogenic headache,” which results from pain directed from the neck to the head.

“Older people are generally more susceptible to neck injury,” Lauretti said. “Children and teens, because their bodies are still developing, are also especially susceptible to long-standing injuries.”

FINANCE: Students weigh effectiveness of personal finance course, grad requirement

Continued from page A4

Because of this requirement, some critics said seniors are not actually absorbing the information and instead are simply rushing through it in order to fulfill the requirement for senior activities.

“They’re not spending time on it at all,”

Kumar said. “Plus, there’s a cheat – you just search up the answers online.”

Garcia said those who have put the course off until the spring semester of their senior year are not going to get much out of the course.

“I don’t think at this point I will (get anything out of it) because I’m dreading it so

much,” Garcia said. “That’s obviously not the school’s fault, because I’m deciding to not get anything out of it.”

Franklin said GBHS shouldn’t keep the course as a graduation requirement since it is an extra time commitment for students, and students don’t seem to benefit much from the course.

“It’s really annoying to be already taking as many classes as you are, doing all the activities you are outside of school and then on top of that, (having) to do another online class,” Franklin said. “If they really need it as a graduation requirement, they should have it at the school.”

DETENTION: Students, administration debate school tardy policy Continued from page A1

productive which is something I need – because at home I get distracted and just want to sleep, so I get homework time out of it.”

Alexandrou, who has been tardy 16 times this year, added that missing 30 seconds of class three times shouldn’t result in an hour spent in detention.

“Half the time I’m late, it’s not my fault,” Alexandrou said.

“There’s traffic and my mom takes me to school in the mornings and … sometimes she’s late.”

Osby agreed that the tardy policy is “unnecessary,” saying he gets the impression the administration

“wants to make it harder on you.”

Like Alexandrou, Osby said the traffic to get to school ends up making him late.

“I’m at school at 7:30 a.m. everyday, but the line to get in the parking lot is horrible … and I live far,” Osby said.

According to McGregor, though, “part of the training of being a functioning adult is getting to places on time.”

While McGregor says being late once or twice in a few months is understandable, three times is where school officials have decided they must draw the line.

Although tardies make up a significant portion of the detentions

assigned, students are also sent to detention for the use of cellular devices and misconduct on campus.

“We do have – surprisingly at our school – a number of times where it’s from misbehaviors in class, usually in younger grades,” McGregor said. “Most of our teachers prefer to not have kids come our way and rather deal with it in class, because that’s how you maintain relationships.”

In addition to poor conduct in class, students can be sent to detention the second time they violate the dress code policy.

In addition, according to the GBHS Student Handbook, the third violation of the

DRUGS: Use of illegal substances prevalent on high school campus Continued from page A2 Some of the senior’s clientele, had ADHD and weren’t allowed to take medication because of their parents. “(The clients) were sitting in their life going nowhere,” the senior said. “Those people actually benefit from it, and … got a real prescription. One person I sold to after getting his prescription now has a 3.8 GPA and is looking into colleges now, something that wasn’t possible before.”

The senior said Adderall use would go down if the teachers were different.

“If some teachers would actually teach the

Stay focused.

Read The Gazette.

way they should, and not stress students out to the point of feeling that they need help in keeping focus so they can work through homework they were barely taught, maybe less usage would be present at Granite Bay,” the senior said.

The Adderall use at Granite Bay is happening, and the lack of knowledge about the potential harm of the drug contributes to that use.

“The old saying ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink’ is really prevalent in teaching kids the dangers of the medication,” Hopping said. “With all of the preconceived notions about everything, people aren’t going to change what they believe about what’s harmful and what isn’t.”

electronic and the academic integrity policy results in detention.

Westberg and social studies teacher Jason Rath, the two detention proctors, each run detention one day a week from 2:45-3:45 p.m. after school.

“You miss one and you get two more,” Westberg said.

Although there is a group of students who will remain regulars in detention, McGregor and Westberg both said having detention is a deterrent for poor behavior, violating dress code and tardiness.

“I think the vast majority of students on this campus don’t want the stigma and waste of time (asso-

ciated with) detention,” McGregor said, “so it deters them from making those decisions.”

They’re not spending time on it at all.

– Jay Kumar, senior

The Gazette: We do good journalism

Voices

Granite Bay Gazette

A7

Friday w April 7, 2017

GAZETTE AB 165 seems phony The Granite Bay

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL 1 GRIZZLY WAY GRANITE BAY, CA 95746

Editors-in-Chief: Cole Kahmann Surina Khurana Carissa Lewis Anjali Shrivastava Hannah Xu News Editor: Connor Hinson Voices Editor: Natalie Hatch Lifestyle Editors: McKenna Aram Brayden Johnk Sabina Mahavni Green Screen Editors: Natasha Chanda Katie Cologna Whitney Knorp Amanda Prather Sports Editors: Will Anderson Ali Lemos Isabella Tkachuk Social Media Editor: Megan Nimtz Illustrators: Natasha Chanda Isabella Tkachuk Hannah Xu Photo Editor: Carissa Lewis Staff Writers/ Photographers: Lyndsey Benner Jake Criscione Brian Ding Kaley Dover Logan Embree Jack Kehoe Jack McGrail Megan Nimtz Caroline Palmer Avanthika Panchapakesan Sanjna Saini Max Schwartz Samreen Siddiqui Emily Talmi Dean Wilson Ashley Yung Sidney Zabell Adviser: Karl Grubaugh The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the advanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School.

Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Granite Bay High School’s faculty, administration, adviser or student body.

Students are protected in their exercise of press freedom by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and California Education Code 48907.

Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer.

Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a caseby-case basis.

The editorial board reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.

Send Letters to the Editor to: gbgazette@yahoo.com Identification Statement GRANITE BAY GAZETTE PUBLISHED EIGHT TIMES PER ACADEMIC YEAR c/o Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way Granite Bay, CA 95746 Subscriptions: $25 per year/ $15 per half year

Bill could strip students of device privacy

A

ssembly Bill 165, which was introduced to the California legislature earlier this year, threatens students’ electronic privacy – and that’s something we at The Gazette find to be of great concern.

Currently, the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA) prohibits any government entity – including public schools – from searching a personal electronic device without a warrant. Under this proposed bill, such protections for students would become null and void.

AB 165 would allow any individual acting “for or on behalf of a local educational agency” to conduct a search of any “electronic device,” including cell phones. This description is not only incredibly vague, but dangerously so – any random administrator, teacher, janitor and everyone in between, can conduct a search of anyone’s device whenever they want, and they do not have to report to a judge or any other authority about the nature of the search.

This means they do not have to notify the individual of the reason for the search, or even if the search actually happened at all.

Anxious yet?

Also, there is no clear limit to what can be searched – photos, social media

EDITORIAL The voice of the Granite Bay Gazette

accounts, text messages, emails and even browser history would all be fair game.

So basically, it would be legal for someone like principal Jennifer Leighton to look through a student’s text messages, not tell anybody about how she gained the information, but still punish the student anyway.

Why? For what purpose?

According to an article in the Elk Grove News, the writer of the bill intends to close a loophole that prevents school districts from searching district-owned devices.

The Gazette understands that administrators and school officials should be able to search devices that are work tools and are owned by the school district. But if this is the true purpose of AB 165, why is it written in such general terms? It’s trying to close a loophole that was created by a generality, so broad terms are not the solution. It doesn’t take a law degree to see that this is a solution in desperate

search of a problem.

Why does the bill give any school staff member the ability to search a student’s device, as opposed to just administrators? Why does it make any device vulnerable to a search, as opposed to just district-owned devices? Why is there not some sort of higher authority that can hold school officials accountable for conducting unreasonable searches?

Oh wait, there is – it’s called the Fourth Amendment, which this bill clearly violates.

We have no doubt that this bill would get struck down by the courts if it came to that, but if this bill passes, there are going to be students who will be victimized before any sort of constitutional strikedown occurs.

And the situation only gets stickier for student journalists.

Many of the reporters for The Gazette communicate with sources via text message or email, and the issues discussed in these exchanges are sometimes quite sensitive. Often they are so sensitive that student sources fear they will be disciplined if they speak to us about it, so we promise them anonymity in print.

But more importantly, we promise their story will be told accurately and impactfully. We promise their voice will be heard, and they will not be punished for it.

If this bill passes, we can no longer make such promises. Our ability to report will be significantly hindered, and our credibility will be diminished.

How can we write a story about the relationship between drugs and academic pressure if we cannot interview a student who has used drugs? How can we write a story about cheating if we cannot interview a student who has plagiarized? How can we write a story that critically looks at school authorities if those very same authorities are peering over our shoulders the entire time?

The Gazette strongly opposes this bill and encourages anyone who feels the same way to contact California legisla-

Gazette file photo illustration 2016 /CARISSA LEWIS

‘Why did I stay?’: A look into abusive relationships A Granite Bay High School senior girl shares her story Editor’s note: The author of this piece, which was written a year ago, asked to remain anonymous. She is currently in counseling. hy did I stay?

I’ve asked myself that question too many times lying awake at 3 a.m., when I should be sleeping. But all I am able to do is think back and relive every moment, and ask myself why I stayed, why didn’t I leave after being called horrible and unlovable, why didn’t I leave after the first time he hit me, why didn’t I leave after being ignored when I said no and why am I so stupid that despite all that has happened, I would give up my life to be with him again.

It’s these times late at night when I allow myself to cry.

I can’t let anyone know what’s happened, because if I did I would be “that girl” – the overly dramatic one who can’t take a punch.

So I just act happy and normal, or as normal as I am able. What even is normal? Maybe I was never meant to be normal or happy.

When I walk around campus, I wonder how many other people are faking their smiles. How many other people wish they were never born? It would be easier than dying – my parents never would have been put through the pain of having such a disappointing daughter who fell in love with a guy who hits her and who never accepts no for an answer.

If I was never born, my friends never would have been

W

COMMENTARY forced to deal with me and my stupid drama that I inflict on myself.

I’m the one who chose to stay, and I’m the one who has hurt everyone that I’m close to.

The emotional whiplash of constant back and forth has me thinking that it would be easier for me to die than continue to live this half life.

I hate myself for being so weak and broken. I hate myself for being scared of the dark since I can’t fall asleep at night without remembering the feeling of the hand of the person I love wrapped around my neck.

The bruises on my thighs, stomach and ribs have faded, but I still see them when I look at myself in a mirror.

I remember being ashamed, and feeling like it was my fault. If I had just done what he wanted right away, if I had been quieter or if I hadn’t asked any questions, then he wouldn’t have hit me, so obviously it’s my fault that it’s happening, right?

The stupid thing is that logically I know that it’s not OK to be used this way. If anyone I knew was going through the same thing, I’d try to get them to leave and get them to go for help, but for some reason I stupidly think I’m different. That for me, when he tells me that he’s changed, then he has.

But then I’m back to silently crying and asking myself “why?”

Why does everyone else seem so happy while I’m desperately clinging to the cause of my misery?

I’m at the point where I no longer feel. I’m numb, and somehow I’m able to smile and laugh and talk while wondering if it would be that bad if I just disappeared.

I try to compensate for what happened by being overly friendly, and I am overly sexual to gain back control over myself, since I still feel as though my body isn’t my own.

I shouldn’t still care about him, but I can’t help it. It’s weird and it’s stupid, and I hate myself for it, but I don’t know how to stop caring about someone who I love.

Being in an emotionally, physically and sexually abusive relationship didn’t just leave me bruised, it left me emotionally vacant even after he left me.

Why does everyone else seem so happy while I’m desperately clinging to the cause of my misery?

A day without ‘A Day Without’ protests

Protests are neither realistic nor effective

P

rotests: we’ve seen no shortage of these as of late.

Some of the biggest protests have come within the span of three months, with almost all being caused by the presidential election and the Trump administration.

For instance, immigrant workers all across the country participated in the Day Without Immigrants in midFebruary. A few weeks later, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of women participated in A Day Without a Woman.

At first glance, these days seem significant – marginalized groups are trying to emphasize their importance in the workforce of this country.

However, having Days Without (Insert Group Here) aren’t effective methods of protest, and are, ironically, incredibly counterproductive.

Days Without do not work. If anything, those who participate can easily find themselves facing damaging consequences. After the Day Without Immigrants, about 100 immigrants found themselves without a job, a repercussion of their unannounced absence.

This result did nothing to further the

point they were aiming for – the country cannot function without immigrants.

Instead, it only highlighted the fact that many of these immigrant workers are easily disposed of by big companies.

A Day Without a Woman faced a similar outcome. Many were arrested during the strike, and others, too, faced backlash at work.

What does this say? What message could the women’s movement could possibly get across with this kind of protest?

I support the feminist movement, and everything the movement touches, including the civil rights of immigrants, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. However, it simply makes no sense to protest with these Days Without.

First, Days Without favor the privileged, completely counteracting the core belief of the movement. Those not fortunate enough to be working in stable jobs, or who find themselves unable to leave work to protest because of the money they’d be sacrificing for that day, are unable to participate and make their voices heard.

Those who don’t participate might

COMMENTARY

hannah xu

hxu.gazette@gmail.com

also face social ostracization for not “being strong enough” to stand up for their beliefs.

Days Without also undermine people of color and further strengthen racial divides.

The Day Without Immigrants has already contradicted itself, as many participants were fired. A Day Without a Woman ignores the fact that many women of color, specifically Hispanic and African American women, are twice as likely to be among the working poor than a white woman and simply cannot sacrifice their livelihood.

Their work hours, probably far less flexible than a white-collar worker, and how much they are getting paid are

worth missing a day of protest.

So what?

At the end of the day, have these protests changed the minds of legislators?

Was Washington hit hard with the cries of the protesters?

In short, no. These days were wasted.

Protests should be strategic, and with a pointed message. Mindlessly gathering does not change anything. Simply getting mad does not work to change people’s minds.

While it is important to ensure that voices are being heard, in any form, it seems evident that the Days Without didn’t achieve this goal of amplifying the voices of those who are marginalized and have felt the brunt of discrimination.

There are many ways to protest, but Days Without simply should not be one of them. The sacrifices are far too great for those who can’t afford to protest, and the outcome isn’t all that great either.

The Days Without are nothing more than hypocritical protests where the true message of the feminist movement is muddied with the need to feel anger. *** Hannah Xu, a senior, is a Gazette coeditor-in-chief

It doesn’t succ.

Read The Gazette.

Friday, April 7, 2017 w

Voices A8

The Granite Bay Gazette

HEARD on the BAY What is your opinion on the rise of ‘necking’?

I think necking is a funny way to make fun of people’s mistakes.

freshman

Emma Gordon I think it’s just a fun way to mess around with your friends.

‘La La Land?’ More like ‘Lazy Land’ A

Movies and other art forms are lauded for mediocrity

ctress Jennifer Lawrence was representative of all the things I detest in cinema. She used common people as capital to acquire popularity and rode on the coattails of public support, instead of relying on the toil that true talent requires.

As she fell off the face of the planet, justice felt restored – no longer would I have to watch second-rate lead actors face the wall that is Jennifer Lawrence. But swiftly, horrifyingly and painfully, I have witnessed the mediocrity that is “La La Land” replace her.

Hollywood has a very real problem that seeps into the rest of the world like a poison. For a group of creative, independent thinkers, they fall into the trap of “crowd think” and group mentality every time.

Ironically, when they should be using their own thoughts to form opinions, even those we rely on to think differently can’t help but be a sheep in the herd.

Often, art thrives on uniqueness – new perspectives, new feelings and new ideas. Yet more and more, art that is lauded by critics and promoted by the world is very much the same.

“La La Land” skyrocketed to fame through name recognition and, again, the hive mind. But at the end of the day, it is a love story which is generic at best, with what is admittedly great performances, but it lacks what Hollywood has been lacking for years.

It lacks substance. It lacks that thing – that feeling when you are teeming with words to express the thoughts that are running through your head, that feeling you get after you watch a great movie when you feel like you know more, that feeling when you walk out of the theater and you have to do something, any-

GUEST COMMENTARY

afrah tahir thing, to make you fulfill all the potential you just realized.

Art in the past has always served as a check on matters of the world we live in – it has criticized our politics, commented on society and challenged us to grow. It has become too much about making money instead of changing the way we think – these artists profit off of what we think we already know.

When monetary reward is the only thing art is focused on, it makes sense

that this art has no real value anymore.

Art is equally exhilarating and thought provoking. It seems that in our society, art is failing us. Instead of confronting us with the world and our own lives, it serves as an escapist way to avoid them. We should learn from art, but we are becoming dumber.

Don’t get me wrong – cheesy sitcoms and comedy movies serve as a much-needed break. However, when every movie feels the need to provide this, it makes sense that quality and substance are disappearing from the highest-grossing movies. When the attention spans of viewers cannot outlast a few jokes, we have to wonder how much thought and care these viewers are putting into everyday lives. When people don’t want to face what’s real, and prefer low-brow, dramatized versions of our reality, it’s no wonder they prefer fake news.

As Hollywood, and the rest of America, becomes obsessed with keeping up with the norm of constant conformity, the quality of the art that is produced and the quality of the lives we live are decaying. We cannot be satisfied with the low standards we have been settling for and must demand excellence from ourselves and others.

Let’s make movies great again. *** Afrah Tahir, a senior, can be contacted

at afrahtahir001@gmail.com

sophomore

Jake Lindsay Necking is a fun thing that happens between friends, and it’s more of a joke than an actual serious idea. It has gotten kind of old but the idea of it is fun.

junior

Carlie Mallo (Necking) is not entertaining. Saying ‘neck yourself’ on occasion can be amusing, but repeatedly receiving this castigation just reveals the absurdity.

People have boundaries, and to have this precious barrier broken by juveniles is NOT something of which I am fond.

senior

Live in the moment We are too preoccupied with past memories and future expectations

T

ime is the non-renewable and precious entity sought after by every living creature. Misunderstanding and ignorance leads individuals to misuse time, and leave them bargaining to the gods, or in search of myths like the fountain of youth.

Many are plagued by the mindset that the present is a mere reflection of the past, or a catalyst for the future.

We seem to fall victim to the unapologetic quickness of life, thus losing sight of the value of time.

We are judged more by what we do, rather than who we are. We emphasize our achievements over our affiliations, feeding the mindset that “time is money.”

However, it is not only the Western world’s individuals who think in this fashion. All human brains are wired to facilitate and record the past, present and future.

Our brain is broken up into two halves – the left and right hemispheres. The left hemisphere controls the past and future. By absorbing all the details of the present, it associates the present information to the past and projects it into the future.

COMMENTARY

emily talmi etalmi.gazette@gmail.com

The right hemisphere in turn revolves around the present – the here and now. This side of the hemisphere is seemingly neglected, and forces adolescents to post quotes on social media like, “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.”

Rather corny and childish, but this witticism does hold one truth – the present must be cherished, as in just a blip, it becomes the past.

So what exactly is time? It might seem like a silly question, but if we

understand what time truly is, we could gain the insight necessary to end the vicious cycle of lost time, feelings of nostalgia and desires to evade the present in order to move toward the future.

Time itself cannot be perceived – rather, the changes and events in time are used to measure our sense of duration.

In his autobiography “Confessions,” St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that we measure the deviation of an event in our memory, so the past and future exist only in the mind. In addition, we are only here through our consciousness of our right hemisphere.

This idea is perfectly illustrated through the real-life experience of Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist who suffered from a stroke to her left hemisphere. Taylor spoke about how her loss of self-orientation and all past and future memories gave her an overwhelming sense of euphoria and peace. Taylor no longer beared the weight of past emotional baggage, and lost all feelings of stress.

The point being, if we were to all mentally go to that same state as Taylor – that is, present oriented – we would all be forced to enjoy the moments of the “now.” Every moment would be a new experience, evoking a profound reality for the individual.

The Taoists believe that we should move with the flow and rhythm of life, and so time is seen as insignificant to them. In comparison to the Western

Jacob Budean I think when necking started it was tame, but it has escalated to a point of no return.

Overall, it is extremely immature.

staff

Lisa Goldsmith Compiled by Jake Criscione

Stand up for what you believe in.

Write an opinion piece for The Gazette.

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

However, it is not only the Western world’s individuals that think in this fashion. All human brains are wired to facilitate and record the past, present and future. world’s view that every minute of the day should be spent to nurture the growth of our future and fortune, Taoism stresses for its adherents to value their present being.

As students, we too, more often than not, complain about how badly we want to leave high school and go to college. Then, when we reach college, we will find ourselves wanting to go out into the real world and pursue our dream job.

Forever seeing our present state as a burden, we become so future oriented that we miss out on the beautiful happenings of the present.

Use the past as knowledge, and let the present pave the future. *** Emilly Talmi, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

Raising Autism Awareness Friday April 7, 2017 w

A

Voices A9

The Granite Bay Gazette

Educating yourself is the most effective way to contribute to the cause

cknowledging and educating yourself about a cause is just as, if not more, helpful than raising money for it.

Autism is a mental condition that affects how a person communicates and functions on a daily basis.

The condition is on a spectrum, low-functioning autism being severe and high-functioning being moderate.

This topic is extremely personal to me, because my brother has low-functioning autism. ssiddiqui.gazette@gmail.com I learned from an early age how autism impacts lives, whether you are autistic yourself or someone close to you is.

Autism affected my family in ways both upsetting and yet valuable.

My parents were devastated to know that my brother couldn’t live a normal life, as most parents feel when they find themselves not in control of what is happening with their children.

A positive repercussion however, was my mother becoming a special-needs preschool teacher in order to help other people like my brother. We relocated to Granite Bay so my brother could receive a good education.

Autism is not a curse. There is a misconception that only bad effects come from it.

Autism is rather a barrier that makes the person who has it stronger.

My brother is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He can’t talk due to his low-functioning autism, but I still greatly admire him.

He always has a smile on his face, even though his journey in life is harder than mine will ever be.

The mental processes autistic people go through are more difficult to comprehend than those of unaffected people, and physical symptoms, if any, are inconvenient to say the least.

Currently, there aren’t any cures for autism. There are only ways to make it bearable, including medicine and physical therapy.

What the world needs to do in order to support the population with autism is accept them for who they are, and to love them unconditionally.

The public should also educate itself on autism, and use that knowledge to reach out to autistic people effectively.

The population with autism feels lonely just like everyone else, and their trying to escape loneliness only increases their feelings of isolation.

The autistic community is filled with amazing, strong people who deserve endless amounts of respect for the obstacles they encounter on a normal basis.

Their condition makes them different, but that shouldn’t deter the public from embracing their differences – they are just as significant and worthy as anyone else.

Change isn’t immediate, but the awareness of autism can spread.

I try to do anything I can do advance knowledge and acceptance about autism, and I hope that with my brother’s crazy, contagious smile, people will be able to witness the message he is trying to send: autism affects people, but it is up to you on how you recognize those effects. *** Samreen Siddiqui, a junior, is a Gazette staff writer.

COMMENTARY

samreen siddiqui

Their condition makes them different, but that shouldn’t deter the public from embracing their differences – they are just as significant and worthy as anyone else.

WIKIMEDIA

COMMONS

Our indecisiveness is decisive for the environment What’s in store for environment as society overlooks it’s well-being for our own

E

veryone loves the environment.

How could you not?

Flowers fill the air with beautiful fragrance, until they have you sneezing because of seasonal allergies. Trees guard your yard, except when the branches interfere with your driveway.

And wild animals are extraordinary to behold, until they are howling unrelentingly in the middle of the night.

Sure, everyone cares about the environment – until the cost of protecting it is outweighed by inconvenience.

Attitudes toward nature change swiftly with politics. Sometimes, there is a mass movement toward conserving wildlife. At other times, business pursuits are placed above environmental interests.

The problem is, while our opinions shift back and forth, nature takes a brutal beating.

We have a sort of love/hate relationship with nature. We are enthralled by the idea of being immersed in Earth, but we despise the dirt and the bugs. More often than not, however, we treat nature with negligence, which can be just as

damaging as contempt.

The contamination is done by placing temporary interests over long-term environmental concerns. Businesses want profits, so they cut down trees and contribute to deforestation. Neighbors want to have a barbeque, so they prepare food on gas stoves (a bit ironic, considering barbeques tend to draw people to the outdoors).

There are times when present problems should be given priority over future pursuits. When there is a fire, for example, hardly anyone would be crazy enough to argue that preventing air pollution is more important than using a fire extinguisher and saving a life. But normally, choosing current preferences rather than long-term goals is simply a question of convenience.

