april 2007

INSIDE:

The

D IF FE EN

R

Junior Prom Photos

Teen health issues

INSIDE:

C

ES

life after myspace

Females vs. Males

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The Flash

April 2007

Rocklin High School

Volume 13, Issue 3

In this ISSUE

DIFFERENCES looking into the mental and physical differences between men and women After interviewing nearly half the student body about their love lives, sexual status and drug abuse, The Flash uncovers the problems teens are facing through the differences between the genders.

We begin with the most controversial sexual issues that teens are dealing with today: the HPV vaccine and Plan B. While this does not only apply to sexually active teens, it begins our look into healthy and unhealthy relationships.

In 'Do you feel like a man?' we uncover the domestic violence in teen relationships that often goes unacknowledged as one reporter shares her heartbreaking story.

From there we move on to another painful topic: the causes, effects, and treatments for depression which is rapidly increasing in children and teens.

After fighting the MySpace addiction, two students delete their accounts and find other, more productive, ways to stay connected with their friends.

We continue to look into the differences between the genders by trying to get into the minds of each other. This includes one man's trip to the nail salon.

While covering the usual sports, we tie in the gender issue with girls playing powder puff football and two inexperienced boys trying out for tennis.

Post secrets continues to amaze us as students share the weird and embarrassing things they have kept hidden from their peers.

april Contents april Contents april Contents april Contents april contents april contents

4

Sexual health

6 8

Speaking out: abuse

10 12

current issues teen girls face

The Flash Staff

the perfect relationship gone wrong

Depression

how it happens and how to deal

Deleting MySpace

life after friend requests and comments

Boys and Girls

revealing each others' secrets

Prom 18 Junior looking back through photos 20 Sports a different look: girls playing football, unexperienced boys try out for tennis

Fiction 24 Guest the story continues

Secrets 28 Post back by popular demand Flashing weekly at: http://my.highschooljournalism.org/ca/rocklin/rhs

The Flash is produced by students, for students in an attempt to inform, educate and entertain its audience. Journalism students have the final authority for any content found in the publication.

The Flash staff encourages letters regarding content to constitute a constructive avenue for student opinion. Letters should be directed to the newspaper's email, rhs_flash@yahoo.com.

Editorial Board Audrey Burtner Co-Editor-in-Chief Nathalie Rayter Co-Editor-in-Chief Katie Kilbourne Web Editor Lexie Gibbs Opinion Editor Daniel Herberholz Sports/Photo Editor Lauren Coiner Design Editor Kyle Myers Entertainment Editor Kelsey Drake Advertising Editor Casey Nichols Adviser

Staff Writers Evan Adams, Megan Cardona, Alexis Coopersmith, Casey Cutts, Amber Diller, Ashley Fowler, Joanna Graves, Andrew Morales, Courtney Morgan, Caitlin Reilly, Julie Ruocco, Cory Ruth, Ashley Sorci, Megan Taaffe, Mallory Valenzuela

4

April 2007

The Flash

Health

HPV Vaccine:

Controversy accompanies cancer prevention vaccine

Nathalie Rayter Co-Editor-in-Chief

A

preventative action for a cancer has been found, yet controversy surrounds it and family groups across the country are up in arms over administering it to minors.

According to the Center for Disease Control, human papillomavirus infection is a sexually transmitted disease that can catalyze the development of cancers in the genital areas, especially in the cervix.

The new HPV vaccine protects against certain strains of the virus and can effectively prevent cervical cancer.

RHS seniors Megan Klimmek and Melissa Brown have both started the series of shots. "My mom had cervical cancer from HPV, so she really pushed me to get the vaccine," Brown says.

Klimmek, whose mother also had cervical cancer says, "I went and talked to my doctor, and she recommended it. But I did a lot of reading up about it before because it's just so new."

The Food and Drug Administration recently licensed Gardasil, the vaccine, for use in women ages 9 to 26. The vaccine protects against certain strains of HPV, which, according to reproductive health advocacy group Planned Parenthood, over 20 million Americans are infected

w i t h annually, and 80 percent of women will have contracted by the age of 50.

According to the CDC, t h e vaccine is comprised of a series of three shots administered over six months. The vaccinations’ costs total $360; currently, most insurance companies do not offer coverage for the HPV vaccine, but the CDC reports, “Most large insurance plans usually cover the costs of recommended vaccines. However, there is often a short lag-time after a vaccine is recommended, before it is available and covered by health plans.”

Some conservative family groups fear that the vaccine might encourage promiscuity in children. Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group heavily involved in politics, opposes mandating the vaccine in girls for entrance to public

talk about

Students

65% of Rocklin High School Students report being part of a romantic relationship. Upperclassmen are 23% more likely to have been in a relationship than underclassmen.

46% of students felt depressed for a prolonged period of time. Of those students, 55% have visited a therapist. Girls were 19% more likely to report feeling depressed.

Sex

36% of students surveyed have engaged in oral sex. 27% have had sexual intercourse.

Photo illustration used royalty-free from Corbis.

Sex, drugs, and alcohol

Relationships

Depression

school.

“We’re going to be sending a message to a lot of kids, I think, that you just take this shot and you can be as sexually promiscuous as you want and it’s not going to be a problem, and that’s just not true,” said Dr. Hal Wallace, the head of the Physicians Consortium of Focus on the Family, in a press release the group issued.

Whether a vaccine against HPV would encourage underage sex is disputed.

"I think that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," says Brown. "People who are going to choose not to have sex are still not going to have sex even if they get the HPV shots."

Only the state of Texas has required that school-age girls be vaccinated against HPV. However, 18 other states, including California, are considering similar measures. Merck, the pharmaceutical group that manufactures Gardasil, has recently come under fire for their lobbying of state legislatures to require the vaccine.

Regardless of tales of corruption and fears of rampant underage sex, a cancer-preventative is promising for the future health of Americans.

In a poll of Rocklin Students taken

by The Flash...

56% of students report drinking alcohol with their friends. Alcohol & Pot 30% of students admit to smoking marijuana. According to the US Dept of Justice, 75% of teens have consumed alcohol before the end of high school, and 46% have used marijuana.

9% of girls reported having taken a pregnancy test. 2.5% report having been pregnant.

Pregnancies

8% of students report taking an STD test. 1% report being diagnosed with an STD.

STDs

167 students surveyed anonymously 3-07

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Plan B:

Health

April 2007

5

Not quite what it appears to be

ception is the intrauterine device Co-Editor-in-Chief (IUD). IUDs are most A student recently remarked that frequently used as she would never use the morninglong-term birth conafter pill. "I don't believe in abortrol, but if a woman tion," she protested. A fair and worhas one inserted thy argument, but that is not what within five days of emergency contraception is. sexual intercourse, The morning-after pill, marketed they reduce the risk as Plan B, is not an abortifacient, of pregnancy up to Oral emergency contraception can come as a series of pills, as shown above. nor is parental permission re- Photoillustration by Nathalie Rayter.

99.9%. quired to obtain it. However, there The process of is enough confusion about emeraccording to TeenWire, a website sponobtaining an IUD gency contraception among teen girls in sored by Planned Parenthood, teens un- costs about $400, whereas oral EC can Rocklin and around the country to justify der 18 need to get a prescription for EC cost as little as $10, depending on cova little explanation. from a doctor (either at a general prac- erage and services needed.

Emergency contraception (EC), or tice or a women’s health clinic)- no paEC is not intended to be a woman’s Plan B, is birth control that can prevent rental permission is needed. sole form of contraception; the FDA repregnancy if taken within 120 hours of Men over 18 can also buy the pill over- ports that “non-serious side effects, such sexual intercourse. According to the the-counter. as nausea, stomach pain, headache, dizFood and Drug Administration, EC pre“The best way young women can ziness, or breast tenderness" can result vents the implantation of an embryo in protect themselves is to get a prescrip- from ingestion of the pills, which contain the uterine lining; if implantation has al- tion for EC before an accident happens, sex hormones similar to those found in ready occurred, the pregnancy will not and keep it on hand in case they need everyday birth control pills. be affected. Thus, EC cannot induce it,” TeenWire says. “That way, they won’t Ultimately, though, the use of EC is abortion and only acts as any other oral waste time after unprotected intercourse between a woman and her doctor, and, contraceptive does in preventing rather waiting to get an appointment with a as Rocklin Health teachers would unthan terminating a pregnancy. health care provider and trying to get a doubtedly remind us, abstinence is the EC is available over-the-counter in prescription filled.” only 100% effective method of contramost drug stores to females over 18, but Another form of emergency contra- ception.

Nathalie Rayter

Flash this

Your high school newsmagazine in branching out... and you can become part of it.

This year we went to a new format and have been posting weekly web dates to keep you in tune with what's going on on your campus.

In 2007-2008 look for this and cable TV specials teamed with Broadcast Journalism You can be part of the experience. Freshmen, take Journalism I and grow into the program. With appropriate background and attitude older students can join Journalism II now. See Mr. Nichols in M-5 Position opening: Business and Ad Managers... no experience in journalism needed, just energy.

6 April 2006

The Flash

The Flash

The angles of

Depression

What is depression?

- "Occasional melancholy, bad moods and short periods of feeling down are common in adolescence. Major depression limits adolescent's ability to function normally. Depression in teenagers is characterized by a persistent sad mood, irritability, feelings of hopelessness or the inability to feel pleasure or happiness for an extended period of time-weeks, months, or years."

Symptoms include...

- changes in eating or sleeping habits - significant weight gain or loss - withdrawal from friends and family - no longer joy in activities - overreaction to criticism - anger, rage, anxiety - lack of motivation or enthusiasm

What is depression?

- Drug and alcohol abuse: teens self-medicate to help their symptoms - Low self-esteem: feelings of unworthiness and ugliness - Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and dieting can be unseen signs of depression - Self-injury: cutting, burning, head banging, or self-mutilation are associated with depression - Acting out: agitation, aggression, or high risk behaviors can result - Suicidal thoughts or attempts: sometimes speak or think of suicide for attention, but need to be taken seriously For more information, visit: http://www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/prob-

What are the affects of depression?

Katie Kilbourne Web Editor

- Significant Events: death, break-ups, abuse (mental or physical), and divorce.

- Earlier traumatic experiences: memories of abuse or incest early in life.

- Stress: overwhelmed with relationships, school, or work without any outside support.

- Hormonal/Physical changes: during puberty create unexpected emotions and feelings.

- Medical conditions: chronic illness can affect hormone imbalances.

- Substance abuse: cause changes in brain chemistry.

- Allergies: wheat, sugar, and milk can spark symptoms.

- Nutritional deficiencies: Caused by amino acid imbalance or vitamin deficiency.

- Genetics: passed down from generation to generation.

What causes depression?

- Reach out and lend a hand: respond with gentle support to let them know that they are not alone.

- Do not criticize: it is important to provide an area for communication.

- Encourage positive activities: being social can help to lift spirits and create new communication.

- Don't ignore: listen to everything to provide support.

- Stay occupied: spending time with friends create a positive self confidence.

- Seek out support: don't try to do it alone, seek help besides family and friends.

For more information, visit: www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen. htm#depression

How to help?

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

April 2007

The Flash

7

Are you a car idler?

Your actions can affect the environment

Lea Jacobsen-Guy

Y

Guest writer

ou idle without even knowing it…

Idling is when the key is left in the ignition of a car and it is running while the car is not moving.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), automobile idling, wastefully consumes over 1 billion gallons of gas yearly. Locomotive switcher idling alone adds up to 60 million gallons of gas.

Studies have proven that if your car is going to be standing still for five or more minutes it is better to turn of the engine. Idling not only wastes gas and money, but also adds to air pollution which adds to health problems.

This is why the idling epidemic needs to be controlled. By reducing idling gasoline will be saved, and air pollution will be reduced.

The number one reason why people should not idle is the enormous amount of gas that is wasted. America spends more than $13 million per hour on foreign oil, accumulating to 12 billion barrels of oil, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Due to our idling, average Americans waste .08 gallons of fuel a day, which means we have to buy more oil.

Now most people should be concerned about this because it concerns your money. If we conserved our oil more, and then we could save the money that had to be spent to buy more oil for our car. In the modern day it is all about having the nicest (and usually most expensive) car but shouldn’t people take into account the miles per gallon that their car gets, since the more gas you need the higher the gas companies can sell it.

It is all about supply and demand. According to the Energy Efficiency and Re-

newable Energy of the US Department

"The EPA states, “Longduration truck idling emits 11 million tons of carbon dioxide, 180,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 5,000 tons of particulate matter annually... idling contributes enormously to air pollution and health of Energy, $1.4 billion dollars could be saved by reducing idling.

Even more important than saving money on gas, is saving the health of our population. Idling automobiles emit four major pollutants according to the EPA; volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

The idling of diesel engines can lead to health problems and pollute more.

In an article on “Human Health” [ from http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/] explains how idling and air pollution is effecting out health, “Due to an increase in heat waves, air pollution and smog will magnify affecting children, the elderly and people suffering with cardiorespiratory problems…As well, the heat will initiate increases in pollen and mold spores would compound the situation and will affect those with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disorders such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and allergy problems.”

It is clear that many respiratory problems are linked to air pollution cause by idling. Therefore, by reducing our idling we can improve our health.

When I tell people to stop idling, they think nothing if it and continue, this must

only be because they do not know all the facts. So here I am to inform you of the real facts and bust those myths.

First off, it is a common myth that both the EPA and Earthcare motto is, “It is important/good to warm up the engine by idling.” This is not true at all because it has been proven that idling causes wear and tear on engines since car companies do not recommend idling for more than five minutes.

The next chief myth is that, “It is better to idle than run at regular speeds.” This is false since idling causes twice the wear of running at regular speeds. People idle most when they are too lazy to get out of the car, and just sit in it idling with the A.C. on and radio waiting for someone inside the store.

Is it really that hard to get out and turn off the car, or do you really not care about the pollution you are causing? Another thing I need to clear up is the fact that you can leave you’re A.C. and radio on, without idling, you just need to know the setting in the ignition. I hope this has cleared up your perception of idling.

Idling can lead to many negative side-effects such as; wasting gasoline and money, increasing air pollution and health risks along with damaging a cars engine. By simply reducing how much you idle you are only helping yourself.

So why not stop idling and do something green today?

8

April 2007

Features

The Flash

Do you feel like a man

when you push her around?

Painful statistics 4,000,000

women are a year are assaulted by their partners

37% of all women experience battering

20-35%

or dating relationships involve physical abuse

20-52%

of high school and college relationships have couples engaging in physical abuse

2/3

of all marriages will experience domestic violence at least once

every

9 seconds a woman is abused

Information from Woman's Rural Advocacy Programs

Audrey Burtner Co-Editor-In-Chief

H

e told me he was the only one that would always be there for me, that everyone else would turn their back on me, but never him. I thought he said it out of love, but now I see it was a trap, and I'm happy to be free.

So many times people told me I was in the “perfect relationship.” I would smile and agree. I never felt that I was hiding anything; I was in denial of the abusive relationship I was in.

I thought that if I was the perfect girlfriend to him, than maybe everything would be OK, so I did everything I knew how: writing him letters when he was gone, staying up on the phone with him all night when he couldn’t sleep, and always being there for him no matter what even if it wasn’t in my best interest.

In the beginning of our relationship everything did seem perfect, but over time things slowly changed. It started with having to spend all my time with him, which honestly I didn’t mind at the time. Looking back I can see that this wasn’t always good for me, if I picked up a weekend shift at my work he would get angry with me.

His biggest problem - jealousy; if he was around I wasn’t allowed to hug even my guy friends at church. If my friends went out for ice cream or to the movies he didn’t want me to go unless he was there. Somehow he was able to justify this to me.

However, one night his jealousy got

out of control. We were arguing over something, I really don’t remember what, and he stopped talking to me.

I was upset and I knew that his stepbrother was in the garage with some of our friends so I went out there.

Just as I shut the door he ripped it open, grabbed me by my arm, pulled me inside, and slapped be across the face.

Later that week I got an apology letter from him in the mail. He told me that he would never do it again and that I was perfect to him and he didn’t know why he messed up. I had forgiven him before he even said sorry.

A few months later we went on a youth group trip to Tennessee. For whatever reason he was in a bad mood, and quickly became angry with me spending time with my other friends that were on the trip. I remember being at the bowling ally and having him shove me down and run off.

It hurt me, but more than anything I was embarrassed. When I went back to my room my friend told me to write a list of everything he made me feel.

Unworthy, fat, and stupid began my two page letter. I never gave it to him because I was scared about how he would react.

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

April 2007

Features

Do you feel better now

9

as she falls to the ground?

Our relationship continued to go from bad to worse and it ended when he cheated on me. However, he still wasn’t done hurting me.

At the free dance earlier this year he was waiting outside for his new girlfriend to come out. He had tried to go, but he wasn’t allowed in because he is not a Rocklin student. When I left the dance I walked past him and he spit on me. Seeing him was hard enough, and I still don’t understand why he continued to embarrass and degrade me.

Everything about the way our relationship ended was painful. It was hard for me to come to terms with why things happened the way they did. I

didn't understand why he hurt me.

He left me feeling so alone. My friends tried to reach out and help me, but I kept my pain hidden as much as I could. I thought maybe if I kept it inside it would all just go away, but that only continued to make things harder.

His stance is that he “never physically abused me” and doesn’t “give a f*** about the hurting me emotionally.”

I keep that message in my phone to remind me the reasons why we are no longer together because, to be completely honest, sometimes I break down and want to go back.