A perfect example of this is air fresheners.

When there is a bad smell, we quickly grab a deodorizer to cleanse the room. Problem solved?

Nope.

Actually, air fresheners don’t remove an odor; they simply mask it, either by overpowering the bad scent or by reducing your sensitivity to smell all odors.

carissa lewis clewis.gazette@gmail.com

Whether or not you are OK with this in order to relieve yourself from the bad smell, both your future self and the environment take a blow.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, aerosols often contain phthalates, which are not placed on labels and go unregulated by the government. Phthalates, solvents that can affect the regulation of hormones, get absorbed into the skin. Phthalate metabolites

have been found in the general U.S. population, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control, indicating that this chemical problem shouldn’t go unnoticed.

In a broader context, air fresheners emit carbon dioxide, which gets trapped in the Earth’s ozone layer. This helps keep us warm (good news), but too much CO₂ can overheat the atmosphere beyond natural levels (bad news).

Although we might not notice the difference in everyday life, increased levels of CO₂ have far-reaching environmental effects. One spray of aerosol might not seem like a lot, but add all the dispensed chemicals together and the consequences become much more significant.

Does this mean you shouldn’t ever have a barbeque with your family? No. It’s OK to prioritize community and put nature on the back burner every once in awhile, but be mindful of how you are contributing to long-term environmental effects.

Your pleasure may seem like the priority in the moment, but nature and the damage you can potentially impose on it will far outlast you. *** Carissa Lewis, a senior, is a Gazette co-editorin-chief.

Express yourself.

Write for The Gazette.

Friday, April 7, 2017 w The Granite Bay Gazette

Second look

News A10

Powder Puff Perfection In the annual GBHS flag football extravaganza, juniors pull off 28-27 victory against seniors

ď ˇ At the Powder Puff rally senior Zain Mirza, middle, pumps up the crowd during the senior cheerleading routine. The class of 2018, right, celebrate after the junior class beat the seniors for the third time in GBHS history. Jason Dell’Orto, top left, is lifted by the other cheerleaders while Jack Lugo, above, beckons the crowd to cheer for the seniors. The juniors, top right, rush a senior during the game.

Gazette photos /CARISSA LEWIS

Lifestyle

Granite Bay Gazette

B Section

Friday w April 7, 2017

COMMENTARY

sabina mahavni

An issue of control

smahavni.gazette@gmail.com

Happiness is a relative ideal for all people

A

fter traveling to third world countries and seeing first-hand the devastating living conditions of countless families, I could not imagine anyone being happy with so little.

I try to be grateful for all that I have: a solid education, a stable home, clothes on my back, food on the table and a loving family.

However, every once in awhile I catch myself wanting more – wondering what it would be like to live in a bigger house or if my potential would be more adequately fulfilled if I attended an expensive, private school. If I had all that, would I be satisfied?

In the winter of 2017, my family and I took a trip to Thailand and Cambodia, and my perspective on happiness changed forever.

My mother signed us all up for a boat ride through the floating villages of Siem Reap, Cambodia – what I assumed was going to be a scenic, relaxing photo op. What I didn’t know was that our tour guide had other plans.

He stopped the bus midway to our destination and told us we would get a chance to experience one of the poorest villages in Siem Reap. Growing up through the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge and having to kill whatever animals he could find for survival at the mere age of ten, I understood why he thought we (relatively affluent tourists) needed a little perspective.

I mentally prepared myself for hostile stares from the village people and an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness and despair.

Much to my surprise, right as we stepped off the bus onto the dirt, a dozen or so children in ragged clothing or no clothing at all ran up to greet us. They didn’t beg. They didn’t steal. They wanted nothing more than to hold our hands and show us their homes.

With big smiles on their faces, they walked with us through rows of shacks made of tarps, scrap metal and various other random collectables.

Many of the locals had to build their houses on stilts or floating on the water – living off of the fish in the river.

A few little girls made a game in which the object was to touch my braided hair without me noticing.

Their giggles and jovial personalities almost drowned out the dreary surroundings.

I could not imagine living with so little, let alone feeling content with life in such dire conditions.

But the children made the most out of what they had in order to be happy. They played soccer with rocks, chased the stray dogs and filled their time with imaginative activities.

These children don’t know the comfort of a soft mattress to sleep in every day like I do or the privilege of stable education. As unfortunate as their circumstances are, finding joy in little, everyday pleasures is a necessary coping mechanism.

Happiness is a completely relative emotion. It is only when we learn to accept what we are given instead of pondering the idea of a more affluent lifestyle that we are able to truly be happy.

***

Sabina Mahavni, a junior, is a Gazette Lifestyle editor

Controversial Planned Parenthood funding is safe for now Gazette photo illustration /CARISSA LEWIS

The uncertainty of Planned Parenthood’s financing is created by controversy over many resources the clinics provide, like birth control pills.

T

BY SAMREEN SIDDIQUI ssiddiqui.gazette@gmail.com

he plan to cut federal funding from Planned Parenthood clinics was shot down recently, but defunding could happen in the future.

The public questions whether or not the federal government, or anyone at all should be funding clinics that provide services such as abortions and STD testing.

Kathie Sinor, a health and wellness teacher at Granite Bay High School, said Planned Parenthood clinics are vital to the community. “(Planned Parenthood clinics) provide needed health care for, I believe, 30 percent of California’s female population from statistics that I have read and this is not just reproductive care,” Sinor said.

“That’s where a lot of people don’t understand that the healthcare they provide is truly one of only accessible means for a lot of females and males within our community.”

She then went on and explained that the clinics aren’t just used by females.

“A lot of males get their contraceptives, like condoms, from the clinics,” Sinor said. “They also get tested for STDs at

Planned Parenthood.”

While abortions aren’t the only services provided by Planned Parenthood resources, they are still a widely discussed topic.

Reese Richmond, a junior at GBHS, advocates for a “pro choice” mindset towards abortion.

“I believe it’s a woman’s choice and no one should control what a woman does with her body because it’s her body,” Richmond said. “I have a problem when people use abortion as a form of birth control, which is why planned parenthood is important because it provides birth control which can prevent abortion.”

In contrast, senior Max Vasilchuk believes abortions should, for the most part, not be done.

“I’m religious so I think that a baby is a baby, whether they are in the womb or not,” Vasilchuk said. “(If abortions are done however), they should be done in a setting of a hospital with the family doc-

tor, not in a clinic.” has become less of a stigmatized topic, so Abortion services tend to be the main more women have been able to go out and reason people consider Planned Parentget help for things relating to that,” Swain hood clinics to be immoral, but Sinor said. “I hope that it continues to develop argued in a different direction. like that and that people get more and “When (people) think of Planned more freedom with (reproductive rights).”

Parenthood they think Brent Bartholomew, a ju‘abortion clinic,’” Sinor nior at GBHS, also expanded said. “But, in reality, a on Planned Parenthood’s very small percent of evolution.

I have a their total services are “In modern time, (planned problem when parenthood) abortions. I believe now is a really big that they don’t even people use debate between the Demoaccept federal funding abortion as a crats and the Republicans,” towards (abortions).”

Bartholomew said. “I think Planned Parenthood form of birth that (the parties) don’t really clinics also provide help care, they just want to discontrol. to people who need it. cuss it for political reasons “Planned Parenthood operates on a sliding – Reese Richmond, and they are trying to use the emotions of other people.” scale, meaning dependGBHS junior The topic of Planned Paring on how much you enthood and the possible demake, everyone’s pay funding of its clinics brings a will be different,” Sinor controversial essence to the said. “If you don’t have public. any income, then services there are going “Bottom line, we need to have a healthy to be free.” nation,” Sinor said. “We just need to The topic of planned parenthood has continue the effort of educating people on certainly evolved into modern times, and certain topics, Planned Parenthood being junior Elizabeth Swain has noted this. one of them.”

“I definitely think that the topic of sex

The festival of colors lives up to its name

Diving into the holiday Holi

Hundreds of people celebrate the Holi festival in Radha Madhav Dham in Austin, Texas. This annual event involves great mix of different colors, thrown into the air and towards people, to acknowledge the Hindu holiday.

BY EMILY TALMI

etalmi.gazette@gmail.com

T

his year, March 13 marked the Hindu religious holiday, Holi. It is a day to forgive and forget, and celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Holi derives from an ancient Hindu story, where a god by the name of Vishnu, uses his power to overcome the evil that is facing individuals.

The concept of colors comes from Krishna, who was afraid that he would not be loved because of his blue (or dark complected) skin. His mother jokingly suggested to him that he should color the face of the one who would eventually love him, Radha (who was very fair skinned). He takes it to heart and plays this prank on Radha by coloring her face, and they become a couple.

“This love is celebrated in the form of throwing colors or spraying squirt guns filled with colored water in a day long celebration of fun and pranks,” David Tastor, Granite Bay High School IB World Religion teacher, said.

Celebration outside of the religion is represented through the spring time color runs or the Holi music festivals, where color is thrown into the air and a rave ensues.

As activities like the color run uphold the philosophy behind Holi, the portrayal of the ancient mythological story is rarely thought of while participants joyfully get color thrown at their faces.

However, with popularized events like these, the question must be raised – what is the religious and spiritual purpose of Holi?

“The spiritual purpose for Holi is to add more color into

Special to the Gazette /SHALINI ARORA

someone’s life,” sophomore Manvi Bhapkar said. “This festival is meant to add happiness to a person’s life.”

As vibrant colors brighten the lives of the celebrants, they also knit the social fabrics of our country. By bringing people of all races, gender, ages, etc. together, Holi provides unification and an enjoyable time.

Sophomore Avisha Shah emphasizes Bhapkar’s statement and also pushes the notion that Holi holds cultural significance.

“Holi is a special holiday for Hindus because it’s a triumph of good versus evil,” Shah said.

Rooting back to the beliefs of Hinduism, the overall moral of the legends revolves around the idea that good will always upset evil.

Ideals such as these prove to be applicable to the modern world, where an individual is expected to practice good

conduct and believe in the virtue of being truthful, rather than resort to evil doings.

The country of India, notorious for its elaborate celebrations and color plastered streets, is the place to be during Holi.

GBHS students, who celebrate Holi religiously, seem to find it harder to perform Holi here in Granite Bay. “Because it isn’t a holiday that we get the day off for, we aren’t able to perform as many traditions used to celebrate the event,” sophomore Anvita Gattani said.

As the holiday is not gifted a day off here at GBHS, Gattani draws on the issue of school interfering with the celebration of Holi.

See HOLI, page B4

inside lifestyle Random club

B2

If you really knew me

B3

Top 10

B5 TCID:BW

Height in the workforce

Looking back at a former graduate

The effects of height in regards to jobs

Spencer Milo recalls his military career

B2

B4

St. Baldrick’s Event Annual event promotes awareness of childhood cancer

B6

B2 Lifestyle

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Achieving greater feats by ranking up more feet

Being tall takes one’s chances of success to much greater heights

BY LOGAN EMBREE

I

lembree.gazette@gmail.com

n today’s culture, attending a four year university has become a prerequisite for a successful and long lasting career. As more and more students graduate college and enter the workforce with a degree of some sort, many struggle to put themselves ahead of the crowd in any type of way.

Although there are many options when it comes to strengthening your resume, many studies have discovered, illustrated and proven that many individuals are born with a natural advantage: being tall.

At first glance, an individual’s height does not seem to be a distinctive advantage over others.

“I think being tall makes you stand out more, but other than that I don’t think it gives any distinct advantage,” said Dylan Jake, a junior at Granite Bay High who stands well over six feet.

However upon further review, a plethora of benefits are uncovered.

When taking into account the fact that this concept is not very well known, it may appear that these findings are rather recent, but in reality this phenomenon has been intriguing scientists for decades.

In the late 1960s, Thomas Gregor, an anthropologist at Vanderbilt, traveled to several countries and observed whether or not height was

which has not only been proven but has brought seen as valuable within groups of people living about a large number of explanations. in undeveloped regions.

The viewpoint that is most supported by “In no case have I found a preference for short research and evidence is that taller people are men,” Gregor wrote in a travel journal in the raised to be more intelligent and have greater ’60s. social skills.

Gregor’s discoveries confirm that individuals According to recent research, tall people are have a subconscious bias towards taller people. more likely to have grown up being well nourThis very same bias is very apparent in today’s ished and living in a healthy environment, which society and has direct effects on many aspects in plays a large part in an india person’s life such as their career vidual’s ability to reach their and income. full potential as adults.

The increasing of earnings due While people of the solely to an individual’s height I think that being shorter stature are found at is referred to as the “Height tall makes you a slight disadvantage, all is Premium.” not doomed when it comes This undeserved advantage was stand out more, to being successful. calculated in a study performed but other than Oxford University clinical by psychologist Timothy A. Judge and researcher Daniel M. that, I don’t think it psychology professor Daniel Freeman told The Guardian Cable – they discovered that gives any distinct newspaper that “it’s obvious every inch of height results in an that you can have great sucaverage increase of $789 dollars advantage. cess whatever your height; per year. it’s just that greater height To put these results into – Dylan Jake, junior confers a bit of an advanperspective, when considering tage.” the difference in salary between Taller people might be a 5-foot-6-inch man and a man considered lucky as they who is 6 feet tall. The man meahave received slight advansuring at 6 feet will annually earn tages in the workforce. However, being short $5,525 more than the 5-foot-6 individual, every also comes with its perks such as having fewer single year. health problems and, in general, living longer.

While this undeniable bias or height premium No matter what height or general disposition if you will appears to be rather far stretched it is people find themselves in, overall success still supported by many statistics located throughout relies mostly on an individual’s willingness to society such as the fact that over 50 percent of put in the hard work and time necessary for ultiFortune 500 companies have CEOs that stand mate success, so individuals who find themselves tall at above 6 feet. below the 6-foot bar should not be discouraged.

“Tall men make more money” is a statement

College of the Month Vanderbilt University

Teachers discuss past experiences GBHS staff shares interesting stories from previous occupations and lifestyles we had to wear uniforms,” Soper said. “There (were) never any real discipline problems.”

This experience proved vastly different from his other teaching job in Fairfield. rom being stabbed to being invited to “In Fairfield, it was kind of the opposite,” students’ homes, teachers’ experiences Soper said. “Every day was a discipline proboutside of Granite Bay High School lem, there were a lot of drugs and gangs.” sharply differ from those within.

Patterson’s experience at Alicante also inBefore coming to work at GBHS, William cluded discipline problems with students.

Patterson, Business Concepts and Busi“I had a student who had issues with space; ness Communications teacher, if you got too close previously worked at Alicante, a to him, he’d hit continuation school for kinderyou,” Patterson garteners through 20 year olds. said. “I got too close It was also a serious emotional to him after I gave In Japan, everyone disturbance (SED) school. him a chopstick to was very polite, and help him make a “Most of my students had probation officers; many of them candle and unfortuwe had to wear lived in group homes,” Patterson nately I didn’t see uniforms. said. him until he got too At Alicante, all of the teachers close to me, and he are required to carry radios with stabbed me in the – Benjamin Soper, Spanish them at all times, and there is an eye with the chopteacher aid in each room to protect the stick.” teachers and the students.

Not all experienc“We had to stop our students es at other schools from hurting one another, hurting have been negative themselves or hurting the teachfor teachers. In fact, ers,” Patterson said. some have exposed teachers to new cultures According to Patterson, the culture at Aliand traditions. cante is vastly different from GBHS. “In Japan I was invited to a lot of people’s “When you were on campus, you had to be homes just to be shown (thanks) for helping aware of where the students were and which them out,” Soper said. students were mingling with which students Principal Jennifer Leighton has worked because fights broke out fairly often, and they in several schools including Oakmont High were real fights with real blood,” Patterson School and Antelope High School. She said said. that she feels students are relatively similar Benjamin Soper, Spanish teacher, has also despite attending different schools. worked in schools that are demographically “Kids are the same everywhere I’ve been,” different than GBHS in both Japan and FairLeighton said. “Most students are extremely field. pleasant, respectful and hardworking.”

“In Japan, everyone was very polite, and

BY KALEY DOVER

kdover.gazette@gmail.com

F

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

Location: Nashville, TN Enrollment: 12,686 (2014) Out-Of-StateTuition: $43,620 Acceptance Rate: 10.7 percent - Researched by McKenna Aram

Random...

Gazette illustration /SABINA MAHAVNI

The disadvantages of being vertically challenged in the workplace can be overcome by one’s drive for success.

Club

Although working at schools with discipline problems is difficult, Soper still remembers certain impactful moments that have left a lasting impact on him.

William Patterson “In Fairfield, (I Patterson teaches remember) getting to know kids Business Concepts who didn’t have and Business parents (and) Communications helping them through life when they don’t have someone to go home to,” Soper said.

One of the common differences that teachers have experienced coming to GBHS from other schools is students’ desire to achieve.

“I chose to come full time to GBHS because I could see that the students here have the commitment, talent and support to do great things,” Leighton said. “Therefore, I expected more student success, and I was not disappointed.”

Patterson has also experienced a change in the type of student that he works with since coming to GBHS. “The students know that they are here for a reason: to gain any knowledge that they can that will help them at the next level,” Patterson said. “As a business teacher I try to give a foundation to help them be better prepared for the real world when they leave here.”

While teaching his students, Soper has said that he enjoys the impact that he has on them.

“I am able to see people make it through and be successful here,” Soper said.

GBHS teachers come from various different backgrounds and lifestyles, and many end up ultimately loving the environment at GBHS. “I love it here at Granite Bay, the students are great, the teachers are wonderful,” Patterson said. “The grass is always greener here at Granite Bay.”

Student

BY NATASHA CHANDA

Facts

Club Name: Diseases Walkathon Awareness

1) A sheep, a duck and a rooster were the first passengers in a hot air balloon.

2) The tongue of a blue whale weighs more than most elephants.

3) A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

4) Dogs’ nose prints are as unique as human fingerprints and can be used to identify them.

5) Oysters can change gender multiple times during their life.

- Compiled by Lyndsey Benner

President: Akshay Reddy

Lucas Walker

Gazette: What does the club do?

Akshay: We (fundraise) for different diseases such as PKD Diabetes, Leukemia, etc. through restaurant fundraisers, asking around and sponsorships. About every three weeks we pick a new disease to raise awareness for.

Gazette: When do you meet?

Akshay: We generally meet on Tuesdays at first lunch, but people who can’t attend can still come to the walks.

- Compiled by Jake Criscione

Gazette photo /LYNDSEY BENNER

Gazette: What is your favorite movie?

Lucas: Lone Survivor is my favorite.

Gazette: What are you looking forward to during the end of the school year?

Lucas: Bottlerock music festival because a lot of my friends are going with me.

Gazette: Do you collect anything?

Lucas: I collect rocks.

- Compiled by Lyndsey Benner

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Lifestyle B3

Music remains a dominant influence in daily lives Chance the Rapper inspires youth nationally

BY SIDNEY ZABELL

szabell.gazette@gmail.com

I

n recent years, the influence of music throughout Granite Bay has become extremely significant.

Many artists have inspired students through their music and their impact has made nationwide changes.

In March 2017, Chicago-based artist Chance the Rapper (Chancelor Johnathan Bennett) announced that he would be donating $1,000,000 to Chicago public schools in an effort to help the funding deficit.

On Friday, March 31, 2017, Chance announced that he would start an arts and literature fund for Chicago schools.

Chance’s efforts also inspired the Chicago Bulls to donate $1,000,000 to the cause.

“It’s really cool seeing someone like him where he’s trying to give back in the community so much… (and) to see him try to better our community and our society be-

cause there’s obviously some stuff wrong with it,” Granite Bay High School senior Justin Alexander said. “He talks about what’s wrong with (Chicago) and there’s like a lot of it he believes is probably from school systems.”

Alexander started listening to Chance in his freshman year of high school and has since become a bigger fan.

“A lot of his lyrics are really empowering and talk a lot about real life stuff going on not just about … partying,” Alexander said. “His earlier (albums) were more younger age and (about) partying … and this one (Coloring Book) is more about being a dad and stuff like that.”

During the 2016 presidential election, Chance made an effort to have an influence and encourage America’s young voters to get involved and vote.

“He wasn’t trying to promote a side or anything but he was telling people go out and vote, so he makes a really big difference in the people,” Alexander said. “It’s cool to see (artists) being recognized for it because they’re shedding light on things that actually need to be looked at seriously.”

Other groups, like One Direction, had massive impacts throughout their careers.

A GBHS sophomore girl, who wished to remain anonymous to protect the authenticity and privacy of her account, has had a Twitter account dedicated to One Direction since sixth grade.

The One Direction account now has

more than 24,000 followers.

“The whole purpose was to talk about (One Direction) and learn more to see what (the band) was up to day-to-day,” the anonymous sophomore girl said. “You gain followers because people follow you when you have the same interests and you try to get noticed by them.”

The anonymous sophomore is no longer active on the account because One Direction’s members split up in 2016 and now are mainly working on personal projects.

The sophomore also disclosed that she didn’t have enough time to keep up with the account.

“I stopped being active a few months after Zayn left and especially now, but I will go on it from time to time,” the anonymous sophomore girl said. “The first (split) was very drastic because Zayn stopped going to the shows and everyone was kind of confused, but I feel like we all saw it coming. Once he left, the whole fanbase was really sad.”

Gazette illustration /MCKENNA ARAM Since the band stopped working together, Musicians strongly impact society’s emotions, attitudes and perspectives. some fans are no longer as interested as they once were. popular song at the time period, after gettrend of artists and celebrities shifting the “My peak of Directionism was probably ting an iTunes account. focal point towards bettering their commuduring the Take Me Home tour (in 2013) “I listened to the rest of their albums and nities and supporting those in need. in summer,” the anonymous sophomore “It’s cool to see people go out of their I just fell in love with their music,” Scheer girl said. “It fizzled out probably when way helping people and not be so selfsaid.

“Because they change sound, it’s Zayn left and … even more as time profocused,” Alexander said. “I’d love to do almost like a different feel for each of their gressed.” something like that where it’s making a albums.

It always goes with what your Sophomore Raegan (Toni) Scheer, a Panbig change on the community or people in mood is.” ic at the Disco Fan, said that she started listening to “I Write Sins not Tragedies,” a need.”

As time progresses, there seems to be a

Does the SAT represent aptitude?

If you really knew me,

New testing structure is problematic for some students

BY LOGAN EMBREE

you would know...

Alaina Boone

I like to be around people, but I also like to be alone sometimes.

Julia Muniz

I was going to be an engineer, but then I gave up after I got a bad grade in honors precalculus.

Isaac Noschka

You would know me from my hair.

- By Samreen Siddiqui

lembree.gazette@gmail.com

T

he Scholastic Aptitude Test. This test is taken by thousands of high school students in the United States every

year.

Considered by many as tremendously difficult, the SAT is a test required to take by the vast majority of colleges in the U.S. and plays a major role in an individual’s chances of acceptance.

“85 percent of schools give admittance and scholarships simply on the SAT,” Jean Burk, an SAT expert and author of standardized test curriculum, said. “So the higher the score, the more money you can get.”

First introduced in 1926, the SAT has been corrected, changed and renamed several times with the sole purpose of correctly depicting a student’s aptitude for college.

College Board, a non-profit organization in the U.S., owns and publishes the SAT, which is administered by the Educational Testing Service.

While the SAT is a very prestigious and well-known exam, many question the test’s methods for measuring aptitude when it comes to correctly determining a student’s readiness and ability to perform at the col-

One test is not enough to judge a person’s intellect.

– Max Johnson, GBHS junior

lege level.

“The SAT tests your ability to take a test,” GBHS junior Adrian Lada said.

“Anyone can go in without any preparation and use basic test taking techniques to get an okay score.”

The SAT is neither capable nor reliable when it comes to correctly identifying how intelligent and how ready for college an individual is.

Prior to most recent adjustment of scoring, the national average for the SAT was 1,500 out of 2,400.

Many agree that colleges need more ways to compare a variety of students from

different backgrounds against each other to judge the best, which is one of the jobs of the SAT to determine.

However, many think the SAT has been testing students ability to pass the test rather than their actual knowledge.

“One test is not enough to judge a person’s intellect,” GBHS junior Max Johnson said.

Students from across the country suffer from anxiety that comes from not knowing what to expect the on the SAT and the difficult format of the questions presented.

Along with the students, many teachers and faculty also feel the test isn’t based on what is being taught in class.

The scores are published by state education departments, which places the blame of bad scores on the teachers and their teaching methods.

Based on a compilation of findings, the amount of money a family makes does have an effect on their student’s score.

Families with more money are able to afford expensive prep classes and tutors to aid their student on the journey to doing well on the SAT. Students who fall in the income bracket of over $100,000 dollars per year score approximately 330 points more on the SAT than the students whose families earn less than $20,000 dollars a year.

Every player counts.

Every story matters.

Read the Gazette.

Friday, April 7, 2017

Lifestyle B4

GBHS alum recognized by Bush Spencer Milo featured in George W. Bush’s new book, “Portraits of Courage”

medicated into a near coma for 7-9 months, while I fought for a second opinion at UCSF Med Center,” Milo said. ost of us never think about what it He went through severe bouts of detakes to keep us safe, but there is a pression and suicidal ideation, including cost that heroes pay. becoming a severe recluse in addition to Christopher (Spencer) Milo graduated experiencing seizures, memory loss and from Granite Bay High School 2003 where other symptoms due to his Traumatic Brain he was involved with the soccer program Injury (TBI). and enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Air“I went from being at the pinnacle of my borne Infantryman in 2006. career and health to what seemed to be an “Growing up I had always known I irreversible spiral towards death,” Milo said. would like to serve at some point. Both of After recovering and being cleared for my grandfathers served during World War active duty, Milo deployed to Afghanistan II and I wanted to keep that tradition in the in 2010. family,” Milo said in an email.

His second recovery cycle was much difMilo’s grandfather on his dad’s side was ferent as was the cause. a marksmanship instructor “My second official in the Army during World traumatic brain injury, War II. being blown up by a child My mother’s suicide bomber, took a “My mother’s father was a World War II submariner and strong mental toll on me father was a was my hero growing up,” as well as the physical Milo said. “He was probably toll,” Milo said.

World War II my biggest influencer in my spent a lot of time submariner and inHerecovery decision.” at Walter Like Pearl Harbor was to was my hero Reed and at the National his grandfather, 9/11 is the Intrepid Center of Excelgrowing up. day that lives in infamy for lence at Walter Reed. This him. injury ultimately led to “9/11 was of course an inhim having to medically – Spencer Milo, credible influence. I rememretire in 2013. ber pulling up to school and Milo’s path to recovery Staff Sgt. getting a call to come home was helped by his family. and as we all did, watched in “My family was the horror as the day transpired,” most important piece of Milo said. “Family and friends have always my recovery,” Milo said. “Without them I been the most important thing to me, so I would have had no drive to push through knew I wanted to stand up and protect them the hard times. Family is the most important and our way of life.” thing in life, whether it is your biological Reflecting back on his time at GBHS, family or the people you surround yourself Staff Sergeant Milo said he was not the with that you consider family. No matter greatest student. what, you are never alone.”

“I was more distracted by being a teenHe is thankful that his transition into the ager and having fun at the time. I would not civilian sector was much easier than that of say I regret this, but I would have definitely many of his brothers and sisters in arms. done things differently if I could go back,” “When I found out I was going to be Milo said. “So after high school, I tried forced into retirement I went through a the college route in San Luis Obispo for a lot of emotions ranging from anger, rage, couple years and after realized I was not depression and confusion – really the whole ready for school yet.” gamut,” Milo said. “I was lucky enough He made the decision to join the Army in to be able to swallow my pride and ask for 2006, and in 2008, while deployed in Iraq, help. I received help from both friends and Milo was injured causing a tumor to form in family in the sense of being pushed to keep his brain. working and never to quit.”

“My first recovery was rough, I was Hire Heroes USA is a non-profit orgatold that I had six months to live and was nization that offers assistance to transition

BY KALEY DOVER

M

kdover.gazette@gmail.com

service members and their spouses.

“I was lucky enough to fall into one of their transition workshops which was incredibly helpful,” Milo said.

Milo has since spent three and a half years continuing to serve our country and his brothers and sisters in arms working for Hired Heroes USA. “I have dedicated the rest of my life to speaking and advocating for the veteran population in order to ensure they all get the treatment they earned with their service to this country,” Milo said.

He has since taken a position with a cause even more passionate to him. As the Director of Veteran Programs, Communication and Strategic Development for the Marcus Institute for Brain Health, he is able to help those experiencing TBI and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“I used to dislike telling my sob story but have since realized how important it is to share it,” Milo said. “So many have given the ultimate sacrifice and have had it worse than me, but not everyone is able or willing to share their stories.”

“I am convinced that people need to understand that they are not alone in their struggles and have had many people honor me by saying that hearing me speak out has given them the strength and motivation to ask for help themselves.”

Milo first met President George W. Bush at President Bush’s ranch in 2014, and since has become friends with him.

“He is a man that I have held the utmost respect for when he was my Commander in Chief, and now as a good friend,” said Milo.

“He is ten times more genuine and as good of a person as you would hope for. I am honored and humbled to call him family.”

On Feb. 28, 2017, President George W. Bush released his book Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors, which features Milo’s story on page 126.

“Being included in the President’s most recent book has been an incredible honor and has been beyond humbling,” Milo said.

When President George W. Bush first asked Milo if he was willing to be painted by him, Milo thought that it was a joke. But, currently Milo has one of President Bush’s paintings in his home and there is another of him at President Bush’s library in Dallas.

“I am so grateful to say I know a large number of the brave men and women in this book and to call them my friends,” Milo said. “It is honestly a bit difficult to put into words how humbled and honored I am to be in the book.”

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Special to the Gazette /SARAH MILO

Spencer Milo and President George Bush pose after the Warrior 100k Ride, an event held by the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative.

National Park of the Month HOLI: Students celebrate annual color festival Continued from page B1

Olympic National Park

Bhapkar, however, proves that when there’s a will, there’s a way.

“We have a whole day dedicated to the celebration. We all make tons of food and then we meet at a park with the other 20-25 families (total 200 people) and we play Holi there,” Bhapkar said.

Though it may be harder to carry out some of the same traditions one is used to, many find a way to make it happen.

“I do think that celebrating Holi in GB is different than how people celebrate Holi in India,” Shah said. “But I think it still has the same purpose of gathering everybody in one place and just having fun with family and friends.”

New class added to Olympus Positive psychology encourages happiness

BY MEGAN NIMTZ

I NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park is a popular tourist attraction in Washington and home to the Beardslee Trout.

• On June 29, 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the act establishing Olympic National Park.

• Geographically diverse, the park is home to lush rain forests, subalpine meadows, glaciercapped summits and miles of serene, coastal shoreline.

• Olympic National Park contains 60 named glaciers, more than Glacier National park, which has 25.

• Olympic National Park contains over 3000 miles of rivers and streams and 73 miles of wilderness coast.

– compiled by Brayden Johnk, Lifestyle editor

Your stories.

The Gazette.

mnimtz.gazette@gmail.com

n this day and age, students of all ages are facing tremendous amounts of stress within their homes and in school.

Olympus Junior High School is among the first schools in the district to introduce a positive psychology class that focuses on the emotional needs of students and provides them with tools to overcome everyday challenges.

“We saw that our students have a tremendous amount of stress in their daily lives whether it be from family, academics or social circumstances with their friends and nowhere are they taught how to deal with that stress,” said Sean Healy, the principal of OJHS. The class’s primary resource is the Project Happiness Handbook which provides the students with knowledge about the science behind happiness, strategies to achieve happiness and programs to aid both parents and kids.

Since the Positive Psychology elective is brand new to the OJHS campus, students were hesitant to fully engage in the curriculum.

The Gazette was allowed to listen into a period of the Positive Psychology class, and below are a few of the students’ initial impressions.

“When I first came into the class I thought it was kind of weird, but now I’m starting to understand the reason for it,” said Michael, a Positive Psychology student.

“On the first day of the class I had a lot of negative thoughts and I was even thinking about transferring out because I didn’t understand the point of positive psychology but now I see that it leads to all these positive things that can happen in your life,” said Allison, another Positive Psychology student.

Only two weeks into the class, Olympus teacher Maureen O’Brien said the students already have a better understanding of how happiness is unique for every person and

that having a positive mindset can lead to a more fulfilling life.

A small component of happiness is the ability to find joy in the little things life offers.

“It might be, ‘I did really well on that test and that was the best I could do,’ or it might be ‘Oh, I have no homework tonight,’ or ‘It’s cool that it’s Friday and I have the whole weekend ahead of me,’” O’Brien said, “but feeling the appreciation and taking a moment to notice it is key.”

In schools all over the world, academic intelligence is widely talked about and obsessed over by educators, students and parents while the value of emotional intelligence can be underappreciated.

“It’s so interesting, valuable and readily available to all of us and it’s so not talked about,” O’Brien said. “When you look at a person as a whole and the health of them it’s such a critical part of it.”

Happiness is a crucial component in the health of a person and with the fast-paced nature of American culture, people are overlooking their own well-being in order to maintain the lifestyle they think is right.

“One of the things that I’ve learned these past few years is just statistically people that rate themselves as being happy has continued to fall and the amount of stress we carry has continued to rise,” O’Brien said. “This is really going in the opposite direction it should.”

The necessity of happiness is among the many concepts O’Brien is trying to teach her students.

“This is an opportunity for them to find out what makes them happy, and then that can help them pick

Many OJHS students said they were skeptical of the new class. However, teachers like Maureen O’Brien have inspired students to take time during their day to reflect on what makes them happy.

their path along the way,” Healy said.

Introducing a new class to a school is no small feat and the staff at OJHS has accepted the challenge of introducing a novel concept to their students.

“This (class is the result of) about a year and a half worth of work of about ten of our teachers, myself and our counselor who have all collaborated on the topic of ‘What do our students need?’ and ‘How can we provide that in the structure of the day?’”

Healy said.

“The students practice some mindfulness activities, which have also been done in some of the core classes and so it’s just a chance for them to settle down,” Healy said.

“The teachers are finding that if they invest two or three minutes in this task, then they will get more in return so they can move faster through the curriculum.”

The concepts of happiness and mindfulness are the main priorities in the Positive Psychology class and throughout OJHS. “I’m hoping that they’ll learn some tools and strategies for when life does throw those curve balls and some resources and how to’s to try to manage it and turn it around.” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said she is a firm believer in the fact that everyone deserves to find their own unique version of happiness.

“Take ownership of your own happiness and that you have choices,” O’Brien said, “not with what life throws your way.”

AH

G

te

et

az

ill

H

n/

tio

ra

t us

N AN

XU

Friday, April 7, 2017

w

Early grads miss out on senior events High schoolers leaving for college ahead of time are excluded from some end-of-year class activities

BY LYNDSEY BENNER lbenner.gazette@gmail.com

N

ineteen seniors this year made the decision to graduate early.

This is a tough choice for most considering many senior events take place in the spring semester.

“It’s a very personal decision that every student needs to think deeply about before they decide to graduate early from high school,” Melanie Pando, a GBHS assistant principal, said. “Most of our traditional high school senior year events happen in the spring, and for some, missing out on those events is a sacrifice they are willing to make in order to jump start their post-high school journeys.”

Students have many different reasons for choosing this path of leaving high school early including starting college, going straight into the workforce, going into armed services or going to college early for a sport.

The early graduates are allowed to participate in Senior Ball, graduation practice, Sober Grad night, senior breakfast and the parent and child dance in the dance show. They are not

permitted to attend the Quad Dance, Neon Dance, Senior 5th Quarter, Senior Picnic or Senior Sunset.

“For the events we’re not allowed to attend, I think (the school) makes it that way because they think if we’re going to graduate early and have the privilege of not going to school, then we shouldn’t have all the privileges that full-time GBHS students have,” Emily Schofield, a GBHS early graduate, said.

Schofield said she wishes that she was allowed to attend all the events but understands the school’s reasoning for not allowing this.

“I personally think early graduates should be able to go to all the senior events because it’s still nice to have that experience, but if they still banned us from Neon and Quad dance, I guess that would make sense since they’re school events for everyone not just seniors,” Schofield said.

If early-graduates try to sneak into events they are not allowed to go to, the school will take action, and they are very serious about this issue. “(For breaking the rules, early graduates) potentially lose walking in the

Author: Daniel Magariel

Gazette photo /JACK KEHOE

(simply elegant)

Gazette photo /HANNAH XU

Seniors at 5th Quarter watch their peers engage in hypnotism. This is one of the events early graduates are not permitted to attend. graduation ceremony,” Pando said, ing University of Colorado Boulder, “(and) since they are no longer consid- said. ered students of GBHS, law enforceMany of these seniors do plan on ment would be called immediately to coming back and walking at graduadeal with the matter.” tion with the rest of their class. Lewis Some early graduates do not find and Schofield both plan on attending the restrictions an issue and have graduation and are glad the school almoved on to new experiences outside lows them to participate. of high school.

“I’m planning on going to Senior “I don’t actually mind not being able Ball, Sober Grad Night, graduation to attend all events, but I’m sure there breakfast, practice and walking at are people who wish they could and are graduation itself,” Schofield said. “It a little (mad) about it,” Isaiah Lewis, a GBHS early graduate currently attend- should be fun.”

The Great Gatsby of mice and men

hroughout the high school career of every student, the question of Advanced Placement classes being beneficial for every individual depends heavily on the student’s preconceived notions about them.

Along with the common myths of AP classes being too difficult or only smart people belonging there, there are also illusions that they are meant for only people who have interest in the subject.

“I don’t think some students care about AP classes (enough to get involved),” Tommy Mendoza, GBHS student, said.

Mendoza also is involved with sports, which is another factor that can get in the way of many students attempting AP classes.

There are a distinct few who can manage the flow of a sport and multiple AP classes. Many arrive home late from the sport and have AP homework on top of all that, which could take several hours.

There’s also more pressure to take AP classes at a younger age now. Unlike the usual amount of juniors or seniors in AP Classes, over the last few years, there’s been many more sophomores involved in AP classes.

The Spanish program is very sophomore heavy this year and probably will be in the coming years too.

Spanish teacher Jennifer Hill said 16 of her 37 AP Spanish students this term are sophomores.

Bulldogs (friendly, willing, determined)

Corgis

(adorable, sweet)

Grapes of Wrath

BY JACK KEHOE

jkehoe.gazette@gmail.com

Everyone in the world we live in has a different slice of life that is theirs.

In One of the Boys, the lives of two young boys and their father living in a suburban area of New Mexico are followed. The story picks up near the divorce between the mother and father and the father winning custody over the boys.

At first, the two boys are happy to be with their father, but things end up taking a turn for the worse later.

The two boys are going to school and living ordinary lives, while the father is working from home. But more is going on at home, noticed by the boys through their father acting progressively stranger each day.

Eventually, they find out he’s been working from home and smoking. The father becomes physically and psychologically abusive towards them.

Increased preparation for advanced high school courses creates opportunities for willing participants

BY JACK KEHOE

Bernese Mountain Dogs (beautiful and big)

Romeo and Juliet

The view from people who have never had something like a divorced family are uncertain, and they want to read more to understand the experience. To those who have lived this reality, they can relate on a personal level.

Most people can know when their parents act… weird, and it became progressively clear to the boys that their dad was being like this.

These boys had each other to get them through the emotion trip of not only losing one parent, but the other one later as well, to addiction.

When a novel can cater to both sides on as serious of an issue like this one, all sides of the crowd will have reasons to dive deeper into the book because they want to know more.

Academically motivated students reveal reasons for taking AP classes jkehoe.gazette@gmail.com

TOP Greyhounds

of the MONTH Title: One of the Boys

B5

Dog Breeds

BOOK

T

Lifestyle

The Granite Bay Gazette

“More and more students have been taking I don’t think AP classes to some students boost their level knowledge in care about AP of certain subjects classes (enough nowadays, and to get involved). at a younger age now as well,” Hill – Tommy Mendoza, said.

GBHS junior Being young in AP classes does have its disadvantages, though.

“Often my sophomores need more help then my juniors or seniors on the writing areas of Spanish, because they are less developed,” Hill said.

That’s a significant amount compared to previous years. It just goes to show that the pressure to take these classes faster in order to boost the ever-so-important GPA is prevalent at GBHS. There’s many reasons boosting one’s GPA looks good on college applications, and AP classes prove to be one of the best ways to do so. Getting in all the classes possible may be rigorous, and only some students may be able to handle it.

There’s a large amount of students who don’t take AP classes because they don’t want to put in the extra work. They have every right to get an A in a CP class

Bruce Honberger Honberger is an AP Statistics and Geometry teacher at GBHS

rather than a C- in an AP class, if they wish to.

“I feel like students are taking these classes so young now in order to get their GPA higher,” Bruce Honberger, AP Statistics teacher, said.

With the Spanish program, students now have the opportunity to take Spanish 1 in as low as 8th grade and jump immediately into Spanish 2 in their freshmen year. By the time they are sophomores, they may be taking a full year of combined Honors Spanish 4 and AP Spanish.

The math department is similar in preparing students at a younger grade for AP classes and beyond. Classes like Integrated Math 1 that are now replacing middle school math classes of Algebra or Geometry give those students the chance to dash into Integrated Math 3 as early as freshman year.

After this, they can jump to pre-calculus or honors pre-calculus, then go on to classes such as AP Statistics if interested. Of course, this isn’t for everyone because math clicks differently with every person.

“Students should always give AP classes a try at least,” Honberger said. “They’ll find something they love within the class experience.”

Labrador Retrievers (outgoing and gentle)

German Shepherds

(loyal, courageous and intelligent)

Jack Russell Terriers (small

but mighty)

Beagles (humble and cute)

Goldren Retrievers (always more than

willing to be your best friend)

Australian Shepherds

(intelligent, loyal, beautiful, unique)

- Compiled by Surina Khurana

B6 Lifestyle

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Buzzing ’til Baldness

GBHS students shaved their heads and raised donations for childhood cancer

BY SABINA MAHAVNI

W

smahavni.gazette@gmail.com

ho needs hair anyway? March 10, 2017 marked the day of the annual GBHS St. Baldrick’s event, aimed at shaving off the disastrous effects of childhood cancer.

Every year, the GBHS Gold Ribbon Cancer club organizes this event in the quad – a tradition that has been in place for several years.

All the proceeds from the fundraiser go to the St. Baldrick’s organization, which provides scientific researchers with the funding necessary to give childhood cancer patients the best treatment and future possible.

This year, juniors Candace Leung and Isabella Matthews lead the event as copresidents of the Gold Ribbon Cancer club. Leung was inspired to assume such a high position in this club after seeing firsthand the effects of cancer on her sister’s best friend and previous GBHS valedictorian, Anina Hanlon.

“Anina had osteosarcoma when she was a younger child,” Leung said. “Thankfully,

she’s in remission and she’s doing great, but meeting her and getting to know her really opened the door for me to see that this is a real issue (that) affects a lot of people across America and all around the world.”

Hanlon’s touching story has led the club to greatness, fundraising around $6,500 for St. Baldrick’s this year, which exceeds their original $5,000 goal.

Much of this money came from the Jack’s Urban Eats fundraiser, where 20 percent of the restaurant’s profits that day were donated to this cancer-fighting foundation. $500 was raised by hungry and generous customers alone.

With the help of Andrew Phillips, physics and biology teacher, and his musical talents, $500 more was raised just by cash dropped in his guitar case.

“That one afternoon was $1000 toward our school’s $5000 goal,” Phillips said.

Overall, the fundraiser topped the charts in terms of money raised and will definitely happen again next year, according

to Leung.

“The Jack’s Urban Eats fundraiser was the biggest one we’ve ever had and the biggest fundraiser they’ve ever had as well,” Leung said.

The rest of the money came from the individual fundraising efforts of the shavees and volunteers as well as donations accepted on the day of the event.

Taylor Kring, a GBHS senior, reached out in various unique ways to raise money.

“I just emailed all my mom’s friends,” Kring said. “I posted on Facebook.”

Many shavees, including Phillips, asked for donations via social media, taking advantage of the modern technological age.

In the end, Phillips individually raised $2,100 – more than any other shavee or volunteer this year. To Phillips and many others, however, shaving one’s head as opposed to just donating money holds a significance of its own.

“The idea of shaving our heads is to show solidarity with those who don’t have a choice about it,” Phillips said.

Kring shares Phillip’s passion for this cause and looks forward to shaving his head in many more years to come.

“I’ll hopefully do it every year,” Kring said.

Several participants in this year’s St. Baldrick’s event hope that their contribution will inspire their peers and classmates to think beyond physical beauty and make a small sacrifice that can impact the lives of thousands.

“I hope they (students) saw that there’s bigger things that we need to think about,” Kring said. “A lot of people are worried about their image … but none of that stuff matters when you think about it because there are a lot bigger things going on.”

Reflecting on this year’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser and head-shaving extravaganza, the Gold Ribbon Club can’t help but look forward to the same or higher degree of success next year.

“It’s been a great year, and I can’t wait to do it again next year,” Leung said. “It’s going to be even better (next year).”

Kabe Teague, top, laughs mid-shave.

Furthest left, science teacher Andrew Phillips recieves medal for most money fundraised. Left, Taylor Kring smiles as the last bits of his hair are shaved off.

Thomas Larkin, bottom left and Connor Hinson, below, both died their hair prior to St. Baldricks. Alexandra Beita, bottom center, was the only girl to participate in St. Baldrick’s this year.

Gazette Photos /CARISSA LEWIS

Sports

Granite Bay Gazette

C Section

Friday w April 7, 2017

COMMENTARY

ali lemos

alemos.gazette@gmail.com

Apparently Powder Puff is not rigged

GBHS senior Sofia Hartman, left, comes up to the catch before taking a stroke in the water.

Rowers, top, prepare to place their oars in the water to propel their boat.

A Capital Crew rower, right, sculls with two oars.

P

owder Puff: a school tradition where junior and senior girls get to challenge one another in a light hearted game of football.

This is what I thought Powder Puff was as an underclassman, but after these past two years I’ve been a part of my class’s Powder Puff team, my opinion has changed.

Let’s start with my junior year, namely the rivalry of the two classes that lead to the controversial hashtag BAJ. While the senior class of 2016 claimed to the administration that the acronym meant “beat a junior,” everyone knew what it really meant - “break a jaw.”

While this is the most memorable aspect of Powder Puff 2016, social media was littered with Twitter fights and not so subtle digs at both classes.

In fact there were such big threats that the Granite Bay High School administration benched players on both teams and the animosity during the Powder Puff rally was palpable.

All this caused girls to be crying because they were scared to play in the game.

The seniors won like they’re supposed to and everything was forgotten. The over-dramatic game was put behind everyone and the members of the two classes were friends again.

Fast forward to this year and everything was completely different.

All the posts on social media were friendly enough, juniors and seniors didn’t glare at each other in the quad and everyone was just excited to play.

The seniors were happy to let the drama of last year go and just play a fun game of flag football.

My advice for next year’s seniors is to start Twitter fights because the world will find a way to make it interesting if you don’t. jjjIt’s rigged so we win anyways, right? WRONG. This year the class of 2017 was peaceful and focused on the game.

We were excited because it was our year to win.

Except that’s not how it turned out, after a 21-7 lead, we somehow lost. As seniors. 27-28.

Some may blame it on the referees saying they wanted to make it a good, close game, but all I know is the disappointment felt this year was significantly more than the mild twinge I felt last year.

Jarrod Westberg would call it karma. I would call it unfair.

In this supposedly rigged game the senior class that didn’t start drama is one of the three in GBHS history who lost.

So my advice for next year’s seniors is to start Twitter fights because the world will find a way to make it interesting if you don’t.

***

Ali Lemos, a senior, is a Sports editor.

The regatta has just begun Gazette photos /ALI LEMOS

Capital Crew athletes reflect on their rowing experiences in the growing sport

BY ALI LEMOS

“R

alemos.gazette@gmail.com

ow fast, row hard.”

That’s the motto of Capital Crew, a competitive rowing team located at the Sacramento State Aquatics Center in Gold River.

Crew’s popularity has been growing over the last decade and the Granite Bay High School campus has seen an increasing amount of students participate in the sport.

GBHS senior and varsity rower Logan Johnson joined the team during his junior year of high school.

“It looked different and interesting to me so I tried it out,” Johnson said.