But I know that I can’t go back because I deserve better than the way he made me feel.

An abused woman: shows guilt or fear feels isolated and untrusting of others has a poor self-concept feels embarrassed or ashamed feels helpless or powerless fearful of being insane

An abusive man: shows extreme jealousy wants to keep the woman isolated inability to cope with stress blames others for problems

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To learn more about domestic violence and how to cope visit the Women's Rural Advocacy Programs website:

www.letswrap.com

for more information

10

April 2007

opinion

The Flash

Life after MySpace Lexie Gibbs & Kelsey Drake Opinion Editor & Advertising Editor

Once that 2:35 bell rings and you head on home, going straight to the computer is usually the first priority. No, not for homework, but to check your MySpace. After browsing through profiles from people 3,000 miles away, you finally check your clock and two hours have already gone by. Then, guilt begins to set in about that AP Econ packet you could have finished, or that workout you’ve been putting off.

When you finally realize that any free time that you have from school or work is devoured by MySpace, it might be time for a reality check. When you are in English class pondering whether your new layout is lame, or if someone commented on your new default picture, it might be time to grasp the fact that you have become addicted.

Realizing that though, is difficult, once you do, control is at your fingertips.

After having what felt like an epiphany, we made the decision to delete our MySpace accounts. We have had MySpace for almost three years and checking it day in and day out becomes a routine, and so does spying on the personal lives of those around you.

MySpace was created in the fall of 2003 by Tom Anderson, that guy who puts himself on your friends list and doesn’t reply. As of September 2006, MySpace had reached 106 million members, and has received a rate of about 230,000 new members a day.

With that, we remember the excitement there was opening up an account.

The rapid amount of new members cre-

ates millions of possible “friends” you could add. Hey, you don’t have to actually know the person to add them, right?

It is a simple equation, really. The more friends you have, the more comments you will receive.

Deleting a MySpace account relieves you of the stress of having to “comment back” a friend who left you a comment four hours ago. During that four hour window, if they have been online and haven’t commented back, then you must have done something wrong. I mean, if you hadn’t done anything wrong, then you would have been commented back.

The same goes for messages. In your MySpace Inbox, it lets you see if your message has been replied to, or just read. If it has been read, but not replied to, then the questions of “Oh my gosh, are they mad at me? Did I do or say something wrong? Why didn’t the write back?” start running through your mind.

Tension between friends can occur anywhere from messages to comments, but majority of the anxiety occurs on the “bulletin board.” Seeing bulletin topics like “I HATE them” or “she is sooo stupid!!!” posted by a friend of yours can raise the questions of “What did I do?”

MySpace has become a shield for “drama” between friends.

It has become that opportunity to say what you really think of someone, things that you would never be able to say to their face. Seriously, if there is something to say about someone, always say it to their face.

Nothing can be more immature than

Alicia French and Isabell Lopez add to their collection of MySpace pictures. Photo by Audrey Burtner.

picking fights over the internet because of a fear to say it to someone in person.

There's always the quest of finding the perfect default picture for your profile. Don’t underestimate it; this is a very important process. Everything from your hair, outfit, the lighting, camera settings, it all has to be perfect. Taking picture after picture trying to create the best one can take a lot of effort, so you might want to keep a few hours open for the event.

After you do take one that suits your needs, don’t forget to take into consideration about what other people will think about it. Maybe if you show only one side of your face (the good side, of course) then you’ll get 12 comments instead of four. It’s all a technique, really.

The number of comments saying “u r hot” or “OMG this is cute!” shouldn't be an important factor of one’s self esteem, but in actuality, it has become that way.

The amount of comments you receive on your pictures has become a status symbol, a symbol that is similar to the

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Deleting MySpace Life after comments and friend requests

amount of friends on your list.

Contrary to popular belief, MySpace is a chance to feel better about yourself with the comments that friends leave you.

Leaving your personal feelings about yourself in the hands of others, whether they're friends from work or school, or if they're on the other side of the country, it is not right. Depending on the judgments of others degrades individuality, which is unacceptable in an age where individuality can shine.

Not worrying about having to constantly check our accounts gave us both a surprising amount of free time.

We found that it actually helped eliminate some of the senioritis, and spent

The Flash

opinion

more time dedicated to the classes we still have.

Hey, just look at our last AP Econ test scores to prove that deleting MySpace has made a difference.

Whether you are on MySpace for blogging, music, pictures, or keeping in touch with friends you no longer see, there are substitutes for it.

Websites such as Facebook, Flip, and LiveJournal are up specifically for people who are interested in keeping in touch, or online photo albums, or maintaining a blog.

Sure, MySpace rolls all of those categories into one site in a way, but where there is MySpace, there will always be drama.

11

Don't have one don't want one Katie Kilboure Web Editor

“Why don’t you have a myspace?”

This is a question that I have been asked more and more over the past three years.

Well, the answer is quite simple…. I just don’t the desire to have one.

Since the big MySpace boom, the pressure to log on and create an account is very tempting. I have to admit, I have browsed, but the things that I have seen have not been very impressive.

Listening to my classmates constantly having breakdowns over trying to unlock the school’s block is extremely amusing. Having myself put on display for others to judge is something that is not very appealing.

The constant obsession of having to check if you have new “friends,” or new messages is also not very alluring.

While it has been tempting, somehow I have always decided against it. It isn’t because of rules, but the drama that is created is something that I would rather avoid all together.

While they may just be stories, from what I have heard, the lies and the deception that have been created are all due to fake comments.

For me, steering clear has been the best solution. Staying away from the “myspace drama” has been for me in the long run.

12

April 2007

The Flash

The Flash

Coming to terms Mallory Valenzuela

Staff Writer

Growing up in Rocklin may not seem like a big deal. To Adam Taylor, a senior, coming to terms with his orientation has been major for him to live with. In the broader sense, Rocklin may not be the most diverse or liberal town around.

“It’s been hard, because growing up in a conservative place isn’t easy,” says Taylor. “I felt like it wasn’t normal [to be gay] because of the area I grew up in and the common stereotypes around.”

Taylor has lived in Rocklin all his life.

Mastering six instruments and clearly musically inclined, he has been a role model to many in the RHS Symphonic and Jazz bands, Sierra Nevada Winds, the Auburn Symphony and Sacramento Youth Symphony.

With concert commitments and dealing with stress that comes with senior year, Taylor is not the typical teen. Living with his gay orientation is something Taylor has adapted to, along with other outside pressures, and it took him time to understand it fully.

“In the fifth and sixth grades, I had that inkling [that I was gay.]. When middle and high school came about, I was alright with it. I came to terms with it in junior year, because I was able to branch out and see the world [outside of Rocklin].”

“I think being gay is exactly like being straight. [Being gay] is having love for a different type of person.”

Progressing through the years, Taylor’s perspective on his gay orientation has not always been clear. He has always had a different feeling towards different genders, although his feeling may not have always been a part of the norm.

But friends have supported him through this self-realization, and it has not really been a process of coping, but rather

Leaning how to cope with being gay in a conservative society

becoming comfortable with himself.

“Honestly, I think that friends that I’ve told have not changed the way they act [around me]. I feel comfortable enough.

I think my friends take it into account, so they make sure not to say anything [to offend me]. But they don’t need to.”

Along with this self-realization, Taylor has had to face the challenge of telling his parents. Because of his conservative background, it was something his parents never expected.

“They were surprised in the sense that they have not encountered [anything like this before]. It was a shock [for them] initially, but they know who I am. Being gay didn’t cause them to change their minds about me.”

Taylor has not come across high levels of discrimination because of his orientation. But gay stereotypes continue to be a prevalent part of today’s culture, many of which Taylor believes to be inaccurate.

“It’s common to hear that gay people want to be the opposite gender. This is false. Gay people aren’t attracted to every guy, and it’s not like [I flirt] with straight guys. [People] automatically assume.”

Feeling content with himself, Taylor feels the urge for other people in Rocklin, and society in general, to be content with their gay orientations as well.

“A lot of people hide it. Those people just need to be themselves.”

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Breakups...

Cory Ruth

Staff Writer

You got dumped. What a derogatory word. But it truly describes how you feel in the situation. Maybe they met somebody else, maybe they don’t have enough time, maybe you scared them off when you started naming the children you’d have together and shopping with their mother.

I read that book, "He’s Just Not That Into You", about three times over. I painted my toenails with all my girlfriends. I spent my whole weekend hanging out with my newly discovered boyfriends, Ben and Jerry, sitting on the couch enjoying their life-changingly delicious Cherry Garcia.

We’ve all had relationship problems. Everybody feels sorry for you, you feel your life is surely is coming to a turbulent halt, you cry at random moments during the day (doing laundry, ordering coffee at Starbucks, when you hear the song “I’ll Be”

by Edwin McCain), and the whole world just looks bleak.