“It looked like a good challenge.”

The most commonly raced boat has eight people who face the opposite direction they’re rowing, and a coxswain who sits at the back of the boat facing forward and directs the rowers.

Johnson used to play rugby and cycle but doesn’t find crew to be like either one.

“It’s a lot similar to cycling in

Swimmer’s time makes Olympic cut

the cardio (sense),” Johnson said.

“But it’s a pretty unique sport.”

Johnson said he would not recommend the sport to just anyone.

“It’s a very intense workout,” Johnson said. “Someone who wants to do it has to be willing to dedicate themselves and to learn to push themselves.”

However, this doesn’t appear to be too strong of a deterrent.

Johnson estimates both mens’ and women’s’’ novice and varsity teams combine to about 140 athletes.

GBHS senior Sophia Hartman, a varsity rower, began rowing as a freshman and finds the sport to be

It looked different and interesting to me ... it looked like a challenge.

– Logan Johnson, varsity rower different as crew is more of a team sport since we need to work together to row,” Shultz said.

Hartman rows in the typical eight person boat as well as in a four man boat.

See CREW, page C3

Juniors win Powder Puff Class of ’18 defeats seniors, makes history

BY SURINA KHURANA

skhurana.gazette@gmail.com

jjjIn a huge upset on March 27th the junior class defeated the seniors during the annual Powder Puff game at Granite Bay High for the third time in history.

With the final score of 28-27, the game was tense up until the very last seconds.

Junior captain and defensive most valuable player Maddie Tastor said the highlight of Powder Puff “was making all these new friends and develop-

Sophomore breaks three school records

BY SIDNEY ZABELL

szabell.gazette@gmail.com

jjjGranite Bay High School’s swim program has a strong record of having some of the fastest swimmers in the area – the girls team has been undefeated in the Sierra Foothill League Championships for 20 years.

Standout sophomore Chloe Clark has only aided in the program’s success during her time at GBHS. The extremely accomplished swimmer competes year-round for the Sierra Marlins Swim Team in Folsom, CA. Clark broke three school records in her first year of GBHS swim –the 50-meter freestyle at the 2016 league championships, as well as the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke during the 2016 section championships – all as a high school freshman, age 14 at the time.

Additionally, the 100-meter backstroke record had been undefeated for 20 years.

“It was really fun for me to watch because I was a swimmer at high school sections when that record was set,” Alyssa Clark, Chloe’s mother, said. “(Chloe’s) time of 53.23 (seconds) ranked her eighth of all time in the 13-14 age group in the 100 backstroke.”

Chloe Clark says her events differ from her

especially mentally taxing.

“The hardest part is keeping your mental strength when your body is telling you to stop,” Hartman said.

However, Johnson and novice freshman Maryssa Shultz said they think the two kilometer ergometer test is the hardest. An erg machine is similar to the motions of rowing, and participants must row two kilometers as fast as they physically can.

While this is done individually and helps decide what boat a rower is in, the sport itself is very team driven.

Hartman said that “rowing has more of a team aspect” that she really enjoys.

Shultz can relate to Hartman because they were both swimmers.

“I used to swim, and it’s very

Speacial to the Gazette /SCOTT SHEA

Sophomore Chloe Clark was at the Olympic training center over Christmas.

club to school seasons.

“I do the 400 (individual medley) a lot now, but that’s just a year round event,” Chloe said.

“For high school … the 100 backstroke, 200 IM and 100 (freestyle) … are kind of my events right now.”

Chloe was put into swimming at age five by her parents because she loved being in the water so much.

“We tried to expose her to lots of different sports,” Alyssa said. “When she was 12, she choose to focus solely on swimming. We let Chloe lead the way.”

Chloe is now on both the Sierra Marlins Swim Team, a competitive year round program, and the GBHS varsity girls’ swim team. She pracSee CLARK, page C3

ing bonds” while playing with her best friends.

Though the seniors lost the 21-7 lead they had early in the game, senior offensive coach Bradley Jones said he still holds his head high.

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently,” Jones said. “We played the fair and honest way and that just doesn’t cut it anymore.”

See POWDERPUFF, page C3

Ryan Hollingshead recovers miraculously

Alum hurt helping a car crash victim

BY ASHELY YUNG

ayung.gazette@gmail.com

On Jan. 6, FC Dallas soccer player and GBHS alumnus Ryan Hollingshead was hit by a car while helping another driver on the icy roads of Dallas, Texas.

That night, Hollingshead and his wife, Taylor Hollingshead, were driving down the road when the car in front of them swerved off and slammed into the median. After hitting it, the car popped back out sideways in the middle of the fastlane with headlights that were out.

“We just thought, ‘If he doesn’t get out of the car he is just going to get hit,’” Hollingshead said.

Hollingshead stopped his car and ran up the road to help the driver.

Hollingshead said while talking to the driver, his focus was only on how the other man was doing.

Unfortunately, he saw an oncoming car too late and only had enough time to jump.

“It sent me flying down the road and I landed about 35 feet down from where I got hit,” Hollingshead said. “I thought for a second I was maybe paralyzed because I couldn’t move.”

See HOLLINGSHEAD, page C3

inside sports Grizz Quiz

Fan of the Month

C3 C4

Athlete of the Month C5

Baseball to excel Varsity players have high hopes for the season

C2

New football coaches

Spring sports update

Freshman gets old varsity coaches

Take a look at the spring programs

C5

C6

Friday, April 7, 2017

Sports C2

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Gazette photo /LOGAN EMBREE

Darren Nelson, a GBHS senior, delivers the ball to the plate against Sierra Foothill League rival Del Oro during the Grizzlies’ second series of the regular season.

GBHS baseball: Highly ranked, highly talented Darren Nelson scouted by professional teams during his last high school season

BY WILL ANDERSON AND ISABELLA TKACHUK wanderson.gazette@gmail.com

jjjA six foot eight, 230 pound right handed pitcher, with a fastball that touches 90 miles per hour would not describe an average 18 year old – but Granite Bay High School senior Darren Nelson is far from average.

As scouts from across the country gather around the varsity baseball field in back of the GBHS campus, Nelson prepares for his games just as he would any other.

The logos of historic franchises such as the Chicago Cubs can be seen on the hats and shirts of middle aged men holding radar guns in the stands.

But for the Grizzly right hander, it’s just another day at the yard.

According to Nelson, he realized he had a chance to get drafted di-

rectly out of high school while he was competing at the Area Code Baseball Showcase in the summer of 2016.

“About sophomore year I knew I was going to play college baseball,” Nelson said. “But the Area Codes made me realize that I have a shot (at getting drafted) if I put in the work and get my velocity up.”

As a college or professional scout, velocity is one of the most important things you are looking for in a pitching prospect.

In November of 2016, Nelson signed his letter of intent to play at California Polytechnic State University which would confirm a verbal commitment he made during his sophomore year.

Although Cal Poly has a strong

baseball program, it may not be considered as elite as some SEC or Pac-12 teams.

However, Nelson’s decision to play in San Luis Obispo was greatly impacted by the history his family has with the school.

“My parents went there,” Nelson said. “My mom played volleyball, my dad played baseball and my sister goes there now and she plays volleyball.

“I’ve kind of just always been around it. I liked Arizona and Arizona State, but nothing really compared to Cal Poly.”

Regardless of his signing to play Division 1 baseball, Nelson is still intrigued by the idea of playing professionally.

“I definitely want to go to college, but I think it would be pretty cool to go (professional) straight out of high school,” Nelson said.

But this is no small feat for anyone, even a player with the caliber of Nelson.

In the case of most highly recruited and scouted high school players, the only way a pro team can pull a player away from attending college is if they are drafted in a high round and guaranteed a large signing bonus.

Which Nelson said may only Besides being a unique physical specimen, GBHS baseball strength happen if he, “magically starts and outfield coach Kelly McGee throwing 95.” says it is Nelson’s willingness to As for handling the limelight, compete that helps make him an Nelson acknowledges that the pressure can be difficult to manage enticing prospect.

“The one thing that scouts and at times but he said he “tries to colleges really keep it out and love is guys that not think about can throw hard, it.” guys that can be Growing up My parents have physically imwith sister Taylor posing and have Nelson, who was taught me well physical Gatorade’s volto stay humble, some potential down leyball player of the road,” Mcit’s just kind the year during Gee said. her senior seaof how our Luckily, Nelson, Nelson has family has son checks all learned how to three of these manage success always been. boxes. early on.

– Darren Nelson, “I think “My parents senior baseball player he’s as good have taught or better than me well to stay anybody that humble, it’s just I’ve seen in kind of how high school that our family has really understands what it takes to always been,” Nelson said. get to the next level,” McGee said.

And even though Nelson has What I will tell him is it’s not been motivated by coaches and even close right now what he is teammates, his family always said doing in comparison to what he’s to “expect more” and that is what going to have to do next year.” has driven him to where he is at Regardless of what today.

level he plays at, Nelson will have to adjust to the competitiveness of college level or professional level teams.

“My personal opinion is that most players benefit from at least two years in college,” McGee said.

“They (become) better physically, the expectations are there – it doesn’t become a business too soon.”

Despite where Nelson decides to play post high school, coach McGee stated that “he’s going to have to work harder than he has ever worked.”

Coaching a player with national attraction is nothing irregular for the GBHS coaching staff, but McGee said he still constantly reminds Nelson to keep things simple.

“It’s really tough to do when you have eight to 10 scouts behind home plate when you’re pitching on any given day,” McGee said.

“The best advice I can give him is be himself, not try to do too much, stay within himself and stay healthy.”

See BASEBALL, page C4

Granite Bay Rugby prepares SFL changes provide new for another title run in 2017 outlook for upcoming seasons Players plan for the pressure of defending their national championship title during the spring a little more pressure to it.

We definitely have a target dwilson.gazette@gmail.com on our back and teams are gunning for us.”

The road will not be easy.

As the middle of May grows closer, rugby clubs across America However, to ensure success, have their eyes on the Granite Bay the players have been putRugby team as they aim to take ting in the work and polishthe national championship title ing their skills. from its grips.

According to the players, Last year, a combination of hard the team has had to adjust work and talented players from in order to play to their Granite Bay High School and sur- strengths.

For example, the strategy of rounding schools allowed the team implementing the wider spaces of a shot at the national championthe field to their ship. advantage has Conclusively, the GBR lived up We definitely influenced style of play this to their potenhave a target on season. tial throughout “Players come the season and our back and in and out of the would bring teams are program and each home the championship title gunning for us. year we need to adapt,” junior during May of – Anders Bergfalk, Luke Gonsalves the 2016 season. senior rugby player said. “But the one Once again the aspect that stays team finds that the same is the they are on track overwhelming for success and drive to work.” have a chance to This year could be a year of defend the reputation they’ve built firsts. over the past several years.

A high school team has never Having several returning players been able to claim the Nationals on the team has impacted the the title for two years in a row. team, motivating the players to And while preparing for the stay focused on a championship. daunting road ahead, players look “I’ve been playing rugby for to the captains for guidance. seven years and winning NaDue to a variance in abilities on tionals was definitely the most the team and the mix of newer and important thing to happen to me so far,” captain and senior Anders older players, it’s up to more expeBergfalk said. “But this year has rienced players to lead the team in

BY DEAN WILSON

Luke Gonsalves

Junior, will help contribute to the Granite Bay Rugby team as an expirienced veteran and a flanker every aspect they can.

“The one important thing that we’ve had to focus on is that we need to work together as a team,” Bergfalk said. “We have a lot of very skilled players, but if everyone doesn’t work together, then the structure on the field could just fall apart.”

On top of the extensive training to be in the best shape possible, the team chemistry is a big part of being ready for Nationals.

“We work super well as a team and everyone generally gets along,” veteran player Thomas Brandolino, a junior, said. “I have a lot of confidence in our abilities too, so I really think we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

But despite all the excitement of what could be the greatest moment in Granite Bay Rugby history, the team still has quite a few games ahead of them.

“Everyone on the team is pretty excited for what awaits us,” Gonsalves said. “But I think the important thing right now is to finish the season strong and win the few matches coming up.”

New schools are ready to join the league

However, Grant High’s only athletic team competing in the SFL will be its football team.

These changes in alignment will come into effect in the 2018-19 school year.

GBHS athletic director Tim Healy has been involved with numerous realignments to leagues

BY JAKE CRISCIONE jcriscione.gazette@gmail.com and described the motivations behind such frequent changes.

The California Interscholastic Federation is divided “Out of those roughly 200 schools, you want to into 10 sections, and Granite Bay High School match the six to eight schools up that are the most resides within the Sac-Joaquin closely aligned based on geograSection. phy, scope of programs, competiWith 191 schools and 26 tive equity and population,” Healy leagues, the SJS ranges from said. “If those things are all close, Division I schools all the way to you end up with leagues which Getting to know Division VII schools. are competitive.”

Every four years, California the SFL He explained how these fachigh schools undergo an athletic wThe league is made up tors fluctuate as population and realignment phase that aims to of 7 teams competitiveness is constantly in a create a balanced playing field wAlan Peterson is the cycle for high school athletics. for all high school sports.

President of the SFL “We never like to see leagues This year, in an Sierra Foothill wThere are 13 different where one school is blowing out League meeting on Friday, sports that are played in another school in virtually every March 17, changes were finalthe SFL sport,” Healy said. ized that added and dropped wGBHS has four league With these changes, Healy beseveral schools to and from the representatives lieves that “the SFL is even more SFL. Source SFL webpage loaded now than it was before.”

The schools leaving the league So what does this mean for GBHS athletics? include Woodcreek High School and Nevada Union

FAST FACTS

High School. Joining the league will be Whitney High School and Grant High School.

See SFL, page C4

Be the best and read the best...

The Gazette!

Friday, April 7, 2017

Sports C3

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Athletes struggle to find offseason Students find themselves with limited free time

BY AMANDA PRATHER

aprather.gazette@gmail.com

jjjMany current high school athletes are puzzled by what to do with the limited time they have in their offseason.

All sports at the high school level have a start and finish to their season, but almost all serious athletes play on a club team at the same time, or simultaneously, with the high school team.

Grizz Quiz Compiled by Logan Embree

Athletes who do have a defined offseason may change their lifestyle, eating habits, workout or even sleep schedule during this time.

Chloe Miller, GBHS senior, swims for the high school as well as on a club team and said that her offseason is almost nonexistent.

“I get my normal amount of sleep usually year round which is five to six hours,” Miller said.

Not only are these athletes playing a sport practically year round, but they also feel like they have to be as involved as any other high school student in extracurriculars and community service, while staying on top of their school work.

“It gets harder to stay on top of things when you

think you have more time than you do,” Miller said.

Miller said her busy schedule actually can make it easier to stay on top of things because of how organized it forces her to be.

Drew Robles, GBHS senior and track and field athlete, said that the offseason is a time of extra sleep and fewer obligations.

“I practice about three times a week instead of daily in the offseason,” Robles said.

He added that his sleep is definitely affected in that he generally just gets a significant amount more each night with less stress and competition.

“As for academics, I have much more time in the offseason so I can dedicate more time to school,” Robles said. “It’s much easier to stay on top of things with fewer practices and competitions.”

Other students have decided that struggling through a vigorous season of a sport decide to quit and be in

Junior excels in track & field Max Johnson Soccer

Josh Grahame Lacrosse

Addie Follet Lacrosse

Sebastian Abedi Gymnastics

Jason Dell’Orto Track

What is your favorite movie?

“The Avengers”

Who is your favorite athlete?

Jake Crisco

Paul O’Brien

How long have you been playing?

11 years

Six years

How many sports have you played?

Six sports

Five sports

Eight sports

One sport

Six sports

Gatorade or Powerade?

Gatorade

Gatorade

Gatorade

Gatorade

Gatorade

POWDER PUFF: Juniors win major upset Continued from page B1

Jones admits that there’s a possibility he would change the offense slightly, seeing what was allowed by the junior team.

“We surely would have created more questionable plays seeing now they would be allowed,” Jones said.

Junior defensive coach Jackson Huish attributes their win to the positive attitude they had going into the game.

“Our strategy was basically just for everyone to play hard, learn the basics of football and to have fun,” Huish said.

Tastor agrees with Huish’s assessment.

“Just applying pressure to the offense and making it hard to seek a pass or

“Need for Speed”

a run really helped us in the game,” Tastor said. “I don’t think there was anything we could’ve done differently.

We all pushed each other and executed everything to the best of our abilities.”

Sarah Thomas, senior captain and offensive MVP, says the team’s biggest advantage was running a no-huddle, fast-paced offense.

“Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to run (our offense) at the pace we wanted but it allowed us to get a lot of plays in, in a short period of time,” Thomas said.

Jones – the receiver and fly back coach – says this fast-paced offense was a major change from last year’s offense.

“The main difference this year was Steve (Trythall) and I created a new offense that was, in all the other players and coaches minds, way better and simpler,” Jones said.

Though surely disappointing for the class of 2017, Thomas says she enjoyed the time spent with her class.

“Becoming so close to people you normally don’t see or talk to and connecting as a class was amazing,” Thomas said. “Catching and running a couple touchdowns was (also) an amazing experience.”

Jones said he, too, enjoyed his expe-

HOLLINGSHEAD: Grad lives after crash Continued from page C1 Hollingshead remembers the scene vividly because he didn’t get a concussion. He also began to get feeling back in his arms and legs about 30 seconds later.

However, he did have a broken neck.

“When the car hit me I broke my neck at the different vertebrate where the C2, C5 and C6 are (on the spine),” Hollingshead said.

Trauma surgeon and fellow cervical spine fracture survivor, Steve Young knows Ryan’s injuries well from both a medical and personal perspective.

“The level will dictate what abilities are decreased,” Young said. “Whenever you have a C2 (fracture) there’s potential to lose function in your arms, legs and even your breathing abilities.”

“Moana”

“Project X”

“La La Land”

Kai Lenny

Nile Wilson

Sergio Ramos

Seven years

Ten years

Five years

tices solely with Sierra Marlins, but still swims at meets for the high school team.

“It’s just (her) drive to be the best she can be and to get out and race,” Scott Shea, head coach and CEO of the Sierra Marlins Swim Team said. “She’s probably one of the best athletes that I’ve coached. She’s excited about racing (and) she’s excited about challenging herself.”

According to Shea, The Sierra Marlins Swim team is ranked among the top 100 in the county, and placed fifth at Junior Nationals last year at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

“We have practices every day after school, on Saturdays and two morning practices a week

Gazette photo /CARISSA LEWIS

Junior Powder Puff players and coaches celebrate their 28-27 win. rience coaching the team both years.

Emily Talmi was named the offensive “It’s one of the most fun activities MVP for the juniors and senior Gemma I’ve done in high school,” Jones said.

Rizzuto was named defensive MVP for “Preparing them and watching them the senior team. perform was very satisfying.”

“I most enjoyed getting to know all Huish felt similarly to Jones in terms the girls,” Huish said, “and getting of coaching the girls. to know people I didn’t really know At the end of the game junior captain before.”

On a more personal note, Young reflected on when he was admitted to the emergency room unconscious and woke up unable to move his arms or legs.

“You realize how fragile life is,” Young said. “You start to recognize that every breath, every day, every moment is a gift from God.” Ryan’s brother, Scott Hollingshead, said that when he received Taylor’s text at 1:30 a.m., he panicked.

“It kind of rocked us that we could have lost Ryan just like that,” Hollingshead said.

However, his brother’s actions that night did not surprise Hollingshead.

“Ryan’s always willing to put himself out in order to help someone else,” Hollingshead said. “Ryan lives to make the love and care of Jesus known to the world.”

FC Dallas teammate Tesho Akindele was also shocked when her heard about Ryan.

“When you hear about someone getting hit by a car you assume that their career might be over,” Akindele said.

However, since the accident, Hollingshead has been on the road to recovery.

CLARK: Swimmer excels in the pool

Continued from page C1

“offseason” all the time.

Senior Lauren McCormick said that quitting volleyball after ten years of playing was a big life change for her.

“It was hard at first because I had so much free time,” McCormick said. “However, quitting sports forced me to put myself out there and find work.”

As for academics, McCormick said that it was a lot easier to manage when she was busier.

“Being busy forces you to get (things) done,” McCormick said.

Whether an athlete is in or out of season there are always obligations to be accomplished. How they manage them can vary.

“The best part about the offseason is having time to do other things,” Robles said. “I get time to relax and do fun things.”

before school,” Chloe said.

All of this practice adds up to about 16 hours of practice per week. Because of this rigorous schedule, Chloe has to miss out on some of the normal high school experiences.

“She plans her social life around swim practices and competitions … and you can’t forget the two morning workouts before school each week,” Alyssa said. “As a family we try to honor her commitment to the sport because she is so dedicated. We make sure that (she) still (has) a lot of great childhood experiences even with Chloe’s busy schedule.”

With her intense schedule, Chloe has been forced to make sacrifices.

“I haven’t been able to go to

Winter Ball because I’m always gone at my meets,” Chloe said.

“My meets are more important to me so I just have to realize that I have a different high school experience than other people.”

During the summer of 2016, Chloe made the Olympic Trials cut time in the 400 IM at the Futures Championships meet in Stanford, CA. This means that she can go to the Olympic trials in 2020 – the next summer Olympics.

Chloe said she was happy to finally get her cut because she’d been trying to get it for so long.

“It was just me and this girl racing out ahead of everyone,” Chloe said. “Eventually at the end, she out-touched me so I was really mad when I touched

For the first three weeks, all he could do was lie flat on his back with a neck brace on.

“That was terrible,” Hollingshead said. “Every day felt like an eternity.”

As time passed, Hollingshead was allowed to do more and more. He started by riding a stationary bike and eventually he was allowed to go on the treadmill and slowly jog.

Since the brace first came off, Hollingshead has been attending physical therapy.

“All the muscles around my neck and around my bone were really weak,” Hollingshead said. “I had to build those up to get my head back to full strength.”

The recovery process has not been a sole effort.

Hollingshead got support from family and friends through kind words and prayer.

“I’ve received lots of calls and texts and voicemails,” Hollingshead said. “We’ve just had a ton of support to be thankful for.”

On Thursday, March 28, Hollingshead was cleared by his doctor for full contact in soccer.

Teammate Tesho Akindele says that he is happy to

the wall, but when I saw the time and I saw that I’d gotten my cut, I was so happy.”

Now, Chloe must continue training for the Olympic Trials and will be going as long as she continues to swim that time.

“Once I did it, I started crying (and) it was such a good experience,” Chloe said.

Chloe’s coach said he noticed a few other meets where she swam some of her best races.

“I feel that she had a couple really great breakout swims in December (2016) at Junior Nationals,” Shea said. “She finished second in the 200 IM as a 15-year-old, and that’s pretty impressive, with a time that would have qualified her to go to NCAA Division 1 Championships. She would have qualified now, at 15, for a meet that she’s not going to swim at for another three years.”

BY SANJNA SAINI

ssaini.gazette@gmail.com

Junior track and cross country athlete Evan Chinn has loved the sport since junior high and hopes to continue participating in the future.

“I joined track my freshman year, I ran throughout junior high and enjoyed it enough to continue to participate,” Chinn said.

Although some may assume that track is not as competitive of a sport as compared to others, Chinn “(practices) six days a week with runs ranging from 30-60 minutes and 5-10 miles.”

Racing in the 4x400-meter relay, 800-meter, 1600-meter and the 3200-meter events, he has “broken numerous personal records.”

“I am most proud of my mile time improvement over the last three years,” Chinn said. “Entering track my freshman year, I was running just under a six-minute mile, currently my most recent PR is 4:55.”

Chinn also enjoys having the motivation and help of his teammates by his side.

“My favorite part of track is the team camaraderie and how everyone pushes and encourages each other to perform our very bests throughout the season,” Chinn said.

With a rising amount of members on the team, Chinn says that track can still very much be a sport.

“I do believe track is a sport, everyone puts five to six days of practice in and participates in events almost every week during meets throughout the season,” Chinn said. “Whether a jumper, thrower or runner, we all work super hard to produce the best results as a team.” see Ryan again.

“It’s great that Ryan is back with the team,” Akindele said. “The fact that he’s back in only a few months is amazing.”

Although Hollingshead is well and ready to play, the time off is evident on the soccer field.

“I’m so rusty and I have a lot of fitness to get back,” Hollingshead said.

Yet Akindele knows that this barrier is not one his teammate can’t overcome.

“Ryan is hard working and up for the challenge,” Akindele said.

Yet regaining his old self isn’t all physical.

Another struggle that Hollingshead faces is the mental challenge of gaining confidence in his neck’s ability.

“I can literally do anything but still in my brain I’m afraid to do all of those things,” Hollingshead said.

However, Hollingshead is excited to be resuming normal life again.

“Just being back with the guys, with the team,” Hollingshead said, “has been great for my morale.”

Shea says that Chloe has a drive that pushes her to be so successful in swim.

“She works very hard,” Shea said, “(and) hard work will beat talent every day if talent doesn’t work hard. I feel that she’s got talent and a really good work ethic to be a very great swimmer.”

Chloe’s mother, Alyssa, added the feeling she gets from watching her daughter compete is indescribable.

“Watching her face after an amazing swim will never get old,” Alyssa said. “She looks up at the scoreboard and smiles, then looks back down at her lane number, then back up on the board with a look that says, ‘did I really just do that?’”

Yes, Granite Bay’s Chloe Clark really did just do that.

CREW: Students row, compete in underrated sport Continued from page B1

said her goal is to make it all the way to Sarasota, Florida for Nationals.

To prepare and qualify for the USRowing Youth National Championships in June, a boat must be invited during IRA National Championships.

“My eight and I would love to place top 3 at the southwest championship and make it to Nationals,” Hartman said.

This sport has captured the hearts of many determined and motivated athletes.

“I love everything about it – the team and friends I have,” Shultz said, “and being on the water almost everyday.”

Sports C4

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

Team banquets offer athletes unique opportunities End of season celebrations allow athletes to reflect on memories with their teammates

BY JACK MCGRAIL

jmcgrail.gazette@gmail.com

Every year to conclude athletic seasons at Granite Bay High School, each sports program has a banquet that recognizes player and team success.

Some of the more notable awards and traditions of these banquets include academic achievement awards, team MVP awards and honoring seniors whose high school careers are coming to a close.

The banquets usually take place on a

weekday, no longer than a week or two after the last games of the season have taken place.

Junior Derek Galvan, a varsity basketball player, says the few hours of speeches, awards and “senior goodbyes are definitely worth it.”

The banquet lasts about an hour and a half, Galvan explained.

And although it takes a while to get through the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams’ presentations, Galvan acknowledged that it’s important to hear how all the other teams did throughout the year.

Getting to listen to other players’ thoughts on the season and cheer on teammates who are getting recognized for all league awards are a few of the unique opportunities provided by the banquets.

The banquets are even popular among parents and friends. “(Parents) like to be there to see their (kids) get recognition for a season of hard work,” Galvan said.

Parents of athletes get a chance to show their appreciation and be proud for their children.

The banquet also provides the opportunity for team parents, managers, boosters and coaches to be recognized for their work behind the scenes, such as helping organize team dinners and

other events throughout the season.

Jenna Ladrech, a sophomore standout on the girls’ varsity soccer team, shared words similar to Galvan’s saying, “the banquet lasted about two hours, but it was worth the time.”

For most athletes, award nights are important parts of each season in order to hand out certificates of athletic and academic achievement, and say their goodbyes to their senior teammates.

Awards such as First Team All Sierra Foothill League are a big deal for families, as well as for college recruitment.

“It is fun to be with my team one last time, especially the seniors,” Ladrech said.

Acknowledging the time and struggle that the senior athletes have put in over

the past few years is a special moment for the kids and families alike.

Junior wrestler Teague Dilbeck, who wrestled at state this year, has a slightly different perspective on the seasonending banquet.

“This year it was tough because it took away from a few hours of studying the night before midterms,” Dilbeck said.

Adding another long event during the week further squeezes the schedules of already busy student-athletes, especially on a week such as midterms or finals.

However, despite the sometimes difficult scheduling on weeknights, according to Dilbeck it is “cool to hear speeches from the coaches and some athletes about the season.”

Student supports pros and school GBHS junior expresses support for various GBHS atheltic programs

BY BRIAN DING

bding.gazette@gmail.com

Special to the Gazette /WILL WEILAND

GBHS students use extra snowfall as opportunity to hit the slopes during the extended ski season.

Students send it down the slopes this winter off trail stuff.”

he Record setting snow is Because enjoying the snowlevels in Tahoe allow fresh fall so much, is also great winter conditions Jones planning on

BY COLE KAHMANN

ckahmann.gazette@gmail.com

With more than 500 inches of snow at all of Tahoe’s major ski resorts, students at Granite Bay High School are going out to the slopes in grooves.

When there isn’t too much snow to blanket the lifts and resorts, students are taking advantage of the extraordinary levels of snow.

For many students here at GBHS, the slopes have provided a perfect weekend getaway close to home.

GBHS senior Bradley Jones has been skiing since he was five years old and has already been skiing 10 times this season at Homewood Resort.

“There’s so much snow it’s amazing,” Jones said. “Runs are nicer, but it opens up a lot of

It was nice to finally see real snow instead of the snow made by the machines.

going up to the snow for July 4, a rare experience for – Autumn Mannsfeld, the public. senior Senior Younes Mahmoudieh has been skiing since he was four.

Mahmoudieh attributes the snow to being more than just a fun past time.

Beyond it allowing him to ski, hike, throw snowballs and enjoy beautiful scenery, he appreciates the effect it can have on students’ health.

“It’s a healthy pastime and sports for kids at the school,” Mahmoudieh said. “(The snow) encourages them to get out and be active rather than stay inside during the winter.”

He said it is a great way to get out and spend time with family and friends in a healthy way.

Mahmoudieh recommends Squaw Valley to those interested in spending time in the snow.

GBHS senior Autumn Mannsfeld, who has been skiing for 10 years, is also enjoying the greater amounts of snow.

“It was nice to finally see real snow instead of the snow made by the machines,” Mannsfeld said.

Mannsfeld and ski resorts predict the snow season will last all the way until July.

The snowfall also encourages some other activities such as boating.

“The snow is great for skiing and snowboarding, but when it melts it’ll be nice to finally have a use,” Mannsfeld said. “It helps so many water resources other than Folsom.”

Junior skier Ashley Milne has also appreciated the excess amount of snow compared to previous years.

“Especially spring skiing I didn’t get out until after Christmas,” Milne said. “The snow has still been really good and looks like there is going to be a lot more good snow days to come.”

SFL: Baseball team ready for possible playoff birth Continued from page C2 Not only is the GBHS baseball team’s Darren Nelson projected to do well this season, but other varsity players have had a bright start the past couple of games.

Senior Kenny LeBeau is excited to help his team make playoffs this season.

“We have started really strong, only losing one out of 5 or 6 games,” Lebeau said.

Lebeau has high expectations for his varsity squad.

“I expect us to come out as one of the top teams in the area and hopefully win sections,” Lebeau said.

At the beginning of his senior

year, LeBeau committed to the University of Nevada, Reno to continue playing baseball at a NCAA Division 1 school.

“I can’t wait for college baseball,” LeBeau said. “I think the thing I’m most looking forward to is having a team full of serious baseball players.”

Though LeBeau was being scouted by multiple other schools, he chose UNR as his best fit.

“They gave me a good offer and I like all the coaches,” LeBeau said. “They are all young and they have an exciting and up-and-coming sports culture up in Reno.”

LeBeau’s primarily goal, however, is to focus on having a strong and competitive season with the varsity team, and discussed some

of the players he sees as coming out hot.

“Matt Voelker is hitting really well,” LeBeau said. “Also, Darren Nelson and Chris Daniels are pitching well.”

LeBeau’s varsity teammate, Matt Voelker is also expecting the team to finish well in their league, as well as the section.

“We started off great,” Voelker said. “We’re playing well and bonding well as a team.”

Voelker, like LeBeau, believes that the team has the skills and capabilities to make it far in section championships.

“If we keep playing well and getting better throughout the season we will have a good shot to win our league and hopefully

compete for a section championship,” Voelker said.

Voelker committed to Loyola Marymount University to continue his baseball career in the beginning of August of last year.

“I chose LMU because I love the campus and area, and I thought it was the best fit for me,” Voelker said.

The varsity team, along with Voelker and LeBuea, have 7 total players that are committed: Darren Nelson (senior) to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chris Daniels (senior) to Sacramento State, Dylan Cole (senior) to Menlo College, Zach Taylor (sophomore) Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Brandon Chinnapongse (senior) to Cal State East Bay.

Chris Daniels, a senior and recent Sacramento State signee, drives the ball to the right side of the field.

Gazette photo /LOGAN EMBREE

Junior Gagan Hegde has been keeping up with sports for a long time – all his life to be exact.

Being an athlete himself, he has kept busy with different sports throughout childhood and now does the same at school.

From football to volleyball, Hegde supports everything hr can here at Granite Bay High School.

However when it comes down to his favorite sport and team, it would have to be football and the Denver Broncos.

Hedge has been watching the Broncos ever since 2011.

The Broncos are his ideal team to follow, along with the fact that they defeated the Carolina Panthers in the 2016 Super Bowl.

After the big win, Hegde finds himself watching the team a lot more than before because the excitement around the team has grown so much.

Although Hegde is a fan of the team, he may not be as dedicated as some supporters out there.

However, he still finds a way to cheer them on no mat-

Gagan Hegde

Junior supports professional and high school teams throughout the year ter what.

Surprisingly he is the only person in his family that is a fan of the Broncos, despite all of the hype around the team.

Hedge has been to a Broncos game before when he was very young, which only expanded his love for the team.

His favorite player on the team would have to be Von Miller.

Hegde said was is most intriguing is his “tenacity, and how his physique is not the best fit for his position, yet he still manages to excel at becoming one of the best defensive players in the NFL.” Von Miller stands as a great role model for people of all ages to follow and watch because of his perseverance and ability to adapt to be successful in the game.

Miller is a prime example of success for people who choose to succeed in things they believe they are inept at.

And that passion that Miller plays with, is the same passion Hegde cheers with.

SFL: Players weigh in on the changes in the league Continued from page C2

ing up to Nevada Union is always a great time with the team,” Spargo said.

Varsity baseball player Spencer Healy doesn’t necessarily beCusack, a junior, looked at the lieve it’s a good thing to have such changes optimistically. a competitive league like the SFL. “I feel like these changes will “I think the help imteams start to prove how beat up on each competitive other, especially the SFL I think the teams in football, so is,” Cusack start to beat up on much that when said. “The the playoffs changes each other, come around, I were especially in wouldn’t say we necessary are at our best,” because football.

Healy said.

Woodcreek According to and Nevada – Tim Healy, GBHS Healy, after the Union realignment in didn’t comathletic director 2018, the SFL pete as hard will build upon in most its already domisports.” nant standing to become the stronOverall, Cusack said that the increase in competition “will make gest league in Northern California for the majority of sports.

Granite Bay athletics more fun to “Most of the strongest teams play and watch.” in our region are now all in one Unlike Cusack, junior James league,” Healy said.

Spargo, a varsity lacrosse and Nonetheless, Healy claims that soccer player, disliked the future “statistically, we are still one of alterations to the SFL. the most competitive schools in “Woodcreek is annually a good the region, if not the state.” competition for soccer and travel-

Friday, April 7, 2017

w

Sports C5

The Granite Bay Gazette

New freshmen coaches come from high level

Cooper, Smith return to GBHS football coaching staff next season

BY MAX SCHWARTZ

mschwartz.gazette@gmail.com

Four and a half years ago, the Granite Bay High football team brought home a state title.

The team was led by Ernie Cooper with the help of Steve Smith to become one of the best teams in the history of the school. Now, both Cooper and Smith have announced they will be coaching at the ground level – freshman football.

The reason behind going down to the freshman level for Smith comes down to opportunity.

“Coach Cooper and I have been longtime friends, we grew up together and it’s a chance for us coach together again,” Smith said.

Smith also noted the factor of him being able to coach his son played a role in his decision making.

“I’ve always had the dream of coaching my own son, and it’s going to be the first time I’m going to be able to do so in the sport of football,” Smith said.

The incoming freshman team has been very successful in its previous Junior Grizzlies career, including several undefeated seasons in the youth football program.

Quarterback and incoming freshman Nick Poulos has been playing with the team the whole way through the Junior Grizzlies.

He credits the record to the team’s

natural attributes.

“We work well together and we trust everyone to do their job,” Poulos said. “Trust and teamwork is what has guided us through the years.”

Smith said that another reason why he is excited to coach the team is that he’s been watching them play for awhile.

“I am very familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, watching them grow up and hopefully that will help us facilitate things earlier,” Smith said.

Poulos plans to keep their impressive record through their freshman year with strong leadership.

“I plan on keeping a good record through teamwork, hard work and discipline on the entire team,” Poulos said.

When asked about how the team feels about being coached under coaches that are experienced at the varsity level, Poulos said that he is “looking forward to and am excited to play under an experienced coaching staff.”

Poulos added that the coaches have both coached some of the school’s best teams and he expects to be coached the same as their previous varsity players.

“I think (the coaches) will push us and always expect the best out of us at all times,” Poulos said.

Smith confirmed that the same level of coaching is going to be given that he has to his past

Special to the Gazette /JEFF POWERS

Junior Hannah Mortensen is lifted by fellow teammates during a STUNT practice, she holds a heel stretch as teammates spot her. teams. “(Football) is something that me and Cooper are both passionate about,” Smith said. “We’ve had teams with a lot of talent and teams that are not as talented and we are going to coach them the same way regardless.”

With the the impressive coaching staff, the team is going to draw eyes towards them seeing how they will do but Poulos said that he isn’t worried about the added

pressure.

“I don’t worry so much about the people watching, I focus moreso on the game at hand,” Poulos said.

Smith doesn’t think there will be many people watching their team in particular due to the level.

“I don’t think all that many people care about freshman football, but it would be great to see people go out and support,” Smith said.

Jacob Ellis, a sophomore who

soccer league.” Lederer said.

Since the league is recreational, there is not much preparation that needs to be done before a game.

“We only play games so we can use the excuse that we don’t practice when we lose games.” Rodriguez said.

There are very minimal complaints from the players when it comes to the comradery of the team.

“I love the team. We bring a very loud portable speaker before games to pump us up. Our team song is called ‘Cell Therapy’ by Kodak Black.” Lederer said.

“I love playing on the team it’s a lot of fun, and actually very competitive.” Rodriguez said.

The team’s games are played at California Family Fitness and even though the field isn’t on campus, the team seems to think they had a good fan section throughout their season.

“The fan section was alright, mostly just our close friends came to watch.” Ryan Byars, a senior at GBHS and team member said.

“We had a pretty good turnout of fans at our first game, but we are waiting to go to the champion-

ship to get a big crowd out there.”

Rodriguez said.

The name of a team always has a story behind it and the indoor soccer team is no exception.

“We were eating lunch when we came up with the idea to make a team, and it was the first name we thought of and we kinda just stuck with it.” Rodriguez said. “ Bryce Kassidy’s nickname is Helen Keller and we call everybody esses so we just slapped those names together.”

Since the first indoor team to come from Granite Bay was such a success, others are said they are sure to follow in their footsteps in years to come.

“I would highly recommend starting an indoor soccer team because it gives you something to look forward to every Sunday.”

Rodriguez said.

Although the league is meant to have a lighthearted feel, some players take it more seriously than others.

“I would not recommend playing indoor soccer to most people, this is because it takes an extreme amount of mental fortitude and physical strength in order to hang in our league.” Lederer said.

played for Smith when he was moved up to varsity for playoffs and was taught how to lift weights

by Cooper, said he is upset about the coaches going down to the freshman level because of the edge he gives the team.

“I’m a little bummed that when (Cooper) comes back to coaching, he goes to freshman and not varsity,” Ellis said. “On our team, he brings a certain level of energy that we see in advanced weight

training.”

Ellis can also see why coaching the youngest at GBHS may be a smart decision. “(It’s) good for the program – it’s going to get Granite Bay football back on (its) feet,” Ellis said.

Smith said he and Cooper are setting out to create a strong base.

“Coach Cooper set a culture of football which was character first,” Smith said.

Rec soccer team sparks attention Advances in P.E. Team compiled of GBHS juniors and seniors play in indoor league

BY MEGAN NIMTZ

mnimtz.gazette@gmail.com

jjjHellen Keller and the Esses, a new indoor soccer team with several Granite Bay High seniors has sparked some interest around the campus.

Many have little or no previous experience in the sport, but these students have decided to take advantage of the league and pursue a different hobby without the pressure of to succeed.

In the past, countless athletes have taken part in a recreational basketball league called Hot Shots, which inspired some of the boys to join this league which is the same concept only with soccer.

“We started the team because Hot Shots inspired us to branch out to other recreational sports,” said Matt Voelker, a GBHS senior and head coach of the indoor team.

Senior Chase Lederer is on the team, and he said a few players on the team did play competitive

soccer.

“Most of us have little to no soccer background, but we did recruit a few full-time players to help us out,” Lederer said.

The players decided it is a perfect time to participate in new clubs, sports and hobbies because they will be departing in the fall.

“We started a team just to have fun and to have something to look forward to on Sundays,” said Ben Rodriguez, who is also on the Esses.

Many of the athletes on the team have played other sports at either the competitive club or high school level and having the opportunity to play a sport just for fun brings an entirely new feeling of ease.

For their first year in the league the team is performing strongly.

“We are doing really well right now and we are currently in first place.” Rodriguez said.

“The season is going great, we are currently ranked second in our highly competitive premier indoor

Special to the Gazette /KENYON LEDERER

Hellen Keller and the Esses pose after their 9-7 win in the championship game on Sunday, April 2nd at Cal Fit in Rocklin.

GBHS freshman plays three sports Bannai excels in multiple sports this year

BY ASHLEY YUNG

ayung.gazette@gmail.com

Marli Bannai is only a freshman but has already been on the junior varsity water polo team and the girl’s varsity soccer team. In addition to that, she is currently on the GBHS swim team.

Bannai said that balancing a

schedule with three sports is quite difficult but still manageable.

Bannai has swim practice every day after school and soccer practice three times a week. This means that sometimes she has to leave swim early just to get to soccer practice.

Bannai doesn’t exactly know why she loves sports so much. ”I think I’m just really competitive,” Bannai said.

This was the first year that Bannai played water polo and said that she was hesitant to join the team at first.

“I just heard how violent and

physical it was and how there’s so much dirty play under water but honestly it’s not that bad,” Bannai said.

All her doubts were shattered when she played the very first game of the season.

“After the first game I loved it,” Bannai said.

When water polo season was over, Bannai turned her attention to playing soccer.

She went to soccer tryouts with high hopes.

“I kind of came into it hoping I would make varsity but kind of prepared to just make JV,” Ban-

nai said.

Bannai was very excited when she found out she made Varsity. It also helped that there were other freshmen who made the team, freshmen whom she had played with before.

“I played mostly center back but I also played a little bit of holding mid… and outside back,” Bannai said.

The girl’s Varsity soccer team made the playoffs and put Bannai as starting center back.

They shut out the other teams on the first two games of the playoffs.

Bannai’s favorite game was the one their team played against Woodcreek where she played

Technology helps excercise

BY BRIAN DING

bding.gazette@gmail.com

jjjBecause one in three children in the U.S. are obese, according to government statistics, physical education courses are required in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Schools around the United States are beginning to implement a new form of monitoring students during their activities.

The new devices that schools have to offer for P.E. include heart rate monitors for students to view, and the number of calories they have burned. The method of doing so, are new wristwatch monitors specifically meant for exercise.

As strange and complicated as the devices may sound, the new implementation is meant to motivate students to exercise more, because the technology allows students to see how they are doing in terms of health in a real time effect.

Another purpose for the heart monitors are to monitor whether students are slacking off or not.

By using monitors for each student, P.E. teachers can evaluate if students are truly giving their best in class.

Amy Hawkins, athletics and wellness director at Dubuque High School in Dubuque, Iowa, has already been utilizing this method of grading for some time now.

“The new technology that is on the rise for schools has been dubbed, the new P.E.,” Hawkins said.

Principal Bret Warnke of Ridge View High in Holstein, Iowa, also found the new monitors as being a great success.

He saw that the new monitors had a positive effect upon the almost the entire game.

“It was freezing cold outside but honestly it was just so much fun,” Bannai said.

However, Bannai said that the highlight of her soccer season was just playing with her teammates and getting to meet all of the upperclassman.

Bannai has just begun her swim season at GBHS. Before coming to GBHS, she was swimming on the Barracudas.

Bannai started a little late because the swim season overlapped with the soccer season.

“I just had my first meet this past weekend,” Bannai said.

At her first meet Bannai got two seconds better than her estimated time on the 100 back.

“I got off to a good start,” Bannai said.

Bannai said that she can’t

exercise habits on the school’s students.

“Students were choosing to run on their own free time in order to keep their heart rate up,” Warnke said.

By implementing the new p.e technology, not only does the process become easier, but also the exercise becomes more enjoyable for students when they can see the progress they are making.

Junior Connor Stanford chooses to spend most of his free time running outside to stay in shape. After a good run, he chooses to monitor his progress and the distance he covered for the day.

Stanford believes that although the new technology for P.E. seems to have positive intentions, what ends up happening however is the stigma that students should just focus on burning calories in physical education.

Stanford is part of the Granite Bay High School track and cross country teams, and he goes through rigorous training on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“I use an app called Strava to evaluate my progress along with a GPS to keep track of every run,” Stanford said.

This alternative app Stanford uses is something that comes as convenience rather than a necessity, in which he believes that schools do not need these new monitors for physical education.

In order to check up on his progress, after every event and long run, he can see whether or not his times have improved. He views the traditional method of paper and pencil for logging run times in P.E. as being more effective and overall a better reference for students who strive to improve.

“While individuals may have their own method of exercising,” Stanford said, “What ends up mattering is having a clearer mindset in doing so.”

Marli Bannai Freshman takes on JV water polo, varsity soccer and swim her first year of high school.

choose a favorite sport because she loves them all equally.

“I definitely want to play a sport in college I just don’t know which one yet,” Bannai said.

Bannai loves playing sports so much that she can’t imagine life without them “I just don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t do sports,” Bannai said.

C6

Friday, April 7, 2017

w The Granite Bay Gazette

SECOND LOOK

Boys’ golf excels and exceeds expectations in Palm Springs

BY JACK MCGRAIL AND LYNDSEY BENNER jmcgrail.gazette@gmail.com

Stepping up to the tee box is the GBHS boys’ golf team in their first big tournament of the year in Palm Springs.

“Last year our team took third place and I took second place overall individually,” GBHS varsity golfer Drake Mendenhall said.

With an impressive and talented team last year, Mendenhall explained, “we will need the whole team to step up in order to have a chance to win” the Palm Springs tournament.

The tournament includes elite schools from the western U.S., and even some Canadian high school golf teams.

The team finished 15th out of 55 teams this Spring Sports past weekend.

Update The boys’ golf team is looking to continue their hot streak after winning most of their head to head matches last year.

Dive Dive has been holding practices four times a week to prepare to compete. The team’s first meet was March 30th and Granite Bay performed very well.

Melia Stout, a junior on the dive team, got first place and Audrey Wagner, a senior, got fourth.

“I expect (this season) to be lots of fun and I’m excited for all of the meets,” Wagner said.

The team is looking forward to section and section finals and plan to perform better than last season.

“For the rest of the season, I’m most excited for getting some new dives,” Wagner said.

Special to the Gazette/BRENDA CARLSON Gazette photo /SURINA KHURANA

Swim The racing and chanting has just begun for the GBHS varsity swim team. Their first meet is on March 30th and so far they have only attended invitationals.

They have been practicing intensely to prepare for the season and hope to unhold the legacy of the GBHS swim team. The team has always been one of the most successful on campus.

“I hope to improve my times by the end of the season, and I hope the team continues to win our meets,” Megan Caulfield, a senior on the Varsity swim team, said.

The team prepares all season for the league championships, and they hope to perform well this year.

“I’m most excited for the league championships,” Caulfield said.

“It is always the best meet where everyone swims fast and cheers each other on.”

Baseball The boys varsity baseball team has been very successful so far this season with an overall record of 5-1-1 and league record of 2-1.

“I’m excited to keep playing well and winning with my team,” Matt Voelker, a GBHS senior who is on the varsity baseball team, said. “So far we’re doing better than we expected.”