I have been dumped twice before, but I’m lucky to say usually I have been the dumper and not the dumpee. Through these years of experience, I have classified each victim of mine into three different categories.

The Flash

how to say it's over

Ladies, take it from me and stay away from these types. I warn you, they will only lead to a long road of unhappiness and eventually to your own demise.

Sanity is key.

Communication has taken a huge personal plunge, and will most likely stay on the same track for future generations. See, breaking up with someone is a long and arduous task. …OK I lied.

These days, you can get away with murder from a simple click of a button. I have broken up with guys in every way possible (minus jumping out a plane and poisoning their food).

In middle school, it was all about instant messenger. Send him a short message and, voila! You’re free to mingle, baby! Then it progressed to the telephone, and if he started to get really upset, you’d simply say “Uh oh, bad phone connection”, hang up, and boom: you’re single.

I have also given a few the respect they deserved, and broken up with them in person. But then there lingers an awkward aftertaste. Should you hug them goodbye? Do you comfort them when they are surprised and angry?

What if they start to cry on your shoulder, or even

worse, try and kiss you and rekindle the flame?

Oh no. The fire has long since burned out, honey.

Someone called the fire department or something because it is nowhere to be found. And for the past couple of years, it’s been all about MySpace. Send them a message and it’s over just like that. But you won’t believe what I dared to do recently.

Text message breakingup. Oh come on, don’t act like you’ve never thought about it; the ease, the unfamiliarity, the coldness! I did it. I just couldn’t bring myself to make the dreaded phone call, couldn’t find the words to abruptly end it. So I text a simple “peace out dude.” And that was it. No drama. No pain. It was exactly how I wanted it to be. I’m not the type to interrogate, get jealous, or cry. A text message break up worked beautifully for me.

So when a relationship in your life turns things upside down, remember that you’re young. Just back out of it! That’s the positive of these trivial high school relationships, especially being a senior and leaving in a few months for college. Don’t trip about it, just text them the final words, and keep in mind that there are plenty of fish in the sea.

April 2007

13

The Arrogant Jerk: - Picks their friends over you…every time - Won’t hold your hand in public because it “undermines his manliness” - Doesn’t ask you questions because he is too busy bragging about himself

- Doesn’t plan anything for the two of you; deems Taco Bell a fancy date spot - Asked you out just to show you off - When his friends ask him about you, he shrugs and just says “Well, she’s hot I guess”

The Stage-5 Clinger: - Blows up your cell phone at all hours of the day - Gets jealous even when you spend time with your dad - Won’t let you hang out with your girlfriends - Tells you they love you two days into the relationship - Buys you a c-zirconium engagement ring - Names your future children

The Sensitive, Hopeless, Romantic Brown-noser: - Buys you flowers the first day you meet (…a dozen red roses by the way) - Buys presents for your parents on their anniversary - Cries when he holds you - Recites the poetry he wrote for you, to you, as he cries - Takes you to Ruth’s Chris steak house for no reason, and cries while doing so - Buys you a puppy and names it “Love” for the two of you to share

14 April 2007

Pregnant!

The Flash

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Read all About It! Pregnant!

When I hear the word baby,

Teacher’s lives are hectic enough without any maternity leave this year, and is coming having the stress and ‘extra baggage’ of hav- back full-time next year. She might change her ing a child. And yet, Rocklin High’s campus mind about taking time off this year if “my feet seems to be swarming with pregnant teachers swell up and my back still hurts.”

Another tough decision teachers must face and soon-to-be fathers.

Señora Laura Sellers will be leaving her is naming their child. Since they have had so Spanish classes to fend for themselves after many students, many of the names that come spring break. She has a good reason, though. to mind remind them of a former student.

“My husband and I really like the name Sellers is due to have a baby boy around the Megan Foster, 10 Daxton, but I had a student named Dax a few first week of May. “I don't want to change its She isn’t the only teacher on campus who years ago. He ended up dropping my class,” Sellers said. is expecting a new diaper.”

Even though member of the fam-Bottle Bumgardner isn’t ily. Mrs. Holly Repanthe pregnant one, ich and Mrs. Kari -Tired he is still having Ustaszewski are exthe same stress pecting sometime be-Drool as the other pregfore next school year. nant women on Mr. Matt Bum-Powder campus. Since he gardner, Mr. Casey is planning to take Nichols, and Mr. Dan time off of work, he Pereira are also anxEmmy Timpano, 11 will have to search iously waiting for the “Poopy pants!” for a short-term arrival of their babies. substitute to acMr. Grant Depue is al-Toys commodate for the ready past the stress week or two that he of having a pregnant -Baby food will be gone. wife.

“It’s absolutely Having a baby hard to think of a while being a teacher -Sex name. Everything can prove to be quite Mrs. Laura Runner waits for her baby to arrive. Photo by reminds me of a a struggle. It isn’t as Amanda Palm student, both good and bad,” said Bumgardsimple as just going on maternity leave.

Find-Crying ing a long-term substitute who can correctly ner.

For Ustaszewski’s baby boy, thinking of a teach the curriculum is a huge challenge.

“It’s extremely stressful. I still haven’t found name is even more difficult for her than any Hayley Hucks, 10 one, so I’ve had to change the lesson plans of the other teachers. Her husband is also a “Cute. Pink. Blue. around a little. My classes will be much more teacher, which doubles the amount of former Precious.” focused on culture rather than grammar,” students. commented Sellers.

“Any name I liked, he had a student with Ustaszewski is due June 11th and is also that name. And any name he liked, I didn’t,” -Obnoxious having a boy. She is not planning on taking she said. They were finally able to choose a

I think of...

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

The Flash

name that was associated with one student, but that student is luckily a good kid.

Sellers is planning on returning in the fall as a full-time teacher, which means that she has the task of finding a reliable day care. She mentioned that she would really like to have a baby sitter who speaks Spanish, so that her son will be able to learn a second language early on.

Mrs. Julianne Benzel and Mrs. Robyn Wanner welcomed their newborns into their families at the beginning of this school year.

Benzel brought home her new daughter, Brooklyn Nicole Benzel, in late October. For Benzel, the possibility of naming her baby girl after a student wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, Mr. Greg Benzel and she decided to give Brooklyn the middle name Nicole after a former senior student named Nicole Baker.

“I have three little ones running around at home now. Going from my house to work isn’t much of a difference. It’s a good balance,” she said.

Ustaszewski’s opinion is the opposite; she doesn’t feel that going between school and work is going to be the same. “I’m not the goo goo gah gah type. It’s not like the baby can talk to me about current events, so I need the balance of older kids.”

Perhaps having a baby while being a teacher isn’t as bad as it seems, and after taking a step back to breathe, it will all be worth the struggle.

th hou aving someo n

ek

. e d i

15

Mrs. Julianne Benzel with her newborn, Brooklyn.

The worst feature of a new Try rec baby is its mother singing. baby m ording all t akes s o you he noises a it mea can ask it nt late what r.

tough enough s i e f Li wit

you from the ick i n s Mr. Grant DePue and his new baby.

April 2007

The joy of having a People who say that they sleep like a baby baby today can only be expressed in two words: tax usually don't have one. deduction.

Baby's don' t need a va cation, but I still see th em at the be ach.

up a baby's n e p o o t e r e w u o y If but an g in h t o n d in f d l u o head, you w and. enormous drool gl Baby quotes found at www.quotations.about.com

16 April 2007

The Flash

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Alternative Education what Victory High is really like

What I think of Victory...

“There are kids there who have a differant opportunity that the majority of students will not recieve” -Nick O'Callaghan, RHS.

“It's awesome here.

Teachers care if you pass and actually get you help when you need it.”

- Kyle Coffman, VHS.

“I think some are druggies, and some are just not smart.”

-Antonio Davila, RHS. “I love Victory. Having only three classes helps a lot.”

- Johanna Carmouche, VHS.

“They don’t try hard enough and are lazy.”

- Trevor LaPorta, RHS.

“Rocklin is too crowded. Here everyone knows each other. It’s comfortable.”

- Niki Peel, VHS.

Megan Cardona Staff Writer

Continuation schools don’t have the best reputation. They aren’t recognized for their straight “A” students, or their amazing ASB. They are thought of as a place for druggies, screw ups. And once these opinions are heard, rumors are spread like wild-fire. Victory High isn’t an exception to this stereotype.

Walking to Victory High I didn’t know what to expect. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. But as soon as I walked into the main office, the atmosphere changed my whole opinion towards the school.

“They sound like a bunch of pot-heads,” said Chad Davies, a sophomore at Rocklin.

“This school is totally normal,” says Mr. Mike Ilic, principal of Victory High.

When talking to Ilic about Victory, he showed a great sense of pride and happiness. “I think this is one of Rocklin’s best kept secrets,” said Ilic Going to Victory High are about 120 students. There are 16 to 17 people per class, and students only attend three classes a day.