The team plans to keep the momentum going and win as many games as possible. They hope to play to the best of their ability and make GBHS proud.

Gazette photo /CARISSA LEWIS

Boys’ Volleyball Currently, the GBHS boys varsity volleyball team has an overall record of 9-3 and league record of 3-2.

“It has been exciting watching our team improve because at the beginning of our season we weren’t very cohesive due to having brand new setters and our hard work has started paying off,” said Kevin Yang, a GBHS senior on the varsity volleyball team.

Yang said he was very impressed with how the team has been performing because even though they won league and sections last year, many of their key players graduated.

The team has set the goal to do as good as last year or even better even with the loss of so many players.

Softball The girls’ softball team has been improving over the years and have been working especially hard this season.

“The season has been going great,” GBHS senior Lyllian Franco, who is varsity softball team player, said. “I’m most excited for more games and hopefully more wins with my favorite girls.”

The varsity team has a 8-4 record overall and 2-1 league record.

They are hoping to make it to playoffs this season.

Franco said she is sure the team will keep improving as the season progressing and that she is excited to see just how well they can do.

Girls’ Lacrosse Bouncing back from the break-up of a tight knit squad last year will be a struggle the girls must overcome to recreate and improve on last years successes.

Tara Zameri, a junior who has played on the varsity girls lacrosse team for the past two years, says “ a lot of talent is on the team this year and good players life each other up so I can see us taking that energy very far this season.

Making the section playoffs is another important goal of the girls varsity lacrosse team this year as well.

“We will definitely miss all the personalities that made the lacrosse environment one big family,” Zameri said.

Boys’ Lacrosse A second year varsity player James Spargo hopes to make his mark in helping the team improve from their impressive season in 2016.

In this 2017 season “hopefully we will be able to pick up where we left off last year and win sections and further accolades.”

Shooting for playoffs and hopefully a section title, the boys lacrosse team is fired up to get their season underway.

“This year’s seniors are all incredible athletes and, just as important, incredible leaders,” said James Spargo.

Boys’ Tennis Boys tennis, competing in singles and doubles this year, is hoping to prove themselves against other good competition in their league this year by building off last year’s team chemistry.

“We were able to improve our tennis abilities and develop a better synergy with the team last year,” David Song, a sophomore tennis player, from last year explained.

Track “We did lose a good amount of talented seniors, but the talent from the underclassmen is phenomenal,” GBHS senior long distance runner, Trey Lockwood, said.

The 2017 season looks to be heading towards the record books because “the new freshmen on the team are training and competing well”.

With a few successful meets under their belts, GB plans to only get better as the season progresses.

–Team records current as of March 31

Gazette photo /LOGAN EMBREE

Gazette photo /SURINA KHURANA

w Drew Robles, top left, swings pole vaults at a track meet. Ethan Smith, top right, runs with the ball in one of the boys’ varsity lacrosse games. Isabella Garcia, big center, practices pitching with one of her teammates at practice. Katie Misik, middle left, runs a relay race at the first track meet of the season. Brandon Chinnapongse, middle right, prepares to catch the ball as he sits in the catcher stance during a game last week. Chloe Miller, bottom left, dives into the pool as she starts one of her races for the GBHS varsity swim team.

Gazette photo /MACAYLA THOMAS

GS The Gazette’s arts and entertainment guide.

April 2017

GREENSCREEN A look into events that will be celebrating Earth Day

PAGES 10 &11 Special to the Gazette/ BRAYDEN JOHNK

Page 2

April 2017

sneak peek.

Special to the Gazette/ JESSE ULI

wSee page 3 Music Festival previews

Gazette photo/ BRAYDEN JOHNK

wSee pages 10 & 11 Earth Day!

wSee page 20 Dress Guide

Are the rich and famous as well off as we think?

E

Celebrities use social media to flaunt their wealth

It is not necessarily the celebrities’ entire fault. People want to see ver since the creation of social media, the idea of being rich or wealthy has transformed dramatically. their tangible goods, but isn’t there a point when it is enough?

The famous, such as singers, actors and athletes, have The very idea that one needs to display their luxuries has made always been people that seem to be the wealthy, but this generation many of the rich throw out their money rather than be smart and has sculpted the idea even further. conserve some of it. This irresponsibility has put many of the rich Now people who are rich are constantly showing off their maand famous into major financial setbacks. terialistic items as a way to represent their wealth. And, often the On the extreme end of the spectrum, some even have had to file people who are in the public eye that aren’t rich yet are still seen as for bankruptcy: Mike Tyson, Nicholas Cage, and mentioned above someone that should indulge in riches. as one of the flaunters, 50 Cent.

The idea has shifted from “one is wealthy In July of 2015, 50 Cent filed for a Chapbecause of their hard work” to “one is wealthy ter 11 personal bankruptcy protection. This if they have luxury items.” exact thing happens to celebrities who end As the generations keep progressing, I can up spending more than they actually make. only predict that the ideas of being rich will Filing for bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily become more and more superficial. mean you’re poor, but it does show a sign of The examples of this are endless. The Karirresponsibility or downfall in one’s finances. dashians, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Tyga, Scott You hear of movie stars making millions per Disick, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber. movie, or singers who make millions on their – all people in the public eye that are constanttours, and you see how they make this money ly flaunting their riches via Twitter, Instagram through all of their lavish lifestyles that they and Snapchat. And this is quickly sculpting display to the public. But what the public what people perceive as rich. doesn’t seem to acknowledge is how much On the opposite side of the spectrum, there money these celebrities are losing by keeping kcologna.gazette@gmail.com are plenty of celebrities who have materialistic up with their appearances. items, but also donate much of their money to Is it worth it? Most celebrities work their charities. whole life to get to where they want to be in their careers, but as From Elton John, Carrie Underwood, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks soon as they get there they throw all their money away and once to Taylor Swift, they have decided to display much of their wealth they are done with their career they have nothing left. by participating and donating money to charities.

Celebrities should live their life with luxurious experiences and But is that really rich? Our society has let social media change the treat themselves to riches, but there’s a point when they have to entirety of something in our world. When did luxury cars, jewelry, choose between thinking smart or falling into the public’s view of clothes and houses all become the definition of wealth? Yes, they what being rich and famous means. have always been a sign of wealth, but now it is expected for a *** wealthy person to have grand items to be perceived as rich.

Katie Cologna, a junior, is a Gazette Greenscreen editor

COMMENTARY

katie cologna

Guide to Green Screen

Page 3 Music Festivals

Page 8/9 Music reviews

Page 4 Artist of the month

Page 10/11 Earth day

Page 5 4/20 at GB Page 6/7 Food reviews

Page 12 Top Tweets Page 13 Fake Holidays

Gazette Photo /LOGAN EMBREE

Upcoming GBHS Eventsfor April April 7-8 “The Unfortunates” Spring musical April 8-17 Spring break April 17 Finance course deadline

Page 14 IB film project

Page 17 Vintage reviews

Page 15 Senior Ball preview

Page 18/19 Movie reviews

Page 16 Spring Break

Page 20 Dress Guide: Senior Ball

April 2017

Page 3

music festivals.

(Bottle)ROCK out at a music festival for a (Coac)HELLA good time A peek into the upcoming music festival season and what to look forward to

Special to the Gazette /JESSE ULI

Musicians perform at Coachella in April of 2016 at the various stages put up at the venue, Empire Polo Club in Indio.

BY WHITNEY KNORP

wknorp.gazette@gmail.com

G

et out your most bohemian and Urban Outfitters-esque outfits because the spring music festival season has arrived.

Every year, one can find several Granite Bay High School students enjoying themselves at California music festivals, whether it’s Snowglobe in Tahoe in the winter, or Coachella, Bottlerock, Stagecoach and Outside Lands in the warmer months.

Most music festivals take place over a period of three days – Friday through Sunday – and feature multiple stages throughout its large venue that hold dozens of artists over those three days, so the festival-goers have endless options of who they want to see perform. People also have the option of buying a three-day ticket or cheaper one-day tickets.

Haylee Miller is a GBHS senior who attended Bottlerock in Napa last year and plans to go again this year.

“Festivals are more diverse than concerts because there are multiple artists playing instead of one,” Miller

said, “so you are more likely to be exposed to different types of music and artists that you might discover that you’ll like.”

Because many music festivals take place in large, open venues, they are often filled with food and drink stands, art and other things that draw in festival-goers so that there is more than music alone in the entirety of a festival experience.

Summer Dougan, a GBHS senior who likes to attend Coachella, Snowglobe and Stagecoach, says that these additions make festivals more enjoyable for her.

“I really enjoy how a lot of festivals tie art into their themes and have various art galleries throughout the venue,” Dougan said. “With each festival having unique pieces of artwork, I have been able to see the broad spectrum of what ‘art’ is identified as.”

While music festivals are a lot of fun for some students, it takes a lot of planning in advance to make the whole event come together.

“Depending on a festival location, a lot of planning can go into it,” Miller said. “Most tickets go on sale months before the event, therefore you must plan ahead with your friends, how you will travel, accommodations and how early to start saving for the expenses that come

with going to a festival.”

For GBHS senior Drew Robles, Bottlerock will be his first music festival experience this upcoming May. “I’m looking forward to going to a music festival because it is a great way to discover new bands and artists and see the bands and artists you know and love,” Robles said. “You also get to spend time with friends and experience something great with each other.”

This music festival season can count on many big headliners drawing the crowds.

Coachella will have artists that include Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar. Some of Bottlerock’s biggest acts will be Maroon 5, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Stagecoach, a country music festival in Indio, CA, will feature Dierks Bentley, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney.

Miller said that her favorite music festival memory was watching the Lumineers at Bottlerock, but she really looks forward to the upcoming acts of 2017 as well.

“I’m most excited to see Maroon 5, Fitz & the Tantrums, The Naked & Famous and Gavin DeGraw,” Miller said. “I haven’t seen them live yet and they are bands I listen to often.”

Page 4

April 2017

current.

Top Tweets Spirited tweets by Granite Bay High School students

BY NATALIE HATCH

nhatch.gazette@gmail.com

Netflix Picks

Twitter

BY ANJALI SHRIVASTAVA

ashrivastava.gazette@gmail.com

1. Holy Hell Ever wanted to join a cult? Watch this documentary to better understand the internal workings of such groups, and see peacocks in an entirely different light.

2. Chef’s Table This docu-series explores the origins of several restaurants, and the culinary geniuses behind them. After watching an episode, you’ll be impressed by the cinematography, inspired by the chef’s abilities and extremely hungry, of course.

3. Black Mirror It’s the perfect mix of dystopia and technology. Each episode ends with a chilling observation that critiques some aspect of modern-day society, and will leave you wondering why you haven’t heard of this show before.

4. Snowpiercer The world has become uninhabitable, and the last remnants of humanity survive on a train that travels on a circular track indefinitely. Watch as the impoverished residents of the train’s tail section attempt to overthrow the God-like captain in the front of the train, and enjoy all the revelations offered by this unique concept.

Getting in a fight over a neck and getting it banned at school? Ah cmon that’s a neck

Scotty Luong

@LuongScotty

36 Likes

Girls Lacrosse gets to go to San Fransisco while Band is going to Stockton? Man I picked to wrong activity/gender

Kyle Sundquist @Kiiiiiile

0 Retweets

61 Likes

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE SENIOR GIRLS

Anna Wilkie

@anna_wilkie26

0 Retweets

20 Likes

person: i just found out i have cancer student athlete: cancer? ha! try running bleachers keep grinding 1.12.15 soccer4lyfe

ave m!l

@averymilner_

MEMES

5 Retweets

12 Retweets

106 Likes

The Gazette is celebrating the creativity of the internet and social media by choosing some of their favorite memes. None of these memes are the Gazette’s original content...but we still like them.

OF THE MONTH

Compiled By Natasha Chanda

April 2017

sky high.

Page 5

Sacramento: the City of Tree Students discuss the holiday of 4/20 in the Granite Bay community

Gazette photo /AMANDA PRATHER

C

BY BRIAN DING

bding.gazette@gmail.com

alifornia has recently passed proposition 64, which has legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

The holiday 4/20, also known as National Weed Day, is known as a time for people celebrate the occasion by smoking and advocating for the legalization of cannabis for other states.

Whether or not people in Granite Bay High School smoke or not is not the question, but rather how they view the new changes to the state of California. There are numerous students in Granite Bay who smoke, for medical purposes or just for recreational use.

A GBHS junior who requested to remain anonymous said that he chooses to spend the holiday of 4/20 by finishing a long day of work and returning home to let off steam.

“Smoking is a great way for me to calm down and to loosen up for the day,” said anonymous.

While he understands that excessive smoking isn’t ideal for the body, they choose often choose to smoke occasionally.

He had only started smoking fairly recently, as he lives by himself has multiple commitments to meet.

According to Paul Armentano, deputy director of the Norml Organization, “The adoption of the term ‘4/20’ in the modern American lexicon speaks to the unique cultural foothold marijuana possesses in society” Armentano said.

“The main issue is that not all states have legalized the recreational usage of marijuana,” Armentano said, “Unlicensed purchasing and growing of marijuana often leads to arrest, incarceration, and a criminal record.” .

Armentano along with the Norml Organization advocate for lawmakers, especially at the federal level to amend marijuana laws with growing of the plants evolving legal and cultural status.

Currently more states are following up with the ideals of Proposition 64 in supporting marijuana laws, which include Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada, all of which passed measures in legalizing marijuana for recreational usage.

According to a poll conducted by the New

York Times, Prop 64 was passed with a 56.4 percent against 43.6 percent.

GBHS senior who asked to keep his real name anonymous, began smoking during sophomore year after a classmate had offered it to him.

“Smoking is a great way to enhance a feeling,” anonymous said.

For example, whenever he feels successful, smoking can be a way to make him feel even better.

“The holiday of 4/20 is a time where you smoke more marijuana than usual,” anonymous said, “or simply a time to get more high than usual.”

His experience all began with a fellow peer. He believes that the overall environment and culture that society has, imposes an effect upon the decision making of individuals. Because of factors such as movies and images on the internet, it only serves to encourage people to try smoking.

“The smoking culture in Granite Bay is definitely existent,” anonymous said, “and has been celebrated amongst many for quite some time.”

April 2017

Gazette Breakfast club Sutter Street Grill

BY JACK MCGRAIL

jmcgrail.gazette@gmail.com

A

ll french toast is not created equal. In the vast world of breakfast cafes, and all around restaurants, finding a unique breakfast dish is a tough task.

Sutter Street Grill, located on, wait for it … Sutter Street, is a classic, old, family owned breakfast and lunch grill.

On the old Folsom strip, Sutter Street Grill has been around for decades, keeping true to its homemade, high quality food.

While they did have a massive wait staff with all the servers and busboys rushing around everywhere, they seem unorganized and frantic, taking away a little bit from the relaxing breakfast atmosphere.

It is a pay at the front style cafe with a waiting stand outside and the cash register in the bar seating area, which may be confusing for first-time customers.

I ordered a sausage patty, a biscuit, hashbrowns, and eggs. All together it was about $10, which was not too expensive considering the amount of food I got.

The food came out surprisingly quickly, although we waited 20 minutes for a table. With 4 people, seating was tough to get a spot with the restaurant being so popular, especially on weekends.

The first thing I noticed was that the sausage patty was huge. The sausage was like a homemade hamburger patty sized sausage, easily the best and most flavorful I’ve ever had.

The biscuit, the size of a human baby’s head, was a thick, Southern style biscuit

Page 6

food.

The Gazette staff reviews local breakfast joints.

Farmhaus

served with jelly and butter. The sausage and biscuit together was a great combo.

The scrambled eggs were unoriginal yet yummy. Yet on the real, how creative can one really be with scrambled eggs?

The hashbrowns were crispy on the outside, and piping hot and fresh as well.

Sutter Street Grill has original, old pictures of local sports teams, and classic decorations that have been the same for years. With the inside and outside of the restaurant remaining more plain, customers can focus more on the highquality food.

Gazette photos / JACK MCGRAIL

Sutter Street Cafe is a great place for breakfast biscuts as well as french toast.

BY WHITNEY KNORP

I

wknorp.gazette@gmail.com

’ve spent many nights and mornings dining at Farmhaus since its opening around three years ago. Its location right off of Auburn Folsom Road in Granite Bay makes it an extremely convenient spot for dining.

Farmhaus carries the essence of its name in the aesthetic of the restaurant – it has many decorations that remind you of a farmhouse, but it is done in a very classy way that keeps it looking chic and modern while homely at the same time.

Farmhaus is closed Mondays and opens Tuesday-Sunday at 11 a.m., on which days they will only serve lunch and dinner. Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays only.

When it comes to Farmhaus’ food, the menus have limited options, but all the food is grandiose and delicious.

Many of the listed foods change dayto-day based on chef’s choice, so it is a great spot for those who love to try new things. Personally, I’m not huge on trying new foods but I’m still always satisfied with Farmhaus’ options.

My go-to for brunch is the Farmhaus French Toast which comes with berries and vanilla honey whipped cream on top, and I complete my order with a side of bacon. The flavors of the french toast have just the right amount of sweetness, and the dish is clearly made with highquality ingredients.

If you are in a group of fruit lovers, I highly recommend ordering a Morning Fruit Bowl, which can be made to serve

two, four or six people. It provides many different sliced fruits that vary based on the season.

Other breakfast items include yogurt, oatmeal, omelettes, quiche, eggs benedict, smoked pastrami hash with eggs and potatoes and sides such as toast, potatoes and bacon.

If you prefer lunch food over breakfast food, the brunch menu offers plenty of lunch choices as well, such as salads, bowls, sandwiches and other lunch specials and favorites.

My favorite lunch item is the Haus Smoked Pastrami Sandwich for its incredible pastrami and ciabatta roll especially. The sandwich comes with caramelized onions, apples, whole grain mustard and monterey jack cheese, leaving you with many delicious flavorful choices.

However, the service is never a dealbreaker for me. The incredible food and lovely atmosphere of Farmhaus keep me coming back again and again.

Gazette photos /WHITNEY KNORP

Farmhaus offers a fantastic french toast and hot chocolate, as shown above.

Four Sisters Cafe

BY SIDNEY ZABELL

G

szabell.gazette@gmail.com

oing out to breakfast with friends is a great Saturday morning activity, and Four Sisters Cafe in Roseville definitely delivered what I was hoping for during my last visit.

The wait was longer than I expected – 40 minutes or so – but just as I started checking out Yelp to see what else was around, my buzzer buzzed, almost like they’d read my mind.

Our waiter came over to take our orders quickly, and everything on the menu looked oh-so-tasty to the point where I didn’t know where to start.

French toast? A classic sandwich? Eggs? What’s a girl to choose?

After some deliberation, I opted for the “Vegg Head Omelette” Packed with mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado and more, it sounded like a delicious choice that couldn’t go wrong. It also included potatoes on the side.

My omelette tasted like an average omelette, but the flavor of the avocado really spoke to me and stood out in the meal. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the side of potatoes, too – they were spiced perfectly and I almost liked them more than the omelette itself.

The bean sprouts on top of the omelette added a nice brightness and texture too, and were better than I initially thought they would be.

The potatoes were the highlight of the meal to me, so if I went back, I’d try out a

different entree to see if there’s something better that could rise above the fantastic flavor of those potatoes. I would say the price was reasonable for what the meal consisted of; $9.75 for the omelette and potatoes.

It was also nice to not have to wait for our waitress to come back with the receipt because we paid at the front instead.

If you are looking for a fresh spin on breakfast or brunch, I would recommend Four Sisters Cafe.

With it’s convenient location on Fairway Dr. in Roseville and broad menu, there’s something for everyone at Four Sisters.

I look forward to my next time eating there and had a very positive experience.

Four Sisters is a cozy and comfortable cafe that serves the best potatoes in town.

Gazette photo /SIDNEY ZABELL-

Page 7

April 2017

food.

The Original Pancake House

BY MAX SCHWARTZ

O

mschwartz.gazette@gmail.com

riginal Pancake House is a place that will always hold a special place in my heart. I have always gone there for my birthday meal, so when I had the opportunity to choose a breakfast place to review, I jumped at the opportunity.

Located on Fairway Dr. in Roseville, OPH has been pumping out delicious breakfast for years. I have never been disappointed on a trip to Original Pancake House.

Upon arriving, you are in a waiting area that is surrounded by the art that little kids have drawn, my art being some of it.

I had my order immediately ready, as I have had the same order for ten years now.

My order was the 49’er Flapjacks with a side of strawberries and hot chocolate.

The environment when you are waiting for your food is really comfortable with hand woven embroidery and special plates all around the eating area. If I could describe the restaurant atmosphere as a whole, it would be: homely.

My hot chocolate came first. It was really good because I was absolutely starving while waiting for the food. The hot chocolate came topped with a mound of whip cream and sprinkles, providing me great aesthetic pleasure alongside of the great taste. The drink isn’t watery like most restaurants, and has a very rich flavor. I finished the hot chocolate pretty quickly before my food came.

In about ten minutes, my food came looking the same way it always does.

The 49’er Flapjacks are three, very large thin pancakes, so they would take up the whole plate.

The flapjacks were very filling and the amount I can eat usually varies, but this time I was only able to finish half. They tasted great and the syrup on the side was clearly a quality syrup and did not taste cheap at all. The Flapjacks came topped with two pats of butter and were piping hot, but was not enough for the butter to be melted.

The strawberries seemed fresh and didn’t have a prepackaged taste.

The hash browns and eggs were both pretty standard, and were cooked to my liking: over easy. I usually like the quantity sizes of the hash browns to be bigger than the egg so I can mix the two together, and the sizes allowed me to do just that.

The paying process was in the front and involved no problems.

This one of my may experiences at OPH showed no different than the others, which was fantastic. The Original Pancake House serves fantastic pancakes and is in a convenient location in Roseville.

Gazette photo /MAX SCHWARTZ

iHop

BY AVANTHIKA PANCHAPAKESAN apanchapakesan.gazette@gmail.com

A

s someone who is always delighted to eat breakfast, even for dinner, I couldn’t wait to drive over on a Sunday Morning to iHop. As soon as I entered the restaurant, the aroma of pancakes and waffles overcame me. Overall, the environment was extremely joyful and inviting.

Upon entering, I was immediately seated and welcomed by a warm and welcoming employee. The vibrant and enthusiastic environment was still present as we were seated.

Since we came on a Sunday morning, the crowd did feel a little heavy at first.

Nonetheless, due to the large capacity of the restaurant, seating was quick.

I proceeded to order a side of hash browns and the chocolate chip pancakes.

As someone who is vegetarian, going out for breakfast is not very common.

However, the menu at iHop had various options for vegetarians.

As soon as I got the dish in at most 10 minutes, the presentation of the pancakes looked meticulous, neat and simple.

The powdered sugar was neatly dusted onto the pancakes. Since the pancakes did look a little flat at first, I was a little skeptical taking my first bite.

However I was proven wrong. The pancakes were fluffy and light. Though when I was served 4 pancakes, I might have to say otherwise.

In addition, I have to admit the powdered sugar on the pancakes made them taste a little too sweet alongside the chocolate chips and maple syrup.

Starbucks Due to the fact that the powdered sugar was only dusted on the topmost pancake, the first pancake was too sweet; however, the other 3 were moderately sweet.

On the other hand, the crisp hash browns with ketchup were a delicacy.

The golden potatoes were cooked perfectly, and as someone who loves potatoes, this was surely a treat.

Considering the portion size, the meal was set at a very reasonable price of about 15 dollars.

While the amount of pancakes may seem overwhelming to some, it might be favorable to go with a group of friends.

The service, and the food and the environment was extremely enjoyable.

So instead of waking up to a box of cereal on the weekend, think about picking up your wallet and treating yourself to a classic treat at iHop. iHop offers pancakes from plain to chocolate chip with many topping options.

Gazette photo / AVANTHIKA PANCHAPAKESAN

BY MEGAN NIMTZ

I

mnimtz.gazette@gmail.com

fast sandwich, I find it rich in flavor.

The combination of meat, poultry, cheese and carbohydrates makes this sandwich extremely filling.

A buttery, flaky croissant encloses the swiss, ham and egg creating the perfect breakfast sandwich.

In a single sandwich there is 450 calories which is just around the recommended amount for a breakfast meal.