Rocklin High students need 250 credits to graduate. Four years of language arts, three years of math, and three years of P.E. Many people assume because it is a continuation school, standards are lowered. True, but not by much. To graduate Victory one must have 200 credits, including four years of English, two years of physical education, and two years of math.

“The kids don’t have any homework. Everything is done in class so kids can get help and won’t be distracted like they are at home,” says Ilic.

Victory High has their own graduation along with Rocklin Independent and Adult

Education. They also have their own ASB. The one thing Rocklin High has that Victory doesn’t is dances. They are allowed to attend Rocklin’s dances if they are invited, and if they can get it approved by Ilic.

Going into Mr. John Branderhorst’s history class, I felt a little out of place. After sitting in his class for a little while, I felt comfortable. The classmates seemed interested in Branderhorst’s lecture, and were able to voice their opinion.

“I wouldn’t go back to any other school if I could,” said Branderhorst. Branderhorst’s biggest class consists of 17 students.

Having such small classes gives teachers and students the chance to have a relationship, and gives the students someone to turn to in time of need.

“This school is like one big family.

There’s never any drama,” said Johanna Carmouche, the Treasurer of Victory’s ASB. Reading essays written by the students at Victory High, it was clear to me that Victory saved their education, and lives.

“Victory High School has had a definite impact on my life and will continue to make a difference in my future,” wrote a Victory student.

Going to Victory High changed my whole outlook on the teens that go there.

Everyone talks about how all the students there area druggies. I’m sure there are people there that might drink or smoke, but there are people at Rocklin High that do the same thing, they just haven’t helped themselves yet.

“I wouldn’t go back to any other school if I could” -Mr. Branderhorst

April 2007

In & Out:

The Flash

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

17

Joanna Graves

Staff writer

Everyone faces that point in their life where moving is inevitable. In particular, college bound seniors have to come to terms with the fact that after high school, most friends will no longer be neighbors.

But what happens when that time comes before the students walk the stage? When high school seniors are forced to move to a whole new high school with only a couple months left?

This situation sounds all too familiar for both Lauren Hall and Mikaela Schumacher, who found themselves at Rocklin High with only three months of senior year left.

According to Hall, “The hardest part

about moving was leaving behind all my friends that I had known for my whole life.” Not only did Hall leave behind friends and a boyfriend but she was also thrown into a completely new grading system.

“I guess this grading system goes

by A, B, C, and then there is something like a no-mark. At my old school, we just go by percents so there is no such thing as letter grades.”

Even for some seniors who have gone to Rocklin their entire high school careers, the grading system seems complex. However, the grading system isn’t the only thing that makes Rocklin High school different for Hall. “[The guys] at my old school all

Mikaela Schumacher has connected herself to school through band. Photo by Aliesha Scott.

walked around in their polo shirts, and here a lot of the guys wear baggy clothes. It’s just a California thing, I guess.”

It’s one thing to move away after high school along with all your friends, but it’s another to have to leave before graduation. For Hall and Schumacher, the move was difficult but they are finally settling in and coming to terms with their new home.

18

April 2007

The Flash

photo

Prom

Junior

Danielle Sortir puts her hands up with everyone else.

Angela Rail and Greg Alire are ready for dinner.

Captured through

photography

Stephanie Gencur and Cameron Thomits, who have been dating for two and a half years, hold hands on their way into the dance. "The background for our pictures was really nice, really simple," Gencur said.

Stephanie Gencur, Kelley Kinsella, Hanna Watson and Taylor Magarity.

Audrey Van Camp and Kelsey Elston begin dinner. "The food was much better than I expected. I really liked the vegetarian Caeser salad, it's my favorite.

The bread was also very good," Van Camp said.

Vince Johnson leaves the dance floor with Alyssa de la Torre, who said this dance "definitely beat any of the other dances."

Mandie Martinez dances with boyfriend Dean Sims from Casa Roble High. Martinez said they "had fun together."

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

April 2007

Photo

19

Kevin Gilette celebrates.

During dinner, Sarah Nakagawa and Tara Countreyman take time to visit.

Derek Faulkner and Ashley Berry, among others, duck while dancing. "They played good music most of the time," said Faulkner. "The food was great."

Mr. Thompson sits on a speaker, mic in hand, ready in case of mishap.

6:05 6:30 7:10

Getting Prom Under Way

everyone started arriving they started serving dinner the picture guy was really mad that no one was in line, because they gave 15 minute waiting times

Nicole Watkins dances with her date.

"It was a really disgusting zuccini. It was overcooked and undercooked at the same time," said Scott Taylor.

7:40

they started breaking down the tables

7:45

Mr. Thompson announced the dancing was about to start

8:05

the first slow song

timeline by Janelle Lenhard, photos by Janelle Lenhard and Jake O'Rourke

Nina Ortega holds her dress up.

Ryan Arnold stands with his date, Sam Condon from Granite Bay. "It was extremely fun dancing," Arnold said.

A group, including James Watkins, gather to dance together.

Megan Gaddis dances with Kris Kirkman. "Prom was amazing, we both had a blast," Gaddis said.

April 2007

Photo

Janelle Lenhard

Alyse Bates

into sports

The Flash Daniel Herberholz

20

Jake O'Rourke

Sr. Taylor Kirkman warms up to bat in a March 16 game vs. Roseville

Caitlin Mitchell

Jr. Nguyen Bui's racket makes contact on a practice serve

Soph. Morgan Throckmorton moves toward the goal vs. Whitney

Caitlin Mitchell

About to lift his arms during 50 butterfly, soph. Bill Howe swam at Whitney

Monica Chazen

Sr. Rochelle Vanyi swings for a strike in the March 13 game vs Granite Bay

Junior Kyle Wszolek watchs in wait to spike the ball for varsity volleyball at the game vs. Whitney on March 15

On March 22, Paige Chandler covers her forehead in the middle of her high jump. "It's a lot better experience on track at Rocklin than it was in middle school. The meets take up a lot of time, so I get a chance to hang out with my friends on the track team."

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Better or Worse

Than Last Year?

Ashley Fowler Staff Writer

I still remember freshman year when PE teacher Mr. Taylor told my class that we were going to begin our volleyball unit. Hitting the ball across the net by any means was our main objective, and as we tried, we all believed that we were the next all-American.

However, watching the varsity boy’s volleyball team it is clear to me now that I, along with my classmates, have merely a speck of the talent that the varsity team possesses. Nevertheless, although having a substantial amount of talent the team is still trying to continue the leg-

April 2007

Sports

acy acquired last year.

The team faces different problems than last year. “The team is mostly juniors,” said senior Kyle Rapp, “so were off to a slower start than usual, but I see us having a successful season.”

Optimistic junior Derek Nunes agrees with teammate Rapp: “We are doing pretty good. So far we are 2-2”.

With the clear absence of the graduated seniors from last year visibly gone, a scanty amount of pressure is presented to the remaining members of the varsity team. “This year we’re starting fresh with

21

only one starting player from last year on the team. However, this year we should be stronger defensively” says Rapp.

Volleyball can be best described by Nunes: “It’s exciting, and win or lose we all still have fun”. But Nunes and Rapp both agree that this year they both hope to fulfill their own personal goals for the team. “At least finishing second” says Nunes. For Rapp he expresses his goals by saying “This year my goal is to make all-league and optimistic and hopefully carry the team to a third place finish or better like last year.”

Unlike other sports on campus, “Volleyball is more fast paced than other sports and there’s no better feeling than killing a ball,” Rapp said. “I’ve been playing volleyball since 7th grade. It’s an exciting game of power and finesse that has kept me playing for 6 years”.

As the season continues the team hopes that success comes this year as it did last year.

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22

April 2007

Q&A POWDER PUFF Aliesha Scott

The Flash

sports

Megan Taffe

Staff Writer

The stadium is packed with face painted fans that are watching the game intently, waving around foam fingers and eating hot dogs.

On the field are enormous defensive backs hurling themselves toward the offensive line in a desperate attempt to recover possession.

Now, keep the fans, add some guy

cheerleaders, swap the tackle football for touch, and replace the burly men with girls and there you have it…It’s Powder Puff time!

The rosters are official, the players are pumped, and their first game is coming up!

Powder Puff, whose name comes from a cosmetic powder puff, refers to female participation in a sport that would usually

Q Are you the one who came up with the idea of starting the team? a I came up with it with some other girls, but I was the first person who made steps towards forming it .

Q What made you want to start it? a My boyfriend, who graduated last year, was the Granite Bay coach.

How either gender can play football

be male dominated. Powder puff football games have been traditional for many high schools including Granite Bay. Now, on April 12th, the upperclassmen girls at RHS will have the chance to prove they’ve got game when it comes to football (luckily it isn’t tackle). Aliesha Scott has taken action to get a team of girls together who are ready to prove their skill in the game.