If someone is in search of a quick and easy breakfast item, I would strongly recommend the ham, swiss and egg sandwich from Starbucks.

One of the best parts about the Starbucks corporation is the incredibly hardworking and friendly employees.

The drinks are never too watered down or too overly sweet and the prices of the drinks are not too expensive either. They are fairly reasonable and are served in convenient ready-to-go seasonal cups.

For this reason, upon countless others, is what makes Starbucks truly unique.

n this day and age, it is nearly impossible to find a person who has never heard of Starbucks.

This coffee shop grew from one single store in Seattle to a global phenomenon that has transformed millions of people into full-blown coffee enthusiasts.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it. I’ve had my fair share of coffees, teas and frappuccinos over the years. But, what keeps me and so many others coming back for more is the never-ending quality of not only the drinks themselves but the service as well.

As a creature of habit, I tend not to sway from my traditional order of a grande decaf iced caramel latte and a ham, swiss and egg breakfast sandwich.

With that being said, I stuck to my usual order and was not the least bit disappointed.

I enjoy the flavor of the caramel mixed with coffee. I don’t find it too sweet although some might want to ask for a little less syrup if they don’t have as much of a sweet tooth as I do.

Since Starbucks is so incredibly versatile, they also offer this drink hot. Starbucks is a classic and quick The caramel latte is one of the most spot for breakfast in Granite Bay, popular drinks on the menu for custom- and all around the world. ers who adore the taste of coffee and also for people who aren’t infatuated with the flavor, it truly is a perfect combination.

One of the best parts about this drink is that it is not too unhealthy.

The amount of sugar in the grande size (16 ounces) is around 20-30 grams.

The caramel syrup adds the sweeter, and therefore more sugary, element to the drink which can be easily decreased upon the request of less syrup.

Gazette photo /MEGAN NIMTZ As for the ham, swiss and egg break-

Page 8

April 2017

tune in.

More Life Drake

BY CONNOR HINSON

H

chinson.gazette@gmail.com

ip-hop’s walking meme is back, promising “more chunes for (our) headtops,” so long as we watch how we speak on his name.

When More Life was finally announced, following 2016’s lackluster Views, it was revealed not as Drake’s next album, but “a playlist by October firm.”

This 22-track monstrosity opens with “Free Smoke,” a song which sounds like a throwaway from Views (which itself was a throwaway). This, unfortunately, sets the tone for the majority of the album: sloppy leftovers punctuated by a few certified bangers.

“No Long Talk,” produced by Murda Beatz of “Pipe It Up” fame, fits into the latter category, but only if you can get passed Drake’s insufferable fake Jamaican accent (real ting

eh?). The Giggs’ feature on this joint is passable, but definitely not a standout all things considered.

The best feature comes in the form of an interlude by Grime legend Skepta. His two verses are no doubt the best on the album, breaking up much of the monotony of Drake’s constant struggle bars.

Like on Views, Drake comes through with quite a few Dancehall-inspired tracks, most of which go off better than “Controlla” or “One Dance.”

While I could easily see “Passionfruit” jumping to the top of the charts this summer, “Get it Together,” featuring production by Black Coffee, has a far more interesting beat.

On “Portland” Drake teams up with Quavo and Travis Scott to deliver a track that sounds like a drug-free answer to Future’s “Mask Off.” On paper I really don’t want to like this song, but the beat is too damn

cheery not to enjoy.

“Ice Melts,” “Glow” and “Fake Love” are high points that are all interesting enough to warrant repeated listens, but there are way too many low points to name them all. Drake is still Drake, so there are still plenty of “feel bad for me because I’m famous” bars.

At one point on the track “Gyalchester,” Drake proudly proclaims “I don’t take naps,” as if it’s the most badass thing anyone has ever said.

On “KMT,” Drake chooses to blatantly rip off the flow of underground bad-boy Xxxtentacion from his song “Look at Me.” It’s not like he hasn’t jacked the flow of a smaller artist before though (see: Migos triplets).

More Life is painfully repetitive. The few moments that shine are overshadowed by track after track of lazy beats and lazy bars.

I’m still a Drake fan, but certainly not willingly.

Mansionz Mansionz

BY AMANDA PRATHER

aprather.gazette@gmail.com

P UMG Recordings

Mansionz was released on March 24, 2017.

A

Skip to: “Wicked”

op, rap, alternative or none of the above? Mansionz covers it all in their self-titled debut album, Man-

sionz.

Blackbear, normally a solo artist, and Mike Posner (known for his 2009 single “Cooler Than Me”), have joined together to form this new group.

Previously, Blackbear released several solo albums, and if I had to summarize all of them, I’d say they are quite relatable for your average pessimist.

Mike Posner, however, has reinvented himself as an edgy rapper instead of the quirky pop artist seen in “Cooler Than Me” or “Bow Chicka Wow Wow” from his past.

The two have a very similar voices while both bringing a separate mood to the album.

Each song is surprising in a new way, and may even sound like a different genre.

Some may think this creates a discordant sound, but I enjoyed the new tones of each track.

The album flowed so well because the ending of some of the tracks are continued in the beginning of the next, so listening to the album in order is important.

With featured artists such as G-Eazy and Soren Bryce, the album explores rap while still bringing meaning to the lyrics and melodies.

Some, like “Wicked,” one probably couldn’t get through without wanting to dance.

However, others like “i’m thinking about horses” feels more like a rant than a song.

In this 6 minute monologue of “i’m thinking about horses,” Mike Posner speaks of things ranging from God to sex to actual horses, and rounds it out by ending with death.

As weird of an experience listening to this was, some of the ideas he expressed were thought-provoking to say the least.

Young Money Entertainment/ Cash Money Records

More Life was released March 18, 2017.

C Skip to:

“Get it Together”

Posner speaks of religion in a way that avoids offending anyone, but addresses the confusion some experience when trying to grasp the idea that is God. “Wicked” is definitely that song to get up and dance to.

Both Blackbear and Mike Posner really challenged their voices and hit high notes that many male singers can’t reach.

“Gorgeous” is a nice change of perspective from Blackbear, given that most of his songs depict women as objects and less like beings to be respected.

Dennis Rodman, yes the actual Dennis Rodman, is featured in this album. Who knew he was a man of many talents? In the track “Dennis Rodman,” Dennis himself has a rap section that is hilarious but actually good all in one, as he speaks about and defends himself about being a “has been.”

Bringing together these two solo artists to create Mansionz was unexpected, but exceeded my expectations for their first album together.

American Teen Khalid

BY ISABELLA TKACHUK

I

itkachuk.gazette@gmail.com

was never really a fan of R&B to be completely honest. When I discovered Khalid, however, the genre became music to my ears.

Khalid is the new voice of our generation.

His youth adds a flare to his R&B style, which develops a voice for his album American Teen.

The album in itself is one of my favorites as a whole. Every song has its own creative twist – mostly upbeat, but still sending the message of preserving youth, and ultimately describing the life of an American teen.

The arrangement of songs in American Teen is supposed to show the innocent oblivion that youth in society obtain, beginning with his first song, “American Teen.”

As the album goes on, it approaches the more realistic aspects of life for Khalid,

with “Cold Blooded” and “Winter.”

“Cold Blooded” describes how he feels betrayed by a woman he was close to, and he is beginning to realize that it’s difficult to continue this toxic relationship.

The last few songs in his album are more somber, with “Keep Me,” “Shot Down” and, finally, “Angels.”

The final songs really do their job in showing how corrupt youth can be and how reality is more present than our imaginations.

The contrasts are shown because of the way Khalid begins his album with songs that show off a more carefree lifestyle, then eases it into the harsh realities of life.

With his first and only full-length album out at age 18, Khalid has gained a lot of attention because of the third song of his album, “Location.”

“Location” has a really catchy beat, but it’s catchiness is what makes it repetitive.

It got very annoying after awhile, but I can definitely see why it’d be the more popular of the album.

Though I don’t really have an all time favorite song from American Teen, I can say that the one that plays most often in my car is “8TEEN,” which has a very likeable beat and an uplifting feel.

The song describes Khalid as an 18-yearold and basically shows that he yearns for the independence he may not exactly feel he has yet at this age.

Overall, this album is one of the better ones I have heard in the R&B genre. I give it up to Khalid for changing my views and allowing me to develop a new perspective and enjoy American Teen with no real skepticism.

Though the majority of his music is still unheard by many, it has potential to ultimately transform the music tastes of our generation.

RCA Records

American Teen was released on March 3, 2017.

A

Skip to: “8TEEN”

April 2017

Page 9

tune in.

Heartworms The Shins

BY DEAN WILSON

A

dwilson.gazette@gmail.com

s popular music is an ever-changing entity, artists must adapt to the public’s taste to be successful in the business.

Typically, this results in a sacrifice of originality in order to pander to an audience, and in turn make some sweet, sweet money. This is more commonly known as “selling out.”

Doing so changes bands into something that may not even be related to what they began as. They move away from the sound that they captured their audience with to generic tunes.

The Shins and their newest album Heartworms are the definition of selling out.

Heartworms features so many generic pop songs that you’d think you’re listening to a 13-year-old girl’s playlist.

For example, the song “Half a Million” features lyrics that cater to teenagers and twenty-

somethings backed by a standard dance beat.

There is a lack of character in the tune, which contradicts the multi-layered tracks that we are accustomed to from The Shins.

On their award winning album Chutes Too Narrow, the diversity on each of the tunes is the sound that made the band stand out and gain the popularity that they have now.

Songs on that album like “Saint Simon” are incredible because they feature multiple guitars, impressive vocal harmony and a subtle drum track that hangs in the back of the song.

In Heartworms, the only diverse instrument that I heard was some super quiet steel drums in the backing of some songs.

Besides that, the melody of the song was generated by computer-generated beats and silly space sounds. Not to say that computer generated tracking isn’t a good way to produce music, but only in the hands of someone gifted… not The Shins.

There was only one song that I actually

enjoyed on the album. “Rubber Balz” was far more simplistic and most closely related to the old sound of The Shins. It even resembled Frankie Vallie-esque sounds.

Being a long time fan of the band, the most frightening thing about this album was that it was abundantly clear that The Shins lost their sense of direction for their music.

Two tracks in particular, “Cherry Hearts” and “Painting a Hole,” were especially terrible. Both are tunes that one would never expect from The Shins if they stepped back ten years ago. It seems as if the band threw in every sound effect they’d heard in a Pink Floyd album or Sci-Fi movie with some singing placed over it.

This album is disappointing because after listening to it, I felt as if I was saying goodbye to one of the bands that I had enjoyed over the years.

Bring back the old Shins, and lay off the science fiction movies for a while.

Columbia Records

Heartworms was released March 10, 2017.

D+

Skip to: “Rubber Ballz”

Healed by Metal Grave Digger

BY JACK MCGRAIL

jmcgrail.gazette@gmail.com

O

Napalm Records

Healed by Metal was released on January 13, 2017.

A-

Skip to: “Hangman’s Eye”

n Jan. 13, Grave Digger released yet another metal album. In other news, the sky

is blue.

Welcome to 2017, where we are ready for new musical beginnings and yet another basic, heavy death-metal album by the Diggers.

Grave Digger is a metal rock band formed in November of 1980. Making music for nearly two centuries before I was even born, Grave Digger has been churning out essentially the same heavy-hitting, hardcore rock music that is both loved and hated by listeners.

With a recurring theme of resurrection, war and hell, Grave Digger never strays from its dark topics. Healed

by Metal, which consists of 13 songs, including three bonus tracks, lived up to this long legacy.

Throughout the long history of the band, many members have left, and new hard rockers have taken their place. The most current Grave Digger concoction has Chris Boltendahl on the bass guitar and vocals, Axel Ritt on the guitar, Jens Becker on the bass guitar, Stephan Arnold on the drums and Marcus Kneip on the keyboard.

Marcus Kneip was added most recently, yet despite the 21 different musicians that have performed in the band, Grave Digger’s well-known sound has stuck around and remained essentially the same.

Chris Boltendahl’s raspy yell carries on the Grave Digger legacy of loud, screeching vocals plastered over the impressive, yet jumbled and unorga-

nized guitar plus drums soundtrack.

The distinct German accents of the vocalists is sometimes not even noticed by new listeners on this new album.

Despite the annoying shortcomings and unoriginal song topics, Grave Digger’s new album, is fun to lose control and rock out to.

“Hangman’s Eye,” the best song of the album, actually had discernible lyrics and a catchy chorus. One of the best extreme metal songs I have heard since Judas Priest’s “Painkiller.”

Stephan Arnold’s drum work, however similar to past Grave Digger drummers, is quite impressive.

Overall, this album was surprisingly enjoyable because, despite its small audience, this album brought me back to many heavy metal bands from my childhood.

So Good Zara Larsson

BY JACK KEHOE

S

jkehoe.gazette@gmail.com

wedish pop star Zara Larsson can be a bit much for some people to take in, given her personality, but her music reveals quality.

In So Good. various pop and R&B songs take the stage, along with some slow, balladlike songs towards the end of the album.

Larsson is relatively new to the music industry, having picked up her career after winning Talang Sverige, Sweden’s equivalent of America’s Got Talent.

So Good features a glittery personality and encouraging lyrics. It makes people feel as if they are in the middle of the summer.

Within the album, the best example of how upbeat the tracks are would be “Ain’t My Fault,” with its commanding lyrics and fastmoving beats. It makes you feel in charge and able to do anything.

But there’s also the feeling of slowness, in songs such as “TG4M.” This song in the al-

bum is notably mellow compared with the rest of the tracks, and steers in a new direction.

What’s great is that just these two songs could cater to different moods, helping someone feel better if needed.

Often, these songs, along with others in the album, will come on in the car on the radio.

People can’t help but jam to the upbeat songs.

Zara Larsson embodies the look of the typical pop star who also sports the latest trends, so she’s easy to relate to and follow based on interest.

Her songs have ranged from many topics, but relevant ones include a fight over loving someone but being unable to express it or even just a song about “girl power” anthems.

With So Good, Larsson aimed high. She was motivated by Beyoncé to reach for the highest she can in her music career. Spotify is a huge platform for her, too, because people often use the app to find songs to dance to.

With her songs, getting into the mood of dancing or feeling the lyrics is easy, because of how they relate to issues lots of people

have encountered, such as relationship troubles, having someone they like but can’t talk to or believing in the power of themselves.

Larsson has said that lots of insight for this album came from her life experiences as well.

People may think this album is leaning towards girl struggles, but guys can and should enjoy this music just as much as girls. Music has always been meant for all to enjoy and relate to.

Larsson goes further to relating to her fan base in having discussions and voicing her open opinion on matters such as birth control or relationship troubles.

Any way you look at Zara Larsson, she’s a young pop singer who wants to be known and give her meaningful words to others through song.

Throughout her music is a vast amount of emotions. You’ll find happiness, sadness, heartbreak, insight, understanding, thoughtdriven beliefs and beyond. Whatever kind of a mood you’re in, there’s likely a song of hers to match it.

Record Company TEN

So Good was released on March 17, 2017.

B

Skip to: “Ain’t My Fault”

Pages 10 & 11

April 2017

THE IMPACT OF EARTH DAY

How Granite Bay is raising awarness of their planet

W We want to help create a community of people who can reach out to one another and who can work together for a more sustainable region.

Gazette photo /LOGAN EMBREE

BY BRAYDEN JOHNK bjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

e sometimes forget to appreciate the awe-inspiring beauty surrounds us — instead becoming enveloped in daily, mundane tasks. This is why in 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed a day set aside for a “national teach-in on the environment.”

This day, April 22, became known as Earth Day.

Earth Day is a day to recognize the wonders of the planet and to give back through forms of participation, volunteerism and awareness.

According to Alexandra Reagan, The Director of Operations at the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), it’s also more than just a day of appreciation — it’s a call to action.

“We want to help create a community of people who can reach out to one another and who can work together for a more sustainable region,” Reagan said. “(Earth Day) recruits people to join the environmental movement.”

Over 1 billion people annually participate in various Earth Day activities throughout the globe, making it the largest civic observance world-wide.

There are countless activities, both organized and individual, that one can attend to make the most out of Earth Day 2017.

On a national scale, the Earth Day Network and the March for Science are co-organizing a rally and teach-in at the National Mall in Washington D.C. Presented as both a national celebration and an environmental demonstration, it will offer speeches, educational opportunities, musical performances and a march through the city.

On a more local scale, ECOS is hosting its annual Sacramento Earth Day event on Sunday, April 23 at Southside Park in Sacramento.

The theme this year is Environmental

and Climate Literacy. With this theme, Reagan hopes to promote increased awareness in the Sacramento region.

“We need to empower everyone with the knowledge to inspire action in defense of environmental protection,” Reagan said.

Along with live music and delicious plant-based food options, the event will include numerous exhibits presenting practical information, products and services designed to educate the community on how to create healthy habits for themselves and for the environment.

“If we can reach people living in this region and give them more access to the resources they need to reduce their impact on the environment, then we’ve reached our goal,” Reagan said.

Similar to the Sacramento event, Sierra College in Rocklin is also holding an Earth Day celebration on the Thursday before Earth Day (April 20), where people can enjoy the day through music, booths, demonstrations, artwork and more. On Friday, April 21, Lee Stetson, in a one-man production, will be performing as environmentalist John Muir in the play “John Muir Among the Animals,” held in the Dietrich Theatre on the Rocklin campus.

Aside from these events, the City of Roseville is also hosting The Roseville Earth Festival on April 22 at Mahany Regional Park, including entertainment, food, and even a scavenger hunt.

Supporting environmental advocacy, the Granite Bay High School National

Honor’s Society (NHS) Chapter is holding a volunteering opportunity for its members at this Roseville event.

“We felt like it would be a good way to help with the community and give back in a different way,” GBHS senior and NHS Vice-President Surina Khurana said.

Khurana is not only excited about this activity, but also sees Earth Day in a greater light.

“Earth Day is a day to take a moment and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us and recognize how fortunate we are to live on the Earth,” Khurana said.

The GBHS Outdoors Club lives Khurana’s philosophy every day. They are supporting Earth Day by volunteering at the California State Parks Foundation Restoration and Clean Up event held at the Auburn State Recreation Area on April 22.

Erin Dougherty, a GBHS junior and active member of the Outdoors Club, finds Earth Day as time for her to “reflect more on nature.”

She looks forward to events like the Auburn clean-up, as they are extensions of her personal mindset.

“I think more people need to be aware that the Earth does basically everything for us,” Dougherty said. “It is the reason we’re here, so we should take its protection seriously.”

John Thomas, GBHS Earth Science and CP Biology teacher, also sees Earth Day as a time to promote environment protection and create a lasting legacy.

“It raises awareness and gets people out to do something that they wouldn’t normally do,” Thomas said. “If little kids are involved, they remember that day they planted a tree or cleaned up the riverbank or beach.”

Thomas believes it is our duty as citizens to do our part in preserving the natural world.

“When you go somewhere just leave it cleaner than it was before,” Thomas said.

“Just get outside more and appreciate the outdoors and the environment.”

He doesn’t just want to see this attitude on Earth Day, however.

“I feel that we should look at every day as earth day,” Thomas said.

Page 12

April 2017

current.

Mixtape - Favorites

Artist of the Month NAPHTALI SEBASTIAN

1) How long have you been into art? What caused you to get into it?

I’ve always liked (art since I) was younger. I went through art 1, 2, 3 and 4 and I’m in AP now I always did little things, like drawing, but I didn’t start painting until high school in the art program.

BY EMILY TALMI

etalmi.gazette@gmail.com

1) Chanel – Frank Ocean Frank Ocean very recently debuted his new single, “Chanel”, where a lovely piano can be heard in the background throughout the song. Ocean constantly amazes with his meaningful lyrics and amazing execution of them.

2) I Can’t Go On Without You – Kaleo I can’t go on without you is featured on Kaleo’s album A/B, where the Icelandic vocalist, David Antonsson, amuses us with his raspy and calm voice. The song contains a strong guitar sound providing a coherent sound.

3) Still Wild – La Mar Still Wild starts off with a very calm beat and lyrics, then suddenly escalates to an amazing beat drop. Every emotion is felt while listening to this beautiful single by La Mar. 4) Seven Nation Army –The White Stripes Seven Nation Army is by far the best pump up song out there. The background track has a deep beat, providing an extremely motivating soundtrack.

5) Deep End –THEY THEY’s newly released album, “Nü Religion: Hyena,” featured this esoteric and not-mainstream rap song. This song provides an incredibly different experience for the listener and gets them wanting to hear more.

Gazette photo /MAX SCHWARTZ

2) Where does the inspiration come from for your art?

The inspiration mostly comes from my personal life and what is going on around me.

3) Why did you choose this painting as your favorite?

I think that (this painting) was the most different piece I have ever done. It could be considered weird compared to my other work. It was my first challenge because of the size and the different style from my other work.

4) Do you have any rituals that you do every time you paint?

I listen to music. It doesn’t really matter what genre as long as I have music playing.

5) Who are your biggest influences in art?

Definitely the graffiti artist, Herakut. I think their style is super cool and unique. Connor Harrington is another one because he is super expressive in his art and that really appeals to me with art.

Compiled by Max Schwartz

Follow Friday

Instagram

For some artsy plane pictures, or someone to take your senior portraits, follow @aerobphoto

Compiled by Caroline Palmer

FRESHMAN 2020 vs .

VS. SENIOR 2017 What is your favorite memory of Granite Bay High School this year?

Alex Nash, a GBHS freshman.

Miracle Cariaga, a GBHS senior.

Alex – My favorite moment at GBHS was my first high school cheer game and Grizzly Retreat.

Miracle – My favorite memory is probably Grizzly Retreat. I went to one when I was a freshman and before senior year, and that was really fun.

Compiled by Sidney Zabell

April 2017

Page 13

fake holidays.

Every day is a Holiday Unheard of holidays are celebrated by some around the GBHS campus

BY MCKENNA ARAM

F

maram.gazette@gmail.com

rom National Yellow Pig Day to National Create a Vacuum Day, fake holidays provide a quirky sense of fun for Americans.

Unlike Christmas or Thanksgiving, fake holidays occur every single day of the year – and are most unheard of.

Though they give people excuses to celebrate things they wouldn’t normally, such as National Chocolate Day, fake holidays were primarily created for business promotion.

Grand Traverse Pie Company has multiple locations all over the United States and celebrates National Pi Day, March 14, every year with handouts, contests and rewards including free pie year round.

“We have been celebrating Pi Day for several years by offering a free slice of pie on Pi Day in our shops,” a representative from Grand Traverse Pie Company said.

“We believe that when we share pie it makes people happy and happy people make the world a better place.”

Fake holidays centered around food are commonly celebrated by restaurants, including discounts and promotions in order to raise funds or gain popularity.

For example, IHOP has been giving out free stacks of pancakes on National Pancake Day every year since 2006. All they ask for is a possible donation to help raise money for charities.

Since 2006, IHOP has raised over $24 million for charity due to National Pancake Day. “I went to IHOP with my friends Jessica Williams and Alexis Hazelette in the morning,” GBHS junior McKenzie Gerbitz said. “I thought it would be fun just to go get free pancakes.”

Other promotions commonly advertised by restaurants include holidays such as National Taco Day (Oct. 4), National Burger Day (Aug. 27) and Deep Dish Pizza Day (April 5).

Fast food chain Taco Bell sold 50 cent tacos on National Taco Day while Chevy’s gave out free tacos for a year for customers who could finish a four pound taco in under 30 minutes.

These chains promoted the holiday nationwide, including local Roseville locations.

Business promotions come hand in hand with awareness and fun on national holidays.

“People need reasons to celebrate and can connect with these types of holidays, all in good fun,” the Grand Traverse Pie Company representative said.

Similarly, fake holidays provide excuses to do things one wouldn’t normally, such as participating in National Napping Day which takes place on March 13 of every year. “ I actually took a two hour nap on National Napping Day which I hadn’t done in a while, but I was just so tired I really needed it,” GBHS junior Katie Hunter said. “ I think fake holidays are just fun, no one ever takes them too seriously.”

Fake holidays have been created by a few creative citizens, such as John-Bryan Hopkins.

Hopkins is a food writer from Alabama who created the popular food website “Foodimentary” and has also inspired multiple fake holidays centered around food, such as Onion Ring Day and Oreo Cookie Day. Fake holidays continue to be submitted to the calendar by the day while providing a new, different sense of excitement for society.

“Fake holidays make life interesting and give you crazy things to celebrate,” Hunter said.

Gazette photo illustration/ NATASHA CHANDA

FREE

Page 14

April 2017

surf’s up.

IB Film works with professional surfer Nate Acker

CREATIVE COMMONS

“

It’s always difficult to portray somebody on film, so what we really had to work at was capturing the personality and the kind of person that he is.”

CREATIVE COMMONS

– Nash Rood, videographer

Students in the IB Film program created a short documentary about the Santa Cruz surfing scene.

BY DEAN WILSON

dwilson.gazette@gmail.com

W

ith Midterms behind them, the students of Granite Bay High School turn their focus to the festivities that await them during Spring

Break.

But there is one group of students on campus who have something more meaningful in mind. The IB Film class anxiously awaits the first impressions of the documentary that they have worked on for months.

Half way through the fall term, the class began the process of putting together a documentary, titled “Free,” involving professional surfer Nate Acker.

The effort continued until the end of December when the students submitted the final product to the Student Television Network (STN) to be reviewed by professionals.

The STN is a national association where students from all over the country submit their documentaries or short films to be reviewed.

The film was also submitted to the Northern California Media Educators Association (NCME), a local film association for students in the area. To enter into

the NCME however, the team had to modify their final product.

“We had to cut down the film to be under five minutes in order to fit in the requirement for this category,” IB Film teacher Andrew Weidkamp said.

Despite the added pressure of submitting their work to be reviewed nationally, the effort that the team put into the film has shown, causing an overwhelming sense of pride in their final product.

“The most difficult part of the process was putting the film together after all the planning,” videographer Connor Vivaldi said. “The logistics like planning and getting our subjects together and establishing a time and place made the execution difficult at times.”

The media team filmed in several different locations, including Fort Point in San Francisco and West Cliff in Santa Cruz.

The team seemed enthusiastic about the “adventure” they were taken on when filming, but the one thing that was abundantly clear was the high regard that they viewed Acker with.

“He was super helpful and really easy to work with,” Vivaldi said. “We were new to filming surfing, so he directed us to where the best place to be was and added

some really helpful advice.”

“It’s always difficult to portray somebody on film, so what we really had to work at was capturing the personality and the kind of person that he is,” filmer Nash Rood said.

The team agreed that Acker added an extra layer that the viewer could relate to because of his charisma.

Also present during the filming and editing process was Nate Acker’s daughter, Bella Acker, a junior at GBHS. “It was really cool to be able to be with my dad during the project. I was like his little secretary during the days where we filmed,” Bella said. “It definitely adds a more personal tone to the film because my dad is the subject.”

The documentary “Free” is having a screening in Folsom on April 20.

“For this first ‘unveiling’ of the film to the public, we’re kind of making fun of ourselves,” Weidkamp said. “We’re doing our own film festival, pulling out the red carpet, and dressing up.”

The film is planned to be released to the public soon, as well as the results of the film festival.

April 2017

Page 15

ball out.

See Ya

at Senior Ball

Peek into the plans for 2017’s upcoming formal dance

Special to the Gazette /BRIAN BAER

Krista Wischmann and Will Duval kiss in front of the Capitol while taking pictures before Senior Ball 2016.

AN

LM

l to

cia

e Sp

th

te

zet

a eG

L TA HN

/JO

A group of last year’s senior class poses for group pictures at the Capitol while dressed up for Senior Ball.

BY CAROLINE PALMER

F

cpalmer2.gazette@gmail.com

or many seniors, Senior Ball is one of the most anticipated events all year. It takes place just weeks before the class graduates, and gives the class an opportunity to be together for one of the last times.

This year, the class of 2017’s Senior Ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Sacramento on the night of April 6.

“It’s a great experience and it is a wonderful way to end the year with all of your friends and spend time with your class.” senior class vice president Daphne Peter said.

Groups of friends all across campus have already started preparations in trying to make it the perfect night.

One long standing tradition that many are looking forward to is the elaborate askings that seniors come up with to ask that special someone to be their date.

“It’s always been my favorite part of Senior

Ball season,” senior Brandon Hill said. “Just all of the crazy ways people come up with to ask.”

Another tradition that is much anticipated is taking pictures at the Capitol.

“Taking pictures was my favorite part (of the event) because it was right across the way from the venue” junior Lauren Brown, who first attended the event as a sophomore, said.

Brown said that she had a lot of fun and looks forward to going to senior ball again in the future.

This year the Senior Ball committee has changed some things to innovate the event and make it special for this year’s graduating class.

“We are setting up (the room) differently to make the environment more inclusive,” Peter said.

This year’s Senior Ball will also include more decorations in an effort to make the space feel fancier.

While there are many changes that are being made to this year’s event, Senior Ball is sure to be a lasting memory for the Class of 2017.

Special to the Gazette /MERILEE TAFOYA

Nikki Tafoya, Jaqueline Romero and Claire Raney, seniors from the class of 2016, take some candid laughing photos in preparation for their Senior Ball.

Page 16

sprang break.

April 2017

SPRING BREAK Mexicali and Disneyland tend to be popular favorites for holiday plans

Students spending time on the 2016 mission trip to Mexicali, Mexico as a part of Bayside Church in Granite Bay. The 2017 mission trip is scheduled for April 7 to April 15.

S

BY ASHLEY YUNG

ayung.gazette@gmail.com

pring Break is just around the corner, and students are using this week off from school to do all sorts of things.

Max Johnson, a junior at GBHS, decided to spend his Spring Break in Mexicali, Mexico with Bayside Church as part of a mission trip.

“I have been to Mexicali before,” Johnson said. “This is my third year doing it.”

Johnson chose to spend his Spring Break at Mexicali because he wants to help others.

“I like helping kids that are less fortunate than me and I enjoy teaching the word of God,” Johnson said.

Mexicali has been a part of Bayside church’s outreach ministry for many years and Johnson is only one of the many students going on the trip.

Another popular destination among students at GBHS is Disneyland.

Paige Erickson, a senior, will be going to Disneyland over Spring Break.

“I go to Disneyland almost every Spring Break because it is a tradition in my family,” Erickson said.

Erickson is excited to go on Space Mountain and Screamin’ because those are her two favorite rides.

While in the area, Erickson will also be stopping by Beverly Hills. “(There I will be) shopping and going to some of my favorite restaurants,” Erickson said.

Another place she is interested in seeing is the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, a college she has considered attending.

These are just two of the many people who are going places over Spring Break.

Mary Bushong, travel agent from AAA has some advice on some places to go if you haven’t booked a trip already.

She says that the perfect destination is different for each person.

“It really depends on your age and if you’re going with your families or not,” Bushong said.

She says that some popular vacation locations among clients are Florida, Mexico and Hawaii.

However, her personal favorite trip of all times was the one she took to Alaska.

“I loved the diversity of the climate, the wildlife, and the history of the Alaskan people,” Bushong said.

Bushong recommends traveling to other countries because it makes a person more aware of other cultures.

“You realize that not everybody is the same or thinks the same or acts the same or looks the same,” Bushong said. “You learn to respect other people’s cultures and the things they believe in.”

However, not everyone has plans over Spring Break. Some people are just staying at home.

Angelina Kolosey, a freshman, has advice on some local destinations to visit over Spring Break.

“There’s a lot of things you can do,” Kolosey said.

She recommends spending the day with friends by going to lunch and watching a movie.

“You could also go to a coffee shop… like Bloom or Origin,” Kolosey said.

However lunch and a movie can get boring and repetitive after a while.

“If you want to do something more adventurous then you can go to the Miner’s Ravine Trail or the Folsom Lake Trail,” Kolosey said.

She also recommends going to Old Sacramento for photo opportunities.

“I like (to take pictures in) Capital Park because they have a lot of different rose bushes,” Kolosey said.

Kolosey believes that you don’t have to travel out of the area to have fun over Spring Break.

“There are a lot of things to do in Sacramento,” Kolosey said.

April 2017

Page 17

2007 was 10 yrs ago?

Timeless Tunes and Groovy Movies

WESTLAKE RECORDING STUDIOS UNITED ARTISTS

Gazette editors review old movies and

BY WILL ANDERSON albums

wanderson.gazette@gmail.com

BY CONNOR HINSON

chinson.gazette@gmail.com

O

bjectively speaking, high school sucks. Hundreds of kids in the most awkward stages of their life are dropped into real school for the first time, and are expected to coexist peacefully for seven hours a day.

Now imagine you have a man hating, ultra-religious loon for a mother, no friends at school, and on top of that, you start to develop telekinetic super-powers that show themselves when you are at your most upset. Talk about a bummer.

Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 novel of the same name, opens on one of the most disturbing scenes put to cinema.

The titular character Carrie White has her period for the first time while showering after gym class. We realize that she has no idea why she’s bleeding as her mom never taught her about puberty, or anything remotely sexual for that matter.

Her fellow classmates see her distress, but instead of helping, they taunt her and physically abuse her by throwing tampons at her as she sit curled up on the floor of the bathroom.

The whole incident is extremely upsetting to watch, creating sympathy for Carrie within the first ten minutes.

As with any movie, “Carrie” is best viewed with as little prior knowledge as possible. This is especially true because the whole movie is essentially buildup to the explosive third act.

“Carrie” is so much more than its third act, however. It’s hard to put into words, but few films feel the same as “Carrie.” It is somehow hilariously campy while still being terrifying.

De Palm’s signature style shines in “Carrie.” His iconic use of split screen, split focus and a bright color palette lends itself well to the dreamy aesthetic of the film.

Similarly, the score by Pino Donaggio feels nostalgic even on its first listen, lulling the audience into a false sense of security that is quickly subverted by the town’s awful inhabitants.

Piper Laurie’s performance as Carrie’s mother is chilling. She is at once detestable and sympathetic; though her actions are disgusting, her intent is pure.

Sissy Spacek makes a excellent Carrie as well, reserved and oozing empathy.

“Carrie” is not a genre defining, watershed moment within horror cinema. I’m not going to pretend like it had some profound impact on the culture, either.

However, the reason “Carrie” is so important is that it’s a horror movie that doesn’t take itself all that seriously, and in doing so, allows its camp to enhance the horror elements. It renders the substance vs. style argument irrelevant because in “Carrie,” substance is found through style.

M

ichael Jackson’s Thriller is second to none.

Not only is this masterpiece one of the best albums from the 1980’s, but it’s one of the best albums of all time.

“The Joshua Tree” by U2, “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, “Illmatic” by Nas and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonley Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles are the only other works that can compare to Jackson’s sixth studio album.

I say this because all of those albums left a legacy that is unmatched.

Michael Jackson changed music forever, and Thriller is the album that headlined his incredibly successful career.

To no one’s surprise, the post-disco rock-pop album topped charts in the US in two different years, 1983 and 1984.

It also sold over 33 million times, making it the first album to ever go 30 times multi-platinum.

Mixed and produced in the historic Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles California, Jackson’s vocal perfection layers with distorted rock riffs, dance hall loops and rhythmically rich melodies to lay the foundation of the LP. For most pop albums, the A side has a few decent songs and the rest of the album becomes just as forgettable as the other members of The Jackson 5.

But get this, Billie Jean, Beat It and P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) all came from the B side.

The funky and uncommon effects on electric and bass guitar screams 80’s pop, but in 1982, co-producer Michael Jackson and executive producer Quincy Jones were a step ahead of the music industry.

No, the King of Pop didn’t do it alone; he even had a feature on the album – Paul McCartney.

No one is more worthy of a pairing with the King than McCartney, making the third track on the album ‘The Girl Is Mine’ a vocal and lyrical standout.

But that isn’t all. The MTV single ‘Thriller’ even managed to make zombies cool.

The brilliantly choreographed 14 minute horror-themed music video aired in December of 1983 and continued to bring publicity to the already global hit that is Thriller.

If you say you are cultured and haven’t listened to the album at length, you are merely lying to yourself.

Take a journey to the 80’s and relive one of the most influential pop albums ever – Thriller will not disappoint.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Rated: PG-13 By: Brian Ding bding.gazette@gmail.com

kong scull island: B+

he king of the jungle makes his returning appearance in the movie “Kong Skull Island,” where action, suspense and excitement is definitely not skimped on.

Our adventure begins with government official Bill Randa (John Goodman) and geologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) discussing the possibility of visiting the mysterious skull island which could mean death and untold riches.

Upon visiting the island, the adventurers find themselves stranded on no ordinary island, but and island of beasts, with not a single sancntuary in sight.

Animals from abnormally large insects, to giant reptiles lurk every corner of the island leaving our protagonists breathless from every corner.

Although the idea of King Kong is not unique based on the past movies and remasters, the CGI and acting makes the experience seem brand new for its audience. While watching, I was able to feel the same excitement and tension I felt from watching movies such as “Godzilla” and the past “King Kong” movie back in 2005.

The movie was thoroughly enjoyable and has the occasional jump scares that almost all action and horror movies have.

One aspect about the movie which was very positive was the fact that I was always interested and looking forward to the next scene.

Being a fan of the Kong genre, despite the fact I knew what I was getting myself into when walking into the theatres to watch another remaster, the movie definitely did not fail to deliver. The effect to me was almost as if I was a kid again watching my very first “King Kong” movie.

The actors and acting were humorous and not too cheesy. Being a movie which is rated PG-13, Kong can be a movie enjoyed by the family, and an action packed film to watch with friends.

“L

AWESOMENESS FILMS

ive each day to it’s fullest.”

Quotes like these are popular to stick on your walls or have as your motivational screensaver.

However, “Before I Fall” presented this message in a new way.

“Before I Fall” stars Zoey Deutch as an average girl named Sam who finds herself in fatal car crash. Instead of dying, she is forced to relive the day of her death again and again until she is able to do it right.

Later on, she learns that a tormented girl at school name Juliet committed suicide that same day.

A huge emphasis is placed on partying and a cheesy high school romance between a mean jock and Sam. In my opinion, the beginning proved to be both bland and unoriginal.

After the car crash, the whole dynamic of the movie changes. The repeat of days feels unnecessary at times.

While I thought the plot was lacking, I did enjoy the character development that made Sam, her family and her friends more realistic.

It showed the dynamics of a family and friendship that are flawed like any other but still held together by a strong bond.

However, I find that some characters outside this circle of Sam’s family and friends do not contribute to the story, especially her two love interests who are almost oxymorons for each other. Rob is her insensitive, good-looking boyfriend, while Kent is the adorable boy with a lifelong crush on her.

Despite, my uncertainty about the ending, I did enjoy the some of the underlying message that were present in the story.

For instance, the story reminded me that the actions and decisions of one person can bleed into the lives of others by placing a huge emphasis on the effects of bullying.

They depict this message mainly through the character of the suicidal Juliet. However Sam also comes across bullying on a more personal note when she finds out her little sister is a victim of bullying because of a lisp.

Although I don’t think “Before I Fall” is a must-see and worth spending money on to watch in theatres, I do think the movie is worthy of watching once it is out of theaters and cheaper.

Rated: PG-13 By: Ashley Yung. ayung2gazette@gmail.com

before i fall: B

T

Page 18

film.

I

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

t seems like today’s image of a good movie is something that is thought provoking and challenges the human mind. It connects with you on a deeper level and forms a bond between you and that movie.

Many people forget however, that a movie can still be good if it entertains you throughout the course of the film and leaves you happy when the end credits roll.

“The Lego Batman Movie” is a perfect example of that kind of movie. Is it award winning?

Absolutely not, but I was engaged through the whole movie and left the theater with a smile on my face.

The film follows Batman as he struggles to fill the hole of loneliness in his life. He deals with fatherhood, denial and love, all while fighting to protect Gotham City.

The way that Batman is portrayed in this film is consistent to his character in “The Lego Movie–” a condescending and cocky individual who is incredibly narcissistic.

The strongest aspect of the movie was the comedy. It’s so refreshing to see a satirical approach on the caped crusader since we’ve been exposed to many dark and serious Batman films over the years.

Even though this movie is obviously aimed at a younger audience and is childish at times, the plot actually revolves around questions that the average person has about the Dark Knight. Questions like: Doesn’t he get lonely? Why is his voice so low? How can nobody else tell he’s Batman?

Though the comedy was very enjoyable, it’s greatest strength was also its folly.

Being a children’s movie, I’d expect the humor to be a bit more basic to where a young child could understand it. But I noticed that most of the jokes were references that parents understood perfectly, but most likely went over a younger viewer’s head.

Even more so, I noticed parents laughing much more than their children at the theater I went to.

Besides a few issues with who the target audience was, the film surpassed my expectation.

I laughed quite a bit and genuinely cared about the characters. Despite Batman’s tendency to look out for his personal needs before the needs of others, I wanted him to succeed.

Most children’s movies don’t deliver on the level that “The Lego Batman Movie” did. So writers take note, because this is a comedy done right.

Rated: PG By: Dean Wilson dwilson.gazette@gmail.com

the lego batman movie: A

April 2017

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Rated: PG-13 By: Connor Hinson chinson.gazette@gmail.com

ghost in the shell: C

mid discussion of whitewashing, faithfulness and necessity, the hype for the “Ghost in the Shell” remake has unfortunately been based on controversy rather than genuine excitement.

The original “Ghost in the Shell” anime and manga on which the 2017 film is based on is often praised as one of the most important and influential anime films ever made. Its visual and philosophical ideas can be seen in “The Matrix,” “Avatar” and even “Ex Machina.”

Because of its legendary status, news of an American live-action remake was met with staunch criticism, especially after it was announced that Scarlett Johansson, a white woman, would be playing the role of the Motoku, the Japanese main character.

Regardless of your opinions on this issue or the issue of “whitewashing” in general, it left a bad taste in the mouths of everyone, including those (like myself) who were previously excited for the remake.

“Ghost in the Shell” was fated to fail. Opening weekend it bombed, making a measly 19 million dollars domestic. What’s worse is that this is not only a reflection of bad press, but also of the quality of the film.

Visually, the movie is gorgeous but cluttered.

The jump from animation to live-action has gone off well in some instances, like in “Beauty and the Beast,” but in this case the hyper-colorized landscape of “Ghost in the Shell’s” world leads to an overly-oppressive clutter of neon stimulation.

The choice to cast Scarlett Johansson as the Major doesn’t work or multiple levels. On paper she does a fine job, but there is little parody between the character she is portraying for the movie and the character from the anime.

Additionally, there are subtle attempts to “asianize” Johansson visually that don’t go off well and are frankly a little racist.

The main plot of the film deviates from the 1995 original, bringing in elements from the manga and the anime television series. I have no problem with the change in storyline, however the new plot is not faithful to the philosophy of the original.

The original “Ghost in the Shell” is a slow, cerebral experiences that leaves plenty of breathing room for rumination. The remake, however, strips away any philosophy in exchange for mediocre action set pieces.

“Ghost in the Shell” is a disappointment on every account. Although it can be enjoyed as a standalone action movie, it leaves much to be desired, especially for fans of the original.

D

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

epicting the epitome of African-American racism, the thriller “Get Out” defines modern societies mindset on the colour of skin, with an intriguing message of white supremacy.

The director, Jordan Peele, discussed the natural horror of racial beliefs by representing a interracial couple visiting Rose Armitage’s (girlfriend) parents estate while Chris Washington (boyfriend) begins to lose his mind mentally and physically by envisioning black workers running the white dominated community.

With a budget of a merely 4.5 million, the film gained a momentous box office total of 144.3 million, from the help of producers Jason Blum, Sean McKittrick and Ted Hamm.

The sound production created authentic audio visuals, with songs like “Run Rabbit Run,” which gave the feels of the 1940’s era, where racial segregation was still prominent in society and other soundtracks such as “Redbone”

by Childish Gambino, which then again spoke of poetry about the historical Jim Crow laws.

Rose’s mother, a psychiatrist, hypnotizes Chris into the sunken place where he is mentally locked down and begins to see more and more visuals of a highly-illustrated white society run by the events of auctions and the selling of African Americans.

Rose’s parents, both graduating with degrees from medical school, have many malpractices in the job of helping others heal from sickness, rather they alter people’s minds.

The symbolism of white manifestation was very eery and hard to watch, as this showed the true colors of how black people may feel even in today’s society.

Filmed in Alabama in 23 days, the entirety of the film felt as if we had time traveled into the past, back to the 1960’s southern society.

The overall storyline was a compilation of the horrors of today’s world and the realities of the past.

Rated: R By: Sanjna Saini ssainigazette@gmail.com

get out: A-

A

Page 19

film.

I

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

n the live action version of Disney’s classic “Beauty and the Beast” there were plot holes from the animated version that left me questioning my memories from childhood.

Such as: how an entire village just forget about their prince and a castle? And why did it seem like Belle was at the castle for several seasons but as soon as Maurice got back to the village he was telling them about the Beast?

There was also added background on both Belle and Beast’s mothers, which gives insight as to why they developed into who they are.

This version of a childhood classic not only improved with its plot but also was visually spectacular. Remaining historically accurate with rococo art, architecture and clothing, it was simply stunning.

While the costumes are amazing, the computergenerated imagery was what you would expect from the early 2000’s. The Beast looked unrealistic, and after Disney proved its capabilities with their live action version of the “Jungle Book,” I expected more from them. If you compare Beast to the wolves in the “Jungle Book,” the Beast just isn’t as realistic.

Emma Watson did alright as Belle, but I expected more from her. For most of the film her expressions didn’t seem genuine and were lacking. But she did surprise me with her singing ability. While I love Emma Watson, I wasn’t expecting much since she had never had a singing role before. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised.

Unfortunately Watson was surrounded by Broadway stars, so she just didn’t shine.

The skill and talent of the supporting cast stole the musical. Josh Gad, who played LeFou, was absolutely amazing. It’s easy to see why he was on Broadway. And, so you don’t spend the entire movie trying to figure out where you recognize his voice from, I’ll let you know now. He voiced that happy snowman Olaf in “Frozen.”

Similarly Audra McDonald’s performance as Madame Garderobe was spectacular. Her voice is stunning and stood out among the star filled cast.

Three additional songs were added to the movie that weren’t in the animated feature which was a pleasant addition since so often while trying to recreate something that has been done before originality is completely lost.

“Beauty and the Beast” is truly a tale that is as old as time.

Rated: PG By: Kaley Dover kdover.gazette@gmail.com

beauty and the beast: A

April 2017

April 2017

save the date.

Dress to Impress

Page 20

Students begin the quest for the perfect dress Gazette photos /LOGAN EMBREE

BY NATALIE HATCH

S

nhatch.gazette@gmail.com

pringtime: the air is fresh, the sun is out and the flowers are blooming – and this year, not just on trees.

This Prom season, floral is the new black. Floral, along with patterned, two-piece and open-back dresses that is.

Looking back on dress selection for both Junior Prom and Senior Ball, senior Gemma Rizzuto was adventurous in her search.

“I went in open minded willing to try on things I didn’t think I wanted just to see how it looked,” Rizzuto said.

“There wasn’t something in specific I was looking for, just something beautiful.”

While sequins and rhinestones are arguably always in style, the 2017 season is all about being unique.

“I looked for something that I thought nobody else would have,” senior Alyssa Nelson said, “Something that fit my style that I knew I would be the only one in!”

Nelson also noted that “subtle” and “classy” looks are the way to go.

While girls in general are more outfit-obsessed, when

going with a date, it’s equally critical for guys to dress to impress.

“Outfit coordination is key!” Nelson, stressed. “When you and your date match perfectly, it makes pictures look ten times better and overall you look great when you are together that night.”

And as Rizzuto put it, “If you don’t look good together why’d you go together?”

Luckily for the boys, many girls are indifferent as to how one wears that matching color.

“I don’t have a preference on a suit or tux for guys,” senior Genna Kozlowski said. “I think suspenders can look nice, or there’s always a tux and bow tie.”

But whether you go with a date or stag, at the end of the night the objective is to be confident in your choice, and to dress to impress yourself, not anyone else.

“My advice to someone is not to stress about it!” Nelson said. “It’s one night that isn’t worth stressing over – it’s supposed to be a fun experience!”

So say yes to the dress, but only once you’re sure it’s the one.

“The most important factor is that you love it,” Kozlowski said. “Feel special and good in the dress you are buying.”

Seniors Alyssa Nelson, Gemma Rizutto, Lauren Smith, and Genna Kozlowski model their formal dresses in preparation for Senior Ball on May 6.