Q What will set this Powder Puff team apart from Granite Bay’s? a There is a cutoff range of only 25 on each team so the girls who sign up will get a lot more playing time.

Q What would you like to say to encourage people to come watch the game? a It will be an organized girl fight that will be extremely competitive and entertaining.

Q When does it officially start? a There’s only one game and it’s during Sadie’s week.

Scott isn't the only one geared up for the game.

Q When will there be practices?

“I love football and during football season everyone is exa There will be practices a couple of weeks prior to the cited. It will be fun to switch roles with the guys,” said Kayla

game.

Q How many people are on each team? a There are 25 juniors and 25 seniors. (Seniors vs. juniors) Q Do you think the tradition will continue next year? a All of the other schools do it so I hope it continues here.

FACES

Britany Linton

of the softball

position: pitcher; best part of pitching: "That you're in every play. Without you, the team can't play the same"; sports history: “I tried soccer. But once, another player kicked the ball at my stomach and I passed out, so I quit”; motto: “play with no regrets”

Roberts.

For once the girls will be on the field in the spotlight while the guys are cheering their hearts out on the sideline.

“We’re going to do some sweet stunts, charismatic cheers, and some kool kicks,” said Jake O’Rourke.”

So who will win this intense battle of the upperclassmen girls? You’ll just have to wait and see.

ATHLETES Phil Johnson

boys golf

position: 6th golfer; favorite part about golf this year: the team trip to Monterey; favorite hole: the 9th hole at Whitehawk Ranch; motto: "Go big or go home"; advice: "You will never be perfect at golf"

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

Try-outs

April 2007

sports

don't always

Daniel Herberholz and Evan Adams

work out

23

Learning the hard way

Sports Editor and Sports Writer

“Have you ever kissed a girl? I see you have a cut-off shirt on, so you must be proud of those muscles. When you hit the ball, kiss the bicep.”

Coach Dale Eckenberg used these encouraging words to teach us the form of hitting a tennis ball across the court.

We, two inexperienced yet overconfident seniors, decided to dive into the real world of tennis: the Rocklin High School varsity boy’s tennis team.

In order to try-out, we had to come prepared. Luckily, we each had a tennis racket at home, and between us we wore a Kings cut-off shirt and football Underarmour. Despite our choice of style, we had a little trouble. Perhaps we should have played tennis once or twice before going out for varsity Daniel Herberholz and Evan Adams warm-up and listen to the tennis coach doubles. before participating in drills. Photo by Julie Ruocco Four minutes into this experiment, we realized we were in seriously over our heads. This realization came as we were learned more about serving, but the best advice he could give literally being pegged in the head. us was to aim for something on the other side of the court.

As a starting drill, the coaches told us to line up in “four Lastly, we played a game called “Around the World”. The columns” and “volley” toward the “net guy”. Unfortunately, the concept of the game is for every player to hit the ball once, and word “volley” meant nothing to us (we’re still perplexed). As we then rotate out of play. If you miss, you’re out. Unfortunately, we went through “volleying” we came no where near improving as were the first to miss. some might expect.

As we sat on the side of the court, trying to learn from other We found our true niche in serves, though. player’s swings, our hopes were low. We Unfortunately, we were Even though it involved the most technique and were less confident, and somehow even concentration, we had human targets to aim the first ones to miss less experienced. at. With help from an experienced player, we We knew we wouldn’t make the team.

G r i d Culture THE

Bibi Carmouche girls soccer

Patrick Bassal boys tennis

Caitlin Mitchell track

Chris Kissick boys swim

Cory Fitzhugh baseball

asking Rocklin High athletes

the questions that matter

Sandwich style

The Rivercats are...

The best TV show ever

The Anna Nicole Smith story was...

Last DVD bought

"Peanut butter & J"

"Boring, I hate baseball"

Grey's Anatomy

Lame

addicting "Spice World"

Italian with everything

Cats who live in rivers

Price is Right

that she's dead

Casino Royale, "The best Bond movie"

BLT

"Sacto's poor excuse for baseball"

Grey's Anatomy

"not at all surprising"

"Team America: World Police"

"However many burn in two miles"

Rueben

boring

Samurai Jack

ridiculous

"Scrubs" Season 1

close to 69,000

turkey, from Quizno's

a baseball team

"Friends is a classic"

overrated

"Beerfest"

How many calories do you burn in a day? a lot

"I don't know..."

"like two or three"

24 April 2007

The Flash

The Flash

The Flower Fields

Jeff Moyers

Guest Writer

“Stoppit.”

Toshiba was driving either paw in and out of my arm, unintentionally clawing me.

We had abandoned the road in the interest of progress. Although Toshiba was clearly an intellectual in his own right, he was still a kitten and not prone to long bouts of exercise. thus I had obliged, to his protest, to carry him.

“Sorry,” he answered sincerely, looking me full in the face with an expression full of curious regret.

As we clambered over the slope of even another hill, I glanced sideways toward Nobody. He still held the flower, his treasure, in his right hand, and it was beginning to crumple.

A bird came into view once we reached the crest. Elegant blue plumage rested peacefully as it proceeded to work its beak with a tuft of grass. I said to Toshiba, “Well, it worked with you…”

I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, hello?”

The bird replied with a tone sharper than his beak, “What do you want?”

Not deterred in the least, I queried, “Have you seen any flower fields around here?”

An agitated shift of wing occurred as he apparently had to work internal muscle to force out his next statement.

“The hell do I care about flower fields?

Ass.” He resumed his pecking with bitter contempt in his movements.

Without warning, Toshiba sprung from my arms to attack him. I dove forward and caught the kitten mid-jump. The last thing I saw, before graciously assuming a face-full of earth, was the bird springing into flight and turning its head for one more insult.

We sat in abject silence.

Toshiba cleared his throat, “Well, this is a humbling experience for me…” He gently shifted his hind legs, trying to slip

Continuing in this issue is "The Flower Fields," by RHS student Jeff Moyers. Check out the first installment in our February issue. The final chapter will be published in May. --Nathalie Rayter, Co-Editor-in-Chief

free.

My face throbbed as I spoke into the grass, “He didn’t even try to help. He just stares off into nothingness…” I gestured toward Nobody and his lack of action in any other capacity than being a space cadet.

I lifted my chin. My hand moved to check for blood, and finding none, proceeded to rub it as I

contemplated my new home in the dirt.

Why would I get up? I was beginning to feel that being “up” was futile.

But between the blades of grass I caught sight of something peculiara yin-yang of black and white, perpetually locked in an eternal, glorious struggle. No… no, actually, it was just a cow with something around its neck. “Well, I’ll be damned…”

It was a wreath of flowers.

I got up, scrambling at first to all fours, greenery shredding through the air around me. "Well, hello there… am I interrupting?”

The cow looked at me dully, as if I were profoundly stupid. I was lost, confused and slightly bruised. “Hey listen, fat-ass,” I said, approaching with menace, “you’re going to tell me what you know about those flowers and you’re going to be quick about it. I’m tired of this. I’m getting answers.”

I stared the animal in its defiant eyea truly determined and threatening glare emanated from the both of us.

I pressed on, “Well, aren’t you just a stupid beast?”

Came the reply, “Moooooo………..”

---------Three figures made their way across the grass at night. Even though the lights behind them were off, faint beams of

moonlight refracted off of the numbers thirty three, twelve and four. Each of them carried a beaten helmet.

“And I trucked the guy,” said number four, “I mean I didn’t really truck him, but I knocked him around real good.” Number thirty three answered, and the familiar cycle of brotherhood proceeded as if there were more battles in the coming days.

And then, sounds subsided and the peaceful chirping of crickets serenaded three minds into reflection. A terrible thing was happening again. Time was passing.

Twelve broke the silence he had maintained thus far, “I guess if it didn’t hurt a little, it wouldn’t be worth much.”

Number thirty three, with considerable effort, reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Number twelve had always suspected, and now knew, that he was involved in a search and that he was losing footing with every passing minute spent in inaction.

---------Nobody and Toshiba laughed at me.

I handed the kitten off to Nobody. I was now donning a wreath of flowers around my neck, usurping a title previously held by only Quasimodo.

Lavender.

“Enough already! How was I supposed to know?” But my futile protests only added to their amusement.

“Fine,” I said, “but we’re still no closer to the flower fields since we left Tri-tip over there, almost twenty minutes ago.”

“That may be so,” said Toshiba coyly, “but this is definitely becoming an experience.”

“Oh, I agree,” said Nobody offhandedly, returning his eyes to somewhere far away.

I sat down, overcome with frustration.

“We’re lost. There’s nothing out here. We’re going to be out here forever, and even if that weren’t the case, we’re still screwed because all we know about where we came from is that it's that way.” I pointed over back toward the road, now long out of sight.

“But do you know what’s really killing me right now? The irony! Here’s a microcosmic indictment of where I stand; a bird just gave me the bird!”

rhs_flash@yahoo.com

“Really,” pleaded Toshiba, “You don’t know that. It could have been a talon spasm. He took off rather rapidly, and the acceleration would've acted with such a force on his nervous system as to…”

“Shut up and think,” said Nobody, stopping to kneel down.

“Yes,” continued Toshiba, begging our pardon for getting sidetracked, “that mundane cow couldn’t have wreathed itself.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re a talking cat.

As if logic is a factor.”

He grinned impishly, “Well, not your logic.”

“I…” I began slowly, feeling the gravity of the situation had finally decimated me, “I can’t exist in a world where there are no defined boundaries… For god sakes, what do we do now?”

I motioned in every which direction which extended on infinitely, and then rested my head in my hands.

Nobody gave this thought for a moment. He then sat down next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. Toshiba crawled into my lap and balled up. The sunshine and the rolling hills became our personal abyss.

A giggle erupted from behind us.

---------“Everything’s so fickle, pointless and inane Everything’s beneath me Don’t tempt me with the beauty of a moonlit rain If I want to mope Let me be To drown in my sorrows alone At the arms of despair I will run To usurp the savior’s throne Until I feel the sweet kiss of the sun Everything’s so fickle, pointless and inane, Until my sadness is gone.”

“Quoted from the famed adolescent poet, Bhype Auller.”

“Uhhh…” drew soundly from his lips.

“Come on, Jeff, it’s poetry. It’s art.”

“Even so,” he protested, “with that last part, it seems to be asserting… it’s own, uh, ‘inanity.’”

“That’s the point, man. That’s the point.

In the process of being something totally being, being inane is the highest form of being. The answers are in there, brother.”

“I gotta go.”

He left, deciding to look for answers

The Flash elsewhere.

---------“Damn, she’s so little.”

I looked at the little blonde flower girl with a blank stare.

“What’s she doing to that turtle?” asked Nobody.

The little blue eyed flower girl was putting a wreath of flowers around its head, “There ya go, Speedy!”

“Thank ya,” answered Speedy, in painful irony.

“That’s it,” I interjected, “I’m done. I’ve lost my mind.”

Toshiba swatted at something on the breeze. “Come now. You haven’t lost your mind, we see her too.” He added, in an effort to keep me from disappointment. “You do suffer from a mild form of egomania, though.”

Nobody sat Toshiba upon the ground and approached the child, who was now spinning circles with her arms about her sides, like a helicopter. Speedy, beneath his large brown shell, watched contentedly, wanting nothing more than what he had.

She had an armful of flower wreaths and they, too, were turning circles.

“Little girl,” said Nobody delicately and with slow pace, “where did you get those flowers?”

“How about ‘where are your parents?’”

I snarled.

Nobody turned to lock horns with me. “When are you going to stop asking questions and start asking questions?”

She giggled. “Smile and have a jelly bean!”

Nobody was about to press the matter, but I beat him to the punch. She stopped spinning when I stepped forward.

“Now listen carefully,” I said, “we need to know where you got those flowers.” I eyed Nobody. He nodded without a word.

Toshiba watched from a prone position.

She skipped over to me, raised her hand up, and presented a black jelly bean.

“No, no thank you. I hate the black ones…”

“Nuh-uh. You wanna taste this one!”

Unsure, I looked to my two companions.

Both of them shrugged, and I popped the jelly bean in my mouth.

Before I knew what had happened, the world had melted away. In the last swirl of conscious light, I found myself thinking.

“I still hate the taste.”

April 2007

25

---------An idle finger served to propel the blackness in cyclonic circles while deep brown eyes drank in the painting around him. Alone, he would contemplate freely, a lighthouse over a serene seascape that glittered under heaven-tapered lights. The darkness drew to his lips of stone.

Dining, across the distance of the room of night and golden ray, was a young man and his female companion. Across his shirt read “Nike,” and hers answered “Abercrombie," code only the select could read and extrapolate the meaning from.

From where he sat, he would never be able to hear their words amongst the sea of voices and utensils against plates.

No; he did not want to hear, when forever reflected in the mirror of eternity was Nike’s hand when he took Abercrombie’s and held it. “ M o r e soda?”

“Hmm?” “Would you like more Coke?”

The story of the waitress.

He knew her parents were first generation immigrants, that she was putting herself through school, that she may as well have been working in her family’s restaurant for free. They'd never exchanged more than a passing glance. “No, thank you,” he answered politely, elsewhere still.

Tracing a beam of light she tilted her head to see Nike, professing in earnest.

“Isn’t that sweet?” She spoke from the edges; her voice was awash in the ambiance. Gradually, as she entered the realm of cognitive night.

“That’s funny,” she mused, “I think she wants her hand back. That guy, I swear…”

Lucifer tapped him on the shoulder and placed a red-hot itinerary in his open right hand. Warming in tone, he shattered the sheet of ice that forms between two unfamiliar bodies.

“Well, I don’t see her doing much to get that hand back.”

'Flower Fields' continued on page 26.

26 April 2007 'Flower Fields' continued on page 25.

“That’s probably because she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“Why not?” he queried, those reflective pools of maple now enveloping her alone.

She adjusted her wrinkled apron slightly. “She cares about him. I suppose she’s willing to put up with it because she thinks she loves him.”

“Hmm?” He rubbed his chin, daring not to intervene. He knew that pure humanity had to flow unobstructed, if at all.

“Well, young people always think they’re in love, then old people make fun of them for it. Isn’t that how it goes?”

“Is it?” he asked, emptying his glass.

“I don’t know.” A tired, worked hand motioned to the two across the way, “But all the same, I don’t see anything there.”

He decided the luxuries that distance afforded him were, not luxuries but treasures in themselves. A polite smile arose in place of the conversation.

“I’ll go check on your lemon chicken.”

And as the sheet of glass-ice was being rebuilt, a force of benevolence overtook him. Through the reforming cold, “Quote Goethe, ‘Love does not dominate; it cultivates.’”

He wanted her to know the nature of the beast. He, too, knew the futility of a hunt that had no face, and derived a kind of distant kinship with his fellow hunters.

His idea of solitude was a windowless room, but now would never be the same again.

---------It was night.

Avoiding the hellish wilderness behind me, I entered the cabin, watching my hunched silhouette scale the dead walls.

I was wearing something that wasn't mine. A white jersey.

The old man, in his rocking chair, in his dark cabin all alone- what about him?

He tried to get up, to reach for me. His infernal eyes were hollow, his chin pointed and his beard white. He appeared to me a skeleton. His hands were coming now, coming to take. Cold sweat poured down my body; the fragrance of lavender like never before, as if for the last time…

Who screamed?

“What the devil…” Toshiba said, batting at me with a paw.

Nobody had pinned my body to the earth. I was lying prone. “What exactly happened here?” Nobody asked me.

The Flash Breathing heavily, I answered, “I don’t know… a vision.” I sat up and frantically looked around. Beads of sweat fell.

That damn turtle and his damn wreath had moved all of two feet. The flower girl was nowhere to be found. “Where’s the girl? What happened?”

“What happened? You swallowed that jelly bean, fell over and were out cold for fifteen minutes. At first you were moving about like a madman, and then you just seized up!”

“We thought she killed you,” Nobody added.

“And then,” Toshiba concluded, “she disappeared.”

“What about the flowers?” I spewed, still a bit frantic, “Any hints? Anything at all?”

Nobody looked at me bemusedly, “We would've questioned him,” he pointed to Speedy, “but he’s making a get-away.”

“We have nothing,” Toshiba reiterated, “We were too busy tending to you. You were flailing about. And then… well, you looked like you had expired.”

“I don’t know what it was,” I said tiredly, laying my head back down on the grass, “but that face looked familiar.”

---------The search was sidetracked. He wondered if he were merely looking for meaning where there was none. It was night again, and the moon shone bright through that cold air. He sat on the edge of the fountain, and tossed a coin in.

In the ripples, time radiated away. “Just that damned cold moon,” he said aloud, gazing at his reflection on the cool water.

The cold moon, a cold sun, and a cold morning. He felt the tapping at his feet and awoke to disbelief.

At the foot of his makeshift bed sat a creature that could scarcely be called human. Its eyes were bloodshot; it clung to a raggedy blanket with icy claws. Matted hair, convulsive shaking, the rank smell of human sweat, of human suffering.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A claw moved to his foot, squeezing it with all the wrath of twilight.

“Help me...” The words were never spoken. They were screamed, not aloud, but from his intuition..

He felt the tiredness a bitter enemy as he jumped out of bed. There was no world, no confusion, only what he was doing now. He ran outside, the feel of ice

The Flash

and pavement on his feet, the sensation of prickly, icicle cuts. The grey abyss that was the sky witnessed from above, while below he pulled the frosty handle and threw himself into the cold, beaten truck.

A small black pack found its way into his stiff hands, numb from the chill in the air. He scrambled with its contents, until in a fury, he produced his holy grail. A syringe.

He struggled out, back into the frost, and begin to quickly retrace his steps, dotted with blood. Time was fleeting; he rushed back to his disheveled bedding and the bundle sitting at the foot of it. Pulling back the quilt to expose an emaciated thigh, he raised the syringe in his hand and prepared himself for the breaking of flesh.

“I’m not a little boy anymore,” he spoke aloud, staring at that cold moon. He rose, and left the fountain, trying desperately to catch the scent of lavender again.

---------I gave Speedy a tap with my foot. It resounded off of his hard, brown shell with comical effect.

“Come out, Speedy,” I pleaded with utmost sincerity, “we just want to talk to you.”

“I dunno nothin’,” he said in a fright, “go away.”

I turned to Nobody, at my wits end, and said, “You. Why don’t you try?”

He turned around and absorbed the scene in full. I knew he had been watching the horizon again, for some indication of where to move next.

“Speedy,” he said darkly, “where can we find more flowers like the ones you’re wearing? Where did the girl get them?”

“And where did she go?” I tossed in at the last second.

“He’s mentally a turtle, for heaven’s sake, give him time to react,” Toshiba said to me. Chaos ensued as we struggled with each other to keep our search from the death throes.

Whatever amount of noise pollution we were responsible for was put to shame.

Speedy started sobbing loudly from in his shell. The air grew heavy with guilt.

“Hey,” said Nobody with surprising tenderness, “hey Speedy. Everyone here likes you… No one is angry at you, Speedy.”

This did not bring silence as he intended. The tortoise wept bitterly and

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unrestrainedly. “Well,” I followed, in the poor critter’s defense, “I guess we just sit here until he feels like talking to us.”

It didn’t seem like he had any intention of stopping soon.

---------Falling toward earth at the speed of light, body enveloped in flames beneath him. His eyes could have whatever he wanted from up here, whether to gaze at the whole of Antarctica or wave to Jimmy Hoffa, sunbathing on his adobe deck in Brazil.

A roar of laughter and the line, “I never do things like that because I know I’ll forget…”

“Hey Clarion,” he said, snapping his consciousness back to reality, “does it bother you that you don’t trust yourself?”

The class began to laugh. He appreciated the break from Sir Isaac Newton’s laws.

“Moyers, I’m going to tell you something. It doesn’t just apply to school, it’s a life thing.”

The class was laughing, even before the punch line hit. “Happiness is knowing who you are.” The entire class erupted into laughter. Good joke. As they laughed, he sat in his desk wide-eyed and mouth everso-slightly agape.

Even worse than the profound nature of the words was the fact that he had been outwitted into actually learning something.

He sat stupefied until he found meaning in the clues he had been given so far. They pointed where the search would take him next. A sudden weight manifested itself upon his shoulders.

High time, he thought, for some definition.

---------Speedy was laughing. “Can I go wit ya to da flowers?” Big tortoise eyes demanded only one possible answer.

“Sure you can,” I said, standing. I dusted the grass off of my backside, “But we need to get there quick, Speedy, and-“ “It’s notta problem. I’ll go fast.”

I look at Nobody, who was simply waiting with his arms folded, tapping his fingers on his elbow. “Well, I like you so much, I’ll carry you, Speedy. But listen…”

I let a moment pass to let his excitement subside. He was eager to please, and he

The Flash soon gave me his full attention. “Speedy, where did the little girl get the flowers?”

He shut his eyes as he flexed his mind as best he could. “No, no,” he said fretfully.

“Come on, Speedy,” I said in desperation, “you have to think…”

He mumbled, “But, if I was smarter…”

What could I do? He was giving it his all, his face locked in a painful squint.

Nobody watched intently. He knew the rest of his search was dependent on this turtle. He felt his dreams slipping away- I could see it. For the first time, he seemed helpless. He rolled his flower. His eyes gleamed with a hint of

heartbreak.

If nothing was learned, all would be for naught and heaven knows what we would be left with.

Save for the intervention of a kitten. I saw his eyes light up as he realized what he had to do. It stems from cleverness, a kind that can’t be measured by tests, books or professors. No, that’s just the way it goes.

In the blink of an eye, he jumped up from between my feet, darted through the air and swiped at Nobody’s hand, lightly scratching him. Nobody opened his palm and shook it, spreading crimson through the air and cursing in confusion. Another flash of black, and Toshiba had returned to the gap between me and the tortoise.

“Mmm aboo nu?” Toshiba said.

“What are you doing?” I said with great irritation, upset that Toshiba would be distracting Speedy at such a crucial time.

I furrowed my brow and looked down.

Tucked under those glossy whiskers, I could see he was holding Nobody’s flower.

“I… uh… wait, what’s that?” The green eyelids fluttered.

All gazes locked on Speedy.

“I know that!” He hollered in delight, “I know where they are! I know where they are! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

April 2007

27

I watched him inch forward and onward as best he could.

---------Glowing heavenly bodies blocked out every light in the night sky, and from these bodies, the world was lit. On the earth rested a desolate street, running peacefully through a sleeping neighborhood. There was almost no person to be found.

But he had followed, trailing the scent of lavender with determined patience and discipline, and he was now knocking at the door of perhaps the end of his journey.

His shoes made solid contact with the road. From where he stood near the middle, he could hear the soft aria that was night, playing gently in the distance.

Hands behind his back, holding devilry the waking world could only imagine.

Holding a collection of flowers.

His figure, dark and imposing, did not deviate from its statue-like form, a lonely sentinel posted, peering ahead into the darkness.

Forward or backward or limbo. Without shifting himself, he turned his head to glance over a broad shoulder. He saw darkness, to whence he could retreat into the obscurity it provided. How sweet was the temptation.

Granting no warning, a red light illuminated his features from ahead of where he stood. Time stumbled forward as he heard the engine start. Lavender was in the air, retreating into nothingness with haste. Yet another light threatened to fade out on him.

To go forward would mean everything, to break the confines of self and situation in ways never imagined- to take a stand in a surrogate, unreal world.

Like Michelangelo’s ceiling; to be nearer to the hand of God, to be that much closer to touching it.

He swallowed a weight of fear that had found itself far back in his throat.

Celestial light rested on his shoulders as he slowly claimed a step, and then another, to the side of the vehicle.

With weeping flowers in his hand, he passionately knocked on the dew glazed window, on the cold glass, behind which rested the nondescript beauty that dare not name itself but is collectively called tomorrow.

The thread of heaven still shone through the darkness and color of night.

To be concluded in the May edition of The Flash.

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The Flash

Better make sure you've ordered a yearbook, delivered the last week in May and guaranteed to impress and entertain. Check the order form on the RHS web page... at the Yearbook link.

PostSecret You: Can join the work/fun... take Publications or Photojournalism if you like work that serves your school and your not afraid of it.

Yep, the Rocklin High yearbook is a Gold Crown again from CSPA in New York.Top 10 in the United States. Headed for the Hall of Fame. Simply, one of the best.

Yearbook crowned

28April 2007

a look at the lives of Rocklin High students SE^ CR

ET

Everyone has secrets dying to be exposed, but fear the embarrassment keeps us all from coming clean.

Imitated from www.postsecrets.com, our version allows students an opportunity to laugh about the sad, crazy, and just plain weird things that all of us do. As high schoolers we all have secrets, and now is the time to share.

Post secrets cannot exist without you, so fill out an anonymous slip today. If they're clearly obscene or untrue they cannot be used. So keep 'em clean, keep 'em juicy, and keep 'em coming. Just drop the slips off at M-5. Can't wait to hear the truth.

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The Flash

April 2007

29

&

F U N

GAMES

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The Flash

SUDOKU

30April 2007

Word Search Boys CHRIS DAVID HENRY JOHN KEVIN OLIVER PAUL SPENCER TREVOR WESLEY

Girls AMANDA BRIANNA HOLLY JANELLE KELLY LORRAINE MEGAN NICOLE RACHEL SAMANTHA

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The Flash

Yearbook Distribution Wednesday, May 30

April 2007

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Limited number of books available this year. Print the order form from the RHS home page and guarentee yourself fun the last week of school and memories for a lifetime

Students of Silly Apple Club Choir the quarter Jason Ronzani outstanding Jason Bolla amazing worker

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Photo Taylor Toretta gets work done Michael Waterhouse dedicated John Lee lively Summer Powel great photographer Shannon Gaughan creative

French Club

Hannah Bradley enthusiastic Chris Andre loves to learn Britney Crass enjoys learning Grant Speckert Sarah Dorsett Krista Lee positive attitude determined John Rayter enthusiastic responsible Candace Wray helpful teammate Rebecca Fahey selfless Tess Downs great athlete

English

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